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Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis to Revelation - The blog Bible Study is dedicated in the name of Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Savior (PDF) The Bible study is dedicated in the name of Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Savior. May the Lord Jesus Christ be honored by our devotions, our study and in our fellowship. May all the people be blessed and grow in the grace and knowledge of the love and presence of God our creator and our savior. Amen! [article link] Basic Christian: blog History Study - Christian Church History - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (PDF) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome - NWO] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ and the complete Christian Church History. [article link] Basic Christian Wiki: The Basic Christian Research Wiki 'Common Christian Faith' The Basic Christian Research Wiki 'Common Christian Faith' wiki website. [article link] Basic Christian: Jesus Walk - Holy Week 2012 - The 12th Annual 10 Day Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion Starting Friday March 30th, 2012 and going until ---> Easter Sunday April 8th, 2012 (PDF) We are going to begin to look at some of the aspects of Holy Week regarding what actually happened during the final Amazing events of Jesus Christ while He was physically here on earth. We will be considering what His events accomplished and how His completed events affect us today both personally and individually as Christians and as a whole in the Christian Church. - God bless you ~ David Anson Brown [article link] The Basic Christian: 2009-2010 'blog Bible Study' completed in 10 segments 1. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua 2. Matthew, James, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews 3. Judges, Ruth, 1st Samuel, 2nd Samuel, 1st Kings, 2nd Kings 4. Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum {Early period Prophets - Assyrian activity, attack on Jerusalem
thwarted} 5. Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Obadiah, Daniel, Ezekiel {Middle period Prophets - destruction of Jerusalem, Solomon's Temple destroyed and the Babylonian captivity} 6. Luke, Acts, 1st Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st Thessalonians, 2nd Thessalonians 7. Mark, 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus, Philemon, 1st Peter, 2nd Peter 8. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations 9. 1st Chronicles, 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, Joel, Malachi {Later period Prophets - The return from Babylon, awaiting the coming Messiah} 10. John, 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John, Jude, Revelation [article link]
Basic Christian: (2009-2010) blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (RSS) The complete Basic Christian: Through the Bible blog Bible Study in RSS feed. [article link] Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Old Testament (RSS) Basic Christian: Through the Bible - Old Testament - blog Bible Study in RSS feed. [article link] Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - New Testament (RSS) Basic Christian: Through the Bible - New Testament - blog Bible Study in RSS feed. [article link] Basic Christian: (2010-2012) blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World - Christian Church History Complete (RSS) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome - NWO] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ and the complete Christian Church History. [article link] Basic Christian: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (RSS) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome - NWO] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ. [article link] Basic Christian: blog History Study - Christian Church History (RSS) History of the Christian Church. [article link] Basic Christian: Christian Faith Downloads - A Christian resource center with links to many FREE Mp3 downloads (Mp3's) Christian Faith Downloads -- "1st Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." [article link] Basic Christian Adobe AIR (Version 4.52) -- FREE Download - Note: The 'Adobe Air' document [BasicChristian.air] can be downloaded to any desktop computer (PC or Mac) and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - Right click this link) {Note: This is the 'Platform' Basic Christian resource format that I'm now using the most (though it doesn't have the universal search feature of a PDF file). It has all the Basic Christian documents [Contents] easily accessible and it also has the ability for each user to change font sizes [lower right slide bar], add comments [Comments Pod] and **also a section to add your own 'Platform' quick links [Favorites] to other websites a feature that I use daily to quickly visit several websites and blogs.} The program provides excellent anytime devotions and is perfect as a gift for others. Most importantly the end user can create their own comments list, add links to other websites, blogs, RSS feeds, references and
documents that once combined create an inclusive individual 'Platform' for Christian research, devotionals and study projects. [article link] Basic Christian: Mp3 List (PDF) Basic Christian: Mp3 List (PDF)[article link] Basic Christian: Video - DVD List (PDF) Basic Christian: Video - DVD List (PDF)[article link] The Basic Christian: blog Postings have Concluded -- It has been my blessing, honor and privilege to be able to serve and share with the Church the body of Jesus Christ ~ God bless you, David Anson Brown Psalms 70:4 Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: and let such as love Thy Salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. -- Holy Bible The Jesus Walk 2012 Holy Week 10 Day Timeline Devotion - The 12th Annual (Started in 2001) 10 Day Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion - It will change your life! -- Friday March 30th ---> Easter Sunday April 8th, 2012 (PDF Available) An Ancient Holy Week Timeline, Bible Study, Devotional & Personal Journal for Easter Week 2012. ... Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) holiday dates of 2012 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected' returned from death' just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. ... It will change your life! [article link] [Friday] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Anointing - Preparation Friday - Catching up with Jesus and His disciples in the town of Bethany This day coincides with Friday March 30, 2012: On our journey to be with Jesus we find that Bethany is located on the Mount of Olives, (Luke 19:29, Mark 11:1) and that Bethany is less than 2 miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18). Once we walk up the Mount of Olives and ask directions to Lazarus', Mary's, and Martha's house, we would come into a small stone house to find Martha busy working in the kitchen while Mary is seated and at rest beside Jesus. Lazarus whom Jesus had recently raised from the dead (John 11:44) was also seated at the table no doubt he had much to talk to Jesus about. If we came in at just the right moment, we would smell the aroma that filled the house as Mary anointed Jesus with almost a pound of very costly Spikenard oil (John 12:3). We would hear Judas complain that the expensive ointment was wasted and hear the rebuke of Jesus as He defended Mary and proclaimed that she had committed an honorable act of worship in anointing Him for His coming burial. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #1 Anointing Oil: Mary Anointed Jesus with very costly and very precious oil. Biblically oil is a symbol of acceptance. To anoint someone is to accept them, to accept them for who and for what they are. Judas on the other hand did not want to bother with anointing Jesus. He didn't even want to be bothered with other people anointing Him. Mary was accepting Jesus. She had accepted that He had come to die for her in her place and was anointing Jesus for His coming burial. The cross of Jesus was something that even the disciples had not yet been able to come to grips with yet Mary had and Mary acknowledged and accepted Jesus for it. Having accepted the gift from Jesus that He was to die in her place for her sins she had now entered into a place of rest and comfort. Rest in that she did not have to work to amend for her own sins and comfort in that all things would be taken care of for her through God who is also King, her King Jesus. - As we begin our walk with Jesus let's pause and reflect (Selah) about acceptance ... are there people in our own lives who we need to anoint and to accept even though we don't understand them? How much could our fellowships gain by this one simple act of anointing one another in the simple affection of acceptance. Anointing others with the precious oil of acceptance can
only come from our own rest and security through the knowledge of what Jesus Himself has done and will do for us in our lives. - "Psalms 133 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded His blessing, even life forevermore." Are we anointing and accepting of ourselves? Biblically people are allowed to anoint - refresh themselves with oil (Matthew 6:17). In fact it is crucial that we accept ourselves. God has already accepted us. He created us and He is for us. How is it that we can reject what God has already accepted? Are we anointing and accepting of Jesus? Even today we can anoint Jesus with His precious costly oil of acceptance by accepting His accomplishments in His sacrificial death and eternal resurrection life for us and by trusting in His authority and Kingly rule over and in our lives. We would like to be bold enough to take the steps to walk where Jesus walks, but it is now evident even on this day, day one, that Jesus does not walk as a human walks but that He walks as God walks. For us to walk with Jesus we are going to have to be bold and remove our focus from others and place it on God. [article link] [Saturday] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Triumphal Entry Saturday - Jesus is King The Triumphal Entry - Jesus Enters Jerusalem the capital city of Israel and presents Himself as the Lord and King for all people This day coincides with Saturday March 31, 2012 Palm Saturday - Feast of Sabbath Rest - 10th of Nisan, Selection of the Passover Lamb, (Exodus 12:3). "Psalms 84:3 .. O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God." - On this next day Saturday, (John 12:12), we would rise up early with Jesus and the disciples. The people gathering for the celebration of the week long Passover Feast in the city of Jerusalem would hear that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and would gather palm branches to wave in honor of their coming King, Jesus. Because Saturday is a Sabbath day it is unlawful for the people to gather branches for their own personal use but it is not unlawful to gather the branches and wave them in an act of worship of Jesus (God). It is work to sustain our lives but it is not work to worship God. Jesus would send two disciples ahead to get a donkey and the donkey's baby that Jesus would ride on His way into Jerusalem. This will be a direct fulfillment of what the Prophet Zechariah saw and wrote about 400 years earlier. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O Daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; upon the colt the full of a donkey." We would see on this day Jesus would present Himself to Israel as the King. The prophet Daniel also saw and wrote about this day, (Daniel 9:25). The event of cheering Jesus as King would take the entire day. There would be one dispute with the Pharisees as they would demand that Jesus silence His disciples. Jesus would reply that if the disciples remained silent that the very rocks would cry out in testimony to the glory of God. "Mark 11:10-11 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide [close of this Saturday Sabbath day] was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve." We will enter into the Temple with Jesus and look around but we will soon depart as the evening is near and with the darkness of nightfall the Jewish Sabbath day will draw to a close. We depart the Temple and Jerusalem with Jesus keeping all of the Triumphal entry and the Temple events of that Glorious day enclosed within the one (Saturday) Sabbath day and not permitting the Triumphal Entry events to continue into the next day (Sunday) a non-Sabbath, non-Feast day. That evening we would return with Jesus back up to the Mount of Olives to Bethany (Mark 11:11). We would have to leave at the evening time to get to our destination before nightfall as this day is a Sabbath day and is a day of rest. (Acts 1:12) tells us that Mount Olivet is "from Jerusalem a Sabbaths days journey" so we know that we would be able to walk that distance and not break the Sabbath law. -- That night laying at the top of Mount Olives and looking at the stars and reflecting on the days events, it would begin to seem that the events that Jesus is carrying out have already been written about by the prophets hundreds even thousands of years earlier. As disciples wanting to be informed about the situation at hand, we would rethink the scriptures in a new light and begin to consider that Jesus has presented Himself as King to the people and this occurred on a feast day the feast day of "Sabbath." Examining Leviticus 23, we would notice that God prescribed eight Feasts that were to be followed in order, by His people the Jews. The first feast was the weekly Saturday feast of "Sabbath" or rest. This was the feast we
celebrated today. Suddenly, life flows through our bodies as we remember a Bible passage from the Apostle Paul, Colossians 2:16;17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of any holy day, or of the new moon or of the Sabbath days: which are shadows of the things to come; but the body is of Christ." Wow! We realize that Jesus is now at this very moment in the process of fulfilling scripture, the prophecies and the feasts appointed in Leviticus 23 which were written in advance for Jesus to later fulfill. We consider and savor the thought that our King has come and we can now find rest. With Jesus in rule and authority over our lives we can now rest or Sabbath. Jesus is our King! In Him is Justice, righteousness, Truth, Light and Life! In Him we can trust and in Jesus we find our [only] rest. No more striving with a world that is full of inhumane wrongs and cluttered with injustice. In King Jesus we now have comfort. We note that the "Sabbath" is first a commandment, the 4th of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai and it is also the 1st prescribed feast day of God. We then pay special attention to entering into the rest that Jesus provides as King in our lives, we do not want to disobey both a Commandment and a Feast day. Life becomes much more meaningful as we peacefully rest-Sabbath the night in Jesus. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #2 Jesus our Savior, our King, our Friend, our Rest: "Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork." We too would like to join in with the rocks of Jerusalem and indeed all of creation and declare the glory of our God and King in Christ Jesus and as we do declare the Deity and Honor of Jesus we declare that we to can now rest in His rule and in His Authority. We rest in Jesus, resting physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is a wonderful accomplishment to be able to cease from worry, fear and anxiety. Few are they that enter into it but blessed are those who do as rest is something to be entered into, it is an achievement, an accomplishment. "Hebrews 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same [wilderness wondering] example of unbelief." [article link] [Sunday] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Cleansing - Holiness Sunday - Jesus cleanses the Temple by removing unholy activities including overthrowing the tables of the moneychangers and the merchandisers This day coincides with Sunday April 1, 2012 - We awake early Sunday morning, the first day of the week, to see Jesus and the disciples on their way back to Jerusalem and the Temple (Mark 11:12). Catching up we would find Jesus examining a fig tree for fruit. Finding no fruit Jesus will curse the fig tree (Mark 11:14). We will stand by in amazement as we realize that this Jesus is the same God that Adam and Eve sinned against and then used a fig leaf in an attempt to cover their sins. Jesus is now saying that there are no more self-made, man-made coverings for sin. The system of fig tree religion is now a curse by God because fig tree religion never did produce fruit for God. We will then follow Jesus into the Temple as acting King. Jesus will now cleanse the Temple of ungodliness (Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19) and we will know that the true Temple is our bodies and that we need to present our bodies holy and undefiled to God (Romans 12:1-5). Listening we hear Jesus proclaim that His Temple will be a House of Prayer for ALL nations (Mark 11:17) and we rejoice to be a part of the Kingdom of God and to know that above all, God desires for us to pray (talk/listen) to Him in getting to know Him. That evening we will return with Jesus and the disciples to the Mount of Olives. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #3 Unfruitfulness in our own life: Jesus recognized unfruitfulness and He took action to remove it. Every one of us (unlike Jesus) has an unfruitful aspect in our own life. We too can be bold like Jesus, in that when we see unfruitfulness we can declare it as unacceptable to God and recognize it as a cursed item, not a blessing. In cursing it, curse it at its root so that it will immediately wither and dry up no longer sustaining an appearance of being potentially fruitful but being what it truly is, something that does not give pleasure to God. "Matthew 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." [article link] [Monday] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Teaching Monday - Temple teaching and later the Mt. Olivet Discourse End Time Teaching is given This day coincides with Monday April 2, 2012 - Arising early the next day Monday, we know from Mark 14:1 and Matthew 26:2 that we have two days left until the Passover (Wednesday). We would again follow Jesus to Jerusalem and to the temple as Jesus spends another day preaching in the temple and having discourse with
the Scribes and Pharisees. On the way to the temple we would again pass the fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before and be astonished with the other disciples that the fig tree has completely dried up and withered from the roots up (Matthew 21:19, Mark 11:20). We would again consider that the fig tree cannot be our covering for sin and that God finds man-made religious practices unacceptable, not one day will pass where the religious practices of man are acceptable to God. We would follow Jesus back into the temple where the Scribes, Pharisees and lawyers will make a final assault on the authority of Jesus (Matthew 21:23-23:39, Mark 11:27-12:44). Jesus will end His discussion with the Scribes and Pharisees with the comments of "Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Jesus uses strong words for strong circumstances. The leaders of Judah are misrepresenting Jesus. They are misrepresenting the word of God in the Bible and all that God stands for. Jesus refers to them as a "brood of vipers", referring to the words and actions of the leaders that their deeds are separating people from the true God and are therefore as poisonous as the poison of a snake. Earlier, through the prophet Isaiah, Jesus said to the leaders of ancient Judah that when the circumstances of their lives pressed against them and caused them to be uncomfortable that they would responded from their heart. Jesus saw that the leaders were upset with circumstances that they didn't understand and that their actions really revealed their true heart towards God. Jesus was therefore quoting the prophet Isaiah in order to encourage the leaders to search the scriptures in a new light and gain new insight into the person of God and new insight into the kingdom of God. After the death and resurrection of Jesus the book of Acts tells us that many of the Priests came to believe in Jesus (Acts 6:7). Jesus is showing us that although strong words were used, Jesus did it in a way of Reconciliation. There is only one Ministry, it is the ministry of reconciliation, man to God and man to man. After this discussion, Jesus left the Temple for the last time (Matthew 24:1, Mark 13:1). We can immediately remember the Prophet Ezekiel, (Ezekiel 10:1-22) and his depiction of the presence of God departing from the temple as the people had rejected God. Ezekiel wrote of a temple from which the presence of God had departed and later that temple would be destroyed by the invading Babylonians. Likewise, this temple with the presence of God, in the person of Jesus departing, would later be destroyed by the Roman armies. After the discussion between the leaders and Jesus, Jesus walked out of the temple and the disciples followed (Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2). The disciples thought that this was the long awaited moment, the moment when the King Jesus, would take control and according to scripture would reign and rule from Jerusalem. The disciples were now interested in the buildings of the temple. In effect, the disciples were saying these are great buildings to rule from and probably wondering where their office would be. As we stand there and eavesdrop, we would hear Jesus reply and give a prophecy that the temple would be destroyed, one stone block at a time, until there were no more stone blocks left stacked upon another. The disciples were stunned. They realized that they were not familiar with the current plan of Jesus. - That evening when they returned to the Mount of Olives, some of the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked "what is the time or sign of Jesus coming into power?" In other words, when is Jesus the King going to reign and rule on earth as the King? Jesus told them that it was not for them to know the times and gave a long informative discourse into the end time events. Jesus specifically warned the disciples not to fall for deception, that many will be deceived by the vast amount of lies and deceit being told in the world. He taught that only the Bible is the true word of God. The teaching is now called "Jesus' Mt. Olivet Discourse" (Matthew 24:3-26:2, Mark 13:3-14:1). -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #4 Our Ministry of Reconciliation: What is our part in Reconciliation? Jesus came to Reconcile. The very Ministry of Jesus is Reconciliation, reconciling man back into a relationship with God and also reconciling us humans into a relationship with one another. "2 Corinthians 5:18,19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us (Christians) to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." *The word reconciliation is called the Gospel, the "Good News" of our Life in Jesus as opposed to the sour fact of our death in this earthly world. The ministry of Jesus is the embodiment of the Cross that Jesus would be crucified on as on the cross Jesus is lifted up - suspended, between Heaven (the dwelling of God) and Earth (the dwelling of man). The vertical post of the cross represents reconciliation between God and Man while at the same time the outstretched - reaching out arms of Jesus and the horizontal beam of the cross represent the reconciliation of one to another.
Reconciliation is accomplished only in and by Jesus. There is no other hope for mankind but in Jesus, His Cross and His Resurrection. [article link] [Tuesday] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday - Judas Agrees to betray Jesus for Thirty pieces of silver This day coincides with Tuesday April 3, 2012 (Matthew 26:6-16, Mark 14:3-11) - As we awake Tuesday morning we will not go to Jerusalem and the Temple as Jesus had departed the Temple for the last time on Monday. Instead, today we will go with Jesus to Bethany and enter the house of Simon, a leper whom Jesus has previously cured. A woman will anoint Jesus with more oil. Judas will depart to meet with the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus. Judas will receive the promise of thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:2, Matthew 26:15) for promising to deliver Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leaders. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #5 Fellowship with the one who has cleansed us: Jesus has returned to spend time with Simon a Leper whom Jesus had previously cleansed. How is it that Jesus would want to visit someone that was previously Unclean? How is it that Simon would trust Jesus? Usually when someone has knowledge of the unclean areas of our life we want to get away from them because we are vulnerable and do not want to be exposed by them for what we were or for what we truly are. Yet Simon welcomed Jesus into his own home and prepared for Him a meal. All throughout the Bible we read how hurting and longing and suffering people have turned to God and have found compassion and healing and like Simon, we too have the privilege of hosting Jesus, the one who has healed us. "Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me (Jesus), all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your Souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." [article link] [Wednesday] Jesus Walk 2012 -- New Covenant Wednesday - Last Supper - Communion - Passover Dinner Jesus covenants to die for us in our place therefore by the death of Jesus eternal Death now passes over and skips over us humans This day coincides with Wednesday April 4, 2012 the Passover week events having starting on the 10th of Nisan continues with the Feast of the Lord's Passover on the 14th of Nisan - Wednesday we would wake up to the second of the feast days known as the "Lord's Passover." This feast was first observed by the Jewish people in Egypt the night the plague killed all of the Egyptian firstborn sons, while death "Passed over" the Jewish firstborn because they were saved by the "Covenant blood" placed above the doors of their houses (Exodus 12:1-36). This feast is also prescribed by God in Leviticus chapter 23. We will follow Jesus to Jerusalem to eat the Passover dinner and celebrate it with the disciples in an upper room made ready by some friends. As we come into the upper room in the early afternoon prior to the Lord's Passover feast which will be observed and eaten later "at evening". We will see that Jesus and the disciples have just finished eating a lunch/supper (John 13:2). Jesus is telling the disciples that God the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth to Him. We marvel that this Jesus standing before us is not just the King of Judah but is the King of the Universe, the King of heaven and of the earth, of the physical realm that is seen and also of the unseen spiritual realm. Jesus presides over all as King. Before we can comprehend the enormity of the kingdom of Jesus, we see King Jesus lay aside His garments, pour water into a wash basin and begin to wash the disciples feet. We are in total agreement with Peter when Peter says to Jesus "Thou shall never wash my feet," after all, kings of the earth do not wash their followers feet, so much more the reason that the King of the universe should not wash our feet. Then Jesus explains to Peter that unless He washes our feet that Jesus will have nothing to do with us. We wonder, "why have Jesus wash our feet and only our feet"? Then we realize that Jesus is King and He is also our Abba, Daddy, Father, and likewise He is also the Holy God. Being Holy, Jesus requires that we be cleansed in able to approach Him. Our creator, Abba, Father, Jesus is happy to take all of His authority and use it to clean us and draw us near to Him. We now know that Jesus is really talking about cleansing our "Souls", our thought life and our emotions as the foot is a reference to the soul. We realize that one dirty item cannot make another dirty item clean. We gasp as we realize that ONLY Jesus can make us clean because only Jesus is clean and without Jesus washing us and cleansing us, we will remain dirty and Jesus will "have nothing to do with us." We make a mental note to spend more quality cleansing time with Jesus in prayer and in reading the Bible. - It is
now evening and time for the Lord's Passover Supper. All of the disciples are seated around Jesus (Matthew 26:20). Jesus begins to explain how one of the disciples will betray Him. We join the other disciples wondering if we will betray Jesus? After the events of the past week, we now know that we are not that familiar with the plans of God and that Sin is deceitful. Knowing that we can easily be deceived and betray Jesus in our thoughts and actions, we make another mental note to walk in the Spirit with Jesus at all times, seeking the wisdom and will of God continually for each and every activity we do during the moments of our lives. Jesus speaking up tells the disciples that to identify the one who will betray Him, He will dip His bread in the sauce at the same time the betraying disciple dips his bread. As Judas dips his bread Jesus also dips His (Matthew 26:23). We now know why, after the foot washing that Jesus said "not everyone is clean" (John 13:10) because Judas is not clean, he is a betrayer. Judas asks Jesus if he is the betrayer. Jesus tells him "yes he is." We marvel that sin is so deceptive, that one can betray God and actually think that he is doing God's work. We shudder as we think of all of the killing and all of the wrong that has gone on by the deceived ones throughout the Church ages in the name of Christianity. We are very glad to make the journey back to Holy Week to walk with Jesus and to learn who He is so that we can be true disciples and true followers of Jesus. Judas, after receiving a bread dipped in sauce by Jesus, then departs the room to proceed to betray Jesus. The disciples wonder were Judas has gone. Some think he is going to make arrangements for the next feast, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" which begins tomorrow, (John 12:29). At first we think it is unlawful for Judas to go out at night on a feast day but then a quick glance in our Bibles back to Leviticus 23 reveals that the Lord's Passover is not a "Sabbath Feast." We wonder at the thought that the Lord's Passover feast is not a "Sabbath - Rest" feast like all of the other feasts and therefore there is no evening curfew for the feast. Unfortunately, as Judas leaves the presence of Jesus, Satan then enters into Judas and demonically possesses Judas (John 13:27). Again we realize the importance of staying in the presence of Jesus to keep ourselves safe from the demonic/Satanic realm. - Jesus then takes the unleavened bread of the "Lord's Passover Feast" (Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22) and giving Thanks, Jesus breaks the bread explaining that this is His body broken for us, speaking of the cross that is to come tomorrow. He then passes the bread for the disciples to eat. Much earlier while following Jesus the disciples had dealt with this very issue of Jesus' body. In John 6:47-58, Jesus told a large group of disciples that He, "is the true bread of life that came down from heaven and any man who would eat of it that man would not die but would live forever." Many disciples were disturbed at that saying of Jesus, (John 6:66) "and some walked with Jesus no more." But Jesus had also explained to the disciples (John 6:63) that it is the Spirit that aids a man not the physical. Jesus said that His words are Spirit. -- So here this night of the Passover the disciples readily enjoy the bread knowing that it is the Spirit of Jesus that gives Spiritual life. -- Next Jesus takes a cup of wine. It is the third cup of the four prescribed cups of the feast. The third cup is known as the cup of redemption. The first cup is the cup of Sanctification, meaning to be set apart to God for the feast. The second cup is the cup of instruction, instructing that there were many plagues on the land of Egypt, yet the children of God could not go free from slavery until there was a death of the firstborn. Now this night Jesus is proclaiming that He is the Firstborn of God and that His death will set us free from the slavery of sin and the cruelty of Satan just like the death of the firstborn did so many years ago back in Egypt. Then Jesus taking the cup (Mark 14:23) of redemption and like the bread, giving thanks, Jesus passed the cup to the disciples and said "take drink all of it," (Matthew 26:27) this cup is the New Testament in His blood: this do, that as often as we drink of it, to do it in remembrance of Jesus. The disciples are fully aware that Jesus is speaking of a better blood than man has, of His Spiritual life blood. They gladly take the cup of wine and gladly drink all of it. We marvel that Jesus wants us to "Drink all" that He has for us, all of His Life, Love, Compassion and Mercy. Jesus then mentions that He will not drink again of the wine until He drinks it anew with us in His Father's Kingdom. The fourth cup of wine that Jesus is postponing to drink is called the "cup of Rejoicing." After the feast, the cup of rejoicing is to be drunk as we rejoice in all that God has done in our lives in setting us free and reuniting us with Him in the promise land of Heaven. Jesus says that He will drink that next cup with all of us for real in the real heaven. Jesus and the disciples then sing a Psalm in the closing of the "Lord's Passover Feast." Jesus now reminds us again that He is about to be betrayed. He tells us in advance so that we will know that He does indeed know all things. Jesus then reveals to us that this dark moment is Satan's time. Judas has already left to betray Jesus. Jesus
instructs us saying that "Satan has nothing in Him", but that Jesus will show His love for the Father by giving His life as a sacrifice to reunite us back to God, as this is the will of the Father and it is also the will of the Son Jesus. - Arising they depart the room (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26, John 14:31). We marvel that this feast is not a Sabbath feast so they are able to walk in the night and not break the law of the feast. Now during a short walk, Jesus talks to the disciples about Himself being the vine, the source of life and that the disciples are the branches and that the disciples are to abide in Jesus for life. He also teaches about the persecution that will come to all of His followers. Then Jesus instructs them some more about the Holy Spirit who the Father will send. Jesus then prays His "Priestly High Prayer" to the Father (John 17:1-26), asking the Father to receive all of His followers including us, His future followers and to unite us all with Himself in Heaven with the Father. As Jesus prays to God the Father we conclude that we know that Jesus' prayers are heard by the Father and answered! After His priestly prayer of intercession for us to the Father, Jesus commits to His crucifixion and then crosses over the brook of Cedron (John 18:1) as He proceeds on to the garden of Gethsemane, the Garden of destiny. (Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32). We now know why God has not made the Lord's Passover to be a "Rest - Sabbath Feast" because Jesus and the disciples would have to remain at home or inside after the feast and could not have legally walked to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden of destiny. Had this been a "Sabbath - Rest Feast", it is also very unlikely that the Temple guards would have broken the Sabbath themselves to journey to the Garden to arrest Jesus who, after all was only peaceably praying to the Father. This is another powerful demonstration that these events are events orchestrated and allowed by God Himself and not man just as these events are foreseen in the prophetic writings by the prophets of the Old Testament. - The Garden is the ideal place to reveal that God is in control. It was so many years ago that Adam and Eve lost mankind's relationship with God through their own disobedience in the original garden, the Garden of Eden. Jesus is now stepping into another garden, the Garden of Gethsemane. Through His desire and obedience Jesus will continue to restore back the lost relationship between God and mankind, this time for forever. Had Jesus been arrested anywhere but in a Garden, say for instance in the streets or in the upperroom, it would be difficult to correlate the events of the Last Supper to the events of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Since God made certain to go to the Garden we have to correlate these two garden events and also the coming event of the resurrection of Jesus from yet another garden, the Garden Tomb. This again reveals the detailed plan of God as He has set it out for us in His Prophetic Word, the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. -- We follow and see that Jesus is separated from His disciples and engaged in prayer to the Father. Jesus asks for the third time for the Father to remove "this cup" (Matthew 26:42) but there is no other "cup" of redemption available to mankind. Either Jesus gives His life for us or mankind will never be reunited to God. Angels come and minister to Jesus. He arises. Judas can now be seen leading a group of Temple soldiers intent on arresting Jesus. Judas then betrays Jesus with a kiss (Matthew 26:49). Jesus in turn calls Judas "friend" (Matthew 26:50). Jesus is arrested, bound with ropes and led off as all of the disciples abandon Him and flee. -{Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #6 New Covenant Reflection: The New Covenant - God has agreed to take on the appearance of a Human, to come for us and to die in our place for our sins so that we can Live anew in a new Spiritual relationship with God. God in His Love for us has taken our penalty of death so that we can live in His life of love. With the New Covenant and our New Spiritual Life "All things have become New." "2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold All things are become New." Are we allowing ourselves to live in our newfound Relationship with God and are we allowing ourselves the New Freedom that this relationship has to offer? When Jesus took His Communion cup and offered it to His followers Jesus gave with it the instruction and the invitation to "Drink all of it." Amen - and drink all of it we will. [article link] [Thursday] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Crucifixion Agony - Redemption Thursday - Jesus is betrayed and arrested He is then tried and by popular demand is sentenced to die - Jesus is crucified and suffers Death on the Cross - This is the end and Removal of Death and Sin (Leaven) Thursday {Crucifixion - Agony (Bitter) Thursday} This day coincides with Thursday April 5, 2012 Crucifixion Thursday - Feast of Unleavened Bread, 15th of Nisan (Matthew 26:47-27:28, Mark 14:53-15:47). In the next few
hours Jesus will undergo six trials all of them will be a mockery of justice. Jesus will come out of His third trial just in time to hear the disciple Peter deny a third time to being a follower of Jesus. A rooster will crow marking the dawn to the sunrise of a new day. This is the day in which Jesus of Nazareth, the true and living Son of God, will be despised, rejected of man and crucified on a wooden cross. This day will be the seventh day of our journey back and the third feast day, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" - the feast of the removal of sin/leaven. Jesus will be despised, rejected and beaten all of this because of the love that God has for His own creation and of an ultimate desire to reunite the people that are rejecting Him back unto Himself. - The horrific beating (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) that King Jesus will endure for us will be a savage fit of rage, the rage of mankind and a fit of Satanic rage all wrapped into one. No person has ever been so savagely beaten as Jesus was that day. It is the kind of abuse that all evil has against all innocence. Peter will have gone out and wept bitterly for his part in denying Jesus. Peter will not look to himself but will again look to God and experience the total love and forgiveness that God Has for mankind. Judas, who also betrayed God, will not look to God, but instead Judas will look to himself and will find no hope but only despair and in despair Judas will go out and commit suicide. Jesus is now led to a hill and crucified. It is the same hill that the Jewish forefather Abraham brought his son Isaac to 4,000 years earlier (Genesis 22:1-19), to enact out a loving father offering his only beloved son, a parallel to the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus is offered wine mixed with bitter gall to drink but Jesus rejects the bitter wine because He has promised that the next wine He drinks will be with us in Heaven and it will be a sweet cup of Heavenly rejoicing not the bitter cup of this world. - Jesus' first words on the cross (Luke 23:34) will be "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Forgiveness. Even as He is rejected, Jesus forgives. We stand amazed as the two thieves being crucified along with Jesus, mock Him. Then one of the thieves turns and says "we are getting our just rewards; but Jesus is innocent". Then one of the thieves says a most remarkable thing. He says "Jesus remember me when you enter into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). We look on in dismay. "Enter the Kingdom of Jesus?" True, Jesus declared Himself to be a King only a few days ago and a King has to have a kingdom, but Jesus is dying on a cross - No! Not death! The thief is right. Jesus is entering into His kingdom, one where there is no more curse of the flesh. Where sin does not reign. In fact sin is not even present in the Kingdom of Jesus. That's it - only the Spiritual Kingdom of God is good enough for Jesus. He died to the sin and human flesh of this world so that we can be united with Him in His glory, in His Holy Spiritual Kingdom. Jesus will remain alive on the cross for six hours, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. At noon, the sky will grow dark (Amos 8:9, Matthew 27:45). Jesus will cry out from the cross "My God, my God why hast thou forsaken Me?" (Psalm 22:1-31, Matthew 27:46). At 3:00 p.m., Jesus will give a victory cry and proclaim "It is finished" (John 19:30). We marvel that the prophecy given to Eve in Genesis 3:15 is now fulfilled as Jesus, the Son of God, has His own heal bruised for us while supporting His weight on the cross. It was also on the same cross of victory on a hill called Golgotha or Skull (John 19:17) that Jesus has crushed the head (skull) [Genesis 3:15] of the deceiving serpent Satan. - Jesus will then commend His Spirit to His Father, He will then permit His Spirit to leave His body (Luke 23:46). It is now near the evening of the third feast day, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread." This feast according to Leviticus chapter 23, is a Sabbath - Rest feast and in order to properly keep this feast the followers need to be at home before sundown and are unable to engage in any work. The legs of the two thieves on the other two crosses are broken to hasten their deaths and to proceed with their burials before sundown. Jesus' lifeless body is taken down from the cross and placed into a new nearby tomb, which is really a cavern carved out of solid rock and has been provided by Joseph of Armethia. Jesus will be laid in the new tomb. His body, including His face, will be wrapped with fresh linen cloth and soaked with 75 lbs. of anointing oils (John 19:39). Those taking part in the burial of Jesus will quickly depart to get home before the Sabbath curfew of sundown. That evening we will return with the disciples back to the upper room where the Lord's Passover feast was held the night before. The door will be shut and locked as everyone will cower in the dark and in silence for fear that Romans will knock down the door to seize more of the disciples and drag them off to be horribly crucified. It is the first night without the presence of Jesus. It is a dark and bitter night. We sit down to consider the events. The third feast - we wonder what are the odds that everything of major importance would happen on a Feast Day? We know the odds are the same as those that brought life into existence and the same as those that could write the pages of the Bible before the events actually happened.
We know that no odds could do this because there are no odds. There is no chance involved. It is the predetermined plan of God. Not chance, but a plan! It is a plan being carried out carefully and deliberately before the eyes of mankind. We ponder the feasts, first was "Sabbath" the required rest and Jesus presenting Himself as our King. Next was the "Lord's Passover", the Covenant feast of escaping death and entering into life with Jesus in heaven in the presence of the Father. Now it is the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" the third feast of the eight feasts prescribed by God to Moses in Leviticus chapter 23. That's it! Jesus often referred to leaven as "sin." "Beware of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees" Jesus would say and this Feast is to remove the leaven, that is to remove the sin that infects mankind. Jesus' shed blood and His death on the cross are a complete removal of our sin. It is complete because death is the end result of sin therefore in Jesus' death all of our sins died. The death of sin occurs on the cross. Later in the Resurrection of Jesus, we will receive of His eternal Resurrection Life. Sin has to be removed. We cannot have fellowship with the Holy God in the New Covenant until the Sin is removed. Jesus on this day became the penalty for the sins of the world reconciling those who choose to be reconciled with God in the New Covenant. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #7 The Cross - a place of no compromise: Jesus reached out to us - all the way and without compromise. He didn't compromise as He took on the appearance of a human and entered into our physical realm so that He could interact with us on our level. He entered into our physical level because we are separated from the Holy God on His Spiritual level. We are separated from Him by our sins and it is impossible for God to bring us and the sin that accompanies us into His direct presence, so God in Jesus, came to us in our existence. In reaching out to us Jesus didn't compromise. He reached out with both arms open and fully extended all the way, even to the cross. Mankind in return didn't compromise as mankind rejected God. Mankind then reaching back with a hammer, nailed both of His open and extended arms onto a wooden cross. Today it is still our opportunity and our turn to reach out and touch Jesus even though we do not see Him as He is in the Spirit realm like we see one another in the physical realm. We can still come to that place of no compromise and touch Jesus in that no compromising place called faith. "Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." [article link] [Friday] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Sealed Tomb Friday - Roman Guards seal the Tomb - additional Spices and Ointments are purchased and prepared to further anoint the body of Jesus This day coincides with Friday April 6, 2012 - We awake Friday morning our first day without the presence of Jesus. Today, the day after the Feast of Unleavened Bread and before the weekly Saturday Sabbath that begins at Sundown Friday, Jewish time, today is another regular day that happens to be sandwiched between the two Sabbath day Feast days in this year's original "Jesus Passover" celebration. Therefore with today not being a Sabbath day the usual work including buying and selling can take place. Several people go to purchase spices and ointments (Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56) and mix them together to prepare them in order to further anoint the body of Jesus. "Mark 16:1-2 And when the Sabbath (feast of unleavened bread) [Thursday] was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, [Friday] had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day [Sunday] of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun." Early in the day we also find out that the Jewish leaders have just conferred with the Roman leaders (Matthew 27:62-66) to have guards placed at the tomb of Jesus. This is to prevent the disciples from stealing the body of Jesus and then claiming that He rose from the dead, something I'm sure that no disciple intended to do, after all what good is a dead leader? The tomb is now sealed with a Roman "seal" signifying that the body of Jesus is inside and that all is secure in the tomb. The guards stand in front of the sealed tomb and wait for Sunday. The intent is that on Sunday the tomb will be unlocked/unsealed and the body of Jesus will be shown to the Jewish leaders and all will be back to normal in Jerusalem because Jesus said that He would live the third day, not the second day or the fourth day. Jesus remaining dead in the tomb on Sunday would reveal that He was not a prophet able to prophesy that He would be alive the third day and also that He is not God able to overcome human death. There is no chance to enter the sealed tomb until the three days are up and the seal is removed by the Romans who placed it on the tomb. None of the soldiers on duty
have the authority to remove the seal and open the tomb, only the Roman government has the authority to open the tomb and according to the contract with the Jews, it will be after the third day. The frightened disciples are in no condition to reveal themselves as followers of Jesus. So back to the familiar upper room everyone journeys. In the lonely darkness that comes on with despair the disciples lament that they are not prophets. One proclaims that he is just a herder of flocks from his youth (Zechariah 13:4-6). Likewise we sit in the dark and also wonder if we have the spiritual stamina that it takes to make it through this "dark night of the soul." We begin to think about Jesus and His ministry here on earth. We think about the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23) and how hard and compacted the soil of our heart is. Emotionally we are against obstacles and unable to push our spiritual roots down any further into fresh new soil. We wonder what has become of Jesus the master Gardener, we need Him. We need the Gardener to pull the weeds of doubt, to help us through life's thorns, to break up the shallow rocky soil and to direct His seed into the good soil of our heart so it can bring forth much fruit. Oh, it's no use a garden needs a gardener to keep it pleasant. The garden can't maintain itself from the hard soil, shallow rocks and choking weeds. Without a Gardener, the good plants will come to nothing as they are choked out and perish among the weeds and hard soil. We need God's direction and His plan in order for us to fulfill our life's purpose. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #8 Man puts his seal of approval on God's death: "Matthew 27:66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure [inventory of the tomb contents], sealing the stone, and setting a watch." With the death of Jesus comes the Seal of approval from mankind. You can be certain that Jesus died on the cross and you can be just as certain that the dead body of Jesus was in the tomb on this the next day when the tomb was closed and the seal was placed on it. Certain because mankind would have it no other way than that God, would be declared dead, null, and void. Oh they sealed the right tomb of death alright but they sealed the wrong object. What they should have placed their seal on is on the death of sin, the sin that has separated mankind from the Holy God for all of these years as God knows and as the Christian knows it is sin that has been declared dead, null, and void and not God. As we reflect on the death of sin, that the penalty for sin has been removed from us by Jesus, do we really understand that the worst that can possibly happen to us is death from sin? But that Jesus died for us so the worst thing that can happen to us has happened to Jesus as He took our penalty for us. Now with the worst behind us thanks to Jesus, we now have the best and a new opportunity as a new relationship with God is now before us. "Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." [article link] [Saturday] Jesus Walk 2012 -- 3 Day & 3 Night Prophecy Fulfillment Saturday - The Third Day of Death is Fulfilled This day coincides with Saturday April 7, 2012 - Saturday is again the weekly Sabbath day of rest. We rest physically but emotionally we are anything but at rest as we ponder an uncertain future without a leader, without our King Jesus. -- Let's recap Thursday - Sunday by looking at some verses in Luke: "Luke 23:52-24:1 [Thursday][Crucifixion day] "This man, Joseph of Arimathaea, went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down [from the cross] and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulcher (tomb) that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation [preparation for the evening Sabbath of Unleavened Bread], and the Sabbath [Unleavened Bread, evening Sabbath curfew] drew on. And the women also, which came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld (observed) the sepulcher, and how His body was laid. And they returned (home) and [Friday] [normal Day] prepared (worked & labored) spices and ointments; and rested the [Saturday][Sabbath Day] Sabbath day according to the commandment [the 4th of the 10 commandments, the weekly Saturday Sabbath]. Now upon the first day of the week [Sunday][Resurrection Day], very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them." -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #9 Getting through the darkness: It's dark in there; it's a dark and lonely place in those deep dark tombs. Death is dark, and it's dark when we look death in the face. Will the light shine? Will there be life? Will life live and conquer the darkness; the loneliness, the despair, the finality of death? We as humans
have to know. We have to know if there is any hope, any permanent existence, any purpose, any reason to life and our existence or if our brief existence here on earth is only a byproduct of some random collision of molecules. Only God - Jesus can answer this question for us and it can only be answered in the Resurrection Life of Jesus as only life can hold the answers to the problems that face mankind. God has given to us, a long time ago, the answer and His promise in each new day. In the beginning of creation God created the Physical Light. He created light as a representation for us to see that indeed His true Spirit light of life shines and it does indeed remove the darkness of death. Every time life gets dark just remember the New Day the Sunrise the Resurrection Sunshine from on high as the Sun represents to us the True Son Light, Jesus. God made it that way! The Sun is our daily and momentary reminder of God, of His Son Jesus, of His light, His warmth, His promises, His Life, His Love and His Eternal Resurrection Life for us. "Lamentations 3:21-23 This I recall in my mind, therefore I have hope. It is the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed, because His Compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Thy Faithfulness." [article link] [Sunday] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Jesus' Glorious Resurrection Life Sunday - Glorious Salvation Resurrection (Easter) Day! - Jesus conquers death by Love & Eternal Life - The Rebirth of Life and we now have Salvation and live an Eternal Life in the Resurrection life of Jesus Christ Sunday {Jesus' Glorious Resurrection Life Sunday} This day coincides with Sunday April 8, 2012 Resurrection Sunday (Easter) also the "Feast of First Fruits," the first Sunday of the week after the feasts of the "Lord's Passover & Unleavened Bread" (Matthew 28:1-15, Mark 16:1-14, John 20:1-23). Sunday, the first day of the week, we arise early and ponder that today is also a feast day, the fourth feast, the "Feast of First fruits". We wonder why Leviticus 23 this Feast did not have an actual date to be celebrated like the Lord's Passover, the 14th of the month and the Unleavened Bread, the 15th of the month but the Feast of First Fruits is specifically to be celebrated on the first Sunday of the week after the Passover. Today is also the day the seal is scheduled to be removed from the tomb of Jesus. Some of the women go early in the morning at first light to await access to the tomb to continue to anoint the body of Jesus. While walking to the tomb the women encounter an Angel who asks them why they are seeking the "Living" among the dead? For Jesus whom you seek is Not Dead but He is Alive! The women continue walking. They arrive at the tomb and they see the Roman seal is broken, the stone is rolled back and looking into the tomb they notice that the body of Jesus is missing but His burial wrappings remain there in an undisturbed manner. Seeing what appears to be the Gardener, the women ask him where he has moved the body of Jesus too? "Mary" replies the Gardener, WAIT! Mary knows that voice. This Gardener is JESUS, HE'S ALIVE! Mary and the women grab the feet of Jesus. Jesus tells them that He has not yet gone to the Father (John 20:17) but to go and tell the Good News "of the resurrection" to the rest of the disciples. Peter and John, like the rest of the disciples doubt the good news of the resurrection of Jesus but they run to the tomb to see for themselves. John and Peter enter the empty tomb together. John had been one of the disciples at the crucifixion and he helped place Jesus into the tomb. As John saw the anointed strips of cloth used to wrap the body of Jesus, John realized that the cloth was not unwound but just empty, vacated and collapsed down in a way in which a human body could not have been physically removed from within the cloth covered with ointment. John seeing this, believed (John 20:8). Back in the upper room two, disciples are excitedly telling of meeting and journeying with the Risen Jesus on their way to the town of Emmaus, (Luke 24:33). Meanwhile, in the upper-room the door is shut and locked (John 20:19) and Jesus suddenly appears in their midst in a supernatural way. The newly Resurrected Jesus presents Himself to the disciples. The disciples marvel that Jesus is alive again and then King Jesus breathes His Holy breath on them to give them His resurrection Spirit life. Amazed we realize that this is the same way and the same giver of Life who had previously breathed life into Adam our first forefather (Genesis 2:7). Jesus said "receive you the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). The disciples by faith receive the Holy Spirit offered by Jesus and by receiving the Holy Spirit they become "Born Again" new creations. - We realize that it is by Faith that we are saved, this Faith! The faith in the risen, living, resurrection Jesus. The faith that Jesus has personally sealed us with the Holy Spirit. We realize that this is the true feast the "Feast of First Fruits" as Jesus breathes into us the "First Fruits" of the Holy Spirit. We know that this is just the First Fruit, the first fruits of the Holy Spirit with much more to come. This fruit is
special because it is, according to Leviticus 23, the first of the fruit from within the Promise Land (Joshua 5:1012) that is from the Promise Land of Heaven and eternal life. We rejoice. Like the children of Israel who were delivered from Egypt, we have escaped the bondage of this world and the cruelty of Satan and the certain death that goes with it. We have escaped by the death of the Firstborn Son of God, His Son Jesus Christ, and we are now alive in His resurrection glory. We like, the Jews of Egypt, have wandered in the desert wilderness of unbelief until our unbelief has vanished. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have crossed the dangerous Jordan river and entered into the Promise Land of Heaven having accepted Jesus as our leader, our King, and our Lord by entering into His New Covenant, the covenant of life. Now alive we realize that the death of sin has "Passed Over" us by our receiving His shed blood as the cleansing of our sins through the death of Jesus on the cross. We now rejoice in the Gospel of Good News that Jesus being Righteous, Holy, Just, and True, the Son of God and God Himself, that He cannot die as humans die but He is alive in the Spiritual realm, the eternal realm that Jesus existed in with the Father before He took on a fleshly body in the womb of Mary (John 16:27-28). -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #10 Resurrection Day "The Re-birth of Life" [after the original life in Garden of Eden] Jesus demonstrates His Authority of Life over death: Life, our meaning and purpose in it have now been answered once and for all in this the very Resurrection Life of Jesus. We now know that there is a God, that He has power to remove sins and to then give life over death, that He Loves us and that we are made alive to be friends with Him forever in His Eternal Resurrection Kingdom of Heaven. How can we ever comprehend this joyous event, Life in Jesus, but comprehend it we must as it is the only way to eternal Life. "Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the Resurrection from the dead." Light shines! And with it Life! Jesus is the True Light! Jesus is the Life! God is not dead, God is Alive! Now we too are alive when Jesus breaths His Resurrection Spirit Life into us. Alive and united with the Holy God inside of us, that is Eternal Life! "John 1:3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehend it not." "2 Corinthians 4:6 For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus." [article link] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Jesus Christ has risen from the grave - Truly He has risen - He has risen indeed! Jesus Christ has risen from the grave - Truly He has risen - He has risen indeed! -- Thank you for taking part in the 2012 Jesus Walk Holy Week Timeline Devotion! Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, I pray that God will richly bless you, keep you and that His everlasting Divine face will continue to shine upon you. The Lord Jesus Christ be with you in all things as we look to the soon return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ~ God bless you, David Anson Brown [article link] Bible verse: Psalms 118:19-29 ... Open to me the gates of righteousness [the resurrection of Jesus Christ]: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my Salvation. ... God is the LORD, which hath shewed us [resurrection - sunrise] light ... O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever. {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Psalms 118:19-29 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my Salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity [lit. wellbeing]. Blessed be He (Jesus) that cometh in the Name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the House of the LORD. God is the LORD, which hath shewed us [resurrection - sunrise] light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Holiness Legacy E-Newsletter March 2012: Welcome to this March issue of the Holiness Legacy eNewsletter - I hope you are enjoying this monthly publication - If you are finding it to be a blessing [to] you please find the "Forward email" link at the bottom and send it to your friends and contacts - We [seek] God's blessing [in] this effort and want to share our Holiness Legacy with as many people as possible (Note: Website link only currently there is not yet a direct online newsletter link) Today there is much confusion about preaching holiness. In many churches where I preach holiness, people will come and say, "Wow, that was a great sermon. We have not had a holiness sermon preached here for a long time." Then when I talk to the pastor, he or she will say, "I preach holiness every Sunday." One pastor said, "I can't believe it, I preach holiness every Sunday, they just don't recognize it." -- Well, what could be the problem? Could it be that there has been such a reaction against the legalistic [i.e. 7th Kingdom (wordly, self focus) of this world] approach of preaching holiness that we have moved into another one-sided fad? I remember a sermon against cowboy boots because wearing them would make the person proud. There was a time when two trips to the altar was the norm with little focus on a relationship with Christ or a life to be disciplined. There was more of a focus on legalistic rules to follow, most of them in the negative. -- Today we hear life sermons. They emphasize how to live first, but there is not much emphasis on the divine work of grace to empower and enable one to live a holy life. Could it be that the time is right for us to bring the two approaches together? We need the message of living a holy life, but we need to receive the divine experience and be filled with the Holy Spirit who gives us the grace to live out God's plan for holy living. -- We can't live a holy life alone in our own power. Yes, we can discipline ourselves, but it is always with an inner struggle. God put in place a plan for us to to be set free from the bent toward sin. We need the kind of doctrinal preaching that will lead people to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit so they can have a holy relationship with a holy God. Let's use the Biblical terms like Sanctification [8th Kingdom - The Eternal Kingdom of Jeus Christ] so people will understand them when they read about them in the Word. There has never been a greater need for the church to preach the wonderful message of [8th Kingdom] holiness. Let's proclaim it! ~ Dr. Louie E. Bustle President, Holiness Legacy - www.holinesslegacy.com -- {Note: The Holiness movement has a history of men and women being Servant Leaders and in that capacity both men and women have pastored as servants representing Holiness pulpits to the congregation. But especially in this day and age it is not wise to let another person male or female have authority over you and sincerely a diverse and capable group of elders, leaders and mentors can and should have an equally or even a more significant impact on Christian and spiritual matters both for the group and for individuals.} [article link] REVIVAL TRUTHS by Charles G. Finney -- WHAT EVANGELICAL FAITH IS: Since the Bible uniformly represents saving or evangelical faith as a virtue, we know that it must be a phenomenon of the will - It is an efficient state of mind, and therefore it must consist in the embracing of the truth by the heart or will - It is the will's closing in with the truths of the Gospel - It is the soul's act of yielding itself up, or committing itself to the truths of the evangelical system - It is a trusting in Christ, a committing the soul and the whole being to Him, in His various offices and relations to men - It is a confiding in Him, and in what is revealed of Him, in His Word and providence and by His Spirit -- {Note: Charles G. Finney taught and adhered to a system of the Biblical Law being delivered to the unsaved unto a personal repentance then followed by the preaching of the Gospel unto a personal Salvation followed by a personal lifelong Guidance in Christian instruction - A guidance [often starting with a person attending an altar call] that is intended to lead to personal growth [sanctification] in the Christian life - But the weakness of guidance can be that at times when guidance is applied incorrectly it results in both a return of the Biblical Laws now 'for the believer' as well as a new instituting of the ordinances and customs of man as the guidance of man becomes a type of law in itself therefore putting the Christian believer under a double strain, the strain of the Law and the strain of the Customs of man - Remember to keep a
relationship with God, as just that, a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ! - A relationship that God Himself has initiated and instituted and a relationship that will be completed but only with us involved!} WHAT IS IMPLIED IN EVANGELICAL FAITH: 1. It implies an intellectual perception of the things, facts, and truths believed. No one can believe that which he does not understand. 2. Evangelical faith implies the appropriation of the truths of the Gospel to ourselves. It implies an acceptance of Christ as our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The soul that truly believes in Christ, believes that He tasted death for every man, and of course for it. It apprehends Christ as the Saviour of the world, as offered to all, and embraces and receives Him for itself. It appropriates His atonement, and His resurrection and His intercession, and His promises to itself. Christ is thus presented in the Gospel not only as the Saviour of the world, but also to the individual acceptance of men. He saves the world no further than He saves individuals. Evangelical faith implies a personal acceptance and appropriation of Christ to meet the necessities of the individual soul. 3. Faith is a state of committal to Christ, and of course it implies that the soul will be unreseveredly yielded up to Him, in all His relations to it, so far and so fast as these are apprehended by the intellect. 4. Evangelical faith implies an evangelical life. This would not be true if faith were merely an intellectual state or exercise. But since, as we have seen, faith is of the heart, since it consists in the committal of the will to Christ, it follows, by a law of necessity, that the life will correspond with faith. Let this be kept in perpetual remembrance. 5. Evangelical faith implies repentance towards God, that is, a turning from sin to God. 6. Evangelical faith implies a renunciation of self-righteousness. It is impossible for one to embrace Christ as the Saviour of the soul, any further than he renounces all hope or expectation of being saved by his own works, or righteousness. 7. Of course it implies peace of mind. In Christ the soul finds its full and present salvation. It has found its resting-place in Christ, and rests in profound peace under the shadow of the Almighty. 8. It implies hope, as soon as the believing soul considers what is conveyed by the Gospel, that is, a hope of eternal life in and through Christ. 9. It implies joy in God and in Christ. St. Peter speaks of joy as the unfailing accompaniment of faith, as resulting from it. 10. Present evangelical faith implies a state of present sinlessness [covered by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7)]. Observe: faith is the yielding and committal of the whole will, and of the whole being to Christ. This, and nothing short of this, is evangelical faith. But this comprehends and implies the whole of present, true obedience to Christ. This is the reason why faith is spoken of as the condition, and as it were, the only condition, of salvation. It really implies all virtue. -- When contemplated as an attribute of love, it is only a branch of sanctification. When contemplated in the wider sense of universal conformity of will to the will of God, it is then synonymous with entire present sanctification. Contemplated in either light, its existence in the heart must be inconsistent with present sin there. Faith is an attitude of the will, and is wholly incompatible with present rebellion of will against Christ. This must be true, or what is faith? -- REVIVAL TRUTHS by Charles G. Finney [article link] The Holiness Movement by Gary Gilley -- The Holiness Movement actually traces its roots to John Wesley (June 28, 1703 - March 2, 1791) in the eighteenth-century, who taught sort of a two-tiered salvation - The first tier [John 20:22, Luke 24:45 - initial individual salvation by faith - Feast of Firstfruits] was conversion or justification, in which one is forgiven and freed from past sins - The second tier was "entire sanctification" [Acts 2:4 individual experiential Holy Spirit empowerment - Feast of Pentecost] which liberated one from their fallen nature, or at least the tendency toward sin - It is found as we pursue righteousness (2 Timothy 2:22) - The [Righteousness Movement] Holiness Movement was in many ways a reaction to the dead orthodoxy and lifeless spirituality that infiltrated so much of Christianity during the nineteenth-century Revivalists, in the early 1800s, such as Asa Mahan (president of Oberlin College) and evangelist Charles Finney advanced Wesley's theology. They taught "that sinners had the natural ability to believe, and that evangelistic
methods could overcome their 'moral' inability through the persuasive power of the Gospel." "Finney and Mahan applied this same understanding to the Christian's growth toward spiritual maturity. To be sanctified, they insisted, required only the same kind of simple, instantaneous faith one exercised to be converted." In 1836 both men experienced what they called "baptisms of the Holy Ghost" which they believed not only freed them from committing sin but also removed their tendency toward sin. Contributing to the spread of this "Holiness" doctrine were the popular camp meeting revivals of the first half of the 1800s, the ministry of Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874) (who taught that sanctification could be reached instantaneously by an act of faith) and the "Prayer Revival" of 1857-1858 (sometimes called the Third Great Awakening). There was also much unrest in Methodist circles as many felt the denomination had lost its fervor. The Wesleyan Methodist (in 1843) and the Free Methodist (in 1860) left the denomination to form the first Holiness denominations. Until the 1890s the Holiness Movement was largely a Methodist phenomenon, but as the Methodists settled more into mainstream Christianity tensions escalated into a schism which resulted in new, non-Methodist, Holiness denominations. These included the Church of God, Anderson, Indiana (1880), Church of the Nazarene (1908) and Pilgrim Holiness Church (1897). The Holiness adherents saw themselves as the true descendents of the Wesleys and practiced strict moral ethics, abstinence from worldly pleasures and amusements and a strong belief in entire sanctification (also known as the "second blessing" and the baptism of the Holy Spirit). More importantly "Holiness teaching offered 19th-century evangelicals a means of overcoming their sectarian conflicts. Doctrine might divide, but the experience of a pure heart would unite all true believers against the threats posed by religious formalism, atheism, and Roman Catholicism." This Holiness emphasis would continue to be spread throughout the 19th century by individuals and groups as diverse as the Salvation Army, Quakers, D. L. Moody, Hannah Whitall Smith, the Y.M.C.A., the Keswick Movement and Oswald Chambers. A brief explanation concerning some of those might prove helpful. ... Maturity in Christ is expected of every believer; freedom from spiritual battle with the world, the flesh and the devil is attained only in the next life. At the same time, we must be careful that we do not over react to Holiness philosophy and believe that godliness is attained through our own self-determined efforts of obedience. We are certainly called to obedience, but it is not a self-energized, self-motivated or self-obtaining obedience. It is an obedience made possible only because of the power of God in our lives. This is the consistent teaching of the New Testament, but we will direct our attention to Romans 8:12-13. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Peterson, once again, summarizes things well, "Holiness of life is not simply attained by moral effort nor even by striving to keep the law of God. It is not even a matter of 'letting go and letting God.' Practical holiness involves 'putting to death' in our lives what God has already sentenced to death on the cross ('mortification') and living out the new life given to us by the indwelling Christ. Human effort is required, but not apart from, nor distinct from the activity of God's Spirit, who subdues the flesh as we mortify it in His power, and as we set our minds upon the things of the Spirit." -- Holiness of life should be the heartfelt desire of every Christian. But that holiness is not found in either short-cuts or self effort. **It is found as we pursue righteousness (2 Timothy 2:22) laying aside the deeds of the flesh (Colossians 3:5-10) through the power of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16) and as we behold the glory of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18). The Holiness Movement was in many ways a reaction to the dead orthodoxy and lifeless spirituality that infiltrated so much of Christianity during the nineteenth-century. However, its [explicit] remedy, a second blessing [based more on human ability] resulting in the eradication of sinful tendencies and a higher life not available to the unbaptized, went beyond the teaching of Scripture. As is often the case in reactionary movements, the cure [i.e. a cultural salvation, human based rules salvation] may be as bad as the [original sin] disease. [article link] Let God Lead Us: A Return to Holiness -- The Biblical Basis for the Doctrine of Holiness by Dr. Kenneth Geiger Introduction: This study is based upon the premise, and the writer holds the view, that both the Old and New Testaments constitute the divinely inspired Word of God, inerrant in the originals, and the final authority for life and truth. This is the official position of the National Holiness Association and, quite uniformly, the view of Wesleyan-Arminians everywhere. Therefore, the Bible provides an authoritarian basis for the doctrine of
holiness. Careful exegesis under the leadership of the Holy Spirit will not only communicate with the prophetic voice of "thus saith the Lord," so much needed in our day, but will contribute a dynamic force to the message of full salvation and deliverance from both the penalty and power of sin. ... From the very beginning God progressively revealed His holiness to man, as man was capable of understanding that holiness. The grandeur of the creation has given to men of all ages, notwithstanding the effects of the curse because of sin, a sense of awe (cf. Ps. 69). This is a step in developing the concept of the holiness of the Creator, and it accounts for the rise of the multiplied religious superstitions all over the world as man has sought peace with a force greater in power aud purity than himself. -- Before we examine a number of Scriptures which set forth the holiness of God, **let us be reminded that holiness is not essentially power as expressed in the creation and other works of God; it is essentially a moral purity. Wiley states, "Holiness as it relates to the Father, expresses the perfection of moral excellence which in Him exists unoriginated and underived." It is not only a principle of divine action, but it is incumbent upon His creatures. It is important that we take careful note of the Bible teaching which relates the holiness of God to man. Again Wiley says, "It is evident that holiness is not only the inward character of God as perfect goodness but consistency with this character as a standard for His own activity; and further, it is a requirement for His morally responsible creatures." ... The Epistle to the Ephesians has become a favorite as a basis for preaching holiness. ... This New Testament book also deals with the growth aspect of the holy life in chapter 4. After presenting the church universal, the Apostle [Paul] identifies the various functions of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the "perfecting [completing - achieving] of the saints." This process is to continue until "we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect [complete] man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Jesus Christ." While absolute perfection cannot be realized in this life, **we can achieve Christian maturity: "That henceforth we be no more children" (4:14). This process will culminate in the glorification of the church, as described in chapter 5, verses 25-27: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." The present tense in the book of Ephesians is impressive and significant. They were at the time of Paul's writing, saints (1:1). Now, we as they, are in Christ (2:13), and none are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints (2:19). **Now we have access to God (2:18). Now the power of God works in us. "Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (3:20). It was a happy day in my life, after a period of confusion resulting from oft repeated cliches, and so much theoretical preaching which was not Bible based, that the Bible itself began to speak to me and its total message was fully redemptive. ***The atoning work of Jesus Christ was adequate for my deepest need, for both time and eternity. This truth is so vast and so profound that we will always be reaching out to comprehend and appropriate it. This study has touched only the surface. Nothing has been said about the typology of holiness. Such works as A. B. Simpson's two volumes, The Holy Spirit, are especially valuable to such a study. I am convinced that the Bible is relevant, and that there is a Biblical basis for the doctrine of holiness. [article link] (F4F) Fighting for the Faith: - iBaptism? (F4F032312.mp3) Islamic Friendly Bibles - Jimmy Carter's Unskillful Use of Scripture - Basic Rules for Rightly Understanding the Bible - iBaptism? - Doug Pagitt Interviews John Shelby Spong - Two Great Sermons by Pastor Jeremy Rhode. [article link]
BigDealKJV.com: What's the Big Deal about the KJV (episode #1) - New Support Website (Video) When does the next episode come out? We will be filming May 21-25, 2012. The next episodes will be available in early June 2012. Our goal is to film 2-3 episodes at a time, producing a total of around 10 episodes. If you would like to assist us in this endeavor, please donate today. [article link]
Why choose the KJV Bible? Kent Hovind Explains.... (YouTube) Uploaded by TheLORDismySheperd1 on Jan 6, 2009: It is often said that all Bible versions are basically the same, that their differences are just minor wording changes. Read the following comparison between the King James Version and the best-selling modern Bible translation, the New International Version, and then decide for yourself whether or not this is true. *If you ask me, it looks like Satan himself removed the words; considering just WHICH words were removed.... (Read closely - wish I had BOLD! Oh and remember, this is JUST the NIV. There's about 20 other versions of the bible JUST as corrupt!) --- Why did Jesus come to earth? Luke 9:56 KJV For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. Luke 9:56 NIV and they went to another village. Matt. 18:11 KJV For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. Matt. 18:11 NIV (missing) --- Is repentance important? Matt. 9:13 KJV ...I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Matt. 9:13 NIV ...I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. --- For whom did Jesus die? I Cor. 5:7 KJV ...Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: I Cor. 5:7 NIV ...Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. --- In Whom must you believe to be saved? John 6:47 KJV Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. John 6:47 NIV I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. --- Was Joseph really the father of Jesus? Luke 2:33 KJV And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. Luke 2:33 NIV The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. --- Did Jesus give His disciples power to heal? Mark 3:15 KJV ...power to heal sickness, and to cast out devils. Mark 3:15 NIV ...authority to drive out demons. --- If it's hard to do, should we just remove it? Mark 11:26 KJV But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11:26 NIV (missing) --- Who is in charge? I Cor. 10:28 KJV But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake: for the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof: I Cor. 10:28 NIV But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake --- How must we deal with our enemies? Matt. 5:44 KJV ...Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Matt. 5:44 NIV ...Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. --- Where did Jesus go? John 16:16 KJV A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. John 16:16 NIV In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me. --- All this has been checked out by me as FACTUAL. But don't take my (or Kent Hovind seen here) google it all yourself, BY ALL MEANS! Here's some great links to get you started! www.chick.com/reading/books/158/158_08.asp -www.chick.com/information/bibleversions/articles/kingjamesbible.asp [article link] KJV vs modern translations a preview (YouTube) The Bible has been translated many times and word in it has been purposefuly mistranslated to fit satans delusion over mankind about what the bible really stands for.changing words in the bible has made many difference's with the church and people's interpretation so this video is made to show people that the best version to read is the original kjv as all the other bibles has been contaminated with misinformation from the devil to deceive mankind. for weekly prophecies and earth changes updates please visit www.truthtellers.org/index.html [article link]
KJV 1611 or 1769 (YouTube) Uploaded by husky394xp on Feb 17, 2011: In this video I look at the changes to the KJV Bible that occurred between 1611 and 1769. I will show that these changes are based on font, spelling, and printer error. I discuss the difficult manual printing techniques that would have been used to publish the KJV in 1611, and why it would be almost impossible to avoid errors in the earliest printings. There were many thousands of changes related to SPELLING and FONT. But the actual word changes amounted to only 400 for the total Bible. That comes out to roughly 1 printing error for every 3 chapters. By 1638, 72% of these errors were fixed. All of the corrections were finished by 1769, and the King James Bible went on to become the greatest book ever in the
history of the world! Here are some links to the articles and videos mentioned by me. -- Great article on the "Myth of Early Revisions": www.biblebelievers.com/Reagan_myth-early.html --- Old Press Demonstration: www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-BEI_4D7tQ --- Guttenberg Press Demonstration: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOAVAV9gAmY --- Modern printer showing type-setting: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByNucPCXxjQ --- 1611 Photographic Reproduction: lifelineprinting.com/bibles.htm [article link] The History of the English Bible by Evangelist Shutt (YouTube) Comments: Great message. So many good points made! Thank you for uploading this video! Praise God for the King James Bible! husky394xp 11 months ago. [article link] What's Wrong With The Church - Round Table Discussion by RemnantXRadio (Mp3) On this episode of Remnant X Radio, Brad the Nephilimkiller will be hosting another round table discussion on "What's Wrong With The Church." He will be joined by Dana and Shawn, our friends from Ohio! Please plan to join us as we discuss the failure of the American church. [article link]
SpiritualEyes Blog Via RevelationsRadioNetwork.com: The Godhead and the Deity of Christ -- The Download link is near the bottom of the page -- (Mp3) This is a study of the Godhead; also called the Trinity, or the Tri-unity of God. The best definition of the Trinity is that there is only one God, but in unity of the divine and infinite Godhead there are three personalities, the Father, the Word (or Son), and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided. Again in simpler terms; There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and co-equal Persons; the same in essence but distinct in existence. [article link] Westcott and Hort's Magic Marker Binge - Would you take a magic marker to your Bible and cross out words from passages? - The chart below illustrates what was done when the text used by Christianity for 1800 years was replaced with a text assembled by Brook Foss Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort in the nineteenth century and used as the basis for the English Revised Version, which nearly all modern translations closely follow - The text shown here is the King James Version. Words, sentences, or entire verses in strikethrough illustrate portions that have been removed from the text underlying the KJV New Testament (Part 1 of 2) Critics commonly charge that the traditional Bible text used by believers for 1800 years adds material, and that we should be thankful for Westcott and Hort who came along in the 19th century to restore the text of the New Testament that had been corrupt for 1800 years and during the entire reformation. This charge is of course made against evidence to the contrary, as you will find if you research the text lines (read other articles on this website). Further, it is interesting to note that one of these verses is this: Romans 13:9: For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The phrase "thou shalt not bear false witness" is missing from the modern critical text (and therefor most modern versions). Now I ask you: is it reasonable to assume that a scribe added a self-incriminating phrase to the passage? Isn't it more likely that "those who corrupt the word of God" (2 Cor. 2:17, KJV) removed the phrase which indicted them? [article link] CHURCH HISTORY - Underprized: William Tyndale and the English Bible by David Teems CBN.com -- 2011 was the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible (1611). And it is only right that we celebrate. According to scholars, the King James Bible continues to hold its place with the works of William Shakespeare as the greatest work of prose in the English language. The offspring of a poetic age, the KJB is part of our deepest cultural memory, and after 400 years, this great Bible not only remains a testament to what has proven excellent in our linguistic past, it has allowed God to speak to us in his accustomed beauty
and highness, and with an English voice. But that is not the whole story. Truth is, each of the passages above had their beginning not with the King James translators, but in the translation of William Tyndale some eightyfive years earlier, at a time when an English translation of the Bible was not only against the law in England, it was punishable by death. While it certainly deserves the honors it has received, the King James Bible gets the applause that rightfully belongs to William Tyndale (1494-1536). 90% or more of the King James New Testament is Tyndale's translation, and most often word for word. Tyndale also translated roughly a third of the Old Testament (Genesis - II Chronicles, and Jonah). The following are Tyndale translations: Let there be light, Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, In the cool of the day, Am I my brother's keeper, Let my people go, Entreat me not to leave thee, The Lord bless thee and keep thee, A small still voice. Any study of Tyndale's wordcraft must also include his single word innovations such as: Jehovah, thanksgiving, passover, intercession, holy place, atonement, Mercy seat, judgement seat, chasten, impure, longed, apostleship, brotherly, sorcerer, whoremonger, viper, and godless. What is dumbfounding to me, and which is the point of this article, is how hidden Tyndale remains, how misprized, and how thoroughly uncelebrated. In his 2011 book, The Shadow of a Great Rock: A Literary Appreciation of the King James Bible, renowned literary critic and Yale professor, Harold Bloom, said that "Nearly everything memorable in the English New Testament is the achievement of the matchless William Tyndale and not of the early Christian authors. ... No honest critic able to read the koine original could resist the conclusion that Tyndale throughout transcends his proof-text [original ms] to a sublime degree." In his book, Jesus and Yahweh, Bloom, vociferously non-Christian, says also that William Tyndale is the "only true rival of Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Walt Whitman as the richest author in the English language," that only Shakespeare's prose "is capable of surviving comparison with Tyndale's." This is an endorsement of the first order. -- A memorial was placed in Vilvorde (Belgium) near the spot where Tyndale was martyred (there is a William Tyndale Museum in Vilvorde as well). In London, a statue of Tyndale was erected in 1884, and a stone monument overlooks the town of North Nibley, Gloucestershire, England, where he is thought to have lived as a child. He has been given a day of recognition by the Anglican Church (October 6), and a brief prayer (collect proper). These honors are well deserved, doubtless, but for his contribution to the English language, to English thought and piety, for all he has done to effect growth, aesthetics, motion, architecture and sound of the English language, Tyndale has been given what amounts to a formal nod, a gold watch, and a citation for his service. What fascinates me perhaps even more about William Tyndale are the conditions by which he translated the Bible. He was outlaw. His translation was outlaw. His very thoughts were outlaw. He was exile. He lived in poverty. He was continually hunted, and therefore he was forced to be on the move continually. And yet these elements, far from crippling the text, only empowered it. There is something magnificently alive in Tyndale's translation of "Romans 8:35. Who shall separate us from the love of God? shall tribulation? or anguish? or persecution? or hunger? or nakedness? or peril? or sword? As it is written: For thy sake are we killed all day long and are counted as sheep appointed to be slain. Nevertheless in all these things we overcome strongly through his help that loved us." -- The life Tyndale was forced to live was not unlike the Paul he translated. Much more than an exercise of the mind, his translation represents a kind of linguistic empathy. There is a certain cooperation between Tyndale and Paul in all that Greek. Indeed, something lives in Tyndale's Paul beyond mere equivalents of language. William Tyndale's story is one of true greatness, and yet he continues to suffer a curious injustice. Compared to English writers of greater name, but much less weight per pound, he is magnificently underprized, and thus remains in a kind of exile. Eventually his life was demanded of him. He was held in the dungeon of a castle in Vilvorde, Belgium for 500 days. He was denied both light and visitors. He suffered a mock trial, was led to a scaffold, strangled, and then burned at the stake. No symbol went unused. By strangling Tyndale, the Church thought to silence him forever. [article link] Responding To Dr. Leth's Open Letter To Manny Silva Dr. Carl Leth recently wrote "An Open Letter To Manny Silva" in response to my post about Olivet Nazarene University promoting contemplative spirituality. My response to that is below, followed after by the full text of his letter. [article link]
Final 2012 Version!! Basic Christian: Jesus Walk - Holy Week 2012 - The 12th Annual 10 Day Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion - Starting Friday March 30th, 2012 and going until ---> Easter Sunday April 8th, 2012 (PDF) We are going to begin to look at some of the aspects of Holy Week regarding what actually happened during the final Amazing events of Jesus Christ while He was physically here on earth. We will be considering what His events accomplished and how His completed events affect us today both personally and individually as Christians and as a whole in the Christian Church. - God bless you ~ David Anson Brown [article link] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Garden Tomb in Jerusalem (Photo - Easter: Desktop Wallpaper) Garden Tomb: A Color photo of a New Testament style tomb like the one Jesus was buried in. Arguments abound over whether or not this is the tomb of Jesus. Although this is not the traditional site, it is very similar to the tomb described in the Bible and is an excellent image for illustration. tomb, Jesus, burial, garden tomb, resurrection, Jerusalem. [article link] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Shepherds Heart Bible Study: What does Easter Really Mean? Discover what Easter really means to Christians - Don't let the secular world "steal" this holiest of holidays from you! Grow closer to Your Lord by Giving Easter it's proper place! In today's secular world, Easter earns millions of dollars for marketing companies - some of which are Christian companies. (Think Lifeway!) Pastel colored eggs, candies, and baskets scream "Buy Me!" from the supermarket shelves. The all-important "Easter Bunny" springs forth… seducing kids and parents into a market-driven frenzy of eggs, chocolate, and giving gifts. What's missing? The real meaning of the Christian Easter Holiday! Where's Jesus in all of this? -- Before I became a Christian, Easter was just another holiday. I knew it was about Jesus, but I didn't really care. I often skipped church on Easter, preferring to stay home. After all, if I didn't love God during the rest of the year, why "fake it" by showing up in a suit one day out of the year - hoping the pastor would count me as one of the redeemed? But…. AFTER I became a Christian, Easter took on a whole new meaning. Why shouldn't it? I mean, I LOVE Jesus. He lives within me. Easter became a special day of celebrating Jesus' victory over hell, death, and the grave. -- If I love Jesus and worship Him, then Easter becomes such a special day! Yet why do I see such apathy in other Christians when it come to celebrating the resurrection of our Lord? -- Why? I think it has to do with our culture, and how over-marketed we are. Everywhere we turn we're bombarded with messages to buy something. Every holiday has it's own theme, and Easter is no exception. Pastel colors bombard the eyes. Decorations are sold in most major department stores. I've even seen people put up "Easter trees" ... Just like a Christmas tree, but with eggs for ornaments. Why do Christians even fall for this? I mean, shouldn't we be "in the world, and not OF the world?" This is an important question, and I think the reason why most Christians give short shrift to Easter is because they don't want to face up to 3 basic truths of Christianity. -- As a pastor, I have heard the critique of my ministry that I spend too much time in the New Testament, and not enough time in the old. Fair enough. I do spend time in the New Testament. Part of that has to do with the fact that when I took a good hard look at Berean Baptist Church where I'm the shepherd, I came to the conclusion that as a church, we needed a fresh vision of who Jesus was. But just as a jeweler sets a diamond against a black velvet cloth to show it's luster, Christ makes the most sense to us when we see him in the grand perspective of our need of a savior. What are these 3 spiritual truths that we must embrace as Christians? ... [article link] Jesus Walk 2011 -- Betrayal Tuesday: Robert Schuller's Glass House of God - But last October [2010], the reverend's church and TV show filed for federal bankruptcy protection after he spent nearly $50 million more than he had in dozens of bank accounts - Church officials have attempted to blame the crisis on Schuller's unswerving, daily commitment to aiding the poor - For example, during a four-month period when the ministry took in donations totaling more than $14 million, Schuller gave an average of just $22 a day to feed the poor, according to church records {Today Religious leaders continue to betray Jesus Christ just as in the days of Judas. Like Judas the betrayal is usually a threefold betrayal consisting of a betrayal of trust, finances and doctrine. Today it is imperative that we as Christians understand the doctrines [and the seriousness of them]
that are being espoused from not just the pulpits but also the Sunday Schools and small groups as well. Financial openness and accountability is a must for every Church or fellowship and anything less than 100% financial accountability is a fraudulent act by any ordinary standard of business accounting practices. Thirdly, deceptive doctrines and fraudulent financial conduct can often most easily be discovered by realizing the betrayal of trust that is often already taking place when Church leadership is committed to and associated with unChristian associations and compromised individuals.} By R. SCOTT MOXLEY Thursday, Apr 14 2011: Legendary Garden Grove televangelist Robert H. Schuller once noted, "High achievers spot rich opportunities swiftly." The creator of Crystal Cathedral, a best-selling author and star of Hour of Power broadcasts, Schuller has long served as Exhibit A of that credo. In the 1950s, he saw an opportunity to build a profitable church, grabbed it and-thanks largely to donations from poor and lowermiddle-class folks trying to win the blessings of God-created an $89-million religious empire with hints of opulence. ... Records also show that the reverend wasn't a cheapskate in one charity case. Indeed, the recipients of his generosity weren't poor at all. They were a wealthy Newport Beach couple, Kenneth and Glenia Reafsnyder. Ken's first wife was a member of Buena Park's Knott family, founders of Knott's Berry Farm. He also palled around with actor John Wayne. In 1995, Schuller agreed to divert $4,000 a month in church donations to the Reafsnyders for the rest of their lives in exchange for a quarter ownership in the couple's home. Ken has since died, but the deal calls on Crystal Cathedral Ministries to continue to pay Glenia. In 2008, the ministry increased the payments to $4,500 a month while reducing its ownership percentage. This means that the church's current 8.5 percent portion of the house has cost more than $1,250,000-$55,000 more than the value of the entire house. Speaking of houses, over the years the Schuller family has purchased oceanfront property in Orange County, a Big Bear vacation house, a San Diego County time-share, a Colorado mansion and a Honolulu condo. Just before filing for bankruptcy, Schuller sold a San Juan Capistrano property that had been bequeathed to the church decades ago and pocketed $22.5 million. The reverend's son, Robert Anthony Schuller, has lived in a $2.2-million oceanfront Laguna Beach dream house worthy of an Architectural Digest feature. Fred Southard, a longtime Schuller aide, lives behind palatial, guarded gates in a 13-room, 13,600square-foot Newport Coast estate that could fetch $3 million on the open market. ... In court filings, they've remained optimistic that, despite a 50-percent drop in church membership to 5,000 attendees, the ministry can eventually pay off all of the debt. To accomplish that feat, however, the Schuller clan is going to have to stir up the congregation and then, despite all the unsettling revelations, ask them to dig deeper into their wallets. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday: Why is a Saddleback pastor teaching on the Kingdom Circles - In "The Mission" workshop, which was part of an International Ecumenical Fellowship, Saddleback Pastor Abraham Meulenberg and his wife Marieke spoke to a small group of attendees - The question is, does Meulenberg teach this? Or were those Kingdom Circles diagrams left over from a previous speaker, and Meulenberg taught on a different subject? (Video) If you'll notice the diagram behind him, the Kingdom Circles are part of the session. Basically, it's a simple but highly questionable [completely wrong] evangelical tool that people are being taught to draw (sometimes called the "napkin drawing") to demonstrate how those of other faiths can enter the Kingdom of God without converting to Christianity. If you've not heard of this, you need to. The video from the Common Path Alliance as well as this article from the Jesus in the Qur'an organization explains it: -- {Note: In the misleading demonstration three circles are drawn first a lager Kingdom of God (KoG) circle and then two small identical circles supposedly representing Christians and Muslims outside the larger KoG circle, yes in the completely misleading diagram Christians are placed outside of the Kingdom with all the other unsaved Gentiles. Apparently the already saved Christians are still attempting to enter the Kingdom of God and in the demonstration Jesus is not mentioned so their kingdom is not the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Interestingly though not explicitly explained it seems that entrance into their KoG is not directly through the cross of Jesus Christ but apparently through special knowledge (Gnosticism), enlightenment (Occult), and works (i.e. Service and Tithes) it sound very familiar, is sounds like the New Age gospel.} -- Colossians 1:12-23 "Giving thanks unto
the Father [God], which hath made us [Christians] meet [assembled] to be partakers of the inheritance **of the Saints in Light: Who [God] hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us **into the Kingdom [of God] of His dear Son [Jesus]: **In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: [Jesus] Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn [inheritor] of every creature: For by Him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is [Eternal] before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head [Authority] of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the firstborn [Resurrection] from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father [God] that in Him [Jesus] should all fulness [Godhead] dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, **by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you [Gentiles], that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled In the body of His flesh through death, **to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the [True] Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I [Apostle] Paul am made a minister ..." [article link] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday: (F4F) P4 Fighting for the Faith: Rick Warren [sort of] Clarifies His Position Re: 'Chrislam' Islam (Mp3) Rick Warren Clarifies His Position Re: Islam -- Pastor Rick Warren said he does not believe Muslims and Christians worship the same God. "We worship Jesus as God. Muslims don't," he wrote. "Our God is Jesus, not Allah." Source: www.ocregister.com/articles/muslims-343997-warren-christians.html -- {Note: This is a highly deceptive remark by Rick Warren in insinuating that there is more than one God and that Christians simply worship one God that we happen to call Jesus while Muslims simply worship their God that they happen to call Allah. In all it is a very misleading series of events and statements coming from the very deceptive and misleading Pastor Rick Warren. A simpler, better and more accurate comment is "God is Jesus, not Allah" while Rick Warren's convoluted and contrived rebuttal of "Our God is Jesus, not Allah" is simply disinformation that is designed from the start to be misleading in a dangerously deceptive way that is extremely harmful to the truth of Christianity.}[article link] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday: Dealing with Devils - A Phone Call To Chuck Smith by RemnantXRadio This is a must listen you will get a truly unique look behind the Calvary Chapel curtain (Mp3) I will be joined by a very special guest Alex Grenier of the website Calvary Chapel Abuse. We will sit down and discuss the CC movement and the patterns of abuse that are growing at an alarming matter. We will discuss his meeting with Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel lawyer Janet Carter. Just a warning, this will not be for the weak of stomach or those who freely drink down the Calvary Chapel Kool-Aid! Please plan to join us as we deal with Devils! -- This just in! We were able to get Chuck Smith on the phone and he was open and honest about his feelings toward Alex and the problems concerning the "movement". I was shocked at his willingness to talk. This is a must listen you will get a truly unique look behind the Calvary Chapel curtain - Check out our web-site @ www.remnantXradio.com [article link] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday: December 22, 2008: Focus on the Family Promotes Mormon Glenn Beck at CitizenLink - However, to promote a Mormon as a Christian is not helpful to the cause of Jesus Christ - For Christians to influence society, Christians should be promoting the central issues of the faith properly without opening the door to false religions {False religions including LDS Mormonism get their start from false spirit guides. Mormon founder Joseph Smith interacted with the false spirit guide he called Maroni and today the LDS Temple rites are designed to invoke spirit entities particularly those spirits with knowledge of the dead. For Dobson to embrace the false anti-Christian teachings of Mormonism to the extent that he is could indicate that Dobson is listening to false spirit guides and is not listening to the Bible.} MADISON, Wisc., Dec. 22 /Christian Newswire/ - Focus on the Family has a story on Glenn Beck, a Mormon, on
their CitizenLink Website. Glenn Beck was a CNN host and will move to Fox News in January. Beck is currently promoting his book, "The Christmas Sweater." The CitizenLink story focuses on Beck's faith and why he wrote "The Christmas Sweater." ... Through the years, Focus on the Family has done great things to help the family and has brought attention to the many social ills that are attacking the family. However, to promote a Mormon as a Christian is not helpful to the cause of Jesus Christ. For Christians to influence society, Christians should be promoting the central issues of the faith properly without opening the door to false religions. Some of the false doctrines of Mormonism include polytheism, an attack on the trinity, that Jesus was the spirit-brother of Lucifer, that God the Father is married to Mother God, temple baptisms for the dead, the Bible has missing parts and many errors. Christians are to stand up against the social ills of society, however, we are to put Christ first and His essential biblical truths. [article link] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday: Part 1 - Introduction: Exposing the Modern Church It's true that there is a hidden NWO agenda [now more visible and more widely known to the public] and it's understandable that secular groups [i.e. UN, Think Tanks, Universities, CIA, Skull & Bones, etc.] would seek to impose a secular [ultimately Satanic] rule of order among all people and all Nations - But what is completely unacceptable is that so many in the Church movement [i.e. Chuck Smith, Dave Hunt, Norman Geisler, Jerry Falwell Jr., Rick Warren, John Piper, John MacArthur, Lee Strobel, R.C. Sproul, Brian Broderson, Ergun and Emir Caner, etc.] would so actively participate and join in an emergent Antichristian/Antichrist movement [of deliberate lies and deceit formed against the true Christian Church] to the extent that it is now completely reasonable to question whether (since 9-11-2001) they are any longer or [in some cases] ever were Christians? [article link]
Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday: Part 2 - Occult Signatures: The [NWO] occult communicates in a separate hidden but open manner that attempts [often successfully] to reveal their true intentions and identities to other occult groups but is generally masked to the general public Occult (Satanic) signatures that are now commonly and widely used within the Christian Church -- the number 13 [or the reverse 31] as conference dates, numbers of topics or speakers, etc. Using Latin (Roman Catholic) names in Protestant ministries i.e. Norman Geislers 'Veritas' (Latin for truth) Seminary [V - a Hebrew 6 - is also considered occult - the number of fallen man] and Chuck Smith's 'Calvary' (Latin for skull) Chapel i.e. Skull (Satan's) Chapel [Pastor Chuck Smith might have been purposefully looking for a Satanic Signature in his 1965 move from his Riverside, CA ministry to the existing Calvary Chapel - Costa Mesa, CA fellowship]. - Other occult signatures include using a B&W bio photo as in the movie 'The Wizard of Oz' where reality, real life was portrayed in dull B&W while color was reserved only for the alternate Oz occult realm. Use of highly occult influenced bible translations notably the occult bible version NKJV. [article link] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday: WHAT'S GOING ON WITH DR. JOHN PIPER? {Note: About the Occult V (Victory, Vendetta) symbol - Shortly after the American Civil War the Occult symbol K came into prominence in America and especially in the just defeated Confederate States. In Occult lingo a more highly dedicated occultist would choose more K's i.e. the symbol KKK. However the symbol KKK quickly became detestable in all of America and went out of style. The ancient Occult symbol V always remained in prominence in Europe and like the KKK of America a European Occultist would add multiple V's and actually create the W - Therefor an Occult W is equal to an Occult KKK - Here is a recent photo of Pastor John Piper flashing the Occult W sign.} (Photo) In Rick Warren To Be Featured At Desiring God 2010 - I was among the few who broke the story that Dr. Piper had made the ill-advised decision to invite Leadership Network's propped-up Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren to DG 2010 as a keynote speaker. Then, as I shared in Rick Warren Doctrinal And Sound?, unfortunately it got even worse when Dr. Piper decided to defend his decision: At root I think [Rick Warren] is theological and doctrinal and sound. ... So whether one even knows it or not, Warrengate still is slowly simmering; Dr. Piper's choice here has had the rippling effect of people, even outside of any discernment ministries, beginning to look
a little closer at his theology, educational background, and associations; e.g. his charismatic bent, his connection to Fuller Theological Seminary, and with the late Ralph Winter. I had received a tip from a source back in June of this past year; and as I followed up on it, it would eventually lead me to discover some disturbing information which I orginally began sharing in Questions Concerning Dr. John Piper and Dr. John Piper And Unanswered Questions. When I wrote those initial articles Dr. Piper was on his much talked about sabbatical; now however, he is back and a few of the mystic books I pointed in the latter piece are no longer in the BBC online library. ... What I just showed you here should give us real concern as the obstensibly Reformed, "happy," and "romantic," Calvinist Dr. John Piper is sounding less like a charismatic and more like a mystic as he points us to apostate teachers of Roman Catholicism and its spiritually bankrupt mysticism; and from what we can see, this has been going on for quite some time now. Perhaps, now that his discernment is so far off he's even promoting the double-minded Rick Warren, the time has finally arrived for some of his DG speakers to take a closer look at what's going on in this neo-Reformed camp. [article link] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday: March 07, 2012: Why has Liberty University [LU] (the same Liberty University of the Ergun and Emir Caner fraud) agreed to bring Mark Driscoll to teach on sex? - There's a new form of Christianity sweeping the U.S. Its main focus: sex There's a new form of Christianity sweeping the U.S. Its main focus: sex. Don't be surprised. We already have a Christian denomination catering to every other worldview, comfort zone and obsession, so why not sex? As I said in "The Marketing of Evil": No matter what kind of person you are, a form of Christianity has evolved just for you. There's a politically liberal Christianity and a politically conservative Christianity. There's an acutely activist Christianity and an utterly apolitical Christianity, a Christianity that holds up a high standard of ethical behavior and service, and a Christianity for which both personal ethics and good works are irrelevant. There's a raucous, intensely emotional Christianity drenched in high-voltage music, and there's a quiet, contemplative Christianity. There's a loving Christianity and a hateful, racist Christianity, a Christianity that honors Jews as God's chosen people and a Christianity that maligns Jews as Satan's children. So, it was just a matter of time before we got a version of Christianity for people obsessed with sex. [article link] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday: March 11, 2012: Pat Robertson [Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), The 700 Club, Regent University] advocates [the Bush family drug trade] legalizing (marijuana) pot - [Wiki.com: Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who politically aligns himself with the Christian Right in the United States. He is the founder of numerous organizations and corporations, including the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ), the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), the Christian Coalition, Flying Hospital, International Family Entertainment Inc., Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, CBN Asia and Regent University. He is the host of The 700 Club, a Christian TV program airing on channels throughout the United States and on CBN network affiliates worldwide.] Former Republican presidential candidate and TV evangelist Pat Robertson's has flipped on his stand on legalizing marijuana. The straight-laced preacher's mind-blowing comments were made last Wednesday to the New York Times. It was merely an echo - and amplifying - of previous statements he's made about how the war on drugs has been unsuccessful. "Marijuana," he said, "should be treated legally like alcohol; offenders are wrongly locked up with violent criminals." ... Opponents to Robertson's proposal might argue that marijuana is an entry drug and by legalizing it, legal use of the drug might lead users to more powerful drugs. Scientific evidence would support such an argument. So, is Robertson right? That depends on whether taxpayers are willing to continue to pay for the imprisonment of pot users and dealers at such an extreme price. Further, the war on drugs has failed in that marijuana is more widely used today than when the "war on drugs" fired its first political shot. Well-known evangelical blogger Brett McCracken, managing editor of Biola Magazine at Biola University, said young evangelicals "laugh at Robertson, as a caricature of an evangelist and wouldn't see him as a role model, even if their cohort would be expected to be more open to legalizing drugs. That harsh assessment of the evangelist might just derail his efforts of legalize pot." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday: SBC: Florida Baptist Convention Statement on Gilyard [a convicted pedophile]: Passes the Buck to JBA, But They ARE Concerned About Church's Lack of [financial] Giving "The Florida Baptist Convention has taken a proactive stance to encourage all churches to run background checks on employees and volunteers—as we do with every volunteer who works with children and teens in Convention-sponsored events and programs" - How ironic that this is brought up in the context of the Gilyard saga. Had Shiloh Baptist done a background check on Gilyard he would have come out clean back in 1993 - he had no criminal record. But he was KNOWN to be a serial adulter by Paige Patterson and Jerry Vines, and had confessed to having sex with women he had counseled in his churches prior to coming to Shiloh, yet a background check would never have revealed that when Shiloh hired him in the early 1990s. Of course now if we run a background check, he is a convicted sex offender. - Christa Brown and others have called for the Southern Baptist Convention to establish a database to track ministers who have been convicted of crimes, or credibly accused of serious misconduct. The SBC heavies have opposed such a system, and the Gilyard disaster is example #1 of why such a system is required. The FBC statement above painfully points this out. -- "Christ Tabernacle Baptist Church (sic) in Jacksonville has been affiliated with the Florida Baptist Convention since 1998. During that time, the congregation has not demonstrated cooperation as defined by our Bylaw 2, which includes participating in the Cooperative Program giving and providing statistical information. They have given nothing in the past six years." -- OK, that is interesting. Glad to know that in addition to hiring a pedophile and kicking the kids out of the church, they also are guilty of the terrible offense of not giving any money to the Cooperative Program. Who really cares that they have given no money to SBC missions, if they are putting a pedophile in the pulpit? [article link] Jesus Walk 2012 -- Betrayal Tuesday: Say Goodbye to the Untouchable Preachers - God is shaking His church and removing corruption - But we share the blame for giving charlatans a platform - Our movement is eaten up with materialism, pride, deception and sexual sin because we were afraid to call these Bozos what they really are-insecure, selfish, egotistical and emotionally dysfunctional - If we had applied biblical discernment a long time ago we could have avoided this mess - "There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives-while we applauded them and sent them money" I hate to compare any minister of God to a gangster. But the sad truth is that today there are a handful (well, maybe more) of unscrupulous preachers who share some of Capone's most disgusting traits. They are notoriously greedy. They are masters of deception and manipulation. They have bought their way into the charismatic religious subculture and used their uncanny hypnotic ability to control major Christian TV networks. And, like Capone, their days are numbered. Justice will soon catch up with them. These false prophets probably all started out with a genuine call from God, but success destroyed them. They were lured away from true faith by fame and money, and when their ministries mushroomed they resorted to compromise to keep their machines rolling. Now, in the midst of the Great Recession, God is closing in on them. But before we rejoice that these imposters are being removed from their pulpits and yanked off the airwaves, let's hit the pause button and reflect. How did these false preachers ever achieve such fame? It couldn't have happened without help from us. We were the gullible ones. When they said, "The Lord promises you untold wealth if you will simply give a thousand dollars right now," we went to the phones and put the donations on our credit cards. God forgive us. We were the undiscerning ones. When they said, "I need your sacrificial gift today so I can repair my private jet," we didn't ask why a servant of God wasn't humble enough to fly coach class to a Third World nation. God forgive us. We were the foolish ones. When it was revealed that they were living in immorality, mistreating their wives or populating cities with illegitimate children, we listened to their spin doctors instead of demanding that ministry leaders act like Christians. God forgive us. We were the naïve ones. When they begged for $2 million more in donations because of a budget shortfall, we didn't feel comfortable asking why they needed that $10,000-a-night hotel suite. In fact, if we did question it, another Christian was quick to say, "Don't criticize! The Bible says, 'Touch not the Lord's anointed!'" God forgive us. We have treated these charlatans like Al Capone-as if they were untouchable-and as a result their corruption has spread
throughout charismatic churches like a plague. Our movement is eaten up with materialism, pride, deception and sexual sin because we were afraid to call these Bozos what they really are-insecure, selfish, egotistical and emotionally dysfunctional. If we had applied biblical discernment a long time ago we could have avoided this mess. There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives-while we applauded them and sent them money. When well-meaning Christians quote 1 Chronicles 16:22 ("Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm," NASB) to cover up corruption or charlatanism, they do horrible injustice to Scripture. This passage does not require us to stay quiet when a leader is abusing power or deceiving people. On the contrary, we are called to confront sin in a spirit of love and honesty-and we certainly aren't showing love to the church if we allow the charismatic Al Capones of our generation to corrupt it. ~ J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma and author of the new book The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. Follow him on Twitter at leegrady. [article link] Preparation for Holy Week 2012: The following links (MP3s) are material for consideration to help get us each individually into Holy Week 2012 in a reverent way and with a self-accessing attitude Update 03-03-2012: After this group of postings there should be only one or two more blog postings of material until Holy Week 2012. Then the postings of Holy Week 2012 or shortly after would conclude the Basic Christian blog Ministry. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link] !!Excellent -- Whats the Big Deal about the KJV - (YouTube) Sam Gipp delivers the truth cleverly and effectively in this short docu-drama. [article link] Antioch vs. Alexandria by Dr. Sam Gipp - [1:32:51] (YouTube) The two distinct lines of manuscripts and their origin is the lecture topic at this King James Bible seminar given by evangelist Samuel C. Gipp, Th.D. [article link] {Excellent!!} Remnant X Radio: No King But Jesus by Tish Bowling (Mp3) On this episode of "No King But Jesus" Tish Bowling will continue her discussion about the first admendment. She will be covering, freedom of speech and freedom of religion. -- Please plan to join us! Peace and God Bles to his Elect! [article link] (F4F) P4 Fighting for the Faith: Rick Warren [sort of] Clarifies His Position Re: 'Chrislam' Islam (Mp3) Rick Warren Clarifies His Position Re: Islam -- Pastor Rick Warren said he does not believe Muslims and Christians worship the same God. "We worship Jesus as God. Muslims don't," he wrote. "Our God is Jesus, not Allah." Source: www.ocregister.com/articles/muslims-343997-warren-christians.html -- {Note: This is a highly deceptive remark by Rick Warren in insinuating that there is more than one God and that Christians simply worship one God that we happen to call Jesus while Muslims simply worship their God that they happen to call Allah. In all it is a very misleading series of events and statements coming from the very deceptive and misleading Pastor Rick Warren. A simpler, better and more accurate comment is "God is Jesus, not Allah" while Rick Warren's convoluted and contrived rebuttal of "Our God is Jesus, not Allah" is simply disinformation that is designed from the start to be misleading in a dangerously deceptive way that is extremely harmful to the truth of Christianity.} [article link] (F4F) P3 Fighting for the Faith: The Praise Music of Chrislam? - Where's Glen Beck? - Walter Martin, the Maze of Mormonism Walter Martin, the Maze of Mormonism. [article link] StandUpForTheTruth.com: P2 Christian apologist and talk show host Chris Rosebrough (Fighting For The Faith) was recently the featured guest on Stand Up For The Truth radio show - Via: SolaSisters blog (Mp3)
Christian apologist and talk show host Chris Rosebrough (Fighting For The Faith) was recently the featured guest on Stand Up For The Truth radio show. From the Stand Up For The Truth website: "We know that the God of the Bible is not the same god of the Qur'an. Yahweh of the Bible became flesh 2,000 years ago to be that perfect lamb, the Son, the atonement for our sins. The Jesus we believe in is God. But Allah of the Qur'an did not have a son. There was no atonement, no hope of a Messiah, and no grace for sinners. The Christian God and the Muslim Allah cannot be one and the same. And yet there are a growing number of Christians and Muslims who are combining the faith– syncretizing the two into one. That's called Chrislam, and it is heresy. -This week the Orange County Register reported in an article that leadership of Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church believe that Muslims and Christians believe in the same God. Is the article accurate? Is that truly what these leaders believe? Our guest today has communicated with Rick Warren twice in the past few days, and it's as close as anyone has gotten to America's Pastor to hear in his own words what is going on. -- Chris Rosebrough is host of a daily two-hour internet radio program, Fighting For The Faith, heard around the world on Pirate Christian Radio, a broadcast group he started in his hometown of Indianapolis. Chris is at the forefront of those contending for the truth of God's Word." [article link] (F4F) P1 Fighting for the Faith: Do Muslims & Christians Believe in the Same God? - OC Register Story Claims that Folks at Saddleback [Rick Warren] Believe Muslims & Christians Believe in the Same God OC Register Story Claims that Folks at Saddleback Believe Muslims & Christians Believe in the Same God. [article link]
(F4F) Fighting for the Faith: About Any Word From God - Sermon Review "Vision 20/20" by Bob Guiglione of Calvary Chapel of Delaware County Sermon Review "Vision 20/20" by Bob Guiglione of Calvary Chapel of Delaware County. [article link] Remnant X Radio: Thugonomics - An Introduction to Shiloh - A Christian Commune P4 (Mp3) On this episode of Remnant X Radio we continue our Thugonomic series with An Introduction to Shiloh - "A Christian Commune - The Tale of Jeanie Murphy" Shiloh is a very important piece to the Thugonomic puzzle as we study the behaviors that manifested themselves there. We will gain a glimpse into the mind of one of the most dangerous men in the American Church....John Higgins! [article link] Remnant X Radio: Thugonomics - Birds of a Feather - The Fowl Spirit P3 (Mp3) On this episode of Remnant X Radio we will be advancing the story with the latest edition of "Thugonomics" entitled, "Birds of a Feather." We will look at the linkage between John Higgins and his friend David Berg, between the recruitment of members for House of Miracles and The Child of God Cult. A lot of folks do not know that John and David worked on a few things together and shared ideas. You will be surprised at how much of the Children of God Cult is in Calvary Chapel. -- Your homework will be to google "Children of God." [article link]
{Highly Recommended!!} Remnant X Radio: Thugonomics - John Higgins And The House of Miracles P2 (Mp3) On this episode of Remnant X Radio we will pick up our story about John Higgins and we will focus on the "House of Miracles" What was it, where was it? And why do we care? We will release another legal document and perhaps a portion of the secert recordings. -- Please hit us up on facebook! [article link] Remnant X Radio: Thugonomics - The Dark Side Of CC - The Gun Slinger P1 (Mp3) On this episode of Remnant X Radio we will be doing an expose Dark Side of Calvary Chapel. After countless hours of research and interviewing former members of his church (and fellow attendees of Shiloh) we will share with you what our research found. I will start at the beginning of John's career and you will see where this journey begins, Shiloh Youth Revival Center (which should just be a show in itself). We will follow the money and the trail of deceit and cover his claims, the missing money, the sale of the church building and the out of court settlement. -- Prepare yourself for the Calvary Chapel version of Mafia Wars! [article link]
THE EDGE AM: February 18th, 2012 -- Douglas Hamp - Genetic Manipulation; Angels, Aliens, and the Antichrist Revealed (Mp3) Douglas Hamp is a specialist in ancient languages including Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek. Doug says something ominous is coming upon the world: it is Satan's final effort in the battle to destroy the image that man was created in, which has been raging since the beginning of time. If Satan can destroy the image, then he can avert his own destruction. The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 states the serpent will one day mix his seed with humanity as a counterfeit of the Messiah. Jesus told us that the last days will be like the days of Noah when fallen angels mixed their seed with humanity. In the Book of Daniel we read that “ they” will again mingle with the seed of men. How so? Satan will use man's desire to be his own god to deceive him into believing the ultimate lie – that his fallen messengers are both the creators and saviors of man. He will not do this openly but will deceive mankind through demons which are masquerading as ” aliens” who are spreading the message that the inhabitants of the earth can evolve to be like them and obtain transcendent powers. Finally, the seed of the Serpent will come; he will be a man who will be greater than his fellows, who will understand sinister schemes and shall rise up and become the Antichrist. That day of fulfillment is nearly upon us! [article link] Contending for Truth: Exposed: Tim LaHaye, Chuck Missler, Jerry Falwell, Sun Myung Moon, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Benny Hinn, Kathryn Kuhlman, Paul Crouch, Chuck Smith, Hal Lindsey, Rick Joyner, The Pope, TBN, Calvary Chapel, CNP, Knights of Malta & Many More -- Part 1 (Mp3) Welcome to the new Contending for Truth website! We are excited to have an opportunity to streamline the site, focusing more on the content and delivering the teachings to you. God Bless you, Dr. Scott Johnson. [article link]
Contending for Truth: Exposed: Tim LaHaye, Chuck Missler, Jerry Falwell, Sun Myung Moon, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Benny Hinn, Kathryn Kuhlman, Paul Crouch, Chuck Smith, Hal Lindsey, Rick Joyner, The Pope, TBN, Calvary Chapel, CNP, Knights of Malta & Many More -- Part 2 (Mp3) Welcome to the new Contending for Truth website! We are excited to have an opportunity to streamline the site, focusing more on the content and delivering the teachings to you. God Bless you, Dr. Scott Johnson. [article link]
Contending for Truth: Exposed: Tim LaHaye, Chuck Missler, Jerry Falwell, Sun Myung Moon, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Benny Hinn, Kathryn Kuhlman, Paul Crouch, Chuck Smith, Hal Lindsey, Rick Joyner, The Pope, TBN, Calvary Chapel, CNP, Knights of Malta & Many More -- Part 3 (Mp3) Welcome to the new Contending for Truth website! We are excited to have an opportunity to streamline the site, focusing more on the content and delivering the teachings to you. God Bless you, Dr. Scott Johnson. [article link]
Contending for Truth: Exposed: Tim LaHaye, Chuck Missler, Jerry Falwell, Sun Myung Moon, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Benny Hinn, Kathryn Kuhlman, Paul Crouch, Chuck Smith, Hal Lindsey, Rick Joyner, The Pope, TBN, Calvary Chapel, CNP, Knights of Malta & Many More -- Part 4 (Mp3) Welcome to the new Contending for Truth website! We are excited to have an opportunity to streamline the site, focusing more on the content and delivering the teachings to you. God Bless you, Dr. Scott Johnson. [article link]
-- The Basic Christian: blog Postings are on an Extended Hiatus -The blog postings are scheduled to conclude for Holy Week 2012 with the Jesus Walk 2012 Timeline Devotion - Starting Friday March 30th---> Easter Sunday April 8th 2012 Basic Christian: Jesus Walk - Holy Week 2012 - The 12th Annual 10 Day Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion Starting Friday March 30th, 2012 and going until ---> Easter Sunday April 8th, 2012 (PDF) We are going to begin to look at some of the aspects of Holy Week regarding what actually happened during the final Amazing events of Jesus Christ while He was physically here on earth. We will be considering what His events accomplished and how His completed events affect us today both personally and individually as Christians and as a whole in the Christian Church. - God bless you ~ David Anson Brown [article link] The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines by confessing Christians - As the Christian Church there are areas where we can all Agree to Agree! (PDF) Over the years the Christian Church has virtually been defined by its vast ability to disagree. In fact the quote "let's agree to disagree" can almost be the new banner of Christianity. Some people readily point out and wonder if there really is a Christian truth because the Church itself agrees on very few Christian tenants. But this is not really an accurate reflection because the Church does agree on many things and is united on many beliefs. This is a discussion list where we as Christians can "Agree to Agree" and then the next time someone says "the Church doesn't even agree" well here are some areas of agreement. - These topics are starting beyond the already given basics of Christianity in that Jesus Christ is God born of the Virgin Mary, Himself a Godly encounter physically among humans yet remaining consistent with the Triune nature of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Divine and without sin. He was rejected by mankind crucified and died. His death is the Full Payment for all of the sins of the world. His resurrection is of Everlasting Life and provided to those who personally receive Him as God and their Savior. Jesus is the rightful and righteous Ruler of the world and He will physically return to righteously reign, rule and judge His creation that we call the universe. -- "1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures" - All the best, God bless everyone ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
Basic Christian: Christian Faith Downloads - A Christian resource center with links to many FREE Mp3 downloads (Mp3's) Christian Faith Downloads -- "1st Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." [article link] {Highly Recommended!!} Remnant X Radio: Thugonomics - John Higgins And The House of Miracles P2 (Mp3) On this episode of Remnant X Radio we will pick up our story about John Higgins and we will focus on the "House of Miracles" What was it, where was it? And why do we care? We will release another legal document and perhaps a portion of the secert recordings. Please hit us up on facebook! [article link] Remnant X Radio: Thugonomics - The Dark Side Of CC - The Gun Slinger P1 (Mp3) On this episode of Remnant X Radio we will be doing an expose Dark Side of Calvary Chapel. After countless hours of research and interviewing former members of his church (and fellow attendees of Shiloh) we will share with you what our research found. I will start at the beginning of John's career and you will see where this journey begins, Shiloh Youth Revival Center (which should just be a show in itself). We will follow the money and the trail of deceit and cover his claims, the missing money, the sale of the church building and the out of court settlement. Prepare yourself for the Calvary Chapel version of Mafia Wars! [article link]
-- Recast -- The Basic Christian: End Times Summit 2012 The Basic Christian: End Times Summit 2012 is being rebroadcasted in order from beginning to end. [article link] Introduction - Basic Christian: End Times Summit 2012 -- In the recently completed Holiness Summit 2012 we had the theme of the 'wash basins' used by Priests in the Temple - In this End Times Summit instead of the theme of Priests and 'wash basins' we are going to follow the Prophets and as the Prophet Jeremiah said "Set thee up waymarks" [signposts] - Instead of Priests and 'wash basins' we will have Prophets and 'waymarks' or designators consisting of Biblical signs, prophecies, signposts, markers and events to help guide us along on the highway of the End Times and current events -- "Jeremiah 31:21-23 Set thee up waymarks [signposts], make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway [know which way you are going - i.e. know where you have come from and also know where you are going], even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these [customs] thy cities. How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing [New Testament] in the earth, A woman [Virgin Birth] shall compass [give birth to] a man [the Son of God - Sonship birth of Jesus Christ - as God Jesus was incarnated among mankind, Jesus as God was not 'born again' nor adopted as a son but born the existing 'Son of God']. Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, and Mountain of {God (Ezekiel 28:14-16, Revelation 21:10)} Holiness." The Signs of the End Times: "Jeremiah 10:1-2 Hear ye the Word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O House of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the *signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them." -- The End Times are primarily the fulfillments of centuries of Bible Prophecy. It is the sign that Heaven [dwelling of God and angels] and earth [dwelling of man] are becoming united once again. Becoming one again with each other as was originally intended in the original creation of God (Genesis 1:31). -- "Acts 2:19-21 And I [God] will shew wonders in heaven [sky] above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable [Second Coming] Day of the Lord (Jesus) come: And [-through it all-] it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name (Jesus) of the Lord shall be saved." [article link] Background: The genesis of the Bible and our 1st 'waymark' is that mankind is separated from God and in need of instruction and interaction with the True God in order to be reconciled back to God - What is not immediately inherent in man's separation from God is the reality of the vast separation that really has existed between God and mankind - When Adam and Eve fell they fell with only a minimal knowledge of who God really is and at best were able to pass along only minimal info to their descendants about who God is - The fall of mankind into sin left behind such a drastic void between God and mankind that it would be two generations, into the days of Enos, before people (completely lost and perplexed) would generally [the general population at whole - as there is always the remnant] begin to call upon God in expectance of the sure salvation of the coming redeemer Jesus Christ -- "Genesis 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called (H7121) his name Enos: **then [two generations after Adam and Eve] began men [people in general ] to call (H7121) [in expectation of salvation] upon the Name of the LORD." The void of knowledge that man has had regarding God would be diminished but only through the coming of the Jewish Prophets (i.e. Abraham - John the Baptist), Priests (i.e. Samuel), and Kings (i.e. David, Solomon). Eventually Jesus Himself and His Apostles would do the most in removing the void between God and mankind by filling it with Knowledge but not stopping at the Apostles as knowledge and experience will continuing to come with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and with His Kingdom on earth and into eternity. -- "Ephesians 1:17-21 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love [like Jesus], May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that
worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus **throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."[article link] Melchizedek - waymark #2: Melchizedek the King, Prophet and Priest -- "Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek **King of Salem (Peace) brought forth [Prophecy - Prophet] bread and wine (N.T. Communion): and He was the **Priest of the Most High God." "Genesis 14:19-20 And He [Melchizedek - as God (King, Prophet, Priest) Melchizedek is mediating between God and man] **blessed him [Abraham], and said, Blessed be Abram of the most High God, possessor of heaven and earth: And **blessed be the most High God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abraham] gave Him [Melchizedek] tithes of all." -- Melchizedek has appeared into the human realm blessing both Abraham and also blessing God while at the same time Prophetically Ministering as a Priest by serving (N.T. Communion) bread and wine to Abraham. Who is Melchizedek, and would mankind be both reunited back to God and a participant in the eternal Kingdom of God without the appearance and Ministry of Melchizedek? The Ministries of Melchizedek in Prophet, Priest and King are what enable mankind to be both reconciled to God and also once reconciled to fully participate in the Kingdom of God. Who is Melchizedek? There is a possibility that Melchizedek is a visitation of the Triune Person of the Holy Spirit though the much greater probability [especially if we consider Psalm 110 to be confirming the existing status of Jesus rather than bestowing a new status] is that Melchizedek is a pre-incarnation visit of the Messiah Jesus Christ. -- "Psalms 110:4 The LORD hath sworn [confirmed], and will not repent, Thou [Messiah - Jesus Christ] art a **Priest for ever [eternally] after the order of Melchizedek." [article link] Birth of Jesus - waymark #3: The birth of Jesus the Messiah, the visit and gifts from the wise men -- "Matthew 2:11 And when they [wise men] were come into the house, they saw the young child [Jesus] with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold [for the King], and frankincense [for the Priest], and myrrh [for the Prophet]." Jesus as Melchizedek: "Matthew 2:1-2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him." -- Where Melchizedek was a brief appearance in the Old Testament officiating only to Abraham while in the three offices of King, Prophet and Priest however with the birth of Jesus Christ the Messiah we have the physical manifestation of the very same three offices of Melchizedek brought forth permanently in the one person of Jesus Christ. Is Jesus the Melchizedek King, Prophet and Priest of the Old Testament, probably, and certainly Jesus is in the same Ministry and office of Melchizedek. -- "Hebrews 7:22-26 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better Testament [N.T.]. And they [O.T.] truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man [incarnation of Jesus], because He continueth ever [eternally], hath an unchangeable Priesthood. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He [Jesus] ever liveth to make intercession for them [people]. For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens" [article link] Baptism by John - waymark #4: John's water baptism of confession (acknowledging sins) and repentance (desiring to change from sinful ways) -- "Matthew 3:1-3 In those days came John the Baptist [a Levitical Priest (Luke 1:5)], preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand [The Messiah has arrived]. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias (Isaiah), saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare [remove any obstructions] ye the way of the Lord, make His paths sraight." Baptism of John: "Matthew 3:5-6 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in [the river] Jordan, confessing (acknowledging) their sins." -- John the Baptist the prophesied forerunner (announcer) for the Messiah has completed his Levitical ministry of directing the people into the eternal Ministry of the Messiah Jesus Christ. -- "Matthew 3:11-17 I [Levitical Priest
- John the Baptist] indeed baptize you with water unto **repentance [change of ways]: but He [Messiah - Jesus Christ - Melchizedek Priest] that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He [Jesus] shall baptize you with the **Holy Ghost [eternal life], and with [cleansing] **fire: Whose fan [threshing tool] is in His hand, and He will throughly purge [thresh - separate] His floor [harvest field], and gather His wheat into the garner [building]; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized [washed for His ministry] of him. But John forbad Him, saying, I have need [to confess sin] to be baptized of thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us ***to fulfill all righteousness [both in Jesus setting an example for His disciples who are commanded to be baptized (Matthew 28:19) and also this is a Priestly washing (Exodus 29:4, Numbers 8:20-22) a transition from the Levitical Priesthood to the Melchizedek Priesthood of Jesus]. Then he suffered [allowed] Him. And Jesus, when He was baptized [washed, initiating the incarnated Melchizedek Priesthood], went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, **the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from Heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I Am well pleased." [article link] Baptism by Jesus - waymark #5: Holy Week, The Feast of Firstfruits, Resurrection of Jesus, Baptism of Jesus and the birth of the 'born again' Christian Church -- "John 20:19-22 Then the same day [Resurrection Day - Easter] at evening, being [Sunday] the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus [through the shut doors] and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, **Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His [nail pierced] hands and His [spear pierced] side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord [Jesus]. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. ***And when He had said this, He [Jesus] breathed [baptized (Matthew 3:11)] on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost [become a 'born again' Christian]:" Baptism of Jesus: The same events of John 20:19-22 but recorded in the Gospel of Luke: "Luke 24:36-45 And [Resurrection Day - Easter Sunday] as they [Disciples] thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, **Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And He said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My [nail pierced] hands and My [nail pierced] feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not [a body] flesh and bones, as ye see Me have. And when He had thus spoken, He shewed them His hands and His feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And He took it, and did eat before them. And He said unto them, These are the Words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that **all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses [Priests], **and in the prophets [Prophets], **and in the psalms [Kings], concerning Me. Then [baptizing them] opened He their understanding, that they [Holy Ghost filled 'born again' Christians] might understand the [Bible] scriptures" -- The Apostle Paul also wrote regarding the Holy Spirit baptism by Jesus. "Romans 8:23 And not only they [all creation], but ourselves also, which have the **firstfruits [Resurrection Day - Feast of Firstfruits] of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." -- "Philippians 1:19 For I [Apostle Paul] know that this [strife] shall turn to my salvation [delivery] through your prayer, and the supply of **the ['born again' baptism] Spirit of Jesus Christ" [article link] Baptism by Holy Spirit - waymark #6: Pentecost, The Feast of Pentecost - Where the Baptism of Jesus is to become a 'Child of God' unto eternal life the later [Feast Day of Pentecost type] Baptism of the Holy Spirit is unto empowerment in order for an already 'born again' Christian 'Child of God' to live the Christian life and fulfill Christian Ministry in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ -- "Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost [Feast of Pentecost] was fully come, they ['born again' Christian Apostles] were all with one accord in one place [the upper-room]. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat
upon each of them. And they were all filled [empowered] with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." -- And also again later in -- "Acts 4:31 And when they [disciples] had prayed, the place [house] was shaken where they were assembled together; and **they [Christians] were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and [again empowered] they spake the word of God with boldness." Pentecost the transition into the End Times: Where the Baptism work of Jesus began on the Resurrection Day [Feast of Firstfruits] the 'born again' Baptism of Jesus Christ will conclude with the coming Rapture of the entire Christian Church. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit that began at Pentecost Day [Feast of Pentecost] will continue past the Rapture of the Christian Church, throughout the entire Tribulation Period [both the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation] and still be at work at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. -- "Acts 2:14-21 But [the Apostle] Peter, standing up with the eleven [Apostles], lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, **be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour [9:00 A.M.] of the day. But **this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass ***in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: {sometime after the Church Rapture} The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable [Second Coming] day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name (Jesus) of the Lord shall be saved." [article link] [Second Coming] Fall Feasts - waymark #7: The three Fall Feasts [Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)] - Apparently the Apostle Paul was looking prophetically (to the Second Coming of Jesus as being fulfilled during) a future set of Fall Feats and most importantly to their complete fulfillment in Jerusalem -- "Acts 18:20-21 When they [Ephesians] desired him [Apostle Paul] to tarry [Stay] longer time with them, he consented not; But bade them farewell, **saying, I must by all means keep this feast [the later three Fall Feasts, after Pentecost, **all three Fall Feasts are yet to be Fulfilled for the Jews in Jerusalem] that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will [i.e. in part if the 2nd Coming didn't happen]. And he sailed from Ephesus." The 8 Holy Feasts [Leviticus chapter 23] are fulfilled by Jesus in Jerusalem: "Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday [Feast Day], or of the new moon [festival], or of the sabbath days: **Which [Levitically] are a shadow of things to come; ***but the body [fulfillment] is of Christ." -- The first five Feast Days [Sabbath, Lord’ s Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Pentecost] of the eight Leviticus chapter 23 Feast Days have been completely fulfilled by Jesus in Jerusalem (Jesus sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost) during the 1st Coming of Jesus the Messiah. The remaining three Feast days [Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)] the later or 2nd Coming, Fall Feast days though already initiated by Jesus during Holy Week are being fulfilled by the Christian Church but have yet to be completed by Jesus in Jerusalem for the Jews as the Jews do not yet acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. -- The Apostle Paul apparently remained very aware of the Jewish Feast Days "Acts 27:9 Now when much time was spent [at the sea port of fair havens], and when sailing was now dangerous, because the Fast (Yom Kippur) was now already past, Paul admonished them" [article link] Church Rapture - waymark #8: The End of the Christian Church Age - Possibly the First Fall Feast, the Feast of Trumpets -- "Revelation 1:8 I (Jesus) Am *Alpha (beginning) and Omega (ending), the beginning and the ending [of the Christian Church Age], saith the Lord, [eternal] which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." -- "Revelation 4:1 After this I [Apostle John] looked, and, behold, **a door was opened in Heaven: and the first voice which I heard was **as it were of a trumpet (G4536) talking with me; **which said, Come up hither [to Heaven], and I will shew thee things which must be **hereafter [after the Christian Church Age]." The Mystery of the Christian Church Rapture: "1st Corinthians 15:51-55 Behold, I show you a mystery; We
(Christians) shall not all sleep (suffer physical death), but we shall all be changed (translated). In a moment, in the twinkle of an eye, at the last trump (G4536) {announcement}: for the trumpet shall sound {this trumpet is a call to gathering sounded by God. It does not have anything to do with the future trumpet judgments of Revelation that are later sounded by angels} and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed (translated). For this corruptible (fleshly body) must put on incorruption (spiritual body) and this mortal must put on immortality." -- The Rapture of the Christian Church into Heaven at the calling of God in Heaven is the Omega (ending) of the Christian Church Age. The Christian Church that began (Alpha) with Jesus on the Resurrection Day [Feast of Firstfruits] will conclude apparently with a Church wide Rapture into Heaven. -- "1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren, concerning them which are asleep (physically dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God: And the dead in Christ shall rise First: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (Harpzo, Rapture) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." [article link] Church Martyrs - waymark #9: The Christian Church Martyrs - The Christian martyr (witness) Stephen as an acceptable offing and sacrifice to God was received directly by God into His presence - Jesus was seen standing as High Priest [instead of seated as King] in order to receive Stephen's life as his priestly offering into His presence -- "Acts 7:55-59 But he [Stephen - first Church martyr], being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into Heaven, and saw the Glory of God, and **Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they [accusers] cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul [Apostle Paul]. And they stoned Stephen, [as he was] calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he [died] fell asleep." Eternal life: After our physical death [while a disembodied spirit - death is the separation of the spirit from the physical body] then comes the judgment (Hebrews 9:27) and once judged after death [while a disembodied spirit] if we are an acceptable Child of God we are then 'adopted' by God into Sonship. It is only after the judgment, adoption and Sonship/Daughtership that a person then receives an inheritance from God and a part of the eternal inheritance is a new eternal spiritual body. -- "2 Corinthians 5:1-15 For we know that if our earthly house [body of flesh and bones] of this tabernacle [tent - physical body] were dissolved, we have a building [Temple - spiritual body] of God, an House not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house [spiritual body] which is from Heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle [fleshly body] do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now He that hath wrought [made] us for [eternal fellowship] the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest [seal] of the [Holy] Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body [flesh], we are absent from the Lord: For we walk by faith, not by sight: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him. ***For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all
dead: And that He [Jesus] died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again." [article link] Tribulation Martyrs - waymark #10: The 5th Seal of Revelation - The Tribulation Saints (Martyrs) of Revelation -"Revelation 6:9-11 And when He [Jesus] had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar [in Heaven] the souls of them [Martyred Saints of Revelation] that were slain for the **Word of God, **and for the [Christian] Testimony which they held [*note: these Saints are from the first 3½ years of the Tribulation period this is prior to the Mark of the Beast 666 and the Great Tribulation]: And they [Saints] cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, Holy and True, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? **And white robes [of righteousness] were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren [Martyred Saints of the Great Tribulation], that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." The Great Tribulation Saints (Martyrs) of Revelation: The Christian Church Age Martyrs (i.e. Stephen) appear directly before the Throne of Jesus but with the conclusion of the Christian Church Age (Revelation 4:1) at the Rapture of the Church (after the Rapture Jesus will not be Baptizing individuals with His Spirit until the end of the Tribulation Age) when the Martyred Saints of Revelation (both groups) will be assembled together under the altar in Heaven and the entire group will be presented to Jesus at one time. -- "Revelation 15:1-4 And I saw another sign in Heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath (passion) of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire [judgment]: and them [Great Tribulation Saints (Martyrs) of Revelation] **that had gotten the victory over the *beast (Antichrist), *and over his image (idol), *and over his mark (branding), *and over the number (666) of his name, stand [with all the Tribulation Saints] on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they [Tribulation Martyred Saints - Gentiles and Jews, after the Church Age] **sing the song of Moses the servant of God, **and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; Just and True are Thy ways, **Thou King of Saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and Glorify Thy Name? for Thou only art Holy: for ***all Nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest." [article link] Marriage Feast - waymark #11: The Marriage Feast in Heaven -- "Matthew 25:1-13 Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet [Jesus] the bridegroom. And five of them were wise ['born again'], and five were foolish [not 'born again']. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no [Holy Spirit] oil with them: But the wise took [Holy Spirit] oil in their vessels [body] with their lamps [spirit]. While the bridegroom tarried [waited], they **all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, **Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your [Holy Spirit] oil; for our lamps are gone out. ***But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: ***but go ye rather to [God] Them [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] that sell [for free], and buy [for free] for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with Him ***to the Marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the **other virgins [from other religions], saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He [Jesus] answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. **Watch [be alert] therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein [Jesus Christ] the Son of Man cometh." The Marriage Feast in Heaven: "2 Corinthians 11:2-4 For I [Apostle Paul] am jealous over you [Christian Church] with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one Husband [Jesus Christ], that I may present you as a chaste virgin [Bride] to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent [Satan] beguiled Eve **through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity [Gospel - free gift] that is in Christ [Jesus]. For if he [deceiver] that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye [being deceived] receive another [unclean] spirit, [the Holy Spirit] which ye have not received, or another gospel, [the true Gospel] which ye have not accepted, ye might [by mistake] well bear [and tolerate being abused] with him [the deceiver]." -Apparently there is a unique Wedding Feast in Heaven that is strictly for the Christian Church (Bride) and Jesus. But ultimately [and this seems to be the reason that the Marriage Supper is mentioned so vaguely in the Bible]
the Wedding Feast (Marriage Supper) is ALL inclusive (Revelation 19:7) encompassing ALL the Saints throughout all creation. This is evident in the Bible in that technically throughout the Old Testament the Jews (Jeremiah 3:14) are the Bride of God the Father, in the New Testament the Christian Church is the Bride (John 3:27-29) of Jesus Christ and the Martyred Saints of Revelation are the Bride (Acts 2:21) of God the Holy Spirit. "Revelation 19:6-9 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God [Jesus] omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for **the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife [all the Saints since creation] hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he [Holy Angel] saith unto me [Apostle John], Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the True sayings of God." [article link] Judgments of Revelation - waymark #12: The Seal Judgments of Jesus Christ, the Trumpet Judgments of the Holy Spirit and the Bowl [measured] Judgments of the Father - Each of the three groups of the Revelation Judgments are administered in the oversight of God for instance it is Jesus Himself that is breaking [removing the restraints] of the Seal Judgments -- "Revelation 6:1-3 And I saw when the Lamb [Jesus Christ] opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts [Angels - Spirit beings] saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he [Antichrist] that sat on him had a bow; and a crown [kingdom of Antichrist] was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when He [Jesus Christ] had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see ..." -- "Revelation 8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them [on behalf of God] were given seven trumpets." -- "Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the Temple [in Heaven] saying to the seven angels, Go your ways [on behalf of God], and pour out the vials (measured amounts) **of the wrath (passion) of God upon the earth." Holy, Holy, Holy, is the [One] LORD: Angels in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are recorded as saying, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD" this is in reference to the 'One' God; God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. [Old Testament] Isaiah 6:3 And one (Angel) cried unto another, and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory." - [New Testament] "Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts (Angels - Spirit beings) had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, [Eternal] which was, and is, and is to come." [article link]
Kingdom of Antichrist - waymark #13: The Kingdom of the Antichrist, The 7th Global Kingdom on earth -"Revelation 17:10-11 And there are seven [Global Gentile] kings: five [Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Pharaoh Akhenaten (possibly Joseph's dream Pharaoh in Egypt - Genesis 41:1), Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon), Cyrus (Persia), Alexander the Great (Greece)] are fallen, and one is [Throne of Julius Caesar (Rome)], and the other [Throne of Antichrist] is not yet come; and when he [Antichrist] cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast [Antichrist] that was [7th Kingdom], and is not [yet], even he is the eighth [apparently after an assassination attempt he will appear to have his own resurrection - his own eternal kingdom], and [but really] is of the seven [7th Kingdom], and goeth into perdition [eternal damnation]." Mark of the Antichrist (Beast) 666: Just as the Christian Receives the Holy Spirit from God as a seal, a mark of belonging to God, in the future Satan will counterfeit the 'Born Again' condition of the Christian with his own Satanic version. Remember that the issue here is Eternal Life and who can provide it, the God who Created Life, or the counterfeit and lies of Satan. Satan's counterfeit mark is the promise to offer eternal life yet Satan is not God and does not have the ability to fulfill his promises and likewise Satan is not God and does not have the Triune nature of God therefore Satan cannot give a spirit himself so continuing his counterfeit Satan seals the initiate with a demonic spirit. It is this sad and permanent spiritual marriage/matting between the human and the demonic spirit [Nirvana] that so alters the human that the human is no longer in the image that God created the human to be in and is now therefore incapable of ever receiving salvation from God. The human
with the Mark of Satan has forfeited any opportunity to receive Salvation from God. - This demonic infusion (mingling - Nirvana) into the human spirit and soul by the human receiving the Mark of the Beast (Antichrist) is best explained by the Old Testament Prophet Daniel. "Daniel 2:42-45 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the (Satanic) kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron [demons] mixed with miry (bad/unusable) clay [people], they (demons) shall mingle themselves with the seed (soul) of men: but they shall not cleave [join] one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven {return and} set up a Kingdom, [Eternal] which shall never be destroyed: and the Kingdom shall not be left to other (non-Christian) people ... [article link] Kingdom of Jesus Christ - waymark #14: Millenial Reign, 1,000 year Kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth -"Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he [Saints] that hath part in the first resurrection [prior to the second Judgment (Revelation 20:12)]: on such the second death [second judgment (Revelation 20:12)] hath no power, but they [Saints] **shall be priests of God and of Christ, **and shall reign with Him [on earth] a thousand years." The coming Millenial Reign: The Old Testament Prophet Isaiah best explains the Kingdom of Messiah both the 1st coming childhood of Jesus and also the 2nd Coming Kingdom, Millennial Reign of the Messiah Jesus Christ. "Isaiah 11:2-9 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him [Messiah - Jesus Christ], **the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And [as a child - 1st Coming] shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and [2nd Coming Kingdom Reign] **He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears: ***But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod [Word] of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins. The wolf [now tame] also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard [no longer dangerous] shall lie down with the kid [baby goat]; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them [without the possibility of getting injured by them]. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and **the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp [snake], and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' [spider] den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My Holy Mountain: **for [during the 1,000 year reign of Messiah - Jesus Christ] the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." [article link] Reconciliation - waymark #15: God and man reconciled - Reconciled into more than the simple friendship of the original creation relationship with Adam and Eve - Reconciled this time into a personal, intimate and highly precious relationship between God and His humanity -- "Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" Reconciliation and oneness: The accomplishment of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer on the night of His betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane. "John 17:1-26 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may Glorify Thee: ... I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy Truth: Thy Word is Truth. As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the Truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them [Christians] also which shall believe on Me through their word; ***That they all [Christians] may be one; as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the Glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one [body - fellowship], even as we are One [God]: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect [complete] in one; and that the world may
know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me. Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, **be with Me where I am; that they may behold My Glory, which Thou hast given Me: for thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these [Apostles] have known that thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy Name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them." [article link] Conclusion: Eternity - The Eternal State -- "Revelation 21:1-3 And I saw a new heaven (sky) and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." New Jerusalem: The Eternal city "Revelation 22:1-5 And He shewed me [Apostle John] a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there **the Tree of Life (Genesis 2:9), which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His [Jesus'] face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." [article link] Basic Christian - End Times Summit 2012 End Times Summit 2012: I think we can fit in the 2012 Basic Christian: End Times Summit before Holy Week 2012 and not have to wait until later in the year as was previously thought. -- Then we have Holy Week 2012. -After Holy Week there are some decisions to be made regarding the current Basic Christian Ministry. The plan is that the current Basic Christian Ministry should be able to wrap up this year and any further Ministry material would be transitioned from text (pdf, etc.) to video projects though transiting the website from text to video is not entirely certain at this point though still highly likely. Conclusion: after Holy Week any future Basic Christian: Summits or events [except for updates - i.e. Jesus Walk] would be posted in video (mp4) format and not in text as were the previous blog postings. Though any final decisions regarding the website and ministry will only come after Easter 2012 and I'll keep the website posted and updated regarding any ministry status. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link] Coming this Summer-Fall: The Basic Christian: End Times Summit 2012 Update 01-27-2012: There probably won't be enough time to have an End Times Summit before Holy Week 2012, so the schedule is going to be to work on Jesus Walk 2012 and a few other updating projects this Spring and into the Summer and then later in the Summer and into the Fall to have the Basic Christian: End Times Summit. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link] Holiness Summit 2012 -- The Plan for the Basic Christian: Holiness Summit 2012 is going to be to have 10 sessions (i.e. based on the 10 smaller wash basins of the Temple) that we can wash in as our offerings to God during the Holiness Summit - As the 10 wash basins of the Temple were in two groups of five each we are going to have two groups of five sessions each -- "2 Chronicles 4:6 He [King Solomon] made also ten lavers [wash basins], and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash [offerings] in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea [the Temples' one large main wash basin] was for the priests to wash in." Sessions: The first five sessions (wash basins for offering to God) are going to be centered on Christian Church Councils-Creeds and the first five topics will be Jesus' Sermon on the Mount [Jesus' Sermon on Justification by Faith (in Jesus) and not by the works of man], Holy Week [our Justification (Righteousness) towards God fulfilled by Jesus (Romans 4:24-25)], The Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26), The Council of Jerusalem (Acts
15:6) and The Apostles' Creed [by Bishop Ambrose in about 390 A.D.] -- The second group of five sessions (wash basins) are going to be Christian Church Theology topics -- Holiness Doctrines -- and for this series the topics will be Law, Justification, Faith, Atonement and Adoption. -- "Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." [article link] The Sermon on the Mount - Jesus chose the time and the location, and then with all of His invited Disciples gathered in attendance, Jesus began to speak - The original Church Council meeting was now in session -"Matthew 5:1-2 And seeing the multitudes, He [Jesus] went up into a Mountain: and when He was set [having taken a seat as a Rabbi - Master Teacher], His disciples came unto Him: And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying ..." Did Jesus really speak, saying? Blessed are those who tithe, blessed are those who put on a show and preach from behind pulpits, blessed are those personality preachers who draw men after themselves, blessed are those who exert themselves above others, blessed are the arrogant, blessed are the abusive and most of all blessed are those who boast. Of course NOT though you wouldn't know it from Christianity today. Instead what Jesus really said was -- "Matthew 5:3-16 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the Children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in Heaven: for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour [by striving against the Holy Spirit], wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. ..." [article link] The Sermon on the Mount is not about one's own boasting because it is not about ourselves as in a works relationship with God - The Sermon on the Mount is about a personal Relationship with God so what is mentioned are not works but our predicaments [i.e. Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.] along with our desires, hopes and aspirations all focused on the Kingdom of God -- "Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and **His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Conclusion: The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus' Sermon on our Justification (Righteousness) by Faith in Jesus and not by any works of man. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is making it clear that any notion of a previous Law Righteousness (Matthew 5:20) or of a Works Righteousness (Matthew 5:27-30) is completely inadequate and unacceptable in the Kingdom of God. To the point that Jesus says that if even though you have your works and you sin then cut off your arm (Matthew 5:30), illustrating the point that if a person were to cut off one arm or pluck out one eye in an attempt at sinless self-works righteousness it wouldn't work because we would still have another arm and another eye to sin with and even if we lost both arms and both eyes we still have our mouth to sin with so the answer to our Righteousness is not in our works nor in the Law but ONLY by our faith in Jesus Christ. -- "Matthew 7:24-29 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine (Jesus), and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house Upon a Rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded Upon a Rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these
sayings, the people were astonished at **His Doctrine: For He taught them as One having Authority, and not as the scribes." [article link] Holy Week - Like the previous Church Council (The Sermon on the Mount) Jesus would also choose the time "this is the day" (Psalms 118:24), "this thy day" (Luke 19:42) for His Triumphal Entry and the location "Jerusalem" for this Church Council the Church Council of Holy Week - Where all the previous Prophecies of Old and the Teachings of Jesus would come together and actualize into our human realm and into our human existence Holy Week, where Prophesy and Preaching become reality. While still in the Upper Room on the night of the Passover, just after Judas had departed to go and betray Jesus, Jesus spoke these words to His Disciples "John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me (Jesus). In My Father's House are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go [to Heaven] ye know, and the way [our Salvation in Jesus] ye know." -- Later that same night as Jesus and the Disciples were on route to the Garden of Gethsemane [the Garden of Destiny] Jesus would speak these wods to His Disciples "John 16:5-16 But now I (Jesus) go My way to Him (Father) that sent Me; and none of you (Disciples) asketh Me, Whither goest Thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the Truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter [Holy Spirit] will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him [i.e. itself] (Holy Spirit) unto you. And when He is come, He [Holy Spirit] will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me (Jesus); Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the Prince of this World (Satan) is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He [Holy Spirit], the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He (Holy Spirit) shall glorify Me (Jesus): for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you [Disciples]. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while [the cross], and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while [the resurrection], and ye shall see Me, because I go to the Father." -- Jesus will conclude His teachings to His Disciples in His "High Priestly Prayer" (John 17:1-26) with these Words "John 17:22-26 And the Glory which Thou (Father) gavest Me (Jesus) I have given them (Disciples); that they may be one, even as We (Father, SonJesus, Holy Spirit) are One: I (Jesus) in them (Disciples), and Thou (Father) in Me (Jesus), that they (Disciples) may be made perfect [complete] in one; and that the world may know that Thou (Father) hast sent Me (Jesus), and hast loved them (Disciples), as thou hast loved Me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given Me, **be with Me where I am; that they may behold My Glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these (Disciples) have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy Name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them." [article link] Holy Week - Where the restoration desires of God became attainable to mankind -- "Matthew 26:26-28 And as they were eating [the Passover], Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the Disciples, and said, Take, eat; **this is My body. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For **this is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." Conclusion: The multiple events of Holy Week [4 Feasts] are segmented but still combine into the one Passover Celebration. Jesus entered Jerusalem and with His presence the Triumphal Entry, on the Sabbath (Saturday) fulfilled the Feast of Sabbath [biblically the Triumphal Entrance of Jesus was on a Saturday (Mark 11:11, Acts 1:12) though today we celebrate it on Sunday as Palm Sunday]. The Night of the Feast of the Lord's Passover Jesus instituted the New Testament by His body and His blood. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled the next day by Jesus' death on the cross. Three days later with the resurrection of Jesus and His giving to His Disciples the Firstfruits of His Resurrection Spirit Life (John 20:22) the Feast day of Firstfruits began to be
fulfilled in the Church. Four separate events [Feast Days] yet all four are required and combined into the one Passover Celebration, the celebration of life as death has passed over. It is the restoration of eternal life where an unsaved person has become saved. The "salvation" event in the life of a believer is not just one solo event i.e. confessing Jesus as God but more accurately our confession is four events in one statement: 1. Jesus is King, Messiah of the Virgin Birth (our Sabbath rest), 2. The New Testament (Passover, promises of God), 3. The Cross (redemption - removal [payment] regarding our sin), 4. The Resurrection (salvation - receiving the 'born again' resurrection salvation Spirit from Jesus [John 20:22] - our Firstfruits of the Holy Spirit [Romans 8:23]) -"Romans 4:24-25 But for us (believers) also, to whom it [faith - faith in Jesus' events/works of Holy Week] shall be **imputed (imputed righteousness), if we believe on Him [Father (Galatians 1:1), Jesus (John 10:17-18), Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11)] that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was [during Holy Week] delivered [the cross] for our offences, and was raised again [His resurrection] for our justification." - Note: after Salvation via the established events of Holy Week there is the additional event of Pentecost and the empowering of the Holy Spirit given to an already 'born again' Christian. Later still are the three additional, future Fall Feasts [Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)]. [article link] The Fruits of the Holy Spirit - The Apostle Paul's, Holy Spirit given, Creed of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit -"Galatians 5:22-26 But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: **against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified [dead to this world] the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live [living in the Kingdom of God] in the (Holy) Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be [worldly] desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." The Apostle Paul would later write -- "Ephesians 5:6-21 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these [disobedience] things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were [before] sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as Children of Light: **For the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit is in all Goodness and Righteousness and Truth; proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore He [Holy Spirit - Isaiah 60:1-3,61:1] saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of [Jesus] the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." [article link] Council of Jerusalem - The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:6-31) [in about 49 A.D. or 52 A.D.] where we read of the first General Church Council - The first Church Council w/o Jesus physically presiding though presiding in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit [the council of Acts 1:15 (in about 33 A.D.) was just prior to Pentecost in Acts 2:1] - A serious question of doctrine arose, and "the Apostles and the Presbyters came together to consider this matter" - The decree of the Council of Jerusalem went on, then, to establish a binding obligation upon all Christians in the local churches of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: "that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality" (Acts 15:29) - Did the local churches bristle at this imposition of doctrine and practice from the ecclesiastical leadership of the whole Church? Not at all, but rather they "rejoiced over its encouragement" (Acts 15:31) -- {Note: The Church Creeds [Jerusalem, Nicene, etc.] are important and relevant to all of Christianity. The Jerusalem Creed [1st Church Council about 49 A.D. in Jerusalem] has 4 Cornerstones the fourth one being not to offend traditional Jews. Since one of the Cornerstones of the 1st Church Council is to support Jews and Traditional Judaism it is an original and longstanding tenant that true Christianity acknowledges its debt and emergence from (God ordained) Mosaic
Judaism. "Acts 1:20-21 But that we [Apostles] write unto them [Gentile Christians], (1.) that they abstain from [occult] pollutions of idols, (2.) and from [immorality] fornication, (3.) and from things [cruelty] strangled, (4.) and from [Levitical] blood. **For Moses of old time hath [traditional Jews] in every city them that preach him (Moses), being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day." -- Also Note: The personal change among each individual Apostle seems to have been substantial as it encompassed their personalities, individual behavior and individual outlook on life - Therefore the majority of the Biblical writings of the Apostles is directed at a certain amount of expected godly behavior modification in the lives of each new Christian convert. But by the time the Christian Church matured into the later Church Councils [i.e. the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.] the majority of the entire Church Councils were no longer about individual Christian behavior modification but instead became vested, almost exclusively, in individual Christian though, knowledge and doctrine. Though now Pastor Rick Warren and many others are dramatically shifting the current Christian Church away from thought, creeds and doctrines and are again shifting the Christian Church back into the realm of behavior modification [Purpose Driven - yoking works] but disastrously it is not a return to the original behavior modification (Acts 15:6-31) and godly accountability the Church Apostles sought for each Christian convert but is instead a behavior modification that is directing each individual away from Christianity by linking them back into the abyss of the world.} The Council of Jerusalem: We may prove this quite readily by turning to Acts 15:6-31, where we read of the first General Church Council. A serious question of doctrine arose, and "the apostles and the presbyters came together to consider this matter" (Acts 15:6). After hearing the arguments and testimony of Peter, Paul and Barnabas, the leader of the Council, James [half brother of Jesus, writer of the book of James], then passed a decree with the words, "Therefore I judge" (Acts 15:19, 'dio ego krino'). This passage describes no truly democratic process, but rather it describes submission to the judgment of a central ecclesiastical authority [an authority completely submitted to Jesus Christ]. -- After receiving the judgment of James, "it pleased the apostles and presbyters together with the whole Church" (Acts 15:22: 'apostolois kai tois presbyterois syn hole ekklesia') to dispatch delegates with a letter promulgating the decree of the Council. The council then drafted a letter in the name of "the apostles and the brother-presbyters" (Acts 15:23: 'hoi apostoloi kai hoi presbyteroi adelphoi'). This phrasing, and especially the apposition of 'presbyteroi' and 'adelphoi', is quite precise in establishing the authority of the decision of the Council in the office of the ministers who serve and lead the Church, as opposed to a democratic process. -- Does the phrase "whole Church" here refer to the universal Church, or merely to the entirety of the congregation at Jerusalem. Recalling that the leadership of the Council was comprised of the apostles who were planting local churches in the Hellenistic world, delegates of the Hellenistic churches, and the presbyters of the church at Jerusalem, we can only rightly conclude that they spoke in the name of the universal Church. Indeed, the letter explicitly states that the authors speak in the authority of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28); since Paul tells us that it is by one Spirit that we were baptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13) which is Christ (1 Cor. 12:27) and over which Christ is the head (1 Eph. 1:22-23), when Luke writes in Acts 15:22 of the leadership of the whole Church assenting to the decree of James which is binding on all Gentile Christians, he is necessarily speaking of the Church in its universal or catholic sense. -- The Council then sent the letter to the local churches in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. This letter remarks that the false doctrine which the council repudiated was in fact discernibly false because "we gave no such commandments" (Acts 15:24). Hence, the Bible tells us that right doctrine is subject to the discernment of the leadership of the whole Church. The decree of the Council of Jerusalem went on, then, to establish a binding obligation upon all Christians in the local churches of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: "that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality" (Acts 15:29). Did the local churches bristle at this imposition of doctrine and practice from the ecclesiastical leadership of the whole Church? Not at all, but rather they "rejoiced over its encouragement" (Acts 15:31). Clearly, the Bible itself sets a precedent for the government of the universal Church by means of General Councils. [article link] The Apostles' Creed - Sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or "symbol" - It is widely used by a number of Christian denominations for both liturgical and catechetical
purposes, most visibly by liturgical Churches of Western tradition, including the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheranism, the Anglican Communion, and Western Orthodoxy - It is also used by Presbyterians, Methodists, and Congregationalists -- The earlier text [The Old Roman Symbol, or Old Roman Creed - Wikipedia.org] evolved from simpler texts based on Matthew 28:19 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" and it has been argued that it was already in written form by the late second century (circa 180 A.D.) - The title, Symbolum Apostolicum (Symbol or Creed of the Apostles), appears for the first time in a letter from a Council in Milan (the letter probably written by Bishop Ambrose of Milan) to Pope Siricius in about 390 A.D. "Let them give credit to the Creed of the Apostles, which the Roman Church has always kept and preserved undefiled" - But what existed at that time was not what is now known as the Apostles' Creed but a shorter statement of belief -Apostles' Creed "I believe (faith) in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended to the dead. the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen." While the individual statements of belief that are included in the Apostles' Creed - even those not found in the Old Roman Symbol - are found in various writings by Irenaeus, Tertullian, Novatian, Marcellus, Rufinus, **Ambrose (about 337 A.D. - 397 A.D.), Augustine, Nicetus, and Eusebius Gallus, the earliest appearance of what we know as the Apostles' Creed was in the De singulis libris canonicis scarapsus ("Excerpt from Individual Canonical Books") of St. Priminius (Migne, Patrologia Latina 89, 1029 ff.), written between 710 A.D. and 714 A.D. This longer Creed seems to have arisen in what is now France and Spain. Charlemagne imposed it throughout his dominions, and it was finally accepted in Rome, where the Old Roman Creed or similar formulas had survived for centuries. -- {Note: The Christian Church historically has sought in large to be directed by the Gospels and the Apostolic Epistles of the New Testament - The Apostles' Creed is a classic and still currently relevant example of how true to form the Doctrines of the Church have remained in being faithful to the "common salvation" (Jude 1:3) as it was initially delivered to the Christian Church.} [article link] Wikipedia: Ambrose - Aurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose (about 337 A.D. - 4 April 397), was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century He was one of the four original doctors (of particular importance) of the Roman Catholic Church - In spite of Imperial opposition, Bishop Ambrose declared: "If you demand my person, I am ready to submit: carry me to prison or to death, I will not resist; but I will never betray the Church of Christ. I will not call upon the people to succour [help] me; I will die at the foot of the altar rather than desert it. The tumult of the people I will not encourage: but God alone can appease it." - Soon after acquiring the undisputed possession of the Roman empire, Emperor Theodosius died at Milan in 395 A.D., and two years later (April 4, 397 A.D.) Ambrose also died - He was succeeded as bishop of Milan by Simplician - Ambrose's body may still be viewed in the church of S. Ambrogio in Milan, where it has been continuously venerated - along with the bodies identified in his time as being those of St. Gervase and St. Protase - and is one of the oldest extant bodies of historical personages known outside Egypt Bishop of Milan: In the late 4th century there was a deep conflict in the diocese of Milan between the Catholics and Arians. In 374 the bishop of Milan, Auxentius, an Arian, died, and the Arians challenged the succession. Ambrose went to the church where the election was to take place, to prevent an uproar, which was probable in this crisis. His address was interrupted by a call "Ambrose, bishop!", which was taken up by the whole assembly. Ambrose was known to be Catholic in belief, but also acceptable to Arians due to the charity shown in theological matters in this regard. At first he energetically refused the office, for which he was in no way prepared: Ambrose was neither baptized nor formally trained in theology. Upon his appointment, St. Ambrose fled to a colleague's home seeking to hide. Upon receiving a letter from the Emperor Gratian praising the appropriateness of Rome appointing individuals evidently worthy of holy positions, St. Ambrose's host gave
Ambrose up. Within a week, Ambrose was baptized, ordained and duly consecrated bishop of Milan. As bishop, he immediately adopted an ascetic lifestyle, apportioned his money to the poor, donating all of his land, making only provision for his sister Marcellina (who later became a nun), and committed the care of his family to his brother. Ambrose also wrote a treatise by the name of "The Goodness Of Death". -- Ambrose and Arians: According to legend, Ambrose immediately and forcefully stopped Arianism in Milan. He studied theology with Simplician, a presbyter of Rome. Using his excellent knowledge of Greek, which was then rare in the West, to his advantage, he studied the Hebrew Bible and Greek authors like Philo, Origen, Athanasius, and Basil of Caesarea, with whom he was also exchanging letters. He applied this knowledge as preacher, concentrating especially on exegesis of the Old Testament, and his rhetorical abilities impressed Augustine of Hippo, who hitherto had thought poorly of Christian preachers. In the confrontation with Arians, Ambrose sought to theologically refute their propositions, which were heretical. The Arians appealed to many high level leaders and clergy in both the Western and Eastern empires. Although the western Emperor Gratian held orthodox belief in the Nicene creed, the younger Valentinian II, who became his colleague in the Empire, adhered to the Arian creed. Ambrose did not sway the young prince's position. In the East, Emperor Theodosius I likewise professed the Nicene creed; but there were many adherents of Arianism throughout his dominions, especially among the higher clergy. In this contested state of religious opinion, two leaders of the Arians, bishops Palladius of Ratiaria and Secundianus of Singidunum, confident of numbers, prevailed upon Gratian to call a general council from all parts of the empire. This request appeared so equitable that he complied without hesitation. However, Ambrose feared the consequences and prevailed upon the emperor to have the matter determined by a council of the Western bishops. Accordingly, a synod composed of thirty-two bishops was held at Aquileia in the year 381 A.D. Ambrose was elected president and Palladius, being called upon to defend his opinions, declined. A vote was then taken, when Palladius and his associate Secundianus were deposed from the episcopal office. Nevertheless, the increasing strength of the Arians proved a formidable task for Ambrose. In 385 or 386 the emperor and his mother Justina, along with a considerable number of clergy and laity, especially military, professed Arianism. They demanded two churches in Milan, one in the city (the basilica of the Apostles), the other in the suburbs (St Victor's), to the Arians. Ambrose refused and was required to answer for his conduct before the council. He went, his eloquence in defense of the Church reportedly overawed the ministers of Emperor Valentinian, so he was permitted to retire without making the surrender of the churches. The day following, when he was performing divine service in the basilica, the prefect of the city came to persuade him to give up at least the Portian basilica in the suburbs. As he still continued obstinate, the court proceeded to violent measures: the officers of the household were commanded to prepare the Basilica and the Portian churches to celebrate divine service upon the arrival of the emperor and his mother at the ensuing festival of Easter. -- In spite of Imperial opposition, Bishop Ambrose declared: "If you demand my person, I am ready to submit: carry me to prison or to death, I will not resist; but I will never betray the church of Christ. I will not call upon the people to succour me; I will die at the foot of the altar rather than desert it. The tumult of the people I will not encourage: but God alone can appease it." [article link] Holiness Summit 2012 -- The first group of five sessions (wash basins), centered on Christian Church CouncilsCreeds, has concluded -- The second group of five sessions (wash basins) centering on Christian Church Theology topics and Holiness Doctrines will begin soon! Sessions: The second group of five sessions (wash basins) are going to be Christian Church Theology topics -Holiness Doctrines -- and for this series the topics will be Law, Justification, Faith, Atonement and Adoption. -"Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." [article link] Law - "Matthew 22:36-39 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, [Deuteronomy 6:5] Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, [Leviticus 19:18] Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." -- The Law is not a series of events to be accomplished by an unaccomplished
mankind nor is the Law a hidden trap to keep people from the True knowledge of God but rather the Law of God is both an Image and a boundary - It is the Image [Word] of God (John 1:1) and is also a boundary (Exodus 19:23) to keep mankind while in sin, away from God. -- "John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word [Jesus with Authority], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... And the Word [as revealed to us in the Law] was made flesh [entered our physical realm], and dwelt among us, and we (Apostles) beheld His Glory, the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth." "Exodus 19:23 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai: for Thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds [a boundary] about the Mount, and sanctify [set apart] it." -- The Law does not take us into the presence of God but only to a boundary that actually keeps us apart from God. The original law in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:17) was a boundary a boundary between mankind and the experience and knowledge of evil. Mankind crossed God's Law boundary and went into the knowledge of evil [God continued to give mankind the knowledge of good]. With mankind now knowledgeable of evil the Law is not just a boundary from evil but out of necessity the Law has now also become a boundary between mankind and the Holiness of God. - The Law is the Image and Holiness of God and therefore the Law now reveals God to a separated mankind (Matthew 5:17-18) and once seeing God in His Holy Law mankind can easily recognize the need for mankind to be separated from the presence and Glory of the Holy God. Separated from God that is only until a remedy can be provided to fix man's sinful predicament and remove the boundary of sin and of the Law. The remedy for our predicament and separation from God has been provided but not in our life, only in a new life, in the Resurrection Life provided by God's Son Jesus Christ. The Law was actually a boundary keeping sinful people apart from the Holy God but after being cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and with the finality of His death (Romans 6:23) on the cross [full payment for our sins] with the resurrection of Jesus the Holy Spirit then removed the boundary of the law from us and reconciled us (Colossians 1:20) into the actual perceivable presence of God. -- "Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." -- {A side note: no person has ever kept (fulfilled) the Law only Jesus has fulfilled the Law because the Law represents God. In the same way no person has ever fulfilled any of the Holy Feast days because like the Laws of Israel the Feasts of Israel are intended to represent God and be accomplished by God and not by mankind.} [article link] Justification - is a part of our imputed righteousness, meaning that righteousness (justification) is not something that we earn it is something we receive, it has been given to us as a free gift from God - Though once imputed to us it should be evident in our life (James 2:22-24) - How do we fallen humans become Righteous and Justified in the sight of God, it's not by our works [trying to become righteous] but only by our faith [receiving God's free gift] in what God our Savior has already completed for us -- "1 Corinthians 6:10-11 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are **justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." -- "Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him (Jesus) that Justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." "Titus 3:3-8 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God [Jesus] our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; **That being justified by His Grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good [i.e. genuine] works. These things are good and profitable unto men." [article link] Faith - Belief (vb.) Faith (n.) -- Belief [Pisteuo - G4100, verb], Faith [Pistis - G4102, noun] {G4100 (Belief) KJV Authorized Version Translation Count - Total: 248 - believe 239, commit unto 4, commit to (one's) trust 1, be
committed unto 1, be put in trust with 1, be commit to one's trust 1, believer 1} -- {G4102 (Faith) KJV Authorized Version Translation Count - Total: 244 - faith 239, assurance 1, believe + 1537 1, belief 1, them that believe 1, fidelity 1 -- blueletterbible.org} "Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." -- The Bible has one specific meaning for the word faith. Faith is specifically a faith in the resurrection of Jesus. Faith does not mean, "I have faith that God will pay the bills." God may or may not pay the bills, either way God is doing a work and He has a purpose for whatever He does or doesn't do. The faith, the one and only Christian faith, is in the resurrection of Jesus. When we have true faith the belief in the resurrection of Jesus and that through Jesus we too will be resurrected to everlasting life with Jesus in heaven, then who really cares about anything else? Who cares if the bills don't get paid? Who cares what the governments of the world are doing? who cares if disease is racking the body? When there is faith in eternity, then the things of this world take a back seat to the things of God. Faith in the resurrection does free us up; it frees us up from the worries of this world. Sure there are bills to be paid, corrupt governments and illnesses to be dealt with, but when we deal with life in the context of eternity and the living caring God we are then freed up to make better decisions with more choices. "Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." -- The two Greek words Pistis (faith) and Pisteuo (belief) are the same word with two different endings just like talk and talking. In English we do not say faith and faithing, but we say faith and belief, just like we might say talk and speak. Faith and belief are the same word, they both mean trust. Sometimes we think that if only I believe then I would gain faith, except that is like saying if only I could speak then I could talk. Faith (trust) does not come from believing (trusting), but is a product of love and love is a product of a relationship. -- "Galatians 5:6 ... but faith which worketh by love." Love comes First and then Faith (trust) comes from love. Our faith in Jesus comes from our love of Jesus. (source: BasicChristian.org/theology.html) [article link] Atonement - Jesus became a man "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14) primarily for the main reason of offering Atonement on our behalf to God the Father - Sinful man is unable to offer eternal atonement, man being unable to save ourselves from our own sin - Necessitating that God become a human High Priest and offer an eternal sacrifice (Himself), one that would provide Eternal Salvation to all mankind, all those who would answer the calling of God and enter into an eternal relationship with God Through the provided and completed Atonement of Jesus Christ - Atonement happened for mankind at one time, in one location, the cross of Jesus Christ -- "Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." Atonement is an offering, a High Priest offering, it is an offering from man (only the High Priest) on behalf of all men to God and then God either accepts the offering (atonement) or God rejects the offering (non-atonement) and the result is universal to all men either there is atonement or there isn't, there is no partial-atonement. -"Hebrews 7:11-28 If therefore perfection [completion] were by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the [Levitical] law [at Mt. Sinai], what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec [Melchizedek - Genesis 14:18-22] , and not be called after the [Levitical] order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed [from Levitical to Melchizedek], there is made of necessity a change also of the law [Old Testament to New Testament]. For He (Jesus) of whom these [High Priest] things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe [Judah, not Levi], of which [Tribe of Judah - Tribe of the Kings] no man gave attendance at the [Levitical - Tribe of Levi - Tribe of the Priests] altar. For it is evident that our Lord [Jesus] sprang out of Juda [Tribe of Judah]; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec (Melchizedek) there ariseth another priest, [Eternal] Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an [Eternal] endless life. For He [Holy Spirit] testifieth, [Psalm 110:4] "Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Melchizedek). For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment [Levitical Laws - O.T.] going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the (O.T.) law made nothing perfect [completed], but the bringing
in of a better hope [Promises of God] did; ***by the which we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as not without an oath [with an oath, promise - Psalm 110:4] He (Jesus) was made Priest (Eternal - High Priest): For those [Levi] priests were made without an oath; but this (N.T.) with an oath by Him [Father] that said unto Him [Jesus], The Lord sware and will not repent, [Psalm 110:4] "Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Melchizedek): By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better Testament (N.T.) And they truly were many [Levi] priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: ***But this man (Jesus, our High Priest), because He continueth ever [eternal], hath an unchangeable priesthood. ***Wherefore He (Jesus) is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing **He ever [eternal] liveth to make intercession for them [sinners]. For such an High Priest [Jesus] became [i.e. fittingly for] us, who is Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made Higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those [Levi] high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this He (Jesus) did once, when He offered up Himself (on the cross). For the [Levitical] law maketh men [Levi] High Priests which have infirmity; but the Word of the Oath [Promises of God], which was since the law [Psalm 110 via King David came years after the law via Moses and Mt. Sinai], maketh the Son, who is consecrated [lit. complete] for evermore." -- Even in the Old Testament the atonement was not limited to just Israel as in practice it was a universal atonement from the one High Priest of Israel on behalf of all mankind. [Old Testament] "2 Chronicles 6:32-33 Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of Thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for Thy Great Name's sake, and Thy mighty hand, and Thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this House [Temple, greater Temple area]; Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for; that all people of the earth may know Thy Name, and fear thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and may know that this House [Temple] which I [King Solomon] have built is called by Thy Name." -- The Levitical Atonement was both a yearly reminder of sin and also an instructional for better things to come [permanent sacrifice] through the Messiah but the O.T. atonement did not 'save' Israel or anyone from their sins as the [atonement] blood of bulls and goats did not save anyone, Jew or Gentile. "Hebrews 10:4-5 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats [Old Testament Levitical atonement] should take away sins. Wherefore when He (Jesus-Messiah) cometh into the world, He saith, [Levitical] Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not [didn't want], but a body [sacrifice - offering] hast thou prepared [made] Me:" -- The Old Testament atonement was in a sense universal in that there was the one Jewish High Priest offering to God on behalf of mankind and yes there were probably problems (i.e. John 2:16) with the administration of the O.T. atonement. Since the O.T. atonement was universal in form (not necessarily in function) how much more is the one offering of the Messiah, Jesus Christ universal to all. But unlike the previous O.T. Levitical administration the administration of the Melchizedek Priesthood is complete, trustworthy and without any errors. "Hebrews 9:11-15 But [Jesus] Christ being come an [human] High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the Holy Place [Heaven], having obtained **eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth [Levitical redemption] to the purifying of the flesh: **How much more shall the [N.T. Salvation] blood of Christ, who through the eternal [Holy] Spirit offered Himself [as a human for Atonement] without spot to God [Father], purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He (Jesus) is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death [payment for sin (Romans 6:23)], for the redemption of the transgressions (sins) that were [kept, covered] under the first testament (O.T.), they which are called [all dispensations] might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." [article link] Adoption - Prior to 'Adoption' a person must first become a 'born again' Child of God (John 3:3) and then after becoming a Child of God, and it is only Children of God, that later receive the Adoption of God and with Adoption the accompanying Inheritance as Sons/Daughters of God -- "Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, [Children of God] which have the Firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, **waiting for the adoption [Sonship/Daughtership)], to whit, the redemption of our body."
"John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be *born again [become a Child of God], he cannot see the Kingdom of God." -- Adoption Biblically is slightly different than what we think of as adoption. For instance a stranger is not adopted into the family of God, like the concept we have of adoption where a non-family member becomes a family member through adoption. The Biblical concept of adoption is confirmation of adulthood of an existing family member and with adulthood comes privileges and inheritance "as Sons". In the Bible Jacob actually adopted his two grandchildren Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob did not need to adopt them to make them family but he did need to adopt them to give them an inheritance in the promise land. Indeed Ephraim and Manasseh did receive inheritances in the promise land just like their uncles did, because they were adopted as sons and received the same inheritance as their uncles the sons of Jacob. - We are born into the family of God, through faith in the resurrection of Jesus in the new covenant. Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and told him that he must be "Born Again" in order to see the Kingdom of God, [in Jesus the kingdom of God is now available] the First step to becoming a member in the family of God is to be born into the family as a child of God and that is done by the person accepting the covenant of God that we are His creation separated by our sin and that He loves us and died for our sins on the cross and then He resurrected from death to reconcile us to Him in His resurrection life. When we accept the "New Covenant" we are now in a correct relationship with God, we acknowledge that God exists and that we desire to have a relationship with Him. We have asked for forgiveness of our sins, we are now cleansed from our sin, we are now clean and God in Spirit has come inside of us giving us a new life in Him, our new birth into His family as a child of God. - Once we are a "born again" child of God we are then predestined (appointed outcome) to the adoption. The actual adoption [to sons] takes place later, when we physically die and our spirit and soul enter the visible presence of God where we are then adopted as sons of God and being sons of God we then receive an inheritance in heaven in the visible presence of God. -- "Romans 8:14-17 For as many [born again Children of God] as are led by the Spirit of God, they are [through predestination] the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The [Holy] Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are **the Children of God: And if children, then heirs [Sons/Daughters]; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together." [article link] Conclusion: We have concluded our Basic Christian: Holiness Summit 2012 - And like the Priests of old we have gone to the Temple [Jesus] and have washed our offerings to God - And not only have we washed our offerings in the wash basins throughout the Temple - But as Priests of the Believers' Priesthood we have washed in the Temple's one Sea in the precious water of the Holy Bible -- "Ephesians 5:24-27 Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word [Bible], That He might present it [Church] to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." "Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." -- In any Bible study regarding holiness, sanctification and offerings to God the question then becomes, who is a Priest? Who, is able to offer to God a sacrifice of service and adoration that is an acceptable offering? -- "Revelation 5:9-10 And they [redeemed Christians] sung a new song, saying, Thou (Jesus) art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; ***And hast made us [Christians] unto our God kings and **priests: and we shall reign on the earth." [article link]
Coming Soon: Basic Christian - Holiness Summit 2012 Holiness Summit 2012 - An excellent opportunity to look at Holiness Doctrines to see where the Holiness Movement historically has been and also to see what changes can be made in order to better present the movement, revitalize the movement for today and help move it on into the future. [article link]
Basic Christian Wiki: The Basic Christian Research Wiki 'Common Christian Faith' The Basic Christian Research Wiki 'Common Christian Faith' wiki website. [article link] -- The 'blog History Study' is dedicated to the Glory of God, the Son, the Savior Jesus Christ! Heavenly Father, I pray for Your blessing upon this study that we might better know You through Your tremendous, faithful and historical works that You have accomplished and in what You continue to accomplish throughout Your Glorious Christian Church Age, the one True Church, the Church of God on earth and in Heaven, Jesus Christ being the foundation the beginning and the eventual conclusion of His Church. - Amen! [article link] Basic Christian: blog History Study - Christian Church History - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (PDF) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome - NWO] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ and the complete Christian Church History. [article link] Basic Christian: blog Church History Study 0 A.D. - 312 A.D. -- Birth of Jesus and the Early Church Age 313 A.D. - 1521 A.D. -- Birth of Revised Rome and the Holy Roman Empire 1522 A.D. - 1880 A.D. -- Indigenous Bible Translations and Doctrines Era - The Reformation - Ulrich Zwingli, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, etc. 1881 - Present (2011) -- Corrupt modern bible translations and compromised Seminaries and Universities - The modern Emergent [return to occult/paganism] Era - Westcott and Hort (1881), NIV (1972) Zondervan, NKJV (1979) Thomas Nelson Inc., ESV (2001) Crossway, etc. [article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} The O.T. Book of Malachi - As the final Book of the Old Testament closes, the pronouncement of God's justice and the promise of His restoration through the coming Messiah is ringing in the ears of the Israelites - Four hundred years of [Scriptual] silence ensues [the 400 years are very active years, i.e. the Kingdoms of Persia, Greece and Rome], ending with a similar message from God's next prophet, John the Baptist, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:2) - Malachi 3:1-6 is a prophecy concerning John the Baptist - He was the Messenger of the Lord sent to prepare the way (Matthew 11:10) for the Messiah, Jesus Christ Purpose of Writing: The Book of Malachi is an oracle: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi (1:1). This was God's warning through Malachi to tell the people to turn back to God. As the final book of the Old Testament closes, the pronouncement of God's just and the promise of His restoration through the coming Messiah is ringing in the ears of the Israelites. Four hundred years of silence ensues, ending with a similar message from God's next prophet, John the Baptist, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:2). Key Verses: Malachi 1:6, "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the Lord Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name." Malachi 3:6-7, "I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty." Brief Summary: Malachi wrote the words of the Lord to God's chosen people who had gone astray, especially the priests who had turned from the Lord. Priests were not treating the sacrifices they were to make to God seriously. Animals with blemishes were being sacrificed even though the law demanded animals without defect (Deuteronomy 15:21). The men of Judah were dealing with the wives of their youth treacherously and wondering why God would not accept their sacrifices. Also, people were not tithing as they should have been (Leviticus 27:30, 32). But in spite of the people's sin and turning away from God, Malachi reiterates God's love for His people (Malachi 1:1-5) and His promises of a coming Messenger (Malachi 2:17-3:5). Foreshadowings: Malachi 3:1-6 is a prophecy concerning John the Baptist. He was the Messenger of the Lord sent to prepare the way (Matthew 11:10) for the Messiah, Jesus Christ. John preached repentance and baptized in the name of the Lord, thus preparing the
way for Jesus' first advent. But the Messenger who comes "suddenly to the Temple" is Christ Himself in His second advent when He comes in power and might (Matthew 24). At that time, He will "purify the sons of Levi" (v. 3), meaning that those who exemplified the Mosaic Law would themselves need purification from sin through the blood of the Savior. Only then will they be able to offer "an offering in righteousness" because it will be the righteousness of Christ imputed to them through faith (2 Corinthians 5:21).[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Malachi 1-2 - The Prophet Malachi begins to Prophesy about 400 B.C. Malachi will also prophesy regarding the then coming Messiah [Jesus Christ] and will also prophesy of the forerunner the coming John the Baptist's ministry previous to the ministry of Jesus Christ - The prophesies of Malachi will 'seal' the Old Testament Scriptures concluding the Old Testament Bible but not concluding prophesy in Israel as many will continue to prophesy and write texts primarily as local encouragement and not the office of inherency and global encouragement of the Holy Scriptures that comprise the Jewish and Christian Bible -- 'Malachi 1:1-5 The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. I have loved you [Israel], saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's [physical, blood] brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved [godly] Jacob, And I hated [worldly] Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom [Esau's descendants] saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They [Esau's descendants] shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border [all] of Israel.' The Prophet Malachi prophesies of the continuing problem of an uncooperative Priesthood. A Priesthood that is doing much more to further the corruption of mankind than it is doing in proclaiming the Blessedness, Holiness and Truth of God: Malachi 2:1-9 And now, O ye Priests, this Commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto My Name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it. And ye shall know that I have sent this Commandment unto you, that My Covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. The Law of Truth [image of God] was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: *he walked with me in peace and equity, **and did turn many away from iniquity. *For the Priest's lips should keep [holy] knowledge, and they [people] should seek the law at his mouth: for he [Priest] is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of Hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial [biased, incomplete] in the law [representation of God]. ... Malachi 2:17 Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied Him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} RayStedman.org: ADVENTURING THROUGH THE BIBLE by Ray C. Stedman #40 The 400 Years between the Old and New Testaments (Mp3) Sunday evening services at Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, California, were the setting for a series of 67 messages on the entire Bible preached by Ray C. Stedman. One book of the Bible was covered per message, with an additional message inserted to cover the history of the "400 Silent Years" between the close of the Old Testament canon (Malachi) and the First Gospel (Matthew). This series commenced June 28, 1964 and was completed on August 4, 1968. These sermons constitute Discovery Papers #201-267 inclusive. The book version, "Adventuring Through the Bible," was released in late 1997 and is currently in print.[article link]
{Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Ray Stedman - Adventuring Through the Bible - The Message of Matthew: BEHOLD YOUR KING! - People often wonder why we have four Gospels - There is a very good reason for this It is interesting to note that each of these Gospels is a development of an exclamatory statement that is found in the Old Testament - Four different times -- and only four times -- in the Old Testament there was an exclamatory statement made concerning the Messiah, introduced always by the word ***behold - In one of the prophets (Zechariah 9:9) we read, "Behold thy King, O Israel!" In another place (Zechariah 6:12) we read, "Behold the man!" In a third place (Isaiah 42:1) we read, "Behold my servant!" In still a fourth place (Isaiah 35:3, Amos 4:12) we read, "Behold thy God!" These four statements are amplified and developed in the four Gospels -- Matthew, the Gospel of the King; Mark, the Gospel of the Servant; Luke, the Gospel of the Son of man; and John, the Gospel of God, the presentation of the Son of God (Mp3s) Beginning in the New Testament we move from the realm of shadow, type, and prophecy, into the full sunshine of the presentation of the Son of God. The Old Testament speaks of him on every page, but speaks in shadows, in types, in symbols, and in prophecies -- all looking forward to the coming of Someone. You cannot read the Old Testament without being aware of that constant promise running through every page -- Someone is coming! Someone is coming! Now, when we open the Gospels, that Someone steps forth in the fullness of his glory. As John says, "We have beheld his glory...as of the only Son from the Father," (John 1:14 (RSV). I love the Gospels. They are to me one of the most perennially fascinating sections of the Bible. There you see Christ as He is. Remember that what He was is what He is; and what He is is what you have, if you are a Christian. All the fullness of His character and being and life is available to us, and we only learn what those resources are as we see Him as He was and is. That is why the Gospel records are so important to us. People often wonder why we have four Gospels. There is a very good reason for this. It is interesting to note that each of these Gospels is a development of an exclamatory statement that is found in the Old Testament. Four different times -- and only four times -- in the Old Testament there was an exclamatory statement made concerning the Messiah, introduced always by the word behold. In one of the prophets we read, "Behold thy king, O Israel!" In another place we read, "Behold the man!" In a third place we read, "Behold my servant!" In still a fourth place we read, "Behold thy God!" These four statements are amplified and developed in the four Gospels -- Matthew, the Gospel of the King; Mark, the Gospel of the Servant; Luke, the Gospel of the Son of man; and John, the Gospel of God, the presentation of the Son of God. These four Gospels give us four aspects of our Lord's character and person. They are not, strictly speaking, biographies. They are really sketches about the Person of Christ -eyewitness accounts by those who knew him personally, or those immediately associated with them. Therefore, they have the ring of authenticity, and they carry to our hearts that first and marvelous impression that our Lord made upon his own disciples, and then upon the multitudes that followed him. No more amazing character has ever walked among men. As you read the Gospel accounts, I hope something of this fascination breaks upon your own heart as you see him stepping forth from these pages, revealed to you by the Spirit, when you see Him as He is. The first book of the New Testament is Matthew, and this is the place where most people start reading the Bible. I think more people begin reading in the New Testament than the Old, therefore, that would make Matthew the most widely read book in all the world. In fact, Renan, the French skeptic, said of this book, "This is the most important book of all Christendom." He also said, "The most important book that has ever been written is the Gospel of Matthew." But it has its critics, too. There are those who claim that this book contains nothing but the early legends of the church which grew up around Jesus, that these accounts are not historical, and that this book was not actually written until the fourth century A.D. Therefore, they say, we are uncertain as to how much is really true. Other critics make the claim that this is only one of many gospels that were circulated. Now, it is true that there are other gospels besides the four in the New Testament. There is the Gospel of Barnabas, for instance, and the Gospel of Peter, and yet other gospels. They can be found in a book called "The New Testament Apocrypha" if you would like to read them. The critics say that it is mere chance that these four Gospels survived. There is a legend that began with a German theologian named Pappas in about the 16th century who said that the Gospels were selected at the Council of Nice in 325 A.D. by gathering together all the many gospels that were circulating at that time, throwing them all under a table, and then reaching in and pulling out four which happened to be Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John. The foolishness of such a claim is evident to anyone who reads the Gospels with thoughtfulness. They are stamped with the fingerprints of God. The very pattern of these books reflects the divine imprint, and you cannot read them or compare them with the Old Testament without seeing that they come from an inspired source. Furthermore, you have merely to compare them with the Apocryphal gospels to see how foolish such a claim is.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Matthew 2 - The birth of Jesus - The arrival of the Messiah (Christ) - Balaam's prophesied Christmas Star appears - Wise Men from the East journey to Jerusalem - King Herod the area's Roman appointed gentile King then also inquires about the newborn King - Herod a builder of stone and a destroyer of men sought the death of the newborn King - Joseph, Mary and Jesus flee Israel to live in Egypt until the death of Herod when they can safely return to Israel -- 'Matthew 2:1-2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea [Judah] in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him [the Messiah]' Three Wise Gifts: Wise Men of the East journeyed a long distance to find the newborn King of the Jews and to 'Worship Him' upon being led to the young Jesus [about one year old by the time the Wise Men arrived] the Wise Men presented Jesus with three Worship gifts to honor His unique standing among mankind. 1. Gold the gift and possession for a King and the covering on the Ark of the Covenant [Exodus 25:11] for the Tabernacle and the Temple. 2. Frankincense - the gift of the Priesthood used by priests in an aroma sacrifice offering to God and as an incense [Exodus 31:34] in offering a sweet smoke aroma to God within the Holy place of both the Tabernacle and later the Temple. 3. Myrrh - the gift of an anointing oil for anointing a Prophet [particularly the 'man of sorrows,' 'acquainted with grief' Prophet [Isaiah 53:3] - 'the oil of joy for mourning' Isaiah 61:3] and as oil to anoint the Holy objects of the Tabernacle and later also for the Temple 'oil of holy ointment ' [Exodus 30:25]. - 'Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.'[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Matthew 3-4 - Jesus begins His earthly ministry by being baptized [washed public testimony] by John the Baptist - Jesus was Baptized not unto repentance but as a Testimony [Exodus 29:4] to the people that His ministry had begun - Jesus is then led by the Holy Spirit into the desert for forty days of fasting and to be tempted by Satan - 'Matthew 3:16-17 And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him (John the Baptist), and he saw [Testimony] the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I Am well pleased' Matthew 4:1-3 Then was Jesus led up of the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter (Devil) came to Him, he said, If [Since, lit. Greek] thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.' - Satan unsuccessfully tempted Jesus three times and all three times Jesus replied to Satan with a quote from the Bible. 1. Turning stones to bread: Satan encourages Jesus to immediately satisfy His hunger by turning rocks to bread. Jesus had been led by the Holy Spirit to go into the desert to fast [and pray] - this was simply who is Jesus going to follow God for eternity or Satan for a moment. [Deut 8:3] Jesus did not even hesitate and would not even consider the suggestion of the Devil. 2. Satan wanted Jesus to test God's loyalty to Jesus by having Jesus jump from the top of the Temple building forcing God to react to the situation in saving Jesus from bodily harm. Jesus said "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord they God" [Deut 6:16]. Again Jesus did not even consider Satan's proposal. Finally Satan told Jesus that if Jesus would "fall down" and worship Satan that Satan would give Jesus all the Kingdoms of the world. Note: 'Revelation 17:10 And there are seven kings [kingdoms of the world]: five are fallen [Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon (Iraq), Persia (Iran), Greece], and one is [Rome], and the other [Antichrist] is not yet come; and when he [Antichrist] cometh, he must continue a short space [3 ½ years].' Jesus again [Deut 6:13] declined to submit to Satan and Satan immediately departed
from the presence of Jesus. - 'Matthew 4:11 Then the Devil (Satan) leaveth Him (Jesus), and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.'[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Matthew 5 - Jesus begins His 'Sermon on the Mount' teachings - it's been about one year since the baptism of Jesus the Gospel of John covers the first year's events with Jesus more fully than the other three Gospels - The 'Sermon on the Mount' teachings are to orientate mankind away from human induced customs, rituals and fables and into a meaningful relationship with God in Jesus Christ -'Matthew 5:2-12 And He (Jesus) opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you' 'Matthew 5:17-19 Think not that I (Jesus) am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle [strokes of the pen] shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.' - The law has been compared to a blueprint that you have to follow in order to build a life pleasing to God. However the law is more of a painting and an illustration (drawing) than a blueprint. The Laws of God and the Prophecies of God are the Image [painting] of the true God that has always existed [John 1:14 And the Word [Law and the Prophets] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth] not a blueprint or a ritual that Jesus needed to conform Himself into. The Law [Leviticus 19:34] says to 'Love your neighbor' "and thou shalt love him (neighbor/stranger) as thyself" because God is Love. Jesus didn't come to learn how to love one another Jesus came to teach us how to love one another. Also Note: Jesus then instructs that the law is external that it is words and ideas written down on paper and that what mankind needs is both the living example in Jesus Himself and mankind also needs a step further than the example of Jesus Christ mankind needs to be enabled internally, in the human spirit, to be like Jesus has always been and for mankind to become the Law unto themselves [obeying and following the law on their own] to actually become in the image, the ability, of God in Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit newly residing inside of the regenerated individual human enabling a human to now become pleasing to God and capable of having an intimate individual relationship with the Holy God.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} John 7 - Jesus continues to teach and to make that point that what mankind has is temporary and is passing away but what He has to offer is eternal -- 'John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast [Feast of Tabernacles, shelters - temporary homes], Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly [inner-life] shall flow rivers of living water [eternal Tabernacle]. But this spake He of the [Holy] Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet Glorified [Resurrection].' - 'John 7:52-53 They [Pharisees] answered and said unto Him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet. And every man went unto his own [tabernacle] house.' 'John 7:2-10 Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brethren (brothers; James, Jude, etc.) therefore said unto Him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. *For neither did his brethren believe in him [James and Jude are known to have become believers after His resurrection]. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the
works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: *I go not up yet unto this feast; *for My time is not yet full come. When He had said these words unto them, He abode still in Galilee. But when His brethren were gone up, then went He also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret [in Resurrection Spirit].' - The time of Jesus to fulfill the Feast of Tabernacles has not yet com in full that is why Jesus went in part in secret. The Feast of Tabernacles is a 'Fall feast' a 'Second Coming' Feast that has begun now with the giving of the Holy Spirit but we do not yet have our permanent bodies we still 'tabernacle' in our physical bodies while on earth. Jesus went to the Feast of Tabernacles 'secretly' to give the Living Water to those who would believe in Him and receive it but the rest of the Feast the tabernacle becoming a temple will be completed at the Second Coming of Jesus.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Matthew 24 - Jesus having just permanently departed from the Temple and after telling of the coming destruction of the Temple to His Disciples - Jesus then went and sat by Himself at His favorite location a hillside of olive orchards called the Mount of Olives (Mt. Olivet) - The Disciples having just seen Jesus depart from the Temple [His Father's House] for the last time and having just heard Jesus tell them of the coming destruction of the Temple came to Jesus and asked Him when and where He intended to rule His Kingdom from since the Temple was going to be destroyed - Jesus told His Disciples to be careful that no one deceived them about His Kingdom - That initially His Kingdom is not of this world but that after a long time and a long series of events many of them supernatural that His Kingdom would then be ushered into this world The coming Generation and the fulfillment of all the events of the Book of Revelation: 'Matthew 24:34 Verily I (Jesus) say unto you, This [End Time] generation shall not pass, till all these things [mainly the book of Revelation] be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.' - Jesus has already said that the Temple was to be destroyed "There shall not be left here one (Temple) stone upon another" and that later the Antichrist (abomination of desolation) was to sit in the Temple "holy place" [rebuilt Temple] 'Matthew 24:15 When ye {presumably the End Time readers} therefore shall *see the abomination of desolation (Antichrist), spoken of by Daniel the prophet [Daniel 9:27], stand in the holy place [inside the 3rd veil in the rebuilt Temple], whoso *readeth, let him understand' Note: The event of the Antichrist is possibly going to be a televised type of event 'When ye therefore shall *see the abomination.' Events inside the Temple were not to be seen by the outside world and are enclosed y walls and curtains however Jesus seems to be alluding that this Temple event will be seen by everyone either in some televised format or possibly even in some demonic projection capabilities or possibly some massive demonic telepathic hallucinogenic type of event. Jesus began His discussion with His Disciples in warning them to not be deceived and Jesus reiterated several times that deception and demonic activity would increase around the time of the Antichrist. - The majority of the last generation End Time events of the book of Revelation are to be centered around the Jews and in the city of Jerusalem including a rebuilt Temple. 'Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Jews] and upon thy holy city (Jerusalem) …' It seems that Jesus is summarizing all of the Jerusalem End Time Antichrist events into a Parable about a Fig Tree [Matthew 24:32-35]. The original Fig Tree was in Genesis 3:7 and was used by Adam and Eve in an attempt to cover their own sin. The Fig Tree in the Parable of Jesus is most probably the rebuilding of the 3rd Temple in Jerusalem because the type of Temple worship that is trying to be recreate has become obsolete by the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ so in a sense the 3rd Temple is a recreation of the Fig Tree because like the Fig Tree of Genesis the 3rd Temple in Jerusalem is going to be stitched together by human hands and it will absolutely not cover or remove any sin. However the Antichrist will invade the 3rd Temple and enter into the holy place and attempt to proclaim himself to be God from within the Temple as everyone alive and on the earth at that time will probably witness and *see somehow either by televised technology or a type of demonically spiritual activity.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Matthew 24 - Jesus continues His Mount Olivet discussion "Mount Olivet discourse" End Time teachings with His Disciples -- 'Matthew 24:3-6 And as He (Jesus) sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the
sign of Thy coming [Kingdom reign], and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My Name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet' The Elect of God: All the people throughout time who like Abraham have answered the call of God become the elect of God. 'Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those [End Time - war and famine - seven seal judgments - the book of Revelation] days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven [seven trumpet judgments - the book of Revelation], and the [Satanic] powers of the heavens shall be shaken [seven bowl judgments - the book of Revelation]: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming [Second Coming] in the clouds of heaven with Power and Great Glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His *elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.' --- There are actually two groups of *elect people and this stems from the 'Firstborn' inheritance that Jesus Christ is to receive. - 'Deuteronomy 21:17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated {divorced wife} for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; *the right of the firstborn is his.' - 'Colossians 1:18 And He (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the *firstborn [Resurrection] from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.' The Biblical inheritance of the firstborn is a double portion and as an inheritance Jesus is to receive both the Jews and the Nations (Gentiles) two inheritances and therefore two groups of called and two groups of those who answer the call of God and become the chosen, elect, justified, predestined and glorified by God. Note: Jesus is to inherit the Jews and the Gentiles this does include all of those who have ever existed it includes the Righteous Gentiles of Lot's day before Abraham, all the time up until the Christian [mostly Gentile] Church and the future Gentile Martyred Saints of Revelation. Also Note: The inheritance of Jesus does include the earth, all creation and all possessions, the earth will pass away and there will be a new earth so primarily The Kingdom of Jesus is uniquely about people and about God's love for people. Jesus came to save the people and His plan for eternity is centered and oriented only around the people of His creation. --Israel is one portion of inheritance for the firstborn Jesus Christ: 'Isaiah 19:25.. and Israel my Inheritance.' 'Zechariah 2:12 And the LORD shall inherit Judah (Jewish nation) His portion in the holy land and shall choose [to reign from] Jerusalem again.' - 'Psalms 78:70-71 He chose David (king David) also His servant and took him from the sheepfolds [David was a shepherd]: From following the ewes (female sheep) great with young he brought him to feed Jacob His people [Jews] and Israel His (God's) inheritance. {Jacob and Israel are both mentioned both referring to the Jewish nation, this is a poetic way of emphasizing the Jewish nation.} --- Israel is the Elect of God: 'Isaiah 45:4 For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel Mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me.' --- The Gentiles are the second [double portion] of inheritance for the firstborn Jesus Christ: 'Psalms 82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.' - 'Psalms 2:7,8 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto Me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee [both physical birth of Jesus in the manger and Resurrection day of Jesus] Ask of Me (Father) and I shall give thee the heathen (Gentiles) for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.' - 'Isaiah 54:3 For thou shall break forth on the right hand and on the left [the Jewish nation is not going to get wiped out but is going have a great population]; And thy seed (Jesus) shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate to be inhabited.' --- The [Gentile in nature] Christian Church is also the elect of God: 'Titus 1:1-2 [Apostle] Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began ...'[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Matthew 24 (Part 2) - Jesus concludes His "Mount Olivet discourse" by telling His Disciples some more parables about the End Times and about His eternal Kingdom - Jesus began His Mount Olivet discourse talking about deception and the End Times and Jesus ends His final Mount Olivet words by talking about eternal judgment and eternal life -- 'Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal' The Second Coming of the Lord: Matthew 24:44-51 Therefore be ye [Disciples] also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh [Second Coming]. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom His Lord hath made ruler over His household [Church], to give them meat [Bible study] in due season [every day]? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That He shall make him ruler over all His [Heavenly] goods. But and if that evil servant [backslider] shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth His [2nd] coming; And shall begin to smite [abuse] his fellowservants [Disciples], and to eat and drink with the drunken; The Lord of that servant shall come [Second Coming] in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion [eternal damnation] with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. - The teaching of Jesus Christ is about Heaven and the open opportunity for people to spend eternity in heaven and His teaching is also about hell and the very real possibility of people spending eternity in hell. God created mankind for a purpose and God came to a separated mankind with His purpose to reunite mankind back together with Himself in Heaven where it has always been intended for mankind to be in fellowship and in communion with the Holy God. [article link]
{Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Matthew 25-26 - Jesus has concluded His Mount Olivet teachings and discourse with His Disciples - Jesus now completely sets His mind on the events of the coming Feasts of the Passover Week - Events that will include initiating and instituting the New Testament with His Communion Bread and Wine offering to the Disciples - His self sacrifice on the cross and three days later His Glorious Eternal Life Resurrection 'Matthew 26:17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread [The Passover is an unleavened bread feast and the unleavened part starts on the 14the day of Nisan (the selection of the lamb is on the 10th) then the feast continues with the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened bread starting on the 15th of Nisan for a total of eight straight days of unleaded bread] the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto Him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover? And He said, Go into the city (Jerusalem) to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with My disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the Passover. Now when the even was come, He (Jesus) sat down with the twelve (Apostles). And as they did eat [the Passover], He said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you [Judas] shall betray Me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto Him, Lord, is it I? And He answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with Me in the dish, the same shall betray Me. The Son of Man goeth [to the cross] as it is written of Him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed Him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto Him, Thou hast said. And as they were eating, Jesus took Bread, and Blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the Disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My Body. And He took the Cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many [all] for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit [grape] of the vine, until that day when I drink it New with you in [Heaven] My Father's Kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives.' - The Communion of Jesus Christ: The sacrifice offering of Jesus Christ was His physical body, His mind (soul) and His Spirit [Jesus was separated from the Father while on the cross]. The Communion Bread and the Communion Cup that Jesus is offering His disciples to partake in references both the physical sacrifice offering of Jesus on and the cross and it also represents the Resurrected Eternal Spiritual Body and Spiritual Life Blood of the Resurrected Jesus. When we take and break the Unleavened Bread of Communion we are referencing the physical body of Jesus Christ and when we take the Wine of the Communion of Jesus Christ and mingle it with the water we are referencing the physical blood of Jesus Christ. When we eat the bread of the body of Jesus Christ we are internalizing the Resurrection and the eternal Spiritual body of Jesus and likewise when we drink of the Wine of Jesus we are drinking and internalizing the Resurrection and the eternal Spiritual life blood of Jesus. In a sense we are breaking the physical and taking on the Spiritual. -- '1 Corinthians 11:23-28 For I [Apostle Paul] have
received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night [Passover] in which He was betrayed [by Judas] took [physical] bread: And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the Cup, when He had supped, saying, This Cup is the [Resurrection] New Testament in My Blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as ye eat this Bread, and drink this Cup, ye do shew the Lord's [physical] death till He come [2nd coming]. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the [physical and Spiritual resurrection] Body and Blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself [Melchizedek Priesthood], and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.' -- 'Deuteronomy 32:9-14 For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance ... and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.'[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} John 12 - The Gospel of John now takes us into Holy Week that last week of Jesus' Ministry physically among mankind on earth - "Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany" with the day of Passover plus the three days and three nights in the Tomb this places Jesus' and the Disciples arrival at Bethany on the Friday 10 days before the Sunday Resurrection with the actual Triumphal Entry "On the next day" occurring on the next day the Saturday Sabbath Day -- 'John 12:1-2 Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him.' - 'John 12:12-15 On the next day [10th of Nisan - selection of the Passover lamb] much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion (Zion): behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.' John 12:20-32 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the [Passover] feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified. ... And I, if I be lifted up [crucifixion and resurrection] from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.' - The Gentiles were not allowed to seek Jesus until after His death and resurrection as only then will He "draw all men" unto Himself. - Note: It's hard for a Gentile to understand but actually both the O.T. and the N.T. Covenants of God are with the Jews [Jeremiah 31:31] and belong to the Jews [Hebrews 8:8]. There was no Gentile representation at the Passover when the N.T. was initiated apart from the Promise of God given to Abraham [Genesis 12:3] that in Jesus all Nations would be blessed. Everyone involved with and seated at the Passover Table was Jewish including Jesus and none of them became a Christian by eating the Passover. The Jewish Disciples of Jesus became Christian followers of Jesus the same way everyone else does by acknowledging His sinless death on the cross and by acknowledging His resurrection of eternal life. The New Testament that was instituted the evening of the Passover and went into effect with the death and resurrection of Jesus and is for the 'House of Israel'. The New Testament was not finalized at the Passover it was finalized and institutionalized with the giving of the Holy Spirit an event that happened after the Resurrection of Jesus [and after the betrayal and rejection of Jesus] then when He ascended into Heaven briefly the Day of His Resurrection and He was received by His Father in Heaven as the acceptable Atonement offering for mankind to God the Father then that same Resurrection day sent the Comforter the Holy Spirit to mankind in the Baptism of Jesus Christ. As Gentile Christians we have entered into the Jewish New Testament Covenant by the Promises of God not by the Covent of God. The New Testament Covenant belongs to the Jews and through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ we are invited and welcomed into their Covenant to be partakers of their promises and of the blessings that have been given to the Jews from God. Having received an invitation to join in on their eternal Heavenly blessings we need to be certain that we do not, even accidently, take away from the Jews what already belongs to the Jews and we also need to make certain that we are grateful to God and to the Jews for the free gift we have been given and to receive it with gratitude and thankfulness so we don't accidently give a false impression of taking from the Jews something
that is not ours and of being guilty of appearing to take and enter the Kingdom of God by force when in fact it has been freely given to us in the promises of God.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} John 14 - Judas having left before the conclusion of the Passover Feast Jesus and remaining eleven Disciples conclude the Feast of Passover by singing a Psalm - Then the Passover Feast not being a curfew feast Jesus and His eleven Disciples depart the upper room and go to the Garden of Gethsemane, on Mount Olivet - Along the way to the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus explains that unless He departs the earth and goes back into Heaven that the Holy Spirit cannot be given or sent to mankind [mankind would still be in sin and cannot receive the Holy Spirit] -- 'John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: *if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go [to Heaven] and prepare a place for you, I will come again [Second Coming], and receive you unto Myself; that where I Am, there ye may be also. And whither I go [Heaven] ye know, and the way [through Jesus Christ] ye know.' John 14:15-21 If ye love Me (Jesus), keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter [Holy Spirit], that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; *for He dwelleth with you, and *shall be in you [born again]. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye (Disciples) see Me: because I live [Resurrection], ye shall [resurrection] live also. At that day ye shall know that I Am in My Father, and ye in Me, and *I in you [Resurrection Day]. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and *I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him (believer-follower).[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} John 16 - Jesus explains that the life of a Disciple without the physical presence of Jesus is going to be difficult -- 'John 16:1-3 These things have I (Jesus) spoken unto you, that ye (Disciples) should not be offended. They [religious and political leaders] shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me.' 'John 16:7-16 Nevertheless I (Jesus) tell you the Truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: *for if I go not away, the Comforter [Holy Spirit] will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, *He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I [Righteousness] go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince [Satan] of this world [system] is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth: *for He [Holy Spirit] shall not speak [referencing] of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear [be in agreement with], that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me: *for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall shew it unto you. *A little while, and ye shall not see Me [Crucifixion death]: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me [Resurrection Life], because I go to the Father.'[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} John 17 - The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus - Jesus Prays for His disciples and all of this future followers His 'High Priestly Prayer' -- 'John 17:1-3 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given Him power over all flesh, *that He should give Eternal Life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And *this is Life Eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' 'John 17:20-21 Neither pray I for these (Disciples) alone [only], but for them [future Disciples] also which shall believe on Me through their word [Ministry]; that they all may be one [Church]; as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in thee, that they also may be one [body] in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent Me. John 17:1-26 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to Heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify Thee: As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, *that He (Jesus)
should give Eternal Life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And *this is Life Eternal, that they (humans) might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou Me with thine own self with *the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. I have manifested Thy Name unto the men which thou gavest Me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them Me; and *they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given Me are of Thee. *For I have given unto them (Disciples) the Words which thou gavest Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. I pray for them (Disciples): *I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given Me; for they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I Am Glorified in them (Disciples). And now I Am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, *keep through Thine own Name those whom thou hast given Me, that they [Disciples] may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy Name: those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition [Judas by his own freewill]; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and *these things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I Am not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. *They are not of the world, even as I Am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy Truth: Thy Word is Truth. As thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I Sanctify [go to Heaven] Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the Truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but *for them [future Disciples] also which shall Believe on Me through their word [Ministry]; That they all may be one [Church]; as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in thee, that they also may be one [body] in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent Me. And the Glory which thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, *and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me. Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am [in Heavena and while on earth]; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy Name, and will declare it: that the Love wherewith Thou hast Loved Me may be in them, and I in them.' The High Preistly Prayer of Jesus to His Father in Heaven revealing to His Disciples His heart towards His father and His heart towards all His Disciples.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} John 19 - The rejection, death and burial of Jesus Christ is completed - The Crucifixion day is the [15th of Nisan] on the Feast of Unleavened Bread day the day after the [14th of Nisan] and the Passover Day - It is the same day [Exodus 12:17] that the Children of God left Egypt after the original death of the firstborn Passover in Egypt - {The Apostle Paul explains that the Passover was the night Jesus was betrayed [1 Corinthians 11:23 - "That the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread"] the day before His Crucifixion.} -- John 19:4-5 [Pontius] Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring Him (Jesus) forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in Him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! - 'Zechariah 6:11-12 Then take silver and gold, and make Crowns [silver - High Priest crown, gold - Kings crown], and set them upon the head of Joshua (Jesus) the son of Josedech, the High Priest; and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, 'Behold the man' whose name is the Branch (Nazarene), and He shall grow up out of His place and He shall build the [Heavenly] Temple of the LORD:' John 19:25-27 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the Disciple [John] standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son [Christian fellowship]! Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother [Christian fellowship]! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. - The name Mary in Hebrew means bitter so it was a 'bitter,' 'bitter,' 'bitter,' day, event and place to be at
the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ for the followers of Jesus. Note: Jesus on the cross united His Mother Mary and His Disciple John in Christian fellowship not in some form of worldly adoption. Biblically had Mary adopted the Disciple John then he would have gone to her house because that is what the adoption is it is rights and privileges of the house or estate. Apparently Joseph was clearly deceased not being available for any of the events of the adult life of Jesus and also apparently none of the brothers and sisters were followers of Him either, until after the resurrection so Jesus sent His mother to be with John and the soon to be forming Christian Church.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} John 20 - Resurrection Day - The first Jewish converts to Christianity through belief in the eternal life Resurrection of Jesus Christ - The Spirit Baptism of Jesus Christ begins - With the receiving of the Spirit of Jesus Christ a person [Jew or Gentile] becomes a Christian - The Christian Church begins! -- 'John 20:14 And when she [Mary Magdalene] had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and *knew not that it was Jesus.' [Note: Only Christians can recognize Jesus while Mary and the other Jewish Disciples and followers all had to become Christians like the Gentiles have to as well to then recognize Jesus] - 'Colossians 1:27 ... [the Resurrected Jesus] Christ in you, the hope of glory' John 20:19-23 Then the same day [Resurrection Day] at evening, being [Sunday] the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He shewed unto them his hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father [in Heaven] hath sent Me [Jesus has been back to Heaven], even so send I you. And when He had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost [Having been to Heaven and received by the Father as the acceptable Atonement the Holy Spirit is now given and available to all mankind]: Whose soever sins ye remit [discernment via the Holy Spirit], they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain [discernment via the Holy Spirit], they are retained.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} John 21 - After His crucifixion and Glorious resurrection Jesus spends 40 more days with His Disciples instructing them in His eternal Kingdom - The Kingdom that that they are to present to all mankind -- 'John 21:1 After these [crucifixion and resurrection] things Jesus shewed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (aka the Sea of Galilee and Lake Gennesaret); and on this wise shewed He Himself.' 'John 21:24-25 This is the disciple [John] which Testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we [Apostles] know that His Testimony [Jesus Christ] is True. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.' - The beloved Disciple and Apostle of Jesus Christ closes his Gospel to the Christian Church with his personal Testimony that what he has written and recorded for mankind is based in fact and actually did happen and occurred as he has written.[article link] Wikipedia: Saint Peter - Saint Peter or Simon Peter [aka Cephas] was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle. Simon Peter is venerated in multiple churches and is regarded as the first Pope by the Roman Catholic Church. After working to establish the church of Antioch for seven years presiding as the city's bishop and preaching to scattered communities of believers (Jews, Hebrew Christians and the gentiles), in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia Minor and Bithynia, Peter went to Rome. In the second year of Claudius, it is claimed, he overthrew Simon Magus and held the Sacerdotal Chair for 25 years. He is said to have been put to death at the hand of Emperor Nero. Saint Peter wrote two Catholic (whole church) epistles. The Gospel of Mark is also ascribed to him as Mark was his disciple and interpreter. ... Upon his death, he is said to have been martyred by Emperor Nero and crucified upside down on an inverted
cross, as he saw himself unworthy to be crucified the same way like Jesus Christ. Today, Catholic tradition holds that Saint Peter's mortal bones and remains are contained in the underground Confessio of the St. Peter's Basilica, where Pope Paul VI announced the excavation discovery of a First-century A.D. Roman cemetery in 1968. Since 1969, a life-size statue of Saint Peter is crowned every year in St. Peter's Basilica with a Papal Tiara, Ring of the Fisherman, and papal vestments every June 29th, commemorating the Holy Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Background to the Book of Acts - The book of Acts has traditionally been called the Acts of the Apostles and this can be a bit confusing because the contents is not about all the apostles, but primarily on the life of Peter (Chapters 1-12) and Paul (Chapters 13-28) - Rather than a history book it is more in line with a biography - Luke gives a record of the life [of Jesus] and events of the early Church for a period of about sixty to sixty five years {About 35 years of Early Church History: The Ascension of Jesus Christ from Mount Olivet, Jerusalem in about 33 A.D. - The Jerusalem Council [1st Church Council] in about 50 A.D. (Acts 15) - until just before the Martyrdom of the Apostle Paul in Rome in about 67 A.D.} The gospels end with the great commission. (Matthew 28:19-20). "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age." The book of Acts opens with instructions to the Disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. These instructions become the theme of the book of Acts and give us a clue to how the spread of Christianity would take place. The purpose of Acts is to show the spread of the Gospel throughout the then known world. 'But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem , and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.' (Acts 1:1-8). The disciples were to be witnesses. In the first twelve chapters the focus is on the Gospel going forth under Peters direction in Jerusalem. There the ministry was directed mainly among the Jews in Jerusalem. Then the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul is stressed in his missionary activities outside of the boarders of Israel. He is known as the Apostle to the Gentiles. -- Jerusalem: Chapter 1-7: Jewish Christian Church which covers about the first fifteen years. Peter is the central character during this period which centres around Jerusalem. -- Judea and Samaria: Chapter 8-12: Gentile Christian Church takes in the next twenty-five years. Paul is the central character during this period which centres around Antioch. Paul takes the gospel to the Gentiles. Ends of the Earth: Chapter 1328: Consolidation of the Church covers the last thirty years to the close of this period. John is the central character during this period which centres around Ephesus {though not really mentioned in the Book of Acts}.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 1 - Luke a Gentile Physician-Doctor [a Greek background], historian, companion to the Apostle Paul, eyewitness and early Christian Church recorder/reporter continues his Ministry to the Christian Church with his follow up to the Gospel of Luke in his second and final Book of the Bible the Book of Acts -- 'Acts 1:1-3 The former treatise [Gospel of Luke] {A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject. - Wiki.com} have I [Luke] made [written], O Theophilus, *of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which He [Jesus] was taken up [Ascension at Mount Olivet, Jerusalem], after that **He [Jesus] through the Holy Ghost had given Commandments [Directions] unto the Apostles whom He had chosen: To whom also He [Jesus] shewed Himself alive [Resurrection] after His Passion [Passion to reunite God and mankind - Cross and Resurrection] **by many infallible [irrefutable] proofs, being seen [eyewitness] of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God ...' Acts 1:4-14 And, [Jesus] being assembled together with them [on the Mount of Olives - at the Ascension of Jesus], Commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for **the promise of the Father [to send the Comforter - the Holy Spirit as a companion], which, saith He, ye have heard of Me [John 14:6]. For John [the Baptist] truly baptized with water; but ye [already baptized by Jesus, with the Firstfruits of the Spirit
(John 20:22) - Christians] shall be baptized [by the Father] with the Holy Ghost [for comfort, wisdom, truth, empowerment, etc. to be a witness of Jesus Christ to the world] not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, *wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel [from Rome]? And He said unto them, It is not for you (Christians) [before Pentecost] to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. ***But ye [Christians] shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. **And when He [Jesus] had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their [visible] sight. **And while they looked stedfastly [for His return] toward Heaven as He went up, behold, two men [Angels] stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, **why stand ye gazing up into Heaven [at this spot on Mount Olivet]? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven {but when Jesus visibly returns to Mount Olivet it will be to the Jews not the Church - the Church will already be in Heaven}. Then [departed Mount Olivet] returned they unto Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room [in the upper room - where the Passover, Last Supper was eaten], where abode [lived] both [Apostles and Disciples (brethren)] {Apostles} Peter, and James [brother of John], and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James [son of Alphaeus]. These all continued with one accord [combined purpose] *in prayer and supplication, with the women, *and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His {Disciples} brethren [Christians]. The Promise of the Father is to send the Comforter and the empower [the Holy Spirit] to those who acknowledge Jesus [John 14:16]. The Promise of Jesus is to give eternal life [John 14:6] to all that come to Him. - John 14:6-21 Jesus saith unto him [Apostle - Thomas], ***I [Jesus] Am *the Way, *the Truth, and *the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. ... If ye love Me, keep My Commandments [instructions]. And I will pray the Father, and He [Father] shall give you another (along with Jesus) Comforter [Holy Spirit], that He [Holy Spirit] may abide with you [eternally] for ever; Even the [Holy] Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him [Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit] not, neither knoweth Him [God]: but ye know Him; for He [God] dwelleth with you, ***and shall be in you [Firstfruits - Resurrection Day - birth of the Christian Church]. I [Jesus] will not leave you comfortless: I [Jesus] will come to you [Resurrection]. Yet a little while [death on the cross], and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me [Resurrection]: **because I live, ye shall live also. At that [Resurrection] day ye shall know that I Am in My Father, and ye in Me, **and I [Firstfruits] in you. He that hath My Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father [who will baptize with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit], and I will love him, and **will manifest [show] Myself [Jesus] to him [Christian].[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 2 - The Christian Church already individually (Luke 24:31) [by faith in the cross and resurrection of Jesus] having the 'born again' Firstfruits of the Spirit of Jesus - The Church corporately (all in one group) receives the 'experience' the promised Baptism of the Father the Comfort and empowerment of the Holy Spirit - Note: At Pentecost The Holy Spirit is poured out upon the entire world [John 16:8] - With Pentecost [empowerment for the Church, conviction for the world] comes the Baptism of Persecution (Fire) for the Church -- 'Acts 2:1-5 And when the Day of Pentecost [lit. 50 days - after the Feast of Firstfruits] [5th levitical Feast - Leviticus 23:16] was fully come, they [Christians] were all with one accord in one place [in the upper room]. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire [refinement, trials, persecution], and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled [empowered] with the Holy Ghost, and [experientially] began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, ***out of [representing] every Nation under Heaven.' - 'John 16:7 Nevertheless I [Jesus] tell you the Truth; It is expedient for you that I go away [back to Heaven]: for if I go not away, the Comforter [Holy Spirit] will not come unto you [at Pentecost]; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He [Holy Spirit] is come, ***He will reprove the *world [Pentecost is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon
the entire world] of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me [Jesus]; Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more [after the Ascension]; Of judgment, because the prince of this world [Satan - Devil] is judged.' Acts 2:14-21 But Peter, standing up with the Eleven [Apostles - Judas has committed suicide], lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, *be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour [9:00 A.M.] of the day. **But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel [Joel 2:28-32]; And it shall come to pass in the Last Days [days since - The Triumphal Entry of Jesus in to Jerusalem], saith God, I will pour out of My [Holy] Spirit *upon all flesh [the entire world]: and your [Jewish, Christian and Gentile - *the entire world] sons and your daughters shall prophesy [at times everyone (inside and outside of the Church) speaks for a prophetic truth about God, however (outside of the Church) it is often a corrupted message i.e. New Age message (Acts 16:1718)], and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on My servants [Christians] and on My handmaidens [men and women] I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy: [including all days - even the days of Tribulation and Great Tribulation] And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke [Tribulation]: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood [Great Tribulation], *before that Great and Notable Day of the Lord come [2nd Coming of Jesus]: ***And it shall come to pass [at any day, at any time, at any moment, Last Days, Church Age, Tribulation, Great Tribulation], that *whosoever [any person] shall call [at any time] on the Name [Jesus] of the Lord [that person] shall be Saved. - Pentecost, empowerment, witness and persecution: In the few days before Pentecost the Christian Church gathered in the Jewish Temple and worshiped Jesus [Luke 24:53] without any incidents because the Church was without the [external upon] witness of the Holy Spirit. With Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit upon the entire world, upon every individual and with the empowerment of the Christian Church by the Holy Spirit and now all of mankind with the increased presence of God among mankind the conflict between man and God has dramatically increased and the Christian Church is at the forefront of man's conflict with God. With Pentecost the desire for mankind to either accept or reject the Ministry of Jesus Christ has been heightened and those who reject God do so in a more violent manner. - Note: The Baptism of Fire (persecution) upon the Christian is a baptism directly enacted by Jesus [Matthew 3:11] therefore Jesus controls all aspects and intensities of the persecution (Baptism of Fire) in the life of each Christian. To receive the Baptism of Fire from Jesus is to be given the opportunity to grow in faith and trust in Jesus and it is to be trusted enough by Jesus to be able to endure in the Christian faith while continuing to be a witness of Jesus. - Also Note: With Pentecost and the global outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all mankind [since the blood, cross and death of Jesus - the blood of Jesus has cleansed the entire world (Acts 10:15) - the world [system] is now a clean - however [unclean from within] unsaved mankind is working overtime to corrupt what Jesus has cleansed upon] with the Holy Spirit upon all mankind Christianity and the resurrection life of Jesus Christ that Christianity represents is not a philosophy nor just an idea of a select few but Christianity is the living Spirit, Blood and Word - Testimony of God and therefore because Christianity is a living Spirit that unsaved mankind then physically reacts out of proportion [sometimes in strong denial, rejection, even dangerously, etc.] to the Spiritual calling on their life by God in Jesus Christ.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 3 - The early Christian Church continually Worshiped and Served Jesus Christ even after His bodily Ascension back into Heaven - As a part of their Christian Devotion to Jesus their lives and the lives of those around them were dramatically altered being transformed by the Holy Spirit to conform within the Kingdom of God -- 'Acts 3:1-9 Now Peter and John went up together into the Temple at the hour of prayer [Christians went to the Temple only to pray and perform certain services but no longer to sacrifice (a lamb) as Jesus is our eternal sacrifice], being the ninth hour [3:00 P.M.]. And a certain man lame [unable to walk] from his mother's womb [physical birth] was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the Temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms (gifts) of them that entered into the Temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the Temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us [make eye contact]. And he gave heed unto them [looked them in the eye], expecting to receive
something of them. Then Peter said [worldly wealth], Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have [Heavenly wealth] give I thee: *In the Name [at Jesus' bidding] of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he [Peter] took him by the right hand [Christian fellowship], and lifted him up [cross and resurrection of Jesus]: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood [new life - resurrection], and walked [Christian walk], and entered with them [into fellowship] into the Temple [to pray to God], walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God ...' Acts 3:10-26 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the Temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he *answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? ***The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of [Pontius] Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer [Barabbas] to be granted unto you; And killed [Jesus] **the Prince of life, whom God hath raised [resurrection] from the dead; **whereof we are witnesses. And His Name [Jesus] *through faith [cross and resurrection] in His Name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him [Jesus] hath given him [lame man] this perfect [complete] soundness [health] in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it [crucified Jesus], as did also your rulers. *But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth *of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled. ***Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And He [Father] shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: [Jesus] *Whom the heaven must receive [remain] {this is where the concept of the Church Rapture emerges as Jesus is to remain in Heaven and not to come physically to the earth until the end of the Book of Revelation and His 2nd Coming to the Jews, Jesus will have gathered His Christian Church together unto Himself in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17) avoiding coming to earth until later} until the times of restitution [end of the Book of Revelation] of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His Holy Prophets since the world began. **For Moses truly said (Deuteronomy 18:15) unto the fathers, A Prophet [who is God] shall the Lord your God raise up [resurrection] unto you of your brethren, [a leader of the people of Israel] like unto me [Moses]; Him [Jesus] shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet [Jesus], shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the Prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. *Ye [redeemed of God] are the Children of the Prophets, and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers, **saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed [Jesus] shall all the Kindreds [Ethnicity] of the earth be Blessed. Unto you [Jews] first(,) God, having raised up [resurrection] His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you [Jews, first], in turning away every one of you from his iniquities [inability to have a real meaningful relationship with God]. - The Apostles Peter and John demonstrate to the people both in their life and in their preaching that the Spiritual nature of the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ though it has only partially arrived [Firstfruits] for mankind the partial Kingdom of Jesus Christ fully Triumphs over and supersedes the current fallen physical realm and predicament of mankind. [article link]
{Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 4 - The Gospel of God in Jesus Christ has begun to be Preached (Proclaimed) to mankind first to the Jews in Jerusalem then to the mixed multitude [Jews and gentiles] in Samaria [the ancient (O.T.) Kingdom of Northern Israel] and ultimately to all the Gentiles of the world -- 'Acts 4:1-4 And as they [Apostles] spake unto the people, the Priests, and the Captain [of the guard] of the Temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, *Being grieved [since Pentecost Christianity is a perceivable Spirit that men either rejoice in or are grieved by] that they taught the people, *and preached through Jesus *the resurrection [of just humans] from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide [lit. close of a regular day - G2703]. Howbeit many of them which heard the word
believed; and the number of the men [converts to Christianity] was about five thousand.' Acts 4:5-31 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, And Annas the High Priest [the Jewish appointed High Priest], and Caiaphas [the Roman appointed High Priest], and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred [Levitical Tribe] of the High Priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? *Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost [the continuing empowerment and witness of Pentecost], said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole [lit. Salvation]; **Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised [resurrection] from the dead, even *by Him [Jesus] doth this man stand here before you whole. *This [Jesus] is the stone which was set at nought of you builders (Isaiah 28:16, Psalm 118:22), which is become the head of the corner. *Neither is there Salvation in any other: ***for there is none other Name under Heaven ***given among men, ***whereby we must be Saved [eternal resurrection life in Jesus]. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned [unschooled in ministry] and ignorant men [tradesmen], they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this Name [Jesus]. And they called them, *and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the Name of Jesus. **But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. *For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. For the man [who was healed] was above forty years old [an adult], on whom this miracle of healing was shewed. And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they [Christians] heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, **and said, *Lord, thou art God, *which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against thy Holy Child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the Name of thy Holy Child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, *and they [Christians] spake the word of God with boldness. - Now the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ has been removed from the religious institutions and the Gospel News is to be brought directly to the people of the world directly from the Children of God.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 5 - With the presence and assistance of the Holy Spirit people are able to Trust and discern the Truth of Christianity and as a result the Christian Church realizes an enormous, explosive, unprecedented exponential growth in numbers of participants -- 'Acts 5:14 And [Christian] believers were the more added to the Lord [Jesus Christ], multitudes both of men and women.' Acts 5:17-42 Then the High Priest [Annas] rose up, and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees [liberal sect of Judaism (Democrats) - Pharisees are the conservative sect (Republicans)], and were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. *But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, **and said, Go, stand and speak *in the Temple [speak to the inner spirit of man] to the people all the words of this [eternal resurrection] life.
And when they heard that, they entered into the Temple early in the morning, and taught. But the High Priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council [Sanhedrin - Jewish Supreme Court] together, and all the senate of the children of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the [Jewish] officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. Now when the High Priest and the Captain [of the guard] of the Temple and the Chief Priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the Temple, and Teaching the people. Then went the Captain with the Officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the Council: and the High Priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this [Jesus] Name? and, ***behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your *doctrine, and intend to bring this man's [Jesus'] blood upon us. **Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, **We ought to obey God [Jesus] rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince [Son] and a Saviour, *for to give repentance to Israel, **and forgiveness of sins. ***And we are His witnesses of these things; ***and so is also ***the Holy Ghost, *whom God hath given [in comfort, wisdom and empowerment] to them that obey Him. *When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, *and took counsel to slay [kill] them. Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named *Gamaliel [the Apostle Paul's teacher - Paul was a Pharisee], a doctor [teacher] of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the Apostles forth a little space [in another room]; And said unto them [Jewish Council], Ye men of Israel, *take heed [from God - pray first] to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. For before these days rose up Theudas [a false christ], boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, *and [God] brought [it] to nought. After this man rose up Judas [false christ] of Galilee in the days of the taxing [about the time of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem], and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed [by God]. *And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: *for if this counsel or this work [of the Apostles] be of men [acting in the Name of God], it will come to nought: **But if it [ministry of the Apostles] be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. And to him *they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and *beaten them, *they commanded that they should not speak in the Name of Jesus, and let them go {they somewhat agreed}. And they [Apostles] departed from the presence of the Council, *rejoicing that they were counted worthy [by Jesus] to suffer shame for His Name. And daily in the Temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. - Note: The famous teacher Gamaliel [who's writings are still with us today - quoted in the Talmud] is who the Apostle Paul as a boy and as a young man received his instruction in the Torah (Bible) from before Paul (Saul) became a Christian. - [Gamaliel, also called Gamaliel I or Gamaliel the Elder was a first century authority on Jewish law who appears in the Acts of the Apostles. In Christian tradition, he was later considered to be a Christian saint (Saint Gamaliel). In Judaism he is a respected authority quoted in the Talmud referred to as Rabban Gamliel. - Wiki.com] (The title "Rabban," was borne only by presidents of the highest religious council, first prefixed to the name of Gamaliel www.jewishencyclopedia.com).[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} The Apostle Paul - When Paul became a Christian, his very thorough [Jewish] education was enormously helpful - He was able to assimilate Christian doctrines rapidly and relate them accurately to the Scripture teaching he had received - From his education, both from Gamaliel and in the desert [Saudi Arabia] from the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul developed a divine viewpoint attitude toward human history *Paul knew that the existence of God [by the Holy Spirit since Pentecost] can easily be perceived by anyone, *that man can become aware of God, *but that many men's deliberate sin halted this good beginning [after becoming aware of God] by [continued] immoral activities which accompanied their [past] idolatry The Apostle Paul - The apostle Paul was one of the most famous citizens of the Roman Empire and without
question one of the most influential individuals in history. He was used by the Lord in his missionary and evangelistic activities to set in motion a great deal of the organization known as the Christian Church, the Body of Christ on earth, to the extent that billions of human beings have been directly or indirectly affected by his ministry. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the foundation documents for the Christian way of life, the Word of God which has changed the lives of millions. -- Paul's Education: Paul was educated by his mother until the age of five. From age five to ten he studied with his father in the Hebrew scriptures and traditional writings. At the same time, being a Roman citizen and living in a Greek and Roman environment, he received a thorough education in the Greek language, history, and culture. He was sent to Jerusalem at about the age of ten to attend the rabbinical school of Gamaliel, who was the son of Simeon the son of Hillel. Gamaliel was a most eminent rabbi who was mentioned both in the Talmud and in the New Testament (Acts 5:24-40; 22:3). Gamaliel was called Rabban - one of only seven teachers so called. He was a Pharisee, but he rose above party prejudice. He composed a prayer against the Christian "heretics". He lived and died a Jew. At this time, Herod was dead, and the Romans had complete control of Judea, hence, there was Roman money, language, and culture. The Jews, therefore, were inclined to cling more closely to their religion as the center of unity. [Refer to the topic: Judean History] There were two great rabbinical schools, those of Hillel and Schammai. Hillel, the grandfather of Gamaliel, held that tradition was superior to the Law. The school of Schammai despised traditionalists, especially when there teachings clashed with the writings of Moses. The religious school of Gamaliel (Hillel) was chiefly oral and usually had a prejudice against any book but Scripture. They used a system of Scriptural exegesis, and Josephus in his writings expressed the wish to have such a power of exegesis. When school was in session, learned men met and discussed scriptures, gave various interpretations, suggested illustrations, and quoted precedents. The students were encouraged to question, doubt, even contradict. -- When Paul became a Christian, his very thorough education was enormously helpful. He was able to assimilate Christian doctrines rapidly and relate them accurately to the Scripture teaching he had received. From his education, both from Gamaliel and in the desert from the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul developed a divine viewpoint attitude toward human history. Paul knew that the existence of God can easily be perceived by anyone, that man can become aware of God, but that many men's deliberate sin halted this good beginning by immoral activities which accompanied their idolatry. Therefore, Paul had an intense hatred of idolatry of any kind. Paul's teaching shows that the only reality is God. Idolatry distorts man's conception of the world and external nature. Idolatry is the enemy of mankind. Paul knew the law of growth of human nature. As a Roman, Tarsian, Hebrew, and culturally Greek, he knew of the many distortions of the life of his society. As a nation becomes unhealthy, development is halted. Societies errors as to the nature of God and the true relation of God to man prevented nations from getting rid of their besetting evil. The books of Acts is the chief authoritative record for the ministries of Paul and the other apostles. For a brief outline of Paul's ministry, see the Chronological Table of Paul's Ministry. The most thorough, accurate, and interesting secular work on Paul is The Life and Epistles of St. Paul, by Conybeare and Howson.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 6 - The early Christian Church and Church leaders in Jerusalem learn to handle the continual controversies and conflicts that arise both from within the Christian Church and from outside the Church -- 'Acts 6:1-7 And in those [early Church in Jerusalem] days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians [Greek Jews] against the Hebrews [Israel Jews], because their widows were neglected [not on the list] in the daily [food giving] ministration. Then the Twelve [the Eleven plus Matthias the (temporary) replacement for Judas - Paul in all likeliness became the Twelfth Apostle permanently replacing Judas] called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the [study and preaching] word of God, and serve tables [distribute food]. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this [charity] business. But we [leaders] will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word [Bible]. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a [Greek - Jewish convert] proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the Apostles: and when they had
prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the [Levitical Temple] Priests were obedient [converts] to the [Christian] faith. - Note: The Grecian Christians issued the complaint and the early Church (primarily Hebrew) responded not in a compromise but by selecting all seven of the appointed charity workers from the Grecian group. The Greek [Greece the 5th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] nation ruled over Israel for about 200 years [336 B.C. - 149 B.C.] before Rome began to rule over Israel and the Greek culture was deeply implanted into Jewish society in Israel.' Acts 6:8-15 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain [Greek - Helenistic Jews] of the Synagogue, which is called the Synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the [Holy] Spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him [Stephen], and brought him to the council, And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this Holy place [Temple], and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place [Temple], and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. And all that sat in the council, *looking stedfastly on him, saw [observed] his face [with the presence of the Holy Spirit upon him] as it had been the face of an angel [in the very presence of God]. - Stephen living enough in the presence of God to become loving enough to witness to the people around him becomes bold enough to die for the Christian faith and becomes the first Christian martyr.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 7 - Stephen under arrest for blasphemy and on trial for his life in Jerusalem - Stephen uses as his defense the known fact that nearly every single prophet of importance to Israel throughout the history of Israel the people of Israel have first rejected the true Prophet before they ultimately accepted them and their ministry as being of God - Stephen is saying that Jesus was obviously God in the flesh though many people refused to believe it but then rejecting the true Prophets of God is the track record of mankind when it comes to interactions between man and God - Mankind has a propensity to reject the true interaction with God while at the same time embrace the false prophets of the world -- 'Acts 7:52-53 Which of the [true] Prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them [true Prophets] which shewed before [prophesied] of the coming of the Just One [Jesus Christ]; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers [their Jewish forefathers put to death the true prophets but they managed to go a step further and put to death the Messiah, Jesus the one prophesied about]: Who have received the law [the image of Jesus] by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it [because the law revealed the nature of Jesus].' Acts 7:52-60 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One [Messiah]; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law [Divinely] by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart [enraged in their soul], and they gnashed on him with their teeth. *But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, *looked up stedfastly *into heaven, *and saw the glory of God, *and Jesus *standing [Jesus is standing as the Melchizedek High Priest ready to receive into Heaven the acceptable offering of the sacrifice and life of Stephen] on the right hand of God, And said, **Behold, I see the Heavens opened, and the Son of Man [Jesus] standing on the right hand of God [Father]. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city [outside the city limits, probably at the dump], and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul [later the Apostle Paul] {Note: Saul (the Apostle Paul) although perfectly within his rights did not throw a stone himself - Paul was not the violent aggressor that the secular world wants to portray}. And they [not Saul] stoned Stephen, ***calling upon God, and **saying [as Jesus said from His cross (Luke 23:46)], Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. *And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge [as Jesus had said from His cross (Luke 23:34)]. And when he had said this, he fell asleep [to the Christian death is as harmless as sleep and often in the Bible death is referred to simply as a [harmless] sleep
for those who are saved and will awake in Heaven]. - Note: Normally in the Bible Jesus is represented as seated [enthroned]at the right hand of the Father Matthew 26:64)however Stephen describes Jesus as standing standing is a part of the office of the High Priest - sitting is a part of the office of the King. Jesus preforms all three offices of God as King of the Universe, High Priest [Melchizedek] and True Prophet. The Christian Stephen lived his life with Jesus as his example, he preached his life with Jesus as his example and in his death (sleep) he departed with Jesus as his example and as such Stephen saw Jesus standing in Heaven and was received directly into Heaven receiving what the Apostle Paul would call the martyrs death the "better resurrection" (Hebrews 11:35).[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} wikipedia.org - St. Stephen's Day [December 26th]: Commemorates Saint Stephen, the first [Common] Christian martyr St. Stephen's Day, or the Feast of St. Stephen, is a Christian Saint's day celebrated on 26 December in the Western Church and 27 December in the Eastern Church. Many Eastern Orthodox churches adhere to the Julian calendar and mark St. Stephen's Day on 27 December according to that calendar, which places it on January 9 according to the Gregorian calendar used in secular (and Western) contexts. It commemorates St Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr. -- Protomartyr (Greek "first" + "martyr") is a term for the first Christian martyr in a country. Alternatively, the phrase the Protomartyr (with no other qualification of country or region) can mean Saint Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian church. -- See also: Boxing Day [day after Christiams] The name derives from the English tradition giving seasonal gifts (in the form of a "Christmas box") to less wealthy people. In the United Kingdom this was later extended to various workpeople such as labourers, servants, tradespeople and postal workers. ... Boxing Day is traditionally celebrated on 26 December, St. Stephen's Day, the day after Christmas Day. Unlike St. Stephen's Day, Boxing Day is a secular holiday and is not always on 26 December: the public holiday is generally moved to the following Monday if 26 December is a Saturday. If 25 December is a Saturday then both the Monday and Tuesday may be public holidays. However the date of observance of Boxing Day varies between countries. In Ireland - when it was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland - the UK's Bank Holidays Act 1871 established the feast day of St Stephen as a non-moveable public holiday on 26 December. Since Partition, the name "Boxing Day" is used only by the authorities in Northern Ireland (which remained part of the United Kingdom). Their Boxing Day is a moveable public holiday in line with the rest of the United Kingdom. The Banking and Financial Dealings Act of 1971 established "Boxing Day" as a public holiday in Scotland. In the Australian state of South Australia, 26 December is a public holiday known as Proclamation Day. -- Calendar: In the countries that observe this holiday, 26 December is commonly referred to both as Boxing Day and as St. Stephen's Day, no matter what day of the week it occurs. However, in some countries, holidays falling on Saturday or Sunday are observed on the next weekday. Boxing Day cannot be on a Sunday, that day being the officially recognised day of worship, so traditionally it was the next working day of the week following Christmas Day, (i.e. any day from Monday to Saturday). In recent times this tradition has been either forgotten or ignored. Most people consider 26 December to be Boxing Day even when it falls on a Sunday. The last year 26 December was called Christmas Sunday in the United Kingdom and Canada was 1993. The next time the date fell on a Sunday (1999), it was known as Boxing Day. If Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, then Monday 28 December is declared a bank or public holiday. In the United Kingdom and some other countries, this is accomplished by Royal Proclamation. In some Canadian provinces, Boxing Day is a statutory holiday that is always celebrated on 26 December. As with most statutory holidays in Canada, if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, compensation days are given in the following week. If Boxing Day falls on a Sunday then Christmas Day would be on a Saturday, so in countries where these are both bank or public holiday, the Statutory Holiday for Christmas is moved to Monday December 27 and the Statutory Holiday for Boxing Day is moved to Tuesday December 28. If Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, then Boxing Day is on Monday 26 December, and no Royal Proclamation is required. In such a circumstance, a 'substitute bank holiday in the place of Christmas Day' is declared for Tuesday 27 December, so the Boxing Day holiday occurs before the substitute Christmas holiday.[article link]
{Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 8 - The early Christian Church begins to experience wide scale opposition and persecution -- 'Acts 8:1-3 And Saul [later the Apostle Paul] was consenting unto his [Stephen's] death. *And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they [Christians - Disciples] were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, *except the Apostles [Apostle means 'sent out' at this point in the Church the Disciples basically fled while the Apostles remained calm]. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to *prison [early Christians in Jerusalem were primarily sent to prison for a short time].' Acts 8:4-25 Therefore they [Christian - Disciples] that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the [Gospel] Word. Then Philip [one of the seven servants as was Stephen] went down to the city of Samaria [ancient capital of Northern Israel], and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city. But there was a certain man, called Simon [the Sourcer Warlock], which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. *But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God, and the Name of Jesus Christ, *they were baptized, both men and women. *Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God [but not yet the actual Kingdom of God], they sent unto them *Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost [Jesus instructed that the Christian Church would expand orderly and with the participation of Peter (Matthew 16:17-19) the leading Apostle]: For as yet He [Holy Spirit] was fallen upon none of them [Pentecost empowerment]: only they were baptized [Firstfruits] in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they [Peter, John] their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost [i.e. the 2nd Pentecost of the Church "Samaritans" - with the 3rd Pentecost household of Cornelius (Acts 10) RomansGentiles yet to come]. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given {actually a new mission field was opened up}, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. **But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee [Peter did not consider Simon the Sourcer to be saved], because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. *Thou [unsaved] hast neither part nor lot in this matter: *for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. *Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. *For I perceive [discern] that thou art in the gall of bitterness [against Jews and Christians], and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon [unwilling to go to God himself], and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. And they, when they had testified and preached the Word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the Gospel in many villages [in the now open mission field] of the Samaritans. - The spread of Christianity being a work of God ordained in the Holy Spirit was spread only through the opening of opportunities by the Holy Spirit.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 10 - Acts Chapter 10 - The birth of the Gentile Christian Church -- 'Acts 10:1-7 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a Centurion [soldier - company commander] of the band [unit] called the Italian band, A devout [Gentile] man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the [Jewish and Gentile] people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour [3:00 pm] of the day an Angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he [Angel] said unto him, *Thy prayers and thine alms [giving] are come up for a memorial [eternal remembrance] before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is [Apostle] Peter He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he [Peter] shall [open the doors for the Christian Church to now receive
Gentile members] tell thee what thou oughtest to do. ...' Acts 10:7-48 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour ... And the voice [of God] spake unto him [Peter] again the second time, *What God hath cleansed [with His blood on the cross], that call not thou common [unclean]. ... Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. ... Now therefore are we all here present [back at the house of Cornelious in Caesarea] before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee [Peter] of God. Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons [Jew or Gentile]: But **in every Nation he that feareth Him [God], and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him. The word which God sent unto the Children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: He is Lord of all: That Word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea [Israel], and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; *How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him. **And we are witnesses of all things which He [Jesus] did both in the land of the Jews, and in [Holy Week] Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed Him openly [visibly]; ***Not to all the people [only Christians (Firstfruits) those haven received the born again' Spirit of Jesus witnessed the Resurrection of Jesus], but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us [Apostles], who did eat and drink [feasting] with Him after He rose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick [living] and dead. To Him give all the prophets witness, that *through His Name *whosoever believeth in Him *shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, ***the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word [the 3rd and final ethnic Pentecost globally opening the Christian Church to Gentiles]. And they of the circumcision [Jewish Christians] which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid [Baptism] water, that these should not be Baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? *And he commanded them to be Baptized in the Name of the Lord [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit]. Then *prayed [communicated] they him to tarry certain days. - Note: By this time in history with the move of the Holy Spirit to allow Gentiles into the Christian this is about 48 A.D. with the cross, resurrection and Pentecost occurring in about 33 A.D. the Christian Church has been firmly established and is about 15 years old when Gentiles are brought into Christian Fellowship with God. The as a result of Gentiles coming directly into the Christian Church in about 51 A.D. the Christian Church will have its first council the Council of Jerusalem to decide the validity and positioning of Gentiles in the already well established Christian Church. The decision will be that Gentiles who have also been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ are to be welcomed into the Christian Church as full and equal members in the one universal Church body of the resurrected Jesus Christ.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 12 - The Apostle James the representative of [and Apostle to] the redeemed group of Martyred Saints of Revelation is himself Martyred -- 'Acts 12:1-2 Now about that time Herod [Antipas] the king [the son of King Herod the Great of Matthew 2:1] stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.' Note: Jesus only allowed the Disciples Peter, John and James [each representing a distinct group of redeemed - saved people] to witness and participate at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1) and in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33) while the other disciples were excluded.' - Peter the Apostle representing the Jews (Galatians 2:7), the Disciple John representing the Christian Church (Revelation 4:1) and James the Apostle representing the Martyred Saints of Revelation (Acts 12:2) - John and James were brothers as the Christian Church and the future
[primarily Gentile] Martyred Saints of Revelation (Revelation 6:9) are brothers (Revelation 13:7) but are not the same group - The 144,000 (Revelation 7:4) Jewish witnesses of Revelation are also Martyred (Revelation 14:1) during the tribulation period. The death of Herod Antipas (who put John the Baptist to death) - Herod the Tetrarch (Matthew 14:1): Acts 12:20 And Herod was highly displeased with them [the cities] of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration [speech] unto them. *And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. *And immediately the angel of the Lord smote [stricken] him [Herod], **because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and [five days later] gave up the ghost. *But the Word of God grew and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul [Apostle Paul] returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry [delivering contributions], and took with them John [Mark John - writer of the Gospel of Mark nephew of Barnabas], whose surname was Mark.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 13 - The Missionary efforts of the Christian Church primarily to Gentiles begins with Saul [Apostle Paul] and Barnabas being sent out (Apostle) by the Holy Spirit on the first of three Missionary trips undertaken by the Apostle Paul and recorded in the book of Acts -- 'Acts 13:1-4 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen [a childhood friend of Herod], which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul [Apostle Paul]. ***As they ministered to the Lord [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit], and fasted, *the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the [Missionary] work whereunto I have called them. And when they [Church fellowship] had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, *being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia [in modern Syria]; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.' - Note: Where Jesus is the head and authority of the Christian Church it is primarily the work of the Holy Spirit that is in charge of gathering, assembling and orchestrating the Christian Church into becoming the one assembled Bride of Jesus Christ. Acts 13:43-52 Now when the [Jewish synagogue] (redeemed - Jewish redemption) congregation was [concluded for the Saturday] broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next Sabbath day [Saturday] came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the Word of God [for salvation] should first have been spoken to you [Jews the redeemed of God]: but seeing ye put it [Salvation] from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life [here and now], lo, *we turn to the Gentiles. *For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for *salvation [eternal life] unto the ends of the earth. *And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them [evicted] out of their coasts. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. - Note: What is being offered to the Jews is salvation. The [observant obedient - Synagogue] Jews are already redeemed (in the presence of God) and for the redeemed Jews salvation comes *after death. Jesus is offering Salvation [eternal life] here and now. The Gentiles [us]do not have redemption as the observant Jews do, some Gentiles are (saved) in that their conscience was a witness to them that there is a God but they were saved (also after death) not directly knowing God and not being in the presence of God as the redeemed Jews are. Gentiles who become Christians receive instantly both the Redemption (without sin in the presence of God) and Salvation (eternal life). Where the Jews have Jewish redemption and eventually (after death) eternal life (Salvation) a redeemed Jew can become a Christian and
then also receive Salvation already having redemption but the Gentiles coming into the Christian Church only have the option of Salvation and with Christian Salvation comes redemption.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} PAUL [the Apostle] has been called the greatest Christian who ever lived PAUL has been called the greatest Christian who ever lived. He also suffered greatly for the name of Jesus Christ. When Paul defended his calling to the Church, he defined suffering as a major proof of his spiritual office. 'I have worked much harder,' he insisted, 'been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again' (2 Corinthians 11:23). Strength in Weakness: But Paul's many trials did not deter him from living the Christian life. Neither did they restrict his preaching the gospel. To the contrary, suffering seemed to impel Paul to even greater spiritual service. The apostle Paul said something remarkable about his adversities: 'For Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong' (2 Corinthians 12:10). We shouldn't, however, think of Paul as bigger than life or an indestructible superman. There were times when the tremendous hardships he confronted were far beyond his human endurance. After suffering one rather malicious incident of persecution, Paul admitted he and his companions 'despaired even of life' (2 Corinthians 1:8). But Paul had faith in the living God to see him trough his trial. 'On him we have set our hope,' wrote Paul, 'that he will continue to deliver us' (verse 10). But as Paul's life demonstrates, God usually delivers us out of troubles we are already in, not necessarily from troubles before they begin. Yet, as we must, Paul was able to rise above all his many afflictions. How did he do it? And how can we surmount our trials and troubles? Paul certainly didn't overcome by his own strength or will. He never took personal credit for being able to bear his painfully heavy cross. He attributed his spiritual muscle to its true source - Jesus Christ. Paul said: 'I can do everything through him who gives me strength' (Philippians 4:13). He exulted, not in his own will and courage, but in the power of Christ in him. By his example we know that we, too, have access to the same spiritual power and courage.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 15 - The 1st Church Council takes place about 52 A.D. at the Church in Jerusalem - The 1st Church Council was specifically in regard to the major number of Gentiles that were now joining the Christian Church daily [predominantly through Missionary efforts] and whether or not the Gentiles would have to be circumcised and observe any of the Jewish customs or take part in any of the established laws of Moses -- 'Acts 15:6 And the Apostles and [Church] Elders [including James the ½ brother of Jesus] came together for to consider of this matter.' Acts 15:6-22 And the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing [arguing], [Apostle] Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago [Cornelius and his household at Caesarea] God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, *giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, **purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke [law of Moses] upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? **But we believe that through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we [Jews who are Redeemed] shall be Saved, even as they [Gentiles who are now being Saved - Salvation]. Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, James [the ½ brother of Jesus - Church leader in Jerusalem] answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon [Apostle Peter] hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, ***to take out of them a [Christian] people for His Name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After [Gentile Christian Church] this I [Messiah] will return [2nd Coming], and will build again the Tabernacle [House Dwelling] of [the Throne of King] David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That [during the Christian Church Age] the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My Name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. ***Known unto God are all His works ***from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God [those who have the Holy Spirit]: But that we write unto them, *that they
abstain from pollutions of [Gentile] idols, and from [Gentile] fornication, and from things strangled [Jewish law], and from blood [Jewish law]. **For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him [abstain from idols and fornication because it is un-Christian, abstain from unclean food and blood only if it offends the local Jewish population], being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day. Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole Church [in Jerusalem], to send chosen men of their own company to [the Church in] Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren … - Note: The early Church recognized that God was active in calling Gentiles into His Christian Church and they also recognized that the Gentiles would have to conduct their new life in a manner consistent with Biblical Christianity and finally they concluded that it is important for Christians not to openly offend those that have remained Jewish. Also Note: All food including blood is now clean because the eternal blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed the world. Eating animal blood and probably human blood if it were obtained in a legal manner does not make a person unclean. Satan has devised a scheme that the world is unclean however it is not. It is unprofitable to do questionable things and germs and disease might be involved but if someone for example drank pig blood thinking it is an evil act the act itself is not but the intentions of their heart might be. - Some cultures eat blood foods and if the Jews are simply notified that it is a custom and not a slight on Moses then they are free to eat their blood food of course not offering any of it to a devout Jewish person because that would be terribly offensive. The 1st Church council was saying to the Gentiles to have our Christian Gentile liberties but also to be mindful and respectful of the [Redeemed] Jews who do still follow the laws of Moses.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 15 (Part 2) - Christian Church Councils - All of the Church Councils throughout history have dealt specifically with the issues of God's Redemptive and Salvation plan for mankind and in light of God's plan for mankind the councils have also attempt to explain who God is to mankind - A Note of Encouragement: Participation in the blog Bible Study has been going extraordinarily well since the start of the study and it continues as one of the most active projects on the Basic Christian website. I'm encouraged and blessed daily by the numbers of people who are so actively studying the Bible and seeking a direct relationship with God in Jesus Christ. Continue with prayer, study and fellowship! Continue the good work in Jesus Christ! A brief background note on the blog Bible Study and a summary of Redemption and Salvation: The Bible is about the Redemption and Salvation plan of God for mankind therefore the blog Bible Study is attempting to be about the Redemption and Salvation of mankind in examining the predetermined plan of God in Jesus Christ for mankind. - Summary: Adam and his wife [later named Eve] were both a part of the original creation of God and were both created possessing Redemption [in the visible, perceivable presence of God] and Salvation [eternal life]. With the fall of Adam and Eve by disobedience to God that directly resulted in sin against God then Adam and Eve lost their Redemption and Salvation and as a result of not having Redemption and Salvation they were then unable to pass along Redemption and Salvation to any of their descendants including us at our present day. The very children of Adam and Eve were without God in any form except in the brief [redemptive] knowledge of God that their parents Adam and Eve were able tell them about from their experiences and for a few corrective and punitive [redemptive] measures from God. It seems we fail to realize how complete the sin separation was for mankind and how devastating the results were. Adam and Eve were a part of the original creation of God and then their immediate children [Cain, Abel, Seth, etc.] composed a group of individuals separated from God but were able through the instructions of their parents to follow substitutional sacrificial practices. This group highly separated from God consisting of individuals and families were known as the 'sacrificing righteous Gentiles' a group of disorganized individuals that encompassed the highly personally [self] esteemed Job and it finally the system spun completely out of control and came to an end in the folly of Balaam the last of the sacrificing Gentiles. God chose the man Abram (Abraham) and his wife Sarai (Sarah) from among the sacrificing Gentiles to become the father of the Jewish Nation of further redeemed of God. Jewish Redemption was to bring mankind through the laws, customs and representation of God into a more direct and more Redeemed presence of God [as an example for all of mankind] than any of
mankind had previously been since the fall of mankind. God Redeemed the Jewish Nation of Israel through Covenants (Promises), Laws (Society), Kings (representation of God), Priests (access for the people to God), Prophets (access from God to the people) all a direct representation of the one coming Jesus Christ the Messiah of all mankind. With the now accomplished Redemption and Salvation for all mankind in the Messiah Jesus Christ the finalized Christian Salvation and Redemption provided in the Virgin birth, atoning Redemption blood and eternal Salvation resurrection life of Jesus Christ is the completed work of God among mankind however not everyone is yet at the completed Christian work of God in mankind. The work of God in convicting Gentiles [in remote areas who have not heard the Gospel] through their conscience about the Holy God and through the enormity and splendor of God's creation continues. Also the Redemption of the Jewish people and Nation of Israel continues and soon another group of Redeemed the End Time Martyred Saints of Revelation will be established and quickly joined by the Redeemed 144,000 [Jewish Firstfruits (Revelation 14:4), Jews who acknowledge Jesus and remain Jewish] Jewish Witnesses of Jesus Christ the Messiah. Then after the return of Jesus Christ and during His 1,000 year Righteous Kingdom reign here on earth there will be another group of Redeemed 'Millennial Saints' to continue to fulfill and establish the Redemption and Salvation plan of God in Jesus Christ existing for all of mankind throughout every age and into all of eternity.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} The Council of Jerusalem Acts 15:6-31 (Approx. 52 A.D.): where we read of the first General Church Council - A serious question of doctrine arose, and "the apostles and the presbyters came together to consider this matter" - The decree of the Council of Jerusalem went on, then, to establish a binding obligation upon all Christians in the local churches of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: "that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality" (Acts 15:29) - Did the local churches bristle at this imposition of doctrine and practice from the ecclesiastical leadership of the whole Church? Not at all, but rather they "rejoiced over its encouragement" (Acts 15:31) {The 50 A.D. Jerusalem Council decision was yes, Gentiles can become Christians and then simple directions and reminders were given so that the new Gentile Christians would not offend God. The food (abstain from eating blood) decision was given so that Christians would not offend the Jews. Christians can eat any food however God is still protecting the Jews and He does not want them offended by others even Christians. Acts 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them (Jews) that preach (law) him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.} The Council of Jerusalem: We may prove this quite readily by turning to Acts 15:6-31, where we read of the first General Church Council. A serious question of doctrine arose, and "the apostles and the presbyters came together to consider this matter" (Acts 15:6). After hearing the arguments and testimony of Peter, Paul and Barnabas, the leader of the Council, James [half brother of Jesus, writer of the book of James], then passed a decree with the words, "Therefore I judge" (Acts 15:19, 'dio ego krino'). This passage describes no truly democratic process, but rather it describes submission to the judgment of a central ecclesiastical authority [an authority completely submitted to Jesus Christ]. -- After receiving the judgment of James, "it pleased the apostles and presbyters together with the whole Church" (Acts 15:22: 'apostolois kai tois presbyterois syn hole ekklesia') to dispatch delegates with a letter promulgating the decree of the Council. The council then drafted a letter in the name of "the apostles and the brother-presbyters" (Acts 15:23: 'hoi apostoloi kai hoi presbyteroi adelphoi'). This phrasing, and especially the apposition of 'presbyteroi' and 'adelphoi', is quite precise in establishing the authority of the decision of the Council in the office of the ministers who serve and lead the Church, as opposed to a democratic process. -- Does the phrase "whole Church" here refer to the universal Church, or merely to the entirety of the congregation at Jerusalem. Recalling that the leadership of the Council was comprised of the apostles who were planting local churches in the Hellenistic world, delegates of the Hellenistic churches, and the presbyters of the church at Jerusalem, we can only rightly conclude that they spoke in the name of the universal Church. Indeed, the letter explicitly states that the authors speak in the authority of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28); since Paul tells us that it is by one Spirit that we were baptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13) which is Christ (1 Cor. 12:27) and over which Christ is the head (1 Eph. 1:22-23), when Luke writes in Acts 15:22 of the leadership of the whole Church assenting to the decree of James which is binding on all Gentile Christians, he is necessarily speaking of the Church in its universal or catholic sense. -- The Council
then sent the letter to the local churches in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. This letter remarks that the false doctrine which the council repudiated was in fact discernibly false because "we gave no such commandments" (Acts 15:24). Hence, the Bible tells us that right doctrine is subject to the discernment of the leadership of the whole Church. The decree of the Council of Jerusalem went on, then, to establish a binding obligation upon all Christians in the local churches of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: "that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality" (Acts 15:29). Did the local churches bristle at this imposition of doctrine and practice from the ecclesiastical leadership of the whole Church? Not at all, but rather they "rejoiced over its encouragement" (Acts 15:31). Clearly, the Bible itself sets a precedent for the government of the universal Church by means of General Councils.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} 4 Great Church Councils Part 1 & 2 (Mp3s) {Note: The Council of Jerusalem Acts 15:6-31 (Approx. 52 A.D.) is the original and first Christian Church Council. All of the later Church Councils are modeled after the first Jerusalem Council.} [article link]
{Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} The Bible and The Creeds - Sermon Series: An Introduction to the Creeds (Mp3s) Brian Borgman is the founding pastor of Grace Community Church. He earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Biola University (La Mirada, CA), a Master of Divinity from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary (Portland, OR) and a Doctor of Ministry from Westminster Seminary (Escondido, CA).[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Historic Baptist Documents - Confessions, Catechisms, Creeds Many contemporaries have a deep-seated suspicion of catechisms. In our own Baptist denomination, many would consider the words "Baptist catechism" as mutually exclusive. A popular misconception is that catechisms are used in times and places where inadequate views of conversion predominate or the fires of evangelism have long since turned to white ash. If the Bible is preached, they continue, no catechism is necessary; catechisms tend to produce mere intellectual assent where true heart religion is absent. This concern reflects a healthy interest for the experiential side of true Christianity. Concern for conversion and fervor, however, should never diminish one's commitment to the individual truths of Christianity nor the necessity of teaching them in a full and coherent manner.~An Encouragement to Use Catechisms, Tom Nettles.[article link] {Basic Christian: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth} Summary: The Apostle Paul's Journey to Rome - The Four Dispensations of the Times since the 1st Coming of Jesus Christ seem to have been mapped out and enacted throughout Paul's Journey to Rome -- 1. The Apostles Dispensation (Acts 27:1-5) -- 2. The Common Christian Church Age (Acts 27:6-44) -- 3. The Martyred Saints of Revelation Tribulation (Acts 28:1-15) -- 4. The 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ on earth (Acts 28:16-31) 1. The Apostles Dispensation (Acts 27:1-5): Paul and the other Apostles [eyewitnesses] of Jesus Christ go into the world preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ. "Acts 27:3-5 And [representing the Apostolic Missionary Journey Age] the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave *him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the **winds were contrary. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia." {Note: Luke and the Apostle Paul seem to be recording two primary things. 1. Looking back on all of Paul's Missionary Journeys that Paul felt that they had gone well and that on the whole the Gospel was being well received "him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself" that Paul had made a lot of friends on his Missionary Trips and was refreshed by the fellowship he had with the Gentile Christians. 2. Also noting that "the [spiritual] winds were contrary" seeming to imply that there was a great deal of spiritual (demonic) opposition to the Gospel Message going forward.} -- 2. The Common Christian Church Age (Acts 27:6-44): "Acts 27:6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein." {Note: The ship of the Apostolic Age has ended and the ship of the Common Christian
Church Age has launched - carrying the nourishing wheat (Bible) and the four anchors (4 Gospels). The [Christian] ship spends a great deal of time in the port of "Fair Havens" and then departs into adversity to the extent that the storms of life strand and tear the ship apart. Noteworthy, the Church [ship] has the four anchors [4 Gospels] and correctly uses them to stabilize the ship in dangerous waters however also note how the cargo of wheat [Bible] is considered too big of a burden and is cast overboard (Acts 27:38) away from the Church. -3. The Martyred Saints of Revelation Tribulation (Acts 28:1-15): After the Christian Church Age has come to an end the Revelation Tribulation Age begins. {Note: The Saints of Revelation are washed ashore into a strange society and economy where they are refuges; destitute and in peril. Though working hard and trying to get along they are Bitten by the Beast and transported to fellowship with their fellow Martyrs. -- 4. The 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ on earth (Acts 27:16-31): Having finally arrived in Rome the Throne of the King the Millennial Rein of Jesus Christ is now being depicted. {Note: As a type of a citizen of the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ, Paul is sent not to jail but to his own house to live [for two years]. Once in his Millennial House the Apostle Paul immediately begins to fellowship with the Jews of the Millennial Age.} -- Paul's Journey to Rome and the book of Acts concludes "Acts 28:30-31 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, **Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him."[article link] {Basic Christian: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth} [Part 1 of 3] Introduction: Paul's Journey to Rome Church History Outline: Ceasrea to Malta - End Times (Antichrist) Outline: Malta to Rome The Apostle Paul's "Journey to Rome" covered in Acts chapters 27 and 28 is a unique set of passages of scripture and seems to tell a parallel story to the main story of Paul's journey and shipwreck while in route to Rome. The first part of Paul's journey from Caesarea, Israel to the shipwreck off of the shores of the island of Malta seems to tell the parallel story of what has been much of Church history up until today. The second main segment of Paul's journey beginning with Malta then the departure and the sailing to Italy, seems to tell the parallel story of the End Times, the Antichrist and the Book of Revelation. - In looking at these events one primary set of verses in each segment is going to be crucial to the study. In the first portion the Church History outline the verses Acts 27:41 and Acts 27:44 [the actual shipwreck and making it to shore] are going to be the crucial verses for the first segment. - The second segment the End Times outline the island of Malta to Rome the main verses are going to be Acts 28:13-15, Paul's arrival in Italy but at first not in Rome.[article link] {Basic Christian: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth} [Part 2 of 3] Church History Outline: Ceasrea to Malta - In Paul's Journey to eventually stand at the feat of [the King] Caesar (Acts 26:32) the Christian Church with the Gospel departs from Israel [where Christianity originated] at the port of city of Caesarea (Acts 27:1-2) to go to the Rome and the Gentile world Christian Church Age: After making some [missionary] stops along the way Paul and company (Acts 27:6) transfer to a ship [carrying nourishing wheat] that can take them to Rome. While sailing "many days" on their voyage to Rome the ship [Christian Church] encounters the alternating "contrary winds" of persecution and also the favorable port of "Fair Havens" entailing that "much time had been spent" on the Journey. - The first real hint of trouble for the Christian Church comes in the form of the Apostle Paul admonishing the Church that the Jewish Feast day [the fast] of Yom Kippur had passed and that the primarily Gentile Church was no longer marking or paying attention to the Jewish Feast Days putting the Christian Church in peril of not knowing the Times or the Seasons in which it sailed (Acts 27:9-12). The Church (ship) now unable to chart and follow its own course was caught in the winds of the days and the crew now instead of directing the ship the events of the day carried the ship (Church) along on its own course while the ship (Church) was mostly unable to affect, alter or counter any of the blowing winds (Acts 27:15). The ship (Church) tossed in the storms of life brought their sails down and just attempted to weather out the storm and at least they had four anchors to cast out into the water and help steady and protect (from hitting bottom) the Ship. The Apostle Paul then informs everyone that unless they remain aboard the one ship (of Christian faith) they cannot be saved (Acts 27:31). The one ship representing Christianity (the one true Church) then partakes in the act of Christian Communion (Acts 27:35). A
distant land (Heaven) is sighted and the passengers (Christians) are not martyred but are able to reach the land (Heaven) alive as each person clings to some wood (cross of Jesus) from the one ship. The ship (Church) itself is finally caught in enough turmoil that it runs aground and breaks up [amazingly at a place were two sea's meet (Acts 27:41) - where the Eastern sea of Mysticism and the Western sea of Rationalism meet the Christian boat as one Catholic body gets stuck in the sand and breaks apart - into many denominations] though the individuals make it ashore (to Heaven) by clinging to wood (the cross of Jesus Christ), the one requirement to get a sinner into Heaven is to know that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on His cross. With the Church (ship) stuck and broken apart and ALL the passengers (Christians) from the one ship of Christianity safely ashore (in Heaven) the Christian Church Age comes to an end (Acts 27:44). -- "Acts 27:44 And the rest [of the Christians], some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship [all clinging to the cross of Jesus]. **And so it came to pass, **that they escaped [sin-death] **all safe to [Heaven] land."[article link] {Basic Christian: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth} Wikipedia.org: Saint Publius (Acts 28:7) - Saint Publius [a Church Apostolic Father] is venerated as the first Bishop of Malta - Publius' conversion led to Malta being the first Christian nation in the West, and one of the first in the world - He was martyred in 125 A.D., during the persecution of Emperor Hadrian It was the same Publius who received the Apostle Paul during his shipwreck on the island as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul cured Publius' dysentery-afflicted father. -Book: by Rev. Alban Butler (1711-1773 A.D.). Volume I: January. "The Lives of the Saints" last published 1866. St. Publius, Bishop and Martyr [died January 21, 125 A.D. in Athens, Greece] HE succeeded St. Dionysius the Areopagite in the see of Athens, as we are assured by St. Dionysius of Corinth, quoted by Eusebius. 1 He went to God by martyrdom, and Saint Quadratus was chosen third bishop of that city. See Le Quien, Or. Christ. t. 2. p. 169. Note 1. Euseb. l. 4. c. 23.[article link] {Basic Christian: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth} [Part 3 of 3] End Time Outline: Malta to Rome - End Times - Martyred Saints of Revelation: The refugees come ashore upon a foreign island (Malta) with "barbarous people" [barbarous only means not Romans (not citizens of the Kingdom) and not Jewish] Paul and the other castaways find themselves on an unfamiliar island (Malta), a society of unfamiliar people with unfamiliar customs. In the entire narration of their time on Malta only one person is identified by name (and also by title) and it is the intriguing person of Publius (Public) [Publius a Latin (Roman) name - definition of Public: of or pertaining to the people; belonging to the people; relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community - ardictionary.com]. The intriguing person Publius is the "chief" or first [G4413 - Protos] person of the Island of Malta and though Publius is not a Roman citizen he has a Roman name and connections to Rome. - In this scenario, in what we are trying to read between the lines that Luke wrote for us in his book of Acts Chapters 27 and 28 we have the scenario that the Church Age has ended (Acts 27:44), the one ship of Christianity has broken apart and ALL the Christians are in Heaven. Here upon Malta (Acts 28:1) we seem to have the dispensation after Christianity [after the Church Age] - the dispensation of the End Times and the Martyred Saints of Revelation. In this intriguing scenario one person is in charge [of buying and selling] for an entire society and also that person is not a part of the 6th Kingdom in Rome. Publius is not a Roman citizen, instead this very public and in charge figure is first in his own system (the 7th Kingdom Revised Rome). Publius {before he becomes a Christian} is a type of the Antichrist and the Island society of Malta is a type of the 7th Kingdom (Revised Roman Empire). Further establishing that Luke intends for Malta to represent the Martyred Saints of End Times is that Luke tells of Paul being bitten by a viper (Acts28:3) but then Luke chooses to call the poisonous viper a "beast" (Acts 28:4,5) using the same word "beast" (G2342 - Therion) that John would later use in his Book of Revelation [Revelation 13:18 - the Mark of the Beast] to describe the Antichrist - Paul "he shook off the beast into the fire" (Acts 28:5) refusing to take the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 19:20). Luke is determined to present the spirit of Antichrist at the Island of Malta. - Note: The End Time events that Luke portrays on Malta is not quite like the End Times often portrayed today in common media, where saints are on the run for their lives. In this End Time depiction by Luke the Saints are busy, working, helpful and briefly an
integrated part of the society of Malta. But the Saints have a determined destination and a departure date and depart the island society of Malta not out of anger or desperation but out of a necessity. It seems that Luke is portraying Malta [Revised Rome] as a society that is vastly different than today (there might not be any private property - everything might be 'public' in name only) a tightly controlled and managed society with each person knowing where they rank in society and one person Publius is first. Further after departing the island of Malta and continuing their Journey [a journey that is no longer given in great detail - because technically the Saints departed Malta as Martyrs]. The End Time martyrs of Malta continue on to their desired destination to the feet of the King [Caesar] but like the Book of Revelation the Martyrs of Malta do not go directly to Rome they depart the ship outside of Rome and fellowship with other believers for a while. In the Book of Revelation the 5th Seal "Revelation 6:9 And when He [Jesus] had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain (Martyrs) for [faith in] the Word of God, and for the Testimony [faith in Jesus] which they held:" The Martyred Saints of Revelation do not go directly (individually) to the Throne of Jesus but instead gather outside the Temple at the altar and fellowship until their numbers (dispensation) are complete. Then at the end of the End Times all the Martyred Saints of Revelation join (Revelation 7:9) in with the Christian Church also in Heaven worshiping at the feet of the King Jesus Christ. -- "Acts 28:14-15 Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum, and The Three Taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage."[article link] {Basic Christian: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth} Conclusion: The Apostle Paul's journey to Rome - Once in Rome the Apostle Paul continues to prophetically enact out End Time Biblical events - Amazingly the Apostle Paul does not go to jail with the other prisoners (unbelievers) instead Paul safely goes and lives in his own house - Enacting out the third part of the End Times - The Millennial Reign 1,000 year Kingdom of Jesus Christ [the 8th Kingdom] on earth - (Acts Chapters 27 and 28) - Note: The Four Dispensations of the Bible’s New Testament are comprised of three groups of people. The ‘Born Again’ Church Age that included the dispensation of the original Apostles who were all ‘Born Again’ Christians and all of the current Common Christian Church Age that is also comprised of Born Again Christians. The future Martyred Saints of Revelation do not personally receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit until after they are in Heaven [very similar to what the Old Testament Saints endured]. The third group and Fourth Dispensation is of the Millennial Saints who also do not receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit until after the Global Nations are judged in the sheep and goats judgment of Matthew 25:32-34. In the last two chapters of the Book of Acts in chapters 27 and 28 there are four distinct portions of the Apostle Paul's journey to Rome [to stand before Caesar]. The First Portion, departing Israel as an Apostle with the Christian Gospel Message until changing ships, the shipwreck and safely coming ashore at the island of Malta correlates with what has been the Apostalic age and the Common Christian Church Age. The third portion of Paul's journey is being stranded at Malta and then quickly getting to Italy but not Rome itself correlates with what is written in the Book of Revelation regarding the future End Times and the Martyred Saints of Revelation. Then the forth and final portion of Paul's journey to Rome correlates with what is written in the Bible regarding the Millennial Reign upon the earth of the Messiah [Jesus Christ] after the events of the Book of Revelation have occurred and been fulfilled. - Once arriving in Rome (Acts 28:16) Paul [a Christian] is allowed to go live by himself in his own house while the other prisoners (unbelievers) are sent to jail (John 12:31). Living in one's own house and dwelling safely is an unmistakable euphemism for the Millennial Kingdom of the Messiah (1 Kings 4:25, Jeremiah 23:6). The Apostle Paul's recorded journey to Rome is concluded along with the Bible's Book of Acts in the last two verses of Acts. -- "Acts 28:30-31 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house [i.e. the Millennial Reign of Christ], and [free to] received all that came in unto him, Preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." [article link]
{Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Revelation 19 - The Great eternal Congregation of Saints in Heaven all Worship and Praise God at the same time and in the same place -- 'Revelation 19:1-5 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For True and Righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great [unfaithful] whore, **which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the Throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the Throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.' The Lord Jesus Christ begins to take physical possession of the earth to reign and rule on the earth for His Millennial (1,000 year)Kingdom on earth: Revelation 19:6-21 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent [all powerful] reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: *for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife [the Christian Church] hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness [in Jesus Christ] of Saints. And he saith unto me, **Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb {probably occurring shortly after Revelation 4:1 and before the first Seal is broken}. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him [Angel]. And he [Angel] said unto me, See thou *do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the Testimony of Jesus: ***worship [only] God: **for the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse [the true conquering King Jesus]; and He [Jesus Christ] that sat upon Him was called Faithful and True, and in *righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were [judgment] as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns [authorities]; and He [also] had a [personal] Name written, **that no man knew, but [only] He himself {this unknown Name is a reference to God's creation (mankind) being at war with God, even after the cross of Jesus and no man can possibly know the agony of the experience of having to eternally judge mankind that God loves so much}. And He was clothed with a vesture [garment] dipped in [human] blood {we are offered to wear Jesus' shed blood for our eternal life covering but those who reject it God will shed their blood}: and His Name [Jesus] is called The Word of God. And the armies [various dispensations] which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword [word of God], that with it He should smite the Nations: and He shall rule [8th Kingdom] them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture [garment] and on His thigh a Name [we will all know] written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. **And the beast [Antichrist] was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. **These both [two parts of the unholy trinity ] were cast alive [directly] into a lake of fire burning with brimstone [skipping the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11)]. And the [unholy] remnant were slain with the sword [Word] of Him [Jesus Christ] that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. [article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Revelation 20 - Satan is to be incarcerated for the entire 1,000 year Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ on earth -- 'Revelation 20:1-3 And I saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1) and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, *and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the Nations no more, till the thousand years [Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ on earth, 8th Kingdom] should be fulfilled: and after that he [Satan] must be
loosed a little season. - Note: The human elements of Satan's 7th Kingdom the human Antichrist and the human false prophet have at this point already been sentenced to the eternal lake of fire. Satan is held in chains for the 1,000 years and then he is released for a brief final temptation on mankind.' Revelation 20:4-15 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and *which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; **and they [saints Martyred during the Tribulation period] lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. *But the rest of the dead [all the unsaved] lived [manifested] not again until the thousand years were finished. **This is the first resurrection [the resurrection of the Holy Saints of Jesus Christ]. **Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: **on such the second death [judgment] hath no power, but they shall be [Righteous, Melchizedek] Priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, *Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the Nations [the new nations established or re-established during the 1,000 reign of Jesus Christ] which are in the four quarters of the earth, *Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:1-23), to gather them [sinners from the 1,000 Kingdom] together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed [encircled] the Camp of the Saints about, and the beloved city [Jerusalem]: and fire came down from God out of Heaven, and devoured them. And the devil [Satan] that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. ***And [later the 1,00 years] I saw a Great White Throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the Heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. {Note: during the Great White Throne judgment there is no earth and no sky, and the people being judged are naked disembodied spirits - so apparently if they want to contend with God [and smirk and insult] during their judgment it will be more than a bit awkward for them having no body and even no planet to stand on.} And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the [judgment] books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, **according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead [demons] which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the [spiritual] dead [fallen angels] which were in them: and they were judged every man {human, demon and fallen angel} according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. **This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. - Note: After the Church age and after the Revelation [Martyred Saints, 144,000] Tribulation age there is then the 1,000 year Kingdom age. The testing by Satan after the 1,000 year Kingdom age is only for the people of the 1,000 year Kingdom age. The resurrected Saints are not judged again (Hebrews 9:27) not judged continually. A Saint that was with Moses in the desert and once resurrected that Old Testament Saint is not judged during the Church era and the Church is not judged in the Martyred Saints of Revelation era and only the people physically alive in the 1,000 year Kingdom reign are in a position to receive or reject their eternal salvation. Once a Saint receives resurrection [adoption as a Son of God] then it is eternal and being eternal it is secure. It is not even the remotest possibility [no longer even having a sin nature] that resurrected Christian Saints or resurrected Old Testament Saints could even rebel against God and then hypothetically need to be judged and removed from God's eternal Kingdom at any given point in time in the Kingdom. Once a Saint [we are born with a sin nature and die with our sin nature but we are resurrected without a sin nature] is in the resurrected Kingdom of God and God being faithful and love God does not ever turn against His own people (and again resurrected Saints will not even have a sin nature) so the eternal Kingdom of God is in all actuality, and in all reality, and for all purposes - eternity - and eternity with God is security and that is eternal.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Revelation 21 - The earth and sky are going to pass away as humanity enters into a new earth and a new sky in the eternal state with God -- 'Revelation 21:1-5 And I [St. John] saw a new heaven (sky) and a new earth: for the first heaven (sky) and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle
[dwelling] of God [the Father] is with men, and He [the Father] will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God [Jesus] Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: **for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: **for these Words [being from God] are True and Faithful.' The New Jerusalem, the new Holy City on the new earth is revealed and the gates of the Holy City are permanently open inviting all the eternal Saints to freely enter into the eternal city to bring in their glory and honor in worship and praise to God: Revelation 21:6-8 And He [God] said unto me [Disciple John], It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, *the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, ***and he shall be My [adopted] Son. *But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. ... Revelation 21:22-27 And [in the New Jerusalem, the new Holy City on earth] I saw no Temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. **And the Nations of *them *which *are *saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings [mighty] of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but [only] they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. - Note: There appears to remain a societal structure for mankind (Saints) complete with individual Nations, cities and towns even out into the eternal state.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Revelation 22 - The Disciple John is shown the Eternal State of the Saints with the New Jerusalem containing the Eternal Throne of God [Father, Son Jesus (Lamb), Holy Spirit] on earth - The beloved Disciple John closes the great Revelation of the beloved Jesus Christ by sealing (the 8th Seal) it with a promise, this final Seal is an unbreakable promise from Jesus Christ Himself to return quickly, when it is time (opened) and when the 8th Seal is opened Jesus will return according to all of His promises - The Disciple John then prays in agreement with Jesus Christ and requests the return of Jesus Christ - The Disciple John then finalizes all Holy Bible Scripture with a blessing from Jesus Christ to all the beloved Saints in Jesus Christ -'Revelation 22:1-6 And he [Angel] shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb [in the New Jerusalem]. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there *the Tree of Life (Genesis 2:9), which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and **the leaves of the tree were for the healing [wellbeing] of the Nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the Throne of God and of the Lamb [Jesus Christ] shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. And he said unto me, These sayings are Faithful and True: **and the Lord God of the holy prophets **sent His Angel [messenger] **to shew unto His servants [Christians - Saints] the things which must shortly be done [accomplished].' The Bible's book of Revelation concludes completing the Holy Bible: Revelation 22:7-21 Behold, I [Jesus Christ] come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I [Jesus Christ] come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in
through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine Angel [messenger] to testify unto you these things in the Churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the [Holy] Spirit and the Bride [Christian Church] say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the Words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book. He [Jesus Christ] which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.[article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} The Region of Ephesus - Ephesus [in modern Turkey] maintained its importance during the [early] period of Christianity; the Apostle St. Paul arrived there during the years of 50 A.D., and [the Disciple] St. John was buried on the hill of Ayasuluk (Selcuk, near Izmir) at the beginning of the 2nd century [about 100 A.D.] - On Bulbul Dag (Nightingale mountain) there is the House of the Virgin [Mary] where it's believed that she passed last years of her life and passed away - She [Mary - the mother of Jesus] came to Ephesus together with St. John and taken up to Panaghia Kapulu mountain to survive the Roman persecutions Ephesus: The findings obtained in this region where the native people, namely the Lelegs and the Carians have lived since the beginning, indicate that the city is dated back to 2000 years B.C. As far as the years of 1000 are concerned, it is assumed that the Ions came to this region, lead by Androckles. Ephesus was captured by the Kimmers (Cimmerians) in the 7th century B.C., by the Lydians in 560, and later in 546 B.C. by the Persians; and was rescued from the Persian domination when Alexander the Great defeated the Persians in 334 B.C. -Lysimachos, a commander of Alexander's, had the settlement removed from the whereabouts of the Temple of Artemis to the location between the Mount of Panayir and the Mount of Bülbül, and had a wall built around the city. The city was taken by the Kingdom of Pergamon after 190 B.C., by Rome in 133 B.C., and later by Byzantium. Ephesus maintained its importance during the period of Christianity; the apostle St. Paul arrived there during the years of 50 A.D., and St. John was buried on the hill of Ayasuluk (Selcuk, near Izmir) at the beginning of the 2nd century. Ephesus lived through its third glorious period during the reign of Justinian in the middle of the 6th century A.D. At this time, the Church of St. John was built by the Byzantine emperor. -The ruins of Ephesus, situated near Selçuk town at 70 kilometers (44 miles) south of Izmir, is a main center of archaeological interest owing to the ancient remains that still exist. When you enter through the Magnesia Gate (south gate or upper gate), you can see the State Agora (or Upper Agora). The Temple of Isis is situated at the center of the Agora, and Stoa is placed on the North side of it. The Odeion (Bouletarion or Parliament) with a capacity of 1,400 persons is placed behind it and the Prytaneion (Town Hall) where the sacred fire used to burn, is on its flank. The Baths of Varius are placed on the east side of Odeion. On the west of the Agora, the Monument of Memmius built in the 1st century BC., the fountain of Sextilius Pollio built in the year 93 A.D., and the Temple of Domitian (81-93 A.D) are placed. On the south of the Agora, the fountain of Laecanius Bassus is situated. The Curetes street starts downwards from the Temple of Memmius. The Gate of Heracles (Hercules) is placed on this avenue. After passing through this part, the fountain of Trajan built in the years 102-114 is seen on the right hand side and after this, the Temple of Hadrian appears in front of us, in all its splendid beauty (117-138 A.D). The Scholastica Baths, built in the 4th century A.D., are situated behind the Temple of Hadrian. The houses of the rich people of Ephesus which were in front of it, have been restored and opened for visits at present with special permits. -- At the corner formed by the Curetes street and the Marble Road, the House of Love (Pornaion or Brothel) is placed and the Library of Celsus, restored and reestablished in recent years, stands right in front of this. The library which had been built in the name of proconsul Gaius Celsus completed in the year 135 A.D. by his son Tiberius Giulius Aquila, is entered by way of a stairway, 21 meters (69 feet) in width and having 9 steps. The southeastern gate of the Trade Agora opens to the Library of Celsus. Emperor Augustus' slaves, Mazaeus and Mithridates, liberated by him had this gate built in the year 1st century A.D.; it comprises
three sections and has been restored today. The Corinthian columns of the Stoa encircling the Trade Agora with the dimensions 110 x 110 meters (361 x 361 feet), are standing erect today. The Temple of Serapes built in the period of Antony (138-192 A.D.) is placed behind the Trade Agora. -- One of the magnificent buildings of Ephesus is the Great Theater, largest in Asia Minor, which had a capacity of more than 24.000 people and is in a rather well preserved condition. The construction had started during the Hellenistic period but it could only be completed during the time of Trajan (98-117 A.D.). St. Paul was dragged into this theater to face the crowed because of his famous letter to Ephesians, but rescued by the security corps of the city. Festivals are celebrated in this theater today. -- All the streets of Ephesus were illuminated at night with oil lamps, this shows us the richness of the city. The Port Avenue extends in front of the theater. The avenue is 11 meters (36 feet) wide and 600 meters (1970 feet) long, and it has been called Arcadian Street because it was renewed during the time of Arcadius. On the whole north side of the avenue, there are the Harbor Gymnasium, baths and the Theater Gymnasium. The avenue that passes along the front of the theater, extends towards the Stadium built during the Nero period (54-68 A.D.) and towards the Vedius Gymnasium. The Church of the Virgin Mary built at the beginning of the 4th century A.D. is situated behind the Port Gymnasium just before the exit from the lower gate (north gate). **This was also the meeting place of the 3rd Ecumenical Council [The Council of Ephesus may refer to: The First Council of Ephesus of 431 AD. The Second Council of Ephesus of 449 AD. The Third Council of Ephesus of 475 AD. - Wiki.com]. ... The House of Virgin Mary: On Bulbul Dag (Nightingale mountain) there is the House of the Virgin where it's believed that she passed last years of her life and passed away. She came to Ephesus together with St. John and taken up to Panaghia Kapulu mountain to survive the Roman persecutions. The House was destroyed by many earthquakes and not discovered until 1951 thanks to a German nun, Catherine Emmerich, who saw its location in her visions. The site is recognized as a shrine by Vatican and visited by the Popes. Today, the House of Virgin Mary is renovated by George Quatman Foundation from Ohio and serves as a small church which attracts many Christians as well as Muslims coming to pray for Her. The Mass is held here every Sunday. On the 15th August 2000 there was a great ceremony for the Assumption of the Virgin, the year which marked the two thousand years of the birth of Jesus.[article link] Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (PDF) The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study in PDF format.[article link] Welcome! Greetings and Blessings to everyone! The Basic Christian: blog History Study - Christian Church History Study portion has begun and is well underway! - The Timeline of the study is now at the point where the last Apostle, the Beloved Disciple John, has passed away at about the year 100 A.D. near the town of Ephesus in Asia -- The Church History Study is now going to continue with the early Church History Era studying material and Church History from the close of the Apostolic Era in about 100 A.D. up until 312 A.D. and the takeover of the Christian Church by the Roman Government specifically by the tactics of the Roman Emperor Constantine in 313 A.D. with his governmental edicts and his personal preferences corrupting and even replacing the Teachings of Jesus Christ and the Doctrines of the Apostles by a secular (worldly) government beginning to directly dictate to and over the Christian Church The foundation of the study has been laid and it consists of beginning in the Old Testament by showing the prophesies of the book of Malachi in about 400 B.C. and of the continued revelation of the coming Messiah Jesus Christ. Revealing that the much prophesied Messiah (Jesus Christ) and the existence of His Christian Church is exactly the foretold works, accomplishments, plans, directions and ownership of the Lord Jesus Christ. -- The foundation of the study begins with some Old Testament prophecies of the Coming Messiah Jesus Christ then enters the New Testament Gospels at the birth in the year 0 A.D. of the Messiah Jesus Christ then highlights the Sermon on the Mount in 31 A.D. given by Jesus to His Disciples, more teachings of Jesus, then His Mount Olivet Sermon given in 33 A.D. to a few of His Disciples, then following through Holy Week in 33 A.D. with the Triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, the rejection followed by His crucifixion and resurrection then 40 days later His bodily ascent back into Heaven. Then the empowering of the Christian Church by the Holy Spirit at the Day of Pentecost followed by the Church building Ministries and Missions of
the Apostles of Jesus Christ, notably Peter, John and Paul, including the first Church Council the Council of Jerusalem in about 47 A.D. then concluding the introduction to the study with Jesus' promises of His Eternal Kingdom found at the Bible's conclusion at the end of the Book of Revelation.[article link] The Apostolic Age of the Christian Church closes in about the year 100 A.D. with the complete Bible Scriptures now written, confirmed and in the presence of a still young Christian Church. -- "Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once [completely] delivered unto the saints [Christians]." With the close of the Apostolic Age [the actual original Disciples of Jesus Christ] four main things happened to the Christian Church. 1. The greater [catholic] Church had the Bible Epistles (letters) in their possession and with the teachings, doctrines, known customs of Jesus and the Apostles [i.e. love, grace, fellowship, teaching, baptism, communion, etc.], along with the scriptures of the Holy Bible and the presence and direction of the Holy Spirit the Christian Church grew exponentially even though several obstacles existed that opposed the Christian Church. 2. Physical opposition and persecution against the Christian Church continued to grow in intensity. 3. Spiritual opposition primarily in the form of Gnosticism along with attacks on the Bible’ s authenticity and canonicity also grew and intensified against the Christian Church. 4. With the original Apostles no longer alive and among the Christian Church then Social opposition; the subtle deceit, compromises, worldly gain, financial benefit and common deceptions of the world began to enter into and infiltrate the Christian Church in a much more unprecedented and less restricted way.[article link] Marcionism was an Early Christian dualist belief system that originated in the teachings of Marcion of Sinope at Rome around the year 144 A.D. -- Marcion believed Jesus Christ was the savior sent by God and Paul of Tarsus was his chief apostle, **but he rejected the Hebrew Bible and the God of Israel (YHWH Elohim) - Marcionists believed that the wrathful Hebrew God was a separate and lower entity than the all-forgiving God of the New Testament - This belief was in some ways similar to Gnostic Christian theology; notably, both are dualistic -Marcionite canon: Tertullian claimed Marcion was the first to separate the New Testament from the Old Testament - Marcion is said to have gathered scriptures from Jewish tradition, and juxtaposed these against the sayings and teachings of Jesus in a work entitled the Antithesis - Marcion produced the first Christian canon, or list of the books of the Bible that he considered authoritative - His list [11 books], however, was much smaller than that currently recognised [66 books] as valid by most Christians - Marcion omitted Paul's pastoral epistles, addressed to Timothy and Titus and he completely rejected the Old Testament, believing and teaching that it should not be part of the Christian Bible and was of no value to Christians (source: religionfacts.com) -- The Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913 characterized Marcion as "perhaps the most dangerous foe Christianity has ever known." {Note: Marcion in 144 A.D. and later Muratorian's Cannon [a list from an unknown author - found in the library of Aurelius Ambrosius (St. Ambrose)] of about 155 A.D. were both attempting to hinder, limit and restrict the already general (catholic) canon of Scripture [66 books] that existed within the true Christian Church. -- Muratorian's discovered list is from a contemporary of Marcion and though the unknown author refutes Marcionism he goes on and attempts to hinder and restrict known standard Biblical texts while at the same time attempting to promote extra biblical materials that were known to be heretical at that time i.e. ‘ The Shepherd of Hermas’ both Marcion and the unknown author of Muratorian's Cannon were in effect creating a two pronged assault against the known and trusted Scriptures of the Christian Church.} Marcionism, similar to Gnosticism, depicted the Hebrew God of the Old Testament as a tyrant or demiurge (see also God as the Devil). Marcion was labeled as gnostic by Eusebius. **Marcion's canon consisted of [only] eleven [NT] books: A gospel consisting of ten sections from the Gospel of Luke edited by Marcion; and ten of Paul's epistles. All other epistles and gospels of the 27 book New Testament canon were rejected. Paul's epistles enjoy a prominent position in the Marcionite canon, since Paul is credited with correctly transmitting the universality of Jesus' message. Other authors' epistles [Notably: Peter, James, Jude, Matthew and John] were rejected since they seemed to suggest that Jesus had simply come to found a new sect within broader
Judaism. Religious tribalism of this sort seemed to echo Yahwism, and was thus regarded as a corruption of the "Heavenly Father"'s teaching. ***Marcionism was denounced by its opponents as heresy, and written against, notably by Tertullian, in a five-book treatise Adversus Marcionem, written about 208 A.D. Marcion's writings are lost, though they were widely read and numerous manuscripts must have existed. Even so, many scholars (including Henry Wace) claim it is possible to reconstruct and deduce a large part of ancient Marcionism through what later critics, especially Tertullian, said concerning Marcion.[article link] The Muratorian Canon Fragment (about A.D. 155) - It is called a fragment because the beginning of it is missing - The Muratorian Fragment is [among] the oldest known list of New Testament books - the list itself is dated to about 170 A.D. because its author refers to the episcopate of Pius I of Rome (died 157 A.D.) as recent The Apocalypse of Peter [2nd Peter] is mentioned as a book which "some of us will not allow to be read in church" The Muratorian Fragment is the oldest known list of New Testament books. It was discovered by Ludovico Antonio Muratori in a manuscript in the Ambrosian Library in Milan, and published by him in 1740. It is called a fragment because the beginning of it is missing. Although the manuscript in which it appears was copied during the seventh century, the list itself is dated to about 170 because its author refers to the episcopate of Pius I of Rome (died 157) as recent. He mentions only two epistles of John, without describing them. The Apocalypse of Peter is mentioned as a book which "some of us will not allow to be read in church." A very helpful and detailed discussion of this document is to be found in Bruce Metzger's The Canon of the New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987), pp. 191-201.[article link] ReligionFacts.com: Marcion (110 A.D. - 160 A.D.) - Marcion of Sinope was an early Christian teacher whose teachings were condemned by the catholic Church as heresy Life of Marcion: Marcion was a native of Sinope (modern Sinop, Turkey), in Pontus, Asia Minor. He was a wealthy shipowner. According to St Hippolytus, he was the son of a bishop who excommunicated him on grounds of immorality. He eventually found his way to Rome (140 A.D.) and became a major financial supporter [infiltrator] of the Church there. In the next few years after his arrival in Rome, he worked out his theological system and began to organize his followers into a separate community. He was excommunicated by the Church at Rome in 144 A.D. From then on, he apparently used Rome as a base of operations, devoting his gift for organization and considerable wealth to the propagation of his teachings and the establishment of compact communities throughout the Roman Empire, making converts of every age, rank and background. A story told by Tertullian and St Irenæus of Lyons says that Marcion attempted to use his money to influence the Church to endorse his teaching; they refused. His numerous critics throughout the Church include the aforementioned, along with St Justin Martyr, St Ephraim of Syria, Dionysius of Corinth, Theophilus of Antioch, Philip of Gortyna, St Hippolytus and Rhodo in Rome, Bardesanes at Edessa, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen.[article link] Wikipedia: Development of the New Testament canon - The Canon of the New Testament is the set of books Christians regard as divinely inspired and constituting the New Testament of the Christian Bible - For most, it is an agreed-upon list of twenty-seven books that includes the Canonical Gospels, Acts, letters of the Apostles, and Revelation - The books of the Canon of the New Testament were written mostly in the first century and finished by the year 150 AD. [actually about 100 A.D.] Writings attributed to the Apostles circulated among the earliest Christian communities. The Pauline epistles were circulating, perhaps in collected forms, by the end of the 1st century A.D. - Justin Martyr (103 A.D - 165 A.D.) in the mid 2nd century, mentions "memoirs of the apostles" [New Testament] as being read on Sunday alongside the "writings of the prophets" [Old Testament]. A four gospel canon (the Tetramorph) was asserted by Irenaeus, c. 180 A.D., who refers to it directly. -- By the early 200s A.D., **Origen may have been using the same twenty-seven books as in the Catholic New Testament canon, though there were still disputes over the canonicity of the Letter to the Hebrews, James, II Peter, II and III John, and Revelation, known as the Antilegomena. Likewise, the Muratorian fragment is evidence that, perhaps as early as 200 A.D., there existed a
set of Christian writings somewhat similar to the twenty-seven-book NT canon, which included four gospels and argued against objections to them. Thus, while there was a good measure of debate in the Early Church over the New Testament canon, the major writings are claimed to have been accepted by almost all Christians by the middle of the 3rd century. -- In his Easter letter of 367 A.D., Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, gave a list of the books that would become the twenty-seven-book NT canon, and he used the word "canonized" (kanonizomena) in regards to them. The first council that accepted the present canon of the New Testament may have been the Synod of Hippo Regius in North Africa (AD 393); the acts of this council, however, are lost. A brief summary of the acts was read at and accepted by the Councils of Carthage in 397 A.D. and 419 A.D. These councils were under the authority of St. Augustine, who regarded the canon as already closed. Pope Damasus I's Council of Rome in 382 A.D., if the Decretum Gelasianum is correctly associated with it, issued a biblical canon identical to that mentioned above, or, if not, the list is at least a 6th-century compilation. Likewise, Damasus' commissioning of the Latin Vulgate edition of the Bible, c. 383 A.D., was instrumental in the fixation of the canon in the West. In c. 405 A.D., Pope Innocent I sent a list of the sacred books to a Gallic bishop, Exsuperius of Toulouse. Christian scholars assert that, when these bishops and councils spoke on the matter, however, they were not defining something new but instead "were ratifying what had already become the mind of the Church." -- For the Orthodox, the recognition of these writings as authoritative was formalized in the Second Council of Trullan of 692 A.D., although it was nearly universally accepted in the mid 300's A.D. The Canon of Scripture was the result of debate and research, reaching its final term for Catholics at the dogmatic definition of the Council of Trent when the Old Testament Canon was finalized in the Catholic Church as well. -Thus, some claim that, from the 4th century, there existed unanimity in the West concerning the New Testament canon (as it is today), and that, by the 5th century, the Eastern Church, with a few exceptions, had come to accept the Book of Revelation and thus had come into harmony on the matter of the canon. Nonetheless, full dogmatic articulations of the canon were not made until the Canon of Trent of 1546 A.D. for Roman Catholicism, the Thirty-Nine Articles of 1563 A.D. for the Church of England, the Westminster Confession of Faith of 1647 A.D. for Calvinism, and the Synod of Jerusalem of 1672 A.D. for the Greek Orthodox.[article link] The Ten Major Persecutions of the Early Church 54 A.D. - 304 A.D. 1st Under Caesar Nero A.D. 54-68 {the last Caesar} The Apostle Paul was beheaded during this persecution. -2nd Under Emperor Domition A.D. 81- 96 The Apostle John was [said to have been] boiled in oil and survived through a miracle of God. Later he [John] was banished to [the island of] Patmos (Revelation 1:9). -- 3rd Under Emperor Trajan A.D. 98-117 Ignatius was martyred. -- 4th Under Emperors Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius Antoninus A.D. 138-180 Polycarp (a disciple of the Apostle John) of Smyrna was martyred (Saturday, February 23 in about either 156 A.D. or 166 A.D.). -- 5th Under Emperor Severus A.D. 193-211 Irenaeus (a disciple of Polycarp), Bishop of Lyons, was beheaded in 202 A.D. The two women Perpetua and Felicitas were martyred in the city of Carthage, North Africa in the year 203 A.D. -- 6th Under Emperor Maximus A.D. 235-238 In some provinces everything was done to exterminate all Christians. -- 7th Under Emperor Decius A.D. 249-251 This persecution was brought on because of Decius's hatred for his predecessor Emperor Phillip [from Syria Reigned 244-249 A.D.] a Christian, and partly by his jealously concerning the amazing increase of Christianity. Heathen temples began to be forsaken, and the Christian churches grew. -- 8th Under Emperor Valerian A.D. 253-260 The martyrs that fell during this time period were innumerable and their tortures were various and painful. Neither rank, gender, nor age were regarded. The Edict of 257 A.D. and 258 A.D. ordered all Christian leaders to be put to death that did not take part in sacrificing to the gods. -- 9th Under Emperor Aurelian A.D. 274-287 He had the whole legion [of Christian soldiers] butchered by the other soldiers. This event took place on 09/22/286 A.D. -- 10th Under Emperor Diocletian A.D. 292-304 During this persecution, the emperor ordered 4 edicts against the Christians.[article link] Wikipedia: Nero - He is infamously known as the Emperor who "fiddled while Rome burned" and as an early persecutor of Christians - The Great Fire of Rome erupted on the night of 18 July to 19 July 64 A.D. - It was said
by Suetonius and Cassius Dio that Nero sang the "Sack of Ilium" in stage costume while the city burned He is infamously known as the Emperor who "fiddled while Rome burned", although this is now considered an inaccurate rumor, and as an early persecutor of Christians. He was known for having captured Christians burned in his garden at night for a source of light. This view is based on the writings of Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio, the main surviving sources for Nero's reign. Few surviving sources paint Nero in a favorable light. Some sources, though, including some mentioned above, portray him as an emperor who was popular with the common Roman people, especially in the East. The study of Nero is problematic as some modern historians question the reliability of ancient sources when reporting on Nero's tyrannical acts. ... According to Tacitus, the population searched for a scapegoat [for the fire] and rumors held Nero responsible. To deflect blame, Nero targeted Christians. He ordered Christians to be thrown to dogs, while others were crucified and burned. [article link]
SAINTS PERPETUA, FELICITAS, AND COMPANIONS - MARTYRS 203 A.D. - Feast Day: March 6 - The record of the Passion of St. Perpetua, St. Felicitas, and their Companions is one of the great treasures of martyr literature, an authentic document preserved for us in the actual words of the martyrs and their friends - It was in the great African city of Carthage, in the year 203 A.D. during the persecutions ordered by the Emperor Severus, that five catechumens [undergoing catechism studies] were arrested for their faith - The group consisted of a slave Revocatus, his fellow slave Felicitas, who was expecting the birth of a child, two free men, Saturninus and Secundulus, and a matron of twenty-two, Vivia Perpetua, wife of a man in good position and mother of a small infant Perpetua's father was a pagan, her mother and two brothers Christians, one of the brothers being a catechumen. These five prisoners were soon joined by one Saturus, who seems to have been their instructor in the faith and who now chose to share their punishment. At first they were all kept under strong guard in a private house. Perpetua wrote a vivid account of what happened. ...[article link] Wikipedia: Emperor Philip [the Arab] of Syria - Roman Emperor from 244 A.D. to 249 A.D. - Among early Christian writers Philip had the reputation of being sympathetic to the Christian faith - It was even claimed that he converted to Christianity, becoming the first Christian Emperor - Philip and his wife received letters from [Christian writer and theologian] Origen - Origen 184-253 A.D. was an early Christian Alexandrian scholar and theologian - Philip was overthrown and killed following a rebellion led by his successor [Emperor] Decius Philip the Arab (Latin: Marcus Julius Philippus Augustus; c. 204 - 249), also known as Philip or Philippus Arabs, was Roman Emperor from 244 to 249 A.D. He came from Syria, and rose to become a major figure in the Roman Empire. He achieved power after the death of Gordian III, quickly negotiating peace with the Sassanid Empire. During his reign, Rome celebrated its millennium. Among early Christian writers Philip had the reputation of being sympathetic to the Christian faith. It was even claimed that he converted to Christianity, becoming the first Christian emperor, but this is disputed. He supposedly tried to celebrate Easter with Christians in Antioch, but the bishop Babylas made him stand with the penitents. Philip and his wife received letters from Origen. Philip was overthrown and killed following a rebellion led by his successor Decius. -Religious beliefs: Some later traditions, first mentioned in the historian Eusebius [Eusebius of Caesarea (c. AD 263 - 339) also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian] in his Ecclesiastical History, held that Philip was the first Christian Roman Emperor. According to Eusebius (Ecc. Hist. VI.34), Philip was a Christian, but was not allowed to enter Easter vigil services until he confessed his sins and sat among the penitents, which he did so willingly. Later versions located this event in Antioch. However, [modern] historians generally identify the later Emperor Constantine, baptised on his deathbed, as the first Christian emperor, and generally describe Philip's adherence to Christianity as dubious, because non-Christian writers do not mention the fact, and because throughout his reign, Philip to all appearances (coinage, etc.) continued to follow the state religion. Critics ascribe Eusebius' claim as probably due to the tolerance Philip showed towards Christians. Saint Quirinus of Rome was, according to a legendary account, the son of Philip the Arab.[article link]
Wikipedia: Council of Jerusalem, the 1st Church Council - The Council of Jerusalem is generally dated to around the year 49 A.D., roughly twenty years after the death of Jesus of Nazareth, which is dated about 33 A.D. At the time, most followers of Jesus (which historians refer to as Jewish Christians) were Jewish by birth and even converts would have considered the early Christians as a part of Judaism. According to Alister McGrath, the Jewish Christians affirmed every aspect of then contemporary (Second Temple) Judaism with the addition of the belief that Jesus was the Messiah. Unless males were circumcised, they could not be God's People. Genesis 17:14 said "No uncircumcised man will be one of my people." The meeting was called because, according to the NRSV translation of Acts 15:1-2, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." However, this command is given considerably before Moses' time, stemming from the time of Abraham (see also Abrahamic covenant), but it is cited as 'the custom of Moses' because Moses is the traditional giver of the Law as a whole. And then the circumcision mandate was made more official and binding in the Mosaic Law Covenant. Jesus himself also says in John 7:22 that Moses gave the people circumcision. It was hard for Gentile Christians to keep up with all the laws listed in the Jewish Scriptures, which many Christians came to generally call the "Old Testament", a term linked with Supersessionism.[article link] Wikipedia: Ancient church councils (Pre-ecumenical) -- Pre-ecumenical councils (also known as synods) were conferences of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts of the early Christian Church that were convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice - They were held when Christianity was still illegal in the Roman Empire - Until the Edict of Milan, councils did not have a civil, legal status - They must be distinguished from [later] Ecumenical Councils which are seen as traditional and as a continuation of previous councils or synods Such councils include the *Council of Jerusalem (50 AD) [Acts 15:6], the Council of Rome (155 AD), the Second Council of Rome (193 AD), the Council of Ephesus (193 AD), the Council of Carthage (251 AD), the Council of Iconium (258 AD), the *Council of Antioch (264 AD), the Councils of Arabia (246-247 AD), the Council of Elvira (306 AD), the Council of Carthage (311 AD), the Synod of Neo-Caesarea (314 AD), the Council of Ancyra (314 AD) and the Council of Arles (314 AD). -- and later the **Council in Nicaea, Bithynia (Turkey) in 325 A.D.[article link] Regarding our further blog studies - The First Three major Church Councils - Jerusalem in about 49 A.D. (Acts 15:6) attended by the Apostles and Supervised by James [a brother of Jude and half-brother to Jesus] - The Councils of Antioch [Christological (is Jesus really God) controversies] in 264-268 A.D. -- and later the Nicaea Council in Nicaea, Bithynia (Turkey) in 325 A.D. attended by the Church Bishops [Constantine had invited all 1800 bishops of the Christian church, about 1000 from the Roman Eastern Empire and 800 from the Roman Western Empire - Wiki.com] *supervised (incognito) by Roman Emperor Constantine I aka Constantine the Great The first Church Council in Jerusalem [about 49 A.D.] was to determine the important issue of allowing Gentiles access into the Jewish Christian Church (i.e. Genesis 12:3). The second Church Council the Councils of Antioch [in Turkey] where in regard to the important issue of letting Jesus have access back into His own Church (Revelation 3:20) [i.e. as the heritics, desert fathers (desert monasticism), etc. had attempted to remove Jesus from His Church -- Losing in the verdicts of the Councils at Antioch the heretics went out into the desert of Egypt and became the desert (monks) monastics]. The third Church Council Nicaea 325 A.D. was in regard to allowing the Roman Government access into and over the Christian Church (i.e. Romans 13:1). Constantine in a sense attempted to prevail for the Roman Government [in false doctrine] where the earlier heretic monks had failed to gain influence over the Christian Church at Antioch. Don't be misled the Arian heresy [Jesus as Son was not God] and the few other topics [The date of celebration of the Paschal (Passover)/Easter observation. The Meletian schism. The validity of baptism by heretics. The status of the lapse in the (Christian) persecution under co-Emperor Licinius. - Wiki.com] were not about a healthy Church and doctrine but were about setting a secular Roman Government up as arbitrator and mediator over the affairs of the Christian Church. When we study Church History much of the study is going to be in regards to the give and take between Church
Authority (i.e. Bishop Ambrose 339-397 A.D.) and Government (State) Authority (i.e. King James I of England 1566-1625 A.D.) -- Note: the Nicaea Council is often considered the first Church Council because it was the first Church/State Council and because it was the biggest and most impacting of the time.[article link] {Basic Christian: The 8 Kingdoms study} Alpha & Omega Ministries Apologetics Blog - I have been downright encouraged to note the response that has appeared to the amazing statements of James McDonald of "Vertical Church" wherein he basically throws Nicene orthodoxy under the proverbial bus - Now I know that "emergent" folks have an odd relationship with history---they love to drag stuff out of history, without its attendant context, as if it is "new" but when it comes to accepting that [we] stand on the shoulders of giants and that there are things that have simply been settled in the past, they rebel and want to put everything "back on the table" -- {Note: The Jerusalem Creed [1st Church Council about 49 A.D. in Jerusalem] has 4 Cornerstones the fourth one being not to offend traditional Jews. The Church Creeds [Jerusalem, Nicene, etc.] are important and relevant to all of Christianity. Since one of the Cornerstones of the 1st Church Council is to support Jews and Traditional Judaism it is an original and longstanding tenant that true Christianity acknowledges its debt and emergence from (God ordained) Mosaic Judaism. "Acts 1:20-21 [The Jerusalem Creed - 1st Church Council about 49 A.D. in Jerusalem] But that we [Apostles] write unto them [Gentile Christians], (1.) that they abstain from [occult] pollutions of idols, (2.) and from [immorality] fornication, (3.) and from things [cruelty] strangled, (4.) and from [Levitical] blood. **For Moses of old time hath [traditional Jews] in every city them that preach him (Moses), being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day."} But even more importantly than the tweaking of Modalism so that it gets a place at the table is the attitude McDonald has displayed toward the Nicene definition. He says he does not trace his beliefs to credal statements. Really? If by that he means creeds are always subject to the higher authority of Scripture, of course. But this is where you fall off the other side of the narrow path and rather than believing in sola scriptura, you end up with something much less, and in fact, much different. Nicea's authority comes from its fidelity to Scripture. It does not stand alone as a new revelation, and it survived simply because it is, despite all the arguments to the contrary, the consistent, harmonious testimony of divine writ. To throw its authority into the dustbin of history in the service of some kind of "emergent" attitude is not only to display an astoundingly arrogant hubris, it is to show deep disrespect to those who fought, and some who died, in defense of its truth. And for what? For some kind of post-modern feel-goodism that cannot even recognize modalism when it is standing right in front of you. A truly educational example of just how far the emergent movement is willing to go in pursuit of its ultimately destructive goals. -- Recently Jamin Hubner has raised issues relating to a simple question: is the modern secular state of Israel religiously and theologically significant? Is it "Israel" as in the Israel of Scripture, or Romans 11? And if it is not, is it open to criticism? He is concerned about the strength of the movement, mainly amongst American evangelicals, that has granted to Israel not only a theological position it does not actually hold, but which precludes even the slightest mention of criticism of a secular state. Now, I am not going to re-hash everything here, but he has even been accused of being a "shill for Hamas" due to sources he has cited and issues he has raised (which seems to me to provide strong evidence of the need to raise such issues and challenge the knee-jerk reactions of many in the Evangelical community as a whole). While he has sought fair and non-emotional responses to questions he has raised, his requests have, in the main, fallen upon deaf ears, for I see no evidence that his critics really want to have a give-and-take.[article link] {Basic Christian: The 8 Kingdoms study} Note: Regarding the previous "Decoding the Apostles" blog series that was recently partially posted at BasicChristian.org - One of the more interesting aspects of looking at the lives of the Apostles is just how much each of their individual lives changed - The change among each individual Apostle seems to have been huge as it encompassed their personalities, individual behavior and individual outlook on life - Therefore the majority of the Biblical writings of the Apostles is directed at a certain amount of expected godly behavior modification ... in the lives of each new Christian convert - But by the time the Christian Church matured into the later Church Councils the majority of the entire Church Council was no longer about individual Christian behavior modification but instead became vested, almost exclusively, in
individual Christian though, knowledge and doctrine - Though now Pastor Rick Warren and many others are dramatically shifting the current Christian Church away from thought, creeds and doctrines and are again shifting the Christian Church back into the realm of behavior modification but disastrously it is not a return to the original behavior modification and godly accountability the Church Apostles sought for each Christian convert - It is instead a behavior modification that is directing each individual away from Christianity and back into the abyss of the world -- In the following six posts are several examples all from the last week or two of current Christian events One of the more interesting aspects of looking at the lives of the Apostles is just how much each of their individual lives changed and it changed primarily from their outlook from being socially [worldly, societally] aware to becoming Kingdom aware and eternally aware in Jesus Christ. The change among each individual Apostle seems to have been huge as it encompassed their personalities, individual behavior and individual outlook on life and in fact the very meaning of life itself for each of them. Therefore the majority of the Biblical writings of the Apostles is directed at a certain amount of expected godly behavior modification, in a good way i.e. removing doubt, uncertainty and fear, in the lives of each new Christian convert. The first Church Council in Jerusalem offered four behavior modification agendas to the new Christians. - But by the time the Christian Church matured into the later Church Councils (i.e. Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.) the majority of the entire Church Council was no longer about individual Christian behavior modification but instead became vested, almost exclusively, in individual Christian though, knowledge and doctrine. This later Christian Pastoral emphasis on individual Christian thought (i.e. think as I do) has continued on until the present modern Church day. Though now Pastor Rick Warren and many others are dramatically shifting the current Christian Church away from thought, creeds and doctrines and are again shifting the Christian Church back into the realm of behavior modification but disastrously it is not a return to the original behavior modification and godly accountability the Church Apostles sought for each Christian convert it is instead a behavior modification that is directing each individual away from Christianity and back into the abyss of the world specifically the very spiritually dangerous occult and pagan world.[article link] Desert Fathers - The Desert Fathers were hermits, ascetics, monks, and nuns (Desert Mothers) who lived mainly in the Scetes desert of Egypt {in the area of Sinai Peninsula, Egypt - not the Mt. Sinai area of Saudi Arabia} beginning around the third century [200's] AD - The most well known was Anthony the Great, who moved to the desert in 270-271 A.D. and became known as both the father and founder of desert monasticism - By the time Anthony died in 356 A.D., thousands of monks and nuns had been drawn to living in the desert following Anthony's example his biographer, Athanasius of Alexandria, wrote that "the desert had become a city" [the mostly heretical community of pseudo-christians were moving away from the cities where they were being exposed as heretics to the desert much as a result of the Church Councils of Antioch in 264-268 A.D.] Development of monastic communities: The small communities forming around the Desert Fathers were the beginning of Christian monasticism. Initially Anthony and others lived as hermits, sometimes forming groups of two or three. Small informal communities began developing, until the monk Pachomius, seeing the need for a more formal structure, established a monastery with rules and organization. His regulations included discipline, obedience, manual labor, silence, fasting, and long periods of prayer - some historians view the rules as being inspired by Pachomius' experiences as a soldier. -- The first fully organized monastery under Pachomius included men and women living in separate quarters, up to three in a room. They supported themselves by weaving cloth and baskets, along with other tasks. Each new monk or nun had a three year probationary period, concluding with admittance in full standing to the monastery. All property was held communally, meals were eaten together and in silence, twice a week they fasted, and they wore simple peasant clothing with a hood. Several times a day they came together for prayer and readings, and each person was expected to spend time alone meditating on the scriptures. Programs were created for educating those who came to the monastery unable to read. -- Pachomius also formalized the establishment of an abba (father) or amma (mother) in charge of the spiritual welfare of their monks and nuns, with the implication that those joining the monastery were also joining a new family. Members also formed smaller groups, with different tasks in the
community and the responsibility of looking after each other's welfare. The new approach grew to the point that there were tens of thousands of monks and nuns in these organized communities within decades of Pachomius' death. One of the early pilgrims to the desert was Basil of Caesarea, who took the Rule of Pachomius into the eastern church. Basil expanded the idea of community by integrating the monks and nuns into the wider public community, with the monks and nuns under the authority of a bishop and serving the poor and needy. -- As more pilgrims began visiting the monks in the desert, the early literature coming from the monastic communities began spreading. Latin versions of the original Greek stories and sayings of the Desert Fathers, along with the earliest monastic rules coming out of the desert, guided the early monastic development in the Byzantine world and eventually in the western Christian world. The Rule of Saint Benedict was strongly influenced by the Desert Fathers, with Saint Benedict urging his monks to read the writings of John Cassian on the Desert Fathers. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers was also widely read in the early Benedictine monasteries. -- Withdrawal from society: The legalization of Christianity by the Roman Empire in 313 A.D. actually gave Anthony a greater resolve to go out into the desert. Anthony, who was nostalgic for the tradition of martyrdom, saw withdrawal and asceticism as an alternative. **When members of the {desert monastic} Church began finding ways to work with the Roman state, {a few of} the Desert Fathers saw that as a compromise between "the things of God and the things of Caesar." **The monastic communities were essentially **an alternate [heretical] Christian society. The {few early} hermits doubted that religion and politics could ever produce a truly Christian society. For them, the only Christian society was spiritual and not mundane. -- {Note: Where the early (heretics) Desert Monks failed to influence the early Christian Church via their false doctrine the Roman Government via Constantine would succeed in exerting a secular influence over the Christian Church. Then with a Roman secular influence over the Christian Church [starting from about 313 A.D - 325 A.D. the Desert Heretics were then able to leave behind the desert and [under the guise of the 313 A.D. edict of religious tolerance] once again entered the cities to work as scholars, faculty, administrators, and priests for avenues to continue to influence the true Christian Church with their destructive and very unchristian heresies.}[article link] {Basic Christian: The 8 Kingdoms study} Pietism Timeline - "Hebrews 10:18-25 Now where remission (forgiveness) of these (sins) is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, **boldness to enter into the Holiest [presence of God] by the blood of Jesus, By a new [the New Testament] and living way, which He (Jesus) hath consecrated for us, through the veil [closed partition], that is to say, His flesh [physical appearance]; And having [Jesus] an High Priest [in the order of Melchizedek] over the House of God; **Let us draw near with a true heart **in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water [credo-baptism]. Let us hold fast the profession of our [Christian] faith without wavering; for He (Jesus) is faithful that promised; And let us consider one another to provoke [encourage] unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day [2nd Coming] approaching." Pietism Timeline: The Cross and Resurrection birth of Christianity (about 33 A.D.) - 1st Church Council [Acts 15:2] in Jerusalem (about 47 A.D.) regarding Gentile Christian piety [holiness] - *Until about 313 A.D. the N.T. Epistles (Scriptures) and the O.T of the Holy Bible were being translated from the Greek and Hebrew into the common languages of the day i.e. Syrian, Egyptian, Arabic, etc. - Following the 313 A.D. Edict of Milan by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great which proclaimed religious tolerance the Bible in any language other than Roman [Latin] was not tolerated and all other versions of the Bible were deemed illegal by Rome. Latin was the only Bible Translation until the era of the Protestant Reformation Bible translators [John Wycliffe 13281384, Desiderius Erasmus 1466-1536, William Tyndale 1492-1536, Martin Luther 1483-1546, etc.] resulting in 1611 with the English language King James Bible [KJV 1611]. With the English Bible in the possession of the common person in England and accompanying Bibles [i.e. German, Dutch, French, etc.] in the possession of other common European citizens the people began to read the Bible and understand that Salvation [eternal life] in Jesus Christ is a free gift from God and is not to be confused with the works, tithes, customs, statutes and traditions of ordinary men and women. Then in about the mid 1650's to the late 1880's as the common
person reading the Bible began to realize the assured nature of their own individual Salvation in Jesus Christ the Piety movement began as an answer of how then do we with eternal Salvation live and conduct our life here on earth. {Note: The modern (intentionally confused - not by Roman Catholicism but by occultists) bible versions [i.e. NIV, NKJV, NET, NASB, Message, etc.] are in a sense a return to the Latin Bible where the only Bible translations of the time were in a version that could not be easily understood by the average citizen.}[article link] Wikipedia.org: Saint Publius 33 A.D. - 125 A.D. (Acts 28:7) -- Saint Publius [a Church Apostolic Father] is venerated as the first Bishop of Malta - Publius' conversion led to Malta being the first Christian nation in the West, and one of the first in the world - He was martyred in 125 A.D., during the persecution of Emperor Hadrian It was the same Publius who received the Apostle Paul during his shipwreck on the island as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul cured Publius' dysentery-afflicted father. -Book: by Rev. Alban Butler (1711-1773 A.D.). Volume I: January. "The Lives of the Saints" last published 1866. St. Publius, Bishop and Martyr [died January 21, 125 A.D. in Athens, Greece] HE succeeded St. Dionysius the Areopagite in the see of Athens, as we are assured by St. Dionysius of Corinth, quoted by Eusebius. 1 He went to God by martyrdom, and Saint Quadratus was chosen third bishop of that city. See Le Quien, Or. Christ. t. 2. p. 169. Note 1. Euseb. l. 4. c. 23.[article link] Justin Martyr (100-167 A.D.), Philosopher, Apologist, and Martyr (1 June 167 A.D.) - Justin was born around 100 A.D. (both his birth and death dates are approximate) at Flavia Neapolis (ancient Shechem, modern Nablus) in Samaria (the middle portion of Israel, between Galilee and Judea) of pagan Greek parents - He was brought up with a good education in rhetoric, poetry, and history - He studied various schools of philosophy in Alexandria [Egypt] and Ephesus, joining himself first to Stoicism, then Pythagoreanism, then Platonism, looking for answers to his questions - While at Ephesus, he was impressed by the steadfastness of the Christian martyrs, and by the personality of an aged Christian man whom he met by chance while walking on the seashore - This man spoke to him about Jesus as the fulfilment of the promises made through the Jewish prophets - Justin was overwhelmed - "Straightway a flame was kindled in my soul" he writes, "and a love of the prophets and those who are friends of Christ possessed me" Justin became a Christian Justin became a Christian, but he continued to wear the cloak that was the characteristic uniform of the professional teacher of philosophy. His position was that pagan philosophy, especially Platonism, is not simply wrong, but is a partial grasp of the truth, and serves as "a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ." He engaged in debates and disputations with non-Christians of all varieties, pagans, Jews, and heretics. He opened a school of Christian philosophy and accepted students, first at Ephesus and then later at Rome. There he engaged the Cynic philosopher Crescens in debate, and soon after was arrested on the charge of practicing an anauthorized religion. (It is suggested that Crescens lost the debate and denounced Justin to the authorities out of spite.) He was tried before the Roman prefect Rusticus, refused to renounce Christianity, and was put to death by beheading along with six of his students, one of them a woman. A record of the trial, probably authentic, is preserved, known as The Acts of Justin the Martyr. ... Justin's works are found in the multi-volumed set called The Ante-nicene Fathers [Church leaders before the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.], and in various other collections of early Christian writings.[article link] Dionysius (about 120-200 A.D.) - Bishop of Corinth (about 165-195 A.D.) - Our father among the saints Dionysius of Corinth was the Bishop of Corinth during the last half of the second century - The dates of his tenure as Bishop of Corinth is not known, but part of it overlapped that of Soter of Rome (about 167 to 175 A.D.) - His feast day is April 8 Life: Little is known of the life of Dionysius, and what is known is from Eusebius Pamphilius and text fragments from his letters. It is clear Dionysius was held in high esteem as a writer of letters by the second century churches, not only from Eusebius’ statement, but also from the fact that heretics thought it worthwhile to circulate interpolated and mutilated copies of his letters. That he wrote epistles to churches so widely scattered
shows that he possessed a widely held reputation. Most of these letter are no longer extant. -- Dionysius can be dated to the second half of the second century from the dating of his letters to noted Christians of the time, such as to the Bishop of Rome Soter who served from about 167 to 175, a period of service overlapping that of Dionysius. -- Eusebius knew of a collection of seven Catholic Epistles by Dionysius, a letter to him from Bishop Pinytus of Knossus, a private letter of spiritual advice to a lady named Chrysophora, who had written to him, and his letter to Bp. Soter. In his letter to Bp. Soter, Dionysius lauds the practice of the Church of Rome for its practice of sending alms and gifts for the needy to churches in many cities. In a letter to Nicomedia, Bp. Dionysius praises the Nicomedians for their standing fast in the truth and condemnation of the heresy of Maricion of Sinope that was active in his day. The date and cause of Dionysius' death is unknown. He reposed [retired] before the year 199 A.D. While traditionally Dionysius has been held by some in the Eastern Church to be a martyr, there is no historical foundation for his martyrdom.[article link] St. Irenaeus of Lyons, France (120-203 A.D.) - As a boy he had, as he delighted to point out, listened to the sermons of the great bishop and martyr, Polycarp of Smyrna, who was regarded as a disciple of the Apostles [John and possibly Paul] themselves - Later he went as a missionary to southern Gaul [Europe], where he became a presbyter at Lyons, France - The era in which Irenaeus lived was a time of expansion and inner tensions in the church - In many cases Irenaeus acted as mediator between various contending factions Irenaeus adopted a totally negative and unresponsive attitude, however, toward Marcion, a schismatic leader in Rome, and toward the Valentinians, a fashionable intellectual Gnostic movement in the rapidly expanding church that espoused dualism - Against such statements Irenaeus maintains that the bishops in different cities are known as far back as the Apostles and none of them was a Gnostic Relatively little is known of the life of Irenaeus. As a boy he had, as he delighted to point out, listened to the sermons of the great bishop and martyr, Polycarp of Smyrna, who was regarded as a disciple of the apostles themselves. Here he came to know, 'the genuine unadulterated gospel', to which he remained faithful throughout his life. Perhaps he also accompanied Polycarp on his journey to Rome in connection with the controversy over the date of celebrating Easter (154 CE). Later he went as a missionary to southern Gaul, where he became a presbyter at Lyons. A Catholic Encyclopedia article is online at St. Irenaeus. Irenaeus was absent from the city when the persecution there reached its zenith. It seems that he had been sent to Rome by the Gallican churches in order to confer with Pope Eleutherus, perhaps as a mediator in the Montanist disputes. Evidently Irenaeus stayed in Rome for just a short time, and soon after the end of the persecution we find him again in Lyons as the successor to Bishop Pothinus (178). When and how he died is unknown to us. Jerome and others state that he died as a martyr in the persecution under the Emperor Septimus Severus (202), but there is no certainty about this tradition. In short, we know Irenaeus almost solely from his writings, and these have not been preserved in their entirety. ... The era in which Irenaeus lived was a time of expansion and inner tensions in the church. In many cases Irenaeus acted as mediator between various contending factions. The churches of Asia Minor (where he was probably born) continued to celebrate Easter on the same date (the 14th of Nisan) as the Jews celebrated Passover, whereas the Roman Church maintained that Easter should always be celebrated on a Sunday (the day of the Resurrection). Mediating between the parties, Irenaeus stated that differences in external factors, such as dates of festivals, need not be so serious as to destroy church unity. Irenaeus adopted a totally negative and unresponsive attitude, however, toward Marcion, a schismatic leader in Rome, and toward the Valentinians, a fashionable intellectual Gnostic movement in the rapidly expanding church that espoused dualism. Because Gnosticism was overcome by the Orthodox Church, Gnostic writings were largely obliterated. In reconstructing Gnostic doctrines, therefore, modern scholars relied to a great extent on the writings of Irenaeus, who summarized the Gnostic views before attacking them. After the discovery of the Gnostic library near Nag Hammadi in Egypt in the 1940s (see Robinson), respect for Irenaeus increased. He was proved to have been extremely precise in his report of the doctrines he rejected. The oldest lists of bishops also were countermeasures against the Gnostics, who said that they possessed a secret oral tradition from Jesus himself. Against such statements Irenaeus maintains that the bishops in different cities are known as far back as the Apostles - and none of them was a Gnostic - and that the bishops provided the only safe guide to the
interpretation of the Scriptures. With these lists of bishops the later doctrine of "the apostolic succession" of the bishops could be linked.[article link] Hippolytus of Rome (170-235 A.D.) - Photios I of Constantinople describes him in his Bibliotheca (cod. 121) as a disciple of Irenaeus, who was said to be a disciple of Polycarp a disciple of the Apostle John Hippolytus of Rome (170 - 235) was the most important 3rd-century theologian in the Christian Church in Rome, where he was probably born. Photios I of Constantinople describes him in his Bibliotheca (cod. 121) as a disciple of Irenaeus, who was said to be a disciple of Polycarp, and from the context of this passage it is supposed that he suggested that Hippolytus himself so styled himself. However, this assertion is doubtful. He came into conflict with the popes of his time and seems to have headed a schismatic group as a rival bishop of Rome. For that reason he is sometimes considered the first Antipope. He opposed the Roman bishops who softened the penitential system to accommodate the large number of new pagan converts. However, he was very probably reconciled to the Church when he died as a martyr. He is the person usually understood to be meant by Saint Hippolytus. Starting in the 4th century, various legends arose about him, identifying him as a priest of the Novatianist Schism or as a soldier converted by Saint Laurence. He has also been confused with another martyr of the same name.[article link] Tertullian.org: The 'Noddy' guide to Tertullian - Tertullian lived in the ancient city of Carthage [North Africa] in what is now Tunisia, sometime around 200 A.D. - Tertullian was the first Christian writer to write in Latin - He was deeply conscious of his own failings, and had a burning desire for truth and integrity - His most important work is the Apologeticum, in defense of the Christians - Running it close must be Adversus Praxean, in which the doctrine of the Trinity comes into clear focus for the first time, in response to a heretic who was twisting the biblical balance between the persons of the Godhead - In this work, he created most of the terminology with which this doctrine was to be referred and is still, such as Trinitas (Trinity), etc. - Tertullian had grown angry at what looked like compromise creeping into the church - unwillingness to be martyred, willingness to forgive more serious public sins - and aligned himself with the Montanists - It is unclear whether this involved actually leaving the church - As such he was not recognised as a Saint, despite his orthodoxy, and his works were all marked as condemned in the 6th Century Decretum Gelasianum Tertullian lived in the ancient city of Carthage in what is now Tunisia, sometime around 200 AD. Very little is known about his life - that little comes either from writers two centuries later, or from the scanty personal notes in his works. Much of it has been asserted to be untrue anyway by some modern writers. He was born a member of the educated classes, and clearly gained a good education. Life in his times wasn't very different in some ways to the modern day - he indulged his passions as he saw fit, including sex, and like everyone else attended the games where gladiators killed each other and criminals were eaten alive, for the enjoyment of the spectators. But among the sights he saw, was that of Christians being executed this way. He was struck with the courage with which stupid and contemptible slave men and little slave girls faced a hideous death, against all nature; and after investigating, became a Christian himself, and turned his budding talents to writing in defense of this despised and victimised group. Tertullian was the first Christian writer to write in Latin, and was described three centuries later as writing 'first, and best, and incomparably', of all the writers to do so. (by the unknown author of 'Praedestinatus'). His writing is aggressive, sarcastic and brilliant, and at points very funny even after 2000 years. He was deeply conscious of his own failings, and had a burning desire for truth and integrity. He was described by Jerome as celebrated in all the churches as a speaker; and his works bear the marks of the need to keep an audience awake! His erudition was immense. Much of what he read is lost, but what remains gives a picture of wide reading, which was celebrated even in antiquity. He wrote a great number of works - how many is unknown. Thirty-one are extant; lists of known lost works are elsewhere on this site; but we have no reason to suppose this to be anything like an exhaustive list. Most of those extant have come down to us by the slenderest of threads, and the very nature of Tertullian's terse and ironic style, means that copyists made many errors, and in some cases his text is beyond certain restoration. Not all of his works were ever completed. His most important work is the Apologeticum, in defense of the Christians. Running it close must
be Adversus Praxean, in which the doctrine of the Trinity comes into clear focus for the first time, in response to a heretic who was twisting the biblical balance between the persons of the Godhead. In this work, he created most of the terminology with which this doctrine was to be referred (and is still), such as Trinitas, etc. His discussion of how heretical arguments are in general to be handled in De praescriptio haereticorum also deserves wider recognition. Tertullian wrote no systematic theology; all of his works are brought forth by a local event, a persecution, or a heretic. In his time, the church finally decided to reject a movement calling itself 'The New Prophecy', and known later as Montanism. The New Prophecy made no doctrinal innovations, but said that the Holy Spirit was calling Christians to a more ascetic position. But obeying the prophets inevitably meant a problem, if the bishop did not recognise their authority. Tertullian had grown angry at what looked like compromise creeping into the church - unwillingness to be martyred, willingness to forgive more serious public sins - and aligned himself with the Montanists [it was a prophetic movement that called for a reliance on the spontaneity of the Holy Spirit and a more conservative personal ethic. Parallels have been drawn between Montanism and modern day movements such as Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement - wiki.com]. It is unclear whether this involved actually leaving the church, but his later works are avowedly Montanist, and one or two explictly attack the mainstream church on these points. As such he was not recognised as a Saint, despite his orthodoxy, and his works were all marked as condemned in the 6th Century Decretum Gelasianum. His later life is unknown, and we do not know if he was martyred or died of old age as Jerome says.[article link] Clement of Alexandria (150-211 A.D.) - Clement of Alexandria was one of the major Greek-speaking thinkers of the early church - He came from a pagan background at Athens and his Christian theology was strongly influenced by Greek philosophy - Clement taught at the catechetical school in Alexandria, Egypt, where he was succeeded by another great teacher, Origen of Alexandria - Clement's best-known work is a set of three treatises entitled Protrepticus, Paedagogus, and Stromata - According to a tradition cited by Eusebius, St. Mark [writer of the Gospel of Mark] is the founder of the Church of Alexandria -- Between St. Mark and Bishop Demetrius, who governed that church in 221 A.D., Julius Africanus counts ten bishops - {The heretics} Valentine [the Valentinians], Carpocrates, and Basilides went out from Alexandria to establish their dissident sects, a circumstance which alone implies that, already in the middle of the second century (150 A.D.), the intellectual activity there was intense Clement was born probably c. 150 A.D. of heathen parentage at Athens. The circumstances of his conversion are not known. It is supposed that he was troubled, like Justin, by the problem of God and, like him, was attracted to Christianity by the nobility and purity of the evangelical doctrines and morals. His conversion, if it had not yet taken place, was at least imminent when he undertook the journeys spoken of in his writings. He set out from Greece and travelled through southern Italy, Palestine, and finally Egypt, seeking everywhere the society of Christian teachers. -- Towards 180 A.D., he met Pantaenus at Alexandria, and took up his permanent residence in that city. There he was ordained a presbyter and, from being a disciple of Pantaenus, became, in 190, his associate and fellow-teacher. In 202 A.D. or 203 A.D., he was forced to suspend his lessons on account of the persecution of Septimius Severus, which closed the Christian school of Alexandria. He withdrew into Cappadocia, residing there with his former disciple, Bishop Alexander. We meet him again in 211 A.D., carrying to the Christians of Antioch a letter from Alexander, in which are mentioned the services he, Clement, had rendered in Cappadocia.-- In 215 A.D. or 216 A.D.the same Alexander, now bishop of Jerusalem, writes to Origen and speaks of Clement as having gone to his rest. Clement must therefore have died between 211 A.D. and 216 A.D. Ancient authors speak of him as St. Clement, but his name was not admitted to the Roman Martyrology by Benedict XIV.[article link] Origen Adamantius of Alexandria (184-254 A.D.) - Origen was an early Christian Alexandrian scholar and theologian, and one of the most distinguished writers of the early Church - As early as the fourth century, his orthodoxy was suspect, in part because he believed in the pre-existence of souls - Today he is regarded as one of the Church Fathers Origen was probaby born in Alexandria, to Christian parents. Origen was educated by his father, St. Leonides,
who gave him a standard Hellenistic education, but also had him study the Christian Scriptures. In 202, Origen's father was martyred in the outbreak of the persecution during the reign of Septimius Severus. A story reported by Eusebius has it that Origen wished to follow him in martyrdom, but was prevented only by his mother hiding his clothes. The death of Leonides left the family of nine impoverished when their property was confiscated. Origen, however, was taken under the protection of a woman of wealth and standing; but as her household already included a heretic named Paul, the strictly orthodox Origen seems to have remained with her only a short time. -- Eusebius of Caesarea, our chief witness to Origen's life, says that in 203 Origen revived the Catechetical School of Alexandria where Clement of Alexandria had once taught but had apparently been driven out during the persecution under Severus. Many modern scholars, however, doubt that Clement's school had been an official ecclesiastical institution as Origen's was and thus deny continuity between the two. But the persecution still raged, and the young teacher visited imprisoned Christians, attended the courts, and comforted the condemned, himself preserved from persecution because the persecution was probably limited only to converts to Christianity. His fame and the number of his pupils increased rapidly, so that Bishop Demetrius of Alexandria, made him restrict himself to instruction in Christian doctrine alone. -- His own interests became more and more centered in exegesis, and he accordingly studied Hebrew, though there is no certain knowledge concerning his instructor in that language. From about this period (212-213) dates Origen's acquaintance with Ambrose of Alexandria, whom he was instrumental in converting from Valentinianism to orthodoxy. Later (about 218 A.D.) Ambrose of Alexandria {not to be confused with Saint Ambrose (337 - 4 April 397 A.D.) Bishop of Milan}, a man of wealth, made a formal agreement with Origen to promulgate his writings, and all the subsequent works of Origen (except his sermons, which were not expressly prepared for publication) were dedicated to Ambrose. In 213 or 214, Origen visited Arabia at the request of the prefect, who wished to have an interview with him; and Origen accordingly spent a brief time in Petra, after which he returned to Alexandria. In the following year, a popular uprising at Alexandria caused Caracalla to let his soldiers plunder the city, shut the schools, and expel all foreigners. The latter measure caused Ambrose to take refuge in Caesarea, where he seems to have made his permanent home; and Origen left Egypt, apparently going with Ambrose to Caesarea, where he spent some time. Here, in conformity with local usage based on Jewish custom, Origen, though not ordained, preached and interpreted the Scriptures at the request of the bishops Alexander of Jerusalem and Theoctistus of Caesarea. When, however, the confusion in Alexandria subsided, Demetrius recalled Origen, probably in 216 A.D. -- Origen excelled in multiple branches of theological scholarship, including textual criticism, biblical interpretation, philosophical theology, preaching, and spirituality. Some of his teachings, however, quickly became controversial. Notably, he frequently referred to his hypothesis of the pre-existence of souls. As in the beginning all intelligent beings were united to God, Origen also held out the possibility, though he did not assert so definitively, that in the end all beings, perhaps even the arch-fiend Satan, would be reconciled to God in what is called the apokatastasis ("restitution"). Origen's views on the Trinity, in which he saw the Son of God as subordinate to God the Father, became controversial during the Arian controversy of the fourth century, though a subordinationist view was common among the ante-Nicene Fathers. A group who came to be known as Origenists, and who firmly believed in the preexistence of souls and the apokatastasis, were declared anathema in the 6th century. This condemnation is attributed to the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, though it does not appear in the council's official minutes. Few scholars today believe that Origen should be blamed, as he commonly was in the past, for tentatively putting forward hypotheses, later judged heretical, on certain philosophical problems during a time when Christian doctrine was somewhat unclear on said problems.[article link] Eusebius of Caesarea (263 - 339 A.D.) also called Eusebius Pamphili - a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist - He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine [Israel] about the year 314 A.D. - Together with Pamphilus, he was a scholar of the Biblical canon Eusebius of Caesarea (c. AD 263 - 339) also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist. He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314. Together with Pamphilus, he was a scholar of the Biblical canon. He wrote Demonstrations of the Gospel, Preparations for the
Gospel, and On Discrepancies between the Gospels, studies of the Biblical text. As "Father of Church History" he produced the Ecclesiastical History, On the Life of Pamphilus, the Chronicle and On the Martyrs. ... Little is known about the life of Eusebius. His successor at the see of Caesarea, Acacius, wrote a Life of Eusebius, but this work has been lost. Eusebius' own surviving works probably only represent a small portion of his total output. Since he was on the losing side of the long 4th-century contest between the allies and enemies of Arianism (Eusebius was an early and vocal supporter of *Arius), posterity did not have much respect for Eusebius' person and was neglectful in the preservation of his writings. Beyond notices in his extant writings, the major sources are the 5th-century ecclesiastical historians Socrates, Sozomen, and Theodoret, and the 4thcentury Christian author Jerome. There are assorted notices of his activities in the writings of his contemporaries Athanasius, Arius (Arianism heresy), Eusebius of Nicomedia, and Alexander of Alexandria. Eusebius' pupil, Eusebius of Emesa, provides some incidental information. -- By the 3rd century, Caesarea had a population of about 100,000. It had been a pagan city since Pompey had given control of the city to the gentiles during his command of the eastern provinces in the 60s BC. The gentiles retained control of the city in the three centuries since that date, despite Jewish petitions for joint governorship. Gentile government was strengthened by the city's refoundation under Herod the Great (r. 37-4 BC), when it had taken on the name of Augustus Caesar. In addition to the gentile settlers, Caesarea had large Jewish and Samaritan minorities. Eusebius was probably born into the Christian contingent of the city. Caesarea's Christian community presumably had a history reaching back to apostolic times, but it is a common claim that no bishops are attested for the town before about AD 190, even though the Apostolic Constitutions 7.46 states that Zacchaeus was the first bishop. -- Through the activities of the theologian Origen (185/6-254) and the school of his follower Pamphilus (later 3rd century - 309 AD), Caesarea became a center of Christian learning. Origen was largely responsible for the collection of usage information regarding the texts which became the New Testament. The information used to create the late-fourth-century Easter Letter, which declared accepted Christian writings, was probably based on the Ecclesiastical History [HE] of Eusebius of Caesarea, wherein he uses the information passed on to him by Origen to create both his list at HE 3:25 and Origen’ s list at HE 6:25. Eusebius got his information about what texts were accepted by the third-century churches throughout the known world, a great deal of which Origen knew of firsthand from his extensive travels, from the library and writings of Origen. In fact, Origen would have possibly included in his list of “ inspired writings” other texts which were kept out by the likes of Eusebius, including the Epistle of Barnabas, Shepherd of Hermas, and 1 Clement. On his deathbed, Origen had made a bequest of his private library to the Christian community in the city. Together with the books of his patron Ambrosius, Origen's library (including the original manuscripts of his works formed the core of the collection that Pamphilus established. Pamphilus also managed a school that was similar to (or perhaps a re-establishment of) that of Origen. Pamphilus was compared to Demetrius of Phalerum and Pisistratus, for he had gathered Bibles "from all parts of the world". Like his model Origen, Pamphilus maintained close contact with his students. Eusebius, in his history of the persecutions, alludes to the fact that many of the Caesarean martyrs lived together, presumably under Pamphilus.[article link] {Conclusion} Early Christianity: A Brief Overview of the (before 325 A.D.) Ante-Nicene Era - The Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 is a natural time to end "early Christianity" the post-Apostolic period (100 AD. - 325 AD) - Almost every history book will refer to the period from A.D. 100, which is about the time of John the Apostle's death, to A.D. 325 as the "Pre-Nicene" or "Ante-Nicene" era -- Nicea (325 AD) serves as a [Church History] dividing line because the [occult leader] Emperor Constantine, though never becoming a Christian until his deathbed, greatly [pretended to] favor Christianity during his reign - As a result, the number of Christians increased from about 10% of the Roman Empire to about 90% - *Most of these converts were simply following the emperor, not submitting themselves to Jesus - The effect on early Christianity [after 325 A.D.] was dramatic {Note: the New Testament era is 0 A.D. to 33 A.D. -- The Apostolic era is 33 A.D. to 100 A.D. -- The Ante-Nicene era is 100 A.D. to 325 A.D. -- The Emergent Holy Roman Empire era is 313 A.D. to about 1521 A.D. -- The Protestant Reformation era is about 1522 A.D. to 1880 A.D. and the current epoch of time is the Modern Emergent return to occult/paganism era of 1881 A.D. to the Present Time (2012)}
Unity and Apostolic Truth in the Early Christianity: If I have to pick the outstanding feature of this era, then I choose the independence of the churches. People like to say that a hierarchy began to form before Nicea. It began in the 3rd century, but not in the 2nd. The ante-Nicene churches were simple and free. They found their unity in wholehearted devotion to Christ, not in a systematic theology or set of doctrines. ... Holiness in the Early Churches: The other notable thing about this era was the holiness of the early churches. Christians were still subject to intermittent persecution in the early Christianity. As a result, those who chose to follow Christ were those willing to commit everything to the kingdom of God. It could cost them their lives! Holiness and perseverance lessened as the 3rd century wore on; however, the remarkable lives of Christians during the 2nd century-their deep love for one another and their endurance during persecution-were powerful testimonies to the Romans around them. -- By the 3rd century, Christianity was becoming popular: The result was that there were Christians who were not so separated from the world as others before them. Tracts can be found calling Christians to separate from Roman entertainment and other worldly pursuits. ... Evangelism in Early Christianity: It is worth noting that unlike the apostolic era, Ante-Nicene Christianity had no famous evangelists or apostles. When Justin Martyr describes those converted to Christianity in the mid-2nd century, he says it was caused by: • The consistency they witnessed in their neighbors' lives, • the extraordinary forbearance they saw in fellow travelers when defrauded, • and the honesty of those with whom they conducted business. (First Apology 16)[article link] OrthodoxWiki.org: Timeline of Church History: Ante-Nicene Era 100 A.D. - 325 A.D. The History of the Church is a vital part of the Orthodox Christian faith. Orthodox Christians are defined significantly by their continuity with all those who have gone before, those who first received and preached the truth of Jesus Christ to the world, those who helped to formulate the expression and worship of our faith, and those who continue to move forward in the unchanging yet ever-dynamic Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church.[article link] Introduction [1 of 2]: 313 A.D. - 1521 A.D. The Birth of Revised Rome [the 7th Global Gentile Kingdom] and the Emergence of the Holy Roman Empire -- As we have already noticed the Anti-Nicene (Church Fathers) era wasn't all doctrinally good and likewise the doctrines of the Holy Roman Empire won't be universally all bad and in fact with the many Church Councils and tight oversight of Rome the Church was able to Biblically smooth out and remove some of the wrinkles and the rough edges of Anti-Nicene doctrines to the extent that the early doctrines of the Holy Roman Empire would correctly guide and direct the Christian Church for the next nearly two millennium up until today and on into the future Background: As the Christian Church was closing in on its first 300 years of existence the Church itself was mostly a tightknit community but its ideology and practices were a bit of a loose collection of fellowships, doctrines and theologies. The independence, uniqueness and vast dispersion of the Church fellowships left a power vacuum that the Roman Empire, seeing the gaining popularity of Christianity, would soon be very willing to exploit and take advantage of as Rome itself in just a few moves would swoop in and overcome Christianity as the new Church master for the majority of the Christian world. Rome would accomplish their secular takeover of the Christian Church in a relatively short period of time and with just a few simple steps. First by heavily opposing and persecuting the Church the government of Rome was creating the very oppression, confusion and vacuum within the Church structure that Roman leaders intended to fill for themselves. Next in 313 A.D. Rome [Emperor Constantine] issued an Edict of Toleration [the Edict of Milan] providing some relief to the persecuted Church but only if the Church would in a sense submit to Roman secular authority. Finally once in authority and starting with the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. then Rome could and did easily infiltrated the Church at the top positions with their own secular scholars, secular leaders, secular priests, secular monks and even some secular popes. Secular Rome would create a dual system [the two headed eagle] of Church and State that exists to this present day.[article link]
Introduction [2of 2]: 313 A.D. - 1521 A.D. The Birth of Revised Rome [the 7th Global Gentile Kingdom] and the Emergence of the Holy Roman Empire -- The extended 325 A.D. Constantinian system of dual Church and State set up a system of both cooperation and tensions between the Church religion and the State governments - A dual system that would last almost unhindered until the Protestant Reformation of the late 1400's and early 1500's History: The three Church synods of Antioch convened between 264 A.D. and 269 A.D. had so accurately confirmed the Divinity of Jesus Christ among the minds of the common man that the heretics of the day admitted an almost complete defeat and had no alternative but to take their heretical doctrines out, away from civilization and into the deserts of Egypt [becoming the desert monks - desert fathers] in a desperate attempt to revise, retool, re-spin and readapt their heresies into a format that someday could become acceptable to the common people. Emperor Constantine realizing that the Roman agents of disinformation had been regulated to the desert region of Egypt acted quickly and in 313 A.D. issued the Edict of Milan legalizing [though without mentioning Christianity by name] all sects of Christianity with a primary emphasis on protecting, fostering and furthering the heretical sects of christianity while continuing to misrepresent and oppress true Christianity. With Emperor Constantine's 313 A.D. Edict of Milan and the success of his oversight of the Nicene Council in 325 A.D. the heretics of the desert had found their day and were quickly able to return to the cities but by this time with the protection of the Roman government the heretics of the desert not only returned to the cities but began to fill the seats of power and authority both within the city governments and also within the true Christian Church.[article link] Wikipedia: Constantinian shift [Government presiding over Christianity] - The Constantinian shift is a term used by Anabaptist and Post-Christendom theologians to describe the political and theological aspects of the 4thcentury (325 A.D.) process of Constantine's legalization [and secular takeover] of Christianity - The term was popularized by the Mennonite theologian John H. Yoder Historical context: According to Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic tradition, [Emperor] Constantine I adopted Christianity as his system of belief after the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 A.D. His legions, who were victorious, fought under the "labarum", a standard (flag) with the first two Greek letters of Christ's name [XP the first two (capital) letters chi (X) and rho (P) of the Greek word Christ] {Note: Constantine replaced the cross of Christianity with the letters X and P - the letters probably had a dual occult meaning}. -- In 313 A.D., the Edict of Milan legalized Christianity {Note: without mentioning Christianity by name} **alongside other religions {specifically heretical sects of Christianity} allowed in the Roman Empire. In 325 A.D., the First Council of Nicaea signaled consolidation of Christianity under an orthodoxy endorsed by Constantine, and though this did not make other Christian groups outside the adopted definition illegal, the dissenting Arian bishops [who were in all probability occult agents working for Constantine] were initially exiled. **But Constantine reinstated Arius {the heretic} before his death ***and exiled Orthodox {Christian} Athanasius of Alexandria. In 380 A.D. Emperor Theodosius I made Christianity the Roman Empire's official religion (see State church of the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire and the Goths) and did enforce the edict. In 392 he [Emperor Theodosius I] passed legislation prohibiting all pagan cultic worship. During the 4th century, however, there was no real unity between church and state: In the course of the Arian controversy, leading Trinitarian bishops, such as Athanasius, Hilary of Poitiers, and Gregory of Nyssa, were exiled by Arian emperors, as were leading Arian and Anomoean theologians such as Aëtius. Towards the end of the century [during the ongoing Church and State power struggle], **Bishop Ambrose of Milan made the powerful Emperor Theodosius do penance for several months after the massacre of Thessalonica before admitting him again to the Eucharist [Communion Supper]. On the other hand, only a few years later, Chrysostom, who as bishop of Constantinople criticized the excesses of the royal court [the Government], and was eventually banished and died while traveling to his place of exile. -Theological Implications: Theologians critical of the Constantinian shift [Government presiding over Christianity] also see it as the point at which membership in the Christian church became associated with citizenship (in the country) rather than a personal decision (with Jesus). American theologian Stanley Hauerwas
names the shift as the foundation for the expression of Christianity in the United States today that is closely associated with patriotism and civil religion.[article link] Wikipedia: Constantine the Great - Roman Emperor from 306 A.D. to 337 A.D. - The foremost general of his time, Constantine defeated the emperors Maxentius and Licinius during civil wars - He also fought successfully against the Franks, Alamanni, Visigoths, and Sarmatians - Constantine built a new imperial residence in place of Byzantium, naming it Constantinople, which would later be the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire for over one thousand years - He is thought of as the founder of the Eastern Roman Empire - The reign of Constantine established a precedent for the position of the emperor as having some influence within the religious discussions going on within the Catholic Church of that time, e.g., the dispute over Arianism -- Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius (AD 250– 336), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the persons of the Trinity ('God the Father', 'God the Son' and 'God the Holy Spirit') and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a [created] subordinate entity to God the Father - Deemed a heretic by the First Council of Nicaea of 325 A.D., Arius was later exonerated in 335 at the First Synod of Tyre, and then, after his death, pronounced a heretic again at the First Council of Constantinople of 381 -- The Roman Emperors Constantius II (337– 361) and Valens (364– 378) were Arians or Semi-Arians Religious policy: Constantine is perhaps best known for being the first Christian Roman emperor; his reign was certainly a turning point for the Church. In February 313, Constantine met with Licinius in Milan where they developed the Edict of Milan. The edict stated that Christians should be allowed to follow the faith of their choosing. This removed penalties for professing Christianity (under which many had been martyred in previous persecutions of Christians) and returned confiscated Church property. The edict protected from religious persecution not only Christians but all religions, allowing anyone to worship whichever deity they chose. A similar edict had been issued in 311 by Galerius, then senior emperor of the Tetrarchy; Galerius' edict granted Christians the right to practice their religion but did not restore any property to them. The Edict of Milan included several clauses which stated that all confiscated churches would be returned as well as other provisions for previously persecuted Christians. ... Constantine did not patronize Christianity alone, however. After gaining victory in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (312), a triumphal arch-the Arch of Constantine-was built (315) to celebrate it; the arch is decorated with images of Victoria and sacrifices to gods like Apollo, Diana, and Hercules, but contains no Christian symbolism. In 321, Constantine instructed that Christians and nonChristians should be united in observing the venerable day of the sun, referencing the esoteric eastern sunworship which Aurelian had helped introduce, and his coinage still carried the symbols of the sun cult until 324. Even after the pagan gods had disappeared from the coinage, Christian symbols appeared only as Constantine's personal attributes: the chi rho between his hands or on his labarum, but never on the coin itself. Even when Constantine dedicated the new capital of Constantinople, which became the seat of Byzantine Christianity for a millennium, he did so wearing the Apollonian sun-rayed Diadem. -- The reign of Constantine established a precedent for the position of the emperor as having some influence within the religious discussions going on within the Catholic Church of that time, e.g., the dispute over Arianism. Constantine himself disliked the risks to societal stability that religious disputes and controversies brought with them, preferring where possible to establish an orthodoxy. The emperor saw it as his duty to ensure that God was properly worshiped in his empire, and that what proper worship consisted would be determined by the Church. In 316, Constantine acted as a judge in a North African dispute concerning the validity of Donatism. After deciding against the Donatists, Constantine led an army of Christians against the Donatist Christians. More significantly, in 325 he summoned the Council of Nicaea, effectively the first Ecumenical Council (unless the Council of Jerusalem is so classified). Nicaea was dealt mostly with Arianism. Constantine also enforced the prohibition of the First Council of Nicaea against celebrating the Lord's Supper on the day before the Jewish Passover (14th of Nisan) (see Quartodecimanism and Easter controversy). Constantine made new laws regarding the Jews. They were forbidden to own Christian slaves or to circumcise their slaves.[article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Saint Helena - the mother of Emperor Constantine I - She is traditionally credited with finding the relics of the True Cross, with which she is invariably represented in Christian iconography Constantine appointed his mother Helen as Augusta Imperatrix, and gave her unlimited access to the imperial treasury in order to locate the relics of Judeo-Christian tradition - In 326-28 A.D. Helena undertook a trip to the Holy Places in Palestine [Israel] - The chapel at St. Catherine's Monastery [in Sinai Egypt - including Helen's Chapel of the Burning Bush] often referred to as the Chapel of Saint Helen-is dated to the year AD 330 {Note: every 'discovery' of Helena the mother of Emperor Constantine I is considered to be discredited - especially her [confirming] Mt. Sinai in Egypt [the Chapel of the Burning Bush - Source: SacredSites.com] when the Bible proclaims that the real Mt. Sinai was 'outside' (Exodus 18:1,5) of Egypt (Galatians 4:25) [in Arabia - Saudi Arabia]. Also Note: **it is one of the most blasphemous concepts [Mt. Sinai in Egypt] to locate God in Egypt God is not in Egypt, He is outside of Egypt [human slavery and human bondage] - the whole concept of the Bible is to leave Egypt [the world system] and for worshipers go outside of Egypt (the world) to have a true relationship [fellowship] with God - **pastors who preach that one corner of Egypt [Sinai Peninsula - St. Catherine's Monastery] is acceptable to God have missed much of the entirety of the Bible - The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus was even crucified outside the city of Jerusalem so we would know to look outside the [world system] city for a true relationship with Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:12-14).} -- Note: A sustainable relationship with God is generally not to be found in this worldly system though minor glimpses and interactions with God can be experienced. The worldly system saturated with misconceptions and false premises from deceived and misinformed individuals like Richard Dawkins is a system designed and maintained simply to hinder a person's true relationship with God. Therefore leaving the misinformed worldly system and entering the Promises of the Biblical realm is an important part of a sustainable relationship with God.} Family life: The bishop and historian Eusebius of Caesarea states that she was about 80 [years old] on her return from Palestine (Israel). Since that journey has been dated to 326-28, Helena was probably born in 248 or 250. Little is known of her early life. Fourth-century sources, following Eutropius' "Breviarium," record that she came from a low background. Saint Ambrose was the first to call her a stabularia, a term translated as "stablemaid" or "inn-keeper". He makes this fact a virtue, calling Helena a bona stabularia, a "good stable-maid". Other sources, especially those written after Constantine's proclamation as emperor, gloss over or ignore her background. ... Relic discoveries: Constantine appointed his mother Helen as Augusta Imperatrix, and gave her unlimited access to the imperial treasury in order to locate the relics of Judeo-Christian tradition. In 326-28 Helena undertook a trip to the Holy Places in Palestine. According to Eusebius of Caesarea she was responsible for the construction or beautification of two churches, the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, and the Church on the Mount of Olives, sites of Christ's birth and ascension. Local founding legend attributes to Helena's orders the construction of a church in Egypt to identify the Burning Bush of Sinai. The chapel at St. Catherine's Monastery--often referred to as the Chapel of Saint Helen-is dated to the year AD 330. -- Jerusalem was still rebuilding from the destruction of Emperor Hadrian, who had built a temple dedicated, according to conflicting accounts, to Venus or Jupiter over the site of Jesus's tomb near Calvary and renamed the city Aelia Capitolina. According to tradition, Helena ordered the temple torn down and, according to the legend that arose at the end of the fourth century, in Ambrose, On the Death of Theodosius (died 395) and at length in Rufinus' chapters appended to his translation into Latin of Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, which does not mention the event, chose a site to begin excavating, which led to the recovery of three different crosses. Then, Rufinus relates, refusing to be swayed by anything but solid proof, the empress (perhaps through Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem) had a woman who was already at the point of death brought from Jerusalem. When the woman touched the first and second crosses, her condition did not change, but when she touched the third and final cross she suddenly recovered, and Helena declared the cross with which the woman had been touched to be the True Cross. On the site of discovery, Constantine ordered built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as well as those on other sites detected by Helena. -- She also found the nails of the crucifixion. To use their miraculous power to aid her son, Helena allegedly had one placed in Constantine's helmet, and another in the bridle of his horse. Helena left Jerusalem and the eastern provinces in 327 to return to Rome, bringing with her large parts of the True Cross and other relics, which were then stored in her palace's private chapel, where they can be still
seen today. Her palace was later converted into the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. This has been maintained by Cistercian monks in the monastery which has been attached to the church for centuries. Tradition says that the site of the Vatican Gardens was spread with earth brought from Golgotha by Helena to symbolically unite the blood of Christ with that shed by thousands of early Christians, who died in the persecutions of Nero. -- According to one tradition, Helena acquired the Holy Tunic on her trip to Jerusalem and sent it to Trier. Several of Saint Helena's treasures are now in Cyprus, where she spent some time. Some of them are a part of Jesus Christ's tunic, pieces of the holy cross and the world's only pieces of the rope to which Jesus was tied with on the Cross. The latter has been held at the Stavrovouni Monastery, which was also founded by Saint Helena.[article link] Wikipedia: Athanasius (296 - 2 May 373) - In June 328, at the age of 30, three years after Nicaea and upon the repose of Bishop Alexander, he became archbishop of Alexandria - He continued to lead the conflict against the Arians for the rest of his life and was engaged in theological and political struggles against the Emperors Constantine and Constantius and powerful and influential Arian churchmen, led by Arian Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia and others - He was known as "Athanasius Contra Mundum" - Within few years of his departure, St. Gregory of Nazianzus called him the "Pillar of the Church" - His writings were well regarded by all Church fathers who followed, in both the West and the East - His writings show a rich devotion to the Word-becomeman, great pastoral concern, and profound interest in monasticism -- The so-called Athanasian Creed dates from well after Athanasius's death and draws upon the phraseology of Augustine's De trinitate {Note: The Athanasian Creed, was probably written by Vincent of Lérins in about (475-525 A.D.) as a summary of Athanasius' works and writings in the same way that the Apostles' Creed was earlier written by Ambrose in about 390 A.D. as a summary of the Apostles (N.T) works and writings.} Athanasius is counted as one of the Great Doctors of the Church in Eastern Orthodoxy where he is also labeled the "Father of Orthodoxy". He is also one of the four Great Doctors of the Church from the East in the Roman Catholic Church. He is renowned in the Protestant churches, who label him "Father of The Canon". Athanasius is venerated as a Christian saint, whose feast day is 2 May in Western Christianity, 15 May in the Coptic Orthodox Church, and 18 January in the other Eastern Orthodox churches. He is venerated by the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox, the Roman Catholics, the Lutherans, and the Anglican Communion. ... Athanasius' letters include one "Letter Concerning the Decrees of the Council of Nicaea" (De Decretis), which is an account of the proceedings of that council, and another letter in the year 367 which was the first known listing of the New Testament including all those books now accepted everywhere as the New Testament. (earlier similar lists vary by the omission or addition of a few books, see Development of the New Testament canon). Several of his letters also survive. In one of these, to Epictetus of Corinth, Athanasius anticipates future controversies in his defense of the humanity of Christ. Another of his letters, to Dracontius, urges that monk to leave the desert for the more active duties of a bishop. There are several other works ascribed to him, although not necessarily generally accepted as being his own work. These include the Athanasian creed, which is today generally seen as being of 5th-century Galician origin. Athanasius was not what would be called a speculative theologian. As he stated in his First Letters to Serapion, he held on to "the tradition, teaching, and faith proclaimed by the apostles and guarded by the fathers." In some cases, this led to his taking the position that faith should take priority over reason. He held that not only was the Son of God consubstantial with the Father, but so was the Holy Spirit, which had a great deal of influence in the development of later doctrines regarding the Trinity.[article link] Wikipedia: Ambrose - Aurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose (337 - 4 April 397), was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century - He was one of the four original doctors (of particular importance) of the Roman Catholic Church - In spite of Imperial opposition, Bishop Ambrose declared: "If you demand my person, I am ready to submit: carry me to prison or to death, I will not resist; but I will never betray the Church of Christ. I will not call upon the people to succour me; I will die at the foot of the altar rather than desert it. The tumult of the people I will not encourage: but God alone can appease it." - Soon after acquiring the undisputed possession of the Roman empire, Theodosius
died at Milan in 395, and two years later (April 4, 397) Ambrose also died - He was succeeded as bishop of Milan by Simplician - Ambrose's body may still be viewed in the church of S. Ambrogio in Milan, where it has been continuously venerated - along with the bodies identified in his time as being those of St. Gervase and St. Protase - and is one of the oldest extant bodies of historical personages known outside Egypt Bishop of Milan: In the late 4th century there was a deep conflict in the diocese of Milan between the Catholics and Arians. In 374 the bishop of Milan, Auxentius, an Arian, died, and the Arians challenged the succession. Ambrose went to the church where the election was to take place, to prevent an uproar, which was probable in this crisis. His address was interrupted by a call "Ambrose, bishop!", which was taken up by the whole assembly. Ambrose was known to be Catholic in belief, but also acceptable to Arians due to the charity shown in theological matters in this regard. At first he energetically refused the office, for which he was in no way prepared: Ambrose was neither baptized nor formally trained in theology. Upon his appointment, St. Ambrose fled to a colleague's home seeking to hide. Upon receiving a letter from the Emperor Gratian praising the appropriateness of Rome appointing individuals evidently worthy of holy positions, St. Ambrose's host gave Ambrose up. Within a week, Ambrose was baptized, ordained and duly consecrated bishop of Milan. As bishop, he immediately adopted an ascetic lifestyle, apportioned his money to the poor, donating all of his land, making only provision for his sister Marcellina (who later became a nun), and committed the care of his family to his brother. Ambrose also wrote a treatise by the name of "The Goodness Of Death". -- Ambrose and Arians: According to legend, Ambrose immediately and forcefully stopped Arianism in Milan. He studied theology with Simplician, a presbyter of Rome. Using his excellent knowledge of Greek, which was then rare in the West, to his advantage, he studied the Hebrew Bible and Greek authors like Philo, Origen, Athanasius, and Basil of Caesarea, with whom he was also exchanging letters. He applied this knowledge as preacher, concentrating especially on exegesis of the Old Testament, and his rhetorical abilities impressed Augustine of Hippo, who hitherto had thought poorly of Christian preachers. In the confrontation with Arians, Ambrose sought to theologically refute their propositions, which were heretical. The Arians appealed to many high level leaders and clergy in both the Western and Eastern empires. Although the western Emperor Gratian held orthodox belief in the Nicene creed, the younger Valentinian II, who became his colleague in the Empire, adhered to the Arian creed. Ambrose did not sway the young prince's position. In the East, Emperor Theodosius I likewise professed the Nicene creed; but there were many adherents of Arianism throughout his dominions, especially among the higher clergy. In this contested state of religious opinion, two leaders of the Arians, bishops Palladius of Ratiaria and Secundianus of Singidunum, confident of numbers, prevailed upon Gratian to call a general council from all parts of the empire. This request appeared so equitable that he complied without hesitation. However, Ambrose feared the consequences and prevailed upon the emperor to have the matter determined by a council of the Western bishops. Accordingly, a synod composed of thirty-two bishops was held at Aquileia in the year 381 A.D. Ambrose was elected president and Palladius, being called upon to defend his opinions, declined. A vote was then taken, when Palladius and his associate Secundianus were deposed from the episcopal office. Nevertheless, the increasing strength of the Arians proved a formidable task for Ambrose. In 385 or 386 the emperor and his mother Justina, along with a considerable number of clergy and laity, especially military, professed Arianism. They demanded two churches in Milan, one in the city (the basilica of the Apostles), the other in the suburbs (St Victor's), to the Arians. Ambrose refused and was required to answer for his conduct before the council. He went, his eloquence in defense of the Church reportedly overawed the ministers of Emperor Valentinian, so he was permitted to retire without making the surrender of the churches. The day following, when he was performing divine service in the basilica, the prefect of the city came to persuade him to give up at least the Portian basilica in the suburbs. As he still continued obstinate, the court proceeded to violent measures: the officers of the household were commanded to prepare the Basilica and the Portian churches to celebrate divine service upon the arrival of the emperor and his mother at the ensuing festival of Easter. -- In spite of Imperial opposition, Bishop Ambrose declared: "If you demand my person, I am ready to submit: carry me to prison or to death, I will not resist; but I will never betray the church of Christ. I will not call upon the people to succour me; I will die at the foot of the altar rather than desert it. The tumult of the people I will not encourage: but God alone can appease it."[article link]
Creeds: The Apostles' Creed, written by Ambrose -- The Nicene Creed 325 A.D. -- The Athanasian Creed, possibly by Vincent of Lérins The Three Ecumenical or Universal Creeds -- The Apostles' Creed [The title, Symbolum Apostolicum (Symbol or Creed of the Apostles), appears for the first time in a letter from a Council in Milan (probably written by Ambrose himself) to Pope Siricius in about 390 A.D. - Wiki.com]: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic [universal] Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. -- The Nicene Creed [adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first (second) ecumenical council (Jerusalem Acts 15:6 was the first ecumenical Church council), which met there in 325 A.D. - Wiki.com]: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. -- The Athanasian Creed [The use of the Creed in a sermon by Caesarius of Arles, as well as a theological resemblance to works by Vincent of Lérins, point to Southern Gaul as its origin. The most likely time frame is in the late fifth or early sixth century A.D. (475-525 A.D.) at least 100 years after Athanasius (293 A.D. May 2, 373 A.D.) - Wiki.com]: Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic [universal] faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic [universal] faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal. As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the catholic [universal] religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another; But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the
Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give an account of their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic [universal] faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.[article link] The Nicene Creed (325 A.D.) - The Nicene Creed "I believe in one holy catholic [universal] and ***[A]postolic Church" is the most widely accepted and used brief statements of the Christian Faith - In liturgical churches, it is said every Sunday as part of the Liturgy - It is Common Ground to East Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Calvinists, and many other Christian groups - Many groups that do not have a tradition of using it in their services nevertheless are committed to the doctrines it teaches Someone may ask, "What about the Apostles' Creed?" Traditionally, in the West, the Apostles' Creed is used at Baptisms, and the Nicene Creed at the Eucharist [AKA the Mass, the Liturgy, the Lord's Supper, or the Holy Communion.] The East uses only the Nicene Creed. I here present the Nicene Creed in two English translations, The first is the traditional one, in use with minor variations since 1549, The second is a modern version, that of The Interdenominational Committee on Liturgical Texts. Notes and comment by [James E. Kiefer] follow.[article link]
Council of Seleucia 359 A.D. - In 358, the Roman Emperor Constantius II requested two councils, one of western bishops at Ariminum and the other of eastern bishops at Nicomedia, to resolve the controversy over Arianism regarding the nature of the divinity of Jesus Christ, a controversy that had divided the fourth-century church Before the council was convened an earthquake struck Nicomedia, killing many people including the bishop, Cecropius of Nicomedia - As a result on September 27, 359 A.D. the eastern council (of about 160 bishops) met at Seleucia instead - The council was bitterly divided, and disorganized - The two parties met separately and reached opposing decisions - Later that year, Constantius called for a council in Constantinople to consider the decision at Ariminum and resolve the split at Seleucia - This council met in 360 A.D., which did not settle the disputes Acacius' proposed creed: -- Preface: "We having yesterday assembled by the emperor's command at Seleucia, a city of Isauria, on the 27th day of September, exerted ourselves to the utmost, with all moderation, to preserve the peace of the church, and to determine doctrinal questions on prophetic and evangelical authority, so as to sanction nothing in the ecclesiastic confession of faith at variance with the sacred Scriptures, as our Emperor Constantius most beloved of God has ordered. But inasmuch as certain individuals in the Synod have acted injuriously toward several of us, preventing some from expressing their sentiments, and excluding others from the council against their wills; and at the same time have introduced such as have been deposed, and persons who were ordained contrary to the ecclesiastical canon, so that the Synod has presented a scene of tumult and disorder, of which the most illustrious Leonas, the Comes, and the most eminent Lauricius, governor of the province, have been eye-witnesses, we are therefore under the necessity of making this declaration. That we do not repudiate the faith which was ratified at the consecration of the church at Antioch; for we give it our decided preference, because it received the concurrence of our fathers who were assembled there to consider some controverted points. Since, however, the terms homoousion and homoiousion have in time past troubled the minds of many, and still continue to disquiet them; and moreover that a new term has recently been coined by some who assert the anomoion of the Son to the Father: we reject the first two, as expressions which are not found in the Scriptures; but we utterly anathematize the last, and regard such as countenance its use, as
alienated from the church. We distinctly acknowledge the homoion of the Son to the Father, in accordance with what the apostle has declared concerning him, "Who is the image of the invisible God." -- Creed: "We confess then, and believe in one God the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, and of things visible and invisible. We believe also in his Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who was begotten of him without passion before all ages, God the Word, the only-begotten of God, the Light, the Life, the Truth, the Wisdom: through whom all things were made which are in the heavens and upon the earth, whether visible or invisible. We believe that he took flesh of the holy Virgin Mary, at the end of the ages, in order to abolish sin; that he was made man, suffered for our sin, and rose again, and was taken up into the heavens, to sit at the right hand of the Father, whence he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. We believe also in the Holy Spirit, whom our Lord and Saviour has denominated the Comforter, and whom he sent to his disciples after his departure, according to his promise: by whom also he sanctifies all believers in the church, who are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Those who preach anything contrary to this creed, we regard as aliens from the catholic church."[article link] Wikipedia: Gregory of Nazianzus - Gregory of Nazianzus (329 - January 25 390) - also known as Gregory the Theologian or Gregory Nazianzen was a 4th-century Archbishop of Constantinople - He is widely considered the most accomplished rhetorical stylist of the Patristic Age [generally reckoned as Church Fathers - A rough classification of these patristic writings is as: Apostolic Fathers and the 2nd century; 3rd century; 4th century; 5th century; and 6th century] - As a classically trained orator and philosopher he infused Hellenism into the early church, establishing the paradigm of Byzantine theologians and church officials - Gregory made a significant impact on the shape of Trinitarian theology among both Greek and Latin-speaking theologians, and he is remembered as the "Trinitarian Theologian" - Much of his theological work continues to influence modern theologians, especially in regard to the relationship among the three Persons of the Trinity [Father, Son, Holy Spirit] - Along with the two brothers Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa, he is known as one of the Cappadocian Fathers - Gregory is a saint in both Eastern and Western Christianity - In the Roman Catholic Church he is numbered among the Doctors of the Church; in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches he is revered as one of the Three Holy Hierarchs, along with Basil the Great and John Chrysostom Priesthood: In 361 Gregory returned to Nazianzus and was ordained a presbyter by his father, who wanted him to assist with caring for local Christians. The younger Gregory, who had been considering a monastic existence, resented his father's decision to force him to choose between priestly services and a solitary existence, calling it an "act of tyranny". Leaving home after a few days, he met his friend Basil at Annesoi, where the two lived as ascetics. However, Basil urged him to return home to assist his father, which he did for the next year. Arriving at Nazianzus, Gregory found the local Christian community split by theological differences and his father accused of heresy by local monks. Gregory helped to heal the division through a combination of personal diplomacy and oratory. By this time Emperor Julian had publicly declared himself in opposition to Christianity. In response to the emperor's rejection of the Christian faith, Gregory composed his Invectives Against Julian between 362 and 363. Invectives asserts that Christianity will overcome imperfect rulers such as Julian through love and patience. This process as described by Gregory is the public manifestation of the process of deification (theosis), which leads to a spiritual elevation and mystical union with God. Julian resolved, in late 362, to vigorously prosecute Gregory and his other Christian critics; however, the emperor perished the following year during a campaign against the Persians. With the death of the emperor, Gregory and the Eastern churches were no longer under the threat of persecution, as the new emperor Jovian was an avowed Christian and supporter of the church. Gregory spent the next few years combating Arianism, which threatened to divide the region of Cappadocia. In this tense environment, Gregory interceded on behalf of his friend Basil with Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea (Maritima). The two friends then entered a period of close fraternal cooperation as they participated in a great rhetorical contest of the Caesarean church precipitated by the arrival of accomplished Arian theologians and rhetors. In the subsequent public debates, presided over by agents of the Emperor Valens, Gregory and Basil emerged triumphant. This success confirmed for both Gregory and Basil that their futures lay in administration of the Church. Basil, who had long displayed inclinations to the episcopacy, was elected
bishop of the see of Caesarea in Cappadocia in 370. -- Gregory at Constantinople: Emperor Valens died in 378. The accession of Theodosius I, a steadfast supporter of Nicene orthodoxy, was good news to those who wished to purge Constantinople of Arian and Apollinarian domination. The exiled Nicene party gradually returned to the city. From his deathbed, Basil reminded them of Gregory's capabilities and likely recommended his friend to champion the trinitarian cause in Constantinople. In 379, the Antioch synod and its archbishop, Meletios, asked Gregory to go to Constantinople to lead a theological campaign to win over that city to Nicene orthodoxy. After much hesitation, Gregory agreed. His cousin Theodosia offered him a villa for his residence; Gregory immediately transformed much of it into a church, naming it Anastasia, "a scene for the resurrection of the faith". From this little chapel he delivered five powerful discourses on Nicene doctrine, explaining the nature of the Trinity and the unity of the Godhead. Refuting the Eunomion denial of the Holy Spirit's divinity, Gregory offered this argument: "Look at these facts: Christ is born, the Holy Spirit is His Forerunner. Christ is baptized, the Spirit bears witness to this… Christ works miracles, the Spirit accompanies them. Christ ascends, the Spirit takes His place. What great things are there in the idea of God which are not in His power? What titles appertaining to God do not apply also to Him, except for Unbegotten and Begotten? I tremble when I think of such an abundance of titles, and how many Names they blaspheme, those who revolt against the Spirit!" -- Gregory's homilies were well-received and attracted ever-growing crowds to Anastasia. Fearing his popularity, his opponents decided to strike. On the vigil of Easter in 379, an Arian mob burst into his church during worship services, wounding Gregory and killing another bishop. Escaping the mob, Gregory next found himself betrayed by his erstwhile friend, the philosopher Maximus the Cynic. Maximus, who was in secret alliance with Peter, bishop of Alexandria, attempted to seize Gregory's position and have himself ordained bishop of Constantinople. Shocked, Gregory decided to resign his office, but the faction faithful to him induced him to stay and ejected Maximus. However, the episode left him embarrassed and exposed him to criticism as a provincial simpleton unable to cope with intrigues of the imperial city. Affairs in Constantinople remained confused as Gregory's position was still unofficial and Arian priests occupied many important churches. The arrival of the emperor Theodosius in 380 settled matters in Gregory's favor. The emperor, determined to eliminate Arianism, expelled Bishop Demophilus. Gregory was subsequently enthroned as bishop of Constantinople at the Basilica of the Apostles, replacing Demophilus.[article link] Wikipedia: Augustine of Hippo - Augustine of Hippo (November 13, 354 - August 28, 430), also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, - was Bishop of Hippo Regius (present-day Annaba, Algeria) - He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province - His writings were very influential in the development of Western Christianity According to his contemporary, Jerome, Augustine "established anew the ancient Faith." In his early years he was heavily influenced by Manichaeism and afterward by the Neo-Platonism of Plotinus. After his conversion to Christianity and baptism in AD 387, Augustine developed his own approach to philosophy and theology, accommodating a variety of methods and different perspectives. He believed that the grace of Christ was indispensable to human freedom, and he framed the concepts of original sin and just war. -- When the Western Roman Empire was starting to disintegrate, Augustine developed the concept of the Catholic Church as a spiritual City of God (in a book of the same name), distinct from the material Earthly City. His thoughts profoundly influenced the medieval worldview. Augustine's City of God was closely identified with the Church, the community that worshipped God. In the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, he is a saint and pre-eminent Doctor of the Church, and the patron of the Augustinian religious order; his memorial is celebrated 28 August, the day of his death. ... Works: Augustine was one of the most prolific Latin authors in terms of surviving works, and the list of his works consists of more than one hundred separate titles. They include apologetic works against the heresies of the Arians, Donatists, Manichaeans and Pelagians, texts on Christian doctrine, notably De Doctrina Christiana (On Christian Doctrine), exegetical works such as commentaries on Book of Genesis, the Psalms and Paul's Letter to the Romans, many sermons and letters, and the Retractationes, a review of his earlier works which he wrote near the end of his life. Apart from those,
Augustine is probably best known for his Confessiones (Confessions), which is a personal account of his earlier life, and for De civitate dei (Of the City of God, consisting of 22 books), which he wrote to restore the confidence of his fellow Christians, which was badly shaken by the sack of Rome by the Visigoths in 410. His De trinitate (On the Trinity), in which he developed what has become known as the 'psychological analogy' of the Trinity, is also among his masterpieces, and arguably one of the greatest theological works of all time. He also wrote On Free Choice Of The Will (De libero arbitrio), addressing why God gives humans free will that can be used for evil. ... Influence on St. Thomas Aquinas: For quotations of St. Augustine by St. Thomas Aquinas see Aquinas and the Sacraments and Thought of Thomas Aquinas. On the topic of original sin: Aquinas proposed a more optimistic view of man than that of Augustine in that his conception leaves to the reason, will, and passions of fallen man their natural powers even after the Fall. Influence on Protestant reformers: While in his pre-Pelagian writings Augustine taught that Adam's guilt as transmitted to his descendants much enfeebles, though does not destroy, the freedom of their will, Protestant reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin affirmed that Original Sin completely destroyed liberty (see total depravity). Abortion and ensoulment: Like other Church Fathers such as Athenagoras St Augustine "vigorously condemned the practice of induced abortion" as a crime, in any stage of pregnancy.[article link] Wikipedia: Jerome - Saint Jerome (347 - 30 September 420) was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church - He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia - He is **best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate), and his list of writings is extensive - He is recognized by the Catholic Church as a saint and Doctor of the Church, and the Vulgate is still an important text in Catholicism - He is also recognized as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church, where he is known as St. Jerome of Stridonium or Blessed Jerome {Note: That the discipline, of sticking strictly to the Bible of the earlier Church Fathers and Church Theologians has already began to diminish as the newer generations of Roman Theologians, no longer preoccupied with persecution, were able to speculate more widely about possible Biblical scenarios. -- Also Note: Already during the time of Jerome that Christian Theology was shifting into a primary focus of End Times. That the End Times were soon to unfold and unfold within the context of the events of their day.} Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus was born at Stridon around 347. He was not baptized until about 360 or 366, when he had gone to Rome with his friend Bonosus (who may or may not have been the same Bonosus whom Jerome identifies as his friend who went to live as a hermit on an island in the Adriatic) to pursue rhetorical and philosophical studies. He studied under the grammarian Aelius Donatus. There Jerome learned Latin and at least some Greek, though probably not the familiarity with Greek literature he would later claim to have acquired as a schoolboy. As a student in Rome, he engaged in the superficial activities of students there, which he indulged in quite casually but suffered terrible bouts of repentance afterwards. To appease his conscience, he would visit on Sundays the sepulchers of the martyrs and the Apostles in the catacombs. This experience would remind him of the terrors of hell: Often I would find myself entering those crypts, deep dug in the earth, with their walls on either side lined with the bodies of the dead, where everything was so dark that almost it seemed as though the Psalmist's words were fulfilled, Let them go down quick into Hell. Here and there the light, not entering in through windows, but filtering down from above through shafts, relieved the horror of the darkness. But again, as soon as you found yourself cautiously moving forward, the black night closed around and there came to my mind the line of Vergil, "Horror unique animos, simul ipsa silentia terrent. Jerome used a quote from Vergil - "The horror and the silences terrified their souls" - to describe the horror of hell. Jerome initially used classical authors to describe Christian concepts such as hell that indicated both his classical education and his deep shame of their associated practices, such as pederasty. Although initially skeptical of Christianity, he was eventually converted. After several years in Rome, he travelled with Bonosus to Gaul and settled in Trier where he seems to have first taken up theological studies, and where he copied, for his friend Tyrannius Rufinus, Hilary of Poitiers' commentary on the Psalms and the treatise De synodis. Next came a stay of at least several months, or possibly years, with Rufinus at Aquileia, where he made many Christian friends. Some of these accompanied him when he set out about 373 on a journey through Thrace and Asia Minor into
northern Syria. At Antioch, where he stayed the longest, two of his companions died and he himself was seriously ill more than once. During one of these illnesses (about the winter of 373-374), he had a vision that led him to lay aside his secular studies and devote himself to God. He seems to have abstained for a considerable time from the study of the classics and to have plunged deeply into that of the Bible, under the impulse of Apollinaris of Laodicea, then teaching in Antioch and not yet suspected of heresy. ... The works of Hippolytus of Rome and Irenaeus greatly influenced Jerome's interpretation of prophecy. He noted the distinction between the original Septuagint and Theodotion's later substitution. Jerome warned that those substituting false interpretations for the actual meaning of Scripture belonged to the "synagogue of the Antichrist". "He that is not of Christ is of Antichrist," he wrote to Pope Damasus I. **He believed that "the mystery of iniquity" written about by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 was already in action when "every one chatters about his views." To Jerome, the power restraining this mystery of iniquity was the Roman Empire, but as it fell this restraining force was removed. He warned a noble woman of Gaul: "He that letteth is taken out of the way, and yet we do not realize that Antichrist is near. Yes, Antichrist is near whom the Lord Jesus Christ "shall consume with the spirit of his mouth." "Woe unto them," he cries, "that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days."... Savage tribes in countless numbers have overrun all parts of Gaul. The whole country between the Alps and the Pyrenees, between the Rhine and the Ocean, has been laid waste by hordes of Quadi, Vandals, Sarmatians, Alans, Gepids, Herules, Saxons, Burgundians, Allemanni, and-alas! for the commonweal!-even Pannonians. His Commentary on Daniel was expressly written to offset the criticisms of Porphyry, who taught that Daniel related entirely to the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and was written by an unknown individual living in the 2nd century BC. Against Porphyry, Jerome identified Rome as the fourth kingdom of chapters two and seven, but his view of chapters eight and 11 was more complex. Jerome held that chapter eight describes the activity of Antiochus Epiphanes, who is understood as a "type" of a future antichrist; 11:24 onwards applies primarily to a future antichrist but was partially fulfilled by Antiochus. Instead, he advocated that the "little horn" was the Antichrist: We should therefore concur with the traditional interpretation of all the commentators of the Christian Church, that at the end of the world, when the Roman Empire is to be destroyed, there shall be ten kings who will partition the Roman world amongst themselves. Then an insignificant eleventh king will arise, who will overcome three of the ten kings... after they have been slain, the seven other kings also will bow their necks to the victor. In his Commentary on Daniel, he noted, "Let us not follow the opinion of some commentators and suppose him to be either the Devil or some demon, but rather, one of the human race, in whom Satan will wholly take up his residence in bodily form." In interpreting 2 Thessalonians's claim that the Antichrist will sit in God's temple, Jerome preferred the view that the "temple" should be interpreted as the Church, not as the Temple in Jerusalem. Jerome identified the four prophetic kingdoms symbolized in Daniel 2 as the Neo-Babylonian Empire, the Medes and Persians, Macedon, and Rome. Jerome identified the stone cut out without hands as "namely, the Lord and Savior". Jerome refuted Porphyry's application of the little horn of chapter seven to Antiochus. He expected that at the end of the world, Rome would be destroyed, and partitioned among ten kingdoms before the little horn appeared. Jerome believed that Cyrus of Persia is the higher of the two horns of the Medo-Persian ram of Daniel 8:3. The he-goat is Greece smiting Persia. Alexander [the Great] is the great horn, which is then succeeded by Alexander's half brother Philip and three of his generals.[article link] Introduction: Already by the early 400's A.D. Christians had become so comfortable in their association with secular Rome that Jerome believed that the restraining force of "the mystery of iniquity" (sin) written about by Paul the Apostle in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 was in action via Rome - To Jerome, the power restraining this mystery of iniquity was the Roman Empire, but as Rome fell this restraining force was removed - {Note: Common Christianity has almost universally considered the "restrainer" (2 Thessalonians 2:7) from sin to be the work of the Holy Spirit and not the works of man alone or of human agencies.} The Christian Church now well established and also well mingled as Roman Church and State would continue on unabated for the next one thousand years. With a status quo existing between Church and State neither institution sought change of any kind and as a result human history would enter into one of the most stagnant
eras of mankind in bringing in and the establishing of the Middle Ages. An era so disastrous that it would be called many names among them the Medieval and Dark Ages.[article link] The Sack of Rome 410 A.D. - "My voice sticks in my throat; and, as I dictate, sobs choke my utterance. The City which had taken the whole world was itself taken." Jerome, (412 A.D.) Letter CXXVII to Principia -- Emperor Theodosius I had decreed a ban on the native paganism, further enforcing Christianity as the official state religion - Just before his death in AD 395, Theodosius I divided the [Roman] Empire (for the third and last time) into East [Byzantium - still centred in the capital of Constantinople] and West [Rome], to be ruled by his two sons - Honorius was only ten years old at the time, and the west was governed in his stead by Flavius Stilicho, his guardian and commander (magister militum) of the army - The two halves of the empire were in contention, a situation exploited by Alaric, whose Visigoths had been used as allies (foederati) but now, with the death of Theodosius I, renounced their allegiance and rose in revolt Alaric [the older son] died that same year 410 A.D. Two years later, his kinsman Athaulf led the Visigoths into southwestern Gaul, where, in AD 418, Honorius was obliged to recognize their kingdom at Toulouse. The Vandals and other Germanic tribes who had crossed over the frozen Rhine on the last day of AD 406 now were in Spain under their leader, Genseric. Honorius permitted them to stay, as well, although there was little he could have done otherwise. In AD 423 Honorius died and eventually was succeeded by Valentinian III, who was still a child at the time. The Vandals crossed into North Africa, defeated the Romans there, and, in AD 439, conquered Carthage, which Genseric made his capital. In AD 451, Attila and the Huns, who already had become so powerful that they were paid an annual tribute by Rome, invaded Gaul, in alliance with the Vandals. They were defeated at the Battle of Châlons by the Visigoths under the command of Flavius Aetius, magister militum of the west. In AD 455, the death of Valentinian III served as a pretext for the Vandals to enter an undefended Rome, which they plundered for two weeks, carrying away the treasures of the Temple of Peace and the gilded bronze tiles from the Temple of Jupiter. Temple of Vespasian.[article link] Wikipedia: Pope Leo I (391 - 10 November 461 A.D.) was pope from 29 September 440 A.D. to his death - He was an Italian aristocrat, and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to have been called "the Great" - He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 A.D. and persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy - He is also a Doctor of the Church - Leo was a significant contributor to the centralisation of spiritual authority within the Church and in reaffirming Papal authority - An uncompromising foe of heresy {Note: With Pope Leo I the Church and State of Rome had become so intermixed that it was Pope Leo assuming the dual roles of General and Politician that went forward to meet with the invading forces of Attila the Hun and in persuading him not to attack Rome Pope Leo I saved Rome from being sacked again and possibly conquered.} Papal authority: Decree of Valentinian - Leo was a significant contributor to the centralisation of spiritual authority within the Church and in reaffirming papal authority. While the bishop of Rome had always been viewed as the chief patriarch in the Western church, much of the pope's authority was delegated to local diocesan bishops. Not without serious opposition did he succeed in reasserting his authority in Gaul. Patroclus of Arles (d. 426) had received from Pope Zosimus the recognition of a subordinate primacy over the Gallican Church which was strongly asserted by his successor Hilary of Arles. An appeal from Chelidonius of Besançon gave Leo the opportunity to reassert the pope's authority over Hilary, who defended himself stoutly at Rome, refusing to recognize Leo's judicial status. Feeling that the primatial rights of the bishop of Rome were threatened, Leo appealed to the civil power for support, and obtained from Valentinian III the famous decree of June 6, 445, which recognized the primacy of the bishop of Rome based on the merits of Peter, the dignity of the city, and the Nicene Creed (in their interpolated form); ordained that any opposition to his rulings, which were to have the force of ecclesiastical law, should be treated as treason; and provided for the forcible extradition by provincial governors of anyone who refused to answer a summons to Rome. Faced with this decree, Hilary submitted to the pope, although under his successor, Ravennius, Leo divided the metropolitan rights between Arles and Vienne (450). -- Dispute with Dioscorus of Alexandria: In 445, Leo disputed with Pope
Dioscorus, St. Cyril's successor as Pope of Alexandria, insisting that the ecclesiastical practice of his see should follow that of Rome on the basis that Mark the Evangelist, the disciple of Saint Peter and founder of the Alexandrian Church, could have had no other tradition than that of the prince of the apostles. This, of course, was not the position of the Copts, who saw the ancient patriarchates as equals. -- Council of Chalcedon: A favorable occasion for extending the authority of Rome in the East was offered in the renewal of the Christological controversy by Eutyches, who in the beginning of the conflict appealed to Leo and took refuge with him on his condemnation by Flavian. But on receiving full information from Flavian, Leo took his side decisively. In 451 at the Council of Chalcedon, after Leo's Tome on the two natures of Christ was read out, the bishops participating in the Council cried out: "This is the faith of the fathers ... Peter has spoken thus through Leo ..." -- Battling heresies: An uncompromising foe of heresy, Leo found that in the diocese of Aquileia, Pelagians were received into church communion without formal repudiation of their errors; he wrote to rebuke them, making accusations of culpable negligence, and required a solemn abjuration before a synod. Manicheans fleeing before the Vandals had come to Rome in 439 and secretly organized there; Leo learned of this around 443, and proceeded against them by holding a public debate with their representatives, burning their books, and warning the Roman Christians against them. Nor was his attitude less decided against the Priscillianists. Bishop Turrubius of Astorga, astonished at the spread of this sect in Spain, had addressed the other Spanish bishops on the subject, sending a copy of his letter to Leo, who took the opportunity to exercise Roman policy in Spain. He wrote an extended treatise (21 July 447), against the sect, examining its false teaching in detail, and calling for a Spanish general council to investigate whether it had any adherents in the episcopate, but this was prevented by the political circumstances of Spain. -- On Dignity and Equality: In his Nativitate Domini, in the Christmas Day sermon "Christian, Remember your Dignity" Leo appears to articulate a fundamental and inclusive human dignity and equality: The saint, the sinner, and the unbeliever are all equal as sinners, and none is excluded in the call to "happiness": "Our Saviour, dearly-beloved, was born today: let us be glad. For there is no proper place for sadness, when we keep the birthday of the Life, which destroys the fear of mortality and brings to us the joy of promised eternity. No one is kept from sharing in this happiness. There is for all one common measure of joy, because as our Lord the destroyer of sin and death finds none free from charge, so is He come to free us all. Let the saint exult in that he draws near to victory. Let the sinner be glad in that he is invited to pardon. Let the gentile take courage in that he is called to life."[article link] Medieval Sourcebook: [Pope] Leo I and [King] Attila [of the Huns] - The Prosper Account of the events recorded in 455 A.D. Prosper: Account 1 - Prosper, a Christian chronicler, writing about 455, gives the following simple account of Leo's famous interview with the king of the Huns three years before: Now Attila, having once more collected his forces which had been scattered in Gaul [at the battle of Chalons], took his way through Pannonia into Italy. . . To the emperor and the senate and Roman people none of all the proposed plans to oppose the enemy seemed so practicable as to send legates to the most savage king and beg for peace. Our most blessed Pope Leo -trusting in the help of God, who never fails the righteous in their trials - undertook the task, accompanied by Avienus, a man of consular rank, and the prefect Trygetius. And the outcome was what his faith had foreseen; for when the king had received the embassy, he was so impressed by the presence of the high priest that he ordered his army to give up warfare and, after he had promised peace, he departed beyond the Danube. -- Anonyomus Later Account 1 [somewhat condensed] In a life of Leo the Great by some later author, whose name is unknown to us, the episode as told by Prosper has been developed into a miraculous tale calculated to meet the taste of the time Attila, the leader of the Huns, who was called the scourge of God, came into Italy, inflamed with fury, after he had laid waste with most savage frenzy Thrace and Illyricum, Macedonia and Moesia, Achaia and Greece, Pannonia and Germany. He was utterly cruel in inflicting torture, greedy in plundering, insolent in abuse. . . . He destroyed Aquileia from the foundations and razed to the ground those regal cities, Pavia and Milan; he laid waste many other towns, and was rushing down upon Rome. [This is, of course, an exaggeration. Attila does not seem to have destroyed the buildings, even in Milan and Pavia.] Then Leo had compassion on the calamity of Italy and Rome, and with one of the consuls and a lar,e part of the
Roman senate he went to meet Attila. The old man of harmless simplicity, venerable in his gray hair and his majestic garb, ready of his own will to give himself entirely for the defense of his flock, went forth to meet the tyrant who was destroying all things. He met Attila, it is said, in the neighborhood of the river Mincio, and he spoke to the grim monarch, saying "The senate and the people of Rome, once conquerors of the world, now indeed vanquished, come before thee as suppliants. We pray for mercy and deliverance. O Attila, thou king of kings, thou couldst have no greater glory than to see suppliant at thy feet this people before whom once all peoples and kings lay suppliant. Thou hast subdued, O Attila, the whole circle of the lands which it was granted to the Romans, victors over all peoples, to conquer. Now we pray that thou, who hast conquered others, shouldst conquer thyself The people have felt thy scourge; now as suppliants they would feel thy mercy." As Leo said these things Attila stood looking upon his venerable garb and aspect, silent, as if thinking deeply. And lo, suddenly there were seen the apostles Peter and Paul, clad like bishops, standing by Leo, the one on the right hand, the other on the left. They held swords stretched out over his head, and threatened Attila with death if he did not obey the pope's command. Wherefore Attila was appeased he who had raged as one mad. He by Leo's intercession, straightway promised a lasting peace and withdrew beyond the Danube. From the accounts translated in J. H. Robinson, Readings in European History, (Boston: Ginn, 1905), pp. 49-51.[article link] {Basic Christian: Gnosticism Exposed} Rise of Modern Islam - The Myth of Mecca (as the early center of Islam) Let's face it . . . Islam began in the year 666 AD. In her book, Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam, Dr. Crone demonstrates that Islam did not originate in Mecca. Mecca is located in the Hejaz region of what is today Saudi Arabia. It is portrayed by traditional belief as a wealthy trading center, full of merchants trading goods by caravan from Yemen in the south and Syria and the Byzantium empire in the north. Crone shows that Mecca was in fact way off the incense route from Yemen to Syria, which bypassed where Mecca is today by over 100 miles. Further, there is no mention whatever of Mecca in contemporary non-Moslem sources: ... While there may well have been a historical individual named Ubu'l Kassim who was later entitled Mohammed ("The Praised One"), who raised followers and participated in the initiation of the Arab Conquest, he likely came from northeast Arabia in what is now southern Jordan. The deity that Ubu'l Kassim chose to follow was Allah, a contraction of al-Lah, the ancient Arab God of the Moon [note: which is why the symbol of Islam to this day is the crescent moon]. Ubu'l Kassim died, however, some years before the Arab Conquest was fully underway (the traditional date is 632). Al-Rawandi summarizes what then happened:[article link] {Basic Christian: Gnosticism Exposed} Muslim - British financing of "Da Vinci Code" Movie questioned Mohammed Yusef, the founder of Invicta Capital in Great Britain, is using a government tax-incentive program to fund the movie version of the anti-Christian "Da Vinci Code" novel for Sony Pictures. According to the Times of London, the London-based Invicta is taking advantage of British tax rules to provide Sony with 100 million pounds of the 114 million pounds that the movie reportedly cost. The capital allows Sony to dramatically reduce its cost of borrowing money to produce and market the movie.[article link] {Basic Christian: Gnosticism Exposed} Movie: Ron Howard Prepares to Unleash Angels & Demons (2009) - the follow-up to The Da Vinci Code [Angels & Demons is part 1 - The Da Vinci Code was actually part 2] - Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon from The Da Vinci Code - Variety's report goes on to note that, although the Angels & Demons novel was written before and takes place before The Da Vinci Code, the film will be a sequel {The next Ron Howard movie "Angels & Demons" is a continuing part of the agenda to rise the evil fallen Nephilim [the occult considers Nephilim to be powerful, wise, illuminated (enlightened) and call themselves the followers "Illuminati"] and submit mankind to these fallen evil spirits. Note: Biblically fallen Angels and Demons are probably not the same thing though people often refer to them as being the same thing. Fallen Angels are Angels [that generally do not attempt to possess (indwell) people] while Demons [desire to possess and indwell people] may be offspring of the Nephilim (fallen Angels) & human intermixing that occurred in Geneses chapter 6 and that were all killed in the flood [the reason for the flood] of Noah's
time. So saying Angels and Demons does not make one group good and the other bad both groups (angels and demons) would be bad if the Angels are fallen and in rebellion against God.} One of the many high-profile productions being affected by the looming writers' strike is Angels & Demons, the follow-up to The Da Vinci Code -- but if director Ron Howard and his fellow filmmakers have anything to say about it, their sequel's progress will be unimpeded. Variety reports on the last-minute preparations behind the scenes of Angels & Demons, which will find Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon from The Da Vinci Code, the $758 million-grossing adaptation of Dan Brown's bestselling book. Angels is scheduled to start filming in Europe next February, but with the writers' strike coming as early as November 1, Howard's team has to move quickly. ... Meanwhile, the "Angels" team have begun casting around Tom Hanks, who will reprise his role as Robert Langdon. Hanks' character, a Harvard-based expert on religious symbols, this time sleuths a mystery that involves a secret society and a conspiracy that leads to Vatican City and threatens the future of the Catholic Church. Variety's report goes on to note that, although the Angels & Demons novel was written before -- and takes place before -- The Da Vinci Code, the film will be a sequel.[article link] King Charlemagne (742 - 814 A.D.) the "Father of Europe" - The greatest of medieval kings was born in 742 A.D., at a place unknown, he was of German blood and speech - To the medieval mind, only King Arthur vied with Charlemagne as the finest example of what a Christian king could be -- Charlemagne the King a biography from Will Durant's STORY OF CIVILIZATION 1950 A.D. King Charlemagne: The greatest of medieval kings was born in 742, at a place unknown. He was of German blood and speech, and shared some characteristics of his people- strength of body, courage of spirit, pride of race, and a crude simplicity many centuries apart from the urbane polish of the modern French. He had little book learning; read only a few books- but good ones; tried in his old age to learn writing, but never quite succeeded; yet he could speak old Teutonic and literary Latin, and understood Greek. In 771 Carloman II died, and Charles at twenty-nine became sole king. Two years later he received from Pope Hadrian II an urgent appeal for aid against the Lombard Desiderius, who was invading the papal states. Charlemagne besieged and took Pavia, assumed the crown of Lombardy, confirmed the Donation of Pepin, and accepted the role of protector of the Church in all her temporal powers. -- Returning to his capital at Aachen, he began a series of fifty-three campaigns- nearly all led in person- designed to round out his empire by conquering and Christianizing Bavaria and Saxony, destroying the troublesome Avars, shielding Italy from the raiding Saracens, and strengthening the defenses of Francia against the expanding Moors of Spain. The Saxons on his eastern frontier were pagans; they had burned down a Christian church, and made occasional incursions into Gaul; these reasons sufficed Charlemagne for eighteen campaigns (772-804), waged with untiring ferocity on both sides. Charles gave the conquered Saxons a choice between baptism and death, and had 4500 Saxon rebels beheaded in one day; after which he proceeded to Thionville to celebrate the nativity of Christ. -- The empire [of Europe] was divided into counties, each governed in spiritual matters by a bishop or archbishop, and in secular affairs by a comes (companion- of the king) or count. A local assembly of landholders convened twice or thrice a year in each provincial capital to pass upon the government of the region, and serve as a provincial court of appeals. The dangerous frontier counties, or marches, had special governors- graf, margrave, or markherzog; Roland of Roncesvalles, for example, was governor of the Breton march. All local administration was subject to missi dominici- "emissaries of the master"- sent by Charlemagne to convey his wishes to local officials, to review their actions, judgments, and accounts; to check bribery, extortion, nepotism, and exploitation, to receive complaints and remedy wrongs, to protect "the Church, the poor, and wards and widows, and the whole people"from malfeasance or tyranny, and to report to the King the condition of the realm; the Capitulare missorum establishing these emissaries was a Magna Carta for the people, four centuries before England's Magna Carta for the aristocracy. That this capitulary meant what it said appears from the case of the duke of Istria, who, being accused by the missi of divers injustices and extortions, was forced by the King to restore his thievings, compensate every wronged man, publicly confess his crimes, and give security against their repetition. ... (Charlemagne) had four successive wives and five mistresses or concubines. His abounding vitality made him extremely sensitive to feminine charms; and his women preferred a share in him to the
monopoly of any other man. His harem bore him some eighteen children, of whom eight were legitimate. -The ecclesiastics [priests] of the court and of Rome winked leniently at the Moslem [Muslim] morals of so Christian a king. He was now head of an empire far greater than the Byzantine, surpassed, in the white man's world, only by the realm of the Abbasid caliphate. But every extended frontier of empire or knowledge opens up new problems. Western Europe had tried to protect itself from the Germans by taking them into its civilization; but now Germany had to be protected against the Norse and the Slavs. The Vikings had by 800 A.D. established a kingdom in Jutland, and were raiding the Frisian coast. Charles hastened up from Rome, built fleets and forts on shores and rivers, and stationed garrisons at danger points. In 810 the king of Jutland invaded Frisia and was repulsed; but shortly thereafter, if we may follow the chronicle of the Monk of St. Gall, Charlemagne, from his palace at Narbonne, was shocked to see Danish pirate vessels in the Gulf of Lyons. Perhaps because he foresaw, like Diocletian, that his overreaching empire needed quick defense at many points at once, he divided it in 806 among his three sons- Pepin, Louis, and Charles. But Pepin died in 810, Charles in 811; only Louis remained, so absorbed in piety as to seem unfit to govern a rough and treacherous world. Nevertheless, in 813, at a solemn ceremony, Louis was elevated from the rank of king to that of emperor, and the old monarch uttered his nunc dimittis: "Blessed be Thou, O Lord God, Who hast granted me the grace to see with my own eyes my son seated on my throne!" -- Death: Four months later, wintering at Aachen, he was seized with a high fever, and developed pleurisy. He tried to cure himself by taking only liquids; but after an illness of seven days he died, in the forty-seventh year of his reign and the seventy-second year of his life (814 A.D.). He was buried under the dome of the cathedral at Aachen, dressed in his imperial robes. Soon all the world called him Carolus Magnus, Karl der Grosse, Charlemagne; and in 1165 A.D., when time had washed away all memory of his mistresses, the Church which he had served so well enrolled him among the blessed.[article link] Wikipedia: Charlemagne (742 - 28 January 814 A.D.), also known as Charles the Great - was King of the Franks [German Tribes] from 768 A.D. - The conquest of Italy brought Charlemagne in contact with the Saracens [Muslims] who, at the time (799 A.D.), controlled the Mediterranean - [With his victory over the Saracens] Charlemagne was declared Emperor of the Romans (Imperator Romanorum) from 800 A.D. to his death in 814 A.D. - He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe -- During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned Imperator Augustus by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800 A.D. Wars with the Moors [Muslims]: The conquest of Italy brought Charlemagne in contact with the Saracens who, at the time, controlled the Mediterranean. Pippin, his son, was much occupied with Saracens in Italy. Charlemagne conquered Corsica and Sardinia at an unknown date and in 799 the Balearic Islands. The islands were often attacked by Saracen pirates, but the counts of Genoa and Tuscany (Boniface) kept them at bay with large fleets until the end of Charlemagne's reign. Charlemagne even had contact with the caliphal court in Baghdad. In 797 (or possibly 801), the caliph of Baghdad, Harun al-Rashid, presented Charlemagne with an Asian elephant named Abul-Abbas and a clock. -- In Hispania [Spain], the struggle against the Moors continued unabated throughout the latter half of his reign. His son Louis was in charge of the Spanish border. In 785, his men captured Gerona permanently and extended Frankish control into the Catalan littoral for the duration of Charlemagne's reign (and much longer, it remained nominally Frankish until the Treaty of Corbeil in 1258). The Muslim chiefs in the northeast of Islamic Spain were constantly revolting against Córdoban authority, and they often turned to the Franks for help. The Frankish border was slowly extended until 795, when Gerona, Cardona, Ausona, and Urgel were united into the new Spanish March, within the old duchy of Septimania. -- In 797 Barcelona, the greatest city of the region, fell to the Franks when Zeid, its governor, rebelled against Córdoba and, failing, handed it to them. The Umayyad authority recaptured it in 799. However, Louis of Aquitaine marched the entire army of his kingdom over the Pyrenees and besieged it for two years, wintering there from 800 to 801, when it capitulated. The Franks continued to press forward against the emir. They took Tarragona in 809 and Tortosa in 811. The last conquest brought them to the mouth of the Ebro and gave them raiding access to Valencia, prompting the Emir al-Hakam I to recognize their conquests in 812 A.D.[article link]
Ancient Saracens - Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs - In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam The expansion of the meaning occurred first among the Byzantine Greeks and then among the Latins - By the time of the Crusades, beginning in 1095, a "Saracen" had become synonymous with a "Muslim" in European chronicles Early and medieval Christian literature: Eusebius and Epiphanius Scholasticus, in their Christian histories, place Saracens east of the Gulf of Aqaba but beyond the Roman province of Arabia and mention them as Ishmaelites through Kedar; thus, they are outside the promise given to Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and also therefore, in Christian theology, beyond a privileged place in the family of nations or divine dispensation. The Jews viewed them as pagans and polytheists in ancient times and in later Christian times they became associated with cruel tyrants from early Christian history such as: Herod the Great, Herod Antipas and Agrippa I. Christian writings, such as those by Origen, viewed them as heretics who had to be brought into the orthodox fold. To the Christian Saint Jerome the Arabs, who were also considered in Christian theology as Ishmaelites, were also seen to fit the definition of Saracens; pagan tent-dwelling raiders of the lands on the eastern fringes of the Roman empire. -- The term Saracen carried the connotation of people living on the fringes of settled society, living off raids on towns and villages, and eventually became equated with both the "tent-dwelling" Bedouin as well as sedentary Arabs. Church writers of the period commonly describe Saracen raids on monasteries and their killing of monks. The term and the negative image of Saracens was in popular usage in both the Greek east as well as the Latin west throughout the Middle Ages. With the advent of Islam, in the Arabian peninsula, during the seventh century among the Arabs, the term's strong association with Arabs tied the term closely with not just race and culture, but also the religion. The rise of the Arab Empire and the ensuing hostility with the Byzantine Empire saw itself expressed as conflict between Islam and Christianity and the association of the term with Islam was further accentuated both during and after the Crusades. -- John of Damascus, in a polemical work typical of this attitude described the Saracens in the early 8th century thus: There is also the people-deceiving cult (threskeia) of the Ishmaelites, the forerunner of the Antichrist, which prevails until now. It derives from Ishmael, who was born to Abraham from Hagar, wherefore they are called Hagarenes and Ishmaelites. And they call them Saracens, inasmuch as they were sent away empty-handed by Sarah; for it was said to the angel by Hagar: "Sarah has sent me away empty-handed" (cf. Book of Genesis xxi. 10, 14).[article link] The Dark Ages - Early Middle Ages (DVD $16.99) {In case you have ever wondered if Satan is raging a relentless war against the Christian Church and against mankind in general this History documentary will lay aside all doubts.} Between the Fall of Rome and the dawn of the Renaissance, Europe plunged into a dark night of constant war, splintered sovereignties, marauding pagans, rabid crusaders and devastating plague. That anything of value arose from this chaotic muck - much less the Renaissance - is nothing short of miraculous. Through masterful cinematography and ground-breaking research, THE DARK AGES brings to life this amazing and mysterious time. Relive in striking detail critical turning points in the Early Middle Ages including the fall of Rome to the Visigoths, the horrors of Bubonic Plague, the rise of Charlemagne and the launching of the First Crusade.[article link]
Introduction [1 of 2] The High Middle Ages: The period of human history commonly referred to as the High Middle Ages (1000 A.D - 1300 A.D.) brings about two seemingly unrelated events, the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. and the Crusades of 1095 A.D. to 1270 A.D. - Events that have caused some of the most dramatic, functional, substantial and long standing changes known to mankind - And in all actuality the events of the aftermath of 1066 A.D. are the very rails that the train of human society currently rides upon and it is these same rails that are directing mankind into the very events of the End Times Background: Going back one thousand years prior to 1066 A.D. brings us back to 66 A.D. and the very days of
the foundation of the Christian Church especially among the Gentiles having just been laid by the Apostle Paul. With two notable exceptions [Roman Church and State - Charlemagne's designation of the Nations of Europe] not much had changed in the form of human history and human government but that was about to change in 1066 A.D. In the six global Gentile Kingdoms previous to 1066 A.D. all of the six Kingdoms [Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome] had similar rulers, venues and Characteristics yet the Bible (Daniel 7:23) tells of a 7th Kingdom the Kingdom of Antichrist a Kingdom that is vastly different from the 6 Kingdoms that preceded it. When and where these Satanically inspired changes would enter into human society would remain a secret that is until the events of 1066 A.D. unfolded.[article link] Introduction [2 of 2] The High Middle Ages: The six Kingdoms prior to the coming Kingdom of Antichrist are all somewhat similar in that each King was head over their own society and also over the society of strangers. The six Kings were each stable functioning dignitaries, each married to at least on wife and each had at least one child to carry on their newly installed Dynasties. The unfortunate hallmark of each King's Dynasty is that what had started so wonderfully and had become so grandiose had in a relatively short time [usually within only a few generations or a few decades later] come crashing down into such a ruinous heap For example what King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had so magnificently achieved in just a few decades his grandson Belshazzar quickly brought to ruins. What Alexander the Great had accomplished for Greece the later ruler Antiochus Epiphanies needlessly squandered. Likewise what Julius Caesar had accomplished for Rome the later Caesar Nero would bring to an almost complete disaster. – Being a citizen in each of the previous six Kingdoms (especially at the start) had many perks and benefits while it was the outsider that was alien and stranger to the benefits of the Kingdom and the outsider who endured the most risk. What was consistent for the previous six Kingdoms seems to be different (Daniel 11:37) for the last Kingdom, the Kingdom of Antichrist. The Kingdom of Antichrist apparently is going to be self-contained in that where previous Kingdoms disintegrated over time during the rule of multiple rulers the coming Kingdom of Antichrist will implode within itself within a very short period of time, out of necessity in that the ruler of the 7th Kingdom (Satan) is not out to benefit mankind. The seeds of the oppression and destruction of the 7th Kingdom have already been sown back in 1066 A.D. The drastic change that took place in 1066 A.D. was a shift in how the King saw his people, previous to 1066 A.D. the King sought in part to benefit the people but starting in 1066 A.D. the King universally began to seek primarily how the people could benefit the King. The English land census of 1086 A.D. was a complete change of how society would function, no longer would the people (citizens) have a meaningful place in society with the King at the top but the people all people (citizens and aliens) would be in question by the King and in fact as time would continue it would become better to be an alien to the Government rather than a citizen.[article link] Wikipedia: Battle of Hastings 1066 A.D. - The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 A.D. during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II - It took place at Senlac Hill, approximately 10 km (61/4 miles) northwest of Hastings, close to the present-day town of Battle, East Sussex, and was a decisive Norman victory - Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England - The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France - They were descended from Norse [Nordic - Scandinavia; Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland] Viking conquerors King Harold II was killed in the battle-legend has it that he was shot through the eye with an arrow. He was the last English king to die in battle on English soil until Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field. The battle marked the last successful foreign invasion of the British Isles. Although there was further English resistance, this battle is seen as the point at which William gained control of England, becoming its first Norman ruler as King William I. The battle also established the superiority of the combined arms attack over an army predominately composed of infantry, demonstrating the effectiveness of archers, cavalry and infantry working cooperatively together. The dominance of cavalry forces over infantry would continue until the emergence of the longbow, and battles such as Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt in the Hundred Years War. The
famous Bayeux Tapestry depicts the events before and during the battle. Battle Abbey marks the site where it is believed that the battle was fought. Founded by King William "the Conqueror" (as he became known), it serves as a memorial to the dead and may have been an act of penance for the bloodshed. The site is open to the public and is the location of annual re-enactments of the battle. -- The Battle of Hastings had a tremendous influence on the English language. The Normans were French-speaking, and as a result of their rule, they introduced many French words that started in the nobility and eventually became part of the English language itself.[article link] Wikipedia: Normans - The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France - They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock - Their identity emerged initially in the first half of the 10th century, and gradually evolved over succeeding centuries They played a major political, military, and cultural role in medieval Europe and even the Near East. They were famed for their martial spirit and eventually for their Christian piety. They quickly adopted the Romance language of the land they settled, their dialect becoming known as Norman or Norman-French, an important literary language. The Duchy of Normandy, which they formed by treaty with the French crown, was one of the great fiefs of medieval France. The Normans are famed both for their culture, such as their unique Romanesque architecture, and their musical traditions, as well as for their military accomplishments and innovations. Norman adventurers established a kingdom in Sicily and southern Italy by conquest, and a Norman expedition on behalf of their duke led to the Norman Conquest of England. Norman influence spread from these new centres to the Crusader States in the Near East, to Scotland and Wales in Great Britain, and to Ireland. ... In Byzantium: Soon after the Normans first began to enter Italy, they entered the Byzantine Empire, and then Armenia against the Pechenegs, Bulgars, and especially Seljuk Turks. The Norman mercenaries first encouraged to come to the south by the Lombards to act against the Byzantines soon fought in Byzantine service in Sicily. They were prominent alongside Varangian and Lombard contingents in the Sicilian campaign of George Maniaces of 1038-40. There is debate whether the Normans in Greek service were mostly or at all from Norman Italy, and it now seems likely only a few came from there. It is also unknown how many of the "Franks", as the Byzantines called them, were Normans and not other Frenchmen. One of the first Norman mercenaries to serve as a Byzantine general was Hervé in the 1050s. By then however, there were already Norman mercenaries serving as far away as Trebizond and Georgia. They were based at Malatya and Edessa, under the Byzantine duke of Antioch, Isaac Komnenos. In the 1060s, Robert Crispin led the Normans of Edessa against the Turks. Roussel de Bailleul even tried to carve out an independent state in Asia Minor with support from the local population, but he was stopped by the Byzantine general Alexius Komnenos. Some Normans joined Turkish forces to aid in the destruction of the Armenians vassal-states of Sassoun and Taron in far eastern Anatolia. Later, many took up service with the Armenian state further south in Cilicia and the Taurus Mountains. A Norman named Oursel led a force of "Franks" into the upper Euphrates valley in northern Syria. From 1073 to 1074, 8,000 of the 20,000 troops of the Armenian general Philaretus Brachamius were Normans - formerly of Oursel - led by Raimbaud. They even lent their ethnicity to the name of their castle: Afranji, meaning "Franks." The known trade between Amalfi and Antioch and between Bari and Tarsus may be related to the presence of Italo-Normans in those cities while Amalfi and Bari were under Norman rule in Italy. Several families of Byzantine Greece were of Norman mercenary origin during the period of the Comnenian Restoration, when Byzantine emperors were seeking out western European warriors. The Raoulii were descended from an Italo-Norman named Raoul, the Petraliphae were descended from a Pierre d'Aulps, and that group of Albanian clans known as the Maniakates were descended from Normans who served under George Maniaces in the Sicilian expedition of 1038 A.D. [article link]
Domesday Book - Important Facts about the Domesday Book of 1086 A.D. - What is the Domesday book? It was a survey, or census, commissioned by the Norman Conqueror King William I, of his newly conquered lands and possessions in England - It was intended to document "What, or how much, each man had, who was an
occupier of land in England, either in land or in stock, and how much money it were worth" - This great survey enabled the Normans and William the Conqueror to administer England and levy taxes The census and assessment proved of the highest importance to William the Conqueror and his successors. The people indeed said bitterly that the King kept the Doomsday, or Domesday book constantly by him, in order "that he might be able to see at any time of how much more wool the English flock would bear fleecing." The object of the Doomsday, or Domesday book, however, was not to extort money, but to present a full and exact report of the financial and military resources of the kingdom which might be directly available for revenue and defence.[article link] Wikipedia: Domesday Book 1086 A.D. - The "Domesday Book" now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 - The survey was executed for William I of England (William the Conqueror): "While spending the Christmas of 1085 in Gloucester, William had deep speech with his counsellors and sent men all over England to each shire to find out what or how much each landholder had in land and livestock, and what it was worth" Anglo-Saxon Chronicle {Note: The required use of a family last name originates from the Norman King William I as a necessary part of the tracking and classification of the 1086 A.D. English land census for use in the accompanying Book of Doomsday. The census, system and cataloguing including a last name is in a sense the precursor of the modern census and SSN data system that we have today.} One of the main purposes of the survey was to determine who held what and what taxes had been liable under Edward the Confessor; the judgment of the Domesday assessors was final-whatever the book said about who held the material wealth or what it was worth, was the law, and there was no appeal. It was written in Latin, although there were some vernacular words inserted for native terms with no previous Latin equivalent, and the text was highly abbreviated. Richard FitzNigel, writing around the year 1179, stated that the book was known by the English as "Domesday", that is the Day of Judgment "for as the sentence of that strict and terrible last account cannot be evaded by any skilful subterfuge, so when this book is appealed to ... its sentence cannot be put quashed or set aside with impunity. That is why we have called the book 'the Book of Judgment' ... because its decisions, like those of the Last Judgment, are unalterable." In August 2006 a limited online version of Domesday Book was made available by the United Kingdom's National Archives, charging users £2 per page to view the manuscript. In 2011, the Domesday Map site made the manuscript freely available for the first time.[article link] Wikipedia: Family name, Last Name - In Ireland, the use of surnames have a very old history - Ireland was the first country in Europe to use fixed surnames - As noted in the Annals, the first recorded fixed surname was Ó Cleirigh which recorded the death of Tigherneach Ua Cleirigh, lord of Aidhne in Co. Galway in the year 916 A.D. - In England, the introduction of family names is generally attributed to the Normans and the Domesday Book of 1086 A.D. In England, the introduction of family names is generally attributed to the Normans and the Domesday Book of 1086. Documents indicate that surnames were first adopted among the feudal nobility and gentry, and only slowly spread to the other parts of society. Some of the early Norman nobility arriving in England during the Norman Conquest differentiated themselves by affixing 'de' (of) in front of the name of their village in France. This is what is known as a territorial surname, a consequence of feudal landownership. In medieval times in France, such a name indicated lordship, or ownership, of the village. But some early Norman nobles in England chose to drop the French derivations and call themselves instead after their new English holdings. -- True surnames, in the sense of hereditary appellations, date in England from about the year 1000. Largely they were introduced from Normandy, although there are records of Saxon, surnames prior to the Norman Conquest. By the end of the twelfth century hereditary names had become common in England. But even as late as 1465 they were not universal. During the reign of Edward V (between April and June, 1483) a law was passed to compel certain Irish to adopt surnames as **a method to track and control them more: "They shall take unto
them a Surname, either of some Town, or some Colour, as Black or Brown, or some Art or Science, as Smyth or Carpenter, or some Office, as Cooke or Butler." (ramsdale.org/surname.htm)[article link] Wikipedia: The famous Bayeux Tapestry - The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth (not an actual tapestry) nearly 70 metres (230 ft) long, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings - The tapestry consists of some fifty scenes with Latin tituli (captions), embroidered on linen with coloured woollen yarns - It is likely that it was commissioned by Bishop Odo, William's half-brother, and made in England in the 1070s - In 1729 the hanging was rediscovered by scholars at a time when it was being displayed annually in Bayeux Cathedral - The tapestry is now exhibited at Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux in Bayeux, Normandy Events depicted in the tapestry: The tapestry begins with a panel of Edward the Confessor sending Harold to Normandy. Later Norman sources say that the mission was for Harold to pledge loyalty to William but the tapestry does not suggest any specific purpose. By mischance, Harold arrives at the wrong location in France and is taken prisoner by Guy, Count of Ponthieu. After exchanges of messages borne by mounted messengers, Harold is released to William who then invites Harold to come on a campaign against Conan II, Duke of Brittany. On the way, just outside the monastery of Mont St. Michel, the army become mired in quicksand and Harold saves two Norman soldiers. William's army chases Conan from Dol de Bretagne to Rennes, and Conan finally surrenders at Dinan. William gives Harold arms and armour (possibly knighting him) and Harold takes an oath on saintly relics. Although the writing on the tapestry explicitly states an oath is taken there is no clue as to what is being promised. -- Harold leaves for home and meets again with the old king Edward, who appears to be remonstrating with him. Harold is in a somewhat submissive posture and seems to be in disgrace. However, possibly deliberately, the king's intentions are not made clear. The scene then shifts by about one year to when Edward has become mortally ill and the tapestry strongly suggests that, on his deathbed, he bequeaths the crown to Harold. What is probably the coronation ceremony is attended by Stigand, whose position as Archbishop of Canterbury was controversial. Stigand is performing a liturgical function, possibly not the crowning itself. The tapestry labels the celebrant as "Stigant Archieps" (Stigand the archbishop) although by that time he had been excommunicated by the papacy who considered his appointment unlawful. -- A star with a streaming tail then appears: Halley's Comet. Comets, in the beliefs of the Middle Ages, were a bad omen. At this point the lower border of the tapestry shows a fleet of ghost-like ships thus hinting at a future invasion. The news of Harold's coronation is taken to Normandy, whereupon we are told that William is ordering a fleet of ships to be built although it is Bishop Odo shown issuing the instructions. The invaders reach England, and land unopposed. William orders his men to find food, and a meal is cooked. A house is burnt, which may indicate some ravaging of the local countryside on the part of the invaders. News is brought to William. The Normans build a motte and bailey at Hastings to defend their position. Messengers are sent between the two armies, and William makes a speech to prepare his army for battle. -- The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 less than three weeks after the Battle of Stamford Bridge but the tapestry does not provide this context. The English fight on foot behind a shield wall, whilst the Normans are on horses. Two fallen knights are named as Leofwine and Gyrth, Harold's brothers, but both armies are shown fighting bravely. Bishop Odo brandishes his baton or mace and rallies the Norman troops in battle. To reassure his knights that he is still alive and well, William raises his helmet to show his face. The battle becomes very bloody with troops being slaughtered and dismembered corpses littering the ground. King Harold is killed. This scene can be interpreted in different ways, as the name "Harold" appears above a number of knights, making it difficult to identify which character is Harold. The final remaining scene shows unarmoured English troops fleeing the battlefield. The last part of the tapestry is missing but it is thought that story never continued for very much further.[article link] Wikipedia: Robin Hood - Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore - A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor" assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men" - The idea of Robin Hood as a high-minded Saxon fighting Norman lords
also originates in the 19th century - The 20th century grafted still further details on to the original legends. The 1938 film, The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, portrayed Robin as a hero on a national scale, leading the oppressed Saxons in revolt against their Norman overlords while Richard the Lionheart fought in the Crusades; this movie established itself so definitively that many studios resorted to movies about his son (invented for that purpose) rather than compete with the image of this one There are a number of theories that attempt to identify a historical Robin Hood. A difficulty with any such historical search is that "Robert" was in medieval England a very common given name, and "Robin" (or Robyn), especially in the 13th century, was its very common diminutive. The surname "Hood" (or Hude or Hode etc.), referring ultimately to the head-covering, was also fairly common. Unsurprisingly, therefore, there are a number of people called "Robert Hood" or "Robin Hood" to be found in medieval records. Some of them are on record for having fallen afoul of the law, but this is not necessarily significant to the legend. The early ballads give a number of possible historical clues: notably, the Gest names the reigning king as "Edward", but the ballads cannot be assumed to be reliable in such details. For whatever it may be worth, however, King Edward I took the throne in 1272, and an Edward remained on the throne until the death of Edward III in 1377. On the other hand, what appears to be the first known example of "Robin Hood" as stock name for an outlaw dates to 1262 in Berkshire, where the surname "Robehod" was applied to a man after he had been outlawed, and apparently because he had been outlawed. This could suggest two main possibilities: either that an early form of the Robin Hood legend was already well established in the mid 13th century; or alternatively that the name "Robin Hood" preceded the outlaw hero that we know; so that the "Robin Hood" of legend was so called because that was seen as an appropriate name for an outlaw. It has long been suggested, notably by John Maddicott, that "Robin Hood" was a stock alias used by thieves.[article link] CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA - Crusades: The Crusades were expeditions undertaken, in fulfilment of a solemn vow, to deliver the Holy Places from Mohammedan tyranny - The idea of the crusade corresponds to a political conception which was realized in Christendom only from the eleventh to the fifteenth century - It has been customary to describe the (major) Crusades as eight in number • the first, 1095-1101; • the second, headed by Louis VII, 1145-47; • the third, conducted by Philip Augustus and Richard Coeur-de-Lion, 1188-92; • the fourth, during which Constantinople was taken, 1204; • the fifth, which included the conquest of Damietta, 1217; • the sixth, in which Frederick II took part (1228-29); also Thibaud de Champagne and Richard of Cornwall (1239); • the seventh, led by St. Louis, 1249-52; • the eighth, also under St. Louis, 1270. [article link]
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA - Crusades: The origin of the Crusades is directly traceable to the moral and political condition of Western Christendom in the eleventh century At that time Europe was divided into numerous states whose sovereigns were absorbed in tedious and petty territorial disputes while the emperor, in theory the temporal head of Christendom, was wasting his strength in the quarrel over Investitures. The popes alone had maintained a just estimate of Christian unity; they realized to what extent the interests of Europe were threatened by the Byzantine Empire and the Mohammedan tribes, and they alone had a foreign policy whose traditions were formed under Leo IX and Gregory VII. The reform effected in the Church and the papacy through the influence of the monks of Cluny had increased the prestige of the Roman pontiff in the eyes of all Christian nations; hence none but the pope could inaugurate the international movement that culminated in the Crusades. But despite his eminent authority the pope could never have persuaded the Western peoples to arm themselves for the conquest of the Holy Land had not the immemorial relations between Syria and the West favoured his design. Europeans listened to the voice of
Urban II because their own inclination and historic traditions impelled them towards the Holy Sepulchre. -From the end of the fifth century there had been no break in their intercourse with the Orient. In the early Christian period colonies of Syrians had introduced the religious ideas, art, and culture of the East into the large cities of Gaul and Italy. The Western Christians in turn journeyed in large numbers to Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, either to visit the Holy Places or to follow the ascetic life among the monks of the Thebaid or Sinai. There is still extant the itinerary of a pilgrimage from Bordeaux to Jerusalem, dated 333; in 385 St. Jerome and St. Paula founded the first Latin monasteries at Bethlehem. Even the Barbarian invasion did not seem to dampen the ardour for pilgrimages to the East. The Itinerary of St. Silvia (Etheria) shows the organization of these expeditions, which were directed by clerics and escorted by armed troops. In the year 600, St. Gregory the Great had a hospice erected in Jerusalem for the accommodation of pilgrims, sent alms to the monks of Mount Sinai ("Vita Gregorii" in "Acta SS.", March 11, 132), and, although the deplorable condition of Eastern Christendom after the Arab invasion rendered this intercourse more difficult, it did not by any means cease.[article link] CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA - Crusades: As early as the eighth century Anglo-Saxons underwent the greatest hardships to visit Jerusalem The journey of St. Willibald, Bishop of Eichstädt, took seven years (722-29) and furnishes an idea of the varied and severe trials to which pilgrims were subject (Itiner. Latina, 1, 241-283). After their conquest of the West, the Carolingians endeavoured to improve the condition of the Latins settled in the East; in 762 Pepin the Short entered into negotiations with the Caliph of Bagdad. In Rome, on 30 November, 800, the very day on which Leo III invoked the arbitration of Charlemagne, ambassadors from Haroun al-Raschid delivered to the King of the Franks the keys of the Holy Sepulchre, the banner of Jersualem, and some precious relics (Einhard, "Annales", ad an. 800, in "Mon. Germ. Hist.: Script.", I, 187); this was an acknowledgment of the Frankish protectorate over the Christians of Jerusalem. That churches and monasteries were built at Charlemagne's expense is attested by a sort of a census of the monasteries of Jerusalem dated 808 ("Commemoratio de Casis Dei" in "Itiner. Hieros.", I, 209). In 870, at the time of the pilgrimage of Bernard the Monk (Itiner. Hierosol., I, 314), these institutions were still very prosperous, and it has been abundantly proved that alms were sent regularly from the West to the Holy Land. In the tenth century, just when the political and social order of Europe was most troubled, knights, bishops, and abbots, actuated by devotion and a taste for adventure, were wont to visit Jerusalem and pray at the Holy Sepulchre without being molested by the Mohammedans. Suddenly, in 1009, Hakem, the Fatimite Caliph of Egypt, in a fit of madness ordered the destruction of the Holy Sepulchre and all the Christian establishments in Jerusalem. For years thereafter Christians were cruelly persecuted. (See the recital of an eyewitness, Iahja of Antioch, in Schlumberger's "Epopée byzantine", II, 442.) In 1027 the Frankish protectorate was overthrown and replaced by that of the Byzantine emperors, to whose diplomacy was due the reconstruction of the Holy Sepulchre. The Christian quarter was even surrounded by a wall, and some Amalfi merchants, vassals of the Greek emperors, built hospices in Jerusalem for pilgrims, e.g. the Hospital of St. John, cradle of the Order of Hospitallers. -- Instead of diminishing, the enthusiasm of Western Christians for the pilgrimage to Jerusalem seemed rather to increase during the eleventh century. Not only princes, bishops, and knights, but even men and women of the humbler classes undertook the holy journey (Radulphus Glaber, IV, vi). Whole armies of pilgrims traversed Europe, and in the valley of the Danube hospices were established where they could replenish their provisions. In 1026 Richard, Abbot of Saint-Vannes, led 700 pilgrims into Palestine at the expense of Richard II, Duke of Normandy. In 1065 over 12,000 Germans who had crossed Europe under the command of Günther, Bishop of Bamberg, while on their way through Palestine had to seek shelter in a ruined fortress, where they defended themselves against a troop of Bedouins (Lambert of Hersfeld, in "Mon. Germ. Hist.: Script.", V, 168). Thus it is evident that at the close of the eleventh century the route to Palestine was familiar enough to Western Christians who looked upon the Holy Sepulchre as the most venerable of relics and were ready to brave any peril in order to visit it. The memory of Charlemagne's protectorate still lived, and a trace of it is to be found in the medieval legend of this emperor's journey to Palestine (Gaston Paris in "Romania", 1880, p. 23). -- The rise of the Seljukian Turks, however, compromised the
safety of pilgrims and even threatened the independence of the Byzantine Empire and of all Christendom.[article link]
The Real History of the Crusades - The crusades are quite possibly the most misunderstood event in European history - Most of what passes for public knowledge about it is either misleading or just plain wrong -- Whether we admire the Crusaders or not, it is a fact that the world we know today would not exist without their efforts The ancient faith of Christianity, with its respect for women and antipathy toward slavery, not only survived but flourished - Without the Crusades, it might well have followed Zoroastrianism, another of Islam's rivals, into extinction When we think about the Middle Ages, it is easy to view Europe in light of what it became rather than what it was. The colossus of the medieval world was Islam, not Christendom. The Crusades are interesting largely because they were an attempt to counter that trend. But in five centuries of crusading, it was only the First Crusade that significantly rolled back the military progress of Islam. It was downhill from there. When the Crusader County of Edessa fell to the Turks and Kurds in 1144, there was an enormous groundswell of support for a new Crusade in Europe. It was led by two kings, Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany, and preached by St. Bernard himself. It failed miserably. Most of the Crusaders were killed along the way. Those who made it to Jerusalem only made things worse by attacking Muslim Damascus, which formerly had been a strong ally of the Christians. In the wake of such a disaster, Christians across Europe were forced to accept not only the continued growth of Muslim power but the certainty that God was punishing the West for its sins. Lay piety movements sprouted up throughout Europe, all rooted in the desire to purify Christian society so that it might be worthy of victory in the East. ... Yet, even while these close shaves were taking place, something else was brewing in Europe-something unprecedented in human history. The Renaissance, born from a strange mixture of Roman values, medieval piety, and a unique respect for commerce and entrepreneurialism, had led to other movements like humanism, the Scientific Revolution, and the Age of Exploration. Even while fighting for its life, Europe was preparing to expand on a global scale. The Protestant Reformation, which rejected the papacy and the doctrine of indulgence, made Crusades unthinkable for many Europeans, thus leaving the fighting to the Catholics. In 1571, a Holy League, which was itself a Crusade, defeated the Ottoman fleet at Lepanto. Yet military victories like that remained rare. The Muslim threat was neutralized economically. As Europe grew in wealth and power, the once awesome and sophisticated Turks began to seem backward and pathetic-no longer worth a Crusade. The "Sick Man of Europe" (the Ottoman Empire) limped along until the 20th century [WWI], when he finally expired, leaving behind the present mess of the modern Middle East .[article link] Knights Templar (Modern Freemasonry) History - The Knights Templar History started with the crusades of the Middle Ages, a war between Christians and Moslems centered around the city of Jerusalem - In 1065 the Knights Templar were formed to ensure the safety of the pilgrims of the Middle Ages who flocked towards Jerusalem - Their original name was the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ - The Knights Templar History moved on and in 1128 the ecclesiastical Council of Troyes gave the Knights Templar official recognition and granted their rule of the order - In 1272 King Henry III of England died and the English Council met at the Temple in London and draft a letter to Prince Edward informing him of his accession to the throne - [later, after an extended time of abusing their positions of power and authority] They were charged with heresy - thousands of Knights Templar were arrested across Europe - Templar ships left La Rochelle, heading to Scotland [Rosslyn Chapel] The Knights Templar leader Jacques de Molay and Geoffroi de Charney were burnt at the stake on March 18th 1314 In A.D. 637 Jerusalem was surrendered to the Saracens. The caliph of the Saracens called Omar gave guarantees for the safety of the Christian population and because of this pledge the number of pilgrimages to Jerusalem still continued to increase. In 1065 Jerusalem was taken by the Turks, who came from the kingdom of ancient Persia. 3000 Christians were massacred and the remaining Christians were treated so badly that throughout Christendom people were stirred to fight in crusades. The Knights Templar were formed to to
ensure the safety of the pilgrims of the Middle Ages who flocked towards Jerusalem. Their original name was the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ. ... the Temple of Soloman At first the Knights Templar had no church and no particular place of to live. In 1118, nineteen years after the freeing of Jerusalem, King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, granted the Knights Templar a place to live within the sacred enclosure of the Temple on Mount Moriah. This place was amid the holy structures which were exhibited by the priests of Jerusalem as the Temple of Solomon. The "Poor Fellow-soldiers of Jesus Christ" became colloquially known as "the Knighthood of the Temple of Solomon" and subsequently the Knights Templars. ... They were received with great honour by Pope Honorius, who approved of the objects and designs of the holy fraternity. The Knights Templar History moved on and in 1128 the ecclesiastical Council of Troyes gave the Knights Templar official recognition and granted their rule of the order. The Council of Troyes was instigated by Bernard of Clairvaux and the Knights Templars were represented by Hugues de Payen and Andre de Montbard. The Papal approval at the Council of Troyes resulted in many new recruits joining the order - the Rules of the Knights Templar Order: In 1130, Bernard of Clairvaux drew up the rules for the new Knights Templar order. Bernard set up the order with two main classes of knighthood, the knights and sergeants or serving brethren. Sergeants or serving brothers wore a black or brown mantle to show their lower status, whilst the Knights wore a red cross granted by Pope Eugenius III. Married men who joined the order could only join as sergeants, their property coming into the possession of the Order rather than to their wives upon their death. - A Papal Bull was issued in 1139 by Pope Innocent II, a protege of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, stating that the Knights Templar should owe allegiance to no one other than the Pope himself. - The Knights Templar History saw 1146 as the year when the Knights Templar order adopted the splayed red cross as their emblem. The Battle cry of the Templars was "Beau-Séant!" which was the motto they bore on their banner. - The Knights Templar order supported the second crusade in 1148. The decision was made to attack Damascus and armies were assembled in Acre. ... The army of Jerusalem and Guy of Lusignan, the King of Jerusalem, was beaten by Turkish forces in 1184. All Knights Templar and Hospitallers who survived the battle were executed afterwards. This event prompted the Third Crusade headed by Richard the Lionheart who was supported by the Knights Templar order. The city of Acre is taken by the Crusaders in 1191. Richard the Lionheart dies in 1199 and is succeeded by his brother John. - The Knights Templar History goes on and in 1263 problems in England lead to the Baron's revolt led by Simon de Montford opposing Edward I. On the pretence of removing his mother's jewels, Edward I entered the Knights Templar Temple in London and ransacked the treasury, taking the proceeds to the Tower of London. In 1271 Edward leads another crusade and is attacked by an assassin with a poisoned knife. He survives the attack and his life was saved with drugs sent by the master of the Knights Templar, Thomas Bérard. In 1272 King Henry III of England died and the English Council met at the Temple in London and draft a letter to Prince Edward informing him of his accession to the throne, illustrating the political importance of the Knights Templar in England. - King Philip IV of France (1268-1314) who was already heavily in debt to the Knights Templar requested a further loan. The Knights Templar refused his request. King Philip IV subsequently ordered the arrest of all Knight Templars in France. The order to arrest the Templars was sent out several weeks before the date possibly giving the Templars time to hide their wealth. On 11 October, two days before the arrest of many Templar Knights, it is recorded in French Masonic history that Templar ships left La Rochelle, heading to Scotland. On Friday the 13th, in October 1307, Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and 60 of his senior knights were arrested in Paris. They were charged with heresy and accused of homosexual acts. Admissions of guilt were extracted due to the use of torture. Pope Clement V initiated enquiries into the order and thousands of Knights Templar were arrested across Europe. The Medieval order of the Knights Templar become extinct in 1312 when the order is dissolved by the Council of Vienne. Anyone found sheltering a Templar was under threat of excommunication. Much of the Templar property outside of France was transferred by the Pope to the Knights Hospitallers, and many surviving Templars were also accepted into the Hospitallers. - The Death of the last Medieval Master: The Knights Templar leader Jacques de Molay and Geoffroi de Charney were burnt at the stake on March 18th 1314 for rescinding their former admission of heresy under torture. Jacques de Molay cursed the Pope and King Philip and prophesied that they would soon die. Pope Clement V was dead within 40 days and King Philip died that year. Jacques de Molay was the last Master of the Knights Templar.[article link]
Rosslyn Chapel - the 12 great mysteries - What's the meaning of carvings of American plants that predate Columbus' 1492 A.D. discovery of America? - Exotic plants featured in the chapel's carving include maize (corn) and aloe vera - One theory is that some of the masons who carved the chapel were descended from Vikings who may have landed in America before Columbus but another says simply that they were added later -Construction of the chapel began on 20 September 1456, although it is often been recorded as 1446 - The confusion over the building date comes from the chapel's receiving its founding charter to build a collegiate chapel in 1446 from Rome (wikipedia.com) Rosslyn Chapel, just outside Edinburgh, has been a holy place for centuries. Its name means either "point of a waterfall" or "ancient knowledge down the line" depending on who you ask. -- What is the chapel's link with Freemasons? Apparently Sir William St Clair claimed patronage of the masons - a link passed and strengthened through the generations and evidenced in two seventeenth century charters. In 1736, Sir William Sinclair became the first Scottish Grand Master at the Grand Lodge of Scotland in Edinburgh. By the 1690s, the bond between the Sinclairs and the masons was commented in a celebrated letter. ... Who is the leering green man engraved more than 120 times in the chapel? Carvings of a bearded green man appear in many religious settings in much of the world, but few have as many as Rosslyn. There are many theories about who the green man was. Some say it was either John the Baptist or Hercules. He is depicted as a Robin Hood-type figure, sometimes alternatively named Jack-in-the-green or Jack-in-the-Tree. He also may have been Celtic fertility god or a tree spirit. ... Who is the man with the gash on his head? Rumour suggests that he might be the smited apprentice of pillar fame. However, he could also be Freemasonry's legendary figure, Hiram Abiff, the martyred architect of King Solomon's Temple. Academic symbologists say it could just as easily express a classic archetype of sacrifice and rebirth. ... What do the 213 mysterious cube carvings mean? The mystical symbols carved into the stone ceiling of the chapel have confused historians for generations. But recently music scientists who believe they are part of a musical notation system are making efforts to decode the signs. The series of lines and dots are thought to represent shapes created by sand on a musical instrument during the vibrations caused by sound.[article link] Wikipedia: Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 7 March 1274), also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis - "Aquinas" is not a surname (hereditary surnames were not then in common use in Europe), but is a Latin adjective meaning "of Aquino", his place of birth - He was the foremost classical proponent of natural theology, and the father of Thomism - His influence on Western thought is considerable, and much of modern philosophy was conceived as a reaction against, or as an agreement with his ideas, particularly in the areas of ethics, natural law, metaphysics, and political theory Thomas is held in the Catholic Church to be the model teacher for those studying for the priesthood. The works for which he is best-known are the Summa Theologica and the Summa Contra Gentiles. As one of the 33 Doctors of the Church, he is considered the Church's greatest theologian and philosopher. Pope Benedict XV declared: "This (Dominican) Order ... acquired new luster when the Church declared the teaching of Thomas to be her own and that Doctor, honored with the special praises of the Pontiffs, the master and patron of Catholic schools."[article link] Wikipedia: Chapters and verses of the Bible - The Bible is a compilation of many shorter books written at different times and later assembled into the Biblical canon - By the time of the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, the New Testament had been divided into paragraphs, although the divisions were different from the modern Bible - All but the shortest of these books have been divided into chapters, generally a page or so in length, since the early 13th century - Since the mid-16th century, each chapter has been further divided into "verses" of a few short lines or sentences - As the chapter and verse divisions were not part of the original texts, they form part of the Bible's paratext Cardinal Hugo de Sancto Caro is often given credit for first dividing the Latin Vulgate into chapters in the real
sense, but it is the arrangement of his contemporary and fellow cardinal Stephen Langton who in 1205 A.D. created the chapter divisions which are used today. They were then inserted into Greek manuscripts of the New Testament in the 15th century. Robert Estienne (Robert Stephanus) was the first to number the verses within each chapter, his verse numbers entering printed editions in 1551 (New Testament) and 1571 (Old Testament Hebrew Bible). The division of the Bible into chapters and verses has often elicited severe criticism from traditionalists and modern scholars alike. Critics charge that the text is often divided in an incoherent way, or at inappropriate rhetorical points [i.e. Isaiah chapter 53], and that it encourages citing passages out of context. Nevertheless, the chapter and verse numbers have become indispensable as technical references for Bible study.[article link] Wikipedia: Johannes Gutenberg (1398 - February 3, 1468) was a blacksmith, goldsmith, printer and publisher who probably introduced movable type to Europe, and is likely to have developed the earliest European printing press - He is sometimes said to have started the Printing Revolution, regarded as the most important event of the modern period - It played a key role in the development of the Renaissance, Reformation, the Age of Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution and laid the material basis for the modern knowledge-based economy and the spread of learning to the masses - Martin Luther's 95 Theses were printed and circulated widely Gutenberg's printing technology spread rapidly throughout Europe, and may well have been refined and perfected by others. The process quickly replaced most of the manuscript methods of book-production throughout the world. Woodblock printing and manuscript rubrication continued to be used to supplement Gutenberg's printing process. His first major work using his printing methods was the Gutenberg Bible. -Legacy: Although Gutenberg was financially unsuccessful in his lifetime, the printing technologies spread quickly, and news and books began to travel across Europe much faster than before. It fed the growing Renaissance, and since it greatly facilitated scientific publishing, it was a major catalyst for the later scientific revolution. The capital of printing in Europe shifted to Venice, where visionary printers like Aldus Manutius ensured widespread availability of the major Greek and Latin texts. The claims of an Italian origin for movable type have also focused on this rapid rise of Italy in movable-type printing. This may perhaps be explained by the prior eminence of Italy in the paper and printing trade. Additionally, Italy's economy was growing rapidly at the time, facilitating the spread of literacy. Christopher Columbus had a geographical book (printed by movable types) bought by his father. That book is in a Spanish museum. Finally, the city of Mainz was sacked in 1462, driving many (including a number of printers and punch cutters) into exile. -- **Printing was also a factor in the Reformation. Martin Luther's 95 Theses were printed and circulated widely; subsequently he issued broadsheets outlining his anti-indulgences position (certificates of indulgences were one of the first items Gutenberg had printed). The broadsheet contributed to development of the newspaper. -- In the decades after Gutenberg, many conservative patrons looked down on cheap printed books; books produced by hand were considered more desirable. Today there is a large antique market for the earliest printed objects. Books printed prior to 1500 are known as incunabula. There are many statues of Gutenberg in Germany, including the famous one by Bertel Thorvaldsen (1837) in Mainz, home to the eponymous Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz and the Gutenberg Museum on the history of early printing. The later publishes the Gutenberg-Jahrbuch, the leading periodical in the field. Project Gutenberg [www.gutenberg.org], the oldest digital library [of FREE eBooks], commemorates Gutenberg's name. In 1961 the Canadian philosopher and scholar Marshall McLuhan entitled his pioneering study in the fields of print culture, cultural studies, and media ecology, The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographic Man. Gutenberg remains a towering figure in the popular image. In 1999, the A&E Network ranked Gutenberg the No. 1 most influential person of the second millennium on their "Biographies of the Millennium" countdown. In 1997, Time-Life magazine picked Gutenberg's invention as the most important of the second millennium. In space, he is commemorated in the name of the asteroid 777 Gutemberga. A French opera on his life, by Philippe Manoury, was staged in Strasbourg in September 2011.[article link]
Johannes Gutenberg - His early training was in goldsmithing - Gutenberg had the idea of utilizing techniques of metalworking, such as casting, punch-cutting, and stamping, for the mass production of books. European books at this time were hand written by scribes in a gothic script with many flourishes and ligatures - The Bible of 42 lines (per page) [a single complete copy of the Gutenberg Bible has 1,272 pages], the oldest surviving printed book in the western world Johannes Gutenberg was born into a noble family of the city of Mainz, Germany. His early training was in goldsmithing. In 1428, he moved to Strasbourg for political reasons, where he remained for over 20 years. It was in Strasbourg that he probably made his first experiments with moveable type. -- Gutenberg had the idea of utilizing techniques of metalworking, such as casting, punch-cutting, and stamping, for the mass production of books. European books at this time were hand written by scribes in a gothic script with many flourishes and ligatures (interconnected letter pairs). To reproduce this “ look” Gutenberg fashioned a font of over 300 characters, far larger than the fonts of today. To make this possible, he invented the variable-width mold, and perfected the blend of lead, antimony, and tin used by type foundries up to the present century. -- Many years of Gutenberg's life are lost to history, but by 1450 he was back in Mainz at work on a printing press. Between 1450 and 1455, while preparing to produce a large folio Latin Bible, Gutenberg is thought to have printed a number of smaller books, a calendar, and a papal Letter of Indulgence. The Bible of 42 lines, the oldest surviving printed book in the western world, was completed by August 15, 1456, and while it is now credited to Gutenberg, he appears to have been relieved of his supervisory position, and his press, before the time of its publication. In fact, no printed material was ever credited to Gutenberg during his lifetime. -- Gutenberg is also believed to have worked on the Catholicon of Johannes de Janua, an enormous encyclopedia: 748 pages in two columns of 66 lines each. In later years, he received a position as a courtier to the archbishop of Mainz, and was buried in the town's Franciscan church.[article link] Timeline of World History - The Middle Ages (476-1453 A.D.) 460 A.D. death of Saint Patrick (d. 461 or 493), Christian missionary and patron saint of Ireland -- 476 A.D. September 4, Fall of the Roman Empire, Emperor Romulus Augustulus deposed by Odoacer/Odovacar, leader of the Germanic Scirii and Heruli (tribes which at that time were foederati or allies of the Romans) -- 500 A.D. King Arthur, semi-legendary Celtic leader resisting Anglo-Saxon invasions of Britain [his existence is not historically attested] -- Clovis I, king of the Franks (r. 482-511), queen Clotilda (d. 548), Merovingian dynasty; Clovis became a Christian under the influence of Clotilda (also believing that a victory against the Alemanni was brought about by his invocation of Jesus) -- 520 A.D. Boethius (d. 524), philosopher and author of the Consolation of Philosophy, executed by Theodoric, Ostrogoth ruler of Rome (r. 493-526) -- 550 A.D. Saint Benedict (d. 550), "father of Western monasticism" and author of the Rule of Saint Benedict --- 1450 A.D. invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg -- 1453 capture of Constantinople by Ottoman Turks, flight of Greek Byzantine culture into western Europe -- end of the Hundred Years' War between France and England -- END OF THE MIDDLE AGES AND BEGINNING OF THE RENAISSANCE[article link] Introduction: At the time of the death of printing press inventor Johannes Gutenberg in 1468 A.D. a young Desiderius Erasmus, publisher of the Textus Receptus (the early version of the KJV Bible) was already two years old - Throughout his life Erasmus would translate and publish the most complete and accurate Bible of his time, his works in use by others would continue to inspire generations of Christians even to the present day Later on January 3, 1521 A.D. the great Martin Luther would be excommunicated. Excommunicated by the corrupt, occult, Illuminati Pope Leo X. A move by Pope Leo X that would finalize the Protestant Reformation and assure that Rome would never again be the sole Christian authority on earth.[article link] Wikipedia: Desiderius Erasmus (October 28, 1466 - July 12, 1536) - Using humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament - Erasmus lived through the Reformation period, but while he was critical of the Church, he could not bring himself to join the cause of the Reformers - In relation to clerical abuses in the Church, Erasmus remained committed to reforming the Church
from within - He also held to Catholic doctrines such as that of free will, which some Reformers rejected in favor of the doctrine of predestination - His middle road approach disappointed and even angered scholars in both camps Known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, early proponent of religious toleration, and theologian. Erasmus was a classical scholar who wrote in a pure Latin style and enjoyed the sobriquet "Prince of the Humanists." He has been called "the crowning glory of the Christian humanists." Using humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament. These raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation. He also wrote The Praise of Folly, Handbook of a Christian Knight, On Civility in Children, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style, Julius Exclusus, and many other works. Erasmus lived through the Reformation period, but while he was critical of the Church, he could not bring himself to join the cause of the Reformers. In relation to clerical abuses in the Church, Erasmus remained committed to reforming the Church from within. He also held to Catholic doctrines such as that of free will, which some Reformers rejected in favor of the doctrine of predestination. His middle road approach disappointed and even angered scholars in both camps. He died in Basel in 1536 and was buried in the formerly Catholic cathedral there, which had been converted to a Reformed church in 1529. Erasmus was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. Desiderius was a self-adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The Roterodamus in his scholarly name is the Latinized adjectival form for the city of Rotterdam. -- Biography: Desiderius Erasmus was born in Holland on October 28th. The exact year of his birth is debated but some evidence confirming 1466 can be found in Erasmus's own words. Of twenty-three statements Erasmus made about his age, all but one of the first fifteen indicate 1466. He was christened "Erasmus" after the saint of that name. Although associated closely with Rotterdam, he lived there for only four years, never to return. Information on his family and early life comes mainly from vague references in his writings. His parents almost certainly were not legally married. His father, named Roger Gerard, later became a priest and afterwards curate in Gouda. Little is known of his mother other than that her name was Margaret and she was the daughter of a physician. Although he was born out of wedlock, Erasmus was cared for by his parents until their early deaths from the plague in 1483. He was then given the very best education available to a young man of his day, in a series of monastic or semi-monastic schools, most notably a Latin school in Deventer run by the Brethren of the Common Life (inspired by Geert Groote). During his stay here the curriculum was renewed by the principal of the school, Alexander Hegius. For the first time ever Greek was taught at a lower level than a university in Europe, and this is where he began learning it. He also gleaned there the importance of a personal relationship with God but eschewed the harsh rules and strict methods of the religious brothers and educators.[article link] Chick.com: Was Erasmus, the editor of the Textus Receptus (Received Text - manuscript for the later King James Version, KJV 1611 Holy Bible), a "good" Roman Catholic? -- Erasmus, edited the Greek text which was later to be known as the Textus Receptus - The Roman Catholic Church criticized his works for his refusal to use Jerome's Latin translation, a translation that he said was inaccurate - It has been said that "Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched" There is probably far more truth to this statement than can be casually discerned - For the reformers were armed with Erasmus's Bible, his writings and his attitude of resistance to Roman Catholic intimidation - Of Luther he said, "I favor Luther as much as I can, even if my cause is everywhere linked with his" - He wrote several letters on Luther's behalf, and wholeheartedly agreed with him that salvation was entirely by grace, not works -- Erasmus was also the FIRST person to use the term "fundamental" He opposed Jerome's translation in two vital areas. He detected that the Greek text [of the Egyptian manuscripts] had been corrupted as early as the fourth century [by the desert monks – desert fathers]. He knew that Jerome's translation had been based solely on the Alexandrian manuscript, Vaticanus, written itself early in the fourth century. He also differed with Jerome on the translation of certain passages which were vital to the claimed authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Jerome rendered Matthew 4:17 thus: "Do penance, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Erasmus differed with: "Be penitent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Erasmus was also a staunch defender of both Mark 16:9-21 and John 8:1-12. Zeal which our modern day scholars cannot seem to find. -- Possibly Erasmus's greatest gift to mankind was his attitude toward the common man. In the rigidly "classed" society in which he lived, he was an indefatigable advocate of putting the Scripture in the hands of the common man. While Jerome's Latin had been translated at the bidding of the Roman hierarchy, Erasmus translated his Latin with the express purpose of putting it into the hands of the common people of his day. A practice that the Roman Catholic Church knew could be dangerous to its plan to control the masses. Erasmus is quoted as saying, "Do you think that the Scriptures are fit only for the perfumed?" "I venture to think that anyone who reads my translation at home will profit thereby." He boldly stated that he longed to see the Bible in the hands of "the farmer, the tailor, the traveler and the Turk." Later, to the astonishment of his upper classed colleagues, he added "the masons, the prostitutes and the pimps" to that declaration. Knowing his desire to see the Bible in the hands of God's common people, it seems not so surprising that God was to use his Greek text for the basis of the English Bible that was translated with the common man in mind, the King James Bible. -- It has been said that "Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched." There is probably far more truth to this statement than can be casually discerned. For the reformers were armed with Erasmus's Bible, his writings and his attitude of resistance to Roman Catholic intimidation. Of Luther he said, "I favor Luther as much as I can, even if my cause is everywhere linked with his." He wrote several letters on Luther's behalf, and wholeheartedly agreed with him that salvation was entirely by grace, not works. He refused pressure by his Roman Catholic superiors to denounce Luther as a heretic. If Erasmus had turned the power of his pen on Luther, it would undoubtedly have caused far more damage than the powerless threats of the pope and his imps were able to do. As it is, only his disagreement with Luther's doctrine of predestination ever prompted him to criticize the Reformer with pen and ink. Erasmus's greatest point of dissension with the Roman Church was over its doctrine of salvation through works and the tenets of the church. He taught that salvation was a personal matter between the individual and God and was by faith alone. Of the Roman system of salvation he complained, "Aristotle is so in vogue that there is scarcely time in the churches to interpret the gospel." And what was "the gospel" to which Erasmus referred? We will let him speak for himself. "Our hope is in the mercy of God and the merits of Christ." Of Jesus Christ he stated, "He ... nailed our sins to the cross, sealed our redemption with his blood." He boldly stated that no rites of the Church were necessary for an individual's salvation. "The way to enter paradise," he said, "is the way of the penitent thief, say simply, Thy will be done. The world to me is crucified and I to the world." Concerning the most biblical sect of his time, the Anabaptists, he reserved a great deal of respect. He mentioned them as early as 1523 even though he himself was often called the "only Anabaptist of the 16th century." He stated that the Anabaptists that he was familiar with called themselves "Baptists." (Ironically, Erasmus was also the FIRST person to use the term "fundamental.") So we see that when Erasmus died on July 11, 1536, he had led a life that could hardly be construed to be an example of what could be considered a "good Catholic." But perhaps the greatest compliment, though veiled, that Erasmus's independent nature ever received came in 1559, twenty-three years after his death. That is when Pope Paul IV put Erasmus's writings on the "Index" of books, forbidden to be read by Roman Catholics.[article link] Wikipedia: Codex Alexandrinus (an Egyptian manuscript) - The Codex (a book with pages vs. a parchment or a scroll) Alexandrinus is a [*corrupted] 5th century manuscript of the Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Septuagint and the New Testament - {All of the Egyptian manuscripts above are of poor quality with scribal errors of all sorts. They are poor copies with more than 5,000 changes compared to the Byzantine [Textus Receptus] manuscripts. Most of these changes are deletions, with verses and entire books missing. Many verses are modified and the reading does not make a complete thought or (use) simple logic. The only writing from the Apostle Paul is the book of Romans. There are more than 3,000 variants in the Gospels between the Codex Alexandrinus (A) and the Codex Vaticanus (B). Their lack of agreement reduces their reliability even further. One Bible text researcher has called this difference the 3,000 lies. (biblelife.org/word.htm)} It derives its name from Alexandria where it resided for a number of years before it brought by the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch Cyril Lucaris from Alexandria to Constantinople. Then it was given to Charles I of England in
the 17th century. Until the later purchase of the Codex Sinaiticus, it was the best manuscript of the Greek Bible deposited in Britain. Today, it rests along with Codex Sinaiticus in one of the showcases in the Ritblat Gallery of the British Library. As the text came from several different traditions, different parts of the codex are not of equal textual value. The text has been edited several times since the 18th century.[article link] The History of the New Testament Scriptures - Which Version of the Bible is Best? -- History proves that the Greek Textus Receptus or Received Text as edited by Desiderius Erasmus from the Holy Greek Byzantine Manuscripts is the inspired word of God - Only the King James Version [KJV 1611] and the New King James Version [NKJV] were translated into English from the Greek Textus Receptus [unfortunately the changes and modification in the NKJV are from Alexandrian texts - only the KJV 1611 is from th Textus Receptus] - This study will show that all other versions have been corrupted and should be rejected -- Byzantine New Testament Manuscripts - The major doctrines of the Bible were severely neglected and distorted during the Dark Ages (476 AD - 1100 AD), "600 years of degenerate, godless, inhuman behavior" - These doctrines are available today only because of the 5,000 Greek [Byzantine] manuscripts that survived Vulgate: The Roman Catholic Church has preserved more than 8,000 copies of the Bible written in Latin and called the Vulgate which was originally translated from Greek and Hebrew to Latin by Saint Jerome. ... Jerome obtained his Alexandrian manuscripts (common in North Africa) from which he translated the New Testament portion of the Latin Vulgate. The Vulgate shows that Jerome did not use Byzantine manuscripts from the Eastern Church. -- The printing press had been invented no later that 1456 A.D. -- Textus Receptus: The rush was on to produce printed copies of the Scriptures for the populace. Printer John Froben of Basle contacted Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) to prepare a Greek New Testament manuscript for printing. Erasmus was a Roman Catholic who was highly critical of his own Church. He wanted to change the Church from within and was in disagreement with the Reformers over their harsh methods. He was in a struggle between the two and at times at odds with both. Erasmus' theology was more in agreement with the Eastern Greek Church than either the Roman Catholic Church or the Reformers such as Martin Luther. ... Erasmus used approximately six copies of the Greek Byzantine manuscripts as his source for the new Bible, rejecting copies of the Alexandrian text available in the Roman Catholic Church. The first printing of the new Greek Bible was in February 1516 and contained Greek text parallel to his own Latin version. The work was a huge success and in great demand even though the hurried work left many typographical errors. The second edition was printed in 1519 and the third in 1522. This work became known as the Textus Receptus or Received Text. Erasmus' work came under criticism because of a few small differences not found in a majority of the Greek Byzantine manuscripts. The verse giving a good description of the Trinity (1 John 5:7 in the KJV and NKJV) was inserted in his third edition. However, this was not an addition by Erasmus, because the same text can be found in four of the older Greek manuscripts. Of the Greek manuscripts used by Erasmus only one is said to have contained the book of Revelation but was missing the last page. He is believed to have translated the last six verses from the Latin Vulgate into Greek. Even so, these verses translated today from other Greek manuscripts give the same English rendering. The critics of the Textus Receptus tend to focus on these minor occurrences in the work in order to divert the reader from the real status of the work. The Textus Receptus is the Holy Inspired Word of God. -- Egyptian New Testament Manuscripts: Codex Sinaiticus (Sin.) was discovered in the library at the Monastery of St. Catherine at the foot of Mt. Sinai in 1859 by German theologian and Biblical scholar Count Konstantin von Tischendorf (1815-1874). Some of the Old Testament is missing; however, the whole 4thcentury New Testament is preserved, with the Letter of Barnabas and most of the Shepherd of Hermas at the end. It was taken to St. Petersburg (Leningrad, Russia) and in 1933 sold by the Soviet regime to the British Museum Library in London for only 100,000 British Pounds Sterling. It is a partial manuscript believed to be dated about 350 A.D. as shown in the table below. Later revisions representing attempts to alter the text to a different standard probably were made about the 6th or 7th century at Caesarea. - Codex Vaticanus (B) was discovered in the Vatican Library, where it remains and is believed to have been since before 1475 A.D. It is a partial manuscript believed to be dated about 300 A.D. as shown in the table below. The New Testament is missing Hebrews from Chapter 9, verse 14, Philemon, and Revelation. The text type is mostly of the Alexandrian
group. - Codex Alexandrinus (A) was discovered in the patriarchal library at Alexandria in the seventeenth century and taken to the British Museum Library in London as well. It contains most of the New Testament but with lacunae (gaps) in Matthew, John and II Corinthians, and also contains the extracanonical books of I and II Clement. In the Gospels the text is of the Byzantine type, but in the rest of the New Testament it is Alexandrian. It is believed to be dated about 450 A.D. as shown in the table below. - Beatty Papyri (P) were made available in the period between 1930 and 1960 from two wealthy book collectors, Chester Beatty and Martin Bodmer. These fragments of papyri were mainly found preserved in the dry sands of Egypt. They are all Alexandrian text type. The various papyri fragments are now located in Dublin, Ireland; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Cologny, Switzerland; Vatican, Rome; and Vienna, Austria. These fragments are partial manuscripts with the Gospel of John 18:31-33 and 18:37-38 (manuscript P52) being the oldest, dating to about 130-140 A.D. P52 is now in the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England. The others are believed to be dated about 200 to 250 A.D. as shown in the table below. -- All of the Egyptian manuscripts above are of poor quality with scribal errors of all sorts. They are poor copies with more than 5,000 changes compared to the Byzantine manuscripts. Most of these changes are deletions, with verses and entire books missing. Many verses are modified and the reading does not make a complete thought or simple logic. The only writing from the Apostle Paul is the book of Romans. There are more than 3,000 variants in the Gospels between the Codex Alexandrinus (A) and the Codex Vaticanus (B). Their lack of agreement reduces their reliability even further. One Bible text researcher has called this difference the 3,000 lies. - These manuscripts are believed to have been saved because they were stored away or discarded by the Gnostics, who were later purged from the Roman Catholic Church in the 2nd century. The first anti-Gnostic writer was St. Justin Martyr (d. c. 165). The full purging took place over many centuries until the Roman Catholic Church declared Gnosticism as heresy. The older Egyptian manuscripts are not necessarily in agreement with the original Scriptures. Nobody knows. A manuscript cannot be declared more accurate simply because of its age. This is a common error made by student of Christian history. On the other hand, the Byzantine Greek manuscripts were in constant use as the early Christian church grew. Older Byzantine manuscripts were discarded because of wear and replaced with new copies. - Gnosticism was an esoteric religious movement that flourished and spread to Egypt during the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. It presented a major challenge to orthodox Christianity. Most Gnostic sects professed Christianity, but their belief sharply diverged from those of the majority of Christians in the early church. It is believed that the Gnostics butchered the Greek text with these 5,000 changes, which are mostly deletions. The Gnostics can be identified because the deletions match their [Gnostic] theology.[article link] The Controversy Behind Modern [since 1881 A.D.] Bible Versions - Remember! All the modern versions [NIV, NKJV, The Message, ESV, etc.] are based on the [excessively corrupted] (1881) Westcott and Hort text - writings of men [Westcott and Hort] who boasted between themselves that they held doctrines that would be considered dangerous heresy Remember! All the modern versions are based on the Westcott and Hort text, compiled by two men who both believed that the sacred text of Holy Scripture was to be approached and treated like any secular text of history. The English people, who felt secure in their trust that these two Cambridge scholars would take care of attacks on the Scripture, unknowingly accepted the public utterances and writings of men who boasted between themselves that they held doctrines that would be considered dangerous heresy. Nowhere in all literature can we find a more perfectly clear self-revelation of Fenton John Anthony Hort than in the Life and Letters of Fenton John Anthony Hort published in 1896 by his son, Author Fenton Hort. Hort was brought up by a well taught Bible-believing evangelical mother. She recognized the fact that her son had departed from the faith "once delivered to the saints" and was saddened thereby. -- Hort acknowledged his departure from the Evangelical faith when he wrote, "Further I agree with those who condemn many leading specific doctrines of the popular theology, as to say the least, containing much superstition and immorality of a very pernicious king... The positive doctrines even of the Evangelicals seem to me perverted rather than untrue. There are I fear, still more serious differences between us on the subject of authority, and especially the authority of the Bible," Life and Letters, Vol. I, p.400. Again Dr. Hort states, "Another idea has lately occurred to me: is not Mariolatry
displacing much worship of scattered saints and so becoming a tendency towards unity of worship? I have been persuaded for many years that Mary-worship and Jesus worship have very much in common in their causes and their results" Vol. I, p.50-51 "Life and Letters." -- Hort was completely deceived by Darwin Vol. I, p.374 "Life and Letters." "Have you read Darwin?...in spite of difficulties, I am inclined to think it is unanswerable (page 416). "...another last word on Darwin...I shall not let the matter drop in a hurry, or, to speak more correctly, it will not let me drop...there is no getting rid of it any more than a part of oneself." Vol. I, pages 433434. On the atonement Hort writes, "Certainly nothing can be more unscriptural than the modern limiting of Christ's bearing our sins and sufferings to His death; but indeed that is only one aspect of an almost universal heresy." Vol. I, page 430 "Life and Letters." -- Hort in writing to a friend, John Ellerton, Dec. 20, 1851 said: "I had no idea till the last few weeks of the importance of texts, having read so little Greek Testament, and dragged on the villainous Textus Receptus... Think of that vile Textus Receptus leaning entirely on late manuscripts. It is a blessing there are such early ones." Hort refers of course to the very corrupt Codex Vaticanus and the Codex Alexandrius in which its finder, Tischendorf, noted 12,000 alterations, Codex Sinaiticus. We ask, "From where did Hort get this great antipathy and hatred for the Textus Receptus so early in his career? How did he conceive his ingenious theories to do away with the fact that the Textus Receptus (the Greek text underlying the King James Version) and that which is representative of a very, very high percentage of all Greek Manuscripts?" -- Look at the hidden background for the modern spreading rejection of the King James Version. The followers of Westcott and Hort are following the lead of men who have departed from the faith and have given themselves over to a strictly forbidden prying into the occult. They had received from the world of spirits a hatred for the true Word of God. After we learn that Hort describes the sacred text as "being that vile Textus Receptus," we read Hort's words, "Westcott, Gorham, C.B. Scott, Benson, Bradshaw, Luard, and I have started a society for the investigation of ghosts, and all supernatural appearances, and effects, being all disposed to believe that such things really exist, and ought to be discriminated from hoaxes and mere subjective delusions; we shall be happy to obtain any good accounts well authenticated with names. Our own temporary name is the [occult] Ghostly Guild." Vol. I, page 211.[article link] the expositor: The Message (MSG) "bible" [Author: Eugene H. Peterson] Inserts Earth Reverence, God of "Green" Hope - "Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!" (The Message, Romans 15:13) -"The Message" text may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic, or audio), up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses, without express written permission of the publisher, NavPress Publishing Group, providing the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible and do not account for 25% or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted. Notice of copyright must appear as follows on either the title page or the copyright page of the work in which The Message is quoted: "Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group." (www.biblegateway.com/versions/Message-MSG-Bible/) -- How can we understand God's Truth when Truth is no longer there to be read? Huh? What God of "green" hope? Why does The Message do this? -- Before we examine what seems suggestive of earth reverence/earth worship, let us restate some of what has been covered elsewhere about The Message: A generation has been raised on this disturbing "paraphrase" of the Bible. This is the primary version so many now rely on, and nationally known preachers quote from it with regularity. Yet, as we have seen, The Message flat out omits the sin of homosexuality from several key passages. We see this in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, and also in 1 Timothy 1: 8-11 (read about that here). -- Does the acceptance and use of The Message explain why many Christians are lukewarm on the issue of homosexuality? Certainly The Message is not the only factor-we dwell in a pro-homosexual media/culture-but place this "Bible" in a person's hands and it can have, over time, significant influence. How can we understand God's Truth when Truth is no longer there to be read? - "My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart." (Proverbs 4:20-21) The beloved author of The Message, Eugene Peterson, has now endorsed two heretical books: The Shack, and Rob Bell's sly ode to universalism,
Love Wins. - The Message, bluntly stated, seems written to make Christians less knowledgeable about the Word of God. While that may seem a strong comment, please consider what Eugene Peterson himself said about the Bible: "Why do people spend so much time studying the Bible? How much do you need to know? We invest all this time in understanding the text which has a separate life of its own and we think we're being more pious and spiritual when we're doing it….[Christians] should be studying it less, not more. You need just enough to pay attention to God….I'm just not at all pleased with the emphasis on Bible study as if it's some kind of special thing that Christians do, and the more the better." I believe The Message is forerunner to a christless, sinless bible that will be used by the false church. There will be a "christ" mentioned, but not our Christ. Not the sinless Savior of humanity. Sin will be addressed, of course, but perhaps more in line with the Alcoholics Anonymous generic theology of "wrongs" and "making amends."[article link] {Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} (Part 1 of 3) Pope Leo X: 11 December 1475 - 1 December 1521, born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, [made a Cardinal at the age of 13] was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest (only a deacon) to be elected Pope - He is known for granting indulgences [selling a type of sin tithe] for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses - He was the second son of Lorenzo de' Medici, the most famous ruler of the Florentine Republic, and Clarice Orsini - His cousin, Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, would later succeed him as Pope Clement VII (1523-34) {As an Occult infiltrator [concerned with money, power and destroying Christianity] of the Roman Catholic Church Pope Leo X was primarily involved in stripping money from Churches and individuals affiliated with Rome and appropriating the money for his own use. Pope Leo X used four schemes to gain wealth 1. Starting an overpriced building project [reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica] by taxing other churches. 2. Began the selling of 'indulgences' [licenses to sin] to individuals. 3. Initiating finances for a military Crusade against the Middle-East. 4. The selling of church offices, positions and even the belongings for huge sums of money to unqualified an unworthy individuals.} Spendthrift [primarily on things not directly benefiting or advancing the Christian message and Gospel of Jesus Christ]: Leo's lively interest in art and literature, to say nothing of his natural liberality, his alleged nepotism, his political ambitions and necessities, and his immoderate personal luxury, exhausted within two years the hard savings of [Pope] Julius II, and precipitated a financial crisis from which he never emerged and which was a direct cause of most of what, from a papal point of view, were calamities of his pontificate. -- He sold cardinals' hats. He sold membership in the "Knights of Peter". He borrowed large sums from bankers, curials, princes and Jews. The Venetian ambassador Gradenigo estimated the paying number of offices on Leo's death at 2,150, with a capital value of nearly 3,000,000 ducats (about 132 million dollars in 2010 dollars) and a yearly income of 328,000 ducats ($14,432,000.00). -- The ordinary income of the pope for the year 1517 had been reckoned at about 580,000 ducats ($2,552,000.00) [around $44 each ducat coin in 2010 dollars], of which 420,000 came from the States of the Church, 100,000 from annates, and 60,000 from the composition tax instituted by Sixtus IV. These sums, together with the *considerable amounts accruing from indulgences, jubilees, and special fees, *vanished as quickly as they were received. Then the pope resorted to pawning palace furniture, table plate, jewels, even statues of the apostles. Several banking firms and many individual creditors were ruined by the death of Leo.[article link] {Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} (Part 2 of 3) Pope Leo X: Plans for a [power grabbing] Crusade - A truce was to be proclaimed throughout Christendom; the pope was to be the arbiter of disputes; the emperor and the king of France were to lead the army; England, Spain and Portugal were to furnish the fleet; and the combined forces were to be directed against Constantinople - Papal diplomacy in the interests of peace failed Plans for a Crusade: The war of Urbino was further marked by a crisis in the relations between pope and cardinals. The sacred college had allegedly grown especially worldly and troublesome since the time of Sixtus IV, and Leo took advantage of a plot of several of its members to poison him, not only to inflict exemplary punishments by executing one and imprisoning several others, but also to make a radical change in the
college. -- On 3 July 1517 he published the names of thirty-one new cardinals, a number almost unprecedented in the history of the papacy. Among the nominations were such notable men such as Lorenzo Campeggio, Giambattista Pallavicini, Adrian of Utrecht, Thomas Cajetan, Cristoforo Numai and Egidio Canisio. The naming of seven members of prominent Roman families, however, reversed the policy of his predecessor which had kept the political factions of the city out of the Curia. Other promotions were for political or family considerations or to secure money for the war against Urbino. The pope was accused of having exaggerated the conspiracy of the cardinals for purposes of financial gain, but most of such accusations appear unsubstantiated. -- Leo, meanwhile, felt the need of staying the advance of the Ottoman sultan, Selim I, who was threatening western Europe, and made elaborate plans for a crusade. A truce was to be proclaimed throughout Christendom; the pope was to be the arbiter of disputes; the emperor and the king of France were to lead the army; England, Spain and Portugal were to furnish the fleet; and the combined forces were to be directed against Constantinople. Papal diplomacy in the interests of peace failed, however; Cardinal Wolsey made England, not the pope, the arbiter between France and the Empire; and much of the money collected for the crusade from tithes and indulgences was spent in other ways. -- In 1519 Hungary concluded a three years' truce with Selim I, but the succeeding sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent, renewed the war in June 1521 and on 28 August captured the citadel of Belgrade. The pope was greatly alarmed, and although he was then involved in war with France he sent about 30,000 ducats to the Hungarians. -- Leo treated the Uniate Greeks with great loyalty, and by bull of 18 May 1521 forbade Latin clergy to celebrate mass in Greek churches and Latin bishops to ordain Greek clergy. These provisions were later strengthened by Clement VII and Paul III and went far to settle the constant disputes between the Latins and Uniate Greeks.[article link] {Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} (Part 3 of 3) Pope Leo X: Protestant Reformation and last years - Leo was disturbed throughout his pontificate by schism, especially the Reformation sparked by Martin Luther - In response to concerns about [priest-pastor] misconduct from some servants of the church In 1517 A.D. Martin Luther read his Ninety-Five Theses on the topic of indulgences in the church courtyard at Wittenberg. Students took the theses, translated them from Latin to German, and through the printing press they spread throughout Europe. Within two weeks, the theses had spread throughout Germany, and after two months they had spread throughout Europe. Leo failed to fully comprehend the importance of the movement, and in February 1518 he directed the vicar-general of the Augustinians to impose silence on his monks. -- On 30 May, Luther sent an explanation of his theses to the pope; on 7 August he was summoned to appear at Rome. An arrangement was effected, however, whereby that summons was cancelled, and Luther went instead to Augsburg in October 1518 to meet the papal legate, Cardinal Cajetan; but neither the arguments of the cardinal, nor Leo's dogmatic papal bull of 9 November requiring all Christians to believe in the pope's power to grant indulgences, moved Luther to retract. A year of fruitless negotiations followed, during which the controversy took popular root across the German States. -- A further papal bull of 15 June 1520, Exsurge Domine or Arise, O Lord, condemned forty-one propositions extracted from Luther's teachings, and was taken to Germany by Eck in his capacity as apostolic nuncio. Leo followed by formally excommunicating Luther by the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem or It Pleases the Roman Pontiff, on 3 January 1521. In a brief the Pope also directed Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor to take energetic measures against heresy. -- It was also under Leo that Lutheranism spread into Scandinavia. The pope had repeatedly used the rich northern benefices to reward members of the Roman curia, and towards the close of the year 1516 he sent the impolitic Arcimboldi as papal nuncio to Denmark to collect money for St Peter's. This led to the Reformation in Denmark-Norway and Holstein. King Christian II took advantage of the growing dissatisfaction of the native clergy toward the papal government, and of Arcimboldi's interference in the Swedish revolt, to expel the nuncio and summon Lutheran theologians to Copenhagen in 1520. Christian approved a plan by which a formal state church should be established in Denmark, all appeals to Rome should be abolished, and the king and diet should have final jurisdiction in ecclesiastical causes. Leo sent a new nuncio to Copenhagen (1521) in the person of the Minorite Francesco de Potentia, who readily absolved the king and received the rich bishopric of Skara. The pope or his legate, however, took no steps to remove abuses or otherwise reform the Scandinavian churches. --- Having
fallen ill with malaria, Pope Leo X died on December 1, 1521, so suddenly that the last sacraments could not be administered; but the contemporary suspicions of poison were unfounded. He was buried in Santa Maria sopra Minerva.[article link] {Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} The Revised Roman Empire - The [two] Medici Popes - Pope Leo X [1513 - 1521] known for being the Pope that challenged Martin Luther's [1517 A.D.] 95 Theses -- Pope Clement VII [1523 - 1534] (Medici cousin of Pope Leo X) known for being Pope during the sacking of Rome in 1527 A.D. [The (Occult) Medici (family), led by (Pope) Clement, had tried to play everyone off against each other and had made everyone their enemy -- at least temporarily - source: mmdtkw.org/VSackRome.html] Pope Leo X - Giovanni de'Medici, 1475 - 1513 - 1521: Giovanni de'Medici, second son of Lorenzo and younger brother of the fatuous Piero, became the first of the Medici Popes (Leo X - Leone Decimo) at the age of 38 on 11 March 1513. Prior to this his life had been a complete roller coaster. Brought up in Medici luxury alongside Michelangelo (who was included in the Medici household by Lorenzo), older brother Piero and cousin Giulio (who was adopted by Lorenzo after his father (who was Lorenzo's brother) was killed in the Pazzi Conspiracy in 1478), he had access to the incomes of several wealthy monasteries, including Badia a Passignano, and was made a Cardinal at the age of 13. All this came to an abrupt end in 1494 when, in the wake of Lorenzo's death, the incompetent surrender of his brother Piero the Fatuous to the French, and the ensuing Savanorola stirred turbulence, he had to sneak out of Florence dressed as a Franciscan Friar, and then live in hiding with his cousin for the next decade, latterly being protected by the Habsburg Emperor Maximilian (who ironically was to be a major cause of the collapse of the Bruges branch of the Medici Bank) and then by the dreadful Cesare Borgia and his father Pope Alessandro VI (1431 - 1492 - 1503 (72)) in Rome. ... Pope Clement VII Giulio de'Medici, 1478 - 1523 - 1534 (56) Illegitimate son of Lorenzo's (Pazzi murdered) brother Giuliano, adopted son of Lorenzo, and companion in exile to Lorenzo's son Giovanni (Leo X), who was three years his senior, Giulio de'Medici became Pope Clement VII (Clemente Settimo). He was good looking, intellectually sophisticated, a talented musician and a political disaster. In reality he also faced the legacy of the corrupt practices of his cousin Leo X, and the impossible task of operating in the emergent nation state Europe dominated by Charles V, Francis I, and Henry VIII (whom he excommunicated), and threatened by Suleiman the Magnificent, plus Martin Luther dealing the protestants into the game as well - see Insight Page. He lost England, and was humiliated by having to flee in disguise from Rome when it was barbarically sacked by Charles V's rabble army after Clement mistakenly got too close to flashy Francis I of France.[article link] {Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} The Revised Roman Empire - The Medici Family [generally considered the most Occult family of Medieval Europe] - Other Prominent Medici were *Pope Leo X (14751521); Pope Clement VII (1478-1534); Catherine (1519-1589), wife of [King] Henry II of France; and Marie (15731642), wife of [King] Henry IV of France and regent for their son [King] Louis XIII [Note: this is also the important and historic timeframe of the general discovery of America by the Italian born explorer Christopher Columbus in his 1492 voyage from Spain to America (Bahamas).] Medici, an Italian family of merchants and bankers who ruled the republic of Florence through economic power and personal influence. By their patronage of the arts they made Florence the center of the Italian Renaissance. The Medici were created dukes of Florence by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1531, and grand dukes of Tuscany by Emperor Maximilian II in 1575. The last Medici grand duke was deposed by the Austrians in 1737. Important members of the Medici family included the following. Giovanni De' Medici: (1360-1429) established the family fortune and made himself ruler of Florence's merchant oligarchy. Cosimo De' Medici: (1389-1464), his son, used his banking business to gain political power and led Florence in a long period of prosperity and artistic achievement. Lorenzo the Magnificent: (1449-1492), grandson of Cosimo, gained fame as a statesman and patron of arts and letters. He was recognized as a poet himself and was largely responsible for the Tuscan dialect becoming the national speech of Italy. Cosimo (I) the Great: (1519-1574) succeeded to the dukedom in 1537 and ruled as a despot. He restored the duchy of Tuscany by conquering the other republics that had been part of it.[article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} The Revised Roman Empire - 'Occult' power: the politics of witchcraft and superstition in Renaissance Florence - In Florence, how did one family--the Medici--secure their power after over a century of struggle, and how did they come to construct a myth of their own legitimacy? (Book) Lawrence's interpretation, however narrow and flawed, does highlight an indisputable element of Grazzini's tale of Dr. Manente: its cruelty and "monstrosity," traits that, I will argue, provide insight into the social structures of the mid-sixteenth century, particularly those that rely upon coersion and force. In Florence, how did one family-the Medici--secure their power after over a century of struggle, and how did they come to construct a myth of their own legitimacy? ... It is important to remember that, from 1494--when the friar himself gained widespread support and offered a major threat to the rule of the Medici family--until long after his execution in 1498, Savonarola bequeathed a powerful religious and political vision that was not dependent on his leadership for survival--a fact that fascinated the political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli. Savonarola's followers--called the Piagnoni first by their enemies and later, proudly, by themselves--remained politically active after his execution, through the Republic that lasted until 1513, when the first Medici pope, Leo X, used the considerable influence of this position to help his family and their allies to return to Florence, and again after the sack of Rome in 1527, which occurred during the pontificate of another Medici, Clement VII. The Piagnoni continued to be active even after the Medici, first Alessandro and then Cosimo I, openly turned Florence onto the path of absolutism [unlimited, centralized authority and absolute sovereignty] by accepting the [nobility] title of Duke. ... Lorenzo's manipulation of the Church comes into play in the next phase of the beffa. ... At this point, Grazzini emphasizes not only that many friars and priests were ignorant, but, more importantly, that the kind of people Lorenzo elevated to positions of power in the Florentine church hierarchy were either superstitious [occult] or corrupt, criticisms that Savonarola also often made of the Medici.[article link] {Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} The Revised Roman Empire - Christian and Rosicrucian Kabbalah [esoteric (hidden) teachings - the real NWO - New Age bible] - The origional Jewish [Witchcraft King Solomon] Kabbalah --> Christian mystic, Raymon Lull (1232 - 1316 A.D.) originator of the Christian Kabbalah --> Renaissance Christian Kabbalah (Medici family) --> Rosicrucian (Illuminati - Freemason) Kabbalah --> Modern Occult Kabbalah - The beginning of Christian Kabbalah is to be found in the teachings of the Catalan philosopher and mystic, Raymon Lull - Lull had the idea of unifying all three religions [Judaism, Christianity, Islam] by developing a philosophy incoporating elements common to all - the way he intended to [unite] convert was through rational and mystical doctrine - Renaissance Christian Kabbalah was derived from a number of sources - Firstly, the christological [christ doctrine] speculations of a number of Jewish converts from the late 13th to the late fifteenth centuries - Secondly, the philosophical Christian and Renaissance speculation concerning the Kabbalah that developed around the Platonic Acadamy *founded by the **Medici family in Florence Lull based his Art on the importance which Christian, Moslem [Islam], and Jew each attached to the Divine Names or Attributes, or, as he called them, Dignities. Lull mentioned nine Dignities (or Dignitaries): Bonitas (Goodness), Magnitudo (Greatness), Eternitas (Eternity), Potestas (Power), Sapientia (Wisdom), Voluntas (Will), Virtus (Virtue), Veritas (Truth), and Gloria (Glory). These are shown in the follwing diagram. ... In addition we also find the incorporation of the four elements [earth, water, air and fire] and the qualities, the seven planets and twelves [astrological] signs, medicine, alchemy, geometry, a letter notation, and so on. There is an elaborate system of correspondences, in that the nine Dignitaries have their correspondences in the celestial sphere, the human level, and the animal, plant, and material creation. In all this we see the influence, not only of Kabbalah, but also of Aristotlean categories, Augustinian Platonism (nearly all the Lullian Dignities can be found listed as Augustine's Divine Attributes), and the celestial hierarchies of angels of the Christian Neoplatonist Dionysius. [Frances A. Yates, The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age, pp.9-12]. -Renaissance Kabbalah: Renaissance Christian Kabbalah was derived from a number of sources. Firstly, the christological speculations of a number of Jewish converts from the late 13th to the late fifteenth centuries. Secondly, the philosophical Christian and Renaissance speculation concerning the Kabbalah that developed
around the Platonic Acadamy founded by the Medici family in Florence. Pico della Mirandola The Florentines, headed by the renowned Renaissance hermeticist Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-94) believed they had discovered in Kabbalah a lost divine revelation that could give the key to understanding both the teachings of Pythagoras, Plato, and the Orphics, and the inner secrets of Catholic Christianity. Pico himself had a considerable amount of Kabbalistic literature translated into Latin by the scholarly convert Samuel ben Nissim Abulfaraj. Among the 900 theses Pico presented for public debate in Rome was the claim that "no science can better convince us of the divinity of Jesus Christ than magic and the Kabbalah", and he believed he could prove the dogmas of the Trinity and the Incarnation through Kabbalistic axioms. All this caused a sensation in the intellectual Christian world, and the writings of Pico and his follower Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522) led on the one hand to great interest in the doctrine of Divine Names and in practical (magical) Kabbalah (culminating in Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheim's De Occult Philosophia (1531) and on the other to further attempts at a synthesis between Kabbalah and Christian theology. [Gershom Scholem, Kabbalah, pp.197-8] -- Rosicrucian Kabbalah: By the late 16th century Christian Kabbalah began to be permeated with alchemical symbolism; a trend that continued through the 17th and 18th century. Well known representatives are the Rosucrucian philosopher and alchemist Robert Fludd (1574-1637) and the alchemist Thomas Vaughan (1622-1666) among others. One of the works of Fludd presents an interpretation of the Sefirotic Tree which he illustrates as a Palm (left), whose ten spreading branches raying forth from the lowest world suggest that man on earth is a microcosm or reflection of the macrocosm or universe. In the second half of the 18th century this alchemical kabbalah was combined with Freemasonic numerology and occultism, from which was ultimately to develop the extraordinary occult/magickal revival of the late 19th century known as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn illustration (left) from World Trees by Hazel Minot Kircher's Tree from Oedipus Aegyptiacus published in 1652 by Athanasius Kircher, a Jesuit priest and hermetic philosopher -- Occult Kabbalah: By the 19th century the occultists of the French magician revival, such as Eliphas Levi (Alphonse Louis Constant; 1810-1875) and Papus (Gerard Encausse; 1868-1916) had lost all understanding of the original Jewish meaning of Kabbalah, and brought in various extraneous elements such as Tarot. Levi was an influential figure both on the Theosophy of Blavatsky and even more so the Golden Dawn Order of Mathers and Westcott, with it's unique Kabbalistic (or Qabalistic, to use the prefered spelling) formulation of Sefirot and paths, through which Kabbalah established itself in the contemporary Western Occult Tradition.[article link] Ulrich Zwingli (1484 - 1531 A.D.) -- A Swiss Protestant leader in the Reformation - Ulrich Zwingli is not as famous as the likes as Martin Luther or John Calvin but he did play his part in the 'Protestant' break with the Roman Catholic Church - Zwingli and Luther met at Marburg in 1529 in an attempt to unite the Protestant faiths - This meeting failed to do this - Both men could not reach an agreement on what Christ said at the Last Supper - Luther believed that 'this is my body' meant just that whereas Zwingli believed that 'my' meant signifies Ulrich Zwingli was a Swiss Protestant leader in the Reformation. Ulrich Zwingli is not as famous as the likes as Martin Luther or John Calvin but he did play his part in the break with the Roman Catholic Church. Ulrich (sometimes spelt Huldreich) Zwingli was born in 1484. He attended universities at Basle and Vienna and served as a parish priest in Glarus, Switzerland. Zwingli went with soldiers from Glarus to fight in the Habsburg-Valois Wars and between 1516 and 1518 he started to question the whole issue of Catholicism as Humanism started to make an impression on him. It is possible that Zwingli did not read any Lutheran literature until he moved in 1518 to Zurich as a Common Preacher (Leutpriester) at the Great Minster. It was at the Great Minster that Zwingli stated what is called the Zurich Reformation with sermons that were based on the Bible. Zwingli soon converted the city's council to his points of view. The council pushed the city into becoming a stronghold of Protestantism and Zurich's lead was followed by Berne and Basle. -- Zwingli's '67 Articles' (1523 A.D.) were adopted by Zurich as the city's official doctrine and the city experienced rapid reform. Preaching and Bible readings - known as prophesyings - were made more frequent; images and relics were frowned on, clerical marriage was allowed, monks and nuns were encouraged to come out of their isolated existence, monasteries were dissolved and their wealth was used to fund education and poor relief. In 1525, Zurich broke with Rome
and the Mass became a very simple ceremony using both bread and blood which merely represented the body and blood of Christ. The church of Zwingli attempted to control moral behaviour and strict supervision became common in Zurich. -- As with Martin Luther and John Calvin, the problem Zwingli faced was that some people were concerned that he had gone too far too soon while others, especially the Anabaptists, felt that he had not gone far enough. The Anabaptists were dealt with when Zwingli fell in with the city's magistrates and supported the move to exile the Anabaptists or if they refused to leave the city, deal with them in another way - drowning. -- Zwingli and Luther met at Marburg in 1529 in an attempt to unite the Protestant faiths. This meeting failed to do this. Both men could not reach an agreement on what Christ said at the Last Supper. Luther believed that 'this is my body' meant just that whereas Zwingli believed that 'my' meant signifies. Such disunity among the Protestant faiths only served to encourage the Catholic Church that the CounterReformation was having an impact. -- Though Zurich became a stronghold of Protestantism, the areas surrounding the city remained wary of a resurgent Catholic Church. They also feared that Zurich might become too powerful and assert its city powers within these regions. Also the area around Zurich was famed for the mercenaries it provided and such a 'profession' was frowned on by Zwingli. In 1529, these areas around Zurich formed the Christian Union and joined with the catholic Austrian monarchy. Zwingli preached a religious war against them and two campaigns were launched in 1529 and 1531. Zwingli was killed at the Battle of Keppel in October 1531. His work was continued by his son-in-law, Heinrich Bullinger.[article link] John Calvin (1509 - 1564 A.D.) -- In 1536 the first edition of "Institutes of the Christian Religion" was published in Basle - It was revised on a number of occasions and the final edition was published in 1559 A.D. - This book was a clear explanation of his religious beliefs - The later versions expanded on how his church should be organised Calvinism was based around the absolute power and supremacy of God. The world was created so that Mankind might get to know Him. Calvin believed that Man was sinful and could only approach God through faith in Christ - not through Mass and pilgrimages. Calvin believed that the New Testament and baptism and the Eucharist had been created to provide Man with continual divine guidance when seeking faith. In Calvin’ s view, Man, who is corrupt, is confronted by the omnipotent (all powerful) and omnipresent (present everywhere) God who before the world began predestined some for eternal salvation (the Elect) while the others would suffer everlasting damnation (the Reprobates). The chosen few were saved by the operation of divine grace which cannot be challenged and cannot be earned by Man’ s merits. You might have lead what you might have considered a perfectly good life that was true to God but if you were a reprobate you remained one because for all your qualities you were inherently corrupt and God would know this even if you did not. However, a reprobate by behaving decently could achieve an inner conviction of salvation. An Elect could never fall from grace. However, God remained the judge and lawgiver of men. Predestination remained a vital belief in Calvinism.[article link] Wikipedia: Martin Luther (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) -- A German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation - He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money - He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his **Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 A.D. - His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Emperor Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin. His theology challenged the authority of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify with Luther's teachings are called Lutherans. -- His (1522 A.D.) translation of the Bible into the language of the people (instead of Latin) made it more accessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church and on German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to
the art of translation, and influenced the translation into English of the King James Bible. His hymns influenced the development of singing in churches. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant priests to marry. -- In his later years, while suffering from several illnesses and deteriorating health, Luther became increasingly antisemitic, writing that Jewish homes should be destroyed, their synagogues burned, money confiscated and liberty curtailed. These statements have contributed to his controversial status.[article link] Martin Luther Excommunicated, January 3, 1521 A.D. - The Church usually handed excommunicated persons over to civil authorities to be burned at the stake - However, circumstances prevailed that spared Martin Luther this fate and paved the way for Luther's stand at the Diet of Worms in April 1521 A.D. On January 3, 1521 the Vatican published the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem ([It] Befits [the] Roman Pontiff), excommunicating Martin Luther for Luther's refusal to recant. The pope [Leo X] had issued a previous bull, Exsurge Domine (Arise, O Lord), giving Luther 60 days to recant and another 60 days to make his recantation known to Rome. Meanwhile, Luther's books were being burned for allegedly containing heresy. On December 10, 1520 Luther responded by publicly burning his copy of Exsurge Domine. -- The Church usually handed excommunicated persons over to civil authorities to be burned at the stake. However, circumstances prevailed that spared Martin Luther this fate and paved the way for Luther's stand at the Diet of Worms in April 1521. The pure teaching of Scripture would not be snuffed out by the flames. -- Luther wasn't looking to split the Church; he wanted the Church to institute reforms and took a more conciliatory tone at first in his writings. When it became clear that the pope cared not at all for Scripture and reason, only for Luther's recantation, Luther rose to the challenge and prepared to take his stand. The truth of God's Word, long muffled or distorted by the noise of human traditions, would find a voice in Martin Luther and others willing to risk everything on the authority and benevolence of Sola Scriptura.[article link] Amazon: Empires Collection - The Dynasties - Egypt's Golden Empire / **The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance / Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire / The Roman Empire in the First Century / The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization) - Empires Collection: The Dynasties (5 Disc Gift Set) - Empires Collection: The Dynasties is a compilation of five outstanding stories of some of histories greatest dynasties (2000 - DVDs) Egypt's Golden Empire: In 1570 B.C., when Rome was still a marsh and the Acropolis was an empty rock, Egypt was already 1000 years old. Although the period of the pyramid-builders was long over, Egypt lay on the threshold of its greatest age. The New Kingdom would be an empire forged by conquest, maintained by intimidation and diplomacy, and remembered long after its demise. Led by a dynasty of rich personalities, whose dramatic lives changed the course of civilization, Egypt's Golden Empire presents the most extraordinary period in Egyptian history: from 1570 B.C. to 1070 B.C., when the Egyptian Empire reached its zenith. -- The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance - From a small Italian community in 15th century Florence, the Medici family would rise to rule Europe in many ways. Using charm, patronage, skill, duplicity and ruthlessness, they would amass unparalleled wealth and unprecedented power. They would also ignite the most important cultural and artistic revolution in Western history- the European Renaissance. But the forces of change the Medici helped unleash would one day topple their ordered world. An epic drama played out in the courts, cathedrals and palaces of Europe, this series is both the tale of one family's powerful ambition and of Europe's tortured struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages. -- Japan: Memoirs Of A Secret Empire Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans -- all were part of the Japanese "renaissance" -- a period between the 16th and 19th centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the Shogun under his absolute power and control. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship to the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world. -- The Roman Empire in the First Century: Two thousand years ago, at the dawn of the first century, the ancient world was ruled by Rome. Through the experiences, memories and writings of the people who lived it, this series tells the
story of that time - the emperors and slaves, poets and plebeians, who wrested order from chaos, built the most cosmopolitan society the world had ever seen and shaped the Roman empire in the first century A.D. -The Greeks: Crucible [melting pot] of Civilization - The Greeks - Classical Greece of the 4th and 5th centuries, B.C. was a magnificent civilization that laid the foundations for modern science, politics, warfare, and philosophy, and produced some of the most breathtaking art and architecture the world has ever known. Through the eyes and words of the great heroes of ancient Greece, this dazzling production charts the rise, triumph, and eventual decline of the world's first democracy. Now, through dramatic storytelling and state-ofthe-art computer animation, you witness history, art, and government with giants like Pericles, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.[article link] Introduction - The Reformation: 1522 A.D. to 1880 A.D. indigenous Bible translations and Church Doctrines era - The glorious Christian light of the Protestant Reformation that began so spectacularly with Wycliffe, Erasmus, Tyndale, Luther, Cranmer and others has unfortunately mostly faded and today it is just the flickering of a light left by Francis Schaeffer and a few others Francis Schaeffer, the last spark from the glorious flame of the reformation fire that at one time swept Europe and the New World. Schaeffer was a true Christian intellect in the mold of all the famous reformers. Frances Schafer was truly a unique and gifted man as such he was a person with a blessed spirit, a living soul and an awake mind. A spirit, a soul and an intellect that he used mightily to help bring about change in the portion of the world that he occupied. With his departing the Christian Church continues to morn as it laments the loss of a past era.[article link] The Spreading Flame, 5-DVD Set The Protestant Reformation comes alive with this introduction to the key characters, turning points, and events of this dramatic time in church history. Travel to Switzerland, Germany, Scotland, and England and be inspired by the faith and determination of the Waldenses, the Huguenots, Wycliffe, Tyndale, Knox, Calvin, Zwingli, Luther, and other champions of the faith. Five DVDs, approx. 80 minutes each. DVDs Included: Comes the Dawn - Your heart will be thrilled a the mighty exploits of God's faithful people and how His providence has overruled in the affairs of men and nations, that the truth of the Gospel should never be extinguished. Story of the Bible From Erasmus to John Wycliffe to William Tyndale, their diligence and perseverance laid the foundation for the Bible we have today Champions of Freedom - John Knox and Ulrich Zwingli wage fierce and courageous battles to bring spiritual freedom to their respective countries Winds of Change - Strange - and wonderful - how the winds of God's providence blow in favour of the truth. The Reformation Comes of Age - The precious saints of God endure many trials and tribulations. But through them all, freedom and truth burn like a spreading flame.[article link] An epic film - Luther: The Movie (2003) - Martin Luther, the brilliant man of God whose defiant actions changed the world (sparked the Protestant reformation) {An excellent movie about God and mankind and the relationship between the two. It also well documents the horrors of when a valid movement (i.e. having a local Bible translation for the people to read like in English) goes to far. Keep in mind that Dr. Martin Luther also had many faults, he later became somewhat anti-Jewish and the Nazis' later used some of Luther's writings to persecute the Jews.} (DVD) Luther: The Movie, DVD --> Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) stars as Martin Luther, the brilliant man of God whose defiant actions changed the world, in this epic film that traces Luther's extraordinary and exhilarating quest for the people's liberation. Regional princes and the powerful Church wield a fast, firm and merciless grip on 16th-centur Germany. But when Martin Luther issues a shocking challenge to their authority, the people declare him their new leader - and hero. Even when threatened with violent death, Luther refuses to back down, sparking a bloody revolution that shakes the entire continent to its core. Approx. 2 hours 4 minutes.[article link]
{Excellent!!} Church History - A Biography of William Tyndale (Mp3) William Tyndale part 2 by Andy Davis | Mar 7, 2009 | Topic: Christian Biography[article link] The Life of William Tyndale - "Oh Lord, open the King of England's eyes" - translated Erasmus' Enchiridion militis christiani (Handbook of the Christian Soldier, 1503) - Tyndale announced to a visiting clergyman that he meant to translate the Bible so that ploughboys should be more educated than the clergyman himself William Tyndale was born about 1494 in Gloucestershire. He took his B.A. at Oxford in 1512 and his M.A. in 1515. He also apparently spent time in Cambridge. He was for some time tutor to a Gloucestershire family. He disturbed the local divines by routing them at the dinner table with chapter and verse of scripture, and by translating Erasmus' Enchiridion militis christiani (Handbook of the Christian Soldier, 1503). He was accused of heresy, but nothing was ever proved. John Foxe reports in his Acts and Monuments (1563) that one day at dinner, Tyndale announced to a visiting clergyman that he meant to translate the Bible so that ploughboys should be more educated than the clergyman himself. -- He travelled to London to ask the Bishop, Cuthbert Tunstall, for support in his work. Tunstall rebuffed him. At this time, king Henry VIII was still the defender of the Catholic faith. Realising he could not translate the Bible in England, Tyndale accepted the help of a London merchant and went to Germany in 1524. He never returned to England, but lived a hand-to-mouth existence, dodging the Roman Catholic authorities. In 1525, he and his secretary moved to Cologne, Germany and began printing the New Testament. But Tyndale was betrayed, and fled up the Rhine to Worms. Here he started printing again, and the first complete printed New Testament in English appeared in February 1526. Copies began to arrive in England about a month later. In October, Tunstall had all the copies he could trace gathered and burned at St Paul's Cross in London. Still they circulated. Tunstall arranged to buy them before they left the continent, so that they could be burned in bulk. Tyndale used the money this brought him for further translation and revision. At the same time, he wrote polemical treatises and expositions of the Bible. He began the Old Testament, apparently in Antwerp: Foxe tells how, sailing to Hamburg to print Deuteronomy, he was shipwrecked and lost everything, 'both money, his copies, and time', and started all over again, completing the Pentateuch between Easter and December. Back in Antwerp, Tyndale printed it in early January, 1530. Copies were in England by the summer. Revisions and shorter translations followed. -- Tyndale's writings were popular in England. Henry VIII, fearing Tyndale's influence, sent an ambassador to persuade him to return to England. In a secret, nighttime meeting outside Antwerp city walls, Tyndale agreed that he would return to England, if the king would print an English Bible. By the time Henry published his Great Bible, Tyndale was already dead. In 1535, the fanatical Englishman Henry Phillips betrayed him to the Antwerp authorities and had him kidnapped. He was imprisoned at Vilvoorde, near Brussels, for sixteen months. A letter from him, in Latin, has survived, asking for a lamp, a blanket, and Hebrew texts, grammar and dictionary, so that he could study. Even Thomas Cromwell, the most powerful man next to King Henry VIII, moved to get him released: but Phillips in Belgium, acting for the papal authorities, blocked all the moves. -- On the morning of 6 October 1536, now in the hands of the secular forces, he was taken to the place of execution, tied to the stake, strangled and burned. His last words reportedly were: "Oh Lord, open the King of England's eyes."[article link] Who is William Tyndale? - William Tyndale holds the distinction of being the first man to ever print the New Testament in the English language William Tyndale holds the distinction of being the first man to ever print the New Testament in the English language. Tyndale also went on to first translate much of the Old Testament from the original Hebrew into English, but he was executed in 1536 for the "crime" of printing the scriptures in English before he could personally complete the printing of an entire Bible. His friends Myles Coverdale, and John "Thomas Matthew" Rogers, managed to evade arrest and publish entire Bibles in the English language for the first time, and within one year of Tyndale's death. - These Bibles were primarily the work of William Tyndale.[article link] Wikipedia: William Tyndale (1494 - 1536 A.D.) -- was an English scholar and translator who became a leading figure in Protestant reformism towards the end of his life - He was influenced by the work of Desiderius
Erasmus, who made the Greek New Testament available in Europe, and by Martin Luther Tyndale was the first to translate considerable parts of the Bible from the original languages (Greek and Hebrew) into English. While a number of partial and complete translations had been made from the seventh century onward, particularly during the 14th century, Tyndale's was the first English translation to draw directly from Hebrew and Greek texts, and the first to take advantage of the new medium of print, which allowed for its wide distribution. This was taken to be a direct challenge to the hegemony of both the Roman Catholic Church and the English church and state. Tyndale also wrote, in 1530, The Practyse of Prelates, opposing Henry VIII's divorce on the grounds that it contravened scriptural law. -- In 1535, Tyndale was arrested and jailed in the castle of Vilvoorde outside Brussels for over a year. He was tried for heresy, choked, impaled and burnt on a stake in 1536. The Tyndale Bible, as it was known, continued to play a key role in spreading Reformation ideas across the English-speaking world. The fifty-four independent scholars who created the King James Version of the bible in 1611 drew significantly on Tyndale's translations. One estimation suggests the New Testament in the King James Version is 83% Tyndale's, and the Old Testament 76%. -- Printed works: Most well known for his translation of the Bible, Tyndale was an active writer and translator. Not only did Tyndale's works focus on the way in which religion should be carried out, but were also greatly keyed towards the political arena. "They have ordained that no man shall look on the Scripture, until he be noselled in heathen learning eight or nine years and armed with false principles, with which he is an clean shut out of the understanding of the Scripture."[article link]
400th Year Anniversary (May 1611 - May 2011) of the Authorized King James Version (KJV 1611) of the Bible Erasmus' Textus Receptus was consulted during the translation of Reformation era Bibles including the Authorised Version (KJV) and represents readings found in the overwhelming majority of Greek texts available in the world today The Authorised (British spelling) Version of the holy scriptures, commonly known as the Authorized King James Version or KJV, is the word of God and the glory of the English language. For almost 400 years it has led multitudes to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and a whole new life in him and his word. The King James Bible has spread across the world reaching mankind generation after generation. It has saved, comforted, exhorted, rebuked, admonished, warned, enlightened, and edified without ceasing. King James VI & I, founding monarch of Great Britain, not only commanded the translation of the Authorised Version but he actually took an active role in developing the rules for translators and encouraging the completion of the work. The King's College website states, The development of the Bible in English differs from that of other European vernacular translations. Only England has an "authorised version", issued under the auspices of a king who was also the head of the Church. The vernacular Bible was illegal in England long before the Reformation and so began its development at a great disadvantage, but once England became a Protestant country the translated Bible became a symbol of state.[article link] Wesley Center: William Tyndale's Old English Bible Translation - {Old English} New Testament, 1526 A.D. William Tyndale, The newe Testament as it was written and caused to be written by them which herde yt - To whom also oure saveour Christ Jesus commaunded that they shulde preache it unto al creatures - 1526 A.D. (PDF) To download the entire Tyndale Bible click here. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader for this file. To read a particular book, click on the appropriate link below: -- About the Wesley Center Online -- The Wesley Center Online web site is a collection of historical and scholarly resources about the Wesleyan Tradition, theology, Christianity, and the Nazarene church. Copyright © 1993-2011. Wesley Center for Applied Theology, c/o Northwest Nazarene University. All Rights Reserved.[article link] Wikipedia: Oxford Martyrs (1555-1556 A.D.) -- The Oxford Martyrs were tried for heresy in 1555 A.D. and subsequently burnt at the stake in Oxford, England, for their religious beliefs and teachings - The three martyrs were the Anglican bishops Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley and Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury -
A small area cobbled with stones forming a cross in the centre of the road outside the front of Balliol College marks the site - It is claimed that the scorch marks from the flames can still be seen on the doors of Balliol College History: The three were tried at University Church of St Mary the Virgin, the official church of Oxford University on the High Street. The martyrs were imprisoned at the former Bocardo Prison near the still extant St Michael at the Northgate church (at the north gate of the city walls) in Cornmarket Street. The door of their cell is on display in the tower of the church. The martyrs were burnt at the stake just outside the city walls to the south, where Broad Street is now located. Latimer and Ridley were burnt on 16 October 1555. Cranmer was burnt five months later on 21 March 1556. A small area cobbled with stones forming a cross in the centre of the road outside the front of Balliol College marks the site. The Victorian spire-like Martyrs' Memorial, at the south end of St Giles' nearby, commemorates the events. It is claimed that the scorch marks from the flames can still be seen on the doors of Balliol College (now rehung between the Front Quadrangle and Garden Quadrangle). [article link]
Wikipedia: Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 - 21 March 1556 A.D.) -- was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I -- During Cranmer's tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury, he was responsible for establishing the first doctrinal and liturgical structures of the reformed Church of England - He wrote and compiled the first two editions of the "Book of Common Prayer" a complete liturgy for the English Church Book of Common Prayer (1548-1549) -- The 1549 Book of Common Prayer: As the use of English in worship services spread, the need for a complete uniform liturgy for the Church became evident. Initial meetings to start what would eventually become the Book of Common Prayer were held in the former abbey of Chertsey and in Windsor Castle in September 1548. The list of participants can only be partially reconstructed, but it is known that the members were balanced between conservatives and reformers. These meetings were followed by a debate on the Eucharist in the House of Lords which took place between 14 and 19 December. Cranmer publicly revealed in this debate that he had abandoned the doctrine of the real presence and believed that the Eucharistic presence was only spiritual. Parliament backed the publication of the Prayer Book after Christmas by passing the Act of Uniformity 1549; it then legalised clerical marriage. -- It is difficult to ascertain how much of the Prayer Book is actually Cranmer's personal composition. Generations of liturgical scholars have been able to track down the sources that he used, including the Sarum Rite, writings from Hermann von Wied, and several Lutheran sources including Osiander and Justus Jonas. More problematic is determining how Cranmer worked on the book and with whom he worked. Despite the lack of knowledge of whom might have helped him, however, he is given the credit for the editorship and the overall structure of the book. -- The use of the new Prayer Book was made compulsory on 9 June 1549. This triggered a series of protests in Devon and Cornwall, the Prayer Book Rebellion. By early July, the uprising had spread to other parts in the east of England. Bucer had just taken up his duties in Cambridge when he found himself in the middle of the commotion and had to scurry to shelter. The rebels made a number of demands including the restoration of the Six Articles, the use of Latin for the mass with only the consecrated bread given to the laity, the restoration of prayers for souls in purgatory, and the rebuilding of abbeys. Cranmer wrote to the king a strong response to these demands in which he denounced the wickedness of the rebellion. On 21 July, Cranmer commandeered St Paul's Cathedral where he vigorously defended the official Church line. A draft of his sermon, the only extant written sample of his preaching from his entire career, shows that he collaborated with Peter Martyr on dealing with the rebellion.[article link] Book of Common Prayer (1662 A.D. Version) - "I believe there is no Liturgy in the world, either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of a solid, scriptural, rational piety than the Common Prayer of the Church of England" John Wesley (PDF) The 1662 Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England (you can download it by clicking the picture to the left or the link below) is still technically the only "official" prayer book of the Church of England, the mother
church (for the moment at least) of the Anglican Communion. It itself is the result of more than a century of liturgical development through a turbulent time in British history. Its literary and theological influence is immense; this alone makes it an important document.[article link] Wikipedia: Westminster Confession of Faith - a Reformed confession of faith, in the Calvinist theological tradition. Although drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, largely of the Church of England, it became and remains the 'subordinate standard' of doctrine in the Church of Scotland, and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide In 1643, the English Parliament called upon "learned, godly and judicious Divines", to meet at Westminster Abbey in order to provide advice on issues of worship, doctrine, government and discipline of the Church of England. Their meetings, over a period of five years, produced the confession of faith, as well as a Larger Catechism and a Shorter Catechism. For more than three centuries, various churches around the world have adopted the confession and the catechisms as their standards of doctrine, subordinate to the Bible. -- The Westminster Confession of Faith was modified and adopted by Congregationalists in England in the form of the Savoy Declaration (1658). Likewise, the Baptists of England modified the Savoy Declaration to produce the Second London Baptist Confession (1689). English Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Baptists would together (with others) come to be known as Nonconformists, because they did not conform to the Act of Uniformity (1662) establishing the Church of England as the only legally approved church, though they were in many ways united by their common confessions, built on the Westminster Confession. -- Evangelical Presbyterian Church: The Evangelical Presbyterian Church, which broke from the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America in 1981 in order to provide a conservative alternative to the older denomination, holds to the Westminster Confession of Faith composed of a combination of different editions, but based on the American version of the 1647 text.[4] The EPC holds to the Westminster Confession in light of a brief list of the essentials of the faith as drafted at its first General Assembly at Ward Church outside of Detroit, Michigan.[article link] Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) - Downloadable Documents (Doc) The Westminster Catechism was completed in 1647 by the Westminster Assembly and continues to serve as part of the doctrinal standards of many Presbyterian churches.[article link] The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) - Downloadable Documents (PDF) In 1643, during a period of civil war, the English "Long Parliament" (under the control of Presbyterian Puritans) convened an Assembly of Divines (mostly Puritan ministers, including a few influential Scottish commissioners) at Westminster Abbey in London. Their task was to advise Parliament on how to bring the Church of England into greater conformity with the Church of Scotland and the Continental Reformed churches. The Westminster Assembly produced documents on doctrine, church government, and worship that have largely defined Presbyterianism down to this day. These documents included a Confession of Faith (1646), a Larger Catechism (1647), and a Shorter Catechism (1647), often collectively called "the Westminster standards." Parliamentary efforts to reconstitute the established Church of England along Presbyterian lines were soon thwarted by the rise to power of Cromwell (who favored Independency) and the expulsion of Presbyterians from Parliament in 1648, and then the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, which quickly led to the reinstitution of Episcopacy and the suppression of Puritanism. -- But things were different in Scotland. The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland adopted the Confession of Faith in 1647 and the Catechisms in 1648. The Scottish Parliament ratified them in 1649 and again (after a time of political and religious strife) in 1690. The Presbyterian character of the Church of Scotland was safeguarded when Scotland and England were united under one crown in 1707. Numerous Presbyterian bodies have been formed since then, both in the United Kingdom and around the world, and they have always been constituted on the basis of the Westminster standards (although declension from them has sometimes followed). -- When the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was formed in 1788, it adopted the Westminster standards, as containing the system
of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures. However, it revised chapters 20.4, 23.3, and 31.2 of the Confession, basically removing the civil magistrate (i.e., the state) from involvement in ecclesiastical matters.[article link] Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) -- (Occult) philosopher and statesman, was the youngest son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper, by his second wife - In 1596 he was made a Queen's Counsel, but missed the appointment of Master of the Rolls, and in the next year (1597), he published the first edition of his Essays, ten in number, combined with Sarced Meditations and the Coulours of Good and Evil - In his great office Bacon showed a failure of character in striking contrast with the majesty of his intellect - He was corrupt alike politically and judicially - Thenceforth he devoted himself to study and writing (aka William Shakespeare) - In 1622 appeared his History of Henry VII, and the 3rd part of the Instauratio; in 1623, History of Life and Death, the De Augmentis Scientarum, a Latin translation of the Advancement, and in 1625 the 3rd edition of the Essays, now 58 in number - He also published Apophthegms, **and a translation [here we have the beginnings of what we have so much of today, modern occultists translating versions of the Bible] of some of the Psalms -- The intellect of Bacon was one of the most powerful and searching ever possessed by man, and his developments of the inductive philosophy revolutionised the future thought of the human race Bacon, Francis, Lord Verulam, and Viscount St. Alban's, philosopher and statesman, was the youngest son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper, by his second wife, a daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke, whose sister married William Cecil, Lord Burghley, the great minister of Queen Elizabeth. He was born at York House in the Strand on Jan. 22, 1561, and in his 13th year was sent with his elder brother Anthony to Trinity College, Cambridge. Here he first met the Queen, who was impressed by his precocious intellect, and was accustomed to call him "the young Lord Keeper." Here also he became dissatisfied with the Aristotelian philosophy as being unfruitful and leading only to resultless disputation. -- In 1576 he entered Gray's Inn, and in the same year joined the embassy of Sir Amyas Paulet to France, where he remained until 1579. The death of his father in that year, before he had completed an intended provision for him, gave an adverse turn to his fortunes, and rendered it necessary that he should decide upon a profession. He accordingly returned to Gray's Inn, and, after an unsuccessful attempt to induce Burghley to give him a post at court, and thus enable him to devote himself to a life of learning, he gave himself seriously to the study of law, and was called to the Bar in 1582. He did not, however, desert philosophy, and published a Latin tract, Temporis Partus Maximus (the Greatest Birth of Time), the first rough draft of his own system. -- Two years later, in 1584, he entered the House of Commons as member for Melcombe, sitting subsequently for Taunton (1586), Liverpool (1589), Middlesex (1593), and Southampton (1597). In the Parliament of 1586 he took a prominent part in urging the execution of Mary Queen of Scots. About this time he seems again to have approached his powerful uncle, the result of which may possibly be traced in his rapid progress at the Bar, and in his receiving, in 1589, the reversion to the Clerkship of the Star Chamber, a valuable appointment, into the enjoyment of which, however, he did not enter until 1608. -- About 1591 he formed a friendship with the Earl of Essex, from whom he received many tokens of kindness ill requited. In 1593 the offices of Attorney-general, and subsequently of Solicitor-general became vacant, and Essex used his influence on Bacon's behalf, but unsuccessfully, the former being given to Coke, the famous lawyer. These disappointments may have been owing to a speech made by Bacon on a question of subsidies. To console him for them Essex presented him with a property at Twickenham, which he subsequently sold for £1800, equivalent to a much larger sum now. -- In 1596 he was made a Queen's Counsel, but missed the appointment of Master of the Rolls, and in the next year (1597), he published the first edition of his Essays, ten in number, combined with Sarced Meditations and the Coulours of Good and Evil. By 1601 Essex had lost the Queen's favour, and had raised his rebellion, and Bacon was one of those appointed to investigate the charges against him, and examine witnesess, in connection with which he showed an ungrateful and indecent eagerness in pressing the case against his former friend and benefactor, who was executed on Feb. 25, 1601. This act Bacon endeavoured to justify in A Declaration of the Practices and Treasons, etc., of...the Earl of Essex, etc. His circumstances had for some time been bad, and he had been arrested for debt: he had, however, received a gift of a fine of £1200 on one of Essex's accomplices. -- The accession of James VI in 1603 gave a favourable turn to his fortunes: he was knighted, and endeavoured to set himself right with the new powers by
writing his Apologie (defence) of his proceedings in the case of Essex, who had favoured the succession of James. In the first Parliament of the new king he sat for St. Alban's, and was appointed a Commissioner for Union with Scotland. In 1605 he published The Advancement of Learning, dedicated, with fulsome flattery, to the king. The following year he married Alice Barnham, the daughter of a London merchant, and in 1607 he was made Solicitor-General, and wrote Cogita et Visa, a first sketch of the Novum Organum, followed in 1609 by The Wisdom of the Ancients. -- Meanwhile (in 1608), he had entered upon the Clerkship of the Star Chamber, and was in the enjoyment of a large income; but old debts and present extravagance kept him embarrassed, and he endeavoured to obtain further promotion and wealth by supporting the king in his arbitrary policy. In 1613 he became Attorney-General, and in this capacity prosecuted Somerset in 1616. The year 1618 saw him Lord Keeper, and the next Lord Chancellor and Baron Verulam, a title which, in 1621, he exchanged for that of Viscount St. Albans. Meanwhile he had written the New Atlantis, a political romance, and in 1620 he presented to the king the Novum Organum, on which he had been engaged for 30 years, and which ultimately formed the main part of the Instauratio Magna. -- In his great office Bacon showed a failure of character in striking contrast with the majesty of his intellect. He was corrupt alike politically and judicially, and now the hour of retribution arrived. In 1621 a Parliamentary Committee on the administration of the law charged him with corruption under 23 counts; and so clear was the evidence that he made no attempt at defence. To the lords, who sent a committee to inquire whether the confession was really his, he replied, "My lords, it is my act, my hand, and my heart; I beseech your lordships to be merciful to a broken reed." He was sentenced to a fine of £40,000, remitted by the king, to be committed to the Tower during the king's pleasure (which was that he should be released in a few days), and to be incapable of holding office or sitting in parliament. He narrowly escaped being deprived of his titles. -- Thenceforth he devoted himself to study and writing. In 1622 appeared his History of Henry VII, and the 3rd part of the Instauratio; in 1623, History of Life and Death, the De Augmentis Scientarum, a Latin translation of the Advancement, and in 1625 the 3rd edition of the Essays, now 58 in number. He also published Apophthegms, and a translation of some of the Psalms. -- His life was now approaching its close. In March, 1626, he came to London, and shortly after, when driving on a snowy day, the idea struck him of making an experiment as to the antiseptic properties of snow, in consequence of which he caught a chill, which ended in his death on 9th April 1626. He left debts to the amount of £22,000. At the time of his death he was engaged upon Sylva Sylvarum. -- The intellect of Bacon was one of the most powerful and searching ever possessed by man, and his developments of the inductive philosophy revolutionised the future thought of the human race.[article link] Sir Francis Bacon (aka William Shakespeare) - Program to Chaos - in Hebrew V=6, therefore (vv) or W=66 in kabbalism (Jewish occultism) is the number of the fallen angels or qlippoth - making a third v therefore equaling 666 the number of the beast {In the Bible 6 = incomplete and 6 equals man as man without God is incomplete. In short 6 = fallen man without God, 66 = fallen angels and 666 = the most incomplete Antichrist. Occultist like Sir Francis Bacon (William Shakespeare) - William Shakespeare is the pen name of Sir Francis Bacon he is the actual Shakespeare. Bacon used the W composed of two v's (VV) equating himself as a fallen Angel (Nephilim) [William = conquer and Shakespeare = "Spear Shaker" one angry and at war with God (Nimrod Genesis 10:9 - mighty spear shaker "hunter" against God). George W. Bush uses his W in the same way to equate himself as a fallen evil Nephilim.} I had recognized that, in Hebrew, V=6, therefore, W=66. 66 in kabbalism is the number of the fallen angels or qlippoth. Hitler was a kabbalist, as well, and incorporated the VV(66) of the fallen angels into the Volks-Wagon symbol; two V's interlaced, making a third, therefore equaling 666, the number of the beast. Can you spot the number of the beast in this photo? The beast, "W", had arrived, and I knew they would wait no longer. I felt they needed 2 weeks for public reaction, therefore something would need to happen in mid-September. I picked the date 9/11 because it was the date that HW(H stands for the Emperor) stated, "there will be a New World Order." Had I known that both the Pentagon, and the "Twin Towers" had begun construction on 9/11, I would have predicted the targets, as well. I did not feel prophetic, I felt that everything was going according to plan. But, who's plan?[article link]
Sir Francis Bacon aka William Shakespeare - More than twenty thousand books and articles have been written about the "identity problem" regarding William Shakespeare - So lets start by looking at the actor from Stratford: All the known autographs of the Stratford actor read "William Shakspere" not "William Shakespeare" - His parents were illiterate - Shakspere's daughter Judith was an illiterate - No record exists of William Shakspere as having ever played a leading role in the famous dramas he is supposed to have written - None of his heirs were involved in the printing of the First Folio after his death, nor did they benefit financially from it his will mentions no literary productions whatsoever It does however mention his second-best bed and his "broad silver gilt bowl" Let's look at Sir Francis Bacon: The content in the Shakespearian dramas are politically recognized viewpoints of Sir Francis Bacon (His "enemies" are frequently caricatured in the plays.) The religious, philosophic, and educational messages all reflect his personal opinions. Similarities in style and terminology exist in Bacon's writings and the Shakespearian plays. Certain historical and philosophical inaccuracies are common to both (such as identical misquotations from Aristotle.) Sir Francis Bacon possessed the range of general and philosophical knowledge necessary to write the Shakespearian plays. Sir Francis Bacon was a linguist and a composer. (Necessary to write the sonnets.) He was a lawyer, an able barrister and a polished courtier and possessed the intimate knowledge of parliamentary law and the etiquette of the royal court revealed in the Shakespearian plays. Bacon furthermore visited many of the foreign countries forming the background for the plays (Necessary to create the authentic local atmosphere. There is no record of William Shakspere's ever having travelled outside of England). ... Why the secrecy? Manly Palmer Hall writes: "Sir Francis Bacon knew the true secret of Masonic origin and there is reason to suspect that he concealed this knowledge in cipher and cryptogram. Bacon is not to be regarded solely as a man but rather as the focal point between an invisible institution and a world which was never able to distinguish between the messenger and the message which he promulgated. This secret society, having rediscovered the lost wisdom of the ages and fearing that the knowledge might be lost again, perpetuated it in two ways: (1) by an organization (Freemasonry) to the initiates of which it revealed its wisdom in the form of symbols; (2) by embodying its arcana in the literature of the day by means of cunningly contrived ciphers and enigmas."[article link] Wikipedia: New Atlantis [North America - the discovery of America was known to the Crusaders before the 1492 A.D. voyage of Christopher Columbus] by Sir Francis Bacon, published in 1624 A.D. - New Atlantis is a utopian [Illuminati] novel by Sir Francis Bacon, published in Latin (as Nova Atlantis) in 1624 and in English in 1627 - In this work, Bacon portrayed a [secular - occult] vision of the future of human discovery and knowledge, expressing his aspirations and ideals for humankind - The novel depicts the creation of a [secular] utopian land [North America] where "generosity and enlightenment, dignity and splendour, [false] piety and public spirit" are the commonly held qualities of the inhabitants of "Bensalem" (lit. son of Salem) - The plan and organization of his ideal college, "Salomon's House" (or Solomon's House) envisioned the modern research university in both applied and pure sciences {Note: New Atlantis by Sir Francis Bacon, (an unfinished book) is a primer, an instruction booklet, setting out a plan in how to colonize the New World (North America) as a secular occult [non-Christian] society. The outline of Sir Francis Bacon's plan was for a secular society to dominate by gaining and controlling all aspects of society; land, resources, knowledge, wealth, power, science, technology, etc. and to do it primarily by introducing a [non-Christian] population greater in numbers and more privileged than the common Christian community. -- A plan that has been carefully followed and has been by most accounts a complete success in America and throughout all reaches of the New World.} Plot summary: The novel depicts a mythical island, Bensalem, which is discovered by the crew of a European ship after they are lost in the Pacific Ocean somewhere west of Peru. The minimal plot serves the gradual unfolding of the island, its customs, but most importantly, its state-sponsored scientific institution, Salomon's House, "which house or college ... is the very eye of this kingdom." On arriving to Bensalem, the travellers are initially instructed to leave without landing, but are successively quarantined to "the House of Strangers", then given greater leave to explore the island, and finally granted an explanation of Salomon's House. Their conversations with the inhabitants disclose how they in such isolation came to be Christian, how they came to
know so much of the outside world (without themselves being known), the history and origin of the island's government and the establishment of Salomon's House by King Solamona, the Bensalemite customs regarding marriage and family, and purpose, properties, and activities of Salomon's House. The interlocutors include the governor of the House of Strangers, Joabin the Jew, and the Father of Salomon's House. -- Only the best and brightest of Bensalem's citizens are selected to join Salomon's House, in which scientific experiments are conducted in Baconian method in order to understand and conquer nature, and to apply the collected knowledge to the betterment of society. Near the end of the work, the Father of Salomon's House catalogues the activities of the institution's members: "For the several employments and offices of our fellows, we have twelve that sail into foreign countries under the names of other nations (for our own we conceal), who bring us the books and abstracts, and patterns of experiments of all other parts. These we call merchants of light. "We have three that collect the experiments which are in all books. These we call depredators. "We have three that collect the experiments of all mechanical arts, and also of liberal sciences, and also of practices which are not brought into arts. These we call mystery-men. "We have three that try new experiments, such as themselves think good. These we call pioneers or miners. "We have three that draw the experiments of the former four into titles and tables, to give the better light for the drawing of observations and axioms out of them. These we call compilers. "We have three that bend themselves, looking into the experiments of their fellows, and cast about how to draw out of them things of use and practice for man's life and knowledge, as well for works as for plain demonstration of causes, means of natural divinations, and the easy and clear discovery of the virtues and parts of bodies. These we call dowry-men or benefactors. "Then after divers meetings and consults of our whole number, to consider of the former labours and collections, we have three that take care out of them to direct new experiments, of a higher light, more penetrating into nature than the former. These we call lamps. "We have three others that do execute the experiments so directed, and report them. These we call inoculators. "Lastly, we have three that raise the former discoveries by experiments into greater observations, axioms, and aphorisms. These we call interpreters of nature." Even this short excerpt demonstrates that Bacon understood that science requires analysis and not just the accumulation of observations. Bacon also foresaw that the design of experiments could be improved.[article link] Wikipedia: "The Pilgrim's Progress" written by John Bunyan (1678 A.D.) - The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come is a Christian allegory written by John Bunyan and published in February, 1678 - It is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and has never been out of print Bunyan began his work while in the Bedfordshire county gaol [jail] for violations of the Conventicle Act, which prohibited the holding of religious services outside the auspices of the established Church of England. Early Bunyan scholars like John Brown believed The Pilgrim's Progress was begun in Bunyan's second shorter imprisonment for six months in 1675, but more recent scholars like Roger Sharrock believe that it was begun during Bunyan's initial, more lengthy imprisonment from 1660-1672 right after he had written his spiritual autobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. -- The English text comprises 108,260 words and is divided into two parts, each reading as a continuous narrative with no chapter divisions. The first part was completed in 1677 and entered into the stationers' register on December 22, 1677. It was licensed and entered in the "Term Catalogue" on February 18, 1678, which is looked upon as the date of first publication. After the first edition of the first part in 1678, an expanded edition, with additions written after Bunyan was freed, appeared in 1679. The Second Part appeared in 1684. There were eleven editions of the first part in John Bunyan's lifetime, published in successive years from 1678 to 1685 and in 1688, and there were two editions of the second part, published in 1684 and 1686.[article link] Wikipedia: John Bunyan (1628 - 31 August 1688 A.D.) -- an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress, he was a Reformed Baptist, in the Church of England - 1644 was an eventful year for the Bunyan family: in June, John lost his mother and, in July, his sister Margaret died - Following this, his father married (for the third time) to Anne Pinney (or Purney) and a stepbrother, Charles, was born - It may
have been the arrival of his stepmother that, following his 16th birthday, led John to leave the family home and enlist in the Parliamentary army - From 1644 to 1647 John served at Newport Pagnell garrison - The English Civil War (1642-1651) was then nearing the end of the first stage - John was probably saved from death one day when a fellow soldier volunteered to go into battle in his place and was killed while walking sentry duty After the civil war was won by the Parliamentarians, Bunyan returned to his former trade -- In his autobiography, "Grace Abounding" Bunyan wrote that he led an abandoned life in his youth and was morally reprehensible as a result - The increasing awareness of his (in his view) un-Biblical life led him to contemplate acts of impiety and profanity; in particular, he was harassed by a curiosity in regard to the "unpardonable sin" and a prepossession that he had already committed it - He continually heard voices urging him to "sell Christ" and was tortured by fearful visions - While playing a game of Tip-cat on Elstow village green, Bunyan claimed to have heard a voice that asked: "Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven or have thy sins and go to hell?" Imprisonments: As his popularity and notoriety grew, Bunyan increasingly became a target for slander and libel; he was described as "a witch, a Jesuit, a highwayman" and was said to have mistresses and multiple wives. In 1658, aged 30, he was arrested for preaching at Eaton Socon and indicted for preaching without a licence. That same year his wife died leaving him with 4 children, one of which was blind. He continued preaching, however, and did not suffer imprisonment until November 1660, when he was taken to the County gaol in Silver Street, Bedford. In that same year, Bunyan married again, Elizabeth, by whom he had two more children, Sarah and Joseph. The Restoration of the monarchy by Charles II of England began Bunyan's persecution as England returned to Anglicanism. Meeting-houses were quickly closed and all citizens were required to attend their Anglican parish church. It became punishable by law to "conduct divine service except in accordance with the ritual of the church, or for one not in Episcopal orders to address a congregation." Thus, John Bunyan no longer had that freedom to preach which he had enjoyed under the Puritan Commonwealth. He was arrested on 12 November 1660, whilst preaching privately in Lower Samsell by Harlington, Bedfordshire, 10 miles south of Bedford. -- John was brought before the magistrate John Wingate at Harlington House and refused to desist from preaching. Wingate sent him to Bedford County Gaol, to consider his situation. After a month, Bunyan reports (in his own account of his imprisonment) that Wingate's clerk visited him, seeking to get him to change his mind. The clerk said that all the authorities wanted was for Bunyan to undertake not to preach at private gatherings, as it was suspected that these non-conformist meetings were in fact being used by people plotting against the king. In answer to the clerk, John argued that God's law obliged him to preach at any and every opportunity, and refused to consider the suggested compromise. -- In January 1661, Bunyan was brought before the quarter sessions in the Chapel of Herne, Bedford. His prosecutor, Mr. Justice Wingate, despite Bunyan's clear breaches of the Religion Act of 1592, was not inclined to incarcerate Bunyan. But John's stark statement "If you release me today, I will preach tomorrow" left the magistrates - Sir John Kelynge of Southill, Sir Henry Chester of Lidlington, Sir George Blundell of Cardington, Sir Wllm Beecher of Howbury and Thomas Snagg of Milbrook - with no choice but to imprison him. So Bunyan was incarcerated for 3 months for the crimes of "pertinaciously abstaining" from attending mandatory Anglican church services and preaching at "unlawful meetings". -- Strenuous efforts were made by Bunyan's wife to get his case re-heard at the spring assizes but Bunyan's continued assertions that he would, if freed, preach to his awaiting congregation meant that the magistrates would not consider any new hearing. Similar efforts were made in the following year but, again, to no avail. In early 1664, an Act of Parliament the Conventicles Act made it illegal to hold religious meetings of five or more people outside of the auspices of the Church of England. -- It was during his time in Bedford County Gaol that John Bunyan conceived his allegorical novel: The Pilgrim's Progress. (Many scholars however believe that he commenced this work during the second and shorter imprisonment of 1675, referred to below.) Bunyan's incarceration was punctuated with periods of relative freedom - lax gaolers allowing him out to attend church meetings and to minister to his congregation. -- In 1666, John was briefly released for a few weeks before being re-arrested for preaching and sent back to Bedford's County gaol, where he remained for a further six years. During that time, he wove shoelaces to support his family and preached to his fellow prisoners - a congregation of about sixty. In his possession were two books, John Foxe's Book of Martyrs, the Bible, a violin he had made out of tin, a flute he'd made from a chair leg and a supply of pen and paper. Both
music and writing were integral to John's Puritan faith. John Bunyan was released in January 1672, when Charles II issued the Declaration of Religious Indulgence.[article link] Church History - 35 messages on church history by Pastor Phillips - Pastor Phillips takes us on a tour of some of the early Christians after the death of the Apostle Paul -- Note: Church History **John Bunyan 1628 - Save the "Play!" Version, open it in a player and save it that way, the Mp3 download version link might have an Error (Mp3s) "WOW - what a great series!!" A couple years ago I followed the journey of the early church by a comprehensive study of the Acts of the Apostles, etc., and have wanted to fill in the gap of church history from that time to present, but don't have much time to read. I like to listen to sermons on the treadmill and in the tractor, so I searched for a series on church history. I found the first 3 and did extra time on the treadmill today so I could keep listening! Pastor Phillips has a way of telling the facts in a very interesting way and then finishes with application and lessons for today. After the 3rd sermon (on Augustine) I really wanted to hear more so I searched again. I was THRILLED to find 39 messages on church history by Pastor Phillips!! I plan to download all of them since spring seeding is coming up and I will be spending many hours in the tractor, and now I am looking forward to that! In the meantime, I'll keep at the treadmill. Thanks for posting all those great sermons![article link] ccel.org: "Grace Abounding To the Chief of Sinners" by John Bunyan published in 1666 A.D. - John Bunyan's spiritual autobiography (PDF) Grace Abounding To the Chief of Sinners is John Bunyan's spiritual autobiography. In it he tells of his conversion and struggle with faith. He wrote it while he was imprisoned for preaching without a license. His main issue was a kind of "spiritual obsessive compulsive disorder" as one reviewer puts it. Bunyan was constantly concerned about the state of his salvation and whether God deemed him worthy enough for eternal life. This story communicates the author's anguish over his sin, his confession, and the life-changing impact of God's saving grace. Bunyan's spiritual struggles will remind readers that even the great minds of faith had issues with belief, and his personal testimony will encourage anyone who is doubting the status of their salvation.[article link] Wikipedia: George Frideric Handel (23 February 1685 - 14 April 1759) -- was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos - After his success with Messiah (1742 A.D.) he never performed an Italian opera again - Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 A.D. by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer -- Messiah eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music - Almost blind, and having lived in England for almost fifty years, he died a respected and rich man After his success with Messiah in 1742 A.D. he never performed an Italian opera again. Handel was only partly successful with his performances of English Oratorio on mythical or biblical themes, but when he arranged a performance of Messiah to benefit the Foundling Hospital (1750) the critique ended. The pathos of Handel's oratorio is an ethical one, they are hallowed not by liturgical dignity but by the moral ideals of humanity. Almost blind, and having lived in England for almost fifty years, he died a respected and rich man. -- Handel is regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time, not only because of his Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks. But since the late 1960s, with the revival of baroque music and original instrument interest in Handel's opera seria has revived too. Handel composed forty operas in about thirty years; some are considered as masterpieces, with many sweeping arias and much admired improvisations. His operas contain remarkable human characterization, by a composer not known for his love affairs. -- Messiah: (HWV 56) is an Englishlanguage oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer (which are worded slightly differently than their King James counterparts). It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April
1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.[article link] Johann Sebastian Bach - Later in life Bach became blind - Bach died in Lepzig, Germany, July 28, 1750 A.D. Bach was buried in an unmarked grave, for an unknown reason, in the churchyard of St. John's {Note: It was also common at that time for famous and religious people to request to be buried in an unmarked grave. John Bunyan (1806-1841) author of "Pilgrim's Progress" requested to be buried in an unmarked grave. Desiring that their tomb would not become a monument to themselves but that their life's work would be a monument to Jesus Christ.} At age 15 Bach joined the choir at St. Michael's church. At age 19 Bach left St. Michael's and became a professional organist at St. Boniface. Bach studied music until 1703. In 1707, when Bach was 22 he married his cousin Maria Barbara. Maria had 7 children with Bach. Three of them died. In 1716, when Bach was thirty-one, he was put in jail for thirty-one days because people didn't believe that he shouldn't be writing that kind of music at that time. In those 31 days, Bach wrote five to ten musicals. Those five to ten musicals he wrote when he was in jail turned into two hundred musicals. In 1717 Bach became the court conductor at Anhalt-Cothen. 14 years later in 1721 Maria died leaving Bach to take care of four children. Bach was thirty-six at this time. One year later when Bach was thirty-seven in 1722 he married another woman. This woman's name was Anna Magdalina. Anna had thirteen children. ... Bach wrote 300 religious and nonreligious pieces called cantatas. Some people think that bach was the best composer of all time. Bach was a very religious man. Bach showed his religions in his music. Bach joined an orchestra at Weimar as a violinist. His home town was famous for music. One time when Bach was young, he walked thirty-five miles to a town named Hamburg to hear a concert.[article link] Wikipedia: John Newton (July 24, 1725 – December 21, 1807) -- a British sailor and Anglican clergyman Starting his career at sea, at a young age, he became involved with the slave trade for a few years - After experiencing a religious conversion, he became a minister, hymn-writer, and later a prominent supporter of the abolition of slavery - He was the author of many hymns, including "Amazing Grace" and "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken" Early life: John Newton was born in Wapping, London, in 1725, the son of John Newton Sr., a shipmaster in the Mediterranean service, and Elizabeth Newton (née Seatclife), a Nonconformist Christian. His mother died of tuberculosis in July, 1732, about two weeks before his seventh birthday. Two years later, he went to live in Aveley, the home of his father's new wife. Newton spent two years at boarding school. At age eleven he went to sea with his father. Newton sailed six voyages before his father retired in 1742. Newton's father made plans for him to work at a sugar plantation in Jamaica. Instead, Newton signed on with a merchant ship sailing to the Mediterranean Sea. In 1743, while on the way to visit some friends, Newton was captured and pressed into the naval service by the Royal Navy. He became a midshipman aboard HMS Harwich. At one point, Newton attempted to desert and was punished in front of the crew of 350. Stripped to the waist, tied to the grating, he received a flogging of one dozen lashes, and was reduced to the rank of a common seaman. Following that disgrace and humiliation, Newton initially contemplated suicide. He recovered, both physically and mentally. Later, while Harwich was on route to India, he transferred to Pegasus, a slave ship bound for West Africa. The ship carried goods to Africa, and traded them for slaves to be shipped to England and other countries. Newton proved to be a continual problem for the crew of Pegasus. They left him in West Africa with Amos Clowe, a slave dealer. Clowe took Newton to the coast, and gave him to his wife Princess Peye, an African duchess. Newton was abused and mistreated along with her other slaves. It was this period that Newton later remembered as the time he was "once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in West Africa." Early in 1748 he was rescued by a sea captain who had been asked by Newton's father to search for him. And he made it to freedom. In 1750 he married his childhood sweetheart in St. Margaret's Church, Rochester. -- Spiritual conversion: He sailed back to England in 1748 aboard the merchant ship Greyhound, which was carrying
beeswax and dyer's wood, now referred to as camwood. During this voyage, he experienced a spiritual conversion. The ship encountered a severe storm off the coast of Donegal and almost sank. Newton awoke in the middle of the night and finally called out to God as the ship filled with water. After he called out, the cargo came out and stopped up the hole, and the ship was able to drift to safety. It was this experience which he later marked as the beginnings of his conversion to evangelical Christianity. As the ship sailed home, Newton began to read the Bible and other religious literature. By the time he reached Britain, he had accepted the doctrines of evangelical Christianity. The date was March 10, 1748, an anniversary he marked for the rest of his life. From that point on, he avoided profanity, gambling, and drinking. Although he continued to work in the slave trade, he had gained a considerable amount of sympathy for the slaves. He later said that his true conversion did not happen until some time later: "I cannot consider myself to have been a believer in the full sense of the word, until a considerable time afterwards." Newton returned to Liverpool, England and, partly due to the influence of his father's friend Joseph Manesty, obtained a position as first mate aboard the slave ship Brownlow, bound for the West Indies via the coast of Guinea. During the first leg of this voyage, while in west Africa (1748– 1749), Newton acknowledged the inadequacy of his spiritual life. While he was sick with a fever, he professed his full belief in Christ and asked God to take control of his destiny. He later said that this experience was his true conversion and the turning point in his spiritual life. He claimed it was the first time he felt totally at peace with God. Still, he did not renounce the slave trade until later in his life. After his return to England in 1750, he made three further voyages as captain of the slave-trading ships Duke of Argyle (1750) and African (1752– 1753 and 1753– 1754). He only gave up seafaring and his active slave-trading activities in 1754, after suffering a severe stroke, but continued to invest his savings in Manesty's slaving operations." -- Anglican priest: In 1755 Newton became tide surveyor (a tax collector) of the port of Liverpool, again through the influence of Manesty. In his spare time, he was able to study Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac. He became well known as an evangelical lay minister. In 1757, he applied to be ordained as a priest in the Church of England, but it was more than seven years before he was eventually accepted. Such was his frustration during this period of rejection that he also applied to the Methodists, Independents and Presbyterians, and applications were even mailed directly to the Bishops of Chester and Lincoln and the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. -- Writer and hymnist: The vicarage in Olney where Newton wrote the hymn that would become "Amazing Grace". In 1767 William Cowper, the poet, moved to Olney. He worshipped in the church, and collaborated with Newton on a volume of hymns, which was eventually published as Olney Hymns in 1779. This work had a great influence on English hymnology. The volume included Newton's well-known hymns "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken", "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds!", "Let Us Love, and Sing, and Wonder", "Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare", "Approach, My Soul, the Mercy-seat", and "Faith's Review and Expectation", which has come to be known by its opening phrase, "Amazing Grace". Many of Newton's (as well as Cowper's) hymns are preserved in the Sacred Harp. He also contributed to the Cheap Repository Tracts.[article link] Wikipedia: George Müller (27 September 1805 - 10 March 1898) -- a Christian evangelist and Director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, cared for 10,024 orphans in his life - He was well-known for providing an education to the children under his care, to the point where he was accused of raising the poor above their natural station in life - He also established 117 schools which offered Christian education to over 120,000 children, many of them being orphans - The theology that guided George Müller's work is not widely known, but was shaped by an experience in his mid twenties when he "came to prize the Bible alone as his standard of judgement" Youth: Müller was born in Kroppenstaedt (now Kroppenstedt), a village near Halberstadt in the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1810, the Müller family moved to nearby Heimersleben, where Müller's father was appointed a collector of taxes. He had an older brother, Friedrich Johann Wilhelm (1803 - 7 Oct 1838) and, after his widowed father remarried, a half-brother, Franz (b 1822). His early life was not marked by righteousness - on the contrary, he was a thief, a liar and a gambler. By the age of 10, Müller was stealing government money from his father. While his mother was dying, he, at 14 years of age, was playing cards with friends and drinking. Müller's father hoped to provide him with a religious education that would allow him to take a lucrative
position as a clergyman in the state church. He studied divinity in the University of Halle, and there met a fellow student (Beta) who invited him to a Christian prayer meeting. There he was welcomed, and he began regularly reading the Bible and discussing Christianity with the others who attended the meetings. After seeing a man praying to God on his knees, he was convinced of his need for salvation. As soon as he got home he went to his bed where he knelt and prayed. He asked God to help him in his life and to bless him wherever he went and to forgive him of his sins. He immediately stopped drinking, stealing and lying, and began hoping to become a missionary. He began preaching regularly in nearby churches and continued meeting with the other churches. - Early work: In 1828, Müller offered to work with Jews in England through the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews, but upon arriving in 1829, he fell ill, and did not think that he would survive. He was sent to Teignmouth to recuperate and, whilst there, met Henry Craik, who became his life-long friend. When he recovered, however, he dedicated himself to doing the will of God. He soon left the London Society, convinced that God would provide for his needs as he did Christian work. Craik invited him to become a minister with him in Teignmouth and he became the pastor of Ebenezer Chapel in Devon and soon after, married Mary Groves, the sister of Anthony Norris Groves. During his time as the pastor of the church, he refused a regular salary, believing that the practice could lead to church members giving out of duty, not desire. He also eliminated the renting of church pews, arguing that it gave unfair prestige to the rich (based primarily on James 2:1-9). -- Theology: The theology that guided George Müller's work is not widely known, but was shaped by an experience in his mid twenties when he "came to prize the Bible alone as [his] standard of judgement". He records in his Narratives that "That the word of God alone is our standard of judgment in spiritual things; that it can be explained only by the Holy Spirit; and that in our day, as well as in former times, he is the teacher of his people. The office of the Holy Spirit I had not experimentally understood before that time. Indeed, of the office of each of the blessed persons, in what is commonly called the Trinity, I had no experimental apprehension. I had not before seen from the Scriptures that the Father chose us before the foundation of the world; that in him that wonderful plan of our redemption originated, and that he also appointed all the means by which it was to be brought about. Further, that the Son, to save us, had fulfilled the law, to satisfy its demands, and with it also the holiness of God; that he had borne the punishment due to our sins, and had thus satisfied the justice of God. And, further, that the Holy Spirit alone can teach us about our state by nature, show us the need of a Saviour, enable us to believe in Christ, explain to us the Scriptures, help us in preaching, etc. It was my beginning to understand this latter point in particular which had a great effect on me; for the Lord enabled me to put it to the test of experience, by laying aside commentaries, and almost every other book, and simply reading the word of God and studying it. The result of this was, that the first evening that I shut myself into my room, to give myself to prayer and meditation over the Scriptures, I learned more in a few hours than I had done during a period of several months previously. But the particular difference was, that I received real strength for my soul in doing so. I now began to try by the test of the Scriptures the things which I had learned and seen, and found that only those principles which stood the test were really of value."[article link] George Müller - Robber Of The Cruel Streets (DVD) George Müller (1805-1898) was a German playboy who found Christ and gave his life to serve Christ unreservedly. His mission was to rescue orphans from the wretched street life that enslaved so many children in England during the time of Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist. Müller did rescue, care for, feed, and educate such children by the thousands. The costs were enormous for such a great work. Yet, amazingly, he never asked anyone for money. Instead he prayed, and his children never missed a meal. This docu-drama presents his life story and shows how God answered prayer and met their needs. It is a story that raises foundational questions regarding faith and finances. Also included are two special documentaries on Müller and some of the lives affected by his work.[article link] George Muller Audio Books as read by Peter-John Parisis (Mp3s) Here you will find articles by or about George Muller, the man of faith, to encourage you to trust God for great
things and to deepen your walk with God. We trust you will be encouraged to trust in the prayer-answering God for your needs. The Bible says "For all the promises of God in Him (Christ) are yea, and in Him (Christ) Amen, unto the glory of God by us" (2 Cor. 1:20) and "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8).[article link] My Utmost For His Highest - Oswald Chambers (1847-1917) Chambers was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1874, the youngest son of a Baptist minister - A gifted artist and musician, Chambers trained at London's Royal Academy of Art, sensing God's direction to be an ambassador for Christ in the world of art and aesthetics While studying at the University of Edinburgh (1895-96), he decided, after an agonizing internal battle, to study for the ministry - He died in Cairo on November 15, 1917, of complications following an emergency appendectomy - The complete story of his life is told in Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God (1993) Oswald Chambers sometimes startled audiences with his vigorous thinking and his vivid expression. Even those who disagreed with what he said found his teachings difficult to dismiss and all but impossible to ignore. Often his humor drove home a sensitive point: "Have we ever got into the way of letting God work, or are we so amazingly important that we really wonder in our nerves and ways what the Almighty does before we are up in the morning!" Oswald Chambers was not famous during his lifetime. At the time of his death in 1917 at the age of forty-three, only three books bearing his name had been published. Among a relatively small circle of Christians in Britain and the U.S., Chambers was much appreciated as a teacher of rare insight and expression, but he was not widely known. Chambers was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1874, the youngest son of a Baptist minister. He spent his boyhood years in Perth; then his family moved to London when Oswald was fifteen. Shortly after the move to London, Oswald made his public profession of faith in Christ and became a member of Rye Lane Baptist Church. This marked a period of rapid spiritual growth, along with an intense struggle to find God's will and way for his life. -- A gifted artist and musician, Chambers trained at London's Royal Academy of Art, sensing God's direction to be an ambassador for Christ in the world of art and aesthetics. While studying at the University of Edinburgh (1895-96), he decided, after an agonizing internal battle, to study for the ministry. He left the university and entered Dunoon College, near Glasgow, where he remained as a student, then a tutor for nine years. In 1906 he traveled to the United States, spending six months teaching at God's Bible School in Cincinnati, Ohio. From there, he went to Japan, visiting the Tokyo Bible School, founded by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cowman. This journey around the world in 1906-1907 marked his transition from Dunoon College to fulltime work with the Pentecostal League of Prayer. During the last decade of his life, Chambers served as: • traveling speaker and representative of the League of Prayer, 1907-10 • principal and main teacher of the Bible Training College, London, 1911-15 • YMCA chaplain to British Commonwealth soldiers in Egypt, 1915-17. He died in Cairo on November 15, 1917, of complications following an emergency appendectomy. The complete story of his life is told in Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God (1993).[article link] Abandoned to God: The Oswald Chambers Story (DVD) Abandoned to God: Oswald Chambers Story DVD - From locations in England and Scotland, David McCasland shows you some of the places and describes key events and people that influenced the young Scottish preacher. Also includes an interview with Chambers' daughter Kathleen who shares memories of her father. Come away with a better understanding of this influential man of God.[article link] Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984) - At one time an agnostic, Francis Schaeffer later became a Presbyterian minister with an ability to see how the questions of meaning, morals, and value being dealt with by philosophy, were the same questions that the Bible dealt with Francis Schaeffer was a Presbyterian minister with an ability to see how the questions of meaning, morals, and value being dealt with by philosophy, were the same questions that the Bible dealt with, only in different language. Once an agnostic, Schaeffer came to the conclusion that Biblical Christianity not only gave sufficient answers to the big questions, but that they were the only answers that were both self-consistent and livable.
With this conviction he became a man of conversation. Schaeffer taught that God is really there and He is not silent. He had spoken to man in the Bible as and a result we could have "true truth" about God and man. Knowing the dignity of man created in God's image, he placed a high value on creativity as an expression of that image. He opened his Swiss home to travelers to discuss these things. Later he began lecturing in universities and writing a number of books. Perhaps no other Christian thinker of the twentieth century, besides C.S. Lewis, has had more influence on thinking people.[article link] Francis A. Schaeffer: The Early Years - MP3 Lectures & Resource List (Free - Mp3's) Identification of the biblical emphasis in the thought and life of Francis and Edith Schaeffer, with a focus on the development of their early ministry in the United States and Europe and the founding of L'Abri. The course considers issues related to spiritual growth, the Christian family, the unity of the church, Christians and the arts, and various aspects of Christian ministry.[article link] Francis A. Schaeffer: The Later Years - MP3 Lectures & Resource List (Free - Mp3's) Continuation of material in Francis Schaeffer: The Early Years. An examination of the biblical emphasis in the thought and life of Francis and Edith Schaeffer, with focus on the developments in Schaeffer's theological, cultural, and social concerns from the time of L'Abri's founding until his death in 1984.[article link] Watershed of the Evangelical World by Francis Schaefer (Mp3) Francis Schaefer shares how the society of North America has succumbed to the humanistic values and ideals. Christian values and standards according to Scripture has all become irrelevant in this type of society. There is a need more then ever to believe and live the standards of the Scriptures.[article link] Church History Francis Schaeffer 1912-1984 - Francis Schaeffer, the missionary to thinking people, shows us how to combine truth and love in reaching the lost for Christ (Mp3) "Great Sermon!" I've enjoyed the whole series of the lectures on church history by Rev Michael Phillips. these are all very well presented, not only very educational but also interesting and edifying. I recommend this series highly.[article link] Dr. Francis Schaeffer -- How Should We Then Live? The Christian Worldview Mankind's Hope for a Future -(DVD) Wondering what the past teaches us about the present? Francis Schaeffer's sweeping series on the rise and decline of Western thought and culture surveys history -- from the Roman Empire through the 20th century -and offers biblical answers to modern problems. Features an interview with the late Dr. Schaeffer and his wife, Edith. Includes study guide. Set includes 10 episodes on two DVDs with a total running time of approximately 6 hours.[article link] Update: 1881 A.D. to Present (2012) - Corrupt modern bible translations and compromised Seminaries and Universities - The fourth and final section of this Church History Study isn't going to be quite as straight forward as the previous three sections where - It's going to take a little longer to bring material together for this part of the project - This last section isn't something that I have researched out the way that I had the previous sections - I have an idea or two of where to go in this study but I'm not exactly sure of the information that is needed or of how available it is to form the postings that are going to need to come together for this last section - This last section is still a Church History section and not a current events section and therefore the intention of this last section is to research and examine how we as a Church have gotten to where we are at today, but thankfully, not really to examine the events of today - In examining this last section it's possible, though not intended, that a couple of toes could get stepped on along the way - If your favorite pastor, teacher, or denomination gets dinged in this section and only a few will because we are only going to look at a couple of almost generic case studies and any toes that are stepped on is an unintended byproduct of the
study - If your favorite pastor or teacher does get dinged a little in this study section it's probably because they deserve it -- God bless everyone ~ David Anson Brown The concept of this section is going to be to look at the phenomenon of the rise [and fall] of the Christian Church Denominations, a practice that is almost exclusive to this period of Church history. Most Denominations if not all originally started with the best of intentions but what is it that has continually and systematically gone so wrong with the Church Denominational system? The following posts are going to be a look at a system, a flawed system, that quite possibly might have been more of an intentionally designed faulty system. A system where the flaws are built in and perpetuated simply in order to benefit one class of people at the expense and discomfort of the majority of the others. A system though where in actuality the desires and designs of a few greedy men have actually outpaced the built in flaws of the system itself. The problem with Denominations is that though they might start out well not a single one has been able to finish well. -- Colossians 4:17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it [finish well].[article link]
Holiness Movement at a Crossroads - By the late 19th century, the Wesleyan-Holiness Movement floundered at the edge of a sectarian snakepit, divided by race, region, and national boundaries - Yet from this doubtful setting, the Church of the Nazarene arose -- Nazarenes Reflect On Their Past: They Shared a Dream by Stan Ingersol, Denominational Archivist Early in the 19th century, Sarah Lankford combined the women's prayer groups of two Methodist in New York City to create the Tuesday Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness. That action, coupled with the publication of Boston pastor Timothy Merritt's Guide to Christian Perfection, marked the Holiness Movement's advent. ... John Inskip, J.A. Wood, and other Methodist clergy initiated a new phase of the movement after the Civil War. The National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Holiness fostered specialized meetings throughout the United States. But Inskip was dead by 1890, while Wood had retired to California and preached occasionally from Phineas Bresee's pulpit. A democratic spirit pervaded the Holiness Movement. Bishops could control Methodist clergy but not the laity who led many local, county, and state Holiness associations. Some were headed by women excluded from leadership in other areas. Independent-minded evangelicals defied the Methodist Discipline and used a local preacher's license as authority to conduct revivals, even competing with local pastors. By century's end, the Wesleyan-Holiness Movement included sectarian "come-outers," "putouters" dismissed from their churches, and Methodist loyalists. The fragmenting Holiness revival posed daunting questions: would anyone--could anyone--gather the pieces?[article link] Did the Denominational name begin on shaky ground? - He goes on to write that the naming of the (Nazarene) Church was the work of Joseph Widney - "For Widney, the name "Church of the Nazarene" **conveyed nothing explicit about the Methodist doctrine or the experiences of conversion and entire sanctification - It was much more an expression of late-nineteenth-century "Jesus of history" theology, which preferred the name "Jesus" to the more exalted name "Jesus Christ" - The "Jesus of history" [Jesus of Nazareth] was not so much the eternal Second Person of the Trinity who on the Cross made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world" as He was the human Person remembered for words and deeds whom Christians were to follow as Teacher and Example - Widney's subsequent religious pilgrimage bears out the connoation of low Christology, and also low ecclesiology, that the term suggested" -'Concerned Nazarenes' Facebook Page Did the Denominational name begin on shaky ground? At the beginning of TCotN [The Church of the Nazarene] both Phineas Bresee and Joseph Widney were made general superintendent "for life". This info is from the book by Carl Bangs "Phineas F. Bresee", 1995, Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City. p. 196-197; He goes on to write that the naming of the Church was the work of Joseph Widney. "For Widney, the name "Church of the Nazarene" conveyed nothing explicit about the Methodist doctrine or the experiences of conversion and entire sanctification. It was much more an expression of late-nineteenth-century "Jesus of history" theology, which preferred the name "Jesus" to the more exalted name "Jesus Christ." The "Jesus of history" was not so much the
eternal Second Person of the Trinity who on the Cross made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world," as He was the human Person remembered for words and deeds whom Christians were to follow as Teacher and Example. Widney's subsequent religious pilgrimage bears out the connoation of low Christology, and also low ecclesiology, that the term suggested." It is suggested that Bresee accepted the Name because he did not know Widney's true theology. To Bresee the name "Nazarene" represented Jesus association with the common man. So what was the outcome with Widney? He became increasing seperated from the Nazarenes and eventually started his own church. "He wrote a number of books on the borderline of politics, history, and culture. These were laced with mysticism and with a core theme of Aryan racial theory (Q. Nazism?). He developed a syncetistic religion followed by relatives and friends in his privately built "Beth-El", A Chapel and Manse of the Church of the All-Father" (or "All Fader")." (P. 214). Notice that this was not someone outside the Naz. throwing mud. This was published by Beacon Hill. Are we seeing sowing and reaping? It is amazing to me how quickly things seemed to change. Yet as we see from the origins our name, one of our first Generals began on shaky ground. -- posted by Robert Bruce Fruehling at 'Concerned Nazarenes' Facebook Page[article link] The CalvaryChapelAbuse.com website - Sue says -- January 4, 2012 at 7:48 pm, 4 years ago I read "Pagan Christianity" by Frank Viola and it was a very freeing book - Also another book that's really helped me heal is "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse" by Dave Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen Reaching4Truth says: January 3, 2012 at 3:01 pm -- Hanna, you said: “ I still keep my hopes up that we will find a church, but as I have said before..in our town it is all about who can have the biggest church, who can draw the largest crowd, who can own more hotels and claim more territory on the monopoly board. People have no idea what the Pastor is purchasing in terms of real estate and investments, and they don't really even care because they trust him completely.” -- This is not just a phenomenon in your town, but is widespread everywhere. Because in this era, pastors have been given celebrity status and encouraged to build their kingdoms, their resume, on ideas borrowed from the business realm. Over time they've been seduced by numerous voices from without and within the evangelical world, to produce measurably “ effective” and “ successful” ministries.. Pursuing and inculcating worldly business values and methodologies and wrongly applying them to the church and the realm of ministry. And basically it turns out to be an abandonment of their allegiance to the Lord in exchange for the approval of men and the respect of men, both in the church and in the world. -- Pastors and ministry leaders have been seduced by things appealing to their pride to pursue accomplishments and a measure of renown - respectability - for themselves. To be someone that others in the community (church and beyond) look up to and speak well of. -- Through many avenues and means, Christian pastors and ministry leaders have received worldly advice dressed up in acceptable Christian language, and coming from trusted “ christian” sources. I employ the quotes because to look at the nature of what has come to be accepted as wise Christian insight and counsel, through resources such as Leadership Journal and Christianity Today, just to name two among a plethora of resources with a large readership among pastors, is to find, if one compares the “ wisdom” offered from such sources, they wander quite a distance from sound spiritual wisdom or true compatibility with the word of God. -- Our pastors have been drinking from poisoned wells, even from what have been in the past trusted Christian sources. But, minus the requisite discretion and discernment that is expected of those we trust, a scourge has set upon the churches. Having listened to and consulted the voices of so many Pied Pipers in the business realm, there is very little left now of truly Holy Spirit-inspired leadership. We have been in the business of exchanging the truth of God for a lie for so long that we can barely distinguish the difference. Church and ministry leaders, in their efforts to win the worldly (yes I mean “ worldly” ) to Christ through clever means, have drunk deeply from the wells of “ vain philosophy and empty deceit” . And we are sadly observing the results of that exchange. -- Clever wolves have entered in, and/or risen up from our midst, and had their effect upon the churches. I have observed with great sadness and sobriety the Christian establishment being given over to a host of clever lies and the spirit of the world. -- And hero worship has had a lot to do with it. A WHOLE lot to do with it. I think it's for lack of (or for need of) a hero in our lives that we (pastors and their flocks) have become worshippers of admired Christian
men, inclined to enshrine them in a sort of “ holy glow” —a sort of spiritual ‘ static' where we assume they will always and forever continue in a faithful path, as if they can do no wrong and, like their Lord, were immaculately conceived of the Holy Spirit. -- We have been, the whole lot of us - pastors and others alike - led onto deceptive paths because of having given our unquestioning trust to men with feet of clay. I believe we have entered a time of the Lord cleaning house, and waking His people up from a long slumber, a longer slumber than we would guess, wherein the enemy has now effectively infiltrated the mustard tree and overspread the churches. -- Jesus was careful to warn us that these days would come, and tremendous deception all around us was given as a key sign of the nearness of His return. He led with “ See to it THAT NO MAN DECEIVES YOU.” It was much more a matter of having our eyes/hearts exercised to recognize cleverly cloaked deception and delusion than it was ever a call to make an idol of earthly Jerusalem, for instance. JESUS is to be our focus; ALWAYS JESUS. We were instructed not to put our trust in man, but only IN HIM. -- So… pastors are to blame, for having wandered from the scriptures as their sole source of spiritual light, life and guidance, and succumbing to spiritual blindness… but so are we. We are living in a time of strong hero worship, leading to strong delusion, with sobering effect. The sooner we return our affection to the LORD and away from faulty leaders, the better for all of us. -- Chuck Smith is simply one example of what hero worship - the desire to elevate a hero in our midst (besides Jesus) can lead to. By giving our indiscriminate trust to men we admire, we forget that they can be just as prone to sin and error as the rest of us. The mercy of God is a great need in all of our lives, and our relationship with Him is to be first and foremost. I need these reminders as much as the next person. --- Lord, I'm thankful for your MERCY and your GREAT, GREAT kindness to us. Help us wind our way out of this mess we find ourselves in and into singlehearted allegiance to You and affection for your word. Clean us up and restore the broken places? and rekindle our love for YOU.[article link] The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse By David Johnson and Jeff Vanvonderen (Bethany House, 1991, 2005) 235 pages -- The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse discusses unhealthy spiritual patterns in a constructive and helpful way - There are many books that attempt to address various unhealthy spiritual patterns, but often with the goal of stigmatizing them and promoting the churches or belief systems of the authors - I have read a number of these type of books and found these more interested in putting down people of different beliefs than anything else - That's nothing new in religious literature—the "I'm right and you're a heretic" approach has been around for nearly 2000 years, the 21st century version is "I'm right, you're a cult" - Some of these books may help people identify with some troubling practices and discuss recovery strategies, but the overgeneralizing, demonizing, building of composite stories (which make things look much worse) and theological biases get in the way of making the books really helpful towards solving any problems But this book by Johnson and Vanvonderen is different. Drawing upon years of ministry experience as pastor and counselor (respectively), they examine the fine line between Biblical leadership and abuse. Without mentioning groups or demonizing those involved, they discuss how well-intentioned leadership can have abusive effects. This "high road" approach is highly helpful in identifying some of the critical factors that have led to harsh and harmful leadership in churches. -- Marks of a Spiritually Unhealthy Environment: For example, the authors identify the marks of a spiritually unhealthy system. I'd like to include these here as a sample of how the authors address these issues. (The following consists of verbatim citations of copyrighted material from Chapter 5,6 of "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.") -- 1. Power-Posturing: Power-posturing simply means leaders spend a lot of time focused on their own authority and reminding others of it, as well. They spend a lot of energy posturing about how much authority they have and how much everyone else is supposed to submit to it. The fact that they are eager to place people under them-- under their word, under their "authority"-- is one easy-to-spot clue that they are operating in their own authority. -- 2. Performance Preoccupation: In abusive spiritual systems, power is postured and authority is legislated. Therefore, these systems are preoccupied with the performance of their members. Obedience and submission are two important words often used. The way to tell if someone is doing the right thing for the wrong reason is if they are keeping track of it. Let's say that another way. If obedience and service is flowing out of you as a result of your own dependence on God alone, you won't keep track of it with an eye toward reward, you'll just do it. But
if you're preoccupied with whether you've done enough to please God, then you're not looking at Him, you're looking at your own works. And you're also concerned about who else might be looking at you, evaluating you. What would anyone keep track of their godly behavior unless they were trying to earn spiritual points because of it? For many reasons, followers sometimes obey or follow orders to avoid being shamed, to gain someone's approval, or to keep their spiritual status or position intact. This is not true obedience or submission, it is compliant self-seeking. When behavior is simply legislated from the outside, instead of coming from a heart that loves God, it cannot be called obedience. It is merely weak compliance to some form of external pressure. -- 3. Unspoken Rules: In abusive spiritual systems, people's lives are controlled from the outside in by rules, spoken and unspoken. Unspoken rules are those that govern unhealthy churches or families but are not said out loud. Because they are not said out loud, you don't find out that they're there until you break them. The most powerful of all unspoken rules in the abusive system is what we have already termed the "can't talk" rule. The "can't talk" [rule] has this thinking behind it: "The real problem cannot be exposed because then it would have to be dealt with and things would have to change; so it must be protected behind walls of silence (neglect) or by assault (legalistic attack). If you speak about the problem, you are the problem. -- 4. Lack of Balance: The fourth characteristic of a spiritual abusive system is an unbalanced approach to living out the truth of the Christian life. This shows itself in two extremes: Extreme Objectivism - The first extreme is an empirical approach to life, which elevates objective truth to the exclusion of valid subjective experience. This approach to spirituality creates a system in which authority is based upon the level of education and intellectual capacity alone, rather than on intimacy with God, obedience and sensitivity to His Spirit. Extreme Subjectivism - The other manifestation of lack of balance is seen in an extremely subjective approach to the Christian life. What is true is decided on the basis of feelings and experiences, giving more weight to them than what the Bible declares. In this system, people can't know or understand truths (even if they really do understand or know them) until the leaders "receive them by spiritual revelation from the Lord" and "impart" them to the people. In such systems, it is more important to act according to the word of a leader who has "a word" for you than to act according to what you know to be true from Scripture, or simply from your spiritual growth-history. As with the extreme objective approach, Christians who are highly subjective also have a view of education-- most often, that education is bad or unnecessary. There is almost a pride in not being educated, and a disdain for those who are. Everything that is needed is taught through the Holy Spirit. ("After all, Peter and Timothy didn't go to college or seminary...") -- 5. Paranoia: In the church that is spiritually abusive, there is a sense, spoken or unspoken, that "others will not understand what we're all about, so let's not let them know-- that way they won't be able to ridicule or persecute us." There is an assumption that (1) what we say, know, or do is a result of our being more enlightened that others; (2) others will not understand unless they become one of us; and (3) others will respond negatively. In a place where authority is grasped and legislated, not simply demonstrated, persecution sensitivity builds a case for keeping everything within the system. Why? Because of the evil, dangerous, or unspiritual people outside of the system who are trying to weaken or destroy "us." This mentality builds a strong wall or bunker around the abusive system, isolates the abusers from scrutiny and accountability, and makes it more difficult for people to leave-- because they will then be outsiders too. While it is true that there is a world of evil outside of the system, there is also good out there. But people are misled into thinking that the only safety is in the system. Ironically, Jesus and Paul both warned that one of the worst dangers to the flock was from wolves in the house (Matthew 10:16, Acts 20:29-30). -- 6. Misplaced Loyalty: The next characteristic of spiritually abusive systems is that a misplaced sense of loyalty is fostered and even demanded. We're not talking about loyalty to Christ, but about loyalty to a given organization, church, or leader. Once again, because authority is assumed or legislated (and therefore not real), following must be legislated as well. A common way this is accomplished is by setting up a system where disloyalty to or disagreement with the leadership is construed as the same thing as disobeying God. Questioning leaders is equal to questioning God. "We Alone Are Right" There are three factors that come into place here, adding up to a misplaced loyalty. First, leadership projects a "we alone are right" mentality, which permeates the system. Members must remain in the system if they want to be "safe," or to stay "on good terms" with God, or not be viewed as wrong or "backslidden." - Scare Tactics - The second factor that brings about misplaced loyalty is the
use of "scare tactics." We're already seen this in some of the paranoia described in the last section. Scare tactics are more serious. This is more than just the risk of being polluted by the world. We have counseled many Christians who, after deciding to leave their church, were told horrifying things. "God is going to withdraw His Spirit from you and your family." "God will destroy your business." "Without our protection, Satan will get your children." "You and your family will come under a curse." This is spiritual blackmail and it's abuse. And it does cause people to stay in abusive places. - Humiliation - The third method of calling forth misplaced loyalty is the threat of humiliation. This is done by publicly shaming, exposing, or threatening to remove people from the group. Unquestionably, there is a place for appropriate church discipline. In the abusive system, it is the fear of being exposed, humiliated or removed that insures your proper allegiance, and insulates those in authority. You can be "exposed" for asking too many questions, for disobeying the unspoken rules, or for disagreeing with authority. People are made public examples in order to send a message to those who remain. Others have phone campaigns launched against them, to warn their friends and others in the group about how "dangerous" they are. -- 7. Secretive: When you see people in a religious system being secretive-- watch out. People don't hide what is appropriate; they hide what is inappropriate. One reason spiritual abusive families and churches are secretive is because they are so image conscious. People in these systems can't even live up to their own performance standards, so they have to hide what is real. Some believe they must do this to protect God's good name. So how things look and what others think becomes more important than what's real. They become God's "public relations agents." The truth is, He's not hiring anyone for this position. Another reason for secrecy in a church is that the leadership has a condescending, negative view of the laity. This results in conspiracies on the leadership level. They tell themselves, "People are not mature enough to handle truth." This is patronizing at best. Conspiracies also develop among the lay people. Since it is not all right [sic] to notice or talk about problems, people form conspiracies behind closed doors and over the telephone as they try to solve things informally. But since they have no authority, they solve, and solve, and solve-- but nothing really gets solved. And all the while, building God's true kingdom is put on hold. -- Conclusion: I hope that what I have cited gets your attention and motivates you to read this book. The subtle patterns of unhealthy characteristics are discussed in a way that actually helps people identify them, resist them, and recover from them. Copyright © 2000 John Engler. All rights reserved. The Barnabas Ministry[article link] Pagan Christianity (by Frank Viola and George Barna) Reviewed - Like most reformers, Viola manages to express some valid issues that need attention - He well states the clergy-laity distinction - He is clear about the disastrous domination of clergymen, the official function of "pastors" who enforce denominational creed and tradition, and even speaks with validity against the Charismatic movement and its' impact in modern worship "styles" - I believe there is veneration of religious architecture that can cripple us both spiritually and financially, though Viola goes way beyond questioning an expediency I understand the "excessive and pathological dependence on the clergy," but I'm not willing to classify all preaching within that condemnation. (This is the same old stuff - human abuse is cited as the reason to cast out something legitimate when used properly.) When we tell people what the Word of God says and challenge the right response, there is no excess or pathology in that! Let's expose and condemn the real problem, without throwing out the legitimate. -- And I'm wondering about something. Frank Viola has written a book. What is it that lifts his book out of the condemned category? What if someone read his book to a group of people (he does affirm his book to be needed truth)? Would the reading of his book stifle spiritual health and create a pathological dependence on his writings or books in general? Nonsense. -- Don't overlook, Viola is a high school teacher. When he speaks to a class in a building with attention focused on him, does he consider that to be an exercise that is passive, tradition bound and pagan? Likewise, he "speaks at church-life conferences!" Apparently the kind of speaking he does he values in some way. Yet he reacts with outrage when someone stands before an audience and directs their attention to the text of Scripture in an orderly form without interruption. This is the excess and decoration of a militant reformer, who is in bondage to his system while attacking another. It is gimmickry and passion born in the contention of a reformers narrow mentality, not based on the content of Scripture. -- Behind the charm and sophistry of these reformers there is an
arrogant spirit. Mr. Viola wants us to know that "the NT is not a manual for church practice." Yet, he wants us to be led by "the light that is within you!" When all of that has been said, the footnote on the last page of the book is truly the bottom line. He says in this small print entry: "If you plan to leave the institutional church, I strongly recommend that you read the next volume in this series: So You Want To Start A House Church? FirstCentury Styled Church Planting For Today. It will give you the next step." -- Unbelievable! He steers us away from the New Testament, then recommends his next book as our next step. Now here is my recommendation. Don't let any man dictate "the next step." Not Viola, Berkley or any man. Open the Bible. Read what it says, and let God direct your steps (Psa. 37:23; 119:133). --- Good Recently Published Resources To Study The House Church Movement: "The House Church Movement," Harry Osborne; in The Renewing Of Your Mind, 2004 Truth Magazine Lectures, GOT Foundation, 2004. "The House Church Movement," Jim Deason; True Worship, 2205 FC Lectures. By Warren E. Berkley The Front Page From Expository Files 13.1 January 2006.[article link] What is a Protestant [Pro-Witness Christianity] and why the protest - The English word 'Protestant' comes from the Latin and is made up from two words, pro-for, and testari-witness - And it has come to mean to write or speak strongly against - The three fundamental [Pro-Witness] doctrines are: The Protestant goes directly to the word of God for instructions, and to the throne of grace in his/her devotion; while the pious Roman Catholic consults the teachings of his/her church, and prefers to offer prayers through the mediums of the virgin Mary and Saints, (note here that the bible teaches that the dead know not anything and Necromancy, the talking or praying to the dead, is an abomination Ps.106:28; Col.2:8) --- ***From this general principle of evangelical [Biblical Truth] freedom, and direct individual relationship [Believers' Priesthood] of the believer to (Jesus) Christ, comes the three fundamental [Pro-Witness] doctrines of Protestantism: 1.) The Bible only 2.) by Grace only 3.) the general Priesthood of believers -- {Note: Jesus told both the Pharisees and His Disciples (Luke 16:26) that there is a divided dimension "a great gulf" between the living and the dead and that the two groups cannot communicate or interact in any way with each other, because God has a division between the living and the dead. Any interaction with the living that feints interaction as from the dead should be highly suspect as being deceptive in nature and possibly even of demonic origin.} By the Bible only, is meant that we do not need extra revelations nor dogmas that contradict the 'Holy Word of God'. When the Bishop of Rome was elevated to the throne of Caesar in 538 A.D. as head of the Empire, he continued the same persecution against the Christian Church that Caesar began. See Revelation 17:6 "I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints." (Note here that a woman symbolizes a church and every bible believer is called a saint by virtue of Christ's righteousness being credited to them). Sainthood is not conferred onto the persecutors.[article link] WHY BAPTISTS ARE NOT PROTESTANTS by Dr. Vernon C. Lyons - The 'Protestant' Reformation is usually dated from October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany - However, this was only one of a series of acts that led to the open rupture with Rome Protestants date from the sixteenth century (1517) - They are the Lutherans, the Reformed, and others who were once Roman Catholics and left the Roman Catholic faith to start denominations of their own - The Baptists never left the Roman Catholic church as did Luther, Calvin and Zwingli -- **They (Baptists) never left because they were never in -- They did not begin their existence at the time of the Reformation, but hundreds of years prior to the Reformation Baptists make no effort to trace a historical succession back to the age of the Apesties. Their only claim is that at every age in church history there have been groups that have held to the same doctrines that Baptists hold today. These groups may or may not have been connected and they have been known by various names. There were the Montanists (150 A.D.), the Novatians (240 A.D.), Donatists (305 A.D.), Albigenses (1022 A.D.), Waldensians (1170 A.D.), and the name Anabaptists came into prominence just before the time of the Protestant Reformation. Full historical data immediately refutes the view that there was only one religious group -- the Roman Catholic church -until the time of Martin Luther. Anyone who claims this simply has not done his homework. ... It is also evident that the Baptists were not Protestants because they were fiercely
persecuted by the Protestant Reformers and their followers. Uncounted thousands of them lost their goods, their lands, and their lives in these persecutions. Konred Grebel died in prison in 1526. Felix Manz was drowned by the authorities at Zurich in 1527. Noted Baptist leader Baithauser Hubmaier was burned alive at the stake in Vienna March 10, 1528. Three days later his wife was drowned by being thrown over the Danube bridge with a stone tied to her neck. The facts abundantly attest that historically Baptists are not Protestants.[article link] Methodist [Method Christianity] Beginnings - John Wesley was a priest in the Church of England, but did not have a personally moving experience of the forgiveness of his own sins until May 24, 1738 - He then embarked on a career of bringing others to this experience through preaching, and the organization of small groups for spiritual encouragement - After his death, his followers formed a new Protestant denomination, known as the Methodists [Method Christianity] - Wesley began sending preachers to the American colonies in 1771.As in England, he had a team of lay preachers who rode from society to society, monitoring the beliefs and efforts at holiness of each society member - Because of the hostility of many Americans toward the Church of England following the Revolutionary War, and because of the great distance from England, Wesley allowed Methodists in America to form a separate denomination - At the "Christmas Conference" in Baltimore in 1784-85 Dr. Thomas Coke (who had been ordained as a superintendent or bishop by Wesley) and Francis Asbury formed the Methodist Episcopal Church and began to ordain ministers who could offer the sacraments [Communion] as well as preach Wesley agreed with the great Protestant Reformers Martin Luther (1483-1546), Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531), and John Calvin (1509-1564) that people were saved by the free grace of God's forgiveness of sin, and that there was nothing one could do to merit such forgiveness-it was simply a gift.This is the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone. -- Wesley's theology was distinctive in that he argued that this justifying grace was preceded by a grace that prepared individuals and allowed them to accept or reject justifying grace freely ("prevenient grace"), and that, in addition to justifying grace, they are given additional grace that leads them on toward a life of sinless perfection ("sustaining grace").Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin had argued that individuals are not free to accept or reject God's grace-if offered, it is an offer that cannot be refused.Further, they argued that though one could not lose this grace, sinless perfection was not possible-though their sins are forgiven Christians always remain sinners. -- Wesley saw his movement as an effort to revitalize the Church of England.He required his followers to attend church services at their local parishes, and he did not allow his lay preachers to administer sacraments.While his use of lay preachers, his willingness to preach not just from pulpits but on street corners and in fields, and his eventual willingness to allow women leadership roles in his movement caused tension with some in the Church of England, Methodism remained part of the Church of England in England for as long as Wesley was alive.[article link] Primitive Methodist Church - Primitive Methodism began in England, in the early 1800's, as an attempt to restore the Methodist Revival begun under the ministry of John Wesley - In America, Methodist preachers invented a new form of Evangelism, **the Camp Meeting [aka Revival Meetings, Tent Meetings, Evangelism Outreach, Crusades] - On May 31, 1807, these two leaders called for and aggressively promoted [in England] an American style Camp Meeting, an all day prayer, song, and preaching event - Many people were converted to Christ at that meeting, now called: "Mow Cop" - John Wesley [had] won many to Christ preaching outdoors, but the leaders of the [English] Wesleyan church of that day found this [American] innovation unbearable They firmly refused to allow any of the Mow Cop converts to join their churches - They dismissed Hugh Bourne and William Clowes for their innovation without permission - For two years, these enthusiastic converts waited in vain for acceptance by the established Church - Finally, they decided to form their own society - They named it "The Society of Primitive Methodists" because they desired to return to the Roots of the Methodist movement OUR BEGINNINGS: Primitive Methodism began in England, in the early 1800's, as an attempt to restore the Methodist Revival begun under the ministry of John Wesley. In America, Methodist preachers invented a new form of Evangelism, the Camp Meeting. Such a preacher, Lorenzo Dow, visited England. He told of many
converts being won to the Lord in these outdoor meetings. He spoke of John Wesley, and his Field preaching. Hugh Bourne and William Clowes listened. On May 31, 1807, these two leaders called for and aggressively promoted an American style Camp Meeting, an all day prayer, song, and preaching event. Many people were converted to Christ at that meeting, now called: "Mow Cop". -- At the left is an artist rendition of a rock outcropping of the remains of a castle that is located on the top of a hill that is known as Mow Cop. The artist is Carol Kropp. Her husband is Rev. George Kropp and he is the pastor of the Laurel Run Primitive Methodist Church. You may click on the following link to go to a web site with much information about the hill and castle known as “ Mow Cop“ , as well as information pertaining to early Primitive Methodism. -- John Wesley won many to Christ preaching outdoors, but the leaders of the Wesleyan church of that day found this innovation unbearable. They firmly refused to allow any of the Mow Cop converts to join their churches. They dismissed Hugh Bourne and William Clowes for their innovation without permission. For two years, these enthusiastic converts waited in vain for acceptance by the established Church. Finally, they decided to form their own society. They named it “ The Society of Primitive Methodists“ because they desired to return to the Roots of the Methodist movement. In 1829, a group of missionaries arrived in America to minister to English and Welsh Immigrants living in the industrial and mining areas. Their ministries thrived and their Churches grew. On September 16, 1840, the “ American Primitive Methodist Church“ was established.[article link] George Whitefield (1714-1770) -- George Whitefield was a renowned English preacher, considered to be much more eloquent that John Wesley - He persuaded John Wesley to preach in the fields - George Whitefield [Calvinism] and John Wesley [Arminianism] did not see eye-to-eye on a theology of grace however - They parted ways but managed, in the end, to maintain a respect for each other in that their hearts were the same in terms of unity in Jesus Christ George Whitefield and John Wesley did not see eye-to-eye on a theology of grace however. In 1740 Wesley published "Free Grace," saying that God’ s grace was extended to all. Wesley rejected the concept of divine election. Whitefield was a Calvinist. He once wrote, "God, himself, I find, teaches my friends the doctrine of election. If I mistake not, my dear and honored Mr. Wesley will hereafter be convinced of it also." -- The two men were never to agree on divine election. Whitefield thought Wesley's was preaching universal redemption whereas Wesley thought Whitefield's preaching implied Christians need not take moral responsibility. They parted ways but managed, in the end, to maintain a respect for each other in that their hearts were the same in terms of unity in Jesus Christ. After Whitefield's death, John Wesley preached a memorial sermon. -- Wesley said: "Let my last end be like his!" How many of you join in this wish? Perhaps there are few of you who do not, even in this numerous congregation! And O that this wish may rest upon your minds! - that it may not die away till your souls also are lodged "where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest!" [article link]
John Wesley (1707-1788) -- English preacher, Theologian and Founder of the Methodist Church The Wesley family was made famous by the two brothers, John and Charles, who worked together in the rise of Methodism in the British Isles during the 18th century. They were among the ten children surviving infancy born to Samuel Wesley (1662 - 1735), Anglican rector of Epworth, Lincolnshire, and Susanna Annesley Wesley, daughter of Samuel Annesley, a dissenting minister. -- John Wesley was born June 28, 1703, died Mar. 2, 1791, and was the principal founder of the Methodist movement. His mother was important in his emotional and educational development. John's education continued at Charterhouse School and at Oxford, where he studied at Christ Church and was elected (1726) fellow of Lincoln College. He was ordained in 1728. -- After a brief absence (1727 - 29) to help his father at Epworth, John returned to Oxford to discover that his brother Charles had founded a Holy Club composed of young men interested in spiritual growth. John quickly became a leading participant of this group, which was dubbed the Methodists. His Oxford days introduced him not only to the rich tradition of classical literature and philosophy but also to spiritual classics like Thomas a Kempis's Imitation of Christ, Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living and Dying, and William Law's Serious Call. -- In 1735 both Wesleys accompanied James Oglethorpe to the new colony of Georgia, where John's attempts to apply his
then high-church views aroused hostility. Discouraged, he returned (1737) to England; he was rescued from this discouragement by the influence of the Moravian preacher Peter Boehler. At a small religious meeting in Aldersgate Street, London, on May 24, 1738, John Wesley had an experience in which his "heart was strangely warmed." After this spiritual conversion, which centered on the realization of salvation by faith in Christ alone, he devoted his life to evangelism. Beginning in 1739 he established Methodist societies throughout the country. He traveled and preached constantly, especially in the London-Bristol-Newcastle triangle, with frequent forays into Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. He encountered much opposition and persecution, which later subsided. -- Late in life Wesley married Mary Vazeille, a widow. He continued throughout his life a regimen of personal discipline and ordered living. He died at 88, still preaching, still traveling, and still a clergyman of the Church of England. In 1784, however, he had given the Methodist societies a legal constitution, and in the same year he ordained Thomas Coke for ministry in the United States; this action signaled an independent course for Methodism.[article link] Wikipedia: John Wesley (June 28, 1703 – March 2, 1791) -- A Church of England cleric and Christian theologian - Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield - In contrast to George Whitefield's Calvinism, Wesley embraced the Arminian doctrines that were dominant in the 18th-century Church of England - Methodism in both forms was a highly successful evangelical movement in the United Kingdom, which encouraged people to experience Jesus Christ personally -- Wesley's teachings, known as Wesleyanism, provided the seeds for both the modern Methodist movement, **the Holiness movement, Pentecostalism, the Charismatic Movement, and Neo-charismatic churches, which encompass numerous denominations across the world -- In addition, he refined Arminianism with a strong evangelical emphasis on the Reformed doctrine of justification by faith Doctrines and theology: The 20th century Wesley scholar Albert Outler argued in his introduction to the 1964 collection John Wesley that Wesley developed his theology by using a method that Outler termed the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. In this method, Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture; and the Bible was the sole foundational source of theological or doctrinal development. The centrality of Scripture was so important for Wesley that he called himself "a man of one book"—meaning the Bible—although he was well-read for his day. However, he believed that doctrine had to be in keeping with Christian orthodox tradition. So, tradition was considered the second aspect of the Quadrilateral. -- Wesley contended that a part of the theological method would involve experiential faith. In other words, truth would be vivified in personal experience of Christians (overall, not individually), if it were really truth. And every doctrine must be able to be defended rationally. He did not divorce faith from reason. Tradition, experience and reason, however, were subject always to Scripture, Wesley argued, because only there is the Word of God revealed "so far as it is necessary for our salvation." -- The doctrines which Wesley emphasised in his sermons and writings are prevenient grace, present personal salvation by faith, the witness of the Spirit, and sanctification. Prevenient grace was the theological underpinning of his belief that all persons were capable of being saved by faith in Christ. Unlike the Calvinists of his day, Wesley did not believe in predestination, that is, that some persons had been elected by God for salvation and others for damnation. He understood that Christian orthodoxy insisted that salvation was only possible by the sovereign grace of God. He expressed his understanding of humanity's relationship to God as utter dependence upon God's grace. God was at work to enable all people to be capable of coming to faith by empowering humans to have actual existential freedom of response to God. -- Wesley defined the witness of the Spirit as: "an inward impression on the soul of believers, whereby the Spirit of God directly testifies to their spirit that they are the children of God." He based this doctrine upon certain Biblical passages (see Romans 8:15– 16 as an example). This doctrine was closely related to his belief that salvation had to be "personal." In his view, a person must ultimately believe the Good News for himself or herself; no one could be in relation to God for another. -- Sanctification he described in 1790 as the "grand depositum which God has lodged with the people called `Methodists'." Wesley taught that sanctification was obtainable after justification by faith, between justification and death. He did not contend for
"sinless perfection"; rather, he contended that a Christian could be made "perfect in love". (Wesley studied Eastern Orthodoxy and particularly the doctrine of Theosis). This love would mean, first of all, that a believer's motives, rather than being self-centred, would be guided by the deep desire to please God. One would be able to keep from committing what Wesley called, "sin rightly so-called." By this he meant a conscious or intentional breach of God's will or laws. A person could still be able to sin, but intentional or wilful sin could be avoided. -Secondly, to be made perfect in love meant, for Wesley, that a Christian could live with a primary guiding regard for others and their welfare. He based this on Christ's quote that the second great command is "to love your neighbour as you love yourself." In his view, this orientation would cause a person to avoid any number of sins against his neighbour. This love, plus the love for God that could be the central focus of a person's faith, would be what Wesley referred to as "a fulfilment of the law of Christ." Wesley believed that this doctrine should be constantly preached, especially among the people called Methodists. In fact, he contended that the purpose of the Methodist movement was to "spread scriptural holiness across England." -- Advocacy of Arminianism: Wesley entered controversies as he tried to enlarge church practice. The most notable of his controversies was that on Calvinism. His father was of the Arminian school in the church. Wesley came to his own conclusions while in college and expressed himself strongly against the doctrines of Calvinistic election and reprobation. -- Whitefield inclined to Calvinism. In his first tour in America, he embraced the views of the New England School of Calvinism. When in 1739 Wesley preached a sermon on Freedom of Grace, attacking the Calvinistic understanding of predestination as blasphemous, as it represented "God as worse than the devil," Whitefield asked him not to repeat or publish the discourse, as he did not want a dispute. Wesley published his sermon anyway. Whitefield was one of many who responded. The two men separated their practice in 1741. Wesley wrote that those who held to unlimited atonement did not desire separation, but "those who held 'particular redemption' would not hear of any accommodation." -- Whitefield, Harris, Cennick, and others, became the founders of Calvinistic Methodism. Whitefield and Wesley, however, were soon back on friendly terms, and their friendship remained unbroken although they travelled different paths. In 1770 the controversy broke out anew with violence and bitterness, as people's view of God related to their views of men and their possibilities. Augustus Montague Toplady, Rowland, Richard Hill, and others were engaged on the one side, and Wesley and Fletcher on the other. Toplady was editor of The Gospel Magazine, which had articles covering the controversy. In 1778 Wesley began the publication of The Arminian Magazine, not, he said, to convince Calvinists, but to preserve Methodists. He wanted to teach the truth that "God willeth all men to be saved." A "lasting peace" could be secured in no other way. His system of thought has become known as Wesleyan Arminianism, the foundations of which were laid by Wesley and Fletcher.[article link] Wikipedia: Jonathan Edwards (1703-1778) -- An American preacher, theologian, and missionary to Native Americans. Edwards "is widely acknowledged to be America's most important and original philosophical theologian," and one of America's greatest intellectuals - Edwards's theological work is very broad in scope, but he is often associated with his defense of Reformed theology/Calvinism - Edwards played a critical role in shaping the First Great Awakening, and oversaw some of the first fires of revival in 1733– 1735 at his church First Church in Northampton, Massachusetts - Edwards delivered the **sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", preached at Enfield, July 8, 1741, a classic of early American literature {Note: the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is considered to be the best sermon ever given by an American Preacher.} Great Awakening: On July 7, 1731, Edwards preached in Boston the "Public Lecture" afterwards published under the title "God Glorified —in Man's Dependence," which was his first public attack on Arminianism. The emphasis of the lecture was on God's absolute sovereignty in the work of salvation: that while it behooved God to create man pure and without sin, it was of his "good pleasure" and "mere and arbitrary grace" for him to grant any person the faith necessary to incline him or her toward holiness; and that God might deny this grace without any disparagement to any of his character. -- In 1733, a religious revival began in Northampton and reached such intensity in the winter of 1734 and the following spring as to threaten the business of the town. In six months, nearly three hundred were admitted to the church. The revival gave Edwards an opportunity for studying the process of conversion in all its phases and varieties, and he recorded his observations with
psychological minuteness and discrimination in A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundred Souls in Northampton (1737). A year later, he published Discourses on Various Important Subjects, the five sermons which had proved most effective in the revival, and of these, none, he tells us, was so immediately effective as that on the Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners, from the text, "That every mouth may be stopped." Another sermon, published in 1734, A Divine and Supernatural Light, Immediately Imparted to the Soul by the Spirit of God set forth what he regarded as the inner, moving principle of the revival, the doctrine of a special grace in the immediate, and supernatural divine illumination of the soul. -- By 1735, the revival had spread—and popped up independently—across the Connecticut River Valley, and perhaps as far as New Jersey. However, criticism of the revival began, and many New Englanders feared that Edwards had led his flock into fanaticism. Over the summer of 1735, religious fervor took a dark turn. A number of New Englanders were shaken by the revivals but not converted, and became convinced of their inexorable damnation. Edwards wrote that "multitudes" felt urged—presumably by Satan—to take their own lives. At least two people committed suicide in the depths of their spiritual duress, one from Edwards's own congregation—his uncle, Joseph Hawley II. It is not known if any others took their own lives, but the suicide craze effectively ended the first wave of revival, except in some parts of Connecticut. -- However, despite these setbacks and the cooling of religious fervor, word of the Northampton revival and Edwards's leadership role had spread as far as England and Scotland. It was at this time that Edwards was acquainted with George Whitefield, who was traveling the Thirteen Colonies on a revival tour in 1739– 1740. The two men may not have seen eye to eye on every detail—Whitefield was far more comfortable with the strongly emotional elements of revival than Edwards was—but they were both passionate about preaching the Gospel.They worked together to orchestrate Whitefield's trip, first through Boston, and then to Northampton. When Whitefield preached at Edwards's church in Northampton, he reminded them of the revival they had experienced just a few years before. This deeply touched Edwards, who wept throughout the entire service, and much of the congregation too was moved. Revival began to spring up again, and it was at this time that Edwards preached his most famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" in Enfield, Connecticut in 1741. This sermon has been widely reprinted as an example of "fire and brimstone" preaching in the colonial revivals, though the majority of Edwards's sermons were not this dramatic. Indeed, he used this style deliberately. As historian George Marsden put it, "Edwards could take for granted...that a New England audience knew well the Gospel remedy. The problem was getting them to seek it." -- **Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God, A Sermon Preached at Enfield, July 8, 1741, by Rev. Jonathan Edwards. Published at Boston, 1741 -- The movement met with opposition from conservative Congregationalist ministers. In 1741, Edwards published in its defense The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God, dealing particularly with the phenomena most criticized: the swoonings, outcries and convulsions. These "bodily effects," he insisted, were not distinguishing marks of the work of the Spirit of God one way or another; but so bitter was the feeling against the revival in the more strictly Puritan churches that, in 1742, he was forced to write a second apology, Thoughts on the Revival in New England, his main argument being the great moral improvement of the country. In the same pamphlet, he defends an appeal to the emotions, and advocates preaching terror when necessary, even to children, who in God's sight "are young vipers… if not Christ's." He considers "bodily effects" incidental to the real work of God, but his own mystic devotion and the experiences of his wife during the Awakening (which he gives in detail) make him think that the divine visitation usually overpowers the body, a view in support of which he quotes Scripture. In reply to Edwards, Charles Chauncy wrote Seasonable Thoughts on the State of Religion in New England in 1743 and anonymously penned The Late Religious Commotions in New England Considered in the same year. In these works he urged conduct as the sole test of conversion; and the general convention of Congregational ministers in the Province of Massachusetts Bay protested "against disorders in practice which have of late obtained in various parts of the land." -- In spite of Edwards's able pamphlet, the impression had become widespread that "bodily effects" were recognized by the promoters of the Great Awakening as the true tests of conversion. To offset this feeling, Edwards preached at Northampton, during the years 1742 and 1743, a series of sermons published under the title of Religious Affections (1746), a restatement in a more philosophical and general tone of his ideas as to "distinguishing marks." In 1747, he joined the movement
started in Scotland called the "concert in prayer," and in the same year published An Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of God's People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom on Earth. In 1749, he published a memoir of David Brainerd who had lived with his family for several months and had died at Northampton in 1747. Brainerd had been constantly attended by Edwards's daughter Jerusha, to whom he was rumored to have been engaged to be married, though there is no surviving evidence for this. In the course of elaborating his theories of conversion Edwards used Brainerd and his ministry as a case study, making extensive notes of his conversions and confessions.[article link] SermonAudio: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (Mp3) "Great Sermon!" This particular reading of the "greatest sermon ever preached on American soil", scared the hell out of me. Even as a regenerated Christian, I was trembling throughout the entire sermon. The actor who performed the reading of this certainly outdid himself. I would recommend this particular reading (produced by cloudaudio.com) over all the others.[article link] Wikipedia: Charles Finney (Finney (August 29, 1792 – August 16, 1875) -- An American preacher and leader in the Second Great [American] Awakening - He has been called The Father of Modern Revivalism [Alter calls and the 'sinners prayer'] - Finney was best known as an innovative revivalist, an opponent of Old School Presbyterian theology, an advocate of Christian perfectionism, a pioneer in social reforms in favor of women and blacks, a religious writer, and president at Oberlin College -- {Note: Charles Finney (1792 -1875) was one of the greatest men of the Christian faith. -- Finney was a primary influence on the "revival" style of theology which emerged in the 19th century (1800's). Though coming from a Calvinistic background, Finney rejected (Shepherding) tenets of "Old Divinity" Calvinism "Old School Presbyterian theology" which he felt were unbiblical and counter to evangelism and the Christian mission. - Wiki.com} Theology: Finney was a primary influence on the "revival" style of theology which emerged in the 19th century. Though coming from a Calvinistic background, Finney rejected tenets of "Old Divinity" Calvinism which he felt were unbiblical and counter to evangelism and Christian mission. -- Finney's theology is difficult to classify, as can be observed in his masterwork, Religious Revivals. In this work, he emphasizes the involvement of a person's will in salvation. Whether he believed the will was free to repent or not repent, or whether he viewed God as inclining the will irresistibly (as in Calvinist doctrine, where the will of an elect individual is changed by God so that they now desire to repent, thus repenting with their will and not against it, but not being free in whether they choose repentance since they must choose what their will is inclined towards), is not made clear. Finney, like most Protestants, affirmed salvation by grace through faith alone, not by works or by obedience. Finney also affirmed that works were the evidence of faith. The presence of unrepentant sin thus evidenced that a person had not received salvation. -- In his Systematic Theology, Finney remarks that "I have felt greater hesitancy in forming and expressing my views upon this Perseverance of the saints, than upon almost any other question in theology." At the same time, he took the presence of unrepented sin in the life of a professing Christian as evidence that they must immediately repent or be lost. Finney draws support for this position from Peter's treatment of the baptized Simon (see Acts 8) and Paul's instruction of discipline to the Corinthian church (see 1 Corinthians 5). This type of teaching underscores the strong emphasis on personal holiness found in Finney's writings. -- Finney's understanding of the atonement was that it satisfied "public justice" and that it opened up the way for God to pardon people of their sin. This was the so-called New Divinity which was popular at that time period. In this view, Christ's death satisfied public justice rather than retributive justice. As Finney put it, it was not a "commercial transaction." This view of the atonement is typically known as the governmental view or government view. -- Princeton Theological Seminary Professor Albert Baldwin Dod reviewed Finney's 1835 book Lectures on Revivals of Religion and rejected it as theologically unsound from a Calvinistic perspective, not necessarily from a Christian perspective. Dod was a defender of Old School Calvinist orthodoxy (see Princeton theologians) and was especially critical of Finney's view of the doctrine of total depravity.[article link]
Charles Finney Revivals - Charles Finney Messages - Sermons From The Penny Pulpit (Resources) CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE: LECTURES TO PROFESSING CHRISTIANS (1836-37). DELIVERED IN THE CITY OF NEWYORK, 1836 AND 1837. BY CHARLES G. FINNEY - What is the gospel, and what is Christianity? Are there false converts in the church? What is the real difference between true and false converts? Why do Christians struggle to live a life of obedience, and to win the lost to Christ? Does salvation really produce holiness? Does Christ actually make us holy so that we can enter heaven? Is this the message of the gospel? And how can we ourselves become HOLY?[article link] Christian and Missionary Alliance: TOZER DEVOTIONAL, THOUGHTS ON COMMUNION - Tuesday, January 11, 2011 - What a sweet comfort to us that our Lord Jesus Christ was once known in the breaking of the bread - In earlier Christian times, believers called the Communion "the medicine of immortality," and God gave them the desire to pray - But do not then depart; Savior, abide with us and spread Thy table **in our heart [not just in our mind] THOUGHTS ON COMMUNION: What a sweet comfort to us that our Lord Jesus Christ was once known in the breaking of the bread. In earlier Christian times, believers called the Communion "the medicine of immortality," and God gave them the desire to pray: Be known to us in breaking bread, But do not then depart; Savior, abide with us and spread Thy table **in our heart [not just in our mind]. Some churches have a teaching that you will find God only at their table-and that you leave God there when you leave. I am so glad that God has given us light. We may take the Presence of the table with us. We may take the Bread of life with us as we go. Then sup with us in love divine, Thy body and Thy blood; That living bread and heavenly wine Be our immortal food! In approaching the table of our Lord, we dare not forget the cost to our elder Brother, the Man who was from heaven. He is our Savior; He is our Passover![article link] Revival Hymn a Call to Action (Video & Mp3 Downloads) Have We No Tears for Revival? "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." (Ps. 126:5). This is the divine edict. This is more than preaching with zeal. This is more than scholarly exposition. This is more than delivering sermons of exegetical exactitude and homiletic perfection. Such a man, whether preacher or pew dweller, is appalled at the shrinking authority of the Church in the present drama of cruelty in the world. And he cringes with sorrow that men turn a deaf ear to the Gospel and willingly risk eternal hell in the process. Under this complex burden, his heart is crushed to tears. The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church, grieved at the blindness of the Church, grieved at the corruption in the Church, grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil. He is embarrassed that the Church folks no longer cry in their despair before a devil-ridden, sin-mad society, "Why could we not cast him out?" (Matt. 17:19).[article link] Desiderius Erasmus (1466– 1536) - Erasmus' Bible Version the 'Textus Receptus' meaning the 'Received Texts' In considering the experiences of Linacre and Colet, the great scholar Erasmus was so moved to correct the corrupt Latin Vulgate, that in 1516 A.D., with the help of printer John Froben, he published a Greek-Latin Parallel New Testament - The Latin part was not the corrupt Vulgate, but his own fresh rendering of the text from the more accurate and reliable Greek, which he had managed to collate from a half-dozen partial old Greek New Testament manuscripts he had acquired - This milestone was the first non-Latin Vulgate text of the scripture to be produced in a millennium… and the first ever to come off a printing press - The 1516 GreekLatin New Testament of Erasmus further focused attention on just how corrupt and inaccurate the Latin Vulgate had become, and how important it was to go back and use the original Greek (New Testament) and original Hebrew (Old Testament) languages to maintain accuracy {Note: The King James Version Bible published in 1611 A.D. is an English TRANSLATION from the Greek New Testament and Hebrew Old Testament texts assembled by Erasmus that he published in 1516 A.D. as the Textus Receptus. The 1611 KJV Bible is for the most part a word for word Translation and not a paraphrase so the accuracy of the 1611 KJV translation can easily be checked for errors or corruptions by simply comparing it to the Greek and Hebrew of the previously
published (1516 A.D.) Textus Receptus. The scholarship of the KJV translation was the very best the world had to offer at that time, or possibly of any time since the time of the Apostles and as the best scholars they didn’ t write the Bible or even re-write the Bible they only TRANSLATED the already written Bible from the original Greek and Hebrew into the English of our day and Nationality.} Writings of Erasmus: His more serious writings begin early with the Enchiridion Militis Christiani, the "Manual (or Dagger) of the Christian Gentleman" (1503). In this little volume Erasmus outlines the views of the normal Christian life which he was to spend the rest of his days in elaborating. The key-note of it all is sincerity. The chief evil of the day, he says, is formalism, a respect for traditions, a regard for what other people think essential, but never a thought of what the true teaching of Christ may be. Another of Erasmus’ s books worthy of mention was, Praise of Folly, dedicated to his friend Sir Thomas More. -- While in England Erasmus began the systematic examination of manuscripts of the New Testament to prepare for a new edition and Latin translation. This edition was published by Froben of Basel in 1516 and was the basis of most of the scientific study of the Bible during the Reformation period. It was the first attempt on the part of a competent and liberal-minded scholar to ascertain what the writers of the New Testament had actually said. The Greek text produced by Erasmus is known as textus receptus and was the basis for the King James Version of the New Testament. Erasmus dedicated his work ironically, to Pope Leo X., and he justly regarded this work as his chief service to the cause of a sound Christianity. Immediately after he began the publication of his Paraphrases of the New Testament, a popular presentation of the contents of the several books. These, like all the writings of Erasmus, were in Latin, but they were at once translated into the common languages of the European peoples, a process which received the hearty approval of Erasmus himself.[article link] Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) -- (Occult) philosopher and statesman, was the youngest son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper, by his second wife - In 1596 he was made a Queen's Counsel, but missed the appointment of Master of the Rolls, and in the next year (1597), he published the first edition of his Essays, ten in number, combined with Sarced Meditations and the Coulours of Good and Evil - In his great office Bacon showed a failure of character in striking contrast with the majesty of his intellect - He was corrupt alike politically and judicially - Thenceforth he devoted himself to study and writing (aka William Shakespeare) - In 1622 appeared his History of Henry VII, and the 3rd part of the Instauratio; in 1623, History of Life and Death, the De Augmentis Scientarum, a Latin translation of the Advancement, and in 1625 the 3rd edition of the Essays, now 58 in number - He also published Apophthegms, **and a translation [here we have the beginnings of what we have so much of today, modern occultists translating versions of the Bible] of some of the Psalms -- The intellect of Bacon was one of the most powerful and searching ever possessed by man, and his developments of the inductive philosophy revolutionised the future thought of the human race Bacon, Francis, Lord Verulam, and Viscount St. Alban's, philosopher and statesman, was the youngest son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper, by his second wife, a daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke, whose sister married William Cecil, Lord Burghley, the great minister of Queen Elizabeth. He was born at York House in the Strand on Jan. 22, 1561, and in his 13th year was sent with his elder brother Anthony to Trinity College, Cambridge. Here he first met the Queen, who was impressed by his precocious intellect, and was accustomed to call him "the young Lord Keeper." Here also he became dissatisfied with the Aristotelian philosophy as being unfruitful and leading only to resultless disputation. -- In 1576 he entered Gray's Inn, and in the same year joined the embassy of Sir Amyas Paulet to France, where he remained until 1579. The death of his father in that year, before he had completed an intended provision for him, gave an adverse turn to his fortunes, and rendered it necessary that he should decide upon a profession. He accordingly returned to Gray's Inn, and, after an unsuccessful attempt to induce Burghley to give him a post at court, and thus enable him to devote himself to a life of learning, he gave himself seriously to the study of law, and was called to the Bar in 1582. He did not, however, desert philosophy, and published a Latin tract, Temporis Partus Maximus (the Greatest Birth of Time), the first rough draft of his own system. -- Two years later, in 1584, he entered the House of Commons as member for Melcombe, sitting subsequently for Taunton (1586), Liverpool (1589), Middlesex (1593), and Southampton (1597). In the Parliament of 1586 he took a prominent part in urging the execution of Mary
Queen of Scots. About this time he seems again to have approached his powerful uncle, the result of which may possibly be traced in his rapid progress at the Bar, and in his receiving, in 1589, the reversion to the Clerkship of the Star Chamber, a valuable appointment, into the enjoyment of which, however, he did not enter until 1608. -- About 1591 he formed a friendship with the Earl of Essex, from whom he received many tokens of kindness ill requited. In 1593 the offices of Attorney-general, and subsequently of Solicitor-general became vacant, and Essex used his influence on Bacon's behalf, but unsuccessfully, the former being given to Coke, the famous lawyer. These disappointments may have been owing to a speech made by Bacon on a question of subsidies. To console him for them Essex presented him with a property at Twickenham, which he subsequently sold for £1800, equivalent to a much larger sum now. -- In 1596 he was made a Queen's Counsel, but missed the appointment of Master of the Rolls, and in the next year (1597), he published the first edition of his Essays, ten in number, combined with Sarced Meditations and the Coulours of Good and Evil. By 1601 Essex had lost the Queen's favour, and had raised his rebellion, and Bacon was one of those appointed to investigate the charges against him, and examine witnesess, in connection with which he showed an ungrateful and indecent eagerness in pressing the case against his former friend and benefactor, who was executed on Feb. 25, 1601. This act Bacon endeavoured to justify in A Declaration of the Practices and Treasons, etc., of...the Earl of Essex, etc. His circumstances had for some time been bad, and he had been arrested for debt: he had, however, received a gift of a fine of £1200 on one of Essex's accomplices. -- The accession of James VI in 1603 gave a favourable turn to his fortunes: he was knighted, and endeavoured to set himself right with the new powers by writing his Apologie (defence) of his proceedings in the case of Essex, who had favoured the succession of James. In the first Parliament of the new king he sat for St. Alban's, and was appointed a Commissioner for Union with Scotland. In 1605 he published The Advancement of Learning, dedicated, with fulsome flattery, to the king. The following year he married Alice Barnham, the daughter of a London merchant, and in 1607 he was made Solicitor-General, and wrote Cogita et Visa, a first sketch of the Novum Organum, followed in 1609 by The Wisdom of the Ancients. -- Meanwhile (in 1608), he had entered upon the Clerkship of the Star Chamber, and was in the enjoyment of a large income; but old debts and present extravagance kept him embarrassed, and he endeavoured to obtain further promotion and wealth by supporting the king in his arbitrary policy. In 1613 he became Attorney-General, and in this capacity prosecuted Somerset in 1616. The year 1618 saw him Lord Keeper, and the next Lord Chancellor and Baron Verulam, a title which, in 1621, he exchanged for that of Viscount St. Albans. Meanwhile he had written the New Atlantis, a political romance, and in 1620 he presented to the king the Novum Organum, on which he had been engaged for 30 years, and which ultimately formed the main part of the Instauratio Magna. -- In his great office Bacon showed a failure of character in striking contrast with the majesty of his intellect. He was corrupt alike politically and judicially, and now the hour of retribution arrived. In 1621 a Parliamentary Committee on the administration of the law charged him with corruption under 23 counts; and so clear was the evidence that he made no attempt at defence. To the lords, who sent a committee to inquire whether the confession was really his, he replied, "My lords, it is my act, my hand, and my heart; I beseech your lordships to be merciful to a broken reed." He was sentenced to a fine of £40,000, remitted by the king, to be committed to the Tower during the king's pleasure (which was that he should be released in a few days), and to be incapable of holding office or sitting in parliament. He narrowly escaped being deprived of his titles. -- Thenceforth he devoted himself to study and writing. In 1622 appeared his History of Henry VII, and the 3rd part of the Instauratio; in 1623, History of Life and Death, the De Augmentis Scientarum, a Latin translation of the Advancement, and in 1625 the 3rd edition of the Essays, now 58 in number. He also published Apophthegms, and a translation of some of the Psalms. -- His life was now approaching its close. In March, 1626, he came to London, and shortly after, when driving on a snowy day, the idea struck him of making an experiment as to the antiseptic properties of snow, in consequence of which he caught a chill, which ended in his death on 9th April 1626. He left debts to the amount of £22,000. At the time of his death he was engaged upon Sylva Sylvarum. -- The intellect of Bacon was one of the most powerful and searching ever possessed by man, and his developments of the inductive philosophy revolutionised the future thought of the human race.[article link]
Who wrote the Bible that you are reading? - Satan, Demons, necromancers, drunks, occult and Bible Translators writing modern Bibles - The two main perpetrators of the crime of mutilating the Word of God are Brooke Foss Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort who lived in the 1880's and their work has caused a virtual death blow to the pure Word of God - John R. Kohlenberger of Zondervan which published the NASB, Living Bible, Amplified Bible, NIV, and RSV said that all versions that have come after the King James Version from the RSV to the present versions have come from the text [of Westcott and Hort] that was developed by these two snakes who feign themselves translators of the pure Word of God - Wilbur Pickering, author of The Identity of the New Testament Text states, "The W-H (Westcott-Hort) critical theory is erroneous at every point" {Note: Where Erasmus compiled the Textus Receptus from known reliable Byzantium [the region of Galatia where the Apostles traveled, preached and wrote some of their epistles] sources in 1516 A.D. later in 1881 A.D. Westcott and Hort would fashion together a counterfeit Greek N.T. version designed to supplant Erasmus’ famous Textus Receptus. The ‘ Siniaticus’ text of Westcott-Hort is supposedly based on Greek texts from Mt. Sinai in Egypt [the other Mt. Sinai] though the Siniaticus is clearly an Alexandrian Gnostic text.} I have just finished reading a fantastic book by G.A. Riplinger entitled, "New Age Bible Versions." Among other things, it details who the writers were of the Greek Text used to translate the NIV, NASB, NKJV, NRSV, NAB, REB, RSV, CEV, TEV, GNB LIVING, PHILLIPS, NEW JERUSALEM, and NEW CENTURY versions of the Bible. If you own one of these, you probably bought them because they supposedly come from the most ancient manuscripts and they are more accurate and authentic than the old standard King James Version of the Bible. WRONG!!!!! If you are reading one of these versions, it is a compilation of the work of Satan, Demons, drunks, necromancers, channelers, ghost followers, Nazi staff members, Lucifer worshipers, Plato, Origin, Philo, and many other NEW AGE (demon inspired) thinkers who want nothing more than to bring in a One World Government under a New World Order, with the Anti-Christ as the ruler of the world, and Marxism as the world political system. What angers me the most is that supposedly God fearing ministers of the Gospel have, like the Pied Piper, led their congregations by a passive attitude that will open up the door to the religion of the AntiChrist one day. -- I just wrote an email to a good friend of mine, a minister, who sent me an email with a quote from one of these OCCULT translations of the bible. He is a good man and a soul-winner. I then realized that the Bible is true when it says that in the last days deceivers will come that will deceive, "if it were possible," the very elect. I then knew that it is happening right before our very eyes. People purchase Bibles thinking that there are godly men that have made these new translations with much care along with prayer and that they are delivering what is the most accurate copy of the Word of God in existence today. THAT IS NOT THE CASE. Since the book that I cited above gives more evidence than I can possibly give here, I want to tell you about the men that did the translations of the revised Greek text and some of their friends and acquaintances. Once you have read this, if you can continue using one of these OCCULT versions of the Bible, God help your soul.[article link] Lighthouse Trails Publishing – Looking Back at 2011 and Looking Ahead at 2012 - "HarperCollins Buys Thomas Nelson, Will Control 50% of Christian Publishing Market" - And many of the more established Christian publishers have been bought out by huge secular corporations giving their marketing budgets even more clout As Lighthouse Trails Publishing (the publishing arm of Lighthouse Trails Research Project) soon nears the end of our 10th year (10 years this coming March), we'd like to take a moment to ponder 2011, which was a busy year for us. It's not easy being a small publisher in today's western society where book reading is being slowly squeezed out of many people's lives by the Internet, television, radio, and a host of other technological inventions. Not only that, small publishing houses must compete with the large houses that seem to have marketing budgets that keep them selling thousands, if not millions, of books. And many of the more established Christian publishers have been bought out by huge secular corporations giving their marketing budgets even more clout. An article in Christianity Today this past fall titled “ HarperCollins Buys Thomas Nelson, Will Control 50% of Christian Publishing Market” is a case in point. HarperCollins bought Zondervan in 1988. Thomas Nelson and Zondervan are Christian publishing's two largest publishing house. -- But in spite of the huge challenge it is for small publishers to stay in business, Lighthouse Trails is still here after nearly a decade. We believe that God has continued to provide for us; and we thank Him for giving us the wisdom to
keep our overhead small, live and work as simply and frugally as we can, and never lower our standards from what we believe they should be just so we can sell more books. We'll never be a Thomas Nelson or Zondervan (we think that might be a good thing considering their move toward contemplative and emerging), but we hope and pray we can be around another ten years and represent even more authors than we already have who have biblical and personal integrity.[article link] Firestorm grows over 'Christian heresy' book - "A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived" was heading towards universalism (i.e. everyone goes to their own version of heaven regardless of their acceptance of the cross, works and sacrifice of Jesus Christ) - The book was scheduled to be released March 29, 2011 but Harper One [HarperCollins] pushed the release up to March 15 [Ides of March] - next Tuesday {Possibly intentionally being released on the 15th of March to commemorate yet another NWO accomplished agenda and stab in the back to traditional Christianity.} He said the controversy swirling is unlike anything else he has seen in this category of books. "I'm not sure I've ever seen this amount of anticipation," he said. "Love Wins" is Bell's first book since his break from Zondervan, the Christian publisher based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that published Bell's first four books and also publishes the New International Version [NIV] of the Bible, one of the most popular translations of the Bible among evangelicals. Bell's split from Zondervan came in part over this new book. "The break with Zondervan was amicable," Tauber said. "In the end the president of Zondervan made the decision. The proposal came in and they said, 'This proposal doesn't fit in with our mission.'" Zondervan would not discuss its relationship with Bell but released a statement: Zondervan has published four books by Rob Bell, as well as numerous Nooma videos in which Rob was featured. We published these titles because we believed they were consistent with Zondervan's [fooling of Christians - occult] mission statement and publishing philosophy. We still believe these titles are impactful with their message and positive contribution and intend to continue to publish them. Tauber said when he got the call that Bell's new book was up for bid, HarperOne jumped at the chance. "There were at least four or five major publishers that were involved in bidding for this book," he said. *When pressed for financial figures of the deal, he said, "We're talking a six-figure deal for the advance, but I can't say more than that." Tauber said HarperOne had been "keeping an eye on him" since Bell's first [ghost authored actually written by an anonymous, interested, agenda driven, vested 3rd party] book, "Velvet Elvis," came in as a proposal. That book went on to sell 500,000 copies. Bell skyrocketed to prominence with the the Nooma series, which were short teachings by Bell, away from the pulpit and with indie film sensibilities. The high production values and quick releases of the short films made them a hit in [easily deceived] evangelical circles. In them Bell honed his trademark style of asking tough traditional questions about faith and exploring them from angles other than traditional answers.[article link] Satanic Bible by Anton La Vey (called "The Black Pope") -- from HarperCollins Publishers owend by Fox News Channel owner Rupert Murdoch Called "The Black Pope" by many of his followers, Anton La Vey began the road to High Priesthood of the (lurch of Satan when he was only 16 years old and an organ player in a carnival: ... From that time early in his life his path was clear. Finally, on the last night of April, 1966 -- Walpurgisnacht, the most important festival of the believers in witchcraft -- LaVey shaved his head in the tradition of Ancient executioners and announced the formation of The Church Of Satan. He had seen the need for a church that would recapture man's body and his carnal desires as objects of celebration.[article link] More Than A Wizard: L. Frank Baum by Cat Rambo Published May 2009 -- Politically, Baum was a flaming liberal - His wife was the daughter of suffrage leader Matilda Joslyn Gage, ** [Theosophist - occult] author of The Women's Bible and companion to Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton Lyman Frank Baum, author of Ozma of Oz, didn't just write one of the most popular children's books in history. He also produced thirteen other Oz books as well as over 40 other novels, 82 short stories, hundreds of poems, and an unknown number of scripts. -- As a young man, Baum was a printer, producing several amateur
newspapers, a poultry breeder specializing in the Hamburg chicken, and a theater lover. Despite working as a clerk in his brother-in-law's dry goods store, he found time to perform in plays until eventually his father, who owned numerous opera houses and theaters, built him a theater on his 24th birthday. Baum wrote plays, including the highly successful musical “ The Maid of Arran,” and composed music for them as well. Two years later he married Maud Gage, and moved with her a few years later to Aberdeen in the Dakota Territory, where he operated a store called “ Baum's Bazaar.” In 1890 the store failed, and Baum turned to newspaper writing and working as a traveling salesman. -- He believed deeply in the power of children's literature, saying "Imagination has given us the steam engine, the telephone, the talking– machine and the automobile, for these things had to be dreamed of before they became realities. So I believe that dreams – day dreams with your eyes wide open – are likely to lead to the betterment of the world. The imaginative child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent, and therefore to foster civilization." -- Politically, Baum was a flaming liberal. His wife was the daughter of suffrage leader Matilda Joslyn Gage, author of The Women's Bible and companion to Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Baum wrote editorials trying to convince the public to vote for women's suffrage and served as secretary of Aberdeen's Women Suffrage Club.[article link] Wikipedia: Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826 – 1898) -- Gage was considered to be more radical than either Susan B. Anthony or Elizabeth Cady Stanton (with whom she wrote History of Woman Suffrage) - Along with Stanton, she was a vocal critic of the Christian Church, which put her at odds with conservative suffragists such as Frances Willard and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union - Despite her opposition to the Church, Gage was in her own way deeply religious [occult - the Theosophical Society], and **she joined Stanton's Revising Committee to write 'The Woman's Bible' - She became a Theosophist and encouraged her children and their spouses to do so, some of whom did Family: A daughter of the early abolitionist Hezekiah Joslyn, Gage was the wife of Henry Hill Gage, with whom she had five children: Charles Henry (who died in infancy), Helen Leslie, Thomas Clarkson, Julia Louise, and Maud. Gage maintained residence in Fayetteville, New York for the majority of her life. Though Gage was cremated, there is a memorial stone at Fayetteville Cemetery that bears her slogan "There is a word sweeter than Mother, Home or Heaven. That word is Liberty." -- Maud, who was ten years younger than Julia, initially horrified her mother when she chose to marry The Wonderful Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum at a time when he was a struggling actor with only a handful of plays (of which only The Maid of Arran survives) to his writing credit. However, a few minutes after the initial announcement, Gage started laughing, apparently realizing that her emphasis on all individuals making up their own minds was not lost on her headstrong daughter, who gave up a chance at a law career when the opportunity for women was rare. Gage spent six months of every year with Maud and Frank, and died in the Baum home in Chicago, Illinois in 1898. -- Gage's son Thomas Clarkson Gage and his wife Sophia had a daughter named Dorothy Louise Gage, who was born in Bloomington, IL, on June 11, 1898 and died just five months later on November 11, 1898. The death so upset the child's aunt Maud, who had always longed for a daughter, that she required medical attention. Thomas Clarkson Gage's child was the namesake of her uncle Frank Baum's famed fictional character, Dorothy Gale. In 1996, Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner, a biographer of Matilda Joslyn Gage, located young Dorothy's grave in Bloomington. A memorial was erected in the child's memory at her gravesite on May 21, 1997. This child is often mistaken for her cousin of the same name, Dorothy Louise Gage (1883– 1889), Helen Leslie (Gage) Gage's child. As theosophists, both the Baums and the Gages believed in reincarnation, and thought this child might have been Matilda Joslyn Gage, whose personal spark is apparently written into the character. -- In The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story, Gage was played by Rue McClanahan, whose relationship with Frank was wrongly portrayed as antagonistic, and falsely presented Gage as the inspiration for the Wicked Witch of the West. Annette O'Toole played Maud, and Nancy Morgan and Pat Skipper played Helen and Charles, respectively.[article link]
Wikipedia: The Woman's Bible - The Woman's Bible is a two-part book, written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and a committee of 26 women, and published in 1895 and 1898 to challenge the traditional position of religious orthodoxy that woman should be subservient to man - By producing the book, Stanton wished to promote a radical liberating theology, one that stressed self-development - The book attracted a great deal of controversy and antagonism at its introduction - Although it was never accepted by Bible scholars as a major work, it became a popular best-seller Many women's rights activists who worked with Stanton were opposed to the publication of The Woman's Bible; they felt it would harm the drive for women's suffrage. Although it was never accepted by Bible scholars as a major work, it became a popular best-seller, much to the dismay of suffragists who worked alongside Stanton within the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Susan B. Anthony tried to calm the younger suffragists, but they issued a formal denunciation of the book, and worked to distance the suffrage movement from Stanton's broader scope which included attacks on traditional religion. Because of the widespread negative reaction, including suffragists who had been close to her, publication of the book effectively ended Stanton's influence in the suffrage movement. -- In 1881, 1885 and 1894, the Church of England published a Revised Version of the Bible, the first new English version in over two centuries. Stanton was dissatisfied with the Revised Version's failure to include recent scholarship from Bible expert Julia Smith. ... Stanton assembled a "Revising Committee" to draft commentary on the new Bible version. Many of those she approached in person and by letter refused to take part, especially scholars who would be risking their professional reputations. Some 26 people agreed to help. Sharing Stanton's determination, the committee wished to correct biblical interpretation which was biased against women, and to bring attention to the small fraction of the Bible which discussed women. They intended to demonstrate that it was not divine will that humiliated women, but human desire for domination. The committee was made up of women who were not Bible scholars, but who were interested in biblical interpretation and were active in women's rights. Among the more famous members of the international committee were Augusta Jane Chapin, Lillie Devereux Blake, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Olympia Brown, Alexandra Gripenberg, Ursula Mellor Bright and Irma von TrollBorostyáni. -- Reaction: At its introduction, The Woman's Bible was widely criticized in editorials and from the pulpit. Stanton wrote that "the clergy denounced it as the work of Satan ..." Some were put off just by its prejudicial, sacrilegious title, especially those who did not take the time to read the book. Others countered the book's more extreme conclusions one by one in public fora such as letters to the editor. One female reader of The New York Times wrote to decry The Woman's Bible for its radical statements that the Trinity was composed of "a Heavenly Mother, Father, and Son", and that prayers should be addressed to an "ideal Heavenly Mother". Mary Seymour Howell, a member of the Revising Committee, wrote to The New York Times in defense of the book, saying that its title could be better understood as "The Woman's Commentary on the Women of the Bible". Stanton countered attacks by women readers, writing "the only difference between us is, we say that these degrading ideas of woman emanated from the brain of man, while the church says that they came from God." -- Susan B. Anthony, Stanton's best and most faithful collaborator, concluded after years of working for women's rights that the concentration on one issue—votes for women—was the key to bringing success to the movement. The women's organizations had too varied a membership to agree on anything more complex. Stanton insisted, however, that the women's rights conventions were too narrowly focused; she brought forward a variety of challenging concepts in the form of essays for Anthony to read to the audiences. When Stanton made known her interest in completing The Woman's Bible, Anthony was unhappy at the futility of the effort, a harmful digression from the focused path which led to woman suffrage. Anthony wrote to Clara Colby to say of Stanton "of all her great speeches, I am always proud—but of her Bible commentaries, I am not proud—either of their spirit or letter ... But I shall love and honor her to the end—whether her Bible please me or not. So I hope she will do for me." -- At the NAWSA convention January 23– 28, 1896, Corresponding Secretary Rachel Foster Avery led the battle to distance the organization from The Woman's Bible. After Susan B. Anthony opened the convention on January 23, Avery surprised Anthony by stating to the more than 100 members of the audience: During the latter part of the year the work has been in several directions much hindered by the general misconception of the relation of the so-called "Woman's Bible" to our association. As
an organization we have been held responsible for the action of an individual ... in issuing a volume with a pretentious title, covering a jumble of comment ... without either scholarship or literary value, set forth in a spirit which is neither reverent nor inquiring. Avery called for a resolution: "That this Association is nonsectarian, being composed of persons of all shades of religious opinion, and that it has no connection with the so-called 'Woman's Bible', or any theological publication." The motion was tabled until later, and motions were made to strike Avery's comments from the official record. A complete account of Avery's remarks were reported the next day in The New York Times. The opinion of NAWSA delegate Laura Clay, expressed in her Southern Committee report on January 27 that "the South is ready for woman suffrage, but it must be woman suffrage and nothing else," was typical of responses to The Woman's Bible conflict. Most suffragists wanted only to work on the right to vote, "without attaching it to dress reform, or bicycling, or anything else ..." On the afternoon of January 28, a list of Resolutions was put to a vote. The first seven were passed without comment. The eighth was Avery's proposed dissociation with The Woman's Bible, and its presence caused an active debate. Anna Howard Shaw, Alice Stone Blackwell, Henry Browne Blackwell, Carrie Chapman Catt and others spoke in favor, while Lillie Devereux Blake, Clara B. Colby, and more spoke against it. Anthony left her chair to join the debate against the resolution, and spoke at length, saying "Lucretia Mott at first thought Mrs. Stanton had injured the cause of woman's rights by insisting on the demand for woman suffrage, but she had sense enough not to pass a resolution about it ..." A majority of 53 to 41 delegates approved the resolution, an action which was seen as a censure of Stanton, and one which was never repealed. Avery's opening report of January 23 was adopted with the part about The Woman's Bible expunged. -- Legacy: Stanton wished for a greater degree of scholarship in The Woman's Bible, but was unable to convince Bible scholars of her day to take part in what was expected to be a controversial project. Scholars continued to avoid addressing the subject of sexism in the Bible until 1964 when Margaret Brackenbury Crook published Women and Religion, a study of the status of women in Judaism and Christianity. Subsequent works by Letty Russell and Phyllis Trible furthered the connection between feminism and the Bible. Today, biblical scholarship by women has come into maturity, with women posing new questions about the Bible, and challenging the very basis of biblical studies. Stanton herself was marginalized in the women's suffrage movement after publication of The Woman's Bible. From that time forward, Susan B. Anthony took the place of honor among the majority of suffragettes. Stanton was never again invited to sit in a place of honor on stage at the NAWSA convention.[article link] Wikipedia: L. Frank Baum (1856 – 1919) -- was an [occult] American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - He wrote thirteen novel sequels, nine other fantasy novels, and a host of other works (55 novels in total, plus four "lost" novels, 82 short stories, over 200 poems, an unknown number of scripts, and many miscellaneous writings), and made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen - His works predicted such century-later commonplaces as television, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high risk, action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: In 1900, Baum and Denslow (with whom he shared the copyright) published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to much critical acclaim and financial success. The book was the best-selling children's book for two years after its initial publication. Baum went on to write thirteen more novels based on the places and people of the Land of Oz. ... His final Oz book, Glinda of Oz was published on July 10, 1920, a year after his death. The Oz series was continued long after his death by other authors, notably Ruth Plumly Thompson, who wrote an additional nineteen Oz books. ... Baum also anonymously wrote The Last Egyptian: A Romance of the Nile. -- Baum continued theatrical work with Harry Marston Haldeman's men's social group, The Uplifters, for which he wrote several plays for various celebrations. He also wrote the group's parodic by-laws. The group, which also included Will Rogers, was proud to have had Baum as a member and posthumously revived many of his works despite their ephemeral intent. Although many of these play's titles are known, only The Uplift of Lucifer is known to survive (it was published in a limited edition in the 1960s). Prior to that, his last produced play was The Tik-Tok Man of Oz (based on Ozma of Oz and the basis for Tik-Tok of Oz), a modest success in Hollywood that producer Oliver Morosco decided did not do well enough to take to Broadway. Morosco,
incidentally, quickly turned to film production, as would Baum. -- In 1914, having moved to Hollywood years earlier, Baum started his own film production company, The Oz Film Manufacturing Company, which came as an outgrowth of the Uplifters. He served as its president, and principal producer and screenwriter. The rest of the board consisted of Louis F. Gottschalk, Harry Marston Haldeman, and Clarence R. Rundel. The films were directed by J. Farrell MacDonald, with casts that included Violet MacMillan, Vivian Reed, Mildred Harris, Juanita Hansen, Pierre Couderc, Mai Welles, Louise Emmons, J. Charles Haydon, and early appearances by Harold Lloyd and Hal Roach. Silent film actor Richard Rosson appeared in one of the films, whose younger brother Harold Rosson photographed The Wizard of Oz (1939). After little success probing the unrealized children's film market, Baum came clean about who wrote The Last Egyptian and made a film of it (portions of which are included in Decasia), but the Oz name had, for the time being, become box office poison and even a name change to Dramatic Feature Films and transfer of ownership to Frank Joslyn Baum did not help. Unlike with The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays, Baum invested none of his own money in the venture, but the stress probably took its toll on his health. -- On May 5, 1919, Baum suffered from a stroke. He died quietly the next day, nine days short of his 63rd birthday. At the end he mumbled in his sleep, then said, "Now we can cross the Shifting Sands." He was buried in Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery. ... Political: Women's suffrage advocate - Sally Roesch Wagner of The Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation has published a pamphlet titled The Wonderful Mother of Oz describing how Matilda Gage's radical feminist politics were sympathetically channeled by Baum into his Oz books. Much of the politics in the Republican Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer dealt with trying to convince the populace to vote for women's suffrage. Baum was the secretary of Aberdeen's Woman's Suffrage Club. When Susan B. Anthony visited Aberdeen, she stayed with the Baums. Nancy Tystad Koupal notes an apparent loss of interest in editorializing after Aberdeen failed to pass the bill for women's enfranchisement. Some of Baum's contacts with suffragists of his day seem to have inspired much of his second Oz story, The Marvelous Land of Oz. In this story, General Jinjur leads the girls and women of Oz in a revolt by knitting needles, take over, and make the men do the household chores. Jinjur proves to be an incompetent ruler, but a female advocating gender equality is ultimately placed on the throne. His Edith Van Dyne stories, including the Aunt Jane's Nieces, The Flying Girl and its sequel, and his girl sleuth Josie O'Gorman from The Bluebird Books, depict girls and young women engaging in traditionally masculine activities. ... Religion: Originally a Methodist (albeit a skeptical one), Baum joined the Episcopal Church in Aberdeen to participate in community theatricals. Later, he and his wife, encouraged by Matilda Joslyn Gage, became Theosophists, in 1897. Baum's beliefs are often reflected in his writing. The only mention of a church in his Oz books is the porcelain one which the Cowardly Lion breaks in the Dainty China Country in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Baums believed that religious decisions should be made by mature minds and sent their older sons to "Ethical Culture Sunday School" in Chicago, which taught morality, not religion.[article link] Introduction: In this part of the study we are going to examine the modern day phenomenon of the Church Denomination and specifically the characteristics of the personality preacher (male or female) - Where the ministries are oriented to where one individual molds and shapes the ministry after their own particular desires usually with the unspoken goal of increasing their own personal financial gain - It is in part a study of the misuse and collapse of the modern Church system, a system that has neglected righteousness and instead favors abuse, neglect and lies all cleverly wrapped and delivered in a container of arrogance, fraud and deceit In other words this is simply the perils that exist in the present day modern Church Note: even with the many problems that these and all the Denominations have both now and historically have had - each of these churches (Pentecostal, Foursquare, SBC, Calvary Chapel, etc.) are still for the most part a valid place to worship and the reason is because God is not a respecter of persons. Even though the person in the pulpit is less than honorable and possibly even a scoundrel at heart their limitations have not limited in any way the ability or desires of God to meet with a person desirous of having a personal, Biblical relationship with God. -- Romans 2:1-13 "But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: *For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall
also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."[article link] Wilipedia: 1906 Azusa Street Revival - The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement - it was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher - It began with a meeting on April 14, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915 - The revival was characterized by ecstatic spiritual experiences accompanied by miracles, dramatic worship services, speaking in tongues, and inter-racial mingling - The participants were criticized by the secular media and Christian theologians for behaviors considered to be outrageous and unorthodox, especially at the time - Today, the revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century - The Apostolic Faith Mission on 312 Azusa Street, now considered to be the birthplace of Pentecostalism -- Every Church Member that is Charismatic or Pentecostal has roots that stem from The 1906 Azusa Street Revival! (TheAzusaStreetRevival.com) Background: Welsh Revival - In 1904, the Welsh Revival took place, during which approximately 100,000 people in Wales joined the movement. Internationally, evangelical Christians took this event to be a sign that a fulfillment of the prophecy in the Bible's book of Joel, chapter 2:23-29 was about to take place. Joseph Smale, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Los Angeles, went to Wales personally in order to witness the revival. Upon his return to Los Angeles, he attempted to ignite a similar event in his own congregation. His attempts were short-lived, and he eventually left First Baptist Church to found First New Testament Church, where he continued his efforts. During this time, other small-scale revivals were taking place in Minnesota, North Carolina, and Texas. By 1905, reports of speaking in tongues, supernatural healings, and significant lifestyle changes accompanied these revivals. As news spread, evangelicals across the United States began to pray for similar revivals in their own congregations. -- Los Angeles: In 1905, William J. Seymour, the one-eyed 34 year old son of former slaves, was a student of well-known Pentecostal preacher Charles Parham and an interim pastor for a small holiness church in Houston, Texas. Neely Terry, an African American woman who attended a small holiness church pastored by Julia Hutchins in Los Angeles, made a trip to visit family in Houston late in 1905. While in Houston, she visited Seymour's church, where he preached the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, and though he had not experienced this personally, Terry was impressed with his character and message. Once home in California, Terry suggested that Seymour be invited to speak at the local church. Seymour received and accepted the invitation in February 1906, and he received financial help and a blessing from Parham for his planned one-month visit. -- Seymour arrived in Los Angeles on February 22, 1906, and within two days was preaching at Julia Hutchins' church at the corner of Ninth Street and Santa Fe Avenue. During his first sermon, he preached that speaking in tongues was the first biblical evidence of the inevitable baptism in the Holy Spirit. On the following Sunday, March 4, he returned to the church and found that Hutchins had padlocked the door. Elders of the church rejected Seymour's teaching, primarily because he had not yet experienced the blessing about which he was preaching. Condemnation of his message also came from the Holiness Church Association of Southern California with which the church had affiliation. However, not all members of Hutchins' church rejected Seymour's preaching. He was invited to stay in the home of congregation member Edward S. Lee, and he began to hold Bible studies and prayer meetings there. -Seymour and his small group of new followers soon relocated to the home of Richard and Ruth Asberry at 214 North Bonnie Brae Street. White families from local holiness churches began to attend as well. The group would get together regularly and pray to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. On April 9, 1906, after five weeks of Seymour's preaching and prayer, and three days into an intended 10-day fast, Edward S. Lee spoke in tongues for the first time. At the next meeting, Seymour shared Lee's testimony and preached a sermon on Acts 2:4 and soon six others began to speak in tongues as well, including Jennie Moore, who would later become Seymour's wife. A few days later, on April 12, Seymour spoke in tongues for the first time after praying all night long. -- News of the events at North Bonnie Brae St. quickly circulated among the African American, Latino and White residents of the city, and for several nights, various speakers would preach to the crowds of curious and interested onlookers from the front porch of the Asberry home. Members of the audience included
people from a broad spectrum of income levels and religious backgrounds. Hutchins eventually spoke in tongues as her whole congregation began to attend the meetings. Soon the crowds became very large and were full of people speaking in tongues, shouting, singing and moaning. Finally, the front porch collapsed, forcing the group to begin looking for a new meeting place. A resident of the neighborhood described the happenings at 214 North Bonnie Brae with the following words: They shouted three days and three nights. It was Easter season. The people came from everywhere. By the next morning there was no way of getting near the house. As people came in they would fall under God's power; and the whole city was stirred. They shouted until the foundation of the house gave way, but no one was hurt. -- Azusa Street: Conditions - The group from Bonnie Brae Street eventually discovered an available building at 312 Azusa Street in downtown Los Angeles, which had originally been constructed as an African Methodist Episcopal Church in what was then a black ghetto part of town. The rent was $8.00 per month. A newspaper referred to the downtown Los Angeles building as a "tumble down shack". Since the church had moved out, the building had served as a wholesale house, a warehouse, a lumberyard, stockyards, a tombstone shop, and had most recently been used as a stable with rooms for rent upstairs. It was a small, rectangular, flat-roofed building, approximately 60 feet (18 m) long and 40 feet (12 m) wide, totaling 4,800 square feet (450 m2), sided with weathered whitewashed clapboards. The only sign that it had once been a house of God was a single gothic-style window over the main entrance. - Discarded lumber and plaster littered the large, barn-like room on the ground floor. Nonetheless, it was secured and cleaned in preparation for services. They held their first meeting on April 14, 1906. Church services were held on the first floor where the benches were placed in a rectangular pattern. Some of the benches were simply planks put on top of empty nail kegs. There was no elevated platform, as the ceiling was only eight feet high. Initially there was no pulpit. Frank Bartleman, an early participant in the revival, recalled that "Brother Seymour generally sat behind two empty shoe boxes, one on top of the other. He usually kept his head inside the top one during the meeting, in prayer. There was no pride there.... In that old building, with its low rafters and bare floors..." -- The second floor at the now-named Apostolic Faith Mission housed an office and rooms for several residents including Seymour and his new wife, Jennie. It also had a large prayer room to handle the overflow from the altar services below. The prayer room was furnished with chairs and benches made from California Redwood planks, laid end to end on backless chairs. -- The Apostolic Faith Mission on Azusa Street, now considered to be the birthplace of Pentecostalism. -- By mid-May 1906, anywhere from 300 to 1,500 people would attempt to fit into the building. Since horses had very recently been the residents of the building, flies constantly bothered the attendees. People from a diversity of backgrounds came together to worship: men, women, children, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, rich, poor, illiterate, and educated. People of all ages flocked to Los Angeles with both skepticism and a desire to participate. The intermingling of races and the group's encouragement of women in leadership was remarkable, as 1906 was the height of the "Jim Crow" era of racial segregation, and fourteen years prior to women receiving suffrage in the United States. -- Birth of Pentecostal movement: By the end of 1906, most leaders from Azusa Street had spun off to form other congregations, such as the 51st Street Apostolic Faith Mission, the Spanish AFM, and the Italian Pentecostal Mission. These missions were largely composed of immigrant or ethnic groups. The Southeast United States was a particularly prolific area of growth for the movement, since Seymour's approach gave a useful explanation for a charismatic spiritual climate that had already been taking root in those areas. Other new missions were based on preachers who had charisma and energy. Nearly all of these new churches were founded among immigrants and the poor. -- Many existing Wesleyan-holiness denominations adopted the Pentecostal message, such as the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), the Church of God in Christ, and the Pentecostal Holiness Church. The formation of new denominations also occurred, motivated by doctrinal differences between Wesleyan Pentecostals and their Finished Work counterparts, such as the Assemblies of God formed in 1914 and the Pentecostal Church of God formed in 1919. An early doctrinal controversy led to a split between Trinitarian and Oneness Pentecostals, the latter founded the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in 1916. -- Today, there are more than 500 million Pentecostal and charismatic believers across the globe and is the fastest-growing form of Christianity today. The Azusa Street Revival is commonly regarded as the beginning of the modern-day Pentecostal Movement.[article link]
Wikipedia: Aimee Semple McPherson (1890 - 1944) -- also known as Sister Aimee, was a Canadian-American Los Angeles, California evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s - In 1913, McPherson embarked upon a preaching career - McPherson [infiltrated the Christian Church and pretended to support fundamental values] sought to eradicate modernism and secularism in homes, churches, schools and communities and developed a strong following in what McPherson termed "the Foursquare Gospel" **by blending contemporary culture with religious teachings - She founded the Foursquare Church in 1927 - McPherson has been noted as a pioneer in the use of modern media, especially radio, which she drew upon through the growing appeal of popular entertainment in North America - "McPherson found no contradiction between her rejection of Hollywood values for her use of show business techniques - She would not hesitate to use the devil's tools to tear down the devil's house" - Collections were taken at every meeting, often with the admonishment, "no coins, please" - On September 13, 1931, McPherson married again ... The marriage also caused an uproar within the church: The tenets of Foursquare Gospel, as put forth by McPherson herself, held that one should not remarry while their previous spouse was still alive, as McPherson's second husband still was - On September 26, 1944, McPherson went to Oakland, California, for a series of revivals, planning to preach her popular "Story of My Life" sermon - When McPherson's son went to her hotel room at 10:00 the next morning, he found her unconscious with pills and a half-empty bottle of capsules nearby - She had been taking sleeping pills following numerous health problems-including "tropical fever" - Among the pills found in the hotel room was the drug Seconal, a strong sedative which had not been prescribed for her - It was unknown how she obtained them - The actual cause of death still officially listed as unknown - There was some conjecture of suicide but most sources generally agree the overdose was accidental as put forth in the coroner's report Early Life: The battle between fundamentalists and modernists escalated after World War I, with many modernists seeking less conservative religious faiths. Fundamentalists generally believed their religious faith should influence every aspect of their lives. McPherson [infiltrated the Christian Church and pretended to support fundamental values] sought to eradicate modernism and secularism in homes, churches, schools and communities and developed a strong following in what McPherson termed "the Foursquare Gospel" by blending contemporary culture with religious teachings. -- International Church of the Foursquare Gospel: Wearied by constant traveling and having nowhere to raise a family, McPherson had settled in Los Angeles, where she maintained both a home and a church. McPherson believed that by creating a church in Los Angeles, her audience would come to her from all over the country. This, she felt, would allow her to plant seeds of Gospel and tourists would take it home to their communities, still reaching the masses. For several years she continued to travel and raise money for the construction of a large, domed church building in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles. The church would be named Angelus Temple. Raising more money than she had hoped, McPherson altered the original plans, and built a "megachurch" that would draw many followers throughout the years. The church was dedicated on January 1, 1923. The auditorium had a seating capacity of 5,300 people and was filled three times each day, seven days a week. At first, McPherson preached every service, often in a dramatic scene she put together to attract audiences. Eventually, the church evolved into its own denomination and became known as the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. The new denomination focused on the nature of Christ's character, that he was Savior, baptizer with the Holy Spirit, healer and coming King. There were four main beliefs: the first being Christ's ability to transform individuals' lives through the act of salvation; the second focused on a holy baptism; the third was divine healing; and the fourth was gospel-oriented heed to the premillennial return of Jesus Christ. -- In August 1925 and away from Los Angeles, McPherson decided to charter a plane so she would not miss giving her Sunday sermon. Aware of the opportunity for publicity, she arranged for at least two thousand followers and members of the press to be present at the airport. The plane failed after takeoff and the landing gear collapsed, sending the nose of the plane into the ground. McPherson boarded another plane and used the experience as the narrative of an illustrated Sunday sermon called "The Heavenly Airplane." The stage in Angelus Temple was set up with two miniature planes and a skyline that looked like Los Angeles. In this sermon, McPherson described how the first plane had the devil for the pilot, sin for the engine and temptation as the propeller. The other plane, however, was piloted by Jesus and would lead one to the Holy City (the skyline shown on stage). The temple was filled
beyond capacity. On one occasion, she described being pulled over by a police officer, calling the sermon "Arrested for Speeding." McPherson employed a small group of artists, electricians, decorators and carpenters who built the sets for each Sunday's service. Religious music was played by an orchestra. Biographer Matthew Avery Sutton wrote, "McPherson found no contradiction between her rejection of Hollywood values for her use of show business techniques. She would not hesitate to use the devil's tools to tear down the devil's house." Collections were taken at every meeting, often with the admonishment, "no coins, please." -- Because Pentecostalism was not popular in the U.S. during the 1920s, McPherson avoided the label. She did, however, make demonstrations of speaking-in-tongues and faith healing in sermons. She kept a museum of crutches, wheelchairs and other paraphernalia. As evidence of her early influence by the Salvation Army, McPherson adopted a theme of "lighthouses" for the satellite churches, referring to the parent church as the "Salvation Navy." This was the beginning of McPherson working to plant Foursquare Gospel churches around the country. McPherson published the weekly Foursquare Crusader along with her monthly magazine Bridal Call. She began broadcasting on radio in the early 1920s. McPherson was one of the first women to preach a radio sermon; and with the opening of Foursquare Gospel-owned KFSG on February 6, 1924, she became the second woman granted a broadcast license by the Department of Commerce, the agency that supervised broadcasting in the early 1920s.[article link] Wikipedia: Kathryn Kuhlman (1907 - 1976) -- Was an American faith healer and evangelist - Kuhlman [modeling her career in the mold of her idol Aimee Semple McPherson] traveled extensively around the United States and in many other countries holding "healing crusades" between the 1940s and 1970s - She had a weekly TV program in the 1960s and 1970s called I Believe In Miracles that was aired nationally The foundation was established in 1954, and its Canadian branch in 1970 - After she died, her will led to controversy - She left $267,500, the bulk of her estate, to three family members and twenty employees - Smaller bequests were given to 19 other employees - According to the Independent Press-Telegram , her employees were disappointed that "she did not leave most of her estate to the foundation as she had done under a previous 1974 will - Many accounts of healings were published in her books, which were "ghost-written" by author Jamie Buckingham of Florida, including her autobiography, which was dictated at a hotel in Las Vegas - Buckingham also wrote his own Kuhlman biography that presented an unvarnished account of her life - Many other faith healers, including Benny Hinn, who have been inspired by Kathryn Kuhlman have faced similar suspicions about their methods and practices - Kathryn Kuhlman is interred [near Aimee Semple McPherson] in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California Early life: Kathryn Johanna Kuhlmun was born in Concordia, Missouri, to German-American parents. She was born-again at the age of 13 in the Methodist Church of Concordia, and began preaching in the West at the age of sixteen in primarily Baptist Churches. -- Career: Kuhlman traveled extensively around the United States and in many other countries holding "healing crusades" between the 1940s and 1970s. She had a weekly TV program in the 1960s and 1970s called I Believe In Miracles that was aired nationally. The foundation was established in 1954, and its Canadian branch in 1970. Following a 1967 fellowship in Philadelphia, Dr. William A. Nolen conducted a case study of 23 people who claimed to have been cured during her services. Nolen's long term follow-ups concluded there were no cures in those cases. Furthermore, one woman who was said to have been cured of spinal cancer took off her brace and ran across the stage at Kuhlman's command; her spine collapsed the following day and she died four months later. -- By 1970 she moved to Los Angeles conducting faith healing for thousands of people each day as an heir to Aimee Semple McPherson. She became wellknown despite, as she told reporters, having no theological training. In 1935, Kathryn met Burroughs Waltrip, an extremely handsome Texas evangelist who was eight years her senior. Despite the fact that he was married with two small boys, they soon found themselves attracted to each other. Shortly after his visit to Denver, Waltrip divorced his wife, left his family and moved to Mason City, Iowa, where he began a revival center called Radio Chapel. Kathryn and her friend and pianist Helen Gulliford came into town to help him raise funds for his ministry. It was shortly after their arrival that the romance between Burroughs and Kathryn became publicly known. -- Burroughs and Kathryn decided to wed. While discussing the matter with some friends, Kathryn had
said that she could not “ find the will of God in the matter.” These and other friends encouraged her not to go through with the marriage, but Kathryn justified it to herself and others by believing that Waltrip's wife had left him, not the other way around. On October 18th, 1938, Kathryn secretly married “ Mister,” as she liked to call Waltrip, in Mason City. The wedding did not give her new peace about their union, however. After they checked into their hotel that night, Kathryn left and drove over to the hotel where Helen was staying with another friend. She sat with them weeping and admitted that the marriage was a mistake. She decided to get an annulment. -- In 1975, Kuhlman was sued by Paul Bartholomew, her personal administrator, who claimed she kept $1 million in jewelry and $1 million in fine art hidden away and sued her for $430,500 for breach of contract. Two former associates accused her in the lawsuit of diverting funds and illegally removing records, which she denied and said the records were not private. According to Kuhlman, the lawsuit was settled prior to trial. -- Death and legacy: In July 1975 her doctor diagnosed her with a minor heart flareup and she had a relapse in November while in Los Angeles. As a result, she had open heart surgery in Tulsa, Oklahoma from which she died in February 1976. Kathryn Kuhlman is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. A plaque in her honor is located in the main city park in Concordia, Missouri, a town located in central Missouri on Interstate Highway 70. -- After she died, her will led to controversy. She left $267,500, the bulk of her estate, to three family members and twenty employees. Smaller bequests were given to 19 other employees. According to the Independent Press-Telegram , her employees were disappointed that "she did not leave most of her estate to the foundation as she had done under a previous 1974 will." The Kathryn Kuhlman Foundation has continued, but in 1982 it terminated its nationwide radio broadcasting. She influenced faith healers Benny Hinn and Billy Burke. Hinn has adopted some of her techniques and wrote a book about her. -- Healing: Many accounts of healings were published in her books, which were "ghostwritten" by author Jamie Buckingham of Florida, including her autobiography, which was dictated at a hotel in Las Vegas. Buckingham also wrote his own Kuhlman biography that presented an unvarnished account of her life. Many other faith healers, including Benny Hinn, who have been inspired by Kathryn Kuhlman have faced similar suspicions about their methods and practices.[article link] Kathryn Kuhlman Medallion Coin Keychain Medal - KATHRYN KUHLMAN MEDALLION KEYCHAIN WHICH WAS GIVEN OUT TO SPECIAL GUESTS IN 1972 TO COMMEMORATE HER 25 YEARS OF SERVICE IN PITTSBURG -Click on the coin photo then click on the right side arrow to view a photo of the back side of the coin -- {Note: There is quite a controversy regarding this coin in that in 1972 Kathryn Kuhlman had this coin designed and minted - the coin's face (heads side) features Kathryn Kuhlman on it in her healing pose - while regulated to the backside (tails side) of the coin is Jesus Christ also in a healing pose, no doubt conducting His healing in a pose and from lessons that Jesus learned from Kathryn Kuhlman at least that's what Kathryn Kuhlman seems to be portraying in that she is the Master and Jesus her student.} The sculpting was done by E. Frudakis (the Uncle of Dino Kartsonakis, her pianist). Condition = The medallion and keychain are both in great condition with no damage or other issues. The medallion is made of solid bronze or brass. SEE PICS[article link] Kathryn Kuhlman with Duane Pederson, Lonnie Frisbee and Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel (YouTube) Description: Take a trip back in time to 1971 with the kids from Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa as they meet on the set with Kathyrn Kuhlman. Includes rare footage of Chuck Smith, Duane Pederson, Lonnie Frisbee and early performances by Children of the Day, Love Song, Debby Kerner, Country Faith and all the Jesus People. (1971)[article link] Chuck Smith Sr. Autobiography: A Memoir of Grace by (Authors) Chuck Smith Sr. and Chuck Smith Jr. published in 2009 - "I am pleased to invite you to pull up a chair and listen as my Pastor Chuck tells the story of his life." {Chuck Smith Sr. just like Aimee Semple McPherson with her "Story of My Life" sermon and Kathryn Kuhlman with her "Kuhlman and Jesus coin" now preaches the story of his life and fortunately for us he published it in a book and it's available for sale (with the unspoken admonishment of "no coins, just dollars please") and just
like Kathryn Kuhlman the self-promoting Mr. Smith manages to put himself both on the cover of his book and also in the driver seat of his favorite car but what that has to do with Jesus Christ and Ministry is a bit unclear.} (book) In times of trouble, trial, pain or loss, we often can t see the value in what we re experiencing. We don t realize what God is doing, or why He has allowed us to struggle. But there comes a day when we look back over the road map of our lives and we understand, finally. We see the dots laid out along the path, and the events God permitted in order to move us to our destination. I am pleased to invite you to pull up a chair and listen as my Pastor Chuck tells the story of his life. This book is presented to you with the prayer that what you read will help you see how God s grace is at work in your own life. Everything you have experienced in the past, everything you re going through now, and everything that awaits you on the path ahead is all part of God s plan. His will for you is perfect, and He knows just how to prepare you for your life s purpose. Everything is preparation for something else.[article link] Kathryn Kuhlman - The Interfaith Faith Healer - I thought I would just give a brief history of this diabolical woman - Please read this, it's very important you know who this woman was and how she has influenced hundreds of pastors over the years -- Bennt Hinn Praying at Kuhiman's grave - The secret to Hinn's power is his peculiar anointing, which he connects with Kathryn Kuhlman and Aimee McPherson, founder of the Foursquare Gospel Church - He first felt the "full power of the Holy Spirit" on him at a Kuhlman healing service in 1973 and her mantle has presumably fallen upon Hinn - He conducts his meetings almost exactly like hers - though it takes Hinn much longer to get his audience into the expectant mood that seems to generate psychosomatic "miracles" - In an April 7, 1991 sermon, Hinn revealed that he periodically visits Kuhiman's grave and that he is one of the few with a key to gain access to it. He also visits Aimee's grave, where he says: "I felt a terrific anointing ... I was shaking all over ... trembling under the power of God ... 'Dear God,' I said, **'I feel the [demonic] anointing.' ... I believe the anointing has lingered over Aimee's body." - (Dave Hunt, "Signs of the Times," CIB Bulletin, Jan. 1992) The Life And Death Of Kathryn Kuhlman: "Her life was a mystery. Many events of her life were shadowed with half-truths, deception, confusion and misrepresentation. If the righteous or wicked die as they live, then her death was a proof of her disobedience and bondage by false spirits. In fact, of all the mysteries about her, her death was the most mysterious." - "On February 20, 1976, in a strange hospital, in a strange city, surrounded by people she hardly knew, with a man she once disdained standing in the wings ready to preach her funeral. The woman whom Time magazine called a 'veritable one-woman Shrine of Lourdes' was dead at the age of sixtyeight." (Daughter Of Destiny, Jamie Buckingham, pp. 1-2.) -- "In the second paragraph above he mentioned a statement by Time magazine in which she was called a "veritable one-woman Shrine of Lourdes." A second biography, written by Wayne E. Warner, entitled The Woman Behind The Miracles, stated that people often used monies saved to visit an apparition of Mary and instead visited a crusade being conducted by Kathryn Kuhlman. It was very apparent that her healing services were on the exact same level as a so-called mystical apparition of Mary." -- ""Although she had not mentioned marriage, everyone seemed to know. A ghastly hush fell over the congregation. All the rumors they had been hearing about Waltrip divorcing his wife in order to marry Kathryn - it was all true. Women began to sob. Several got up from the choir and walked out. Men sat stony faced in their pews, looking at Kathryn in disbelief. How could she do it? This woman, who had preached such dynamic messages about purity and holiness. This woman who had been such a model of decency and divine compassion." (Daughter Of Destiny, pp. 82-83.) -- Kathryn Kuhlman And "The One World Religion" -Kahryn Kuhlman was apparently the first minister within the Evangelical/Pentecostal world that laid a foundation for the new unity movement of religions. It was said by her official biographer, Buckingham, that Miss Kuhlman did not like to conduct her services without Catholic priests on her platform. He stated, "She had a special love for doctors, and wanted them either on the stage or on the front rows of the auditorium. The same was true of priests and nuns - especially if they were 'in uniform'. Nothing thrilled Kathryn more than to have thirty or forty Catholic clergymen, especially if they wore clerical collars or, better yet, cassocks, sitting behind her while she ministered. Somehow it seemed to lend authenticity to what she was doing - and helped
create the proper climate of a trust and understanding which was so necessary for a miracle service." (Daughter Of Destiny, p. 221.) -- She had a special affinity for the Catholic style of high church grandeur. When Kathryn went to Las Vegas for her crusade, the following was reported, "Kathryn had but one pass through Las Vegas, and she would deliver the gospel with power! Hundreds of people in Las Vegas as well as the faithful in Youngstown, Pittsburgh, and Franklin had agreed to pray that the Holy Spirit would stir the city. Not far away a Roman Catholic priest said a Mass for the meeting the day before." (The Woman Behind The Miracles, pp. 229230.) -- Please remember that a Catholic Mass is believed to be a time when the very bread and wine becomes the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. Millions of Protestants died as martyrs because they rejected this blasphemous assertion. Did her affinity for Catholic dogmas help start the declension within the Pentecostal circles that has now become a watershed of deception and compromise? I certainly believe so! "Kathryn Kuhlman was an ecumenist without portfolio." (Ibid, p. 15.) Jamie Buckingham further stated, "In 1948 while ecumenists designed programs for denominational unity, Kathryn Kuhlman threw open the heavy old doors of north Pittsburgh's Carnegie Music Hall. Streaming through the doors and scurrying for chairs came Protestants, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, and other groups, most related to churches but others not. And they were back the next week and the next." (Ibid, p. 15.) -- This certainly would have been acceptable if they were led out of these cold-dead churches to embrace a life of separation and New Testament lifestyle. That's certainly what Jesus did. On October 11, 1972, Pope Paul gave her a private audience at the Vatican. Mr. Warner stated, "Complimenting her on her 'admirable work,' he admonished her to 'do it well!' and gave her a gold, handmade engraved medallion bearing a dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit." (Ibid, p. 172.) -- Kathryn Kuhlman And Her Spirit Guides: I am personally convinced that Miss Kuhlman was controlled by a spirit guide masquerading as the Holy Spirit. There appears to be no other possible answer. Coming to this conclusion has been a very tough and heart-rending experience. The following quote from Benny Hinn's book, Good Morning, Holy Spirit, will give you a glance at her attachment to either the Holy Spirit or a spirit. "I looked up to see Kathryn burying her head in her hands as she began to sob. She sobbed and sobbed so loudly that everything came to a standstill. The music stopped. The ushers froze in their positions. "Everyone had their eyes on her. And for the life of me I had no idea why she was sobbing. I'd never seen a minister do that before. What was she crying about? It was told later that she had never done anything like that before, and members of her staff remember it to this day. "It continued for what seemed like two minutes. Then she thrust back her head. There she was, just a few feet in front of me. Her eyes were aflame. She was alive. "In that instant she took on a boldness I had never seen in any person. She pointed her finger straight out with enormous power and emotion - even pain. If the devil himself had been there, she would have flicked him aside with just a tap. "It was a moment of incredible dimension. Still sobbing, she looked out at the audience and said with such agony, 'Please.' She seemed to stretch out the word, 'Plee-ease, don't grieve the Holy Spirit.' "She was begging. If you can imagine a mother pleading with a killer not to shoot her baby, it was like that. She begged and pleaded. "'Please,' she sobbed, 'don't grieve the Holy Spirit.' "Even now I can see her eyes. It was as if they were looking straight at me. "And when she said it, you could have dropped a pin and heard it. I was afraid to breathe. I didn't move a muscle. I was holding on to the pew in front of me wondering what would happen next. "Then she said, 'Don't you understand? He's all I've got!' "I thought, 'What's she talking about?' "Then she continued her impassioned plea saying, 'Please! Don't wound Him. He's all I've got. Don't wound the One I love!'" (Good Morning, Holy Spirit, Benny Hinn, pp. 8-9.) -- Her words reveal a view of this spirit that is extremely unusual. She said, "Don't you understand? He's all I've got." Again, she said, "Please don't wound Him, He's all I've got. Don't wound the One I love." The Holy Spirit absolutely never speaks of Himself. He glorifies Jesus Christ in His church and in you and Jesus Christ alone. Jesus said, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." (John 16:13-14). She was enamored with this "spirit" that came upon her. Often she spoke of her fear that he would leave her. She would wait behind the stage, even at times while the service languished for this "spirit person" to manifest himself. When he came she was electric and performed as the greatest of actors. Hinn continued in his description of Kuhlman's emphasis on this spirit whom she called the Holy Spirit. He said, "In
my church, the pastor talked about the Holy Spirit. But not like this. His references had to do with the gifts or tongues or prophecy - not "He's my closest, most personal, most intimate, most beloved friend." Kathryn Kuhlman was telling me about a person that was more real than you or I." (Ibid, p. 9.) Source: www.pawcreek.org/articles/endtimes/KathrynKuhlmanandHerSpiritGuide.htm[article link] Another Jesuit for Another Gospel - The "Evangelical" Non-Denomination movement was and is funded by Socialists, Nazi-Sympathizers, Anti-Communists, Jesuits, and all in all evil people - What do Bill Bright (Campus Crusade for Christ), Billy Graham (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association), Tim LaHaye (CNP founder, Left Behind co-author), and Chuck Smith Sr. (Calvary Chapel) have in common? What do Bill Bright (Campus Crusade for Christ), Billy Graham (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association), Tim LaHaye (CNP founder, Left Behind co-author), and Chuck Smith Sr. (Calvary Chapel) have in common? They have all benefited financially from Nelson Bunker Hunt. Nelson Bunker Hunt is a business tycoon famous for trying to make a run on Silver (see here), an Equestrian, and something I've learned recently, a Jesuit for the Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. The following information is an attempt to show the relationship between Nelson Bunker Hunt and "another gospel." The "Evangelical" Non-Denomination movement was and is funded by Socialists, Nazi-Sympathizers, Anti-Communists, Jesuits, and all in all evil people. There is a saying, "An enemy of my enemy is my friend." This thinking leads to 'frenemies' and an enemy who's a temporary friend ultimately will return to their natural state of being your enemy. God does not work this way. God's word tells us not to yoke with unbelievers. This group of Elitists believe it's okay to work with the enemy, to join hands, to make Covenants and oaths together for a common cause. Jesus did not have a separate gospel for Global Elites like some of the "Family" members would like to believe. I understand that all this information takes a turn down the shadowy world of conspiracy theories that the "New World Order" has Jesuits working for the return to Rome, but oddly enough, they really do have evil plans and they are increasingly revealing it themselves as though we should be grateful for their great ideas. You don't have to believe one thing in this post. It's not up to me to convince you that what we have been told and sold as an "Act of God" via a "Jesus Movement" is truly a conceived fabrication of men leading men and deceiving generations of Jesus Christs' sheep. The good news is, if you're truly called of God He can reveal the truth to you (the truth is Christian Society has chosen to follow men and not Christ and has conversely allowed idol worship, blindness, and delusion to take root).[article link] All in 'The Family' is this politics or a cult? - First and foremost, this is not a conspiracy theory, nor a conspiracy in reality - What it is, is a horrible use of the gospel - something that men have been doing since it was first laid down - It takes the message of Christ and turns it into something political, something disgusting, something human - Instead of calling [admitting] to sin, these people think themselves above the mercy of Christ - If we are chosen, then we are chosen to repentance -- Watch the video below: As I was watching some news last night, I saw this story on the Rachel Maddow show - and frankly, it's a bit creepy. I usually stop watching news by that late hour - else the children run screaming from the information overload. It concerns The Family, founded by Nazi-sympathizer, Abraham Vereide. As I was watching, I was figuring - 70 years ago? Um, right around the time all this gooblygook with William Branham started and the Manifest Sons of God. Actually, it is quite possible that these two crossed paths. (You may also want to check out this site as well.) -- Remember, these men who live in this house, all powerful, must surrender to being shepherded by another - and consider themselves 'chosen.' In other words, they may do as they choose for they are chosen for greatness in God, and will receive forgiveness. -- Note, from the above article: "At the 1990 National Prayer Breakfast, George H.W. Bush praised Doug Coe for what he described as "quiet diplomacy, I wouldn't say secret diplomacy," as an "ambassador of faith." Coe has visited nearly every world capital, often with congressmen at his side, "making friends" and inviting them back to the Family's unofficial headquarters, a mansion (just down the road from Ivanwald) that the Family bought in 1978 with $1.5 million donated by, among others, Tom Phillips, then the C.E.O. of arms manufacturer Raytheon, and Ken Olsen, the founder and president of Digital Equipment Corporation." -- One of the things that we must endeavor to do, is to make sure that we do not come off sounding like conspiracy theories. I detest them - they destroy when we should build
up. They weaken us, because rarely ever are they true. First and foremost, this is not a conspiracy theory, nor a conspiracy in reality. What it is, is a horrible use of the gospel - something that men have been doing since it was first laid down. It takes the message of Christ and turns it into something political, something disgusting, something human. -- Instead of calling to sin, these people think themselves above the mercy of Christ. If we are chosen, then we are chosen to repentance. -- While the connection here between Ensign and Sandford will go unnoticed, it is well remembered that the Dominionists have stated time and time again that they seek to bring about a government of [Anti] Christ built on seven interconnected mountains - one of them being politics. Where else to start but politicians.[article link] Completed: The Basic Christian blog History study is now completed! -- This completes both studies - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study (2009-2010) - The Basic Christian: blog History Study (2010-2012) -- Thank you, to everyone who participated in the studies and also to all those who are still reading the studies - God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown Update: Currently there are several projects in process regarding the Basic Christian Ministry. Among the next projects will probably be a Biblical study of the End Times and also it is my hope to present a Holiness Summit via website postings. Also the new Basic Christian Research Wiki page has begun and is well underway. The Holiness Summit would be an excellent opportunity to look at Holiness Doctrines to see where the Holiness Movement historically has been and also to see what changes can be made in order to better present the movement, revitalize the movement for today and help move it on into the future. -- Coming Soon: Holiness Summit 2012!! and Basic Christian: End Times!![article link] Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (PDF) The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study in PDF format. [article link] *** Basic Christian 2011 Extended Version - News-Info Feed (RSS) The 2011 Extended Basic Christian info-news feed - a longer list of past Info and RSS postings. [article link] Basic Christian Wiki: The Basic Christian Wiki 'Common Christian Faith' (CCF) Preview: The Basic Christian Wiki 'Common Christian Faith' wiki website. [article link] Mp3 Links (Part 2) - The Christmas 2011 Download and Share Project - FREE Downloads (Mp3s) Basic Christian: Links to Free Mp3s. [article link] Update: 12-06-2011 - Back home for a few days but the blog postings won't resume until January - Have a Blessed Christmas Holiday Season in Jesus Christ! ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown The current Christmas blog postings are intended to be the only postings until after the end of the year. It seems important to be really focused on Jesus Christ during this 2011 Christmas Season so there won't be any other postings, posts that could get us off topic and get in the way of our Christian Worship of Jesus Christ during the Christmas Holiday Season. -- Currently I'm working on a few projects, mostly regarding the coming Church History blog Study and getting ready to resume the blog postings in January. I'll be out of town again during the Holidays so the blog will be on a break until January. [article link]
Basic Christian: Info, News and Resources 2011
Articles Now Available: The Basic Christian Ministry FREE eBooks (ePub - Mobi) The Basic Christian Epub eBooks have been updated and now a Kindle (Mobi) version has been added for each of the five currently available Basic Christian eBooks. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown[article link] Comming Soon!! Common Christian Community CCC CommonChristianCommunity.com and Common Christian Faith CCF CommonChristianFaith.com - Fellowship and Resources for a Common Christian Community - Church, Chapel, Campus -- Epistle of Jude v3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown Coming Soon: A Resource, Information and Fellowship for Christians with a Common Salvation!! [article link] Updated! Basic Christian: The Complete News and Info Feed 2004-2011 (PDF) The Complete Basic Christian: Info, Resources and News RSS Feed (2004-2011) in PDF Format. [article link] Basic Christian: Church History blog Study - Revised Outline 0 A.D. - 312 A.D. - Birth of Jesus and the Early Church Age 313 A.D. - 1521 A.D. - Birth of Revised Rome and the Holy Roman Empire 1522 A.D. - 1880 A.D. - Indigenous Bible Translations and Doctrines Era - The Reformation - Ulrich Zwingli, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, etc. 1881 - Present (2011) - Corrupt modern bible translations and compromised Seminaries and Universities - The modern Emergent [return to occult/paganism] Era - Westcott and Hort (1881), NIV (1972) Zondervan, NKJV (1979) Thomas Nelson, Inc., etc. [article link] Basic Christian Wiki: The Basic Christian Wiki 'Common Christian Faith' (CCF) Preview: The Basic Christian Wiki 'Common Christian Faith' wiki website. [article link] Mp3 Links (Part 2) - The Christmas 2011 Download and Share Project - FREE Downloads (Mp3s) Basic Christian: Links to Free Mp3s. [article link] Update: 12-06-2011 - Back home for a few days but the blog postings won't resume until January - Have a Blessed Christmas Holiday Season in Jesus Christ! ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown The current Christmas blog postings are intended to be the only postings until after the end of the year. It seems important to be really focused on Jesus Christ during this 2011 Christmas Season so there won't be any other postings, posts that could get us off topic and get in the way of our Christian Worship of Jesus Christ during the Christmas Holiday Season. -- Currently I'm working on a few projects, mostly regarding the coming Church History blog Study and getting ready to resume the blog postings in January. I'll be out of town again during the Holidays so the blog will be on a break until January. [article link] Basic Christian: Christmas 2011 - The CHRISTmas Message in the Bible -- Christmas Day "Savior Day" The Day Jesus Christ the Savior of the world entered into the world! -- Celebrating the Arrival (Birth) of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind -- Christmas time is a wonderful time, it is a time of reassurance of God's love and of God's commitment for all mankind throughout all time -- Enjoy the Christmas Holiday Season knowing that there is indeed a Savior-Redeemer for mankind and that Jesus Christ is the Savior-Redeemer
CHRISTmas - 'Glory to God in the Highest' - Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind "Luke 2:1-20 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." [article link] Basic Christian: Christmas 2011 - The CHRISTmas Message in the Bible -- God's Wonderful Creation of Our Life and Existence "Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." -- "Genesis 1:26-28 And God (Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit) said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." -- God Created Mankind for Fellowship "Genesis 5:1-2 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him; male and female created He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created." Adam & Eve Sin against God - Mankind is now Separated from God "Genesis 3:9-13 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And He said, who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree (of evil), whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent (Satan) beguiled (tricked) me, and I did eat." -- God Promises Mankind the Redeemer Jesus - the Seed of the Virgin Birth "Genesis 3:14-15 And the LORD God said unto the serpent (Satan), Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed (antichrist) and her seed (RedeemerJesus Christ); it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel." -- The Tree of Life is Sheltered until Sin is Removed "Genesis 3:22-24 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." -- Abraham is Promised to be in the Lineage of the
Redeemer "Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said unto Abram (Abraham), Get thee out of thy country (Babylon/Iraq), and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land (Israel) that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation (Jews), and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee (through JesusRedeemer) shall all families of the earth be blessed." -- Balaam's Christmas [Star] Prophecy "Numbers 24:17 ... there shall come a Star (Christmas Star) out of Jacob, and a Scepter (King) shall rise [resurrection] out of Israel ... [article link]
Basic Christian: Christmas 2011 - The CHRISTmas Message in the Bible -- The Prophet Samuel Anoints the Sheperd Boy David to be the King of Israel "1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the (Holy) Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward." -Nathan's Prophecy to King David that his Throne Will be for the Redeemer (Jesus Christ) "2 Samuel l7:4-17 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell My servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build Me an house for Me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt (slavery), even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I (God) have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people Israel, saying, Why build ye not Me an house of cedar? Now therefore so shalt thou say unto My servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that He (God) will make thee (David) an house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed (descendants) after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for My name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be His Father, and he shall be My son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But My mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David." King David's Reply to God's Gracious Gift of Providing the Redeemer "2 Samuel 7:18-28 Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house (family), that Thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in Thy sight, O Lord GOD; but Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? And what can David say more unto Thee? for Thou, Lord GOD, knowest Thy servant. For Thy word's sake, and according to Thine own heart, hast Thou done all these great things, to make Thy servant know them. Wherefore Thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God beside Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like thy people (Jews), even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to Himself, and to make Him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for Thy land, before Thy people, which Thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? For Thou hast confirmed to Thyself Thy people Israel to be a people unto Thee for ever: and Thou, LORD, art become their God. And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said. And let Thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of Thy servant David be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to Thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath Thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto Thee. And now, O Lord GOD, Thou art that God, and Thy words be true, and Thou hast promised this goodness unto Thy servant: Therefore now let it
please Thee to bless the house of Thy servant, that it may continue for ever before Thee: for Thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with Thy blessing let the house of Thy servant be blessed for ever. -- The Prophet Isaiah Reminds the House of David about the Coming Redeemer "Isaiah 7:13-14 And he (Isaiah) said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us)." -- The Prophet Isaiah Instructs that God Himself will be the Redeemer of Mankind "Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a Child is born (virgin birth), unto us a Son is given (cross): and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." [article link] Basic Christian: Christmas 2011 - The CHRISTmas Message in the Bible -- The Angel Gabriel Announces the Coming Entrance-Birth of the Redeemer of Mankind "Luke 1:26-38 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." Mary Visits and is Greeted by Elisabeth "Luke 1:39-45 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe (John the Baptist) leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. -- Mary's Reply "The Magnificent" - "Luke 1:46-56 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is His name. And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy; As He spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house." [article link] Basic Christian: Christmas 2011 - The CHRISTmas Message in the Bible -- John the Baptist's Father's Prophecy Regarding Jesus the Redeemer "Luke 1:67-75 And his (John's) father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; As He spake by the mouth of His
holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; The oath which He sware to our father Abraham, That He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life." The Virgin Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem "Luke 2:1-7 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus (Roman Ruler) that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; because he was of the house and lineage of David: To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." -- Sheperds are Invited to View the Redeemer Jesus "Luke 2:8-12 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." [article link] Basic Christian: Christmas 2011 - The CHRISTmas Message in the Bible -- The Heavenly Angels Rejoice in God at the Birth of Jesus the Redeemer "Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." -- The Sheperds Visit the Baby Jesus the Redeemer of all Mankind "Luke 2:15-16 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger." -- The Sheperds Begin to Tell the World that Jesus the Redeemer has Arrived "Luke 2:17-20 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." The Wise Men Come to Present Gifts and to Worship Jesus the Redeemer and King of Mankind. "Matthew 2:111 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star (Christmas Star) in the east, and are come to worship Him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young Child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." -- Jesus is Circumcised and Officially Given His Name Jesus (Je-Jehovah, God-YHWH (self-sustaining, ultimate power-authority), susSalvation (healing) : Jesus = God (self-sustaining, ultimate power-authority) and Salvation (healing)) "Luke 2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, His name was called JESUS, which
was so named of the angel before He was conceived in the womb." [Note: After the Tribulation Period during the coming 1,000 year Kingdom reign of Jesus here on earth we will not be primarily calling God "Jesus" (Jehovah God is Salvation) we will be calling God "Jehovah Tsidkenu" (THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS). Jeremiah 23:6 ... and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.] -- The Holyman Simeon Prophesies about Jesus "Luke 2:22-35 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord; As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord; And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him after the custom of the law, Then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of Him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." -- The Holywoman Anna Prophesies about Jesus "Luke 2:36-39 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth." [article link] Basic Christian: Christmas 2011 - The CHRISTmas Message in the Bible - Jesus Grew and Accomplished All that He was Sent to Do "Luke 2:40 And the Child grew, and waxed strong in Spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him. Matthew 18:31-33 Then He took unto Him the twelve (Apostles), and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished. For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge Him, and put Him to death (cross): and the third day He shall rise (resurrection) again. John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst." The Resurrection of Jesus Christ the Living Redeemer "Mark 16:14-16 Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen. And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel (good news) to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." -- Our Eternal Future with God our Redeemer and the Tree of Life "Revelation 22:1-2 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." -- The Angel Testifies that these things are soon to come "Revelation 22:67 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to shew unto His servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book (Bible)." -- Jesus Testifies that He is the Redeemer "Revelation 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." -- Invitation to All People to Become Redeemed
"Revelation 22:17 And the (Holy) Spirit and the bride (Church) say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." --- Christmas time is a wonderful time it is a time of reassurance of God's love and of God's commitment for all mankind throughout all time. Enjoy the Christmas holiday season knowing that there is indeed a Savior-Redeemer for mankind and that Jesus Christ is the Savior-Redeemer. Have a very merry CHRISTmas! [article link] GoodFight.org: The Submerging Church - How the Emerging [Revised Roman Empire] church is drawing multitudes away from Biblical Christianity - Coming to DVD January 2012 - Official DVD Trailer - {Note: The people who are participating in the Emergent church movement, either willingly or passively, are literally "holding a wolf by the ears" and when they let go or when they least expect it that wolf is going to turn and rip them to shreds. -- "Ezekiel 22:27 Her [Mystery Babylon] princes in the midst [of God's people] thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. ~ Prophet Ezekiel" -"Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. ~ Jesus Christ" -- "Acts 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ~ Apostle Paul"} (YouTube) Journey with us as we take a closer look at the Emerging (also Missional - a new term that replaces Emergent) Church, its leaders, their teachings and where it is all headed when compared with bible prophecy. A Good Fight Ministries production available January 2012. [article link] What Is Discipleship? (2 Min. Video) While the majority of the church is busy planning programs and activities to entertain their members and increase their numbers, they neglect the way God has ordained for His church to be built and edified. "Christian entertainment" has replaced equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, and instead of discipling disciples to make disciples, churches are overstuffing themselves with earthly waste with no eternal impact. In just two minutes, this video sums up the church’ s problem and the solution to it. This is how we are to love others. This is how church should be done. This is discipleship: [article link] Completed: 8 Kingdoms - For all practical purposes the Basic Christian Ministry blog has completed the 8 Kingdoms (primarily ancient history) portion of the blog History Study - A few more items will be added over time but nothing significant - The December blogging of the Christmas Holiday 2011 is scheduled next - After the New Year the blogging should begin on the Church History portion of the blog History Study - {Note: Thanks to everyone who is participating in the Basic Christian: blog Studies (blog Bible Study - blog History Study). The 8 Kingdoms Study, the first portion of the blog History Study has taken over a year and a half to complete [starting in Spring 2010] and has been a substantial project, just like the blog Bible Study was. My thanks and deep appreciation to everyone who is participating, sharing and involved with the Basic Christian blog studies especially for those who are praying for the studies and the Ministry - God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown} Overview: 8 Kingdoms - The premise of the 8 Kingdoms Study is that each of the Kingdoms are unique in that they each have a unique (advanced) interaction with the spiritual realm. The 7 Gentile Kingdoms primarily interact with the fallen spiritual realm while the coming 8th Kingdom the Kingdom of Jesus Christ will be the visible presence of God on earth. The study is presenting Mystery Babylon [Revelation 17] as the Fallen Angelic realm out to deceive mankind, the 7 Mountains (hills) as the 7 Gentile Kingdoms (Governments) with False Religion [including pseudo (emergent) christianity] as being represented by the scarlet woman [placed in between the fallen angelic spiritual realm and the human political realm], influenced by Mystery Babylon and able to manifest while temporarily riding above the 7 Gentile Global Governments emplaced throughout world history. [article link] wikipedia: Millennial Kingdom [8th Kingdom] Jesus Christ - Millennialism (from millennium, Latin for "thousand years"), is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in
which Jesus "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state Among Christians who hold this belief, this is not the "end of the world", but rather the penultimate age, the age just prior to the end of the world when the present heavens and earth will flee away (Revelation 21:1). Some believe that between the millennium proper and the end of the world there will be a brief period in which a final battle with Satan will take place. After this follows the Last Judgment. ... Early church and premillennialism (chiliasm): If millenarian beliefs have fallen into disfavor in Mainstream Christian theology today, this was not the case during the Early Christian centuries. At least during the first four centuries, millennialism was normative in both East and West.[1] Tertullian, Commodian, Lactantius, Methodius, and Apollinaris of Laodicea all advocated premillennial doctrine. In addition, according to religious scholar the Rev. Dr. Francis Nigel Lee the following is true, "Justin's 'Occasional Chiliasm' sui generis which was strongly antipretribulationistic was followed possibly by Pothinus in A.D. 175 and more probably (around 185) by Irenaeus - although Justin Martyr, discussing his own premillennial beliefs in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, Chapter 110, observed that they were not necessary to Christians: "I admitted to you formerly, that I and many others are of this opinion, and [believe] that such will take place, as you assuredly are aware; but, on the other hand, I signified to you that many who belong to the pure and pious faith, and are true Christians, think otherwise." Melito of Sardis is frequently listed as a second century proponent of premillennialism. The support usually given for the supposition is that Jerome [Comm. on Ezek. 36] and Gennadius [De Dogm. Eccl., Ch. 52] both affirm that he was a decided millenarian." In the early third century, Hippolytus of Rome wrote: And 6, 000 years must needs be accomplished, in order that the Sabbath may come, the rest, the holy day "on which God rested from all His works." For the Sabbath is the type and emblem of the future kingdom of the saints, when they "shall reign with Christ," when He comes from heaven, as John says in his Apocalypse: for "a day with the Lord is as a thousand years." Since, then, in six days God made all things, it follows that 6, 000 years must be fulfilled (Hippolytus. On the HexaËmeron, Or Six Days' Work. From Fragments from Commentaries on Various Books of Scripture). Around 220, there were some similar influences on Tertullian though only with very important and extremely optimistic (if not perhaps even postmillennial modifications and implications). On the other hand, 'Christian Chiliastic' ideas were indeed advocated in 240 by Commodian; in 250 by the Egyptian Bishop Nepos in his Refutation of Allegorists; in 260 by the almost unknown Coracion; and in 310 by Lactantius. Into the late fourth century, the Bishop known as Ambrose of Milan had millennial leanings (Ambrose of Milan. Book II. On the Belief in the Resurrection, verse 108). The first known opponent of Christian chiliasm was Marcion, in the 2nd century, who most Christians feel was an early heretic (Brown HOJ. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody (MA), 1988, p. 65). The Catholic Encyclopedia noted that in the 2nd century proponents of "Gnosticism rejected millenarianism". -- Chiliasm was, however, according to the interpretation of non-chiliasts, condemned as a heresy in the 4th century by the Church, which included the phrase whose Kingdom shall have no end in the Nicene Creed in order to rule out the idea of a Kingdom of God which would last for only 1000 literal years [and the Nicene Creed is correct - the vissible 1,000 year reign on earth is a small part of the eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ]. Despite some writers' belief in millennialism, it was a decided minority view, as expressed in the nearly universal condemnation of the doctrine over a gradual period of time, beginning with Augustine of Hippo. Millennialism is strongly rejected as a heresy by the Orthodox Church. In AD 230, the Synod of Iconium declared that baptisms performed by the Montanist sect were invalid. The Ecumenical Council of Constantinople in AD 381 supported the Synod of Iconium and further declared millennialism to be a heresy. In a letter to Queen Gerberga of France around 950, Adso of Montier-en-Der established the idea of a "last World Emperor" who would conquer non-Christians before the arrival of the Antichrist. ... Christian views on the future order of events diversified after the Protestant reformation (1517 AD). In particular, new emphasis was placed on the passages in the Book of Revelation which seemed to say that Satan would be locked away for 1000 years, but then released on the world in a final battle (Rev. 20:1-6). ... Various types of millennialism exist with regard to Christian Eschatology, especially within Protestantism, such as Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Amillennialism. The first two refer to different views of the relationship between the "millennial Kingdom" and Christ's second coming. Premillennialism sees Christ's second advent as preceding the millennium, thereby separating the second
coming from the final judgment. In this view, "Christ's reign" will be physical [Majestic, Holy and Royal]. [article link]
The Future Work of Christ —Part IV: The Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal State - The evidence in support of the concept that Christ will reign on earth is so abundant that only by wholesale spiritualization can these passages be construed to mean anything other than their ordinary meaning - the New Testament confims the literal interpretation - The announcement to Mary [Luke 1:32], for instance, concerning the birth of Christ plainly interprets these prophecies in their literal sense - By: John F. Walvoord Major Features of the Millennial Kingdom: An earthly kingdom. The premillennial interpretation of the reign of Christ holds that He will reign on earth for one thousand years after His second advent. This is in contrast to the amillennial view which identifies the millennium with the present church age or the intermediate state, and the postmillennial view which views the kingdom as also in the present age and climaxing with the second advent. If the premillennial interpretation is correct and we can understand the Scriptures relating to this kingdom in their normal literal sense, a panorama is unfolded in both the Old and New Testaments which gives us many details of this reign of Christ on earth. Its general characteristics are unfolded in such passages as Isaiah 2:1-4; Isaiah 11; Psalm 72; Jeremiah 23:5-8; 31:31-40 ; Ezekiel 37; Daniel 2:44-45; 7:13-14 ; Micah 4:1-8; 5:2-5 ; Zechariah 14. The outstanding New Testament passage is Revelation 20. -- Christ as supreme Ruler of the millennial kingdom. According to Psalm 2:6, God will fulfill His purpose of setting His Son on the throne over the earth, “ Yet I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” As king over all the earth, Christ will fulfill hundreds of prophecies that anticipate such a situation. -- The Scriptures present Christ in His first coming as a king (Luke 1:32-33; Matt 1:1; 21:1-11 ). It was in His offer to Israel as their king that He was rejected (Mark 15:12-13; Luke 19:14). Even His cross bore the inscription that He was the King of the Jews (Matt 27:37). When He returns to the earth in His second coming, He obviously will be coming as King (Rev 19:16) and will fulfill the promise given to David that of his seed would come one who would reign on the throne forever (2 Sam 7:16; Ps 89:20-37; Isa 11:1-9; Jer 23:5-6; 33:14-26 ). -- The evidence in support of the concept that Christ will reign on earth is so abundant that only by wholesale spiritualization can these passages be construed to mean anything other than their ordinary meaning. The characteristics of the reign of Christ are plainly set forth in many passages, such as Isaiah 11, and the New Testament confims the literal interpretation. The announcement to Mary, for instance, concerning the birth of Christ plainly interprets these prophecies in their literal sense. In Luke 1:32-33 the angel announced the birth to Mary in these words: “ He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” All of the references previously cited in support of the earthly rule of Christ likewise are proof texts for the fact that Christ will reign over the earth. Associated with Him in His reign will be resurrected saints of all ages, some of whom, like David, will have a particular rule (Isa 55:3-4; Jer 30:9; 33:15-17 ; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25 ; Hos 3:5; Amos 9:11). The church likewise will reign with Christ as will also all the tribulation saints who have been martyrd (2 Tim 2:12; Rev 20:46). Numerous other passages confirm this concept of Christ’ s reigning assisted by other rulers, some of whom may be resurrected saints (Isa 32:1; Ezek 45:8-9; Matt 19:28; Luke 19:12-27. ... The fact that the glorified Christ is in the earthly scene and is visible to those in the millennium is unquestionably an important factor in the spiritual life of the period. As is anticipated in Jeremiah 31:34, everyone will have the evidence before him that Christ is indeed the Son of God and all that the Scriptures claim of Him. Missionary effort will be unnecessary for the knowledge of the Lord will be universal as Isaiah says, “ For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa 11:9). Christ as the world ruler of the millennial kingdom will be the object of worship, and the universal instruction in Biblical truth as well as the many demonstrations of divine power and the abundant ministry of the Holy Spirit will foster a spiritual life on a world-wide scale unprecedented in the history of the world. -- The millennium will be a period which will feature personal righteousness as well as national righteousness in keeping with Solomon’ s prediction: “ In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace, till the moon be no more.” (Ps 72:7). The righteous rule of Christ Himself is described in specific terms in Isaiah 11:3-5. The absence of war and universal peace (Ps 72:7; Isa 2:4)
will provide the context in which spiritual life will flourish. The praise of the Lord and the joy which will attend the blessings of that period are described in Isaiah 12:3-4 and Isaiah 61:3-7. In addition to the presence of Christ the power of the Spirit will tend to foster and promote a deep spiritual life (Isa 32:15; 44:3 ; Ezek 39:29; Joel 2:28-29). ... It is in this eternal state that the promise of 1 Corinthians 15:24 is fulfilled, when a conquered world is presented to the Godhead by Christ. This must not be construed as ending the role of Christ as King, but rather ending its temporal phase and beginning its eternal characteristics. With the introduction of the eternal state the revelation of Scripture comes to its close and the unending day of the glorious eternal state begins. -- With the close of the prophetic narrative, the Biblical revelation of Jesus Christ also comes to its conclusion. In the beginning of eternity, all that was anticipated in the first and second comings of Christ is fulfilled, and Christ is honored as King of kings and Lord of lords. The eternity which stretches beyond the horizon of Scriptural revelation is one of unspeakable bliss for the saints and unending joy in the presence of God. In the center of the service and worship of the saints will be Jesus Christ, “ the same yesterday, today, and for ever.” To this eternal destiny every believing heart turns in anticipation and joyous expectation. [article link] wikipedia: Holy Roman Empire, Revised Rome [7th Global Gentile Kingdom] Emperor Constantine - Constantine the Great - Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus (27 February 272 – 22 May 337), also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337 - Well known for being the first Roman emperor to [pretend to] convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., which proclaimed religious tolerance of all religions [primarily concerned with protecting a heretical/gnostic version of christianity that would compete with and hinder true Christianity] throughout the empire - As the emperor who used [a pseudo] Christianity to empower his government throughout the Roman Empire and moved the capital to the banks of the Bosporus [the Istanbul Strait], Constantine was a ruler of major historical importance, but he has always been a controversial figure The foremost general of his time, Constantine defeated the emperors Maxentius and Licinius during civil wars. He also fought successfully against the Franks, Alamanni, Visigoths, and Sarmatians during his reign – even resettling parts of Dacia which had been abandoned during the previous century. Constantine built a new imperial residence in place of Byzantium, naming it Constantinople, which would later be the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire for over one thousand years. He is thought of as the founder of the Eastern Roman Empire. [article link] wikipedia: Holy Roman Empire, Revised Rome [7th Global Gentile Kingdom] Emperor Antichrist - The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner - The antichrist will seemingly provide for the needs of the people but deny them ultimate [eternal] salvation The term "antichrist" appears five times in 1 John and 2 John of the New Testament - once in plural form and four times in the singular. The Apostle Paul's Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, in particular the 2nd chapter, summarizes the nature, work, coming, and revelation of the "Man of Sin" - a passage often regarded as referring to same person as the antichrist of 1 and 2 John. ... [Apostle] Paul writes that this "Man of Sin" (Antichrist) will possess a number of characteristics. These include "sitting in the temple" [rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem], opposing himself against anything that is worshiped, claiming divine authority, working all kinds of counterfeit miracles and signs, and doing all kinds of evil. Paul notes that "the mystery of lawlessness" (though not the Man of Sin himself) was working in secret already during his day and will continue to function until being destroyed [Revelation 19:20] on [their] Last Day. His identity is to be revealed after that which is restraining him is removed. -- The term is also sometimes applied to prophecies regarding a "Little horn" power in Daniel chapter 7. Daniel 9:27 mentions an "abomination that causes desolations" setting itself up in a "wing" or a "pinnacle" of the temple. Some scholars interpret this as referring to the Antichrist. Some commentators also view the verses prior to this as referring to the Antichrist. Jesus references the abomination from Daniel 9:27 in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 when He warns about the destruction of Jerusalem. Daniel 11:36-37 speaks of a [future] self exalting king, considered by some to be the Antichrist. [article link]
wikipedia: Julius Caesar [6th Global Gentile Kingdom] - Gaius Julius Caesar (July 100 BC - 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose - He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire -- sparked a civil war from which he emerged as the unrivaled leader of the Roman world {Note: Julius Caesar gained his throne [Dictatorship] not just by conquering foreign enemies of Italy but also by conquering his detractors, fellow Romans, as well.} In 60 BC, Caesar formed a political alliance with Crassus and Pompey that was to dominate Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to amass power through populist tactics were opposed within the Roman Senate by the conservative elite, among them Cato the Younger with the frequent support of Cicero. Caesar's conquest of Gaul, completed by 51 BC, extended Rome's territory to the English Channel and the Rhine. Caesar became the first Roman general to cross both when he built a bridge across the Rhine and conducted the first invasion of Britain. These achievements granted him unmatched military power and threatened to eclipse Pompey's standing. The balance of power was further upset by the death of Crassus in 53 BC. Political realignments in Rome finally led to a standoff between Caesar and Pompey, the latter having taken up the cause of the Senate. Ordered by the Senate to stand trial in Rome for various charges, Caesar marched from Gaul to Italy with his legions, crossing the Rubicon in 49 BC. This sparked a **civil war from which he emerged as the unrivaled leader of the Roman world. -- After assuming control of government, he began extensive reforms of Roman society and government. He centralised the bureaucracy of the Republic and was eventually proclaimed "dictator in perpetuity". A group of senators, led by Marcus Junius Brutus, assassinated the dictator on the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC, hoping to restore the constitutional government of the Republic. However, the result was a series of civil wars, which ultimately led to the establishment of the permanent Roman Empire by Caesar's adopted heir Octavius (later known as Augustus). Much of Caesar's life is known from his own accounts of his military campaigns, and other contemporary sources, mainly the letters and speeches of Cicero and the historical writings of Sallust. The later biographies of Caesar by Suetonius and Plutarch are also major sources. ... Dictatorship: Shortly before his assassination, the Senate [unable to directly name him Rex (King)] named him censor for life and Father of the Fatherland, and the month of Quintilis was renamed July in his honor. He was granted further honors, which were later used to justify his assassination as a would-be divine monarch; coins were issued bearing his image and his statue was placed next to those of the kings. He was granted a golden chair in the Senate, was allowed to wear triumphal dress whenever he chose, and was offered a form of semi-official or popular cult, with Mark Antony as his high priest. ... Assassination: On the Ides of March (15 March) of 44 BC, Caesar was due to appear at a session of the Senate. Mark Antony, having vaguely learned of the plot the night before from a terrified Liberator named Servilius Casca, and fearing the worst, went to head Caesar off. The plotters, however, had anticipated this and, fearing that Antony would come to Caesar's aid, had arranged for Trebonius to intercept him just as he approached the portico of Theatre of Pompey, where the session was to be held, and detain him outside. (Plutarch, however, assigns this action to delay Antony to Brutus Albinus.) When he heard the commotion from the senate chamber, [Mark] Antony fled. -- According to Plutarch, as Caesar arrived at the Senate, Tillius Cimber presented him with a petition to recall his exiled brother. The other conspirators crowded round to offer support. Both Plutarch and Suetonius say that Caesar waved him away, but Cimber grabbed his shoulders and pulled down Caesar's tunic. Caesar then cried to Cimber, "Why, this is violence!". At the same time, Casca produced his dagger and made a glancing thrust at the dictator's neck. Caesar turned around quickly and caught Casca by the arm. According to Plutarch, he said *in Latin, "Casca, you villain, what are you doing?" Casca, frightened, shouted, "Help, brother!" *in Greek. Within moments, the entire group, including Brutus, was striking out at the dictator. Caesar attempted to get away, but, blinded by blood, he tripped and fell; the men continued stabbing him as he lay defenceless on the lower steps of the portico. According to Eutropius, around 60 or more men participated in the assassination. He was stabbed 23 times. According to Suetonius, a physician later established that only one wound, the second one to his chest, had been lethal. The dictator's last words are not known with certainty, and are a contested subject among scholars and historians alike. Suetonius reports that others have said Caesar's last words were the Greek phrase "You too, child?". However, Suetonius says Caesar said nothing. Plutarch also reports that Caesar said nothing, pulling his toga over his head when he saw Brutus among the
conspirators. The version best known in the English-speaking world is the Latin phrase "Et tu, Brute?" ("And you, Brutus?", commonly rendered as "You too, Brutus?"); this derives from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, where it actually forms the first half of a macaronic line: "Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar." [article link] Amazon: Empires Collection - The Dynasties (Egypt's Golden Empire / The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance / Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire / The Roman Empire in the First Century / The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization) - Empires Collection: The Dynasties (5 Disc Gift Set) - Empires Collection: The Dynasties is a compilation of five outstanding stories of some of histories greatest dynasties (2000 - DVDs) Egypt's Golden Empire: In 1570 B.C., when Rome was still a marsh and the Acropolis was an empty rock, Egypt was already 1000 years old. Although the period of the pyramid-builders was long over, Egypt lay on the threshold of its greatest age. The New Kingdom would be an empire forged by conquest, maintained by intimidation and diplomacy, and remembered long after its demise. Led by a dynasty of rich personalities, whose dramatic lives changed the course of civilization, Egypt's Golden Empire presents the most extraordinary period in Egyptian history: from 1570 B.C. to 1070 B.C., when the Egyptian Empire reached its zenith. -- The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance - From a small Italian community in 15th century Florence, the Medici family would rise to rule Europe in many ways. Using charm, patronage, skill, duplicity and ruthlessness, they would amass unparalleled wealth and unprecedented power. They would also ignite the most important cultural and artistic revolution in Western history- the European Renaissance. But the forces of change the Medici helped unleash would one day topple their ordered world. An epic drama played out in the courts, cathedrals and palaces of Europe, this series is both the tale of one family's powerful ambition and of Europe's tortured struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages. -- Japan: Memoirs Of A Secret Empire Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans -- all were part of the Japanese "renaissance" -- a period between the 16th and 19th centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the Shogun under his absolute power and control. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship to the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world. -- The Roman Empire in the First Century: Two thousand years ago, at the dawn of the first century, the ancient world was ruled by Rome. Through the experiences, memories and writings of the people who lived it, this series tells the story of that time - the emperors and slaves, poets and plebeians, who wrested order from chaos, built the most cosmopolitan society the world had ever seen and shaped the Roman empire in the first century A.D. -The Greeks: Crucible [melting pot] of Civilization - The Greeks - Classical Greece of the 4th and 5th centuries, B.C. was a magnificent civilization that laid the foundations for modern science, politics, warfare, and philosophy, and produced some of the most breathtaking art and architecture the world has ever known. Through the eyes and words of the great heroes of ancient Greece, this dazzling production charts the rise, triumph, and eventual decline of the world's first democracy. Now, through dramatic storytelling and state-ofthe-art computer animation, you witness history, art, and government with giants like Pericles, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. [article link] Amazon: When Rome Ruled - National Geographic's groundbreaking 6-part series reveals ancient Rome's hidden treasures and untold stories as never before - From iconic figures including [Emperors] Caligula, Caesar and Constantine, to epic events such as the eruption of Vesuvius, the invasion of Britain, and fall of Rome, When Rome Ruled reveals a startling up-to-date vision of the ancient empire and challenges our perception of what we know about the Romans and their lives (3 DVD Set) FYI, this DVD contains 6 parts plus a bonus part. The original National Geographic special, and the DVDs sold on its website, contains 8 parts. This version is missing two episodes. I was not aware of this and will be returning it. I took one star off for the omission. I've viewed parts of this series on the National Geographic channel, however, and it is great and deserves the other stars. ~ By David Polsky. -- Heath_N says: After reading
this review, I ordered the Blu-ray set from National Geographic directly. I got 6 episodes on two discs, one which includes 1 bonus feature. [article link] wikipedia: Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1) - Augustus Imperator Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (23 September 63 BC - 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD - Born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, he was adopted posthumously by his great-uncle Gaius Julius Caesar in 44 BC via his last will and testament, and between then and 27 BC was officially named Gaius Julius Caesar - In 27 BC the Senate awarded him the honorific Augustus "the revered one", and thus consequently he was Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus - Because of the various names he bore, it is common to call him Octavius when referring to events between 63 and 44 BC, Octavian (or Octavianus) when referring to events between 44 and 27 BC, and Augustus when referring to events after 27 BC The young Octavius came into his inheritance after Caesar's assassination in 44 BC. In 43 BC, Octavian joined forces with Mark Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in a military dictatorship known as the Second Triumvirate. As a triumvir, Octavian ruled Rome and many of its provinces. The triumvirate was eventually torn apart under the competing ambitions of its rulers: Lepidus was driven into exile, and Antony committed suicide following his defeat at the Battle of Actium by the fleet of Octavian commanded by Agrippa in 31 BC. ... The reign of Augustus initiated an era of relative peace known as the Pax Romana, or Roman peace. Despite continuous wars on the frontiers, and one year-long civil war over the imperial succession, the Mediterranean world remained at peace for more than two centuries. Augustus enlarged the empire dramatically, annexing Egypt, Dalmatia, Pannonia, and Raetia, expanded possessions in Africa, and completed the conquest of Hispania. Beyond the frontiers, he secured the empire with client states, and made peace with Parthia through diplomacy. He reformed the Roman system of taxation, developed networks of roads with an official courier system, established a standing army, established the Praetorian Guard, and created official police and firefighting services for Rome. Much of the city was rebuilt under Augustus; and he wrote a record of his own accomplishments, known as the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, which has survived. Upon his death in AD 14, Augustus was declared a god by the Senate—to be worshipped by the Romans. His names Augustus and Caesar were adopted by every subsequent emperor; and the sixth month of the Roman calendar, previously named Sextilis, was renamed Augustus (August in English) in his honour. He was succeeded by his adopted son (also stepson and former son-in-law), Tiberius. [article link] wikipedia: Caesar Tiberius (Luke 3:1) - Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (16 November 42 BC - 16 March 37 AD), was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD - Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla - His mother divorced [Tiberius Claudius Nero] and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian (Caesar Augustus) - Tiberius would later marry Augustus' daughter Julia the Elder and even later be adopted by Augustus, by which act he officially became a Julian, bearing the name Tiberius Julius Caesar - The subsequent emperors after Tiberius would continue this blended dynasty of both families for the next forty years; historians have named it the Julio-Claudian dynasty - In relations to the other emperors of this dynasty, Tiberius was the stepson of Augustus, great-uncle of Caligula, paternal uncle of Claudius, and greatgreat uncle of Nero Tiberius died in Misenum on March 16, AD 37, at the age of 77. Tacitus records that upon the news of his death the crowd rejoiced, only to become suddenly silent upon hearing that he had recovered, and rejoiced again at the news that Caligula and Macro had smothered him. This is not recorded by other ancient historians and is most likely apocryphal, but it can be taken as an indication of how the senatorial class felt towards the Emperor at the time of his death. In his will, Tiberius had left his powers jointly to Caligula and Tiberius Gemellus; Caligula's first act on becoming Princeps was to void Tiberius' will and have Gemellus executed. ... Tiberius' ashes would be scattered in AD 410 during the Sack of Rome; his heir Caligula not only spent Tiberius' fortune of 2,700,000,000 sesterces but would also begin the chain of events which would bring about the downfall of the Julio-Claudian dynasty in AD 68. -- Legacy: Were he to have died prior to AD 23, he might have been hailed as an exemplary ruler. Despite the overwhelmingly negative characterization left by Roman historians, Tiberius
left the imperial treasury with nearly 3 billion sesterces upon his death. Rather than embark on costly campaigns of conquest, he chose to strengthen the existing empire by building additional bases, using diplomacy as well as military threats, and generally refraining from getting drawn into petty squabbles between competing frontier tyrants. The result was a stronger, more consolidated empire. Of the authors whose texts have survived until the present day, only four describe the reign of Tiberius in considerable detail: Tacitus, Suetonius, Cassius Dio and Velleius Paterculus. Fragmentary evidence also remains from Pliny the Elder, Strabo and Seneca the Elder. Tiberius himself wrote an autobiography which Suetonius describes as "brief and sketchy," but this book has been lost. [article link] wikipedia: Caesar Nero (Acts 26:32, 2 Timothy 4:16) - Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (15 December 37 - 9 June 68), was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty - In 64, most of Rome was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome, which many Romans believed Nero himself had started [and later blamed on the Christians] in order to clear land for his planned palatial complex, the Domus Aurea - He is also infamously known as the Emperor who "fiddled while Rome burned" [apparently listened to chamber orchestra music and poetry recitals while Rome burned], although this is now considered an inaccurate rumor, and as an early persecutor of Christians - Few surviving sources paint Nero in a favorable light During his reign, Nero focused much of his attention on diplomacy, trade, and enhancing the cultural life of the Empire. He ordered theaters built and promoted athletic games. During his reign, the redoubtable general Corbulo conducted a successful war and negotiated peace with the Parthian Empire. His general Suetonius Paulinus crushed a revolt in Britain. Also, he annexed the Bosporan Kingdom to the Empire, and the First Roman-Jewish War began. ... The revolt of Vindex and Galba and the death of Nero: In March 68, Gaius Julius Vindex, the governor of Gallia Lugdunensis, rebelled against Nero's tax policies. Lucius Verginius Rufus, the governor of Germania Superior, was ordered to put down Vindex's rebellion. In an attempt to gain support from outside his own province, Vindex called upon Servius Sulpicius Galba, the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, to join the rebellion and further, to declare himself emperor in opposition to Nero. At the Battle of Vesontio in May 68, Verginius' forces easily defeated those of Vindex and the latter committed suicide. However, after putting down this one rebel, Verginius' legions attempted to proclaim their own commander as Emperor. Verginius refused to act against Nero, but the discontent of the legions of Germany and the continued opposition of Galba in Spain did not bode well for Nero. -- While Nero had retained some control of the situation, support for Galba increased despite his being officially declared a public enemy. The prefect of the Praetorian Guard, Gaius Nymphidius Sabinus, also abandoned his allegiance to the Emperor and came out in support for Galba. -- In response, Nero fled Rome with the intention of going to the port of Ostia and from there to take a fleet to one of the still-loyal eastern provinces. However, he abandoned the idea when some army officers openly refused to obey his commands, responding with a line from Vergil's Aeneid: "Is it so dreadful a thing then to die?" Nero then toyed with the idea of fleeing to Parthia, throwing himself upon the mercy of Galba, or to appeal to the people and beg them to pardon him for his past offences "and if he could not soften their hearts, to entreat them at least to allow him the prefecture of Egypt". Suetonius reports that the text of this speech was later found in Nero's writing desk, but that he dared not give it from fear of being torn to pieces before he could reach the Forum. -- Nero returned to Rome and spent the evening in the palace. After sleeping, he awoke at about midnight to find the palace guard had left. Dispatching messages to his friends' palace chambers for them to come, he received no answers. Upon going to their chambers personally, he found them all abandoned. When he called for a gladiator or anyone else adept with a sword to kill him, no one appeared. He cried, "Have I neither friend nor foe?" and ran out as if to throw himself into the Tiber. -Returning, Nero sought for some place where he could hide and collect his thoughts. An imperial freedman offered his villa, located 4 miles outside the city. Travelling in disguise, Nero and four loyal servants reached the villa, where Nero ordered them to dig a grave for him. At this time, a courier arrived with a report that the Senate had declared Nero a public enemy and that it was their intention to execute him by beating him to death. -- At this news, Nero prepared himself for suicide. Losing his nerve, he first begged for one of his
companions to set an example by first killing himself. At last, the sound of approaching horsemen drove Nero to face the end. However he still could not bring himself to take his own life but instead he forced his private secretary, Epaphroditos, to perform the task. Nero's famous last words from this moment are "Qualis artifex pereo" or in english "What an artist dies in me!" -- When one of the horsemen entered, upon his seeing Nero all but dead he attempted to stop the bleeding in vain. Nero died on 9 June 68. This was the anniversary of the death of Octavia. Nero was buried in the Mausoleum of the Domitii Ahenobarbi, in what is now the Villa Borghese (Pincian Hill) area of Rome. -- With his death, the Julio-Claudian dynasty ended. Chaos ensued in the Year of the Four Emperors. [article link] wikipedia.org: Alexander the Great [5th Global Gentile Kingdom] - Alexander III of Macedon (20/21 July 356 – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of Macedon, a state in northern ancient Greece - By the age of thirty, he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from the Ionian Sea to the Himalayas - He was undefeated in battle, and is considered one of the most successful commanders of all time - Born in Pella in 356 BC, Alexander was **tutored by Aristotle [Greek philosopher] until the age of 16 - Alexander succeeded his father, Philip II of Macedon, to the throne in 336 BC after Philip was assassinated - Philip had brought together most of the city-states of mainland Greece under a Macedonian hegemony, using both military and diplomatic means Upon Philip's death, Alexander inherited a strong kingdom and an experienced army. He was awarded the generalship of Greece, and used this authority to launch military plans of expansion drawn up by his father. In 334 BC he invaded Persian-ruled Asia Minor and began a series of campaigns that lasted ten years. Alexander broke the power of Persia in a series of decisive battles, most notably the battles of Issus and Gaugamela. He subsequently overthrew the Persian king Darius III and conquered the entirety of the Persian Empire. At that point the Macedonian Empire stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River. -- Seeking to reach the "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea", he invaded India in 326 BC, but was eventually forced to turn back by the near-mutiny of his troops. Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC, without realizing a series of planned campaigns that would have begun with an invasion of Arabia. In the years following Alexander's death a series of civil wars tore his empire apart which resulted in the formation of a number of states ruled by the Diadochi – Alexander's surviving generals. -- Alexander's legacy includes the cultural diffusion his conquests engendered. He founded some twenty cities that bore his name, Alexandria in Egypt being the most important. Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread of Greek culture in the east resulted in a new Hellenistic civilization, aspects of which were still evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-15th century. Alexander became legendary as a classical hero in the mold of Achilles, and features prominently in the history and myth of Greek and non-Greek cultures. He has become the measure against which generals, to this day, compare themselves, and military academies throughout the world still teach his tactics. [article link] Wikipedia.org: Themistocles - an Athenian politician and a general [before Alexander the Great] - Elected archon in 493 BC, he took steps to increase the naval power of Athens, which would be a recurring theme in his political career - During the **first Persian invasion of Greece, he fought at the Battle of Marathon, and was possibly one of the 10 Athenian strategoi (generals) in that battle {Note: Themistocles oversaw the construction of one of the world's largest technologically advanced Navies of his day. Themistocles did not first seek technology to help defeat Persia instead Themistocles first sought Greek Philosophy and through his philosophy then determined that an advanced Navy and naval technology, along with other strategies (i.e. evacuating Athens before the battle) would be a key part in defending Greece from the very technologically advanced Persians of the day. -- The Egyptians would first seek their dead ancestors, the Babylonians would first seek a religious priest (astrologer), the Persians would do more to seek technology, the Greeks would seek philosophical knowledge, and the Romans would [sort of] seek the will of the people in each Kingdom as they attempted to solve problems, move forward and shape their society.} In the years after Marathon, and in the run up to the second Persian invasion he became the most prominent politician in Athens. He continued to advocate a strong Athenian navy, and in 483 BC he persuaded the
Athenians to build a fleet of 100 triremes; these would prove crucial in the forthcoming conflict with Persia. During the second invasion, he was in effective command of the Greek allied navy at the battles of Artemisium and Salamis. Due to subterfuge on the part of Themistocles, the Allies lured the Persian fleet into the Straits of Salamis, and the decisive Greek victory there was the turning point in the invasion, which was ended the following year by the defeat of the Persians at the Battle of Plataea. -- After the conflict ended, Themistocles continued to be pre-eminent amongst Athenian politicians. However, he aroused the hostility of Sparta by ordering Athens to be re-fortified, and his perceived arrogance began to alienate him from the Athenians. In 472 or 471 BC, he was ostracised, and went into exile in Argos. The Spartans now saw an opportunity to destroy Themistocles, and implicated him in the treasonous plot of their own general Pausanias. Themistocles thus fled from Greece, and travelled to Asia Minor, where he entered the service of the Persian king Artaxerxes I. He was made governor of Magnesia, and lived there for the rest of his life. -- Themistocles died in 459 BC, probably of natural causes. Themistocles's reputation was posthumously rehabilitated, and he was reestablished as a hero of the Athenian (and indeed Greek) cause. Themistocles can still reasonably be thought of as "the man most instrumental in achieving the salvation of Greece" from the Persian threat, as Plutarch describes him. His naval policies would have a lasting impact on Athens as well, since maritime power became the cornerstone of the Athenian Empire and golden age. It was Thucydides's judgement that Themistocles was "a man who exhibited the most indubitable signs of genius; indeed, in this particular he has a claim on our admiration quite extraordinary and unparalleled." [article link] Amazon: Empires Collection - The Dynasties (Egypt's Golden Empire / The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance / Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire / The Roman Empire in the First Century / The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization - Empires Collection: The Dynasties (5 Disc Gift Set) - Empires Collection: The Dynasties is a compilation of five outstanding stories of some of histories greatest dynasties (2000 - DVDs) Egypt's Golden Empire: In 1570 B.C., when Rome was still a marsh and the Acropolis was an empty rock, Egypt was already 1000 years old. Although the period of the pyramid-builders was long over, Egypt lay on the threshold of its greatest age. The New Kingdom would be an empire forged by conquest, maintained by intimidation and diplomacy, and remembered long after its demise. Led by a dynasty of rich personalities, whose dramatic lives changed the course of civilization, Egypt's Golden Empire presents the most extraordinary period in Egyptian history: from 1570 B.C. to 1070 B.C., when the Egyptian Empire reached its zenith. -- The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance - From a small Italian community in 15th century Florence, the Medici family would rise to rule Europe in many ways. Using charm, patronage, skill, duplicity and ruthlessness, they would amass unparalleled wealth and unprecedented power. They would also ignite the most important cultural and artistic revolution in Western history - the European Renaissance. But the forces of change the Medici helped unleash would one day topple their ordered world. An epic drama played out in the courts, cathedrals and palaces of Europe, this series is both the tale of one family's powerful ambition and of Europe's tortured struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages. -- Japan: Memoirs Of A Secret Empire Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans -- all were part of the Japanese "renaissance" -- a period between the 16th and 19th centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the Shogun under his absolute power and control. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship to the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world. -- The Roman Empire in the First Century: Two thousand years ago, at the dawn of the first century, the ancient world was ruled by Rome. Through the experiences, memories and writings of the people who lived it, this series tells the story of that time - the emperors and slaves, poets and plebeians, who wrested order from chaos, built the most cosmopolitan society the world had ever seen and shaped the Roman empire in the first century A.D. -The Greeks: Crucible [melting pot] of Civilization - The Greeks - Classical Greece of the 4th and 5th centuries, B.C. was a magnificent civilization that laid the foundations for modern science, politics, warfare, and philosophy, and produced some of the most breathtaking art and architecture the world has ever known.
Through the eyes and words of the great heroes of ancient Greece, this dazzling production charts the rise, triumph, and eventual decline of the world's first democracy. Now, through dramatic storytelling and state-ofthe-art computer animation, you witness history, art, and government with giants like Pericles, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. [article link] wikipedia.org: Archimedes - Archimedes of Syracuse (287 BC – 212 BC) was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer - Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists in classical antiquity - Archimedes died during the Siege of Syracuse when he was killed by a Roman soldier despite orders that he should not be harmed - Cicero [Marcus Tullius Cicero - Roman Senator] describes visiting the tomb of Archimedes, which was surmounted by a sphere inscribed within a cylinder Archimedes is generally considered to be the greatest mathematician of antiquity and one of the greatest of all time. He used the method of exhaustion to calculate the area under the arc of a parabola with the summation of an infinite series, and gave a remarkably accurate approximation of pi. He also defined the spiral bearing his name, formulae for the volumes of surfaces of revolution and an ingenious system for expressing very large numbers. -- Archimedes died during the Siege of Syracuse when he was killed by a Roman soldier despite orders that he should not be harmed. Cicero describes visiting the tomb of Archimedes, which was surmounted by a sphere inscribed within a cylinder. Archimedes had proven that the sphere has two thirds of the volume and surface area of the cylinder (including the bases of the latter), and regarded this as the greatest of his mathematical achievements. -- Unlike his inventions, the mathematical writings of Archimedes were little known in antiquity. Mathematicians from Alexandria [Egypt] read and quoted him, but the first comprehensive compilation was not made until c. 530 AD by Isidore of Miletus, while commentaries on the works of Archimedes written by Eutocius in the sixth century AD opened them to wider readership for the first time. The relatively few copies of Archimedes' written work that survived through the Middle Ages were an influential source of ideas for scientists during the Renaissance, while the discovery in 1906 of previously unknown works by Archimedes in the Archimedes Palimpsest has provided new insights into how he obtained mathematical results. [article link] wikipedia.org: Antiochus IV Epiphanes - 215 BC - 164 BC ruled the Seleucid (dynasty) Empire [General Seleucus - one of four main Generals that served under Alexander the Great] from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC - he assumed the name Antiochus after he ascended the throne - Notable events during the reign of Antiochus IV include his near-conquest of Egypt, which led to a confrontation that became an origin of the metaphorical phrase, "line in the sand", and the rebellion of the Jewish Maccabees - He assumed divine epithets, which no other Hellenistic [Greek] king had done, such as 'manifest god' - But his often eccentric behavior, capricious actions and even insanity led some of his contemporaries to call him Epimanes "The Mad One", a word play on his title Epiphanes - Antiochus died suddenly of disease [possibly an assasination] in 164 BC - Antiochus IV ruled the Jews [Judea] from 175 to 164 BC - He is remembered as a major villain and persecutor in the Jewish traditions associated with Hanukkah, including the books of Maccabees and the "Scroll of Antiochus" Rabbinical sources refer to him as harasha "the wicked" While Antiochus was busy in Egypt, a rumor spread that he had been killed. The deposed High Priest Jason gathered a force of 1,000 soldiers and made a surprise attack on the city of Jerusalem. The High Priest appointed by Antiochus, Menelaus, was forced to flee Jerusalem during a riot. On the King's return from Egypt in 167 BC enraged by his defeat, he attacked Jerusalem and restored Menelaus, then executed many Jews. "When these happenings were reported to the king, he thought that Judea was in revolt. Raging like a wild animal, he set out from Egypt and took Jerusalem by storm. He ordered his soldiers to cut down without mercy those whom they met and to slay those who took refuge in their houses. There was a massacre of young and old, a killing of women and children, a slaughter of virgins and infants. In the space of three days, eighty thousand were lost, forty thousand meeting a violent death, and the same number being sold into slavery." 2 Maccabees 5:11-14 -- To consolidate his empire and strengthen his hold over the region, Antiochus decided to side with the Hellenized Jews by outlawing Jewish religious rites and traditions kept by observant Jews and by
ordering the worship of Zeus as the supreme god (2 Maccabees 6:1-12). This was anathema to the Jews and when they refused, Antiochus sent an army to enforce his decree. Because of the resistance, the city was destroyed, many were slaughtered, and a military Greek citadel called the Acra was established. ... Final years: Taking advantage of Antiochus' western problems, King Mithridates I of Parthia attacked from the east and seized the city of Herat in 167 BC, disrupting the direct trade route to India and effectively splitting the Greek world in two. Recognizing the potential danger in the east, but unwilling to give up control of Judea, Antiochus sent a commander named Lysias to deal with the Maccabees, while the King himself led the main Seleucid army against the Parthians. After initial success in his eastern campaign, including the reoccupation of Armenia, Antiochus died suddenly of disease in 164 BC. [article link] wikipedia.org: Cleopatra - Cleopatra VII Philopator - She was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty [General Ptolemy - one of four main Generals that served under Alexander the Great], a family of Greek origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great's death during the [Greek] Hellenistic period - The Ptolemies [as Greeks], throughout their dynasty, spoke Greek and refused to speak Egyptian, which is the reason that Greek as well as Egyptian languages were used on official court documents such as the **Rosetta Stone Cleopatra - She was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Greek origin that ruled Egypt [from Alexandria, Egypt] after Alexander the Great's death during the Hellenistic period. The Ptolemies, throughout their dynasty, spoke Greek and refused to speak Egyptian, which is the reason that Greek as well as Egyptian languages were used on official court documents such as the Rosetta Stone. By contrast, Cleopatra did learn to speak Egyptian and represented herself as the reincarnation of an Egyptian goddess, Isis. -- Cleopatra originally ruled jointly with her father Ptolemy XII Auletes and later with her brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, whom she married as per Egyptian custom, but eventually she became sole ruler. As pharaoh, she consummated a liaison with Julius Caesar that solidified her grip on the throne. She later elevated her son with Caesar, Caesarion, to co-ruler in name. -- After Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, she aligned with Mark Antony in opposition to Caesar's legal heir, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (later known as Augustus). With Antony, she bore the twins Cleopatra Selene II and Alexander Helios, and another son, Ptolemy Philadelphus. Her unions with her brothers produced no children. After losing the Battle of Actium to Octavian's forces, Antony committed suicide. Cleopatra followed suit, according to tradition killing herself by means of an asp bite on August 12, 30 BC. She was briefly outlived by Caesarion, who was declared pharaoh by his supporters, but he was soon killed on Octavian's orders. Egypt became the Roman province of Aegyptus. -- To this day, Cleopatra remains a popular figure in Western culture. Her legacy survives in numerous works of art and the many dramatizations of her story in literature and other media, including William Shakespeare's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra, Jules Massenet's opera Cléopâtre and the 1963 film Cleopatra. In most depictions, Cleopatra is put forward as a great beauty, and her successive conquests of the world's most powerful men are taken as proof of her aesthetic and sexual appeal. In his Pensées, philosopher Blaise Pascal contends, evidently speaking ironically because a large nose has symbolized dominance in different periods of history, that Cleopatra's classically beautiful profile changed world history: "Cleopatra's nose, had it been shorter, the whole face of the world would have been changed." ... Death: The ancient sources, particularly the Roman ones, are in general agreement that Cleopatra killed herself by inducing an Egyptian cobra to bite her. The oldest source is Strabo, who was alive at the time of the event, and might even have been in Alexandria. He says that there are two stories: that she applied a toxic ointment, or that she was bitten by an asp on her breast. Several Roman poets, writing within ten years of the event, all mention bites by two asps, as does Florus, a historian, some 150 years later. Velleius, sixty years after the event, also refers to an asp. Other authors have questioned these historical accounts, stating that it is possible that Augustus [Caesar Augustus - Luke 2:1] had her killed. ... Cassius Dio [a Roman consulor] also spoke of Cleopatra's allure: "For she was a woman of surpassing beauty, and at that time, when she was in the prime of her youth, she was most striking; she also possessed a most charming voice and knowledge of how to make herself agreeable to every one. Being brilliant to look upon and to listen to, with the power to subjugate every one, even a love-sated man already past his prime, she thought that it would be in keeping with her role to meet Caesar, and she reposed in her beauty all her claims to the throne." These
accounts influenced later cultural depictions of Cleopatra, which typically present her using her charms to influence the most powerful men in the Western world. [article link] wikipedia: Cyrus the Great - Cyrus II of Persia [4th Global Gentile Kingdom] (600 BC or 576 BC– 530 BC), commonly known as Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus the Elder - Under his rule, the [Persian] empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much of Central Asia, parts of Europe and Caucasus - From the Mediterranean sea and Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east, Cyrus the Great created the largest empire the world had yet seen The reign of Cyrus the Great lasted between 29 and 31 years. Cyrus built his empire by conquering first the Median Empire, then the Lydian Empire and eventually the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Either before or after Babylon, he led an expedition into central Asia, which resulted in major campaigns that were described as having brought "into subjection every nation without exception".[8] Cyrus did not venture into Egypt, as he himself died in battle, fighting the Massagetae along the Syr Darya in December 530 BC. He was succeeded by his son, Cambyses II, who managed to add to the empire by conquering Egypt, Nubia, and Cyrenaica during his short rule. -- Cyrus the Great respected the customs and religions of the lands he conquered. It is said that in universal history, the role of the Achaemenid empire founded by Cyrus lies in its very successful model for centralized administration and establishing a government working to the advantage and profit of its subjects. In fact, the administration of the empire through satraps and the vital principle of forming a government at Pasargadae were the works of Cyrus. Aside from his own nation, Persia (modern Iran), Cyrus the Great also left a lasting legacy on the Jewish religion through his Edict of Restoration, where because of his policies in Babylonia, he is referred to by the people of the Jewish faith, as "the anointed of the Lord" or a "Messiah". -Cyrus the Great is also well recognized for his achievements in human rights, politics, and military strategy, as well as his influence on both Eastern and Western civilizations. To date, Cyrus the Great and his historical signature define the national identity for many Iranians. Cyrus and, indeed, the Achaemenid influence in the ancient world also extended as far as Athens, where many Athenians adopted aspects of the Achaemenid Persian(ancient Iranian) culture as their own, in a reciprocal cultural exchange. [article link] The Tomb of Cyrus the Great - At the Pasargadae ruins in south-central Iran - (Photos) The tomb of Cyrus is generally identified with a small stone monument approximately 1 km southwest of the palaces of Pasargadae, in the center of the Morgab plain. According to Greek sources, the tomb of Cyrus the Great was located in the royal park at Pasargadae. The most extensive description, based on a lost account by Aristobulus, who had accompanied Alexander of Macedon (q.v.) on his eastern campaign in the late 4th century B.C.E., is to be found in the Anabasis of Arrian (6.29), written in the 2nd century C.E.: -- The tomb: in the lower parts was built of stones cut square and was rectangular in form. Above, there was a stone chamber with a roof and a door leading into it so narrow that it was hard and caused much distress for a single man of low stature to get through. In the chamber lay a golden sarcophagus, in which Cyrus' body had been buried; a couch stood by its side with feet of wrought gold; a Babylonian tapestry served as a coverlet and purple rugs as a carpet. There was placed on it a sleeved mantle and other garments of Babylonian workmanship . . . Median trousers and robes dyed blue lay there, some dark, some of other varying shades, with necklaces, scimitars, and earrings of stones set in gold, and a table stood there. It was between the table and the couch that the sarcophagus containing Cyrus' body was placed. Within the enclosure and by the ascent to the tomb itself there was a small building put up for the Magians who used to guard Cyrus' tomb." -- Strabo (15.3.7), who wrote at the end of the 1st century B.C.E., also seems to have drawn on the account of Aristobulus; he described the tomb as "a small tower . . . solid below, and having a roof and sepulchre above, which latter had an extremely narrow entrance," and noted that another companion of Alexander, Onesicretus, had described the tomb as "a tower with ten stories," in the uppermost of which Cyrus lay. -- According to Arrian. an inscription in Persian characters on the tomb read, "Mortal! I am Cyrus son of Cambyses, who founded the Persian empire, and was King of Asia. Grudge me not then my monument." This inscription, with minor variations, was also mentioned
by Strabo (15.3.7) and Plutarch (Alexander 69.4). -- The epitaph mentioned in the texts is not attested on any of the extant structures in the vicinity of Pasargadae. The identification of the stone structure, consisting of a gabled cella on a stepped plinth, on the Morgab plain as the tomb of Cyrus is based on its resemblance to the descriptions of Arrian and Strabo (Plate Lill). The building, which was incorporated into a mosque by the Salghurid Sa'd b. Zangi (601-28/1203-31; MelikianChirvani, pp. 3-4), is known locally [incorrectly] as Ma`shad-e Madar-a Solayman (the tomb of the mother of Solomon). [article link] The Tomb of Cyrus at Pasargadae (Photo) This tomb of the great Persian ruler, Cyrus, was discovered in 1951 at the ruins of Pasargadae (south-central Iran). Over 2500 years old, the tomb is in decent condition, made of white limestone and stands a total of 36 feet high. The tomb itself is 18 feet high resting on a 6 level base, also 18 feet high. It was built like a Ziggurat with Ionian and Lydian features. There is a small entrance and double doors leading to a room with no windows which once contained the "golden sarcophagus" of Cyrus, it is now an empty shell. Five huge stones make up its roof, which was slanted (gabled) to shed heavy rains. These Nordic gables were the architectural style of lands far to the north. The inscription was seen and recorded by Plutarch in AD 90. -- Parsagard "camp of the Persians" was the capital of Persia when Cyrus was ruling. After Cyrus had died Darius abandoned Pasargadae and made his capital 45 miles northeast at a place which came to be called Persepolis, "the city of the Persians" and the sacred heart of the Persian Empire. The ancient capital called Pasargadae by Cyrus was in his day a magnificent place, and many discoveries have been found including the four-winged genius, but it was nothing in comparison to the renowned Persepolis. -- Cyrus II, the Great was the founder and ruler of the vast Persian Empire from 539 B.C. until his death in 530 B.C. Once Cyrus had defeated the Median king, Astyages and took Ecbatana he expanded his kingdom defeating Croesus, king of Lydia in 546 BC, and then conquered Babylon in 539 BC, and the Persian Empire was formed. He was a generous ruler allowing various captives to return to their homelands, as recorded on the Cyrus Cylinder. Xenophon, Nabonidus and many others gave Cyrus praise for his generous leadership. -- The Decree of Cyrus: (2 Chronicles 36:22-23) Judea had remained a Persian province for the next two hundred years until the time that the Bible records "the decree of Cyrus" giving permission to the Hebrew captives to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild their Temple. [article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Daniel 5 - By the fall of Babylon 70 years later Nebuchadnezzar's son Nabonidus had made his son Belshazzar a co-ruler with himself [Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus, who after ruling only three years, went to the oasis of Tayma and devoted himself to the worship of the moon god, Sin. He made Belshazzar co-regent in 553 B.C., leaving him in charge of Babylon's defense. - wiki.com] -'Daniel 5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.' [Josephus lists Darius as the son of Astyages, and uncle of Cyrus - wiki.com] Daniel 5:1-31 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. ... Then Daniel answered and said
before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. ... And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. And this is the writing that was written [in Aramaic], MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians [Iran]. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler [3rd after Nabonidus and his son Belshazzar] in the kingdom. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. [Although usually left untranslated in English translations of Daniel, these words are known Aramaic names of measures of currency: MENE, a mina, TEKEL, a spelling of shekel, PERES, half a mina. - wiki.com] - God is able to set up and takedown each kingdom of mankind at any moment according to His choosing. Note: The Three (Trinity) Handwritings of God: The finger of God writing His 10 Commandments into stone tablets. 'Exodus 31:18 And He [God] gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God' - The finger of God writing the judgment decree of unrepentant men in the hardened plaster of a wall. 'Daniel 5:4-5 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister [plaster] of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.' - The finger of God writing the sins of repentant men in the dust of the earth. 'John 8:6 This they said, tempting Him [Jesus], that they might have to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not.' [article link] wikipedia.org: Nebuchadnezzar II ( 634 BC – 562 BC) was king of the Babylonian Empire [3rd Global Gentile Empire], who reigned 605 BC – 562 BC - According to the Bible, he conquered Judah and Jerusalem, and sent the Jews into exile - He is credited with the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and also known for the destruction of the First Temple - He is featured in the Book of Daniel and is also mentioned in several other books of the Bible Life: Nebuchadnezzar II was the eldest son and successor of Nabopolassar, who delivered Babylon from its dependence on Assyria and laid Nineveh in ruins. According to Berossus, some years before he became king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar II married Amytis of Media, the daughter or granddaughter of Cyaxares, king of the Medes, and thus the Median and Babylonian dynasties were united. There are conflicting accounts of Nitocris of Babylon either being his wife or daughter. Nabopolassar was intent on annexing the western provinces of Syria from Necho II (who was still hoping to restore Assyrian power), and to this end dispatched his son westward with a large army. In the ensuing Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, the Egyptian army was defeated and driven back, and Syria and Phoenicia were brought under the control of Babylon. Nabopolassar died in August that year, and Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon to ascend to the throne. -- Nebuchadnezzar faces off against Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, who holds a plan of Jerusalem, in a Baroque era depiction in Zwiefalten Abbey, Germany. After the defeat of the Cimmerians and Scythians, all of Nebuchadnezzar's expeditions were directed westwards, although the powerful Median empire lay to the north. Nebuchadnezzar's political marriage to Amytis of Media, the daughter of the Median king, had ensured peace between the two empires. -- Nebuchadnezzar engaged in several military campaigns designed to increase Babylonian influence in Syria and Judah. An attempted invasion of Egypt in 601 BC was met with setbacks, however, leading to numerous rebellions among the states of the Levant, including Judah. Nebuchadnezzar soon dealt with these rebellions, capturing Jerusalem in 597 BC and deposing King Jehoiakim, then in 587 BC
due to rebellion, destroying both the city and the temple, and deporting many of the prominent citizens along with a sizable portion of the Jewish population of Judea to Babylon. These events are described in the Prophets (Nevi'im) and Writings (Ketuvim), sections of the Hebrew Bible (in the books 2 Kings and Jeremiah, and 2 Chronicles, respectively). After the destruction of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar engaged in a thirteen year siege of Tyre (585– 572 BC), which ended in a compromise, with the Tyrians accepting Babylonian authority. -Following the pacification of Tyre, Nebuchadnezzar turned again to Egypt. A clay tablet, now in the British Museum, states: "In the 37th year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the country of Babylon, he went to Mitzraim (Egypt) to wage war. Amasis, king of Egypt, collected [his army], and marched and spread abroad." Having completed the subjugation of Phoenicia, and a campaign against Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar set himself to rebuild and adorn the city of Babylon, and constructed canals, aqueducts, temples and reservoirs. [article link] wikipedia.org: Nabonidus - Nabonidus son of Nebuchadnezzar was the last King of the Babylonian Empire, reigning from 556-539 BC - Being a co-ruler with his son Belshazzar - {Note: Where Joseph was made 2nd in charge in Egypt (Genesis 41:40) because Pharaoh Akhenaten did not yet have a son, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had a son Nabonidus so Daniel was made 3rd ruler in Babylon (Daniel 5:7).} Reign: In most ancient accounts, Nabonidus is depicted as a royal anomaly. He is supposed to have worshiped the moon god Sin beyond all the other gods, to have paid special devotion to Sin's temple in Harran, where his mother was a priestess, and to have neglected the Babylonian primary god, Marduk. Because of the tensions that these religious reforms generated, he had to leave the capital for the desert oasis of Tayma in Arabia early in his reign, from which he only returned after many years. In the meantime, his son Belshazzar ruled from Babylon, supposedly in the manner of an oriental despot. [article link] wikipedia.org: Belshazzar - Belshazzar, or Balthazar was a 6th century BC prince of Babylon, the son of Nabonidus and the last king of Babylon according to the Book of Daniel In 540 BC, Nabonidus returned from Tayma, hoping to defend his kingdom from the Persians [4th Global Gentile Kingdom] who were planning to advance on Babylon. Belshazzar was positioned in the city of Babylon to hold the capital, while Nabonidus marched his troops north to meet Cyrus. On October 10, 539 BC, Nabonidus surrendered and fled from Cyrus. Two days later the Persian armies overthrew the city of Babylon. -"Daniel 8:1-3 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai." - "Daniel 5:1-7 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. ..." [article link] Wikipedia.org: Pharaoh Akhenaten (possibly Joseph's dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) - a Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt [2nd Global Kingdom - Egypt] who ruled for 17 years and died perhaps in 1336 BC or 1334 BC - Wife: Queen, Nefertiti, son from late in life King Tutankhamun - Interest in Akhenaten increased with the discovery in the Valley of the Kings, at Luxor, of the tomb of King Tutankhamun, who has been proved to be Akhenaten's son according to DNA testing in 2010 - He is especially noted for abandoning traditional Egyptian polytheism and introducing worship centered on the Aten, which is sometimes described as
monotheistic - Akhenaten tried to bring about a departure from traditional religion, yet in the end it would not be accepted - **After his death, traditional (Egypt) religious practice was gradually restored [by his son Tutankhamun], and when some dozen years later rulers without clear rights of succession from the Eighteenth Dynasty founded **a new dynasty, they discredited Akhenaten and his immediate successors [including Joseph - Exodus 1:8], referring to Akhenaten himself as "the enemy" in archival records Akhenaten meaning "living spirit of Aten" [Aten - the disk of the sun in ancient Egyptian mythology] known before the fifth year of his reign as Amenhotep IV (sometimes given its Greek form, Amenophis IV, and meaning Amun is Satisfied), was a Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt who ruled for 17 years and died perhaps in 1336 BC or 1334 BC - He is especially noted for abandoning traditional Egyptian polytheism and introducing worship centered on the Aten, which is sometimes described as monotheistic or henotheistic. An early inscription likens him to the sun as compared to stars, and later official language avoids calling the Aten a god, giving the solar deity a status above mere gods. Akhenaten tried to bring about a departure from traditional religion, yet in the end it would not be accepted. After his death, traditional religious practice was gradually restored, and when some dozen years later rulers without clear rights of succession from the Eighteenth Dynasty founded a new dynasty, they discredited Akhenaten and his immediate successors, referring to Akhenaten himself as "the enemy" in archival records. -- He was all but lost from history until the discovery, in the 19th century, of Amarna, the site of Akhetaten, the city he built for the Aten. Early excavations at Amarna by Flinders Petrie sparked interest in the enigmatic pharaoh, whose tomb was unearthed in 1907 in a dig led by Edward R. Ayrton. Interest in Akhenaten increased with the discovery in the Valley of the Kings, at Luxor, of the tomb of King Tutankhamun, who has been proved to be Akhenaten's son according to DNA testing in 2010. A mummy found in KV55 in 1907 has now been identified as almost certainly that of Akhenaten. This elder man and Tutankhamun are related without question. -- Akhenaten remains an interesting figure, as does his queen, Nefertiti. Their modern interest comes partly from his connection with Tutankhamun, partly from the unique style and high quality of the pictorial arts he patronized, and partly from ongoing interest in the religion he attempted to establish. ... Amenhotep IV (Pharaoh Akhenaten) was crowned in Thebes and there he started a building program. ... Akhenaten's fifth year also marked the beginning of construction on his **new capital [Akhenaten moved the throne of Egypt from Thebes to Amarna], Akhetaten or 'Horizon of Aten', at the site known today as Amarna. ... Akhenaten was married to Nefertiti at the very beginning of his reign, and six daughters [having daughters Joseph was made 2nd in charge in Egypt (Genesis 41:40) - until Tutankhaten was born (Genesis 50:4 - Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh {possibly Tutankhaten})] were identified from inscriptions. Recent DNA analysis has revealed he (Pharaoh Akhenaten) also fathered [King Tut] Tutankhaten (later Tutankhamen) with his biological sister, whose mummy remains unidentified. [article link] Wikipedia.org: Nefertiti - Nefertiti (1370 BC – 1330 BC) was the Great Royal Wife (chief consort) of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten - Nefertiti and her husband were known for a religious revolution, in which they started to worship one god only - This was Aten, or the sun disc - Nefertiti's place as an icon in popular culture is secure as she has become somewhat of a celebrity - After Cleopatra [5th Kingdom - Greece (located in Alexandria, Egypt)] she is the second most famous "Queen" of Ancient Egypt in the Western imagination and influenced through photographs that changed standards of feminine beauty of the 20th century, and is often referred to as "the most beautiful woman in the world" She was made famous by her bust, now in Berlin's Neues Museum, shown to the right. The bust is one of the most copied works of ancient Egypt. It was attributed to the sculptor Thutmose, and it was found in his workshop. The bust is notable for exemplifying the understanding Ancient Egyptians had regarding realistic facial proportions. Some scholars believe that Nefertiti ruled briefly after her husband's death and before the accession of Tutankhamun as Neferneferuaten, although this identification is a matter of ongoing debate. ... During the early years in Thebes Akhenaten (still known as Amenhotep IV) had several temples erected at Karnak. One of the structures, the Mansion of the Benben (hwt-ben-ben), was dedicated to Nefertiti. She is depicted with her daughter Meritaten and in some scenes the princess Meketaten participates in the scenes as well. In scenes found on the talatat Nefertiti appears almost twice as often as her husband. She is shown
appearing behind her husband the Pharaoh in offering scenes in the role of the queen supporting her husband, but she is also depicted in scenes that would have normally been the prerogative of the king. She is shown smiting the enemy, and captive enemies decorate her throne. In the fourth year of his reign Amenhotep IV decided to move the capital to Akhetaten (modern Amarna). In his fifth year, Amenhotep IV officially changed his name to Akhenaten, and Nefertiti was henceforth known as Neferneferuaten-Nefertiti. The name change was a sign of the ever-increasing importance of the cult of the Aten. It [temporarily] changed Egypt's religion from a polytheistic religion to a religion which may have been better described as a monolatry (the depiction of a single god as an object for worship) or henotheism (one god, who is not the only god). [article link] King Tut - Tutankhamun: The Ancient Egyptians believed that as long as a pharaoh's name was remembered, the king would live on through eternity - King Tut was a minor King - He died when he was only nineteen years old {probably from an accident, i.e. a fall or accidently by hitting his head, there is thought to be a slight but fatal injury to the head (skull) of Tutankhamun.} - But the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun and its fabulous wealth has made King Tut one of the most famous Pharaohs Tomb of King Tut: The location of the tomb of King Tut in the Valley of the Kings, the discovery of the tomb, excavation of the tomb of King Tut and its description. The artefacts, the hieroglyphics, the mummy of King Tut - Tutankhamun and the fabulous golden sarcophagus and treasure. -- Curse of King Tut: The myths and legends surrounding the tombs of the Pharaohs and King Tut are legendary and the idea of the Curse of the Pharaohs is fascinating. The section details the curses that surround the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, the tombs of the Pharaohs and the rumours of the use of poison in their building, the Egyptian Gods and the people who were reputed to be victims of the Curse of King Tut - Tutankhamun. -- King Tut Exhibits and Treasures: The King Tut Exhibit or Exhibition provides a roving display of the fabulous treasures which were found in his tomb. The shining gold sarcophagus and the golden death mask of Tutankhamun capture the imagination and indicates the enormous wealth of the Ancient Egyptians. The Tutankhamun London exhibition rooms includes an introductory film and information based on The Tomb, Ancient Egypt before Tutankhamun, Death, Burial and the Afterlife, Egyptian Religious Revolution, Egyptian Traditional Beliefs, Tutankhamun King of Egypt and Daily Life Facts in Tutankhamuns World. [article link] Wikipedia.org: Tutankhamun [King Tut] - Tutankhamun approx. (1341 BC – 1323 BC) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (ruled ca. 1333 BC – 1323 BC in the conventional chronology), during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom - His original name, Tutankhaten, means "Living Image of Aten", while Tutankhamun means "Living Image of Amun" - He is possibly also the Nibhurrereya of the Amarna letters, and likely the 18th dynasty king Rathotis who, according to Manetho, an ancient historian, had reigned for nine years - **a figure which conforms with Flavius Josephus's version of Manetho's Epitome -- The 1922 discovery by Howard Carter and George Herbert (5th Earl of Carnarvon) of Tutankhamun's nearly intact tomb received worldwide press coverage - It sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun's burial mask remains the popular symbol - Exhibits of artifacts from his tomb have toured the world {Tutankhamun was at odds with his father's (Pharaoh Akhenaten) religious [one god] leanings and returned Egypt back to the traditional (Egyptian - many gods) religious practice.} Cause of death: There are no surviving records of Tutankhamun's final days. What caused Tutankhamun's death has been the subject of considerable debate. Major studies have been conducted in an effort to establish the cause of death. Although there is some speculation that Tutankhamun was assassinated, the consensus is that his death was accidental. A CT scan taken in 2005 shows that he had badly broken his leg shortly before his death, and that the leg had become infected. DNA analysis conducted in 2010 showed the presence of malaria in his system. It is believed that these two conditions (malaria and leiomyomata) combined, led to his death. -Discovery of tomb: Tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings - Tutankhamun seems to have faded from public consciousness in Ancient Egypt within a short time after his death, and remained virtually unknown until the 1920s. His tomb was robbed at least twice in antiquity, but based on the items taken (including perishable oils and perfumes) and the evidence of restoration of the tomb after the intrusions, it seems clear that these
robberies took place within several months at most of the initial burial. Eventually the location of the tomb was lost because it had come to be buried by stone chips from subsequent tombs, either dumped there or washed there by floods. In the years that followed, some huts for workers were built over the tomb entrance, clearly not knowing what lay beneath. When at the end of the Twentieth Dynasty the Valley of the Kings burials were systematically dismantled, the burial of Tutankhamun was overlooked, presumably because knowledge of it had been lost and his name may have been forgotten. -- Curse of the Pharaohs: For many years, rumors of a "Curse of the Pharaohs" (probably fueled by newspapers seeking sales at the time of the discovery[citation needed]) persisted, emphasizing the early death of some of those who had first entered the tomb. However, a recent study of journals and death records indicates no statistical difference between the age of death of those who entered the tomb and those on the expedition who did not. -- Aftermath of death: Although it is unknown how he met his death, the Amarna letters indicate that Tutankhamun's wife, recently widowed, wrote to the Hittite king Suppiluliuma I, asking if she could marry one of his sons, saying that she was very afraid, but would not take one of her own people as husband. However, the son was killed before reaching his new wife. Shortly afterward Ay married Tutankhamun's widow and became Pharaoh as a war between the two countries was fought, and Egypt was left defeated. -- Significance: Tutankhamun was nine years old when he became pharaoh and reigned for approximately ten years. In historical terms, Tutankhamun's significance stems from his rejection of the radical religious innovations introduced by his predecessor and father, Akhenaten. Secondly, his tomb in the Valley of the Kings was discovered by Carter almost completely intact - the most complete ancient Egyptian royal tomb ever found. As Tutankhamun began his reign at such an early age, his vizier and eventual successor Ay was probably making most of the important political decisions during Tutankhamun's reign. Tutankhamun was one of the few kings worshiped as a god and honored with a cult-like following during his lifetime. A stela discovered at Karnak and dedicated to Amun-Re and Tutankhamun indicates that the king could be appealed to in his deified state for forgiveness and to free the petitioner from an ailment caused by wrongdoing. Temples of his cult were built as far away as in Kawa and Faras in Nubia. The title of the sister of the Viceroy of Kush included a reference to the deified king, indicative of the universality of his cult. [article link]
{Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Exodus - Who Was The Pharaoh Of The Exodus? [Early Timeline] - Assuming the pharaohs mentioned in Exodus 1:8, 22 and 2:23 are all the same person, he would have had to reign for over forty years - Amenhotep's predecessor, Thutmose III, is the only pharaoh within the time specified in I Kings 6:1 who reigned long enough (54 years) to have been on the throne at the time of Moses' flight and to die shortly before his return to Egypt - This would make Thutmose III the pharaoh of the Oppression and Amenhotep II the pharaoh of the Exodus {**Updated Later Timeline: [Possibly Joseph's dream Pharaoh Genesis 41:1] Pharaoh Akhenaten (Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt) Reign 1351-1334 B.C. - [Possibly the other Pharaoh in Joseph's time - Genesis 50:4] Tutankhamun [King Tut] son of Akhenaten (last Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty) Reign 1333-1323 B.C. -- [Possibly the Pharaoh of Moses' time - Exodus 1:8] Ramesses II (Nineteenth Dynasty) Reign 1279-1213 B.C.} The Bible nowhere mentions the name of the pharaoh of the Exodus, but Bible students have always been curious as to who he was. No doubt, some Christians will be wary of trying to discover something the Bible has not clearly revealed; but in studying this question one can come away with his faith increased in the Bible as the unerring word of God. Although the Bible does not specifically name the pharaoh of the Exodus, enough data is supplied for us to be relatively sure who he was. Admittedly, there are two schools of thought concerning the date of the Exodus (i.e., the early date and late date theories). Proponents of the late date theory (1290 B.C.) are clearly in the majority, but they reject clear Biblical statements with reference to the date of the Exodus. Therefore their arguments in favor of a particular pharaoh will not be considered in this article. In I Kings 6:1 the Scriptures say: "And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Zif, which is the second month that he began to build the house of the Lord." One can readily see that the times for both the Exodus and the beginning of the Temple have been specifically stated in God's Word.
Scholars have identified the fourth year of Solomon's reign as 966 B.C. (Gleason, A Survey of Old Testamsnt Introduction, 1974, p. 223). Using this 966 B.C. date, we find that the Exodus took place in 1445 B.C. Now, if this information is correct, the Exodus occurred in the third year of the reign of the pharaoh Amenhotep II. Before concluding that Amenhotep II was, indeed, the pharaoh of the Exodus, we will need to study further other evidence that can be presented. For instance, when comparing Exodus 7:7 with Acts 7:23, we learn that Moses was in Midian approximately forty years. Assuming the pharaohs mentioned in Exodus 1:8, 22 and 2:23 are all the same person, he would have had to reign for over forty years. Amenhotep's predecessor, Thutmose III, is the only pharaoh within the time specified in I Kings 6:1 who reigned long enough (54 years) to have been on the throne at the time of Moses' flight and to die shortly before his return to Egypt. This would make Thutmose III the pharaoh of the Oppression and Amenhotep II the pharaoh of the Exodus. History tells us that for several years after 1445 B.C. Amenhotep II was unable to carry out any invasions or extensive military operations. This would seem like very strange behavior for a pharaoh who hoped to equal his father's record of no less than seventeen military campaigns in nineteen years. But this is exactly what one would expect from a pharaoh who had lost almost all his cavalry, chariotry, and army at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:23, 27-30). Furthermore, we learn from the Dream Stela of Thutmose IV, son of Amenhotep II, that he was not the legitimate successor to the throne (J.B. Pritchard (ed.), Ancient Near-Eastern Texts, p. 449). This means that Thutmose IV was not the firstborn son, who would have been the legitimate heir. The firstborn son of Amenhotep II had evidently died prior to taking the throne of Egypt. This would agree with Exodus 12:29 which says the pharaoh's first-born son was killed during the Passover. If the Exodus did take place in 1445 B.C., forty years of wilderness wandering would bring us to 1405 B.C. for the destruction of Jericho. Interestingly enough, John Garstang, who excavated the site of ancient Jericho (city "D" in his survey), came to the conclusion that the destruction of the city took place around 1400 B.C. (Garstang, The Story of Jericho, 1948, p. 122). He also concluded that the walls of the city toppled outward, which would compare favorably with Joshua 6:20. Scholars have been fascinated by a revolutionary religious doctrine which developed shortly after 1445 B.C. that threatened to sweep away the theological dogmas of centuries. These scholars have credited Amenhotep IV, great grandson of Amenhotep II, with founding the religious concept of Monotheism (the idea that there is only one God). The cult of Aton set forth this idea to the Egyptian people and scholars have mistakenly credited this idea to the Egyptians. But it does not seem unusual to me that a people who had been so influenced by the one God of Moses would try to worship the God that had so convincingly defeated their gods. A continually increasing body of evidence indicates that this cult of Aton had its beginning in the reign of Thutmose IV, son of Amenhotep II, pharaoh of the Exodus. Although the final verdict is not yet in, we can be reasonably sure that Amenhotep II was the pharaoh of the Exodus. [article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Exodus - The Delta-Sinai Tour - Goshen: The cities Pithom and Pi-Rameses, two fortified cities the Hebrews built before the Exodus, (Ex. 1:11) however, have been found (Photos) The German scholar Dr. O.F.A, Meinardus wrote about traditions informing us that the Holy Family {Joseph, Mary, Jesus} likely traveled through the Eastern Delta, the approximate location from where the Exodus took place. The name 'Land of Goshen' is only mentioned in the Bible, and not Egyptian documents. The cities Pithom and Pi-Rameses, two fortified cities the Hebrews built before the Exodus, (Ex. 1:11) however, have been found. The Austrian Institute excavated the ruins of Pithom and found the remains of some temple buildings and grain stores. Pi-Rameses in particular is important because the Egyptians moved their capital from Memphis to Pi-Rameses in the 14th century B.C. because of the threats coming from the east. Pi-Rameses was the capital of Egypt in the time of Moses. In the same region the ruins have been found of Tanis, the capital of Pharaoh Sheshonk I [Shishak in the Bible] (935-914 B.C.) who plundered the temple of Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 12:9). Some researchers speculate he may have taken the Ark of the Covenant to this city. [article link] {Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Genesis 15-16 - God's Covenant Relationship with Abraham - The land of Israel belongs to the Jews, there would be many future descendants, the Messiah (Christ) would appear through the line of Abraham [though King David] - The first mention of the appearance of the "Angel of the
Lord" an appearance to humans of Jesus Christ in human form - A covenant is a final agreement as final as a Will or a Testimony - Abraham was not yet accounted as righteous either by circumcision [24 years later] or by the law [430 years later] as both were not yet given - Abraham was accounted righteous by belief in the Word of God the acceptability of the covenant and the acceptability of the blood sacrifice sealing the covenant Note: a Biblical covenant is revealed to be irreversible [given life] by sealing the covenant in blood (Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood - the life of the covenant is in the blood) the life of the blood transfers into the life of the covenant [the final (life) covenant between God and man is sealed on the cross in the blood and death of Jesus Christ - In Jesus Christ we have recieved the ultimate eternal sacrifice and life covenant - His is both a New and an Eternal Living covenant in that Jesus has Resurrected from the dead and is eternally Alive! Note: Along with the covenant with Abraham God revealed that Abraham and his descendants would be not be settled into their own land (Israel) for at least another 400 years. 'Genesis 15:13-14 And He (God) said unto Abram (Abraham), Know of a surety that thy seed (descendants) shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation [Egypt], whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.' - It's probable that the account of the 400 years of affliction was from the night of the covenant between God and Abraham "and they shall afflict them four hundred years" until the night of the Passover in Egypt 430 years to the day later [only 30 years during that time were not years of affliction]. It's likely that the affliction included their time in Canaan as well as the other places where they sojourned before eventually going into Egypt where Joseph was serving Pharo. The Hebrews (Jews) didn't need to go to Egypt to be afflicted, Egypt and the policies of Egypt afflicted the whole world and also their wanderings and travels in and around Canaan (ancient Israel) itself were generally a time of affliction, famine, peril and distress for them long before going down to Egypt. The events of Isaac with Abimelech [Genesis 26], Jacob with his brother Esau [Genesis 28], Jacob with his father in law Laban [Genesis 29-31], Shechem raping Dinah and the revenge of her two brothers Simeon and Levi [Genesis 34] are just a few examples of the many perils the Hebrew family faced. -- 'Exodus 12:40-41 Now the sojourning [since the night of the covenant with Abraham] of the children of Israel, who [later] dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day [the exact same day 430 years later as the covenant with Abraham] it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out [the night of the Passover] from the land of Egypt.' -- 'Genesis 35:28 28 And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore (180) years. And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.' 'Genesis 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites [Canaan] is not yet full.' - Abraham was 75 years old when he made the covenant with God [430 years to the day before the Passover Exodus night] then Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born [Genesis 21:5] and Isaac lives for 180 years and died about the time Joseph was sold into slavery into Egypt where later Jacob and the rest of the family follow Joseph into Egypt. Approximately twentyfive years from the night of the covenant with God until the birth of Isaac and then 180 years in the life of Isaac makes about 205 years before Jacob's family went into Egypt as a family to later emerge from Egypt as a Nation, the Nation comprised of the 12 family tribes Judah and Israel. That would be about 225 years in Egypt for the total of 430 years. Certainly there were only four generations in Egypt from Levi to Moses [Levi -> Kohath -> Amram {father} -> Moses] or [Jacob -> Levi -> Jochebed {mother} -> Moses] **it was about 225 years and four generations in Egypt before the Passover night. [article link] EmbassyOfHeaven.com: Nimrod Becomes First King - With the setting up of Nimrod's kingdom, the entire ancient world entered a new historical phase - Such was the true origin of the State - The State was, and is, the result of the apostasy of men from God - It is true that these things are the consequences of the apostasy from God - When men have apostatized from God, monarchies such as that of Nimrod or of Nero, became necessary, just in proportion to the degree of apostasy - Nimrod's example was eagerly followed by all [future generations] the tribes around, until they were all absorbed [born] in it - [Patriarchal] Society had passed away,
and only States [Governments] remained; and all of these States were [false worship] idolatrous That is, Nimrod was the first one to establish the might, the power, the authority, of human government, in the form of an organized State. He was the first man to assert the power and prerogatives, and assume the title of king over men. "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar."55 Genesis 10:10 -- Consequently: With the setting up of Nimrod's kingdom, the entire ancient world entered a new historical phase. The oriental tradition which makes that warrior the first man who wore a kingly crown, points to a fact more significant than the assumption of a new ornament of dress, or even the conquest of a province. His reign introduced to the world a new system of relations between the governor and the governed. The authority of former rulers rested upon the feeling of kindred; and the ascendancy of the chief was an image of parental control. Nimrod, on the contrary, was a sovereign of territory, and of men just so far as they were its inhabitants, and irrespective of personal ties. Hitherto there had been tribes - enlarged families - society: now there was a nation, a political community - THE STATE. The political and social history of the world henceforth are distinct, if not divergent. - Empires of the Bible, chap. 6, par. 7. -- Such was the true origin of the State. The State was, and is, the result of the apostasy of men from God. It is the state's only possible origin; for if all men had always observed the two great commandments, it would have been impossible for there ever to have been any State. There could have been no human authority exercised. All would have been equally subject to God; He would have been the only sovereign. Before Nimrod, there was society. Respect of the rights of persons and of their property was maintained. It was only when the apostasy grew, and men got farther and farther from God, that the monarchical idea was established and personified in Nimrod. Let no one misunderstand. This is not to say, nor even to imply, that there should now be no human government, that there should be no State, nor even that there should be no monarchy. It is simply to say the truth - that if there never had been any apostasy from God, there never could have been on earth a State, nor any human government. It is true that these things are the consequences of the apostasy from God. When men have apostatized from God, monarchies such as that of Nimrod or of Nero, became necessary, just in proportion to the degree of apostasy. It is better that there should be a government, bad as it may be, than that there should be no government at all. Even such a government as Nimrod's or Nero's is better than none at all. But without apostasy there could never have been any human government; and without the apostasy having gone to a fearful length, there never could have been any such government as Nimrod's or Nero's. -- Nimrod's example was eagerly followed by all the tribes around, until they were all absorbed in it. Society had passed away, and only States remained; and all of these States were idolatrous. In all that region, only Abraham believed God, even his own parents being idolaters. "They served other gods."56 Joshua 24:2 [article link] King Nimrod and modern government - Introducing Nimrod and modern government - First man in the world who had the boldness to take for himself the title and prerogative of king, in the face of the yet lingering idea of God as king - Be careful to be quick to judge Nimrod too harshly, he established the might, the power, the authority, of human government, in the form of an organized State - Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or Libertarian, the roots of all three are Nimrod (Part satirical) Introducing Nimrod and modern government - Abram [Abraham was 4 generations after Nimrod] lucked out, though God of course, could have saved him from any fate including death in a furnace, but Nimrod Rebel was a fierce warrior and powerful king. First man in the world who had the boldness to take for himself the title and prerogative of king, in the face of the yet lingering idea of God as king. The Bible record of Nimrod is that, "He began to be a mighty one in the earth." Abram once tweeted: AbrahamWanderer OMG King Nimrod just went down mainstreet, a thousand people in the procession, throwing SWAG, hope I get lucky tinyurl.com/cafuvl King Nimrod built roads, schools and hospitals, raised and army and invented a concept known as taxation. He was a bit of a philosopher was well, I listened to him go on for an hour once pondering the inverse relationship between piety and intelligence. Be careful to be quick to judge Nimrod too harshly, he established the might, the power, the authority, of human government, in the form of an organized State. Whether you are a republican, democrat or libertarian, the roots of all three are Nimrod. [article link]
Where did "Easter" get its name? - Where did the concept of an Easter egg and bunny originate? - The name "Easter" has its roots in ancient polytheistic [worshipping more than one god - answers.com] religions (paganism) - Most reference books say that the name "Easter" derived from the Eastre, the Teutonic goddess of Spring - Although this relationship exists, in reality, the origin of the name and the goddess are far more ancient - going all the way back to [Nimrod] the Tower of Babel [1st Kingdom - 1st Pagan Temple] -- The origin begins not long after the Biblical flood -- Summary and Conclusion: "Easter" is simply one of the names of (Queen Semiramis - wife of King Nimrod, the Mother Goddess: Wife of Baal [Satan], Ashtaroth or Ashtoreth, and Queen of Heaven - also called Eostre, Astarte, Ostera, and Eastre) a woman [a part of Mystery Babylon] who mightily deceived the world and whose religion has caused untold suffering and misery - She was clearly an enemy of [ancient] Christianity [a personal relationship with God], and her son Tammuz was an anti-Christ, a false messiah that ultimately deceived millions - If you are Christian, it is not difficult to discern the bizarre *deception and *confusion **that Satan has successfully orchestrated The name "Easter" has its roots in ancient polytheistic religions (paganism). On this, all scholars agree. This name is never used in the original Scriptures, nor is it ever associated biblically with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For these reasons, we prefer to use the term "Resurrection Sunday" rather than "Easter" when referring to the annual Christian remembrance of Christ's resurrection. -- Ancient origin: Most reference books say that the name "Easter" derived from the Eastre, the Teutonic goddess of Spring. Although this relationship exists, in reality, the origin of the name and the goddess are far more ancient - going all the way back to the Tower of Babel. The origin begins not long after the biblical Flood. The Flood was a divine judgment sent on mankind after evil had become all pervasive and all people everywhere were totally unresponsive to God. The Bible says that "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5, NKJV). It is not difficult to imagine that life must have been almost unbearable at this time in history. God gave humankind a second chance by preserving the righteous man Noah and his family (a total of 8 people). After the Flood, Noah had a talented, but evil, great-grandson named Nimrod (Genesis 10:6-10) who rebelled greatly against God. The Bible says that he was "a mighty one" Jewish tradition indicates that Nimrod was a tyrant "who made all of the people rebellious against God." It is evident from history that Nimrod was not only a political leader, but also the lead priest of a form of occultic worship. - King Nimrod, Queen Semiramis (Easter), and Tammuz (the "reincarnated" Nimrod) Nimrod built and organized major cities. The Bible notes that these included Babel, Asshur, Nineveh and Calah (Genesis 10:1012). If you know anything about ancient history, the mention of these places may send shivers up your spine. For these were cities of great, almost unimaginable practices and perversion. When Nimrod eventually died, the Babylonian mystery religion in which he figured prominently continued on. His wife Queen Semiramis saw to that. Once he was dead, she deified him as the Sun-god. In various cultures he later became known as Baal, the Great Life Giver, the god of fire, Baalim, Bel, Molech, etc. "Later, when this adulterous and idolatrous woman gave birth to an illegitimate son, she claimed that this son, Tammuz by name, was Nimrod reborn." Semiramis "claimed that her son was supernaturally conceived [no human father] and that he was the promised seed, the 'savior'" - promised by God in Genesis 3:15. "However, not only was the child worshipped, but the woman, the MOTHER, was also worshipped as much (or more) than the son!" Nimrod deified as the god of the sun and father of creation. Semiramis became the goddess of the moon, fertility, etc. -- "In the old fables of the Mystery cults, their 'savior' Tammuz, was worshipped with various rites at the Spring season. According to the legends, after he was slain [killed by a wild boar], he went into the underworld. But through the weeping of his mother… he mystically revived in the springing forth of the vegetation - in Spring! Each year a spring festival dramatically represented this supposed 'resurrection' from the underworld. Thus, a terrible false religion developed with its sun and moon worship, priests, astrology, demonic worship, worship of stars associated with their gods, idolatry, mysterious rites, human sacrifice, and more. Frankly, the practices which went on were so horrible that it is not fitting for me to speak of them here. It was at Nimrod's city of Babel that a towering structure was first built in defiance of God as part of their Satanic religion. Archaeological evidence indicates that this was a spectacular pyramid-shaped structure (ziggurat). The Bible tells us that at this time there was only one language in the world and that most of the world's population centered in this area and participated in this
religion. It was evident to God that all mankind would soon degenerate into a level of evil that would parallel that of the pre-Flood world. For humanity's sake, something had to be done to slow and frustrate this organization of an evil one world, tyrannical government. -- God confused their language, so that they could not understand each other (Genesis 11:7). (This is the ultimate source of the world's many languages.) As a result, many people moved away from the area in groups according to their particular new language. Most, if not all, of these people carried their evil Sun-God-based religion with them. They continued to worship the stars and practice all the other ungodly rituals of their religion. Some also continued to build pyramids reminiscent of the Tower of Babel as part of this mystery religion. Today, we can still find remnants of these throughout the world (e.g., Iraq, South America, Central America, Egypt, Burma). -- Babel was the origin of an idolatrous system that swept the world. The Bible says of her, "Babylon... the nations drank her wine; Therefore the nations are deranged" (Jeremiah 51:7). The Bible often speaks of the Satanic religions which came from her. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus "witnessed the Mystery religion and its rites in numerous countries and mentions how Babylon was the primeval source from which ALL systems of idolatry flowed. Austen Layard said "that we have the united testimony of sacred and profane history that idolatry originated in the area of Babylonia - the most ancient of religious systems." -- Basically, almost every vile, profane and idolatrous practice you can think of originated at Babel with Queen Semiramis, the Mother Goddess and Nimrod. As the people scattered from Babel with their different languages, they, of course, used different names for Nimrod (Tammuz) and Semiramis. Some called the Mother Goddess "ISHTAR" (originally pronounced "Easter"). In other lands, she was called Eostre, Astarte, Ostera, and Eastre. Other names for Semiramis, the Mother Goddess include: Wife of Baal, Ashtaroth or Ashtoreth, and Queen of Heaven. The Mother goddess was frequently worshipped as the goddess of fertility - and as a sort of Mother Nature and goddess of Spring and sexual love and birth. She was also worshipped as a mediator between god and man. Sexual orgies and temple prostitutes were often used in her worship and in attempting to gain her favor. -- The Easter Rabbit or Hare: The rabbit is well known as a sexual symbol of fertility. In various parts of the world, religions which developed from Babel also associate the rabbit with periodicity, both human and lunar (Egypt, China, etc.). As you may remember, the Mother Goddess Semiramis (Easter) is associated with the Moon. In other words, the Easter bunny symbolizes the Mother Goddess. Annual Spring time fertility rituals are associated worship of the Mother Goddess and Tammuz, the reincarnation of her husband Nimrod. -- The Easter Egg: Most children and families who color or hide Easter eggs as part of their Resurrection Sunday tradition have no knowledge of the origin of these traditions. Easter egg activities have become a part of Western culture. Many would be surprised and even dismayed to learn where the traditions originated. "The egg was a sacred symbol among the Babylonians. They believed an old fable about an egg of wondrous size which was supposed to have fallen from heaven into the Euphrates River. From this marvelous egg - according to the ancient story - the Goddess Astarte (Easter) [Semiramis], was hatched. And so the egg came to symbolize the Goddess Easter." The idea of a mystic egg spread from Babylon to many parts of the world. In Rome [6th Kingdom], the mystic egg preceded processions in honor of the Mother Goddess Roman. The egg was part of the sacred ceremonies of the Mysteries of Bacchus. The Druids used the egg as their sacred emblem. In Northern Europe, China and Japan the eggs were colored for their sacred festivals. The egg was also a symbol of fertility; Semiramis (Easter) was the goddess of Fertility. The Easter egg is a symbol of the pagan Mother Goddess, and it even bears one of her names. -Summary and Conclusion: "Easter" is simply one of the names of (Queen Semiramis - wife of King Nimrod, the Mother Goddess include: Wife of Baal [Satan], Ashtaroth or Ashtoreth, and Queen of Heaven - also called Eostre, Astarte, Ostera, and Eastre) a woman [a part of Mystery Babylon] who mightily deceived the world and whose religion has caused untold suffering and misery. She was clearly an enemy of Christianity, and her son Tammuz was an anti-Christ, a false messiah that ultimately deceived millions. If you are Christian, it is not difficult to discern the bizarre deception and confusion that Satan has successfully orchestrated. For example, notice the embarrassing irony in these traditions which are practiced innocently by most people. They are repeated year after year, because they have become traditional and their origin is unknown to many. *On the day commemorating Christ's resurrection, Americans roll decorated eggs on the White House lawn and pretend the Easter rabbit hid them. The same ritual is practiced at some Christian churches. "In Lancashire
[England] on Easter eve boys and men have been in the habit of touring the towns and villages as 'Paceeggers' begging for eggs before performing the 'Pace-Egging' or Pasch (i.e., Easter) play." In Greece each person in a group bangs his red EASTER EGG [not knowing that it is symbol of the Goddess] against the eggs of all the others present in turn, saying 'Christ is risen,' and receives the reply 'He is risen indeed.'" -- The seductive symbols of ancient ungodly religions inspired by Satan have been incorporated into people's everyday lives, even to this day - continuing to obscure the truth of God. ... Many church bodies recognize the problem and make every effort to keep the focus of Resurrection Sunday totally on Jesus Christ and the Good News that He brought. [article link] Overview: 8 Kingdoms - The Basic Christian blog is going to try to wrap up the 8 Kingdoms (primarily ancient history) portion of the blog History Study in the next two weeks - Posting primarily on the Political Structure of each Kingdom - Then in December blogging the Christmas Holiday 2011 - After the New Year the blogging should begin on the Church History portion of the blog History Study Overview: 8 Kingdoms - The premise of the 8 Kingdoms Study is that each of the Kingdoms are unique in that they each have a unique (advanced) interaction with the spiritual realm. The 7 Gentile Kingdoms primarily interact with the fallen spiritual realm while the coming 8th Kingdom the Kingdom of Jesus Christ will be the visible presence of God on earth. The study is presenting Mystery Babylon [Revelation 17] as the Fallen Angelic realm out to deceive mankind, the 7 Mountains (hills) as the 7 Gentile Kingdoms (Governments) with False Religion [including pseudo (emergent) christianity] as being represented by the scarlet woman [placed in between the fallen angelic spiritual realm and the human political realm], influenced by Mystery Babylon and able to manifest while temporarily riding above the 7 Gentile Global Governments emplaced throughout world history. [article link] Judge approves Crystal Cathedral sale to diocese - The diocese plans to use the site for a countywide cathedral SANTA ANA, Calif. A federal judge has approved the sale of the Crystal Cathedral to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange to help the financially struggling church emerge from bankruptcy. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert N. Kwan approved the sale at a hearing in Santa Ana on Thursday. The decision came after a bidding war between the diocese and Orange County's Chapman University for the 40-acre property in Garden Grove. The diocese plans to use the site for a countywide cathedral, which means Crystal Cathedral congregants will need to move to a new location. Chapman had wanted to use the site to expand its health sciences offerings and possibly start a medical school. [article link] O.C. Catholic diocese to buy bankrupt Crystal Cathedral - A bankruptcy judge sides with the Crystal Cathedral's board in ruling that Orange County's Roman Catholic Diocese can buy the campus for $57.5 million - "I mean, how out of touch can you [Schullers] possibly be?" asked Richard Flory, director of research in the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture - "If you're part of that congregation, at what point does this person or family start bringing more problems to us as a congregation than benefit?" - Nor apparently have the Schullers given up - A video went up on the Crystal Cathedral website Thursday in which Schuller Coleman urged congregants not to give up hope in a miracle - "There is still time for God to step in and rescue Crystal Cathedral Ministries" she said - {Note: The Schuller family with a few friends basically embezzled the church from within until it collapsed - the more in debt the congregation became the more money the Schullers demanded and took out of the congregation - Apparently they stopped paying back the bank [Farmers & Merchants] in 2005 and creditors in 2008 with bankruptcy in 2010 yet paid themselves increased salaries the entire time.} An Orange County bankruptcy judge ruled Thursday that the Crystal Cathedral, a monument to modernism in faith and architecture, will be sold for $57.5 million to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, which plans to consecrate it as a Catholic cathedral. The ruling was a blow to Chapman University, which had fought bitterly down to the final moments of the bankruptcy case for the right to buy the property as a satellite campus. It also marked the end of a remarkable chapter in the history of American Christianity, one that was written in
glass and steel by the Crystal Cathedral's founder and guiding light, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller. In a day filled with drama and deep emotion, Chapman had pressed its case with a newly escalated bid of $59 million, only to complain that it had been blindsided by the Crystal Cathedral board, which came down firmly on the side of the Catholic Church. In the end, Schuller himself gave his blessing to what once would have seemed unthinkable: the conversion of his sleekly modern masterpiece in Garden Grove, a place where fresh breezes blow through open walls and church services feature talk-show-style interviews, into a Catholic cathedral redolent of incense and ancient ritual. ... U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert Kwan issued his ruling shortly after 7 p.m. to the tears of members of the cathedral's congregation, who had sat through the long day in court. ... Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in October 2010, when it cited more than $50 million in debt. The ensuing months saw a lot of on-again, off-again plans by which the church would sell to a real estate developer, the Catholic Church or Chapman, or dig itself out with a "miracle" fundraising campaign. The campaign raised only $173,000 by the end of September. It didn't help that the Schullers appeared tone deaf at times to their own lives of apparent privilege, as when the church recently asked for food donations for Schuller's ailing wife - and said the items would be delivered to her in a limousine. ... "I mean, how out of touch can you [Schullers] possibly be?" asked Richard Flory, director of research in the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture. "If you're part of that congregation, at what point does this person or family start bringing more problems to us as a congregation than benefit?" ... Nor apparently have the Schullers given up. A video went up on the Crystal Cathedral website Thursday in which Schuller Coleman urged congregants not to give up hope in a miracle. "There is still time for God to step in and rescue Crystal Cathedral Ministries," she said. [article link] Crystal Cathedral: Founder the Rev. Robert H. Schuller also released a statement Thursday endorsing the diocesan offer, which would require the Crystal Cathedral ministry to move after three years {Note: "God Loves Them and So Do We" Well actually if you do the math the ONLY reason that the Crystal Cathedral went into bankruptcy proceedings was because of the Schullers [family and friends] exorbitant salaries and the fact that they wouldn't give up even one dime from their own pockets to keep the Crystal Cathedral operating as it had been - clearly their Love of Money has long ago displaced their love of people.} Founder the Rev. Robert H. Schuller also released a statement Thursday endorsing the diocesan offer, which would require the Crystal Cathedral ministry to move after three years. Schuller said that every human has to make a decision that they don't want to make and this was no different. He said prior to last Monday’ s court hearing, he and his wife, Arvella, had already decided to diocese’ s offer to purchase the campus. "Though we deeply respect Chapman University, the uncertainty regarding the future use of the campus for religious purposes was divergent to the call of both God and our denomination that we embraced nearly sixty years ago," he said in the statement. He said the diocese has been "gracious" and "accommodating" and has given the church terms that "exhibit sensitivity to our history and displays a spirit of honor for the ministry’ s purpose and the significant contributions of the Crystal Cathedral Congregation, the Hour of Power Viewers, and our Global Supporters." Schuller said he extends this message to the diocese: "Steward this campus. Keep it a light in Orange County that will never go out. A light that will always remind humanity how very much ... God Loves Them and So Do We." [article link] Breaking News!! - Crystal Cathedral board prefers Catholic offer - The board of directors of Crystal Cathedral Ministries has decided that its preferred buyer for the megachurch's campus is the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange - The announcement came Thursday just before a bankruptcy court hearing at which a judge will decide between competing offers from the diocese and Orange County's Chapman University SANTA ANA, Calif. - The board of directors of Crystal Cathedral Ministries has decided that its preferred buyer for the megachurch's campus is the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. The announcement came Thursday just before a bankruptcy court hearing at which a judge will decide between competing offers from the diocese and Orange County's Chapman University. The Catholic diocese wants the property for a cathedral of its own. The Crystal Cathedral was founded by televangelist Robert Schuller and grew into a megachurch, but revenues plummeted in 2008 and it declared bankruptcy last year with debts surpassing $43 million. Chapman University
is offering $59 million while the diocese is offering $57.5 million but the cathedral's board prefers terms of the latter bid. [article link] Crystal Cathedral Congregants Anxious as Decision in Bankruptcy Sale Likely to Fall Tonight - Bidding War Between Chapman University and Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Continues - A series of financial scandals have also emerged as a result of the bankruptcy case, including an allegation that pastor Schuller and his family were receiving lucrative salaries as the church filed for bankruptcy Members of the California-based Crystal Cathedral ministries seem to be more and more anxious about the church’ s bankruptcy case, with some expressing fear that losing their decades-old house of worship might damage the integrity of the church. The decision of whether the property will be sold to a Catholic organization or to a local university with Protestant roots is to fall tonight. ... After the 10,000-member strong Garden Grove, Calif., Protestant megachurch was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2010, following a long financial struggle, the founding pastor, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller, who manages the church together with family members, was forced to put the landmark glass-pane-covered property on the market in September. Currently, two Orange County institutions are battling to purchase the 50-acre property in a Santa Ana bankruptcy court - Chapman University and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. On Wednesday, Chapman University increased its bid to $59 million, in a challenge to the Diocese's of Orange's $57.5 increase offer made Monday, as reported by CP. The Schullers prefer the university, which has a Protestant background. Yet the Catholic diocese has been increasing its bids aggressively throughout the case, and is currently the highest bidder. As the final decision is scheduled to take place Thursday, church members, who have reportedly been attending all hearings, have been showing signs of nervousness about the future of their 50-year-old church. [article link]
Second Mile [a nonprofit organization] knew of abuse allegations - Authorities investigating sex abuse allegations against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky are examining the role of other parties not yet charged in the case whose actions, or lack thereof, may have delayed intervention by law enforcement authorities STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Authorities investigating sex abuse allegations against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky are examining the role of other parties not yet charged in the case whose actions, or lack thereof, may have delayed intervention by law enforcement authorities. That includes top officials at The Second Mile, the nonprofit organization that Mr. Sandusky founded and, authorities allege, used to make contact with the children he victimized. ... In a statement Monday, The Second Mile said it immediately ended Mr. Sandusky's contact with children in the program after he told them in 2008 he was under investigation for alleged sexual contact with a child, an allegation he told the organization was false. That, however, was at least the third time in 10 years that the organization had been made aware of allegations involving Mr. Sandusky's contacts with children. The organization knew in 1998 that Mr. Sandusky was investigated for alleged sexual misconduct in a Penn State shower involving a different boy from the program, according to a presentment by a statewide investigating grand jury. [article link] CalvaryChapelAbuse.com: Former CCV [Calvary Chapel Visalia] Board Member's shocking testimony about [Pastor] Bob Grenier of Calvary Chapel Visalia - Bob Grenier confessed Felony Child Abuse to the Board and they covered it up and didn't report - Comments: #70 Not Alone says: Moving on, I feel the same - It is so hard to go to church now - **Every church [too many Churches] has a career politician for a pastor - I don't think most see themselves that way - It's hard to remember the last time I actually learned something while at church Comments: #49 Alex says: November 16, 2011 at 12:20 pm. Ron said, "Isn't the "Touch not God's anointed" [1 Samuel 24:6] come from when David (who was King of Israel, but not sitting on the throne) didn't kill King Saul when he had the chance? I do not see how that can be translated to a Pastor - I guess you could use the concept for today, but to whom do you use it on? The God ordained leaders in government, surely. But Pastors?" Good point Ron and yes. No application to the "Calvary Chapel Senior Pastor". But, according the
idiot Leaders of Calvary Chapel including the main idiot Chuck Smith [Sr.] himself, they are akin to King Saul I guess. CC [Calvary Chapel] Leadership is full of unwise men and scoundrels. "I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?" Apparently in Calvary Chapel, the "We're all independent, except we can't be independent [to bring in and provide judgment and justice] it's too hard!"...there are no such wise men. [article link] Paterno Passes on Home to His Wife for $1 - Some legal experts, in trying to gauge the legal exposure of the university and its top officials to lawsuits brought by suspected victims of the assistant, Jerry Sandusky, have theorized that Paterno could be a target of civil actions Experts in estate planning and tax law, in interviews, cautioned that it would be hard to determine the Paternos' motivation simply from the available documents. It appears the family house had been the subject of years of complex and confusing transactions. Lawrence A. Frolik, a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh who specializes in elder law, said that he had "never heard" of a husband selling his share of a house for $1 to his spouse for tax or government assistance purposes. "I can't see any tax advantages," Frolik said. "If someone told me that, my reaction would be, 'Are they hoping to shield assets in case if there's personal liability?'" He added, "It sounds like an attempt to avoid personal liability in having assets in his wife's name." Two lawyers examined the available documents in recent days. Neither wanted to be identified because they were not directly involved in the case or the property transaction. One of the experts said it appeared to be an explicit effort to financially shield Joe Paterno. The other regarded the July transaction, at least on its face, as benign. Last Wednesday, the university's board of trustees fired Paterno and Graham B. Spanier, the university's president. In 2002, Mike McQueary, then a graduate assistant in the football program, told Paterno that he had seen Sandusky with a boy in the football building's showers. How explicit McQueary was in describing what he saw is in dispute. But according to state prosecutors, Paterno testified under oath that McQueary had told him that he had seen Sandusky doing something of a sexual nature to a roughly 10-year-old boy. Paterno did not report the incident to the police or encourage McQueary to make such a report. Instead, he passed along the allegation the next day to the university's athletic department and one other senior administrator. [article link] Fired Paterno could receive six-figure annual pension from Penn State - Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno's long service at the university theoretically puts him in line for a pension of more than $500,000 a year, according to an Associated Press analysis of state public pension records - The retirement system also confirmed Tuesday that Sandusky collects a $59,000 annual pension and withdrew $148,000 upon retirement HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno's long service at the university theoretically puts him in line for a pension of more than $500,000 a year, according to an Associated Press analysis of state public pension records. Paterno's pension records obtained Tuesday from the State Employees' Retirement System credit him with more than 60 years in the system. The formula used to determine benefits makes him eligible for a pension equal to 100 percent of the average of his three highest-salary years. His pay rose from $541,000 to $568,000 over the past three full calendar years. When Paterno retires, he will have to make a set of choices to determine his pension, including whether to designate a survivor to receive benefits after he dies and whether to obtain a one-time, lump-sum payment of his own contributions. State Employees' Retirement System spokeswoman Pamela Hile said Internal Revenue Code and Retirement Code benefit limits may also apply, so the agency does not issue estimated pension benefits ahead of time. There also is a long-service supplement that could boost Paterno to 110 percent of his final average salary. A 2006 report on Pennsylvania state pensions said the largest pension at that time within SERS was $254,000, being collected by a Penn State surgery professor who had withdrawn a $554,000 lump sum. [article link] Column: Schuller makes bishop look humble - Even in bankruptcy, Schuller is asking for $300,000 a year for the rest of his life The bankruptcy record includes appalling insight into how the Crystal Cathedral Ministry founder and his kin have lived for the last several years as the church was heading to ruination. In late 2005, according to a
pleading filed by creditors, Schuller was being phased out as leader and moved into a "roving ambassador" role. For this, according to a transition agreement, he was to be paid $300,000 a year for "discretionary" spending plus a salary that wasn't specified at the time, but was later shown to be as much as $257,000 in 2009. It's one level of avarice to be paid a half-million a year by hard-working congregants for "roving." It's a whole 'nother to be paid that much while your church is collapsing around you. The church filed for bankruptcy in 2010, a year that Schuller's total compensation was at least $447,000, according to the creditors. Shocked yet? How about this: Even in bankruptcy, Schuller is asking for $300,000 a year for the rest of his life. Schuller shamelessly defends the salary. The "ministry has reaped great benefit from that agreement, far in excess of what it has paid, and it stands to receive even more in the coming years," he said in a prepared statement last month. It's further untrue, he said, that ministry officials acted in bad faith - by which I assume he means they had no idea they were in deep financial trouble when they were promising salaries and health care for life for Schuller and his wife. But as early as 2002, the church started borrowing from the special church Endowment Fund to which donors had contributed for a specific purpose. Instead, the money covered salaries and general expenses. The amount of such borrowing ultimately totaled about $10 million. And in 2005, the creditors allege, the church had to stop paying the principle to its major creditor, Farmer & Merchants Bank. If true, these developments would indicate the Schullers knew well before the bankruptcy, even well before the national recession, that their financial plan wasn't working. Yet they kept spending. [article link] Schuller "Lawsuit allegations unfair and untrue" - Robert H. Schuller [Sr.] shot back in response to a lawsuit filed by creditors saying that he and board members always acted in good faith and in the best interests of the cathedral - Schuller the founder of the Crystal Cathedral, called allegations made in a creditors' lawsuit that the pastor and his family members greatly benefited from the church and provided little in return, unfair and untrue - The complaint was filed after Schuller family members refused to put their own financial claims in bankruptcy court behind the unsecured creditors, primarily **vendors, who are yet to be paid Referring to his own agreement in 2005 in which the senior Schuller was given $300,000 and benefits, staff and use of an office suite for life, the founder said the "ministry has reaped great benefit from that agreement, far in excess of what it has paid, and it stands to receive even more in the coming years." Among other things, the creditors' lawsuit filed in bankruptcy court Friday alleges that the Cathedral's board drew about $10 million from endowment funds between 2002 and 2009. Money from those funds was used for church expenses and salaries when they were donated for specific purposes such as caring for the Walk of Faith memorial stones. The lawsuit also specifically names Schuller's daughters, son and their families as well as former Chief Financial Officer Fred Southard, saying that they received lavish salaries, housing allowances and other benefits such as travel benefits and vehicles. Schuller's daughters, Carol Schuller Milner and Jeanne Schuller Dunn, have said the lawsuit has inaccuracies and misinformation. Milner said she and her siblings have always been a part of the church and contributed to the best of their abilities, but that most never had a say in the decisions the board made. The complaint says Robert A. Schuller, son of the founder, and his wife, Donna, were promised a $235,000 reserve fund and $1 million in seed money for a new church. In addition, they also got a Mercedes Benz and occupied a condominium owned by the church in Laguna Beach, the suit says. Donna Schuller, who has also been named in the lawsuit, said Tuesday that the Mercedes mentioned in the complaint was a gift from a family friend in 2005. At the time, her husband requested that the car be put in the church's name so it would encourage their friend to give to the ministry in the future, she said in an email to the Register. "When we left the church in 2008, Robert asked the church to please give the car back to him since it was rightfully his car and he did not have another one to drive," she said. "He still drives the car and it has 125,000 miles on it." Donna Schuller also said she and her husband never saw the $235,000 that was promised to them in 2008, when he was "forced out by a couple of his siblings." The money was meant to go toward their new ministry, she said. "In turn, neither of us was to say anything disparaging about the ministry," she said. "I called it 'hush money' at the time." The contract also agreed to pay up to $1 million to start Robert A. Schuller's new ministry once the cathedral sold a piece of property worth $5 million or more, Donna Schuller said. The amount would
then be pro-rated depending on the salaries that had been paid to them, she said. But, the [Crystal] cathedral has not fulfilled their contract to help Robert A. Schuller [Jr.] start a new ministry, his wife said. [article link] Crystal Cathedral decision delayed - The decision on whether Chapman University or the [Catholic] Diocese of Orange should be allowed to purchase the iconic Garden Grove Crystal Cathedral has been put on hold until Thursday [Nov. 17, 2011] - The hearing that was due to decide the question yesterday was tabled until Thursday, after both sides modified their bids for the property - {Note: The Catholic Church would be a better fit for the Crystal Cathedral property, considering that the location is in a highly Catholic area, enabling and providing the Catholic Church with a unique ministry opportunity.} As the case currently stands, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange is the high bidder; going into court on Monday, the Diocese's bid stood at $55.4 million, with the option to lease back some of the buildings on the campus for three years, but the end requirement that the congregation move to an alternative worship space. The creditor's committee, however, endorsed Chapman University's offer, in spite of the fact that it amounted to a lower dollar figure. The University came into court on Monday with a $51.5 million purchase bid, the option to lease back core campus buildings and the option repurchase buildings over a period of time. [article link]
Chapman University sweetens offer for Crystal Cathedral campus - The Chapman offer includes a $2-million reserve fund to pay church founder the Rev. Robert H. Schuller - He [Schuller] and other family members have sought some or all of that money from the bankruptcy court in unspecified "insider" claims, including copyright infringement for using his name and sermons - Carl Grumer, the attorney for the family members, said that $2 million would not be enough to pay the claims After a daylong hearing to hash out the latest offers, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert Kwan said he would give the Crystal Cathedral board two days to discuss the Chapman proposal. A hearing is set for Thursday afternoon [Nov. 17, 2011], when Kwan is expected to rule on a plan. The Crystal Cathedral's board last week said either bidder would be acceptable, but that now could change. The Chapman offer includes a $2-million reserve fund to pay church founder the Rev. Robert H. Schuller, 85, his wife Arvella, their daughter Carol Schuller Milner and her husband, Timothy Milner, for various claims. Schuller had previously arranged to be paid $350,000 in living expenses per year for the rest of his life. He and other family members have sought some or all of that money from the bankruptcy court in unspecified "insider" claims, including copyright infringement for using his name and sermons. Carl Grumer, the attorney for the family members, said that $2 million would not be enough to pay the claims. The newest offer from the Catholic diocese was increased to take those claims into account, diocesan attorney Alan Martin said. "Everything else is the same," Martin said. [article link]
Catholic diocese raises offer for Crystal Cathedral found by televangelist Robert Schuller - Many church members have been pushing for the offer from Chapman University - which is also preferred by the ministry's board - because they want the glass-spired church and cemetery to remain in Protestant hands - But the Schullers' attorney, Carl Grumer, said he backed the [Catholic] Diocese's proposal because the extra money would help cover some of his clients' [Schullers'] claims against the church [Crystal Cathedral], which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year - Milner [Carol Schuller Milner], the Schullers' daughter, said her parents have dedicated their lives to building the ministry - {I wonder if the Schullers' think that they have dedicated their lives to building a church in the same way that Jesus dedicated and gave His life for His Church.} Much of the at-times heated discussion Monday focused on how big a reserve fund the church needs to cover these claims by Schuller, his wife and daughter over rights to use of his books and sermons, and an agreement by the church to pay the elderly couple's housing allowance, travel expenses and insurance until they die. Grumer had suggested the court set the reserve fund at $6.5 million. But Kwan found that no money was needed to cover intellectual property claims, citing a lack of sufficient evidence, and that only $500,000 was needed to cover a gap in the annual payments owed to the Schullers under an earlier agreement, noting the
church recently voted to pay them $290,000 a year for life. Upset by the decision, Carol Milner, the Schullers' daughter, said her parents have dedicated their lives to building the ministry and have refrained from filing an intellectual property lawsuit to help the church get back on its feet. Milner said her father has continued to help with fundraising and his image is still used everywhere, but she doubted that would continue much longer under the strained relationship with the church. 'We're really treading on thin ice here. This is going to be a slap in the face,' she told reporters after the hearing. ... The church declared bankruptcy last year. Today, the decline in revenue is slowing, Michael VanderLey, a corporate finance consultant in the case, told the court Monday. Church revenue fell to $4 million in December 2010 from $6.7 million in December 2009 and is expected to reach about $3.5 million this December, he said. About 70 percent of the church's revenue stems from the 'Hour of Power' program, VanderLey said. Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. [article link] Update: 11-15-2011 - Update: back home and should resume blog postings soon ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Should Penn State cancel or move Saturday's game against Nebraska? - It bears asking again - Tonight, in light of Joe Paterno's firing and reports of unruly mobs in State College, I want to reiterate that question but with an important distinction: Should Penn State cancel or move Saturday's game against Nebraska? {Note: It is important to note that it is the consequences from the actions of a very few people [i.e. Sandusky, Paterno, McQueary, Spanier, a few students, etc.] that have continued and escalated this very difficult situation. By far the vast majority of Penn State faculty, staff and students are not a part of the disastrous events that have unfolded.} I think it's become clear that Penn State needs to cancel Saturday's home game against Nebraska. Or, if it is somehow possible, they should move the game either to a neutral field or even to Nebraska. I know how "unfair" this is from a football standpoint, but frankly I think any football issues should be the last issues dictating what is done in this case. Making important decisions with football as the #1 barometer is what got Penn State in the situation it's in; I think it should go without saying that it should now be moved to the bottom of the importance scale, even though I'd hate the negative effect on the innocent players who currently man the Nittany Lion roster. There were reports tonight of media vans being tipped over and rocks being thrown at reporters. When I shut down Twitter to start writing this, police dogs were on the verge of being unleashed according to multiple reports. Does this sound like a campus that is ready to host a football game on Saturday? I don't think so. And to those who will say that things will die down by Saturday, I respond thusly: yes, maybe they will…but what if they don't? And it leads me back to where the benefit of the doubt now needs to go in Penn State's decision making: away from football and as close to an 100% assurance of safety as possible. I don't think a football game just days after all of this, with emotions still likely to be raw and even unbridled, guarantees 100% safety. If Penn State is committed to making changes that will ensure innocent people aren't horribly violated on their watch in the future, this is a no-brainer first step. Cancel Saturday's game against Nebraska, or move it out of State College if you can (my preferred resolution, for the record). Any other decision is putting football over safety, and in case you need to know why that's wrong, just remember that it's the most likely reason for why we are here in the first place. [article link] Mike McQueary the Witness to Alleged Rape WILL [possibly] Coach for PSU on Saturday {Note: Mike McQueary purposely waited until the next day to report the crime he witnessed in progress and he seemingly purposely reported it only to coach Joe Paterno, possibly knowing that Paterno would not follow the events through to a conclusion. Coach Joe Paterno then seemingly reported it only to Campus security, possibly knowing and influencing the decision that the event would not be reported to police as in the end it wasn't reported to the proper authorities.} The man who witnessed Jerry Sandusky allegedly rape a pre-teen boy in the Penn State locker room in 2002 WILL be allowed to continue as a receivers coach when the team plays Nebraska on Saturday ... this according
to the new Penn State head coach Tom Bradley. Bradley was just officially introduced as Joe Paterno's temporary replacement -- and stated, "Right now Mike McQueary will be coaching on Saturday." McQueary was a 28-year-old graduate assistant in 2002, when he claims he witnessed Sandusky raping a little boy in the Penn State showers. McQueary reported the incident to Joe Paterno -- but never called police. Paterno -- who also did NOT go to the cops -- was fired last night for not living up to his moral obligation to the child. Bradley says he was unsure if McQueary will be coaching from the sidelines or if he will be up in the booth on Saturday. [article link]
The Joe Paterno Syndrome: Idealization and the Corruption of Morality - Unfortunately, this is quite common Loving or caring about someone frequently blinds one to their trespasses - One is inclined to see them as all good, and to deny their faults in order to preserve one's idealization of them Joe Paterno was an idealized father-figure, a loving, strong protective model for his young football players and Penn State students to learn from and emulate. Unfortunately, he failed to follow his own advice, to maintain civility, which he said was sorely lacking in today's society, by protecting his own students and young boys in the community from someone he knew to be a sexual predator. With his lapse in moral judgment, he joins a prestigious group of Catholic priests, including Cardinal Roger Mahony and even the Pope, who in the name of protecting their fellow clergymen and the reputation of the church, exposed hundreds of young boys and girls to sexual abuse by allowing child-molesting priests to remain in contact with them. It obviously takes enormous strength, even from the most religious, god-fearing individuals, to prioritize one's own moral integrity over one's inclination to protect colleagues, friends, lovers and especially family members who have committed child abuse. No wonder it is so hard for the Penn State student protestors to see how their beloved father-figure, Joe Paterno, failed to protect them in a most fundamental way. [article link] Joe Paterno FIRED! What can we learn from the TERRIBLE Penn State cover-ups? Why is a Secular University exercising justice and accountability better than Pastor Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel? There is a lawsuit against Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa…this moment. The suit alleges that Anthony Iglesias, a Calvary Chapel volunteer/employ molested kids through his CC connections with them. The suit also alleges that Raul Ries, Dale Goddard, Bob Davis and others in Calvary Chapel Leadership "knew" about Iglesias's problems with sexual encounters with children, yet they allowed him to be with kids and he continued to molest more and more. Chuck Smith says, "Not my problem!" Calvary Chapel says, "Not our problem!" -According to sources a "CC Pastor" walked in on [Pastor] John Flores Statutory Raping a teenage girl ON the Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa Campus. The "CC Pastor" didn't report the crime to authorities. This after Jeff Smith hired and fired Flores after knowing he had issues, only to have [Pastor] Brian Broderesen rehire Flores, who eventually raped the girl. Flores ended up convicted of the felony and served time after the Parents and Child wouldn't play ball with CC and cover it up. -- Paul Grenier, Calvary Chapel Pastor in good standing Bob Grenier's blood son, alleges Bob molested him. I have reported this to Chuck Smith, Roger Wing, David Rosales, CCOF, CCCM, Chuck's Attorney etc etc. No action. Bob Grenier is still fully "Affiliated" and endorsed and supported by Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and CC at this very moment…and over 1,500 other "Affiliated" Calvary Chapel Senior Pastors are "in Fellowship" with Bob Grenier this moment. -- Penn State did the right thing...FINALLY. Heads are rolling, reforms are coming. -- What's Calvary Chapel, supposedly "God's Church" doing? Lying, Stone Walling, deflecting, dodging, making excuses, etc etc. Nice example Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel. Keep waving that Brand and Team Flag in one hand and denying any Spiritual or legal responsibility or otherwise in the other hand. You guys are truly a "Brood of vipers!" May you reap what you continue to sow. [article link] Joe Paterno and the myth of the university - The situation at Penn State revealed many truths about the society at major universities - It took an extreme example, the failure to report the raping of children, to reveal what I've known to be true for a few years now - The image and reputation of a major university is more important to the powers that be than anything else - It's more important than research and it's certainly more important
than actually educating students At all times, it's the reputation that must be safe-guarded. To use a specific, incredibly mild and harmless example, take the school I went to: the Medill School at Northwestern. It's been riding on its reputation since my mom attended back in the late sixties/early seventies. The classes are easy to pass without much effort and the instructors are generally fairly average. It has the reputation of being the hardest school at Northwestern. In reality, it's the easiest. The best part about Medill is the quarter you leave campus and intern at a news station/paper/magazine. It taught me I wanted nothing to do with the world of news. This program is called Journalism Residency. A friend of mine is on hers now and she texted me asking if she'd get in trouble for complaining publicly on Twitter that Medill offers absolutely nothing in the way of sports journalism education. Almost none of the JR sites are specific to sports and there are no classes to be found. I was confused. Why would she get in trouble for voicing a complaint? Well it turns out that before she left on JR, she and everyone else had been told in no uncertain terms to "watch what they tweet" because the school didn't want anything in the public sphere that would make the Journalism Residency program look bad. [article link] This should be the end of Paterno State - It's a tragedy, but it's not a coincidence that abuses occur when football program is allowed free rein - As university presidents throughout the country view the steaming pile of rubble that was once college football's greatest coach and its most admired program, they should understand one thing - None of this is a coincidence It is no coincidence that an alleged child molester was allowed to roam the Penn State University grounds unchecked for nearly a decade with the knowledge of everyone from the school president to the football coach. It is no coincidence that an alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old boy in the showers of the school's football locker room was never reported to police by anyone at Penn State University. It is no coincidence, because for 46 years it was not really Penn State University, it was Paterno State University. It was a school that sold its soul to football coach Joe Paterno for the sake of riches and recognition, a school that found its identity in his plain uniforms and lived its life by his corny pep talks. Paterno was allowed to play God, and so his longtime assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was allowed to do whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted, even if it included alleged sexual abuse of eight boys over a 15-year period. Penn State created Joe Paterno, worshiped Joe Paterno, and stunningly required four long days to finally throw the phony out into the street Wednesday when public furor forced the school's board of trustees to fire him for not reporting Sandusky to police. What took them so long? It was the same sick fear of Paterno's power that created this nightmare in the first place. Penn State and Paterno got everything they deserved for failing to live up to the words uttered by board vice chairman John Surma, a truth acknowledged 46 years too late. "'The university is much larger than its athletic teams,'' said Surma, as if that was something that actually needed to be said. [article link] Paterno failed Penn State more than any coach has ever failed a school, and that's not the worst of it - Joe Paterno didn't do the right thing then, and he wasn't going to do the right thing now - He was going to do it his way - He was going to please himself, and to hell with anyone who thought he should do it otherwise - In the end, he seemingly couldn't understand how he failed the school he professed to love so much - He just didn't understand that he could not coach another game, that he could not stay at Penn State another hour Indeed, that's one of the lessons of this story. Paterno became accountable to no one, and isn't that sad? He was the moral compass of State College and of Penn State. He earned that status by winning games, graduating players and not cheating. He seemed different from so many of the others because during his 46 seasons, Penn State proved it could win with honor. Somewhere along the way, Paterno's value system became distorted. He had more power than any school president or mayor or athletics director, and because we assumed he always used it for good, because we believed the things he said about winning with honor, we allowed his power to grow and grow and grow. Paterno built what appeared to be a model program, but he also built a program around secrecy and arrogance. No one crossed Joe Paterno. No one challenged Joe Paterno. Paterno professed to be part of the larger university community, but in truth, he believed the university was there to serve him. [article link]
Paterno Assistant's [Jerry Sandusky] Foundation Grew as Sex Allegations Persisted - "It was within The Second Mile program that Sandusky found his victims" the grand-jury report said {Note: A "second mile" is a Biblical concept (Matthew 5:41) - Jerry Sandusky in a sense used a biblical cover in order to deceive people and help him select his victims. - We, Christians need to know who we are dealing with; we need openness and we need accountability.} "It was within The Second Mile program that Sandusky found his victims," the grand-jury report said. Sandusky, 67, was charged Nov. 5 with sexual assault of eight boys from 1994 to 2009. He has denied the charges. Paterno and university President Graham Spanier were fired last night after a meeting of the university's board of trustees. The Second Mile serves children with physical, emotional and academic needs and is "committed to helping young people achieve their potential as individuals and as community members," according to its website. The foundation's chief executive officer, John Raykovitz, wasn't available for comment, spokeswoman Jamie Modge said. Modge referred a reporter to a statement on the website. [article link] Jerry Sandusky Rumored To Have 'Pimped' Boys To Donors: REPORT Shockingly, there are reports that even more depraved details about the sexual crimes committed by Sandusky will be revealed in the coming days. As the quasi-riots shook the Penn State campus late Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning, SportsByBrooks began tweeting ominous messages about allegations that have yet to become public. [article link] ASHTON KUTCHER CLOSES TWITTER ACCOUNT OVER PATERNO CONTROVERSY - KUTCHER has shut down his Twitter account after sparking outrage by defending ousted U.S. college football coach JOE PATERNO - His comment prompted a flurry of angry messages from offended followers, with several criticising Kutcher for his response in light of the charity he co-founded to end child sex slavery Kutcher took to his Twitter.com page to question the board of trustees' decision to fire Paterno, writing, "How do you fire Jo Pa? insult. no class. as a hawkeye (University of Iowa) fan I find it in poor taste." His comment prompted a flurry of angry messages from offended followers, with several criticising Kutcher for his response in light of the charity he co-founded to end child sex slavery. The Two and a Half Men star quickly deleted the post and closed his page, admitting he felt "awful" about his comment. He tweeted, "As an advocate in the fight against child sexual exploitation, I could not be more remorseful for all involved in the Penn St. case. "As of immediately I will stop tweeting until I find a way to properly manage this feed. I feel awful about this error. Won't happen again." [article link] Ashton Kutcher: I'm Taking a Break From Twitter - I'm going to turn the management [posts] of the feed over to my team at Katalyst Media to ensure the quality of it's content" - Katalyst is a company founded by Kutcher and Jason Goldberg that has a development deal with AOL Ashton Kutcher, one of the most popular celebrities on Twitter, says he's taking a break from the social network for the time being. "As of immediately I will stop tweeting until I find a way to properly manage this feed," Kutcher wrote Wednesday night. "I feel awful about this error. Won't happen again." The impetus for Kutcher's sudden hiatus was an earlier tweet that defended Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who was fired Wednesday after being implicated in a scandal related to assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's alleged history of sexually molesting children. "How do you fire Jo Pa? #insult #noclass as a hawkeye fan I find it in poor taste," the tweet said. Later on, Kutcher tweeted, "Heard Joe was fired, fully recant previous tweet!" and "Didn't have full story. #admitwhenYoumakemistakes." Those two tweets have been subsequently removed, but Kutcher has left another apology: "As an advocate in the fight against child sexual exploitation, I could not be more remorseful for all involved in the Penn St. case." [article link] Don't sympathize for disgraced Paterno - After turning a blind eye to the alleged victims, the face [Joe Paterno] of Penn St. deserves the shame Joe Paterno had it coming to him. He needed to be humiliated in the end, fired on the same day he announced
his retirement, all but excommunicated by the very institution he had elevated into a sanctuary from all those vile major college ills. Don't cry for Joe, because Joe didn't cry for the alleged victims of Jerry Sandusky, the lost boys of Penn State, until it was at least nine years too late. The greatest of coaches, Paterno made possible the greatest scandal in the history of college sports. ... And all of this for what? Protecting the university's standing as a moral compass? Protecting the Nittany Lions' money machine? Protecting Paterno's legacy as an educator and molder of fine young men? How are all those things looking right about now? ... This one had to hurt. Paterno had released a statement earlier in the day announcing his retirement, effective at the end of the season, acknowledging that the sexual abuse case amounted to "one of the great sorrows of my life." But while expressing his concern for the alleged victims and his regret for not aiding them, Paterno offered a hint of why and how he could possibly take McQueary's 2002 account, pass it on to the athletic director, and then return without a second thought to his X's and O's. The head coach decreed that the trustees "should not spend a single minute discussing my status." One more time, Paterno was putting a big offensive line in front of his legacy and arrogantly plowing ahead with his career, on his terms, with no regard for Sandusky's alleged victims. So he deserved to take an embarrassing hit. After all the pain and suffering alleged to have been inflicted on his watch, Paterno couldn't be allowed to represent the university for one more game, [or] one more senior day. [article link] Summary: The Apostle Paul's Journey to Rome - The Four Dispensations of the Times since the 1st Coming of Jesus Christ seem to have been mapped out and enacted throughout Paul's Journey to Rome -- 1. The Apostles Dispensation (Acts 27:1-5) -- 2. The Common Christian Church Age (Acts 27:6-44) -- 3. The Martyred Saints of Revelation Tribulation (Acts 28:1-15) -- 4. The 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ on earth (Acts 28:16-31) 1. The Apostles Dispensation (Acts 27:1-5): Paul and the other Apostles [eyewitnesses] of Jesus Christ go into the world preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ. "Acts 27:3-5 And [representing the Apostolic Missionary Journey Age] the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave *him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the **winds were contrary. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia." {Note: Luke and the Apostle Paul seem to be recording two primary things. 1. Looking back on all of Paul's Missionary Journeys that Paul felt that they had gone well and that on the whole the Gospel was being well received "him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself" that Paul had made a lot of friends on his Missionary Trips and was refreshed by the fellowship he had with the Gentile Christians. 2. Also noting that "the [spiritual] winds were contrary" seeming to imply that there was a great deal of spiritual (demonic) opposition to the Gospel Message going forward.} -- 2. The Common Christian Church Age (Acts 27:6-44): "Acts 27:6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein." {Note: The ship of the Apostolic Age has ended and the ship of the Common Christian Church Age has launched - carrying the nourishing wheat (Bible) and the four anchors (4 Gospels). The [Christian] ship spends a great deal of time in the port of "Fair Havens" and then departs into adversity to the extent that the storms of life strand and tear the ship apart. Noteworthy, the Church [ship] has the four anchors [4 Gospels] and correctly uses them to stabilize the ship in dangerous waters however also note how the cargo of wheat [Bible] is considered too big of a burden and is cast overboard (Acts 27:38) away from the Church. -3. The Martyred Saints of Revelation Tribulation (Acts 28:1-15): After the Christian Church Age has come to an end the Revelation Tribulation Age begins. {Note: The Saints of Revelation are washed ashore into a strange society and economy where they are refuges; destitute and in peril. Though working hard and trying to get along they are Bitten by the Beast and transported to fellowship with their fellow Martyrs. -- 4. The 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ on earth (Acts 27:16-31): Having finally arrived in Rome the Throne of the King the Millennial Rein of Jesus Christ is now being depicted. {Note: As a type of a citizen of the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ, Paul is sent not to jail but to his own house to live [for two years]. Once in his Millennial House the Apostle Paul immediately begins to fellowship with the Jews of the Millennial Age.} -- Paul's Journey to Rome and the book of Acts concludes "Acts 28:30-31 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired
house, and received all that came in unto him, **Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." [article link] Summary: The Biblical triune (3 in 1) nature [testimony (physical life), salvation (Spiritual life - eternal life) and judgment (1st judgment at physical death (1 Corinthians 4:4-5, 2 Corinthians 5:10 - 2nd judgment and eternal death, 1 Corinthians 5:13, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 20:6,14 Revelation 21:8)] of the *water, *blood and *Spirit (also represented in breath, wind, fire) that are each freely offered and given from God to all of mankind globally as a life giving (sustaining) witness and also as a witness of sin (and eventually as a judgment against sin), and importantly as a testimony of the once physical presence of Jesus Christ on earth (John 19:30, John 19:34-35) and of His eternal remedy for our own individual eternal Salvation "John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was [and is] God {validated by His resurrection (Romans 1:4)}. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him [Jesus]; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him [Jesus] was [an is] life; and the life was [and is] the light of men." -- "John 3:5-13 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of *water [womb, physical human life] and of the *Spirit [Holy Spirit - born again], he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, **Ye must be born again. The wind [G4151] bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound [G5456] thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master [teacher] of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, ***We (1 John 5:7-9) speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He [Jesus] that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is [G5607] in heaven." -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water [and *Spirit] {the Spirit departing Jesus in Truth (John 19:30)}. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link] Summary: Earths 1.0 [Adam and Eve], 2.0 [present earth], 3.0 [Millennial Reign] and 4.0 [New Heavens and a New Earth - Eternal State] - Judgments 1.0 [water: flood of Noah], 2.0 [blood: moon, stars, earthquakes], 3.0 [spirit: earth and sky dissolved with fire (2 Peter 3:12-14)] and 4.0 [eternal earth/state no judgment (Revelation 21:1-4)] Water: Original creation earth 1.0 and Judgment 1.0 - [Creation 1.0] "Genesis 1:1-3 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the *waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." -- "Genesis 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so." -- "Genesis 2:6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered [witnessed to] the whole face of the ground." -- "Genesis 2:10 And a river (witness) went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads." -[Judgment 1.0] "Genesis 7:9-10 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth." --- Blood: Creation of Resurrection (out of the water) earth 2.0 - Earth 2.0 Creation: "Genesis 8:1 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a *wind [as a witness to mankind] to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;" -- "Genesis 8:14 And in the
second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the [second] earth dried." -- Judgments of earth 2.0 "Exodus 7:17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I [Moses] will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river [Nile], and they shall be turned to blood." -- "Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;" -- "Revelation 8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;" -- Spirit: Creation of Millennial Reign (restored - modified, shaken) earth 3.0 "Revelation 16:18-20 And there were voices [witnesses], and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon [Mystery Babylon fallen angelic realm] came in remembrance before God, to give unto her [scarlet woman - false church] the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." -[Millennial Reign earth 3.0] "Isaiah 11:4-6 But with righteousness shall He [Messiah, Jesus] judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins [determination]. [for 1,000 years] The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." -- "2 Peter 3:6-7 Whereby the world [earth 1.0] that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now [earth 2.0], by the same word are kept in store [modified into earth 3.0], reserved unto fire [judgment 3.0] against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." -- 2 Peter 3:12-14 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the Day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for New Heavens and a New Earth [earth 4.0], wherein dwelleth [only] righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him [Jesus Christ] in peace, without spot, and blameless." -- "Revelation 21:1-4 And I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth: for the first heaven and the first earth [all of earth 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0] were [completely] passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice [witness] out of heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former [earth] things are passed away." [article link] Summary: Advanced Judgment Accountability - The two generations of advanced judgment accountability The 1st generation the people of the generation of the 1st coming of Jesus [with the Nation of Israel, the Laws of Moses (O.T.) and the Jerusalem Temple all in operation as a witness] - The 2nd generation the people of the generation of the 2nd coming of Jesus [with the re-established Nation of Israel, the first coming of Jesus (N.T.) and the future Jerusalem Temple all as a witness] "Matthew 12:38-42 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But He [Jesus] answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas [Jonah]: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in **judgment with this generation [the generation of the 1st coming of Jesus], and shall condemn it: because they [Nineveh] repented at the preaching of Jonas [Jonah]; and, behold [the Christ], a greater than Jonas [Jonah] is here. The queen of the south [Queen Sheba] shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold [the Christ], a greater than Solomon is here." -- "Revelation 13:9-10 If any man have an ear, let him hear. He [of this 2nd generation, the 2nd coming of Jesus] that leadeth
into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the [Tribulation] patience and the [End Time] faith of the saints." [article link] Summary: A case for the literal interpretation of the Book of Revelation - The transitions from O.T. physical emphasis to N.T. spiritual emphasis (i.e. blessings) and back to a physical (non-spiritual) emphasis during the Revelation (Tribulation) End Times period Physical Old Testament: "Deuteronomy 7:11-14 Thou [Jewish Nation of Israel] shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I [God] command thee this day, to do them. Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the Covenant and the mercy which He sware unto thy fathers: And He will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: He will also [primarily physically bless Israel] bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which He sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle." -- Spiritual New Testament: "Matthew 11:11-15 Verily I [Jesus] say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater [prophet] than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven [Christian Church Age] is [Spiritually] greater than he [the prophet John the Baptist]. And from the days of John the Baptist until now [during and including the transition] the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. **And if ye will receive it, this [John the Baptist] is [in the spirit - name of] Elias [Elijah (meaing Elohim is Jehovah, God - wikipedia.org)], which was for to come (Malachi 4:5). He that hath [spiritual] ears to hear, let him hear." -- "John 2:19-21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple [the physical temple in Jerusalem], and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But He [Jesus] spake of the Temple of His [Spiritual] body." -- "Matthew 26:26-28 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat [the Spiritual]; this is My body. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink [the Spiritual] ye all of it; For this is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." -- Physical End Times of Revelation: "2 Thessalonians 2:1-10 Now we beseech you, brethren [Christians], by the [future] coming [the 2nd Coming] of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our [Church Age conclusion and] gathering together unto Him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by [false] spirit, nor by [false] word, nor by [false] letter as from us, as that the Day of Christ [fulfillment - conclusion and end of the Church Age] is at hand [already happened *The Christians and people of Thessalonia had been wrongly told by a false message i.e. from a Harold Camping type of person, that the Church Age had already passed and that there could not be any more people saved as Christians]. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [end of the Church Age] shall not come, except there come a falling away [lit. apostasy] first, and that man of sin [Antichrist] be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he [Antichrist] as [pretending to be] God sitteth in the temple of God [in Jerusalem], shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know [Holy Spirit] what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the Mystery of Iniquity [deliberate sins] doth already work: only He [Holy Spirit] who now letteth [allows mankind the freewill to sin temporarily] will let, until He [Holy Spirit] be taken out of the way [allowing the 7th Kingdom - the Kingdom of Antichrist - to be established]. And then shall that Wicked [Antichrist] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit [Truth] of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even **him [Antichrist], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders [during the 7th Kingdom the Antichrist Kingdom is spiritual (demonically) while the Kingdom of God on earth is physical the Holy Spirit having given way and allowed the Antichrist to have his Kingdom for a few short years], And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." -- "Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God,
and which had not worshipped the beast [Antichrist], neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; **and they [that were dead] lived and reigned with Christ [for a literal] a thousand years [on earth 3.0]." [article link] Summary: Mystery Babylon and the Scarlet Woman - "Revelation 17:3-5 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness [desolate place]: and I saw a woman [false religion] sit upon a scarlet coloured beast [government], full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And **upon her forehead [i.e. 666] was a name written [i.e. belonging to - a part of], MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Revelation Chapter 17: And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials [measured bowl judgments], and talked with me [Disciple John], saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore [false church - false religion] that sitteth [globally] upon many waters [peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages]: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication [unfaithfulness], and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine [spirit] of her fornication [unfaithfulness]. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness [desolate place]: and I saw a woman [false religion] sit upon a scarlet coloured beast [government], full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And **upon her forehead [i.e. 666] was a name written [i.e. belonging to - a part of], MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman [false religion], and of the beast [government] that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads [7 Kingdoms] and ten horns [ten regions of the 7th Kingdom]. The beast that thou sawest [Antichrist] was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast [Antichrist] that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains [Kingdoms - the 7 Gentile Global Kingdoms of earth 2.0], on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings [Gentile Kingdoms - Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and RevisedRome]: five are fallen, and one [6th Kingdom Rome] is, and the other [7th Revised-Rome - Antichrist Kingdom] is not yet come; and when he [Antichrist] cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth [Antichrist's fake resurrection], and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns [10 regions of the 7th Kingdom] which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast [Antichrist]. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb [Jesus], and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they [Saints] that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these [10 global kings] shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom [all ten parts of the globe] unto the beast [Antichrist], until the Words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great [unseen] city [Mystery Babylon - fallen angelic realm], which reigneth over the kings of the earth. [article link] Should We Reform or Abandon American Protestantism? {Note: Of course reform our beliefs (Biblically) but not abandon them. -- WWJD is now equated with 'atonement by example' [Source: WWJD - 2009 movie, DVD] the false belief that doing what Jesus did is how we gain salvation and favor from God. The WWJD entrapment
teaching has become a very dangerous occultic trap and is a very unbiblical teaching to practice. Instead of WWJD it is WDJD (What did Jesus do - freely for us). Relationship (friendship) Christianity is the true Christianity! Relationship and friendship with God (because of what Jesus did for us) and a relationship and friendship with others (also because of what Jesus did for us). Avoid the guilt and condemnation of not being able to be like Jesus. Instead of practicing WWJD and trying the impossible to emulate Jesus [God], just be a child and a friend to God, then be a friend to your friends, a parent to your children, a spouse to your spouse, an employee to your employer and neighbor to your neighbors, etc. Christianity is very much about being real, being yourself [in Jesus Christ] and it is not all that much about becoming your own [Biblically uninformed slave to a pastor personality] variation of Jesus Christ.} (Short Video) Have you grown impatient with your church's seemingly endless quest for being hip and relevant? Have you become weary of "meaningful worship services" that say more about radio dial preferences than biblical fidelity? Are you irritated by the constant flow of shallow, superficial, and even narcissistic books that stock the shelves of evangelical bookstores? On this program, Michael Horton talks about these issues and more ... [Via: mikeratliff.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/sneak-attacks-from-bottom-feeders-et-cetera/] [article link] Is Jesus "the One" in Mormonism? - Jesus posed to the disciples at Caesarea Philippi: "Who do you say that I am?" (Mark 8:29) - Christian faith begins with a right understanding of Jesus, "not just what He taught or what He did, but who He is" - "You are the Christ" Peter declared -- Rev. De Young pointed out a foundational difference between the opinions of the masses and the belief of the disciples: For the general public, Jesus was "one of" for the disciples, Jesus was "the One" - "He is the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt 16:16) Rev. De Young pointed out a foundational difference between the opinions of the masses and the belief of the disciples: For the general public, Jesus was "one of;" for the disciples, Jesus was "the One." Though the people elevated Jesus and put Him in very good company, they were wrong. Rev. De Young wrote, "It sounds very lofty to call Jesus a prophet, a popular teacher, a wonder worker, a good man, a brilliant example, or part of a long line of enlightened figures. But all of these descriptions miss the point. In all of them, you are saying Jesus is one of (see v. 28). And if you say Jesus is only one of and not the One, you haven't understood Him. You don't see who He really is. He is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt 16:16)." I can't help but think of how Mormon doctrines make Jesus "one of" rather than "the One." For according to Mormon leaders, Jesus is not the Christ, the Son of the living God; He is a Christ, a Son of a living God. [article link] Abandon the Reformation, Abandon the Gospel - It is tempting to think of the Reformation as a mere political or social movement - In reality, however, the Reformation was a fight over the gospel itself - The reformers argued that God's free and gracious acceptance of guilty sinners on the basis of the work of Christ alone is at the heart of the gospel Does Reformation Theology Matter Today? Does Reformation theology matter today? Absolutely. It is tempting to think of the Reformation as a mere political or social movement. In reality, however, the Reformation was a fight over the gospel itself. The reformers argued that God's free and gracious acceptance of guilty sinners on the basis of the work of Christ alone is at the heart of the gospel. While the political and social context has changed since the 16th century, nevertheless, this issue remains at the forefront. ... But God's justification of the ungodly is at the very center of Paul theology (Rom. 4:5). This is why the gospel is such good news! The news is so good because not only has Christ died and risen again (Acts 2:22-36), but now we have the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). No wonder Paul can say that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for "in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" Therefore, Luther's awakening after reading Romans 1:17 was essentially a gospel awakening. To divorce justification from the gospel is to ignore our basic human predicament: how are we, as guilty sinners, to find favor before a holy God? Clearly this was the question in Paul's mind when he concluded, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). [article link]
Halloween Perspective 2011 - BasicChristian.org: Online Tracts - Two New Video Tracts Added (Tracts - Videos) Online tracks - the Good News of the Christian message of Salvation, eternal life in Jesus Christ available now to a fragile and fallen mankind. [article link] Halloween Perspective 2011 - BasicChristian.org: Halloween Information & Resources - Christians everywhere are rejecting Halloween's message of Death, Disobedience, and Despair Christians everywhere are rejecting Halloween's message of Death, Disobedience, and Despair and instead are using this opportunity to proclaim the Truth about God's Love for mankind and about His Biblical plan of Life, Hope, and Salvation for us in Jesus Christ. [article link] Bible verse: Psalms 122:6-9 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the House of the LORD our God I will seek thy good. {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Psalms 122 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the House of the LORD [where judgment and righteousness are revealed]. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the LORD. **For there are set Thrones of Judgment, the Thrones of the House of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the House of the LORD our God I will seek thy good. -- Holy Bible [article link] Update 10-21-2011: I know that these are difficult topics and difficult studies to get into and I appreciate how much everyone is staying in there and working with [considering and examining] the postings and the material - Also my computer is having a [power] glitch so if the postings stop [mid-post] and can't be updated it's because of my computer I know that these are difficult topics and difficult studies to get into and I appreciate how much everyone is staying in there and working with the material in considering and examining the postings and topics. **Know for certain that the Basic Christian Ministry is dedicated to providing all of the information, resources and material that I have. The Ministry is not holding back anything at any time from anyone and is completely dedicated to completing all of the studies including presenting all of the material and that includes some controversial material i.e. spiritual, End Time, Tribulation material. All of the material is presented in the best possible and most documented way that I can present it. I purposely do not try to exaggerate the material or alarm people beyond the already alarming topics that we are covering. Most of the Website Ministry material has already been posted and the few postings that are left to do are mostly clarification into what has already been posted so there are no more corners for the Ministry to turn into and there are certainly no shocking detours that the Ministry is suddenly going to take. We just have a few more postings of the same general material that has always been posted from this Ministry and that will pretty much wrap up this internet phase of the Basic Christian Ministry. - I'm praying about getting back into a more traditional physical, people to people, servant ministry but who knows, and until then I'm hoping to remain faithful in posting the internet studies, information and resources. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link] Update 10-21-2011: I'm working on a couple of brief Topical Studies to be posted soon [then returning to the 8 Kingdoms study] - Also I just ordered two DVD sets off of Amazon [hat tip: solasisters.blogspot.com/2011/10/reformation.html] Coming Soon: (1.) The Thee Judgments [Water, Blood, Spirit (fire)] {they are also the three life giving elements i.e. water (womb) birth, physical life blood and spirit (fire warmth)} and Judgment Accountability (Matthew 12:41-42; Revelation 13:10) --- (2.) The Transitions from Physical O.T. [i.e. physical Temple] to Spiritual N.T. [i.e. Spiritual Temple body of Jesus] and back to physical during the Tribulation Times [i.e. back to a physical
Temple building] {Note: The Christian Church is highly Spiritual - the true godly spiritual is right now [blessings are to be more spiritual than physical]. Too many people are confusing the highly spiritual as a time to come later in the End Times with the Antichrist but those are all [counterfeit] deceiving signs, miracles and wonders of the Antichrist Kingdom while the true Believers will then be primarily back into a physical [non-spiritual] realm.} [article link] Preview: The Biblical triune (3 in 1) nature [testimony, salvation, judgment] of the water, blood and Spirit (also represented in breath, wind, fire) that are each freely offered and given from God to all of mankind globally as a witness of sin (and eventually as a judgment against sin), a testimony of the once physical presence of Jesus Christ and as an eternal remedy for our own individual Salvation Where the Apostle Peter's significant life changing event during his time with Jesus seemed to be at the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-8, 2 Peter 1:16-18) the Apostle John's significant life changing event with Jesus seems to have been at the cross (John 19:34-35, 1 John 5:7-9) when Jesus was pierced by the Roman spear and the blood and water poured out from the wound in Jesus' side. The Apostle John then regards the presence of the Spirit and the separation of the blood and water coming out from Jesus as a witness, a judgment, and a testimony of salvation for all of mankind. When the Basic Christian blog History study returns in about a week we will Biblically look into the blood, water and fire (spirit), testimonies and judgments of the Bible from throughout the Old Testament starting in Genesis and continuing consistently throughout the entire Bible then concluding in book of Revelation [the sin of Adam and Eve and the shedding of blood, the flood of Noah, the Aaronic Priesthood, the Last Supper Communion, the atoning cross of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Jesus and birth (Alpha) of the Christian Church, the Pentecost global Spirit empowerment and witness, the calling home into heaven by Jesus the rapture (Omega) of the Christian Church, Revelation-Tribulation]. -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water [and *Spirit] {the Spirit departing Jesus in Truth (John 19:30)}. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link] Preview: Creation Earth 1.0 (Adam - Noah) -- Earth 2.0 (Noah - Revelation) -- Earth 3.0 (Millennial Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ) -- Earth 4.0 (unjudged, eternal earth) Earth 1.0 the original creation earth was a water vapor based environment and had the dual [water below the earth, vapor - water canopy above the earth, firmament] witness of water witnessing of God's creation. Water [life giving water - womb (John 3:5)] was then the witnessing element that then judged the original earth. Earth 2.0 our present earth is under the [prophesied and enacted] Life givng (Matthew 26:28) and Judgment blood (Revelation 6:12, Revelation 8:7-8, Revelation 11:6) of Jesus Christ. - Earth 3.0 the restored Millennial earth [final judged earth] having the [spirit (life) and fire (judgment)] presence of Jesus during the Kingdom, Millennial reign of Jesus Christ, the earth (3.0) will be judged by fire [spirit]. Resulting in the final, eternal [earth 4.0] the final earth not being judged is the eternal earth. -- "2 Peter 3:5-7 For this [unbelief of Word of God Biblical prophecy] they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the [1.0] earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the [1.0] world that then was, being [judged] overflowed with water [Noah's flood], perished: But the [2.0] heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word [of God - prophecies] are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of [3.0] judgment and perdition of ungodly men." -- "2 Peter 3:11-14 Seeing then that all these things [earth 2.0] shall be dissolved [judgment 3.0], what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements [earth 3.0] shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His Promise, look for New
Heavens [skies] and a New Earth [eternal - earth 4.0], **wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him (Jesus Christ) in peace, without spot, and blameless." [article link] Amazon: Empires Collection - The Dynasties (Egypt's Golden Empire / The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance / Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire / The Roman Empire in the First Century / The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization) - Empires Collection: The Dynasties (5 Disc Gift Set) - Empires Collection: The Dynasties is a compilation of five outstanding stories of some of histories greatest dynasties (2000 - DVDs) Egypt's Golden Empire: In 1570 B.C., when Rome was still a marsh and the Acropolis was an empty rock, Egypt was already 1000 years old. Although the period of the pyramid-builders was long over, Egypt lay on the threshold of its greatest age. The New Kingdom would be an empire forged by conquest, maintained by intimidation and diplomacy, and remembered long after its demise. Led by a dynasty of rich personalities, whose dramatic lives changed the course of civilization, Egypt's Golden Empire presents the most extraordinary period in Egyptian history: from 1570 B.C. to 1070 B.C., when the Egyptian Empire reached its zenith. -- The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance - From a small Italian community in 15th century Florence, the Medici family would rise to rule Europe in many ways. Using charm, patronage, skill, duplicity and ruthlessness, they would amass unparalleled wealth and unprecedented power. They would also ignite the most important cultural and artistic revolution in Western history- the European Renaissance. But the forces of change the Medici helped unleash would one day topple their ordered world. An epic drama played out in the courts, cathedrals and palaces of Europe, this series is both the tale of one family's powerful ambition and of Europe's tortured struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages. -- Japan: Memoirs Of A Secret Empire Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans -- all were part of the Japanese "renaissance" -- a period between the 16th and 19th centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the Shogun under his absolute power and control. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship to the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world. -- The Roman Empire in the First Century: Two thousand years ago, at the dawn of the first century, the ancient world was ruled by Rome. Through the experiences, memories and writings of the people who lived it, this series tells the story of that time - the emperors and slaves, poets and plebeians, who wrested order from chaos, built the most cosmopolitan society the world had ever seen and shaped the Roman empire in the first century A.D. -The Greeks: Crucible [melting pot] of Civilization - The Greeks - Classical Greece of the 4th and 5th centuries, B.C. was a magnificent civilization that laid the foundations for modern science, politics, warfare, and philosophy, and produced some of the most breathtaking art and architecture the world has ever known. Through the eyes and words of the great heroes of ancient Greece, this dazzling production charts the rise, triumph, and eventual decline of the world's first democracy. Now, through dramatic storytelling and state-ofthe-art computer animation, you witness history, art, and government with giants like Pericles, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. [article link] Amazon: When Rome Ruled - National Geographic's groundbreaking 6-part series reveals ancient Rome's hidden treasures and untold stories as never before - From iconic figures including [Emperors] Caligula, Caesar and Constantine, to epic events such as the eruption of Vesuvius, the invasion of Britain, and fall of Rome, When Rome Ruled reveals a startling up-to-date vision of the ancient empire and challenges our perception of what we know about the Romans and their lives (3 DVD Set) FYI, this DVD contains 6 parts plus a bonus part. The original National Geographic special, and the DVDs sold on its website, contains 8 parts. This version is missing two episodes. I was not aware of this and will be returning it. I took one star off for the omission. I've viewed parts of this series on the National Geographic channel, however, and it is great and deserves the other stars. ~ By David Polsky. -- Heath_N says: After reading
this review, I ordered the Blu-ray set from National Geographic directly. I got 6 episodes on two discs, one which includes 1 bonus feature. [article link] Recap: The 8th Kingdom, Jesus Christ - The Eternal Kingdom - **The 3 Thrones of Jesus Christ --- Current Throne in Heaven [alongside the Father's Throne] (Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 1:3, 12:2, 1 Peter 3:22) , Eligibility: Relative - *Son of God (Father God) [eternal co-reigning with the Father and the Holy Spirit] --- Future Millennial Kingdom Throne in Jerusalem [restoring the Throne of King David] (Acts 15:16, Revelation 22:16), Eligibility: Relative - *Son of Man (descendant of King David) --- Eternal Throne [the Throne of the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit] (Revelation 20:4, Revelation 22:3) the Eternal Throne of the New Heaven (sky) and the New Earth, Eligibility: Jesus as [Eternal God] *Conqueror (John 16:33) Currently Jesus Christ is seated on His own Throne (co-reigning - interceding) at the right hand of His Father's Throne in Heaven. "Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth [not Jesus]? It is [Jesus] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, *Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us [not condemning Christians]." -- At a future date for the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth Jesus will be seated upon the Throne of King David (Acts 2:29-33). Then with the New Heaven (sky) and the New Earth, Jesus as the conqueror of this earth [realm] will sit eternally [continuing to co-reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit on His own Throne upon the New Eternal Earth (Revelation 21:3). -- "John 16:33 These things I (Jesus) have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I (Jesus) have overcome the world." [article link] Basic Christian - Conquering Kings: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth - The 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th Kingdom the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ -- The Kingdoms: beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) --- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) --- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon - Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) --Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) --- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) --- Julius Caesar (Rome Luke 2:1) --- The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire (Daniel 7:19) - Antichrist (Satan - Daniel 7:20) emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire --- The Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) The 8 Conquering Kings -- Tower of Babel: Nimrod, conquered the world, gained his kingdom, probably through the arts of physical personality and persuasion (Genesis 10:9). -- Egypt: Pharaoh Akhenaten, gained his kingdom, through the means of finances [financial warfare] (Genesis 47:20). -- Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar, conquered his global kingdom primarily through military force (Jeremiah 34:1,). -- Persia: Cyrus the Great, conquered his global kingdom primarily through the use of superior technology (Ezra 1:2). -- Greece: Alexander the Great, conquered his global kingdom primarily through the use of philosophy, knowledge and superior tactics (Daniel 11:2-3, Daniel 10:20, Joel 3:6). -- Rome: Julius Caesar, conquered his global kingdom primarily through the use of laws, legalities (taxation), and treaties (Matthew 22:17, Luke 2:1, Acts 16:21). -- The Revised Roman Empire: Antichrist (Satan), is in the process of conquering his global kingdom primarily through the use of spiritual personality [witchcraft], persuasion and through a combination of all of the previously used techniques (Daniel 8:23-25). --- Millennial Reign: The Messiah, Jesus Christ has conquered the enemies of mankind for mankind. Jesus has personally conquered human sin and human death and in His Glorious victory He is making available His Kingdom of eternal Life to all of mankind (Romans 8:37, 1 Corinthians 15:26, Hebrews 2:9,14, Hebrews 9:28, Revelation 4:11). [article link] Update: The Basic Christian blog 8 Kingdoms study is well underway and on track to be completed as scheduled - The plan now is to do one more Decoding series, a necessary one to briefly examine how kingdoms conclude, change, influence and morph [embed themselves] into the next ruling kingdom - Then after the brief Decoding postings are finished to go back and revisit each of the 8 Kingdoms to finalize each portion of the study - Coming Soon: Decoding Hitler's Bunker!! The 8 Kingdoms study should be completed before Christmas 2011 and then the Church History portion
starting in January 2012 should be able to be completed by Holy Week 2012. The Church History portion though becoming more and more in depth [during preparation] is still going to be an overview study that will primarily focus on a few key transition points in history. In order to more easily facilitate the transition points of the coming Church History blog study I have revised the outline of the study and will post that as well. [article link] Refresher: 1 of 4 - Noah - The 8 Global Kingdoms - Noah was a prophet and prophesied releasing the raven [unclean bird] that despite the flood mankind would still have to contend with sin, rebellion and disobedience Noah prophesied again in releasing the dove [type of the Holy Spirit] that the Holy Spirit of God despite man's rebellion would still dwell with mankind -- "Genesis 8:7-11 And he [Noah] sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt (plucked) off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth." "Genesis 8:4-18 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the Mountains of Ararat [in the area of modern day Turkey]. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen. And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: And he sent forth a raven [a type of the sin and disobedience], which went forth to and fro [but did not return to the ark], until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove [type of the Holy Spirit] out of the ark; And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf [for telling Holy Week, the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane] pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more. And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. **And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:" [article link] Refresher: 2 of 4 - Nimrod the 1st Gentile Kingdom [of the 7 Global Gentile Kingdoms - the 8th Kingdom being the Eternal Kingdom of Messiah Jesus Christ] - The 8 Global Kingdoms - Nimrod was the most complete type of Antichrist in disobeying God, controlling all the population and promising an eternal life to his followers -"Genesis 11:1-2 And the *whole earth was of one language [only the second generation since Noah's Ark *Noah -> *Ham -> Cush -> Nimrod], and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east [from the Ark - Mountains of Ararat (in Turkey)], that they found a plain [open area] in the land of Shinar [closer to ancient Babylon [in Iraq] but still in the region of Turkey]; and they dwelt there." "Genesis 11:3-9 And they [descendants of Noah's three sons - Shem, Ham, and Japheth] said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a City and a Tower [Temple], whose top may reach unto Heaven [eternal life]; and let us make us a name [666 Mark of the Beast], lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower [false temple], which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this [misguided
evil] they begin to do: and now nothing [evil] will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let Us [Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit] go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off [no longer] to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth." [article link] Refresher: 3 of 4 - The Nation of Assyria - The 8 Global Kingdoms - Nimrod was the 1st Global Gentile Kingdom and then Ancient Egypt [2nd Global Gentile Kingdom] continued the work of Nimrod from the Tower of Babel (The rounded [tower of Babel shaped] and pointed [extended skull] crown of Ancient Egypt was modeled after Nimrod and Babel) - Ancient Egypt via the famine of Joseph's days amassed the wealth of the world - The wealth and secrets of Egypt were later transferred to Babylon [3rd Kingdom] and not to Assyria - Assyria though a strong Nation it was not one of the 7 Gentile Occult Kingdoms - Assyria was Occult controlled and Occult influenced but unlike Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome and Revised-Rome the kingdom of Assyria was never able to interact with and forward the Occult realm [fallen angels] among mankind in the way that the other Kingdoms had accomplished. "1 Kings 14:25 And it came to pass in the fifth year of [Jewish] King Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: And he took away the treasures of the House of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all [and returned the gold back to Egypt]: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made." -- "2 Kings 24:7 And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the **king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates **all [wealth and knowledge] that pertained to the king of Egypt. [back in Jerusalem] Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem." -- "Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia (Iran) - 4th Kingdom], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon (Iraq) - 3rd Kingdom]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the **Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], **and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." [article link] Refresher: 4 of 4 - Mystery Babylon, Fallen Angels, Demons, Mark of the Beast 666 - The 8 Global Kingdoms Apparently Spiritual Realm [fallen Angelic] doors that were open in the days before the flood of Noah and that were closed by the global judgment flood of Noah were quickly reopened only two generations later by Nimrod. -- "2 Peter 3:5-7 For this [ancient times - Days of Noah] they [unbelievers] willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God [Genesis Creation] the heavens [sky] were of old, and the earth [1st earth pre-flood] standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby **the world [earth 1.0] that then was, being overflowed with water, **perished: But the heavens and the earth [2.0], which are now, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto *fire against the **Day of Judgment [global Judgment - the three global judgments; water [Noah], blood [Cross], fire (Spirit)] and perdition of ungodly men." In the days before Noah (Genesis 6:2) the Fallen Angels were 'physically' mating with mankind [the daughters of man] and physically corrupting mankind. Angels both Holy and fallen can manifest as humans (Genesis 18:12) and the fallen angels apparently engineered [i.e. gene DNA modification, i.e. chimaera] a way to create
offspring through their physical sexual interaction with humans. - Since the days after the flood of Noah and now the earth with a Demonic presence [the departed spirits of the Nephilm offspring of fallen angels and humans] along with the fallen angelic presence. The emphasis in corrupting mankind has turned from physical interaction [pre-flood - fallen angels and humans mating - though still happening in rare occasions] to now with demons present a spiritual possession and spiritual corruption [Mark of the Beast 666] mating between demons and humans. -- "Daniel 2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron [demons] mixed with miry clay [sinful humans], they [demons] shall mingle [666 Mark of the Beast] themselves with the seed [soul-spirit] of men: but they shall not cleave [fit together] one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay." -- "Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast [Antichrist (7th Kingdom)]: for it is the number of a **man [i.e. completing what Nimrod (1st Kingdom) attempted to do but was only able to start [initiate] because the languages were confused (Genesis 11:7)]; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six [666]." [article link] In the Apostle Paul's trip to Rome [recorded in the Bible's Book of Acts by the early Church Historian Luke] are some of the most codded and cryptic passages of the Bible's New Testament - Was Luke aided by the Apostle Paul, putting forth the future of the Church Era and an End Time scenario that Christians could glean from to understand events both current and future? -- Coming Soon: Decoding The Apostle Paul's Trip to Rome (Acts Chapters 27 and 28) We will take a brief look at Acts chapters 27 and 28. Here are some of the very cryptic verses that possibly tell a parallel story [of the Church Age and End Times] to the story of Paul's voyage to Rome. -- "Acts 27:4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary." -- "Acts 27:6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein." -- "Acts 27:9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast [Yom Kippur] was now already past, Paul admonished them," -- "Acts 27:14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon." -- "Acts 27:15-16 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:" -- "Acts 27:31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved." -- "Acts 27:29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day." -- "Acts 28:3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand." -- "Acts 28:5 And he shook off the beast [G2342 - Therion] into the fire, and felt no harm." -- "Acts 28:11 And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was [Gnosticism] Castor and Pollux." -- "Acts 28:15 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum, and The Three Taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage." [article link] JustBible.net: Bible Study of Acts Chapter 27 - How will you ride out your life's next storm? {Note: there have been thousands of Sermons Preached on the very popular passages of Paul's journey to Rome (Acts 27 and 28) and all of them allegorize to some extent the passages of the journey - most commonly the four anchors (of faith) are allegorized from Acts 27:31.} Why were they to "sail to Italy" (Acts 27:1)? Paul had requested a trial before the Caesar, so he was being transported from Caesarea to Rome by ship. -- Who were being transported with Paul? Apparently, "we" (Acts 27:1) included **Luke, who wrote Acts and "Aristarchus" (Acts 27:2). Also sailing were "some other prisoners" (Acts 27:1) to be tried before Caesar and/or already tried, found guilty and sentenced to fight (to their death) in the coliseum of Rome. -- Who was "Aristarchus" (Acts 27:2)? Aristarchus was a "Macedonian of Thessalonica" (Acts 27:2) who was with Paul in Ephesus during the riot - "So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's travel companions" (Acts 19:29) - and apparently accompanied him to Greece, and from there to Jerusalem: "After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia. Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece and
stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia - also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia." (Acts 20:1-4) Two years later, Aristarchus, who may have spent those two years tending to Paul in Caesarea, was now accompanying him from Caesarea to Rome. Aristarchus was a Jew and remained with Paul during his imprisonment in Rome: "Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me." (Colossians 4:10-11) ... [article link] Grace Baptist Church: Sermon - "Four Anchors That Will Hold" Acts 27:29 - In this very popular portion of Scripture there are four anchors that will keep your Christian life right on course until you land safely on the other shore (Online Audio with PowerPoint - Text) For the saved: are your anchors holding? Are they solid? Will they keep you from drifting out to sea? [article link] Warning! This is going to be a mostly allegorical look at parts of Acts chapters 27 and 28 - In this type of allegorizing it is going to be important to only give a secondary meaning to items in the passages that had that same secondary meaning back in Luke's and Paul's time when it was originally written and for instance not to say the Island of Crete represents Roman Catholicism because Crete didn't represent that back in the day when the text was written Note: Ancient Gnosticism is the even more ancient 'Double Star' false religion of Twins (Christ - Antichrist or Castor - Pollex) well known in Paul's day. It was probably the original Nimrod [Tower of Babel] deception religion [i.e. Tammuz] of Genesis 11 and is a well-established part of the 7 [Mystery Babylon] Gentile Kingdoms. -- Therefore allegorizing the sign of Castor and Pollex in Acts 28:11 as representing Gnosticism and other similar allegorizations are within the scope and intent of this study. [article link] {Flashback} Where is all this going in our day - Presumably back to Gnosticism (the original Nimrod occult replacement doctrine deception) - Gnosticism was also the primary deception [occult answer to the resurrection truth of Jesus Christ] able to be maintained as a viable deception (against Christianity) and hold its own in the early years of the new bright and shining N.T. Christian Church light and then with the passing of the original Church Apostles a modern (post-resurrection) Gnosticism was then able to take root and remain until our time - Gnosticism is in regards to who is the actual Christ (Jesus) and who is the actual Antichrist (Satan) - Are the two roles of God and Devil reversed as Gnosticism would portray The Revised Roman Empire [Rome and whomever Rome (the Vatican) empowers (Revelation 17:13)] rose out of the earlier doctrines of Gnosticism and sustained itself until a modern (post-resurrection) Gnosticism could again became rooted and well established in human society. Following the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the New Christian Church eternal, resurrection, life in Jesus paradigm there was no Revised Roman Empire but eventually in the reconfigured (Jesus - Satan) [post-resurrection] doctrines of Gnosticism about 300 A.D. Revised Rome emerged. Gnosticism is the 'Double Star' Twins (Christ - Antichrist or Castor - Pollex) Nimrod deception religion of the 7 Gentile Kingdoms. -- Albert Pike (1809-1891) [Confederate Civil War General] said "three future world wars would prepare the world for the [Satanic] New World Order. ... (NWO) will receive the true light [Gnosticism] through the universal manifestation of the pure doctrine of Lucifer [Satan], **brought finally out [of secrecy and into] in the public view, a manifestation (belief in Satanism) which will result from the general reactionary movement which will follow the [Gnostic Satan is the christ] destruction [discrediting] of Christianity and atheism [all cults i.e. Mormon LDS , etc. and all false religions i.e. Islam, etc.], *both [Christianity and all non-Luciferianism] conquered [*after the rapture] and exterminated at the same time" - Albert Pike was actually addressing the teachings of French occultist Eliphas Levi. [Eliphas Lévi, born Alphonse Louis Constant, (1810-1875) was a French occult author and purported magician. "Eliphas Lévi" the name under which he published his books, was his attempt to translate or transliterate his given names "Alphonse Louis" into Hebrew
although he was not Jewish. - Wiki.com] -- "Acts 28:11 And after three months we [Apostle Paul and Luke] departed [the island of Melita (Malta)] in a ship of Alexandria [a Greek colony in Egypt], which had wintered in the isle, *whose sign was Castor and Pollux (Gnosticism). And landing at Syracuse [in Sicily - 364 mi. south of Rome], we tarried [stayed] there three days." Was Luke embedding into his book of Acts for future Christian understanding the concept that Gnosticism and Christianity would be traveling companions on the high seas of history leading towards a final destination of Rome and the eventual End Time Revised Rome Empire! - Note: There is a current events (End Time) scenario in process regardless of how accurate or inaccurate Albert Pike was in his letters. The Albert Pike material is only being posted as reference material - in reference to a general End Time Gnostic plan and scenario and not as though Albert Pike was able to predict the future or affect future events in any sustainable cohesive way. [article link] A Timestamp? - Is Acts 27:16 a 'Timestamp' used by Luke the same way Luke 2:1 and John 6:1 are Scriptural Timestamps? -- wikipedia.com: Roman Emperor Augustus (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus) [Luke 2:1] Reign: 16 January 27 B.C. to 19 August 14 A.D. (40 years, 215 days) -- Roman Emperor Tiberius (Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus) [John 6:1] Reign: 18 September 14 A.D. to 16 March 37 A.D. (22 years, 179 days) -- Roman Emperor Caligula (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) Reign: 16 March 37 A.D. to 24 January 41 A.D. (3 years, 314 days) -- Roman Emperor Claudius (Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) [Acts 27:16?] Reign: 24 January 41 A.D. to 13 October 54 A.D. (13 years, 262 days) -- Roman Emperor Nero (Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) Reign: 13 October 54 A.D. to 9 June 68 A.D. (13 years, 240 days) -- Empress of Rome Claudia Octavia [daughter of the Emperor Claudius, and stepsister and first wife of the Emperor Nero] [Acts 27:16?] - Tenure (as Empress of Rome): 13 October 54 A.D. - 62 A.D. (8 years) -- "Acts 27:16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda [possibly named after Roman Emperor Claudius or Empress of Rome Claudia Octavia (first wife of Roman Emperor Nero)], we had much work to come by the boat:" During the Roman Reign (6th Kingdom) the sea of Galilee was renamed to the sea of Tiberias in honor of the Roman Emperor Tiberius "John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias." -- It is possible that the small island Clauda (modern Gavdos) was also named after a Roman figure namely Roman Emperor Claudius [41 A.D. - 54 A.D.] or Claudia Octavia (first wife of Roman Emperor Nero) [54 A.D. - 62 A.D.]. Luke recording that they were "running under a certain island which is called Clauda" could Luke have been recording a substantial timestamp for the voyage of the Apostle Paul to Rome with the voyage "running under" occurring while Roman Emperor Claudius or Empress Claudia Octavia were in power sometime between 41 A.D. and 62 A.D. most likely occurring between 54 A.D. to 62 A.D. [Traditional Church History places Paul's voyage to Rome at 60 A.D. (departing Caesarea) and 61 A.D. (arriving in Rome)]. [article link] Acts and Mission 96 - We're skipping quickly through the journey narratives of Acts because our focus is on Paul's missional work and missional theology, and traveling [Fair Havens to the right] ... well it's part of it because missional people travel - Paul gets an opportunity [to share his faith] because he predicts disaster, and disaster comes; he gets more opportunity because of healing ... he takes his chances - But this shipwreck story is a gem of a story and so I'll post the whole thing today: Paul and Company Sail for Rome (Acts 27:1-28:10) Comment: 1. I confess that unfortunately, I've not kept up with this series. Just dropping in on this story, **it surprises me not to find Paul using some object lesson to give the gospel (Acts 27:1-28:10). He interacts with middle management, ha ha, lives through the resulting crash, comes up on shore, gets bitten, “ he's a murderer!” , “ nope, he's a god!” , heals a bunch of people and everyone likes them and the ship's company sails away. **Ironic, humorous, tense, unusual - but no account of the presentation of the gospel, nobody saved. Where is the altar-to-the-unknown-god (Acts 17:23) object lesson? **I feel somewhat unfulfilled! Looking up some comments online, I see some hints of a Greek/Roman hero surviving a storm and shipwreck (but by God's protection). The healing is evidence of God's power. Interesting to think about how this story moves Luke's plot forward. **I see that while I knew this story, **I don't know this story. If I knew any Greek scholars, I'd ask 'em to tell me more about this account... Comment by Matthew S - February 18, 2010 {Note: There just seems from a Biblical perspective to be more to the events than a first reading would indicate. The
events in Acts 27 would be a fine factual informative narrative for a newspaper accounting but being a Biblical [eternal, life changing] accounting the significant details of this event might just have been redirected and interspersed into the background events of Paul's voyage.} [article link] Four Anchors Are Found From the Apostle Paul's Ship Near Malta - The four anchors, which are [in] the Malta Maritime Museum today (YouTube) This is old news, but I wanted to upload this for Biblical and historical purposes. The 4 anchors were found off Malta (Acts 28:1), which are believed to be the same four anchors that were released into the sea (Acts 27:40), from the ship Paul was sailing on, that went through a destructive storm (Acts 27). The four anchors, which are the Malta Maritime Museum today, is evidence for the historical event that Paul the apostle, and the other 275 persons (Acts 27:37) went through, as mentioned in the Holy Bible. [article link] Paul's Shipwreck DVD Trailer (YouTube) This is a journey to the discovery of the 4 anchors from Apostle Paul's Shipwreck off the coast of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea in the year 60 AD. The full DVD will be available early in 2011. Visit baseinstitute.org for more info. [article link] Four Anchors [Four Gospels] and Three Taverns [Triune God] - By Luke taking the time to narrate (Acts 27:29) specifically that exactly four anchors were used to steady the one boat of 'salvation' (Acts 27:31) apparently Luke as one of the four Gospel writers [Gospel of Luke] was clarifying for the Christian Church that there were to be exactly four Gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke and John] in the Holy Bible for the one Christian Church. Setting: At this late (Acts 27-28) stage of the Apostle Paul's ministry as an Apostle to the young Christian primarily Gentile Church the Apostle Paul, Luke and others had already traveled many of the roads of known civilization and had encountered many of the perils of delivering the Gospel Message to an unbelieving world. Paul and Luke knowing that they were not long for this world [Paul was in route to Rome and his eventual martyrdom] possibly wanted to leave a young Christian Church with some easily perceivable proof texts that would help stabilize and guide the newly formed Gentile portion of the Christian Church. In this seemingly straightforward narration of events in Acts 27 and 28 Luke was quick to write of the necessity of four anchors [four Gospels] being needed to steady the one boat of salvation (Acts 27:31) and later "The Three Taverns" (Acts 28:15) of the Triune (Trinity) nature of God as Jesus had taught the Apostles in the Gospel of John "John 14:1-2 Let not your heart be troubled: ye **believe in God (Father, Holy Spirit), **believe also in Me (Jesus). In My Father's House [i.e. Tavern] are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." - Note: Luke is thought to have written the third of four Gospels though possibly the Gospel of John had already been written or Paul and Luke already knew of the intentions and calling of John to write his Gospel. - It is often taught that the Gospel of John was written after the Book of Revelation was written [also by John] but that is only because the styles of the two books [Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation] are so different that some people teach that Revelation preceded the Gospel of John though in actuality the Gospel of John probably preceded the Book of Revelation by a long time. -- {Briefly: The Greek (text) sentences in the Book of Revelation are very rudimentary while the Greek sentences in the Gospel of John are much more refined and common so some say that Revelation was written first [supposedly while John learned Greek] even though John used scribes [Greek scholars] and had a different scribe for each Book and also had two different purposes [and audiences] for each book. The Book of Revelation is the one book in the Bible that is a better version in the English language rather than in the original Hebrew [O.T.] or Greek [N.T.] languages. It is as though the Book of Revelation was originally intended to be written in English and happened to be written in Greek just until the introduction of the English language could be established at the coming End Times of the world. While the Gospel of John was clearly written to be read and understood within the days it was written. The Book of Revelation was clearly delayed in significance until its translation into the English language. [article link]
When were the [four] gospels written and by whom? - None of the gospels mention the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 A.D. - This is significant because Jesus had prophesied [the destruction of the Temple (Matthew 24:2)] concerning the temple -This prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and burned the temple {Very possibly dating the writing of the Gospel of John to before 70 A.D. Possibly the Gospel of John was written in about 60 A.D. [in Jerusalem] to about 65 A.D. at about the same time of the writing of the Gospel of Luke [written probably about 59 A.D. in Jerusalem or as late as 60 A.D. in Caesarea] and the Book of Acts [probably written about 63 A.D. in Rome].} Matthew: The early church unanimously held that the gospel of Matthew was **the first written gospel and was penned by the apostle of the same name (Matt. 10:2-4). Lately, the priority of Matthew as the first written gospel has come under suspicion with Mark being considered by many to be the first written gospel. The debate is far from over. The historian Papias [According to the 2nd-century theologian Irenaeus, Papias had known the Apostle John - Source: britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/442073/Papias] mentions that the gospel of Matthew was originally in Aramaic or **Hebrew and attributes the gospel to Matthew the apostle. "Irenaeus (ca. A.D. 180) continued Papias's views about Matthew and Mark and added his belief that Luke, the follower of Paul, put down in a book the gospel preached by that apostle, and that John, the Beloved Disciple, published his Gospel while residing in Asia [city of Ephesus]." ... John: The writer of the gospel of John was obviously an eyewitness of the events of Christ's life since he speaks from a perspective of having been there during many of the events of Jesus' ministry and displays a good knowledge of Israeli geography and customs. The John Rylands papyrus [Bible] fragment 52 of John's gospel dated in the year 135 contains portions of John 18, verses 31-33,37-38. This [Bible] fragment was found **in Egypt and a considerable amount of time is needed for the circulation of the gospel before it reached Egypt. It [John] is the last of the gospels and appears to have been written in the 80's to 90's. **Of important note is the lack of mention of the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 A.D. But this is understandable since John was not focusing on historical events. Instead, he focused on the theological aspect of the person of Christ and listed His miracles and words that affirmed Christ's deity. Though there is still some debate on the dates of when the gospels were written, they were most assuredly completed before the close of the first century and written by eyewitnesses or under the direction of eyewitnesses. [article link]
Papias Wrote from 100-125 A.D. The books "Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord" - Papias was the Bishop of Hierapolis in Phyrgia [about 130 A.D.] - He was born probably between 70 and 75 A.D., and died, perhaps, 163 A.D. (earlychurch.org.uk/papias.php) - {Note: The first generation or two of Church leaders, bishops and writers after the Apostles are known as the "Church Fathers" [i.e. Irenaeus] and apparently if they were actually a disciple of one of the Apostles [i.e. Papias (70-163 A.D.) and Saint Polycarp (69-155 A.D.)] they instead were called an "Apostolic Father."} Papias is commonly classed as an Apostolic Father, **meaning that he knew the Apostles themselves [claimed to have known John and Mark], or at least lived in the generation following their deaths. He wrote five books and in them recounted unknown teachings of Jesus, miraculous stories about the Apostles, discussed the authorship of some of the Gospels, and also quoted from other parts of the New Testament. Unfortunately his writings have been lost except for the fragments given below. -- In the print world, Michael Holmes has published a popular and good quality English translation of Papias in The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, however it has a few mistakes and omits some fragments, all of which I have attempted to correct on this page. While assembling these fragments, I have used the translations of Lightfoot and the Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Father Series. These are good English translations and are in the public domain. I have only changed punctuation or a word here and there, in order to make the translation better fit our modern vernacular. [article link] EarlyChristianWritings.com: Gospel of John - Estimated Range of Dating: 90-120 A.D. - Helms states, "we need to note that part of the purpose of Irenaeus was to attack the teachings of Cerinthus, a *gnostic [Castor Pollex] [false] Christian teacher who *lived in Ephesus at the end of the first century" - **Cerinthus was
"educated in the wisdom of [Alexandria] the Egyptians -- [Irenaeus an early Church Father: born about 135 A.D. - died in 202 A.D. - During the persecution of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor from 161-180, Irenaeus was a priest of the Church of Lyon, France - Wikipedia.org] Helms states, "we need to note that part of the purpose of Irenaeus was to attack the teachings of Cerinthus, a gnostic Christian teacher who lived in Ephesus at the end of the first century" (op. cit., p. 162). Cerinthus was "educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians, [Gnosticism] taught that the world was not made by a primary God [God the Father], **but [instead] by a certain Power [Satan] far separated from him...Moreover, after [Jesus'] baptism, Christ descended upon him in the form of a dove from [Satan] the Supreme Ruler, and that then he proclaimed the unknown Father [Satan], and performed miracles. **But at last Christ departed from Jesus, and that then Jesus suffered and rose again, while Christ remained impassible, inasmuch as he was a spiritual being" (1.26.1). ***Irenaeus stated that the purpose of John at Ephesus was as follows: **by the proclamation of the Gospel, **to remove that [Gnostic] error which by Cerinthus [and others] had been disseminated among men, and **a long time previously by those termed **Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:6), who are an offset of that 'knowledge' [gnosis] falsely so called, that he might confound them, and persuade them that there is but one God, who made all things by His Word; and not, as they allege, that the Creator was one [different god], but the Father and the Lord another; and that the Son of the Creator was, forsooth (really), one, but the Christ from above another (3.11.1) -- Helms argues: "So the gospel attributed, late in the second century, to John at Ephesus was viewed as an anti-gnostic, anti-Cerinthean work. But, very strangely, Epiphanius, in his book against the heretics, argues against those who actually believed that it was Cerinthus himself who wrote the Gospel of John! (Adv. Haer. 51.3.6). How could it be that the Fourth Gospel was at one time in its history regarded as the product of an Egyptian-trained gnostic, and at another time in its history regarded as composed for the very purpose of attacking this same gnostic? I think the answer is plausible that in an early, now-lost version, the Fourth Gospel could well have been read in a Cerinthean, gnostic fashion, but that at Ephesus a revision of it was produced (we now call it the Gospel of John) that put this gospel back into the Christian mainstream." {Note: Possibly in about 59 A.D. when the Apostle Paul visited Jerusalem and *reported from his Missionary journeys to the Gentiles [including to Ephesus] one of the main topics would have been the often encountered opposition of Gnosticism [in Ephesus]. Wanting to counter Gnosticism John might have made it known then that he would [visit Ephesus] and write an epistle [Gospel] to confront Gnosticism. Presumably, the Gospel of John was first discussed in Jerusalem among John, Paul and all the other Apostles and was also written by John (John 21:24) in Jerusalem in about 60 A.D., written primarily to give faith to Christians (John 20:31). Then with a copy of the Gospel of John in hand the Apostle John set out to Ephesus to minister there. The point is that the Apostles were actually very connected, concerned, informed and determined in their mission and early Church calling that God had placed on their lives. -- "Acts 21:17-19 And when we [Paul, Luke and Aristarchus] were come to Jerusalem [about 59 or 60 A.D.], the brethren received us gladly. And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present [including John (2 John 1:1)]. And when he had saluted them, he [Paul] declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry."} [article link] A Mixed Race to Rome - The most often mentioned items in Luke's shipwreck account are of Turkish [Persian influenced] towns, Greek Islands and Egyptian [Alexandrian] ships the influences of which are all being directed into Rome - {Note: Luke and Paul in recording the Book of Acts seem to be informing the young European Gentile Church that yes, Christianity has come to Europe, primarily in the form of Paul [a bound prisoner of Rome] and his two scraggly traveling companions [Luke and Aristarchus]. But to know for certain that also coming to Rome [Western Europe] are the forces of Egypt [Eastern Mysticism, Ancient Babylon Mystery Religion], Persian [eventually Islam] influences, Greek mythology, Malta mysticism and Gnostic heresy. Christianity would come to Europe and Europe would have an appearance of Christianity a veneer of Christianity but below the veneer would be a blend of *Mystery Babylon counter religions that the Christian Church would have to continually contend with.} "Acts 27:5-6 And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia [region of Turkey near the crossroads of Western
Asia and Eastern Europe] and Pamphylia [Ancient Pamphylia was situated on the southern coast of modern Turkey - The region came under the control of the Persians in the 6th century B.C. unrv.com/provinces/pamphylia.php], we came to Myra, a city of Lycia [Galatia]. And **there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria [Egypt] sailing into Italy [Rome]; and he put us therein." -- "Acts 27:14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called *Euroclydon (G2148 - Euraquilo)." Luke records that the sailors called this wind Euraquilo. An unusual name, it has been found in one ancient inscription and is a slang compound [blend - marriage] of Greek and (Roman) Latin. The Greek Erus (east) and the Latin Aquilo (north) translates as "northeaster," a strong winter wind [parsagard.com/2-storm.htm]. -- "Acts 28:11-12 And after three months we departed [Malta] in **a ship of Alexandria [Egypt], which *had wintered [was dormant for a season] in the isle, whose sign [Gnosticism] was Castor and Pollux. And landing at Syracuse [a historic city in Sicily, the capital of the province of Syracuse - The city was founded by Ancient Greek Corinthians - today is part of the Unification of Italy of 1865 - wikipedia.com], we tarried there three days." -- {Note: Remember that Mystery Babylon is that fallen Angelic realm that sits atop 7 Gentile Kingdoms that influences mankind consisting of the time of the 2nd earth (earth 2.0) - from the flood of Noah until the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ. - "Revelation 17:5-11 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT [fallen angelic - Satanic realm], THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. ... And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains [Gentile Kingdoms - Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and Revised-Rome], on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings [thrones i.e. throne of David - except they are all Gentile thrones]: five are fallen [Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece], and one is [Rome], and the other [Revised-Rome] is not yet come; and when he [Antichrist] cometh, he must continue a short space [3½ years and possibly until 7 years]. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth [eight king illegally, not the eight Kingdom - the true 8th King and Kingdom is of the Messiah Jesus Christ], and is of the seven [the 7th King Antichrist tries to sit on the throne (Matthew 24:15) of Messiah the 8th Kingdom], and goeth into perdition."}[article link] Evidence and Paul's Journeys - Caesarea to Fair Havens The Egyptian Grain Ship (Acts 27.6) - Landing at Myra, the Centurion transfers Paul and the other prisoners to an Alexandrian grain ship bound for Rome. Myra was a major port in the eastern empire. It lay directly north of Alexandria, Egypt, on the far side of the Mediterranean. An Egyptian ship sailing for Rome would have to sail north to Myra at this time of year, because it was impossible to sail directly northwest to Rome. The prevailing wind from the west forced ships sailing from Egypt to Rome to follow this indirect route. This presents us with a series of interesting evidential coincidences. The same westerly wind that accounted for the shortness of Paul’ s trip to Sidon is the wind that required his ship to sail north of Cyprus, and is also the wind that brought the Egyptian ship to Myra. All three of these events confirm the direction of the prevailing wind. Luke, in Acts 27.1, states that the ship they boarded in Caesarea was sailing for ports along the coast of the province of Asia. In other words, the ship was not bound for Rome, but was making ports of call along the southern coast of what today is Turkey. The harbor at Myra was one of the great trans-shipping ports of the ancient Mediterranean. Thus it makes sense that Paul and the others would leave the coastal vessel there and board the larger grain ship for the final leg of the voyage to Rome. [article link] [Part 1 of 3] Introduction: Paul's Journey to Rome - Church History Outline: Ceasrea to Malta - End Times (Antichrist) Outline: Malta to Rome The Apostle Paul's "Journey to Rome" covered in Acts chapters 27 and 28 is a unique set of passages of scripture and seems to tell a parallel story to the main story of Paul's journey and shipwreck while in route to Rome. The first part of Paul's journey from Caesarea, Israel to the shipwreck off of the shores of the island of Malta seems to tell the parallel story of what has been much of Church history up until today. The second main segment of Paul's journey beginning with Malta then the departure and the sailing to Italy, seems to tell the parallel story of the End Times, the Antichrist and the Book of Revelation. - In looking at these events one primary set of verses in each segment is going to be crucial to the study. In the first portion the Church History
outline the verses Acts 27:41 and Acts 27:44 [the actual shipwreck and making it to shore] are going to be the crucial verses for the first segment. - The second segment the End Times outline the island of Malta to Rome the main verses are going to be Acts 28:13-15, Paul's arrival in Italy but at first not in Rome. [article link] [Part 2 of 3] Church History Outline: Ceasrea to Malta - In Paul's Journey to eventually stand at the feat of [the King] Caesar (Acts 26:32) the Christian Church with the Gospel departs from Israel [where Christianity originated] at the port of city of Caesarea (Acts 27:1-2) to go to the Rome and the Gentile world Christian Church Age: After making some [missionary] stops along the way Paul and company (Acts 27:6) transfer to a ship [carrying nourishing wheat] that can take them to Rome. While sailing "many days" on their voyage to Rome the ship [Christian Church] encounters the alternating "contrary winds" of persecution and also the favorable port of "Fair Havens" entailing that "much time had been spent" on the Journey. - The first real hint of trouble for the Christian Church comes in the form of the Apostle Paul admonishing the Church that the Jewish Feast day [the fast] of Yom Kippur had passed and that the primarily Gentile Church was no longer marking or paying attention to the Jewish Feast Days putting the Christian Church in peril of not knowing the Times or the Seasons in which it sailed (Acts 27:9-12). The Church (ship) now unable to chart and follow its own course was caught in the winds of the days and the crew now instead of directing the ship the events of the day carried the ship (Church) along on its own course while the ship (Church) was mostly unable to affect, alter or counter any of the blowing winds (Acts 27:15). The ship (Church) tossed in the storms of life brought their sails down and just attempted to weather out the storm and at least they had four anchors to cast out into the water and help steady and protect (from hitting bottom) the Ship. The Apostle Paul then informs everyone that unless they remain aboard the one ship (of Christian faith) they cannot be saved (Acts 27:31). The one ship representing Christianity (the one true Church) then partakes in the act of Christian Communion (Acts 27:35). A distant land (Heaven) is sighted and the passengers (Christians) are not martyred but are able to reach the land (Heaven) alive as each person clings to some wood (cross of Jesus) from the one ship. The ship (Church) itself is finally caught in enough turmoil that it runs aground and breaks up [amazingly at a place were two sea's meet (Acts 27:41) - where the Eastern sea of Mysticism and the Western sea of Rationalism meet the Christian boat as one Catholic body gets stuck in the sand and breaks apart - into many denominations] though the individuals make it ashore (to Heaven) by clinging to wood (the cross of Jesus Christ), the one requirement to get a sinner into Heaven is to know that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on His cross. With the Church (ship) stuck and broken apart and ALL the passengers (Christians) from the one ship of Christianity safely ashore (in Heaven) the Christian Church Age comes to an end (Acts 27:44). -- "Acts 27:44 And the rest [of the Christians], some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship [all clinging to the cross of Jesus]. **And so it came to pass, **that they escaped [sin-death] **all safe to [Heaven] land." [article link] Wikipedia.org: Saint Publius (Acts 28:7) - Saint Publius [a Church Apostolic Father] is venerated as the first Bishop of Malta - Publius' conversion led to Malta being the first Christian nation in the West, and one of the first in the world - He was martyred in 125 A.D., during the persecution of Emperor Hadrian It was the same Publius who received the Apostle Paul during his shipwreck on the island as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul cured Publius' dysentery-afflicted father. -Book: by Rev. Alban Butler (1711-1773 A.D.). Volume I: January. "The Lives of the Saints" last published 1866. St. Publius, Bishop and Martyr [died January 21, 125 A.D. in Athens, Greece] HE succeeded St. Dionysius the Areopagite in the see of Athens, as we are assured by St. Dionysius of Corinth, quoted by Eusebius. 1 He went to God by martyrdom, and Saint Quadratus was chosen third bishop of that city. See Le Quien, Or. Christ. t. 2. p. 169. Note 1. Euseb. l. 4. c. 23. [article link] [Part 3 of 3] End Time Outline: Malta to Rome - End Times - Martyred Saints of Revelation: The refugees come ashore upon a foreign island (Malta) with "barbarous people" [barbarous only means not Romans (not citizens of the Kingdom) and not Jewish] Paul and the other castaways find themselves on an unfamiliar island (Malta), a society of unfamiliar people
with unfamiliar customs. In the entire narration of their time on Malta only one person is identified by name (and also by title) and it is the intriguing person of Publius (Public) [Publius a Latin (Roman) name - definition of Public: of or pertaining to the people; belonging to the people; relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community - ardictionary.com]. The intriguing person Publius is the "chief" or first [G4413 - Protos] person of the Island of Malta and though Publius is not a Roman citizen he has a Roman name and connections to Rome. - In this scenario, in what we are trying to read between the lines that Luke wrote for us in his book of Acts Chapters 27 and 28 we have the scenario that the Church Age has ended (Acts 27:44), the one ship of Christianity has broken apart and ALL the Christians are in Heaven. Here upon Malta (Acts 28:1) we seem to have the dispensation after Christianity [after the Church Age] - the dispensation of the End Times and the Martyred Saints of Revelation. In this intriguing scenario one person is in charge [of buying and selling] for an entire society and also that person is not a part of the 6th Kingdom in Rome. Publius is not a Roman citizen, instead this very public and in charge figure is first in his own system (the 7th Kingdom Revised Rome). Publius {before he becomes a Christian} is a type of the Antichrist and the Island society of Malta is a type of the 7th Kingdom (Revised Roman Empire). Further establishing that Luke intends for Malta to represent the Martyred Saints of End Times is that Luke tells of Paul being bitten by a viper (Acts28:3) but then Luke chooses to call the poisonous viper a "beast" (Acts 28:4,5) using the same word "beast" (G2342 - Therion) that John would later use in his Book of Revelation [Revelation 13:18 - the Mark of the Beast] to describe the Antichrist - Paul "he shook off the beast into the fire" (Acts 28:5) refusing to take the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 19:20). Luke is determined to present the spirit of Antichrist at the Island of Malta. - Note: The End Time events that Luke portrays on Malta is not quite like the End Times often portrayed today in common media, where saints are on the run for their lives. In this End Time depiction by Luke the Saints are busy, working, helpful and briefly an integrated part of the society of Malta. But the Saints have a determined destination and a departure date and depart the island society of Malta not out of anger or desperation but out of a necessity. It seems that Luke is portraying Malta [Revised Rome] as a society that is vastly different than today (there might not be any private property - everything might be 'public' in name only) a tightly controlled and managed society with each person knowing where they rank in society and one person Publius is first. Further after departing the island of Malta and continuing their Journey [a journey that is no longer given in great detail - because technically the Saints departed Malta as Martyrs]. The End Time martyrs of Malta continue on to their desired destination to the feet of the King [Caesar] but like the Book of Revelation the Martyrs of Malta do not go directly to Rome they depart the ship outside of Rome and fellowship with other believers for a while. In the Book of Revelation the 5th Seal "Revelation 6:9 And when He [Jesus] had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain (Martyrs) for [faith in] the Word of God, and for the Testimony [faith in Jesus] which they held:" The Martyred Saints of Revelation do not go directly (individually) to the Throne of Jesus but instead gather outside the Temple at the altar and fellowship until their numbers (dispensation) are complete. Then at the end of the End Times all the Martyred Saints of Revelation join (Revelation 7:9) in with the Christian Church also in Heaven worshiping at the feet of the King Jesus Christ. -- "Acts 28:14-15 Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum, and The Three Taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage." [article link]
Conclusion: The Apostle Paul's journey to Rome - Once in Rome the Apostle Paul continues to prophetically enact out End Time Biblical events - Amazingly the Apostle Paul does not go to jail with the other prisoners (unbelievers) instead Paul safely goes and lives in his own house - Enacting out the third part of the End Times - The Millennial Reign 1,000 year Kingdom of Jesus Christ [the 8th Kingdom] on earth - (Acts Chapters 27 and 28) In the last two chapters of the Book of Acts in chapters 27 and 28 there are four distinct portions of the Apostle Paul's journey to Rome [to stand before Caesar]. The First Portion, departing Israel as an Apostle with the
Christian Gospel Message until changing ships, the shipwreck and safely coming ashore at the island of Malta correlates with what has been the Apostalic age and the Common Christian Church Age. The third portion of Paul's journey is being stranded at Malta and then quickly getting to Italy but not Rome itself correlates with what is written in the Book of Revelation regarding the future End Times and the Martyred Saints of Revelation. Then the forth and final portion of Paul's journey to Rome correlates with what is written in the Bible regarding the Millennial Reign upon the earth of the Messiah [Jesus Christ] after the events of the Book of Revelation have occurred and been fulfilled. - Once arriving in Rome (Acts 28:16) Paul [a Christian] is allowed to go live by himself in his own house while the other prisoners (unbelievers) are sent to jail (John 12:31). Living in one's own house and dwelling safely is an unmistakable euphemism for the Millennial Kingdom of the Messiah (1 Kings 4:25, Jeremiah 23:6). The Apostle Paul's recorded journey to Rome is concluded along with the Bible's Book of Acts in the last two verses of Acts. -- "Acts 28:30-31 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house [i.e. the Millennial Reign of Christ], and [free to] received all that came in unto him, Preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." [article link]
Update: The Basic Christian blog 8 Kingdoms study is well underway and on track to be completed as scheduled - The plan now is to do one more Decoding series, a necessary one to briefly examine how kingdoms conclude, change, influence and morph [embed themselves] into the next ruling kingdom - Then after the brief Decoding postings are finished to go back and revisit each of the 8 Kingdoms to finalize each portion of the study - Coming Soon: Decoding Hitler's Bunker!! The 8 Kingdoms study should be completed before Christmas 2011 and then the Church History portion starting in January 2012 should be able to be completed by Holy Week 2012. The Church History portion though becoming more and more in depth [during preparation] is still going to be an overview study that will primarily focus on a few key transition points in history. In order to more easily facilitate the transition points of the coming Church History blog study I have revised the outline of the study and will post that as well. [article link] Decoding Hitler's Bunker - Review: (Matthew 4:1-11) "Again, the Devil taketh Him [Jesus] up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world [the 7 Gentile Kingdoms], and the glory of them; And saith unto Him [Jesus], *All these things will I give thee, *if thou wilt fall down and worship me (Isaiah 14:12-14) - Then saith Jesus unto him [Satan], Get thee hence [go away], Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" {Note: There is a continuing and ongoing series of Gentile [mostly Satanically (Mystery Babylon) influenced] kingdoms that have been presiding over the earth since the flood of Noah's time. The kingdoms continue and transition from one Gentile Kingdom into the next and will also transition into the coming 8th Kingdom the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ on earth. - Psalms 110:2, Revelation 20:8} -- "Psalms 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of Thy strength out of Zion [Millennial Palace]: rule thou [1,000 years] (also) in the midst of thine enemies." The interesting part about Satan's offer is that as is usually the circumstances of Satan the offers of the Devil once examined are misleading, shallow, and really non-existent. It appears that what Satan was offering Jesus isn't Kingdoms [plural] but a Kingdom [singular] because at the time of this offering the 6th Kingdom in Julius Caesar [Reign: October 49 B.C. - 15 March 44 B.C. -Wikipedia.org] had already been initiated and in fact Julius Caesar was already deceased at the time of the offer. That left only 1 legitimate Kingdom [king] that Satan had in his ability to offer, the 7th Kingdom the Revised Rome Kingdom [granted Satan is trying to combine two Kingdoms the 7th and 8th for his version of plural Kingdoms]. But there is a huge stipulation attached to the Throne of the 7th Kingdom and that is whoever sits on it only gets to reign for [only about] 3½ years, the first 3½ years of Revelation and Tribulation. - Without hesitation Jesus declined Satan's offer. -- Soon after Satan had successfully initiated the first Kingdom in Nimrod he was busy attempting **to quickly cycle through the coming Gentile Kingdoms in order to get to his own eventual [7th Kingdom - the kingdom of Antichrist] and manifest in his enthroned Antichrist Kingdom on earth. [article link]
Decoding Hitler's Bunker - {Flashback} Satan's offering to Jesus - In Matthew 4:1-11 we encounter a very amazing interaction, it is an interaction between Jesus and Satan "Matthew 4:1-11 Then was Jesus led up of the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil [revealing Satan's intentions]. ... Again, the Devil taketh Him [Jesus] up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world [7 Gentile Kingdoms], and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, *All these things will I give thee, *if thou wilt fall down and worship me (Isaiah 14:12-14). Then saith Jesus unto him [Satan], Get thee hence [go away], Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Then the Devil leaveth Him, and, behold, [Holy] angels came and ministered unto Him [Jesus]." - What seems to be in negotiation here is the fact that Satan is offering to Jesus a Kingdom on earth if Jesus would 'worship' the Devil [note: worship is to acknowledge were life comes from - life comes from God not Satan]. The interesting part about Satan's offer is that as is usually the circumstances of Satan the offers of the Devil once examined are misleading, shallow, and really non-existent. It appears that what Satan was offering Jesus isn't Kingdoms [plural] but a Kingdom [singular] because at the time of this offering the 6th Kingdom in Julius Caesar had already been initiated and in fact Julius Caesar was already deceased at the time of the offer. That left only 1 legitimate Kingdom that Satan had in his ability to offer, the 7th Kingdom the Revised Rome Kingdom [granted Satan is trying to combine two Kingdoms the 7th and 8th for his version of plural Kingdoms]. But there is a huge stipulation attached to the Throne of the 7th Kingdom and that is whoever sits on it only gets to reign for 3½ years, the first 3½ years of Revelation and Tribulation. Then the deal gets even worse for the person as the person who is reigning upon the Revised Rome Throne is killed at the end of the 3½ years in order that Satan can obtain and inhabit a body to then reign manifested among mankind for his 8th Kingdom [triggering the Great Tribulation and Wrath of Revelation] becasue rightfully it is the 1,000 year Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Satan was offering to Jesus a 3½ year Throne where the one seated upon it is to die so Satan can inhabit the body. Satan was attempting to kill Jesus and inhabit His body in an attempt to forever rule mankind. Without hesitation Jesus declined Satan's offer. -- Note: What separates Rome the 6th Kingdom [Throne] and Revised Rome the 7th Kingdom [Throne] is the Christian Church Age (Acts 15:14-18) and had Jesus worshiped Satan then there would have been no cross, no Savior and no Church Age for mankind and the 6th Kingdom [Throne] would have instantly merged into the 7th Kingdom [Throne] had Jesus accepted the offer. [article link] Decoding Hitler's Bunker - {Flashback} The Eternal Kingdom of God - Soon after Satan had successfully initiated the first Kingdom in Nimrod and was busy attempting to quickly cycle through the coming Gentile Kingdoms in order to get to his own eventual [7th Kingdom] and manifest in his enthroned Kingdom on earth [but] a different appearance was made among mankind - God manifested into human form as the eternal King of Salem (Peace) revealing unto Abraham among the Communion elements of bread (body) and wine (blood) of Jesus Christ that indeed there is another Kingdom, separate and distinct from the Kingdoms of the earth, a Holy Kingdom, Eternal and Righteous, Everlasting in the body (bread) and spirit (wine) of Jesus Christ offered free and without cost to all mankind - Abraham choosing the Eternal Kingdom of God walked away from Sodom and the other kings of the earth without so much as a shoelace from them in his posession "Genesis 14:17-23 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him [Abraham] after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings [Amraphel (Hammurabi) king of Shinar] that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. And ***Melchizedek King of Salem (Peace) brought forth [Communion] bread and wine: and He was the Priest of the Most High God. And He [Melchizedek] blessed Him [Abraham], and said, Blessed be Abram [Abraham] of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the Most High God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abraham] gave Him [Melchizedek - God] tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou [Gentiles] shouldest say, I have made Abram [Abraham] rich:" [article link]
Decoding Hitler's Bunker - WWII: Inside Hitler's Bunker - Photo Gallery - LIFE Magazine (Photos) In April, 1945, as Russian and German troops fought -- savagely, street-by-street -- for control of the German capital, it became increasingly clear that the Allies would win the war in Europe. Not long after the two-week battle ended, 33-year-old LIFE photographer William Vandivert was on the scene, photographing Berlin's devasted landscape. Hundreds of thousands perished in the Battle of Berlin -- including untold numbers of civilian men, women, and children -- while countless more were left homeless in the ruins. But it was two particular deaths -- that of Hitler and his longtime companion and (briefly) wife, Eva Braun -- in a sordid underground bunker on April 30, 1945, that truly signaled the end of the Third Reich. Here, LIFE.com presents never-before-published images from both the bunker itself, and the decimated city beyond its concrete walls. Above: A never-before-published photograph of a main street in central Berlin, Oberwallstrasse, where some of the most bitter fighting between Nazi and Soviet troops took place. [article link] Decoding Hitler's Bunker - Hosted by Leonard Nimoy - In Search Of... Eva Braun {Note: Conclusive irrefutable forensic evidence the Hitler's body was recovered but the same forensic technique reveals that Eva Braun's body was not recovered.} (YouTube) Season 6 Episode 20 Part 1 Hosted by Leonard Nimoy and broadcast weekly from 1976 to 1982, In Search Of... [article link]
Decoding Hitler's Bunker - BasicChristian.org: End Times Preview - WWI, WWII, WW3 - Hitler's Final Days - A Summary of the Final Moments of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun Note: The Berlin bunker was not a death trap and it was not a final stand, no Germans were killed at the bunker by any attacking Russian soldiers. As far as the ability of the German leaders to escape the Berlin bunker unharmed it was a 100% success rate. Every Nazi German who wanted to escape the Berlin bunker did, the results varied after they left the bunker but all who wanted to were able to leave the bunker. So the fact of the opportunity for Hitler, Eva Braun or anyone else to escape the bunker is clear, any Nazi who wanted to leave in the final hours could and did. Later captured Germans who left the bunker said that it was easy to leave by getting into a German tank or by mixing in with another German army unit (usually an artillery unit) to escape the Berlin area. ... Adolf Hitler's staff had a detailed escape plan for Hitler including the use of a lookalike (body double) and part of Hitler's escape plan was actually put into practice. ... Eva Braun had shown up six days earlier as the final piece to the escape plan. In a display of deceit the two Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun pretended to get married and then the next day pretended to commit suicide. However in the final moments Hitler at the end of his rope and in a deteriated physical condition neither mentally or physically able to go on the run and realizing that he had no one he could really trust, Hitler did commit suicide but Eva Braun made the assisted escape alone, without (Hitler) or perhaps with Hitler's dog Blondi. The Russians finding the bunker and finding a secret passage out of Hitler's private room immediately had the bunker demolished and instead of the bunker becoming a triumph of the war, a war museum, the bunker was removed and erased from history by the Russians. In the 1960's when confirmed sightings of Eva Braun surfaced the Russians were again spooked into thinking they might not have Hitler's body and in 1970 the KGB dug up both bodies and annihilated any trace of the buried bodies particularly Eva Braun but some skull fragments of Hitler remain on file in Moscow and are not destroyed. ... The military side of the Nazi command had a complicated escape, body double, plan intact and in operation. Many of the senior military men had located body doubles primarily from the concentration camps but also from the streets of occupied countries and even Germany itself. Some of the body doubles even had duplicate dental work done on them and were tattooed if necessary. **The political side and the propaganda side of the Nazi party were not party to the military command's escape plans and they did suffer their own fates as with the Joseph Goebbels family [Unwillingly] committing [Nazi assisted] suicide in its entirety [for propaganda purposes as a part of the grander-overall escape plan for Hitler and the Nazis], the mother with an SS Doctor poisoning all six children and [the next day] the two adults taking poison as well. Some of the Nazi high command did escape in the final days and after the war, and on a scale of the crimes committed against humanity, few Nazis were punished while many simply left Germany to live their lives
outside of Germany. Of the few who were imprisoned with long sentences many of them suddenly had mysterious, unexplained deaths and it is though many of their prison deaths were faked. One thing remains certain that all the Nazis that did escape [into other governments] and remained unpunished did so with the complicity and even the cooperation of the English and American governments. [article link] Decoding Hitler's Bunker - Conclusion: Transitions between Kingdoms and Governments are both frequent and well documented - In the Old Testament the Prophet Daniel successfully transitioned, being an advisor to Kings of Babylon and then also to the succeeding King of Persia (Daniel 1:19-21) At the conclusion of the End Times the events transition [Revelation 11:15] into the 8th Kingdom and as a part of the transition the surviving people on the planet [excluding those who have taken the Mark of the Beast] will also by default transition into the Millennial Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ. What could be interesting about the transition is that historically the elite ruling class seldom puts themselves in strictly one category. For instance at Hitler's bunker only the Joseph Goebbels family committed suicide [took the Mark of the Beast] in mass, while the majority of the true elite and ruling families eluded punishment and in fact went on to be very successful in a post Nazi Germany. Likewise it is doubtful that the actual ruling elite of the world today would subject themselves and the entirety of their families to the coming Mark of the Beast, especially considering that it will be a new, unique and untested system. Lastly the visible feature of the coming Mark of the Beast really seems to establish the Mark of the Beast as a product for the lower class in that the 'Mark' of upper-class society is actually the mask of anonymity. [article link] Note: Regarding the previous "Decoding the Apostles" blog series that was recently partially posted at BasicChristian.org - One of the more interesting aspects of looking at the lives of the Apostles is just how much each of their individual lives changed - The change among each individual Apostle seems to have been huge as it encompassed their personalities, individual behavior and individual outlook on life - Therefore the majority of the Biblical writings of the Apostles is directed at a certain amount of expected godly behavior modification ... in the lives of each new Christian convert - But by the time the Christian Church matured into the later Church Councils the majority of the entire Church Council was no longer about individual Christian behavior modification but instead became vested, almost exclusively, in individual Christian though, knowledge and doctrine - Though now Pastor Rick Warren and many others are dramatically shifting the current Christian Church away from thought, creeds and doctrines and are again shifting the Christian Church back into the realm of behavior modification but disastrously it is not a return to the original behavior modification and godly accountability the Church Apostles sought for each Christian convert - It is instead a behavior modification that is directing each individual away from Christianity and back into the abyss of the world -- In the following six posts are several examples all from the last week or two of current Christian events One of the more interesting aspects of looking at the lives of the Apostles is just how much each of their individual lives changed and it changed primarily from their outlook from being socially [worldly, societally] aware to becoming Kingdom aware and eternally aware in Jesus Christ. The change among each individual Apostle seems to have been huge as it encompassed their personalities, individual behavior and individual outlook on life and in fact the very meaning of life itself for each of them. Therefore the majority of the Biblical writings of the Apostles is directed at a certain amount of expected godly behavior modification, in a good way i.e. removing doubt, uncertainty and fear, in the lives of each new Christian convert. The first Church Council in Jerusalem offered four behavior modification agendas to the new Christians. - But by the time the Christian Church matured into the later Church Councils (i.e. Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.) the majority of the entire Church Council was no longer about individual Christian behavior modification but instead became vested, almost exclusively, in individual Christian though, knowledge and doctrine. This later Christian Pastoral emphasis on individual Christian thought (i.e. think as I do) has continued on until the present modern Church day. Though now Pastor Rick Warren and many others are dramatically shifting the current Christian Church away from thought, creeds and doctrines and are again shifting the Christian Church back into the realm of behavior modification but disastrously it is not a return to the original behavior modification and godly
accountability the Church Apostles sought for each Christian convert it is instead a behavior modification that is directing each individual away from Christianity and back into the abyss of the world specifically the very spiritually dangerous occult and pagan world. [article link] CNN: Joel Osteen takes on his critics - Osteen, a college dropout who **never attended seminary, has built a huge international audience with inspirational messages that blend [pop psychology] positive thinking and [motivational training techniques] personal transformation - But is he preaching "gospel lite" messages devoid of any mention of sin and hard choices? (CNN) - He peddles "gospel lite," a watered-down Christianity that mixes prosperity with piety. That's how critics have described Joel Osteen's message. The televangelist may be the pastor of the largest church in America, but he still doesn't get respect in many parts of the religious community. Osteen, a college dropout who never attended seminary, has built a huge international audience with inspirational messages that blend positive thinking and personal transformation. But is he preaching "gospel lite" messages devoid of any mention of sin and hard choices? Osteen rejects that charge with the same honey-toned voice and unflappability he displays in the pulpit at Lakewood Church in Houston. There's no hint of defensiveness. "I deal every day with life issues and sin in our church every week," he says. "I deal with people who have cancer, talk to people about how to forgive when they've been hurt. I don't think that's light. That's everyday issues." ... It's not the traditional "turn or burn" pulpit message, and Osteen is OK with that. ... Lee cites three factors for Osteen's success: Marketing: He says Osteen's previous work behind the camera taught him how to brand a ministry and create a visually appealing and quickly moving worship service. Timing: When Osteen hit the pulpit in 1999, people had already grown tired of the smooth-talking televangelists who were often caught up in scandal. Osteen was the boyish-looking pastor who exuded sincerity and never pretended he had all the answers, Lee says. Preaching: Osteen may not have the grasp of theology and church history that some pastors have, but he knows how to connect with ordinary Americans through a therapeutic message that draws heavily from pop culture, Lee says. "His lack of seminary training is part of his appeal," Lee says. "He's not saying big words he learned from seminary. He's speaking in a language that contemporary Americans understand." [article link]
Rick Warren Recommends Pagan Mantra "Technique" For Christians - Now, **for comparison purposes only, please compare the above Centering Prayer "technique" recommended by Rick Warren to this one from a Buddhist website - I can therefore [also] attest that what Rick Warren is promoting is exactly like what I practiced as a New Ager doing mystical meditation - The only thing that differs between so-called "Christian mysticism" and pagan mysticism is the "device" used for emptying the mind - And sadly, the big thing in churches now is to try to make this pagan practice "Christian" by adding Christian terminology - "Meaningless repetition?" If that's not a description for pagan, occultic, mind-altering, mantra meditation, I don't know what is - Friends, this is dangerous, dangerous stuff - Beware, beware, beware Why am I showing what Buddhist meditation looks like? Well, as regular readers of this blog know, I came out of the New Age, and while in the New Age I practiced many different types of mystical meditation (Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, pagan, etc.). And because of this, I can therefore attest that what Rick Warren is promoting is exactly like what I practiced as a New Ager doing mystical meditation. The only thing that differs between socalled "Christian mysticism" and pagan mysticism is the "device" used for emptying the mind. And sadly, the big thing in churches now is to try to make this pagan practice "Christian" by adding Christian terminology. But the addition of Christian terminology does not somehow "sanctify" this practice and make it Christian. Any time a Christian hears the word "technique" they should run for the hills. We do not need a technique for approaching God! We approach him through the shed blood of Christ, and this is what we place our faith in. We are to be people of faith, which means we walk by faith and not by sight. In practical terms, this means that we do not require tangible experiences that we can point to to convince us that we are close to God. We are close to God because we know we have approached him on his terms: through faith alone in Christ alone. Remember that Jesus said, after offering up his hands and his side for Thomas to examine, that there was a
blessing for Christians who would come later who would believe without requiring some tangible, experiential "proof" of God: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29) Yes, it is fine to go to a quiet place, calm the mind, maybe even take a few deep breaths. But focus on a word or phrase until one's mind is emptied? No! Doing this technique puts a person into an altered state of consciousness, where the mind is not engaged. Once a person has used the technique to "park" the brain, he or she is still awake and somewhat aware but his or her God-given boundaries are down. So what happens to a person in this state? Mantra meditation is so very seductive because it generates a very powerful experience, an experience that is very real and feels very spiritual, and which deceives one into feeling as if they are actually encountering "God." But let us not forget our warning from Scripture: "No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."(2 Corinthians 11:14) Also, the Bible NEVER tells us to circumvent the mind to go to God.....instead, it tells us: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30) And also this: "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words." (Matthew 6:7) "Meaningless repetition?" If that's not a description for pagan, occultic, mindaltering, mantra meditation, I don't know what is. Friends, this is dangerous, dangerous stuff. Beware, beware, beware. [article link] What Is The New Apostolic Reformation? And Why Should We Be Concerned About It? - a new movement with some pretty strange beliefs - inside of Christian evangelicalism called the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) has gathered lethal momentum very unexpectedly - This movement had up until recently only been taught and believed inside the hyper-charismatic movement (think IHOP, Kansas City Prophets, Mike Bickle, etc.) - But now, having somehow "jumped" from its normal carrier, rather than being "contained" as a strange belief system that would only impact a limited number of people, it suddenly began to go viral when big names on the political right began to align themselves with the big names from the charismatic Christian side Why exactly has the NAR, which makes alarming use of militant "warfare" language and talks of "taking dominion" over the world "one mountain at a time," gotten so big, so fast, and with so many big political names attached? In my view, it's because there are many on the political right, who, despite their moralistic stance, have a tendency to be more invested in political strategy, power and numbers than in sound doctrine and biblical truth. Thus, to the political right without discernment, Numbers = Power. And I suspect this is what happened: they looked out over the landscape of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement (which is an extremely large segment of professing Christians), decided this was representative of "Christianity," did the math, and then jumped on board. - This movement and its [secular] 7 Mountains Mandate has been very enticing to Christians who hold to a Dominionist view (the idea that the church's role is to "take back" dominion of the earth from Satan), and has also been extremely seductive to the Conservative Right, because hey, the idea of knuckling down and working hard is what America is all about, right? So there you have it: combine the errant "doctrine" of Kingdom Now/Dominionism from the Pentecostal/Charismatic camp with the moralism of the Conservative Right, and you've got one dangerous pandemic, because both groups, in their own ways, are tremendously influential and powerful. ... Friends, the NAR is a dangerous and rapidly growing movement that is, sadly, capturing the hearts and minds of many conservative Christians who have been enticed with the idea of "saving" America though Christian activism. In truth, Christians are not ever, anywhere in Scripture, promised easy lives, or even the "right" to live in freedom. But please note that the siren lure of political activism is nothing new. ... The life of a born again Christian is not complicated. Become reconciled to a high and holy God through the shed blood of Jesus, share the gospel, be persecuted, and die. But the seductive lure of an earthly life in which we (the Christians) control the earth and all that is in it, is a dream that dies hard. And now the NAR, with its utopian vision of heaven on earth, has once again showed us that very few people are willing to do as Jesus taught us, and that is to "Count the cost" (Luke 14:25-35) and "Take up your cross and follow me"(Matthew 16:24). Flee from this movement, my fellow Christians. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." (Prov 14:12) [article link]
UnderstandTheTimes.org: The New Evangelization and the Coming Reign of the Eucharist Christ - For those not familiar with the meaning of Corpus Christi, the following explanation from the Catholic Encyclopedia will be helpful: This feast is celebrated in the Latin Church on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday to solemnly commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist - While history may show Corpus Christi Day was initiated by a nun who was inspired by the moon, the Bible is silent when it comes to the practice of having a special day to venerate the Blessed Sacrament - {Note: The more the Roman Catholic Church diverges away from Biblical Christianity and into Eastern Mysticism (prayer-meditation techniques, goddess Mary, Eucharistic Jesus, etc.) and into Western Rationalism (evolution, eugenics, UFO's, etc.) the more it will denominationally fragment the Christian Church.} While history may show Corpus Christi Day was initiated by a nun who was inspired by the moon, the Bible is silent when it comes to the practice of having a special day to venerate the Blessed Sacrament. In fact the idea that Jesus, the Creator of the universe, can be manifest in a wafer requiring the intervention of a priest, then placed in a container and worshipped and adored is not in the Bible. The Scriptures clearly warn that promoting idolatry precipitates God's hand of judgment. Before my trip to Rome, I was aware of Corpus Christ Day but never had the opportunity to witness the celebration first hand. If I had not lost my luggage, I wouldn't have known about this event going on in Rome. Larry and I had plenty of time after returning to my hotel to find our way to the Major Church of Mary and take a front row position to witness Corpus Christi live in Rome. ... The Eucharistic Jesus is Evangelistic: Think about this. What if the Eucharistic Jesus that Roman Catholics believe can be worshiped and adored, miraculously started healing those who adored his presence? Would this be a great attraction bringing converts into the Roman Catholic Church? As Peter Kreeft predicted in his book Ecumenical Jihad, it will be Eucharistic adoration that will unite the world's religions. Is it possible the world is being prepared? Raniero Cantalamessa (also called pastor to the pope) would be more than willing to introduce the Roman Catholic Eucharistic Jesus to the separated brethren (non Roman Catholics). On several occasions he has been keynote speaker for Nicky Gumbel's Alpha program. It is at these meetings that Cantalamessa has introduced Alpha leaders and participants to the Catholic view of the sacraments, the saints, and Mary, the Queen of Heaven. Is it possible that unsuspecting evangelical Protestants will soon be the target of the "New Evangelization" program? Rekindling Amazement: For now, we will concentrate on how the "New Evangelization" program plans to revitalize the Roman Catholic faith by "rekindling amazement" centered on the Eucharistic Jesus. It is not just the pope and the pastor to the pope who are enthusiastic about this refocusing of attention, cardinals, bishops and priests all over the world are jumping on the band wagon. There is something very significant underway. Eucharistic adoration is becoming more and more popular as the foundation for Eucharistic evangelization. ... Conclusion: We have looked at the call by the current and former popes for a "New Evangelization" centered on the Christ's supposed presence in the Eucharist through which the world may be drawn to the Roman Catholic Church. We have reviewed how current events, the renewed emphasis on the importance of adoring the Eucharist, mystical appearances of "Mary" and "Jesus" and associated miracles are being viewed as the means of ushering in the Eucharistic Reign of Jesus. [article link] JAMES MACDONALD [Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel - Vertical Church blog] AND HIS PAGAN [Christians who disagree with James MacDonald] CRITICS - but [Christian] critics that act like pagans are probably just that and bring little benefit to the hearer - This is a classic tactic; one doesn't address the criticism (problem), rather, they use ad hominem (personal attacks) to attack the critic {In his wordly version of religion Pastor James MacDonald doesn't think that false doctrine is a problem instead it is the Christians who are concerned about false doctrine entering into the Church that are now the problem.} Gospel belief without gospel behavior is what I refer to as 'religious.' Every minister of the gospel should welcome and learn from criticism, but critics that act like pagans are probably just that and bring little benefit to the hearer. ... However, as I said in my pervious piece, there are those who decide a priori that criticism is unloving and pagan. Not surisingly MacDonald's co-host for ER2, fellow Gospel Coalition Council Member Mark Driscoll, came to his defense as he would opine: Beware of Many Discernment Ministries - Before we continue there is a lesson to be learned first. Admittedly, sometimes when speaking, a teacher presents a belief
in a way that is inaccurate and unclear. - So called "discernment" bloggers who are usually not connected to any noteworthy or respected evangelical Christian theologians, schools, denominations, ministries, churches, or pastors make their living taking what people said wrongly, transcribing it, and then falsely-or at least wronglyaccusing them of heresy when it is untrue. - This is a classic tactic; one doesn't address the criticism, rather, they use ad hominem to attack the critic. ... My question is, with all the controversy stirring, and with the likelihood of unhealthy accusations toward this potentially helpful event on the rise, why not just explain what led you to believe that T.D. Jakes is orthodox in his understanding of the Trinity? - James MacDonald deleted my comment [from his Vertical Church blog] ignoring that question. So I ask, who's really acting like a pagan? [article link]
GOSPEL COALITION COUNCIL MEMBER JAMES MACDONALD INSISTS PERRY NOBLE DIDN'T LIE - To quickly recap; first, here is Perry Noble with MacDonald and fellow Gospel Coalition Council member Mark Driscoll on March 31, 2011 - Now here's Noble earlier on March 20, 2011 - Perry Noble Flat Out Lied (Videos) Apprising Ministries now brings you a follow-up to Did Perry Noble Lie? James MacDonald Says No. The video evidence within that prior piece shows Noble on March 20, 2011 state that sometimes he does try and anger people in a church service using shock value tactics. Then 21 days later you'll see Seeker Driven prophet-pastor Perry Noble, one of the blustery Popes Of The Carolinas along with his disciple prophet-pastor Steven Furtick, tell James MacDonald in his Elephant Room discussions that he does not do such things. In the real world, which by the way is the only one there is, this is Noble caught in a lie. So this would mean that a pastor-teacher has publicly done something God hates: ... But O no, says James MacDonald; Perry Noble never lied!!! As if three exclamation points would somehow change reality; but such is postmodernity. [article link] Update: 10-04-2011 - Update: Due to reoccurring technical problems the BasicChristian.info website and News Feed had to be closed, it was out of my hands - A temporary BasicChristian.info site is up on a different server just to wind it down before it is permanently removed ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown Note: This is a big setback for the Ministry - the .info RSS News Feed was the feed I used but fortunately we still have the BasicChristian.org RSS Feed and those of us who used the .info Feed will have to switch over to the RSS Feed labeled [XML] on the BasicChristian.org website. Those who always got the feed from BasicChristian.org won't have to do anything to continue getting the RSS Info and News Feed. - The loss of the BasicChristian.info website creates a tremendous disadvantage for the Basic Christian Ministry in that we had multiple items [the blog Studies] in use for that feed. Going forward the Ministry will still post on the BasicChristian.org RSS feed and only on that feed, the .info feed and materials won't be replaced because it would bring back the same technical problems. The current RSS feed is going to have to suffice until 2012 when we can complete the current 8 Kingdoms Study and the Church History Study. In the next few months I'll look into some newer blogging technologies and hopefully sometime in 2012 we can have a newer blogging technology, one that is more interactive and can be in use on the new CommonChristianCommunity.com website and hopefully it will replace the current RSS feed. [article link] Alpha & Omega Ministries Apologetics Blog - I have been downright encouraged to note the response that has appeared to the amazing statements of James McDonald of "Vertical Church" wherein he basically throws Nicene orthodoxy under the proverbial bus - Now I know that "emergent" folks have an odd relationship with history---they love to drag stuff out of history, without its attendant context, as if it is "new" but when it comes to accepting that [we] stand on the shoulders of giants and that there are things that have simply been settled in the past, they rebel and want to put everything "back on the table" -- {Note: The Jerusalem Creed [1st Church Council about 49 A.D. in Jerusalem] has 4 Cornerstones the fourth one being not to offend traditional Jews. The Church Creeds [Jerusalem, Nicene, etc.] are important and relevant to all of Christianity. Since one of the Cornerstones of the 1st Church Council is to support Jews and Traditional Judaism it is an original and longstanding tenant that true Christianity acknowledges its debt and emergence from (God ordained) Mosaic Judaism. "Acts 1:20-21 [The Jerusalem Creed - 1st Church Council about 49 A.D. in Jerusalem] But that we
[Apostles] write unto them [Gentile Christians], (1.) that they abstain from [occult] pollutions of idols, (2.) and from [immorality] fornication, (3.) and from things [cruelty] strangled, (4.) and from [Levitical] blood. **For Moses of old time hath [traditional Jews] in every city them that preach him (Moses), being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day."} But even more importantly than the tweaking of Modalism so that it gets a place at the table is the attitude McDonald has displayed toward the Nicene definition. He says he does not trace his beliefs to credal statements. Really? If by that he means creeds are always subject to the higher authority of Scripture, of course. But this is where you fall off the other side of the narrow path and rather than believing in sola scriptura, you end up with something much less, and in fact, much different. Nicea's authority comes from its fidelity to Scripture. It does not stand alone as a new revelation, and it survived simply because it is, despite all the arguments to the contrary, the consistent, harmonious testimony of divine writ. To throw its authority into the dustbin of history in the service of some kind of "emergent" attitude is not only to display an astoundingly arrogant hubris, it is to show deep disrespect to those who fought, and some who died, in defense of its truth. And for what? For some kind of post-modern feel-goodism that cannot even recognize modalism when it is standing right in front of you. A truly educational example of just how far the emergent movement is willing to go in pursuit of its ultimately destructive goals. -- Recently Jamin Hubner has raised issues relating to a simple question: is the modern secular state of Israel religiously and theologically significant? Is it "Israel" as in the Israel of Scripture, or Romans 11? And if it is not, is it open to criticism? He is concerned about the strength of the movement, mainly amongst American evangelicals, that has granted to Israel not only a theological position it does not actually hold, but which precludes even the slightest mention of criticism of a secular state. Now, I am not going to re-hash everything here, but he has even been accused of being a "shill for Hamas" due to sources he has cited and issues he has raised (which seems to me to provide strong evidence of the need to raise such issues and challenge the knee-jerk reactions of many in the Evangelical community as a whole). While he has sought fair and non-emotional responses to questions he has raised, his requests have, in the main, fallen upon deaf ears, for I see no evidence that his critics really want to have a give-and-take. [article link] Calvary Chapel Abuse blog "Those (pastors) who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning" (1 Timothy 5) - Is Roger Oakland right about Calvary Chapel? - Roger Oakland [UnderstandTheTimes.org] has been an outspoken critic, as has Deborah Dombrowski of Lighthouse Trails Research [LighthouseTrailsResearch.com/blog] and many others regarding End Times Apostasy and Ecumenicism of Calvary Chapel Comments: #11 * The pastor has real accountability that doesn't require his [approval] to submit to it while he's in sin. * Elders would actually be able to hold the pastor accountable, without his being able to fire them first. * Elders would not be chosen by the pastor, so he can "stack the deck" and/or choose "yes" men. * Same goes for the financial board. * The financial books are [to be] open for people to look at and ask questions without any retribution or removal ... oh, and they actually get real answers. * The Moses Model [Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa] leadership [model] would be removed. * Actual pastoring of the flock, i.e. visit the sick, help the orphans & widows, model servant leadership. * Not overworking leadership (6 1/2 days per week @ 50 to 80 hours). * Pastor doesn't underpay leaders with the excuse, "Where God guides, he provides." * Pastor doesn't overpay himself, comparing to a CEO's pay. (Pay includes: ALL the perks, wife's pay, vacations, meals, gas, cars, housing, clothing allowance, gym memberships, etc….) * Pastors & leaders understand that Matthew 18 applies to them, too. * Pastor understands that he is not more anointed than the attenders, not more special, and doesn't have God's ear more than the rest of the Christians. * Pastor is not a narcissist. * The leaders surrounding the Pastor are not "yes" men.
* The church [voters] would have membership, ensuring accountability for the pastor and [oversight in the] use of money. * Pastors/elders/leaders actually biblically qualify to be in the position. * Pastors/elders/leaders are actually removed when they no longer qualify. Show me a CC church [any Church/Fellowship] that has any of these and I'm interested to know more. [article link] Breaking News!! Calvary Chapel Abuse blog - "You can't handle the Truth!" Another peak behind the Curtain My "meeting" with [Pastor] Chuck Smith - {Note: as the Calvary Chapel denomination enters disintegration mode right before our very eyes [Pastor Chuck Smith has apparently just divested himself of all authority and oversight among ALL Affiliated Calvary Chapels associated with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa] -- any current Calvary Chapel or any Church or Fellowship can use the Basic Christian Ministry Material (BasicChristian.org). Instead of calling your Church a Calvary Chapel avoid the turmoil that is happening there and be prepared to preach a peaceful Gospel of Jesus Christ. Disassociate with CCCM and drop the vaguely pseudo CC Dove and instead while you decide what you want to do put a B in front of your CC and become a "Basic Christian Church" BCC or a "Basic Christian Chapel" BCC instead of a Calvary Chapel CC and use the Three Cross Logo of Basic Christian as a new Church/Chapel Logo. Welcome! Now move on to being a BCC and preaching a trusted Gospel to the world.} I'm obviously disappointed that I didn't hear from Chuck Smith or his attorney, Janet Carter, yesterday regarding the Bob Grenier situation (though I emailed and left a message asking what the verdict was). ... The meeting quickly turns to "what do you mean you can't yank Bob's dove [Calvary Chapel Affiliation]?" We then argue about Affiliation. Chuck takes the position that he "can't" yank doves or Dis-Affiliate anyone and that **he doesn't even know there is "Affiliation" or an "Affiliation Agreement." I tell him I have a copy of one. He says he'd like to see it, that he has no knowledge of one, etc. I ask Dave Rolph the same thing. Dave says he has no idea what I'm talking about, this [Calvary Chapel] "Affiliation" thing. I tell them they're both lying through their teeth, but I get it, we're going to play the Lawyer Game. ... During the course of the "Affiliation" argument, I brought up the fact that Calvary Chapel owns the licensing rights to the Dove Logo and name Calvary Chapel. This was denied flatly. I then argued from the Absurd to make a point. I asked Chuck and his attorney if I could open up a Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa II right across the street and use the same Dove Logo and if they'd have a problem with that. They said, "No." Basically, they said the only thing that could or would stop me was the State of California if it infringed on DBA/corporate name entity stuff, that basically, Calvary Chapel doesn't have any licensing or enforcement of licensing. ... It was now crystal clear that this was a Hill Chuck would die on. He doesn't want to hand over Agency and/or Implied Agency to Kosnoff and lose the lawsuit he's in. He'll lie or spin (and justify it, I believe he sincerely thinks he's righteous in doing so to protect "the Lord's Work" at CCCM) to not lay down in that suit and potentially others. Chuck is very intelligent and his lawyers are very intelligent. Chuck should've listened to Jeff Dorman many years ago when he was warned about going half-way with this pseudo-Denomination Light "Affiliation" and now "Fellowship" thingy, but again, it is what it is. Chuck did take the warning, though, to change it from "Affiliation" to "Fellowship" as "Affiliation" has a legal connotation that screams Agency…so at least he did that some years back (though many Calvary Chapel Pastors still claim they are "Affiliated", etc). ... My position was that Bob Grenier called Chuck "his Pastor"…from the pulpit, on his website, in his book. Chuck said clearly that he "wasn't" Bob's pastor. I said, "Well, that would be news to Bob." I told Chuck, whether he liked it or not, he was Bob Grenier's "pastor" and had a Scriptural obligation to deal with him per 1 Timothy 5:19-22. -- Comments: #2 I have a profound disagreement with Chuck and CC that he has zero responsibility or obligation in these matters (and many other matters) and my position is that the CC church-goer at large is being misinformed (some would call it lied to) or given the wrong impresseion etc about what the Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, CCOF, Calvary Chapel and "Affiliation" and/or "Fellowship" situation really is. [article link] Update: 09-18-2011 - I'll be out of town for the next few days ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown After the blog Study resumes the postings finishing the blog History Study portion the 8 Kingdoms [6 of the
Kingdoms are ancient global history, the 7th Kingdom is current global events and the 8th global Kingdom (Millennial Reign Kingdom of Jesus Christ) is still yet future] should be able to resume and then the study portion of the blog Church History is scheduled to begin after the completion of the 8 Kingdoms study. [article link]
Basic Christian: End Times - Introduction - "Hosea 1:11 Then shall the **Children of Judah [Southern Kingdom] and the **Children of Israel [Northern Kingdom] be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel [Hosea 1:4 - people who have been taken advantage of by others in authority]." "Hosea 3:4-5 For the Children of Israel shall abide many days [Diaspora] without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the Children of Israel return [1948 A.D.], and seek the LORD their God, and David [Beloved - Jesus Christ also like King David of the House of Judah] their King; and shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days." -- "Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Jews - Judah and Israel] and upon thy Holy City [Jerusalem], *to finish the transgression [virgin birth - incarnation], and *to make an end of sins [cross], and to *make reconciliation for iniquity [forgiveness (Luke 23:34)], and to bring in *everlasting righteousness [resurrection life], and to seal up the vision and prophecy [2nd Coming (1 Corinthians 13:8-10)], and to *anoint the Most Holy [Messiah - Kingdom Reign - 8th Kingdom (i.e. 1 Chronicles 11:3)]." [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Introduction - Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem - We need some Biblical framework to look at in order to help view the End Time contents in their proper categories and occurrences - The primary End Time Biblical structure is based upon Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem - For Example since 1948 when the Jewish homeland was re-established it is under the banner [flag] of the Nation of Israel and not yet under the banner of the Nation of Judah - This means that the Northern Kingdom [Israel] was reestablished and *not yet the Southern Kingdom of Judah Keep in mind that the ancient Nation of Israel was the rebellious, breakaway district [the 10 Northern Tribes] that broke away from Judah [the Two Southern Tribes - Judah and Benjamin] after the Kingdom reign of King Solomon [son of King David]. Though the rebellious Northern Kingdom Nation of Israel had their own Kings [rulers] and their own Prophets [foremost being the Prophet Hosea] the Nation of Israel never had a legitimate Temple and accompanying Temple Priesthood as the true Temple and Temple [Levitical] Priesthood remained in Jerusalem in Judah. - Significantly [for End Times Biblical Prophecy] the rebirth of the Jewish Nation in 1948 was the rebirth of the Nation of Israel, a Nation with rulers [Prime Ministers - Presidents] and Prophets [Rabbis] but not a Temple. The prophetic and Biblical reason that Israel was reestablished and not yet Judah is because Judah with a Temple is where the Messiah will reign and rule from and since the Messiah (Jesus) has already come the first time to Judah the rebuilt [future] Judah will not take place until the 2nd Coming of the Messiah. Therefore Biblically Judah is yet to be established and there should be a distinction in an End Time study that there are certain differences between the Nations of Israel and Judah and the Holy city of Jerusalem and that the Nation of Israel [1948] and the Holy City of Jerusalem [1967] are validly in existence at this time but that the reestablished Judah [Temple Israel] is not yet in existence and will not be until the Millennial Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ the coming 8th global Kingdom. [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - 1947-1948 Israel Reestablished - THE DECLARATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL May 14, 1948 - On the 29th November, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution [Resolution 181] calling for the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz[Land]-Israel ACCORDINGLY WE, MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ERETZ-ISRAEL AND OF THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT, ARE HERE ASSEMBLED ON THE DAY OF THE TERMINATION OF THE BRITISH MANDATE OVER ERETZ-ISRAEL AND, BY VIRTUE OF OUR NATURAL AND HISTORIC RIGHT AND ON THE STRENGTH OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HEREBY DECLARE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE IN ERETZ-ISRAEL, TO BE KNOWN AS
THE STATE OF ISRAEL. ... WE APPEAL to the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora to rally round the Jews of Eretz-Israel in the tasks of immigration and upbuilding and to stand by them in the great struggle for the realization of the age-old dream - the redemption of Israel. -- PLACING OUR TRUST IN THE "ROCK OF ISRAEL" (Psalms 19:14 in Hebrew -- i.e. Psalms 18:1-2), WE AFFIX OUR SIGNATURES TO THIS PROCLAMATION AT THIS SESSION OF THE PROVISIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE, ON THE SOIL OF THE HOMELAND, IN THE CITY OF TELAVIV, ON THIS SABBATH EVE, THE 5TH DAY OF IYAR, 5708 (14TH MAY,1948). ~ David Ben-Gurion [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Rock of Israel - The Rock of Israel is a concept in Judaism that alludes to God, and in Zionism and politics, to the **cultural and historical heritage of the Jewish people and the foundation of the [modern] State of Israel - The term was used in the Israeli Declaration of Independence as a compromise [Rock instead of the word Redeemer] between religious and secular Jews Wikipedia: In Psalm 19:14 [in the Hebrew Version] of the Old Testament of the Bible, God is referred to as the "Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." In religious terms, the "Rock" means God, who protects the Jewish people and is the center of their faith, which defines their identity and consciousness. The term indicates the trust and faith of people in God, who is immutable [cannot be modified - Wiki.com]. However, secular Zionists have interpreted this term in a non-religious way to mean the cultural and historical heritage that has preserved Jewish community and identity over centuries. Both meanings have influenced the movement for the return of Jews to the Holy Land and the creation of the Jewish state of Israel. A phrase beginning "Rock of Israel" is part of the morning prayers in some versions of the [Jewish] prayerbook, where it is recited immediately before the Shemonah Esrei prayer [Shemoneh Esrei prayer - "The Standing Prayer" - Amidah]. -- Controversy: The term "Rock of Israel" was subject of controversy just before the promulgation of the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948. The leaders present at the ceremony and who were to be signatories of the declaration believed that the declaration should express the fundamental values and principles that would define the new state, which would give the Jewish people a homeland in Palestine after 2,000 years. -- The Jewish religious leaders, led by Rabbi Fishman-Maimon wanted a clear reference to God by the usage of the words "The Rock of Israel and its Redeemer." However, a large segment of the Jewish leadership included those with secular and socialist convictions who sought a clear separation of church and state. Aharon Zisling, the left-wing leader of Mapam refused to sign the declaration of independence if it contained references to "a God in whom he did not believe." The disagreement threatened to derail the actual and ceremonial proclamation of the establishment of a Jewish state in the former British Mandate of Palestine. -- Israeli leader David BenGurion, who would become the country's first Prime Minister, spent the morning of 14 May [1948] mediating the dispute between Rabbi Maimon and Zisling. After hours of talks, Rabbi Maimon agreed to leave out the term **"Redeemer" from the text of the declaration. The compromise was included without a final vote. Later in his life Ben-Gurion is said to have explained that to him, "Rock of Israel" meant "the Old Testament with its history and traditions", or "Tzahal" (the Israeli army). -- English translation: Significantly, the whole passage containing the words "Rock of Israel" was not included in the English language translation that was released for publication, owing to the military censorship imposed to keep the time and place of the ceremony secret in the wake of the war that was about to begin. -- Despite Ben-Gurion's conviction that "Rock of Israel" was not necessarily a religious term, the official English translation composed by Moshe Sharet, and cited in official documents, rendered it as "Almighty God." It was not until 1962 that the Israeli government changed it to the more literal "Rock of Israel". [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - A Two Millennium Christian Church Age - Hosea 6:2 After two days [the two thousand years (two Millennium) of the Christian Church Age?] will He [God] revive us: in the third day [3rd Millennium - Kingdom Reign - 8th Kingdom] He [God] will raise us up, and we shall live [in God's Kingdom] in His sight. {Note: It's possible that a Two Thousand year Christian Church Age has been Prophesied in the Bible and if that is in fact the case then in about the year 2033 A.D. [22 years from now 2011] the Christian Church Age will be 2,000 years old and could come to a close at about that time, or sooner, as Biblical events transition out of the Christian Church Age and into the Revelation End Time events and then on into the 1,000 year
Millennial Kingdom Age of the Messiah.} For the current events portion of this study we are going to look at the possibility that today's Protestant/Evangelical Christian Church segment is rebellious and disobedient towards God and towards the greater Catholic Church in the same way that ancient Israel [10 Northern Tribes] were rebellious and disobedient towards God and the Kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem. -- "Hosea 5:1-9 Hear ye this, O Priests [Pastors]; and hearken (listen), ye House of Israel [breakaway - i.e. Protestants]; and give ye ear, O House of the King [leaders]; **for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare [hindrance] on Mizpah, and a net [worldly, seeker friendly] spread upon Tabor. And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all. I know Ephraim [the territory of Ephraim contained the early centers of Israelite religion Shechem and Shiloh (where the Tabernacle was located) - these factors contributed to making Ephraim the most dominant of the tribes in the Kingdom of Israel, and led to Ephraim becoming a synonym for the entire (Northern) Kingdom - Wikipedia], and Israel is not hid from Me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled. **They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD. **And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them. They shall go with their flocks and with their herds [congregations] to seek the LORD; but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn Himself from them. They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange [emergent] children: now shall a month [short time] devour them with their portions. [Announce] Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin. Ephraim shall be desolate ***in the day of rebuke: among the Tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be." [article link]
Basic Christian: End Times - Amillennialism - What is Amillennialism? By Michael J. Vlach, Ph.D. - Amillennialism is a [heretical] theological view concerning the 1000-year reign of Jesus Christ that is mentioned in Revelation 20:1-6 - In particular, Amillennialism is the perspective that there will not be a future literal 1000-year reign of Christ upon the earth - The inseparable Latin prefix a means "no" and the term "millennium" is Latin for "1000 years" - Thus, Amillennialism literally means "no [literal Kingdom on earth for] 1000 years" - *Premillennialism, not Amillennialism, was the predominant view in the first 300 years of church history However, the early church did evidence hints [Origen (185-254 A.D.)] of what later would become Amillennialism Amillennialism is a theological view concerning the 1000-year reign of Jesus Christ that is mentioned in Revelation 20:1-6. In particular, Amillennialism is the perspective that there will not be a future literal 1000-year reign of Christ upon the earth. The inseparable Latin prefix a means "no" and the term "millennium" is Latin for "1000 years." Thus, Amillennialism literally means "no 1000 years." It should be noted that the term Amillennialism is a reactionary title in that it denies the presence of a future literal 1000-year reign of Christ on earth that premillennialists affirm. However, Amillennialists do in fact believe in a millennium; what they reject, though, is the idea of a future literal 1000-year reign of Christ on earth after the second coming of Christ. According to Amillennialism, the millennium of Revelation 20:1-6 is being fulfilled spiritually in the present age before the return of Jesus Christ. Thus, the millennium or kingdom of Christ is in existence now. Amillennialists affirm that the millennium began with the resurrection and/or ascension of Christ and will be consummated when Jesus returns again to establish the Eternal Kingdom that is discussed in Revelation 21-22. -- For amillennialists, Satan is presently bound and Christians are now enjoying the benefits of the millennium. Some amillennialists claim that the millennium also involves the reigning of saints who are now in heaven. Amillennialists claim that the 1000-year period that is mentioned in Revelation 20:1-6 refers to a long indefinite period of time between the two comings of Christ and is not a literal 1000- year period that occurs after Jesus' return. Because amillennialists believe Christ is currently reigning in the millennium, some, like Jay Adams, believe the title "Realized Millennialism" is a more appropriate title than "Amillennialism." -- In regard to the end times, Amillennialism affirms the following chronological scenario: Christ is now ruling in His kingdom while Satan is bound from deceiving the nations. Tribulation is experienced in the present age even though Christ is ruling. Jesus will return again to earth. After Jesus returns there will be a general bodily resurrection of
all the righteous people and a general judgment of all unbelievers. The Eternal Kingdom will begin. -Amillennialism in History: Premillennialism, not Amillennialism, was the predominant view in the first 300 years of church history. However, the early church did evidence hints of what later would become Amillennialism. For example, Origen (185-254) popularized the allegorical approach to interpreting Scripture, and in doing so, laid a hermeneutical basis for the view that the promised kingdom of Christ was spiritual and not earthly in nature. Eusebius (270-340), an associate of the emperor Constantine, viewed Constantine's reign as the Messianic banquet, and he held to anti-premillennial views. Tyconius, an African Donatist of the fourth century, was one of the earliest theologians to challenge Premillennialism. He rejected the eschatological and futuristic view of Revelation 20. Instead, he said that the millennium was being fulfilled in the present age and that the 1000 years mentioned was not a literal 1000 years. Tyconius also viewed the first resurrection of Revelation 20:4 as a spiritual resurrection which was the new birth. -- Augustine (354-430 A.D.), who is often referred to as the ‘ Father of Amillennialism,' popularized the views of Tyconius. Augustine abandoned Premillennialism because of what he considered to be the excesses and carnalities of this view. He also interpreted Mark 3:27 to be a present binding of Satan. Augustine was the first to identify the Catholic Church in its visible form with the kingdom of God. For him, the millennial rule of Christ was taking place in and through the church, including its sacraments and offices. His book, City of God, was significant in the promotion and acceptance of Amillennialism. ... [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Postmillennial [Dominionism] (1 of 2) - The Postmillennial Error or the Golden Age of Righteousness and Peace {without the physical presence of Jesus} by Rev. D. H. Kuiper - Postmillennialism takes the word figuratively, denoting a long period of time belonging to the last part of this Christian era, and immediately prior to Christ's [2nd] appearing - It is well to let a Postmillennialist define his own position "Postmillennialism is that view of the last things [End Times] which holds the kingdom [dominion] of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the gospel and saving work of the Holy Spirit, that the world eventually will be Christianized [Dominionized], and that the return of Christ will occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace, commonly called the millennium" L. Boettner The importance for the Church of the return of Jesus Christ can hardly be overemphasized. It is the one aspect of the promise that awaits fulfillment. It is the last and crowning work on the whole process of redemption. It is, therefore, the object of the longing of hope that is in every saint. The return of Christ: the resurrection of the body . . . and final judgment . . . the renewal of all things . . . eternal glory! -- Generally speaking there are three views which seek to set forth the Scriptural truth of the second coming of Jesus and the kingdom He shall perfect. These views differ according to the interpretation given to the word millennium (Latin - mille, one thousand; and annum, year). This word occurs but six times in Scripture and each time it is found in the twentieth chapter of Revelation, an admittedly difficult and symbolical portion of the Word. To the word millennium are added various prefixes (post-, pre-, and a-), thus designating a particular view in respect to the thousand years. Premillennialism takes the millennium literally and maintains that Christ shall come, and then reign upon this earth for exactly one thousand years. Postmillennialism takes the word figuratively, denoting a long period of time belonging to the last part of this Christian era, and immediately prior to Christ's appearing. The Amillennialist also interprets the millennium symbolically, only he maintains that it refers to the whole of the Christian era. We propose to call your attention to these positions in this series of three articles, subjecting them to the light of Scripture, in the hope they may be constructive to our faith and hope. We will begin with a consideration of Postmillennialism. -- It is well to let a Postmillennialist define his own position. "Postmillennialism is that view of the last things which holds the kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the gospel and saving work of the Holy Spirit, that the world eventually will be Christianized, and that the return of Christ will occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace, commonly called the millennium." (L. Boettner) This definition is representative of those who hold this view. We wish to develop several of its elements that their implications be clearly before us. ... Decisive for the Christian is what the Word of God says concerning the realities of salvation, sin, the millennium, the last things. **The Postmillennialist either ignores certain passages of Scripture, or he gives them a very forced, unnatural
meaning. ... We ask you to study Matthew 24 and Revelation 20, plus other relevant portions of Scripture. Put aside all private opinions, and let yourselves be guided by the Spirit and Word. Do this only after you have prayed. We believe that you will see that we live near the end of the millennium, that the period of time that stretches from the first coming of Christ to His return. In that era may be observed a twofold development: the world increases in sin and godlessness until Antichrist is revealed, and it is ripe for destruction; the Church is gathered and saved, even unto the last elect! Then shall Christ come. And with Him the end! [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Postmillennial [Dominionism] (2 of 2) - Pre-Millennial and Post-Millennial Doctrines Do Not Mix by Sandy Simpson - Many Christians today have begun to accept a mixture of Pre Mil and Post Mil doctrines - Many claim they still hold to a Pre Trib Rapture and at the same time would claim that Christians are in a great end times revival, that "Transformation" is taking place all over the world, and that our mandate is to retake dominion over the whole world including its businesses, social agendas and political arenas (a Post Mil scenario) - But what many "Christians" today do not realize is: the mixture they have accepted is oxymoronic If you are truly a Pre Millennialist you hold to the fact that we are NOT in the Millennium but in a time of preaching the Gospel while a falling away from the Faith is taking place - Pre Mils believe that Jesus Christ will come back and establish His Kingdom in the Millennium and **until then we are to carry out the Great Commission and be light and salt, therefore our mandate is NOT to take dominion over the earth Many Christians today (having allowed themselves to be diapraxed by false teachers on TV, in books, in seminars and on tape) have begun to accept a mixture of Pre Mil and Post Mil doctrines. Many claim they still hold to a Pre Trib Rapture (or another Pre Mil scenario) and at the same time would claim that Christians are in a great end times revival, that "Transformation" is taking place all over the world, and that our mandate is to retake dominion over the whole world including its businesses, social agendas and political arenas (a Post Mil scenario). But what many "Christians" today do not realize is: the mixture they have accepted is oxymoronic. If you are truly a Pre Millennialist you hold to the fact that we are NOT in the Millennium but in a time of preaching the Gospel while a falling away from the Faith is taking place. Pre Mils believe that Jesus Christ will come back and establish His Kingdom in the Millennium and until then we are to carry out the Great Commission and be light and salt, therefore our mandate is NOT to take dominion over the earth. -- If you are a Post Millennialist you believe that we are in a time of great revival because, figuratively (certainly not literally according to the Bible) we are already in the Millennium. Many of them believe that Satan is bound, that we can bind territorial demons (why they are roaming around when Satan cannot I do not know!) and that we can command the weather and retake dominion over the earth promised to Adam. Jesus Christ will then, according to Post Mils, come back at the end of the Millennial age we are currently in and then the old earth will be destroyed and the new heaven and new earth will begin. If you don't believe that this is what Post Mils believe, then read what Post Millennialists/Dominionists C. Peter Wagner and company are saying and doing. Our theological bedrock is what has been known as Dominion Theology. This means that our divine mandate is to do whatever is necessary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to retake the dominion of God's creation which Adam forfeited to Satan in the Garden of Eden. It is nothing less than seeing God's kingdom coming and His will being done here on earth as it is in heaven. (C. Peter Wagner, letter, May 31, 2007) -- So have you bought into the dominion delusion? If you get in your car and follow me home you will end up where I end up ... at my home. If you are following false apostles like C. Peter Wagner then you will end up where he is going. Are you falling away? Instead of falling away, run away from these people! [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Dominion [Heresy] Theology - Should Christians "take dominion" in the world [Postmillennial] before Jesus Christ returns? - Two movements within American Christian Church say yes - Both of these [Postmillennial] movements fall under the classification of "Dominion Theology" which states a Biblical mandate to occupy or control all **secular [7th Kingdom - the Kingdom of Antichrist] institutions until [Jesus] Christ returns Christian Reconstructionism: First is the Christian Reconstruction movement, led by such men as Gary North and R.J. Rushdoony. Almost unknown 30 years ago, Reconstructionsim is now influencing the evangelical
Church. Its leadership is aggressive, with a Postmillennialist call for Christians to take over the world before Christ can return. Postmillennialism teaches the kingdom of God is now being extended in the world by preaching the Gospel, so that the world will be Christianized during this nonliteral Millennium. Its goal is for a worldwide conquest by Christianity to take over the world for Christ. In their view, this is to be done by the Church, while Christ the King is absent from the earth, something which the Bible simply does not teach. -Kingdom Now: The second group of Dominionists is known as Kingdom Now, led by men such as Earl Paulk and Thomas Reid. "Kingdom Now theology" urges the Church to become united and mature under the rule of charismatic apostles and prophets (such as Paulk), and take control of secular institutions enough to establish that the Church represents the authority of Christ. The emphasis on the Church's taking "dominion" in both of these movements has led to their being associated together under the label "Dominion Theology." -- Today in the Church there is a changing attitude toward Israel, which is attributed to to the teachings of Dominionists. One of the key doctrines of this movement is the claim that the Church is now Israel, heir to all of her promises, and that national Israel has been cut off from God, and has further no place in the prophetic scheme. The Bible, however, teaches just the opposite. God will never cast off Israel as the Prophet Jeremiah states: If the heavens can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below then I will also cast off all the offspring for Israel for all that they have done, declares the Lord (Jeremiah 31:37). -- During the first three centuries of the apostolic Church, which was clearly Premillennial not Postmillennial, "reconstructing society" was never entertained. Christ clearly taught "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). The Bible teaches us that the world will become more corrupt in the last days, then after the Tribulation period Christ will return and establish His millennial kingdom. Reigning over the whole earth from Jerusalem, His Capital, Israel will be made the leader of the nations, and the Church will reign with Him for a "literal" thousand years. The Church is never commanded to subdue the earth on its own, this simply will not happen until Christ returns. The Church's main responsibility is evangelism and discipleship, not political activism. Our call as believers is to change people through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not to change society through social reformation. [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Introduction - End Times for Dummies (4 online videos) These videos are about 3-5 minutes long. They were created by a professor from the Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary "Simple and to the point" (and cartoonish). All of the following are in Vimeo format. [article link]
Basic Christian: End Times - Premillennialism (1 of 2) - What is premillennialism? - Premillennialism is the view that Christ's second coming will occur prior to His millennial kingdom, and that the millennial kingdom is a literal 1000-year reign of Christ on earth Now, with all this in mind, examine what is recorded in Revelation 20:1-7. The thousand years which is repeatedly mentioned in this passage corresponds to Christ's literal 1000-year reign on the earth. Recall that the promise made to David regarding a ruler had to be fulfilled literally and has not yet taken place. Premillennialism sees this passage as describing the future fulfillment of that promise with Christ on the throne. God made unconditional covenants with both Abraham and David. Neither of these covenants has been fully or permanently fulfilled. A literal, physical rule of Christ is the only way the covenants can be fulfilled as God promised they would. -- Applying a literal method of interpretation to Scripture results in the pieces of the puzzle coming together. All of the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus' first coming were fulfilled literally. Therefore, we should expect the prophecies regarding His second coming to be fulfilled literally as well. Premillennialism is the only system that agrees with a literal interpretation of God's covenants and end-times prophecy. [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Premillennialism (2 of 2) - Premillennialism, as a system, is based on a literal or normative method of biblical interpretation as opposed to Amillennialism which spiritualizes its interpretation and does not take the Bible literally In premillennialism, words mean what they normally mean in everyday usage, while at the same time it allows
for legitimate figures of speech. The simple thesis of premillennialism is that Jesus will literally return to the earth before (pre) the Millennium begins and that He himself will inaugurate and rule over it. In contrast, Amillennialism sees the kingdom of God, not as a literal kingdom, but present now "in the hearts of man." -Premillennialists can be divided into two subgroups on the basis of their basic approach to prophetic texts. Historicist premillennialists believe that scriptural prophecy - especially the passages in Daniel and Revelation give the entire history of the church in symbolic form. Thus they look into the church's past and present to find prophetic fulfillment's and to see where they are in God's prophetic timetable. In contrast to historicist premillennialism, the dispensational theory of premillennialism, advanced in 1830 by John Nelson Darby has gained popularity among modern evangelicals, ascribing biblical significance to almost every new development in current world events. The second coming of Christ, and subsequent establishment of the millenial kingdom, is to be preceded by a seven year-long period known as the "Tribulation" - the Earthly activity of the Antichrist as well as the outpouring of God's wrath on mankind. [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Premillennial Dispensationalism - Basically, the fundamental difference between historic premillennialism and dispensational premillennialism consists in the latter's insistence on maintaining a distinction between the Nation of Israel and the [Christian] Church - According to dispensationalists, the millennium will be a period of history in which God reverts back to fulfilling His Old Testament promises made to ethnic Israel, after this modern "Church Age" in which we live today is concluded [i.e. the Rapture of the Church] - As such, the millennium will be a state of Jewish {Kingdom - in that Jesus is Jewish [Jesus' dominion] and will reign [8th Global Kingdom] from Jerusalem [in Judah] while the previous 7 Global Kingdoms of the earth will have all been under *Gentile dominion, rule and authority - The 8th Kingdom is the one Jewish Kingdom while the other 7 Global Kingdoms [Nimrod through Antichrist] will all have been Gentile Kingdoms.} over all the world, along with a newly restored Jewish temple and priesthood [in Jerusalem] -- {Note: The Basic Christian Ministry is going to blog a type of Premillennial Dispensationalism though several of the events, meanings, interpretations and even the timeline of activity will be slightly different. For Example: The Basic Christian Ministry is going to blog that the Jews and ALL the Gentile Nations [those who survive and do not take the Mark of the Beast 666] will physically enter into the Millennial Age (with the sheep and Goats 'Judgment of the Nations' (Matthew 25:32) occurring at the end of the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ). While it is the Saved Christians, Saved Martyred Saints of Revelation and Saved Old Testament Saints that are unable to physically enter the Millennium and will enter the Millennium in a Redeemed Spiritual body. (i.e. Romans 8:23)} In contrast to historic premillennialism, dispensational premillennialism has gained popularity among modern evangelicals. Dispensational premillennialists hold that the second coming of Christ, and subsequent establishment of the millennial kingdom, is to be preceded by a seven-year-long period known as the "Tribulation," the earthly activity of the Antichrist as well as the outpouring of God's wrath on mankind. Dispensational premillennialists hold that the nation of Israel will be saved and restored to a place of preeminence in the millennium. Thus, Israel will have a special function of service in the millennium that is different from that of the Church or saved Gentiles. [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Resurrection Sunday (Easter Day) - The Christian Church begins - The individual receiving of the 'Born Again' (Christian) Spirit baptism begins - A Spiritual Baptismal work of Jesus Christ that will cease at the end of the present Christian Church Age -- "John 20:21-22 Then said Jesus to them again, *Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent [G649 - Apostello - Apostle] Me, even so send [G3992 - Pempo i.e. messenger] I you. And when He [resurrected Jesus] had said this, He breathed [baptized - Matthew 3:11] on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost [by faith become a 'Born Again' Spirit filled Christian]:" The birth of the Christian Church: The individual baptizing work of Jesus Christ that began on Resurrection Sunday will continue until the end of the Christian Church Age presumably with an event called the Rapture when all the Spirit Filled Christians are removed from the earth and called into Heaven. -- "Revelation 4:1 After this I [Disciple John] looked, and, behold, a door was opened in Heaven: and the first voice which I heard was
as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither [a type of Church Rapture], and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter [after the end of the Christian Church Age]." [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Pentecost Sunday [50 days after Resurrection Sunday] - The Global outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh as a Witness of the Savior Jesus Christ - A Witnessing work of the Holy Spirit that will continue throughout the time period of Revelation The global outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh starting at Pentecost is a work of the Holy Spirit that will not cease as the Baptisms of Jesus Christ will one day cease on earth. Instead the works of Pentecost the Global Holy Spirit witness of the Savior Jesus Christ will continue on upon the earth after the Christian Church Age has come to a close and the Church has been raptured up into Heaven. The Pentecost outpouring of the Holy Spirit witness will remain with mankind upon the earth throughout all the days of Revelation, Tribulation and the Great Tribulation. -- "Joel 2:28-32 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit **upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit. And [during the Revelation time period] I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day [Great Tribulation] of the LORD come. ***And it shall come to pass, that ***whosoever [at any time] shall call on the Name [Jesus Christ] of the LORD shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call." (Acts 2:16-21) [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Apostles and Christians - Before Pentecost Jesus revealed Himself [i.e. Luke 24:15] to each of the Apostles [and after Pentecost also lastly to the Apostle Paul - Acts 9:5] - After Pentecost it is the global Witness of the Holy Spirit that leads individuals to Faith in Jesus Christ [John 16:8] Each of the Apostles after encountering the resurrected Savior Jesus Christ were each individually baptized by the breath of Jesus Christ (John 20:22) and then led primarily throughout their Christian walk [after Pentecost] by the Holy Spirit (i.e. John 14:25-26, Acts 16:7, Acts 18:5). All Christians since the global outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost [the Apostle Paul being the exception] are led to Jesus Christ by the witness of the Holy Spirit [Acts 5:32, 1 John 5:6] and then once each individual person [by faith in the forgiveness of sins from Jesus Christ] is baptized in the Holy Spirit by Jesus [the same way each Apostle became a Christian] once a Christian 'born again' [Matthew 3:11, Romans 8:16] each Christian continues to be led throughout this life by the Holy Spirit [1 Corinthians 2:12]. [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Prophet Amos - He was a native of the southern Kingdom of Judah, from the town of Tekoa - He was not even a citizen of Israel (the northern kingdom), but rather of Judah (the southern kingdom) - Nevertheless, God sent him to Israel to proclaim the Word to the people of the northern kingdom [source: zianet.com/maxey/Proph5.htm] -- "Amos 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this [interact] unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." With the end of the reign of King Solomon the Kingdom of Judah divided into two parts Judah and Israel [1 Kings 12:16]. Shortly after the Jewish Nation divided the next Prophet from God was the prophet Amos who's Ministry to the people led him away from his native Judah to Israel [Northern Kingdom] in order to give the important message to both portions [Judah and Israel] of the Jews that though divided God would continue with the Promises of God for all the Jews regardless of where they lived (Amos 4:12). The promises of God to the Jews are valid today to all of the Jews regardless of where they live globally. The Jews do not have to live in Judah or even Israel in order to receive the promises and blessings of God. - Amazingly from the astonishing Ministry of the Prophet Amos it would be a Prophesy from Amos that the Apostles would use for guidance at the First Church Council in Jerusalem [about 49 A.D.] -- "Amos 9:11-12 In that day [after the 2,000 year Church Age] will I [God] raise up the tabernacle [building, castle - throne] of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches [holes] thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it **as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and **of all the heathen, which are called by My Name, saith the LORD that
doeth this." (Acts 15:16) -- "Acts 15:17-18 That [the Chuch Age is so] the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My Name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world." [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Prophet Hosea - Long after the Prophet Amos the Prophet Hosea would prophesy in Israel [Northern Kingdom] - Hosea was to Israel [Northern Kingdom] what later the Prophet Jeremiah would be to Judah [Southern Kingdom] as Hosea would Minister throughout the destruction of the Northern Kingdom at the hands of the Assyrians - While Hosea was prophesying in Israel the Prophet Isaiah was prophesying in Judah Like the Prophet Jeremiah the Prophet Hosea had the difficult task of ministering during the judgment of God upon his fellow countrymen. Initially [like the Protestant/Evangelical Church of today] ancient Israel broke away from a corrupt Judah in order to become a more holy people separated unto God. Yet, with good intentions [but lacking the true Jerusalem] the ancient Nation of Israel soon became far more corrupt than Judah and it was the corrupt Israel that was judged by God before Judah was judged [during the time of Jeremiah]. The primary downfall of ancient Israel was that they wanted to be like the world and accepted and liked by the world. Therefore ancient Israel was constantly in league not with Judah but with the heathen Nations, very much like the Protestant/Evangelical Church of today. -- "Hosea 7:8-11 Ephraim [Northern Kingdom], he hath mixed himself among the people [i.e. Assyria, Syria and Egypt]; Ephraim is a cake [flat bread] not turned [only half completed]. **Strangers have devoured his strength, and **he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs [dignity] are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not [his own dignity]. And the pride [glory] of Israel testifieth to his face [but he doesn't know it]: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek Him for all this. Ephraim also is like a silly [love bird] dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria [for worldly help but did not seek the ways of God among their fellow worshipers]." -- {Note: Today it is epidemic among the modern Protestant/Evangelical Church that the Church seeking worldly influence and approval has neglected the true Ministries of God and having forsaken the Glory of God within its own midst is instead seeking for the approval of a fallen mankind.} [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Current Events Aug. 23, 2011 - [LDS-Mormon] Glenn Beck Affiliation Leads to Calls for Boycott of Christian TV's TBN - The former Fox News personality gains recognition among Christians by forming partnerships with prominent men of the faith such as *John Hagee [Cornerstone Church - San Antonio, Texas] and *David Barton [WallBuilders - history teaching ministry] - Glenn Beck, a professed Mormon, frequently identifies himself with other religious people such as Christians, feeling they all have similar values and can work together on "common interests" Bill Keller, the leader of the site, issued the call after prominent Christian leaders such as Pastor John Hagee and David Barton expressed their support for Glenn Beck's "restoring courage" campaign on the network. ... Glenn Beck, a professed Mormon, frequently identifies himself with other religious people such as Christians, feeling they all have similar values and can work together on "common interests." However, to believers like Keller, this is deceitful behavior since he believes Mormonism is a satanic cult or a counterfeit form of Christianity, and that true believers should not align themselves with these types of faiths. "It is sad to see the largest Christian TV network and several supposed Christian leaders become modern day Judas' by giving credibility to the proud member of a satanic cult who is exploiting the love Christians have for the Jewish people and the land of Israel," said Keller in the press release. "The Bible says that we are not to be bound together with unbelievers. It asks what fellowship the light has with darkness. (2 Corinthians 6:14)" [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - LDS-Mormon End Times - What is the LDS End Time view? - Early LDS [Last-day Saints - Latter-day Saints (LDS)] leaders believed that Christ would return (during the lifetime of their founderleader Joseph Smith Jr.) in 1891 [to the small town of Independence, Missouri with Joesph Smith Co-ruling at a LDS Temple to be built on LDS property in the New Jerusalem (Independance, MO.)] Originally Posted by Breetai: Ok. Joseph Smith came and re-instated the true Church of Jesus Christ during the
beginning of the time of the end (the latter-days). Before Jesus returns, the temple in Eden/New Jerusalem (Independance, MO.) must be rebuilt. Jesus returns to Earth and rules the Eastern world from Jerusalem. At this time, Joseph Smith also returns to rule from Independance, MO. Somewhere in there is the resurrection of the dead and the final judgement of all men, who will be judged on their good works to decide where they will spend eternity (celestial heaven, terestial heaven, telestical heaven or outside of heaven's gates). Only members in good standing with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Elohim's (Heavenly Father's) church) have a chance at attaining celestial glory. - Joesph Smith Co-ruling in New Jerusalem (Independance, MO.), Jesus CoRuling from Jerusalem -- [LDS prophecy] "It is the will of the Lord that those who went to Zion (Independance, MO.), with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard **for the last time, or **the [2nd] coming of the Lord, which was night [soon] even fifty-six years [within 56 years of 1835], should wind up the [LDS] scene." quote by Joseph Smith in 1835. -False, as usual. The [LDS] Prophecy was conditional. The Lord said that if Joseph were to live till that time then the Lord would wind up His Purposes. (The History of the [LDS] Church, vol II, page 182). -- Wikipedia: Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805 - June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and the founder of the Latter Day Saint [LDS-Mormon] movement. [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Introduction: Conclusion - The modern Christian Church Protestant/Evangelical just like ancient Israel and Judah has to be wise, discerning and understanding in its decisions, affiliations and actions - Our own individual actions have consequences and if we choose to follow along with worldly church leaders then like ancient Israel we will fall to those worldly leaders if however we chose like the Apostles did to follow Jesus Christ then fellowship with God will be our calling and our opportunity! -- "Hosea 14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein." The Book of Hosea concludes: "Hosea 14:1-9 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under His shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard Him, and observed Him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is Thy fruit found. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein." [article link] Update: 09-15-2011 - Coming Soon Basic Christian: End Times Introduction - My short trip out of town has been delayed [mostly due to weather] Note: should be able to blog most [or all] of the End Time intro by the end of this weekend. -- The End Time Study is going to start a framework with the O.T. Book of *Hosea and prophecies from the O.T. Prophets Amos and Joel and conclude with a look at some current and future events. [article link] Update: 09-15-2011 - I'll be out of town for a few days and then sometime after I get back I have some End Times study info to post - The End Time Study is going to start with the O.T. Book of *Hosea and prophecies from the O.T. Prophets Amos and Joel ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown Note: After the blog Studies resume some End Time info is going to be posted but just enough to get some background and direction into the Biblical End Time events. The main posting is still going to be the blog History Study finishing the 8 Kingdoms [6 of the Kingdoms are ancient global history, the 7th Kingdom is
current global events and the 8th global Kingdom is yet future] study portion and then the Church History [less-ancient history] Portion. [article link] Now Available: The Basic Christian Ministry FREE eBooks (ePub - Mobi) The Basic Christian Epub eBooks have been updated and now a Kindle (Mobi) version has been added for each of the five currently available Basic Christian eBooks. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown[article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Introduction - "Hosea 1:11 Then shall the **Children of Judah [Southern Kingdom] and the **Children of Israel [Northern Kingdom] be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel [Hosea 1:4 - people who have been taken advantage of by others in authority]." "Hosea 3:4-5 For the Children of Israel shall abide many days [Diaspora] without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the Children of Israel return [1948 A.D.], and seek the LORD their God, and David [Beloved - Jesus Christ also like King David of the House of Judah] their King; and shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days." -- "Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Jews - Judah and Israel] and upon thy Holy City [Jerusalem], *to finish the transgression [virgin birth - incarnation], and *to make an end of sins [cross], and to *make reconciliation for iniquity [forgiveness (Luke 23:34)], and to bring in *everlasting righteousness [resurrection life], and to seal up the vision and prophecy [2nd Coming (1 Corinthians 13:8-10)], and to *anoint the Most Holy [Messiah - Kingdom Reign - 8th Kingdom (i.e. 1 Chronicles 11:3)]." [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Introduction - Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem - We need some Biblical framework to look at in order to help view the End Time contents in their proper categories and occurrences - The primary End Time Biblical structure is based upon Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem - For Example since 1948 when the Jewish homeland was re-established it is under the banner [flag] of the Nation of Israel and not yet under the banner of the Nation of Judah - This means that the Northern Kingdom [Israel] was reestablished and *not yet the Southern Kingdom of Judah Keep in mind that the ancient Nation of Israel was the rebellious, breakaway district [the 10 Northern Tribes] that broke away from Judah [the Two Southern Tribes - Judah and Benjamin] after the Kingdom reign of King Solomon [son of King David]. Though the rebellious Northern Kingdom Nation of Israel had their own Kings [rulers] and their own Prophets [foremost being the Prophet Hosea] the Nation of Israel never had a legitimate Temple and accompanying Temple Priesthood as the true Temple and Temple [Levitical] Priesthood remained in Jerusalem in Judah. - Significantly [for End Times Biblical Prophecy] the rebirth of the Jewish Nation in 1948 was the rebirth of the Nation of Israel, a Nation with rulers [Prime Ministers - Presidents] and Prophets [Rabbis] but not a Temple. The prophetic and Biblical reason that Israel was reestablished and not yet Judah is because Judah with a Temple is where the Messiah will reign and rule from and since the Messiah (Jesus) has already come the first time to Judah the rebuilt [future] Judah will not take place until the 2nd Coming of the Messiah. Therefore Biblically Judah is yet to be established and there should be a distinction in an End Time study that there are certain differences between the Nations of Israel and Judah and the Holy city of Jerusalem and that the Nation of Israel [1948] and the Holy City of Jerusalem [1967] are validly in existence at this time but that the reestablished Judah [Temple Israel] is not yet in existence and will not be until the Millennial Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ the coming 8th global Kingdom. [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - 1947-1948 Israel Reestablished - THE DECLARATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL May 14, 1948 - On the 29th November, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution [Resolution 181] calling for the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz[Land]-Israel ACCORDINGLY WE, MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ERETZ-ISRAEL AND OF THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT, ARE HERE ASSEMBLED ON THE DAY OF THE TERMINATION OF THE BRITISH MANDATE OVER ERETZ-ISRAEL AND, BY VIRTUE OF OUR NATURAL AND
HISTORIC RIGHT AND ON THE STRENGTH OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HEREBY DECLARE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE IN ERETZ-ISRAEL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE STATE OF ISRAEL. ... WE APPEAL to the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora to rally round the Jews of Eretz-Israel in the tasks of immigration and upbuilding and to stand by them in the great struggle for the realization of the age-old dream - the redemption of Israel. -- PLACING OUR TRUST IN THE "ROCK OF ISRAEL" (Psalms 19:14 in Hebrew -- i.e. Psalms 18:1-2), WE AFFIX OUR SIGNATURES TO THIS PROCLAMATION AT THIS SESSION OF THE PROVISIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE, ON THE SOIL OF THE HOMELAND, IN THE CITY OF TELAVIV, ON THIS SABBATH EVE, THE 5TH DAY OF IYAR, 5708 (14TH MAY,1948). ~ David Ben-Gurion [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Rock of Israel - The Rock of Israel is a concept in Judaism that alludes to God, and in Zionism and politics, to the **cultural and historical heritage of the Jewish people and the foundation of the [modern] State of Israel - The term was used in the Israeli Declaration of Independence as a compromise [Rock instead of the word Redeemer] between religious and secular Jews Wikipedia: In Psalm 19:14 [in the Hebrew Version] of the Old Testament of the Bible, God is referred to as the "Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." In religious terms, the "Rock" means God, who protects the Jewish people and is the center of their faith, which defines their identity and consciousness. The term indicates the trust and faith of people in God, who is immutable [cannot be modified - Wiki.com]. However, secular Zionists have interpreted this term in a non-religious way to mean the cultural and historical heritage that has preserved Jewish community and identity over centuries. Both meanings have influenced the movement for the return of Jews to the Holy Land and the creation of the Jewish state of Israel. A phrase beginning "Rock of Israel" is part of the morning prayers in some versions of the [Jewish] prayerbook, where it is recited immediately before the Shemonah Esrei prayer [Shemoneh Esrei prayer - "The Standing Prayer" - Amidah]. -- Controversy: The term "Rock of Israel" was subject of controversy just before the promulgation of the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948. The leaders present at the ceremony and who were to be signatories of the declaration believed that the declaration should express the fundamental values and principles that would define the new state, which would give the Jewish people a homeland in Palestine after 2,000 years. -- The Jewish religious leaders, led by Rabbi Fishman-Maimon wanted a clear reference to God by the usage of the words "The Rock of Israel and its Redeemer." However, a large segment of the Jewish leadership included those with secular and socialist convictions who sought a clear separation of church and state. Aharon Zisling, the left-wing leader of Mapam refused to sign the declaration of independence if it contained references to "a God in whom he did not believe." The disagreement threatened to derail the actual and ceremonial proclamation of the establishment of a Jewish state in the former British Mandate of Palestine. -- Israeli leader David BenGurion, who would become the country's first Prime Minister, spent the morning of 14 May [1948] mediating the dispute between Rabbi Maimon and Zisling. After hours of talks, Rabbi Maimon agreed to leave out the term **"Redeemer" from the text of the declaration. The compromise was included without a final vote. Later in his life Ben-Gurion is said to have explained that to him, "Rock of Israel" meant "the Old Testament with its history and traditions", or "Tzahal" (the Israeli army). -- English translation: Significantly, the whole passage containing the words "Rock of Israel" was not included in the English language translation that was released for publication, owing to the military censorship imposed to keep the time and place of the ceremony secret in the wake of the war that was about to begin. -- Despite Ben-Gurion's conviction that "Rock of Israel" was not necessarily a religious term, the official English translation composed by Moshe Sharet, and cited in official documents, rendered it as "Almighty God." It was not until 1962 that the Israeli government changed it to the more literal "Rock of Israel". [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - A Two Millennium Christian Church Age - Hosea 6:2 After two days [the two thousand years (two Millennium) of the Christian Church Age?] will He [God] revive us: in the third day [3rd Millennium - Kingdom Reign - 8th Kingdom] He [God] will raise us up, and we shall live [in God's Kingdom] in His sight. {Note: It's possible that a Two Thousand year Christian Church Age has been Prophesied in the Bible and if that is in fact the case then in about the year 2033 A.D. [22 years from now 2011] the Christian Church
Age will be 2,000 years old and could come to a close at about that time, or sooner, as Biblical events transition out of the Christian Church Age and into the Revelation End Time events and then on into the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom Age of the Messiah.} For the current events portion of this study we are going to look at the possibility that today's Protestant/Evangelical Christian Church segment is rebellious and disobedient towards God and towards the greater Catholic Church in the same way that ancient Israel [10 Northern Tribes] were rebellious and disobedient towards God and the Kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem. -- "Hosea 5:1-9 Hear ye this, O Priests [Pastors]; and hearken (listen), ye House of Israel [breakaway - i.e. Protestants]; and give ye ear, O House of the King [leaders]; **for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare [hindrance] on Mizpah, and a net [worldly, seeker friendly] spread upon Tabor. And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all. I know Ephraim [the territory of Ephraim contained the early centers of Israelite religion Shechem and Shiloh (where the Tabernacle was located) - these factors contributed to making Ephraim the most dominant of the tribes in the Kingdom of Israel, and led to Ephraim becoming a synonym for the entire (Northern) Kingdom - Wikipedia], and Israel is not hid from Me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled. **They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD. **And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them. They shall go with their flocks and with their herds [congregations] to seek the LORD; but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn Himself from them. They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange [emergent] children: now shall a month [short time] devour them with their portions. [Announce] Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin. Ephraim shall be desolate ***in the day of rebuke: among the Tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be." [article link]
Basic Christian: End Times - Amillennialism - What is Amillennialism? By Michael J. Vlach, Ph.D. - Amillennialism is a [heretical] theological view concerning the 1000-year reign of Jesus Christ that is mentioned in Revelation 20:1-6 - In particular, Amillennialism is the perspective that there will not be a future literal 1000-year reign of Christ upon the earth - The inseparable Latin prefix a means "no" and the term "millennium" is Latin for "1000 years" - Thus, Amillennialism literally means "no [literal Kingdom on earth for] 1000 years" - *Premillennialism, not Amillennialism, was the predominant view in the first 300 years of church history However, the early church did evidence hints [Origen (185-254 A.D.)] of what later would become Amillennialism Amillennialism is a theological view concerning the 1000-year reign of Jesus Christ that is mentioned in Revelation 20:1-6. In particular, Amillennialism is the perspective that there will not be a future literal 1000-year reign of Christ upon the earth. The inseparable Latin prefix a means "no" and the term "millennium" is Latin for "1000 years." Thus, Amillennialism literally means "no 1000 years." It should be noted that the term Amillennialism is a reactionary title in that it denies the presence of a future literal 1000-year reign of Christ on earth that premillennialists affirm. However, Amillennialists do in fact believe in a millennium; what they reject, though, is the idea of a future literal 1000-year reign of Christ on earth after the second coming of Christ. According to Amillennialism, the millennium of Revelation 20:1-6 is being fulfilled spiritually in the present age before the return of Jesus Christ. Thus, the millennium or kingdom of Christ is in existence now. Amillennialists affirm that the millennium began with the resurrection and/or ascension of Christ and will be consummated when Jesus returns again to establish the Eternal Kingdom that is discussed in Revelation 21-22. -- For amillennialists, Satan is presently bound and Christians are now enjoying the benefits of the millennium. Some amillennialists claim that the millennium also involves the reigning of saints who are now in heaven. Amillennialists claim that the 1000-year period that is mentioned in Revelation 20:1-6 refers to a long indefinite period of time between the two comings of Christ and is not a literal 1000- year period that occurs after Jesus' return. Because amillennialists believe Christ is currently reigning in the millennium, some, like Jay Adams, believe the title "Realized Millennialism" is a more appropriate title than "Amillennialism." -- In regard to the end times, Amillennialism affirms the following chronological scenario: Christ is now ruling in His kingdom
while Satan is bound from deceiving the nations. Tribulation is experienced in the present age even though Christ is ruling. Jesus will return again to earth. After Jesus returns there will be a general bodily resurrection of all the righteous people and a general judgment of all unbelievers. The Eternal Kingdom will begin. -Amillennialism in History: Premillennialism, not Amillennialism, was the predominant view in the first 300 years of church history. However, the early church did evidence hints of what later would become Amillennialism. For example, Origen (185-254) popularized the allegorical approach to interpreting Scripture, and in doing so, laid a hermeneutical basis for the view that the promised kingdom of Christ was spiritual and not earthly in nature. Eusebius (270-340), an associate of the emperor Constantine, viewed Constantine's reign as the Messianic banquet, and he held to anti-premillennial views. Tyconius, an African Donatist of the fourth century, was one of the earliest theologians to challenge Premillennialism. He rejected the eschatological and futuristic view of Revelation 20. Instead, he said that the millennium was being fulfilled in the present age and that the 1000 years mentioned was not a literal 1000 years. Tyconius also viewed the first resurrection of Revelation 20:4 as a spiritual resurrection which was the new birth. -- Augustine (354-430 A.D.), who is often referred to as the ‘ Father of Amillennialism,' popularized the views of Tyconius. Augustine abandoned Premillennialism because of what he considered to be the excesses and carnalities of this view. He also interpreted Mark 3:27 to be a present binding of Satan. Augustine was the first to identify the Catholic Church in its visible form with the kingdom of God. For him, the millennial rule of Christ was taking place in and through the church, including its sacraments and offices. His book, City of God, was significant in the promotion and acceptance of Amillennialism. ... [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Postmillennial [Dominionism] (1 of 2) - The Postmillennial Error or the Golden Age of Righteousness and Peace {without the physical presence of Jesus} by Rev. D. H. Kuiper - Postmillennialism takes the word figuratively, denoting a long period of time belonging to the last part of this Christian era, and immediately prior to Christ's [2nd] appearing - It is well to let a Postmillennialist define his own position "Postmillennialism is that view of the last things [End Times] which holds the kingdom [dominion] of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the gospel and saving work of the Holy Spirit, that the world eventually will be Christianized [Dominionized], and that the return of Christ will occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace, commonly called the millennium" L. Boettner The importance for the Church of the return of Jesus Christ can hardly be overemphasized. It is the one aspect of the promise that awaits fulfillment. It is the last and crowning work on the whole process of redemption. It is, therefore, the object of the longing of hope that is in every saint. The return of Christ: the resurrection of the body . . . and final judgment . . . the renewal of all things . . . eternal glory! -- Generally speaking there are three views which seek to set forth the Scriptural truth of the second coming of Jesus and the kingdom He shall perfect. These views differ according to the interpretation given to the word millennium (Latin - mille, one thousand; and annum, year). This word occurs but six times in Scripture and each time it is found in the twentieth chapter of Revelation, an admittedly difficult and symbolical portion of the Word. To the word millennium are added various prefixes (post-, pre-, and a-), thus designating a particular view in respect to the thousand years. Premillennialism takes the millennium literally and maintains that Christ shall come, and then reign upon this earth for exactly one thousand years. Postmillennialism takes the word figuratively, denoting a long period of time belonging to the last part of this Christian era, and immediately prior to Christ's appearing. The Amillennialist also interprets the millennium symbolically, only he maintains that it refers to the whole of the Christian era. We propose to call your attention to these positions in this series of three articles, subjecting them to the light of Scripture, in the hope they may be constructive to our faith and hope. We will begin with a consideration of Postmillennialism. -- It is well to let a Postmillennialist define his own position. "Postmillennialism is that view of the last things which holds the kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the gospel and saving work of the Holy Spirit, that the world eventually will be Christianized, and that the return of Christ will occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace, commonly called the millennium." (L. Boettner) This definition is representative of those who hold this view. We wish to develop several of its elements that their implications be clearly before us. ... Decisive for the Christian
is what the Word of God says concerning the realities of salvation, sin, the millennium, the last things. **The Postmillennialist either ignores certain passages of Scripture, or he gives them a very forced, unnatural meaning. ... We ask you to study Matthew 24 and Revelation 20, plus other relevant portions of Scripture. Put aside all private opinions, and let yourselves be guided by the Spirit and Word. Do this only after you have prayed. We believe that you will see that we live near the end of the millennium, that the period of time that stretches from the first coming of Christ to His return. In that era may be observed a twofold development: the world increases in sin and godlessness until Antichrist is revealed, and it is ripe for destruction; the Church is gathered and saved, even unto the last elect! Then shall Christ come. And with Him the end! [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Postmillennial [Dominionism] (2 of 2) - Pre-Millennial and Post-Millennial Doctrines Do Not Mix by Sandy Simpson - Many Christians today have begun to accept a mixture of Pre Mil and Post Mil doctrines - Many claim they still hold to a Pre Trib Rapture and at the same time would claim that Christians are in a great end times revival, that "Transformation" is taking place all over the world, and that our mandate is to retake dominion over the whole world including its businesses, social agendas and political arenas (a Post Mil scenario) - But what many "Christians" today do not realize is: the mixture they have accepted is oxymoronic If you are truly a Pre Millennialist you hold to the fact that we are NOT in the Millennium but in a time of preaching the Gospel while a falling away from the Faith is taking place - Pre Mils believe that Jesus Christ will come back and establish His Kingdom in the Millennium and **until then we are to carry out the Great Commission and be light and salt, therefore our mandate is NOT to take dominion over the earth Many Christians today (having allowed themselves to be diapraxed by false teachers on TV, in books, in seminars and on tape) have begun to accept a mixture of Pre Mil and Post Mil doctrines. Many claim they still hold to a Pre Trib Rapture (or another Pre Mil scenario) and at the same time would claim that Christians are in a great end times revival, that "Transformation" is taking place all over the world, and that our mandate is to retake dominion over the whole world including its businesses, social agendas and political arenas (a Post Mil scenario). But what many "Christians" today do not realize is: the mixture they have accepted is oxymoronic. If you are truly a Pre Millennialist you hold to the fact that we are NOT in the Millennium but in a time of preaching the Gospel while a falling away from the Faith is taking place. Pre Mils believe that Jesus Christ will come back and establish His Kingdom in the Millennium and until then we are to carry out the Great Commission and be light and salt, therefore our mandate is NOT to take dominion over the earth. -- If you are a Post Millennialist you believe that we are in a time of great revival because, figuratively (certainly not literally according to the Bible) we are already in the Millennium. Many of them believe that Satan is bound, that we can bind territorial demons (why they are roaming around when Satan cannot I do not know!) and that we can command the weather and retake dominion over the earth promised to Adam. Jesus Christ will then, according to Post Mils, come back at the end of the Millennial age we are currently in and then the old earth will be destroyed and the new heaven and new earth will begin. If you don't believe that this is what Post Mils believe, then read what Post Millennialists/Dominionists C. Peter Wagner and company are saying and doing. Our theological bedrock is what has been known as Dominion Theology. This means that our divine mandate is to do whatever is necessary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to retake the dominion of God's creation which Adam forfeited to Satan in the Garden of Eden. It is nothing less than seeing God's kingdom coming and His will being done here on earth as it is in heaven. (C. Peter Wagner, letter, May 31, 2007) -- So have you bought into the dominion delusion? If you get in your car and follow me home you will end up where I end up ... at my home. If you are following false apostles like C. Peter Wagner then you will end up where he is going. Are you falling away? Instead of falling away, run away from these people! [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Dominion [Heresy] Theology - Should Christians "take dominion" in the world [Postmillennial] before Jesus Christ returns? - Two movements within American Christian Church say yes - Both of these [Postmillennial] movements fall under the classification of "Dominion Theology" which states a Biblical mandate to occupy or control all **secular [7th Kingdom - the Kingdom of Antichrist] institutions until [Jesus] Christ returns
Christian Reconstructionism: First is the Christian Reconstruction movement, led by such men as Gary North and R.J. Rushdoony. Almost unknown 30 years ago, Reconstructionsim is now influencing the evangelical Church. Its leadership is aggressive, with a Postmillennialist call for Christians to take over the world before Christ can return. Postmillennialism teaches the kingdom of God is now being extended in the world by preaching the Gospel, so that the world will be Christianized during this nonliteral Millennium. Its goal is for a worldwide conquest by Christianity to take over the world for Christ. In their view, this is to be done by the Church, while Christ the King is absent from the earth, something which the Bible simply does not teach. -Kingdom Now: The second group of Dominionists is known as Kingdom Now, led by men such as Earl Paulk and Thomas Reid. "Kingdom Now theology" urges the Church to become united and mature under the rule of charismatic apostles and prophets (such as Paulk), and take control of secular institutions enough to establish that the Church represents the authority of Christ. The emphasis on the Church's taking "dominion" in both of these movements has led to their being associated together under the label "Dominion Theology." -- Today in the Church there is a changing attitude toward Israel, which is attributed to to the teachings of Dominionists. One of the key doctrines of this movement is the claim that the Church is now Israel, heir to all of her promises, and that national Israel has been cut off from God, and has further no place in the prophetic scheme. The Bible, however, teaches just the opposite. God will never cast off Israel as the Prophet Jeremiah states: If the heavens can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below then I will also cast off all the offspring for Israel for all that they have done, declares the Lord (Jeremiah 31:37). -- During the first three centuries of the apostolic Church, which was clearly Premillennial not Postmillennial, "reconstructing society" was never entertained. Christ clearly taught "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). The Bible teaches us that the world will become more corrupt in the last days, then after the Tribulation period Christ will return and establish His millennial kingdom. Reigning over the whole earth from Jerusalem, His Capital, Israel will be made the leader of the nations, and the Church will reign with Him for a "literal" thousand years. The Church is never commanded to subdue the earth on its own, this simply will not happen until Christ returns. The Church's main responsibility is evangelism and discipleship, not political activism. Our call as believers is to change people through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not to change society through social reformation. [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Introduction - End Times for Dummies (4 online videos) These videos are about 3-5 minutes long. They were created by a professor from the Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary "Simple and to the point" (and cartoonish). All of the following are in Vimeo format. [article link]
Basic Christian: End Times - Premillennialism (1 of 2) - What is premillennialism? - Premillennialism is the view that Christ's second coming will occur prior to His millennial kingdom, and that the millennial kingdom is a literal 1000-year reign of Christ on earth Now, with all this in mind, examine what is recorded in Revelation 20:1-7. The thousand years which is repeatedly mentioned in this passage corresponds to Christ's literal 1000-year reign on the earth. Recall that the promise made to David regarding a ruler had to be fulfilled literally and has not yet taken place. Premillennialism sees this passage as describing the future fulfillment of that promise with Christ on the throne. God made unconditional covenants with both Abraham and David. Neither of these covenants has been fully or permanently fulfilled. A literal, physical rule of Christ is the only way the covenants can be fulfilled as God promised they would. -- Applying a literal method of interpretation to Scripture results in the pieces of the puzzle coming together. All of the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus' first coming were fulfilled literally. Therefore, we should expect the prophecies regarding His second coming to be fulfilled literally as well. Premillennialism is the only system that agrees with a literal interpretation of God's covenants and end-times prophecy. [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Premillennialism (2 of 2) - Premillennialism, as a system, is based on a literal or normative method of biblical interpretation as opposed to Amillennialism which spiritualizes its interpretation
and does not take the Bible literally In premillennialism, words mean what they normally mean in everyday usage, while at the same time it allows for legitimate figures of speech. The simple thesis of premillennialism is that Jesus will literally return to the earth before (pre) the Millennium begins and that He himself will inaugurate and rule over it. In contrast, Amillennialism sees the kingdom of God, not as a literal kingdom, but present now "in the hearts of man." -Premillennialists can be divided into two subgroups on the basis of their basic approach to prophetic texts. Historicist premillennialists believe that scriptural prophecy - especially the passages in Daniel and Revelation give the entire history of the church in symbolic form. Thus they look into the church's past and present to find prophetic fulfillment's and to see where they are in God's prophetic timetable. In contrast to historicist premillennialism, the dispensational theory of premillennialism, advanced in 1830 by John Nelson Darby has gained popularity among modern evangelicals, ascribing biblical significance to almost every new development in current world events. The second coming of Christ, and subsequent establishment of the millenial kingdom, is to be preceded by a seven year-long period known as the "Tribulation" - the Earthly activity of the Antichrist as well as the outpouring of God's wrath on mankind. [article link] Basic Christian: End Times - Premillennial Dispensationalism - Basically, the fundamental difference between historic premillennialism and dispensational premillennialism consists in the latter's insistence on maintaining a distinction between the Nation of Israel and the [Christian] Church - According to dispensationalists, the millennium will be a period of history in which God reverts back to fulfilling His Old Testament promises made to ethnic Israel, after this modern "Church Age" in which we live today is concluded [i.e. the Rapture of the Church] - As such, the millennium will be a state of Jewish {Kingdom - in that Jesus is Jewish [Jesus' dominion] and will reign [8th Global Kingdom] from Jerusalem [in Judah] while the previous 7 Global Kingdoms of the earth will have all been under *Gentile dominion, rule and authority - The 8th Kingdom is the one Jewish Kingdom while the other 7 Global Kingdoms [Nimrod through Antichrist] will all have been Gentile Kingdoms.} over all the world, along with a newly restored Jewish temple and priesthood [in Jerusalem] -- {Note: The Basic Christian Ministry is going to blog a type of Premillennial Dispensationalism though several of the events, meanings, interpretations and even the timeline of activity will be slightly different. For Example: The Basic Christian Ministry is going to blog that the Jews and ALL the Gentile Nations [those who survive and do not take the Mark of the Beast 666] will physically enter into the Millennial Age (with the sheep and Goats 'Judgment of the Nations' (Matthew 25:32) occurring at the end of the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ). While it is the Saved Christians, Saved Martyred Saints of Revelation and Saved Old Testament Saints that are unable to physically enter the Millennium and will enter the Millennium in a Redeemed Spiritual body. (i.e. Romans 8:23)} In contrast to historic premillennialism, dispensational premillennialism has gained popularity among modern evangelicals. Dispensational premillennialists hold that the second coming of Christ, and subsequent establishment of the millennial kingdom, is to be preceded by a seven-year-long period known as the "Tribulation," the earthly activity of the Antichrist as well as the outpouring of God's wrath on mankind. Dispensational premillennialists hold that the nation of Israel will be saved and restored to a place of preeminence in the millennium. Thus, Israel will have a special function of service in the millennium that is different from that of the Church or saved Gentiles. [article link] Update: 09-15-2011 - Coming Soon Basic Christian: End Times Introduction - My short trip out of town has been delayed [mostly due to weather] Note: should be able to blog most [or all] of the End Time intro by the end of this weekend. -- The End Time Study is going to start a framework with the O.T. Book of *Hosea and prophecies from the O.T. Prophets Amos and Joel and conclude with a look at some current and future events. [article link] Update: 09-15-2011 - I'll be out of town for a few days and then sometime after I get back I have some End Times study info to post - The End Time Study is going to start with the O.T. Book of *Hosea and prophecies from the O.T. Prophets Amos and Joel ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown
Note: After the blog Studies resume some End Time info is going to be posted but just enough to get some background and direction into the Biblical End Time events. The main posting is still going to be the blog History Study finishing the 8 Kingdoms [6 of the Kingdoms are ancient global history, the 7th Kingdom is current global events and the 8th global Kingdom is yet future] study portion and then the Church History [less-ancient history] Portion. [article link] Herescope: Who Invented Dominionism? - Partial quote of C. Peter Wagner "Dominion means [co-ruling with Jesus in the 8th Kingdom the Millennial Reign - not now!] ruling as kings. It says in Revelation Chapter 1:6 that He has made us kings and priests and check the rest of that verse; it says for dominion. So we are kings for dominion." -- (C. Peter Wagner founder of the heretical groups 'New Apostolic Reformation' and 'Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders' - Wiki.com) -- {Note: Christians have a part in dominion during the future 8th Kingdom on earth during the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ. The coming kingdom on earth that will be the 7th biblical global kingdom is to be the Kingdom of Antichrist. Clearly C. Peter Wagner and his false apostles are advocating ruling within the Antichrist Kingdom and not in the later Kingdom on earth with Jesus.} -"Revelation 1:6 And hath made us [Christians] kings and priests unto God [Jesus Christ] and His Father; **to Him [Jesus Christ] be **glory and **dominion for ever and ever. Amen." There is a fascinating ongoing Internet discussion going on right now from all sides of the Dominionism issue. Some are denying it exists. Others are having semantic debates about the term itself. Others are scrambling to whitewash and soften the term, or are distancing themselves from its more extreme teachings. Some are claiming that conspiracy kooks invented it. Others are claiming that Liberal Leftists invented it. Some blame Reconstructionists Rushdoony and North, and steadfastly (or sarcastically) refuse to look at the other Dominionist streams. The Reconstructionists are scrambling to distance themselves from the 7 Mountains. And Francis Schaeffer is rapidly being reinvented on all sides. Revisionist history abounds. Here is just a smattering of the type of comments about it from all sides of the issue: ... Who First Used the Term Dominion/Dominionism? -- All of this leads to the bottom-line question. Who first used the term DOMINIONISM? Some of the semantic tap-dancing about this word ignores the fact that the root word of this is DOMINION, which is a biblical term found in Genesis chapter 1:26: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." This is similarly repeated in verse 28 with the additional words, "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it." Obviously, the Scripture uses the term "dominion." In its plainest literal sense this verse has traditionally meant that man is placed over God's creatures. But the Dominion (or "Cultural") Mandate teaches something very different from this. In all of its various forms, brand names, and theological streams it teaches that these verses have to do with the church exercising authority (sometimes called "influence") over the world system: society, culture and government. ... It might surprise some folks to know that Jeremy Rifkin used the term "dominionism" back in 1979 in his book The Emerging Order, and he used it in the context of Genesis 1 and creating a mandate for stewardship over the earth itself. He wanted to enlist the support of the Charismatics to energize his idea of a "new covenant" for global Dominion. ... Oddly, Gary DeMar's group seems to have forgotten that he once worked alongside the NAR Dominionists in their formative years as they together built the Coalition on Revival organization for Dominionist action on earth, starting with the American political scene. DeMar was on the Editorial Committee, and this group issued seventeen "sphere" documents that parallel the NAR's 7 mountains. [article link] Regarding our further blog studies - The First Three Church Councils - Jerusalem in about 49 A.D. (Acts 15:6) attended by the Apostles and Supervised by James [a brother of Jude and half-brother to Jesus] - The Councils of Antioch [Christological (is Jesus really God) controversies] in 264-268 A.D. -- and later the Nicaea Council in Nicaea, Bithynia (Turkey) in 325 A.D. attended by the Church Bishops [Constantine had invited all 1800 bishops of the Christian church, about 1000 from the Roman Eastern Empire and 800 from the Roman Western Empire Wiki.com] *supervised (incognito) by Roman Emperor Constantine I aka Constantine the Great
The first Church Council in Jerusalem [about 49 A.D.] was to determine the important issue of allowing Gentiles access into the Jewish Christian Church (i.e. Genesis 12:3). The second Church Council the Councils of Antioch [in Turkey] where in regard to the important issue of letting Jesus have access back into His own Church [i.e. as the heritics, desert fathers (desert monasticism), etc. had attempted to remove Jesus from His Church -- Losing in the verdicts of the Councils at Antioch the heretics went out into the desert of Egypt and became the desert (monks) monastics]. The third Church Council Nicaea 325 A.D. was in regard to allowing the Roman Government access into and over the Christian Church (i.e. Romans 13:1). Constantine in a sense attempted to prevail for the Roman Government [in false doctrine] where the earlier heretic monks had failed to gain influence over the Christian Church at Antioch. Don't be misled the Arian heresy [Jesus as Son was not God] and the few other topics [The date of celebration of the Paschal (Passover)/Easter observation. The Meletian schism. The validity of baptism by heretics. The status of the lapse in the (Christian) persecution under coEmperor Licinius. - Wiki.com] were not about a healthy Church and doctrine but were about setting a secular Roman Government up as arbitrator and mediator over the affairs of the Christian Church. When we study Church History much of the study is going to be in regards to the give and take between Church Authority (i.e. Bishop Ambrose 339-397 A.D.) and Government (State) Authority (i.e. King James I of England 1566-1625 A.D.) -- Note: the Nicaea Council is often considered the first Church Council because it was the first Church/State Council and because it was the biggest and most impacting of the time. [article link] Desert Fathers - The Desert Fathers were hermits, ascetics, monks, and nuns (Desert Mothers) who lived mainly in the Scetes desert of Egypt {in the area of Sinai Peninsula, Egypt – not the Mt. Sinai area of Saudi Arabia} beginning around the third century [200's] AD - The most well known was Anthony the Great, who moved to the desert in 270– 271 A.D. and became known as both the father and founder of desert monasticism - By the time Anthony died in 356 A.D., thousands of monks and nuns had been drawn to living in the desert following Anthony's example his biographer, Athanasius of Alexandria, wrote that "the desert had become a city" [the mostly heretical community of pseudo-christians were moving away from the cities where they were being exposed as heretics to the desert much as a result of the Church Councils of Antioch in 264– 268 A.D.] Development of monastic communities: The small communities forming around the Desert Fathers were the beginning of Christian monasticism. Initially Anthony and others lived as hermits, sometimes forming groups of two or three. Small informal communities began developing, until the monk Pachomius, seeing the need for a more formal structure, established a monastery with rules and organization. His regulations included discipline, obedience, manual labor, silence, fasting, and long periods of prayer —some historians view the rules as being inspired by Pachomius' experiences as a soldier. -- The first fully organized monastery under Pachomius included men and women living in separate quarters, up to three in a room. They supported themselves by weaving cloth and baskets, along with other tasks. Each new monk or nun had a three year probationary period, concluding with admittance in full standing to the monastery. All property was held communally, meals were eaten together and in silence, twice a week they fasted, and they wore simple peasant clothing with a hood. Several times a day they came together for prayer and readings, and each person was expected to spend time alone meditating on the scriptures. Programs were created for educating those who came to the monastery unable to read. -- Pachomius also formalized the establishment of an abba (father) or amma (mother) in charge of the spiritual welfare of their monks and nuns, with the implication that those joining the monastery were also joining a new family. Members also formed smaller groups, with different tasks in the community and the responsibility of looking after each other's welfare. The new approach grew to the point that there were tens of thousands of monks and nuns in these organized communities within decades of Pachomius' death. One of the early pilgrims to the desert was Basil of Caesarea, who took the Rule of Pachomius into the eastern church. Basil expanded the idea of community by integrating the monks and nuns into the wider public community, with the monks and nuns under the authority of a bishop and serving the poor and needy. -- As more pilgrims began visiting the monks in the desert, the early literature coming from the monastic communities began spreading. Latin versions of the original Greek stories and sayings of the Desert Fathers, along with the earliest monastic rules coming out of the desert, guided the early monastic
development in the Byzantine world and eventually in the western Christian world. The Rule of Saint Benedict was strongly influenced by the Desert Fathers, with Saint Benedict urging his monks to read the writings of John Cassian on the Desert Fathers. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers was also widely read in the early Benedictine monasteries. -- Withdrawal from society: The legalization of Christianity by the Roman Empire in 313 A.D. actually gave Anthony a greater resolve to go out into the desert. Anthony, who was nostalgic for the tradition of martyrdom, saw withdrawal and asceticism as an alternative. **When members of the {desert monastic} Church began finding ways to work with the Roman state, {a few of} the Desert Fathers saw that as a compromise between "the things of God and the things of Caesar." **The monastic communities were essentially **an alternate [heretical] Christian society. The {few early} hermits doubted that religion and politics could ever produce a truly Christian society. For them, the only Christian society was spiritual and not mundane. -- {Note: Where the early (heretics) Desert Monks failed to influence the early Christian Church via their false doctrine the Roman Government via Constantine would succeed in exerting a secular influence over the Christian Church. Then with a Roman secular influence over the Christian Church [starting from about 313 A.D - 325 A.D. the Desert Heretics were then able to leave behind the desert and [under the guise of the 313 A.D. edict of religious tolerance] once again entered the cities to work as scholars, faculty, administrators, and priests for avenues to continue to influence the true Christian Church with their destructive and very unchristian heresies.} [article link] Update: 09-12-2011 - The current schedule is to post a couple of items and update some eBook material then I'll be out of town for about the next week - The Apostles series has been concluded at least for the time being Note: If we were to continue with the study of the Apostles at some point it would require more and more speculation as we would have to speculate about where some of the 12 Apostles went and what they accomplished. Instead of speculating about some of the Apostles I think it's better if we speculated instead on some of the End Time events. Coming Soon …. End Times a study of some of the Biblical End Time events. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link] Update: 08-30-2011 - The Basic Christian Ministry Website is on Break for the next Two Weeks ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown Coming Soon: A new Series of Studies!! [article link] Updated!! Basic Christian: Info News Feed 2004-2011 - eBook available in EPUB format (ePub) The complete Basic Christian: Info News Feed 2004-2011 in ePub format. To download the eBook 'Right Click' on the Article Link and select "Save file as ..." [article link] Herescope: Who Invented Dominionism? - Partial quote of C. Peter Wagner "Dominion means [co-ruling with Jesus in the 8th Kingdom the Millennial Reign - not now!] ruling as kings. It says in Revelation Chapter 1:6 that He has made us kings and priests and check the rest of that verse; it says for dominion. So we are kings for dominion." -- (C. Peter Wagner founder of the heretical groups 'New Apostolic Reformation' and 'Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders' - Wiki.com) -- {Note: Christians have a part in dominion during the future 8th Kingdom on earth during the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ. The coming kingdom on earth that will be the 7th biblical global kingdom is to be the Kingdom of Antichrist. Clearly C. Peter Wagner and his false apostles are advocating ruling within the Antichrist Kingdom and not in the later Kingdom on earth with Jesus.} -"Revelation 1:6 And hath made us [Christians] kings and priests unto God [Jesus Christ] and His Father; **to Him [Jesus Christ] be **glory and **dominion for ever and ever. Amen." There is a fascinating ongoing Internet discussion going on right now from all sides of the Dominionism issue. Some are denying it exists. Others are having semantic debates about the term itself. Others are scrambling to whitewash and soften the term, or are distancing themselves from its more extreme teachings. Some are claiming that conspiracy kooks invented it. Others are claiming that Liberal Leftists invented it. Some blame Reconstructionists Rushdoony and North, and steadfastly (or sarcastically) refuse to look at the other
Dominionist streams. The Reconstructionists are scrambling to distance themselves from the 7 Mountains. And Francis Schaeffer is rapidly being reinvented on all sides. Revisionist history abounds. Here is just a smattering of the type of comments about it from all sides of the issue: ... Who First Used the Term Dominion/Dominionism? -- All of this leads to the bottom-line question. Who first used the term DOMINIONISM? Some of the semantic tap-dancing about this word ignores the fact that the root word of this is DOMINION, which is a biblical term found in Genesis chapter 1:26: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." This is similarly repeated in verse 28 with the additional words, "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it." Obviously, the Scripture uses the term "dominion." In its plainest literal sense this verse has traditionally meant that man is placed over God's creatures. But the Dominion (or "Cultural") Mandate teaches something very different from this. In all of its various forms, brand names, and theological streams it teaches that these verses have to do with the church exercising authority (sometimes called "influence") over the world system: society, culture and government. ... It might surprise some folks to know that Jeremy Rifkin used the term "dominionism" back in 1979 in his book The Emerging Order, and he used it in the context of Genesis 1 and creating a mandate for stewardship over the earth itself. He wanted to enlist the support of the Charismatics to energize his idea of a "new covenant" for global Dominion. ... Oddly, Gary DeMar's group seems to have forgotten that he once worked alongside the NAR Dominionists in their formative years as they together built the Coalition on Revival organization for Dominionist action on earth, starting with the American political scene. DeMar was on the Editorial Committee, and this group issued seventeen "sphere" documents that parallel the NAR's 7 mountains. [article link] Regarding our further blog studies - The First Three Church Councils - Jerusalem in about 49 A.D. (Acts 15:6) attended by the Apostles and Supervised by James [a brother of Jude and half-brother to Jesus] - The Councils of Antioch [Christological (is Jesus really God) controversies] in 264-268 A.D. -- and later the Nicaea Council in Nicaea, Bithynia (Turkey) in 325 A.D. attended by the Church Bishops [Constantine had invited all 1800 bishops of the Christian church, about 1000 from the Roman Eastern Empire and 800 from the Roman Western Empire Wiki.com] *supervised (incognito) by Roman Emperor Constantine I aka Constantine the Great The first Church Council in Jerusalem [about 49 A.D.] was to determine the important issue of allowing Gentiles access into the Jewish Christian Church (i.e. Genesis 12:3). The second Church Council the Councils of Antioch [in Turkey] where in regard to the important issue of letting Jesus have access back into His own Church [i.e. as the heritics, desert fathers (desert monasticism), etc. had attempted to remove Jesus from His Church -- Losing in the verdicts of the Councils at Antioch the heretics went out into the desert of Egypt and became the desert (monks) monastics]. The third Church Council Nicaea 325 A.D. was in regard to allowing the Roman Government access into and over the Christian Church (i.e. Romans 13:1). Constantine in a sense attempted to prevail for the Roman Government [in false doctrine] where the earlier heretic monks had failed to gain influence over the Christian Church at Antioch. Don't be misled the Arian heresy [Jesus as Son was not God] and the few other topics [The date of celebration of the Paschal (Passover)/Easter observation. The Meletian schism. The validity of baptism by heretics. The status of the lapse in the (Christian) persecution under coEmperor Licinius. - Wiki.com] were not about a healthy Church and doctrine but were about setting a secular Roman Government up as arbitrator and mediator over the affairs of the Christian Church. When we study Church History much of the study is going to be in regards to the give and take between Church Authority (i.e. Bishop Ambrose 339-397 A.D.) and Government (State) Authority (i.e. King James I of England 1566-1625 A.D.) -- Note: the Nicaea Council is often considered the first Church Council because it was the first Church/State Council and because it was the biggest and most impacting of the time. [article link] Desert Fathers - The Desert Fathers were hermits, ascetics, monks, and nuns (Desert Mothers) who lived mainly in the Scetes desert of Egypt {in the area of Sinai Peninsula, Egypt – not the Mt. Sinai area of Saudi Arabia} beginning around the third century [200's] AD - The most well known was Anthony the Great, who moved to
the desert in 270– 271 A.D. and became known as both the father and founder of desert monasticism - By the time Anthony died in 356 A.D., thousands of monks and nuns had been drawn to living in the desert following Anthony's example his biographer, Athanasius of Alexandria, wrote that "the desert had become a city" [the mostly heretical community of pseudo-christians were moving away from the cities where they were being exposed as heretics to the desert much as a result of the Church Councils of Antioch in 264– 268 A.D.] Development of monastic communities: The small communities forming around the Desert Fathers were the beginning of Christian monasticism. Initially Anthony and others lived as hermits, sometimes forming groups of two or three. Small informal communities began developing, until the monk Pachomius, seeing the need for a more formal structure, established a monastery with rules and organization. His regulations included discipline, obedience, manual labor, silence, fasting, and long periods of prayer —some historians view the rules as being inspired by Pachomius' experiences as a soldier. -- The first fully organized monastery under Pachomius included men and women living in separate quarters, up to three in a room. They supported themselves by weaving cloth and baskets, along with other tasks. Each new monk or nun had a three year probationary period, concluding with admittance in full standing to the monastery. All property was held communally, meals were eaten together and in silence, twice a week they fasted, and they wore simple peasant clothing with a hood. Several times a day they came together for prayer and readings, and each person was expected to spend time alone meditating on the scriptures. Programs were created for educating those who came to the monastery unable to read. -- Pachomius also formalized the establishment of an abba (father) or amma (mother) in charge of the spiritual welfare of their monks and nuns, with the implication that those joining the monastery were also joining a new family. Members also formed smaller groups, with different tasks in the community and the responsibility of looking after each other's welfare. The new approach grew to the point that there were tens of thousands of monks and nuns in these organized communities within decades of Pachomius' death. One of the early pilgrims to the desert was Basil of Caesarea, who took the Rule of Pachomius into the eastern church. Basil expanded the idea of community by integrating the monks and nuns into the wider public community, with the monks and nuns under the authority of a bishop and serving the poor and needy. -- As more pilgrims began visiting the monks in the desert, the early literature coming from the monastic communities began spreading. Latin versions of the original Greek stories and sayings of the Desert Fathers, along with the earliest monastic rules coming out of the desert, guided the early monastic development in the Byzantine world and eventually in the western Christian world. The Rule of Saint Benedict was strongly influenced by the Desert Fathers, with Saint Benedict urging his monks to read the writings of John Cassian on the Desert Fathers. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers was also widely read in the early Benedictine monasteries. -- Withdrawal from society: The legalization of Christianity by the Roman Empire in 313 A.D. actually gave Anthony a greater resolve to go out into the desert. Anthony, who was nostalgic for the tradition of martyrdom, saw withdrawal and asceticism as an alternative. **When members of the {desert monastic} Church began finding ways to work with the Roman state, {a few of} the Desert Fathers saw that as a compromise between "the things of God and the things of Caesar." **The monastic communities were essentially **an alternate [heretical] Christian society. The {few early} hermits doubted that religion and politics could ever produce a truly Christian society. For them, the only Christian society was spiritual and not mundane. -- {Note: Where the early (heretics) Desert Monks failed to influence the early Christian Church via their false doctrine the Roman Government via Constantine would succeed in exerting a secular influence over the Christian Church. Then with a Roman secular influence over the Christian Church [starting from about 313 A.D - 325 A.D. the Desert Heretics were then able to leave behind the desert and [under the guise of the 313 A.D. edict of religious tolerance] once again entered the cities to work as scholars, faculty, administrators, and priests for avenues to continue to influence the true Christian Church with their destructive and very unchristian heresies.} [article link] Update: 09-12-2011 - The current schedule is to post a couple of items and update some eBook material then I'll be out of town for about the next week - The Apostles series has been concluded at least for the time being Note: If we were to continue with the study of the Apostles at some point it would require more and more
speculation as we would have to speculate about where some of the 12 Apostles went and what they accomplished. Instead of speculating about some of the Apostles I think it's better if we speculated instead on some of the End Time events. Coming Soon …. End Times a study of some of the Biblical End Time events. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link] Update: 08-30-2011 - The Basic Christian Ministry Website is on Break for the next Two Weeks ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown Coming Soon: A new Series of Studies!! [article link] Updated!! Basic Christian: Info News Feed 2004-2011 - eBook available in EPUB format (ePub) The complete Basic Christian: Info News Feed 2004-2011 in ePub format. To download the eBook 'Right Click' on the Article Link and select "Save file as ..." [article link] Updated!! Basic Christian: Info News Feed 2004-2011 - eBook available in Mobi format (Mobi) The complete Basic Christian: Info News Feed 2004-2011 in Mobi format. To download the eBook 'Right Click' on the Article Link and select "Save file as ..." [article link] New!!! Basic Christian: The Complete News and Info Feed 2004-2011 (PDF) The Complete Basic Christian: Info, Resources and News RSS Feed (2004-2011) in PDF Format. [article link] New!!! Basic Christian: The Complete News and Info Feed 2004-2011 (MS Word Docx) The Complete Basic Christian: Info, Resources and News RSS Feed (2004-2011) in MS Word .docx Format. [article link]
New!!! Basic Christian: The Complete News and Info Feed 2004-2011 (RSS) The Complete Basic Christian: Info, Resources and News RSS Feed (2004-2011) in RSS Format. [article link] Now Available: The Basic Christian Ministry FREE eBooks (ePub - Mobi) The Basic Christian Epub eBooks have been updated and now a Kindle (Mobi) version has been added for each of the five currently available Basic Christian eBooks. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link] Basic Christian: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (PDF) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome - NWO] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ. [article link]
Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (PDF) The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study in PDF format. [article link]
Basic Christian 2011 Extended Version - News-Info Feed (RSS) The a current Extended Basic Christian info-news feed - a longer list of past Info RSS postings. [article link]
Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (Online) Through the Bible blog Bible Study online. The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study. [article link]
Brief Update 2011: Regarding the Basic Christian download files on Microsoft 'SkyDrive' and the new Basic Christian (Adobe Air) platform file 1. The Basic Christian files [free MS Word file downloads] located on Microsoft's 'SkyDrive' are available for
download. When a Basic Christian file [or any file] is downloaded from SkyDrive Microsoft by default has placed the file in 'Protected View' mode just click the 'Enable Editing' button being displayed and the file will revert to a standard MS Word file. 2. The new Basic Christian (Adobe Air) file is a highly recommended Platform file - the Adobe Air technology is one of the newest technologies and already much can be accomplished in the way of linking websites, adding personal comments and browsing blogs within the Basic Christian document. Please download and try the various document formats that the Basic Christian materials are now available in and look for Adobe to continue to add features to their new Air document platform. [article link]
Basic Christian download files on Microsoft 'SkyDrive' select "Download as .zip file" to download all the files with one click - Also available the new Basic Christian (Adobe Air) platform file 1. The Basic Christian files [free MS Word file downloads] located on Microsoft's 'SkyDrive' are available for download. When a Basic Christian file [or any file] is individually downloaded from SkyDrive Microsoft by default has placed the file in 'Protected View' mode just click the 'Enable Editing' button being displayed and the file will revert to a standard MS Word file. 2. The new Basic Christian (Adobe Air) file is a highly recommended Platform file - the Adobe Air technology is one of the newest technologies and already much can be accomplished in the way of linking websites, adding personal comments and browsing blogs within the Basic Christian document. Please download and try the various document formats that the Basic Christian materials are now available in and look for Adobe to continue to add features to their new Air document platform. [article link]
**Update: Basic Christian - I posted some family video that my father and I did in 2005 - It gives a little background into who I am - The blog History Study 'The 8 Kingdoms' will be on a continued short break until about next week Online and download video - God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
KJV 1611 Holy Bible - Red Letter Edition {A Free PDF KJV Bible} (PDF) The King James Version (KJV) 1611 with the Words of Jesus Formatted in Red is a complete Bible containing both the Old and the New Testaments. [article link]
Basic Christian: Documents on Issuu (Online - flipbooks) Basic Christian: The Basics of Christianity ... and then some ... [article link]
Issuu is a neat little service that lets you turn your PDF into an interactive, intuitive flipbook that you can host online and share with others - Issuu is the place for online publications: Magazines, documents, and stuff you'd normally find on print Document sharing services, including DocStoc, Scribd, and edocr, have been getting a lot of attention over the last few months - and with the premise of being a "YouTube for documents," their usefulness has been growing. Issuu, however, differenciates itself by focusing on the publishing aspect and aiming specifically at digitzing print publications. As their elevator pitch goes, "Issuu is the place for online publications: Magazines, documents, and stuff you'd normally find on print. It's the place where YOU become the publisher." -- A neat thing about the service is the sharing aspect. Users can customize their Issuu and post it easily to Facebook, MySpace, Orkut, Blogger, Friendster, Typepad, LiveJournal, and of course, embed it to their blogs via HTML (embedded on the right side is a sample Issuu.) Users can also comment on and bookmark the Issuus - a useful feature for people involved in design-related fields. -- The startup was founded back in February 2006 by a group of five people - including CEO Michael Hansen - and raised a venture round in February 2007 by
Sunstone Capital. [article link]
Updated! Now Available: The Basic Christian Ministry FREE eBooks (ePub - Mobi) The Basic Christian Epub eBooks have been updated and now a Kindle (Mobi) version has been added for each of the five currently available Basic Christian eBooks. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Update: Starting a brief study looking at Biblical Law and also at some of the aspects that surround Biblical Law i.e. God's Biblical Promises to mankind and God's Biblical Temple [House] of Ordinances used historically for interaction with mankind ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown Coming Soon: A brief study of Biblical Law [boundaries, instruction, no Salvation], the Biblical Temple [ordinances, slight interaction with God, no Salvation] and the *Promises of God [security/comfort (boundaries removed between God and man), instruction, Salvation]. Note: one way to look at the Laws of God, the Temple of God and the Promises of God is that it is only the Promises of God that Redeems and provides eternal Salvation for Mankind. How is it that mankind is saved from sin and death it is in part because of the death, blood and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross but it is a sacrifice founded on the basis of the other part the Promises of God. The blood of Jesus cleanses and saves a dying mankind because God with His Word **Promises** that it does. -- "Hebrews 10:1-7 For the Law (of Moses) having a shadow [foretelling] of **good things to come [an intimate (Sonship/Daughtership) relationship with God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)], and *not the very image of the [bodily relationship/fellowship] things, can never with those [Levitical Temple] sacrifices which they offered year by year [i.e. Yom Kippur] continually make the comers thereunto perfect [complete - reunited with God relationship/fellowship]. For then would they not have ceased to be offered [the destruction (586 B.C.) of the 1st Temple, Solomon's Temple - the then coming destruction (70 A.D.) of the 2nd rebuilt Temple, Herod's Temple]? because that the worshippers once purged [via Temple ordinances and Laws of Moses] should have had no more conscience of sins. **But in those [yearly] sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. ***For it is not possible [impossible] that the [Levitical Law, Levitical Temple] blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. ***Wherefore [as Promised, Prophesied] when He [Jesus Christ] cometh into the world, He [Jesus Christ] saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, **but a [human] body [for fellowship with mankind] hast thou [Holy Spirit] prepared Me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou [God] hast had no pleasure. ***Then [as Promised] ***said I [the Words of Jesus Christ], Lo, I [Jesus Christ] come [because as Promised] in the volume of the book [scroll, Bible] ***it is written of Me [Jesus Christ], to do Thy [God the Father] will, O God." [article link]
[Basic Christian: blog Bible Study] Mountain Of Fire - The Search For Mount Sinai [the place where God gave Moses the Levitical Law] pt 2 of 5 - The boundary markers around Mt. Sinai (Video) - Exodus 19:12 And thou shalt set bounds [boundaries] unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount [Mt. Sinai], or touch the border of it: whosoever [goes past the boundary] toucheth the mount [Mt. Sinai] shall be surely put to death:' (YouTube) Bob Cornuke from BASE Institute has been called a modern day Indiana Jones. This video is a clip from Bob's video about the The Search For Mount Sinai. [article link]
The Levitical Temple of God - The first Tabernacle/Temple of the Levitical Priesthood ensured that even the Priests officiating within the structures was unable to see God at any time (Leviticus 16:12-13) - While the New Testament in Jesus Christ insists that all Christians will see God - [Jesus' Sermon on the Mount] "Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure [cleansed by the blood of Jesus] in heart: for they shall see God." The Temple of the Old Testament was designed to keep a sinful (unclean) mankind away from the actual presence of God [Leviticus 16:12-13]. While the New Testament Temple (cleansed Christian) in the body of
Jesus Christ is designed for each individual to be able intimately interact with God. -- "Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living [Temple] sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." -- "1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price [cross]: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." [article link]
[Basic Christian: blog Bible Study] Exodus 24-27 - Aaron two of his sons (Nadab, Abihu) and the 70 leaders of Israel are invited to come closer to God and worship on Mt. Sinai [Exodus 24:1] 'and worship ye afar off' - Only Moses [representing a proxy of Jesus Christ] can come into the actual presence of God 'Exodus 24:2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they [priests, leaders] shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him' 'Exodus 25:8-9 And let them [gifted workers] make Me a sanctuary [innermost (3rd) room in the Tabernacle]; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.' - The Holy of Holies, or inner sanctuary in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem was to be the physical dwelling place for God while He remained among the Israelites. The presence of God was dwelling at Mt. Sinai where Moses met God in the burning bush the first time and where God brought the Israelites from Egypt to Mt. Sinai to meet God at however the Israelites were not staying at Mt. Sinai as God was moving them forward from Egypt into their own land the Promise Land (Canaan) so in order for God to go with the People and to be in their presence a sanctuary needed to be built and sin offerings had to be included with the sanctuary so their sins could be covered and God could then be among them. - The Holy of Holies was a place for God to dwell and man did not have access into the direct, perceivable presence of God. On one day a year "day of atonement" the Levitical High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies to bring blood from an oxen to cover (atone) for the sins for the people, the entire Nation, for one year then the next year on the same day the current High Priest would again bring in the blood as an atonement for the sins again of the entire Nation of Israel and God would remain in their midst. But even when the High Priest went into the sanctuary with the blood offering the High Priest was not allowed to see God himself lest the High Priest die. 'Leviticus 16:12 And he [High Priest] shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he [High Priest] die not:' The High Priest had to fill the sanctuary with smoke from incense burning on the coals of the alter then the High Priest could enter the sanctuary but he was not allowed to meet with God. With the law there is always a boundary between God and man keeping sinful man away from God and the smoke of the incense was a boundary keeping even the Levitical High Priest away from God away from the actual perceivable presence God the same way that Mt. Sinai had the boundary markers [piles of stones] alerting people and keeping all the people away from Mt. Sinai while God's presence was there. So actually the High Priest never technically entered the Sanctuary, the inner 3rd room Holy of Holies, the High Priest only temporarily extended the 2nd room the incense room by by increasing the incense smoke far enough into the 3rd room until he could reach the mercy seat with the blood offering then immediately the High Priest exited back out of the Sanctuary and away from the presence of God. [article link]
The Levitical Laws of God - The O.T. Levitical Laws of God only temporarily covered sin but did not take away sin (Hebrews 10:4) so at best following the Levitical Law brought a person to a boundary, an edge, a limit where a person could approach God but could go no further as was illustrated by Moses the Lawgiver who was unable to enter into the Promise Land himself being stopped by the boundary of his own few sins -- "Numbers
27:12-14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land [Promise Land] which I have given unto the Children of Israel. And **when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt (die) be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. **For ye rebelled against My commandment [law] in the desert of Zin (Numbers 20:7-12), in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin." Moses the Lawgiver was unable to enter the Promise Land of God [Numbers 27:12-14] and Moses was also unable to direct the people into the Promise Land as Moses was only able to glimpse the Land from a ways away before he died (Deuteronomy 34:4-5). But where Moses the Lawgiver was unable to succeed another person was able to completely bring everyone into the Promise Land of God, that person was not Moses but Joshua [lit. Jesus] {Note: Joshua is the Hebrew name of Jesus (the Church uses the more Greek name of Jesus)}. -- "Joshua 1:1-2 Now after the death of Moses the (Lawgiver) servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan [river], **thou, **and all this people, unto the land [Promise Land] which I do give to them, even to the Children of Israel." [article link]
[Basic Christian: blog Bible Study] Deuteronomy 32-34 - Moses prepares himself for his death - The Song of Moses -- 'Deuteronomy 32:1-4 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the Name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He' Death Outside the Promise Land: Moses the Lawgiver was only allowed to go to the border of the Promise Land, he was only allowed to glimpse the Promise Land from a distance but he was not allowed to enter into the Promise Land. Moses the Lawgiver had broken the law when Moses had unlawfully struck the Rock a second time. In actuality striking the Rock a second time was not the only law that Moses broke it was just one of the more obvious laws that Moses broke. Moses like all the rest of us he was unable to keep the law because the law can't be kept it can only be observed just as Moses observed the Promise Land from a distance, observing but not entering. - The Law does not take us into the presence of God but only to a boundary that actually keeps us apart from God. The original law in the Garden of Eden was a boundary a boundary between mankind and the experience and knowledge of evil. Mankind crossed God's Law boundary and went into the knowledge of evil [God continued to give mankind the knowledge of good]. With mankind now knowledgeable of evil the Law is not just a boundary from evil but out of necessity the Law has now also become a boundary between mankind and the Holiness of God. - The Law is the Image and Holiness of God and therefore the Law now reveals God to a separated mankind and once seeing God in His Holy Law mankind can easily recognize the need for mankind to be separated from presence and Glory of the Holy God. Separated from God that is only until a remedy can be provided to fix man's sinful predicament and remove the boundary of sin and of the Law. The remedy for our predicament and separation from God has been provided but not in our life only in a new life in the Resurrection Life provided by God's Son Jesus Christ. The Son of God, Jesus Christ will safely take us into Heaven, His Promise Land, just as certainly as Joshua the son of Nun led the Children of Israel into their Promise Land a place that the law at best could only glimpse from a distance and could not enter into but a place where the Son could not be kept out of as the Son will enter in and place his foot upon the Promise Land. -- 'Deuteronomy 31:23 And He gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the Children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.' -- 'Deuteronomy 32:52 Yet thou [Moses, Lawgiver] shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the Children of Israel.' [article link]
[Basic Christian: blog Bible Study] Galatians 4 - The Apostle Paul continues to dispel any notion that there might be benefits to following the Law that faith alone and the receiving of the Holy Spirit cannot provide -'Galatians 4:4-7 But when the fullness of the time [human history] was come, God sent forth His Son (Jesus), made of a woman [virgin birth], made under the law [Temple in Jerusalem was in operation], To redeem [bring into the presence of God] them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. *Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir [inheritor] of God through Christ.' {Note: Being redeemed from the law is not the same thing as being redeemed from sin. It is similar to a Christian practicing alcohol, drugs, pornography etc. and then being redeemed from those things that are restricting a Christian from their closer more intimate relationship with the presence of God in their life. The Law was actually a boundary keeping sinful people apart from the Holy God but after being cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and with the finality of His death on the cross the Holy Spirit then removed the boundary of the law from us and redeemed us into the actual perceivable presence of God.} 'Galatians 4:21-5:1 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid [Hagar], the other by a freewoman [Sarah]. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh [man's plan]; but he of the freewoman [Sarah] was by promise [God's plan]. Which things are an allegory [parable]: for these are the two covenants [Old Testament, New Testament]; the one from the mount Sinai [Mt. Sinai], which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar [Hagar]. For this Agar is mount Sinai in [Saudi] Arabia {the Biblical Mt. Sinai is located in Saudi Arabia with the now traditional Mt. Sinai located in Egypt}, and answereth to Jerusalem [Mt. Zion] which now is [in effect, New Testament], and [Hagar] is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem [Mt. Zion] which is above is free, which is [Sarah] the mother of us all [in faith]. ... *Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: *for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.' - This analogy of two Mountains or two locations Mt. Sinai [the Law] and Mt. Zion, Jerusalem [the cross and the resurrection] is one of the most important Biblical concepts because it goes straight to how and where we are to approach God. God was on Mt. Sinai when Moses met God in the burning bush and then as a sign God brought the Children of God out of Egypt and to Mt. Sinai to worship Him there. But they could only worship from a distance as they could not approach Mt. Sinai 'whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death' then as Moses and the Children of God journeyed to Israel their Promise Land God went with them. God in allegory left Mt. Sinai [Law] and relocated with the Children of God to Jerusalem [Mt. Zion]. If you want to keep the Law that mountain [Mt. Sinai] is vacant and if it's not vacant it's certain death if you even try to approach it. Mt. Zion in Jerusalem the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the other hand is both open and available to all mankind and along with the availability of Mt. Zion there is an invitation to all to come to God freely but only to Mt. Zion not to Mt. Sinai. It is only to Mt. Zion that the invitation for mankind to meet with God has been given. [article link]
The Promises of God - The concern today is that much of the church teaching of today [i.e. emergent church] is void of the Promises of God in the same way that the Crusaders of history sought meaningless relics [the actual cross of Jesus], land [Jerusalem] and trophies [the holy grail, lance of Longinus] of the Biblical days but they were relics, land and trophies that were without the blessings and Promises of God to the Gentile Christian Church and therefore are empty meaningless and powerless - When false teachers like Joel Osteen and Rick Warren preach their promises 'your best life now' or a U.N., NWO approved societal based 'purpose driven life' these are man centered doctrines that are also void of the Promises of God and ultimately are just as meaningless as the empty relics of past Church ages -- "Hebrews 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but **followers of them [Biblical persons] who through **faith and patience inherit the **promises [of God]."
The O.T. Law, Prophets and the Temple with its Ordinances were all working in union with each another in order to help present the eternal Promises of God to mankind. The Promises of God [a relationship with God and eternal life] are freely offered from the Holy God to all sinful humans. The Promise offered is the promise of mankind's meaningful reconciliation back to a personal relationship with God and of the eternal life that goes with that meaningful relationship with God. -- "Galatians 3:21-22 Is the Law then against the Promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given [eternal] life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that ***the Promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." -- "1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even Eternal Life." [article link]
[Basic Christian: blog History Study] The Revised Roman Empire - Saint Helena - the mother of Emperor Constantine I - She is traditionally credited with finding the relics of the True Cross, with which she is invariably represented in Christian iconography - Constantine appointed his mother Helen as Augusta Imperatrix, and gave her unlimited access to the imperial treasury in order to locate the relics of Judeo-Christian tradition - In 326-28 A.D. Helena undertook a trip to the Holy Places in Palestine [Israel] - The chapel at St. Catherine's Monastery [in Sinai Egypt - including Helen's Chapel of the Burning Bush] often referred to as the Chapel of Saint Helen-is dated to the year AD 330 {Note: every 'discovery' of Helena the mother of Emperor Constantine I is considered to be discredited - especially her [confirming] Mt. Sinai in Egypt [the Chapel of the Burning Bush Source: SacredSites.com] when the Bible proclaims that the real Mt. Sinai was 'outside' (Exodus 18:1,5) of Egypt (Galatians 4:25) [in Arabia - Saudi Arabia]. Also Note: **it is one of the most blasphemous concepts [Mt. Sinai in Egypt] to locate God in Egypt - God is not in Egypt, He is outside of Egypt [human slavery and human bondage] - the whole concept of the Bible is to leave Egypt [the world system] and for worshipers go outside of Egypt (the world) to have a true relationship [fellowship] with God - **pastors who preach that one corner of Egypt [Sinai Peninsula - St. Catherine's Monastery] is acceptable to God have missed much of the entirety of the Bible - The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus was even crucified outside the city of Jerusalem so we would know to look outside the [world system] city for a true relationship with Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:12-14).} -Note: A sustainable relationship with God is generally not to be found in this worldly system though minor glimpses and interactions with God can be experienced. The worldly system saturated with misconceptions and false premises from deceived and misinformed individuals like Richard Dawkins is a system designed and maintained simply to hinder a person's true relationship with God. Therefore leaving the misinformed worldly system and entering the Promises of the Biblical realm is an important part of a sustainable relationship with God. Family life: The bishop and historian Eusebius of Caesarea states that she was about 80 [years old] on her return from Palestine (Israel). Since that journey has been dated to 326-28, Helena was probably born in 248 or 250. Little is known of her early life. Fourth-century sources, following Eutropius' "Breviarium," record that she came from a low background. Saint Ambrose was the first to call her a stabularia, a term translated as "stablemaid" or "inn-keeper". He makes this fact a virtue, calling Helena a bona stabularia, a "good stable-maid". Other sources, especially those written after Constantine's proclamation as emperor, gloss over or ignore her background. ... Relic discoveries: Constantine appointed his mother Helen as Augusta Imperatrix, and gave her unlimited access to the imperial treasury in order to locate the relics of Judeo-Christian tradition. In 326-28 Helena undertook a trip to the Holy Places in Palestine. According to Eusebius of Caesarea she was responsible for the construction or beautification of two churches, the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, and the Church on the Mount of Olives, sites of Christ's birth and ascension. Local founding legend attributes to Helena's orders the construction of a church in Egypt to identify the Burning Bush of Sinai. The chapel at St. Catherine's Monastery--often referred to as the Chapel of Saint Helen-is dated to the year AD 330. -- Jerusalem was still rebuilding from the destruction of Emperor Hadrian, who had built a temple dedicated, according to conflicting accounts, to Venus or Jupiter over the site of Jesus's tomb near Calvary and renamed the city Aelia Capitolina. According to tradition, Helena ordered the temple torn down and, according to the legend that arose at the
end of the fourth century, in Ambrose, On the Death of Theodosius (died 395) and at length in Rufinus' chapters appended to his translation into Latin of Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, which does not mention the event, chose a site to begin excavating, which led to the recovery of three different crosses. Then, Rufinus relates, refusing to be swayed by anything but solid proof, the empress (perhaps through Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem) had a woman who was already at the point of death brought from Jerusalem. When the woman touched the first and second crosses, her condition did not change, but when she touched the third and final cross she suddenly recovered, and Helena declared the cross with which the woman had been touched to be the True Cross. On the site of discovery, Constantine ordered built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as well as those on other sites detected by Helena. -- She also found the nails of the crucifixion. To use their miraculous power to aid her son, Helena allegedly had one placed in Constantine's helmet, and another in the bridle of his horse. Helena left Jerusalem and the eastern provinces in 327 to return to Rome, bringing with her large parts of the True Cross and other relics, which were then stored in her palace's private chapel, where they can be still seen today. Her palace was later converted into the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. This has been maintained by Cistercian monks in the monastery which has been attached to the church for centuries. Tradition says that the site of the Vatican Gardens was spread with earth brought from Golgotha by Helena to symbolically unite the blood of Christ with that shed by thousands of early Christians, who died in the persecutions of Nero. -- According to one tradition, Helena acquired the Holy Tunic on her trip to Jerusalem and sent it to Trier. Several of Saint Helena's treasures are now in Cyprus, where she spent some time. Some of them are a part of Jesus Christ's tunic, pieces of the holy cross and the world's only pieces of the rope to which Jesus was tied with on the Cross. The latter has been held at the Stavrovouni Monastery, which was also founded by Saint Helena. [article link]
Proclaim His Word [RE: Calvinism vs. Arminianism debates] - Re-Introduction and New Rules - Jun 4, 2011 (YouTube) Brethren, i count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing i do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, i press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Philippians 3:13-15. [article link]
Update: The Current Schedule for The Basic Christian Ministry Postings - Starting with some introduction and background material the Ministry is going to spend about the next month or two [until about October 2011] posting the series 'The Church Apostles Decoded' the series is going to be longer than originally planned but still it is an introductory and overview study and not an exhaustive in-depth study ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown Then from about October 2011 until Christmas Season 2011 the plan is to return to the 8 Kingdoms Study [the first half of the "blog History Study"] and finish up that study prior to the coming 2011 Christmas Season. This Christmas Season the Ministry is going to blog the article "The CHRISTmas Message in the Bible" originally written in about 2005 but not yet blogged. Then after the New Year in 2012 the plan is to start the "Church History Study" portion [the second half] of the "blog History Study" and either complete it or work on it until Holy Week 2012. The Church History segment isn't going to be as long of a project because much of the project is going to involve locating already existing Church History resources that provide excellent Church History information and documentation, so our look is going to be more of a timeline and summary of events so that we can view the overall history and continuity of the Christian Church. [article link]
The Church Apostles Decoded: Introduction - The Church Apostles - In Decoding the Church Apostles we will have the opportunity to get a good first look at some of the same introductory material that will later be expanded upon for the upcoming Church History Study
It's very important that we see this material at least twice to really study it and begin to get an understanding of just what was happening [Jews - Gentiles] in the early Church during the start of the Christian Church via the transition out of the Old Testament era and into the New Testament and present "Pentecost" Christian Church Age. As we will see the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1 - the global giving of the Holy Spirit) changed everything, for both all humanity and also for the entire spirit realm as well, for all time! -- "Acts 2:1 And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they [Church Apostles] were all with one accord in one place." [article link]
The Church Apostles Decoded: Introduction - Temple - Beginning in the beginning [sort of] - The [538 B.C.] rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem [the 2nd Temple] began but **due to [about 16 years of] Gentile interference (Ezra 4:4-5) the building of the 2nd Temple was delayed and hindered for approximately 22 years total until 3 February 516 B.C. when the 2nd Jewish Temple was finally completed With the Gentiles having hindered the Jewish building of the 2nd Jewish Temple in Jerusalem [for about 16-22 years] when it then came time for the building of the permanent Spiritual Temple in Jesus Christ (John 2:21) the Gentiles as a whole were penalized and delayed access and entrance into the Spiritual Temple of God [the Christian Church] for the first 16-22 years during the birth and establishment of the Christian Church. For the first 16 or so years the Christian Church was entirely Jewish in membership and it wasn't until Acts chapter 10 and the Gentile household of Cornelius a Roman Centurion [Sargent Major] that the first Gentiles became Christians. - The first lesson from God to the Gentile Christians is that God is still keeping a watchful eye and an account over the Jews and that to hinder the Jews, especially in Jerusalem, is to hinder Gentile access into the Kingdom of God. -- "John 2:18-22 Then answered the Jews and said unto Him (Jesus), What sign shewest Thou unto us, seeing that Thou doest these [Messiah] things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this [body] Temple, and in three days I will raise [resurrection] it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this Temple in building [rebuilding by Herod], and wilt thou rear it up in three days? **But He [Jesus] spake of the Temple of His body. When therefore He was risen from the dead, His Disciples remembered that He had said this unto them; and they believed the Scripture, and the Word which Jesus had said." -- "1 Peter 2:3-5 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord [Jesus Christ] is gracious. To whom coming [to Him], as unto a living [Temple] stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ***Ye also, as lively [living] stones [for the Temple of God], are built up a Spiritual House [Temple], an holy [Melchizedek] priesthood, to offer up [eternal] spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." [article link]
Bible Time Line - Part 4 - 560 B.C. to 70 A.D - The Return to Israel from (Babylonian) Captivity 27 March 560 B.C. -- 538 B.C. building the Temple foundation then suspended their building - 516 B.C. The 2nd Jewish Temple is finally completed October 538 B.C. In the 7th month, the Jews finished building the foundation of the [2nd] Temple [rebuilding the 1st Temple in Jerusalem - Solomon's Temple]. An altar and sacrificial offering to the Lord was made on the foundation of the temple (Ezra 3:10). **At this time the Samaritans and other neighboring nations brought such influence to bear on Cyrus's court at the imperial capital that the government suspended their building permit. [Ezra 3: 10-11; 4:24] **Because of this opposition, all further work on the building of the temple was suspended until the 2nd year of Darius the Great, about 520 BC. -- 3 February 516 B.C. The 2nd Jewish Temple is completed. The Babylonian captivity ends after 70 years [Ezra 6:15]. -- 14 April 515 B.C. The first Passover [in Jerusalem with the Temple] since the [1st] captivity is joyfully celebrated. [article link]
The Church Apostles Decoded: Introduction - Prophets - The Prophets were in the old Testament prophesying of the 1st Coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ -- "Matthew 11:13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John [the Baptist]." Where the Prophets of the Old Testament prophesied of the 1st Coming of the Messiah [Jesus Christ] the prophets of the New Testament [Christian Church] prophesy of the 2nd Coming return of the Messiah Jesus
Christ. -- "Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his [Angel] feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not [don't worship Angels]: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the Testimony of [Messiah] Jesus: ***worship God: for the ***Testimony of Jesus [1st and 2nd Coming] is the Spirit of Prophecy." -- {Note: The Christian Church has the Spiritual gifts of Word of Knowledge [knowledge and foreknowledge of events] and Word of Wisdom [wisdom with how to interact with people and events] but Prophesy is exclusively associated to Jesus Christ. -- Also Note: in the N.T. everyone has the Testimony "Blessed Hope" of the return of Jesus and to that extent all Christians are prophets (i.e. Acts 21:9).} -- "Titus 2:11-14 For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation [1st Coming] hath appeared to all men [by *Pentecost], Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, **in this present world; Looking for that **Blessed Hope, and the glorious [2nd Coming] appearing of the great ***God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; [God] Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." [article link]
The Church Apostles Decoded: Introduction - Apostles - John 20:22 And when He (Jesus) had said this, He breathed on them [Jewish Apostles], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost [become Born Again Christians]: {Note: Technically in the Gospels i.e. Luke 10:3 when Jesus sent forth His Apostles, at that point in time His Apostles were Jewish Apostles with a similar message to John the Baptist of the Kingdom of Jesus. It wasn't until each Jewish Apostle [with the exception of Judas] experienced the personal presence of the resurrected Jesus that each Apostle transitioned from a Jewish Apostle to a Christian Apostle starting on Resurrection (Easter) Sunday The Christian Apostles were a complete, separate sect of Christianity. The timeframe to become a Church Apostle began with personally witnessing the resurrection of Jesus and therefore lasting only the 40 days until the permanent ascension of Jesus back into Heaven (Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9). As Apostles in a separate dispensation from the current generic Christianity that would follow Pentecost the Apostles had several gifts and callings that are no longer available [in part or in whole] to the generic Christian Church. The Apostles had the ability to hear from God in a more direct (2 Timothy 3:16) way and therefore wrote the verses of the Bible's New Testament. The Apostles already having witnessed the resurrection (spirit realm) of Jesus Christ were able to and did interact with the spirit realm [both holy and demonic discernment] on a more consistent basis than Christians can today (Acts 5:19, Acts 16:16). Having seen the spiritual realm the Apostles were also witnesses to the 'resurrection of the dead' (Matthew 27:52) the redeemed humans who transferred from Paradise to Heaven. -- "Matthew 27:52-53 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves **after His resurrection, and went into the Holy City [Jerusalem], and [human ghosts] appeared unto many [Apostles]." -- In Conclusion: The Apostolic Age began the day of the Resurrection (Easter) of Jesus and entrance into Apostleship lasted only 40 days [the Apostle Paul being the exception] until the ascension of Jesus back into Heaven. It was the few select Apostles that interacted with the risen Jesus and also at times within the Angelic spiritual and human resurrection realm (Revelation 1:10) a sequence and period of events that would cease to be available to ordinary Christians after the Day of Pentecost. [article link]
The Church Apostles Decoded: Introduction - Angels (unawares) - Where the Apostles had [infrequent] though direct and knowledgeable interaction with Angels - Today Christians since Pentecost do not interact knowingly [visibly manifested] with Angels only by "angels unawares" [possibly perceiving an Angelic presence or ability] but not interactively with Angels -- Though much more importantly than Angels today Christians interact knowingly with God the Holy Spirit - The Holy spirit being the primary agency of interaction between Christians and God while Holy Angels do not openly reveal themselves to Christians -- "Hebrews 13:1-2 Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some [Christians since Pentecost] have entertained Angels unawares [unknowingly - not with Apostolic knowledge]." This is an important concept that today's Christians are generally not going to knowingly interact with Holy
Angels. Certainly angelic interaction among the Church today is commonly mistaken, lies or is an attempt at demonic interaction. The same prohibition between humans and Holy Angels is also in effect regarding humans and departed human spirits or ghosts. It is not available for mankind at this time to interact with either the Angelic or the departed [human] spirit realm [also highly segregated from our physical realm (Luke 16:26)]. **Because it is given at this time for mankind to actively seek after and freely interact with God the Holy Spirit. There are not exceptions to this, either a person is interacting with God the Holy Spirit in the Spiritual realm, or there is the very real and distinct possibility that a demonic deception is taking place and attempting to manifest for example as a true Holy Angel, a departed human spirit (ghost), or commonly today as 'Cryptoids' (i.e. paranormal phenomena; aliens, UFO's, Nephilim [fallen angel and human hybrids], etc.) Let's be (Matthew 7:14) straight [and narrow] about it that humans today since Pentecost are to seek only after God and are to interact only with God [primarily the Holy Spirit] in the Spiritual realm. [article link]
The Church Apostles Decoded: Introduction - Christians (generic) -- "Acts 2:41-43 Then they [new Christian converts on the Day of Pentecost] that gladly received his word [the Preaching of the Apostle Peter] were baptized: and the same day [Pentecost] there were added unto them [Christian Church - the previous Apostles and now generic Christians] about three thousand souls. And they [generic Christians] continued stedfastly in the **Apostles' Doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles." There is only one Christian Doctrine and it is the Apostles' Doctrine set forth by God through the Apostles. Any additional doctrine or modification of the original Apostles' Doctrine is a misrepresentation and even a contamination of the original Gospel Message intended for mankind. -- "Jude 1:2-5 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the **common [generic Christian - lit. G2839 (koinos) i.e. generality] salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for ***the faith which was once [at one time] delivered unto the saints [via the Apostles' Doctrine]. For [because] there are certain men crept in [infiltrating the Church] unawares [the Church is unaware], who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put you in remembrance, **though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." -- Note: Every Christian since the Day of Pentecost is a generic “common” Christian in the one common Christian faith. There is complete commonality and complete equality within the True Christian Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). The Spiritual gifting's and callings from God are freely available to all within the True Christian Church. If one Christian person were to preach from the pulpit it makes no difference if anther Christian person were later to preach from the same pulpit as all are common in the faith. Likewise if a person desired to evangelize, prophesy, administer, serve, worship, offer advice, give understanding or any kind of opportunity or service within the True Church of God it is completely acceptable and noteworthy to God. [article link]
The Church Apostles Decoded: Introduction - Pentecost - A previously unclean world [unclean since the sin of Adam and Eve] having been cleansed by the blood (cross) of Jesus is now able to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a Global Scale -- "Acts 2:16-18 But this is that which was spoken by the [O.T.] Prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-29); And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all [global] flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young [unlearned] men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on My [common] servants and on My [common] handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy:" -- "Romans 10:16-18 But they [people] have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Esaias [Isaiah] saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? **So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. ***But I say, Have they not heard? ***Yes verily, their sound [the Gospel via the Holy Ghost] went into ***all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world."
"Acts 10:6-20 He [Apostle Peter] lodgeth [in hiding] with one Simon a tanner [a Levitically unclean occupation], whose house is by the sea side: he [Apostle Peter] shall tell thee [Cornelius] what thou oughtest to do. And when the angel which spake [through a vision - not directly] unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to [the seaside city of] Joppa. On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop [roof] to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into **a trance [generally a trance is considered a bad thing as it is God shutting a person down momentarily so God can talk directly to a person w/o an (argumentative) reply from the person, or worse a trance is a demon shutting a person down and hindering our freewill], And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel [tray] descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted [unclean] beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. [the trance transitions to a vision as Peter can now reply (argumentatively) to God] But Peter said [what God didn't want to hear], Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common [lit. G2839 (koinos) i.e. Levitically unclean, common] {note: Christianity by Levitical standards would be considered unclean (that is why so many still gravitate to and try to follow Levitical Laws i.e. Tithe and Sabbath because there is an appearance of cleanliness) however the cleansing blood of Jesus cleans all sins and it is our faith in the blood of Jesus that saves us and not any works of the Law (i.e. tithes, works)} or unclean [G169 (akathartos) i.e. immoral, profane]. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What ***God hath [with the blood of Jesus] cleansed [lit. G2511 (katharizo) i.e. purified], that call not thou common. This was done thrice [three times - Father, Son, Holy Spirit] {Peter argued with God three times}: and the vessel [container of unclean animals] was received up again into heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this *vision which he had seen should mean {and it meant a lot because God started the vision by putting Peter in a trance}, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry [asked directions] for [the tanner] Simon's house, and stood before the gate, And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, ***the [Holy] Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for ***I [Holy Spirit] have sent them [Gentiles who would become the first (non-Jewish) Christians]." -- Note: The agency of spreading the Gospel message [in a now clean world (note: how the world i.e. environmentalism always reiterates that the physical world is in a sense clean, BUT then wrongly asserts that humans make the world unclean adding yet more bondage to our already difficult human condition)] and of convicting [still spiritually unclean] mankind of sins (Romans 2:4) is the exclusive domain of the Holy Spirit on earth. It is mankind that enters into the Temple of God [the body of Jesus Christ] and then, once in the Temple of God, we participate in the Kingdom of God at the exclusive leading and directing of God the Holy Spirit "for ***I [Holy Spirit] have sent them." [article link]
The Church Apostles Decoded: Summary - The 'foundation' of the Christian Church era is the foundation set forth by God at the hands of the 12 Apostles - There is no alternate, replacement or emerging foundation [Gospel] for the True Christian Church only the one original faithful foundation that is already well established and is still in existence today -- "Acts 1:1-3 The former treatise [the Gospel of Luke] have I made, O Theophilus, of all that *Jesus began both to do and teach, *Until the day in which He was taken up [Ascension], after that He [Jesus] through the Holy Ghost had given commandments **unto the Apostles whom He had chosen: To whom also He shewed Himself alive after His passion [Passover Week] by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and ***speaking of the things pertaining [Scripture] to the Kingdom of God:" ... "Acts 4:33 And with great power [the Holy Spirit] gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them [believers] all." "Ephesians 3:1-7 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner [in Rome] of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward: How that by revelation He made known unto me the Mystery; as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge
in the Mystery [Triunity] of Christ Which **in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as **it is now revealed unto His holy Apostles and prophets by the [Holy] Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ **by the Gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power." -- "2 Peter 3:12 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the [O.T.] Holy Prophets, and of the Commandment **of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour:" -- "Revelation 21:10-14 And he [Angel] carried me [Apostle John] away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the Holy Jerusalem [New Jerusalem], descending out of Heaven from God, Having the Glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the Twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had **twelve foundations, and in them the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb." {Note: The teaching and leadership examples [from God] then through the 12 Apostles [1 Corinthians 15:1-10] of Jesus Christ are the 'foundation' for the entire Christian Church. So much so and so important is their foundation to the Church age that the eternal foundation of the New Jerusalem is named with their names.} [article link]
The Church Apostles Decoded: The Nicene Creed (325 A.D.): ... And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic [universal] and ***[A]postolic Church (Acts 2:42) [based on the foundation of the Apostles] - I acknowledge one Baptism [personal - individual identity (cross and resurrection) with Jesus Christ] for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come - Amen The Three Ecumenical or Universal Creeds -- The Apostles' Creed [The title, Symbolum Apostolicum (Symbol or Creed of the Apostles), appears for the first time in a letter from a Council in Milan (probably written by Ambrose himself) to Pope Siricius in about 390 A.D. - Wiki.com]: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic [universal] Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. -- The Nicene Creed [adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first (second) ecumenical council (Jerusalem Acts 15:6 was the first ecumenical Church council), which met there in 325 A.D. - Wiki.com]: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. -- The Athanasian Creed [The use of the Creed in a sermon by Caesarius of Arles, as well as a theological resemblance to works by Vincent of Lérins, point to Southern Gaul as its origin. The most likely time frame is in the late fifth or early sixth century A.D. (475-525 A.D.) at least 100 years after Athanasius (293 A.D. -
May 2, 373 A.D.) - Wiki.com]: Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic [universal] faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic [universal] faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal. As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the catholic [universal] religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another; But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give an account of their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic [universal] faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved. [article link]
The Church Apostles Decoded: The Nicene Creed (325 A.D.) - The Nicene Creed "I believe in one holy catholic [universal] and ***[A]postolic Church" is the most widely accepted and used brief statements of the Christian Faith - In liturgical churches, it is said every Sunday as part of the Liturgy - It is Common Ground to East Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Calvinists, and many other Christian groups - Many groups that do not have a tradition of using it in their services nevertheless are committed to the doctrines it teaches Someone may ask, "What about the Apostles' Creed?" Traditionally, in the West, the Apostles' Creed is used at Baptisms, and the Nicene Creed at the Eucharist [AKA the Mass, the Liturgy, the Lord's Supper, or the Holy Communion.] The East uses only the Nicene Creed. I here present the Nicene Creed in two English translations, The first is the traditional one, in use with minor variations since 1549, The second is a modern version, that of The Interdenominational Committee on Liturgical Texts. Notes and comment by [James E. Kiefer] follow. [article link]
Mormon Coffee: The Great Secret of The Book of Mormon by Aaron Shafovaloff - Posted (Moroni 8:18 day!) on August 18, 2011 (Video) My corny and melodramatic way of getting the word out on Moroni 8:18. Don't forget about the first explanation video. Enjoy. I'm also releasing the new Moroni 8:18 four-step tract, which you can download here. Print it double-sided, fold it up, and use it to start focused conversations. I'll release a video late tonight on how I use it. [article link]
The Apostle Peter uses 'knowledge' and 'understanding' as cornerstones in his Epistles to the Church - What the Apostle Peter is explaining is that there are no shortcuts to godliness and that godliness does not come except through the time honored virtues of faith in Jesus Christ, patience, knowledge, love, kindness, service, experience, etc. - Today we have the common problem that Christians are being encouraged to substitute commonality for virtue -- For Example: Tithing is being used as a virtue however it has little to do with virtue and tithing without knowledge has nothing to do with godliness and virtue (in the New Testament when Saints donated money it was to a known and substantiated cause i.e. to help in Jerusalem) - An example in society today might be a person who gets a tattoo in that it offers an amount of social acceptability in worldliness however the person getting the tattoo may have few qualities associated with tattoos and as the saying goes "tattoos are for people who don't have enough courage to live dangerously and get real scars" - Similarly Tithing like tattoos is for people who don't live with enough real knowledge to really learn how to individually interact with and have a real relationship with God - Tithing then becomes a poor, easy and cheap substitute to real godliness and virtue but don't let that happen and as the Apostle Peter explains it can't happen 2 Peter 1:1-12 Simon Peter, a Servant [of Righteousness] and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you ***through the ***knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the ***knowledge of Him that hath called us to *glory and *virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be **partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, ***add to your faith virtue; ***and to virtue knowledge; ***And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the ***Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ [the 8th Kingdom]. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, **though ye **know them, and be established in the present Truth. [article link]
Here are some Bible verses from the Apostles Paul and John and also a Psalm from the Old Testament in order to see how close and similar the same Gospel Message is being preached by all of the Apostles and as it was alluded to and even preached on in the Old Testament -- Romans 6:3-18 ***Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His [cross] death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised [resurrection] up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: ****Knowing this, that our old man [sins] is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead **dieth no more; **death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but ***alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [hands, feet, mouth, .etc] as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. ***Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? ***But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the Servants of Righteousness. 1 John 4:13-17 Hereby ***know we that we dwell in Him [God], and He [Holy Spirit] in us, because He [Jesus] hath given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do Testify that the Father sent the Son [Jesus] to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love [commitment to the highest good]; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have **boldness ***in the day of judgment: because as He [Jesus] is [rightious], so are we in this world. -Psalms 47:1-9 To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the LORD most High is terrible [lit. Amazing]; He is a Great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the Nations under our feet. **He shall choose **our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom He loved. Selah. God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. **Sing praises to God [Father], **sing praises [Jews]: sing praises [Gentiles] unto our King [Jesus], sing praises [to the Holy Spirit]. **For God is the King of all the earth: ***sing ye praises with understanding.*** God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the Throne of His Holiness. The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: He is greatly exalted. [article link]
Here are some more of the writings of the Apostle Peter [1 Peter 3:8 to 1 Peter 5:11] that we can read over and take to heart before we begin our series 'Decoding the Apostles' - In the coming Series it is going to be tempting to call the Apostle Peter the 'Mojo Apostle' because Peter did have the Mojo - All of the Apostles and even the disciples had and have Holy Spirit [Mojo] but the Apostle Peter was clearly the man with the most Holy Spirit (Mojo) even more so than the Apostles Paul and John -- 1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called [to bless one another], that ye should inherit a bessing. 1 Peter 3:10-22 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer [Jesus Christ enthroned (Colossians 3:1) - the Kingdom of God (John 3:3)] to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in [Jesus] Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, **that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also He went [to the Paradise side of Hades (i.e. Luke 16:22-26)] and preached {over} unto the spirits in prison [the condemned side of Hades]; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls [the family of Noah] were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth
of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him. [article link]
1 Peter 4:1-2 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh [submitted to the cross of Jesus Christ] hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 1 Peter 4:3-19 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the [unsaved] Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to Him [Jesus] that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead [spiritually unregenerate], that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but {we} live according to God in the spirit [or possibly, "but {that they} (convert and) live according to God"]. But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles [Biblical sayings] of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. -Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that **judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved [only through the cross of Jesus Christ], where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear [without the cross - condemned]? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. [article link]
1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, **and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 1 Peter 5:2-11 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy [money] lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being [bosses] lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd [Jesus Christ] shall appear, ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the [accountable] elder [submission without accountability is meaningless]. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth [eternally] for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil [Satan], as a roaring lion [of the chaotic night vs. Jesus the Majestic Lion of the Day], walketh about, seeking whom he may devour [lead astray from the faith of Jesus Christ]: Whom resist stedfast in the faith [Resurrection of Jesus Christ], *knowing (Luke 22:31-32) that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all Grace, who hath called us unto His eternal Glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect [complete], stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever [eternal]. Amen. [article link]
Coming Soon: The Basic Christian Ministry - A brief look at Matthew Chapter 24 and 1 Peter 3:8 to 1 Peter 5:11 and also a few related verses from the Book of Romans and possibly a few verses from the Book of Hebrews Especially regarding the topic of Salvation i.e. "Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." {Hint: Christians are 'Saved' now at the present moment and not in the future. Generally the teachings of the True Christian Church acknowledge Salvation and Sanctification in the believer at the present time while the Cults universally attempt to distance the believer from present Salvation in Jesus Christ while creating several steps to Sanctification most notably in Tithing and Obedience to others.} I'm Looking forward to this brief introductory study where we should be able to begin to look at several interesting Christian topics starting with Salvation then visiting some Original Sin and Rapture Doctrine and concluding with Church Conduct and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
The Basic Christian Ministry - Introduction: "Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." - The Doctrine of the Apostles [Paul, Peter, John, etc.] that Christians are Saved and become a Child of God the moment of our belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ accomplished for the forgiveness of our sins 2 Corinthians 13:3-9 Since ye [Church members who are doubting the Calling and Ministry of the Apostle Paul] seek a proof of Christ speaking in me (Apostle Paul), [signs of Jesus Christ] which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty [tithes, boasting, story telling, consorting, signs and wonders, obedience] in you. For though He (Jesus) was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God. For we [True Christians, followers of Jesus Christ] also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. ***Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the [True] faith; ***prove your own selves [confirm 'Jesus Christ in you' (Matthew 3:11, John 20:22) - the Holy Spirit within you]. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates [unsaved]? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; **not that we should appear approved [through religion Church/society acceptable ways], **but that ye should do that which is honest [at all times], though we [to the unlearned appear to] be as reprobates. For we can do nothing against the Truth, but for the Truth [of Jesus Christ]. For we are glad, when we are weak [misunderstood, misrepresented and persecuted], and ye are strong [in a worldly way]: and this also we wish [True 'strong' humble servant Christianity], even your perfection. -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the [Holy] Spirit: ... whereunto even baptism doth also ***now save us*** not the [baptism water] putting away of the filth of the flesh, but **the answer of a good conscience toward God, **by [faith in] the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him (Jesus Christ). -- 1 John 3:1-3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, ***now are we [Christians] the Sons [lit. child] of God, and it [the resurrected body] doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He [Resurrected Jesus Christ] shall appear, we shall be [resurrected bodily] like Him; for we shall see Him as He is [Resurrection Spirit body]. And every man that hath this [Resurrection - eternal life] hope in him purifieth himself, even as He (Jesus Christ) is pure. [article link]
The Basic Christian Ministry: Matthew Chapter 24 - Matthew 24:1-2 And Jesus went out [three days before His crucifixion], and departed [for the last time] from the Temple [the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem]: and His disciples came to Him for to shew Him the [Temple] buildings of the Temple [the Disciples thought that Jesus was going to take over the Temple and rule from within the Temple buildings and they were wondering what each building would be used for when Jesus would enact His Kingdom Reign]. And Jesus [correcting the Disciples] said unto them, See ye not all these things [buildings]? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down [the earthly (physical i.e. ordinances, tithing,
animal sacrifices) Levitical Priesthood Temple of Jerusalem was to be destroyed - while the Spiritual Temple (i.e. Holy spirit leading, more individuality, personal fellowship with God) in the Melchizedek Priesthood is to be instituted]. Matthew 24:3-14 And as He (Jesus) sat upon the Mount of Olives, the Disciples came unto Him privately, saying [we are now so confused], Tell us, when shall these [Kingdom Reign - Millennial] things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming [as King of Israel], **and of the end of the [present] world [the end of man's separation from God]? And Jesus answered and said unto them [Jesus' Mt. Olivet Discourse], Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My Name [Christ], saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many [Notice: how many false pastors willingly preach 'christ' (Antichrist) but unwillingly preach Jesus Christ]. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass [because sin is still in the world], **but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these [warfare and spiritual warfare] are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My Name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity [deliberate sins] shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. **But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come [the end of man's separation from God i.e. Revelation 21:1-3]. -- {Note: What could be in view here according to the 'end of the world' context of this Sermon given by Jesus Christ "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" is that those who have to 'endure unto the end' to be saved are the Tribulation Saints of Revelation and the survivors who later become the Millennial Saints [the Millennial Saints undergo the Sheep and Goats Judgment at the end of the Millennial Age Matthew 25:31-34] and therefore this is not a direct reference to the Christian Church [that does not undergo the 'Sheep and Goats Judgment'] though a Christian who is Saved upon belief certainly continues to be Saved throughout their 'endurance' but is not more saved than when one first believes.} -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 We [Christians] then, as workers together with Him [God the Father], beseech (implore) you [non-Christians] also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured (helped) thee: **behold, now [today] is the accepted time [to become a Christian]; behold, now is the Day of Salvation [for a Christian but not for a coming Revelation Saint or Millennial Saint who will have to wait to be Martyred (a Martyred Saint of Revelation - Revelation 6:9) or for the End Time judgment of the Sheep and Goats for the Millennial Saints]. [article link]
The Basic Christian Ministry: Matthew Chapter 24 - Matthew 24:15-22 When ye therefore shall see the Abomination of Desolation [the Antichrist], spoken of by Daniel the prophet [Daniel9:27], stand in the holy place [the rebuilt (3rd) Temple in Jerusalem - Revelation 11:1-2], whoso readeth, let him understand: Then let them which be in Judaea [Israel] flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the [Jewish] Sabbath day [Saturday]: For then shall be Great Tribulation [the second 3½ year period of the seven (possible) years of Revelation Tribulation], such [tribulation] as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be [again]. And except those [Great Tribulation] days should be shortened [from 3½ years to only 45 days - Daniel 12:11-12], there should no flesh [human or animal] be saved [alive - to enter the Millennial Kingdom]: but for the elect's [not the Church Elect but the Millennial Reign Elect (1,000 year - 8th Kingdom - Kingdom on earth Reign of Jesus Christ)] sake those days shall be shortened. Matthew 24:23-27 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs [Antichrists], and false prophets, **and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say
unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret [rooms] chambers; believe it not. For as the [visible] lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also [visible] the coming of the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] be. [article link]
The Basic Christian Ministry: Matthew Chapter 24 - Matthew 24:28-29 For wheresoever the carcase [dead body] is, there will the eagles [G105, Eagle - i.e. Eagle of the Roman Standard (Revised-Rome, 7th Kingdom Kingdom of Antichrist)] be gathered together. Immediately after the [1st half] Tribulation of those days [Revelation 6:9] shall the sun be darkened [The Great Tribulation (2nd half) - i.e. Revelation 8:12, Revelation 16:10], and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the [Satanic] powers of the heavens shall be shaken: Matthew 24:30-31 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other [to start the Millennial Kingdom]. [article link]
The Basic Christian Ministry: Matthew Chapter 24 - Matthew 24:32-36 Now learn a parable of the Fig Tree [Man-made Religion - Genesis 3:7]; When his branch (3rd Temple in Jerusalem) is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things [3rd Temple in Jerusalem], know that it [Tribulation - Great Tribulation] is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation [possibly the 1967 'Reunification of Jerusalem' generation] shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but My Father only. Matthew 24:37-42 But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood [Genesis 7:10] they [unsaved] were [unaware] eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that [saved] Noe (Noah) entered into the ark [taken away to safety], And knew not until the flood came, and [Tribulation] took them all away; so shall also the [Rapture - safety] coming of the Son of man be. **Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken [to safety, Heaven (1 Peter 1:4-5) Rewards (1 Corinthians 3:8) - Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7)], and the other left [Tribulation]. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken [to safety, Heaven (1 Peter 1:4-5) - Rewards (1 Corinthians 3:8) - Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7)], and the other left [Tribulation]. Watch [be ready] therefore [to be taken to Heaven - Rewards - Marriage Supper of the Lamb]: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. [article link]
The Basic Christian Ministry - Conclusion: Matthew Chapter 24 - Matthew 24:43-44 But know this, that if the goodman [responsible overseer] of the house had known in what watch the [common] thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready [Jesus - much greater and more important than a common thief]: for in such an hour [when you least expect it - and are the most focused on worldly events] as ye think not the [important] Son of Man cometh. Matthew 24:45-51 Who then is a faithful and wise servant [Pastor], whom his Lord (Jesus) hath made ruler over His Household [Church], to give them [Worshipers] meat [sound Biblical Doctrine and teachings] in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom His Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That He shall make him ruler over all His goods. **But and if that evil servant [worldly pastor] shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth His coming; And shall begin to smite [abuse] his fellowservants [fellow Christians], and to eat and drink with the [worldly] drunken [as one with them]; The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he [unaware] looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder [remove that person from the Kingdom of God], and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there [in hell - outer darkness] shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. -- Galatians 5:16-25 This I [Apostle Paul] say then, Walk in
the [Holy] Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the [Holy] Spirit, ye are not under the law [i.e. Tithing]. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, *heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall [be weeping and gnashing of teeth and] not inherit the kingdom of God. ***But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk in the [Holy] Spirit. [article link]
Update: The Basic Christian Ministry - Still on Break (out of town) for about the next week - I plan on doing a new schedule for the website - The current plan is to do two or three short Bible studies - Technically the short Bible studies and Devotionals are scheduled to start in 2012 just after Holy Week but it's a good way to view some topics we need to look at now - Then we don't have any more movies to decode at this time but I think we should do a whole series 'Decoding the Apostles' - We can look into the lives, backgrounds, personalities and accomplishments of the Church Apostles and gain some information from their writings that they have encoded about themselves into their Biblical writings Note: now would be a good time to download the Basic Christian material to look it over and to tell your friends about the Basic Christian website and material. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Update: The Basic Christian Ministry - On Break (out of town) for the next two weeks - I plan on doing some website design and HTML updating and if anything pops up I can post some items but mostly the site will be visibly inactive until at least August Note: now would be a good time to download the Basic Christian material to look it over and to tell your friends about the Basic Christian website and material. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Update: The Basic Christian Ministry still has more material to post and I would like to detour from the 8 Kingdoms/History Study and re-examine Doctrines and Theology particularly; Redemption, Salvation, Baptism, Born-Again, Once Saved Always Saved, etc. -- But before we get back into more Doctrine it's possible that I might do another short series this time decoding the 1967 movie 'Cool Hand Luke' - Also it looks like I will have a few breaks in posting between now (July) and September so around September 2011 we should be back full-speed into the 8 Kingdoms & Church History Study ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown The 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke is kind of the movie where all the previous Occult introduction themes [rebellion, disobedience, drugs, nudity, sexuality, homosexuality, etc.] finally gained mainstream acceptance with the general public and movie audience. After Cool Hand Luke [highly based off the 1965 movie King Rat] and many other similar Occult themed [losing your religion] movies the rebellion of the 1960's entered virtually unabated into almost all segments of society [some of the theme music from Cool Hand Luke became the theme sound for most of the Nation's nightly 'Eyewitness News' broadcasts]. -- Though obvious the primary reason for decoding the movie 'Cool Hand Luke' is not going to be to point out all the rebellion and societal angst that is purposely scripted and directed into the movie [as we did with the 1966 movie The Good, The Bad and The Ugly]. Instead the movie 'Cool Hand Luke' [in attempting to ruin religion] accidently portrays a very realistic portrayal of a sinful man 'Luke' seeking and groping after a real relationship with the Holy God. The question the movie fails to ask but we will not fail to ask is 'in the end was Luke saved?' The question of Luke's salvation is going to be paramount to our brief study and it is going to be the premise and conclusion of this study that yes indeed the slightly fictional character of Cool Hand Luke if real would indeed be saved and in
heaven. -- Coming Soon: 'Cool Hand Luke' decoded. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke (1967) Part 1 (YouTube) Paul Newman was nominated for an Oscar and George Kennedy received one for his work in this allegorical prison drama. Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) is sentenced to a 2 year stretch on a Florida chain gang (Road Prison) after he's arrested for drunkenly decapitating parking meters. While the avowed ambition of the captain (Strother Martin) is for each prisoner to "get their mind right," it soon becomes obvious that Luke is not about to give in/submit to anybody. When challenged to a fistfight by fellow inmate Dragline (George Kennedy), Luke simply refuses to give up, even though he's brutally beaten. Luke knows how to win at poker, even with bad cards, by using his smarts and playing it cool. Luke also figures out a way for the men to get their work done in half the usual time, giving them one afternoon off. Finally, when Luke finds out his mother has died, he plots his escape; when he's caught, he simply escapes again. Soon, Luke becomes a symbol of hope and resilience to the other men in the prison camp -- and a symbol of rebelliousness that must be stamped out by the guards and the captain. Along with stellar performances by Newman, Kennedy, and Martin, Cool Hand Luke features a superb supporting cast, including Ralph Waite, Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper, Wayne Rogers, and Joe Don Baker as members of the chain gang [and Jo Van Fleet as Luke's dysfunctional mother Arletta]. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - Wikipedia: Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News is a name used by local television newscasts, widely used in different markets across the United States - The earliest known use of the Eyewitness News name in American television was in April 1959 when KYW-TV (now WKYC-TV) in Cleveland, owned at the time by Westinghouse Broadcasting, launched the nation's first 90-minute local newscast (under the title Eyewitness), combined with the then 15-minute national newscast - Primo used the cue 007 from the 1963 film From Russia with Love as the musical theme - In 1968, Primo moved to WABC-TV in New York City and took the Eyewitness News concept there with him, choosing music from the 1967 Paul Newman film Cool Hand Luke - the "Tar Sequence" cue (composed by Lalo Schifrin) as the theme - However, he added a new twist at WABCTV-chatter among the anchors, which came to be known as "happy talk" Origins: The earliest known use of the Eyewitness News name in American television was in April 1959 when KYW-TV (now WKYC-TV) in Cleveland, owned at the time by Westinghouse Broadcasting, launched the nation's first 90-minute local newscast (under the title Eyewitness), combined with the then 15-minute national newscast.[1] The name was then adopted for use by Westinghouse's other television stations-KPIX in San Francisco, WJZ-TV in Baltimore, WBZ-TV in Boston and KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh-for its local newscasts. ... between stories to let viewers know their personalities. Primo used the cue 007 from the 1963 film From Russia with Love as the musical theme. The format quickly became a hit in Philadelphia and allowed KYW-TV to surge past longtime leader WCAU-TV for first place, a position it kept on and off until the late 1970s. KYW-TV's success spawned rival station WFIL-TV (now WPVI-TV) to develop the Action News format to compete with it. (After NBC was ordered back to Cleveland in 1965, the Eyewitness News name left that city until WEWS adopted it for its newscasts in the 1970s). -- Expansion: In 1968, Primo moved to WABC-TV in New York City and took the Eyewitness News concept there with him, choosing music from the 1967 Paul Newman film Cool Hand Luke - the "Tar Sequence" cue (composed by Lalo Schifrin) - as the theme. However, he added a new twist at WABC-TV-chatter among the anchors, which came to be known as "happy talk". Among the newscasters in the first wave of happy talk on WABC was a very young Geraldo Rivera, a comical and entertaining weatherman in Tex Antoine, and with Roger Grimsby as traditional humorless anchorman. WABCTV has kept the name and format since then, and has been the highest-rated station in New York for much of that time. -- The format, as tweaked by WABC-TV, was copied by many other stations in the United States, with four other stations owned and operated by ABC - KABC-TV in Los Angeles, WLS-TV in Chicago, WXYZ-TV in Detroit and KGO-TV in San Francisco -- using both the format and the Cool Hand Luke theme. (In the case of KGO, since KPIX was already using the Eyewitness News name, KGO named its newscast Channel 7 NewsScene
in 1969 and by 1983 simply Channel 7 News, while WXYZ used the Action News name since rival WJBK-TV called its newscasts Eyewitness News; KABC and WLS were free to use the Eyewitness News name as did WABC-TV). Ironically, WPVI, which developed the Action News format, is also now an ABC owned-andoperated station. In addition, U.S. Spanish-language stations also use their own version of Eyewitness News, called Noticias de Primera Plana (Headline News, a concept translation in Spanish of Eyewitness News) on its owned-and-operated stations. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - The false premise of the movie 'Cool Hand Luke' is that Society is accurately structured off of Religion and that society therefore accurately reflects religion i.e. Christianity and that to then properly conform to Society is to properly conform to Religion and therefore be 'Saved' by God - This very false [straw man] proposition [with society being wrong then God must be wrong] regarding Society in equating Society to Religion is much of what we are going to examine in this series of decoding the movie 'Cool Hand Luke' -{Note: Biblically [Revelation chapters 1-4] it is clear that the Christian Church in whole often does not accurately reflect the image of God (Jesus), and much less does society as a whole, but that individuals [i.e. Cool Hand Luke] do at times more accurately reflect the true image of Jesus Christ as God has intended for all mankind.} The reason the movie as a whole is a "straw-man proposal" [society being wrong so God must be wrong] movie presentation and an obvious one at that is that the straw 'not real' and easily swept away argument being that society accurately represents Christianity and therefore a dysfunctional Society [on whole or in part] is an offspring of a dysfunctional religion i.e. Christianity and being dysfunctional then reasonable people would have every reasonable need to depart from a dysfunctional [religion] system and incorporate a much less 'dysfunctional' [seemingly freely open] i.e. prison (socialism) society system and style for their own life and culture. Of course reality is that human society has little to do with actual Biblical Christianity [even within the Church, Mega-Church system] especially regarding sinful mankind. The movie is falsely portraying a Society equals Religion premise and insinuating that Luke while rebelling against society's unfairness is actually rebelling against the unfairness of God. But in reality Luke in rebelling against the unfair nature of society [Church (Mega-Church) and State] is actually in more of a true relationship with the just, righteous and fair God of the Bible than many people [Christians included] would rightly realize. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke (background) - King Rat (1965) Both Steve McQueen and Paul Newman [Cool Hand Luke] turned down the lead in this intriguing film This film (King Rat) also has a secondary storyline about the role of class in our society. Most of the British POWs are officers of fine breeding while King is an enlisted man of a questionable background. Some of the "upper-crust" British feel it is beneath them to work with someone like Cpl. King, let alone be bested or dependent upon him. This class-warfare intrigue is still in question today. Are some people better than others because of who they are? Rich vs. poor, male vs. female, white vs. black, educated vs. street smarts are all still issues plaguing humanity. -- This film is based upon a best-selling novel by James Clavell. Clavell spent much of his literary life writing a series of best-selling novels about Asia and its interaction with the West. From 'Shogun' to 'Noble House' to 'Gai-Jin' all of Clavell's novels about Asia are intriguing. The mini-series based upon 'Shogun', starring Richard Chamberlin and Toshiro Mifune, is still one of my favorite television events. And this novel is one of his best. Whether you like intense drama or prefer intellectual action, King Rat will provide some enjoyable entertainment. Upon viewing please keep one question in the back of your mind. If you were in a similar situation, would make a deal for food or would you starve for principle and honor? Filmed in 1965, directed by Bryan Forbes, written by Forbes from the novel by James Clavell, starring George Segal, John Mills, Tom Courtenay, James Fox and Denholm Elliott. --- Wiki.com James Clavell - Early life and World War II: Born in Australia, Clavell was the son of Commander Richard Clavell, a British Royal Navy officer who was stationed in Australia on secondment from the Royal Navy to the Royal Australian Navy. In 1940, when Clavell finished his secondary schooling at Portsmouth Grammar School, he joined the Royal Artillery to follow his family tradition.
Following the outbreak of World War II, at the age of 16 he joined the Royal Artillery in 1940, and was sent to Malaya to fight the Japanese. Wounded by machine-gun fire, he was eventually captured and sent to a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp on Java. Later he was transferred to Changi Prison in Singapore. Clavell suffered greatly at the hands of his Japanese captors. According to the introduction to King Rat, written by Clavell, over 90% of the prisoners who entered Changi never walked out, although the actual mortality rate was under 1% [850 out of a total of 87,000 prisoners are known to have died at Changi, although many more died after being transferred out to other sites like the Death Railway]. Clavell was reportedly saved, along with an entire battalion, by an American prisoner of war who later became the model for "The King" in Clavell's King Rat. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke (background) - Wikipedia: Donn Pearce an American author best known for the novel and screen play 'Cool Hand Luke' - He served two years in the Florida Department of Corrections chain gangs [Road Camp No. 48] - In 1965 Scribners published his first novel, Cool Hand Luke, and he went on to write the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for the 1967 film version - The film starred Paul Newman, and Pearce made a cameo appearance as a convict named Sailor Donn Pearce (born 1928) is an American author best known for the novel and screen play Cool Hand Luke. -Born Donald Mills Pearce in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pearce left home at 15. He attempted to join the United States Merchant Marine at 16, but was turned away due to his age. He lied about his age, registered for the draft, and was inducted into the United States Army in 1944. Frustrated by rules he considered unnecessary, he went AWOL, then three days later thought better of it and turned himself in to a Navy MP. His sentence was 30 days in the stockade. He served three days of his sentence, then was transferred to a combat infantry unit. Anticipating being sent to the front (this was during WWII), he wrote his mother a letter. She contacted the Army, informed them of his true age, and he was thrown out of the Army. By this time, he was old enough to join the Merchant Marine. -- The Merchant Marine took him to Venice when he was 18, to Spain, Denmark, France, Portugal and Bombay. Post-war Europe had a thriving black market, and Pearce became involved in counterfeiting American money. He attempted to pass some counterfeit bills to a police officer in Marseilles, and was arrested, tried, and sent to prison. Assigned to a work detail outside the prison grounds, Pearce escaped, making his way to the Italian border. The French officials had taken his seaman's papers, so he forged new ones and signed on a ship to Canada. He crossed from Canada into the United States, where he began a new career - burglary. -- He became a safecracker, and in 1949, at the age of twenty, he was arrested for burglary. He served two years in the Florida Department of Corrections chain gangs. In 1965 Scribners published his first novel, Cool Hand Luke, and he went on to write the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for the 1967 film version. The film starred Paul Newman, and Pearce made a cameo appearance as a convict named Sailor. His other books included Pier Head Jump (1972) and Dying in the Sun (1974). During the seventies and early eighties he was a freelance journalist, often contributing to magazines such as Playboy and Esquire. In 2005 he published a fourth book, Nobody Comes Back, a novel about the Battle of the Bulge, which received an excellent review from Malcom Jones in the 21 February 2005 edition of Newsweek. Pearce continues to live and write in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke (Updated - Background) - imdb: Biography for Donn Pearce - "I seem to be the only guy in the United States who doesn't like the movie" Pearce told the Miami Herald in 1989 - "Everyone had a whack at it They screwed (manipulated) it up 99 different ways" It's been said that if Donn Pearce is remembered at all, it won't be for having written "Cool Hand Luke," his acclaimed but little-read novel about his life as a convict on a southern chain gang, but for the classic movie based on it. Starring Paul Newman in the Oscar-nominated title role, Cool Hand Luke (1967) was both a critical and commercial success. An outstanding film across the board, it brought us one of the screen's most compelling anti-heroes and one of the all-time great movie lines: "What we've got here is failure to
communicate." Nominated for Best Picture, "Cool Hand Luke" was one of the key films of the Sixties. Many consider it a masterpiece. - Donn Pearce is not one of them. - "I seem to be the only guy in the United States who doesn't like the movie," Pearce told the Miami Herald in 1989. "Everyone had a whack at it. They screwed it up 99 different ways." [article link]
Cool Hand Luke (Background) - [Movie] 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' is a 1969 American Western [losing your religion] film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman - The title roles were originally cast with Paul Newman and Steve McQueen, but the latter (McQueen) left after a dispute over billing - The role of Sundance was then offered to Jack Lemmon, whose production company, JML, had produced the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke starring Newman -- Note: According to the DVD director commentary director George Roy Hill during pre-production for his 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid went to Europe (Italy) in 1966 knowing that the movie by Sergio Leone "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" would not be released to American audiences until 1968. In viewing the movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" he later incorporated some of the film style [slow-motion and noise emphasis] from Sergio Leone into the shootout sequence in scene #21 titled 'Going straight' the scene also included fellow Cool Hand Luke actor Strother Martin. Production: The film was originally rated M (for mature audiences) by the Motion Picture Association of America. It was re-rated PG when 20th Century Fox re-released the film in 1974. According to the supplemental material on the Blu-ray disc release, William Goldman's script, originally called The Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy, was purchased by Richard Zanuck at 20th Century Fox for $400,000, double the price the studio's board of directors had authorized. The title roles were originally cast with Newman and Steve McQueen, but the latter left after a dispute over billing. The role of Sundance was then offered to Jack Lemmon, whose production company, JML, had produced the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke starring Newman, who had been grateful for Lemmon's...Lemmon, however, turned down the role; he did not like riding horses, and he also felt he had already played too many aspects of the Sundance Kid's character before. Warren Beatty was then considered, as was Marlon Brando, but the role of Sundance eventually went to the lesser-known Redford. (Initially Newman was to play Sundance (whom he did not resemble) and Redford Cassidy.) Fox [studio] did not want Redford, but director George Roy Hill insisted. Redford later said this film catapulted him to stardom and irreversibly changed his career. Butch Cassidy's outlaw gang was actually called "The Wild Bunch"; this was changed, in the film, to "The Hole-In-The-Wall Gang" to avoid confusion with Sam Peckinpah's recently released film The Wild Bunch. -- Box office: With a box office of over US$100 million (equivalent to over $500 million in 2009 dollars), it was the top grossing film of the year. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - The movie Cool Hand Luke's opening scene is of a normal looking guy [Luke] who happens to be in the process of damaging Govt. property by cutting off the tops of the parking meters in his small town's shopping district The word 'violation' looms from each parking meter as Luke topples it from its stand. Luke following his own BYOB policy, a bottle opener hanging from a chain around his neck, has brought his own beer to his own little getting even party. The intoxicated Luke has a grand time while he spends a few minutes in the dark of night "evening the score" for a parking ticket that Luke certainly didn't deserve. Soon, as expected a local police officer pulls his patrol car to the curb and asks Luke "what are you doing there fella?" The movie viewer is instantly presented with a series of internal conflicts regarding the situation. Knowing that what Luke is doing is wrong but hoping that the officer will see the good natured humor in Luke's antics and simply drive Luke home for a needed night's rest and a chance for Luke to sober up from his mostly harmless antics of the night. -- The second scene of the movie quickly reveals that not only was Luke not given a break in being taken home and let off by the police but Luke was not given any kind of a break in the form of either a fine or a suspended sentence, instead Luke is on his way to prison. Note: The opening scene is complete and almost overstuffed
with occult themes [rebellion, alcohol, intoxication, disobedience] and imagery, a neon sign blazing the single word "Drugs" is the main backdrop for much of the scene and stylistically comes into view just as the officer is asking Luke "what are you doing there fella?" i.e. drugs. The main prop in the opening scene is the looming red light of a distant streetlight warning everyone [Luke and the audiance] to stop any and all dissent that is in any way directed towards government at any level. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - In the movie's 2nd scene titled "Yes, Cap'n" Luke and three new fellow inmates arrive at the prison "Road Prison Camp No. 36" under the leering eyes of an inmate trustee and to the sounds of baying dogs the four new prisoners encounter a prison guard and meet the Camp Commandant [Captain - played by Strother Martin] in being inducted into their new prison surroundings This second scene is one of the important pivotal scenes of the movie. The first new prisoner [Alibi - played by 'The Waltons' family TV show star Ralph Waite] reveals his sentence of two years for the horrendous crime of manslaughter, the accidental death of another person. Soon we are startled to learn that Luke also has received in his case a very steep two year penalty as well and not for the crime of manslaughter but for the victimless crime of damaging government property. -- Further the scene goes on to reveal the dreadful news that not only has Luke committed the grievous act of interfering with government property particularly property [parking meters] that help finance and enrich the government but Luke is also on record for having committed the other grievous act against the government, the act of disobedience in disobeying Army authority [he was reduced in rank from Sargent back down to Private]. The viewer begins to get a brief sense of a foreboding future for Luke in that Luke having committed not one but two sins, the two most unforgiving sins, against the government [state and church] system in committing acts of disobedience to authority and by interfering even ever so slightly by momentarily hindering the governments' ability to continually collect tax from the citizens [via a parking tax]. The audience begins to sense that Luke's mostly innocent behavior is going to have a disastrous result for Luke in that the government [state - church - mega-church] system will not tolerate in any way financial meddling or disobedience to authority of any kind. Note: in the scene a white picket fence is clearly prominent when the new prisoners arrive outside the Warden's house. The prisoner trustee 'Dog Boy' is also seen petting the bloodhound 'Blue' next to the fence. The white picket fence [attempts to reveal in the movie's false premise] that society makes and enforces a just and orderly rule of law [as opposed to the true Word of God revealing just law for all]. After the prisoners introduction they are led away from the white picket fence to their new housing area an area where a large locked metal gate and chain linked fence topped with barbed wire surrounds where the prisoners of society live. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - In one of the truly amazing scenes of the movie, or of any movie, is the interaction between Luke and his visiting Mother Arletta (played by Jo Van Fleet) - Luke calling his mother only by her name "Arletta" and Arletta constantly referring to Luke only as "kid" unleashes a barrage of un-motherly love on Luke the likes of which the world has seldom witnessed The [carefully written and scripted] scene begins with an ill Arletta having been toted to the prison camp compound in a makeshift bed in the back of an old pickup truck driven by her son John [a half-brother to Luke], John is accompanied by a young son of his own. Arletta wastes no time in harassing Luke by beckoning him to come around to the other side of the pickup truck bed knowing full well that Luke can't go out of sight of the prison guard. The guard quickly denies Luke permission to go where Arletta as beckoned him to be. A smiling Arletta briefly relishes in her ability to make life impossible for her favored son Luke. Immediately Arletta begins to challenge Luke in his lack of having any children of his own. Luke comments that yeah it cannot be done just now. Moving on to more devastation Arletta begins to side with everyone but Luke in her taking sides with the law, any past girlfriend or anything else that can put Luke down. In the crescendo of the scene Arletta begins to cough and choke while an obedient Luke lifts a glass of water to her, yet amazingly Arletta won't even give Luke the satisfaction of assisting her and Arletta twice refuses to accept the much
needed glass of water from Luke's outstretched hand. Previously Arletta had just dug into Luke by pointing out that Luke had never met his biological father - something Luke would have liked to have done. Permanently finishing Luke off Arletta tells him that she will soon be dead and "it won't matter what he does when he gets out of prison" and that she was going to leave everything to his half-brother John so regardless his life didn't matter to her anyhow but that he should try to just "laugh if up" anyhow. -- After Luke has been unfairly kicked while he is down by the system and now by his own family the movie at its lowest point then introduces religion as a main new theme in the movie. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - filmsite: Luke's sickly, dying mother Arletta (Jo Van Fleet) visits one Sunday afternoon to say goodbye - Review by Tim Dirks Luke's sickly, dying mother Arletta (Jo Van Fleet) visits one Sunday afternoon to say goodbye, stiffly and painfully propped up in the bed of the pickup truck - it is presumably their last time together. Driven by her respectable son John, Sr. (John Pearce), she is chain-smoking a cigarette while coughing [with lung cancer or consumptive TB?]. Arletta still cares and expresses warm affection for her wayward yet favored son - but with guarded words. Although she is disappointed about how he turned out (and feeling guilty about her role as caregiver), Luke tells her that she'd done her best raising him as a single mother. In the tragic scene which implies much about her son's broken childhood and upbringing, the terminally-ill Arletta expresses regrets and resigns herself to "let go" of her independent-minded son who tried to live like she did - "free and above board." In the poignant conclusion to their conversation, she plans - after her death - to give her inheritance to her less-loved son John. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - Where Are They Now? Joy Harmon (The Girl) - Aunt Joy's Cakes - Aunt Joy's Cakes began with Joy Harmon's love for sweets and lifelong passion for baking - most remembered for her role in the movie "Cool Hand Luke" starring Paul Newman and George Kennedy - Joy Harmon plays a sexy, young woman who the men in the chain gang call Lucille - She drives the prisoners crazy as she seductively washes her car on a hot summer day Aunt Joy's Cakes began with Joy Harmon's love for sweets and lifelong passion for baking. Before she was Aunt Joy, Joy Harmon was an actress in the sixties known for her ingénue style. She enjoyed bringing freshly baked goods for all of her co-workers, including Groucho Marx, who Joy Harmon appeared with on the television shows "You Bet Your Life" and "Tell It to Groucho." She also acted in many films, such as "Village of the Giants" and "Angel in my Pocket," but is most remembered for her role in the movie "Cool Hand Luke" starring Paul Newman and George Kennedy, who won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for the film. Joy Harmon plays a sexy, young woman who the men in the chain gang call Lucille. She drives the prisoners crazy as she seductively washes her car on a hot summer day. Although Joy Harmon's legendary car wash scene lasted less than five minutes, it made history as one of the sexiest scenes in a motion picture. -- Aunt Joy's Cakes started in the kitchen of her home in California. The name originated when Joy Harmon began supplying cakes to her niece's coffee shop. Whenever she made a delivery her niece would cheer, "Aunt Joy's cakes are here!" Then Joy Harmon started supplying her desserts to Disney Studios, where her son worked and spread the word about his mom's mouthwatering cakes and cookies. Her homemade desserts were becoming very popular, and Joy Harmon started supplying her baked goods to many more studios in the Los Angeles area. The demand for her delicious treats became too great for her to do alone in her kitchen, so now Joy Harmon is sharing her recipes and baking her secrets with her children. They are now running a wholesale bakery in Burbank, California specializing in cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and chocolate dipped strawberries. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - Where Are They Now? James Fox as Peter Marlowe [a type of a Christian missionary who loses his religion and joins in with the Devil "King Rat"] from Hut 16 in the movie "King Rat" - Fox subsequently joined [1970 to 1979] a religious organisation known as "The Navigators" which is similar to the Gideons and is
closely associated with the ministry of Billy Graham Mini Biography: James Fox is the second of three sons, born to the theatrical agent Robin Fox and his actress wife Angela Worthington - aka Angela Fox. His brothers are the actor Edward Fox and the producer Robert Fox. He started acting as a child actor and used his real name, until he reached his early 20s. He trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He left for nine years from 1970 to 1979 to pursue Christian vocational work. His niece is the actress Emilia Fox and he has a half-brother to the actor Daniel Chatto. From his marriage to Mary Piper, he has four sons: Thomas Fox, born 1975; Robin Fox, born 1976; the actors Laurence Fox, born 1978; Jack Fox, born 1985, and one daughter, Lydia Fox, born 1979. He published a book, "Comeback: An Actor's Direction", in 1983. ... Fox left the acting profession for nine years (1970-79) after he filmed Performance (1970) with Mick Jagger. A combination of his father's recent death, the strain of filming and smoking the hallucinogen DMT with Mick Jagger led to a nervous breakdown. Fox subsequently joined a religious organisation known as "The Navigators" which is similar to the Gideons and is closely associated with the ministry of Billy Graham. ... Personal Quotes: [On his 9-year break from acting]: People think Performance (1970) blew my mind... my mind was blown long before that. Performance (1970) gave me doubts about my way of life. Before that I had been completely involved in the more bawdy side of the film business. But after that everything changed. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - Where Are They Now? - Paul Newman (1925-2008) - In a 1980 interview with TIME magazine, Newman said he identified himself as Jewish, stating, "it's more of a challenge" In Israel and among Jews worldwide, he will always be remembered as Ari Ben Canaan, the Zionist rebel of [the 1960 movie] Exodus who seizes a cargo ship and smuggles 600 Holocaust survivors to Palestine despite British opposition (2008 Haaretz.com) - founded Newman's Own, a successful food company he built from the ground up in which all the proceeds go to charity - He would also start The Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, an organization for terminally ill children Mini Biography: Paul Leonard Newman was born in January of 1925, the second son of Arthur and Theresa (nee' Fetsko) Newman in Cleveland, Ohio. The Newmans were a well-to-do family and Paul grew up in a nice home in Shaker Heights. Newman's father, the son of Jewish immigrants from Poland and Hungary, was the owner of a highly successful sporting goods store. Paul's mother, a practicing Christian Scientist of Slovakian decent, and his uncle Joe had an interest in creative arts and it rubbed off on him. ... He is as well known today for his philanthropic ways and highly successful business ventures as he his for his legendary actor status. Now in his 80s, Newman enjoys a near 50-year marriage to Joanne in Connecticut, their main residence since moving away from the bright lights of Hollywood in 1960, still attends races, is very much involved in his charitable organizations and in 2006 opened a restaurant called Dressing Room, which helps out the Westport Country Playhouse, a place the Newman's take great pride in. In 2007 he made some headlines when he said he was losing his invention and confidence in his acting abilities and that acting is "pretty much a closed book for me." Whether he's on the screen or not, Paul Newman remains synonymous with the anti-heroism of the 1960s and 1970s cinema and rebellious nature his characters so often embodied. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - In pivotal scene #15 'Snake in the grass' Luke begins to challenge the authority of the prison guards - Fellow prisoner Dragline (played by George Kennedy) tells Luke "Luke, you've gone too far when you mess with [the guard] the man with no eyes" - Then in the next scene #16 'Standing in the rain' Luke begins to question not just the existence of God but also the fairness, goodness and abilities of God - "Let me know you're up there Old Timer (God) love me, hate me, kill me just let me know you're up there" Standing in the rain 'talking to myself' is what Luke replies to himself after his brief dialogue with God. Luke in seeking and questioning the goodness, nature and existence of God is doing it in an open, just and meaningful way. Not like the blasphemous sinner hurling insults to cause injury but more in a serious way like a man who has lived life, questioned life, fought [WWII] and survived most of what life has thrown his way and yet is still
seeking an honest and sincere answer. This brings to mind, is it more appropriate to have a polished, even pretend mega-church cultured relationship with God where it is more rehearsed among men than freely given to God. Or is it more acceptable to God for a person like Luke in prison with most of the odds stacked against him and yet in openness and honesty from time to time he addresses God and looks into the things of God. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - Luke continues to challenge the authority of the prison system and after news of his Mother's death and some resulting unfair treatment from the prison staff Luke attempts a first escape but is caught just a few days later and returned to camp - Luke now has two more years of time to do and a clinking set of leg chains "to slow him down" Chains on but not slowed down, Luke immediately escapes the work camp and is on the run for a second time. In scene #22 'Chili powder, etc.' Luke has escaped for a second time and has stopped at a familiar small farm owned by a black family. Two black kids who are friends with each other help Luke, one goes and gets an axe to cut the chains and the other gets chili powder for Luke to spread on the ground to hinder the scent and smell of the chasing prison dogs. As Luke sits down he puts his feet on a chopping block and begins to break his leg chains with the axe and for the viewer a building in the background comes into view. As Luke is chopping at his leg chains he pauses and briefly looks over his shoulder at the nondescript building. Returning to his chopping the building looms in the background the entire time until the chains are broken and Luke is free to continue on with his escape. The building in the background is a small Church building and it is where Luke will have his climatic showdown with both God and man. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - Luke is captured and returned again to the prison camp where he receives two sets of leg chains and an unbearable amount of work and harassment from the prison staff - It appears that after all of the hardship that Luke has been broken - Luke has appeared to have 'gotten religion' the kind of conforming obedient religion that one man seeks to place over another Now the obedient Luke is reduced to every humiliation at the hands of both the prison guards and his fellow prisoners. But not for long as Luke is immediately on the run again and this time his friend Dragline joins Luke in the escape. In the dark of the night Luke and Dragline near the small farming community where Luke cut his chains in the previous escape attempt. Dragline scouts the road and tells Luke that they have it made and can escape on to every imaginable pleasure. Luke declines to go with Dragline saying "I've done enough world shaking for a while" and going his own way Luke passes then enters into the small Church to have another conversation with the Old Man (God). [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - Luke talks with God - Luke assumes that all of his previous attempts at reaching God have failed - But just in reaching back to the previous 'talking to myself' scene where Luke was shouting to God in a rainstorm Luke had told God "Let me know you're up there Old Timer (God) love me, hate me, *kill me just let me know you're up there" - And now God in His goodness and kindness is about to let Luke know that He has had Luke in His loving hands all the time Within minutes of Luke's seemingly failed attempt at reaching God the small Church parking lot is filled with police cars and his friend Dragline enters into the building to talk Luke into surrendering proclaiming "maybe they will even give us our old bunks back." Luke realizing the seriousness of the situation walks over to the window and using the Warden's own iconic words says "what we have here is a failure to communicate." The guard called no eyes again does his talking with his rife and quickly responds by shooting and wounding Luke in the neck. The prison staff rejects an offer to take the badly wounded Luke to a nearby hospital ensuring Luke's death and as the car pulls away the ever foreboding red light appears assuring the viewer that Luke has passed from this life. Had God not taken Luke's life at that moment as Luke had given God an open invitation to do, what would be his condition mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually after yet another session with the skilled prison staff? It would have been a Luke much different from the Luke God made and loved
"You, made me like I am" and God did make Luke, in part like he was though sin also has a part in every person. The scene concludes with the smiling face of Luke and indeed it is a smile of a man who has overcome all the odds and perhaps it is the smile of a man that knowingly overcame this world and entered into the joy and presence of God in Heaven. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - Occult symbolism - The movie is stuffed with imagery, innuendo and outright occult symbolism At the end of the famous egg eating contest a self-sacrificed Luke lays sprawled on top of the table in the obvious form of the crucified Christ [a pose that Newman would nearly duplicate in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as Butch falls backward into a puddle of water during the film's long chase scene]. Though mimicking Christ, in a unique way the pose and context is not extrodinaly Antichrist but instead is more of a man who identifies with Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross and not of a man who is taking the place of Christ. Throughout the movie the character of Luke does not take the nature of Antichrist [no miracles, extended blasphemy or self-anointing] but consistently continues in the theme of a sinner trying to reach out to God as opposed to the movie King Rat where Corporal King (a type of Satan) made the system and used the system for his gain - Cool Hand Luke instead was a part of the system and often a victim of the system. The film concludes with the prison chain-gang [now, once again without Luke] cutting the grass of the ditches along a crossroad intersection then the torn [in the shape of a cross] picture of Luke with the two women is placed directly over the crossroad intersection creating the occult double cross (treachery) symbolism. Lastly the movie camera zooms into the picture of Luke until only an eye of Luke is left visible in the viewing frame showing the occult one-eye of enlightenment copying the technique that was so often used in the previous movie The Good the Bad and the Ugly. [article link]
Cool Hand Luke - Conclusion: The effects on the modern Church from the 1960's losing your religion movies of King Rat, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Cool Hand Luke, etc. It is only fair and accurate to lay the demise of the modern Church, and the accompanying critically ill condition of the present Church, at the feet of the Pastors who have willingly, either knowingly or unknowingly, led the Church into this direction for now three generations of preaching, teaching and Church service since the 1960's. The first generation of preachers and Church leaders during the 1960's-1970's consisting of men like Robert H. Schuller of Crystal Cathedral, Calvary Chapel's Chuck Smith Sr., Hal Lindsey, Chuck Missler, Jerry Falwell Sr., Dr. James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Tim LaHaye, Bill Gaither, Billy Graham etc. though not being directly open with the Church harbored within themselves the thoughts and concepts of the occult themed movies enabling the second generation of preachers and leaders to become more boldly occult within the true Church. The second generation of preachers during the 1980's-1990's consisting of men like Rick warren, John MacArthur, John Piper, Chuck Smith Jr., Jerry Falwell Jr., Greg Laurie, Mike MacIntosh, Skip Heitzig, etc. teachers who more openly added and abetted the Occult influence into the true Christian Church. The third and also current generation [including the Basic Christian Ministry - though from this generation is not of this worldly generation] of preaching 2000's-2010's is now openly advocating the very Occult concepts of the 1960's. In the Fall of 2010 Liberty University professor Ergun Caner began to publically address Christians as 'haters' the very line from the ending of the movie King Rat where Peter Marlowe [twice for effect] calls the Christian Lieutenant Robin Grey a hater. Now in 2011 Pastor Perry Noble mimicking the deleted scene '6 the perfect number' from the occult movie The Good the Bad and the Ugly informs his members that "I think you officially suck as a human being" and just like Blondie from the movie if we don't agree and acquiesce to Perry Noble and his every whim no matter how deranged then even our very life and existence is unworthy to be in his presence. Christianity in America and in the world has fallen a long way from the historical Christianity of the Bible, mostly in just the few short decades since the 1960's. But what has been so quickly lost to the true Church can be even more quickly returned as Biblical fellowship, respect, honor, grace and the Lordship of Jesus Christ all return to
the Church body exposing the unholy deeds of the occult darkness and lighting the world with the true Gospel of Jesus Christ! [article link]
{Summer 2011 - Platform Project!} Basic Christian AIR (Version 2.54) - Available - as a FREE Download - Note: The 'Adobe Air' document [BasicChristian.air] can be downloaded to any desktop computer (PC or Mac) and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - Right click this link) {Note: This is the 'Platform' Basic Christian resource format that I'm now using the most (though it doesn't have the universal search feature of a PDF file). It has all the Basic Christian documents [Contents] easily accessible and it also has the ability for each user to change font sizes [lower right slide bar], add comments [Comments Pod] and **also a section to add your own 'Platform' quick links [Favorites] to other websites a feature that I use daily to quickly visit several websites and blogs.} The project is now in the Summer 2011 Version. It will provide excellent anytime devotions and is perfect as a gift for others. Most importantly [with the free Adobe Air (2.7) program] the end user can create their own comments list, add links to other websites, blogs, RSS feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive individual 'Platform' for Christian research, devotional and study projects. -- Now Available for Free Download! [article link]
Adobe: Adobe AIR [an advanced Adobe Document (newer than PDF) Environment] Version 2.7 (Free Download) Note: The Air program from Adobe is much like the (PDF) Acrobat program from Adobe, both programs have to be installed on the computer before you can view Air Documents or PDF files. The Air program is a next generation file system and is more interactive than PDF files. [article link]
SolaSisters: How [Self-Rightious] Pietism Deceives Christians, and The Errors of Elitist Teachings in the Church Spener [Phillip Jakob Spener (1635-1705) - sourced at www.matthew548.com], who is credited as the creator of the movement that gained the name "pietism" - However, Spener himself apparently was not a pietist in the sense of claiming a higher order Christianity - The list of Spener's proposals for the church includes more intensive Bible study, the practice of the ***priesthood of believers, practicing deeds of unselfish love, and dealing with unbelievers and heretics with dialogue and loving persuasion rather than [Church and State] compulsion - **Spener's concern was corruption: "He was reacting against the polemical orthodoxy that was sterile amid the immorality and terrible social conditions following the Thirty Years' War" ... The problems Spener wanted to cure were caused by the existence of the State Church which was not a Biblical idea - They did not need more [of a self-rightious] piety; they needed to define the Church in Biblical terms Spener, who is credited as the creator of the movement that gained the name "pietism." However, Spener himself apparently was not a pietist in the sense of claiming a higher order Christianity. The list of Spener's proposals for the church includes more intensive Bible study, the practice of the priesthood of believers, practicing deeds of unselfish love, and dealing with unbelievers and heretics with dialogue and loving persuasion rather than compulsion. Spener's concern was corruption: "He was reacting against the polemical orthodoxy that was sterile amid the immorality and terrible social conditions following the Thirty Years' War." Though it could be argued that the term pietism should be reserved only for movements that seek to reform a corrupt situation in the church, the fact is that it became attached to the mysticism of Jacob Boehme and his many spiritual descendants. Not only that, many movements to fix a perceived problems in the church have taken a mystical, elitist, trajectory which is what characterizes pietists. So with due respect to people who consider themselves "pietist" along the lines of Spener, I believe that my definition describes the key ideas that have been promoted in church history. The problems Spener wanted to cure were caused by the existence of the state church which was not a Biblical idea. They did not need more piety; they needed to define the church in Biblical terms. Unregenerate people forced into a state church because of a war are by nature impious. The state church will always be corrupt because Christ's church is not attached to a particular civil government. ...
My conclusion is that "dead orthodoxy" is orthodoxy that people might fight for because of parochial reasons ("this is our tradition and no one is going to change it") but in which they put only mental assent faith. I gave mental assent to creeds when I was 12 years old because it was my duty to join the church at that age; but I was a dead sinner. But it most assuredly was not the truth contained in the creeds that killed me; it was my unbelief. Those "believers" in John 8 proved themselves to be unbelievers by refusing to become Jesus' disciples, learn the truth, and be set free. -- Pietism misdiagnoses the problem and creates a false solution. It sees a compromised church that is apparently caught in dead orthodoxy. The real problem is not dead orthodoxy but spiritually dead sinners who give mental assent to orthodox truth but show no signs of regeneration. If indeed such a church existed (if truth really is there God has His remnant there as well), that church would be characterized by worldliness and sin. This is the case because dead sinners do not bear spiritual fruit. There was a church in Revelation that Jesus called "dead." Pietism that holds to the true gospel but goes beyond it imagining that the dead sinners who are church members are Christians. When some of them become regenerate through the efforts of the pietists, they assume they have now entered a higher class of Christianity. They posit two types of Christian: "carnal" Christians and "spiritual" Christians. But in reality there are only Christians and dead sinners. -- Furthermore, pietism sees the lack of good fruit in the "dead orthodox" churches to be a sign that teaching doctrine is of no value and that what really matters is practice and not doctrine. So they gravitate to works righteousness. This is precisely the mode of the Emergen[t] Church. It has been the approach of pietists throughout history. But works that do not result from a prior work of grace (which is the result of God's work through the gospel to convert dead sinners) are in fact "dead works" no matter how pious they look. Mother Theresa did good works but denied the exclusive claims of the gospel. That "piety" is of no eternal value if those who were the recipients of the good works never hear or believe the gospel and thus end up in hell. -- God's revealed truth is never dead, but sometimes it falls on dead ears. In John 6 multitudes who were interested in following Jesus for bread left Him when He spoke the truth to them. The few who did not have dead ears were asked if they would leave too. Peter answered for the group: "Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God'" (John 6:68, 69). ***Genuine faith like that is not the domain of higher order pietists who learned the secrets of the deeper life, ***it is characteristic of every one of Christ's true flock who ever exists. [Self-Rightious i.e. Rick Warren] Pietists think that adding some man made process to what Christ has provided for all Christians throughout the centuries can cure a problem that never existed: being "dead" because of believing the truth. Instead of a cure, they create an illness as they lead people away from the finished work of Christ. [article link]
{4th of July, 2011} Bible verse: Psalms 145:9-14 The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works. ... Thy Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Psalms 145:9-14 The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works. All thy works shall praise Thee, O LORD; and Thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of Thy Kingdom, and talk of Thy power; To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the Glorious Majesty of His Kingdom. Thy Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. -- Holy Bible [article link]
{4th of July, 2011} Bible verse: Proverbs 24:1-14 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. ***Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established [1 Timothy 3:15]: ... If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not He (God) that pondereth the heart [of man] consider it? and He (God) that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? and shall not He render to every man according to his works? {The complete Bible is available at
ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Proverbs 24:1-14 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate. He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person. The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation [life everlasting] shall not be cut off. -- Holy Bible [article link]
{4th of July, 2011} Wikipedia: King Rat - King Rat is a 1965 World War II film adapted from the James Clavell novel King Rat - The film was directed by Bryan Forbes and starred George Segal as Corporal King, a World War II prisoner of war in a squalid camp near Singapore - [consisting of anti-religious overtones] the movie was nominated for two Academy Awards {Note: An excellent true life-human drama movie realistically portraying life in a WWII POW camp.} Plot: Corporal King is an anomaly in the Japanese prison camp; not only is he one of only a handful of Americans amongst the mainly British and Australian inmates, he is actually thriving through his conniving and black market enterprises while others (nearly all of higher rank) struggle to survive the sickness and starvation, while retaining as much of their civilized nature as they can. ... King has an entirely different relationship with the lower-class, seemingly-incorruptible [devout Christian] British Provost, Lieutenant Grey (Tom Courtenay). Grey has only contempt for the American and does his best to bring him down, with little success. -Meanwhile, Grey has another dilemma to deal with. When he accidentally discovers that the high-ranking officer in charge of the meager food rations has been siphoning off part of it, he rejects a bribe and zealously takes the matter to Colonel George Smedley-Taylor (John Mills). To his dismay however, Smedley-Taylor tells him that the corrupt officer and his assistant have been relieved of their duties, but orders him to forget all about it. Grey accuses him of being in on the scheme, but the tampered weight he presented to the colonel has been replaced, and he no longer has any proof of the misdeeds. Smedley-Taylor offers to promote him to captain; when a troubled Grey does not respond, Smedley-Taylor takes his silence as agreement. -- Finally, one day, the camp commandant summons the senior British officers and notifies them that the Japanese have surrendered and that the war is over. Later, a single British paratrooper (Richard Dawson) walks up to the prison gates and disarms the guards. -- After overcoming their shock and disbelief, the prisoners celebrate - all except King. He realizes he is no longer the unquestioned (if unofficial) ruler of the camp. He manages to squelch a premature attempt by resentful underling Sergeant Max (Patrick O'Neal) to reassert his rank and authority, but that only delays the inevitable. When Marlowe speaks to him before his departure back into the ranks of the U.S. Army, King ignores his overture of renewed friendship. -- King's unit sleeve patch is that of the U.S. 34th Infantry Division, which fought the Germans in North Africa and Italy, not the Japanese. [article link]
{4th of July, 2011} imdb: King Rat (1965) Movie - A viewer rating of 7.6 stars out of 10 stars The Japanese prisoner-of-war camp Changi in Singapore, which houses Allied POWs, is a living hell. The great mass of POWs are living at a sub-human subsistence level. US Army Corporal King has been living up to his surname, through his control of the camp's black market, and by scamming the officers and other POWs. King has a facility for making deals with the Japanese to obtain the contraband he sells to the POWs. His nemesis is British Lieutenant Robin Grey, the camp provost marshal, a humorless, intense martinet who survives through
his strict adherence to the British articles of war, which forbid collaboration with the enemy. He is suspicious of King, and is determined to catch him and bring him to justice. The humorless Grey is an upright, uptight moral prig who has been as badly damaged psychologically as any of the other POWs. The high-living King befriends a genteel young British soldier, Peter Marlowe, who at first resists his blandishments, and then succumbs, to his charm. The POWs become aware that the war is drawing to its end, and King and Marlowe grow concerned that the brutal Japanese guards may slaughter the prisoners before they can be liberated. King and Marlowe are determined to raise a large amount of money to buy their freedom by bribing their captors. One of the schemes that King devises is to raise the meat of deer mouse, a native delicacy, to sell to the officers and any POW who can afford it. Conditions are so desperate in the camp, that POWs are stealing rations form one another in order to stave off starvation. This is another one of King's scams, as the "mouse deer' are actually rats, the breeding stock for which have been the rats that have fed off the corpses of dead POWs. The desperate situation in the camp is exacerbated by the brutality of the Japanese guards, and by the senior British officers' predilection for breaking the will of the POWs in order to maintain camp discipline. Resistance, thus, is futile, and with no other outlet, the animosity of the POWs has to be channeled against each other. It becomes quite apparent that, aside from Lieutenant Grey and the dead, everyone in the camp is corrupt. Corporal King merely stands out, as he is Jack-the-Lad, The King-of-the-Hill, King of the Camp, KING RAT. Written by Jon C. Hopwood -- Trivia: Some of the actors had been POWS in the Second World War. Denholm Elliott, while serving in the RAF, had been shot down and taken prisoner by the Nazis. [article link]
{4th of July, 2011} King Rat the Movie part 1 of 10 (YouTube) Note: Youtube has removed parts 2-10. [article link]
{4th of July, 2011} Edward Trimnell discusses James Clavell's 1962 debut novel, 'King Rat' - "What is good, what is evil? - How do people interact?" - "The novel is not an adventure script but is primarly a book of ideas" (YouTube) King Rat is set in a Japanese POW camp in 1945. This video introduces the two major characters of King Rat, as well as the themes explored in the book. From EdwardTrimnell.com. [article link]
{4th of July, 2011} See Also: Treblinka by Jean-Francois Steiner (His father Mr. Kadmi Cohen died in the Nazi Holocaust at the Auschwitz sub-camp Gleiwitz) - One of the best books on the Holocaust - This is without a doubt one of the better books about the death camps - You will become intimately acquainted with Treblinka and the Nazis who ran it - Steiner's book is well-written and does justice to the horror {Note: An absolute must read but be prepared for the hard realities the book portrays. It's a difficult book to contemplate because it shows society at its worst in the past and now society is heading back in that very same direction.} (Book) [Treblinka - Text: English (translation) published in 1968 by Signet Book - Original Language: French published in 1967] A chance meeting with a university professor in NY years ago caused me to ask the question of what was it really, really like to exist in a place of complete insanity; where you were placed at risk of death at every moment, where every act, every gesture could be your last. What sort of social structure could possibly evolve in such indescrible conditions where inmate sometimes turned on inmate for a crust of bread. And yet in this dark chaos an order did evolve. The inmates organized themselves to such an extent that they ultimately rose up in rebellion, overpowering their opressors and a small number actually escaped. I have read numerous books on the Holocaust but none of those prepared me for Steiner's superb work. Many of the works I've read concerned Auschwitz. Frankly, I never focused on Treblinka. As there is a relatively large number of Auschwitz survivors, I suspect scholars tend to focus on them. As far as Treblinka survivors go... there were only 75. Steiner's descriptions are so overwhelming; his imagery so clear and lucid that you can see in your own mind, the acts of brutality and barbarism, as well as small acts of kindness as if you are actually there. I found myself cringing at the blows of the clubs and the slash of the whips. And yet he takes pains to describe acts of heroism
one can hardly imagine. You see how exposure to this inhumanity affects the inmates. Some degenerate while others work at mostly futile individual escape attempts in order to warn the remaining Jews of what ultimately lies in wait at the railhead at Treblinka Station. This is strong stuff and is not for everyone. This is not a book that compiles statistics but rather paints a searing description of day-to-day life with the inmates, their struggles to make it another day, their planning and finally their courageous attempt to escape. If you make it through this book, read Kogon's "The Theory and Practice of Hell" and then the next time you see "ethnic cleansing" taking place in some remote venue such as the Balkans, Rawanda or Timor ask yourself just how far we've really come and how easily we've learned to mouth the words "never again". -- Review: I have a morbid facsination with the Holocaust and Holocaust literature so I picked up Treblinka. I was not prepared for what was in it, how it would make me feel. I couldn't put it down. For two days I lived and breathed Treblinka, for two days I was beaten, starved, tortured, I saw my family gassed, I saw my fellow inmates hang themselves because death was better than this hell on earth. For two days I was an inmate of Treblinka because JeanFrancois Steiner put me there. Treblinka is quite possibly the most important piece of Holocaust literature ever written. It is non-fiction but it reads like a novel. It told me more about the death camps and Nazi regime than all of the books I have read combined. The most amazing thing about Treblinka though was the psychology behind it all. It gave answer to my question: Why did they not revolt before this? Why did they simply allow themselves to be led to death? On the third day I rose from the bottom of the abyss, I revolted, I left Treblinka along with 700 Jews, survivors of hell. I left but I didn't escape, no one escapes Treblinka. Like how Treblinka will always hold it's prisoners, Treblinka will always hold it's readers in it's mental grasp. [article link]
FightingForTheFaith.com: Perry Noble 2011 Sheep Beating Incident (Mp3) • Perry Noble 2011 Sheep Beating Incident • Dr. Mohler Fields Question RE: Homosexual Sin • The Empire State's Moral Revolution • Sermon Review: Mighty Warrior by Casey Henegan, Keypoint Church. [article link]
The Bible clearly speaks of Jesus as being truly God (YouTube) The Bible clearly speaks of Jesus as being truly God. Pastor Jack takes us through a very powerful set of scriptures ascribing attributes and titles to Jesus that are reserved to God alone. [article link]
Update: Basic Christian - I'm planning on starting the coming week with a series of postings based on a possible 'End Times' Timeline of Events. ~ All the best, God Bless everyone, David Anson Brown Ok, even by doing a planned, introductory, minimal Timeline of possible events it is still going to be controversial - especially for my first post (or two) that I have planned. Though I think we can get through them and consider some possible End Time scenarios. [article link]
End Time Events Intro (1 of 2) - Biblically it seems that both the 1st and 2nd coming of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) are scripted to a certain timeline and number of days i.e. the 1st and 2nd comings and Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) - Therefore the events are not random nor are they arbitrary but are a part of a pre-determined, planned and scripted series of ordered and ordained events Within the allotted timeline [Genesis-Revelation] of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) events there are also the events of the Antichrist (Satan/Devil) i.e. the 7 Global (secular) Kingdoms of mankind. Presumably Satan has been given some leeway in formulating his own events within mankind. In part it is climatic events of Satan that will conclude the current 'Secular Age' on earth preceding the ushering in of the Messiah 1,000 year Kingdom Reign on earth. But, what of the climatic End Time events of Satan? Do they have to occur? The short answer is No! It is entirely possible (but not likely) that Satan in chasing down various schemes among mankind could fail to unite and formulate his own 7th Global Kingdom [Revised Roman Empire]. Because of a predetermined timeline of events if Satan were to fail to manifest his desired 7th global kingdom among mankind the 8th
Kingdom the Kingdom of Jesus Christ would still manifest, reveal and succeed right on schedule [a schedule created and adhered to before even the foundations of the earth - Matthew 13:35] regardless of the status of Satan's 7th Kingdom [the 6 Satanic kingdoms having already been enacted and concluded]. The point is that as Christians attempting to observe End Time; events, days and seasons we need to keep in mind the Timeline of Jesus Christ and the Timeframe that the Bible has indicated for us much more than we should ever attempt to observe the perceivable End Time events of a Satanic kingdom [wars, famine, depression, etc.] an unholy kingdom that may or may not occur and in any of a variety of shapes and sizes, accompanying a diverse, subtle (counterfeit) variety of events, people and nations. [article link]
End Time Events Intro (2 of 2) - Continuing and considering a possible Timeline for End Time (conclusion of the Church Age) Events - The 2,000 year time period [about 32 A.D. to about 2032 A.D.] is the most often and most frequently used segment [length] of time used when considering the birth and length (duration) of the Christian Church Age {Note: Jesus was about 30 years old (Luke 3:23) when He began His Ministry, a Ministry that lasted 3 1/2 years on earth - using the year 0 A.D. for the birth of Jesus and at the age of thirty (30 A.D.) Jesus began His Ministry that lasted for three and a half years on earth ... 30 A.D., 31 A.D., 32 A.D. and into 33 A.D. (the night of the N.T. Passover and Holy Week in Jerusalem).} It is clear that nearly every secular generation for the last 2,000 years has attempted to usher in the Satanic 7th kingdom [New Age, NWO, Age of Aquarius, etc.] and all [i.e. Constantine the Great and his Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. which proclaimed religious tolerance -- The de' Medici family and Pope Leo X - proclaimed Pope on 11 March 1513 A.D. -- The 1776 Illuminati, 1919 WWI, 1941 WW2, 1984 George Orwell (occultist), 2001 WTC, 2011 Royal wedding and Arab Spring, the coming 2012 Olympics in London England, and the intended 2013 global Satanic initiation] have all failed so far to this point. Though at one point in time the 7th Occult Kingdom is going to be successfully initiated and with it the End Time events of the Holy Bible. -- Though 2011,2012,2013 are all years that are highly desirable to occultist to initiate their 7th Global Kingdom it might be that the 2032 A.D. timeframe is a more accurate and feasible timetable. Meaning that the NWO is possibly looking at developing (technology) and evolving (policy) at a highly accelerated pace for the next twenty years prior to an actual initiation of the coming NWO 7th Kingdom. -- The Bible in (Leviticus 7:16-18) has an ordinance regarding a sacrifice where the sacrifice offered is viable (fresh) for only two days and cannot be legally received after the 2nd day. This is occasionally considered to be in part an ordinance and a prophecy regarding the 2,000 years [two days] of the Church Age (not to say that the eternal blood of Jesus Christ has a 2,000 year expiration date) only to say that times and dispensations do have a unique aspect about each of them [i.e. the Millennial Kingdom, Temple Ordinances (i.e. Ezekiel chapter 46, etc.)] --"Leviticus 7:16-18 But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten: But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire. And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity." [article link]
TWO DAYS (2,000 YRS.) FROM CHRIST'S BIRTH TO SECOND ADVENT (arrival, appearance) of Jesus Christ There is a [dubious] sermon known as the EPISTLE OF BARNABAS which was written to the early churches Barnabas [early Church Writers] knew [suspected] the return of Christ Jesus was not imminent [but thought to be in 2,000 years - about 2032 A.D.] -- Lactantius, who lived around 300 A.D. wrote in his seventh BOOK OF DIVINE INSTITUTIONS: "it is necessary that at the end of the sixth thousandth year (of creation) all wickedness should be abolished out of the earth and justice should reign for a thousand years (The Millennial Reign)" Note: Lactantius did not believe the Rapture of the Church was imminent in his day It has been widely taught in Christendom that from Creation to the Final Judgment, at the end of time, there would be a total of seven thousand years (seven days). Four thousand years (four days) passed from Adam to
the birth of Christ Jesus. Also, from Christ's First Advent (His birth) until His Second Advent in glory, there would be two thousand years (two days); followed by His 1,000-yr. reign on earth (one day). And now; time has proven that a literal interpretation of Peter's formula is true: -- "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (II Peter 3:8). -- The apostle Peter has given us a formula by which Christians can calculate the approximate time of Christ's Second Coming to Israel and therefore, the preceding Rapture of the body of Christ, which is the true Church. Many there are in Christendom who say this formula is merely theory. To them I ask, is it mere coincidence that Israel became a political state again in the Promised Land in 1948, which is in the twentieth century since the birth of our Lord Jesus? Or is it God fulfilling His Word on His timetable? God is setting the stage! Watch! [article link]
Wikipedia: Epistle of Barnabas - **the opinion today is that Barnabas (Acts 4:36) was not the author - Many scholars today believe it was probably written in the years 70 A.D. - 131 A.D., and addressed to Christian Gentiles - This passage clearly places Barnabas after the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70 - But it also places Barnabas before the Bar Kochba Revolt of AD 132, after which there could have been no hope that the Romans would help to rebuild the temple - The document must come from the period between the two revolts - The place of origin remains an open question, although the Greek-speaking Eastern Mediterranean appears most probable {Note: The 'Epistle of Barnabas' is another of several early (very corrupt) and very influential writings that have had and still have a major disadvantage effect on common Christian thought . If we were to outline common Christian ideas and precepts of today very often the origins would link back to the pseudo gospels and writings i.e. the 'Epistle of Barnabas' as much or more than even from a good Biblical doctrinal basis.} Contents: Although the work is not gnostic in a theological sense, the author, who considers himself to be a teacher to the unidentified audience to which he writes (see e.g. 9.9), intends to impart to his readers the perfect gnosis (special knowledge), that they may perceive that the Christians are the only true covenant people, and that the Jewish people had never been in a covenant with God. His polemics are, above all, directed against Judaizing Christians (see Ebionites, Nazarenes, Judaizing teachers). -- In no other writing of that early time is the separation of the Gentile Christians from observant Jews so clearly insisted upon. The covenant promises, he maintains, belong only to the Christians (e.g. 4.6-8), and circumcision, and the entire Jewish sacrificial and ceremonial system are, according to him, due to misunderstanding. According to the author's conception, Jewish scriptures, rightly understood, contain no such injunctions (chapters 9-10). He is a thorough opponent to Jewish legalism, but by no means an antinomist. At some points the Epistle seems quite Pauline, as with its concept of atonement. -- The Epistle reinterprets many of the laws of the Torah. For example, the prohibition on eating pork is not to be taken literally, but rather forbids the people to live like swine, who supposedly grunt when hungry but are silent when full: likewise, the people are not to pray to God when they are in need but ignore him when they are satisfied. Similarly, the prohibition on eating rabbit means that the people are not to behave in a promiscuous manner, and the prohibition on eating weasel is actually to be interpreted as a prohibition of oral sex, based on the mistaken belief that weasels copulate via the mouth. -It is likely that, due to the resurgence of Judaism in the early 2nd century, and the tolerance of the emperor Hadrian, Christians, such as the text's author, felt a need to resist Jewish influences polemically. In this case, the author seems to aim to demonstrate that Jewish understanding of the Mosaic legislation (Torah) is completely incorrect and can now be considered superseded, since in the author's view the Jewish scriptures foreshadowed Jesus and Christianity when rightly understood. -- The author quotes liberally from the Old Testament, including the apocryphal books. He quotes from the New Testament gospels twice (4:14, 5:9), and is in general agreement with the New Testament presentation of salvation-history. He quotes material resembling 4 Esdras (12.1) and 1 Enoch (4.3; 16.5), which did not become part of the Biblical canon except in some traditions (e.g. 1 Enoch is considered scriptural in the Ethiopian church). The closing Two Ways section (chapters 18-21), see also Didache, which contains a series of moral injunctions, presents "another gnosis and teaching" (18.1) in relation to the body of the epistle, and its connection to the latter has given rise to much
discussion. [article link]
The Epistle of Barnabas - Chapter 1. After the salutation, the [unknown] writer declares that he would communicate to his brethren something of that which he had himself received {Clearly a divergent gospel/theology differing often greatly from the original Biblical Apostolic teachings and doctrines. Though very early, unique and rare the 'Epistle of Barnabas' information is interesting in that it is a glimpse into the [often heated] topics and debates of the ancient days but really at the end of the day only solid, real Biblical doctrine and precepts are going to carry the day to day life and fellowship for individual Christian believers.} Chapter 21. Conclusion: It is well, therefore, that he who has learned the judgments of the Lord, as many as have been written, should walk in them. For he who keeps these shall be glorified in the kingdom of God; but he who chooses other things shall be destroyed with his works. On this account there will be a resurrection, on this account a retribution. *I beseech you who are superiors, if you will receive any counsel of my good-will, have among yourselves those to whom you may show kindness: do not forsake them. For the day is at hand on which all things shall perish with the evil [one]. The Lord is near, and His reward. Again, and yet again, **I beseech you: be good lawgivers to one another; continue faithful counsellors of one another; take away from among you all hypocrisy. And may God, who rules over all the world, give to you wisdom, intelligence, understanding, knowledge of His judgments, with patience. And be taught of God, inquiring diligently what the Lord asks from you; and do it that you maybe safe in the day of judgment. And if you have any remembrance of what is good, **be mindful of me, meditating on these things, in order that both my desire and watchfulness may result in some good. I beseech you, entreating this as a favour. While yet you are in this fair vessel, do not fail in any one of those things, but unceasingly seek after them, and fulfil every commandment; for these things are worthy. Wherefore I have been the more earnest to write to you, as my ability served, that I might cheer you. Farewell, you children of love and peace. The Lord of glory and of all grace be with your spirit. Amen. [article link]
The Gospel of Barnabas by Samuel Green - The *Gospel of Barnabas and the *Epistle of Barnabas - There are two books which carry the name, Barnabas - These are two very different books - The Gospel of Barnabas is promoted by Muslims as an original Gospel written by the man named Barnabas who it is claimed was a disciple of Jesus - Why was the Gospel of Barnabas Written? - The main topic of the Gospel of Barnabas is the life of Jesus - It retells most of the events of Jesus' life as recorded in the Biblical Gospels, **but at some points there are changes and additions to these stories - These changes are not random, instead they follow a clear pattern - They are intentional changes to make the Biblical accounts conform to the teaching of the [Islam] Qur'an Conclusion: The Gospel of Barnabas is not an authentic Gospel of Jesus. The author does not understand the language, history or geography of the 1st century A.D., and there is no ancient evidence for the book. The internal evidence of the book suggests it was written in the 14th century and there are Muslim scholars who agree with this dating. The book is a The Gospel of Barnabas rewrite of the Biblical Gospel most likely by a Muslim who wanted to portray Jesus as a Muslim who taught Islam and predicted the coming of Muhammad. This type of rewriting has been done elsewhere by Muslims in the Gospel According to Islam. It is disgraceful for Islamic leaders to continue to publish, promote and distribute this false Scripture. It is disgraceful for them to create this deliberate confusion. [article link]
Pietism Timeline - "Hebrews 10:18-25 Now where remission (forgiveness) of these (sins) is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, **boldness to enter into the Holiest [presence of God] by the blood of Jesus, By a new [the New Testament] and living way, which He (Jesus) hath consecrated for us, through the veil [closed partition], that is to say, His flesh [physical appearance]; And having [Jesus] an High Priest [in the order of Melchizedek] over the House of God; **Let us draw near with a true heart **in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water [credo-baptism].
Let us hold fast the profession of our [Christian] faith without wavering; for He (Jesus) is faithful that promised; And let us consider one another to provoke [encourage] unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day [2nd Coming] approaching." Pietism Timeline: The Cross and Resurrection birth of Christianity (about 33 A.D.) - 1st Church Council [Acts 15:2] in Jerusalem (about 47 A.D.) regarding Gentile Christian piety [holiness] - *Until about 313 A.D. the N.T. Epistles (Scriptures) and the O.T of the Holy Bible were being translated from the Greek and Hebrew into the common languages of the day i.e. Syrian, Egyptian, Arabic, etc. - Following the 313 A.D. Edict of Milan by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great which proclaimed religious tolerance the Bible in any language other than Roman [Latin] was not tolerated and all other versions of the Bible were deemed illegal by Rome. Latin was the only Bible Translation until the era of the Protestant Reformation Bible translators [John Wycliffe 13281384, Desiderius Erasmus 1466-1536, William Tyndale 1492-1536, Martin Luther 1483-1546, etc.] resulting in 1611 with the English language King James Bible [KJV 1611]. With the English Bible in the possession of the common person in England and accompanying Bibles [i.e. German, Dutch, French, etc.] in the possession of other common European citizens the people began to read the Bible and understand that Salvation [eternal life] in Jesus Christ is a free gift from God and is not to be confused with the works, tithes, customs, statutes and traditions of ordinary men and women. Then in about the mid 1650's to the late 1880's as the common person reading the Bible began to realize the assured nature of their own individual Salvation in Jesus Christ the Piety movement began as an answer of how then do we with eternal Salvation live and conduct our life here on earth. {Note: The modern (intentionally confused - not by Roman Catholicism but by occultists) bible versions [i.e. NIV, NKJV, NET, NASB, Message, etc.] are in a sense a return to the Latin Bible where the only Bible translations of the time were in a version that could not be easily understood by the average citizen.} [article link]
{Excellent!!} FightingForTheFaith.com: History of Pietism Part 4 (Mp3) • History of Pietism Part 4 by Dr. Daniel Van Voorhis. [article link]
{Flashback} Apprising Ministries: MYSTICISM PART 5 - Pietism [personal rightiousness] & Subjective [my version of self-rightiousness] Christianity - Where Did Pietism Go Wrong? Of course that is a loaded question and presupposes that Pietism did go wrong - Given the fact that Pietism, to some degree, lives on in church related groups as diverse as Amish, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal and the Amana Society it is hard to be precise But, wherever experience and subjectivity reigns supreme over Scripture in the lives and churches of twentyfirst century believers there is something wrong {Note: The Basic Christian ministry at its core is really a remnant of the Anabaptist - Pietism movement. In about 2001 the Basic Christian: Statement of Faith was rewritten (after being posted for only about two months) and expanded including the phrase "while to the *righteous He [Jesus Christ] will give of His life, His gifts, and His glory" this was added with much consideration and what it means is that the purpose of the Basic Christian ministry at its core is a Ministry of Righteousness in Jesus Christ. Righteousness is an extremely loaded word and it should be but it is so loaded that after that one small phrase [and a few more words] were added to the Basic Christian: Statement of Faith that article went from among the most popular articles on the website to one of the least popular articles on the site yet Righteousness (our righteousness only in Jesus Christ) is such an important Biblical concept that I decided to leave that phrase in the Statement of Faith just to help us keep our goals and ambitions on track and in a proper order. - The coming Millennial 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth is going to be His Kingdom of Righteousness [Isaiah 5:16, Isaiah 26:9, Isaiah 45:8, 19, Romans 1:17, 1 Corinthians 15:34, 2 Corinthians 3:9, 5:21, Galatians 5:5, Revelation 22:11] and in order for us as individuals to be able to inhabit properly within the Kingdom of God we need to have a concept of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ in our own lives. - Starting in about 2012 the Basic Christian Ministry is hoping to transition into more Biblical exploration of just what is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and how does it apply to each Christian in our own personal life and really the
Righteousness of Jesus Christ functions and is displayed through the Holy Spirit and in the eternal Melchizedek, Righteous High Priesthood of Jesus Christ.} Although Pietists adhered to the inspiration of the Bible, they advocated individual feeling as being of primary importance. That may have been an adequate method for avoiding cold orthodoxy of "Protestant scholasticism," it opened the door for the equally dangerous enemy of "subjective experientialism." The first generation of Pietists could recall and reflect on its grounding in Scripture while validly advocating the need for individual experience. A second generation would stress the need for individual experience, but often without a proper Biblical or catechetical basis. This would leave a third generation that would question individual experience with no Biblical or doctrinal "standard" to serve as an objective criterion. In turn, their unanswered questions would tend to demand an authority. When Scriptures were neglected, human reason or subjective experience would fill the need as the required "standard." Thus while not causing other movements Pietism gave impetus to three other movements in the post-Reformation church: deism [reason and logic used apart from the Bible to get to know God], skepticism [doubting Biblical passages that don't seem to relate to the physical realm] and rationalism [placing personal human physical reasoning and understanding as a higher authority than the scriptures of the Holy Bible]. ... The great-grandchildren of Pietism live on in modern evangelicalism. On the positive side, much like original Pietists there is a great hunger today for spirituality. People want a spirituality that works in the trenches of life. They want a faith that is relevant, provides answers and draws them closer to God. There is little interest in "dead orthodoxy." People want to feel something experience something. George Gallup documents this spiritual hunger in his book, The Next American Spirituality. Unfortunately much of the spirituality that he observes is without biblical foundation leading him to warn, "Contemporary spirituality can resemble a grab bag of random experiences that does little more than promise to make our eyes mist up or our heart warm. We need perspective to separate the junk food from the wholesome, the faddish from the truly transforming." But perspective is hard to come by due to the massive level of biblical illiteracy, not only in America but among Christians as well. Half, he says, "Of those describing themselves as Christians are unable to name who delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Many Americans cannot name the reason for celebrating Easter or what the Ten Commandments are. People think the name of Noah's wife was Joan, as in Joan of Ark." Then there is what some have called "the great disconnect." That is, there is a wide chasm between what Americans in general, and self-proclaimed Christians in particular, claim to believe and how they live. While the general populace claim to have a great interest in spirituality, and Christians claim to be followers of Christ, our societies, homes and churches are inundated with corruption, violence, substance abuse, racism, divorce and materialism. This "cluster of moral and theological shortcomings seemingly throws into question the transforming power of religious beliefs," Gallup admits, leading him to state, "Just because Americans claim they are more spiritual does not make them so." That leans into an excellent question, "Is the church really rediscovering its spiritual moorings - or just engaging in retreat from seemingly insoluble problems?" ... Such [emotional self-experience] "piety" is changing every facet of Christian and church life. Take worship for example. Monte E. Wilson has noted, "For the modern evangelical, worship is defined exclusively in terms of the individual's experience. Worship, then, is not about adoring God but about being nourished with religious feelings, so much so that the worshiper has become the object of worship." The cause for this type of worship, Wilson believes, is the loss of devotion to Scriptures. He writes in pejorative terms, "Others-probably the majority in modern American evangelicalism-have utterly neglected any commitment to the content of the Word and have ended with narcissistic 'worship' services where everyone drowns in a sea of subjectivism and calls it 'being bathed in the presence of the Holy Spirit.' These people come to church exclusively to 'feel' God." Pietistic leanings, of course, are not limited to worship and the gathered church. Where they are most evident, and most concerning is in the area of "God's leading." How does God speak to and lead His people according to Scripture? And how has Pietistic understanding of these things affected the way we interpret both Scripture and our subject feelings? This will be the topic of our next paper. [article link]
{Flashback} [Modern] Pietism - Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later - It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to begin the Brethren movement - The Pietist movement combined the Lutheranism of the time with the Reformed, and especially Puritan, emphasis on individual piety, and a vigorous Christian life History: Although pietism surely had roots prior to the Reformation and to some extent the cause of it, as a distinct movement within Protestantism pietism became identifiable in the 17th century. The Lutheran Church had continued Philipp Melanchthon's attempt to construct an intellectual backbone for the Evangelical Lutheran faith. By the 17th century the denomination remained a confessional theological and sacramental institution, influenced by orthodox Lutheran theologians such as Johann Gerhard of Jena (d. 1637), and keeping with the liturgical traditions of the Roman Catholicism of which it saw itself as a reformed variation. In the Reformed Church, on the other hand, John Calvin had not only influenced doctrine, but for a particular formation of Christian life. The Presbyterian constitution gave the people a share in church life which the Lutherans lacked, but it appeared to some to degenerate into a dogmatic legalism which, the Lutherans believed, imperiled Christian freedom and fostered self-righteousness. However, in the pietist view, ritualistic elements which Luther wanted to remove were captivating the mainstream of the Lutheran church, squeezing the pietists into fellowships with which they were comfortable. ... In Pia desideria "Pious Desires" (1675), Spener made six proposals as the best means of restoring the life of the Church: 1. The earnest and thorough study of the Bible in private meetings, ecclesiolae in ecclesia ("little churches within the church"). 2. The Christian priesthood being universal, the laity [people] should share in the spiritual government of the Church. 3. A knowledge of Christianity must be attended by the practice of it as its indispensable sign and supplement. 4. Instead of merely didactic, and often bitter, attacks on the heterodox [variant views] and unbelievers, a sympathetic and kindly treatment of them. 5. A reorganization of the theological training of the universities, giving more prominence to the devotional life. 6. A different style of preaching, namely, in the place of pleasing rhetoric [examples directed from news, events and stories], the implanting of [Biblical] Christianity in the inner or new man [spiritual man], the soul of which is faith, and its effects the fruits of life. - This work produced a great impression throughout Germany, and although large numbers of the orthodox Lutheran theologians and pastors were deeply offended by Spener's book, its complaints and its demands were both too well justified to admit of their being point-blank denied. A large number of pastors immediately adopted Spener's proposals. ... In modern societies where Pietism has had a profound impact its religious foundations are no longer apparent. Atheistic pietism is a term used by Asgeir Helgason to describe a pietistic (moralistic) approach to life without religion. "We have denied the existence of God but kept the pietistic rules". Atheistic pietism has been suggested to be one of the characteristics (traits) of the modern day Swedish national spirit. The term is first known to have been used by W.H. Mallock in 1879. [article link]
{Flashback} [Modern] Anabaptist - Anabaptists "re-baptizers" or "adult baptism" [believer's baptism credobaptism (reciting the well-known "Apostles' Creed" or a personal Bible verse or a Psalm at baptism)] are Christians of the Radical Reformation - Puritans of England and their Baptist branch arose independently, but were influenced by the Anabaptist movement - Where men believe in the freedom of religion, supported by a guarantee of separation of church and state [government], they have entered into that [Anabaptist] heritage Where men have caught the Anabaptist vision of [N.T.] discipleship, they have become worthy of that heritage - Where corporate discipleship submits itself to the New Testament pattern of the church, the heir has then entered full possession of his [N.T. - Anabaptist] legacy [Some] Anabaptists rejected *conventional [common and Biblically acceptable] Christian practices such as wearing wedding rings, taking oaths, and participating in civil government. They adhered to a literal interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount and Believer's baptism. The name Anabaptist is derived from this, because credobaptism ('Believer's baptism' - adult baptism) was considered heresy by all other major Christian denominations at the time of the reformation period (specifically, all major Christian denominations saw
[infant] baptism as necessary for salvation and necessary for infants, and held that it was wrong to delay baptism until the child had reached a certain age; they did, however, require that those who converted later in life should confess a baptismal creed [the Apostles' Creed] at baptism (credobaptism). Anabaptists required that candidates be able to make their own confessions of faith and so refused baptism to infants). As a result, Anabaptists were heavily persecuted during the 16th century and into the 17th by both Roman Catholics and other Protestants. ... Somewhat related to this is the theory that the Anabaptists are of Waldensian origin. Some hold the idea that the Waldenses are part of the apostolic succession, while others simply believe they were an independent group out of whom the Anabaptists arose. Estep asserts "the Waldenses disappeared in Switzerland a century before the rise of the Anabaptist movement." Ludwig Keller, Thomas M. Lindsay, H. C. Vedder, Delbert Grätz, and Thieleman J. van Braght all held, in varying degrees, the position that the Anabaptists were of Waldensian origin. ... The Anabaptists were early promoters of a free church and freedom of religion (sometimes associated with separation of church and state). When it was introduced by the Anabaptists in the 15th and 16th centuries, religious freedom independent of the state was unthinkable to both clerical and governmental leaders. Religious liberty was equated with anarchy; Kropotkin traces the birth of anarchist thought in Europe to these early Anabaptist communities. According to Estep: Where men believe in the freedom of religion, supported by a guarantee of separation of church and state, they have entered into that heritage. Where men have caught the Anabaptist vision of discipleship, they have become worthy of that heritage. Where corporate discipleship submits itself to the New Testament pattern of the church, the heir has then entered full possession of his legacy. [article link]
{Flashback} Apprising Ministries: The Emerging church - Three voices from the "emergent church" will explore this capacity of postmodern Christianity *to embrace and redefine tradition, ... Who should attend: Any futurist who feels that everything must change about [traditional Christian] religion and is curious about how progressive [New Age] Christianity is a leading indicator of change - What you'll learn: Attendees will learn how to ground [embed and saturate] their leadership and foresight in the concerns of tomorrow's [New World Order] spiritualities and relate religious concepts to futures thinking through a theology of (false and deceptive) hope - How can this *new knowledge be applied: Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how postmodern spiritualities are **reshaping conservative theologies and communities Back in November of 2005 the online apologetics and discernment work Apprising Ministries warned you about what is now a full blown cult of neo-liberalism operating within mainstream evangelicalism, the sinfully ecumenical Emerging Church. These past few years this EC has been busy forging together its new form of postmodern liberal theology, a Liberalism 2.0 many call Emergence Christianity, which Emergent Church guru Brian McLaren begins laying out in his latest book A New Kind of Christianity. ... Three voices from the "emergent church" will explore this capacity of postmodern Christianity to embrace and redefine tradition, ... Who should attend: Any futurist who feels that everything must change about religion and is curious about how progressive Christianity is a leading indicator of change. What you'll learn: Attendees will learn how to ground their leadership and foresight in the concerns of tomorrow's spiritualities and relate religious concepts to futures thinking through a theology of hope. How can this new knowledge be applied: Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how postmodern spiritualities are reshaping conservative theologies and communities. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Protestant/Evangelical Church} ContendingForTruth.com: Hidden Luciferians in American culture, politics, academia...and in the Christian community - Parts 3-5 (Mp3s) » Further study of [singer] Michael W. Smith's occult connections » The Alan Parsons Project & the Eye of Horus/Ra/Lucifer » [pastor] David Jeremiah And His All-Seeing Eye. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Protestant/Evangelical Church} Calvary Chapel Melbourne - News and Events Michael W. Smith in Concert {Apparently the price to fellowship (Q&A) for about 30 minutes with the singers before the show is a huge $50.00 plus an additional $20.00 or $25.00 for the actual show ticket. -- Of course the Church also makes money off the show. -- How is it again, that Christian entertainment and Christian ministry hasn't devolved into a corrupt, evil, greedy, corporation?} Michael W. Smith in Concert - Posted on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - Multiple Grammy, Dove and American Music Award and winning Christian artist Michael W. Smith will be in concert at Calvary Chapel Melbourne along with special guest Phil Joel formerly with the Newsboys. Friday, March 5th 7:30pm doors open at 6:30 [prices through the church] *General Admission $20 - At the door $25 - **Artist Circle: $75 (includes 6pm reception with Questions & Answers) Tickets are available at: The Chapel Store/Melbourne Campus The Chapel Store/Viera Campus (General Admission Only) Wings of Joy Bookstore in Vero. **Click Here to buy tickets!-Artist Circle includes Question and Answer session at 6:00pm. [prices online] **Artist Circle with 6:00 PM Q&A $50.00 - General Admission $25.00. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Protestant/Evangelical Church} Michael W. Smith, David Crowder, Greg Laurie, RTS professor Reggie Kidd Speak at Emergent Conference - The 2009 National Worship Leader Conference took place on July 20-23 in Leawood, Kansas and brought together a convergence of contemplative/emerging speakers Many of our readers may be wondering why Greg Laurie [Harvest Crusade] would be speaking at this clearly contemplative/emerging conference. Laurie's head pastor, [con artist, charlatan and flim-flam man] Chuck Smith [Calvary Chapel], made it very clear a few years ago that Calvary Chapel would NOT be going in the contemplative/emerging direction. But, come to think of it, Chuck Smith also said at that time that Calvary Chapel had to reject the Purpose Driven movement, but on August 9th, according to Greg Laurie's website he spoke at Saddleback Church at a number of services. -- Michael W. Smith's endorsement of Manning isn't surprising; he's never been doctrinally sound, really. Music is his interest, not biblical Truth. And that's from a person who used to really enjoy his music, one upon a time. -- As for Greg Laurie and Calvary Chapel, I got some heat for stating that I saw CCOCM [Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa] going emergent. The evidence is increasing. Denying something and then behaving in favor of the same thing shows that not only is there hypocrisy going on, but the actions speak louder than words. Why it is that some public pastors deny the Emergent Church Movement, then turn around and endorse it by speaking at its conferences and sharing its leaders' platforms is beyond me. Do professing Christians only hear the weak "denials" and ignore the actions? Its certainly true so often in the political arena, which is why so many Obama supporters are backing away from him now--his actions are not in accordance with his earlier "claims" to the people and thus they are surprised and upset. So deny PDL and ECM, then join them in their promotion of heresy? Folks, its time to wake up and see the truth. Those who are in error do not promote themselves as erroneous, but as "one of us". How do you suppose false teachers secretly sneak in among you? [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Protestant/Evangelical Church} LighthouseTrailsResearch.com: The Shack Heralded by Christian Figures, including Michael W. Smith and [Calvary Chapel speaker and teacher Gayle Erwin] - The New York Times best seller Christian fiction, The Shack, is enjoying the endorsements and ravings of top Christian figures - Contemporary Christian singer Michael W. Smith says: The Shack is the most absorbing work of fiction I've read in many years The New York Times best seller Christian fiction, The Shack, is enjoying the endorsements and ravings of top Christian figures. Contemporary Christian singer Michael W. Smith says: The Shack is the most absorbing work of fiction I've read in many years. My wife and I laughed, cried and repented of our own lack of faith along the way. The Shack will leave you craving for the presence of God. Wynonna Judd, another popular recording artist states: "Reading The Shack during a very difficult transition in my life, this story has blown the door wide open
to my soul." Judd and Smith aren't alone in their promotion of The Shack. Eugene Peterson (author of The Message) says: "This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his. It's that good!" And Calvary Chapel speaker and teacher Gayle Erwin expresses: Riveting, with twists that defy your expectations while teaching powerful theological lessons without patronizing. I was crying by page 100. You cannot read it without your heart becoming involved. The list of endorsements by Christian figures goes on and on. The book has remained on the New York Times best seller list for 25 consecutive weeks now. But in spite of the heart-warming emotion that The Shack stirs within people, Lighthouse Trails believes this is a theologically off-base novel that has an underlying sensual New Age message, appealing to the "carnal" flesh rather than "the things of the Spirit". For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:5,6). [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Protestant/Evangelical Church} Wikipedia: Billy Graham - William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. (born November 7, 1918) is an American evangelical Christian evangelist - Singer Michael W. Smith is active in Billy Graham Crusades as well as [Franklin Graham's] Samaritan's Purse During a March 12, 1991, CBS broadcast of Billy Graham's Long Island, New York crusade, Graham said in reference to the Persian Gulf War, "As our President, President Bush [Sr.], has said, it is not the people of Iraq we are at war with. It is some of the people in that regime. Pray for peace in the Middle East, a just peace." (Billy) Graham had earlier said that "there come times when we have to fight for peace." He went on to say that out of the war in the Gulf may "come *a new peace [w/o Jesus] and, as suggested by the President, **a (secular) new world order." ... For providing a platform during his events for many Christian musical artists, Graham was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999 by the Gospel Music Association. Several songs by various artists have dedicated songs to or about Graham during his lifetime. Singer Michael W. Smith is active in Billy Graham Crusades as well as Samaritan's Purse. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Protestant/Evangelical Church} Dr. David Jeremiah [Turning Point radio broadcast] & the [Satanic] All-Seeing Eye - Dr. David Jeremiah has been long admired as a great preacher - At his home church, Shadow Mountain Community Church [San Diego, California], he succeeded former senior pastor, Tim LaHaye [co-author of the twisted theology 'Left Behind' book series], in 1981 - Jeremiah's leadership of the church has led to an affiliation with the [SBC] Southern Baptist Convention - As I was searching his sermons on YouTube, I stumbled upon the all-seeing eye that overlooks his altar and sanctuary (Photos) Is David Jeremiah a Mason? Giving the Shadow Mountain pastor the benefit of the doubt, maybe he didn't realize Tim LaHaye was a Mason, or that the all-seeing eye was an occult Masonic symbol. It this were so, what explains this pose...and even more condemning, the ministry logo. "The point within the circle is an interesting and important symbol in Freemasonry ... The symbol is really a beautiful but somewhat abstruse allusion to the old Sun-Worship, and introduces us for the first time to that modification of it, known among the ancients as the worship of the Phallus." Albert Mackey [Short Talk Bulletin, February, 1936; Vol. 14, No. 2, Reprinted July, 1980, p. 7]. -- See Also: Is David Jeremiah Becoming Contemplative? David Jeremiah Proposes "Major Paradigm Shift" For His Church - The Shadow Mountain pastor draws from Erwin McManus' book, The Barbarian Way - If you attended Shadow Mountain Community Church this weekend, then according to an email we received, you would have heard the second part of Pastor David Jeremiah's series called Journey with Jesus. But the title of this series is a bit misleading - Jeremiah isn't just talking about Jesus; he is discussing a book called The Barbarian Way. The book is written by Erwin McManus, who is pastor of Mosaic Church in California. In Friday's email, Jeremiah stated: This weekend, I will be sharing the second message in our Fall Journey With Jesus. The title of the message is "The Manliness of Jesus." I am praying that it will fire you up as much as it has me. It's a major paradigm shift from our normal thoughts about Jesus. This week, I have read a book by Erwin McManus called THE BARBARIAN WAY. In it, he says something that should prepare our hearts for the weekend message.
-- While the quote from the book is benign, the book is not, and if any mention of the book is made by Jeremiah, it should be one of warning. If you have been following Jeremiah's slip toward what we might call contemplative/emerging Christianity, his promotion of McManus' book probably won't be too surprising. Last year, we mentioned on a radio program that Jeremiah was going to be speaking at the Lead Like Jesus conference with Ken Blanchard (whose conference it was). Shortly after this airing, Jeremiah pulled out of the conference and then Blanchard canceled the conference all together. Jeremiah then wrote a letter to Lighthouse Trails and made it public. He defended Ken Blanchard who had been and still is promoting the New Age, particularly New Age mysticism. Source: www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=1934 [article link]
HeartLight.org: My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers - Service Of Passionate Devotion "Lovest thou Me? … Feed My sheep." -- Jesus did not say - Make converts to your way of thinking, but look after My sheep, see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Me (Jesus) John 21:16 -- Jesus Christ calls service what we are [Children of God - family - fellowship] to Him, not what we do for Him Jesus did not say - Make converts to your way of thinking, but look after My sheep, see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Me. We count as service what we do in the way of Christian work; Jesus Christ calls service what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on adherence to a belief or a creed. "If any man come to Me and hate not..., he cannot be My disciple." There is no argument and no compulsion, but simply - If you would be My disciple, you must be devoted to Me. A man touched by the Spirit of God suddenly says - "Now I see Who Jesus is," and that is the source of devotion. -To-day we have substituted credal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many are devoted to causes and so few devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is a source of deep offence to the educated mind of to-day that does not want Him in any other way than as a Comrade. Our Lord's first obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of men; the saving of men was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If I am devoted to the cause of humanity only, I will soon be exhausted and come to the place where my love will falter; but if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity though men treat me as a door-mat. The secret of a disciple's life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of the life is its unobtrusiveness. It is like a corn of wheat, which falls into the ground and dies, but presently it will spring up and alter the whole landscape (John 12:24). [article link]
The Scottish Bible Society: The People's Bible - When King James VI/I held the first printed copy of the Bible he commissioned in his hands in 1611, he could never have foreseen the impact it would have around the world Many of our ancestors learned to read from the King James Version and in lots of cases came to a relationship with God At the Scottish Bible Society we are marking this important anniversary by launching The People's Bible Project with our colleagues in England and Wales. It will travel Great Britain offering people of all faiths and none the opportunity to handwrite two verses of Scripture and at the same time logging that work as a digital copy which they can view on the web. -- We want people to engage with the Scriptures in a new way, maybe for the first time. Some may participate purely for the historical significance of doing so. Others may get involved because they know the Bible but have turned away from the faith they once had. Whatever the reason, 2011, the 400th Anniversary of the KJV, gives us a perfect opportunity to promote the Bible in our own country like never before. [article link]
The King James Bible Trust - Celebration of the Authorised version [KJV 1611] of the Bible - Friday, 17 June 2011 - Sunday, 19 June 2011 - Time: Friday & Saturday 10am-4pm Sunday 2pm-5pm - Location: Glenorchy United Reformed Church, Exeter Road, Exmouth, Devon, United Kingdom - Organisation: Bible SocietyExmouth Action Group
Details: The Action Group are planning a [400th Anniversary] Celebration weekend for the King James Version of the Bible. Church is open from 10am-5pm to view a display of more than 40 [origional] King James Versions of the Bible in a private collection. On Saturday night to hold a concert to raise funds for Bible Society with local singers and musicians. A United Service on Sunday evening at 6.30pm with a guest Speaker. All the local churches will be invited to attend. During the day coffee and tea will be served either in the church or the hall, also light lunches and cream teas. Have selection of Bible Reading notes now available so that we can encourage people to read their Bibles. [article link]
The King James Version [KJV 1611] 400th Anniversary 1611-2011 - In 1611, a convergence of circumstances and developments resulted in the publication of one of the English language's most pre-eminent books - the King James Version of the Bible, popularly known as the Authorised Version (AV) - The year 2011 sees the 400th anniversary of the KJV, thought to be on 2nd May 2011 It wasn't the first English Bible by any means or even the most popular version at the time, but its style of language together with research of Bible manuscripts and their original languages (mainly Hebrew and Greek), discoveries of new documents and not least the combined effect of the Renaissance and Reformation - not just in England but across Europe, together with the dramatic development of printing, brought into being the well loved and renowned Bible version we have to this day. A singularly enduring version, with several revisions to update and correct errors of translation and print; deliberately memorable in its prose and layout; coming in many different formats and still widely in use 400 years on. Modern versions have built upon this Bible version, updating its language and knowledge to bring an understanding of the Word of God to an everyday audience. [article link]
{Excellent!!} Church History - A Biography of William Tyndale (Mp3) William Tyndale part 2 by Andy Davis | Mar 7, 2009 | Topic: Christian Biography [article link]
KJV 1611 Holy Bible - Red Letter Edition {A Free PDF KJV Bible} (PDF) The King James Version (KJV) 1611 with the Words of Jesus Formatted in Red is a complete Bible containing both the Old and the New Testaments. [article link]
Martin Luther (1 of 3) - November 10, 1483 - February 18, 1546 - was a German priest and professor of theology who ***initiated the Protestant Reformation - He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment of sin could be purchased with money - He confronted indulgence [sin tithe] salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 - His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of *Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet (General Assembly of the Church Council) of Worms [city of Worms in what is now Germany] in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the emperor - His translation of the Bible into the language of the people (instead of Roman Latin) made it more accessible [to the common person], causing a tremendous impact on the church and on German culture - It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and ***influenced the translation into English of the 1611 King James Bible {Note: Among the first and finest fruits of the Protestant Reformation was the translating of the Holy Bible into the common languages and the distribution of it into the hands of the common person.} Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin. His theology challenged the authority of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify with Luther's teachings are called Lutherans. -- His translation of the Bible into the language of the people (instead
of Latin) made it more accessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church and on German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation into English of the King James Bible. His hymns influenced the development of singing in churches. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant priests to marry. [article link]
Martin Luther (2 of 3) - The start of the Reformation - It wasn't until January 1518 that friends of Luther translated the 95 Theses from Latin into German, printed, and widely copied, making the controversy one of the first in history to be aided by the printing press - Within two weeks, copies of the theses had spread throughout Germany; within two months throughout Europe - Luther's writings circulated widely, reaching France, England, and Italy as early as 1519. Students thronged to Wittenberg to hear Luther speak. He published a short commentary on Galatians and his Work on the Psalms. This early part of Luther's career was one of his most creative and productive - Three of his best-known works were published in 1520: To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, and On the Freedom of a Christian In 1516-17, Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar and papal commissioner for indulgences, was sent to Germany by the Roman Catholic Church to sell indulgences to raise money to rebuild St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Roman Catholic theology stated that faith alone, whether fiduciary or dogmatic, cannot justify man; and that only such faith as is active in charity and good works (fides caritate formata) can justify man. The benefits of good works could be obtained by donating money to the church. -- On 31 October 1517, Luther wrote to his bishop, Albert of Mainz, protesting the sale of indulgences. He enclosed in his letter a copy of his "Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," which came to be known as The Ninety-Five Theses. Hans Hillerbrand writes that Luther had no intention of confronting the church, but saw his disputation as a scholarly objection to church practices, and the tone of the writing is accordingly "searching, rather than doctrinaire." Hillerbrand writes that there is nevertheless an undercurrent of challenge in several of the theses, particularly in Thesis 86, which asks: "Why does the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter with the money of poor believers rather than with his own money?" -Luther objected to a saying attributed to Johann Tetzel that "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory [also attested as 'into heaven'] springs." He insisted that, since forgiveness was God's alone to grant, those who claimed that indulgences absolved buyers from all punishments and granted them salvation were in error. Christians, he said, must not slacken in following Christ on account of such false assurances. However, this oft-quoted saying of Tetzel was by no means representative of the official Catholic teaching on indulgences, but rather, more a reflection of his capacity to exaggerate. Yet if Tetzel overstated the matter in regard to indulgences for the dead, his teaching on indulgences for the living was pure. -- The sale of indulgences shown in A Question to a Mintmaker, woodcut by Jörg Breu the Elder of Augsburg, circa 1530. According to scholars Walter Krämer, Götz Trenkler, Gerhard Ritter and Gerhard Prause, the story of the posting on the door, even though it has settled as one of the pillars of history, has little foundation in truth. In his preface to the posthumous second pressing of Luther's compiled work, humanist and reformist Philipp Melanchthon writes "reportedly, Luther, burning with passion and just devoutness, posted the Ninety-Five Theses at the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany at All Saints Eve, October 31" (Old calendar). At the time he wrote the preface, Melanchthon lived in Tübingen, far from Wittenberg. In the preface, Melanchthon presents more untrue assertions: that indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel publicly burned Luther's Ninety-Five Theses, that Luther held colleges on nature and physics, and that Luther had visited Rome in 1511. For a professor of the Wittenberg University to post theses on doors is unparalleled in history. Even further, Luther was strongly law abiding and it would have been against his character to publish his thoughts and direction in this manner. Moreover, Luther never mentioned anything in this direction in his writings, and the only contemporary account of the publishing of the theses is the Latin account by his servant Agricola, who states that Luther presents "certain theses in the year of 1517 according to the customs of University of Wittenberg as
part of a scientific discussion. The presentation of the theses was done in a modest and respectful way, preventing to mock or insult anybody".. He makes no mention of nailing the theses to a door, nor does any other source report this. In actuality, Luther presented a hand-written copy, accompanied with honorable comments to the archbishop Albrecht of Mainz and Magdeburg, responsible for the practice of the indulgence sales, and to the bishop of Brandenburg, Luther's superior. [article link]
Martin Luther (3 of 3) - Justification by faith - The first and chief article is this: Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was raised again for our justification (Romans 3:24-25) - He (Jesus) alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and God has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6) - All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works and merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood (Romans 3:23-25) - **This is necessary to believe - This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law or merit - Therefore, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us ... Nothing of this article can be yielded or surrendered, even though heaven and earth and everything else falls (Mark 13:31) -- As a consequence, Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X on 3 January 1521, in the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem Breach with the papacy: Pope Leo X by Raphael - Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz and Magdeburg did not reply to Luther's letter containing the 95 Theses. He had the theses checked for heresy and in December 1517 forwarded them to Rome. He needed the revenue from the indulgences to pay off a papal dispensation for his tenure of more than one bishopric. As Luther later noted, "the pope had a finger in the pie as well, because one half was to go to the building of St Peter's Church in Rome". -- Pope Leo X was used to reformers and heretics, and he responded slowly, "with great care as is proper." Over the next three years he deployed a series of papal theologians and envoys against Luther, which only served to harden the reformer's anti-papal theology. First, the Dominican theologian Sylvester Mazzolini drafted a heresy case against Luther, whom Leo then summoned to Rome. The Elector Frederick persuaded the pope to have Luther examined at Augsburg, where the Imperial Diet was held. There, in October 1518, Luther informed the papal legate Cardinal Cajetan that he did not consider the papacy part of the biblical Church, and the hearings degenerated into a shouting match. More than his writing the 95 Theses, Luther's confrontation of the church cast him as an enemy of the pope. Cajetan's original instructions had been to arrest Luther if he failed to recant, but he lacked the means in Augsburg, where the Elector guaranteed Luther's security. Luther slipped out of the city at night, without leave from Cajetan. -- In January 1519, at Altenburg in Saxony, the papal nuncio Karl von Miltitz adopted a more conciliatory approach. Luther made certain concessions to the Saxon, who was a relative of the Elector, and promised to remain silent if his opponents did. The theologian Johann Maier von Eck, however, was determined to expose Luther's doctrine in a public forum. In June and July 1519, he staged a disputation with Luther's colleague Andreas Karlstadt at Leipzig and invited Luther to speak. Luther's boldest assertion in the debate was that Matthew 16:18 does not confer on popes the exclusive right to interpret scripture, and that therefore neither popes nor church councils were infallible. For this, Eck branded Luther a new Jan Hus, referring to the Czech reformer and heretic burned at the stake in 1415. From that moment, he devoted himself to Luther's defeat. -- Excommunication: On 15 June 1520, the Pope warned Luther with the papal bull (edict) Exsurge Domine that he risked excommunication unless he recanted 41 sentences drawn from his writings, including the 95 Theses, within 60 days. That autumn, Johann Eck proclaimed the bull in Meissen and other towns. Karl von Miltitz, a papal nuncio, attempted to broker a solution, but Luther, who had sent the Pope a copy of On the Freedom of a Christian in October, publicly set fire to the bull and decretals at Wittenberg on 10 December 1520, an act he defended in Why the Pope and his Recent Book are Burned and Assertions Concerning All Articles. As a consequence, Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X on 3 January 1521, in the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem. [article link]
How to Convert [Basic Christian] RSS Feeds into PDF Documents using Adobe Acrobat Reader Adobe Acrobat Reader is one of the most used PDF viewers. **It also has a feed reader using which you can access and read your RSS subscriptions. A special feature which most of us don't us is that you can use it to convert RSS feeds into PDF documents. This option is available by default in Acrobat 8, but strangely enough disabled by default in Acrobat 9. To change this, • Go to Edit > Preferences scroll down to the Tracker category and under RSS • Check Enable RSS Feed In Tracker. • Now copy the URL of the feed onto your clipboard. • Then go to Comments > Track Reviews > RSS. • Click on 'Subscribe to RSS feeds'. A prompt will open where the feed URL will already be pasted. If not paste the URL in this field, and click OK. A number of entries will appear, choose which ones you want to save into a PDF and click OK. That's it and you will get your RSS feeds as PDF documents which you can share or store. {Using Adobe Acrobat Reader Go to "Forms" then "Track Forms..." then "RSS" and after the feed link has been provided (via link in right window pane) Right Click on the Feed Title (in the left window pane) and select the "Convert to PDF" option.} [article link]
Converted: Basic Christian Extended RSS Feed (PDF) Basic Christian 2011 Extended Version - News-Info Feed. [article link]
Converted: Basic Christian RSS Feed - blog Bible Study (PDF) Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation. [article link]
Converted: Basic Christian RSS Feed - blog History Study (PDF) Basic Christian: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} (Part 1 of 3) Pope Leo X: 11 December 1475 - 1 December 1521, born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, [made a Cardinal at the age of 13] was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest (only a deacon) to be elected Pope - He is known for granting indulgences [selling a type of sin tithe] for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses - He was the second son of Lorenzo de' Medici, the most famous ruler of the Florentine Republic, and Clarice Orsini - His cousin, Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, would later succeed him as Pope Clement VII (1523-34) {As an Occult infiltrator [concerned with money, power and destroying Christianity] of the Roman Catholic Church Pope Leo X was primarily involved in stripping money from Churches and individuals affiliated with Rome and appropriating the money for his own use. Pope Leo X used four schemes to gain wealth 1. Starting an overpriced building project [reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica] by taxing other churches. 2. Began the selling of 'indulgences' [licenses to sin] to individuals. 3. Initiating finances for a military Crusade against the Middle-East. 4. The selling of church offices, positions and even the belongings for huge sums of money to unqualified an unworthy individuals.} Spendthrift [primarily on things not directly benefiting or advancing the Christian message and Gospel of Jesus Christ]: Leo's lively interest in art and literature, to say nothing of his natural liberality, his alleged nepotism, his political ambitions and necessities, and his immoderate personal luxury, exhausted within two years the hard savings of [Pope] Julius II, and precipitated a financial crisis from which he never emerged and which was a direct cause of most of what, from a papal point of view, were calamities of his pontificate. -- He sold cardinals' hats. He sold membership in the "Knights of Peter". He borrowed large sums from bankers, curials, princes and Jews. The Venetian ambassador Gradenigo estimated the paying number of offices on Leo's death at 2,150, with a capital value of nearly 3,000,000 ducats (about 132 million dollars in 2010 dollars) and a yearly income of 328,000 ducats ($14,432,000.00). -- The ordinary income of the pope for the year 1517 had been reckoned at about 580,000 ducats ($2,552,000.00) [around $44 each ducat coin in 2010 dollars], of which 420,000 came from the States of the Church, 100,000 from annates, and 60,000 from the composition tax instituted by Sixtus
IV. These sums, together with the *considerable amounts accruing from indulgences, jubilees, and special fees, *vanished as quickly as they were received. Then the pope resorted to pawning palace furniture, table plate, jewels, even statues of the apostles. Several banking firms and many individual creditors were ruined by the death of Leo. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} (Part 2 of 3) Pope Leo X: Plans for a [power grabbing] Crusade - A truce was to be proclaimed throughout Christendom; the pope was to be the arbiter of disputes; the emperor and the king of France were to lead the army; England, Spain and Portugal were to furnish the fleet; and the combined forces were to be directed against Constantinople - Papal diplomacy in the interests of peace failed Plans for a Crusade: The war of Urbino was further marked by a crisis in the relations between pope and cardinals. The sacred college had allegedly grown especially worldly and troublesome since the time of Sixtus IV, and Leo took advantage of a plot of several of its members to poison him, not only to inflict exemplary punishments by executing one and imprisoning several others, but also to make a radical change in the college. -- On 3 July 1517 he published the names of thirty-one new cardinals, a number almost unprecedented in the history of the papacy. Among the nominations were such notable men such as Lorenzo Campeggio, Giambattista Pallavicini, Adrian of Utrecht, Thomas Cajetan, Cristoforo Numai and Egidio Canisio. The naming of seven members of prominent Roman families, however, reversed the policy of his predecessor which had kept the political factions of the city out of the Curia. Other promotions were for political or family considerations or to secure money for the war against Urbino. The pope was accused of having exaggerated the conspiracy of the cardinals for purposes of financial gain, but most of such accusations appear unsubstantiated. -- Leo, meanwhile, felt the need of staying the advance of the Ottoman sultan, Selim I, who was threatening western Europe, and made elaborate plans for a crusade. A truce was to be proclaimed throughout Christendom; the pope was to be the arbiter of disputes; the emperor and the king of France were to lead the army; England, Spain and Portugal were to furnish the fleet; and the combined forces were to be directed against Constantinople. Papal diplomacy in the interests of peace failed, however; Cardinal Wolsey made England, not the pope, the arbiter between France and the Empire; and much of the money collected for the crusade from tithes and indulgences was spent in other ways. -- In 1519 Hungary concluded a three years' truce with Selim I, but the succeeding sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent, renewed the war in June 1521 and on 28 August captured the citadel of Belgrade. The pope was greatly alarmed, and although he was then involved in war with France he sent about 30,000 ducats to the Hungarians. -- Leo treated the Uniate Greeks with great loyalty, and by bull of 18 May 1521 forbade Latin clergy to celebrate mass in Greek churches and Latin bishops to ordain Greek clergy. These provisions were later strengthened by Clement VII and Paul III and went far to settle the constant disputes between the Latins and Uniate Greeks. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} (Part 3 of 3) Pope Leo X: Protestant Reformation and last years - Leo was disturbed throughout his pontificate by schism, especially the Reformation sparked by Martin Luther - In response to concerns about [priest-pastor] misconduct from some servants of the church In 1517 Martin Luther read his Ninety-Five Theses on the topic of indulgences in the church courtyard at Wittenberg. Students took the theses, translated them from Latin to German, and through the printing press they spread throughout Europe. Within two weeks, the theses had spread throughout Germany, and after two months they had spread throughout Europe. Leo failed to fully comprehend the importance of the movement, and in February 1518 he directed the vicar-general of the Augustinians to impose silence on his monks. -- On 30 May, Luther sent an explanation of his theses to the pope; on 7 August he was summoned to appear at Rome. An arrangement was effected, however, whereby that summons was cancelled, and Luther went instead to Augsburg in October 1518 to meet the papal legate, Cardinal Cajetan; but neither the arguments of the cardinal, nor Leo's dogmatic papal bull of 9 November requiring all Christians to believe in the pope's power to
grant indulgences, moved Luther to retract. A year of fruitless negotiations followed, during which the controversy took popular root across the German States. -- A further papal bull of 15 June 1520, Exsurge Domine or Arise, O Lord, condemned forty-one propositions extracted from Luther's teachings, and was taken to Germany by Eck in his capacity as apostolic nuncio. Leo followed by formally excommunicating Luther by the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem or It Pleases the Roman Pontiff, on 3 January 1521. In a brief the Pope also directed Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor to take energetic measures against heresy. -- It was also under Leo that Lutheranism spread into Scandinavia. The pope had repeatedly used the rich northern benefices to reward members of the Roman curia, and towards the close of the year 1516 he sent the impolitic Arcimboldi as papal nuncio to Denmark to collect money for St Peter's. This led to the Reformation in Denmark-Norway and Holstein. King Christian II took advantage of the growing dissatisfaction of the native clergy toward the papal government, and of Arcimboldi's interference in the Swedish revolt, to expel the nuncio and summon Lutheran theologians to Copenhagen in 1520. Christian approved a plan by which a formal state church should be established in Denmark, all appeals to Rome should be abolished, and the king and diet should have final jurisdiction in ecclesiastical causes. Leo sent a new nuncio to Copenhagen (1521) in the person of the Minorite Francesco de Potentia, who readily absolved the king and received the rich bishopric of Skara. The pope or his legate, however, took no steps to remove abuses or otherwise reform the Scandinavian churches. --- Having fallen ill with malaria, Pope Leo X died on December 1, 1521, so suddenly that the last sacraments could not be administered; but the contemporary suspicions of poison were unfounded. He was buried in Santa Maria sopra Minerva. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} The Revised Roman Empire - The Medici Family [generally considered the most Occult family of Medieval Europe] - Other Prominent Medici were *Pope Leo X (14751521); Pope Clement VII (1478-1534); Catherine (1519-1589), wife of [King] Henry II of France; and Marie (15731642), wife of [King] Henry IV of France and regent for their son [King] Louis XIII [Note: this is also the important and historic timeframe of the general discovery of America by the Italian born explorer Christopher Columbus in his 1492 voyage from Spain to America (Bahamas).] Medici, an Italian family of merchants and bankers who ruled the republic of Florence through economic power and personal influence. By their patronage of the arts they made Florence the center of the Italian Renaissance. The Medici were created dukes of Florence by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1531, and grand dukes of Tuscany by Emperor Maximilian II in 1575. The last Medici grand duke was deposed by the Austrians in 1737. Important members of the Medici family included the following. Giovanni De' Medici: (1360-1429) established the family fortune and made himself ruler of Florence's merchant oligarchy. Cosimo De' Medici: (1389-1464), his son, used his banking business to gain political power and led Florence in a long period of prosperity and artistic achievement. Lorenzo the Magnificent: (1449-1492), grandson of Cosimo, gained fame as a statesman and patron of arts and letters. He was recognized as a poet himself and was largely responsible for the Tuscan dialect becoming the national speech of Italy. Cosimo (I) the Great: (1519-1574) succeeded to the dukedom in 1537 and ruled as a despot. He restored the duchy of Tuscany by conquering the other republics that had been part of it. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} The Revised Roman Empire - The [two] Medici Popes - Pope Leo X [1513 - 1521] known for being the Pope that challenged Martin Luther's [1517 A.D.] 95 Theses -- Pope Clement VII [1523 - 1534] (Medici cousin of Pope Leo X) known for being Pope during the sacking of Rome in 1527 A.D. [The (Occult) Medici (family), led by (Pope) Clement, had tried to play everyone off against each other and had made everyone their enemy -- at least temporarily - source: mmdtkw.org/VSackRome.html] Pope Leo X - Giovanni de'Medici, 1475 - 1513 - 1521: Giovanni de'Medici, second son of Lorenzo and younger brother of the fatuous Piero, became the first of the Medici Popes (Leo X - Leone Decimo) at the age of 38 on 11 March 1513. Prior to this his life had been a complete roller coaster. Brought up in Medici luxury alongside
Michelangelo (who was included in the Medici household by Lorenzo), older brother Piero and cousin Giulio (who was adopted by Lorenzo after his father (who was Lorenzo's brother) was killed in the Pazzi Conspiracy in 1478), he had access to the incomes of several wealthy monasteries, including Badia a Passignano, and was made a Cardinal at the age of 13. All this came to an abrupt end in 1494 when, in the wake of Lorenzo's death, the incompetent surrender of his brother Piero the Fatuous to the French, and the ensuing Savanorola stirred turbulence, he had to sneak out of Florence dressed as a Franciscan Friar, and then live in hiding with his cousin for the next decade, latterly being protected by the Habsburg Emperor Maximilian (who ironically was to be a major cause of the collapse of the Bruges branch of the Medici Bank) and then by the dreadful Cesare Borgia and his father Pope Alessandro VI (1431 - 1492 - 1503 (72)) in Rome. ... Pope Clement VII Giulio de'Medici, 1478 - 1523 - 1534 (56) Illegitimate son of Lorenzo's (Pazzi murdered) brother Giuliano, adopted son of Lorenzo, and companion in exile to Lorenzo's son Giovanni (Leo X), who was three years his senior, Giulio de'Medici became Pope Clement VII (Clemente Settimo). He was good looking, intellectually sophisticated, a talented musician and a political disaster. In reality he also faced the legacy of the corrupt practices of his cousin Leo X, and the impossible task of operating in the emergent nation state Europe dominated by Charles V, Francis I, and Henry VIII (whom he excommunicated), and threatened by Suleiman the Magnificent, plus Martin Luther dealing the protestants into the game as well - see Insight Page. He lost England, and was humiliated by having to flee in disguise from Rome when it was barbarically sacked by Charles V's rabble army after Clement mistakenly got too close to flashy Francis I of France. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} The Revised Roman Empire - 'Occult' power: the politics of witchcraft and superstition in Renaissance Florence - In Florence, how did one family--the Medici--secure their power after over a century of struggle, and how did they come to construct a myth of their own legitimacy? (Book) Lawrence's interpretation, however narrow and flawed, does highlight an indisputable element of Grazzini's tale of Dr. Manente: its cruelty and "monstrosity," traits that, I will argue, provide insight into the social structures of the mid-sixteenth century, particularly those that rely upon coersion and force. In Florence, how did one family-the Medici--secure their power after over a century of struggle, and how did they come to construct a myth of their own legitimacy? ... It is important to remember that, from 1494--when the friar himself gained widespread support and offered a major threat to the rule of the Medici family--until long after his execution in 1498, Savonarola bequeathed a powerful religious and political vision that was not dependent on his leadership for survival--a fact that fascinated the political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli. Savonarola's followers--called the Piagnoni first by their enemies and later, proudly, by themselves--remained politically active after his execution, through the Republic that lasted until 1513, when the first Medici pope, Leo X, used the considerable influence of this position to help his family and their allies to return to Florence, and again after the sack of Rome in 1527, which occurred during the pontificate of another Medici, Clement VII. The Piagnoni continued to be active even after the Medici, first Alessandro and then Cosimo I, openly turned Florence onto the path of absolutism [unlimited, centralized authority and absolute sovereignty] by accepting the [nobility] title of Duke. ... Lorenzo's manipulation of the Church comes into play in the next phase of the beffa. ... At this point, Grazzini emphasizes not only that many friars and priests were ignorant, but, more importantly, that the kind of people Lorenzo elevated to positions of power in the Florentine church hierarchy were either superstitious [occult] or corrupt, criticisms that Savonarola also often made of the Medici. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Roman Catholic Church} The Revised Roman Empire - Christian and Rosicrucian Kabbalah [esoteric (hidden) teachings - the real NWO - New Age bible] - The origional Jewish [Witchcraft King Solomon] Kabbalah --> Christian mystic, Raymon Lull (1232 - 1316 A.D.) originator of the Christian Kabbalah --> Renaissance Christian Kabbalah (Medici family) --> Rosicrucian (Illuminati - Freemason) Kabbalah --> Modern Occult Kabbalah - The beginning of Christian Kabbalah is to be found in the teachings of the
Catalan philosopher and mystic, Raymon Lull - Lull had the idea of unifying all three religions [Judaism, Christianity, Islam] by developing a philosophy incoporating elements common to all - the way he intended to [unite] convert was through rational and mystical doctrine - Renaissance Christian Kabbalah was derived from a number of sources - Firstly, the christological [christ doctrine] speculations of a number of Jewish converts from the late 13th to the late fifteenth centuries - Secondly, the philosophical Christian and Renaissance speculation concerning the Kabbalah that developed around the Platonic Acadamy *founded by the **Medici family in Florence Lull based his Art on the importance which Christian, Moslem [Islam], and Jew each attached to the Divine Names or Attributes, or, as he called them, Dignities. Lull mentioned nine Dignities (or Dignitaries): Bonitas (Goodness), Magnitudo (Greatness), Eternitas (Eternity), Potestas (Power), Sapientia (Wisdom), Voluntas (Will), Virtus (Virtue), Veritas (Truth), and Gloria (Glory). These are shown in the follwing diagram. ... In addition we also find the incorporation of the four elements [earth, water, air and fire] and the qualities, the seven planets and twelves [astrological] signs, medicine, alchemy, geometry, a letter notation, and so on. There is an elaborate system of correspondences, in that the nine Dignitaries have their correspondences in the celestial sphere, the human level, and the animal, plant, and material creation. In all this we see the influence, not only of Kabbalah, but also of Aristotlean categories, Augustinian Platonism (nearly all the Lullian Dignities can be found listed as Augustine's Divine Attributes), and the celestial hierarchies of angels of the Christian Neoplatonist Dionysius. [Frances A. Yates, The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age, pp.9-12]. -Renaissance Kabbalah: Renaissance Christian Kabbalah was derived from a number of sources. Firstly, the christological speculations of a number of Jewish converts from the late 13th to the late fifteenth centuries. Secondly, the philosophical Christian and Renaissance speculation concerning the Kabbalah that developed around the Platonic Acadamy founded by the Medici family in Florence. Pico della Mirandola The Florentines, headed by the renowned Renaissance hermeticist Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-94) believed they had discovered in Kabbalah a lost divine revelation that could give the key to understanding both the teachings of Pythagoras, Plato, and the Orphics, and the inner secrets of Catholic Christianity. Pico himself had a considerable amount of Kabbalistic literature translated into Latin by the scholarly convert Samuel ben Nissim Abulfaraj. Among the 900 theses Pico presented for public debate in Rome was the claim that "no science can better convince us of the divinity of Jesus Christ than magic and the Kabbalah", and he believed he could prove the dogmas of the Trinity and the Incarnation through Kabbalistic axioms. All this caused a sensation in the intellectual Christian world, and the writings of Pico and his follower Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522) led on the one hand to great interest in the doctrine of Divine Names and in practical (magical) Kabbalah (culminating in Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheim's De Occult Philosophia (1531) and on the other to further attempts at a synthesis between Kabbalah and Christian theology. [Gershom Scholem, Kabbalah, pp.197-8] -- Rosicrucian Kabbalah: By the late 16th century Christian Kabbalah began to be permeated with alchemical symbolism; a trend that continued through the 17th and 18th century. Well known representatives are the Rosucrucian philosopher and alchemist Robert Fludd (1574-1637) and the alchemist Thomas Vaughan (1622-1666) among others. One of the works of Fludd presents an interpretation of the Sefirotic Tree which he illustrates as a Palm (left), whose ten spreading branches raying forth from the lowest world suggest that man on earth is a microcosm or reflection of the macrocosm or universe. In the second half of the 18th century this alchemical kabbalah was combined with Freemasonic numerology and occultism, from which was ultimately to develop the extraordinary occult/magickal revival of the late 19th century known as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn illustration (left) from World Trees by Hazel Minot Kircher's Tree from Oedipus Aegyptiacus published in 1652 by Athanasius Kircher, a Jesuit priest and hermetic philosopher -- Occult Kabbalah: By the 19th century the occultists of the French magician revival, such as Eliphas Levi (Alphonse Louis Constant; 1810-1875) and Papus (Gerard Encausse; 1868-1916) had lost all understanding of the original Jewish meaning of Kabbalah, and brought in various extraneous elements such as Tarot. Levi was an influential figure both on the Theosophy of Blavatsky and even more so the Golden Dawn Order of Mathers and Westcott, with it's unique Kabbalistic (or Qabalistic, to use the prefered spelling) formulation of Sefirot and paths, through which Kabbalah
established itself in the contemporary Western Occult Tradition. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Protestant/Evangelical Church} Disgraced-Fraudulent "Ergun Goes to Camp"....Ergun Caner to Speak at FBC Jax Summer Youth Camp in August - I have confirmed from a reliable source that FBC Jax church leaders have decided to bring in Ergun Caner to speak to the FBC Jax high schoolers' and middle schoolers' at their summer youth camp that will be held August 1st-5th at the Georgia Baptist Convention's Norman Park Conference Center in Tifton, GA. Is Caner the best example of integrity and truth that First Baptist can find for their young people? Of course not...but Caner is good friends with Pastor Mac Brunson, and Ergun Caner and Mac are co-authors of a book that they have been working together on for a second edition. So at FBC Jax these days, it sure seems that a personal and business relationship with the pastor trumps the need to find the best role model for kids at camp. Bringing in the pastor's buddy for a speaking gig trumps his "guarding and protecting" the flock, apparently. -- I hope at least some of the parents of middle schoolers and high schoolers at FBC Jax are disgusted at this choice for their young people. I hope the lay workers at FBC Jax who work with these kids are disgusted. They work so hard all year to instill values of truth and honesty in the kids, and their professional seminarian church leaders go and bring in Caner to preach to their kids during the spiritual apex of the church year. Of course most young people at FBC Jax are not up on what has happened over the past year with Caner - they will eat up his [fraudulent] stories, laugh at his jokes, and Caner will rebuild his brand with the next generation of FBC Jax'ers. Heck, at camp Ergun might slip in a story or two of his days growing up learning of American culture by watching Istanbul TV as a kid. Maybe he'll elaborate on his [imaginary] days of "Islamic Youth Jihad" and describe the training he [didn't] received to perform 9/11 style attacks as he claimed at their church in November 2001. -- But maybe some good will come of this. Young people at FBC Jax, let this serve as a prime example for you that your church leaders - your senior pastor especially - don't always have the best interests of the people they are leading at heart. **The pastor is not some sort of super-spiritual "man of God" like a priest or prophet who always knows best. Your pastor is not a "God-appointed agent to save you from your ignorance". ***Pastors are not to be blindly trusted. Your pastor [Pastor Mac Brunson] claimed recently that his number one priority is to "guard the flock", yet I believe he is failing to guard you in this instance as he promises. Perhaps the Lord can use you to let your parents know, and your church leaders know that you aren't happy with this selection for your camp. -- And young people, this is a lesson for you of what NOT to do when you become a lay leader in your church. Don't be a "yes man" deacon or trustee or lay leader. Stand up to your pastor when they make a wrong decision such as this. You don't have to be silent and "let God handle it", or just say "well, Pastor is God's man"....no, YOU are God's man or woman at that church and maybe God wants YOU to speak up and demand accountability for a terrible decision such as this. Don't let the pastor convince you that you are sinning by raising this "controversial issue" and demanding that it be fixed. God has placed plenty of men and women in your church - including YOU - who should stand up to your pastor and say "No" to them bringing Ergun Caner to your camp. -- There still is time for FBC Jax and Mac Brunson to change their mind about bringing Caner to camp. If not, perhaps they can film the sessions with Caner and market it as "Ergun Goes to Camp". Heck, Tifton, GA is not too far away from Atlanta - why not call Eddie Long to come down and help out with camp and be a cabin chaperone for a group of 6th grade boys? Creflo Dollar can come down too. [article link]
{Flashback} It Takes a Long Time to Clean Up [Internet] Falsehoods - The Internet is such a huge "place" - It takes forever to clean up evidences of your past---if you are trying to do that, anyway - I was just referred to this (2005) press release on Ergun Caner's own website (better click fast, it will be gone before long!) - Note this further example of the mysterious "misstatement" that Ergun Caner seemed to be making over and over and over again for years on end {**Note: Ergun Caner is going around preaching (mostly to unsuspecting teenagers) a 100% Emergent Church doctrine, principles and theology i.e. "God = Love" actually "God = God"
and love, patience, faithfulness, justice, longsuffering, faithfulness, etc. are all Attributes of God. - Also Note: It is Dr. Norman Geisler (Veritas Evangelical Seminary) [one of Ergun Caner's biggest supporters and a mentor] that is going around from Church to Church doing "Apologetics Conferences" with Ergun Caner (also one of Geisler's Veritas Seminary instructors) ***as Geisler pretends to be informing Christians and preaching against the Gnostic Emergent Church Movement that is currently infiltrating Evangelical Christianity on a massive scale all the while Dr. Norman Geisler is forwarding, promoting and covering for Emergent Church (Gnostic) prompter Ergun Caner. -- July 31, 2010 Calvary Chapel Downey - Apologetics Conference Speakers: Norman Geisler, "Understanding and Answering the Emergent Church" - Ergun Caner, "5 Reasons Why I am not a Muslim" Source: www.cccsdowney.org/high-school/monthly-letter/} Ex-Muslim to lead at Liberty U. By Bob Lowry ASSOCIATED PRESS LYNCHBURG, Va. -- The new dean of the Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University theological seminary is a former Sunni Muslim who plans to turn out a hipper generation of graduates by relating to them with lyrics from rapper 50 Cent, TV's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and the latest movies and film stars. Ergun Mehmet Caner cracks one-liners as easily as he quotes a Bible verse. Lecturing to a packed auditorium of 450 students, Mr. Caner mixed religion with jokes to keep his students on their toes in a late afternoon theology class. He asked his students which popular actors they would marry [have sex with] "if she or he was a Christian." Their answers brought howls of laughter from the classroom. "In a given lecture, I'll talk about 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,' C.S. Lewis, 'Plato's Cave' and some lyrics by 50 Cent," Mr. Caner said of some subjects one normally wouldn't associate with Mr. Falwell's university. Mr. Caner sees it as a way to connect with his young audiences. "Most college students lose attention every seven minutes and with that, it's important to have that humor to bring us back in and teach us more," said Travis Bush, a junior from Rocky Mount, N.C., in Mr. Caner's class. "He's the best professor here. With the humor, it keeps us interested." Mr. Caner, 39, said he wants a different approach for a new generation of Liberty students, whom he dubs "tecumenicals." "I call them techies because, on one hand, they were raised with e-mail" he says. "And yet they are so ecumenical. This generation is different. They've been there, seen it and done it. They're looking for some *authentic passion that's got a pulse and that sweats. "The point is I'll use anything at my disposal. I'm not hiding from culture and I don't boycott culture. If I'm turning out students who say 'What's that dot on your head for?' That's ignorance. Or, 'Why'd you wear your laundry on the top of your head?' That's ignorance." Mr. Caner takes over as dean of the seminary in July after only two years at the 8,000student school. The shaven-headed, goateed Mr. Caner [Proven False], whose family emigrated from Turkey [Sweeden] to Toledo, Ohio, when he was a teenager [two years old] ... Boyd Rist, Liberty's vice president for academic affairs, said Mr. Caner was the clear choice for the job after the former dean left for the presidency of another school. As for Mr. Caner's Muslim background, Mr. Rist said Mr. Falwell [Sr.] doesn't mind doing the unexpected at the school he founded in his hometown in 1971. Copyright 2005 News World Communications, Inc. Source: www.erguncaner.com/home/press/documents/ap_04152005.pdf [article link]
{Flashback} 7/29/2010 - Dividing Line with James White "What kind of a person when they get caught lying, instead of repenting just makes up another lie" {Note: Two recordings of Ergun Caner attempting to explain the Trinity - Father, Son, Holy Spirit nature of God are played and Caner does an 'ok' job BUT unexplainably mixes within his convoluted explanations New Age terms and concepts i.e. "eternal progression" saying that Jesus' incarnation was "just a part of His eternal progression" (i.e. LDS Mormonism) and then that the Trinity is embodied at the tip of our own finger (i.e. some New Age [Gnostic - Sex Magik - Da Vinci Code] concept that we are all little gods). The tip of our finger (or something else for males) analogy is completely wrong in that three dimensions (length, height, and width) always have with it the 4th dimension of time and for example the higher [5th and 6th] spiritual dimensions including the ever present eternal, limitless dimension of God so using the tip of our own finger to represent the Trinity of God is perhaps the worst of all possible examples and any Seminary Theology professor should be able to give a more concise and coherent statement on the Trinity than Caner is able to explain - as though he is publically explaining it for the first time.} (Mp3) Discussed today: A May [2010 - San Diego, CA] recording of Ergun Caner talking about haters [and 'flamers' i.e.
Caner's version of Christians who simply question him]. Dr. White also took two calls. [article link]
{Occult Infiltration of the Protestant/Evangelical Church} Contending for Truth with Dr. Scott Johnson - End Time Current Events: 6-12-11 - Hidden Luciferians (Satan worshipers) in American culture, politics, academia…and in the Christian community (Part 1) - IS "CHRISTIAN MUSICIAN" MICHAEL W. SMITH...A COVERT OCCULTIST? (Part 2) (Mp3s) People/leaders who are Possible Occult/Satanic infiltrators into the Christian Church - of course Satan is going to send his best and most capable deceivers into the true Church in order to cause strife, confusion, a lack of clarity and general disorder for all things Christian (Jesus Christ) within the Church. -- Warnings Regarding: Neil Anderson - Freedom in Christ Ministries; Kay Arthur - Precept Ministries International; Ron Blue; Dietrich Bonhoeffer - WWII German Theologan; Bill Bright - Campus Crusade for Christ; Stuart & Jill Briscoe - Telling the Truth; Larry Burkett - Crown Financial Ministries; Tony Campolo - "Red-Letter Christian"; Paul (David) Yonggi Cho - Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea; Gary Collins - Nelson Ministry Services; *Chuck Colson BreakPoint; Kenneth & Gloria Copeland - Kenneth Copeland Ministries; Larry Crabb - NewWay Ministries; *Dr. James Dobson - Focus on the Family; Ted W. Engstrom - Youth for Christ International; Gary Ezzo - Growing Families International; *Jerry Falwell [Sr. - Jr.] - Liberty University [LU] & Thomas Road Baptist Church; Richard Foster - Quaker Minister; Bill Gothard - Institute in Basic Life Principles; Billy Graham - The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; *John Hagee - Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas; Kenneth W. & Lynette Hagin - Rhema Praise television show; Hank Hanegraaff - Christian Research Institute (CRI); Jack Hayford - The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, CA & Chancellor of the The King's University; *Howard Hendricks - longtime professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, speaker for Promise Keepers; Benny Hinn - Benny Hinn Ministries & This Is Your Day TV Show; David Hocking[?] - Hope for Today; Michael Horton - White Horse Inn Blog; Rodney HowardBrowne - Revival Ministries International; *Dave Hunt - The Berean Call; Bill Hybels - Willow Creek Community Church; Jack Hyles[?] - In 1972, he founded Hyles-Anderson College; T.D. Jakes - The Potter's House; Dr. David Jeremiah - Turning Point for God; Dr. D. James Kennedy - Coral Ridge Ministries; Woodrow Kroll - Back to the Bible; Tim & Beverly LaHaye - the Left Behind series of books & Concerned Women for America; Greg Laurie Harvest Crusade; Zola Levitt - Zola Levitt Ministries; C.S. Lewis - Narnia Chronicles; Hal Lindsey - The Hal Lindsey Report; C.S. Lovett - president of Maranatha Family; Max Lucado - UpWords®; Martin Luther Protestant Reformation; Bill McCartney - Promise Keepers; Josh McDowell[?] - Evidence That Demands a Verdict; *John MacArthur - Grace to You; Gordon MacDonald - pastor of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts; David & Karen Mains - Mainstay Ministries; Don Matzat - pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Bridgeville, PA; John C. Maxwell - leadership expert; *Joyce Meyer - Joyce Meyer Ministries; Dr. Frank Minirth & Dr. Paul Meier - The Freudian Connection; Sun Myung Moon - worldwide Unification Church; Joel Osteen Hope For Today; J.I. Packer - Author, Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia; Luis Palau - Global Evangelist; Rod Parsley - Breakthrough; Norman Vincent Peale - The Power of Positive Thinking; M. Scott Peck American psychiatrist and best-selling author, best known for his first book, The Road Less Traveled; Frank Peretti - Christian fiction author; Dennis Rainey - FamilyLife, Focus on the Family; *Pat Robertson - Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) - The 700 Club; James Robison - Life Outreach International; Dr. Hugh Ross creationist Christian apologist; Jack Schaap - Hyles-Anderson College; Robert Schuller - Crystal Cathedral; David Seamands - Evangelism Today!; Gary Smalley - Marriage Restoration Intensive; *Chuck Smith Sr. - Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, CA; Charles Solomon - Grace Fellowship International; *R.C. Sproul Sr. - Ligonier Ministries; Charles Stanley[?] - In Touch Ministries; *Charles Swindoll - Insight for Living; *Rick Warren Saddleback Church, U.N. P.E.A.C.E. Plan, Purpose Driven Life; *Donald Wildmon - American Family Association (AFA); John Wimber - director of the Association of Vineyard Churches; Philip Yancey - Author; Zig Ziglar motivational speaker -- See Also: Constance Cumbey - Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow; Mark Lowry - Gaither Vocal Band; Leonard Sweet - [Satanist] influential Christian leader; Beth Moore - Living Proof Ministries; Chuck Missler - Koinonia House; John Piper - Desiring God; Phyllis Schlafly - Eagle Forum; Jan Markell - Olive Tree Ministries; Dr. Stan Monteith - Radio Liberty; Nancy Leigh DeMoss - Revive Our Hearts; Mark DeMoss - The
DeMoss Group the nation's first and largest public relations agency exclusively serving Christian leaders; *Dr. Norman Geisler - Veritas Evangelical Seminary; Ravi Zacharias - Zacharias International Ministries; Eugene H. Peterson - The Message (bible); Frank Viola - Jesus Manifesto; Rob Bell - Velvet Jesus, NOOMA, Love Wins; William Lane Craig - Reasonable Faith; Lee Strobe - former Chicago Tribune legal editor, author of The Case for Christ. {Note: Updated the list to provide some information regarding the organization each person is affiliated with.} [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: TERRIFIC! Video: Michele Bachmann on Israel {Note: Back home and planning on posting some more material soon. - Watched part of the Republican Debate last night. -- Michele Bachmann was clearly out front and probably has my vote. I'm not planning on blogging the 2012 Elections and after the boring debate last night I really want even less to do with the Election though I do think Sarah Palin should be a candidate as she has been very good at providing a Conservative voice for America. - The Republican Debate was really not very good primarily because it was hosted by CNN so all the Liberal topics (i.e. health care) were front and center and it often made the Republican candidates look and sound more like Democrat candidates than Republicans so the format wasn't a good showcase for Republicans and basically it looks like the Republicans have little or no game for 2012.} She has been derided as Sarah Palin's twin, but Michele Bachmann is no Palin, and, hey, she's actually served complete terms in office without quitting. Yes, she's had some gaffes (including comparing America's high taxes to the Holocaust), though they are very few. But, overall, I'd be happy to vote for her. [article link]
[Christian Communion 1 of 3] The necessity of having the correct Communion elements in the Christian Communion - Wine/Grape product (fruit) of the Vine and the unleavened/unsweetened Bread 'body of Jesus Christ' -- "John 15:5 I (Jesus) Am the Vine, ye (Disciples/Christians) are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me [Vine] ye can do nothing." "1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I (Apostle Paul) have received of the Lord (Jesus) that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same [Passover Feast] night in which He was betrayed took [Passover unleavened/unsweetened] bread: And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body [both His sinless, physical body and also His eternal, resurrection Spiritual body], which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the [Passover - Communion] cup [wine], when He had supped, saying, This Cup [physical and Spiritual] is the *New Testament in My blood [physical blood for the remission of our sins and also Spiritual blood for our eternal life]: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me [Jesus]. For [being both physical and Spiritual] as often as ye eat this bread (body), and drink this cup (wine/vine), ye do shew the Lord's [physical] death till He [bodily/Spiritually] come [return - 2nd Coming]." -- Note: Jesus is clearly the Vine and we are attached to, fellowshipping with and partaking of the Vine (Jesus Christ) as Born Again Christian believers. -- Also Note: The Olive Tree/Oil is generally considered to be a representation of the Holy Spirit and is not to be confused with Jesus. "Romans 11:24 For if thou [Gentiles] wert cut out of the [disassociated] olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good Olive Tree [Holy Spirit]: how much more shall these [Jews], which be the natural [associated with God] branches, be graffed [knowingly] into their own [natural] Olive Tree [the Holy Spirit]?" -- Further Note: The Fig Tree (branch, fruit, leaves) are often associated with mankind and the works, fruits and natural unrighteousness of humans, though with potential to give good fruit (figs). Three main Biblical plants [Vine, Olive Tree and the Fig Tree are each mentioned in James 3:12]. -- "James 3:12 Can the Fig Tree [man], my brethren, bear Olive [Holy Spirit fruit] berries? [or] either a Vine [Jesus - Wine], figs? so can no fountain both yield salt [undesirable drinking] water and fresh [desirable drinking water]." [article link]
Note: Regarding the Hebrews/Jews as a continuing society, religion, ethnicity of people and their affiliation with the Messiah Jesus Christ
Possibly: The Jews as a people never rejected the Messiah (Christ) [True Vine] - many of the Jews rejected Jesus as a man claiming to be the Messiah though a remnant of Jews believed Jesus and began the Christian Church. It is important to note that signs, wonders and miracles alone Do Not authenticate the person of Christ. It is necessary for fulfillment of Bible prophecy (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) and for the resurrection from death [conquering human sin and death] to provide for the authenticity of the Messiah. The Jews rejected the man Jesus and being Spiritually blinded (Romans 11:7, Romans 11:25) have been unable to see the Messiah until "the fullness of the Gentiles has come in" (Romans 11:25, Acts 15:14-18) and the un-blinding (Acts 9:17-18) of the Hebrews/Jews can take place. Having not rejected the Messiah, the resurrected and proven Messiah Jesus Christ, due to their Spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 3:14) the Jews as a people and a society are not condemned and far from it they are instead much beloved of God being among (Romans 9:4-5) His called, chosen, elect and redeemed people. -- Note: Judas was the only Jewish/person to take N.T. Communion with Jesus, at the 'Passover' Last Supper, and then (John 17:12) "the son of perdition" [Judas first coming] reject (John 13:30) Jesus as the Messiah. {Note: "the son of perdition" during the 2nd coming return of Jesus is going to be the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3)}. The other 11 Disciples all believed and all who follow the resurrection of Jesus believe. -- Also Note: There were still ramifications for rejecting the physical presence of Jesus as both the Temple and the city of Jerusalem were later destroyed but the continuity of Judaism as the chosen people of God remains and it remains under the New Testament (Ephesians 2:12) - the New Testament having been implemented by Jesus in Jerusalem, among and for the Jews (Hebrews 8:8-10) not at the exclusion of the Jews but for all people Jewish and Gentile. [article link]
[Christian Communion 2 of 3] Both the physical Communion body of Jesus and His Spiritual resurrection body are without sin -- "Matthew 17:1-3 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was *Transfigured [from physical body to Spiritual body] before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias (Elijah) talking with Him (Jesus)." ... "Matthew 17:5-7 While he (Disciple Peter) yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice [from God] out of the cloud, which said, **This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; **hear ye Him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, **and said, Arise [in Jesus Christ's resurrection-transfigure], and be not afraid." Note: Jesus being God and without the curse of human sin (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 1:29) was able to bodily Transfigure on the Mt. of Transfiguration and also able to bodily resurrect (John 20:5) into His eternal Spiritual body. Jesus will be the only person in heaven who was able to retain any semblance (Revelation 5:6-7) to his previous earthly physical body. The rest of us (Romans 8:3) having within us the curse of sin and death (Romans 6:22-23) do not retain any resemblance to our physical, sin laden, body (2 Corinthians 5:1-9) but instead resurrect as disembodied human spirits to be judged by God (2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10, Revelation 20:14) and then if Adopted as Sons/Daughters of God we receive a new spiritual body a body that matches our spiritual composition [i.e. a devout handicapped person on earth doesn't just receive legs in heaven that can walk, like everyone that person receives a new (Spiritual) body]. We Humans receiving our new Spiritual body is the correction to sin and is not in any way any type of reincarnation because being given a new body we will still be (soul, spirit) of who we are and more importantly will still be recognizable as who we are by others, it will just be a better, more accurate and more complete eternal bodily match to our soul and spirit than our sin laden physical body could ever be. Reincarnation would involve receiving a body that is not recognizable to others for instance a person reincarnating and becoming a different person or even an animal. -- "2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all [sinner and non-sinner] appear [w/o a physical body] before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his [physical] body, according to that he hath done [on earth], whether it be good or bad." [article link]
[Christian Communion 3 of 3] The eternal pre-existent nature of Jesus [Communion both physical and Spiritual] is revealed in the multi-dimensional, multi-realm (physical, spiritual) aspects of Jesus -- "Matthew 14:25-28 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a [multi-dimensional] spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water." -- "John 20:19 Then the same day [Easter Resurrection Day] at evening, being [Sunday] the first day of the week, when *the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst [of the locked room], and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." Note: Mankind seems to have been originally created to be in the 6th dimensional realm along with the Angels however after the sin and fall of mankind it appears that mankind fell two dimensions into the 4th dimension [height, width, length, time]. The Salvation restoration of mankind, those saved in Jesus seem to be restored to the higher 7th dimension. While God [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] have always existed outside the 7 created realms in their un-created, un-restricted, eternal realm. -- "John 1:18 No [restricted - mortal] man hath seen [unrestricted - eternal] God [the Father] at any time {unrestricted dimensions}; [except] the only begotten Son (Jesus), which is in the bosom of the Father, He (Jesus) hath declared [revealed] Him (Father)." -- "John 5:26 For as the Father hath [eternal] life in Himself; so hath He given (G1325 - administration) to the Son (Jesus) to have [eternal - giving] life in Himself;" -- "John 10:30 I and My Father are One [unrestricted dimension]." -- "Hebrews 1:3 [Jesus] Who being the brightness of His [Father's] glory, and the express (exact) [Spiritual] image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He (Jesus) had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty [Father God] on High;" -- "Hebrews 9:24 For [resurrection] Christ is not entered [earthly] into the holy places [Jewish Temple] made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now **to appear in the presence of God for us:" [article link]
{Flashback} BasicChristian.org: Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual dimensions as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th dimension being God's realm of unrestricted eternity} Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the 5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. Note: So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation [into our human realms] of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Also Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2. Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic [Nephilim spirits] - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -"Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created,
in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ..." [article link]
VFTB Live: How and Why We Believe (Mp3) WHAT WE believe determines how we live. Do you know why you or your church does what it does? Keith Giles joins us to discuss his new book, This is My Body: Ekklesia as God Intended, which expores the difference between church as we know it and ekklesia the way God meant it to be. Then we're joined by Doug Harris, host of Simply the Truth on Revelation TV. He talks about Reachout Trust, his ministry to those in cults, the occult, and the New Age. Please visit the VFTB Facebook page and check out the great Christian podcasters at the Revelations Radio Network. -- {Note: Ekklesia (G-1577) 'Ek' out of; 'Kaleo' called; called out ones (called out of the world and into God's heavenly gathering), congregation. -- i.e. Exodus Ex·o·dus [éksedess] 'out of departing' leaving (earthly) Egypt and following God to (heavenly) Israel and Jerusalem. The Christian Church [Ekklesia] on earth, biblically is not just an in-gathering of believers but is more represented as an outgathering from the world who have assembled together before God and with one another. -- "Hebrews 13:1214 Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without (outside) the [city] gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without (outside) the camp [society], bearing His reproach. For here [earthly] have we no continuing city, but we seek [the holy, eternal] one to come."} [article link]
Littleshots Productions: Presents Two animations of Jack Chick's popular tract stories 'The Sissy' & 'Tiny Shoes' … ON ONE DVD! ($4.95) {Scroll Down} (On-line View) Four years ago, Steve West called Chick Publications with an idea, and a vision. He asked for permission to make video animations of Chick tracts, using software currently available. His vision was to deliver these gospel messages to a generation that is reading less and less. He hoped to have them translated and make something that would help missionaries spread the Gospel. We gave him permission, and he formed Littleshots Productions and produced videos from two of Jack Chick's stories, "The Sissy" and "Tiny Shoes." ... You can show them to your Sunday School class, youth group, or even your church. Then discuss the message of the story and lead people to Christ. Also, if you purchase a copy, you are free to make as many copies as you wish for your own use. You can give them away like a tract, too. [article link]
Update: Have been working on a family project 'Capt. John Brown Documents' (PDF) Just about to do some more postings (starting at the end of May or the first part of June) but need a few more days off [I worked so hard on family stuff that I need a break from my break] and time to look at my notes some more before I start posting what I hope is going to be a really good, complex, advanced, solid doctrine series of postings. All the best! ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Bible verse: Isaiah 33:15-17 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly ... He shall dwell on high ... Thine eyes shall see the King (Jesus) in His beauty: they shall behold the land (heaven) that is very far off {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Isaiah 33:15-17 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the King (Jesus) in His beauty: they shall behold the land (heaven) that is very far off. -- Holy Bible [article link]
{Celebrating 10 Years!!} Basic Christian Theology: Answers to Bible Questions 132 Topics (PDF) A Complete handy Reference - Study Guide/Tutorial. It covers 132 Christian Subjects and Topics from Adoption
- Yahweh in an easy to read and understand format. An extensive resource, unparalleled in convenience and ease of use yet advanced in topic research. {The original Basic Christian: Theology was released in about May of 2001 as a free PDF file - At that time the first few PDF files were without any color fonts consisting of only black text and a white background - Links of any kind either internal or external were also not available in the original Theology PDF download file - The color fonts feature was soon added within a year of the first PDF file but it would take about a year after that to bring in the linking features and then it wasn't until about 2007 (Microsoft Office 2006 updated) that the links worked properly, previously clicking on a link was often an unsuccessful event - The Basic Christian: Theology presentation was the beginning to much of the resources of the Basic Christian ministry - The Basic Christian: Theology document was the groundwork for the later, highly successful Basic Christian: blog Bible Study.} [article link]
Part 2: {Celebrating 10 Years!!} Basic Christian Theology: Answers to Bible Questions 132 Topics (PDF) Part 2: The Basic Christian: Theology presentation was initiated with extremely high hopes that the document would be a viable resource material for many Christians however the intentions have never been materialized as the Basic Christian: Theology document consistently remains one of the lesser accessed and downloaded of the Basic Christian materials. - One of the first problems encountered regarding the Basic Christian: Theology project was that in 2003 when the project was finally converted into a html website page the 132 topics of the Basic Christian: Theology project was simply too big [long browser loading time] as a website page especially back in 2003 and the search engines like Google were never able to successfully index it and present it as a viable Christian website page listing for search queries. - Initially among the few people who were able to locate it on the internet the Basic Christian: Theology concept document was considered to be a groundbreaking achievement and an extraordinary accomplishment in the listing and referencing of so many Biblical topics in such an easy to use and understand way [Basic Christian: Theology was one of two files from Basic Christian selected for use in the early Tract-CD project (Biblical Proof Jesus is God was the other document) a project that combed the internet for the best Christian resources and then made them available to other people via CD's]. Despite the initial early successes [much like the 2001 released Jesus Walk 10 Day Easter Timeline Devotion] the next few years would find the Basic Christian: Theology project underutilized and underappreciated by much of the Christian community. Today the Basic Christian: Theology document remains available as a free internet download as there continues to be the hope and passion that one day the material will be a leading resource used in the lives of many Christians seeking to quickly understand Biblical concepts, ideas and practices. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
SHATTER THE DARKNESS: With Host Russ Dizdar - Broadcast Series May 2nd through 6th 2011 [Mp3s] - THE CORRUPTED, COMPROMISED, COUNTERFEIT, CORRUPTING EMERGENT CHURCH - Online Minicast Audio Overview and Parts 1-5 [May 2-6] {Scroll Down - bottom of page} (Mp3s) THE CORRUPTED, COMPROMISED, COUNTERFEIT, CORRUPTING EMERGENT CHURCH - IN CONTRAST TO THE INDESTRUCTIBLE SUPERNATURAL CHURCH THAT JESUS CHRIST IS BUILDING, HAS COMMISSIONED, IS EMPOWERING AND IS COMING FOR -- The word 'church' is used in the New Testament well over 90 times; it is mainly used of the local visible church though the larger global body of Christ is clearly spoken of. It is of divine origin, it is truly the most spiritual and supernatural organization (living body) on the face of the earth today. It has Jesus Christ for its founder, provider and builder. It has the indwelling presence of God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. It is birthed in the infinite love of God and involves all that redemption provides.....and that alone is amazing and unequaled. It is the vessel that the living Christ lives in and through and has as its mission the goal of reaching every single person living anywhere/everywhere on the globe with the love of Christ…the gospel of salvation. -- The church is weak and strong, incredible and at times sickening. It is though......... in the hands of its Sovereign Head.......Jesus Christ. -- It has a massive mission; it can be incredibly powerful and is the only spiritual entity that hell itself would love to destroy. And if hell can't destroy it (the
church is indestructible) it would love to compromise, corrupt and counterfeit it...........why? Because satan himself fights against the salvation of the souls of humanity. Does the 'emergent church' aid satans cause? Is it a vessel of dark spiritual corruption? What must we do? The 'emergent churches' betrayal of Christ and its Judas kiss exposed on this live broadcast. [article link]
Sunday, 8 May 2011 : Third Sunday of Easter - Sunday, 5 June 2011 : Ascension of the Lord - Sunday, 12 June 2011 : Pentecost Sunday Sunday, 24 April 2011 : Easter Sunday [Resurrection Sunday - Matthew 28] -- Sunday, 1 May 2011 : Second Sunday of Easter [doubting Thomas touched Jesus - John 20:24-29] -- Sunday, 8 May 2011 : Third Sunday of Easter -- Sunday, 15 May 2011 : Fourth Sunday of Easter -- Sunday, 22 May 2011 : Fifth Sunday of Easter -Sunday, 29 May 2011 : Sixth Sunday of Easter -- Sunday, 5 June 2011 : Ascension of the Lord [from the Mt. Of Olives (Olivet) at Bethany near Jerusalem - Luke 24:50-51, Mark 16:19] -- Sunday, 12 June 2011 : Pentecost Sunday [5th Feast, Middle Feast - of the 8 Levitical Feasts (Leviticus 23, Acts 2)]. -- Note: Sabbath (1st Feast) -Lord's Passover, Unleavend Bread, Firstfruits 'Easter' (The 3 Spring Feasts - Fulfilled during the 1st Coming of Jesus) -- Pentecost (Middle Feast) -- Trumpets 'Rosh Hashanah', Day of Atonement 'Yom Kippur', Tabernacles 'Sukkot' (The 3 Fall Harvest Feasts - To be prophetically fulfilled during the 2nd Coming of Jesus). [article link]
Update: There is still a lot of material to cover regarding the 8 Kingdoms study and the coming 'briefer' Church History study - However it might be a good time (Summer 2011) to divert into some of the more controversial topics i.e. Church Age, individual Redemption-Salvation, Jewish Redemption-Salvation, non-Christian value, Pentecost, bodily resurrection of Jesus, non-bodily judgment and resurrection of the believer, Church rapture, End Times, etc. Regarding the more controversial topics: The other Christian works and writings, Basic Christian: Theology, Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion, blog Bible Study, blog History Study, end especially the Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines have all been written with the intention of presenting a Christian commonality where every Christian can generally agree in basic summary of the material. The coming topics are not intended to be controversial however they are and because of their controversial nature they are going to be presented in an offshoot sort of way realizing that each topic involves some speculation and some personal bias. The intention is to explore, distinguish and separate the more controversial topics apart from the more standard basic Christian topics. Hoping that the intended result is that people will separate the various works understanding that yes, there has been a large quantity of basic Christian material written for the general Christian audience and that now there is some separate but also valid Christian writing that is intended to explore some of the more controversial aspects of the Christian faith. Knowing and understanding that a common Christian consensus regarding these topics is not uniquely sought nor is it uniquely necessary for commonality within the Church body of Jesus Christ. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
CNN: The killing of bin Laden: Was it legal? - Was the killing of Osama bin Laden legal under international law? - The administration says yes, absolutely - Experts are unsure {Certainly Not legal under American law!} The raid on Obama's compound "was conducted in a manner fully consistent with the laws of war," [but is the USA lawfully at war and if so with what Nation? Pakistan?] White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters. Carney declined to offer specifics, but said "there is simply no question that this operation was lawful. ... (Bin Laden) had [allegedly] continued to plot attacks against the United States." Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama had all issued orders to kill or capture the [accused] al Qaeda leader. -- Bin Laden raid was years in the making -- "The authority (during the raid) was to kill bin Laden," CIA Director Leon Panetta said Tuesday during an interview with PBS. "Obviously, under the rules of engagement, if he had in fact thrown up his hands, surrendered, and didn't appear to be representing any kind of threat, then they were to capture him. But they had full authority to kill him." A number of experts have said the question of actual
legality may come down to bin Laden's response at the moment U.S. Navy SEALs burst into his room. U.S. officials have revised their account of what happened during the assault on the compound in Pakistan. Bin Laden was not armed during the 40-minute raid, they now say, but he put up resistance to U.S. forces. The al Qaeda leader was moving at the time he was initially shot, according to a U.S. official who has seen military reports of the incident. The official declined to describe the movements more specifically. Officials earlier claimed that bin Laden was an active participant in the firefight that erupted, implying that he was armed and gave the SEALs little choice but to shoot him. Groves, citing the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, said that, based on the most recent White House account, "there is nothing to indicate anything illegal happened." Bin Laden, considered a combatant by virtue of his position as head of al Qaeda, needed to immediately make clear a desire to surrender, if that was his decision, in order to avoid being shot. That apparently didn't happen, Groves said. "The United States offered bin Laden the possibility to surrender, but he refused," Martin Scheinin, the United Nations' special rapporteur for human rights, said Tuesday. "Bin Laden would have avoided destruction if he had raised a white flag." {Note: apparently there are photos of a bloody mattress and the most consistent and plausible detail of events [the amount of fighting is being diminished and even ruled out with each new official vision of events] into the killing of the person alleged to be Osama Bin Laden was that he [bin Laden] was killed while asleep in bed. - Taking into account that the man pretending to be Osama Bin Laden was probably a CIA asset operative [making fake Obama propaganda for the CIA] while living in a Pakistani CIA safe house and of course the CIA-military can go to their own safe house at any time without arousing suspicion. Several sources on the internet are calling the Osama Bin Laden death [whether it's the real or a fake bin Laden] a standard CIA asset retirement operation.} [article link]
AboveTopSecret.com: Wag The Dog - Three reasons why the official OBL (Osama Bin Laden) story stinks to high heaven - REASON #1 All the world's a stage, REASON #2 It all seemed a bit forced...., REASON #3 The body "Where is the body?" - I dont have all the answers, but right now I feel like a duck being fattened up for the slaughter, and I feel that all of this showbiz is not being done for nothing - We are in for something major very soon, and what that is has suddenly become very real and frightening {Psalms 61:1-2 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock [Jesus Christ] that is higher than I.} post by BlackOps719: Excellent, excellent thread OP (Original Poster). I haven't chimed in on any of the OBL (Osama Bin Laden) threads but when I read your words- it's like you read my mind. This is definitely building up to something big, and obviously bad. It's been quite a week. We had the birth certificate, the beatification of Pope John Paul II, the "royal" wedding, NATO bombing Gadaffi's grandchildren [Libya], and finally the announced death of Bin Laden. I know there was much more that I can't think of right now as well. Now we've got a shuttle launch [delay - next-to-last USA shuttle flight], riot cops vs. college kids in Ilinois, a levee being blown on the Mississippi (Birds Point, Missouri), etc,etc. I haven't heard a peep about Japan in a few days. Could WW3 be on the horizon? It's possible. This chain of events will continue and things are going to get stranger by the day. I believe a couple more catastrophies will need to be orchestrated before WW3 breaks out. Whatever they pull out of the hat will not surprise me at this point. I'm just keeping my eyes peeled, my ear to the ground and my BS detector on at all times. Cheers -- "Psalms 61:1-8 To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of [King] David. Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings. Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear Thy Name. Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations. He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare Mercy and Truth, which may preserve him. So will I sing praise unto Thy Name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows." [article link]
{Excellent!!} EchoZoe.com: Christine Pack of Sola Sisters returns this month to talk about Universalism, Christian Universalism, and Rob Bell's latest book Love Wins (Mp3) •We began by discussing the history of Universalism, which Christine argues goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, when the serpent said to Eve "You shall surely not die." •Origen as the first prominent Christian Universalist. •The rise of Universalism in the 19th Century, influenced heavily by the German philosophers of the day. •The Five Fundamentals, developed as a response to early 20th Century Liberalism: The Deity of Christ, The Virgin Birth, The Blood Atonement, The Bodily Resurrection, The Inerrancy of Scripture, •The rise of the "Seeker Sensitive" movement as a reaction to the perceived problems with "fundamentalism" and Conservative Christianity. •The influence of Rob Bell on today's Church, especially among youth. •The influence of the monastic "Desert Fathers" and "Contemplative Prayer" on Rob Bell. •Rob Bell's response to critics. We played the audio of Rob Bell giving an orthodox sounding pseudo-creed that uses Christian terms, but carry redefined meaning. •We concluded our discussion of Rob Bell by emphasizing the importance of good teaching, and listed several good ministries that we can recommend. Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:08:34 - 33.6MB) [article link]
Pope John Paul beatified before huge crowd - St Peter's Square was jam-packed and the crowd stretched as far back as the Tiber River, more than half a kilometer away - The throng of devotees, many carrying national flags and singing songs, had moved toward the Vatican area from all directions from before dawn to get a good spot for the Mass - Some 90 official delegations from around the world, including members of five European royal families and 16 heads of state, attended the beatification {Comment: The Vatican should Saint both Pope John Paul and Mother Teresa in the near future [i.e. next year - May 2012] rather than later [and both at the same time or within a day or so] as really it was their life, devotion and service to Jesus Christ and His Church that is the blessed miracle that we all have and have all received from and continue to receive from. The thought that they are now interceding in the afterlife on behalf of individuals with a few select miracles really isn't what the focus should be regarding their life and accomplishments.} VATICAN CITY - The late Pope John Paul moved a major step closer to sainthood on Sunday at a joyous ceremony that drew more than a million people, the largest crowd in Rome since his funeral six years ago. "From now on Pope John Paul shall be called 'blessed'", Pope Benedict, wearing resplendent white and gold robes, solemnly proclaimed in Latin, establishing that his predecessor's feast day would be October 22, the day of the inauguration of John Paul's history-making pontificate in 1978. To the cheers of the huge crowd, a tapestry showing a smiling John Paul was unveiled seconds after Benedict read the proclamation. ... Police estimated the crowd at more than a million people. Many camped out during the night in the square, which was bedecked with posters of the late pope and one of his most famous sayings, "Do not be afraid!" In his homily, Benedict noted that the late Pope, whom he praised as having had "the strength of a titan" and who gave millions of people "the strength to believe", had blessed crowds thousands of times from his window overlooking the same square. [article link]
Pope [Pope Benedict XVI] praises John Paul II ahead of beatification - "When Pope John Paul II is beatified on May 1 [2011], we shall think of him with hearts full of thankfulness as a great witness to God and Jesus Christ in our day" Benedict said {This is a great tribute to a great man and both Pope John Paul and Nun Mother Teresa deserve the honor of being Sainted within the Catholic Church. -- Pope Benedict is also a tremendous Pope and the Church Catholic/Protestant is blessed to have a man of his abilities and desires presiding within Christianity.} VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI warmly praised his predecessor Pope John Paul II in a Holy Thursday address days before John Paul's May 1 beatification, holding him up as a example of faith amid Western indifference to Christianity. Benedict said that "for all the shame we feel over our failings" the world must not forget what he called radiant examples of faith such as John Paul. ... Organizers say hundreds of thousands of
pilgrims will come to Rome for John Paul's beatification, the last formal step before sainthood. A prayer vigil on the Circus Maximus, an all-night prayer session in downtown Rome churches and the beatification Mass celebrated by Benedict I top the agenda for the three-day event. [article link]
{Flashback} On this day in history: May 13, 1981 - Pope John Paul II was seriously wounded in St. Peter's Square by Turkish [Muslim] gunman Mehmet Ali Agca {The money trail for the payments issued to Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca leads directly to the doorstep of the USA-CIA. The most accurate description could be said that on May 13, 1981 while ex-CIA director George H. W. Bush Sr. was VP of the USA the CIA carried out an assignation attempt on Pope John Paul II's life.} May 13, 1981 - Pope John Paul II was seriously wounded in St. Peter's Square by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca ... On May 13, 2002 President George W. Bush Jr. announced that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin would sign a treaty to shrink their countries' nuclear arsenals by two-thirds. ... On May 13, 2004 Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited the Abu Ghraib prison camp in Iraq, where he insisted the Pentagon did not try to cover up abuses there. [article link]
{Flashback} April 30, 2009: Mehmet Ali Agca says he is now a Catholic - Turkish prison, Mehmet Ali Agca, author [assassin - the CIA was the author] of the failed attempt against Pope John Paul II in 1981, claims to have renounced Islam and embraced the Catholic faith - his former lawyer Mustafa Demirbag, said he was "very skeptical" about the conversion Turkish prison, Mehmet Ali Agca, author of the failed attempt against Pope John Paul II in 1981, claims to have renounced Islam and embraced the Catholic faith. Italian weekly Diva e people donna published the letter, French journal 7s7 reports. "I am looking for an Italian woman, who wants to correspond with me. Obviously (I hope) she is Catholic because from May 13 2007, I decided to renounce the Muslim faith and becoming a member of the Roman Catholic Church," Agca writes. "I have decided to return peacefully to the (St Peter's) square and to testify to the world of my conversion to Catholicism," he says in the letter written in Italian. "Just for a day, I would wish to return to Rome to pray at the tomb of John Paul II to express my filial appreciation for his forgiveness" ... Questioned by AFP in Turkey, his former lawyer Mustafa Demirbag, said he was "very skeptical" about the conversion, given the steps required to receive baptism. ... "For the Vatican, I may still be the man who tried to assassinate the Polish Pope, but now I have changed, I am a different man," he says. [article link]
{Flashback} Wikipedia.org: Mehmet Ali Agca - Born January 9, 1958 is a Turkish assassin, who shot and wounded Pope John Paul II on May 13, 1981 - Opinions differ on whether the ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves were being used by the CIA or the Bulgarian Secret Service - According to Agca, the plan was for him and the back-up gunman Oral Çelik to open fire in St. Peter's Square - alleged that the assassination attempt was organized by Abdullah Çatli "in exchange for the sum of 3 million (German) marks" Born January 9, 1958 Mehmet Ali Agca is a Turkish assassin, who shot and wounded Pope John Paul II on May 13, 1981. After serving 19 years of incarceration in Italy, he was deported to Turkey, where he is serving another life sentence for the murder of Abdi Ipekçi, a left-wing journalist, in 1979. Agca has described himself as a mercenary with no political orientation, although he is known to have been a member of the Turkish ultranationalist Grey Wolves organization. ... Grey Wolves involvement: After this training he went to work for the far-right Turkish Grey Wolves, who were at the time destabilizing Turkey, which led to a military coup in 1980. Opinions differ on whether the ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves were being used by the CIA or the Bulgarian Secret Service. According to Kendal Nezan of the Kurdish Institute of Paris, they were infiltrated and manipulated by Gladio "stay-behind" networks, a NATO clandestine structure. On February 1, 1979 in Istanbul, under orders from the Grey Wolves, he murdered Abdi Ipekçi, editor of the moderate left-wing newspaper Milliyet. He was caught due to an informant and was sentenced to life in prison. After serving six months, he escaped with the help of Abdullah Çatli, second-in-command of the Grey Wolves and a prominent Gladio
operative, and fled to Bulgaria, which was a base of operation for the Turkish mafia. According to investigative journalist Lucy Komisar, Mehmet Ali Agca had worked with Abdullah Çatli in this 1979 assassination, who "then reportedly helped organize Agca's escape from an Istanbul military prison, and some have suggested Çatli was even involved in the Pope's assassination attempt". According to Reuters, Agca had "escaped with suspected help from sympathizers in the security services". Lucy Komisar added that at the scene of the Mercedes-Benz crash where Çatli died, he was found with a passport under the name of "Mehmet Özbay" - an alias also used by Mehmet Ali Agca. ... Beginning in August 1980 Agca began criss-crossing the Mediterranean region, changing passports and identities, perhaps to hide his point of origin in Sofia, Bulgaria. He entered Rome on May 10, 1981, coming by train from Milan. According to Agca's later testimony, he met with three accomplices in Rome, one a fellow Turk and two Bulgarians, with operation being commanded by Zilo Vassilev, the Bulgarian military attaché in Italy. He said that he was assigned this mission by Turkish mafioso Bechir Celenk in Bulgaria. Le Monde diplomatique, however, has alleged that the assassination attempt was organized by Abdullah Çatli "in exchange for the sum of 3 million marks", paid by Bechir Celenk to the Grey Wolves. According to Agca, the plan was for him and the back-up gunman Oral Çelik to open fire in St. Peter's Square and escape to the Bulgarian embassy under the cover of the panic generated by a small explosion. On May 13 they sat in the square, writing postcards waiting for the Pope to arrive. When the Pope passed, Agca fired several shots and critically wounded him, but was grabbed by spectators and Vatican security chief Camillo Cibin and prevented from finishing the assassination or escaping. Four bullets hit John Paul II, two of them lodging in his lower intestine, the others hitting his left hand and right arm. Two bystanders were also hit. Çelik panicked and fled without setting off his bomb or opening fire. [article link]
MormonCoffee: [The LDS - Mormons] Keeping "our radar focused" on the membership - According to an article in the Salt Lake Tribune "Loss of young adult members spurred changes to LDS wards" Comments: (jackg) I think this specific age-range is a source of sadness for those of us of the Christian faith, as well. We hear countless stories of Christians going to college and losing their faith. I think the LDS Church has every right to be concerned about this age-range. Of course, the way they [LDS] go about it with their program of forced-compliance is craziness. We respect a person's free will and the freedom one has for church-hopping until they find a church they want to attend. We trust the Holy Spirit to work in an individual's life as He sees fit based on the person's needs. Mormons don't get this. -- (f_melo) I am a single adult, the target audience of that article. That's not new - that's something that's been a concern of the leadership for over a couple of years now. ... Besides, why would a single adult these days sit in a church that does nothing more than give lifeimproving tips i can get from any self-help book? Why would they waste time in a place that doesn't feed you spiritually, that promises and never delivers, that instead of being an aid and a source of comfort and solace it's a source of even more burden? If i want tips on how to better manage my time, i'll buy a book. If i want to get entertained, i'll watch a movie. I don't need religion for that. The reason that i, even though we are in the information age, with more entertainment and interesting stuff than was ever available in human history so far, still am interested in Jesus is because of the Gospel, not the politically correct Gospel, but the true Gospel that tells it as it is and offers me forgiveness from my sins through faith in Jesus and the promise of Eternal life in Him. -- So, men in their wisdom will keep trying to devise means to keep people paying their tithing, but all those techniques will fail - do you want to keep people? Preach the Gospel as the Apostles did in the New Testament. Talk about Jesus with respect and truthfully. That's all the Apostles ever talked about - and look at what happened then! {Amen!} [article link]
{Excellent!!} Jesus - The Lamb of God by David Wilkerson (Mp3) This message is for those who are on a search for peace and hope but you are experiencing emptiness and guilt because of the sin in your life. Maybe you are trying to figure out a way to "get to" God and pay Him back for all the sins you committed. The good news is that Jesus is the Lamb of God; the perfect sacrifice for all
mankind. If you simply come to Jesus and believe His Word you will be forgiven. There is a cry in the heart of God to draw His people into His love and peace. All you need is found in Jesus the Lamb of God! [article link]
{Highly Recommended!!} - Hungry for More of Jesus - By: David Wilkerson (1992) - Paperback (Book) Product Description: Hungry for More of Jesus issues a Passionate call to a deeper walk of daily discipleship. It reminds us that Jesus wants to give the abundant life we long for; He wants to satisfy the hunger. But first we must seek to know God's heart and cry out against the sins that break it. This is a book of hope and inspiration, while at the same time an honest look at the cost of hungering for Jesus. This stirring book is for those who know Christ and are hungry to know Him better, and it is for others who want to know Him as they never have. [article link]
{Flashback} Video & Audio Sermons by David Wilkerson and Gary Wilkerson (Mp3s) World Challenge, Inc. was founded by Reverend David Wilkerson in 1971. The ministry's mission is to promote and perpetuate the message of Christ through public teachings. As such, World Challenge, Inc. serves as a corporate umbrella for Reverend Wilkerson's crusades, ministers' conferences, book and tract publishing, video production, Bible schools, street evangelism, literature distribution, feeding programs, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers and other charitable outreaches. He remains president of World Challenge, Inc. which has a mailing list to hundreds of thousands of people who regularly receive copies of his sermons and ministry updates. [article link]
Breaking News: Remembering (Pastor) David Wilkerson - Pastor David's time on earth ended when he was killed Wednesday in a car accident on U.S. 175 in Texas - He [accidently] veered his car, also carrying his wife Gwen, into the pathway of a tractor trailer going westbound - She was taken to the hospital, as was the driver of the tractor trailer - Before he died, the 79-year-old [Pastor David Wilkerson] blogged: "To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, 'I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.' Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail - His love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in His Word. There is no other hope in this world" Pastor David Wilkerson had founded the church [Times Square Church], but he was also famous for his 1963 bestseller The Cross and the Switchblade and for founding Teen Challenge. The first time we were there, he said, "Ladies, when we stand to sing, please don't leave your pocketbooks on the ground. Some thieves are here in the sanctuary, so keep an eye out on your belongings. And for those of you who came here expressly to steal," he said, "we welcome you. You came here thinking you'd leave with a few bucks, but you'll leave knowing the life-changing love of God. Stay as long as you'd like." -- A hundred people would respond to his messages by crowding the stage where Pastor David gently prayed, arms outstretched like he was receiving his grandchildren. Every week, his sermons caused mobs of weeping people to come forward, from the balconies, from the main floor, and even from the "overflow" room where people watched him on television screens. Times Square Church emphasized giving aid to the poor, the hungry, and the addicted, so the congregation was always full of strange-looking people. One Sunday you might sit between an investment banker who graduated from Princeton on the right and an unemployed garbage collector on the left. In the middle of one sermon, Pastor David asked anyone who had attempted suicide or been addicted to drugs to stand. Hundreds, from every economic level, got out of their seats - men in ties, men in short-sleeved polyester blends, and men with hair so greasy it stained their already soiled shirts. This church did not overlook sin in order to maintain the appearance of godliness. It was after the real thing, challenging you to look deep into your soul and extricate hidden vice. If Jesus was the Great Physician, then this church was the hospital, filled with hurting
people staggering under the weight of their problems. [article link]
The Feast of Firstfruits [O.T. Levitical Priesthood]: The Feast of Firstfruits is uniquely only fulfilled twice 1st at the entrance of the Nation of Israel into the Promise Land of Israel - 2nd at each entrance of the Christian into the Promise Land Kingdom of God -- "Leviticus 23:9-10 And [at Mount Sinai] the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, *When ye be come into the [Promise] land [Israel] which I give unto you, and [1st Sunday after the Lord's Passover] shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the Priest:" "Deuteronomy 26:1-3 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the [Promise] land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place [Tabernacle] which the LORD thy God shall choose to place His Name there. And thou shalt go unto the Priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country [Promise Land] which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us." -- "Joshua 5:9-12 And [at Gilgal, Israel] the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of [bondage in] Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place [in Israel] is called Gilgal unto this day. **And the Children of Israel encamped in Gilgal [first location of entrance into the Promise Land of Israel after leaving Egypt], and **kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. And they did eat of the *old [storage] corn of the land [Israel] on the morrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. And the **manna [nightly bread from heaven] ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn {not fresh from the fields} of the [Promise] land; neither had the Children of Israel manna any more [the manna for the 40 year desert wandering ceased on the day after the 1st Passover in Israel]; but [after Sunday Firstfruits] they did eat of the fruit of the land [crops] of Canaan that year." -- "Deuteronomy 26:8-11 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a [Promise] land that floweth with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God: **And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you." [article link]
The Feast of Firstfruits [N.T. Melchizedek (Messiah) Priesthood]: "John 20:19-23 Then the same day [Resurrection Day (Easter) - Feast of Firstfruits] at evening, being the first day (Sunday) of the week, when the doors [to the upper room] were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came [the resurrected] Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. **And when He had said this, *He [Jesus] breathed on them, and saith unto them, ***Receive ye [firstfruits of] the Holy Ghost [enter the Promise Land of Heaven and receive the firstfruits of the Holy Spirit]: [through Holy spirit discernment] Whose soever sins ye remit [confirm forgiveness], they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain [confirm unforgiveness], they are retained. -- "Romans 8:22-25 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, **but ourselves also, [Christians] which have the ***firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption [to officially become Sons of God once in heaven], to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." "1 Corinthians 15:22-24 For as in Adam all die [physical death from sin], even so in Christ shall all be made alive
[eternal life]. But every man [existing - living and dying] in his own order: Christ the firstfruits [of the Resurrection]; afterward [after the Church Age] they that are Christ's at His [2nd] coming. Then [after the 1,000 year Millennium Reign] cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the [entire] Kingdom [i.e. the Righteous Gentiles (Job), O.T. Saints (Moses), Christians (Apostle Paul), Righteous Jews, Martyred Saints of Revelation, Jewish 144,000 and the 1,000 year Kingdom Reign Saints] to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. James 1:18-20 Of His own will begat [born again] He us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [creation]. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." -- "Revelation 14:4 ... These [144,000 Jews] are they which follow the Lamb [Jesus Christ] whithersoever He goeth. These were *redeemed [Salvation is postponed again during the Tribulation Period] from among men, being the *firstfruits [first Jews after the Church Age to follow Jesus as the Messiah - with the Church Age having ended Jewish followers of Jesus then remain Jewish no longer becoming Christians] unto God and to the Lamb." [article link]
The 8 Holy Jewish Feast Days are Prophetic: Each of the 8 Levitical Feast days are prophetic with the final 3 Feast Days the [Fall Feast Days] yet to be prophetically fulfilled as the previous 5 Feast days have been prophetically enacted When the prophet John the Baptist said "John [the Disciple] 1:29 The next day John [the Baptist] seeth Jesus coming unto him, and [John the Baptist] saith, Behold **the (Passover) Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John was speaking about the Passover and speaking prophetically about Jesus being the fulfillment of the Passover Feast [The Lords' Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits] days. - The prophet King David had previously prophesied about Jesus the Messiah fulfilling the Sabbath Feast day. "Psalms 118:2426 This is the day (Sabbath fulfillment - Triumphal entry into Jerusalem) which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. … Blessed be He [Messiah] that cometh in the Name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the House of the LORD" -- "Matthew 21:9-11 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He [Jesus] that cometh in the Name of the Lord; Hosanna in the Highest. And when He [Jesus] was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." [article link]
Holy Feast Days: Continuing to consider the 8 Jewish Levitical Feast Days [Leviticus 23] and the possible significances that they have for the current Christian Church Age - Transitioning from the physical Feast days of the Old Testament to the more Spiritually designated Feast fulfillments of the New Testament is a necessity in that the transition from O.T. to N.T. brings with it the transition from one Priesthood to another from the [physical] Moses - Levitical - Aaronic Priesthood to the [Spiritual] Melchizeked - Messiah - Jesus Christ Priesthood [Hebrews 7:11-12] The change in Priesthood from physical (Levitical-Aaronic) to Spiritual (Melchizedek-Messiah) also necessitates a change in both the ordinances (laws) [Hebrews 7:11-12] and also the Feast Day fulfillments [1 Corinthians 5:78]. -- Note: At the close of the present Church Age (possibly the rapture of the Church) the age on earth reverts back to physical from Spiritual. The Kingdom of God on earth after the Rapture will again be a physical Kingdom because the Spiritual Church has departed. With the Spiritual Church no longer present and the Kingdom of God [still the N.T. (Melchizedek-Messiah Priesthood)] available *mostly in physical form it is then the Kingdom of Antichrist that at that time will have the prominent spiritual Kingdom on earth [Matthew 24:24], a counterfeit spiritual kingdom but no less a spiritual [miracles, signs and wonders] kingdom while the Kingdom of God on earth [Jews, Martyred Saints of Revelation, Jewish 144,000] except for a short time with the Two Witnesses of Revelation [Revelation 11:3] the Kingdom of God will primarily be a physical kingdom in nature and will not have the 'born again' Salvation experience of the Church Age but will have the New Testament Redemption Age [but complete Salvation is postponed] until the completion of the Tribulation
Period of time on earth. -- Also Note: some of the obvious changes from the physical O.T. Priesthood to the Spiritual N.T. Priesthood involve the obsolete ordinances of water washing purification, animal sacrifices, Temple genealogies, Temple rituals, tithing, etc. Now any Christian leader, teacher or pastor that is continuing to teach any O.T. ritual i.e. the tithe is someone who may not understand the changes from the physical O.T to the Spiritual N.T. Priesthood though in the case of falsely teaching a Christian tithe it might just be more a case of manipulation than a case of a lack of understanding. [article link]
Feast of Pentecost: observance of the Jewish [Egypt - Exodus - Mt. Sinai] designated Feasts of Israel given by God through Moses vs. observance of the Messiah Church Age [Jerusalem fulfilled] Christian observance of the Jewish Feasts as implemented by Jesus Christ Pentecost [the 5th of the 8 Holy Feats of Leviticus chapter 23] is currently the most recent [Acts 2:1] of the enacted and fulfilled of the 8 ongoing Jewish Feasts of the Bible. The 8 Holy Feasts of the Bible [Leviticus chapter 23] are ongoing and continuing. Currently only the first 5 Feasts [Sabbath through Pentecost] have been completely initiated in Jerusalem with the 3 Fall Feasts - Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles the [2nd Coming] Feasts of Jesus yet to be fully implemented [though each Fall Feast - Trumpets (congregation gathering), Atonement (crucifixion) and Tabernacles (individual receiving of a resurrection body for each departed believer) has already begun to a degree. -- Summary: The 8 Feasts of Israel are Jewish [Moses] in initial origin and continue in Jewish observance as each is fulfilled by God [Jesus] in each season and time for each Feast to be prophetically enacted by God. Then once enacted the Christian Church [first] primarily receives the Spiritual blessing and benefit from the Feast fulfillment events. Regarding the 3 Fall Feasts, each Fall Feast will be initiated as all 5 previous Feasts were via a Jewish observance of the Feast days in Jerusalem, Israel. [i.e. The Christian Apostle Paul remaining in the city of Ephesus during the Jewish [Jerusalem] observance of the Feast of Pentecost instead of traveling to Jerusalem as an ancient Jewish observer of the Feast of Pentecost would have sought to do. "1 Corinthians 16:8 But I [Apostle Paul] will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost {Springtime}."] [article link]
[Excellent!!] LostSeed: Compilations [Christian Messages set to Praise Music] (Mp3s) The goal of these audio mp3s are to give you a desire to draw closer to God. There are different styles of preaching, from a few different denominations, it does not matter. But what does matter is that in all of them the topic is The Lord Jesus Christ. [article link]
[Excellent!!] SolaSisters: New from Igniter Media "Follow" - Who Are You Following? (Video) Follow: Throughout the course of his public ministry, Jesus knew both the adoration and desertion of the crowds. Today, just as 2,000 years ago, the gospel asks a question that demands an answer: Will we follow? This video illustrates this truth through the dynamic lens of a 21st-century social network. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 -- Jesus Christ has risen from the grave - Truly He has risen - He has risen indeed! Jesus Christ has risen from the grave - Truly He has risen - He has risen indeed! -- Thank you for taking part in the 2011 Jesus Walk Holy Week Timeline Devotion! Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, I pray that God will richly bless you, keep you and that His everlasting Divine face will continue to shine upon you. The Lord Jesus Christ be with you in all things as we look to the soon return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ~ God bless you, David Anson Brown [article link]
The Jesus Walk Holy Week Timeline Devotion - The 11th Annual [Started in 2001] 10 Day Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion it will change your life! - Friday April 15th ---> Easter Sunday April 24th, 2011 (PDF
Available) An Ancient Holy Week Timeline, Bible Study, Devotional & Personal Journal for Easter Week 2010. ... Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) holiday dates of 2010 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected' returned from death' just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. ... It will change your life! [article link]
[Friday] Jesus Walk 2011 -- Anointing - Preparation Friday - Catching up with Jesus and His disciples in the town of Bethany This day coincides with Friday April 15, 2011: On our journey to be with Jesus we find that Bethany is located on the Mount of Olives, (Luke 19:29, Mark 11:1) and that Bethany is less than 2 miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18). Once we walk up the Mount of Olives and ask directions to Lazarus', Mary's, and Martha's house, we would come into a small stone house to find Martha busy working in the kitchen while Mary is seated and at rest beside Jesus. Lazarus whom Jesus had recently raised from the dead (John 11:44) was also seated at the table no doubt he had much to talk to Jesus about. If we came in at just the right moment, we would smell the aroma that filled the house as Mary anointed Jesus with almost a pound of very costly Spikenard oil (John 12:3). We would hear Judas complain that the expensive ointment was wasted and hear the rebuke of Jesus as He defended Mary and proclaimed that she had committed an honorable act of worship in anointing Him for His coming burial. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #1 Anointing Oil: Mary Anointed Jesus with very costly and very precious oil. Biblically oil is a symbol of acceptance. To anoint someone is to accept them, to accept them for who and for what they are. Judas on the other hand did not want to bother with anointing Jesus. He didn't even want to be bothered with other people anointing Him. Mary was accepting Jesus. She had accepted that He had come to die for her in her place and was anointing Jesus for His coming burial. The cross of Jesus was something that even the disciples had not yet been able to come to grips with yet Mary had and Mary acknowledged and accepted Jesus for it. Having accepted the gift from Jesus that He was to die in her place for her sins she had now entered into a place of rest and comfort. Rest in that she did not have to work to amend for her own sins and comfort in that all things would be taken care of for her through God who is also King, her King Jesus. - As we begin our walk with Jesus let's pause and reflect (Selah) about acceptance ... are there people in our own lives who we need to anoint and to accept even though we don't understand them? How much could our fellowships gain by this one simple act of anointing one another in the simple affection of acceptance. Anointing others with the precious oil of acceptance can only come from our own rest and security through the knowledge of what Jesus Himself has done and will do for us in our lives. - "Psalms 133 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded His blessing, even life forevermore." Are we anointing and accepting of ourselves? Biblically people are allowed to anoint - refresh themselves with oil (Matthew 6:17). In fact it is crucial that we accept ourselves. God has already accepted us. He created us and He is for us. How is it that we can reject what God has already accepted? Are we anointing and accepting of Jesus? Even today we can anoint Jesus with His precious costly oil of acceptance by accepting His accomplishments in His sacrificial death and eternal resurrection life for us and by trusting in His authority and Kingly rule over and in our lives. We would like to be bold enough to take the steps to walk where Jesus walks, but it is now evident even on this day, day one, that Jesus does not walk as a human walks but that He walks as God walks. For us to walk with Jesus we are going to have to be bold and remove our focus from others and place it on God. [article link]
[Saturday] Jesus Walk 2011 -- Triumphal Entry Saturday - Jesus is King The Triumphal Entry - Jesus Enters Jerusalem the capital city of Israel and presents Himself as the Lord and King for all people This day coincides with Saturday April 16, 2011 Palm Saturday - Feast of Sabbath Rest - 10th of Nisan, Selection of the Passover Lamb, (Exodus 12:3). "Psalms 84:3 .. O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God." - On this next day Saturday, (John 12:12), we would rise up early with Jesus and the disciples. The people gathering for the celebration of the week long Passover Feast in the city of Jerusalem would hear that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and would gather palm branches to wave in honor of their coming King, Jesus. Because Saturday is a Sabbath day it is unlawful for the people to gather branches for their own personal use but it is not unlawful to gather the branches and wave them in an act of worship of Jesus (God). It is work to sustain our lives but it is not work to worship God. Jesus would send two disciples ahead to get a donkey and the donkey's baby that Jesus would ride on His way into Jerusalem. This will be a direct fulfillment of what the Prophet Zechariah saw and wrote about 400 years earlier. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O Daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; upon the colt the full of a donkey." We would see on this day Jesus would present Himself to Israel as the King. The prophet Daniel also saw and wrote about this day, (Daniel 9:25). The event of cheering Jesus as King would take the entire day. There would be one dispute with the Pharisees as they would demand that Jesus silence His disciples. Jesus would reply that if the disciples remained silent that the very rocks would cry out in testimony to the glory of God. "Mark 11:10-11 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide [close of this Saturday Sabbath day] was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve." We will enter into the Temple with Jesus and look around but we will soon depart as the evening is near and with the darkness of nightfall the Jewish Sabbath day will draw to a close. We depart the Temple and Jerusalem with Jesus keeping all of the Triumphal entry and the Temple events of that Glorious day enclosed within the one (Saturday) Sabbath day and not permitting the Triumphal Entry events to continue into the next day (Sunday) a non-Sabbath, non-Feast day. That evening we would return with Jesus back up to the Mount of Olives to Bethany (Mark 11:11). We would have to leave at the evening time to get to our destination before nightfall as this day is a Sabbath day and is a day of rest. (Acts 1:12) tells us that Mount Olivet is "from Jerusalem a Sabbaths days journey" so we know that we would be able to walk that distance and not break the Sabbath law. -- That night laying at the top of Mount Olives and looking at the stars and reflecting on the days events, it would begin to seem that the events that Jesus is carrying out have already been written about by the prophets hundreds even thousands of years earlier. As disciples wanting to be informed about the situation at hand, we would rethink the scriptures in a new light and begin to consider that Jesus has presented Himself as King to the people and this occurred on a feast day the feast day of "Sabbath." Examining Leviticus 23, we would notice that God prescribed eight Feasts that were to be followed in order, by His people the Jews. The first feast was the weekly Saturday feast of "Sabbath" or rest. This was the feast we celebrated today. Suddenly, life flows through our bodies as we remember a Bible passage from the Apostle Paul, Colossians 2:16;17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of any holy day, or of the new moon or of the Sabbath days: which are shadows of the things to come; but the body is of Christ." Wow! We realize that Jesus is now at this very moment in the process of fulfilling scripture, the prophecies and the feasts appointed in Leviticus 23 which were written in advance for Jesus to later fulfill. We consider and savor the thought that our King has come and we can now find rest. With Jesus in rule and authority over our lives we can now rest or Sabbath. Jesus is our King! In Him is Justice, righteousness, Truth, Light and Life! In Him we can trust and in Jesus we find our [only] rest. No more striving with a world that is full of inhumane wrongs and cluttered with injustice. In King Jesus we now have comfort. We note that the "Sabbath" is first a commandment, the 4th of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai and it is also the 1st prescribed feast day of God. We then pay special attention to entering into the rest that Jesus provides as King in our lives, we do not want to disobey both a Commandment and a Feast day. Life becomes much more meaningful as we peacefully restSabbath the night in Jesus. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #2 Jesus our Savior, our King, our Friend, our Rest: "Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the
firmament sheweth His handywork." We too would like to join in with the rocks of Jerusalem and indeed all of creation and declare the glory of our God and King in Christ Jesus and as we do declare the Deity and Honor of Jesus we declare that we to can now rest in His rule and in His Authority. We rest in Jesus, resting physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is a wonderful accomplishment to be able to cease from worry, fear and anxiety. Few are they that enter into it but blessed are those who do as rest is something to be entered into, it is an achievement, an accomplishment. "Hebrews 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same [wilderness wondering] example of unbelief." [article link]
Update: We are going to have a briefly expanded look at the Saturday [Sabbath Feast day] and then after the 2011 Easter Timeline Devotion is completed on Easter [Feast of Firstfruits Day] we can have an expanded look at the coming Feast Day of Pentecost [Sunday, June 12, 2011] - The Feast of Pentecost is one of the most confused and misunderstood of all the 8 Levitical Feast Days of Israel so we will take a good look and close examination at what the very important and relevant Pentecost Feast Day is and what it has had in store for mankind for almost 2,000 years since the original Pentecost events of Acts 2:1 Transition of Days and Dispensations: Jewish Congregation Era - 1st Coming, Christian Church Era (Spring Feasts) - 2nd Coming, 1,000 year Kingdom Reign (Fall Feasts): The Feast of Sabbath [Saturday] is the first of the 8 prescribed Feasts of Israel (Leviticus 23:3). -- Notice how the 8 Feasts start out focused and anchored on the weekly Jewish Saturday Sabbath day the Dispensation and congregation of Moses [Mt. Sinai Exodus 20:8 - the 4th of 10 Commandments given to Moses] but at the conclusion of the Jerusalem Passover Festival [Feast of Firstfruits (Easter)] with Jesus [Dispensation of the First Coming of Jesus] the Church oriented Feast Days of both Firstfruits ["morrow (day) after the Sabbath" (Sunday) - Leviticus 23:10,11] and Pentecost ["morrow (day) after the seventh Sabbath" (Sunday) - 50 days after Firstfruits - Leviticus 23:16] are on Sunday having transitioned from an emphasis on the Jewish Saturday to now emphasizing the Dispensation of Christianity and the accompanying Christian Sundays. - Later: The transitions of Pentecost. [article link]
[Sunday] Jesus Walk 2011 -- Cleansing - Holiness Sunday - Jesus cleanses the Temple by removing unholy activities including overthrowing the tables of the moneychangers and the merchandisers This day coincides with Sunday April 17, 2011 - We awake early Sunday morning, the first day of the week, to see Jesus and the disciples on their way back to Jerusalem and the Temple (Mark 11:12). Catching up we would find Jesus examining a fig tree for fruit. Finding no fruit Jesus will curse the fig tree (Mark 11:14). We will stand by in amazement as we realize that this Jesus is the same God that Adam and Eve sinned against and then used a fig leaf in an attempt to cover their sins. Jesus is now saying that there are no more self-made, man-made coverings for sin. The system of fig tree religion is now a curse by God because fig tree religion never did produce fruit for God. We will then follow Jesus into the Temple as acting King. Jesus will now cleanse the Temple of ungodliness (Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19) and we will know that the true Temple is our bodies and that we need to present our bodies holy and undefiled to God (Romans 12:1-5). Listening we hear Jesus proclaim that His Temple will be a House of Prayer for ALL nations (Mark 11:17) and we rejoice to be a part of the Kingdom of God and to know that above all, God desires for us to pray (talk/listen) to Him in getting to know Him. That evening we will return with Jesus and the disciples to the Mount of Olives. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #3 Unfruitfulness in our own life: Jesus recognized unfruitfulness and He took action to remove it. Every one of us (unlike Jesus) has an unfruitful aspect in our own life. We too can be bold like Jesus, in that when we see unfruitfulness we can declare it as unacceptable to God and recognize it as a cursed item, not a blessing. In cursing it, curse it at its root so that it will immediately wither and dry up no longer sustaining an appearance of being potentially fruitful but being what it truly is, something that does not give pleasure to God. "Matthew 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." [article link]
[Traditional] Palm Sunday to mark beginning of Holy Week - The [Lenten season modern Church tradition days - not the original historical] days of Holy Week UTICA - For practicing Christians locally and around the world, the upcoming week will be a roller coaster of emotions. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, a series of holy days commemorating the final moments of Jesus Christ's life and his death, but also his followers' belief in the resurrection on Easter Sunday. "Holy Week is very intense and emotionally gripping," said Bruce Smith, organist and choir master at Grace Church in Utica. "You go from the depths of despair on Good Friday, following the death, to extreme joy on (Easter) Sunday, when you come to the realization that Jesus is alive." In addition to being the holiest week of the Christian calendar, Holy Week also is the last week of the Lenten season. Many of the days have special significance. ... Here are the [Lenten season modern Church tradition days - not the original historical] days of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday: Also known as Holy Thursday, this day commemorates Christ's Last Supper with his apostles. Traditional Maundy Thursday rituals include a washing of the feet and a communion ceremony. Good Friday: On Good Friday, Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Good Friday services include the Stations of the Cross, as well as the Good Friday liturgy, which centers around the reading of The Passion of Christ and the Adoration of the Cross. Holy Saturday: Holy Saturday marks the day Christ's body laid in rest in the tomb. The Easter Vigil, a major liturgy, takes place on Holy Saturday. Easter Sunday: Easter Sunday celebrates the Christian belief that Christ rose from the dead after his crucifixion. Services are joyous and often feature uplifting music. For example, one of Grace Church's two Easter services will include brass and timpani accompaniment for their choir. [article link]
[Monday] Jesus Walk 2011 -- Teaching Monday - Temple teaching and later the Mt. Olivet Discourse End Time Teaching is given This day coincides with Monday April 18, 2011 - Arising early the next day Monday, we know from Mark 14:1 and Matthew 26:2 that we have two days left until the Passover (Wednesday). We would again follow Jesus to Jerusalem and to the temple as Jesus spends another day preaching in the temple and having discourse with the Scribes and Pharisees. On the way to the temple we would again pass the fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before and be astonished with the other disciples that the fig tree has completely dried up and withered from the roots up (Matthew 21:19, Mark 11:20). We would again consider that the fig tree cannot be our covering for sin and that God finds man-made religious practices unacceptable, not one day will pass where the religious practices of man are acceptable to God. We would follow Jesus back into the temple where the Scribes, Pharisees and lawyers will make a final assault on the authority of Jesus (Matthew 21:23-23:39, Mark 11:27-12:44). Jesus will end His discussion with the Scribes and Pharisees with the comments of "Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Jesus uses strong words for strong circumstances. The leaders of Judah are misrepresenting Jesus. They are misrepresenting the word of God in the Bible and all that God stands for. Jesus refers to them as a "brood of vipers", referring to the words and actions of the leaders that their deeds are separating people from the true God and are therefore as poisonous as the poison of a snake. Earlier, through the prophet Isaiah, Jesus said to the leaders of ancient Judah that when the circumstances of their lives pressed against them and caused them to be uncomfortable that they would responded from their heart. Jesus saw that the leaders were upset with circumstances that they didn't understand and that their actions really revealed their true heart towards God. Jesus was therefore quoting the prophet Isaiah in order to encourage the leaders to search the scriptures in a new light and gain new insight into the person of God and new insight into the kingdom of God. After the death and resurrection of Jesus the book of Acts tells us that many of the Priests came to believe in Jesus (Acts 6:7). Jesus is showing us that although strong words were used, Jesus did it in a way of Reconciliation. There is only one Ministry, it is the ministry of reconciliation, man to God and man to man. After this discussion, Jesus left the Temple for the last time (Matthew 24:1, Mark 13:1). We can immediately remember the Prophet Ezekiel, (Ezekiel 10:1-22) and his depiction of the presence of God departing from the temple as the people had rejected God. Ezekiel wrote of a temple from which the presence of God had departed and later that temple would be destroyed by the invading Babylonians. Likewise, this
temple with the presence of God, in the person of Jesus departing, would later be destroyed by the Roman armies. After the discussion between the leaders and Jesus, Jesus walked out of the temple and the disciples followed (Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2). The disciples thought that this was the long awaited moment, the moment when the King Jesus, would take control and according to scripture would reign and rule from Jerusalem. The disciples were now interested in the buildings of the temple. In effect, the disciples were saying these are great buildings to rule from and probably wondering where their office would be. As we stand there and eavesdrop, we would hear Jesus reply and give a prophecy that the temple would be destroyed, one stone block at a time, until there were no more stone blocks left stacked upon another. The disciples were stunned. They realized that they were not familiar with the current plan of Jesus. - That evening when they returned to the Mount of Olives, some of the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked "what is the time or sign of Jesus coming into power?" In other words, when is Jesus the King going to reign and rule on earth as the King? Jesus told them that it was not for them to know the times and gave a long informative discourse into the end time events. Jesus specifically warned the disciples not to fall for deception, that many will be deceived by the vast amount of lies and deceit being told in the world. He taught that only the Bible is the true word of God. The teaching is now called "Jesus' Mt. Olivet Discourse" (Matthew 24:3-26:2, Mark 13:3-14:1). -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #4 Our Ministry of Reconciliation: What is our part in Reconciliation? Jesus came to Reconcile. The very Ministry of Jesus is Reconciliation, reconciling man back into a relationship with God and also reconciling us humans into a relationship with one another. "2 Corinthians 5:18,19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us (Christians) to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." *The word reconciliation is called the Gospel, the "Good News" of our Life in Jesus as opposed to the sour fact of our death in this earthly world. The ministry of Jesus is the embodiment of the Cross that Jesus would be crucified on as on the cross Jesus is lifted up - suspended, between Heaven (the dwelling of God) and Earth (the dwelling of man). The vertical post of the cross represents reconciliation between God and Man while at the same time the outstretched - reaching out arms of Jesus and the horizontal beam of the cross represent the reconciliation of one to another. Reconciliation is accomplished only in and by Jesus. There is no other hope for mankind but in Jesus, His Cross and His Resurrection. [article link]
Israel prepares for Passover festival 2011 - Members of the ancient Samaritan community gather around firepits before placing sheep on stakes into the fire during the traditional Passover sacrifice in Mount Gerizim, overlooking Palestinians West Bank town of Nablus, Sunday, April 17, 2011. Samaritans descended from the ancient Israelite tribes of Menashe and Efraim but broke away from mainstream Judaism 2,800 years ago Today, the remaining 700 Samaritans, live in the Palestinian city of Nablus in the West Bank and the Israeli seaside town of Holon, south of Tel Aviv. Photo: Ariel Schalit / AP {"John 4:19-24 The [Samaritan] woman saith unto Him [Jesus], Sir, I perceive that thou art a Prophet. Our [Samarian] fathers worshipped in this mountain [Mount Gerizim]; and ye [Jews] say, that in Jerusalem [Mt. Zion - Temple Mount] is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we [Jews] know what we worship: **for salvation is of the Jews. But the [New Testament] hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in [Holy] Spirit and in Truth."} (Photo) JERUSALEM (AP) - Israelis cleaned their houses, cars and offices Monday and cooked furiously in last-minute preparations for the weeklong holiday of Passover, which marks the biblical story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. ... The [Bible] story recounts that God killed the first-born boys of Egypt [with a plague] after the pharaoh refused to release the children of Israel from bondage, but "passed over" the houses of the Israelites. After that divine blow [illustration that only the death of the firstborn son (Jesus Christ) can free mankind from sin and the bondage of Satan], the pharaoh [a type of Satan] gave in and let the Israelites go. They were then
given the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai and wandered in the desert for 40 years before arriving in the Land of Israel. The holiday begins Monday night with a traditional seder meal. Extended families typically gather to retell the story of the exodus and eat unleavened bread called matzoh. [article link]
Jewish Passover 2011 begins at sundown tonight (Monday) - During Passover [bread and wine], Jewish people commemorate the liberation from slavery and the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, as told in the Haggadah (or Haggada) - These events took place around 3000 years ago - The center of the ceremonial meal is the Seder Plate and red wine or red grape juice - Each food (six traditional food items) has a special meaning in relation to the Passover story {Note: This year the Passover Seder is on Tuesday the Passover of Jesus in Jerusalem is thought to have been on a Wednesday. The actual day fluctuates from year to year based on the Lunar calendar. -- The Jewish Passover is to commemorate the Jewish deliverance events in Egypt over 3,000 years ago while the Christian 'Last Supper' Communion is a commemoration of the Passover [deliverance from eternal sin and death] originally celebrated in Jerusalem as the New Covenant of Jesus Christ with His Apostles.} In Israel, Passover lasts for seven days, but in other countries people may observe it for seven or eight days. The first and last day (or two days in some countries outside Israel), are particularly important. People recite special blessings or prayers, make a particular effort to visit a synagogue or listen to readings from the Torah and eat a ceremonial meal. Readings of the Haggadah, the story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery and their exodus from Egypt are particularly important. The center of the ceremonial meal is the Seder Plate and red wine or red grape juice. Each food has a special meaning in relation to the Passover story. ... [article link]
Passover Seder [Dinner]: Order out of chaos - Of the rich content of Seder [dinner] and the Hagaddah [instruction booklet] I cite the inclusion of *Elijah the prophet and a special glass of wine set for him - Elijah is the only biblical figure who doesn't die but is whisked to heaven in a fiery chariot - **In Jewish tradition he will return and be the forerunner of the Messiah - In ***Jewish thinking there are three Passovers: the historical one in Egypt; all the Seders of the present, and the ultimate Passover, harbinger of the redemption of all humanity from enslavement, from poverty, from cruelty of any form {During the Passover in Jerusalem with Jesus and His Apostles [2,000 years ago] only three of the four prescribed Passover Seder glasses of wine were consumed. The fourth Passover cup the cup of rejoicing is yet to be consumed and it is intended to be drunk from in Heaven [the Great Congregation] by Jesus along with all of His disciples Church wide encompassing all Church membership from throughout history (Matthew 26:29).} The Passover ritual observance on the first and second nights of the holiday known as Seder "makes order out of chaos." It is more than just a play on words, the Hebrew term for the ritual, "Seder," referring to the order of the rituals of the night. It is more than restoring order to the household after a thorough cleaning and complete change of dishes, pots and silverware. There is a higher meaning that reaches from antiquity to us. Passover is timeless and speaks to every generation. ... The most popular symbol of Passover is the matzoh, called "poor man's bread" or "bread of poverty." It must be unleavened because leavening is a process of fermentation, which is really a corruption of the grain. Every time I eat a piece of matzoh I remember that slavery is a corruption of the human condition, that bondage destroys both the enslaver and the enslaved. Matzoh is dry. Slavery dries up the human spirit. Even tears don't necessarily help the matzoh go down. Just as normally we wish for bread that has risen, we realize the need to raise our fellow citizens from poverty, out of economic or any other enslavement to a redemptive life. -- The unique booklet used at the Seder is called the Hagaddah, meaning "the telling." Created in antiquity with continued layers added, it cites passages in Deuteronomy and Joshua for it speaks to generations like us, who weren't there, who didn't have the personal experience. In unique fashion, we the readers of the Hagaddah speak in first person present, citing other biblical verses "as if we were there." We read ourselves into history. Psychologically, spiritually, we transport ourselves in time to imagine the horror of Egyptian bondage and then give abundant gratitude to God for our
redemption. In the Hebrew language there is no clear delineation of tenses - the past, present and future merge into an unbroken continuum. I am part of the Israelites in Egypt and they are part of me sitting at Seder in Richmond, Virginia. -- Of the rich content of Seder and the Hagaddah I cite the inclusion of Elijah the prophet and a special glass of wine set for him. Elijah is the only biblical figure who doesn't die but is whisked to heaven in a fiery chariot. In Jewish tradition he will return and be the forerunner of the Messiah. In Jewish thinking there are three Passovers: the historical one in Egypt; all the Seders of the present, and the ultimate Passover, harbinger of the redemption of all humanity from enslavement, from poverty, from cruelty of any form. At the Seder we open the door, and ceremonially invite Elijah into our homes, into our hearts and into our lives. We hope that our Seder will presage the imminent redemption of all. Then the true divine order will be restored and we will all live in peace and tranquility. [article link]
Looking ahead a few days to the Feast of Firstfruits [Easter Day - Resurrection Day] - After the close of the Church Age with the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ the "redemption-salvation" process moves away from individual events and during the 1,000 year Kingdom Age the people on earth will physically live [for the most part] the entire 1,000 years (Isaiah 65:20) at the conclusion of the 1,000 year Kingdom Reign the Harvest of Nations will take place, were like the fields the entire globe will be harvested at once. In other words during the 1,000 year Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ people will be living in obedience [or disobedience] to God but then all the people will be dealt with regarding eternal Salvation at the same time unlike the [Firstfruits] Church Age where individuals are coming into eternal Salvation at any given individual moment. -- "Matthew 25:31-34 When [Jesus] the Son of Man shall come in His glory [at the end of His 1,000 year Kingdom reign on earth], and all the holy angels with Him, **then shall He sit upon the [eternal] throne of His glory [after sitting on the Throne of King David for the 1,000 year reign]: And before Him shall be gathered [for Harvest] all Nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats: And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King [Jesus] say unto them [1,000 year Saints] on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the [eternal] Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" Some concepts of the Feast of Firstfruits: The Feast of Firstfruits is a part of the week long Passover celebration and is observed on the first Sunday after the Passover Lamb is killed. The Feast of Firstfruits [i.e. the Church Age] is a small select 'individual' harvest day. The later Fall Festivals are the whole field Harvest [i.e. the 1,000 year Kingdom Age] where the entire field is harvested at one time and then anything that is left in the field cannot be harvest but must be left to others to glean from. - Example: Usually the early crop in ancient Israel was the barley crop. If a person saw that their barley field had a few patches of barley that had started to ripen and they wanted to harvest a small patch and make a few loves of barley bread they couldn't do it. A person would first have to wait for the Feast of Firstfruits then on that day a handful (sheaf) of grain and a offering had to first be taken to the Priest and the Priest would 'wave' the grain towards the sky (before God) as a wave offering to God. Then after the offering the farmer could select one small or a few small individual patches of his field that have ripened enough to harvest and harvest a selected firstfruits of his crop for his own personal use while the entirety of the field continued to ripen for the actual harvest day. Weeks later on the harvest day the farmer, this time with a crew, can harvest the entire field at once [leaving the corners] and anything that is not harvested was to be left for the poor to come and glean from. - The current Church Age having begun on the Feast of Firstfruits is a select, individual harvest of individual people to God (2 Corinthians 6:2). After the close of the Church Age with the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ the "redemption-salvation" process moves away from individual events and during the 1,000 year Kingdom Age the people on earth will physically live [for the most part] the entire 1,000 years (Isaiah 65:20) at the conclusion of the 1,000 year Kingdom Reign the Harvest of Nations will take place, were like the fields the entire globe will be harvested at once. In other words during the 1,000 year Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ people will be living in obedience [or disobedience] to God but then all the people will be dealt with regarding eternal Salvation at the same time unlike the [Firstfruits] Church Age where individuals are coming into eternal Salvation at any given individual moment. -- "Matthew 25:31-34
When [Jesus] the Son of Man shall come in His glory [at the end of His 1,000 year Kingdom reign on earth], and all the holy angels with Him, **then shall He sit upon the [eternal] throne of His glory [after sitting on the Throne of King David for the 1,000 year reign]: And before Him shall be gathered [for Harvest] all Nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats: And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King [Jesus] say unto them [1,000 year Saints] on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the [eternal] Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" [article link]
[Tuesday] Jesus Walk 2011 -- Betrayal Tuesday - Judas Agrees to betray Jesus for Thirty pieces of silver This day coincides with Tuesday April 19, 2011 (Matthew 26:6-16, Mark 14:3-11) - As we awake Tuesday morning we will not go to Jerusalem and the Temple as Jesus had departed the Temple for the last time on Monday. Instead, today we will go with Jesus to Bethany and enter the house of Simon, a leper whom Jesus has previously cured. A woman will anoint Jesus with more oil. Judas will depart to meet with the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus. Judas will receive the promise of thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:2, Matthew 26:15) for promising to deliver Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leaders. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #5 Fellowship with the one who has cleansed us: Jesus has returned to spend time with Simon a Leper whom Jesus had previously cleansed. How is it that Jesus would want to visit someone that was previously Unclean? How is it that Simon would trust Jesus? Usually when someone has knowledge of the unclean areas of our life we want to get away from them because we are vulnerable and do not want to be exposed by them for what we were or for what we truly are. Yet Simon welcomed Jesus into his own home and prepared for Him a meal. All throughout the Bible we read how hurting and longing and suffering people have turned to God and have found compassion and healing and like Simon, we too have the privilege of hosting Jesus, the one who has healed us. "Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me (Jesus), all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your Souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 -- Betrayal Tuesday: Robert Schuller's Glass House of God - But last October [2010], the reverend's church and TV show filed for federal bankruptcy protection after he spent nearly $50 million more than he had in dozens of bank accounts - Church officials have attempted to blame the crisis on Schuller's unswerving, daily commitment to aiding the poor - For example, during a four-month period when the ministry took in donations totaling more than $14 million, Schuller gave an average of just $22 a day to feed the poor, according to church records {Today Religious leaders continue to betray Jesus Christ just as in the days of Judas. Like Judas the betrayal is usually a threefold betrayal consisting of a betrayal of trust, finances and doctrine. Today it is imperative that we as Christians understand the doctrines [and the seriousness of them] that are being espoused from not just the pulpits but also the Sunday Schools and small groups as well. Financial openness and accountability is a must for every Church or fellowship and anything less than 100% financial accountability is a fraudulent act by any ordinary standard of business accounting practices. Thirdly, deceptive doctrines and fraudulent financial conduct can often most easily be discovered by realizing the betrayal of trust that is often already taking place when Church leadership is committed to and associated with unChristian associations and compromised individuals.} By R. SCOTT MOXLEY Thursday, Apr 14 2011: Legendary Garden Grove televangelist Robert H. Schuller once noted, "High achievers spot rich opportunities swiftly." The creator of Crystal Cathedral, a best-selling author and star of Hour of Power broadcasts, Schuller has long served as Exhibit A of that credo. In the 1950s, he saw an opportunity to build a profitable church, grabbed it and-thanks largely to donations from poor and lowermiddle-class folks trying to win the blessings of God-created an $89-million religious empire with hints of opulence. ... Records also show that the reverend wasn't a cheapskate in one charity case. Indeed, the recipients of his generosity weren't poor at all. They were a wealthy Newport Beach couple, Kenneth and Glenia
Reafsnyder. Ken's first wife was a member of Buena Park's Knott family, founders of Knott's Berry Farm. He also palled around with actor John Wayne. In 1995, Schuller agreed to divert $4,000 a month in church donations to the Reafsnyders for the rest of their lives in exchange for a quarter ownership in the couple's home. Ken has since died, but the deal calls on Crystal Cathedral Ministries to continue to pay Glenia. In 2008, the ministry increased the payments to $4,500 a month while reducing its ownership percentage. This means that the church's current 8.5 percent portion of the house has cost more than $1,250,000-$55,000 more than the value of the entire house. Speaking of houses, over the years the Schuller family has purchased oceanfront property in Orange County, a Big Bear vacation house, a San Diego County time-share, a Colorado mansion and a Honolulu condo. Just before filing for bankruptcy, Schuller sold a San Juan Capistrano property that had been bequeathed to the church decades ago and pocketed $22.5 million. The reverend's son, Robert Anthony Schuller, has lived in a $2.2-million oceanfront Laguna Beach dream house worthy of an Architectural Digest feature. Fred Southard, a longtime Schuller aide, lives behind palatial, guarded gates in a 13-room, 13,600square-foot Newport Coast estate that could fetch $3 million on the open market. ... In court filings, they've remained optimistic that, despite a 50-percent drop in church membership to 5,000 attendees, the ministry can eventually pay off all of the debt. To accomplish that feat, however, the Schuller clan is going to have to stir up the congregation and then, despite all the unsettling revelations, ask them to dig deeper into their wallets. [article link]
[Wednesday] Jesus Walk 2011 -- New Covenant Wednesday - Last Supper - Communion - Passover Dinner Jesus covenants to die for us in our place therefore by the death of Jesus eternal Death now passes over and skips over us humans This day coincides with Wednesday April 20, 2011 the start of the Passover week with the Feast of the Lord's Passover, 14th of Nisan - Wednesday we would wake up to the second of the feast days known as the "Lord's Passover." This feast was first observed by the Jewish people in Egypt the night the plague killed all of the Egyptian firstborn sons, while death "Passed over" the Jewish firstborn because they were saved by the "Covenant blood" placed above the doors of their houses (Exodus 12:1-36). This feast is also prescribed by God in Leviticus chapter 23. We will follow Jesus to Jerusalem to eat the Passover dinner and celebrate it with the disciples in an upper room made ready by some friends. As we come into the upper room in the early afternoon prior to the Lord's Passover feast which will be observed and eaten later "at evening". We will see that Jesus and the disciples have just finished eating a lunch/supper (John 13:2). Jesus is telling the disciples that God the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth to Him. We marvel that this Jesus standing before us is not just the King of Judah but is the King of the Universe, the King of heaven and of the earth, of the physical realm that is seen and also of the unseen spiritual realm. Jesus presides over all as King. Before we can comprehend the enormity of the kingdom of Jesus, we see King Jesus lay aside His garments, pour water into a wash basin and begin to wash the disciples feet. We are in total agreement with Peter when Peter says to Jesus "Thou shall never wash my feet," after all, kings of the earth do not wash their followers feet, so much more the reason that the King of the universe should not wash our feet. Then Jesus explains to Peter that unless He washes our feet that Jesus will have nothing to do with us. We wonder, "why have Jesus wash our feet and only our feet"? Then we realize that Jesus is King and He is also our Abba, Daddy, Father, and likewise He is also the Holy God. Being Holy, Jesus requires that we be cleansed in able to approach Him. Our creator, Abba, Father, Jesus is happy to take all of His authority and use it to clean us and draw us near to Him. We now know that Jesus is really talking about cleansing our "Souls", our thought life and our emotions as the foot is a reference to the soul. We realize that one dirty item cannot make another dirty item clean. We gasp as we realize that ONLY Jesus can make us clean because only Jesus is clean and without Jesus washing us and cleansing us, we will remain dirty and Jesus will "have nothing to do with us." We make a mental note to spend more quality cleansing time with Jesus in prayer and in reading the Bible. - It is now evening and time for the Lord's Passover Supper. All of the disciples are seated around Jesus (Matthew 26:20). Jesus begins to explain how one of the disciples will betray Him. We join the other disciples wondering if we will betray Jesus? After the events of the past week, we now know that we are not that familiar with the plans of God and that Sin is
deceitful. Knowing that we can easily be deceived and betray Jesus in our thoughts and actions, we make another mental note to walk in the Spirit with Jesus at all times, seeking the wisdom and will of God continually for each and every activity we do during the moments of our lives. Jesus speaking up tells the disciples that to identify the one who will betray Him, He will dip His bread in the sauce at the same time the betraying disciple dips his bread. As Judas dips his bread Jesus also dips His (Matthew 26:23). We now know why, after the foot washing that Jesus said "not everyone is clean" (John 13:10) because Judas is not clean, he is a betrayer. Judas asks Jesus if he is the betrayer. Jesus tells him "yes he is." We marvel that sin is so deceptive, that one can betray God and actually think that he is doing God's work. We shudder as we think of all of the killing and all of the wrong that has gone on by the deceived ones throughout the Church ages in the name of Christianity. We are very glad to make the journey back to Holy Week to walk with Jesus and to learn who He is so that we can be true disciples and true followers of Jesus. Judas, after receiving a bread dipped in sauce by Jesus, then departs the room to proceed to betray Jesus. The disciples wonder were Judas has gone. Some think he is going to make arrangements for the next feast, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" which begins tomorrow, (John 12:29). At first we think it is unlawful for Judas to go out at night on a feast day but then a quick glance in our Bibles back to Leviticus 23 reveals that the Lord's Passover is not a "Sabbath Feast." We wonder at the thought that the Lord's Passover feast is not a "Sabbath - Rest" feast like all of the other feasts and therefore there is no evening curfew for the feast. Unfortunately, as Judas leaves the presence of Jesus, Satan then enters into Judas and demonically possesses Judas (John 13:27). Again we realize the importance of staying in the presence of Jesus to keep ourselves safe from the demonic/Satanic realm. - Jesus then takes the unleavened bread of the "Lord's Passover Feast" (Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22) and giving Thanks, Jesus breaks the bread explaining that this is His body broken for us, speaking of the cross that is to come tomorrow. He then passes the bread for the disciples to eat. Much earlier while following Jesus the disciples had dealt with this very issue of Jesus' body. In John 6:47-58, Jesus told a large group of disciples that He, "is the true bread of life that came down from heaven and any man who would eat of it that man would not die but would live forever." Many disciples were disturbed at that saying of Jesus, (John 6:66) "and some walked with Jesus no more." But Jesus had also explained to the disciples (John 6:63) that it is the Spirit that aids a man not the physical. Jesus said that His words are Spirit. -- So here this night of the Passover the disciples readily enjoy the bread knowing that it is the Spirit of Jesus that gives Spiritual life. -- Next Jesus takes a cup of wine. It is the third cup of the four prescribed cups of the feast. The third cup is known as the cup of redemption. The first cup is the cup of Sanctification, meaning to be set apart to God for the feast. The second cup is the cup of instruction, instructing that there were many plagues on the land of Egypt, yet the children of God could not go free from slavery until there was a death of the firstborn. Now this night Jesus is proclaiming that He is the Firstborn of God and that His death will set us free from the slavery of sin and the cruelty of Satan just like the death of the firstborn did so many years ago back in Egypt. Then Jesus taking the cup (Mark 14:23) of redemption and like the bread, giving thanks, Jesus passed the cup to the disciples and said "take drink all of it," (Matthew 26:27) this cup is the New Testament in His blood: this do, that as often as we drink of it, to do it in remembrance of Jesus. The disciples are fully aware that Jesus is speaking of a better blood than man has, of His Spiritual life blood. They gladly take the cup of wine and gladly drink all of it. We marvel that Jesus wants us to "Drink all" that He has for us, all of His Life, Love, Compassion and Mercy. Jesus then mentions that He will not drink again of the wine until He drinks it anew with us in His Father's Kingdom. The fourth cup of wine that Jesus is postponing to drink is called the "cup of Rejoicing." After the feast, the cup of rejoicing is to be drunk as we rejoice in all that God has done in our lives in setting us free and reuniting us with Him in the promise land of Heaven. Jesus says that He will drink that next cup with all of us for real in the real heaven. Jesus and the disciples then sing a Psalm in the closing of the "Lord's Passover Feast." Jesus now reminds us again that He is about to be betrayed. He tells us in advance so that we will know that He does indeed know all things. Jesus then reveals to us that this dark moment is Satan's time. Judas has already left to betray Jesus. Jesus instructs us saying that "Satan has nothing in Him", but that Jesus will show His love for the Father by giving His life as a sacrifice to reunite us back to God, as this is the will of the Father and it is also the will of the Son Jesus. - Arising they depart the room (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26, John 14:31). We marvel that this feast is not a Sabbath feast so they are able to
walk in the night and not break the law of the feast. Now during a short walk, Jesus talks to the disciples about Himself being the vine, the source of life and that the disciples are the branches and that the disciples are to abide in Jesus for life. He also teaches about the persecution that will come to all of His followers. Then Jesus instructs them some more about the Holy Spirit who the Father will send. Jesus then prays His "Priestly High Prayer" to the Father (John 17:1-26), asking the Father to receive all of His followers including us, His future followers and to unite us all with Himself in Heaven with the Father. As Jesus prays to God the Father we conclude that we know that Jesus' prayers are heard by the Father and answered! After His priestly prayer of intercession for us to the Father, Jesus commits to His crucifixion and then crosses over the brook of Cedron (John 18:1) as He proceeds on to the garden of Gethsemane, the Garden of destiny. (Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32). We now know why God has not made the Lord's Passover to be a "Rest - Sabbath Feast" because Jesus and the disciples would have to remain at home or inside after the feast and could not have legally walked to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden of destiny. Had this been a "Sabbath - Rest Feast", it is also very unlikely that the Temple guards would have broken the Sabbath themselves to journey to the Garden to arrest Jesus who, after all was only peaceably praying to the Father. This is another powerful demonstration that these events are events orchestrated and allowed by God Himself and not man just as these events are foreseen in the prophetic writings by the prophets of the Old Testament. -- The Garden is the ideal place to reveal that God is in control. It was so many years ago that Adam and Eve lost mankind's relationship with God through their own disobedience in the original garden, the Garden of Eden. Jesus is now stepping into another garden, the Garden of Gethsemane. Through His desire and obedience Jesus will continue to restore back the lost relationship between God and mankind, this time for forever. Had Jesus been arrested anywhere but in a Garden, say for instance in the streets or in the upper-room, it would be difficult to correlate the events of the Last Supper to the events of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Since God made certain to go to the Garden we have to correlate these two garden events and also the coming event of the resurrection of Jesus from yet another garden, the Garden Tomb. This again reveals the detailed plan of God as He has set it out for us in His Prophetic Word, the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. -- We follow and see that Jesus is separated from His disciples and engaged in prayer to the Father. Jesus asks for the third time for the Father to remove "this cup" (Matthew 26:42) but there is no other "cup" of redemption available to mankind. Either Jesus gives His life for us or mankind will never be reunited to God. Angels come and minister to Jesus. He arises. Judas can now be seen leading a group of Temple soldiers intent on arresting Jesus. Judas then betrays Jesus with a kiss (Matthew 26:49). Jesus in turn calls Judas "friend" (Matthew 26:50). Jesus is arrested, bound with ropes and led off as all of the disciples abandon Him and flee. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #6 New Covenant Reflection: The New Covenant - God has agreed to take on the appearance of a Human, to come for us and to die in our place for our sins so that we can Live anew in a new Spiritual relationship with God. God in His Love for us has taken our penalty of death so that we can live in His life of love. With the New Covenant and our New Spiritual Life "All things have become New." "2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold All things are become New." Are we allowing ourselves to live in our newfound Relationship with God and are we allowing ourselves the New Freedom that this relationship has to offer? When Jesus took His Communion cup and offered it to His followers Jesus gave with it the instruction and the invitation to "Drink all of it." Amen - and drink all of it we will. [article link]
[Thursday] Jesus Walk 2011 -- Crucifixion Agony - Redemption Thursday - Jesus is betrayed and arrested He is then tried and by popular demand is sentenced to die - Jesus is crucified and suffers Death on the Cross - This is the end and Removal of Death and Sin (Leaven) Thursday {Crucifixion - Agony (Bitter) Thursday} This day coincides with Thursday April 20, 2012 Crucifixion Thursday - Feast of Unleavened Bread, 15th of Nisan (Matthew 26:47-27:28, Mark 14:53-15:47). In the next few hours Jesus will undergo six trials all of them will be a mockery of justice. Jesus will come out of His third trial just in time to hear the disciple Peter deny a third time to being a follower of Jesus. A rooster will crow marking
the dawn to the sunrise of a new day. This is the day in which Jesus of Nazareth, the true and living Son of God, will be despised, rejected of man and crucified on a wooden cross. This day will be the seventh day of our journey back and the third feast day, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" - the feast of the removal of sin/leaven. Jesus will be despised, rejected and beaten all of this because of the love that God has for His own creation and of an ultimate desire to reunite the people that are rejecting Him back unto Himself. - The horrific beating (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) that King Jesus will endure for us will be a savage fit of rage, the rage of mankind and a fit of Satanic rage all wrapped into one. No person has ever been so savagely beaten as Jesus was that day. It is the kind of abuse that all evil has against all innocence. Peter will have gone out and wept bitterly for his part in denying Jesus. Peter will not look to himself but will again look to God and experience the total love and forgiveness that God Has for mankind. Judas, who also betrayed God, will not look to God, but instead Judas will look to himself and will find no hope but only despair and in despair Judas will go out and commit suicide. Jesus is now led to a hill and crucified. It is the same hill that the Jewish forefather Abraham brought his son Isaac to 4,000 years earlier (Genesis 22:1-19), to enact out a loving father offering his only beloved son, a parallel to the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus is offered wine mixed with bitter gall to drink but Jesus rejects the bitter wine because He has promised that the next wine He drinks will be with us in Heaven and it will be a sweet cup of Heavenly rejoicing not the bitter cup of this world. - Jesus' first words on the cross (Luke 23:34) will be "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Forgiveness. Even as He is rejected, Jesus forgives. We stand amazed as the two thieves being crucified along with Jesus, mock Him. Then one of the thieves turns and says "we are getting our just rewards; but Jesus is innocent". Then one of the thieves says a most remarkable thing. He says "Jesus remember me when you enter into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). We look on in dismay. "Enter the Kingdom of Jesus?" True, Jesus declared Himself to be a King only a few days ago and a King has to have a kingdom, but Jesus is dying on a cross - No! Not death! The thief is right. Jesus is entering into His kingdom, one where there is no more curse of the flesh. Where sin does not reign. In fact sin is not even present in the Kingdom of Jesus. That's it - only the Spiritual Kingdom of God is good enough for Jesus. He died to the sin and human flesh of this world so that we can be united with Him in His glory, in His Holy Spiritual Kingdom. Jesus will remain alive on the cross for six hours, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. At noon, the sky will grow dark (Amos 8:9, Matthew 27:45). Jesus will cry out from the cross "My God, my God why hast thou forsaken Me?" (Psalm 22:1-31, Matthew 27:46). At 3:00 p.m., Jesus will give a victory cry and proclaim "It is finished" (John 19:30). We marvel that the prophecy given to Eve in Genesis 3:15 is now fulfilled as Jesus, the Son of God, has His own heal bruised for us while supporting His weight on the cross. It was also on the same cross of victory on a hill called Golgotha or Skull (John 19:17) that Jesus has crushed the head (skull) [Genesis 3:15] of the deceiving serpent Satan. - Jesus will then commend His Spirit to His Father, He will then permit His Spirit to leave His body (Luke 23:46). It is now near the evening of the third feast day, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread." This feast according to Leviticus chapter 23, is a Sabbath - Rest feast and in order to properly keep this feast the followers need to be at home before sundown and are unable to engage in any work. The legs of the two thieves on the other two crosses are broken to hasten their deaths and to proceed with their burials before sundown. Jesus' lifeless body is taken down from the cross and placed into a new nearby tomb, which is really a cavern carved out of solid rock and has been provided by Joseph of Armethia. Jesus will be laid in the new tomb. His body, including His face, will be wrapped with fresh linen cloth and soaked with 75 lbs. of anointing oils (John 19:39). Those taking part in the burial of Jesus will quickly depart to get home before the Sabbath curfew of sundown. That evening we will return with the disciples back to the upper room where the Lord's Passover feast was held the night before. The door will be shut and locked as everyone will cower in the dark and in silence for fear that Romans will knock down the door to seize more of the disciples and drag them off to be horribly crucified. It is the first night without the presence of Jesus. It is a dark and bitter night. We sit down to consider the events. The third feast - we wonder what are the odds that everything of major importance would happen on a Feast Day? We know the odds are the same as those that brought life into existence and the same as those that could write the pages of the Bible before the events actually happened. We know that no odds could do this because there are no odds. There is no chance involved. It is the predetermined plan of God. Not chance, but a plan! It is a plan being carried out carefully and deliberately
before the eyes of mankind. We ponder the feasts, first was "Sabbath" the required rest and Jesus presenting Himself as our King. Next was the "Lord's Passover", the Covenant feast of escaping death and entering into life with Jesus in heaven in the presence of the Father. Now it is the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" the third feast of the eight feasts prescribed by God to Moses in Leviticus chapter 23. That's it! Jesus often referred to leaven as "sin." "Beware of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees" Jesus would say and this Feast is to remove the leaven, that is to remove the sin that infects mankind. Jesus' shed blood and His death on the cross are a complete removal of our sin. It is complete because death is the end result of sin therefore in Jesus' death all of our sins died. The death of sin occurs on the cross. Later in the Resurrection of Jesus, we will receive of His eternal Resurrection Life. Sin has to be removed. We cannot have fellowship with the Holy God in the New Covenant until the Sin is removed. Jesus on this day became the penalty for the sins of the world reconciling those who choose to be reconciled with God in the New Covenant. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #7 The Cross - a place of no compromise: Jesus reached out to us - all the way and without compromise. He didn't compromise as He took on the appearance of a human and entered into our physical realm so that He could interact with us on our level. He entered into our physical level because we are separated from the Holy God on His Spiritual level. We are separated from Him by our sins and it is impossible for God to bring us and the sin that accompanies us into His direct presence, so God in Jesus, came to us in our existence. In reaching out to us Jesus didn't compromise. He reached out with both arms open and fully extended all the way, even to the cross. Mankind in return didn't compromise as mankind rejected God. Mankind then reaching back with a hammer, nailed both of His open and extended arms onto a wooden cross. Today it is still our opportunity and our turn to reach out and touch Jesus even though we do not see Him as He is in the Spirit realm like we see one another in the physical realm. We can still come to that place of no compromise and touch Jesus in that no compromising place called faith. "Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus Walk 2010 -- (Catholic) Pope's Holy Thursday [Last Supper] Mass Dedicated to Priests - The ceremony is described by the Vatican as a sign of strict union between the Pontiff (Pope) in his role of pastor of the world's 1 billion Catholics and his fellow priests VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI urged priests to oppose violence as he led a ceremony dedicated to the priesthood Thursday, marking a Holy Week with his church buffeted by clergy sex abuse scandals. "As priests, we are called in fellowship with Jesus Christ, to be men of peace, we are called to oppose violence and trust in the greater power of love," Benedict said in his Holy Thursday homily in St. Peter's Basilica. He made no mention of the scandals. Spread out before him, in white robes, was row after row of priests, who responded in chorus to his chants in Latin. A choir of men and boys intoned solemn hymns. The late morning Mass, the first of several appearances Benedict will make in the final days of Holy Week before Easter, was described by the Vatican as a sign of strict union between the pontiff in his role of pastor of the world's 1 billion Catholics and his fellow priests. In the evening, Benedict will wash the feet of 12 priests -- a traditional sign of humility -- at a Holy Thursday ceremony in St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. ... In his homily Thursday, Benedict said Christians "as good citizens" must "keep the law and do what is just and good," while not accepting "a wrong that is enshrined in law," citing as example legalized abortion. [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus Walk 2010 -- The Power Of The Cross - Oh To See The Dawn (YouTube) The Power of the Cross: Written by Keith Getty, sung by Stuart Townend. - Comments: The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe. ... Amen... What a poweful song, I am grateful everyday for what God has done for me. [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus Walk 2010 -- Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (YouTube) Song: Where you there when they crucified my Lord? [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus Walk 2010 -- You Were There - God You were always there for us {Most of the movie scenes are from - The Bible [Series] - Apocalypsis Revelation (2002) - Starring Richard Harris} (YouTube) Comments: What a fantastic song which means the world to me, when I was going through the hardest thing that I will possibly go through, he was there.... Thank you Lord. Thank you for dying for me and even tho we were the ones that put you on the cross, you still show us mercy. [article link]
[Friday] Jesus Walk 2011 -- Sealed Tomb Friday - Roman Guards seal the Tomb - additional Spices and Ointments are purchased and prepared to further anoint the body of Jesus This day coincides with Friday April 22, 2011 - We awake Friday morning our first day without the presence of Jesus. Today, the day after the Feast of Unleavened Bread and before the weekly Saturday Sabbath that begins at Sundown Friday, Jewish time, today is another regular day that happens to be sandwiched between the two Sabbath day Feast days in this year's original "Jesus Passover" celebration. Therefore with today not being a Sabbath day the usual work including buying and selling can take place. Several people go to purchase spices and ointments (Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56) and mix them together to prepare them in order to further anoint the body of Jesus. "Mark 16:1-2 And when the Sabbath (feast of unleavened bread) [Thursday] was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, [Friday] had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day [Sunday] of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun." Early in the day we also find out that the Jewish leaders have just conferred with the Roman leaders (Matthew 27:62-66) to have guards placed at the tomb of Jesus. This is to prevent the disciples from stealing the body of Jesus and then claiming that He rose from the dead, something I'm sure that no disciple intended to do, after all what good is a dead leader? The tomb is now sealed with a Roman "seal" signifying that the body of Jesus is inside and that all is secure in the tomb. The guards stand in front of the sealed tomb and wait for Sunday. The intent is that on Sunday the tomb will be unlocked/unsealed and the body of Jesus will be shown to the Jewish leaders and all will be back to normal in Jerusalem because Jesus said that He would live the third day, not the second day or the fourth day. Jesus remaining dead in the tomb on Sunday would reveal that He was not a prophet able to prophesy that He would be alive the third day and also that He is not God able to overcome human death. There is no chance to enter the sealed tomb until the three days are up and the seal is removed by the Romans who placed it on the tomb. None of the soldiers on duty have the authority to remove the seal and open the tomb, only the Roman government has the authority to open the tomb and according to the contract with the Jews, it will be after the third day. The frightened disciples are in no condition to reveal themselves as followers of Jesus. So back to the familiar upper room everyone journeys. In the lonely darkness that comes on with despair the disciples lament that they are not prophets. One proclaims that he is just a herder of flocks from his youth (Zechariah 13:4-6). Likewise we sit in the dark and also wonder if we have the spiritual stamina that it takes to make it through this "dark night of the soul." We begin to think about Jesus and His ministry here on earth. We think about the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23) and how hard and compacted the soil of our heart is. Emotionally we are against obstacles and unable to push our spiritual roots down any further into fresh new soil. We wonder what has become of Jesus the master Gardener, we need Him. We need the Gardener to pull the weeds of doubt, to help us through life's thorns, to break up the shallow rocky soil and to direct His seed into the good soil of our heart so it can bring forth much fruit. Oh, it's no use a garden needs a gardener to keep it pleasant. The garden can't maintain itself from the hard soil, shallow rocks and choking weeds. Without a Gardener, the good plants will come to nothing as they are choked out and perish among the weeds and hard soil. We need God's direction and His plan in order for us to fulfill our life's purpose. -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #8 Man puts his seal of approval on God's death: "Matthew 27:66 So they went, and made
the sepulchre sure [inventory of the tomb contents], sealing the stone, and setting a watch." With the death of Jesus comes the Seal of approval from mankind. You can be certain that Jesus died on the cross and you can be just as certain that the dead body of Jesus was in the tomb on this the next day when the tomb was closed and the seal was placed on it. Certain because mankind would have it no other way than that God, would be declared dead, null, and void. Oh they sealed the right tomb of death alright but they sealed the wrong object. What they should have placed their seal on is on the death of sin, the sin that has separated mankind from the Holy God for all of these years as God knows and as the Christian knows it is sin that has been declared dead, null, and void and not God. As we reflect on the death of sin, that the penalty for sin has been removed from us by Jesus, do we really understand that the worst that can possibly happen to us is death from sin? But that Jesus died for us so the worst thing that can happen to us has happened to Jesus as He took our penalty for us. Now with the worst behind us thanks to Jesus, we now have the best and a new opportunity as a new relationship with God is now before us. "Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." [article link]
[Saturday] Jesus Walk 2011 -- 3 Day & 3 Night Prophecy Fulfillment Saturday - The Third Day of Death is Fulfilled This day coincides with Saturday April 23, 2011 - Saturday is again the weekly Sabbath day of rest. We rest physically but emotionally we are anything but at rest as we ponder an uncertain future without a leader, without our King Jesus. -- Let's recap Thursday - Sunday by looking at some verses in Luke: "Luke 23:52-24:1 [Thursday][Crucifixion day] "This man, Joseph of Arimathaea, went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down [from the cross] and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulcher (tomb) that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation [preparation for the evening Sabbath of Unleavened Bread], and the Sabbath [Unleavened Bread, evening Sabbath curfew] drew on. And the women also, which came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld (observed) the sepulcher, and how His body was laid. And they returned (home) and [Friday] [normal Day] prepared (worked & labored) spices and ointments; and rested the [Saturday][Sabbath Day] Sabbath day according to the commandment [the 4th of the 10 commandments, the weekly Saturday Sabbath]. Now upon the first day of the week [Sunday][Resurrection Day], very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them." -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #9 Getting through the darkness: It's dark in there; it's a dark and lonely place in those deep dark tombs. Death is dark, and it's dark when we look death in the face. Will the light shine? Will there be life? Will life live and conquer the darkness; the loneliness, the despair, the finality of death? We as humans have to know. We have to know if there is any hope, any permanent existence, any purpose, any reason to life and our existence or if our brief existence here on earth is only a byproduct of some random collision of molecules. Only God - Jesus can answer this question for us and it can only be answered in the Resurrection Life of Jesus as only life can hold the answers to the problems that face mankind. God has given to us, a long time ago, the answer and His promise in each new day. In the beginning of creation God created the Physical Light. He created light as a representation for us to see that indeed His true Spirit light of life shines and it does indeed remove the darkness of death. Every time life gets dark just remember the New Day the Sunrise the Resurrection Sunshine from on high as the Sun represents to us the True Son Light, Jesus. God made it that way! The Sun is our daily and momentary reminder of God, of His Son Jesus, of His light, His warmth, His promises, His Life, His Love and His Eternal Resurrection Life for us. "Lamentations 3:21-23 This I recall in my mind, therefore I have hope. It is the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed, because His Compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Thy Faithfulness." [article link]
[Sunday] Jesus Walk 2011 -- Jesus' Glorious Resurrection Life Sunday - Glorious Salvation Resurrection (Easter) Day! - Jesus conquers death by Love & Eternal Life - The Rebirth of Life and we now have Salvation and live an Eternal Life in the Resurrection life of Jesus Christ Sunday {Jesus' Glorious Resurrection Life Sunday} This day coincides with Sunday April 24, 2011 Resurrection Sunday (Easter) also the "Feast of First Fruits," the first Sunday of the week after the feasts of the "Lord's Passover & Unleavened Bread" (Matthew 28:1-15, Mark 16:1-14, John 20:1-23). Sunday, the first day of the week, we arise early and ponder that today is also a feast day, the fourth feast, the "Feast of First fruits". We wonder why Leviticus 23 this Feast did not have an actual date to be celebrated like the Lord's Passover, the 14th of the month and the Unleavened Bread, the 15th of the month but the Feast of First Fruits is specifically to be celebrated on the first Sunday of the week after the Passover. Today is also the day the seal is scheduled to be removed from the tomb of Jesus. Some of the women go early in the morning at first light to await access to the tomb to continue to anoint the body of Jesus. While walking to the tomb the women encounter an Angel who asks them why they are seeking the "Living" among the dead? For Jesus whom you seek is Not Dead but He is Alive! The women continue walking. They arrive at the tomb and they see the Roman seal is broken, the stone is rolled back and looking into the tomb they notice that the body of Jesus is missing but His burial wrappings remain there in an undisturbed manner. Seeing what appears to be the Gardener, the women ask him where he has moved the body of Jesus too? "Mary" replies the Gardener, WAIT! Mary knows that voice. This Gardener is JESUS, HE'S ALIVE! Mary and the women grab the feet of Jesus. Jesus tells them that He has not yet gone to the Father (John 20:17) but to go and tell the Good News "of the resurrection" to the rest of the disciples. Peter and John, like the rest of the disciples doubt the good news of the resurrection of Jesus but they run to the tomb to see for themselves. John and Peter enter the empty tomb together. John had been one of the disciples at the crucifixion and he helped place Jesus into the tomb. As John saw the anointed strips of cloth used to wrap the body of Jesus, John realized that the cloth was not unwound but just empty, vacated and collapsed down in a way in which a human body could not have been physically removed from within the cloth covered with ointment. John seeing this, believed (John 20:8). Back in the upper room two, disciples are excitedly telling of meeting and journeying with the Risen Jesus on their way to the town of Emmaus, (Luke 24:33). Meanwhile, in the upper-room the door is shut and locked (John 20:19) and Jesus suddenly appears in their midst in a supernatural way. The newly Resurrected Jesus presents Himself to the disciples. The disciples marvel that Jesus is alive again and then King Jesus breathes His Holy breath on them to give them His resurrection Spirit life. Amazed we realize that this is the same way and the same giver of Life who had previously breathed life into Adam our first forefather (Genesis 2:7). Jesus said "receive you the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). The disciples by faith receive the Holy Spirit offered by Jesus and by receiving the Holy Spirit they become "Born Again" new creations. - We realize that it is by Faith that we are saved, this Faith! The faith in the risen, living, resurrection Jesus. The faith that Jesus has personally sealed us with the Holy Spirit. We realize that this is the true feast the "Feast of First Fruits" as Jesus breathes into us the "First Fruits" of the Holy Spirit. We know that this is just the First Fruit, the first fruits of the Holy Spirit with much more to come. This fruit is special because it is, according to Leviticus 23, the first of the fruit from within the Promise Land (Joshua 5:1012) that is from the Promise Land of Heaven and eternal life. We rejoice. Like the children of Israel who were delivered from Egypt, we have escaped the bondage of this world and the cruelty of Satan and the certain death that goes with it. We have escaped by the death of the Firstborn Son of God, His Son Jesus Christ, and we are now alive in His resurrection glory. We like, the Jews of Egypt, have wandered in the desert wilderness of unbelief until our unbelief has vanished. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have crossed the dangerous Jordan river and entered into the Promise Land of Heaven having accepted Jesus as our leader, our King, and our Lord by entering into His New Covenant, the covenant of life. Now alive we realize that the death of sin has "Passed Over" us by our receiving His shed blood as the cleansing of our sins through the death of Jesus on the cross. We now rejoice in the Gospel of Good News that Jesus being Righteous, Holy, Just, and True, the Son of God and God Himself, that He cannot die as humans die but He is alive in the Spiritual realm, the eternal realm that Jesus existed in with the Father before He took on a fleshly body in the womb of Mary (John 16:27-28). -- {Basic Christian Devotion: Becoming united in Jesus} Personal Reflection #10 Resurrection Day "The Re-birth of Life"
[after the original life in Garden of Eden] Jesus demonstrates His Authority of Life over death: Life, our meaning and purpose in it have now been answered once and for all in this the very Resurrection Life of Jesus. We now know that there is a God, that He has power to remove sins and to then give life over death, that He Loves us and that we are made alive to be friends with Him forever in His Eternal Resurrection Kingdom of Heaven. How can we ever comprehend this joyous event, Life in Jesus, but comprehend it we must as it is the only way to eternal Life. "Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the Resurrection from the dead." Light shines! And with it Life! Jesus is the True Light! Jesus is the Life! God is not dead, God is Alive! Now we too are alive when Jesus breaths His Resurrection Spirit Life into us. Alive and united with the Holy God inside of us, that is Eternal Life! "John 1:3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehend it not." "2 Corinthians 4:6 For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 -- Bible verse: Psalms 118:19-29 ... Open to me the gates of righteousness [the resurrection of Jesus Christ]: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my Salvation. ... God is the LORD, which hath shewed us [resurrection - sunrise] light ... O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever. {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Psalms 118:19-29 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my Salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity [lit. wellbeing]. Blessed be He (Jesus) that cometh in the Name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the House of the LORD. God is the LORD, which hath shewed us [resurrection - sunrise] light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 -- Jesus Christ has risen from the grave - Truly He has risen - He has risen indeed! Jesus Christ has risen from the grave - Truly He has risen - He has risen indeed! -- Thank you for taking part in the 2011 Jesus Walk Holy Week Timeline Devotion! Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, I pray that God will richly bless you, keep you and that His everlasting Divine face will continue to shine upon you. The Lord Jesus Christ be with you in all things as we look to the soon return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ~ God bless you, David Anson Brown [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Song by 2nd Chapter of Acts (YouTube) This track is from the live album, "To the Bride," a Jesus Music Classic, featuring Barry McGuire, 2nd Chapter of Acts, and A Band Called David. "Easter Song" is performed in this track by the 2nd Chapter of Acts. Enjoy, and Happy Easter. [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Song by Keith Green (YouTube) Keith Green performing "Easter Song" live from The Daisy Club -- LA (1982). [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Song by Glad (YouTube) Another Classic from Glad. [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus Walk 2010 -- Rich Mullins - [Apostles] Creed (YouTube) This is the Rich Mullins music video featuring the song "Creed" as it appears on the "Rich Mullins: Pursuit of a Legacy" DVD. [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus Walk 2010 -- Creed by Third Day (YouTube) This is the song by the Late, Great, Rich Mullins, it's about the Apostles Creed. I belive this song is true in all manner, and every time I sing it, it fills me with Gods will and glory. Enjoy it. [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Sunrise Baptism {Video is usually preceded by a commercial - Try the Continue to Video (option)} (Metacafe) Comments: Awsome God power - The water is still chilly in March, yet everyone has a huge expression of joy on their face, like the water doesn't even phase them because their so focused on and in love with Christ. beautiful. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 -- What if Moses had Facebook? - (Short Video) Google Exodus - What if Moses had Facebook? [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 -- World Clock: Current local time in Jerusalem {Note: Setting a 2nd Widget or Gadget clock on your computer to Jerusalem time is also a good option.} (clock - pop-up window) Jerusalem, Israel. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel The native name of Israel is Yisra'el. Most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 -- [Holy Week 2011] Easter Week in Rome, Italy - Holy Week in Rome - There are very few examples of Pageantry grander than Holy Week in Rome - The Pope himself delivers several masses between Palm Sunday and Easter, and tens of thousands of pilgrims and fellow travelers are on hand to celebrate with him The following will give you an idea of what's going on and when for Easter Week in 2011; most services take place in St Peter's Square or inside the Basilica (consider a walking tour in Rome to get your bearings, or one of Viator's Vatican tours if you arrive early enough to avoid the crowds). You can certainly expect crowds in Rome and the Vatican during Easter Week. But for Catholics and religious-minded travelers (frankly, for anybody and everyone who appreciates ritual and pomp), the experience of Easter Week is unforgettable. Palm Sunday (April 17) Palm Sunday, a sort of prequel, starts off Holy Week with the Pope's blessing of the palms in St Peter's Square (9:30am). At the end of the mass, the Pope usually sends a special message - the 'Angelus' - to the youth of the world. Holy Thursday (April 21) The Pope honors his predecessor, John Paul II, on Holy Monday with a mass at 6pm. Then, after a few days' break during which you will notice a steadily increasing population density in and around the Vatican, the Easter celebration begins in earnest on Holy Thursday (also called 'Maundy Thursday'). The Pope performs a rare morning mass at 9:30am, known as the 'Mass of the Chrism', in St Peter's Basilica ('chrism' is a mixture of olive oil and balsam, which, once blessed, is used in some of the sacraments). In the evening, the Mass of the Lord's Supper commemorates Christ's bathing of the feet of the Apostles. Good Friday (April 22) On Good Friday, instead of a mass, choirs sing St John's version of Christ's crucifixion. Later that night, the Pope traces the Via Crucis, or Stations of the Cross, from the Colosseum to Palatine Hill. This torch-lit procession is one of the grandest, most solemn things you can witness in Rome.
(Saturday) Saturday night is traditionally the time of the Easter Vigil, when the Pope celebrates a late mass in St Peter's Basilica. This is also traditionally when converts are accepted into the Catholic Church. Easter Sunday (April 24) On Easter Sunday, the Pope says mass in St Peter's Square starting at 10:15am. Despite the crowds typically this is the most attended event of Holy Week - you should be able to spot the Holy Father, high above the square on a balcony of the church. At noon, he delivers the 'Urbi et Orbi' message - 'to the city and the world - in which the Pope grants forgiveness to those present and to Catholics world wide. Visiting Rome During Holy Week Pope Benedict XVI Although these events are generally free, some require tickets (a must if you want a seat, or in some cases if you want to get in at all). Honestly, it is not easy to get tickets - we're saying this simply to set your expectations. For Catholics, this is usually arranged through your bishop. You might also try the American Seminary in Rome. For non-Catholics, it's a bit dicier, but you might try the American Seminary. The official Vatican liturgical calendar for Holy Week can be found here. The Vatican museums (and those throughout Rome) are generally open during Holy Week, with the exceptions of Easter Sunday and the following Monday. Ideas on spending the rest of your time in the Eternal City [Rome] can be found in our complete list of things to see and do in Rome. [article link]
Starting Friday the 2011 Basic Christian: Jesus Walk Holy Week (Easter) 10 Day Timeline Devotion Note: This year the blog postings for each day's activity following Jesus and the Apostles during the original Holy Week will be posted the evening-afternoon before the day of the events [this was done last year and turned out to be more consistent]. - This year for the first time the blog portion is going to blog both of the main Jesus Walk components, blogging both the Timeline of events and for the first time also blogging the Devotion "Becoming united in Jesus" portion. Ultimately there are intended to be the one original Timeline of events and two devotions, the group oriented devotion "Becoming united in Jesus" and the yet to be completed individually focused devotion "All the Way, Walking the Long Road [The High Road]". The second devotion "All the Way, Walking the Long Road" though not yet completed has been in development for a while. The concept of the "All the Way, Walking the Long Road [The High Road]" devotion is for each individual Christian to get a sense of how much [personal relationship] **individual value [i.e. 1 Peter 1:7] we each are to God. The devotion has been mostly written a couple of times but each time the devotion spins off into what could be considered a slightly works based devotion so I don't want to release the devotion until I can be sure that it is a uniquely relationship, value, prized devotion between the loving God and people. Looking forward to joining you in this year's 2011 Holy Week and the Christian growth, prayer, fellowship, study and maturity that can come from it. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
HeartLight: Taken from My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers - Have You Ever Been Carried Away For Him? - Have I ever realized that I can bring to God things which are of value to Him, or am I mooning round the magnitude of His Redemption whilst there are any number of things I might be doing? - **It is never a question of being of use [works], but of being of [precious] value to God Himself - When we are abandoned to God, He works through us If human love does not carry a man beyond himself, it is not love. If love is always discreet, always wise, always sensible and calculating, never carried beyond itself, it is not love at all. It may be affection, it may be warmth of feeling, but it has not the true nature of love in it. Have I ever been carried away to do something for God not because it was my duty, nor because it was useful, nor because there was anything in it at all beyond the fact that I love Him? Have I ever realized that I can bring to God things which are of value to Him, or am I mooning round the magnitude of His Redemption whilst there are any number of things I might be doing? Not Divine, colossal things which could be recorded as marvellous, but ordinary, simple human things which will give evidence to God that I am abandoned to Him? Have I ever produced in the heart of the Lord Jesus what Mary of Bethany produced? There are times when it seems as if God watches to see if we will give Him the abandoned tokens of how genuinely we do love Him. Abandon to God is of more value than personal holiness.
Personal holiness focuses the eye on our own whiteness; we are greatly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, fearful lest we offend Him. Perfect love casts out all that when once we are abandoned to God. We have to get rid of this notion - "Am I of any use?" and make up our minds that we are not, and we may be near the truth. It is never a question of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself. When we are abandoned to God, He works through us all the time. [article link]
Libyan rebels receiving anti-tank weapons from Qatar - Officials in Doha confirm Qatar has been secretly supplying French-made missiles to Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi Qatar is secretly supplying anti-tank weapons to the Libyan rebels as part of its strategy of working to overthrow the Gaddafi regime, it has emerged. Officials in Doha confirmed that the Gulf state's military had been shipping French-made Milan missiles to the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem, made clear on Wednesday that UN resolutions on Libya permitted the supply of "defensive weapons" to opposition forces struggling to fight Libyan armour. Qatari government officials were tight-lipped about the deliveries, which are being organised by the joint chiefs of staff and probably made by sea. "We need to send the Libyans equipment so they can defend themselves and get on with their lives," one senior source said. "These are civilians who have had to become fighters because of the situation." Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, and colleagues from the 21-nation Libya contact group endorsed Qatar's position. Hague insisted the UK would supply only non-lethal equipment. France's view is similar but both countries - which are leading Nato air strikes in Libya - accept that arming the rebels is legal. Gaddafi's government has repeatedly complained that the Qataris are supplying the rebels. Khaled Kayim, Libya's deputy foreign minister, claimed on Wednesday that about 20 Qatari specialists were already in Benghazi. Rebel spokesmen have said they are in talks with "friendly" countries, including Qatar and France, to obtain weapons. ... Al-Jazeera satellite TV, based in Doha, is hugely influential. It is also assisting a rebel satellite TV operation broadcasting from Doha and providing other support for Libyan opposition groups. It has agreed to market crude oil produced from eastern Libyan fields no longer under Gaddafi's control. This week Qatar's state-owned marketing company delivered four shipments of oil products to Benghazi. [article link]
CNN: Libya Contact Group to meet in Qatar after day of bloodshed in Misrata - An [mostly non U.N.] international conference on Libya's future is set to begin Wednesday in Qatar - The group also includes officials from the European Union, the Arab League, NATO, the African Union and several countries - Qatar has started marketing [stolen] Libyan oil at the direction of the country's emir "to ease the suffering of the Libyan [rebels] brethren" the Qatar News Agency reported Tuesday {It's completely clear that the U.N. society of governments/government officials are completely unconcerned about actual citizen safety and are out to grab oil, land and resources for themselves. A case in point is all the violent riots in France a couple of years ago [2005, 2007, 2010] when France didn't even lift a finger to protect its own citizens on its own soil. Also the point needs to be made regarding this charade about "protecting civilians" when in actuality the U.N. feels its primary goal is to protect [environmentalism] the earth from people. - Today the U.N. is supposedly protecting people [while stealing and selling their oil] yet they have an agenda [U.N. Agenda 21] that is designed to eliminate several billion people in order to "protect" the earth so we all know where this wonderful U.N. plan of protection is going to end up for most people. -- We are about to start the 2011 Holy Week events and this year let's keep the current events in the Middle-East [their peace and safety] and the peace and safety of Israel in our prayers!} Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- An international conference on Libya's future is set to begin Wednesday in Qatar, one day after witnesses reported more carnage and dire circumstances in western Libya. A delegation from the United Nations, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, will attend the first meeting of the Libya Contact Group in the Qatari capital of Doha. The group also includes officials from the European Union, the Arab League, NATO, the African Union and several countries. Members from the Libyan opposition's Transitional
National Council will appear before the group. Meanwhile, former Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa is expected to meet with Qatari government officials and Libyan representatives in Doha "to offer insights in advance of the Contact Group meeting," the British government said. Koussa, a longtime confidant of Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi and a former intelligence chief, fled to London last month after resigning from Gadhafi's regime. How Koussa will be received by Libya's opposition is unclear. [article link]
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre To Read KJV Bible Over Holy Week 2011 - William Shakespeare's Globe Theatre will mark the 400th anniversary of the [1611] King James Bible with a cover-to-cover reading LONDON (RNS/ENInews) William Shakespeare's Globe Theatre will mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible with a cover-to-cover reading between Palm Sunday and Easter Monday (the day after Easter Sunday). Twenty actors will take part in the reading, which is scheduled to take 69 hours over eight days. They will recite all 1,189 chapters of the historic Bible in the theater built as a replica of the place that saw many of Shakespeare's greatest plays. "Four hundred years ago, a set of church scholars sat in Stationer's Hall by St. Paul's Cathedral and put the finishing touches to the King James Bible. Across the river, a set of playwrights, Shakespeare foremost amongst them, entertained a town," artistic director Dominic Dromgoole told ENInews. "The playwrights listened to the clerics in church, the clerics sneaked in to listen to the plays in the theater. Between the two of them they generated an energy, a fire and wit in the English language." The theater's 2011 season will also include the story of the creation of the King James Bible in the play "Anne Boleyn," by Howard Brenton. The story looks at the legacy of King Henry VIII's second wife, who conspires with the exiled William Tyndale to make England Protestant forever. Starting 70 years after her death, the play examines how King James united England's religious factions with a common [English language] Bible, and the debt he owed to Anne. ~ By Jo Siedlecka Religion News Service [article link]
Basic Christian: Spiritual Warfare - Introduction 1 of 5 The teaching of the Basic Christian ministry is that according to the Bible's Genesis Creation model [Genesis chapters 1 and 2] there are 8 dimensions total 7 of the dimensions are represented in God's 7 days of creation [six days of creation and the 7th Day of Rest (Genesis 2:2)]. Accordingly mankind [Adam - Eve] were originally created about equal (Hebrews 2:6,7) to the angels and functioned in a higher 6th dimension [mankind created on the 6th day (Genesis 1:26, Genesis 1:31)]. Through sin mankind was reduced to the lower 4th dimension [height, width, length and time] restrictions that we now physically inhabit (Genesis 3:9,10). It is the further teaching of the Basic Christian ministry that both holy and fallen angels still inhabit the less restricted 6th dimension while according to Genesis Chapter 6 fallen angels [6th dimensional beings] mated with fallen humans [4th dimensional beings] producing 5th dimensional beings commonly referred to as demons. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual dimensions as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th dimension being God's realm of unrestricted eternity} Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the 5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. Note: So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation [into our human realms] of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Also Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2.
Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic [Nephilim spirits] - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -"Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ..." [article link]
Basic Christian: Spiritual Warfare - The Doctrines of Demons 2 of 5 The demonic 5th dimension seems to be a realm of doom and destruction purposefully visited upon the human realm via the guidance of the fallen angel Satan aka Lucifer. The 5th dimension often attempts to trap mankind into a hopelessness and despair. The primary teaching of the Doctrines of Demons (1 Timothy 4:1) is that hell [and legalism] is real and is an inescapable reality that mankind cannot avoid having a 'hellish' existence either on earth in this life or in the life to come. -- Many people are successfully able to identify, reject and for the most part avoid the false Doctrines of Demons and their destructive teachings and the accompanying dangerous, addictive, lifestyle results. However many of the same people who successfully recognize [even secular people] and avoid the dangers of the demonic 5th dimension are themselves unaware of the even more deceptive and destructive 6th dimension and the Doctrines of Fallen Angels. [article link]
Basic Christian: Spiritual Warfare - The Doctrines of Fallen Angels 3 of 5 After successfully navigating the battering of the demonic 5th dimension a person is often presented with the 6th dimension and the even more clever and deceptive Doctrines of Fallen Angels (2 Corinthians 11:14). Doctrines that seemingly reject the brutalities of the Demonic 5th realm but present an even greater deception in that the 6th realm is offering a false peace, false hope, false love and a false security all absent the very real human predicaments of our own fallen sinful nature and of our individual need for Redemption and Salvation only by and through the finished works of Jesus Christ. -- Isn't it interesting that Satan and the other fallen angels would be most interested in having a Doctrine where hell is not a part of reality. "Matthew 25:41 Then shall He [Jesus] say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, **prepared [originally] for the devil and his angels:" [article link]
Basic Christian: Spiritual Warfare - The Doctrine of Jesus Christ 4 of 5 Instead of the 5th dimension Doctrines of Demons and the 6th dimension Doctrines of Fallen Angels there is another Doctrine it is the True and reliable 7th dimension Doctrine of Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28). Jesus said that He is Life made available for all of mankind. Those who wisely want to reject the destructive Doctrines of Demons and avoid the false and misleading Doctrines of Fallen Angels have real hope and real life in the very real Doctrine of Jesus Christ. The simple, pure, loving, truthful Doctrine of God in the person Jesus Christ having come to mankind with truth and reality to provide a way out of our sins and into the everlasting hope and glory of Jesus Christ! -- "Matthew 11:28 Come unto Me (Jesus), all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I (Jesus) will give you rest." [article link]
Basic Christian: Spiritual Warfare - Conclusion 5 of 5 Conclusion: The (7th dimension) restoration [Luke 5:37-39] of mankind is at a higher level (dimension) than
even the original Genesis (6th dimension) creation of mankind. God has the ability and the desire to not only overcome the fall and sin of mankind but to make the restored version (realm) of mankind an even higher, better realm than the original glorious 6th dimension creation of mankind. -- "John 5:24 Verily, verily, I (Jesus) say unto you, he that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him [Father] that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." - "John 6:63 It is the Spirit that quickeneth [makes alive]; the flesh [physical] profiteth nothing: **the Words that I (Jesus) speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are [eternal] life." - "John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way (8th dimension) [for humans into the 7th dimension], the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father [Heaven - both a different dimension and a different (non-physical) realm], but by Me." [article link]
Bible Verse: Matthew 24:45-51 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord (Jesus) hath made ruler over His household [fellowship], to give them meat [sound doctrine Bible study] in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Matthew 24:45-51 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord (Jesus) hath made ruler over His household, to give them meat [sound doctrine Bible study] in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That He shall make him [faithful servant] ruler over all His goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth His coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. -- Matthew 13:4143 The Son of Man (Jesus) shall send forth His [Holy] Angels, and they shall gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath [Spiritual] ears to hear, let him hear. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Update: The blog History Study in the next few days is going to continue with a couple of very technical topics i.e. the Holy Spirit, Pentecost and what they mean for the Kingdoms of the earth as well as for each of us as individuals {Note: I was out of town for a few days, glad to be back blogging some more Christian material and looking forward to Holy Week 2011. ~ All the very best, David Anson Brown} After we finally make it through these last difficult topics then we can get back to the structured Kingdoms study and finish up the entire 8 Kingdoms Study [after] Holy Week 2011 and the Easter Resurrection Day celebration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thanks to everyone for staying with the study as we continue to look at difficult topics, topics that are often not discussed in Church settings but we have the blessed opportunity to prayerfully and Biblically consider them in our own individual studies. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
The New Testament concept of Fellowship financial openness and accountability -- "John 15:14-16 Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I (Jesus) command you. **Henceforth I call you not servants (lit. slaves); for the servant (slave) knoweth not what his Lord doeth: ***but I have called you friends (lit. brotherly love); for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known [openness] unto you. ... that [with brotherly love and openness] whatsoever ye shall ask [i.e. Moses in the Tabernacle (Tent) of the Congregation speaking to God Numbers 7:89] of the Father in My name, He may give it you." John 15:11-27 These things have I (Jesus) spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is My Commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, *if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you
friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen Me, but ***I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that [with brotherly love and openness] whatsoever ye shall ask [i.e. Moses in the Tabernacle (Tent) of the Congregation speaking to God - Numbers 7:89] of the Father in My name, He may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for My name's sake, because they know not Him (Father) that sent Me (Jesus). If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke [covering] for their sin. He that hateth Me hateth My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin [of open rebellion]: but now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father. But this cometh to pass, that the Word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They [sinners] hated Me without a cause. But when the Comforter (Holy Spirit) is come [Pentecost], whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He (Holy Spirit) shall testify of Me (Jesus): And ye (Apostles) also shall bear witness, because ye have been with Me from the beginning. [article link]
The Old Testament concept of Congregation financial openness and accountability - Moses publically reported the gifting, finances and tithes given and offered to his congregation -- "Numbers 7:89 **And [after public openness and accountability] when Moses was gone into the Tabernacle [Tent] of the Congregation to speak with Him [God], then he heard the voice of One speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the Ark of Testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto Him." Example: Numbers 7:10-89 And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar. And the LORD said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar. And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah: And his offering was one silver charger [a serving tray], the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense: One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering: One kid of the goats for a sin offering: And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab. On the second day Nethaneel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did offer: He offered for his offering one silver charger [a serving tray], the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: One spoon of gold of ten shekels, full of incense: One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering: One kid of the goats for a sin offering: And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar. On the third day ... And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed. **And [after public openness and accountability] when Moses was gone into the Tabernacle [Tent] of the Congregation to speak with Him [God], then he heard the voice of One speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the Ark of Testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto Him. [article link]
FBCJaxWatchDog: Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability (ECFA) Webinar - "Unleash a Generosity Surge at Your Church" - This webinar will encourage generosity in your church as we review the results from the State of the Plate and the View from the Pew surveys {Note: We as Christians can't do much about the level of greed,
abuse and corruption at the U.N. but we can certainly still do something about it in our local Churches. If the Church is not 100% Transparent with their financial statements [readily assessable legal - tax documents] then don't donate or donate only a minimal amount. We all have to take part in reducing the greed and corruption within the current Christian Church system, it is at the point that if we don't take a stand against it we are becoming a part of the problem! - Also Note: the ECFA is seemingly a very unaccountable and suspect [red flag] organization itself. The ECFA though pretending to provide financial oversight for Churches and Ministries refuses to make their own financial statements publically available. Any Church or organization that is ECFA affiliated should be immediately removed from being considered a good, accountable, responsible, viable or safe place for our hard earned donations. - It's not too much to ask any Church or fellowship to display their financial [tax filings] documents and statements, in fact, it's a minimum that an honest and open Church or Ministry must do!} The same group that Senator Grassley is hoping will encourage churches to be more financially transparent and thus avoid federal legislation in the area of religious organization fund raising - is actually hosting a webinar to help churches squeeze more money out of their people. And their logo has a pastor's head overlay-ed on top of a pile of money. I'm sure Grassley is going to love that! It would have been better to have him with a fist full of cash in his hand! Who has ECFA hired for their webinar? Why none other than "bestselling generosity author" Brian Kluth, also described as "one of the world's leading authorities on charitable giving and generosity". Experts in generosity? Can't we just call it what it is: "fund raiser". We've had people for decades know how to "raise funds", but in the church that wouldn't go over well, so we call them "generosity consultants". Click here to see Brian Kluth's "Maximum Generosity" website where churches can buy his resources on how to get your people to be more generous. Can't be too much longer and we'll see informercials on this. If we have "generosity experts" marketing their wares to pastors, how long before the SBC seminaries start pumping out PhD's in "generosity"? Shouldn't every mega church have a PhD in "generosity", aka "fund raising"? Look below at the blurbs from the ECFA website and blast email - while the speaker isn't using Alec Baldwin's "AIDA" approach, it is awfully close: the five I's: Instruct, Inspire, Influence, Involve, and Ignite! And of course, he'll explain three things you can do, pastor, to increase giving 10% in the next 12 months. -- Here's a strategy: how about preach the gospel, convert the lost, and then just let the Holy Spirit grow your church and let them give according to New Testament standards? Nope, the gospel and Jesus aren't good enough anymore. We need more. We need to pay generosity consultants to tell our pastors how to tell us how to give more money and stop being stingy. -- Preach Jesus, love people, teach people to love Jesus, and see what happens. [article link]
Looming [U.N.] Financial Crisis Forces U.N. to Mull Less-Than-Radical Cutbacks - The government of Britain was the first to deliver that message last month, when its ministry for international development announced it would cut off four minor U.N. organizations entirely from funding at the end of next year, and put others on warning that they would face the same fate if they did not improve performance - Other generous U.N. funders, like Norway, have started financial reviews that could lead to similar results One country that has not yet taken the austerity approach is the U.S., which provides at least $6.4 billion for the U.N., according to U.S. government compilations. What most of the suggestions sent to the Nairobi meeting reveal is that despite years of a widely-touted effort to "deliver as one" united organization in its humanitarian and other efforts, the U.N. is still a widely disparate array of uncoordinated bureaucracies, ranging from such giants as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the World Food Program, to such relative backwaters as the International Labor Organization and the International Maritime Organization. ... They also call for "intensification of audits of operations at country, regional and global level," which would reinforce "the sense of fiscal discipline, responsibility and cost consciousness." The suggestion does not note, though another systemwide U.N. study does, that U.N. auditors are already over-stretched, under-qualified for their work, and often impeded and ignored by their bosses. None of the ideas presented to the Nairobi meeting included a drastic change in the ramshackle way the U.N. system itself has grown in the past six decades. Notably, nothing
in the suggestions addresses the inefficiency of having 28 international funds, agencies, programs, regulatory agencies and other major global bureaucracies in the first place, many with overlapping and competing mandates for their activities, especially in such rapidly expanding areas as environmentalism. Changes in that overall bureaucratic challenge likely are beyond the pay-grades of even the top-most U.N. executives -- not to mention, perhaps that the changes might not be in their personal or bureaucratic interest. [article link]
CNN: NATO takes command in Libya - U.S. officials, opposition warn Libya could get bloodier - CIA operatives have been in Libya working with [Al-Qaeda backed?] rebel leaders to try to reverse gains by loyalist forces, a U.S. intelligence source said {Note: these stunning Middle-East developments and the UN response and involvement could be no less than the disintegration of the UN as a viable organization. Only days before the Libya crisis began England was in the process of reducing their funding commitment to the UN. The UN response to Libya has been disastrous, when Libya a UN member Nation asked for impartial observers the UN responded with one of the most outrageous military assaults in modern history by delivering untold death and destruction upon the tiny UN Nation of Libya. Biased UN decisions and actions that can only ultimately in all likelihood result in the withdrawal of reasonable (UN) member Nations particularly the Middle-East Nations.} Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- From the halls of Congress to the shell-pocked streets of Libyan cities, intertwined themes rang clear Thursday: Leader Moammar Gadhafi is determined to prevail, and the opposition needs more training and allied airstrikes to have a chance. ... The United States, insisting it is now fulfilling more of a support role in the coalition, shifted in that direction as NATO took sole command of air operations in Libya. The ferocity of this month's fighting and Gadhafi's advantage in firepower was clearly evident in Misrata, which has seen snipers, significant casualties and destruction. ... The CIA has had a presence in Libya for some time, a U.S. official told CNN earlier this month. "The intelligence community is aggressively pursuing information on the ground," the official said. The CIA sent additional personnel to Libya to augment officers on the ground after the anti-government protests erupted, the official said, without giving details. ... NATO emphasized Thursday that the U.N. resolution authorizing action in Libya precludes "occupation forces." NATO Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, indicated that the presence of foreign intelligence personnel does not violate U.N. Security Council 1973, which authorized action in Libya. The term "occupation forces" has "a quite clear meaning," he said at a news conference in Brussels, adding that NATO receives and uses intelligence from allies and does not judge the sources. The NATO mission, called Operation Unified Protector, includes an arms embargo, a no-fly zone, and "actions to protect civilians and civilian centers," NATO said Thursday. It follows U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, allowing member states to take all necessary measures -- "while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form" -- to protect civilians under the threat of attack in Libya. [article link]
I think a good way to begin these difficult, complex and more technical Biblical topics is to start with the complex topic of the Throne of Jesus and the concept that Jesus Christ will actually be enthroned upon two different Thrones on earth Apparently, Jesus Christ will first be seated for the 1,000 year Kingdom reign on earth upon the Throne of King David (Acts 2:29,30). Having come as a man [sinless - second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-47)] Jesus will reign and rule the entire earth for 1,000 years upon the Jerusalem Throne of His forefather King David. -- Then after the 1,000 year reign there will be a New Earth and a New Sky (Revelation 21:1) and Jesus Christ will reign eternally upon the earth, not on the Throne of King David but upon His own Throne Dynasty (Revelation 22:1) as Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33) and conquered our sin and our death for us (Colossians 2:14). -Also note that currently Jesus Christ is seated enthroned in Heaven at the Throne of His Father God in Heaven (Romans 8:34). Technically Jesus has the right and the authority to sit upon three Thrones. The Divine Heavenly Throne [co-reign] with God the Father (Jesus is the only Son of God), the earthly Throne of King David (Jesus, Son of Man - came as a man a descendant of King David), and upon His own eternal Throne having conquered
human sin and death through His cross and resurrection. -- Note: each human King sits enthroned upon his forefather's Throne unless he is the originator of a Dynasty. For example King Solomon sat on King David's Throne, Antiochus IV Epiphanes sat upon a remnant [¼] Throne of Alexander the Great and Caesar Augustus sat upon the Throne of his uncle Julius Caesar. [article link]
Adobe: Updated Adobe AIR Version 2.6 (Free Download) Note: The Air program from Adobe is much like the (PDF) Acrobat program from Adobe, both programs have to be installed on the computer before you can view Air Documents or PD files. The Air program is a next generation file system and is more interactive than PDF files. [article link]
Basic Christian AIR (Version 2.08) - For Easter Holy Week Resurrection Day 2011 - {Available - as a FREE Download} Note: The 'Adobe Air' document [BasicChristian.air] can be downloaded to any desktop computer (PC or Mac) and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - Right click this link) {Note: This is the Basic Christian resource format that I'm now using the most (though it doesn't have the universal search feature of a PDF file). It has all the Basic Christian documents [Contents] easily accessible and it also has the ability for each user to change font sizes [lower right slide bar], add comments [Comments Pod] and also a section to add your own quick links [Favorites] to other websites a feature that I use daily to quickly visit several websites and blogs.} The project is now in the Easter Holy Week Resurrection Day 2011 Version. It will provide excellent anytime devotions and is perfect as a Holy Week (Easter) gift for others. Most importantly [with the free Adobe Air (2.6) program] the end user can create their own comments list, add links to other websites, blogs, rss feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive individual Christian, research, devotional and study tool project. -- Now Available for Download! [article link]
{Excellent!!} Church History - A Biography of William Tyndale (Mp3) William Tyndale part 2 by Andy Davis | Mar 7, 2009 | Topic: Christian Biography [article link]
{Excellent!!} Fighting for the Faith - Rob Bell's [global think tank religion] (Re)Emergence of Liberal Theology **Martin Bashir Interview on the Paul Edwards Program (Mp3) Martin Bashir Interview on the Paul Edwards Program • Craig Venter Breaks Ranks with Evolutionists Over Common Descent • Rob Bell's, Love Wins, is Nothing More Than the (Re)Emergence of Liberal Theology • Sermon Review. "In the Zone: God's P.O.V." by David Hughes of Church by the Glades. [article link]
{Excellent!!} Fighting for the Faith - [Analysis] Panel Discussion [Southern Baptist Theological Seminary] of Rob Bell's Love Wins (Mp3) • Panel Discussion of Rob Bell's Love Wins [article link]
Love Wins: [Southern Baptist Theological Seminary] Conversations on Rob Bell's New Book (Excellent!! - Videos, Mp4s, Mp3s, Downloads) RELATED RESOURCES: Love Wins: A Conversation on Rob Bell's New Book (Video) By R. Albert Mohler, Jr., Justin Taylor, Denny Burk, Russell Moore -- The Treason of Lost Love - Christ's Letter to the Church at Ephesus (Audio) By R. Albert Mohler Jr. -- A Conversation with Dr. Kevin Ezell (Audio) By Dr. Kevin Ezell. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 - Getting Ready, Best of Postings!! - Christian Movie: Abandoned to God: The Oswald Chambers Story (DVD) Abandoned to God: Oswald Chambers Story DVD 199199 -->From locations in England and Scotland, David McCasland shows you some of the places and describes key events and people that influenced the young Scottish preacher. Also includes an interview with Chambers' daughter Kathleen who shares memories of her father. Come away with a better understanding of this influential man of God. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 - Getting Ready, Best of Postings!! - Christian Movie: George Müller - Robber Of The Cruel Streets (DVD) George Müller (1805-1898) was a German playboy who found Christ and gave his life to serve Christ unreservedly. His mission was to rescue orphans from the wretched street life that enslaved so many children in England during the time of Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist. Müller did rescue, care for, feed, and educate such children by the thousands. The costs were enormous for such a great work. Yet, amazingly, he never asked anyone for money. Instead he prayed, and his children never missed a meal. This docu-drama presents his life story and shows how God answered prayer and met their needs. It is a story that raises foundational questions regarding faith and finances. Also included are two special documentaries on Müller and some of the lives affected by his work. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 - Getting Ready, Best of Postings!! - Christian Movie: Faith Like Potatoes (2006) - BASED ON THE INSPIRING TRUE STORY OF ANGUS BUCHAN {Note: An Excellent movie! Extremely well-acted and produced! - Also Note: The movie (like most Christian message movies) is an emotional rollercoaster, be prepared and have the people watching it with you prepared for an excellent, emotional, true movie that is also very moving, touching and most of all faith promoting.} (DVD) Based on the novel Faith Like Potatoes, this inspiring film tells the story of Angus Buchan, a South African farmer who suffers a series of seemingly insurmountable losses, but through an unlikely friendship with his Zulu farmhand and divine interventions, discovers the key to healing himself and learning to accept others lies in his unwavering belief in the power of faith. This powerful DVD includes a gripping 54 minute documentary on the real life Angus Buchan, the making of Faith Like Potatoes, director and cast commentary, deleted scenes and more. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 - Getting Ready, Best of Postings!! - Christian Movie: St. John In Exile (DVD) Dean Jones is Saint John in this intimate, inspiring one-man presentation of John in exile on Patmos. Full of humor, strong in spirit, and resolutely committed to Christ, John shares his account of the events that changed the course of human history---and challenges us with his last words before his death: "Little children, love one another." 90 minutes. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 - Getting Ready, Best of Postings!! - Christian Movie: Joseph - The Bible Collection, 10-DVD Set - On Sale $48.99 (DVD) Witness the frailty, triumph, and glory of Old Testament heroes Abraham, David, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Samson and Delilah. Stars include Richard Harris, Dennis Hopper, Elizabeth Hurley, Jonathan Pryce, Barbara Hershey, Leonard Nimoy, and Ben Kingsley. Experience anew the beloved stories you know by heart with this outstanding collection. Six-DVD boxed set. More than 16 hours of Bible stories. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2011 - Getting Ready, Best of Postings!! - Christian Movie: The Apocalypse - The Bible Collection, 7DVD Set - On Sale $44.99 (DVD)
From the Emmy Award-winning Bible series featuring the critically acclaimed movies Abraham, Joseph and Moses comes an all-new production starring Richard Harris as John the Apostle in The Apocalypse. The year is 90 A.D. and the Roman Emperor has unleashed a virulent campaign against the Christians. Held captive by the Romans, the aged apostle John (Richard Harris) struggles to save Christianity from extinction by sending letters to the Christian communities. Driven by the wish to meet the last living witness of the Lord's passion, the young Christian Irene (Victoria Belvedere) succeeds in gaining access to John's prison. Entrusting the written record of his visions to her, he begs Irene to spread its message among the Christians. These visions form the contents of the Book of Revelation. To some, they evoke the end of the world; to others, they allude to the spiritual struggles facing Christians of all eras. [article link]
{Excellent!!} Today on the DL: Presuppositionalism, Chorazin and Bethsaida, and Rob Bell - In That Order {Note: Presuppositionalism (truth-facts are derived from God and not from individual [feelings and emotions] assumptions), I very much agree with this and considerably wonder why so many in Christianity give so much credence to an R.C. Sproul and so many other obvious non-Christian agents of deceit and disinformation. Also 'Congrats' to James White for defending and promoting the very relevant "Cosmological Argument" (creation testifies of the existence and presence of God) as well. All in all an excellent and informative show.} (Mp3) 03/15/2011 - James White, Another eclectic program today, starting off with two calls, one on RC Sproul and his opposition to presuppositional apologetics (the call moved quickly to a discussion of the method more than Sproul's views) and the next from Silly Brit II (aka John Samson) on Jesus' words about Chorazin and Bethsaida. Then we launched into Rob Bell's press-release video presentation from yesterday and the oddity of his allegedly orthodox and yet obviously not theology. Here's the program. [article link]
Update: The Basic Christian Ministry is continuing with the 8 Kingdoms Study and several other major projects including the 2011 Jesus Walk Holy Week Easter 10 Day Timeline Devotion this year starting Friday April 15, 2011 Note: The reason for the current slowdown in ministry postings is primarily due to a season of increased personal devotions, Bible study and prayer time. The time period leading up to the (Easter) Holy Week events usually leads to a personally deeper time into the Bible and this year even more so primarily because the Basic Christian Ministry is in a period of transition. The transition that the ministry is undergoing is one out of [controversial] current event types of events and into more sustained Biblical devotional presentations. I just want to make sure that the Basic Christian ministry continues to progress in a way that is Biblically edifying, uplifting, and provides personal growth for all who take their precious time to read and study the Basic Christian material. - God bless you ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
A Preview and look at some of the aspects of Holy Week 2011 and the 10 Day Jesus Walk 2011 Easter Timeline Devotion **starting on Friday April 15th, 2011 until ---> Easter Sunday April 24th, 2011 We are going to begin to look at some of the aspects of Holy Week regarding what actually happened during the final 10 days the Amazing events of Jesus Christ while He was physically here on earth. We will be considering what His events accomplished and how His completed events affect us today both personally and individually as Christians and as a whole as the Christian Church. - God bless you ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
Rev. Jimmie Hawkins: Church must regroup on Ash Wednesday [Lenten Season] DURHAM -- Lent is a serious time. No one says "Have a Happy Lent," said the Rev. Jimmie Hawkins. It's a time to consider who God is and who we are as God's people, he said. Lent is a time of penitence, reflection, prayer, fasting and works of love leading up to Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday, with services that include the imposition of ashes on parishioners' foreheads in the shape of a cross as a public sign of repentance. Often
they come from the burning of last year's Palm Sunday palms. Hawkins spoke at the community Ash Wednesday service held at First Presbyterian Church downtown. He is pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church and president of Durham Congregations in Action. Churches sponsoring the service also included Trinity United Methodist Church, St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Fisher Memorial United Holy Church and Watts Street Baptist Church. Hawkins reflected on the Old Testament reading from Isaiah 58, about challenging what it means to offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God. It requires more than rituals, he said. ... Hawkins said, "We're calling for a Jesus revolution, to stand for what is right for all people." He said that Jesus challenges those to share with others that which they have been given. Hawkins and Rev. Marilyn Hedgpeth, associate pastor of First Presbyterian, imposed ashes on the foreheads of those in attendance with the words, "From ashes (dust) we have come (Genesis 2:7), to ashes (dust) we will return (Job 10:9, Ecclesiastes 3:20)." Lent is a time to prepare for the celebration [of Easter] and to acknowledge the need for repentance, Hedgpeth said. "We begin our journey … with an ancient sign of the frailty of life." [article link]
***{Basic Christian (Version 2.0) - Easter Holy Week Resurrection Day 2011 - Now Available - as a FREE Download} Note: The 'Adobe Air' document [BasicChristian.air] can be downloaded to any desktop computer (PC or Mac) and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - Right click this link) {Note: This is the Basic Christian resource format that I'm now using the most (though it doesn't have the universal search feature of a PDF file). It has all the Basic Christian documents [Contents] easily accessible and it also has the ability for each user to change font sizes [lower right slide bar], add comments [Comments Pod] and also a section to add your own quick links [Favorites] to other websites a feature that I use daily to quickly visit several websites and blogs.} The project is now in the Easter Holy Week Resurrection Day - 2011 Version. It will provide excellent anytime devotions and is perfect as a Holy Week (Easter) gift for others. Most importantly [with the free Adobe Air (2.5.1) program] the end user can create their own comments list, add links to other websites, blogs, rss feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive individual Christian, research, devotional and study tool project. -- Now Available for Download! [article link]
Pop Benedict's 'Jesus' and the Jews - The second volume of Pope Benedict XVI's "Jesus of Nazareth" has already created a splash - Even before the book's release, numerous Jewish leaders lavished effusive praise on Benedict for the volume's exculpation of the Jews in Jesus' crucifixion - Not only is the reach greater, but Benedict provides an extensive rationale and a close biblical analysis of why Jews bear no blame for Jesus' death {No more blame than we all as sinners bear for the necessary sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.} (1) Not only is the reach greater, but [Pope] Benedict provides an extensive rationale and a close biblical analysis of why Jews bear no blame for Jesus' death. In his reading of the Gospels and Catholic theology, it is clear that no one should be blamed [more than anyone else] for Jesus' death, since, as he argues, **the crucifixion was necessary for God's plan of universal redemption. In Benedict's keen hermeneutic, even the hitherto toxic cry of the Jewish mob, "His blood be upon us and our children" (Matthew 27:25), **is a plea [possibly unknown at the time] for purification and salvation because [we now know N.T.] that is what Jesus' blood signifies in Christian teachings. It is [ultimately] a cry for reconciliation, not of vengeance or admission of guilt {Note: I agree with this 100%}. (2) As a theological conservative, Benedict has written previously that the Jewish covenant at Sinai [O.T.] has been superseded [N.T.]. But his supersessionism has always been focused on the end of time, and he has maintained that **Jewish unification with the church is "hardly possible, and perhaps not even desirable before the eschaton (end of the age)." In his latest book, he expands this idea, insisting that for now "Israel retains its own [N.T.] mission" and that ***saving Israel "is in the hands of God" meaning, presumably, not in the hands of Christian missionaries. Had Christians followed this doctrine throughout the millennia, less Jewish blood would have ran in the streets, and Jews would have been freer to practice their faith with dignity. Benedict's expectation of the future acceptance of Christian faith by everyone
takes the practical threat out of Christian supersessionism for Jews today. And if some Jews still object to his eschatological supersessionism, they should remember that **it is not far from what most traditional Jews believe will occur in the "end of days," when gentiles will accept Judaism's God [the God of the Jews (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) is the only True God] and, as Jews proclaim regularly in our Aleinu prayer, "In that day, the Lord will be One and His name One" {Note: I agree with this 100%}. (3) Benedict has chosen to stress these teachings not because of Jewish pressure nor to be politically correct. He wrote the book for Catholics around the world, not to win Jewish minds and hearts. Evidently Benedict understands that purging the New Testament and Catholic thinking of all traces of the Adversus [Adverse] Judaeos [Judaism] motifs so prevalent [and wrong] in early and medieval Christian theology is essential if he is to purify the faith of Christian believers. This makes the most recent installment of "Jesus of Nazareth" an all the more important and impressive work {Note: I agree with this 100%}. [article link]
Armor Bearers: Video Blogger Calls FBC Jax Watchdog Investigation "Church Mafia Tactics" - Armor bearers are retired or active law enforcement officers to serve in churches as security guards who will often perform special favors for the pastor or church leadership - because they have the power to do so, and because they believe they are doing God's will {Note: shortly after I had graduated from the Calvary Chapel 'School of Ministry' suddenly there was a Churchwide initiative led by Pastor Chuck Smith to get a certain Orange County officer elected as Sheriff. I thought it was odd having come from SoM school where Chuck himself had "stressed" the importance of ministering only the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not getting involved in politics. I can see now how important it is for petty little pastors like a Chuck Smith Sr. to believe that they have favors they can call in with law enforcement and politicians. -- My thought in life right now is that a person can live through many perils in life but surviving the wrath of petty, jealous, dishonest, incompetent, self-serving, self-important, selfrightious, greedy, money grubbing, pretend church leaders and pastors is probably not a possibility.} Kevin Oliver has created a video blog post commenting on the Watchdog investigation, and discusses what he calls "armor bearers" in churches. Armor bearers are retired or active law enforcement officers to serve in churches as security guards who will often perform special favors for the pastor or church leadership - because they have the power to do so, and because they believe they are doing God's will. Kevin characterizes the FBC Jax Watchdog investigation and trespass warnings and deacon's resolution as "Church Mafia Tactics". In Kevin's video, he shows excerpts from a Jacksonville TV news report after the lawsuit was settled last October, shows a few shots of Mac Brunson in action, and he even posts a minute of FBC Jax (former) president of trustees A.C. Soud reading the deacon's resolution (that would be resolution number 2009-1, not to confuse it with the other deacon's resolutions) warning church members not to criticize, else they will be perceived as attacking the Lord's church. Kevin gets a good chuckle at that. Check out Kevin's video blog post below. [article link]
Firestorm grows over 'Christian heresy' book - "A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived" was heading towards universalism (i.e. everyone goes to their own version of heaven regardless of their acceptance of the cross, works and sacrifice of Jesus Christ) - The book was scheduled to be released March 29, but Harper One [HarperCollins] pushed the release up to March 15 [Ides of March] - next Tuesday {Possibly intentionally being released on the 15th of March to commemorate yet another NWO accomplished agenda and stab in the back to traditional Christianity.} He said the controversy swirling is unlike anything else he has seen in this category of books. "I'm not sure I've ever seen this amount of anticipation," he said. "Love Wins" is Bell's first book since his break from Zondervan, the Christian publisher based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that published Bell's first four books and also publishes the New International Version [NIV] of the Bible, one of the most popular translations of the Bible among evangelicals. Bell's split from Zondervan came in part over this new book. "The break with Zondervan was amicable," Tauber said. "In the end the president of Zondervan made the decision. The proposal came in and they said, 'This proposal doesn't fit in with our mission.'" Zondervan would not discuss its relationship with
Bell but released a statement: Zondervan has published four books by Rob Bell, as well as numerous Nooma videos in which Rob was featured. We published these titles because we believed they were consistent with Zondervan's [fooling of Christians - occult] mission statement and publishing philosophy. We still believe these titles are impactful with their message and positive contribution and intend to continue to publish them. Tauber said when he got the call that Bell's new book was up for bid, HarperOne jumped at the chance. "There were at least four or five major publishers that were involved in bidding for this book," he said. *When pressed for financial figures of the deal, he said, "We're talking a six-figure deal for the advance, but I can't say more than that." Tauber said HarperOne had been "keeping an eye on him" since Bell's first [ghost authored actually written by an anonymous, interested, agenda driven, vested 3rd party] book, "Velvet Elvis," came in as a proposal. That book went on to sell 500,000 copies. Bell skyrocketed to prominence with the the Nooma series, which were short teachings by Bell, away from the pulpit and with indie film sensibilities. The high production values and quick releases of the short films made them a hit in [easily deceived] evangelical circles. In them Bell honed his trademark style of asking tough traditional questions about faith and exploring them from angles other than traditional answers. [article link]
{Excellent!!} What Color is the Sky in Their World? - Abortion and Pastor Chuck Smith - Pastor Chuck 'give me the money' Smith unhinged and unsound during his own ministry radio call-in show {Note: Why was the call allowed on air and not handled responsibly off the air? That was also my first thought and probably it's because Pastor Chuck Smith is trying to act as an unbiblical secular agent of change (and he has to perform and produce results for his handlers and overseers) - attempting to drastically change traditional Church positions into a progressive emergent (ecumenical - new age, U.N.) position. Acceptance of abortion is an important aspect to the New World Order and Calvary Chapel Pastor Chuck Smith, Don Stewart, Brian Broderson, Cheryl Broderson, Greg Laurie, etc. and many others already existing within the Church (often in key areas) are probably embedded NWO agents attempting at every opportunity to enact their unchristian, worldly, secular and even Satanic agendas within the true Christian Church.} (Mp3) Abortion and Pastor Chuck Smith, February 19th, 2011, On today's program I take a closer look at Pastor Chuck Smith and his advise to a caller on the program Pastors Perspectives. [article link]
fbcjaxwatchdog: Two Rivers Baptist Church Changes Name, Drops Baptist, Wants a "Fresh Start" - Two Rivers Baptist Church, a mega church that made headlines when their former pastor Jerry Sutton and other church leaders gave the boot to about 80 church members who used the courts to try to gain access to church financial records when they were denied by church leaders - Ultimately Sutton resigned and last I knew he was teaching at Liberty University [LU] - Sutton won a few battles, but he lost the ultimate war - and so did his church - Sutton was not caught in open sin, had very high morals and integrity - but the manner in which information was shared or not shared, and how he treated those with legitimate questions and concerns, ultimately led to most everyone at the church agreeing his ability to lead the church was seriously eroded Long-time Watchdog readers will recall the posts I made back in 2008 about the troubles of Two Rivers Baptist Church, a mega church that made headlines when their former pastor Jerry Sutton and other church leaders gave the boot to about 80 church members who used the courts to try to gain access to church financial records when they were denied by church leaders. Ultimately Sutton resigned and last I knew he was teaching at Liberty University. It was just two years prior to this fiasco that Sutton was nominated for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2006 but lost in a close election to Frank Page. -- When the story broke in July 2008 of Sutton's resignation and his $318,000 severance package after this very public battle between he and church members, I wrote the following on my blog July 29, 2008, months before the Watchdog blog became a front-page news story in Jacksonville, and even months before the FBC Jax detective opened his investigation into my blog: "This story should send shockwaves through the SBC, particularly to those pastors at large to mega sized churches that operate with very little accountability and openness and transparency to
their members - like Mac Brunson. I will not go into specific commentary in this article on what I believe these lessons are; I first want to just share information with the FBC Jax members to read to become more familiar with the chain of events that led to Sutton's inability to continue to lead his church. The story involves questions of financial accountability, pastor's salary, getting answers to financial questions, church discipline against those seeking the answers, and expelling of church members seeking those answers. Sutton won a few battles, but he lost the ultimate war - and so did his church. Sutton was not caught in open sin, had very high morals and integrity - but the manner in which information was shared or not shared, and how he treated those with legitimate questions and concerns, ultimately led to most everyone at the church agreeing his ability to lead the church was seriously eroded." ... So who knows....they have a new pastor at Two Rivers, and now they have a new name. I wish them all the best, and maybe they can be an example of a church that in these days can recover from the public embarrassment brought about by failed leadership. [article link]
Seems the Folks at Liberty [LU] Listen to the Dividing Line - Last night Ergun Caner's [bogus] endorsement of the book "A Deadly Misunderstanding" by [former Republican Congressman] Mark Siljander - This afternoon we were just informed that it has [since] been removed, and, it has - I will be interested to see if Caner makes any kind of statement and, even more so, if he bothers to explain how he could be in the acknowledgements as having [supposedly] done editing work on the book 03/04/2011 - James White, Last night Ergun Caner's endorsement was listed at www.adeadlymisunderstanding.com/endorsements.php. This afternoon we were just informed that it has been removed, and, it has. Of course, that hardly can impact the print editions that are still out there, but since I have heard of a second edition coming out, maybe it will disappear from there? I will be interested to see if Caner makes any kind of statement and, even more so, if he bothers to explain how he could be in the acknowledgements as having done editing work on the book. If he has removed his endorsement, why? We would all like to know. [article link]
An Update on the Disappearance of Caner's Endorsement of Siljander's Book - In any case, I would like to ask either Mark Siljander or Ergun Caner [or LU] to explain the disappearance of the endorsement - If Ambassador Siljander pulled it, why? And if Ergun Caner pulled it, again, why? Were the words that appeared in the endorsement true when written? If they were, why remove them? I was thinking after posting the information about Caner's endorsement disappearing from the Siljander website...what if this had nothing to do with Caner? What if someone contacted Mark Siljander, provided him with the mountain of documentation proving that everything Cal Thomas said about Caner, as recorded in the book, is bogus (born and raised in Turkey, came here to convert us, blah blah blah), and he realized he did not need that kind of publicity? I jumped to the conclusion that the "endorsement pull" came from Caner's side (given that it would be downright simplistic to post videos of Caner blasting everything Siljander says about Islam, jihad, etc. In fact, let's do that right now: ... Notice the string of falsehoods: madrassas in Istanbul and Cairo (he didn't mention Beirut in this one), coming here when he was 14 (he was 2.5 and he knew it when he said it), and the lie that he knew nothing about America (tough to back that one up when you grow up in Ohio)---of course, we could give him a pass on saying he knew nothing about America when he actually did come here. Most 2.5 year olds are not overly culturally literate. But note that his view of jihad is the exact view of jihad Siljander attacks and decries and identifies as the main part of the problem in his book!). But what if the pull came from Siljander's side? An interesting possibility. [article link]
{Excellent!!} Original Report: Mark Siljander's Insider Movement Promoting Book, and Ergun Caner's Endorsement of It, Today on the DL (Mp3) 03/03/2011 - James White, On January 31st I was contacted by a professor in a reformed seminary relating to Mark Siljander's book, A Deadly Misunderstanding. That happened to be the day I left for London, so I do not
recall when, exactly, I purchased the book via Kindle. I know I began listening to it on a 75 mile climbing ride on February 23rd. I finished listening to it yesterday on another marathon ride. The subject of the book, its argumentation, its relationship to Ergun Caner and his alleged expertise in Islam (or lack thereof), and the continued blight upon Christian apologetics represented by the Great Evangelical Coverup led by Norman Geisler and others, is the substance of the entirety of today's program. Get a comfy seat and listen carefully, this is important stuff. Here's the program. -- By the way, here is Ergun Caner's endorsement of the Siljander work: "I believe passionately that Mark has discovered a real pathway here-a means to open dialogue [denying true Christianity and embracing cults and the occult] that we have not seen in centuries." Dr. Ergun Caner President of Liberty University [LU] Theological Seminary [article link]
{Flashback} That's (Yale dropout) Dr. Glenn Beck-Thanks to Liberty University - Saturday morning [May 15, 2010] in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty University [LU] conveyed an honorary doctorate in humanities and scientists on [LDS] Mormon conservative media heavyweight Glenn Beck {Wow! - Liberty University has now gone the ecumenical route in a big way! - What will really be interesting is when Glen Beck returns his free Doctorate back to LU because of the taint of the Caner scandal. -- Update: About the time of these events while surfing some postings on the internet regarding Liberty University some people were calling Liberty University "Fiberty University" because of the Ergun Caner lies and also calling Liberty University "a diploma mill" because they will sell a diploma [especially on-line] to anyone for money and case in point give a free unearned Doctorate to Glen Beck. But really hasn't that been the Jerry Falwell Sr. and now the Falwell Jr. scam from the beginning to create divisive issues among people and to profit off of Christians.} Breaking into his trademark tears, Beck told the stadium of 8,000 Liberty University grads and 20,000 friends and family members, "as a man who was never able to go to college-I went for one semester but I couldn't afford any more than that---I am humbled and honored." Beck immediately offered an apology of sorts for his Mormonism, saying that it was an act of "courage" for the fundamentalist Baptist Liberty University to invite him to speak and that he understood it was "not meant as an endorsement of my faith," offering instead his own "endorsement of your faith," emphasizing his personal belief in Jesus Christ, and exhorting the audience to "look to God and live," a reference to the story of Moses and the brazen serpent (Numbers 21: 7-9). Using research and citation methods that would have earned him a failing grade in any respectable freshman composition class, Beck took a swipe at Barack Obama's May 1 commencement address to the University of Michigan, suggesting that Obama had discouraged the search for "truth" by describing the incredible availability of information in the digital age as a source of confusion. Beck then described one semester at Yale University, during which an unnamed professor discouraged him from reading an unnamed book and instructed that he instead read another unnamed book, virtually bullying him from the classroom podium to do so. Beck encouraged students to reject the Obama-Yale-information-elite and instead use their "God-given right" on a "Holy Spirit"-led search for truth wherever it might lead…. [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - March 15 (This Day in History) 44 B.C. the "Ides of March" Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the Senate House of Rome March 15, 44 B.C. On the "Ides of March," Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the senate house by a group of conspirators led by Cimber, Casca, Cassius, and Marcus Junius Brutus. [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - The Ides (15th) of March - Used in the first Roman calendar as well as in the Julian calendar (established by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. - the year before his assassination) the confusing system of Kalends, Nones, and Ides continued to be used to varying degrees throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance The soothsayer's warning to Julius Caesar, "Beware the Ides of March," has forever imbued that date with a sense of foreboding. But in Roman times the expression "Ides of March" did not necessarily evoke a dark
mood-it was simply the standard way of saying "March 15." Surely such a fanciful expression must signify something more than merely another day of the year? Not so. Even in Shakespeare's time, sixteen centuries later, audiences attending his play Julius Caesar wouldn't have blinked twice upon hearing the date called the Ides. The term Ides comes from the earliest Roman calendar, which is said to have been devised by Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome. Whether it was Romulus or not, the inventor of this calendar had a penchant for complexity. The Roman calendar organized its months around three days, each of which served as a reference point for counting the other days: "Kalends" (1st day of the month) - "Nones" (the 7th day in March, May, July, and October; the 5th in the other months) - "Ides" (the 15th day in March, May, July, and October; the 13th in the other months). The remaining, unnamed days of the month were identified by counting backwards from the Kalends, Nones, or the Ides. For example, March 3 would be V Nones-5 days before the Nones (the Roman method of counting days was inclusive; in other words, the Nones would be counted as one of the 5 days). [article link]
The "Christian calendar" is the term traditionally used to designate the calendar commonly in use - The Christian calendar has years of 365 or 366 days. It is divided into 12 months that have no relationship to the motion of the moon - In parallel with this system, the concept of weeks groups the days in sets of 7 - Two main versions of the Christian calendar have existed in recent times: The Julian calendar and the Gregorian calendar The difference between them lies in the way they approximate the length of the tropical year and their rules for calculating Easter What is the Julian calendar? - The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C.E. Author David Duncan says the Julian calendar was born of Caesar's tryst with Cleopatra. Before the Julian calendar was introduced, priests in the Roman Empire exploited the calendar for political ends, inserting days and even months into the calendar to keep the politicians they favored in office. Tired of the chaos that this undependable system eventually gave rise to, Julius Caesar finally set out to put the long-abused calendar back on track. It was in common use until the late 1500s, when countries started changing to the Gregorian calendar. However, some countries (for example, Greece and Russia) used it into the early 1900s, and the Orthodox church in Russia still uses it, as do some other Orthodox churches. In the Julian calendar, the tropical year is approximated as 365¼ days = 365.25 days. This gives an error of 1 day in approximately 128 years. The approximation 365¼ is achieved by having 1 leap year every 4 years. [article link]
A History of the [Calendar] Months and the Meanings of their Names - July -- Julius Caesar's month - August -Augustus Caesar's month -- "Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from *Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed." A History of the Months: The original Roman year had 10 named months Martius "March", Aprilis "April", Maius "May", Junius "June", Quintilis "July", Sextilis "August", September "September", October "October", November "November", December "December", and probably two unnamed months in the dead of winter when not much happened in agriculture. The year began with Martius "March". Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome circa 700 BC, added the two months Januarius "January" and Februarius "February". He also moved the beginning of the year from Marius to Januarius and changed the number of days in several months to be odd, a lucky number. After Februarius there was occasionally an additional month of Intercalaris "intercalendar". This is the origin of the leap-year day being in February. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar (hence the Julian calendar) changing the number of days in many months and removing Intercalaris. [article link]
The Seven-Day Week and the Meanings of the Names of the Days - Sunday -- Sun's day - Monday -- Moon's day The Naming of the Days: The Greeks named the days week after the sun, the moon and the five known planets, which were in turn named after the gods Ares, Hermes, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Cronus. The Greeks called the days of the week the Theon hemerai "days of the Gods". The Romans substituted their equivalent gods for the
Greek gods, Mars, Mercury, Jove (Jupiter), Venus, and Saturn. (The two pantheons are very similar.) The Germanic peoples generally substituted roughly similar gods for the Roman gods, Tiu (Twia), Woden, Thor, Freya (Fria), but did not substitute Saturn. [article link]
Update: Back and blogging the scheduled "8 Kingdoms of the World" blog History Study Continuing with the 8 Kingdoms blog History Study. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
**Update: Basic Christian - I posted some family video that my father and I did in 2005 - It gives a little background into who I am - The blog History Study 'The 8 Kingdoms' will be on a continued short break until about next week Online and download video - God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
Update: Basic Christian - Out of town again for the next few days - The blog History Study 'The 8 Kingdoms' will be on a short break until about next week Note: Regarding the current global turmoil and perilous times for Christians [i.e. four (Christian) American hostages on board a yacht hijacked by pirates last week were killed by their (Somali) captors Tuesday, U.S. Central Command said in a statement - CNN]. - Brothers and Sisters, no person is promised a tomorrow but we are all promised an eternity in Jesus Christ! -- "James 4:14-15 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow (tomorrow). For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." -- "Mark 10:29-30 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake, and the Gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; *and in **the world to come ***eternal life." - God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
HeartLight: Taken from My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers - Have You Ever Been Carried Away For Him? - Have I ever realized that I can bring to God things which are of value to Him, or am I mooning round the magnitude of His Redemption whilst there are any number of things I might be doing? - It is never a question of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself - When we are abandoned to God, He works through us If human love does not carry a man beyond himself, it is not love. If love is always discreet, always wise, always sensible and calculating, never carried beyond itself, it is not love at all. It may be affection, it may be warmth of feeling, but it has not the true nature of love in it. Have I ever been carried away to do something for God not because it was my duty, nor because it was useful, nor because there was anything in it at all beyond the fact that I love Him? Have I ever realized that I can bring to God things which are of value to Him, or am I mooning round the magnitude of His Redemption whilst there are any number of things I might be doing? Not Divine, colossal things which could be recorded as marvellous, but ordinary, simple human things which will give evidence to God that I am abandoned to Him? Have I ever produced in the heart of the Lord Jesus what Mary of Bethany produced? There are times when it seems as if God watches to see if we will give Him the abandoned tokens of how genuinely we do love Him. Abandon to God is of more value than personal holiness. Personal holiness focuses the eye on our own whiteness; we are greatly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, fearful lest we offend Him. Perfect love casts out all that when once we are abandoned to God. We have to get rid of this notion - "Am I of any use?" and make up our minds that we are not, and we may be near the truth. It is never a question of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself. When we are abandoned to God, He works through us all the time. [article link]
Basic Christian - Continuing the disastrous current [Middle-East uprisings] and coming events of 6/5/2011 and 6/6/2011 - Re: The Family Radio (FR) Worldwide [Harold Camping - familyradio.com] judgment Day: May 21, 2011 The current events are very probably intended to be the cumulating events of 9-11-2001. It is just that the ending events [Sunday June 5 + Monday June 6 = 11, [June] 6 is an upside-down 9 [September] meaning that June 5 & 6, 2011 is numerically a 9-11-2011] events that take place over two days instead of the one day of [911-2001] specifically and these several months, years and decades in general. The current and coming 6/5/2011 and 6/6/2011 events are the possible attempted conclusion of a previous NWO 9-11-2001. I'm not saying not go to Church or assemble on Sunday June 5, 2011 but to be very careful, alert and on guard for our own safety and the safety of others as well as Church property and buildings. All of this current Global and Domestic disorder [that has been staged and simmering for decades (i.e. Qaddafi)] is being brought to a NWO intended use and attempted New Age furtherance including even a radical conclusion to the previous two thousand years of history in a possible attempted initiation of a new global eon a proposed era that is not in any way based on or connected to Christianity. - God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
Update: Basic Christian - On May 21st I'll again be out of town - Regarding: The Family Radio (FR) Worldwide [Harold Camping] - Judgment Day: May 21, 2011 [familyradio.com] - Being out of town on that day I'll have to respond in advance to these events and will do so in this post Harold Camping is deceptively issuing a knowingly false message that is a part of a much larger 'Peace and Safety' then total war 6/6 scheme. "1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and Safety [after the 5/21 false prophecy of Harold Camping]; then sudden destruction (total war, i.e. Egypt, Iran, etc.) [about 6/6/2011] cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." - Harold Camping is knowingly issuing a false and deceptive date of destruction for May 21, 2011 as a part of a larger destruction scheme. Then naturally when his destruction events don't unfold people will naturally be misguided into thinking that global events are proceeding in a continuous manner the way they always have been while in reality it is very possible that the exact opposite is occurring. The current overthrow and military empowerment events of the Middle-East [Egypt, Iran, etc.] are carefully timed and orchestrated events. Events that are possibly being directed at a coming global attack on the Nation of Israel and on as many individual Christians and Jews worldwide as is possible. It is of utmost importance that the Nation of Israel and all Jews and Christians throughout the entire world be aware and on the lookout for events of 6/6/2011, events that are possibly timed and coordinated to be the conclusion of the previously started 2001 [9-11-2001] events, events that began to manifest ten years ago. - God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
UPDATE 5-Saudi in talks to fill Libya oil gap-sources - Top world oil exporter Saudi Arabia is in talks with European companies affected by the disruption in Libyan supply and is willing and able to plug any gaps in supply, senior Saudi sources said on Thursday * OPEC can provide all kinds of oil if needed * East-West pipeline can shorten journey to Europe * Italian, Spanish companies contacted-Industry sources * OPEC has yet to officially change output policy (Updates with U.S. lawmakers.) By Amena Bakr and Alex Lawler RIYADH/LONDON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Top world oil exporter Saudi Arabia is in talks with European companies affected by the disruption in Libyan supply and is willing and able to plug any gaps in supply, senior Saudi sources said on Thursday. Oil industry sources said Saudi officials have been in touch with Spanish and Italian oil firms -- among those hit by the Libyan shutdowns. The companies were assessing their needs and have yet to ask for any more Saudi oil. The Saudi sources said Saudi Arabia was able to pump more of the kind of high-quality crude produced by OPEC member Libya and that it could be shipped quickly to Europe with the help of a pipeline that crosses the kingdom. Oil prices have surged towards $120 a barrel because of the unrest and disruption to supply in Libya. Refineries in Europe import about 80 percent of Libya's 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) of exports, analysts say. "We are in active talks with
European refineries to find out what quality they want and we are ready to ship it as soon as they need it. This is the way buyers and sellers work. We need to find out what they want before we take any action," a senior Saudi source told Reuters. "Some OPEC countries have started looking at ways to divert their crude to Europe." Analysts have said the loss of virtually all Libya's production is particularly serious because it is high-quality and easy to refine, in contrast to the heavier crudes often associated with OPEC countries. But the Saudi sources said the kingdom had the right kind of crude available. "Saudi is willing and capable of supplying oil of the same quality, either Arab Extra Light or through blending," one of the sources said. While the U.S. imports only small volumes of Libyan crude, three U.S. lawmakers on Thursday urged President Barack Obama to consider tapping America's emergency oil supply to help ease crude prices that have spiked above $100 a barrel over disruptions in Libya. The Democratic congressmen, including Massachusetts' Edward Markey asked Obama to release crude from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help forestall a potential rise in crude prices to record levels of $147 reached in 2008. "We have the capacity to act in case of a major supply disruption," said White House spokesman Jay Carney. [article link]
Arab League to hold emergency meeting on Libya - in its headquarters in Cairo, about the same time when the UN Security Council is due to meet over Libya in New York {Note: This is excellent and interesting news it seems that we really are entering a new era were the leaders "Kings of the earth" are going to step in and take a more meaningful role in government affairs especially regarding reigning in corrupt and abusive governments of the world.} CAIRO, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) announced that it will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss the violent clashes in Libya. The meeting of the permanent representatives of AL's 22 members will convene at 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) in its headquarters in Cairo, about the same time when the UN Security Council is due to meet over Libya in New York. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa called on Monday for an end to the violence in Libya, noting that "the demands of the Arab peoples for reform, development and change are legitimate, and the Arab nations' feelings are joined together in this decisive moment in the history of the region." Protestors began to take to the streets in Libya last Wednesday, calling for an end to Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year-old rule. The pan- Arab TV Al-Jazeera and other media reported that Libya's security forces are using violence to suppress the protests, triggering serious concerns from the United Nations, the Arab Leagues, and the other countries. [article link]
Bahrainis Rally to the Government - Tens of thousands of Bahrainis have rallied in support of their government, dwarfing the opposition's movement {Note: Excellent news! If the government (Royal family) of Bahrain can remain stable (with the help of Saudi Arabia) and in power [and they very probably will] this will be a big help in stabilizing the region. Saudi Arabia is the real behind the scenes influential power and leader in the MiddleEast. Also Note: When we return to our 8 Kingdoms Study we are going to have a brief look at some of the modern influential Royal families (Saudi Arabia, Japan, Canada, England, etc.)} MANAMA: Tens of thousands of Bahrainis have rallied in support of their government, dwarfing the opposition's movement and raising questions about whether the calls for reforms will lead instead to more sectarianism. Their demonstration on Monday came as a hardline Shiite leader called for an end to Bahrain's monarchy and another made plans to fly back to the country yesterday. Hassan Mushaima's return would be another test for authorities, who have a warrant outstanding for his arrest. Many moderates encamped at the Pearl Square roundabout in Manama said on Monday that they simply want Bahrain's royal family to look more like Britain's, and that the country's Shiite majority deserves the same opportunities as the minority who, like the royal family, are Sunni. But calls for the royal family to go escalated nevertheless. Bahrain's king announced plans on Monday to free an unspecified number of political prisoners, a move apparently aimed at appeasing the opposition. The crown prince meanwhile has cancelled Bahrain's formula one race next month. On Monday a new movement called the National Unity Group, which has close ties to the government and Sunni
community, positioned itself as an alternative to the popular protests. Sunnis, backed by some Shiites, poured into a courtyard in front of al Fateh Mosque to hear the proclamations of the scholar Sheikh Abdul Latif, its founder. [article link]
Contending for Truth with Dr. Scott Johnson - End Time Current Events: 2-20-11 (Mp3) Teaching Overview: All Mexican children to be registered in national biometric records-Identity-tracking scheme assembled under radar for 'border pass' program - Kill Switch Beta: Government Blocks 84,000 Websites - Rick Warren Speaks Out Against Those Warning the Church of Meditation - VCY America Interviews Saddleback Health Seminar Attendee - Apostasy Exposed! - Rick Warren's Three Legged Stool Further UnfoldsFasten Your Seatbelts! - STATE-OWNED CHURCHES ARE KILLING AMERICA - Satan's Master Plan to Destroy the Lord's Church. [article link]
ApostasyWatch: Not of Works - Does God bless our best efforts? (Mp3) These MP3 audio files may be streamed from this website or downloaded to your computer or smart phone for playback with windows media player or other MP3 compatible device. To download simply place your cursor on the desired title. Right click and select "save link as..." You will be prompted to save the audio into a file on your hard drive. All audio's are free and may be distributed freely within the bounds of all applicable copyright laws. [article link]
FightingForTheFaith: Re-imagining God in the 21st Century (Mp3) • Pastor Rap Relevance Fail • Re-imagining God in the 21st Century • Roman Catholic Mystic, Richard Rohr on Evolutionary Christianity • Two Good Sermons from Pastors Hodel and Cwirla [article link]
{Excellent Article!!} SolaSisters: On Arresting the Temper by Jeremy Clarke, Legacy Baptist Church, NW Arkansas - You see it is the very nature of the sin nature to invoke self-flattery and excuse, as a means of concealing your (our) iniquity, and therefore suppress any potential for self-abhorrence and repentance {Note: If this Christian message and messages like it were to be preached routinely from every pulpit and implemented within every Christian then the Christian Church would be thriving instead of the anemic self-destructive system of selfrighteousness that we now have permeating Christian fellowship.} You see it is the very nature of the sin nature to invoke self-flattery and excuse, as a means of concealing your iniquity, and therefore suppress any potential for self-abhorrence and repentance. That means to say that our propensity is to justify vice, rather than to acknowledge it and confess it for what it is….and subsequently repent of it. Now there are many vices that we deceitfully attempt to excuse as legitimate. But the one vice in particular that seems to consistently invoke self-flattery and excuse is the destructive vice of anger. What danger lurks in the heart of the un-resisted temper! We should never think that arresting this wicked vice is of little importance, beloved. An inflamed, wrathful, angry, resentful professor of Christ does nothing to promote the gospel…and, in fact, teaches a person to hate it more effectively than a liar or even a thief. And yet the same Authority that condemns these vices also forbids the fleshly fruit of a harsh temper no less vehemently. Therefore, it is as much the responsibility of the Christian to subdue an unruly temper as it is to mortify the most offensive immoral behavior. ... Listen, the very testimony of your faith (and the happiness of others) weighs greatly upon your daily, moment-by-moment exercise of arresting the flesh, and nurturing…in those critical moments…the gentle, quiet spirit that exudes total trust, peace, and confidence in God. Such was the testimony of the very life of the Lord Jesus. His was a pristine life of meekness throughout…even when unjustly condemned by men. And will you, a wretch, attempt to flatter and excuse your anger in the midst of circumstances infinitely less severe? ... If you are to be a radiant testimony for the gospel….if you are to "adorn the faith", then watch and pray with all devotion for meekness….in yourself and for those who are sojourners
with you. Do not flatter and excuse your anger…but rather, bow your head at the moment of temptation and ask the Spirit of grace to bring every soft word to bear in turning away wrath. Yield to the resident Helper [Holy Spirit - born again] within, and never relax in your diligence to arrest the carnal dispositions of the flesh until your temper is brought into full obedience to Christ. Discipline and prepare yourself to "Make the most of every opportunity" (Eph 5) to display the splendid virtues of Christ. The days are evil, beloved…..what greater setting for children of light to abound in righteousness? [article link]
Why there should be a case against George W. Bush under [International] torture law - Torture is also one of the few crimes, like piracy, slavery (sex trafficking) and genocide, where there is a global commitment to prevent and punish its commission {Note: At the beginning of a global trial for Bush Jr. many people may not be onboard for it but by the time a televised trial were to conclude and previously nonpublic evidence presented most Americans will have changed their minds. - Also Note: The Bush era surveillance and torture policies put in place and enacted were never about protection or National security had Bush desired at any level to protect the Nation he would have at the very least secured our boarders. The general Bush policies (government, military, banking, finance, etc.) and especially the surveillance and torture policies were all directed at damaging America and not in any way at protecting America.} Let's correct one major misconception some have about the basis for this action and how it relates to the U.S. legal system at the outset. The Convention Against Torture, which mandates that Switzerland and 146 other countries including the United States investigate and prosecute torturers, is part of U.S. law. Its ratification and its enforcement is part of our constitutional democracy. The anti-American and anti-Constitutional acts were Bush's decision to authorize torture and the U.S. failure to hold him accountable. Politics are being used as a weapon against the law by claims that these are policy choices. They are not. As the State Department Legal Advisor Harold Koh stated, torture can never be a "policy choice." Likewise, the investigation and prosecution of our homegrown torturers is a legal obligation and should not be driven by politics. Frum accuses CCR and others of demanding that "Switzerland override an American decision about which Americans should be prosecuted for violating American law." Yes, it is true that the demand is for Swiss courts to investigate torture where the U.S. has not. But the U.S. decision was one that was not just about American law. U.S. law includes an obligation for the U.S. to investigate and prosecute torturers, and through its ratification of the Convention Against Torture and its support of a provision for universal jurisdiction in the Convention, it recognizes the obligation for Switzerland to do so as well when a torturer is on their soil. Switzerland was being asked to do no more and no less than what the United States has committed to do itself. There are to be no safe havens for torturers. None. Torture is a crime that no circumstance -- even national security -- can ever justify. It cannot be redefined to make acts that have long been illegal suddenly permissible. The memos Bush relies on as a defense are no defense at all: as was found by the American prosecutor in Nuremberg, providing legal advice that justifies and leads to war crimes or torture is criminal. And it cannot protect from prosecution. Torture is also one of the few crimes, like piracy, slavery (sex trafficking) and genocide, where there is a global commitment to prevent and punish its commission. [article link]
Wikipedia: Anarchy [different from Freemasonry] - Anarchy (Greek: "without 'oversight' ruler") may refer to any of several political states, and has been variously defined by sources - Most often, the term "anarchy" describes the simple absence of publicly recognized government or enforced political authority - When used in this sense, anarchy may or may not imply political disorder or lawlessness within a society - In another sense, anarchy may not refer to a complete lack of authority or political organization {Note: George W. Bush Jr. is the quintessential Anarchist opposed to oversight of any kind while always embedding within his every motive, gesture and effort the seeds (Anarchy) of ultimate failure and destruction for mankind. Also Note: Freemasonry (building a society) and Anarchy (ultimately destroying a society) are not the same thing though at times their goals may seem to overlap. Real Freemasonry is dedicated to building including the coming Temple [Antichrist]
in Jerusalem while a few Anarchy elements within Freemasonry are more interested in disruption and chaos simply for private personal goals and gain.} Main article: Anarchism - Anarchists are those who advocate the absence of the state, arguing that inherent human nature would allow people to come together in agreement to form a functional society allowing for the participants to freely develop their own sense of morality, ethics or principled behaviour. The rise of anarchism as a philosophical movement occurred in the mid 19th century, with its idea of freedom as being based upon political and economic self-rule. This occurred alongside the rise of the nation-state and large-scale industrial state capitalism or state-sponsored corporatism, and the political corruption that came with their successes. Although anarchists share a rejection of the state, they differ about economic arrangements and possible rules that would prevail in a stateless society, ranging from no ownership, to complete common ownership, to supporters of private property and capitalist free market competition. For example, some forms of anarchism, such as that of anarcho-collectivism, anarcho-communism or anarcho-syndicalism not only seek rejection of the state, but also other systems which they perceive as authoritarian, which include capitalism, capitalist markets, and title-based property ownership. In opposition, a political philosophy known as free-market anarchism, contemporary individualist anarchism or anarcho-capitalism, argues that a society without a state is a free market capitalist system that is voluntarist in nature. The word "anarchy" is often used by non-anarchists as a pejorative term, intended to connote a lack of control and a negatively chaotic environment. However, anarchists still argue that anarchy does not imply nihilism, anomie, or the total absence of rules, but rather an anti-statist society that is based on the spontaneous order of free individuals in autonomous communities. [article link]
Mobile News: Adobe Touts Flash, *AIR Momentum at Mobile World Congress - At the Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona, Adobe Systems says its Flash Platform technology-AIR and Flash Player-is taking off with smartphones and tablets Adobe officials said developers and content publishers can now deploy Adobe AIR applications [i.e. BasicChristian.air] to the more than 84 million smartphones and tablets running Android and [Mac] iOS. Thousands of applications have been created and made available on Android Market and Apple's App Store to date. Moreover, by the end of 2011, Adobe expects more than 200 million smartphones and tablets to support Adobe AIR applications. For examples of popular AIR applications for Android and iOS, visit m.flash.com. [article link]
Adobe: Adobe AIR Version 2.5.1 (Free Download) Note: For details on the changes in AIR 2.5.1, refer to the release notes. [article link]
***{Basic Christian - Adobe Air - Easter Holy Week Resurrection Day 2011 Version - Now Available - as a FREE Download} Note: The Basic Christian Adobe Air document has adjustable font size capabilities [bottom right slide bar] for each individual user -- The 'Adobe Air' document [BasicChristian.air] can be downloaded to any desktop computer and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - Right click this link) The project is now in the Easter Holy Week Resurrection Day - 2011 Version. It will provide excellent anytime devotions and is perfect as a Holy Week (Easter) gift for others. Most importantly [with the new Adobe Air (web 2.0) document features] the end user can create their own comments list, add links to other websites, blogs, rss feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive individual Christian, research, devotional and study tool project. -- Now Available for Download! [article link]
Note: The blog History Study in the next few days is going to continue with a couple of very technical topics i.e. the Holy Spirit, Pentecost and what they mean for the Kingdoms of the earth as well as for each of us as individuals After we finally make it through these last difficult topics then we can get back to the structured Kingdoms
study and finish up the entire 8 Kingdoms Study before Holy Week 2011 and the Easter Resurrection Day celebration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thanks to everyone for staying with the study as we continue to look at difficult topics, topics that are often not discussed in Church settings but we have the blessed opportunity to prayerfully and Biblically consider them in our own individual study. [article link]
1 Kings Chapter 1 King Solomon (Antichrist) Enthroned - Solomon's older half brother Adonijah attempts to seat himself upon the Throne before Solomon can be seated as was promised to Bath-sheba - This could have implications and actually be a model of how the eventual Antichrist is to be seated - Two brothers (also from the same bloodline son of Noah) Adonijah and Solomon vying at the same time for the same Throne - In modern times Adonijah could actually be the emerging E.U. President (with dictitorial powers in 2012) or a U.N. President while Prince William (son of Prince Charles and Dianna) is an obvious Solomon with Lady Dianna also fitting as a type of Bath-sheba - {Note: *The Basic Christian ministry in studying End Times and current events is taking two approaches 1. Trying to present the obvious End Time scenarios as they seemingly are portrayed in current events. 2. Speculating about completely un-obvious events (i.e. UFO's, Aliens, etc.) realizing that the actual Biblical prophecy fulfillments will probably be a combination of the two, the obvious and the unobvious or extreme.) "1 Kings 1:5-7 Then Adonijah the [4th] son of [King David (2 Samuel 3:4) via] Haggith (Aggith 'festive') exalted himself, saying, I will be king [after King David]: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. And his father [King David] had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. And he conferred with Joab [the Military General of Israel] the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the [Tabernacle (Tabernacle of Moses) High Priest via the line of Eli (1 Samuel 2:12, 1 Chronicles 15:11)] priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. But Zadok [1st Temple priest (Solomon's Temple) and the new family line of High Priests (1 Chronicles 29:22)] the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah." - "1 Kings 1:10-14 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he [Adonijah] called not [to the ceremony]. Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, *Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid (Bath-sheba) [Lady Diana also received promises that her son (William) would be enthroned], saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king [David], I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words." - "1 Kings 1:32-46 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king [David]. The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to *Gihon [away from Jerusalem - Solomon (Antichrist [7th Kingdom] is first anointed outside of Jerusalem)]: And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David. So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the
trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar? And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings. And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king. And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule: And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom." [article link]
{Excellent Article!!} Maitreya - Hidden in Plain Sight Part II by Kathi Sundeen - Maitreya [U.N. imposed Antichrist - currently in the person (anouncer - i.e. John the Baptist) of Benjamin Creme, a British artist and long-time student of esoteric (Occult) philosophy, has become the principal source of information about the emergence of Maitreya, the World Teacher - source: share-international.org/background/bcreme/bc_main.htm] - Benjamin Crème says Maitreya will bring lasting [global] peace using an army [billions of people] that is now in position [Pastor - attempting to become the False (Priest) Prophet of Revelation 13] Rick Warren's website tells us [his U.N.] P.E.A.C.E. Plan will have the world's largest army of workers and will "mobilize 1 billion Christians ... to attack the five global, evil giants (i.e. environmentalism, food control, population control, etc. all via U.N. Global Agenda 21 sustainability)...." He said this will require "the global church...." - [January 20th, 2009, Barack H. Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America] Pastor Rick Warren at the ceremony invokes "the compassionate and merciful One" (Allah) at the beginning of the Invocation - This is a title given to the prophet Muhammad in the Quran - The Invocation ends praying in the name of Jesus, as well as Isa [Jesus] the Muslim prophet - This takes on an ominous tone when you consider that the [Rick Warren U.N.] P.E.A.C.E. Plan includes [Christians (via Isa) religiously united with] Muslims {Note: Pastor Rick Warren and friends are trying to Convert Christianity over into a pseudo (New Age version) of Islam (Slavery) all for the purposes of enslaving [Christianity, Islam, and all the cults] into a prearranged U.N. control structure. - Also Note: Pastor Rick Warren (in conjunction with the U.N. and Benjamin Creme) apparently believes himself to be acting in the office of the coming False Prophet of Revelation Chapter 13 and all of the Pastors [Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary (skull) Chapel, Greg Laurie of Harvest Crusade, SBC, Pastor John Piper, etc.] who are supporting and establishing Pastor Rick Warren also seem to believe that Rick Warren might become the [U.N.] False Prophet [Two Horns Like a Lamb] of Revelation 13 though it will never happen in this way via the the U.N.} Two Horns Like a Lamb (Revelation 13): Crème says Maitreya will bring lasting peace using an army that is now in position. Maitreya has called "1 billion" into the army to "save the world." Rick Warren's website tells us the P.E.A.C.E. Plan will have the world's largest army of workers and will "mobilize 1 billion Christians ... to attack the five global, evil giants...." He said this will require "the global church...." Warren invokes "the compassionate and merciful One" at the beginning of the Invocation. This is a title given to the prophet Muhammad in the Quran. The Invocation ends praying in the name of Jesus, as well as Isa, the Muslim prophet. This takes on an ominous tone when you consider that the P.E.A.C.E. Plan includes Muslims. The Quran says, "When you encounter the unbelievers on the battlefield, strike off their heads until you have crushed them completely...." "...And he (the beast with two horns like a lamb, v. 11) had power to ... cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.... I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus...." (Revelation 13:15, 20:4) Maitreya is incognito, and "the people before whom he appears are in every case fundamentalist Christians of one persuasion or another." He appears "almost weekly." Maitreya is one of "three Great Lords" on earth. The three are: Manu (the "perfected man," the Will aspect); Maitreya (the "Christ," the "World Teacher," the Love/Wisdom aspect); and Sanat Kumara (the "Lord of Civilisation," the Intelligence aspect). Mankind will take five initiations during meditation, the first two with Maitreya. Maitreya then presents the initiate to Sanat for the third initiation, the first time man will "come face to face" with God. Sanat oversees the third through fifth initiations. We are told we are not to worship Maitreya, as he is not God. We are repeatedly referred to as "divine sparks of God." Rick Warren also denies [publically] we are God, yet was an exuberant judge in The
Power of Purpose Awards. The winning essay began, "We [chosen ones - not the slaves] must commit to becoming one with that passive spark of divinity longing for actuality...." "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast.... And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb ... and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast...." (Rev. 13:4, 11-12) -- Hidden in Plain Sight: In Warren Smith's book, Deceived on Purpose, we see Rick Warren's extensive use of Eugene Peterson's, The Message, in his writings. The Message [bible] inserts the [Satanic] phrase, "as above, so below, [as above on earth - from below in Satan's hell - earth and hell as one vs. Heaven and earth as one in the Bible (Matthew 6:10)]" into the Lord's Prayer. It means "the transcendent God beyond the physical universe and the immanent God within ourselves are one." Smith points out that Warren used the derivative, "above and below," also from The Message, to quote Col. 1:16. Warren also taught this concept using the New Century Version to quote Eph. 4:6, which renders the verse to say that God is "in" everything. In fact, Smith tells us these exact words are in Saddleback's Foundations Participant's Guide, where it says God "is both transcendent (above and beyond his creation) and immanent (within and throughout his creation)." Crème says Maitreya will "show that God is transcendent, above and beyond man and all creation, while at the same time intrinsic, immanent in all creation." In Warren Smith's book, A Wonderful Deception, we see Rick Warren's connections to New Age sympathizers who teach quantum spirituality, that God is "in" everything, which is a "'New Spirituality' for a new era - the coming 'New Age.'" In the chapter "Fractals, Chaos Theory, Quantum Spirituality, and The Shack," we see the merger of spirituality and science. This "new science" includes fractals and chaos theory. "Fractals reveal a hidden 'order' underlying all seemingly chaotic events." Fractals are repeating patterns, hidden in plain sight, that reveal "as above, so below." Our failure to see the "as above, so below," God "in" everything has resulted in chaos, which will be overcome when humanity sees itself as "one." One of chapters is subtitled "Hidden in Plain Sight." Here, Warren Smith speculates that perhaps the fractal, "as above, so below," was intentionally hidden in plain sight in the Lord's Prayer. Then, at some future point, it would be seen as "the message that was in The Message," a "prophetic sign" from God ... "the key to saving the world...." Crème explains, "You can only understand life in the macro-cosmic sense if you have experienced it in the microcosm. As above, so below. You can know what the greater is if you experience it in you, the smaller, because there is only one life...." On his website for pastors, Rick Warren has an article that again uses The Message to render Col. 1:16, using the "above and below" derivative. In the article, he says, "How does God teach you peace? ... Peace is learned in chaos, in a crisis." Warren has a new book coming out in Nov. 2010, The Hope You Need, which is based on the Lord's Prayer. Will he use The Message to insert "as above, so below"? Could this be the "key to saving the world," the "hope you need" to rid the world of chaos? ... On Nov. 13, 2009, Warren spoke at The Pew Forum, saying, "We intend to be the first church in the history of Christianity to literally fulfill the great commission ... by the end of this next year. We will be the first church in 2000 years of Christianity to literally go to every nation." He explained they will be doing the P.E.A.C.E. Plan. [article link]
Three Beast Offices of Revelation (Chapters 13 and 16) - All three Satanic offices of Satan in Revelation were also all combined in the one ruler the 6th King Julius Caesar - The 7th Kingdom then re-emerging from the previously established and initiated 6th Kingdom of Rome and the three offices [Priest "Flamen Dialis", Military General and King (Caesar)] of Julius Caesar "Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast [Satan-Antichrist, King-Caesar] rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." - "Revelation 13:11-17 And I beheld another beast [false prophet, priest, "Flamen Dialis"] coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they
should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." - "Revelation 16:13-14 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan], and out of the mouth of the beast [human Antichrist], and out of the mouth of the false prophet [priest]. For they are the [Military, General Caesar] spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, *to gather them to the **battle of that great day of God Almighty." [article link]
7th Kingdom Revised Rome, Unthroned - In these the days of the revising of the Revised Roman Empire 7th Kingdom each Nation that comprises the core of the emerged [European] Empire has each at one time or another vied often very successfully as a location to be the Throne Nation for the 7th Kingdom however each Nation has also neglected to one degree or another to form a cohesive relationship with the Jews in exile [on the 29th November, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz-Israel (Land of Israel) - Wiki.com] and now the Nation of Israel and therefore has been unable up until this point in time to successfully enthrone the 7th Kingdom Roman Emperor Claudius expelled all the Jews from Rome in 49 A.D. -- Jewish History Sourcebook: The Expulsion of the Jews from France in 1182 A.D. -- Edict of Expulsion (of Jews from England), given by Edward I King of England in 1290 -- Spanish Edict of the Expulsion of the Jews 1492 -- Expulsion of the Jews from Frankfurt, Germany on August 23, 1614 - In 1933, (Germany) persecution of the Jews became active Nazi policy -- Various "land-for-peace" negotiations co-sponsored by the USA and the USSR, In the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, US President George H.W. Bush Sr. and his Secretary of State James Baker formulated the framework of objectives, and together with the Soviet Union extended a letter of invitation, dated October 30, 1991 [Madrid Conference of 1991] to Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and the Palestinians -- September 10, 2001 President Bush Jr., Arabia and Israel "land-for-peace" negotiations -- June 04, 2009 President Obama "land-forpeace" speech in Egypt at Cairo University. - Sources: Google.com, Wiki.com. [article link]
Origins of 7th Kingdom Revised Rome - The previous six Global Gentile Kingdoms [Babel, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome] were each separate and unique from on another - However the 7th Kingdom Revised Rome was to re-emerge back up from the 6th Kingdom of Rome It seems that at the very moment the 6th Kingdom [Gaius Julius Caesar] Rome was being initiated the coming 7th Kingdom Revised Rome was also being staged by Gaius Julius Caesar to then later be initiated in about 300 A.D. by Roman Emperor Constantine I. When Constantine did initiate in 313 A.D. [the yet to be enthroned] 7th Kingdom Revised Rome the re-emerged 7th Kingdom then had the expanded area of Western Europe and England to emerge from because "Flamen Dialis" Jupiter Priest Julius Caesar had initiated the expanded regions around Roman territory. - In 55 B.C. Julius Caesar conducted the first Roman invasion of Britain (England) Wiki.com. - From 58 B.C. to 50 B.C., Julius Caesar was governor of Gaul, which he conquered. - In 45 B.C. Gaius Julius Caesar makes Hispalis (in Spain) a Roman town, and it becomes one of the most prosperous cities in Hispania (ancient Spain) [Source: www.neta.com/~1stbooks/0achron.htm]. -- "Flamen Dialis" (Priest of Jupiter) Roman ruler Lucius Cornelius Cinna (died 84 B.C.) was the next Roman ruler after the death of Gaius Marius [uncle of Julius Caesar] and was a four-time consul of the Roman Republic, serving four consecutive terms from 87 to 84 BC, and a member of the ancient Roman Cinna family ... the other daughter, Cornelia, married Julius Caesar around 86 BC and died in 69 BC after bearing a daughter Julia - Wiki.com. Lucius Cornelius Cinna appointed his young son-in-law Julius Caesar to the post of "Flamen Dialis" (Priest of Jupiter - i.e. Satan). Though a young Julius Caesar preformed few tasks as a priest [later becoming a solider and a politician] all of the military campaigns of Julius Caesar especially into Gaul (France), Hispania (Spain) and Britannia (England)
would have all been dedicated to Jupiter (Satan). [article link]
6th King, Gaius Julius Caesar's support for Israel - He [Julius Caesar] permitted the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem, restored to Judea the port of Jaffa, and confirmed Hyrcanus and his descendants after him as High Priests [Jewish Temple in Jerusalem] and ethnarchs of Judea {Note: Jewish participation in the Gentile Kingdoms designated as Global Kingdoms is mandatory in order for the Gentile kingdom to rise to the status of Global Kingdom. Joseph participated in the ancient government of Egypt, Daniel participated in both Babylon and Persia (King Cyrus funded the Jewish return to Israel and the rebuilding of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem) - Alexander the Great of Greece spared the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and left the Nation of Israel intact - Greek and Hebrew scholars translated the Jewish Old Testament Scriptures into the Greek Septuagint Roman ruler Julius Caesar was very favorable to the Nation of Israel - The coming (Antichrist) one world leader will sign a favorable 7 year covenant with the Nation of Israel and the Jews of the world.} JULIUS CAESAR (100-44 B.C.), Roman leader. During the [Roman] civil war between him and [Roman - First Triumvirate] Pompey (49 B.C.E.), Caesar freed Aristobulus II, the deposed ruler of Judea, planning to send him to Syria, along with troops to aid him to recover his throne. Pompey's supporters, however, succeeded in poisoning Aristobulus [II] before he could leave Rome (cf. Dio Cassius 41:18, 1). At the same time, Hyrcanus II and Antipater, in common with the other vassal rulers in the East, remained loyal to Pompey and even sent him troops for the battle of Pharsalus (48 B.C.E.); **but after Caesar's victory and his conquest of the Orient, they went over to the side of the victor. When Caesar besieged Alexandria [Egypt], Hyrcanus was one of the Oriental rulers who sent him reinforcements, and Hyrcanus's letter influenced the Jews living in the "territory of Onias" to grant the invading army free passage. Upon his return to Syria, Caesar ratified Hyrcanus [I] appointment as [Jewish] High Priest [for the Temple in Jerusalem] and granted Antipater [(died 43 B.C.) father of Herod I he was the son of Antipas, a convert to Judaism, who was governor of Idumaea - JewishEncyclopedia.com] Roman citizenship and exemption from taxes. *The efforts of Aristobulus' younger son Antigonus to turn Caesar against Hyrcanus and Antipater met with failure. *At the same time, Caesar nullified [a Roman city in Israel] Gabinius' Judean settlement **and even attempted to correct some of Pompey's abuses against the Jews. **In a series of decrees and through decisions made by the Senate at his instigation, Caesar instituted a new administration in Judea. ***He permitted the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem, restored to Judea the port of Jaffa, and confirmed Hyrcanus and his descendants after him as High Priests and ethnarchs of Judea. Hyrcanus' realm now included Judea, Jaffa, and the Jewish settlements in Galilee and Transjordan. He also ratified Hyrcanus' ownership of the Hasmonean territory in the "Great Valley of Jezreel." The annual taxation [in Israel by Rome] of Judea was set as 12.5% of the produce of the land, *with total exemption during the sabbatical year [year of Sabbath]. Extortion by the [Roman] military [against Jews] was forbidden under any pretext. Caesar's settlement favored the continued rise of the House of Antipater. Caesar permitted Jewish organization in [Rome during] the Diaspora, and his tolerant attitude to Diaspora Jewry was emulated by the rulers of the provinces. **Caesar's enmity toward Pompey, who had conquered Jerusalem and defiled the Holy of Holies, led to a positive attitude toward him among the Jews. His restoration of the unity of Judea, his deference toward the high priest, Hyrcanus II, and his tolerant attitude toward the Diaspora Jews increased the sympathy of the Jewish masses for him. When he [Julius Caesar] was assassinated [March 15, 44 B.C.], he was mourned by the Jews more than by any other nation, and for a long time after they continued to weep over his tomb both by day and night (Suetonius, Divus Iulius, 84). [article link]
Satan's offering to Jesus - In Matthew 4:1-11 we encounter a very amazing interaction, it is an interaction between Jesus and Satan "Matthew 4:1-11 Then was Jesus led up of the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil [revealing Satan's intentions]. ... Again, the Devil taketh Him [Jesus] up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world [7 Gentile Kingdoms], and the glory of them; And saith unto Him,
*All these things will I give thee, *if thou wilt fall down and worship me (Isaiah 14:12-14). Then saith Jesus unto him [Satan], Get thee hence [go away], Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Then the Devil leaveth Him, and, behold, [Holy] angels came and ministered unto Him [Jesus]." - What seems to be in negotiation here is the fact that Satan is offering to Jesus a Kingdom on earth if Jesus would 'worship' the Devil [note: worship is to acknowledge were life comes from - life comes from God not Satan]. The interesting part about Satan's offer is that as is usually the circumstances of Satan the offers of the Devil once examined are misleading, shallow, and really non-existent. It appears that what Satan was offering Jesus isn't Kingdoms [plural] but a Kingdom [singular] because at the time of this offering the 6th Kingdom in Julius Caesar had already been initiated and in fact Julius Caesar was already deceased at the time of the offer. That left only 1 legitimate Kingdom that Satan had in his ability to offer, the 7th Kingdom the Revised Rome Kingdom [granted Satan is trying to combine two Kingdoms the 7th and 8th for his version of plural Kingdoms]. But there is a huge stipulation attached to the Throne of the 7th Kingdom and that is whoever sits on it only gets to reign for 3½ years, the first 3½ years of Revelation and Tribulation. Then the deal gets even worse for the person as the person who is reigning upon the Revised Rome Throne is killed at the end of the 3½ years in order that Satan can obtain and inhabit a body to then reign manifested among mankind for his 8th Kingdom [triggering the Great Tribulation and Wrath of Revelation] becasue rightfully it is the 1,000 year Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Satan was offering to Jesus a 3½ year Throne where the one seated upon it is to die so Satan can inhabit the body. Satan was attempting to kill Jesus and inhabit His body in an attempt to forever rule mankind. Without hesitation Jesus declined Satan's offer. - Note: What separates Rome the 6th Kingdom [Throne] and Revised Rome the 7th Kingdom [Throne] is the Christian Church Age (Acts 15:14-18) and had Jesus worshiped Satan then there would have been no cross, no Savior and no Church Age for mankind and the 6th Kingdom [Throne] would have instantly merged into the 7th Kingdom [Throne] had Jesus accepted the offer. [article link]
The Eternal Kingdom of God - Soon after Satan had successfully initiated the first Kingdom in Nimrod and was busy attempting to quickly cycle through the coming Gentile Kingdoms in order to get to his own eventual [7th Kingdom] and manifest in his enthroned Kingdom on earth a different appearance was made among mankind - God manifested into human form as the eternal King of Salem (Peace) revealing unto Abraham among the Communion elements of bread (body) and wine (blood) of Jesus Christ that indeed there is another Kingdom, separate and distinct from the Kingdoms of the earth, a Holy Kingdom, Eternal and Righteous, Everlasting in the body (bread) and spirit (wine) of Jesus Christ offered free and without cost to all mankind - Abraham choosing the Eternal Kingdom of God walked away from Sodom and the other kings of the earth without so much as a shoelace from them in his posession "Genesis 14:17-23 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him [Abraham] after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings [Amraphel (Hammurabi) king of Shinar] that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. And ***Melchizedek King of Salem (Peace) brought forth [Communion] bread and wine: and He was the Priest of the Most High God. And He [Melchizedek] blessed Him [Abraham], and said, Blessed be Abram [Abraham] of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the Most High God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abraham] gave Him [Melchizedek - God] tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou [Gentiles] shouldest say, I have made Abram [Abraham] rich:" [article link]
Summary of Occult Kingdom Attempts: Nimrod, Amraphel king of Shinar, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome … Gaul [Western Europe, France] and Britain [England - U.K.] the political and military forefront of the 7th Kingdom Revised Rome
1. [3rd Generation from Noah] Nimrod (Tower of Babel) the first attempt of Satan to form a cohesive, dictatorial, human government upon the earth the result was a complete success or a near complete success. Previous to the Tower of Babel was the flood of Noah's Day and the flood of that time presumable closed many occult doors that had been opened up during the previous generations. Nimrod seemingly was a success for Satan in the same way that Eve had been an earlier success for Satan, both falling miserably into the snare of the Devil. The events of the Tower of Babel were enormous in scope affecting all human descendants from that time. It seems that Satan came out with his biggest plan for corrupting mankind at the Tower of Babel *including the possibility that Satan had originally intended to offer his "Mark of the Beast" human altering demonic -spirit encounter to a gullible mankind but the events of the Tower of Babel were interrupted by God including the confusing of the language, scattering the people and destroying the original Tower of Babel. 2. [4th Generation from Nimrod - during the days of Abraham] Amraphel (Hammurabi) king of Shinar is tapped by Satan to build the 2nd human occult kingdom upon the earth but it does not succeeded and it fails to succeed only because Abraham [Hebrew, Israel] was just out of reach [away from the city of Soddom and living in a tent at Hebron (Genesis 13:18)] of the invading armies of Amraphel and his colleagues. 3. [2nd Generation from Abraham] Shortly after the failed attempt the Nation of Egypt (Genesis 39:1) is raised up as a successful occult Kingdom. Before the Kingdom of Egypt had completed its course the Nation of Assyria directed by Satan made an attempt to become the next Occult Kingdom but was stopped (Isaiah 37:37) being unable to gain oversight of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Then after the Occult Kingdoms of Babylon, Persia and Greece had been instituted and even as Rome [6th Kingdom - Julius Caesar] was about to be instituted the Nation of Rome under the military leadership of General Julius Caesar was busy pushing into and conquering the new territory of Gaul [region of Western Europe] and [in 55 B.C. Julius Caesar conducted the first Roman invasion of Britain (England) - Wiki.com] for the Nation of Rome. Biblically Satan has been very determined and preoccupied (Matthew 4:8) regarding the human Kingdoms of the earth. In historical appearance of the Gentile Kingdoms it appears that Satan was trying to quickly cycle through a previous 6 Kingdoms knowing that he is to be enthroned (Antichrist) only in the 7th Kingdom. [article link]
Descendants of Ham [Cush, Nimrod, Amraphel aka Hammurabi (lit. Ham the Great) Source: www.biblewiki.be/wiki/Amraphel] - Nimrod and *Amraphel king of Shinar [about 4 generations after Nimrod's Tower of Babel - though probably not a descendant of Nimrod] they were ('brothers' from Ham) both were descendants from the same bloodline of Ham the 2nd son of Noah "Genesis 10:6-12 And the sons of Ham [2nd son of Noah]; Cush [1st son of Ham - a Grandson of Noah], and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. *And Cush begat **Nimrod [a son fo Cush, probably the 5th and youngest son - a Great-grandson of Noah]: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He [Nimrod] was a mighty hunter [of sin, occult] before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom [the 1st of the 7 Global Gentile Kingdoms] was *Babel (Babylon), and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [ancient Turkey and East]. Out of that land went [from (West) Turkey (Tower of Bablel) to East (northern Iraq)] forth Asshur [2nd son of Shem, Gen 10:22], and builded Nineveh (north of Babylon Iraq, modern day Mosul Iraq), and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city." - "Genesis 14:1-3 And it came to pass in the days of *Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the Salt Sea (Dead Sea area of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah, in modern Israel)." [article link]
Noah's Ark, Ararat in the region of modern Turkey - Nimrod's (round, origional) Tower of Babel [was also located in the same region where Noah's Ark landed]. *Ancient Shinar (O.T.) [region of ancient Turkey and East
towards Iraq and Saudi Arabia], *Ancient Galatia (N.T.) [region of ancient Turkey and West towards Greece] "Genesis 8:4 And the ark (Noah's Ark) rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat [modern Turkey]." - "Genesis 11:1-4 And the whole earth {even pre-flood} was of one language, and of one speech [especially descending from Noah's Ark]. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from [the area of the Ark] the east [going west and south from the Ark location and towards the area of Iraq], that they found a plain [located between the Ark of Noah and modern Babylon Iraq] in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower [Nimrod's Tower of Babel (Babylon)], *whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." [article link]
Regional 10 Kings Timeframe -- "Revelation 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings *one hour [a short time] with the [Antichrist] beast." - {Note: Apparently in the final stages of the building of the coming Revised Rome Antichrist Kingdom there are 10 regional kingdoms that are put into place at about the same time for the singular, privately expressed purpose of empowering and enthroning a one world leader. Three of the ten regional kings reject the person put forth as a global leader and all three are quickly and determinedly removed from their power and replaced with three regional rulers who will make it a unanimous decision in favor of the new global leader. - Also Note: The events might be similar to the sudden intrigues described in 1 Kings Chapter 1 between Adonijah and Solomon and the anointing of Solomon supported by a select committee of powerful individuals that confirm Solomon as King in Israel.} Timeframe: In speculating an End Time timing of events there are several pending Biblical time markers that are relevant (or could be relevant) to End Time Revised-Rome 7th Kingdom events. 1. Satan himself appears to be under a time constraint in building his kingdom and is vividly aware of it. "Revelation 12:12 ... for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." 2. Though 7 Gentile Kingdoms will be instituted it is not mandatory that a 7th Kingdom be emplaced before the 2nd Coming Return of Jesus Christ. If time continued and Satan was unable to assemble his 7th Global Kingdom it would not be a restraint in the return of Jesus Christ to earth [especially from a non-Calvinist view]. Jesus could return (at the proper time) and institute His Kingdom on earth [the true 8th Kingdom] and it would all be completely Biblical as God has arranged events, circumstances and legalities for Himself in order to not be confined by the intentions of others. Jesus would return and reign on earth for 1,000 years regardless of whether Satan was able to coalesce his Kingdom. [article link]
Where is all this going in our day - Presumably back to Gnosticism (the original Nimrod occult replacement doctrine deception) - Gnosticism was also the primary deception [occult answer to the resurrection truth of Jesus Christ] able to be maintained as a viable deception (against Christianity) and hold its own in the early years of the new bright and shining N.T. Christian Church light and then with the passing of the original Church Apostles a modern (post-resurrection) Gnosticism was then able to take root and remain until our time Gnosticism is in regards to who is the actual Christ (Jesus) and who is the actual Antichrist (Satan) - Are the two roles of God and Devil reversed as Gnosticism would portray The Revised Roman Empire [Rome and whomever Rome (the Vatican) empowers (Revelation 17:13)] rose out of the earlier doctrines of Gnosticism and sustained itself until a modern (post-resurrection) Gnosticism could again became rooted and well established in human society. Following the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the New Christian Church eternal, resurrection, life in Jesus paradigm there was no Revised Roman Empire but eventually in the reconfigured (Jesus - Satan) [post-resurrection] doctrines of Gnosticism about 300 A.D. Revised Rome emerged. Gnosticism is the 'Double Star' Twins (Christ - Antichrist or Castor - Pollex) Nimrod deception religion of the 7 Gentile Kingdoms. -- Albert Pike (1809-1891) [Confederate Civil War General] said
"three future world wars would prepare the world for the [Satanic] New World Order. ... (NWO) will receive the true light [Gnosticism] through the universal manifestation of the pure doctrine of Lucifer [Satan], **brought finally out [of secrecy and into] in the public view, a manifestation (belief in Satanism) which will result from the general reactionary movement which will follow the [Gnostic Satan is the christ] destruction [discrediting] of Christianity and atheism [all cults i.e. Mormon LDS , etc. and all false religions i.e. Islam, etc.], *both [Christianity and all non-Luciferianism] conquered [*after the rapture] and exterminated at the same time" - Albert Pike was actually addressing the teachings of French occultist Eliphas Levi. [Eliphas Lévi, born Alphonse Louis Constant, (1810-1875) was a French occult author and purported magician. "Eliphas Lévi" the name under which he published his books, was his attempt to translate or transliterate his given names "Alphonse Louis" into Hebrew although he was not Jewish. - Wiki.com] -- "Acts 28:11 And after three months we [Apostle Paul and Luke] departed [the island of Melita (Malta)] in a ship of Alexandria [a Greek colony in Egypt], which had wintered in the isle, *whose sign was Castor and Pollux (Gnosticism). And landing at Syracuse [in Sicily - 364 mi. south of Rome], we tarried [stayed] there three days." Was Luke embedding into his book of Acts for future Christian understanding the concept that Gnosticism and Christianity would be traveling companions on the high seas of history leading towards a final destination of Rome and the eventual End Time Revised Rome Empire! - Note: There is a current events (End Time) scenario in process regardless of how accurate or inaccurate Albert Pike was in his letters. The Albert Pike material is only being posted as reference material - in reference to a general End Time Gnostic plan and scenario and not as though Albert Pike was able to predict the future or affect future events in any sustainable cohesive way. [article link]
It is slightly difficult to study the 4th beast of Daniel (Daniel 7:19) because it covers two Kingdoms (6 and 7) Rome and Revised-Rome - Combining the two later Kingdoms because the earlier and easily identifiable transition between Kingdoms has now become almost imperceptible -- "Revelation 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space." - {Note: In both the description in Daniel and the description in Revelation apparently what is being portrayed is a series of 7 dominant Kingdoms. A series that starts out as easily distinguishable from one another, Nimrod --> Egypt --> Babylon --> Persia but then something is happening and that is that as the 7 Kingdoms progress in history they also become harder to distinguish from one another. Greece takes over from Persia but with most of the baggage and characteristics from all of the previous kingdoms (Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia). Then when Rome takes over from Greece the difference is even less noticeable as one day Greece ruled the world then through transition [many treaties, negotiations and agreements] Rome was suddenly ruling the world. Now since 313 A.D. and the Revised-Rome Empire we have a continuous assimilation into the 7th global kingdom to where it will suddenly be upon us when in actuality it has been 1,700 years in the making. Then apparently the Antichrist will attempt to even more subtly transfer the 3½ year 7th Kingdom into his own 1,000 year reign 8th Kingdom but it is the rightjul Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the Antichrist will be unable to accomplish his [fake death and fake resurrection] transition.} Revelation 17:9-14 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads [of the red Dragon - Revelation 12:3] are seven mountains [Kingdoms], on which the woman [Mystery Babylon - false religion] sitteth. And there are seven kings: five [Nimrod (Babel), Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece] are fallen, and one [Rome] is, and the other [Antichrist of Revised Rome] is not yet come [Revised Rome has been in existence since about 300 A.D., by Saint Constantine the Revised-Roman Emperor and his deceitful 'Edict of Milan' in 313 A.D., which proclaimed religious tolerance (for) [compromised - emergent] Christians throughout the empire - wiki.com]; and when he [Antichrist] cometh, he must continue a short space [Great Tribulation, the second 3½ years of Revelation but is probably reduced to 45 days due to excessive violence]. And the beast [Antichrist] that was [the first 3½ years of Revelation Tribulation], and is not [fake death], even he [faked resurrection] is the eighth [an attempt by the Antichrist to transition from his 3½ years of Revelation reign into the 8th Kingdom and a 1,000 year reign on earth], and is [the same person] of the seven [7th king], and goeth into perdition [Revelation 19:20]. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten [final kings of Revised-Rome] kings, which
have received no kingdom as yet; *but receive power as kings one hour [a short time] with the beast. *These [ten region kings] have one mind [after three of the kings are replaced (Daniel 7:24)], and **shall give their power and strength unto the [Antichrist] beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He [Jesus] is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they [Christians] that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful. [article link]
Nimrod a foreshadowing type of Antichrist: Nimrod gathered all the Nations of the world (Genesis 11:1), the Antichrist will also gather all the Nations of the world (Daniel 7:23) -- "Daniel 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast [Rome-Revised Rome - appearing after Babylon, Persia and Greece] shall be the fourth [the future 6th (Rome) and last 7th (Revised-Rome) Gentile] kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all [previous Gentile] kingdoms, and shall devour the **whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces." Daniel 7:19-28 Then I [Daniel] would know the truth of the *fourth beast [Rome-Revised Rome, {first two Kingdoms Babel and Egypt were past Babylon (present and 1st of the four beasts, Daniel 7:1) then Persia (2nd beast), Greece (3rd beast), Rome-Revised Rome (Antichrist) is the 4th beast in this vision], which was ***diverse (different) from all the others [the previous Kingdoms], **exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue [H7606 - lit. left down-behind, i.e. those not taken up in the Christian Church rapture, *this is perhaps the most compelling pre-tribulation rapture verse in the O.T.] with his feet; And of the ten horns [The 10 Revised Rome - Global (Regional) Kingdoms] (Revelation 12:3) that were in his head, and of the other [Antichrist] which came up, and before whom three fell [Antichrist removes Three of the Ten Regional Kings before coming into power]; even of that [Antichrist] horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn [Antichrist] made war with the saints [Martyred Saints of Revelation], and prevailed against them [Revelation 13:7]; Until the Ancient of days came [Revelation 19:11, 20:11], and judgment was given to the saints [Revelation 20:4] of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the [future from Daniel's time] fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be *diverse from all [previous 6] kingdoms, and shall devour ***the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings [of the Revised Roman Empire] that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he [Antichrist] shall be diverse from the first [H6933, former], and he [Antichrist] shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against [God-Jesus] the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they [Martyred Saints of Revelation] shall be given into his [Antichrist] hand until a time (1) and (+) times (2) and (+) the dividing (½) of time [a total time of 3½ years - except this Great Tribulation time (the 2nd 3½ year time period Revelation 12:14, Matthew 24:21) is shortened (Matthew 24:22) to possibly only 45 days (Daniel 12:11-12)]. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his [Antichrist] dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom [the 8th Kingdom - Kingdom of Jesus Christ] is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him [Jesus Christ]. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations [H7476, thoughts, self-awareness] much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. [article link]
Note - as we continue: Regarding Nimrod's (Babylon, Babel - 1st Kingdom) and the later Babylon [Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar - 3rd Kingdom] of Iraq there seems to be a bit of 'Confusion', a bit of a 'pun' but we desperately need to clear up this confusion The Babylon that is being addressed in the Book of Revelation i.e. Revelation chapter 18 is the Babylon of Nimrod. "Revelation 18:4-5 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of [Babylon - Mystery Babylon] her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins **have reached unto heaven [a direct reference to Genesis 11:4 and the original Babylon, Nimrod's Tower
of Babel], and God hath remembered her iniquities." - The Hebrew word for Babel (H894) {used twice in the O.T.} is also the same word for Babylon (H894) {used 231 times in the O.T.} the word means 'Confusion' and is a word originating from (H1101) meaning to mix, mingle, and confuse. The N.T. Greek word (G897) Babylon is (transliterated) derived from the O.T. Hebrew word (H894) Babylon being one in the same word. [source: blueletterbible.org] - It's important not to confuse the later 2nd Babylon of Iraq with the original Babylon (Tower of Babel) and Nimrod. Lastly: It was very common in ancient times to reuse the same name for both people and cities. There were two cities named Bethlehem [Bethlehem near Jerusalem (Genesis 35:19, Micah 5:2) - and another Bethlehem in Northern Israel (Bethlehem of Galilee, aka Bethlehem of Zebulun)] in ancient Israel and about six cities called Antioch at the same time in the region of Israel in the Days of Jesus. Iraq being a 2nd Babylon would be common for the ancient days. The square Towers (Ziggurats) of Iraq are later reproductions of the original, round Tower of Babel built by Nimrod. Between the Two Babylons [the one in Iraq was a continuation of the other] there are many similarities but there are also several significant differences primarily being the Tower of Babel was the original Kingdom [post-flood] and it encompassed all the people (Nations) of the day while the later Babylon in Iraq primarily only encompassed the known global region of Iraq. The extent of the 1st Babylon was that whatever happened there was so significant that God took the step and confused the language of mankind as it remains to this day. The extent of the 2nd Babylon (Iraq) is that the false religion of the original Babylon continues to go forth corrupting mankind in a nearly unabated fashion. -- "Revelation 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city [Nimrod's] Babylon [Mystery Babylon], that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come." "Revelation 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon [Mystery babylon] be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the [Occult] voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy **sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." [article link]
{Highly Recommended!!} HOTM: Social Activism (Mp3 - Mp4) Heart of the Matter: Started in early 2006, Heart of the Matter is a TV show produced in the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City. It's where Mormonism meets Biblical Christianity face to face! Shawn McCraney, the host of Heart of the Matter, provides great entertainment value and valuable knowledge of Mormonism and what it means to be a Born-Again Christian. [article link]
{Highly Recommended!!} FightingForTheFaith.com: (Chris Rosebrough) Interview with Frank Turk (TeamPyro.blogspot.com) RE: His Open Letter to (WhiteHorseInn.org) via Dr. Michael Horton (Mp3) • Interview with Frank Turk RE: His Open Letter to Dr. Michael Horton [article link]
Update (returning to this portion of the study): The Basic Christian Info Feed is currently working on a short, complex series of posts regarding the Atonement, Blood of Christ, Relationship [Sonship, Daughtership] Christianity - This is an expanded part of the 8 Kingdoms study - Originally the timeframe of the 8 Kingdoms Study was intentionally shortened in order to simplify the 8 Kingdoms study however now that the study has been extended until about Easter 2011 a few more concepts are going to be brought back into the 8 Kingdoms Study {Note: This is a very exciting time for the Basic Christian Ministry in that about 10 years ago when the ministry began to post on the internet a main desire was to have a ministry that was mature enough to explore the relationship aspects and concepts of Christianity i.e. Redemption, Sonship, etc. Now finally after so much controversy, current events and End Times study we are going to briefly study a relationship segment. We
should wrap up this portion of the study in about 1 week to 10 days and then revisit and conclude all 8 Global Kingdoms and a few supporting kingdoms in the current Kingdoms Study.} Currently modern Christianity is not generally embedded in the ancient error of 'Law Righteousness' where our own individual righteousness [an acceptable relationship with God] was incorrectly thought to be based on our own individual ability to keep the Old Testament 'Mosaic' (Moses) Laws but currently modern Christianity is deeply embedded in the (Dr. Rick Warren, Dr. John MacArthur, etc.) error of a works righteousness a 'Social Righteousness' - a socially acceptable (Christianized social gospel - whatever that is at any given time i.e. secular culture, lifestyle, knowledge (evolution, aliens, ET's, etc.), TV, music, pro-sports events, clothing style, hair, facial hair, etc.) based on a series of individual works (i.e. tithing, volunteerism, harmony, good works, submission, social justice, etc.) determined at any moment by a need for social acceptability and social compromise. What the Bible indicates is not a Law Righteousness nor a Works 'Social' Righteousness but instead a Free Gift (John 1:12, Matthew 17:26-26, Revelation 22:17) a "Relationship Righteousness" our Righteousness not by Law, not by Works and not even by social acceptance [either in Church or in society as a whole] but by a simple relationship of individual Sinner Saved by God [Jesus Christ] and once saved brought into a Family Relationship as Sons and Daughters with God our Father. [article link]
Ancient Pagans [Blindly] Tithed to Their False Gods, So How Dare Christians NOT [Blindly] Tithe to Their God, Says [Pastor] Mac Brunson {Note: This timely expose article covers some of what we are going to examine in the coming postings regarding our Sonship in Jesus Christ. The dilemma is that in modern Christianity are we as Christians to be restricted, uninformed, obedient (tithe) slaves or are we as Christians allowed to be individuals, free, informed and led by the Holy Spirit.} -- "John 15:15 Henceforth I [Jesus] call you not servants (G1401, Doulos - lit. Slave); for the servant (slave) knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends (G5384, Philos - lit. Brotherly Love, i.e. Philadelphia); for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you." But Mac Brunson recently has put forth one of the wackiest, over-the-top arguments I've ever heard on tithing: that because ancient pagans supposedly "tithed" to their phoney-baloney gods, that we as Christians today should be quite happy to practice the same ritual. ... Commnets: Steward said...I've been piecing together a book on tithing, and have almost a complete chapter dedicated to this mentality. I will post 2 paragraphs below to get you an idea of how i address this "We say that our God is alive, but we give to Him in the same [tithe] manner as pagans do. Any pagan can give a tithe to his god; and any religion can develop monotonous rules that promote consistent giving. *But Christianity is different. **We have a relationship with a living God. **We also claim to have communication with our God; but we continue tithing as if we do not know how to talk to God in regards to giving. We're just like robots that do as their told. We might as well say that we believe our God is a stone statue just like other god's that can't communicate. Stone statues don't communicate with their worshippers, nor do the stone statues tell them what to bring to the altar. Every religion develops their own way of pleasing their god's, and Christianity follows suit in the same manner with our type of giving. ***We have the opportunity to be led by the [Holy] Spirit, but instead we want to be led in the same way that pagan's are led. We have the opportunity [Sonship] to hear what our God's Spirit is internally convicting us to give [to who, how much and when], but instead we've developed the deaf ears of pagans, and replaced our God with stone lips that do not speak personal instructions." - jared January 22, 2011 7:58 PM. [article link]
The BasicChristian.org website's decoding of the 1966 movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone A bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery. (filmed in Italy, extended version released in Europe in 1966, an edited version was released in the USA in 1968, an almost complete restored-extended version was released in 2003 to DVD) imdb.com. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Background - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Why is there a need and what is the relevance of looking at this particular movie? Recently I was listening to a Current Events discussion on a Christian podcast interview - the person being interviewed though unprompted launched into a standard End Time Armageddon scenario. It was the same Armageddon scenario that is so routinely submitted by so many End Time - Watchman ministries that most people assume that the current Armageddon scenario is factually based on well researched Christian doctrine. However the reality is that the current Armageddon scenario is anything but Biblically based and seemingly the way it is dogmatically rendered on Christian radio and in End Time Ministries the Armageddon scenario is actually an occult scenario that has entered into the Christian Church. Lest people say that there is no occult End Time Armageddon scenario we are going to examine the 1966 movie "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" a movie that actually depicts and blueprints all of America's military wars and engagements from the Civil War up until an Armageddon scenario put forth in the movie's climatic showdown scene set in a fictitious cemetery, a massive graveyard called "Sand Hill" i.e. the sand hills of the "Middle-East" and Armageddon. Also, if anyone disagrees that this occult scenario has entered into the Christian Church just remember that the movie came out in 1966 & 1968 and then later in 1970 the book "The Late, Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey came out followed by numerous other authors such as Chuck Missler all following the movie's Armageddon scenario and then blueprinting that scenario into the Christian Church as a modern End Time doctrine for Evangelical Christianity. [article link]
The BasicChristian.org website's decoding of the 1966 movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone A bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery. (filmed in Italy, extended version released in Europe in 1966, an edited version was released in the USA in 1968, an almost completely restored-extended version was released in 2003 on DVD) - imdb.com. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Background - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Why is there a need and what is the relevance of looking at this particular movie? Recently I was listening to a Current Events discussion and interview on a Christian podcast - the person being interviewed though unprompted launched into a standard End Time Armageddon scenario. It was the same Armageddon scenario that is so routinely submitted by so many End Time - Watchman ministries that most people assume that the current Armageddon scenario is factually based on well researched Christian doctrine. However the reality is that the current Armageddon scenario is anything but Biblically based and seemingly the way it is dogmatically rendered on Christian radio and in End Time Ministries the Armageddon scenario is actually an occult scenario that has entered into the Christian Church. Lest people say that there is no occult End Time Armageddon scenario we are going to examine the 1966 movie "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" a movie that actually depicts and blueprints all of America's military wars and engagements from the Civil War up until an Armageddon scenario put forth in the movie's climatic showdown scene set in a fictitious cemetery, a massive graveyard called "Sand Hill" i.e. the sand hills of the "Middle-East" and Armageddon. Also, if anyone disagrees that this occult scenario has entered into the Christian Church just remember that the movie came out in 1966 & 1968 and then later in 1970 the book "The Late, Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey came out followed by numerous other authors such as Chuck Missler all following the movie's Armageddon scenario and then blueprinting that Occult scenario into the Christian Church as a modern End Time doctrine for Evangelical Christianity. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Plot Summary 1 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone The movie uses a part historical and part fictitious American Civil War setting in order to orchestrate and illustrate (instruct) what is presumably a desired occult outcome to global affairs. The movie has three main characters and several sub-characters; all of whom we will examine in detail later. The three main characters though monikered as 'The Good', 'The Bad' and 'The Ugly' are each unveiled in the opening scenes of the movie as equally undistinguishable in their vicious, mean, stubborn and underhanded day to day lives. The movie plot follows the lives of the three figures, The Good - The Bad - The Ugly as they each compete to gain sole possession of a fortune [the earth's wealth] in buried [payroll] gold. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Plot Summary 2 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone About half way through the movie the scenes follow a series of wartime events and battles. Each scene event depicts a different war in American history. Starting with a brief scene where a Civil War Union solider 'thief' is executed by a formation of Union Soldiers firing into the condemned man at a very close range. This is actually the only scene that depicts a Civil War era combat event in the movie and apparently the occult lesson is that the Civil War was actually an execution of soldiers on both sides in the war, in the intent and extent of the way that the war was fought. After the brief Civil War era execution scene the plot quickly shifts to a city destroyed by war but not the Civil War in the movie's depiction it is now the wars of Europe WWI & WWII. The bomb (shell) that explodes in the middle of the street is a WWI era 'whistling' bomb and explosion {bombs in WWI often had a whistle type of noisemaker attached to them to provide an additional psychological fear factor to the bombing and shelling, a practice that was also initially practiced early in WWII but was soon ended as WWII soon opted for much more tonnage of bombs in order to achieve the additional fear factor instead of the fewer but nosier bombs of WWI.} - After the WWI view of the city and the bomb explosion in the center of the street the same scene adopts a WWII style as now the men 'attack' through the destroyed city by walking down both sides of the street in a typical WWII military formation and while going down the street encounter a 'sniper' depicting the ever present German snipers of WWII, the character Tuco utters one word in the scene "hold" very similar in sound to German word "halt". The WWII era scene also depicted a man reading a book (very common of the WWII generation) and also includes a scene where a dead man's shirt is lifted up revealing in appearance a WWII German rife or machinegun wound and not the pistol wound of the movie (and one of the characters comments "he must have shot him at close range" in order to help cover that the wound is too large for a Civil War era pistol wound). Apparently the occult lesson is that WWI and WWII were intended to destroy large cities and in the process endanger, destabilize and shift (relocate) huge populations of civilians. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Plot Summary 3 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone After departing the badly war-torn city two of the characters on route to their destination are 'captured' and forcibly taken to yet another military engagement. This time the military battle is a depiction of the war in Korea as the scenery is now hills with sparsely covered vegetation (characteristic of Korea). Much of the later Korean War [up until the ending stalemate] was fought from small trenches dug along the hills with accompanying artillery positions also dug into the hills. The river in the scene is depicting the Yule River that the Chinese crossed to enter the Korean war. The movie is depicting American and Chinese forces fighting on the bridge. The Captain, younger than the WWII aged men in the previous scene [more on this later] is of the age of a Korean War veteran (in 1966) and acts the part of an Army officer in Korea, his (shrapnel and bayonet) wounds and the treatment of them (a mountain of gauze) are characteristic of the Korean War. Apparently the occult lesson is that Korea was fought to (secretly) bring down bridges and separators between Nations and
populations i.e. a global economy. - Note: In the actual Korean War when Marines of the 1st Marine Division raised the American flag in victory during the Battle of Seoul in Korea and within hours of hearing about it American General Douglas MacArthur ordered that the American flag was to be removed and the U.N. flag flown in its place and the order was reluctantly carried out by the troops at the scene. - Also Note: Ray L. Walker, USMC veteran of the Korean War "I was there and I recall it well. Including the attempt by an army color guard to remove the American Flag we flew in Seoul and replace it with a U.N. flag. The result was a flag pole we shot to hell - no flag flew from that pole anymore [though the U.N. flag did replace the American flag as ordered in other places]. History depends on who's telling it. Usually non-combatants working from official documents." - Source: www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/brief/brief_account_of_the_korean_war.htm [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Plot Summary 4 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Crossing over what remains of the destroyed bridge the two characters find a vastly different scenery (and a different war) on the other side of the river. The scenery is now the lush green (jungle) of the then current (1966) war in Vietnam. Spread among the ground are the bodies not of rebel soldiers but the bodies of attacking Viet Cong from the previous night's battle (much of the fighting in Vietnam was at night). One of the characters comes across a very young (Vietnam veteran age in 1966) and very badly wounded solider. The character covers the wounded solider with his own jacket in a scene very typical of a wounded soldier in Vietnam being covered by a poncho from his fellow soliders to help comfort the wounded solider while a medevac helicopter was on its way and as depicted in the movie often the solider died in the presence of friends {Note: Vietnam veterans actually intimately encountered more death of fellow soldiers than the WWII veterans who were busy attacking through objectives and later saw the dead bodies of close friends, while soldiers in Vietnam died in the arms and presence of one another often while waiting for a medevac.} - In the Vietnam scene the primary scene of destruction is of a badly destroyed and now unusable Church building. Apparently the occult lesson is that Vietnam was fought to completely destroy a Christian based society in America. With the Christian Church now in ruins the character Tuco is now literally blasted from one cannon shot after another [one conflict after another] into the cemetery of 'Sand Hill' setting up the desired Armageddon outcome. - Note: Defense Sectary Robert McNamara (during the Vietnam war) was a major architect and proponent of extending American involvement in Vietnam and McNamara is quoted on film as saying that if America withdraws (early) from the conflict in Vietnam that the desired social changes [government regulations, taxation, controls, oversight and surveillance] in America could not be achieved in peacetime as easily as they could in wartime. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Character Summary - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone The three main characters in the movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" in the order that they first appear in the movie. 1. Eli Wallach - Tuco (the ugly) Tuco aka 'the rat' however Tuco is apparently the Spanish word for a small rodent that burrows into the ground while 'la rata' is apparently the Spanish translation of rat as in a rodent. 2. Lee Van Cleef - Angel Eyes (the bad). 3. Clint Eastwood - Blondie (the Good) note that the Clint Eastwood character is not an actual blond in the movie so the title 'Blondie' is not an actual title but is a figurative title as the names Tuco and Angle Eyes are also primarily figurative and representational names. In the movie Blondie represents of course the Arian (enlightened) species the Occultists. Tuco a species that burrows into the ground represents the Middle-East Arab Muslim oil Nations. Angel Eyes (someone who is supposedly heavenly focused) represents the people who control and manipulate the Christian Church i.e. a Pastor. In short the three main characters in the movie are an Occultist, a Muslim and a Christian. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Angel Eyes 1 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Angel Eyes - In an early scene in the movie Angel Eyes' first appearance is at the home of a wounded and recovering solider. Angel Eyes is looking for information on behalf of another person and during the conversation Angel Eyes learns that it is information about a stolen and buried payroll that is really the information attached to the name he was attempting to discover for his client. - Angel Eyes pauses at the entrance of the house before going in and in appearance Angel Eyes at first sight appears to look like a Missionary [instead of the dangerous gunman that he is] and indeed Angel Eyes has a big cloth bandanna draped around his neck to indicate subtly that he is a man of the cloth a Christian. Sitting down and eating the other man's food Angel Eyes picks up the bread and cuts off a piece of it, he holds the piece of bread in one hand (as in holding communion) and is filmed in a deliberate act of eating the bread (taking communion) further establishing Angel Eyes as a figure representing Christianity. Later Angel Eyes will be seen drinking from a cup (concluding his communion) and the (communion) cup will appear and be staged as a prop in the final Armageddon scene. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Tuco 1 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Tuco Ramírez (full name: Tuco Benedicto Pacífico Juan María Ramírez - wiki.com) The character Tuco representing the Islam character has a long difficult name to pronounce like a Muslim generally has a difficult name for Westerners to pronounce. When Tuco is apprehended and brought into the Sheriff's office the first time Tuco utters a continuous stream of Arab type of proverbs against his captor, his captor's father and his captor's mother. It is revealed later in the movie that Tuco actually has a brother that is a Catholic Priest in charge of the local Catholic Missionary enclave [Islam and Catholicism as brothers]. Tuco [representing Islam] remarks to his Catholic Priest brother that he is unfamiliar with the Catholic ways and simply kisses the tassel of his brother's robe in a feigned attempt at admiration. In the Catholic Mission Tuco finds himself facing a portrait of a crucified Jesus Christ and upon seeing the picture Tuco begins to pray [possibly earnestly for a second] but then quickly and irreverently he takes out a bottle of whiskey and drains it in front of the portrait. The genuinely good natured Tuco as a type of Islam he is repeatedly used [his neck constantly in and out of nooses] throughout the movie resulting from the scams and moneymaking cons of others to the point that Tuco really knows no other way of existing and making a living. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Blondie 1 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Blondie enters the movie in a scene just in time to save Tuco from being captured by other bounty hunters. Blondie is anonymous and is first heard without being seen and then is seen only from behind (his entire face is hidden as he talks and when he shoots) the first act of Blondie is [occult] to call down fire from heaven (well, actually to strike a match and light his cigar) he then proceeds to kill a trinity of three men. Blondie aka "Man with No Name" is also known as Judas when Tuco calls him by his name 'Judas' at the Sherriff's office "Judas you sold my hide." Blondie aka Judas is monikered in the movie with his label of "The Good" at the very moment that Judas or Blondie has just preformed his most devious, sadistic and underhanded task in abandoning a tied up Tuco in the wilderness. Certainly the label of "The Good" is not intended to imply compassion or goodness of any kind but is implying that Blondie/Judas is good at being devious. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Meddler - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Meddler - After the opening credits the first scene in the movie is of a man (meddler - a *Don Quixote type figure) who pops-up awkwardly into the viewing frame as if he is an arcade game pop-up toy who's only intention is to be unceremoniously knocked down again. Indecently 'meddler' is a biological blondie however he is nothing of the spiritual Occult Blondie that the movie intends to portray. Unsurprisingly within moments the meddler and his two companions are indeed meddling in the affairs of Tuco, Angel Eyes and Blondie as the
unfortunate meddling trio attempts to apprehend Tuco but the shifty Tuco easily dispatches two of them wounding the third and easily escapes being captured by them. Later in the movie meddler again bumps into Tuco and again tries to apprehend Tuco and seek vengeance for his previous wound from Tuco. Upon encountering Tuco the often offended meddler immediately rehearses a long list of grievances and desires that he has intended to visit upon Tuco but Tuco simply shoots him down like the pop-up target he has always been. Meddler or a Don Quixote figure is a very important figure in Occult teachings and supposedly the famed Skull & Bones Society of Yale University has only three items of interest within their society walls the first being a human skull (death and Satan worship) the second being a Black (Satanic) Pope [instituting a Satanic Pope over the Catholic Church] and the third being a statue of a Don Quixote figure. -- "Proverbs 20:3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling." - "Psalms 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." -"Psalms 11:7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; His countenance doth behold the upright." - "James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Catholic Priest - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Catholic Priest - Tuco's brother the Catholic Priest upon recognizing Tuco immediately launches into his own private crusade against [the Muslim] Tuco. Tuco then does reveal to his brother that indeed he is a [Muslim] man with many wives (i.e. a harem) and the two have a minor altercation among brothers. In a very touching scene the Catholic Priest does rightly repent of his treatment towards Tuco and quietly [out of sight of Tuco] asks for Tuco's forgiveness for the previous crusade. Note: The Catholic Mission is portrayed in the movie as a place where both sides in the professed war (good and evil) can freely enter in and receive from the resources of the Mission. How interesting that the Occult scenario is that the Catholic Church should administer its Priestly duties without any Priestly discernment as though the only two options in Christian Ministry are complete acquiesce and acceptance of all things evil or of an over the top unwarranted crusade against every small appearance and detail of evil. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Jew - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Jew - The man named Baker [as in Jewish Matzoh - baked unleavened bread] is portrayed primarily by his Jewish facial features. The Jew is stereotypically depicted as being infirmed, greedy, lazy and in immediate possession of a handful of cash. Angel Eyes [Christian authority] is portrayed as working for Baker, as an unwilling servant to the Jew, it is Baker [the mythical Jewish conspiracy] that ultimately employs and pays Angel Eyes his wages. In the movie plot Angel Eyes has discovered another way to make money via the new information of a buried [payroll] treasure and he quickly kills the Jew seemingly having gained his own independence. Amazingly in the movie Angel Eyes after needlessly killing the Jew, then Angel Eyes clutches the lamp of the Jew and blows out the lamp, the light of the Jew is now extinguished but it was also his only source of light and Angel Eyes is left standing in utter darkness foretelling of his own impending destruction. How informative that when Christianity removes the Jewish nature of the Bible, of Christianity and of God revealed to mankind that indeed Christianity has darkened the only light it will ever know. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Batterville - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Batterville - Angel Eyes had discovered that his best opportunity to find more information regarding the buried [payroll] treasure would be at the Prisoner of War camp Batterville and has placed himself in authority as the Sargent in charge at Batterville. Angel Eyes is looking for the one last living person, a solider originally named Jackson but who was now going under the assumed name of Bill Carson, who was the only living clue left as to where the treasure was buried. Batterville is an amazing place, it is a place where Angel Eyes thinks he is in
complete authority, able to conduct his own business in his own way. Batterville is the exact Occult scenario of how an Occult influenced [treasure seeking] Christian Church should be run. The prisoners [Christians unfortunate enough to land in Angel Eyes' greedy Mega-Church chapel] are abused, malnourished, neglected, tormented and mistreated at every available opportunity by Angel Eyes and his personally selected staff of enforcers. In a prominent scene in the movie at the aptly named Batterville [where all who enter are battered and beaten] Angel Eyes and his staff are seen in their luxurious accommodations having just taken up a collection [robbing the people of their last cent] from among the newly arrived prisoners. The collection pile is spread out on top of the table and Angel Eyes and his co-conspirators lament that the pile of money and goods wasn't as large as they would have liked it to have been but just the same the pile of money is scooped up into a sack and sent outside the camp [where it will no longer be of any use to the prisoners] through a convenient side window in the office. Angel Eyes insists that the camp's 'praise and worship' band begin to play, not that praise and worship will help the downtrodden prisoners all that much but Angel Eyes has learned that even a half-descent praise band will go a long way in helping to cover and conceal the multitude of crimes and indiscretions perpetrated by Angel Eyes and his staff against the honest prisoners of the camp and indeed Angel Eyes sees no reason to release any meaningful financial statements or insert any oversight of any kind into his daily proceedings, a tactic that quickly breaks the morale and destroys the will to resist of all the many prisoners in his beloved kingdom of Batterville. Angel Eyes is called before the Camp Officer the true Camp authority the Commandant [a type of Jesus Christ] but Angel Eyes sees the true authority as diseased (a wound that has not healed and has turned to gangrene) and Angel Eyes simply scoffs and wishes the Commandant "good luck" in his desire of bringing justice, fair treatment and accountably to Batterville and to the entire Army for that matter [though Angle Eyes should have stuck around and come back to the Camp Commandant (Jesus Christ) on the third day and he would have found Him not injured on the cross and not in the grave as he suspected but completely healed and in complete authority]. Angel Eyes does locate the information of Bill Carson but it happens to be Tuco that now has the name of Bill Carson and knows the location of the cemetery where the treasure is buried. Angel Eyes invites Tuco into his office for fellowship and a free agape meal together. Tuco suspecting that the meal is poison is reluctant at first but then dives in with a large appetite and an equally large spoon. Interestingly enough the feast Angel Eyes provides has no cups to drink from and no wine to drink but only whisky to drink and bowls to drink from and both men drink from the bowls of wrath filled to the brim. The cup [communion cup] will come later. True to his nature and desires Angel Eyes quickly instructs an assistant to pummel Tuco into submission while the camp praise band begins playing in the background intending to cover the crime though the scheme fools few. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Arch Stanton - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Arch Stanton - Tuco is incorrectly told by Blondie that the fortune of wealth is buried in a grave with the name of Arch Stanton on the grave marker when actually the treasure in the movie is buried in the grave next to (on the left side) of the grave marked Arch Stanton. Tuco at first digging through the sand with a board borrowed from the grave on the left and with his bare hands uncovers the coffin of Arch Stanton. Blondie being little help tosses an almost finished Tuco a shovel at the last moment and just as the coffin of Arch Stanton is about to be opened to reveal its contents who should appear tossing in another shovel none other than Angle Eyes himself. The grave is opened by Tuco to reveal not treasure but a skeleton the bones of Arch Stanton [in the Occult the Archangel Satan is the ruler of the dead]. Blondie proclaims that the three will have to work [kill] for the treasure, and actually it's dance for the treasure because what follows is an amazing dance of the Devil that is conducted within an Occult circle by the three participants. -- Grave markers - There are primarily three types of grave markers in Sand Hill cemetery. The short rounded top gravestone familiar to all graveyards, there are many Christian crosses also a familiar site in graveyards and at the fictional Sand Hill cemetery there is a common third type of grave marker it is a dual plank grave marker that when weather aged or assembled shoddily actually comes separates at the top and reveals a distinct occult V at the top of the marker. Arch
Stanton happens to be buried in an occult marked grave and it has the distinct occult V located at the top. The name Arch Stanton (Archangel Satan) leaves no doubt that the grave is of occult origin. The grave on the left of Arch Stanton the grave with the treasure to be plundered is marked with a cross. When the skeleton of Arch Stanton [a type of Satan] is exposed it shows a skull that is turned to the left keeping watch on the treasure in the accompanying grave. [article link]
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH DR. JOHN PIPER? {Note: About the Occult V (Victory, Vendetta) symbol - Shortly after the American Civil War the Occult symbol K came into prominence in America and especially in the just defeated Confederate States. In Occult lingo a more highly dedicated occultist would choose more K's i.e. the symbol KKK. However the symbol KKK quickly became detestable in all of America and went out of style. The ancient Occult symbol V always remained in prominence in Europe and like the KKK of America a European Occultist would add multiple V's and actually create the W - Therefor an Occult W is equal to an Occult KKK Here is a recent photo of Pastor John Piper flashing the Occult W sign.} (Photo) In Rick Warren To Be Featured At Desiring God 2010 - I was among the few who broke the story that Dr. Piper had made the ill-advised decision to invite Leadership Network's propped-up Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren to DG 2010 as a keynote speaker. Then, as I shared in Rick Warren Doctrinal And Sound?, unfortunately it got even worse when Dr. Piper decided to defend his decision: At root I think [Rick Warren] is theological and doctrinal and sound. ... So whether one even knows it or not, Warrengate still is slowly simmering; Dr. Piper's choice here has had the rippling effect of people, even outside of any discernment ministries, beginning to look a little closer at his theology, educational background, and associations; e.g. his charismatic bent, his connection to Fuller Theological Seminary, and with the late Ralph Winter. I had received a tip from a source back in June of this past year; and as I followed up on it, it would eventually lead me to discover some disturbing information which I orginally began sharing in Questions Concerning Dr. John Piper and Dr. John Piper And Unanswered Questions. When I wrote those initial articles Dr. Piper was on his much talked about sabbatical; now however, he is back and a few of the mystic books I pointed in the latter piece are no longer in the BBC online library. ... What I just showed you here should give us real concern as the obstensibly Reformed, "happy," and "romantic," Calvinist Dr. John Piper is sounding less like a charismatic and more like a mystic as he points us to apostate teachers of Roman Catholicism and its spiritually bankrupt mysticism; and from what we can see, this has been going on for quite some time now. Perhaps, now that his discernment is so far off he's even promoting the double-minded Rick Warren, the time has finally arrived for some of his DG speakers to take a closer look at what's going on in this neo-Reformed camp. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: 6 the perfect number - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone 6 the perfect number - After Angel Eyes and Blondie depart the Prisoner of War camp Batterville [now equal partners in search of the treasure at least that's what Angel Eyes thinks] the two camp out by a river and in the morning it is revealed that Angel Eyes has a gang of friends who have come to meet him. One of them is shot by Blondie before he can even enter the camp site. Angel Eyes tells the rest of the "boys" to come out, Blondie counts them all including Angel Eyes and declares that the six of them make a perfect number because his gun has six bullets. Blondie says the word six exactly three times "... five, six ... that's six ... six bullets in my gun" for a complete 666. As Blondie is counting and reaches the sixth person who happens to be Angel Eyes just as Blondie counts six and implying all of their deaths Angel Eyes is drinking from his cup completing his communion. Note: This one small seemingly innocent scene is perhaps the most important scene in the entire movie in order to decode the movie and it is one of only two scenes that Sergio Leone edited out of the [1968] American version. Leone might have figured the movie could have been easily decoded by American audiences so the scene was deleted along with an earlier scene with Tuco that comes off as highly socialist. The decoding elements in the campsite scene are two, first each face of the men is clearly shown as they are each counted
and each one is about the same age as the others, each man is the age and appearance of a WWII veteran in 1966. The movie audience in America would have easily picked up that all the men in the scene were of WWII age and with the coming destroyed city scene would have realized that the movie had departed the Civil War era motif and had entered a WWI and WWII motif and could have easily placed the next two scenes as Korea and Vietnam. The other deleted element in the same scene is the drinking from the cup. It was probably even more important for Sergio Leone to cut and cover up the scenario that the bad guy represented in the movie was his representation of Christianity. Without seeing Angel Eyes deliberately drinking from the cup it becomes difficult for the audience to combine the earlier eating of the bread with the cup making for a completed Communion sequence and perhaps most important of all by cutting the scene Sergio Leone doesn't have to explain why suddenly Communion cups show up on the mass graves of dead Christians in his ending Armageddon scene [leaving no doubt that it's a Christian massacre that Sergio Leone is depicting in the mass graves at Sand Hill cemetery]. Note: Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) served in the U.S. Navy aboard minesweepers and subchasers during World War II. Source imdb.com. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Enabler - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Enabler - The complicit enabler though not generally mean, evil or underhanded like the three main characters in the movie it is the acceptance, actions and abilities of the usually unaware complicit enabler that allow all of the coming events of massive carnage and destruction to so easily and continually take place. We first meet the complicit character in scene #13 titled "Southern Cuisine". Angel Eyes is out riding his horse and looking for clues to the whereabouts of Bill Carson when he comes across a small Confederate outpost. Most of the men are badly injured and are in much pain and are suffering much however one man is not sharing their pain and misfortune, that man is the enabler [the unscrupulous; politician, recruiter, defense contractor, etc.] Welcome! It is the first word of the enabler cheerfully spoken to a befuddled Angel Eyes. Enabler is not a solider himself, he has no weapon, he is wearing an empty pistol holster a holster that is placed too far back on the hip to be the dress of a real solider. Enabler doesn't see the pain, the loss or the tragedy instead he sees the comedy, the money, the travel, the experiences, and the opportunity. Angel Eyes quickly knows how to deal with this type of man and gives him a bottle of cheap whiskey in exchange for all the information the man has. A last close-up of the man while he is sitting guzzling his precious bottle of cheap booze reveals that the closer we get to this man and the more we see of him the less appealing he becomes. Note: the amazing song that is being played in the background of the scene is the Christian Hymn "Were You There?" some of the words are "Were you there when they crucified my Lord? ... It makes me WONDER, Wonder, wonder..." [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Family - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Family - The one intact family in the movie is represented by the Stevens family [Stephen the first Church maryter - Acts 7:59]. No first name is given the family is simply represented as a whole. The unnamed patriarch of the Stevens family is a wounded solider a farmer who is back to farming his land and recovering from his wounds received during his service in the war. Angel Eyes appears at the doorway and for a while it is uncertain if Angel Eyes is a friend or a foe. Walking towards the seated Stevens the accessible and ready to be used gun in the belt of Angel Eyes is now plainly visible and all hope of him being a friend is removed. Angel Eyes seats himself down and begins eating Stevens' food and looking at a small family picture on the wall Angel Eyes asks "is that your family" Stevens replies "yes" Angel Eyes responds with a laugh and says "nice family." Stevens comments that Angel Eyes is there to murder him and offers to pay him a $1,000 "some in gold" Angel Eyes looks at the money and says "a tidy (tithe) sum" takes the money and then proceeds to gun down the elderly family man. Shockingly the movie being an Occult blueprint for the destruction of the Church and family has depicted that Church Ministry is to be the determined tool to destroy the family as a viable unit. Angel Eyes then proceeds to kill the firstborn son and as he leaves a devastated family behind him the distraught mother and her younger son run into the room she screams and collapses. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Upsidedown cross - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Upsidedown cross - In one of the early scenes as Angel Eyes rides onto the Stevens' property the youngest son is riding a donkey that is dumping water into a field. Adjacent to the donkey water pumping station is a decorative rock mosaic circle [it is identical to the mosaic rock circle in the final Armageddon scene where the dance of the Devil takes place]. As Angle Eyes rides onto the property the boy stops the donkey and gets off the donkey to go into the house the donkey then continues alone around his circle a distance of about 13 steps and then stops. When the donkey (burrow) stops the two poles of rigging form exactly an upsidedown cross within the rock circle [the two poles in the scene have been enlarged, lengthened (by the movie design set) and by the end of the scene the donkey now cannot get past the wall causing the donkey to stop and creating the upsidedown cross image in the circle]. Angel Eyes as he rides into the property *takes a shortcut and rides directly over the rock assortment and unknowingly troddens down a sacred Occult [upsidedown cross] symbol. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Socialism - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Socialism - The two known scenes cut from the 1968 film version released to American theaters are all of scene #11 "Rich and Lonely" and the camping by the river portion of scene #22 "Different Partner, Same Deal". The scene "Rich and Lonely" begins with yet another upsidedown cross this time it is a dead chicken being held out by Tuco (the legs of the chicken are tied but the wings hang out). Seemingly with the Occult image opening the scene the representation is that Socialism [Communism] is just another of the many tools of manipulation available to the Occult realm. Tuco uses the false promise of money to lure his childhood friends into a trap and certain death knowing all along that they will not survive their ordeal with Blondie. Note: The two scenes are restored to the 2003 DVD version of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" however it is suspected (by the commentator on the DVD version) that a few more portions were cut from the original 1966 film and have not been restored and could not be restored, they might be lost. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Church - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Church - The completely destroyed building of what was once a lovely Church is the last structure encountered just before their entrance into "Sand Hill" cemetery. Angle Eyes is not present at the Church his Church and congregation consisted of the abused souls at Batterville concentration camp. The congregants of Batterville remained standing in rows [instead of seated in pews] while the deacons of Batterville took up the offering, the praise band played and Pastor Angel Eyes personally gave the (emergent) sermon especially to Tuco. A building, pews, baptismal fount, fellowship, freedoms and pleasant scenery were unnecessary items in the religion Angel Eyes sought to capitalize in. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Eye - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Eye - The Occult Eye (Satan's dominance) of enlightenment is prevalent throughout the movie in fact almost every character is filmed at one time or another posed with only one eye showing or revealing that each person has a certain level of Satanic enlightenment. Blondie is reviled with the one eye enlightenment as he cleans his pistol in the hotel room just as he is enlightened to the pending attack by Tuco's pals. Blondie is further enlightened (shown with only one eye - a spiritual eye) when leaning against the stagecoach after he has learned the name on the grave of the buried treasure. Both Bill Carson (the solider) and Maria (the prostitute) are shown to have a single eye and actually both have a nearly identical, indistinguishable blue eye. Tuco is shown repeatedly to have one eye usually when he wears the eye patch of Bill Carson. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Pyramid - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Pyramid - The Occult pyramid is a structure that is broad at its base yet minimal, selective and very notable at the top. The top of the pyramid has everything and dominates everything while the bottom of the pyramid has nothing and dominates nothing, unless it is given the ability to move up to a higher location within the pyramid. The pyramid is evident in the movie most notably during the encircled Dance of the Devil when Blondie takes his evident place at the top of the pyramid and Angel Eyes and Tuco vie for the left (unfavored) and right side (favored) positions at the bottom of the pyramid. Then after all of the events of the movie when Angel Eyes is dead and Tuco is left stranded again (this time at Sand Hill) Blondie rides off out of Sand Hill and into a new lush Garden of Eden utopia. The final scene and ending of the movie is the rider on a black horse riding across a now capped - pyramid (the top stone in place) that is etched into the ground mostly visible though somewhat not visible. The movie ends with the ending title "The End" and situated between the two words is the 'cap stone' of the pyramid signifying not the end but a new begging for those who are in and know. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Circle of Dominance - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Circle of Dominance - Satan sits enthroned above his circle and watches down upon the events occurring within his circle just as Satan's faithful servant Arch Stanton faithfully watched the treasure in the grave next to his. The circle of dominance is prevalent in all occult rituals. The subject whether human or spirit being is summoned into the circle and then once in their sphere of influence is dominated. -- "Isaiah 40:21-23 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He [God Almighty] that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity." [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Revelation - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Revelation - Angle Eyes once he enters Satan's circle of domination for the last and most evident time has the personal revelation that he has been the one deceived. Make no mistake about it Angle Eyes does not represent the ordinary Christian. The ordinary Christians are the poor unfortunate souls in Angel Eyes' congregation the ones who in this scene are now filling the graves of the mass graveyard at Sand Hill cemetery. Angel Eyes didn't submit to the system, any system, neither God's nor Satan's but instead rode the system, rode upon the beast and rode it to his destruction. - "Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast [the scarlet coloured beast - Revelation 17:3], these shall hate the whore [Angel Eyes], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Dance of the Devil - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Dance of the Devil - Once in the circle of domination the dance of the Devil takes place. All of the participants enter the circle and dance. Blondie dances elegantly to his rightful and mostly unchallenged place at the top of the pyramid within the circle. Tuco confused and bewildered wanders a bit in his dance. Angel Eyes enters the circle and has the revelation that he has been deceived [in thinking he was an equal partner with Blondie]. Upon his revelation Angle Eyes begins to dance a new dance. Angle Eyes pirouettes [does a dance move] creating his own small circle of dominance attempting to conjure [within himself] his own ability to emerge from his difficult position and into the position of a fellow enlightened Blondie but in doing so Angle Eyes crosses over Tuco, attempting to place Tuco on his gun hand side but instead places himself on the left [from the audience perspective] the unfavored position in the pyramid [but from the top of the pyramid perspective
looking down Tuco is on the left side - the Occult favored side]. Angle Eyes has unknowingly danced himself into his position a position in front of an already open grave. The shot is fired, in 'Shock and Awe' a wounded Angle Eyes utters but one stunned word "Oh" and falls into his open grave to be finished off by one more firing of a bullet. - Note: This dance of the Devil has seemingly been taking place since 9-11-2001 when the circle of dominance has been revealed to control almost every aspect of the human condition; war, terrorism, flood, weather, security, finances, food, drugs, crime, clothing, technology and even religion. Also seemingly the Angel Eyes Pastors of America are aware of the dance and just like the Angel Eyes of the movie are desperately dancing in an attempt to circle, cross over and manifest as an enlightened one. Pastor Rick Warrens' U.N. PEACE initiative, Pastor Chuck Smith Sr. and his public support and declaration that Rick Warren is his good, close and dear friend. Pastor Greg Laurie inviting Rick Warren to give the alter call at his Harvest Crusade. Pastor Skip Heitzig opening his congregation to the known Occultist the Satanist Leonard Sweet. Pastor Mike MacIntosh willingly and knowingly taking part in the 9/11 cover-up and accompanying deception. Dr. John MacArthur recently insisting that he has never had a Christian conversion moment in his life. Dr. John Piper assisting Rick Warren and himself displaying occult symbolism [W]. The SBC staff and community in propagating, persisting and covering-up of the fraudulent and dangerous Occult [war invoking "Sand Hill"] agenda of Ergun and Emir Caner, two charlatans who are attempting to portray Islam as dangerous and provoke Christians into a needless, endless and deadly religious war. [article link]
Caner's Comeback Almost Complete - Will Speak to Students at FBC Jax Pastor's Conference - It was announced to FBC Jax high schoolers and their parents this past Wednesday night that Ergun Caner will be speaking to the high school students at the Pastor's Conference on Saturday night, January 29th, 2011 In only seven months since Ergun Caner was removed from his duties as dean of the Liberty Theological Seminary, his rise back to SBC prominence is almost complete - with a little bit of help from his friend Mac Brunson and the high schoolers of FBC Jacksonville. It was announced to FBC Jax high schoolers and their parents this past Wednesday night that Ergun Caner will be speaking to the high school students at the Pastor's Conference on Saturday night, January 29th. I assume this is why Ergun Caner's picture and bio appear at the Pastor's Conference website although he doesn't appear any where in the speaking schedule: he must be the speaker at the 7:00 pm "Student Conference" on the conference agenda, for which there is no specific speaker listed. If he is the speaker there, why not put his name on the agenda? Why is the cat let out of the bag only a few weeks prior to the conference? Pretty amazing that in just 7 months since his removal as President of the Liberty Theological Seminary over his 9 years of telling fibs in pulpits all over America - exaggerations of his testimony including his growing up in Turkey, learning of American culture through watching American TV shows while living in Turkey, how he was trained in Jihad - all false - that Ergun Caner is now given a platform to speak to high schoolers and presumably seminary students at the 2011 FBC Jax Pastor's Conference. ... This rapid return of Caner to SBC prominence perhaps says just as much about the state of evangelical Christianity as did our eagerness to lap up his stories for nine years and roll in the aisles at his racial and gender stereotype jokes. The lesson is if you can tell a good yarn, make people laugh, have superior oratory skills and can draw a crowd and generate revenue - you will be in high demand. It is about the dollar, and who are your friends. Caner is a co-author with Brunson, and Vines is the one who helped him to fame in 2001 when he brought him to FBC Jax. Neither can afford to let Caner fail. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Armageddon - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Armageddon - A future Biblical scenario [possibly Revelation 20:8-9] where the armies of the earth gather to do war in the Middle-East including the valley of Megiddo a location in the hills "Sand Hill" of Israel. In the Occult scenario Armageddon can't happen soon enough, hoping to destroy much of the population and overtake the planet for themselves. However the Biblical depiction of the battle of Armageddon more likely occurs during
the future Kingdom Reign of Nations at the end of the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ when Nations go to war against God. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: No bullets - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone No bullets - Tuco unknowingly enters the dance of the Devil unarmed, the bullets having been removed from his revolver the night before by Blondie. In his movie Sergio Leone gives us a complete wide-angle view of both Blondie and Tuco drawing their guns against Angle Eyes but in the next view of Tuco [a narrow camera view] it is unclear whether a determined Tuco has begun to fire on Blondie in an attempt to gain the treasure all for himself. Tuco is pulling the trigger of an unloaded weapon a weapon that might be pointed at Blondie [we don't have a wide-angle view to know for certain] but from the reaction of Tuco it seems that it was. Clearly the Occult plan is to reduce as many factions as possible in reducing the global population and clearly the plan is to leave whatever fraction of a faction is left unarmed, severely restricted (hands tied) and obedient to the Occult. Tuco is allowed to live, momentarily and as is seen in the movie only if Tuco is willing to run back into the circle of domination something that Tuco willingly does as he runs back into the circle, with hands tied while kicking and shouting but in the circle none the less. That's the movie however and in reality Tuco [Islam] is not unarmed and in fact is being overly armed since 9-11-2001 when the neck of Islam was again figuratively placed in a noose only to be again removed and this time mistakenly armed and equipped with enough bullets and ability to take on Blondie. We will look at this in more detail in our coming study of the 10 [Regional] Kingdoms where in the Bible [Daniel 7:24] three of the 10 Kings feel that they are the rightful rulers and challenge the eventual Antichrist but are swiftly and deliberately dealt with and removed from their authority by the coming Antichrist. Who the three Kings are who challenge the coming Antichrist is unknown, could it be Islam, could it be anyone else? [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Occult Timeline - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Occult Timeline - The Occult seemingly has an alphabetical timeline assigned to America specifically and possibly the End Times in generally. At the founding of America with the Revolution War the Occult alphabet seemed to be near the beginning using the early letters of the alphabet often the letter B in words, codes and families. The Blair, Brown and Bush families were all significant families on both sides of the Atlantic in England and in the American Colonies and much of the early Revolutionary War activities took place in the city of Boston, Massachusetts i.e. the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773 by the Freemason Lodge St. Andrew's Lodge in Boston [www.metareligion.com/Secret_societies/Groups/Masonry/masonic_myths_of_the_founding_fa.htm]. With the events of the American Civil War the Occult society had felt that it had advanced enough to use the letter K i.e. KKK and in the sport of baseball a product of the Civil War, baseball scoring records a pitcher's domination over a batter with a K as a symbol for a strikeout. Today we are nearing the end of alphabet with the letters V, W and X being used more and more and generation Y is often dubbed as the current teenage generation. Though we are not yet at the end of the Occult alphabet timeline [designed end of the American empire] we could be getting close with only the letters Y and Z left to be used. We are going to study End Times a bit more thoroughly and in short what is going to be attempted is a study of the obvious [the British Throne] and the not so obvious [other possibilities] suspecting that the actual End Time events would probably be a combination of the obvious and of the not so obvious. For instance the emerging Global Kingdom is a "revised" Roman Empire - but how revised? Revised enough for the throne to originate not in Rome but in England [probably], revised enough for the throne to originate in America [possibly] or revived enough for the throne to originate in Arabia [possibly]. One thing is for certain the End Time events are not set to the point of their being unchangeable. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Tuco 2 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Tuco 2 - Tuco makes his appearance in the movie and like Blondie is heard from before he is seen by the guns of Tuco firing. Tuco bursts into view in the movie by literally bursting through a plate glass window. Tuco is holding a gun in one hand and a half eaten leg of lamb with a bottle of whiskey in the other. Tuco is leaving the scene without paying for his meal. Tuco is a thief that has taken from the shepherds flock. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Blondie 2 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Blondie 2 - Blondie is himself a trinty of personalities. Blondie as the "Man with no name" is a type of the mythical but real Satan. Blondie as Judas is a type of a diabolical personality who cannot be trusted. Blondie as Blondie is a type of person who is in control and in charge of both himself and his situation. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Angel Eyes 2 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Angel Eyes 2 - Angel Eyes is first presented in the movie in clear detail with the sky of heaven as his background. What Angel Eyes could have been if he had lived up to his own potential. A friend too many, a leader, an example and a divine accomplishment both in this life and in the life to come. Instead Angel Eyes lived not to his best abilities but to his worst abilities, his worst greed and his worst compassions. In the end Angel Eyes is standing in Sand Hill graveyard surrounded by the graves of the men who were the very congregants of his church, yet he is unphased by it all, unphased that is until the reality of his own world comes violently and suddenly crashing down upon him. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Summary - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Hymn: Where you There? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? Were you there when God raised him from the tomb? Were you there when God raised him from the tomb? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. **Were you there when God raised him from the tomb? Source: lutheranhymnal.com/lyrics/lw505.htm -- Where you there [when they Glorified my Lord]? ... It makes me to WONDER, Wonder, wonder! [The hymn uses the older English word 'tremble' but the word 'wonder' is a good or better modern equivalent.] The Christian hymn is asking the question "Were you there?" at the cross of Jesus Christ, asking not in an accusing way as in looking for one who had nailed our Savior to the cross but instead asking in a pilgrim way. It is imperative that each Christian make the pilgrimage to the cross of our savior the Lord Jesus Christ. The Prophets of Judah made the trip (Isaiah 53), the Kings of Israel made the trip (King David - Psalm 22). The three wise men from afar made the trip (Matthew 2) and the peasant girl Mary also made the trip (John 19:26). Fishermen and theologians, disciples and doubters have all made the trip to the cross. Those who have been to the cross, those who have made the pilgrimage to the glorification of our Savior have been able to reflect on the glorious and significant sacrifice that God in His love for us provided for us. The hymn is asking the question because having been to the cross it is then impossible to continue to live our lives in the same selfish and disrespectful ways in which we have previously lived. Have you been to the cross of Jesus Christ ... It makes me WONDER, Wonder, wonder ... [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Conclusion - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone
Conclusion - The movie "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" begins in the opening credits in the midst of an ongoing battle, a large battle is taking place, it is an unseen battle it is the battle of the spiritual realm. According to the opening credits it is both colorful and chaotic it is both stunning and terrifying. We are not simply viewers in this unseen battle we are all participants either willingly or unwillingly. The spiritual war has swept into our country, into our city and it has leveled every block in our neighborhood. We have a choice though, we can either beg for mercy in a harsh war like the owner of the hotel had chosen to do or we can live in faith. We can live in faith, in hope and in love by keeping a war that has come so close to us, to our very doorstep, keeping that war as far away from our heart as possible by knowing that God in Heaven as already prepared a place for us and in that place we won't be disappointed. [article link]
Chuck Missler & Council for National Policy Warning-Part 1 (Mp3) Comments: Blaine says - January 26, 2011 at 5:08 pm Did you bother to listen to the teaching? or did you just commenting after seeing the title? I have listened to a lot of Chuck's teaching. My favorite is The Return of The Nephilims. However, though I think Chuck has some good teachings, his connections are still questionable. Scott has brought up some interesting points which he backs up with prove. A man who calls himself a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ has no business yoking up with the people and wicked organizations Chuck is yoked up with. The bible tell us to come out from among them, be separate, and touch not the unclean thing. Then will I receive you, says the Lord. A believer cannot be feasting at the Lord's table while in communion with devils… can't have it both ways. I know many of us have had loads of respect for Chuck Missler because of the teaching he has put out, but the truth is the truth! I'll rather side with the truth than blindly follow a man when he's exposed by the light of the truth. [article link]
Chuck Missler & Council for National Policy Warning-Part 2 (Mp3) Comments: Nola says - January 25, 2011 at 3:36 pm I thank God you have exposed Chuck Missler. I had been so impressed with his teachings that I had purchased at least $400.00 worth of his teachings. I was actually planning to get a library of all his bible DVDs, which (after listening to your teaching) I WILL NOT. God bless you and thank you. ... Elizabeth says: January 27, 2011 at 3:26 am Dear Scott, I shouldn't be surprised, but I continue to marvel at how clever and embedded, and sly and transformed into "light" these men and women are. They say all the right things, they know all the right people, they show well in our conferences and seminars and churches. "Good words and fair speeches", deceiving "the heart of the simple". We need to STOP being simple, dear children of God! These wolves and goats are filling our ranks and most seem to have no idea. Thank you, Scott, for your diligence and willingness to present the truth as you uncover it. We are listening…. Blessings of comfort and strength in the Lord, Elizabeth [article link]
Multiple Dimensions - Exotica: Alien Genesis - Randy Maugans with Nigel Kerner, Dr. Andrew Silverman, Professor John Biggerstaff - wide-ranging [mostly secular] discussion on the phenomena of alien abduction and the ET agenda {Note: The 1966 Occult movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" introduced the world to an Occult Timeline through a series of pre-determined wars and events however that was decades ago and now the Occult is busy (very busy) introducing the world to their version of a multi-dimensional Occult Universe. An Occult universe of Aliens, UFO's, Nephilim, fallen angels, demonic beings, magical and mythical beings of all kinds.} (Mp3) Part 1 of 2 shows: Nigel Kerner, author of "The Song of the Greys" and "Grey Aliens and the Harvesting of Souls", returns with his colleagues to conclude the wide-ranging [mostly secular] discussion on the phenomena of alien abduction and the ET agenda to genetically and technologically re-engineer humanity. You say you want a de-volution...? [article link]
Sweetly Broken (at the cross) - (Youtube) By Jeremy Riddle - Sweetly Broken - Christian Music. [article link]
Blessed be the Name (Youtube) By Matt Redman - Blessed Be Your Name - Christian Music. [article link]
Christian and Missionary Alliance: TOZER DEVOTIONAL, THOUGHTS ON COMMUNION - Tuesday, January 11, 2011 - What a sweet comfort to us that our Lord Jesus Christ was once known in the breaking of the bread - In earlier Christian times, believers called the Communion "the medicine of immortality," and God gave them the desire to pray - But do not then depart; Savior, abide with us and spread Thy table **in our heart [not just in our mind] THOUGHTS ON COMMUNION: What a sweet comfort to us that our Lord Jesus Christ was once known in the breaking of the bread. In earlier Christian times, believers called the Communion "the medicine of immortality," and God gave them the desire to pray: Be known to us in breaking bread, But do not then depart; Savior, abide with us and spread Thy table **in our heart [not just in our mind]. Some churches have a teaching that you will find God only at their table-and that you leave God there when you leave. I am so glad that God has given us light. We may take the Presence of the table with us. We may take the Bread of life with us as we go. Then sup with us in love divine, Thy body and Thy blood; That living bread and heavenly wine Be our immortal food! In approaching the table of our Lord, we dare not forget the cost to our elder Brother, the Man who was from heaven. He is our Savior; He is our Passover! [article link]
Mormon Coffee: Do you follow God, or the law that governs God? - In Christian circles, this concept creeps in under the guise of "God has to answer my prayers", or "God has to forgive my sins", as if there were something obligating God to do these things - The idea that God is subordinate to a law is endemic in Mormonism In an exchange with a Mormon at the Mormon Coffee website, I concluded by asking my adversary if he followed God, or if he followed the law that governs God. You can find the full transcript here. Though the theology is interesting, what concerns me more is the direction, or rather the two very different directions you can go in, depending on your response to the question. ... If the union of the believer with God is the ultimate objective, then that union is characterized by the worship of God. It is not simply patting God on the back and saying "good job"; it is the total acknowledgement of God as He fully is, for example; ... Within this perspective, it is quite legitimate to consider the law as one of the "powers and authorities" in the "all things" that were created, whether it be the law of Moses or the law of gravity. The law, then, is created by God and has its being in Him, not the other way around. ... Following The Law That Governs God: In order to explore this idea, we need to move into terrain that is totally alien to the Biblical landscape. Firstly, the subordination of the law to God is reversed, such that God is governed by something that is greater than Himself. God is no longer free, in an absolute sense, but is compelled to do things by some greater, external force. In Christian circles, this concept creeps in under the guise of "God has to answer my prayers", or "God has to forgive my sins", as if there were something obligating God to do these things. The idea that God is subordinate to a law is endemic in Mormonism. ... Conclusion: The attempt to follow the law that governs God leads you on a path towards independence from God. You may be promised "all the Kingdoms of the world and their splendor" (Matt 4:8), or even the chance to rule entire planetary systems as if you were God. However these places will not be filled with God-worship and God will not be found in them. If you follow God, then you have Him, and you need nothing else. [article link]
Update: The Basic Christian Info Feed is currently working on a short, complex series of posts regarding the Atonement, Blood of Christ, Relationship [Sonship, Daughtership] Christianity - This is an expanded part of the
8 Kingdoms study - Originally the timeframe of the 8 Kingdoms Study was intentionally shortened in order to simplify the 8 Kingdoms study however now that the study has been extended until about Easter 2011 a few more concepts are going to be brought back into the 8 Kingdoms Study Currently modern Christianity is not generally embedded in the ancient error of 'Law Righteousness' where our own individual righteousness [an acceptable relationship with God] was incorrectly thought to be based on our own individual ability to keep the Old Testament 'Mosaic' (Moses) Laws but currently modern Christianity is deeply embedded in the (Dr. Rick Warren, Dr. John MacArthur, etc.) error of a works righteousness a 'Social Righteousness' - a socially acceptable (Christianized social gospel - whatever that is at any given time i.e. secular culture, lifestyle, knowledge (evolution, aliens, ET's, etc.), TV, music, pro-sports events, clothing style, hair, facial hair, etc.) based on a series of individual works (i.e. tithing, volunteerism, harmony, good works, submission, social justice, etc.) determined at any moment by a need for social acceptability and social compromise. What the Bible indicates is not a Law Righteousness nor a Works 'Social' Righteousness but instead a Free Gift (John 1:12, Matthew 17:26-26, Revelation 22:17) a "Relationship Righteousness" our Righteousness not by Law, not by Works and not even by social acceptance [either in Church or in society as a whole] but by a simple relationship of individual Sinner Saved by God [Jesus Christ] and once saved brought into a Family Relationship as Sons and Daughters with God our Father. [article link]
Basic Christian blog Bible Study: Leviticus 1-5 - The Laws for the offerings of the Levitical Priesthood - {There are multiple parts to the Old Testament Levitical Atonement 'Kaphar' (3722) Covering Sin Offering: 1. The sacrifice has to have a cost to the sinner, a precious useful animal was to be sacrificed. 2. The laying on of hands onto the animal's head then the confession and transfer of sins from the sinner to the innocent sacrifice. 3. The sacrifice dies with your sins, death of the sins. 4. The blood [life] of the animal is poured out providing a New Life opportunity (for a season, often one year) from the blood of the sacrifice for the sinner.} 1. The Burnt Offering Sacrifice: Giving totally to God, the entire sacrifice is consumed in fire and given to God. [Note: humans can and should concentrate themselves to God for a time, a season or even just an event. Where the animal offering was burnt and given to God it is the human service, fellowship that is consecrate to God. - The pagan practice is to burn a human in the fire but if a Christian person died in a fire that would end their consecration not start it and there is no such alter of God that would ever accept a human offering, a human is never ever to enter a physical fire as a sacrifice in Judaism/Christianity. The pagan practice of human sacrifice is strictly forbidden and prohibited in worshiping the true God of Israel.] 2. The Grain Offering: A sweat smelling (savor) freewill offer given to God. Bread flower covered with oil and sprinkled with Frankincense aroma is burnt in the fire with the smell of baking bread ascending up into heaven. No human induced ingredients are allowed no leaven [sin] and no honey [mans accomplishments] are allowed in the offering. 3. The Peace (Fellowship) Offering: An animal to be roasted as a celebration meal. The animal had to be without spot [inherited birth defect] or blemish [acquired defect]. The animal was to be roasted the fat [worry] was to be removed and burned separately and given to God the people couldn't eat the fat [worry]. The blood [life] was also to be poured out as at no time could they eat any blood [life of the animal]. 4. Sin Offering for Unintentional Sin (weaknesses): A young bull for the sins of individual people. A mature bull for the sins of a Priest. A [goat] that the leader was to lay hands on it for the sins of the nation. 5. Trespass Offering for Intentional Sin: A sin offering plus a grain (flour) offering withholding the oil and the Frankincense aroma. -Having sacrificed to God and their sins now covered for a year the O.T. Saints could then live in the presence of God to commune and interact with God however the O.T. animal sacrifices did not provide the individual direct access to God. The individual people did not live in the perceivable presence of God, did not have direct access to God and did not experience God the way individual N.T. saints often do. [article link]
Basic Christian blog Bible Study: Leviticus 6-10 - The offerings to God are to restore man's fellowship with God - The problem of sin [a separator, barrier between us and God] is not on God's side the problem is on our side
therefore a sacrifice had to be made to cover the sin (or remove the sin N.T.) and open the way to God - Aaron and his sons are anointed for their ministry - the people view the anointing and consecration of Aaron and his sons - During the first offerings 'strange fire' is offered to God and two of Aaron's sons die in the process Strange Fire: 'Leviticus 9:23-10:3 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. Leviticus And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire [not from the alter] therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.' ... 'Leviticus 10:8-9 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine [influences] nor strong drink [delusion], thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations' ... 'Acts 5:1-11 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept [the problem was in the deception not in the keeping] back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost [the only acceptable wine (Holy Spirit), influence that we can be under in our approach God], and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power [they didn't have to give it all]? why hast thou conceived this thing [disception] in thine heart? thou hast not lied [Strange Fire] unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much [deception]. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt [Strange Fire] the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the Church, and upon as many as heard these things.' - Ananias and Sapphira encountered the same judgment that befell Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron so many years before and that could befall any servant of God at any time even today. Both pairs of 'Priests' were children of God and are in heaven today however each of their ministries to God was ended suddenly by their own rash actions. It was two different Priesthoods; Nadab and Abihu were a part of the Levitical/Aaronic Priesthood while Ananias and Sapphira were a part of the Melchizedek/Jesus Priesthood. Two Priesthoods; one pair offering strange physical fire the other pair offering strange spiritual fire both to the same God and all received the same results. Note: Ananias and Sapphira both died as believing Christians they did not die in unbelief they died offering an unacceptable [strange fire] sacrifice offering to God. [article link]
BasicChristian.org
Basic Christian: Info, News and Resources 2010 Articles Bible verse: Psalms 33:1-5 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright - Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto Him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings - Sing unto Him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise - For the Word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in Truth - He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD - {Have a Blessed and Glorious New Year 2011 in the love, patience and presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!} - The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com Psalms 33: 6-22 By the Word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: He layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast [established - secure - available]. The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the Nation whose God is the LORD: and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance. The LORD looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the Sons of Men. From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; He considereth all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host [army]: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain [empty] thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His Holy Name. Let Thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Update Winter 2010: The Majesty and Glory of King Jesus Christ! "All Blessings, Honor, Glory, Majesty and Praise to the King and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ" - The Basic Christian Ministry is currently undergoing the series "The 8 Kingdoms of the World" regarding the Majesty and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ - Update: The 8 Kingdoms Study will now continue until about the Easter (Resurrection) Holiday [and the start of the Basic Christian 2011 Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion on Friday April 15th --> Easter Sunday April 24th] then the Church History segment should begin after the conclusion of both the 8 Kingdoms Study and the 2011 Jesus Walk Timeline Devotion Basic Christian has recently completed the 'blog Bible Study' and is currently in the process of the 'blog History Study' including the '8 Kingdoms of the World' study. The current plan is to study at a slower pace than the fast paced blog Bible Study and also to insert a couple of Topical Studies before the 8 Kingdom Study really gets back on track. Ideally the plan is to really get into the 8 Kingdom Study this Fall and then conclude the 8 Kingdoms (Kings) study just before we celebrate Christmas 2010 and the birth of the King the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 6:5, Matthew 2:2). Then to spend the time from Christmas to Resurrection Day Easter (2011) studying Christian Church History as we prepare for Resurrection Day 2011 and the birth of the Christian Church - the Christian Church having started on the Resurrection Day of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. -- Update: The website theme for 2010 has been "Revival - both personal and churchwide" the website theme for 2011 is "Church accountability and openness - Leadership, Financially and Churchwide" then the coming theme for 2012 is going to be "Sabbath Rest and Trust - entering into the finished and completed Eternal works of Jesus Christ" simultaneously in 2012 [or sooner - at the conclusion of the blog History Study] the Basic Christian blog is going to transition again this time into an exclusive Daily Devotional Bible Study - presenting daily devotionals based on segments of the Bible i.e. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. [article link]
HOTM: Heart of the Matter Shows Aired in 2010 - Live One Hour Call-in Show - 12/14/2010 #246 Tithing {Note: I had some technical trouble downloading the last two shows - there might be a technical glitch in their website (or not) but keep trying the shows are defiantly worth the effort!} (Video - Mp3) About Heart of the Matter: Started in early 2006, Heart of the Matter is a TV show produced in the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City. It's where Mormonism meets Biblical Christianity face to face! Shawn McCraney, the host of Heart of the Matter, provides great entertainment value and valuable knowledge of Mormonism and what it means to be a Born-Again Christian. Shawn is the author of "I Was a Born-Again Mormon" and the pastor of Calvary Campus. [article link]
Bible verse: Romans 10:11-15 ... How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! - The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com Romans 10:11-15 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him [Jesus] shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! -- Holy Bible [article link]
THE TEACHINGS OF JOHN MacARTHUR - John MacArthur, the gifted and charming pastor of Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, has been the center of controversy for many years - He appears to be one of those rare individuals whose presence leaves a wake of confusion and contention - As indicted earlier, John MacArthur's teachings have resulted in a great controversy and confusion that refuse to go away, even when repeated attempts of clarification are made - One capable Bible scholar labeled his teachings as "imprecise" (im·pre·cise - Lacking exactness and accuracy of expression or detail - Dictionary.com) - {Note: It seems that the reason that Dr. John MacArthur and so many other seemingly gifted pastors, teachers, leaders and evangelists have such a difficult time 'imprecisely' publically explaining their beliefs is because their 'beliefs' privately are vastly different from what they reluctantly attempt to publically display. It does seem that there is a dual (hidden-occult) gospel at work in the lives of many of the Christian leaders - one gospel for the common masses of people and a separate hidden (non-public) gospel for the leaders themselves. These men are not stupid [they administer millions of dollars], not naïve and defiantly not uninformed [i.e. current events - the LU Ergun Caner controversy] and when they can't clearly present the simple Gospel Message (God has forgiven our sins and offers to us freely of His eternal life - Revelation 22:17) it is because they don't believe the simple gospel message accurately represents their beliefs. Sadly it looks as though the one gospel message for the common people who are deemed unworthy is a gospel of payments (tithes), self-sacrifice, suffering, violence and ultimately death unto salvation yet for the worthy boastful Church leadership their gospel belief in themselves is in self-righteousness, favoritism, unaccountability, riches, eternal rewards and worldly personal gain all supposedly appointed and designated from God. Two messages for two separate classes of Christianity - an enlightened [born w/o original sin] christian class and another common Christian slave class that is never to be cleansed in this lifetime, by the blood of Jesus, and set free from the bondage of mankind at least not regarding the teachings of a manipulating and controlling, self-enlightened class.} John MacArthur, the gifted and charming pastor of Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, has been the center of controversy for many years. He appears to be one of those rare individuals whose presence leaves a wake of confusion and contention. For many, he is a champion of the faith whose voice is correcting many of the ills of Christianity. For others, his teachings border on heresy. He is seen by these as a threat to the Christian faith. Much has already been written concerning John MacArthur. What good could another article about him accomplish? Why should the VISITOR get involved in the fray? If John MacArthur is being unjustly criticized, he should be defended. If, on the other hand, John MacArthur is doing damage to the body of Christ,
he should be exposed. In either case, the influence of John MacArthur and its subsequent confusion have reached into the ranks of fundamental Christianity. Silence is not an option. ... As indicted earlier, John MacArthur's teachings have resulted in a great controversy and confusion that refuse to go away, even when repeated attempts of clarification are made. One capable Bible scholar labeled his teachings as "imprecise". There are no doctrines that are more essential to our historic Christian faith than the saving power of the blood of Christ and the eternal Son-ship of the Person of Christ. Since the 1970s, MacArthur has managed to muddle what the Word of God has made clear concerning these truths. At the core of the problems MacArthur's insistence upon redefining terms so that he uses orthodox language to express himself, but he has changed the meaning of the words. This, of course, was the tactic employed by neo-orthodoxy. ... MacArthur creates an issue that doesn't exist by seeking to separate the death of Christ from the blood of Christ. On page 237 of his commentary on Hebrews, MacArthur states that it is "not Jesus' physical blood that saves us, but His dying on our behalf" . In a letter to Mr. Tim Weidlich, dated April 4, 1986, MacArthur writes, "Obviously, it was not the blood of Jesus that saves or He could have bled for us without dying. ...Yes, the blood of Christ is precious - but as precious as it is - it could not save." MacArthur reduces the blood of Christ to a mere symbol of death. ... John MacArthur teaches that although Jesus is eternal, He is not the eternal Son of God. He writes, "Son is an incarnational title of Christ. It is an analogy to say that God is Father and Jesus is Son...God's way of helping us understand the essential relationship between the first and second persons of the Trinity. ...Christ was not Son until His incarnation". (Commentary to the Hebrews, pp. 27, 28) ... John MacArthur is a champion of compromise. Even if he did not perpetuate confusion and false doctrine, he would not qualify as an acceptable leader for fundamentalists. MacArthur is a staunch new evangelical with impeccable credentials of compromise. ... Let's not play games with the precious doctrines of God's Word. There are no good reasons to tamper with truth. We are saved by the blood of the crucified One. We need no other message. [article link]
John MacArthur's Lame Bible Commentary By David J. Stewart - I have in front of me the "Revised and Updated" edition of The MacArthur Study Bible - It pains me to look through it, because John MacArthur's commentary is as corrupt as is the New King James Version (hereafter referred to as NKJV) upon which it is based - I'd like to share with you some of my observations - A naive believer would have difficulty in identifying MacArthur's theological blunders and bias toward modern corrupt bible versions, but with the Lord's help I will show you a few things that I believe are very importan {Note: One of the biggest changes from the KJV to the NASB and other modern translations is the verse Revelation 5:10 where "And hast made 'us' [Christians] unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. - KJV" to "You have made 'them' [angels] to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth. - NASB" - Using 'they' [angels] in ver. 10 is clearly an error based on ver. 9 referring to redemption and angels are not redeemed Christians are. "Revelation 5:9 … for Thou wast slain [cross], and hast *redeemed 'us' to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"} Worshipping Jesus Ignored: Jesus Christ is worthy to be worshipped as Almighty God (John 1:1-3,14;10:33; Revelation 1:8), and we should worship Him. Deceitfully, most modern versions remove the word "worship" concerning Jesus Christ, and replace it with a mere "knelt." The NKJV is no exception and perverts the Word of God in Matthew 20:20. Of course, in all these perverted bibles, they still keep the word "worship" in Revelation 13:4 concerning those who worship THE BEAST! Evidently Nelson Publishers has no problem with worshipping Satan. ... Interestingly, John MacArthur, in his Revised and Updated 1997 edition of The MacArthur Study Bible fails to comment on the issue of worshipping Jesus in Matthew 8:2, 9:18; 14:33; 15:25 and so forth. What is he hiding? I believe it's because MacArthur knows that if he comments on these Scriptures, i.e., concerning Jesus being "worshipped," that he'll stick his neck out, because the NKJV and other modern versions have been corrupted. The trustworthy KJB says that the mother of Zebedee's sons "worshipped" Jesus; but the watereddown NKJV states that she only kneeled before Jesus. There's a big difference between kneeling and worshipping. One can kneel in honor or respect of a dignitary without worshipping him. For MacArthur to comment on this issue, in lieu of these corrupted Scriptures, would open him up to much criticism. ... The
Necessity of the Literal Blood of Jesus Ignored: MacArthur also fails to provide any meaningful comment on the applied blood of the Passover lamb in Exodus 12:13. In MacArthur's Revised and Updated "Study Bible," he avoids Exodus 12:13 like the Bubonic Plague. Exodus 12:13 in the KJB reads, "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." MacArthur doesn't comment concerning the necessity of applying the blood to the doorposts and lintel of the home. It baffles me as to why any professed Gospel preacher would make light of the literal blood of Jesus Christ. MacArthur has nothing good to say about Jesus' physical blood, because he doesn't think it has any value in and of itself. ... There is NO such teaching in the Scriptures! John MacArthur has fabricated his own corrupt way of thinking. Hebrews 9:6-7 state: "Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second [i.e., the holy of holies] went the high priest alone once every year, NOT WITHOUT BLOOD, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people." How can Mr. MacArthur be so naive and unbiblical as to claim that Jesus' literal physical blood didn't need to be applied to the Mercy Seat in Heaven, in consideration of such overwhelming Scriptural evidence? What good is a "Study Bible" that ignores the most important doctrine in the entire Bible? 1st Peter 1:18,19 tells us just how important the blood of Jesus is: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." ... Ghostwriting?: There are so many contradictions in The MacArthur Study Bible, as compared to MacArthur's previous writings, that it is questionable to me if some of his commentary was written by a GHOSTWRITER. Here's a perfect example of how MacArthur contradicts himself 100%. ... And Thomas Nelson Publishers have the audacity to claim in an ad for the NKJV (Moody Monthly, June 1982, back cover), "NOTHING HAS BEEN CHANGED except to make the original meaning clearer." [article link]
John MacArthur & The Blood of Christ - A very Excellent video 'blood = life' not death - "[John] MacArthur doesn't believe in the (life) blood of Jesus for Salvation (our eternal life) but in the death of Jesus for (our) salvation" - (YouTube) Using John MacArthur's own study bible [NASB-NKJV] to show that MacArthur does not regard the 'precious blood' (1 Peter 1:19) of Jesus (shed and poured out) to be our Salvation (healing) for forgiveness of sins and freely available to us [everyone - not a limited atonement] for our own receiving of eternal life. [article link]
A Response to John MacArthur and his very bad theology concerning the Blood Of Jesus Christ (YouTube) I must say I find Mr MacArthur very flawed concerning the Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I find his attitude very Caviler and very prideful. **It's a very dangerous thing following men. It only brings falsehood and division. We must be Sola Scriptura alone. Then, there is no love among Christians. Only fighting over or defending what our favorite teaches says. It must be terribly unattractive to unbelievers. But it exposes the pride in hearts and unbelief in the people who claim to be Christian. Question: Are we Blood bought Christians, or are we not? [article link]
[Warning!!] Very Bizarre Comments by Dr. John MacArthur - John MacArthur Defends himself on the blood of Christ - {Note: John MacArthur seems to indicate that he thinks 'the violence of the death' of Jesus is what saves us and not the divine blood of Jesus that gives us a new life. - And Note: That Jesus did not die of asphyxiation as noted by John MacArthur - the Bible says that "Jesus gave up His ghost" (John 19:30) Jesus separated (death) Himself from His own body, something that sinful humans are unable to do by ourselves (Revelation 9:6). - Also Note: The violence directed against Jesus by mankind is mankind's sin against God and is not a part of our salvation. Violence is man's sins against God as it is our violence towards God that represents our sin. We are saved (salvation) not by violence but because God [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] forgave our sins [Colossians 1:14, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 10:15-18] forgiving us God now offers (Communion)
to us from His eternal life-blood. -- Lastly: John MacArthur and others [Rick Warren, Chuck Smith Sr., Robert H. Schuller, etc.] seem to have a secret (occult) gospel that they privately believe [no original sin for them and their families, they don't sin, they are God's faultless-chosen and anointed servants, they personally represent, grant entrance, manifest, "generate", expand and define the Kingdom of God on earth, etc.] but publically they attempt to preach a more conventional gospel, though with some difficulty.} (YouTube) Comments: Maybe it was a misunderstanding because you mentioned not God's blood. Acts 20:28 says God purchased the church with His own blood. God is Spirit, and the blood of Jesus is not a spirit but by the power of God, the Spirit God manifested in the flesh. 1 Tim 3:16. So Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and everything of Jesus is the Spirit manifested in the flesh. John 1:14 The word became flesh and dwelt among us. It is a divine blood. [article link]
ESV John MacArthur Study Bible Attacks the Blood of Christ - Macarthur is a deceived man...he is a heretic (YouTube) Comments: 1. The ESV does not remove the phrase [through the blood] (Colossians 1:14). The KJV adds it [really...from what?]. 2. The ESV speaks of the atoning blood many times such as Romans 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ... | You need to read the verses before and after a verse. ... | Amen to the importance of the blood of Christ. ... | The Bible isn't too supportive of "follow the [human] leader"! :o -- "Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption [life] through His [life] blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" [article link]
Excellent Article!! - SolaSisters: Anne Rice "No Bloody Atonement Necessary?" [12/24/2010 - WSJ] [no original sin] - A baby in a manger cannot save anyone, and in truth, we cannot - must not - stop at the manger - The manger is just the beginning of the story of Jesus, and ultimately, this story leads to the Cross - {It should also be noted: Regarding the incorrect doctrine of 'Limited Atonement' that the Atonement [Christ] was sacrificed here on earth - there is no atonement blood being sacrificed in heaven to be given down to mankind. The atonement blood sacrifice was shed on the cross of Jesus on earth and the works of the cross of Jesus offered up and accepted by God the Father in Heaven creating a completed atonement [the repaired relationship between the Holy God and a sinful mankind] at one time for all mankind; past, present and future. -- "Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." -- "Leviticus 6:7 And the priest (Hebrews 3:1, Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 6:20) shall make an atonement for him [sinner] before the LORD [God]: and it shall be forgiven him [sinner] for any thing of all that he hath done [sins] in trespassing therein." - Also Note: The atonement sacrifice of Jesus is complete, conclusive and eternal for all mankind who are willing to receive it because the blood that Jesus shed on the cross after His death [full payment for our sins] is blood that is sinless [unlimited], Holy [in fellowship with God] and eternally [pre-existent] alive [Spirit life]. We receive our eternal life from the life of the blood (Leviticus 17:11) of Jesus promised at the Last Supper Communion (Matthew 26:28) then shed and poured out (John 19:34 - Psalms 22:14 - Isaiah 53:12) on the cross.} I would remind anyone reading what Anne Rice wrote that the atonement was not simply a theory. It was an actual event that happened in history, and it is only through the atonement that we are able to touch Christ's "outstretched hand." In fact, without the atonement, no one may approach God, and all who reject the atonement will remain under God's wrath. -- To me, it is far more amazing to have a Savior who was human yes - but who was fully God, too. And because of his Deity, Christ was able to make the ultimate sacrifice: offering up his own perfect, sinless life and suffering God's wrath on behalf of those who would repent and place their faith in this atoning work done on their behalf. God - in his magnificent, unsurpassable wisdom made a way to reconcile wretched, sinful men and women to himself without compromising his perfect, holy justice. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, who was both fully God and fully man, and who lived a perfect life, never sinning in thought, word or deed, and who, because of this, was able to offer up his life as a ransom for many. I broke God's laws, and Jesus paid my fine in his life's blood so that I could be released from the rightful
condemnation of the law. But this gift of salvation, though given freely, is narrow and exclusive. Only those who recognize their sinful wretchedness and need for a Savior, and repent and place their faith in Christ's atoning work done on their behalf, will see the kingdom of Heaven. -- A baby in a manger cannot save anyone, and in truth, we cannot - must not - stop at the manger. The manger is just the beginning of the story of Jesus, and ultimately, this story leads to the Cross. -- Anne Rice is celebrating the "what" of Jesus's incarnation [Christmas] (that He actually came, that He entered into time and space), but she is leaving out the most important part of Christ's incarnation, which is the "why" of his incarnation: the Cross. Quite literally, Jesus was born so that one day He would die. His life's mission was that He would be born, live a perfect life, and then die and rise again, conquering sin and death and reconciling God's people to himself. [article link]
Triablogue.blogspot - [12/28/2010] Bible-optional Christianity: William Lane Craig "As for your two moral objections, the first is an objection to the doctrine of original sin. But once more, that doctrine is not universally affirmed by Christians and is not essential to the Christian faith. So don't let that be a stumbling block for you." - COMMENTS: VYTAUTAS SAID: "If the doctrine of original sin is optional, then so is the doctrine of imputation. Paul bases justification to life eternal on Adam's trespass." Comments: The fact that WLC (William Lane Craig) [at one time] personally affirms original sin doesn't change the fact that he [now] feels free to tell potential converts which Scriptural teachings they must believe and which Scriptural teachings they may disregard. ... SKOTOS SAID: I didn't mean to defend WLC by putting forth the full quote, only to make sure we don't take his words out of context. Just curious, did all of the people posting comments read through the entire post by wlc? Again, I'm not here to defend him, just to make sure his comments get a fair trial. In case you are wondering, I very much believe in the doctrine of original sin and the need to show people of it. [article link]
ReasonableFaith.org: [about 12/28/2010 - undated material] [WLC] Question 193 Subject: Overweening Ignorance by William Lane Craig "original sin ... not essential to the Christian faith" - {Note: are William Lane Craig, Anne Rice, Billy & Franklin Graham, George Bush Jr. and others operating in a pre-planned, coordinated, Christmas 2010 assault on traditional 'original sin' Christianity? Certainly the Bush family and others would like people to believe that they are unique or even superior to others in a birth without 'original sin' yet that would simply be an "Unreasonable Faith" for Christians to follow.} Dr. Craig responds: ... Similarly, most Christians don';t hold to Young Earth chronology, as you seem to assume. So that needn't be a hindrance to you. You assume that God cannot give and take human life as He sees fit; but I see no reason at all for that assumption. God is under no obligation to prolong my or anybody else's life for even another second. You speak derisively of the doctrines of the Trinity and incarnation; but you do not interact with my or any other philosopher's articulation and defense of those doctrines (see Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview). As for your two moral objections, the first is an objection to the doctrine of original sin. But once more, that doctrine is not universally affirmed by Christians and is not essential to the Christian faith. So don't let that be a stumbling block for you. What is essential to Christian faith is that all men are sinners and in need of God's forgiveness and redemption. I'm sure you'd recognize your own moral shortcomings and failures, Luke. So don't get hung up on Adam's sin. It's your own sin you need to deal with. [article link]
Apprising.org: [12/29/2010] "SOME PEOPLE ARE BORN CHRISTIANS" [without having original sin] According to the below (quote) by former President George W. Bush Jr. from his [2010] book "Decision Points" - The Rev. Billy Graham made a rare appearance Monday [12/20/2010] at a book-signing for former President George W. Bush Jr. and his wife, Laura Bush "Some people are born Christians," at least so says renouned Southern Baptist evangelist Billy Graham. According to the (quote) below by former President George W. Bush from his [2010] book "Decision Points". ...
The problem is: If some so-called "religious" people are simply born Christian without being "born-again" we have just negated the doctrine of regeneration; we have salvation by osmosis ala the heresy of the wider mercy view, which Graham espouses in the video below. However, God's Word tells us that someone who has not been regenerated remains a slave of sin (cf. Romans 6:16-20); and no matter how religious one might be Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36). ... In Billy Graham Makes Rare Appearance at Bush Book-Signing w''re told: The Rev. Billy Graham made a rare appearance Monday [12/20/2010] at a book-signing for former President George W. Bush Jr. and his wife, Laura Bush. The 92-year-old evangelist, who sat in a wheelchair, and his son, Franklin, had lunch and prayer with Bush and the former first lady before heading to the Billy Graham Library to receive signed copies of the Bushes' books and pose for photos. Bush and his wife were in Charlotte to sign copies of their respective memoirs, Decision Points and Spoken From the Heart. Franklin Graham said the former President and his father have been friends for 30 years. (Online source) Friends for thirty years; more than enough time for friends to discuss what they believe about salvation. [article link]
Excellent Commentary!! - Dr. John MacArthur Can't Recall Conversion; [08/06/09] Claims He 'Always Believed' [no original sin?] (YouTube) Pastor John E. Coleman of "Into The Word Apologetics" examines peculiar statements by the inimitable John MacArthur regarding his conversion experience. The following are excerpts from "John MacArthur's Life Testimony": JOHN: Well I always believed the gospel. I don't ever...I don't ever remember a time when I didn't believe the gospel. I mean, it was so wonderfully modeled by my Mom and Dad [without original sin?], it was so consistent. They were exactly at home what they were in the church. And what my Dad was in the pulpit he was in the house. And Christ was always very wonderful to me and inviting to me. And my Mom and Dad lived out their Christian life before me. And so, I never rebelled against it. I always knew I needed Jesus to be my Savior. PHIL: So youre saying...are you saying it would be difficult for you to put your finger on when your conversion took place? JOHN: Yeah. I've never been able to do that. And it doesn't bother me. I think I'm one of those kids...I was one of those kids that never rebelled and always believed. And so when God did His saving work in my heart, it was not discernable to me. [article link]
#1 blog Post of 2010 - Emerging Church DVD - Extremely Important Viewing!!! - Part 8 Dialectic Deception [*To Download Click the Share Button] (Online Video) Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Basic Christian - New Website Menu System - Example Page Note: The BasicChristian.org website is working on implementing an additional website menu system structure [left side of the page] to aid in article and website navigation. The intention is to provide the BasicChristian.org website as an easier to use research, devotional and study tool website. [article link]
Christmas 2010: Christmas Day "Savior Day" - Celebrating the Arrival-Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind - Giving 'Glory to God in the Highest' this is the very basis of our human relationship to the Holy, loving, kind, compassionate and tender God! (PDF) Christmas Day - "Savior Day" The Day Jesus Christ the Savior of the world entered into the world! Celebrating the Arrival (Birth) of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. Christmas time is a wonderful time it is a time of reassurance of God's love and of God's commitment for all mankind throughout all time. Enjoy the Christmas holiday season knowing that there is indeed a Savior-Redeemer for mankind and that Jesus Christ is the Savior-
Redeemer. ... "Luke 2:8-12 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." [article link]
***{Basic Christian update 1.51 - Adobe Air Version - is Now Available - as a FREE Download} Note: The Basic Christian Adobe Air document has adjustable font size capabilities [bottom right slidebar] for each individual user -- The 'Adobe Air' document [BasicChristian.air] can be downloaded to any desktop computer and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - Right click this link) The project is completed including the fall Holidays update edition. It will provide excellent anytime devotions and is perfect as a Christmas gift stocking stuffer for others. Most importantly [with the new Adobe Air (web 2.0) document features] the end user can create their own comments list, add links to other websites, blogs, rss feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive individual Christian, research, devotional and study tool project. -- Now Available for Download! [article link]
[*Updated Links] Christian Faith Downloads - A Christian resource center with links to many FREE Mp3 downloads (Mp3's) Christian Faith Downloads -- "1st Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." [article link]
[*Updated] Basic Christian: blog Bible Study Version 2.0 - eBook available in EPUB format (ePub) The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study in ePub format. To download the eBook 'Right Click' on the Article Link and select "Save file as …" [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - King Edward's Chair - The Coronation Chair, is the throne on which the British monarch sits for the coronation [ceremony marking the investiture of a monarch or their consort with regal power, specifically involving the placement of a crown upon his or her head - wiki.com] - It was commissioned in 1296 A.D. by King Edward I King Edward's Chair, sometimes known as St Edward's Chair or The Coronation Chair, is the throne on which the British monarch sits for the coronation. It was commissioned in 1296 by King Edward I [also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307 - The first son of Henry III] to contain the coronation stone of Scotland - known as the Stone of Scone (Stone of Destiny) - which he had captured from the Scots who had kept it at Scone Abbey [In 1296 the Stone was captured by Edward I as spoils of war and taken from Scotland to Westminster Abbey]. The chair was named after England's only canonised (Sainted by the Pope) king, Edward the Confessor [Reign: 8 June 1042 - 5 January 1066], and was kept in his shrine of St Edward's Chapel at Westminster Abbey. - History: Since 1308, all anointed sovereigns of England (until 1707) and Great Britain (after 1707) have been seated in this chair at the moment of their coronation, with the exception of Queen Mary I (who was crowned in a chair given to her by the Pope) and Mary II (who was crowned on a copy of the chair). The last occasion was the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953 [mother of Prince Charles - grandmother of Prince William]. King Edward's Chair, as it stands now in Westminster Abbey, without the Stone of Scone. The high backed gothic style arm chair was carved in 1297 from oak by a carpenter known as Master Walter, who was paid the considerable sum of 100 shillings for his work. Four gilded lions act as legs to the chair; these are a comparatively modern restoration executed in 1727. They replace similar lions which were added in the 16th century. Under the seat of the chair is a platform and
cavity which until 1996 contained the Stone of Scone; this has now been returned to Scotland [in 1996] with the proviso that it be returned to the chair on the occasion of the next coronation. The chair may once have been richly painted and gilded - it is thought it once had an image of Edward the Confessor painted on its back. Today, however, its appearance is of aged and bare wood, and during its history many early tourists, pilgrims, and choir boys in the Abbey appear to have carved their initials and other graffiti onto the chair in the 18th and 19th century. The carved finials at the back of the chair have also been partially sawn away. In addition the chair was damaged in 1914 when it was the object of a bomb attack, thought to have been instigated by the suffragettes. Over the eight centuries of its existence it has been only twice removed from Westminster Abbey. The first time was for the ceremony in Westminster Hall when Oliver Cromwell was inducted as Lord Protector of England, and the second during World War II when it was evacuated to Gloucester Cathedral for the duration of the war. Today it is highly protected, and leaves its secure resting place (in the ambulatory on a raised modern pedestal near the tomb of Henry V) only when it is carried into the theatre of coronation near the High Altar of the Abbey for the rare occurrence of a coronation. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The Kings Speech Trailer 2010 HD (YouTube) The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it. - imdb.com [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Film Critics [Detroit Film Critics Society]: How I [Debbie Schlussel] Voted & What We Chose for 2010 Best Films, Etc. - MY NOMINATIONS: BEST FILM 1. "The King's Speech" [The story of King George VI (Prince Charles' Grandfather) of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it - imdb.com] {Looks like an excellent movie from the preview and with Debbie's recommendation I'm for sure going to see it. It is also a very timely movie as the world is apparently moving back into an end time global Monarchy (10 Kingdoms - Daniel 7:7) period. Also Note: The Kingdom of England (Great Britain) might or might not be the 'little horn' Antichrist Kingdom but either way the throne of England is going [to continue] to be the major player in world events right up until or including the time of Antichrist.} (Movie Review) I will be posting a separate list of my top ten best movies of the year in the next week or so, but our rules and constraints for this list are different. In this case, we could nominate and/or vote for 1-5 choices, with the number 1 choice being worth the most (5 points) and the number 5 choice being worth the least (1 point). So, here's what I picked as a DFCS critic . . MY NOMINATIONS: 1. "The King's Speech" [review will be posted on December 24th] ... And here are the winners, as voted on by the Detroit Film Critics Society: BEST FILM: "The Social Network" [A story about the founders of the social-networking website, Facebook. - imdb.com]. [article link]
Christmas 2010: TheGospelCoalition.org - Sermons on Christmas (Mp3s) The Gospel for All of Life: Preamble - We are a fellowship of evangelical churches deeply committed to renewing our faith in the gospel of Christ and to reforming our ministry practices to conform fully to the Scriptures. We have become deeply concerned about some movements within traditional evangelicalism that seem to be diminishing the church's life and leading us away from our historic beliefs and practices. On the one hand, we are troubled by the idolatry of personal consumerism and the politicization of faith; on the other hand, we are distressed by the unchallenged acceptance of theological and moral relativism. These movements have led to the easy abandonment of both biblical truth and the transformed living mandated by our historic faith. We not only hear of these influences, we see their effects. We have committed ourselves to invigorating churches with new hope and compelling joy based on the promises received by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. ... Our desire is to serve the church we love by inviting all of our brothers and sisters to join us in an effort to renew the contemporary church in the ancient gospel of Christ so that we truly speak and live for him in a way that clearly communicates to our age. We intend to do this through the ordinary means of
his grace: prayer, the ministry of the Word, baptism and the Lord's supper, and the fellowship of the saints. We yearn to work with all who, in addition to embracing the confession and vision set out here, seek the lordship of Christ over the whole of life with unabashed hope in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform individuals, communities, and cultures. You will find attached both our Confessional Statement and our Theological Vision for Ministry-a vision rooted in the Scriptures and centered on the gospel. [article link]
Christmas 2010: TheGospelCoalition.org - Sermons on The Kingship of Jesus Christ (Mp3s) The Gospel for All of Life: Preamble - We are a fellowship of evangelical churches deeply committed to renewing our faith in the gospel of Christ and to reforming our ministry practices to conform fully to the Scriptures. We have become deeply concerned about some movements within traditional evangelicalism that seem to be diminishing the church's life and leading us away from our historic beliefs and practices. On the one hand, we are troubled by the idolatry of personal consumerism and the politicization of faith; on the other hand, we are distressed by the unchallenged acceptance of theological and moral relativism. These movements have led to the easy abandonment of both biblical truth and the transformed living mandated by our historic faith. We not only hear of these influences, we see their effects. We have committed ourselves to invigorating churches with new hope and compelling joy based on the promises received by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. ... Our desire is to serve the church we love by inviting all of our brothers and sisters to join us in an effort to renew the contemporary church in the ancient gospel of Christ so that we truly speak and live for him in a way that clearly communicates to our age. We intend to do this through the ordinary means of his grace: prayer, the ministry of the Word, baptism and the Lord's supper, and the fellowship of the saints. We yearn to work with all who, in addition to embracing the confession and vision set out here, seek the lordship of Christ over the whole of life with unabashed hope in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform individuals, communities, and cultures. You will find attached both our Confessional Statement and our Theological Vision for Ministry-a vision rooted in the Scriptures and centered on the gospel. [article link]
Christmas 2010: SolaSisters - God Came Near - Christmas became the most wondrous time of year to me because it was TRUE......God did step into humanity, piercing the veil between the natural and the supernatural God Came Near - Christmas was always my guilty pleasure every year as a New Ager. My wiccan-pagan-hindu friends would give me a hard time for putting up a tree and decorating, and not having the "strength of my convictions." But I just always loved the gaiety of the season: the parties, the food, the sparkle, the fun, the decorating. And it seemed so hopeful at heart, this idea that God could have actually come into the world. Impossible, of course, but hopeful. Once I was born again, of course, Christmas became the most wondrous time of year to me because it was TRUE......God did step into humanity, piercing the veil between the natural and the supernatural, but even more than that, He did it so that wretched men and women could be reconciled to a high and holy God. Amazing. Soli Deo Gloria! [article link]
8th Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Eternal Kingdom - "Revelation 19:11-13 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He [Jesus] that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war [against sin]. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and *on His head were **many crowns; and He had a Name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His Name [Jesus] is called The Word of God (John 1:1)." All throughout the entirety of the scriptures of the Holy Bible what the people of God have kept in sight is the Kingdom of God. Adam, Eve, Abel, Noah, Job, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, King David, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Mary, John the Baptist, Peter, John, Paul, Stephen, Cornelius, Luke, Aquila and his wife Priscilla, etc. all looked to and hoped in the coming eternal Kingdom of God a Kingdom that they and all who hope in it are each a very important part of. -- "Isaiah 28:5-7 In that day [after the cross and resurrection] shall the LORD of Hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of His people, And for a spirit of
judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. But they also have erred through wine [seducing spirits], and through strong drink [doctrines of demons] are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment." -- "2 Timothy 4:1-8 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead *at His appearing and *His kingdom [the 8th Global Kingdom of the earth]; Preach the Word [Jesus]; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. **But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me *a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but **unto all them also that love His appearing." [article link]
8th Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Eternal Kingdom - The 3 Thrones of Jesus Christ - Current Throne in Heaven, Eligibility: Relative - Son of God (Father God) [eternal co-reigning with the Father and the Holy Spirit] - Future Millennial Kingdom Throne in Jerusalem, Eligibility: Relative - Son of Man (descendant of King David) - Eternal Throne of New Heaven (sky) and New Earth, Eligibility: Conqueror (John 16:33) Currently Jesus Christ is seated on His own Throne (co-reigning - interceding) at the right hand of His Father's Throne in Heaven. "Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth [not Jesus]? It is [Jesus] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, *Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us [not condemning Christians]." -- At a future date for the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth Jesus will be seated upon the Throne of King David (Acts 2:29-33) in Jerusalem. Then with the New Heaven (sky) and the New Earth, Jesus as the conqueror of this earth [realm] will sit eternally [continuing to coreign] with the Father and the Holy Spirit on His own Throne upon the New Eternal Earth (Revelation 21:3). -- "John 16:33 These things I (Jesus) have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I (Jesus) have overcome the world." [article link]
8th Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Eternal Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Only Possible Legitimate Messiah - The prophet Jeremiah was specific when he wrote in 23:5-6 of the coming of the royal son of David: "Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. "In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, 'The Lord our righteousness.'" A Legal Heir: Moreover, because Jesus descended from Mary, who also was a descendent of King David through the lineage of Nathan, He had a legal claim to the throne. The two lines of David focused on the Messiah. No one else could ever bring a legitimate claim to the throne of David. Luke presented the physical line of Jesus through His mother who descended from David through the line of Nathan (Luke 3:31). in this way Jesus escaped the curse of Jehoiachin. Donald Barnhouse concludes, "If Jesus is not the Messiah who has descended from David according to the Old Testament prophecies, there will never be a Messiah. For Jesus had no human children, and each of his brothers (who are the only other possibilities through whom another messiah might descend) had the curse on him and would have passed it on to his children" and Jeremiah's prophecy would thus be fulfilled. -- Jesus Christ is the legitimate descendent from two lines of King David. He is the King announced in the Jewish prophecies. He is the King Messiah who was also the Son of God. He is the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords." No one else can make that claim. He is the only possible legitimate Messiah. There can absolutely be no other. How significant that the great prophecy that the Messiah King would come through the line of David was given just a few verses after the great words of judgment on the descendents of Jehoiachin. C. C. Ryrie notes, "If Jesus had been born only in the line of Joseph (and thus of Jechoniah, Heb.
Coniah), He would not have been qualified to reign on the throne of David in the Millennium." He also writes, "Had our Lord been the natural son of Joseph, He could not have been successful on the throne of David because of this curse. But since He came through Mary's lineage, He was not affected by this curse." There was no curse on Nathan's line. Though Jechoniah's sons never occupied the throne, the line of rulership passed through them. If Jesus had been a physical descendent of Jechoniah, He would not have been able to occupy David's throne. Luke's genealogy makes it clear that Jesus was a legal descendant of David through his son Nathan (Lk. 3:31). Joseph, a descendent of Solomon, was Jesus' legal adoptive father, so Jesus traced His royal rights to the throne through Joseph. Jesus Christ is the only legitimate legal Jewish Messiah. Let us bow and worship Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Ahithophel - Ahithophel has a reputation for marvelous practical [farsighted] sagacity (II Samuel 16:23) - He did not show this in joining the conspiracy [with Absalom] but it is in evidence in his management of the affair - Absalom's only chance of success [in initiating a kingdom of Absalom] was by the method of surprise and stampede - There must be a crisis in which everybody would join Absalom because everybody thought that everybody else had done so {Note: Jesus Christ is a physical descendant of King David and is eligible to sit on the throne of King David via his mother Mary who is a descendant of King David via David and Bathsheba's 3rd son Nathan (1 Chronicles 3:5 - Luke 3:31) while Joseph the husband of Mary and step-father of Jesus is a descendant of Solomon the 4th son of King David and Bathsheba - It's important to note that the throne of Solomon was discontinued by God (Jeremiah 22:30) - Restoring the throne of Solomon [via a descendant of Solomon i.e. Barabbas] would equate establishing an Antichrist illegitimate throne. The true Throne of King David yet to be restored on earth [Acts 1:6, Acts 2:29-30, Acts 14:16] will be Jesus Christ via his mother's linage through Nathan [not to be confused with Nathan the prophet]. Also Note: The 8 Kingdoms study will look at this a little more when we briefly look at thrones, kingdoms, eligibility, who can establish them and who can sit on them i.e. to establish a kingdom historically the person had to be a victorious conqueror getting an important victory over a threatening enemy and therefore establishing or expanding his territory in a way that directly benefits his people by providing increased safety and opportunity. - George Washington (Revolution War, First President of the United States) and Thomas Jefferson (Revolution War, third President of the United States, principal author of the Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Land Purchase of 1803) would have been the only two Americans that would have really qualified to become Kings in America. There was a sizable movement to declare George Washington a King but Washington refused the offer.} Ahithophel: Some hold that he was the grandfather of Bathsheba, and make much of this in forming their estimates of him. Does the evidence sustain this view? In the latter half of the list of David's mighty men, not among the older veterans with whom the list begins, appears "Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite" (II Samuel 23:34), the corresponding name in the other copy of the list being "Ahijah the Pelonite" (I Chronicles 11:36). It is assumed that this is the same Eliam who was father to Bath-sheba (II Samuel 11:3). Apparently the Chronicler testifies (I Chronicles 3:5) that the mother of Solomon was "Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel." Bathshua may easily be a variant of Bathsheba, and the names Eliam and Ammiel are made up of the same parts, only in reversed order. It is not strange that men have inferred that the son of Ahithophel was the father of Bathsheba. But the inference is really not a probable one. ... That Ahithophel had then a married granddaughter is less probable than that there were in Israel two Eliams. Further, Ahithophel was not the sort of man to conspire against the interests of his grand-daughter and her son [Solomon], however he may, earlier, have resented the conduct of David toward her. Ahithophel's motive in the rebellion was doubtless ambition for personal power, though he very likely shared with many of his countrymen in the conviction that it was unjust to push aside an older son by elevating a younger son to the throne. ... Ahithophel has a reputation for marvelous practical sagacity (II Samuel 16:23). He did not show this in joining the conspiracy but it is in evidence in his management of the affair. According to the record the hearts of the people, in spite of the much fault they had to find, were all the time with David. Absalom's only chance of success was by the method
of surprise and stampede. There must be a crisis in which everybody would join Absalom because everybody thought that everybody else had done so. Such a state of public sentiment could last only a very few days; but if, in those few days, David could be put out of the way, Absalom might hold the throne in virtue of his personal popularity and in default of a rival. The first part of the program was carried out with wonderful success; when it came to the second part, Ahithophel's practical wisdom was blocked by Hushai's adroit appeal to Absalom's personal vanity. Ahithophel saw with absolute clearness that Absalom had sacrificed his one opportunity, and he committed suicide to avoid participation in the shameful defeat which he saw could not be averted - by Willis J. Beecher. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Antichrist Delusions 1 of 6 {Note: The Antichrist is a major topic of the Old Testament -- "Zechariah 11:8 Three shepherds (Revelation 16:13) also I cut off in one month; and My soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred Me." - Also Note: The Antichrist (emerging little horn - Daniel 7:8) is considered not to be a directly religious figure but more of a political figure, a ruler, a king, a kingdom (i.e Barabbas - trying to reestablish the throne of Solomon in Jerusalem by sedition - Luke 23:19). While the false prophet (Revelation 16:13) is generally considered to be a religious person (i.e. the Apostle Judas [Luke 6:13-14] - often considered now to be a last Catholic Pope) though the two the Antichrist and the False Prophet work closely with each other and with the third [spiritual - fallen angelic] portion (Mystery Babylon - Revelation 17:5) of the emerging unholy trinity. - Remember: The Biblical events of Jesus Christ, Barabbas and Judas were all prophesied earlier in the Bible [i.e. 2 Samuel 15:10-12] by King David (a type of Jesus Christ), Absalom (King David's oldest son - also a type of Antichrist, King Solomon being primarily the type of Antichrist) and King David's counselor Ahithophel (a religious devout servant [Psalms 41:9] - a type of Judas the betrayer) [Absalom his name signifies 'the father of peace' apuritansmind.com - The name Solomon means "the peaceful one" chabad.org].} (YouTube) Episode 3 on Steve Wohlberg's most comprehensive book on Bible prophecy, End Time Delusions, offers a compelling alternative to the New York Times bestselling "Left Behind" series. Separates facts from speculative fiction and reveals what the Bible really teaches about Earth's last days. -- "Zechariah 10:1-3 Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd. Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of Hosts hath visited His flock the House of Judah, and hath made them as His goodly horse in the battle." -- "Zechariah 11:1-17 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and **they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them. And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty [Old Covenent], and the other I called Bands [relationships - Israel-Judah]; and I fed the flock. *Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another. And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break My [O.T.] Covenant which I had made with all the people. And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon Me knew that it was the Word of the LORD. ***And I [Jesus] said unto them, If ye think good, give Me My price; and if not, forbear. So they [Temple Preists] weighed for My price thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast
them to the potter in the house of the LORD (Matthew 27:8-9). Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd [Antichrist] in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened." [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The Prophecy Club: The Sons of God and the Antichrist 1 of 4 (YouTube) The Prophecy Club: Bill Schnoebelen has seen over 100 UFO's and studied them for over 40 years. He was a member of the National Investigations Committee on Arial Phenomena (NICAP). He has interviewed over 100 people who have been abducted, including Christians. Bill will show pictures of physical evidence of the Sons of God. He will explain their connections to black magic; fallen angels DNA and it relates to the Mark of the Beast and a counterfeit Gospel. Bill says the Sons of God will reveal themselves and be a part of deceiving millions of people, including Christians, into denying Jesus. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Christopher Columbus UFO from A&E Television Networks History Channel (YouTube) Christopher Columbus reports sees a UFO in 1492 hours before discovering the new world. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Christopher Columbus UFO sighting in 1492 A.D. - From "The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus" (1850 A.D.): Christopher Columbus and Pedro Gutierrez while on the deck of the Santa Maira, observed, "a light glimmering at a great distance" - It vanished and reappeared several times during the night, moving up and down, "in sudden and passing gleams" It was sighted 4 hours before land was sighted [discovered], and taken by Columbus as a sign they would soon come to land UFO CASE REPORT From the WaterUFO.net site: Christopher Columbus UFO sighting in 1492 - Summary: In 1492, Christopher Columbus and Pedro Gutierrez while on the deck of the Santa Maira, observed, "a light glimmering at a great distance." It vanished and reappeared several times during the night, moving up and down, "in sudden and passing gleams." ... Even Christopher Columbus, it appears, saw a UFO. While patrolling the deck of the Santa Maria at about 10:00 PM on October 11, 1492, Columbus thought he saw "a light glimmering at a great distance." He hurriedly summoned Pedro Gutierrez, "a gentleman of the king's bedchamber," who also saw the light. After a short time it vanished, only to reappear several times during the night, each time dancing up and down "in sudden and passig gleams." The light, first seen four hours before land was sighted, was never explained." (from Beyond Earth: Man's Contact with UFOs, by Ralph Blum and Judy Blum, which is referring to 'The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus' (1850).) Case ID: 487. [article link]
8th Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Eternal Kingdom - The Bible's book of Job (Job 4:18) seems to indicate that God did not at one time (before the cross and resurrection of Jesus) trust the holy angels to remain holy and not take part in the fallen angelic, Mystery Babylon conspiracy against God and against mankind - In the book of Daniel (Daniel 10:21) it is revealed that only the Angels Gabriel and Michael the Archangel were aware of the plans and timing to restrain Mystery Babylon and to bring in the incarnation of God (Jesus Christ) into the realm of mankind - The Angel Gabriel that spoke to and instructed the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:21) is the same Angel that spoke to and instructed both the priest (Luke 1:19) Zacharias [the father of John the Baptist] and the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-35) regarding the incarnation of Jesus Christ "Job 4:17-21 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Behold, **He put no trust in His servants; and His angels He charged with folly: How much less in them [humans] that dwell
in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom." -- "1 Timothy 5:21-22 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, *and the **elect angels [holy angels that have responded to the calling of God and remained holy], that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure." -- "Hebrews 1:4-9 [Jesus] Being made (G1096 - appear in history, come upon the stage, appearing in public) so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they. For unto which of the angels said He [Father God] at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten [Jesus Christ] into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him [Jesus]. And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son He saith, *Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy Kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy [Father] God, hath anointed Thee [Jesus] with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows." [article link]
8th Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Eternal Kingdom - The Bible's book of Daniel Chapter 7 tells of a vision that Daniel had during the reign in the first year of Babylonian King Belshazzar [the grandson of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar - 3rd Global Gentile Kingdom of the earth] regarding four beasts (the 4 remaining global gentile governments- Persia, Greece, Rome, Revised Rome) - Later in Daniel chapter 10 in the third year of Cyrus King of Persia [4th Global Gentile Kingdom of the earth] it was given to Daniel to have further interpretation regarding the previous vision in chapter 7 - Possibly Jesus Himself and an angel [thought to be the angel Gabriel] came to Daniel with encouragement and more information - The information that the Angel brought to Daniel was that the Holy Angelic realm was actively opposing and fighting against [the fallen Mystery Babylon realm of fallen angels (Revelation 17:5,9)] - The angel had currently been resisting Mystery Babylon's (spiritual) Persian Empire and also very importantly the Angel was already preparing to resist the then coming Mystery Babylon's (spiritual) Geek Empire [5th Global Gentile Kingdom of the earth] -- "Daniel 10:20-21 Then said he [thought to be the angel Gabriel], [now] Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia [a fallen angel]: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince [another fallen angel] of Grecia (Greece) shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth [Bible]: and there is none that holdeth [has the knowledge - plans of God] with me in these things [in the O.T. times before the incarnation, cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ], but Michael [the Archangel] your prince [a holy angel of Israel]." "Daniel 7:1-3 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds [spirits] of the heaven strove upon the great sea [humanity]. And four great beasts came up from the sea [humanity], diverse one from another." - The holy Angelic realm seems to have had a special interest in combating the Mystery Babylon Kingdom of Greece. Greece in many ways was and is the most sustained and dangerous of the Mystery Babylon Kingdoms. Ancient Greece accumulated and parlayed much of the deep ancient Mystery Babylon Kingdom knowledge assembling the secrets of (The Tower of Babel, Egypt, Babylon and Persia) and preserved them in a Westernized format for a continued and sustained onslaught against mankind that has lasted for well over 2,000 years. Along with the deep ancient secrets of Mystery Babylon, Greece has initiated mankind with secular philosophy, the myths and gods of Olympus, a prolonged cultural substitute for godliness and a seemingly sustainable nanny state society. Including the fact that in ancient Greece were sown and continued some of the seeds of our modern UFO phenomenon and of our current modern Evolution Darwinian hoax dilemma further designating that no culture, not even Rome has left such an impression [in a harmful way] on so much of the human race for such a long time. -- "Daniel 11:45-12:3 And he [Antichrist] shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in
the glorious holy mountain [Mt. Moriah, Jerusalem]; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. And at that time shall Michael [the Archangel] stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy [Jewish] people: and there shall be a time of trouble [Jacob's trouble - During the Great Tribulation of Revelation], such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake [participate in the ongoing first resurrection], some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt [judgment]. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - 6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - Hellenistic Period: The Hellenistic period describes the era which followed the conquests of Alexander the Great - During this time, Greek cultural influence and power was at its zenith in Europe and Asia - It is often considered a period of transition, sometimes even of decline or decadence, between the brilliance of the Greek Classical Era and the emergence of the Roman Empire - Usually taken to begin with the death of Alexander in 323 BC, the Hellenistic period may either be seen to end with the final conquest of the Greek heartlands by Rome in *146 BC - or the final defeat of the last remaining successor-state to Alexander's empire, the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt in 31/30 BC - The Hellenistic period was characterized by a new wave of [Greek] colonists which established Greek cities and kingdoms in Asia and Africa [including in Israel - The Decapolis ("Ten Cities"; Greek: deka, ten; polis, city) of Jesus' day] Rise of Rome [via - trade, goodwill, treaties, politics, policy and lastly overt military action]: Widespread Roman interference in the Greek World was probably inevitable given the general manner of the ascendency of the Roman Republic. This Roman-Greek interaction began as a consequence of the Greek city-states located along the coast of southern Italy. Rome had come to dominate the Italian peninsula, and desired the submission of the Greek cities to its rule. Although they initially resisted, allying themselves with Pyrrhus of Epirus, and defeating the Romans at several battles, the Greek cities were unable to maintain this position and were absorbed by the Roman republic. Shortly afterwards, Rome became involved in Sicily, fighting against the Carthaginans in the First Punic War. The end result was the complete conquest of Sicily, including its previously powerful Greek cities, by the Romans. The independent cities of Magna Graecia did not form part of the Hellenistic domains and had, by this time, been eclipsed in power by the Hellenistic kingdoms of the east. They also remained independent at a time when the Mediterranean was increasingly dominated by 'great powers'. This, and their proximity to Rome, had made them easy and obvious targets. *Conversely, the major Hellenistic realms were not in the immediate Roman sphere of influence, and were powerful enough to deter Roman aggression. The events which, in retrospect, marked the beginning of the end for the Hellenistic kingdoms could have been avoided; even if it seems likely that a collision between them and Rome would have ultimately occurred. -- **Roman entanglement in the Balkans began, as so often, with trade. Illyrian piratical raids on Roman merchants twice led to a Roman task force invading Illyria (the First and, Second Illyrian Wars). Tension between Macedon and Rome increased when the young king of Macedon, Philip V harboured one of the chief pirates, Demetrius of Pharos (a former client of Rome). As a result, in an attempt to reduce Roman influence in the Balkans, Philip allied himself with Carthage after Hannibal had dealt the Romans a massive defeat at the Battle of Cannae (216 BC) during the Second Punic War. Forcing the Romans to fight on another front when they were at a nadir of manpower gained Philip the lasting enmity of the Romans; the only real result from the somewhat insubstantial First Macedonian War (215-202 BC). -- Once the Second Punic War had been resolved, and the Romans had begun to regather their strength, they looked to re-assert their influence in the Balkans, and to curb the expansion of Philip. A pretext for war was provided by Philip's refusal to end his war with Attalid Pergamum, and Rhodes, both Roman allies. The Romans, also allied with the Aetolian League of Greek city-states (which resented Philip's power), thus declared war on Macedon in 200 BC, starting the Second Macedonian War. This ended with a decisive Roman victory at the Battle of Cynoscephalae (197 BC). **Like most Roman peace treaties of the period, the resultant 'Peace of Flaminius' [Proconsul Titus Quinctius
Flaminius] was designed to utterly crush the power of the defeated party; a massive indemnity was levied, Philip's fleet was surrendered to Rome, and Macedon was effectively returned to its ancient boundaries, losing influence over the city-states of southern Greece, and land in Thrace and Asia Minor. The result was the end of Macedon as a major power in the Mediterranean. -- As a result of the confusion in Greece at the end of the Second Macedonian War, the Seleucid Empire also became entangled with the Romans. The Seleucid Antiochus III had allied with Philip V of Macedon in 203 BC, agreeing that they should jointly conquer the lands of the boy-king of Egypt, Ptolemy V. After defeating Ptolemy in the Fifth Syrian War, Antiochus concentrated on occupying the Ptolemaic possessions in Asia Minor. However, this brought Antiochus into conflict with Rhodes and Pergamum, two important Roman allies, and began a 'cold-war' between Rome and Antiochus (not helped by the presence of Hannibal at the Seleucid court). Meanwhile, in mainland Greece, the Aetolian League, which had sided with Rome against Macedon, now grew to resent the Roman presence in Greece. This presented Antiochus III with a pretext to invade Greece and 'liberate' it from Roman influence, thus starting the Roman-Syrian War (192-188 BC). Another decisive Roman victory at the Battle of Magnesia (190 BC) saw the defeat of Antiochus. Another crippling treaty followed, with Seleucid possessions in Asia Minor removed and given to Rhodes and Pergamum, the size of the Seleucid navy reduced, and a massive war indemnity invoked. - Thus, in less than twenty years, Rome had destroyed the power of one of the successor states, crippled another, and firmly entrenched its influence over Greece. This was primarily a result of the over-ambition of the Macedonian kings, and their unintended provocation of Rome; though Rome was quick to exploit the situation. In another twenty years, the Macedonian kingdom was no more. Seeking to re-assert Macedonian power and Greek independence, Philip V's son Perseus incurred the wrath of the Romans, resulting in the Third Macedonian War (171-168 BC). Victorious, the Romans abolished the Macedonian kingdom, replacing it with four puppet republics; these lasted a further twenty years before Macedon was formally annexed as a Roman province (146 BC). -- The Attalid dynasty of Pergamum lasted little longer; a Roman ally until the end, its final King Attalus III died in 133 BC without an heir, and taking the alliance to its natural conclusion, willed Pergamum to the Roman Republic. Contrarily, having so firmly intricated themselves into Greek affairs, the Romans now completely ignored the rapidly disintegrating Seleucid empire (perhaps because it posed no threat); and left the Ptolemaic kingdom to decline quietly, whilst acting as a protector of sorts, in as much as to stop other powers taking Egypt over (including the famous line-in-the-sand incident when the Seleucid Antiochus IV Epiphanes tried to invade Egypt). Eventually, instability in the near east resulting from the power vacuum left by the collapse of the Seleucid empire caused the Roman proconsul Pompey the Great to abolish the Seleucid rump state, absorbing much of Syria into the Roman republic. Famously, the end of Ptolemaic Egypt came as the final act in the republican civil war between the Roman triumvirs Mark Anthony and Augustus Caesar. After the defeat of Anthony and his lover, the last Ptolemaic monarch, Cleopatra VII at the Battle of Actium, Augustus invaded Egypt and took it as his own personal fiefdom. He thereby completed both the destruction of the Hellenistic kingdoms and the Roman republic, and ended (in hindsight) the Hellenistic era. [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - mideastweb.org: After the death of King Solomon, Israel split into two kingdoms [Israel (10 Northern Tribes - Samaria), Judah (Two Southern Tribes - Jerusalem)] - Eventually, both the kingdom of Israel, and later that of Judea, with its temple in Jerusalem, were overrun by invaders [Babylon, King King Nebakanezer - 3rd Global Gentile Kingdom] - [70 years later] The Persians [Persia, Cyrus The Great 4th Global Gentile Kingdom] restored the Judean kingdom and allowed the Jews to [return and] rebuild their temple - This kingdom fell to Greek and later Hellenic-Syrian domination when Alexander the Great [Greece 5th Global Gentile Kingdom] conquered Persia - In 164 B.C. the Hasmonean Kingdom of Judea [Judah - Israel] revolted and became semi-independent of Syria [resulting in the Hanukkah (Chanukah) Festival] - It [Judea Jerusalem, Israel] **was [originally] protected by a **treaty of friendship with Rome (1 Maccabees 8:17-32) However in 61 A.D. [Roman - First Triumvirate (three part rulers) - Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Licinius Crassus, and Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey) Magnus] Pompei [the Roman General Pompey] conquered Jerusalem, and
from then on Israel or Palestine was subordinate to Rome - Parts of it were nominally independent under the rule of local kings of the line of Herod the Idumean Herod build many towns and fortifications (including Massada and Heordion) and extensively remodelled [the 2nd Temple - rebuilt via permission and materials of Cyrus The Great from Persia] the Temple in Jerusalem [later called Herod's rebuilt Temple or simply Herod's Temple]. After the first Jewish rebellion [against Rome] and fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., large numbers of Jews were exiled. Jerusalem was eventually rebuilt as Aelia Capitolina. After the failure of the revolt of Bar-Kochba in 133, there were more exiles and ruined towns. On the ruins of Israelite and Canaanite towns, the Romans built new ones, populated partly by inhabitants of neighboring lands. The land was divided into several districts, of which Palestine was only one. The Negev (southern district), generally excluded from these divisions was inhabited by the Nabateans, an Arab trader nation that made a notable desert civilization in cities such as Avdat (in modern Israel) and Petra (in modern Jordan). The whole area between the desert and the sea was known, later in the Roman Empire, as the Christian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, though this was not a Roman administrative division. [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - The Conquests of Alexander the Great - In 331 B.C. Alexander the Great of Macedon began one of the greatest conquests in human history - After conquering Egypt and defeating the Persian Empire Alexander had pushed his army to the very limits of the world as the Greeks knew it [Aristotle - Aristotle (384-322 BC) was a Greek philosopher, a *student of Plato and **teacher of Alexander the Great - Wiki.com] - But he wanted more; he saw that the world extended further - By conquering the ancient lands of the Mesopotamians [Tigris-Euphrates river system - Wiki.com], he came into contact with cultures to the east, such as Pakistan and Indian {Note: Alexander the Great had been extensively schooled by notable teachers namely Aristotle. The original plan for Greece to conquer Persia was the plan and desires of Alexander's father but he was assassinated before he could attempt it. Alexander therefore had the plans of his father and a Greek map of the known world resulting in a substantial and complex plan to conquer the known world before Alexander even left Greek territory to go confront the armies of Persia.} In 331 BC, Alexander the Great of Macedon began one of the greatest conquests in human history. After conquering Egypt and defeating the Persian Empire Alexander had pushed his army to the very limits of the world as the Greeks knew it. But he wanted more; he saw that the world extended further. By conquering the ancient lands of the Mesopotamians, he came into contact with cultures to the east, such as Pakistan and India. ... Alexander only made it as far as the region of Gandhara [northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan Wiki.com], the plain which lies directly west of the Indus River [Pakistan]. Alexander himself seems to have had literally no effect on Indian history, for he left as soon as he reached the Indus. Two important results, however, arose because of Alexander's conquests: first, from this point onwards Greek and Indian culture would intermix. But most importantly, the conquest of Alexander may have set the stage for the first great conqueror of Indian history, Chandragupta Maurya (reigned 321-297 BC), who, shortly after Alexander left, united all the kingdoms of northern India into a single empire. [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - ufo.whipnet.org: The first recorded incident regarding Alexander the Great and UFO's was recorded in 329 B.C. - "gleaming silver shields" swooped down and made several passes over the battle - These "gleaming silver shields" had the effect of startling his cavalry horses, causing them to stampede - They also had a similar effect on the enemies' horses and elephants so it was difficult to ascertain whose side these "gleaming silver shields" were on {Note: UFOs, space aliens, extraterrestrial life, etc. exhibit the exact same tendencies, behavioral patterns, customs and doctrines and are indistinguishable from known demonic or fallen angelic beings [doctrines of demons]. Generally if the often reported sightings and encounters of advanced extraterrestrial life forms or alien beings were genuinely from advanced and separate societies then conduct and openness would dictate that they would reveal and conduct themselves in the openness of an advanced civilized society yet the very reasons that UFO phenomenon engages in deceit and
secrecy leads to valid concerns that UFO phenomenon is an elaborately staged hoax of the [superior] demonic realm and is a hoax that has been in existence for several millennium, a hoax that is drawing to a designed, grand finally in some predetermined and intended master exposure the resulting conclusion staged primarily for exhibit to mankind.} The first recorded incident regarding Alexander the Great and UFO's was recorded in 329BC. Alexander decided to invade India and was attempting to cross the river Indus to engage the Indian army when "gleaming silver shields" swooped down and made several passes over the battle. These "gleaming silver shields" had the effect of startling his cavalry horses, causing them to stampede. They also had a similar effect on the enemies' horses and elephants so it was difficult to ascertain whose side these "gleaming silver shields" were on. Nevertheless, after exiting the battle victoriously Alexander decided to not proceed any further into India. ... [Seven years later - the destruction of Tyre] The historical account, recorded by Alexander's chief historian, states that, during an attack of the island city, one of two 'gleaming silver shields' attacked a section of the wall with a 'beam of light' which subsequently caused that section of the wall to fall! Alexander's' men poured through the opening and captured the city. What is so noteworthy about this encounter is the fact that the historians for the defeated people of Tyre reported the exact same reason for the loss of their city! Usually, the reason given by a defeated people is different than that given by the victors, but in this instance their accounts read the same. Before he started his major offensive against Persia Alexander sought the advice of an oracle in a temple located in the desert. He set off, with a small party of men, but miscalculated the logistics and found himself hopelessly out of water and dying of thirst. Almost miraculously, a rare, but unusually strong rain cloud burst overhead and gave him and his men sufficient water to safely complete their journey. No one reported seeing any 'gleaming silver shields' but here again is a case of a wondrous "cloud" that we see so many occurrences of in the Bible. Written by: SC Russ. [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - Empedocles [Acragas (an ancient Greek city - Wiki.com), 490 - 430 BC] - The Pythagorean influence dominated Greek thought for a long time - Many of Pythagoras' ideas can be found in the work of Empedocles - He [Empedocles] was the first philosopher who stated that there are four primordial elements: earth, air, fire and water - Empedocles conceived of a fanciful version of the theory of evolution which included the idea of survival of the fittest - He stated that in prehistoric times strange creatures had populated the world of which only certain forms had survived - Though, it must be granted that Empedocles' vision is somewhat crude and bizarre, compared to the painstaking investigation that led Darwin [Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) was an English naturalist - Wiki.com] to the same conclusion two thousand three hundred years later Empedocles was remarkably ahead of his time. He made several noteworthy statements, such as that the moon would shine by reflected light and that solar eclipses are caused by the interposition of the moon. He held that light takes time to travel, but so little time that we cannot observe it. He also discovered at least one example of the centrifugal force: if a cup of water is whirled round at the end of a string, the water does not flow out. In addition, Empedocles conceived of a fanciful version of the theory of evolution which included the idea of survival of the fittest. He stated that in prehistoric times strange creatures had populated the world of which only certain forms had survived. Though, it must be granted that Empedocles' vision is somewhat crude and bizarre, compared to the painstaking investigation that led Darwin to the same conclusion two thousand three hundred years later. The following are excerpts from the book "On Nature", in which Empedocles describes the fantastic creatures that preceded mankind: "Come now, hear how the shoots of men and pitiable women were raised at night by fire, as it separated, thus - for my story does not miss the mark, nor is it ill-informed. First, whole-natured forms sprang up from the earth, having a portion of both water and heat. Fire sent them up, wishing to come to its like, and they showed as yet no desirable form in their limbs, nor any voice, nor member native to man." (Simplicius, Commentary on Physics 381.29) "Here many neckless heads sprang up. Naked arms strayed about, devoid of shoulders, and eyes wandered alone, begging for foreheads. But when they mingled, these things came together as each happened and many others in addition were continuously born."
(Simplicius, Commentary on the Heavens, 586.6) "Many grew double headed, double-chested - man-faced oxen arose, and again ox-headed men - creatures mixed partly from male partly from female form, fitted with dark limbs." (Aelian, The Nature of Animals XVI 29). [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - Evolution and Paleontology in the Ancient World - Even "primitive" peoples may have extremely detailed knowledge of the living organisms around them, knowledge on which their survival or well-being often depends - When such knowledge is arranged systematically and used to make general statements and predictions about the world, one may speak of a scientific tradition Such traditions were developed among the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians; the Egyptians, in particular, developed a scientific tradition in medicine, one based on careful observations - It was the Greeks, however, who led the way in developing a general scientific worldview -- one in which natural, non-miraculous explanations for the causes of phenomena were sought. The earliest Greek philosophers lived and worked, not in Greece itself, but in the Greek colonies of Ionia (the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor -- now Turkey -- and the nearby islands) - Because it was favorably located for trade among Greece, Egypt, and the Near East, Ionia was not only wealthy, but well placed for the dispersal of ideas; thus Greek thought drew on the knowledge of the Near East, Egypt, and even India at various times in history - Later, the thinkers of the Roman Republic and Empire carried on the Greek tradition, although relatively less original scientific thought was developed among the Romans The Ionian Philosophers: Evolutionary theory begins with the Ionian philosopher Anaximander (ca. 611 - 546 B. C. E.). Very little is known about his life, but it is known that he wrote a long poem, On Nature, summarizing his researches. This poem is now lost, and has survived only in extracts quoted in other works. Enough survives, however, that Anaximander's thought can be reconstructed with some confidence. For Anaximander, the world had arisen from an undifferentiated, indeterminate substance, the apeiron. The Earth, which had coalesced out of the apeiron, had been covered in water at one stage, with plants and animals arising from mud. Humans were not present at the earliest stages; they arose from fish. This poem was quite influential on later thinkers, including Aristotle. Had Anaximander looked at fossils? Did he study comparative fish and human anatomy? Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing what evidence Anaximander used to support his ideas. His theory bears some resemblance to evolutionary theory, but also seems to have been derived from various Greek myths, such as the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha, in which peoples or tribes are born from the Earth or from stones. His concept of the apeiron seems similar to the Tao of Chinese philosophy and religion, and to the "formless and void" Earth of the Hebrew creation account and other creation myths. However, even though Anaximander's ideas drew on the religious and mythical ideas of his time, he was still one of the first to attempt an explanation of the origin and evolution of the cosmos based on natural laws. -- In the 6th century B.C. Xenophanes of Colophon (died ca. 490 B.C.E.), who was a disciple of Anaximander, developed Anaximander's theories further. He observed fossil fishes and shells, and concluded that the land where they were found had been underwater at some time. Xenophanes taught that the world formed from the condensation of water and "primordial mud;" he was the first person known to have used fossils as evidence for a theory of the history of the Earth. -- The Greek historian Herodotus (484-425 B.C.E.) also observed fossil shells in Egypt, and cited them as evidence that Egypt had once been underwater. He also described a valley in Arabia, in the Mokattam mountains, where he saw "the backbones and ribs of such serpents as it is impossible to describe: of the ribs there were a multitude of heaps. . . " He ascribed these bones to winged serpents that had been killed by ibises. We now know that these are the bones of fossil mammals that wash out of the rocks every rainy season. Several other ancient historians briefly mentioned fossils in their writings. Finally, the famous Greek physician Hippocrates of Cos (460-357 B.C.E.) is known to have collected fossils; in fact, modern excavations at Asklepion, the famous medical school of Hippocrates's day, unearthed a fragment of a fossil elephant molar. ... Empedocles of Acragas: Another Greek philosopher, the fifth-century materialist Empedocles of Acragas (in Sicily), postulated that the universe was composed of four basic elements -- earth, air, fire, and water. These elements were stirred by two fundamental forces, which Empedocles called Love and Strife. ("Attraction" and
"repulsion" might be better modern terms for what Empedocles actually meant.) The constant interplay of these elements, alternately attracting and repelling each other, had formed the universe. Empedocles claimed that the Earth had given birth to living creatures, but that the first creatures had been disembodied organs. These organs finally joined into whole organisms, through the force of Love, but some of these organisms, being monstrous and unfit for life, had died out. The theory seems a bit bizarre today, but Empedocles had come up with a sort of evolutionary theory: past natural selection is responsible for the forms we see today. Empedocles also ascribed the origin of the life of today to the interplay of impersonal forces, in which chance, not the gods, played the major role. There are, however, major differences between Empedocles's ideas and natural selection in the modern sense: Empedocles conceived of his "natural selection" as a past event, not as an ongoing process. Once again, we do not know whether Empedocles had actually found supporting evidence for his theories. **He may have been influenced by existing accounts of mythological creatures that seemed to be "put together" out of the parts of different animals, such as centaurs, sphinxes, and chimeras. But perhaps he had also seen deformed animals, or examined "monstrous-looking" fossil bones. ... Lucretius: Much later, the Roman poet and philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus (99-55 B.C.E.) wrote his long philosophical poem De Rerum Natura ("On the Nature of Things"). In this poem Lucretius proposed, among other things, an "evolutionary" theory similar to that of Empedocles (which is ironic, because he attacks Empedocles rather vehemently in other parts of the poem). [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - Bacchanalia - The bacchanalia were wild and mystic festivals of the Greek god Dionysus and Roman god Bacchus - The word has since come to describe any form of drunken revelry Livy informs us that the rapid spread of the cult, which he claims indulged in all kinds of crimes and political conspiracies at its nocturnal meetings, led in 186 B.C. to a decree of the [Roman] Senate - the so-called Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus, inscribed on a bronze tablet discovered in Apulia in Southern Italy (1640), now at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna - by which the Bacchanalia were prohibited throughout all Italy except in certain special cases which must be approved specifically by the Senate History: The bacchanalia were originally held in secret and only attended by women. The festivals occurred in the grove of Simila near the Aventine Hill [one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built - Wiki.com] on March 16 and March 17. Later, admission to the rites was extended to men, and celebrations took place five times a month. According to Livy, the extension happened in an era when the leader of the Bacchus cult was Paculla Annia - though it is now believed that some men had participated before that. Livy informs us that the rapid spread of the cult, which he claims indulged in all kinds of crimes and political conspiracies at its nocturnal meetings, led in 186 BC to a decree of the Senate - the so-called Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus, inscribed on a bronze tablet discovered in Apulia in Southern Italy (1640), now at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna - by which the Bacchanalia were prohibited throughout all Italy except in certain special cases which must be approved specifically by the Senate. In spite of the severe punishment inflicted on those found in violation of this decree (Livy claims there were more executions than imprisonment), the Bacchanalia survived in Southern Italy long past the repression. Some modern scholars doubt Livy's account and argue that the Senate acted against the Bacchants for one of the following reasons -- In Empires of Trust: How Rome Built - And America Is Building - A New World [NWO] by Thomas Madden, the author cites the words of a [ancient] Roman investigative consul in his report to the Roman Senate: there was no crime, no deed of shame, wanting (lacking). More uncleanness was committed by men with men than with women. Whoever would not submit to defilement, or shrank from violating others, was sacrificed as a victim. To regard nothing as impious or criminal was the sum total of their religion. The men, as though seized with madness and with frenzied distortions of their bodies, shrieked out prophecies; the matrons, dressed as Bacchae, their hair disheveled, rushed down to the Tiber River with burning torches, plunged them into the water, and drew them out again, the flame undiminished because they were made of sulfur mixed with lime. Men were fastened to a machine and hurried off to hidden caves, and they were said to have been taken away by the gods. These were the men who refused to join their conspiracy or take part in their crimes or submit to their pollution. ... Modern
usage: In the second season of the HBO show 'True Blood' the town falls under the spell of a Maenad, who holds regular Bacchanalia with the possessed townspeople. [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - What was Rome's version of Mount Olympus called? In respect of where did the Roman Gods live? - There is no change - it is known as "Mount Olympus" in both Roman and Greek mythology - The gods lived in the same place in both mythologies Actually there is no Roman equivalent of the Greek Mt. Olympus as the legendary home of the twelve great gods just named the Olympians in Greek mythology and simply 'Dii' or 'Di' ('gods') by the Romans. ... The Romans are kind of a special case when it comes to mythology. They actually "stole" pieces of various world myths from the races they conquered. The Greek gods tended to be primary in the Roman myths. The Romans actually took and matched the Greek gods to pieces they already had and gave them more Roman names. There wasn't a specific place that the Roman gods inhabited (as the Greek gods did). They most likely referred to it as Olympus as well. ... The Greeks and the Romans (who borrowed from the Greeks) both called the home of the gods "Olympus." The main difference was how they imagined heaven. The old Greek poets (like Homer and Hesiod) pictured the gods living on an acropolis (fortified hill) filled with Greek palaces. The Roman poets on the other hand describe the gods living at the zenith of heaven, in a palace complex like that of the Palatine Hill of Rome. Each saw the gods as a reflection of their own society. ... Rome didn't have a Mount Olympus. The Roman gods were evolved from the various other societies that they took over from, i.e. the Etruscans and in the south the Greeks, *Persians [4th Kingdom] and Syrians. Many of the Gods were planetary, so lived in the heavens. Some resided in the Underworld, others in the sea and water. By the time Roman society formed, most worship took place in designated Temples. Which was where they communicated with the grander gods. In early Greek society many of the sacred places started as groves or natural temples, so Mount Olympus was amongst these earlier traditions. [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - 6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - Greek and Roman Gods: Here are the twelve Olympian gods and a brief description of each - *The Greeks and Romans shared the same [god] stories, but used different names - Greek (Zeus), Roman (Jupiter) Description: Lord of the sky and supreme ruler of the gods - Known for throwing lightening bolts -- Greek (Aphrodite), Roman (Venus) Description: Daughter of Zeus - Goddess of Love and Beauty -- Other Gods: Mother earth, Greek (Gaea - Gaia), Roman (Terra - 'Terra firma' is a Latin phrase meaning "solid earth" Wiki.com) Greek and Roman Gods: Here are the twelve Olympian gods and a brief description of each. The Greeks and Romans shared the same stories, but used different names. [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - Mythology of Greece and the Greek Islands: The Olympian [Mt. Olympus] Gods - One thing to notice is that the ancient Greek gods were gods because of their supernatural powers and eternity, not their character - They were far different from the modern notion of gods - The Olympian Gods were weak in nature and had faults, while they frequently merged with mortals and interfered with their lives - Actually, the ancient Greek gods were copies of human characters and society Zeus was the god of the earth and the sky. His symbols were the thunderbolt, the eagle, the bull and the oak. Although he was married to Hera, his elder sister, he would frequently cheat on her with many mortal women. other goddesses and nymphs. He is depicted in statues and paintings as a middle-aged man seating on his throne or throwing a thunderbolt. ... Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty. She was forever beautiful and young. Shallow in nature, Aphrodite has a lot of affairs with mortals. Her son was Cupid, the familiar young boy with wings who played with his arrows and made people fall in love. Aphrodite was no directly connected to Zeus. She was probably a generation older than the other Olympian Gods. The myth says that she was born out of the foam of the sea either near Paphos Cyrpus or near Kythira island. ... Ares, the god of warfare and violence, was son of Zeus and Hera. He was not a likable god in ancient Greece, which is why there are no many
temples of Ares. However, people were afraid of his anger and included him in their offerings. ... *Athena was also a goddess of war, but more of strategic war, not violence like Ares. She was also the goddess of wisdom and justice. The daughter of Zeus and a mortal woman, Athena was born out of the head of Zeus when her pregnant mother was killed out of Hera's jealousy. Noble in nature, Athena didn't match with men and would mostly deal with warfare. ... One thing to notice is that the ancient Greek gods were gods because of their supernatural powers and eternity, not their character. They were far different from the modern notion of gods. The Olympian Gods were weak in nature and had faults, while they frequently merged with mortals and interfered with their lives. Actually, the ancient Greek gods were copies of human characters and society. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Testimony: Regarding Contemplative [Emergent church] Spirituality Mysticism - I think I finally understand how they think, how they can put so much emphasis on the kingdom of God (which they define as service to others - i.e. good works, tithing) and virtually ignore the sinful conduct rampant here These people, my co-workers and friends, believe in an inner light, a True Self - I remember that term from class - that is intimately connected to the Divine - Everyone has this (god) light, so we are all a part of God [not true - Adam and Eve were created in the image of God but lost it at their sin and fall (Genesis 3:9), now all mankind is seperated from God unless Spiritually 'born again' by Jesus Christ (John 3:3)] - As such, there is no need for a substitutionary penal atonement (i.e. the cross) because there is no separation (only good works) to atone for [Again this 'no human separation (from God)' would only be true if sin had not entered humanity (and all of creation) but is now seperating all humans from the Holy God.] I think I finally understand how they think, how they can put so much emphasis on the kingdom of God (which they define as service to others) and virtually ignore the sinful conduct rampant here ('wedding' reception for a gay couple here next week). These people, my co-workers and friends, believe in an inner light, a True Self (I remember that term from class) that is intimately connected to the Divine. Everyone has this light, so we are all a part of God. As such, there is no need for a substitutionary penal atonement (i.e. the cross) because there is no separation to atone for. It follows, then, that the only "sins" we commit are those that do harm to others (ergo, to God), which is why they can, without so much as a flinch, condone homosexuality but at the same time condemn those (like me) who fail to practice "tolerance" because we insist that there are such thing as moral absolutes. It is also why they can place acts of service (e.g. to the poor - extremely important here) above acts of evangelism (which display intolerance of others' belief systems). -- Contrast this with my understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is that we [because of the fall of Adam and Eve] are born sinners, are separated from God, and are in need of a Savior (Jesus Christ) to reconcile us to Him. I do believe in a "Punitive Father" but one who only punishes when rejected after repeated attempts to redeem us - and even then it is less punishment than letting us have our own way. To those that call out to Him, He is merciful and loving and wants to show us the boundlessness of His grace - but only to those who accept His gift of salvation. As I said, I'd been searching for nearly two years for a way to wrap my mind around what seems to be a warped - but strangely appealing - theological view. Your article made it fall into place for me. Thank you so much for your faithful service to God through your website (Apprising.org). [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The "Creeping" Effect - The New Age [i.e. International think tanks (promoting a global oneness) of religion] and Evangelical Christianity - If you have ever wondered why New Age authors and their teachings are creeping [in from the pulpits and] past many Christians, then maybe the definition of creeping might help - The term means: slowly advancing at a speed that is not really apparent until you look back over a long time period - Something is terribly wrong when a Reiki master and two of the most influential figures in the evangelical church today both point to the same man as an example of their spiritual path - If the connection between Reiki healing and other metaphysical practices can be seen, then we more fully understand why the following quote is one of the most powerful statements as to the true nature of contemplative prayer [Emergent Church or New Age contemplative prayer now equals Reiki healing and other
metaphysical (fundamental nature of being and the world i.e. exercise, relaxation, philosophy, Yoga, Buddhism, New Age, Saint Helena, exalting human-good works, etc.) practices] If you have ever wondered why New Age authors and their teachings are creeping past many Christians, then maybe the definition of creeping might help. The term means: slowly advancing at a speed that is not really apparent until you look back over a long time period. For instance, creeping inflation is not noticed in the short term, but when one looks back over twenty to thirty years, it is shocking. A meal that cost two dollars in 1970 now may cost eight dollars-however, the increase moved so slowly that the impact was diminished. This same kind of movement has happened within our society and has gradually become mainstream. What was once seen as flaky is normal today-even useful. This trend is impacting evangelical Christianity at only a slightly lesser degree than secular society. The reason for the slight variance is that many, perhaps most, Christians have not yet grasped, or come to terms with, the practical mystic approach that New Age proponents have already incorporated into the secular world, as well as Christendom. ... The reason for this level of acceptance is easy to understand. Most people, many Christians included, believe if something is spiritually positive then it is of God. A pastor friend of mine recounted a situation in which a Christian, who had some physical problems, turned to Reiki for comfort. When this pastor advised the man that Reiki fundamentally opposed the Christian faith he became furious and responded with the following defense, "How can you say this is bad when it helped me?" That is why I titled a chapter in my book "Discernment." To discern is to "try the spirits" (1 John 4:1). If something is of God it will conform to the very cornerstone of God's plan to show His grace through Christ Jesus and Him alone (Ephesians 2:7). Reiki, as I defined earlier, is based on the occult view of God. .. Reiki comes from Buddhism, and as one Merton scholar wrote, "The God he [Thomas Merton - A 20th century American Catholic writer - A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist and student of comparative religion - Wiki.com] knew in prayer was the same experience that Buddhists describe in their enlightenment." This is why it is so important to understand the connection between the writings of Richard Foster [Richard J. Foster is a Christian theologian and author in the Quaker tradition Wiki.com] and Brennan Manning [(christened Richard Francis Xavier Manning) is an author, friar, priest, contemplative and speaker "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today are Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle (i.e. a lack of an appearance of good works)" "That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable" This quote appeared in the prelude to dc Talk's song "What if I Stumble?" - Singer-songwriter Rich Mullins called his band A Ragamuffin Band after one of Manning's books] with Merton. Promotion indicates attachment, and attachment indicates common ground. Something is terribly wrong when a Reiki master [The Everything Reiki Book - by Reiki Master Phylameana lila Désy] and two of the most influential figures in the evangelical church today [Thomas Merton, Brennan Manning] both point to the same man [Thomas Merton] as an example of their spiritual path (from chapter 5, A Time of Departing, Ray Yungen). [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - St Helena was born in Asia Minor in 248 AD - She gave birth to her son Constantine in Serbia - In his last few years Constantine was baptised [both Constantine and his father believed (Marcionism, good works - heresy) that water baptism washed away sin saving a person (i.e. baptismal regeneration, good works - if bad works are done another water baptism might be needed), making a person holy - so both were water baptized upon their death beds according to their belief that they could enter heaven more holy having just been water baptized - Helena (the mother of Constantine) was baptized earlier in life but was thought to be sinless due to her being considered a Saint (because of her alleged purity, devotion, discoveries, humility, good works and charity) and was not re-baptized near the time of her death] - St Helena gave much of her wealth away to the poor and for the building of churches In his last few years Constantine was baptised. St Helena gave much of her wealth away [good works] to the poor and for the building of churches. She built the Churches of the birth of Christ and the Resurection in the Holy Land, and she found the Cross on which Christ died. This was proven to her when a dead child was brought back to life after been laid on it. She died in 327 aged 80. She built churches in Cyprus and many
schools too. Among the churches she built was the Church (Monastery) at Stavrovouni [ancient Mt. Olympus, Greece - there is now a different modern Mt. Olympus - the highest peak in Greece]. We celebrate their day on 21st May every year. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Stavrovouni Monastery - Monastery Information: Order {Holy Roman Empire symbol Double-headed eagle, sword and cross} Established 327-329 A.D. and still active - According to religious tradition, the monastery was founded by St. Helena, the mother of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine I the Great Stavrovouni Monastery is a Greek Orthodox Monastery which stands on the top of a hill called Stavrovouni [ancient Mt. Olympus] in Cyprus. The Monastery is one of the places that there is piece of the Holy Cross and it is sometimes also known simply as Stavrovouni. Location: The Monastery is located on the peak of the mountain of the same name (i.e. Stavrovouni) in the District of Larnaca. That mountain in earlier times had been known under the name of Olympus, nowadays [today], the highest point of Troodos Mountains further to the west bears that name. Stavrovouni, as the name already says, is dedicated to the Holy Cross; it can be derived from two words 'stavros' for cross and 'vouno' for mountain and it basically means "the mountain of the Cross". ... Establishment: According to religious tradition, the monastery was founded by St. Helena, the mother of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine I, the Great. According to the 15th century Cypriot chronicler Leontios Makhairas, Helena had discovered the three crosses on which Jesus and the two thieves had been crucified on her pilgrimage to the Holy Land. She had them excavated and wanted to bring them to Constantinople. But she is said to have left one of these crosses in Cyprus during an involuntary visit caused by shipwreck. History says that the Holy Cross was transferred by a miracle to the peak of a high hill over night and a strong light was coming out of that peak. After several unsuccessful attempts to get the Holy Cross out of that mountain, Helena decided to leave a piece there and built a small Chapel. ... Recent history: The records suggest that the Monastery had no monks for a period roughly between the 16th and the 19th century, time when the Turks ruled the island. It was only until the end of the 19th century when Elder Dionysios A' moved to Stavrovouni from Mount Athos in 1889 and the Monastery was in operation again. Then, in 1890 three more Cypriot monks again from Mount Athos joined him at Stavrovouni; Fathers Varnavas - who would become the next Abbotand his two brothers Kallinikos and Gregorios. Since then, new Monks entered the Monastery which grew larger and larger and soon became the spiritual center of the island of Cyprus. The Monastery grew so much during the mid-19th century that it came into a position to send Monks to other ruined Monasteries and help their growth. As an example, the Monastery of Panagia Trooditissa in Troodos should be mentioned where Monks from Stavrovouni moved and created a new group and also the attempt of some other Monks to move to and revive the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Mesa Potamos in Limassol. [article link]
Christmas 2010: Handel - Hallelujah - Messiah (DVD) - Andrea Bocelli - Sacred Arias [Special Edition CD with Bonus DVD] (Amazon - $24.63) Review: The DVD is the full 77 minute concert with two featurettes previously released alone. The CD is the full 72 minute concert previously released alone, except that two bonus tracks have been added. The audio quality of each one is quite good. (If you have a Dolby Digital stereo, then you must go into the setup menu on the DVD to select Dolby Digital sound. The default music track is the stereo 2.0 sound.) The video quality of the DVD is astonishing. The DVD gives the feeling that you are in the church with the other worshippers. It literally sends chills up and down my spine. I highly recommend this CD/DVD combination Special Edition while it is still available. [article link]
Christmas 2010: Handel - Hallelujah - Messiah (YouTube) Comments: There are very few pieces of music that continually inspire hope and rejoicing in the wonder of God's love, and this is one of them. Sincere presenters of this work seem to be blessed to rise to the very peak
of their talent whenever and wherever it is sung/played. [article link]
Christmas 2010: Christmas Day "Savior Day" - Celebrating the Arrival-Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind - Giving 'Glory to God in the Highest' this is the very basis of our human relationship to the Holy, loving, kind, compassionate and tender God! Christmas Day - "Savior Day" The Day Jesus Christ the Savior of the world entered into the world! Celebrating the Arrival (Birth) of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. Christmas time is a wonderful time it is a time of reassurance of God's love and of God's commitment for all mankind throughout all time. Enjoy the Christmas holiday season knowing that there is indeed a Savior-Redeemer for mankind and that Jesus Christ is the SaviorRedeemer. ... "Luke 2:8-12 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." [article link]
Christmas 2010: Cradle to Grave - Nativity by John Vermilya - The Life of Jesus Christ (Mp3s) About Us: The Tabernacle's purpose is to change lives! We do this by loving God, loving people and by teaching people how to follow Jesus and how to labor for His Kingdom. [article link]
Christmas 2010: The Day the Lord Came by Kelly McGinley - The Berean Chronicles (Archived - Mp3s) The day the Lord Jesus entered into the world was a blessing for all mankind. The Lord God revealed the birth of His Son to the humble and not to the proud. Many try to discredit the birth of Jesus Christ to advance their own agenda. Kelly answers listeners letters about the birth of Jesus Christ and comments on recent news. Daily Scripture Reading: Matt 2:1-15. [article link]
Christmas 2010: Born in a Barn (Stable)? - Misconception: Jesus was born among the animals in the stable because there was no room for Joseph and Mary at the inn - The probable answer is that Joseph and Mary did not attempt to stay at an inn [in Bethlehem] - The Bible states that there was no room for them in the 'kataluma', which would be better translated as "guest room" {Note: The Gospel of Matthew indicates "the house" and it is in context with Jesus being born in the house - not being born in a barn and certainly not in a cave and later moving to a house but remaining at "the house" the entire time while in Bethlehem. -- "Matthew 2:1-2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him." … "Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into **the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."} A few points must be made as we compare the modern retelling of the birth of Jesus with the truth of Scripture. First, the Bible does not tell us that Joseph and Mary made it to Bethlehem just in time for Mary to deliver. In fact, this scenario is highly unlikely since it is doubtful that the two would attempt to make the arduous 70 mile trip from Nazareth in the final stages of her pregnancy. Also, Luke 2:6 implies that they were in Bethlehem for a while before Jesus was born ("while they were there, the days were completed"). -- Second, the Bible makes no mention of any innkeeper who told them that the inn was full for the night. The reason we imagine this scenario is because the translators of most English versions have chosen the word "inn" to translate the Greek word (kataluma), which gives modern readers the wrong impression. Jesus used this same Greek word in Luke 22:11 to refer to a "guest room." This room is now known as the Upper Room-the scene of
the Last Supper, the meal that Jesus ate with His disciples the night before His Crucifixion. -- That may not sound convincing to most people who are familiar the traditional telling of the Christmas account. But consider that the Greek language has a word for hotel or inn. In fact, Luke used it in Luke 10:34, when he wrote about the Good Samaritan who took the beaten man to the "inn" (pandocheion) and paid the "innkeeper" (pandochei, v. 35) to care for the man. Since Luke was quite familiar with the proper term for inn, why didn't he use it in the account of the birth of Jesus? The probable answer is that Joseph and Mary did not attempt to stay at an inn. The Bible states that there was no room for them in the kataluma, which would be better translated as "guest room." Joseph and Mary returned to Joseph's ancestral home of Bethlehem because of the census (Luke 2:1-4).1 As the census was proclaimed throughout the Roman Empire, many Jewish families would have needed to travel to Bethlehem during this time and lodged with relatives who lived in the town. Joseph and Mary probably stayed with Joseph's relatives in Bethlehem, but because of the large influx of people, the house would have been crowded and the kataluma (guest room) was full. Consequently, Joseph and Mary would have been relegated to living in the lower level of the house. It is hard to believe that pregnant Mary would have been turned away from a relative's home in a society that greatly valued familial ties. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Wikipedia.org: Nativity of Jesus - The Church of the Nativity (327 A.D.) inside the town, built by St. Helena (246-330 A.D.) [the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine I], contains the cavemanger site traditionally venerated as the birthplace of Jesus, which may have originally been a site of the cult of the god Tammuz Although in Western art the manger is usually depicted as being in a man-made free standing structure, many biblical scholars conjecture that, as in Byzantine art, the manger was probably positioned in a cave carved in the side of a hill.[citation needed] In the second century, Justin Martyr stated that Jesus had been born in a cave outside the town, while the Protoevangelium of James described a legendary birth in a cave nearby. The Church of the Nativity inside the town, built by St. Helena, contains the cave-manger site traditionally venerated as the birthplace of Jesus, which may have originally been a site of the cult of the god Tammuz.[47] [47. ^ Taylor, Joan E. (1993). Christians and the Holy Places: The Myth of Jewish-Christian Origins. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 99-100. ISBN 0-19-814785-6.] -- Church of the Nativity - History: The first basilica on this site was begun by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine I. Under the supervision of Bishop Makarios of Jerusalem, the construction started in 327 and was completed in 333. That structure was burnt down in the Samaritan Revolt of 529. The current basilica was rebuilt in its present form in 565 by the Emperor Justinian I. When the Persians under Chosroes II invaded in 614, they unexpectedly did not destroy the structure. According to legend, their commander Shahrbaraz was moved by the depiction inside the church of the Three Magi wearing Persian clothing, and commanded that the building be spared. The Crusaders made further repairs and additions to the building during the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem with permission and help given by the Byzantine Emperor, and the first King of Jerusalem was crowned in the church. Over the years, the compound has been expanded, and today it covers approximately 12,000 square meters. The church was one of the direct causes for French involvement in the Crimean War against Russia. The church is administered jointly by Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic authorities. All three traditions maintain monastic communities on the site. - Source Wiki.com [article link]
(Scroll Down) Update: Being in the Jewish Hanukkah (Chanukah) Festival Season already - The historical Hanukkah events are an offshoot of Greece, Alexander the Great's 5th global Kingdom of mankind In the weeks before Christmas 2010 it might be a good idea to study some of the 5th Empire - the Kingdom of Greece, Alexander the Great then take a brief look at Rome the 6th Kingdom the Kingdom during the life and events of Jesus Christ on earth. Then with Christmas belonging to Jesus Christ we will spend the week or two before Christmas celebrating the coming 8th Kingdom the Righteous, Eternal Kingdom Reign of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that begins on earth for 1,000 years then transitions into eternity with a New Heaven (sky)
and a New Earth (Revelation 21:1-7). [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - Hanukkah The Historical Background - Hanukkah [established 165 B.C.] does not appear among the [8] Feasts of the Lord in Leviticus 23 {Note: Hanukkah is not one of the Levitical Holy Feasts of Israel it is a Festival of Israel (and was attended by Jesus - John 10:22-23) but Hanukkah is not at the level of any of the eight Levitical Holy Feasts of Leviticus chapter 23.} To fully understand this holy [festival] day, go back to a tumultuous time in the history of Israel: the Hellenistic (Greek - 5th Kingdom of the globe) period around 167 B.C. As was so often the case, the Jewish people were living under the oppression of a foreign power. **A few generations earlier, the Greeks had come to world power under the remarkable leadership of Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C. (at the aged of 32)). With the ascension of this kingdom, Alexander seemed to have unified the ancient world into one common government and *culture called Hellenism. After Alexander's untimely death, there was a political scramble among four of his generals, **resulting in the division of the Hellenistic empire [into four parts]. The Ptolemies took control of the South, which included Egypt [centered in Alexandria Egypt and concluding with Queen Cleopatra (69 BC August 12, 30 B.C. died in a suicide accompanied with Roman Triumvirate (three part) ruler Mark Antony) Cleopatra was a descendant (about eight generations later) of [General] Ptolemy I and Queen Bernice I]. The Seleucids [Seleucus I (given the surname by later generations of Nicator, Greek i.e. Seleucus the Victor) 358-281 B.C. was a Macedonian [northern Greece] officer of Alexander the Great - Wiki.com] took charge of the northern area around Syria. This left Judea [Israel] caught in the middle of a tug-of-war, wondering what the outcome would be. Eventually, the Seleucid/Syrians, under the leadership of Antiochus IV, gained power and sought control of the new provinces. -- Seeking to unify his holdings, Antiochus enforced a policy of assimilation into the prevailing Hellenistic culture. Irrespective of the culture and beliefs of the captured peoples, the Seleucids required submission to the Greek way of life. The Greeks thought that to be truly effective this assimilation must apply to all aspects of life, including language, the arts, and even religion. Everything was to conform to the "superior" Greek way of life and values. Not surprisingly, this Hellenization policy did not present a major problem for many people under the Seleucids. Indeed, the Greeks were highly respected for their culture. Even many Jews in Judea had converted to the Hellenistic way and openly advocated adherence to it. However, there were a significant number of traditional Jews who were appalled at the changes in their society. -- Antiochus and the Seleucids continued growing more hostile towards these stubborn Jews who did not convert to Hellenism. Steps were taken to enforce their policy. An ultimatum was given: either the Jewish community must give up its distinctive customs (Shabbat, kosher laws, circumcision, etc.) or die. To prove his point, Antiochus marched his troops into Jerusalem and desecrated the holy Temple. The altars, the utensils, even the golden menorah (lampstand) were all defiled or torn down. But that was just the start! Antiochus also ordered that a pig be sacrificed on the holy altar and erected an image of the Greek god Zeus as the new point of worship in the Temple! Antiochus insisted on being called "epiphanes" (God manifest), enough to repulse any religious Jew. The Jewish community soon came up with an appropriate reflection of their feelings. Instead of calling him Antiochus Epiphanes they made a play on words, and called him "epimanes" (crazyman)! This brutal attack on the Jewish people and their faith would not go unanswered for long. The murmurings of revolt were heard in Judea and were crystallized in a small village called Modi'in. [In 167 B.C.] Syrian troops entered this town to enforce their assimilation policy. The soldiers planned to erect a temporary altar to the false gods and force the populace to participate in their religious ceremony-the highlight of which was eating the flesh of the swine! -- Living in this village was an old, godly priest named Mattathias and his five sons. When the Seleucid soldiers chose him to lead the pagan ceremony, Mattathias and his sons reacted with holy indignation. Enough was enough! They killed the soldiers and started a revolt against the oppressors. One of the sons, Judah, rose to leadership and was nicknamed "Maccabee" (the hammer). Overwhelmingly outnumbered and under-supplied, the armies of the Maccabees turned to more creative devices. Relying on their knowledge of the hill country and employing guerrilla warfare, the Jewish forces met with surprising success. Spurred on by their firm conviction that the God of Israel was true and
faithful, the Maccabees proved that the impossible could happen. -- In the Hebrew month Kislev [Kislev 25, 165 B.C.] (around December) they drove out the Syrians and recaptured the Temple in Jerusalem. They faced the sober task of restoring the Temple to the true worship of God. The Temple compound was in shambles, desecrated by the idolatry of the Syrians. The Maccabees and their followers quickly cleansed the altars and restored the holy furnishings. Of particular importance to them was the broken menorah, symbolizing the light of God. They restored it and attempted to light it, but there was a problem. Jewish tradition recounts that as they searched for some specially prepared oil, they found only enough to burn for one day. The priests knew it would take at least eight days for new oil to be produced. What to do? They decided it was better to light the menorah anyway; at least the light of God would shine forth immediately. To their amazement, the oil burned not only for one day, but for eight days until additional oil was available! The Temple was restored and rededicated to the glory of the God of Israel and an eight-day festival was established. It is called Hanukkah (Hebrew for Dedication). Every year, starting on the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the Jewish community recalls the two-fold miracle: the miracle of the oil as well as the miraculous military victory. [article link]
The History of the World Mega-Pack Curriculum 10 DVDs, 5 Audio Albums [52 CDs], and 1 Study Guide *Jerusalem and Athens: Antithesis Between Hebrew and Greek Cultures by Douglas W. Phillips {Highly Recommended} - The Message of the Mayas by Douglas W. Phillips {Also Highly Recommended} - ($171.00) Vision Forum is pleased to introduce its most comprehensive collection of world history resources ever made available online. Featuring six separate titles on 10 DVDs and 52 CDs, and totaling more than sixty-three hours of combined audio and video resources, the History of the World MegaPack provides teachers, students, and those who love the study of history with a superior understanding of world history from a distinctly Christian perspective. History is meaningless unless it is interpreted through the lens of biblical Christianity, God's revealed Word, that speaks to every subject and academic discipline. Through this lens, a student of history can accurately evaluate art, warfare, music, literature, and theology as he strives to learn from the past and apply this knowledge now in the real world. Accordingly, Vision Forum's History of the World MegaPack contains far more than just abstract dates and data. Rather, it teaches of the relationships between biblical chronology, weather, warfare, technology, art, theology, law, the sociology of the family, and much more - all within the context of a providential understanding of earth history. Featuring engaging and accessible lectures from some of the most outstanding Christian historians and scholars of our day, the History of the World MegaPack is a powerful tool for anyone seeking to understand and/or teach a biblical perspective on world history. Perfect for teachers, students, and all who desire to learn from the lessons of His Story. [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.) - Ancient Roman Culture - The Ancient Romans acquired many of their cultural habits from the Ancient Greeks - The Greeks inspired the Romans from everyday customs and laws to architectural designs and style - The Roman architects first learned from the Greeks but when they became a world power they built with more imagination {Note: Historically the entire established Greek Kingdom (5th Kingdom - 1st of the Western (Europe) centered Kingdoms) folded wholesale into the replacing Roman (6th Kingdom - 2nd of the Western (Europe) centered Kingdoms) - Rome did not militarily conquer Greece unmercifully the way previous Empires had conquered each other [in fact it was Rome itself that Rome unmercifully, militarily conquered] instead Rome the new military power of its day inherited the world through treaties with Greece brought on by a decline in Greek culture while the strength of Rome gave Rome the opportunity [and Rome took the opportunity] to pick up the global Greek culture, Romanize it to small extent and continue it on virtually in its entirety into the Roman Kingdom.} Ancient Roman Culture - Location: Ancient Rome was located exactly where modern Rome is today, along the western coast of central Italy. History: The Ancient Romans acquired many of their cultural habits from the Ancient Greeks.The Greeks inspired the Romans from everyday customs and laws to architectural designs and style.The Ancient Romans were first governed by what is called the Twelve Tables. This provided the basic code
and standard of living for all Romans.Later, all decisions were led to the discretion of the court's judges, most of whom were corrupt. The Twelve Tables were followed by The Gracchi, which was developed and implemented by the emperor Caesar Augustus. Historians have noticed that some of the Roman's emperors have had mysterious deaths, which have little or no record of how they happened. This was during the time when the Roman emperors ruled, this time followed the demise of the Roman Republic. ... Roman houses were built around a courtyard that was open to the elements. The open roof vented smoke and let the rainwater in. The open center usually contained a leisure area with a bath, chairs, and sometimes a garden. The interior of the house contained rooms for the nuclear family, a dining room, and indoor bathrooms. Best Known Features: The Ancient Romans were well known for their architectural ability. They constructed great buildings such as the Collesseum, auquaducts, and the Pantheon.The first architects were priests who wanted a location so they could say 'whatever happens is a sign from the gods.' The Roman architects first learned from the Greeks but when they became a world power they built with more imagination. [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - Biography: Julius Caesar's history begins in 100 B.C. when he was born in a family which was a part of the Julius dynasty - Caesar's father was working as a praetor and died when Caesar was at the age of 16 orphaning him and his two sisters - So the future conqueror was raised by his mother Aurelia - At the age of 17 he married Cornelius Cinna's, who was the leader of the radical party, granddaughter Cornelia - But his happines didn't last long - In 82 BC, after Lucius Cornelius Sulla led the successful counterrevolution, Sulla ordered Caesar to divorce Cornelia - Caesar refused to carry out this order and was going to be banished and all his treasury to be taken away and losing the title of "Flamen Dialis" (priest of Jupiter) Caesar's friends and family pleaded for him and thanks to that he was found not guilty - Discouraged, Caesar went east and joined the [Roman] army - Caesar became a consul in 59 B.C. - He introduced many reforms which delighted his partners - At the same time Caesar became Gaul's governor - In 58 BC Caesar started the conquest of Gaul [Europe - Britannia (England), France, Germany, etc.] - His political opponents wanted him to get back to Rome and be prosecuted for the things he had done when he was a consul - Caesar refused Caesar had made a decision, which resulted in the fall of Roman republic - He lead his armies across the river of Rubicon and said the well-known "The die has been cast" and **started his [military] march towards Rome in January of 49 B.C. - Caesar's action resulted in a [Roman] civil war - (At the same time there was a [Greek] civil war in Egypt between Cleopatra and her brother) - In December of 49 B.C. Caesar returned to Rome, but only for 11 days - This was the required amount of time to become elected as the new consul - Caesar's aim was the conquer [and control of] the whole world - He went on with his wars and won victory over an usurper in the kingdom of Piemont - After this victory he said another famous phrase "I came, I saw, I conquered" - Since 59 B.C. Caesar had been elected a consul five times and a dictator three times - Finally, in 44BC he became an eternal dictator - It was ment to be a lifelong title and it was in fact - On 15 March 44 B.C. he was assassinated He received 23 blows by dagger [from fellow Roman leaders - on the Senate floor - during a session of the Roman Senate] and only one was leathal - Most important conspirators were Gaius Cassius Longinus, [Gaius Trebonius - was the person who kept Mark Antony outside the Senate while Caesar was being stabbed Wiki.com] and Marcus Junius Brutus "Et tu, Brute" ("You too, Brutus") was Caesar's expression of his particular anguish at being stabbed by a man whom he had forgiven, trusted, and loved - [Though they succeeded in assassinating Julius Caesar, the celebration was short-lived, as Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) [before Augustus Caesar could do so] seized power and turned the Roman public against them - Wiki.com] {Note: Julius Caesar didn't march on Athens Greece to secure his Kingdom. Julius Caesar marched on his own city of Rome to secure his Kingdom.} The plot against Caesar: Since 59 BC Caesar had been elected a consul five times and a dictator three times. Finally, in 44BC he became an eternal dictator. It was ment to be a lifelong title and it was in fact. On 15 March 44BC he was assassinated. He received 23 blows by dagger and only one was leathal. Most important conspirators were Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus. "Et tu, Brute" ("You too, Brutus") was Caesar's expression of his particular anguish at being stabbed by a man whom he had forgiven, trusted, and
loved. They were Caesar's closest associates, but he underestimated them. Thanks to Caesar they had gathered a fortune and high positions, [positions] what they couldn't stand (be in with authority) [because Caesar became a dictator taking their authority]. That's why they had murderd him. Formally, Caesarion [the son between Julius Caesar and Cleopatra in Egypt] wasn't [legally declared by Rome to be] Caesar's son, so *before he died Caesar had chosen **Gaius Octavius [later taking the name 'Augustus Caesar' ("Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.")], his sister's grandson, as his successor. On first January 42 B.C. Caesar has been formally declared a god named Divus Iulius (Divine Julius). -- Usurper or reformer? How to recap Caesar's life: He definitely was an usurper. He reached his position thanks to his army and it was his reign's main foundation. He had limitless power, which was his aim for his whole life. But thinking about Caesar we see not only an usurper but also a great mastermind and reformer. He did everything he could to ensure law and order in Rome, which was begining to fall apart after many years long anarchy. Caesar's best description are Cicero's, one of his political enemies, words: "Those are the attributes: calm and kind nature; delight in great minds; he listens to right and just requests and doesn't care about the careeriest's ones; he is clever and **forward-looking... I admire his dignity and justice and intelligence". As a commander and politician he got rid of hatred towards his enemies. Some received high positions and fortunes. Caesar was also a writer - he wrote diaries and he was interested in grammar and he collected piecies of art. His best works are Diaries from the Gaul War and Diaries from the [Roman] civil war. Both of them are written in excellent and beautiful latin. They were examplars of how to write your thoughts down for many centuries afterwards. [article link]
Update: Between now and the Christmas Holiday we still have a lot of material to go through regarding the 8 Kingdoms study [and we might not get it all in before Christmas] - Just as important and as intended as it is for this study to make a real difference in the lives of individual people is it is actually just as important that people make a real significant difference in their own Church [Winter Walkout 2010] This Holiday season it is going to be extremely important for each of us to grow individually in our own Christian faith in Jesus Christ but now do to the strange times we live in we also have to equally scrutinize the Pulpits of America and ensure that the sure Word of Jesus Christ is going forth from the pulpits and not in any way the whimsical desires and teachings of perverse men. Therefor in going to Church this Holiday Season don't blindly donate money - in fact don't give any money at all if church finances and expenditures are not publically available for all to see and assess - and just as important - hold the person in the pulpit accountable! - If teaching from the pulpit becomes greedy or New Age [Emergent] or in any way departs from the simple message of Jesus Christ then make a statement in Church - challenge the Pastor or simply walk out mid-sermon - if every time a pastor starts preaching about tithing or introducing false Emergent [New Age] doctrines into the message and people in the congregation start getting up and walking out mid-sermon then it will send an undeniable message not just to the leadership of the church but also to everyone, visitor and longstanding congregants alike. Then the next week if something is again amiss and coming from the pulpit in error then walk out of the service again it's really that simple, effective, nessiccary and easy to do. -- "Ezekiel 12:1-3 The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying, Son of man (Ezekiel), thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. *Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, **and remove by day ***in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider [and change their ways], though they be a rebellious house." [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Saint Helena - the mother of Emperor Constantine I - She is traditionally credited with finding the relics of the True Cross, with which she is invariably represented in Christian iconography Constantine appointed his mother Helen as Augusta Imperatrix, and gave her unlimited access to the imperial treasury in order to locate the relics of Judeo-Christian tradition - In 326-28 A.D. Helena undertook a trip to the
Holy Places in Palestine [Israel] - The chapel at St. Catherine's Monastery [in Sinai Egypt - including Helen's Chapel of the Burning Bush] often referred to as the Chapel of Saint Helen-is dated to the year AD 330 {Note: every 'discovery' of Helena the mother of Emperor Constantine I is considered to be discredited - especially her [confirming] Mt. Sinai in Egypt [the Chapel of the Burning Bush - Source: SacredSites.com] when the Bible proclaims that the real Mt. Sinai was 'outside' (Exodus 18:1,5) of Egypt (Galatians 4:25). Also Note: it is one of the most blasphemous concepts to locate God in Egypt - God is not in Egypt, He is outside of Egypt [human slavery and human bondage] - the whole concept of the Bible is to leave Egypt and for worshipers go outside of Egypt (the world) to have a true relationship with God - pastors who preach that one corner of Egypt (St. Catherine's Monastery) is acceptable to God have missed much of the entirety of the Bible - The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus was even crucified outside the city of Jerusalem so we would know to look outside the city for a true relationship with Jesus (Hebrews 13:12-14).} Family life: The bishop and historian Eusebius of Caesarea states that she was about 80 [years old] on her return from Palestine (Israel). Since that journey has been dated to 326-28, Helena was probably born in 248 or 250. Little is known of her early life. Fourth-century sources, following Eutropius' "Breviarium," record that she came from a low background. Saint Ambrose was the first to call her a stabularia, a term translated as "stablemaid" or "inn-keeper". He makes this fact a virtue, calling Helena a bona stabularia, a "good stable-maid". Other sources, especially those written after Constantine's proclamation as emperor, gloss over or ignore her background. ... Relic discoveries: Constantine appointed his mother Helen as Augusta Imperatrix, and gave her unlimited access to the imperial treasury in order to locate the relics of Judeo-Christian tradition. In 326-28 Helena undertook a trip to the Holy Places in Palestine. According to Eusebius of Caesarea she was responsible for the construction or beautification of two churches, the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, and the Church on the Mount of Olives, sites of Christ's birth and ascension. Local founding legend attributes to Helena's orders the construction of a church in Egypt to identify the Burning Bush of Sinai. The chapel at St. Catherine's Monastery--often referred to as the Chapel of Saint Helen-is dated to the year AD 330. -- Jerusalem was still rebuilding from the destruction of Emperor Hadrian, who had built a temple dedicated, according to conflicting accounts, to Venus or Jupiter over the site of Jesus's tomb near Calvary and renamed the city Aelia Capitolina. According to tradition, Helena ordered the temple torn down and, according to the legend that arose at the end of the fourth century, in Ambrose, On the Death of Theodosius (died 395) and at length in Rufinus' chapters appended to his translation into Latin of Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, which does not mention the event, chose a site to begin excavating, which led to the recovery of three different crosses. Then, Rufinus relates, refusing to be swayed by anything but solid proof, the empress (perhaps through Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem) had a woman who was already at the point of death brought from Jerusalem. When the woman touched the first and second crosses, her condition did not change, but when she touched the third and final cross she suddenly recovered, and Helena declared the cross with which the woman had been touched to be the True Cross. On the site of discovery, Constantine ordered built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as well as those on other sites detected by Helena. -- She also found the nails of the crucifixion. To use their miraculous power to aid her son, Helena allegedly had one placed in Constantine's helmet, and another in the bridle of his horse. Helena left Jerusalem and the eastern provinces in 327 to return to Rome, bringing with her large parts of the True Cross and other relics, which were then stored in her palace's private chapel, where they can be still seen today. Her palace was later converted into the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. This has been maintained by Cistercian monks in the monastery which has been attached to the church for centuries. Tradition says that the site of the Vatican Gardens was spread with earth brought from Golgotha by Helena to symbolically unite the blood of Christ with that shed by thousands of early Christians, who died in the persecutions of Nero. -- According to one tradition, Helena acquired the Holy Tunic on her trip to Jerusalem and sent it to Trier. Several of Saint Helena's treasures are now in Cyprus, where she spent some time. Some of them are a part of Jesus Christ's tunic, pieces of the holy cross and the world's only pieces of the rope to which Jesus was tied with on the Cross. The latter has been held at the Stavrovouni Monastery, which was also founded by Saint Helena. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Church #4 Revelation 2:18-29 Thyatira (white castle) - The Roman Catholic Church - The Church/people not recognizing the majesty, power and sole authority of Jesus {Note: It is considered Biblically (Revelation 2:18-29) that there is an acknowledged dual aspect and nature to the Historic Christian Church in Rome - The original Christian Church founded in part by the Apostles Peter and Paul [in about 59 A.D.] and the very deceptive false church, the co-mingled idol worshiping sect based on the current emerging Revised Roman Empire founded primarily be the Emperor Constantine in about 313 A.D.} The 4th Church grew out of the 3rd Church. Where the 3rd Church was involved in worldly government this 4th Church then took the power and influences they had learned in government and used them to create a governing Church, sort of a government for Church. This Church in modern day is most represented by the Roman Catholic Church. It should not seem surprising that God knows about the Catholic Church, because He knows about everything. This is yet another place in the Bible where we can really see the relevance and accuracy of the Bible and recognize that God knows all things past present and future. Remember a correction from Jesus is to draw us closer to Him in the correct manner of worship. ... Jesus continues in His letter saying that if we follow the false teachings of Jezebel, there is no salvation in any false teaching. Those who follow false leaders will go into the great tribulation [miss the coming rapture] and be killed with death. This is a strong warning because of the strong danger in the false teaching and leading of Jezebel. Then Jesus concludes with the promise that those who remain faithful in the Church will then rule with Jesus. -- "Revelation 2:20-29 [Church of Thyatira] Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that [false prophet] woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols [false gods]. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them [the false Constantine instituted revised-NWO catholic Church] that commit adultery with her into Great Tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the Churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira [the true Roman Catholic Church], as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations [8th Kingdom reign of Jesus]: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father. And I will give him the morning star [brightness, prestige, honor]. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the [Holy] Spirit saith unto the [Christian] Churches." [article link]
The Thanksgiving Holiday 2010 (PDF) The Thanksgiving Holiday: 2nd Corinthians 4:13-18 We having the same Spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present (in heaven) us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the *Thanksgiving* of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man (soul) is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. [article link]
The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines by confessing Christians - Contact: David
[email protected] Note: once the current article 'Areas and Doctrines' is adequately summarized with about 25 Areas and Doctrines that are central and relevant to the Christian faith - The article is going to be made open to participation from others and for group (roundtable) discussion - Then a more finalized version of the article
will be published similar to 'The Chicago Statement on Biblical Application' though with the working title of 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians - The publishing of the document 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians should be able to be accomplished sometime within 2011 - I'll update the post with an email that people can contact me with regarding the Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines - All the best, God bless everyone ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Athenian [Greek] Owls [coins] Through the Ages - Owls were the first widely used international coin - They popularized the practice of putting a head [king, ruler] on the obverse of a coin and a tail (animal) on the reverse [like an American quarter - George Washington on the front - an eagle on the back] - Athena's attribute, the owl, is still a symbol of wisdom today, though at different places and in different times owls have symbolized other things, including dread and death [and a connection to the spirit realm] - President Theodore Roosevelt used a Classical Owl (coin) as a pocket piece, which inspired him to order the redesign of U.S. coins [in 1905 A.D.] early last century [Wiki.com: Theodore Roosevelt - Born to a wealthy family - In 1901, President William McKinley was assassinated, and [VP] Roosevelt became president at the age of 42, taking office at the youngest age of any U.S. President in history - Roosevelt declined to run for re-election in 1908 he attended church regularly ... he was also a member of the Freemasons and Sons of the American Revolution.] Athenian Owls, thick, heavy, high-relief silver coins minted more than 2,000 years ago, were arguably the most influential of all coins, and the Classical Owl tetradrachm, pictured above, is the most widely recognized ancient coin among the general public today. Owls were the first widely used international coin. They popularized the practice of putting a head on the obverse of a coin and a tail (animal) on the reverse. Owls were handled by Pythagoras, Xenophanes, Democritus, Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Archimedes, and others whose thinking formed the very foundation of Western civilization. They remained thematically unchanged, Athena on the obverse, her owl on the reverse, for half a millennium, through great changes in the ancient world. Because of their centrality, they were known as "Owls" in ancient times as they are today despite many other ancient coins depicting owls in an equally prominent fashion. President Theodore Roosevelt used a Classical Owl as a pocket piece, which inspired him to order the redesign of U.S. coins early last century. Like other great powers, Athens treated its money not only as a way of facilitating commerce and trade and projecting its image abroad but also as a way of making money. Athens earned seigniorage profits on each Owl minted, whether the source was freshly mined silver or the silver coins of other cities. The traders and merchants of other cities, in turn, liked Owls because of their easy exchangeability. Owls thus became the world's first great trade currency, and they were followed in this role by among others Alexander the Great tetradrachms and staters, Roman denarii, Spanish American pieces of eight, Dutch lion dollars, Austrian Maria Theresa thalers, and American dollars. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Mermaid - A popular Greek legend turns Alexander the Great's sister, Thessalonike, into a mermaid [human - fish, Chimera] after she died A popular Greek legend turns Alexander the Great's sister, Thessalonike, into a mermaid after she died. She lived, it was said, in the Aegean and when she encountered a ship, she asked its sailors only one question: "Is King Alexander alive?", to which the correct answer was: "He lives and reigns and conquers the world". This answer pleased her so she calmed the waters and wish the ship farewell. Any other answer would spur her into a rage. She would raise a terrible storm, with certain doom for the ship and every sailor on board. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The Days of Noah (Genesis 6 - Matthew 24:37-38) The presence of 'Chimera' (mixed species beings) symbolism in ancient cultures is both astounding and alarming - It isn't as though one or a few ancient cultures identified with Chimera species almost all the ancient civilizations put Chimera depictions front and center in their culture and reverenced them as real manifestations of actual beings
The ancient Chimera incidents would not be considered to be simple genetic modifications via selective breeding but would be considered to be unique occult manifestations similar to the ancient magicians of Egypt also turning wooden sticks into snakes as God had temporarily done so with the staff of Moses (Exodus 7:11). Apparently God was revealing and recording for future generations the advanced nature of ancient Egyptian magic. Turning wood into a serpent would be considered a type of Chimera being as even in the transformation it was part wood and part reptile. - The prevalent Chimera modifications though certainly more myth than reality were however very much a reality in the Court of Pharaoh and the backrooms of Babylon and Persia. The Chimera modifications were and are not due to human ability but are strictly the result of fallen angelic - demonic activity. A human cannot create a Chimera at least not instantly but apparently the fallen angelic realm can perform some physical modifications among the fleshly world and it is considered that these modifications (and who knows what else) were occurring in the Days of Noah to the extent that all [land] flesh life that was not placed on the Ark after being individually selected by God was then intended to perish in the flood both humans and animals. -- "Genesis 6:7-8 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; *both man, *and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Sons of God - Daughters of Men (Genesis 6) "Genesis 6:1-8 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God [disobedient, fallen angels] saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took [forcibly - overriding freewill] them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years [120 years until the flood of Noah]. There were giants [fallen ones] in the earth in those days; and also after that, **when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare [genetically modified, Chimera, part human - part modified concocted DNA] children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." Note: I don't think anyone that is saying that the sons of God are fallen angels is saying that angels can naturally reproduce, like humans, any more than a Griffin (part lion - part eagle) or any other Chimera species can exist naturally. Within the reproduction of the [fallen angels] sons of God and the [human] daughters of men for starters the women according to the passage were generally forced or at least not consulted in their participation [though in these last days it seems participation with fallen angels has becoming somewhat more by human consent though it appears that human consent was non-existent in the times of Noah] and it is possible what was occurring in the Days of Noah was that fallen angels were replicating their Chimera successes within the animal kingdom into the human kingdom with varying degrees of success, apparently some of the offspring became 'mighty men … men of renown'. All of this to say that indeed the ancient human civilization of Noah's day was wiped out by God, the ancient animal realm of Noah's day was also wiped out by God at the same time in the same flood and the fallen angelic beings that participated in the events at that time that may have directly led to the downfall of the original civilization in Noah's day were restricted by God into darkness. -- "2 Peter 2:4-5 For if God spared not the [fallen] angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;" - Noting that different realms exist, in human, animal, angelic, demonic, etc. and noting that though mankind generally cannot and nature generally does not intermix the realms the fallen angelic realm seemingly can and will intermix the realms and apparently it will happen again in the last days (Matthew 24:37-38) just before the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus repeatedly instructed and warned all of His followers to be especially alert to deception (Luke 21:8) that can
and will come from a variety of places and a variety of realms most particularly the [occult] fallen angelic demonic realm. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - THE MEDICI FAMILY - While the Medici family was predominant, Florence [Italy] became the cultural center of Europe and also became the cradle of new Humanism - They founded the Platonic [Kabbalah - Occult] Academy and supported artists by feeding them, educating them, and providing them with the necessities - Some of those artists were Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael ACCOMPLISHMENTS: One of the many accomplishments that the Medici family offered in the Renaissance period was when their wealth had first begun. One member became gonfaler standard bearer. From then on the word success fitted the Medici family well. While they ruled the city of Florence they did many incredible acts, such as spending money on their city, and making it the most powerful state in Italy. They also made it the world's most beautiful city. It became the cultural center of Europe and was known as an art center and cradle of New Humanism. They also spent some of their wealth on having the largest library in Europe; they brought in many Greek sources. They founded the Platonic Academy and supported artists by feeding them, educating them, and providing them with the necessities. Some of those artists were Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael. The family also did a lot of charitable acts such as cultivating literature and the arts. The Medici family was very helpful. IMPACT: The Medici family members were very interested in the rebirth of learning in Europe and under their patronage the Renaissance flourished. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The Medici Family [generally considered the most Occult family of Medieval Europe] - Other Prominent Medici were Pope Leo X (1475-1521); Pope Clement VII (1478-1534); Catherine (1519-1589), wife of [King] Henry II of France; and Marie (1573-1642), wife of [King] Henry IV of France and regent for their son [King] Louis XIII [Note: this is also the important and historic timeframe of the general discovery of America by the Italian born explorer Christopher Columbus in his 1492 voyage from Spain to America (Bahamas).] Medici, an Italian family of merchants and bankers who ruled the republic of Florence through economic power and personal influence. By their patronage of the arts they made Florence the center of the Italian Renaissance. The Medici were created dukes of Florence by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1531, and grand dukes of Tuscany by Emperor Maximilian II in 1575. The last Medici grand duke was deposed by the Austrians in 1737. Important members of the Medici family included the following. Giovanni De' Medici: (1360-1429) established the family fortune and made himself ruler of Florence's merchant oligarchy. Cosimo De' Medici: (1389-1464), his son, used his banking business to gain political power and led Florence in a long period of prosperity and artistic achievement. Lorenzo the Magnificent: (1449-1492), grandson of Cosimo, gained fame as a statesman and patron of arts and letters. He was recognized as a poet himself and was largely responsible for the Tuscan dialect becoming the national speech of Italy. Cosimo (I) the Great: (1519-1574) succeeded to the dukedom in 1537 and ruled as a despot. He restored the duchy of Tuscany by conquering the other republics that had been part of it. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The [two] Medici Popes - Pope Leo X [1513 - 1521] known for being the Pope that challenged Martin Luther's [1517 A.D.] 95 Theses -- Pope Clement VII [1523 - 1534] (Medici cousin of Pope Leo X) known for being Pope during the sacking of Rome in 1527 A.D. [The (Occult) Medici (family), led by (Pope) Clement, had tried to play everyone off against each other and had made everyone their enemy -- at least temporarily - source: mmdtkw.org/VSackRome.html] Pope Leo X - Giovanni de'Medici, 1475 - 1513 - 1521: Giovanni de'Medici, second son of Lorenzo and younger brother of the fatuous Piero, became the first of the Medici Popes (Leo X - Leone Decimo) at the age of 38 on 11 March 1513. Prior to this his life had been a complete roller coaster. Brought up in Medici luxury alongside Michelangelo (who was included in the Medici household by Lorenzo), older brother Piero and cousin Giulio
(who was adopted by Lorenzo after his father (who was Lorenzo's brother) was killed in the Pazzi Conspiracy in 1478), he had access to the incomes of several wealthy monasteries, including Badia a Passignano, and was made a Cardinal at the age of 13. All this came to an abrupt end in 1494 when, in the wake of Lorenzo's death, the incompetent surrender of his brother Piero the Fatuous to the French, and the ensuing Savanorola stirred turbulence, he had to sneak out of Florence dressed as a Franciscan Friar, and then live in hiding with his cousin for the next decade, latterly being protected by the Habsburg Emperor Maximilian (who ironically was to be a major cause of the collapse of the Bruges branch of the Medici Bank) and then by the dreadful Cesare Borgia and his father Pope Alessandro VI (1431 - 1492 - 1503 (72)) in Rome. ... Pope Clement VII Giulio de'Medici, 1478 - 1523 - 1534 (56) Illegitimate son of Lorenzo's (Pazzi murdered) brother Giuliano, adopted son of Lorenzo, and companion in exile to Lorenzo's son Giovanni (Leo X), who was three years his senior, Giulio de'Medici became Pope Clement VII (Clemente Settimo). He was good looking, intellectually sophisticated, a talented musician and a political disaster. In reality he also faced the legacy of the corrupt practices of his cousin Leo X, and the impossible task of operating in the emergent nation state Europe dominated by Charles V, Francis I, and Henry VIII (whom he excommunicated), and threatened by Suleiman the Magnificent, plus Martin Luther dealing the protestants into the game as well - see Insight Page. He lost England, and was humiliated by having to flee in disguise from Rome when it was barbarically sacked by Charles V's rabble army after Clement mistakenly got too close to flashy Francis I of France. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - 'Occult' power: the politics of witchcraft and superstition in Renaissance Florence - In Florence, how did one family--the Medici--secure their power after over a century of struggle, and how did they come to construct a myth of their own legitimacy? (Book) Lawrence's interpretation, however narrow and flawed, does highlight an indisputable element of Grazzini's tale of Dr. Manente: its cruelty and "monstrosity," traits that, I will argue, provide insight into the social structures of the mid-sixteenth century, particularly those that rely upon coersion and force. In Florence, how did one family-the Medici--secure their power after over a century of struggle, and how did they come to construct a myth of their own legitimacy? ... It is important to remember that, from 1494--when the friar himself gained widespread support and offered a major threat to the rule of the Medici family--until long after his execution in 1498, Savonarola bequeathed a powerful religious and political vision that was not dependent on his leadership for survival--a fact that fascinated the political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli. Savonarola's followers--called the Piagnoni first by their enemies and later, proudly, by themselves--remained politically active after his execution, through the Republic that lasted until 1513, when the first Medici pope, Leo X, used the considerable influence of this position to help his family and their allies to return to Florence, and again after the sack of Rome in 1527, which occurred during the pontificate of another Medici, Clement VII. The Piagnoni continued to be active even after the Medici, first Alessandro and then Cosimo I, openly turned Florence onto the path of absolutism [unlimited, centralized authority and absolute sovereignty] by accepting the [nobility] title of Duke. ... Lorenzo's manipulation of the Church comes into play in the next phase of the beffa. ... At this point, Grazzini emphasizes not only that many friars and priests were ignorant, but, more importantly, that the kind of people Lorenzo elevated to positions of power in the Florentine church hierarchy were either superstitious [occult] or corrupt, criticisms that Savonarola also often made of the Medici. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Christian and Rosicrucian Kabbalah [esoteric (hidden) teachings - the real NWO New Age bible] - The origional Jewish [Witchcraft - King Solomon] Kabbalah --> Christian mystic, Raymon Lull (1232 - 1316 A.D.) originator of the Christian Kabbalah --> Renaissance Christian Kabbalah (Medici family) --> Rosicrucian (Illuminati - Freemason) Kabbalah --> Modern Occult Kabbalah - The beginning of Christian Kabbalah is to be found in the teachings of the Catalan philosopher and mystic, Raymon Lull - Lull had the idea of unifying all three religions [Judaism, Christianity, Islam] by developing a philosophy incoporating elements common to all - the way he intended to [unite] convert was through rational and mystical doctrine -
Renaissance Christian Kabbalah was derived from a number of sources - Firstly, the christological [christ doctrine] speculations of a number of Jewish converts from the late 13th to the late fifteenth centuries Secondly, the philosophical Christian and Renaissance speculation concerning the Kabbalah that developed around the Platonic Acadamy *founded by the **Medici family in Florence Lull based his Art on the importance which Christian, Moslem [Islam], and Jew each attached to the Divine Names or Attributes, or, as he called them, Dignities. Lull mentioned nine Dignities (or Dignitaries): Bonitas (Goodness), Magnitudo (Greatness), Eternitas (Eternity), Potestas (Power), Sapientia (Wisdom), Voluntas (Will), Virtus (Virtue), Veritas (Truth), and Gloria (Glory). These are shown in the follwing diagram. ... In addition we also find the incorporation of the four elements [earth, water, air and fire] and the qualities, the seven planets and twelves [astrological] signs, medicine, alchemy, geometry, a letter notation, and so on. There is an elaborate system of correspondences, in that the nine Dignitaries have their correspondences in the celestial sphere, the human level, and the animal, plant, and material creation. In all this we see the influence, not only of Kabbalah, but also of Aristotlean categories, Augustinian Platonism (nearly all the Lullian Dignities can be found listed as Augustine's Divine Attributes), and the celestial hierarchies of angels of the Christian Neoplatonist Dionysius. [Frances A. Yates, The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age, pp.9-12]. -Renaissance Kabbalah: Renaissance Christian Kabbalah was derived from a number of sources. Firstly, the christological speculations of a number of Jewish converts from the late 13th to the late fifteenth centuries. Secondly, the philosophical Christian and Renaissance speculation concerning the Kabbalah that developed around the Platonic Acadamy founded by the Medici family in Florence. Pico della Mirandola The Florentines, headed by the renowned Renaissance hermeticist Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-94) believed they had discovered in Kabbalah a lost divine revelation that could give the key to understanding both the teachings of Pythagoras, Plato, and the Orphics, and the inner secrets of Catholic Christianity. Pico himself had a considerable amount of Kabbalistic literature translated into Latin by the scholarly convert Samuel ben Nissim Abulfaraj. Among the 900 theses Pico presented for public debate in Rome was the claim that "no science can better convince us of the divinity of Jesus Christ than magic and the Kabbalah", and he believed he could prove the dogmas of the Trinity and the Incarnation through Kabbalistic axioms. All this caused a sensation in the intellectual Christian world, and the writings of Pico and his follower Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522) led on the one hand to great interest in the doctrine of Divine Names and in practical (magical) Kabbalah (culminating in Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheim's De Occult Philosophia (1531) and on the other to further attempts at a synthesis between Kabbalah and Christian theology. [Gershom Scholem, Kabbalah, pp.197-8] -- Rosicrucian Kabbalah: By the late 16th century Christian Kabbalah began to be permeated with alchemical symbolism; a trend that continued through the 17th and 18th century. Well known representatives are the Rosucrucian philosopher and alchemist Robert Fludd (1574-1637) and the alchemist Thomas Vaughan (1622-1666) among others. One of the works of Fludd presents an interpretation of the Sefirotic Tree which he illustrates as a Palm (left), whose ten spreading branches raying forth from the lowest world suggest that man on earth is a microcosm or reflection of the macrocosm or universe. In the second half of the 18th century this alchemical kabbalah was combined with Freemasonic numerology and occultism, from which was ultimately to develop the extraordinary occult/magickal revival of the late 19th century known as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn illustration (left) from World Trees by Hazel Minot Kircher's Tree from Oedipus Aegyptiacus published in 1652 by Athanasius Kircher, a Jesuit priest and hermetic philosopher -- Occult Kabbalah: By the 19th century the occultists of the French magician revival, such as Eliphas Levi (Alphonse Louis Constant; 1810-1875) and Papus (Gerard Encausse; 1868-1916) had lost all understanding of the original Jewish meaning of Kabbalah, and brought in various extraneous elements such as Tarot. Levi was an influential figure both on the Theosophy of Blavatsky and even more so the Golden Dawn Order of Mathers and Westcott, with it's unique Kabbalistic (or Qabalistic, to use the prefered spelling) formulation of Sefirot and paths, through which Kabbalah established itself in the contemporary Western Occult Tradition. [article link]
The 7th and final human kingdom on earth the 'Revised Roman Empire' began to emerge and take shape about 306 A.D. with Roman Emperor Constantine and continues until the eventual Antichrist is enthroned as the undisputed global leader sometime in the future Note: A Summary - The current Basic Christian '8 Kingdoms study' is only going to examine a few key elements of the Revised Roman Empire. - Namely, Emperor Constantine (a false Christian religion, the family of Constantine primarily his mother), the Medici family of Medieval Europe - Italy (The House of Medici, starting about 1389 A.D. - the foundation of almost all the modern global power structure and powerbase), England taxation (William the Conqueror, also known as William I of England, the Battle of Hastings, the first census of England [land and people - requiring each individual person to take a last name for government tracking purposes] published in the Domesday Book in 1086 A.D.), British Royalty (House of Windsor (Price Charles) House of Stuart (the late Princess Diana)), Hitler's secret Berlin bunker (successfully transitioning from a loosing empire attempt into the winning empire), and lastly the League of Nations (WWI) and the United Nations (WWII) organization of today. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The Coming of the Anti-Christ. . . Within the last few years, some very unusual and very unexpected events began occurring around the globe - On November 1989, against all odds, the Berlin wall came crashing down - And the once mighty Soviet Empire collapsed with a devastating sound - And the world, we once knew, began to take a new form - Never before in history, world leaders began trumpeting for a New World Order. As trade barriers are quickly being dissolved with the likes of NAFTA, GATT and other treaties, the mysterious New World Order is right on schedule - And the center stage is set for the soon rise of the Anti-Christ. In Belgium, the headquarters of the European community office, statesman P.H. Spock stood up and said, "The truth is, that the method of international committees has failed. WHAT WE NEED IS A PERSON, someone of the highest order, of great experience, of great authority, of wide influence, of great energy; either a civilian or a military man, no matter what his nationality . . . LET HIM COME QUICKLY" [Note: with the scripted shelling and retaliation events of today between N. Korea and S. Korea the two nations will probably soon be united again into one successfully UN negotiated nation along with continued UN oversight. Wiki.com - Ban Kimoon (born 13 June 1944) is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan [of Ghana] in 2007. Before becoming [UN] Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he graduated from university, accepting his first post in New Delhi, India. In the foreign ministry he established a reputation for modesty and competence.] The Revised Roman Empire - The Kingdom of the Anti-Christ. . . The Bible teaches the Anti-Christ will head up a 10-nation, Revised Roman Empire. And on January 1, 1993, the Revised Roman Empire officially began, called the United States of Europe. The Wichita Eagle described its uncanny birth, ". . . Since the fall of the Roman Empire, there has been the dream of a unified Europe. We are . . . seeing a brand NEW ROMAN EMPIRE RECONSTRUCTED." The Bible, also refers to the Revised Roman Empire as Babylon. Babylon begins in Genesis chapter 11, when Nimrod tried to reach heaven and bring in a one-world government with the Tower of Babel, which God destroyed. The official poster for the United States of Europe is amazing! Believe it or not, but it actually portrays the United States of Europe as the Tower of Babel, with 12 stars representing the current 12 nations of the United States of Europe! And if that weren't enough, the 12 stars are not ordinary stars - BUT UPSIDE-DOWN PENTEGRAMS (which is the universal symbol for Satanism, found on the cover of THE SATANIC BIBLE)! But there's more . . . A very interesting news item appeared in the magazine ASTM Standardization News. Standardization News is the world-wide magazine that reports on standards throughout the world. The February 1989 issue was devoted to the United States of Europe. If you don't think the Bible's coming to life, check this: The United States of Europe has decided they will utilize an identifying mark. Page 30, of the article reads, ". . . one cannot market or sell a product UNLESS IT HAS THE EC MARK." Revelation 13:17, on the Mark of the Beast, reads almost identical! "And that no man might buy or sell, SAVE HE THAT HAD THE MARK . . ." Friend, Jesus is coming soon! Prophecy after prophecy, not one, not two, but many, fulfilled to the smallest
detail, at the same time, seemingly overnight, exactly as the Bible prophesied over 2000 years ago - to say, is all just by chance or coincidence, is ridiculous! [article link]
THE REVISED ROMAN EMPIRE BY RYAN HICKS - Among Bible scholars today is a vast misconception about the Roman Empire and its future role in Bible prophecy - [Some] of them teach that the Roman Empire will be revived - The problem with this is that it will not be revived, it will be revised - This is not a simple difference of words, but is a total difference in the kingdoms as a whole - If the Roman Empire were revived it would have to consist of one kingdom, but the future Roman Empire will consist of ten [global] kingdoms The seventh kingdom (Revised Rome) had not came into existence yet, but when it does come it will exist a short time. The Antichrist will fulfill Daniel 7:7-8, 24 by arising out of one of the ten kingdoms in the Revised Roman Empire and by subduing three of the ten kingdoms. After he subdues the three kingdoms, the other six kingdoms will "have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast" (Revelation 17:13). The Antichrist will then form the eighth kingdom, as mentioned in Revelation 17:11, which can be called the Revived Grecian Empire (See The Eight Empires). In summery, we can see clearly from Scripture that the Roman Empire will be revised, not revived, and will consist of ten kingdoms in the old Roman Empire territory. [article link]
Revised Roman Empire: Constantine the Great - Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February 272 A.D. 22 May 337 A.D.), commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337 - Best known for being the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine reversed the persecutions of his predecessor, Diocletian, and issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed *religious tolerance of Christians throughout the empire [Note: It was the later Edict of Thessalonica (27 February 380 A.D.) that made Christianity the official state religion of Rome.] Legacy: The Byzantine Empire considered Constantine its founder and the Holy Roman Empire reckoned him among the venerable figures of its tradition. In the later Byzantine state, it had become a great honor for an emperor to be hailed as a "new Constantine". Ten emperors, including the last emperor of Byzantium, carried the name. Monumental Constantinian forms were used at the court of Charlemagne to suggest that he was Constantine's successor and equal. Constantine acquired a mythic role as a warrior against "heathens". The motif of the Romanesque equestrian, the mounted figure in the posture of a triumphant Roman emperor, became a visual metaphor in statuary in praise of local benefactors. The name "Constantine" itself enjoyed renewed popularity in western France in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Most Eastern Christian churches consider Constantine a saint (Saint Constantine). In the Byzantine Church he was called isapostolos an equal of the Apostles. Niš airport is named Constantine the Great in honor of his birth in Naissus [the largest city in southern Serbia]. [article link]
Double-headed (cloned) eagle - The double-headed eagle is a common symbol in heraldry and vexillology - It is most commonly associated with the Holy Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and similar to the Vijayanagara Empire's gandaberunda - In Byzantine heraldry, the heads represent the dual sovereignty of the Emperor (secular and religious) and/or dominance of the Byzantine Emperors over both East and West - In the Holy Roman Empire's heraldry, it represented the Church and the State - Several Eastern European nations adopted it from the Byzantines and continue to use it as their national symbol to this day, the most prominent being Russia [Wiki.com - In 1433 the double-headed eagle was adopted for the first time by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund. Since then the double-headed eagle came to be used as the symbol of the German emperor, and hence as the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.] - Use in Masonry: The Double-Headed Eagle of Lagash on the cover of Morals and Dogma - The Double-Headed Eagle of Lagash is used as an emblem by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry - There are many meanings attached to this symbol, The date of its introduction into Freemasonry is not clear but it may have been first used in France to symbolize the Councils of the East and West - Another theory is that it was adapted from the arms of the Austrian state,
to gain the favor of the ruling family Origins: Double-headed eagles have been present in imagery for millennia. The two-headed eagle can be found in the archaeological remains of the Sumerian civilization and through the Hittite civilization, dating from a period that ranges from the 20th century BC to the 7th century BC. Cylindric seals discovered in Bogazkoy, an old Hittite capital in modern-day Turkey, represent clearly a two-headed eagle with spread wings. The aesthetics of this symmetrical position explains in part the birth of this religious figure: It originally dates from circa 3,800 BC, and was the Sumerian symbol for the god Ninurta, son of Enlil. It can also be seen in the same region in three monumental settings: Circa 1,900 BC during the Hittite surge from north-central Anatolia (modern Turkey) down into Babylonia; in Alacahöyük around 1400 BC and in Yazilikaya before 1250 BC. Here the context looks slightly different and totally religious: The eagle returns to its ancient origins as a symbol of divine power. The two-headed eagle is seen less and less during the last Hittite period (from the 9th century BC to the 7th century BC) and totally disappears after the end of the empire. The double-headed eagle was also in use by the Arsacid Dynasty of Armenia and the Mamikonian family in the 3rd to 9th centuries. -- Byzantine Empire: Constantinople was the successor of Rome, and the Byzantines continued the use of the old imperial "single-headed" eagle motif. Although the roots of the transformation to double-headed are almost certainly connected with old depictions in Asia Minor, the details of its adoption are uncertain. It was, however, already in use during the first centuries AD and certainly before the 10th century AD by Armenians and Persians, appearing in their art. The Ancients used no flags in the modern sense. The Romans used various signa, such as the bronze aquilas (adopted as the legions' symbol by Marius) and vexilloids, and, if the emperor was present, pikes or banners with the emperor's portrait. With the adoption of Christianity as state religion during the later Empire, the Chi-Rho and the cross became more and more used in military standards, such as the labarum. The Roman single-headed eagle however continued to be used as a symbol of imperial authority. According to the most prevalent theory, the single-headed eagle was modified to double-headed by emperor Isaac I Komnenos (1057-1059) being influenced from local traditions about such a (mythical) beast (the haga) in his native Paphlagonia in Asia Minor. Local legends talked about this giant eagle with two heads that could easily hold a bull in its claws; the haga was seen as a representation of power, and people would often "call" it for protection. Isaac Komnenos, deeply influenced by these beliefs, had already used it as a family emblem.[3] As there has been reference to "stone representations" of the eagle that were the inspiration for its picture, it is reasonable to assume that Hittite carvings may have been the source of the symbol's usage, but other relevant works, such as much older Sumerian cylinder seals representing the god Ninurta, must be considered as the chief source. Whether the eagle became an "imperial" symbol or remained purely a personal symbol for Komnenos, is not clear. After the Latin conquest of Constantinople in 1204, the Byzantine double-headed eagle was used by the successor states of Epirus and Nicaea. Theodore II Laskaris chose it for his symbol as Emperor (Empire of Nicaea), taking it to symbolize his state's claims to all the Byzantine Empire's former domains, both European (West) and Asian (East). An alternative interpretation is that the eagle symbolized the Emperor's double temporal and spiritual sovereignty. After the recapture of Constantinople and the restoration of the Byzantine Empire, the symbol was used as an emblem of the imperial family, but it is uncertain whether it was the official emblem of the Empire. More recent research has suggested that it was not, its usage being limited to imperial seals and other personal or dynasty symbols such as imperial robes, although there has been no depiction of any Emperor wearing it. The role of "state" symbols was most probably played by flags with the cross.[citation needed] In Byzantine usage, the eagle was almost always connected with colors of imperial power (gold and purple). A black eagle on golden background was used outside the imperial family, denoting the subordinate position (the eagle was black as being the 'shadow' of the Emperor's golden eagle) of their bearers. [article link]
New Age - SYMBOLS and their Meaning - Double-headed EAGLE - A Masonic seal and initiation symbol Double-headed EAGLE: A Masonic seal and initiation symbol. The number inside the pyramid over the eagle's head is 33. The eagle is a universal symbol representing the sun, power, authority, victory, the sky gods and the
royal head of a nation. ... PHOENIX: A universal symbol of the sun, mystical rebirth, resurrection and immortality, this legendary red "fire bird" was believed to die in its self-made flames periodically (each hundred years, according to some sources) then rise again out of its own ashes. Linked to the worship of the fiery sun and sun gods such as Mexico's Quetzalcoatl, it was named "a god of Phoenecia" by the Phoenician. To alchemists, it symbolized the the destruction and creation of new forms of matter along the way to the ultimate transformation: physical (turn lead into gold) and spiritual (immortality - an occult alternative to the Christian salvation). The philosopher's stone was considered the key to this transformation. ... SERPENT OR SNAKE: Most earth-centered or pagan cultures worshipped the serpent. It represents rebirth (because of its molting), protection against evil, either male of female sexuality, rain and fertility, a mediator between the physical and spiritual world.... It also represents female energy or lifeforce in goddess worship, sometimes linked to the eastern Kundalini force or a supposed "goddess within." The list of meanings is endless, but in the Bible it usually represents sin, temptation, destruction, and Satan. (See dragon) The circular image of the serpent biting its tail links the mythical significance of the serpent to that of the sacred circle. See uroborus and spiral. [article link]
Dictionary.com: Chimera (noun) - 1. a mythological, fire-breathing monster, commonly represented with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail - an artificially produced [DNA modified] individual [or animal] having tissues of several species {Note: The 7 human Kingdoms on earth all have had a Mascot creature depicted usually as a multi species 'Chimera' or as a mythical Phoenix [eagle] type of being. Beginning with [1] the Tower of Babel and the lion/serpent (Christ - Antichrist) [mixed] chimera, [2] the human headed lions of Egypt (with a cobra, serpent 3rd eye), [3] the Dragon (Mushhushshu - "splendor serpent" ) of Babylon, [4] the Griffin (head of an eagle, body of a lion) of Persia, [5] the Minotaur (head of a bull, body of a human) imprisoned in a labyrinth of ancient Greece. [6] The divine eagle of Rome and [7] the later double headed [Eastern and Western Roman Empire] (cloned, divine eagle - Phoenix, chimera) of Emperor Constantine's empire [Roman Emperor from 306 A.D. to 337 A.D.] the beginning of the 7th Kingdom the 'Revised Roman Empire' that is cumulating into the coming modern NWO one world government.} Chimera: Chi·me·ra [ki-meer-uh]-noun, 1. (often initial capital letter) a mythological, fire-breathing monster, commonly represented with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. 2. any similarly grotesque monster having disparate parts, esp. as depicted in decorative art. 3. a horrible or unreal creature of the imagination; a vain or idle fancy: He is far different from the chimera your fears have made of him. 4. Genetics. an organism composed of two or more genetically distinct tissues, as an organism that is partly male and partly female, or an artificially produced individual having tissues of several species. [article link]
Dragon of the [Babyon] Ishtar Gate by David G Stone - The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate may be one of Cryptozoology's strangest, yet best-documented, ancient crypids - This two and a half millennium old depiction is so unusual that many treat it as a chimera, an impossible combination of animals that could never have existed in nature - But the people of ancient Babylon knew and accepted the 'dragon' as real, as real as the bulls and lions that also share the walls - It was Koldeway who recognized the animal as the mushhushshu, a name derived from an Akkadian word that is loosely translated as "splendor serpent" The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate may be one of Cryptozoology's strangest, yet best-documented, ancient crypids. This two and a half millennium old depiction is so unusual that many treat it as a chimera, an impossible combination of animals that could never have existed in nature. But the people of ancient Babylon knew and accepted the 'dragon' as real, as real as the bulls and lions that also share the walls. -- The Ishtar Gate itself was one of eight entrances to the ancient city of Babylon. Built during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC) and dedicated to the goddess Ishtar it was the main entrance to the city until the final fall of Babylon sometime in the 1st or 2nd century AD. (King Nebuchadnezzar also constructed one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, a marvel filled with exotic plants and animals.) -- The Dedicatory Inscription on the Ishtar Gate reads: Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, the faithful prince appointed
by the will of Marduk, the highest of princely princes, beloved of Nabu, of prudent counsel, who has learned to embrace wisdom, who fathomed their divine being and reveres their majesty, the untiring governor, who always takes to heart the care of the cult of Esagila and Ezida and is constantly concerned with the well-being of Babylon and Borsippa, the wise, the humble, the caretaker of Esagila and Ezida, the firstborn son of Nabopolassar, the King of Babylon. -- Both gate entrances of Imgur-Ellil and Nemetti-Ellil following the filling of the street from Babylon had become increasingly lower. Therefore, I pulled down these gates and laid their foundations at the water table with asphalt and bricks and had them made of bricks with blue stone on which wonderful bulls and dragons were depicted. I covered their roofs by laying majestic cedars length-wise over them. I hung doors of cedar adorned with bronze at all the gate openings. I placed wild bulls and ferocious dragons in the gateways and thus adorned them with luxurious splendor so that people might gaze on them in wonder - I let the temple of Esiskursiskur (the highest festival house of Markduk, the Lord of the Gods a place of joy and celebration for the major and minor gods) be built firm like a mountain in the precinct of Babylon of asphalt and fired bricks. The ruins of the gate and walls were discovered and excavated between 1899 and 1914 by Robert Koldeway, a German archeologist and architect. After its excavation the entire Gate was shipped to Berlin where it was reconstructed and now resides at the Pergamon Museum. It was Koldeway who recognized the animal as the mushhushshu, a name derived from an Akkadian word that is loosely translated as "splendor serpent." Early researchers mistakenly read it as sirrussu but the word has now been properly translitereated as musrussu, with mushhushshu as the commonly-accepted modern form. [article link]
Bronze Griffin from Susa [Shushan (Daniel 8:2) 2nd palace of Babylon - later Persia], the other capital of the Persian kings now in the Louvre [Museum at Paris, France] (6-4th century B.C.) (Photo) Griffin Pedestal: The griffin (also spelt gryphon, griffon or gryphin) is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle with the addition of prominent ears. The female has the wings of an eagle. The male (known as a keythong) has projecting spikes instead of wings and is less frequently depicted. In the artwork of ancient Persia, as well as in the artwork of other parts of the ancient world from Scythia to Macedonia and Greece, the Griffin has special place (see below two sculptures of griffins from Persepolis and Susa). [article link]
Arezzo: The Medici Fortress and the [Roman] (lion, goat, serpent) Chimera (Video) The excavations for the construction of the Medici fortress, in the 16th century, have brought to light the famous etruscan Chimera of Arezzo. Part of the Videoguida of Arezzo by Touristicchannel. Visit www.touristicchannel.com, the video portail of tourism in tuscany & umbria in Italy. [article link]
Rethinking Humanity: the Chimera Debate - For most of history, part-human part-animal beings have always resided in the realm of fiction and folklore. Recently, however, advances in genetic engineering and microsurgery have brought these creatures into existence - Chimeras differ from the general perception of the genetically modified organism. Technically, a chimera consists of two genomes in a single body, producing two types of cells that work in conjunction to create a viable organism. It develops from two fertilized eggs that come into contact and combine to form a single embryo For most of history, part-human part-animal beings have always resided in the realm of fiction and folklore. Recently, however, advances in genetic engineering and microsurgery have brought these creatures into existence. Scientists now have created human-nonhuman chimeras-organisms that have both human cells and animals cells in their bodies. These chimeric animals hold enormous potential for the field of medicine as well as basic research into human physiology. Their utility in science lies in their unique biological integration of both human and animal cells, which can give rise to human tissues and even organs within the body of an animal. Useful applications of this technology range from the study of disease, to more accurate testing of drugs and medication, to the possibility of transplants using chimeric organs. Despite its potential, however,
chimera research faces significant opposition from a wide spectrum of the population. While scientific and public health concerns exist, the majority of the opposition focus on the violation of current ethical and moral codes that arises from creating and using chimeras. At closer examination, however, all of these objections stem from an unwillingness to surrender society's rigid view of human identity and uniqueness. The debate over chimera research represents the changing perception of humanity and our place in the world. -- Chimeras differ from the general perception of the genetically modified organism. Technically, a chimera consists of two genomes in a single body, producing two types of cells that work in conjunction to create a viable organism. It develops from two fertilized eggs that come into contact and combine to form a single embryo, instead of staying separate and developing into fraternal twins. Chimerism within a species occurs naturally in nearly all animals, including humans. Interspecific chimeras, however, rarely exist in nature due to the unlikelihood of specific conditions required. In 1989, scientists at the University of California, Davis breached this barrier and created the first artificial chimera, a sheep-goat hybrid dubbed the "geep." ... Today, the United Kingdom stands as the only nation to have legalized human-animal chimeras for medical research, a decision that has drawn harsh criticisms and cries of alarm from Germany and the rest of the European Union.19 The unpopularity of chimera research is understandable, as is the general feeling of revulsion and fear towards such creatures. To many, chimeras present a threat to our biological uniqueness in the world. In an age when astronomers and cosmologists continue to discover how small and inconsequential we really are, biology stands as the last bastion in defense of our significance and superiority. And this bastion is on the verge of being overrun by surreal part-human animals. [article link]
Disecting the New Age - Phoenix or Double-Headed Eagle? - The double-headed eagle is probably the most easily recognizable Masonic symbol in the world, even more important than the Square and Compass/Rule They look like two eagles, but they are not - They are the Phoenix Bird of Ancient Egypt [later of ancient Persia and later still in ancient Greece] - Remember that the Brotherhood was known in ancient Egypt as, "The Mystery Schools" The double-headed eagle is probably the most easily recognizable Masonic symbol in the world, even more important than the Square and Compass/Rule. They look like two eagles, but they are not. They are the Phoenix Bird of Ancient Egypt. Remember that the Brotherhood was known in ancient Egypt as, "The Mystery Schools." he current Presidential Seal has an eagle in it. The eagle replaced the Phoenix(the original national bird) in 1841 as the national bird. The Phoenix has been a Brotherhood symbol since ancient Egypt. The Phoenix was adopted by the Founding Fathers for use on the reverse of the first official seal of the United States after a design proposed by Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress. Listen to the explanation from Masonic author, Manly P. Hall, 33rd Degree, K.T., in his book, The Phoenix: An Illustrated Review of Occultism and Philosophy . [Before we begin, I find it highly interesting that Hall would admit, by his use of this title, that Freemasonry is occultic]. "Among the ancients a fabulous bird called the Phoenix is described by early writers ... in size and shape it resembles the eagle, but with certain differences. The body of the Phoenix is one covered with glossy purple feathers, and the plumes in its tail are alternately blue and red. The head of the bird is light in color, and about its neck is a circlet of golden plumage. At the back of its back the Phoenix has a crest of feathers of brilliant color ... The Phoenix, it is said, lives for 500 years, and at its death its body opens and the new born Phoenix emerges. Because of this symbolism, the Phoenix is generally regarded as representing immortality and resurrection ... The Phoenix is one sign of the secret orders of the ancient world and of the initiate of those orders, for it was common to refer to one who had been accepted into the temples as a man twice-born, or reborn. Wisdom confers a new life, and those who become wise are born again." [p. p. 176-77] ... To prevent most people from associating the Masonic Eagle with the ancient Phoenix, Freemasons changed the Phoenix to an Eagle, and began to refer to it as an Eagle. However, two Masonic authors blow the lid off that change in symbolism. Manly P. Hall, in his book, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, states, "These were the immortals to whom the term 'phoenix' was applied, and their symbol was the mysterious two-headed bird, now called an eagle , a familiar and little understood Masonic emblem ." [p. 108; Emphasis added] Albert Pike, in
Magnum Opus, writes, "... the Eagle was the living Symbol of Egyptian God Mendes ... and the representative of the Sun ..." [p. xviii] In one sentence, we see the admission that the Phoenix Bird of Ancient Satanic Egypt was changed into the Masonic Eagle and then Pike admits that the Eagle is the Symbol of the Sun God and of the God of Mendes, both symbols being common Satanic symbols of Satan/Lucifer! Remember also the Satanic meaning of the phrase depicted below the eagle the two Eagles -- "DEUS MEUMQUE JUS." As explained in Part 1 of 5 this is a typical Satanic Latin phrase, meaning, "... Masons are saying that they are 'using occult methods,' through Lucifer, to achieve their Rights and Justice." But why would a two-headed Eagle be adopted by Masonry, instead of a one-headed Eagle? Masonic author, R. Swinburne Clymer, writing in The Mysteries of Osiris , 1951, explains. "When they [pagans] desired to express the renewal, or beginning, of the year, they represented it in the form of a door-keeper. It could easily be distinguished by the attributes of a key ... At times, they gave it two heads, back to back ... In time, this [back-to-back key symbol] became the doubleheaded Eagle of symbolic Masonry." [p. 42] [article link]
What is the Tower of Babel? The Tower of Babel is a fascinating story which helped the ancients understand God - The story of the Tower of Babel doesn't take place in a vacuum - It falls in between Noah's flood and the call of Abraham - The parable [from the events of Babel] tells us that the road without God is doomed to disaster - The citizens of Babel thought that they were able, technologically, to challenge God's leadership Man's pride, vanity and lust for power need to come under God's authority - That is the theological lesson of this section of scripture - They are the only kinds of lessons the Bible gives The call of Abraham comes about as God decides to form a people of his own to carry the knowledge and worship of Him into the world. The Flood did not stem man's evil ways and the activities around the Tower of Babel showed that man loves himself more than any God. The glory of man is what was sought with that tower, not the glory of God. So, in Abraham, God forms a people who will glorify Him. -- The story of Babel comes at a point after the flood where everyone is seen as a descendant of Noah. Genesis 10 and 11 is a genealogy from Noah to Abraham and an attempt to classify everyone in the known world as a descendant. I say "known" world because as far as these early Hebrews were concerned the world was flat and rested on pillars. The sky was a shell with stars fastened to it. Ethiopia was as far south as they could identify, Iran to the east, Armenia to the north and Greece to the west. They had heard of a place called Tarshish (Spain - also possibly Britain) but weren't sure. Jonah had tried to go there because it was as far as he could imagine going. -- The whole story of Babel lasts for only nine verses, Genesis 11: 1-9. Its fame has far exceeded the space that the compilers of Genesis have given it in the Holy Scriptures. Just before we are given the names of the descendants of Shem (Shemites or Semites) whose line brings us to Abraham, the story of the Tower of Babel is inserted. What could be the significance of this little parable at this point in Bible history? -- Of course, the ancients wanted to know why and how we all came to be speaking different languages. If Noah and his sons repopulated the world shouldn't we all speak their language? Verses ten to twenty six bring us from Shem to Abraham. The story of Babel is there to explain to a primitive society how we get from Noah to Abraham with so many different languages having developed in so short a time. What could be the cause of this impediment to human cooperation and understanding? -- The choice of the name "Babel" is not an accident. The reference to Babylon reflects the way that Babylon was abhorred by Hebrew society. Babylon represented everything that was wrong with humanity. As a city, Babylon was both envied and loathed. The city was beautiful and graced with streets and palaces. The hanging gardens of Babylon are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Writing and science were developing there. In the meantime, the Hebrews were a nomadic society concerned with day to day survival. Babylon represented oppression, cruelty and violence by which it remained powerful. - So Babel (Babylon) is portrayed as a society where everyone speaks with the same language and through human cooperation attempt to climb to heaven on a tower. This is not a God centered society but a fellowship of men dedicated to elevating man to his proper position as God of this world. This is a theme often repeated in the Bible. The ziggurats stand as evidence against them. So Babylon gets the blame for confusion because they try to get up to God's level. The disdain that ancient Israel felt for Babylon is reflected in the Tower story. -
- So, is this science or theology? There is no science in the Bible. There is no point looking for it there. The Bible is a theological manuscript. It is the story of God's dealings with humans from the viewpoint of an ancient society. Is Babel the reason for all of the various languages in the world? Of course it isn't. Is Babel a parable? The story of the Tower of Babel is a parable about mankind, where his heart is and how God feels about it. -The account of Babel's tower is lousy history and terrible science. It is terrific theology. The final judgement against any society is its willingness to press forward in the name of progress without reference to or respect for God. The parable tells us that the road without God is doomed to disaster. The citizens of Babel thought that they were able, technologically, to challenge God's leadership. Man's pride, vanity and lust for power need to come under God's authority. That is the theological lesson of this section of scripture. They are the only kinds of lessons the Bible gives. [article link]
[via Apostasy Watch] "THIS I BELIEVE" by The Abalonekid (YouTube) Free MP3s Praise and Worship Songs & Spoken Words. "HE IS COMING" CD www.theabalonekid.com/id15.html [article link]
Update: The Basic Christian Info Feed will be on a short break - Returning with Nimrod [human race - relations - was Nimrod black?] and the Tower of Babel in the "8 Kingdoms of the World" study - An 8 Kingdom summary is postponed for a short while -- Wiki.com: The generic usage [of the word Adam] in Genesis meaning "mankind" reflects the view that Adam [red-man, all the human races are a part of the original creation glory of God, built into Adam, to help reveal the glory and expanse of God - a language confusion would come later at the fall of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:9)] was the ancestor of all men. Etymologically it is the masculine form of the word adamah meaning ground or earth and related to the words adom *(red), admoni *(ruddy) and dam *(blood) Gen. ii. 7 explains that the man was called Adam because he was formed from the ground *(adamah). On a short break from posting for now but plan on continuing to research and work on the 8 Kingdoms project in the meantime so should have a lot of ordered material to post in the weeks to come. [article link]
The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines - #22 Melchizedek is an O.T. Epiphany of God - Did Abraham when he paid his onetime tithe to King Melchizedek pay his tithe to God or simply to another man? The book of Hebrews tells us that the man that Abraham Tithed to is eternal -- "Hebrews 7:8 And here men [Levitical Priests] that die (mortal) receive tithes; but there [with Abraham] He [Melchizedek] receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed [by God to Abraham - by God to Moses when Moses wrote the book of Genesis and also later by God to King David in Psalms 110:4] that He [Melchizedek] liveth (immortal - eternal life)." (PDF) Note: in the Greek (O.T.) Septuagint "LXX" manuscript in v. 18 the word [of] is not present for Melchizedek as it is for all the other kings of the world, it is simply "Melchizedek King Salem" and it is the "Melchizedek King Salem" that the Apostle Paul references' in Hebrews 7:2 "first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace" the name "Melchizedek King Salem" is first to be interpreted [not having the 'of' that the other kings have] as a title because there was and is no earthly city of "Salem" (Peace). -- "Genesis 14:1-6 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king (of) Shinar, Arioch king (of) Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king (of) Elam, and Tidal king (of) nations; That these made war with Bera king (of) Sodom, and with Birsha king (of) Gomorrah, Shinab king (of) Admah, and Shemeber king (of) Zeboiim, and the king (of) Bela, which is Zoar. All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness. ... Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek King [of] Salem brought forth bread and wine: and He
was the Priest of the most high God." [article link]
The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines by confessing Christians - Contact: David
[email protected] Note: once the current article 'Areas and Doctrines' is adequately summarized with about 25 Areas and Doctrines that are central and relevant to the Christian faith - The article is going to be made open to participation from others and for group (roundtable) discussion - Then a more finalized version of the article will be published similar to 'The Chicago Statement on Biblical Application' though with the working title of 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians - The publishing of the document 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians should be able to be accomplished sometime within 2011 - I'll update the post with an email that people can contact me with regarding the Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines - All the best, God bless everyone ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
ApostasyWatch.org: To Tithe or Not to Tithe {An Excellent Teaching!!} (Mp3) A law versus grace issue. [article link]
Note: once the current article 'Areas and Doctrines' is adequately summarized with about 25 Areas and Doctrines that are central and relevant to the Christian faith - The article is going to be made open to participation from others and for group (roundtable) discussion - Then a more finalized version of the article will be published similar to 'The Chicago Statement on Biblical Application' though with the working title of 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians The publishing of the document 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians should be able to be accomplished sometime within 2011. -- On Monday the new Facebook email addresses are supposed to become available and I'll update the post with a Facebook email that people can contact me with regarding the Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines. [article link]
'The Chicago Statement on Biblical Application' from The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy - Preface: The authority of Scripture is a key issue for the Christian Church in this and every age. Those who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are called to show the reality of their discipleship by humbly and faithfully obeying God's written Word. To stray from Scripture in faith or conduct is disloyalty to our Master. Recognition of the total truth and trustworthiness of Holy Scripture is essential to a full grasp and adequate confession of its authority. -- The following Statement affirms this inerrancy of Scripture afresh, making clear our understanding of it and warning against its denial. We are persuaded that to deny it is to set aside the witness of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit and to refuse that submission to the claims of God's own Word which marks true Christian faith. We see it as our timely duty to make this affirmation in the face of current lapses from the truth of inerrancy among our fellow Christians and misunderstanding of this doctrine in the world at large. -- This Statement consists of three parts: a Summary Statement, Articles of Affirmation and Denial, and an Exposition. It has been prepared in the course of a threeday consultation in Chicago. Those who have signed the Summary Statement and the Articles wish to affirm their own conviction as to the inerrancy of Scripture and to encourage and challenge one another and all Christians to growing appreciation and understanding of this doctrine. We acknowledge the limitations of a document prepared in a brief, intensive conference and do not propose that this Statement be given creedal weight. Yet we rejoice in the deepening of our own convictions through our discussions together, and we pray that the Statement we have signed may be used to the glory of our God toward a new reformation of the Church in its faith, life, and mission. -- We offer this Statement in a spirit, not of contention, but of humility and love, which we purpose by God's grace to maintain in any future dialogue arising out of what we have said. We
gladly acknowledge that many who deny the inerrancy of Scripture do not display the consequences of this denial in the rest of their belief and behavior, and we are conscious that we who confess this doctrine often deny it in life by failing to bring our thoughts and deeds, our traditions and habits, into true subjection to the divine Word. -- We invite response to this statement from any who see reason to amend its affirmations about Scripture by the light of Scripture itself, under whose infallible authority we stand as we speak. We claim no personal infallibility for the witness we bear, and for any help which enables us to strengthen this testimony to God's Word we shall be grateful. [article link]
The Article 10 Areas and Doctrines where we can all Agree to Agree! Has been updated and now covers 15 Areas and Doctrines - It is soon to be updated to 20 Areas and eventually to a total of about 25 Areas and Doctrines that are central and relevant to the Christian faith Note: one of the areas and doctrines that I want to address in the coming update is the universal nature of the one true Christian Church [headed by Jesus Christ and facilitated by the Holy Spirit] especially regarding Protestantism, Evangelicalism and the Roman Catholic Church. However I don't want to address it right now because of two reasons. 1. Both Protestants and Evangelicals would probably be uncomfortable with that area of agreement. 2. I would like to submit that the Roman Catholic Church in Rome is historically and futuristically the leadership Church of Christianity - however the Vatican has to actually act substantially on behalf of true Christian and Judeo/Christian causes. When Rome [the Vatican] can make a definitive statement and a concerted effort towards real and beneficial support and assistance to the Jews [worldwide], Jerusalem and Israel then I would certainly be willing to see Rome as the unchallenged authority and leadership of the one true Christian Church. - Noticing that our alternatives within modern [infiltrated by cults i.e. Emergent doctrines] Evangelicalism and the almost completely compromised Protestant denominations are in reality almost non-existent when it comes to relevant meaningful Christian representation. [article link]
Updated: 15 Areas and Doctrines where we can all Agree to Agree! (PDF) As the Christian Church there are areas where we can all Agree to Agree! Over the years the Christian Church has virtually been defined by its vast ability to disagree. In fact the quote "let's agree to disagree" can almost be the new banner of Christianity. Some people readily point out and wonder if there really is a Christian truth because the Church itself agrees on very few Christian tenants. But this is not really an accurate reflection because the Church does agree on many things and is united on many beliefs. -- This is a discussion list where we as Christians can "Agree to Agree" and then the next time someone says "the Church doesn't even agree" well here are some areas of agreement. -- These topics are starting beyond the already given basics of Christianity in that Jesus Christ is God born of the Virgin Mary, Himself a Godly encounter physically among humans yet remaining consistent with the Triune nature of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Divine and without sin. He was rejected by mankind crucified and died. His death is the Full Payment for all of the sins of the world. His resurrection is of Everlasting Life and provided to those who personally receive Him as God and their Savior. Jesus is the rightful and righteous Ruler of the world and He will physically return to righteously reign, rule and judge His creation that we call the universe. [article link]
Update: Predatory Preaching - Why So Much Angst About Anonymous Critics? {Note: I was listening to this [terrible outburst] again this morning [and again I'm very disheartened to have to listen to it - such an obvious wolf in sheep's clothing speaking from behind the pulpit]. I was left wondering why does this pastor only rail against anonymous criticism, if he were to be consistent wouldn't he be equally offended by anonymous donors as well. If the modern church leadership [and I use that term lightly] is going to take such a selfimposed righteous stand against anonymous criticism then equally they need to reject all anonymous donations as being equally "pathetic" and from "narcissistic zeros" and for the record, whoever made that anonymous comment, he or she was very smart to make it anonymously. It seems that some leaders-pastors
want info in order to use it [seriously] in [Satanic] curse rituals against the person that is trying to help the Church move forward in a godly way. So yes, be very careful about letting your name, as a helpful person or as a critic get in the hands of some of these pastors where once they have an identity they can go to work behind the scenes [demonically casting spells and socially casting dispersions] making life very difficult for anyone they desire to do harm to.} (Audio) I recently came across the audio excerpt below from Matt Chandler, where he absolutely blasts people who would dare send him anonymous, critical emails. He angrily calls them several choice names like "pathetic" and "narcissistic zeros". I came across this audio clip at Dr. Alvin Reid's blog site, as he included Chandler's clip with his blog post here entitled "Dealing with Critics". You really have to listen to this. It gives I think a glimpse into just how much disdain there is for anonymous emailers and bloggers critical of the Southern Baptist power structure. It is my view, based on my experience as a formerly anonymous blogger, that Chandler's disdain for anonymous critics is shared by many of our Southern Baptist leaders. After all, Alvin Reid posts it for his readers (many of whom are our future pastors!), presumably as an example of how to view those who dare to criticize anonymously. [article link]
*Updated - Truth & Knowledge vs. Lies & Deception (PDF) Truth is that which exists and cannot change. The truth is the unchangeable fact. There are basic truths in existence. We exist in physical human form on a planet called the earth. It is an undeniable unchangeable truth that we exist. It is also an undeniable unchangeable truth that physical life exists temporally here on earth. The truth is that all who have lived in the past have suffered physical death; they are no longer physically alive with us on earth. Since there are truths in existence there is a truth that explains life and death here on earth. There can be many theories about how life originated on earth, why and how we exist and why we die, but there is only one unchangeable truth. [article link]
Update: A Soon to be Posted Summary of the 8 Kingdoms Study Note: Because the 8 Kingdoms study is starting to get off track I'm going to spend the next couple of days and put together a summary chart of all the 8 Kingdoms. Originally I had planned to conclude the study with a summary but I think a good overview summary at this time would help to regroup and move the study forward. All the best, God bless everyone ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
{Flashback} ChristianPost.com: Rick Warren Prepares Saddleback [in Twitter postings referred to as 'the church'] for Decade of Blessings - "I want the next ten years of your life to be the best 10 years of your life" Pastor Rick Warren told church attendees {Note: is Pastor Rick Warren acting as a deliberate agent of disinformation (Judges 4:19-21 - bottled milk - strange doctrines) regarding his purposed 'Decade of Blessing' - At the very, most perilous [post 9/11/2001] time in modern history Rick Warren want's Christians to be self-centered on [warm milk] fanciful blessings and not engaged in the End Time reality [abundant deception] that is all around us and is threating to engulf us.} Saddleback Church in Southern California is kicking off its "Decade of Destiny" this weekend in an effort to prepare the mega-congregation to receive showers of God's blessings. "I want the next ten years of your life to be the best 10 years of your life," Pastor Rick Warren told church attendees. "I want you to be more blessed and less stressed. I want God's blessing ... on every area of your life." The Decade of Destiny is a two-month spiritual growth campaign that is aimed at moving Christians forward in their faith walk. Warren acknowledged that as their pastor, the Bible holds him accountable for the congregants' spiritual growth. "I don't take that lightly," the well-known megachurch pastor said. Along with helping believers come to a position of being "blessable," the campaign will also lead the church to be a blessing to the community. "God blesses you so you can be a blessing to others, not just so you can be some fat cat and self-centered," Warren highlighted. The Decade of Destiny campaign was first announced during Saddleback Church's 30th anniversary celebration in
April. Over the next ten years, the church of some 22,000 weekly attendees will enhance its programs and operations and expand its campuses and small groups. By the end of this year, the megachurch plans to have 10 different Saddleback locations in Southern California. In preparation for the campaign, Warren studied every verse in the Bible that speaks of God's blessing. [article link]
More Iraqi Christians Consider Leaving Iraq After Attack on Baghdad Cathedral - Christians carry coffins of their slain relatives during a funeral service at a Church in Baghdad on November 2, 2010 for victims of the attack at the Assyrian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation on the evening of October 31, 2010 {Thanks, Rick Warren and George W. Bush because both of you are real distinguished men of PEACE and understanding and the world thanks you for it. You two in your leadership positions have made the world a much better place and deserve all of the praise and adoration you so greedily demand and seek after!} BAGHDAD -- Vian Jabburi, a 22-year-old Roman Catholic, was celebrating Mass in Baghdad with her father on October 31 when Al-Qaeda militants stormed the church. Shot through her shoulder during the ensuing siege, Jabburi survived. Her father was also shot and slowly bled to death, while she lay helpless at his side in a pool of her own blood. "Nothing resembles this experience. Nothing," Jabburi tells RFE/RL as she breaks down in tears at her father's funeral. "The situation was very, very difficult. I still don't know whether it was reality or just a nightmare. I do not know. I really don't know. "We were bleeding for four or five hours without receiving any help," she adds. "I will leave it to God. He is the only one who can take our revenge [or be our refuge]." Jabburi is among thousands of Iraqi Christians who suffered through [recent] years of sectarian violence in Iraq but is now considering whether to stay any longer. [article link]
President Bush [Jr.] to chat with Saddleback's Rick Warren - Former President George W. Bush will have a conversation on leadership with Pastor Rick Warren during Saddleback Church's 6th Civil Forum, [Monday] Nov. 29, 2010 - On Dec. 1, 2008 Warren presented the first International Medal of PEACE to Bush when he moved his annual Civil Forum on Global Health from Orange County to Washington, D.C on this 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day {So, Pastor Rick Warren thought that Bush Jr. [the man who never lifted a finger or even attempted to peacefully end any of the bloody conflicts he started] was the embodiment of the best man to bestow his first PEACE medal upon - it says a lot about Rick Warren both as a religious man and as an outwardly ambitious person filled with inner hidden agendas and it isn't good.} LAKE FOREST - Former President George W. Bush will have a conversation on leadership with Pastor Rick Warren during Saddleback Church's 6th Civil Forum. The forum planned for Nov. 29 will focus on Bush's leadership and is expected to include excerpts from the former president's recently released memoirs, David Chrzan, Warren's chief-of-staff said Tuesday. "The forum will include a personal conversation between Pastor Rick and President Bush," Chrzan said. "The goal is to create a forum where the community around Saddleback Church can hear from speakers who are great leaders and those who have positively impacted humanity." ... On Dec. 1, 2008 Warren presented the first International Medal of PEACE to Bush when he moved his annual Civil Forum on Global Health from Orange County to Washington, D.C on this 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Saddleback has hosted other Civil Forums on topics of global interest including the plight of orphans worldwide, The Holocaust Survivors, *The Persecuted Church, The Presidency with Senators John McCain and then Senator Barack Obama, and Reconciliation with President Kagame of Rwanda. [article link]
Video Interview: Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health - Rev. [b_hag] Rick Warren talks with President [there's a PANdemiK] George W. Bush at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health in Washington, DC, on December 1, 2008 [Online Video] Back in 1988, the World Health Organization and U.N. General Assembly first declared December 1 "World AIDS Day." This year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual event dedicated to remembering those we've lost to the virus and to recommitting with vigor to the fight against AIDS. Rev. Rick Warren talks with President
George W. Bush at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health in Washington, DC, on December 1, 2008. [article link]
[via aomin.org] With All Due Respect, The Vatican's Latest, Painful Pronouncement On Israel is Wrong by Joel Rosenberg - As such, it is the duty of all true followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to bless Israel and reaffirm her fundamental legitimacy and right to the Land - Yes, we should bless and love the Palestinians, as well, because our Lord Jesus said as a Jew living in Israel, "Love your neighbor" and, "Love your enemies" But we should never accept the false teaching that God has rejected the Jewish people or rescinded His promises to the nation of Israel - That simply is not Biblical {Note: I agree with this article and it is a major position of the Basic Christian Ministry that Christians are called by Jesus Christ to support the Jewish people in all locations and especially in their right to live peaceably in the land of Israel. The Vatican is in a position to be a substantial blessing to Israel and to the Jewish people and I think they will be. Also Note: I have been looking for pro-Israel charities to financially support but I don't think that these are the charities to financially support (ECFA membership is actually not a good sign), when I do locate an effective (Christian and Jewish recommended) pro-Israel charity I'll pass it along.} A new headline in the Jerusalem Post reads: "Vatican synod calls for end to Israel's 'occupation': At conference on Christians in the Middle East, US Melkite archbishop says: 'There is no longer a chosen people.'" With all due respect, the Vatican is wrong on this issue. The entire Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - makes crystal clear again and again the Lord's love for the Jewish people, His decision to choose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants for His very own, and His eternal promise to give the Holy Land to the Jewish people. As such, it is the duty of all true followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to bless Israel and reaffirm her fundamental legitimacy and right to the Land. Yes, we should bless and love the Palestinians, as well, because our Lord Jesus said as a Jew living in Israel, "Love your neighbor," and, "Love your enemies." But we should never accept the false teaching that God has rejected the Jewish people or rescinded His promises to the nation of Israel. That simply is not Biblical. [article link]
Updated - Christianity and the Mormon (LDS) Cult are Very Different (PDF) Mormonism (LDS) practices and engages in the longtime deceitful and illegal marketing practice of "bait and switch" to offer - bait the customer with one product and then through excuses, deceit and manipulations to steer the customer into a different inferior product. In this case Mormons universally offer Jesus, the Bible and a "truer Christianity" and then in a dishonest way switching from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible to the teachings of Joseph Smith and others. The Mormon Church is deliberately trying to avoid their true identity as a Mormon cult and is instead representing themselves as something they are not, which is true Christian followers of Jesus. Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
mrm.org: [king] Joseph Smith for President - [April 11, 1844] the [LDS] Council of Fifty performed an ordinance "in which Joseph suffered himself to be ordained a king, to reign over the house of Israel forever" - Some have been uncomfortable with the assertion that Smith became a king - They have claimed that Marks and other critics either confused or misrepresented Smith's reception of the strictly religious ceremony of the second anointing as "king and priest" … In fact a later revelation to the Council of Fifty affirmed that God called Smith "to be a Prophet, Seer and Revelator to my Church and Kingdom; and to be a King and Ruler over Israel" (The Mormon Hierarchy, Origins of Power, 124) {Note: I thought it might be [and probably is] confusing that we are doing a study on the 8 Kingdoms of the world and suddenly LDS founder Joseph Smith Jr. is being blogged about [only briefly]. In thinking about it I thought I bet Joseph Smith Jr. thought of himself as a king - so I Goggled it and sure enough the Mormons made Joseph Smith Jr. a king, the king of Israel (how weird is that) [note: the U.S. can't have a king]. But know for certain that Joseph the LDS pretend king will not be listed in the study with the real Kings of the Bible or included in any list of the real Kings either now or of history. - Also
Note: We are going to have an interesting study about the coming 10 Kingdoms [Daniel 7:24], because technically the U.S. cannot have a King [it's against our Constitution] so who will be the future King over the North American region, I think it puts Canada in play "The Canadian Royal Family" as a possible family (bloodline) and location for the region's coming [i.e. U.N. fronted] capital. - Article I: Section 9, Paragraph 8 of the U.S. Constitution - No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States:} This sounds like it will be an interesting film, as the history of Joseph Smith's politics is very intriguing. For instance, many people don't know that Smith was secretly crowned king on April 11, 1844. His campaign for president of the United States was much more complicated than most would imagine. About Smith's ordination as king, former LDS historian D. Michael Quinn wrote: William Marks…stated that the [LDS] Council of Fifty performed an ordinance "in which Joseph suffered himself to be ordained a king, to reign over the house of Israel forever."Some have been uncomfortable with the assertion that Smith became a king. They have claimed that Marks and other critics either confused or misrepresented Smith's reception of the strictly religious ceremony of the second anointing as "king and priest." … In fact a later revelation to the Council of Fifty affirmed that God called Smith "to be a Prophet, Seer and Revelator to my Church and Kingdom; and to be a King and Ruler over Israel." (The Mormon Hierarchy, Origins of Power, 124). Joseph Smith told the press that he wanted to create a "Theo-democracy." Quinn wrote, The phrase was catchy, but what precisely did he mean by "Theo-democracy"? In the spring of 1844 Smith gave the public only an indistinct foreshadowing of the new world order (NWO) he was formulating in his secret meetings with the Council of Fifty. (125) I'm not sure how a monarchy fits with a theocracy, a theo-democracy, or a republic. But the subject of the film A Mormon President holds the promise of being fascinating indeed. [article link]
1 Samuel 1-2 - The Book of the Prophet Samuel - The establishment of God's Prophets and Kings in the Nation of Israel - '1 Samuel 1:3 And this man [Elkanah and his wife Hannah] went up out of his city [Ramah] yearly to worship and to sacrifice [at the Tabernacle] unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh [the Temple in Jerusalem had not yet been built]. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the [Levitical] Priests of the LORD, were there.' 1 Samuel 1:26-2:11 And she [Hannah] said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord [Eli the High Preist], I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. For this child [Samuel] I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of Him: Therefore also I have lent him [Samuel] to the LORD; as long as he liveth [consecration, burnt offering vow] he shall be lent to the LORD [the same consecration vow Jephthah made with God Judges 11:31]. And he [Eli] worshipped the LORD there. And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none Holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to the grave, *and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars [stabilization] of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world [stable] upon them. He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall He thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and He shall give strength unto His King (Jesus), and exalt the horn of His anointed. And Elkanah [and Hannah] went to Ramah to his house. And the child [Samuel] did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest. - Hanna vowed and consecrated her son Samuel to the service of God for his entire life. Samuel is from the tribe of Ephraim not a Levite and is ineligible to serve God as a priest however he does serve God as a Prophet. The three offices of God; Priest, Prophet and King are not allowed to be combined into one human man because they are only combined into one office in Jesus Christ. In coming verses we will see the
distinctions of the three Godly offices and also the disastrous results when King Saul who was already counted among the Prophets takes upon himself the office of Priest and performs a sacrifice. [article link]
1 Samuel 3-5 - Hannah receives an answer to her prayer and gives birth to her first son Samuel whom she had promised to dedicate to the service of God - As a small child Samuel is dedicated at the Tabernacle and remains to help minister in the Tabernacle at Shiloh - While a child and ministering in the Tabernacle as he took a nap one day God talked to the little Samuel - God made Samuel a Prophet for the Nation of Israel -- '1 Samuel 3:4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he [Samuel] answered, Here am I.' ... And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.' '1 Samuel 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before [in the presence of] Eli [the High Priest].' A main lesson in the books of Samuel and Kings is the distribution of the three offices of God. The offices of Priest, Prophet and King were to be divided among there Tribes [Priests - Tribe of Levi; Kings - Tribe of Judah] and among the people. The offices of Prophet, Priest and King are only allowed to combine in the one person Jesus Christ. - A Priest could be a prophet though it was unlikely and when God did communicate with the High Priest it was often not as a Prophet but through the Thummim and Urim stones or the stones on His breastplate but usually not speaking directly like to a prophet. Some of the of the Kings were both Prophets and Kings but were not to take on the third office of Priest or particularly High Priest. When King David offered sacrifices to God it was on behalf of the Nation of Israel not on behalf of himself as Saul did. King David was also careful to wear a linen ephod not a gold ephod like the High Priest would wear and certainly King David had the Priests do the actual sacrifices. When King David built an Alter on the site of the future Temple and offered a sacrifice to God [2 Samuel 24:25] it is probable that David had the Priests offer the actual sacrifices [as he had the Priests move the Ark in 2nd Samuel 6:1-18] though King David is a type of Jesus and as the type of a King, Prophet and Priest for Jesus he might have been led by God to offer a sacrifice as well because it was on the correct location of the new Temple Mount and not some random location chosen by David but a place designated by God. - Samuel was ministering to God under Eli in that Samuel was probably not a Levite Priest but he was a firstborn male that was not redeemed but was consecrated to God by his mother Hannah so he was eligible to minister in some capacity with the Levitical Priesthood. [Samuel wore only a linen ephod like King David would later wear.] - Note: Samuel was probably from the Tribe of Ephraim and not of the Priestly Tribe of Levi. If Samuel was of the Tribe of Levi then his mother Hannah would not have had to dedicate him to the service of the Lord because he would already have been dedicated to the service of God through a Levitical heritage. Samuel's father's family is listed as worshipers not Priests. Samuel's father Elkanah has two wives if he was a Levitical Priest he probably could only have one wife and possibly a concubine [Judges 19:1]. - There is an Elkanah and a Samuel listed in 1 Chronicles in the Levitical family line of Kohath the son of Levi however it does not appear to be the same family as listed in 1 Samuel. '1 Samuel 1:1-3 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah [Samuel's father], the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, *an Ephrathite [Tribe of Ephraim]: And he had *two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man went up out of his city yearly to *worship and to sacrifice [as a citizen] unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh.' - '1 Chronicles 6:22-28 The sons of Kohath [Levitical Priestly line, Kohath was a son of Levi]; Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son, Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. And the sons of Elkanah; Amasai, and Ahimoth. As for Elkanah: the sons of Elkanah; Zophai [Zuph?] his son, and Nahath [Tohu?] his son, Eliab [Elihu?] his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn Vashni [Joel?], and Abiah.' - Though some of the names are similar and some of the names are the same its possibly not the same family. It seems more likely that these are two different families and that Samuel the Prophet was of the Tribe of Ephraim and he did some ministry to the Lord as a firstborn unredeemed male and that Samuel and two of his sons functioned as Judges in Israel though Samuel officiated in two offices of God it's important to note that he did not serve in the third office or capacity as a King in Israel. It doesn't make a big difference whether or not
Samuel was from the Tribe of Levi or not because he was not a King but just keep in mind that Israel had strict procedures and policies that they followed to the letter of the law and Samuel does not match the Levitical Priesthood to the letter but his main office was that of a true Prophet and he does fit that office and serve God to the letter of the law. [article link]
1 Samuel 9-11 - Saul a young man from the Tribe of Benjamin is selected to be the first anointed King over Israel -- '1 Samuel 9:21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a *Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? *wherefore [why] then speakest thou so to me?' {Saul new that Israel had requested a King from Samuel but Saul also knew that he was from the wrong Tribe in Israel. The Kings for Israel were supposed to come only from the Tribe of Judah [Genesis 49:10] just as the Levitical Priests of Israel are to come only from the Tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron [Exodus 28:1] and Saul is from the Tribe of Benjamin.} '1 Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon [Saul] his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because *the LORD hath anointed thee *to be Captain [King] over his *inheritance?' [The inheritance of God is both the Nation of Israel and the Gentiles, Jesus being the firstborn gets the double inheritance (Jews and Gentiles) for His firstborn double portion inheritance.]- Saul has been anointed into one of the offices of God as King and soon Saul will gain his second office of God as a Prophet. Later Saul will disobey God and he will take upon himself a third office of God when Saul himself builds his own alter and offers a burnt offering sacrifice to God, making himself a Priest to God and possibly in this case by building a sacrifice alter accidently making himself a High Priest to God. Saul unknowingly or knowingly in taking on all three offices of God in being a King, Prophet and Priest Saul has declared himself to be the coming Messiah (Christ). The results are that Saul is immediacy rebuked by Samuel and Saul is stripped of his two offices of King and Prophet. - '1 Samuel 10:1016 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him [Saul]; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, *he [Saul] prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? *Therefore it became a proverb [a well known saying], Is Saul also among the prophets? And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place. And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses [donkeys]: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel. And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. *But of the matter of the Kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.' [article link]
1 Kings 1 - King David has become too old to sit on his royal throne - Adonijah attempts to set himself upon his father David's throne - King David declares to Bath-sheba that he will pass along the Kingdom to their son Solomon -- '1 Kings 1:29-30 And the King [David] sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.' Solomon is anointed to be the 3rd and final King over a united Israel: '1 Kings 1:32-39 And King David said, Call me Zadok the [High] Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the King. The King also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: And *let Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anoint him there King over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save King Solomon. Then ye shall come up after him, *that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be King in my stead: and *I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the King, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the King say so too. As the LORD hath been with my lord the King, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David. So Zadok the
Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon King David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the Tabernacle [the Temple has not yet been built], and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save King Solomon.' - The three offices of God; King, Priest and Prophet are all three still in existence and functioning separately in Israel during the reign of King Solomon. [article link]
Book of 1 Chronicles - The Books of 1 & 2 Chronicles cover mostly the same information as 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings - 1 & 2 Chronicles focus more on the *Priestly aspect of the time period - The Book of 1 Chronicles was written [possibly compiled/written while in Babylon (by Ezra the scribe)] preparing for the return to Jerusalem and Israel after the exile - To help those returning to Israel understand how to worship God - {Note: The three offices of God each produced their own scrolls and combined the selected scrolls compose the Holy Bible. The Kings (1st and 2nd Kings - [not selected] the book of Jasher and the book of the acts of Solomon, etc.), the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, etc.) and the Priests (1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, etc.) - Once in Babylon and in captivity for the 70 years the Temple in Jerusalem having been destroyed the Temple ceased to be the primary focus of Judaism and the Bible scrolls now became the primary focus of Judaism and while in Babylon without a Temple to officiate and serve in the O.T. Bible scrolls (up until that point) were compiled, edited and composed into the books [that we now have today] and presented to the people (primarily in Synagogues) for their own congregational and personal use in worship and in daily living. - So starting at this point in history we now have a shift away from the Temple [Tabernacle, Temple worship - started by Moses at Mt. Sinai] and onto the Scriptures and the beginnings of the Synagogue (Jewish Church). - Also Note: At this point in history the Word of God [having mostly been written by that time] is already replacing and superseding (Leviticus 17:11, John 5:24, *John 6:63) the blood of the animals as a cleansing offering and as a sacrifice for man (John 1:14, John 15:3) until the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross can sustain mankind for all eternity.} Brief Summary: The first 9 chapters of 1 Chronicles are dedicated to lists and genealogies. Further lists and genealogies are scattered throughout the rest of 1 Chronicles. In between, the Book of 1 Chronicles records David's ascension to the throne and his actions thereafter. The book concludes with David's son Solomon becoming King of Israel. Briefly outlined, the Book of 1 Chronicles is as follows: Chapters 1:1-9:23 - Selective Genealogies; Chapters 9:24-12:40 - David's ascent; Chapters 13:1-20:30 -David's reign. - Foreshadowings: In David's song of thanksgiving to God in 1 Chronicles 16:33, he refers to the time when God will come "to judge the earth." This foreshadows Matthew 25, in which Jesus describes the time when He will come to judge the earth. Through the parables of the ten virgins and the talents, He warns that those who are found without the blood of Christ covering their sins will be cast into "outer darkness." He encourages His people to be ready because when He comes, He will separate the sheep from the goats in judgment. - Part of the Davidic Covenant which God reiterates in chapter 17 refers to the future Messiah who would be a descendant of David. Verses 13-14 describe the Son who will be established in God's house and whose throne will be established forever. This can only refer to Jesus Christ. - Practical Application: Genealogies such as the ones in 1 Chronicles may seem dry to us, but they remind us that God knows each of His children personally, even down to the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). We can take comfort in the fact that who we are and what we do is written forever in God's mind. If we belong to Christ, our names are written forever in the Lamb's book of Life (Revelation 13:8). [article link]
Ezra Background - The History of Israel and the Law, the Ark of the Covenant, the Day of Atonement and the legitimacy of the Messiah [Jesus Christ] who was born under the Law (Galatians 4:4) and who fulfilled and removed the Law -- '2 Chronicles 35:3 And said [King Josiah] unto the [Zadok] Levites that taught [Ministry of Teaching the Word of God a higher Testimony Ministry than the Temple Testimony Ministry with the blood of animals] all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, **put the Holy Ark [back] in the House [Temple] which
Solomon the son of David King of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders [it is hidden close by, in one of several nearby caves, tunnels and cistern hiding locations]: serve now [also with the Testimony of the blood and animal sacrifices] the LORD your God, and His people Israel' -- 'Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him [John the Baptist], Suffer it to be so now: for thus **it becometh us ***to fulfill all righteousness [in order to do away with the Levitical-Aaronic Laws and Priesthood and to then replace it with Jesus's Royal Laws and His Royal 'Righteous' eternal life Priesthood]. Then he suffered Him [and John baptized Jesus].' - Also Note: "all righteousness" is also a direct reference to Jesus' Melchizedek Priesthood as Melchizedek means "To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of Righteousness" Hebrews: 7:2 - All of the Old Testament Promises, Covenants, Commandments, Offices (King, High Priest, Prophet), Laws, Priesthoods (Aaronic, Eli, Zadok), Feast Days, Prophecies (Revelation 19:10) and Messianic Biblical Types and Shadows are directly combined and fulfilled in the one person of Jesus Christ and in the one New Testament Covenant and Ministry of Jesus Christ the True Messiah! Note: Regarding the Tabernacle and the Temples and the Ark of the Covenant. In reading the Bible's history of ancient Israel regarding the Ark of the Covenant it quickly becomes obvious, painfully obvious, that the Ark of the Covenant is missing from the Holy of Holies more often than it is there. For instance from the time of King Saul until the reign of King Solomon and the building of the 1st Temple the Ark of the Covenant is not in its proper location within the Holy of Hollies. That means that throughout the entire Kingdom of King David the Ark was not in the Holy of Holies and therefore a proper observance of the feast of "The Day of Atonement" could not be observed and fulfilled. In other words it would probably not be possible for the Messiah to arrive (or be born) w/o having had the Ark of the Covenant located inside the Holy of Holies. - If it was necessary in "fulfilling all righteousness" and it probably was then the Ark of the Covenant was within the Holy of Hollies in the 2nd Temple [Cyrus'/Herod's Temple] at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ. -- Having King David as a Biblical example of the Messiah [Jesus Christ] and King Solomon as a Biblical example of the coming Antichrist. -- King David was born in Bethlehem; King Solomon was born in Jerusalem [outside of Bethlehem]. King David was born when the Ark of the Covenant was located within the Holy of Hollies in the Tabernacle at Shiloh. King Solomon was born while the Ark of the Covenant was missing from within the Holy of Hollies, the Tabernacle having been moved from Shiloh to Gibeon without the Ark. - According to the book of Daniel - 'Daniel 9:27 And he [Antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [7 years]: and in the midst of the week [at 3½ years] he shall cause the [3rd Temple] sacrifice [animal blood sacrifices] and the oblation [Temple offerings] to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate [unholy], even until the consummation [end of the Book of Revelation], and that determined [judgments of Revelation] shall be poured upon the desolate [earth].' - Note: It's possible that what Daniel is prophesying about is a Theological shift and not a Political shift {a point where Antichrist Politics (currently in progress in some form i.e. UN) **completely merges with Antichrist Theology (currently in progress in some form i.e. purposely corrupted Bible versions, NKJV, MESSAGE, NIV, and Wikipedia)}. The coming 3rd Temple in Jerusalem is briefly going to reinstitute the animal sacrifices of the Eli Priesthood of the Old Testament then as the Antichrist claims to be the true Messiah it seems he will declare himself to be legitimate over Jesus Christ because the Antichrist will have the Ark of the Covenant within the Holy of Holies and of course could claim that Jesus did not - though Jesus did fulfilled all righteousness and if it was necessary then the Ark of the Covent was within the Holy of Holies during the "Day of Atonement" for the year of the birth of Jesus Christ, if it was necessary and it probably was necessary as Jesus was born under the Law (Galatians 4:4) and came to fulfill the Law in order to abolish once and for all the Law. - Therefore there is a possible event where the Antichrist stops the Temple animal sacrifices because he is declaring himself to be the biblical fulfillment and then Theologically switches from the life of the animal blood [Eli's Priesthood] to his counterfeit ministry of [spirit life] through his words and his lies [imitating the Zadok Ministry], initiating the same Theological shift that the Bible initiates in Ministry from the physical life of the blood to the Spiritual life of the Word and completely counterfeiting the life and Ministry of the True Messiah, Jesus Christ. [article link]
The Book of Zechariah - The historical background of Zechariah's prophecy is the same as that of Haggai, both seers [Prophets - 'seer' is a refrence to ancient Israel when God led them out of Egypt and into the Promise Land the people could "see" God in their midst i.e the pillar of fire by day; after the people rejected God's presence and wanted a King (Saul) the ministry switched from 'seer' to 'prophet' (1 Samuel 9:9)] ministering during the same period and having similar missions - Zechariah's ministry was to encourage the Jewish remnant by the promise of present success and future glory - His theme then was: In view of the future glories of the times of the Messiah, the Nation should serve God faithfully through their present distress - Zechariah's prophecies were concerned more with the coming of the Messiah to build a spiritual temple than with the building of Zerubbabel's Temple, which was only a type of the future spiritual temple - The book begins with an admonition and then continues with a series of nine visions symbolic of hope THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH: Zechariah's prophecies were concerned more with the coming of the Messiah to build a spiritual temple than with the building of Zerubbabel's Temple, which was only a type of the future spiritual temple. The Apostle Peter has given us a splendid view of the inspiration and the ministry of the Old Testament prophets: Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into (I Peter 1:10-12). -- THEME: The historical background of Zechariah's prophecy is the same as that of Haggai, both seers ministering during the same period and having similar missions. Zechariah's ministry was to encourage the Jewish remnant by the promise of present success and future glory. His theme then was: In view of the future glories of the times of the Messiah, the nation should serve God faithfully through their present distress. -- AUTHOR: Zechariah was probably born in Babylon. He was Haggai's colleague and began prophesying a short time after him. -- CONTENTS: 1. Symbolic: Visions of Hope (Chapters 1-6). The book begins with an admonition and then continues with a series of nine visions symbolic of hope. The visions are: 1. The horses. 2. The four horns and carpenters. 3. The measuring line. 4. *Joshua (lit. Jesus), the High Priest. 5. The golden candlestick and the olive trees. 6. The flying roll. 7. *The ephah [the 'End Time' return of the (demonic) spiritual realm back to Babylon]. 8. The four chariots. 9. The symbolic crowning of Joshua (Jesus), the High Priest. **This was a symbolic merger of the two [previously unmergable] offices of King and (High) Priest in the coming of the Messiah [Jesus Christ, including the third office of Prophet - Jesus Christ being the King, the High Priest (Melchizedek) and the Prophet of God] ... [article link]
Zechariah's Eight Visions for [the Glory and Honor of] Israel - {The 9th vision (Word from the Lord) was "The symbolic crowning of Joshua, the High Priest. This was a symbolic merger of the two [three] offices of King and High Priest [and Prophet the 'Branch' (Nazarene -Netzer the green living, alive, anointed branch capable of growth, bearing fruit and of self reproduction)] in the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ} - Zechariah 6:11-15 Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the High Priest; And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of Hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH [living, Christ]; and He shall grow up out of His place [Heaven], and **He shall build the [eternal] Temple of the LORD: Even He shall build the Temple of the LORD; and He shall bear [have] the Glory, and shall sit and rule upon His Throne [King]; and He shall be a *Priest upon His Throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both [office of King and office of Priest]. And [for a prophecy remembrance] the crowns [just made by Zechariah] shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, *for a memorial [remembrance] in the Temple of the LORD [intended to be there until the Messiah comes - Jesus was instead crowned with thorns by Herod's troops (Matthew 27:29)]. And they [Gentiles] that are far off shall come and build in the [eternal] Temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of Hosts hath sent Me unto you. *And this [crowning the Messiah in Jerusalem] shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God. - {Note: This will still come to pass, not at the 1st coming of Jesus but at
the 2nd coming of Jesus.} What Does This Mean to Us? - The rest of the book of Zechariah contains more promises of forgiveness for Israel, blessings of restoration of the land and people from exile, and judgment on the nations who come against God's eternal plans and promises.Of the people of Israel, God called them to "administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other" (Zech. 7:9-10). Of the land of Israel, God cries out: "I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem I will save My people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be My people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God" (Zech. 8:2,3,8). Of the people of the nations, God says, "In those days, ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the edge of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you'" (Zech. 8:23). Of the choice the nations must make: "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding people reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves On that day, I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem" (Zech. 12:2-3,9). Of the Jewish people, He says: "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the one they have pierced, and mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son On that day, a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity" (Zech. 12:10; 13:1). Of the Messiah, "On that day, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. Then, the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles" (Zech. 14:4,16)."In that dayin that day." This book is a most prophetic book, which says much about Israel in a future day when the Jewish people will return from exile and restore the land to its former glory. Messiah will come and establish Himself in Jerusalem where He will rule and reign in justice over the whole world from Jerusalem. This is that day, and we can be excited that we can be a part of prophecy, not only witnessing God's plan unfolding, but participating in prophecy through the projects and programs of Bridges for Peace and other Christian Zionist organizations. As we say at Bridges for Peace, "Don't just read about Bible prophecy when you can be a part of it." Get involved. Pray. Give. And, participate. Psalm 102:13 says it all: "The time to favor Zion [Israel] is now!" [article link]
Acts 7 - Stephen under arrest for blasphemy and on trial for his life in Jerusalem - Stephen uses as his defense the known fact that nearly every single prophet of importance to Israel throughout the history of Israel the people of Israel have first rejected the true Prophet before they ultimately accepted them and their ministry as being of God - Stephen is saying that Jesus was obviously God in the flesh though many people refused to believe it but then rejecting the true Prophets of God is the track record of mankind when it comes to interactions between man and God - Mankind has a propensity to reject the true interaction with God while at the same time embrace the false prophets of the world -- 'Acts 7:52-53 Which of the [true] Prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them [true Prophets] which shewed before [prophesied] of the coming of the Just One [Jesus Christ]; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers [their Jewish forefathers put to death the true prophets but they managed to go a step further and put to death the Messiah, Jesus the one prophesied about]: Who have received the law [the image of Jesus] by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it [because the law revealed the nature of Jesus].' Acts 7:52-60 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One [Messiah]; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law [Divinely] by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart [enraged in their soul], and they gnashed on him with their teeth. *But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, *looked up stedfastly *into heaven, *and saw the glory of God, *and Jesus
*standing [Jesus is standing as the Melchizedek High Priest ready to receive into Heaven the acceptable offering of the sacrifice and life of Stephen] on the right hand of God, And said, **Behold, I see the Heavens opened, and the Son of Man [Jesus] standing on the right hand of God [Father]. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city [outside the city limits, probably at the dump], and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul [later the Apostle Paul] {Note: Saul (the Apostle Paul) although perfectly within his rights did not throw a stone himself - Paul was not the violent aggressor that the secular world wants to portray}. And they [not Saul] stoned Stephen, ***calling upon God, and **saying [as Jesus said from His cross (Luke 23:46)], Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. *And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge [as Jesus had said from His cross (Luke 23:34)]. And when he had said this, he fell asleep [to the Christian death is as harmless as sleep and often in the Bible death is referred to simply as a [harmless] sleep for those who are saved and will awake in Heaven]. - Note: Normally in the Bible Jesus is represented as seated [enthroned]at the right hand of the Father Matthew 26:64)however Stephen describes Jesus as standing standing is a part of the office of the High Priest - sitting is a part of the office of the King. Jesus preforms all three offices of God as King of the Universe, High Priest [Melchizedek] and True Prophet. The Christian Stephen lived his life with Jesus as his example, he preached his life with Jesus as his example and in his death (sleep) he departed with Jesus as his example and as such Stephen saw Jesus standing in Heaven and was received directly into Heaven receiving what the Apostle Paul would call the martyrs death the "better resurrection" (Hebrews 11:35). [article link]
reference.com: Death of Joseph Smith, Jr. Incidents leading to the event: Several of Smith's disaffected associates at Nauvoo and Hancock County, Illinois, some of whom alleged that Smith had tried to marry their wives, joined together to publish a newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor. Its first and only issue was published 7 June 1844. ... Under the council's new ordinance, Smith, as Nauvoo's mayor, in conjunction with the city council, ordered the city marshal to destroy the paper and the press on June 10, 1844. ... Smith declared martial law on June 18 and called out the Nauvoo Legion, an organized city militia of about 5,000 men, to protect Nauvoo from outside violence. ... Incarceration at Carthage Jail: Illinois Governor Thomas Ford proposed a trial by a non-Mormon jury in Carthage, the county seat, and guaranteed Smith's safety. Smith originally planned on leaving rather than surrendering but when criticized by some followers is reported to have said "If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself." ... On 25 June 1844, Joseph and Hyrum Smith, along with the other fifteen city council members and some friends, surrendered to Carthage constable William Bettisworth on the original charge of riot. Almost immediately Joseph and Hyrum were charged with treason against the state of Illinois for declaring martial law in Nauvoo, by a warrant founded upon the oaths of A. O. Norton and Augustine Spencer. ... Attack by the mob: Before a trial could be held, a mob of about 200 armed men, their faces painted black with wet gunpowder, stormed the jail in the late afternoon of 27 June 1844. As the mob was approaching, the jailer became nervous, and informed Smith of the group. In a letter dated 10 July 1844, one of the jailers wrote that Smith, expecting the Nauvoo Legion, said "Don't trouble yourself ... they've come to rescue me." Smith was unaware that Jonathan Dunham, major general of the Nauvoo Legion, had not dispatched the unit to Carthage to protect him. Allen Joseph Stout contended that by remaining inactive, Dunham had violated an official order written by Smith after he had been jailed in Carthage. ... Taylor statement concerning Joseph Smith's shots: He [Joseph Smith], however, instantly arose, and with a firm, quick step, and a determined expression of countenance, approached the door, and pulling the six-shooter left by Brother Wheelock from his pocket, opened the door slightly, and snapped the pistol six successive times; only three of the barrels, however, were discharged. I afterwards understood that two or three were wounded by these discharges, two of whom, I am informed died. ... There are varying accounts of what happened next. Taylor and Richards' accounts state that Smith was dead when he landed after his fall. One eyewitness, William Daniels, wrote in his 1845 account that Smith was alive when mob members propped his body against a nearby well, assembled a makeshift firing squad, and shot him before
fleeing. Daniels' account also states that one man tried to decapitate Smith for a bounty, but was prevented by divine intervention. There were additional reports that thunder and lightning frightened the mob off. Mob members fled, shouting, "The Mormons are coming," although there was no such force nearby. [article link]
wikipedia.org: Death of [LDS Founder] Joseph Smith, Jr. - A public viewing was held on June 29, 1844, after which empty coffins weighted with sandbags were used at the public burial - (This was done to prevent theft or mutilation of the bodies) - The actual coffins bearing the bodies of the Smith brothers were initially buried under the unfinished Nauvoo House, then disinterred and deeply reburied under an out-building on the Smith homestead - The exact location of the [Smith] grave site was soon lost to memory - [1928] Hands conducted extensive digging on the Smith homestead, and located the bodies - the [three] bodies were reinterred Interment: Joseph and Hyrum Smith's bodies were returned to Nauvoo the next day [June 28, 1844]. The bodies were cleaned and examined, and death masks were made, preserving their facial features and structures. A public viewing was held on June 29, 1844, after which empty coffins weighted with sandbags were used at the public burial. (This was done to prevent theft or mutilation of the bodies.) The actual coffins bearing the bodies of the Smith brothers were initially buried under the unfinished Nauvoo House, then disinterred and deeply reburied under an out-building on the Smith homestead. The exact location of the grave site was soon lost to memory. In 1928 Frederick M. Smith, president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and grandson of Joseph Smith, fearing that rising water from the Mississippi River would destroy the grave site, authorized civil engineer William O. Hands to conduct an excavation to find Joseph and Hyrum's bodies. Hands conducted extensive digging on the Smith homestead, and located the bodies, as well as finding the remains of Joseph's wife, Emma, which had been buried in the same place. The remains-which were badly decomposedwere examined and photographed, and the bodies were reinterred. [article link]
Mormon Historical Studies - Smith Family Cemetery, Nauvoo, Illinois - However, research conducted in early 1990s by Ronald E. Romig, Henry Inouye, and Lachlan MacKay; and later by independent researcher Shannon M. Tracy, indicates that after discovering the remains of Joseph and Hyrum in 1928, William O. Hands and his research team misidentified Joseph's remains as being those of Hyrum's, and Hyrum's as being those of Joseph's - Therefore, Joseph's remains are probably on the left, and Hyrum's remains are in the middle {Note: Wow, that's messed up! - There must be some LDS prophecies that the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum Smith would be lost for a time then found again and then be confused with each other, reburied and mixed up again because this just couldn't happen otherwise.} (PDF) Grave marker of Hyrum, Joseph, and Emma Hale Smith Bidamon, Smith Family Cemetery, Nauvoo, Illinois, November 1999. The large foot-thick granite slab on the bottom is the marker placed over the 1928 grave site by the RLDS Church in 1951. The "angled" three-section granite stone marker seen in this photo was placed on top of the 1951 stone in August 1991. The inscriptions on the 1991 marker identify Hyrum's grave on the left, Joseph's in the middle, and Emma's on the right. However, research conducted in early 1990s by Ronald E. Romig, Henry Inouye, and Lachlan MacKay; and later by independent researcher Shannon M. Tracy, indicates that after discovering the remains of Joseph and Hyrum in 1928, William O. Hands and his research team misidentified Joseph's remains as being those of Hyrum's, and Hyrum's as being those of Joseph's. Therefore, Joseph's remains are probably on the left, and Hyrum's remains are in the middle. Photograph by Alexander L. Baugh. [article link]
mrm.org: Post-Mortal Appearances of Joseph Smith[?] - It is a fact that Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of Mormonism, died in 1844, and his bones remain in the grave [in the cellar of Joseph's house - according to Mrs. Mary Ettie V. Smith] - But some Latter-day Saints have claimed that they have seen and heard from the prophet again The February 1998 issue of Ensign magazine included a lengthy article about Brigham Young and how he lived
his life as a "Student of the Prophet." In this article several post-mortal "appearances" of Joseph Smith are related. ... The Ensign article continued on to tell of a "vivid dream" in which the Prophet Joseph taught Brigham Young about the "organization of God's family under the priesthood's sealing ordinances." Another time, "after a good deal of praying," Brigham Young experienced a "significant dream" in which Joseph delivered a "message" that "became an important guide in [Young's] conduct of Church affairs." At General Conference in November 1998 an LDS apostle told of "an experience of [LDS] President Wilford Woodruff when he told of a visitation he received from the Prophet Joseph Smith some time after the Prophet was martyred. According to President Woodruff's own account: '[Joseph Smith] came to me and spoke to me.'" During this "visitation," Joseph reportedly delivered "new doctrine" to President Woodruff (M. Russell Ballard, "Are We Keeping Pace?" Ensign, 11/98, p. 6). All of these alleged post-mortal appearances of Joseph Smith took place over 100 years ago but, according to Mormonism, that should not make us think we've seen the last of the Prophet. During the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the death of Joseph Smith, by way of consolation, LDS Church News said, "Lift up your heads and rejoice; for behold! it is well with my servants Joseph and Hyrum. My servant Joseph still holds the keys of my kingdom in this dispensation, and he shall stand in due time on the earth, in the flesh, and fulfill that to which he is appointed" (Church News, week ending July 9, 1994, p. 5; quoting early LDS apostle Parley P. Pratt). So, according to the LDS Church, Joseph Smith has given direction to subsequent leaders of the Mormon Church from beyond the grave, and he is coming again to "preside over Zion" (D&C 93:32 as interpreted by Rodney Turner, emeritus Professor of Ancient Scripture (BYU), Jesus & Joseph: Parallel Lives, p. 194). And Mormons wonder why Christians are concerned about LDS teachings. [article link]
[ex-LDS] Mrs. Mary Ettie V. Smith (b. 1829), of her residence and experience of fifteen years with the Mormons [published in 1870] - Page 37: The bodies of the Smiths [Joseph and his brother Hyrum] were brought [from the Carthage jail in Illinois] to Nauvoo [Illinois] and buried in the cellar of Joseph's house [in an occult ceremony], although the ceremony of burying their empty coffins was performed at the "grave" (Online Book) Mormonism: its rise, progress, and present condition. Embracing the narrative of Mrs. Mary Ettie V. Smith, of her residence and experience of fifteen years with the Mormons ... together with the speech recently delivered before the "elders" in Utah, by Vice President Schuyler Colfax, and the answer of John Taylor./ By N.W. Green. Green, Nelson Winch. Hartford: Belknap & Bliss, 1870. [article link]
Joseph Smith dies in his own ill-fated jailbreak on June 27, 1844 - The Joseph Smith murder weapon on display at the LDS Church Historical Museum [link to Photo] Joseph Smith is in jail for ordering and overseeing the destruction of a newspaper office (critical of new LDS policies, especially the newly introduced polygamy) "The Nauvoo Expositor" and for his illegal assembling of a militant, militia mob. News gets out that Joseph Smith (Smith was the 'General' of his Mormon militia) has sent for his private militia to come break him out of his upper level, second story jail cell and that the militia was on its way. Several townspeople gather around the jail to assess the situation. Included in the gathering crowd are several of Smith's fellow Freemasons who are angry at him and had it in mind to use the opportunity to hang Smith for seducing their wives and daughters and for his instructing other Mormons to do the same. It is apparent that Joseph Smith while a practicing Freemason brought many of the Freemason customs and rituals into his (LDS) Mormon Temple services and Mormon ritual rights. Joseph Smith was also attempting to introduce his Mormon beliefs and practices like polygamy into the Freemason organization. Smith was likely attempting to combine both the groups into one group of course led by the ever deceitful Joseph Smith. Apparently the Freemasons wanted nothing to do with Joseph Smith or his newly conjured up LDS religion and they sought a way to rid themselves of the Smith presence. Joseph Smith recognizing the angry Freemasons and presuming that his militia would not be in time receives a handgun smuggled into his jail cell by a visiting Mormon accomplice. Angered, Joseph Smith fires his pistol at people and stops shooting only when his pistol
jams. Smith's deadly rampage leaves two people dead and one person seriously wounded. Then in a panic and fleeing for his life Joseph Smith while jumping from the 2nd story jailhouse window and loudly begging the crowd of Freemasons gathered below not to harm him is himself shot, falls and dies sprawled out on the dirt below, his latest con job had turned into his fatal error. Smith's escape from jail ends tragically for many including his older brother Hyrum Smith who was also among the dead. [article link]
Genesis 11 - Nimrod the mighty Hunter of Sin and the Tower of Babel 'Genesis 11:3 they had brick for stone, and slime [apparently the word slime in Hebrew denotes a tar (petroleum) product and led John D. Rockefeller to take his Standard Oil Co. over to Iraq to drill for oil] had they for morter [to build the tower of babel]' - The confounding of the languages of people and the diversifying and spreading out of all people groups among the earth - The book of Job likely comes into history at this point just prior to Abraham being called by God Abraham was probably not the oldest son of Terah but one of the younger sons, possibly the youngest son Noah's son Shem was still alive at this time and lived until Abraham was about 58 years old [possibly even living until after Abraham passed] Note: It's doubtful that Abraham met Shem personally because Abraham is designated as the Father of the Faith 'Romans 4:11 that he (Abraham) might be the father of all them that believe' in other words Abraham is the first in the lineage to believe in the faith like we are all to believe today. We don't even have the faith of the Apostles, they saw the resurrected Jesus we still basically have the faith of Abraham the faith of hearing/reading the words of God and then obeying them. Before Abraham the world had Noah to tell of the flood and before that Adam to tell of creation. With the witness of Adam and creation and also the later witness of Noah with the Ark and the flood and then much later in the Upper Room after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ with the witness of the Apostles then faith is witnessed and is based in part on the witness and interpretation of the person who witnesses the event or events. -- 'John:20-24-29 But Thomas, one of the twelve (Apostles), called Didymus [twin], was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith He to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and My God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 'Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.' -- Faith is to be based completely on the Words and promises of God and not in human works or accomplishments, not in the seeing of the eyes or even by the experiencing with emotions or intellect but only by hearing in our heart the Words of God and believing in our heart in the Words as God has promised them to us. [article link]
Romans 4 - The Apostle Paul continues and now uses examples in the lives of Abraham and Kind David to illustrate how consistent the word of God is - how reliable the word of God is - and also how long ago it was that the promises of God were given [the original promise of the redeemer was given to Adam and Eve] and are still in use by God today [in the book of Hebrews Moses will be contrasted to Jesus] - 'Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God [that God has the power and authority of life over death], and it was counted unto him for righteousness.' -- 'Romans 4:6-8 Even as [King] David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin [because of a faith like Abraham].' 'Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him (Jesus) that justifieth the *ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.' Romans 4:17- As it is written, I (God) have made thee (Abraham) a father of many
nations, before Him whom he believed, even God, *who quickeneth [makes alive] the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope [against all odds] believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith [the life giving power of God], he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God [to be the father of many] through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it [faith - that God 'quickeneth the dead'] was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it [justification righteousness] was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it [faith] shall be imputed, *if we believe on Him that raised up [eternal life] Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered [to the cross] for our offences, and was raised again [resurrection] for our justification. - The faith of Abraham, the faith of King David and the faith of the Christian is that God is the giver of life and as the giver of life God has the power and authority of life over death. In Abraham God demonstrated His ability to give life in the two bodies that were completely beyond the capability of childbirth and yet Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 75 years old. -- King David had grievously sinned with Bathsheba and then later had her husband Uriah killed in a battle. When the prophet Nathan came to King David [2 Samuel 12] and told of a sin in the land King David said that person who sinned shall be put to death. It turned out that King David was that person who was to be put to death however "2 Samuel 12:13 And [King] David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD and Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die" because King David had a righteousness imputed by God not of works but by faith, the same faith that his forefather Abraham had in the faith that God will make right our wrongs and that God will give life even when death is required. [article link]
Galatians 3 - The Apostle Paul explains that works have never been a part of a relationship with God - There has always only been one program with God and it is a program based on faith and trust in God and not in the works of man - Even Abraham's great relationship with God was based on faith and trust as Abraham had faith in God before he exhibited his works to God -- 'Galatians 3:2-3 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the [Holy] Spirit by the works of the law {no}, or by the hearing [free gift] of faith {yes}? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the [Holy] Spirit, are ye now made perfect [complete] by the [human] flesh? {no}' 'Galatians 3:6-7 Even as Abraham believed God, and it [his circumcision] was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of [Christian] faith, the *same are the children of Abraham.' - Note: Traditionally after Abraham the children (descendants of Abraham) are circumcised as an infant on the eight day after their birth. The infant circumcision is not a seal of the faith of the child but it is a seal of the faith of the parent [it is a generational faith]. Abraham was not circumcised as an infant Abraham was circumcised as an adult, he made his own decision and therefore Abraham's circumcision is the faith of an adult and his adult decision for faith is why our Christian faith is compared to Abraham but not necessarily to circumcision. Circumcision after Abraham is more like a child dedication for us as it is more of an exhibit of the faith of the parent than of the child. Abraham circumcised himself as an adult but then he also circumcised his infant son Isaac with his adult faith then later Isaac circumcised his infant son Jacob with his adult faith and on and on until the present time. -- 'Galatians 3:12-14 And the law [self ability] is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them [self ability]. Christ hath redeemed us from the [self ability] curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written [Deuteronomy 21:23], Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the [Spiritual] blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the [Holy] Spirit through faith.' - The Apostle Paul is again declaring the finality of the death of Jesus on the cross and then with the finality of death on the cross then the giving of the Holy Spirit and a new life. Yes, Jesus in the eyes of man was made a curse [for our benefit] but keep in mind that Jesus died on the cross and with Jesus all sin and every curse also died [though Jesus resurrected the sins and curses of mankind remained dead and nailed to the cross]. The cross of Jesus Christ removed both the curse of our own human restrictions and constraints and also any curse or restraints from the Satanic, Demonic realm that might be
placed on us in attempting to hinder and restrict us. 'Colossians 2:14-15 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary [against] to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His (Jesus) cross; And having spoiled principalities [fallen satanic angels] and powers [demonic powers], He (Jesus) made a shew [show] of them openly, triumphing [Victory] over them in it.' [article link]
The Descendants of Shem [Noah's oldest son]; Gen. 10:22-32; 11:10 - That shows that we have descendants of Ham as well as of Shem that form the foundation for Arabic tribes (Syria, Jordan, Iraq, down to Saudi Arabia today) We now want to merge together the genealogy given in Genesis 10:21-32, the descendants of Shem given there, and the descendants that are specifically delineated in 11:10-26 which ends with the father of Abram (Abraham), Terah. That ends this book. Verses 10-26 is one toledot. From verse 27 we have the toledot of Terah (Abraham's father - Lot's uncle) which goes all the way down to Isaac. ... [Noah's son] Shem dies just ten years before Abraham does, so everybody else was outlived by Shem. Notice with Peleg, and from that point on, lifespans began to drastically shrink. Each generation gets shorter and shorter. Almost all of the antediluvian patriarchs lived over 900 years. A couple of them lived just a little less, but afterward there is this immediate decline. Noah lives to be 900+ [Noah died only two years before Abraham was born], but Shem only lives 600 years, a drastic drop. Something changed in the environment after the flood and people just couldn't live as long. That brings us down to the sons of Joktan in Genesis 10:26-29, "And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, and Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, and Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan." They all move into the area of modern Saudi Arabia. These are the thirteen original Arabian tribes. Many of these names have cognates of places, wells, oases, etc., in Saudi Arabia. They can indicate the historicity of these names. That shows that we have descendants of Ham as well as of Shem that form the foundation for Arabic tribes. Later on other groups comne out of Abraham, but these are more distant cousins of Abraham who come through Joktan. When we come over to Shem's genealogy (a closed genealogy) it is a straight line of descent all the way down to Nahor in Genesis 11:22-24, "And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: and Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah." Genesis 11:26, "And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran." Notice the parallelism here. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. There is a parallel showing consistency of the author-one author of Genesis, not three or four. But we see now that when Abram is born Terah is still alive, Nahor is still alive, Serug is still alive, Peleg is still alive, but Eber, Salah, Arphaxad and Shem are also still alive. So there is a tremendous population explosion simply because the generations aren't dying off yet. The first four generations off the ark are still alive and live throughout most of Abraham's life. [article link]
King Hammurabi (Saudi Arabia) - Introduction: Who is Melchizedek? #7: Coming Soon the Basic Christian Article: Who is Melchizedek? - Genesis 14:1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar (Babylon) ... Is "Amraphel king of Shinar" actually Hammurabi a *Babylonian (Saudi Arabia) king who set down some of the first written codes of law - Hammurabi "Ham the Great" a descendant of Ham the 2nd son of Noah - Hammurabi was a king of the Babylonian empire 1795-1750 B.C. [after Nimrod and the Tower of Babel in the Babylonian (Shinar) region of Turkey - the actual Tower of Babel was probably in the region of Turkey - Nimrod (Tower of Babel in Turkey) {Nimrod was a grandsom of Noah's (2nd) son Ham via Cush}, Hammurabi {Hammurabi "Ham the Great" also a descendant of Ham} (Saudi Arabia - the people of modern Saudi Arabia) and the Kingdom of Babylon (Iraq) are probably three separate and distinct Kingdoms - Abraham (Israel) is a descendant of Noah's oldest son Shem - Abraham (1812 BC - 1637 BC) was also born in the region of (Shinar) in the city of Ur of the Chaldees] -- [Hammurabi *born about 1795 BC then at three years old in 1792 he inhareted the throne from his father - Wiki.com] - With his death in 1750 BC Hammurabi died at the young age of 45 years old {Abraham was about 62 years old when Hammurabi died} - The cause of death does not seem
to be known in modern times but did Hammurabi die in the battle along with Chedorlaomer when Abraham rescued Lot at Hobah? -- Genesis 14:17 And the [new] king of Sodom went out to meet him (Abraham) after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings [including Hammurabi?] that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale - One of the major differences, however, between Melchizedek's law {supposedly from Abraham to Moses however Melchizedek's law (the Holy Spirit) is evident from Adam, Eve, Able, Enoch, Noah, Job and everyone even Cain, Lamech and Nimrod knew about God's instructions, up until the days of Abraham most people were aware of God's laws regarding the sacrifices and of the clean and unclean ordinances then way after Adam, Hammurabi later wrote down a partial corruption of God's previously given verbal laws and instructions. God's laws and instructions were finally written in stone [10 commandments] by the finger of God and then in ink [first five books of the Bible] by Moses soon after the Jews became free from their captivity in Egypt} and the Code of Hammurabi is that Hammurabi based his on human wisdom and perhaps a demon's influence: note his reference to Marduk [i.e. Moloch, Beliel, Beelzebub, variant names of Satan] in the introduction of his code of law while Melchizedek [Abraham-Moses, but actually Adam-Moses] based his law on love and the worship and honor of God Genesis 14:14-15 And when Abram heard that his brother [nephew, in the Bible a younger person of a believer is a brother and an older person of a believer is a father] was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. -- Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not [Abraham seems to have been very stressed after his victory], Abram: I am thy shield [God would not let the kings and armies of the North come and retaliate against Abraham], and thy exceeding great reward [Abraham did not take any reward for saving Lot and the people] -- Genesis 14:17 And the [new] king of Sodom went out to meet him (Abraham) after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings [including ] that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. ... Hammurabi - Babylonian king who set down first written code of laws: Although opinions vary on exactly when Hammurabi lived and the important dates of his reign, most scholars believe Hammurabi began his rule of Babylon in 1792 B.C. and died in 1750 B.C. Hammurabi was the sixth king over the city of Babylon, but once he defeated Sumer, Akkad, and other city-states to the south of Babylon around 1760 B.C., he claimed the title of the first king of the Babylonian empire. Eventually, his empire covered most parts of Mesopotamia. His main claim to fame, the Code of Hammurabi, was written in about 1786 B.C. Besides this, Hammurabi also did other things to improve his empire, namely, he improved the irrigation process. He also strongly encouraged astronomy, mathematics, and literature. Sadly, once Hammurabi died, the Babylonian empire that he worked so hard to build and improve collapsed due to military pressure from the Hittites under the rule of Mursilis I. Eventually, the Kassites, under the command of Agumkakrine, came to rule Babylon and some of the former, gargantuan empire for 400 years. Interestingly enough, they obeyed and respected the Code of Hammurabi. Much later, God used the Babylonians to correct and discipline the people of Judah when they were taken captive into Babylon in 586 B.C. ... One of the major differences, however, between Melchizedek's law {supposedly from Abraham to Moses however Melchizedek's law (the Holy Spirit) is evident from Adam, Eve, Able, Enoch, Noah, Job and everyone even Cain, Lamech and Nimrod knew about God's instructions, up until the days of Abraham most people were aware of God's laws regarding the sacrifices and of the clean and unclean ordinances then way after Adam, Hammurabi later wrote down a partial corruption of God's previously given verbal laws and instructions. God's laws and instructions were finally written in stone [10 commandments] by the finger of God and then in ink [first five books of the Bible] by Moses soon after the Jews became free from their captivity in Egypt} and the Code of Hammurabi is that Hammurabi based his on human wisdom and perhaps a demon's influence: note his reference to Marduk [i.e. Moloch, Beliel, Beelzebub, variant names of Satan] in the introduction of his code of law while Melchizedek [Abraham-Moses, but actually Adam-Moses] based his law on love and the worship and honor of God. Although each of these is only a speculation, they do help set the stage for Hammurabi's life and reign and draw some conclusions worth digging deeper for more positive answers to further prove the
historical accuracy and truth in the Bible. [article link]
King Hammurabi (Saudi Arabia) - Introduction: Who is Melchizedek? #8: Coming Soon the Basic Christian Article: Who is Melchizedek? - Abraham: by tradition Abraham was born in 1812 BC and died about 1637 BC, we know from the Bible that Abraham lived 175 years - In 1750 at the death of Hammurabi [possibly king Amraphel] occurring when Abraham rescued Lot, Abraham would have been about 62 years old, Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born -- Note: Abraham lived in a tent in the area of Hebron about 19 miles south of the Jerusalem area and about 99 miles south of Sodom and the Salt Sea (Dead Sea) area that was under tribute to the Northern kings (Babylon is about 900 miles via camel trail north of Sodom). This means that Abraham did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Northern Kings neither Hammurabi, Chedorlaomer or any of the kings. Had Abraham fallen under their jurisdiction and paid taxes and tributes to them they would have been one of the 7 Kings of the Globe. Since Abraham (Jews) did not fall under their rule they were great kings but not Global Kings. -- Revelation 17:10-11 And there are seven kings [Global Kings, known world]: five are fallen, and one (Rome) is, and the other [7th - Antichrist] is not yet come; and when he (Antichrist) cometh, he must continue a short space [3 1/2 years] -- Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil taketh Him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the [7] kingdoms of the world [5 are past, 6th one is (Rome), 7th is Antichrist], and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan [liar, because it was a false promise, only the 7th kingdom of this world is left and that is Satan's Antichrist kingdom, Satan isn't giving that up to anybody not even God]: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. -Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth (humans) and of the sea (demons)! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 2 Kings 23:33 And [Egyptian] Pharaoh-nechoh (Necho) [King of Egypt part of the 2nd world Kingdom] put him [Jewish King Jehoahaz] in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold. -- 2 Kings 24:1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon [King of Babylon, 3rd world kingdom] came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. -- Ezra 3:11-13 This is the copy of the [slander] letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king [king of Persia-Iran, 4th world kingdom]; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time. Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, [re]building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations. Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings. -- [Greece during the Jewish Maccabee revolt is the 5th world kingdom] -- Luke 2:1-5 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus [Roman 6th world kingdom, "and one (currently) is"], that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; because he was of the house and lineage of David: To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with (Jesus) child. -- [The 7th and final world kingdom is the Antichrist] -- Revelation 17:10-11 And there are seven [Global (middle-east, Jerusalem) rulers: King Nimrod - builder of the tower of Babel, Egypt, Babylon (Iraq), Persia (Iran), Greece, Rome (Italy), Antichrist] kings: five are fallen, and one (Rome) is, and the other [7th world King - Antichrist] is not yet come; and when he (Antichrist) cometh, he must continue a short space [3 1/2 years]. And the beast [Antichrist] that was [7th ruler], and is not [because Antichrist is assassinated], even he (Antichrist) is the eighth [false resurrection], and is of the seven [the 7th ruler is killed or seems to be in an assassination, and resurrects himself [false eternal life] (demonic possession) to also become the 8th ruler], and goeth into perdition [everlasting damnation-hell]. -- Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil taketh Him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the [7] kingdoms of the world [5 are past, 6th one is (Rome), 7th is Antichrist],
and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan [liar, because it was a false promise, only the 7th kingdom of this world is left and that is Satan's Antichrist kingdom, Satan isn't giving that up to anybody not even God]: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. -- Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth (humans) and of the sea (demons)! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. [article link]
Pope [Benedict XVI] dedicates iconic church - Pope Benedict XVI today dedicated the Sagrada Familia ["holy family" - Joseph, Mary and Jesus] church, an emblem of Barcelona, Spain - The Gothic-inspired structure with 18 spires is thought to be the largest church in the world - Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were in the full-to-overflowing church as the Pope poured oil on the altar and rubbed it in with his hand, then swung incense over it Barcelona, Spain (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI defended religion from critics Sunday as he dedicated the Sagrada Familia church, a still-unfinished emblem of the Spanish city of Barcelona. "This is the great task before us: to show everyone that God is a God of peace not of violence, of freedom not of coercion, of harmony not of discord," he said. And he pushed back against what he sees as increasing secularism in the world, saying, "I consider that the dedication of this church of the Sagrada Familia is an event of great importance, at a time in which man claims to be able to build his life without God, as if God had nothing to say to him." He also defended the traditional family, after Spain's Socialist government legalized same-sex marriage. "The generous and indissoluble love of a man and a woman is the effective context and foundation of human life in its gestation, birth, growth and natural end," he said. Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were in the full-tooverflowing church as the pope poured oil on the altar and rubbed it in with his hand, then swung incense over it. ... The Sagrada Familia, or "holy family," church, is still being built after more than 100 years. Gaudi, a Catalan architect, only lived to see one tower and most of one facade finished by the time he died in 1926. "The interior space of the church, the sacred space of the church, is finished, and for that, the pope comes here to consecrate the church," said Jordi Fauli, the deputy architect. Gaudi planned the church to have 18 towers -- 12 for the apostles, four for the evangelists [the 4 Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John], one for the Virgin Mary and the tallest for Jesus. Only eight are finished. Fauli said the privately-financed work may be done by 2026, on the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. Asked once why it was taking so long to finish the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi replied, according to his assistants, "My client -- meaning God -- is not in a hurry." [article link]
***{Basic Christian update 1.30 - Adobe Air Version - is Now Available - as a FREE Download} Note: The Basic Christian Ministry has completed a major project -- Creating an 'Adobe Air' [web 2.0 interactive] document [BasicChristian.air] that can be downloaded to any desktop computer and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - *Right click this link - Requires Adobe AIR 2.5) The project is completed including the fall Holidays update edition. It will provide excellent anytime devotions and is perfect as a Christmas gift stocking stuffer for others. Most importantly [with the new Adobe Air (web 2.0) document features] the end user can create their own comments list, add links to other websites, blogs, rss feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive individual Christian, research, devotional and study tool project. -- Now Available for Download! [article link]
Adobe AIR New Version 2.5 (Download) Note: For details on the changes in AIR 2.5, refer to the release notes. [article link]
{Flashback} The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Antediluvian [Pre-flood] Civilizations - {The pre-flood civilization up until the days of Noah encompassed about 2,000 years of human history and probably involved several billion people. - Note: In the pre-flood earth it doesn't appear that there were any Kings or Governments and that the long lives [experience and expertise] of each individual precluded them from being reigned and ruled over by others. Instead of a governmental structure of Kings and Politicians the earth seemed to have been Governed strictly by each family patriarch (head) according to God's governance and that after the flood in the new, young and now naive post-flood civilization the inexperienced human civilization now required [and allowed strangers - nonfamily members] rulers and Kings and that Nimrod was possibly the first King though human history had existed for some 2,000 years before Nimrod. - Also Note: Jesus is not a stranger but He is family with everyone and as family He has our own individual best interest at His heart. Jesus is the kinsman (relative - related) redeemer to everyone [we are created in God's image - relationship] and His (Fatherly, creation - Brotherly, redemption and salvation) relationship to all humans is maintained via His Virgin (Divine) birth.} Introduction: "'Antediluvian civilizations'" are civilizations believed to have existed before the Great flood of Noah. If the fossil record is indeed the result of the Biblical flood as described in the Bible, then it is somewhat expected for evidence of antediluvian (pre-flood) civilizations to exist. It is assumed by many that humans reached advanced stages of technological development before the flood. Such presuppositions are usually based on the Biblical genealogy, which states that ancient people lived to approximately 10 times our current life span. Also it is frequently mentioned that Adam and Eve would likely possess higher than normal intelligence since they were created as adults, with knowledge that subsequent humans obtain from their parents. Another theory states that the antediluvian race called the Nephilim was superior to other humans in this respect. All accounts of the Great flood from civilizations around the world indicate that there were civilizations before the flood. However, as a result of the destruction during the flood and the passage of time, the remaining evidence is scanty. As a result of the flood, the earth was covered in hundreds of feet of sediment, and very little of the antediluvian horizon has been exposed. It is also problematic that the scientific community is quick to dismiss any artifacts that dispute their presupposed interpretation of the fossil record. Nevertheless, any truly advanced civilization would have left durable traces or constructions that would likely surface during excavations or by erosion. Relatively insightful accounts can be drawn from the Bible, apocrypha, and ancient Babylonian and Greek accounts of antediluvian civilization. ... Implications of the Tower of Babel: We can not dispute the existence of atypical knowledge possessed by Adam and Eve, however, we should also consider the tower of Babel curse as it relates to human accomplishments to that date. Monumental constructions are a great source of pride for humans. It was most likely this type of technological development that God attempted to retard by creating the language barriers at the tower of Babel. The Babel event suggests that the tower was the first major monument that mankind had ever built. It was the first construction that had no purpose but to be a monument [temple] to human achievement [based on Satanic interaction]. The tower was not a particularly important technological development [Babel was a major object of Satanic interaction between humans and Satan - harming humans to the extent of possibly permanently altering our human (DNA) making us more susceptible to disease, illness and further shortening our lifespan and also harming our psyche (soul) by lessening our confidence and our decision making capabilities making us even more susceptible to Satanic deceptions]. It was built out of bricks, and was therefore incomparable to even the limestone pyramids. In comparison to our modern building it was hardly more than a mud mound. Many better monuments would be built afterwards, but given God's reaction, it is logical to propose that nothing like it had been built prior to the flood. [article link]
{Flashback} THE TOWER OF BABEL AND THE CONFUSION OF LANGUAGES by Lambert Dolphin - Nimrod's name is from the verb "let us revolt" - He is said to be a mighty hunter (gibbor tsayidh) in the sight of the Lord, but the language has a dark meaning - He becomes a tyrant or despot leading an organized rebellion against the rule of Yahweh (God) - He hunts not animals, but rather the souls of men - Cain, a condemned murderer
had started the first cities before the Flood - Nimrod builds the first post-Flood cities - The region he settles in is now mostly modern Iraq {Note: Actually Nimrod probably settled an area of modern Turkey - The ancient O.T. 'land of Shinar' [Noah's Ark, Tower of Babel, birthplace of Abraham in Ur (in northern Iraq)] "Genesis 11:2 And it came to pass, as they [Nimrod and the people] journeyed [going west from Noah's Ark - towards Iraq though still in Turkey] from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there." The ancient O.T. land of Shinar seems to have been the region of modern Turkey over to the Iraq area. The N.T. 'region of Galatia' [Seven Churches of Revelation] (modern Turkey) seems to have been the region of modern Turkey going the other direction towards Greece.} Notes by James Montgomery Boice on *Nimrod and Babel THE FIRST WORLD EMPIRE There is an interesting feature of Moses' treatments of these descendants of Ham that is at once recognizable to one who reads this chapter. It is the parenthesis that fills verses 8-12. It comes in the middle of the table of nations and, in a sense, interrupts it. These verses deal, not with the general movements of peoples and nations, but with one particular descendant of Cush, Nimrod, who is said to have been the founder of the first world empire. **Here is the first place in the Bible where the word "kingdom" occurs. Significantly, it is used, not of God's kingdom (as it is later), but of this first rival kingdom of Nimrod. This matter was obviously of great importance to Moses, for a related parenthesis occurs in the first nine verses of chapter 11, in the story of the tower of Babel. What is so significant about Nimrod? The fact that he established cities and built a kingdom is important, of course. But there is much more that can be said. Nimrod was the first person to become a "mighty" man. Our text calls attention to this by using the adjective "mighty" three times in describing him: "Nimrod ... grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, 'Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD'" (vv. 8, 9). The adjective also occurs in a similar way in 1 Chronicles 1:10. Why is this emphasized? Is it good or bad? A little thought will show that it is bad. The empire of Babylon under Nimrod was an affront both to God and man, an affront to God in that it sought to do without God (Gen. 11:1-9) and an affront to man in that it sought to rule over other people tyrannically. Martin Luther was on the right track when he suggested that this is the way the word "hunter" should be interpreted. This is not talking about Nimrod's ability to hunt wild game. He was not a hunter of animals. He was a hunter of men--a warrior. It was through his ability to fight and kill and rule ruthlessly that his kingdom of Euphrates valley city states was consolidated. -- The Tower of Babel by Ray C. Stedman - The fact that this was a religious tower-and yet built to make a name for man-reveals the master motive behind religion. It is a means by which man attempts to share the glory of God. We must understand this, otherwise we will never understand the power of religion as it has pervaded the earth and permeated our culture ever since. It is a way by which man seeks to share what is rightfully God's alone. This tower was a grandiose structure, and undoubtedly it was intended to be a means by which man would glorify God. Unquestionably there was a plaque somewhere attached to it that carried the pious words, "Erected in the year ___, to the greater glory of God." But it was not really for the glory of God; it was a way of controlling God, a way of channeling God by using him for man's glory. That is what man's religion has always sought to do. It is a way of making God available to us. Man does not really want to eliminate God. It is only sporadically and then only for a relatively brief time, that men cry out for the elimination of God. Atheism is too barren, too pessimistic and too morally bankrupt to live with very long. The communists are finding this out. No, we need "dear old God," but let's keep him under control. Do not let him get out of his place. "Don't call us, God; we'll call you." This is the fundamental philosophy of society. It is the tower of Babel all over again. (from The Beginnings, by Ray C. Stedman, Waco Books, 1978.) [article link]
{Flashback} As The Days of Noah Were - Luke 17:26: "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man" The Reason for the Flood: It was the infusion of these strange (demonic) beings into the human predicament that brought on the Flood of Noah. The Flood was preceded by four generations of prophets/preachers warning of the coming judgment: Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. It seems that this was part of Satan's stratagem to corrupt the line of Adam to prevent the fulfillment of the Messianic redemption. Noah was
apparently unique in that his genealogy was still uncorrupted. The strange events which led to the flood are also alluded to in ancient mythologies. The legends of the Greek "titans"---partly terrestrial, partly celestial--embrace these same memories. (The Greek titan is linguistically linked to the Chaldean sheitan, and the Hebrew satan.) [article link]
Pimppreacher via Apostasywatch: Minister or Sinister? How to know when your Church has become a cult Everything is about CONTROL - The main tools used to control members are INTIMIDATION and MANIPULATION - *The intimidation and manipulation are very subtle and disguised with a false sense of love and concern - It's all a strategic COURTSHIP RUNNING GAME The Cult [suspect Church] will have a team of people (we will call them the GAMERS) who are assigned to COURT you (THE PROSPECT) [for their gain - power, prestige, finances, etc]. The courtship begins with COMMUNICATION. Good communication starts with paying attention to what is said. The Gamer will ask strategic questions about the PROSPECT, their family and their life. Once they hear something they can identify with the prospect (YOU) they will begin telling the prospect how wonderful the church is (disclaimer: they will always say "we're not a perfect church, but we love God and our Pastor loves the people of God, we are a loving church"). -- The Gamer will tell a story about how they were so lost, broke down, and hurt BUT because of this ministry they were able to get their lives together and they don't know where they would be without this ministry (*not GOD, but the ministry) this will of course include many examples of how the Cult Pastor is very sincere and loving. This call will conclude with an invitation (FIRST DATE). This first date may be an invitation to come to the midweek service, a fellowship, or next Sunday's service and the prospect is told to ask for the Gamer as soon as they come through the door so the two of them can sit together. The members are moved by what they HEAR they are compelled to say YES TO THE FIRST DATE. ... PROPHET OR PROFIT? In treating the members as children they are taught to NEVER speak against the leader. If fact, any questioning of the ministry teachings, any criticism, any independent thinking is considered a form of rebellion. "Touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm" I Chron. 16:22. There will be a strong emphasis on authority, unquestioning obedience and submission. Members become afraid to say anything, even if they know something is wrong because speaking against what they KNOW to be wrong is speaking against the "Pastor" and it's a SIN. They are convinced that if the Pastor is wrong - God will get him and when the "wrong' is continued they assume the Pastor was right. And if anyone is ever so bold to speak against the leader they are ostracized by the entire church. Yes, this "loving" church will turn their back on you. -- SiGNS TO LOOK FOR: 1. LOST OF IDIVIDUALITY. You are no longer a creative, independent thinking individual. Everyone must speak the SAME thing…say what the leader says at all times…any other opinion is going against God. 2. LOST OF RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS. Relationship with friends, relatives, and children - ANY NON-MEMBER is severed. - RELATIONSHIP IS BASED ON MEMBERSHIP 3. EXCESSIVE GIVING. Extreme pressure to give all you have. Several offerings, large sums, public announcement of your amount resulting in guilt and intimidation. 4. ISOLATION. Isolation from anything and anyone not directly affiliated with the church. 5. CONTROL OF TIME. 6. LOSS OF FREE WILL. Members cannot make any independent decisions concerning personal life. Cannot question leadership. [article link]
heartlight.org: The Authority Of Reality "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you" (James 4:8) - from My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers It is essential to give people a chance of acting on the truth of God. The responsibility must be left with the individual, you cannot act for him, it must be his own deliberate act, but the evangelical message ought always to lead a man to act. The paralysis of refusing to act leaves a man exactly where he was before; when once he acts, he is never the same. It is the foolishness of it that stands in the way of hundreds who have been convicted by the Spirit of God. Immediately I precipitate myself over into an act, that second I live; all the rest is existence. The moments when I truly live are the moments when I act with my whole will. Never allow a truth of God that is brought home to your soul to pass without acting on it, not necessarily physically, but in will. ... We
have to go clean over on some word of our redeeming Lord and transact business with Him. His word "come" means "transact." "Come unto Me." The last thing we do is to come; but everyone who does come knows that that second the supernatural rush of the life of God invades him instantly. The dominating power of the world, the flesh and the devil is paralysed, not by your act, but because your act has linked you on to God and His redemptive power. [article link]
Ed Young's Tithing Sermon: Show Me the Money! - The video of Ed Young posted here on Sunday has gotten quite a bit of play around the blogosphere It has even moved over to YouTube - Christians and non-Christians alike are flabbergasted that a pastor from the pulpit is trying to get people to commit to give 10% of their income to his church through automatic withdrawal {Note: the Corporation Churches [501(c)3] need to own up to their public accountability and financial obligations in reporting and accounting for every single dime that they collect in offerings [so called tithes, offerings, gifts]. The Basic Christian Ministry is going to designate 2011 as a year of Church accountability [actually starting now!!] - No public disclosure of legal financial statements provided by the church and staff then no money provided by the congregation it's that simple!! - Also Note: The people that are blindly donating to demanding and offensive personalities are the very people that are enabling, perpetuating and furthering this very serious [*Predatory Tithing] problem within the Church. It's important that everyone within the congregation accept responsibility and withhold financial support from any Church or organization that is not 100% transparent with its organizational structure, affiliations or income disbursements.} (YouTube) He tells them they are cursed if they don't tithe. He wonders why they come to church if they don't bring the tithe, tells them to stay home or play golf, to quit wasting Ed's and God's time. He says to watch your wallet if you're sitting next to a non-tither. He brags that "blessings track him down" for his 29 years of faithfulness. He even declares multiple times that the blessings of the Christian life are "all about the money". Ed even says "Show me the money" - which I take to mean "show me your bank account and routing number". He says that if you don't tithe, your marriage, your job, your kids, will all suffer because you're under God's curse. I hope that someone in Ed's circle of friends - maybe John Cross, or maybe Ed's father - someone, will help Ed see that he is abusing his congregation. Comments: Anonymous said... 80% of Ed young's church membership need to leave the church now. Those people should choose a place to meet and have a great time in fellowship. choose a God fearing man as a teacher while giving him some living standards. No jet. And learn the truth of the [B]ible. [article link]
Predatory Preaching - Why So Much Angst About Anonymous Critics? (Audio) I recently came across the audio excerpt below from Matt Chandler, where he absolutely blasts people who would dare send him anonymous, critical emails. He angrily calls them several choice names like "pathetic" and "narcissistic zeros". I came across this audio clip at Dr. Alvin Reid's blog site, as he included Chandler's clip with his blog post here entitled "Dealing with Critics". You really have to listen to this. It gives I think a glimpse into just how much disdain there is for anonymous emailers and bloggers critical of the Southern Baptist power structure. It is my view, based on my experience as a formerly anonymous blogger, that Chandler's disdain for anonymous critics is shared by many of our Southern Baptist leaders. After all, Alvin Reid posts it for his readers (many of whom are our future pastors!), presumably as an example of how to view those who dare to criticize anonymously. [article link]
Note: Only informed responsible giving (tithing) is cheerful giving - Previous year 501c3 non-profit tax form filings should be open and publically available (in Church offices) and on the internet for anyone and everyone to look at and only then is a person capable of making an informed decision about personally donating to charitable 'Churches' and causes i.e. a Harvest Crusade type of event -- "2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth [responsibly] in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a
cheerful [responsible] giver." Only informed responsible giving (tithing) is cheerful giving! Not the ignorance is bliss, dutiful giving that the modern Church now wants us to participate in. -- "Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defense [refuge], and money [opportunity, power, influence, prestige] is a defense: but [more important than money] the excellency of [Biblical] knowledge [accurate, reliable Biblical doctrine] is, that wisdom giveth [eternal] life to them that have it." [article link]
Donor Bill of Rights - PHILANTHROPY (Charitable Donations) is based on voluntary action for the common good - It is a tradition [and religious requirement] of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights: I. To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes - II. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities - III. **To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements - IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given I. To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes. II. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities. III. To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements. IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given. V. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition. VI. To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law. VII. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature. VIII. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors. IX. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share. X To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers. [article link]
Questions to Ask a Nonprofit (Church - Crusade - Conference - etc.) *Before Investing in [or contributing to] It 3. What are your annual goals, needs, and results? How do they compare to similar organizations in your community? - 6. How well have you utilized your funding? Describe how efficiently you have fulfilled your goals of recent years in relationship to the amount of funds you have raised Thinking of donating to a nonprofit? Here are some suggested questions to ask nonprofit organizations before investing in them. The answers can help you determine which charities to give to and evaluate the performance of the philanthropies you already support. 1. How are you collaborating with similar organizations on a local, regional, or national level? 2. What are the main obstacles that inhibit the fulfillment of your mission? How are you planning to overcome them? 3. What are your annual goals, needs, and results? How do they compare to similar organizations in your community? 4. How much turnover have you experienced of employees and board members in the last two years {and how many related family members are employed and in what places within the organization}? 5. To what degree have you attracted new people {non-family members} and new ideas to your organization and board? 6. *How well have you utilized your funding? Describe how efficiently you have fulfilled your goals of recent years in relationship to the amount of funds you have raised. 7. Most forprofit organizations have recently restructured themselves in recent years to become more efficient and productive. How, if at all, are you considering (or have you implemented) some version of this approach? 8. How efficiently is your organization run? To what degree have you assigned day-to-day management
responsibilities to a tightly run executive committee instead of relying upon your full board? 9. Who are your main competitors and how do your results in recent years compare to theirs? [article link]
Tips for Choosing a Charity: A Donor's 9-Step Guide to Giving Wisely - Avoid charities that won't share information or pressure you - Reputable nonprofits: Will discuss their programs and finances - [they] Don't use pressure tactics - Are willing to send you literature about their work or direct you to a Web site - Will take "no" for an answer - Trust your instincts: If you still have doubts about a charity, don't contribute to it - Instead, find another nonprofit that does the same kind of work and with which you feel comfortable, then make your donation Tips for Choosing a Charity: A Donor's 9-Step Guide to Giving Wisely - Here are GuideStar's tips for donors who want to give with their heads as well as their hearts. Researching Charities Clarify your values. Do this before you open your checkbook, volunteer your time, or look at that letter from a charity. Identify your preferences. Ask yourself: "What is important to me?" The environment? Education? Hunger? Animal welfare? Helping sick children? Where should the charity do its work-in your neighborhood, region, the nation, or internationally? Ask yourself if you want to support a large or small charity, a new or an old one. Search the GuideStar database to find charities that meet your criteria. Focus on the mission. Look at each charity's description in the GuideStar search results, on its Web site, or in its literature. Find the nonprofits that fit best with your values. Eliminate organizations that don't meet your criteria. Now you're ready to look more closely at these organizations. Evaluating Charities Get the cold, hard facts. A reputable organization will: Define its mission and programs clearly. Have measurable goals. Use concrete criteria to describe its achievements. Compare apples to apples. Be sure to compare charities that do the same kind of work, especially if you're looking at their finances. The type of work a charity does can affect its operating costs dramatically. Avoid charities that won't share information or pressure you. Reputable nonprofits: Will discuss their programs and finances. Don't use pressure tactics. Are willing to send you literature about their work or direct you to a Web site. Will take "no" for an answer. Trust your instincts. If you still have doubts about a charity, don't contribute to it. Instead, find another nonprofit that does the same kind of work and with which you feel comfortable, then make your donation. [article link]
Extremely Important Viewing!!! Part 8 - Dialectic Deception - [To Download Click the Share Button] (Online Video) *Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Overview: The cross of Jesus and the Triune witness of Jesus' Spirit, blood and water each released from the physical body of Jesus while He was on the cross -- "Colossians 1:19-23 For it pleased the Father [God] that in Him [Jesus] should all fulness dwell [manifest to mankind]; And, **having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him [Jesus] **to reconcile all things unto Himself [God - Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit]; by Him [Jesus], I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in Heaven. **And you [Gentiles, sinners], that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, *yet now hath He [Jesus] reconciled in the body of His flesh [Spirit, blood, water] through death, to present you Holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature [by the Holy Spirit, since Pentecost] which is under heaven; whereof I [Apostle] Paul am made a Minister;" "John 19:26-30 When Jesus therefore saw His mother [Mary], and the disciple [John] standing by [the cross], whom He loved [G25 (Agape) - highest love, Spiritual, non-sexual], He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son [in Christian fellowship]! Then saith He to the disciple [John], Behold thy mother [in Christian
fellowship]! And from that hour that disciple took her [in Christian fellowship] unto his own home. After this, **Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the [bitter drink] vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and ***gave up the ghost [G4151(Pneuma) - Spirit, Holy Ghost, Spirit of God - source: Srong's Concordance]." -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood [from the cross of Jesus]: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood - from the cross of Jesus] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God [from the cross] which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link]
{Flashback} Genesis 12-14 - Abraham comes back from Egypt and Returns to Bethel (House of God) in the Promise land (Israel) - Abraham and his Nephew Lot come to an amenable parting of the ways - Lot seeing with his eyes chooses to dwell near Sodom while Abraham choosing to dwell with God moves to Hebron [near modern Jerusalem] - Abraham was to arise and walk through the land 'Genesis 13:17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee' - to take possession and appropriate the promises of God into his life - Later Abraham meets **Melchizedek King of Righteousness and Peace the **Priest of the Most High God "Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek [Spirit of God] King of Salem (Peace) brought forth [Communion] bread (body of Jesus) and wine (mingled grape (blood) and water): and He was the Priest of the most high God." - Abraham [Father of the Jewish Nation] gives a tithe a tenth of all he owns to Melchizedek - Melchizedek blesses Abraham - 'Genesis 14:22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand [in praise and worship] unto the LORD, The Most High God, The Possessor Of Heaven And Earth' Melchizedek the name means King of Righteousness and Peace, He is the Priest of the Most High God. This is the first mention of a Priest in the Bible. The idea of a priest comes from the conciseness of the Holiness of God and of the sinfulness of man, in order for a man to touch God to go into the presence of the Holy God man will need a mediator a go between, a priest. The ministry of the priest was twofold the priest was to go before God for the people and then the priest [or a prophet] would return and tell the people a message from God if there was one. - Melchizedek's birth is not recorded and his death is not yet recorded because Melchizedek is eternal, without genealogy and without death He lives on forever 'Hebrews 7:3 [Melchizedek] Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest Continually.' ... 'Psalms 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou (Jesus Christ) art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.' Jesus is our [Christian, heavenly] High Priest after the order of Melchizedek not after the earthly Levitical/Aaronic priesthood. The episode of Melchizedek was enacted into the Bible's history of the Old testament to reveal to mankind even before the establishing of the Levitical/Aaronic priesthood that mankind would know that there is indeed a better priesthood a holy, eternal, established priesthood of Melchizedek. As Jesus reigns He is Melchizedek "The LORD, The Most High God, The Possessor Of Heaven And Earth." [article link]
{Flashback} Genesis 40-41 - The King's butler (cup bearer) and the Kings baker were suspected in a plot to kill the King of Egypt and were imprisoned with Joseph until the details of the plot could be sorted out - The butler and the baker each had a dream - Joseph was able to correctly interpret each of their dreams -- 'Genesis 40:8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it - And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you' -- Later Joseph is brought from the
prison to interpret a dream for Pharaoh after correctly interpreting the dream Joseph is installed by the Pharaoh to be the second ruler over all of Egypt in order to carry out the interpretation of the dream - An Egyptian wife is chosen for Joseph and she [Asenath] bares him two sons Manasseh and Ephraim both of which will receive inheritances in Israel as Jacob awards Joseph a double portion of land in Israel with his double portion of blessings Note: Melchizedec the Priest of the Most High God introduced bread and wine (communion) into the Bible. In keeping with Biblical consistency we now again have the bread [cross] and the wine [resurrection] in the illustration of the king's baker [bread] - and the king's butler/cup bearer [wine]. The baker as was according to his dream from God was broken, he was executed. The butler as was according to his dream, also given to him by God, was restored the third day being freed from prison he is sent into the presence of the Kingdom's King handing a cup of wine (vine) to the King. - The communion bread and the communion wine of Jesus Christ: The bread represents the body of Jesus 'broken for us' and the wine represents the life blood of Jesus in the New Eternal covenant between God and mankind. 'Matthew 26:26-28 And as they (disciples) were eating [Passover], Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My Body. And He took the cup (grape of the vine), and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it [be connected to Jesus Christ the true Vine]; For this is My Blood [eternal Life, the eternal living covenant] of the New Testament (Covenant), which is shed for many for the remission of sins.' - Also Note: Once Benjamin [Christian Church] comes into the Kingdom presence of Joseph and meets Him face to face Joseph [Jesus] calls Benjamin 'My Son'. 'Genesis 43:29 And he [Joseph] lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin [Christian Church], his mother's (Rachael's) son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto Me? And He said, God be gracious unto thee, My Son. [article link]
Update [Continuing]: The postings, Information and Resources regarding the 8 Kingdoms Study - The study will continue until about the Christmas Holiday Season Also Note: The current introductory material of the 8 Kingdoms Study [Days of Noah - Flood of Noah (ancient earth 1.0 - and then the new present post flood 2.0 earth - 2 Peter 3:6) Kingdom of Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Days of Job, Hammurabi, Abraham, *King Melchizedek, Kingdom of Egypt] is being presented in a merged fashion because it is important to note and to grasp that the early Kingdoms, with the exception of [called out] Abraham and [Divine - Eternal] Melchizedek were all merged. Once we can get ahold of the concept that the ancient civilizations were a continuing and ongoing concentration of the same [occult] work and teachings then we can more easily understand the environment of the ancient civilizations and apply it to our day in that we are also living in a modern environment that has been handed down via the previous 6 occult Kingdoms of the world and [Mystery Babylon - the fallen angelic realm (Revelation 17:5)] is steadily working to bring in and enact the 7th and final occult Kingdom [NWO] of the human world. -- Soon, as the study progresses all the introduction material will be grouped and categorized [like the blog Bible Study] into an easy to access list of Topics. [article link]
Creation Earth 1.0 (Adam - Noah) -- Earth 2.0 (Noah - Revelation) -- Earth 3.0 (Millennial Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ) -- Earth 4.0 (unjudged, eternal earth) Earth 1.0 the original creation earth was a water vapor based environment and had the dual [water below the earth, vapor - water canopy above the earth, firmament] witness of water witnessing of God's creation. Water [life giving water - womb (John 3:5)] was then the witnessing element that then judged the original earth. Earth 2.0 our present earth is under the [prophesied and enacted] Life givng (Matthew 26:28) and Judgment blood (Revelation 6:12, Revelation 8:7-8, Revelation 11:6) of Jesus Christ. - Earth 3.0 the restored Millennial earth [final judged earth] having the [spirit (life) and fire (judgment)] presence of Jesus during the Kingdom, Millennial reign of Jesus Christ, the earth (3.0) will be judged by fire [spirit]. Resulting in the final, eternal [earth 4.0] the final earth not being judged is the eternal earth. -- "2 Peter 3:5-7 For this [unbelief of Word of God -
Biblical prophecy] they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the [1.0] earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the [1.0] world that then was, being [judged] overflowed with water [Noah's flood], perished: But the [2.0] heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word [of God - prophecies] are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of [3.0] judgment and perdition of ungodly men." -- "2 Peter 3:11-14 Seeing then that all these things [earth 2.0] shall be dissolved [judgment 3.0], what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements [earth 3.0] shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His Promise, look for New Heavens [skies] and a New Earth [eternal - earth 4.0], **wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him (Jesus Christ) in peace, without spot, and blameless." [article link]
Preview: The Biblical triune (3 in 1) nature [testimony, salvation, judgment] of the water, blood and Spirit (also represented in breath, wind, fire) that are each freely offered and given from God to all of mankind globally as a witness of sin (and eventually as a judgment against sin), a testimony of the once physical presence of Jesus Christ and as an eternal remedy for our own individual Salvation Where the Apostle Peter's significant life changing event during his time with Jesus seemed to be at the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-8, 2 Peter 1:16-18) the Apostle John's significant life changing event with Jesus seems to have been at the cross (John 19:34-35, 1 John 5:7-9) when Jesus was pierced by the Roman spear and the blood and water poured out from the wound in Jesus' side. The Apostle John then regards the presence of the Spirit and the separation of the blood and water coming out from Jesus as a witness, a judgment, and a testimony of salvation for all of mankind. When the Basic Christian blog History study returns in about a week we will Biblically look into the blood, water and fire (spirit), testimonies and judgments of the Bible from throughout the Old Testament starting in Genesis and continuing consistently throughout the entire Bible then concluding in book of Revelation [the sin of Adam and Eve and the shedding of blood, the flood of Noah, the Aaronic Priesthood, the Last Supper Communion, the atoning cross of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Jesus and birth (Alpha) of the Christian Church, the Pentecost global Spirit empowerment and witness, the calling home into heaven by Jesus the rapture (Omega) of the Christian Church, Revelation-Tribulation]. -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- "Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven [sky] and the earth." - Christian Creationism vs. Secular Evolution Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven (sky) and the earth. - It is only through creation and not by means of evolution that people can be "created in the image of God" therefore creation is the very heart of the plan of God. "Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image ..." Either people are created and are therefore in the image of God making us capable of fellowship and able to have a relationship with God or we are involved in some random evolution process in a random universe that is without meaning and ultimately is totally useless. "Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every Nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship
Him that made (created) heaven, and earth' ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- BasicChristian.org: Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual realms as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th realm being God's realm of unrestricted eternity} Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the 5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. Note: So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation [into our human realms] of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Also Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2. Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic [Nephilim spirits] - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -"Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ..." [article link]
WHAT WAS IT LIKE IN THE PRE-FLOOD EARTH? A Key To Understanding The Pre-Flood Earth Is The Existence Of A Canopy Of Water In The Stratosphere - The [post fall - but still amazing] Garden of Eden conditions described in the early chapters of Genesis were probably reflected all over the planet (Drawings) **The [post fall - but still amazing] Garden of Eden conditions described in the early chapters of Genesis were probably reflected all over the planet. There was probably abundant vegetation, animals, birds and fish. Because of the warmer and more constant ambient temperature, and the high partial pressures of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide humans, animals, birds, insects, and fish were much larger, as revealed in the fossil record described below. There is a general teaching that early man was primitive. This is almost certainly incorrect. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, and were probably extremely intelligent and creative, as were all the patriarchs. Because of the protective effect of the water canopy, there was protection from damaging ultraviolet rays and gamma rays, with probably much lower incidence of consequent diseases such as cancer and foetal malformations. Because of the higher Oxygen levels, the high blood Oxygen levels would have contributed to extreme longevity, resistance to bacterial and viral diseases, and greater metabolic efficiency, with consequent greatly enhanced athletic ability. The Average Age Of Man Before Noah's Flood Was 912 Years. Today It Is 70- 80. The average recorded life span in the Bible of the early patriarchs is 912 years. This is in stark contrast to today's much shorter life spans, with 70 -80 years being typical. This may be accounted for by the higher oxygen content, the protective effect of the water canopy, lack of disease, better diet, and much less hostile weather patterns. [article link]
EARTH'S PRE-FLOOD WATER CANOPY [Crystalized (firmament) - pure crystal in nature and appearance in the furthest layer] "Genesis 1:7-8 And God made the firmament (hard land on earth), and divided the waters which were under the (ground) firmament [earth 1.0] from the waters (vapors) which were above the firmament [land]: and it was so. And God called the (crystal - outer atmosphere sphere) firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day." {Note: A pure crystal, glass nature of atmospheric water would magnify all the stars and planets [including their original color and appearance] as viewed from earth and would also provide an acoustic resonator to transfer the sounds of orbiting planets into the earth's atmosphere in audible tones and chimes to all the earth's inhabitants.} This pre-flood canopy probably consisted of water vapor [a pure crystal, glass nature further out in the atmosphere]. There are other theories, but we must keep in mind that the birds were flying in the expanse under this water, and one must be able to see through the water. The sun, moon and stars were visible to Adam and to Noah, in view of the fact that Genesis 1:14 states that they would serve as signs. Water vapor is clear, unlike clouds or steam. A little experiment to prove this point can be accomplished in your kitchen by filling a tea-kettle with water and putting it on the stove to boil. When steam begins coming out of the spout, look closely at the very tip of the spout. You will see about one-half to one inch of clear 212°F. water vapor before it becomes cloudy steam. This may have been the form of the water that God put above the firmament in which the birds flew around. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT: With a water-vapor canopy, heaven and earth system #1 [earth 1.0] would be considerably different than our present system (#2) [earth 2.0 - (2 Peter 3:6)]. A greenhouse effect would be expected due to the heat generated by the sun-warmed canopy. Is there any evidence that greenhouse warmth once surrounded our globe? Palm tree fossils have been found in Alaska and broad leaf ferns in the Arctic. How could a palm tree fossil be in Alaska? Some scientists have postulated they travelled there on the tectonic plate (earth crust) movement over millions of years. But these trees are not millions of years old! A creationist would say, "No problem, palm trees grew in Alaska in the tropical world before the Flood." These trees were buried during the Flood of Noah's day resulting in their fossilization. ... The water vapor canopy may have more than doubled atmospheric pressure on earth. In this environment of heavier atmospheric pressure, healing would be more efficient. Many hospitals have pressurized rooms called Hyperbaric Rooms. Into these rooms oxygen is pumped under pressure and healing is miraculously speeded up. Very sick people and the severely burned are treated in this high pressure environment. In the pre-flood, high efficiency atmosphere, reptiles could have grown to immense sizes, giant flying creatures could have flown more easily, and gigantism would have been much more likely. [article link]
...a Water Canopy? (Drawings) These illustrations show just how a water canopy covering the Earth would not only create a globally warm climate but also would shield our planet from harmful radiation. Thus, allowing mankind to reach ages up to 900 plus years and also allowing reptiles to grow to the size of our dinosaur fossils. A global flood that occured roughly 1,500 years after Adam was created would create the coal layers (compressed global vegetation) and the fossilization of the huge behemoths known to us today as the dinosaurs. Remember, in Genesis 1:6-8, God divided the waters from the waters and placed this upper water canopy ABOVE the firmament called "Heaven." [article link]
The Garden of Eden [Pre-Flood of Noah] Part 1 - (Kent Hovind) Creation Seminar (YouTube) These Seminars are NOT copyrighted. If you are interested in helping support Kent Hovind his video series is available on DVD at shopping.drdino.com/category-exec/category_id/39/nm/Seminar .... The Garden of Eden, part two of the seminar series, describes the earth as it was before the worldwide flood. Dr. Hovind explains in detail how it was possible for man to live over 900 years, for plants and animals to grow much larger than today, and for dinosaurs to thrive along with man. This Creation Seminar is only one of the seven listed below: Creation Seminar 1 - The Age of the Earth, Creation Seminar 2 - *The Garden of Eden, Creation Seminar 3 Dinosaurs and the Bible, Creation Seminar 4 - Lies in the Textbooks, Creation Seminar 5 - The Dangers of
Evolution, Creation Seminar 6 - The Hovind Theory, Creation Seminar 7 - Questions and Answers. [article link]
Creationist Kent Hovind Reveals The Truth About The Garden of Eden [Pre-Flood of Noah] and Creation! (Google Video) Kent Hovind - 1 hr 56 min 19 sec - Mar 2, 2006 - www.drdino.com [article link]
Halloween Information & Resources 2010 - Christians everywhere are rejecting Halloween's message of Death, Disobedience, and Despair Christians everywhere are rejecting Halloween's message of Death, Disobedience, and Despair and instead are using this opportunity to proclaim the Truth about God's Love for mankind and about His Biblical plan of Life, Hope, and Salvation for us in Jesus Christ. [article link]
Part 10 - Conclusion: The Real Hope - Jesus Christ On November 5-6, 2010 Dr. Norman Geisler, Ergun Caner and several others will enter the Church sanctuary of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa (located in Santa Anna) CA, not to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ but to continue the lies; to deceive, manipulate and control the assembled people into a prearranged pseudo religion. A pseudo man-made, man-exalting religion that seeks to serve God less and man more. The host, Pastor Chuck Smith likes to play the role of a mature Christian yet he never seems to actually do anything that is emotionally Christian mature and instead compromises in the immature nature of prestige and adoration all the while neglecting a true Christian commitment to real Christian values and real Christian integrity. - The choice is clear and is becoming clearer each day and that is that Christians can continue to go down this path of lies and deceit being led by one of the many willing participants like Pastor Chuck Smith or Christians can seek God in our own devotions to God and find God on our own or in small fellowships born of everlasting truth, righteousness and accountability. -- "Isaiah 5:13-25 Therefore My people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth [in the mishaps of others], shall descend into it. And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled: **But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is Holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat. Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: *That [mockers] say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: *Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the Law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against His people, and He hath stretched forth His hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. [Though] For all this His anger [God] is not turned away, but His Hand is stretched out [in a relationship with mankind] still." [article link]
Part 9 - A False Hope Along with the false religions both ancient and new, comes a false hope. It is a false hope to think that financing the lifestyle of an individual is actually furthering the Kingdom of God on earth. It is a false hope to
think that to exalt one man or woman above another is to further the Kingdom of God on earth. It is a false hope to think that anything apart from Jesus Christ Himself is furthering the Kingdom of God on earth. [article link]
Jesus came to seek the lost Hallelujah! - Pace, be Still [Jesus calms the storms] - Know that Jesus is God - [hecame.mp3] (Mp3) Christian music with message compilations. [article link]
Part 8 - Hidden Agendas The perilous days [neglect of the plans of God] are being brought to us directly from the pulpits of America as the preachers in America are conforming to and confirming the preaching of the hidden messages and hidden agendas of the world. Messages and agendas that are secretly intended to disassociate mankind from a true relationship with God and once disassociated to then falsely unite mankind within any of the many false religions of today. [article link]
{Flashback} Holiness.mp3 the #1 Download from Basic Christian for 2010 (Mp3) Christian music with message compilations. [article link]
Part 7 - Perilous Days The days are perilous and becoming more so not because mankind is becoming more and more wicked but because mankind is becoming more and more neglectful and forgetful of the plans, personality and reality of who God really is. The worst of the problem is that it is within the Church that God is being the most neglected and the most misrepresented. [article link]
{Flashback} As it was in the Days of Noah - The time leading up to the Great Flood was a lot like our time in that it was characterized by a deliberate and increasing disregard for the ways of God -- "Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man [Jesus] be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered into the ark, And [they] knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man (Matt 24:37). The time leading up to the Great Flood was a lot like our time in that it was characterized by a deliberate and increasing disregard for the ways of God. Finally "the Lord saw how great man's wickedness on earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time" (Gen. 6:5). ... the sequence of events suddenly became so obvious to me. Enoch was taken alive from earth and the Holy Spirit was withdrawn. Then in Gen. 6:5 man's behavior is described as having become unbearably wicked and in Gen. 7 the judgement came, in that order. Enoch's name means teaching and according to Jude 14-15 he gave the first prophecy of the 2nd coming. ... If Enoch is indeed a model of the church and if the Lord's prophecy of Matt 24:37 includes the sequence of events, as seems likely, then one day soon we will be taken alive (raptured) from earth, the Holy Spirit withdrawn. Man's behavior will become unbearably wicked and the judgement will come, all in that order. As it was in the days of Noah. Selah. [article link]
Part 6 - 9-11-2001 - A Pact with the Devil What is generaly being taught [Tithing, Dominion Now, New Apostolic Reformation, Inner Sanctuary, The Secret, New Age - Emergent Church, etc.] in Churches throughout America since the fateful day of 9-11-2001 is radically different from the [Bible Study, Devotions, Prayer, Fellowship, Holiness, Righteousness, Truth, Eternity,
Reality, Life in Jesus Christ] that was generally being preached before 9-11-2001. The events of 9-11-2001 are highly debatable yet one diabolical aspect of 9-11-2001 remains and that is that the events of that day were a deliberate Occult [Chaos] offering to Satan. Not surprisingly it now seems that many leaders in the Christian Church have joined in [or had previous knowledge of a pending, disastrous event that was to befall America] joined in on the secret plan to disable the Christian Church and deliver America over to a united [occult] NWO world government. [article link]
{Flashback} Wikipedia.org: Mike MacIntosh "a Ground Zero Chaplain" - the senior pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, California a Calvary Chapel affiliate - [Book] (2002) When Your World Falls Apart: Life Lessons from a Ground Zero Chaplain by Mike MacIntosh, Foreward by Anne Graham Lotz {Wow! 9-11 books and bracelets - some Calvary Chapel pastors seemed to see 9-11 as an opportunity to make some quick money. No wonder Calvary Chapel Pastors don't investigate [or even publically talk about] the possible NYC 911-2001 events because it seems in their best interest (best income opportunities) to go along with the official 9-11 version of events.} Mike MacIntosh (born 1944) is the senior pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, California, and is a Christian leader in the United States. MacIntosh left the hippie scene of the 1960s and got involved with Calvary Chapel. He then went on to pastor Horizon Christian Fellowship, a Calvary Chapel affiliate, beginning in 1974. He is also the organizer of Festival of Life, an international evangelical outreach program. MacIntosh has also served as a chaplain for the San Diego Police Department, and has been involved in post-9/11 rescue efforts in New York City, as documented in his book When Your World Falls Apart. [When Your World Falls Apart (2002): Life Lessons from a Ground Zero Chaplain by Mike MacIntosh, Foreward by Anne Graham Lotz Amazon.com] -- An Unofficial Associate Pastor: An example of this is Calvary of Albuquerque [pastor Skip Hietzig] where Skip's wife, Lenya, functioned almost as a pastor for women. Her "9-11 bracelet" idea [was it her idea alone or was it a 'think tank' religion idea being passed along through Lenya Hietzig?] ended up costing the church hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory write-offs. - Source: calvarychapel.pbworks.com/pastors-wife [article link]
Part 5 - A Fraudulent and Deceptive System - A system that entraps, entangles and ensnares unsuspecting people [for generations] within a fraudulent , misrepresented system - A system that then seeks to exchange people within the system [a mock freedom of choice - but only within the supervised system of control and manipulation] from one fraudulent ministry into another i.e Calvary Chapel youth being vigorously marketed to attend the Norman Geisler/Ergun Caner VES school A fraudulent and deceptive system has been systematically put in place attempting to give the effect that these men [their families] and ministries are more influential and more powerful than they really are and of course with the appearance of more power and influence comes more prestige and with it much more money. This is actually a very diabolical system because it is a false system, a system that only pretends [i.e. Rev. Robert H. Schuller] to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a system that only pretends [i.e. Dr. James Dobson - Jerry Falwell Jr.] to uphold family values and causes. It is a system that only pretends [i.e. Chuck Colson] to represent conservative voter values. Note: many supposed Christian, conservative, family values ministries have been doggedly determined in their referring of occult [i.e. Harry Potter] material [and other resources i.e. occult movies 'The Matrix' and 'V for Vendetta'] into the greater Christian Church body. Both Chuck Colson's [Prison Fellowship] ministry and Dr. Dobson's [Focus on the Family] ministry have recommended the Harry Potter books to their Christian audiences. This is the very disastrous effect of having wolves guard the sheep [and worse pretending to minister and protect the sheep] and the sheep (Christians) are being discouraged, disheartened and devoured both spiritually and physically (financially) because of this deliberate, diabolical system enacted and entrenched by diabolical men. [article link]
Veritas Evangelical Seminary: UPCOMING ANNUAL VES APOLOGETICS CONFERENCE!! 11/05/10 - 11/06/10 VES Annual Apologetics Conference (Calvary Chapel - Costa Mesa, CA) {Note: Previously the VES Apologetics Conferences had an admission fee (about $40) but now in some cases the fee seems to have been dropped, because it must be very difficult to lure young potential students into a diabolical Veritas Seminary system by both lying to them and charging them money for the introduction the (VES) sales pitch [aka VES Apologetics Conference] so apparently something had to be dropped and it was the fee that was dropped while the phony Apologetics show remains in yet more attempts to attract young unsuspecting students to Norman Geisler's fraudulent VES school.} 11/05/10 - 11/06/10 Speakers: Joel Rosenberg (Israel, Middle East, and the Last Days), Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ), *Norman Geisler (Responding to the New Atheism & If God, Why Evil?), Ron Rhodes (Answering Brian McLaren and the 'The New Kind of Christian') William Dembski (The Theological Case for Intelligent Design & The Scientific Case for Intelligent Design), Stephen Meyer (Signature in the Cell: DNA Evidence for Design), *Ergun Caner (The Secret of Islam), Steven Collins (Archaeology Confirms the Bible). ... 05/06/11 - 05/07/11 VES Apologetics Conference (Mt. Airy, MD) (Calvary Chapel) [Note: all or almost all of the VES Conference are hosted exclusively at various Calvary Chapel affiliated Churches - even though the Calvary Chapel name is not always used by VES in order for VES to give an appearance of a wider scale of acceptance of their agenda.] Speakers: *Norman Geisler (2 Lectures - From Evangelical to Agnostic: The Error's of Bart Ehrman & Pluralism: Is Jesus the Only Way to God), Ron Rhodes (2 Lectures - Responding to Brian McLaren and the 'New Kind of Christian' & 10 Keys to Answering Cultists at Your Door), Ed Hindson (2 Lectures), *Ergun Caner (2 Lectures Why I Am Not a Muslim & The Secret of Islam), Joseph Holden (1 Lecture - Archaeology and the Bible: What the Stones Tell Us About the Reliability of Scripture). [article link]
{Flashback} It Takes a Long Time to Clean Up [Internet] Falsehoods - The Internet is such a huge "place" - It takes forever to clean up evidences of your past---if you are trying to do that, anyway - I was just referred to this (2005) press release on Ergun Caner's own website (better click fast, it will be gone before long!) - Note this further example of the mysterious "misstatement" that Ergun Caner seemed to be making over and over and over again for years on end {Note: ***Ergun Caner is going around preaching a 100% Emergent Church doctrine, principles and theology i.e. "God = Love" actually "God = God" and love, patience, faithfulness, justice, longsuffering, faithfulness, etc. are all Attributes of God. - Also Note: It is Dr. Norman Geisler (Veritas Evangelical Seminary) [one of Ergun Caner's biggest supporters and a mentor] that is going around from Church to Church doing "Apologetics Conferences" with Ergun Caner (also one of Geisler's Veritas Seminary instructors) as Geisler pretends to be informing Christians and preaching against the Gnostic Emergent Church Movement that is currently infiltrating Evangelical Christianity on a massive scale all the while Dr. Norman Geisler is forwarding, promoting and covering for Emergent Church prompter Ergun Caner. -- July 31, 2010 Calvary Chapel Downey - Apologetics Conference Speakers: Norman Geisler, "Understanding and Answering the Emergent Church" - Ergun Caner, "5 Reasons Why I am not a Muslim" Source: www.cccsdowney.org/highschool/monthly-letter/} Ex-Muslim to lead at Liberty U. By Bob Lowry ASSOCIATED PRESS LYNCHBURG, Va. -- The new dean of the Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University theological seminary is a former Sunni Muslim who plans to turn out a hipper generation of graduates by relating to them with lyrics from rapper 50 Cent, TV's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and the latest movies and film stars. Ergun Mehmet Caner cracks one-liners as easily as he quotes a Bible verse. Lecturing to a packed auditorium of 450 students, Mr. Caner mixed religion with jokes to keep his students on their toes in a late afternoon theology class. He asked his students which popular actors they would marry "if she or he was a Christian." Their answers brought howls of laughter from the classroom. "In a given lecture, I'll talk about 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,' C.S. Lewis, 'Plato's Cave' and some lyrics by 50 Cent," Mr. Caner said of some subjects one normally wouldn't associate with Mr. Falwell's university. Mr. Caner sees it as a way to connect with his young audiences. "Most college students lose attention every seven minutes and with that, it's important to have that humor to bring us back in and teach us more," said Travis
Bush, a junior from Rocky Mount, N.C., in Mr. Caner's class. "He's the best professor here. With the humor, it keeps us interested." Mr. Caner, 39, said he wants a different approach for a new generation of Liberty students, whom he dubs "tecumenicals." "I call them techies because, on one hand, they were raised with email" he says. "And yet they are so ecumenical. This generation is different. They've been there, seen it and done it. They're looking for some *authentic passion that's got a pulse and that sweats. "The point is I'll use anything at my disposal. I'm not hiding from culture and I don't boycott culture. If I'm turning out students who say 'What's that dot on your head for?' That's ignorance. Or, 'Why'd you wear your laundry on the top of your head?' That's ignorance." Mr. Caner takes over as dean of the seminary in July after only two years at the 8,000student school. The shaven-headed, goateed Mr. Caner [Proven False], whose family emigrated from Turkey [Sweeden] to Toledo, Ohio, when he was a teenager [two years old] ... Boyd Rist, Liberty's vice president for academic affairs, said Mr. Caner was the clear choice for the job after the former dean left for the presidency of another school. As for Mr. Caner's Muslim background, Mr. Rist said Mr. Falwell [Sr.] doesn't mind doing the unexpected at the school he founded in his hometown in 1971. Copyright 2005 News World Communications, Inc. Source: www.erguncaner.com/home/press/documents/ap_04152005.pdf [article link]
{Flashback} APOLOGETICS CONFERENCE - SATURDAY, JULY 31, 8:00AM - 5:00PM - You won't want to miss this all day conference featuring some of the best Apologists in Christianity [Dr. Norman Geisler, Ergun Caner] who will be responding to some critical issues confronting the church today - See bullentin insert {Note: It will be interesting to see if Calvary Chapel will withdraw Dr. Norman Geisler and Ergun Caner from participation in this Church event and begin to put an end to this obvious charade, hoax and falsehood that is taking place or if Calvary Chapel will continue on in its business as usual manner and continue to be a part of the Caner [Ergun and Emir] cover-up, deceit and lies that are now openly taking place within Christianity.} Apologetics Conference: Calvary Chapel Downey is hosting an Apologetics Conference on Sat., July 31. Come out and glean from some excellent speakers: *Norman Geisler, "Understanding and Answering the Emergent Church"; Paul Copan, "Responding to Relativism with Absolutes"; Ron Rhodes, "The Reliability of the New Testament"; *Ergun Caner, "5 Reasons Why I am not a Muslim"; Doug Geivett, "If God, Why Evil?"; William Dembski, "The Scientific Case for Intelligent Design"; and Patty Tunnicliffe, "Oprah Winfrey". For cost and detailed information, contact CC Downey's Church office [Source: www.cccsdowney.org/high-school/monthlyletter/]. -- Dr. Norman Geisler's Speaking Schedule - July 31, [2010] Calvary Chapel (Downey, CA), Apologetics Conference [Source: www.normangeisler.net/schedule2.html] [article link]
{Flashback} New Southern California Seminary Founded by Norman Geisler and Joseph Holden in MURRIETA, California - Veritas Seminary is planning their first annual apologetics conference for November 6-7 [2009], featuring lectures by distinguished pastors and apologists including Ravi Zacharias, *Norman Geisler, *Chuck Smith [Sr.], *Ergun Caner [LU], Lee Strobell, Ron Rhodes, Greg Koukl and others MURRIETA, Calif., April 9 [2009]/Christian Newswire/ -- Former Dean and President of Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES), Norman Geisler, has founded Veritas Evangelical Seminary in Murrieta, California, with cofounder and former SES student, Joseph Holden, who now serves as the seminary's first president. The founding of the institution has added a classically oriented apologetic curriculum with a strong emphasis on biblical inerrancy to the southern California area that hosts other larger universities such as Biola University, Fuller Seminary, and Azusa Pacific University. The Veritas faculty consists of well-known evangelical scholars and authors such as Randall Price, H. Wayne House, *Ergun Caner, Gary Habermas, Thomas Ice, Ron Rhodes, Arnold Fruchtenbaum and others. -- When asked of the need for such a unique seminary President Holden said, 'I see Veritas Seminary as an answer to the rapid slide away from the classical doctrines of Christianity such as the inerrancy of Scripture, the immutable and timelessly eternal nature of God, and the need to proclaim the gospel to a lost and searching world. In large part this is due to the influence of postmodernism on the thinking on some faculty and students. No longer can we take it for granted that one's church or school
will hold fast to these cherished beliefs. Thus, our focus is not on the academic degree or credential one will earn, the stakes are much higher today, it is on the equipping of the Body of Christ and personal transformation by the Holy Spirit. What is needed today is an academic reformation and spiritual revival.' Since it's founding in March 2009, Veritas Seminary has experienced unprecedented support and enrollment by students and faculty seeking a safe learning environment. Holden said, 'The seminary's first course, Introduction to Apologetics, was taught by Dr. Geisler to a nearly full classroom of students from diverse backgrounds, all seeking a safe haven from the ideologies that are driving the shift away from sound doctrine.' Veritas Seminary is planning their first annual apologetics conference for November 6-7, featuring lectures by distinguished pastors and apologists including Ravi Zacharias, Norman Geisler, Chuck Smith, Ergun Caner, Lee Strobell, Ron Rhodes, Greg Koukl and others. For more information concerning Veritas Evangelical Seminary visit www.VeritasSeminary.com [article link]
{Flashback} Calvary Chapel Bible College located in Murrieta California [since about 1996] - Calvary Chapel Bible College is affiliated with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa where Chuck Smith [Sr.] is the pastor - All members of the Bible College staff are employees and ministers of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, under the direction of Pastor Chuck Smith and Associate Pastor Brian Brodersen [Note: associate pastor Brian Brodersen is just Chuck Smith's son in law.] Affiliation: Calvary Chapel Bible College is affiliated with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa where Chuck Smith is the pastor. All members of the Bible College staff are employees and ministers of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, under the direction of Pastor Chuck Smith and Associate Pastor Brian Brodersen. -- Letter From The President: God is moving mightily by His Holy Spirit in this generation and we praise Him for His mighty works. As a part of what God is doing by His Spirit worldwide, He has raised up the Calvary Chapel ministries to help feed His people with His Word. At Calvary Chapel Bible College, men and women from all over the world gather together in the beautiful Murrieta Hot Springs oasis of Southern California to study the Word of God with Calvary Chapel pastors. May God bless you richly with His abundant love. Pastor Chuck Smith, President -As the Vice President of the Bible College, Pastor Brian Brodersen works closely with Pastor Chuck and the Bible College Director, Pastor David Shirley to shape the vision of CCBC. Brian has been involved in pastoral ministry for over 20 years. He has served as Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Vista in Southern California, and also as Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Westminster in London, England. Brian has been extensively involved in missionary work throughout various parts of Europe. Brian is the featured speaker on the Bible teaching program 'Back to Basics' as well as the co-host of the live call-in program 'Pastor's Perspective.' Pastor Brian Brodersen, Vice President. [article link]
{Flashback} Greg Laurie [Harvest Crusade] Connects Purpose Driven [Rick Warren] to a Move of God - Gives Financial Support - In addition to Greg Laurie's letter to pastors regarding Rick Warren and Bill Hybels, Lighthouse Trails has also learned that Laurie is also helping to finance Warren's September [2008] event in New York - Lighthouse Trails contacted the New York City Leadership group this past week after we learned that Laurie's name was on their website showing him to be a sponsor - The New York City office said that this sponsorship is in the way of financial support and is for Rick Warren's September conference - This coming November [2008] Greg Laurie will present "Preach the Word" a conference for Pastors and Leaders - Those joining him will include Alistair Begg, Chuck Smith, and John MacArthur - Perhaps these three men can help Greg Laurie remember the simple and true faith he found so many years ago {Note: The hidden danger in donating to marginal ministries like Greg Laurie's Harvest Crusade is that some of the finances are then directly used [as a result of compromise and consensus building techniques] in some of the very ministries [purpose driven and emergent church events] that reject sound Biblical doctrine.} On May 6th, [2008] Greg Laurie, pastor of mega-church Harvest Christian Fellowship wrote a letter to pastors and church leaders in the New York region, announcing his Harvest Crusade 2008 in New York City on October
19th. This letter to pastors and leaders is causing confusion among some because of its content, and this Lighthouse Trails report will examine this issue. Greg Laurie is best known as a Calvary Chapel pastor. His church is listed on the Calvary Chapel website, and Laurie often speaks at Calvary Chapel functions. And it is Laurie's connection with Calvary Chapel that presents a great dilemma. Two years ago, in May of 2006, Calvary Chapel issued a "Parson to Parson" letter, in which a statement was made against the emerging church and contemplative spirituality. The following month, at the 2006 Senior Pastor's Conference, Calvary Chapel founder and pastor, Chuck Smith, told the senior pastors that Calvary Chapel as a whole was rejecting various movements and practices that have been taking place within the Christian church at large as well as in some Calvary Chapel churches. According to a number of pastors in attendance, who afterwards spoke with Lighthouse Trails, Smith asked that those Calvary Chapel pastors who were going in the direction of the emerging church would no longer call themselves Calvary Chapel churches. One week later, Calvary Chapel instructed its distribution center to immediately remove all of Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life books from its center. The statement read: "The teaching and positions of Rick Warren have come into conflict with us at Calvary Chapel. Pastor Chuck has directed us to discontinue this product effective immediately." ... And now this brings us to the unpleasant task of reporting that Greg Laurie is giving a strong promotion of Rick Warren and Bill Hybels, which means he is indirectly promoting contemplative and emerging (which we will explain later in this article), and directly promoting Purpose Driven. And unfortunately, there is a twist to this story. In Laurie's May 2008 letter to pastors and leaders, Laurie talks about his upcoming crusade in New York City, saying, in reference to it, "God is on the move." He then states that "[t]his move is also seen in the formation of the New York City Leadership group. Under their direction, a community-wide 40 Days of Purpose campaign with Pastor Rick Warren has been launched, and the significant services of Bill Hybels' Leadership Summit conferences are also being organized to strengthen the local church." ... This report will obviously be disheartening to many Calvary Chapel pastors and church goers who have believed that their movement was going to press forward into the future without these un-biblical movements. Laurie's current promotion and financial backing of Rick Warren will cause many to wonder just which direction the Calvary Chapel movement will really end up going. ... This coming November Greg Laurie will present "Preach the Word," a conference for Pastors and Leaders. Those joining him will include Alistair Begg, Chuck Smith, and John MacArthur. Perhaps these three men can help Greg Laurie remember the simple and true faith he found so many years ago. [article link]
{Flashback} JIM WALLIS ADMITS TO SOROS FUNDING - George Soros, one of the leading billionaire leftists - he has financed groups promoting abortion, atheism, same-sex marriage, and gargantuan government bankrolled Sojourners with a $200,000 grant in 2004 - Since then Sojourners has received at least two more grants from Soros organizations - In a Patheos interview, Wallis suggested that Olasky was lying "No, we don't receive money from Soros" - And now it seems Wallis has done an about face - Wallis released a statement through a spokesperson to Patheos - I should have declined to comment until I was able to review the blog post in question and consulted with our staff on the details of our funding over the past several years [The Reverend Jim Wallis is an evangelical Christian writer and political activist, best known as the founder and editor of Sojourners magazine, and of the Washington, D.C. based Christian community of the same name Wallis actively eschews political labels, but his advocacy tends to focus on issues of peace and social justice, earning him his primary support from the religious left - Wiki.com] George Soros, one of the leading billionaire leftists - he has financed groups promoting abortion, atheism, same-sex marriage, and gargantuan government - bankrolled Sojourners with a $200,000 grant in 2004. A year later, here's how Jim rebutted a criticism of "religious progressives" for being allied with Soros and MoveOn.org: "I know of no connections to those liberal funds and groups that are as direct as the Religious Right's ties to right-wing funders." Since then Sojourners has received at least two more grants from Soros organizations. Sojourners revenues have more than tripled-from $1,601,171 in 2001-2002 to $5,283,650 in 2008-2009-as secular leftists have learned to use the religious left to elect Obama and others. However, apparently Jim Wallis took exception to this: In a Patheos interview, Wallis suggested that Olasky was lying. "It's
not hyperbole or overstatement to say that Glenn Beck lies for a living. I'm sad to see Marvin Olasky doing the same thing. No, we don't receive money from Soros. Given the financial crisis of nonprofits, maybe Marvin should call Soros and ask him to send us money. Then it gets worse for Wallis: Jay Richards of National Review and Olasky responded to Wallis. Here's Olasky again: Want to see for yourself what someone apparently did not want you to see? Click here to download the PDF, go to page 225, and you'll see the grant to Sojourners. And now it seems Wallis has done an about face: Wallis released a statement through a spokesperson to Patheos. I should have declined to comment until I was able to review the blog post in question and consulted with our staff on the details of our funding over the past several years. Instead, I answered in the spirit of the accusation and did not recall the details of our funding. You can read this CT piece by Sarah Pulliam Bailey right here. [article link]
Yahoo: Schuller pleads for dollars for Crystal Cathedral - Church officials have said that for the time being, "Hour of Power" will remain on the air though the number of stations airing it has been cut - Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows a *business to keep operating while it tries to put its finances in order under court supervision {Note: Legal - financial documents are already being filed and it will be interesting if we get to see a detailed 'court supervision' financial history of Robert H. Schuller's travel/expenses/perks and of the Crystal Cathedral's general spending habits.} GARDEN GROVE, Calif. - Crystal Cathedral founder the Rev. Robert H. Schuller on Sunday tearfully asked his parishioners for help in overcoming the megachurch's bankruptcy and tens of millions in debt. Schuller, 84, made the plea from the pulpit as he spoke publicly for the first time since the church filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Oct. 18. "I need more help from you," Schuller said, according to the Orange County Register. "If you are a tither, become a double-tither. If you are not a tither, become a tither. This ministry has earned your trust. This ministry has earned your help." -- (596) Comments: Steve| Maybe he can book the Beck & Palin Travelin' Salvation Show! Their little gig seems to bleeding the ignorant of tons of money! ... People's Political Co| ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!! F-U Schuller and your phony religion. "Give me more money so I can live like an Oriental Potentate". ... Lep| Maybe they should have tried "Biblical money management" from the get-go. I'm not sure exactly what that is, but I'm sure it doesn't include multi-million dollar mortgages and tens of thousands of dollars renting livestock for Christmas pageants. ... Lee| If they REALLY want to save their "church" they should work for a dollar a year until this "crisis" is over. Will they do that?? No, they would have to dip into their personal fortunes to continue living in the lifestyle they have become accustomed to. They would rather have someone, their followers, bail them out. ... WadeS| Anybody who sends these frauds money is brain dead and a fool. [article link]
Gimme That OC Religion - Crystal Cathedral Declares Bankruptcy - Why Robert Schuller Had it Coming Schuller ultimately influenced American Christianity [but not in a lasting, positive way] the most of any pastor in OC - at the expense of his own flock and for personal benefit Because, when all of OC's titans of Christianity eventually meet Charles E. Fuller in the afterlife, the world will see that Schuller [Robert H. Schuller (Sr.)] ultimately influenced American Christianity the most of any pastor in OC--at the expense of his own flock and for personal benefit. While Chuck Smith revitalized American evangelicism [according to Chuck Smith - because everyone knows that it was Billy Graham not Chuck Smith that 'revitalized American evangelicism'] via Calvary Chapel, the [TBN] Crouches [Paul and Jan Crouch - Trinity Broadcasting Network] revolutionized broadcasting the words of Christ (including Schuller's own Hour of Power) and Rick Warren built a global megachurch without peer, Schuller put too much of his church's focus on himself--the best-selling books, the television program, the many lectures. **His message of possibility thinking [i.e. Chuck Smith "made room in his heart ... generating a movement of the Holy Spirit"] and seminars for pastors made Warren possible, created the megachurch movement, and brought in millions to build his Crystal Cathedral--but while Schuller mugged for the cameras, he never did set a course of succession for his
flock [Robert H. Schuller (Sr.) had a clear succession in his son Robert A. Schuller - but Robert A. Schuller turned out to be an actual Christian and that was unacceptable to NWO instigator Robert H. Schuller]. If I was more up-to-date on my Scripture, this is the part where I'd quote Jesus or some prophet about vanity--oh, Ecclesiastes!--and say Schuller didn't [want to] learn. I've brought this point up before, but it demands repeating: maybe if Schuller had ditched the endless tours and paid more attention to his church [Christianity], the Crystal Cathedral wouldn't be in this situation today. Or maybe he understood that it's Christ's message that's more important, not so much paying bills on time. But what do I know? I'm just a pissed-off Papist [Catholic]. [article link]
There are at least three versions of the Calvary Chapel story regarding how Chuck Smith first met the hippie Lonnie Frisbee - The least credible of the stories is the story that Pastor Chuck Smith tells regarding his daughter Cheryl (wife of Pastor Brian Broderson) according to Chuck Smith she had a boyfriend at the time who introduced Lonnie to Chuck Smith Another person altogether has claimed [and insists] to have first introduced Lonnie Frisbee to Pastor Chuck Smith. [article link]
Part 4 - Chuck Smith's Fabricated Background - The "common" story behind the Calvary Chapel story is that Chuck Smith saved [an already saved] hippie named Lonnie Frisbee and single handedly instituted the Jesus Freak movement making Chuck Smith the father of [the already existing] Jesus Freak movement Surprisingly the Chuck Smith Sr. ministry story from childhood until even now [Calvary Chapel (miles from any beach) is now claiming to have been a mecca church to both hippies and surfers] is almost as fabricated and fictitious as the well-known fictitious Ergun Caner [my life as a Muslim terrorist] ministry story. - Supposedly Chuck Smith led a hippie Lonnie Frisbee to the Lord creating the Jesus Freak movement however apparently Lonnie Frisbee was already a 'born again' Christian when he first met Chuck Smith - so what really happened? In 1965 Chuck Smith made his switch from his longstanding Foursquare Church denomination to the unknown Calvary Chapel fellowship. The question remains was this 'late season' denomination move on Chuck's part an attempt on Chuck Smith's part to enter the coming 1966-1969 Satanic Revolution that would soon be sweeping America? On cue in 1968 Chuck Smith had finally scrounged around enough and found the defanged hippie that he had been looking for as his entrance into the hippie movement in order to play "Papa Chuck" in his diabolical, controlling and manipulating role as father of the hippies all the while undermining the foundations of the true Christian Church. [article link]
Calvary Chapel Chuck Smith - With a sincere concern for the lost, Pastor Chuck made room in his heart and his home for a generation of *hippies and *surfers {Note: The Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel myth has grown to now suddenly include both hippies and surfers. Hint: Calvary Chapel is located in Santa Anna, CA and is miles from the beach but can't let a little reality get in the way of a good "grab it (from somewhere else) and blab it" Calvary Chapel story.} Chuck Smith Senior Pastor: In 1965, Pastor Chuck Smith began his ministry at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Only twenty-five people attended. What began as a small chapel has now grown into a church that seats over 2000 and is filled almost nightly. From the beginning, Pastor Chuck welcomed all, young and old, without judgment, placing his emphasis on the teaching of the Word of God. His simple, yet sound, biblical approach draws 25,000 people weekly. With a sincere concern for the lost, Pastor Chuck made room in his heart and his home for a generation of hippies and surfers; **generating a movement of the Holy Spirit that spread from the West Coast to the East Coast, bringing thousands of young people to Jesus Christ. Included among this generation of new believers were Greg Laurie, Mike MacIntosh, Raul Ries, and Skip Heitzig, as well as hundreds of others who now have ministries of their own. {Note: Chuck Smith thinks that whatever he personally does becomes approved by God [regardless of what the fruit develops into] and has a type of Biblical [equal to the Bible]
human divinity associated with it "generating a movement of the Holy Spirit" the guy just isn't all there!! Also Note: True Christianity is the exact opposite of what Chuck Smith, Dave Hunt, Norman Geisler, Jerry Falwell Jr., Rick Warren, John Piper, John MacArthur, Lee Strobel, Greg Laurie and many others are subtly preaching and directly practicing. True Christianity is NOT 'generating' an alleged move of God one that happens to immensely and directly benefit (preferably financially) the person or persons involved but True Christianity is to participate [in a personal relationship way] in what God is already involved in. -- "Jeremiah 33:2-3 Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is His Name; *Call unto Me, and **I will answer thee, ***and shew thee great and mighty things, ****which thou knowest not."} [article link]
Wikipedia: Lonnie Frisbee - Contemporary accounts attributed his accomplishments to his incredible anointing of the Holy Spirit - Frisbee was a key figure in the Jesus Movement and eyewitness accounts of his ministry documented in the 2007 Emmy-nominated film Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher explain how Lonnie became the charismatic spark igniting the rise of two worldwide denominations Chuck Smith's Calvary Chapel and John Wimber's Vineyard Movement Lonnie Frisbee (June 6, 1949 - March 12, 1993) was an American Pentecostal evangelist and self-described "seeing prophet" and mystic in the late 1960s and 1970s. Despite (or because of) his hippie appearance and being a man who struggled with homosexuality, Frisbee had notable success as a minister and evangelist. Contemporary accounts attributed his accomplishments to his incredible anointing of the Holy Spirit. Frisbee was a key figure in the Jesus Movement and eyewitness accounts of his ministry documented in the 2007 Emmy-nominated film Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher explain how Lonnie became the charismatic spark igniting the rise of two worldwide denominations (Chuck Smith's Calvary Chapel and the Vineyard Movement). It was said that he was not one of the hippie preachers, "there was one." ... Jesus movement, Calvary Chapel: Frisbee and his wife had left the [Christian] commune of the House of Acts [near San Francisco] to go to Southern California. Chuck Smith, meanwhile, had been making plans to build a chapel out of a surplus school building in the City of Santa Ana, near Costa Mesa when he met Lonnie Frisbee. Lonnie and his wife Connie joined the fledgling Calvary Chapel congregation and Smith was struck by Lonnie's charisma, "I was not at all prepared for the love that this young man would radiate." Frisbee's attachment to the charismatic Pentecostal style caused some disagreement within the church since he seemed focused more on gaining converts and experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit than on teaching newer converts Biblical doctrine. Chuck Smith, however, took up that job and welcomed Frisbee into his church. Frisbee's appearance helped appeal to hippies and those interested in youth culture, and he believed that the youth culture would play a prominent role in the Christian movement in the United States. He cited Joel the prophet and remained upbeat despite what the young couple saw as unbalanced treatment as Frisbee was never paid for his work yet another person was hired full-time as Smith's assistant. Under Frisbee's ministry his most visible convert was evangelist Greg Laurie whom he mentored and has since gone on to establish Harvest Christian Fellowship, the eighth largest church in America with over 15,000 members. Frisbee became one of the most important ministers in the church when on 17 May 1968 Smith put the young couple in charge of the Costa Mesa rehab house called "The House of Miracles" with John Higgins and his wife Jackie, within a week it had 35 new converts. Lonnie led the Wednesday night Bible study which soon became the central night for the church attracting thousands. The House of Miracles grew into a series of nineteen communal houses that later migrated to Oregon to form Shiloh Youth Revival Centers, the largest and one of the longest lasting of the Jesus People communal groups which had 100,000 members and 175 communal houses spread across North America. This may have been the largest Christian communal group in US history. [article link]
Lonnie Frisbee and Chuck Smith [1968-1971] - from the DVD The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher (YouTube) Lonnie Frisbee meets Chuck Smith and together the two men shepherd Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa into a new
spiritual revival. -- DVD available at www.lonniefrisbee.com [article link]
DVD The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher [Lonnie Frisbee] - TRAILER 1 (YouTube) Frisbee recounts the life of a radical hippie turned Christian evangelist whose call into the ministry came while involved in the Laguna Beach homosexual scene. Even though he was the spark who propelled two of the largest evangelical denominations in the last thirty years into existence, he was treated with contempt throughout his career because of his sexuality. What do you do when the Jesus freak who starts your church dies from AIDS? Simple. Erase him from history. [article link]
Part 3 - Replacing the True (Free) Christian Church with a False (Bondage) NWO Church: Churches like Chrystal Cathedral (Robert H. Schuller), Calvary Chapel (Chuck Smith, Brian Broderson), First Baptist Church of Woodstock, GA (Johnny Hunt), Liberty University (Jerry Falwell Jr.) have gone through extensive employee layoffs and shifts in recent times These Church 'disorder' replacements of pastors and staff employees, whether through leadership changes (i.e. Brian Broderson) or financial crisis or crises, either perceived (Church of Woodstock) or real (Chrystal Cathedral) are having the very real and intended results of rapidly removing a once solid Christian base and replacing it with a new and now solid Emergent Church [i.e. Ergun Caner] - NWO - New Age, or even a Satanic base of church staff members, instructors and pastors. With the very real and intended result of stripping the True Christian Church of its [Gospel] identity and of any safety net that might have been in place for any Christians in need of actual ministry, counseling or any of a variety of support, assistance and aid programs. [article link]
{Highly Recommended!!} Pirate Christian Radio: • [Pastor] Mac Brunson Says America is Being Judged Because Christians Aren't Tithing {Note: Christians aren't under the law - or at least we are not supposed to be - unless some unscrupulous person is trying to put us [under their own law] and in bondage for their own personal agenda and own personal financial gain! - It's also very interesting that the [Pastors] demanding Tithes are the same Pastors who repeatedly refuse their obligation to openly disclose their Church's financial statements. Also Note: It's completely irresponsible on our part to donate [money, time, resources, etc.] to some man's private ministry without our having complete access to ALL financial records. So in this case and others, Bankruptcy isn't a bad thing as these Mega Churches are already Morally Bankrupt and probably shouldn't even try to be in the Business of Preaching the free Gospel of Jesus Christ!} (Mp3 - Download link is on the Main page) [Saul] The Rebel King -- • Mac Brunson Says America is Being Judged Because Christians Aren't Tithing • Is Perry Noble Qualified to be a Pastor to Pastors? • Sermon Review: [Saul] The Rebel King by Pastor Gervaise Nicholas Edward Charmley --[article link]
Robert Schuller [Sr.] Pleads for Troubled (Bankrupt) Crystal Cathedral - Robert H. Schuller , who is trying to pull his California megachurch from bankruptcy protection, pleaded with his congregation for help Sunday - "If you are a tither, *become a double-tither [where is that in the Bible?]. If you are not a tither, become a tither. This ministry has earned {but now with (too many scams) has lost} your trust. This ministry has earned your help" The Crystal Cathedral, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week, will likely spend the coming weeks trying to restructure its staggering debt {The teaching that Christians are supposed to Tithe to some man's ministry is a modern myth and a completely false teaching at that! Tithing was of the Jewish Old Testament Law and Jesus fulfilled the law, *freeing us from the law, yet many like the Schullers [Robert Sr. and daughter Sheila] want to put Christians back under the law and specifically the excessive 'bondage' of Tithing simply for their own personal [primarily financial] gain. -- "Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith [Jesus] Christ hath made us free [from the O.T. law and into a N.T. relationship with God], and be not entangled
again with [i.e. tithing] the yoke of bondage."} "Budgets could not be cut fast enough to keep up with the unprecedented rapid decline in revenue due to the recession," Senior Pastor Sheila Schuller Coleman said in a statement. Services and programs at the landmark church will continue, including the "Hour of Power" TV program, she said. The beleaguered glass cathedral canceled its "Glory of Easter" for the first time this year and could be forced to cancel its popular Christmas spectacular next month. The pageants, which charged up to $45 admission, drew thousands of people. "It was a very big production," said Juliet Noriega, the wardrobe manager for the pageants, who claims she is owed more than $11,000. In a statement , Schuller Coleman said the bankruptcy filing was necessary because a small number of creditors chose to file lawsuits and obtained court-ordered writs to attach the church's bank accounts and assets in an attempt to get paid immediately. ... The church's money troubles have forced it to lay off 140 people in the past year, halve its "Hour of Power" air time and even dismiss its orchestra and professional choir singers, church officials have said. The church choir is now made entirely up of volunteers. In May, the church sold land donated by a San Juan Capistrano couple for $22.5 million. ... The cathedral decided to file for Chapter 11 only after some of its creditors sued for payment, according to church officials. Hundreds of creditors could be owed between $50 million and $100 million, according to documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Its largest creditors include several television stations. The iconic church was founded by the Rev. Robert H. Schuller in a rented drive-in movie theater in 1955 and came to prominence through the "Hour of Power" television show, which reaches millions of viewers. ... At a news conference, Schuller recalled her father's popular proverb, "Tough times never last, but tough people do." She stressed that the church's "message of hope will continue." Schuller did not return phone calls seeking comment. [article link]
WSJ: [Mega Church] Crystal Cathedral's Cracks Show in Bankruptcy Filing [after - The younger Schuller [Robert A. Schuller] (preaching an Excellent Gospel Message) was removed as (Crystal Cathedral) President in November 2008 when the division between (NWO) father and (Christian) son became significant enough to adversely affect the corporation [a.k.a. Crystal Cathedral] the elder Dr. Schuller [Robert H. Schuller] built Answers.com] - The Crystal Cathedral church in Garden Grove, Calif., filed for bankruptcy protection [October 18, 2010] amid $48 million in debt - The church's filing lists 550 (unpaid) creditors How the 55-year-old church will survive is another matter. The ministry, founded by Mr. Schuller in 1955 in rented space at a drive-in theater, now owes $12 million to creditors and holds a $36 million mortgage with Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach, Calif. The church was roiled by leadership changes after the abrupt departure in 2008 of Mr. Schuller's son as head pastor. Mr. Schuller's daughter, Sheila Schuller Coleman, now presides as pastor. Mr. Schuller, 84, preaches occasionally. "The period of unsettled leadership caused some...to leave the ministry, resulting in reduced revenue for an organization that exists primarily on donations," court documents say. [article link]
Religious workers denied jobless benefits - Earlier this year, a survey by the National Association of Church Business Administration showed that 32 percent of responding U.S. churches were having economy-related difficulties, up from 14% in August - 20% said they had laid off staff - Benefits are available only to people whose employers paid the unemployment tax - It was a hard way to learn that under Virginia law, as in many states, including Georgia, tax exemptions for religious organizations include freedom from paying unemployment taxes - "If they leave the church, they won't be covered, and that is a shock for many churches" he said {Note: The Churches not paying an individual's unemployment tax and therefore denying unemployment benefits to people is a real bondage the Church has over its employees - no wonder so many employees and Churches are so quickly and so easily going along with a co-opted NWO agenda, because they have too, the church owns them and that's the way the modern protestant church wants it.} VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - God may provide, but the state may not when it comes to unemployment benefits for employees laid off by churches and other religious groups. Carol Bronson discovered that a few months ago
after she lost her secretarial job at Temple Emanuel synagogue in Virginia Beach. Bronson assumed she could draw unemployment benefits, but when she filed a claim, she was denied. It was a hard way to learn that under Virginia law, as in many states, including Georgia, tax exemptions for religious organizations include freedom from paying unemployment taxes, though the IRS requires they pay Social Security and withholding taxes. "I had no idea that there would not be any benefits for me after leaving my job," said Bronson, who worked at the synagogue for two years. She's since found a job with a wholesale flower market. Budget cuts, including layoffs, are one way religious groups are coping with slashed income from investments or contributions. Earlier this year, a survey by the National Association of Church Business Administration showed that 32 percent of responding U.S. churches were having economy-related difficulties, up from 14 percent in August. Twenty percent said they had laid off staff. For workers who are left jobless, unemployment benefits are a big piece of the social safety net. In Virginia, payments range from $54 to $378 weekly. Benefits are available only to people whose employers paid the unemployment tax. Not every state bars unemployment compensation to employees of religious groups. In New York, employees whose work is not religious in nature, such as a cook or a secretary, are entitled to benefits, and their employer must pay the state unemployment tax, said Karen Williamson of the New York Department of Labor. [article link]
{Flashback} SBC [2010] must build its Great Commission legacy [through humble individual service to Jesus Christ and not by donations or money tithed or given to SBC principals especially in the form of thinly veiled pleas and slightly disguised threats (i.e. pastors will be laid off -- and the True faithful Christian Pastors are being laid off in multitudes while fake NWO pastors are then being brought in to replace them [this is happening in every profession i.e. teaching, religion, politics, law, business, banking, government] in requesting additional finances 'In difficult economic times' as Pastor David Uth seems to be doing], Uth says {Note: Money, pride and paid (professional) Charity work seldom mix very well and Christianity in the image of Jesus Christ is the essence of Humble Servant Charity Work. We need to be humble and be about the true reconciliation work of Jesus Christ and often that means being only in charge of ourselves and having authority only over ourselves and not having a staff, an expense account and not even having status within society all while we individually and collectively labor lovingly in God's Kingdom the True and Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ.} ORLANDO (FBW)-The Southern Baptist Convention sits at a crucial point in history when it must recommit to building a legacy of obedience to the Great Commission, David Uth, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando, said *June 13 [Satanic signature] at the SBC Pastor's Conference. "There comes a point where we say, 'This is where we want to go. This is what we want life to look like. This is what we want our legacy to be,'" Uth said. "And I really believe this convention is the defining moment for us that will determine that legacy." Preaching from Acts 20, Uth said a godly denominational legacy must include living out the Great Commission rather than merely discussing it. "As Southern Baptists, we have been saying a lot about the Great Commission all of our history," he said. "We have been saying a lot about this kind of a legacy. But at some point, saying is not enough." Uth listed three steps Southern Baptists must take in order to build a legacy that glorifies God. First, they must walk with humility. "Southern Baptists, we're not all that. We need to honor and glorify the One from whom all blessings flow. We are not all that," Uth said. "One of the things that has broken my heart is to hear people talk about their ministry and people talk about their church. People talk about this and that, 'We did this. We did that. We did this.' Let me tell you, if you've done anything worthwhile of eternal value, you didn't do it. Your Father granted it from heaven. Give Him glory." Second, they must shed tears over the lostness in the world. While Southern Baptists cry over votes that don't go their way and derailed personal ambitions, many have stopped crying over non-Christians who are on the path to hell, Uth said. Yet the multitudes who do not know Jesus should be among the greatest causes of tears, he said. ... Third, Southern Baptists must fulfill their ministry despite trials. In difficult economic times, churches and denominational entities are being forced to cut budgets, he said. In fact, First Baptist Orlando recently cut six pastoral staff members. But fulfilling the Great Commission is worth the pain of budget cuts, he said. "The church does not exist to employ people. It exists to reach the nations for God's glory. And if I could just be so bold to say, the
Southern Baptist Convention does not exist to employ people. It exists to reach the nations for the glory of God. And it just might be we have to do hard things," he said. Through any trial, Jesus is enough to sustain those who are following Him, Uth said. [article link]
{Flashback} ABP Opinion: 1st reaction to Great Commission Resurgence, 2nd verse - My strategy to encourage churches to higher CP (Cooperative Program) giving is this: Demonstrated commitment to CP from those who lead the Southern Baptist Convention - SBC president Johnny Hunt [after just laying off several Pastors and staff members at his church], who has pledged to double his church's CP (Cooperative Program) giving this year to about $900,000 {Note: This is a deliberate plan to take money away from the local Church authority [and local Church work] by donating it upstream [instead of downstream to needier Churches and causes] to some vague, vapid [non-Christian] national-international (secular) and fraudulent causes i.e. Rick Warren's purpose driven agendas and the New Apostolic Reformation and their upstream donations to their main church offices and to a select few (possibly non-Christian, infiltrated) directors, presidents and staff members.} If the SBC is to adopt a new mission statement -- and such adoption should be considered a huge undertaking -- what is the statement it replaces? The SBC was formed in 1845, according to our founding documents, for the "purpose of carrying into effect the benevolent intention of our constituents by organizing a plan for eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the denomination for the propagation of the gospel." The purpose of our convention, according to Article II of our bylaws, is "to provide a general organization for Baptists in the United States and its territories for the promotion of Christian missions at home and abroad and any other objects such as Christian education, benevolent enterprises, and social services which it may deem proper and advisable for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God." Are a "purpose" and a "mission statement" the same thing? If the proposed mission statement is an add-on, it can be enthusiastically endorsed. If it is to change the purpose statement of the convention, it needs far more serious consideration than to be the first of seven recommendations from a task force formed for a different purpose entirely. The task force still wants to dilute the Cooperative Program by making it the "first and primary component" of something they would call Great Commission Giving. The progress report in February basically would have taken any responsibility for Cooperative Program promotion and "returned" it to the state conventions. The new version still doesn't recognize that the states have always had primary responsibility for CP promotion and it urges the SBC Executive Committee to work with state conventions to form a "unified strategy with clearly established goals" by 2013. My strategy to encourage churches to higher CP giving is this: Demonstrated commitment to CP from those who lead the Southern Baptist Convention. SBC president Johnny Hunt, who has pledged to double his church's CP giving this year to about $900,000, rightly reminded the editors that no one responds positively to criticism. You can't get someone to do more of something by emphasizing how little of it they currently do. He reminded us that "thousands" of churches that claim SBC affiliation give nothing to CP -- and the six-percent average church CP commitment would be much smaller if not for the large dollar amounts churches like his provide. [article link]
Update {Scroll Down for Updates}: Before I begin to post again - I just want to recap a few items and I feel the need to reiterate the purpose and servant [service] oriented aspect of the Basic Christian Ministry - Because sadly some people want to portray internet bloggers as frustrated, or 2nd class, or something else all because they don't understand the value and intentions of internet [Christian fellowship] blogging I spent most of the last week visiting [doing some upkeep] at my Mom's [my Dad passed away this past spring]. My Mom and I wanted to go to Church [with a friend and neighbor of my Mom's] and by coincidence her neighbor is now attending the old Church where my Mom used to attend [for a couple of years] and took me and my sisters to while we were really young [I was about 2 years - 4 years old]. I have few memories of that old Church [I certainly wasn't saved there and probably few people are] but I have a few memories and while I was sitting in the service this last week I had several thoughts but primarily I was just so grateful for the
personal relationship I have with Jesus Christ [something that as a small child I though was impossible to have] and also how grateful I am for the opportunity of the Basic Christian ministry to post Christian material and information on the internet for others to use and enjoy in their own relationship with God. -- In 1996-1998 I attended a two year ministry school [under Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, CA] that was primarily geared towards future pastors but I applied to [and graduated] the school in my then current ministry capacity as a volunteer counselor [a volunteer counselor at a pro-life family clinic] and not as a pastor or even as a future pastor. -- The Basic Christian Ministry this coming spring will celebrate 10 amazing years of on-line internet ministry. The first two documents electronically published (posted) were the Jesus Walk 10 Day Easter Timeline Devotion [2001 version] and the 132 Topics of Basic Christian: Theology. Then the first articles were 'Biblical Proof that Jesus is God' followed by the posting of the previously researched 'The 7 Miracles of Jesus in the Gospel of John'. With these early postings [2001-2003] I felt at the time that the ministry had already reached [most] of its ministry goals and that any future ministry up until now has primarily been a sort of a wonderful, beyond my expectations, bonus opportunity. -- This past Sunday I also realized that I am completely dedicated to internet ministry and to providing internet resources and look forward to the next decade of internet ministry service. A decade that will provide many more advances and innovations in the Basic Christian ministry as the ministry begins [starting late next year] to transition away from the text postings of today and into video postings drawn and refined from all of the current Basic Christian material. [article link]
Part 1 - Introduction: Exposing the Modern Church It's true that there is a hidden NWO agenda [now more visible and more widely known to the public] and it's understandable that secular groups [i.e. UN, Think Tanks, Universities, CIA, Skull & Bones, etc.] would seek to impose a secular [ultimately Satanic] rule of order among all people and all Nations - But what is completely unacceptable is that so many in the Church movement [i.e. Chuck Smith, Dave Hunt, Norman Geisler, Jerry Falwell Jr., Rick Warren, John Piper, John MacArthur, Lee Strobel, R.C. Sproul, Brian Broderson, Ergun and Emir Caner, etc. ] would so actively participate and join in an emergent Antichristian/Antichrist movement [of deliberate lies and deceit formed against the true Christian Church] to the extent that it is now completely reasonable to question whether (since 9-11-2001) they are any longer or [in some cases] ever were Christians? [article link]
Part 2 - Occult Signatures: The [NWO] occult communicates in a separate hidden but open manner that attempts [often successfully] to reveal their true intentions and identities to other occult groups but is generally masked to the general public Occult (Satanic) signatures that are now commonly and widely used within the Christian Church -- the number 13 [or the reverse 31] as conference dates, numbers of topics or speakers, etc. Using Latin (Roman Catholic) names in Protestant ministries i.e. Norman Geislers 'Veritas' (Latin for truth) Seminary [V - a Hebrew 6 - is also considered occult - the number of fallen man] and Chuck Smith's 'Calvary' (Latin for skull) Chapel i.e. Skull (Satan's) Chapel [Pastor Chuck Smith might have been purposefully looking for a Satanic Signature in his 1965 move from his Riverside, CA ministry to the existing Calvary Chapel - Costa Mesa, CA fellowship]. - Other occult signatures include using a B&W bio photo as in the movie 'The Wizard of Oz' where reality, real life was portrayed in dull B&W while color was reserved only for the alternate Oz occult realm. Use of highly occult influenced bible translations notably the occult bible version NKJV. [article link]
Welcome to *Veritas Evangelical Seminary [use of a horned (Satanic) *V] Online (VESO) where students may enroll and complete their external study courses online or check your residential course pages from anywhere in the world Welcome to Veritas Evangelical Seminary Online (VESO) where students may enroll and complete their external study courses online or check your residential course pages from anywhere in the world. VESO also offers those enrolled in specific courses the opportunity to interact with others in the course, including your professor. This
is accomplished by clicking on the specific course title on the left of your browser screen. In addition, faculty and students may discuss, interact, and build each other up in the Lord! Feel free to explore the VESO Forum where your written posts and questions may be read and replied to by others in the VES family. There is also a chat option where you can engage in real time communication with others that happen to be on line. [article link]
Codex Magica: V - Victory for the Devil - Sign of the Horned God, Pan (Satan) - The Complete Book of Witchcraft3 explains further the occult meaning - When the [V] sign is given to produce a shadow behind, a diabolical image appears that seems to be the face of the devil - Witches and Magicians -and some Catholic Popes -used this image to effect emotional response [V] A Symbol of Wrath and Destruction: The "V" sign as displayed by the hand is also used by Illuminists in the form of the letter V with two straight lines angled to meet at a point facing downward. It becomes a V device, or chevron, and has been adopted for the uniforms of military troops of some countries. Resembling a downward pointing triangle with the top line open or omitted symbolizes fiery destruction and wrath on the object at which it is pointed. About 12 years ago, a few Satan worshippers arrived secretly in the darkness at my ministry building and evidently carried out a ritual. For many months we had received anonymous telephone threats, so were not surprised. On the concrete porch near our front door, the vandals had scratched a "V" pointing to the entrance, and there were signs of candle use and the burning of objects. Here we see the fantastic beliefs by occultists that their rituals create reality. -- Triple 6 or 666: As we have previously seen, the Jewish cabala is at the root of most wicked systems of magic. The cabala (or Kabbalah) is the fount of doctrine for Freemasonry and for many other secret societies. We can expect, therefore, that the "V" sign is also emphasized by the rabbinical priests of cabalism. And in fact, we find that the rabbis teach that the meaning of the Hebrew letter for V (Vau) is "Nail," and nail is a secret title for Satan. (Its corrupt meaning comes from the nails driven into the hands of Jesus crucified.) Vau, or V, is the sixth letter in the Hebrew alphabet [6 the number of man - fallen mankind], and, of course, the Book of Revelation reveals that the name of the beast, or AntiChrist, is coded with the number of triple 6, or 666. [article link]
calvarycic.org: Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa [B&W bio photo] - Gayle Erwin The Man, The Myth [in cartoon caricature] Calvary Chapel Iowa City Church Vision: The emphasis of our church is to make mature disciples of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission commands in Matthew 28:20 that we are to be "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." We are doing the very same things that have been done for nearly 2000 years. In Acts 2:42, Luke tells us that the early church was continuing steadfastly in the teaching of God's Word, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2:46 tells us that they were praising God and verse 47 it tells us that "the Lord added to His church daily those who were being saved." Our hope and prayer is to win the lost to Christ, disciple and grow them into mature Christians. We desire believers that God can and will use as His vessels of honor, His workmanship created for good works and for His pleasure. [article link]
John Macarthur [B&W bio photo] John Macarthur is my favorite preacher for a few reasons. First, it is his unwavering defense of Truth; Second, his consistent life; and Third, his consistent theology to let the text of scripture speak for itself. The message I used in this sermon jam ("rekindling your love for Christ") I have probably listened to 20 times…and yes it is still one of my favorite messages out there. If any of you would like access to all of Macarthur's preaching messages for free visit www.gty.org/. [article link]
Ergun Caner [B&W bio photo] The Southern Baptist minister who leads Liberty University's seminary made a career as a go-to authority on
Islam for the evangelical world, selling thousands of books and touring the country as a former Muslim who discovered Jesus Christ. Now Ergun Caner is being investigated by the Lynchburg, Va., university - founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell - over allegations that he fabricated or embellished his past. [article link]
Rick Warren on the cover of Time Magazine [B&W color tones, bio photo] - Rick Warren makes use of multiple B&W photos as well as multiple [cartoon caricature] depictions of himself and his ministry The Internet is abuzz about author and pastor Rick Warren being temporarily blinded by firestick plant sap. Rick was pruning a firestick plant in his yard when he got some of the sap on his hands. According to publicist A. Larry Ross, "He went to wipe his brow and immediately experienced excruciating pain in both eyes." The sap of the Firestick plant, or Euphorbia tirucalli, is corrosive and extremely toxic. [article link]
PASTOR BRIAN BRODERSON [B&W color tones, bio photo] Associate Pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa "Anything that will help Christian people get more into the word and more out of the word is bound to be a great blessing. This book will do just that. Andy has done a fantastic job of laying out numerous options for Bible Study. I'm sure there's a method here that will be helpful for most everyone who is serious about growing in the Lord through his word." [article link]
Update: After the Break - The Basic Christian Ministry is going to respond [with a 10 part investigation article] into the wholesale manipulation and fraud that is taking place within the current greater Christian Church movement - Regarding both the fraud and wholesale manipulation [a deliberate convergence of the Church, Emerging Church and the New Age agenda] that just occurred during the 2010 Desiring God conference and also of the related fraud that is about to take place in the coming Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa - 2010 Apologetics Conference [November 5-6, 2010] -- Coming Soon: Exposing Chuck Smith - The Calvary Chapel Fraud - A 10 Part Investigation!!! The Christian Church body as a whole after having just endured the unjust and unethical manipulations of the Dr. John Piper (Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis) - Dr. Rick Warren (Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, California - SBC Affiliated) 2010 Desiring God fiasco, now the greater Evangelical Church is expected to be forced to endure yet another conference of fraud, lies and deceit - this time it is the 2010 Apologetics Conference by Dr. Norman Geisler's Veritas Seminary (Murrieta, California) featuring the discredited (SBC Affiliated) [Liberty University - professor] Ergun Caner and is being hosted at the Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, Sr. Pastor Chuck Smith. [article link]
{Flashback} Note: The Basic Christian Info Feed is going to begin to transition out of the Summer 2010 Discernment [events] postings and into the Fall 2010 Bible Studies: "The Fall Feasts of Israel" (Second Coming events of Jesus Christ), "Human accountability and the ***Three Biblical Judgments" [Water, Blood and Fire (Spirit)], "The Vagabond Priesthood," and "The 8 Kingdoms of the World" studies Also Note: Throughout the remainder of August there are going to be a few more pauses and breaks to the postings and then by early September a new posting routine with the Bible Studies should be getting established. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
ChristianPost.com: Rick Warren Prepares Saddleback [in Twitter postings referred to as 'the church'] for Decade of Blessings - "I want the next ten years of your life to be the best 10 years of your life," Pastor Rick Warren told church attendees {Note: is Pastor Rick Warren acting as a deliberate agent of disinformation (Judges 4:19-21) regarding his purposed 'Decade of Blessing'. At the very, most perilous [post 9/11/2001] time in modern history Rick Warren want's Christians to be self-centered on [warm milk] fanciful blessings and not engaged in
the End Time reality [abundant deception] that is all around us and is threating to engulf us.} Saddleback Church in Southern California is kicking off its "Decade of Destiny" this weekend in an effort to prepare the mega-congregation to receive showers of God's blessings. "I want the next ten years of your life to be the best 10 years of your life," Pastor Rick Warren told church attendees. "I want you to be more blessed and less stressed. I want God's blessing ... on every area of your life." The Decade of Destiny is a two-month spiritual growth campaign that is aimed at moving Christians forward in their faith walk. Warren acknowledged that as their pastor, the Bible holds him accountable for the congregants' spiritual growth. "I don't take that lightly," the well-known megachurch pastor said. Along with helping believers come to a position of being "blessable," the campaign will also lead the church to be a blessing to the community. "God blesses you so you can be a blessing to others, not just so you can be some fat cat and self-centered," Warren highlighted. The Decade of Destiny campaign was first announced during Saddleback Church's 30th anniversary celebration in April. Over the next ten years, the church of some 22,000 weekly attendees will enhance its programs and operations and expand its campuses and small groups. By the end of this year, the megachurch plans to have 10 different Saddleback locations in Southern California. In preparation for the campaign, Warren studied every verse in the Bible that speaks of God's blessing. [article link]
How Good is Good Enough? (YouTube) This is the Christian message of how sinful man is graciously and mercifully reconciled to God. How well does this line up with the messages presented last weekend at the LDS General Conference? -- "From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ [in person] according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be [our] sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 [article link]
APPRISING MINISTRIES, RICK WARREN, & TWITTER - And by looking here at this Google cache link I was sent, the retweet look as if it shows up without any prior tweet from which to repost - This same [Twitter] quote is on Rick Warren's Facebook page as well {Note: apparently Pastor Rick Warren authored a despicable, mean spirited Twitter tweet intending to harass and intimidate three Christian bloggers who have called into question Rick Warrens intentions within the Christian Church. Rick Warren then fraudulently wrote a Twitter Tweet as though he was receiving a retweet (RT) from another person attempting to mask himself as the original source of the offending tweet. However, Warren apparently forgot that his tweets are set up to also post to his Facebook page and as the originator of the deceptive tweet it displayed on Rick Warrens Facebook page as one of his numerous regular Twitter postings. -- In light of this deliberate act of fraud, deceit and intimidation this is a DIRECT REQUEST that Saddleback Church launch an investigation into conduct and actions of their abusive lead Pastor Rick Warren. -- It is certainly viable that at this time Pastor Rick Warren should take a leave of absence from all Pastor duties and should even resign as Pastor of Saddleback Church.} It's no secret that the online apologetics and discernment work Apprising Ministries is a leading critic of Rick Warren of the highly influential Saddleback Church who, like me, is a pastor within the Southern Baptist Convention. One of my writers over at Christian Research Network made me aware today of the following tweet, which would appear to be from Rick Warren: It struck me rather odd. However, initially my attention was also drawn to something called ApprisingMin, which apparently tried to pass itself off as being the Twitter account for this labor in the Lord. While perusing it, I would hope that people would be able to tell this is not me; say what you will about my style, this quite obviously is not it. The fact is, though there are those who have
suggested it, at this time Apprising Ministries is not on Twitter at all; and certainly not as something else called DespisingMin. ... Well, since Rick Warren exhorts me, then I guess I'd best keep right on speaking, as I certainly don't want to "be bluffed into silence" by [Rick Warren or] any [other] "religious bullies." After-all, he is America's favorite Mega-pastor. [article link]
Rick Warren: Quarreling is for Fools! You want to see a prime example of [Rick Warren] hypocrisy? Keep reading… Now notice something here - At first blush it looks like this is a retweet of someone else's tweet - But, with the question mark in front of the "RT," it becomes clear that this wasn't a retweet, but a direct tweet from Warren himself - It looks like Warren wanted this to appear like a retweet, but as of now, this tweet has been found to have originated on Rick Warren's Twitter page - He also posted it on his Facebook page As you may already know, Rick Warren was the keynote at John Piper's recent Desiring God Conference. This caused a major backlash on Piper. Many people called Piper out for inviting Warren, and for also saying that Warren is Biblically and theologically sound. Many questioned this decision, and rightly so! It would take too long to go into now, but Warren's Purpose Driven theology has done great and substantial damage to the church. ... Well, apparently Rick Warren didn't like that too much, so he struck out at Rosebrough, Ken Silva (of Apprising Ministries), and Ingrid Schlueter (of Crosstalk America and Crosstalk Blog). So, like a true, mature adult, the Purpose Driven Pope took to his Twitter account and tweeted: ... I love it! Rick Warren is letting his true colors show. He can't stand criticism and lashes out at those who would dare take him to task for teaching false doctrine. Warren's own words indict him, wouldn't you say? Comments: Warren has proven himself again to be a wolf. ... Rick Warren. The finest example of an angel of light lurking in the church today. John Piper was cut from the same filthy rag. Jude and Peter speak of such men "to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever". Follow such men at the peril of your soul and it's eternal destiny. Acts 4:12 [article link]
No Compromise Radio Appearance - Rick Warren's presentation at the DG Conference - Very painful - Here's the program (Mp3) 10/07/2010 - James White - I was forced at gunpoint to join Mike Abendroth (one of the nefarious and widely feared Abendroth Brothers Gang) on his No Compromise Radio Program today. What was worse, he forced me to listen to Rick Warren's presentation at the DG Conference. Very painful. 350 pithy platitudes strung together on citations of the Message and the Living Bible interspersed with psychology and repeated references to how uber cool Saddleback is. But, I listened, because I was forced to! And then Mike made me go on the air and give a report! It was a traumatic experience, but I got through it. Someday I will return the favor and force Mike to race me up South Mountain. Here's the program. [article link]
RE: Twitter -- Rick Warren Responds to Crosstalk (host - Ingrid Schlueter) and Friends [TWEET: ? RT @ApprisingMin @DespisingMin KenS&Ingred saw Veggie Tale movie "Pirates who don't Do anything" expecting a bio of Chris (Rosebrough)] (YouTube - Song: "Pirates who don't Do anything") {Note: Apparently this very mean spirited and nasty Tweet by Pastor Rick Warren is in reference to a previous comment by mean spirited [LU - Liberty University] flunky Ergun Caner who recently referred to 'discernment' Apologetics Ministry bloggers as people who live in their basements and don't do anything. Also it is in reference to the recent Rick Warren [video] monologue and his excruciatingly unbearable [be like Rick W.] diatribe at this years' Desiring God Conference about how Rick Warren is single handedly saving the world [along with a few of the folks that are in the know at Saddleback], something not even Jesus could do according to Rick W. and according to Rick W. everyone should strive to be like Rick W. and well that wimpy Jesus forget about Him, says Rick Warren because Rick has read more books and tithed more money and authored more books and sold more books and been invited to speak at more places than Jesus could ever have hoped to have accomplished [not mentioning the Holy Spirit or the Apostles of course].} Rick Warren apparently was made aware of our recent Crosstalk program on his speech to the Islamic Society
of North American Conference back in 2009. Joe Kaufman, author of the Frontpage Magazine story, Rick Warren: A Shill for Terror, was the guest that day on the program and reported on the terror connections of at least three of the speakers who shared the platform at the same conference. Given the gravity of the issues addressed on the program: Rick Warren's name and photo being allowed to stay at the ISNA website as a speaker and the Jesus-free, gospel-free presentation he gave to the Muslims in attendance, it would be hoped that a leader of Mr. Warren's stature would give an equally serious response or rebuttal to what was said. You can see Mr. Warren's response here on Twitter. No commentary is needed. (Warren refers to me (Ingrid), Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries and Chris Rosebrough of Fighting for the Faith. The Veggie Tale clip can be seen here.) [article link]
[LU's] Ergun Caner Retaliates: Bloggers are "Frustrated People in their Basement" and "It Takes More than Edited Videos to Bring me Down" - Yesterday, Ergun Caner apparently decided to do what he told his church a few weeks ago that he would not do: he has decided to "take the bait and retaliate" The Lynchburg News and Advance reported this morning that yesterday at a Bristol, VA prayer breakfast Caner addressed the Liberty University investigation, downplayed the seriousness of the allegations, took a swipe at his blogger critics, and basically said "any pastor in America" would be in trouble for lying if they listend to 200 hours of their sermons. This sickens me. If you ever thought Caner was repentant for his 8 1/2 years of perpetual exaggerations to congregations all over the United States about his past, you were wrong. I will admit, I was wrong. At least Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker had the sense to appear as though they were repentant. Swaggart at least shed a few public tears and looked to the heavens and declared he had sinned. Not Caner. He is full steam ahead, attack the critics, mischaracterize the allegations that led to his dismissal as seminary president, and to top it all off, he feels compelled to brush all pastors to be just like him. Shameless, shameless, shameless. Thank you Liberty University and Jonathan Falwell - you have created this monster by mishandling this entire fiasco. You waited to investigate until the main stream media got involved. You poohpoohed the bloggers' claims until the press realized we were telling the truth. Then and only then did you do an investigation, but then refused to release any the investigative committee report findings, and simply slapped him on the wrist and kept him at your university. He now will use his position as "Professor at Liberty University" to continue his speaking circuit - and while he may tone down his rhetoric of being "raised in Europe" and learning of America from Turkish television - it seems he is content to use his engagements to mischaracterize what has happened in 2010 that led to his dismissal to rehabilitate his image and keep the gravy train rolling. ... It is too bad that Caner is going this route. I don't know why he did not just come out after his month-long haitus following his dismissal as seminary president and make a blanket confession of exaggerations and ask for people to forgive him, and then move on. Instead it seems the approach is to take pot shots here and there at his critics, paint himself as a victim of frustrated bloggers out to "take him down", to continue to use congregations and speaking engagements to defend himself, and mischaracterize what happend this year. Perhaps he has every intention of still telling his stories - after all, yesterday at Bristol he rolled out the 'ole "Jesus died on a cross so I didn't have to strap a bomb on myself" routine. ... All I had to do was go through 0.75 hours, Ergun, when you came to First Baptist Jacksonville in November 2001, and lied to us about your past to convince us that you were a trained terrorist who was in Islamic Jihad, trained in Europe. That has nothing to do with your kids' names or dates. It has to do with you misleading us about your past, and who you were, which helped to create a caricature of yourself as a former terrorist trained in Europe in Islamic Jihad. And you still haven't apologized to the people of First Baptist Jacksonville for your lies in our pulpit in 2001 that helped launch you to SBC-stardom. I hope you have at least privately apologized to Jerry Vines, who sat behind you nodding and amening as you lied to our congregation that morning. And Ergun, you're wrong about other pastors. None of my pastors - none of them - have ever lied to me about where they were raised, or born, or when they learned English, etc. None, not one, ever. Pastors, I hope you appreciate Caner trying to lump you all into one category as being liars just waiting for disgruntled bloggers to dig up your lies. Sad that
to defend himself, he is content in dragging his cohorts down to his level. Shame on you, Ergun. [article link]
Purpose Drivel [Pastor Rick Warren - Unhinged]: Rick Warren takes public [Twitter] swipe at his critics and NAMES NAMES - Rick Warren has shown his true colors this morning [Friday 10/08/2010], taking a swipe at Ken Silva, Ingrid Schlueter, and *Chris Rosebrough all in one fell tweet Rick Warren has shown his true colors this morning, taking a swipe at Ken Silva, Ingrid Schlueter, and Chris Rosebrough all in one fell tweet (retweeted supposedly from one of his supporters, who uses the fake "ApprisingMin") Apprising Min is a moniker that is used to try and mock and discredit Ken Silva. This is much like when Richard Abanes, former music ministry member at Saddleback, and un-official ankle biter for Rick, created a parody site for Ingrid's Slice of Laodicea blog, calling it Slice of Laodicea Church. He even made it look almost exactly like hers. Don't any of these people have an original idea? ... Rick has protected his tweets but if you go to his main page you can scroll back and find it, at least until he becomes embarrassed enough to delete it. The time stamp is approximately 10-7-2010 about 3:30pm give or take. (estimating from the '19 hours ago' that currently shows on the twitter feed as I write this). Even I must admit, attacking those who would call you to repentance in 140 characters or less takes some talent and creativity and innovation. But Rick tops them all by managing to attack THREE of his critics at once within the Twitter parameters! I think that must deserve a trophy of some sort to put in his umpty thousand book library. Since he is so keen on mentioning all his good works in every public appearance (his tithing is now up to 91 percent, I'll have you know!), ...Hmm... that reminds me also of this tweet: But I digress. ... At the very least, I pray something of the truth is finally getting through to him and cracking that self righteous facade. [article link]
Sola Sisters: *Chris Rosebrough's very excellent sermon deconstruction of Rick Warren's [video] keynote address at Dr. John Piper's 2010 Desiring God Conference - "John Piper's & Rick Warren's theology train wreck - it was seriously off" (Mp3) See Also: Rick Warren: Piper Approved! - Comments: I agree - it's very disturbing. People keep saying, "But Piper is solid! Piper is solid!" Well, at some point, these questionable choices become something we can't ignore....even a pattern. The question is, are we there yet? ... Ken Silva said "If you look at the twitter stream you'll see Warren clearly won the day. In my mind, he purposely avoided going there in person. Bob DeWaay has Warren pegged correctly: File card orthodoxy. You question him and out comes the file card [staged Church approved, acceptable explanation]; but he puts it back in file after you go away. His methodology and associations simply do not match the words he professes to believe. Again, in my opinion, people don't see this because they don't want to." This is the sad state of this visible church: apprising.org/2010/10/02/enemytroops-steadily-advancing-in-church/ ... After reading the first few comments, I thought, "Isn't it weirdly convenient that Rick Warren could get his message out to this audience via a video, and at the same time not have to incur any challenges to his ministry?". Then I read Ken Silva's comment, and I completely agree. This has either been cleverly orchestrated [by Rick Warren - John Piper]. (Don't kid yourself, Rick Warren is as slick as they come. I firmly believe he is VERY strategic and says whatever it takes to further his agenda.), or their is a [secret - NWO] power at work causing these [heritical - unbiblical] things to happen. Obviously, this is all under God's providentially, ordained will. Interesting... [article link]
Ancient Egypt Temples-Home to the Gods {Note: Where the occult (witchcraft) activities of Nimrod and the Tower (Temple) of Babel seems to have espoused mankind to an occult marriage with fallen spirits - The 2nd Kingdom Egypt seems to have moved on to the next step [after an occult marriage] as ancient Egypt primarily practiced an occult form of afterlife. - The afterlife or eternal life is not possible by humans alone. A human would have to mix, mingle, mate (wedding, 'born again') an eternal Spirit in order for mortal humans to then become [unhindered] immortal (eternal, appart from hell). What is being practiced in the occult realm is an attempt at immortality apart from God in Jesus Christ. It is the deception of the occult that fallen spirit beings
[fallen angels] and demons can offer afterlife to mankind. - Also Note: The Holy Angels without exception seek to glorify God in Jesus Christ. The fallen unholy angels without exception are attempting to deny God and in the process defile mankind.} In ancient Egypt temples were constructed to house the numerous deities, both male and female, that were at the center of Egyptian mythology and religion. The beliefs held by the ancient Egyptians were more than just the foundation of a religion, these beliefs were central to the everyday life of Egyptian citizens. ... Inside these ancient Egyptian temples, there existed a segregated system of sanctuaries. The sanctuaries were divided by the spiritual level of the persons allowed to enter them. Those who had not yet reached a spiritual worthiness were not allowed to enter the innermost chambers. In ancient Egypt temples there was also sometimes an exterior complex comprised of gardens and courtyards. Through the years in ancient Egypt temples served a variety of purposes. Without a doubt, it appears that the primary purpose of most temples in ancient Egypt was to house and care for the gods to which they were dedicated. It seemed the very existence and good fortune of the entire land of Egypt rested upon tending the gods. The worst fate that could befall a city was failing to care for the temple of the patron god. A god who lacked attention would become angry and flee the temple, leaving the citizens of that town open to all kinds of disasters. Beyond serving the needs of the god who resided in the temple, some temples also served other purposes. No king could rule the Egyptian nation without first becoming a god. In an elaborate ceremony the new pharaoh would enter the temple, along with the high priests. Once inside the most exclusive chambers of the temple, rites would be performed which would transform the mere mortal pharaoh into a deity to be revered and worshipped by the Egyptian people. Still yet, some temples in Egypt were reserved for the worship of the king, who was also considered a deity, after his death. The wealth and sophistication in design of the temples in ancient Egypt vary greatly. The Temple of Karnak at Luxor and the Temple of Deir El Bahari are two of the most well known ancient Egypt temples. [article link]
Ancient Crowns - Egyptian Crown [Very similar to Tower of Babel - Nimrod crowns (except Egyptian crowns are larger and longer)] {Note: It is a common theme throughout each of the 7 earthly Kingdoms that each Kingdom is following in the footsteps of the predecessor Kingdom yet each is deliberately presenting their new Kingdom in a bigger, more powerful and more grandiose way than the previous Kingdom or Kingdoms were able to accomplish.} (Photos) The crown in the ancient world came in many shapes and forms. They were made of very costly material, symbolizing royalty [deity, eternal life] and sovereignty. [article link]
A stone carving of Pharaoh Akhenaten [crowned] and his wife, Nefertiti worshiping the sun (Photos) Picture 2: Pharaoh Akhenaten and his wife, Nefertiti: Prayer to the sun-god [article link]
Tower of Bable Crowns: An artist's depiction of...... the Tower of Babel? "Treasure of Nimrod" - This stone carving was found in Iraq [1988] near the ancient city of Babylon - There are clearly two suns [Christ, Antichrist] in the sky and everyone is looking up at them - The tallest figure (wearing the horns of the bull... Nimrod's old crown) appears to be a giant [carrying a bow and holding an arrow - Revelation 6:2 rider of the white horse, the arrow now hidden (false peace) in Revelation - End Times] {Note: The 'cone shaped' Tower and all the helmets (head coverings) look Egyptian - seemingly or clearly the Egyptian pharaohs were carrying on the tradition and spirit (Mystery fallen angelic Babylon) as revealed to Nimrod.} (Photo) This stone carving (above) was found in Iraq [1988] near the ancient city of Babylon (Bagdad) [the ancient city of Babylon, located 85 kilometers (53 miles) south of Baghdad - wiki.com]. Historians falsely interpret this illustration so I invite you to look at it carefully. There are clearly two suns in the sky and everyone is looking up at them. The tallest figure (wearing the horns of the bull... Nimrod's old crown) appears to be a giant. Giants in the Bible were roughly 18 feet tall. The dome-shaped object is too perfect to be a mountain peak. Instead,
imagine that it's the "top" of the Tower of Babel. [article link]
Ancient Egypt Temples-Home to the Gods In ancient Egypt temples were constructed to house the numerous deities, both male and female, that were at the center of Egyptian mythology and religion. The beliefs held by the ancient Egyptians were more than just the foundation of a religion, these beliefs were central to the everyday life of Egyptian citizens. ... Inside these ancient Egyptian temples, there existed a segregated system of sanctuaries. The sanctuaries were divided by the spiritual level of the persons allowed to enter them. Those who had not yet reached a spiritual worthiness were not allowed to enter the innermost chambers. In ancient Egypt temples there was also sometimes an exterior complex comprised of gardens and courtyards. Through the years in ancient Egypt temples served a variety of purposes. Without a doubt, it appears that the primary purpose of most temples in ancient Egypt was to house and care for the gods to which they were dedicated. It seemed the very existence and good fortune of the entire land of Egypt rested upon tending the gods. The worst fate that could befall a city was failing to care for the temple of the patron god. A god who lacked attention would become angry and flee the temple, leaving the citizens of that town open to all kinds of disasters. Beyond serving the needs of the god who resided in the temple, some temples also served other purposes. No king could rule the Egyptian nation without first becoming a god. In an elaborate ceremony the new pharaoh would enter the temple, along with the high priests. Once inside the most exclusive chambers of the temple, rites would be performed which would transform the mere mortal pharaoh into a deity to be revered and worshipped by the Egyptian people. Still yet, some temples in Egypt were reserved for the worship of the king, who was also considered a deity, after his death. The wealth and sophistication in design of the temples in ancient Egypt vary greatly. The Temple of Karnak at Luxor and the Temple of Deir El Bahari are two of the most well known ancient Egypt temples. [article link]
The Pyramids of Giza - Each of the three [great] pyramids had a complete monumental complex of mortuary temples, Mastabas tombs, smaller subsidiary pyramids, in which members of the royal family and officials were buried - The whole complex was connected, by a causeway, to three valley temples and the sphinx - These in turn were linked, by a cannel, to the Nile [river] There are three pyramids at Giza, each of which once had an adjoining mortuary temple. Attached to this temple would have been a covered causeway descending down to a valley temple, near the Nile. The 'great' pyramid itself is truly an astonishing work of engineering skill - for over four thousands years, until the modern era, it was the tallest building in the world. [article link]
Wikipedia.org: Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt - The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt - It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact - It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu Entrance: The entrance of the Pyramid - Today tourists enter the Great Pyramid via the Robbers' Tunnel dug by workmen employed by Caliph al-Ma'mun around AD 820. The tunnel is cut straight through the masonry of the pyramid for approximately 27 metres (89 ft), then turns sharply left to encounter the blocking stones in the Ascending Passage. Unable to remove these stones, the workmen tunnelled up beside them through the softer limestone of the Pyramid until they reached the Ascending Passage. It is possible to enter the Descending Passage from this point, but access is usually forbidden. ... [afterlife] Boats: Khufu ship - There are three boatshaped pits around the pyramid, of a size and shape to have held complete boats, though so shallow that any superstructure, if there ever was one, must have been removed or disassembled. In May, 1954, the Egyptian archaeologist Kamal el-Mallakh discovered a fourth pit, a long, narrow rectangle, still covered with slabs of stone weighing up to 15 tons. Inside were 1,224 pieces of wood, the longest 23 metres (75 ft) long, the shortest
10 centimetres (0.33 ft). These were entrusted to a native boat builder, Haj Ahmed Yusuf, who slowly and methodically worked out how the pieces fit together. The entire process, including conservation and straightening of the warped wood, took fourteen years. The result is a spectacular cedar-wood boat 43.6 metres (143 ft) long, its timbers held together by ropes, which is now currently housed in a special boatshaped, air-conditioned museum beside the pyramid. During construction of this museum, which stands above the boat pit, a second sealed boat pit was discovered. It was deliberately left unopened in the hope that future excavation techniques will allow more information to be recovered. Looting: Although succeeding pyramids were smaller, pyramid building continued until the end of the Middle Kingdom. However, as authors Briar and Hobbs claim, "all the pyramids were robbed" by the New Kingdom, when the construction of royal tombs in a desert valley, now known as the Valley of the Kings, began. Joyce Tyldesley states that the Great Pyramid itself "is known to have been opened and emptied by the Middle Kingdom", before the Arab caliph Abdullah alMamun entered the pyramid around AD 820. [article link]
Wikipedia.org: Pyramid - A pyramid's design, with the majority of the weight closer to the ground, and with the pyramidion on top means that less material higher up on the pyramid will be pushing down from above: this distribution of weight allowed early civilizations to create stable monumental structures Ancient monuments: Pyramid-shaped structures were built by many ancient civilizations. Mesopotamia [Iraq]: The Mesopotamians built the earliest pyramidal structures, called ziggurats. In ancient times, these were brightly painted. Since they were constructed of sun-dried mud-brick, little remains of them. Egypt: Egyptian pyramids The ancient pyramids of Egypt. The most famous pyramids are the Egyptian pyramids - huge structures built of brick or stone, some of which are among the world's largest constructions. The age of the pyramids reached its zenith at Giza in 2575-2150 B.C. As of 2008, some 138 pyramids have been discovered in Egypt. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest in Egypt and one of the largest in the world. Until Lincoln Cathedral was finished in AD 1311, it was the tallest building in the world. The base is over 52,600 square meters in area. While pyramids are associated with Egypt, the nation of Sudan has 220 extant pyramids, the most numerous in the world. The Great Pyramid of Giza was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is the only one to survive into modern times. The Ancient Egyptians covered the faces of pyramids with polished white limestone, containing great quantities of fossilized seashells. Many of the facing stones have fallen or have been removed and used to build the mosques of Cairo. ... Mesoamerica [central America]: Pyramid in the Mayan city of Chichen Itza, Mexico. A number of Mesoamerican cultures also built pyramidshaped structures. Mesoamerican pyramids were usually stepped, with temples on top, more similar to the Mesopotamian ziggurat than the Egyptian pyramid. The largest pyramid by volume is the Great Pyramid of Cholula, in the Mexican state of Puebla. This pyramid is considered the largest monument ever constructed anywhere in the world, and is still being excavated. The third largest pyramid in the world, the Pyramid of the Sun, at Teotihuacan is also located in Mexico. There is an unusual pyramid with a circular plan at the site of Cuicuilco, now inside Mexico City and mostly covered with lava from an eruption of the Xitle Volcano in the first century BC. There are several circular stepped pyramids called Guachimontones in Teuchitlán, Jalisco as well. Pyramids in Mexico were often used as places of human sacrifice. North America: Many mound-building societies of ancient North America built large pyramidal earth structures known as platform mounds. Among the largest and best-known of these structures is Monk's Mound at the site of Cahokia, which has a base larger than that of the Great Pyramid at Giza. While the North American mounds' precise function is not known, they are believed to have played a central role in the mound-building people's religious life. Roman Empire: Pyramid of Cestius in Rome. The 27-metre-high Pyramid of Cestius was built by the end of the first century BC and still exists today, close to the Porta San Paolo. Another one, named Meta Romuli, standing in the Ager Vaticanus (today's Borgo), was destroyed at the end of the 15th century. There is also a Roman era pyramid built in Falicon, France. There were many more pyramids built in France in this period. [article link]
Egyptian Afterlife Ceremonies, Sarcophagi, Burial Masks - Ancient Egyptian civilization was based on religion; their belief in the rebirth after death became their driving force behind their funeral practices. Death was simply a temporary interruption, rather than complete cessation, of life, and that eternal life could be ensured by means like piety to the gods, preservation of the physical form through Mummification, and the provision of statuary and other funerary equipment Ancient Egyptian civilization was based on religion; their belief in the rebirth after death became their driving force behind their funeral practices. Death was simply a temporary interruption, rather than complete cessation, of life, and that eternal life could be ensured by means like piety to the gods, preservation of the physical form through Mummification, and the provision of statuary and other funerary equipment. Each human consisted of the physical body, the 'ka', the 'ba', and the 'akh'. The Name and Shadow were also living entities. To enjoy the afterlife, all these elements had to be sustained and protected from harm. Before the Old Kingdom, bodies buried in desert pits were naturally preserved by desiccation. The arid, desert conditions continued to be a boon throughout the history of ancient Egypt for the burials of the poor, who could not afford the elaborate burial preparations available to the elite. Wealthier Egyptians began to bury their dead in stone tombs and, as a result, they made use of artificial mummification, which involved removing the internal organs, wrapping the body in linen, and burying it in a rectangular stone sarcophagus or wooden coffin. Beginning in the Fourth Dynasty, some parts were preserved separately in canopic jars. By the New Kingdom, the ancient Egyptians had perfected the art of mummification; the best technique took 70 days and involved removing the internal organs, removing the brain through the nose, and desiccating the body in a mixture of salts called natron. The body was then wrapped in linen with protective amulets inserted between layers and placed in a decorated anthropoid coffin. Mummies of the Late Period were also placed in painted cartonnage mummy cases. Actual preservation practices declined during the Ptolemaic and Roman eras, while greater emphasis was placed on the outer appearance of the mummy, which was decorated. Wealthy Egyptians were buried with larger quantities of luxury items, but all burials, regardless of social status, included goods for the deceased. Beginning in the New Kingdom, books of the dead were included in the grave, along with shabti statues that were believed to perform manual labor for them in the afterlife Rituals in which the deceased was magically reanimated accompanied burials. After burial, living relatives were expected to occasionally bring food to the tomb and recite prayers on behalf of the deceased. Egyptians also believed that being mummified was the only way to have an afterlife. Only if the corpse had been properly embalmed and entombed in a mastaba, could the dead live again in the Fields of Yalu and accompany the Sun on its daily ride. ... Arriving at one's reward in afterlife was a demanding ordeal, requiring a sin-free heart and the ability to recite the spells, passwords, and formulae of the Book of the Dead. ... Much of what we know about art and life in ancient Egypt has been preserved in the tombs that were prepared for the protection of the dead. The Egyptians believed that the next life had to be provided for in every detail and, as a result, tombs were decorated with depictions of the deceased at his funerary meal, activities of the estate and countryside, and the abundant offerings necessary to sustain the spirit. Many surviving Egyptian works of art were created to be placed in the tombs of officials and their families. Through the ritual of "opening the mouth," a statue of the deceased (known as a "ka statue") was thought to become a living repository of a person's spirit. Wall paintings, reliefs, and models depict pleasurable pastimes and occupations of daily life. Always these images have deeper meanings of magical protection, sustenance, and rebirth. The mummy was surrounded with magic spells, amulets, and representations of protective deities. [article link]
[Egypt - (Turquoise) Gems Kingdom] Egyptian Jewelry And Gems - Religious Use: Jewelry was valued not for beauty only, but for the magical protection it provided - Egyptians didn't make a distinction between amulets [protection - good luck charms] and ornamental [dress-up] jewelry - Amulets were worn from infancy through death - Due to this religious role, jewelry items were much needed by the deceased in his afterlife journey, and jewelry was buried with the dead - In fact ancient Egyptians prepared themselves from early life to their death day by collecting as much protective jewelry as possible to be buried with them
Design Rules: As with other forms of Egyptian art design of jewelry followed strict rules to fulfill it's religious role. Any change in the representation of religious symbols resulted in a loss of protective value. it was undesirable to change the designs of any objects such as the royal cartouches or crook and flail - Every material had a religious value - Minerals and metals were identified with specific deities as well as with specific spiritual and therapeutic values. - Color Code: Every Color had a certain mythological meaning, and the use of colored gems was confined to this code. -- Turquoise (Greenish blue) The oldest known mines of turquoise were quarried in the Sinai by about 3000 BC For the next two thousand years, great quantities of turquoise were mine in the peninsula. At Serabit el-Khadem Egyptians set up a large and systematic operation - This soft precious stone was the most popular gem in ancient Egypt, due to it's relatively easy workability and the abundance of local quarries - It was used for beads by the Egyptians. Combined with other ornamental stones, the turquoise was inlaid in gold to produce very sophisticated articles of jewelry - The bright mineral enamels of powdered turquoise were used to color everything from fine small statues to bricks. - The Eye of Horus amulet was commonly made from the green malachite - Sacred scarabs amulets were carved from this gem. Lapis Lazuli (Deep blue or violet in color and usually flecked with yellow iron pyrites) Imported from Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. Egyptian believed that this gem possessed life-giving powers. The Book of the dead describes Horus in a heavenly firmament in the form of a hawk and "his torso is made of blue stone" - Blue was the color of the heavens, water, and the primeval flood [creation myth - not the flood of Noah], and it represented creation and rebirth. Jasper (Red or reddish brown) - Red symbolized fire and blood of Isis - The gem was thought to be beneficial in the treatment of infertility. Malachite (Green, the colors in the individual bands range from a very light green to deep forest green with occasional irregular black banding) Malachite is a form of copper ore. Hydrous copper carbonate is responsible for the green color of tarnished copper and bronze. - Hathor was titled the "lady of Malachite", which was connected to health Reputed to have strong therapeutic properties, Egyptians believed that wearing malachite in bands around the head and arms protected the wearer from epidemics - Due to its opaque nature, malachite was usually cut and shaped into a cabochon or formed into beads. - The Egyptians used malachite primarily in collar beads - Malachite powder was used in eye makeup, which had a protective function in fighting eye infections. Carnelian (Varied from dark brown to light brown colors) Symbolized the warm blood of life - Carnelian's healing properties were thought to help purify the blood, and relieve the back pain. Amazonite (Pale pastel blue-green and may also exhibit fine white streaks) - Its light blue color symbolized good luck and fertility. It was associated with turquoise and lapis lazuli. Amethyst (Pale pinkish violet) This gem had no mythological importance in ancient Egypt, in contrast to the Greeks who believed that it helped to prevent drunkenness and intoxication. -- Roman Jewelry: - Secular Use - Function: Many of the jewelry accessories seen throughout ancient Rome had functional, as well as decorative value. A common jewelry item of Rome was the brooch, which was used to secure clothing items. Another utilitarian jewelry was the fibula, which was an ornately decorated clothing accessory resembling a large safety pin that was used as a clothing fastener. - Decoration: Roman decoration jewelry consisted mainly of bracelets, necklaces, pendants, earrings and rings - Unlike Egyptians, Roman practical jewelry items were inherited by family members, and never buried with the deceased. [article link]
Gold (Turquoise) Eye of Horus Amulet Pendant [modern jewlery - $159.99] (Photo) Eyes were particularly common as amulets, as were gemstones; the best-known eye amulet being the ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus which is associated with regeneration, health, and prosperity. It was very common as an amuletic talisman in ancient Egypt since ancient Egyptians were imbued with the belief that the Eye of Horus has magical properties to ward off the evil eye or evil and was worn for good health, protection and general well being. The left eye symbolises the Moon and the right eye symbolises the Sun. [article link]
[Secular] Egyptian Deities in the Garden of Eden - Presented at the annual meeting of the American Research Center in Egypt, St. Louis 1996 by Gary Greenberg - This paper attempts to introduce the idea that the biblical
Creation stories, from the dawn of Creation through Noah's Flood, derive from Egyptian cosmogony, more specifically, the Theban doctrine of Creation - The Theban doctrine holds that in the beginning there was the great primeval flood known as Nu or the Nun This paper attempts to introduce the idea that the biblical Creation stories, from the dawn of Creation through Noah's Flood, derive from Egyptian cosmogony, more specifically, the Theban doctrine of Creation. Thebes came late to the political scene in Egypt and its view of Creation attempted to incorporate the ideas of Memphis, Heliopolis and Hermopolis into a new cosmology that subordinated the chief deities of those cults to Amen, chief deity of Thebes. The Theban doctrine holds that in the beginning there was the great primeval flood known as Nu or the Nun. The god Amen then appeared in a series of forms, first as an Ogdoad, then as Tatenen (a Memphite name for Ptah identified with the primeval hill), then as Atum, who created the first gods, then as Re. After this he created humanity, organized the Ennead, appointed the four male members of the Hermopolitan Ogdoad as his divine fathers and priests, and appointed Shu as their leader. Another Theban tradition holds that Osiris built the first city at Thebes. To equate all these ideas with the biblical Creation stories would be a massive undertaking, far beyond the scope of this short paper. Therefore I will deal only with a small piece of this very large subject. In this paper I will just compare some elements of the Heliopolitan cycle with the biblical account of Adam and Eve and the second day of Creation. ... Summary: In conclusion, I note that the bible places Israel's formative years as a cultural entity in Egypt, and its leading figures, Joseph and Moses, were educated in Egypt's traditions. What they new about the origins of the world they learned in Egypt, and what they wrote about those origins should surely have had an Egyptian influence. Yet, while scholars are willing to admit all sorts of Semitic pagan influences on early Hebrew historical beliefs, they treat the idea of Egyptian influence as far too profane for intense examination. I hope in this paper I have been able to at least raise some interest in more closely examining the [false] idea that Egyptian ideas greatly influenced the writing of early biblical history. {Note: The concepts, practices, laws, medicines, religion, etc. that Moses wrote about in the Pentateuch [first five books of the Bible] were completely foreign [i.e. the 8 Feasts of Leviticus chapter 23] and in many cases the opposite of the traditional teachings of ancient Egypt.} [article link]
*Note: Monday - back to blogging and very excited about it! Topics for this week: First some Bible verses that have been important guidance [the equality of God, the righteousness of God, the Holiness of God and the independence of God] for the Basic Christian Ministry are going to be posted. Then a wrap-up for this year regarding the Jewish Fall Feast Days. Also a completion of the study of generational sin [all children are conceived and born in the original sin of Adam and Eve and also have received at conception some of the accumulated sins of the previous 3 or 4 generations]. Then content about the current state of Presidential politics [Basic Christian is not going to blog either the 2010 or the 2012 elections] and the current merging of politics and the New World Order (NWO) [7th Kingdom] system. Then the beginning/resuming of the 8 Kingdoms of the World Study picking up again with Nimrod [1st Kingdom] and the [Kingdom] Tower of Babel and including in the study a study and background regarding "The Days of Noah." --- Also the new Basic Christian resource BasicChristian.air is now available and is recommended for download and use, some help and information about the file will be provided this week as well. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Tower of Babel May Have Been Located Near the Black Sea [West and North of the traditional location for Noah's Ark] in a remote region of eastern Turkey - He believes he has found a possible location near a place whose name means "Gate of God," the same literal meaning as Babel - In the Tower of Babel story in the book of Genesis, Noah's descendants [journeyed from east (the Ark) to Shinar] led by Nimrod arrived at Babel in the land of Shinar - Sanders' work is a challenge to conventional beliefs - Traditionally, biblical scholars and archaeologists have placed the dawn of [after Noah] civilization in Mesopotamia [directly South of what is considered to be the site of the Ark of Noah], the area bounded by the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, now mostly
located in Iraq -- "Genesis 11:1-5 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, *as they journeyed from the east, **that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded." Tower of Babel May Have Been Located Near the Black Sea - Sent in by Elias Dangoor - A British archaeologist claims he has discovered the site of one of the most famous buildings in history, the biblical Tower of Babel, in a remote region of eastern Turkey. Michael Sanders, a classical publisher, believes new satellite photographs from Nasa, the American space agency, and a reinterpretation of ancient biblical text suggest that mythical tower actually existed - in the Pontus region of the Black Sea coast of Turkey. Most archaeologists believe Babel was located in Mesopotamian Babylon, the ruins of which lie South-west of Baghdad in Iraq. Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader, has even attempted to rebuild ancient Babylon, erecting badly constructed brick walls at the site. The remains of several huge ziggurats, or stepped towers, near Babylon have given further credence to the theory that the tower was in Mesopotamia. But there has never been any physical proof. "A location in Pontus makes much more sense in terms of the Biblical story," said Sanders last week. He believes he has found a possible location near a place whose name means "Gate of God," the same literal meaning as Babel. In the Tower of Babel story in the book of Genesis, Noah's descendants led by Nimrod arrived at Babel in the land of Shinar. On his arrival Nimrod, known as the mighty hunter, decided to build a tower up to heaven. But God punished the people for their arrogance in trying to build such a folly. To cause confusion among the builders and make their job impossible, God made them all speak different languages rather than their common tongue. Sanders has reviewed a number of old texts, including the Targum Yonathan an Aramaic version of the Bible. It reports the tower was located in the "Land of Shinar" and that this was found in the ancient territory of Pontus. "I was amazed to find after I decided that Pontus was the most likely location that several modern academics make this place the origin of all the modern languages of the West. Not Africa, not Mesopotamia, but right there, where I believe the Tower of Babel was." Other researchers who believe the origins of the Bible lie in the Black Sea region include Robert Ballard, the discoverer of the Titanic, who is currently working on a three-year research programme on the Black Sea, which he believes could be the location of the biblical flood. David Rohl, a Manchester classicist, claims that many of the events of Genesis, such as the flood, took place in eastern turkey but places the Tower of Babel in Mesopotamia. Other academics have suggested the tower could have been an observatory. Another theory is that it was an altar to the all-powerful Mesopotamian god Marduk and his consort Zupinatu. One text went so far as to claim it was topped with a "cedar-made bed and gold-engraved throne." But Sanders is dubious. "We just don't know what the function was. In ancient times, there was a compulsion to build high to get closer to God." Sanders' work is a challenge to conventional beliefs. Traditionally, biblical scholars and archaeologists have placed the dawn of civilisation in Mesopotamia, the area bounded by the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, now mostly located in Iraq. The main historical event linking Babylon with the Tower of Babel story is the fall of the temple tower built by King Etemenanki, which was rebuilt by Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar II. The name Babel in Genesis is thought to be a play on the words for Babylon, gate of God, and "confuse." The English word babble is derived from the story. Sanders is planning an expedition to the "Turkish Babel" in the spring of next year. "This theory might appear unconventional to some people but to many early scholars it would have made sense. A lot of the belief that Babylon is Babel stems simply from the similarity of the two names," he said. From The Sunday Times. [article link]
Over the years "The Two Babylons" [a book initially published in 1853 as a pamphlet by Reverend Alexander Hislop - infamous for his outspoken criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church] has impacted the thinking of many people, ranging all the way from those in radical cults to very dedicated Christians who hunger for a move by God but are concerned about anything [Babylonian] that might quench His [Holy] Spirit - Its basic premise is that the pagan religion of [very] ancient Babylon [Nimrod, Tower of Bable] has continued to our day
[wrongly concluding that Paganism/New Age "Mystery Babylon" is] disguised as the Roman Catholic Church, prophesied in the Book of Revelation as "Mystery Babylon the Great" [Revelation chapter 17] thus, the idea of two Babylons - one ancient and one modern -- As time went on, however, I [Ralph Woodrow] began to hear rumblings that Hislop was not a reliable historian - it became clear: Hislop's "history" was often only an arbitrary piecing together of ancient myths - For these and many other reasons, I pulled my own book, Babylon Mystery Religion, out of print despite its popularity - I have since replaced this book with The Babylon Connection? {Conclusion: of Kingdom 1 - Nimrod and the Tower (Temple) of Babel -- Next: is Kingdom 2 (Egypt) with Pharaoh Akhenaten (Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1)} The subtitle for Hislop's book is "The Papal Worship Proved to Be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife." Yet when I went to refer ence works such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, The Americana, The Jewish Encyclopedia, The Catholic Encyclopedia, The Worldbook Encyclopedia - carefully reading their articles on "Nimrod" and "Semiramis" - not one said anything about Nimrod and Semiramis being husband and wife. They did not even live in the same century. Nor is there any basis for Semiramis being the mother of Tammuz. I realized these ideas were all Hislop's inventions. ... While seeking to condemn the paganism of Roman Catholicism, Hislop produced his own myths. By so doing, he theorized that Nimrod, Adonis, Apollo, Attes, Baal-zebub, Bacchus, Cupid, Dagon, Hercules, Januis, Linus, Lucifer, Mars, Merodach, Mithra, Moloch, Narcissus, Oannes, Odin, Orion, Osiris, Pluto, Saturn, Teitan, Typhon, Vulcan, Wodan, and Zoroaster were all one and the same. By mixing myths, Hislop supposed that Semiramis was the wife of Nimrod and was the same as Aphrodite, Artemis, Astarte, Aurora, Bellona, Ceres, Diana, Easter, Irene, Iris, Juno, Mylitta, Proserpine, Rhea, Venus, and Vesta. ... Building on similarities while ignoring differences is an unsound practice. Atheists have long used this method in an attempt to discredit Christianity altogether, citing examples of pagans who had similar beliefs about universal floods, slain and risen saviors, virgin mothers, heavenly ascensions, holy books, and so on. As Christians, we don't reject prayer just because pagans pray to their gods. We don't reject water baptism just because ancient tribes plunged into water as a religious ritual. We don't reject the Bible just because pagans believe their writings are holy or sacred. The Bible mentions things like kneeling in prayer, raising hands, taking off shoes on holy ground, a holy mountain, a holy place in the temple, pillars in front of the temple, offering sacrifices without blemish, a sacred ark, cities of refuge, bringing forth water from a rock, laws written on stone, fire appearing on a person's head, horses of fire, and the offering of first fruits. Yet, at one time or another, similar things were known among pagans. Does this make the Bible pagan? Of course not! If finding a pagan parallel provides proof of paganism, the Lord Himself would be pagan. The woman called Mystery Babylon had a cup in her hand; the Lord has a cup in His hand (Ps. 75:8). Pagan kings sat on thrones and wore crowns; the Lord sits on a throne and wears a crown (Rev. 1:4; 14:14). Pagans worshiped the sun; the Lord is the "Sun of righteousness" (Mal. 4:2). Pagan gods were likened to stars; the Lord is called "the bright and Morning star" (Rev. 22:16). Pagan gods had temples dedicated to them; the Lord has a temple (Rev. 7:15). Pagans built a high tower in Babylon; the Lord is a high tower (2 Sam. 22:3). Pagans worshiped idolatrous pillars; the Lord appeared as a pillar of fire (Exod. 13: 21-22). Pagan gods were pictured with wings; the Lord is pictured with wings (Ps. 91:4). ... I have since replaced this book with The Babylon Connection? a 128-page book with 60 illustrations and 400 footnote references. It is an appeal to all my brothers and sisters in Christ who feel that finding Babylonian origins for present-day customs or beliefs [in Christian Churches] is of great importance. My advice, based on my own experience, is to move cautiously in this area, lest we major on minors. If there are things in our lives or churches that are indeed pagan or displeasing to the Lord, they should be dealt with, of course. But in attempting to defuse the confusion of Babylon, we must guard against creating a new "Babylon" (confusion) of our own making. -- reviewed by Ralph Woodrow [article link]
Background - The 8 Kingdoms Study: The 7 worldly Kingdoms starting with Nimrod and the Tower of Babel cumulate in the coming Kingdom of Antichrist, Satan's reign on earth and is replaced by the Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom of Jesus Christ - The Bibles' Book of Daniel [chapter 2] gives us the most information regarding both the structure and sequence of the 8 Kingdoms
Structure of the Kingdoms: The Jewish prophet Daniel interprets a dream from the Babylonian King [3rd Kingdom] Nebuchadnezzar. In the dream given from God to Nebuchadnezzar there is a statue that is presented in diminishing prominence [diminishing occult value]. The statue in the dream has a head of gold, a chest of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron and finally feet of part iron and part clay. - Meaning that as Satan is forming and building his eventual Antichrist Kingdom it [deception - the submission/slavery of mankind to Satan] is being accomplished primarily in seven predetermined and calculated events. According to the dream given by God the events [concepts] that Satan is introducing into the human realm are diminishing in importance to Satan. The earlier Kingdoms revealed the most necessary concepts and accomplishments that Satan desired to use to build his coming Kingdom. Meaning that the [major] building blocks [of deception] for the coming Antichrist Kingdom are already in place and have been in place for several Millenniums and what is being accomplished now is the final tuning and implementation of an occult structure that already exists and has existed for a very long time. According to the dream with the 'head of gold' etc. the big shifts in human behavior and deception have already occurred and the future and final Antichrist deception is not going to be a radically new element but simply an element that was already exposed [primarily in the 1st Kingdom - the Kingdom of Nimrod] and a combining of all the existing elements of deception into the one grand deception of Antichrist. - The dream given to King Nebuchadnezzar is in the 3rd Kingdom and begins with the head of gold but by the time of the Babylonian Kingdom of King Nebuchadnezzar there have already been two Kingdoms [Nimrod and Egypt] and each of the two previous [occult] Kingdoms would have been more important [valuable] than even the head of gold of the Babylonian Kingdom. -- An etching in one of the anchor stones of Noah's Ark represents Nimrod's Tower of Babel and an accompanying etching in the shape of a diamond is thought to represent Nimrod himself. Diamonds being more valuable than gold [and considered the most valuable commodity on earth] could very well have been the occult element of the Tower of Babel, Kingdom of Nimrod. - Briefly, diamonds [diamond ring] even today represent an engagement of a pending marriage [a necklace representing marriage, a bracelet representing friendship]. It's possible that the Tower (Temple) of Babel [the most significant occult event initiated from Satan to mankind - and still instituted today in a minor form in the LDS/Mormon cult rituals of Temple ordinances and marriages] was intended to be the demonic mating [marriage] between the human soul/spirit and the demonic spirit/realm [physically expressed in DNA (animal and human) gene-splicing] in what will eventually be accomplished in the coming 666 Antichrist Mark of the Beast. In short the Tower (Temple) of Babel was a Satanic ritual [passage] that 'engaged' (espoused) mankind to a future wedding [666 union] with Demonic spirits. [article link]
The Hope Diamond: The history of the stone which was eventually named the Hope diamond began when the French merchant traveller, Jean Baptiste Tavernier, purchased a 112 3/16-carat diamond. This diamond, which was most likely from the Kollur mine in Golconda, India - Tavernier sold the diamond to King Louis XIV of France in 1668 with 14 other large diamonds and several smaller ones. In 1673 the stone was recut by Sieur Pitau, the court jeweler, resulting in a 67 1/8-carat stone - In 1791, after an attempt by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to flee France, the jewels of the French Royal Treasury were turned over to the government - During a week-long looting of the crown jewels in September of 1792, the French Blue diamond [Hope Diamond] was stolen - In 1812 a deep blue diamond described by John Francillion as weighing 177 grains (4 grains = 1 carat) was documented as being in the possession of London diamond merchant, Daniel Eliason The first reference to the diamond's next owner is found in the 1839 entry of the gem collection catalog of the well-known Henry Philip Hope, the man from whom the diamond takes its name. Unfortunately, the catalog does not reveal where or from whom Hope acquired the diamond or how much he paid for it. Following the death of Henry Philip Hope in 1839, and after much litigation, the diamond passed to his nephew Henry Thomas Hope and ultimately to the nephew's grandson Lord Francis Hope. In 1901 Lord Francis Hope obtained permission from the Court of Chancery and his sisters to sell the stone to help pay off his debts. It was sold to a London dealer who quickly sold it to Joseph Frankels and Sons of New York City, who retained the stone in New York until they, in turn, needed cash. The diamond was next sold to Selim Habib who put it up for auction
in Paris in 1909. It did not sell at the auction but was sold soon after to C.H. Rosenau and then resold to Pierre Cartier that same year. In 1910 the Hope diamond was shown to Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean, of Washington D.C., at Cartier's in Paris, but she did not like the setting. Cartier had the diamond reset and took it to the U.S. where he left it with Mrs. McLean for a weekend. This strategy was successful. The sale was made in 1911 with the diamond mounted as a headpiece on a three-tiered circlet of large white diamonds. Sometime later it became the pendant on a diamond necklace as we know it today. Mrs. McLean's flamboyant ownership of the stone lasted until her death in 1947. Harry Winston Inc. of New York City purchased Mrs. McLean's entire jewelry collection, including the Hope diamond, from her estate in 1949. This collection also included the 94.8carat Star of the East diamond, the 15-carat Star of the South diamond, a 9-carat green diamond, and a 31carat diamond which is now called the McLean diamond. For the next 10 years the Hope diamond was shown at many exhibits and charitable events world wide by Harry Winston Inc., including as the central attraction of their Court of Jewels exhibition. On November 10, 1958, they donated the Hope diamond to the Smithsonian Institution, and almost immediately the great blue stone became its premier attraction. [article link]
The Hope Diamond [Displayed] in Smithsonian Museum - Diamond is the strongest mineral found on earth Diamond is also the most precious and the most priceless jewel - In Europe, during the middle age, diamonds were assumed to be the reflectors of Jesus Christ In Myanmar, there were a fact about the blue diamond which caused an exotic case to the world. The case started from the diamond embedded on the forehead of a Buddha Image in Ananda Temple, Bagan. The diamond was stolen from the image and many people who had the diamond were cursed and ended their lives with unexpected deaths. The background history of the blue diamond still remains a mystery. [article link]
Hope Diamond's Red Glow Explained - The storied Hope Diamond glows red when exposed to ultraviolet light - This once mysterious phenomenon unlocks the unique identity of individual diamonds - The stone flitted between European royal houses and through the upper-crust of America's Gilded Age - In 1958, famed jeweler Harry Winston donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution by mailing it in a brown paper bag Headline Links: 'Hope Diamond's Red Glow Explained' The Hope Diamond, arguably the world's most famous blue diamond, was found to emit a soft red glow for several seconds when placed under ultraviolet light. Scientists have discovered why and found that this phosphorescence is common among colored diamonds. The centerpiece of the Smithsonian Institution's United States Gem Collection, the 45.52-carat diamond was the subject of research by a team of geologists. Using spectrometers, the scientists discovered that the Hope Diamond shared similar wavelength patterns with other naturally blue diamonds. When exposed to UV light, all blue diamonds glow either red or blue-green. Source: Discovery Channel. [article link]
Wikipedia: Hope Diamond - Housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. - It is currently unset [the stone has been removed from the necklace] for the first time since it has been on display {The Hope Diamond is propbaly 'unset' for the purpose of being used in occult rituals.} The Hope Diamond (previously "Le bleu de France") is a large, 45.52 carats (9.10 g), deep-blue diamond, housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. The Hope Diamond is blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within its crystal structure, but it exhibits red phosphorescence after exposure to ultraviolet light. It is classified as a Type IIb diamond, and is famous for supposedly being cursed. It is currently unset for the first time since it has been on display. ... Legend: According to specious later accounts, the original form of the Hope Diamond was stolen from an eye of a sculpted statue of the goddess Sita, the wife of Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu. However, much like the "curse of Tutankhamun", this general type of "legend" was the invention of Western authors during the Victorian era, and the specific legends about the Hope Diamond's "cursed origin" were invented in the early 20th century to add mystique to the stone and increase its sales appeal; see The "Curse" section below. ... A new mounting: The stone is to be
temporarily reset in a newly designed necklace, created by the Harry Winston firm. Three designs for the new setting, all white diamonds and white metal, were created and the public was allowed to vote on them via the internet. The winning necklace will debut sometime in 2010. The Hope has been displayed as a loose gem since late summer of 2009. [article link]
{Flashback} Smithsonian Puts Mysterious Crystal Skull on Display - Nonetheless, the giant crystal skull that mysteriously arrived at the Smithsonian 16 years ago is out of its locked cabinet in Walsh's office and will be on public view until Sept. 1 - Studying this skull led Walsh to extend her investigation into crystal skulls in other museums and to conclude that all are fakes, made in the 19th and 20th centuries - seems to have been made between 1950 and 1960 - Indeed, no crystal skulls have ever been found at an archaeological site WASHINGTON - Some mysteries are such fun you almost don't want to know the truth. That may help explain why people are fascinated with crystal skulls. Happy to share the spotlight with the latest Indiana Jones movie, the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History is putting its crystal skull on display starting Thursday. "People like to believe in something greater than themselves," Smithsonian anthropologist Jane MacLaren Walsh said, and crystal skulls are mysterious and beautiful. The skulls "are a fascinating example of artifacts that have made their way into museums with no scientific evidence to prove their rumored pre-Columbian origins," she added. ... Crystals carved into the shape of a human skull fed the 19th century's need for drama and mystery and its fascination with death. They were supposed to be the creation of ancient Mesoamericans - Aztecs, Mixtecs, Toltecs, perhaps Maya. ... The skulls were claimed to represent the art and religion of these peoples. Some even said the skulls had special, even supernatural, powers. Scientists say it ain't so. ... Of the many crystal skulls in museums and private collections around the world, the Smithsonian's is one of the largest, at 10 inches high and weighing 30 pounds. It was mailed to the museum anonymously, accompanied by a note claiming it was of Aztec origin. It's isn't, Walsh said. The skulls were carved from blocks of quartz - sometimes called rock crystal and show the marks of modern carving tools. That means they were not made before the 19th century. The Smithsonian one, she said, seems to have been made between 1950 and 1960. Indeed, no crystal skulls have ever been found at an archaeological site. [article link]
{Flashback} [Hoax Alert] War message found inside Abraham Lincoln's watch - A long-hidden message has been discovered inside Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch, the Smithsonian's Museum of American History announced Tuesday - The actual (2009) message that the museum found [displayed] differs from the watchmaker's (1906 interview with The New York Times) recollection A long-hidden message has been discovered inside Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch, the Smithsonian's Museum of American History announced Tuesday. Watchmaker Jonathan Dillon was repairing Lincoln's watch in April 1861 when he heard about the attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, and wrote a short message on the metal inside the watch, the Smithsonian said. ... In a 1906 interview with The New York Times, Dillon reported that as soon as he heard the news about the first shots of the Civil War, he unscrewed the dial of the watch and wrote on the metal, "The first gun is fired. Slavery is dead. Thank God we have a President who at least will try." The actual message that the museum found differs from the watchmaker's recollection. It says, "Jonathan Dillon, April 13-1861, Fort Sumpter [sic] was attacked by the rebels on the above date J Dillon, April 13-1861, Washington, thank God we have a government, Jonth Dillon." According to the Smithsonian, it was not unusual for professional watchmakers to record their work inside a watch. [article link]
Anchor Stones from Noah's Ark - [Carved] Symbols of Nimrod, the **diamond [on an Anchor Stone from Noah's Ark], are visible in bottom [right] half of photo - The [Byzantian era (285 A.D. - Fall of Constantinople May 29, 1453) - later Roman Empire, after the end of the early persecutions of Christian and up through the Crusades era] crosses were probably added later [the timing, style and carving talent of some of the crosses would indicate that professional stone carvers (Masons - i.e. early Freemasons, Knights Templars) carved some
of the crosses] - Another anchor stone still partially buried - A [less talented] carving of the [round] tower of Babel, actually located in southern Turkey, may have been carved by someone who had seen it then returned to this area [northern Turkey] (Photos) Tour leader, Bill Fry, knocks on this large stone-like object that has a bark texture and may be the covering Noah removed from the ark as the waters were receding. The sound is a hollow, and high pitch. -- [Ancient] Crosses are visible on this, meaning that early Christians associated this object with a biblical event. Seven crosses can be found and probably had another at one time. ... Ancient wall made of extremely large mud bricks originally had a tile mural on it depicting Noah and the ark. Ron Wyatt saw this in 1977, but when he returned the next year the tiles had been removed. One of the locals in the village, remembers the tiles. Small bits of tile have been found at the base of the wall. Sadly, this ancient singular wall has since been destroyed. [article link]
Noahs Ark - Carved Byzantian, early Christian crosses testify to the ark site as a destination for pilgrims - Some stones show one large cross and seven smaller, the family of Noah - About 17 of such large stones were found (Photos) The Flood in the days of Noah began in the Jewish 10th month, November 2349 BC, on the 17th day and Noah and his family did not set foot on the post Flood earth until on the 27th day of the 2nd month, December 2348 BC, just over a year later. James Ussher, who studied these dates quite a bit, dates the events from the day Noah entered the ark on Sunday, December 7, 2349 BC to Thursday, December 18, 2348 BC when Noah and his family left the vessel of their rescue. If perhaps not exact, these dates are nevertheless a good approximation of the years involved according to biblical reckoning. Even though geologists today, are doubters of anything out of the ordinary, they don't seem to want to draw conclusions from the experience of a) the sudden appearance of the island of Surtsey, off the coast of Iceland on Friday November 8, 1963 and how life germinated there within a rather short time, b) the rapid changes brought on by the Mt. St. Helens eruption on Sunday May 18, 1980, c) and other, lesser known sudden flood models. When the fountains of the deep opened, these were features existing during pre-Flood times. The water of these `fountains' are now in the oceans of the world. When asked, 'If there was such a flood, where is the evidence?' You can answer then, `The fossil record is the graveyard of the pre-Flood world.' The Bible teaches, the great Flood occurred because of most of mankind rejecting their Maker and engaging in perpetual sinning. Similarly today, the world is steeped in sin, but the next judgment will be by fire, not water. Agree or not, Bible prophecy points unerringly to a world and its history which will soon experience the judgments of God shortly before the Second Coming of Christ. [article link]
Durupinar site: The size and shape of the structure has led to its promotion by some believers as the original Noah's Ark - The Arzap Drogue Stones are a number of large standing stones found near the Durupinar site by amateur archaeologist Ron Wyatt with the aid of David Fasold and others - Fasold interpreted the artifacts as drogues, stone weights used to stabilize the Ark in rough seas, on the grounds that they all have a chamfered hole cut at one end as if to fasten a rope to them, and because the existence of such stones was suggested by his reading of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Babylonian mythical account of the flood (Photos) The Durupinar site is a large aggregate structure in the Mount Tendürek of eastern Turkey. The site is (2 miles) north of the Iranian border, (10 miles) southeast of Dogubeyazit, in the Agri Province, and eighteen miles south of the Greater Mount Ararat summit, at an elevation of 6,449 ft ~ 6,575 ft above sea level. The size and shape of the structure has led to its promotion by some believers as the original Noah's Ark. To mainstream scientists and most creationists, this is merely an interesting natural formation. The site is near several officially unnamed peaks, though locals call one of the nearby peaks Mount Judi, the mountain named in the Qur'an as the final resting place of Noah's Ark. Most scholars believe that Qur'anic Mount Judi is a different mountain near the Turkish/Iraqi border. ... Arzap Drogue Stones: The Arzap Drogue Stones are a number of large standing stones found near the Durupinar site by amateur archaeologist Ron Wyatt with the aid of David Fasold and others. Fasold interpreted the artifacts as drogues, stone weights used to stabilize the Ark in rough seas, on the
grounds that they all have a chamfered hole cut at one end as if to fasten a rope to them, and because the existence of such stones was suggested by his reading of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Babylonian mythical account of the flood. - Mediterranean drogue stones of a much smaller size than the Arzap stones. Drogue stones were a feature of ancient ships, and were the ancient equivalent of a storm anchor. They have been found in the Nile and elsewhere in the Mediterranean area, and like the stones found by Wyatt and Fasold, they are heavy and flat with a hole for connecting a line at one end. Their purpose was to create drag in the water or along shallow sandy bottoms: the stone was attached to one end of a boat, and the drag produced would cause the bow or stern to face into the wind and the oncoming wind-blown waves. A geological investigation of samples from the stones, published by geologist Lorence Collins in co-authorship with their original discoverer David Fasold, suggested that they are formed of local rock and thus unlikely to have been transported to the site from Mesopotamia, the Ark's supposed place of origin. Similar stones are found throughout ancient Armenia, and are recognised to be pagan "holy stones" converted to Christian use (many are found in Christian cemeteries) by the addition of crosses and other Christian symbols [article link]
Chuck Missler - The Days Of The Flood Of Noah [parts 1 & 2] (Mp3s) Chuck Missler : Great Messages Mp3s. [article link]
VFTB Live: Minister Dante Fortson - As the Days of Noah Were (Mp3) MINISTER DANTE FORTSON, host of The Omega Hour and author of the new book As The Days of Noah Were: The Sons of God and The Coming Apocalypse discusses fallen angels, the Flood, and why Christians today should study what most consider nothing more than an ancient legend. [article link]
ArkDiscovery.com: Noah's Ark Overview - Top Points to Consider - #7 matching [94 A.D.] Flavius Josephus' statement "Its [Noah's Ark's] remains are shown there by the inhabitants to this day" (Photos) Friends, please prayerfully consider the evidence you will see on Noah's Ark. It may not be important or necessary for you to learn of this discovery, but there are millions of people who need confirmation of biblical artifacts in order to strengthen their faith in God and the Bible. Satan is strongly attacking this and other discoveries in order to deceive men of God's truth. All the false stories about finding Noah's ark were created by Satan to "muddy the water," and cause disbelief in the genuine. [article link]
Discovery of the real Noah's Ark - Ron Wyatt - Part 1 (YouTube) Archaeologist Ron Wyatt and his team discover Noah's Ark! Extremely interesting to watch. [article link]
Discovery of the real Noah's Ark - Ron Wyatt - Part 2 (YouTube) The continuation and conclusion of Ron Wyatt's discovery of Noah's Ark! Conclusive evidence that shows the Great Flood is not a myth! [article link]
ArkDiscovery.com: Biblical Archeology - Ron Wyatt's "Discovered Series" (5 DVD Set $22) The entire DVD series of the late Ron Wyatt's discoveries. This amazing series will show such discoveries as: The Red Sea Crossing site, Mt. Sinai, Noah's Ark, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Ark of the Covenant and dozens of other faith building discoveries! 4 hour, 20 minute DVD covering the all the discoveries, plus Ron Wyatt presentations. Select a larger quantity of 10 or 50 and receive a price reduction, perfect for you to resell or give away while spreading the word about the discoveries. [article link]
As The Days of Noah Were - Luke 17:26: "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man" The Reason for the Flood: It was the infusion of these strange (demonic) beings into the human predicament that brought on the Flood of Noah. The Flood was preceded by four generations of prophets/preachers warning of the coming judgment: Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. It seems that this was part of Satan's stratagem to corrupt the line of Adam to prevent the fulfillment of the Messianic redemption. Noah was apparently unique in that his genealogy was still uncorrupted. The strange events which led to the flood are also alluded to in ancient mythologies. The legends of the Greek "titans"---partly terrestrial, partly celestial--embrace these same memories. (The Greek titan is linguistically linked to the Chaldean sheitan, and the Hebrew satan.) [article link]
As it was in the Days of Noah - The time leading up to the Great Flood was a lot like our time in that it was characterized by a deliberate and increasing disregard for the ways of God As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man (Matt 24:37). The time leading up to the Great Flood was a lot like our time in that it was characterized by a deliberate and increasing disregard for the ways of God. Finally "the Lord saw how great man's wickedness on earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time" (Gen. 6:5). ... the sequence of events suddenly became so obvious to me. Enoch was taken alive from earth and the Holy Spirit was withdrawn. Then in Gen. 6:5 man's behavior is described as having become unbearably wicked and in Gen. 7 the judgement came, in that order. Enoch's name means teaching and according to Jude 14-15 he gave the first prophecy of the 2nd coming. ... If Enoch is indeed a model of the church and if the Lord's prophecy of Matt 24:37 includes the sequence of events, as seems likely, then one day soon we will be taken alive (raptured) from earth, the Holy Spirit withdrawn. Man's behavior will become unbearably wicked and the judgement will come, all in that order. As it was in the days of Noah. Selah. [article link]
The "Days of Noah" Are Here - The Bible tells us that we are to live "holy and righteous" in this age - We are to be actively sharing the gospel in order for others to be redeemed - precisely because "the days are evil" That describes today quite accurately. Those who have normalized homosexual behavior have done so to the point of thinking anyone who opposes it are "crazy," "homophobic," "intolerant," and "bigots." -- For Bible believing, Christ following born-again Christians, such derogatory views and labels are only perpetuating deception about this dangerous behavior. Furthermore, homosexual activism both secular as well as in the church distracts people from what is truly most important in this life - that is - confessing and repenting of sin and knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us that we are to live "holy and righteous" in this age. We are to be actively sharing the gospel in order for other to be redeemed - precisely because "the days are evil." ... This world is filled with lust, murder, theft, adultery, fornication, lying, idol worship and the list could go on and on. Yet, most sane people do not advocate for churches to accept such concepts as "sanctified." However, this is exactly what is being done in liberal "Christian" churches throughout America! Claiming that a particular sin should be allowed to be "sanctified" within Christ's church body meaning, all believers is an abomination to God! It is a form of idol worship. It is, in fact, as the Scriptures inform us, "exchanging the truth for a lie!" [article link]
Jesus said, "As in the Days of Noah" Violence Filled the Earth Jesus spoke far ahead of his time relating to us what life would be like just prior to his coming. He says in Matt. 24:37-38: "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." [article link]
AS IT WAS IN NOAH'S DAY The Lord Jesus Christ informs us that before He returns certain conditions will exist in society in general. These conditions are a sign to believers that His Second Coming is near. There has always been corruption in society, but the idea here is of such decadence and depravity reaching the point of no return. The Lord makes use of two Old Testament characters to illustrate the characteristics and conditions that will exist at all levels of humanity prior to His Second Coming. As it was in the days of Noah and as it was in the days of Lot. [article link]
AnswersInGenesis.org: Was There Really a Noah's Ark & Flood? - The account of Noah and the Ark is one of the most widely known events in the history of mankind. Unfortunately, like other Bible accounts, it is often taken as a mere fairy tale - The Bible, though, is the true history book of the universe, and in that light, the most-asked questions about the Ark and Flood of Noah can be answered with authority and confidence History has shown that technology can be lost. In Egypt, China, and the Americas the earlier dynasties built more impressive buildings or had finer art or better science. Many so-called modern inventions turn out to be re-inventions, like concrete, which was used by the Romans. Even accounting for the possible loss of technology due to the Flood, early post-Flood civilizations display all the engineering know-how necessary for a project like Noah's Ark. People sawing and drilling wood in Noah's day, only a few centuries before the Egyptians were sawing and drilling granite, is very reasonable! The idea that more primitive civilizations are further back in time is an evolutionary concept. In reality, when God created Adam, he was perfect. Today, the individual human intellect has suffered from 6,000 years of sin and decay. The sudden rise in technology in the last few centuries has nothing to do with increasing intelligence; it is a combination of publishing and sharing ideas, and the spread of key inventions that became tools for investigation and manufacturing. One of the most recent tools is the computer, which compensates a great deal for our natural decline in mental performance and discipline, since it permits us to gather and store information as perhaps never before. [article link]
Holy Ghost Revival Sermons Online: "Conviction and the Altar" The Days of Noah (Mp3) You are hearing a 12 minute preview of the sermon "Conviction and the Altar" The full 1 hour sermon link is listed below! [article link]
Bible Verses - The Equality of God: "Luke 3:4-6 ... Prepare ye (you) the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled [equality], and every mountain and hill shall be brought low [equality]; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall *see {but not all flesh will receive} the salvation of God." The Equality of God: "Exodus 16:15-18 And when the children of Israel saw it [manna], they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. **And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating." -- "Matthew 20:6-10 And about the eleventh hour He [Jesus] went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto Him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the Vineyard [Harvest Field]; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the Lord of the Vineyard saith unto His steward [Holy Spirit], Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny [full day's wages]. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny." [article link]
Bible verses - The Independence of God: "Revelation 19:11 And I [Disciple John] saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He [Jesus] that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns [authority]; and **He had a Name written, that no man knew, but He [God] Himself." The Independence of God: "Joshua 5:13-15 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by [the city of] Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a Man [Jesus] over against him with His sword drawn in His hand: and Joshua went unto Him, and said unto Him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And He [Jesus] said, Nay [neither]; but as Captain of the Host [Army] of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto Him, What saith my lord unto His servant? And [Jesus] the Captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is Holy. And Joshua did so." -- "2 Timothy 2:11-13 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us: If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: **He cannot deny Himself." [article link]
Bible verses - The Holiness of God: "Exodus 15:11-13 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in Holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out Thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy Holy habitation." The Holiness of God: "1 Chronicles 16:23--29 Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day His salvation. Declare His Glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all Nations. For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place. Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His Name: bring an offering, and come before Him: **worship the LORD in the beauty of [His] Holiness." -- "Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto Holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life [Holiness] through Jesus Christ our Lord." [article link]
Bible verses - The Righteousness of God: "Matthew 3:13-17 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John [the Baptist], to be baptized of him. But John forbad Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: **for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered Him. And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the Heavens were opened unto Him, and he [John the Baptist] saw the [Holy] Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This [Jesus] is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Righteousness of God: "1 Samuel 12:6-8 And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which He did to you and to your fathers. When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this [Promise Land] place." - "Isaiah 1:17-2 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. **Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." -- "Matthew 6:3 But [Christians] seek ye first the Kingdom of God [8th Kingdom], and **His righteousness; and all these [Heavenly Kingdom] things shall be added unto you." [article link]
Bible verses - The Goodnesss of God: "Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" The Goodnesss of God: "Exodus 33:17-23 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken [asked]: for thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name. And he [Moses] said, I beseech thee, shew me Thy Glory. And He [God] said, I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the Name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And He said, Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a Rock [Jesus]: And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand [ability] while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts [afterglow glory]: but My face shall not be seen." -- "Psalms 34:8-15 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him. O fear the LORD, ye His saints: for there is no want [eternally] to them that fear Him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto Me: I [Holy Spirit] will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace [in the Prince of Peace - Jesus Christ (Isaiah 9:6)], and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry." [article link]
Bible verses - The Submission of Mankind: "Isaiah 50:4-5 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth [me] morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back." The Submission of Mankind: "Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the Glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His Glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side." -- "Romans 13:1114 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. **And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." [article link]
Note: The Music with Message Compilations are Now in a New Location - i.e. Holiness.mp3 the #1 Download from Basic Christian for 2010 (Mp3) Christian music with message compilations. [article link]
ABOUT THIS SHOW - Learn how to effectively build Web 2.0 Technical Documentation using Adobe AIR Presented By RJ Jacquez (Adobe TV) An overview of how to leverage the powerful Adobe AIR platform in order to deliver engaging Web 2.0 Online Help. [article link]
Adding Links and RSS Feeds to an AIRHelp project [end user info begins about 3:30 in the video] (Adobe TV) Learn how easy it is to incorporate user-generated content into your Online Help by adding Links and RSS
Feeds to an AIRHelp project in Adobe RoboHelp. [article link]
~Update: The Basic Christian Info Feed will be on a short break until about the 1st of October - Returning with the scheduled "8 Kingdoms of the World" study Note: Because of the current pause in the Info Feed the material recently posted [Rosetta Stone, Tower of Babble, Nimrod] regarding the 8 Kingdoms study has been posted as introduction and background material to the coming 8 Kingdoms study. When the Info Feed resumes about Oct. 1st the plan is to first finish up a pending study and then to do a short background study in "The Days of Noah" then to actually get started with the 8 Kingdoms study starting with the 1st global Kingdom, the Tower of Babel and Nimrod. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Basic Christian: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (PDF) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome - NWO] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ. [article link]
Coming Soon: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (RSS) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ [article link]
THE TOWER OF BABEL AND THE CONFUSION OF LANGUAGES by Lambert Dolphin - Nimrod's name is from the verb "let us revolt" - He is said to be a mighty hunter (gibbor tsayidh) in the sight of the Lord, but the language has a dark meaning - He becomes a tyrant or despot leading an organized rebellion against the rule of Yahweh (God) - He hunts not animals, but rather the souls of men - Cain, a condemned murderer had started the first cities before the Flood - Nimrod builds the first post-Flood cities - The region he settles in is now mostly modern Iraq Notes by James Montgomery Boice on *Nimrod and Babel THE FIRST WORLD EMPIRE There is an interesting feature of Moses' treatments of these descendants of Ham that is at once recognizable to one who reads this chapter. It is the parenthesis that fills verses 8-12. It comes in the middle of the table of nations and, in a sense, interrupts it. These verses deal, not with the general movements of peoples and nations, but with one particular descendant of Cush, Nimrod, who is said to have been the founder of the first world empire. **Here is the first place in the Bible where the word "kingdom" occurs. Significantly, it is used, not of God's kingdom (as it is later), but of this first rival kingdom of Nimrod. This matter was obviously of great importance to Moses, for a related parenthesis occurs in the first nine verses of chapter 11, in the story of the tower of Babel. What is so significant about Nimrod? The fact that he established cities and built a kingdom is important, of course. But there is much more that can be said. Nimrod was the first person to become a "mighty" man. Our text calls attention to this by using the adjective "mighty" three times in describing him: "Nimrod ... grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, 'Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD'" (vv. 8, 9). The adjective also occurs in a similar way in 1 Chronicles 1:10. Why is this emphasized? Is it good or bad? A little thought will show that it is bad. The empire of Babylon under Nimrod was an affront both to God and man, an affront to God in that it sought to do without God (Gen. 11:1-9) and an affront to man in that it sought to rule over other people tyrannically. Martin Luther was on the right track when he suggested that this is the way the word "hunter" should be interpreted. This is not talking about Nimrod's ability to hunt wild game. He was not a hunter of animals. He was a hunter of men--a warrior. It was through his ability to fight and kill and rule ruthlessly that his kingdom of Euphrates valley city states was consolidated. -- The Tower of Babel by Ray C. Stedman - The fact that this was a religious tower-and yet built to make a name for man-reveals the master motive behind religion. It is a means by which man attempts to
share the glory of God. We must understand this, otherwise we will never understand the power of religion as it has pervaded the earth and permeated our culture ever since. It is a way by which man seeks to share what is rightfully God's alone. This tower was a grandiose structure, and undoubtedly it was intended to be a means by which man would glorify God. Unquestionably there was a plaque somewhere attached to it that carried the pious words, "Erected in the year ___, to the greater glory of God." But it was not really for the glory of God; it was a way of controlling God, a way of channeling God by using him for man's glory. That is what man's religion has always sought to do. It is a way of making God available to us. Man does not really want to eliminate God. It is only sporadically and then only for a relatively brief time, that men cry out for the elimination of God. Atheism is too barren, too pessimistic and too morally bankrupt to live with very long. The communists are finding this out. No, we need "dear old God," but let's keep him under control. Do not let him get out of his place. "Don't call us, God; we'll call you." This is the fundamental philosophy of society. It is the tower of Babel all over again. (from The Beginnings, by Ray C. Stedman, Waco Books, 1978.) [article link]
{Flashback} Revelation 18 - The sins of Mystery Babylon will result in the plagues of God upon Mystery Babylon -- 'Revelation 18:1-5 And after these things I saw another Angel [messenger] come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with His Glory [Jesus Christ]. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all Nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication [unfaithfulness], and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. **And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins (Genesis 11:4) [The Tower of Babel] have reached unto Heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities [intentional sins].' Mystery Babylon is to be judged and destroyed all in a single day: Revelation 18:6-10 Reward her [Mystery Babylon] even as she rewarded [betrayed] you [humans], and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. *Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. ... Revelation 18:20-24 Rejoice over her [Mystery Babylon], thou Heaven, and ye Holy Apostles and Prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down (Jeremiah 51:63), and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. **And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. [article link]
An artist's depiction of...... the Tower of Babel? "Treasure of Nimrod" - This stone carving was found in Iraq [1988] near the ancient city of Babylon - There are clearly two suns [Christ, Antichrist] in the sky and everyone is looking up at them - The tallest figure (wearing the horns of the bull... Nimrod's old crown) appears to be a giant [carrying a bow and holding an arrow - Revelation 6:2 rider of the white horse, the arrow now hidden (false peace) in Revelation - End Times] {Note: The 'cone shaped' Tower and all the helmets (head coverings)
look Egyptian - seemingly or clearly the Egyptian pharaohs were carrying on the tradition and spirit (Mystery fallen angelic Babylon) as revealed to Nimrod.} (Photo) This stone carving (above) was found in Iraq [1988] near the ancient city of Babylon (Bagdad) [the ancient city of Babylon, located 85 kilometers (53 miles) south of Baghdad - wiki.com]. Historians falsely interpret this illustration so I invite you to look at it carefully. There are clearly two suns in the sky and everyone is looking up at them. The tallest figure (wearing the horns of the bull... Nimrod's old crown) appears to be a giant. Giants in the Bible were roughly 18 feet tall. The dome-shaped object is too perfect to be a mountain peak. Instead, imagine that it's the "top" of the Tower of Babel. [article link]
Treasure of Nimrud [Nimrod] Is Found (1988) In Iraq, and It's Spectacular (Article Updated: June 6, 2003) BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The treasure of Nimrud survived 2,800 years buried near a dusty town in northern Iraq. It then spent 12 years tucked away in a vault. Until Thursday, it was uncertain whether it had survived Saddam Hussein's son, a U.S. missile strike, looters, a flood and a grenade attack. But it has been found intact in the dark, damp basement of a bombed out central bank building. Thursday, directors of Iraq's National Museum and a team of U.S. Customs agents and officials from the Office of the Coalition Provisional Authority -- the Pentagon-run agency managing postwar Iraq -- cracked open five waterlogged wooden crates, peered inside and breathed a collective sigh of relief. There, in dozens of smaller boxes was the entire collection -- 613 pieces of gold jewelry, precious stones and ornaments from the height of the Assyrian civilization in 800 B.C. Together, the pieces weigh well over 100 pounds. The recovery of the artifacts, which hasn't been made public, is a great boost for the museum, which gained the world's attention in the days after the war when U.S. forces failed to prevent looters from hauling away thousands of artifacts from ancient civilizations that sprang up in the TigrisEuphrates valley. Experts said it was the worst ransacking of Iraq since Genghis Khan tore into Baghdad in the 13th century. While initial reports talked of some 170,000 pieces stolen, it is now clear that perhaps only a few thousand artifacts were taken, experts say. Many priceless objects from the museum are still missing, such as the sacred Vase of Warka, a Sumerian piece from about 3000 B.C. But museum officials moved hundreds of the most valuable items into storage rooms and secret locations only weeks before the war, including some 40,000 ancient books, Islamic manuscripts and scrolls spirited away in a bomb shelter. More than a thousand other pieces have been recovered by U.S. officials. -- Unearthed in 1988 by Iraqi archaeologists and never seen outside Iraq, the Nimrud treasure had been on public display at Baghdad's National Museum for just a few months before Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. Days after the invasion, the treasure was yanked from public view. Its whereabouts remained secret. -- One man who long wondered about the treasure was Jason Williams, a British anthropologist and filmmaker, who had tried in vain to film the Nimrud treasure in recent years. The only existing film of the pieces was taken when Iraqi archeologists made the discovery, with grainy images of an archaeologist holding up rings and bracelets still attached to the bones of their former owners. "These are Iraq's crown jewels," Mr. Williams said recently as he stepped over several feet of smashed glass, twisted metal and heaps of charred Iraqi dinars in the hull of the bank building destroyed by a U.S. missile strike. Although the building was gutted, the missile didn't damage the basement or the vaults. But a burst water pipe soon flooded the area. [article link]
Wikipedia: Tower of Babel - The Tower of Babel, according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar - The Tower of Babel has often been associated with known structures, notably the Etemenanki, a ziggurat [square tower] dedicated to Marduk (Satan - a late-generation god [name] from ancient Mesopotamia) by Nabopolassar (c.658 - 605 BC) [the first king of the [New] Neo-Babylonian Empire - he ruled over Babylon for 20 years (625 - 605 BC) - Nabopolassar was the father of Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:1) "Nebuchadnezzar (a later) king of Babylon"] - The Great Ziggurat [not the Tower of Babel] of Babylon base was square (not round), 91m in height, but was finally demolished by *Alexander the Great before his death in an attempt to rebuild it
The Tower of Babel, according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar. According to the biblical account, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar, where they resolved to build a city with a tower "with its top in the heavens...lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the Earth." Yahweh came down to see what they did and said: "They are one people and have one language, and nothing will be withholden from them which they purpose to do." So Yahweh said, "Come, let us go down and confound their speech." And so Yahweh scattered them upon the face of the Earth, and confused their languages, and they left off building the city, which was called Babel "because Yahweh there confounded the language of all the Earth."(Genesis 11:5-8). The Tower of Babel has often been associated with known structures, notably the Etemenanki, a ziggurat dedicated to Marduk by Nabopolassar (c. 610 BC). The Great Ziggurat of Babylon base was square (not round), 91m in height, but was finally demolished by Alexander the Great before his death in an attempt to rebuild it. A Sumerian story with some similar elements is preserved in Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta. ... Narrative: The phrase "the Tower of Babel" does not actually appear in the Bible; it is always, "the city and its tower" or just "the city". Originally the city receives the name "Babel", from the word from ancient Hebrew, "balal", *meaning to jumble. Various English translations use different vocabulary sometimes with different meanings; usually this causes no important difference to the story: one speech/vocabulary/same words, plain/valley, asphalt/bitumen/slime, children/men, confound/confuse; and sometimes the difference is important to later interpretations of the meaning of the story: may reach unto heaven/in the sky/will be in the skies (examples from King James, Holman Christian, and R E Friedman versions). ... Destruction: The account in Genesis makes no mention of any destruction of the tower. The people whose languages are confounded simply stop building their city, and are scattered from there over the face of the Earth. However, in other sources such as the Book of Jubilees (chapter 10 v.18-27), Cornelius Alexander (frag. 10), Abydenus (frags. 5 and 6), Josephus (Antiquities 1.4.3), and the Sibylline Oracles (iii. 117-129), God overturns the tower with a great wind. In the Midrash, it said that the top of the tower was burnt, the bottom was swallowed, and the middle was left standing to erode over time. [article link]
Nimrod: He Was And Will Be Again [In Type] - How does [Sumerian] Gilgamesh [found in extra-Biblical literature] (2000 B.C.) compare with "Nimrod?" Josephus says of Nimrod, Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God - He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah -- a bold man, and of great strength of hand - He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness In Genesis 10:8-11 we learn that "Nimrod" established a kingdom. Therefore, one would expect to find also, in the literature of the ancient Near East, a person who was a type, or example, for other people to follow. And there was. It is a well-known tale, common in Sumerian literature, of a man who fits the description. In addition to the Sumerians, the Babylonians wrote about this person; the Assyrians likewise; and the Hittites. Even in Palestine, tablets have been found with this man's name on them. He was obviously the most popular hero in the Ancient Near East. The person we are referring to, found in extra-Biblical literature, was Gilgamesh. The first clay tablets naming him were found among the ruins of the temple library of the god Nabu (Biblical Nebo) and the palace library of Ashurbanipal [Asnapper (Ezra 4:10)] Ashurbanipal "Ashur is creator of an heir"; 685 BCE - c. 627 BCE), also spelled Assurbanipal or Ashshurbanipal, [Asnapper, Osnapper] was the son of Esarhaddon and the last great king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (668 BCE - c. 627 BCE) - He established the first systematically organized library in the ancient Middle East, the Library of Ashurbanipal, which survives in part today at Nineveh - Wiki.com] in Nineveh (Jonah 1:2) [the ancient capital city of Assyria]. Many others have been found since in a number of excavations. The author of the best treatise on the Gilgamesh Epic says, The date of the composition of the Gilgamesh Epic can therefore be fixed at about 2000 BC. Though the stories in it relate an older previous period. The Epic of Gilgamesh has some very indecent sections. Alexander Heidel, first translator of the epic, had the decency to translate the vilest parts into Latin. Spieser, however, gave it to us "straight" (Pritchard 1955: 72). With this kind of literature in the palace, who needs pornography? Gilgamesh was a vile,
filthy, man. Yet the myth says of him that he was "2/3 god and 1/3 man." -- How does Gilgamesh compare with "Nimrod?" Josephus says of Nimrod, Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah -- a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny -- seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his own power. He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers (Ant. 1: iv: 2). What Josephus says here is precisely what is found in the Gilgamesh epics. Gilgamesh set up tyranny, he opposed YHVH and did his utmost to get people to forsake Him. Two of the premiere commentators on the Bible in Hebrew has this to say about Genesis 10:9, Nimrod was mighty in hunting, and that in opposition to YHVH; not "before YHVH" in the sense of according to the will and purpose of YHVH, still less, . . . in a simply superlative sense . . . The name itself, "Nimrod" from marad, "we will revolt," points to some violent resistance to God . . . Nimrod as a mighty hunter founded a powerful kingdom; and the founding of this kingdom is shown by the verb with vav consecutive, to have been the consequence or result of his strength in hunting, so that hunting was intimately connected with the establishing of the kingdom. Hence, if the expression "a mighty hunter" relates primarily to hunting in the literal sense, we must add to the literal meaning the figurative signification of a "hunter of men" (a trapper of men by stratagem and force); Nimrod the hunter became a tyrant, a powerful hunter of men (Keil and Delitzsch 1975: 165). After the Flood there was, at some point, a breakaway from YHVH [YHWH]. Only eight people descended from the [Noah's] Ark. Those people worshipped YHVH [YHWH - God]. But at some point an influential person became opposed to YHVH and gathered others to his side. Nimrod is the one who did it. Cain had done similarly before the Flood, founding a new city and religious system. [article link]
The Lengend of the Stagg [Hunter] - The Hungarian Legend of the Wondrous Stag is one of the oldest legends of the nation - In the legends of Iran the ruler Feridun, a Scythian king who was a descendant of Takhma Urupi (Nimrod), has three sons Tura, Sin, and Iredj - The first two stick together against the third son who inherits Iran - Tura becomes the ancestor of the Turanians, that is Scythians and Huns - Nimrod was known by several names in the Near East and was also symbolized by the constellations Sagitarius and Orion amongst the Turanian/scythian nations The Hungarian Legend of the Wondrous Stag is one of the oldest legends of the nation. It is so old that it is found in various forms among those nations who were the distant relatives or neighbors of the Hungarians, long before their settlement in Hungary. The meaning and the wording of the legends may have changed slightly but they all have much in common. Today the remaining legend is relatively short, whereas in the past it was probably much more extensive. However the Hungarian legend despite it's brevity includes in it many important points some of which can be found in most of the related legends found in other cultures. It is these points which show that once, in the remote antiquity, these people were neighbors or some were even related. The symbol of the cosmos and the mother of the sun was symbolized as a large horned female doe. The great horned doe often was shown carrying the sun in her horns, in some cases the sun itself was symbolized as a stag the son of the doe of the legend. The following Christmas song told by the Hungarian regos (bards) illustrate the stag as the carrier of the sun. ... Mesopotamia: Amongst the many names of the god of wisdom and co-creator EA are Daramah, meaning great stag. Dr Bobula Ida's essay on "The Great Stag, a Messopotamian Divinity", Buenos Aires is an excellent analysis and comparison of similar words and customs with Hungarian Regös customs of the end of the year and the traditions of the stag. For those who would like this sent to them by EMAIL, drop me a note. In Hungarian knowledge, wisdom is based on the root word Tan, Tud, while god is also Is-Ten. Therefore Tana is associated with Hea in meaning as well as Pisces. In the Sumerian legends of the antediluvian kings the legend of Etana is prominent. Etana's legend includes the visiting of heaven. In Hungarian mythology Nimrod is the son of Etana, just as in Kushan-Scythian "Kush-Tana"
is the ancestor of the nation. In Asia Ten, Tien means god or heaven also and Teno was the title of Hun emperors as in early Egypt S-Ten. Similarly in Japanese. In Persian legend of the very early (pre Arian) period when Iran was civilized by a western Mesopotamian ruler, Takma Urupi (Tana=Takma) whose wife was also Eneth. Eneth or Nana are names of the mother goddess of waters, rivers, and fertility among Mesopotamian and Scythian peoples. She was symbolized by Virgo. -- Persian Version: In the legends of Iran the ruler Feridun, a Scythian king who was a descendant of Takhma Urupi (Nimrod), has three sons Tura, Sin, and Iredj. The first two stick together against the third son who inherits Iran. Tura becomes the ancestor of the Turanians, that is Scythians and Huns. Nimrod was known by several names in the Near East and was also symbolized by the constellations Sagitarius and Orion amongst the Turanian/scythian nations. The Persian Legend of the stag is Scythian in origin: Prince Rustvan-shad (Rustam?), the son of the Chinese? emperor (an eastern emperor, more likely the HUNs not the HANs) was hunting while he came across a wondrous stag: his fur was blue (heavenly symbol), and his eyes looked like rubies, his hooves shone as though they were of gold. This stag always lead him on and eluded him, he never could catch him. Finally it lead him to a small lake where it jumped into it's center and disappeared. The prince therefore camped and went to sleep and when he awoke he heard gay laughing and music. Following the sounds he heard, he came to a wondrous marble palace, and there surrounded by a dozen beautiful young girls, sitting on a throne a beautiful goddess of a girl. He asked her who she was, and she replied "Only a tame DOE, and my name is Sehr-istani." (Old Iranian sraw=horn, Hungarian szarv, while Isten=god in old/pre-Iranian and Hungarian.) -- Egyptian Chase of the Ram: Whether we illustrate the story as the chase of the Stag or Ram is irrelevant because the name of the stag is based on the word horned, and can be any horned animal which is the symbol of the rebirth of light. The Egyptian Cushite version of the chase explains the chase of the "Horned" by the national ancestor-god-hero Osiris as follows. As to how the ram became the symbol of Ham, the following tradition survived. - When Osiris was returning home after his triumphant African tour, he and his army were unable to find water and were in a terrible state of dehydration. They were on the verge of death when a ram appeared in front of them. They viewed the appearance of the ram as a heavenly sign and they at once gave chase. To their great astonishment and relief the ram lead them to the shade and cool waters of an oasis. Osiris (Dionisus) explained the event by saying that the ram was Amon (who is symbolized as a ram) and to show his gratitude he raised a temple to his honor on the spot. Amon was elevated to the stars as the constellation of Aires (the ram) so that when the sun is in the house of Aires in spring, nature shall revive it's life. The Egyptian dictionary explains the word Cush to also mean tomb RAM, and this word is in accordance with the Hungarian word for ram KOSH. Nimrod and his people were Cushites and they also ruled Egypt at one time before founding Babylon. -- The Greek Version: The Greeks also inherited many legends from their Scythian neighbors, which included distorted versions of this story. Many Scythians were hired into Greek armies, and some were servants. Certain Scythians became prominent teachers in Greek cities. In the Greek story the twin sons of Zeus and Nemesis are known as Castor and Pollux. (GEMINI) Cas-tor and his brother Pollux steal the daughters of Leukepius. (LEUK=white) Cas-tor is the Cushite Tura, a son of Nimrod after whom northern Mesopotamia (Eturia) and the Aral and Caspian lowlands (Turan) were named. Pollux or Poly-deuces is Polly=Apolo is the sun god whose other Near Eastern name is Makar (MAGOR). Zeus was once a king in the Near East, a Kushite king (NIMROD) which the Greeks deified. Another Scythian legend recorded by the Greeks states that the sons of the Scythian king named SCYTHES were Palos (Polux) and Naes (Castor, Nesus are ancient ancestors of the Cushites). The meaning of SAKA, from which Scyth comes from means Chief, Lord. Another Greek recorded the legend of the MEGARI of Anatolia, and of course translated it into it's Greek equivalent, with slight changes. Here Zeus marries a Scythian Nymph of the area, and from their union is born Megaros, the ancestor of the people of Megari. Again the Scythian connection is emphasized with the results that the Megari, Magyari nation is created.) -- Finnic Version: In the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, the stag is the favorite animal of the queen of the underworld (Yumala), which leads the hero to his doom. Kaleva is the mythical kingdom where much of the epic takes place. It could be equated with Kalama of the Sumerians, the name of their country. -- Ugrian Version: In the legend of the Ostjak, the hunting pair, with their whole tribe are hunting for a raindeer. The animal baited them on towards the north, where finally it turned into fog. In the age, when the first ice-rain (snow) began to fall.
(The coming of the ice age trapped the hunting nation?) In northern Siberia, the heavenly raindeer, symbolized by the big dipper, steals the sun, and that is why there is no sun for half a year in the arctic. When the mythical hunter, who is often symbolized by a bear, kills the female reindeer, it starts the new days. This is an important key to the stories, for the chase after the stag is a hunt for the return of the sun, which during winter is taken away by the stag. The hunters are searching for it's light and heat. Perhaps a southern migration from northern pastures with the coming of winter? The recapturing of it (the sighting of the southern constellation?) then brings back summer. The girls of the legend are the does, the daughters of light (Leukepius in Greek), who return the light and fertility of the sun. For that reason they have names which indicate "light, white, burning.." Dula=Gyula,Gyul..., Sar=gold,light, stag. Bular or Bugur=stag in Turkic. -- Japanese version: The twin brothers chase the stag. They get into an argument, probably about which way the stag disappeared, and one brother goes east and finds Japan, while the other goes west. -- Maya Indian version: The sons of Hun Hun-apu, the god of the hunt, are the heavenly twins [GEMINI],known as Hunapu (HUNOR) who is warlike like his father and Ixbalenque (MAGOR), who is more peaceful. Their adventures, with their 400 warriors includes the kidnapping the women. Their jealous half brothers chased them, but they turned them into monkeys (i.e. make monkeys of them?). [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Antediluvian [Pre-flood] Civilizations - {The pre-flood civilization up until the days of Noah encompassed about 2,000 years of human history and probably involved several billion people. - Note: In the pre-flood earth it doesn't appear that there were any Kings or Governments and that the long lives [experience and expertise] of each individual precluded them from being reigned and ruled over by others. Instead of a governmental structure of Kings and Politicians the earth seemed to have been Governed strictly by each family patriarch (head) according to God's governance and that after the flood in the new, young and now naive post-flood civilization the inexperienced human civilization now required [and allowed strangers - nonfamily members] rulers and Kings and that Nimrod was possibly the first King though human history had existed for some 2,000 years before Nimrod. - Also Note: Jesus is not a stranger but He is family with everyone and as family He has our own individual best interest at His heart. Jesus is the kinsman (relative related) redeemer to everyone [we are created in God's image - relationship] and His (Fatherly, creation Brotherly, redemption and salvation) relationship to all humans is maintained via His Virgin (Divine) birth.} Introduction: "'Antediluvian civilizations'" are civilizations believed to have existed before the Great flood of Noah. If the fossil record is indeed the result of the Biblical flood as described in the Bible, then it is somewhat expected for evidence of antediluvian (pre-flood) civilizations to exist. It is assumed by many that humans reached advanced stages of technological development before the flood. Such presuppositions are usually based on the Biblical genealogy, which states that ancient people lived to approximately 10 times our current life span. Also it is frequently mentioned that Adam and Eve would likely possess higher than normal intelligence since they were created as adults, with knowledge that subsequent humans obtain from their parents. Another theory states that the antediluvian race called the Nephilim was superior to other humans in this respect. All accounts of the Great flood from civilizations around the world indicate that there were civilizations before the flood. However, as a result of the destruction during the flood and the passage of time, the remaining evidence is scanty. As a result of the flood, the earth was covered in hundreds of feet of sediment, and very little of the antediluvian horizon has been exposed. It is also problematic that the scientific community is quick to dismiss any artifacts that dispute their presupposed interpretation of the fossil record. Nevertheless, any truly advanced civilization would have left durable traces or constructions that would likely surface during excavations or by erosion. Relatively insightful accounts can be drawn from the Bible, apocrypha, and ancient Babylonian and Greek accounts of antediluvian civilization. ... Implications of the Tower of Babel: We can not dispute the existence of atypical knowledge possessed by Adam and Eve, however, we should also consider the tower of Babel curse as it relates to human accomplishments to that date. Monumental constructions are a great source of pride for humans. It was most likely this type of technological development that God attempted to retard by creating the language barriers at the tower of Babel. The Babel event suggests
that the tower was the first major monument that mankind had ever built. It was the first construction that had no purpose but to be a monument [temple] to human achievement [based on Satanic interaction]. The tower was not a particularly important technological development [Babel was a major object of Satanic interaction between humans and Satan - harming humans to the extent of possibly permanently altering our human (DNA) making us more susceptible to disease, illness and further shortening our lifespan and also harming our psyche (soul) by lessening our confidence and our decision making capabilities making us even more susceptible to Satanic deceptions]. It was built out of bricks, and was therefore incomparable to even the limestone pyramids. In comparison to our modern building it was hardly more than a mud mound. Many better monuments would be built afterwards, but given God's reaction, it is logical to propose that nothing like it had been built prior to the flood. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- The Date of Noah's Flood - The placing of a catastrophic global flood in the year (about) 2304 BC [and Creation at about 4,000 B.C.] means that all civilizations discovered by archaeology [today] must fit into the last 4,285 years {The flood of Noah (about 4,284 years ago) destroyed all the previous civilizations so about 4,284 years of land based archeology exists - though pre-flood archeology may well exist [and some evidence (artifacts 'Ooparts') have been found and do exist] deep under the sea or deep underground.} Since we exist in the present, we are really trying to find information that will enable us to add up the years between us and Noah's Flood. As our starting point we will take the Birth of Christ. It is unlikely anyone will dispute that Christ was born approximately 1,984 years ago. Since Christ is recorded as having referred to Noah's Flood as a past event it should be obvious that we need data that will take us back beyond 2,000 years. The next date we can put down with reliable certainty is 967 BC or 2,948 years ago. This is the date at which Solomon laid the foundation of the Temple (1 Kings 6:1). For those who are interested in the detailed evidence as to why this event can be placed in 967 BC I would refer you to Professor Edwin Thiele's work The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings. His work can be summarized by the statement that both the chronology of the Ancient Assyrian Culture and the Biblical record point to this date. The first verse of Kings chapter 6 is also useful in that it tells us there was a time span of 480 years (see Appendix 1) from the time Israel left Egypt (the Exodus) until Solomon began to build the Temple. The Exodus occurred therefore roughly 1,981 + 967 + 480 years ago (see Appendix 2) or 3,428 years ago or 1447 BC +/- 1 year. Why do I say +/- 1 year? As the chronologist compares the family trees or chronologies in the Bible, it is interesting to note that these lists use only whole years (e.g. Gen. 11). Now if a person is listed as being 44 years of age when their son was born, they may have been just 44 or nearly 45. Anywhere in this period of 12 months they are still 44. This introduces a margin of error of up to 12 months or 1 year for each person or event in such a list. -- As the Bible records the Flood a significant time before the Exodus, let us examine data which will take us back before this event. Paul, a university trained Jew, well skilled in the Hebrew language, the religion of the Jews and the writings of Moses, wrote in the early years of the Christian era, a letter to the church at Galatia (Galatians 3:17). He stated that the Israelites left Egypt to return to the promised land 430 years (see Appendix 3) after God gave the promise to Abraham, the founder of the Jewish race. According to Acts 7:4 and Genesis 12:1-4, Abraham was 75 years old when God gave him the promise and in the same year his father Terah was 205 years old and Abraham was born when Terah was 130 years of age (Gen.11:26-33). (See Appendix 4.) The statements of genealogy in Genesis 11:10-26, are father-son statements and link Abraham to Noah's son, Shem. The statements list the persons by name. Their year of birth against their father's age is listed and their father is named. These chronologies do not have missing generations; there are no gaps. If we add up the figures mentioned between Shem's 100th year (Gen. 11:10) and Abraham (Gen. 11:26) we get 350 years. Since 9 names are mentioned it is 350 years +/- 9 (9 margins of error of up to 1 year each). Genesis 11:10 tells us that Shem was 100 years old, 2 years after the Flood had finished. When was Noah's Flood? 1,981 years to AD 0 plus 967 years to the founding of Solomon's Temple plus 480 years to the end of the Exodus plus 430 years to the promise to Abraham plus 75 years to Abraham's birth plus 350 years to Shem's 100th birthday plus 2 years to the Flood. The Biblical data
places the Flood at 2304 BC +/- 11 years. This date is, as expected, in conflict with secular archaeology which regards the Flood as either local or a myth and the Biblical chronologies as irrelevant or inaccurate. The placing of a catastrophic global flood in the year 2304 BC means that all civilizations discovered by archaeology must fit into the last 4,285 years. The significance of this fact will be pursued in later articles. [Ed.- for more information, see TJ 2 (1986), pp. 56-87 and TJ 3 (1988), pp. 96-136.] [article link]
Ancient Brass BELL (Oopart - Out of place artifact) Found Encased IN COAL supposed to be about 300 million years old! - the bell is an antediluvian [before the deluge, pre-flood] artifact made before the Genesis Flood (Noah's Ark) - For more detailed pictures of the bell and the [idol] demon-like figure on top, click here (Photos) In 1944, as a ten year old boy, Newton Anderson dropped a lump of coal in his basement and found that it contained this bell inside. The bituminous coal that was mined near his house in Upshur County West Virginia is supposed to be about 300 million years old! What is a brass bell with an iron clapper doing in coal ascribed to the Carboniferous Period? According to Norm Sharbaugh's book Ammunition (which includes several "coal anecdotes") the bell is an antediluvian artifact (made before the Genesis Flood). The Institute for Creation Research had the bell submitted to the lab at the University of Oklahoma. There a nuclear activation analysis revealed that the bell contains an unusual mix of metals, different from any known modern alloy production (including copper, zinc, tin, arsenic, iodine, and selenium). -- Genesis 4:22 states that Tubal-Cain was "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron..." Perhaps when his civilization came to an end in the flood, this bell was buried with a mass of vegetation that became coal and ended up thousands of years later in Newt Anderson's coal bin. ... Later on, Newton Anderson spent a great deal of time researching the demon atop the bell. He discovered similarities to the Babylonian Southwest Wind Demon and the Hindu deity Garuda. Garuda is sometimes depicted on top of bells, as is the Egyptian Isis. [article link]
OOPARTS (out of place artifacts) & ANCIENT HIGH TECHNOLOGY -- Evidence of Noah's Flood? - Do unexplained technologies of the ancients provide possible proofs of Pre-flood civilizations? - If you believe that the flood of Noah actually happened, what was the state of the technology of (antediluvian) pre-flooders? Could they have left physical evidence of their existence? - We expect you to use your own knowledge filter (Christian discernment) on this site Point of View: We have a Biblical viewpoint on the world. Ooparts are evidence, we think, that the Flood actually happened. News items or magazine articles that report them may not have the same perspective that Christians do. When we read for instance, a scientific article that puzzles over our lack of genetic variability, we think of the Flood of Noah. We would include that article here, without editing, because we expect Christians to use their filters on such an article. That does not mean that we agree with the evolutionary timeframe given in said article. -- We think it's more interesting when general newspaper articles or science articles observe data that they might see one way, but that Christians might see another way given our own knowledge about God, creation and the flood. It's more interesting to quote Stephen Jay Gould saying that "the lack of transitional fossils is the trade secret of paleontology", than it might be to hear another Christian say it. So, no we don't believe the universe is millions or billions of years old. We don't know how old it is-we just know who created it and how long it took Him. We do not believe in pre-Adamic races, though we do believe that there were "civiilizations" prior to the Flood. We don't believe in space aliens or cooties. We expect you to use your own knowledge filter on this site. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- "Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven [sky] and the earth." - Christian Creationism vs. Secular Evolution Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven (sky) and the earth. - It is only through creation and not by means of evolution that people can be "created in the image of God" therefore creation is the very heart of the plan of God. "Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image ..." Either people are created and are
therefore in the image of God making us capable of fellowship and able to have a relationship with God or we are involved in some random evolution process in a random universe that is without meaning and ultimately is totally useless. "Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every Nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made (created) heaven, and earth' ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- BasicChristian.org: Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual realms as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th realm being God's realm of unrestricted eternity} Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the 5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. Note: So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation [into our human realms] of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Also Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2. Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic [Nephilim spirits] - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -"Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Wikipedia: Dimension - A diagram showing the first four spatial dimensions [Length, Height, Width, Time via Movement] From left to right, the square, the cube, and the tesseract. The square is bounded by 1-dimensional lines, the cube by 2-dimensional areas, and the tesseract by 3-dimensional volumes. ... Time: Time is often referred to as the "fourth dimension". It is one way to measure physical change. It is perceived differently from the three spatial dimensions in that there is only one of it, and that we cannot move freely in time but subjectively move in one direction. The equations used in physics to model reality do not treat time in the same way that humans perceive it. The equations of classical mechanics are symmetric with respect to time, and equations of quantum mechanics are typically symmetric if both time and other quantities (such as charge and parity) are reversed. In these models, the perception of time flowing in one direction is an artifact of the laws of thermodynamics (we perceive time as flowing in the direction of increasing entropy). The best-known treatment of time as a dimension is Poincaré and Einstein's special relativity and extended to general relativity, which treats perceived space and time as components of a four-dimensional manifold, known as spacetime, and in the special, flat case as Minkowski space. -- Additional dimensions: Theories such as string theory and M-theory predict that
physical space in general has in fact 10 and 11 dimensions, respectively. The extra dimensions are spacelike. We perceive only three spatial dimensions, and no physical experiments have confirmed the reality of additional dimensions. A possible explanation that has been suggested is that space acts as if it were "curled up" in the extra dimensions on a subatomic scale, possibly at the quark/string level of scale or below. Another less-held fringe view asserts that dimensions beyond the fourth progressively condense timelines and universes into single spatial points in the above dimension, until the tenth, where a 0-dimensional point equates to all possible timelines in all possible universes. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- 8 Kingdoms [Revelation 17:10] Introduction: Some brief criteria for the 8 Global Kingdoms of the earth - Throughout human history there have been many glorious [in man's eyes] Empires, Kingdoms and Dominions but only 8 of the Kingdoms of mankind are the incredible (Revelation 17:10) Kingdoms of the earth {Note: The Basic Christian blog History Study is also going to include some of the additional great Kingdoms primarily Hammurabi (Saudi Arabia), Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia), Solomon (Israel), and Sennacherib (Assyria).} 8 Kingdoms Summary: The Seven incredible Global Gentile Kingdoms of Revelation 17:10 are Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and [revised Rome] the Antichrist Kingdom. While the 8th and final Kingdom is the eternal, righteous Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each of these 8 Kingdoms is going to share some remarkable similarities: Each Kingdom will have possessed all of or a majority of the world's wealth [gold, silver, precious gems] at one time. Each Kingdom has or will have knowledge [both public and secret knowledge] beyond that of their peers. The Kingdoms will also possess influence, military power and political prestige beyond the peers of their day. *Most importantly each of the 8 Kingdoms will also have exerted FAVORABLE influence over the Jews, over Jerusalem and over the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Nimrod [about two generations and 100 years after the flood of Noah] encompassed all of humanity including Abraham's forefather Arphaxad (Genesis 11:11), the Kingdom of Nimrod possessed all human wealth, knowledge and wisdom and the Kingdom of Nimrod built a Temple (the Tower of Babel). Egypt the 2nd Kingdom amassed much of the fortune of the world and much of the knowledge of the world and a great part of that fortune would be "favorably" given to the Jews at their Passover departure from Egypt (Exodus 3:21-22). The wealth of Egypt would then be used by the Jews in the building of the Tabernacle of God by Moses at Mt. Sinai (Saudi Arabia) and later the wealth of the Tabernacle would be transferred into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The wealth of the Temple in Jerusalem would be given back to Egypt by the Jewish King Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25-26). The 3rd Kingdom Babylon [initially very favorable to the Jews, Jerusalem and the Temple] captured the wealth of Egypt in Egypt and took it to their Palace in Babylon. The 4th Kingdom Persia [Iran] conquered Babylon [Iraq] and consolidated the wealth of the world into the Palace at Shushan (Esther 1:4) part of the wealth of Persia was given to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 45:28, 2 Chronicles 36:23). The 5th Kingdom Greece and Alexander the Great [on either 10 or 11 June 323 B.C., Alexander the Great died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon at the age of 32 - wiki.com]. King Alexander the Great who immersed the world in Greek thought and philosophy and after sparing the Jews, Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple then "at the age of 32" died among the wealth of ancient Egypt, Babylon and Persia. The 6th Kingdom Rome oversaw an extensive expansion in the size of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem beginning with Julius Caesar [July, 47 B.C.] Cæsar determines "That the Jews shall possess Jerusalem, and may encompass that city with walls; and that Hyrcanus, the son of Alexander, the high priest and ethnarch of the Jews, retain it in the manner he himself pleases ..." [Source: JewishEncyclopedia.com]. The 7th Kingdom the Kingdom of Antichrist is going to sign a favorable [7 year] covenant with the Jews and the Nation of Israel (Daniel 9:27) and will also in some way rebuild [and eventually occupy (Matthew 24:15)] the now destroyed Temple in Jerusalem. The 8th and final Kingdom the Eternal, Righteous Kingdom of Jesus Christ [Jesus being Jewish] will of course be very favorable to the Jews as Jesus will rule the entire world from the unprecedented Millennial Temple (Ezekiel 43:7) in Jerusalem. [article link]
Basic Christian: - The Basic Christian Bible Study: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth - The 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th Kingdom the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ -- The Kingdoms: beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) --- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) --- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon - Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) --- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) --- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) --- Julius Caesar (Rome - Luke 2:1) --- The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire (Daniel 7:19) - Antichrist (Satan - Daniel 7:20) emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire --- The Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments after (Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon) - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough
goat is the King of Grecia [Greece - 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome - Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Revelation Chapter 17 - Mystery Babylon -- "Revelation 17:9-10 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. **The seven heads are seven [Kingdom] mountains, **on which [the seven Global Gentile Kingdoms] the woman [Mystery Babylon] sitteth. **And there are seven kings [Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt), Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon), Cyrus (Persia), Alexander the Great (Greece), Julius Caesar (Rome), Antichrist (Satan)]: five are fallen, and one (Rome) is [in the Disciple John's day], and the other (Revised Rome) is not yet come; and when he [Antichrist - Satan] cometh, he [7th Global King - Antichrist] must continue a short space." Revelation 17:1-18 And there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven vials [Great Tribulation measured bowl judgments of Revelation], and talked with me [Disciple John], saying unto me, Come hither [near]; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the Great Whore [Mystery Babylon] that sitteth upon many waters [people - Nations]: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication [intimacy], and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk [influenced] with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness [an empty place]: and I saw a woman [Mystery Babylon] sit upon a scarlet coloured beast [Revised Roman Empire], full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads [authority of all seven Gentile Global Kingdoms] and ten horns [Revised Rome]. And the woman [Mystery Babylon - spirit of Deception] was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints [of God], and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, *I wondered with great admiration [astonishment]. And the Angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth
her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. *The beast [Antichrist] that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. **The seven heads are seven [Kingdom] mountains, **on which [the seven Global Gentile Kingdoms] the woman sitteth. **And there are seven kings [Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt), Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon), Cyrus (Persia), Alexander the Great (Greece), Julius Caesar (Rome), Antichrist (Satan)]: five are fallen, and one (Rome) is [in the Disciple John's day], and the other (Revised Rome) is not yet come; and when he [Antichrist - Satan] cometh, he [7th Global King - Antichrist] must continue a short space. And the [7th] beast that was, and is not [gets assassinated], even he [then has a fake resurrection] is the eighth, and [but] is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns [Revised Roman Empire (Daniel 7:7)] which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour [a short time] with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast [Antichrist]. These shall make war with the Lamb (Jesus Christ), and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the [manipulating] whore [of false religion], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great {unseen spiritual deception} city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. [article link]
Rosetta Stone - British Museum [Home Video] (YouTube) The Rosetta Stone - From Fort St Julien, el-Rashid (Rosetta), Egypt [Greek] Ptolemaic Period, 196 BC. Valuable key to the decipherment of [ancient Egyptian] hieroglyphs. The inscription on the Rosetta Stone is a decree passed by a council of priests, one of a series that affirm the royal cult of the 13-year-old Ptolemy V on the first anniversary of his coronation. -- In previous years the family of the Ptolemies had lost control of certain parts of the country. It had taken their armies some time to put down opposition in the Delta, and parts of southern Upper Egypt, particularly Thebes, were not yet back under the government's control. -- Before the [Greek] Ptolemaic era (that is before about 332 BC), decrees in hieroglyphs such as this were usually set up by the king. It shows how much things had changed from Pharaonic times that the priests, the only people who had kept the knowledge of writing hieroglyphs, were now issuing such decrees. The list of good deeds done by the king for the temples hints at the way in which the support of the priests was ensured.-- The decree is inscribed on the stone three times, in hieroglyphic (suitable for a priestly decree), demotic (the native script used for daily purposes), and Greek (the language of the administration). The importance of this to Egyptology is immense. Soon after the end of the fourth century AD, when hieroglyphs had gone out of use, the knowledge of how to read and write them disappeared. In the early years of the nineteenth century, some 1400 years later, scholars were able to use the Greek inscription on this stone as the key to decipher them. Thomas Young, an English physicist, was the first to show that some of the hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone wrote the sounds of a royal name, that of Ptolemy. The French scholar Jean-François Champollion then realized that hieroglyphs recorded the sound of the Egyptian language and laid the foundations of our knowledge of ancient Egyptian language and culture. -- [French] Soldiers in Napoleon's army discovered the Rosetta Stone in 1799 while digging the foundations of an addition to a fort near the town of el-Rashid (Rosetta). On Napoleon's defeat, the stone became the property of the English under the terms of the Treaty of Alexandria (1801) along with other antiquities that the French had found. -- The Rosetta Stone has been exhibited in the British Museum since 1802, with only one break. Towards the end of the First World War, in 1917, when the Museum was concerned about heavy bombing in London, they moved it to safety along with other, portable, 'important' objects. The Rosetta Stone spent the next two years in a station on the Postal Tube Railway fifty feet below the ground at Holborn. - C.A.R. Andrews, The Rosetta Stone-1 (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) - R. Parkinson, The
Rosetta Stone (London, British Museum Press, 2005) - R. Parkinson, Cracking codes: the Rosetta St (London, The British Museum Press, 1999) - C.A.R. Andrews and S. Quirke, The Rosetta Stone: facsimile d (London, The British Museum Press, 1988) - R.S. Simpson, Demotic grammar in the Ptolema (Oxford, Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum, 1996). [article link]
History of the Rosetta Stone (Youtube) History of the Rosetta Stone and Israel Archaeology. Randall Niles looks at the importance of Egyptian Hieroglyphics to Biblical Studies. Visit www.AllAboutTheJourney.org/isr to read how the history of the Rosetta Stone and other Egyptian artifacts impact the integrity of the Jewish scriptures. Also, go to www.RandallNiles.com/videos.htm to watch more videos about the history of the Rosetta Stone and other archaeological treasures related to Israel Archaeology! [article link]
History Channel - Ancient Mysteries - The Rosetta Stone part 1 of 5 (YouTube) The Rosetta Stone is an Ancient Egyptian artifact which was instrumental in advancing modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. The stone is a [Greek] Ptolemaic era stele with carved text made up of three translations of a single passage: two in Egyptian language scripts (hieroglyphic and Demotic) and one in classical Greek. **It was created in 196 BC, **discovered by the French [men of Napoléon's army] in 1799 at Rosetta [near the town of el-Rashid (Rosetta) Egypt - Source: BritishMuseum.org] and contributed greatly to the deciphering of the principles of hieroglyph writing in 1822 by the British scientist Thomas Young and the French scholar Jean-François Champollion. Comparative translation of the stone assisted in understanding many previously undecipherable examples of hieroglyphic writing. The text on the stone is a decree from Ptolemy V, describing the repeal of various taxes and instructions to erect statues in temples. Two EgyptianGreek multilingual steles predated Ptolemy V's Rosetta Stone: Ptolemy III's Decree of Canopus, 239 BC, and Ptolemy IV's Decree of Memphis, ca 218 BC. -- The renaissance translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs in the early 1800s promulgated the immediate three-language translation of the tri-lingual Behistun Inscription in cuneiform scripts, by scaffolding work on the cliff-wall face, before the mid-1800s. Both hieroglyphs and cuneiform were starting a translation revolution, as were the physical sciences of describing fossil evolution. -The Rosetta Stone is 114.4 centimetres (45.0 in) high at its highest point, 72.3 centimetres (28.5 in) wide, and 27.9 centimetres (11.0 in) thick. It is unfinished on its sides and reverse. Weighing approximately 760 kilograms (1,700 lb), it was originally thought to be granite or basalt but is currently described as granodiorite of a dark grey-pinkish colour. The stone has been on public display at The British Museum since 1802. [article link]
History Channel - Ancient Mysteries - The Rosetta Stone 2 of 5 (YouTube) Modern-era discovery: In preparation for Napoleon's 1798 campaign in Egypt, the French founded the Institut de l'Égypte in Cairo which brought 167 scientists and archaeologists to the region. French Army engineer Captain Pierre-François Bouchard discovered the stone sometime the sources are not specific in mid-July 1799 (July 15 or July 19), while guiding construction work at Fort Julien near the Egyptian port city of Rashid (Rosetta). The Napoleonic army was so awestruck by this unheralded spectacle that, according to a witness, "It halted of itself and, by one spontaneous impulse, grounded its arms." (As quoted by Robert Claiborne, The Birth of Writing [1974], p. 24.) After Napoleon returned in 1799, 167 scholars remained behind with French troops which held off British and Ottoman attacks. In March 1801, the British landed on Aboukir Bay and scholars carried the Stone from Cairo to Alexandria alongside the troops of Jacques-Francois Menou. French troops in Cairo capitulated on June 22, and in Alexandria on August 30. -- After the surrender, a dispute arose over the fate of French archaeological and scientific discoveries in Egypt. De Menou refused to hand them over, claiming they belonged to the Institute. British General John Hely-Hutchinson, 2nd Earl of Donoughmore, refused to relieve the city until de Menou gave in. Newly arrived scholars Edward Daniel Clarke and William Richard Hamilton agreed to check the collections in Alexandria and found many artifacts that the French had
not revealed. -- When Hutchinson claimed all materials as a property of the British Crown, a French scholar, Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, said to Clarke and Hamilton that they would rather burn all their discoveries referring ominously to the destruction of the Library of Alexandria - than turn them over. Hutchinson finally agreed that items such as biology specimens would be the scholars' private property. De Menou regarded the stone as his private property and hid it. How exactly the Stone came to British hands is disputed. Colonel Tomkyns Hilgrove Turner, who escorted the stone to Britain, claimed later that he had personally seized it from de Menou and carried it away on a gun carriage. Clarke stated in his memoirs that a French scholar and an officer had quietly given up the stone to him and his companions in a Cairo back street. French scholars departed later with only imprints and plaster casts of the stone. Turner brought the stone to Britain aboard the captured French frigate HMS Egyptienne in February 1802. On March 11, it was presented to the Society of Antiquaries of London and Stephen Weston played a major role in the early translation. Later it was taken to the British Museum, where it remains to this day. Inscriptions painted in white on the artifact state "Captured in Egypt by the British Army in 1801" on the left side and "Presented by King George III" on the right. [article link]
History Channel - Ancient Mysteries - The Rosetta Stone 3 of 5 (YouTube) Experts inspecting the Rosetta Stone during the International Congress of Orientalists of 1874In 1814, Briton Thomas Young finished translating the enchorial (demotic) text, and began work on the hieroglyphic script. From 1822 to 1824 the French scholar, philologist, and orientalist Jean-François Champollion greatly expanded on this work and is credited as the principal translator of the Rosetta Stone. Champollion could read both Greek and Coptic, and figured out what the seven Demotic signs in Coptic were. By looking at how these signs were used in Coptic, he worked out what they meant. Then he traced the Demotic signs back to hieroglyphic signs. By working out what some hieroglyphs stood for, he transliterated the text from the Demotic (or older Coptic) and Greek to the hieroglyphs by first translating Greek names which were originally in Greek, then working towards ancient names that had never been written in any other language. Champollion then created an alphabet to decipher the remaining text. -- In 1858, the Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania published the first complete English translation of the Rosetta Stone as accomplished by three of its undergraduate members: Charles R Hale, S Huntington Jones, and Henry Morton. [article link]
History Channel - Ancient Mysteries - The Rosetta Stone 4 of 5 (YouTube) In essence, the Rosetta Stone is a tax amnesty given to the temple priests of the day, restoring the tax privileges they had traditionally enjoyed from more ancient times. Some scholars speculate that several copies of the Rosetta Stone must exist, as yet undiscovered, since this proclamation must have been made at many temples. The complete Greek portion, translated into English, is about 16001700 words in length, and is about 20 paragraphs long (average of 80 words per paragraph): -- In the reign of the new king who was Lord of the diadems, great in glory, the stabilizer of Egypt, but also pious in matters relating to the gods, superior to his adversaries, rectifier of the life of men, Lord of the thirty-year periods like Hephaestus the Great, King like the Sun, the Great King of the Upper and Lower Lands, offspring of the Parent-loving gods, whom Hephaestus has approved, to whom the Sun has given victory, living image of Zeus, Son of the Sun, Ptolemy the ever-living, beloved by Ptah; In the ninth year, when Aëtus, son of Aëtus, was priest of Alexander and of the Savior gods and the Brother gods and the Benefactor gods and the Parent-loving gods and the god Manifest and Gracious; Pyrrha, the daughter of Philinius, being athlophorus for Bernice Euergetis; Areia, the daughter of Diogenes, being canephorus for Arsinoë Philadelphus; Irene, the daughter of Ptolemy, being priestess of Arsinoë Philopator: on the fourth of the month Xanicus, or according to the Egyptians the eighteenth of Mecheir. -THE DECREE: The high priests and prophets, and those who enter the inner shrine in order to robe the gods, and those who wear the hawk's wing, and the sacred scribes, and all the other priests who have assembled at Memphis before the king, from the various temples throughout the country, for the feast of his receiving the kingdom, even that of Ptolemy the ever-living, beloved by Ptah, the god Manifest and Gracious, which he
received from his Father, being assembled in the temple in Memphis this day, declared: Since King Ptolemy, the ever-living, beloved by Ptah, the god Manifest and Gracious, the son of King Ptolemy and Queen Arsinoë, the Parent-loving gods, has done many benefactions to the temples and to those who dwell in them, and also to all those subject to his rule, being from the beginning a god born of a god and a goddess-like Horus, the son of Isis and Osirus, who came to the help of his Father Osirus; being benevolently disposed toward the gods, has concentrated to the temples revenues both of silver and of grain, and has generously undergone many expenses in order to lead Egypt to prosperity and to establish the temples... the gods have rewarded him with health, victory, power, and all other good things, his sovereignty to continue to him and his children forever. [article link]
History Channel - Ancient Mysteries - The Rosetta Stone 5 of 5 (YouTube) The term Rosetta Stone came to be used by philologists to describe any bilingual text with whose help a hitherto unknown language and/or script could be deciphered. For example, the bilingual coins of the IndoGreeks (Obverse in Greek, reverse in Pali, using the Kharosthi script), which enabled James Prinsep (1799-1840) to decipher the latter. -- Later on, the term gained a wider frequency, also outside the field of linguistics, and has become idiomatic as something that is a critical key to the process of decryption or translation of a difficult encoding of information: "The Rosetta Stone of immunology" and "Arabidopsis, the Rosetta Stone of flowering time (fossils)". An algorithm for predicting protein structure from sequence is named Rosetta@home. In molecular biology, a series of "Rosetta" bacterial cell lines have been developed that contain a number of TRNA genes that are rare in E. coli but common in other organisms, enabling the efficient translation of DNA from those organisms in E. coli. "Rosetta" is an online language translation tool to help localisation of software, developed and maintained by Canonical as part of the Launchpad project. "Rosetta" is the name of a "lightweight dynamic translator" distributed for Mac OS X by Apple. Rosetta enables applications compiled for PowerPC processor to run on Apple systems using x86 processor. Rosetta Stone is a brand of language learning software published by Rosetta Stone Ltd., headquartered in Arlington, VA, USA. The Rosetta Project is a global collaboration of language specialists and native speakers to develop a contemporary version of the historic Rosetta Stone to last from 2000 to 12,000 AD. Its goal is a meaningful survey and near permanent archive of 1,500 languages. [article link]
The London Walks [Brief - Ancient Kingdoms] British Museum Tour (YouTube) Award winning London Walks tour of The British Museum. [article link]
Conclusion - The Vagabond Priesthood (i.e. Emerging Church): Definitions of the Vagabond Priesthood -- "Acts 19:13-17 Then (1)certain of the vagabond Jews, (2)exorcists, took upon them [themselves] to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you (3)by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests [lit. the Vagabond High Priest], which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and (4)overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. (5)And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified." 1. The Vagabond Priesthood was a vagrant, wandering sect of pseudo Judaism attempting to Merchandise their minimal knowledge and abilities to the local populations. 2. Good intentions are a part of the Vagabond Priesthood in that its practitioners are generally out to perform a service (exorcism) for the good of mankind. Note: both good works and money were a motivating factor but money and reputation surpassed the works of good intentions. 3. Plagiarism and borrowing from other religions (i.e. New Age Religions, Cults) is a common and acceptable practice within the Vagabond Priesthood. 4. Ultimately the Vagabond Priesthood not being grounded in either reality or in Biblical Truth the Vagabond Priesthood is a powerless priesthood. 5. The Vagabond Priesthood being a pseudo and powerless priesthood is a contrary [don't do what they do] witness
to mankind. [article link]
Conclusion - Return of the Scapegoat: The return of the scapegoat brought with it the omen of great destruction for the city of Jerusalem (Luke 23:28) In reading the Bible most people are generally left with the impression that something is missing, something in a deep dark burden is being left untold by the early Church Apostles and too often many people conclude that the untold secret of the New Testament is that Christianity and the resurrection of Jesus is untrue however the Resurrection of Jesus is true; it is as true as life, light, truth and liberty. Seemingly following on the Old Testament tradition (Leviticus 16:9 - a possible return of the scapegoat is not mentioned - mentioning the return of the scapegoat is too disastrous to contemplate) the 'deep dark secret' of the New Testament was that the scapegoat (Barabbas) had returned to Jerusalem, foretelling of the coming 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem. Barabbas was released from his sentence of crucifixion (Matthew 27:26) while Jesus and the other two prisoners were then executed. Seemingly Barabbas [probably also of the Tribe of Judah and a direct descendant of King Solomon - his followers felt Barabbas could overthrow Rome and reestablish the throne of Solomon in Jerusalem (Mark 15:7, Luke 23:19)]. Barabbas probably not the wisest person on the streets of Jerusalem thought his momentary pardon from Herod was good for the rest of his life and quickly returned (days later) to Jerusalem where he would be quickly recognized now by nearly everyone and instantly arrested by Roman soldiers. Rome having just crucified the innocent Jesus in the place of Barabbas then might have crucified Barabbas in a similar (but not nearly as severe as Jesus) manner (crown of thorns, mocking, beating, spear in the side) as Jesus had been recently crucified. The followers of Barabbas also having great hope in Barabbas received his body and might have thought that he too would resurrect as it was being told that Jesus had resurrected. Barabbas unable to resurrect could possibly be the image and the blood belonging to the mysterious Shroud of Turin. The Apostles of the Early Church grappled with the knowledge and with the burden of the knowledge that Barabbas (the scapegoat) had returned to Jerusalem and of the knowledge of the then pending destruction of the city of Jerusalem. Underwritten in every N.T. epistle is the idea that yeah the Church has various problems but there is this bigger mostly unmentionable [Hebrews 8:13 - Apostle Paul mentioned that the Temple was about to pass away] pending destruction of Jerusalem problem that the early Church didn't really know how to deal with until Paul was given evangelical insight and later (after the destruction of Jerusalem) and the giving of Revelation to the Apostle John [Note: Mary the mother of Jesus and the Disciple John were both present at the crucifixion events (John 19:25) and were probably both also present in the crowd when Barabbas was released over Jesus]. -- "Revelation 11:13-14 And {because Antichrist (scapegoat) policy is taking effect in Jerusalem} the same hour [after the two witnesses have been killed and ascend up into heaven] was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city [Jerusalem] fell [is destroyed], and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of Heaven. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly." [article link]
Conclusion - Day of Atonement Scenario {Note: Dating a possible End Time scenario - a rapture occurring in 2012 would put the Blood Moon scenario on track at 3½ years later in the Mid-Tribulation [revealing of the Antichrist] in 2015. Also Note: The original Basic Christian: Royal Priesthood article (about 2002) was intended to include the concept that a 'voluntary' individual freewill offering (Leviticus 7:16-17) i.e. the cross of Jesus Christ - a freewill offering could only be offered for two days and the unused portion was to be consumed in fire the third day -- seemingly it would put an expiration date on the sacrifice of Jesus at 2033 - meaning all Christian Church activity would be concluded by 2033 A.D. - Though it is pure speculation and I don't now consider it as important as a concept as I once did I still intend to update the Royal Priesthood article [in about 2011] with the concept just to tie together some loose ends regarding Church theology. Remember: That 2012 is the 2,000 year anniversary of Jesus [revealing His ministry] entering the Temple (Luke 2:41-49) as a child and teaching in the Temple in Jerusalem.}
A possible End Time scenario could look like this - The Christian Church is raptured on the Feast of Trumpets then 10 days later [after political intrigue] on the Day of Atonement {Jesus has already atoned for the sins of the world} steps are taken in a global kingdom as one man [the return of the scapegoat] is initiated in a global governance position and signs a covenant of protection (Daniel 9:27) with the Nation of Israel - A position that 3½ years later will reveal the Antichrist and breaking the Covenant with Israel will user in the Great Tribulation The Time of Jacob's Distress -- "Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." [article link]
{Flashback} The Blood Moon Scenario - tracking solar and lunar eclipses and comparing them with Levitical Feasts In the spring of 2015 Israel's religious year will begin with a total solar eclipse, followed two weeks later a total lunar eclipse on Passover. And then six months later the sequence will repeat itself with a second solar eclipse on Rosh Hashanna followed two weeks after that by another total lunar eclipse on the Feast of Tabernacles, all in 2015. The last time anything like this happened was in 1967, when Jerusalem became an undivided Jewish city again, and before that there were several occurrences during the years of 1948-50, as Israel was becoming a nation. There were none at all in the 1800's, 1700's, or 1600's, and none in the 1500's that coincided with Feast Days. ... If these earlier Blood Moons did in fact announce the re-birth of the nation and the reunification of Jerusalem as it appears, then the next major step in Israels' journey toward the Kingdom is their national reunion with their Creator. This is the way Ezekiel saw it happening, and in my view is important enough to God to merit such a celestial announcement. After all He's been waiting to take them back for 2000 years. [article link]
Observing Yom Kippur By Debbie Schlussel - Tonight [Friday], the Jewish fast day of Yom Kippur begins (and ends on Saturday Night) - It's a day of atonement for our sins and a day full of prayer to *G-d, asking for forgiveness and a good year - *Religious Jews use dashes in the word "G-d" and do not write it out completely out of respect for Him and the wish not to write the name in vain Yom Kippur is one of the holiest Jewish holidays, at the end of which we believe our fate for the next year is "sealed" by G-d. We believe that on Rosh HaShanah, that fate is written by Him, and on Yom Kippur, he issues his final Judgment. This is Judgment Day. On Yom Kippur, we fast and pray for about 25 hours to ask G-d for a good year. Before the fast, we eat a big, sumptuous meal, which expands the stomach and makes the fast more difficult. During the holiday, there are strict prohibitions: no food, drink, shower, TV/radio, phone, etc. the whole day, which is mostly spent at synagogue. The idea is that you are removing yourself from worldly concerns and focusing on spiritual ones, most importantly repentance for your sins. We also don't wear leather shoes, as back in the day, those were a luxury of the wealthy, and the holiday is not about ostentatious displays, but about humble requests before G-d. It starts just before sundown, tonight, and ends after dark tomorrow (Saturday) night, with one sound of the shofar (ram's horn-see explanation of shofar here). To my Jewish friends and readers, have an easy fast and a great year. Gmar Chatimah Tovah [May you be finally sealed for good.] [article link]
Yom Kippur 1945, in a camp for Holocaust survivors - The older generation was almost not there - They were the first victims, since they lacked the physical strength to withstand the horrors of the camps - Few children survived - They, too, succumbed quickly - The survivors prayed, remembered, wept and found a little comfort in those tears After morning prayers, I decided to visit other synagogues and spend some time with other groups. I left the synagogue and walked across the half empty streets. There were many people who remained in the street and refused to attend services. They were angry at G-d. Among them were formerly religious Jews who could not accept the apparent indifference of G-d to the suffering; the torture, and the tragedy they had both witnessed and experienced in their homes and in the camps. They could not reconcile their former beliefs and convictions
of an All-Merciful, Almighty Divine Being, with the catastrophe that had struck their communities. They would not pray. When they heard the recitation of the Kaddish, the special prayer of mourners expressing praise of the Lord, they reacted angrily that G-d did not deserve the Kaddish. They were broken in spirit. They could not reconcile recent events to which they were witnesses with the contents of the Hebrew prayers. These Jews roamed the streets. They wanted to express their anger, to show G-d that they defied Him, as he seemed to have abandoned them. Some ate their food on the fast day publicly in the streets, as a gesture of defiance - of revolt. In one of the streets, I saw a large group of people standing in a circle. I approached nearer to find out what was going on. In the middle of the circle stood a seven-year-old girl, embarrassed, perplexed. She could not understand why all these people stood around her. She, of course, could not know that they were surprised to find a Jewish child. So they stood, silently, and just looked at this miracle of a Jewish child in their midst. They could not tear themselves away from this one child who said nothing and to whom nothing was said. They just stood and gaped. A special prayer is normally recited on Yom Kippur for the departed members of one's family. It's called Yizkor, the memorial prayer. As those people looked at the little girl, they remembered their own children, or their younger brothers and sisters, the nephews and nieces who at one time were their pride and joy, and who were no more. Each one of them looked and remembered, recalled the beloved children who were cruelly exterminated. As they remembered, they recited without any words the Yizkor for all those who once were part of their lives and now were gone forever. This was a silent, most moving Yizkor, without words, without prayer books, recited in that street in Landsberg, by a group of Jewish survivors, watching a bewildered little Jewish girl. It was the most moving, most eloquent, most heartfelt, most silent Yizkor I have ever heard. [article link]
The Blessed Savior: Barabbas The Scapegoat And Jesus The Perfect Sacrifice - Pilate carried out a "lot" of sorts in deciding between Jesus and Barabbas which one would be set free - Barabbas played the part of the scapegoat and was set free [but did Barabbas the scapegoat return to Jerusalem? and will he [in DNA] eventually return as the Antichrist?] - After the High Priest sent the scapegoat into the wilderness they were to wash themselves - Pilate washed his hands after he let Barabbas go The fact that Pilate offered the people a choice between Jesus and Barabbas has a much deeper meaning that may not be obvious at first. In order to understand what was going on in verses 15-24 we must go back to the Old Testament book of Leviticus. In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says he did not come to destroy the Law or the prophets but rather he came to fulfill them. God was preparing his people in the Old Testament for the coming of Jesus and as such the sacrificial system was getting his people into the mindset that the blood is what makes atonement for sin. Leviticus chapter 16 is the key to understanding why it was necessary for Pilate to offer both Jesus and Barabbas before the people. Jesus had to fulfill God's requirement for atonement. ... Jewish tradition says that a red string was tied around the horns of the scapegoat and after the other goat was killed the string on the scapegoat would turn white. The Talmud says this stopped happening around 30 A.D. which was around the time Jesus was crucified. This was also 40 years before the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. [Talmud Bavli, Yoma 39b "Forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot did not come up in the right hand, nor did the crimson stripe become white, nor did the westernmost light burn; and the doors of the heikhal (the Holy Place of the Temple) opened of their own accord, until Rabbi Yochanon ben Zakkai rebuked them".] According to some sources Barabbas full name was Jesus bar-Abbas which means "Jesus son of the Father". Jesus Christ was the Son of God (John 1:34). Even though Pilate thought Jesus was innocent the crowd wanted Jesus crucified and Barabbas set free. Pilate then washes his hands in front of the crowd and declares he is innocent of the blood of Jesus and for them to see to the crucifixion. Pilate's biggest sin is he condemned Jesus even though he believed him to be innocent. Pilate carried out a "lot" of sorts in deciding between Jesus and Barabbas which one would be set free. Barabbas played the part of the scapegoat and was set free. After the High Priest sent the scapegoat into the wilderness they were to wash themselves. Pilate washed his hands after he let Barabbas go. [article link]
{Flashback} Matthew 27 - After the Communion (Passover) Celebration Jesus and now eleven of His Apostles go to the Mount of Olives while Judas had departed earlier to betray Jesus - Jesus suffers betrayal, arrests, rejection, mockery and finally crucifixion and physical death The Atonement Sacrifice of Jesus Christ: 'Matthew 27:33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They [Romans] gave Him (Jesus) vinegar to drink mingled with gall [extreme bitterness]: and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink [Jesus had said during Communion that the next wine He would drink would be sweet wine in Heaven with His disciples, Jesus had no intention of drinking the bitter cup from Rome and mankind (the myrrh also in the wine revealed it to be Roman wine as adding myrrh to wine was a common Roman practice)] and they crucified Him ...' - 'Romans 5:11 And not only so [we have eternal life], but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the atonement.' - The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was the start a part of the fulfillment of the Atonement sacrifice for the Day of Atonement Feast [Leviticus 16:1-34] a Feast that is actually a Fall Feast and will have its complete fulfillment in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. - In corresponding with the Atonement Sacrifice Barabbas is the Scapegoat who was set free while Jesus was the permanent sacrifice offering. In Hebrew Barabbas (Bar = son and Abba = Father) literally means son of the father and is actually a duplicate claim to the true status of Jesus Christ as Jesus is the Son of the Father. Barabbas in name is actually also claiming to be the son of the father therefore claiming to be the replacement of Jesus and Barabbas is actually a type of the Antichrist [anti in Greek is 'instead of' and means replacing] and it is possible even plausible that Barabbas may actually be the Antichrist. - When the scapegoat was released as Barabbas was released the scapegoat was to take with it all the sins of the Nation of Israel and if at any time the scapegoat returned all of the sins of the Nation of Israel returned with it. Jesus Christ is Atonement offering for all the sins of the world and therfore Barabbas as the scapegoat was departing with all the sins of the world. When the scapegoat Barabbas as the Antichrist returns to mankind claiming to be the son of the father instead of Jesus the Antichrist will bring with him all of the sins of the world all of the sins ever committed. Note: The custom of the Roman Governor to release one condemned Jewish prisoner during the Passover was a custom of the Roman Governor playing God saying to the Jews that they think their God will provide Passover life but instead the Governor was showing the people that he believed Rome to be God as Rome could grant life and pass over death so it was actually a mocking gesture from Rome towards the Jews and their customs as the people of God. [article link]
{Flashback} CLONED ANTICHRIST BEAST REVEALED 8/12 - Cloned from blood removed [1978] from the Shroud of Turin [possibly cloned/gene-spliced with Prince Charles sperm and] used to impregnate Princess Diana (married 1981 to Prince Charles 13 years her senior) for the 1982 timed birth [30 in 2012] of Prince William {Princess Diana's son William turning 30 in 2012. The age of 30 is the biblical legal priestly age (before 30 a Levite could only be an assistant priest), both John the Baptist (Levitical and Jesus [Melchizedek Priest]) began their ministries at the legal age of 30 [John's mother and Mary were of the House of David/Judah but John's father was a Levitical Priest (Luke 1:8) a descendant of Aaron from the house of Levi]. Also the London 2012 Olympics the XXX Olympiad (unholy trinity Olympiad) is deliberately timed and placed to be in London in 2012 the birth of the New Age, for a desired Satanic awakening in 2013 [Fox News uses the numer 13 in everything now]. It will also probably come out that Prince Charles is unable to naturally have children as Henry, the younger brother of Prince William is already considered by most not to be the son of Prince Charles but the son of James Hewitt.}[Note: Its possible and probable that Satan quickly realized who his scapegoat was in Barabbas and that Barabbas soon after his Passover release was recaptured by Roman soldiers and quickly crucified as Jesus had just recently been crucified and that Satan would devise a way to keep some of the blood [life] of Barabbas for future End Time use and that the image created on the Shroud of Turin and the blood on the Shroud of Turin are that of Barabbas. The unique image and bloodstained shroud cloth could be of Barabbas and having been kept and passed on by the followers of Barabbas until ultimately it came into the possession of the Crusaders and Knights Templar in about 1300 A.D. The shroud of Turin possibly being a cloth and image of Barnabas it's certainly not the image and blood of Jesus.] (YouTube)
Dr. Joye shocks George Noory on Coast-to-Coast - February 9, 2009. [article link]
{Flashback} foxnews.com: Italian Scientists Reproduces Shroud of Turin - A professor of organic chemistry at the University of Pavia - Garlaschelli made available to Reuters the paper he will deliver and the accompanying comparative photographs - But scientists have thus far been at a loss to explain how the [origional Shroud of Turin] image was left on the cloth ROME - An Italian scientist says he has reproduced the Shroud of Turin, a feat that he says proves definitively that the linen some Christians revere as Jesus Christ's burial cloth is a medieval fake. The shroud, measuring 14 feet, 4 inches by 3 feet, 7 inches bears the image, eerily reversed like a photographic negative, of a crucified man some believers say is Christ. "We have shown that is possible to reproduce something which has the same characteristics as the Shroud," Luigi Garlaschelli, who is due to illustrate the results at a conference on the paranormal this weekend in northern Italy, said on Monday. A professor of organic chemistry at the University of Pavia, Garlaschelli made available to Reuters the paper he will deliver and the accompanying comparative photographs. The Shroud of Turin shows the back and front of a bearded man with long hair, his arms crossed on his chest, while the entire cloth is marked by what appears to be rivulets of blood from wounds in the wrists, feet and side. Carbon dating tests by laboratories in Oxford, Zurich and Tucson, Arizona in 1988 caused a sensation by dating it from between 1260 and 1390. Sceptics said it was a hoax, possibly made to attract the profitable medieval pilgrimage business. - But scientists have thus far been at a loss to explain how the image was left on the cloth. Garlaschelli reproduced the full-sized shroud using materials and techniques that were available in the middle ages. They placed a linen sheet flat over a volunteer and then rubbed it with a pigment containing traces of acid. A mask was used for the face. PIGMENT, BLOODSTAINS AND SCORCHES: The pigment was then artificially aged by heating the cloth in an oven and washing it, a process which removed it from the surface but left a fuzzy, half-tone image similar to that on the Shroud. He believes the pigment on the original Shroud faded naturally over the centuries. They then added blood stains, burn holes, scorches and water stains to achieve the final effect. The Catholic Church does not claim the Shroud is authentic nor that it is a matter of faith, but says it should be a powerful reminder of Christ's passion. One of Christianity's most disputed relics, it is locked away at Turin Cathedral in Italy and rarely exhibited. It was last on display in 2000 and is due to be shown again next year. Garlaschelli expects people to contest his findings. [article link]
{Flashback} The Shroud Of Turin - The image on the Shroud is uniquely three-dimensional - The life-size image on the cloth is NOT the result of pigment, stain, acid, dye, or any applied material - The image itself is confined to the top-most fibrils of the cloth's fibers - Whatever made the image did not penetrate the fibers of the cloth as all known artistic materials would - The exact way the man was crucified closely matches biblical accounts of Jesus's crucifixion. Among other things, there are 120 lesions, the shape of dumbbells, distributed over the back and running around the front of the body--probably caused by a Roman whip called a flagrum whose thongs were tipped with bits of lead or bone. There is a deep wound on the right side of the body between the ribs which bled profusely (which is what Biblical records indicate happened when a spear was thrust into Christ's side). There are thorn-like marks on the victim's head (possibly from a crown of thorns). And the victim's legs were not broken (which is significant both because Roman-style crucifixions ended with their victim's legs being broken and because the New Testament account of Christ's death indicates that this was a Roman custom which Jesus was spared from) - The beard and hair style of the crucified man were not common anywhere in the Roman Empire except Palestine. The image has semitic features, including sidelocks and a unplaited ponytail The Shroud Of Turin by David Sunfellow: The Shroud of Turin is one of the most venerated, most remarkable, most mysterious, most thoroughly studied artifacts in the world today. Believed by many to be the actual burial cloth of Christ, the Shroud made its first recorded appearance in 14th century France. Housed in the Italian city of Turin since 1578, renewed interest was generated in 1898 when the first photographs were made of the relic
and it was discovered that the image on the Shroud was a photographic negative! How was such an image made? And how does one explain the incredibly life-like details which are remarkably consistent with Biblical accounts of Christ's crucifixion? Historians, pathologists, linguists, biblical scholars, textile experts, chemists, physicists, photographic specialists, artists, botanists, microbiologists and other scientists from around the world have been trying to answer these important questions for decades. Over the centuries, dozens of shrouds--some with images and some without--have surfaced claiming to be the burial cloth of Jesus. In the case of the Shroud of Turin, it has been publicly declared a forgery by both Roman Catholic Church officials and prominent scientists. In 1389 the local bishop of Troyes denounced the Shroud claiming an artist had confessed to forging it. More recently, in 1988, after three different laboratories Carbon-14 dated the Shroud and found it to be some 1200 years younger than it should have been, the Roman Catholic Church announced to the world the results of the test. As word spread that the Shroud of Turin was, after all, a medieval forgery, a firestorm was created in the Shroud community. While scores of Shroud scientists hotly challenged the entire Carbon-14 testing procedure, as well as the test results, lay people around the world had to wrestle with what appeared to be solid scientific proof that the Shroud was a fake. -- So where are things at now? Is the Shroud of Turin authentic, or not? Could a medieval artist, or for that matter, any artist, have forged it? And if the Shroud is an authentic burial cloth from the first century, is the man whose crucified image appears on the Shroud actually that of Jesus Christ? Combining ongoing discoveries about ancient Palestine with cutting-edge scientific analysis, a growing number of scientists (Christian, Jewish, agnostic and otherwise) are coming to the conclusion that the Shroud is indeed the actual burial cloth of Jesus Christ. If this is true, then not only does the Shroud bear witness to the fact that a man named Jesus actually lived and died in ancient Palestine, but it may also present physical proof that some kind of miraculous event took place after his death which caused his image to be imprinted on the Shroud! What's more, we may also be able to learn something about Jesus himself: What his physical characteristics were like, what kind of Jewish traditions he adhered to and rejected, how he, and his body, faced a horribly violent death. -- So what, exactly, do we know about the Shroud of Turin? Here are some of the astonishing findings that modern day science has uncovered so far: The body that appears on the Shroud is naked. Under Roman law, criminals were whipped and executed in the nude. (These are facts that most medieval artists would not have known, or if they had known, would not have dared to publicly reproduce.) The man that appears on the Shroud was crucified with nails driven through his wrists. Although artists throughout the centuries (and even stigmatists) have traditionally thought that Christ was nailed to the cross through his palms, it is now known that crucifixion victims were nailed to crosses through their wrists. This is supported both by archeological digs that discovered crucifixion victims with spike marks on their wrists (not palms) and also by studies that were conducted on corpses which proved that nails in palms will not support the weight of a body. The life-size image on the cloth is NOT the result of pigment, stain, acid, dye, or any applied material. The image itself is confined to the top-most fibrils of the cloth's fibers. Whatever made the image did not penetrate the fibers of the cloth as all known artistic materials would. The image on the Shroud is uniquely three-dimensional. Although most scientists believe that the image was made by the body emitting a burst of energy of some kind (which caused the body's image to be lightly burned onto the Shroud), they have no idea how this could have been done. Efforts to lightly burn images into shroud-like fabrics have all failed to reproduce the extraordinarily delicate, detailed, three-dimensional effect found on the Shroud. The way the image was burned onto the Shroud is also flawlessly accurate in terms of how a body emitting energy would imprint itself on a cloth that was covering it. The image of the Shroud is absolutely accurate in both anatomical and physiological details. The anatomical and physiological details of the Shroud accurately record what would happen to a man who experienced a Roman-style crucifixion (see Robert Bucklin's pathological report at the end of this summary). -- The Shroud is stained by human blood that has run out of the image's wounds. The way the blood flowed, puddled and stained the Shroud are perfectly correct. Unlike the Shroud's image which only appears on the topmost fibrils of fabric, the blood on the Shroud soaked deeply into the fabric. The exact way the man was crucified closely matches biblical accounts of Jesus's crucifixion. Among other things, there are 120 lesions, the shape of dumbbells, distributed over the back and running around the front of the body--probably caused by a Roman whip called a flagrum whose thongs were
tipped with bits of lead or bone. There is a deep wound on the right side of the body between the ribs which bled profusely (which is what Biblical records indicate happened when a spear was thrust into Christ's side). There are thorn-like marks on the victim's head (possibly from a crown of thorns). And the victim's legs were not broken (which is significant both because Roman-style crucifixions ended with their victim's legs being broken and because the New Testament account of Christ's death indicates that this was a Roman custom which Jesus was spared from). -- The beard and hair style of the crucified man were not common anywhere in the Roman Empire except Palestine. The image has semitic features, including sidelocks and a unplaited ponytail. The Shroud itself was woven with techniques common to the first century. The Shroud's distinctive weave is so rare that researchers seeking to find a control sample could not find one anywhere in the world. A dirt sample taken from near the Shroud image's feet was identified as a relatively rare form of calcium carbonate. Samples of dirt taken from Jerusalem revealed an unusually close match. This strongly suggests the man pictured on the Shroud was crucified in Palestine. 58 varieties of pollen were discovered on the Shroud. 11 of the pollen samples were from plants that do not exist in Europe, but which do exist in the Near East. The pollen samples also indicated that the fabric of the Shroud had to have been made in Palestine before circulating in Europe. Pollen samples also helped trace the Shroud's route from Palestine through Anatolia and Constantinople into Europe. Furthermore, two of the pollen samples that were discovered on the Shroud coincided with highly distinctive plants found in the region surrounding Jerusalem. The pollen study concluded that the Shroud itself was probably made near Jerusalem and that it had been in the vicinity of the Holy City for some time before being transported out of the area. Images of 28 different types of flowers, small bushes, and thorns have been detected in bunches around the Shroud image. All 28 grow in Israel, either in Jerusalem or in the nearby desert or Dead Sea area. Most of them are not found in Europe. 25 of the 28 flowers matched the pollen samples found on the Shroud. 27 of the 28 plants bloom during March and April, which corresponds to the time of the crucifixion. An image of a coin appears over the right eye of the Shroud image. This coin, a very rare Pontius Pilate lepton struck in 29 to 32 A.D., was not found until 1977. Tests which were conducted in 1993 on a piece of first century fabric similar to the Shroud's now indicate that a fire the Shroud passed through in 1532 corrupted the October 1988 Carbon-14 dates that concluded the Shroud was not authentic. According to these recent tests, which were conducted by scientists at the University of Arizona and Russian scientists in Moscow, the 1988 Carbon-14 dates were some 1200 years in error. This dates the Shroud back to the first or second century. Some historians believe the Shroud of Turin may be The Mandylion, or Edessa Portrait, a holy relic mentioned in some accounts as early as the first century. If this is so, then the Shroud can be traced, through various legends and stories, all the way back to first century Jerusalem. [article link]
{Flashback} ANTICHRIST - PRINCE WILLIAM 2012 - Is Prince Williams the Face on the Shroud of Turin? Is the Image on the Shroud the Antichrist - The Image of the Beast? (YouTube) This video is intended to be just a "teaser" to the very real possibility that Prince William is the Beast of Revelation. Comments: Of course, his name is Will-I-Am; a play on the words of what God Himself said, "I Am." [article link]
{Flashback} How do you know that there is real blood (and not paint or a stain) on the Shroud of Turin? - 1980 They (Gilbert and Gilbert) concluded that the blood flecks are real blood - Several claims have been made that the blood has been found to be type AB - The blood appears to be so old that the DNA is badly fragmented Alan Adler was an expert on porphyrins, the types of colored compounds seen in blood, chlorophyll, and many other natural products. He and Dr. John Heller, MD, studied the blood flecks on the STURP sampling tapes [Heller and Adler, Applied Optics 19, (16) 1980]. They converted the heme into its parent porphyrin, and they interpreted the spectra taken of blood spots by Gilbert and Gilbert. They concluded that the blood flecks are real blood. In addition to that, the x-ray-fluorescence spectra taken by STURP showed excess iron in blood areas, as expected for blood. Microchemical tests for proteins were positive in blood areas but not in any other parts of the Shroud. -- Several claims have been made that the blood has been found to be type AB, and claims
have been made about DNA testing. We sent blood flecks to the laboratory devoted to the study of ancient blood at the State University of New York. None of these claims could be confirmed. The blood appears to be so old that the DNA is badly fragmented. Dr. Andrew Merriwether at SUNY has said that "… anyone can walk in off the street and amplify DNA from anything. The hard part is not to amplify what you don't want and only amplify what you want (endogenous DNA vs contamination)." It is doubtful that good DNA analyses can be obtained from the Shroud. It is almost certain that the blood spots are blood, but no definitive statements can be made about its nature or provenience, i.e., whether it is male and from the Near East. [article link]
{Flashback} July 08, 2009: British Scientists Claim to Create Human Sperm - British scientists claim they have created human sperm from stem cells. But other experts have questioned their data LONDON - British scientists claim they have created human sperm from stem cells. But other experts have questioned their data. Researchers at Newcastle University and the NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute say they used a new technique to derive what they described as sperm cells from embryonic stem cells. ... But many other British experts say they are unconvinced by the research. They also say the sperm cells created in the laboratory were clearly abnormal. [article link]
{Flashback} IUC World Exclusive: Prince Charles Not Harry's Real Father - the fact that Diana's ex lover James Hewitt is the Harry's real father - Diana stopped having sex with Charles years before Harry was born - Just the way they killed Diana they'll kill James {Prince Charles might not be able to have children and it's thought that neither son, William or Harry, are direct natural descendants of Charles.} A longtime employee of Harry's mother Princess Diana told IUC that the Royal Family was involved in a massive coverup to hide the fact that Diana's ex lover James Hewitt is the Harry's real father. According to the source Prince Philip threatened Hewitt's life if he didn't go along with the coverup. "They made him lie about the timeline," the source told IUC. "Prince Philip told Hewitt he would destroy him if it ever leaked out. It's impossible that Charles is Harry's real father. Hewitt was on the scene as Diana's lover two years before Harry was born. Diana stopped having sex with Charles years before Harry was born. Harry looks exactly like Hewitt." -- The massive coverup involved Hewitt lying to the world about when his dalliance actually began with Diana. Originally he told the world he met Diana in 1986. Harry was born in 1984. Under hypnosis for a tv interview Hewitt admitted he met Diana in 1981 or 1982, had sexual relations with her then - some two years before Harry was born. A relative of Hewitt told IUC that privately Hewitt has always believed he's Harry's dad but has denied it in public because he fears for his life. He also wants to protect his son from being dethroned. ... The relative added that this is another example of why the Royal Family should be abolished. "They're the biggest crooks and liars in the world," he said. "All the evidence clearly demonstrates that James is Harry's real father. Just the way they killed Diana they'll kill James. You'll see, one day his body will be found mysteriously in a hotel room and the Royals will try to convince the world that James committed suicide." [article link]
Diana: Charles wanted rid of Camilla - so that he could marry Tiggy! - Princess Diana feared she and Camilla Parker Bowles were to be eliminated in a royal plot, paving the way for the Prince of Wales to marry another woman - But Operation Paget's report also provides startling details of the princess's state of mind as her marriage to Charles disintegrated - It read: 'This particular phase of my life is the most dangerous - my husband is planning "an accident" in my car, brake failure & serious head injury in order to make the path clear for him to marry' -- Comments: The image they created together made her of interest to the public and the media were responding to the that appetite. Without them [press] she would have been nothing more than a royal baby machine {Note: the concept is that a young Diana was used by Prince Charles to provide male children for the throne. Then after their irreconcilable differences Princess Diana was used again to date (seduce) eastern [Islam] men and help pave the way for a global (British) throne for William.} The extraordinary allegation against the prince is at the heart of the report published yesterday by Lord Stevens
into the death of Diana and Dodi Fayed when their chauffeured Mercedes crashed in a Paris underpass. The 832-page report stops short of naming the other woman, but the Daily Mail understands it is Miss LeggeBourke, who became a surrogate mother to Princes William and Harry after their parents' divorce. The exhaustive £3.6million dossier systematically *demolishes conspiracy theories that Diana and Dodi were murdered in an Establishment conspriacy. *It dismissed claims by Dodi's father, the Harrods tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed, that Diana was pregnant and planning to marry his son. But Operation Paget's report also provides startling details of the princess's state of mind as her marriage to Charles disintegrated. Diana was convinced that he and Tiggy were having an affair and that Charles wanted to marry her. The 'plot' was revealed by the highlyrespected royal lawyer and Labour peer Lord Mishcon. He took a confidential note of Diana's fears when he met her two years before her death in August. A similar claim was made by Diana in a letter sent to her former butler Paul Burrell. It read: 'This particular phase of my life is the most dangerous - my husband is planning "an accident" in my car, brake failure & serious head injury in order to make the path clear for him to marry.' Interviewed by Lord Stevens, Prince Charles said he had no knowledge of Diana's claims until the 'note' was released by Mr Burrell in 2003. 'The Princess of Wales did not speak to him about it,' the report says. 'HRH the Prince of Wales knew the woman named in the note as a family friend. There has never been any possibility of marriage to her.' The Stevens report's main findings were that: there was no conspiracy to kill Diana and Dodi -and no cover-up; Diana was not pregnant; the couple were not engaged; and the princess might have survived the crash had she been wearing a seatbelt. Details of Lord Mishcon's note were given to Lord Stevens three years ago after Mr Burrell published his letter. In it Diana's mention of another woman was widely believed at the time to be a reference to Camilla. However, the Stevens report said: 'This is not so. The Princess of Wales did name a woman in her note. It was not Camilla Parker Bowles.' [article link]
{Flashback} cuttingedge.org: 2012 - Is This The Year When (British) Antichrist Might Arise? - "All right, I have seen enough calculations and discerning facts to convince me: Antichrist will arise from the House of Windsor (British Royalty) - If the timing is soon, Prince Charles will be that man; if the timing is delayed, Prince William will be Antichrist. However, Prince William must turns 30, which is the Jewish minimum age for a man to be a Rabbi. Williams turns 30 on 2012. Since the Illuminati always has a "Plan A" and a "Plan B", this scenario could be very probable Suddenly, both Christian and New Age leaders are teaching that the year 2012 might be the year in which Antichrist arises. Cutting Edge weighs in on this discussion, with our knowledge of the occult, to conclude that 2012 might, indeed, be the year when the Masonic Messiah comes to the world scene! ... What Is So Special About 2012? This is the year in which the ancient, pagan Mayan Calendar changes to a New Age, an age in which a Messiah is supposed to arise. Listen to the official write-up from a New Age website. ""It is my great honor and privilege as Master Quetzalcoatl to return to Earth in this overt fashion to spearhead so to speak and bring to your attention the I AM University End of the Mayan Calendar and Countdown Project! As you might know, I Am Quetzalcoatl, Grand Master of the Mayan days … You all know that the Mayan calendar as has been channeled and introduced to the Earth in the Ancient Days from Higher Cosmic Sources, ends in the year 2012 - on December 21st at 21:21:59 pm to be precise. This exact date and time marks the Official Ending of the Kali Yuga or Dark Age and the Official Birth of the Age of the Christ / Buddha / Krishna / Mohammed / Moses, and God! It is December 21st 2012 at 22:00 pm which marks the Official Return or Second Coming of the Christ, Imam Mahdi, Buddha Maitreya, Kalki Avatar, Great Tao, and Messiah!" ... The House of Windsor: The time in which a knowledgeable Christian will make a discerning decision regarding the identity of the man who will be Antichrist will be before he is arisen; and, this knowledge beforehand will require Biblical discernment, knowledge of Scripture, and a series of calculations! With this point made to me by a pastor, I bought Antichrist And A Cup of Tea and began to read, albeit still with a high degree of skepticism. About threefourths of the way through this book, I set it down and said to myself, "All right, I have seen enough calculations and discerning facts to convince me: Antichrist will arise from the House of Windsor. If the timing is soon, Prince Charles will be that man; if the timing is delayed, Prince William will be Antichrist. However, Prince
William must turns 30, which is the Jewish minimum age for a man to be a Rabbi. Williams turns 30 on 2012. Since the Illuminati always has a "Plan A" and a "Plan B", this scenario could be very probable. [article link]
{Flashback} Renaissance Radio #6: the New World Order's fake alien invasion set for the 2012 London Olympics (Mp3-Secular) Renaissance Radio #6: Renaissance Radio is back to talk about Project Blue Beam, Rik Clay's murder, and the New World Order's fake alien invasion set for the 2012 London Olympics. [article link]
{Flashback} Rik Clay - London-Zion-2012 - London the New Jerusalem - The New World Order's fake alien invasion likely being prepared for the 2012 London Olympics [iPaper Book - Right Click and Print] (BookiPaper-Secular) Thanks to infowarrior Andrew for compiling the entirety of Rik Clay's research on the New World Order's fake alien invasion likely being prepared for the 2012 London Olympics. Why is it both the Beijing and London Olympic logos can be arranged to form the word "Zion"? What is the plan for Project Bluebeam's top secret holographic technology? Why was Rik Clay killed (quite probably) shortly after releasing all this information on his blog? [article link]
{Flashback} Matthew 28 - The betrayal, rejection, crucifixion and death have all happened to Jesus as man has had his say about the Son of God - Jesus in turn has forgiven mankind for all of our transgressions - Jesus then conquered death as He resurrected from the grave the third day and began His Christian Church - The Old Testament has come to a conclusion and the New Testament has now begun being instituted in the person, life, power and resurrection authority of Jesus Christ -- 'Matthew 28:2-5 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here [dead]: for He is [alive] risen, as He said' Jesus reveals His eternal life Resurrection to His Disciples instructing them to go throughout the entire world teaching others and baptizing others all in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus confirms that all power and authority in both heaven and earth are His and that therefore the Disciples are to go out into all Nations proclaiming the good news of the eternal life giving Gospel of Jesus Christ! - 'Matthew 28:1620 Then the eleven disciples went away [from the upper room in Jerusalem] into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they (Disciples) saw Him, they Worshipped Him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.' [article link]
ChristiaNet Forum Discussion: Adventists believe that the scapegoat in Leviticus typifies Satan - The truth is that Jesus became our scapegoat [actually not our scapegoat but our sacrifice] on the cross - He bore the blame for sins he did not commit - Any comments? -- When animals are used as types along with the sanctuary, to be a figure of Christ they must shed blood - There are other scriptures in the Bible which support the scapegoat as satan [antichrist - scenario] - **What most poeple are missing is that before the scapegoat [Antichrist] is addressed, the sin of Israel has already been cleaned and removed [i.e. New Testament (Matthew 26:28, Romans 9:4)], or atoned for by God When animals are used as types along with the sanctuary, to be a figure of Christ they must shed blood. There are other scriptures in the bible which support the scapegoat as Satan. In Revelation for example: Satan, the
beat, false prophet are cast into the fire ALIVE. In genesis, there is the duality of the heel bring bruised, and the head being crushed as Christ and Satan are contrasted. and there are other passages to support that this scapegoat is Satan. What most people are missing is that before the scapegoat is addressed, the sin of Israel has already been cleaned and removed, or atoned for by God.---francis on 4/24/10 ... Lev 16:8-26, R.V., "the goat for Azazel" At a later period a modification of the law of Moses was introduced by the Jews. "The goat was conducted to a mountain named Tzuk. Judean desert was supposed to commence, and the man in whose charge the goat ..while setting him free, was instructed to push the unhappy beast down the slope of the mountain side, which was to insure the death of the goat. The reason of this barbarous custom was that on one occasion the scapegoat returned to Jerusalem after being set free, which was *considered such an evil [end of the world] omen that its recurrence was prevented for the future by the death of the goat" Easton, M. G. "Scapegoat," Easton's Bible Dictionary. Blue Letter Bible. 1897.---Samuel on 4/23/10. ... Story of Jesus and Barabbas, Barabbas = Scapegoat- full of sin yet he was freed (just like the scapegoat in Leviticus) Jesus = sacrifice for SIN - totally sinless and sacrificed for sin. See Matthew 27 where Pontius Pilate asks who they choose to be killed and who they wanted set free.---miche3754 on 4/20/10. ... If this scapegoat is the [supposed] future [co-redeemer] sacrificial lamb, why is not NEVER Sacrificed?---francis on 4/20/10. ... If anyone thinks that the scapegoat is the TRUE LAMB OF GOD then he is mistaken. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sins. The text clearly says ONE goat for the Lord's and the other the scapegoat. Both goats are not for the lord. Blood must be shed to take sins away. There is no other way. That is a fundamental truth that cannot be changed. Our sins can only be atoned for by the shedding of blood. First the atonement is made with THE LORD'S Goat for OUR SINS, then after the atonement is made, and all our sins are wiped away, then and only then is the scapegoat dealt with.---francis on 4/20/10. [article link]
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) - "For the life of the flesh is *in the blood [besides oxygen, nutrition, etc. is this also a refrence to DNA?]; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life" Leviticus 17:11 NASB - Next, the High Priest proceeds to the east side of the Alter, where there are two young goats waiting - He took two golden lots and placed them inside a golden box, and shook them. He then pulled one from the box, and held one before each goat's head - On one lot was engraved "For YHWH," and on the other lot was engraved "For azazel" - The one which received the azazel lot was marked with a scarlet thread tied around one of its horns - There is much speculation concerning the word azazel, since it is both the name of a fallen angel in Hebrew, and also implies the concept of escape (PDF) A week before this day, the High Priest would leave his home, and reside in the Temple itself, in special quarters set apart for this purpose. This was to keep the High Priest away from any unintentional defilement, so he could perform the duties he was required to perform. An alternate was appointed, in case the High Priest were to suddenly become ill, or die, or become unclean. During this week, the High Priest himself performed all the Temple services which were normally performed by the priests within the section assigned to that week. -On the morning of Yom Kippur, the High Priest would wash himself completely (on other days, he would wash his hands and feet only), and dressed in his normal service linens (purple, with bells hung at the bottom, and the gold breastplate with the twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel). Once this morning service was performed, the High Priest would return to the chambers within the Temple, and being preparing for the afternoon service. He immersed his entire body again, and then put on a new set of white linen garments, identical to the linens the normal priests wore during their performance of the Temple services. The white linen garments he wore on this day were never worn again; they were disposed of at the end of the day. -- The High Priest now returns to the Court of the Priests, where there is a young bull waiting for him. He presses his hands on its head, and confesses his sins. During this confession, the name of God is spoken three times; this name was forbidden to be spoken at any other time during the year. At this point, he is confessing and atoning for his sins. -- Next, the High Priest proceeds to the east side of the Alter, where there are two young goats waiting. He took two golden lots and placed them inside a golden box, and shook them. He then pulled one
from the box, and held one before each goat's head. On one lot was engraved "For YHWH," and on the other lot was engraved "For azazel." The one which received the azazel lot was marked with a scarlet thread tied around one of its horns. -- There is much speculation concerning the word azazel, since it is both the name of a fallen angel in Hebrew, and also implies the concept of escape. Thus, the goat which escapes becomes the scapegoat, but it escapes to a demon, where all the sin of Israel is carried. The goat with the scarlet thread was turned to face the congregation, while the other was turned to face the alter. -- The High Priest now returned to the young bullock, and places his hands upon its head a second time. This time he confesses the sins of the priests onto the bullock. He then slaughtered the bullock, and placed some of its blood in a golden bowl. This was given to an attending priest. He then walked up to the alter and took a small scoop of live coals in a censor, and two handfuls of incense, placing them in a golden ladle. With these two, he walked into the Temple, through Holy Place, and into the Holy of Holies. He poured the incense on the censor, and waited until the smoke filled the air. -- Once this was done, he returned and took the golden bowl. With this, he moved back into the Temple, through the Holy Place, and back into the Holy of Holies. He dipped his fingers in the blood seven times, each time sprinkling the blood downward. Again, he dipped his fingers in the blood seven times, sprinkling the blood upwards. He then moved from the Holy of Holies back outside the Temple to the courtyard where the two goats were left standing. He now slaughtered the goat set aside for the Lord, the one which was facing the Alter, and placed it on the Alter to burn, setting aside a golden bowl of its blood. He took this bowl of blood into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkled it fourteen times as well. Now, he moved back to the courtyard and mixed the two bowls of blood together. He sprinkled this mixture on the four corners of the Alter which stood in the courtyard. Finally, the High Priest moved back to the Court of the Priests, where the one goat remains standing. He placed his hands on its head, and confessed the sins of the people onto the goat. The goat was then led out of the Eastern gate, to a distance about 10 miles from the city (camp), where it was released. In the days of the second Temple, the scapegoat wasn't actually released, but was rather pushed off a cliff, so that the goat, carrying the sins of the people, would not accidentally wander into some inhabited place, and bring the sins of Israel with it. The High Priest now passes through the Temple once again, and into the Holy of Holies. This time he removes the censor and ladle used to bring the coals and incense into the Holy of Holies. He then bathes, and changes into his normal priestly clothes, and performs the evening Temple service. -- An interesting aside: They tied a rope around the High Priest's ankle when he went in to the Holy of Holies, in case something happened [in case the High Priest didn't put enough smoke and incense inside the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:2, ) before he entered and he accidently saw the glory of God - to see the actual glory of God without Jesus as an atonement is to immediately die], and he couldn't make it back out. In this way, they could pull the High Priest back out without breaking the sanctity of the Holy of Holies. This is the only time during the year that the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies. [article link]
Brazen Serpent Sculpture (July 25, 2005) - [Note: The red iron T depicts the ancient wooden 'pole' it was a pole (T or t shaped) that held a banner - originally the cloth banner was removed and the brass serpent was placed on the pole by Moses. -- In the sculpture the serpent is the darker item that loops around the pole several times near the top and then loops over the top of the T shaped pole (also stylistically forming an Ankh ancient Egyptian cross [unChristian], known as key of life - Wiki.com).] (Photo) Description: The Christological Symbol (Brazen Serpent Sculpture), created by Italian artist, Giovanni Fantoni, stands atop Mount Nebo. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified (John 3:14). -- Date: 14:56, 25 July 2005. [article link]
Wikipedia: Mount Nebo located in Jordan - According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses was given a view of the promised land that God was giving to the Israelites "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho" (Deuteronomy 34:1) - The serpentine cross sculpture (the Brazen Serpent Monument) atop Mount Nebo was
created (25 July 2005) by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni - It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified (John 3:14) (Photos - scroll down) Judaism and Christianity: According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses was given a view of the promised land that God was giving to the Israelites. "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho." (Deuteronomy 34:1). According to Jewish and Christian tradition, Moses was buried on this mountain by God Himself, and his final resting place is unknown. Scholars continue to dispute whether the mountain currently known as Nebo is the same as the mountain referred to in the Torah. ... Ruins: On the highest point of the mountain, Syagha, the remains of a church and monastery were discovered in 1933. The church was first constructed in the second half of the 4th century to commemorate the place of Moses' death. The church design follows a typical basilica pattern. It was enlarged in the late fifth century A.D. and rebuilt in A.D. 597. The church is first mentioned in an account of a pilgrimage made by a lady Aetheria in A.D. 394. Six tombs have been found hollowed from the natural rock beneath the mosaic-covered floor of the church. In the modern chapel presbytery, built to protect the site and provide worship space, you can see remnants of mosaic floors from different periods. The earliest of these is a panel with a braided cross presently placed on the east end of the south wall. ... Recent History: On March 20, 2000, Pope John Paul II visited the site during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Mount Nebo being one of the most important Christian sites in Jordan). During his visit he planted an olive tree beside the Byzantine chapel as a symbol of peace. Pope Benedict XVI visited the site on May 9, 2009, gave a speech, and looked out from the top of the mountain in the direction of Jerusalem. The serpentine cross sculpture (the Brazen Serpent Monument) atop Mount Nebo was created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified (John 3:14). [article link]
The Scapegoat Dilemma by John P. Pratt an astronomer and computer programmer, specializing in ancient calendars - There are several problems with that interpretation, or at least many questions remain unanswered - For starters, the goat usually represents evil - Christ compared his followers to sheep, but those who did evil to goats (see Mat. 25:32-46) - The scriptures testify that Jesus was the "Lamb of God" (John 1:36; Rev. 5:6, 12), which is consistent with that symbolism - But why would an (evil) goat be used to symbolize Christ [John 3:14 the brass serpent used by Moses (Numbers 21:9) is a symbol of Jesus only on the cross]? Where does scripture even suggest that He was the "Goat of God" [2 Corinthians 5:21 - Jesus became our sin - a goat]? -- "2 Corinthians 5:21 For He [Father God] hath made Him [temporarily - on the cross - because there was no other way (Matthew 26:39)] to be sin for us, [Jesus] who knew no sin; that we [sinners - goats] might be made [sheep] the righteousness of God in Him." 1.3 The Enigma: There are several problems with that interpretation, or at least many questions remain unanswered. For starters, the goat usually represents evil. Christ compared his followers to sheep, but those who did evil to goats (see Mat. 25:32-46). The scriptures testify that Jesus was the "Lamb of God" (John 1:36; Rev. 5:6, 12), which is consistent with that symbolism. But why would an (evil) goat be used to symbolize Christ? Where does scripture even suggest that He was the "Goat of God"? And even if He is a goat in this case, the other goat (scapegoat) of this pair seems like a much better candidate. After all, he was the one chosen to be "for Jehovah", and he was sacrificed to atone for the sins of mankind, as was Christ. If the scapegoat represents Christ [**standard Christian interpretation is that Jesus is the sacrifice not the scapegoat] who bore all of our sins, then what was the point of the other goat [two goats - two kingdoms in this world - sin that is atoned for (God's Kingdom) and sin that remains (Satan - Antichrist Kingdom)] which was sacrificed to pay for them? Most commentators conclude that both goats represent Christ, but have no compelling explanation for the difference between them. Why were two goats necessary? Both of them were said to atone for or bear mankind's sins. Have there been two people in history who have done that? If so, did the one who is not Christ have any experience similar to that of the scapegoat? The standard answer is that only Christ suffered for our
sins, so they must both symbolize Him. But when was it that Christ was led into the uninhabited wilderness to be banished forever? Why is it worth mentioning that the scapegoat was led by an "appointed" (translated "fit" in the KJV) man? Does he represent someone in particular? And if it was Christ he was leading, why was that man "unclean" afterward? Is the additional feature of sending the goat to its death off a cliff into jagged stones a barbaric perversion which reverses the whole concept of freeing the goat, or does it capture the intended symbolism of sending both goats to their death by different means? If the scapegoat was intended to be freed, then why does it get off with no suffering, if it is bearing the sins of all mankind? That certainly doesn't seem to be like Christ, who suffered more than is humanly possible. And if the cliff death is a correct symbolism, or even being exiled, then what does it correspond to in the life of Christ? What is the point of the elaborate ceremony where lots are chosen to determine the fate of each? If two animals are needed for some reason, why not just sacrifice one and let the other one go as was done with birds in the cleansing of a leper (Lev. 14:1-7)? Why have spectators witness the high priest determine which goat was which? Who cares which goat is chosen? Surely the answer has something to do with the fact that one was "for Jehovah (God)" and the other "for Azazel (Satan)", so another question is, what does Azazel really mean? Let us dig deeper to answer all of these questions. ... 2. Barabbas: If this incident was indeed symbolized by the scapegoat ceremony, several questions remain. If the scapegoat represents a false Christ [Antichrist], then what about bearing the weight of the sins of all mankind? And what about being led by an appointed man into the wilderness? We may be on the right track but we need some more answers. ... 4. Conclusion: The results of this investigation suggest that the standard Christian interpretation of the scapegoat as representing Christ is probably in error [**standard Christian interpretation is that Jesus is the sacrifice not the scapegoat]. The more straightforward Hebrew interpretation that Azazel is Satan can be explained in terms of Christian doctrine by the Book of Enoch. In particular, the goat "for Jehovah" is indeed Jesus Christ, who atoned and was sacrificed for all the sins of mankind. But the other goat, the scapegoat "for Azazel," also bears the weight of the sins of all mankind because Satan (Azazel) is ultimately responsible for them all. And he will be punished for them, first by being cast into the bottomless pit, and later by being thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone at the last day. This ceremony teaches these two truths simultaneously. One practical lesson to be learned is that it can be very difficult to judge between the two nearly identical goats, representing Christ and a false Christ. Jesus appeared to the Jews to be a false Christ. They believed He performed His miracles by Satan's power (Luke 11:15) and some may have thought they were doing Jehovah a service by crucifying Him (compare John 16:2). Even though they were fulfilling scriptural prophecy, the Jews chose poorly between Barabbas and Christ. Perhaps next time the choice will be between two lambs instead of two goats (Rev. 13:11). Satan is the great deceiver and can do miracles (Rev. 13:13-15). He disguises himself in sheep's clothing (Mat. 7:15). The Savior warned us not to be deceived by false Christs who will show great signs and wonders, who will, were it possible, deceive the very elect (Mat. 24:24). If we had to choose between two candidates, both of whom claimed to be Christ, to do miracles and to have the power to save us, would we vote for the One who is indeed the true Savior? Would we go along with the screaming crowd and cast our vote against Christ, or would we have the courage to stand against the throng and heed the still, small voice that testifies of the true Son of God? [article link]
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) [Saturday] September 18, 2010 - Jewish Year 5771: sunset September 17, 2010 - nightfall September 18, 2010 -- Sukkot (Feast of Booths - 7 days) - Starting the fifth day after Yom Kippur sunset [Wednesday] September 22, 2010 - nightfall [Wednesday] September 29, 2010 Yom Kippur is probably the most important holiday of the Jewish year. Many Jews who do not observe any other Jewish custom will refrain from work, fast and/or attend synagogue services on this day. Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of Tishri. The holiday is instituted at Leviticus 23:26 et seq. The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. In Days of Awe, I mentioned the "books" in which G-d inscribes all of our names. On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends. As I
noted in Days of Awe, Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and G-d, not for sins against another person. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. That must all be done before Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. It is well-known that you are supposed to refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. The Talmud also specifies additional restrictions that are less well-known: washing and bathing, anointing one's body (with cosmetics, deodorants, etc.), wearing leather shoes (Orthodox Jews routinely wear canvas sneakers under their dress clothes on Yom Kippur), and engaging in sexual relations are all prohibited on Yom Kippur. [article link]
The Jewish Feast Day Rosh HaShanah (Feast of Trumpets) Ends Today (Friday) at Sundown - Possibly meaning that there is no Church rapture until at least the next year and the next Feast of Trumpets {I pray for God's continued blessing upon the Jewish people throughout the New Year!} The next Jewish Feast Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is on Saturday Sept. 18, 2010 also starting at sundown the previous day [Friday the 17th of September 2010]. We will have a lot of material and also a lot of speculation about End Time scenarios regarding the yet to be completed 'Day of Atonement'. The 'Day of Atonement' was initiated and completed regarding sin on the cross of Jesus Christ however if the atonement 'scapegoat' (Leviticus 16:8, Leviticus 16:27-30) were to return to the people it would bring with it extra difficulty (sin) and a prolonged atonement realization process. [article link]
Basic Christian: Jesus Walk 10 Day Timeline Devotion for Easter, Holy Week - The Eight Appointed Holy Feasts of Leviticus Chapter 23 - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Feasts Observed on the Seventh month (Tishri) [approx. September - October] Corresponding to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ: Trumpets - "Leviticus 23:23-25 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an Holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD." The offering of fire is likely the Baptism of Fire that the Christian is undergoing since the Flames of Fire upon the heads of the believers occurring at the Feast of Pentecost. The Trumpet is an announcement and in this case it is an announcement for God's people to gather together into one place. For the Church this is very likely fulfilled in the Rapture, the calling by God of His Church into Heaven to be with Him and to escape His coming judgment that is about to come upon the entire world of non-believers. "Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the voice which I heard was as it were of a Trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter." -- Atonement: "Leviticus 23:27-32 Also on the Tenth day of this Seventh month there shall be a day of Atonement." This feast in a large part was completed at the cross of Jesus as Jesus is the Atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Atonement is the repair the mending of a broken relationship. For a relationship to be repaired there has to be a desire to repair the union and there needs to be an acknowledgment of the wrong that severed the relationship in the first place. It is corresponding to the second coming of Jesus because there is still much to be fulfilled with this particular feast. For starters at the Atonement Feast Leviticus 16:1-34 there are two goats the first goat is sacrificed for the atonement, the removal of sin, because the result of sin is death so only when death occurs is sin satisfied. This sacrifice is a representation of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us. Meanwhile, the second goat called the "scapegoat", the carrier of sins is released far away carrying with it the sins of the people and if that scapegoat never returns then the sins never return and are completely removed and stay away. If the scapegoat does return then all of the sins return with it. It is evident that at the cross of Jesus that a man called Barabbas was the scapegoat, as Barabbas was set free and he was never heard from again. That is until the Antichrist comes because the Antichrist will be carrying the name of "Son of the Father" which translated into Hebrew is "Barabbas" Bar =
son and Abba = Father. Unfortunately the scapegoat the carrier of sin "Satan" will be returning one day as he will again be accepted by the people to be their friend and their king and when he does come he will bring with him the sins of the world. Also the Jewish people as a nation have not yet recognized Jesus as the true Messiah and this will happen at the second coming of Jesus so this feast is still partially yet to be fulfilled. -Tabernacles (tents) - Booths (temporary shelters): "Leviticus 23:34-43 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The Fifteenth day of this Seventh month shall be the feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. ... That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." The Tabernacle is a Tent a temporary shelter as opposed to a Temple which is a permanent building. The Jewish Temple originally was a Tabernacle a Tent that the Hebrews carried with them and set up during their wilderness journey prior to their entry into the Promise Land of Israel. Once in the Promise Land, the permanent living place the Tent was then replaced in Jerusalem by the permanent Temple made of stone. This is the comparison of our earthy body to our future Spiritual body. Currently we Tabernacle in a Tent body a temporary body made of flesh. Whenever anyone dies their spirit and soul departs this tent and if you are a child of God, God then accepts you into Heaven our Permanent home and we receive our new Temple body, a Spiritual body to match our spirit and our soul. "John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled, 4637)[physically, temporarily stayed among us] among us." It is possible that the Birthday of Jesus occurred on the Feast day of Tabernacles as John in the Gospel of John uses the word Tabernacle to describe Jesus manifesting into our physical earthly realm. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Happy New Year (Rosh HaShanah) - To all of my Jewish readers and friends, Shanah Tovah u'Metukah KeTapuach B'Dvash-May You Have a Good New Year, As Sweet as an Apple with Honey Ktivah v'Chatimah Tovah-May You Be Inscribed and Sealed for a Good Year - Thanks to all of my readersGentile and Jew-who sent me e-mails and i- and e-cards wishing me a Happy New Year - Right Back at Ya! I hope you have a happy and healthy new year Tonight, at sundown, Rosh HaShanah-the Jewish New Year-begins. One of the two most important Jewish holidays (the other is Yom Kippur), it marks the beginning of the Jewish "Ten Days of Repentance," during which we Jews repent for our sins and pray for a good new year. We believe that on Rosh HaShanah, G-d inscribes our fate for the year, and that at the end of Yom Kippur, that fate is sealed. It is one of the holidays that unites Jews around the world because most Jews-no matter how non-religious-celebrate at least part of this holiday in some way. [article link]
Jews, Muslims approach holy celebrations; Rosh Hashana starts tonight; Eid-il-Fitr likely will begin Friday By ELAINE ROSE - The appearance of the new moon tonight will mark the start of holiday celebrations for southern New Jersey's Jews and Muslims. The Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashana, starts at sunset tonight. It is the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance, which culminate with the fast of Yom Kippur. Area Muslims will most likely celebrate Eid-il-Fitr beginning Friday morning, a three-day feast to mark the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan. Both the Jewish and Islamic calendars are lunar, based on the cycles of the moon. But there are two differences in the way the calendars work. The lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar year. The Jewish calendar adds a leap month seven times every 19 years to keep in sync with the solar year. So Rosh Hashana always occurs in the early fall. But the Muslim calendar makes no such adjustment, and the holidays fall back 11 days every year. ... The Jewish Rosh Hashana celebration is a bit more somber, as Jews spend a large part of the day in synagogue as they begin repenting for their sins. The shofar, or ram's horn, is blown as a *wake-up [Psalms 3:5] call to come back to the right path. In the afternoon, communities go to a body of water - usually the beach in southern New Jersey - to symbolically cast their sins into the sea [Psalms 55:22, Psalms 103:12]. At a festive meal, it is a custom to eat apples dipped in honey as a symbol for a sweet year. [article link]
Rosh Hashanah 2010 [Jewish New Year 5711] - Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 - It is celebrated on Thursday, September 9 and Friday, September 10 {Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) - the 6th of the 8 Levitical Feast Days begins tonight at Sundown it is the next Feast in order after Pentecost to be prophetically initiated/fulfilled and is thought to signify the calling of the Church (rapture) into Heaven and the assembling (uniting) of the Nation of Israel on earth.} What is Rosh Hashanah? Rosh Hashanah celebrates the Jewish new year. It takes place on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. Rosh Hashanah also marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance, which finish at the end of Yom Kippur. [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Introduction: The Book of Hebrews - The Book of Hebrews is probably the main content from the Apostle Paul's Synagogue visiting ministry [Acts 17:2] - Acts 9:15 'for he [Paul] is a chosen vessel unto Me (Jesus), to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the [Jews] Children of Israel' - The Apostle Peter mentions Paul's Book of Hebrews in 2 Peter 3:15-16 'our beloved brother [Apostle] Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written [Book of Hebrews] unto you; as also in all his [other] epistles' - The Book of Hebrews is unsigned and undelivered most likely indicating that Paul wrote it himself while in Jerusalem and that Paul personally gave it to the Church in Jerusalem The Book of Hebrews from the earliest times of the Christian Church has been attributed to the Apostle Paul without any previous controversy. It has only been in more recent times that scholars have attempted to remove the Apostle Paul from his writing. The Apostle Peter had read Paul's Book of Hebrews and mentions it along with his other epistles in one of Peter's writings. - '2 Peter 3:15-16 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation [Hebrews 2:10]; even as our beloved brother [Apostle] Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written [Book of Hebrews] unto you; As also in all his [other] epistles ...' - The original proclamation by God for the Apostle Paul is in Acts 9:15 'But the Lord said unto him [Ananias], Go thy way: for he [Paul] is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the Children of Israel' the Apostle Paul is to reach with his ministry; Gentiles, Kings, and Jews. Paul starts out his ministry reasoning with Jews on every Sabbath (Saturday) in the Synagogues as was his custom [Acts 17:2]. - In short on a visit to Jerusalem [Acts 21:17] the Apostle Paul was entangled in Christian Jewish customs and Temple rituals and it was in attempting to appease the Christian Church leaders in Jerusalem that the Apostle Paul was talked in to joining in on a Temple vow with some other Christians. The Apostle Paul went to the Temple in Jerusalem with the other Jewish Christians and was spotted by some of the Jews who had been outside of Jerusalem and were in opposition to his preaching. A riot ensued and the Apostle Paul was ultimately arrested by the Roman guards and held in confinement in the Roman 'castle' dungeon probably the same place where John the Baptist had early been confined by Herod. While in confinement it's most likely that the Apostle Paul figured that his long intended letter to the Hebrews in Jerusalem was in order and Paul wrote down in a sense the same message that he had been reasoning with all along with all the Jews in every synagogue he entered. Probably the Book of Hebrews is the main content of the Apostle Paul's synagogue visits. Unlike the Book of Romans the Book of Hebrews is undelivered and unlike the Book of Galatians the Book of Hebrews is unsigned because likely the Book of Hebrews was written in Jerusalem [while confined in the castle] and was not delivered by messenger but was given from the hand of Paul into the hands of Peter or possibly via the nephew of Paul [Acts 23:16 'Paul's sister's son'] into the hands of Peter and to the rest of the Christian Church in Jerusalem. [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Hebrews 1 - The Apostle Paul's Trilogy of Systematic Theology to the Nations [Romans, Galatians, Hebrews] - The Book of Hebrews is to give the Hebrew, Jewish Nation a perspective of their past, present and future glory with God in Jesus Christ the risen Savior, Messiah 'Hebrews 1:8-9 But unto the Son He (Father) saith, *Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness [the cross] is the sceptre of Thy Kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity;
therefore God, even Thy [Father] God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy [human] fellows.' Hebrews 1:1-4 God, who at sundry times [in history] and in divers manners spake in time past unto the [Jewish] fathers by the Prophets, Hath in these *last days {after the cross it's the last days until the second coming} spoken unto us by His Son (Jesus), whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds [physical and spiritual realms]; Who being the brightness [equal in Glory] of His [Father God's] Glory, and the express image [exact representation] of His [Father God's] person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself [carried His cross] purged our sins, [resurrected and] sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High; Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.' - The Apostle Paul immediately sets out the Divinity and the Superiority of Jesus Christ even over the angels. Paul notes that Jesus is both the creator and the inheritor of all things. Then Paul presents a reminder that the present universe is going to vanish and concluding that Jesus Christ as the creator, inheritor and redeemer of the Universe is not just an improved version of Judaism but is the ultimate consummation of the plan of God given throughout the ages to all mankind and to miss out on the plans of Jesus Christ is to miss out on the one and only plan available to mankind. Note: It is important to know that Jesus is currently seated at the right hand of the Father in Majesty on High. Any thought or notion of the previously rejected Jesus is an ancient aberration of human history as Jesus is currently reigning and ruling in Authority, Splendor, Majesty and Glory while all heaven rejoices at the presence of Jesus Christ. -- Also Note: A clarification technically Daniels' 70th Week [Last Days] began on the day of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem [Palm Saturday or Palm Sunday depending on how you figure it] so about six days, Saturday Triumphal Entry through the Thursday crucifixion, of Daniel's 70th week have happened. With the crucifixion the 70th week came to a temporary halt until the fullness of the Gentiles [Acts 15:17] can be brought in. 'Daniel 9:20-27 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Jews] and upon thy Holy City [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision [Law] and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy (Jesus). Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah (Jesus) the Prince shall be seven weeks [seven Jewish decades 49 years - these weeks were the Jewish decade of seven years the Levitical decade seventh year of release], and threescore and two weeks [62 Jewish decades 434 years]: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks [the 434 years] shall Messiah be cut off [crucifixion], but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And He [Antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [the 70th and final week regarding Jerusalem]: and in the midst of the week at [3½ years] he [Antichrist] shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [in the rebuilt Temple] to cease, and for the overspreading [saturation] of abominations [evil] he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation [end of the Book of Revelation], and that determined shall be poured [vial (measured) judgments of Revelation 16:1] upon the desolate.' [article link]
Part 2 of 2: Authorship of the Bible - The New Testament (via a Heavenly Initiation) -- Written by the N.T. Apostles given directly *Heavenly from YHWH (Holy Spirit) on behalf of Jesus Christ "John 1:17 For the [O.T.] Law was given [earthly] by Moses, but Grace and Truth came [Heavenly] by Jesus Christ. No man [not even Moses] hath seen God [YHWH - Father God] at any time; the only begotten Son [Jesus], which is in the bosom [presence] of the Father, He [Jesus from Heaven] hath declared Him [God the Father]." -- "John 10:18 No man taketh it [Life] from Me [Jesus], but I lay it down of Myself. *I [Jesus] have power to lay it down, and I [Jesus] have [resurrection] power to take it again. **This commandment have I *received of My Father." - "John 16:1216 I [Jesus] have yet many things to say unto you [12 Apostles], but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the [Holy] Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth: **for He [Holy Spirit] shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear [in Heaven from Jesus], that shall He [Holy Spirit] speak [to the Apostles]: and He will shew you things to come. *He shall glorify Me [Jesus]: for He [Holy Spirit] shall receive of Mine, and
shall shew it unto you [Apostles and all Christians]. All things that the Father [God] hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He [Holy Spirit] shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while [cross], and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me [resurrection], because I [Live and] go to the Father [in Heaven]." The N.T. Bible was completed via the N.T. Apostles: Hebrews 12:25-29 See that ye [people] refuse not Him [Jesus, Holy Spirit, Father God] that speaketh. For if they [Congregation of Moses] escaped not who refused him [Moses] that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him [Jesus] that speaketh from Heaven: (Jesus) Whose voice then [Mt. Sinai] shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also Heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made [by man], that those things [of God] which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a [eternal Heavenly] Kingdom [from God] which cannot be moved, let us have *grace [individuality in God's truth and righteousness], whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire [removing sin]." - "2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture [O.T. Prophets and N.T. Apostles] is given by inspiration (Lit. God's breath - G2315) of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man [disciple] of God may be perfect [complete], throughly furnished unto all good works." [article link]
{Flashback} Prophet, Seer, Apostle, 144,000 Witnesses [the coming Dispensation of Revelation Tribulation with the 144,000 Jewish witnesses (i.e. announcers, forerunners - Prophets, Seers, Apostles) for the 1,000 year Kingdom Reign on earth of Jesus Christ] -- 'Matthew 11:13 For all the [O.T.] prophets and the law prophesied [of the coming Messiah - Jesus Christ] until John [the Baptist - the last O.T. prophet]. And if ye [Spiritual Church] will receive it, this [John the Baptist] is [Spiritual] Elias (Elijah) [Elijah - "Elohim is my God"], which was [announcer, forerunner - of Christ] for to come. -- '1 Corinthians 15:8 And last of all He [resurrected Jesus Christ] was seen of me [last N.T. Apostle - Apostle Paul] also, as of one born out of due time.' -- 'Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye [Gentiles] are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the [Jewish] Saints, and of the Household of God; And are built upon *the foundation of the [N.T.] Apostles and [O.T.] Prophets, **Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief [foundation] Corner Stone; In [Jesus Christ] whom all the [Temple] building fitly framed together groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation [living place] of God through the [Holy] Spirit.' - {Note: The Prophets prophesied of the coming Messiah (Christ) and wrote the Old Testament of the Bible with the words of their prophecies. Then with the actual arrival of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) the O.T. prophecy was completed (in John the Baptist) and scripture authority was then given to the Apostles who were in the actual presence of Jesus Christ and it was the Apostles [not Prophets] who wrote the Kingdom of God instructions in Righteousness of Jesus Christ - the New Testament. Also Note: This is Not replacement theology - the 'Spiritual Church' (seperate from physical [redeemed] Israel) began at the giving of the Spirit of Jesus after His resurrection on Resurrection Sunday [Easter Sunday] and continues until the 'Rapture' taking of the Spiritual Church into heaven. Then with the Spiritual Church removed from the earth the events of Revelation revert almost exclusively to physical events and physical [redeemed] Israel -- the only or primarily 'spiritual' events of Revelation Tribulation are the counterfeit spiritual events of the Antichrist. Also Note: We are currently in the 'Church Age' [not the Prophet, Apostle or 144,000 Dispensation or Age] the Church Age started after the Apostles [Disciples of Jesus] with the Church Fathers [disciples of the Apostles] i.e. Polycarp of Smyrna, Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch.} Seer: The Seer was part of a short distinct time period in the history of Israel and came from the office of the Prophets. The office of Seer took place during the unique time period of Israel when God was their King. With God in the midst of Israel He was no longer Prophesied about but was seen by the Seer. This time period began after the Passover and upon leaving Egypt. Exodus 13:17 "God led them" He could be Seen leading the new Nation of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promise Land. In those days everyone in Israel could See God as He appeared in a pillar of Cloud by day and in a pillar of Fire by night. The Seer time period lasted from the Egypt Exodus throughout the wilderness into the Promise Land including the time period of the Judges and
until the regretful moment when Israel as a Nation rejected the leadership of God and chose for themselves an earthly king named Saul ('asked for') so they could be like all of the other nations around them and like all of the other nations they could no longer see God in their midst. With the anointing and placing of Saul into the office of King the brief Seer period of Israel reverted back to the prophet period and remains the prophet period for Israel until this day. "1 Samuel 10:17-19 And ye have this day rejected your God." As that day they were anointing Saul King. The Church however has God as King and is at times in a position of a Seer. "Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." As the "Born Again" "Pure in Heart" Church we at times do get to glimpse and to see God at work as He leads and directs our path into His righteousness. There are times that are just too Compassionate, to Divine and to Miraculous to be anything but the occurrence of God. It is only the Christian that is equipped and able to be a Seer into these very special moments in life [with God].... [article link]
Part 1 of 2: Authorship of the Bible - The Old Testament (via an Earthly Initiation) -- Written by Moses given directly *earthly location from YHWH (Jesus) "Exodus 33:11 And the LORD [YHWH - Jesus] spake unto Moses [the first five books (Pentateuch) of the Bible including the O.T. Law] face to face [on earth - in the Tabernacle], as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he [Moses] turned [returned] again [after writing O.T Bible for the day] into the camp [of the 12 Tribes of Israel]: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, [stayed guarded] departed not out of the Tabernacle." The O.T. Law was completed via Moses: "Deuteronomy 31:24-26 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this [O.T.] Law in a Book [Pentateuch - first five books of the Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy], until they [Laws] were finished [Joshua concluded the book of Deuteronomy after the death of Moses], That Moses commanded the Levites [Priests], which bare the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, saying, Take this book of the Law, and put it in the side [inside] of the Ark of the Covenant [as a Temple Scroll - not as the public Bible Scriptures that would come later - The Bible Scriptures of today are the ancient Temple Scrolls complied [some genealogies reduced - some events changed from historical odrer in the Bible to a Biblical, bad to worse O.T. teaching oder] during the captivity in Babylon (Daniel 10:21, Matthew 21:42, Matthew 22:29, Matthew 26:54)] of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. [article link]
[3 Fall Feasts 2010] Rosh Hashanah in 2010 is Sundown Wednesday, the 8th of September and will continue for 2 days until Sundown Friday, the 10th of September 2010 - Then Yom Kippur [Day of Atonement] is on Saturday, the 18th of September 2010 - Sukkot [Feast of Booths] in 2010 will start on Sunset Wednesday, the 22nd of September and will continue for 7 days [1 week] until Wednesday, the 29th of September 2010. {Jerusalem time is +7 hours (later) than NY time and +10 hours (later) than West Coast time.} Rosh Hashanah in 2011 will start on Thursday, the 29th of September and will continue for 2 days until Friday, the 30th of September. *Note that in the Jewish calander, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Jews will celebrate Rosh HaShanah on the **Sunset of Wednesday, the 28th of September until Friday, the 30th of September 2011. [article link]
Another remarkable mathematical Bible prophecy - The Return of Israel ... May 14, 1948 You are about to read one of the most fascinating and remarkable prophecies in the Bible. What makes it even more remarkable is what it implies. For when we realize how precisely this prophecy has been fulfilled after 2,500 years, we must realize all the Bible prophecies concerning Israel and the world including the coming 'Apocalypse,' the Battle of Armageddon, Messiah's Return, and the many promises and warnings concerning both Heaven and Hell will be fulfilled just as accurately and literally as the amazing prophecy presented here ... The Prophecy ... Ezekiel 4:4-6 ... Israel Back in Her Land as a Nation . . . in 1948! Judah (Israel) was taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 606 B.C. They were released from captivity 70 years later by the Persians in 536
A.D., exactly as the prophet Jeremiah had prophesied, but their land was still under the control of the Persians. The Persians were later conquered by the Greeks, and the land of Israel remained under Greek control. The Greeks were then conquered by Rome and the land of Israel remained under Roman control. After failed rebellions against Rome around 70 A.D. and another around 100 years later, the Romans removed the Jews from the land of Israel, dispersed them around the world and then renamed the land 'Palestine' after the enemies of Israel. Then, after 2,500 years, and for the first time since the Babylonian captivity in 606 B.C., the world watched as Israel once again appeared on the world map as a sovereign nation, on May 14, 1948 ... exactly when the Bible said it would! [article link]
Wikipedia: Prophecy of Seventy Weeks -- The Prophecy of Seventy Septets or literally 'seventy times seven' appears in the angel Gabriel's reply to Daniel, beginning with verse 22 and ending with verse 27 in the ninth chapter of the Book of Daniel, a work included in both the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Bible; as well as the Septuagint - The prophecy is part of both the Jewish account of history and Christian (last things - end times) eschatology - There have been objections raised to some of Anderson's calculations [April 6, 32 A.D., which he offered as the date of the (Palm Sunday) Triumphal Entry] - For instance, later calculations have confirmed that Anderson was off by one day [originally making the Sabbath (Palm Saturday) the more correct date as Anderson was thought to have added 1 too many correction i.e. leap year days - though now Monday (adding even 1 more day) is considered a possibility by some] {Note: The Daniel 70 Weeks prophecy and several other numerical prophecies [i.e. Ezekiel 4:4-6] are interesting and very helpful however the dating and timing of each prophecy is extremely difficult, just in dealing with lunar calendars, leap years and the 0 year [B.C to A.D.] for each prophecy. The important aspect for the Christian Church is that Jesus had a 3½ year earthly ministry starting when He was 'about' thirty years old (Luke 3:23) - Jesus' events of Holy Week are generally considered to be the events of Passover 32 A.D. [counting the zero year] putting Jesus at 33½ years old at the time though I'm not certain of these dates and I'm still looking for more information and conformation and posting this material as a work in progress.} Sir Robert Anderson used lunar data to fix the date of the first day of the first month of the twentieth year of Artaxerxes (the day implied in Nehemiah) to March 14, 445 BC. He showed that, based on various apparent references to the Great Tribulation both as three and a half years and also as 1260 days, 360 days could be fixed as the length of what he called a "prophetic year". He fixed the end date to April 6, 32, which he offered as the date of the Triumphal Entry. Alva McClain and others have since concurred with this viewpoint. There have been objections raised to some of Anderson's calculations. For instance, later calculations have confirmed that Anderson was off by one day, as the opening date was a Friday, but the closing date a Sunday, something that could not happen in a whole number of seven-time periods (keeping in mind that in any given whole seven-time period, the closing date will always be shifted by one day from the opening date [for example, counting seven complete days from Noon on a Tuesday will end on Noon on a Wednesday]). Also, Babylonian records appear to show a leap month in 445 BC (so Nisan 1, the date of the decree, should be one month later on April 13). Moreover, Sunday, April 6 was almost certainly not Nisan 10, and more likely Nisan 6, with Passover eight days later on Monday the 14th. Furthermore, even if we took Anderson's start and end day to be correct, it has been proven that his calculations are incorrect by 3 days due to his lack of understanding in regards to Julian and Gregorian dates. Harold Hoehner set forth revisions to Anderson and gave an opening date of March 4, 444 BC (the one year shift being due to a different accession date of Artaxerxes) with the end of the 69 weeks on March 30, 33. The same errors with Anderson's calculations also plague Hoehner's, for he miscalculated the length of a year. The leap month means that Nisan 1 probably occurred on April 3 or 4. Ron Bigalke Jr. set forth revisions to Anderson and Hoehner based on the year of Artaxerxes succession as August 465 BC which Hoehner timed as December 465 BC. According to Bigalke, the end of the 69 weeks may be March 26, 33. However, this event loses its significance as the Triumphal Entry, for it does not occur on Sunday as church tradition dictates, nor on Monday as some new interpretations report. Bigalke did indicate the problem of a 26 March date since it would be too soon before Jesus' arrival in Bethany and the Passover. He
stated that Hoehner did admit the possibility that Artaxerxes may have given permission to Nehemiah later than 1 Nisan. Bigalke's conclusion was if the starting date was 5 Nisan (which Hoehner left possible) then the number of days would be an exact 173,880 days. The 19th century theologian Nathaniel West offered a completely different Christian solution and utilized internal biblical evidence to begin the prophecy with the decree of Cyrus (see Isa. 44:28, 45:13) and end the 69th week with the birth of Jesus' rather than with Jesus' Triumphal Entry. This solution has recently been further developed and defended by T.T. Schlegel. [article link]
THE FIRST 69 WEEKS [Global Gentile Kingdoms] OF THE 70 WEEKS OF DANIEL - "Calculation of the 69 Weeks" PALM SUNDAY [actually Saturday], DAY 173,880 MARKS THE TERMINUS OF THE 69 WEEKS - This then, is that all important number that Scotland Yard Inspector *Sir Robert Anderson (29 May 1841 - 15 November 1918) arrived at for the 69 weeks - He did this work in the late 19th century [1800's] and wrote the book, "The Coming Prince" outlining his discoveries - For a fuller outlining of the calculations involved for the first 69 weeks see article #8 in this series or click on the chart below - These are calculations you can verify yourself [I have to confirm it but apparently Robert Anderson's 69th Week calculation ended on Saturday but he felt 1 day was missing from his (modern - Gregorian based calendar) timeline adjustments so he added 1 day to conclude on Palm Sunday (in keeping with the modern tradition) instead of on the actual Saturday [Sabbath Day] Triumphal Entry of the Bible.] {Note: The 69th Week of Daniel concluded on Saturday the Triumphal Entry day of Jesus into Jerusalem fulfilling the 1st of the 8 Feast Days of Leviticus 23. While the [2,000 year] gap exists between the 69th and 70th (Revelation - Tribulation Week - final 7 years) is waiting to be fulfilled many of the 8 Feasts [at least 6 of the 8] are being fulfilled. Also Note: Apparently any way that the math is done the 69th Week ends about Passover 32 A.D. within 25 or so days without taking into account any necessary calendar adjustments that bring the calculation to the day of (Palm Saturday) or within a day of traditional Palm Sunday. -- Jesus being 33½ years old at His death and resurrection. John the Baptist began his Levitical ministry at the priestly age of 30 and then Jesus six months younger than John the Baptist began His (reconciliation) Melchizedek Priesthood duties also at 'about' the age of 30 (Luke 3:23). Jesus' birth is marked as the year 0 then at 29 A.D. or 30 A.D. began to minster on earth for 3½ years concluding in about 32 A.D. [during Passover in Jerusalem 32 A.D. - counting the zero year for Daniels 70 Week Prophecy] in the 33rd year of Jesus' physical life on earth. -- "Daniel 9:26 And *after (the 69th week - 483 years) threescore and two weeks (60 + 2 + previous 7 = 69) shall Messiah (Christ) be cut off (lit. execution, crucifixion), but not for Himself (for the sins of the people)"} THE 70 WEEKS BEGINS WITH THE EDICT OF ARTAXERXES LONGINUS [King of Persia (Iran) - 4th Global Gentile Kingdom]. THE AUTHORITY TO RESTORE THE POLITICAL SOVEREIGNTY OF JERUSALEM WAS GIVEN TO NEHEMIAH. And how would the 70 weeks begin? On a certain special day in holy history a king would issue a royal edict. The story is told in Nehemiah chapter 2. And as the new moon of Nisan came up that year Nehemiah, his cup-bearer, laid out the burden of a scattered people to the supreme ruler of Persia. Nehemiah had been sad as he had remembered Israel's former Passovers in happier times. Now the holy city was under the sovereignty of the Medo-Persians, the superpower of that time. And in spite of a rebuilt temple and the return of many from Judah the city was still in ruins. It was a day of high drama. In fear of his very life Nehemiah had asked the king for something of a very sensitive nature. He was asking Artaxerxes for permission to restore the city of Jerusalem, its walls and its gates. He was, in effect, asking for a royal edict allowing the Jewish House of Judah to return with supplies, money, and royal authority to restore the sovereignty of the Holy City as a self-governing city-state. This was a very tense moment. He could have been executed for this. But Nehemiah found favor in the eyes of the king. And the Medo-Persian ruler Artaxerxes Longimanus issued that all important decree. It was a stupendous day in holy history. The edict given by Artaxerxes in his 20th year was highly significant. It gave permission for the political restoration of the city of Jerusalem. -- Medo-Persia was the world superpower of the time. This edict would give authority for returning Jews to do something they had not been able to do before. They were being given this edict in the peace, security, and and superpower protection of Artaxerxes to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. The City of Shalom, the city of the coming Prince of
Peace was to be restored. Soon its walls and gates would be rebuilt. And it would function as a sovereign citystate. The key to all this was the stipulating of restoration of "gates and walls". The "city gates" were the entrance to the city. This was more than just a portal for entry. The city gate was an enclosed structure, the place where the town elders sat and judged in all sorts of governmental matters. This edict, would set in motion the restoration of the integrity and sovereignty of Jerusalem as a self-governing city-state. King Cyrus is often mentioned in this context of the 70 weeks prophecy. But this earliest edict was given nearly 90 years earlier in 537 B.C.. The edict of Cyrus is outlined in Ezra chapter 1. The edict given by Cyrus was a proclamation of emancipation for the captives of Judah. It had its religious side to it as well. Cyrus had given them a grant and every encouragement the returning Jews to rebuild the Temple. But the political side to the equation was missing. Because in the Cyrus decree (and also the decree of Artaxerxes given to Ezra 80 years later in 457 B.C.), there was no mention of any permission being given to attend to the restoration of gates and walls of the city of Jerusalem. Cyrus had not given this critical permission for restoration of political sovereignty. That would come in the century to follow and only with the grant given to Nehemiah in 445 B.C.. This is an extremely important point overlooked by many Bible teachers. -- These earlier edicts allowed the Jews to return to the land of Israel and to rebuild the Hebrew Temple in Jerusalem. And they did return, initially experiencing some delays due to opposition in the land. Finally, in the time period 520 B.C. to 516 B.C. and after the exhortations of Habakkuk the rebuilding program got under way under the able leadership of Zerubbabel. The following century would see another significant event, the decree of Artaxerxes in his 7th year in 457 B.C.. This came about by a revival among the Jews who remained in Persia. That revival began like all revivals. The Word of God was shared with the people. The discovery of the scrolls was followed by a public reading of the Torah by the scribe Ezra. This is what sparked the revival of interest by the Jewish exiles. Suddenly, they remembered their destiny. Soon after the edict was issued large numbers of former captives began returning back to Jerusalem. It was Ezra who prepared the hearts of the people, not only for another Aliyah to the Land but also for the civic responsibilities that would come later on under Nehemiah. But it was only after the later edict given to Nehemiah that the city of Jerusalem would be restored to political sovereignty. We know for a certainty that neither Zerubbabel or Ezra had rebuilt the walls and gates. Because when Nehemiah came along, (and this was eight years after Ezra in the spring of 445 B.C.), Nehemiah had received sad news. We read (in Nehemiah 2) that he had been told that the walls of Jerusalem were still in ruins. And the gates were burned with fire. There were some sad social consequences to this. The city walls were a broken shell. and offered no had no civic protection. And so the people camped out within these broken down walls were being oppressed by marauders. It was still a wild Persian territory without the law and order that brings peace and security. This is what prompted Nehemiah to petition the king. As the king's cup-bearer he was in a privileged position to take the bull by the horns and to pop the big question. As he did so he was trembling. In this act he was actually taking his life in his hands. If the king did not give his scepter and his favor Nehemiah was a dead man. His request would be regarded as a rebellious act against the Persian realms. He could have been charges with treason and executed speedily. But Nehemiah, as the king's cup-bearer was energized by the God of Israel. And so he asked the king to allow the Jewish returnees to rebuild the city walls and gates. This was no light matter. This act of rebuilding and restoration was not just a beautification program. This rebuilding of city infrastructure would restore the city of Jerusalem as an independent sovereign city-state. -- And so it was, that in 445 B.C., in the month of Nisan, the Persian King Artaxerxes Longimanus in his 20th year would receive a petition from his Jewish butler. And Artaxerxes would issue a royal edict to allow the restoration of Jerusalem, God's holy city. (Neh.1-2) This was not an obscure event. It was a highly significant event and it was recorded in the pages of holy history. This edict we see showcased in Nehemiah 2 would set the clock ticking for the seventy weeks of Daniel. 173,880 days later, the people of God, and the city of Jerusalem, would come to a pivotal and epic moment in holy history. In all of His three and a half year earthly ministry this particular day would be a time like no other. On this specific and momentous day, in the springtime of 32 A.D., in the month of Nisan, and on the 10th day of the moon, they would see their coming Prince! On this special day He would enter into His holy city! [article link]
Re: Rapture on the feast of trumpets - The 2 Witnesses are really the key to understanding the timing of [not] the 1st Resurrection [but the] and Rapture! {Ok, so the Feast of Trumpets is a Two Day Feast, both in the days of Jesus and also in our modern day. The two days are necessary to 1. Establish and confirm the New Moon event by two witnesses (usually on a darkened hill in the country outside the lights and distractions of the city of Jerusalem) 2. To relay the news of the New Moon and the start of a New Year to Jerusalem and also to other cities throughout Israel. Though the primary focus is on the Two Witnesses and of an accurate and reliable New Moon [Lunar Calendar] sighting. -- With the 8 Feasts of Leviticus 23 being fulfilled in order [Sabbath Triumphal Entry being the first fulfilled] and Pentecost [5th of the 8 Feasts] being the last initiated/ fulfilled Feast and the Feast of Trumpets [the 6th Feast] is the next Feast in order to be initiated/fulfilled. Since all the Feasts are initiated in Jerusalem the question then becomes are the Two Witnesses of Revelation (Revelation 11:3-12) the Two Witnesses that will Witness the lunar New Moon and bring in the Tribulation Period? - The Two Witnesses of Revelation prophesy for 1,260 days or 3½ years but their 3½ years seems to start prior to the revealing of the Antichrist and during the reign (or at the start) of the reign of Antichrist the False Prophet (Revelation 11:7) is going to make war with and kill the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem.} The 2 Witnesses are really the key to understanding the timing of [not] the 1st Resurrection and Rapture! Let me explain... In Matt 24:36 & Mark 13:32 when Jesus' disciples asked him when will these things be fulfilled, he answered them "On the day and the hour no one knows, not even the angels, but the Father in Heaven." Jesus was actually pointing to the Feast of Trumpets by using the Jewish idiom describing this feast. Of the 7 Feasts of the Lord, it is the only one that begins on the 1st day of the month so no one knows the exact day or hour... until the New Moon comes out. You see in the Hebrew lunar calendar a month can either be 29 or 30 days, so the custom is to wait for at least 2 witnesses to see the New Moon, then the start of the feast is declared. In Rev 11:7-12 is the prophecy of the 2 Witnesses. At the end of their 3.5 yrs of testimony (end of GT) they were killed by the Beast and their bodies left in the street of Jerusalem, 3.5 days later they came back to life and a voice from heaven called them "COME UP HITHER!" and they rise up to the sky. Do you see the parallel meaning of this event? Their resurrection marks the momentous fulfillment of the prophecy of The Feast of Trumpets! The 2 Witnesses are actually declaring the start of the Feast in the tradition of Ancient Israel when at least 2 witnesses must see the New Moon for "the day and the hour." The 2 Witnesses ARE [NOT] the first of the FirstFruits leading the Resurrection of the saints and then the Rapture of the elect! [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Revelation 11 - The 3rd Temple in Jerusalem is measured and described - At the time that the Disciple John was writing this in about 95 A.D. the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem had already been destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Legions of forces of Rome -- 'Revelation 11:1-2 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the Angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the Temple of God [3rd Temple], and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the Temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city [Jerusalem] shall they tread under foot forty and two months [3½ years].' - Note: There are several 3½ year segments in the Tribulation time period however they are not all a part of the same 7 year period. This 42 month period could be well under way before the Rapture then the 3½ years of the Two Witnesses could occur right after the Rapture and at the start of the 7 years of Tribulation. Just keep in mind that there are multiple 3½ year periods with different starting times and different completion times. Revelation 11:3-13 And I [God] will give power unto my Two Witnesses [Two Prophets - possibly Moses and Elijah], and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days [1,260 days, 3½ years - 360 days in a Biblical prophetic year], clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth (Zechariah 4:3). And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them [the Two Witnesses], he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make
war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city [Jerusalem], which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations *shall see [via global television] their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood [resurrection] upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: **and *the *remnant were affrighted, and **gave glory to the God of heaven. The *second *woe [demonic infestation - demons from the bottomless pit] is past; and, behold, the third woe [Satan himself - Antichrist] cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign [the 8th Kingdom] for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the Nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in His Temple the Ark of His Testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. - Note: The 7th global Kingdom of mankind gives way to the Kingdom of God, the 8th Kingdom, the eternal Righteous Kingdom of Jesus Christ. [article link]
THE RAPTURE ON ROSH HASHANA [Feast of Trumpets] - In the Christian world, Rosh Hashanah is known as The Feast of Trumpets - Many Christians observe this festival for its Christian prophetic application the Rapture of the [Christian] Church - All the Spring Feasts were fulfilled at Christ's first coming - All the Fall Feasts picture the Second Advent, and the Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts, picturing the Rapture - Now there are more feasts to be fulfilled with the second coming -- Yom Teruah (Rosh HaShanah) / Feast of Trumpets [possibly] The Church Rapture; the last trump; wedding of the Messiah [to the Church bride]; New Moon; Open Door [Church goes into Heaven] -- Yom Kippur / Day of Atonement -- Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles (Booths structures - dwelling places - homes for individuals) In the Christian world, Rosh Hashanah is known as The Feast of Trumpets. Many Christians observe this festival for its Christian prophetic application - the Rapture of the Church. "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." (1 Corinthians 15:51-53) "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) All the Spring Feasts were fulfilled at Christ's first coming. All the Fall Feasts picture the Second Advent, and the Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts, picturing the Rapture. ... A special season known as 'Teshuvah' which in Hebrew means "to return or repent", begins on the first day of the month of Elul and continues 40 days, ending with Yom Kippur. Thirty days into Teshuvah, on Tishrei 1, comes Rosh HaShanah. This begins a final ten-day period beginning on Rosh HaShanah and ending on Yom Kippur. These are known as the High Holy Days and as the Awesome Days. The sabbath that falls within this ten-day period is called 'Shabbat Shuvah', the Sabbath of Return. Five days after Yom Kippur is 'Sukkot', the Feast of Tabernacles. Teshuvah begins on Elul 1 and concludes on Tishrei 10, Yom Kippur. Each morning during the 30
days of the month of Elul, the trumpet (shofar) or ram's horn is blown to warn the people to repent and return to God. Rosh HaShanah is also referred to as 'Yom Teruah', the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar, or the Day of the Awakening Blast. On Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar, it is imperative for every person to hear the shofar. Yom Teruah is the only festival that no man knows when exactly it will occur. This is due to the fact that it begins on the new moon. The new moon was sanctified when two witnesses see the new moon and attest to it before the Sanhedrin in the Temple. This sanctification could happen during either of two days, depending on when the witnesses come. Since no one knew when the witnesses would come, no one knew when the Feast of Trumpets would start. On the 30th of each month, the members of the High Court assembled in a courtyard in Jerusalem, where they waited to receive the testimony of two reliable witnesses. They then sanctified the new moon. The new moon is very difficult to see on the first day because it can be seen only about sunset, close to the sun, when the sun is traveling north. So, looking for a very slim faint crescent moon, which is very close to the sun, is a very difficult thing to do. If the moon's crescent was not seen on the 30th day, the new moon was automatically celebrated on the 31st day. For this reason, Yom Teruah is always celebrated for two days. These two days are celebrated as though it is just one long day of forty-eight hours. The reason that it is celebrated for two days is because if they waited to start the celebration until after the new moon had been sanctified, they would have missed half the celebration because the new moon can only be sanctified during daylight hours. The command seems to be that we know the season, but not the day or the hour (Matthew 24:32-36). Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets, is the only feast that we do not know the day in which to keep it. Therefore, we have to be on the alert and watch for it. Teruah means "an awakening blast". A theme associated with Rosh. HaShanah is the theme "to awake". Teruah is also translated as "shout". [article link]
Rapture! Pentecost or Feast of Trumpets? - The Feast of Trumpets [an 'observed' Feast Day only after the New Moon event first appears and is apparent to the eye - not a calculated Feast Day i.e. Pentecost [always 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits] or The Lord's Passover always on the 14th of Nisan] is the best fit for the rapture of the bride and is consistent with Jewish marriage customs We see a pattern emerging in the Feasts that shadows [foreshadows - prophecy] the steps of the Messiah. There is really no denying the accuracy of the life of Jesus Christ to that of these first three feasts. The gift of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Pentecost the 4th feast. What I've noticed is that many anticipate the rapture to be on Pentecost because of the two loaves presented at Pentecost as a wave offering. But if we kept with the pattern of the Feasts with the eyes of a bride prepared for her wedding we will keep the order of the feast. ... The Feast of Trumpets is the best fit for the rapture of the bride and is consistent with Jewish marriage customs. We need to look at the Feast with Jewish eyes. The Jews had several idioms for the Feast of Trumpets that are significant in identifying the nature of this feast. The feast was referred as "No one knows the day or hour". It was referred to this because it was celebrated by the first appearing of the moon. This could be difficult if there was any overcast, therefore, the feast could be delayed. No one literally knew the day or hour it would be celebrated. If after two days the new moon could not be detected then it was celebrated. The two days were considered one. ... Here are the signs to look for. Just when the bride of Christ is recognized she will be gone. The Feast was celebrated at the first appearing of the moon, which is not its on reflection but that of the suns. When we see the bride emerge from all the others she will be reflecting the glory of the Lord. As of now the true meaning of Jesus' bride has not been understood even by those who are called by His name. The Shulammite in the Song of Songs is the epitome of the bride of Christ she says, "Before I realized it, my desire set me over the royal chariots of my people (Song 6:12). She was caught up above her people and her desire was that of intimacy. Desire here in this verse is the Hebrew word "yada". Her people, i.e. Church says, "Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, that we may gaze on you" (Song 6:12)! Once the bride is taken out from among her people there will be a cry to know more about her and to be with her as well. But Jesus reply's, "Why would you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance of Mahanaim" (Song 6:13). The dance of the Mahanaim was a dance where the young virgins would go out and dance. As they danced, men would come and steal them to be their bride's. His reply to them is why do you look for the bride she has been stolen
by me! Number two the rapture can't be this year 2009! For one, the day's in-between the Feast of Trumpets 2009 and the Feast of Yom Kippur 2016, the Day of Atonement is 2,580 days. This is 30 days more than what Daniel says the number of days for the 7year covenant will last and 60 days longer than what Revelation allows. So this year can not be the rapture scripturally. Look for the rapture on the Feast of Trumpets in the month of September and October of each year where there is 86 moon duration like the year 2011 and you will be closer to what Scripture has revealed about the 7 year covenant and rapture lengths. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Happy New Year (Rosh Hashanah 2009) - Tonight, at sundown, Rosh HaShanah-the Jewish New Year-begins - One of the two most important Jewish holidays the other is Yom Kippur, it marks the beginning of the Jewish "Ten Days of Repentance" [10 Days of Awe] during which we repent for our sins and pray for a good new year - On the holiday, we traditionally eat apples with honey (and other items with honey) to signify that we seek a new year that is as sweet as that uber-sweet combination - Thanks to all of my readers who sent me e-mails and i- and e-cards wishing me a Happy New Year - Right Back at Ya! [Note: Regarding all 8 Jewish Feast Days of Leviticus 23 - a good summary is that - only Jesus fulfills each Feast in His accomplishments alone [1 Corinthians 5:7] - while the Jews 'Proclaim' each Feast in its appointed season (time) [Leviticus 23:4] - yet the Christians simply acknowledge each Feast [Acts 18:21, Acts 20:6], not observing it as the Jews do, but receiving [i.e. Sabbath Rest (Hebrews 4:3)] from it the accomplished works of Jesus Christ. -"Acts 18:18-21 And [Apostle] Paul after this tarried there [at Corinth with Priscilla and Aquila] yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; [Paul] having shorn [shaved] his head in Cenchrea: for he had a [Nazarite] vow. And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. When they [Christians] desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; But bade them farewell, saying, **I must by all means {as a personal choice} keep [G4160 - to declare (commemorate), to do, do well, to carry out, to celebrate] this Feast [Passover - Holy Week] that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus."] Tonight, at sundown, Rosh HaShanah-the Jewish New Year-begins. One of the two most important Jewish holidays (the other is Yom Kippur), it marks the beginning of the Jewish "Ten Days of Repentance," during which we repent for our sins and pray for a good new year. We believe that on Rosh HaShanah, G-d inscribes our fate for the year, and that at the end of Yom Kippur, that fate is sealed. ... On the holiday, we traditionally eat apples with honey (and other items with honey) to signify that we seek a new year that is as sweet as that uber-sweet combination. (My favorite apples, BTW, are McIntosh.) The holiday ends at nightfall on Sunday Night. During two days of intense prayer at synagogue, we hear the blowing of a ram's horn (called a "shofar"), which makes several different kinds of sounds we are required to hear. A little bit more about the Jewish New Year excerpted from my post on this in a previous year. ... To all of my Jewish readers and friends, Shanah Tovah u'Metukah KeTapuach B'Dvash-May You Have a Good New Year, As Sweet as an Apple with Honey. Thanks to all of my readers who sent me e-mails and i- and e-cards wishing me a Happy New Year. Right Back at Ya! I hope you have a happy and healthy new year. [article link]
Judaism 101: Rosh Hashanah - The Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year - More on this concept at Days of Awe (The ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur [Day of Atonement] are commonly known [in Judiasm] as the Days of Awe) - No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah - Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded - In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays - Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of G-d's (God's) sovereignty Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head
of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game. There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions." Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. More on this concept at Days of Awe. The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25. The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of shofar notes: tekiah, a 3 second sustained note; shevarim, three 1-second notes rising in tone, teruah, a series of short, staccato notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds; and tekiah gedolah (literally, "big tekiah"), the final blast in a set, which lasts (I think) 10 seconds minimum. Click the shofar above to hear an approximation of the sound of Tekiah Shevarim-Teruah Tekiah. The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that the shofar's sound is a call to repentance. The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat. No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays. Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. This was the second Jewish religious practice I was ever exposed to (the first one: lighting Chanukkah candles), and I highly recommend it. It's yummy. We also dip bread in honey (instead of the usual practice of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason. Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). We walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty our pockets into the river, symbolically casting off our sins. Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off. This practice is not discussed in the Bible, but is a long-standing custom. Tashlikh is normally observed on the afternoon of the first day, before afternoon services. When the first day occurs on Shabbat, many synagogues observe Tashlikh on Sunday afternoon, to avoid carrying (the bread) on Shabbat. Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of G-d's sovereignty. The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah ("for a good year"). This is a shortening of "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem" (or to women, "L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi"), which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." More on that concept at Days of Awe. [article link]
[The Three Fall Feasts of Israel (Second Coming of Jesus Christ) - Rosh Hashanna/Feast of Trumpets starting at Sundown Sept. 8 - Sundown Sept. 9, 2010 (two days are Traditional in that it took time, two days for a messenger from the Temple in Jerusalem to spread the news of the New Moon sighting to all the ancient Nation of Israel i.e. the traditional Jewish celebration will be Sundown Sept. 8 - 10, 2010)] - Summary of reasons why Christians expect to see the rapture happen on the Feast of Trumpets / Rosh Hashanna - Feast of Trumpets "At the instant that the Jewish workers heard the trumpet sound, all would immediately stop harvesting, even if they were not finished (think about that!) and go to the Temple for worship! [Christians at the Rapture will go to the Temple in Heaven and Worship Jesus/God] - Rapture parallels with the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShana) - The New Moon is "born again" at the Feast of Trumpets while Believers are "born again" at [belief/identity in Jesus] baptism - Since the Feast of Trumpets is the only Feast of the Lord that falls on a new moon, we should take particular note Summary of reasons why Christians expect to see the rapture happen on the Feast of Trumpets / Rosh Hashanna: 1. All the Spring Feasts were fulfilled at Christ's first coming, and on the exact day of the feast. All the Fall Feasts picture the second advent, and the Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts, picturing the rapture. 2. The Feast of Trumpets is when the "last trump" of the rapture of 1 Cor 15 is blown. 3. The Feast of
Trumpets is known as the Wedding of the Messiah, and the Church is the Bride of Christ, and the rapture is when the Church is caught up to heaven to be wed with Christ. 4. The Feast of Trumpets happens on the "new moon", which is 29.5 days after the last one, meaning it might occur on the 29th or 30th day, nobody knows for sure. "Of that day or hour no man knows" is an expression referring to this feast, and thus, the rapture. 5. "Of that day or hour no man knows, but my Father only" is an expression used by a groom when asked when his wedding will be. He says this because it is his Father that will tell him when his preparations on the bridal chamber are completed and it is time. Again, the wedding pictures the rapture. 6. The "Open Door" of the rapture in Matt 25, and Rev 3, & Rev 4:1 is a symbol of the Feast of Trumpets. [Ezek 46:1] "Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days; but on the sabbath day it shall be opened and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. 7. We are told that the new moon and the Feasts of the Lord are a shadow of things to come in Col 2:16,17. *Since the Feast of Trumpets is the only Feast of the Lord that falls on a new moon, we should take particular note. 8. There are seven days of awe in between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. These picture the seven years of tribulation. Atonement pictures Satan being defeated and cast away at the end of tribulaion. If you add the two day Trumpets feast, and the day of atonement, the 7 days of awe are "ten days of tribulation" which might be referred to in Rev. 2:10. 9. In the Jewish Wedding [For seven consecutive evenings following the wedding, it is customary that friends or relatives host festive meals in their honor. The act of feasting recalls the "seven-day celebration" after the marriage of Jacob to Leah -- 1) During the week before the wedding, it is customary for the groom and bride not to see each other, even during the day. - Source: www.jewishhistory.com/minhag.htm], a marriage takes place over a period of time known as the "bridal week". During the bridal week, the groom and bride have sex [Intimacy] in the bridal chamber. At the end {beginning} of the week, there is a marriage supper [21) During the week of rejoicing following the wedding, the groom or bride should try not to go alone, even in each other's company - They should always be escorted by another person - Source: www.jewish-history.com/minhag.htm]. Compare Judges 14, Rev. 19, and Gen. Genesis 29:22-28 This bridal week will be the tribulation week on earth, while the bride of Christ is in heaven. 10. In the Jewish Wedding, the groom comes for his bride "like a thief in the night" [at an unannounced/unknown time] to take (size / rapture) her away and into the bridal chamber for the bridal week at his father's house. 11. The Feast of Trumpets is also known as the coronation of the Messiah, when he will start reigning as king, thus the beginning of the "Day of the Lord", which includes the tribulation. 12. It is also time for the bema judgment, or the judgement of the works of the righteous, and judgement must begin at the house of the Lord. -- [2Cor 11:2] For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. [article link]
(Final Introduction Material - For the Three Fall Feasts: of Leviticus Chapter 23 - It also applies to the coming 8 Kingdoms study) {Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 15 - The 1st Church Council takes place about 52 A.D. at the Church in Jerusalem - The 1st Church Council was specifically in regard to the major number of Gentiles that were now joining the Christian Church daily [predominantly through Missionary efforts] and whether or not the Gentiles would have to be circumcised and observe any of the Jewish customs or take part in any of the established laws of Moses -- 'Acts 15:6 And the Apostles and [Church] Elders [including James the ½ brother of Jesus] came together for to consider of this matter.' Acts 15:6-22 And the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing [arguing], [Apostle] Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago [Cornelius and his household at Caesarea] God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, *giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, **purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke [law of Moses] upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? **But we believe that through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we [Jews who are Redeemed] shall be Saved, even as they [Gentiles who are now being
Saved - Salvation]. Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, James [the ½ brother of Jesus - Church leader in Jerusalem] answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon [Apostle Peter] hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, ***to take out of them a [Christian] people for His Name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After [Gentile Christian Church] this I [Messiah] will return [2nd Coming], and will build again the Tabernacle [House Dwelling] of [the Throne of King] David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That [during the Christian Church Age] the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My Name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. ***Known unto God are all His works ***from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God [those who have the Holy Spirit]: But that we write unto them, *that they abstain from pollutions of [Gentile] idols, and from [Gentile] fornication, and from things strangled [Jewish law], and from blood [Jewish law]. **For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him [abstain from idols and fornication because it is un-Christian, abstain from unclean food and blood only if it offends the local Jewish population], being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day. Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole Church [in Jerusalem], to send chosen men of their own company to [the Church in] Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren … - Note: The early Church recognized that God was active in calling Gentiles into His Christian Church and they also recognized that the Gentiles would have to conduct their new life in a manner consistent with Biblical Christianity and finally they concluded that it is important for Christians not to openly offend those that have remained Jewish. Also Note: All food including blood is now clean because the eternal blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed the world. Eating animal blood and probably human blood if it were obtained in a legal manner does not make a person unclean. Satan has devised a scheme that the world is unclean however it is not. It is unprofitable to do questionable things and germs and disease might be involved but if someone for example drank pig blood thinking it is an evil act the act itself is not but the intentions of their heart might be. - Some cultures eat blood foods and if the Jews are simply notified that it is a custom and not a slight on Moses then they are free to eat their blood food of course not offering any of it to a devout Jewish person because that would be terribly offensive. The 1st Church council was saying to the Gentiles to have our Christian Gentile liberties but also to be mindful and respectful of the [Redeemed] Jews who do still follow the laws of Moses. [article link]
(Final Introduction Material - For the Three Fall Feasts: of Leviticus Chapter 23 - It also applies to the coming 8 Kingdoms study) {Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Matthew 21 - Jesus and His Disciples are now near Jerusalem - Jesus sends two of His Disciples to a Donkey with its young offspring - The Disciples bring the Lord [ultimate owner] His Donkey [the guy probably didn't redeem His donkey according to the law (Exodus 13:13) and as a first born colt it did belong to God] - Jesus then enters into Jerusalem riding upon an untamed colt [untamed to man but tame to God] -- 'Psalm 118:23-29 This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day [Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem] which the LORD hath made; we (Kingdom Disciples) will rejoice and be glad in it. Save [Salvation] now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity [healing]. Blessed be He (Jesus) that cometh in the Name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the House [Temple worship] of the LORD. *God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice [Jesus] with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art My God, and I will praise thee [while Jesus is enduring His suffering He will praise His Father in Heaven]: thou art My God {My Father}, I will exalt [honor] thee. O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.' {Note: The 70 Weeks of Daniel are counting the days of Gentile Kingdoms starting at "the commandment [by king Artaxerxes to Nehemiah to rebuild the Jerusalem wall about 445 B.C. (source: www.bereanwatchmen.com/j.r.lawendowski/daniels-70-weeks.html) - following the earlier King Cyrus 538 B.C. command for the Jews to return back to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity - both commands were given during the Gentile Persian empire of the 4th Global Gentile Kingdom] to restore and to build Jerusalem unto
the Messiah" -- The 69th Week concluded on Saturday [not Sunday but (Palm Saturday)] the day of the [Jewish] Triumphal Entry [fulfillment of the Feast of Sabbath] of Jesus into Jerusalem [ending Global Gentile Kingdom reign (the beginning of the end of 1 Nation Gentile Global Reign until the 7th Kingdom, the Global Kingdom of Antichrist)]. Also Note: The 70th and final week of Daniels' 70 Weeks is in the Book of Revelation during the Gentile Antichrist Global Reign while the time period between the Triumphal Entry of Jesus (completed in Resurrection Sunday) is the Christian Church Age (Acts 15:14-18) until the empowerment of the 1 Antichrist Global Kingdom.} A Day foretold by the Prophets and the Scriptures: The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was foretold throughout the Hebrew Old Testament. The Psalms particularly Psalm 118, the Prophets Daniel and Ezekiel and in fact all of Heaven and all of creation desired to see the Day that the LORD had made the day that God came and established His Holy, just and righteous Kingdom among all mankind. - 'Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass [donkey], and upon a colt the foal [baby donkey] of an ass.' - 'Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass [donkey], and upon a colt the foal [baby donkey] of an ass.' - **'Daniel 9:24-27 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Jews] and upon thy Holy City [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision [Law] and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy (Jesus). Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah (Jesus) the Prince shall be seven weeks [seven Jewish decades 49 years these weeks were the Jewish decade of seven years the Levitical decade seventh year of release], and threescore and two weeks [62 Jewish decades 434 years]: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks [the 434 years] shall Messiah be cut off [crucifixion], but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And He [Antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [the 70th and final week regarding Jerusalem]: and in the midst of the week at [3½ years] he [Antichrist] shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [in the rebuilt 3rd Temple] to cease, and for the overspreading [saturation] of abominations [evil] he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation [end of the Book of Revelation], and that determined shall be poured [bowl judgments of Revelation 16:1] upon the desolate.' [article link]
(Final Introduction Material - For the Three Fall Feasts: of Leviticus Chapter 23 - It also applies to the coming 8 Kingdoms study) {Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Introduction: The Book of Daniel - The Prophet Daniel [from the Tribe of Judah] is the Old Testament counterpart to the New Testament "beloved" Disciple John - The prophet Daniel is the only person in the Old Testament to be directly called "beloved" Daniel is called "greatly beloved" three times - At a young age Daniel was removed from his native Israel and taken captive to the distant Nation of Babylon (Iraq) - Daniel will perform his entire ministry in captivity outside of Israel - The Prophet Daniel will interpret dreams and have visions and dreams that are the most sweeping, global and broad based of any Prophet in the Bible - Daniel will mainly prophesy in three areas 1. Regarding Nations [and their fallen angelic guides] the 5 remaining Gentile world Nation Kingdoms [4 empires and the final emergent Antichrist kingdom] - The coming 1,000 year Messiah Kingdom - 2. The reestablishment of Nation of Israel [the Archangel Michael] as an angelic assistant for the Nation of Israel and the rebuilding of the 2nd Jewish Temple in Jerusalem - 3. The bringing in of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, into the world and among mankind the entry of the Messiah assisted and foretold [in the ministry of the Archangel Gabriel] - *Daniel's "70 Weeks" prophecy is perhaps the most famous prophecy in the Old Testament Daniel 9:23-24 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. **Seventy weeks [Jewish decades - 7 years each] are determined upon thy people [Jews] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to
finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins [cross], and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness [resurrection], and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and (for the Nation of Israel in Jerusalem) to ***anoint [at the 2nd Coming] the most Holy [Jesus Christ - starting the 1,000 Millennial Reign]. - John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples [the Disciple John], whom Jesus loved. -- Both the Prophet Daniel and the Disciple John are referenced as 'beloved' of God. Daniel will have and write all of his prophecies outside of Israel. The Disciple John like Daniel will be sent away captive, the Disciple John being imprisoned on the Island of Patmos when he has his end time Revelation of Jesus Christ [Daniel 10:7-11 - Revelation 1:13-15]. Daniel was miraculously saved from the den of lions, Church tradition has the Disciple John miraculously saved from Roman martyrdom [immersed in boiling oil]. The Prophet Daniel will prophecy the rebuilding of the 2nd Temple (Sanctuary) in Jerusalem [Daniel 9:26]. The Disciple John will prophecy the rebuilding of the 3rd Temple (used by the Antichrist) in Jerusalem [Revelation 11:1-2]. [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Leviticus 1-5 - The Laws for the offerings of the Levitical Priesthood - {There are multiple parts to the Old Testament Levitical Atonement 'Kaphar' (3722) Covering Sin Offering: 1. The sacrifice has to have a cost to the sinner, a precious useful animal was to be sacrificed. 2. The laying on of hands onto the animal's head then the confession and transfer of sins from the sinner to the innocent sacrifice. 3. The sacrifice dies with your sins, death of the sins. 4. The blood [life] of the animal is poured out providing a New Life opportunity (for a season, often one year) from the blood of the sacrifice for the sinner.} 1. The Burnt Offering Sacrifice: Giving totally to God, the entire sacrifice is consumed in fire and given to God. [Note: humans can and should concentrate themselves to God for a time, a season or even just an event. Where the animal offering was burnt and given to God it is the human service, fellowship that is consecrate to God. - The pagan practice is to burn a human in the fire but if a Christian person died in a fire that would end their consecration not start it and there is no such alter of God that would ever accept a human offering, a human is never ever to enter a physical fire as a sacrifice in Judaism/Christianity. The pagan practice of human sacrifice is strictly forbidden and prohibited in worshiping the true God of Israel.] 2. The Grain Offering: A sweat smelling (savor) freewill offer given to God. Bread flower covered with oil and sprinkled with Frankincense aroma is burnt in the fire with the smell of baking bread ascending up into heaven. No human induced ingredients are allowed no leaven [sin] and no honey [mans accomplishments] are allowed in the offering. 3. The Peace (Fellowship) Offering: An animal to be roasted as a celebration meal. The animal had to be without spot [inherited birth defect] or blemish [acquired defect]. The animal was to be roasted the fat [worry] was to be removed and burned separately and given to God the people couldn't eat the fat [worry]. The blood [life] was also to be poured out as at no time could they eat any blood [life of the animal]. 4. Sin Offering for Unintentional Sin (weaknesses): A young bull for the sins of individual people. A mature bull for the sins of a Priest. A [goat] that the leader was to lay hands on it for the sins of the nation. 5. Trespass Offering for Intentional Sin: A sin offering plus a grain (flour) offering withholding the oil and the Frankincense aroma. -Having sacrificed to God and their sins now covered for a year the O.T. Saints could then live in the presence of God to commune and interact with God however the O.T. animal sacrifices did not provide the individual direct access to God. The individual people did not live in the perceivable presence of God, did not have direct access to God and did not experience God the way individual N.T. saints often do. [article link]
Update: Coming in the next weeks the study of the "Fall Feasts of Israel" - The first of three Feasts is Rosh Hashanah [Feast of Trumpets] Thursday 9 September 2010 (not 9/11 as was previously posted in error) - It also looks like in the coming study we might divert again into some more End Time scenarios Also: There should be several postings to upcoming Audio and Mp3 postings from other various Ministries. -Then there are a couple more topics that I want to suggest before we begin our actual 8 Kingdoms study that is coming soon. It has been on my heart to go over some material regarding "original sin" and the error of
"infant salvation" two topics that generally seem to be getting further and further apart from standard Biblical precepts. [Hint: Sin originated with Adam and Eve and is (physically) passed down through the human bloodline to each generation - presumable each person inherits the sin background and potential from the previous two or three generations.] -- Looking forward to the coming studies and material postings ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
(Part 5 - Conclusion: Transitions and Unifications in Progress) The Transition from the Old Covenant [Physical] to the New Covenant [Spiritual] was completed almost 2,000 years ago in Jesus Christ [the Word was made {transitioned to} flesh (John 1:14), Last Supper, Cross and Resurrection] yet the resulting transitions [physical to Spiritual, time to eternity] and Unifications [heaven - earth, ages (Adam, Eve, Abel, Seth) - ages (Noah, Job, Abraham, Jews, Church, Martyred Saints of Revelation, 144,000, etc.), Jews - Gentiles, Angels - humans] have yet to be completed -- See Also: The Three Fall Feasts "Ephesians 4:4-10 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace [individuality] according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore He saith, When He [Jesus united Heaven and earth the past, present and the future] ascended up on high [Heaven], he led [the O.T. saved Saints from captivity (hades) into Heaven] captivity captive, and gave gifts [to the newly formed Christian Church] unto men. Now that He [Jesus] ascended [into Heaven], what is it but that He also descended [went down into 'hades' - for three days and three nights after the cross] first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended [and reconciled the past O.T. Saints] is the same also that ascended [and reconciled Heaven - God to man] up far above all [visible] heavens, that He might fill [reconcile] all things [Heaven, earth, past, present and future]." - "Revelation 10:5-7 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to Heaven, And sware by Him [God] that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time [completing] no longer [separation between God and mankind]: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the *Mystery of God should be finished [final revealing begins], as He hath declared to His servants the prophets [and is recorded in the Holy Bible]." [article link]
The Three Fall Feasts: of Leviticus Chapter 23 seem to be the Transition Phase out of the approximately 2,000 years of individuals serving and fellowshipping with God in the Christian Church Age - Into the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom of Messiah the reign of Jesus Christ among the Nations on the Earth The whole concept of the 8 Kingdom Study has been that there is a major transition in the Kingdom of God that is to take place and that is the Kingdom of God being shifted from the individual perspective (Church Age) to the National perspective (Kingdom Age). The shift from the individual (remnant) worship of God to the (corporate) National worship of God is continued and completed during the transition of the Antichrist Kingdom. In short throughout human history and particularly while going through the Book of Revelation there are two separate [parallel] Kingdoms at work in the Kingdom of Antichrist and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. In the Book of Revelation while the Antichrist Kingdom is attempting to unify (666 - fallen angels, fallen humans, demons) and is unable to do so the Kingdom of God [888 (in a sense) - Holy God, holy Angels, redeemed mankind] does unify. The Kingdom of God starts out in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1:10-18) with Jesus walking among the 7 Churches of the earth and holding the stars of Heaven in His hand as Jesus is in the process of reconciling the earth back to Heaven to make the two separate Kingdoms of Heaven and earth back into one Kingdom. Jesus writes seven letters to His Church in each letter identifying Himself with each Church. Then in Revelation (Revelation 5:6) Jesus is seen as The Lamb Slain as Jesus identifies Himself with all of His Martyred Saints from all of the Children of God from throughout all human history. During the events of Revelation the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ becomes so identified with and intermingled with the Saints on
earth and the holy Angels of Heaven in bonding and closeness that as an Angel appears (Revelation 10:1-7) it is difficult to tell if it is an Angel speaking and acting or if it is Jesus Himself speaking and acting. Note: In concluding this 8 Kingdom summary by reading the events of the Bible's Book of Revelation the Kingdom of God becomes identified with the Christian Saints, the Martyrs and even the holy Angels of Heaven at the very same time that the Kingdom of Antichrist is attempting to unify with fallen mankind, fallen angels and the demons but the Kingdom of Antichrist is falling apart and coming apart at such a rapid pace and in reality is never anywhere close to mixing into a unified Kingdom as the "iron does not mix with the clay" of Daniel. While in complete success the Kingdom of God is unified, united and completly identifiable with both mankind and with the holy Angels of Heaven all through the accomplishments and achievements of God the Son Jesus Christ. -- Ephesians 1:10-14 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times [ages] He [God] might gather together in one all things in Christ, *both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: In whom also we [Christians] have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: That we [Apostles] should be to the {Anointing} Praise of His Glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye [individuals] also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: in whom also after that ye [individuals] believed, ye [individuals] were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our [individual] inheritance until the redemption {Kingdom Age} of the purchased possession, unto the {Anointing} Praise of His Glory. [article link]
(Part 4 - Transition from physical to Spiritual) The ultimate transition from physical to Spiritual, from Nations, Jew and Gentile and into both eternal Redemption and Salvation occurs after the completion of the earthy [eon, age] (Matthew 28:20) - after the 1,000 year (Revelation 20:6) Millennial [Eon, Age] Reign of Jesus Christ "Romans 8:23 And not only they [creation], but ourselves also, which have [Salvation] the Firstfruits ('born again' - Easter, Firstfruits Feast Day) of the [Holy] Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the [Spiritual] *redemption of our [physical] body." -- "Matthew 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a Mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world [lit. Eon (Age), end of the earth, world - G165, Aion (Eon - Eternity)]. Amen." - "Revelation 20:1-8 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years [Reign of Jesus Christ] should be fulfilled: and after that he [Satan] must be loosed a little season (Time G5550). And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them [Martyred Saints of Revelation] that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the [condemned] dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection [Holy]. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death [Judgment] hath no power, **but they shall be [Melchizedek] Priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters [all reaches] of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of [unfaithful] whom is as the sand of the sea." - "Revelation 21:1-3 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be
their God." - "Revelation 21:4-7 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, ***Behold, I make all things new [completed bodily Spiritual Redemption and soul Spiritual Salvation]. And He said unto me, Write: for these Words are True and Faithful. And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son." [article link]
AGES [EONS] OR ETERNITY AND THE KING JAMES VERSION (List of Bible Verses) Let us examine the English word AGE as used in the Old and New Testaments of the King James Version. The English word AGE is a true single word translation of the Hebrew word OLAM and the Greek noun AION. These words have a common meaning and are used interchangeably as the scriptures well note. Check Psalms 45:6 and Hebrews 1:8. Although the word AGE is a direct translation of the words OLAM and AION, it must quickly be added that AGE will not imply the same meaning to everyone. Now our only course of action, in order to form a most correct definition of this word AGE as was in the mind of the inspired writers, is to observe the way it is used in the scriptures. Let us proceed to observe the use of the Hebrew word CLAM, and the English noun AION, its plural AIONS, and their adjective AIONION, to ascertain their common meaning. -- "2 Timothy 4:10. For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world (Eon, Age - G165, Aion), and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia." - "Romans 1:25 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever (G165, Aions - all Eons, Ages). Amen." [article link]
(Part 3 - The Nation of Israel) The Nation of Israel, separate and distinct from the Christian Church, is comprised [Redemption - Salvation] of the Promises of God (Genesis 12:3, Galatians 3:18) and of the accomplishments of God, not just the Laws of God - The Law [apart from the Promises of God, combined with the Actions of God and an individual's faith in God] in itself the 1st Covenant (Law) does not offer Salvation [then or now] or even Redemption for that matter - Therefore the removal of the Law the 1st Covenant and the accompanying Temple sacrifices and ordinances did not remove Redemption (Isaiah 43:1) from Israel [the Jews] in that the Promises of God to the Jews remains eternal [Numbers 18:19, Psalms 89:34-37] The Promises of God to the Jews are embodied in five primary instances. 1. Male circumcision on the 8th day. 2. The keeping of the Jewish Sabbath on the 7th day [sundown Friday to sundown Saturday] of each week. 3. The keeping of the of the 10 Commandments [Exodus 20:3-17]. 4. The keeping of the 8 Levitical Feasts [Leviticus chapter 23]. 5. Identity with the Nation of Israel (Jacob) as a Jew (i.e. Jewish customs, traditions, dietary and food laws, etc.) [Isaiah 2:3]. -- "Genesis 17:9-10 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep My covenant [promise] therefore, thou, and thy seed [children] after thee in their generations. This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised." "Leviticus 12:3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." -- "Exodus 20:9-11 [10 Commandments] Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." - "Leviticus 23:1-3 [8 Levitical Feasts of Israel] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the Children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the Feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be Holy Convocations, even these are My Feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an Holy Convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings." -- "Isaiah 56:4-8 For thus saith the LORD [even] unto the eunuchs [and foreigners] that keep My Sabbaths, and choose the things that please Me, and take hold of My Covenant [promise of
Redemption/Salvation]; Even unto them will I give in Mine House and within My walls a place and a name better than of [earthly royalty] sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD [Jesus Christ], to serve Him, and to love the Name of the LORD, to be His servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath [rest - trust in God, the finished works of Jesus Christ] from polluting it, and taketh hold of My Covenant; Even them will I bring to My Holy Mountain [Government], and make them joyful in My House of Prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for [only in Jesus Christ] Mine house shall be called an House of Prayer for all people. The Lord GOD which gathereth the [Jewish] outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others [Gentiles] to Him (Jesus), beside those [Jews] that are gathered unto Him." -- Jewish Redemption: "Exodus 12:14 And this [Passover] day shall be unto you for a [Redemption] memorial; and ye shall keep it a Feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a Feast by an ordinance for ever." -- "Exodus 15:11-13 11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in Holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out Thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the [Jewish] people which *Thou hast redeemed [the Passover in Egypt]: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto Thy Holy habitation." -- "Isaiah 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee [at the Passover in Egypt], I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine." [article link]
(Part 2) Mount of Beatitudes Location of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount - a small hill or eminence in the vicinity of Capernaum (Photo) What is known as Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7; Luke 6:20-49) is believed to have been given near the top of the ridge in the above photo (where you see part of a church). Although called the Mount of Beatitudes, Jesus did not speak from an actual mountain but [a Biblical Mountain (Government)] from a small hill or eminence in the vicinity of Capernaum. Scriptural References: Matthew 5-7; Luke 6 (KJV Bible) Sources Used: Easton's Bible Dictionary; Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible. [article link]
(Part 2 - Transition from Law to Grace) Jesus continued to transition the people from Law [Mt. Sinai] to Grace [Mt. Zion] - First it is important to understand, as the early Jewish Christians did, that Jesus is the physical manifestation of the voice that spoke from the burning bush (Exodus 3:2, Exodus 3:14 - John 8:24) and that also spoke from the Mountain top at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:11-25) -- "Hebrews 12:26 (Jesus) Whose voice then shook the earth [at Mt. Sinai]: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven." {Note: The Levitical Priesthood was primarily an earthly Priesthood while Jesus' Melchizedek Priesthood [encompasses] has authority both on the earth and also in heaven.} "Exodus 19:11 And [followers of God] be ready against [on] the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai." -- "Matthew 5:1-3 And seeing the multitudes, He (Jesus) went up into a (Biblical, Government) Mountain [Jesus is starting His 2nd Covenant Ministry - where He left off His previous 1st Covenant Ministry - on a Mountain]: and when He was set, His disciples {only - Peter, Matthew, John, etc.} came unto Him: And He opened His mouth [naturally - no occult activity], and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." ... "Matthew 7:28-29 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these [Sermon on the Mount] sayings, *the people [Jesus had transitioned from Law to Grace and also from just disciples being the audience to everyone being the audience] were astonished at His doctrine: For He [Jesus] taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." [article link]
(Part 1) Note: Before we begin to look at "The Fall Feasts of Israel" (Second Coming events of Jesus Christ) study starting about Sept. 1, 2010 we need a little more background on the "Covenants of Israel" (1st Moses [Mt. Sinai, in the desert] - 2nd Jesus [Mt. Zion, Jerusalem]) and of the "Promises of Israel" (Ephesians 2:12-13) Israel began with a promise from God to Abraham (Genesis 12:3, Galatians 3:18) - Then [430 years later
(Galatians 3:17)] the 1st Covenant [Law - instruction] was enacted from God to the Nation of Israel through Moses for the purpose of temporary instruction (Galatians 3:24) regarding the coming permanent [eternal salvation] Covenant of Jesus Christ - The Promises of God and the Laws (1st Covenat) of Moses provided an unregenerated (Redemption) relationship between God and mankind. The Promises of God and the (2nd Covenat) accomplished events (works) of Jesus Christ and the accompanying giving of the Holy Spirit provide a regenerated (Salvation) 'born again' relationship between God and mankind. Where the Promises of God [starting in Genesis 1:26] came before any of the Covenants [Noah, Abraham, Moses] and all the covenants facilitate the promises of God, the "Feasts of Israel" [the individual Feasts (Leviticus 23:1-2) primarily being observed as "a statute for ever (eternally)" Leviticus 23:41] arch between the two Covenants of Israel and facilitate both the Promises of God and the Covenants of God by helping to reveal and provide the structure of God's unfolding and ongoing reconciliation plan regarding mankind. [article link]
(Final Discernment Postings) Hmmm . . . "The Guy" (Saudi Prince AlWaleed Bin Talal) Funding the Ground Zero Mosque Owns [5.46% of] FOX News, so FOX News Won't Mention Him . . . Rupert Murdoch, FOX News Parent Co Increases Ties w/ Extremist Saudi Prince, Seeking Arab Street Viewers - [Comments: The funder of the Mosque @ Ground Zero is (Fox News - Rupert Murdoch) Saudi Prince AlWaleed Bin Talal - Source: news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_ground_zero_mosque_obama] Several years ago, I told you about Saudi Prince AlWaleed Bin Talal's purchase of 5.46% of News Corp., the parent company of FOX News (and now of the Wall Street Journal), through AlWaleed's Kingdom Holding Co. I also told you about Prince AlWaleed's bragging that when FOX News reported on the perennial Muslim riots in France, he called Rupert Murdoch, demanding the word "Muslim" be removed. A half hour later, FOX News was calling these Muslim riots "civilian" riots, with the word Muslim nowhere to be found or heard. This is why I routinely refer to FOX News by it's real name, PAWNN-the Prince Al-Waleed News Network. ... But that's not the news here. The news is that AlWaleed Bin Talal's 5.7 percent share of News Corp. is about to jump even higher because Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. are increasing their incestuous business holdings in Saudi Arabia and Prince AlWaleed's media ventures there. Murdoch and New Corp. are looking to buy 20% of Rotana, and apparently the deal will be for an exchange of News Corp. stock. Yes, not only will AlWaleed yield even more control over what's shown on FOX News-the way he did with the Paris Muslim riots, but Murdoch and News Corp. will likely take further steps to please their new Saudi patrons. The given reason for News Corp.'s investment in Rotana is that it needs new markets, due to falling ad revenue in the U.S. and Europe. A stake in Rotana could help expand News Corp.'s presence to the more than 300 million people in the Arab world. And don't think this means that Murdoch will make News Corp.'s offerings to the Arab world more proAmerican or pro-West. The Arab street doesn't want that. It's consuming Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, where the great satans are America, Israel, the Jews, Christians, and the West. To compete with them, News Corp. will have to do the same. And it's a sure bet that it will. Murdoch doesn't invest to lose money. Moreover, Rotana owns the rights to more than 2,000 Arabic movies and a large Arabic music library. These are movies and music mostly made and recorded by Muslims. And Murdoch/News Corp. will have to harvest the "value" of these properties in order to reap a return on investment. That means giving these movies and this music greater [Europe - US] distribution. I can only imagine the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, and anti-Western themes that are surely among a significant portion of them. That's a mainstay theme of contemporary Arabic "cinema" and song. But with Murdoch and News Corp. now major investors in this company, I want have to imagine much longer. This propaganda will get a bigger audience. [article link]
(Final Discernment Postings) Letter from a Victim of "Spiritual Formation" in His Church - I never realized [Shock and awe - Doctrine of rapid dominance - Wiki.com] that any movement [Emergent Church] of this size touching all areas of society [social justice] and more importantly the Church [New Age - Spiritual Formation] could exist so under cover! - This is how naïve I was and to some extent still am - He [Pastor of the Church] told
me he would look into it once the Easter play was done - My hope was running high! - Sadly, another meeting between us has never happened - It has been two years ... My hope is that this might benefit someone, if not in the writing of it, but in the responses it might receive. Telling myself always in all that I do, I try to do for the Glory of God. The need to unburden is great. I cry over the lost joy I had in going to church, and I've stopped attending. I feel the pull to go back, if anything to be a witness to what is transpiring since to my shame there seems to be little I can do to change the direction my church is heading in. Yet I can't stop trying! It began three years ago when a lady who attends my church and temporarily worked where I do, wanted to know if I had ever heard of the book called Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. She read it and was concerned with the contents. It was being taught in the youth group which her daughter was a part of. She asked me to see what I could find out about the book and the author. I had never heard of the book or the author, but figured that I should be able to Google it and find what I needed without actually having to read the book. Little did I know what I was in for! I'm sure many of you if not all of you have been equally surprised to find that there is an abundance of material in this arena. Sadly, most of it is positive on the subject, and increasingly the norm in Christian circles. On one of my searches I came across Lighthouse Trails! Boy were my eyes opened and of cause I will be forever grateful for those at Lighthouse Trails and those who have stayed faithful to the Word of God. I can now include this blog [the LT Forum] in that blessing as well. I never realized that any movement of this size touching all areas of society and more importantly the church could exist so under cover! The words Emergent Church, Spiritual Formation, Centering Prayer, Labyrinth, etc… They weren't even a part of my vocabulary at the time. I thought Labyrinth was a movie! Now I can hear terms from unexpected places that brings my heart to my throat and my mind starts to scream, please God no!!!!!! Even as I write this my eyes tear for this deception that is sinking its claws into not only my church, but countless others. [article link]
(Final Discernment Postings) One Simple Question for Benny Hinn and Paula White - [Why are they both continuing to deliberately and aggressively lie to Christians instead of just suing the Enquirer if the Enquirer story is so completely false and fabricated?] - During Benny Hinn's verbal statement, he took it one-step further and stated that the NATIONAL ENQUIRER "simply came up with their own story - That's wicked - It's totally wicked!" - One would think that if the photos were fabricated, both Hinn and White would have addressed the issue immediately - Sometimes, it's not what people say, it's what they don't say During Benny Hinn's verbal statement, he took it one-step further and stated that the NATIONAL ENQUIRER "simply came up with their own story. That's wicked. It's totally wicked!" Further, the following paragraph appeared on the Benny Hinn Ministries website This Is Your Day! Weekly Guide page, and served as an introduction to Hinn's verbal statement on the NATIONAL ENQUIRER article: It's time to set the record straight. As many people around the world are aware, a well-known publication recently released a dishonest and misleading article. This publication has a reputation for its bias against religious figures, and the details and photos were extremely misleading. On this revealing broadcast, Pastor Benny, with friends and family, opens his heart to share what has happened in his life and ministry during recent months, then explains the need for forcefully, categorically, and absolutely renouncing the lies that have been spread! Pastor Benny's Special Message Regarding a False Media Report, Friday, August 13, 2010, www.bennyhinn.org/television/default.cfm Note the word "photos" in bold red print. But during the telecast, Benny Hinn said nothing about the two photos. He did, however, complain about the small, circular photo of the hotel bedroom on page 27 of the NATIONAL ENQUIRER article: And then they have a picture of a bed, implying sex. That is terrible they've done that! [Ibid.] Real or fabricated? Again, Paula White's written statement denounced the NATIONAL ENQUIRER article. Benny Hinn's written and verbal statements denounced the NATIONAL ENQUIRER article. But as of this writing, Hinn and White have not denounced the two photos ( tinyurl.com/27ufyhz ). The two photos are dated July 13, 2010. As of this writing, thirty-seven (37) days have passed since the photos were published. One would think that if the photos were fabricated, both Hinn and White would have addressed the issue immediately, provided proof of fabrication, and put the issue to rest once and for all. Therefore, here is one simple question
for Benny Hinn and Paula White: What about the two photos? Sometimes, it's not what people say, it's what they don't say. [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Exodus 1-2 - Exodus is a continuation of the accounts of Genesis - In the New Testament [Mark 12:26] Jesus quotes from Exodus and calls it the book of Moses - about {200} years later after the death of Jacob and Joseph the Israelites now number about 600,000 military age men twenty years old and older with about 2.2 million Israelites total including women and children - the newest Pharaoh [possibly - Thutmose III the pharaoh of the Oppression and Amenhotep II the pharaoh of the Exodus] feared that the Israelites would take their skills and their labor and depart back to Canaan - Pharaoh suppressed the Israelites to keep them in the Egypt - Though trying to keep the Children of God down they prospered all the more - Under the edict of Pharaoh, Moses as a child was to be put to death - His mother placed him in a basket and Pharaoh's daughter found Moses and took him as her own - God tells Moses that He has seen their afflictions - Exodus 3:7-8 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I Am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey Note: The Egyptian midwives had some knowledge of the God of the Israelites and feared God. The midwives didn't tell a complete lie 'Exodus 1:19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere (before) the midwives come in unto them' in that God is life and the midwives were interceding on behalf of God for life, though they didn't tell the complete truth. We can only tell the amount of truth based on the amount of faith and knowledge we have in God 'John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.' Jesus said He is the truth - The Egyptian midwives had a little knowledge of God and were able to tell a little of the truth but they also had some of their preconceived excuses mixed in with the truth they had. God did bless them for acting on the amount of truth that they had. - Also Note: Stephen in the book of Acts [Acts 7:25] quotes that Moses was aware that he was the chosen deliverer. Moses knowing he was the deliver attempted to deliver a child of God from the whip of an Egyptian however Moses was unable to redeem even one Israelite and in fact the entire Jewish nation at first rejected Moses as their leader. Later when Moses was under the guidance of God, then God did successfully deliver the children of Israel from Egypt the strongest nation on the earth at that time. [article link]
Who Was The Pharaoh Of The Exodus? - Assuming the pharaohs mentioned in Exodus 1:8, 22 and 2:23 are all the same person, he would have had to reign for over forty years - Amenhotep's predecessor, Thutmose III, is the only pharaoh within the time specified in I Kings 6:1 who reigned long enough (54 years) to have been on the throne at the time of Moses' flight and to die shortly before his return to Egypt - This would make Thutmose III the pharaoh of the Oppression and Amenhotep II the pharaoh of the Exodus The Bible nowhere mentions the name of the pharaoh of the Exodus, but Bible students have always been curious as to who he was. No doubt, some Christians will be wary of trying to discover something the Bible has not clearly revealed; but in studying this question one can come away with his faith increased in the Bible as the unerring word of God. Although the Bible does not specifically name the pharaoh of the Exodus, enough data is supplied for us to be relatively sure who he was. Admittedly, there are two schools of thought concerning the date of the Exodus (i.e., the early date and late date theories). Proponents of the late date theory (1290 B.C.) are clearly in the majority, but they reject clear Biblical statements with reference to the date of the Exodus. Therefore their arguments in favor of a particular pharaoh will not be considered in this article. In I Kings 6:1 the Scriptures say: "And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Zif, which is the second month that he began to build the house of the Lord." One can readily see that the
times for both the Exodus and the beginning of the Temple have been specifically stated in God's Word. Scholars have identified the fourth year of Solomon's reign as 966 B.C. (Gleason, A Survey of Old Testamsnt Introduction, 1974, p. 223). Using this 966 B.C. date, we find that the Exodus took place in 1445 B.C. Now, if this information is correct, the Exodus occurred in the third year of the reign of the pharaoh Amenhotep II. Before concluding that Amenhotep II was, indeed, the pharaoh of the Exodus, we will need to study further other evidence that can be presented. For instance, when comparing Exodus 7:7 with Acts 7:23, we learn that Moses was in Midian approximately forty years. Assuming the pharaohs mentioned in Exodus 1:8, 22 and 2:23 are all the same person, he would have had to reign for over forty years. Amenhotep's predecessor, Thutmose III, is the only pharaoh within the time specified in I Kings 6:1 who reigned long enough (54 years) to have been on the throne at the time of Moses' flight and to die shortly before his return to Egypt. This would make Thutmose III the pharaoh of the Oppression and Amenhotep II the pharaoh of the Exodus. History tells us that for several years after 1445 B.C. Amenhotep II was unable to carry out any invasions or extensive military operations. This would seem like very strange behavior for a pharaoh who hoped to equal his father's record of no less than seventeen military campaigns in nineteen years. But this is exactly what one would expect from a pharaoh who had lost almost all his cavalry, chariotry, and army at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:23, 27-30). Furthermore, we learn from the Dream Stela of Thutmose IV, son of Amenhotep II, that he was not the legitimate successor to the throne (J.B. Pritchard (ed.), Ancient Near-Eastern Texts, p. 449). This means that Thutmose IV was not the firstborn son, who would have been the legitimate heir. The firstborn son of Amenhotep II had evidently died prior to taking the throne of Egypt. This would agree with Exodus 12:29 which says the pharaoh's first-born son was killed during the Passover. If the Exodus did take place in 1445 B.C., forty years of wilderness wandering would bring us to 1405 B.C. for the destruction of Jericho. Interestingly enough, John Garstang, who excavated the site of ancient Jericho (city "D" in his survey), came to the conclusion that the destruction of the city took place around 1400 B.C. (Garstang, The Story of Jericho, 1948, p. 122). He also concluded that the walls of the city toppled outward, which would compare favorably with Joshua 6:20. Scholars have been fascinated by a revolutionary religious doctrine which developed shortly after 1445 B.C. that threatened to sweep away the theological dogmas of centuries. These scholars have credited Amenhotep IV, great grandson of Amenhotep II, with founding the religious concept of Monotheism (the idea that there is only one God). The cult of Aton set forth this idea to the Egyptian people and scholars have mistakenly credited this idea to the Egyptians. But it does not seem unusual to me that a people who had been so influenced by the one God of Moses would try to worship the God that had so convincingly defeated their gods. A continually increasing body of evidence indicates that this cult of Aton had its beginning in the reign of Thutmose IV, son of Amenhotep II, pharaoh of the Exodus. Although the final verdict is not yet in, we can be reasonably sure that Amenhotep II was the pharaoh of the Exodus. [article link]
(Final Discernment Postings) JIM WALLIS ADMITS TO SOROS FUNDING - George Soros, one of the leading billionaire leftists - he has financed groups promoting abortion, atheism, same-sex marriage, and gargantuan government - bankrolled Sojourners with a $200,000 grant in 2004 - Since then Sojourners has received at least two more grants from Soros organizations - In a Patheos interview, Wallis suggested that Olasky was lying "No, we don't receive money from Soros" - And now it seems Wallis has done an about face - Wallis released a statement through a spokesperson to Patheos - I should have declined to comment until I was able to review the blog post in question and consulted with our staff on the details of our funding over the past several years [The Reverend Jim Wallis is an evangelical Christian writer and political activist, best known as the founder and editor of Sojourners magazine, and of the Washington, D.C. based Christian community of the same name Wallis actively eschews political labels, but his advocacy tends to focus on issues of peace and social justice, earning him his primary support from the religious left - Wiki.com] George Soros, one of the leading billionaire leftists - he has financed groups promoting abortion, atheism, same-sex marriage, and gargantuan government - bankrolled Sojourners with a $200,000 grant in 2004. A year later, here's how Jim rebutted a criticism of "religious progressives" for being allied with Soros and
MoveOn.org: "I know of no connections to those liberal funds and groups that are as direct as the Religious Right's ties to right-wing funders." Since then Sojourners has received at least two more grants from Soros organizations. Sojourners revenues have more than tripled-from $1,601,171 in 2001-2002 to $5,283,650 in 2008-2009-as secular leftists have learned to use the religious left to elect Obama and others. However, apparently Jim Wallis took exception to this: In a Patheos interview, Wallis suggested that Olasky was lying. "It's not hyperbole or overstatement to say that Glenn Beck lies for a living. I'm sad to see Marvin Olasky doing the same thing. No, we don't receive money from Soros. Given the financial crisis of nonprofits, maybe Marvin should call Soros and ask him to send us money. Then it gets worse for Wallis: Jay Richards of National Review and Olasky responded to Wallis. Here's Olasky again: Want to see for yourself what someone apparently did not want you to see? Click here to download the PDF, go to page 225, and you'll see the grant to Sojourners. And now it seems Wallis has done an about face: Wallis released a statement through a spokesperson to Patheos. I should have declined to comment until I was able to review the blog post in question and consulted with our staff on the details of our funding over the past several years. Instead, I answered in the spirit of the accusation and did not recall the details of our funding. You can read this CT piece by Sarah Pulliam Bailey right here. [article link]
(Final Discernment Postings) FBC Jax Watchdog - Update on the First Amendment Lawsuit Against City of Jacksonville - In my view, if the defense prevails, this would have an incredibly chilling effect on free speech, especially critical, unpopular speech, on the Internet - For now, I am committed to continuing writing my views on this blog [FBC Jax Watchdog], regarding matters at FBC Jax [First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, FL - Pastor: Dr. Mac Brunson] and evangelical Christianity, unabated and not intimidated, and with the aid of my lawyer I will continue the fight in this lawsuit Back in March 2009 when I first discovered the existence of the subpoenas into my blog [FBC Jax Watchdog], I said back then that I was determined to find out what took place that led to issuance of subpoenas to identify the name of the Watchdog, which led to my letter of 16 sins and trespass papers for me and my wife, courtesy of FBC Jax. At about the same time the Watchdog story first broke in the newspapers, I submitted a request for our sheriff's office to conduct an internal affairs investigation into the connection between the detective and the church and what I felt was an obvious conflict of interest. What I received in short order was a letter from a city attorney (the same one that now is defending the detective in this case), and no formal internal affairs investigation done at JSO. That letter and its explanation to me of what happened is now an important part of the evidence in this case that has been discussed in many of the depositions. Eventually I secured legal counsel and several lawsuits were filed, one of which was a First Amendment lawsuit that made its way into federal court against: the City of Jacksonville, the JSO detective that requested subpoenas into my blog and several other blogs, as well as the state attorney's office including the assistant state attorney who signed those subpoenas. The first amendment lawsuit has been going through the "discovery" process since about March of this year, and discovery will be wrapping up over the next month or so. If this lawsuit ever makes it past summary judgment, and past mediation, it would likely go to trial sometime in 2011. ... The Brunsons have been deposed. Robert Hinson, the JSO Detective involved, and Steven Seigel the Assistant State Attorney have been deposed. John Blount, the church administrator gave his deposition. Even under-sheriff Frank Mackesy and Sheriff John Rutherford gave their depositions in this case. A few FBC Jax members and a former FBC Jax minister were deposed as well. ... But what started out as me wanting answers, for me has progressed to realizing the importance of this case to First Amendment rights of anonymous writers in general, and the rights of bloggers in particular. I didn't really comprehend the importance of the case until depositions were given by the defense witnesses, and as I have begun to understand the defense tactics of the city of Jacksonville lawyers. It is an important case, a very unique case. In my view, if the defense prevails, this would have an incredibly chilling effect on free speech, especially critical, unpopular speech, on the Internet. ... I'll do my best to keep you posted as I can, although in the fall maybe some of the legal events that transpire in this case and also the case against the church will be in the local media and I'll try to keep my readers outside of Jacksonville
updated. For now, I am committed to continuing writing my views on this blog, regarding matters at FBC Jax and evangelical Christianity, unabated and not intimidated, and with the aid of my lawyer I will continue the fight in this lawsuit. Yours Truly, The Watchdog [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God - How long has God existed? There is a dimension in which time does not exist, timelessness/eternity - God has existed from eternity - Before God created the physical universe He thought about you and provided for your redemption Jesus was crucified for us before the foundation of the world [Revelation 13:8] - In John 1:1 we also read "In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God" Note: In the beginning God ... God is upfront and open about His existence, about who He is, about His availability to us and about why He has created us [for His pleasure - Revelation 4:11]. The Bible is about God, the Bible is about mankind and the Bible is about God's special, ordained and unique relationship He has with all of mankind. It is therefore the opportunity and the ability of each individual human to acknowledge God and to enter into that special childlike relationship that mankind is intended to have with God. A relationship that God has thoughtfully and diligently provided for each of us in a relationship that is recorded for us in the scripture verses on the pages of His Holy Bible. [article link]
Bible verse: John 8:12-19 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I Am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} John 8:12-19 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I Am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto Him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man [physically]. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true [spiritual]: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent Me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I Am one that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me. Then said they unto Him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know Me, nor My Father: if ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also. -- Holy Bible [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Revelation 15-16 - The Martyred Saints of Revelation continue to assemble in Heaven - The 7 Vial (Measured) Judgments, the final judgments of Revelation are revealed -- 'Revelation 15:1-4 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven Angels having the Seven *last plagues [the 7 Measured Bowl judgments]; for in them is filled up the wrath [lit. passion for justice and righteousness] of God. And I saw as it were a Sea of Glass {now} mingled with fire {the earlier view while the Christian Church was present (Revelation 4:6) was without the Great Tribulation Wrath fire}: and them [Martyred Saints of Revelation] that had gotten the victory over the beast [Antichrist, Satan], and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number [666, incomplete, a trinity of emptiness] of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they [Martyred Saints of Revelation - having not yet experienced the "Feast of Firstfruits" the being 'born again' by the Holy Spirit from 'above' within the Promise Land Heaven] sing the (Redemption/Salvation) **Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-18) the servant of God, and the Song of the Lamb [Jesus Christ], saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and True are Thy ways, Thou **King of Saints [Martyred Saints]. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy Name? for Thou only art Holy: for all Nations shall come and Worship (give thanks for eternal life) before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest [visible].' - Note: The Martyred Saints of Revelation [Gentiles] coming through the Tribulation Period [with redemption (Revelation 6:11) but not yet salvation] have more in common with Moses and the Children of Israel [Jews] then they do with the Christian Church that did possess Salvation while
upon the earth (before the rapture). The 7 Vial Judgments of Revelation are poured out primarily on the Demonic realm however the Demonic realm, the earth and the human realm have all intermingled at this point in time regarding human events: Revelation 16:1-21 And I heard a great voice out of the Temple [in Heaven] saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials [measured bowels] of the Wrath wrath [lit. passion for justice and righteousness] of God upon the earth. And the first [Angel] went, and poured out his vial upon the earth [demonic infestation]; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark [demonic mating] of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea [demonic habitation]; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers [demonic streams] and fountains [demonic teachings] of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun [demonic astrology]; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat (earth) [throne] of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. *And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [Mystery Babylon], and out of the mouth of the beast [Antichrist], and out of the mouth of the false prophet [the all Satanic unholy trinity - see also: Zechariah 11:8]. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world [7th Kingdom], to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. **Blessed is he [Saints] that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he [Antichrist] gathered them [armies of the world, also the 6th Trumpet judgment] together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air [Satan's realm (Ephesians 2:2)]; and [after the 7th Vial, then the 6th Seal, an earthquake (Revelation 6:12)] there came a great voice out of the Temple of Heaven, from the Throne, saying, ***It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake (6th Seal), such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the Nations fell: ***and great Babylon [Satanic mystery system] came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island [far away place] fled away, and the mountains [governments] were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail [rocks, stones]; for the plague [stoning of blasphomey (Leviticus 24:16)] thereof was exceeding great. [article link]
{Flashback: from last year at this time - The Basic Christian blog Bible Study} Deuteronomy 32-34 - Moses prepares himself for his death - The Song of Moses -- 'Deuteronomy 32:1-4 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the Name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He' Death Outside the Promise Land: Moses the Lawgiver was only allowed to go to the border of the Promise Land, he was only allowed to glimpse the Promise Land from a distance but he was not allowed to enter into the Promise Land. Moses the Lawgiver had broken the law when Moses had unlawfully struck the Rock a second time. In actuality striking the Rock a second time was not the only law that Moses broke it was just one
of the more obvious laws that Moses broke. Moses like all the rest of us he was unable to keep the law because the law can't be kept it can only be observed just as Moses observed the Promise Land from a distance, observing but not entering. - The Law does not take us into the presence of God but only to a boundary that actually keeps us apart from God. The original law in the Garden of Eden was a boundary, a boundary between mankind and the experience and knowledge of evil. Mankind crossed God's Law boundary and went into the knowledge of evil [God continued to give mankind the knowledge of good]. With mankind now knowledgeable of evil the Law is not just a boundary from evil but out of necessity the Law has now also become a boundary between mankind and the Holiness of God. - The Law is the Image and Holiness of God and therefore the Law now reveals God to a separated mankind and once seeing God in His Holy Law mankind can easily recognize the need for mankind to be separated from the presence and Glory of the Holy God. Separated from God that is only until a remedy can be provided to fix man's sinful predicament and remove the boundary of sin and of the Law. The remedy for our predicament and separation from God has been provided but not in our life only in a new life in the Resurrection Life provided by God's Son Jesus Christ. The Son of God, Jesus Christ will safely take us into Heaven, His Promise Land, just as certainly as Joshua the son of Nun led the Children of Israel into their Promise Land a place that the law at best could only glimpse from a distance and could not enter into but a place where the Son could not be kept out of as the Son will enter in and place his foot upon the Promise Land. -- 'Deuteronomy 31:23 And He gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the Children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.' - 'Deuteronomy 32:52 Yet thou [Moses, Lawgiver] shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the Children of Israel.' [article link]
Note: A Basic Christian Update - The purpose of the Fall 2010 Series of Bible Studies The purpose of the Basic Christian Fall 2010 Series of Bible Studies is to present the individual Christian Walk to individual Christians. As Christians we are "saved" out of sin and out of this present world system but then the question is often asked, since we are not saved into an empty void what exactly are we saved into? Being saved is having entered into the realm and Kingdom of God, a realm that has a very definite meaning and purpose for each of us in the present here and now. -- Becoming a Christian is having received a new 'born again' Spirit of God inside of each of us. The Spirit of God, along with giving Spiritual life to each of us, is also comprised of the properties of God (love, patience, longsuffering, endurance, etc. - Galatians 5:22-25), the offices of God (prophet, priest and king) and also some of the authority of God. Instead of studying at this time all of the attributes, characteristics, offices and authority of God that are now within each Christian, the Fall 2010 Bible Studies are going to lead into an eventual (Summer 2011) focus and study of primarily our own individual Priesthood (offerings) to God - and at a later date studying more of the other offices and characteristics of the Holy Spirit of God within each Christian. -- Of the three offices [prophet, priest, king] that each Christian is currently taking part in it is the Office of Priest [eternal, righteous, Melchizedek Priesthood] our offering to God, comprised of our own present and current individual offerings [lifestyle] to God that is the most direct, continuous and most relevant for each of us as New Testament Christians. A Christian in rare instances might prophecy and in even more rare occasions might exercise kingdom authority over an evil spirit but it is the individual Priesthood [a major portion of the moment by moment] relationship with God that is most important to us in the shaping and defining in the eternal Kingdom life of each Christian. -- "Romans 12:1 I urge you brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual [priestly] service of worship." -- "1st Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." [article link]
Note: The Basic Christian Info Feed is going to begin to transition out of the Summer 2010 Discernment [events] postings and into the Fall 2010 Bible Studies: "The Fall Feasts of Israel" (Second Coming events of Jesus Christ), "Human accountability and the Three Biblical Judgments" [Water, Blood and Fire (Spirit)], "The
Vagabond Priesthood," and "The 8 Kingdoms of the World" studies Also Note: Throughout the remainder of August there are going to be a few more pauses and breaks to the postings and then by early September a new posting routine with the Bible Studies should be getting established. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Preview: The Vagabond Priesthood [man's rogue, independent, unsanctioned priesthood] and The 8 Kingdoms of the world - The biblical concepts of Earthly Kingdoms does not regulate the kingdoms and governments of the world [or of hell] to Satan - Satan the eventual Antichrist will in all actuality have only one Kingdom, his coming [brief] Antichrist Kingdom - Satan does not currently have direct Kingdoms of his own yet he does have influence and persuasion [deceit, lies, manipulation] into the affairs of mankind In Matthew 4:10 Jesus did not directly dispute the claims of Satan that he [Satan] had kingdoms of the world to seemingly offer to Jesus or to anyone else at Satan's desire. However, Jesus not refuting Satan's claim is only in line with a reasonable person (Jesus) not disputing with an unreasonable entity (Satan) and is not indicative of Satan actually possessing kingdoms to distribute at his will. "Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the Devil taketh Him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me [Satan]. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him [God] only shalt thou serve [see also Hebrews 2:17-18]." -- In the same concept that Satan does not directly possess his own kingdoms Satan does not officiate as the head [high priest] of his own priesthood or of any [i.e. rouge "Vagabond"] priesthood - as even the "evil spirit" did not recognize the Vagabond Priesthood (Acts 19:15). The concept of mankind serving Satan (the "man of sin" 2 Thessalonians 2:3 - instigating and manipulating human sins) is in the context of man actually serving and being in the slavery of sin. "Romans 6:16-23 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience [to God] unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of [Christian - Apostolic] doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness [not in sin, not in a Vagabond (cult) priesthood, but only in the eternal Melchizedek Priesthood (Hebrews 6:19-20) - Jesus being the High Priest (Hebrews 3:1)]. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? **for the end of those [sin] things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. *For the wages of sin [rejecting Jesus] is death; but **the gift of God is eternal life [Hebrews 13:20-21] through Jesus Christ our Lord." [article link]
Preview: The Vagabond Priesthood - Sons of Sceva - a Bible Study by David Anson Brown Acts 19:11-20 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of [the Apostle] Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. *Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you [evil spirit] by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the [vagabond] priests {not Levitical priests}, which did so [exorcisms]. And the evil spirit answered and said, *Jesus I know, and Paul [a servant] I know; **but who are ye [vagabond]? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the Name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and [publically] confessed, and shewed their deeds [Christian characteristics]. Many of them also which used curious arts [witchcraft] brought their books together, and burned them before all
men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed. -- Wiki.com Vagabond: A vagabond or "drifter" is an itinerant person. Such people may be called drifters, tramps, rogues, or hobos. A vagabond is characterized by almost continuous traveling, lacking a fixed home, temporary abode, or permanent residence. Vagabonds are not bums, as bums are not known for traveling, preferring to stay in one location. Historically, "vagabond" was a British legal term similar to vagrant, deriving from the Latin for 'purposeless wandering'. Following the Peasants' Revolt, British constables were authorized under a 1383 statute to collar vagabonds and force them to show their means of support; if they could not, they were jailed. By the 19th century the vagabond was associated more closely with Bohemianism. The critic Arthur Compton-Rickett compiled a review of the type, in which he defined it as men "with a vagrant strain in the blood, a natural inquisitiveness about the world beyond their doors." Examples included Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Leo Tolstoy, William Hazlitt, and Thomas de Quincey. [article link]
Preview: The Biblical triune (3 in 1) nature [testimony, salvation, judgment] of the water, blood and Spirit (also represented in breath, wind, fire) that are each freely offered and given from God to all of mankind globally as a witness of sin (and eventually as a judgment against sin), a testimony of the once physical presence of Jesus Christ and as an eternal remedy for our own individual Salvation Where the Apostle Peter's significant life changing event during his time with Jesus seemed to be at the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-8, 2 Peter 1:16-18) the Apostle John's significant life changing event with Jesus seems to have been at the cross (John 19:34-35, 1 John 5:7-9) when Jesus was pierced by the Roman spear and the blood and water poured out from the wound in Jesus' side. The Apostle John then regards the presence of the Spirit and the separation of the blood and water coming out from Jesus as a witness, a judgment, and a testimony of salvation for all of mankind. When the Basic Christian blog History study returns in about a week we will Biblically look into the blood, water and fire (spirit), testimonies and judgments of the Bible from throughout the Old Testament starting in Genesis and continuing consistently throughout the entire Bible then concluding in book of Revelation [the sin of Adam and Eve and the shedding of blood, the flood of Noah, the Aaronic Priesthood, the Last Supper Communion, the atoning cross of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Jesus and birth (Alpha) of the Christian Church, the Pentecost global Spirit empowerment and witness, the calling home into heaven by Jesus the rapture (Omega) of the Christian Church, Revelation-Tribulation]. -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link]
Feast of Trumpets: The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the Fall Feasts [of Israel] - The interval of time between 'first coming of Jesus' [3 Spring Feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits (Easter)) and] the last of the spring feasts [or middle Feast] (Pentecost [4th Feast] or Weeks) and the first of the [three] Fall Feasts {to be completed at the 'second coming of Jesus'} [a total of 7 Holy Feasts - 8 Feasts counting the weekly Feast of Sabbath that was also fulfilled on the first visit of Jesus - from Leviticus Chapter 23] (Trumpets) corresponds to the present Church Age - In other words, we are presently living between Israel's fourth and fifth feasts - {3 Fall Feasts} Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah) is on September 11, 2010 [in 2001 the Feast of Trumpets (a lunar calendar feast, not a solar 365 day year) was on September 18, 2001] - Day of Atonement (Yom Kippurim) September 20, 2010 - Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) September 25, 2010 - Source: escapeallthesethings.com/holy-day-calendar.htm
The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts. The Jewish people call this feast Rosh Hashanah, which literally means "Head of the Year," and it is observed as the start of the civil year (in contrast with the religious year which starts with Passover) on the Jewish calendar. The Feast of Trumpets is so important in Jewish thinking that it stands alongside Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement") to comprise what Judaism calls "the high holy days" on the Jewish religious calendar. It begins the "ten days of awe" before the Day of Atonement. According to Leviticus 23:24-27, the celebration consisted of a time of rest, "an offering made by fire [only the normal acceptable Levitically prescribed Temple offerings not some made-up 'strange fire' offering]," and the blowing of the trumpets. Modern Rosh Hashanah (Ezekiel 40:1) is traced back to the Feast of Trumpets which is the sounding of the trumpets on the first day of the seventh month (Tishri) of the religious calendar year (Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1). The trumpet referred to here was the shofar, a ram's horn. It was distinctive from the silver trumpets blown on the other new moons. Silver trumpets were sounded at the daily burnt offering and at the beginning of each new month (Numbers 10:10), but the shofar specifically was blown on the beginning of the month Tishri. The interval of time between the last of the spring feasts (Pentecost or Weeks) and the first of the fall feasts (Trumpets) corresponds to the present Church Age. In other words, we are presently living between Israel's fourth and fifth feasts. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost started the Church Age [coming after the 40 day Christian Apostolic Age (the personal earthly fellowship of the Disciples with the resurrected Jesus)]; and Trumpets, which will signal Christ's second coming to rapture the Church and {begin Revelation to ultimatly} judge the wicked, will end the Church Age. [article link]
Basic Christian: - The Basic Christian Bible Study: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth - The 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th Kingdom the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ -- The Kingdoms: beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) -- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) -- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon - Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) -- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) -- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) -- Julius Caesar (Rome and The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire - Daniel 7:19) -- Antichrist [emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire] (Satan - Daniel 7:20) -- Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have
surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments after (Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon) - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece - 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome - Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Updated: Part 2. The Anointing and Throne of a King: King David was anointed three times [first among his own family (by Samuel on behalf of God), later by the Tribe of Judah (lit. Praise) and lastly by the Elders of the Nation of Israel] -- Saul was anointed twice both times by the same person [Samuel] - Solomon was anointed King *twice [first by a select committee (1 Kings 1:32-40) - then by the people (1 Chronicles 29:22)] - Jesus Christ is anointed King three times, First by His family [God (Matthew 3:16-17, Acts 10:38)], Secondly [among His Praise] the Church Age of individuals, Thirdly by each of the Nations as a whole [in the Kingdom Age] beginning with the Nation of Israel at the 2nd Coming return of Jesus Christ King Saul [a type of Satan] was chosen by God and anointed the first time privately by the Prophet Samuel [1 Samuel 10:1]. Saul was initiated [1 Samuel 10:17-24] as the 1st King of Israel [in Mizpeh of Gilead] without anointing and while Saul was personally in hiding (i.e. hidden as Satan is in hiding now). Saul was anointed by Samuel a second time though oil is not mentioned it might have been strictly a verbal anointing with the Prophet Samuel speaking prophecy over King Saul and not anointing him with oil. -- King David [a type of Jesus Christ] was anointed three times [1 Samuel 16:12-14 (Bethlehem), 2 Samuel 2:4 (Hebron), 2 Samuel 5:3 (Hebron) - the first (person) anointed in Jerusalem was the Temple (a direct representation of Jesus Christ), it was dedicated (anointed) in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:10-11) before Solomon or any of the later Kings, the descendants of Solomon, were anointed in Jerusalem] and the moment David was anointed the first time the anointing of God departed [1 Samuel 16:14] from the presence of then King Saul [a type of Satan] so only one of them was anointed by God as King at any one time and when King Solomon [a type of the Antichrist] was anointed there is no indication or recording of the anointing of God leaving King David the way it previously had left King Saul. -- King Solomon [a type of the Antichrist] was anointed twice, first [1 Kings 1:32-40] by a chosen and selected committee [the High Priest, the Prophet and the people gathered in Gihon who happened to be in knowledge of the event] and later by all the people [1 Chronicles 29:22]. -- Jesus Christ the Messiah has been anointed twice. First by His family of God [Matthew 3:16-17]. "Matthew 3:16-17, Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me [Messiah, Jesus Christ], because He [God] hath anointed Me [Jesus] to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." - "Acts 4:26-28 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against thy Holy Child Jesus, whom Thou [God] hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined [to kill Jesus] before to be done." - Jesus is currently being anointed throughout His Christian Church Age. "1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God [Jesus] was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on [anointed] in the world, received up into glory." - "2 Corinthians 1:20-22 For all the promises of God in Him are yea [yes], and in Him Amen [Truth], unto the glory of God by us. Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] in our hearts." {My perspective on the Church rapture is just when is the Antichrist 'anointed' by God to receive his Kingdom on earth is it pre-tribulation [this happens to be my position on End Time events]? or is it 3½ years later at pre-wrath [also a very possible position for End Time events]? The anointed Church (2 Corinthians 1:20-22) and the future Kingdom of Antichrist are not going to coexist and when the anointed 'born again' Church is raptured only then will the Antichrist be anointed for his Kingdom on earth. Then with the Christian Church gone the Antichrist will preside over a Kingdom on earth that will go horribly wrong for everyone involved as the Antichrist attempts to receive the anointing of the Nations starting in the Holy of Holies (Matthew 24:15) with the Nation of Israel.} - There is yet a third and future anointing of the Messiah Jesus Christ the anointing among the Nations starting with Jesus being anointed King by the elders of Israel in Jerusalem. "Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks [490 years] are determined upon thy people [the Jews] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness [the Kingdom of God among the Nations], and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint [Messiah] the most Holy." "Zechariah 12:10-14 And I will pour [anoint] upon the House of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
the [Holy] Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me [Jesus Christ] whom they have pierced (crucified), and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in [agony] bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning *in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the House of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the House of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain [after the Tribulation], every family apart, and their wives apart." {Note: the coming Tribulation during the events of Revelation is primarily a Gentile (Martyred Saints) Holocaust the Jews having already suffered their [WWII] Holocaust will primarily be exempt from the Holocaust to come but still it will be dangerous and difficult times for everyone and not every family will make it through the events. Presumably the Nation of Israel will emerge (anoint the Messiah Jesus Christ) and enter into the Kingdom Age [1,000 year reign of the Messiah] far more intact than any of the Gentile Nations.} - "Ezekiel 43:57 So the [Holy] Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court [Millennial Temple - 4th Temple in Jerusalem]; and, behold, the Glory of the LORD filled the House. And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the House; and *the Man [Jesus Christ] stood by me. And He said unto me, Son of man [Ezekiel], the place of My Throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell [as anointed King] in the midst of the children of Israel for ever ..." [article link]
Part 2a. A brief look and introduction into the 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th King Jesus Christ: Beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) -- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) -- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) -- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) -- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) -- Julius Caesar (Rome and The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire - Daniel 7:19) -- Antichrist [emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire] (Satan - Daniel 7:20) -- Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from
the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Apparently there was a breakdown very early after the original creation regarding the patriarchal family structure of one husband and one wife with God as the ultimate head and authority for each family group - Today we have many counterfeit and substitutional family groups; the workplace, friends, political parties, sports teams and even church denominations are all common substitutes
for the Divinely sanctioned family group with Jesus Christ remaining the head and authority for each individual In Cain and Lamech we see the early breakdown of the godly sanctified family as the intended family is being substituted and misused for power, sex, authority and greed. "Genesis 4:17-26 And Cain knew [sexualy] his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch {3rd from Adam}: and he [Cain] builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. *And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubal- cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. *And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. And Adam knew his wife [Eve] again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed (Genesis 3:15) instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call [in the hope of the coming Messiah-Redeemer-Seed, Jesus Christ] upon the Name of the LORD." -- The breakdown in the traditional family is restored in the Spiritual family of Christianity with Jesus Christ remaining as the head and authority over the entirety of the Christian Church family. "John 19:26-27 When Jesus therefore saw His mother [Mary], and the disciple [John] standing by, whom He loved (greatest good and highest wellbeing love, Spiritual-emotional, unselfish, non-sexual, eternal love - G25 Agapao, Agape), He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith He (Jesus) to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home." {Note: This event that took place at the crucifixion of Jesus is the structuring of the Christian Church into a Spiritual family. Also Note: This is not an adoption event as adoption has with it a house (i.e. John 14:2, a future adoption event) and Mary went to John's house, permanently precluding adoption (Mary did not adopt John - and the younger does not adopt the elder) Mary went with the Disciple John to his house as a part of a Spiritual, united Christian family.} [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- We Are One In The Spirit (YouTube) Music by the band Jars of Clay. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- The Pre-flood 'dispensation' is one of several human groups or dispensations separated out and grouped together by God as part of a continuing and ongoing work of God in order for God to continually reunite a separated mankind back into His closeness and presence -- "Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven [Christian Church Age - New Testament Dispensation] is greater than he [John the Baptist - Old Testament Dispensation]." Various dispensations are carefully alluded to throughout the Bible including in the New Testament. "1 Corinthians 9:16-18 For though I [a Christian] preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe [misery] is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will [unwillingly], [still] a dispensation [part] of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my [willing] reward then [not money - but fellowship with God]? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel." ... "Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He [God - the Father] might gather together in one all things in [Jesus] Christ, both which are in heaven [Angels], and which are on earth [humans]; even in Him [Jesus Christ]:" - Note: As John the Baptist was greatest among the O.T. Saints in having Divine Messianic Revelation, he was least when compared to the Divine Messianic [Jesus Christ] Revelation that each Christian possesses. Later each Christian has less Divine Messianic [Jesus Christ] Revelation then possibly each of the Martyred Saints of Revelation (Revelation 7:15) and certainly the Christian Church has less Divine Messianic [Jesus Christ]
Revelation then any the 144,000 Jewish (Salvation) Firstfruits of Revelation (Revelation 14:3). [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Antediluvian [Pre-flood] Civilizations - {The pre-flood civilization up until the days of Noah encompassed about 2,000 years of human history and probably involved several billion people. - Note: In the pre-flood earth it doesn't appear that there were any Kings or Governments and that the long lives [experience and expertise] of each individual precluded them from being reigned and ruled over by others. Instead of a governmental structure of Kings and Politicians the earth seemed to have been Governed strictly by each family patriarch (head) according to God's governance and that after the flood in the new, young and now naive post-flood civilization the inexperienced human civilization now required [and allowed strangers - nonfamily members] rulers and Kings and that Nimrod was possibly the first King though human history had existed for some 2,000 years before Nimrod. - Also Note: Jesus is not a stranger but He is family with everyone and as family He has our own individual best interest at His heart. Jesus is the kinsman (relative related) redeemer to everyone [we are created in God's image - relationship] and His (Fatherly, creation Brotherly, redemption and salvation) relationship to all humans is maintained via His Virgin (Divine) birth.} Introduction: "'Antediluvian civilizations'" are civilizations believed to have existed before the Great flood of Noah. If the fossil record is indeed the result of the Biblical flood as described in the Bible, then it is somewhat expected for evidence of antediluvian (pre-flood) civilizations to exist. It is assumed by many that humans reached advanced stages of technological development before the flood. Such presuppositions are usually based on the Biblical genealogy, which states that ancient people lived to approximately 10 times our current life span. Also it is frequently mentioned that Adam and Eve would likely possess higher than normal intelligence since they were created as adults, with knowledge that subsequent humans obtain from their parents. Another theory states that the antediluvian race called the Nephilim was superior to other humans in this respect. All accounts of the Great flood from civilizations around the world indicate that there were civilizations before the flood. However, as a result of the destruction during the flood and the passage of time, the remaining evidence is scanty. As a result of the flood, the earth was covered in hundreds of feet of sediment, and very little of the antediluvian horizon has been exposed. It is also problematic that the scientific community is quick to dismiss any artifacts that dispute their presupposed interpretation of the fossil record. Nevertheless, any truly advanced civilization would have left durable traces or constructions that would likely surface during excavations or by erosion. Relatively insightful accounts can be drawn from the Bible, apocrypha, and ancient Babylonian and Greek accounts of antediluvian civilization. ... Implications of the Tower of Babel: We can not dispute the existence of atypical knowledge possessed by Adam and Eve, however, we should also consider the tower of Babel curse as it relates to human accomplishments to that date. Monumental constructions are a great source of pride for humans. It was most likely this type of technological development that God attempted to retard by creating the language barriers at the tower of Babel. The Babel event suggests that the tower was the first major monument that mankind had ever built. It was the first construction that had no purpose but to be a monument [temple] to human achievement [based on Satanic interaction]. The tower was not a particularly important technological development [Babel was a major object of Satanic interaction between humans and Satan - harming humans to the extent of possibly permanently altering our human (DNA) making us more susceptible to disease, illness and further shortening our lifespan and also harming our psyche (soul) by lessening our confidence and our decision making capabilities making us even more susceptible to Satanic deceptions]. It was built out of bricks, and was therefore incomparable to even the limestone pyramids. In comparison to our modern building it was hardly more than a mud mound. Many better monuments would be built afterwards, but given God's reaction, it is logical to propose that nothing like it had been built prior to the flood. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- The Date of Noah's Flood - The placing of a catastrophic global flood in the year (about) 2304 BC [and Creation at about 4,000 B.C.] means that all civilizations discovered by
archaeology [today] must fit into the last 4,285 years {The flood of Noah (about 4,284 years ago) destroyed all the previous civilizations so about 4,284 years of land based archeology exists - though pre-flood archeology may well exist [and some evidence (artifacts 'Ooparts') have been found and do exist] deep under the sea or deep underground.} Since we exist in the present, we are really trying to find information that will enable us to add up the years between us and Noah's Flood. As our starting point we will take the Birth of Christ. It is unlikely anyone will dispute that Christ was born approximately 1,984 years ago. Since Christ is recorded as having referred to Noah's Flood as a past event it should be obvious that we need data that will take us back beyond 2,000 years. The next date we can put down with reliable certainty is 967 BC or 2,948 years ago. This is the date at which Solomon laid the foundation of the Temple (1 Kings 6:1). For those who are interested in the detailed evidence as to why this event can be placed in 967 BC I would refer you to Professor Edwin Thiele's work The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings. His work can be summarized by the statement that both the chronology of the Ancient Assyrian Culture and the Biblical record point to this date. The first verse of Kings chapter 6 is also useful in that it tells us there was a time span of 480 years (see Appendix 1) from the time Israel left Egypt (the Exodus) until Solomon began to build the Temple. The Exodus occurred therefore roughly 1,981 + 967 + 480 years ago (see Appendix 2) or 3,428 years ago or 1447 BC +/- 1 year. Why do I say +/- 1 year? As the chronologist compares the family trees or chronologies in the Bible, it is interesting to note that these lists use only whole years (e.g. Gen. 11). Now if a person is listed as being 44 years of age when their son was born, they may have been just 44 or nearly 45. Anywhere in this period of 12 months they are still 44. This introduces a margin of error of up to 12 months or 1 year for each person or event in such a list. -- As the Bible records the Flood a significant time before the Exodus, let us examine data which will take us back before this event. Paul, a university trained Jew, well skilled in the Hebrew language, the religion of the Jews and the writings of Moses, wrote in the early years of the Christian era, a letter to the church at Galatia (Galatians 3:17). He stated that the Israelites left Egypt to return to the promised land 430 years (see Appendix 3) after God gave the promise to Abraham, the founder of the Jewish race. According to Acts 7:4 and Genesis 12:1-4, Abraham was 75 years old when God gave him the promise and in the same year his father Terah was 205 years old and Abraham was born when Terah was 130 years of age (Gen.11:26-33). (See Appendix 4.) The statements of genealogy in Genesis 11:10-26, are father-son statements and link Abraham to Noah's son, Shem. The statements list the persons by name. Their year of birth against their father's age is listed and their father is named. These chronologies do not have missing generations; there are no gaps. If we add up the figures mentioned between Shem's 100th year (Gen. 11:10) and Abraham (Gen. 11:26) we get 350 years. Since 9 names are mentioned it is 350 years +/- 9 (9 margins of error of up to 1 year each). Genesis 11:10 tells us that Shem was 100 years old, 2 years after the Flood had finished. When was Noah's Flood? 1,981 years to AD 0 plus 967 years to the founding of Solomon's Temple plus 480 years to the end of the Exodus plus 430 years to the promise to Abraham plus 75 years to Abraham's birth plus 350 years to Shem's 100th birthday plus 2 years to the Flood. The Biblical data places the Flood at 2304 BC +/- 11 years. This date is, as expected, in conflict with secular archaeology which regards the Flood as either local or a myth and the Biblical chronologies as irrelevant or inaccurate. The placing of a catastrophic global flood in the year 2304 BC means that all civilizations discovered by archaeology must fit into the last 4,285 years. The significance of this fact will be pursued in later articles. [Ed.- for more information, see TJ 2 (1986), pp. 56-87 and TJ 3 (1988), pp. 96-136.] [article link]
Ancient Brass BELL (Oopart - Out of place artifact) Found Encased IN COAL supposed to be about 300 million years old! - the bell is an antediluvian [before the deluge, pre-flood] artifact made before the Genesis Flood (Noah's Ark) - For more detailed pictures of the bell and the [idol] demon-like figure on top, click here (Photos) In 1944, as a ten year old boy, Newton Anderson dropped a lump of coal in his basement and found that it contained this bell inside. The bituminous coal that was mined near his house in Upshur County West Virginia is supposed to be about 300 million years old! What is a brass bell with an iron clapper doing in coal ascribed to the Carboniferous Period? According to Norm Sharbaugh's book Ammunition (which includes several "coal
anecdotes") the bell is an antediluvian artifact (made before the Genesis Flood). The Institute for Creation Research had the bell submitted to the lab at the University of Oklahoma. There a nuclear activation analysis revealed that the bell contains an unusual mix of metals, different from any known modern alloy production (including copper, zinc, tin, arsenic, iodine, and selenium). -- Genesis 4:22 states that Tubal-Cain was "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron..." Perhaps when his civilization came to an end in the flood, this bell was buried with a mass of vegetation that became coal and ended up thousands of years later in Newt Anderson's coal bin. ... Later on, Newton Anderson spent a great deal of time researching the demon atop the bell. He discovered similarities to the Babylonian Southwest Wind Demon and the Hindu deity Garuda. Garuda is sometimes depicted on top of bells, as is the Egyptian Isis. [article link]
OOPARTS (out of place artifacts) & ANCIENT HIGH TECHNOLOGY -- Evidence of Noah's Flood? - Do unexplained technologies of the ancients provide possible proofs of Pre-flood civilizations? - If you believe that the flood of Noah actually happened, what was the state of the technology of (antediluvian) pre-flooders? Could they have left physical evidence of their existence? - We expect you to use your own knowledge filter (Christian discernment) on this site Point of View: We have a Biblical viewpoint on the world. Ooparts are evidence, we think, that the Flood actually happened. News items or magazine articles that report them may not have the same perspective that Christians do. When we read for instance, a scientific article that puzzles over our lack of genetic variability, we think of the Flood of Noah. We would include that article here, without editing, because we expect Christians to use their filters on such an article. That does not mean that we agree with the evolutionary timeframe given in said article. -- We think it's more interesting when general newspaper articles or science articles observe data that they might see one way, but that Christians might see another way given our own knowledge about God, creation and the flood. It's more interesting to quote Stephen Jay Gould saying that "the lack of transitional fossils is the trade secret of paleontology", than it might be to hear another Christian say it. So, no we don't believe the universe is millions or billions of years old. We don't know how old it is-we just know who created it and how long it took Him. We do not believe in pre-Adamic races, though we do believe that there were "civiilizations" prior to the Flood. We don't believe in space aliens or cooties. We expect you to use your own knowledge filter on this site. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- "Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven [sky] and the earth." - Christian Creationism vs. Secular Evolution Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven (sky) and the earth. - It is only through creation and not by means of evolution that people can be "created in the image of God" therefore creation is the very heart of the plan of God. "Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image ..." Either people are created and are therefore in the image of God making us capable of fellowship and able to have a relationship with God or we are involved in some random evolution process in a random universe that is without meaning and ultimately is totally useless. "Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every Nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made (created) heaven, and earth' ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- BasicChristian.org: Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual realms as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th realm being God's realm of unrestricted eternity} Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the
5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. Note: So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation [into our human realms] of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Also Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2. Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic [Nephilim spirits] - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -"Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Wikipedia: Dimension - A diagram showing the first four spatial dimensions [Length, Height, Width, Time via Movement] From left to right, the square, the cube, and the tesseract. The square is bounded by 1-dimensional lines, the cube by 2-dimensional areas, and the tesseract by 3-dimensional volumes. ... Time: Time is often referred to as the "fourth dimension". It is one way to measure physical change. It is perceived differently from the three spatial dimensions in that there is only one of it, and that we cannot move freely in time but subjectively move in one direction. The equations used in physics to model reality do not treat time in the same way that humans perceive it. The equations of classical mechanics are symmetric with respect to time, and equations of quantum mechanics are typically symmetric if both time and other quantities (such as charge and parity) are reversed. In these models, the perception of time flowing in one direction is an artifact of the laws of thermodynamics (we perceive time as flowing in the direction of increasing entropy). The best-known treatment of time as a dimension is Poincaré and Einstein's special relativity and extended to general relativity, which treats perceived space and time as components of a four-dimensional manifold, known as spacetime, and in the special, flat case as Minkowski space. -- Additional dimensions: Theories such as string theory and M-theory predict that physical space in general has in fact 10 and 11 dimensions, respectively. The extra dimensions are spacelike. We perceive only three spatial dimensions, and no physical experiments have confirmed the reality of additional dimensions. A possible explanation that has been suggested is that space acts as if it were "curled up" in the extra dimensions on a subatomic scale, possibly at the quark/string level of scale or below. Another less-held fringe view asserts that dimensions beyond the fourth progressively condense timelines and universes into single spatial points in the above dimension, until the tenth, where a 0-dimensional point equates to all possible timelines in all possible universes. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- 8 Kingdoms [Revelation 17:10] Introduction: Some brief criteria for the 8 Global Kingdoms of the earth - Throughout human history there have been many glorious [in man's eyes] Empires, Kingdoms and Dominions but only 8 of the Kingdoms of mankind are the incredible (Revelation 17:10) Kingdoms of the earth {Note: The Basic Christian blog History Study is also going to include some of the additional great Kingdoms primarily Hammurabi (Saudi Arabia), Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia), Solomon (Israel),
and Sennacherib (Assyria).} 8 Kingdoms Summary: The Seven incredible Global Gentile Kingdoms of Revelation 17:10 are Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and [revised Rome] the Antichrist Kingdom. While the 8th and final Kingdom is the eternal, righteous Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each of these 8 Kingdoms is going to share some remarkable similarities: Each Kingdom will have possessed all of or a majority of the world's wealth [gold, silver, precious gems] at one time. Each Kingdom has or will have knowledge [both public and secret knowledge] beyond that of their peers. The Kingdoms will also possess influence, military power and political prestige beyond the peers of their day. *Most importantly each of the 8 Kingdoms will also have exerted FAVORABLE influence over the Jews, over Jerusalem and over the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Nimrod [about two generations and 100 years after the flood of Noah] encompassed all of humanity including Abraham's forefather Arphaxad (Genesis 11:11), the Kingdom of Nimrod possessed all human wealth, knowledge and wisdom and the Kingdom of Nimrod built a Temple (the Tower of Babel). Egypt the 2nd Kingdom amassed much of the fortune of the world and much of the knowledge of the world and a great part of that fortune would be "favorably" given to the Jews at their Passover departure from Egypt (Exodus 3:21-22). The wealth of Egypt would then be used by the Jews in the building of the Tabernacle of God by Moses at Mt. Sinai (Saudi Arabia) and later the wealth of the Tabernacle would be transferred into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The wealth of the Temple in Jerusalem would be given back to Egypt by the Jewish King Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25-26). The 3rd Kingdom Babylon [initially very favorable to the Jews, Jerusalem and the Temple] captured the wealth of Egypt in Egypt and took it to their Palace in Babylon. The 4th Kingdom Persia [Iran] conquered Babylon [Iraq] and consolidated the wealth of the world into the Palace at Shushan (Esther 1:4) part of the wealth of Persia was given to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 45:28, 2 Chronicles 36:23). The 5th Kingdom Greece and Alexander the Great [on either 10 or 11 June 323 B.C., Alexander the Great died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon at the age of 32 - wiki.com]. King Alexander the Great who immersed the world in Greek thought and philosophy and after sparing the Jews, Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple then "at the age of 32" died among the wealth of ancient Egypt, Babylon and Persia. The 6th Kingdom Rome oversaw an extensive expansion in the size of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The 7th Kingdom the Kingdom of Antichrist is going to sign a favorable [7 year] covenant with the Jews and the Nation of Israel (Daniel 9:27) and will also in some way rebuild [and eventually occupy (Matthew 24:15)] the now destroyed Temple in Jerusalem. The 8th and final Kingdom the Eternal, Righteous Kingdom of Jesus Christ [Jesus being Jewish] will of course be very favorable to the Jews as Jesus will rule the entire world from the unprecedented Millennial Temple (Ezekiel 43:7) in Jerusalem. [article link]
Basic Christian: - The Basic Christian Bible Study: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth - The 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th Kingdom the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ -- The Kingdoms: beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) -- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) -- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon - Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) -- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) -- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) -- Julius Caesar (Rome and The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire - Daniel 7:19) -- Antichrist [emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire] (Satan - Daniel 7:20) -- Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall
ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments after (Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon) - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece - 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome - Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold
(Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Coming Soon: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (RSS) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ [article link]
History of the Rosetta Stone (Youtube) History of the Rosetta Stone and Israel Archaeology. Randall Niles looks at the importance of Egyptian Hieroglyphics to Biblical Studies. Visit www.AllAboutTheJourney.org/isr to read how the history of the Rosetta Stone and other Egyptian artifacts impact the integrity of the Jewish scriptures. Also, go to www.RandallNiles.com/videos.htm to watch more videos about the history of the Rosetta Stone and other archaeological treasures related to Israel Archaeology! [article link]
Coming Soon: blog History Study - Church History (RSS) A.D. 0 - 100 A.D., A.D. 100 - 200 A.D., A.D. 200 - 300 A.D., A.D. 300 - 400 A.D., etc. [article link]
The blog Bible Study has concluded the Bible study portion! - Sometime after Holy Week and Resurrection Day (Easter) the study will continue with some ancient history and Church history segments - Thanks to everyone for your participation and especially for your prayers! The blog Bible Study concluded fairly quickly - I had looked at the website visitor logs a couple of weeks ago and saw that people were scattered all throughout the study though primarily in the New Testament while the study was blogging O.T. studies at the time and that's a good thing because the material is designed to be a self-help service but with people so scattered [though many people were current] I decided to move along and if at all possible conclude the study and the study has been concluded. The material is now available as a complete resource for the convenience of anyone who wants to use it. The study really turned into an amazing, fascinating study! I learned a lot during the study and I mostly learned that I need to spend more time reading the Bible and being in prayer, and in fellowship and just in general being in a Christian life. We serve a Great God!!! Thanks to everyone especially for your prayers - the study truly encountered the heights of Heaven and the depths of other things unmentionable and through it all it was the prayers of the Saints in fellowship that gave us a tremendous victory! After Holy Week we will continue with the history portion of the study but in the time before Holy Week it seems like a good opportunity to look at some areas and aspects of the events of Holy Week as we prepare ourselves for Holy Week 2010. Then after Holy Week and some history segments the blog will continue with some basic Topical Bible studies and devotions. -- God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
-- The Bible study is dedicated in the name of Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Savior The Bible study is dedicated in the name of Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Savior. May the Lord Jesus Christ be honored by our devotions, our study and in our fellowship. May all the people be blessed and grow in the grace and knowledge of the love and presence of God our creator and our savior. Amen! [article link]
Introduction to the Book of Revelation - The Book of Revelation is the most controversial book in the Bible Revelation has caused major divisions between denominations, churches and families - What makes this book so controversial? {Revelation is about the future and it is about complicated End Time events, events (Acts 1:67) that are purposely clouded from humanity even Christians, the very nature of the Book of Revelation requires a certain amount of speculation and with speculation comes controversy} - A promise of blessing is made in the very first chapter of the book to those who read and hear the words of this prophecy - The book has 404 verses, and according to some scholars, [over] half of those verses have an Old Testament reference The Book of Revelation is a letter revealed to man named John [Disciple John], who was on the Island of Patmos, off the coast of Asia Minor. He was persecuted because of his testimony of Jesus Christ. [The Book of Revelation also contains within it the seven letters] The letter was written to seven churches located in the mainland cities of; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. What is the meaning of this letter? Should the words be taken literally or are they symbolic? Did the letter concern events just in the day of John or did it include events in the future? Was John, the Apostle John or another John? Does this letter refer to Israel or to the church? These are just a few of the many questions raised by those who have studied this book. -- Who wrote the book of Revelation? The early church attributed authorship to the apostle John. Justin Martyr (100-165 A.D.) quotes John the Apostle that Jesus Christ would dwell in Jerusalem one thousand years.[1] Irenaeus (120-200 A.D.) is quoted in every chapter of Revelation. Tertullian (155-220 A.D.) also quotes from almost every chapter of Revelation and attributes John the Apostle as author. Hippolytus (170-235 A.D.) also attributed Revelation to John, he quotes Revelation chapter 17 and 18 a great deal. Clement of Alexandria (150-211 A.D.) and Origen (185-254 A.D.) also attribute John the Apostle as the author of Revelation. Ignatius (30-108 A.D.) writes regarding John the Apostle, And why such facts as the following: Peter was crucified; Paul and James were slain with the sword; John was banished to Patmos; Stephen was stoned to death by the Jews who killed the Lord? But, [in truth,] none of these sufferings were in vain; for the Lord was really crucified by the ungodly. The evidence against John the Apostle being the author is minimal, largely based on grammatical and writing style differences with the John's Gospel. -- When was the book of Revelation written? The other issue regarding Revelation is the date of the book. External tradition places the time of Revelation to the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96), brother of Titus, son of Vespation. Clement of Alexandria reports John returned to Ephesus after the death of Domitian, referred to as the "tyrant". the Apostle John. For when, on the tyrant's death, he returned to Ephesus from the isle of Patmos, he went away, being invited, to the contiguous territories of the nations, here to appoint bishops, there to set in order whole Churches, there to ordain such as were marked out by the Spirit. [article link]
The current plan for the 'blog Bible Study' is to complete the study in 10 segments [article link]
KJV 1611 Holy Bible - Red Letter Edition {A Free PDF KJV Bible} (PDF) The King James Version (KJV) 1611 with the Words of Jesus Formatted in Red is a complete Bible containing both the Old and the New Testaments. [article link]
Basic Christian Theology: Answers to Bible Questions (132 Topics) A Complete handy Reference - Study Guide/Tutorial. It covers 132 Christian Subjects and Topics from Adoption
- Yahweh in an easy to read and understand format. An extensive resource, unparalleled in convenience and ease of use yet advanced in topic research. [article link]
How Can I Download (Youtube) Videos? - Download online videos with SaveVid.com [Enter Video URL:] (Utility) Savevid.com is a tool which gives you the ability to download videos from streaming video sites. You can download videos from Youtube, Google Videos, Metacafe, Spike and more in FLV, AVI, MOV, MPG or WMV formats. [article link]
Basic Christian: Downloadable - Recommended Resources (Video Downloads) Each Mp3 or Video offers important information, encouragement or teaches an important Biblical concept. [article link]
Basic Christian: Downloadable - Recommended Resources (Mp3 Downloads) Each Mp3 or Video offers important information, encouragement or teaches an important Biblical concept. [article link]
Free Downloads: (PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
A Preview and look at some of the aspects of Holy Week and of the 10 Day Jesus Walk 2011 Easter Timeline Devotion that will start on Friday Friday 15th, 2011 and go until ---> Easter Sunday April 24th, 2011 We are going to begin to look at some of the aspects of Holy Week regarding what actually happened during the final Amazing events of Jesus Christ while He was physically here on earth. We will be considering what His events accomplished and how His completed events affect us today both personally and individually as Christians and as a whole as the Christian Church. - God bless you ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
RSS 2 PDF - Create a PDF file complete with links of this current Basic Christian News/Info Feed after the PDF file is created it can then be saved to your computer {There is a red PDF Create Button at the top right corner of the website www.basicChristian.us} Free Online RSS to PDF Generator. [article link]
*** Updated: 07-01-2010 Basic Christian 2010 (2300 Pages) - The BasicChristian.org Website Articles (PDF) Basic Christian Full Content PDF Version. The BasicChristian.org most complete resource. [article link]
Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (Online) Through the Bible blog Bible Study online. The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study. [article link]
Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (PDF) The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study in PDF format. [article link]
~ ~ ~ Basic Christian: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (PDF) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome - NWO] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ. [article link]
~ ~ ~ Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (PDF) The complete Basic Christian blog Bible Study covering Genesis to Revelation in PDF format. [article link]
Update Summer 2010: The Majesty and Glory of King Jesus Christ! "All Blessings, Honor, Glory, Majesty and Praise to the King and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ" - The Basic Christian Ministry is currently undergoing the series "The 8 Kingdoms of the World" regarding the Majesty and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ Basic Christian has recently completed the 'blog Bible Study' and is currently in the process of the 'blog History Study' including the '8 Kingdoms of the World' study. The current plan is to study at a slower pace than the fast paced blog Bible Study and also to insert a couple of Topical Studies before the 8 Kingdom Study really gets back on track. Ideally the plan is to really get into the 8 Kingdom Study this Fall and then conclude the 8 Kingdoms (Kings) study just before we celebrate Christmas 2010 and the birth of the King the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 6:5, Matthew 2:2). Then to spend the time from Christmas to Resurrection Day Easter (2011) studying Christian Church History as we prepare for Resurrection Day 2011 and the birth of the Christian Church - the Christian Church having started on the Resurrection Day of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. [article link]
{Early Preview} Note: The Basic Christian Ministry is in the early stages of a major project -- Creating an 'Adobe Air' [web 2.0 interactive] document [BasicChristian.air] that can be downloaded to any desktop computer and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - *Right click this link) The project is well on its way and is on track to be complete this fall with a Holidays edition. It will provide excellent Christmas devotions and is perfect as a Christmas gift stocking stuffer for others. Most importantly [with the new Adobe Air web 2.0 document features] the end user can create their own links to other websites, blogs, rss feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive, individual Christian, research, devotional and study tool project. - *The current version is just a test version to tryout the Adobe Air environment and any links, blogs or comments that the user inserts could be overwritten when the actual version arrives probably in mid-October. [article link]
ABOUT THIS SHOW - Learn how to effectively build Web 2.0 Technical Documentation using Adobe AIR Presented By RJ Jacquez (Adobe TV) An overview of how to leverage the powerful Adobe AIR platform in order to deliver engaging Web 2.0 Online Help. [article link]
Adding Links and RSS Feeds to an AIRHelp project [end user info begins about 3:30 in the video] (Adobe TV) Learn how easy it is to incorporate user-generated content into your Online Help by adding Links and RSS Feeds to an AIRHelp project in Adobe RoboHelp. [article link]
Basic Christian: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (PDF) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome - NWO] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ. [article link]
Coming Soon: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (RSS) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ [article link]
[*Updated] Basic Christian: blog Bible Study Version 2.0 - eBook available in EPUB format (ePub) The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study in ePub format. To download the eBook 'Right Click' on the Article Link and select "Save file as …" [article link]
Update Winter 2010: The Majesty and Glory of King Jesus Christ! "All Blessings, Honor, Glory, Majesty and Praise to the King and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ" - The Basic Christian Ministry is currently undergoing the series "The 8 Kingdoms of the World" regarding the Majesty and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ - Update: The 8 Kingdoms Study will now continue until about the Easter (Resurrection) Holiday [and the start of the Basic Christian 2011 Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion on Friday April 15th --> Easter Sunday April 24th] then the Church History segment should begin after the conclusion of both the 8 Kingdoms Study and the 2011 Jesus Walk Timeline Devotion Basic Christian has recently completed the 'blog Bible Study' and is currently in the process of the 'blog History Study' including the '8 Kingdoms of the World' study. The current plan is to study at a slower pace than the fast paced blog Bible Study and also to insert a couple of Topical Studies before the 8 Kingdom Study really gets back on track. Ideally the plan is to really get into the 8 Kingdom Study this Fall and then conclude the 8 Kingdoms (Kings) study just before we celebrate Christmas 2010 and the birth of the King the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 6:5, Matthew 2:2). Then to spend the time from Christmas to Resurrection Day Easter (2011) studying Christian Church History as we prepare for Resurrection Day 2011 and the birth of the Christian Church - the Christian Church having started on the Resurrection Day of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. -- Update: The website theme for 2010 has been "Revival - both personal and churchwide" the website theme for 2011 is "Church accountability and openness - Leadership, Financially and Churchwide" then the coming theme for 2012 is going to be "Sabbath Rest and Trust - entering into the finished and completed Eternal works of Jesus Christ" simultaneously in 2012 [or sooner - at the conclusion of the blog History Study] the Basic Christian blog is going to transition again this time into an exclusive Daily Devotional Bible Study - presenting daily devotionals based on segments of the Bible i.e. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. [article link]
Brief Update 2011: Regarding the Basic Christian download files on Microsoft 'SkyDrive' and the new Basic Christian (Adobe Air) platform file 1. The Basic Christian files [free MS Word file downloads] located on Microsoft's 'SkyDrive' are available for download. When a Basic Christian file [or any file] is downloaded from SkyDrive Microsoft by default has placed the file in 'Protected View' mode just click the 'Enable Editing' button being displayed and the file will revert to a standard MS Word file. 2. The new Basic Christian (Adobe Air) file is a highly recommended Platform file - the Adobe Air technology is one of the newest technologies and already much can be accomplished in the way of linking websites, adding personal comments and browsing blogs within the Basic Christian document. Please download and try the various document formats that the Basic Christian materials are now available in and look for Adobe to continue to add features to their new Air document platform. [article link]
The BasicChristian.org website's decoding of the 1966 movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone A bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery. (filmed in Italy, extended version released in Europe in 1966, an edited version was released in the USA in 1968, an almost complete restored-extended version was released in 2003 to DVD) -
imdb.com. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Background - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Why is there a need and what is the relevance of looking at this particular movie? Recently I was listening to a Current Events discussion on a Christian podcast interview - the person being interviewed though unprompted launched into a standard End Time Armageddon scenario. It was the same Armageddon scenario that is so routinely submitted by so many End Time - Watchman ministries that most people assume that the current Armageddon scenario is factually based on well researched Christian doctrine. However the reality is that the current Armageddon scenario is anything but Biblically based and seemingly the way it is dogmatically rendered on Christian radio and in End Time Ministries the Armageddon scenario is actually an occult scenario that has entered into the Christian Church. Lest people say that there is no occult End Time Armageddon scenario we are going to examine the 1966 movie "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" a movie that actually depicts and blueprints all of America's military wars and engagements from the Civil War up until an Armageddon scenario put forth in the movie's climatic showdown scene set in a fictitious cemetery, a massive graveyard called "Sand Hill" i.e. the sand hills of the "Middle-East" and Armageddon. Also, if anyone disagrees that this occult scenario has entered into the Christian Church just remember that the movie came out in 1966 & 1968 and then later in 1970 the book "The Late, Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey came out followed by numerous other authors such as Chuck Missler all following the movie's Armageddon scenario and then blueprinting that scenario into the Christian Church as a modern End Time doctrine for Evangelical Christianity. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Plot Summary 1 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone The movie uses a partly historical and partly fictitious American Civil War setting in order to orchestrate and illustrate (instruct) what is presumably a desired occult outcome to global affairs. The movie has three main characters and several sub-characters all of whom we will examine in detail later. The three main characters though monikered as 'The Good', 'The Bad' and 'The Ugly' are each unveiled in the opening scenes of the movie as equally undistinguishable in their vicious, mean, stubborn and underhanded day to day lives. The movie plot follows the lives of the three figures, The Good - The Bad - The Ugly as they each compete to gain sole possession of a fortune [the earth's wealth] in buried gold. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Plot Summary 2 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone About half way through the movie the scenes follow a series of wartime events and battles. Each scene event depicts a different war in American history. Starting with a brief scene where a Civil War Union solider 'thief' is executed by a formation of Union Soldiers firing into the condemned man at a very close range. This is actually the only scene that depicts a Civil War era combat event in the movie and apparently the occult lesson is that the Civil War was actually an execution of soldiers on both sides in the war, in the intention and extent of the way that the war was fought. After the brief Civil War era execution scene the plot quickly shifts to a city destroyed by war but not the Civil War in the movie's depiction it is now the wars of Europe WWI & WWII. The bomb (shell) that explodes in the middle of the street is a WWI era 'whistling' bomb and explosion {bombs in WWI often had a whistle type of noisemaker attached to them to provide an additional psychological fear factor to the bombing and shelling, a practice that also initially was practiced early in WWII but was soon ended as WWII opted for much more tonnage of bombs in order to achieve the additional fear factor instead of the fewer but nosier bombs of WWI.} - After the WWI view of the city and the bomb explosion in the street the same scene adopts a WWII style as now the men 'attack' through the destroyed city by walking down both sides of the street in a typical WWII military formation and while going down the street encounter a 'sniper'
depicting the ever present German snipers of WWII, the character Tuco utters one word in the scene "hold" very similar in sound to German word "halt". The WWII era scene also depicted a man reading a book (very common of the WWII generation) and also includes a scene where a dead man's shirt is lifted up revealing in appearance a WWII German rife or machinegun wound and not the pistol wound of the movie (and one of the characters comments "he must have shot him at close range" in order to help cover that the wound is too large for a Civil War era pistol wound). Apparently the occult lesson is that WWI and WWII were intended to destroy large cities and in the process endanger, destabilize and shift (relocate) huge populations of civilians. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Plot Summary 3 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone After departing the badly war-torn city two of the characters on route to their destination are 'captured' and forcibly taken to yet another military engagement. This time the military battle is a depiction of the war in Korea as the scenery is now hills with sparsely covered vegetation (characteristic of Korea). Much of the later Korean War [up until the ending stalemate] was fought from small trenches dug along the hills with accompanying artillery positions also dug into the hills. The river in the scene is depicting the Yule River that the Chinese crossed to enter the Korean war. The movie is depicting American and Chinese forces fighting on the bridge. The Captain, younger than the WWII aged men in the previous scene [more on this later] is of the age of a Korean War veteran (in 1966) and acts the part of an Army officer in Korea, his (shrapnel and bayonet) wounds and the treatment of them (a mountain of gauze) are characteristic of the Korean War. Apparently the occult lesson is that Korea was fought to (secretly) bring down bridges and separators between Nations and populations i.e. a global economy. - Note: In the actual Korean War when Marines of the 1st Marine Division raised the American flag in victory during the Battle of Seoul, Korea and within hours of hearing about it General Douglas MacArthur ordered that the American flag was to be removed and the U.N. flag flown in its place and the order was reluctantly carried out by the troops at the scene. - Also Note: Ray L. Walker, USMC veteran of the Korean War "I was there and I recall it well. Including the attempt by an army color guard to remove the American Flag we flew in Seoul and replace it with a U.N. flag. The result was a flag pole we shot to hell - no flag flew from that pole anymore [though the U.N. flag did replace the American flag as ordered in all the other places]. History depends on who's telling it. Usually non-combatants working from official documents." - Source: www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/brief/brief_account_of_the_korean_war.htm [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Plot Summary 4 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Crossing over what remains of the destroyed bridge the two characters find a vastly different scenery (and a different war) on the other side of the river. The scenery is now the lush green (jungle) of the then current war in Vietnam. Spread among the ground are the bodies not of rebel soldiers but the bodies of attacking Viet Cong from the previous night's battle (much of the fighting done in Vietnam was at night). One of the characters comes across a very young (Vietnam veteran age in 1966) and very badly wounded solider. The character covers the wounded solider with his own jacket in a scene very typical of a wounded soldier in Vietnam being covered by a poncho from his fellow soliders to help comfort the wounded solider while a medevac helicopter was on its way and as depicted in the movie often the solider died in the presence of friends {Note: Vietnam veterans actually intimately encountered more death of fellow soldiers than the WWII veterans who were busy attacking through objectives and later saw the dead bodies of close friends, while soldiers in Vietnam died in the arms and presence of one another often while waiting for a medevac.} - In the Vietnam scene the primary scene of destruction is of a badly destroyed and now unusable Church building. Apparently the occult lesson is that Vietnam was fought to completely destroy a Christian based society in America. With the Christian Church now in ruins the character Tuco is now literally blasted from one cannon shot after another [one conflict after another] into the cemetery of 'Sand Hill' setting up the desired
Armageddon outcome. - Note: Defense Sectary Robert McNamara (during the Vietnam war) was a major architect and proponent of extending American involvement in Vietnam and McNamara is quoted on film as saying that if America withdraws (early) from the conflict in Vietnam that the desired social changes [government regulations, taxation, controls, oversight and surveillance] in America could not be achieved in peacetime as easily as they could in wartime. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Character Summary - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone The three main characters in the movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" in the order that they first appear in the movie. 1. Eli Wallach - Tuco (the ugly) Tuco aka 'the rat' however Tuco is apparently the Spanish word for a small rodent that burrows into the ground while 'la rata' is apparently the Spanish translation of rat as in a rodent. 2. Lee Van Cleef - Angel Eyes (the bad). 3. Clint Eastwood - Blondie (the Good) note that the Clint Eastwood character is not an actual blond in the movie so the title 'Blondie' is not an actual title but is a figurative title as the names Tuco and Angle Eyes are also primarily figurative and representational names. In the movie Blondie represents of course the Arian (enlightened) species the Occultists. Tuco a species that burrows into the ground represents the Middle-East Arab Muslim oil Nations. Angel Eyes (someone who is supposedly heavenly focused) represents the people who control and manipulate the Christian Church i.e. a Pastor. In short the three main characters in the movie are an Occultist, a Muslim and a Christian. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Angel Eyes 1 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Angel Eyes - In an early scene in the movie Angel Eyes' first appearance is at the home of a wounded and recovering solider. Angel Eyes is looking for information on behalf of another person and during the conversation Angel Eyes learns that it is information about a stolen and buried payroll that is really the information attached to the name he was attempting to discover for his client. - Angel Eyes pauses at the entrance of the house before going in, in appearance Angel Eyes at first sight appears to look like a Missionary [instead of the dangerous gunman that he is] and indeed Angel Eyes has a big cloth bandanna draped around his neck to indicate subtly that he is a man of the cloth a Christian. Sitting down and eating the other man's food Angel Eyes picks up the bread and cuts off a piece of it, he holds the piece of bread in one hand (as in holding communion) and is filmed in a deliberate act of eating the bread (taking communion) further establishing Angel Eyes as a figure representing Christianity. Later Angel Eyes will be seen drinking from a cup (concluding his communion) and the (communion) cup will appear and be staged as a prop in the final Armageddon scene. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Tuco 1 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Tuco Ramírez (full name: Tuco Benedicto Pacífico Juan María Ramírez - wiki.com) The character Tuco representing the Islam character has a long difficult name to pronounce like a Muslim generally has a difficult name for Westerners to pronounce. When Tuco is apprehended and brought into the Sheriff's office the first time Tuco utters a continuous stream of Arab type of proverbs against his captor, his captor's father and his captor's mother. It is revealed later in the movie that Tuco actually has a brother that is a Catholic Priest in charge of the local Catholic Missionary enclave [Islam and Catholicism as brothers]. Tuco [representing Islam] remarks to his Catholic Priest brother that he is unfamiliar with the Catholic ways and simply kisses the tassel of his brother's robe in a feigned attempt of admiration. In the Catholic Mission Tuco finds himself facing a portrait of a crucified Jesus Christ upon seeing the picture Tuco begins to pray [possibly earnestly for a second] but then quickly and irreverent takes out a bottle of whiskey and drains it in front of the portrait. - The genuinely good natured Tuco as a type of Islam is repeatedly used [his neck constantly in and out of nooses] throughout the movie in the scams and moneymaking cons of others to the point that Tuco really knows no
other way of existing and making a living. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Blondie 1 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Blondie enters the movie in a scene just in time to save Tuco from capture by other bounty hunters. Blondie is anonymous and is first heard without being seen and then is seen only from behind (his entire face is hidden as he talks and when he shoots) the first visible act of Blondie is to call down fire from heaven (well, actually to strike a match and light his cigar) he then proceeds to kill a trinity of three men. Blondie aka "Man with No Name" is also known as Judas when Tuco calls him by his name 'Judas' at the Sherriff's office "Judas you sold my hide." Blondie aka Judas is monikered in the movie with his label of "The Good" at the very moment that Judas or Blondie has just preformed his most devious, sadistic and underhanded task in abandoning a tied up Tuco in the wilderness. Certainly the label of "The Good" is not intended to imply compassion or goodness of any kind but is implying that Blondie/Judas is good at being devious. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Meddler - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Meddler - After the opening credits the first scene in the movie is of a man (meddler - a Don Quixote type figure) who pops-up awkwardly into the viewing frame as if he is an arcade game pop-up toy who's only intention is to be unceremoniously knocked down again. Indecently 'meddler' is a biological blondie however he is nothing of the spiritual Occult Blondie that the movie intends to portray. Unsurprisingly within moments the meddler and his two companions are indeed meddling in the affairs of Tuco, Angel Eyes and Blondie as the unfortunate meddling trio attempts to apprehend Tuco but the shifty Tuco easily dispatches two of them wounding the third and easily escapes being captured by them. Later in the movie meddler again bumps into Tuco and again tries to apprehend Tuco and seek vengeance for his previous wound from Tuco. Upon encountering Tuco the often offended meddler immediately rehearses a long list of grievances and desires that he has intended to visit upon Tuco but Tuco simply shoots him down like the pop-up target he has always been. Meddler or a Don Quixote figure is a very important figure in Occult teachings and supposedly the famed Skull & Bones Society of Yale University has only three items of interest within their society walls the first being a human skull (death and Satan worship) the second being a Black (Satanic) Pope [instituting a Satanic Pope over the Catholic Church] and the third being a statue of a Don Quixote figure. -- "Proverbs 20:3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling." - "Psalms 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." -"Psalms 11:7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright." - "James 5:16 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Catholic Priest - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Catholic Priest - Tuco's brother the Catholic Priest upon recognizing Tuco immediately launches into his own private crusade against [the Muslim] Tuco. Tuco then does reveal to his brother that indeed he is a [Muslim] man with many wives (i.e. a harem) and the two have a minor altercation among brothers. In a very touching scene the Catholic Priest does rightly repent of his treatment towards Tuco and quietly [out of sight of Tuco] asks for Tuco's forgiveness for the previous crusade. Note: The Catholic Mission is portrayed in the movie as a place where both sides in the professed war (good and evil) can freely enter in and receive from the resources of the Mission. How interesting that the Occult scenario is that the Catholic Church should administer its Priestly duties without any Priestly discernment as though the only two options in Christian Ministry are complete acquiesce and acceptance of all things evil or of an over the top unwarranted crusade against every small appearance and detail of evil. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Jew - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Jew - The man named Baker [as in Jewish Matzoh - baked unleavened bread] is portrayed primarily by his Jewish facial features. The Jew is stereotypically depicted as being infirmed, greedy, lazy and in immediate possession of a handful of cash. Angel Eyes [Christian authority] is portrayed as working for Baker, as an unwilling servant to the Jew, it is Baker [the mythical Jewish conspiracy] that ultimately employs and pays Angel Eyes his wages. In the movie plot Angel Eyes has discovered another way to make money via the new information of a buried treasure and he quickly kills the Jew seemingly having gained his own independence. Amazingly in the movie Angel Eyes after needlessly killing the Jew then Angel Eyes clutches the lamp of the Jew and blows out the lamp the light of the Jew is now extinguished but it was also his only source of light and Angel Eyes is left standing in utter darkness foretelling of his own impending destruction. How informative that when Christianity removes the Jewish nature of the Bible, of Christianity and of God revealed to mankind that indeed Christianity has darkened the only light it will ever know. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Batterville - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Batterville - Angel Eyes had discovered that his best opportunity to find more information regarding the buried treasure would be at the Prisoner of War camp Batterville and has placed himself in authority as the Sargent in charge at Batterville. Angel Eyes is looking for the one and last living person a solider originally named Jackson but who was now going under the assumed name of Bill Carson who was the only living clue left as to where the treasure was buried. Batterville is an amazing place, it is a place where Angel Eyes thinks he is in complete authority, able to conduct his own business in his own way. Batterville is the exact Occult scenario of how an Occult influenced [treasure seeking] Christian Church should be run. The prisoners [Christians unfortunate enough to land in Angel Eyes' greedy Mega-Church chapel] are abused, malnourished, neglected, tormented and mistreated at every available opportunity by Angel Eyes and his personally selected staff of enforcers. In a prominent scene in the movie at the aptly named Batterville [where all who enter are battered and beaten] Angel Eyes and his staff are seen in their luxurious accommodations having just taken up a collection [robbing the people of their last cent] from among the newly arrived prisoners. The collection pile is spread out on top of the table and Angel Eyes and his co-conspirators lament that the pile of money and goods wasn't as large as they would have liked it to have been but just the same the pile of money is scooped up into a sack and sent outside the camp [where it will no longer be of any use to the prisoners] through a convenient side window in the office. Angel Eyes insists that the camp's 'praise and worship' band begin to play not that praise and worship will help the downtrodden prisoners all that much but Angel Eyes has learned that even a half-descent praise band will go a long way in helping to cover and conceal the multitude of crimes and indiscretions perpetrated by Angel Eyes and his staff against the honest prisoners of the camp and indeed Angel Eyes sees no reason to release any meaningful financial statements or insert any oversight of any kind into his daily proceedings, a tactic that quickly breaks the morale and destroys the will to resist of all the many prisoners in his beloved kingdom of Batterville. Angel Eyes is called before the Camp Officer the true Camp authority the Commandant [a type of Jesus Christ] but Angel Eyes sees the true authority as diseased (a wound that has not healed and has turned to gangrene) and Angel Eyes simply scoffs and wishes the Commandant "good luck" in his desire of bringing justice, fair treatment and accountably to Batterville and to the entire Army for that matter [though Angle Eyes should have stuck around and come back to the Camp Commandant (Jesus Christ) on the third day and he would have found Him not injured on the cross and not in the grave as he suspected but completely healed and in complete authority]. Angel Eyes does locate the information of Bill Carson but it happens to be Tuco that now has the name of Bill Carson and knows the location of the cemetery where the treasure is buried. Angel Eyes invites Tuco into his office for fellowship and a free agape meal together. Tuco suspecting that the meal is poison is reluctant at first but then dives in with a large appetite and an equally large spoon. Interestingly enough the feast Angel Eyes provides has no cups to drink from and no wine to drink but only whisky to drink and bowls to drink from and both men drink from the bowls of wrath filled to the brim. The cup [communion cup] will come later. True to his nature and desires Angel Eyes quickly instructs an
assistant to pummel Tuco into submission while the camp praise band begins playing in the background intending to cover the crime though the scheme fools few. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Arch Stanton - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Arch Stanton - Tuco is incorrectly told by Blondie that the fortune of wealth is buried in a grave with the name of Arch Stanton on the grave marker when actually the treasure in the movie is buried in the grave next to (on the left side) of the grave marked Arch Stanton. Tuco at first digging through the sand with a board borrowed from the grave on the left and with his bare hands uncovers the coffin of Arch Stanton. Blondie being little help tosses an almost finished Tuco a shovel at the last moment and just as the coffin of Arch Stanton is about to be opened to reveal its contents who should appear tossing in another shovel none other than Angle Eyes himself. The grave is opened by Tuco to reveal not treasure but a skeleton the bones of Arch Stanton [in the Occult the Archangel Satan is the ruler of the dead]. Blondie proclaims that the three will have to work [kill] for the treasure, and actually it's dance for the treasure because what follows is an amazing dance of the Devil that is conducted within an Occult circle by the three participants. Grave markers - There are primarily three types of grave markers in Sand Hill cemetery. The short rounded top gravestone familiar to all graveyards, there are many Christian crosses also a familiar site in graveyards and at the fictional Sand Hill cemetery there is a common third type of grave marker it is a dual plank grave marker that when weathered, aged or assembled shoddily it actually comes appart and separates at the top to reveal a distinct occult V at the top of the grave marker. Arch Stanton happens to be buried in an occult marked grave and it has the distinct occult V located at the top. The name Arch Stanton (Archangel Satan) leaves no doubt that the grave is of occult origin. The grave on the left of Arch Stanton the grave with the treasure to be plundered is marked with a cross. When the skeleton of Arch Stanton [a type of Satan] is exposed it shows a skull that is turned to the left keeping watch on the treasure in the accompanying grave. [article link]
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH DR. JOHN PIPER? {Note: About the Occult V (Victory, Vendetta) symbol - Shortly after the American Civil War the Occult symbol K came into prominence in America and especially in the just defeated Confederate States. In Occult lingo a more highly dedicated occultist would choose more K's i.e. the symbol KKK. However the symbol KKK quickly became detestable in all of America and went out of style. The ancient Occult symbol V always remained in prominence in Europe and like the KKK of America a European Occultist would add multiple V's and actually create the W - Therefor an Occult W is equal to an Occult KKK Here is a recent photo of Pastor John Piper flashing the Occult W sign.} (Photo) In Rick Warren To Be Featured At Desiring God 2010 - I was among the few who broke the story that Dr. Piper had made the ill-advised decision to invite Leadership Network's propped-up Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren to DG 2010 as a keynote speaker. Then, as I shared in Rick Warren Doctrinal And Sound?, unfortunately it got even worse when Dr. Piper decided to defend his decision: At root I think [Rick Warren] is theological and doctrinal and sound. ... So whether one even knows it or not, Warrengate still is slowly simmering; Dr. Piper's choice here has had the rippling effect of people, even outside of any discernment ministries, beginning to look a little closer at his theology, educational background, and associations; e.g. his charismatic bent, his connection to Fuller Theological Seminary, and with the late Ralph Winter. I had received a tip from a source back in June of this past year; and as I followed up on it, it would eventually lead me to discover some disturbing information which I orginally began sharing in Questions Concerning Dr. John Piper and Dr. John Piper And Unanswered Questions. When I wrote those initial articles Dr. Piper was on his much talked about sabbatical; now however, he is back and a few of the mystic books I pointed in the latter piece are no longer in the BBC online library. ... What I just showed you here should give us real concern as the obstensibly Reformed, "happy," and "romantic," Calvinist Dr. John Piper is sounding less like a charismatic and more like a mystic as he points us to apostate teachers of Roman Catholicism and its spiritually bankrupt mysticism; and from what we
can see, this has been going on for quite some time now. Perhaps, now that his discernment is so far off he's even promoting the double-minded Rick Warren, the time has finally arrived for some of his DG speakers to take a closer look at what's going on in this neo-Reformed camp. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: 6 the perfect number - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone 6 the perfect number - After Angel Eyes and Blondie depart the Prisoner of War camp Batterville [now equal partners in search of the treasure at least that's what Angel Eyes thinks] the two camp out by a river and in the morning it is revealed that Angel Eyes has a gang of friends who have come to meet him. One of the them is shot by Blondie before he can even enter the camp site. Angel Eyes tells the rest of the "boys" to come out, Blondie counts them all including Angel Eyes and declares that the six of them make a perfect number because his gun has six bullets. Blondie says the word six exactly three times "… five, six … that's six … six bullets in my gun" for a complete 666. As Blondie is counting and reaches the sixth person who happens to be Angel Eyes just as Blondie counts six and implying all of their deaths Angel Eyes is drinking from his cup completing his communion. Note: This one small seemingly innocent scene is perhaps the most important scene in the entire movie in order to decode the movie and it is one of only two scenes that Sergio Leone edited out of the [1968] American version. Leone might have figured the movie could have been easily decoded by American audiences so the scene was deleted along with an earlier scene with Tuco that comes off as highly socialist. The decoding elements in the campsite scene are two, first each face of the men is clearly shown as they are each counted and each one is about the same age as the others, each man is the age and appearance of a WWII veteran in 1966. The movie audience in America would have easily picked up that all the men in the scene were of WWII age and with the coming destroyed city scene would have realized that the movie had departed the Civil War era motif and had entered a WWI and WWII motif and could have easily placed the next two scenes as Korea and Vietnam. The other deleted element in the same scene is the drinking from the cup. It was probably even more important for Sergio Leone to cut and cover up the scenario that the bad guy represented in the movie was his representation of Christianity. Without seeing Angel Eyes deliberately drinking from the cup it becomes difficult for the audience to combine the earlier eating of the bread with the cup making for a completed Communion sequence and perhaps most important of all by cutting the scene Sergio Leone doesn't have to explain why suddenly Communion cups show up on the mass graves of dead Christians in his ending Armageddon scene [leaving no doubt that it's a Christian massacre that Sergio Leone is depicting in the mass graves at Sand Hill cemetery]. Note: Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef ) served in the U.S. Navy aboard minesweepers and subchasers during World War II. Source imdb.com. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Enabler - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Enabler - The complicit enabler though not generally mean, evil or underhanded like the three main characters in the movie it is the acceptance, actions and abilities of the usually unaware complicit enabler that allow all of the coming events of massive carnage and destruction to so easily and continually take place. We first meet the complicit character in scene #13 titled "Southern Cuisine". Angel Eyes is out riding his horse and looking for clues to the whereabouts of Bill Carson when he comes across a small Confederate outpost. Most of the men are badly injured and are in much pain and are suffering much however one man is not sharing their pain and misfortune that man is the enabler [the unscrupulous; politician, recruiter, defense contractor, etc.] Welcome! It is the first word of the enabler cheerfully spoken to a befuddled Angel Eyes. Enabler is not a solider himself, he has no weapon, he is wearing an empty pistol holster a holster that is placed too far back on the hip to be the dress of a real solider. Enabler doesn't see the pain, the loss or the tragedy instead he sees the comedy, the money, the travel, the experiences, and the opportunity. Angel Eyes quickly knows how to deal with this type of man and gives him a bottle of cheap whiskey in exchange for all the information the man has. A last close-up of the man while he is sitting guzzling his precious bottle of cheap booze reveals that the closer we get to this
man and the more we see of him the less appealing he becomes. Note: the amazing song that is being played in the background of the scene is the Christian Hymn "Were You There?" some of the words are "Were you there when they crucified my Lord? ... It makes me WONDER, Wonder, wonder..." [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Family - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Family - The one intact family in the movie is represented by the Stevens family. No first name is given the family is simply represented as a whole. The unnamed patriarch of the Stevens family is a wounded solider a farmer who is back to farming his land and recovering from his wounds received during his service in the war. Angel Eyes appears at the doorway and for a while it is uncertain if Angel Eyes is a friend or a foe. Walking towards the seated Sevens the accessible and ready to be used gun in the belt of Angel Eyes is now plainly visible and all hope of him being a friend is removed. Angel Eyes seats himself down and begins eating Stevens' food and looking at a small family picture on the wall Angel Eyes asks "is that your family" Stevens replies "yes" Angel Eyes responds with a laugh and says "nice family." Stevens comments that Angel Eyes is there to murder him and offers to pay him a $1,000 "some in gold" Angel Eyes looks at the money and says "a tidy (tithe) sum" takes the money and then proceeds to gun down the elderly family man. Shockingly the movie being an Occult blueprint for the destruction of the family has depicted that Church Ministry is to be the determined tool to destroy the family as a viable unit. Angel Eyes then proceeds to kill the firstborn son and as he leaves a devastated family behind him the distraught mother and her younger son run into the room she screams and collapses. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Upsidedown cross - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Upsidedown cross - In one of the early scenes as Angel Eyes rides onto the Stevens property the youngest son is riding a donkey that is dumping water into a field. Adjacent to the donkey water pumping station is a decorative rock mosaic circle [it is identical to the mosaic rock circle in the final Armageddon scene where the dance of the Devil takes place]. As Angle Eyes rides onto the property the boy stops the donkey and gets off the donkey to go into the house the donkey then continues alone around his circle a distance of about 13 steps and then stops. When the donkey (burrow) stops the two poles of rigging form exactly an upsidedown cross within the rock circle [the two poles in the scene have been enlarged, lengthened (on the set) and by the end of the scene the donkey now cannot get past the one wall causing the donkey to stop and creating the upsidedown cross image in the circle]. Angel Eyes as he rides into the property *takes a shortcut and rides directly over the rock assortment and unknowingly troddens down a sacred Occult symbol. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Socialism - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Socialism - The two known scenes cut from the 1968 film version released to American theaters are all of scene #11 "Rich and Lonely" and the camping by the river portion of scene #22 "Different Partner, Same Deal". The scene "Rich and Lonely" begins with yet another upsidedown cross this time it is a dead chicken being held out by Tuco (the legs of the chicken are tied but the wings hang out). Seemingly with the Occult image opening the scene the representation is that Socialism is just another of the many tools of manipulation available to the Occult realm. Tuco uses the false promise of money to lure his childhood friends into a trap and certain death knowing all along that they will not survive the ordeal with Blondie. Note: The two scenes are restored to the 2003 DVD version of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" however it is suspected (by the commentator on the DVD version) that a few more portions were cut from the original 1966 film and have not been restored and could not be restored, they might be lost. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Church - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Church - The completely destroyed building of what was once a lovely Church is the last structure encountered just before their entrance into "Sand Hill" cemetery. Angle Eyes is not present at the Church his Church and congregation consisted of the abused souls at Batterville concentration camp. The congregants of Batterville remained standing in rows [instead of seated in pews] while the deacons of Batterville took up the offering, the praise band played and Pastor Angel Eyes personally gave the sermon especially to Tuco. A building, pews, baptismal fount, fellowship, freedoms and pleasant scenery were unnecessary items in the religion Angel Eyes sought to capitalize in. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Eye - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Eye - The Occult Eye (Satan's dominance) of enlightenment is prevalent throughout the movie in fact almost every character is filmed at one time or another posed with only one eye showing revealing that each person has a certain level of Satanic enlightenment. Blondie is reviled with one eye enlightenment as he cleans his pistol in the hotel room just as he is enlightened to the pending attack by Tuco's pals. Blondie is further enlightened (shown with only one eye - a spiritual eye) when leaning against the stagecoach after he has learned the name on the grave of the buried treasure. Both Bill Carson (the solider) and Maria (the prostitute) are shown to have a single eye and actually both have a nearly identical, indistinguishable blue eye. Tuco is shown repeatedly to have one eye usually when he wears the eye patch of Bill Carson. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Pyramid - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Pyramid - The Occult pyramid is a structure that is broad at its base yet minimal, selective and very notable at the top. The top of the pyramid has everything and dominates everything while the bottom of the pyramid has nothing and dominates nothing unless it is given the ability to move up to a higher location within the pyramid. The pyramid is evident in the move most notably during the encircled Dance of the Devil when Blondie takes his evident place at the top of the pyramid and Angel Eyes and Tuco vie for the left (unfavored) and right side (favored) positions at the bottom of the pyramid. Then after all of the events of the movie when Angel Eyes is dead and Tuco is left stranded again (this time at Sand Hill) Blondie rides off out of Sand Hill and into a new lush Garden of Eden utopia. The final scene and ending of the movie is the rider on a black horse riding across a now capped - pyramid (the top stone in place) that is etched into the ground mostly visible though somewhat not visible. The movie ends with the ending title "The End" and situated between the two words is the 'cap stone' of the pyramid signifying not the end but a new begging for those who are in and know. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Circle of Dominance - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Circle of Dominance - Satan sits enthroned above his circle and watches down upon the events occurring within his circle just as Satan's faithful servant Arch Stanton faithfully watched the treasure in the grave next to his. The circle of dominance is prevalent in all occult rituals. The subject whether human or spirit being is summoned into the circle and then once in their sphere of influence is dominated. -- "Isaiah 40:21-23 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He [God Almighty] that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity." [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Revelation - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone
Revelation - Angle Eyes once he enters Satan's circle of domination for the last and most evident time has the personal revelation that he has been the one deceived. Make no mistake about it Angle Eyes does not represent the ordinary Christian. The ordinary Christians are the poor unfortunate souls in Angel Eyes' congregation the ones who in this scene are now filling the graves of the mass graveyard at Sand Hill cemetery. Angel Eyes didn't submit to the system any system neither God's nor Satan's but instead rode the system, rode upon the beast and rode it to his destruction. - "Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast [the scarlet coloured beast - Revelation 17:3], these shall hate the whore [Angel Eyes], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Dance of the Devil - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Dance of the Devil - Once in the circle of domination the dance of the Devil takes place. All of the participants enter the circle and dance. Blondie dances elegantly to his rightful and mostly unchallenged place at the top of the pyramid within the circle. Tuco confused and bewildered wanders a bit in his dance. Angel Eyes enters the circle and has the revelation that he has been deceived [in thinking he was an equal partner with Blondie]. Upon his revelation Angle Eyes begins to dance a new dance. Angle Eyes pirouettes [does a dance move] creating his own small circle of dominance attempting to conjure his own ability to emerge from his difficult position and into the position of a fellow Blondie but in doing so Angle Eyes crosses over Tuco, attempting to place Tuco on his gun hand side but instead places himself on the left [from the audience perspective] the unfavored position in the pyramid [but from the top of the pyramid perspective looking down Tuco is on the left side - the Occult favored side]. Angle Eyes has unknowingly danced himself into his position a position in front of an already open grave. The shot is fired, in Shock and Awe a wounded Angle Eyes utters but one stunned word "Oh" and falls into his open grave to be finished off by one more firing of a bullet. - Note: This dance of the Devil has seemingly been taking place since 9-11-2001 when the circle of dominance has been revealed to control almost every aspect of the human condition; war, terrorism, flood, weather, security, finances, food, drugs, crime, clothing, technology and even religion. Also seemingly the Angel Eyes Pastors of America are aware of the dance and just like the Angel Eyes of the movie are desperately dancing in an attempt to circle, cross over and manifest as an enlightened one. Pastor Rick Warrens' U.N. PEACE initiative, Pastor Chuck Smith Sr. and his public support and declaration that Rick Warren is his good, close and dear friend. Pastor Greg Laurie inviting Rick Warren to give the alter call at his Harvest Crusade. Pastor Skip Heitzig opening his congregation to the known Occultist and Satanist Leonard Sweet. Pastor Mike MacIntosh willingly and knowingly taking part in the 9/11 cover-up and accompanying deception. Dr. John MacArthur recently insisting that he has never had a Christian conversion moment in his life. Dr. John Piper assisting Rick Warren and himself displaying occult symbolism [W]. The SBC staff and community in propagating, persisting and covering-up of the fraudulent and dangerous Occult [war invoking "Sand Hill"] agenda of Ergun and Emir Caner, two charlatans who are attempting to portray Islam as dangerous and provoke Christians into a needless, endless and deadly religious war. [article link]
Caner's Comeback Almost Complete - Will Speak to Students at FBC Jax Pastor's Conference - It was announced to FBC Jax high schoolers and their parents this past Wednesday night that Ergun Caner will be speaking to the high school students at the Pastor's Conference on Saturday night, January 29th, 2011 In only seven months since Ergun Caner was removed from his duties as dean of the Liberty Theological Seminary, his rise back to SBC prominence is almost complete - with a little bit of help from his friend Mac Brunson and the high schoolers of FBC Jacksonville. It was announced to FBC Jax high schoolers and their parents this past Wednesday night that Ergun Caner will be speaking to the high school students at the Pastor's Conference on Saturday night, January 29th. I assume this is why Ergun Caner's picture and bio appear at the Pastor's Conference website although he doesn't appear any where in the speaking schedule: he must be
the speaker at the 7:00 pm "Student Conference" on the conference agenda, for which there is no specific speaker listed. If he is the speaker there, why not put his name on the agenda? Why is the cat let out of the bag only a few weeks prior to the conference? Pretty amazing that in just 7 months since his removal as President of the Liberty Theological Seminary over his 9 years of telling fibs in pulpits all over America - exaggerations of his testimony including his growing up in Turkey, learning of American culture through watching American TV shows while living in Turkey, how he was trained in Jihad - all false - that Ergun Caner is now given a platform to speak to high schoolers and presumably seminary students at the 2011 FBC Jax Pastor's Conference. ... This rapid return of Caner to SBC prominence perhaps says just as much about the state of evangelical Christianity as did our eagerness to lap up his stories for nine years and roll in the aisles at his racial and gender stereotype jokes. The lesson is if you can tell a good yarn, make people laugh, have superior oratory skills and can draw a crowd and generate revenue - you will be in high demand. It is about the dollar, and who are your friends. Caner is a co-author with Brunson, and Vines is the one who helped him to fame in 2001 when he brought him to FBC Jax. Neither can afford to let Caner fail. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Armageddon - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Armageddon - A future Biblical scenario [possibly Revelation 20:8-9] where the armies of the earth gather to do war in the Middle-East including the valley of Megiddo a location in the hills "Sand Hill" of Israel. In the Occult scenario Armageddon can't happen soon enough, hoping to destroy much of the population and overtake the planet for themselves. However the Biblical depiction of the battle of Armageddon more likely occurs during the future Kingdom Reign of Nations at the end of the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ when Nations go to war against God. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: No bullets - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone No bullets - Tuco unknowingly enters the dance of the Devil unarmed the bullets having been removed from his revolver the night before by Blondie. In his movie Sergio Leone gives us a complete wide-angle view of both Blondie and Tuco drawing their guns against Angle Eyes but in the next view of Tuco [a narrow camera view] it is unclear whether a determined Tuco has begun to fire on Blondie in an attempt to gain the treasure all for himself. Tuco is pulling the trigger of an unloaded weapon a weapon that might be pointed at Blondie [we don't have a wide-angle view to know for certain] but from the reaction of Tuco it seems that it was. Clearly the Occult plan is to reduce as many factions as possible in reducing the global population. And clearly the plan is to leave whatever fraction of a faction is left unarmed, severely restricted (hands tied) and obedient to the Occult. Tuco is allowed to live, momentarily and as is seen in the movie only if Tuco is willing to run back into the circle of domination something that Tuco willingly does as he runs back into the circle, with hands tied while kicking and shouting but in the circle none the less. That's the movie however in reality Tuco [Islam] is not unarmed and in fact is being overly armed since 9-11-2001 when the neck of Islam was again figuratively placed in a noose only to be again removed and this time mistakenly armed and equipped with enough bullets and ability to take on Blondie. We will look at this in more detail in our coming study of the 10 Kingdoms where in the Bible [Daniel 7:24] three of the 10 Kings feel that they are the rightful rulers and challenge the eventual Antichrist but are swiftly and deliberately dealt with and removed from their authority by the coming Antichrist. Who the three Kings are who challenge the coming Antichrist is unknown, could it be Islam, could it be anyone else? [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Occult Timeline - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Occult Timeline - The Occult seemingly has an alphabetical timeline assigned to America specifically and
possibly the End Times in generally. At the founding of America with the Revolution War the Occult alphabet seemed to be near the beginning using the early letters of the alphabet often the letter B in words, codes and families. The Blair, Brown and Bush families were all significant families on both sides of the Atlantic in England and in the American Colonies. With the events of the American Civil War the Occult society had felt that it had advanced enough to use the letter K i.e. KKK and in the sport of baseball a product of the Civil War scoring records a pitchers domination over a batter with a K as a symbol for a strikeout. Today we are nearing the end of alphabet with the letters V, W and X being used more and more and generation Y is often dubbed as the current teenage generation. Though we are not yet at the end of the Occult alphabet timeline we could be getting close with only the letters Y and Z left to be used. We are going to study End Times a bit more thoroughly and in short what is going to be attempted is a study of the obvious [the British Throne] and the not so obvious [other possibilities] suspecting that the actual End Time events would probably be a combination of the obvious and the not obvious. For instance the emerging Global Kingdom is a "revised" Roman Empire - but how revised? Revised enough for the throne to originate not in Rome but in England [probably], revised enough for the throne to originate in America [possibly] or revived enough for the throne to originate in Arabia [Possibly]. One thing is for certain the End Time events are not set to the point of their being unchangeable. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Tuco 2 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Tuco 2 - Tuco makes his appearance in the movie and like Blondie is heard from before he is seen by the guns of Tuco firing. Tuco bursts into view in the movie by literally bursting through a plate glass window. Tuco is holding a gun in one hand and a half eaten leg of lamb with a bottle of whiskey in the other. Tuco is leaving the scene without paying for his meal. Tuco is a thief that has taken from the shepherds flock. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Blondie 2 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Blondie 2 - Blondie is himself a trinty of personalities. Blondie as the "Man with no name" is a type of the mythical but real Satan. Blondie as Judas is a type of a diabolical personality who cannot be trusted. Blondie as Blondie is a type of person who is in control and in charge of both himself and his situation. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Angel Eyes 2 - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Angel Eyes 2 - Angel Eyes is first presented in the movie in clear detail with the sky of heaven as his background. What Angel Eyes could have been if he had lived up to his own potential. A friend too many, a leader, an example and a divine accomplishment both in this life and in the life to come. Instead Angel Eyes lived not to his best abilities but to his worst abilities, his worst greed and his worst compassions. In the end Angel Eyes is standing in Sand Hill graveyard surrounded by the graves of the men who were the very congregants of his church, yet he is unphased by it all, unphased that is until the reality of his own world comes violently and suddenly crashing down upon him. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Summary - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Hymn: Where you There? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Source: hymnlyric.com -- Where you there [when they Glorified my Lord]? … It makes me to WONDER, Wonder,
wonder! [The hymn uses the older English word 'tremble' but the word 'wonder' is a good or better modern equivalent.] The Christian hymn is asking the question "Were you there" at the cross of Jesus Christ, asking not in an accusing way as in looking for one who had nailed our Savior to the cross but instead asking in a pilgrim way. It is imperative that each Christian make the pilgrimage to the cross of our savior the Lord Jesus Christ. The Prophets of Judah made the trip (Isaiah 53), the Kings of Israel also made the trip (King David - Psalm 22). The three wise men from afar made the trip (Matthew 2) and the peasant girl Mary also made the trip (John 19:26). Fishermen and theologians, disciples and doubters have all made the trip to the cross. Those who have been to the cross, those who have made the pilgrimage to the glorification of our Savior have been able to reflect on the glorious and significant sacrifice that God in His love for us did for us. The hymn is asking the question because having been to the cross it is then impossible to continue to live our lives in the same selfish and disrespectful ways in which we have previously lived. Have you been to the cross of Jesus Christ … It makes me WONDER, Wonder, wonder … [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Conclusion - Decoding "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Italian film director Sergio Leone Conclusion - The movie "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" begins in the opening credits in the midst of an ongoing battle, a large battle is taking place, it is an unseen battle it is the battle of the spiritual realm. According to the opening credits it is both colorful and chaotic it is both stunning and terrifying. We are not simply viewers in this unseen battle we are all participants either willingly or unwillingly. The spiritual war has swept into our country, into our city and it has leveled every block in our neighborhood. We have a choice though, we can either beg for mercy in a harsh war like the owner of the hotel had chosen to do or we can live in faith. We can live in faith, in hope and in love by keeping a war that has come so close to us, to our very doorstep, keeping that war as far away from our heart as possible by knowing that God in Heaven as already prepared a place for us and in that place we won't be disappointed. [article link]
Multiple Dimensions - Exotica: Alien Genesis - Randy Maugans with Nigel Kerner, Dr. Andrew Silverman, Professor John Biggerstaff - wide-ranging [mostly secular] discussion on the phenomena of alien abduction and the ET agenda {Note: The 1966 Occult movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" introduced the world to an Occult Timeline through a series of pre-determined wars and events however that was decades ago and now the Occult is busy (very busy) introducing the world to their version of a multi-dimensional Occult Universe. An Occult universe of Aliens, UFO's, Nephilim, fallen angels, demonic beings, magical and mythical beings of all kinds.} (Mp3) Part 1 of 2 shows: Nigel Kerner, author of "The Song of the Greys" and "Grey Aliens and the Harvesting of Souls", returns with his colleagues to conclude the wide-ranging [mostly secular] discussion on the phenomena of alien abduction and the ET agenda to genetically and technologically re-engineer humanity. You say you want a de-volution...? [article link]
Christian and Missionary Alliance: TOZER DEVOTIONAL, THOUGHTS ON COMMUNION - Tuesday, January 11, 2011 - What a sweet comfort to us that our Lord Jesus Christ was once known in the breaking of the bread - In earlier Christian times, believers called the Communion "the medicine of immortality," and God gave them the desire to pray - But do not then depart; Savior, abide with us and spread Thy table **in our heart [not just in our mind] THOUGHTS ON COMMUNION: What a sweet comfort to us that our Lord Jesus Christ was once known in the breaking of the bread. In earlier Christian times, believers called the Communion "the medicine of immortality," and God gave them the desire to pray: Be known to us in breaking bread, But do not then depart; Savior, abide with us and spread Thy table **in our heart [not just in our mind]. Some churches have a teaching that you will find God only at their table-and that you leave God there when you leave. I am so glad that God has given us
light. We may take the Presence of the table with us. We may take the Bread of life with us as we go. Then sup with us in love divine, Thy body and Thy blood; That living bread and heavenly wine Be our immortal food! In approaching the table of our Lord, we dare not forget the cost to our elder Brother, the Man who was from heaven. He is our Savior; He is our Passover! [article link]
Mormon Coffee: Do you follow God, or the law that governs God? - In Christian circles, this concept creeps in under the guise of "God has to answer my prayers", or "God has to forgive my sins", as if there were something obligating God to do these things - The idea that God is subordinate to a law is endemic in Mormonism In an exchange with a Mormon at the Mormon Coffee website, I concluded by asking my adversary if he followed God, or if he followed the law that governs God. You can find the full transcript here. Though the theology is interesting, what concerns me more is the direction, or rather the two very different directions you can go in, depending on your response to the question. ... If the union of the believer with God is the ultimate objective, then that union is characterized by the worship of God. It is not simply patting God on the back and saying "good job"; it is the total acknowledgement of God as He fully is, for example; ... Within this perspective, it is quite legitimate to consider the law as one of the "powers and authorities" in the "all things" that were created, whether it be the law of Moses or the law of gravity. The law, then, is created by God and has its being in Him, not the other way around. ... Following The Law That Governs God: In order to explore this idea, we need to move into terrain that is totally alien to the Biblical landscape. Firstly, the subordination of the law to God is reversed, such that God is governed by something that is greater than Himself. God is no longer free, in an absolute sense, but is compelled to do things by some greater, external force. In Christian circles, this concept creeps in under the guise of "God has to answer my prayers", or "God has to forgive my sins", as if there were something obligating God to do these things. The idea that God is subordinate to a law is endemic in Mormonism. ... Conclusion: The attempt to follow the law that governs God leads you on a path towards independence from God. You may be promised "all the Kingdoms of the world and their splendor" (Matt 4:8), or even the chance to rule entire planetary systems as if you were God. However these places will not be filled with God-worship and God will not be found in them. If you follow God, then you have Him, and you need nothing else. [article link]
Update: The Basic Christian Info Feed is currently working on a short, complex series of posts regarding the Atonement, Blood of Christ, Relationship [Sonship, Daughtership] Christianity - This is an expanded part of the 8 Kingdoms study - Originally the timeframe of the 8 Kingdoms Study was intentionally shortened in order to simplify the 8 Kingdoms study however now that the study has been extended until about Easter 2011 a few more concepts are going to be brought back into the 8 Kingdoms Study Currently modern Christianity is not generally embedded in the ancient error of 'Law Righteousness' where our own individual righteousness [an acceptable relationship with God] was incorrectly thought to be based on our own individual ability to keep the Old Testament 'Mosaic' (Moses) Laws but currently modern Christianity is deeply embedded in the (Dr. Rick Warren, Dr. John MacArthur, etc.) error of a works righteousness - a socially acceptable (Christianized social gospel - whatever that is at any given time i.e. secular culture, lifestyle, knowledge (evolution, aliens, ET's, etc.), TV, music, pro-sports events, clothing style, hair, facial hair, etc.) based on a series of individual works (i.e. tithing, volunteerism, harmony, good works, submission, social justice, etc.) determined at any moment by a need for social acceptability and social compromise. What the Bible indicates is not a Law Righteousness nor a Works Righteousness but instead a Free Gift (John 1:12, Matthew 17:26-26, Revelation 22:17) a "Relationship Righteousness" our Righteousness not by Law, not by Works and not even by social acceptance [either in Church or in society as a whole] but by a simple relationship of individual Sinner Saved by God [Jesus Christ] and once saved brought into a Family Relationship as Sons and Daughters with God our Father. [article link]
Basic Christian blog Bible Study: Leviticus 1-5 - The Laws for the offerings of the Levitical Priesthood - {There are multiple parts to the Old Testament Levitical Atonement 'Kaphar' (3722) Covering Sin Offering: 1. The sacrifice has to have a cost to the sinner, a precious useful animal was to be sacrificed. 2. The laying on of hands onto the animal's head then the confession and transfer of sins from the sinner to the innocent sacrifice. 3. The sacrifice dies with your sins, death of the sins. 4. The blood [life] of the animal is poured out providing a New Life opportunity (for a season, often one year) from the blood of the sacrifice for the sinner.} 1. The Burnt Offering Sacrifice: Giving totally to God, the entire sacrifice is consumed in fire and given to God. [Note: humans can and should concentrate themselves to God for a time, a season or even just an event. Where the animal offering was burnt and given to God it is the human service, fellowship that is consecrate to God. - The pagan practice is to burn a human in the fire but if a Christian person died in a fire that would end their consecration not start it and there is no such alter of God that would ever accept a human offering, a human is never ever to enter a physical fire as a sacrifice in Judaism/Christianity. The pagan practice of human sacrifice is strictly forbidden and prohibited in worshiping the true God of Israel.] 2. The Grain Offering: A sweat smelling (savor) freewill offer given to God. Bread flower covered with oil and sprinkled with Frankincense aroma is burnt in the fire with the smell of baking bread ascending up into heaven. No human induced ingredients are allowed no leaven [sin] and no honey [mans accomplishments] are allowed in the offering. 3. The Peace (Fellowship) Offering: An animal to be roasted as a celebration meal. The animal had to be without spot [inherited birth defect] or blemish [acquired defect]. The animal was to be roasted the fat [worry] was to be removed and burned separately and given to God the people couldn't eat the fat [worry]. The blood [life] was also to be poured out as at no time could they eat any blood [life of the animal]. 4. Sin Offering for Unintentional Sin (weaknesses): A young bull for the sins of individual people. A mature bull for the sins of a Priest. A [goat] that the leader was to lay hands on it for the sins of the nation. 5. Trespass Offering for Intentional Sin: A sin offering plus a grain (flour) offering withholding the oil and the Frankincense aroma. -Having sacrificed to God and their sins now covered for a year the O.T. Saints could then live in the presence of God to commune and interact with God however the O.T. animal sacrifices did not provide the individual direct access to God. The individual people did not live in the perceivable presence of God, did not have direct access to God and did not experience God the way individual N.T. saints often do. [article link]
Basic Christian blog Bible Study: Leviticus 6-10 - The offerings to God are to restore man's fellowship with God - The problem of sin [a separator, barrier between us and God] is not on God's side the problem is on our side therefore a sacrifice had to be made to cover the sin (or remove the sin N.T.) and open the way to God - Aaron and his sons are anointed for their ministry - the people view the anointing and consecration of Aaron and his sons - During the first offerings 'strange fire' is offered to God and two of Aaron's sons die in the process Strange Fire: 'Leviticus 9:23-10:3 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. Leviticus And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire [not from the alter] therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.' ... 'Leviticus 10:8-9 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine [influences] nor strong drink [delusion], thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations' ... 'Acts 5:1-11 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept [the problem was in the deception not in the keeping] back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost [the only acceptable wine (Holy Spirit), influence that we can be under in our approach God], and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it
remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power [they didn't have to give it all]? why hast thou conceived this thing [disception] in thine heart? thou hast not lied [Strange Fire] unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much [deception]. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt [Strange Fire] the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the Church, and upon as many as heard these things.' - Ananias and Sapphira encountered the same judgment that befell Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron so many years before and that could befall any servant of God at any time even today. Both pairs of 'Priests' were children of God and are in heaven today however each of their ministries to God was ended suddenly by their own rash actions. It was two different Priesthoods; Nadab and Abihu were a part of the Levitical/Aaronic Priesthood while Ananias and Sapphira were a part of the Melchizedek/Jesus Priesthood. Two Priesthoods; one pair offering strange physical fire the other pair offering strange spiritual fire both to the same God and all received the same results. Note: Ananias and Sapphira both died as believing Christians they did not die in unbelief they died offering an unacceptable [strange fire] sacrifice offering to God. [article link]
Bible verse: Psalms 33:1-5 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright - Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto Him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings - Sing unto Him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise - For the Word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in Truth - He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD - {Have a Blessed and Glorious New Year 2011 in the love, patience and presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!} - The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com Psalms 33: 6-22 By the Word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: He layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast [established - secure - available]. The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the Nation whose God is the LORD: and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance. The LORD looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the Sons of Men. From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; He considereth all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host [army]: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain [empty] thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His Holy Name. Let Thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Update Winter 2010: The Majesty and Glory of King Jesus Christ! "All Blessings, Honor, Glory, Majesty and Praise to the King and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ" - The Basic Christian Ministry is currently undergoing the series "The 8 Kingdoms of the World" regarding the Majesty and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ - Update: The 8 Kingdoms Study will now continue until about the Easter (Resurrection) Holiday [and the start of the Basic Christian 2011 Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion on Friday April 15th --> Easter Sunday April 24th] then the Church History segment should begin after the conclusion of both the 8 Kingdoms Study and the 2011 Jesus Walk Timeline Devotion
Basic Christian has recently completed the 'blog Bible Study' and is currently in the process of the 'blog History Study' including the '8 Kingdoms of the World' study. The current plan is to study at a slower pace than the fast paced blog Bible Study and also to insert a couple of Topical Studies before the 8 Kingdom Study really gets back on track. Ideally the plan is to really get into the 8 Kingdom Study this Fall and then conclude the 8 Kingdoms (Kings) study just before we celebrate Christmas 2010 and the birth of the King the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 6:5, Matthew 2:2). Then to spend the time from Christmas to Resurrection Day Easter (2011) studying Christian Church History as we prepare for Resurrection Day 2011 and the birth of the Christian Church - the Christian Church having started on the Resurrection Day of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. -- Update: The website theme for 2010 has been "Revival - both personal and churchwide" the website theme for 2011 is "Church accountability and openness - Leadership, Financially and Churchwide" then the coming theme for 2012 is going to be "Sabbath Rest and Trust - entering into the finished and completed Eternal works of Jesus Christ" simultaneously in 2012 [or sooner - at the conclusion of the blog History Study] the Basic Christian blog is going to transition again this time into an exclusive Daily Devotional Bible Study - presenting daily devotionals based on segments of the Bible i.e. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. [article link]
HOTM: Heart of the Matter Shows Aired in 2010 - Live One Hour Call-in Show - 12/14/2010 #246 Tithing {Note: I had some technical trouble downloading the last two shows - there might be a technical glitch in their website (or not) but keep trying the shows are defiantly worth the effort!} (Video - Mp3) About Heart of the Matter: Started in early 2006, Heart of the Matter is a TV show produced in the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City. It's where Mormonism meets Biblical Christianity face to face! Shawn McCraney, the host of Heart of the Matter, provides great entertainment value and valuable knowledge of Mormonism and what it means to be a Born-Again Christian. Shawn is the author of "I Was a Born-Again Mormon" and the pastor of Calvary Campus. [article link]
Bible verse: Romans 10:11-15 ... How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! - The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com Romans 10:11-15 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him [Jesus] shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! -- Holy Bible [article link]
THE TEACHINGS OF JOHN MacARTHUR - John MacArthur, the gifted and charming pastor of Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, has been the center of controversy for many years - He appears to be one of those rare individuals whose presence leaves a wake of confusion and contention - As indicted earlier, John MacArthur's teachings have resulted in a great controversy and confusion that refuse to go away, even when repeated attempts of clarification are made - One capable Bible scholar labeled his teachings as "imprecise" (im·pre·cise - Lacking exactness and accuracy of expression or detail - Dictionary.com) - {Note: It seems that the reason that Dr. John MacArthur and so many other seemingly gifted pastors, teachers, leaders and evangelists have such a difficult time 'imprecisely' publically explaining their beliefs is because their 'beliefs' privately are vastly different from what they reluctantly attempt to publically display. It does seem that there is a dual (hidden-occult) gospel at work in the lives of many of the Christian leaders - one gospel for the common masses of people and a separate hidden (non-public) gospel for the leaders themselves. These men are not stupid [they administer millions of dollars], not naïve and defiantly not uninformed [i.e. current events - the LU Ergun Caner controversy] and when they can't clearly present the simple Gospel Message (God has forgiven our sins and offers to us freely of His eternal life - Revelation 22:17) it is because they don't believe the simple
gospel message accurately represents their beliefs. Sadly it looks as though the one gospel message for the common people who are deemed unworthy is a gospel of payments (tithes), self-sacrifice, suffering, violence and ultimately death unto salvation yet for the worthy boastful Church leadership their gospel belief in themselves is in self-righteousness, favoritism, unaccountability, riches, eternal rewards and worldly personal gain all supposedly appointed and designated from God. Two messages for two separate classes of Christianity - an enlightened [born w/o original sin] christian class and another common Christian slave class that is never to be cleansed in this lifetime, by the blood of Jesus, and set free from the bondage of mankind at least not regarding the teachings of a manipulating and controlling, self-enlightened class.} John MacArthur, the gifted and charming pastor of Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, has been the center of controversy for many years. He appears to be one of those rare individuals whose presence leaves a wake of confusion and contention. For many, he is a champion of the faith whose voice is correcting many of the ills of Christianity. For others, his teachings border on heresy. He is seen by these as a threat to the Christian faith. Much has already been written concerning John MacArthur. What good could another article about him accomplish? Why should the VISITOR get involved in the fray? If John MacArthur is being unjustly criticized, he should be defended. If, on the other hand, John MacArthur is doing damage to the body of Christ, he should be exposed. In either case, the influence of John MacArthur and its subsequent confusion have reached into the ranks of fundamental Christianity. Silence is not an option. ... As indicted earlier, John MacArthur's teachings have resulted in a great controversy and confusion that refuse to go away, even when repeated attempts of clarification are made. One capable Bible scholar labeled his teachings as "imprecise". There are no doctrines that are more essential to our historic Christian faith than the saving power of the blood of Christ and the eternal Son-ship of the Person of Christ. Since the 1970s, MacArthur has managed to muddle what the Word of God has made clear concerning these truths. At the core of the problems MacArthur's insistence upon redefining terms so that he uses orthodox language to express himself, but he has changed the meaning of the words. This, of course, was the tactic employed by neo-orthodoxy. ... MacArthur creates an issue that doesn't exist by seeking to separate the death of Christ from the blood of Christ. On page 237 of his commentary on Hebrews, MacArthur states that it is "not Jesus' physical blood that saves us, but His dying on our behalf" . In a letter to Mr. Tim Weidlich, dated April 4, 1986, MacArthur writes, "Obviously, it was not the blood of Jesus that saves or He could have bled for us without dying. ...Yes, the blood of Christ is precious - but as precious as it is - it could not save." MacArthur reduces the blood of Christ to a mere symbol of death. ... John MacArthur teaches that although Jesus is eternal, He is not the eternal Son of God. He writes, "Son is an incarnational title of Christ. It is an analogy to say that God is Father and Jesus is Son...God's way of helping us understand the essential relationship between the first and second persons of the Trinity. ...Christ was not Son until His incarnation". (Commentary to the Hebrews, pp. 27, 28) ... John MacArthur is a champion of compromise. Even if he did not perpetuate confusion and false doctrine, he would not qualify as an acceptable leader for fundamentalists. MacArthur is a staunch new evangelical with impeccable credentials of compromise. ... Let's not play games with the precious doctrines of God's Word. There are no good reasons to tamper with truth. We are saved by the blood of the crucified One. We need no other message. [article link]
John MacArthur's Lame Bible Commentary By David J. Stewart - I have in front of me the "Revised and Updated" edition of The MacArthur Study Bible - It pains me to look through it, because John MacArthur's commentary is as corrupt as is the New King James Version (hereafter referred to as NKJV) upon which it is based - I'd like to share with you some of my observations - A naive believer would have difficulty in identifying MacArthur's theological blunders and bias toward modern corrupt bible versions, but with the Lord's help I will show you a few things that I believe are very importan {Note: One of the biggest changes from the KJV to the NASB and other modern translations is the verse Revelation 5:10 where "And hast made 'us' [Christians] unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. - KJV" to "You have made 'them' [angels] to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth. - NASB" - Using 'they' [angels] in ver. 10 is clearly an error based on ver. 9 referring to redemption and angels are not redeemed Christians are.
"Revelation 5:9 … for Thou wast slain [cross], and hast *redeemed 'us' to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"} Worshipping Jesus Ignored: Jesus Christ is worthy to be worshipped as Almighty God (John 1:1-3,14;10:33; Revelation 1:8), and we should worship Him. Deceitfully, most modern versions remove the word "worship" concerning Jesus Christ, and replace it with a mere "knelt." The NKJV is no exception and perverts the Word of God in Matthew 20:20. Of course, in all these perverted bibles, they still keep the word "worship" in Revelation 13:4 concerning those who worship THE BEAST! Evidently Nelson Publishers has no problem with worshipping Satan. ... Interestingly, John MacArthur, in his Revised and Updated 1997 edition of The MacArthur Study Bible fails to comment on the issue of worshipping Jesus in Matthew 8:2, 9:18; 14:33; 15:25 and so forth. What is he hiding? I believe it's because MacArthur knows that if he comments on these Scriptures, i.e., concerning Jesus being "worshipped," that he'll stick his neck out, because the NKJV and other modern versions have been corrupted. The trustworthy KJB says that the mother of Zebedee's sons "worshipped" Jesus; but the watereddown NKJV states that she only kneeled before Jesus. There's a big difference between kneeling and worshipping. One can kneel in honor or respect of a dignitary without worshipping him. For MacArthur to comment on this issue, in lieu of these corrupted Scriptures, would open him up to much criticism. ... The Necessity of the Literal Blood of Jesus Ignored: MacArthur also fails to provide any meaningful comment on the applied blood of the Passover lamb in Exodus 12:13. In MacArthur's Revised and Updated "Study Bible," he avoids Exodus 12:13 like the Bubonic Plague. Exodus 12:13 in the KJB reads, "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." MacArthur doesn't comment concerning the necessity of applying the blood to the doorposts and lintel of the home. It baffles me as to why any professed Gospel preacher would make light of the literal blood of Jesus Christ. MacArthur has nothing good to say about Jesus' physical blood, because he doesn't think it has any value in and of itself. ... There is NO such teaching in the Scriptures! John MacArthur has fabricated his own corrupt way of thinking. Hebrews 9:6-7 state: "Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second [i.e., the holy of holies] went the high priest alone once every year, NOT WITHOUT BLOOD, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people." How can Mr. MacArthur be so naive and unbiblical as to claim that Jesus' literal physical blood didn't need to be applied to the Mercy Seat in Heaven, in consideration of such overwhelming Scriptural evidence? What good is a "Study Bible" that ignores the most important doctrine in the entire Bible? 1st Peter 1:18,19 tells us just how important the blood of Jesus is: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." ... Ghostwriting?: There are so many contradictions in The MacArthur Study Bible, as compared to MacArthur's previous writings, that it is questionable to me if some of his commentary was written by a GHOSTWRITER. Here's a perfect example of how MacArthur contradicts himself 100%. ... And Thomas Nelson Publishers have the audacity to claim in an ad for the NKJV (Moody Monthly, June 1982, back cover), "NOTHING HAS BEEN CHANGED except to make the original meaning clearer." [article link]
John MacArthur & The Blood of Christ - A very Excellent video 'blood = life' not death - "[John] MacArthur doesn't believe in the (life) blood of Jesus for Salvation (our eternal life) but in the death of Jesus for (our) salvation" - (YouTube) Using John MacArthur's own study bible [NASB-NKJV] to show that MacArthur does not regard the 'precious blood' (1 Peter 1:19) of Jesus (shed and poured out) to be our Salvation (healing) for forgiveness of sins and freely available to us [everyone - not a limited atonement] for our own receiving of eternal life. [article link]
A Response to John MacArthur and his very bad theology concerning the Blood Of Jesus Christ (YouTube) I must say I find Mr MacArthur very flawed concerning the Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I find his
attitude very Caviler and very prideful. **It's a very dangerous thing following men. It only brings falsehood and division. We must be Sola Scriptura alone. Then, there is no love among Christians. Only fighting over or defending what our favorite teaches says. It must be terribly unattractive to unbelievers. But it exposes the pride in hearts and unbelief in the people who claim to be Christian. Question: Are we Blood bought Christians, or are we not? [article link]
[Warning!!] Very Bizarre Comments by Dr. John MacArthur - John MacArthur Defends himself on the blood of Christ - {Note: John MacArthur seems to indicate that he thinks 'the violence of the death' of Jesus is what saves us and not the divine blood of Jesus that gives us a new life. - And Note: That Jesus did not die of asphyxiation as noted by John MacArthur - the Bible says that "Jesus gave up His ghost" (John 19:30) Jesus separated (death) Himself from His own body, something that sinful humans are unable to do by ourselves (Revelation 9:6). - Also Note: The violence directed against Jesus by mankind is mankind's sin against God and is not a part of our salvation. Violence is man's sins against God as it is our violence towards God that represents our sin. We are saved (salvation) not by violence but because God [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] forgave our sins [Colossians 1:14, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 10:15-18] forgiving us God now offers (Communion) to us from His eternal life-blood. -- Lastly: John MacArthur and others [Rick Warren, Chuck Smith Sr., Robert H. Schuller, etc.] seem to have a secret (occult) gospel that they privately believe [no original sin for them and their families, they don't sin, they are God's faultless-chosen and anointed servants, they personally represent, grant entrance, manifest, "generate", expand and define the Kingdom of God on earth, etc.] but publically they attempt to preach a more conventional gospel, though with some difficulty.} (YouTube) Comments: Maybe it was a misunderstanding because you mentioned not God's blood. Acts 20:28 says God purchased the church with His own blood. God is Spirit, and the blood of Jesus is not a spirit but by the power of God, the Spirit God manifested in the flesh. 1 Tim 3:16. So Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and everything of Jesus is the Spirit manifested in the flesh. John 1:14 The word became flesh and dwelt among us. It is a divine blood. [article link]
ESV John MacArthur Study Bible Attacks the Blood of Christ - Macarthur is a deceived man...he is a heretic (YouTube) Comments: 1. The ESV does not remove the phrase [through the blood] (Colossians 1:14). The KJV adds it [really...from what?]. 2. The ESV speaks of the atoning blood many times such as Romans 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ... | You need to read the verses before and after a verse. ... | Amen to the importance of the blood of Christ. ... | The Bible isn't too supportive of "follow the [human] leader"! :o -- "Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption [life] through His [life] blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" [article link]
Excellent Article!! - SolaSisters: Anne Rice "No Bloody Atonement Necessary?" [12/24/2010 - WSJ] [no original sin] - A baby in a manger cannot save anyone, and in truth, we cannot - must not - stop at the manger - The manger is just the beginning of the story of Jesus, and ultimately, this story leads to the Cross - {It should also be noted: Regarding the incorrect doctrine of 'Limited Atonement' that the Atonement [Christ] was sacrificed here on earth - there is no atonement blood being sacrificed in heaven to be given down to mankind. The atonement blood sacrifice was shed on the cross of Jesus on earth and the works of the cross of Jesus offered up and accepted by God the Father in Heaven creating a completed atonement [the repaired relationship between the Holy God and a sinful mankind] at one time for all mankind; past, present and future. -- "Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." -- "Leviticus 6:7 And the priest (Hebrews 3:1, Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 6:20) shall make an atonement for him [sinner] before the LORD [God]: and it shall be forgiven him [sinner] for any thing of all that he hath done [sins] in trespassing therein." - Also Note: The atonement sacrifice of Jesus is complete, conclusive and eternal for all mankind who are willing to receive it because the blood that Jesus shed on the
cross after His death [full payment for our sins] is blood that is sinless [unlimited], Holy [in fellowship with God] and eternally [pre-existent] alive [Spirit life]. We receive our eternal life from the life of the blood (Leviticus 17:11) of Jesus promised at the Last Supper Communion (Matthew 26:28) then shed and poured out (John 19:34 - Psalms 22:14 - Isaiah 53:12) on the cross.} I would remind anyone reading what Anne Rice wrote that the atonement was not simply a theory. It was an actual event that happened in history, and it is only through the atonement that we are able to touch Christ's "outstretched hand." In fact, without the atonement, no one may approach God, and all who reject the atonement will remain under God's wrath. -- To me, it is far more amazing to have a Savior who was human yes - but who was fully God, too. And because of his Deity, Christ was able to make the ultimate sacrifice: offering up his own perfect, sinless life and suffering God's wrath on behalf of those who would repent and place their faith in this atoning work done on their behalf. God - in his magnificent, unsurpassable wisdom made a way to reconcile wretched, sinful men and women to himself without compromising his perfect, holy justice. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, who was both fully God and fully man, and who lived a perfect life, never sinning in thought, word or deed, and who, because of this, was able to offer up his life as a ransom for many. I broke God's laws, and Jesus paid my fine in his life's blood so that I could be released from the rightful condemnation of the law. But this gift of salvation, though given freely, is narrow and exclusive. Only those who recognize their sinful wretchedness and need for a Savior, and repent and place their faith in Christ's atoning work done on their behalf, will see the kingdom of Heaven. -- A baby in a manger cannot save anyone, and in truth, we cannot - must not - stop at the manger. The manger is just the beginning of the story of Jesus, and ultimately, this story leads to the Cross. -- Anne Rice is celebrating the "what" of Jesus's incarnation [Christmas] (that He actually came, that He entered into time and space), but she is leaving out the most important part of Christ's incarnation, which is the "why" of his incarnation: the Cross. Quite literally, Jesus was born so that one day He would die. His life's mission was that He would be born, live a perfect life, and then die and rise again, conquering sin and death and reconciling God's people to himself. [article link]
Triablogue.blogspot - [12/28/2010] Bible-optional Christianity: William Lane Craig "As for your two moral objections, the first is an objection to the doctrine of original sin. But once more, that doctrine is not universally affirmed by Christians and is not essential to the Christian faith. So don't let that be a stumbling block for you." - COMMENTS: VYTAUTAS SAID: "If the doctrine of original sin is optional, then so is the doctrine of imputation. Paul bases justification to life eternal on Adam's trespass." Comments: The fact that WLC (William Lane Craig) [at one time] personally affirms original sin doesn't change the fact that he [now] feels free to tell potential converts which Scriptural teachings they must believe and which Scriptural teachings they may disregard. ... SKOTOS SAID: I didn't mean to defend WLC by putting forth the full quote, only to make sure we don't take his words out of context. Just curious, did all of the people posting comments read through the entire post by wlc? Again, I'm not here to defend him, just to make sure his comments get a fair trial. In case you are wondering, I very much believe in the doctrine of original sin and the need to show people of it. [article link]
ReasonableFaith.org: [about 12/28/2010 - undated material] [WLC] Question 193 Subject: Overweening Ignorance by William Lane Craig "original sin ... not essential to the Christian faith" - {Note: are William Lane Craig, Anne Rice, Billy & Franklin Graham, George Bush Jr. and others operating in a pre-planned, coordinated, Christmas 2010 assault on traditional 'original sin' Christianity? Certainly the Bush family and others would like people to believe that they are unique or even superior to others in a birth without 'original sin' yet that would simply be an "Unreasonable Faith" for Christians to follow.} Dr. Craig responds: ... Similarly, most Christians don';t hold to Young Earth chronology, as you seem to assume. So that needn't be a hindrance to you. You assume that God cannot give and take human life as He sees fit; but I see no reason at all for that assumption. God is under no obligation to prolong my or anybody else's life for
even another second. You speak derisively of the doctrines of the Trinity and incarnation; but you do not interact with my or any other philosopher's articulation and defense of those doctrines (see Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview). As for your two moral objections, the first is an objection to the doctrine of original sin. But once more, that doctrine is not universally affirmed by Christians and is not essential to the Christian faith. So don't let that be a stumbling block for you. What is essential to Christian faith is that all men are sinners and in need of God's forgiveness and redemption. I'm sure you'd recognize your own moral shortcomings and failures, Luke. So don't get hung up on Adam's sin. It's your own sin you need to deal with. [article link]
Apprising.org: [12/29/2010] "SOME PEOPLE ARE BORN CHRISTIANS" [without having original sin] According to the below (quote) by former President George W. Bush Jr. from his [2010] book "Decision Points" - The Rev. Billy Graham made a rare appearance Monday [12/20/2010] at a book-signing for former President George W. Bush Jr. and his wife, Laura Bush "Some people are born Christians," at least so says renouned Southern Baptist evangelist Billy Graham. According to the (quote) below by former President George W. Bush from his [2010] book "Decision Points". ... The problem is: If some so-called "religious" people are simply born Christian without being "born-again" we have just negated the doctrine of regeneration; we have salvation by osmosis ala the heresy of the wider mercy view, which Graham espouses in the video below. However, God's Word tells us that someone who has not been regenerated remains a slave of sin (cf. Romans 6:16-20); and no matter how religious one might be Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36). ... In Billy Graham Makes Rare Appearance at Bush Book-Signing w''re told: The Rev. Billy Graham made a rare appearance Monday [12/20/2010] at a book-signing for former President George W. Bush Jr. and his wife, Laura Bush. The 92-year-old evangelist, who sat in a wheelchair, and his son, Franklin, had lunch and prayer with Bush and the former first lady before heading to the Billy Graham Library to receive signed copies of the Bushes' books and pose for photos. Bush and his wife were in Charlotte to sign copies of their respective memoirs, Decision Points and Spoken From the Heart. Franklin Graham said the former President and his father have been friends for 30 years. (Online source) Friends for thirty years; more than enough time for friends to discuss what they believe about salvation. [article link]
Excellent Commentary!! - Dr. John MacArthur Can't Recall Conversion; [08/06/09] Claims He 'Always Believed' [no original sin?] (YouTube) Pastor John E. Coleman of "Into The Word Apologetics" examines peculiar statements by the inimitable John MacArthur regarding his conversion experience. The following are excerpts from "John MacArthur's Life Testimony": JOHN: Well I always believed the gospel. I don't ever...I don't ever remember a time when I didn't believe the gospel. I mean, it was so wonderfully modeled by my Mom and Dad [without original sin?], it was so consistent. They were exactly at home what they were in the church. And what my Dad was in the pulpit he was in the house. And Christ was always very wonderful to me and inviting to me. And my Mom and Dad lived out their Christian life before me. And so, I never rebelled against it. I always knew I needed Jesus to be my Savior. PHIL: So youre saying...are you saying it would be difficult for you to put your finger on when your conversion took place? JOHN: Yeah. I've never been able to do that. And it doesn't bother me. I think I'm one of those kids...I was one of those kids that never rebelled and always believed. And so when God did His saving work in my heart, it was not discernable to me. [article link]
#1 blog Post of 2010 - Emerging Church DVD - Extremely Important Viewing!!! - Part 8 Dialectic Deception [*To Download Click the Share Button] (Online Video) Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The
Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Basic Christian - New Website Menu System - Example Page Note: The BasicChristian.org website is working on implementing an additional website menu system structure [left side of the page] to aid in article and website navigation. The intention is to provide the BasicChristian.org website as an easier to use research, devotional and study tool website. [article link]
Christmas 2010: Christmas Day "Savior Day" - Celebrating the Arrival-Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind - Giving 'Glory to God in the Highest' this is the very basis of our human relationship to the Holy, loving, kind, compassionate and tender God! (PDF) Christmas Day - "Savior Day" The Day Jesus Christ the Savior of the world entered into the world! Celebrating the Arrival (Birth) of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. Christmas time is a wonderful time it is a time of reassurance of God's love and of God's commitment for all mankind throughout all time. Enjoy the Christmas holiday season knowing that there is indeed a Savior-Redeemer for mankind and that Jesus Christ is the SaviorRedeemer. ... "Luke 2:8-12 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." [article link]
Update Summer 2010: The Majesty and Glory of King Jesus Christ! "All Blessings, Honor, Glory, Majesty and Praise to the King and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ" - The Basic Christian Ministry is currently undergoing the series "The 8 Kingdoms of the World" regarding the Majesty and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ Basic Christian has recently completed the 'blog Bible Study' and is currently in the process of the 'blog History Study' including the '8 Kingdoms of the World' study. The current plan is to study at a slower pace than the fast paced blog Bible Study and also to insert a couple of Topical Studies before the 8 Kingdom Study really gets back on track. Ideally the plan is to really get into the 8 Kingdom Study this Fall and then conclude the 8 Kingdoms (Kings) study just before we celebrate Christmas 2010 and the birth of the King the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 6:5, Matthew 2:2). Then to spend the time from Christmas to Resurrection Day Easter (2011) studying Christian Church History as we prepare for Resurrection Day 2011 and the birth of the Christian Church - the Christian Church having started on the Resurrection Day of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. [article link]
Update: The postings, Information and Resources regarding the 8 Kingdoms Study will continue until about the Christmas Holiday Season Also Note: The current introductory material of the 8 Kingdoms Study [Days of Noah - Flood of Noah (ancient earth 1.0 - and then the new present post flood 2.0 earth - 2 Peter 3:6) Kingdom of Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Days of Job, Hammurabi, Abraham, *King Melchizedek, Kingdom of Egypt] is being presented in a merged fashion because it is important to note and to grasp that the early Kingdoms, with the exception of Abraham and Melchizedek were all merged. Once we can get ahold of the concept that the ancient civilizations were a continuing and ongoing concentration of the same [occult] work and teachings then we can more easily understand the environment of the ancient civilizations and apply it to our day in that we are also living in a modern environment that has been handed down via the previous 6 occult Kingdoms of the world and [Mystery Babylon - the fallen angelic realm (Revelation 17:5)] is steadily working to bring in and enact the 7th and final occult Kingdom [NWO] of the human world. -- Soon, as the study progresses all the introduction
material will be grouped and categorized [like the blog Bible Study] into an easy to access list of Topics. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Film Critics [Detroit Film Critics Society]: How I [Debbie Schlussel] Voted & What We Chose for 2010 Best Films, Etc. - MY NOMINATIONS: BEST FILM 1. "The King's Speech" [The story of King George VI (Prince Charles' Grandfather) of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it - imdb.com] {Looks like an excellent movie from the preview and with Debbie's recommendation I'm for sure going to see it. It is also a very timely movie as the world is apparently moving back into an end time global Monarchy (10 Kingdoms - Daniel 7:7) period. Also Note: The Kingdom of England (Great Britain) might or might not be the 'little horn' Antichrist Kingdom but either way the throne of England is going [to continue] to be the major player in world events right up until or including the time of Antichrist.} (Movie Review) I will be posting a separate list of my top ten best movies of the year in the next week or so, but our rules and constraints for this list are different. In this case, we could nominate and/or vote for 1-5 choices, with the number 1 choice being worth the most (5 points) and the number 5 choice being worth the least (1 point). So, here's what I picked as a DFCS critic . . MY NOMINATIONS: 1. "The King's Speech" [review will be posted on December 24th] ... And here are the winners, as voted on by the Detroit Film Critics Society: BEST FILM: "The Social Network" [A story about the founders of the social-networking website, Facebook. - imdb.com]. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The Kings Speech Trailer 2010 HD (YouTube) The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it. - imdb.com [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - King Edward's Chair - The Coronation Chair, is the throne on which the British monarch sits for the coronation [ceremony marking the investiture of a monarch or their consort with regal power, specifically involving the placement of a crown upon his or her head - wiki.com] - It was commissioned in 1296 A.D. by King Edward I King Edward's Chair, sometimes known as St Edward's Chair or The Coronation Chair, is the throne on which the British monarch sits for the coronation. It was commissioned in 1296 by King Edward I [also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307 - The first son of Henry III] to contain the coronation stone of Scotland - known as the Stone of Scone (Stone of Destiny) - which he had captured from the Scots who had kept it at Scone Abbey [In 1296 the Stone was captured by Edward I as spoils of war and taken from Scotland to Westminster Abbey]. The chair was named after England's only canonised (Sainted by the Pope) king, Edward the Confessor [Reign: 8 June 1042 - 5 January 1066], and was kept in his shrine of St Edward's Chapel at Westminster Abbey. - History: Since 1308, all anointed sovereigns of England (until 1707) and Great Britain (after 1707) have been seated in this chair at the moment of their coronation, with the exception of Queen Mary I (who was crowned in a chair given to her by the Pope) and Mary II (who was crowned on a copy of the chair). The last occasion was the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953 [mother of Prince Charles - grandmother of Prince William]. King Edward's Chair, as it stands now in Westminster Abbey, without the Stone of Scone. The high backed gothic style arm chair was carved in 1297 from oak by a carpenter known as Master Walter, who was paid the considerable sum of 100 shillings for his work. Four gilded lions act as legs to the chair; these are a comparatively modern restoration executed in 1727. They replace similar lions which were added in the 16th century. Under the seat of the chair is a platform and cavity which until 1996 contained the Stone of Scone; this has now been returned to Scotland [in 1996] with the proviso that it be returned to the chair on the occasion of the next coronation. The chair may once have been richly painted and gilded - it is thought it once had an image of Edward the Confessor painted on its back. Today, however, its appearance is of aged and bare wood, and during its history many early tourists, pilgrims, and choir boys in the Abbey appear to have carved their initials and other graffiti onto the chair in the 18th and
19th century. The carved finials at the back of the chair have also been partially sawn away. In addition the chair was damaged in 1914 when it was the object of a bomb attack, thought to have been instigated by the suffragettes. Over the eight centuries of its existence it has been only twice removed from Westminster Abbey. The first time was for the ceremony in Westminster Hall when Oliver Cromwell was inducted as Lord Protector of England, and the second during World War II when it was evacuated to Gloucester Cathedral for the duration of the war. Today it is highly protected, and leaves its secure resting place (in the ambulatory on a raised modern pedestal near the tomb of Henry V) only when it is carried into the theatre of coronation near the High Altar of the Abbey for the rare occurrence of a coronation. [article link]
Christmas 2010: SolaSisters - God Came Near - Christmas became the most wondrous time of year to me because it was TRUE......God did step into humanity, piercing the veil between the natural and the supernatural God Came Near - Christmas was always my guilty pleasure every year as a New Ager. My wiccan-pagan-hindu friends would give me a hard time for putting up a tree and decorating, and not having the "strength of my convictions." But I just always loved the gaiety of the season: the parties, the food, the sparkle, the fun, the decorating. And it seemed so hopeful at heart, this idea that God could have actually come into the world. Impossible, of course, but hopeful. Once I was born again, of course, Christmas became the most wondrous time of year to me because it was TRUE......God did step into humanity, piercing the veil between the natural and the supernatural, but even more than that, He did it so that wretched men and women could be reconciled to a high and holy God. Amazing. Soli Deo Gloria! [article link]
Update: Being in the Jewish Hanukkah (Chanukah) Festival Season already - The historical Hanukkah events are an offshoot of Greece, Alexander the Great's 5th global Kingdom of mankind In the weeks before Christmas 2010 it might be a good idea to study some of the 5th Empire - the Kingdom of Greece, Alexander the Great then take a brief look at Rome the 6th Kingdom the Kingdom during the life and events of Jesus Christ on earth. Then with Christmas belonging to Jesus Christ we will spend the week or two before Christmas celebrating the coming 8th Kingdom the Righteous, Eternal Kingdom Reign of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that begins on earth for 1,000 years then transitions into eternity with a New Heaven (sky) and a New Earth (Revelation 21:1-7). [article link]
8th Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Eternal Kingdom - "Revelation 19:11-13 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He [Jesus] that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war [against sin]. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and *on His head were **many crowns; and He had a Name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His Name [Jesus] is called The Word of God (John 1:1)." All throughout the entirety of the scriptures of the Holy Bible what the people of God have kept in sight is the Kingdom of God. Adam, Eve, Abel, Noah, Job, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, King David, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Mary, John the Baptist, Peter, John, Paul, Stephen, Cornelius, Luke, Aquila and his wife Priscilla, etc. all looked to and hoped in the coming eternal Kingdom of God a Kingdom that they and all who hope in it are each a very important part of. -- "Isaiah 28:5-7 In that day [after the cross and resurrection] shall the LORD of Hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of His people, And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. But they also have erred through wine [seducing spirits], and through strong drink [doctrines of demons] are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment." -- "2 Timothy 4:1-8 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead *at His appearing and *His kingdom [the 8th Global Kingdom of the earth]; Preach the Word [Jesus]; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. **But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me *a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but **unto all them also that love His appearing." [article link]
8th Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Eternal Kingdom - The 3 Thrones of Jesus Christ - Current Throne in Heaven, Eligibility: Relative - Son of God (Father God) [eternal co-reigning with the Father and the Holy Spirit] - Future Millennial Kingdom Throne in Jerusalem, Eligibility: Relative - Son of Man (descendant of King David) - Eternal Throne of New Heaven (sky) and New Earth, Eligibility: Conqueror (John 16:33) Currently Jesus Christ is seated on His own Throne (co-reigning - interceding) at the right hand of His Father's Throne in Heaven. "Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth [not Jesus]? It is [Jesus] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, *Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us [not condemning Christians]." -- At a future date for the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth Jesus will be seated upon the Throne of King David (Acts 2:29-33). Then with the New Heaven (sky) and the New Earth, Jesus as the conqueror of this earth [realm] will sit eternally [continuing to coreign with the Father and the Holy Spirit on His own Throne upon the New Eternal Earth (Revelation 21:3). -- "John 16:33 These things I (Jesus) have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I (Jesus) have overcome the world." [article link]
8th Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Eternal Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Only Possible Legitimate Messiah - The prophet Jeremiah was specific when he wrote in 23:5-6 of the coming of the royal son of David: "Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. "In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, 'The Lord our righteousness.'" A Legal Heir: Moreover, because Jesus descended from Mary, who also was a descendent of King David through the lineage of Nathan, He had a legal claim to the throne. The two lines of David focused on the Messiah. No one else could ever bring a legitimate claim to the throne of David. Luke presented the physical line of Jesus through His mother who descended from David through the line of Nathan (Luke 3:31). in this way Jesus escaped the curse of Jehoiachin. Donald Barnhouse concludes, "If Jesus is not the Messiah who has descended from David according to the Old Testament prophecies, there will never be a Messiah. For Jesus had no human children, and each of his brothers (who are the only other possibilities through whom another messiah might descend) had the curse on him and would have passed it on to his children" and Jeremiah's prophecy would thus be fulfilled. -- Jesus Christ is the legitimate descendent from two lines of King David. He is the King announced in the Jewish prophecies. He is the King Messiah who was also the Son of God. He is the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords." No one else can make that claim. He is the only possible legitimate Messiah. There can absolutely be no other. How significant that the great prophecy that the Messiah King would come through the line of David was given just a few verses after the great words of judgment on the descendents of Jehoiachin. C. C. Ryrie notes, "If Jesus had been born only in the line of Joseph (and thus of Jechoniah, Heb. Coniah), He would not have been qualified to reign on the throne of David in the Millennium." He also writes, "Had our Lord been the natural son of Joseph, He could not have been successful on the throne of David because of this curse. But since He came through Mary's lineage, He was not affected by this curse." There was no curse on Nathan's line. Though Jechoniah's sons never occupied the throne, the line of rulership passed through them. If Jesus had been a physical descendent of Jechoniah, He would not have been able to occupy David's throne. Luke's genealogy makes it clear that Jesus was a legal descendant of David through his son Nathan (Lk. 3:31). Joseph, a descendent of Solomon, was Jesus' legal adoptive father, so Jesus traced His royal
rights to the throne through Joseph. Jesus Christ is the only legitimate legal Jewish Messiah. Let us bow and worship Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Ahithophel - Ahithophel has a reputation for marvelous practical [farsighted] sagacity (II Samuel 16:23) - He did not show this in joining the conspiracy [with Absalom] but it is in evidence in his management of the affair - Absalom's only chance of success [in initiating a kingdom of Absalom] was by the method of surprise and stampede - There must be a crisis in which everybody would join Absalom because everybody thought that everybody else had done so {Note: Jesus Christ is a physical descendant of King David and is eligible to sit on the throne of King David via his mother Mary who is a descendant of King David via David and Bathsheba's 3rd son Nathan (1 Chronicles 3:5 - Luke 3:31) while Joseph the husband of Mary and step-father of Jesus is a descendant of Solomon the 4th son of King David and Bathsheba - It's important to note that the throne of Solomon was discontinued by God (Jeremiah 22:30) - Restoring the throne of Solomon [via a descendant of Solomon i.e. Barabbas] would equate establishing an Antichrist illegitimate throne. The true Throne of King David yet to be restored on earth [Acts 1:6, Acts 2:29-30, Acts 14:16] will be Jesus Christ via his mother's linage through Nathan [not to be confused with Nathan the prophet]. Also Note: The 8 Kingdoms study will look at this a little more when we briefly look at thrones, kingdoms, eligibility, who can establish them and who can sit on them i.e. to establish a kingdom historically the person had to be a victorious conqueror getting an important victory over a threatening enemy and therefore establishing or expanding his territory in a way that directly benefits his people by providing increased safety and opportunity. - George Washington (Revolution War, First President of the United States) and Thomas Jefferson (Revolution War, third President of the United States, principal author of the Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Land Purchase of 1803) would have been the only two Americans that would have really qualified to become Kings in America. There was a sizable movement to declare George Washington a King but Washington refused the offer.} Ahithophel: Some hold that he was the grandfather of Bathsheba, and make much of this in forming their estimates of him. Does the evidence sustain this view? In the latter half of the list of David's mighty men, not among the older veterans with whom the list begins, appears "Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite" (II Samuel 23:34), the corresponding name in the other copy of the list being "Ahijah the Pelonite" (I Chronicles 11:36). It is assumed that this is the same Eliam who was father to Bath-sheba (II Samuel 11:3). Apparently the Chronicler testifies (I Chronicles 3:5) that the mother of Solomon was "Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel." Bathshua may easily be a variant of Bathsheba, and the names Eliam and Ammiel are made up of the same parts, only in reversed order. It is not strange that men have inferred that the son of Ahithophel was the father of Bathsheba. But the inference is really not a probable one. ... That Ahithophel had then a married granddaughter is less probable than that there were in Israel two Eliams. Further, Ahithophel was not the sort of man to conspire against the interests of his grand-daughter and her son [Solomon], however he may, earlier, have resented the conduct of David toward her. Ahithophel's motive in the rebellion was doubtless ambition for personal power, though he very likely shared with many of his countrymen in the conviction that it was unjust to push aside an older son by elevating a younger son to the throne. ... Ahithophel has a reputation for marvelous practical sagacity (II Samuel 16:23). He did not show this in joining the conspiracy but it is in evidence in his management of the affair. According to the record the hearts of the people, in spite of the much fault they had to find, were all the time with David. Absalom's only chance of success was by the method of surprise and stampede. There must be a crisis in which everybody would join Absalom because everybody thought that everybody else had done so. Such a state of public sentiment could last only a very few days; but if, in those few days, David could be put out of the way, Absalom might hold the throne in virtue of his personal popularity and in default of a rival. The first part of the program was carried out with wonderful success; when it came to the second part, Ahithophel's practical wisdom was blocked by Hushai's adroit appeal to Absalom's personal vanity. Ahithophel saw with absolute clearness that Absalom had sacrificed his one opportunity, and he committed suicide to avoid participation in the shameful defeat which he saw could not be
averted - by Willis J. Beecher. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Antichrist Delusions 1 of 6 {Note: The Antichrist is a major topic of the Old Testament -- "Zechariah 11:8 Three shepherds (Revelation 16:13) also I cut off in one month; and My soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred Me." - Also Note: The Antichrist (emerging little horn - Daniel 7:8) is considered not to be a directly religious figure but more of a political figure, a ruler, a king, a kingdom (i.e Barabbas - trying to reestablish the throne of Solomon in Jerusalem by sedition - Luke 23:19). While the false prophet (Revelation 16:13) is generally considered to be a religious person (i.e. the Apostle Judas [Luke 6:13-14] - often considered now to be a last Catholic Pope) though the two the Antichrist and the False Prophet work closely with each other and with the third [spiritual - fallen angelic] portion (Mystery Babylon - Revelation 17:5) of the emerging unholy trinity. - Remember: The Biblical events of Jesus Christ, Barabbas and Judas were all prophesied earlier in the Bible [i.e. 2 Samuel 15:10-12] by King David (a type of Jesus Christ), Absalom (King David's oldest son - also a type of Antichrist, King Solomon being primarily the type of Antichrist) and King David's counselor Ahithophel (a religious devout servant [Psalms 41:9] - a type of Judas the betrayer) [Absalom his name signifies 'the father of peace' apuritansmind.com - The name Solomon means "the peaceful one" chabad.org].} (YouTube) Episode 3 on Steve Wohlberg's most comprehensive book on Bible prophecy, End Time Delusions, offers a compelling alternative to the New York Times bestselling "Left Behind" series. Separates facts from speculative fiction and reveals what the Bible really teaches about Earth's last days. -- "Zechariah 10:1-3 Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd. Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of Hosts hath visited His flock the House of Judah, and hath made them as His goodly horse in the battle." -- "Zechariah 11:1-17 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and **they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them. And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty [Old Covenent], and the other I called Bands [relationships - Israel-Judah]; and I fed the flock. *Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another. And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break My [O.T.] Covenant which I had made with all the people. And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon Me knew that it was the Word of the LORD. ***And I [Jesus] said unto them, If ye think good, give Me My price; and if not, forbear. So they [Temple Preists] weighed for My price thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD (Matthew 27:8-9). Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd [Antichrist] in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and
his right eye shall be utterly darkened." [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The Prophecy Club: The Sons of God and the Antichrist 1 of 4 (YouTube) The Prophecy Club: Bill Schnoebelen has seen over 100 UFO's and studied them for over 40 years. He was a member of the National Investigations Committee on Arial Phenomena (NICAP). He has interviewed over 100 people who have been abducted, including Christians. Bill will show pictures of physical evidence of the Sons of God. He will explain their connections to black magic; fallen angels DNA and it relates to the Mark of the Beast and a counterfeit Gospel. Bill says the Sons of God will reveal themselves and be a part of deceiving millions of people, including Christians, into denying Jesus. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Christopher Columbus UFO from A&E Television Networks History Channel (YouTube) Christopher Columbus reports sees a UFO in 1492 hours before discovering the new world. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Christopher Columbus UFO sighting in 1492 A.D. - From "The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus" (1850 A.D.): Christopher Columbus and Pedro Gutierrez while on the deck of the Santa Maira, observed, "a light glimmering at a great distance" - It vanished and reappeared several times during the night, moving up and down, "in sudden and passing gleams" It was sighted 4 hours before land was sighted [discovered], and taken by Columbus as a sign they would soon come to land UFO CASE REPORT From the WaterUFO.net site: Christopher Columbus UFO sighting in 1492 - Summary: In 1492, Christopher Columbus and Pedro Gutierrez while on the deck of the Santa Maira, observed, "a light glimmering at a great distance." It vanished and reappeared several times during the night, moving up and down, "in sudden and passing gleams." ... Even Christopher Columbus, it appears, saw a UFO. While patrolling the deck of the Santa Maria at about 10:00 PM on October 11, 1492, Columbus thought he saw "a light glimmering at a great distance." He hurriedly summoned Pedro Gutierrez, "a gentleman of the king's bedchamber," who also saw the light. After a short time it vanished, only to reappear several times during the night, each time dancing up and down "in sudden and passig gleams." The light, first seen four hours before land was sighted, was never explained." (from Beyond Earth: Man's Contact with UFOs, by Ralph Blum and Judy Blum, which is referring to 'The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus' (1850).) Case ID: 487. [article link]
8th Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Eternal Kingdom - The Bible's book of Job (Job 4:18) seems to indicate that God did not at one time (before the cross and resurrection of Jesus) trust the holy angels to remain holy and not take part in the fallen angelic, Mystery Babylon conspiracy against God and against mankind - In the book of Daniel (Daniel 10:21) it is revealed that only the Angels Gabriel and Michael the Archangel were aware of the plans and timing to restrain Mystery Babylon and to bring in the incarnation of God (Jesus Christ) into the realm of mankind - The Angel Gabriel that spoke to and instructed the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:21) is the same Angel that spoke to and instructed both the priest (Luke 1:19) Zacharias [the father of John the Baptist] and the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-35) regarding the incarnation of Jesus Christ "Job 4:17-21 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Behold, **He put no trust in His servants; and His angels He charged with folly: How much less in them [humans] that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom." -- "1 Timothy 5:21-22 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, *and the **elect angels [holy angels that have responded to the calling of God and remained holy], that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure." -- "Hebrews 1:4-9 [Jesus]
Being made (G1096 - appear in history, come upon the stage, appearing in public) so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they. For unto which of the angels said He [Father God] at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten [Jesus Christ] into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him [Jesus]. And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son He saith, *Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy Kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy [Father] God, hath anointed Thee [Jesus] with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows." [article link]
8th Kingdom - Jesus Christ - The Eternal Kingdom - The Bible's book of Daniel Chapter 7 tells of a vision that Daniel had during the reign in the first year of Babylonian King Belshazzar [the grandson of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar - 3rd Global Gentile Kingdom of the earth] regarding four beasts (the 4 remaining global gentile governments- Persia, Greece, Rome, Revised Rome) - Later in Daniel chapter 10 in the third year of Cyrus King of Persia [4th Global Gentile Kingdom of the earth] it was given to Daniel to have further interpretation regarding the previous vision in chapter 7 - Possibly Jesus Himself and an angel [thought to be the angel Gabriel] came to Daniel with encouragement and more information - The information that the Angel brought to Daniel was that the Holy Angelic realm was actively opposing and fighting against [the fallen Mystery Babylon realm of fallen angels (Revelation 17:5,9)] - The angel had currently been resisting Mystery Babylon's (spiritual) Persian Empire and also very importantly the Angel was already preparing to resist the then coming Mystery Babylon's (spiritual) Geek Empire [5th Global Gentile Kingdom of the earth] -- "Daniel 10:20-21 Then said he [thought to be the angel Gabriel], [now] Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia [a fallen angel]: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince [another fallen angel] of Grecia (Greece) shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth [Bible]: and there is none that holdeth [has the knowledge - plans of God] with me in these things [in the O.T. times before the incarnation, cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ], but Michael [the Archangel] your prince [a holy angel of Israel]." "Daniel 7:1-3 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds [spirits] of the heaven strove upon the great sea [humanity]. And four great beasts came up from the sea [humanity], diverse one from another." - The holy Angelic realm seems to have had a special interest in combating the Mystery Babylon Kingdom of Greece. Greece in many ways was and is the most sustained and dangerous of the Mystery Babylon Kingdoms. Ancient Greece accumulated and parlayed much of the deep ancient Mystery Babylon Kingdom knowledge assembling the secrets of (The Tower of Babel, Egypt, Babylon and Persia) and preserved them in a Westernized format for a continued and sustained onslaught against mankind that has lasted for well over 2,000 years. Along with the deep ancient secrets of Mystery Babylon, Greece has initiated mankind with secular philosophy, the myths and gods of Olympus, a prolonged cultural substitute for godliness and a seemingly sustainable nanny state society. Including the fact that in ancient Greece were sown and continued some of the seeds of our modern UFO phenomenon and of our current modern Evolution Darwinian hoax dilemma further designating that no culture, not even Rome has left such an impression [in a harmful way] on so much of the human race for such a long time. -- "Daniel 11:45-12:3 And he [Antichrist] shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain [Mt. Moriah, Jerusalem]; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. And at that time shall Michael [the Archangel] stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy [Jewish] people: and there shall be a time of trouble [Jacob's trouble - During the Great Tribulation of Revelation], such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake [participate in the ongoing first resurrection], some to everlasting life, and some to
shame and everlasting contempt [judgment]. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - 6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - Hellenistic Period: The Hellenistic period describes the era which followed the conquests of Alexander the Great - During this time, Greek cultural influence and power was at its zenith in Europe and Asia - It is often considered a period of transition, sometimes even of decline or decadence, between the brilliance of the Greek Classical Era and the emergence of the Roman Empire - Usually taken to begin with the death of Alexander in 323 BC, the Hellenistic period may either be seen to end with the final conquest of the Greek heartlands by Rome in *146 BC - or the final defeat of the last remaining successor-state to Alexander's empire, the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt in 31/30 BC - The Hellenistic period was characterized by a new wave of [Greek] colonists which established Greek cities and kingdoms in Asia and Africa [including in Israel - The Decapolis ("Ten Cities"; Greek: deka, ten; polis, city) of Jesus' day] Rise of Rome [via - trade, goodwill, treaties, politics, policy and lastly overt military action]: Widespread Roman interference in the Greek World was probably inevitable given the general manner of the ascendency of the Roman Republic. This Roman-Greek interaction began as a consequence of the Greek city-states located along the coast of southern Italy. Rome had come to dominate the Italian peninsula, and desired the submission of the Greek cities to its rule. Although they initially resisted, allying themselves with Pyrrhus of Epirus, and defeating the Romans at several battles, the Greek cities were unable to maintain this position and were absorbed by the Roman republic. Shortly afterwards, Rome became involved in Sicily, fighting against the Carthaginans in the First Punic War. The end result was the complete conquest of Sicily, including its previously powerful Greek cities, by the Romans. The independent cities of Magna Graecia did not form part of the Hellenistic domains and had, by this time, been eclipsed in power by the Hellenistic kingdoms of the east. They also remained independent at a time when the Mediterranean was increasingly dominated by 'great powers'. This, and their proximity to Rome, had made them easy and obvious targets. *Conversely, the major Hellenistic realms were not in the immediate Roman sphere of influence, and were powerful enough to deter Roman aggression. The events which, in retrospect, marked the beginning of the end for the Hellenistic kingdoms could have been avoided; even if it seems likely that a collision between them and Rome would have ultimately occurred. -- **Roman entanglement in the Balkans began, as so often, with trade. Illyrian piratical raids on Roman merchants twice led to a Roman task force invading Illyria (the First and, Second Illyrian Wars). Tension between Macedon and Rome increased when the young king of Macedon, Philip V harboured one of the chief pirates, Demetrius of Pharos (a former client of Rome). As a result, in an attempt to reduce Roman influence in the Balkans, Philip allied himself with Carthage after Hannibal had dealt the Romans a massive defeat at the Battle of Cannae (216 BC) during the Second Punic War. Forcing the Romans to fight on another front when they were at a nadir of manpower gained Philip the lasting enmity of the Romans; the only real result from the somewhat insubstantial First Macedonian War (215-202 BC). -- Once the Second Punic War had been resolved, and the Romans had begun to regather their strength, they looked to re-assert their influence in the Balkans, and to curb the expansion of Philip. A pretext for war was provided by Philip's refusal to end his war with Attalid Pergamum, and Rhodes, both Roman allies. The Romans, also allied with the Aetolian League of Greek city-states (which resented Philip's power), thus declared war on Macedon in 200 BC, starting the Second Macedonian War. This ended with a decisive Roman victory at the Battle of Cynoscephalae (197 BC). **Like most Roman peace treaties of the period, the resultant 'Peace of Flaminius' [Proconsul Titus Quinctius Flaminius] was designed to utterly crush the power of the defeated party; a massive indemnity was levied, Philip's fleet was surrendered to Rome, and Macedon was effectively returned to its ancient boundaries, losing influence over the city-states of southern Greece, and land in Thrace and Asia Minor. The result was the end of Macedon as a major power in the Mediterranean. -- As a result of the confusion in Greece at the end of the Second Macedonian War, the Seleucid Empire also became entangled with the Romans. The Seleucid Antiochus III had allied with Philip V of Macedon in 203 BC, agreeing that they should jointly conquer the lands
of the boy-king of Egypt, Ptolemy V. After defeating Ptolemy in the Fifth Syrian War, Antiochus concentrated on occupying the Ptolemaic possessions in Asia Minor. However, this brought Antiochus into conflict with Rhodes and Pergamum, two important Roman allies, and began a 'cold-war' between Rome and Antiochus (not helped by the presence of Hannibal at the Seleucid court). Meanwhile, in mainland Greece, the Aetolian League, which had sided with Rome against Macedon, now grew to resent the Roman presence in Greece. This presented Antiochus III with a pretext to invade Greece and 'liberate' it from Roman influence, thus starting the Roman-Syrian War (192-188 BC). Another decisive Roman victory at the Battle of Magnesia (190 BC) saw the defeat of Antiochus. Another crippling treaty followed, with Seleucid possessions in Asia Minor removed and given to Rhodes and Pergamum, the size of the Seleucid navy reduced, and a massive war indemnity invoked. - Thus, in less than twenty years, Rome had destroyed the power of one of the successor states, crippled another, and firmly entrenched its influence over Greece. This was primarily a result of the over-ambition of the Macedonian kings, and their unintended provocation of Rome; though Rome was quick to exploit the situation. In another twenty years, the Macedonian kingdom was no more. Seeking to re-assert Macedonian power and Greek independence, Philip V's son Perseus incurred the wrath of the Romans, resulting in the Third Macedonian War (171-168 BC). Victorious, the Romans abolished the Macedonian kingdom, replacing it with four puppet republics; these lasted a further twenty years before Macedon was formally annexed as a Roman province (146 BC). -- The Attalid dynasty of Pergamum lasted little longer; a Roman ally until the end, its final King Attalus III died in 133 BC without an heir, and taking the alliance to its natural conclusion, willed Pergamum to the Roman Republic. Contrarily, having so firmly intricated themselves into Greek affairs, the Romans now completely ignored the rapidly disintegrating Seleucid empire (perhaps because it posed no threat); and left the Ptolemaic kingdom to decline quietly, whilst acting as a protector of sorts, in as much as to stop other powers taking Egypt over (including the famous line-in-the-sand incident when the Seleucid Antiochus IV Epiphanes tried to invade Egypt). Eventually, instability in the near east resulting from the power vacuum left by the collapse of the Seleucid empire caused the Roman proconsul Pompey the Great to abolish the Seleucid rump state, absorbing much of Syria into the Roman republic. Famously, the end of Ptolemaic Egypt came as the final act in the republican civil war between the Roman triumvirs Mark Anthony and Augustus Caesar. After the defeat of Anthony and his lover, the last Ptolemaic monarch, Cleopatra VII at the Battle of Actium, Augustus invaded Egypt and took it as his own personal fiefdom. He thereby completed both the destruction of the Hellenistic kingdoms and the Roman republic, and ended (in hindsight) the Hellenistic era. [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - mideastweb.org: After the death of King Solomon, Israel split into two kingdoms [Israel (10 Northern Tribes - Samaria), Judah (Two Southern Tribes - Jerusalem)] - Eventually, both the kingdom of Israel, and later that of Judea, with its temple in Jerusalem, were overrun by invaders [Babylon, King King Nebakanezer - 3rd Global Gentile Kingdom] - [70 years later] The Persians [Persia, Cyrus The Great 4th Global Gentile Kingdom] restored the Judean kingdom and allowed the Jews to [return and] rebuild their temple - This kingdom fell to Greek and later Hellenic-Syrian domination when Alexander the Great [Greece 5th Global Gentile Kingdom] conquered Persia - In 164 B.C. the Hasmonean Kingdom of Judea [Judah - Israel] revolted and became semi-independent of Syria [resulting in the Hanukkah (Chanukah) Festival] - It [Judea Jerusalem, Israel] **was [originally] protected by a **treaty of friendship with Rome (1 Maccabees 8:17-32) However in 61 A.D. [Roman - First Triumvirate (three part rulers) - Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Licinius Crassus, and Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey) Magnus] Pompei [the Roman General Pompey] conquered Jerusalem, and from then on Israel or Palestine was subordinate to Rome - Parts of it were nominally independent under the rule of local kings of the line of Herod the Idumean Herod build many towns and fortifications (including Massada and Heordion) and extensively remodelled [the 2nd Temple - rebuilt via permission and materials of Cyrus The Great from Persia] the Temple in Jerusalem [later called Herod's rebuilt Temple or simply Herod's Temple]. After the first Jewish rebellion [against Rome] and fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., large numbers of Jews were exiled. Jerusalem was eventually rebuilt as Aelia
Capitolina. After the failure of the revolt of Bar-Kochba in 133, there were more exiles and ruined towns. On the ruins of Israelite and Canaanite towns, the Romans built new ones, populated partly by inhabitants of neighboring lands. The land was divided into several districts, of which Palestine was only one. The Negev (southern district), generally excluded from these divisions was inhabited by the Nabateans, an Arab trader nation that made a notable desert civilization in cities such as Avdat (in modern Israel) and Petra (in modern Jordan). The whole area between the desert and the sea was known, later in the Roman Empire, as the Christian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, though this was not a Roman administrative division. [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - The Conquests of Alexander the Great - In 331 B.C. Alexander the Great of Macedon began one of the greatest conquests in human history - After conquering Egypt and defeating the Persian Empire Alexander had pushed his army to the very limits of the world as the Greeks knew it [Aristotle - Aristotle (384-322 BC) was a Greek philosopher, a *student of Plato and **teacher of Alexander the Great - Wiki.com] - But he wanted more; he saw that the world extended further - By conquering the ancient lands of the Mesopotamians [Tigris-Euphrates river system - Wiki.com], he came into contact with cultures to the east, such as Pakistan and Indian {Note: Alexander the Great had been extensively schooled by notable teachers namely Aristotle. The original plan for Greece to conquer Persia was the plan and desires of Alexander's father but he was assassinated before he could attempt it. Alexander therefore had the plans of his father and a Greek map of the known world resulting in a substantial and complex plan to conquer the known world before Alexander even left Greek territory to go confront the armies of Persia.} In 331 BC, Alexander the Great of Macedon began one of the greatest conquests in human history. After conquering Egypt and defeating the Persian Empire Alexander had pushed his army to the very limits of the world as the Greeks knew it. But he wanted more; he saw that the world extended further. By conquering the ancient lands of the Mesopotamians, he came into contact with cultures to the east, such as Pakistan and India. ... Alexander only made it as far as the region of Gandhara [northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan Wiki.com], the plain which lies directly west of the Indus River [Pakistan]. Alexander himself seems to have had literally no effect on Indian history, for he left as soon as he reached the Indus. Two important results, however, arose because of Alexander's conquests: first, from this point onwards Greek and Indian culture would intermix. But most importantly, the conquest of Alexander may have set the stage for the first great conqueror of Indian history, Chandragupta Maurya (reigned 321-297 BC), who, shortly after Alexander left, united all the kingdoms of northern India into a single empire. [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - ufo.whipnet.org: The first recorded incident regarding Alexander the Great and UFO's was recorded in 329 B.C. - "gleaming silver shields" swooped down and made several passes over the battle - These "gleaming silver shields" had the effect of startling his cavalry horses, causing them to stampede - They also had a similar effect on the enemies' horses and elephants so it was difficult to ascertain whose side these "gleaming silver shields" were on {Note: UFOs, space aliens, extraterrestrial life, etc. exhibit the exact same tendencies, behavioral patterns, customs and doctrines and are indistinguishable from known demonic or fallen angelic beings [doctrines of demons]. Generally if the often reported sightings and encounters of advanced extraterrestrial life forms or alien beings were genuinely from advanced and separate societies then conduct and openness would dictate that they would reveal and conduct themselves in the openness of an advanced civilized society yet the very reasons that UFO phenomenon engages in deceit and secrecy leads to valid concerns that UFO phenomenon is an elaborately staged hoax of the [superior] demonic realm and is a hoax that has been in existence for several millennium, a hoax that is drawing to a designed, grand finally in some predetermined and intended master exposure the resulting conclusion staged primarily for exhibit to mankind.} The first recorded incident regarding Alexander the Great and UFO's was recorded in 329BC. Alexander decided to invade India and was attempting to cross the river Indus to engage the Indian army when "gleaming silver
shields" swooped down and made several passes over the battle. These "gleaming silver shields" had the effect of startling his cavalry horses, causing them to stampede. They also had a similar effect on the enemies' horses and elephants so it was difficult to ascertain whose side these "gleaming silver shields" were on. Nevertheless, after exiting the battle victoriously Alexander decided to not proceed any further into India. ... [Seven years later - the destruction of Tyre] The historical account, recorded by Alexander's chief historian, states that, during an attack of the island city, one of two 'gleaming silver shields' attacked a section of the wall with a 'beam of light' which subsequently caused that section of the wall to fall! Alexander's' men poured through the opening and captured the city. What is so noteworthy about this encounter is the fact that the historians for the defeated people of Tyre reported the exact same reason for the loss of their city! Usually, the reason given by a defeated people is different than that given by the victors, but in this instance their accounts read the same. Before he started his major offensive against Persia Alexander sought the advice of an oracle in a temple located in the desert. He set off, with a small party of men, but miscalculated the logistics and found himself hopelessly out of water and dying of thirst. Almost miraculously, a rare, but unusually strong rain cloud burst overhead and gave him and his men sufficient water to safely complete their journey. No one reported seeing any 'gleaming silver shields' but here again is a case of a wondrous "cloud" that we see so many occurrences of in the Bible. Written by: SC Russ. [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - Empedocles [Acragas (an ancient Greek city - Wiki.com), 490 - 430 BC] - The Pythagorean influence dominated Greek thought for a long time - Many of Pythagoras' ideas can be found in the work of Empedocles - He [Empedocles] was the first philosopher who stated that there are four primordial elements: earth, air, fire and water - Empedocles conceived of a fanciful version of the theory of evolution which included the idea of survival of the fittest - He stated that in prehistoric times strange creatures had populated the world of which only certain forms had survived - Though, it must be granted that Empedocles' vision is somewhat crude and bizarre, compared to the painstaking investigation that led Darwin [Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) was an English naturalist - Wiki.com] to the same conclusion two thousand three hundred years later Empedocles was remarkably ahead of his time. He made several noteworthy statements, such as that the moon would shine by reflected light and that solar eclipses are caused by the interposition of the moon. He held that light takes time to travel, but so little time that we cannot observe it. He also discovered at least one example of the centrifugal force: if a cup of water is whirled round at the end of a string, the water does not flow out. In addition, Empedocles conceived of a fanciful version of the theory of evolution which included the idea of survival of the fittest. He stated that in prehistoric times strange creatures had populated the world of which only certain forms had survived. Though, it must be granted that Empedocles' vision is somewhat crude and bizarre, compared to the painstaking investigation that led Darwin to the same conclusion two thousand three hundred years later. The following are excerpts from the book "On Nature", in which Empedocles describes the fantastic creatures that preceded mankind: "Come now, hear how the shoots of men and pitiable women were raised at night by fire, as it separated, thus - for my story does not miss the mark, nor is it ill-informed. First, whole-natured forms sprang up from the earth, having a portion of both water and heat. Fire sent them up, wishing to come to its like, and they showed as yet no desirable form in their limbs, nor any voice, nor member native to man." (Simplicius, Commentary on Physics 381.29) "Here many neckless heads sprang up. Naked arms strayed about, devoid of shoulders, and eyes wandered alone, begging for foreheads. But when they mingled, these things came together as each happened and many others in addition were continuously born." (Simplicius, Commentary on the Heavens, 586.6) "Many grew double headed, double-chested - man-faced oxen arose, and again ox-headed men - creatures mixed partly from male partly from female form, fitted with dark limbs." (Aelian, The Nature of Animals XVI 29). [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - Evolution and Paleontology in the Ancient World - Even "primitive" peoples may have extremely detailed knowledge of the living organisms around them, knowledge on which their survival or well-being often depends - When such knowledge is arranged systematically and used to make general statements and predictions about the world, one may speak of a scientific tradition Such traditions were developed among the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians; the Egyptians, in particular, developed a scientific tradition in medicine, one based on careful observations - It was the Greeks, however, who led the way in developing a general scientific worldview -- one in which natural, non-miraculous explanations for the causes of phenomena were sought. The earliest Greek philosophers lived and worked, not in Greece itself, but in the Greek colonies of Ionia (the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor -- now Turkey -- and the nearby islands) - Because it was favorably located for trade among Greece, Egypt, and the Near East, Ionia was not only wealthy, but well placed for the dispersal of ideas; thus Greek thought drew on the knowledge of the Near East, Egypt, and even India at various times in history - Later, the thinkers of the Roman Republic and Empire carried on the Greek tradition, although relatively less original scientific thought was developed among the Romans The Ionian Philosophers: Evolutionary theory begins with the Ionian philosopher Anaximander (ca. 611 - 546 B. C. E.). Very little is known about his life, but it is known that he wrote a long poem, On Nature, summarizing his researches. This poem is now lost, and has survived only in extracts quoted in other works. Enough survives, however, that Anaximander's thought can be reconstructed with some confidence. For Anaximander, the world had arisen from an undifferentiated, indeterminate substance, the apeiron. The Earth, which had coalesced out of the apeiron, had been covered in water at one stage, with plants and animals arising from mud. Humans were not present at the earliest stages; they arose from fish. This poem was quite influential on later thinkers, including Aristotle. Had Anaximander looked at fossils? Did he study comparative fish and human anatomy? Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing what evidence Anaximander used to support his ideas. His theory bears some resemblance to evolutionary theory, but also seems to have been derived from various Greek myths, such as the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha, in which peoples or tribes are born from the Earth or from stones. His concept of the apeiron seems similar to the Tao of Chinese philosophy and religion, and to the "formless and void" Earth of the Hebrew creation account and other creation myths. However, even though Anaximander's ideas drew on the religious and mythical ideas of his time, he was still one of the first to attempt an explanation of the origin and evolution of the cosmos based on natural laws. -- In the 6th century B.C. Xenophanes of Colophon (died ca. 490 B.C.E.), who was a disciple of Anaximander, developed Anaximander's theories further. He observed fossil fishes and shells, and concluded that the land where they were found had been underwater at some time. Xenophanes taught that the world formed from the condensation of water and "primordial mud;" he was the first person known to have used fossils as evidence for a theory of the history of the Earth. -- The Greek historian Herodotus (484-425 B.C.E.) also observed fossil shells in Egypt, and cited them as evidence that Egypt had once been underwater. He also described a valley in Arabia, in the Mokattam mountains, where he saw "the backbones and ribs of such serpents as it is impossible to describe: of the ribs there were a multitude of heaps. . . " He ascribed these bones to winged serpents that had been killed by ibises. We now know that these are the bones of fossil mammals that wash out of the rocks every rainy season. Several other ancient historians briefly mentioned fossils in their writings. Finally, the famous Greek physician Hippocrates of Cos (460-357 B.C.E.) is known to have collected fossils; in fact, modern excavations at Asklepion, the famous medical school of Hippocrates's day, unearthed a fragment of a fossil elephant molar. ... Empedocles of Acragas: Another Greek philosopher, the fifth-century materialist Empedocles of Acragas (in Sicily), postulated that the universe was composed of four basic elements -- earth, air, fire, and water. These elements were stirred by two fundamental forces, which Empedocles called Love and Strife. ("Attraction" and "repulsion" might be better modern terms for what Empedocles actually meant.) The constant interplay of these elements, alternately attracting and repelling each other, had formed the universe. Empedocles claimed that the Earth had given birth to living creatures, but that the first creatures had been disembodied organs. These organs finally joined into whole organisms, through the force of Love, but some of these organisms, being monstrous and unfit for life, had died out. The theory seems a bit bizarre today, but Empedocles had
come up with a sort of evolutionary theory: past natural selection is responsible for the forms we see today. Empedocles also ascribed the origin of the life of today to the interplay of impersonal forces, in which chance, not the gods, played the major role. There are, however, major differences between Empedocles's ideas and natural selection in the modern sense: Empedocles conceived of his "natural selection" as a past event, not as an ongoing process. Once again, we do not know whether Empedocles had actually found supporting evidence for his theories. **He may have been influenced by existing accounts of mythological creatures that seemed to be "put together" out of the parts of different animals, such as centaurs, sphinxes, and chimeras. But perhaps he had also seen deformed animals, or examined "monstrous-looking" fossil bones. ... Lucretius: Much later, the Roman poet and philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus (99-55 B.C.E.) wrote his long philosophical poem De Rerum Natura ("On the Nature of Things"). In this poem Lucretius proposed, among other things, an "evolutionary" theory similar to that of Empedocles (which is ironic, because he attacks Empedocles rather vehemently in other parts of the poem). [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - Bacchanalia - The bacchanalia were wild and mystic festivals of the Greek god Dionysus and Roman god Bacchus - The word has since come to describe any form of drunken revelry Livy informs us that the rapid spread of the cult, which he claims indulged in all kinds of crimes and political conspiracies at its nocturnal meetings, led in 186 B.C. to a decree of the [Roman] Senate - the so-called Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus, inscribed on a bronze tablet discovered in Apulia in Southern Italy (1640), now at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna - by which the Bacchanalia were prohibited throughout all Italy except in certain special cases which must be approved specifically by the Senate History: The bacchanalia were originally held in secret and only attended by women. The festivals occurred in the grove of Simila near the Aventine Hill [one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built - Wiki.com] on March 16 and March 17. Later, admission to the rites was extended to men, and celebrations took place five times a month. According to Livy, the extension happened in an era when the leader of the Bacchus cult was Paculla Annia - though it is now believed that some men had participated before that. Livy informs us that the rapid spread of the cult, which he claims indulged in all kinds of crimes and political conspiracies at its nocturnal meetings, led in 186 BC to a decree of the Senate - the so-called Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus, inscribed on a bronze tablet discovered in Apulia in Southern Italy (1640), now at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna - by which the Bacchanalia were prohibited throughout all Italy except in certain special cases which must be approved specifically by the Senate. In spite of the severe punishment inflicted on those found in violation of this decree (Livy claims there were more executions than imprisonment), the Bacchanalia survived in Southern Italy long past the repression. Some modern scholars doubt Livy's account and argue that the Senate acted against the Bacchants for one of the following reasons -- In Empires of Trust: How Rome Built - And America Is Building - A New World [NWO] by Thomas Madden, the author cites the words of a [ancient] Roman investigative consul in his report to the Roman Senate: there was no crime, no deed of shame, wanting (lacking). More uncleanness was committed by men with men than with women. Whoever would not submit to defilement, or shrank from violating others, was sacrificed as a victim. To regard nothing as impious or criminal was the sum total of their religion. The men, as though seized with madness and with frenzied distortions of their bodies, shrieked out prophecies; the matrons, dressed as Bacchae, their hair disheveled, rushed down to the Tiber River with burning torches, plunged them into the water, and drew them out again, the flame undiminished because they were made of sulfur mixed with lime. Men were fastened to a machine and hurried off to hidden caves, and they were said to have been taken away by the gods. These were the men who refused to join their conspiracy or take part in their crimes or submit to their pollution. ... Modern usage: In the second season of the HBO show 'True Blood' the town falls under the spell of a Maenad, who holds regular Bacchanalia with the possessed townspeople. [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - What was Rome's version of Mount Olympus called? In respect of where did the Roman Gods live? - There is no change - it is known as "Mount Olympus" in both Roman and Greek mythology - The gods lived in the same place in both mythologies Actually there is no Roman equivalent of the Greek Mt. Olympus as the legendary home of the twelve great gods just named the Olympians in Greek mythology and simply 'Dii' or 'Di' ('gods') by the Romans. ... The Romans are kind of a special case when it comes to mythology. They actually "stole" pieces of various world myths from the races they conquered. The Greek gods tended to be primary in the Roman myths. The Romans actually took and matched the Greek gods to pieces they already had and gave them more Roman names. There wasn't a specific place that the Roman gods inhabited (as the Greek gods did). They most likely referred to it as Olympus as well. ... The Greeks and the Romans (who borrowed from the Greeks) both called the home of the gods "Olympus." The main difference was how they imagined heaven. The old Greek poets (like Homer and Hesiod) pictured the gods living on an acropolis (fortified hill) filled with Greek palaces. The Roman poets on the other hand describe the gods living at the zenith of heaven, in a palace complex like that of the Palatine Hill of Rome. Each saw the gods as a reflection of their own society. ... Rome didn't have a Mount Olympus. The Roman gods were evolved from the various other societies that they took over from, i.e. the Etruscans and in the south the Greeks, *Persians [4th Kingdom] and Syrians. Many of the Gods were planetary, so lived in the heavens. Some resided in the Underworld, others in the sea and water. By the time Roman society formed, most worship took place in designated Temples. Which was where they communicated with the grander gods. In early Greek society many of the sacred places started as groves or natural temples, so Mount Olympus was amongst these earlier traditions. [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - 6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - Greek and Roman Gods: Here are the twelve Olympian gods and a brief description of each - *The Greeks and Romans shared the same [god] stories, but used different names - Greek (Zeus), Roman (Jupiter) Description: Lord of the sky and supreme ruler of the gods - Known for throwing lightening bolts -- Greek (Aphrodite), Roman (Venus) Description: Daughter of Zeus - Goddess of Love and Beauty -- Other Gods: Mother earth, Greek (Gaea - Gaia), Roman (Terra - 'Terra firma' is a Latin phrase meaning "solid earth" Wiki.com) Greek and Roman Gods: Here are the twelve Olympian gods and a brief description of each. The Greeks and Romans shared the same stories, but used different names. [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - Mythology of Greece and the Greek Islands: The Olympian [Mt. Olympus] Gods - One thing to notice is that the ancient Greek gods were gods because of their supernatural powers and eternity, not their character - They were far different from the modern notion of gods - The Olympian Gods were weak in nature and had faults, while they frequently merged with mortals and interfered with their lives - Actually, the ancient Greek gods were copies of human characters and society Zeus was the god of the earth and the sky. His symbols were the thunderbolt, the eagle, the bull and the oak. Although he was married to Hera, his elder sister, he would frequently cheat on her with many mortal women. other goddesses and nymphs. He is depicted in statues and paintings as a middle-aged man seating on his throne or throwing a thunderbolt. ... Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty. She was forever beautiful and young. Shallow in nature, Aphrodite has a lot of affairs with mortals. Her son was Cupid, the familiar young boy with wings who played with his arrows and made people fall in love. Aphrodite was no directly connected to Zeus. She was probably a generation older than the other Olympian Gods. The myth says that she was born out of the foam of the sea either near Paphos Cyrpus or near Kythira island. ... Ares, the god of warfare and violence, was son of Zeus and Hera. He was not a likable god in ancient Greece, which is why there are no many temples of Ares. However, people were afraid of his anger and included him in their offerings. ... *Athena was also a goddess of war, but more of strategic war, not violence like Ares. She was also the goddess of wisdom and justice. The daughter of Zeus and a mortal woman, Athena was born out of the head of Zeus when her
pregnant mother was killed out of Hera's jealousy. Noble in nature, Athena didn't match with men and would mostly deal with warfare. ... One thing to notice is that the ancient Greek gods were gods because of their supernatural powers and eternity, not their character. They were far different from the modern notion of gods. The Olympian Gods were weak in nature and had faults, while they frequently merged with mortals and interfered with their lives. Actually, the ancient Greek gods were copies of human characters and society. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Testimony: Regarding Contemplative [Emergent church] Spirituality Mysticism - I think I finally understand how they think, how they can put so much emphasis on the kingdom of God (which they define as service to others - i.e. good works, tithing) and virtually ignore the sinful conduct rampant here These people, my co-workers and friends, believe in an inner light, a True Self - I remember that term from class - that is intimately connected to the Divine - Everyone has this (god) light, so we are all a part of God [not true - Adam and Eve were created in the image of God but lost it at their sin and fall (Genesis 3:9), now all mankind is seperated from God unless Spiritually 'born again' by Jesus Christ (John 3:3)] - As such, there is no need for a substitutionary penal atonement (i.e. the cross) because there is no separation (only good works) to atone for [Again this 'no human separation (from God)' would only be true if sin had not entered humanity (and all of creation) but is now seperating all humans from the Holy God.] I think I finally understand how they think, how they can put so much emphasis on the kingdom of God (which they define as service to others) and virtually ignore the sinful conduct rampant here ('wedding' reception for a gay couple here next week). These people, my co-workers and friends, believe in an inner light, a True Self (I remember that term from class) that is intimately connected to the Divine. Everyone has this light, so we are all a part of God. As such, there is no need for a substitutionary penal atonement (i.e. the cross) because there is no separation to atone for. It follows, then, that the only "sins" we commit are those that do harm to others (ergo, to God), which is why they can, without so much as a flinch, condone homosexuality but at the same time condemn those (like me) who fail to practice "tolerance" because we insist that there are such thing as moral absolutes. It is also why they can place acts of service (e.g. to the poor - extremely important here) above acts of evangelism (which display intolerance of others' belief systems). -- Contrast this with my understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is that we [because of the fall of Adam and Eve] are born sinners, are separated from God, and are in need of a Savior (Jesus Christ) to reconcile us to Him. I do believe in a "Punitive Father" but one who only punishes when rejected after repeated attempts to redeem us - and even then it is less punishment than letting us have our own way. To those that call out to Him, He is merciful and loving and wants to show us the boundlessness of His grace - but only to those who accept His gift of salvation. As I said, I'd been searching for nearly two years for a way to wrap my mind around what seems to be a warped - but strangely appealing - theological view. Your article made it fall into place for me. Thank you so much for your faithful service to God through your website (Apprising.org). [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The "Creeping" Effect - The New Age [i.e. International think tanks (promoting a global oneness) of religion] and Evangelical Christianity - If you have ever wondered why New Age authors and their teachings are creeping [in from the pulpits and] past many Christians, then maybe the definition of creeping might help - The term means: slowly advancing at a speed that is not really apparent until you look back over a long time period - Something is terribly wrong when a Reiki master and two of the most influential figures in the evangelical church today both point to the same man as an example of their spiritual path - If the connection between Reiki healing and other metaphysical practices can be seen, then we more fully understand why the following quote is one of the most powerful statements as to the true nature of contemplative prayer [Emergent Church or New Age contemplative prayer now equals Reiki healing and other metaphysical (fundamental nature of being and the world i.e. exercise, relaxation, philosophy, Yoga, Buddhism, New Age, Saint Helena, exalting human-good works, etc.) practices] If you have ever wondered why New Age authors and their teachings are creeping past many Christians, then
maybe the definition of creeping might help. The term means: slowly advancing at a speed that is not really apparent until you look back over a long time period. For instance, creeping inflation is not noticed in the short term, but when one looks back over twenty to thirty years, it is shocking. A meal that cost two dollars in 1970 now may cost eight dollars-however, the increase moved so slowly that the impact was diminished. This same kind of movement has happened within our society and has gradually become mainstream. What was once seen as flaky is normal today-even useful. This trend is impacting evangelical Christianity at only a slightly lesser degree than secular society. The reason for the slight variance is that many, perhaps most, Christians have not yet grasped, or come to terms with, the practical mystic approach that New Age proponents have already incorporated into the secular world, as well as Christendom. ... The reason for this level of acceptance is easy to understand. Most people, many Christians included, believe if something is spiritually positive then it is of God. A pastor friend of mine recounted a situation in which a Christian, who had some physical problems, turned to Reiki for comfort. When this pastor advised the man that Reiki fundamentally opposed the Christian faith he became furious and responded with the following defense, "How can you say this is bad when it helped me?" That is why I titled a chapter in my book "Discernment." To discern is to "try the spirits" (1 John 4:1). If something is of God it will conform to the very cornerstone of God's plan to show His grace through Christ Jesus and Him alone (Ephesians 2:7). Reiki, as I defined earlier, is based on the occult view of God. .. Reiki comes from Buddhism, and as one Merton scholar wrote, "The God he [Thomas Merton - A 20th century American Catholic writer - A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist and student of comparative religion - Wiki.com] knew in prayer was the same experience that Buddhists describe in their enlightenment." This is why it is so important to understand the connection between the writings of Richard Foster [Richard J. Foster is a Christian theologian and author in the Quaker tradition Wiki.com] and Brennan Manning [(christened Richard Francis Xavier Manning) is an author, friar, priest, contemplative and speaker "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today are Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle (i.e. a lack of an appearance of good works)" "That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable" This quote appeared in the prelude to dc Talk's song "What if I Stumble?" - Singer-songwriter Rich Mullins called his band A Ragamuffin Band after one of Manning's books] with Merton. Promotion indicates attachment, and attachment indicates common ground. Something is terribly wrong when a Reiki master [The Everything Reiki Book - by Reiki Master Phylameana lila Désy] and two of the most influential figures in the evangelical church today [Thomas Merton, Brennan Manning] both point to the same man [Thomas Merton] as an example of their spiritual path (from chapter 5, A Time of Departing, Ray Yungen). [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - St Helena was born in Asia Minor in 248 AD - She gave birth to her son Constantine in Serbia - In his last few years Constantine was baptised [both Constantine and his father believed (Marcionism, good works - heresy) that water baptism washed away sin saving a person (i.e. baptismal regeneration, good works - if bad works are done another water baptism might be needed), making a person holy - so both were water baptized upon their death beds according to their belief that they could enter heaven more holy having just been water baptized - Helena (the mother of Constantine) was baptized earlier in life but was thought to be sinless due to her being considered a Saint (because of her alleged purity, devotion, discoveries, humility, good works and charity) and was not re-baptized near the time of her death] - St Helena gave much of her wealth away to the poor and for the building of churches In his last few years Constantine was baptised. St Helena gave much of her wealth away [good works] to the poor and for the building of churches. She built the Churches of the birth of Christ and the Resurection in the Holy Land, and she found the Cross on which Christ died. This was proven to her when a dead child was brought back to life after been laid on it. She died in 327 aged 80. She built churches in Cyprus and many schools too. Among the churches she built was the Church (Monastery) at Stavrovouni [ancient Mt. Olympus, Greece - there is now a different modern Mt. Olympus - the highest peak in Greece]. We celebrate their day on
21st May every year. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Stavrovouni Monastery - Monastery Information: Order {Holy Roman Empire symbol Double-headed eagle, sword and cross} Established 327-329 A.D. and still active - According to religious tradition, the monastery was founded by St. Helena, the mother of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine I the Great Stavrovouni Monastery is a Greek Orthodox Monastery which stands on the top of a hill called Stavrovouni [ancient Mt. Olympus] in Cyprus. The Monastery is one of the places that there is piece of the Holy Cross and it is sometimes also known simply as Stavrovouni. Location: The Monastery is located on the peak of the mountain of the same name (i.e. Stavrovouni) in the District of Larnaca. That mountain in earlier times had been known under the name of Olympus, nowadays [today], the highest point of Troodos Mountains further to the west bears that name. Stavrovouni, as the name already says, is dedicated to the Holy Cross; it can be derived from two words 'stavros' for cross and 'vouno' for mountain and it basically means "the mountain of the Cross". ... Establishment: According to religious tradition, the monastery was founded by St. Helena, the mother of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine I, the Great. According to the 15th century Cypriot chronicler Leontios Makhairas, Helena had discovered the three crosses on which Jesus and the two thieves had been crucified on her pilgrimage to the Holy Land. She had them excavated and wanted to bring them to Constantinople. But she is said to have left one of these crosses in Cyprus during an involuntary visit caused by shipwreck. History says that the Holy Cross was transferred by a miracle to the peak of a high hill over night and a strong light was coming out of that peak. After several unsuccessful attempts to get the Holy Cross out of that mountain, Helena decided to leave a piece there and built a small Chapel. ... Recent history: The records suggest that the Monastery had no monks for a period roughly between the 16th and the 19th century, time when the Turks ruled the island. It was only until the end of the 19th century when Elder Dionysios A' moved to Stavrovouni from Mount Athos in 1889 and the Monastery was in operation again. Then, in 1890 three more Cypriot monks again from Mount Athos joined him at Stavrovouni; Fathers Varnavas - who would become the next Abbotand his two brothers Kallinikos and Gregorios. Since then, new Monks entered the Monastery which grew larger and larger and soon became the spiritual center of the island of Cyprus. The Monastery grew so much during the mid-19th century that it came into a position to send Monks to other ruined Monasteries and help their growth. As an example, the Monastery of Panagia Trooditissa in Troodos should be mentioned where Monks from Stavrovouni moved and created a new group and also the attempt of some other Monks to move to and revive the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Mesa Potamos in Limassol. [article link]
Christmas 2010: Handel - Hallelujah - Messiah (DVD) - Andrea Bocelli - Sacred Arias [Special Edition CD with Bonus DVD] (Amazon - $24.63) Review: The DVD is the full 77 minute concert with two featurettes previously released alone. The CD is the full 72 minute concert previously released alone, except that two bonus tracks have been added. The audio quality of each one is quite good. (If you have a Dolby Digital stereo, then you must go into the setup menu on the DVD to select Dolby Digital sound. The default music track is the stereo 2.0 sound.) The video quality of the DVD is astonishing. The DVD gives the feeling that you are in the church with the other worshippers. It literally sends chills up and down my spine. I highly recommend this CD/DVD combination Special Edition while it is still available. [article link]
Christmas 2010: Handel - Hallelujah - Messiah (YouTube) Comments: There are very few pieces of music that continually inspire hope and rejoicing in the wonder of God's love, and this is one of them. Sincere presenters of this work seem to be blessed to rise to the very peak of their talent whenever and wherever it is sung/played. [article link]
Christmas 2010: Christmas Day "Savior Day" - Celebrating the Arrival-Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind - Giving 'Glory to God in the Highest' this is the very basis of our human relationship to the Holy, loving, kind, compassionate and tender God! Christmas Day - "Savior Day" The Day Jesus Christ the Savior of the world entered into the world! Celebrating the Arrival (Birth) of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. Christmas time is a wonderful time it is a time of reassurance of God's love and of God's commitment for all mankind throughout all time. Enjoy the Christmas holiday season knowing that there is indeed a Savior-Redeemer for mankind and that Jesus Christ is the SaviorRedeemer. ... "Luke 2:8-12 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." [article link]
Christmas 2010: Cradle to Grave - Nativity by John Vermilya - The Life of Jesus Christ (Mp3s) About Us: The Tabernacle's purpose is to change lives! We do this by loving God, loving people and by teaching people how to follow Jesus and how to labor for His Kingdom. [article link]
Christmas 2010: The Day the Lord Came by Kelly McGinley - The Berean Chronicles (Archived - Mp3s) The day the Lord Jesus entered into the world was a blessing for all mankind. The Lord God revealed the birth of His Son to the humble and not to the proud. Many try to discredit the birth of Jesus Christ to advance their own agenda. Kelly answers listeners letters about the birth of Jesus Christ and comments on recent news. Daily Scripture Reading: Matt 2:1-15. [article link]
Christmas 2010: Born in a Barn (Stable)? - Misconception: Jesus was born among the animals in the stable because there was no room for Joseph and Mary at the inn - The probable answer is that Joseph and Mary did not attempt to stay at an inn [in Bethlehem] - The Bible states that there was no room for them in the 'kataluma', which would be better translated as "guest room" {Note: The Gospel of Matthew indicates "the house" and it is in context with Jesus being born in the house - not being born in a barn and certainly not in a cave and later moving to a house but remaining at "the house" the entire time while in Bethlehem. -- "Matthew 2:1-2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him." … "Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into **the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."} A few points must be made as we compare the modern retelling of the birth of Jesus with the truth of Scripture. First, the Bible does not tell us that Joseph and Mary made it to Bethlehem just in time for Mary to deliver. In fact, this scenario is highly unlikely since it is doubtful that the two would attempt to make the arduous 70 mile trip from Nazareth in the final stages of her pregnancy. Also, Luke 2:6 implies that they were in Bethlehem for a while before Jesus was born ("while they were there, the days were completed"). -- Second, the Bible makes no mention of any innkeeper who told them that the inn was full for the night. The reason we imagine this scenario is because the translators of most English versions have chosen the word "inn" to translate the Greek word (kataluma), which gives modern readers the wrong impression. Jesus used this same Greek word in Luke 22:11 to refer to a "guest room." This room is now known as the Upper Room-the scene of the Last Supper, the meal that Jesus ate with His disciples the night before His Crucifixion. -- That may not sound convincing to most people who are familiar the traditional telling of the Christmas account. But consider that the Greek language has a word for hotel or inn. In fact, Luke used it in Luke 10:34, when he wrote about
the Good Samaritan who took the beaten man to the "inn" (pandocheion) and paid the "innkeeper" (pandochei, v. 35) to care for the man. Since Luke was quite familiar with the proper term for inn, why didn't he use it in the account of the birth of Jesus? The probable answer is that Joseph and Mary did not attempt to stay at an inn. The Bible states that there was no room for them in the kataluma, which would be better translated as "guest room." Joseph and Mary returned to Joseph's ancestral home of Bethlehem because of the census (Luke 2:1-4).1 As the census was proclaimed throughout the Roman Empire, many Jewish families would have needed to travel to Bethlehem during this time and lodged with relatives who lived in the town. Joseph and Mary probably stayed with Joseph's relatives in Bethlehem, but because of the large influx of people, the house would have been crowded and the kataluma (guest room) was full. Consequently, Joseph and Mary would have been relegated to living in the lower level of the house. It is hard to believe that pregnant Mary would have been turned away from a relative's home in a society that greatly valued familial ties. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Wikipedia.org: Nativity of Jesus - The Church of the Nativity (327 A.D.) inside the town, built by St. Helena (246-330 A.D.) [the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine I], contains the cavemanger site traditionally venerated as the birthplace of Jesus, which may have originally been a site of the cult of the god Tammuz Although in Western art the manger is usually depicted as being in a man-made free standing structure, many biblical scholars conjecture that, as in Byzantine art, the manger was probably positioned in a cave carved in the side of a hill.[citation needed] In the second century, Justin Martyr stated that Jesus had been born in a cave outside the town, while the Protoevangelium of James described a legendary birth in a cave nearby. The Church of the Nativity inside the town, built by St. Helena, contains the cave-manger site traditionally venerated as the birthplace of Jesus, which may have originally been a site of the cult of the god Tammuz.[47] [47. ^ Taylor, Joan E. (1993). Christians and the Holy Places: The Myth of Jewish-Christian Origins. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 99-100. ISBN 0-19-814785-6.] -- Church of the Nativity - History: The first basilica on this site was begun by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine I. Under the supervision of Bishop Makarios of Jerusalem, the construction started in 327 and was completed in 333. That structure was burnt down in the Samaritan Revolt of 529. The current basilica was rebuilt in its present form in 565 by the Emperor Justinian I. When the Persians under Chosroes II invaded in 614, they unexpectedly did not destroy the structure. According to legend, their commander Shahrbaraz was moved by the depiction inside the church of the Three Magi wearing Persian clothing, and commanded that the building be spared. The Crusaders made further repairs and additions to the building during the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem with permission and help given by the Byzantine Emperor, and the first King of Jerusalem was crowned in the church. Over the years, the compound has been expanded, and today it covers approximately 12,000 square meters. The church was one of the direct causes for French involvement in the Crimean War against Russia. The church is administered jointly by Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic authorities. All three traditions maintain monastic communities on the site. - Source Wiki.com [article link]
5th Kingdom - Greece, Alexander the Great - Hanukkah The Historical Background - Hanukkah [established 165 B.C.] does not appear among the [8] Feasts of the Lord in Leviticus 23 {Note: Hanukkah is not one of the Levitical Holy Feasts of Israel it is a Festival of Israel (and was attended by Jesus - John 10:22-23) but Hanukkah is not at the level of any of the eight Levitical Holy Feasts of Leviticus chapter 23.} To fully understand this holy [festival] day, go back to a tumultuous time in the history of Israel: the Hellenistic (Greek - 5th Kingdom of the globe) period around 167 B.C. As was so often the case, the Jewish people were living under the oppression of a foreign power. **A few generations earlier, the Greeks had come to world power under the remarkable leadership of Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C. (at the aged of 32)). With the ascension of this kingdom, Alexander seemed to have unified the ancient world into one common government and *culture called Hellenism. After Alexander's untimely death, there was a political scramble among four of
his generals, **resulting in the division of the Hellenistic empire [into four parts]. The Ptolemies took control of the South, which included Egypt [centered in Alexandria Egypt and concluding with Queen Cleopatra (69 BC August 12, 30 B.C. died in a suicide accompanied with Roman Triumvirate (three part) ruler Mark Antony) Cleopatra was a descendant (about eight generations later) of [General] Ptolemy I and Queen Bernice I]. The Seleucids [Seleucus I (given the surname by later generations of Nicator, Greek i.e. Seleucus the Victor) 358-281 B.C. was a Macedonian [northern Greece] officer of Alexander the Great - Wiki.com] took charge of the northern area around Syria. This left Judea [Israel] caught in the middle of a tug-of-war, wondering what the outcome would be. Eventually, the Seleucid/Syrians, under the leadership of Antiochus IV, gained power and sought control of the new provinces. -- Seeking to unify his holdings, Antiochus enforced a policy of assimilation into the prevailing Hellenistic culture. Irrespective of the culture and beliefs of the captured peoples, the Seleucids required submission to the Greek way of life. The Greeks thought that to be truly effective this assimilation must apply to all aspects of life, including language, the arts, and even religion. Everything was to conform to the "superior" Greek way of life and values. Not surprisingly, this Hellenization policy did not present a major problem for many people under the Seleucids. Indeed, the Greeks were highly respected for their culture. Even many Jews in Judea had converted to the Hellenistic way and openly advocated adherence to it. However, there were a significant number of traditional Jews who were appalled at the changes in their society. -- Antiochus and the Seleucids continued growing more hostile towards these stubborn Jews who did not convert to Hellenism. Steps were taken to enforce their policy. An ultimatum was given: either the Jewish community must give up its distinctive customs (Shabbat, kosher laws, circumcision, etc.) or die. To prove his point, Antiochus marched his troops into Jerusalem and desecrated the holy Temple. The altars, the utensils, even the golden menorah (lampstand) were all defiled or torn down. But that was just the start! Antiochus also ordered that a pig be sacrificed on the holy altar and erected an image of the Greek god Zeus as the new point of worship in the Temple! Antiochus insisted on being called "epiphanes" (God manifest), enough to repulse any religious Jew. The Jewish community soon came up with an appropriate reflection of their feelings. Instead of calling him Antiochus Epiphanes they made a play on words, and called him "epimanes" (crazyman)! This brutal attack on the Jewish people and their faith would not go unanswered for long. The murmurings of revolt were heard in Judea and were crystallized in a small village called Modi'in. [In 167 B.C.] Syrian troops entered this town to enforce their assimilation policy. The soldiers planned to erect a temporary altar to the false gods and force the populace to participate in their religious ceremony-the highlight of which was eating the flesh of the swine! -- Living in this village was an old, godly priest named Mattathias and his five sons. When the Seleucid soldiers chose him to lead the pagan ceremony, Mattathias and his sons reacted with holy indignation. Enough was enough! They killed the soldiers and started a revolt against the oppressors. One of the sons, Judah, rose to leadership and was nicknamed "Maccabee" (the hammer). Overwhelmingly outnumbered and under-supplied, the armies of the Maccabees turned to more creative devices. Relying on their knowledge of the hill country and employing guerrilla warfare, the Jewish forces met with surprising success. Spurred on by their firm conviction that the God of Israel was true and faithful, the Maccabees proved that the impossible could happen. -- In the Hebrew month Kislev [Kislev 25, 165 B.C.] (around December) they drove out the Syrians and recaptured the Temple in Jerusalem. They faced the sober task of restoring the Temple to the true worship of God. The Temple compound was in shambles, desecrated by the idolatry of the Syrians. The Maccabees and their followers quickly cleansed the altars and restored the holy furnishings. Of particular importance to them was the broken menorah, symbolizing the light of God. They restored it and attempted to light it, but there was a problem. Jewish tradition recounts that as they searched for some specially prepared oil, they found only enough to burn for one day. The priests knew it would take at least eight days for new oil to be produced. What to do? They decided it was better to light the menorah anyway; at least the light of God would shine forth immediately. To their amazement, the oil burned not only for one day, but for eight days until additional oil was available! The Temple was restored and rededicated to the glory of the God of Israel and an eight-day festival was established. It is called Hanukkah (Hebrew for Dedication). Every year, starting on the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the Jewish community recalls the
two-fold miracle: the miracle of the oil as well as the miraculous military victory. [article link]
The History of the World Mega-Pack Curriculum 10 DVDs, 5 Audio Albums [52 CDs], and 1 Study Guide *Jerusalem and Athens: Antithesis Between Hebrew and Greek Cultures by Douglas W. Phillips {Highly Recommended} - The Message of the Mayas by Douglas W. Phillips {Also Highly Recommended} - ($171.00) Vision Forum is pleased to introduce its most comprehensive collection of world history resources ever made available online. Featuring six separate titles on 10 DVDs and 52 CDs, and totaling more than sixty-three hours of combined audio and video resources, the History of the World MegaPack provides teachers, students, and those who love the study of history with a superior understanding of world history from a distinctly Christian perspective. History is meaningless unless it is interpreted through the lens of biblical Christianity, God's revealed Word, that speaks to every subject and academic discipline. Through this lens, a student of history can accurately evaluate art, warfare, music, literature, and theology as he strives to learn from the past and apply this knowledge now in the real world. Accordingly, Vision Forum's History of the World MegaPack contains far more than just abstract dates and data. Rather, it teaches of the relationships between biblical chronology, weather, warfare, technology, art, theology, law, the sociology of the family, and much more - all within the context of a providential understanding of earth history. Featuring engaging and accessible lectures from some of the most outstanding Christian historians and scholars of our day, the History of the World MegaPack is a powerful tool for anyone seeking to understand and/or teach a biblical perspective on world history. Perfect for teachers, students, and all who desire to learn from the lessons of His Story. [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.) - Ancient Roman Culture - The Ancient Romans acquired many of their cultural habits from the Ancient Greeks - The Greeks inspired the Romans from everyday customs and laws to architectural designs and style - The Roman architects first learned from the Greeks but when they became a world power they built with more imagination {Note: Historically the entire established Greek Kingdom (5th Kingdom - 1st of the Western (Europe) centered Kingdoms) folded wholesale into the replacing Roman (6th Kingdom - 2nd of the Western (Europe) centered Kingdoms) - Rome did not militarily conquer Greece unmercifully the way previous Empires had conquered each other [in fact it was Rome itself that Rome unmercifully, militarily conquered] instead Rome the new military power of its day inherited the world through treaties with Greece brought on by a decline in Greek culture while the strength of Rome gave Rome the opportunity [and Rome took the opportunity] to pick up the global Greek culture, Romanize it to small extent and continue it on virtually in its entirety into the Roman Kingdom.} Ancient Roman Culture - Location: Ancient Rome was located exactly where modern Rome is today, along the western coast of central Italy. History: The Ancient Romans acquired many of their cultural habits from the Ancient Greeks.The Greeks inspired the Romans from everyday customs and laws to architectural designs and style.The Ancient Romans were first governed by what is called the Twelve Tables. This provided the basic code and standard of living for all Romans.Later, all decisions were led to the discretion of the court's judges, most of whom were corrupt. The Twelve Tables were followed by The Gracchi, which was developed and implemented by the emperor Caesar Augustus. Historians have noticed that some of the Roman's emperors have had mysterious deaths, which have little or no record of how they happened. This was during the time when the Roman emperors ruled, this time followed the demise of the Roman Republic. ... Roman houses were built around a courtyard that was open to the elements. The open roof vented smoke and let the rainwater in. The open center usually contained a leisure area with a bath, chairs, and sometimes a garden. The interior of the house contained rooms for the nuclear family, a dining room, and indoor bathrooms. Best Known Features: The Ancient Romans were well known for their architectural ability. They constructed great buildings such as the Collesseum, auquaducts, and the Pantheon.The first architects were priests who wanted a location so they could say 'whatever happens is a sign from the gods.' The Roman architects first learned from the Greeks but when they became a world power they built with more imagination. [article link]
6th Kingdom - Rome, Julius Caesar - Biography: Julius Caesar's history begins in 100 B.C. when he was born in a family which was a part of the Julius dynasty - Caesar's father was working as a praetor and died when Caesar was at the age of 16 orphaning him and his two sisters - So the future conqueror was raised by his mother Aurelia - At the age of 17 he married Cornelius Cinna's, who was the leader of the radical party, granddaughter Cornelia - But his happines didn't last long - In 82 BC, after Lucius Cornelius Sulla led the successful counterrevolution, Sulla ordered Caesar to divorce Cornelia - Caesar refused to carry out this order and was going to be banished and all his treasury to be taken away and losing the title of "Flamen Dialis" (priest of Jupiter) Caesar's friends and family pleaded for him and thanks to that he was found not guilty - Discouraged, Caesar went east and joined the [Roman] army - Caesar became a consul in 59 B.C. - He introduced many reforms which delighted his partners - At the same time Caesar became Gaul's governor - In 58 BC Caesar started the conquest of Gaul [Europe - Britannia (England), France, Germany, etc.] - His political opponents wanted him to get back to Rome and be prosecuted for the things he had done when he was a consul - Caesar refused Caesar had made a decision, which resulted in the fall of Roman republic - He lead his armies across the river of Rubicon and said the well-known "The die has been cast" and **started his [military] march towards Rome in January of 49 B.C. - Caesar's action resulted in a [Roman] civil war - (At the same time there was a [Greek] civil war in Egypt between Cleopatra and her brother) - In December of 49 B.C. Caesar returned to Rome, but only for 11 days - This was the required amount of time to become elected as the new consul - Caesar's aim was the conquer [and control of] the whole world - He went on with his wars and won victory over an usurper in the kingdom of Piemont - After this victory he said another famous phrase "I came, I saw, I conquered" - Since 59 B.C. Caesar had been elected a consul five times and a dictator three times - Finally, in 44BC he became an eternal dictator - It was ment to be a lifelong title and it was in fact - On 15 March 44 B.C. he was assassinated He received 23 blows by dagger [from fellow Roman leaders - on the Senate floor - during a session of the Roman Senate] and only one was leathal - Most important conspirators were Gaius Cassius Longinus, [Gaius Trebonius - was the person who kept Mark Antony outside the Senate while Caesar was being stabbed Wiki.com] and Marcus Junius Brutus "Et tu, Brute" ("You too, Brutus") was Caesar's expression of his particular anguish at being stabbed by a man whom he had forgiven, trusted, and loved - [Though they succeeded in assassinating Julius Caesar, the celebration was short-lived, as Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) [before Augustus Caesar could do so] seized power and turned the Roman public against them - Wiki.com] {Note: Julius Caesar didn't march on Athens Greece to secure his Kingdom. Julius Caesar marched on his own city of Rome to secure his Kingdom.} The plot against Caesar: Since 59 BC Caesar had been elected a consul five times and a dictator three times. Finally, in 44BC he became an eternal dictator. It was ment to be a lifelong title and it was in fact. On 15 March 44BC he was assassinated. He received 23 blows by dagger and only one was leathal. Most important conspirators were Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus. "Et tu, Brute" ("You too, Brutus") was Caesar's expression of his particular anguish at being stabbed by a man whom he had forgiven, trusted, and loved. They were Caesar's closest associates, but he underestimated them. Thanks to Caesar they had gathered a fortune and high positions, [positions] what they couldn't stand (be in with authority) [because Caesar became a dictator taking their authority]. That's why they had murderd him. Formally, Caesarion [the son between Julius Caesar and Cleopatra in Egypt] wasn't [legally declared by Rome to be] Caesar's son, so *before he died Caesar had chosen **Gaius Octavius [later taking the name 'Augustus Caesar' ("Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.")], his sister's grandson, as his successor. On first January 42 B.C. Caesar has been formally declared a god named Divus Iulius (Divine Julius). -- Usurper or reformer? How to recap Caesar's life: He definitely was an usurper. He reached his position thanks to his army and it was his reign's main foundation. He had limitless power, which was his aim for his whole life. But thinking about Caesar we see not only an usurper but also a great mastermind and reformer. He did everything he could to ensure law and order in Rome, which was begining to fall apart after many years long anarchy. Caesar's best description are Cicero's, one of his political enemies, words: "Those are the attributes: calm and kind nature; delight in great minds; he listens to right and just requests and doesn't care about the careeriest's ones; he is clever and **forward-looking... I admire his dignity
and justice and intelligence". As a commander and politician he got rid of hatred towards his enemies. Some received high positions and fortunes. Caesar was also a writer - he wrote diaries and he was interested in grammar and he collected piecies of art. His best works are Diaries from the Gaul War and Diaries from the [Roman] civil war. Both of them are written in excellent and beautiful latin. They were examplars of how to write your thoughts down for many centuries afterwards. [article link]
Update: Between now and the Christmas Holiday we still have a lot of material to go through regarding the 8 Kingdoms study [and we might not get it all in before Christmas] - Just as important and as intended as it is for this study to make a real difference in the lives of individual people is it is actually just as important that people make a real significant difference in their own Church [Winter Walkout 2010] This Holiday season it is going to be extremely important for each of us to grow individually in our own Christian faith in Jesus Christ but now do to the strange times we live in we also have to equally scrutinize the Pulpits of America and ensure that the sure Word of Jesus Christ is going forth from the pulpits and not in any way the whimsical desires and teachings of perverse men. Therefor in going to Church this Holiday Season don't blindly donate money - in fact don't give any money at all if church finances and expenditures are not publically available for all to see and assess - and just as important - hold the person in the pulpit accountable! - If teaching from the pulpit becomes greedy or New Age [Emergent] or in any way departs from the simple message of Jesus Christ then make a statement in Church - challenge the Pastor or simply walk out mid-sermon - if every time a pastor starts preaching about tithing or introducing false Emergent [New Age] doctrines into the message and people in the congregation start getting up and walking out mid-sermon then it will send an undeniable message not just to the leadership of the church but also to everyone, visitor and longstanding congregants alike. Then the next week if something is again amiss and coming from the pulpit in error then walk out of the service again it's really that simple, effective, nessiccary and easy to do. -- "Ezekiel 12:1-3 The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying, Son of man (Ezekiel), thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. *Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, **and remove by day ***in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider [and change their ways], though they be a rebellious house." [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Saint Helena - the mother of Emperor Constantine I - She is traditionally credited with finding the relics of the True Cross, with which she is invariably represented in Christian iconography Constantine appointed his mother Helen as Augusta Imperatrix, and gave her unlimited access to the imperial treasury in order to locate the relics of Judeo-Christian tradition - In 326-28 A.D. Helena undertook a trip to the Holy Places in Palestine [Israel] - The chapel at St. Catherine's Monastery [in Sinai Egypt - including Helen's Chapel of the Burning Bush] often referred to as the Chapel of Saint Helen-is dated to the year AD 330 {Note: every 'discovery' of Helena the mother of Emperor Constantine I is considered to be discredited - especially her [confirming] Mt. Sinai in Egypt [the Chapel of the Burning Bush - Source: SacredSites.com] when the Bible proclaims that the real Mt. Sinai was 'outside' (Exodus 18:1,5) of Egypt (Galatians 4:25). Also Note: it is one of the most blasphemous concepts to locate God in Egypt - God is not in Egypt, He is outside of Egypt [human slavery and human bondage] - the whole concept of the Bible is to leave Egypt and for worshipers go outside of Egypt (the world) to have a true relationship with God - pastors who preach that one corner of Egypt (St. Catherine's Monastery) is acceptable to God have missed much of the entirety of the Bible - The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus was even crucified outside the city of Jerusalem so we would know to look outside the city for a true relationship with Jesus (Hebrews 13:12-14).} Family life: The bishop and historian Eusebius of Caesarea states that she was about 80 [years old] on her return from Palestine (Israel). Since that journey has been dated to 326-28, Helena was probably born in 248 or 250. Little is known of her early life. Fourth-century sources, following Eutropius' "Breviarium," record that she
came from a low background. Saint Ambrose was the first to call her a stabularia, a term translated as "stablemaid" or "inn-keeper". He makes this fact a virtue, calling Helena a bona stabularia, a "good stable-maid". Other sources, especially those written after Constantine's proclamation as emperor, gloss over or ignore her background. ... Relic discoveries: Constantine appointed his mother Helen as Augusta Imperatrix, and gave her unlimited access to the imperial treasury in order to locate the relics of Judeo-Christian tradition. In 326-28 Helena undertook a trip to the Holy Places in Palestine. According to Eusebius of Caesarea she was responsible for the construction or beautification of two churches, the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, and the Church on the Mount of Olives, sites of Christ's birth and ascension. Local founding legend attributes to Helena's orders the construction of a church in Egypt to identify the Burning Bush of Sinai. The chapel at St. Catherine's Monastery--often referred to as the Chapel of Saint Helen-is dated to the year AD 330. -- Jerusalem was still rebuilding from the destruction of Emperor Hadrian, who had built a temple dedicated, according to conflicting accounts, to Venus or Jupiter over the site of Jesus's tomb near Calvary and renamed the city Aelia Capitolina. According to tradition, Helena ordered the temple torn down and, according to the legend that arose at the end of the fourth century, in Ambrose, On the Death of Theodosius (died 395) and at length in Rufinus' chapters appended to his translation into Latin of Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, which does not mention the event, chose a site to begin excavating, which led to the recovery of three different crosses. Then, Rufinus relates, refusing to be swayed by anything but solid proof, the empress (perhaps through Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem) had a woman who was already at the point of death brought from Jerusalem. When the woman touched the first and second crosses, her condition did not change, but when she touched the third and final cross she suddenly recovered, and Helena declared the cross with which the woman had been touched to be the True Cross. On the site of discovery, Constantine ordered built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as well as those on other sites detected by Helena. -- She also found the nails of the crucifixion. To use their miraculous power to aid her son, Helena allegedly had one placed in Constantine's helmet, and another in the bridle of his horse. Helena left Jerusalem and the eastern provinces in 327 to return to Rome, bringing with her large parts of the True Cross and other relics, which were then stored in her palace's private chapel, where they can be still seen today. Her palace was later converted into the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. This has been maintained by Cistercian monks in the monastery which has been attached to the church for centuries. Tradition says that the site of the Vatican Gardens was spread with earth brought from Golgotha by Helena to symbolically unite the blood of Christ with that shed by thousands of early Christians, who died in the persecutions of Nero. -- According to one tradition, Helena acquired the Holy Tunic on her trip to Jerusalem and sent it to Trier. Several of Saint Helena's treasures are now in Cyprus, where she spent some time. Some of them are a part of Jesus Christ's tunic, pieces of the holy cross and the world's only pieces of the rope to which Jesus was tied with on the Cross. The latter has been held at the Stavrovouni Monastery, which was also founded by Saint Helena. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Church #4 Revelation 2:18-29 Thyatira (white castle) - The Roman Catholic Church - The Church/people not recognizing the majesty, power and sole authority of Jesus {Note: It is considered Biblically (Revelation 2:18-29) that there is an acknowledged dual aspect and nature to the Historic Christian Church in Rome - The original Christian Church founded in part by the Apostles Peter and Paul [in about 59 A.D.] and the very deceptive false church, the co-mingled idol worshiping sect based on the current emerging Revised Roman Empire founded primarily be the Emperor Constantine in about 313 A.D.} The 4th Church grew out of the 3rd Church. Where the 3rd Church was involved in worldly government this 4th Church then took the power and influences they had learned in government and used them to create a governing Church, sort of a government for Church. This Church in modern day is most represented by the Roman Catholic Church. It should not seem surprising that God knows about the Catholic Church, because He knows about everything. This is yet another place in the Bible where we can really see the relevance and accuracy of the Bible and recognize that God knows all things past present and future. Remember a correction from Jesus is to draw us closer to Him in the correct manner of worship. ... Jesus continues in His letter saying
that if we follow the false teachings of Jezebel, there is no salvation in any false teaching. Those who follow false leaders will go into the great tribulation [miss the coming rapture] and be killed with death. This is a strong warning because of the strong danger in the false teaching and leading of Jezebel. Then Jesus concludes with the promise that those who remain faithful in the Church will then rule with Jesus. -- "Revelation 2:20-29 [Church of Thyatira] Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that [false prophet] woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols [false gods]. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them [the false Constantine instituted revised-NWO catholic Church] that commit adultery with her into Great Tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the Churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira [the true Roman Catholic Church], as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations [8th Kingdom reign of Jesus]: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father. And I will give him the morning star [brightness, prestige, honor]. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the [Holy] Spirit saith unto the [Christian] Churches." [article link]
The Thanksgiving Holiday 2010 (PDF) The Thanksgiving Holiday: 2nd Corinthians 4:13-18 We having the same Spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present (in heaven) us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the *Thanksgiving* of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man (soul) is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. [article link]
The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines by confessing Christians - Contact: David
[email protected] Note: once the current article 'Areas and Doctrines' is adequately summarized with about 25 Areas and Doctrines that are central and relevant to the Christian faith - The article is going to be made open to participation from others and for group (roundtable) discussion - Then a more finalized version of the article will be published similar to 'The Chicago Statement on Biblical Application' though with the working title of 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians - The publishing of the document 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians should be able to be accomplished sometime within 2011 - I'll update the post with an email that people can contact me with regarding the Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines - All the best, God bless everyone ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Athenian [Greek] Owls [coins] Through the Ages - Owls were the first widely used international coin - They popularized the practice of putting a head [king, ruler] on the obverse of a coin and a tail (animal) on the reverse [like an American quarter - George Washington on the front - an eagle on the back] - Athena's attribute, the owl, is still a symbol of wisdom today, though at different places and in different times owls have symbolized other things, including dread and death [and a connection to the spirit realm] - President Theodore Roosevelt used a Classical Owl (coin) as a pocket piece, which inspired him to order the redesign of U.S. coins [in 1905 A.D.] early last century [Wiki.com: Theodore Roosevelt - Born to a wealthy family - In 1901,
President William McKinley was assassinated, and [VP] Roosevelt became president at the age of 42, taking office at the youngest age of any U.S. President in history - Roosevelt declined to run for re-election in 1908 he attended church regularly ... he was also a member of the Freemasons and Sons of the American Revolution.] Athenian Owls, thick, heavy, high-relief silver coins minted more than 2,000 years ago, were arguably the most influential of all coins, and the Classical Owl tetradrachm, pictured above, is the most widely recognized ancient coin among the general public today. Owls were the first widely used international coin. They popularized the practice of putting a head on the obverse of a coin and a tail (animal) on the reverse. Owls were handled by Pythagoras, Xenophanes, Democritus, Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Archimedes, and others whose thinking formed the very foundation of Western civilization. They remained thematically unchanged, Athena on the obverse, her owl on the reverse, for half a millennium, through great changes in the ancient world. Because of their centrality, they were known as "Owls" in ancient times as they are today despite many other ancient coins depicting owls in an equally prominent fashion. President Theodore Roosevelt used a Classical Owl as a pocket piece, which inspired him to order the redesign of U.S. coins early last century. Like other great powers, Athens treated its money not only as a way of facilitating commerce and trade and projecting its image abroad but also as a way of making money. Athens earned seigniorage profits on each Owl minted, whether the source was freshly mined silver or the silver coins of other cities. The traders and merchants of other cities, in turn, liked Owls because of their easy exchangeability. Owls thus became the world's first great trade currency, and they were followed in this role by among others Alexander the Great tetradrachms and staters, Roman denarii, Spanish American pieces of eight, Dutch lion dollars, Austrian Maria Theresa thalers, and American dollars. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Mermaid - A popular Greek legend turns Alexander the Great's sister, Thessalonike, into a mermaid [human - fish, Chimera] after she died A popular Greek legend turns Alexander the Great's sister, Thessalonike, into a mermaid after she died. She lived, it was said, in the Aegean and when she encountered a ship, she asked its sailors only one question: "Is King Alexander alive?", to which the correct answer was: "He lives and reigns and conquers the world". This answer pleased her so she calmed the waters and wish the ship farewell. Any other answer would spur her into a rage. She would raise a terrible storm, with certain doom for the ship and every sailor on board. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The Days of Noah (Genesis 6 - Matthew 24:37-38) The presence of 'Chimera' (mixed species beings) symbolism in ancient cultures is both astounding and alarming - It isn't as though one or a few ancient cultures identified with Chimera species almost all the ancient civilizations put Chimera depictions front and center in their culture and reverenced them as real manifestations of actual beings The ancient Chimera incidents would not be considered to be simple genetic modifications via selective breeding but would be considered to be unique occult manifestations similar to the ancient magicians of Egypt also turning wooden sticks into snakes as God had temporarily done so with the staff of Moses (Exodus 7:11). Apparently God was revealing and recording for future generations the advanced nature of ancient Egyptian magic. Turning wood into a serpent would be considered a type of Chimera being as even in the transformation it was part wood and part reptile. - The prevalent Chimera modifications though certainly more myth than reality were however very much a reality in the Court of Pharaoh and the backrooms of Babylon and Persia. The Chimera modifications were and are not due to human ability but are strictly the result of fallen angelic - demonic activity. A human cannot create a Chimera at least not instantly but apparently the fallen angelic realm can perform some physical modifications among the fleshly world and it is considered that these modifications (and who knows what else) were occurring in the Days of Noah to the extent that all [land] flesh life that was not placed on the Ark after being individually selected by God was then intended to perish in the flood both humans and animals. -- "Genesis 6:7-8 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created
from the face of the earth; *both man, *and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Sons of God - Daughters of Men (Genesis 6) "Genesis 6:1-8 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God [disobedient, fallen angels] saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took [forcibly - overriding freewill] them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years [120 years until the flood of Noah]. There were giants [fallen ones] in the earth in those days; and also after that, **when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare [genetically modified, Chimera, part human - part modified concocted DNA] children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." Note: I don't think anyone that is saying that the sons of God are fallen angels is saying that angels can naturally reproduce, like humans, any more than a Griffin (part lion - part eagle) or any other Chimera species can exist naturally. Within the reproduction of the [fallen angels] sons of God and the [human] daughters of men for starters the women according to the passage were generally forced or at least not consulted in their participation [though in these last days it seems participation with fallen angels has becoming somewhat more by human consent though it appears that human consent was non-existent in the times of Noah] and it is possible what was occurring in the Days of Noah was that fallen angels were replicating their Chimera successes within the animal kingdom into the human kingdom with varying degrees of success, apparently some of the offspring became 'mighty men … men of renown'. All of this to say that indeed the ancient human civilization of Noah's day was wiped out by God, the ancient animal realm of Noah's day was also wiped out by God at the same time in the same flood and the fallen angelic beings that participated in the events at that time that may have directly led to the downfall of the original civilization in Noah's day were restricted by God into darkness. -- "2 Peter 2:4-5 For if God spared not the [fallen] angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;" - Noting that different realms exist, in human, animal, angelic, demonic, etc. and noting that though mankind generally cannot and nature generally does not intermix the realms the fallen angelic realm seemingly can and will intermix the realms and apparently it will happen again in the last days (Matthew 24:37-38) just before the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus repeatedly instructed and warned all of His followers to be especially alert to deception (Luke 21:8) that can and will come from a variety of places and a variety of realms most particularly the [occult] fallen angelic demonic realm. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - THE MEDICI FAMILY - While the Medici family was predominant, Florence [Italy] became the cultural center of Europe and also became the cradle of new Humanism - They founded the Platonic [Kabbalah - Occult] Academy and supported artists by feeding them, educating them, and providing them with the necessities - Some of those artists were Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael ACCOMPLISHMENTS: One of the many accomplishments that the Medici family offered in the Renaissance period was when their wealth had first begun. One member became gonfaler standard bearer. From then on the word success fitted the Medici family well. While they ruled the city of Florence they did many incredible acts, such as spending money on their city, and making it the most powerful state in Italy. They also made it the world's most beautiful city. It became the cultural center of Europe and was known as an art center and cradle
of New Humanism. They also spent some of their wealth on having the largest library in Europe; they brought in many Greek sources. They founded the Platonic Academy and supported artists by feeding them, educating them, and providing them with the necessities. Some of those artists were Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael. The family also did a lot of charitable acts such as cultivating literature and the arts. The Medici family was very helpful. IMPACT: The Medici family members were very interested in the rebirth of learning in Europe and under their patronage the Renaissance flourished. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The Medici Family [generally considered the most Occult family of Medieval Europe] - Other Prominent Medici were Pope Leo X (1475-1521); Pope Clement VII (1478-1534); Catherine (1519-1589), wife of [King] Henry II of France; and Marie (1573-1642), wife of [King] Henry IV of France and regent for their son [King] Louis XIII [Note: this is also the important and historic timeframe of the general discovery of America by the Italian born explorer Christopher Columbus in his 1492 voyage from Spain to America (Bahamas).] Medici, an Italian family of merchants and bankers who ruled the republic of Florence through economic power and personal influence. By their patronage of the arts they made Florence the center of the Italian Renaissance. The Medici were created dukes of Florence by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1531, and grand dukes of Tuscany by Emperor Maximilian II in 1575. The last Medici grand duke was deposed by the Austrians in 1737. Important members of the Medici family included the following. Giovanni De' Medici: (1360-1429) established the family fortune and made himself ruler of Florence's merchant oligarchy. Cosimo De' Medici: (1389-1464), his son, used his banking business to gain political power and led Florence in a long period of prosperity and artistic achievement. Lorenzo the Magnificent: (1449-1492), grandson of Cosimo, gained fame as a statesman and patron of arts and letters. He was recognized as a poet himself and was largely responsible for the Tuscan dialect becoming the national speech of Italy. Cosimo (I) the Great: (1519-1574) succeeded to the dukedom in 1537 and ruled as a despot. He restored the duchy of Tuscany by conquering the other republics that had been part of it. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The [two] Medici Popes - Pope Leo X [1513 - 1521] known for being the Pope that challenged Martin Luther's [1517 A.D.] 95 Theses -- Pope Clement VII [1523 - 1534] (Medici cousin of Pope Leo X) known for being Pope during the sacking of Rome in 1527 A.D. [The (Occult) Medici (family), led by (Pope) Clement, had tried to play everyone off against each other and had made everyone their enemy -- at least temporarily - source: mmdtkw.org/VSackRome.html] Pope Leo X - Giovanni de'Medici, 1475 - 1513 - 1521: Giovanni de'Medici, second son of Lorenzo and younger brother of the fatuous Piero, became the first of the Medici Popes (Leo X - Leone Decimo) at the age of 38 on 11 March 1513. Prior to this his life had been a complete roller coaster. Brought up in Medici luxury alongside Michelangelo (who was included in the Medici household by Lorenzo), older brother Piero and cousin Giulio (who was adopted by Lorenzo after his father (who was Lorenzo's brother) was killed in the Pazzi Conspiracy in 1478), he had access to the incomes of several wealthy monasteries, including Badia a Passignano, and was made a Cardinal at the age of 13. All this came to an abrupt end in 1494 when, in the wake of Lorenzo's death, the incompetent surrender of his brother Piero the Fatuous to the French, and the ensuing Savanorola stirred turbulence, he had to sneak out of Florence dressed as a Franciscan Friar, and then live in hiding with his cousin for the next decade, latterly being protected by the Habsburg Emperor Maximilian (who ironically was to be a major cause of the collapse of the Bruges branch of the Medici Bank) and then by the dreadful Cesare Borgia and his father Pope Alessandro VI (1431 - 1492 - 1503 (72)) in Rome. ... Pope Clement VII Giulio de'Medici, 1478 - 1523 - 1534 (56) Illegitimate son of Lorenzo's (Pazzi murdered) brother Giuliano, adopted son of Lorenzo, and companion in exile to Lorenzo's son Giovanni (Leo X), who was three years his senior, Giulio de'Medici became Pope Clement VII (Clemente Settimo). He was good looking, intellectually sophisticated, a talented musician and a political disaster. In reality he also faced the legacy of the corrupt practices of his cousin Leo X, and the
impossible task of operating in the emergent nation state Europe dominated by Charles V, Francis I, and Henry VIII (whom he excommunicated), and threatened by Suleiman the Magnificent, plus Martin Luther dealing the protestants into the game as well - see Insight Page. He lost England, and was humiliated by having to flee in disguise from Rome when it was barbarically sacked by Charles V's rabble army after Clement mistakenly got too close to flashy Francis I of France. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - 'Occult' power: the politics of witchcraft and superstition in Renaissance Florence - In Florence, how did one family--the Medici--secure their power after over a century of struggle, and how did they come to construct a myth of their own legitimacy? (Book) Lawrence's interpretation, however narrow and flawed, does highlight an indisputable element of Grazzini's tale of Dr. Manente: its cruelty and "monstrosity," traits that, I will argue, provide insight into the social structures of the mid-sixteenth century, particularly those that rely upon coersion and force. In Florence, how did one family-the Medici--secure their power after over a century of struggle, and how did they come to construct a myth of their own legitimacy? ... It is important to remember that, from 1494--when the friar himself gained widespread support and offered a major threat to the rule of the Medici family--until long after his execution in 1498, Savonarola bequeathed a powerful religious and political vision that was not dependent on his leadership for survival--a fact that fascinated the political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli. Savonarola's followers--called the Piagnoni first by their enemies and later, proudly, by themselves--remained politically active after his execution, through the Republic that lasted until 1513, when the first Medici pope, Leo X, used the considerable influence of this position to help his family and their allies to return to Florence, and again after the sack of Rome in 1527, which occurred during the pontificate of another Medici, Clement VII. The Piagnoni continued to be active even after the Medici, first Alessandro and then Cosimo I, openly turned Florence onto the path of absolutism [unlimited, centralized authority and absolute sovereignty] by accepting the [nobility] title of Duke. ... Lorenzo's manipulation of the Church comes into play in the next phase of the beffa. ... At this point, Grazzini emphasizes not only that many friars and priests were ignorant, but, more importantly, that the kind of people Lorenzo elevated to positions of power in the Florentine church hierarchy were either superstitious [occult] or corrupt, criticisms that Savonarola also often made of the Medici. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - Christian and Rosicrucian Kabbalah [esoteric (hidden) teachings - the real NWO New Age bible] - The origional Jewish [Witchcraft - King Solomon] Kabbalah --> Christian mystic, Raymon Lull (1232 - 1316 A.D.) originator of the Christian Kabbalah --> Renaissance Christian Kabbalah (Medici family) --> Rosicrucian (Illuminati - Freemason) Kabbalah --> Modern Occult Kabbalah - The beginning of Christian Kabbalah is to be found in the teachings of the Catalan philosopher and mystic, Raymon Lull - Lull had the idea of unifying all three religions [Judaism, Christianity, Islam] by developing a philosophy incoporating elements common to all - the way he intended to [unite] convert was through rational and mystical doctrine Renaissance Christian Kabbalah was derived from a number of sources - Firstly, the christological [christ doctrine] speculations of a number of Jewish converts from the late 13th to the late fifteenth centuries Secondly, the philosophical Christian and Renaissance speculation concerning the Kabbalah that developed around the Platonic Acadamy *founded by the **Medici family in Florence Lull based his Art on the importance which Christian, Moslem [Islam], and Jew each attached to the Divine Names or Attributes, or, as he called them, Dignities. Lull mentioned nine Dignities (or Dignitaries): Bonitas (Goodness), Magnitudo (Greatness), Eternitas (Eternity), Potestas (Power), Sapientia (Wisdom), Voluntas (Will), Virtus (Virtue), Veritas (Truth), and Gloria (Glory). These are shown in the follwing diagram. ... In addition we also find the incorporation of the four elements [earth, water, air and fire] and the qualities, the seven planets and twelves [astrological] signs, medicine, alchemy, geometry, a letter notation, and so on. There is an elaborate system of correspondences, in that the nine Dignitaries have their correspondences in the celestial sphere, the human level, and the animal, plant, and material creation. In all this we see the influence, not only
of Kabbalah, but also of Aristotlean categories, Augustinian Platonism (nearly all the Lullian Dignities can be found listed as Augustine's Divine Attributes), and the celestial hierarchies of angels of the Christian Neoplatonist Dionysius. [Frances A. Yates, The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age, pp.9-12]. -Renaissance Kabbalah: Renaissance Christian Kabbalah was derived from a number of sources. Firstly, the christological speculations of a number of Jewish converts from the late 13th to the late fifteenth centuries. Secondly, the philosophical Christian and Renaissance speculation concerning the Kabbalah that developed around the Platonic Acadamy founded by the Medici family in Florence. Pico della Mirandola The Florentines, headed by the renowned Renaissance hermeticist Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-94) believed they had discovered in Kabbalah a lost divine revelation that could give the key to understanding both the teachings of Pythagoras, Plato, and the Orphics, and the inner secrets of Catholic Christianity. Pico himself had a considerable amount of Kabbalistic literature translated into Latin by the scholarly convert Samuel ben Nissim Abulfaraj. Among the 900 theses Pico presented for public debate in Rome was the claim that "no science can better convince us of the divinity of Jesus Christ than magic and the Kabbalah", and he believed he could prove the dogmas of the Trinity and the Incarnation through Kabbalistic axioms. All this caused a sensation in the intellectual Christian world, and the writings of Pico and his follower Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522) led on the one hand to great interest in the doctrine of Divine Names and in practical (magical) Kabbalah (culminating in Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheim's De Occult Philosophia (1531) and on the other to further attempts at a synthesis between Kabbalah and Christian theology. [Gershom Scholem, Kabbalah, pp.197-8] -- Rosicrucian Kabbalah: By the late 16th century Christian Kabbalah began to be permeated with alchemical symbolism; a trend that continued through the 17th and 18th century. Well known representatives are the Rosucrucian philosopher and alchemist Robert Fludd (1574-1637) and the alchemist Thomas Vaughan (1622-1666) among others. One of the works of Fludd presents an interpretation of the Sefirotic Tree which he illustrates as a Palm (left), whose ten spreading branches raying forth from the lowest world suggest that man on earth is a microcosm or reflection of the macrocosm or universe. In the second half of the 18th century this alchemical kabbalah was combined with Freemasonic numerology and occultism, from which was ultimately to develop the extraordinary occult/magickal revival of the late 19th century known as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn illustration (left) from World Trees by Hazel Minot Kircher's Tree from Oedipus Aegyptiacus published in 1652 by Athanasius Kircher, a Jesuit priest and hermetic philosopher -- Occult Kabbalah: By the 19th century the occultists of the French magician revival, such as Eliphas Levi (Alphonse Louis Constant; 1810-1875) and Papus (Gerard Encausse; 1868-1916) had lost all understanding of the original Jewish meaning of Kabbalah, and brought in various extraneous elements such as Tarot. Levi was an influential figure both on the Theosophy of Blavatsky and even more so the Golden Dawn Order of Mathers and Westcott, with it's unique Kabbalistic (or Qabalistic, to use the prefered spelling) formulation of Sefirot and paths, through which Kabbalah established itself in the contemporary Western Occult Tradition. [article link]
The 7th and final human kingdom on earth the 'Revised Roman Empire' began to emerge and take shape about 306 A.D. with Roman Emperor Constantine and continues until the eventual Antichrist is enthroned as the undisputed global leader sometime in the future Note: A Summary - The current Basic Christian '8 Kingdoms study' is only going to examine a few key elements of the Revised Roman Empire. - Namely, Emperor Constantine (a false Christian religion, the family of Constantine primarily his mother), the Medici family of Medieval Europe - Italy (The House of Medici, starting about 1389 A.D. - the foundation of almost all the modern global power structure and powerbase), England taxation (William the Conqueror, also known as William I of England, the Battle of Hastings, the first census of England [land and people - requiring each individual person to take a last name for government tracking purposes] published in the Domesday Book in 1086 A.D.), British Royalty (House of Windsor (Price Charles) House of Stuart (the late Princess Diana)), Hitler's secret Berlin bunker (successfully transitioning from a loosing empire attempt into the winning empire), and lastly the League of Nations (WWI) and the United Nations
(WWII) organization of today. [article link]
The Revised Roman Empire - The Coming of the Anti-Christ. . . Within the last few years, some very unusual and very unexpected events began occurring around the globe - On November 1989, against all odds, the Berlin wall came crashing down - And the once mighty Soviet Empire collapsed with a devastating sound - And the world, we once knew, began to take a new form - Never before in history, world leaders began trumpeting for a New World Order. As trade barriers are quickly being dissolved with the likes of NAFTA, GATT and other treaties, the mysterious New World Order is right on schedule - And the center stage is set for the soon rise of the Anti-Christ. In Belgium, the headquarters of the European community office, statesman P.H. Spock stood up and said, "The truth is, that the method of international committees has failed. WHAT WE NEED IS A PERSON, someone of the highest order, of great experience, of great authority, of wide influence, of great energy; either a civilian or a military man, no matter what his nationality . . . LET HIM COME QUICKLY" [Note: with the scripted shelling and retaliation events of today between N. Korea and S. Korea the two nations will probably soon be united again into one successfully UN negotiated nation along with continued UN oversight. Wiki.com - Ban Kimoon (born 13 June 1944) is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan [of Ghana] in 2007. Before becoming [UN] Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he graduated from university, accepting his first post in New Delhi, India. In the foreign ministry he established a reputation for modesty and competence.] The Revised Roman Empire - The Kingdom of the Anti-Christ. . . The Bible teaches the Anti-Christ will head up a 10-nation, Revised Roman Empire. And on January 1, 1993, the Revised Roman Empire officially began, called the United States of Europe. The Wichita Eagle described its uncanny birth, ". . . Since the fall of the Roman Empire, there has been the dream of a unified Europe. We are . . . seeing a brand NEW ROMAN EMPIRE RECONSTRUCTED." The Bible, also refers to the Revised Roman Empire as Babylon. Babylon begins in Genesis chapter 11, when Nimrod tried to reach heaven and bring in a one-world government with the Tower of Babel, which God destroyed. The official poster for the United States of Europe is amazing! Believe it or not, but it actually portrays the United States of Europe as the Tower of Babel, with 12 stars representing the current 12 nations of the United States of Europe! And if that weren't enough, the 12 stars are not ordinary stars - BUT UPSIDE-DOWN PENTEGRAMS (which is the universal symbol for Satanism, found on the cover of THE SATANIC BIBLE)! But there's more . . . A very interesting news item appeared in the magazine ASTM Standardization News. Standardization News is the world-wide magazine that reports on standards throughout the world. The February 1989 issue was devoted to the United States of Europe. If you don't think the Bible's coming to life, check this: The United States of Europe has decided they will utilize an identifying mark. Page 30, of the article reads, ". . . one cannot market or sell a product UNLESS IT HAS THE EC MARK." Revelation 13:17, on the Mark of the Beast, reads almost identical! "And that no man might buy or sell, SAVE HE THAT HAD THE MARK . . ." Friend, Jesus is coming soon! Prophecy after prophecy, not one, not two, but many, fulfilled to the smallest detail, at the same time, seemingly overnight, exactly as the Bible prophesied over 2000 years ago - to say, is all just by chance or coincidence, is ridiculous! [article link]
THE REVISED ROMAN EMPIRE BY RYAN HICKS - Among Bible scholars today is a vast misconception about the Roman Empire and its future role in Bible prophecy - [Some] of them teach that the Roman Empire will be revived - The problem with this is that it will not be revived, it will be revised - This is not a simple difference of words, but is a total difference in the kingdoms as a whole - If the Roman Empire were revived it would have to consist of one kingdom, but the future Roman Empire will consist of ten [global] kingdoms The seventh kingdom (Revised Rome) had not came into existence yet, but when it does come it will exist a short time. The Antichrist will fulfill Daniel 7:7-8, 24 by arising out of one of the ten kingdoms in the Revised Roman Empire and by subduing three of the ten kingdoms. After he subdues the three kingdoms, the other six
kingdoms will "have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast" (Revelation 17:13). The Antichrist will then form the eighth kingdom, as mentioned in Revelation 17:11, which can be called the Revived Grecian Empire (See The Eight Empires). In summery, we can see clearly from Scripture that the Roman Empire will be revised, not revived, and will consist of ten kingdoms in the old Roman Empire territory. [article link]
Revised Roman Empire: Constantine the Great - Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February 272 A.D. 22 May 337 A.D.), commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337 - Best known for being the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine reversed the persecutions of his predecessor, Diocletian, and issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed *religious tolerance of Christians throughout the empire [Note: It was the later Edict of Thessalonica (27 February 380 A.D.) that made Christianity the official state religion of Rome.] Legacy: The Byzantine Empire considered Constantine its founder and the Holy Roman Empire reckoned him among the venerable figures of its tradition. In the later Byzantine state, it had become a great honor for an emperor to be hailed as a "new Constantine". Ten emperors, including the last emperor of Byzantium, carried the name. Monumental Constantinian forms were used at the court of Charlemagne to suggest that he was Constantine's successor and equal. Constantine acquired a mythic role as a warrior against "heathens". The motif of the Romanesque equestrian, the mounted figure in the posture of a triumphant Roman emperor, became a visual metaphor in statuary in praise of local benefactors. The name "Constantine" itself enjoyed renewed popularity in western France in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Most Eastern Christian churches consider Constantine a saint (Saint Constantine). In the Byzantine Church he was called isapostolos an equal of the Apostles. Niš airport is named Constantine the Great in honor of his birth in Naissus [the largest city in southern Serbia]. [article link]
Double-headed (cloned) eagle - The double-headed eagle is a common symbol in heraldry and vexillology - It is most commonly associated with the Holy Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and similar to the Vijayanagara Empire's gandaberunda - In Byzantine heraldry, the heads represent the dual sovereignty of the Emperor (secular and religious) and/or dominance of the Byzantine Emperors over both East and West - In the Holy Roman Empire's heraldry, it represented the Church and the State - Several Eastern European nations adopted it from the Byzantines and continue to use it as their national symbol to this day, the most prominent being Russia [Wiki.com - In 1433 the double-headed eagle was adopted for the first time by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund. Since then the double-headed eagle came to be used as the symbol of the German emperor, and hence as the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.] - Use in Masonry: The Double-Headed Eagle of Lagash on the cover of Morals and Dogma - The Double-Headed Eagle of Lagash is used as an emblem by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry - There are many meanings attached to this symbol, The date of its introduction into Freemasonry is not clear but it may have been first used in France to symbolize the Councils of the East and West - Another theory is that it was adapted from the arms of the Austrian state, to gain the favor of the ruling family Origins: Double-headed eagles have been present in imagery for millennia. The two-headed eagle can be found in the archaeological remains of the Sumerian civilization and through the Hittite civilization, dating from a period that ranges from the 20th century BC to the 7th century BC. Cylindric seals discovered in Bogazkoy, an old Hittite capital in modern-day Turkey, represent clearly a two-headed eagle with spread wings. The aesthetics of this symmetrical position explains in part the birth of this religious figure: It originally dates from circa 3,800 BC, and was the Sumerian symbol for the god Ninurta, son of Enlil. It can also be seen in the same region in three monumental settings: Circa 1,900 BC during the Hittite surge from north-central Anatolia (modern Turkey) down into Babylonia; in Alacahöyük around 1400 BC and in Yazilikaya before 1250 BC. Here the context looks slightly different and totally religious: The eagle returns to its ancient origins as a symbol of divine power. The two-headed eagle is seen less and less during the last Hittite period (from the 9th century BC
to the 7th century BC) and totally disappears after the end of the empire. The double-headed eagle was also in use by the Arsacid Dynasty of Armenia and the Mamikonian family in the 3rd to 9th centuries. -- Byzantine Empire: Constantinople was the successor of Rome, and the Byzantines continued the use of the old imperial "single-headed" eagle motif. Although the roots of the transformation to double-headed are almost certainly connected with old depictions in Asia Minor, the details of its adoption are uncertain. It was, however, already in use during the first centuries AD and certainly before the 10th century AD by Armenians and Persians, appearing in their art. The Ancients used no flags in the modern sense. The Romans used various signa, such as the bronze aquilas (adopted as the legions' symbol by Marius) and vexilloids, and, if the emperor was present, pikes or banners with the emperor's portrait. With the adoption of Christianity as state religion during the later Empire, the Chi-Rho and the cross became more and more used in military standards, such as the labarum. The Roman single-headed eagle however continued to be used as a symbol of imperial authority. According to the most prevalent theory, the single-headed eagle was modified to double-headed by emperor Isaac I Komnenos (1057-1059) being influenced from local traditions about such a (mythical) beast (the haga) in his native Paphlagonia in Asia Minor. Local legends talked about this giant eagle with two heads that could easily hold a bull in its claws; the haga was seen as a representation of power, and people would often "call" it for protection. Isaac Komnenos, deeply influenced by these beliefs, had already used it as a family emblem.[3] As there has been reference to "stone representations" of the eagle that were the inspiration for its picture, it is reasonable to assume that Hittite carvings may have been the source of the symbol's usage, but other relevant works, such as much older Sumerian cylinder seals representing the god Ninurta, must be considered as the chief source. Whether the eagle became an "imperial" symbol or remained purely a personal symbol for Komnenos, is not clear. After the Latin conquest of Constantinople in 1204, the Byzantine double-headed eagle was used by the successor states of Epirus and Nicaea. Theodore II Laskaris chose it for his symbol as Emperor (Empire of Nicaea), taking it to symbolize his state's claims to all the Byzantine Empire's former domains, both European (West) and Asian (East). An alternative interpretation is that the eagle symbolized the Emperor's double temporal and spiritual sovereignty. After the recapture of Constantinople and the restoration of the Byzantine Empire, the symbol was used as an emblem of the imperial family, but it is uncertain whether it was the official emblem of the Empire. More recent research has suggested that it was not, its usage being limited to imperial seals and other personal or dynasty symbols such as imperial robes, although there has been no depiction of any Emperor wearing it. The role of "state" symbols was most probably played by flags with the cross.[citation needed] In Byzantine usage, the eagle was almost always connected with colors of imperial power (gold and purple). A black eagle on golden background was used outside the imperial family, denoting the subordinate position (the eagle was black as being the 'shadow' of the Emperor's golden eagle) of their bearers. [article link]
New Age - SYMBOLS and their Meaning - Double-headed EAGLE - A Masonic seal and initiation symbol Double-headed EAGLE: A Masonic seal and initiation symbol. The number inside the pyramid over the eagle's head is 33. The eagle is a universal symbol representing the sun, power, authority, victory, the sky gods and the royal head of a nation. ... PHOENIX: A universal symbol of the sun, mystical rebirth, resurrection and immortality, this legendary red "fire bird" was believed to die in its self-made flames periodically (each hundred years, according to some sources) then rise again out of its own ashes. Linked to the worship of the fiery sun and sun gods such as Mexico's Quetzalcoatl, it was named "a god of Phoenecia" by the Phoenician. To alchemists, it symbolized the the destruction and creation of new forms of matter along the way to the ultimate transformation: physical (turn lead into gold) and spiritual (immortality - an occult alternative to the Christian salvation). The philosopher's stone was considered the key to this transformation. ... SERPENT OR SNAKE: Most earth-centered or pagan cultures worshipped the serpent. It represents rebirth (because of its molting), protection against evil, either male of female sexuality, rain and fertility, a mediator between the physical and spiritual world.... It also represents female energy or lifeforce in goddess worship, sometimes linked to the eastern Kundalini force or a supposed "goddess within." The list of meanings is endless, but in the Bible it
usually represents sin, temptation, destruction, and Satan. (See dragon) The circular image of the serpent biting its tail links the mythical significance of the serpent to that of the sacred circle. See uroborus and spiral. [article link]
Dictionary.com: Chimera (noun) - 1. a mythological, fire-breathing monster, commonly represented with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail - an artificially produced [DNA modified] individual [or animal] having tissues of several species {Note: The 7 human Kingdoms on earth all have had a Mascot creature depicted usually as a multi species 'Chimera' or as a mythical Phoenix [eagle] type of being. Beginning with [1] the Tower of Babel and the lion/serpent (Christ - Antichrist) [mixed] chimera, [2] the human headed lions of Egypt (with a cobra, serpent 3rd eye), [3] the Dragon (Mushhushshu - "splendor serpent" ) of Babylon, [4] the Griffin (head of an eagle, body of a lion) of Persia, [5] the Minotaur (head of a bull, body of a human) imprisoned in a labyrinth of ancient Greece. [6] The divine eagle of Rome and [7] the later double headed [Eastern and Western Roman Empire] (cloned, divine eagle - Phoenix, chimera) of Emperor Constantine's empire [Roman Emperor from 306 A.D. to 337 A.D.] the beginning of the 7th Kingdom the 'Revised Roman Empire' that is cumulating into the coming modern NWO one world government.} Chimera: Chi·me·ra [ki-meer-uh]-noun, 1. (often initial capital letter) a mythological, fire-breathing monster, commonly represented with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. 2. any similarly grotesque monster having disparate parts, esp. as depicted in decorative art. 3. a horrible or unreal creature of the imagination; a vain or idle fancy: He is far different from the chimera your fears have made of him. 4. Genetics. an organism composed of two or more genetically distinct tissues, as an organism that is partly male and partly female, or an artificially produced individual having tissues of several species. [article link]
Dragon of the [Babyon] Ishtar Gate by David G Stone - The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate may be one of Cryptozoology's strangest, yet best-documented, ancient crypids - This two and a half millennium old depiction is so unusual that many treat it as a chimera, an impossible combination of animals that could never have existed in nature - But the people of ancient Babylon knew and accepted the 'dragon' as real, as real as the bulls and lions that also share the walls - It was Koldeway who recognized the animal as the mushhushshu, a name derived from an Akkadian word that is loosely translated as "splendor serpent" The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate may be one of Cryptozoology's strangest, yet best-documented, ancient crypids. This two and a half millennium old depiction is so unusual that many treat it as a chimera, an impossible combination of animals that could never have existed in nature. But the people of ancient Babylon knew and accepted the 'dragon' as real, as real as the bulls and lions that also share the walls. -- The Ishtar Gate itself was one of eight entrances to the ancient city of Babylon. Built during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC) and dedicated to the goddess Ishtar it was the main entrance to the city until the final fall of Babylon sometime in the 1st or 2nd century AD. (King Nebuchadnezzar also constructed one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, a marvel filled with exotic plants and animals.) -- The Dedicatory Inscription on the Ishtar Gate reads: Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, the faithful prince appointed by the will of Marduk, the highest of princely princes, beloved of Nabu, of prudent counsel, who has learned to embrace wisdom, who fathomed their divine being and reveres their majesty, the untiring governor, who always takes to heart the care of the cult of Esagila and Ezida and is constantly concerned with the well-being of Babylon and Borsippa, the wise, the humble, the caretaker of Esagila and Ezida, the firstborn son of Nabopolassar, the King of Babylon. -- Both gate entrances of Imgur-Ellil and Nemetti-Ellil following the filling of the street from Babylon had become increasingly lower. Therefore, I pulled down these gates and laid their foundations at the water table with asphalt and bricks and had them made of bricks with blue stone on which wonderful bulls and dragons were depicted. I covered their roofs by laying majestic cedars length-wise over them. I hung doors of cedar adorned with bronze at all the gate openings. I placed wild bulls and ferocious dragons in the gateways and thus adorned them with luxurious splendor so that people might gaze on them in wonder - I let the temple of Esiskursiskur (the highest festival house of Markduk, the Lord of the Gods a place
of joy and celebration for the major and minor gods) be built firm like a mountain in the precinct of Babylon of asphalt and fired bricks. The ruins of the gate and walls were discovered and excavated between 1899 and 1914 by Robert Koldeway, a German archeologist and architect. After its excavation the entire Gate was shipped to Berlin where it was reconstructed and now resides at the Pergamon Museum. It was Koldeway who recognized the animal as the mushhushshu, a name derived from an Akkadian word that is loosely translated as "splendor serpent." Early researchers mistakenly read it as sirrussu but the word has now been properly translitereated as musrussu, with mushhushshu as the commonly-accepted modern form. [article link]
Bronze Griffin from Susa [Shushan (Daniel 8:2) 2nd palace of Babylon - later Persia], the other capital of the Persian kings now in the Louvre [Museum at Paris, France] (6-4th century B.C.) (Photo) Griffin Pedestal: The griffin (also spelt gryphon, griffon or gryphin) is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle with the addition of prominent ears. The female has the wings of an eagle. The male (known as a keythong) has projecting spikes instead of wings and is less frequently depicted. In the artwork of ancient Persia, as well as in the artwork of other parts of the ancient world from Scythia to Macedonia and Greece, the Griffin has special place (see below two sculptures of griffins from Persepolis and Susa). [article link]
Arezzo: The Medici Fortress and the [Roman] (lion, goat, serpent) Chimera (Video) The excavations for the construction of the Medici fortress, in the 16th century, have brought to light the famous etruscan Chimera of Arezzo. Part of the Videoguida of Arezzo by Touristicchannel. Visit www.touristicchannel.com, the video portail of tourism in tuscany & umbria in Italy. [article link]
Rethinking Humanity: the Chimera Debate - For most of history, part-human part-animal beings have always resided in the realm of fiction and folklore. Recently, however, advances in genetic engineering and microsurgery have brought these creatures into existence - Chimeras differ from the general perception of the genetically modified organism. Technically, a chimera consists of two genomes in a single body, producing two types of cells that work in conjunction to create a viable organism. It develops from two fertilized eggs that come into contact and combine to form a single embryo For most of history, part-human part-animal beings have always resided in the realm of fiction and folklore. Recently, however, advances in genetic engineering and microsurgery have brought these creatures into existence. Scientists now have created human-nonhuman chimeras-organisms that have both human cells and animals cells in their bodies. These chimeric animals hold enormous potential for the field of medicine as well as basic research into human physiology. Their utility in science lies in their unique biological integration of both human and animal cells, which can give rise to human tissues and even organs within the body of an animal. Useful applications of this technology range from the study of disease, to more accurate testing of drugs and medication, to the possibility of transplants using chimeric organs. Despite its potential, however, chimera research faces significant opposition from a wide spectrum of the population. While scientific and public health concerns exist, the majority of the opposition focus on the violation of current ethical and moral codes that arises from creating and using chimeras. At closer examination, however, all of these objections stem from an unwillingness to surrender society's rigid view of human identity and uniqueness. The debate over chimera research represents the changing perception of humanity and our place in the world. -- Chimeras differ from the general perception of the genetically modified organism. Technically, a chimera consists of two genomes in a single body, producing two types of cells that work in conjunction to create a viable organism. It develops from two fertilized eggs that come into contact and combine to form a single embryo, instead of staying separate and developing into fraternal twins. Chimerism within a species occurs naturally in nearly all animals, including humans. Interspecific chimeras, however, rarely exist in nature due to the unlikelihood of specific conditions required. In 1989, scientists at the University of California, Davis breached this barrier and
created the first artificial chimera, a sheep-goat hybrid dubbed the "geep." ... Today, the United Kingdom stands as the only nation to have legalized human-animal chimeras for medical research, a decision that has drawn harsh criticisms and cries of alarm from Germany and the rest of the European Union.19 The unpopularity of chimera research is understandable, as is the general feeling of revulsion and fear towards such creatures. To many, chimeras present a threat to our biological uniqueness in the world. In an age when astronomers and cosmologists continue to discover how small and inconsequential we really are, biology stands as the last bastion in defense of our significance and superiority. And this bastion is on the verge of being overrun by surreal part-human animals. [article link]
Disecting the New Age - Phoenix or Double-Headed Eagle? - The double-headed eagle is probably the most easily recognizable Masonic symbol in the world, even more important than the Square and Compass/Rule They look like two eagles, but they are not - They are the Phoenix Bird of Ancient Egypt [later of ancient Persia and later still in ancient Greece] - Remember that the Brotherhood was known in ancient Egypt as, "The Mystery Schools" The double-headed eagle is probably the most easily recognizable Masonic symbol in the world, even more important than the Square and Compass/Rule. They look like two eagles, but they are not. They are the Phoenix Bird of Ancient Egypt. Remember that the Brotherhood was known in ancient Egypt as, "The Mystery Schools." he current Presidential Seal has an eagle in it. The eagle replaced the Phoenix(the original national bird) in 1841 as the national bird. The Phoenix has been a Brotherhood symbol since ancient Egypt. The Phoenix was adopted by the Founding Fathers for use on the reverse of the first official seal of the United States after a design proposed by Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress. Listen to the explanation from Masonic author, Manly P. Hall, 33rd Degree, K.T., in his book, The Phoenix: An Illustrated Review of Occultism and Philosophy . [Before we begin, I find it highly interesting that Hall would admit, by his use of this title, that Freemasonry is occultic]. "Among the ancients a fabulous bird called the Phoenix is described by early writers ... in size and shape it resembles the eagle, but with certain differences. The body of the Phoenix is one covered with glossy purple feathers, and the plumes in its tail are alternately blue and red. The head of the bird is light in color, and about its neck is a circlet of golden plumage. At the back of its back the Phoenix has a crest of feathers of brilliant color ... The Phoenix, it is said, lives for 500 years, and at its death its body opens and the new born Phoenix emerges. Because of this symbolism, the Phoenix is generally regarded as representing immortality and resurrection ... The Phoenix is one sign of the secret orders of the ancient world and of the initiate of those orders, for it was common to refer to one who had been accepted into the temples as a man twice-born, or reborn. Wisdom confers a new life, and those who become wise are born again." [p. p. 176-77] ... To prevent most people from associating the Masonic Eagle with the ancient Phoenix, Freemasons changed the Phoenix to an Eagle, and began to refer to it as an Eagle. However, two Masonic authors blow the lid off that change in symbolism. Manly P. Hall, in his book, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, states, "These were the immortals to whom the term 'phoenix' was applied, and their symbol was the mysterious two-headed bird, now called an eagle , a familiar and little understood Masonic emblem ." [p. 108; Emphasis added] Albert Pike, in Magnum Opus, writes, "... the Eagle was the living Symbol of Egyptian God Mendes ... and the representative of the Sun ..." [p. xviii] In one sentence, we see the admission that the Phoenix Bird of Ancient Satanic Egypt was changed into the Masonic Eagle and then Pike admits that the Eagle is the Symbol of the Sun God and of the God of Mendes, both symbols being common Satanic symbols of Satan/Lucifer! Remember also the Satanic meaning of the phrase depicted below the eagle the two Eagles -- "DEUS MEUMQUE JUS." As explained in Part 1 of 5 this is a typical Satanic Latin phrase, meaning, "... Masons are saying that they are 'using occult methods,' through Lucifer, to achieve their Rights and Justice." But why would a two-headed Eagle be adopted by Masonry, instead of a one-headed Eagle? Masonic author, R. Swinburne Clymer, writing in The Mysteries of Osiris , 1951, explains. "When they [pagans] desired to express the renewal, or beginning, of the year, they represented it in the form of a door-keeper. It could easily be distinguished by the attributes of a key ... At times, they gave it two heads, back to back ... In time, this [back-to-back key symbol] became the double-
headed Eagle of symbolic Masonry." [p. 42] [article link]
What is the Tower of Babel? The Tower of Babel is a fascinating story which helped the ancients understand God - The story of the Tower of Babel doesn't take place in a vacuum - It falls in between Noah's flood and the call of Abraham - The parable [from the events of Babel] tells us that the road without God is doomed to disaster - The citizens of Babel thought that they were able, technologically, to challenge God's leadership Man's pride, vanity and lust for power need to come under God's authority - That is the theological lesson of this section of scripture - They are the only kinds of lessons the Bible gives The call of Abraham comes about as God decides to form a people of his own to carry the knowledge and worship of Him into the world. The Flood did not stem man's evil ways and the activities around the Tower of Babel showed that man loves himself more than any God. The glory of man is what was sought with that tower, not the glory of God. So, in Abraham, God forms a people who will glorify Him. -- The story of Babel comes at a point after the flood where everyone is seen as a descendant of Noah. Genesis 10 and 11 is a genealogy from Noah to Abraham and an attempt to classify everyone in the known world as a descendant. I say "known" world because as far as these early Hebrews were concerned the world was flat and rested on pillars. The sky was a shell with stars fastened to it. Ethiopia was as far south as they could identify, Iran to the east, Armenia to the north and Greece to the west. They had heard of a place called Tarshish (Spain - also possibly Britain) but weren't sure. Jonah had tried to go there because it was as far as he could imagine going. -- The whole story of Babel lasts for only nine verses, Genesis 11: 1-9. Its fame has far exceeded the space that the compilers of Genesis have given it in the Holy Scriptures. Just before we are given the names of the descendants of Shem (Shemites or Semites) whose line brings us to Abraham, the story of the Tower of Babel is inserted. What could be the significance of this little parable at this point in Bible history? -- Of course, the ancients wanted to know why and how we all came to be speaking different languages. If Noah and his sons repopulated the world shouldn't we all speak their language? Verses ten to twenty six bring us from Shem to Abraham. The story of Babel is there to explain to a primitive society how we get from Noah to Abraham with so many different languages having developed in so short a time. What could be the cause of this impediment to human cooperation and understanding? -- The choice of the name "Babel" is not an accident. The reference to Babylon reflects the way that Babylon was abhorred by Hebrew society. Babylon represented everything that was wrong with humanity. As a city, Babylon was both envied and loathed. The city was beautiful and graced with streets and palaces. The hanging gardens of Babylon are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Writing and science were developing there. In the meantime, the Hebrews were a nomadic society concerned with day to day survival. Babylon represented oppression, cruelty and violence by which it remained powerful. - So Babel (Babylon) is portrayed as a society where everyone speaks with the same language and through human cooperation attempt to climb to heaven on a tower. This is not a God centered society but a fellowship of men dedicated to elevating man to his proper position as God of this world. This is a theme often repeated in the Bible. The ziggurats stand as evidence against them. So Babylon gets the blame for confusion because they try to get up to God's level. The disdain that ancient Israel felt for Babylon is reflected in the Tower story. - So, is this science or theology? There is no science in the Bible. There is no point looking for it there. The Bible is a theological manuscript. It is the story of God's dealings with humans from the viewpoint of an ancient society. Is Babel the reason for all of the various languages in the world? Of course it isn't. Is Babel a parable? The story of the Tower of Babel is a parable about mankind, where his heart is and how God feels about it. -The account of Babel's tower is lousy history and terrible science. It is terrific theology. The final judgement against any society is its willingness to press forward in the name of progress without reference to or respect for God. The parable tells us that the road without God is doomed to disaster. The citizens of Babel thought that they were able, technologically, to challenge God's leadership. Man's pride, vanity and lust for power need to come under God's authority. That is the theological lesson of this section of scripture. They are the only kinds of lessons the Bible gives. [article link]
[via Apostasy Watch] "THIS I BELIEVE" by The Abalonekid (YouTube) Free MP3s Praise and Worship Songs & Spoken Words. "HE IS COMING" CD www.theabalonekid.com/id15.html [article link]
***{Basic Christian update 1.35 - Adobe Air Version - is Now Available - as a FREE Download} Note: The Basic Christian Ministry has completed a major project -- Creating an 'Adobe Air' [web 2.0 interactive] document [BasicChristian.air] that can be downloaded to any desktop computer and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - *Right click this link - Requires Adobe AIR 2.5) The project is completed including the fall Holidays update edition. It will provide excellent anytime devotions and is perfect as a Christmas gift stocking stuffer for others. Most importantly [with the new Adobe Air (web 2.0) document features] the end user can create their own comments list, add links to other websites, blogs, rss feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive individual Christian, research, devotional and study tool project. -- Now Available for Download! [article link]
Update: The Basic Christian Info Feed will be on a short break - Returning with Nimrod [human race - relations - was Nimrod black?] and the Tower of Babel in the "8 Kingdoms of the World" study - An 8 Kingdom summary is postponed for a short while -- Wiki.com: The generic usage [of the word Adam] in Genesis meaning "mankind" reflects the view that Adam [red-man, all the human races are a part of the original creation glory of God, built into Adam, to help reveal the glory and expanse of God - a language confusion would come later at the fall of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:9)] was the ancestor of all men. Etymologically it is the masculine form of the word adamah meaning ground or earth and related to the words adom *(red), admoni *(ruddy) and dam *(blood) Gen. ii. 7 explains that the man was called Adam because he was formed from the ground *(adamah). On a short break from posting for now but plan on continuing to research and work on the 8 Kingdoms project in the meantime so should have a lot of ordered material to post in the weeks to come. [article link]
The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines - #22 Melchizedek is an O.T. Epiphany of God - Did Abraham when he paid his onetime tithe to King Melchizedek pay his tithe to God or simply to another man? The book of Hebrews tells us that the man that Abraham Tithed to is eternal -- "Hebrews 7:8 And here men [Levitical Priests] that die (mortal) receive tithes; but there [with Abraham] He [Melchizedek] receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed [by God to Abraham - by God to Moses when Moses wrote the book of Genesis and also later by God to King David in Psalms 110:4] that He [Melchizedek] liveth (immortal - eternal life)." (PDF) Note: in the Greek (O.T.) Septuagint "LXX" manuscript in v. 18 the word [of] is not present for Melchizedek as it is for all the other kings of the world, it is simply "Melchizedek King Salem" and it is the "Melchizedek King Salem" that the Apostle Paul references' in Hebrews 7:2 "first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace" the name "Melchizedek King Salem" is first to be interpreted [not having the 'of' that the other kings have] as a title because there was and is no earthly city of "Salem" (Peace). -- "Genesis 14:1-6 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king (of) Shinar, Arioch king (of) Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king (of) Elam, and Tidal king (of) nations; That these made war with Bera king (of) Sodom, and with Birsha king (of) Gomorrah, Shinab king (of) Admah, and Shemeber king (of) Zeboiim, and the king (of) Bela, which is Zoar. All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness. ... Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek King [of] Salem brought forth bread and wine: and He was the Priest of the most high God." [article link]
The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines by confessing Christians - Contact: David
[email protected] Note: once the current article 'Areas and Doctrines' is adequately summarized with about 25 Areas and Doctrines that are central and relevant to the Christian faith - The article is going to be made open to participation from others and for group (roundtable) discussion - Then a more finalized version of the article will be published similar to 'The Chicago Statement on Biblical Application' though with the working title of 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians - The publishing of the document 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians should be able to be accomplished sometime within 2011 - I'll update the post with an email that people can contact me with regarding the Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines - All the best, God bless everyone ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
ApostasyWatch.org: To Tithe or Not to Tithe {An Excellent Teaching!!} (Mp3) A law versus grace issue. [article link]
Note: once the current article 'Areas and Doctrines' is adequately summarized with about 25 Areas and Doctrines that are central and relevant to the Christian faith - The article is going to be made open to participation from others and for group (roundtable) discussion - Then a more finalized version of the article will be published similar to 'The Chicago Statement on Biblical Application' though with the working title of 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians The publishing of the document 'The Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines' by confessing Christians should be able to be accomplished sometime within 2011. -- On Monday the new Facebook email addresses are supposed to become available and I'll update the post with a Facebook email that people can contact me with regarding the Pierre Statement on Biblical Doctrines. [article link]
'The Chicago Statement on Biblical Application' from The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy - Preface: The authority of Scripture is a key issue for the Christian Church in this and every age. Those who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are called to show the reality of their discipleship by humbly and faithfully obeying God's written Word. To stray from Scripture in faith or conduct is disloyalty to our Master. Recognition of the total truth and trustworthiness of Holy Scripture is essential to a full grasp and adequate confession of its authority. -- The following Statement affirms this inerrancy of Scripture afresh, making clear our understanding of it and warning against its denial. We are persuaded that to deny it is to set aside the witness of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit and to refuse that submission to the claims of God's own Word which marks true Christian faith. We see it as our timely duty to make this affirmation in the face of current lapses from the truth of inerrancy among our fellow Christians and misunderstanding of this doctrine in the world at large. -- This Statement consists of three parts: a Summary Statement, Articles of Affirmation and Denial, and an Exposition. It has been prepared in the course of a threeday consultation in Chicago. Those who have signed the Summary Statement and the Articles wish to affirm their own conviction as to the inerrancy of Scripture and to encourage and challenge one another and all Christians to growing appreciation and understanding of this doctrine. We acknowledge the limitations of a document prepared in a brief, intensive conference and do not propose that this Statement be given creedal weight. Yet we rejoice in the deepening of our own convictions through our discussions together, and we pray that the Statement we have signed may be used to the glory of our God toward a new reformation of the Church in its faith, life, and mission. -- We offer this Statement in a spirit, not of contention, but of humility and love, which we purpose by God's grace to maintain in any future dialogue arising out of what we have said. We gladly acknowledge that many who deny the inerrancy of Scripture do not display the consequences of this denial in the rest of their belief and behavior, and we are conscious that we who confess this doctrine often deny it in life by failing to bring our thoughts and deeds, our traditions and habits, into true subjection to the
divine Word. -- We invite response to this statement from any who see reason to amend its affirmations about Scripture by the light of Scripture itself, under whose infallible authority we stand as we speak. We claim no personal infallibility for the witness we bear, and for any help which enables us to strengthen this testimony to God's Word we shall be grateful. [article link]
The Article 10 Areas and Doctrines where we can all Agree to Agree! Has been updated and now covers 15 Areas and Doctrines - It is soon to be updated to 20 Areas and eventually to a total of about 25 Areas and Doctrines that are central and relevant to the Christian faith Note: one of the areas and doctrines that I want to address in the coming update is the universal nature of the one true Christian Church [headed by Jesus Christ and facilitated by the Holy Spirit] especially regarding Protestantism, Evangelicalism and the Roman Catholic Church. However I don't want to address it right now because of two reasons. 1. Both Protestants and Evangelicals would probably be uncomfortable with that area of agreement. 2. I would like to submit that the Roman Catholic Church in Rome is historically and futuristically the leadership Church of Christianity - however the Vatican has to actually act substantially on behalf of true Christian and Judeo/Christian causes. When Rome [the Vatican] can make a definitive statement and a concerted effort towards real and beneficial support and assistance to the Jews [worldwide], Jerusalem and Israel then I would certainly be willing to see Rome as the unchallenged authority and leadership of the one true Christian Church. - Noticing that our alternatives within modern [infiltrated by cults i.e. Emergent doctrines] Evangelicalism and the almost completely compromised Protestant denominations are in reality almost non-existent when it comes to relevant meaningful Christian representation. [article link]
Updated: 15 Areas and Doctrines where we can all Agree to Agree! (PDF) As the Christian Church there are areas where we can all Agree to Agree! Over the years the Christian Church has virtually been defined by its vast ability to disagree. In fact the quote "let's agree to disagree" can almost be the new banner of Christianity. Some people readily point out and wonder if there really is a Christian truth because the Church itself agrees on very few Christian tenants. But this is not really an accurate reflection because the Church does agree on many things and is united on many beliefs. -- This is a discussion list where we as Christians can "Agree to Agree" and then the next time someone says "the Church doesn't even agree" well here are some areas of agreement. -- These topics are starting beyond the already given basics of Christianity in that Jesus Christ is God born of the Virgin Mary, Himself a Godly encounter physically among humans yet remaining consistent with the Triune nature of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Divine and without sin. He was rejected by mankind crucified and died. His death is the Full Payment for all of the sins of the world. His resurrection is of Everlasting Life and provided to those who personally receive Him as God and their Savior. Jesus is the rightful and righteous Ruler of the world and He will physically return to righteously reign, rule and judge His creation that we call the universe. [article link]
Update: Predatory Preaching - Why So Much Angst About Anonymous Critics? {Note: I was listening to this [terrible outburst] again this morning [and again I'm very disheartened to have to listen to it - such an obvious wolf in sheep's clothing speaking from behind the pulpit]. I was left wondering why does this pastor only rail against anonymous criticism, if he were to be consistent wouldn't he be equally offended by anonymous donors as well. If the modern church leadership [and I use that term lightly] is going to take such a selfimposed righteous stand against anonymous criticism then equally they need to reject all anonymous donations as being equally "pathetic" and from "narcissistic zeros" and for the record, whoever made that anonymous comment, he or she was very smart to make it anonymously. It seems that some leaders-pastors want info in order to use it [seriously] in [Satanic] curse rituals against the person that is trying to help the Church move forward in a godly way. So yes, be very careful about letting your name, as a helpful person or as a critic get in the hands of some of these pastors where once they have an identity they can go to work behind
the scenes [demonically casting spells and socially casting dispersions] making life very difficult for anyone they desire to do harm to.} (Audio) I recently came across the audio excerpt below from Matt Chandler, where he absolutely blasts people who would dare send him anonymous, critical emails. He angrily calls them several choice names like "pathetic" and "narcissistic zeros". I came across this audio clip at Dr. Alvin Reid's blog site, as he included Chandler's clip with his blog post here entitled "Dealing with Critics". You really have to listen to this. It gives I think a glimpse into just how much disdain there is for anonymous emailers and bloggers critical of the Southern Baptist power structure. It is my view, based on my experience as a formerly anonymous blogger, that Chandler's disdain for anonymous critics is shared by many of our Southern Baptist leaders. After all, Alvin Reid posts it for his readers (many of whom are our future pastors!), presumably as an example of how to view those who dare to criticize anonymously. [article link]
{Flashback} ChristianPost.com: Rick Warren Prepares Saddleback [in Twitter postings referred to as 'the church'] for Decade of Blessings - "I want the next ten years of your life to be the best 10 years of your life" Pastor Rick Warren told church attendees {Note: is Pastor Rick Warren acting as a deliberate agent of disinformation (Judges 4:19-21 - bottled milk - strange doctrines) regarding his purposed 'Decade of Blessing' - At the very, most perilous [post 9/11/2001] time in modern history Rick Warren want's Christians to be self-centered on [warm milk] fanciful blessings and not engaged in the End Time reality [abundant deception] that is all around us and is threating to engulf us.} Saddleback Church in Southern California is kicking off its "Decade of Destiny" this weekend in an effort to prepare the mega-congregation to receive showers of God's blessings. "I want the next ten years of your life to be the best 10 years of your life," Pastor Rick Warren told church attendees. "I want you to be more blessed and less stressed. I want God's blessing ... on every area of your life." The Decade of Destiny is a two-month spiritual growth campaign that is aimed at moving Christians forward in their faith walk. Warren acknowledged that as their pastor, the Bible holds him accountable for the congregants' spiritual growth. "I don't take that lightly," the well-known megachurch pastor said. Along with helping believers come to a position of being "blessable," the campaign will also lead the church to be a blessing to the community. "God blesses you so you can be a blessing to others, not just so you can be some fat cat and self-centered," Warren highlighted. The Decade of Destiny campaign was first announced during Saddleback Church's 30th anniversary celebration in April. Over the next ten years, the church of some 22,000 weekly attendees will enhance its programs and operations and expand its campuses and small groups. By the end of this year, the megachurch plans to have 10 different Saddleback locations in Southern California. In preparation for the campaign, Warren studied every verse in the Bible that speaks of God's blessing. [article link]
More Iraqi Christians Consider Leaving Iraq After Attack on Baghdad Cathedral - Christians carry coffins of their slain relatives during a funeral service at a Church in Baghdad on November 2, 2010 for victims of the attack at the Assyrian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation on the evening of October 31, 2010 {Thanks, Rick Warren and George W. Bush because both of you are real distinguished men of PEACE and understanding and the world thanks you for it. You two in your leadership positions have made the world a much better place and deserve all of the praise and adoration you so greedily demand and seek after!} BAGHDAD -- Vian Jabburi, a 22-year-old Roman Catholic, was celebrating Mass in Baghdad with her father on October 31 when Al-Qaeda militants stormed the church. Shot through her shoulder during the ensuing siege, Jabburi survived. Her father was also shot and slowly bled to death, while she lay helpless at his side in a pool of her own blood. "Nothing resembles this experience. Nothing," Jabburi tells RFE/RL as she breaks down in tears at her father's funeral. "The situation was very, very difficult. I still don't know whether it was reality or just a nightmare. I do not know. I really don't know. "We were bleeding for four or five hours without receiving any help," she adds. "I will leave it to God. He is the only one who can take our revenge [or be our refuge]." Jabburi
is among thousands of Iraqi Christians who suffered through [recent] years of sectarian violence in Iraq but is now considering whether to stay any longer. [article link]
President Bush [Jr.] to chat with Saddleback's Rick Warren - Former President George W. Bush will have a conversation on leadership with Pastor Rick Warren during Saddleback Church's 6th Civil Forum, [Monday] Nov. 29, 2010 - On Dec. 1, 2008 Warren presented the first International Medal of PEACE to Bush when he moved his annual Civil Forum on Global Health from Orange County to Washington, D.C on this 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day {So, Pastor Rick Warren thought that Bush Jr. [the man who never lifted a finger or even attempted to peacefully end any of the bloody conflicts he started] was the embodiment of the best man to bestow his first PEACE medal upon - it says a lot about Rick Warren both as a religious man and as an outwardly ambitious person filled with inner hidden agendas and it isn't good.} LAKE FOREST - Former President George W. Bush will have a conversation on leadership with Pastor Rick Warren during Saddleback Church's 6th Civil Forum. The forum planned for Nov. 29 will focus on Bush's leadership and is expected to include excerpts from the former president's recently released memoirs, David Chrzan, Warren's chief-of-staff said Tuesday. "The forum will include a personal conversation between Pastor Rick and President Bush," Chrzan said. "The goal is to create a forum where the community around Saddleback Church can hear from speakers who are great leaders and those who have positively impacted humanity." ... On Dec. 1, 2008 Warren presented the first International Medal of PEACE to Bush when he moved his annual Civil Forum on Global Health from Orange County to Washington, D.C on this 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Saddleback has hosted other Civil Forums on topics of global interest including the plight of orphans worldwide, The Holocaust Survivors, *The Persecuted Church, The Presidency with Senators John McCain and then Senator Barack Obama, and Reconciliation with President Kagame of Rwanda. [article link]
Video Interview: Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health - Rev. [b_hag] Rick Warren talks with President [there's a PANdemiK] George W. Bush at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health in Washington, DC, on December 1, 2008 [Online Video] Back in 1988, the World Health Organization and U.N. General Assembly first declared December 1 "World AIDS Day." This year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual event dedicated to remembering those we've lost to the virus and to recommitting with vigor to the fight against AIDS. Rev. Rick Warren talks with President George W. Bush at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health in Washington, DC, on December 1, 2008. [article link]
[via aomin.org] With All Due Respect, The Vatican's Latest, Painful Pronouncement On Israel is Wrong by Joel Rosenberg - As such, it is the duty of all true followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to bless Israel and reaffirm her fundamental legitimacy and right to the Land - Yes, we should bless and love the Palestinians, as well, because our Lord Jesus said as a Jew living in Israel, "Love your neighbor" and, "Love your enemies" But we should never accept the false teaching that God has rejected the Jewish people or rescinded His promises to the nation of Israel - That simply is not Biblical {Note: I agree with this article and it is a major position of the Basic Christian Ministry that Christians are called by Jesus Christ to support the Jewish people in all locations and especially in their right to live peaceably in the land of Israel. The Vatican is in a position to be a substantial blessing to Israel and to the Jewish people and I think they will be. Also Note: I have been looking for pro-Israel charities to financially support but I don't think that these are the charities to financially support (ECFA membership is actually not a good sign), when I do locate an effective (Christian and Jewish recommended) pro-Israel charity I'll pass it along.} A new headline in the Jerusalem Post reads: "Vatican synod calls for end to Israel's 'occupation': At conference on Christians in the Middle East, US Melkite archbishop says: 'There is no longer a chosen people.'" With all due respect, the Vatican is wrong on this issue. The entire Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - makes crystal clear again and again the Lord's love for the Jewish people, His decision to choose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and
their descendants for His very own, and His eternal promise to give the Holy Land to the Jewish people. As such, it is the duty of all true followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to bless Israel and reaffirm her fundamental legitimacy and right to the Land. Yes, we should bless and love the Palestinians, as well, because our Lord Jesus said as a Jew living in Israel, "Love your neighbor," and, "Love your enemies." But we should never accept the false teaching that God has rejected the Jewish people or rescinded His promises to the nation of Israel. That simply is not Biblical. [article link]
Updated - Christianity and the Mormon (LDS) Cult are Very Different (PDF) Mormonism (LDS) practices and engages in the longtime deceitful and illegal marketing practice of "bait and switch" to offer - bait the customer with one product and then through excuses, deceit and manipulations to steer the customer into a different inferior product. In this case Mormons universally offer Jesus, the Bible and a "truer Christianity" and then in a dishonest way switching from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible to the teachings of Joseph Smith and others. The Mormon Church is deliberately trying to avoid their true identity as a Mormon cult and is instead representing themselves as something they are not, which is true Christian followers of Jesus. Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
mrm.org: [king] Joseph Smith for President - [April 11, 1844] the [LDS] Council of Fifty performed an ordinance "in which Joseph suffered himself to be ordained a king, to reign over the house of Israel forever" - Some have been uncomfortable with the assertion that Smith became a king - They have claimed that Marks and other critics either confused or misrepresented Smith's reception of the strictly religious ceremony of the second anointing as "king and priest" … In fact a later revelation to the Council of Fifty affirmed that God called Smith "to be a Prophet, Seer and Revelator to my Church and Kingdom; and to be a King and Ruler over Israel" (The Mormon Hierarchy, Origins of Power, 124) {Note: I thought it might be [and probably is] confusing that we are doing a study on the 8 Kingdoms of the world and suddenly LDS founder Joseph Smith Jr. is being blogged about [only briefly]. In thinking about it I thought I bet Joseph Smith Jr. thought of himself as a king - so I Goggled it and sure enough the Mormons made Joseph Smith Jr. a king, the king of Israel (how weird is that) [note: the U.S. can't have a king]. But know for certain that Joseph the LDS pretend king will not be listed in the study with the real Kings of the Bible or included in any list of the real Kings either now or of history. - Also Note: We are going to have an interesting study about the coming 10 Kingdoms [Daniel 7:24], because technically the U.S. cannot have a King [it's against our Constitution] so who will be the future King over the North American region, I think it puts Canada in play "The Canadian Royal Family" as a possible family (bloodline) and location for the region's coming [i.e. U.N. fronted] capital. - Article I: Section 9, Paragraph 8 of the U.S. Constitution - No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States:} This sounds like it will be an interesting film, as the history of Joseph Smith's politics is very intriguing. For instance, many people don't know that Smith was secretly crowned king on April 11, 1844. His campaign for president of the United States was much more complicated than most would imagine. About Smith's ordination as king, former LDS historian D. Michael Quinn wrote: William Marks…stated that the [LDS] Council of Fifty performed an ordinance "in which Joseph suffered himself to be ordained a king, to reign over the house of Israel forever."Some have been uncomfortable with the assertion that Smith became a king. They have claimed that Marks and other critics either confused or misrepresented Smith's reception of the strictly religious ceremony of the second anointing as "king and priest." … In fact a later revelation to the Council of Fifty affirmed that God called Smith "to be a Prophet, Seer and Revelator to my Church and Kingdom; and to be a King and Ruler over Israel." (The Mormon Hierarchy, Origins of Power, 124). Joseph Smith told the press that he wanted to create a "Theo-democracy." Quinn wrote, The phrase was catchy, but what precisely did he mean by "Theo-democracy"? In the spring of 1844 Smith gave the public only an indistinct foreshadowing of the new world order (NWO) he was formulating in his secret meetings with the Council of Fifty. (125) I'm not
sure how a monarchy fits with a theocracy, a theo-democracy, or a republic. But the subject of the film A Mormon President holds the promise of being fascinating indeed. [article link]
1 Samuel 1-2 - The Book of the Prophet Samuel - The establishment of God's Prophets and Kings in the Nation of Israel - '1 Samuel 1:3 And this man [Elkanah and his wife Hannah] went up out of his city [Ramah] yearly to worship and to sacrifice [at the Tabernacle] unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh [the Temple in Jerusalem had not yet been built]. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the [Levitical] Priests of the LORD, were there.' 1 Samuel 1:26-2:11 And she [Hannah] said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord [Eli the High Preist], I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. For this child [Samuel] I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of Him: Therefore also I have lent him [Samuel] to the LORD; as long as he liveth [consecration, burnt offering vow] he shall be lent to the LORD [the same consecration vow Jephthah made with God Judges 11:31]. And he [Eli] worshipped the LORD there. And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none Holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to the grave, *and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars [stabilization] of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world [stable] upon them. He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall He thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and He shall give strength unto His King (Jesus), and exalt the horn of His anointed. And Elkanah [and Hannah] went to Ramah to his house. And the child [Samuel] did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest. - Hanna vowed and consecrated her son Samuel to the service of God for his entire life. Samuel is from the tribe of Ephraim not a Levite and is ineligible to serve God as a priest however he does serve God as a Prophet. The three offices of God; Priest, Prophet and King are not allowed to be combined into one human man because they are only combined into one office in Jesus Christ. In coming verses we will see the distinctions of the three Godly offices and also the disastrous results when King Saul who was already counted among the Prophets takes upon himself the office of Priest and performs a sacrifice. [article link]
1 Samuel 3-5 - Hannah receives an answer to her prayer and gives birth to her first son Samuel whom she had promised to dedicate to the service of God - As a small child Samuel is dedicated at the Tabernacle and remains to help minister in the Tabernacle at Shiloh - While a child and ministering in the Tabernacle as he took a nap one day God talked to the little Samuel - God made Samuel a Prophet for the Nation of Israel -- '1 Samuel 3:4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he [Samuel] answered, Here am I.' ... And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.' '1 Samuel 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before [in the presence of] Eli [the High Priest].' A main lesson in the books of Samuel and Kings is the distribution of the three offices of God. The offices of Priest, Prophet and King were to be divided among there Tribes [Priests - Tribe of Levi; Kings - Tribe of Judah] and among the people. The offices of Prophet, Priest and King are only allowed to combine in the one person Jesus Christ. - A Priest could be a prophet though it was unlikely and when God did communicate with the High Priest it was often not as a Prophet but through the Thummim and Urim stones or the stones on His breastplate but usually not speaking directly like to a prophet. Some of the of the Kings were both Prophets and Kings but were not to take on the third office of Priest or particularly High Priest. When King David offered
sacrifices to God it was on behalf of the Nation of Israel not on behalf of himself as Saul did. King David was also careful to wear a linen ephod not a gold ephod like the High Priest would wear and certainly King David had the Priests do the actual sacrifices. When King David built an Alter on the site of the future Temple and offered a sacrifice to God [2 Samuel 24:25] it is probable that David had the Priests offer the actual sacrifices [as he had the Priests move the Ark in 2nd Samuel 6:1-18] though King David is a type of Jesus and as the type of a King, Prophet and Priest for Jesus he might have been led by God to offer a sacrifice as well because it was on the correct location of the new Temple Mount and not some random location chosen by David but a place designated by God. - Samuel was ministering to God under Eli in that Samuel was probably not a Levite Priest but he was a firstborn male that was not redeemed but was consecrated to God by his mother Hannah so he was eligible to minister in some capacity with the Levitical Priesthood. [Samuel wore only a linen ephod like King David would later wear.] - Note: Samuel was probably from the Tribe of Ephraim and not of the Priestly Tribe of Levi. If Samuel was of the Tribe of Levi then his mother Hannah would not have had to dedicate him to the service of the Lord because he would already have been dedicated to the service of God through a Levitical heritage. Samuel's father's family is listed as worshipers not Priests. Samuel's father Elkanah has two wives if he was a Levitical Priest he probably could only have one wife and possibly a concubine [Judges 19:1]. - There is an Elkanah and a Samuel listed in 1 Chronicles in the Levitical family line of Kohath the son of Levi however it does not appear to be the same family as listed in 1 Samuel. '1 Samuel 1:1-3 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah [Samuel's father], the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, *an Ephrathite [Tribe of Ephraim]: And he had *two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man went up out of his city yearly to *worship and to sacrifice [as a citizen] unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh.' - '1 Chronicles 6:22-28 The sons of Kohath [Levitical Priestly line, Kohath was a son of Levi]; Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son, Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. And the sons of Elkanah; Amasai, and Ahimoth. As for Elkanah: the sons of Elkanah; Zophai [Zuph?] his son, and Nahath [Tohu?] his son, Eliab [Elihu?] his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn Vashni [Joel?], and Abiah.' - Though some of the names are similar and some of the names are the same its possibly not the same family. It seems more likely that these are two different families and that Samuel the Prophet was of the Tribe of Ephraim and he did some ministry to the Lord as a firstborn unredeemed male and that Samuel and two of his sons functioned as Judges in Israel though Samuel officiated in two offices of God it's important to note that he did not serve in the third office or capacity as a King in Israel. It doesn't make a big difference whether or not Samuel was from the Tribe of Levi or not because he was not a King but just keep in mind that Israel had strict procedures and policies that they followed to the letter of the law and Samuel does not match the Levitical Priesthood to the letter but his main office was that of a true Prophet and he does fit that office and serve God to the letter of the law. [article link]
1 Samuel 9-11 - Saul a young man from the Tribe of Benjamin is selected to be the first anointed King over Israel -- '1 Samuel 9:21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a *Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? *wherefore [why] then speakest thou so to me?' {Saul new that Israel had requested a King from Samuel but Saul also knew that he was from the wrong Tribe in Israel. The Kings for Israel were supposed to come only from the Tribe of Judah [Genesis 49:10] just as the Levitical Priests of Israel are to come only from the Tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron [Exodus 28:1] and Saul is from the Tribe of Benjamin.} '1 Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon [Saul] his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because *the LORD hath anointed thee *to be Captain [King] over his *inheritance?' [The inheritance of God is both the Nation of Israel and the Gentiles, Jesus being the firstborn gets the double inheritance (Jews and Gentiles) for His firstborn double portion inheritance.]- Saul has been anointed into one of the offices of God as King and soon Saul will gain his second office of God as a Prophet. Later Saul will disobey God and he will take
upon himself a third office of God when Saul himself builds his own alter and offers a burnt offering sacrifice to God, making himself a Priest to God and possibly in this case by building a sacrifice alter accidently making himself a High Priest to God. Saul unknowingly or knowingly in taking on all three offices of God in being a King, Prophet and Priest Saul has declared himself to be the coming Messiah (Christ). The results are that Saul is immediacy rebuked by Samuel and Saul is stripped of his two offices of King and Prophet. - '1 Samuel 10:1016 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him [Saul]; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, *he [Saul] prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? *Therefore it became a proverb [a well known saying], Is Saul also among the prophets? And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place. And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses [donkeys]: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel. And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. *But of the matter of the Kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.' [article link]
1 Kings 1 - King David has become too old to sit on his royal throne - Adonijah attempts to set himself upon his father David's throne - King David declares to Bath-sheba that he will pass along the Kingdom to their son Solomon -- '1 Kings 1:29-30 And the King [David] sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.' Solomon is anointed to be the 3rd and final King over a united Israel: '1 Kings 1:32-39 And King David said, Call me Zadok the [High] Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the King. The King also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: And *let Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anoint him there King over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save King Solomon. Then ye shall come up after him, *that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be King in my stead: and *I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the King, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the King say so too. As the LORD hath been with my lord the King, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David. So Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon King David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the Tabernacle [the Temple has not yet been built], and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save King Solomon.' - The three offices of God; King, Priest and Prophet are all three still in existence and functioning separately in Israel during the reign of King Solomon. [article link]
Book of 1 Chronicles - The Books of 1 & 2 Chronicles cover mostly the same information as 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings - 1 & 2 Chronicles focus more on the *Priestly aspect of the time period - The Book of 1 Chronicles was written [possibly compiled/written while in Babylon (by Ezra the scribe)] preparing for the return to Jerusalem and Israel after the exile - To help those returning to Israel understand how to worship God - {Note: The three offices of God each produced their own scrolls and combined the selected scrolls compose the Holy Bible. The Kings (1st and 2nd Kings - [not selected] the book of Jasher and the book of the acts of Solomon, etc.), the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, etc.) and the Priests (1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, etc.) - Once in Babylon and in captivity for the 70 years the Temple in Jerusalem having been destroyed the Temple ceased to be the primary focus of Judaism and the Bible scrolls now became the primary focus of Judaism and while in Babylon without a Temple to officiate and serve in the O.T. Bible scrolls (up until that point) were compiled, edited and composed into the books [that we now have today]
and presented to the people (primarily in Synagogues) for their own congregational and personal use in worship and in daily living. - So starting at this point in history we now have a shift away from the Temple [Tabernacle, Temple worship - started by Moses at Mt. Sinai] and onto the Scriptures and the beginnings of the Synagogue (Jewish Church). - Also Note: At this point in history the Word of God [having mostly been written by that time] is already replacing and superseding (Leviticus 17:11, John 5:24, *John 6:63) the blood of the animals as a cleansing offering and as a sacrifice for man (John 1:14, John 15:3) until the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross can sustain mankind for all eternity.} Brief Summary: The first 9 chapters of 1 Chronicles are dedicated to lists and genealogies. Further lists and genealogies are scattered throughout the rest of 1 Chronicles. In between, the Book of 1 Chronicles records David's ascension to the throne and his actions thereafter. The book concludes with David's son Solomon becoming King of Israel. Briefly outlined, the Book of 1 Chronicles is as follows: Chapters 1:1-9:23 - Selective Genealogies; Chapters 9:24-12:40 - David's ascent; Chapters 13:1-20:30 -David's reign. - Foreshadowings: In David's song of thanksgiving to God in 1 Chronicles 16:33, he refers to the time when God will come "to judge the earth." This foreshadows Matthew 25, in which Jesus describes the time when He will come to judge the earth. Through the parables of the ten virgins and the talents, He warns that those who are found without the blood of Christ covering their sins will be cast into "outer darkness." He encourages His people to be ready because when He comes, He will separate the sheep from the goats in judgment. - Part of the Davidic Covenant which God reiterates in chapter 17 refers to the future Messiah who would be a descendant of David. Verses 13-14 describe the Son who will be established in God's house and whose throne will be established forever. This can only refer to Jesus Christ. - Practical Application: Genealogies such as the ones in 1 Chronicles may seem dry to us, but they remind us that God knows each of His children personally, even down to the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). We can take comfort in the fact that who we are and what we do is written forever in God's mind. If we belong to Christ, our names are written forever in the Lamb's book of Life (Revelation 13:8). [article link]
Ezra Background - The History of Israel and the Law, the Ark of the Covenant, the Day of Atonement and the legitimacy of the Messiah [Jesus Christ] who was born under the Law (Galatians 4:4) and who fulfilled and removed the Law -- '2 Chronicles 35:3 And said [King Josiah] unto the [Zadok] Levites that taught [Ministry of Teaching the Word of God a higher Testimony Ministry than the Temple Testimony Ministry with the blood of animals] all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, **put the Holy Ark [back] in the House [Temple] which Solomon the son of David King of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders [it is hidden close by, in one of several nearby caves, tunnels and cistern hiding locations]: serve now [also with the Testimony of the blood and animal sacrifices] the LORD your God, and His people Israel' -- 'Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him [John the Baptist], Suffer it to be so now: for thus **it becometh us ***to fulfill all righteousness [in order to do away with the Levitical-Aaronic Laws and Priesthood and to then replace it with Jesus's Royal Laws and His Royal 'Righteous' eternal life Priesthood]. Then he suffered Him [and John baptized Jesus].' - Also Note: "all righteousness" is also a direct reference to Jesus' Melchizedek Priesthood as Melchizedek means "To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of Righteousness" Hebrews: 7:2 - All of the Old Testament Promises, Covenants, Commandments, Offices (King, High Priest, Prophet), Laws, Priesthoods (Aaronic, Eli, Zadok), Feast Days, Prophecies (Revelation 19:10) and Messianic Biblical Types and Shadows are directly combined and fulfilled in the one person of Jesus Christ and in the one New Testament Covenant and Ministry of Jesus Christ the True Messiah! Note: Regarding the Tabernacle and the Temples and the Ark of the Covenant. In reading the Bible's history of ancient Israel regarding the Ark of the Covenant it quickly becomes obvious, painfully obvious, that the Ark of the Covenant is missing from the Holy of Holies more often than it is there. For instance from the time of King Saul until the reign of King Solomon and the building of the 1st Temple the Ark of the Covenant is not in its proper location within the Holy of Hollies. That means that throughout the entire Kingdom of King David the Ark was not in the Holy of Holies and therefore a proper observance of the feast of "The Day of Atonement"
could not be observed and fulfilled. In other words it would probably not be possible for the Messiah to arrive (or be born) w/o having had the Ark of the Covenant located inside the Holy of Holies. - If it was necessary in "fulfilling all righteousness" and it probably was then the Ark of the Covenant was within the Holy of Hollies in the 2nd Temple [Cyrus'/Herod's Temple] at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ. -- Having King David as a Biblical example of the Messiah [Jesus Christ] and King Solomon as a Biblical example of the coming Antichrist. -- King David was born in Bethlehem; King Solomon was born in Jerusalem [outside of Bethlehem]. King David was born when the Ark of the Covenant was located within the Holy of Hollies in the Tabernacle at Shiloh. King Solomon was born while the Ark of the Covenant was missing from within the Holy of Hollies, the Tabernacle having been moved from Shiloh to Gibeon without the Ark. - According to the book of Daniel - 'Daniel 9:27 And he [Antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [7 years]: and in the midst of the week [at 3½ years] he shall cause the [3rd Temple] sacrifice [animal blood sacrifices] and the oblation [Temple offerings] to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate [unholy], even until the consummation [end of the Book of Revelation], and that determined [judgments of Revelation] shall be poured upon the desolate [earth].' - Note: It's possible that what Daniel is prophesying about is a Theological shift and not a Political shift {a point where Antichrist Politics (currently in progress in some form i.e. UN) **completely merges with Antichrist Theology (currently in progress in some form i.e. purposely corrupted Bible versions, NKJV, MESSAGE, NIV, and Wikipedia)}. The coming 3rd Temple in Jerusalem is briefly going to reinstitute the animal sacrifices of the Eli Priesthood of the Old Testament then as the Antichrist claims to be the true Messiah it seems he will declare himself to be legitimate over Jesus Christ because the Antichrist will have the Ark of the Covenant within the Holy of Holies and of course could claim that Jesus did not - though Jesus did fulfilled all righteousness and if it was necessary then the Ark of the Covent was within the Holy of Holies during the "Day of Atonement" for the year of the birth of Jesus Christ, if it was necessary and it probably was necessary as Jesus was born under the Law (Galatians 4:4) and came to fulfill the Law in order to abolish once and for all the Law. - Therefore there is a possible event where the Antichrist stops the Temple animal sacrifices because he is declaring himself to be the biblical fulfillment and then Theologically switches from the life of the animal blood [Eli's Priesthood] to his counterfeit ministry of [spirit life] through his words and his lies [imitating the Zadok Ministry], initiating the same Theological shift that the Bible initiates in Ministry from the physical life of the blood to the Spiritual life of the Word and completely counterfeiting the life and Ministry of the True Messiah, Jesus Christ. [article link]
The Book of Zechariah - The historical background of Zechariah's prophecy is the same as that of Haggai, both seers [Prophets - 'seer' is a refrence to ancient Israel when God led them out of Egypt and into the Promise Land the people could "see" God in their midst i.e the pillar of fire by day; after the people rejected God's presence and wanted a King (Saul) the ministry switched from 'seer' to 'prophet' (1 Samuel 9:9)] ministering during the same period and having similar missions - Zechariah's ministry was to encourage the Jewish remnant by the promise of present success and future glory - His theme then was: In view of the future glories of the times of the Messiah, the Nation should serve God faithfully through their present distress - Zechariah's prophecies were concerned more with the coming of the Messiah to build a spiritual temple than with the building of Zerubbabel's Temple, which was only a type of the future spiritual temple - The book begins with an admonition and then continues with a series of nine visions symbolic of hope THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH: Zechariah's prophecies were concerned more with the coming of the Messiah to build a spiritual temple than with the building of Zerubbabel's Temple, which was only a type of the future spiritual temple. The Apostle Peter has given us a splendid view of the inspiration and the ministry of the Old Testament prophets: Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven; which things the angels desire to look into (I Peter 1:10-12). -- THEME: The historical background of Zechariah's prophecy is the same as that of Haggai, both seers ministering during the same period and having similar missions. Zechariah's ministry was to encourage the Jewish remnant by the promise of present success and future glory. His theme then was: In view of the future glories of the times of the Messiah, the nation should serve God faithfully through their present distress. -- AUTHOR: Zechariah was probably born in Babylon. He was Haggai's colleague and began prophesying a short time after him. -- CONTENTS: 1. Symbolic: Visions of Hope (Chapters 1-6). The book begins with an admonition and then continues with a series of nine visions symbolic of hope. The visions are: 1. The horses. 2. The four horns and carpenters. 3. The measuring line. 4. *Joshua (lit. Jesus), the High Priest. 5. The golden candlestick and the olive trees. 6. The flying roll. 7. *The ephah [the 'End Time' return of the (demonic) spiritual realm back to Babylon]. 8. The four chariots. 9. The symbolic crowning of Joshua (Jesus), the High Priest. **This was a symbolic merger of the two [previously unmergable] offices of King and (High) Priest in the coming of the Messiah [Jesus Christ, including the third office of Prophet - Jesus Christ being the King, the High Priest (Melchizedek) and the Prophet of God] ... [article link]
Zechariah's Eight Visions for [the Glory and Honor of] Israel - {The 9th vision (Word from the Lord) was "The symbolic crowning of Joshua, the High Priest. This was a symbolic merger of the two [three] offices of King and High Priest [and Prophet the 'Branch' (Nazarene -Netzer the green living, alive, anointed branch capable of growth, bearing fruit and of self reproduction)] in the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ} - Zechariah 6:11-15 Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the High Priest; And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of Hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH [living, Christ]; and He shall grow up out of His place [Heaven], and **He shall build the [eternal] Temple of the LORD: Even He shall build the Temple of the LORD; and He shall bear [have] the Glory, and shall sit and rule upon His Throne [King]; and He shall be a *Priest upon His Throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both [office of King and office of Priest]. And [for a prophecy remembrance] the crowns [just made by Zechariah] shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, *for a memorial [remembrance] in the Temple of the LORD [intended to be there until the Messiah comes - Jesus was instead crowned with thorns by Herod's troops (Matthew 27:29)]. And they [Gentiles] that are far off shall come and build in the [eternal] Temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of Hosts hath sent Me unto you. *And this [crowning the Messiah in Jerusalem] shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God. - {Note: This will still come to pass, not at the 1st coming of Jesus but at the 2nd coming of Jesus.} What Does This Mean to Us? - The rest of the book of Zechariah contains more promises of forgiveness for Israel, blessings of restoration of the land and people from exile, and judgment on the nations who come against God's eternal plans and promises.Of the people of Israel, God called them to "administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other" (Zech. 7:9-10). Of the land of Israel, God cries out: "I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem I will save My people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be My people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God" (Zech. 8:2,3,8). Of the people of the nations, God says, "In those days, ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the edge of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you'" (Zech. 8:23). Of the choice the nations must make: "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding people reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves On that day, I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem" (Zech. 12:2-3,9). Of the Jewish people, He says: "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the one they have pierced, and mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son On that day, a fountain will be opened to the
house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity" (Zech. 12:10; 13:1). Of the Messiah, "On that day, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. Then, the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles" (Zech. 14:4,16)."In that dayin that day." This book is a most prophetic book, which says much about Israel in a future day when the Jewish people will return from exile and restore the land to its former glory. Messiah will come and establish Himself in Jerusalem where He will rule and reign in justice over the whole world from Jerusalem. This is that day, and we can be excited that we can be a part of prophecy, not only witnessing God's plan unfolding, but participating in prophecy through the projects and programs of Bridges for Peace and other Christian Zionist organizations. As we say at Bridges for Peace, "Don't just read about Bible prophecy when you can be a part of it." Get involved. Pray. Give. And, participate. Psalm 102:13 says it all: "The time to favor Zion [Israel] is now!" [article link]
Acts 7 - Stephen under arrest for blasphemy and on trial for his life in Jerusalem - Stephen uses as his defense the known fact that nearly every single prophet of importance to Israel throughout the history of Israel the people of Israel have first rejected the true Prophet before they ultimately accepted them and their ministry as being of God - Stephen is saying that Jesus was obviously God in the flesh though many people refused to believe it but then rejecting the true Prophets of God is the track record of mankind when it comes to interactions between man and God - Mankind has a propensity to reject the true interaction with God while at the same time embrace the false prophets of the world -- 'Acts 7:52-53 Which of the [true] Prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them [true Prophets] which shewed before [prophesied] of the coming of the Just One [Jesus Christ]; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers [their Jewish forefathers put to death the true prophets but they managed to go a step further and put to death the Messiah, Jesus the one prophesied about]: Who have received the law [the image of Jesus] by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it [because the law revealed the nature of Jesus].' Acts 7:52-60 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One [Messiah]; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law [Divinely] by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart [enraged in their soul], and they gnashed on him with their teeth. *But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, *looked up stedfastly *into heaven, *and saw the glory of God, *and Jesus *standing [Jesus is standing as the Melchizedek High Priest ready to receive into Heaven the acceptable offering of the sacrifice and life of Stephen] on the right hand of God, And said, **Behold, I see the Heavens opened, and the Son of Man [Jesus] standing on the right hand of God [Father]. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city [outside the city limits, probably at the dump], and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul [later the Apostle Paul] {Note: Saul (the Apostle Paul) although perfectly within his rights did not throw a stone himself - Paul was not the violent aggressor that the secular world wants to portray}. And they [not Saul] stoned Stephen, ***calling upon God, and **saying [as Jesus said from His cross (Luke 23:46)], Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. *And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge [as Jesus had said from His cross (Luke 23:34)]. And when he had said this, he fell asleep [to the Christian death is as harmless as sleep and often in the Bible death is referred to simply as a [harmless] sleep for those who are saved and will awake in Heaven]. - Note: Normally in the Bible Jesus is represented as seated [enthroned]at the right hand of the Father Matthew 26:64)however Stephen describes Jesus as standing standing is a part of the office of the High Priest - sitting is a part of the office of the King. Jesus preforms all three offices of God as King of the Universe, High Priest [Melchizedek] and True Prophet. The Christian Stephen lived his life with Jesus as his example, he preached his life with Jesus as his example and in his death (sleep) he departed with Jesus as his example and as such Stephen saw Jesus standing in Heaven and was received directly into Heaven receiving what the Apostle Paul would call the martyrs death the "better resurrection"
(Hebrews 11:35). [article link]
reference.com: Death of Joseph Smith, Jr. Incidents leading to the event: Several of Smith's disaffected associates at Nauvoo and Hancock County, Illinois, some of whom alleged that Smith had tried to marry their wives, joined together to publish a newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor. Its first and only issue was published 7 June 1844. ... Under the council's new ordinance, Smith, as Nauvoo's mayor, in conjunction with the city council, ordered the city marshal to destroy the paper and the press on June 10, 1844. ... Smith declared martial law on June 18 and called out the Nauvoo Legion, an organized city militia of about 5,000 men, to protect Nauvoo from outside violence. ... Incarceration at Carthage Jail: Illinois Governor Thomas Ford proposed a trial by a non-Mormon jury in Carthage, the county seat, and guaranteed Smith's safety. Smith originally planned on leaving rather than surrendering but when criticized by some followers is reported to have said "If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself." ... On 25 June 1844, Joseph and Hyrum Smith, along with the other fifteen city council members and some friends, surrendered to Carthage constable William Bettisworth on the original charge of riot. Almost immediately Joseph and Hyrum were charged with treason against the state of Illinois for declaring martial law in Nauvoo, by a warrant founded upon the oaths of A. O. Norton and Augustine Spencer. ... Attack by the mob: Before a trial could be held, a mob of about 200 armed men, their faces painted black with wet gunpowder, stormed the jail in the late afternoon of 27 June 1844. As the mob was approaching, the jailer became nervous, and informed Smith of the group. In a letter dated 10 July 1844, one of the jailers wrote that Smith, expecting the Nauvoo Legion, said "Don't trouble yourself ... they've come to rescue me." Smith was unaware that Jonathan Dunham, major general of the Nauvoo Legion, had not dispatched the unit to Carthage to protect him. Allen Joseph Stout contended that by remaining inactive, Dunham had violated an official order written by Smith after he had been jailed in Carthage. ... Taylor statement concerning Joseph Smith's shots: He [Joseph Smith], however, instantly arose, and with a firm, quick step, and a determined expression of countenance, approached the door, and pulling the six-shooter left by Brother Wheelock from his pocket, opened the door slightly, and snapped the pistol six successive times; only three of the barrels, however, were discharged. I afterwards understood that two or three were wounded by these discharges, two of whom, I am informed died. ... There are varying accounts of what happened next. Taylor and Richards' accounts state that Smith was dead when he landed after his fall. One eyewitness, William Daniels, wrote in his 1845 account that Smith was alive when mob members propped his body against a nearby well, assembled a makeshift firing squad, and shot him before fleeing. Daniels' account also states that one man tried to decapitate Smith for a bounty, but was prevented by divine intervention. There were additional reports that thunder and lightning frightened the mob off. Mob members fled, shouting, "The Mormons are coming," although there was no such force nearby. [article link]
wikipedia.org: Death of [LDS Founder] Joseph Smith, Jr. - A public viewing was held on June 29, 1844, after which empty coffins weighted with sandbags were used at the public burial - (This was done to prevent theft or mutilation of the bodies) - The actual coffins bearing the bodies of the Smith brothers were initially buried under the unfinished Nauvoo House, then disinterred and deeply reburied under an out-building on the Smith homestead - The exact location of the [Smith] grave site was soon lost to memory - [1928] Hands conducted extensive digging on the Smith homestead, and located the bodies - the [three] bodies were reinterred Interment: Joseph and Hyrum Smith's bodies were returned to Nauvoo the next day [June 28, 1844]. The bodies were cleaned and examined, and death masks were made, preserving their facial features and structures. A public viewing was held on June 29, 1844, after which empty coffins weighted with sandbags were used at the public burial. (This was done to prevent theft or mutilation of the bodies.) The actual coffins bearing the bodies of the Smith brothers were initially buried under the unfinished Nauvoo House, then disinterred and deeply reburied under an out-building on the Smith homestead. The exact location of the grave site was soon lost to memory. In 1928 Frederick M. Smith, president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
and grandson of Joseph Smith, fearing that rising water from the Mississippi River would destroy the grave site, authorized civil engineer William O. Hands to conduct an excavation to find Joseph and Hyrum's bodies. Hands conducted extensive digging on the Smith homestead, and located the bodies, as well as finding the remains of Joseph's wife, Emma, which had been buried in the same place. The remains-which were badly decomposedwere examined and photographed, and the bodies were reinterred. [article link]
Mormon Historical Studies - Smith Family Cemetery, Nauvoo, Illinois - However, research conducted in early 1990s by Ronald E. Romig, Henry Inouye, and Lachlan MacKay; and later by independent researcher Shannon M. Tracy, indicates that after discovering the remains of Joseph and Hyrum in 1928, William O. Hands and his research team misidentified Joseph's remains as being those of Hyrum's, and Hyrum's as being those of Joseph's - Therefore, Joseph's remains are probably on the left, and Hyrum's remains are in the middle {Note: Wow, that's messed up! - There must be some LDS prophecies that the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum Smith would be lost for a time then found again and then be confused with each other, reburied and mixed up again because this just couldn't happen otherwise.} (PDF) Grave marker of Hyrum, Joseph, and Emma Hale Smith Bidamon, Smith Family Cemetery, Nauvoo, Illinois, November 1999. The large foot-thick granite slab on the bottom is the marker placed over the 1928 grave site by the RLDS Church in 1951. The "angled" three-section granite stone marker seen in this photo was placed on top of the 1951 stone in August 1991. The inscriptions on the 1991 marker identify Hyrum's grave on the left, Joseph's in the middle, and Emma's on the right. However, research conducted in early 1990s by Ronald E. Romig, Henry Inouye, and Lachlan MacKay; and later by independent researcher Shannon M. Tracy, indicates that after discovering the remains of Joseph and Hyrum in 1928, William O. Hands and his research team misidentified Joseph's remains as being those of Hyrum's, and Hyrum's as being those of Joseph's. Therefore, Joseph's remains are probably on the left, and Hyrum's remains are in the middle. Photograph by Alexander L. Baugh. [article link]
mrm.org: Post-Mortal Appearances of Joseph Smith[?] - It is a fact that Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of Mormonism, died in 1844, and his bones remain in the grave [in the cellar of Joseph's house - according to Mrs. Mary Ettie V. Smith] - But some Latter-day Saints have claimed that they have seen and heard from the prophet again The February 1998 issue of Ensign magazine included a lengthy article about Brigham Young and how he lived his life as a "Student of the Prophet." In this article several post-mortal "appearances" of Joseph Smith are related. ... The Ensign article continued on to tell of a "vivid dream" in which the Prophet Joseph taught Brigham Young about the "organization of God's family under the priesthood's sealing ordinances." Another time, "after a good deal of praying," Brigham Young experienced a "significant dream" in which Joseph delivered a "message" that "became an important guide in [Young's] conduct of Church affairs." At General Conference in November 1998 an LDS apostle told of "an experience of [LDS] President Wilford Woodruff when he told of a visitation he received from the Prophet Joseph Smith some time after the Prophet was martyred. According to President Woodruff's own account: '[Joseph Smith] came to me and spoke to me.'" During this "visitation," Joseph reportedly delivered "new doctrine" to President Woodruff (M. Russell Ballard, "Are We Keeping Pace?" Ensign, 11/98, p. 6). All of these alleged post-mortal appearances of Joseph Smith took place over 100 years ago but, according to Mormonism, that should not make us think we've seen the last of the Prophet. During the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the death of Joseph Smith, by way of consolation, LDS Church News said, "Lift up your heads and rejoice; for behold! it is well with my servants Joseph and Hyrum. My servant Joseph still holds the keys of my kingdom in this dispensation, and he shall stand in due time on the earth, in the flesh, and fulfill that to which he is appointed" (Church News, week ending July 9, 1994, p. 5; quoting early LDS apostle Parley P. Pratt). So, according to the LDS Church, Joseph Smith has given direction to subsequent leaders of the Mormon Church from beyond the grave, and he is
coming again to "preside over Zion" (D&C 93:32 as interpreted by Rodney Turner, emeritus Professor of Ancient Scripture (BYU), Jesus & Joseph: Parallel Lives, p. 194). And Mormons wonder why Christians are concerned about LDS teachings. [article link]
[ex-LDS] Mrs. Mary Ettie V. Smith (b. 1829), of her residence and experience of fifteen years with the Mormons [published in 1870] - Page 37: The bodies of the Smiths [Joseph and his brother Hyrum] were brought [from the Carthage jail in Illinois] to Nauvoo [Illinois] and buried in the cellar of Joseph's house [in an occult ceremony], although the ceremony of burying their empty coffins was performed at the "grave" (Online Book) Mormonism: its rise, progress, and present condition. Embracing the narrative of Mrs. Mary Ettie V. Smith, of her residence and experience of fifteen years with the Mormons ... together with the speech recently delivered before the "elders" in Utah, by Vice President Schuyler Colfax, and the answer of John Taylor./ By N.W. Green. Green, Nelson Winch. Hartford: Belknap & Bliss, 1870. [article link]
Joseph Smith dies in his own ill-fated jailbreak on June 27, 1844 - The Joseph Smith murder weapon on display at the LDS Church Historical Museum [link to Photo] Joseph Smith is in jail for ordering and overseeing the destruction of a newspaper office (critical of new LDS policies, especially the newly introduced polygamy) "The Nauvoo Expositor" and for his illegal assembling of a militant, militia mob. News gets out that Joseph Smith (Smith was the 'General' of his Mormon militia) has sent for his private militia to come break him out of his upper level, second story jail cell and that the militia was on its way. Several townspeople gather around the jail to assess the situation. Included in the gathering crowd are several of Smith's fellow Freemasons who are angry at him and had it in mind to use the opportunity to hang Smith for seducing their wives and daughters and for his instructing other Mormons to do the same. It is apparent that Joseph Smith while a practicing Freemason brought many of the Freemason customs and rituals into his (LDS) Mormon Temple services and Mormon ritual rights. Joseph Smith was also attempting to introduce his Mormon beliefs and practices like polygamy into the Freemason organization. Smith was likely attempting to combine both the groups into one group of course led by the ever deceitful Joseph Smith. Apparently the Freemasons wanted nothing to do with Joseph Smith or his newly conjured up LDS religion and they sought a way to rid themselves of the Smith presence. Joseph Smith recognizing the angry Freemasons and presuming that his militia would not be in time receives a handgun smuggled into his jail cell by a visiting Mormon accomplice. Angered, Joseph Smith fires his pistol at people and stops shooting only when his pistol jams. Smith's deadly rampage leaves two people dead and one person seriously wounded. Then in a panic and fleeing for his life Joseph Smith while jumping from the 2nd story jailhouse window and loudly begging the crowd of Freemasons gathered below not to harm him is himself shot, falls and dies sprawled out on the dirt below, his latest con job had turned into his fatal error. Smith's escape from jail ends tragically for many including his older brother Hyrum Smith who was also among the dead. [article link]
Genesis 11 - Nimrod the mighty Hunter of Sin and the Tower of Babel 'Genesis 11:3 they had brick for stone, and slime [apparently the word slime in Hebrew denotes a tar (petroleum) product and led John D. Rockefeller to take his Standard Oil Co. over to Iraq to drill for oil] had they for morter [to build the tower of babel]' - The confounding of the languages of people and the diversifying and spreading out of all people groups among the earth - The book of Job likely comes into history at this point just prior to Abraham being called by God Abraham was probably not the oldest son of Terah but one of the younger sons, possibly the youngest son Noah's son Shem was still alive at this time and lived until Abraham was about 58 years old [possibly even living until after Abraham passed] Note: It's doubtful that Abraham met Shem personally because Abraham is designated as the Father of the Faith 'Romans 4:11 that he (Abraham) might be the father of all them that believe' in other words Abraham is the first in the lineage to believe in the faith like we are all to believe today. We don't even have the faith of the
Apostles, they saw the resurrected Jesus we still basically have the faith of Abraham the faith of hearing/reading the words of God and then obeying them. Before Abraham the world had Noah to tell of the flood and before that Adam to tell of creation. With the witness of Adam and creation and also the later witness of Noah with the Ark and the flood and then much later in the Upper Room after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ with the witness of the Apostles then faith is witnessed and is based in part on the witness and interpretation of the person who witnesses the event or events. -- 'John:20-24-29 But Thomas, one of the twelve (Apostles), called Didymus [twin], was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith He to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and My God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 'Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.' -- Faith is to be based completely on the Words and promises of God and not in human works or accomplishments, not in the seeing of the eyes or even by the experiencing with emotions or intellect but only by hearing in our heart the Words of God and believing in our heart in the Words as God has promised them to us. [article link]
Romans 4 - The Apostle Paul continues and now uses examples in the lives of Abraham and Kind David to illustrate how consistent the word of God is - how reliable the word of God is - and also how long ago it was that the promises of God were given [the original promise of the redeemer was given to Adam and Eve] and are still in use by God today [in the book of Hebrews Moses will be contrasted to Jesus] - 'Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God [that God has the power and authority of life over death], and it was counted unto him for righteousness.' -- 'Romans 4:6-8 Even as [King] David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin [because of a faith like Abraham].' 'Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him (Jesus) that justifieth the *ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.' Romans 4:17- As it is written, I (God) have made thee (Abraham) a father of many nations, before Him whom he believed, even God, *who quickeneth [makes alive] the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope [against all odds] believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith [the life giving power of God], he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God [to be the father of many] through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it [faith - that God 'quickeneth the dead'] was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it [justification righteousness] was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it [faith] shall be imputed, *if we believe on Him that raised up [eternal life] Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered [to the cross] for our offences, and was raised again [resurrection] for our justification. - The faith of Abraham, the faith of King David and the faith of the Christian is that God is the giver of life and as the giver of life God has the power and authority of life over death. In Abraham God demonstrated His ability to give life in the two bodies that were completely beyond the capability of childbirth and yet Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 75 years old. -- King David had grievously sinned with Bathsheba and then later had her husband Uriah killed in a battle. When the prophet Nathan came to King David [2 Samuel 12] and told of a sin in the land King David said that person who sinned shall be put to death. It turned out that King David was that person who was to be put to death however "2 Samuel 12:13 And [King] David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD and
Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die" because King David had a righteousness imputed by God not of works but by faith, the same faith that his forefather Abraham had in the faith that God will make right our wrongs and that God will give life even when death is required. [article link]
Galatians 3 - The Apostle Paul explains that works have never been a part of a relationship with God - There has always only been one program with God and it is a program based on faith and trust in God and not in the works of man - Even Abraham's great relationship with God was based on faith and trust as Abraham had faith in God before he exhibited his works to God -- 'Galatians 3:2-3 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the [Holy] Spirit by the works of the law {no}, or by the hearing [free gift] of faith {yes}? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the [Holy] Spirit, are ye now made perfect [complete] by the [human] flesh? {no}' 'Galatians 3:6-7 Even as Abraham believed God, and it [his circumcision] was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of [Christian] faith, the *same are the children of Abraham.' - Note: Traditionally after Abraham the children (descendants of Abraham) are circumcised as an infant on the eight day after their birth. The infant circumcision is not a seal of the faith of the child but it is a seal of the faith of the parent [it is a generational faith]. Abraham was not circumcised as an infant Abraham was circumcised as an adult, he made his own decision and therefore Abraham's circumcision is the faith of an adult and his adult decision for faith is why our Christian faith is compared to Abraham but not necessarily to circumcision. Circumcision after Abraham is more like a child dedication for us as it is more of an exhibit of the faith of the parent than of the child. Abraham circumcised himself as an adult but then he also circumcised his infant son Isaac with his adult faith then later Isaac circumcised his infant son Jacob with his adult faith and on and on until the present time. -- 'Galatians 3:12-14 And the law [self ability] is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them [self ability]. Christ hath redeemed us from the [self ability] curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written [Deuteronomy 21:23], Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the [Spiritual] blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the [Holy] Spirit through faith.' - The Apostle Paul is again declaring the finality of the death of Jesus on the cross and then with the finality of death on the cross then the giving of the Holy Spirit and a new life. Yes, Jesus in the eyes of man was made a curse [for our benefit] but keep in mind that Jesus died on the cross and with Jesus all sin and every curse also died [though Jesus resurrected the sins and curses of mankind remained dead and nailed to the cross]. The cross of Jesus Christ removed both the curse of our own human restrictions and constraints and also any curse or restraints from the Satanic, Demonic realm that might be placed on us in attempting to hinder and restrict us. 'Colossians 2:14-15 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary [against] to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His (Jesus) cross; And having spoiled principalities [fallen satanic angels] and powers [demonic powers], He (Jesus) made a shew [show] of them openly, triumphing [Victory] over them in it.' [article link]
The Descendants of Shem [Noah's oldest son]; Gen. 10:22-32; 11:10 - That shows that we have descendants of Ham as well as of Shem that form the foundation for Arabic tribes (Syria, Jordan, Iraq, down to Saudi Arabia today) We now want to merge together the genealogy given in Genesis 10:21-32, the descendants of Shem given there, and the descendants that are specifically delineated in 11:10-26 which ends with the father of Abram (Abraham), Terah. That ends this book. Verses 10-26 is one toledot. From verse 27 we have the toledot of Terah (Abraham's father - Lot's uncle) which goes all the way down to Isaac. ... [Noah's son] Shem dies just ten years before Abraham does, so everybody else was outlived by Shem. Notice with Peleg, and from that point on, lifespans began to drastically shrink. Each generation gets shorter and shorter. Almost all of the antediluvian patriarchs lived over 900 years. A couple of them lived just a little less, but afterward there is this immediate decline. Noah lives to be 900+ [Noah died only two years before Abraham was born], but Shem only lives 600 years, a drastic drop. Something changed in the environment after the flood and people just couldn't live as
long. That brings us down to the sons of Joktan in Genesis 10:26-29, "And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, and Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, and Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan." They all move into the area of modern Saudi Arabia. These are the thirteen original Arabian tribes. Many of these names have cognates of places, wells, oases, etc., in Saudi Arabia. They can indicate the historicity of these names. That shows that we have descendants of Ham as well as of Shem that form the foundation for Arabic tribes. Later on other groups comne out of Abraham, but these are more distant cousins of Abraham who come through Joktan. When we come over to Shem's genealogy (a closed genealogy) it is a straight line of descent all the way down to Nahor in Genesis 11:22-24, "And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: and Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah." Genesis 11:26, "And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran." Notice the parallelism here. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. There is a parallel showing consistency of the author-one author of Genesis, not three or four. But we see now that when Abram is born Terah is still alive, Nahor is still alive, Serug is still alive, Peleg is still alive, but Eber, Salah, Arphaxad and Shem are also still alive. So there is a tremendous population explosion simply because the generations aren't dying off yet. The first four generations off the ark are still alive and live throughout most of Abraham's life. [article link]
King Hammurabi (Saudi Arabia) - Introduction: Who is Melchizedek? #7: Coming Soon the Basic Christian Article: Who is Melchizedek? - Genesis 14:1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar (Babylon) ... Is "Amraphel king of Shinar" actually Hammurabi a *Babylonian (Saudi Arabia) king who set down some of the first written codes of law - Hammurabi "Ham the Great" a descendant of Ham the 2nd son of Noah - Hammurabi was a king of the Babylonian empire 1795-1750 B.C. [after Nimrod and the Tower of Babel in the Babylonian (Shinar) region of Turkey - the actual Tower of Babel was probably in the region of Turkey - Nimrod (Tower of Babel in Turkey) {Nimrod was a grandsom of Noah's (2nd) son Ham via Cush}, Hammurabi {Hammurabi "Ham the Great" also a descendant of Ham} (Saudi Arabia - the people of modern Saudi Arabia) and the Kingdom of Babylon (Iraq) are probably three separate and distinct Kingdoms - Abraham (Israel) is a descendant of Noah's oldest son Shem - Abraham (1812 BC - 1637 BC) was also born in the region of (Shinar) in the city of Ur of the Chaldees] -- [Hammurabi *born about 1795 BC then at three years old in 1792 he inhareted the throne from his father - Wiki.com] - With his death in 1750 BC Hammurabi died at the young age of 45 years old {Abraham was about 62 years old when Hammurabi died} - The cause of death does not seem to be known in modern times but did Hammurabi die in the battle along with Chedorlaomer when Abraham rescued Lot at Hobah? -- Genesis 14:17 And the [new] king of Sodom went out to meet him (Abraham) after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings [including Hammurabi?] that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale - One of the major differences, however, between Melchizedek's law {supposedly from Abraham to Moses however Melchizedek's law (the Holy Spirit) is evident from Adam, Eve, Able, Enoch, Noah, Job and everyone even Cain, Lamech and Nimrod knew about God's instructions, up until the days of Abraham most people were aware of God's laws regarding the sacrifices and of the clean and unclean ordinances then way after Adam, Hammurabi later wrote down a partial corruption of God's previously given verbal laws and instructions. God's laws and instructions were finally written in stone [10 commandments] by the finger of God and then in ink [first five books of the Bible] by Moses soon after the Jews became free from their captivity in Egypt} and the Code of Hammurabi is that Hammurabi based his on human wisdom and perhaps a demon's influence: note his reference to Marduk [i.e. Moloch, Beliel, Beelzebub, variant names of Satan] in the introduction of his code of law while Melchizedek [Abraham-Moses, but actually Adam-Moses] based his law on love and the worship and honor of God Genesis 14:14-15 And when Abram heard that his brother [nephew, in the Bible a younger person of a believer is a brother and an older person of a believer is a father] was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand
of Damascus. -- Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not [Abraham seems to have been very stressed after his victory], Abram: I am thy shield [God would not let the kings and armies of the North come and retaliate against Abraham], and thy exceeding great reward [Abraham did not take any reward for saving Lot and the people] -- Genesis 14:17 And the [new] king of Sodom went out to meet him (Abraham) after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings [including ] that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. ... Hammurabi - Babylonian king who set down first written code of laws: Although opinions vary on exactly when Hammurabi lived and the important dates of his reign, most scholars believe Hammurabi began his rule of Babylon in 1792 B.C. and died in 1750 B.C. Hammurabi was the sixth king over the city of Babylon, but once he defeated Sumer, Akkad, and other city-states to the south of Babylon around 1760 B.C., he claimed the title of the first king of the Babylonian empire. Eventually, his empire covered most parts of Mesopotamia. His main claim to fame, the Code of Hammurabi, was written in about 1786 B.C. Besides this, Hammurabi also did other things to improve his empire, namely, he improved the irrigation process. He also strongly encouraged astronomy, mathematics, and literature. Sadly, once Hammurabi died, the Babylonian empire that he worked so hard to build and improve collapsed due to military pressure from the Hittites under the rule of Mursilis I. Eventually, the Kassites, under the command of Agumkakrine, came to rule Babylon and some of the former, gargantuan empire for 400 years. Interestingly enough, they obeyed and respected the Code of Hammurabi. Much later, God used the Babylonians to correct and discipline the people of Judah when they were taken captive into Babylon in 586 B.C. ... One of the major differences, however, between Melchizedek's law {supposedly from Abraham to Moses however Melchizedek's law (the Holy Spirit) is evident from Adam, Eve, Able, Enoch, Noah, Job and everyone even Cain, Lamech and Nimrod knew about God's instructions, up until the days of Abraham most people were aware of God's laws regarding the sacrifices and of the clean and unclean ordinances then way after Adam, Hammurabi later wrote down a partial corruption of God's previously given verbal laws and instructions. God's laws and instructions were finally written in stone [10 commandments] by the finger of God and then in ink [first five books of the Bible] by Moses soon after the Jews became free from their captivity in Egypt} and the Code of Hammurabi is that Hammurabi based his on human wisdom and perhaps a demon's influence: note his reference to Marduk [i.e. Moloch, Beliel, Beelzebub, variant names of Satan] in the introduction of his code of law while Melchizedek [Abraham-Moses, but actually Adam-Moses] based his law on love and the worship and honor of God. Although each of these is only a speculation, they do help set the stage for Hammurabi's life and reign and draw some conclusions worth digging deeper for more positive answers to further prove the historical accuracy and truth in the Bible. [article link]
King Hammurabi (Saudi Arabia) - Introduction: Who is Melchizedek? #8: Coming Soon the Basic Christian Article: Who is Melchizedek? - Abraham: by tradition Abraham was born in 1812 BC and died about 1637 BC, we know from the Bible that Abraham lived 175 years - In 1750 at the death of Hammurabi [possibly king Amraphel] occurring when Abraham rescued Lot, Abraham would have been about 62 years old, Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born -- Note: Abraham lived in a tent in the area of Hebron about 19 miles south of the Jerusalem area and about 99 miles south of Sodom and the Salt Sea (Dead Sea) area that was under tribute to the Northern kings (Babylon is about 900 miles via camel trail north of Sodom). This means that Abraham did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Northern Kings neither Hammurabi, Chedorlaomer or any of the kings. Had Abraham fallen under their jurisdiction and paid taxes and tributes to them they would have been one of the 7 Kings of the Globe. Since Abraham (Jews) did not fall under their rule they were great kings but not Global Kings. -- Revelation 17:10-11 And there are seven kings [Global Kings, known world]: five are fallen, and one (Rome) is, and the other [7th - Antichrist] is not yet come; and when he (Antichrist) cometh, he must continue a short space [3 1/2 years] -- Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil taketh Him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the [7] kingdoms of the world [5 are past, 6th one is (Rome), 7th is Antichrist], and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan [liar, because it was a false promise,
only the 7th kingdom of this world is left and that is Satan's Antichrist kingdom, Satan isn't giving that up to anybody not even God]: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. -Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth (humans) and of the sea (demons)! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 2 Kings 23:33 And [Egyptian] Pharaoh-nechoh (Necho) [King of Egypt part of the 2nd world Kingdom] put him [Jewish King Jehoahaz] in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold. -- 2 Kings 24:1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon [King of Babylon, 3rd world kingdom] came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. -- Ezra 3:11-13 This is the copy of the [slander] letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king [king of Persia-Iran, 4th world kingdom]; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time. Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, [re]building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations. Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings. -- [Greece during the Jewish Maccabee revolt is the 5th world kingdom] -- Luke 2:1-5 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus [Roman 6th world kingdom, "and one (currently) is"], that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; because he was of the house and lineage of David: To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with (Jesus) child. -- [The 7th and final world kingdom is the Antichrist] -- Revelation 17:10-11 And there are seven [Global (middle-east, Jerusalem) rulers: King Nimrod - builder of the tower of Babel, Egypt, Babylon (Iraq), Persia (Iran), Greece, Rome (Italy), Antichrist] kings: five are fallen, and one (Rome) is, and the other [7th world King - Antichrist] is not yet come; and when he (Antichrist) cometh, he must continue a short space [3 1/2 years]. And the beast [Antichrist] that was [7th ruler], and is not [because Antichrist is assassinated], even he (Antichrist) is the eighth [false resurrection], and is of the seven [the 7th ruler is killed or seems to be in an assassination, and resurrects himself [false eternal life] (demonic possession) to also become the 8th ruler], and goeth into perdition [everlasting damnation-hell]. -- Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil taketh Him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the [7] kingdoms of the world [5 are past, 6th one is (Rome), 7th is Antichrist], and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan [liar, because it was a false promise, only the 7th kingdom of this world is left and that is Satan's Antichrist kingdom, Satan isn't giving that up to anybody not even God]: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. -- Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth (humans) and of the sea (demons)! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. [article link]
Pope [Benedict XVI] dedicates iconic church - Pope Benedict XVI today dedicated the Sagrada Familia ["holy family" - Joseph, Mary and Jesus] church, an emblem of Barcelona, Spain - The Gothic-inspired structure with 18 spires is thought to be the largest church in the world - Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were in the full-to-overflowing church as the Pope poured oil on the altar and rubbed it in with his hand, then swung incense over it Barcelona, Spain (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI defended religion from critics Sunday as he dedicated the Sagrada Familia church, a still-unfinished emblem of the Spanish city of Barcelona. "This is the great task before us: to show everyone that God is a God of peace not of violence, of freedom not of coercion, of harmony not of discord," he said. And he pushed back against what he sees as increasing secularism in the world, saying, "I consider that the dedication of this church of the Sagrada Familia is an event of great importance, at a time in
which man claims to be able to build his life without God, as if God had nothing to say to him." He also defended the traditional family, after Spain's Socialist government legalized same-sex marriage. "The generous and indissoluble love of a man and a woman is the effective context and foundation of human life in its gestation, birth, growth and natural end," he said. Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were in the full-tooverflowing church as the pope poured oil on the altar and rubbed it in with his hand, then swung incense over it. ... The Sagrada Familia, or "holy family," church, is still being built after more than 100 years. Gaudi, a Catalan architect, only lived to see one tower and most of one facade finished by the time he died in 1926. "The interior space of the church, the sacred space of the church, is finished, and for that, the pope comes here to consecrate the church," said Jordi Fauli, the deputy architect. Gaudi planned the church to have 18 towers -- 12 for the apostles, four for the evangelists [the 4 Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John], one for the Virgin Mary and the tallest for Jesus. Only eight are finished. Fauli said the privately-financed work may be done by 2026, on the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. Asked once why it was taking so long to finish the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi replied, according to his assistants, "My client -- meaning God -- is not in a hurry." [article link]
***{Basic Christian update 1.25 - Adobe Air Version - is Now Available - as a FREE Download} Note: The Basic Christian Ministry has completed a major project -- Creating an 'Adobe Air' [web 2.0 interactive] document [BasicChristian.air] that can be downloaded to any desktop computer and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - *Right click this link - Requires Adobe AIR 2.5) The project is completed including the fall Holidays update edition. It will provide excellent anytime devotions and is perfect as a Christmas gift stocking stuffer for others. Most importantly [with the new Adobe Air (web 2.0) document features] the end user can create their own comments list, add links to other websites, blogs, rss feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive individual Christian, research, devotional and study tool project. -- Now Available for Download! [article link]
Adobe AIR New Version 2.5 (Download) Note: For details on the changes in AIR 2.5, refer to the release notes. [article link]
{Flashback} The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Antediluvian [Pre-flood] Civilizations - {The pre-flood civilization up until the days of Noah encompassed about 2,000 years of human history and probably involved several billion people. - Note: In the pre-flood earth it doesn't appear that there were any Kings or Governments and that the long lives [experience and expertise] of each individual precluded them from being reigned and ruled over by others. Instead of a governmental structure of Kings and Politicians the earth seemed to have been Governed strictly by each family patriarch (head) according to God's governance and that after the flood in the new, young and now naive post-flood civilization the inexperienced human civilization now required [and allowed strangers - nonfamily members] rulers and Kings and that Nimrod was possibly the first King though human history had existed for some 2,000 years before Nimrod. - Also Note: Jesus is not a stranger but He is family with everyone and as family He has our own individual best interest at His heart. Jesus is the kinsman (relative - related) redeemer to everyone [we are created in God's image - relationship] and His (Fatherly, creation - Brotherly, redemption and salvation) relationship to all humans is maintained via His Virgin (Divine) birth.} Introduction: "'Antediluvian civilizations'" are civilizations believed to have existed before the Great flood of Noah. If the fossil record is indeed the result of the Biblical flood as described in the Bible, then it is somewhat expected for evidence of antediluvian (pre-flood) civilizations to exist. It is assumed by many that humans reached advanced stages of technological development before the flood. Such presuppositions are usually based on the Biblical genealogy, which states that ancient people lived to approximately 10 times our current life span. Also it is frequently mentioned that Adam and Eve would likely possess higher than normal intelligence since they were created as adults, with knowledge that subsequent humans obtain from their
parents. Another theory states that the antediluvian race called the Nephilim was superior to other humans in this respect. All accounts of the Great flood from civilizations around the world indicate that there were civilizations before the flood. However, as a result of the destruction during the flood and the passage of time, the remaining evidence is scanty. As a result of the flood, the earth was covered in hundreds of feet of sediment, and very little of the antediluvian horizon has been exposed. It is also problematic that the scientific community is quick to dismiss any artifacts that dispute their presupposed interpretation of the fossil record. Nevertheless, any truly advanced civilization would have left durable traces or constructions that would likely surface during excavations or by erosion. Relatively insightful accounts can be drawn from the Bible, apocrypha, and ancient Babylonian and Greek accounts of antediluvian civilization. ... Implications of the Tower of Babel: We can not dispute the existence of atypical knowledge possessed by Adam and Eve, however, we should also consider the tower of Babel curse as it relates to human accomplishments to that date. Monumental constructions are a great source of pride for humans. It was most likely this type of technological development that God attempted to retard by creating the language barriers at the tower of Babel. The Babel event suggests that the tower was the first major monument that mankind had ever built. It was the first construction that had no purpose but to be a monument [temple] to human achievement [based on Satanic interaction]. The tower was not a particularly important technological development [Babel was a major object of Satanic interaction between humans and Satan - harming humans to the extent of possibly permanently altering our human (DNA) making us more susceptible to disease, illness and further shortening our lifespan and also harming our psyche (soul) by lessening our confidence and our decision making capabilities making us even more susceptible to Satanic deceptions]. It was built out of bricks, and was therefore incomparable to even the limestone pyramids. In comparison to our modern building it was hardly more than a mud mound. Many better monuments would be built afterwards, but given God's reaction, it is logical to propose that nothing like it had been built prior to the flood. [article link]
{Flashback} THE TOWER OF BABEL AND THE CONFUSION OF LANGUAGES by Lambert Dolphin - Nimrod's name is from the verb "let us revolt" - He is said to be a mighty hunter (gibbor tsayidh) in the sight of the Lord, but the language has a dark meaning - He becomes a tyrant or despot leading an organized rebellion against the rule of Yahweh (God) - He hunts not animals, but rather the souls of men - Cain, a condemned murderer had started the first cities before the Flood - Nimrod builds the first post-Flood cities - The region he settles in is now mostly modern Iraq {Note: Actually Nimrod probably settled an area of modern Turkey - The ancient O.T. 'land of Shinar' [Noah's Ark, Tower of Babel, birthplace of Abraham in Ur (in northern Iraq)] "Genesis 11:2 And it came to pass, as they [Nimrod and the people] journeyed [going west from Noah's Ark - towards Iraq though still in Turkey] from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there." The ancient O.T. land of Shinar seems to have been the region of modern Turkey over to the Iraq area. The N.T. 'region of Galatia' [Seven Churches of Revelation] (modern Turkey) seems to have been the region of modern Turkey going the other direction towards Greece.} Notes by James Montgomery Boice on *Nimrod and Babel THE FIRST WORLD EMPIRE There is an interesting feature of Moses' treatments of these descendants of Ham that is at once recognizable to one who reads this chapter. It is the parenthesis that fills verses 8-12. It comes in the middle of the table of nations and, in a sense, interrupts it. These verses deal, not with the general movements of peoples and nations, but with one particular descendant of Cush, Nimrod, who is said to have been the founder of the first world empire. **Here is the first place in the Bible where the word "kingdom" occurs. Significantly, it is used, not of God's kingdom (as it is later), but of this first rival kingdom of Nimrod. This matter was obviously of great importance to Moses, for a related parenthesis occurs in the first nine verses of chapter 11, in the story of the tower of Babel. What is so significant about Nimrod? The fact that he established cities and built a kingdom is important, of course. But there is much more that can be said. Nimrod was the first person to become a "mighty" man. Our text calls attention to this by using the adjective "mighty" three times in describing him: "Nimrod ... grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, 'Like Nimrod, a mighty
hunter before the LORD'" (vv. 8, 9). The adjective also occurs in a similar way in 1 Chronicles 1:10. Why is this emphasized? Is it good or bad? A little thought will show that it is bad. The empire of Babylon under Nimrod was an affront both to God and man, an affront to God in that it sought to do without God (Gen. 11:1-9) and an affront to man in that it sought to rule over other people tyrannically. Martin Luther was on the right track when he suggested that this is the way the word "hunter" should be interpreted. This is not talking about Nimrod's ability to hunt wild game. He was not a hunter of animals. He was a hunter of men--a warrior. It was through his ability to fight and kill and rule ruthlessly that his kingdom of Euphrates valley city states was consolidated. -- The Tower of Babel by Ray C. Stedman - The fact that this was a religious tower-and yet built to make a name for man-reveals the master motive behind religion. It is a means by which man attempts to share the glory of God. We must understand this, otherwise we will never understand the power of religion as it has pervaded the earth and permeated our culture ever since. It is a way by which man seeks to share what is rightfully God's alone. This tower was a grandiose structure, and undoubtedly it was intended to be a means by which man would glorify God. Unquestionably there was a plaque somewhere attached to it that carried the pious words, "Erected in the year ___, to the greater glory of God." But it was not really for the glory of God; it was a way of controlling God, a way of channeling God by using him for man's glory. That is what man's religion has always sought to do. It is a way of making God available to us. Man does not really want to eliminate God. It is only sporadically and then only for a relatively brief time, that men cry out for the elimination of God. Atheism is too barren, too pessimistic and too morally bankrupt to live with very long. The communists are finding this out. No, we need "dear old God," but let's keep him under control. Do not let him get out of his place. "Don't call us, God; we'll call you." This is the fundamental philosophy of society. It is the tower of Babel all over again. (from The Beginnings, by Ray C. Stedman, Waco Books, 1978.) [article link]
{Flashback} As The Days of Noah Were - Luke 17:26: "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man" The Reason for the Flood: It was the infusion of these strange (demonic) beings into the human predicament that brought on the Flood of Noah. The Flood was preceded by four generations of prophets/preachers warning of the coming judgment: Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. It seems that this was part of Satan's stratagem to corrupt the line of Adam to prevent the fulfillment of the Messianic redemption. Noah was apparently unique in that his genealogy was still uncorrupted. The strange events which led to the flood are also alluded to in ancient mythologies. The legends of the Greek "titans"---partly terrestrial, partly celestial--embrace these same memories. (The Greek titan is linguistically linked to the Chaldean sheitan, and the Hebrew satan.) [article link]
Pimppreacher via Apostasywatch: Minister or Sinister? How to know when your Church has become a cult Everything is about CONTROL - The main tools used to control members are INTIMIDATION and MANIPULATION - *The intimidation and manipulation are very subtle and disguised with a false sense of love and concern - It's all a strategic COURTSHIP RUNNING GAME The Cult [suspect Church] will have a team of people (we will call them the GAMERS) who are assigned to COURT you (THE PROSPECT) [for their gain - power, prestige, finances, etc]. The courtship begins with COMMUNICATION. Good communication starts with paying attention to what is said. The Gamer will ask strategic questions about the PROSPECT, their family and their life. Once they hear something they can identify with the prospect (YOU) they will begin telling the prospect how wonderful the church is (disclaimer: they will always say "we're not a perfect church, but we love God and our Pastor loves the people of God, we are a loving church"). -- The Gamer will tell a story about how they were so lost, broke down, and hurt BUT because of this ministry they were able to get their lives together and they don't know where they would be without this ministry (*not GOD, but the ministry) this will of course include many examples of how the Cult Pastor is very sincere and loving. This call will conclude with an invitation (FIRST DATE). This first date may be an invitation to
come to the midweek service, a fellowship, or next Sunday's service and the prospect is told to ask for the Gamer as soon as they come through the door so the two of them can sit together. The members are moved by what they HEAR they are compelled to say YES TO THE FIRST DATE. ... PROPHET OR PROFIT? In treating the members as children they are taught to NEVER speak against the leader. If fact, any questioning of the ministry teachings, any criticism, any independent thinking is considered a form of rebellion. "Touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm" I Chron. 16:22. There will be a strong emphasis on authority, unquestioning obedience and submission. Members become afraid to say anything, even if they know something is wrong because speaking against what they KNOW to be wrong is speaking against the "Pastor" and it's a SIN. They are convinced that if the Pastor is wrong - God will get him and when the "wrong' is continued they assume the Pastor was right. And if anyone is ever so bold to speak against the leader they are ostracized by the entire church. Yes, this "loving" church will turn their back on you. -- SiGNS TO LOOK FOR: 1. LOST OF IDIVIDUALITY. You are no longer a creative, independent thinking individual. Everyone must speak the SAME thing…say what the leader says at all times…any other opinion is going against God. 2. LOST OF RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS. Relationship with friends, relatives, and children - ANY NON-MEMBER is severed. - RELATIONSHIP IS BASED ON MEMBERSHIP 3. EXCESSIVE GIVING. Extreme pressure to give all you have. Several offerings, large sums, public announcement of your amount resulting in guilt and intimidation. 4. ISOLATION. Isolation from anything and anyone not directly affiliated with the church. 5. CONTROL OF TIME. 6. LOSS OF FREE WILL. Members cannot make any independent decisions concerning personal life. Cannot question leadership. [article link]
heartlight.org: The Authority Of Reality "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you" (James 4:8) - from My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers It is essential to give people a chance of acting on the truth of God. The responsibility must be left with the individual, you cannot act for him, it must be his own deliberate act, but the evangelical message ought always to lead a man to act. The paralysis of refusing to act leaves a man exactly where he was before; when once he acts, he is never the same. It is the foolishness of it that stands in the way of hundreds who have been convicted by the Spirit of God. Immediately I precipitate myself over into an act, that second I live; all the rest is existence. The moments when I truly live are the moments when I act with my whole will. Never allow a truth of God that is brought home to your soul to pass without acting on it, not necessarily physically, but in will. ... We have to go clean over on some word of our redeeming Lord and transact business with Him. His word "come" means "transact." "Come unto Me." The last thing we do is to come; but everyone who does come knows that that second the supernatural rush of the life of God invades him instantly. The dominating power of the world, the flesh and the devil is paralysed, not by your act, but because your act has linked you on to God and His redemptive power. [article link]
Ed Young's Tithing Sermon: Show Me the Money! - The video of Ed Young posted here on Sunday has gotten quite a bit of play around the blogosphere It has even moved over to YouTube - Christians and non-Christians alike are flabbergasted that a pastor from the pulpit is trying to get people to commit to give 10% of their income to his church through automatic withdrawal {Note: the Corporation Churches [501(c)3] need to own up to their public accountability and financial obligations in reporting and accounting for every single dime that they collect in offerings [so called tithes, offerings, gifts]. The Basic Christian Ministry is going to designate 2011 as a year of Church accountability [actually starting now!!] - No public disclosure of legal financial statements provided by the church and staff then no money provided by the congregation it's that simple!! - Also Note: The people that are blindly donating to demanding and offensive personalities are the very people that are enabling, perpetuating and furthering this very serious [*Predatory Tithing] problem within the Church. It's important that everyone within the congregation accept responsibility and withhold financial support from any Church or organization that is not 100% transparent with its organizational structure, affiliations or income disbursements.} (YouTube)
He tells them they are cursed if they don't tithe. He wonders why they come to church if they don't bring the tithe, tells them to stay home or play golf, to quit wasting Ed's and God's time. He says to watch your wallet if you're sitting next to a non-tither. He brags that "blessings track him down" for his 29 years of faithfulness. He even declares multiple times that the blessings of the Christian life are "all about the money". Ed even says "Show me the money" - which I take to mean "show me your bank account and routing number". He says that if you don't tithe, your marriage, your job, your kids, will all suffer because you're under God's curse. I hope that someone in Ed's circle of friends - maybe John Cross, or maybe Ed's father - someone, will help Ed see that he is abusing his congregation. Comments: Anonymous said... 80% of Ed young's church membership need to leave the church now. Those people should choose a place to meet and have a great time in fellowship. choose a God fearing man as a teacher while giving him some living standards. No jet. And learn the truth of the [B]ible. [article link]
Predatory Preaching - Why So Much Angst About Anonymous Critics? (Audio) I recently came across the audio excerpt below from Matt Chandler, where he absolutely blasts people who would dare send him anonymous, critical emails. He angrily calls them several choice names like "pathetic" and "narcissistic zeros". I came across this audio clip at Dr. Alvin Reid's blog site, as he included Chandler's clip with his blog post here entitled "Dealing with Critics". You really have to listen to this. It gives I think a glimpse into just how much disdain there is for anonymous emailers and bloggers critical of the Southern Baptist power structure. It is my view, based on my experience as a formerly anonymous blogger, that Chandler's disdain for anonymous critics is shared by many of our Southern Baptist leaders. After all, Alvin Reid posts it for his readers (many of whom are our future pastors!), presumably as an example of how to view those who dare to criticize anonymously. [article link]
Note: Only informed responsible giving (tithing) is cheerful giving - Previous year 501c3 non-profit tax form filings should be open and publically available (in Church offices) and on the internet for anyone and everyone to look at and only then is a person capable of making an informed decision about personally donating to charitable 'Churches' and causes i.e. a Harvest Crusade type of event -- "2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth [responsibly] in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful [responsible] giver." Only informed responsible giving (tithing) is cheerful giving! Not the ignorance is bliss, dutiful giving that the modern Church now wants us to participate in. -- "Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defense [refuge], and money [opportunity, power, influence, prestige] is a defense: but [more important than money] the excellency of [Biblical] knowledge [accurate, reliable Biblical doctrine] is, that wisdom giveth [eternal] life to them that have it." [article link]
Donor Bill of Rights - PHILANTHROPY (Charitable Donations) is based on voluntary action for the common good - It is a tradition [and religious requirement] of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights: I. To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes - II. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities - III. **To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements - IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given I. To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes. II. To be informed of the identity of
those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities. III. To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements. IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given. V. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition. VI. To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law. VII. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature. VIII. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors. IX. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share. X To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers. [article link]
Questions to Ask a Nonprofit (Church - Crusade - Conference - etc.) *Before Investing in [or contributing to] It 3. What are your annual goals, needs, and results? How do they compare to similar organizations in your community? - 6. How well have you utilized your funding? Describe how efficiently you have fulfilled your goals of recent years in relationship to the amount of funds you have raised Thinking of donating to a nonprofit? Here are some suggested questions to ask nonprofit organizations before investing in them. The answers can help you determine which charities to give to and evaluate the performance of the philanthropies you already support. 1. How are you collaborating with similar organizations on a local, regional, or national level? 2. What are the main obstacles that inhibit the fulfillment of your mission? How are you planning to overcome them? 3. What are your annual goals, needs, and results? How do they compare to similar organizations in your community? 4. How much turnover have you experienced of employees and board members in the last two years {and how many related family members are employed and in what places within the organization}? 5. To what degree have you attracted new people {non-family members} and new ideas to your organization and board? 6. *How well have you utilized your funding? Describe how efficiently you have fulfilled your goals of recent years in relationship to the amount of funds you have raised. 7. Most forprofit organizations have recently restructured themselves in recent years to become more efficient and productive. How, if at all, are you considering (or have you implemented) some version of this approach? 8. How efficiently is your organization run? To what degree have you assigned day-to-day management responsibilities to a tightly run executive committee instead of relying upon your full board? 9. Who are your main competitors and how do your results in recent years compare to theirs? [article link]
Tips for Choosing a Charity: A Donor's 9-Step Guide to Giving Wisely - Avoid charities that won't share information or pressure you - Reputable nonprofits: Will discuss their programs and finances - [they] Don't use pressure tactics - Are willing to send you literature about their work or direct you to a Web site - Will take "no" for an answer - Trust your instincts: If you still have doubts about a charity, don't contribute to it - Instead, find another nonprofit that does the same kind of work and with which you feel comfortable, then make your donation Tips for Choosing a Charity: A Donor's 9-Step Guide to Giving Wisely - Here are GuideStar's tips for donors who want to give with their heads as well as their hearts. Researching Charities Clarify your values. Do this before you open your checkbook, volunteer your time, or look at that letter from a charity. Identify your preferences. Ask yourself: "What is important to me?" The environment? Education? Hunger? Animal welfare? Helping sick children? Where should the charity do its work-in your neighborhood, region, the nation, or internationally? Ask yourself if you want to support a large or small charity, a new or an old one. Search the GuideStar database to find charities that meet your criteria. Focus on the mission. Look at each charity's description in the GuideStar search results, on its Web site, or in its literature. Find the nonprofits that fit best with your values. Eliminate organizations that don't meet your criteria. Now you're ready to look more closely at these organizations. Evaluating Charities Get the cold, hard facts. A reputable organization will: Define its
mission and programs clearly. Have measurable goals. Use concrete criteria to describe its achievements. Compare apples to apples. Be sure to compare charities that do the same kind of work, especially if you're looking at their finances. The type of work a charity does can affect its operating costs dramatically. Avoid charities that won't share information or pressure you. Reputable nonprofits: Will discuss their programs and finances. Don't use pressure tactics. Are willing to send you literature about their work or direct you to a Web site. Will take "no" for an answer. Trust your instincts. If you still have doubts about a charity, don't contribute to it. Instead, find another nonprofit that does the same kind of work and with which you feel comfortable, then make your donation. [article link]
Extremely Important Viewing!!! Part 8 - Dialectic Deception - [To Download Click the Share Button] (Online Video) *Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Overview: The cross of Jesus and the Triune witness of Jesus' Spirit, blood and water each released from the physical body of Jesus while He was on the cross -- "Colossians 1:19-23 For it pleased the Father [God] that in Him [Jesus] should all fulness dwell [manifest to mankind]; And, **having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him [Jesus] **to reconcile all things unto Himself [God - Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit]; by Him [Jesus], I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in Heaven. **And you [Gentiles, sinners], that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, *yet now hath He [Jesus] reconciled in the body of His flesh [Spirit, blood, water] through death, to present you Holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature [by the Holy Spirit, since Pentecost] which is under heaven; whereof I [Apostle] Paul am made a Minister;" "John 19:26-30 When Jesus therefore saw His mother [Mary], and the disciple [John] standing by [the cross], whom He loved [G25 (Agape) - highest love, Spiritual, non-sexual], He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son [in Christian fellowship]! Then saith He to the disciple [John], Behold thy mother [in Christian fellowship]! And from that hour that disciple took her [in Christian fellowship] unto his own home. After this, **Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the [bitter drink] vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and ***gave up the ghost [G4151(Pneuma) - Spirit, Holy Ghost, Spirit of God - source: Srong's Concordance]." -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood [from the cross of Jesus]: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood - from the cross of Jesus] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God [from the cross] which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link]
{Flashback} Genesis 12-14 - Abraham comes back from Egypt and Returns to Bethel (House of God) in the Promise land (Israel) - Abraham and his Nephew Lot come to an amenable parting of the ways - Lot seeing with his eyes chooses to dwell near Sodom while Abraham choosing to dwell with God moves to Hebron [near modern Jerusalem] - Abraham was to arise and walk through the land 'Genesis 13:17 Arise, walk through the
land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee' - to take possession and appropriate the promises of God into his life - Later Abraham meets **Melchizedek King of Righteousness and Peace the **Priest of the Most High God "Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek [Spirit of God] King of Salem (Peace) brought forth [Communion] bread (body of Jesus) and wine (mingled grape (blood) and water): and He was the Priest of the most high God." - Abraham [Father of the Jewish Nation] gives a tithe a tenth of all he owns to Melchizedek - Melchizedek blesses Abraham - 'Genesis 14:22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand [in praise and worship] unto the LORD, The Most High God, The Possessor Of Heaven And Earth' Melchizedek the name means King of Righteousness and Peace, He is the Priest of the Most High God. This is the first mention of a Priest in the Bible. The idea of a priest comes from the conciseness of the Holiness of God and of the sinfulness of man, in order for a man to touch God to go into the presence of the Holy God man will need a mediator a go between, a priest. The ministry of the priest was twofold the priest was to go before God for the people and then the priest [or a prophet] would return and tell the people a message from God if there was one. - Melchizedek's birth is not recorded and his death is not yet recorded because Melchizedek is eternal, without genealogy and without death He lives on forever 'Hebrews 7:3 [Melchizedek] Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest Continually.' ... 'Psalms 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou (Jesus Christ) art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.' Jesus is our [Christian, heavenly] High Priest after the order of Melchizedek not after the earthly Levitical/Aaronic priesthood. The episode of Melchizedek was enacted into the Bible's history of the Old testament to reveal to mankind even before the establishing of the Levitical/Aaronic priesthood that mankind would know that there is indeed a better priesthood a holy, eternal, established priesthood of Melchizedek. As Jesus reigns He is Melchizedek "The LORD, The Most High God, The Possessor Of Heaven And Earth." [article link]
{Flashback} Genesis 40-41 - The King's butler (cup bearer) and the Kings baker were suspected in a plot to kill the King of Egypt and were imprisoned with Joseph until the details of the plot could be sorted out - The butler and the baker each had a dream - Joseph was able to correctly interpret each of their dreams -- 'Genesis 40:8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it - And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you' -- Later Joseph is brought from the prison to interpret a dream for Pharaoh after correctly interpreting the dream Joseph is installed by the Pharaoh to be the second ruler over all of Egypt in order to carry out the interpretation of the dream - An Egyptian wife is chosen for Joseph and she [Asenath] bares him two sons Manasseh and Ephraim both of which will receive inheritances in Israel as Jacob awards Joseph a double portion of land in Israel with his double portion of blessings Note: Melchizedec the Priest of the Most High God introduced bread and wine (communion) into the Bible. In keeping with Biblical consistency we now again have the bread [cross] and the wine [resurrection] in the illustration of the king's baker [bread] - and the king's butler/cup bearer [wine]. The baker as was according to his dream from God was broken, he was executed. The butler as was according to his dream, also given to him by God, was restored the third day being freed from prison he is sent into the presence of the Kingdom's King handing a cup of wine (vine) to the King. - The communion bread and the communion wine of Jesus Christ: The bread represents the body of Jesus 'broken for us' and the wine represents the life blood of Jesus in the New Eternal covenant between God and mankind. 'Matthew 26:26-28 And as they (disciples) were eating [Passover], Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My Body. And He took the cup (grape of the vine), and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it [be connected to Jesus Christ the true Vine]; For this is My Blood [eternal Life, the eternal living covenant] of the New Testament (Covenant), which is shed for many for the remission of sins.' - Also Note: Once Benjamin [Christian Church] comes into the Kingdom presence of Joseph and meets Him face to face Joseph [Jesus] calls Benjamin 'My Son'. 'Genesis 43:29 And he [Joseph] lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin [Christian Church], his mother's (Rachael's) son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto Me? And
He said, God be gracious unto thee, My Son. [article link]
Update [Continuing]: The postings, Information and Resources regarding the 8 Kingdoms Study - The study will continue until about the Christmas Holiday Season Also Note: The current introductory material of the 8 Kingdoms Study [Days of Noah - Flood of Noah (ancient earth 1.0 - and then the new present post flood 2.0 earth - 2 Peter 3:6) Kingdom of Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Days of Job, Hammurabi, Abraham, *King Melchizedek, Kingdom of Egypt] is being presented in a merged fashion because it is important to note and to grasp that the early Kingdoms, with the exception of [called out] Abraham and [Divine - Eternal] Melchizedek were all merged. Once we can get ahold of the concept that the ancient civilizations were a continuing and ongoing concentration of the same [occult] work and teachings then we can more easily understand the environment of the ancient civilizations and apply it to our day in that we are also living in a modern environment that has been handed down via the previous 6 occult Kingdoms of the world and [Mystery Babylon - the fallen angelic realm (Revelation 17:5)] is steadily working to bring in and enact the 7th and final occult Kingdom [NWO] of the human world. -- Soon, as the study progresses all the introduction material will be grouped and categorized [like the blog Bible Study] into an easy to access list of Topics. [article link]
Creation Earth 1.0 (Adam - Noah) -- Earth 2.0 (Noah - Revelation) -- Earth 3.0 (Millennial Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ) -- Earth 4.0 (unjudged, eternal earth) Earth 1.0 the original creation earth was a water vapor based environment and had the dual [water below the earth, vapor - water canopy above the earth, firmament] witness of water witnessing of God's creation. Water [life giving water - womb (John 3:5)] was then the witnessing element that then judged the original earth. Earth 2.0 our present earth is under the [prophesied and enacted] Life givng (Matthew 26:28) and Judgment blood (Revelation 6:12, Revelation 8:7-8, Revelation 11:6) of Jesus Christ. - Earth 3.0 the restored Millennial earth [final judged earth] having the [spirit (life) and fire (judgment)] presence of Jesus during the Kingdom, Millennial reign of Jesus Christ, the earth (3.0) will be judged by fire [spirit]. Resulting in the final, eternal [earth 4.0] the final earth not being judged is the eternal earth. -- "2 Peter 3:5-7 For this [unbelief of Word of God Biblical prophecy] they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the [1.0] earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the [1.0] world that then was, being [judged] overflowed with water [Noah's flood], perished: But the [2.0] heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word [of God - prophecies] are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of [3.0] judgment and perdition of ungodly men." -- "2 Peter 3:11-14 Seeing then that all these things [earth 2.0] shall be dissolved [judgment 3.0], what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements [earth 3.0] shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His Promise, look for New Heavens [skies] and a New Earth [eternal - earth 4.0], **wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him (Jesus Christ) in peace, without spot, and blameless." [article link]
Preview: The Biblical triune (3 in 1) nature [testimony, salvation, judgment] of the water, blood and Spirit (also represented in breath, wind, fire) that are each freely offered and given from God to all of mankind globally as a witness of sin (and eventually as a judgment against sin), a testimony of the once physical presence of Jesus Christ and as an eternal remedy for our own individual Salvation Where the Apostle Peter's significant life changing event during his time with Jesus seemed to be at the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-8, 2 Peter 1:16-18) the Apostle John's significant life changing event with Jesus seems to have been at the cross (John 19:34-35, 1 John 5:7-9) when Jesus was pierced by the Roman spear and the blood and water poured out from the wound in Jesus' side. The Apostle John then regards the presence of
the Spirit and the separation of the blood and water coming out from Jesus as a witness, a judgment, and a testimony of salvation for all of mankind. When the Basic Christian blog History study returns in about a week we will Biblically look into the blood, water and fire (spirit), testimonies and judgments of the Bible from throughout the Old Testament starting in Genesis and continuing consistently throughout the entire Bible then concluding in book of Revelation [the sin of Adam and Eve and the shedding of blood, the flood of Noah, the Aaronic Priesthood, the Last Supper Communion, the atoning cross of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Jesus and birth (Alpha) of the Christian Church, the Pentecost global Spirit empowerment and witness, the calling home into heaven by Jesus the rapture (Omega) of the Christian Church, Revelation-Tribulation]. -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- "Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven [sky] and the earth." - Christian Creationism vs. Secular Evolution Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven (sky) and the earth. - It is only through creation and not by means of evolution that people can be "created in the image of God" therefore creation is the very heart of the plan of God. "Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image ..." Either people are created and are therefore in the image of God making us capable of fellowship and able to have a relationship with God or we are involved in some random evolution process in a random universe that is without meaning and ultimately is totally useless. "Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every Nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made (created) heaven, and earth' ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- BasicChristian.org: Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual realms as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th realm being God's realm of unrestricted eternity} Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the 5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. Note: So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation [into our human realms] of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Also Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2. Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic [Nephilim spirits] - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) -
humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -"Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ..." [article link]
WHAT WAS IT LIKE IN THE PRE-FLOOD EARTH? A Key To Understanding The Pre-Flood Earth Is The Existence Of A Canopy Of Water In The Stratosphere - The [post fall - but still amazing] Garden of Eden conditions described in the early chapters of Genesis were probably reflected all over the planet (Drawings) **The [post fall - but still amazing] Garden of Eden conditions described in the early chapters of Genesis were probably reflected all over the planet. There was probably abundant vegetation, animals, birds and fish. Because of the warmer and more constant ambient temperature, and the high partial pressures of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide humans, animals, birds, insects, and fish were much larger, as revealed in the fossil record described below. There is a general teaching that early man was primitive. This is almost certainly incorrect. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, and were probably extremely intelligent and creative, as were all the patriarchs. Because of the protective effect of the water canopy, there was protection from damaging ultraviolet rays and gamma rays, with probably much lower incidence of consequent diseases such as cancer and foetal malformations. Because of the higher Oxygen levels, the high blood Oxygen levels would have contributed to extreme longevity, resistance to bacterial and viral diseases, and greater metabolic efficiency, with consequent greatly enhanced athletic ability. The Average Age Of Man Before Noah's Flood Was 912 Years. Today It Is 70- 80. The average recorded life span in the Bible of the early patriarchs is 912 years. This is in stark contrast to today's much shorter life spans, with 70 -80 years being typical. This may be accounted for by the higher oxygen content, the protective effect of the water canopy, lack of disease, better diet, and much less hostile weather patterns. [article link]
EARTH'S PRE-FLOOD WATER CANOPY [Crystalized (firmament) - pure crystal in nature and appearance in the furthest layer] "Genesis 1:7-8 And God made the firmament (hard land on earth), and divided the waters which were under the (ground) firmament [earth 1.0] from the waters (vapors) which were above the firmament [land]: and it was so. And God called the (crystal - outer atmosphere sphere) firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day." {Note: A pure crystal, glass nature of atmospheric water would magnify all the stars and planets [including their original color and appearance] as viewed from earth and would also provide an acoustic resonator to transfer the sounds of orbiting planets into the earth's atmosphere in audible tones and chimes to all the earth's inhabitants.} This pre-flood canopy probably consisted of water vapor [a pure crystal, glass nature further out in the atmosphere]. There are other theories, but we must keep in mind that the birds were flying in the expanse under this water, and one must be able to see through the water. The sun, moon and stars were visible to Adam and to Noah, in view of the fact that Genesis 1:14 states that they would serve as signs. Water vapor is clear, unlike clouds or steam. A little experiment to prove this point can be accomplished in your kitchen by filling a tea-kettle with water and putting it on the stove to boil. When steam begins coming out of the spout, look closely at the very tip of the spout. You will see about one-half to one inch of clear 212°F. water vapor before it becomes cloudy steam. This may have been the form of the water that God put above the firmament in which the birds flew around. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT: With a water-vapor canopy, heaven and earth system #1 [earth 1.0] would be considerably different than our present system (#2) [earth 2.0 - (2 Peter 3:6)]. A greenhouse effect would be expected due to the heat generated by the sun-warmed canopy. Is there any evidence that greenhouse warmth once surrounded our globe? Palm tree fossils have been found in Alaska and
broad leaf ferns in the Arctic. How could a palm tree fossil be in Alaska? Some scientists have postulated they travelled there on the tectonic plate (earth crust) movement over millions of years. But these trees are not millions of years old! A creationist would say, "No problem, palm trees grew in Alaska in the tropical world before the Flood." These trees were buried during the Flood of Noah's day resulting in their fossilization. ... The water vapor canopy may have more than doubled atmospheric pressure on earth. In this environment of heavier atmospheric pressure, healing would be more efficient. Many hospitals have pressurized rooms called Hyperbaric Rooms. Into these rooms oxygen is pumped under pressure and healing is miraculously speeded up. Very sick people and the severely burned are treated in this high pressure environment. In the pre-flood, high efficiency atmosphere, reptiles could have grown to immense sizes, giant flying creatures could have flown more easily, and gigantism would have been much more likely. [article link]
...a Water Canopy? (Drawings) These illustrations show just how a water canopy covering the Earth would not only create a globally warm climate but also would shield our planet from harmful radiation. Thus, allowing mankind to reach ages up to 900 plus years and also allowing reptiles to grow to the size of our dinosaur fossils. A global flood that occured roughly 1,500 years after Adam was created would create the coal layers (compressed global vegetation) and the fossilization of the huge behemoths known to us today as the dinosaurs. Remember, in Genesis 1:6-8, God divided the waters from the waters and placed this upper water canopy ABOVE the firmament called "Heaven." [article link]
The Garden of Eden [Pre-Flood of Noah] Part 1 - (Kent Hovind) Creation Seminar (YouTube) These Seminars are NOT copyrighted. If you are interested in helping support Kent Hovind his video series is available on DVD at shopping.drdino.com/category-exec/category_id/39/nm/Seminar .... The Garden of Eden, part two of the seminar series, describes the earth as it was before the worldwide flood. Dr. Hovind explains in detail how it was possible for man to live over 900 years, for plants and animals to grow much larger than today, and for dinosaurs to thrive along with man. This Creation Seminar is only one of the seven listed below: Creation Seminar 1 - The Age of the Earth, Creation Seminar 2 - *The Garden of Eden, Creation Seminar 3 Dinosaurs and the Bible, Creation Seminar 4 - Lies in the Textbooks, Creation Seminar 5 - The Dangers of Evolution, Creation Seminar 6 - The Hovind Theory, Creation Seminar 7 - Questions and Answers. [article link]
Creationist Kent Hovind Reveals The Truth About The Garden of Eden [Pre-Flood of Noah] and Creation! (Google Video) Kent Hovind - 1 hr 56 min 19 sec - Mar 2, 2006 - www.drdino.com [article link]
Halloween Information & Resources 2010 - Christians everywhere are rejecting Halloween's message of Death, Disobedience, and Despair Christians everywhere are rejecting Halloween's message of Death, Disobedience, and Despair and instead are using this opportunity to proclaim the Truth about God's Love for mankind and about His Biblical plan of Life, Hope, and Salvation for us in Jesus Christ. [article link]
***{Basic Christian - Adobe Air Version - 1.20 is Now Available - as a FREE Download} Note: The Basic Christian Ministry has completed a major project -- Creating an 'Adobe Air' [web 2.0 interactive] document [BasicChristian.air] that can be downloaded to any desktop computer and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - *Right click this link - Requires Adobe AIR 2.5) The project is completed [except for a] fall Holidays edition update. It will provide excellent anytime devotions and is perfect as a Christmas gift stocking stuffer for others. Most importantly [with the new Adobe Air web 2.0
document features] the end user can create their own comments list, add links to other websites, blogs, rss feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive, individual Christian, research, devotional and study tool project. -- Now Available for Download! [article link]
Adobe AIR New Version 2.5 (Download) Note: For details on the changes in AIR 2.5, refer to the release notes. [article link]
Update {Scroll Down for Updates}: Before I begin to post again - I just want to recap a few items and I feel the need to reiterate the purpose and servant [service] oriented aspect of the Basic Christian Ministry - Because sadly some people want to portray internet bloggers as frustrated, or 2nd class, or something else all because they don't understand the value and intentions of internet [Christian fellowship] blogging I spent most of the last week visiting [doing some upkeep] at my Mom's [my Dad passed away this past spring]. My Mom and I wanted to go to Church [with a friend and neighbor of my Mom's] and by coincidence her neighbor is now attending the old Church where my Mom used to attend [for a couple of years] and took me and my sisters to while we were really young [I was about 2 years - 4 years old]. I have few memories of that old Church [I certainly wasn't saved there and probably few people are] but I have a few memories and while I was sitting in the service this last week I had several thoughts but primarily I was just so grateful for the personal relationship I have with Jesus Christ [something that as a small child I though was impossible to have] and also how grateful I am for the opportunity of the Basic Christian ministry to post Christian material and information on the internet for others to use and enjoy in their own relationship with God. -- In 1996-1998 I attended a two year ministry school [under Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, CA] that was primarily geared towards future pastors but I applied to [and graduated] the school in my then current ministry capacity as a volunteer counselor [a volunteer counselor at a pro-life family clinic] and not as a pastor or even as a future pastor. -- The Basic Christian Ministry this coming spring will celebrate 10 amazing years of on-line internet ministry. The first two documents electronically published (posted) were the Jesus Walk 10 Day Easter Timeline Devotion [2001 version] and the 132 Topics of Basic Christian: Theology. Then the first articles were 'Biblical Proof that Jesus is God' followed by the posting of the previously researched 'The 7 Miracles of Jesus in the Gospel of John'. With these early postings [2001-2003] I felt at the time that the ministry had already reached [most] of its ministry goals and that any future ministry up until now has primarily been a sort of a wonderful, beyond my expectations, bonus opportunity. -- This past Sunday I also realized that I am completely dedicated to internet ministry and to providing internet resources and look forward to the next decade of internet ministry service. A decade that will provide many more advances and innovations in the Basic Christian ministry as the ministry begins [starting late next year] to transition away from the text postings of today and into video postings drawn and refined from all of the current Basic Christian material. [article link]
Part 1 - Introduction: Exposing the Modern Church It's true that there is a hidden NWO agenda [now more visible and more widely known to the public] and it's understandable that secular groups [i.e. UN, Think Tanks, Universities, CIA, Skull & Bones, etc.] would seek to impose a secular [ultimately Satanic] rule of order among all people and all Nations - But what is completely unacceptable is that so many in the Church movement [i.e. Chuck Smith, Dave Hunt, Norman Geisler, Jerry Falwell Jr., Rick Warren, John Piper, John MacArthur, Lee Strobel, R.C. Sproul, Brian Broderson, Ergun and Emir Caner, etc. ] would so actively participate and join in an emergent Antichristian/Antichrist movement [of deliberate lies and deceit formed against the true Christian Church] to the extent that it is now completely reasonable to question whether (since 9-11-2001) they are any longer or [in some cases] ever were Christians? [article link]
Part 2 - Occult Signatures: The [NWO] occult communicates in a separate hidden but open manner that attempts [often successfully] to reveal their true intentions and identities to other occult groups but is generally masked to the general public Occult (Satanic) signatures that are now commonly and widely used within the Christian Church -- the number 13 [or the reverse 31] as conference dates, numbers of topics or speakers, etc. Using Latin (Roman Catholic) names in Protestant ministries i.e. Norman Geislers 'Veritas' (Latin for truth) Seminary [V - a Hebrew 6 - is also considered occult - the number of fallen man] and Chuck Smith's 'Calvary' (Latin for skull) Chapel i.e. Skull (Satan's) Chapel [Pastor Chuck Smith might have been purposefully looking for a Satanic Signature in his 1965 move from his Riverside, CA ministry to the existing Calvary Chapel - Costa Mesa, CA fellowship]. - Other occult signatures include using a B&W bio photo as in the movie 'The Wizard of Oz' where reality, real life was portrayed in dull B&W while color was reserved only for the alternate Oz occult realm. Use of highly occult influenced bible translations notably the occult bible version NKJV. [article link]
Welcome to *Veritas Evangelical Seminary [use of a horned (Satanic) *V] Online (VESO) where students may enroll and complete their external study courses online or check your residential course pages from anywhere in the world Welcome to Veritas Evangelical Seminary Online (VESO) where students may enroll and complete their external study courses online or check your residential course pages from anywhere in the world. VESO also offers those enrolled in specific courses the opportunity to interact with others in the course, including your professor. This is accomplished by clicking on the specific course title on the left of your browser screen. In addition, faculty and students may discuss, interact, and build each other up in the Lord! Feel free to explore the VESO Forum where your written posts and questions may be read and replied to by others in the VES family. There is also a chat option where you can engage in real time communication with others that happen to be on line. [article link]
Codex Magica: V - Victory for the Devil - Sign of the Horned God, Pan (Satan) - The Complete Book of Witchcraft3 explains further the occult meaning - When the [V] sign is given to produce a shadow behind, a diabolical image appears that seems to be the face of the devil - Witches and Magicians -and some Catholic Popes -used this image to effect emotional response [V] A Symbol of Wrath and Destruction: The "V" sign as displayed by the hand is also used by Illuminists in the form of the letter V with two straight lines angled to meet at a point facing downward. It becomes a V device, or chevron, and has been adopted for the uniforms of military troops of some countries. Resembling a downward pointing triangle with the top line open or omitted symbolizes fiery destruction and wrath on the object at which it is pointed. About 12 years ago, a few Satan worshippers arrived secretly in the darkness at my ministry building and evidently carried out a ritual. For many months we had received anonymous telephone threats, so were not surprised. On the concrete porch near our front door, the vandals had scratched a "V" pointing to the entrance, and there were signs of candle use and the burning of objects. Here we see the fantastic beliefs by occultists that their rituals create reality. -- Triple 6 or 666: As we have previously seen, the Jewish cabala is at the root of most wicked systems of magic. The cabala (or Kabbalah) is the fount of doctrine for Freemasonry and for many other secret societies. We can expect, therefore, that the "V" sign is also emphasized by the rabbinical priests of cabalism. And in fact, we find that the rabbis teach that the meaning of the Hebrew letter for V (Vau) is "Nail," and nail is a secret title for Satan. (Its corrupt meaning comes from the nails driven into the hands of Jesus crucified.) Vau, or V, is the sixth letter in the Hebrew alphabet [6 the number of man - fallen mankind], and, of course, the Book of Revelation reveals that the name of the beast, or AntiChrist, is coded with the number of triple 6, or 666. [article link]
calvarycic.org: Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa [B&W bio photo] - Gayle Erwin The Man, The Myth [in cartoon caricature]
Calvary Chapel Iowa City Church Vision: The emphasis of our church is to make mature disciples of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission commands in Matthew 28:20 that we are to be "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." We are doing the very same things that have been done for nearly 2000 years. In Acts 2:42, Luke tells us that the early church was continuing steadfastly in the teaching of God's Word, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2:46 tells us that they were praising God and verse 47 it tells us that "the Lord added to His church daily those who were being saved." Our hope and prayer is to win the lost to Christ, disciple and grow them into mature Christians. We desire believers that God can and will use as His vessels of honor, His workmanship created for good works and for His pleasure. [article link]
John Macarthur [B&W bio photo] John Macarthur is my favorite preacher for a few reasons. First, it is his unwavering defense of Truth; Second, his consistent life; and Third, his consistent theology to let the text of scripture speak for itself. The message I used in this sermon jam ("rekindling your love for Christ") I have probably listened to 20 times…and yes it is still one of my favorite messages out there. If any of you would like access to all of Macarthur's preaching messages for free visit www.gty.org/. [article link]
Ergun Caner [B&W bio photo] The Southern Baptist minister who leads Liberty University's seminary made a career as a go-to authority on Islam for the evangelical world, selling thousands of books and touring the country as a former Muslim who discovered Jesus Christ. Now Ergun Caner is being investigated by the Lynchburg, Va., university - founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell - over allegations that he fabricated or embellished his past. [article link]
Rick Warren on the cover of Time Magazine [B&W color tones, bio photo] - Rick Warren makes use of multiple B&W photos as well as multiple [cartoon caricature] depictions of himself and his ministry The Internet is abuzz about author and pastor Rick Warren being temporarily blinded by firestick plant sap. Rick was pruning a firestick plant in his yard when he got some of the sap on his hands. According to publicist A. Larry Ross, "He went to wipe his brow and immediately experienced excruciating pain in both eyes." The sap of the Firestick plant, or Euphorbia tirucalli, is corrosive and extremely toxic. [article link]
PASTOR BRIAN BRODERSON [B&W color tones, bio photo] Associate Pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa "Anything that will help Christian people get more into the word and more out of the word is bound to be a great blessing. This book will do just that. Andy has done a fantastic job of laying out numerous options for Bible Study. I'm sure there's a method here that will be helpful for most everyone who is serious about growing in the Lord through his word." [article link]
Update: After the Break - The Basic Christian Ministry is going to respond [with a 10 part investigation article] into the wholesale manipulation and fraud that is taking place within the current greater Christian Church movement - Regarding both the fraud and wholesale manipulation [a deliberate convergence of the Church, Emerging Church and the New Age agenda] that just occurred during the 2010 Desiring God conference and also of the related fraud that is about to take place in the coming Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa - 2010 Apologetics Conference [November 5-6, 2010] -- Coming Soon: Exposing Chuck Smith - The Calvary Chapel Fraud - A 10 Part Investigation!!! [article link]
The Christian Church body as a whole after having just endured the unjust and unethical manipulations of the Dr. John Piper (Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis) - Dr. Rick Warren (Saddleback Church, Lake Forest,
California - SBC Affiliated) 2010 Desiring God fiasco, now the greater Evangelical Church is expected to be forced to endure yet another conference of fraud, lies and deceit - this time it is the 2010 Apologetics Conference by Dr. Norman Geisler's Veritas Seminary (Murrieta, California) featuring the discredited (SBC Affiliated) [Liberty University - professor] Ergun Caner and is being hosted at the Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, Sr. Pastor Chuck Smith. Part 3 - Replacing the True (Free) Christian Church with a False (Bondage) NWO Church: Churches like Chrystal Cathedral (Robert H. Schuller), Calvary Chapel (Chuck Smith, Brian Broderson), First Baptist Church of Woodstock, GA (Johnny Hunt), Liberty University (Jerry Falwell Jr.) have gone through extensive employee layoffs and shifts in recent times These Church 'disorder' replacements of pastors and staff employees, whether through leadership changes (i.e. Brian Broderson) or financial crisis or crises, either perceived (Church of Woodstock) or real (Chrystal Cathedral) are having the very real and intended results of rapidly removing a once solid Christian base and replacing it with a new and now solid Emergent Church [i.e. Ergun Caner] - NWO - New Age, or even a Satanic base of church staff members, instructors and pastors. With the very real and intended result of stripping the True Christian Church of its [Gospel] identity and of any safety net that might have been in place for any Christians in need of actual ministry, counseling or any of a variety of support, assistance and aid programs. [article link]
{Highly Recommended!!} Pirate Christian Radio: • [Pastor] Mac Brunson Says America is Being Judged Because Christians Aren't Tithing {Note: Christians aren't under the law - or at least we are not supposed to be - unless some unscrupulous person is trying to put us [under their own law] and in bondage for their own personal agenda and own personal financial gain! - It's also very interesting that the [Pastors] demanding Tithes are the same Pastors who repeatedly refuse their obligation to openly disclose their Church's financial statements. Also Note: It's completely irresponsible on our part to donate [money, time, resources, etc.] to some man's private ministry without our having complete access to ALL financial records. So in this case and others, Bankruptcy isn't a bad thing as these Mega Churches are already Morally Bankrupt and probably shouldn't even try to be in the Business of Preaching the free Gospel of Jesus Christ!} (Mp3 - Download link is on the Main page) [Saul] The Rebel King -- • Mac Brunson Says America is Being Judged Because Christians Aren't Tithing • Is Perry Noble Qualified to be a Pastor to Pastors? • Sermon Review: [Saul] The Rebel King by Pastor Gervaise Nicholas Edward Charmley --[article link]
Robert Schuller [Sr.] Pleads for Troubled (Bankrupt) Crystal Cathedral - Robert H. Schuller , who is trying to pull his California megachurch from bankruptcy protection, pleaded with his congregation for help Sunday - "If you are a tither, *become a double-tither [where is that in the Bible?]. If you are not a tither, become a tither. This ministry has earned {but now with (too many scams) has lost} your trust. This ministry has earned your help" The Crystal Cathedral, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week, will likely spend the coming weeks trying to restructure its staggering debt {The teaching that Christians are supposed to Tithe to some man's ministry is a modern myth and a completely false teaching at that! Tithing was of the Jewish Old Testament Law and Jesus fulfilled the law, *freeing us from the law, yet many like the Schulers [Robert Sr. and daughter Sheila] want to put Christians back under the law and specifically the excessive 'bondage' of Tithing simply for their own personal [primarily financial] gain. -- "Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith [Jesus] Christ hath made us free [from the O.T. law and into a N.T. relationship with God], and be not entangled again with [i.e. tithing] the yoke of bondage."} "Budgets could not be cut fast enough to keep up with the unprecedented rapid decline in revenue due to the recession," Senior Pastor Sheila Schuller Coleman said in a statement. Services and programs at the landmark church will continue, including the "Hour of Power" TV program, she said. The beleaguered glass cathedral
canceled its "Glory of Easter" for the first time this year and could be forced to cancel its popular Christmas spectacular next month. The pageants, which charged up to $45 admission, drew thousands of people. "It was a very big production," said Juliet Noriega, the wardrobe manager for the pageants, who claims she is owed more than $11,000. In a statement , Schuller Coleman said the bankruptcy filing was necessary because a small number of creditors chose to file lawsuits and obtained court-ordered writs to attach the church's bank accounts and assets in an attempt to get paid immediately. ... The church's money troubles have forced it to lay off 140 people in the past year, halve its "Hour of Power" air time and even dismiss its orchestra and professional choir singers, church officials have said. The church choir is now made entirely up of volunteers. In May, the church sold land donated by a San Juan Capistrano couple for $22.5 million. ... The cathedral decided to file for Chapter 11 only after some of its creditors sued for payment, according to church officials. Hundreds of creditors could be owed between $50 million and $100 million, according to documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Its largest creditors include several television stations. The iconic church was founded by the Rev. Robert H. Schuller in a rented drive-in movie theater in 1955 and came to prominence through the "Hour of Power" television show, which reaches millions of viewers. ... At a news conference, Schuller recalled her father's popular proverb, "Tough times never last, but tough people do." She stressed that the church's "message of hope will continue." Schuller did not return phone calls seeking comment. [article link]
WSJ: [Mega Church] Crystal Cathedral's Cracks Show in Bankruptcy Filing [after - The younger Schuller [Robert A. Schuller] (preaching an Excellent Gospel Message) was removed as (Crystal Cathedral) President in November 2008 when the division between (NWO) father and (Christian) son became significant enough to adversely affect the corporation [a.k.a. Crystal Cathedral] the elder Dr. Schuller [Robert H. Schuller] built Answers.com] - The Crystal Cathedral church in Garden Grove, Calif., filed for bankruptcy protection [October 18, 2010] amid $48 million in debt - The church's filing lists 550 (unpaid) creditors How the 55-year-old church will survive is another matter. The ministry, founded by Mr. Schuller in 1955 in rented space at a drive-in theater, now owes $12 million to creditors and holds a $36 million mortgage with Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach, Calif. The church was roiled by leadership changes after the abrupt departure in 2008 of Mr. Schuller's son as head pastor. Mr. Schuller's daughter, Sheila Schuller Coleman, now presides as pastor. Mr. Schuller, 84, preaches occasionally. "The period of unsettled leadership caused some...to leave the ministry, resulting in reduced revenue for an organization that exists primarily on donations," court documents say. [article link]
Religious workers denied jobless benefits - Earlier this year, a survey by the National Association of Church Business Administration showed that 32 percent of responding U.S. churches were having economy-related difficulties, up from 14% in August - 20% said they had laid off staff - Benefits are available only to people whose employers paid the unemployment tax - It was a hard way to learn that under Virginia law, as in many states, including Georgia, tax exemptions for religious organizations include freedom from paying unemployment taxes - "If they leave the church, they won't be covered, and that is a shock for many churches" he said {Note: The Churches not paying an individual's unemployment tax and therefore denying unemployment benefits to people is a real bondage the Church has over its employees - no wonder so many employees and Churches are so quickly and so easily going along with a co-opted NWO agenda, because they have too, the church owns them and that's the way the modern protestant church wants it.} VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - God may provide, but the state may not when it comes to unemployment benefits for employees laid off by churches and other religious groups. Carol Bronson discovered that a few months ago after she lost her secretarial job at Temple Emanuel synagogue in Virginia Beach. Bronson assumed she could draw unemployment benefits, but when she filed a claim, she was denied. It was a hard way to learn that under Virginia law, as in many states, including Georgia, tax exemptions for religious organizations include freedom from paying unemployment taxes, though the IRS requires they pay Social Security and withholding taxes. "I
had no idea that there would not be any benefits for me after leaving my job," said Bronson, who worked at the synagogue for two years. She's since found a job with a wholesale flower market. Budget cuts, including layoffs, are one way religious groups are coping with slashed income from investments or contributions. Earlier this year, a survey by the National Association of Church Business Administration showed that 32 percent of responding U.S. churches were having economy-related difficulties, up from 14 percent in August. Twenty percent said they had laid off staff. For workers who are left jobless, unemployment benefits are a big piece of the social safety net. In Virginia, payments range from $54 to $378 weekly. Benefits are available only to people whose employers paid the unemployment tax. Not every state bars unemployment compensation to employees of religious groups. In New York, employees whose work is not religious in nature, such as a cook or a secretary, are entitled to benefits, and their employer must pay the state unemployment tax, said Karen Williamson of the New York Department of Labor. [article link]
{Flashback} SBC [2010] must build its Great Commission legacy [through humble individual service to Jesus Christ and not by donations or money tithed or given to SBC principals especially in the form of thinly veiled pleas and slightly disguised threats (i.e. pastors will be laid off -- and the True faithful Christian Pastors are being laid off in multitudes while fake NWO pastors are then being brought in to replace them [this is happening in every profession i.e. teaching, religion, politics, law, business, banking, government] in requesting additional finances 'In difficult economic times' as Pastor David Uth seems to be doing], Uth says {Note: Money, pride and paid (professional) Charity work seldom mix very well and Christianity in the image of Jesus Christ is the essence of Humble Servant Charity Work. We need to be humble and be about the true reconciliation work of Jesus Christ and often that means being only in charge of ourselves and having authority only over ourselves and not having a staff, an expense account and not even having status within society all while we individually and collectively labor lovingly in God's Kingdom the True and Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ.} ORLANDO (FBW)-The Southern Baptist Convention sits at a crucial point in history when it must recommit to building a legacy of obedience to the Great Commission, David Uth, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando, said *June 13 [Satanic signature] at the SBC Pastor's Conference. "There comes a point where we say, 'This is where we want to go. This is what we want life to look like. This is what we want our legacy to be,'" Uth said. "And I really believe this convention is the defining moment for us that will determine that legacy." Preaching from Acts 20, Uth said a godly denominational legacy must include living out the Great Commission rather than merely discussing it. "As Southern Baptists, we have been saying a lot about the Great Commission all of our history," he said. "We have been saying a lot about this kind of a legacy. But at some point, saying is not enough." Uth listed three steps Southern Baptists must take in order to build a legacy that glorifies God. First, they must walk with humility. "Southern Baptists, we're not all that. We need to honor and glorify the One from whom all blessings flow. We are not all that," Uth said. "One of the things that has broken my heart is to hear people talk about their ministry and people talk about their church. People talk about this and that, 'We did this. We did that. We did this.' Let me tell you, if you've done anything worthwhile of eternal value, you didn't do it. Your Father granted it from heaven. Give Him glory." Second, they must shed tears over the lostness in the world. While Southern Baptists cry over votes that don't go their way and derailed personal ambitions, many have stopped crying over non-Christians who are on the path to hell, Uth said. Yet the multitudes who do not know Jesus should be among the greatest causes of tears, he said. ... Third, Southern Baptists must fulfill their ministry despite trials. In difficult economic times, churches and denominational entities are being forced to cut budgets, he said. In fact, First Baptist Orlando recently cut six pastoral staff members. But fulfilling the Great Commission is worth the pain of budget cuts, he said. "The church does not exist to employ people. It exists to reach the nations for God's glory. And if I could just be so bold to say, the Southern Baptist Convention does not exist to employ people. It exists to reach the nations for the glory of God. And it just might be we have to do hard things," he said. Through any trial, Jesus is enough to sustain those who are following Him, Uth said. [article link]
{Flashback} ABP Opinion: 1st reaction to Great Commission Resurgence, 2nd verse - My strategy to encourage churches to higher CP (Cooperative Program) giving is this: Demonstrated commitment to CP from those who lead the Southern Baptist Convention - SBC president Johnny Hunt [after just laying off several Pastors and staff members at his church], who has pledged to double his church's CP (Cooperative Program) giving this year to about $900,000 {Note: This is a deliberate plan to take money away from the local Church authority [and local Church work] by donating it upstream [instead of downstream to needier Churches and causes] to some vague, vapid [non-Christian] national-international (secular) and fraudulent causes i.e. Rick Warren's purpose driven agendas and the New Apostolic Reformation and their upstream donations to their main church offices and to a select few (possibly non-Christian, infiltrated) directors, presidents and staff members.} If the SBC is to adopt a new mission statement -- and such adoption should be considered a huge undertaking -- what is the statement it replaces? The SBC was formed in 1845, according to our founding documents, for the "purpose of carrying into effect the benevolent intention of our constituents by organizing a plan for eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the denomination for the propagation of the gospel." The purpose of our convention, according to Article II of our bylaws, is "to provide a general organization for Baptists in the United States and its territories for the promotion of Christian missions at home and abroad and any other objects such as Christian education, benevolent enterprises, and social services which it may deem proper and advisable for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God." Are a "purpose" and a "mission statement" the same thing? If the proposed mission statement is an add-on, it can be enthusiastically endorsed. If it is to change the purpose statement of the convention, it needs far more serious consideration than to be the first of seven recommendations from a task force formed for a different purpose entirely. The task force still wants to dilute the Cooperative Program by making it the "first and primary component" of something they would call Great Commission Giving. The progress report in February basically would have taken any responsibility for Cooperative Program promotion and "returned" it to the state conventions. The new version still doesn't recognize that the states have always had primary responsibility for CP promotion and it urges the SBC Executive Committee to work with state conventions to form a "unified strategy with clearly established goals" by 2013. My strategy to encourage churches to higher CP giving is this: Demonstrated commitment to CP from those who lead the Southern Baptist Convention. SBC president Johnny Hunt, who has pledged to double his church's CP giving this year to about $900,000, rightly reminded the editors that no one responds positively to criticism. You can't get someone to do more of something by emphasizing how little of it they currently do. He reminded us that "thousands" of churches that claim SBC affiliation give nothing to CP -- and the six-percent average church CP commitment would be much smaller if not for the large dollar amounts churches like his provide. [article link]
Gimme That OC Religion - Crystal Cathedral Declares Bankruptcy - Why Robert Schuller Had it Coming Schuller ultimately influenced American Christianity [but not in a lasting, positive way] the most of any pastor in OC - at the expense of his own flock and for personal benefit Because, when all of OC's titans of Christianity eventually meet Charles E. Fuller in the afterlife, the world will see that Schuller [Robert H. Schuller (Sr.)] ultimately influenced American Christianity the most of any pastor in OC--at the expense of his own flock and for personal benefit. While Chuck Smith revitalized American evangelicism [according to Chuck Smith - because everyone knows that it was Billy Graham not Chuck Smith that 'revitalized American evangelicism'] via Calvary Chapel, the [TBN] Crouches [Paul and Jan Crouch - Trinity Broadcasting Network] revolutionized broadcasting the words of Christ (including Schuller's own Hour of Power) and Rick Warren built a global megachurch without peer, Schuller put too much of his church's focus on himself--the best-selling books, the television program, the many lectures. **His message of possibility thinking [i.e. Chuck Smith "made room in his heart ... generating a movement of the Holy Spirit"] and seminars for pastors made Warren possible, created the megachurch movement, and brought in millions to build his Crystal Cathedral--but while Schuller mugged for the cameras, he never did set a course of succession for his flock [Robert H. Schuller (Sr.) had a clear succession in his son Robert A. Schuller - but Robert A. Schuller turned
out to be an actual Christian and that was unacceptable to NWO instigator Robert H. Schuller]. If I was more up-to-date on my Scripture, this is the part where I'd quote Jesus or some prophet about vanity--oh, Ecclesiastes!--and say Schuller didn't [want to] learn. I've brought this point up before, but it demands repeating: maybe if Schuller had ditched the endless tours and paid more attention to his church [Christianity], the Crystal Cathedral wouldn't be in this situation today. Or maybe he understood that it's Christ's message that's more important, not so much paying bills on time. But what do I know? I'm just a pissed-off Papist [Catholic]. [article link]
Part 4 - Chuck Smith's Fabricated Background - The "common" story behind the Calvary Chapel story is that Chuck Smith saved [an already saved] hippie named Lonnie Frisbee and single handedly instituted the Jesus Freak movement making Chuck Smith the father of [the already existing] Jesus Freak movement Surprisingly the Chuck Smith Sr. ministry story from childhood until even now [Calvary Chapel (miles from any beach) is now claiming to have been a mecca church to both hippies and surfers] is almost as fabricated and fictitious as the well-known fictitious Ergun Caner [my life as a Muslim terrorist] ministry story. - Supposedly Chuck Smith led a hippie Lonnie Frisbee to the Lord creating the Jesus Freak movement however apparently Lonnie Frisbee was already a 'born again' Christian when he first met Chuck Smith - so what really happened? In 1965 Chuck Smith made his switch from his longstanding Foursquare Church denomination to the unknown Calvary Chapel fellowship. The question remains was this 'late season' denomination move on Chuck's part an attempt on Chuck Smith's part to enter the coming 1966-1969 Satanic Revolution that would soon be sweeping America? On cue in 1968 Chuck Smith had finally scrounged around enough and found the defanged hippie that he had been looking for as his entrance into the hippie movement in order to play "Papa Chuck" in his diabolical, controlling and manipulating role as father of the hippies all the while undermining the foundations of the true Christian Church. [article link]
There are at least three versions of the Calvary Chapel story regarding how Chuck Smith first met the hippie Lonnie Frisbee - The least credible of the stories is the story that Pastor Chuck Smith tells regarding his daughter Cheryl (wife of Pastor Brian Broderson) according to Chuck Smith she had a boyfriend at the time who introduced Lonnie to Chuck Smith Another person altogether has claimed [and insists] to have first introduced Lonnie Frisbee to Pastor Chuck Smith. [article link]
Calvary Chapel Chuck Smith - With a sincere concern for the lost, Pastor Chuck made room in his heart and his home for a generation of *hippies and *surfers {Note: The Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel myth has grown to now suddenly include both hippies and surfers. Hint: Calvary Chapel is located in Santa Anna, CA and is miles from the beach but can't let a little reality get in the way of a good "grab it (from somewhere else) and blab it" Calvary Chapel story.} Chuck Smith Senior Pastor: In 1965, Pastor Chuck Smith began his ministry at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Only twenty-five people attended. What began as a small chapel has now grown into a church that seats over 2000 and is filled almost nightly. From the beginning, Pastor Chuck welcomed all, young and old, without judgment, placing his emphasis on the teaching of the Word of God. His simple, yet sound, biblical approach draws 25,000 people weekly. With a sincere concern for the lost, Pastor Chuck made room in his heart and his home for a generation of hippies and surfers; **generating a movement of the Holy Spirit that spread from the West Coast to the East Coast, bringing thousands of young people to Jesus Christ. Included among this generation of new believers were Greg Laurie, Mike MacIntosh, Raul Ries, and Skip Heitzig, as well as hundreds of others who now have ministries of their own. {Note: Chuck Smith thinks that whatever he personally does becomes approved by God [regardless of what the fruit develops into] and has a type of Biblical [equal to the Bible] human divinity associated with it "generating a movement of the Holy Spirit" the guy just isn't all there!! Also
Note: True Christianity is the exact opposite of what Chuck Smith, Dave Hunt, Norman Geisler, Jerry Falwell Jr., Rick Warren, John Piper, John MacArthur, Lee Strobel, Greg Laurie and many others are subtly preaching and directly practicing. True Christianity is NOT 'generating' an alleged move of God one that happens to immensely and directly benefit (preferably financially) the person or persons involved but True Christianity is to participate [in a personal relationship way] in what God is already involved in. -- "Jeremiah 33:2-3 Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is His Name; *Call unto Me, and **I will answer thee, ***and shew thee great and mighty things, ****which thou knowest not."} [article link]
Wikipedia: Lonnie Frisbee - Contemporary accounts attributed his accomplishments to his incredible anointing of the Holy Spirit - Frisbee was a key figure in the Jesus Movement and eyewitness accounts of his ministry documented in the 2007 Emmy-nominated film Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher explain how Lonnie became the charismatic spark igniting the rise of two worldwide denominations Chuck Smith's Calvary Chapel and John Wimber's Vineyard Movement Lonnie Frisbee (June 6, 1949 - March 12, 1993) was an American Pentecostal evangelist and self-described "seeing prophet" and mystic in the late 1960s and 1970s. Despite (or because of) his hippie appearance and being a man who struggled with homosexuality, Frisbee had notable success as a minister and evangelist. Contemporary accounts attributed his accomplishments to his incredible anointing of the Holy Spirit. Frisbee was a key figure in the Jesus Movement and eyewitness accounts of his ministry documented in the 2007 Emmy-nominated film Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher explain how Lonnie became the charismatic spark igniting the rise of two worldwide denominations (Chuck Smith's Calvary Chapel and the Vineyard Movement). It was said that he was not one of the hippie preachers, "there was one." ... Jesus movement, Calvary Chapel: Frisbee and his wife had left the [Christian] commune of the House of Acts [near San Francisco] to go to Southern California. Chuck Smith, meanwhile, had been making plans to build a chapel out of a surplus school building in the City of Santa Ana, near Costa Mesa when he met Lonnie Frisbee. Lonnie and his wife Connie joined the fledgling Calvary Chapel congregation and Smith was struck by Lonnie's charisma, "I was not at all prepared for the love that this young man would radiate." Frisbee's attachment to the charismatic Pentecostal style caused some disagreement within the church since he seemed focused more on gaining converts and experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit than on teaching newer converts Biblical doctrine. Chuck Smith, however, took up that job and welcomed Frisbee into his church. Frisbee's appearance helped appeal to hippies and those interested in youth culture, and he believed that the youth culture would play a prominent role in the Christian movement in the United States. He cited Joel the prophet and remained upbeat despite what the young couple saw as unbalanced treatment as Frisbee was never paid for his work yet another person was hired full-time as Smith's assistant. Under Frisbee's ministry his most visible convert was evangelist Greg Laurie whom he mentored and has since gone on to establish Harvest Christian Fellowship, the eighth largest church in America with over 15,000 members. Frisbee became one of the most important ministers in the church when on 17 May 1968 Smith put the young couple in charge of the Costa Mesa rehab house called "The House of Miracles" with John Higgins and his wife Jackie, within a week it had 35 new converts. Lonnie led the Wednesday night Bible study which soon became the central night for the church attracting thousands. The House of Miracles grew into a series of nineteen communal houses that later migrated to Oregon to form Shiloh Youth Revival Centers, the largest and one of the longest lasting of the Jesus People communal groups which had 100,000 members and 175 communal houses spread across North America. This may have been the largest Christian communal group in US history. [article link]
Lonnie Frisbee and Chuck Smith [1968-1971] - from the DVD The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher (YouTube) Lonnie Frisbee meets Chuck Smith and together the two men shepherd Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa into a new spiritual revival. -- DVD available at www.lonniefrisbee.com [article link]
DVD The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher [Lonnie Frisbee] - TRAILER 1 (YouTube) Frisbee recounts the life of a radical hippie turned Christian evangelist whose call into the ministry came while involved in the Laguna Beach homosexual scene. Even though he was the spark who propelled two of the largest evangelical denominations in the last thirty years into existence, he was treated with contempt throughout his career because of his sexuality. What do you do when the Jesus freak who starts your church dies from AIDS? Simple. Erase him from history. [article link]
Update: After the Break - The Basic Christian Ministry is going to respond [with a 10 part investigation article] into the wholesale manipulation and fraud that is taking place within the current greater Christian Church movement - Regarding both the fraud and wholesale manipulation [a deliberate convergence of the Church, Emerging Church and the New Age agenda] that just occurred during the 2010 Desiring God conference and also of the related fraud that is about to take place in the coming Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa - 2010 Apologetics Conference [November 5-6, 2010] -- Coming Soon: Exposing Chuck Smith - The Calvary Chapel Fraud - A 10 Part Investigation!!! The Christian Church body as a whole after having just endured the unjust and unethical manipulations of the Dr. John Piper (Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis) - Dr. Rick Warren (Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, California - SBC Affiliated) 2010 Desiring God fiasco, now the greater Evangelical Church is expected to be forced to endure yet another conference of fraud, lies and deceit - this time it is the 2010 Apologetics Conference by Dr. Norman Geisler's Veritas Seminary (Murrieta, California) featuring the discredited (SBC Affiliated) [Liberty University - professor] Ergun Caner and is being hosted at the Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, Sr. Pastor Chuck Smith. [article link]
***{Basic Christian - Adobe Air Version - 1.11 is Now Available - as a FREE Download} Note: The Basic Christian Ministry is in the early [completed] stages of a major project -- Creating an 'Adobe Air' [web 2.0 interactive] document [BasicChristian.air] that can be downloaded to any desktop computer and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - *Right click this link) The project is well on its way and is on track to be complete this fall with a Holidays edition. It will provide excellent Christmas devotions and is perfect as a Christmas gift stocking stuffer for others. Most importantly [with the new Adobe Air web 2.0 document features] the end user can create their own links to other websites, blogs, rss feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive, individual Christian, research, devotional and study tool project. [article link]
Update [on a short break]: The postings, Information and Resources regarding the 8 Kingdoms Study will continue until about the Christmas Holiday Season Also Note: The current introductory material of the 8 Kingdoms Study [Days of Noah - Flood of Noah (ancient earth 1.0 - and then the new present post flood 2.0 earth - 2 Peter 3:6) Kingdom of Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Days of Job, Hammurabi, Abraham, *King Melchizedek, Kingdom of Egypt] is being presented in a merged fashion because it is important to note and to grasp that the early Kingdoms, with the exception of Abraham and Melchizedek were all merged. Once we can get ahold of the concept that the ancient civilizations were a continuing and ongoing concentration of the same [occult] work and teachings then we can more easily understand the environment of the ancient civilizations and apply it to our day in that we are also living in a modern environment that has been handed down via the previous 6 occult Kingdoms of the world and [Mystery Babylon - the fallen angelic realm (Revelation 17:5)] is steadily working to bring in and enact the 7th and final occult Kingdom [NWO] of the human world. -- Soon, as the study progresses all the introduction material will be grouped and categorized [like the blog Bible Study] into an easy to access list of Topics. [article link]
Creation Earth 1.0 (Adam - Noah) -- Earth 2.0 (Noah - Revelation) -- Earth 3.0 (Millennial Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ) -- Earth 4.0 (unjudged, eternal earth) Earth 1.0 the original creation earth was a water vapor based environment and had the dual [water below the earth, vapor - water canopy above the earth, firmament] witness of water witnessing of God's creation. Water [life giving water - womb (John 3:5)] was then the witnessing element that then judged the original earth. Earth 2.0 our present earth is under the [prophesied and enacted] Life givng (Matthew 26:28) and Judgment blood (Revelation 6:12, Revelation 8:7-8, Revelation 11:6) of Jesus Christ. - Earth 3.0 the restored Millennial earth [final judged earth] having the [spirit (life) and fire (judgment)] presence of Jesus during the Kingdom, Millennial reign of Jesus Christ, the earth (3.0) will be judged by fire [spirit]. Resulting in the final, eternal [earth 4.0] the final earth not being judged is the eternal earth. -- "2 Peter 3:5-7 For this [unbelief of Word of God Biblical prophecy] they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the [1.0] earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the [1.0] world that then was, being [judged] overflowed with water [Noah's flood], perished: But the [2.0] heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word [of God - prophecies] are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of [3.0] judgment and perdition of ungodly men." -- "2 Peter 3:11-14 Seeing then that all these things [earth 2.0] shall be dissolved [judgment 3.0], what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements [earth 3.0] shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His Promise, look for New Heavens [skies] and a New Earth [eternal - earth 4.0], **wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him (Jesus Christ) in peace, without spot, and blameless." [article link]
{Flashback} Note: The Basic Christian Info Feed is going to begin to transition out of the Summer 2010 Discernment [events] postings and into the Fall 2010 Bible Studies: "The Fall Feasts of Israel" (Second Coming events of Jesus Christ), "Human accountability and the ***Three Biblical Judgments" [Water, Blood and Fire (Spirit)], "The Vagabond Priesthood," and "The 8 Kingdoms of the World" studies Also Note: Throughout the remainder of August there are going to be a few more pauses and breaks to the postings and then by early September a new posting routine with the Bible Studies should be getting established. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Preview: The Biblical triune (3 in 1) nature [testimony, salvation, judgment] of the water, blood and Spirit (also represented in breath, wind, fire) that are each freely offered and given from God to all of mankind globally as a witness of sin (and eventually as a judgment against sin), a testimony of the once physical presence of Jesus Christ and as an eternal remedy for our own individual Salvation Where the Apostle Peter's significant life changing event during his time with Jesus seemed to be at the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-8, 2 Peter 1:16-18) the Apostle John's significant life changing event with Jesus seems to have been at the cross (John 19:34-35, 1 John 5:7-9) when Jesus was pierced by the Roman spear and the blood and water poured out from the wound in Jesus' side. The Apostle John then regards the presence of the Spirit and the separation of the blood and water coming out from Jesus as a witness, a judgment, and a testimony of salvation for all of mankind. When the Basic Christian blog History study returns in about a week we will Biblically look into the blood, water and fire (spirit), testimonies and judgments of the Bible from throughout the Old Testament starting in Genesis and continuing consistently throughout the entire Bible then concluding in book of Revelation [the sin of Adam and Eve and the shedding of blood, the flood of Noah, the Aaronic Priesthood, the Last Supper Communion, the atoning cross of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Jesus and birth (Alpha) of the Christian Church, the Pentecost global Spirit empowerment and witness, the calling home into heaven by Jesus the rapture (Omega) of the Christian Church, Revelation-Tribulation]. -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global
Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- "Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven [sky] and the earth." - Christian Creationism vs. Secular Evolution Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven (sky) and the earth. - It is only through creation and not by means of evolution that people can be "created in the image of God" therefore creation is the very heart of the plan of God. "Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image ..." Either people are created and are therefore in the image of God making us capable of fellowship and able to have a relationship with God or we are involved in some random evolution process in a random universe that is without meaning and ultimately is totally useless. "Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every Nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made (created) heaven, and earth' ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- BasicChristian.org: Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual realms as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th realm being God's realm of unrestricted eternity} Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the 5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. Note: So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation [into our human realms] of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Also Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2. Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic [Nephilim spirits] - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -"Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ..." [article link]
WHAT WAS IT LIKE IN THE PRE-FLOOD EARTH? A Key To Understanding The Pre-Flood Earth Is The Existence Of A Canopy Of Water In The Stratosphere - The [post fall - but still amazing] Garden of Eden conditions described in the early chapters of Genesis were probably reflected all over the planet (Drawings) **The [post fall - but still amazing] Garden of Eden conditions described in the early chapters of Genesis were probably reflected all over the planet. There was probably abundant vegetation, animals, birds and fish. Because of the warmer and more constant ambient temperature, and the high partial pressures of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide humans, animals, birds, insects, and fish were much larger, as revealed in the fossil record described below. There is a general teaching that early man was primitive. This is almost certainly incorrect. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, and were probably extremely intelligent and creative, as were all the patriarchs. Because of the protective effect of the water canopy, there was protection from damaging ultraviolet rays and gamma rays, with probably much lower incidence of consequent diseases such as cancer and foetal malformations. Because of the higher Oxygen levels, the high blood Oxygen levels would have contributed to extreme longevity, resistance to bacterial and viral diseases, and greater metabolic efficiency, with consequent greatly enhanced athletic ability. The Average Age Of Man Before Noah's Flood Was 912 Years. Today It Is 70- 80. The average recorded life span in the Bible of the early patriarchs is 912 years. This is in stark contrast to today's much shorter life spans, with 70 -80 years being typical. This may be accounted for by the higher oxygen content, the protective effect of the water canopy, lack of disease, better diet, and much less hostile weather patterns. [article link]
EARTH'S PRE-FLOOD WATER CANOPY [Crystalized (firmament) - pure crystal in nature and appearance in the furthest layer] "Genesis 1:7-8 And God made the firmament (hard land on earth), and divided the waters which were under the (ground) firmament [earth 1.0] from the waters (vapors) which were above the firmament [land]: and it was so. And God called the (crystal - outer atmosphere sphere) firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day." {Note: A pure crystal, glass nature of atmospheric water would magnify all the stars and planets [including their original color and appearance] as viewed from earth and would also provide an acoustic resonator to transfer the sounds of orbiting planets into the earth's atmosphere in audible tones and chimes to all the earth's inhabitants.} This pre-flood canopy probably consisted of water vapor [a pure crystal, glass nature further out in the atmosphere]. There are other theories, but we must keep in mind that the birds were flying in the expanse under this water, and one must be able to see through the water. The sun, moon and stars were visible to Adam and to Noah, in view of the fact that Genesis 1:14 states that they would serve as signs. Water vapor is clear, unlike clouds or steam. A little experiment to prove this point can be accomplished in your kitchen by filling a tea-kettle with water and putting it on the stove to boil. When steam begins coming out of the spout, look closely at the very tip of the spout. You will see about one-half to one inch of clear 212°F. water vapor before it becomes cloudy steam. This may have been the form of the water that God put above the firmament in which the birds flew around. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT: With a water-vapor canopy, heaven and earth system #1 [earth 1.0] would be considerably different than our present system (#2) [earth 2.0 - (2 Peter 3:6)]. A greenhouse effect would be expected due to the heat generated by the sun-warmed canopy. Is there any evidence that greenhouse warmth once surrounded our globe? Palm tree fossils have been found in Alaska and broad leaf ferns in the Arctic. How could a palm tree fossil be in Alaska? Some scientists have postulated they travelled there on the tectonic plate (earth crust) movement over millions of years. But these trees are not millions of years old! A creationist would say, "No problem, palm trees grew in Alaska in the tropical world before the Flood." These trees were buried during the Flood of Noah's day resulting in their fossilization. ... The water vapor canopy may have more than doubled atmospheric pressure on earth. In this environment of heavier atmospheric pressure, healing would be more efficient. Many hospitals have pressurized rooms called Hyperbaric Rooms. Into these rooms oxygen is pumped under pressure and healing is miraculously speeded up. Very sick people and the severely burned are treated in this high pressure environment. In the pre-flood, high efficiency atmosphere, reptiles could have grown to immense sizes, giant flying creatures could have
flown more easily, and gigantism would have been much more likely. [article link]
...a Water Canopy? (Drawings) These illustrations show just how a water canopy covering the Earth would not only create a globally warm climate but also would shield our planet from harmful radiation. Thus, allowing mankind to reach ages up to 900 plus years and also allowing reptiles to grow to the size of our dinosaur fossils. A global flood that occured roughly 1,500 years after Adam was created would create the coal layers (compressed global vegetation) and the fossilization of the huge behemoths known to us today as the dinosaurs. Remember, in Genesis 1:6-8, God divided the waters from the waters and placed this upper water canopy ABOVE the firmament called "Heaven." [article link]
The Garden of Eden [Pre-Flood of Noah] Part 1 - (Kent Hovind) Creation Seminar (YouTube) These Seminars are NOT copyrighted. If you are interested in helping support Kent Hovind his video series is available on DVD at shopping.drdino.com/category-exec/category_id/39/nm/Seminar .... The Garden of Eden, part two of the seminar series, describes the earth as it was before the worldwide flood. Dr. Hovind explains in detail how it was possible for man to live over 900 years, for plants and animals to grow much larger than today, and for dinosaurs to thrive along with man. This Creation Seminar is only one of the seven listed below: Creation Seminar 1 - The Age of the Earth, Creation Seminar 2 - *The Garden of Eden, Creation Seminar 3 Dinosaurs and the Bible, Creation Seminar 4 - Lies in the Textbooks, Creation Seminar 5 - The Dangers of Evolution, Creation Seminar 6 - The Hovind Theory, Creation Seminar 7 - Questions and Answers. [article link]
Creationist Kent Hovind Reveals The Truth About The Garden of Eden [Pre-Flood of Noah] and Creation! (Google Video) Kent Hovind - 1 hr 56 min 19 sec - Mar 2, 2006 - www.drdino.com [article link]
ChristianPost.com: Rick Warren Prepares Saddleback [in Twitter postings referred to as 'the church'] for Decade of Blessings - "I want the next ten years of your life to be the best 10 years of your life," Pastor Rick Warren told church attendees {Note: is Pastor Rick Warren acting as a deliberate agent of disinformation (Judges 4:19-21) regarding his purposed 'Decade of Blessing'. At the very, most perilous [post 9/11/2001] time in modern history Rick Warren want's Christians to be self-centered on [warm milk] fanciful blessings and not engaged in the End Time reality [abundant deception] that is all around us and is threating to engulf us.} Saddleback Church in Southern California is kicking off its "Decade of Destiny" this weekend in an effort to prepare the mega-congregation to receive showers of God's blessings. "I want the next ten years of your life to be the best 10 years of your life," Pastor Rick Warren told church attendees. "I want you to be more blessed and less stressed. I want God's blessing ... on every area of your life." The Decade of Destiny is a two-month spiritual growth campaign that is aimed at moving Christians forward in their faith walk. Warren acknowledged that as their pastor, the Bible holds him accountable for the congregants' spiritual growth. "I don't take that lightly," the well-known megachurch pastor said. Along with helping believers come to a position of being "blessable," the campaign will also lead the church to be a blessing to the community. "God blesses you so you can be a blessing to others, not just so you can be some fat cat and self-centered," Warren highlighted. The Decade of Destiny campaign was first announced during Saddleback Church's 30th anniversary celebration in April. Over the next ten years, the church of some 22,000 weekly attendees will enhance its programs and operations and expand its campuses and small groups. By the end of this year, the megachurch plans to have 10 different Saddleback locations in Southern California. In preparation for the campaign, Warren studied every verse in the Bible that speaks of God's blessing. [article link]
How Good is Good Enough? (YouTube) This is the Christian message of how sinful man is graciously and mercifully reconciled to God. How well does this line up with the messages presented last weekend at the LDS General Conference? -- "From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ [in person] according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be [our] sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 [article link]
Update: The postings, Information and Resources regarding the 8 Kingdoms Study will continue until about the Christmas Holiday Season Also Note: The current introductory material of the 8 Kingdoms Study [Days of Noah - Flood of Noah (ancient earth 1.0 - and then the new present post flood 2.0 earth - 2 Peter 3:6) Kingdom of Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Days of Job, Hammurabi, Abraham, *King Melchizedek, Kingdom of Egypt] is being presented in a merged fashion because it is important to note and to grasp that the early Kingdoms, with the exception of Abraham and Melchizedek were all merged. Once we can get ahold of the concept that the ancient civilizations were a continuing and ongoing concentration of the same [occult] work and teachings then we can more easily understand the environment of the ancient civilizations and apply it to our day in that we are also living in a modern environment that has been handed down via the previous 6 occult Kingdoms of the world and [Mystery Babylon - the fallen angelic realm (Revelation 17:5)] is steadily working to bring in and enact the 7th and final occult Kingdom [NWO] of the human world. -- Soon, as the study progresses all the introduction material will be grouped and categorized [like the blog Bible Study] into an easy to access list of Topics. [article link]
Creation Earth 1.0 (Adam - Noah) -- Earth 2.0 (Noah - Revelation) -- Earth 3.0 (Millennial Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ) -- Earth 4.0 (unjudged, eternal earth) Earth 1.0 the original creation earth was a water vapor based environment and had the dual [water below the earth, vapor - water canopy above the earth, firmament] witness of water witnessing of God's creation. Water [life giving water - womb (John 3:5)] was then the witnessing element that then judged the original earth. Earth 2.0 our present earth is under the [prophesied and enacted] Life givng (Matthew 26:28) and Judgment blood (Revelation 6:12, Revelation 8:7-8, Revelation 11:6) of Jesus Christ. - Earth 3.0 the restored Millennial earth [final judged earth] having the [spirit (life) and fire (judgment)] presence of Jesus during the Kingdom, Millennial reign of Jesus Christ, the earth (3.0) will be judged by fire [spirit]. Resulting in the final, eternal [earth 4.0] the final earth not being judged is the eternal earth. -- "2 Peter 3:5-7 For this [unbelief of Word of God Biblical prophecy] they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the [1.0] earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the [1.0] world that then was, being [judged] overflowed with water [Noah's flood], perished: But the [2.0] heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word [of God - prophecies] are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of [3.0] judgment and perdition of ungodly men." -- "2 Peter 3:11-14 Seeing then that all these things [earth 2.0] shall be dissolved [judgment 3.0], what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements [earth 3.0] shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His Promise, look for New Heavens [skies] and a New Earth [eternal - earth 4.0], **wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him (Jesus Christ) in peace, without spot, and blameless." [article link]
{Flashback} Note: The Basic Christian Info Feed is going to begin to transition out of the Summer 2010 Discernment [events] postings and into the Fall 2010 Bible Studies: "The Fall Feasts of Israel" (Second Coming events of Jesus Christ), "Human accountability and the ***Three Biblical Judgments" [Water, Blood and Fire (Spirit)], "The Vagabond Priesthood," and "The 8 Kingdoms of the World" studies Also Note: Throughout the remainder of August there are going to be a few more pauses and breaks to the postings and then by early September a new posting routine with the Bible Studies should be getting established. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Preview: The Biblical triune (3 in 1) nature [testimony, salvation, judgment] of the water, blood and Spirit (also represented in breath, wind, fire) that are each freely offered and given from God to all of mankind globally as a witness of sin (and eventually as a judgment against sin), a testimony of the once physical presence of Jesus Christ and as an eternal remedy for our own individual Salvation Where the Apostle Peter's significant life changing event during his time with Jesus seemed to be at the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-8, 2 Peter 1:16-18) the Apostle John's significant life changing event with Jesus seems to have been at the cross (John 19:34-35, 1 John 5:7-9) when Jesus was pierced by the Roman spear and the blood and water poured out from the wound in Jesus' side. The Apostle John then regards the presence of the Spirit and the separation of the blood and water coming out from Jesus as a witness, a judgment, and a testimony of salvation for all of mankind. When the Basic Christian blog History study returns in about a week we will Biblically look into the blood, water and fire (spirit), testimonies and judgments of the Bible from throughout the Old Testament starting in Genesis and continuing consistently throughout the entire Bible then concluding in book of Revelation [the sin of Adam and Eve and the shedding of blood, the flood of Noah, the Aaronic Priesthood, the Last Supper Communion, the atoning cross of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Jesus and birth (Alpha) of the Christian Church, the Pentecost global Spirit empowerment and witness, the calling home into heaven by Jesus the rapture (Omega) of the Christian Church, Revelation-Tribulation]. -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- "Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven [sky] and the earth." - Christian Creationism vs. Secular Evolution Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven (sky) and the earth. - It is only through creation and not by means of evolution that people can be "created in the image of God" therefore creation is the very heart of the plan of God. "Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image ..." Either people are created and are therefore in the image of God making us capable of fellowship and able to have a relationship with God or we are involved in some random evolution process in a random universe that is without meaning and ultimately is totally useless. "Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every Nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made (created) heaven, and earth' ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- BasicChristian.org: Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual realms as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th realm being God's realm of
unrestricted eternity} Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the 5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. Note: So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation [into our human realms] of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Also Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2. Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic [Nephilim spirits] - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -"Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ..." [article link]
WHAT WAS IT LIKE IN THE PRE-FLOOD EARTH? A Key To Understanding The Pre-Flood Earth Is The Existence Of A Canopy Of Water In The Stratosphere - The [post fall - but still amazing] Garden of Eden conditions described in the early chapters of Genesis were probably reflected all over the planet (Drawings) **The [post fall - but still amazing] Garden of Eden conditions described in the early chapters of Genesis were probably reflected all over the planet. There was probably abundant vegetation, animals, birds and fish. Because of the warmer and more constant ambient temperature, and the high partial pressures of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide humans, animals, birds, insects, and fish were much larger, as revealed in the fossil record described below. There is a general teaching that early man was primitive. This is almost certainly incorrect. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, and were probably extremely intelligent and creative, as were all the patriarchs. Because of the protective effect of the water canopy, there was protection from damaging ultraviolet rays and gamma rays, with probably much lower incidence of consequent diseases such as cancer and foetal malformations. Because of the higher Oxygen levels, the high blood Oxygen levels would have contributed to extreme longevity, resistance to bacterial and viral diseases, and greater metabolic efficiency, with consequent greatly enhanced athletic ability. The Average Age Of Man Before Noah's Flood Was 912 Years. Today It Is 70- 80. The average recorded life span in the Bible of the early patriarchs is 912 years. This is in stark contrast to today's much shorter life spans, with 70 -80 years being typical. This may be accounted for by the higher oxygen content, the protective effect of the water canopy, lack of disease, better diet, and much less hostile weather patterns. [article link]
EARTH'S PRE-FLOOD WATER CANOPY [Crystalized (firmament) - pure crystal in nature and appearance in the furthest layer] "Genesis 1:7-8 And God made the firmament (hard land on earth), and divided the waters which were under the (ground) firmament [earth 1.0] from the waters (vapors) which were above the firmament [land]: and it was so. And God called the (crystal - outer atmosphere sphere) firmament Heaven. And the
evening and the morning were the second day." {Note: A pure crystal, glass nature of atmospheric water would magnify all the stars and planets [including their original color and appearance] as viewed from earth and would also provide an acoustic resonator to transfer the sounds of orbiting planets into the earth's atmosphere in audible tones and chimes to all the earth's inhabitants.} This pre-flood canopy probably consisted of water vapor [a pure crystal, glass nature further out in the atmosphere]. There are other theories, but we must keep in mind that the birds were flying in the expanse under this water, and one must be able to see through the water. The sun, moon and stars were visible to Adam and to Noah, in view of the fact that Genesis 1:14 states that they would serve as signs. Water vapor is clear, unlike clouds or steam. A little experiment to prove this point can be accomplished in your kitchen by filling a tea-kettle with water and putting it on the stove to boil. When steam begins coming out of the spout, look closely at the very tip of the spout. You will see about one-half to one inch of clear 212°F. water vapor before it becomes cloudy steam. This may have been the form of the water that God put above the firmament in which the birds flew around. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT: With a water-vapor canopy, heaven and earth system #1 [earth 1.0] would be considerably different than our present system (#2) [earth 2.0 - (2 Peter 3:6)]. A greenhouse effect would be expected due to the heat generated by the sun-warmed canopy. Is there any evidence that greenhouse warmth once surrounded our globe? Palm tree fossils have been found in Alaska and broad leaf ferns in the Arctic. How could a palm tree fossil be in Alaska? Some scientists have postulated they travelled there on the tectonic plate (earth crust) movement over millions of years. But these trees are not millions of years old! A creationist would say, "No problem, palm trees grew in Alaska in the tropical world before the Flood." These trees were buried during the Flood of Noah's day resulting in their fossilization. ... The water vapor canopy may have more than doubled atmospheric pressure on earth. In this environment of heavier atmospheric pressure, healing would be more efficient. Many hospitals have pressurized rooms called Hyperbaric Rooms. Into these rooms oxygen is pumped under pressure and healing is miraculously speeded up. Very sick people and the severely burned are treated in this high pressure environment. In the pre-flood, high efficiency atmosphere, reptiles could have grown to immense sizes, giant flying creatures could have flown more easily, and gigantism would have been much more likely. [article link]
...a Water Canopy? (Drawings) These illustrations show just how a water canopy covering the Earth would not only create a globally warm climate but also would shield our planet from harmful radiation. Thus, allowing mankind to reach ages up to 900 plus years and also allowing reptiles to grow to the size of our dinosaur fossils. A global flood that occured roughly 1,500 years after Adam was created would create the coal layers (compressed global vegetation) and the fossilization of the huge behemoths known to us today as the dinosaurs. Remember, in Genesis 1:6-8, God divided the waters from the waters and placed this upper water canopy ABOVE the firmament called "Heaven." [article link]
The Garden of Eden [Pre-Flood of Noah] Part 1 - (Kent Hovind) Creation Seminar (YouTube) These Seminars are NOT copyrighted. If you are interested in helping support Kent Hovind his video series is available on DVD at shopping.drdino.com/category-exec/category_id/39/nm/Seminar .... The Garden of Eden, part two of the seminar series, describes the earth as it was before the worldwide flood. Dr. Hovind explains in detail how it was possible for man to live over 900 years, for plants and animals to grow much larger than today, and for dinosaurs to thrive along with man. This Creation Seminar is only one of the seven listed below: Creation Seminar 1 - The Age of the Earth, Creation Seminar 2 - *The Garden of Eden, Creation Seminar 3 Dinosaurs and the Bible, Creation Seminar 4 - Lies in the Textbooks, Creation Seminar 5 - The Dangers of Evolution, Creation Seminar 6 - The Hovind Theory, Creation Seminar 7 - Questions and Answers. [article link]
Creationist Kent Hovind Reveals The Truth About The Garden of Eden [Pre-Flood of Noah] and Creation! (Google Video)
Kent Hovind - 1 hr 56 min 19 sec - Mar 2, 2006 - www.drdino.com [article link]
ChristianPost.com: Rick Warren Prepares Saddleback [in Twitter postings referred to as 'the church'] for Decade of Blessings - "I want the next ten years of your life to be the best 10 years of your life," Pastor Rick Warren told church attendees {Note: is Pastor Rick Warren acting as a deliberate agent of disinformation (Judges 4:19-21) regarding his purposed 'Decade of Blessing'. At the very, most perilous [post 9/11/2001] time in modern history Rick Warren want's Christians to be self-centered on [warm milk] fanciful blessings and not engaged in the End Time reality [abundant deception] that is all around us and is threating to engulf us.} Saddleback Church in Southern California is kicking off its "Decade of Destiny" this weekend in an effort to prepare the mega-congregation to receive showers of God's blessings. "I want the next ten years of your life to be the best 10 years of your life," Pastor Rick Warren told church attendees. "I want you to be more blessed and less stressed. I want God's blessing ... on every area of your life." The Decade of Destiny is a two-month spiritual growth campaign that is aimed at moving Christians forward in their faith walk. Warren acknowledged that as their pastor, the Bible holds him accountable for the congregants' spiritual growth. "I don't take that lightly," the well-known megachurch pastor said. Along with helping believers come to a position of being "blessable," the campaign will also lead the church to be a blessing to the community. "God blesses you so you can be a blessing to others, not just so you can be some fat cat and self-centered," Warren highlighted. The Decade of Destiny campaign was first announced during Saddleback Church's 30th anniversary celebration in April. Over the next ten years, the church of some 22,000 weekly attendees will enhance its programs and operations and expand its campuses and small groups. By the end of this year, the megachurch plans to have 10 different Saddleback locations in Southern California. In preparation for the campaign, Warren studied every verse in the Bible that speaks of God's blessing. [article link]
APPRISING MINISTRIES, RICK WARREN, & TWITTER - And by looking here at this Google cache link I was sent, the retweet look as if it shows up without any prior tweet from which to repost - This same [Twitter] quote is on Rick Warren's Facebook page as well {Note: apparently Pastor Rick Warren authored a despicable, mean spirited Twitter tweet intending to harass and intimidate three Christian bloggers who have called into question Rick Warrens intentions within the Christian Church. Rick Warren then fraudulently wrote a Twitter Tweet as though he was receiving a retweet (RT) from another person attempting to mask himself as the original source of the offending tweet. However, Warren apparently forgot that his tweets are set up to also post to his Facebook page and as the originator of the deceptive tweet it displayed on Rick Warrens Facebook page as one of his numerous regular Twitter postings. -- In light of this deliberate act of fraud, deceit and intimidation this is a DIRECT REQUEST that Saddleback Church launch an investigation into conduct and actions of their abusive lead Pastor Rick Warren. -- It is certainly viable that at this time Pastor Rick Warren should take a leave of absence from all Pastor duties and should even resign as Pastor of Saddleback Church.} It's no secret that the online apologetics and discernment work Apprising Ministries is a leading critic of Rick Warren of the highly influential Saddleback Church who, like me, is a pastor within the Southern Baptist Convention. One of my writers over at Christian Research Network made me aware today of the following tweet, which would appear to be from Rick Warren: It struck me rather odd. However, initially my attention was also drawn to something called ApprisingMin, which apparently tried to pass itself off as being the Twitter account for this labor in the Lord. While perusing it, I would hope that people would be able to tell this is not me; say what you will about my style, this quite obviously is not it. The fact is, though there are those who have suggested it, at this time Apprising Ministries is not on Twitter at all; and certainly not as something else called DespisingMin. ... Well, since Rick Warren exhorts me, then I guess I'd best keep right on speaking, as I certainly don't want to "be bluffed into silence" by [Rick Warren or] any [other] "religious bullies." After-all, he is America's favorite Mega-pastor. [article link]
Rick Warren: Quarreling is for Fools! You want to see a prime example of [Rick Warren] hypocrisy? Keep reading… Now notice something here - At first blush it looks like this is a retweet of someone else's tweet - But, with the question mark in front of the "RT," it becomes clear that this wasn't a retweet, but a direct tweet from Warren himself - It looks like Warren wanted this to appear like a retweet, but as of now, this tweet has been found to have originated on Rick Warren's Twitter page - He also posted it on his Facebook page As you may already know, Rick Warren was the keynote at John Piper's recent Desiring God Conference. This caused a major backlash on Piper. Many people called Piper out for inviting Warren, and for also saying that Warren is Biblically and theologically sound. Many questioned this decision, and rightly so! It would take too long to go into now, but Warren's Purpose Driven theology has done great and substantial damage to the church. ... Well, apparently Rick Warren didn't like that too much, so he struck out at Rosebrough, Ken Silva (of Apprising Ministries), and Ingrid Schlueter (of Crosstalk America and Crosstalk Blog). So, like a true, mature adult, the Purpose Driven Pope took to his Twitter account and tweeted: ... I love it! Rick Warren is letting his true colors show. He can't stand criticism and lashes out at those who would dare take him to task for teaching false doctrine. Warren's own words indict him, wouldn't you say? Comments: Warren has proven himself again to be a wolf. ... Rick Warren. The finest example of an angel of light lurking in the church today. John Piper was cut from the same filthy rag. Jude and Peter speak of such men "to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever". Follow such men at the peril of your soul and it's eternal destiny. Acts 4:12 [article link]
No Compromise Radio Appearance - Rick Warren's presentation at the DG Conference - Very painful - Here's the program (Mp3) 10/07/2010 - James White - I was forced at gunpoint to join Mike Abendroth (one of the nefarious and widely feared Abendroth Brothers Gang) on his No Compromise Radio Program today. What was worse, he forced me to listen to Rick Warren's presentation at the DG Conference. Very painful. 350 pithy platitudes strung together on citations of the Message and the Living Bible interspersed with psychology and repeated references to how uber cool Saddleback is. But, I listened, because I was forced to! And then Mike made me go on the air and give a report! It was a traumatic experience, but I got through it. Someday I will return the favor and force Mike to race me up South Mountain. Here's the program. [article link]
RE: Twitter -- Rick Warren Responds to Crosstalk (host - Ingrid Schlueter) and Friends [TWEET: ? RT @ApprisingMin @DespisingMin KenS&Ingred saw Veggie Tale movie "Pirates who don't Do anything" expecting a bio of Chris (Rosebrough)] (YouTube - Song: "Pirates who don't Do anything") {Note: Apparently this very mean spirited and nasty Tweet by Pastor Rick Warren is in reference to a previous comment by mean spirited [LU - Liberty University] flunky Ergun Caner who recently referred to 'discernment' Apologetics Ministry bloggers as people who live in their basements and don't do anything. Also it is in reference to the recent Rick Warren [video] monologue and his excruciatingly unbearable [be like Rick W.] diatribe at this years' Desiring God Conference about how Rick Warren is single handedly saving the world [along with a few of the folks that are in the know at Saddleback], something not even Jesus could do according to Rick W. and according to Rick W. everyone should strive to be like Rick W. and well that wimpy Jesus forget about Him, says Rick Warren because Rick has read more books and tithed more money and authored more books and sold more books and been invited to speak at more places than Jesus could ever have hoped to have accomplished [not mentioning the Holy Spirit or the Apostles of course].} Rick Warren apparently was made aware of our recent Crosstalk program on his speech to the Islamic Society of North American Conference back in 2009. Joe Kaufman, author of the Frontpage Magazine story, Rick Warren: A Shill for Terror, was the guest that day on the program and reported on the terror connections of at least three of the speakers who shared the platform at the same conference. Given the gravity of the issues addressed on the program: Rick Warren's name and photo being allowed to stay at the ISNA website as a speaker and the Jesus-free, gospel-free presentation he gave to the Muslims in attendance, it would be hoped
that a leader of Mr. Warren's stature would give an equally serious response or rebuttal to what was said. You can see Mr. Warren's response here on Twitter. No commentary is needed. (Warren refers to me (Ingrid), Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries and Chris Rosebrough of Fighting for the Faith. The Veggie Tale clip can be seen here.) [article link]
[LU's] Ergun Caner Retaliates: Bloggers are "Frustrated People in their Basement" and "It Takes More than Edited Videos to Bring me Down" - Yesterday, Ergun Caner apparently decided to do what he told his church a few weeks ago that he would not do: he has decided to "take the bait and retaliate" The Lynchburg News and Advance reported this morning that yesterday at a Bristol, VA prayer breakfast Caner addressed the Liberty University investigation, downplayed the seriousness of the allegations, took a swipe at his blogger critics, and basically said "any pastor in America" would be in trouble for lying if they listend to 200 hours of their sermons. This sickens me. If you ever thought Caner was repentant for his 8 1/2 years of perpetual exaggerations to congregations all over the United States about his past, you were wrong. I will admit, I was wrong. At least Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker had the sense to appear as though they were repentant. Swaggart at least shed a few public tears and looked to the heavens and declared he had sinned. Not Caner. He is full steam ahead, attack the critics, mischaracterize the allegations that led to his dismissal as seminary president, and to top it all off, he feels compelled to brush all pastors to be just like him. Shameless, shameless, shameless. Thank you Liberty University and Jonathan Falwell - you have created this monster by mishandling this entire fiasco. You waited to investigate until the main stream media got involved. You poohpoohed the bloggers' claims until the press realized we were telling the truth. Then and only then did you do an investigation, but then refused to release any the investigative committee report findings, and simply slapped him on the wrist and kept him at your university. He now will use his position as "Professor at Liberty University" to continue his speaking circuit - and while he may tone down his rhetoric of being "raised in Europe" and learning of America from Turkish television - it seems he is content to use his engagements to mischaracterize what has happened in 2010 that led to his dismissal to rehabilitate his image and keep the gravy train rolling. ... It is too bad that Caner is going this route. I don't know why he did not just come out after his month-long haitus following his dismissal as seminary president and make a blanket confession of exaggerations and ask for people to forgive him, and then move on. Instead it seems the approach is to take pot shots here and there at his critics, paint himself as a victim of frustrated bloggers out to "take him down", to continue to use congregations and speaking engagements to defend himself, and mischaracterize what happend this year. Perhaps he has every intention of still telling his stories - after all, yesterday at Bristol he rolled out the 'ole "Jesus died on a cross so I didn't have to strap a bomb on myself" routine. ... All I had to do was go through 0.75 hours, Ergun, when you came to First Baptist Jacksonville in November 2001, and lied to us about your past to convince us that you were a trained terrorist who was in Islamic Jihad, trained in Europe. That has nothing to do with your kids' names or dates. It has to do with you misleading us about your past, and who you were, which helped to create a caricature of yourself as a former terrorist trained in Europe in Islamic Jihad. And you still haven't apologized to the people of First Baptist Jacksonville for your lies in our pulpit in 2001 that helped launch you to SBC-stardom. I hope you have at least privately apologized to Jerry Vines, who sat behind you nodding and amening as you lied to our congregation that morning. And Ergun, you're wrong about other pastors. None of my pastors - none of them - have ever lied to me about where they were raised, or born, or when they learned English, etc. None, not one, ever. Pastors, I hope you appreciate Caner trying to lump you all into one category as being liars just waiting for disgruntled bloggers to dig up your lies. Sad that to defend himself, he is content in dragging his cohorts down to his level. Shame on you, Ergun. [article link]
Purpose Drivel [Pastor Rick Warren - Unhinged]: Rick Warren takes public [Twitter] swipe at his critics and NAMES NAMES - Rick Warren has shown his true colors this morning [Friday 10/08/2010], taking a swipe at Ken Silva, Ingrid Schlueter, and *Chris Rosebrough all in one fell tweet
Rick Warren has shown his true colors this morning, taking a swipe at Ken Silva, Ingrid Schlueter, and Chris Rosebrough all in one fell tweet (retweeted supposedly from one of his supporters, who uses the fake "ApprisingMin") Apprising Min is a moniker that is used to try and mock and discredit Ken Silva. This is much like when Richard Abanes, former music ministry member at Saddleback, and un-official ankle biter for Rick, created a parody site for Ingrid's Slice of Laodicea blog, calling it Slice of Laodicea Church. He even made it look almost exactly like hers. Don't any of these people have an original idea? ... Rick has protected his tweets but if you go to his main page you can scroll back and find it, at least until he becomes embarrassed enough to delete it. The time stamp is approximately 10-7-2010 about 3:30pm give or take. (estimating from the '19 hours ago' that currently shows on the twitter feed as I write this). Even I must admit, attacking those who would call you to repentance in 140 characters or less takes some talent and creativity and innovation. But Rick tops them all by managing to attack THREE of his critics at once within the Twitter parameters! I think that must deserve a trophy of some sort to put in his umpty thousand book library. Since he is so keen on mentioning all his good works in every public appearance (his tithing is now up to 91 percent, I'll have you know!), ...Hmm... that reminds me also of this tweet: But I digress. ... At the very least, I pray something of the truth is finally getting through to him and cracking that self righteous facade. [article link]
Sola Sisters: *Chris Rosebrough's very excellent sermon deconstruction of Rick Warren's [video] keynote address at Dr. John Piper's 2010 Desiring God Conference - "John Piper's & Rick Warren's theology train wreck - it was seriously off" (Mp3) See Also: Rick Warren: Piper Approved! - Comments: I agree - it's very disturbing. People keep saying, "But Piper is solid! Piper is solid!" Well, at some point, these questionable choices become something we can't ignore....even a pattern. The question is, are we there yet? ... Ken Silva said "If you look at the twitter stream you'll see Warren clearly won the day. In my mind, he purposely avoided going there in person. Bob DeWaay has Warren pegged correctly: File card orthodoxy. You question him and out comes the file card [staged Church approved, acceptable explanation]; but he puts it back in file after you go away. His methodology and associations simply do not match the words he professes to believe. Again, in my opinion, people don't see this because they don't want to." This is the sad state of this visible church: apprising.org/2010/10/02/enemytroops-steadily-advancing-in-church/ ... After reading the first few comments, I thought, "Isn't it weirdly convenient that Rick Warren could get his message out to this audience via a video, and at the same time not have to incur any challenges to his ministry?". Then I read Ken Silva's comment, and I completely agree. This has either been cleverly orchestrated [by Rick Warren - John Piper]. (Don't kid yourself, Rick Warren is as slick as they come. I firmly believe he is VERY strategic and says whatever it takes to further his agenda.), or their is a [secret - NWO] power at work causing these [heritical - unbiblical] things to happen. Obviously, this is all under God's providentially, ordained will. Interesting... [article link]
***{Production Version 1.07 is Now Available} Note: The Basic Christian Ministry is in the early stages of a major project -- Creating an 'Adobe Air' [web 2.0 interactive] document [BasicChristian.air] that can be downloaded to any desktop computer and also on some of the newer phones (To download and install - *Right click this link) The project is well on its way and is on track to be complete this fall with a Holidays edition. It will provide excellent Christmas devotions and is perfect as a Christmas gift stocking stuffer for others. Most importantly [with the new Adobe Air web 2.0 document features] the end user can create their own links to other websites, blogs, rss feeds, references and documents that once combined create an inclusive, individual Christian, research, devotional and study tool project. - *The current version is just a test version to tryout the Adobe Air environment and any links, blogs or comments that the user inserts could be overwritten when the actual version arrives probably in mid-October. [article link]
Update: The postings, Information and Resources regarding the 8 Kingdoms Study will continue until about the Christmas Holiday Season Also Note: The current introductory material of the 8 Kingdoms Study [Days of Noah - Flood of Noah (ancient earth 1.0 - and then the new present post flood 2.0 earth - 2 Peter 3:6) Kingdom of Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Days of Job, Hammurabi, Abraham, *King Melchizedek, Kingdom of Egypt] is being presented in a merged fashion because it is important to note and to grasp that the early Kingdoms, with the exception of Abraham and Melchizedek were all merged. Once we can get ahold of the concept that the ancient civilizations were a continuing and ongoing concentration of the same [occult] work and teachings then we can more easily understand the environment of the ancient civilizations and apply it to our day in that we are also living in a modern environment that has been handed down via the previous 6 occult Kingdoms of the world and [Mystery Babylon - the fallen angelic realm (Revelation 17:5)] is steadily working to bring in and enact the 7th and final occult Kingdom [NWO] of the human world. -- Soon, as the study progresses all the introduction material will be grouped and categorized [like the blog Bible Study] into an easy to access list of Topics. [article link]
The Garden of Eden [Pre-Flood of Noah] Part 1 - (Kent Hovind) Creation Seminar (YouTube) These Seminars are NOT copyrighted. If you are interested in helping support Kent Hovind his video series is available on DVD at shopping.drdino.com/category-exec/category_id/39/nm/Seminar .... The Garden of Eden, part two of the seminar series, describes the earth as it was before the worldwide flood. Dr. Hovind explains in detail how it was possible for man to live over 900 years, for plants and animals to grow much larger than today, and for dinosaurs to thrive along with man. This Creation Seminar is only one of the seven listed below: Creation Seminar 1 - The Age of the Earth, Creation Seminar 2 - *The Garden of Eden, Creation Seminar 3 Dinosaurs and the Bible, Creation Seminar 4 - Lies in the Textbooks, Creation Seminar 5 - The Dangers of Evolution, Creation Seminar 6 - The Hovind Theory, Creation Seminar 7 - Questions and Answers. [article link]
Creationist Kent Hovind Reveals The Truth About The Garden of Eden [Pre-Flood of Noah] and Creation! (Google Video) Kent Hovind - 1 hr 56 min 19 sec - Mar 2, 2006 - www.drdino.com [article link]
Ancient Egypt Temples-Home to the Gods {Note: Where the occult (witchcraft) activities of Nimrod and the Tower (Temple) of Babel seems to have espoused mankind to an occult marriage with fallen spirits - The 2nd Kingdom Egypt seems to have moved on to the next step [after an occult marriage] as ancient Egypt primarily practiced an occult form of afterlife. - The afterlife or eternal life is not possible by humans alone. A human would have to mix, mingle, mate (wedding, 'born again') an eternal Spirit in order for mortal humans to then become [unhindered] immortal (eternal, appart from hell). What is being practiced in the occult realm is an attempt at immortality apart from God in Jesus Christ. It is the deception of the occult that fallen spirit beings [fallen angels] and demons can offer afterlife to mankind. - Also Note: The Holy Angels without exception seek to glorify God in Jesus Christ. The fallen unholy angels without exception are attempting to deny God and in the process defile mankind.} In ancient Egypt temples were constructed to house the numerous deities, both male and female, that were at the center of Egyptian mythology and religion. The beliefs held by the ancient Egyptians were more than just the foundation of a religion, these beliefs were central to the everyday life of Egyptian citizens. ... Inside these ancient Egyptian temples, there existed a segregated system of sanctuaries. The sanctuaries were divided by the spiritual level of the persons allowed to enter them. Those who had not yet reached a spiritual worthiness were not allowed to enter the innermost chambers. In ancient Egypt temples there was also sometimes an exterior complex comprised of gardens and courtyards. Through the years in ancient Egypt temples served a variety of purposes. Without a doubt, it appears that the primary purpose of most temples in ancient Egypt was to house and care for the gods to which they were dedicated. It seemed the very existence and good fortune of
the entire land of Egypt rested upon tending the gods. The worst fate that could befall a city was failing to care for the temple of the patron god. A god who lacked attention would become angry and flee the temple, leaving the citizens of that town open to all kinds of disasters. Beyond serving the needs of the god who resided in the temple, some temples also served other purposes. No king could rule the Egyptian nation without first becoming a god. In an elaborate ceremony the new pharaoh would enter the temple, along with the high priests. Once inside the most exclusive chambers of the temple, rites would be performed which would transform the mere mortal pharaoh into a deity to be revered and worshipped by the Egyptian people. Still yet, some temples in Egypt were reserved for the worship of the king, who was also considered a deity, after his death. The wealth and sophistication in design of the temples in ancient Egypt vary greatly. The Temple of Karnak at Luxor and the Temple of Deir El Bahari are two of the most well known ancient Egypt temples. [article link]
Ancient Crowns - Egyptian Crown [Very similar to Tower of Babel - Nimrod crowns (except Egyptian crowns are larger and longer)] {Note: It is a common theme throughout each of the 7 earthly Kingdoms that each Kingdom is following in the footsteps of the predecessor Kingdom yet each is deliberately presenting their new Kingdom in a bigger, more powerful and more grandiose way than the previous Kingdom or Kingdoms were able to accomplish.} (Photos) The crown in the ancient world came in many shapes and forms. They were made of very costly material, symbolizing royalty [deity, eternal life] and sovereignty. [article link]
A stone carving of Pharaoh Akhenaten [crowned] and his wife, Nefertiti worshiping the sun (Photos) Picture 2: Pharaoh Akhenaten and his wife, Nefertiti: Prayer to the sun-god [article link]
Tower of Bable Crowns: An artist's depiction of...... the Tower of Babel? "Treasure of Nimrod" - This stone carving was found in Iraq [1988] near the ancient city of Babylon - There are clearly two suns [Christ, Antichrist] in the sky and everyone is looking up at them - The tallest figure (wearing the horns of the bull... Nimrod's old crown) appears to be a giant [carrying a bow and holding an arrow - Revelation 6:2 rider of the white horse, the arrow now hidden (false peace) in Revelation - End Times] {Note: The 'cone shaped' Tower and all the helmets (head coverings) look Egyptian - seemingly or clearly the Egyptian pharaohs were carrying on the tradition and spirit (Mystery fallen angelic Babylon) as revealed to Nimrod.} (Photo) This stone carving (above) was found in Iraq [1988] near the ancient city of Babylon (Bagdad) [the ancient city of Babylon, located 85 kilometers (53 miles) south of Baghdad - wiki.com]. Historians falsely interpret this illustration so I invite you to look at it carefully. There are clearly two suns in the sky and everyone is looking up at them. The tallest figure (wearing the horns of the bull... Nimrod's old crown) appears to be a giant. Giants in the Bible were roughly 18 feet tall. The dome-shaped object is too perfect to be a mountain peak. Instead, imagine that it's the "top" of the Tower of Babel. [article link]
Ancient Egypt Temples-Home to the Gods In ancient Egypt temples were constructed to house the numerous deities, both male and female, that were at the center of Egyptian mythology and religion. The beliefs held by the ancient Egyptians were more than just the foundation of a religion, these beliefs were central to the everyday life of Egyptian citizens. ... Inside these ancient Egyptian temples, there existed a segregated system of sanctuaries. The sanctuaries were divided by the spiritual level of the persons allowed to enter them. Those who had not yet reached a spiritual worthiness were not allowed to enter the innermost chambers. In ancient Egypt temples there was also sometimes an exterior complex comprised of gardens and courtyards. Through the years in ancient Egypt temples served a variety of purposes. Without a doubt, it appears that the primary purpose of most temples in ancient Egypt was
to house and care for the gods to which they were dedicated. It seemed the very existence and good fortune of the entire land of Egypt rested upon tending the gods. The worst fate that could befall a city was failing to care for the temple of the patron god. A god who lacked attention would become angry and flee the temple, leaving the citizens of that town open to all kinds of disasters. Beyond serving the needs of the god who resided in the temple, some temples also served other purposes. No king could rule the Egyptian nation without first becoming a god. In an elaborate ceremony the new pharaoh would enter the temple, along with the high priests. Once inside the most exclusive chambers of the temple, rites would be performed which would transform the mere mortal pharaoh into a deity to be revered and worshipped by the Egyptian people. Still yet, some temples in Egypt were reserved for the worship of the king, who was also considered a deity, after his death. The wealth and sophistication in design of the temples in ancient Egypt vary greatly. The Temple of Karnak at Luxor and the Temple of Deir El Bahari are two of the most well known ancient Egypt temples. [article link]
The Pyramids of Giza - Each of the three [great] pyramids had a complete monumental complex of mortuary temples, Mastabas tombs, smaller subsidiary pyramids, in which members of the royal family and officials were buried - The whole complex was connected, by a causeway, to three valley temples and the sphinx - These in turn were linked, by a cannel, to the Nile [river] There are three pyramids at Giza, each of which once had an adjoining mortuary temple. Attached to this temple would have been a covered causeway descending down to a valley temple, near the Nile. The 'great' pyramid itself is truly an astonishing work of engineering skill - for over four thousands years, until the modern era, it was the tallest building in the world. [article link]
Wikipedia.org: Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt - The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt - It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact - It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu Entrance: The entrance of the Pyramid - Today tourists enter the Great Pyramid via the Robbers' Tunnel dug by workmen employed by Caliph al-Ma'mun around AD 820. The tunnel is cut straight through the masonry of the pyramid for approximately 27 metres (89 ft), then turns sharply left to encounter the blocking stones in the Ascending Passage. Unable to remove these stones, the workmen tunnelled up beside them through the softer limestone of the Pyramid until they reached the Ascending Passage. It is possible to enter the Descending Passage from this point, but access is usually forbidden. ... [afterlife] Boats: Khufu ship - There are three boatshaped pits around the pyramid, of a size and shape to have held complete boats, though so shallow that any superstructure, if there ever was one, must have been removed or disassembled. In May, 1954, the Egyptian archaeologist Kamal el-Mallakh discovered a fourth pit, a long, narrow rectangle, still covered with slabs of stone weighing up to 15 tons. Inside were 1,224 pieces of wood, the longest 23 metres (75 ft) long, the shortest 10 centimetres (0.33 ft). These were entrusted to a native boat builder, Haj Ahmed Yusuf, who slowly and methodically worked out how the pieces fit together. The entire process, including conservation and straightening of the warped wood, took fourteen years. The result is a spectacular cedar-wood boat 43.6 metres (143 ft) long, its timbers held together by ropes, which is now currently housed in a special boatshaped, air-conditioned museum beside the pyramid. During construction of this museum, which stands above the boat pit, a second sealed boat pit was discovered. It was deliberately left unopened in the hope that future excavation techniques will allow more information to be recovered. Looting: Although succeeding pyramids were smaller, pyramid building continued until the end of the Middle Kingdom. However, as authors Briar and Hobbs claim, "all the pyramids were robbed" by the New Kingdom, when the construction of royal tombs in a desert valley, now known as the Valley of the Kings, began. Joyce Tyldesley states that the Great Pyramid itself "is known to have been opened and emptied by the Middle Kingdom", before the Arab caliph Abdullah al-
Mamun entered the pyramid around AD 820. [article link]
Wikipedia.org: Pyramid - A pyramid's design, with the majority of the weight closer to the ground, and with the pyramidion on top means that less material higher up on the pyramid will be pushing down from above: this distribution of weight allowed early civilizations to create stable monumental structures Ancient monuments: Pyramid-shaped structures were built by many ancient civilizations. Mesopotamia [Iraq]: The Mesopotamians built the earliest pyramidal structures, called ziggurats. In ancient times, these were brightly painted. Since they were constructed of sun-dried mud-brick, little remains of them. Egypt: Egyptian pyramids The ancient pyramids of Egypt. The most famous pyramids are the Egyptian pyramids - huge structures built of brick or stone, some of which are among the world's largest constructions. The age of the pyramids reached its zenith at Giza in 2575-2150 B.C. As of 2008, some 138 pyramids have been discovered in Egypt. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest in Egypt and one of the largest in the world. Until Lincoln Cathedral was finished in AD 1311, it was the tallest building in the world. The base is over 52,600 square meters in area. While pyramids are associated with Egypt, the nation of Sudan has 220 extant pyramids, the most numerous in the world. The Great Pyramid of Giza was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is the only one to survive into modern times. The Ancient Egyptians covered the faces of pyramids with polished white limestone, containing great quantities of fossilized seashells. Many of the facing stones have fallen or have been removed and used to build the mosques of Cairo. ... Mesoamerica [central America]: Pyramid in the Mayan city of Chichen Itza, Mexico. A number of Mesoamerican cultures also built pyramidshaped structures. Mesoamerican pyramids were usually stepped, with temples on top, more similar to the Mesopotamian ziggurat than the Egyptian pyramid. The largest pyramid by volume is the Great Pyramid of Cholula, in the Mexican state of Puebla. This pyramid is considered the largest monument ever constructed anywhere in the world, and is still being excavated. The third largest pyramid in the world, the Pyramid of the Sun, at Teotihuacan is also located in Mexico. There is an unusual pyramid with a circular plan at the site of Cuicuilco, now inside Mexico City and mostly covered with lava from an eruption of the Xitle Volcano in the first century BC. There are several circular stepped pyramids called Guachimontones in Teuchitlán, Jalisco as well. Pyramids in Mexico were often used as places of human sacrifice. North America: Many mound-building societies of ancient North America built large pyramidal earth structures known as platform mounds. Among the largest and best-known of these structures is Monk's Mound at the site of Cahokia, which has a base larger than that of the Great Pyramid at Giza. While the North American mounds' precise function is not known, they are believed to have played a central role in the mound-building people's religious life. Roman Empire: Pyramid of Cestius in Rome. The 27-metre-high Pyramid of Cestius was built by the end of the first century BC and still exists today, close to the Porta San Paolo. Another one, named Meta Romuli, standing in the Ager Vaticanus (today's Borgo), was destroyed at the end of the 15th century. There is also a Roman era pyramid built in Falicon, France. There were many more pyramids built in France in this period. [article link]
Egyptian Afterlife Ceremonies, Sarcophagi, Burial Masks - Ancient Egyptian civilization was based on religion; their belief in the rebirth after death became their driving force behind their funeral practices. Death was simply a temporary interruption, rather than complete cessation, of life, and that eternal life could be ensured by means like piety to the gods, preservation of the physical form through Mummification, and the provision of statuary and other funerary equipment Ancient Egyptian civilization was based on religion; their belief in the rebirth after death became their driving force behind their funeral practices. Death was simply a temporary interruption, rather than complete cessation, of life, and that eternal life could be ensured by means like piety to the gods, preservation of the physical form through Mummification, and the provision of statuary and other funerary equipment. Each human consisted of the physical body, the 'ka', the 'ba', and the 'akh'. The Name and Shadow were also living entities. To enjoy the afterlife, all these elements had to be sustained and protected from harm. Before the Old Kingdom, bodies
buried in desert pits were naturally preserved by desiccation. The arid, desert conditions continued to be a boon throughout the history of ancient Egypt for the burials of the poor, who could not afford the elaborate burial preparations available to the elite. Wealthier Egyptians began to bury their dead in stone tombs and, as a result, they made use of artificial mummification, which involved removing the internal organs, wrapping the body in linen, and burying it in a rectangular stone sarcophagus or wooden coffin. Beginning in the Fourth Dynasty, some parts were preserved separately in canopic jars. By the New Kingdom, the ancient Egyptians had perfected the art of mummification; the best technique took 70 days and involved removing the internal organs, removing the brain through the nose, and desiccating the body in a mixture of salts called natron. The body was then wrapped in linen with protective amulets inserted between layers and placed in a decorated anthropoid coffin. Mummies of the Late Period were also placed in painted cartonnage mummy cases. Actual preservation practices declined during the Ptolemaic and Roman eras, while greater emphasis was placed on the outer appearance of the mummy, which was decorated. Wealthy Egyptians were buried with larger quantities of luxury items, but all burials, regardless of social status, included goods for the deceased. Beginning in the New Kingdom, books of the dead were included in the grave, along with shabti statues that were believed to perform manual labor for them in the afterlife Rituals in which the deceased was magically reanimated accompanied burials. After burial, living relatives were expected to occasionally bring food to the tomb and recite prayers on behalf of the deceased. Egyptians also believed that being mummified was the only way to have an afterlife. Only if the corpse had been properly embalmed and entombed in a mastaba, could the dead live again in the Fields of Yalu and accompany the Sun on its daily ride. ... Arriving at one's reward in afterlife was a demanding ordeal, requiring a sin-free heart and the ability to recite the spells, passwords, and formulae of the Book of the Dead. ... Much of what we know about art and life in ancient Egypt has been preserved in the tombs that were prepared for the protection of the dead. The Egyptians believed that the next life had to be provided for in every detail and, as a result, tombs were decorated with depictions of the deceased at his funerary meal, activities of the estate and countryside, and the abundant offerings necessary to sustain the spirit. Many surviving Egyptian works of art were created to be placed in the tombs of officials and their families. Through the ritual of "opening the mouth," a statue of the deceased (known as a "ka statue") was thought to become a living repository of a person's spirit. Wall paintings, reliefs, and models depict pleasurable pastimes and occupations of daily life. Always these images have deeper meanings of magical protection, sustenance, and rebirth. The mummy was surrounded with magic spells, amulets, and representations of protective deities. [article link]
[Egypt - (Turquoise) Gems Kingdom] Egyptian Jewelry And Gems - Religious Use: Jewelry was valued not for beauty only, but for the magical protection it provided - Egyptians didn't make a distinction between amulets [protection - good luck charms] and ornamental [dress-up] jewelry - Amulets were worn from infancy through death - Due to this religious role, jewelry items were much needed by the deceased in his afterlife journey, and jewelry was buried with the dead - In fact ancient Egyptians prepared themselves from early life to their death day by collecting as much protective jewelry as possible to be buried with them Design Rules: As with other forms of Egyptian art design of jewelry followed strict rules to fulfill it's religious role. Any change in the representation of religious symbols resulted in a loss of protective value. it was undesirable to change the designs of any objects such as the royal cartouches or crook and flail - Every material had a religious value - Minerals and metals were identified with specific deities as well as with specific spiritual and therapeutic values. - Color Code: Every Color had a certain mythological meaning, and the use of colored gems was confined to this code. -- Turquoise (Greenish blue) The oldest known mines of turquoise were quarried in the Sinai by about 3000 BC For the next two thousand years, great quantities of turquoise were mine in the peninsula. At Serabit el-Khadem Egyptians set up a large and systematic operation - This soft precious stone was the most popular gem in ancient Egypt, due to it's relatively easy workability and the abundance of local quarries - It was used for beads by the Egyptians. Combined with other ornamental stones, the turquoise was inlaid in gold to produce very sophisticated articles of jewelry - The bright mineral enamels
of powdered turquoise were used to color everything from fine small statues to bricks. - The Eye of Horus amulet was commonly made from the green malachite - Sacred scarabs amulets were carved from this gem. Lapis Lazuli (Deep blue or violet in color and usually flecked with yellow iron pyrites) Imported from Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. Egyptian believed that this gem possessed life-giving powers. The Book of the dead describes Horus in a heavenly firmament in the form of a hawk and "his torso is made of blue stone" - Blue was the color of the heavens, water, and the primeval flood [creation myth - not the flood of Noah], and it represented creation and rebirth. Jasper (Red or reddish brown) - Red symbolized fire and blood of Isis - The gem was thought to be beneficial in the treatment of infertility. Malachite (Green, the colors in the individual bands range from a very light green to deep forest green with occasional irregular black banding) Malachite is a form of copper ore. Hydrous copper carbonate is responsible for the green color of tarnished copper and bronze. - Hathor was titled the "lady of Malachite", which was connected to health Reputed to have strong therapeutic properties, Egyptians believed that wearing malachite in bands around the head and arms protected the wearer from epidemics - Due to its opaque nature, malachite was usually cut and shaped into a cabochon or formed into beads. - The Egyptians used malachite primarily in collar beads - Malachite powder was used in eye makeup, which had a protective function in fighting eye infections. Carnelian (Varied from dark brown to light brown colors) Symbolized the warm blood of life - Carnelian's healing properties were thought to help purify the blood, and relieve the back pain. Amazonite (Pale pastel blue-green and may also exhibit fine white streaks) - Its light blue color symbolized good luck and fertility. It was associated with turquoise and lapis lazuli. Amethyst (Pale pinkish violet) This gem had no mythological importance in ancient Egypt, in contrast to the Greeks who believed that it helped to prevent drunkenness and intoxication. -- Roman Jewelry: - Secular Use - Function: Many of the jewelry accessories seen throughout ancient Rome had functional, as well as decorative value. A common jewelry item of Rome was the brooch, which was used to secure clothing items. Another utilitarian jewelry was the fibula, which was an ornately decorated clothing accessory resembling a large safety pin that was used as a clothing fastener. - Decoration: Roman decoration jewelry consisted mainly of bracelets, necklaces, pendants, earrings and rings - Unlike Egyptians, Roman practical jewelry items were inherited by family members, and never buried with the deceased. [article link]
Gold (Turquoise) Eye of Horus Amulet Pendant [modern jewlery - $159.99] (Photo) Eyes were particularly common as amulets, as were gemstones; the best-known eye amulet being the ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus which is associated with regeneration, health, and prosperity. It was very common as an amuletic talisman in ancient Egypt since ancient Egyptians were imbued with the belief that the Eye of Horus has magical properties to ward off the evil eye or evil and was worn for good health, protection and general well being. The left eye symbolises the Moon and the right eye symbolises the Sun. [article link]
[Secular] Egyptian Deities in the Garden of Eden - Presented at the annual meeting of the American Research Center in Egypt, St. Louis 1996 by Gary Greenberg - This paper attempts to introduce the idea that the biblical Creation stories, from the dawn of Creation through Noah's Flood, derive from Egyptian cosmogony, more specifically, the Theban doctrine of Creation - The Theban doctrine holds that in the beginning there was the great primeval flood known as Nu or the Nun This paper attempts to introduce the idea that the biblical Creation stories, from the dawn of Creation through Noah's Flood, derive from Egyptian cosmogony, more specifically, the Theban doctrine of Creation. Thebes came late to the political scene in Egypt and its view of Creation attempted to incorporate the ideas of Memphis, Heliopolis and Hermopolis into a new cosmology that subordinated the chief deities of those cults to Amen, chief deity of Thebes. The Theban doctrine holds that in the beginning there was the great primeval flood known as Nu or the Nun. The god Amen then appeared in a series of forms, first as an Ogdoad, then as Tatenen (a Memphite name for Ptah identified with the primeval hill), then as Atum, who created the first gods, then as Re. After this he created humanity, organized the Ennead, appointed the four male members of the
Hermopolitan Ogdoad as his divine fathers and priests, and appointed Shu as their leader. Another Theban tradition holds that Osiris built the first city at Thebes. To equate all these ideas with the biblical Creation stories would be a massive undertaking, far beyond the scope of this short paper. Therefore I will deal only with a small piece of this very large subject. In this paper I will just compare some elements of the Heliopolitan cycle with the biblical account of Adam and Eve and the second day of Creation. ... Summary: In conclusion, I note that the bible places Israel's formative years as a cultural entity in Egypt, and its leading figures, Joseph and Moses, were educated in Egypt's traditions. What they new about the origins of the world they learned in Egypt, and what they wrote about those origins should surely have had an Egyptian influence. Yet, while scholars are willing to admit all sorts of Semitic pagan influences on early Hebrew historical beliefs, they treat the idea of Egyptian influence as far too profane for intense examination. I hope in this paper I have been able to at least raise some interest in more closely examining the [false] idea that Egyptian ideas greatly influenced the writing of early biblical history. {Note: The concepts, practices, laws, medicines, religion, etc. that Moses wrote about in the Pentateuch [first five books of the Bible] were completely foreign [i.e. the 8 Feasts of Leviticus chapter 23] and in many cases the opposite of the traditional teachings of ancient Egypt.} [article link]
*Note: Monday - back to blogging and very excited about it! Topics for this week: First some Bible verses that have been important guidance [the equality of God, the righteousness of God, the Holiness of God and the independence of God] for the Basic Christian Ministry are going to be posted. Then a wrap-up for this year regarding the Jewish Fall Feast Days. Also a completion of the study of generational sin [all children are conceived and born in the original sin of Adam and Eve and also have received at conception some of the accumulated sins of the previous 3 or 4 generations]. Then content about the current state of Presidential politics [Basic Christian is not going to blog either the 2010 or the 2012 elections] and the current merging of politics and the New World Order (NWO) [7th Kingdom] system. Then the beginning/resuming of the 8 Kingdoms of the World Study picking up again with Nimrod [1st Kingdom] and the [Kingdom] Tower of Babel and including in the study a study and background regarding "The Days of Noah." --- Also the new Basic Christian resource BasicChristian.air is now available and is recommended for download and use, some help and information about the file will be provided this week as well. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Tower of Babel May Have Been Located Near the Black Sea [West and North of the traditional location for Noah's Ark] in a remote region of eastern Turkey - He believes he has found a possible location near a place whose name means "Gate of God," the same literal meaning as Babel - In the Tower of Babel story in the book of Genesis, Noah's descendants [journeyed from east (the Ark) to Shinar] led by Nimrod arrived at Babel in the land of Shinar - Sanders' work is a challenge to conventional beliefs - Traditionally, biblical scholars and archaeologists have placed the dawn of [after Noah] civilization in Mesopotamia [directly South of what is considered to be the site of the Ark of Noah], the area bounded by the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, now mostly located in Iraq -- "Genesis 11:1-5 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, *as they journeyed from the east, **that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded." Tower of Babel May Have Been Located Near the Black Sea - Sent in by Elias Dangoor - A British archaeologist claims he has discovered the site of one of the most famous buildings in history, the biblical Tower of Babel, in a remote region of eastern Turkey. Michael Sanders, a classical publisher, believes new satellite photographs from Nasa, the American space agency, and a reinterpretation of ancient biblical text suggest that mythical tower actually existed - in the Pontus region of the Black Sea coast of Turkey. Most archaeologists believe
Babel was located in Mesopotamian Babylon, the ruins of which lie South-west of Baghdad in Iraq. Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader, has even attempted to rebuild ancient Babylon, erecting badly constructed brick walls at the site. The remains of several huge ziggurats, or stepped towers, near Babylon have given further credence to the theory that the tower was in Mesopotamia. But there has never been any physical proof. "A location in Pontus makes much more sense in terms of the Biblical story," said Sanders last week. He believes he has found a possible location near a place whose name means "Gate of God," the same literal meaning as Babel. In the Tower of Babel story in the book of Genesis, Noah's descendants led by Nimrod arrived at Babel in the land of Shinar. On his arrival Nimrod, known as the mighty hunter, decided to build a tower up to heaven. But God punished the people for their arrogance in trying to build such a folly. To cause confusion among the builders and make their job impossible, God made them all speak different languages rather than their common tongue. Sanders has reviewed a number of old texts, including the Targum Yonathan an Aramaic version of the Bible. It reports the tower was located in the "Land of Shinar" and that this was found in the ancient territory of Pontus. "I was amazed to find after I decided that Pontus was the most likely location that several modern academics make this place the origin of all the modern languages of the West. Not Africa, not Mesopotamia, but right there, where I believe the Tower of Babel was." Other researchers who believe the origins of the Bible lie in the Black Sea region include Robert Ballard, the discoverer of the Titanic, who is currently working on a three-year research programme on the Black Sea, which he believes could be the location of the biblical flood. David Rohl, a Manchester classicist, claims that many of the events of Genesis, such as the flood, took place in eastern turkey but places the Tower of Babel in Mesopotamia. Other academics have suggested the tower could have been an observatory. Another theory is that it was an altar to the all-powerful Mesopotamian god Marduk and his consort Zupinatu. One text went so far as to claim it was topped with a "cedar-made bed and gold-engraved throne." But Sanders is dubious. "We just don't know what the function was. In ancient times, there was a compulsion to build high to get closer to God." Sanders' work is a challenge to conventional beliefs. Traditionally, biblical scholars and archaeologists have placed the dawn of civilisation in Mesopotamia, the area bounded by the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, now mostly located in Iraq. The main historical event linking Babylon with the Tower of Babel story is the fall of the temple tower built by King Etemenanki, which was rebuilt by Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar II. The name Babel in Genesis is thought to be a play on the words for Babylon, gate of God, and "confuse." The English word babble is derived from the story. Sanders is planning an expedition to the "Turkish Babel" in the spring of next year. "This theory might appear unconventional to some people but to many early scholars it would have made sense. A lot of the belief that Babylon is Babel stems simply from the similarity of the two names," he said. From The Sunday Times. [article link]
Over the years "The Two Babylons" [a book initially published in 1853 as a pamphlet by Reverend Alexander Hislop - infamous for his outspoken criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church] has impacted the thinking of many people, ranging all the way from those in radical cults to very dedicated Christians who hunger for a move by God but are concerned about anything [Babylonian] that might quench His [Holy] Spirit - Its basic premise is that the pagan religion of [very] ancient Babylon [Nimrod, Tower of Bable] has continued to our day [wrongly concluding that Paganism/New Age "Mystery Babylon" is] disguised as the Roman Catholic Church, prophesied in the Book of Revelation as "Mystery Babylon the Great" [Revelation chapter 17] thus, the idea of two Babylons - one ancient and one modern -- As time went on, however, I [Ralph Woodrow] began to hear rumblings that Hislop was not a reliable historian - it became clear: Hislop's "history" was often only an arbitrary piecing together of ancient myths - For these and many other reasons, I pulled my own book, Babylon Mystery Religion, out of print despite its popularity - I have since replaced this book with The Babylon Connection? {Conclusion: of Kingdom 1 - Nimrod and the Tower (Temple) of Babel -- Next: is Kingdom 2 (Egypt) with Pharaoh Akhenaten (Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1)} The subtitle for Hislop's book is "The Papal Worship Proved to Be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife." Yet when I went to refer ence works such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, The Americana, The Jewish Encyclopedia, The Catholic Encyclopedia, The Worldbook Encyclopedia - carefully reading their articles on "Nimrod" and
"Semiramis" - not one said anything about Nimrod and Semiramis being husband and wife. They did not even live in the same century. Nor is there any basis for Semiramis being the mother of Tammuz. I realized these ideas were all Hislop's inventions. ... While seeking to condemn the paganism of Roman Catholicism, Hislop produced his own myths. By so doing, he theorized that Nimrod, Adonis, Apollo, Attes, Baal-zebub, Bacchus, Cupid, Dagon, Hercules, Januis, Linus, Lucifer, Mars, Merodach, Mithra, Moloch, Narcissus, Oannes, Odin, Orion, Osiris, Pluto, Saturn, Teitan, Typhon, Vulcan, Wodan, and Zoroaster were all one and the same. By mixing myths, Hislop supposed that Semiramis was the wife of Nimrod and was the same as Aphrodite, Artemis, Astarte, Aurora, Bellona, Ceres, Diana, Easter, Irene, Iris, Juno, Mylitta, Proserpine, Rhea, Venus, and Vesta. ... Building on similarities while ignoring differences is an unsound practice. Atheists have long used this method in an attempt to discredit Christianity altogether, citing examples of pagans who had similar beliefs about universal floods, slain and risen saviors, virgin mothers, heavenly ascensions, holy books, and so on. As Christians, we don't reject prayer just because pagans pray to their gods. We don't reject water baptism just because ancient tribes plunged into water as a religious ritual. We don't reject the Bible just because pagans believe their writings are holy or sacred. The Bible mentions things like kneeling in prayer, raising hands, taking off shoes on holy ground, a holy mountain, a holy place in the temple, pillars in front of the temple, offering sacrifices without blemish, a sacred ark, cities of refuge, bringing forth water from a rock, laws written on stone, fire appearing on a person's head, horses of fire, and the offering of first fruits. Yet, at one time or another, similar things were known among pagans. Does this make the Bible pagan? Of course not! If finding a pagan parallel provides proof of paganism, the Lord Himself would be pagan. The woman called Mystery Babylon had a cup in her hand; the Lord has a cup in His hand (Ps. 75:8). Pagan kings sat on thrones and wore crowns; the Lord sits on a throne and wears a crown (Rev. 1:4; 14:14). Pagans worshiped the sun; the Lord is the "Sun of righteousness" (Mal. 4:2). Pagan gods were likened to stars; the Lord is called "the bright and Morning star" (Rev. 22:16). Pagan gods had temples dedicated to them; the Lord has a temple (Rev. 7:15). Pagans built a high tower in Babylon; the Lord is a high tower (2 Sam. 22:3). Pagans worshiped idolatrous pillars; the Lord appeared as a pillar of fire (Exod. 13: 21-22). Pagan gods were pictured with wings; the Lord is pictured with wings (Ps. 91:4). ... I have since replaced this book with The Babylon Connection? a 128-page book with 60 illustrations and 400 footnote references. It is an appeal to all my brothers and sisters in Christ who feel that finding Babylonian origins for present-day customs or beliefs [in Christian Churches] is of great importance. My advice, based on my own experience, is to move cautiously in this area, lest we major on minors. If there are things in our lives or churches that are indeed pagan or displeasing to the Lord, they should be dealt with, of course. But in attempting to defuse the confusion of Babylon, we must guard against creating a new "Babylon" (confusion) of our own making. -- reviewed by Ralph Woodrow [article link]
Background - The 8 Kingdoms Study: The 7 worldly Kingdoms starting with Nimrod and the Tower of Babel cumulate in the coming Kingdom of Antichrist, Satan's reign on earth and is replaced by the Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom of Jesus Christ - The Bibles' Book of Daniel [chapter 2] gives us the most information regarding both the structure and sequence of the 8 Kingdoms Structure of the Kingdoms: The Jewish prophet Daniel interprets a dream from the Babylonian King [3rd Kingdom] Nebuchadnezzar. In the dream given from God to Nebuchadnezzar there is a statue that is presented in diminishing prominence [diminishing occult value]. The statue in the dream has a head of gold, a chest of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron and finally feet of part iron and part clay. - Meaning that as Satan is forming and building his eventual Antichrist Kingdom it [deception - the submission/slavery of mankind to Satan] is being accomplished primarily in seven predetermined and calculated events. According to the dream given by God the events [concepts] that Satan is introducing into the human realm are diminishing in importance to Satan. The earlier Kingdoms revealed the most necessary concepts and accomplishments that Satan desired to use to build his coming Kingdom. Meaning that the [major] building blocks [of deception] for the coming Antichrist Kingdom are already in place and have been in place for several Millenniums and what is being accomplished now is the final tuning and implementation of an occult structure that already exists and
has existed for a very long time. According to the dream with the 'head of gold' etc. the big shifts in human behavior and deception have already occurred and the future and final Antichrist deception is not going to be a radically new element but simply an element that was already exposed [primarily in the 1st Kingdom - the Kingdom of Nimrod] and a combining of all the existing elements of deception into the one grand deception of Antichrist. - The dream given to King Nebuchadnezzar is in the 3rd Kingdom and begins with the head of gold but by the time of the Babylonian Kingdom of King Nebuchadnezzar there have already been two Kingdoms [Nimrod and Egypt] and each of the two previous [occult] Kingdoms would have been more important [valuable] than even the head of gold of the Babylonian Kingdom. -- An etching in one of the anchor stones of Noah's Ark represents Nimrod's Tower of Babel and an accompanying etching in the shape of a diamond is thought to represent Nimrod himself. Diamonds being more valuable than gold [and considered the most valuable commodity on earth] could very well have been the occult element of the Tower of Babel, Kingdom of Nimrod. - Briefly, diamonds [diamond ring] even today represent an engagement of a pending marriage [a necklace representing marriage, a bracelet representing friendship]. It's possible that the Tower (Temple) of Babel [the most significant occult event initiated from Satan to mankind - and still instituted today in a minor form in the LDS/Mormon cult rituals of Temple ordinances and marriages] was intended to be the demonic mating [marriage] between the human soul/spirit and the demonic spirit/realm [physically expressed in DNA (animal and human) gene-splicing] in what will eventually be accomplished in the coming 666 Antichrist Mark of the Beast. In short the Tower (Temple) of Babel was a Satanic ritual [passage] that 'engaged' (espoused) mankind to a future wedding [666 union] with Demonic spirits. [article link]
The Hope Diamond: The history of the stone which was eventually named the Hope diamond began when the French merchant traveller, Jean Baptiste Tavernier, purchased a 112 3/16-carat diamond. This diamond, which was most likely from the Kollur mine in Golconda, India - Tavernier sold the diamond to King Louis XIV of France in 1668 with 14 other large diamonds and several smaller ones. In 1673 the stone was recut by Sieur Pitau, the court jeweler, resulting in a 67 1/8-carat stone - In 1791, after an attempt by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to flee France, the jewels of the French Royal Treasury were turned over to the government - During a week-long looting of the crown jewels in September of 1792, the French Blue diamond [Hope Diamond] was stolen - In 1812 a deep blue diamond described by John Francillion as weighing 177 grains (4 grains = 1 carat) was documented as being in the possession of London diamond merchant, Daniel Eliason The first reference to the diamond's next owner is found in the 1839 entry of the gem collection catalog of the well-known Henry Philip Hope, the man from whom the diamond takes its name. Unfortunately, the catalog does not reveal where or from whom Hope acquired the diamond or how much he paid for it. Following the death of Henry Philip Hope in 1839, and after much litigation, the diamond passed to his nephew Henry Thomas Hope and ultimately to the nephew's grandson Lord Francis Hope. In 1901 Lord Francis Hope obtained permission from the Court of Chancery and his sisters to sell the stone to help pay off his debts. It was sold to a London dealer who quickly sold it to Joseph Frankels and Sons of New York City, who retained the stone in New York until they, in turn, needed cash. The diamond was next sold to Selim Habib who put it up for auction in Paris in 1909. It did not sell at the auction but was sold soon after to C.H. Rosenau and then resold to Pierre Cartier that same year. In 1910 the Hope diamond was shown to Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean, of Washington D.C., at Cartier's in Paris, but she did not like the setting. Cartier had the diamond reset and took it to the U.S. where he left it with Mrs. McLean for a weekend. This strategy was successful. The sale was made in 1911 with the diamond mounted as a headpiece on a three-tiered circlet of large white diamonds. Sometime later it became the pendant on a diamond necklace as we know it today. Mrs. McLean's flamboyant ownership of the stone lasted until her death in 1947. Harry Winston Inc. of New York City purchased Mrs. McLean's entire jewelry collection, including the Hope diamond, from her estate in 1949. This collection also included the 94.8carat Star of the East diamond, the 15-carat Star of the South diamond, a 9-carat green diamond, and a 31carat diamond which is now called the McLean diamond. For the next 10 years the Hope diamond was shown at many exhibits and charitable events world wide by Harry Winston Inc., including as the central attraction of
their Court of Jewels exhibition. On November 10, 1958, they donated the Hope diamond to the Smithsonian Institution, and almost immediately the great blue stone became its premier attraction. [article link]
The Hope Diamond [Displayed] in Smithsonian Museum - Diamond is the strongest mineral found on earth Diamond is also the most precious and the most priceless jewel - In Europe, during the middle age, diamonds were assumed to be the reflectors of Jesus Christ In Myanmar, there were a fact about the blue diamond which caused an exotic case to the world. The case started from the diamond embedded on the forehead of a Buddha Image in Ananda Temple, Bagan. The diamond was stolen from the image and many people who had the diamond were cursed and ended their lives with unexpected deaths. The background history of the blue diamond still remains a mystery. [article link]
Hope Diamond's Red Glow Explained - The storied Hope Diamond glows red when exposed to ultraviolet light - This once mysterious phenomenon unlocks the unique identity of individual diamonds - The stone flitted between European royal houses and through the upper-crust of America's Gilded Age - In 1958, famed jeweler Harry Winston donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution by mailing it in a brown paper bag Headline Links: 'Hope Diamond's Red Glow Explained' The Hope Diamond, arguably the world's most famous blue diamond, was found to emit a soft red glow for several seconds when placed under ultraviolet light. Scientists have discovered why and found that this phosphorescence is common among colored diamonds. The centerpiece of the Smithsonian Institution's United States Gem Collection, the 45.52-carat diamond was the subject of research by a team of geologists. Using spectrometers, the scientists discovered that the Hope Diamond shared similar wavelength patterns with other naturally blue diamonds. When exposed to UV light, all blue diamonds glow either red or blue-green. Source: Discovery Channel. [article link]
Wikipedia: Hope Diamond - Housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. - It is currently unset [the stone has been removed from the necklace] for the first time since it has been on display {The Hope Diamond is propbaly 'unset' for the purpose of being used in occult rituals.} The Hope Diamond (previously "Le bleu de France") is a large, 45.52 carats (9.10 g), deep-blue diamond, housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. The Hope Diamond is blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within its crystal structure, but it exhibits red phosphorescence after exposure to ultraviolet light. It is classified as a Type IIb diamond, and is famous for supposedly being cursed. It is currently unset for the first time since it has been on display. ... Legend: According to specious later accounts, the original form of the Hope Diamond was stolen from an eye of a sculpted statue of the goddess Sita, the wife of Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu. However, much like the "curse of Tutankhamun", this general type of "legend" was the invention of Western authors during the Victorian era, and the specific legends about the Hope Diamond's "cursed origin" were invented in the early 20th century to add mystique to the stone and increase its sales appeal; see The "Curse" section below. ... A new mounting: The stone is to be temporarily reset in a newly designed necklace, created by the Harry Winston firm. Three designs for the new setting, all white diamonds and white metal, were created and the public was allowed to vote on them via the internet. The winning necklace will debut sometime in 2010. The Hope has been displayed as a loose gem since late summer of 2009. [article link]
{Flashback} Smithsonian Puts Mysterious Crystal Skull on Display - Nonetheless, the giant crystal skull that mysteriously arrived at the Smithsonian 16 years ago is out of its locked cabinet in Walsh's office and will be on public view until Sept. 1 - Studying this skull led Walsh to extend her investigation into crystal skulls in other museums and to conclude that all are fakes, made in the 19th and 20th centuries - seems to have been made between 1950 and 1960 - Indeed, no crystal skulls have ever been found at an archaeological site
WASHINGTON - Some mysteries are such fun you almost don't want to know the truth. That may help explain why people are fascinated with crystal skulls. Happy to share the spotlight with the latest Indiana Jones movie, the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History is putting its crystal skull on display starting Thursday. "People like to believe in something greater than themselves," Smithsonian anthropologist Jane MacLaren Walsh said, and crystal skulls are mysterious and beautiful. The skulls "are a fascinating example of artifacts that have made their way into museums with no scientific evidence to prove their rumored pre-Columbian origins," she added. ... Crystals carved into the shape of a human skull fed the 19th century's need for drama and mystery and its fascination with death. They were supposed to be the creation of ancient Mesoamericans - Aztecs, Mixtecs, Toltecs, perhaps Maya. ... The skulls were claimed to represent the art and religion of these peoples. Some even said the skulls had special, even supernatural, powers. Scientists say it ain't so. ... Of the many crystal skulls in museums and private collections around the world, the Smithsonian's is one of the largest, at 10 inches high and weighing 30 pounds. It was mailed to the museum anonymously, accompanied by a note claiming it was of Aztec origin. It's isn't, Walsh said. The skulls were carved from blocks of quartz - sometimes called rock crystal and show the marks of modern carving tools. That means they were not made before the 19th century. The Smithsonian one, she said, seems to have been made between 1950 and 1960. Indeed, no crystal skulls have ever been found at an archaeological site. [article link]
{Flashback} [Hoax Alert] War message found inside Abraham Lincoln's watch - A long-hidden message has been discovered inside Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch, the Smithsonian's Museum of American History announced Tuesday - The actual (2009) message that the museum found [displayed] differs from the watchmaker's (1906 interview with The New York Times) recollection A long-hidden message has been discovered inside Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch, the Smithsonian's Museum of American History announced Tuesday. Watchmaker Jonathan Dillon was repairing Lincoln's watch in April 1861 when he heard about the attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, and wrote a short message on the metal inside the watch, the Smithsonian said. ... In a 1906 interview with The New York Times, Dillon reported that as soon as he heard the news about the first shots of the Civil War, he unscrewed the dial of the watch and wrote on the metal, "The first gun is fired. Slavery is dead. Thank God we have a President who at least will try." The actual message that the museum found differs from the watchmaker's recollection. It says, "Jonathan Dillon, April 13-1861, Fort Sumpter [sic] was attacked by the rebels on the above date J Dillon, April 13-1861, Washington, thank God we have a government, Jonth Dillon." According to the Smithsonian, it was not unusual for professional watchmakers to record their work inside a watch. [article link]
Anchor Stones from Noah's Ark - [Carved] Symbols of Nimrod, the **diamond [on an Anchor Stone from Noah's Ark], are visible in bottom [right] half of photo - The [Byzantian era (285 A.D. - Fall of Constantinople May 29, 1453) - later Roman Empire, after the end of the early persecutions of Christian and up through the Crusades era] crosses were probably added later [the timing, style and carving talent of some of the crosses would indicate that professional stone carvers (Masons - i.e. early Freemasons, Knights Templars) carved some of the crosses] - Another anchor stone still partially buried - A [less talented] carving of the [round] tower of Babel, actually located in southern Turkey, may have been carved by someone who had seen it then returned to this area [northern Turkey] (Photos) Tour leader, Bill Fry, knocks on this large stone-like object that has a bark texture and may be the covering Noah removed from the ark as the waters were receding. The sound is a hollow, and high pitch. -- [Ancient] Crosses are visible on this, meaning that early Christians associated this object with a biblical event. Seven crosses can be found and probably had another at one time. ... Ancient wall made of extremely large mud bricks originally had a tile mural on it depicting Noah and the ark. Ron Wyatt saw this in 1977, but when he returned the next year the tiles had been removed. One of the locals in the village, remembers the tiles. Small bits of tile have been found at the base of the wall. Sadly, this ancient singular wall has since been destroyed. [article link]
Noahs Ark - Carved Byzantian, early Christian crosses testify to the ark site as a destination for pilgrims - Some stones show one large cross and seven smaller, the family of Noah - About 17 of such large stones were found (Photos) The Flood in the days of Noah began in the Jewish 10th month, November 2349 BC, on the 17th day and Noah and his family did not set foot on the post Flood earth until on the 27th day of the 2nd month, December 2348 BC, just over a year later. James Ussher, who studied these dates quite a bit, dates the events from the day Noah entered the ark on Sunday, December 7, 2349 BC to Thursday, December 18, 2348 BC when Noah and his family left the vessel of their rescue. If perhaps not exact, these dates are nevertheless a good approximation of the years involved according to biblical reckoning. Even though geologists today, are doubters of anything out of the ordinary, they don't seem to want to draw conclusions from the experience of a) the sudden appearance of the island of Surtsey, off the coast of Iceland on Friday November 8, 1963 and how life germinated there within a rather short time, b) the rapid changes brought on by the Mt. St. Helens eruption on Sunday May 18, 1980, c) and other, lesser known sudden flood models. When the fountains of the deep opened, these were features existing during pre-Flood times. The water of these `fountains' are now in the oceans of the world. When asked, `If there was such a flood, where is the evidence?' You can answer then, `The fossil record is the graveyard of the pre-Flood world.' The Bible teaches, the great Flood occurred because of most of mankind rejecting their Maker and engaging in perpetual sinning. Similarly today, the world is steeped in sin, but the next judgment will be by fire, not water. Agree or not, Bible prophecy points unerringly to a world and its history which will soon experience the judgments of God shortly before the Second Coming of Christ. [article link]
Durupinar site: The size and shape of the structure has led to its promotion by some believers as the original Noah's Ark - The Arzap Drogue Stones are a number of large standing stones found near the Durupinar site by amateur archaeologist Ron Wyatt with the aid of David Fasold and others - Fasold interpreted the artifacts as drogues, stone weights used to stabilize the Ark in rough seas, on the grounds that they all have a chamfered hole cut at one end as if to fasten a rope to them, and because the existence of such stones was suggested by his reading of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Babylonian mythical account of the flood (Photos) The Durupinar site is a large aggregate structure in the Mount Tendürek of eastern Turkey. The site is (2 miles) north of the Iranian border, (10 miles) southeast of Dogubeyazit, in the Agri Province, and eighteen miles south of the Greater Mount Ararat summit, at an elevation of 6,449 ft ~ 6,575 ft above sea level. The size and shape of the structure has led to its promotion by some believers as the original Noah's Ark. To mainstream scientists and most creationists, this is merely an interesting natural formation. The site is near several officially unnamed peaks, though locals call one of the nearby peaks Mount Judi, the mountain named in the Qur'an as the final resting place of Noah's Ark. Most scholars believe that Qur'anic Mount Judi is a different mountain near the Turkish/Iraqi border. ... Arzap Drogue Stones: The Arzap Drogue Stones are a number of large standing stones found near the Durupinar site by amateur archaeologist Ron Wyatt with the aid of David Fasold and others. Fasold interpreted the artifacts as drogues, stone weights used to stabilize the Ark in rough seas, on the grounds that they all have a chamfered hole cut at one end as if to fasten a rope to them, and because the existence of such stones was suggested by his reading of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Babylonian mythical account of the flood. - Mediterranean drogue stones of a much smaller size than the Arzap stones. Drogue stones were a feature of ancient ships, and were the ancient equivalent of a storm anchor. They have been found in the Nile and elsewhere in the Mediterranean area, and like the stones found by Wyatt and Fasold, they are heavy and flat with a hole for connecting a line at one end. Their purpose was to create drag in the water or along shallow sandy bottoms: the stone was attached to one end of a boat, and the drag produced would cause the bow or stern to face into the wind and the oncoming wind-blown waves. A geological investigation of samples from the stones, published by geologist Lorence Collins in co-authorship with their original discoverer David Fasold, suggested that they are formed of local rock and thus unlikely to have been transported to the site from Mesopotamia, the Ark's supposed place of origin. Similar stones are found throughout ancient Armenia, and are recognised to be pagan "holy stones" converted to Christian use (many
are found in Christian cemeteries) by the addition of crosses and other Christian symbols [article link]
Chuck Missler - The Days Of The Flood Of Noah [parts 1 & 2] (Mp3s) Chuck Missler : Great Messages Mp3s. [article link]
VFTB Live: Minister Dante Fortson - As the Days of Noah Were (Mp3) MINISTER DANTE FORTSON, host of The Omega Hour and author of the new book As The Days of Noah Were: The Sons of God and The Coming Apocalypse discusses fallen angels, the Flood, and why Christians today should study what most consider nothing more than an ancient legend. [article link]
ArkDiscovery.com: Noah's Ark Overview - Top Points to Consider - #7 matching [94 A.D.] Flavius Josephus' statement "Its [Noah's Ark's] remains are shown there by the inhabitants to this day" (Photos) Friends, please prayerfully consider the evidence you will see on Noah's Ark. It may not be important or necessary for you to learn of this discovery, but there are millions of people who need confirmation of biblical artifacts in order to strengthen their faith in God and the Bible. Satan is strongly attacking this and other discoveries in order to deceive men of God's truth. All the false stories about finding Noah's ark were created by Satan to "muddy the water," and cause disbelief in the genuine. [article link]
Discovery of the real Noah's Ark - Ron Wyatt - Part 1 (YouTube) Archaeologist Ron Wyatt and his team discover Noah's Ark! Extremely interesting to watch. [article link]
Discovery of the real Noah's Ark - Ron Wyatt - Part 2 (YouTube) The continuation and conclusion of Ron Wyatt's discovery of Noah's Ark! Conclusive evidence that shows the Great Flood is not a myth! [article link]
ArkDiscovery.com: Biblical Archeology - Ron Wyatt's "Discovered Series" (5 DVD Set $22) The entire DVD series of the late Ron Wyatt's discoveries. This amazing series will show such discoveries as: The Red Sea Crossing site, Mt. Sinai, Noah's Ark, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Ark of the Covenant and dozens of other faith building discoveries! 4 hour, 20 minute DVD covering the all the discoveries, plus Ron Wyatt presentations. Select a larger quantity of 10 or 50 and receive a price reduction, perfect for you to resell or give away while spreading the word about the discoveries. [article link]
As The Days of Noah Were - Luke 17:26: "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man" The Reason for the Flood: It was the infusion of these strange (demonic) beings into the human predicament that brought on the Flood of Noah. The Flood was preceded by four generations of prophets/preachers warning of the coming judgment: Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. It seems that this was part of Satan's stratagem to corrupt the line of Adam to prevent the fulfillment of the Messianic redemption. Noah was apparently unique in that his genealogy was still uncorrupted. The strange events which led to the flood are also alluded to in ancient mythologies. The legends of the Greek "titans"---partly terrestrial, partly celestial--embrace these same memories. (The Greek titan is linguistically linked to the Chaldean sheitan, and the Hebrew satan.) [article link]
As it was in the Days of Noah - The time leading up to the Great Flood was a lot like our time in that it was characterized by a deliberate and increasing disregard for the ways of God As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man (Matt 24:37). The time leading up to the Great Flood was a lot like our time in that it was characterized by a deliberate and increasing disregard for the ways of God. Finally "the Lord saw how great man's wickedness on earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time" (Gen. 6:5). ... the sequence of events suddenly became so obvious to me. Enoch was taken alive from earth and the Holy Spirit was withdrawn. Then in Gen. 6:5 man's behavior is described as having become unbearably wicked and in Gen. 7 the judgement came, in that order. Enoch's name means teaching and according to Jude 14-15 he gave the first prophecy of the 2nd coming. ... If Enoch is indeed a model of the church and if the Lord's prophecy of Matt 24:37 includes the sequence of events, as seems likely, then one day soon we will be taken alive (raptured) from earth, the Holy Spirit withdrawn. Man's behavior will become unbearably wicked and the judgement will come, all in that order. As it was in the days of Noah. Selah. [article link]
The "Days of Noah" Are Here - The Bible tells us that we are to live "holy and righteous" in this age - We are to be actively sharing the gospel in order for others to be redeemed - precisely because "the days are evil" That describes today quite accurately. Those who have normalized homosexual behavior have done so to the point of thinking anyone who opposes it are "crazy," "homophobic," "intolerant," and "bigots." -- For Bible believing, Christ following born-again Christians, such derogatory views and labels are only perpetuating deception about this dangerous behavior. Furthermore, homosexual activism both secular as well as in the church distracts people from what is truly most important in this life - that is - confessing and repenting of sin and knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us that we are to live "holy and righteous" in this age. We are to be actively sharing the gospel in order for other to be redeemed - precisely because "the days are evil." ... This world is filled with lust, murder, theft, adultery, fornication, lying, idol worship and the list could go on and on. Yet, most sane people do not advocate for churches to accept such concepts as "sanctified." However, this is exactly what is being done in liberal "Christian" churches throughout America! Claiming that a particular sin should be allowed to be "sanctified" within Christ's church body meaning, all believers is an abomination to God! It is a form of idol worship. It is, in fact, as the Scriptures inform us, "exchanging the truth for a lie!" [article link]
Jesus said, "As in the Days of Noah" Violence Filled the Earth Jesus spoke far ahead of his time relating to us what life would be like just prior to his coming. He says in Matt. 24:37-38: "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." [article link]
AS IT WAS IN NOAH'S DAY The Lord Jesus Christ informs us that before He returns certain conditions will exist in society in general. These conditions are a sign to believers that His Second Coming is near. There has always been corruption in society, but the idea here is of such decadence and depravity reaching the point of no return. The Lord makes use of two Old Testament characters to illustrate the characteristics and conditions that will exist at all levels of humanity prior to His Second Coming. As it was in the days of Noah and as it was in the days of Lot. [article link]
AnswersInGenesis.org: Was There Really a Noah's Ark & Flood? - The account of Noah and the Ark is one of the most widely known events in the history of mankind. Unfortunately, like other Bible accounts, it is often taken as a mere fairy tale - The Bible, though, is the true history book of the universe, and in that light, the most-asked questions about the Ark and Flood of Noah can be answered with authority and confidence History has shown that technology can be lost. In Egypt, China, and the Americas the earlier dynasties built
more impressive buildings or had finer art or better science. Many so-called modern inventions turn out to be re-inventions, like concrete, which was used by the Romans. Even accounting for the possible loss of technology due to the Flood, early post-Flood civilizations display all the engineering know-how necessary for a project like Noah's Ark. People sawing and drilling wood in Noah's day, only a few centuries before the Egyptians were sawing and drilling granite, is very reasonable! The idea that more primitive civilizations are further back in time is an evolutionary concept. In reality, when God created Adam, he was perfect. Today, the individual human intellect has suffered from 6,000 years of sin and decay. The sudden rise in technology in the last few centuries has nothing to do with increasing intelligence; it is a combination of publishing and sharing ideas, and the spread of key inventions that became tools for investigation and manufacturing. One of the most recent tools is the computer, which compensates a great deal for our natural decline in mental performance and discipline, since it permits us to gather and store information as perhaps never before. [article link]
Holy Ghost Revival Sermons Online: "Conviction and the Altar" The Days of Noah (Mp3) You are hearing a 12 minute preview of the sermon "Conviction and the Altar" The full 1 hour sermon link is listed below! [article link]
Bible Verses - The Equality of God: "Luke 3:4-6 ... Prepare ye (you) the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled [equality], and every mountain and hill shall be brought low [equality]; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall *see {but not all flesh will receive} the salvation of God." The Equality of God: "Exodus 16:15-18 And when the children of Israel saw it [manna], they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. **And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating." -- "Matthew 20:6-10 And about the eleventh hour He [Jesus] went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto Him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the Vineyard [Harvest Field]; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the Lord of the Vineyard saith unto His steward [Holy Spirit], Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny [full day's wages]. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny." [article link]
Bible verses - The Independence of God: "Revelation 19:11 And I [Disciple John] saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He [Jesus] that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns [authority]; and **He had a Name written, that no man knew, but He [God] Himself." The Independence of God: "Joshua 5:13-15 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by [the city of] Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a Man [Jesus] over against him with His sword drawn in His hand: and Joshua went unto Him, and said unto Him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And He [Jesus] said, Nay [neither]; but as Captain of the Host [Army] of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto Him, What saith my lord unto His servant? And [Jesus] the Captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is Holy. And Joshua did so." -- "2 Timothy 2:11-13 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us: If we
believe not, yet He abideth faithful: **He cannot deny Himself." [article link]
Bible verses - The Holiness of God: "Exodus 15:11-13 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in Holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out Thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy Holy habitation." The Holiness of God: "1 Chronicles 16:23--29 Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day His salvation. Declare His Glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all Nations. For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place. Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His Name: bring an offering, and come before Him: **worship the LORD in the beauty of [His] Holiness." -- "Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto Holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life [Holiness] through Jesus Christ our Lord." [article link]
Bible verses - The Righteousness of God: "Matthew 3:13-17 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John [the Baptist], to be baptized of him. But John forbad Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: **for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered Him. And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the Heavens were opened unto Him, and he [John the Baptist] saw the [Holy] Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This [Jesus] is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Righteousness of God: "1 Samuel 12:6-8 And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which He did to you and to your fathers. When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this [Promise Land] place." - "Isaiah 1:17-2 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. **Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." -- "Matthew 6:3 But [Christians] seek ye first the Kingdom of God [8th Kingdom], and **His righteousness; and all these [Heavenly Kingdom] things shall be added unto you." [article link]
Bible verses - The Goodnesss of God: "Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" The Goodnesss of God: "Exodus 33:17-23 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken [asked]: for thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name. And he [Moses] said, I beseech thee, shew me Thy Glory. And He [God] said, I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the Name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And He said, Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a Rock [Jesus]: And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand [ability] while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts [afterglow glory]: but My face shall not be seen." -- "Psalms 34:8-15 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him. O fear the LORD, ye His saints: for there is no want [eternally] to them that fear Him.
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto Me: I [Holy Spirit] will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace [in the Prince of Peace - Jesus Christ (Isaiah 9:6)], and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry." [article link]
Bible verses - The Submission of Mankind: "Isaiah 50:4-5 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth [me] morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back." The Submission of Mankind: "Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the Glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His Glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side." -- "Romans 13:1114 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. **And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." [article link]
Note: The Music with Message Compilations are Now in a New Location - i.e. Holiness.mp3 the #1 Download from Basic Christian for 2010 (Mp3) Christian music with message compilations. [article link]
ABOUT THIS SHOW - Learn how to effectively build Web 2.0 Technical Documentation using Adobe AIR Presented By RJ Jacquez (Adobe TV) An overview of how to leverage the powerful Adobe AIR platform in order to deliver engaging Web 2.0 Online Help. [article link]
Adding Links and RSS Feeds to an AIRHelp project [end user info begins about 3:30 in the video] (Adobe TV) Learn how easy it is to incorporate user-generated content into your Online Help by adding Links and RSS Feeds to an AIRHelp project in Adobe RoboHelp. [article link]
~Update: The Basic Christian Info Feed will be on a short break until about the 1st of October - Returning with the scheduled "8 Kingdoms of the World" study Note: Because of the current pause in the Info Feed the material recently posted [Rosetta Stone, Tower of Babble, Nimrod] regarding the 8 Kingdoms study has been posted as introduction and background material to the coming 8 Kingdoms study. When the Info Feed resumes about Oct. 1st the plan is to first finish up a pending study and then to do a short background study in "The Days of Noah" then to actually get started with the 8 Kingdoms study starting with the 1st global Kingdom, the Tower of Babel and Nimrod. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Basic Christian: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (PDF) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome - NWO] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ. [article link]
Coming Soon: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (RSS) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ [article link]
THE TOWER OF BABEL AND THE CONFUSION OF LANGUAGES by Lambert Dolphin - Nimrod's name is from the verb "let us revolt" - He is said to be a mighty hunter (gibbor tsayidh) in the sight of the Lord, but the language has a dark meaning - He becomes a tyrant or despot leading an organized rebellion against the rule of Yahweh (God) - He hunts not animals, but rather the souls of men - Cain, a condemned murderer had started the first cities before the Flood - Nimrod builds the first post-Flood cities - The region he settles in is now mostly modern Iraq Notes by James Montgomery Boice on Nimrod and Babel THE FIRST WORLD EMPIRE There is an interesting feature of Moses' treatments of these descendants of Ham that is at once recognizable to one who reads this chapter. It is the parenthesis that fills verses 8-12. It comes in the middle of the table of nations and, in a sense, interrupts it. These verses deal, not with the general movements of peoples and nations, but with one particular descendant of Cush, Nimrod, who is said to have been the founder of the first world empire. **Here is the first place in the Bible where the word "kingdom" occurs. Significantly, it is used, not of God's kingdom (as it is later), but of this first rival kingdom of Nimrod. This matter was obviously of great importance to Moses, for a related parenthesis occurs in the first nine verses of chapter 11, in the story of the tower of Babel. What is so significant about Nimrod? The fact that he established cities and built a kingdom is important, of course. But there is much more that can be said. Nimrod was the first person to become a "mighty" man. Our text calls attention to this by using the adjective "mighty" three times in describing him: "Nimrod ... grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, 'Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD'" (vv. 8, 9). The adjective also occurs in a similar way in 1 Chronicles 1:10. Why is this emphasized? Is it good or bad? A little thought will show that it is bad. The empire of Babylon under Nimrod was an affront both to God and man, an affront to God in that it sought to do without God (Gen. 11:1-9) and an affront to man in that it sought to rule over other people tyrannically. Martin Luther was on the right track when he suggested that this is the way the word "hunter" should be interpreted. This is not talking about Nimrod's ability to hunt wild game. He was not a hunter of animals. He was a hunter of men--a warrior. It was through his ability to fight and kill and rule ruthlessly that his kingdom of Euphrates valley city states was consolidated. -- The Tower of Babel by Ray C. Stedman - The fact that this was a religious tower-and yet built to make a name for man-reveals the master motive behind religion. It is a means by which man attempts to share the glory of God. We must understand this, otherwise we will never understand the power of religion as it has pervaded the earth and permeated our culture ever since. It is a way by which man seeks to share what is rightfully God's alone. This tower was a grandiose structure, and undoubtedly it was intended to be a means by which man would glorify God. Unquestionably there was a plaque somewhere attached to it that carried the pious words, "Erected in the year ___, to the greater glory of God." But it was not really for the glory of God; it was a way of controlling God, a way of channeling God by using him for man's glory. That is what man's religion has always sought to do. It is a way of making God available to us. Man does not really want to eliminate God. It is only sporadically and then only for a relatively brief time, that men cry out for the elimination of God. Atheism is too barren, too pessimistic and too morally bankrupt to live with very long. The communists are finding this out. No, we need "dear old God," but let's keep him under control. Do not let him get out of his place. "Don't call us, God; we'll call you." This is the fundamental philosophy of society. It is the tower of Babel all over again. (from The Beginnings, by Ray C. Stedman, Waco Books, 1978.) [article link]
{Flashback} Revelation 18 - The sins of Mystery Babylon will result in the plagues of God upon Mystery Babylon -- 'Revelation 18:1-5 And after these things I saw another Angel [messenger] come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with His Glory [Jesus Christ]. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all Nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication [unfaithfulness], and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. **And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins (Genesis 11:4) [The Tower of Babel] have reached unto Heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities [intentional sins].' Mystery Babylon is to be judged and destroyed all in a single day: Revelation 18:6-10 Reward her [Mystery Babylon] even as she rewarded [betrayed] you [humans], and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. *Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. ... Revelation 18:20-24 Rejoice over her [Mystery Babylon], thou Heaven, and ye Holy Apostles and Prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down (Jeremiah 51:63), and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. **And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. [article link]
An artist's depiction of...... the Tower of Babel? "Treasure of Nimrod" - This stone carving was found in Iraq [1988] near the ancient city of Babylon - There are clearly two suns [Christ, Antichrist] in the sky and everyone is looking up at them - The tallest figure (wearing the horns of the bull... Nimrod's old crown) appears to be a giant [carrying a bow and holding an arrow - Revelation 6:2 rider of the white horse, the arrow now hidden (false peace) in Revelation - End Times] {Note: The 'cone shaped' Tower and all the helmets (head coverings) look Egyptian - seemingly or clearly the Egyptian pharaohs were carrying on the tradition and spirit (Mystery fallen angelic Babylon) as revealed to Nimrod.} (Photo) This stone carving (above) was found in Iraq [1988] near the ancient city of Babylon (Bagdad) [the ancient city of Babylon, located 85 kilometers (53 miles) south of Baghdad - wiki.com]. Historians falsely interpret this illustration so I invite you to look at it carefully. There are clearly two suns in the sky and everyone is looking up at them. The tallest figure (wearing the horns of the bull... Nimrod's old crown) appears to be a giant. Giants in the Bible were roughly 18 feet tall. The dome-shaped object is too perfect to be a mountain peak. Instead, imagine that it's the "top" of the Tower of Babel. [article link]
Treasure of Nimrud [Nimrod] Is Found (1988) In Iraq, and It's Spectacular (Article Updated: June 6, 2003) BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The treasure of Nimrud survived 2,800 years buried near a dusty town in northern Iraq. It then spent 12 years tucked away in a vault. Until Thursday, it was uncertain whether it had survived Saddam Hussein's son, a U.S. missile strike, looters, a flood and a grenade attack. But it has been found intact in the
dark, damp basement of a bombed out central bank building. Thursday, directors of Iraq's National Museum and a team of U.S. Customs agents and officials from the Office of the Coalition Provisional Authority -- the Pentagon-run agency managing postwar Iraq -- cracked open five waterlogged wooden crates, peered inside and breathed a collective sigh of relief. There, in dozens of smaller boxes was the entire collection -- 613 pieces of gold jewelry, precious stones and ornaments from the height of the Assyrian civilization in 800 B.C. Together, the pieces weigh well over 100 pounds. The recovery of the artifacts, which hasn't been made public, is a great boost for the museum, which gained the world's attention in the days after the war when U.S. forces failed to prevent looters from hauling away thousands of artifacts from ancient civilizations that sprang up in the TigrisEuphrates valley. Experts said it was the worst ransacking of Iraq since Genghis Khan tore into Baghdad in the 13th century. While initial reports talked of some 170,000 pieces stolen, it is now clear that perhaps only a few thousand artifacts were taken, experts say. Many priceless objects from the museum are still missing, such as the sacred Vase of Warka, a Sumerian piece from about 3000 B.C. But museum officials moved hundreds of the most valuable items into storage rooms and secret locations only weeks before the war, including some 40,000 ancient books, Islamic manuscripts and scrolls spirited away in a bomb shelter. More than a thousand other pieces have been recovered by U.S. officials. -- Unearthed in 1988 by Iraqi archaeologists and never seen outside Iraq, the Nimrud treasure had been on public display at Baghdad's National Museum for just a few months before Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. Days after the invasion, the treasure was yanked from public view. Its whereabouts remained secret. -- One man who long wondered about the treasure was Jason Williams, a British anthropologist and filmmaker, who had tried in vain to film the Nimrud treasure in recent years. The only existing film of the pieces was taken when Iraqi archeologists made the discovery, with grainy images of an archaeologist holding up rings and bracelets still attached to the bones of their former owners. "These are Iraq's crown jewels," Mr. Williams said recently as he stepped over several feet of smashed glass, twisted metal and heaps of charred Iraqi dinars in the hull of the bank building destroyed by a U.S. missile strike. Although the building was gutted, the missile didn't damage the basement or the vaults. But a burst water pipe soon flooded the area. [article link]
Wikipedia: Tower of Babel - The Tower of Babel, according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar - The Tower of Babel has often been associated with known structures, notably the Etemenanki, a ziggurat [square tower] dedicated to Marduk (Satan - a late-generation god [name] from ancient Mesopotamia) by Nabopolassar (c.658 - 605 BC) [the first king of the [New] Neo-Babylonian Empire - he ruled over Babylon for 20 years (625 - 605 BC) - Nabopolassar was the father of Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:1) "Nebuchadnezzar (a later) king of Babylon"] - The Great Ziggurat [not the Tower of Babel] of Babylon base was square (not round), 91m in height, but was finally demolished by *Alexander the Great before his death in an attempt to rebuild it The Tower of Babel, according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar. According to the biblical account, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar, where they resolved to build a city with a tower "with its top in the heavens...lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the Earth." Yahweh came down to see what they did and said: "They are one people and have one language, and nothing will be withholden from them which they purpose to do." So Yahweh said, "Come, let us go down and confound their speech." And so Yahweh scattered them upon the face of the Earth, and confused their languages, and they left off building the city, which was called Babel "because Yahweh there confounded the language of all the Earth."(Genesis 11:5-8). The Tower of Babel has often been associated with known structures, notably the Etemenanki, a ziggurat dedicated to Marduk by Nabopolassar (c. 610 BC). The Great Ziggurat of Babylon base was square (not round), 91m in height, but was finally demolished by Alexander the Great before his death in an attempt to rebuild it. A Sumerian story with some similar elements is preserved in Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta. ... Narrative: The phrase "the Tower of Babel" does not actually appear in the Bible; it is always, "the city and its tower" or just "the city". Originally the city receives the name "Babel", from the word from ancient
Hebrew, "balal", *meaning to jumble. Various English translations use different vocabulary sometimes with different meanings; usually this causes no important difference to the story: one speech/vocabulary/same words, plain/valley, asphalt/bitumen/slime, children/men, confound/confuse; and sometimes the difference is important to later interpretations of the meaning of the story: may reach unto heaven/in the sky/will be in the skies (examples from King James, Holman Christian, and R E Friedman versions). ... Destruction: The account in Genesis makes no mention of any destruction of the tower. The people whose languages are confounded simply stop building their city, and are scattered from there over the face of the Earth. However, in other sources such as the Book of Jubilees (chapter 10 v.18-27), Cornelius Alexander (frag. 10), Abydenus (frags. 5 and 6), Josephus (Antiquities 1.4.3), and the Sibylline Oracles (iii. 117-129), God overturns the tower with a great wind. In the Midrash, it said that the top of the tower was burnt, the bottom was swallowed, and the middle was left standing to erode over time. [article link]
Nimrod: He Was And Will Be Again [In Type] - How does [Sumerian] Gilgamesh [found in extra-Biblical literature] (2000 B.C.) compare with "Nimrod?" Josephus says of Nimrod, Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God - He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah -- a bold man, and of great strength of hand - He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness In Genesis 10:8-11 we learn that "Nimrod" established a kingdom. Therefore, one would expect to find also, in the literature of the ancient Near East, a person who was a type, or example, for other people to follow. And there was. It is a well-known tale, common in Sumerian literature, of a man who fits the description. In addition to the Sumerians, the Babylonians wrote about this person; the Assyrians likewise; and the Hittites. Even in Palestine, tablets have been found with this man's name on them. He was obviously the most popular hero in the Ancient Near East. The person we are referring to, found in extra-Biblical literature, was Gilgamesh. The first clay tablets naming him were found among the ruins of the temple library of the god Nabu (Biblical Nebo) and the palace library of Ashurbanipal [Asnapper (Ezra 4:10)] Ashurbanipal "Ashur is creator of an heir"; 685 BCE - c. 627 BCE), also spelled Assurbanipal or Ashshurbanipal, [Asnapper, Osnapper] was the son of Esarhaddon and the last great king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (668 BCE - c. 627 BCE) - He established the first systematically organized library in the ancient Middle East, the Library of Ashurbanipal, which survives in part today at Nineveh - Wiki.com] in Nineveh (Jonah 1:2) [the ancient capital city of Assyria]. Many others have been found since in a number of excavations. The author of the best treatise on the Gilgamesh Epic says, The date of the composition of the Gilgamesh Epic can therefore be fixed at about 2000 BC. Though the stories in it relate an older previous period. The Epic of Gilgamesh has some very indecent sections. Alexander Heidel, first translator of the epic, had the decency to translate the vilest parts into Latin. Spieser, however, gave it to us "straight" (Pritchard 1955: 72). With this kind of literature in the palace, who needs pornography? Gilgamesh was a vile, filthy, man. Yet the myth says of him that he was "2/3 god and 1/3 man." -- How does Gilgamesh compare with "Nimrod?" Josephus says of Nimrod, Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah -- a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny -- seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his own power. He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers (Ant. 1: iv: 2). What Josephus says here is precisely what is found in the Gilgamesh epics. Gilgamesh set up tyranny, he opposed YHVH and did his utmost to get people to forsake Him. Two of the premiere commentators on the Bible in Hebrew has this to say about Genesis 10:9, Nimrod was mighty in hunting, and that in opposition to YHVH; not "before YHVH" in the sense of according to the will and purpose of YHVH, still less, . . . in a simply superlative sense . . . The name itself, "Nimrod" from marad, "we will revolt," points to some violent resistance to God . . . Nimrod as a mighty hunter founded a
powerful kingdom; and the founding of this kingdom is shown by the verb with vav consecutive, to have been the consequence or result of his strength in hunting, so that hunting was intimately connected with the establishing of the kingdom. Hence, if the expression "a mighty hunter" relates primarily to hunting in the literal sense, we must add to the literal meaning the figurative signification of a "hunter of men" (a trapper of men by stratagem and force); Nimrod the hunter became a tyrant, a powerful hunter of men (Keil and Delitzsch 1975: 165). After the Flood there was, at some point, a breakaway from YHVH [YHWH]. Only eight people descended from the [Noah's] Ark. Those people worshipped YHVH [YHWH - God]. But at some point an influential person became opposed to YHVH and gathered others to his side. Nimrod is the one who did it. Cain had done similarly before the Flood, founding a new city and religious system. [article link]
The Lengend of the Stagg [Hunter] - The Hungarian Legend of the Wondrous Stag is one of the oldest legends of the nation - In the legends of Iran the ruler Feridun, a Scythian king who was a descendant of Takhma Urupi (Nimrod), has three sons Tura, Sin, and Iredj - The first two stick together against the third son who inherits Iran - Tura becomes the ancestor of the Turanians, that is Scythians and Huns - Nimrod was known by several names in the Near East and was also symbolized by the constellations Sagitarius and Orion amongst the Turanian/scythian nations The Hungarian Legend of the Wondrous Stag is one of the oldest legends of the nation. It is so old that it is found in various forms among those nations who were the distant relatives or neighbors of the Hungarians, long before their settlement in Hungary. The meaning and the wording of the legends may have changed slightly but they all have much in common. Today the remaining legend is relatively short, whereas in the past it was probably much more extensive. However the Hungarian legend despite it's brevity includes in it many important points some of which can be found in most of the related legends found in other cultures. It is these points which show that once, in the remote antiquity, these people were neighbors or some were even related. The symbol of the cosmos and the mother of the sun was symbolized as a large horned female doe. The great horned doe often was shown carrying the sun in her horns, in some cases the sun itself was symbolized as a stag the son of the doe of the legend. The following Christmas song told by the Hungarian regos (bards) illustrate the stag as the carrier of the sun. ... Mesopotamia: Amongst the many names of the god of wisdom and co-creator EA are Daramah, meaning great stag. Dr Bobula Ida's essay on "The Great Stag, a Messopotamian Divinity", Buenos Aires is an excellent analysis and comparison of similar words and customs with Hungarian Regös customs of the end of the year and the traditions of the stag. For those who would like this sent to them by EMAIL, drop me a note. In Hungarian knowledge, wisdom is based on the root word Tan, Tud, while god is also Is-Ten. Therefore Tana is associated with Hea in meaning as well as Pisces. In the Sumerian legends of the antediluvian kings the legend of Etana is prominent. Etana's legend includes the visiting of heaven. In Hungarian mythology Nimrod is the son of Etana, just as in Kushan-Scythian "Kush-Tana" is the ancestor of the nation. In Asia Ten, Tien means god or heaven also and Teno was the title of Hun emperors as in early Egypt S-Ten. Similarly in Japanese. In Persian legend of the very early (pre Arian) period when Iran was civilized by a western Mesopotamian ruler, Takma Urupi (Tana=Takma) whose wife was also Eneth. Eneth or Nana are names of the mother goddess of waters, rivers, and fertility among Mesopotamian and Scythian peoples. She was symbolized by Virgo. -- Persian Version: In the legends of Iran the ruler Feridun, a Scythian king who was a descendant of Takhma Urupi (Nimrod), has three sons Tura, Sin, and Iredj. The first two stick together against the third son who inherits Iran. Tura becomes the ancestor of the Turanians, that is Scythians and Huns. Nimrod was known by several names in the Near East and was also symbolized by the constellations Sagitarius and Orion amongst the Turanian/scythian nations. The Persian Legend of the stag is Scythian in origin: Prince Rustvan-shad (Rustam?), the son of the Chinese? emperor (an eastern emperor, more likely the HUNs not the HANs) was hunting while he came across a wondrous stag: his fur was blue (heavenly symbol), and his eyes looked like rubies, his hooves shone as though they were of gold. This stag always lead him on and eluded him, he never could catch him. Finally it lead him to a small lake where it jumped into it's center and disappeared. The prince therefore camped and went to sleep and when he awoke he heard gay
laughing and music. Following the sounds he heard, he came to a wondrous marble palace, and there surrounded by a dozen beautiful young girls, sitting on a throne a beautiful goddess of a girl. He asked her who she was, and she replied "Only a tame DOE, and my name is Sehr-istani." (Old Iranian sraw=horn, Hungarian szarv, while Isten=god in old/pre-Iranian and Hungarian.) -- Egyptian Chase of the Ram: Whether we illustrate the story as the chase of the Stag or Ram is irrelevant because the name of the stag is based on the word horned, and can be any horned animal which is the symbol of the rebirth of light. The Egyptian Cushite version of the chase explains the chase of the "Horned" by the national ancestor-god-hero Osiris as follows. As to how the ram became the symbol of Ham, the following tradition survived. - When Osiris was returning home after his triumphant African tour, he and his army were unable to find water and were in a terrible state of dehydration. They were on the verge of death when a ram appeared in front of them. They viewed the appearance of the ram as a heavenly sign and they at once gave chase. To their great astonishment and relief the ram lead them to the shade and cool waters of an oasis. Osiris (Dionisus) explained the event by saying that the ram was Amon (who is symbolized as a ram) and to show his gratitude he raised a temple to his honor on the spot. Amon was elevated to the stars as the constellation of Aires (the ram) so that when the sun is in the house of Aires in spring, nature shall revive it's life. The Egyptian dictionary explains the word Cush to also mean tomb RAM, and this word is in accordance with the Hungarian word for ram KOSH. Nimrod and his people were Cushites and they also ruled Egypt at one time before founding Babylon. -- The Greek Version: The Greeks also inherited many legends from their Scythian neighbors, which included distorted versions of this story. Many Scythians were hired into Greek armies, and some were servants. Certain Scythians became prominent teachers in Greek cities. In the Greek story the twin sons of Zeus and Nemesis are known as Castor and Pollux. (GEMINI) Cas-tor and his brother Pollux steal the daughters of Leukepius. (LEUK=white) Cas-tor is the Cushite Tura, a son of Nimrod after whom northern Mesopotamia (Eturia) and the Aral and Caspian lowlands (Turan) were named. Pollux or Poly-deuces is Polly=Apolo is the sun god whose other Near Eastern name is Makar (MAGOR). Zeus was once a king in the Near East, a Kushite king (NIMROD) which the Greeks deified. Another Scythian legend recorded by the Greeks states that the sons of the Scythian king named SCYTHES were Palos (Polux) and Naes (Castor, Nesus are ancient ancestors of the Cushites). The meaning of SAKA, from which Scyth comes from means Chief, Lord. Another Greek recorded the legend of the MEGARI of Anatolia, and of course translated it into it's Greek equivalent, with slight changes. Here Zeus marries a Scythian Nymph of the area, and from their union is born Megaros, the ancestor of the people of Megari. Again the Scythian connection is emphasized with the results that the Megari, Magyari nation is created.) -- Finnic Version: In the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, the stag is the favorite animal of the queen of the underworld (Yumala), which leads the hero to his doom. Kaleva is the mythical kingdom where much of the epic takes place. It could be equated with Kalama of the Sumerians, the name of their country. -- Ugrian Version: In the legend of the Ostjak, the hunting pair, with their whole tribe are hunting for a raindeer. The animal baited them on towards the north, where finally it turned into fog. In the age, when the first ice-rain (snow) began to fall. (The coming of the ice age trapped the hunting nation?) In northern Siberia, the heavenly raindeer, symbolized by the big dipper, steals the sun, and that is why there is no sun for half a year in the arctic. When the mythical hunter, who is often symbolized by a bear, kills the female reindeer, it starts the new days. This is an important key to the stories, for the chase after the stag is a hunt for the return of the sun, which during winter is taken away by the stag. The hunters are searching for it's light and heat. Perhaps a southern migration from northern pastures with the coming of winter? The recapturing of it (the sighting of the southern constellation?) then brings back summer. The girls of the legend are the does, the daughters of light (Leukepius in Greek), who return the light and fertility of the sun. For that reason they have names which indicate "light, white, burning.." Dula=Gyula,Gyul..., Sar=gold,light, stag. Bular or Bugur=stag in Turkic. -- Japanese version: The twin brothers chase the stag. They get into an argument, probably about which way the stag disappeared, and one brother goes east and finds Japan, while the other goes west. -- Maya Indian version: The sons of Hun Hun-apu, the god of the hunt, are the heavenly twins [GEMINI],known as Hunapu (HUNOR) who is warlike like his father and Ixbalenque (MAGOR), who is more peaceful. Their adventures, with their 400 warriors includes the kidnapping the women. Their jealous half brothers chased them, but they turned them into monkeys (i.e. make monkeys of
them?). [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Antediluvian [Pre-flood] Civilizations - {The pre-flood civilization up until the days of Noah encompassed about 2,000 years of human history and probably involved several billion people. - Note: In the pre-flood earth it doesn't appear that there were any Kings or Governments and that the long lives [experience and expertise] of each individual precluded them from being reigned and ruled over by others. Instead of a governmental structure of Kings and Politicians the earth seemed to have been Governed strictly by each family patriarch (head) according to God's governance and that after the flood in the new, young and now naive post-flood civilization the inexperienced human civilization now required [and allowed strangers - nonfamily members] rulers and Kings and that Nimrod was possibly the first King though human history had existed for some 2,000 years before Nimrod. - Also Note: Jesus is not a stranger but He is family with everyone and as family He has our own individual best interest at His heart. Jesus is the kinsman (relative related) redeemer to everyone [we are created in God's image - relationship] and His (Fatherly, creation Brotherly, redemption and salvation) relationship to all humans is maintained via His Virgin (Divine) birth.} Introduction: "'Antediluvian civilizations'" are civilizations believed to have existed before the Great flood of Noah. If the fossil record is indeed the result of the Biblical flood as described in the Bible, then it is somewhat expected for evidence of antediluvian (pre-flood) civilizations to exist. It is assumed by many that humans reached advanced stages of technological development before the flood. Such presuppositions are usually based on the Biblical genealogy, which states that ancient people lived to approximately 10 times our current life span. Also it is frequently mentioned that Adam and Eve would likely possess higher than normal intelligence since they were created as adults, with knowledge that subsequent humans obtain from their parents. Another theory states that the antediluvian race called the Nephilim was superior to other humans in this respect. All accounts of the Great flood from civilizations around the world indicate that there were civilizations before the flood. However, as a result of the destruction during the flood and the passage of time, the remaining evidence is scanty. As a result of the flood, the earth was covered in hundreds of feet of sediment, and very little of the antediluvian horizon has been exposed. It is also problematic that the scientific community is quick to dismiss any artifacts that dispute their presupposed interpretation of the fossil record. Nevertheless, any truly advanced civilization would have left durable traces or constructions that would likely surface during excavations or by erosion. Relatively insightful accounts can be drawn from the Bible, apocrypha, and ancient Babylonian and Greek accounts of antediluvian civilization. ... Implications of the Tower of Babel: We can not dispute the existence of atypical knowledge possessed by Adam and Eve, however, we should also consider the tower of Babel curse as it relates to human accomplishments to that date. Monumental constructions are a great source of pride for humans. It was most likely this type of technological development that God attempted to retard by creating the language barriers at the tower of Babel. The Babel event suggests that the tower was the first major monument that mankind had ever built. It was the first construction that had no purpose but to be a monument [temple] to human achievement [based on Satanic interaction]. The tower was not a particularly important technological development [Babel was a major object of Satanic interaction between humans and Satan - harming humans to the extent of possibly permanently altering our human (DNA) making us more susceptible to disease, illness and further shortening our lifespan and also harming our psyche (soul) by lessening our confidence and our decision making capabilities making us even more susceptible to Satanic deceptions]. It was built out of bricks, and was therefore incomparable to even the limestone pyramids. In comparison to our modern building it was hardly more than a mud mound. Many better monuments would be built afterwards, but given God's reaction, it is logical to propose that nothing like it had been built prior to the flood. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- The Date of Noah's Flood - The placing of a catastrophic global flood in the year (about) 2304 BC [and Creation at about 4,000 B.C.] means that all civilizations discovered by
archaeology [today] must fit into the last 4,285 years {The flood of Noah (about 4,284 years ago) destroyed all the previous civilizations so about 4,284 years of land based archeology exists - though pre-flood archeology may well exist [and some evidence (artifacts 'Ooparts') have been found and do exist] deep under the sea or deep underground.} Since we exist in the present, we are really trying to find information that will enable us to add up the years between us and Noah's Flood. As our starting point we will take the Birth of Christ. It is unlikely anyone will dispute that Christ was born approximately 1,984 years ago. Since Christ is recorded as having referred to Noah's Flood as a past event it should be obvious that we need data that will take us back beyond 2,000 years. The next date we can put down with reliable certainty is 967 BC or 2,948 years ago. This is the date at which Solomon laid the foundation of the Temple (1 Kings 6:1). For those who are interested in the detailed evidence as to why this event can be placed in 967 BC I would refer you to Professor Edwin Thiele's work The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings. His work can be summarized by the statement that both the chronology of the Ancient Assyrian Culture and the Biblical record point to this date. The first verse of Kings chapter 6 is also useful in that it tells us there was a time span of 480 years (see Appendix 1) from the time Israel left Egypt (the Exodus) until Solomon began to build the Temple. The Exodus occurred therefore roughly 1,981 + 967 + 480 years ago (see Appendix 2) or 3,428 years ago or 1447 BC +/- 1 year. Why do I say +/- 1 year? As the chronologist compares the family trees or chronologies in the Bible, it is interesting to note that these lists use only whole years (e.g. Gen. 11). Now if a person is listed as being 44 years of age when their son was born, they may have been just 44 or nearly 45. Anywhere in this period of 12 months they are still 44. This introduces a margin of error of up to 12 months or 1 year for each person or event in such a list. -- As the Bible records the Flood a significant time before the Exodus, let us examine data which will take us back before this event. Paul, a university trained Jew, well skilled in the Hebrew language, the religion of the Jews and the writings of Moses, wrote in the early years of the Christian era, a letter to the church at Galatia (Galatians 3:17). He stated that the Israelites left Egypt to return to the promised land 430 years (see Appendix 3) after God gave the promise to Abraham, the founder of the Jewish race. According to Acts 7:4 and Genesis 12:1-4, Abraham was 75 years old when God gave him the promise and in the same year his father Terah was 205 years old and Abraham was born when Terah was 130 years of age (Gen.11:26-33). (See Appendix 4.) The statements of genealogy in Genesis 11:10-26, are father-son statements and link Abraham to Noah's son, Shem. The statements list the persons by name. Their year of birth against their father's age is listed and their father is named. These chronologies do not have missing generations; there are no gaps. If we add up the figures mentioned between Shem's 100th year (Gen. 11:10) and Abraham (Gen. 11:26) we get 350 years. Since 9 names are mentioned it is 350 years +/- 9 (9 margins of error of up to 1 year each). Genesis 11:10 tells us that Shem was 100 years old, 2 years after the Flood had finished. When was Noah's Flood? 1,981 years to AD 0 plus 967 years to the founding of Solomon's Temple plus 480 years to the end of the Exodus plus 430 years to the promise to Abraham plus 75 years to Abraham's birth plus 350 years to Shem's 100th birthday plus 2 years to the Flood. The Biblical data places the Flood at 2304 BC +/- 11 years. This date is, as expected, in conflict with secular archaeology which regards the Flood as either local or a myth and the Biblical chronologies as irrelevant or inaccurate. The placing of a catastrophic global flood in the year 2304 BC means that all civilizations discovered by archaeology must fit into the last 4,285 years. The significance of this fact will be pursued in later articles. [Ed.- for more information, see TJ 2 (1986), pp. 56-87 and TJ 3 (1988), pp. 96-136.] [article link]
Ancient Brass BELL (Oopart - Out of place artifact) Found Encased IN COAL supposed to be about 300 million years old! - the bell is an antediluvian [before the deluge, pre-flood] artifact made before the Genesis Flood (Noah's Ark) - For more detailed pictures of the bell and the [idol] demon-like figure on top, click here (Photos) In 1944, as a ten year old boy, Newton Anderson dropped a lump of coal in his basement and found that it contained this bell inside. The bituminous coal that was mined near his house in Upshur County West Virginia is supposed to be about 300 million years old! What is a brass bell with an iron clapper doing in coal ascribed to the Carboniferous Period? According to Norm Sharbaugh's book Ammunition (which includes several "coal
anecdotes") the bell is an antediluvian artifact (made before the Genesis Flood). The Institute for Creation Research had the bell submitted to the lab at the University of Oklahoma. There a nuclear activation analysis revealed that the bell contains an unusual mix of metals, different from any known modern alloy production (including copper, zinc, tin, arsenic, iodine, and selenium). -- Genesis 4:22 states that Tubal-Cain was "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron..." Perhaps when his civilization came to an end in the flood, this bell was buried with a mass of vegetation that became coal and ended up thousands of years later in Newt Anderson's coal bin. ... Later on, Newton Anderson spent a great deal of time researching the demon atop the bell. He discovered similarities to the Babylonian Southwest Wind Demon and the Hindu deity Garuda. Garuda is sometimes depicted on top of bells, as is the Egyptian Isis. [article link]
OOPARTS (out of place artifacts) & ANCIENT HIGH TECHNOLOGY -- Evidence of Noah's Flood? - Do unexplained technologies of the ancients provide possible proofs of Pre-flood civilizations? - If you believe that the flood of Noah actually happened, what was the state of the technology of (antediluvian) pre-flooders? Could they have left physical evidence of their existence? - We expect you to use your own knowledge filter (Christian discernment) on this site Point of View: We have a Biblical viewpoint on the world. Ooparts are evidence, we think, that the Flood actually happened. News items or magazine articles that report them may not have the same perspective that Christians do. When we read for instance, a scientific article that puzzles over our lack of genetic variability, we think of the Flood of Noah. We would include that article here, without editing, because we expect Christians to use their filters on such an article. That does not mean that we agree with the evolutionary timeframe given in said article. -- We think it's more interesting when general newspaper articles or science articles observe data that they might see one way, but that Christians might see another way given our own knowledge about God, creation and the flood. It's more interesting to quote Stephen Jay Gould saying that "the lack of transitional fossils is the trade secret of paleontology", than it might be to hear another Christian say it. So, no we don't believe the universe is millions or billions of years old. We don't know how old it is-we just know who created it and how long it took Him. We do not believe in pre-Adamic races, though we do believe that there were "civiilizations" prior to the Flood. We don't believe in space aliens or cooties. We expect you to use your own knowledge filter on this site. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- "Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven [sky] and the earth." - Christian Creationism vs. Secular Evolution Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven (sky) and the earth. - It is only through creation and not by means of evolution that people can be "created in the image of God" therefore creation is the very heart of the plan of God. "Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image ..." Either people are created and are therefore in the image of God making us capable of fellowship and able to have a relationship with God or we are involved in some random evolution process in a random universe that is without meaning and ultimately is totally useless. "Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every Nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made (created) heaven, and earth' ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- BasicChristian.org: Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual realms as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th realm being God's realm of unrestricted eternity} Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the
5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. Note: So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation [into our human realms] of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Also Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2. Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic [Nephilim spirits] - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -"Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Wikipedia: Dimension - A diagram showing the first four spatial dimensions [Length, Height, Width, Time via Movement] From left to right, the square, the cube, and the tesseract. The square is bounded by 1-dimensional lines, the cube by 2-dimensional areas, and the tesseract by 3-dimensional volumes. ... Time: Time is often referred to as the "fourth dimension". It is one way to measure physical change. It is perceived differently from the three spatial dimensions in that there is only one of it, and that we cannot move freely in time but subjectively move in one direction. The equations used in physics to model reality do not treat time in the same way that humans perceive it. The equations of classical mechanics are symmetric with respect to time, and equations of quantum mechanics are typically symmetric if both time and other quantities (such as charge and parity) are reversed. In these models, the perception of time flowing in one direction is an artifact of the laws of thermodynamics (we perceive time as flowing in the direction of increasing entropy). The best-known treatment of time as a dimension is Poincaré and Einstein's special relativity and extended to general relativity, which treats perceived space and time as components of a four-dimensional manifold, known as spacetime, and in the special, flat case as Minkowski space. -- Additional dimensions: Theories such as string theory and M-theory predict that physical space in general has in fact 10 and 11 dimensions, respectively. The extra dimensions are spacelike. We perceive only three spatial dimensions, and no physical experiments have confirmed the reality of additional dimensions. A possible explanation that has been suggested is that space acts as if it were "curled up" in the extra dimensions on a subatomic scale, possibly at the quark/string level of scale or below. Another less-held fringe view asserts that dimensions beyond the fourth progressively condense timelines and universes into single spatial points in the above dimension, until the tenth, where a 0-dimensional point equates to all possible timelines in all possible universes. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- 8 Kingdoms [Revelation 17:10] Introduction: Some brief criteria for the 8 Global Kingdoms of the earth - Throughout human history there have been many glorious [in man's eyes] Empires, Kingdoms and Dominions but only 8 of the Kingdoms of mankind are the incredible (Revelation 17:10) Kingdoms of the earth {Note: The Basic Christian blog History Study is also going to include some of the additional great Kingdoms primarily Hammurabi (Saudi Arabia), Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia), Solomon (Israel),
and Sennacherib (Assyria).} 8 Kingdoms Summary: The Seven incredible Global Gentile Kingdoms of Revelation 17:10 are Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and [revised Rome] the Antichrist Kingdom. While the 8th and final Kingdom is the eternal, righteous Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each of these 8 Kingdoms is going to share some remarkable similarities: Each Kingdom will have possessed all of or a majority of the world's wealth [gold, silver, precious gems] at one time. Each Kingdom has or will have knowledge [both public and secret knowledge] beyond that of their peers. The Kingdoms will also possess influence, military power and political prestige beyond the peers of their day. *Most importantly each of the 8 Kingdoms will also have exerted FAVORABLE influence over the Jews, over Jerusalem and over the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Nimrod [about two generations and 100 years after the flood of Noah] encompassed all of humanity including Abraham's forefather Arphaxad (Genesis 11:11), the Kingdom of Nimrod possessed all human wealth, knowledge and wisdom and the Kingdom of Nimrod built a Temple (the Tower of Babel). Egypt the 2nd Kingdom amassed much of the fortune of the world and much of the knowledge of the world and a great part of that fortune would be "favorably" given to the Jews at their Passover departure from Egypt (Exodus 3:21-22). The wealth of Egypt would then be used by the Jews in the building of the Tabernacle of God by Moses at Mt. Sinai (Saudi Arabia) and later the wealth of the Tabernacle would be transferred into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The wealth of the Temple in Jerusalem would be given back to Egypt by the Jewish King Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25-26). The 3rd Kingdom Babylon [initially very favorable to the Jews, Jerusalem and the Temple] captured the wealth of Egypt in Egypt and took it to their Palace in Babylon. The 4th Kingdom Persia [Iran] conquered Babylon [Iraq] and consolidated the wealth of the world into the Palace at Shushan (Esther 1:4) part of the wealth of Persia was given to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 45:28, 2 Chronicles 36:23). The 5th Kingdom Greece and Alexander the Great [on either 10 or 11 June 323 B.C., Alexander the Great died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon at the age of 32 - wiki.com]. King Alexander the Great who immersed the world in Greek thought and philosophy and after sparing the Jews, Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple then "at the age of 32" died among the wealth of ancient Egypt, Babylon and Persia. The 6th Kingdom Rome oversaw an extensive expansion in the size of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem beginning with Julius Caesar [July, 47 B.C.] Cæsar determines "That the Jews shall possess Jerusalem, and may encompass that city with walls; and that Hyrcanus, the son of Alexander, the high priest and ethnarch of the Jews, retain it in the manner he himself pleases ..." [Source: JewishEncyclopedia.com]. The 7th Kingdom the Kingdom of Antichrist is going to sign a favorable [7 year] covenant with the Jews and the Nation of Israel (Daniel 9:27) and will also in some way rebuild [and eventually occupy (Matthew 24:15)] the now destroyed Temple in Jerusalem. The 8th and final Kingdom the Eternal, Righteous Kingdom of Jesus Christ [Jesus being Jewish] will of course be very favorable to the Jews as Jesus will rule the entire world from the unprecedented Millennial Temple (Ezekiel 43:7) in Jerusalem. [article link]
Basic Christian: - The Basic Christian Bible Study: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth - The 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th Kingdom the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ -- The Kingdoms: beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) --- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) --- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon - Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) --- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) --- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) --- Julius Caesar (Rome - Luke 2:1) --- The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire (Daniel 7:19) - Antichrist (Satan - Daniel 7:20) emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire --- The Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or
throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments after (Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon) - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece - 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick
certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome - Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Revelation Chapter 17 - Mystery Babylon -- "Revelation 17:9-10 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. **The seven heads are seven [Kingdom] mountains, **on which [the seven Global Gentile Kingdoms] the woman [Mystery Babylon] sitteth. **And there are seven kings [Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt), Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon), Cyrus (Persia), Alexander the Great (Greece), Julius Caesar (Rome), Antichrist (Satan)]: five are fallen, and one (Rome) is [in the Disciple John's day], and the other (Revised Rome) is not yet come; and when he [Antichrist - Satan] cometh, he [7th Global King - Antichrist] must continue a short space." Revelation 17:1-18 And there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven vials [Great Tribulation measured bowl judgments of Revelation], and talked with me [Disciple John], saying unto me, Come hither [near]; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the Great Whore [Mystery Babylon] that sitteth upon many waters [people - Nations]: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication [intimacy], and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk [influenced] with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness [an empty place]: and I saw a woman [Mystery Babylon] sit upon a scarlet coloured beast [Revised Roman Empire], full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads [authority of all seven Gentile Global Kingdoms] and ten horns [Revised Rome]. And the woman [Mystery Babylon - spirit of Deception] was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints [of God], and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, *I wondered with great admiration [astonishment]. And the Angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. *The beast [Antichrist] that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. **The seven heads are seven [Kingdom] mountains, **on which [the seven Global Gentile Kingdoms] the woman sitteth. **And there are seven kings [Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt), Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon), Cyrus (Persia), Alexander the Great (Greece), Julius Caesar (Rome), Antichrist (Satan)]: five are fallen, and one (Rome) is [in the Disciple John's day], and the other (Revised Rome) is not yet come; and when he [Antichrist - Satan] cometh, he [7th Global King - Antichrist] must continue a short space. And the [7th] beast that was, and is not [gets assassinated], even he [then has a fake resurrection] is the eighth, and [but] is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns [Revised Roman Empire (Daniel 7:7)] which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour [a short time] with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast [Antichrist]. These shall make war with the Lamb
(Jesus Christ), and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the [manipulating] whore [of false religion], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great {unseen spiritual deception} city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. [article link]
Rosetta Stone - British Museum [Home Video] (YouTube) The Rosetta Stone - From Fort St Julien, el-Rashid (Rosetta), Egypt [Greek] Ptolemaic Period, 196 BC. Valuable key to the decipherment of [ancient Egyptian] hieroglyphs. The inscription on the Rosetta Stone is a decree passed by a council of priests, one of a series that affirm the royal cult of the 13-year-old Ptolemy V on the first anniversary of his coronation. -- In previous years the family of the Ptolemies had lost control of certain parts of the country. It had taken their armies some time to put down opposition in the Delta, and parts of southern Upper Egypt, particularly Thebes, were not yet back under the government's control. -- Before the [Greek] Ptolemaic era (that is before about 332 BC), decrees in hieroglyphs such as this were usually set up by the king. It shows how much things had changed from Pharaonic times that the priests, the only people who had kept the knowledge of writing hieroglyphs, were now issuing such decrees. The list of good deeds done by the king for the temples hints at the way in which the support of the priests was ensured.-- The decree is inscribed on the stone three times, in hieroglyphic (suitable for a priestly decree), demotic (the native script used for daily purposes), and Greek (the language of the administration). The importance of this to Egyptology is immense. Soon after the end of the fourth century AD, when hieroglyphs had gone out of use, the knowledge of how to read and write them disappeared. In the early years of the nineteenth century, some 1400 years later, scholars were able to use the Greek inscription on this stone as the key to decipher them. Thomas Young, an English physicist, was the first to show that some of the hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone wrote the sounds of a royal name, that of Ptolemy. The French scholar Jean-François Champollion then realized that hieroglyphs recorded the sound of the Egyptian language and laid the foundations of our knowledge of ancient Egyptian language and culture. -- [French] Soldiers in Napoleon's army discovered the Rosetta Stone in 1799 while digging the foundations of an addition to a fort near the town of el-Rashid (Rosetta). On Napoleon's defeat, the stone became the property of the English under the terms of the Treaty of Alexandria (1801) along with other antiquities that the French had found. -- The Rosetta Stone has been exhibited in the British Museum since 1802, with only one break. Towards the end of the First World War, in 1917, when the Museum was concerned about heavy bombing in London, they moved it to safety along with other, portable, 'important' objects. The Rosetta Stone spent the next two years in a station on the Postal Tube Railway fifty feet below the ground at Holborn. - C.A.R. Andrews, The Rosetta Stone-1 (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) - R. Parkinson, The Rosetta Stone (London, British Museum Press, 2005) - R. Parkinson, Cracking codes: the Rosetta St (London, The British Museum Press, 1999) - C.A.R. Andrews and S. Quirke, The Rosetta Stone: facsimile d (London, The British Museum Press, 1988) - R.S. Simpson, Demotic grammar in the Ptolema (Oxford, Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum, 1996). [article link]
History of the Rosetta Stone (Youtube) History of the Rosetta Stone and Israel Archaeology. Randall Niles looks at the importance of Egyptian Hieroglyphics to Biblical Studies. Visit www.AllAboutTheJourney.org/isr to read how the history of the Rosetta Stone and other Egyptian artifacts impact the integrity of the Jewish scriptures. Also, go to www.RandallNiles.com/videos.htm to watch more videos about the history of the Rosetta Stone and other archaeological treasures related to Israel Archaeology! [article link]
History Channel - Ancient Mysteries - The Rosetta Stone part 1 of 5 (YouTube) The Rosetta Stone is an Ancient Egyptian artifact which was instrumental in advancing modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. The stone is a [Greek] Ptolemaic era stele with carved text made up of three translations of a single passage: two in Egyptian language scripts (hieroglyphic and Demotic) and one in classical Greek. **It was created in 196 BC, **discovered by the French [men of Napoléon's army] in 1799 at Rosetta [near the town of el-Rashid (Rosetta) Egypt - Source: BritishMuseum.org] and contributed greatly to the deciphering of the principles of hieroglyph writing in 1822 by the British scientist Thomas Young and the French scholar Jean-François Champollion. Comparative translation of the stone assisted in understanding many previously undecipherable examples of hieroglyphic writing. The text on the stone is a decree from Ptolemy V, describing the repeal of various taxes and instructions to erect statues in temples. Two EgyptianGreek multilingual steles predated Ptolemy V's Rosetta Stone: Ptolemy III's Decree of Canopus, 239 BC, and Ptolemy IV's Decree of Memphis, ca 218 BC. -- The renaissance translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs in the early 1800s promulgated the immediate three-language translation of the tri-lingual Behistun Inscription in cuneiform scripts, by scaffolding work on the cliff-wall face, before the mid-1800s. Both hieroglyphs and cuneiform were starting a translation revolution, as were the physical sciences of describing fossil evolution. -The Rosetta Stone is 114.4 centimetres (45.0 in) high at its highest point, 72.3 centimetres (28.5 in) wide, and 27.9 centimetres (11.0 in) thick. It is unfinished on its sides and reverse. Weighing approximately 760 kilograms (1,700 lb), it was originally thought to be granite or basalt but is currently described as granodiorite of a dark grey-pinkish colour. The stone has been on public display at The British Museum since 1802. [article link]
History Channel - Ancient Mysteries - The Rosetta Stone 2 of 5 (YouTube) Modern-era discovery: In preparation for Napoleon's 1798 campaign in Egypt, the French founded the Institut de l'Égypte in Cairo which brought 167 scientists and archaeologists to the region. French Army engineer Captain Pierre-François Bouchard discovered the stone sometime the sources are not specific in mid-July 1799 (July 15 or July 19), while guiding construction work at Fort Julien near the Egyptian port city of Rashid (Rosetta). The Napoleonic army was so awestruck by this unheralded spectacle that, according to a witness, "It halted of itself and, by one spontaneous impulse, grounded its arms." (As quoted by Robert Claiborne, The Birth of Writing [1974], p. 24.) After Napoleon returned in 1799, 167 scholars remained behind with French troops which held off British and Ottoman attacks. In March 1801, the British landed on Aboukir Bay and scholars carried the Stone from Cairo to Alexandria alongside the troops of Jacques-Francois Menou. French troops in Cairo capitulated on June 22, and in Alexandria on August 30. -- After the surrender, a dispute arose over the fate of French archaeological and scientific discoveries in Egypt. De Menou refused to hand them over, claiming they belonged to the Institute. British General John Hely-Hutchinson, 2nd Earl of Donoughmore, refused to relieve the city until de Menou gave in. Newly arrived scholars Edward Daniel Clarke and William Richard Hamilton agreed to check the collections in Alexandria and found many artifacts that the French had not revealed. -- When Hutchinson claimed all materials as a property of the British Crown, a French scholar, Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, said to Clarke and Hamilton that they would rather burn all their discoveries referring ominously to the destruction of the Library of Alexandria - than turn them over. Hutchinson finally agreed that items such as biology specimens would be the scholars' private property. De Menou regarded the stone as his private property and hid it. How exactly the Stone came to British hands is disputed. Colonel Tomkyns Hilgrove Turner, who escorted the stone to Britain, claimed later that he had personally seized it from de Menou and carried it away on a gun carriage. Clarke stated in his memoirs that a French scholar and an officer had quietly given up the stone to him and his companions in a Cairo back street. French scholars departed later with only imprints and plaster casts of the stone. Turner brought the stone to Britain aboard the captured French frigate HMS Egyptienne in February 1802. On March 11, it was presented to the Society of Antiquaries of London and Stephen Weston played a major role in the early translation. Later it was taken to the British Museum, where it remains to this day. Inscriptions painted in white on the artifact state "Captured in
Egypt by the British Army in 1801" on the left side and "Presented by King George III" on the right. [article link]
History Channel - Ancient Mysteries - The Rosetta Stone 3 of 5 (YouTube) Experts inspecting the Rosetta Stone during the International Congress of Orientalists of 1874In 1814, Briton Thomas Young finished translating the enchorial (demotic) text, and began work on the hieroglyphic script. From 1822 to 1824 the French scholar, philologist, and orientalist Jean-François Champollion greatly expanded on this work and is credited as the principal translator of the Rosetta Stone. Champollion could read both Greek and Coptic, and figured out what the seven Demotic signs in Coptic were. By looking at how these signs were used in Coptic, he worked out what they meant. Then he traced the Demotic signs back to hieroglyphic signs. By working out what some hieroglyphs stood for, he transliterated the text from the Demotic (or older Coptic) and Greek to the hieroglyphs by first translating Greek names which were originally in Greek, then working towards ancient names that had never been written in any other language. Champollion then created an alphabet to decipher the remaining text. -- In 1858, the Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania published the first complete English translation of the Rosetta Stone as accomplished by three of its undergraduate members: Charles R Hale, S Huntington Jones, and Henry Morton. [article link]
History Channel - Ancient Mysteries - The Rosetta Stone 4 of 5 (YouTube) In essence, the Rosetta Stone is a tax amnesty given to the temple priests of the day, restoring the tax privileges they had traditionally enjoyed from more ancient times. Some scholars speculate that several copies of the Rosetta Stone must exist, as yet undiscovered, since this proclamation must have been made at many temples. The complete Greek portion, translated into English, is about 16001700 words in length, and is about 20 paragraphs long (average of 80 words per paragraph): -- In the reign of the new king who was Lord of the diadems, great in glory, the stabilizer of Egypt, but also pious in matters relating to the gods, superior to his adversaries, rectifier of the life of men, Lord of the thirty-year periods like Hephaestus the Great, King like the Sun, the Great King of the Upper and Lower Lands, offspring of the Parent-loving gods, whom Hephaestus has approved, to whom the Sun has given victory, living image of Zeus, Son of the Sun, Ptolemy the ever-living, beloved by Ptah; In the ninth year, when Aëtus, son of Aëtus, was priest of Alexander and of the Savior gods and the Brother gods and the Benefactor gods and the Parent-loving gods and the god Manifest and Gracious; Pyrrha, the daughter of Philinius, being athlophorus for Bernice Euergetis; Areia, the daughter of Diogenes, being canephorus for Arsinoë Philadelphus; Irene, the daughter of Ptolemy, being priestess of Arsinoë Philopator: on the fourth of the month Xanicus, or according to the Egyptians the eighteenth of Mecheir. -THE DECREE: The high priests and prophets, and those who enter the inner shrine in order to robe the gods, and those who wear the hawk's wing, and the sacred scribes, and all the other priests who have assembled at Memphis before the king, from the various temples throughout the country, for the feast of his receiving the kingdom, even that of Ptolemy the ever-living, beloved by Ptah, the god Manifest and Gracious, which he received from his Father, being assembled in the temple in Memphis this day, declared: Since King Ptolemy, the ever-living, beloved by Ptah, the god Manifest and Gracious, the son of King Ptolemy and Queen Arsinoë, the Parent-loving gods, has done many benefactions to the temples and to those who dwell in them, and also to all those subject to his rule, being from the beginning a god born of a god and a goddess-like Horus, the son of Isis and Osirus, who came to the help of his Father Osirus; being benevolently disposed toward the gods, has concentrated to the temples revenues both of silver and of grain, and has generously undergone many expenses in order to lead Egypt to prosperity and to establish the temples... the gods have rewarded him with health, victory, power, and all other good things, his sovereignty to continue to him and his children forever. [article link]
History Channel - Ancient Mysteries - The Rosetta Stone 5 of 5 (YouTube) The term Rosetta Stone came to be used by philologists to describe any bilingual text with whose help a hitherto unknown language and/or script could be deciphered. For example, the bilingual coins of the Indo-
Greeks (Obverse in Greek, reverse in Pali, using the Kharosthi script), which enabled James Prinsep (1799-1840) to decipher the latter. -- Later on, the term gained a wider frequency, also outside the field of linguistics, and has become idiomatic as something that is a critical key to the process of decryption or translation of a difficult encoding of information: "The Rosetta Stone of immunology" and "Arabidopsis, the Rosetta Stone of flowering time (fossils)". An algorithm for predicting protein structure from sequence is named Rosetta@home. In molecular biology, a series of "Rosetta" bacterial cell lines have been developed that contain a number of TRNA genes that are rare in E. coli but common in other organisms, enabling the efficient translation of DNA from those organisms in E. coli. "Rosetta" is an online language translation tool to help localisation of software, developed and maintained by Canonical as part of the Launchpad project. "Rosetta" is the name of a "lightweight dynamic translator" distributed for Mac OS X by Apple. Rosetta enables applications compiled for PowerPC processor to run on Apple systems using x86 processor. Rosetta Stone is a brand of language learning software published by Rosetta Stone Ltd., headquartered in Arlington, VA, USA. The Rosetta Project is a global collaboration of language specialists and native speakers to develop a contemporary version of the historic Rosetta Stone to last from 2000 to 12,000 AD. Its goal is a meaningful survey and near permanent archive of 1,500 languages. [article link]
The London Walks [Brief - Ancient Kingdoms] British Museum Tour (YouTube) Award winning London Walks tour of The British Museum. [article link]
Conclusion - The Vagabond Priesthood (i.e. Emerging Church): Definitions of the Vagabond Priesthood -- "Acts 19:13-17 Then (1)certain of the vagabond Jews, (2)exorcists, took upon them [themselves] to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you (3)by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests [lit. the Vagabond High Priest], which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and (4)overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. (5)And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified." 1. The Vagabond Priesthood was a vagrant, wandering sect of pseudo Judaism attempting to Merchandise their minimal knowledge and abilities to the local populations. 2. Good intentions are a part of the Vagabond Priesthood in that its practitioners are generally out to perform a service (exorcism) for the good of mankind. Note: both good works and money were a motivating factor but money and reputation surpassed the works of good intentions. 3. Plagiarism and borrowing from other religions (i.e. New Age Religions, Cults) is a common and acceptable practice within the Vagabond Priesthood. 4. Ultimately the Vagabond Priesthood not being grounded in either reality or in Biblical Truth the Vagabond Priesthood is a powerless priesthood. 5. The Vagabond Priesthood being a pseudo and powerless priesthood is a contrary [don't do what they do] witness to mankind. [article link]
Conclusion - Return of the Scapegoat: The return of the scapegoat brought with it the omen of great destruction for the city of Jerusalem (Luke 23:28) In reading the Bible most people are generally left with the impression that something is missing, something in a deep dark burden is being left untold by the early Church Apostles and too often many people conclude that the untold secret of the New Testament is that Christianity and the resurrection of Jesus is untrue however the Resurrection of Jesus is true; it is as true as life, light, truth and liberty. Seemingly following on the Old Testament tradition (Leviticus 16:9 - a possible return of the scapegoat is not mentioned - mentioning the return of the scapegoat is too disastrous to contemplate) the 'deep dark secret' of the New Testament was that the scapegoat (Barabbas) had returned to Jerusalem, foretelling of the coming 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem. Barabbas was released from his sentence of crucifixion (Matthew 27:26) while Jesus and the other
two prisoners were then executed. Seemingly Barabbas [probably also of the Tribe of Judah and a direct descendant of King Solomon - his followers felt Barabbas could overthrow Rome and reestablish the throne of Solomon in Jerusalem (Mark 15:7, Luke 23:19)]. Barabbas probably not the wisest person on the streets of Jerusalem thought his momentary pardon from Herod was good for the rest of his life and quickly returned (days later) to Jerusalem where he would be quickly recognized now by nearly everyone and instantly arrested by Roman soldiers. Rome having just crucified the innocent Jesus in the place of Barabbas then might have crucified Barabbas in a similar (but not nearly as severe as Jesus) manner (crown of thorns, mocking, beating, spear in the side) as Jesus had been recently crucified. The followers of Barabbas also having great hope in Barabbas received his body and might have thought that he too would resurrect as it was being told that Jesus had resurrected. Barabbas unable to resurrect could possibly be the image and the blood belonging to the mysterious Shroud of Turin. The Apostles of the Early Church grappled with the knowledge and with the burden of the knowledge that Barabbas (the scapegoat) had returned to Jerusalem and of the knowledge of the then pending destruction of the city of Jerusalem. Underwritten in every N.T. epistle is the idea that yeah the Church has various problems but there is this bigger mostly unmentionable [Hebrews 8:13 - Apostle Paul mentioned that the Temple was about to pass away] pending destruction of Jerusalem problem that the early Church didn't really know how to deal with until Paul was given evangelical insight and later (after the destruction of Jerusalem) and the giving of Revelation to the Apostle John [Note: Mary the mother of Jesus and the Disciple John were both present at the crucifixion events (John 19:25) and were probably both also present in the crowd when Barabbas was released over Jesus]. -- "Revelation 11:13-14 And {because Antichrist (scapegoat) policy is taking effect in Jerusalem} the same hour [after the two witnesses have been killed and ascend up into heaven] was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city [Jerusalem] fell [is destroyed], and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of Heaven. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly." [article link]
Conclusion - Day of Atonement Scenario {Note: Dating a possible End Time scenario - a rapture occurring in 2012 would put the Blood Moon scenario on track at 3½ years later in the Mid-Tribulation [revealing of the Antichrist] in 2015. Also Note: The original Basic Christian: Royal Priesthood article (about 2002) was intended to include the concept that a 'voluntary' individual freewill offering (Leviticus 7:16-17) i.e. the cross of Jesus Christ - a freewill offering could only be offered for two days and the unused portion was to be consumed in fire the third day -- seemingly it would put an expiration date on the sacrifice of Jesus at 2033 - meaning all Christian Church activity would be concluded by 2033 A.D. - Though it is pure speculation and I don't now consider it as important as a concept as I once did I still intend to update the Royal Priesthood article [in about 2011] with the concept just to tie together some loose ends regarding Church theology. Remember: That 2012 is the 2,000 year anniversary of Jesus [revealing His ministry] entering the Temple (Luke 2:41-49) as a child and teaching in the Temple in Jerusalem.} A possible End Time scenario could look like this - The Christian Church is raptured on the Feast of Trumpets then 10 days later [after political intrigue] on the Day of Atonement {Jesus has already atoned for the sins of the world} steps are taken in a global kingdom as one man [the return of the scapegoat] is initiated in a global governance position and signs a covenant of protection (Daniel 9:27) with the Nation of Israel - A position that 3½ years later will reveal the Antichrist and breaking the Covenant with Israel will user in the Great Tribulation The Time of Jacob's Distress -- "Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." [article link]
{Flashback} The Blood Moon Scenario - tracking solar and lunar eclipses and comparing them with Levitical Feasts In the spring of 2015 Israel's religious year will begin with a total solar eclipse, followed two weeks later a total lunar eclipse on Passover. And then six months later the sequence will repeat itself with a second solar eclipse
on Rosh Hashanna followed two weeks after that by another total lunar eclipse on the Feast of Tabernacles, all in 2015. The last time anything like this happened was in 1967, when Jerusalem became an undivided Jewish city again, and before that there were several occurrences during the years of 1948-50, as Israel was becoming a nation. There were none at all in the 1800's, 1700's, or 1600's, and none in the 1500's that coincided with Feast Days. ... If these earlier Blood Moons did in fact announce the re-birth of the nation and the reunification of Jerusalem as it appears, then the next major step in Israels' journey toward the Kingdom is their national reunion with their Creator. This is the way Ezekiel saw it happening, and in my view is important enough to God to merit such a celestial announcement. After all He's been waiting to take them back for 2000 years. [article link]
Observing Yom Kippur By Debbie Schlussel - Tonight [Friday], the Jewish fast day of Yom Kippur begins (and ends on Saturday Night) - It's a day of atonement for our sins and a day full of prayer to *G-d, asking for forgiveness and a good year - *Religious Jews use dashes in the word "G-d" and do not write it out completely out of respect for Him and the wish not to write the name in vain Yom Kippur is one of the holiest Jewish holidays, at the end of which we believe our fate for the next year is "sealed" by G-d. We believe that on Rosh HaShanah, that fate is written by Him, and on Yom Kippur, he issues his final Judgment. This is Judgment Day. On Yom Kippur, we fast and pray for about 25 hours to ask G-d for a good year. Before the fast, we eat a big, sumptuous meal, which expands the stomach and makes the fast more difficult. During the holiday, there are strict prohibitions: no food, drink, shower, TV/radio, phone, etc. the whole day, which is mostly spent at synagogue. The idea is that you are removing yourself from worldly concerns and focusing on spiritual ones, most importantly repentance for your sins. We also don't wear leather shoes, as back in the day, those were a luxury of the wealthy, and the holiday is not about ostentatious displays, but about humble requests before G-d. It starts just before sundown, tonight, and ends after dark tomorrow (Saturday) night, with one sound of the shofar (ram's horn-see explanation of shofar here). To my Jewish friends and readers, have an easy fast and a great year. Gmar Chatimah Tovah [May you be finally sealed for good.] [article link]
Yom Kippur 1945, in a camp for Holocaust survivors - The older generation was almost not there - They were the first victims, since they lacked the physical strength to withstand the horrors of the camps - Few children survived - They, too, succumbed quickly - The survivors prayed, remembered, wept and found a little comfort in those tears After morning prayers, I decided to visit other synagogues and spend some time with other groups. I left the synagogue and walked across the half empty streets. There were many people who remained in the street and refused to attend services. They were angry at G-d. Among them were formerly religious Jews who could not accept the apparent indifference of G-d to the suffering; the torture, and the tragedy they had both witnessed and experienced in their homes and in the camps. They could not reconcile their former beliefs and convictions of an All-Merciful, Almighty Divine Being, with the catastrophe that had struck their communities. They would not pray. When they heard the recitation of the Kaddish, the special prayer of mourners expressing praise of the Lord, they reacted angrily that G-d did not deserve the Kaddish. They were broken in spirit. They could not reconcile recent events to which they were witnesses with the contents of the Hebrew prayers. These Jews roamed the streets. They wanted to express their anger, to show G-d that they defied Him, as he seemed to have abandoned them. Some ate their food on the fast day publicly in the streets, as a gesture of defiance - of revolt. In one of the streets, I saw a large group of people standing in a circle. I approached nearer to find out what was going on. In the middle of the circle stood a seven-year-old girl, embarrassed, perplexed. She could not understand why all these people stood around her. She, of course, could not know that they were surprised to find a Jewish child. So they stood, silently, and just looked at this miracle of a Jewish child in their midst. They could not tear themselves away from this one child who said nothing and to whom nothing was said. They just stood and gaped. A special prayer is normally recited on Yom Kippur for the departed members of
one's family. It's called Yizkor, the memorial prayer. As those people looked at the little girl, they remembered their own children, or their younger brothers and sisters, the nephews and nieces who at one time were their pride and joy, and who were no more. Each one of them looked and remembered, recalled the beloved children who were cruelly exterminated. As they remembered, they recited without any words the Yizkor for all those who once were part of their lives and now were gone forever. This was a silent, most moving Yizkor, without words, without prayer books, recited in that street in Landsberg, by a group of Jewish survivors, watching a bewildered little Jewish girl. It was the most moving, most eloquent, most heartfelt, most silent Yizkor I have ever heard. [article link]
The Blessed Savior: Barabbas The Scapegoat And Jesus The Perfect Sacrifice - Pilate carried out a "lot" of sorts in deciding between Jesus and Barabbas which one would be set free - Barabbas played the part of the scapegoat and was set free [but did Barabbas the scapegoat return to Jerusalem? and will he [in DNA] eventually return as the Antichrist?] - After the High Priest sent the scapegoat into the wilderness they were to wash themselves - Pilate washed his hands after he let Barabbas go The fact that Pilate offered the people a choice between Jesus and Barabbas has a much deeper meaning that may not be obvious at first. In order to understand what was going on in verses 15-24 we must go back to the Old Testament book of Leviticus. In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says he did not come to destroy the Law or the prophets but rather he came to fulfill them. God was preparing his people in the Old Testament for the coming of Jesus and as such the sacrificial system was getting his people into the mindset that the blood is what makes atonement for sin. Leviticus chapter 16 is the key to understanding why it was necessary for Pilate to offer both Jesus and Barabbas before the people. Jesus had to fulfill God's requirement for atonement. ... Jewish tradition says that a red string was tied around the horns of the scapegoat and after the other goat was killed the string on the scapegoat would turn white. The Talmud says this stopped happening around 30 A.D. which was around the time Jesus was crucified. This was also 40 years before the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. [Talmud Bavli, Yoma 39b "Forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot did not come up in the right hand, nor did the crimson stripe become white, nor did the westernmost light burn; and the doors of the heikhal (the Holy Place of the Temple) opened of their own accord, until Rabbi Yochanon ben Zakkai rebuked them".] According to some sources Barabbas full name was Jesus bar-Abbas which means "Jesus son of the Father". Jesus Christ was the Son of God (John 1:34). Even though Pilate thought Jesus was innocent the crowd wanted Jesus crucified and Barabbas set free. Pilate then washes his hands in front of the crowd and declares he is innocent of the blood of Jesus and for them to see to the crucifixion. Pilate's biggest sin is he condemned Jesus even though he believed him to be innocent. Pilate carried out a "lot" of sorts in deciding between Jesus and Barabbas which one would be set free. Barabbas played the part of the scapegoat and was set free. After the High Priest sent the scapegoat into the wilderness they were to wash themselves. Pilate washed his hands after he let Barabbas go. [article link]
{Flashback} Matthew 27 - After the Communion (Passover) Celebration Jesus and now eleven of His Apostles go to the Mount of Olives while Judas had departed earlier to betray Jesus - Jesus suffers betrayal, arrests, rejection, mockery and finally crucifixion and physical death The Atonement Sacrifice of Jesus Christ: 'Matthew 27:33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They [Romans] gave Him (Jesus) vinegar to drink mingled with gall [extreme bitterness]: and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink [Jesus had said during Communion that the next wine He would drink would be sweet wine in Heaven with His disciples, Jesus had no intention of drinking the bitter cup from Rome and mankind (the myrrh also in the wine revealed it to be Roman wine as adding myrrh to wine was a common Roman practice)] and they crucified Him ...' - 'Romans 5:11 And not only so [we have eternal life], but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the atonement.' - The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was the start a part of the fulfillment of the Atonement
sacrifice for the Day of Atonement Feast [Leviticus 16:1-34] a Feast that is actually a Fall Feast and will have its complete fulfillment in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. - In corresponding with the Atonement Sacrifice Barabbas is the Scapegoat who was set free while Jesus was the permanent sacrifice offering. In Hebrew Barabbas (Bar = son and Abba = Father) literally means son of the father and is actually a duplicate claim to the true status of Jesus Christ as Jesus is the Son of the Father. Barabbas in name is actually also claiming to be the son of the father therefore claiming to be the replacement of Jesus and Barabbas is actually a type of the Antichrist [anti in Greek is 'instead of' and means replacing] and it is possible even plausible that Barabbas may actually be the Antichrist. - When the scapegoat was released as Barabbas was released the scapegoat was to take with it all the sins of the Nation of Israel and if at any time the scapegoat returned all of the sins of the Nation of Israel returned with it. Jesus Christ is Atonement offering for all the sins of the world and therfore Barabbas as the scapegoat was departing with all the sins of the world. When the scapegoat Barabbas as the Antichrist returns to mankind claiming to be the son of the father instead of Jesus the Antichrist will bring with him all of the sins of the world all of the sins ever committed. Note: The custom of the Roman Governor to release one condemned Jewish prisoner during the Passover was a custom of the Roman Governor playing God saying to the Jews that they think their God will provide Passover life but instead the Governor was showing the people that he believed Rome to be God as Rome could grant life and pass over death so it was actually a mocking gesture from Rome towards the Jews and their customs as the people of God. [article link]
{Flashback} CLONED ANTICHRIST BEAST REVEALED 8/12 - Cloned from blood removed [1978] from the Shroud of Turin [possibly cloned/gene-spliced with Prince Charles sperm and] used to impregnate Princess Diana (married 1981 to Prince Charles 13 years her senior) for the 1982 timed birth [30 in 2012] of Prince William {Princess Diana's son William turning 30 in 2012. The age of 30 is the biblical legal priestly age (before 30 a Levite could only be an assistant priest), both John the Baptist (Levitical and Jesus [Melchizedek Priest]) began their ministries at the legal age of 30 [John's mother and Mary were of the House of David/Judah but John's father was a Levitical Priest (Luke 1:8) a descendant of Aaron from the house of Levi]. Also the London 2012 Olympics the XXX Olympiad (unholy trinity Olympiad) is deliberately timed and placed to be in London in 2012 the birth of the New Age, for a desired Satanic awakening in 2013 [Fox News uses the numer 13 in everything now]. It will also probably come out that Prince Charles is unable to naturally have children as Henry, the younger brother of Prince William is already considered by most not to be the son of Prince Charles but the son of James Hewitt.}[Note: Its possible and probable that Satan quickly realized who his scapegoat was in Barabbas and that Barabbas soon after his Passover release was recaptured by Roman soldiers and quickly crucified as Jesus had just recently been crucified and that Satan would devise a way to keep some of the blood [life] of Barabbas for future End Time use and that the image created on the Shroud of Turin and the blood on the Shroud of Turin are that of Barabbas. The unique image and bloodstained shroud cloth could be of Barabbas and having been kept and passed on by the followers of Barabbas until ultimately it came into the possession of the Crusaders and Knights Templar in about 1300 A.D. The shroud of Turin possibly being a cloth and image of Barnabas it's certainly not the image and blood of Jesus.] (YouTube) Dr. Joye shocks George Noory on Coast-to-Coast - February 9, 2009. [article link]
{Flashback} foxnews.com: Italian Scientists Reproduces Shroud of Turin - A professor of organic chemistry at the University of Pavia - Garlaschelli made available to Reuters the paper he will deliver and the accompanying comparative photographs - But scientists have thus far been at a loss to explain how the [origional Shroud of Turin] image was left on the cloth ROME - An Italian scientist says he has reproduced the Shroud of Turin, a feat that he says proves definitively that the linen some Christians revere as Jesus Christ's burial cloth is a medieval fake. The shroud, measuring 14 feet, 4 inches by 3 feet, 7 inches bears the image, eerily reversed like a photographic negative, of a crucified man some believers say is Christ. "We have shown that is possible to reproduce something which has the same
characteristics as the Shroud," Luigi Garlaschelli, who is due to illustrate the results at a conference on the paranormal this weekend in northern Italy, said on Monday. A professor of organic chemistry at the University of Pavia, Garlaschelli made available to Reuters the paper he will deliver and the accompanying comparative photographs. The Shroud of Turin shows the back and front of a bearded man with long hair, his arms crossed on his chest, while the entire cloth is marked by what appears to be rivulets of blood from wounds in the wrists, feet and side. Carbon dating tests by laboratories in Oxford, Zurich and Tucson, Arizona in 1988 caused a sensation by dating it from between 1260 and 1390. Sceptics said it was a hoax, possibly made to attract the profitable medieval pilgrimage business. - But scientists have thus far been at a loss to explain how the image was left on the cloth. Garlaschelli reproduced the full-sized shroud using materials and techniques that were available in the middle ages. They placed a linen sheet flat over a volunteer and then rubbed it with a pigment containing traces of acid. A mask was used for the face. PIGMENT, BLOODSTAINS AND SCORCHES: The pigment was then artificially aged by heating the cloth in an oven and washing it, a process which removed it from the surface but left a fuzzy, half-tone image similar to that on the Shroud. He believes the pigment on the original Shroud faded naturally over the centuries. They then added blood stains, burn holes, scorches and water stains to achieve the final effect. The Catholic Church does not claim the Shroud is authentic nor that it is a matter of faith, but says it should be a powerful reminder of Christ's passion. One of Christianity's most disputed relics, it is locked away at Turin Cathedral in Italy and rarely exhibited. It was last on display in 2000 and is due to be shown again next year. Garlaschelli expects people to contest his findings. [article link]
{Flashback} The Shroud Of Turin - The image on the Shroud is uniquely three-dimensional - The life-size image on the cloth is NOT the result of pigment, stain, acid, dye, or any applied material - The image itself is confined to the top-most fibrils of the cloth's fibers - Whatever made the image did not penetrate the fibers of the cloth as all known artistic materials would - The exact way the man was crucified closely matches biblical accounts of Jesus's crucifixion. Among other things, there are 120 lesions, the shape of dumbbells, distributed over the back and running around the front of the body--probably caused by a Roman whip called a flagrum whose thongs were tipped with bits of lead or bone. There is a deep wound on the right side of the body between the ribs which bled profusely (which is what Biblical records indicate happened when a spear was thrust into Christ's side). There are thorn-like marks on the victim's head (possibly from a crown of thorns). And the victim's legs were not broken (which is significant both because Roman-style crucifixions ended with their victim's legs being broken and because the New Testament account of Christ's death indicates that this was a Roman custom which Jesus was spared from) - The beard and hair style of the crucified man were not common anywhere in the Roman Empire except Palestine. The image has semitic features, including sidelocks and a unplaited ponytail The Shroud Of Turin by David Sunfellow: The Shroud of Turin is one of the most venerated, most remarkable, most mysterious, most thoroughly studied artifacts in the world today. Believed by many to be the actual burial cloth of Christ, the Shroud made its first recorded appearance in 14th century France. Housed in the Italian city of Turin since 1578, renewed interest was generated in 1898 when the first photographs were made of the relic and it was discovered that the image on the Shroud was a photographic negative! How was such an image made? And how does one explain the incredibly life-like details which are remarkably consistent with Biblical accounts of Christ's crucifixion? Historians, pathologists, linguists, biblical scholars, textile experts, chemists, physicists, photographic specialists, artists, botanists, microbiologists and other scientists from around the world have been trying to answer these important questions for decades. Over the centuries, dozens of shrouds--some with images and some without--have surfaced claiming to be the burial cloth of Jesus. In the case of the Shroud of Turin, it has been publicly declared a forgery by both Roman Catholic Church officials and prominent scientists. In 1389 the local bishop of Troyes denounced the Shroud claiming an artist had confessed to forging it. More recently, in 1988, after three different laboratories Carbon-14 dated the Shroud and found it to be some 1200 years younger than it should have been, the Roman Catholic Church announced to the world the results of the test. As word spread that the Shroud of Turin was, after all, a medieval forgery, a
firestorm was created in the Shroud community. While scores of Shroud scientists hotly challenged the entire Carbon-14 testing procedure, as well as the test results, lay people around the world had to wrestle with what appeared to be solid scientific proof that the Shroud was a fake. -- So where are things at now? Is the Shroud of Turin authentic, or not? Could a medieval artist, or for that matter, any artist, have forged it? And if the Shroud is an authentic burial cloth from the first century, is the man whose crucified image appears on the Shroud actually that of Jesus Christ? Combining ongoing discoveries about ancient Palestine with cutting-edge scientific analysis, a growing number of scientists (Christian, Jewish, agnostic and otherwise) are coming to the conclusion that the Shroud is indeed the actual burial cloth of Jesus Christ. If this is true, then not only does the Shroud bear witness to the fact that a man named Jesus actually lived and died in ancient Palestine, but it may also present physical proof that some kind of miraculous event took place after his death which caused his image to be imprinted on the Shroud! What's more, we may also be able to learn something about Jesus himself: What his physical characteristics were like, what kind of Jewish traditions he adhered to and rejected, how he, and his body, faced a horribly violent death. -- So what, exactly, do we know about the Shroud of Turin? Here are some of the astonishing findings that modern day science has uncovered so far: The body that appears on the Shroud is naked. Under Roman law, criminals were whipped and executed in the nude. (These are facts that most medieval artists would not have known, or if they had known, would not have dared to publicly reproduce.) The man that appears on the Shroud was crucified with nails driven through his wrists. Although artists throughout the centuries (and even stigmatists) have traditionally thought that Christ was nailed to the cross through his palms, it is now known that crucifixion victims were nailed to crosses through their wrists. This is supported both by archeological digs that discovered crucifixion victims with spike marks on their wrists (not palms) and also by studies that were conducted on corpses which proved that nails in palms will not support the weight of a body. The life-size image on the cloth is NOT the result of pigment, stain, acid, dye, or any applied material. The image itself is confined to the top-most fibrils of the cloth's fibers. Whatever made the image did not penetrate the fibers of the cloth as all known artistic materials would. The image on the Shroud is uniquely three-dimensional. Although most scientists believe that the image was made by the body emitting a burst of energy of some kind (which caused the body's image to be lightly burned onto the Shroud), they have no idea how this could have been done. Efforts to lightly burn images into shroud-like fabrics have all failed to reproduce the extraordinarily delicate, detailed, three-dimensional effect found on the Shroud. The way the image was burned onto the Shroud is also flawlessly accurate in terms of how a body emitting energy would imprint itself on a cloth that was covering it. The image of the Shroud is absolutely accurate in both anatomical and physiological details. The anatomical and physiological details of the Shroud accurately record what would happen to a man who experienced a Roman-style crucifixion (see Robert Bucklin's pathological report at the end of this summary). -- The Shroud is stained by human blood that has run out of the image's wounds. The way the blood flowed, puddled and stained the Shroud are perfectly correct. Unlike the Shroud's image which only appears on the topmost fibrils of fabric, the blood on the Shroud soaked deeply into the fabric. The exact way the man was crucified closely matches biblical accounts of Jesus's crucifixion. Among other things, there are 120 lesions, the shape of dumbbells, distributed over the back and running around the front of the body--probably caused by a Roman whip called a flagrum whose thongs were tipped with bits of lead or bone. There is a deep wound on the right side of the body between the ribs which bled profusely (which is what Biblical records indicate happened when a spear was thrust into Christ's side). There are thorn-like marks on the victim's head (possibly from a crown of thorns). And the victim's legs were not broken (which is significant both because Roman-style crucifixions ended with their victim's legs being broken and because the New Testament account of Christ's death indicates that this was a Roman custom which Jesus was spared from). -- The beard and hair style of the crucified man were not common anywhere in the Roman Empire except Palestine. The image has semitic features, including sidelocks and a unplaited ponytail. The Shroud itself was woven with techniques common to the first century. The Shroud's distinctive weave is so rare that researchers seeking to find a control sample could not find one anywhere in the world. A dirt sample taken from near the Shroud image's feet was identified as a relatively rare form of calcium carbonate. Samples of dirt taken from Jerusalem revealed an unusually close match. This strongly suggests the
man pictured on the Shroud was crucified in Palestine. 58 varieties of pollen were discovered on the Shroud. 11 of the pollen samples were from plants that do not exist in Europe, but which do exist in the Near East. The pollen samples also indicated that the fabric of the Shroud had to have been made in Palestine before circulating in Europe. Pollen samples also helped trace the Shroud's route from Palestine through Anatolia and Constantinople into Europe. Furthermore, two of the pollen samples that were discovered on the Shroud coincided with highly distinctive plants found in the region surrounding Jerusalem. The pollen study concluded that the Shroud itself was probably made near Jerusalem and that it had been in the vicinity of the Holy City for some time before being transported out of the area. Images of 28 different types of flowers, small bushes, and thorns have been detected in bunches around the Shroud image. All 28 grow in Israel, either in Jerusalem or in the nearby desert or Dead Sea area. Most of them are not found in Europe. 25 of the 28 flowers matched the pollen samples found on the Shroud. 27 of the 28 plants bloom during March and April, which corresponds to the time of the crucifixion. An image of a coin appears over the right eye of the Shroud image. This coin, a very rare Pontius Pilate lepton struck in 29 to 32 A.D., was not found until 1977. Tests which were conducted in 1993 on a piece of first century fabric similar to the Shroud's now indicate that a fire the Shroud passed through in 1532 corrupted the October 1988 Carbon-14 dates that concluded the Shroud was not authentic. According to these recent tests, which were conducted by scientists at the University of Arizona and Russian scientists in Moscow, the 1988 Carbon-14 dates were some 1200 years in error. This dates the Shroud back to the first or second century. Some historians believe the Shroud of Turin may be The Mandylion, or Edessa Portrait, a holy relic mentioned in some accounts as early as the first century. If this is so, then the Shroud can be traced, through various legends and stories, all the way back to first century Jerusalem. [article link]
{Flashback} ANTICHRIST - PRINCE WILLIAM 2012 - Is Prince Williams the Face on the Shroud of Turin? Is the Image on the Shroud the Antichrist - The Image of the Beast? (YouTube) This video is intended to be just a "teaser" to the very real possibility that Prince William is the Beast of Revelation. Comments: Of course, his name is Will-I-Am; a play on the words of what God Himself said, "I Am." [article link]
{Flashback} How do you know that there is real blood (and not paint or a stain) on the Shroud of Turin? - 1980 They (Gilbert and Gilbert) concluded that the blood flecks are real blood - Several claims have been made that the blood has been found to be type AB - The blood appears to be so old that the DNA is badly fragmented Alan Adler was an expert on porphyrins, the types of colored compounds seen in blood, chlorophyll, and many other natural products. He and Dr. John Heller, MD, studied the blood flecks on the STURP sampling tapes [Heller and Adler, Applied Optics 19, (16) 1980]. They converted the heme into its parent porphyrin, and they interpreted the spectra taken of blood spots by Gilbert and Gilbert. They concluded that the blood flecks are real blood. In addition to that, the x-ray-fluorescence spectra taken by STURP showed excess iron in blood areas, as expected for blood. Microchemical tests for proteins were positive in blood areas but not in any other parts of the Shroud. -- Several claims have been made that the blood has been found to be type AB, and claims have been made about DNA testing. We sent blood flecks to the laboratory devoted to the study of ancient blood at the State University of New York. None of these claims could be confirmed. The blood appears to be so old that the DNA is badly fragmented. Dr. Andrew Merriwether at SUNY has said that "… anyone can walk in off the street and amplify DNA from anything. The hard part is not to amplify what you don't want and only amplify what you want (endogenous DNA vs contamination)." It is doubtful that good DNA analyses can be obtained from the Shroud. It is almost certain that the blood spots are blood, but no definitive statements can be made about its nature or provenience, i.e., whether it is male and from the Near East. [article link]
{Flashback} July 08, 2009: British Scientists Claim to Create Human Sperm - British scientists claim they have created human sperm from stem cells. But other experts have questioned their data LONDON - British scientists claim they have created human sperm from stem cells. But other experts have
questioned their data. Researchers at Newcastle University and the NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute say they used a new technique to derive what they described as sperm cells from embryonic stem cells. ... But many other British experts say they are unconvinced by the research. They also say the sperm cells created in the laboratory were clearly abnormal. [article link]
{Flashback} IUC World Exclusive: Prince Charles Not Harry's Real Father - the fact that Diana's ex lover James Hewitt is the Harry's real father - Diana stopped having sex with Charles years before Harry was born - Just the way they killed Diana they'll kill James {Prince Charles might not be able to have children and it's thought that neither son, William or Harry, are direct natural descendants of Charles.} A longtime employee of Harry's mother Princess Diana told IUC that the Royal Family was involved in a massive coverup to hide the fact that Diana's ex lover James Hewitt is the Harry's real father. According to the source Prince Philip threatened Hewitt's life if he didn't go along with the coverup. "They made him lie about the timeline," the source told IUC. "Prince Philip told Hewitt he would destroy him if it ever leaked out. It's impossible that Charles is Harry's real father. Hewitt was on the scene as Diana's lover two years before Harry was born. Diana stopped having sex with Charles years before Harry was born. Harry looks exactly like Hewitt." -- The massive coverup involved Hewitt lying to the world about when his dalliance actually began with Diana. Originally he told the world he met Diana in 1986. Harry was born in 1984. Under hypnosis for a tv interview Hewitt admitted he met Diana in 1981 or 1982, had sexual relations with her then - some two years before Harry was born. A relative of Hewitt told IUC that privately Hewitt has always believed he's Harry's dad but has denied it in public because he fears for his life. He also wants to protect his son from being dethroned. ... The relative added that this is another example of why the Royal Family should be abolished. "They're the biggest crooks and liars in the world," he said. "All the evidence clearly demonstrates that James is Harry's real father. Just the way they killed Diana they'll kill James. You'll see, one day his body will be found mysteriously in a hotel room and the Royals will try to convince the world that James committed suicide." [article link]
Diana: Charles wanted rid of Camilla - so that he could marry Tiggy! - Princess Diana feared she and Camilla Parker Bowles were to be eliminated in a royal plot, paving the way for the Prince of Wales to marry another woman - But Operation Paget's report also provides startling details of the princess's state of mind as her marriage to Charles disintegrated - It read: 'This particular phase of my life is the most dangerous - my husband is planning "an accident" in my car, brake failure & serious head injury in order to make the path clear for him to marry' -- Comments: The image they created together made her of interest to the public and the media were responding to the that appetite. Without them [press] she would have been nothing more than a royal baby machine {Note: the concept is that a young Diana was used by Prince Charles to provide male children for the throne. Then after their irreconcilable differences Princess Diana was used again to date (seduce) eastern [Islam] men and help pave the way for a global (British) throne for William.} The extraordinary allegation against the prince is at the heart of the report published yesterday by Lord Stevens into the death of Diana and Dodi Fayed when their chauffeured Mercedes crashed in a Paris underpass. The 832-page report stops short of naming the other woman, but the Daily Mail understands it is Miss LeggeBourke, who became a surrogate mother to Princes William and Harry after their parents' divorce. The exhaustive £3.6million dossier systematically *demolishes conspiracy theories that Diana and Dodi were murdered in an Establishment conspriacy. *It dismissed claims by Dodi's father, the Harrods tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed, that Diana was pregnant and planning to marry his son. But Operation Paget's report also provides startling details of the princess's state of mind as her marriage to Charles disintegrated. Diana was convinced that he and Tiggy were having an affair and that Charles wanted to marry her. The 'plot' was revealed by the highlyrespected royal lawyer and Labour peer Lord Mishcon. He took a confidential note of Diana's fears when he met her two years before her death in August. A similar claim was made by Diana in a letter sent to her former butler Paul Burrell. It read: 'This particular phase of my life is the most dangerous - my husband is
planning "an accident" in my car, brake failure & serious head injury in order to make the path clear for him to marry.' Interviewed by Lord Stevens, Prince Charles said he had no knowledge of Diana's claims until the 'note' was released by Mr Burrell in 2003. 'The Princess of Wales did not speak to him about it,' the report says. 'HRH the Prince of Wales knew the woman named in the note as a family friend. There has never been any possibility of marriage to her.' The Stevens report's main findings were that: there was no conspiracy to kill Diana and Dodi -and no cover-up; Diana was not pregnant; the couple were not engaged; and the princess might have survived the crash had she been wearing a seatbelt. Details of Lord Mishcon's note were given to Lord Stevens three years ago after Mr Burrell published his letter. In it Diana's mention of another woman was widely believed at the time to be a reference to Camilla. However, the Stevens report said: 'This is not so. The Princess of Wales did name a woman in her note. It was not Camilla Parker Bowles.' [article link]
{Flashback} cuttingedge.org: 2012 - Is This The Year When (British) Antichrist Might Arise? - "All right, I have seen enough calculations and discerning facts to convince me: Antichrist will arise from the House of Windsor (British Royalty) - If the timing is soon, Prince Charles will be that man; if the timing is delayed, Prince William will be Antichrist. However, Prince William must turns 30, which is the Jewish minimum age for a man to be a Rabbi. Williams turns 30 on 2012. Since the Illuminati always has a "Plan A" and a "Plan B", this scenario could be very probable Suddenly, both Christian and New Age leaders are teaching that the year 2012 might be the year in which Antichrist arises. Cutting Edge weighs in on this discussion, with our knowledge of the occult, to conclude that 2012 might, indeed, be the year when the Masonic Messiah comes to the world scene! ... What Is So Special About 2012? This is the year in which the ancient, pagan Mayan Calendar changes to a New Age, an age in which a Messiah is supposed to arise. Listen to the official write-up from a New Age website. ""It is my great honor and privilege as Master Quetzalcoatl to return to Earth in this overt fashion to spearhead so to speak and bring to your attention the I AM University End of the Mayan Calendar and Countdown Project! As you might know, I Am Quetzalcoatl, Grand Master of the Mayan days … You all know that the Mayan calendar as has been channeled and introduced to the Earth in the Ancient Days from Higher Cosmic Sources, ends in the year 2012 - on December 21st at 21:21:59 pm to be precise. This exact date and time marks the Official Ending of the Kali Yuga or Dark Age and the Official Birth of the Age of the Christ / Buddha / Krishna / Mohammed / Moses, and God! It is December 21st 2012 at 22:00 pm which marks the Official Return or Second Coming of the Christ, Imam Mahdi, Buddha Maitreya, Kalki Avatar, Great Tao, and Messiah!" ... The House of Windsor: The time in which a knowledgeable Christian will make a discerning decision regarding the identity of the man who will be Antichrist will be before he is arisen; and, this knowledge beforehand will require Biblical discernment, knowledge of Scripture, and a series of calculations! With this point made to me by a pastor, I bought Antichrist And A Cup of Tea and began to read, albeit still with a high degree of skepticism. About threefourths of the way through this book, I set it down and said to myself, "All right, I have seen enough calculations and discerning facts to convince me: Antichrist will arise from the House of Windsor. If the timing is soon, Prince Charles will be that man; if the timing is delayed, Prince William will be Antichrist. However, Prince William must turns 30, which is the Jewish minimum age for a man to be a Rabbi. Williams turns 30 on 2012. Since the Illuminati always has a "Plan A" and a "Plan B", this scenario could be very probable. [article link]
{Flashback} Renaissance Radio #6: the New World Order's fake alien invasion set for the 2012 London Olympics (Mp3-Secular) Renaissance Radio #6: Renaissance Radio is back to talk about Project Blue Beam, Rik Clay's murder, and the New World Order's fake alien invasion set for the 2012 London Olympics. [article link]
{Flashback} Rik Clay - London-Zion-2012 - London the New Jerusalem - The New World Order's fake alien invasion likely being prepared for the 2012 London Olympics [iPaper Book - Right Click and Print] (Book-
iPaper-Secular) Thanks to infowarrior Andrew for compiling the entirety of Rik Clay's research on the New World Order's fake alien invasion likely being prepared for the 2012 London Olympics. Why is it both the Beijing and London Olympic logos can be arranged to form the word "Zion"? What is the plan for Project Bluebeam's top secret holographic technology? Why was Rik Clay killed (quite probably) shortly after releasing all this information on his blog? [article link]
{Flashback} Matthew 28 - The betrayal, rejection, crucifixion and death have all happened to Jesus as man has had his say about the Son of God - Jesus in turn has forgiven mankind for all of our transgressions - Jesus then conquered death as He resurrected from the grave the third day and began His Christian Church - The Old Testament has come to a conclusion and the New Testament has now begun being instituted in the person, life, power and resurrection authority of Jesus Christ -- 'Matthew 28:2-5 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here [dead]: for He is [alive] risen, as He said' Jesus reveals His eternal life Resurrection to His Disciples instructing them to go throughout the entire world teaching others and baptizing others all in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus confirms that all power and authority in both heaven and earth are His and that therefore the Disciples are to go out into all Nations proclaiming the good news of the eternal life giving Gospel of Jesus Christ! - 'Matthew 28:1620 Then the eleven disciples went away [from the upper room in Jerusalem] into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they (Disciples) saw Him, they Worshipped Him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.' [article link]
ChristiaNet Forum Discussion: Adventists believe that the scapegoat in Leviticus typifies Satan - The truth is that Jesus became our scapegoat [actually not our scapegoat but our sacrifice] on the cross - He bore the blame for sins he did not commit - Any comments? -- When animals are used as types along with the sanctuary, to be a figure of Christ they must shed blood - There are other scriptures in the Bible which support the scapegoat as satan [antichrist - scenario] - **What most poeple are missing is that before the scapegoat [Antichrist] is addressed, the sin of Israel has already been cleaned and removed [i.e. New Testament (Matthew 26:28, Romans 9:4)], or atoned for by God When animals are used as types along with the sanctuary, to be a figure of Christ they must shed blood. There are other scriptures in the bible which support the scapegoat as Satan. In Revelation for example: Satan, the beat, false prophet are cast into the fire ALIVE. In genesis, there is the duality of the heel bring bruised, and the head being crushed as Christ and Satan are contrasted. and there are other passages to support that this scapegoat is Satan. What most people are missing is that before the scapegoat is addressed, the sin of Israel has already been cleaned and removed, or atoned for by God.---francis on 4/24/10 ... Lev 16:8-26, R.V., "the goat for Azazel" At a later period a modification of the law of Moses was introduced by the Jews. "The goat was conducted to a mountain named Tzuk. Judean desert was supposed to commence, and the man in whose charge the goat ..while setting him free, was instructed to push the unhappy beast down the slope of the mountain side, which was to insure the death of the goat. The reason of this barbarous custom was that on one occasion the scapegoat returned to Jerusalem after being set free, which was *considered such an evil [end of the world] omen that its recurrence was prevented for the future by the death of the goat" Easton, M. G. "Scapegoat," Easton's Bible Dictionary. Blue Letter Bible. 1897.---Samuel on 4/23/10. ... Story of Jesus and
Barabbas, Barabbas = Scapegoat- full of sin yet he was freed (just like the scapegoat in Leviticus) Jesus = sacrifice for SIN - totally sinless and sacrificed for sin. See Matthew 27 where Pontius Pilate asks who they choose to be killed and who they wanted set free.---miche3754 on 4/20/10. ... If this scapegoat is the [supposed] future [co-redeemer] sacrificial lamb, why is not NEVER Sacrificed?---francis on 4/20/10. ... If anyone thinks that the scapegoat is the TRUE LAMB OF GOD then he is mistaken. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sins. The text clearly says ONE goat for the Lord's and the other the scapegoat. Both goats are not for the lord. Blood must be shed to take sins away. There is no other way. That is a fundamental truth that cannot be changed. Our sins can only be atoned for by the shedding of blood. First the atonement is made with THE LORD'S Goat for OUR SINS, then after the atonement is made, and all our sins are wiped away, then and only then is the scapegoat dealt with.---francis on 4/20/10. [article link]
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) - "For the life of the flesh is *in the blood [besides oxygen, nutrition, etc. is this also a refrence to DNA?]; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life" Leviticus 17:11 NASB - Next, the High Priest proceeds to the east side of the Alter, where there are two young goats waiting - He took two golden lots and placed them inside a golden box, and shook them. He then pulled one from the box, and held one before each goat's head - On one lot was engraved "For YHWH," and on the other lot was engraved "For azazel" - The one which received the azazel lot was marked with a scarlet thread tied around one of its horns - There is much speculation concerning the word azazel, since it is both the name of a fallen angel in Hebrew, and also implies the concept of escape (PDF) A week before this day, the High Priest would leave his home, and reside in the Temple itself, in special quarters set apart for this purpose. This was to keep the High Priest away from any unintentional defilement, so he could perform the duties he was required to perform. An alternate was appointed, in case the High Priest were to suddenly become ill, or die, or become unclean. During this week, the High Priest himself performed all the Temple services which were normally performed by the priests within the section assigned to that week. -On the morning of Yom Kippur, the High Priest would wash himself completely (on other days, he would wash his hands and feet only), and dressed in his normal service linens (purple, with bells hung at the bottom, and the gold breastplate with the twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel). Once this morning service was performed, the High Priest would return to the chambers within the Temple, and being preparing for the afternoon service. He immersed his entire body again, and then put on a new set of white linen garments, identical to the linens the normal priests wore during their performance of the Temple services. The white linen garments he wore on this day were never worn again; they were disposed of at the end of the day. -- The High Priest now returns to the Court of the Priests, where there is a young bull waiting for him. He presses his hands on its head, and confesses his sins. During this confession, the name of God is spoken three times; this name was forbidden to be spoken at any other time during the year. At this point, he is confessing and atoning for his sins. -- Next, the High Priest proceeds to the east side of the Alter, where there are two young goats waiting. He took two golden lots and placed them inside a golden box, and shook them. He then pulled one from the box, and held one before each goat's head. On one lot was engraved "For YHWH," and on the other lot was engraved "For azazel." The one which received the azazel lot was marked with a scarlet thread tied around one of its horns. -- There is much speculation concerning the word azazel, since it is both the name of a fallen angel in Hebrew, and also implies the concept of escape. Thus, the goat which escapes becomes the scapegoat, but it escapes to a demon, where all the sin of Israel is carried. The goat with the scarlet thread was turned to face the congregation, while the other was turned to face the alter. -- The High Priest now returned to the young bullock, and places his hands upon its head a second time. This time he confesses the sins of the priests onto the bullock. He then slaughtered the bullock, and placed some of its blood in a golden bowl. This was given to an attending priest. He then walked up to the alter and took a small scoop of live coals in a censor, and two handfuls of incense, placing them in a golden ladle. With these two, he walked into the Temple, through Holy Place, and into the Holy of Holies. He poured the incense on the censor, and waited until
the smoke filled the air. -- Once this was done, he returned and took the golden bowl. With this, he moved back into the Temple, through the Holy Place, and back into the Holy of Holies. He dipped his fingers in the blood seven times, each time sprinkling the blood downward. Again, he dipped his fingers in the blood seven times, sprinkling the blood upwards. He then moved from the Holy of Holies back outside the Temple to the courtyard where the two goats were left standing. He now slaughtered the goat set aside for the Lord, the one which was facing the Alter, and placed it on the Alter to burn, setting aside a golden bowl of its blood. He took this bowl of blood into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkled it fourteen times as well. Now, he moved back to the courtyard and mixed the two bowls of blood together. He sprinkled this mixture on the four corners of the Alter which stood in the courtyard. Finally, the High Priest moved back to the Court of the Priests, where the one goat remains standing. He placed his hands on its head, and confessed the sins of the people onto the goat. The goat was then led out of the Eastern gate, to a distance about 10 miles from the city (camp), where it was released. In the days of the second Temple, the scapegoat wasn't actually released, but was rather pushed off a cliff, so that the goat, carrying the sins of the people, would not accidentally wander into some inhabited place, and bring the sins of Israel with it. The High Priest now passes through the Temple once again, and into the Holy of Holies. This time he removes the censor and ladle used to bring the coals and incense into the Holy of Holies. He then bathes, and changes into his normal priestly clothes, and performs the evening Temple service. -- An interesting aside: They tied a rope around the High Priest's ankle when he went in to the Holy of Holies, in case something happened [in case the High Priest didn't put enough smoke and incense inside the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:2, ) before he entered and he accidently saw the glory of God - to see the actual glory of God without Jesus as an atonement is to immediately die], and he couldn't make it back out. In this way, they could pull the High Priest back out without breaking the sanctity of the Holy of Holies. This is the only time during the year that the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies. [article link]
Brazen Serpent Sculpture (July 25, 2005) - [Note: The red iron T depicts the ancient wooden 'pole' it was a pole (T or t shaped) that held a banner - originally the cloth banner was removed and the brass serpent was placed on the pole by Moses. -- In the sculpture the serpent is the darker item that loops around the pole several times near the top and then loops over the top of the T shaped pole (also stylistically forming an Ankh ancient Egyptian cross [unChristian], known as key of life - Wiki.com).] (Photo) Description: The Christological Symbol (Brazen Serpent Sculpture), created by Italian artist, Giovanni Fantoni, stands atop Mount Nebo. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified (John 3:14). -- Date: 14:56, 25 July 2005. [article link]
Wikipedia: Mount Nebo located in Jordan - According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses was given a view of the promised land that God was giving to the Israelites "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho" (Deuteronomy 34:1) - The serpentine cross sculpture (the Brazen Serpent Monument) atop Mount Nebo was created (25 July 2005) by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni - It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified (John 3:14) (Photos - scroll down) Judaism and Christianity: According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses was given a view of the promised land that God was giving to the Israelites. "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho." (Deuteronomy 34:1). According to Jewish and Christian tradition, Moses was buried on this mountain by God Himself, and his final resting place is unknown. Scholars continue to dispute whether the mountain currently known as Nebo is the same as the mountain referred to in the Torah. ... Ruins: On the highest point of the mountain, Syagha, the remains of a church and monastery were discovered in 1933. The church was first constructed in the second half of the 4th century to commemorate the place of Moses' death. The church design follows a typical basilica
pattern. It was enlarged in the late fifth century A.D. and rebuilt in A.D. 597. The church is first mentioned in an account of a pilgrimage made by a lady Aetheria in A.D. 394. Six tombs have been found hollowed from the natural rock beneath the mosaic-covered floor of the church. In the modern chapel presbytery, built to protect the site and provide worship space, you can see remnants of mosaic floors from different periods. The earliest of these is a panel with a braided cross presently placed on the east end of the south wall. ... Recent History: On March 20, 2000, Pope John Paul II visited the site during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Mount Nebo being one of the most important Christian sites in Jordan). During his visit he planted an olive tree beside the Byzantine chapel as a symbol of peace. Pope Benedict XVI visited the site on May 9, 2009, gave a speech, and looked out from the top of the mountain in the direction of Jerusalem. The serpentine cross sculpture (the Brazen Serpent Monument) atop Mount Nebo was created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified (John 3:14). [article link]
The Scapegoat Dilemma by John P. Pratt an astronomer and computer programmer, specializing in ancient calendars - There are several problems with that interpretation, or at least many questions remain unanswered - For starters, the goat usually represents evil - Christ compared his followers to sheep, but those who did evil to goats (see Mat. 25:32-46) - The scriptures testify that Jesus was the "Lamb of God" (John 1:36; Rev. 5:6, 12), which is consistent with that symbolism - But why would an (evil) goat be used to symbolize Christ [John 3:14 the brass serpent used by Moses (Numbers 21:9) is a symbol of Jesus only on the cross]? Where does scripture even suggest that He was the "Goat of God" [2 Corinthians 5:21 - Jesus became our sin - a goat]? -- "2 Corinthians 5:21 For He [Father God] hath made Him [temporarily - on the cross - because there was no other way (Matthew 26:39)] to be sin for us, [Jesus] who knew no sin; that we [sinners - goats] might be made [sheep] the righteousness of God in Him." 1.3 The Enigma: There are several problems with that interpretation, or at least many questions remain unanswered. For starters, the goat usually represents evil. Christ compared his followers to sheep, but those who did evil to goats (see Mat. 25:32-46). The scriptures testify that Jesus was the "Lamb of God" (John 1:36; Rev. 5:6, 12), which is consistent with that symbolism. But why would an (evil) goat be used to symbolize Christ? Where does scripture even suggest that He was the "Goat of God"? And even if He is a goat in this case, the other goat (scapegoat) of this pair seems like a much better candidate. After all, he was the one chosen to be "for Jehovah", and he was sacrificed to atone for the sins of mankind, as was Christ. If the scapegoat represents Christ [**standard Christian interpretation is that Jesus is the sacrifice not the scapegoat] who bore all of our sins, then what was the point of the other goat [two goats - two kingdoms in this world - sin that is atoned for (God's Kingdom) and sin that remains (Satan - Antichrist Kingdom)] which was sacrificed to pay for them? Most commentators conclude that both goats represent Christ, but have no compelling explanation for the difference between them. Why were two goats necessary? Both of them were said to atone for or bear mankind's sins. Have there been two people in history who have done that? If so, did the one who is not Christ have any experience similar to that of the scapegoat? The standard answer is that only Christ suffered for our sins, so they must both symbolize Him. But when was it that Christ was led into the uninhabited wilderness to be banished forever? Why is it worth mentioning that the scapegoat was led by an "appointed" (translated "fit" in the KJV) man? Does he represent someone in particular? And if it was Christ he was leading, why was that man "unclean" afterward? Is the additional feature of sending the goat to its death off a cliff into jagged stones a barbaric perversion which reverses the whole concept of freeing the goat, or does it capture the intended symbolism of sending both goats to their death by different means? If the scapegoat was intended to be freed, then why does it get off with no suffering, if it is bearing the sins of all mankind? That certainly doesn't seem to be like Christ, who suffered more than is humanly possible. And if the cliff death is a correct symbolism, or even being exiled, then what does it correspond to in the life of Christ? What is the point of the elaborate ceremony where lots are chosen to determine the fate of each? If two animals are needed for some reason, why not just sacrifice one and let the other one go as was done with birds in the cleansing of a leper (Lev. 14:1-7)? Why
have spectators witness the high priest determine which goat was which? Who cares which goat is chosen? Surely the answer has something to do with the fact that one was "for Jehovah (God)" and the other "for Azazel (Satan)", so another question is, what does Azazel really mean? Let us dig deeper to answer all of these questions. ... 2. Barabbas: If this incident was indeed symbolized by the scapegoat ceremony, several questions remain. If the scapegoat represents a false Christ [Antichrist], then what about bearing the weight of the sins of all mankind? And what about being led by an appointed man into the wilderness? We may be on the right track but we need some more answers. ... 4. Conclusion: The results of this investigation suggest that the standard Christian interpretation of the scapegoat as representing Christ is probably in error [**standard Christian interpretation is that Jesus is the sacrifice not the scapegoat]. The more straightforward Hebrew interpretation that Azazel is Satan can be explained in terms of Christian doctrine by the Book of Enoch. In particular, the goat "for Jehovah" is indeed Jesus Christ, who atoned and was sacrificed for all the sins of mankind. But the other goat, the scapegoat "for Azazel," also bears the weight of the sins of all mankind because Satan (Azazel) is ultimately responsible for them all. And he will be punished for them, first by being cast into the bottomless pit, and later by being thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone at the last day. This ceremony teaches these two truths simultaneously. One practical lesson to be learned is that it can be very difficult to judge between the two nearly identical goats, representing Christ and a false Christ. Jesus appeared to the Jews to be a false Christ. They believed He performed His miracles by Satan's power (Luke 11:15) and some may have thought they were doing Jehovah a service by crucifying Him (compare John 16:2). Even though they were fulfilling scriptural prophecy, the Jews chose poorly between Barabbas and Christ. Perhaps next time the choice will be between two lambs instead of two goats (Rev. 13:11). Satan is the great deceiver and can do miracles (Rev. 13:13-15). He disguises himself in sheep's clothing (Mat. 7:15). The Savior warned us not to be deceived by false Christs who will show great signs and wonders, who will, were it possible, deceive the very elect (Mat. 24:24). If we had to choose between two candidates, both of whom claimed to be Christ, to do miracles and to have the power to save us, would we vote for the One who is indeed the true Savior? Would we go along with the screaming crowd and cast our vote against Christ, or would we have the courage to stand against the throng and heed the still, small voice that testifies of the true Son of God? [article link]
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) [Saturday] September 18, 2010 - Jewish Year 5771: sunset September 17, 2010 - nightfall September 18, 2010 -- Sukkot (Feast of Booths - 7 days) - Starting the fifth day after Yom Kippur sunset [Wednesday] September 22, 2010 - nightfall [Wednesday] September 29, 2010 Yom Kippur is probably the most important holiday of the Jewish year. Many Jews who do not observe any other Jewish custom will refrain from work, fast and/or attend synagogue services on this day. Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of Tishri. The holiday is instituted at Leviticus 23:26 et seq. The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. In Days of Awe, I mentioned the "books" in which G-d inscribes all of our names. On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends. As I noted in Days of Awe, Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and G-d, not for sins against another person. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. That must all be done before Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. It is well-known that you are supposed to refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. The Talmud also specifies additional restrictions that are less well-known: washing and bathing, anointing one's body (with cosmetics, deodorants, etc.), wearing leather shoes (Orthodox Jews routinely wear canvas sneakers under their dress clothes on Yom Kippur), and engaging in sexual relations are all prohibited on Yom Kippur. [article link]
The Jewish Feast Day Rosh HaShanah (Feast of Trumpets) Ends Today (Friday) at Sundown - Possibly meaning that there is no Church rapture until at least the next year and the next Feast of Trumpets {I pray for God's continued blessing upon the Jewish people throughout the New Year!} The next Jewish Feast Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is on Saturday Sept. 18, 2010 also starting at sundown the previous day [Friday the 17th of September 2010]. We will have a lot of material and also a lot of speculation about End Time scenarios regarding the yet to be completed 'Day of Atonement'. The 'Day of Atonement' was initiated and completed regarding sin on the cross of Jesus Christ however if the atonement 'scapegoat' (Leviticus 16:8, Leviticus 16:27-30) were to return to the people it would bring with it extra difficulty (sin) and a prolonged atonement realization process. [article link]
Basic Christian: Jesus Walk 10 Day Timeline Devotion for Easter, Holy Week - The Eight Appointed Holy Feasts of Leviticus Chapter 23 - Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Feasts Observed on the Seventh month (Tishri) [approx. September - October] Corresponding to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ: Trumpets - "Leviticus 23:23-25 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an Holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD." The offering of fire is likely the Baptism of Fire that the Christian is undergoing since the Flames of Fire upon the heads of the believers occurring at the Feast of Pentecost. The Trumpet is an announcement and in this case it is an announcement for God's people to gather together into one place. For the Church this is very likely fulfilled in the Rapture, the calling by God of His Church into Heaven to be with Him and to escape His coming judgment that is about to come upon the entire world of non-believers. "Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the voice which I heard was as it were of a Trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter." -- Atonement: "Leviticus 23:27-32 Also on the Tenth day of this Seventh month there shall be a day of Atonement." This feast in a large part was completed at the cross of Jesus as Jesus is the Atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Atonement is the repair the mending of a broken relationship. For a relationship to be repaired there has to be a desire to repair the union and there needs to be an acknowledgment of the wrong that severed the relationship in the first place. It is corresponding to the second coming of Jesus because there is still much to be fulfilled with this particular feast. For starters at the Atonement Feast Leviticus 16:1-34 there are two goats the first goat is sacrificed for the atonement, the removal of sin, because the result of sin is death so only when death occurs is sin satisfied. This sacrifice is a representation of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us. Meanwhile, the second goat called the "scapegoat", the carrier of sins is released far away carrying with it the sins of the people and if that scapegoat never returns then the sins never return and are completely removed and stay away. If the scapegoat does return then all of the sins return with it. It is evident that at the cross of Jesus that a man called Barabbas was the scapegoat, as Barabbas was set free and he was never heard from again. That is until the Antichrist comes because the Antichrist will be carrying the name of "Son of the Father" which translated into Hebrew is "Barabbas" Bar = son and Abba = Father. Unfortunately the scapegoat the carrier of sin "Satan" will be returning one day as he will again be accepted by the people to be their friend and their king and when he does come he will bring with him the sins of the world. Also the Jewish people as a nation have not yet recognized Jesus as the true Messiah and this will happen at the second coming of Jesus so this feast is still partially yet to be fulfilled. -Tabernacles (tents) - Booths (temporary shelters): "Leviticus 23:34-43 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The Fifteenth day of this Seventh month shall be the feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. ... That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." The Tabernacle is a Tent a temporary shelter as opposed to a Temple which is a permanent building. The Jewish Temple originally was a Tabernacle a Tent that the Hebrews carried with them and set up during their wilderness journey prior to their entry into the Promise Land of Israel. Once in the Promise Land, the permanent living place the Tent was then replaced in Jerusalem by the
permanent Temple made of stone. This is the comparison of our earthy body to our future Spiritual body. Currently we Tabernacle in a Tent body a temporary body made of flesh. Whenever anyone dies their spirit and soul departs this tent and if you are a child of God, God then accepts you into Heaven our Permanent home and we receive our new Temple body, a Spiritual body to match our spirit and our soul. "John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled, 4637)[physically, temporarily stayed among us] among us." It is possible that the Birthday of Jesus occurred on the Feast day of Tabernacles as John in the Gospel of John uses the word Tabernacle to describe Jesus manifesting into our physical earthly realm. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Happy New Year (Rosh HaShanah) - To all of my Jewish readers and friends, Shanah Tovah u'Metukah KeTapuach B'Dvash-May You Have a Good New Year, As Sweet as an Apple with Honey Ktivah v'Chatimah Tovah-May You Be Inscribed and Sealed for a Good Year - Thanks to all of my readersGentile and Jew-who sent me e-mails and i- and e-cards wishing me a Happy New Year - Right Back at Ya! I hope you have a happy and healthy new year Tonight, at sundown, Rosh HaShanah-the Jewish New Year-begins. One of the two most important Jewish holidays (the other is Yom Kippur), it marks the beginning of the Jewish "Ten Days of Repentance," during which we Jews repent for our sins and pray for a good new year. We believe that on Rosh HaShanah, G-d inscribes our fate for the year, and that at the end of Yom Kippur, that fate is sealed. It is one of the holidays that unites Jews around the world because most Jews-no matter how non-religious-celebrate at least part of this holiday in some way. [article link]
Jews, Muslims approach holy celebrations; Rosh Hashana starts tonight; Eid-il-Fitr likely will begin Friday By ELAINE ROSE - The appearance of the new moon tonight will mark the start of holiday celebrations for southern New Jersey's Jews and Muslims. The Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashana, starts at sunset tonight. It is the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance, which culminate with the fast of Yom Kippur. Area Muslims will most likely celebrate Eid-il-Fitr beginning Friday morning, a three-day feast to mark the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan. Both the Jewish and Islamic calendars are lunar, based on the cycles of the moon. But there are two differences in the way the calendars work. The lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar year. The Jewish calendar adds a leap month seven times every 19 years to keep in sync with the solar year. So Rosh Hashana always occurs in the early fall. But the Muslim calendar makes no such adjustment, and the holidays fall back 11 days every year. ... The Jewish Rosh Hashana celebration is a bit more somber, as Jews spend a large part of the day in synagogue as they begin repenting for their sins. The shofar, or ram's horn, is blown as a *wake-up [Psalms 3:5] call to come back to the right path. In the afternoon, communities go to a body of water - usually the beach in southern New Jersey - to symbolically cast their sins into the sea [Psalms 55:22, Psalms 103:12]. At a festive meal, it is a custom to eat apples dipped in honey as a symbol for a sweet year. [article link]
Rosh Hashanah 2010 [Jewish New Year 5711] - Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 - It is celebrated on Thursday, September 9 and Friday, September 10 {Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) - the 6th of the 8 Levitical Feast Days begins tonight at Sundown it is the next Feast in order after Pentecost to be prophetically initiated/fulfilled and is thought to signify the calling of the Church (rapture) into Heaven and the assembling (uniting) of the Nation of Israel on earth.} What is Rosh Hashanah? Rosh Hashanah celebrates the Jewish new year. It takes place on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. Rosh Hashanah also marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance, which finish at the end of Yom Kippur. [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Introduction: The Book of Hebrews - The Book of Hebrews is probably the main content from the Apostle Paul's Synagogue visiting ministry [Acts 17:2] - Acts
9:15 'for he [Paul] is a chosen vessel unto Me (Jesus), to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the [Jews] Children of Israel' - The Apostle Peter mentions Paul's Book of Hebrews in 2 Peter 3:15-16 'our beloved brother [Apostle] Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written [Book of Hebrews] unto you; as also in all his [other] epistles' - The Book of Hebrews is unsigned and undelivered most likely indicating that Paul wrote it himself while in Jerusalem and that Paul personally gave it to the Church in Jerusalem The Book of Hebrews from the earliest times of the Christian Church has been attributed to the Apostle Paul without any previous controversy. It has only been in more recent times that scholars have attempted to remove the Apostle Paul from his writing. The Apostle Peter had read Paul's Book of Hebrews and mentions it along with his other epistles in one of Peter's writings. - '2 Peter 3:15-16 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation [Hebrews 2:10]; even as our beloved brother [Apostle] Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written [Book of Hebrews] unto you; As also in all his [other] epistles ...' - The original proclamation by God for the Apostle Paul is in Acts 9:15 'But the Lord said unto him [Ananias], Go thy way: for he [Paul] is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the Children of Israel' the Apostle Paul is to reach with his ministry; Gentiles, Kings, and Jews. Paul starts out his ministry reasoning with Jews on every Sabbath (Saturday) in the Synagogues as was his custom [Acts 17:2]. - In short on a visit to Jerusalem [Acts 21:17] the Apostle Paul was entangled in Christian Jewish customs and Temple rituals and it was in attempting to appease the Christian Church leaders in Jerusalem that the Apostle Paul was talked in to joining in on a Temple vow with some other Christians. The Apostle Paul went to the Temple in Jerusalem with the other Jewish Christians and was spotted by some of the Jews who had been outside of Jerusalem and were in opposition to his preaching. A riot ensued and the Apostle Paul was ultimately arrested by the Roman guards and held in confinement in the Roman 'castle' dungeon probably the same place where John the Baptist had early been confined by Herod. While in confinement it's most likely that the Apostle Paul figured that his long intended letter to the Hebrews in Jerusalem was in order and Paul wrote down in a sense the same message that he had been reasoning with all along with all the Jews in every synagogue he entered. Probably the Book of Hebrews is the main content of the Apostle Paul's synagogue visits. Unlike the Book of Romans the Book of Hebrews is undelivered and unlike the Book of Galatians the Book of Hebrews is unsigned because likely the Book of Hebrews was written in Jerusalem [while confined in the castle] and was not delivered by messenger but was given from the hand of Paul into the hands of Peter or possibly via the nephew of Paul [Acts 23:16 'Paul's sister's son'] into the hands of Peter and to the rest of the Christian Church in Jerusalem. [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Hebrews 1 - The Apostle Paul's Trilogy of Systematic Theology to the Nations [Romans, Galatians, Hebrews] - The Book of Hebrews is to give the Hebrew, Jewish Nation a perspective of their past, present and future glory with God in Jesus Christ the risen Savior, Messiah 'Hebrews 1:8-9 But unto the Son He (Father) saith, *Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness [the cross] is the sceptre of Thy Kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy [Father] God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy [human] fellows.' Hebrews 1:1-4 God, who at sundry times [in history] and in divers manners spake in time past unto the [Jewish] fathers by the Prophets, Hath in these *last days {after the cross it's the last days until the second coming} spoken unto us by His Son (Jesus), whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds [physical and spiritual realms]; Who being the brightness [equal in Glory] of His [Father God's] Glory, and the express image [exact representation] of His [Father God's] person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself [carried His cross] purged our sins, [resurrected and] sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High; Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.' - The Apostle Paul immediately sets out the Divinity and the Superiority of Jesus Christ even over the angels. Paul notes that Jesus is both the creator and the inheritor of all things. Then Paul presents a reminder that the present universe is going to vanish and concluding that Jesus Christ as the creator, inheritor and redeemer of the Universe is not just an improved version of Judaism but is
the ultimate consummation of the plan of God given throughout the ages to all mankind and to miss out on the plans of Jesus Christ is to miss out on the one and only plan available to mankind. Note: It is important to know that Jesus is currently seated at the right hand of the Father in Majesty on High. Any thought or notion of the previously rejected Jesus is an ancient aberration of human history as Jesus is currently reigning and ruling in Authority, Splendor, Majesty and Glory while all heaven rejoices at the presence of Jesus Christ. -- Also Note: A clarification technically Daniels' 70th Week [Last Days] began on the day of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem [Palm Saturday or Palm Sunday depending on how you figure it] so about six days, Saturday Triumphal Entry through the Thursday crucifixion, of Daniel's 70th week have happened. With the crucifixion the 70th week came to a temporary halt until the fullness of the Gentiles [Acts 15:17] can be brought in. 'Daniel 9:20-27 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Jews] and upon thy Holy City [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision [Law] and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy (Jesus). Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah (Jesus) the Prince shall be seven weeks [seven Jewish decades 49 years - these weeks were the Jewish decade of seven years the Levitical decade seventh year of release], and threescore and two weeks [62 Jewish decades 434 years]: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks [the 434 years] shall Messiah be cut off [crucifixion], but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And He [Antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [the 70th and final week regarding Jerusalem]: and in the midst of the week at [3½ years] he [Antichrist] shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [in the rebuilt Temple] to cease, and for the overspreading [saturation] of abominations [evil] he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation [end of the Book of Revelation], and that determined shall be poured [vial (measured) judgments of Revelation 16:1] upon the desolate.' [article link]
Part 2 of 2: Authorship of the Bible - The New Testament (via a Heavenly Initiation) -- Written by the N.T. Apostles given directly *Heavenly from YHWH (Holy Spirit) on behalf of Jesus Christ "John 1:17 For the [O.T.] Law was given [earthly] by Moses, but Grace and Truth came [Heavenly] by Jesus Christ. No man [not even Moses] hath seen God [YHWH - Father God] at any time; the only begotten Son [Jesus], which is in the bosom [presence] of the Father, He [Jesus from Heaven] hath declared Him [God the Father]." -- "John 10:18 No man taketh it [Life] from Me [Jesus], but I lay it down of Myself. *I [Jesus] have power to lay it down, and I [Jesus] have [resurrection] power to take it again. **This commandment have I *received of My Father." - "John 16:1216 I [Jesus] have yet many things to say unto you [12 Apostles], but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the [Holy] Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth: **for He [Holy Spirit] shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear [in Heaven from Jesus], that shall He [Holy Spirit] speak [to the Apostles]: and He will shew you things to come. *He shall glorify Me [Jesus]: for He [Holy Spirit] shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you [Apostles and all Christians]. All things that the Father [God] hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He [Holy Spirit] shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while [cross], and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me [resurrection], because I [Live and] go to the Father [in Heaven]." The N.T. Bible was completed via the N.T. Apostles: Hebrews 12:25-29 See that ye [people] refuse not Him [Jesus, Holy Spirit, Father God] that speaketh. For if they [Congregation of Moses] escaped not who refused him [Moses] that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him [Jesus] that speaketh from Heaven: (Jesus) Whose voice then [Mt. Sinai] shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also Heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made [by man], that those things [of God] which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a [eternal Heavenly] Kingdom [from God] which cannot be moved, let us have *grace [individuality in God's truth and righteousness], whereby we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire [removing sin]." - "2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture [O.T. Prophets and N.T. Apostles] is given by inspiration (Lit. God's breath - G2315) of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man [disciple] of God may be perfect [complete], throughly furnished unto all good works." [article link]
{Flashback} Prophet, Seer, Apostle, 144,000 Witnesses [the coming Dispensation of Revelation Tribulation with the 144,000 Jewish witnesses (i.e. announcers, forerunners - Prophets, Seers, Apostles) for the 1,000 year Kingdom Reign on earth of Jesus Christ] -- 'Matthew 11:13 For all the [O.T.] prophets and the law prophesied [of the coming Messiah - Jesus Christ] until John [the Baptist - the last O.T. prophet]. And if ye [Spiritual Church] will receive it, this [John the Baptist] is [Spiritual] Elias (Elijah) [Elijah - "Elohim is my God"], which was [announcer, forerunner - of Christ] for to come. -- '1 Corinthians 15:8 And last of all He [resurrected Jesus Christ] was seen of me [last N.T. Apostle - Apostle Paul] also, as of one born out of due time.' -- 'Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye [Gentiles] are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the [Jewish] Saints, and of the Household of God; And are built upon *the foundation of the [N.T.] Apostles and [O.T.] Prophets, **Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief [foundation] Corner Stone; In [Jesus Christ] whom all the [Temple] building fitly framed together groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation [living place] of God through the [Holy] Spirit.' - {Note: The Prophets prophesied of the coming Messiah (Christ) and wrote the Old Testament of the Bible with the words of their prophecies. Then with the actual arrival of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) the O.T. prophecy was completed (in John the Baptist) and scripture authority was then given to the Apostles who were in the actual presence of Jesus Christ and it was the Apostles [not Prophets] who wrote the Kingdom of God instructions in Righteousness of Jesus Christ - the New Testament. Also Note: This is Not replacement theology - the 'Spiritual Church' (seperate from physical [redeemed] Israel) began at the giving of the Spirit of Jesus after His resurrection on Resurrection Sunday [Easter Sunday] and continues until the 'Rapture' taking of the Spiritual Church into heaven. Then with the Spiritual Church removed from the earth the events of Revelation revert almost exclusively to physical events and physical [redeemed] Israel -- the only or primarily 'spiritual' events of Revelation Tribulation are the counterfeit spiritual events of the Antichrist. Also Note: We are currently in the 'Church Age' [not the Prophet, Apostle or 144,000 Dispensation or Age] the Church Age started after the Apostles [Disciples of Jesus] with the Church Fathers [disciples of the Apostles] i.e. Polycarp of Smyrna, Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch.} Seer: The Seer was part of a short distinct time period in the history of Israel and came from the office of the Prophets. The office of Seer took place during the unique time period of Israel when God was their King. With God in the midst of Israel He was no longer Prophesied about but was seen by the Seer. This time period began after the Passover and upon leaving Egypt. Exodus 13:17 "God led them" He could be Seen leading the new Nation of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promise Land. In those days everyone in Israel could See God as He appeared in a pillar of Cloud by day and in a pillar of Fire by night. The Seer time period lasted from the Egypt Exodus throughout the wilderness into the Promise Land including the time period of the Judges and until the regretful moment when Israel as a Nation rejected the leadership of God and chose for themselves an earthly king named Saul ('asked for') so they could be like all of the other nations around them and like all of the other nations they could no longer see God in their midst. With the anointing and placing of Saul into the office of King the brief Seer period of Israel reverted back to the prophet period and remains the prophet period for Israel until this day. "1 Samuel 10:17-19 And ye have this day rejected your God." As that day they were anointing Saul King. The Church however has God as King and is at times in a position of a Seer. "Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." As the "Born Again" "Pure in Heart" Church we at times do get to glimpse and to see God at work as He leads and directs our path into His righteousness. There are times that are just too Compassionate, to Divine and to Miraculous to be anything but the occurrence of God. It is only the Christian that is equipped and able to be a Seer into these very special moments in life [with God].... [article link]
Part 1 of 2: Authorship of the Bible - The Old Testament (via an Earthly Initiation) -- Written by Moses given directly *earthly location from YHWH (Jesus) "Exodus 33:11 And the LORD [YHWH - Jesus] spake unto Moses [the first five books (Pentateuch) of the Bible including the O.T. Law] face to face [on earth - in the Tabernacle], as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he [Moses] turned [returned] again [after writing O.T Bible for the day] into the camp [of the 12 Tribes of Israel]: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, [stayed guarded] departed not out of the Tabernacle." The O.T. Law was completed via Moses: "Deuteronomy 31:24-26 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this [O.T.] Law in a Book [Pentateuch - first five books of the Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy], until they [Laws] were finished [Joshua concluded the book of Deuteronomy after the death of Moses], That Moses commanded the Levites [Priests], which bare the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, saying, Take this book of the Law, and put it in the side [inside] of the Ark of the Covenant [as a Temple Scroll - not as the public Bible Scriptures that would come later - The Bible Scriptures of today are the ancient Temple Scrolls complied [some genealogies reduced - some events changed from historical odrer in the Bible to a Biblical, bad to worse O.T. teaching oder] during the captivity in Babylon (Daniel 10:21, Matthew 21:42, Matthew 22:29, Matthew 26:54)] of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. [article link]
[3 Fall Feasts 2010] Rosh Hashanah in 2010 is Sundown Wednesday, the 8th of September and will continue for 2 days until Sundown Friday, the 10th of September 2010 - Then Yom Kippur [Day of Atonement] is on Saturday, the 18th of September 2010 - Sukkot [Feast of Booths] in 2010 will start on Sunset Wednesday, the 22nd of September and will continue for 7 days [1 week] until Wednesday, the 29th of September 2010. {Jerusalem time is +7 hours (later) than NY time and +10 hours (later) than West Coast time.} Rosh Hashanah in 2011 will start on Thursday, the 29th of September and will continue for 2 days until Friday, the 30th of September. *Note that in the Jewish calander, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Jews will celebrate Rosh HaShanah on the **Sunset of Wednesday, the 28th of September until Friday, the 30th of September 2011. [article link]
Another remarkable mathematical Bible prophecy - The Return of Israel ... May 14, 1948 You are about to read one of the most fascinating and remarkable prophecies in the Bible. What makes it even more remarkable is what it implies. For when we realize how precisely this prophecy has been fulfilled after 2,500 years, we must realize all the Bible prophecies concerning Israel and the world including the coming 'Apocalypse,' the Battle of Armageddon, Messiah's Return, and the many promises and warnings concerning both Heaven and Hell will be fulfilled just as accurately and literally as the amazing prophecy presented here ... The Prophecy ... Ezekiel 4:4-6 ... Israel Back in Her Land as a Nation . . . in 1948! Judah (Israel) was taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 606 B.C. They were released from captivity 70 years later by the Persians in 536 A.D., exactly as the prophet Jeremiah had prophesied, but their land was still under the control of the Persians. The Persians were later conquered by the Greeks, and the land of Israel remained under Greek control. The Greeks were then conquered by Rome and the land of Israel remained under Roman control. After failed rebellions against Rome around 70 A.D. and another around 100 years later, the Romans removed the Jews from the land of Israel, dispersed them around the world and then renamed the land 'Palestine' after the enemies of Israel. Then, after 2,500 years, and for the first time since the Babylonian captivity in 606 B.C., the world watched as Israel once again appeared on the world map as a sovereign nation, on May 14, 1948 ... exactly when the Bible said it would! [article link]
Wikipedia: Prophecy of Seventy Weeks -- The Prophecy of Seventy Septets or literally 'seventy times seven' appears in the angel Gabriel's reply to Daniel, beginning with verse 22 and ending with verse 27 in the ninth chapter of the Book of Daniel, a work included in both the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Bible; as well as the
Septuagint - The prophecy is part of both the Jewish account of history and Christian (last things - end times) eschatology - There have been objections raised to some of Anderson's calculations [April 6, 32 A.D., which he offered as the date of the (Palm Sunday) Triumphal Entry] - For instance, later calculations have confirmed that Anderson was off by one day [originally making the Sabbath (Palm Saturday) the more correct date as Anderson was thought to have added 1 too many correction i.e. leap year days - though now Monday (adding even 1 more day) is considered a possibility by some] {Note: The Daniel 70 Weeks prophecy and several other numerical prophecies [i.e. Ezekiel 4:4-6] are interesting and very helpful however the dating and timing of each prophecy is extremely difficult, just in dealing with lunar calendars, leap years and the 0 year [B.C to A.D.] for each prophecy. The important aspect for the Christian Church is that Jesus had a 3½ year earthly ministry starting when He was 'about' thirty years old (Luke 3:23) - Jesus' events of Holy Week are generally considered to be the events of Passover 32 A.D. [counting the zero year] putting Jesus at 33½ years old at the time though I'm not certain of these dates and I'm still looking for more information and conformation and posting this material as a work in progress.} Sir Robert Anderson used lunar data to fix the date of the first day of the first month of the twentieth year of Artaxerxes (the day implied in Nehemiah) to March 14, 445 BC. He showed that, based on various apparent references to the Great Tribulation both as three and a half years and also as 1260 days, 360 days could be fixed as the length of what he called a "prophetic year". He fixed the end date to April 6, 32, which he offered as the date of the Triumphal Entry. Alva McClain and others have since concurred with this viewpoint. There have been objections raised to some of Anderson's calculations. For instance, later calculations have confirmed that Anderson was off by one day, as the opening date was a Friday, but the closing date a Sunday, something that could not happen in a whole number of seven-time periods (keeping in mind that in any given whole seven-time period, the closing date will always be shifted by one day from the opening date [for example, counting seven complete days from Noon on a Tuesday will end on Noon on a Wednesday]). Also, Babylonian records appear to show a leap month in 445 BC (so Nisan 1, the date of the decree, should be one month later on April 13). Moreover, Sunday, April 6 was almost certainly not Nisan 10, and more likely Nisan 6, with Passover eight days later on Monday the 14th. Furthermore, even if we took Anderson's start and end day to be correct, it has been proven that his calculations are incorrect by 3 days due to his lack of understanding in regards to Julian and Gregorian dates. Harold Hoehner set forth revisions to Anderson and gave an opening date of March 4, 444 BC (the one year shift being due to a different accession date of Artaxerxes) with the end of the 69 weeks on March 30, 33. The same errors with Anderson's calculations also plague Hoehner's, for he miscalculated the length of a year. The leap month means that Nisan 1 probably occurred on April 3 or 4. Ron Bigalke Jr. set forth revisions to Anderson and Hoehner based on the year of Artaxerxes succession as August 465 BC which Hoehner timed as December 465 BC. According to Bigalke, the end of the 69 weeks may be March 26, 33. However, this event loses its significance as the Triumphal Entry, for it does not occur on Sunday as church tradition dictates, nor on Monday as some new interpretations report. Bigalke did indicate the problem of a 26 March date since it would be too soon before Jesus' arrival in Bethany and the Passover. He stated that Hoehner did admit the possibility that Artaxerxes may have given permission to Nehemiah later than 1 Nisan. Bigalke's conclusion was if the starting date was 5 Nisan (which Hoehner left possible) then the number of days would be an exact 173,880 days. The 19th century theologian Nathaniel West offered a completely different Christian solution and utilized internal biblical evidence to begin the prophecy with the decree of Cyrus (see Isa. 44:28, 45:13) and end the 69th week with the birth of Jesus' rather than with Jesus' Triumphal Entry. This solution has recently been further developed and defended by T.T. Schlegel. [article link]
THE FIRST 69 WEEKS [Global Gentile Kingdoms] OF THE 70 WEEKS OF DANIEL - "Calculation of the 69 Weeks" PALM SUNDAY [actually Saturday], DAY 173,880 MARKS THE TERMINUS OF THE 69 WEEKS - This then, is that all important number that Scotland Yard Inspector *Sir Robert Anderson (29 May 1841 - 15 November 1918) arrived at for the 69 weeks - He did this work in the late 19th century [1800's] and wrote the book, "The Coming Prince" outlining his discoveries - For a fuller outlining of the calculations involved for the first 69
weeks see article #8 in this series or click on the chart below - These are calculations you can verify yourself [I have to confirm it but apparently Robert Anderson's 69th Week calculation ended on Saturday but he felt 1 day was missing from his (modern - Gregorian based calendar) timeline adjustments so he added 1 day to conclude on Palm Sunday (in keeping with the modern tradition) instead of on the actual Saturday [Sabbath Day] Triumphal Entry of the Bible.] {Note: The 69th Week of Daniel concluded on Saturday the Triumphal Entry day of Jesus into Jerusalem fulfilling the 1st of the 8 Feast Days of Leviticus 23. While the [2,000 year] gap exists between the 69th and 70th (Revelation - Tribulation Week - final 7 years) is waiting to be fulfilled many of the 8 Feasts [at least 6 of the 8] are being fulfilled. Also Note: Apparently any way that the math is done the 69th Week ends about Passover 32 A.D. within 25 or so days without taking into account any necessary calendar adjustments that bring the calculation to the day of (Palm Saturday) or within a day of traditional Palm Sunday. -- Jesus being 33½ years old at His death and resurrection. John the Baptist began his Levitical ministry at the priestly age of 30 and then Jesus six months younger than John the Baptist began His (reconciliation) Melchizedek Priesthood duties also at 'about' the age of 30 (Luke 3:23). Jesus' birth is marked as the year 0 then at 29 A.D. or 30 A.D. began to minster on earth for 3½ years concluding in about 32 A.D. [during Passover in Jerusalem 32 A.D. - counting the zero year for Daniels 70 Week Prophecy] in the 33rd year of Jesus' physical life on earth. -- "Daniel 9:26 And *after (the 69th week - 483 years) threescore and two weeks (60 + 2 + previous 7 = 69) shall Messiah (Christ) be cut off (lit. execution, crucifixion), but not for Himself (for the sins of the people)"} THE 70 WEEKS BEGINS WITH THE EDICT OF ARTAXERXES LONGINUS [King of Persia (Iran) - 4th Global Gentile Kingdom]. THE AUTHORITY TO RESTORE THE POLITICAL SOVEREIGNTY OF JERUSALEM WAS GIVEN TO NEHEMIAH. And how would the 70 weeks begin? On a certain special day in holy history a king would issue a royal edict. The story is told in Nehemiah chapter 2. And as the new moon of Nisan came up that year Nehemiah, his cup-bearer, laid out the burden of a scattered people to the supreme ruler of Persia. Nehemiah had been sad as he had remembered Israel's former Passovers in happier times. Now the holy city was under the sovereignty of the Medo-Persians, the superpower of that time. And in spite of a rebuilt temple and the return of many from Judah the city was still in ruins. It was a day of high drama. In fear of his very life Nehemiah had asked the king for something of a very sensitive nature. He was asking Artaxerxes for permission to restore the city of Jerusalem, its walls and its gates. He was, in effect, asking for a royal edict allowing the Jewish House of Judah to return with supplies, money, and royal authority to restore the sovereignty of the Holy City as a self-governing city-state. This was a very tense moment. He could have been executed for this. But Nehemiah found favor in the eyes of the king. And the Medo-Persian ruler Artaxerxes Longimanus issued that all important decree. It was a stupendous day in holy history. The edict given by Artaxerxes in his 20th year was highly significant. It gave permission for the political restoration of the city of Jerusalem. -- Medo-Persia was the world superpower of the time. This edict would give authority for returning Jews to do something they had not been able to do before. They were being given this edict in the peace, security, and and superpower protection of Artaxerxes to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. The City of Shalom, the city of the coming Prince of Peace was to be restored. Soon its walls and gates would be rebuilt. And it would function as a sovereign citystate. The key to all this was the stipulating of restoration of "gates and walls". The "city gates" were the entrance to the city. This was more than just a portal for entry. The city gate was an enclosed structure, the place where the town elders sat and judged in all sorts of governmental matters. This edict, would set in motion the restoration of the integrity and sovereignty of Jerusalem as a self-governing city-state. King Cyrus is often mentioned in this context of the 70 weeks prophecy. But this earliest edict was given nearly 90 years earlier in 537 B.C.. The edict of Cyrus is outlined in Ezra chapter 1. The edict given by Cyrus was a proclamation of emancipation for the captives of Judah. It had its religious side to it as well. Cyrus had given them a grant and every encouragement the returning Jews to rebuild the Temple. But the political side to the equation was missing. Because in the Cyrus decree (and also the decree of Artaxerxes given to Ezra 80 years later in 457 B.C.), there was no mention of any permission being given to attend to the restoration of gates and walls of the city of Jerusalem. Cyrus had not given this critical permission for restoration of political sovereignty. That would come in the century to follow and only with the grant given to Nehemiah in 445 B.C.. This is an extremely
important point overlooked by many Bible teachers. -- These earlier edicts allowed the Jews to return to the land of Israel and to rebuild the Hebrew Temple in Jerusalem. And they did return, initially experiencing some delays due to opposition in the land. Finally, in the time period 520 B.C. to 516 B.C. and after the exhortations of Habakkuk the rebuilding program got under way under the able leadership of Zerubbabel. The following century would see another significant event, the decree of Artaxerxes in his 7th year in 457 B.C.. This came about by a revival among the Jews who remained in Persia. That revival began like all revivals. The Word of God was shared with the people. The discovery of the scrolls was followed by a public reading of the Torah by the scribe Ezra. This is what sparked the revival of interest by the Jewish exiles. Suddenly, they remembered their destiny. Soon after the edict was issued large numbers of former captives began returning back to Jerusalem. It was Ezra who prepared the hearts of the people, not only for another Aliyah to the Land but also for the civic responsibilities that would come later on under Nehemiah. But it was only after the later edict given to Nehemiah that the city of Jerusalem would be restored to political sovereignty. We know for a certainty that neither Zerubbabel or Ezra had rebuilt the walls and gates. Because when Nehemiah came along, (and this was eight years after Ezra in the spring of 445 B.C.), Nehemiah had received sad news. We read (in Nehemiah 2) that he had been told that the walls of Jerusalem were still in ruins. And the gates were burned with fire. There were some sad social consequences to this. The city walls were a broken shell. and offered no had no civic protection. And so the people camped out within these broken down walls were being oppressed by marauders. It was still a wild Persian territory without the law and order that brings peace and security. This is what prompted Nehemiah to petition the king. As the king's cup-bearer he was in a privileged position to take the bull by the horns and to pop the big question. As he did so he was trembling. In this act he was actually taking his life in his hands. If the king did not give his scepter and his favor Nehemiah was a dead man. His request would be regarded as a rebellious act against the Persian realms. He could have been charges with treason and executed speedily. But Nehemiah, as the king's cup-bearer was energized by the God of Israel. And so he asked the king to allow the Jewish returnees to rebuild the city walls and gates. This was no light matter. This act of rebuilding and restoration was not just a beautification program. This rebuilding of city infrastructure would restore the city of Jerusalem as an independent sovereign city-state. -- And so it was, that in 445 B.C., in the month of Nisan, the Persian King Artaxerxes Longimanus in his 20th year would receive a petition from his Jewish butler. And Artaxerxes would issue a royal edict to allow the restoration of Jerusalem, God's holy city. (Neh.1-2) This was not an obscure event. It was a highly significant event and it was recorded in the pages of holy history. This edict we see showcased in Nehemiah 2 would set the clock ticking for the seventy weeks of Daniel. 173,880 days later, the people of God, and the city of Jerusalem, would come to a pivotal and epic moment in holy history. In all of His three and a half year earthly ministry this particular day would be a time like no other. On this specific and momentous day, in the springtime of 32 A.D., in the month of Nisan, and on the 10th day of the moon, they would see their coming Prince! On this special day He would enter into His holy city! [article link]
Re: Rapture on the feast of trumpets - The 2 Witnesses are really the key to understanding the timing of [not] the 1st Resurrection [but the] and Rapture! {Ok, so the Feast of Trumpets is a Two Day Feast, both in the days of Jesus and also in our modern day. The two days are necessary to 1. Establish and confirm the New Moon event by two witnesses (usually on a darkened hill in the country outside the lights and distractions of the city of Jerusalem) 2. To relay the news of the New Moon and the start of a New Year to Jerusalem and also to other cities throughout Israel. Though the primary focus is on the Two Witnesses and of an accurate and reliable New Moon [Lunar Calendar] sighting. -- With the 8 Feasts of Leviticus 23 being fulfilled in order [Sabbath Triumphal Entry being the first fulfilled] and Pentecost [5th of the 8 Feasts] being the last initiated/ fulfilled Feast and the Feast of Trumpets [the 6th Feast] is the next Feast in order to be initiated/fulfilled. Since all the Feasts are initiated in Jerusalem the question then becomes are the Two Witnesses of Revelation (Revelation 11:3-12) the Two Witnesses that will Witness the lunar New Moon and bring in the Tribulation Period? - The Two Witnesses of Revelation prophesy for 1,260 days or 3½ years but their 3½ years seems to start prior to the
revealing of the Antichrist and during the reign (or at the start) of the reign of Antichrist the False Prophet (Revelation 11:7) is going to make war with and kill the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem.} The 2 Witnesses are really the key to understanding the timing of [not] the 1st Resurrection and Rapture! Let me explain... In Matt 24:36 & Mark 13:32 when Jesus' disciples asked him when will these things be fulfilled, he answered them "On the day and the hour no one knows, not even the angels, but the Father in Heaven." Jesus was actually pointing to the Feast of Trumpets by using the Jewish idiom describing this feast. Of the 7 Feasts of the Lord, it is the only one that begins on the 1st day of the month so no one knows the exact day or hour... until the New Moon comes out. You see in the Hebrew lunar calendar a month can either be 29 or 30 days, so the custom is to wait for at least 2 witnesses to see the New Moon, then the start of the feast is declared. In Rev 11:7-12 is the prophecy of the 2 Witnesses. At the end of their 3.5 yrs of testimony (end of GT) they were killed by the Beast and their bodies left in the street of Jerusalem, 3.5 days later they came back to life and a voice from heaven called them "COME UP HITHER!" and they rise up to the sky. Do you see the parallel meaning of this event? Their resurrection marks the momentous fulfillment of the prophecy of The Feast of Trumpets! The 2 Witnesses are actually declaring the start of the Feast in the tradition of Ancient Israel when at least 2 witnesses must see the New Moon for "the day and the hour." The 2 Witnesses ARE [NOT] the first of the FirstFruits leading the Resurrection of the saints and then the Rapture of the elect! [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Revelation 11 - The 3rd Temple in Jerusalem is measured and described - At the time that the Disciple John was writing this in about 95 A.D. the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem had already been destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Legions of forces of Rome -- 'Revelation 11:1-2 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the Angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the Temple of God [3rd Temple], and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the Temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city [Jerusalem] shall they tread under foot forty and two months [3½ years].' - Note: There are several 3½ year segments in the Tribulation time period however they are not all a part of the same 7 year period. This 42 month period could be well under way before the Rapture then the 3½ years of the Two Witnesses could occur right after the Rapture and at the start of the 7 years of Tribulation. Just keep in mind that there are multiple 3½ year periods with different starting times and different completion times. Revelation 11:3-13 And I [God] will give power unto my Two Witnesses [Two Prophets - possibly Moses and Elijah], and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days [1,260 days, 3½ years - 360 days in a Biblical prophetic year], clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth (Zechariah 4:3). And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them [the Two Witnesses], he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city [Jerusalem], which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations *shall see [via global television] their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood [resurrection] upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: **and *the *remnant were affrighted, and **gave glory to the God of heaven. The *second *woe [demonic infestation - demons from the bottomless pit] is past; and, behold, the third woe [Satan himself - Antichrist] cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded;
and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign [the 8th Kingdom] for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the Nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in His Temple the Ark of His Testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. - Note: The 7th global Kingdom of mankind gives way to the Kingdom of God, the 8th Kingdom, the eternal Righteous Kingdom of Jesus Christ. [article link]
THE RAPTURE ON ROSH HASHANA [Feast of Trumpets] - In the Christian world, Rosh Hashanah is known as The Feast of Trumpets - Many Christians observe this festival for its Christian prophetic application the Rapture of the [Christian] Church - All the Spring Feasts were fulfilled at Christ's first coming - All the Fall Feasts picture the Second Advent, and the Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts, picturing the Rapture - Now there are more feasts to be fulfilled with the second coming -- Yom Teruah (Rosh HaShanah) / Feast of Trumpets [possibly] The Church Rapture; the last trump; wedding of the Messiah [to the Church bride]; New Moon; Open Door [Church goes into Heaven] -- Yom Kippur / Day of Atonement -- Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles (Booths structures - dwelling places - homes for individuals) In the Christian world, Rosh Hashanah is known as The Feast of Trumpets. Many Christians observe this festival for its Christian prophetic application - the Rapture of the Church. "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." (1 Corinthians 15:51-53) "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) All the Spring Feasts were fulfilled at Christ's first coming. All the Fall Feasts picture the Second Advent, and the Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts, picturing the Rapture. ... A special season known as 'Teshuvah' which in Hebrew means "to return or repent", begins on the first day of the month of Elul and continues 40 days, ending with Yom Kippur. Thirty days into Teshuvah, on Tishrei 1, comes Rosh HaShanah. This begins a final ten-day period beginning on Rosh HaShanah and ending on Yom Kippur. These are known as the High Holy Days and as the Awesome Days. The sabbath that falls within this ten-day period is called 'Shabbat Shuvah', the Sabbath of Return. Five days after Yom Kippur is 'Sukkot', the Feast of Tabernacles. Teshuvah begins on Elul 1 and concludes on Tishrei 10, Yom Kippur. Each morning during the 30 days of the month of Elul, the trumpet (shofar) or ram's horn is blown to warn the people to repent and return to God. Rosh HaShanah is also referred to as 'Yom Teruah', the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar, or the Day of the Awakening Blast. On Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar, it is imperative for every person to hear the shofar. Yom Teruah is the only festival that no man knows when exactly it will occur. This is due to the fact that it begins on the new moon. The new moon was sanctified when two witnesses see the new moon and attest to it before the Sanhedrin in the Temple. This sanctification could happen during either of two days, depending on when the witnesses come. Since no one knew when the witnesses would come, no one knew when the Feast of Trumpets would start. On the 30th of each month, the members of the High Court assembled in a courtyard in Jerusalem, where they waited to receive the testimony of two reliable witnesses. They then sanctified the new moon. The new moon is very difficult to see on the first day because it can be seen only about sunset, close to the sun, when the sun is traveling north. So, looking for a very slim faint crescent moon, which is very close to the sun, is a very difficult thing to do. If the moon's crescent was not seen
on the 30th day, the new moon was automatically celebrated on the 31st day. For this reason, Yom Teruah is always celebrated for two days. These two days are celebrated as though it is just one long day of forty-eight hours. The reason that it is celebrated for two days is because if they waited to start the celebration until after the new moon had been sanctified, they would have missed half the celebration because the new moon can only be sanctified during daylight hours. The command seems to be that we know the season, but not the day or the hour (Matthew 24:32-36). Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets, is the only feast that we do not know the day in which to keep it. Therefore, we have to be on the alert and watch for it. Teruah means "an awakening blast". A theme associated with Rosh. HaShanah is the theme "to awake". Teruah is also translated as "shout". [article link]
Rapture! Pentecost or Feast of Trumpets? - The Feast of Trumpets [an 'observed' Feast Day only after the New Moon event first appears and is apparent to the eye - not a calculated Feast Day i.e. Pentecost [always 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits] or The Lord's Passover always on the 14th of Nisan] is the best fit for the rapture of the bride and is consistent with Jewish marriage customs We see a pattern emerging in the Feasts that shadows [foreshadows - prophecy] the steps of the Messiah. There is really no denying the accuracy of the life of Jesus Christ to that of these first three feasts. The gift of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Pentecost the 4th feast. What I've noticed is that many anticipate the rapture to be on Pentecost because of the two loaves presented at Pentecost as a wave offering. But if we kept with the pattern of the Feasts with the eyes of a bride prepared for her wedding we will keep the order of the feast. ... The Feast of Trumpets is the best fit for the rapture of the bride and is consistent with Jewish marriage customs. We need to look at the Feast with Jewish eyes. The Jews had several idioms for the Feast of Trumpets that are significant in identifying the nature of this feast. The feast was referred as "No one knows the day or hour". It was referred to this because it was celebrated by the first appearing of the moon. This could be difficult if there was any overcast, therefore, the feast could be delayed. No one literally knew the day or hour it would be celebrated. If after two days the new moon could not be detected then it was celebrated. The two days were considered one. ... Here are the signs to look for. Just when the bride of Christ is recognized she will be gone. The Feast was celebrated at the first appearing of the moon, which is not its on reflection but that of the suns. When we see the bride emerge from all the others she will be reflecting the glory of the Lord. As of now the true meaning of Jesus' bride has not been understood even by those who are called by His name. The Shulammite in the Song of Songs is the epitome of the bride of Christ she says, "Before I realized it, my desire set me over the royal chariots of my people (Song 6:12). She was caught up above her people and her desire was that of intimacy. Desire here in this verse is the Hebrew word "yada". Her people, i.e. Church says, "Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, that we may gaze on you" (Song 6:12)! Once the bride is taken out from among her people there will be a cry to know more about her and to be with her as well. But Jesus reply's, "Why would you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance of Mahanaim" (Song 6:13). The dance of the Mahanaim was a dance where the young virgins would go out and dance. As they danced, men would come and steal them to be their bride's. His reply to them is why do you look for the bride she has been stolen by me! Number two the rapture can't be this year 2009! For one, the day's in-between the Feast of Trumpets 2009 and the Feast of Yom Kippur 2016, the Day of Atonement is 2,580 days. This is 30 days more than what Daniel says the number of days for the 7year covenant will last and 60 days longer than what Revelation allows. So this year can not be the rapture scripturally. Look for the rapture on the Feast of Trumpets in the month of September and October of each year where there is 86 moon duration like the year 2011 and you will be closer to what Scripture has revealed about the 7 year covenant and rapture lengths. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Happy New Year (Rosh Hashanah 2009) - Tonight, at sundown, Rosh HaShanah-the Jewish New Year-begins - One of the two most important Jewish holidays the other is Yom Kippur, it marks the beginning of the Jewish "Ten Days of Repentance" [10 Days of Awe] during which we repent for our sins and pray for a good new year - On the holiday, we traditionally eat apples with honey (and other items with honey)
to signify that we seek a new year that is as sweet as that uber-sweet combination - Thanks to all of my readers who sent me e-mails and i- and e-cards wishing me a Happy New Year - Right Back at Ya! [Note: Regarding all 8 Jewish Feast Days of Leviticus 23 - a good summary is that - only Jesus fulfills each Feast in His accomplishments alone [1 Corinthians 5:7] - while the Jews 'Proclaim' each Feast in its appointed season (time) [Leviticus 23:4] - yet the Christians simply acknowledge each Feast [Acts 18:21, Acts 20:6], not observing it as the Jews do, but receiving [i.e. Sabbath Rest (Hebrews 4:3)] from it the accomplished works of Jesus Christ. -"Acts 18:18-21 And [Apostle] Paul after this tarried there [at Corinth with Priscilla and Aquila] yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; [Paul] having shorn [shaved] his head in Cenchrea: for he had a [Nazarite] vow. And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. When they [Christians] desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; But bade them farewell, saying, **I must by all means {as a personal choice} keep [G4160 - to declare (commemorate), to do, do well, to carry out, to celebrate] this Feast [Passover - Holy Week] that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus."] Tonight, at sundown, Rosh HaShanah-the Jewish New Year-begins. One of the two most important Jewish holidays (the other is Yom Kippur), it marks the beginning of the Jewish "Ten Days of Repentance," during which we repent for our sins and pray for a good new year. We believe that on Rosh HaShanah, G-d inscribes our fate for the year, and that at the end of Yom Kippur, that fate is sealed. ... On the holiday, we traditionally eat apples with honey (and other items with honey) to signify that we seek a new year that is as sweet as that uber-sweet combination. (My favorite apples, BTW, are McIntosh.) The holiday ends at nightfall on Sunday Night. During two days of intense prayer at synagogue, we hear the blowing of a ram's horn (called a "shofar"), which makes several different kinds of sounds we are required to hear. A little bit more about the Jewish New Year excerpted from my post on this in a previous year. ... To all of my Jewish readers and friends, Shanah Tovah u'Metukah KeTapuach B'Dvash-May You Have a Good New Year, As Sweet as an Apple with Honey. Thanks to all of my readers who sent me e-mails and i- and e-cards wishing me a Happy New Year. Right Back at Ya! I hope you have a happy and healthy new year. [article link]
Judaism 101: Rosh Hashanah - The Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year - More on this concept at Days of Awe (The ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur [Day of Atonement] are commonly known [in Judiasm] as the Days of Awe) - No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah - Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded - In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays - Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of G-d's (God's) sovereignty Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game. There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions." Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. More on this concept at Days of Awe. The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25. The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of shofar notes: tekiah, a 3 second sustained note; shevarim, three 1-second notes rising in tone, teruah, a series of short, staccato notes
extending over a period of about 3 seconds; and tekiah gedolah (literally, "big tekiah"), the final blast in a set, which lasts (I think) 10 seconds minimum. Click the shofar above to hear an approximation of the sound of Tekiah Shevarim-Teruah Tekiah. The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that the shofar's sound is a call to repentance. The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat. No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays. Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. This was the second Jewish religious practice I was ever exposed to (the first one: lighting Chanukkah candles), and I highly recommend it. It's yummy. We also dip bread in honey (instead of the usual practice of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason. Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). We walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty our pockets into the river, symbolically casting off our sins. Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off. This practice is not discussed in the Bible, but is a long-standing custom. Tashlikh is normally observed on the afternoon of the first day, before afternoon services. When the first day occurs on Shabbat, many synagogues observe Tashlikh on Sunday afternoon, to avoid carrying (the bread) on Shabbat. Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of G-d's sovereignty. The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah ("for a good year"). This is a shortening of "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem" (or to women, "L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi"), which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." More on that concept at Days of Awe. [article link]
[The Three Fall Feasts of Israel (Second Coming of Jesus Christ) - Rosh Hashanna/Feast of Trumpets starting at Sundown Sept. 8 - Sundown Sept. 9, 2010 (two days are Traditional in that it took time, two days for a messenger from the Temple in Jerusalem to spread the news of the New Moon sighting to all the ancient Nation of Israel i.e. the traditional Jewish celebration will be Sundown Sept. 8 - 10, 2010)] - Summary of reasons why Christians expect to see the rapture happen on the Feast of Trumpets / Rosh Hashanna - Feast of Trumpets "At the instant that the Jewish workers heard the trumpet sound, all would immediately stop harvesting, even if they were not finished (think about that!) and go to the Temple for worship! [Christians at the Rapture will go to the Temple in Heaven and Worship Jesus/God] - Rapture parallels with the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShana) - The New Moon is "born again" at the Feast of Trumpets while Believers are "born again" at [belief/identity in Jesus] baptism - Since the Feast of Trumpets is the only Feast of the Lord that falls on a new moon, we should take particular note Summary of reasons why Christians expect to see the rapture happen on the Feast of Trumpets / Rosh Hashanna: 1. All the Spring Feasts were fulfilled at Christ's first coming, and on the exact day of the feast. All the Fall Feasts picture the second advent, and the Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts, picturing the rapture. 2. The Feast of Trumpets is when the "last trump" of the rapture of 1 Cor 15 is blown. 3. The Feast of Trumpets is known as the Wedding of the Messiah, and the Church is the Bride of Christ, and the rapture is when the Church is caught up to heaven to be wed with Christ. 4. The Feast of Trumpets happens on the "new moon", which is 29.5 days after the last one, meaning it might occur on the 29th or 30th day, nobody knows for sure. "Of that day or hour no man knows" is an expression referring to this feast, and thus, the rapture. 5. "Of that day or hour no man knows, but my Father only" is an expression used by a groom when asked when his wedding will be. He says this because it is his Father that will tell him when his preparations on the bridal chamber are completed and it is time. Again, the wedding pictures the rapture. 6. The "Open Door" of the rapture in Matt 25, and Rev 3, & Rev 4:1 is a symbol of the Feast of Trumpets. [Ezek 46:1] "Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days; but on the sabbath day it shall be opened and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. 7. We are told that the new moon and the Feasts of the Lord are a shadow of things to come in Col 2:16,17. *Since the Feast of Trumpets is the only Feast of the Lord that falls on a new moon, we should take particular note. 8. There are seven days of awe in
between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. These picture the seven years of tribulation. Atonement pictures Satan being defeated and cast away at the end of tribulaion. If you add the two day Trumpets feast, and the day of atonement, the 7 days of awe are "ten days of tribulation" which might be referred to in Rev. 2:10. 9. In the Jewish Wedding [For seven consecutive evenings following the wedding, it is customary that friends or relatives host festive meals in their honor. The act of feasting recalls the "seven-day celebration" after the marriage of Jacob to Leah -- 1) During the week before the wedding, it is customary for the groom and bride not to see each other, even during the day. - Source: www.jewishhistory.com/minhag.htm], a marriage takes place over a period of time known as the "bridal week". During the bridal week, the groom and bride have sex [Intimacy] in the bridal chamber. At the end {beginning} of the week, there is a marriage supper [21) During the week of rejoicing following the wedding, the groom or bride should try not to go alone, even in each other's company - They should always be escorted by another person - Source: www.jewish-history.com/minhag.htm]. Compare Judges 14, Rev. 19, and Gen. Genesis 29:22-28 This bridal week will be the tribulation week on earth, while the bride of Christ is in heaven. 10. In the Jewish Wedding, the groom comes for his bride "like a thief in the night" [at an unannounced/unknown time] to take (size / rapture) her away and into the bridal chamber for the bridal week at his father's house. 11. The Feast of Trumpets is also known as the coronation of the Messiah, when he will start reigning as king, thus the beginning of the "Day of the Lord", which includes the tribulation. 12. It is also time for the bema judgment, or the judgement of the works of the righteous, and judgement must begin at the house of the Lord. -- [2Cor 11:2] For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. [article link]
(Final Introduction Material - For the Three Fall Feasts: of Leviticus Chapter 23 - It also applies to the coming 8 Kingdoms study) {Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Acts 15 - The 1st Church Council takes place about 52 A.D. at the Church in Jerusalem - The 1st Church Council was specifically in regard to the major number of Gentiles that were now joining the Christian Church daily [predominantly through Missionary efforts] and whether or not the Gentiles would have to be circumcised and observe any of the Jewish customs or take part in any of the established laws of Moses -- 'Acts 15:6 And the Apostles and [Church] Elders [including James the ½ brother of Jesus] came together for to consider of this matter.' Acts 15:6-22 And the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing [arguing], [Apostle] Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago [Cornelius and his household at Caesarea] God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, *giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, **purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke [law of Moses] upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? **But we believe that through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we [Jews who are Redeemed] shall be Saved, even as they [Gentiles who are now being Saved - Salvation]. Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, James [the ½ brother of Jesus - Church leader in Jerusalem] answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon [Apostle Peter] hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, ***to take out of them a [Christian] people for His Name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After [Gentile Christian Church] this I [Messiah] will return [2nd Coming], and will build again the Tabernacle [House Dwelling] of [the Throne of King] David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That [during the Christian Church Age] the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My Name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. ***Known unto God are all His works ***from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God [those who have the Holy Spirit]: But that we write unto them, *that they abstain from pollutions of [Gentile] idols, and from [Gentile] fornication, and from things strangled [Jewish law],
and from blood [Jewish law]. **For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him [abstain from idols and fornication because it is un-Christian, abstain from unclean food and blood only if it offends the local Jewish population], being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day. Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole Church [in Jerusalem], to send chosen men of their own company to [the Church in] Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren … - Note: The early Church recognized that God was active in calling Gentiles into His Christian Church and they also recognized that the Gentiles would have to conduct their new life in a manner consistent with Biblical Christianity and finally they concluded that it is important for Christians not to openly offend those that have remained Jewish. Also Note: All food including blood is now clean because the eternal blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed the world. Eating animal blood and probably human blood if it were obtained in a legal manner does not make a person unclean. Satan has devised a scheme that the world is unclean however it is not. It is unprofitable to do questionable things and germs and disease might be involved but if someone for example drank pig blood thinking it is an evil act the act itself is not but the intentions of their heart might be. - Some cultures eat blood foods and if the Jews are simply notified that it is a custom and not a slight on Moses then they are free to eat their blood food of course not offering any of it to a devout Jewish person because that would be terribly offensive. The 1st Church council was saying to the Gentiles to have our Christian Gentile liberties but also to be mindful and respectful of the [Redeemed] Jews who do still follow the laws of Moses. [article link]
(Final Introduction Material - For the Three Fall Feasts: of Leviticus Chapter 23 - It also applies to the coming 8 Kingdoms study) {Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Matthew 21 - Jesus and His Disciples are now near Jerusalem - Jesus sends two of His Disciples to a Donkey with its young offspring - The Disciples bring the Lord [ultimate owner] His Donkey [the guy probably didn't redeem His donkey according to the law (Exodus 13:13) and as a first born colt it did belong to God] - Jesus then enters into Jerusalem riding upon an untamed colt [untamed to man but tame to God] -- 'Psalm 118:23-29 This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day [Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem] which the LORD hath made; we (Kingdom Disciples) will rejoice and be glad in it. Save [Salvation] now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity [healing]. Blessed be He (Jesus) that cometh in the Name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the House [Temple worship] of the LORD. *God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice [Jesus] with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art My God, and I will praise thee [while Jesus is enduring His suffering He will praise His Father in Heaven]: thou art My God {My Father}, I will exalt [honor] thee. O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.' {Note: The 70 Weeks of Daniel are counting the days of Gentile Kingdoms starting at "the commandment [by king Artaxerxes to Nehemiah to rebuild the Jerusalem wall about 445 B.C. (source: www.bereanwatchmen.com/j.r.lawendowski/daniels-70-weeks.html) - following the earlier King Cyrus 538 B.C. command for the Jews to return back to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity - both commands were given during the Gentile Persian empire of the 4th Global Gentile Kingdom] to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah" -- The 69th Week concluded on Saturday [not Sunday but (Palm Saturday)] the day of the [Jewish] Triumphal Entry [fulfillment of the Feast of Sabbath] of Jesus into Jerusalem [ending Global Gentile Kingdom reign (the beginning of the end of 1 Nation Gentile Global Reign until the 7th Kingdom, the Global Kingdom of Antichrist)]. Also Note: The 70th and final week of Daniels' 70 Weeks is in the Book of Revelation during the Gentile Antichrist Global Reign while the time period between the Triumphal Entry of Jesus (completed in Resurrection Sunday) is the Christian Church Age (Acts 15:14-18) until the empowerment of the 1 Antichrist Global Kingdom.} A Day foretold by the Prophets and the Scriptures: The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was foretold throughout the Hebrew Old Testament. The Psalms particularly Psalm 118, the Prophets Daniel and Ezekiel and in fact all of Heaven and all of creation desired to see the Day that the LORD had made the day that God came and established His Holy, just and righteous Kingdom among all mankind. - 'Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having
salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass [donkey], and upon a colt the foal [baby donkey] of an ass.' - 'Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass [donkey], and upon a colt the foal [baby donkey] of an ass.' - **'Daniel 9:24-27 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Jews] and upon thy Holy City [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision [Law] and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy (Jesus). Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah (Jesus) the Prince shall be seven weeks [seven Jewish decades 49 years these weeks were the Jewish decade of seven years the Levitical decade seventh year of release], and threescore and two weeks [62 Jewish decades 434 years]: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks [the 434 years] shall Messiah be cut off [crucifixion], but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And He [Antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [the 70th and final week regarding Jerusalem]: and in the midst of the week at [3½ years] he [Antichrist] shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [in the rebuilt 3rd Temple] to cease, and for the overspreading [saturation] of abominations [evil] he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation [end of the Book of Revelation], and that determined shall be poured [bowl judgments of Revelation 16:1] upon the desolate.' [article link]
(Final Introduction Material - For the Three Fall Feasts: of Leviticus Chapter 23 - It also applies to the coming 8 Kingdoms study) {Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Introduction: The Book of Daniel - The Prophet Daniel [from the Tribe of Judah] is the Old Testament counterpart to the New Testament "beloved" Disciple John - The prophet Daniel is the only person in the Old Testament to be directly called "beloved" Daniel is called "greatly beloved" three times - At a young age Daniel was removed from his native Israel and taken captive to the distant Nation of Babylon (Iraq) - Daniel will perform his entire ministry in captivity outside of Israel - The Prophet Daniel will interpret dreams and have visions and dreams that are the most sweeping, global and broad based of any Prophet in the Bible - Daniel will mainly prophesy in three areas 1. Regarding Nations [and their fallen angelic guides] the 5 remaining Gentile world Nation Kingdoms [4 empires and the final emergent Antichrist kingdom] - The coming 1,000 year Messiah Kingdom - 2. The reestablishment of Nation of Israel [the Archangel Michael] as an angelic assistant for the Nation of Israel and the rebuilding of the 2nd Jewish Temple in Jerusalem - 3. The bringing in of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, into the world and among mankind the entry of the Messiah assisted and foretold [in the ministry of the Archangel Gabriel] - *Daniel's "70 Weeks" prophecy is perhaps the most famous prophecy in the Old Testament Daniel 9:23-24 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. **Seventy weeks [Jewish decades - 7 years each] are determined upon thy people [Jews] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins [cross], and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness [resurrection], and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and (for the Nation of Israel in Jerusalem) to ***anoint [at the 2nd Coming] the most Holy [Jesus Christ - starting the 1,000 Millennial Reign]. - John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples [the Disciple John], whom Jesus loved. -- Both the Prophet Daniel and the Disciple John are referenced as 'beloved' of God. Daniel will have and write all of his prophecies outside of Israel. The Disciple John like Daniel will be sent away captive, the Disciple John being imprisoned on the Island of Patmos when he has his end time Revelation of Jesus Christ [Daniel 10:7-11 - Revelation 1:13-15]. Daniel was miraculously saved from the den of lions, Church tradition has the Disciple John miraculously saved from Roman martyrdom [immersed in boiling oil]. The Prophet Daniel will prophecy the rebuilding of the 2nd Temple (Sanctuary) in Jerusalem [Daniel 9:26]. The Disciple John will prophecy the rebuilding of the 3rd Temple (used by the Antichrist) in Jerusalem [Revelation 11:1-2]. [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Leviticus 1-5 - The Laws for the offerings of the Levitical Priesthood - {There are multiple parts to the Old Testament Levitical Atonement 'Kaphar' (3722) Covering Sin Offering: 1. The sacrifice has to have a cost to the sinner, a precious useful animal was to be sacrificed. 2. The laying on of hands onto the animal's head then the confession and transfer of sins from the sinner to the innocent sacrifice. 3. The sacrifice dies with your sins, death of the sins. 4. The blood [life] of the animal is poured out providing a New Life opportunity (for a season, often one year) from the blood of the sacrifice for the sinner.} 1. The Burnt Offering Sacrifice: Giving totally to God, the entire sacrifice is consumed in fire and given to God. [Note: humans can and should concentrate themselves to God for a time, a season or even just an event. Where the animal offering was burnt and given to God it is the human service, fellowship that is consecrate to God. - The pagan practice is to burn a human in the fire but if a Christian person died in a fire that would end their consecration not start it and there is no such alter of God that would ever accept a human offering, a human is never ever to enter a physical fire as a sacrifice in Judaism/Christianity. The pagan practice of human sacrifice is strictly forbidden and prohibited in worshiping the true God of Israel.] 2. The Grain Offering: A sweat smelling (savor) freewill offer given to God. Bread flower covered with oil and sprinkled with Frankincense aroma is burnt in the fire with the smell of baking bread ascending up into heaven. No human induced ingredients are allowed no leaven [sin] and no honey [mans accomplishments] are allowed in the offering. 3. The Peace (Fellowship) Offering: An animal to be roasted as a celebration meal. The animal had to be without spot [inherited birth defect] or blemish [acquired defect]. The animal was to be roasted the fat [worry] was to be removed and burned separately and given to God the people couldn't eat the fat [worry]. The blood [life] was also to be poured out as at no time could they eat any blood [life of the animal]. 4. Sin Offering for Unintentional Sin (weaknesses): A young bull for the sins of individual people. A mature bull for the sins of a Priest. A [goat] that the leader was to lay hands on it for the sins of the nation. 5. Trespass Offering for Intentional Sin: A sin offering plus a grain (flour) offering withholding the oil and the Frankincense aroma. -Having sacrificed to God and their sins now covered for a year the O.T. Saints could then live in the presence of God to commune and interact with God however the O.T. animal sacrifices did not provide the individual direct access to God. The individual people did not live in the perceivable presence of God, did not have direct access to God and did not experience God the way individual N.T. saints often do. [article link]
Update: Coming in the next weeks the study of the "Fall Feasts of Israel" - The first of three Feasts is Rosh Hashanah [Feast of Trumpets] Thursday 9 September 2010 (not 9/11 as was previously posted in error) - It also looks like in the coming study we might divert again into some more End Time scenarios Also: There should be several postings to upcoming Audio and Mp3 postings from other various Ministries. -Then there are a couple more topics that I want to suggest before we begin our actual 8 Kingdoms study that is coming soon. It has been on my heart to go over some material regarding "original sin" and the error of "infant salvation" two topics that generally seem to be getting further and further apart from standard Biblical precepts. [Hint: Sin originated with Adam and Eve and is (physically) passed down through the human bloodline to each generation - presumable each person inherits the sin background and potential from the previous two or three generations.] -- Looking forward to the coming studies and material postings ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
(Part 5 - Conclusion: Transitions and Unifications in Progress) The Transition from the Old Covenant [Physical] to the New Covenant [Spiritual] was completed almost 2,000 years ago in Jesus Christ [the Word was made {transitioned to} flesh (John 1:14), Last Supper, Cross and Resurrection] yet the resulting transitions [physical to Spiritual, time to eternity] and Unifications [heaven - earth, ages (Adam, Eve, Abel, Seth) - ages (Noah, Job, Abraham, Jews, Church, Martyred Saints of Revelation, 144,000, etc.), Jews - Gentiles, Angels - humans] have yet to be completed -- See Also: The Three Fall Feasts
"Ephesians 4:4-10 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace [individuality] according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore He saith, When He [Jesus united Heaven and earth the past, present and the future] ascended up on high [Heaven], he led [the O.T. saved Saints from captivity (hades) into Heaven] captivity captive, and gave gifts [to the newly formed Christian Church] unto men. Now that He [Jesus] ascended [into Heaven], what is it but that He also descended [went down into 'hades' - for three days and three nights after the cross] first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended [and reconciled the past O.T. Saints] is the same also that ascended [and reconciled Heaven - God to man] up far above all [visible] heavens, that He might fill [reconcile] all things [Heaven, earth, past, present and future]." - "Revelation 10:5-7 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to Heaven, And sware by Him [God] that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time [completing] no longer [separation between God and mankind]: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the *Mystery of God should be finished [final revealing begins], as He hath declared to His servants the prophets [and is recorded in the Holy Bible]." [article link]
The Three Fall Feasts: of Leviticus Chapter 23 seem to be the Transition Phase out of the approximately 2,000 years of individuals serving and fellowshipping with God in the Christian Church Age - Into the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom of Messiah the reign of Jesus Christ among the Nations on the Earth The whole concept of the 8 Kingdom Study has been that there is a major transition in the Kingdom of God that is to take place and that is the Kingdom of God being shifted from the individual perspective (Church Age) to the National perspective (Kingdom Age). The shift from the individual (remnant) worship of God to the (corporate) National worship of God is continued and completed during the transition of the Antichrist Kingdom. In short throughout human history and particularly while going through the Book of Revelation there are two separate [parallel] Kingdoms at work in the Kingdom of Antichrist and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. In the Book of Revelation while the Antichrist Kingdom is attempting to unify (666 - fallen angels, fallen humans, demons) and is unable to do so the Kingdom of God [888 (in a sense) - Holy God, holy Angels, redeemed mankind] does unify. The Kingdom of God starts out in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1:10-18) with Jesus walking among the 7 Churches of the earth and holding the stars of Heaven in His hand as Jesus is in the process of reconciling the earth back to Heaven to make the two separate Kingdoms of Heaven and earth back into one Kingdom. Jesus writes seven letters to His Church in each letter identifying Himself with each Church. Then in Revelation (Revelation 5:6) Jesus is seen as The Lamb Slain as Jesus identifies Himself with all of His Martyred Saints from all of the Children of God from throughout all human history. During the events of Revelation the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ becomes so identified with and intermingled with the Saints on earth and the holy Angels of Heaven in bonding and closeness that as an Angel appears (Revelation 10:1-7) it is difficult to tell if it is an Angel speaking and acting or if it is Jesus Himself speaking and acting. Note: In concluding this 8 Kingdom summary by reading the events of the Bible's Book of Revelation the Kingdom of God becomes identified with the Christian Saints, the Martyrs and even the holy Angels of Heaven at the very same time that the Kingdom of Antichrist is attempting to unify with fallen mankind, fallen angels and the demons but the Kingdom of Antichrist is falling apart and coming apart at such a rapid pace and in reality is never anywhere close to mixing into a unified Kingdom as the "iron does not mix with the clay" of Daniel. While in complete success the Kingdom of God is unified, united and completly identifiable with both mankind and with the holy Angels of Heaven all through the accomplishments and achievements of God the Son Jesus Christ. -- Ephesians 1:10-14 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times [ages] He [God] might gather together in one all things in Christ, *both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: In whom also we [Christians] have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: That we [Apostles] should be to the {Anointing} Praise of
His Glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye [individuals] also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: in whom also after that ye [individuals] believed, ye [individuals] were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our [individual] inheritance until the redemption {Kingdom Age} of the purchased possession, unto the {Anointing} Praise of His Glory. [article link]
(Part 4 - Transition from physical to Spiritual) The ultimate transition from physical to Spiritual, from Nations, Jew and Gentile and into both eternal Redemption and Salvation occurs after the completion of the earthy [eon, age] (Matthew 28:20) - after the 1,000 year (Revelation 20:6) Millennial [Eon, Age] Reign of Jesus Christ "Romans 8:23 And not only they [creation], but ourselves also, which have [Salvation] the Firstfruits ('born again' - Easter, Firstfruits Feast Day) of the [Holy] Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the [Spiritual] *redemption of our [physical] body." -- "Matthew 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a Mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world [lit. Eon (Age), end of the earth, world - G165, Aion (Eon - Eternity)]. Amen." - "Revelation 20:1-8 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years [Reign of Jesus Christ] should be fulfilled: and after that he [Satan] must be loosed a little season (Time G5550). And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them [Martyred Saints of Revelation] that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the [condemned] dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection [Holy]. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death [Judgment] hath no power, **but they shall be [Melchizedek] Priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters [all reaches] of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of [unfaithful] whom is as the sand of the sea." - "Revelation 21:1-3 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." - "Revelation 21:4-7 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, ***Behold, I make all things new [completed bodily Spiritual Redemption and soul Spiritual Salvation]. And He said unto me, Write: for these Words are True and Faithful. And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son." [article link]
AGES [EONS] OR ETERNITY AND THE KING JAMES VERSION (List of Bible Verses) Let us examine the English word AGE as used in the Old and New Testaments of the King James Version. The English word AGE is a true single word translation of the Hebrew word OLAM and the Greek noun AION. These words have a common meaning and are used interchangeably as the scriptures well note. Check Psalms 45:6
and Hebrews 1:8. Although the word AGE is a direct translation of the words OLAM and AION, it must quickly be added that AGE will not imply the same meaning to everyone. Now our only course of action, in order to form a most correct definition of this word AGE as was in the mind of the inspired writers, is to observe the way it is used in the scriptures. Let us proceed to observe the use of the Hebrew word CLAM, and the English noun AION, its plural AIONS, and their adjective AIONION, to ascertain their common meaning. -- "2 Timothy 4:10. For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world (Eon, Age - G165, Aion), and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia." - "Romans 1:25 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever (G165, Aions - all Eons, Ages). Amen." [article link]
(Part 3 - The Nation of Israel) The Nation of Israel, separate and distinct from the Christian Church, is comprised [Redemption - Salvation] of the Promises of God (Genesis 12:3, Galatians 3:18) and of the accomplishments of God, not just the Laws of God - The Law [apart from the Promises of God, combined with the Actions of God and an individual's faith in God] in itself the 1st Covenant (Law) does not offer Salvation [then or now] or even Redemption for that matter - Therefore the removal of the Law the 1st Covenant and the accompanying Temple sacrifices and ordinances did not remove Redemption (Isaiah 43:1) from Israel [the Jews] in that the Promises of God to the Jews remains eternal [Numbers 18:19, Psalms 89:34-37] The Promises of God to the Jews are embodied in five primary instances. 1. Male circumcision on the 8th day. 2. The keeping of the Jewish Sabbath on the 7th day [sundown Friday to sundown Saturday] of each week. 3. The keeping of the of the 10 Commandments [Exodus 20:3-17]. 4. The keeping of the 8 Levitical Feasts [Leviticus chapter 23]. 5. Identity with the Nation of Israel (Jacob) as a Jew (i.e. Jewish customs, traditions, dietary and food laws, etc.) [Isaiah 2:3]. -- "Genesis 17:9-10 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep My covenant [promise] therefore, thou, and thy seed [children] after thee in their generations. This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised." "Leviticus 12:3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." -- "Exodus 20:9-11 [10 Commandments] Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." - "Leviticus 23:1-3 [8 Levitical Feasts of Israel] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the Children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the Feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be Holy Convocations, even these are My Feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an Holy Convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings." -- "Isaiah 56:4-8 For thus saith the LORD [even] unto the eunuchs [and foreigners] that keep My Sabbaths, and choose the things that please Me, and take hold of My Covenant [promise of Redemption/Salvation]; Even unto them will I give in Mine House and within My walls a place and a name better than of [earthly royalty] sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD [Jesus Christ], to serve Him, and to love the Name of the LORD, to be His servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath [rest - trust in God, the finished works of Jesus Christ] from polluting it, and taketh hold of My Covenant; Even them will I bring to My Holy Mountain [Government], and make them joyful in My House of Prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for [only in Jesus Christ] Mine house shall be called an House of Prayer for all people. The Lord GOD which gathereth the [Jewish] outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others [Gentiles] to Him (Jesus), beside those [Jews] that are gathered unto Him." -- Jewish Redemption: "Exodus 12:14 And this [Passover] day shall be unto you for a [Redemption] memorial; and ye shall keep it a Feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a Feast by an ordinance for ever." -- "Exodus 15:11-13 11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in Holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out Thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the
[Jewish] people which *Thou hast redeemed [the Passover in Egypt]: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto Thy Holy habitation." -- "Isaiah 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee [at the Passover in Egypt], I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine." [article link]
(Part 2) Mount of Beatitudes Location of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount - a small hill or eminence in the vicinity of Capernaum (Photo) What is known as Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7; Luke 6:20-49) is believed to have been given near the top of the ridge in the above photo (where you see part of a church). Although called the Mount of Beatitudes, Jesus did not speak from an actual mountain but [a Biblical Mountain (Government)] from a small hill or eminence in the vicinity of Capernaum. Scriptural References: Matthew 5-7; Luke 6 (KJV Bible) Sources Used: Easton's Bible Dictionary; Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible. [article link]
(Part 2 - Transition from Law to Grace) Jesus continued to transition the people from Law [Mt. Sinai] to Grace [Mt. Zion] - First it is important to understand, as the early Jewish Christians did, that Jesus is the physical manifestation of the voice that spoke from the burning bush (Exodus 3:2, Exodus 3:14 - John 8:24) and that also spoke from the Mountain top at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:11-25) -- "Hebrews 12:26 (Jesus) Whose voice then shook the earth [at Mt. Sinai]: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven." {Note: The Levitical Priesthood was primarily an earthly Priesthood while Jesus' Melchizedek Priesthood [encompasses] has authority both on the earth and also in heaven.} "Exodus 19:11 And [followers of God] be ready against [on] the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai." -- "Matthew 5:1-3 And seeing the multitudes, He (Jesus) went up into a (Biblical, Government) Mountain [Jesus is starting His 2nd Covenant Ministry - where He left off His previous 1st Covenant Ministry - on a Mountain]: and when He was set, His disciples {only - Peter, Matthew, John, etc.} came unto Him: And He opened His mouth [naturally - no occult activity], and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." ... "Matthew 7:28-29 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these [Sermon on the Mount] sayings, *the people [Jesus had transitioned from Law to Grace and also from just disciples being the audience to everyone being the audience] were astonished at His doctrine: For He [Jesus] taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." [article link]
(Part 1) Note: Before we begin to look at "The Fall Feasts of Israel" (Second Coming events of Jesus Christ) study starting about Sept. 1, 2010 we need a little more background on the "Covenants of Israel" (1st Moses [Mt. Sinai, in the desert] - 2nd Jesus [Mt. Zion, Jerusalem]) and of the "Promises of Israel" (Ephesians 2:12-13) Israel began with a promise from God to Abraham (Genesis 12:3, Galatians 3:18) - Then [430 years later (Galatians 3:17)] the 1st Covenant [Law - instruction] was enacted from God to the Nation of Israel through Moses for the purpose of temporary instruction (Galatians 3:24) regarding the coming permanent [eternal salvation] Covenant of Jesus Christ - The Promises of God and the Laws (1st Covenat) of Moses provided an unregenerated (Redemption) relationship between God and mankind. The Promises of God and the (2nd Covenat) accomplished events (works) of Jesus Christ and the accompanying giving of the Holy Spirit provide a regenerated (Salvation) 'born again' relationship between God and mankind. Where the Promises of God [starting in Genesis 1:26] came before any of the Covenants [Noah, Abraham, Moses] and all the covenants facilitate the promises of God, the "Feasts of Israel" [the individual Feasts (Leviticus 23:1-2) primarily being observed as "a statute for ever (eternally)" Leviticus 23:41] arch between the two Covenants of Israel and facilitate both the Promises of God and the Covenants of God by helping to reveal and provide the structure of God's unfolding and ongoing reconciliation plan regarding mankind. [article link]
(Final Discernment Postings) Hmmm . . . "The Guy" (Saudi Prince AlWaleed Bin Talal) Funding the Ground Zero Mosque Owns [5.46% of] FOX News, so FOX News Won't Mention Him . . . Rupert Murdoch, FOX News Parent Co Increases Ties w/ Extremist Saudi Prince, Seeking Arab Street Viewers - [Comments: The funder of the Mosque @ Ground Zero is (Fox News - Rupert Murdoch) Saudi Prince AlWaleed Bin Talal - Source: news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_ground_zero_mosque_obama] Several years ago, I told you about Saudi Prince AlWaleed Bin Talal's purchase of 5.46% of News Corp., the parent company of FOX News (and now of the Wall Street Journal), through AlWaleed's Kingdom Holding Co. I also told you about Prince AlWaleed's bragging that when FOX News reported on the perennial Muslim riots in France, he called Rupert Murdoch, demanding the word "Muslim" be removed. A half hour later, FOX News was calling these Muslim riots "civilian" riots, with the word Muslim nowhere to be found or heard. This is why I routinely refer to FOX News by it's real name, PAWNN-the Prince Al-Waleed News Network. ... But that's not the news here. The news is that AlWaleed Bin Talal's 5.7 percent share of News Corp. is about to jump even higher because Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. are increasing their incestuous business holdings in Saudi Arabia and Prince AlWaleed's media ventures there. Murdoch and New Corp. are looking to buy 20% of Rotana, and apparently the deal will be for an exchange of News Corp. stock. Yes, not only will AlWaleed yield even more control over what's shown on FOX News-the way he did with the Paris Muslim riots, but Murdoch and News Corp. will likely take further steps to please their new Saudi patrons. The given reason for News Corp.'s investment in Rotana is that it needs new markets, due to falling ad revenue in the U.S. and Europe. A stake in Rotana could help expand News Corp.'s presence to the more than 300 million people in the Arab world. And don't think this means that Murdoch will make News Corp.'s offerings to the Arab world more proAmerican or pro-West. The Arab street doesn't want that. It's consuming Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, where the great satans are America, Israel, the Jews, Christians, and the West. To compete with them, News Corp. will have to do the same. And it's a sure bet that it will. Murdoch doesn't invest to lose money. Moreover, Rotana owns the rights to more than 2,000 Arabic movies and a large Arabic music library. These are movies and music mostly made and recorded by Muslims. And Murdoch/News Corp. will have to harvest the "value" of these properties in order to reap a return on investment. That means giving these movies and this music greater [Europe - US] distribution. I can only imagine the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, and anti-Western themes that are surely among a significant portion of them. That's a mainstay theme of contemporary Arabic "cinema" and song. But with Murdoch and News Corp. now major investors in this company, I want have to imagine much longer. This propaganda will get a bigger audience. [article link]
(Final Discernment Postings) Letter from a Victim of "Spiritual Formation" in His Church - I never realized [Shock and awe - Doctrine of rapid dominance - Wiki.com] that any movement [Emergent Church] of this size touching all areas of society [social justice] and more importantly the Church [New Age - Spiritual Formation] could exist so under cover! - This is how naïve I was and to some extent still am - He [Pastor of the Church] told me he would look into it once the Easter play was done - My hope was running high! - Sadly, another meeting between us has never happened - It has been two years ... My hope is that this might benefit someone, if not in the writing of it, but in the responses it might receive. Telling myself always in all that I do, I try to do for the Glory of God. The need to unburden is great. I cry over the lost joy I had in going to church, and I've stopped attending. I feel the pull to go back, if anything to be a witness to what is transpiring since to my shame there seems to be little I can do to change the direction my church is heading in. Yet I can't stop trying! It began three years ago when a lady who attends my church and temporarily worked where I do, wanted to know if I had ever heard of the book called Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. She read it and was concerned with the contents. It was being taught in the youth group which her daughter was a part of. She asked me to see what I could find out about the book and the author. I had never heard of the book or the author, but figured that I should be able to Google it and find what I needed without actually having to read the book. Little did I know what I was in for! I'm sure many of you if not all of you have been equally surprised to find that there is an abundance of material in this arena. Sadly, most of it is positive on the
subject, and increasingly the norm in Christian circles. On one of my searches I came across Lighthouse Trails! Boy were my eyes opened and of cause I will be forever grateful for those at Lighthouse Trails and those who have stayed faithful to the Word of God. I can now include this blog [the LT Forum] in that blessing as well. I never realized that any movement of this size touching all areas of society and more importantly the church could exist so under cover! The words Emergent Church, Spiritual Formation, Centering Prayer, Labyrinth, etc… They weren't even a part of my vocabulary at the time. I thought Labyrinth was a movie! Now I can hear terms from unexpected places that brings my heart to my throat and my mind starts to scream, please God no!!!!!! Even as I write this my eyes tear for this deception that is sinking its claws into not only my church, but countless others. [article link]
(Final Discernment Postings) One Simple Question for Benny Hinn and Paula White - [Why are they both continuing to deliberately and aggressively lie to Christians instead of just suing the Enquirer if the Enquirer story is so completely false and fabricated?] - During Benny Hinn's verbal statement, he took it one-step further and stated that the NATIONAL ENQUIRER "simply came up with their own story - That's wicked - It's totally wicked!" - One would think that if the photos were fabricated, both Hinn and White would have addressed the issue immediately - Sometimes, it's not what people say, it's what they don't say During Benny Hinn's verbal statement, he took it one-step further and stated that the NATIONAL ENQUIRER "simply came up with their own story. That's wicked. It's totally wicked!" Further, the following paragraph appeared on the Benny Hinn Ministries website This Is Your Day! Weekly Guide page, and served as an introduction to Hinn's verbal statement on the NATIONAL ENQUIRER article: It's time to set the record straight. As many people around the world are aware, a well-known publication recently released a dishonest and misleading article. This publication has a reputation for its bias against religious figures, and the details and photos were extremely misleading. On this revealing broadcast, Pastor Benny, with friends and family, opens his heart to share what has happened in his life and ministry during recent months, then explains the need for forcefully, categorically, and absolutely renouncing the lies that have been spread! Pastor Benny's Special Message Regarding a False Media Report, Friday, August 13, 2010, www.bennyhinn.org/television/default.cfm Note the word "photos" in bold red print. But during the telecast, Benny Hinn said nothing about the two photos. He did, however, complain about the small, circular photo of the hotel bedroom on page 27 of the NATIONAL ENQUIRER article: And then they have a picture of a bed, implying sex. That is terrible they've done that! [Ibid.] Real or fabricated? Again, Paula White's written statement denounced the NATIONAL ENQUIRER article. Benny Hinn's written and verbal statements denounced the NATIONAL ENQUIRER article. But as of this writing, Hinn and White have not denounced the two photos ( tinyurl.com/27ufyhz ). The two photos are dated July 13, 2010. As of this writing, thirty-seven (37) days have passed since the photos were published. One would think that if the photos were fabricated, both Hinn and White would have addressed the issue immediately, provided proof of fabrication, and put the issue to rest once and for all. Therefore, here is one simple question for Benny Hinn and Paula White: What about the two photos? Sometimes, it's not what people say, it's what they don't say. [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Exodus 1-2 - Exodus is a continuation of the accounts of Genesis - In the New Testament [Mark 12:26] Jesus quotes from Exodus and calls it the book of Moses - about {200} years later after the death of Jacob and Joseph the Israelites now number about 600,000 military age men twenty years old and older with about 2.2 million Israelites total including women and children - the newest Pharaoh [possibly - Thutmose III the pharaoh of the Oppression and Amenhotep II the pharaoh of the Exodus] feared that the Israelites would take their skills and their labor and depart back to Canaan - Pharaoh suppressed the Israelites to keep them in the Egypt - Though trying to keep the Children of God down they prospered all the more - Under the edict of Pharaoh, Moses as a child was to be put to death - His mother placed him in a basket and Pharaoh's daughter found Moses and took him as her own - God tells Moses that
He has seen their afflictions - Exodus 3:7-8 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I Am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey Note: The Egyptian midwives had some knowledge of the God of the Israelites and feared God. The midwives didn't tell a complete lie 'Exodus 1:19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere (before) the midwives come in unto them' in that God is life and the midwives were interceding on behalf of God for life, though they didn't tell the complete truth. We can only tell the amount of truth based on the amount of faith and knowledge we have in God 'John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.' Jesus said He is the truth - The Egyptian midwives had a little knowledge of God and were able to tell a little of the truth but they also had some of their preconceived excuses mixed in with the truth they had. God did bless them for acting on the amount of truth that they had. - Also Note: Stephen in the book of Acts [Acts 7:25] quotes that Moses was aware that he was the chosen deliverer. Moses knowing he was the deliver attempted to deliver a child of God from the whip of an Egyptian however Moses was unable to redeem even one Israelite and in fact the entire Jewish nation at first rejected Moses as their leader. Later when Moses was under the guidance of God, then God did successfully deliver the children of Israel from Egypt the strongest nation on the earth at that time. [article link]
Who Was The Pharaoh Of The Exodus? - Assuming the pharaohs mentioned in Exodus 1:8, 22 and 2:23 are all the same person, he would have had to reign for over forty years - Amenhotep's predecessor, Thutmose III, is the only pharaoh within the time specified in I Kings 6:1 who reigned long enough (54 years) to have been on the throne at the time of Moses' flight and to die shortly before his return to Egypt - This would make Thutmose III the pharaoh of the Oppression and Amenhotep II the pharaoh of the Exodus The Bible nowhere mentions the name of the pharaoh of the Exodus, but Bible students have always been curious as to who he was. No doubt, some Christians will be wary of trying to discover something the Bible has not clearly revealed; but in studying this question one can come away with his faith increased in the Bible as the unerring word of God. Although the Bible does not specifically name the pharaoh of the Exodus, enough data is supplied for us to be relatively sure who he was. Admittedly, there are two schools of thought concerning the date of the Exodus (i.e., the early date and late date theories). Proponents of the late date theory (1290 B.C.) are clearly in the majority, but they reject clear Biblical statements with reference to the date of the Exodus. Therefore their arguments in favor of a particular pharaoh will not be considered in this article. In I Kings 6:1 the Scriptures say: "And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Zif, which is the second month that he began to build the house of the Lord." One can readily see that the times for both the Exodus and the beginning of the Temple have been specifically stated in God's Word. Scholars have identified the fourth year of Solomon's reign as 966 B.C. (Gleason, A Survey of Old Testamsnt Introduction, 1974, p. 223). Using this 966 B.C. date, we find that the Exodus took place in 1445 B.C. Now, if this information is correct, the Exodus occurred in the third year of the reign of the pharaoh Amenhotep II. Before concluding that Amenhotep II was, indeed, the pharaoh of the Exodus, we will need to study further other evidence that can be presented. For instance, when comparing Exodus 7:7 with Acts 7:23, we learn that Moses was in Midian approximately forty years. Assuming the pharaohs mentioned in Exodus 1:8, 22 and 2:23 are all the same person, he would have had to reign for over forty years. Amenhotep's predecessor, Thutmose III, is the only pharaoh within the time specified in I Kings 6:1 who reigned long enough (54 years) to have been on the throne at the time of Moses' flight and to die shortly before his return to Egypt. This would make Thutmose III the pharaoh of the Oppression and Amenhotep II the pharaoh of the Exodus. History tells us that for several years after 1445 B.C. Amenhotep II was unable to carry out any invasions or extensive military operations. This would seem like very strange behavior for a pharaoh who hoped to equal his father's record of no less than
seventeen military campaigns in nineteen years. But this is exactly what one would expect from a pharaoh who had lost almost all his cavalry, chariotry, and army at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:23, 27-30). Furthermore, we learn from the Dream Stela of Thutmose IV, son of Amenhotep II, that he was not the legitimate successor to the throne (J.B. Pritchard (ed.), Ancient Near-Eastern Texts, p. 449). This means that Thutmose IV was not the firstborn son, who would have been the legitimate heir. The firstborn son of Amenhotep II had evidently died prior to taking the throne of Egypt. This would agree with Exodus 12:29 which says the pharaoh's first-born son was killed during the Passover. If the Exodus did take place in 1445 B.C., forty years of wilderness wandering would bring us to 1405 B.C. for the destruction of Jericho. Interestingly enough, John Garstang, who excavated the site of ancient Jericho (city "D" in his survey), came to the conclusion that the destruction of the city took place around 1400 B.C. (Garstang, The Story of Jericho, 1948, p. 122). He also concluded that the walls of the city toppled outward, which would compare favorably with Joshua 6:20. Scholars have been fascinated by a revolutionary religious doctrine which developed shortly after 1445 B.C. that threatened to sweep away the theological dogmas of centuries. These scholars have credited Amenhotep IV, great grandson of Amenhotep II, with founding the religious concept of Monotheism (the idea that there is only one God). The cult of Aton set forth this idea to the Egyptian people and scholars have mistakenly credited this idea to the Egyptians. But it does not seem unusual to me that a people who had been so influenced by the one God of Moses would try to worship the God that had so convincingly defeated their gods. A continually increasing body of evidence indicates that this cult of Aton had its beginning in the reign of Thutmose IV, son of Amenhotep II, pharaoh of the Exodus. Although the final verdict is not yet in, we can be reasonably sure that Amenhotep II was the pharaoh of the Exodus. [article link]
(Final Discernment Postings) JIM WALLIS ADMITS TO SOROS FUNDING - George Soros, one of the leading billionaire leftists - he has financed groups promoting abortion, atheism, same-sex marriage, and gargantuan government - bankrolled Sojourners with a $200,000 grant in 2004 - Since then Sojourners has received at least two more grants from Soros organizations - In a Patheos interview, Wallis suggested that Olasky was lying "No, we don't receive money from Soros" - And now it seems Wallis has done an about face - Wallis released a statement through a spokesperson to Patheos - I should have declined to comment until I was able to review the blog post in question and consulted with our staff on the details of our funding over the past several years [The Reverend Jim Wallis is an evangelical Christian writer and political activist, best known as the founder and editor of Sojourners magazine, and of the Washington, D.C. based Christian community of the same name Wallis actively eschews political labels, but his advocacy tends to focus on issues of peace and social justice, earning him his primary support from the religious left - Wiki.com] George Soros, one of the leading billionaire leftists - he has financed groups promoting abortion, atheism, same-sex marriage, and gargantuan government - bankrolled Sojourners with a $200,000 grant in 2004. A year later, here's how Jim rebutted a criticism of "religious progressives" for being allied with Soros and MoveOn.org: "I know of no connections to those liberal funds and groups that are as direct as the Religious Right's ties to right-wing funders." Since then Sojourners has received at least two more grants from Soros organizations. Sojourners revenues have more than tripled-from $1,601,171 in 2001-2002 to $5,283,650 in 2008-2009-as secular leftists have learned to use the religious left to elect Obama and others. However, apparently Jim Wallis took exception to this: In a Patheos interview, Wallis suggested that Olasky was lying. "It's not hyperbole or overstatement to say that Glenn Beck lies for a living. I'm sad to see Marvin Olasky doing the same thing. No, we don't receive money from Soros. Given the financial crisis of nonprofits, maybe Marvin should call Soros and ask him to send us money. Then it gets worse for Wallis: Jay Richards of National Review and Olasky responded to Wallis. Here's Olasky again: Want to see for yourself what someone apparently did not want you to see? Click here to download the PDF, go to page 225, and you'll see the grant to Sojourners. And now it seems Wallis has done an about face: Wallis released a statement through a spokesperson to Patheos. I should have declined to comment until I was able to review the blog post in question and consulted with our staff on the details of our funding over the past several years. Instead, I answered in the spirit of the
accusation and did not recall the details of our funding. You can read this CT piece by Sarah Pulliam Bailey right here. [article link]
(Final Discernment Postings) FBC Jax Watchdog - Update on the First Amendment Lawsuit Against City of Jacksonville - In my view, if the defense prevails, this would have an incredibly chilling effect on free speech, especially critical, unpopular speech, on the Internet - For now, I am committed to continuing writing my views on this blog [FBC Jax Watchdog], regarding matters at FBC Jax [First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, FL - Pastor: Dr. Mac Brunson] and evangelical Christianity, unabated and not intimidated, and with the aid of my lawyer I will continue the fight in this lawsuit Back in March 2009 when I first discovered the existence of the subpoenas into my blog [FBC Jax Watchdog], I said back then that I was determined to find out what took place that led to issuance of subpoenas to identify the name of the Watchdog, which led to my letter of 16 sins and trespass papers for me and my wife, courtesy of FBC Jax. At about the same time the Watchdog story first broke in the newspapers, I submitted a request for our sheriff's office to conduct an internal affairs investigation into the connection between the detective and the church and what I felt was an obvious conflict of interest. What I received in short order was a letter from a city attorney (the same one that now is defending the detective in this case), and no formal internal affairs investigation done at JSO. That letter and its explanation to me of what happened is now an important part of the evidence in this case that has been discussed in many of the depositions. Eventually I secured legal counsel and several lawsuits were filed, one of which was a First Amendment lawsuit that made its way into federal court against: the City of Jacksonville, the JSO detective that requested subpoenas into my blog and several other blogs, as well as the state attorney's office including the assistant state attorney who signed those subpoenas. The first amendment lawsuit has been going through the "discovery" process since about March of this year, and discovery will be wrapping up over the next month or so. If this lawsuit ever makes it past summary judgment, and past mediation, it would likely go to trial sometime in 2011. ... The Brunsons have been deposed. Robert Hinson, the JSO Detective involved, and Steven Seigel the Assistant State Attorney have been deposed. John Blount, the church administrator gave his deposition. Even under-sheriff Frank Mackesy and Sheriff John Rutherford gave their depositions in this case. A few FBC Jax members and a former FBC Jax minister were deposed as well. ... But what started out as me wanting answers, for me has progressed to realizing the importance of this case to First Amendment rights of anonymous writers in general, and the rights of bloggers in particular. I didn't really comprehend the importance of the case until depositions were given by the defense witnesses, and as I have begun to understand the defense tactics of the city of Jacksonville lawyers. It is an important case, a very unique case. In my view, if the defense prevails, this would have an incredibly chilling effect on free speech, especially critical, unpopular speech, on the Internet. ... I'll do my best to keep you posted as I can, although in the fall maybe some of the legal events that transpire in this case and also the case against the church will be in the local media and I'll try to keep my readers outside of Jacksonville updated. For now, I am committed to continuing writing my views on this blog, regarding matters at FBC Jax and evangelical Christianity, unabated and not intimidated, and with the aid of my lawyer I will continue the fight in this lawsuit. Yours Truly, The Watchdog [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God - How long has God existed? There is a dimension in which time does not exist, timelessness/eternity - God has existed from eternity - Before God created the physical universe He thought about you and provided for your redemption Jesus was crucified for us before the foundation of the world [Revelation 13:8] - In John 1:1 we also read "In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God" Note: In the beginning God ... God is upfront and open about His existence, about who He is, about His availability to us and about why He has created us [for His pleasure - Revelation 4:11]. The Bible is about God, the Bible is about mankind and the Bible is about God's special, ordained and unique relationship He has with
all of mankind. It is therefore the opportunity and the ability of each individual human to acknowledge God and to enter into that special childlike relationship that mankind is intended to have with God. A relationship that God has thoughtfully and diligently provided for each of us in a relationship that is recorded for us in the scripture verses on the pages of His Holy Bible. [article link]
Bible verse: John 8:12-19 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I Am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} John 8:12-19 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I Am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto Him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man [physically]. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true [spiritual]: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent Me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I Am one that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me. Then said they unto Him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know Me, nor My Father: if ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also. -- Holy Bible [article link]
{Looking Back - The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study} Revelation 15-16 - The Martyred Saints of Revelation continue to assemble in Heaven - The 7 Vial (Measured) Judgments, the final judgments of Revelation are revealed -- 'Revelation 15:1-4 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven Angels having the Seven *last plagues [the 7 Measured Bowl judgments]; for in them is filled up the wrath [lit. passion for justice and righteousness] of God. And I saw as it were a Sea of Glass {now} mingled with fire {the earlier view while the Christian Church was present (Revelation 4:6) was without the Great Tribulation Wrath fire}: and them [Martyred Saints of Revelation] that had gotten the victory over the beast [Antichrist, Satan], and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number [666, incomplete, a trinity of emptiness] of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they [Martyred Saints of Revelation - having not yet experienced the "Feast of Firstfruits" the being 'born again' by the Holy Spirit from 'above' within the Promise Land Heaven] sing the (Redemption/Salvation) **Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-18) the servant of God, and the Song of the Lamb [Jesus Christ], saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and True are Thy ways, Thou **King of Saints [Martyred Saints]. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy Name? for Thou only art Holy: for all Nations shall come and Worship (give thanks for eternal life) before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest [visible].' - Note: The Martyred Saints of Revelation [Gentiles] coming through the Tribulation Period [with redemption (Revelation 6:11) but not yet salvation] have more in common with Moses and the Children of Israel [Jews] then they do with the Christian Church that did possess Salvation while upon the earth (before the rapture). The 7 Vial Judgments of Revelation are poured out primarily on the Demonic realm however the Demonic realm, the earth and the human realm have all intermingled at this point in time regarding human events: Revelation 16:1-21 And I heard a great voice out of the Temple [in Heaven] saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials [measured bowels] of the Wrath wrath [lit. passion for justice and righteousness] of God upon the earth. And the first [Angel] went, and poured out his vial upon the earth [demonic infestation]; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark [demonic mating] of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea [demonic habitation]; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers [demonic streams] and fountains [demonic teachings] of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou
hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun [demonic astrology]; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat (earth) [throne] of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. *And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [Mystery Babylon], and out of the mouth of the beast [Antichrist], and out of the mouth of the false prophet [the all Satanic unholy trinity - see also: Zechariah 11:8]. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world [7th Kingdom], to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. **Blessed is he [Saints] that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he [Antichrist] gathered them [armies of the world, also the 6th Trumpet judgment] together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air [Satan's realm (Ephesians 2:2)]; and [after the 7th Vial, then the 6th Seal, an earthquake (Revelation 6:12)] there came a great voice out of the Temple of Heaven, from the Throne, saying, ***It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake (6th Seal), such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the Nations fell: ***and great Babylon [Satanic mystery system] came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island [far away place] fled away, and the mountains [governments] were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail [rocks, stones]; for the plague [stoning of blasphomey (Leviticus 24:16)] thereof was exceeding great. [article link]
{Flashback: from last year at this time - The Basic Christian blog Bible Study} Deuteronomy 32-34 - Moses prepares himself for his death - The Song of Moses -- 'Deuteronomy 32:1-4 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the Name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He' Death Outside the Promise Land: Moses the Lawgiver was only allowed to go to the border of the Promise Land, he was only allowed to glimpse the Promise Land from a distance but he was not allowed to enter into the Promise Land. Moses the Lawgiver had broken the law when Moses had unlawfully struck the Rock a second time. In actuality striking the Rock a second time was not the only law that Moses broke it was just one of the more obvious laws that Moses broke. Moses like all the rest of us he was unable to keep the law because the law can't be kept it can only be observed just as Moses observed the Promise Land from a distance, observing but not entering. - The Law does not take us into the presence of God but only to a boundary that actually keeps us apart from God. The original law in the Garden of Eden was a boundary, a boundary between mankind and the experience and knowledge of evil. Mankind crossed God's Law boundary and went into the knowledge of evil [God continued to give mankind the knowledge of good]. With mankind now knowledgeable of evil the Law is not just a boundary from evil but out of necessity the Law has now also become a boundary between mankind and the Holiness of God. - The Law is the Image and Holiness of God and therefore the Law now reveals God to a separated mankind and once seeing God in His Holy Law mankind can easily recognize the need for mankind to be separated from the presence and Glory of the Holy God. Separated from God that is only until a remedy can be provided to fix man's sinful predicament and remove the boundary of sin and of the Law. The remedy for our predicament and separation from God has been provided but not in our life only
in a new life in the Resurrection Life provided by God's Son Jesus Christ. The Son of God, Jesus Christ will safely take us into Heaven, His Promise Land, just as certainly as Joshua the son of Nun led the Children of Israel into their Promise Land a place that the law at best could only glimpse from a distance and could not enter into but a place where the Son could not be kept out of as the Son will enter in and place his foot upon the Promise Land. -- 'Deuteronomy 31:23 And He gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the Children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.' - 'Deuteronomy 32:52 Yet thou [Moses, Lawgiver] shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the Children of Israel.' [article link]
Note: A Basic Christian Update - The purpose of the Fall 2010 Series of Bible Studies The purpose of the Basic Christian Fall 2010 Series of Bible Studies is to present the individual Christian Walk to individual Christians. As Christians we are "saved" out of sin and out of this present world system but then the question is often asked, since we are not saved into an empty void what exactly are we saved into? Being saved is having entered into the realm and Kingdom of God, a realm that has a very definite meaning and purpose for each of us in the present here and now. -- Becoming a Christian is having received a new 'born again' Spirit of God inside of each of us. The Spirit of God, along with giving Spiritual life to each of us, is also comprised of the properties of God (love, patience, longsuffering, endurance, etc. - Galatians 5:22-25), the offices of God (prophet, priest and king) and also some of the authority of God. Instead of studying at this time all of the attributes, characteristics, offices and authority of God that are now within each Christian, the Fall 2010 Bible Studies are going to lead into an eventual (Summer 2011) focus and study of primarily our own individual Priesthood (offerings) to God - and at a later date studying more of the other offices and characteristics of the Holy Spirit of God within each Christian. -- Of the three offices [prophet, priest, king] that each Christian is currently taking part in it is the Office of Priest [eternal, righteous, Melchizedek Priesthood] our offering to God, comprised of our own present and current individual offerings [lifestyle] to God that is the most direct, continuous and most relevant for each of us as New Testament Christians. A Christian in rare instances might prophecy and in even more rare occasions might exercise kingdom authority over an evil spirit but it is the individual Priesthood [a major portion of the moment by moment] relationship with God that is most important to us in the shaping and defining in the eternal Kingdom life of each Christian. -- "Romans 12:1 I urge you brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual [priestly] service of worship." -- "1st Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." [article link]
Note: Before we begin to look at "The Fall Feasts of Israel" (Second Coming events of Jesus Christ) study starting about Sept. 1, 2010 we need a little more background on the "Covenants of Israel" (1st Moses [Mt. Sinai, in the desert] - 2nd Jesus [Mt. Zion, Jerusalem]) and of the "Promises of Israel" (Ephesians 2:12-13) Israel began with a promise from God to Abraham (Genesis 12:3, Galatians 3:18) - Then [430 years later (Galatians 3:17)] the 1st Covenant [Law - instruction] was enacted from God to the Nation of Israel through Moses for the purpose of temporary instruction (Galatians 3:24) regarding the coming permanent [eternal salvation] Covenant of Jesus Christ - The Promises of God and the Laws (1st Covenat) of Moses provided an unregenerated (Redemption) relationship between God and mankind. The Promises of God and the (2nd Covenat) accomplished events (works) of Jesus Christ and the accompanying giving of the Holy Spirit provide a regenerated (Salvation) 'born again' relationship between God and mankind. Where the Promises of God [starting in Genesis 1:26] came before any of the Covenants [Noah, Abraham, Moses] and all the covenants facilitate the promises of God, the "Feasts of Israel" [the individual Feasts (Leviticus 23:1-2) primarily being observed as "a statute for ever (eternally)" Leviticus 23:41] arch between the two Covenants of Israel and facilitate both the Promises of God and the Covenants of God by helping to reveal and provide the structure of God's unfolding and ongoing reconciliation plan regarding mankind. [article link]
Note: The Basic Christian Info Feed is going to begin to transition out of the Summer 2010 Discernment [events] postings and into the Fall 2010 Bible Studies: "The Fall Feasts of Israel" (Second Coming events of Jesus Christ), "Human accountability and the Three Biblical Judgments" [Water, Blood and Fire (Spirit)], "The Vagabond Priesthood," and "The 8 Kingdoms of the World" studies Also Note: Throughout the remainder of August there are going to be a few more pauses and breaks to the postings and then by early September a new posting routine with the Bible Studies should be getting established. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Preview: The Vagabond Priesthood [man's rogue, independent, unsanctioned priesthood] and The 8 Kingdoms of the world - The biblical concepts of Earthly Kingdoms does not regulate the kingdoms and governments of the world [or of hell] to Satan - Satan the eventual Antichrist will in all actuality have only one Kingdom, his coming [brief] Antichrist Kingdom - Satan does not currently have direct Kingdoms of his own yet he does have influence and persuasion [deceit, lies, manipulation] into the affairs of mankind In Matthew 4:10 Jesus did not directly dispute the claims of Satan that he [Satan] had kingdoms of the world to seemingly offer to Jesus or to anyone else at Satan's desire. However, Jesus not refuting Satan's claim is only in line with a reasonable person (Jesus) not disputing with an unreasonable entity (Satan) and is not indicative of Satan actually possessing kingdoms to distribute at his will. "Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the Devil taketh Him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me [Satan]. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him [God] only shalt thou serve [see also Hebrews 2:17-18]." -- In the same concept that Satan does not directly possess his own kingdoms Satan does not officiate as the head [high priest] of his own priesthood or of any [i.e. rouge "Vagabond"] priesthood - as even the "evil spirit" did not recognize the Vagabond Priesthood (Acts 19:15). The concept of mankind serving Satan (the "man of sin" 2 Thessalonians 2:3 - instigating and manipulating human sins) is in the context of man actually serving and being in the slavery of sin. "Romans 6:16-23 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience [to God] unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of [Christian - Apostolic] doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness [not in sin, not in a Vagabond (cult) priesthood, but only in the eternal Melchizedek Priesthood (Hebrews 6:19-20) - Jesus being the High Priest (Hebrews 3:1)]. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? **for the end of those [sin] things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. *For the wages of sin [rejecting Jesus] is death; but **the gift of God is eternal life [Hebrews 13:20-21] through Jesus Christ our Lord." [article link]
Preview: The Vagabond Priesthood - Sons of Sceva - a Bible Study by David Anson Brown Acts 19:11-20 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of [the Apostle] Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. *Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you [evil spirit] by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the [vagabond] priests {not Levitical priests}, which did so [exorcisms]. And the evil spirit answered and said, *Jesus I know, and Paul [a servant] I know; **but who are ye [vagabond]? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and
Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the Name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and [publically] confessed, and shewed their deeds [Christian characteristics]. Many of them also which used curious arts [witchcraft] brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed. -- Wiki.com Vagabond: A vagabond or "drifter" is an itinerant person. Such people may be called drifters, tramps, rogues, or hobos. A vagabond is characterized by almost continuous traveling, lacking a fixed home, temporary abode, or permanent residence. Vagabonds are not bums, as bums are not known for traveling, preferring to stay in one location. Historically, "vagabond" was a British legal term similar to vagrant, deriving from the Latin for 'purposeless wandering'. Following the Peasants' Revolt, British constables were authorized under a 1383 statute to collar vagabonds and force them to show their means of support; if they could not, they were jailed. By the 19th century the vagabond was associated more closely with Bohemianism. The critic Arthur Compton-Rickett compiled a review of the type, in which he defined it as men "with a vagrant strain in the blood, a natural inquisitiveness about the world beyond their doors." Examples included Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Leo Tolstoy, William Hazlitt, and Thomas de Quincey. [article link]
Preview: The Biblical triune (3 in 1) nature [testimony, salvation, judgment] of the water, blood and Spirit (also represented in breath, wind, fire) that are each freely offered and given from God to all of mankind globally as a witness of sin (and eventually as a judgment against sin), a testimony of the once physical presence of Jesus Christ and as an eternal remedy for our own individual Salvation Where the Apostle Peter's significant life changing event during his time with Jesus seemed to be at the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-8, 2 Peter 1:16-18) the Apostle John's significant life changing event with Jesus seems to have been at the cross (John 19:34-35, 1 John 5:7-9) when Jesus was pierced by the Roman spear and the blood and water poured out from the wound in Jesus' side. The Apostle John then regards the presence of the Spirit and the separation of the blood and water coming out from Jesus as a witness, a judgment, and a testimony of salvation for all of mankind. When the Basic Christian blog History study returns in about a week we will Biblically look into the blood, water and fire (spirit), testimonies and judgments of the Bible from throughout the Old Testament starting in Genesis and continuing consistently throughout the entire Bible then concluding in book of Revelation [the sin of Adam and Eve and the shedding of blood, the flood of Noah, the Aaronic Priesthood, the Last Supper Communion, the atoning cross of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Jesus and birth (Alpha) of the Christian Church, the Pentecost global Spirit empowerment and witness, the calling home into heaven by Jesus the rapture (Omega) of the Christian Church, Revelation-Tribulation]. -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link]
Feast of Trumpets: The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the Fall Feasts [of Israel] - The interval of time between 'first coming of Jesus' [3 Spring Feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits (Easter)) and] the last of the spring feasts [or middle Feast] (Pentecost [4th Feast] or Weeks) and the first of the [three] Fall Feasts {to be completed at the 'second coming of Jesus'} [a total of 7 Holy Feasts - 8 Feasts counting the weekly Feast of Sabbath that was also fulfilled on the first visit of Jesus - from Leviticus Chapter 23] (Trumpets) corresponds to the present Church Age - In other words, we are presently living between Israel's fourth and fifth feasts - {3 Fall Feasts} Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah) is on September 11, 2010 [in 2001 the Feast of
Trumpets (a lunar calendar feast, not a solar 365 day year) was on September 18, 2001] - Day of Atonement (Yom Kippurim) September 20, 2010 - Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) September 25, 2010 - Source: escapeallthesethings.com/holy-day-calendar.htm The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts. The Jewish people call this feast Rosh Hashanah, which literally means "Head of the Year," and it is observed as the start of the civil year (in contrast with the religious year which starts with Passover) on the Jewish calendar. The Feast of Trumpets is so important in Jewish thinking that it stands alongside Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement") to comprise what Judaism calls "the high holy days" on the Jewish religious calendar. It begins the "ten days of awe" before the Day of Atonement. According to Leviticus 23:24-27, the celebration consisted of a time of rest, "an offering made by fire [only the normal acceptable Levitically prescribed Temple offerings not some made-up 'strange fire' offering]," and the blowing of the trumpets. Modern Rosh Hashanah (Ezekiel 40:1) is traced back to the Feast of Trumpets which is the sounding of the trumpets on the first day of the seventh month (Tishri) of the religious calendar year (Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1). The trumpet referred to here was the shofar, a ram's horn. It was distinctive from the silver trumpets blown on the other new moons. Silver trumpets were sounded at the daily burnt offering and at the beginning of each new month (Numbers 10:10), but the shofar specifically was blown on the beginning of the month Tishri. The interval of time between the last of the spring feasts (Pentecost or Weeks) and the first of the fall feasts (Trumpets) corresponds to the present Church Age. In other words, we are presently living between Israel's fourth and fifth feasts. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost started the Church Age [coming after the 40 day Christian Apostolic Age (the personal earthly fellowship of the Disciples with the resurrected Jesus)]; and Trumpets, which will signal Christ's second coming to rapture the Church and {begin Revelation to ultimatly} judge the wicked, will end the Church Age. [article link]
Basic Christian: - The Basic Christian Bible Study: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth - The 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th Kingdom the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ -- The Kingdoms: beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) -- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) -- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon - Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) -- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) -- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) -- Julius Caesar (Rome and The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire - Daniel 7:19) -- Antichrist [emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire] (Satan - Daniel 7:20) -- Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod
and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments after (Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon) - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece - 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome - Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the
interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Rick Warren Defends Church Challenge [an unbiblical practice that is creating and seeding unnecessary division, factions and strife within the Church body] - Rick Warren's "Now You See It; Now You Don't" [Twitter] Teaching Style - within a couple of hours the [Rick Warren - my church is better than your church] above tweet disappeared without explanation - but it's now grown quite worse with Rick Warren defending his pitting Saddleback Church against others in his earlier "challenge" - Amazingly Warren compared himself to the Apostle Paul when he tweeted just a bit ago - Rick Warren "doesn't have apostolic (or other) oversight of the churches he wants to compare against *his own [as though Rick Warren has his own church - only Jesus Christ has a Church]" - From where I stand, Neades is also right when he told me that, "St. Paul was interested in provoking others to [Salvation first (2 Corinthians 8:5) then] good works, whereas RW's [Rick Warren's] original tweet looked like it was interested in bringing [primarily] glory to RW" Frankly, Warren having removed the offending tweet would have been the end of this. Since he didn't explain why he took it down, I would have said nothing further; but it's now grown quite worse with Rick Warren defending his pitting Saddleback Church against others in his earlier "challenge." Amazingly Warren compared himself to the Apostle Paul when he tweeted just a bit ago: Maybe so; but as we discussed this today, my friend Daniel Neades of Better Than Sacrifice correctly pointed out that Rick Warren "doesn't have apostolic (or other) oversight of the churches he wants to compare against his own." From where I stand, Neades is also right when he told me that, "St. Paul was interested in provoking others to good works, whereas RW's original tweet looked like it was interested in bringing glory to RW." Consider the following tweets from Warren, which came right on the heels of the one above: ... With the boast of "reverse tithing" Rick Warren has long been making, it's well past time someone reminds him of the actual Biblical model. Or has pastor Warren really never read what Jesus said: "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others." "Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:1-4) The question then becomes: Why did Rick Warren delete the tweet that he's now been vigorously defending? Well, as for me personally, I stand by my own Biblical assessment of Rick Warren above. [article link]
GodThoughtsWired! JESUS...IS GOD! As an "equipper of the saints" (see Ephesians 4:11-13), here's some helpful "equipment" in regard to the clear, biblical teaching that Jesus is God JESUS...IS GOD! As an "equipper of the saints," (see Ephesians 4:11-13), here's some helpful "equipment" in regard to the clear, biblical teaching that Jesus is God. ~Thomas knew that Jesus was God: "Thomas answered and said to Him (Jesus), 'My Lord and my God'" (John 20:28). ~Peter knew that Jesus was God: "To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:1). ~The Apostle Paul knew that Jesus was God: "Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus" (Titus 2:13). ~Jesus knows that He is God: "Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am...Now Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was" (John 8:58; 17:5). ~Those around Jesus knew that He claimed to be God. After Jesus told the crowd, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30), the bible tells us that they began to pick up stones to stone Him because, "You (Jesus) being a man, make Yourself out to be God" (John 10:33). ~Finally, God the Father* acknowledges that Jesus is God: "But of the Son He (the Father) says, 'Thy Throne O God, is forever and ever" (Hebrews 1:8). It is through this God alone, Jesus Christ, the Jesus of the Bible, that salvation is made available. "And there is salvation in no one else..." (see Acts 4:12) Brothers and sisters, biblical Christianity acknowledges that Jesus is God. He is the Savior of the world (see John 3:16). There is NO OTHER
way to get to heaven, accept through the Jesus of the Bible. I guess, the real question is whether or not you believe that the Bible is really God's word? Because the Bible teaches that there is no other way to get to heaven accept through Jesus. If you believe otherwise, according the the God of the Bible...you are deceived. "I, even I, am the Lord, and there is no Savior besides Me...There is no God besides Me...Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me...I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God...There is no one besides Me, I am the Lord and there is no other..." Isaiah 43:11; 44:6; 43:10b; 45:5; 45:6 Comprende? ps. If you actually receive this, would you drop me a short note to let me know? Thanks. :) *For an in-depth discussion of The Trinity, click on, What Does the Bible Say About...The Trinity? [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Biblical Proof that Jesus is God - The Names used to refer to Jesus reveal that Jesus is God in Substance, Authority, and Character - Luke 2:21 ... His name substance, authority, character was called JESUS ((JE = God, Yahweh, Jehovah) + (SUS = Salvation, Healing)), which was so named of the angel before He was conceived in the womb A note about the Holy Bible, as a document the Bible was spoken by God and written down by prophets and scribes. Today some people think of the Bible as a collection of ancient events and stories while in actuality the Bible is a legal document containing both the Old & New Testaments, the covenant and contract between God and mankind. The words, terms and phrases are legal in nature and binding in stature. When Jesus refers to Himself as Christ, Lord, Savior, and God, He is saying it in a legal binding term, a legal binding term between God and mankind. -- In the historical events of the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ the reason for the guilty verdict, the recorded "crime", by the leaders of His day in order to condemn Him at His multiple trials was that Jesus repeatedly declared Himself to be God to many eyewitnesses. Declaring oneself to be God is a part of the crime of blaspheming (misrepresenting God) unless of course as in the case of Jesus where God actually was in human flesh visiting mankind to remove the sins of the world. In other words Jesus was sentenced to death and crucified not for committing a crime like robbing a bank or kidnapping or something that we would normally associate with a death penalty case. Jesus was convicted of the "crime" of blasphemy, declaring Himself to be God. ... [article link]
Caner remains on faculty at LU The former dean of Liberty University's seminary still is a member of the faculty, LU officials said Wednesday as reports circulated that he had cleaned out his office this week. Ergun Caner "is now a faculty member at LU," Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said Tuesday night in an e-mail to The News & Advance. Falwell's comment reaffirmed the university's statement in June that Caner, whose contract as dean was not being renewed, would continue as a faculty member. Johnnie Moore, spokesman for the university, said Wednesday that Caner would teach online courses. Moore indicated no decision had been made about whether Caner would teach in LU classrooms. "Dr. Caner will likely be teaching online courses this fall, but his course load hasn't yet been determined," Moore said. "He will still have an office at LU," Moore said. [article link]
Aug 12, 2010 Liberty Student News: Caner will be teaching online courses instead {The widespread Caner (Ergun and Emir) deception continues! Watching these events unfold it is apparent that Liberty University [LU] and others [SBC, Norman Geisler, Calvary Chapel] really are deliberately practicing the Dark Arts of deception and they are attempting to directly deceive the true body of Christ.} News & Advance confirmed that Caner is still a member of the faculty after rumors circulated that he had cleaned out his office this week. He'll be likely be teaching online courses and still have a office on-campus. [article link]
Update: by Lucas - I walked by the [LU] apologetics department of the seminary earlier today and the whole department is out of that section - It really is hard to tell what is going on - [Ergun] Caner cleans out office and
leaves school? {Note: Still waiting on an official statement from Jerry Falwell Jr., Liberty University [LU] or Thomas Road Baptist Church regarding the status of Ergun Caner.} Several sources are confirming that Ergun Caner cleaned out his office and is leaving the [LU] school for good. Its not certain if he's moving to a smaller office or he's just leaving the school for good. But what my sources understand is that he's leaving for good. DEVELOPING… [article link]
{Flashback} [Continued] Ergun Caner Whopper: - Comments: Anonymous said...This is truly getting worse and worse - I would not in any way be surprised if there are more revelations to come - I have been suspicious from the beginning that there's more to this story than meets the eye - I'll say it one more time...are we SURE this guy is not still a Muslim? In infiltration? I don't care what anybody says, somebody needs to be asking this question - Sorry, Caner, if I'm wrong - But man, you seriously brought this on yourself and you know it One of the more recent Caner defenders to go public is Mac Brunson, pastor of FBC Jax, as his defense was posted on Stormin' Norman Geisler's site last week. Brunson is Caner's close friend, and co-author. Comments: Anonymous said..."So Mac Brunson was making money also by selling books he co-authored with Caner?" Flashback from the good old days at FBCJ when the Brunson family arrived - they are experts on how to get monies from the flock. Every Adult Sunday School class was asked to put in $1 for Trey & his fiance's wedding gift . . .the deacons wives hosted a Bridal Shower . . .and then there was the formal reception Mac hosted in the church dining room for their introduction. Very tacky tacky, but they did get a pocketful of money and a trunk load of gifts and daddy gave him the best gift of all - put him on payroll at the church. Glad I'm gone! Yes, Mac knows how to make his money! -- Anonymous said...These guys love their secrets but that is only because the full truth is embarrassing. They think folks believe them because they carry titles of "pastor". -- Also James White discusses a little about speeches/sermons Ergun Caner made in May [2010] of this year, where he [Caner] calls the people questioning him as "haters" and more on Dividing Line tomorrow on this subject. -- It is no secret, and it is no rumor. It is fact. A blogger has the video tape of Caner's training or speech he gave to a certain unit of our U.S. Marines on Jihad. He plans on making it available soon. And it will take another round of defenses and attacks from Caner's defenders like Guthrie and Stormin Norman Geisler to explain even more lies coming from Caner, and this time it's more serious: he delivered them to our troops. -- I am deeply disturbed by this potential new revelation that caner addresses our military troops on jihad. If this is true, then someone in the government did not do their job and vet this guy. To think that a liar had access to the troops and fed them information that was not based in fact gives me pause. This may be a bigger story than a lying Baptist seminary president. It is easy for me to imagine innocent people taking the word of their pastor who invited Caner. It is very different to imagine our military doing the same. I predict this will be a very big story if it is based in fact. -- Anonymous said...This is truly getting worse and worse. I would not in any way be surprised if there are more revelations to come. I have been suspicious from the beginning that there's more to this story than meets the eye. I'll say it one more time...are we SURE this guy is not still a Muslim? In infiltration? I don't care what anybody says, somebody needs to be asking this question. Sorry, Caner, if I'm wrong. But man, you seriously brought this on yourself and you know it. [article link]
{Flashback} 7/29/2010 - Dividing Line with James White "What kind of a person when they get caught lying, instead of repenting just makes up another lie" {Note: Two recordings of Ergun Caner attempting to explain the Trinity - Father, Son, Holy Spirit nature of God are played and Caner does an 'ok' job BUT unexplainably mixes within his convoluted explanations New Age terms and concepts i.e. "eternal progression" saying that Jesus' incarnation was "just a part of His eternal progression" (i.e. LDS Mormonism) and then that the Trinity is embodied at the tip of our own finger (i.e. some New Age [Gnostic - Da Vinci Code] concept that we are all little gods). The tip of our finger analogy is completely wrong in that three dimensions (length, height, and width) always have with it the 4th dimension of time and for example the higher [5th and 6th] spiritual dimensions including the ever present eternal, limitless dimension of God so using the tip of our own finger to
represent the Trinity of God is perhaps the worst of all possible examples and any Seminary Theology professor should be able to give a more concise and coherent statement on the Trinity than Caner is able to explain - as though he is publically explaining it for the first time.} (Mp3) Discussed today: A May [2010 - San Diego, CA] recording of Ergun Caner talking about haters [and 'flamers' i.e. Caner's version of Christians who simply question him]. Dr. White also took two calls. [article link]
Rapture - The Old Covenant [Old Testament] is considered an earthly covenant while the New Covenant [New Testament] is considered a Heavenly Covenant - causing the gathering of the Christian Congregation [the Rapture] to occur in Heaven - {Note: It seems to be that this is why Jesus did not write documents while He was on earth [as Moses did] because it would replicate the (O.T.) Old Covenant. Therefore Jesus speaks (writes) from Heaven as the N.T. is based in Heaven "Heavenly Jerusalem" and no earthly documents were from Jesus because that would have duplicated the O.T. Ministry of Moses. Also Note: The Book of Revelation in parts i.e. (Revelation 1:17-3:22) is a direct transcript from Jesus "Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God [the Father] gave unto Him [the Son], to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel [mesenger] unto His servant [Disciple] John:"} Hebrews 12:18-29 For ye [Christians] are not come unto the [unapproachable] mount [Mt. Sinai "out of Egypt" (Exodus 18:1,5) in Saudi Arabia - where God came down] that might be [physically] touched [and the person who touched it died], and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of Words; which voice they [Congregation of Moses] that heard intreated that the Word should not be spoken to them any more (Exodus 20:18): For they [Congregation/Church of Moses] could not endure that which was commanded [by the voice of God], And if so much as a beast touch the mountain [Mt. Sinai], it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that *Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: But ye [Christians] are come unto [approachable] mount Sion [Mt. Zion in Jerusalem - cross and resurrection of Jesus], *and unto the city of the living God, the *Heavenly Jerusalem [Heaven - where God (Jesus) ascended up into], and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly [O.T. Saints] and [Christian] Church of the Firstborn [Jesus Christ], which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect [complete in Jesus Christ], And to Jesus the mediator [for mankind to God] of the New Covenant, and to the [N.T.] blood of sprinkling (O.T. Exodus 24:4-8), that speaketh better things than that of Abel (Genesis 4:10). **See that ye [Christian] refuse not Him [Jesus] that speaketh [from Heaven]. For if they [Congregation of Moses] escaped not who refused Him [God revealed] that spake [O.T. Covenant] on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from ***Him [Jesus revealed] that speaketh from Heaven: [Jesus] Whose voice then shook the earth [at Mt. Sinai]: but now He [Jesus] hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this Word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made [man-made], that those things [of God] which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a [eternal] Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire. [article link]
The Rapture [Just a reminder! - We didn't go down this road "Feast of Trumpets" possibly equals Christian Church Rapture last year, but let's do it this year, also on Sept. 11, 2010 this year - and for the record I don't think the rapture is this year - I have no idea of when the rapture is or if it actually exists but I suspect it does Biblically exist and will happen and happen sooner than later, whenever that is but only according to God's exact will and His exact timing -- still to come a few more rapture topic postings!] - The taking (Rapture) into Heaven the Church body [Ekklesia - G1577] of Jesus Christ {Note: The Rapture [speculated to possibly occur on a future Feast of Trumpets day] of the 'born again' Spirit Church by Jesus into Heaven is the conclusion of the giving of the 'born again' Spirit (John 20:22) by Jesus *that started on the Resurrection Day the Feast of Firstfruits (Easter) and continues [by Jesus] throughout the entire Church Age concluding at the Rapture. The
rapture is not the conclusion to the later, separate and distinct work and giving of the Holy Spirit that occurred on the later Feast Day of Pentecost. The [witness and empowerment] work of the Holy Spirit that began at Pentecost continues on throughout the Tribulation period while the 'born again' working of the Feast of Firstfruits will be concluded with the Spiritually 'born again' Church being removed from the earth and brought into Heaven by the call "shout" of Jesus.} The Church Rapture: "1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you [Christians] to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [passed away], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe [cross and resurrection] that Jesus died and rose again, **even so them also which sleep in Jesus [are already in Heaven with Jesus] will God [Jesus] bring [at the rapture] with Him. For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we [Christians] which are alive and remain unto the [rapture] coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep [they are already in Heaven]. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout [a bidding call - command - G2752], with the voice of the archangel, and with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ [already in Heaven] shall rise first: Then we [Christians] which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air [the rapture precedes the 2nd coming where Jesus physically returns to earth - unto to His brethren the Jews]: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." - "Acts 3:19-21 Repent ye therefore, and be converted [become a Christian], that your sins may be blotted out [The O.T. didn't forgive 'blot out' sin as the N.T. does the O.T. only temporarily (yearly) covered sin], when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit]; And He shall send Jesus Christ [2nd coming], which before was preached unto you: **Whom the heaven must receive [Jesus will remain in Heaven - the rapture, uniting of the Church with Jesus will occur in the air (heaven) not on earth - Jesus returns to the earth to the Jews (not the Church) later in the 2nd coming (Zechariah 12:10, Revelation 14:1)] until the [2nd coming] times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." -- The Spirit baptism of Jesus began on the feast of Firstfruits and continues throughout all of Church history until it concludes at the event of the Rapture of the Church. - "John 1:32 And John [the baptist] bare record, saying, I saw the [Holy] Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him [Jesus]. And I knew Him not: but He [God] that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see *the Spirit descending, *and remaining on Him, the same is **He [Jesus] which baptizeth with *the [Spirit] Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." [article link]
Feast of Trumpets: The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the Fall Feasts [of Israel] - The interval of time between 'first coming of Jesus' [3 Spring Feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits (Easter)) and] the last of the spring feasts [or middle Feast] (Pentecost [4th Feast] or Weeks) and the first of the [three] Fall Feasts {to be completed at the 'second coming of Jesus'} [a total of 7 Holy Feasts - 8 Feasts counting the weekly Feast of Sabbath that was also fulfilled on the first visit of Jesus - from Leviticus Chapter 23] (Trumpets) corresponds to the present Church Age - In other words, we are presently living between Israel's fourth and fifth feasts - {3 Fall Feasts} Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah) is on September 11, 2010 [in 2001 the Feast of Trumpets (a lunar calendar feast, not a solar 365 day year) was on September 18, 2001] - Day of Atonement (Yom Kippurim) September 20, 2010 - Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) September 25, 2010 - Source: escapeallthesethings.com/holy-day-calendar.htm The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts. The Jewish people call this feast Rosh Hashanah, which literally means "Head of the Year," and it is observed as the start of the civil year (in contrast with the religious year which starts with Passover) on the Jewish calendar. The Feast of Trumpets is so important in Jewish thinking that it stands alongside Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement") to comprise what Judaism calls "the high holy days" on the Jewish religious calendar. It begins the "ten days of awe" before the Day of Atonement. According to Leviticus 23:24-27, the celebration consisted of a time of rest, "an offering made by fire [only the normal acceptable Levitically prescribed Temple offerings not some made-up 'strange fire' offering]," and the blowing of the trumpets. Modern Rosh Hashanah (Ezekiel 40:1) is traced back to the Feast of Trumpets which is
the sounding of the trumpets on the first day of the seventh month (Tishri) of the religious calendar year (Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1). The trumpet referred to here was the shofar, a ram's horn. It was distinctive from the silver trumpets blown on the other new moons. Silver trumpets were sounded at the daily burnt offering and at the beginning of each new month (Numbers 10:10), but the shofar specifically was blown on the beginning of the month Tishri. The interval of time between the last of the spring feasts (Pentecost or Weeks) and the first of the fall feasts (Trumpets) corresponds to the present Church Age. In other words, we are presently living between Israel's fourth and fifth feasts. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost started the Church Age [coming after the 40 day Christian Apostolic Age (the personal earthly fellowship of the Disciples with the resurrected Jesus)]; and Trumpets, which will signal Christ's second coming to rapture the Church and {begin Revelation to ultimatly} judge the wicked, will end the Church Age. [article link]
{Flashback} The Blood Moon Scenario - tracking solar and lunar eclipses and comparing them with Levitical Feasts In the spring of 2015 Israel's religious year will begin with a total solar eclipse, followed two weeks later a total lunar eclipse on Passover. And then six months later the sequence will repeat itself with a second solar eclipse on Rosh Hashanna followed two weeks after that by another total lunar eclipse on the Feast of Tabernacles, all in 2015. The last time anything like this happened was in 1967, when Jerusalem became an undivided Jewish city again, and before that there were several occurrences during the years of 1948-50, as Israel was becoming a nation. There were none at all in the 1800's, 1700's, or 1600's, and none in the 1500's that coincided with Feast Days. ... If these earlier Blood Moons did in fact announce the re-birth of the nation and the reunification of Jerusalem as it appears, then the next major step in Israels' journey toward the Kingdom is their national reunion with their Creator. This is the way Ezekiel saw it happening, and in my view is important enough to God to merit such a celestial announcement. After all He's been waiting to take them back for 2000 years. [article link]
Pentecost - Three different things were being accomplished on the one Feast Day of Pentecost - 1. The Apostles who were already Christians (Luke 24:45, John 20:22) became Holy Spirit empowered and emboldened in the Gospel of Jesus Christ - 2. Ordinary Citizens (those who had not witnessed the resurrection of Jesus as the Apostles had) began to respond to the teachings and preaching of the Apostles and became Christians [without receiving the miraculous wind, speaking in tongues or the flames of fire that the Apostles had just received] - 3. According to the Apostle Peter quoting the Prophet Joel the Holy Spirit was also poured out upon all people [the world having been cleansed by the blood of Jesus] as a witness [the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31) now globally doing the sanctifying and witness work that the (Tabernacle and later the) Temple in Jerusalem once did] witnessing (Colossians 1:6) to the world regarding the accomplished resurrection of Jesus Christ in order that all people [since Pentecost] will have the Spiritual opportunity to come to faith and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior 1. "Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they [Apostles] were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled [empowered] with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. -- 2. "Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:" - "Acts 41-42 Then they [new Christians] that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [to the Christian Church] unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." -- 3. "Act2:16-21 But this [Holy Spirit outpourning] is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit **upon all flesh [all people, Jews, Gentiles - saved, unsaved - as a witness to every one of the completed works of the Messiah Jesus Christ - note: it is the 'upon' witness of the
Holy Spirit and is separate and different from the 'indwelling' presence of the Holy Spirit in the 'born again' Christian, a person who has responded to the 'upon' presence of the Holy Spirit receives God inside and becomes a 'born again' Christian]: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: {during Revelation} The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day [2nd Coming] of the Lord come: And it [through it all] shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord [Jesus Christ] shall be saved [eternal life]. [article link]
The inherited 'born again' Christian gifts given to each Christian from God - Jesus Christ [Prophet, Priest, King] in us (Colossians 1:27) - each Christian [with the born again Spirit] prophecies to others according to our own individual faith - each Christian (as a part of Jesus' priesthood) offers gifts to God according to our own individual faith - each Christian exercises spiritual (Kingdom of Jesus) authority [over the Church realm and over the spiritual realm] according to our own individual Christian faith -- "Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified [made right with God] by [our] faith [in the works of Jesus Christ, His cross and His resurrection], we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access [to God] by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." "Romans 14:17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat [food] and drink [socializing]; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth (serves) [Jesus] Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men." -- The individual Christian gift of prophecy (hearing from God): "Romans 12:5-6 So we [Christians], being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members [belongs with] one of another. Having then {inherited} gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;" --- The individual Christian gift of priesthood (offering individually to God): "Romans 12:1 I urge you brethren by the mercies of God to present [as your Christian priesthood] your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual [priestly] service of worship." -- "1st Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." -- "2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth [faith] in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful [faith based] giver." -- "Romans 15:16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost." --- individual Christian gift of Kingdom authority (individual spiritual authority from God): "2 Corinthians 10:8-9 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord [Jesus Christ] hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters." -- "Acts 13:47 For so hath the Lord [Jesus Christ] commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." -- "Acts 16:18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee [evil spirit] in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he [evil spirit] came out [of her] the same hour." -- "Acts 17:30-31 And the times [past] of this [Gentile] ignorance God winked at; but now [God] commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Jesus Christ] whom He hath ordained; whereof He [God] hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised (eternal life) Him [Jesus Christ] from the dead. [article link]
Say Goodbye to the Untouchable Preachers - God is shaking His church and removing corruption - But we share the blame for giving charlatans a platform - Our movement is eaten up with materialism, pride, deception and sexual sin because we were afraid to call these Bozos what they really are-insecure, selfish, egotistical and emotionally dysfunctional - If we had applied biblical discernment a long time ago we could
have avoided this mess - "There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives-while we applauded them and sent them money" I hate to compare any minister of God to a gangster. But the sad truth is that today there are a handful (well, maybe more) of unscrupulous preachers who share some of Capone's most disgusting traits. They are notoriously greedy. They are masters of deception and manipulation. They have bought their way into the charismatic religious subculture and used their uncanny hypnotic ability to control major Christian TV networks. And, like Capone, their days are numbered. Justice will soon catch up with them. These false prophets probably all started out with a genuine call from God, but success destroyed them. They were lured away from true faith by fame and money, and when their ministries mushroomed they resorted to compromise to keep their machines rolling. Now, in the midst of the Great Recession, God is closing in on them. But before we rejoice that these imposters are being removed from their pulpits and yanked off the airwaves, let's hit the pause button and reflect. How did these false preachers ever achieve such fame? It couldn't have happened without help from us. We were the gullible ones. When they said, "The Lord promises you untold wealth if you will simply give a thousand dollars right now," we went to the phones and put the donations on our credit cards. God forgive us. We were the undiscerning ones. When they said, "I need your sacrificial gift today so I can repair my private jet," we didn't ask why a servant of God wasn't humble enough to fly coach class to a Third World nation. God forgive us. We were the foolish ones. When it was revealed that they were living in immorality, mistreating their wives or populating cities with illegitimate children, we listened to their spin doctors instead of demanding that ministry leaders act like Christians. God forgive us. We were the naïve ones. When they begged for $2 million more in donations because of a budget shortfall, we didn't feel comfortable asking why they needed that $10,000-a-night hotel suite. In fact, if we did question it, another Christian was quick to say, "Don't criticize! The Bible says, 'Touch not the Lord's anointed!'" God forgive us. We have treated these charlatans like Al Capone-as if they were untouchable-and as a result their corruption has spread throughout charismatic churches like a plague. Our movement is eaten up with materialism, pride, deception and sexual sin because we were afraid to call these Bozos what they really are-insecure, selfish, egotistical and emotionally dysfunctional. If we had applied biblical discernment a long time ago we could have avoided this mess. There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives-while we applauded them and sent them money. When well-meaning Christians quote 1 Chronicles 16:22 ("Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm," NASB) to cover up corruption or charlatanism, they do horrible injustice to Scripture. This passage does not require us to stay quiet when a leader is abusing power or deceiving people. On the contrary, we are called to confront sin in a spirit of love and honesty-and we certainly aren't showing love to the church if we allow the charismatic Al Capones of our generation to corrupt it. ~ J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma and author of the new book The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. Follow him on Twitter at leegrady. [article link]
Servants Will Abuse Finances [and people (Luke 12:42-48)] When There is No Transparency - The solution? It's so easy - Public disclosure of ALL sources of income of people who are public servants - We do it in Jacksonville, Florida - With about 3 mouse clicks the salary and overtime pay can be obtained for any government employees - Any - From the mayor, to the sheriff, all the way down to the lowest-paid city worker - The same should be for these "men of God" - If they trust God so much, trust God to let their *total comp be known - If they fear their salaries being made public, then they are absolutely earning too much - They are using their position to gain financially, wasting God's money that church members faithfully fork over - If they don't do it willingly, I hope the day will come when the IRS demands it - And not just "salary" should be known of these mega church pastors, but their entire compensation packages - One of the ways the Bell [part time city] council members were able to earn $100k a year was their "salary" was broken up by parts, a separate income from each board on the city they sat on - So we don't just want base salary of these mega church rock
stars, but how much is their salary, housing allowance, travel allowance, clothing allowance, etc. etc. And please, disclose any large gifts you receive from your members, just like our Congressmen must If you haven't heard of the scandal gripping the City of Bell, California, you should take a close look to see what can happen when leaders who are supposed to be servants of the people operate with no transparency and accountability to the very people who give them the money, and whom they are to serve. Those of you who are members of mega churches where the total compensation packages of your pastor and family members, and payments to former pastors are a closely guarded secret, take notice: there is a reason why they don't want you to know their salaries. Because they know you would be absolutely disgusted to know the details of their total compensation. ... But make no mistake about it: these mega church pastors view themselves as talented rock stars, ordained by God himself, and think themselves deserving of the large incomes they draw from their churches, their speaking engagements, books, and gifts given to them by their star-struck followers. Ed Young, Jr, the jet-setting pastor of Fellowship Church views himself as the church's "franchise player", responsible for "raising" the millions needed by the church. Who can forget the image of Jerry Vines and Mac Brunson highfiving and hugging on the platform during the 2007 FBC Jax Pastor's Conference when Vines was preaching about people complaining about preacher's salaries - and Vines' comment of "you don't pay me enough to be yo preacha, brutha" - easily one of the most uncomfortable sermon moments in FBC Jax history. ... I pray for the day when Senator Grassley or someone else in Congress will finally require these mega churches to disclose detailed financial records including pastor compensation. The day will come, I'm confident, the only question is how much money will be wasted in the mean time. Lastly, I became aware of the Bell, California story over at SBC pastor William Thornton's blog, where he wrote the following blurb about it: "Scenes of vein-popping outrage ensued when citizens of the obscure town of Bell, CA found out that its manager was being paid over $800k, police chief about half-a-million, and part time councilmen $100k annually. Rightly so. What would happen if Baptist Press published the total compensation package of all SBC entity heads (and don't give me a 'salary' figure, most clergy are onto that game)? apoplexy? Raised eyebrows? Ho hum? Let's do it and see. It's our money." I agree with William. It is our money. Let's see what the total compensation package for these men who lead the SBC agencies, and the mega church pastors also. Not just "salary" - total compensation. If they don't want to, let them go with Bell's Robert Rizzo into the private sector searching for the $800,000 salary. The preachers will be shocked when they realize they have to compete in a cut-throat employment market, where no one kisses their hineys and calls them "God's man". [article link]
{Flashback} Greg Laurie [Harvest Crusade] Connects Purpose Driven [Rick Warren] to a Move of God - Gives Financial Support - In addition to Greg Laurie's letter to pastors regarding Rick Warren and Bill Hybels, Lighthouse Trails has also learned that Laurie is also helping to finance Warren's September [2008] event in New York - Lighthouse Trails contacted the New York City Leadership group this past week after we learned that Laurie's name was on their website showing him to be a sponsor - The New York City office said that this sponsorship is in the way of financial support and is for Rick Warren's September conference - This coming November [2008] Greg Laurie will present "Preach the Word" a conference for Pastors and Leaders - Those joining him will include Alistair Begg, Chuck Smith, and John MacArthur - Perhaps these three men can help Greg Laurie remember the simple and true faith he found so many years ago {Note: The hidden danger in donating to marginal ministries like Greg Laurie's Harvest Crusade is that some of the finances are then directly used [as a result of compromise and consensus building techniques] in some of the very ministries [purpose driven and emergent church events] that reject sound Biblical doctrine.} On May 6th, [2008] Greg Laurie, pastor of mega-church Harvest Christian Fellowship wrote a letter to pastors and church leaders in the New York region, announcing his Harvest Crusade 2008 in New York City on October 19th. This letter to pastors and leaders is causing confusion among some because of its content, and this Lighthouse Trails report will examine this issue. Greg Laurie is best known as a Calvary Chapel pastor. His church is listed on the Calvary Chapel website, and Laurie often speaks at Calvary Chapel functions. And it is Laurie's connection with Calvary Chapel that presents a great dilemma. Two years ago, in May of 2006, Calvary
Chapel issued a "Parson to Parson" letter, in which a statement was made against the emerging church and contemplative spirituality. The following month, at the 2006 Senior Pastor's Conference, Calvary Chapel founder and pastor, Chuck Smith, told the senior pastors that Calvary Chapel as a whole was rejecting various movements and practices that have been taking place within the Christian church at large as well as in some Calvary Chapel churches. According to a number of pastors in attendance, who afterwards spoke with Lighthouse Trails, Smith asked that those Calvary Chapel pastors who were going in the direction of the emerging church would no longer call themselves Calvary Chapel churches. One week later, Calvary Chapel instructed its distribution center to immediately remove all of Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life books from its center. The statement read: "The teaching and positions of Rick Warren have come into conflict with us at Calvary Chapel. Pastor Chuck has directed us to discontinue this product effective immediately." ... And now this brings us to the unpleasant task of reporting that Greg Laurie is giving a strong promotion of Rick Warren and Bill Hybels, which means he is indirectly promoting contemplative and emerging (which we will explain later in this article), and directly promoting Purpose Driven. And unfortunately, there is a twist to this story. In Laurie's May 2008 letter to pastors and leaders, Laurie talks about his upcoming crusade in New York City, saying, in reference to it, "God is on the move." He then states that "[t]his move is also seen in the formation of the New York City Leadership group. Under their direction, a community-wide 40 Days of Purpose campaign with Pastor Rick Warren has been launched, and the significant services of Bill Hybels' Leadership Summit conferences are also being organized to strengthen the local church." ... This report will obviously be disheartening to many Calvary Chapel pastors and church goers who have believed that their movement was going to press forward into the future without these un-biblical movements. Laurie's current promotion and financial backing of Rick Warren will cause many to wonder just which direction the Calvary Chapel movement will really end up going. ... This coming November Greg Laurie will present "Preach the Word," a conference for Pastors and Leaders. Those joining him will include Alistair Begg, Chuck Smith, and John MacArthur. Perhaps these three men can help Greg Laurie remember the simple and true faith he found so many years ago. [article link]
John Piper's Upcoming Leave - As you may have already heard in the sermon from March 27-28, the elders graciously approved on March 22 a leave of absence that will take me away from Bethlehem from May 1 through December 31, 2010 - I asked the elders not to pay me for this leave - I don't feel it is owed to me - The elders did not agree with my request {Is this 'much publicized' unpaid leave really an unpaid leave or is Pastor John Pieper simply pretending to give up thousands of dollars of 'base salary' all the while he is still collecting possibly millions of dollars in perks, publishing fees, gifts and various other compensations. Update: It isn't an unpaid leave "The elders did not agree with my request" though many blog comments are posting remarks as though it is. Note: If attending a Church or a congregation like John Piper's Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis that suddenly begins to change and embrace different teachings like Rick Warren's purpose driven commitment [as Bethlehem Baptist Church is now in the process of doing] or worse the unbiblical Emergent Church [New Age Christianity] practices - stop donating and stop tithing to that church for at least three months or until you can have enough time to make a sound non-financially motivated assessment about where the direction of the Church is going and what the new direction entails and means for individual Christian participation.} In this leave, I intend to let go of all of it. No book-writing. No sermon preparation or preaching. No blogging. No Twitter. No articles. No reports. No papers. *And no speaking engagements. There is *one [two] stateside exception-the weekend devoted to the Desiring God National Conference combined with the inaugural convocation of Bethlehem College and Seminary in October. Noël thought I should keep **three international commitments. Our reasoning is that if she could go along, and if we plan it right {as a free trip? - the guy just took over half a year off so time off isn't an issue}, these could be very special times of refreshment together. The elders have appointed a group to stay in touch and keep me accountable for this leave. They are David Mathis, Jon Bloom, Tom Steller, Sam Crabtree, Jon Grano, Tim Held, Tony Campagna, and Kurt Elting-Ballard. Five of these have walked with Noël and me over the last two months, helping us discern the wisdom, scope,
and nature of this leave. They brought the final recommendation to the elders on March 22. I asked the elders not to pay me for this leave. I don't feel it is owed to me. I know I am causing more work for others, and I apologize to the staff for that. Not only that, others could use similar time away. Most working men and women do not have the freedom to step back like this. The elders did not agree with my request. Noël and I are profoundly grateful for this kind of affection. We will seek the Lord for how much of your financial support to give back to the church, to perhaps bear some of the load. [article link]
Smoking Gun: Is [Pastor] Bob's [Grenier] inner-circle doing his dirty work? - The tactic has been extremely successful over the decades - The second thing this tactic does is it intimidates others from speaking out Effective tactic - Wrong, but effective - That's partly how a [possible] bad guy like Bob "gets away" with abuse and corruption for over 30 years…that and a lot of "help" from "friends" in the "community" A major prediction I and my brother made many months ago is proving true. Smoking gun true. From our experience as eyewitnesses over the years from "behind the scenes"…we postulated that Bob's inner-circle would come out blasting with all sorts of lies and vicious attacks to smear those who attempted to confront Pastor Bob Grenier of Calvary Chapel Visalia's abuse and corruption. We've seen the scenario play out MANY times before. Someone blows the whistle on Bob's [alleged] bad behavior…then they are systematically ostracized, marginalized and then removed from Calvary Chapel Visalia…then the smear campaign goes into full force in an attempt to discredit those who have been dispatched by Bob. The tactic has been extremely successful over the decades. It does two things…it poisons the well with regards to those who have challenged Bob…so others shun them and the people lose credibility in the community and doubt is cast on the veracity of the people's allegations of abuse or corruption against Bob. The second thing this tactic does is it intimidates others from speaking out. Others see how those who have come against Bob have been shunned and smeared…and they don't want it to happen to them…so they stay silent. Effective tactic. Wrong, but effective. That's partly how a bad guy like Bob "gets away" with abuse and corruption for over 30 years…that and a lot of "help" from "friends" in the "community". [article link]
Is Calvary Chapel Head [Pastor] Chuck Smith Covering for a Child Beater? - One of these days, I'm going to get around to investigate Calvary Chapel and the many allegations sent my way that it protects abusers within their ranks - But Alex Grenier alleges [Chuck] Smith knows more about what happens in his church than the popular image of the Hawaiian shirt-wearing, ever-grinning fogie has crafted - Alex writes "Since Big Calvary [Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, CA] likes to be **a non-denomination denomination so Chuck Smith doesn't have to pay for the misdeeds of corrupt jerks like another Calvary Chapel pastor...then there needs to be a place where victims of other corrupt jerks like [Pastor] Bob Grenier can go to get help, blow the whistle on the abuse and corruption, and spread the word to warn the church per 1 Timothy 5" {Note: This is an extremely important point that apparently the only reason [or main reason] that the Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel "movement" is structured as a non-denominational [in name only] church structure is because it is financially beneficial to Chuck Smith to do it this way. If Calvary Chapel was structured as a regular run of the mill church denomination it might [or might not] expose Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa to more financial risks but it goes to show that Chuck Smith seems to think that there is enough smoke coming from some of his own Calvary Chapel pastors [men whom Chuck Smith seems unable or unwilling to censor] that Chuck Smith does not want to be officially denominationally linked to any of them presumably in case the smoke (rumors - or hidden events) becomes an actual fire (an open and publicly known event) that then has to be dealt with. - Also Note: To correct some of the comments - Calvary Chapel has a lot of problems mainly involving unaccountable Pastors [the Chuck Smith model of ministry] but it is a misrepresentation of Calvary Chapel to insinuate that they are "Talibanish" or treat women unfairly in any way. One of the strengths of Calvary Chapel has always been their great commitment to women.} One of these days, I'm going to get around to investigate Calvary Chapel and the many allegations sent my
way that it protects abusers within their ranks. It's one of American Christianity's great open secrets, and only Christianity Today has truly tried to tackle the subject. But maybe others will get there before me--I hope not, but if that means bringing people to justice or exposing Calvary Chapel's far-from-God leadership, so be it. Consider a scandal brewing in Visalia. There, Calvary Chapel's pastor Bob Grenier has had to fend off allegations from his own sons that he savagely beat them as children during the 1980s and 1990s. The brothers have gone to police and even Calvary Chapel head Chuck Smith with their story--no dice. ... What does Chuck Smith know? The founder of Calvary Chapel visited Visalia in early July, just a couple of weeks before the Grenier matter hit the proverbial fan. Calvary Church leaders told the Bee that the Grenier brothers came to them with the allegations, but they refuse to disclose whether they plan to investigate. But Alex Grenier alleges Smith knows more about what happens in his church than the popular image of the Hawaiian shirt-wearing, ever-grinning fogie has crafted. [article link]
[*Note: still on a break but just wanted to make a quick post on this topic] Biblical Election: The true Biblical Election Calling [for a task or a 'purpose' of God i.e. Jacob 'elected' over his brother Esau for the task of fathering the Tribes of Israel, the Nation of Israel] and is not to be confused with the Redemption/Salvation Calling also of God The Bible uses the lives and events of the Old Testament in order to more easily explain New Testament doctrines and concepts to [us] Christian believers. "1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these [Old Testament] things happened unto them [O.T. people] for ensamples [examples]: and they are written for our [Christian] admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 1. First is the 'Called' invited into a redemption/salvation relationship with God i.e. Abraham. - "Acts 7:2-4 And he [Stephen] said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he [Abram] was in Mesopotamia [Babylon], before he dwelt in Charran, And [God] said [calling] unto him, Get thee out of thy country [Babylon], and from thy kindred, and come [answer the calling of God] into the land [Israel] which I shall shew thee. Then [answering the call-invitation of God] came he [Abram, later renamed to Abraham] out of the land of the Chaldaeans, ..." 2. The 'Chosen' are those who have answered the universal call from God (John 12:32 And I [Jesus], if I be lifted up (crucifixion & resurrection) from the earth, will draw (call/invite) all men to Me.) to enter into a relationship with God in Jesus Christ. Example: Isaac was chosen to receive the promises and blessings of his father Abraham over his older brother Ishmael. "Galatians 4:28 Now we [Christians], [Gentile] brethren, as [Jewish] Isaac was [chosen over Ishmael], are the children of promise [along with the Jews (Romans 9:4)]." 3. Election: Those who are chosen are then elected (called) to a specific task or calling to accomplish for God i.e. Jacob being elected over his older brother Esau to be the father of the Tribes of Israel. "Romans 9:10-13 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; For the [twins] children [Esau - Jacob] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the *purpose [task] of God according to *election might stand, not of works, but of Him [God] that calleth [for a purpose election]; It was said unto her [Rebecca], The elder [Esau] shall serve the younger [Jacob]. As it is [later after they both lived their life and died] written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau [who sold his birthright (Hebrews 12:16)] have I hated." - "Hebrews 12:16-17 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he [Esau] would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." 4. Glorified: those who accomplish the task they have been called (elected) by God to preform are glorified 'accomplished' in God. "Acts 7:8-10 And He [God] gave him [Abraham] the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham [the example of: called] begat Isaac [the example of: chosen], and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob [the example of: election]; and Jacob [elected to the task] begat the twelve patriarchs [Tribes of Israel]. And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph [the example of: Glorification - (see also: 2 Samuel 13:18)] into Egypt: but God was with him [Joseph], And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh [Pharaoh Akhenaten] King of Egypt; and He [God] made him
[Joseph - Glorified] Governor over Egypt and all his house." [article link]
Basic Christian: - The Basic Christian Bible Study: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth - The 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th Kingdom the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ -- The Kingdoms: beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) -- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) -- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon - Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) -- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) -- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) -- Julius Caesar (Rome and The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire - Daniel 7:19) -- Antichrist [emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire] (Satan - Daniel 7:20) -- Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments after (Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon) - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a
deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece - 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome - Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Note: Jesus during His visitation went into the Synagogues in His area and into the Temple to teach and to serve and that is what we are to do in our day is to enter into the Church and participate, to serve and to fellowship with one another - "Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel (good news) of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." It's not always easy to attend Church and especially the more mature we become in Jesus the more difficult it is to get nourished and built up by the simple and often repeated messages that now routinely flow from the majority of pulpits [regardless of denomination] from most Christian Churches. However we do have our Salvation and having the knowledge of our own eternal Salvation we have Peace with God and having Peace with God we have Rest in ourselves [within our soul] and having Rest we can ultimately Trust in God. Trusting in God we are to go into the Churches and enjoy the fellowship and presence of other Christians where we can rejoice and serve and encourage one another in the love of Jesus all the while we work with one another to facilitate fellowship in the building up of the Kingdom of God while we seek to eliminate strife, division (1 Corinthians 3:3) and the increasingly ever present factions that are mindlessly turning Christian against Christian. The building up of the Christian Church universal is not an easy task but it is a necessary task, it is a meaningful task and ultimately it is an eternal task making it one of the most important tasks we can personally be involved in. Go to Church knowing that it is in fellowship with the Holy God that we gather together and
praise the name of Jesus Christ! [article link]
Note: Tips for Church Attendance 1. Go to a Church close to your home - attend a local neighborhood Church. 2. Start out by attending a nonSunday service. Attend a weeknight or early morning Bible study, event or retreat first before attending the Sunday service. 3. Don't donate any money for the first three months, this will give you an opportunity to access the fellowship based only on merit without the added difficulty of financial entanglement. Only contribute when financial statements are publically available and then only contribute a portion of your giving while also trying to give directly to Missionaries, Counseling Services, Support Groups, Internet Ministries, etc. don't just give to a Church thinking that they will adequately fund other Ministries with your donation. 4. Attend more than one Church or fellowship at a time. Attend a small Church and also a larger Church and likewise attend a Church close to home and also one further away from home. Rotate Church attendance between Sunday services and weeknight Bible Studies and also be open to attending as a guest the Churches and fellowships of other friends, co-workers and family members. [article link]
Thomas Twitchell Blog: "Tim Guthrie Winning Truth? Surely You Jest" - If you've followed the Ergun Caner story this year, you no doubt have heard about the SBC pastors like Tim Guthrie, Tim Rogers, and Peter Lumpkins whose staunch defense of Ergun Caner rivals the Democratic spinsters who defended Clinton after the Lewinski affair - Thomas Twitchell has written an excellent blog comparing the Caner defenders to those of Clinton {Note: If we do step out of Church fellowship it should only be for a season while we continue to evaluate and grow in our own personal walk with Jesus. Just remember that whether we attend a Church or fellowship on our own God is always on the Throne and He is always accessible to each of us. The Kingdom of God is established [including on earth] and it is in existence and in authority over all mankind, thankfully regardless of our situation or status of fellowship.} comments: Anonymous said...I am personally sick of this entire "Caner" story and situation. I know this is what some are hoping for that many will just give up and accept whatever defense has been made on behalf of Caner. But just the opposite seems to have happened. My reaction is, I am fed up with these self-promoting preachers (all that qualify as self-promoting), the millionaire boys club. The autocratic authority guys. Do as I say but not as I do. And don't question me as I am the preacher group... This is my opinion: I have no more time for these celebrity preachers, country club churches, no more money, not one dime, no more "faith" in any of them. I have "moved on" in life. I have actually drawn closer to the Lord. I have gotten my eyes off these people. They no longer occupy my thoughts or time. I read and understand my own Bible. The Holy Spirit leads my understanding. I don't need these self important authorities, that know less than I do, to tell me anything. Just like in the early days of the church, they try to make one believe that you can't understand your Bible and probably need them to be saved. You can't understand your Bible unless they tell you what it says. Baloney! My answer is "Who needs them"? They fight amongst themselves to keep the club going. All trying to be "bigshots". I don't need them, don't want them, not interested in them. God will take care of them one day. I am interested in the furtherance of the Gospel (self study) witnessing, and in people coming to Jesus by any means that is OF GOD. I also pray for Mr. Rich and family to prevail as they should never have been treated they way they were. Thus, this is why I read this blog. ... Anonymous said...And as more and more [people] read the blogs, they will move on [to the Bible] just like you to discovered the Holy Spirit is the Best Teacher. And Free except for the cost of the Bible. A hearty AMEN to you, friend! Welcome to the Body of Christ. Not the entertainment social club that expects you to pay dues so they can live well and build 'their' earthly kingdoms. ... X P M C MEMBER said...I used to wonder why people never went to a church. I used to wonder why there were NO traffic jams on Sunday mornings. Now I am one of them because of what religion has taught us in today's time which is......."B E W A R E OF THE W O L V E S" I quit listening to these decievers and am much happier with the "personal" relationship I now have with Christ. Now all you that follow these men, I hope you
enjoy their ride...NOW I KNOW THE REAL MEANING OF BEING A " WISEMAN" ... Thy Peace said...An interesting sermon that relates to some of the comments that are disillusioned with church is from Pastor Wade Burleson, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Enid, OK. The sermon is titled "1 John - The Anointing of the Father", March 22, 2009 - Part 11 of series (1 Jn. 2:26-27). As their church is redoing their website, the audio mp3 is not yet available on their new website, but you can watch the video here. The sermon starts around 28:00. [article link]
7/29/2010 - Dividing Line with James White "What kind of a person when they get caught lying, instead of repenting just makes up another lie" {Note: Two recordings of Ergun Caner attempting to explain the Trinity Father, Son, Holy Spirit nature of God are played and Caner does an 'ok' job BUT unexplainably mixes within his convoluted explanations New Age terms and concepts i.e. "eternal progression" saying that Jesus' incarnation was "just a part of His eternal progression" (i.e. LDS Mormonism) and then that the Trinity is embodied at the tip of our own finger (i.e. some New Age [Gnostic - Da Vinci Code] concept that we are all little gods). The tip of our finger analogy is completely wrong in that three dimensions (length, height, and width) always have with it the 4th dimension of time and for example the higher [5th and 6th] spiritual dimensions including the ever present eternal, limitless dimension of God so using the tip of our own finger to represent the Trinity of God is perhaps the worst of all possible examples and any Seminary Theology professor should be able to give a more concise and coherent statement on the Trinity than Caner is able to explain - as though he is publically explaining it for the first time.} (Mp3) Discussed today: A May [2010 - San Diego, CA] recording of Ergun Caner talking about haters [and 'flamers' i.e. Caner's version of Christians who simply question him]. Dr. White also took two calls. [article link]
7/29/2010 - Dividing Line with James White "What kind of a person when they get caught lying, instead of repenting just makes up another lie" {Note: Two recordings of Ergun Caner attempting to explain the Trinity Father, Son, Holy Spirit nature of God are played and Caner does an 'ok' job BUT unexplainably mixes within his convoluted explanations New Age terms and concepts i.e. "eternal progression" saying that Jesus' incarnation was "just a part of His eternal progression" (i.e. LDS Mormonism) and then that the Trinity is embodied at the tip of our own finger (i.e. some New Age [Gnostic - Da Vinci Code] concept that we are all little gods). The tip of our finger analogy is completely wrong in that three dimensions (length, height, and width) always have with it the 4th dimension of time and for example the higher [5th and 6th] spiritual dimensions including the ever present eternal, limitless dimension of God so using the tip of our own finger to represent the Trinity of God is perhaps the worst of all possible examples and any Seminary Theology professor should be able to give a more concise and coherent statement on the Trinity than Caner is able to explain - as though he is publically explaining it for the first time.} (Mp3) Discussed today: A May [2010 - San Diego, CA] recording of Ergun Caner talking about haters [and 'flamers' i.e. Caner's version of Christians who simply question him]. Dr. White also took two calls. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: Biblical Proof that Jesus is God - The Names used to refer to Jesus reveal that Jesus is God in Substance, Authority, and Character - Luke 2:21 ... His name substance, authority, character was called JESUS ((JE = God, Yahweh, Jehovah) + (SUS = Salvation, Healing)), which was so named of the angel before He was conceived in the womb A note about the Holy Bible, as a document the Bible was spoken by God and written down by prophets and scribes. Today some people think of the Bible as a collection of ancient events and stories while in actuality the Bible is a legal document containing both the Old & New Testaments, the covenant and contract between God and mankind. The words, terms and phrases are legal in nature and binding in stature. When Jesus refers to Himself as Christ, Lord, Savior, and God, He is saying it in a legal binding term, a legal binding term between God and mankind. -- In the historical events of the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ the reason for the guilty verdict, the recorded "crime", by the leaders of His day in order to condemn Him at His multiple trials was that
Jesus repeatedly declared Himself to be God to many eyewitnesses. Declaring oneself to be God is a part of the crime of blaspheming (misrepresenting God) unless of course as in the case of Jesus where God actually was in human flesh visiting mankind to remove the sins of the world. In other words Jesus was sentenced to death and crucified not for committing a crime like robbing a bank or kidnapping or something that we would normally associate with a death penalty case. Jesus was convicted of the "crime" of blasphemy, declaring Himself to be God. ... [article link]
BasicChristian.org: blog Bible Study Genesis - An Eight Part Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual realms as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th realm being God's realm of unrestricted eternity} Coming Soon the Basic Christian Article: Who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-20) is a higher multidimensional being. Melchizedek exists outside of our own human time and space dimensions (restrictions). Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the 5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2. Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) - humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -- Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ... [article link]
Gnosticism: New Release! Hollywood's War on God - Learn how these movies are initiating the masses into a Gnostic worldview that will culminate in a "strong delusion" as the world joins Satan & the final Antichrist in their war against God (DVD - $19.95) Hollywood's War on God is a mind-blowing, eye-popping documentary that reveals how satanic forces are using Hollywood's most memorable movies and most popular actors to propagate an ancient lie in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Learn how these movies are initiating the masses into a Gnostic worldview that will culminate in a "strong delusion" as the world joins Satan & the final Antichrist in their war on God. Such titles include Ron Howard & Tom Hanks "The Da Vinci Code"; Keanu Reeves "The Matrix" and "Constantine"; Brad Pitt's "Fight Club"; Jim Carrey's "Truman Show"; Toby McQuire's "Pleasantville"; Arnold Swarzenegger's "Total Recall"; Johnny Depp's "From Hell"; Shawn Connery's "League of Extraordinary Gentleman"; J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter"; Harrison Ford's "Bladerunner"; Tom Cruise's "Vanilla Sky," "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Minority Report" and many others. [article link]
Gnosticism, New Age, and the Da Vinci Code - What do they Have in Common? - Heresies are a lot like the common cold - They keep coming back around, but in a slightly changed form - But the change is just enough so that they sneak by the defense of our immune system and pose a new threat to our spiritual health - Both the New Age movement and the The Da Vinci Code seek spirituality without sacrifice (Jesus), without authority (Jesus), without the cross (Jesus) - A Christianity with no cross is a Christianity with no power and a religion with no power doesn't last very long {The cross is the victory of Jesus Christ over sin, death, and the power of Satan. The proof of the victory of the cross of Jesus is the Resurrection of Jesus. Jesus is Alive! sin is dead and Satan is powerless, over our freewill.} Heresies are a lot like the common cold. They keep coming back around, but in a slightly changed form. But the change is just enough so that they sneak by the defense of our immune system and pose a new threat to our spiritual health. Neither the New Age movement nor the The Da Vinci Code buys into to ancient Gnosticism lock, stock, and barrel. But they both rely on key Gnostic ideas that have as much appeal now as they did in the second century. For who does not eventually feel the emptiness and ennui of a life without the spiritual dimension, a life devoid of mystery? Our contemporary Western society, like 2nd century Roman society, has lost its soul. We suffer from the desperation that comes from a lack of meaning. -- The New Age has appeal because it restores a sense of mystery. It imitates the syncretism of the Gnostics, blending together exotic ideas from the east with traditions native to the west to produce a hodge-podge that may be incoherent but is nevertheless intriguing. The Da Vinci Code resurrects the claim of a secret tradition that is earlier and more faithful than the New Testament Scriptures. It offers us a way to feel connected to Jesus even while we scorn the leaders and laws of the Church said to be founded by him. -- But the appeal of these currents also constitute their undoing. Both the New Age movement and the The Da Vinci Code seek spirituality without sacrifice, without authority, without the cross. They follow ancient Gnosticism in preserving a veneer of Christianity while emptying it of its heart and soul.. But the fate of Gnosticism ought to serve as a warning here. A Christianity with no cross is a Christianity with no power. And a religion with no power doesn't last very long. The Da Vinci Code may have sold a few million copies in the first years of the third millennium. But here is my guess - in the fourth millennium, it will take an archeologist digging in the arid sands of Egypt to find a copy. [article link]
Gnosticism, the Soul-Only "Gospel" and the End Times - Gnosticism falsely concludes: There were two separate realms-one spiritual, the other material (physical) - The spiritual realm, created by God [not by Father God but by Satan or some other unknown god that Satan channeled, however more and more often Satan is being taught as the original Father spirit god], was all good; the material realm, created by the demiurge [Father God, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit], all evil - Man needed to be saved, not from Original Sin, but from enslavement to matter (physical body, physical world and from God (Jesus) who created the physical world, though the cults sure do like sex, drugs, alcohol, money etc. so maybe they don't want to be 'saved' from everything physical) [rejecting this (physical) world]-[rejecting the (moral government) law] For this, he {occult initiate} had to learn the mystical arts - Thus Gnosticism became a source for the occult (Satanic) tradition {Gnosticism - The Question: Is Jesus who loves us, gave His life and died for us on the cross God or is Satan who lies to us and kills us God? That is the dilemma of the Gnostic and actually that is also the dilemma for everyone. However even in this upside down world where wrong is right and lies are truth it is still easy to tell that Jesus the God of Love is God!} In addition, Gnostics engaged in speculative theology, even in the days of the apostles, based upon a higher form of knowledge not available to "ordinary" Christians. This resulted in "speculations respecting angels and spirits" and a false dualism "leading to asceticism on the one hand *[rejecting this world], and to an immoral libertinism on the other hand *[rejecting the law]." Today, we have an eschatological system that purports to know we are living in the last days, not by an appeal to the Bible but by having a special ability to read contemporary signs. ... Certain strange inferences were derived from this bizarre worldview. Gnostic doctrine concluded that Jehovah of the Old Testament was actually Satan, thus, Satan ruled the physical world. The body also belonged to Satan. It was the prison of the soul. "The Gnostic secret is that the spirit is trapped in
matter, and to free it, the world must be rejected."5 Not only asceticism but escapism became a major tenet of the Gnostic gospel. If the physical world is evil, then man must do anything and everything to escape it. [article link]
Gnosticism: The Gnostic NIV Bible Exposed - A look At Gnosticism And The NIV - The Gnostics were a group of individuals who considered themselves as "an elite group that knows it all" - Words Identifying Christ as God Are Stolen Away The word "Gnostic" comes from the Greek verb "ginosko", which means "to know, or to be taking in knowledge". Or you can derive it from the noun "gnosis", which means "knowledge, or a seeking to know". The Gnostics were a group of individuals who considered themselves as "an elite group that knows it all". Their headquarters was in Alexandria, Egypt, where they had collected an enormous library. ... They claimed to understand God and Salvation perfectly. They believed that they themselves were spirit, while all other people were soul and body. They believed that all matter was evil, and therefore the world produced from evil matter and possessed by evil demons cannot be a creation of a good God. Therefore they were willing for Christ to be the creator as long as it was agreed that He was an inferior god. Therefore they denied the reality and the necessity of the Atonement of Christ, and they claimed that Christ's body was an illusion. They did not believe that Christ really came in the flesh. They rejected the Old Testament and its God Jehovah. -- They were obsessed with a cult of angels, from which they derived the concept of guardian angels. They were obsessed with the concept of man, and of God, and of the world through religious experiences. They allegorized all the teachings of Scripture in order to achieve a strange conformity between Gnosticism and Christianity. The Gnostics worked hard on destroying the Person of Christ as coequal to God, and as having both a human nature and a Divine nature. Therefore we recognize that the Apostles in their letters were warning the churches against the influence of the Gnostics. We read that in 1 John 2:22, from which we can see their struggle against the Gnostics of the 1st century. [article link]
The Da Vinci Code Exposed - The Gnostic Gospels - Notice, however, there is no mention of Mary being married to Jesus - In fact, there is not one ancient text anywhere, Gnostic or otherwise, that suggests that Jesus was married to Mary - None! The only famous text of Jesus being married is Dan's Brown's book itself - (Dan Brown) made it up The Gnostic followers play an important role in Brown's conspiracy. The word Gnostic means "secret knowledge." According to the novel there are 80 Gnostic gospels that were burned or buried by the Catholic Church. These gospels give a different view of Jesus and His teachings. Many have asked me about these supposedly "lost books of the Bible". First of all, they are not lost books of the Bible. They do not belong to the Bible at all; therefore, they are not lost books of the Bible. These books were known by the fourth century Bishops, and they excluded them from the Canon of Scripture because they did not meet the strict criteria to be included. Actually in truth, there are 52 fragmented texts that were discovered in a cave in Egypt on December of 1945 by an Arab peasant. These Gnostic writings are a collection of poems and myths attributing to Jesus certain sayings and beliefs which are very different than the canonical (accepted as correct-true) Bible. ... The Apostles were not unfamiliar with the teachings of the Gnostics. They denounce their teachings in several New Testament passages. Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith (1 Tim 6:20-21). The Greek word for knowledge is gnosis. Notice Paul warns against those who "falsely call" themselves knowledgeable ones. This is a clear reference to the Gnostics of the first century. He even says that those who profess this false knowledge have wandered from the faith. [article link]
Movie: Ron Howard Prepares to Unleash Angels & Demons (2009) - the follow-up to The (2006) Da Vinci Code [Angels & Demons is part 1 - The Da Vinci Code was actually part 2] - Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon from The Da Vinci Code - Variety's report goes on to note that, although the Angels & Demons novel
was written before and takes place before The Da Vinci Code, the film will be a sequel {The next Ron Howard movie "Angels & Demons" is a continuing part of the agenda to rise the evil fallen Nephilim [the occult considers Nephilim to be powerful, wise, illuminated (enlightened) and call themselves the followers "Illuminati"] and submit mankind to these fallen evil spirits. Note: Biblically fallen Angels and Demons are probably not the same thing though people often refer to them as being the same thing. Fallen Angels are Angels [that generally do not attempt to possess (indwell) people] while Demons [desire to possess and indwell people] may be offspring of the Nephilim (fallen Angels) & human intermixing that occurred in Geneses chapter 6 and that were all killed in the flood [the reason for the flood] of Noah's time. So saying Angels and Demons does not make one group good and the other bad both groups (angels and demons) would be bad if the Angels are fallen and in rebellion against God.} One of the many high-profile productions being affected by the looming writers' strike is Angels & Demons, the follow-up to The Da Vinci Code -- but if director Ron Howard and his fellow filmmakers have anything to say about it, their sequel's progress will be unimpeded. Variety reports on the last-minute preparations behind the scenes of Angels & Demons, which will find Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon from The Da Vinci Code, the $758 million-grossing adaptation of Dan Brown's bestselling book. Angels is scheduled to start filming in Europe next February, but with the writers' strike coming as early as November 1, Howard's team has to move quickly. ... Meanwhile, the "Angels" team have begun casting around Tom Hanks, who will reprise his role as Robert Langdon. Hanks' character, a Harvard-based expert on religious symbols, this time sleuths a mystery that involves a secret society and a conspiracy that leads to Vatican City and threatens the future of the Catholic Church. Variety's report goes on to note that, although the Angels & Demons novel was written before -- and takes place before -- The Da Vinci Code, the film will be a sequel. [article link]
{Flashback} THE BAD NEWS OF THE DA VINCI CODE MOVIE: Sony Pictures - Directed by: Ron Howard, Starring: Tom Hanks, May 2006 The New York Times called recently asking what's wrong with THE DA VINCI CODE. With regard to the book by that name, there have been a large number of articles, some published in MovieGuide', explaining its egregious historical, theological, and moral problems. With regard to the movie scheduled to be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures, however, about which the Times was calling, we won't know until we see the final product. The strange thing about the movie is that the two key people involved, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard, claim to be Christians. Mr. Hanks has told reporters that he came to Christ many years ago and now attends a Greek Orthodox church with his wife. A Campus Crusade minister worked as Ron Howard's assistant for many years and said that Mr. Howard went to a Presbyterian church. Therefore, it is strange that these two men are making THE DA VINCI CODE, unless they have either sold out and see it as a way of making a lot of money, or they plan to change it. [article link]
Did Jesus have a wife and child, of course not! - Da Vinci Code (Jesus is only human) Cults Exposed A new movie is set to air a program that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth. Following is some material to consider regarding this very wrong and false topic. ... Since all European and British nobility can legitimately prove their lineage back through the Merovingians {and apparently attempts to claim Mohammed as well}, they can "prove" to a public who has bought this lie that their lineage goes back through Mary Magdalene to Jesus and they have "plugged into" Jesus, they are literally "home free" to King David! The Jewish Talmud teaches this same lie. Thus, Antichrist can "prove" his lineage back to King David, an absolute requirement if he is to convince the Jewish people he is their Messiah for whom they have been awaiting! [article link]
[Continued] Ergun Caner Whopper: - Comments: Anonymous said...This is truly getting worse and worse - I would not in any way be surprised if there are more revelations to come - I have been suspicious from the
beginning that there's more to this story than meets the eye - I'll say it one more time...are we SURE this guy is not still a Muslim? In infiltration? I don't care what anybody says, somebody needs to be asking this question Sorry, Caner, if I'm wrong - But man, you seriously brought this on yourself and you know it One of the more recent Caner defenders to go public is Mac Brunson, pastor of FBC Jax, as his defense was posted on Stormin' Norman Geisler's site last week. Brunson is Caner's close friend, and co-author. Comments: Anonymous said..."So Mac Brunson was making money also by selling books he co-authored with Caner?" Flashback from the good old days at FBCJ when the Brunson family arrived - they are experts on how to get monies from the flock. Every Adult Sunday School class was asked to put in $1 for Trey & his fiance's wedding gift . . .the deacons wives hosted a Bridal Shower . . .and then there was the formal reception Mac hosted in the church dining room for their introduction. Very tacky tacky, but they did get a pocketful of money and a trunk load of gifts and daddy gave him the best gift of all - put him on payroll at the church. Glad I'm gone! Yes, Mac knows how to make his money! -- Anonymous said...These guys love their secrets but that is only because the full truth is embarrassing. They think folks believe them because they carry titles of "pastor". -- Also James White discusses a little about speeches/sermons Ergun Caner made in May [2010] of this year, where he [Caner] calls the people questioning him as "haters" and more on Dividing Line tomorrow on this subject. -- It is no secret, and it is no rumor. It is fact. A blogger has the video tape of Caner's training or speech he gave to a certain unit of our U.S. Marines on Jihad. He plans on making it available soon. And it will take another round of defenses and attacks from Caner's defenders like Guthrie and Stormin Norman Geisler to explain even more lies coming from Caner, and this time it's more serious: he delivered them to our troops. -- I am deeply disturbed by this potential new revelation that caner addresses our military troops on jihad. If this is true, then someone in the government did not do their job and vet this guy. To think that a liar had access to the troops and fed them information that was not based in fact gives me pause. This may be a bigger story than a lying Baptist seminary president. It is easy for me to imagine innocent people taking the word of their pastor who invited Caner. It is very different to imagine our military doing the same. I predict this will be a very big story if it is based in fact. -- Anonymous said...This is truly getting worse and worse. I would not in any way be surprised if there are more revelations to come. I have been suspicious from the beginning that there's more to this story than meets the eye. I'll say it one more time...are we SURE this guy is not still a Muslim? In infiltration? I don't care what anybody says, somebody needs to be asking this question. Sorry, Caner, if I'm wrong. But man, you seriously brought this on yourself and you know it. [article link]
[Continued] Ergun Caner Whopper: - Comments: Anonymous said...This is truly getting worse and worse - I would not in any way be surprised if there are more revelations to come - I have been suspicious from the beginning that there's more to this story than meets the eye - I'll say it one more time...are we SURE this guy is not still a Muslim? In infiltration? I don't care what anybody says, somebody needs to be asking this question Sorry, Caner, if I'm wrong - But man, you seriously brought this on yourself and you know it One of the more recent Caner defenders to go public is Mac Brunson, pastor of FBC Jax, as his defense was posted on Stormin' Norman Geisler's site last week. Brunson is Caner's close friend, and co-author. Comments: Anonymous said..."So Mac Brunson was making money also by selling books he co-authored with Caner?" Flashback from the good old days at FBCJ when the Brunson family arrived - they are experts on how to get monies from the flock. Every Adult Sunday School class was asked to put in $1 for Trey & his fiance's wedding gift . . .the deacons wives hosted a Bridal Shower . . .and then there was the formal reception Mac hosted in the church dining room for their introduction. Very tacky tacky, but they did get a pocketful of money and a trunk load of gifts and daddy gave him the best gift of all - put him on payroll at the church. Glad I'm gone! Yes, Mac knows how to make his money! -- Anonymous said...These guys love their secrets but that is only because the full truth is embarrassing. They think folks believe them because they carry titles of "pastor". -- Also James White discusses a little about speeches/sermons Ergun Caner made in May [2010] of this year, where he [Caner] calls the people questioning him as "haters" and more on Dividing Line tomorrow on this subject. -- It is no secret, and it is no rumor. It is fact. A blogger has the video tape of Caner's training or speech he gave to a
certain unit of our U.S. Marines on Jihad. He plans on making it available soon. And it will take another round of defenses and attacks from Caner's defenders like Guthrie and Stormin Norman Geisler to explain even more lies coming from Caner, and this time it's more serious: he delivered them to our troops. -- I am deeply disturbed by this potential new revelation that caner addresses our military troops on jihad. If this is true, then someone in the government did not do their job and vet this guy. To think that a liar had access to the troops and fed them information that was not based in fact gives me pause. This may be a bigger story than a lying Baptist seminary president. It is easy for me to imagine innocent people taking the word of their pastor who invited Caner. It is very different to imagine our military doing the same. I predict this will be a very big story if it is based in fact. -- Anonymous said...This is truly getting worse and worse. I would not in any way be surprised if there are more revelations to come. I have been suspicious from the beginning that there's more to this story than meets the eye. I'll say it one more time...are we SURE this guy is not still a Muslim? In infiltration? I don't care what anybody says, somebody needs to be asking this question. Sorry, Caner, if I'm wrong. But man, you seriously brought this on yourself and you know it. [article link]
[Warning!] Watchman Fellowship: Watchman Fellowship is an independent, nondenominational Christian research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements [i.e. fake ex-Muslim Jihadist], cults, the occult and the New Age - Don't miss your opportunity to see [Secular (occult), New Age, Emergent Church Apologist and fake ex-Muslim Jihadist] Dr. Ergun Caner speaking at our annual (2007) banquet as we celebrated twenty-eight years of ministry - [Wolf in sheep's clothing] Dr. Caner was recently elected to Watchman Fellowship's board of directors [and remains on the Watchman board of directors] Ergun Caner is the President of Liberty Theological Seminary at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA. When named to the position in 2005, Caner became the first former Muslim to lead an evangelical seminary. Caner is a leading voice for evangelicalism on the international stage. He has been a guest on such television networks as Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and the BBC. He has written 14 books, including When Worldviews Collide, on the subject of global apologetics and defending the Christian faith. Dr. Caner was recently elected to Watchman Fellowship's board of directors. - Staff & Board Members - Board Members: Ergun Caner. [article link]
It Takes a Long Time to Clean Up [Internet] Falsehoods - The Internet is such a huge "place" - It takes forever to clean up evidences of your past---if you are trying to do that, anyway - I was just referred to this (2005) press release on Ergun Caner's own website (better click fast, it will be gone before long!) - Note this further example of the mysterious "misstatement" that Ergun Caner seemed to be making over and over and over again for years on end {Note: Ergun Caner is going around preaching a 100% Emergent Church doctrine, principles and theology i.e. "God = Love" actually "God = God" and love, patience, faithfulness, justice, longsuffering, faithfulness, etc. are all Attributes of God. - Also Note: It is Dr. Norman Geisler (Veritas Evangelical Seminary) [one of Ergun Caner's biggest supporters and a mentor] that is going around from Church to Church doing "Apologetics Conferences" with Ergun Caner (also one of Geisler's Veritas Seminary instructors) as Geisler pretends to be informing Christians and preaching against the Gnostic Emergent Church Movement that is currently infiltrating Evangelical Christianity on a massive scale all the while Dr. Norman Geisler is forwarding, promoting and covering for Emergent Church prompter Ergun Caner. -- July 31, 2010 Calvary Chapel Downey Apologetics Conference Speakers: Norman Geisler, "Understanding and Answering the Emergent Church" Ergun Caner, "5 Reasons Why I am not a Muslim" Source: www.cccsdowney.org/high-school/monthly-letter/} Ex-Muslim to lead at Liberty U. By Bob Lowry ASSOCIATED PRESS LYNCHBURG, Va. -- The new dean of the Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University theological seminary is a former Sunni Muslim who plans to turn out a hipper generation of graduates by relating to them with lyrics from rapper 50 Cent, TV's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and the latest movies and film stars. Ergun Mehmet Caner cracks one-liners as easily as he quotes a Bible verse. Lecturing to a packed auditorium of 450 students, Mr. Caner mixed religion with jokes to keep his students on their toes in a late afternoon theology class. He asked his students which popular actors they
would marry "if she or he was a Christian." Their answers brought howls of laughter from the classroom. "In a given lecture, I'll talk about 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,' C.S. Lewis, 'Plato's Cave' and some lyrics by 50 Cent," Mr. Caner said of some subjects one normally wouldn't associate with Mr. Falwell's university. Mr. Caner sees it as a way to connect with his young audiences. "Most college students lose attention every seven minutes and with that, it's important to have that humor to bring us back in and teach us more," said Travis Bush, a junior from Rocky Mount, N.C., in Mr. Caner's class. "He's the best professor here. With the humor, it keeps us interested." Mr. Caner, 39, said he wants a different approach for a new generation of Liberty students, whom he dubs "tecumenicals." "I call them techies because, on one hand, they were raised with email" he says. "And yet they are so ecumenical. This generation is different. They've been there, seen it and done it. They're looking for some *authentic passion that's got a pulse and that sweats. "The point is I'll use anything at my disposal. I'm not hiding from culture and I don't boycott culture. If I'm turning out students who say 'What's that dot on your head for?' That's ignorance. Or, 'Why'd you wear your laundry on the top of your head?' That's ignorance." Mr. Caner takes over as dean of the seminary in July after only two years at the 8,000student school. The shaven-headed, goateed Mr. Caner [Proven False], whose family emigrated from Turkey [Sweeden] to Toledo, Ohio, when he was a teenager [two years old] ... Boyd Rist, Liberty's vice president for academic affairs, said Mr. Caner was the clear choice for the job after the former dean left for the presidency of another school. As for Mr. Caner's Muslim background, Mr. Rist said Mr. Falwell [Sr.] doesn't mind doing the unexpected at the school he founded in his hometown in 1971. Copyright 2005 News World Communications, Inc. Source: www.erguncaner.com/home/press/documents/ap_04152005.pdf [article link]
Ergun Caner Whopper: My Madrassa Was in Beirut...By That Did He Mean the "Beirut Restaurant" in Toledo? As more of Caner's deceptions become known, the defenders of Caner appear more and more ridiculous - And more is yet to come, maybe the worst yet, BUT we shall see - Taking a step back, I have some larger questions in all of this, as this is growing into the Great Evangelical Cover-up - How did Caner's embellishments get started and why did it go on for so long? - Why were these fibs not nipped in the bud by those in authority over him at the time? - Why was the due diligence on Caner not done by the heavies in the SBC to confirm his testimony? - I will ponder those questions in coming posts, so stay tuned - And now, here is the latest episode of "Caner Gone Wild" (Video) As more of Caner's deceptions become known, the defenders of Caner appear more and more ridiculous. And more is yet to come, maybe the worst yet, BUT we shall see. One of the more recent Caner defenders to go public is Mac Brunson, pastor of FBC Jax, as his defense was posted on Stormin' Norman Geisler's site last week. Brunson is Caner's close friend, and co-author. At least Brunson doesn't blame Muslims and Calvinists, and Brunson does mention Caner's "sorrow" and "grief". Below is another Caner video; some new footage not seen until James White put it on his blog last week. It is Caner at Harbor Light Assembly of God, Freemont, California, on September 22, 2006. It contains the standard Caner yarns and tall tales mixed with racial stereotypes: came to America as he was getting ready for college, learned English from TV, he never drove a taxi or worked at 7/11, came as a "missionary", prayed on a rug in the high school bathrooms - you know, those typical "misstatements". But Caner tells a new one: his "madrassa, his training center" was in Beirut. That is interesting. He led FBC Jax to believe he was "raised in Europe" and trained there in Islamic Youth Jihad when he came to America...but now the training center has moved to Beirut. ... One more eye-popping claim by Caner in the vid. It seems he took the liberty of throwing his deceased father under the bus, saying that his father came to America with multiple wives, and that he lied to authorities saying they were his sisters! Imagine that, saying that your dad committed the crime of polygamy, when nowhere in any divorce papers was this mentioned. If his dad WAS a polygamist and lied about it, why on earth would he want to tell that story to the public? I know, it was all for Jesus, right? Taking a step back, I have some larger questions in all of this, as this is growing into the Great Evangelical Cover-up. - How did Caner's embellishments get started and why did it go on for so long? Why were these fibs not nipped in the bud by those in authority over him at the time? - Who was his pastor when he started spreading these tales after 9/11 who might have been able to counsel him and
discipline him about lying? - Where did Caner work, and who was his boss at the time, that might have had opportunity to speak to Jerry Vines before and after Caner's FBC Jax sermon in November 2001? - Why was the due diligence on Caner not done by the heavies in the SBC to confirm his testimony? - Who knew or suspected that Caner was fibbing after 9/11, and who did they tell? - Or did NO ONE have any idea that he was lying about his past? Are we to believe that NO ONE that knew Caner pre 9/11 knew that he was fibbing on the preaching circuit? - Did he preach at his home church after 9/11, and did he embellish his story with those there that knew him pre 9/11? If not, why not? I will ponder those questions in coming posts, so stay tuned. And now, here is the latest episode of "Caner Gone Wild": (Video) [article link]
Note: Only informed responsible giving (tithing) is cheerful giving - Previous year 501c3 non-profit tax form filings should be open and publically available (in Church offices) and on the internet for anyone and everyone to look at and only then is a person capable of making an informed decision about personally donating to charitable 'Churches' and causes i.e. a Harvest Crusade type of event -- "2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth [responsibly] in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful [responsible] giver." Only informed responsible giving (tithing) is cheerful giving! Not the ignorance is bliss, dutiful giving that the modern Church now wants us to participate in. -- "Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defense [refuge], and money [opportunity, power, influence, prestige] is a defense: but [more important than money] the excellency of [Biblical] knowledge [accurate, reliable Biblical doctrine] is, that wisdom giveth [eternal] life to them that have it." [article link]
Donor Bill of Rights - PHILANTHROPY (Charitable Donations) is based on voluntary action for the common good - It is a tradition [and religious requirement] of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights: I. To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes - II. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities - III. **To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements - IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given I. To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes. II. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities. III. To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements. IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given. V. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition. VI. To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law. VII. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature. VIII. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors. IX. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share. X To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers. [article link]
Questions to Ask a Nonprofit (Church - Crusade - Conference - etc.) *Before Investing in [or contributing to] It 3. What are your annual goals, needs, and results? How do they compare to similar organizations in your community? - 6. How well have you utilized your funding? Describe how efficiently you have fulfilled your goals
of recent years in relationship to the amount of funds you have raised Thinking of donating to a nonprofit? Here are some suggested questions to ask nonprofit organizations before investing in them. The answers can help you determine which charities to give to and evaluate the performance of the philanthropies you already support. 1. How are you collaborating with similar organizations on a local, regional, or national level? 2. What are the main obstacles that inhibit the fulfillment of your mission? How are you planning to overcome them? 3. What are your annual goals, needs, and results? How do they compare to similar organizations in your community? 4. How much turnover have you experienced of employees and board members in the last two years {and how many related family members are employed and in what places within the organization}? 5. To what degree have you attracted new people {non-family members} and new ideas to your organization and board? 6. *How well have you utilized your funding? Describe how efficiently you have fulfilled your goals of recent years in relationship to the amount of funds you have raised. 7. Most forprofit organizations have recently restructured themselves in recent years to become more efficient and productive. How, if at all, are you considering (or have you implemented) some version of this approach? 8. How efficiently is your organization run? To what degree have you assigned day-to-day management responsibilities to a tightly run executive committee instead of relying upon your full board? 9. Who are your main competitors and how do your results in recent years compare to theirs? [article link]
Tips for Choosing a Charity: A Donor's 9-Step Guide to Giving Wisely - Avoid charities that won't share information or pressure you - Reputable nonprofits: Will discuss their programs and finances - [they] Don't use pressure tactics - Are willing to send you literature about their work or direct you to a Web site - Will take "no" for an answer - Trust your instincts: If you still have doubts about a charity, don't contribute to it - Instead, find another nonprofit that does the same kind of work and with which you feel comfortable, then make your donation Tips for Choosing a Charity: A Donor's 9-Step Guide to Giving Wisely - Here are GuideStar's tips for donors who want to give with their heads as well as their hearts. Researching Charities Clarify your values. Do this before you open your checkbook, volunteer your time, or look at that letter from a charity. Identify your preferences. Ask yourself: "What is important to me?" The environment? Education? Hunger? Animal welfare? Helping sick children? Where should the charity do its work-in your neighborhood, region, the nation, or internationally? Ask yourself if you want to support a large or small charity, a new or an old one. Search the GuideStar database to find charities that meet your criteria. Focus on the mission. Look at each charity's description in the GuideStar search results, on its Web site, or in its literature. Find the nonprofits that fit best with your values. Eliminate organizations that don't meet your criteria. Now you're ready to look more closely at these organizations. Evaluating Charities Get the cold, hard facts. A reputable organization will: Define its mission and programs clearly. Have measurable goals. Use concrete criteria to describe its achievements. Compare apples to apples. Be sure to compare charities that do the same kind of work, especially if you're looking at their finances. The type of work a charity does can affect its operating costs dramatically. Avoid charities that won't share information or pressure you. Reputable nonprofits: Will discuss their programs and finances. Don't use pressure tactics. Are willing to send you literature about their work or direct you to a Web site. Will take "no" for an answer. Trust your instincts. If you still have doubts about a charity, don't contribute to it. Instead, find another nonprofit that does the same kind of work and with which you feel comfortable, then make your donation. [article link]
House Church: Skip the sermon, worship at home {Note: Attending a local Church congregation where you can have input and make a difference is a vital part of Christianity and really home Church (fellowships) should be secondary [after Church or on a weeknight] to congregational attendance.} DALLAS - To get to church on a recent Sunday morning, the Yeldell family walked no farther than their own living room to greet fellow worshippers. The members of this "house church" are part of what experts say is a
fundamental shift in the way U.S. Christians think about church. Skip the sermons, costly church buildings and large, faceless crowds, they say. House church is about relationships forged in small faith communities. In general, house churches consist of 12 to 15 people who share what's going on in their lives, often turning to Scriptures for guidance. They rely on the Holy Spirit or spontaneity to lead the direction of their weekly gatherings. "I think part of the appeal for some in the house church movement is the desire to return to a simpler expression of church," said Ed Stetzer, a seminary professor and president of Lifeway Research, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. "For many, church has become too much (like a) business while they just want to live like the Bible." House church proponents claim their small groups are sort of a throwback to the early Christian church in that they have no clergy and everyone is expected to contribute to the teaching, singing and praying. They are more commonly seen in countries where Christianity is not the dominant religion. Organizers say they're just starting to take off in the U.S. A study by the Barna Group, a firm specializing in data on religion and society, estimates that 6 million to 12 million Americans attend house churches. A survey last year by the Pew Forum found that 9 percent of American Protestants only attended home services. "The only consistent thing about house church is that each one is different," said Robin Yeldell, who, in 2006, left a traditional church where he was a missions committee chairman. [article link]
A Gnostic Gospel - Christless Christianity: 2010 West Coast Conference - A Conference by Various Teachers (Online Video - Audio) Message 5, A Gnostic Gospel: Americans are incurably "spiritual," but this spirituality expresses itself in ways that are incompatible with biblical Christianity. It expresses itself in ways that are essentially Gnostic. The American church has not been immune to the influence of this American Gnosticism. In this message, Dr. Peter Jones compares this private, mystical, and inward religious mentality with the corporate, doctrinal, and visible faith of orthodox Christianity. [article link]
*Updated: Truth & Knowledge vs. Lies & Deception (PDF) Truth is that which exists and cannot change. The truth is the unchangeable fact. There are basic truths in existence. We exist in physical human form on a planet called the earth. It is an undeniable unchangeable truth that we exist. It is also an undeniable unchangeable truth that physical life exists temporally here on earth. The truth is that all who have lived in the past have suffered physical death; they are no longer physically alive with us on earth. Since there are truths in existence there is a truth that explains life and death here on earth. There can be many theories about how life originated on earth, why and how we exist and why we die, but there is only one unchangeable truth. [article link]
{Flashback} Calvary Chapel (Skip Heitzig) Albuquerque States: Leonard Sweet Will Not Be Speaking at Conference - Lighthouse Trails Calls For Answers - Questions Arise: Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not? - the National Worship Leader Conference website still maintains that Leonard Sweet will indeed be speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque {Note: Because of deceptive and non-Christian practices emanating from various Calvary Chapel pastors the website links from Basic Christan to Skip Heitzig and several other Calvary Chapel (Costa Mesa) resources, Churches and pastors have recently been removed by the Basic Christian Ministry.} This is an update regarding the Lighthouse Trails report that New Age sympathizer Leonard Sweet is scheduled to speak at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque for the National Worship Leader Conference this June. Conflicting reports are occurring as to whether Sweet's speaking engagement has been cancelled. Please refer to our recent posting, Questions Arise: Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not? where we write on some of these conflicting reports. A number of Lighthouse Trails' readers contacted us over the last couple days sending us copies of an email they each received from an undisclosed personnel at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque. **The form letter states: Thank you for contacting us
here at The Connection and thanks for writing to Pastor Skip. We always love to hear from you. The conference is not a Calvary conference. The conference is being put on by Worship Leader Magazine using our facility just like CAPE, Home school graduation, funerals, etc. Therefore, Leonard Sweet is not speaking at "Skip's Church". [LT: Heitzig is one of the speakers at this event.] He is part of a conference using Calvary's facilities. Leonard Sweet will attend the conference but WILL NOT BE SPEAKING. It is our prayer that God will continue to reveal Himself to you through His Word as you seek to know Him. Love in Christ, Connection Communications -- Because the National Worship Leader Conference website still maintains that Leonard Sweet will indeed be speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque, an official public notice from CCA stating that Leonard Sweet will not be speaking there could help clear up the present confusion. Just as important, a statement explaining to the body of Christ why they have decided to remove him from the platform would be important. In a day and age when so many Christian leaders are sending out mixed messages to the Church regarding spiritual deception, those wanting to maintain biblical integrity need to be forthright and clear in what they believe and stand for. And regardless of what denomination or movement this confusion is occurring in, those particular leaders do have a biblical obligation to the entire body of Jesus Christ. This is not Lighthouse Trails saying this - this is what the Bible requests of leaders and pastors. [article link]
Benny Hinn Swedish "European Conference Word of Faith conference" weekend host not too happy - While hundreds lined up for hours to see Benny Hinn in Sweden this weekend, even as North America was reading about Benny Hinn and Paula White behavior in Italy about 2 weeks ago his appearance at the European Conference Word of Faith conference was not without controversy - I must say I was shocked by the content of Benny Hinns teaching - We have known each other since 1986, although it was a while ago we last met - There is no doubt that the Lord has used him as an evangelist all over the world for many years - I must say that I have never in all the meetings I had with him, heard what he taught us yesterday - His preaching, in which he certainly is not alone, seems to be more consistent and prepared [by others - i.e Think Tank, New Age religion] than I have ever heard before, but went far beyond what I mean is classic Christian faith and sound doctrine - It was not just some Gnostic elements, it was unfortunately too much of pure Gnosticism [occult knowledge] Benny Hinn Swedish weekend host not too happy - Posted on July 26, 2010 by Bene Diction - While hundreds lined up for hours to see Benny Hinn in Sweden this weekend, (even as North America was reading about Benny Hinn and Paula White behavior in Italy about 2 weeks ago) his appearance at the European Conference Word of Faith conference was not without controversy. His theology, practises and pending divorce have been discussed a fair bit online in Sweden in media, on blogs and twitter feeds leading up to the European Conference in Uppusla. Ekman stood up after Hinn spoke and suggested people weigh what was said and read their bible about what was preached. However Hinn was permitted to speak again. I've tried to tidy up the Google translation, if I've lost meaning in the cleaning, please pipe up in the comment section. Ekman posted about Benny Hinns visit: But it is my duty to comment Saturday evening's remarkable proclamation. I must say I was shocked by the content of Benny Hinns teaching. We have known each other since 1986, although it was a while ago we last met. There is no doubt that the Lord has used him as an evangelist all over the world for many years. Many over the years have told how their lives have been transformed by the Lord through Benny's service and how they have been healed. I have participated over the years in a number of conferences around the world and have seen what the Lord has done. As a private person and I appreciate him a lot and really like him as a healing evangelist. Having said this, and it is important that it must be said, I must say that I have never in all the meetings I had with him, heard what he taught us yesterday. His preaching, in which he certainly is not alone, seems to be more consistent and prepared than I have ever heard before, but went far beyond what I mean is classic Christian faith and sound doctrine. It was not just some Gnostic elements, it was unfortunately too much of pure Gnosticism. [article link]
Slaughter of the Sheep: Reports of Benny Hinn and Paula White Affair - The National Enquirer is currently reporting that Benny Hinn and Paula White are having an affair - I know, I know, it's the Enquirer and they're unreliable - There's one catch…. they've got pictures of Hinn/White going into and out of a hotel in Rome holding hands [two weeks ago] - I bought an issue when a fellow researcher called and told me about this story and I have seen the pictures - Is it true? I don't know - But, judging from the photographs, Hinn may have some explaining to do! Comments: Video 3: Benny asks Paula where she has this incredible teachings from… She says from God, from revelation and experience. But I listened to her (this was a real trial!) but she just puts all the false teachings together from Word Faith, Dominion, seven mountains, little gods and more. She throws the words out on her listeners without time for them to think and uses methods (hands, snapping fingers, response). ... It appears Paula is broad in her teachings. you are correct, she does appear to be hooked up with the Dominionism/kingdom now - New Apostolic Reformation!!! Here she is with non-other that Chuck Pierce. ... that video's says it all. And Paula is also into 'the glory'. So her story that God showed her all this and that she got revelation is a lie. ... Chuck Pierce is into mysticism. There you see the mix in this false teachings with the occult and Gnosticism. It's strange fire ["Vagabond Priesthood"]. But that is another topic. ... When I see all this happen, and the articles here on the website and other discerning sites it reminds me of something I think God showed me two years ago. I saw that all these false ministries that seemed to have no connection, are going to connect. It made me think of a web from a spider. The line at the edge of the web are far from each other, but when the spider makes the web he goes to the center and there the lines come together. It is shocking to see it happen these days… Time is running out. ... I already knew that Benny Hinn was Latter Rain and Manifest sons of God teaching. Well, I just found a video with Benny Hinn and Bill Hamon (Christian International) I have been to one of bill Hamon conferences , He is crazy and dangerous. I went to a woman pastors church who was under Bill Hamon and it was a crazy place. Thank God he brought me out of the mess. ... OMG! That's Oh my goodness! for us Christians. I just watched that video with Paula and Chuck. Are we supposed to take these people seriously???? I hope not! Chuckle… They take themselves seriously…I think, but at least we don't have to! Boy, am I glad I am not taken in by these swelling words of fanciful suggestions anymore. Thank God! He set me free. I'm going to enjoy every minute of my freedom from these charlatans! Love you all! God keep you in his love and sweetness! ... You made me laugh girl. We are smart to their enticing words, but lots of people are deceived by these jokers. They are crazy and dangerous. Talk about the Tower of Babel, babel, babel, one can't understand their language. Seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. ... Dominionism, Word Faith, Latter Rain, Manifested Sons have the same roots as the New Age 'theology': the Christ-consciousness. 'The Christ' will not bodily return, but in the mind, spirit of the people. Alice Bailey, the 'mother' of the New Age [Satanism version], already said years ago that New Age had to influence Christianity so New Age would be the new world religion. This was written on a website about Christ Consciousness (they even use the bible): 'It is our destiny to attain to the level of Christ consciousness and to be aware of the self as God'. 'Speak as Christ would speak and Christ will speak through you… Think as Christ would think and Christ will think through you and the mind of God will become congruent with your physical vessel…Practice sweet thoughts, sweet feelings, sweet words and soon they will come naturally to you. Finally perform deeds that you know Christ would perform and you will manifest the Christ consciousness in your daily life.' "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." -The Bible- This means: Seek ye first the Consciousness of God, the consciousness of the Living Christ in you and the scientific application of the Universal Law to the mastery of self in time and space and all these things in the world of form shell be added unto you by the multiplicated alchemy of the Holy Ghost.' Sounds familiar to what Word Faith teaches, 'little gods'. Scary how it fits in with those false teachings… [article link]
PASTOR PAULA RESPONDS TO FALSE AND MISLEADING ARTICLE - I want to speak with you frankly and from my heart {Note: 1. Paula's response comes a day or two after Benny's response and what is striking is that the same person seems to have written both responses or else Paula was heavily coached by someone else. 2.
Benny Hinn seemed to go to great lengths to separate Paula from his Vatican visit yet according to Paula she seemed to have been there as a part of the same Vatican visit. 3. The internet rumor mill is that these two are already engaged or are about to get engaged - so why all the deception, lies and deceit.} To My Friends, Partners & Ministry Colleagues, I want to speak with you frankly and from my heart. Last Friday, the National Enquirer released a dishonest and misleading article which falsely characterized my friendship with Pastor Benny Hinn. The publication, which is known for its bias and slanting of the truth, tries to mislead readers regarding the ministerial relationship and friendship I have had with Pastor Benny for over 20 years. Specifically, the National Enquirer released the misguided and untruthful article, which falsely characterized my friendship with Pastor Benny as being something that is morally and spiritually inappropriate. The article goes on to suggest that we were having an improper intimate relationship, which is categorically false. In late May of this year, I went to tape a "This Is Your Day" broadcast with Pastor Hinn. Although I had not seen him in years, the taping gave us the opportunity to catch up on what has transpired in both of our lives. As someone who also endured a painful and public divorce, I was able to offer him insight and spiritual encouragement. Since that time we have continued to talk and our friendship has grown stronger but has remained morally and spiritually pure. I publicly profess and forcefully renounce assertions that the recent trip to Italy to meet with Vatican officials suggests that the friendship is in any way improper or morally impure. We traveled independently to the region for respective ministry duties and, while there, spent time together along with others. We were never alone and were in the constant company of staff and other associates. [article link]
[In an undated posting] Pastor Benny Responds to False and Misleading News Reports - As you may be aware, the National Enquirer recently released a dishonest and misleading article which falsely characterized my friendship with [Pastor] Paula White - The article also indicated that on a recent trip to Italy we met secretly and stayed together - This could not be further from the truth and is absolutely false! The truth is that we traveled independently to the region for respective ministry duties - and, although we spent time together, *we were never alone and were in the constant company of staff and family members [as of right now photos and eyewitness accounts seem to indicate that they were alone] - {Note: Originally I had no intention of posting on the reported events of Benny Hinn and Paula White - two people who I actually have a deep desire to see succeed in the ministry both of whom have large ministries and affect a lot of lives but that was until I read the (disingenuous) reply posted by Benny Hinn on his own website. Clearly counter to what Benny claims the two are unchaperoned and already several inconsistences have emerged from the Benny Hinn (false) reply. - Also Note: I felt led to post on this topic because of the clear epidemic in Christian circles today of Pastors and Leaders who are so willing to consistently engage in lying and deceitful practices directed primarily at Christians from behind their own pulpits i.e. Pastors like Benny Hinn, Ergun Caner, Dr. Norman Geisler, Chuck Smith Sr., Brian Brodersen, Greg Laurie, Skip Heitzig, Mike MacIntosh and Rick Warren just to name a few. Certainly we are living in deceitful and dishonest times within the Christian (Mega-Church) system and unless we as Christians begin to do something about it and take a stand for Biblical truth, financial openness and personal honesty among Church Pastors and Leaders we will all be drowned in this deliberate ocean of lies, dishonesty and deception that is taking place within and being forced upon a very unsuspecting (and naive) modern-day Christian Church congregation.} To my precious partner, As you may be aware, the National Enquirer recently released a dishonest and misleading article which falsely characterized my friendship with Paula White. The publication, which is known for its bias against religious figures, misleads readers regarding the ministerial friendship I have had with Paula White for over 20 years. As you know, my wife, Suzanne, filed for divorce at the beginning of this year. If it were not for the comfort of the precious Holy Spirit and the Word of God to give me encouragement throughout this process, I cannot imagine how I could have survived the past five months. Throughout this season, your love and prayers have helped strengthen me to continue ministering around the world. Were it not for your faithfulness and the presence of my wonderful Lord Jesus, the loneliness of carrying this burden by myself would have been unbearable. In late May of this year, Paula White came to tape a This Is Your Day broadcast
with me. Although I had not seen her for years, she was an encouragement to me and shared helpful advice out of her own painful experience. As a result, I will not deny that the friendship has strengthened, and, while it has remained morally pure at all times, I have enjoyed the company of someone who has also gone through the trauma of a painful and public divorce. But most of you know me personally and know that I have faithfully preached the Gospel for over 35 years. I have never failed my marriage vows and would never dishonor the precious name of Jesus, whom I adore with all my being...and I never will! As I have often said, I would rather die than bring dishonor to His name. And so I am writing to tell you today that I forcefully, categorically, and absolutely renounce the lies that have been spread about me and want to set the record straight with you. There is nothing inappropriate or morally improper about my friendship with Paula White. -- There has been no immorality whatsoever! -- The article also indicated that on a recent trip to Italy we met secretly and stayed together. This could not be further from the truth and is absolutely false! The truth is that we traveled independently to the region for respective ministry duties. I was invited by Vatican officials to visit the Vatican to discuss future ministry opportunities there. Paula was likewise invited to have meetings in the region, and, although we spent time together, we were never alone and were in the constant company of staff and family members. [article link]
Apprising.org: REPORTS OF BENNY HINN AND PAULA WHITE AFFAIR (PICTURES INCLUDED) The National Enquirer is currently reporting that Benny Hinn and Paula White are having an affair. I know, I know, it's the Enquirer and they're unreliable. There's one catch…. they've got pictures of Hinn/White going into and out of a hotel in Rome holding hands. I bought an issue when a fellow researcher called and told me about this story and I have seen the pictures. Is it true? I don't know. But, judging from the photographs, Hinn may have some explaining to do! Sometimes The Enquirer has a nasty habit of not getting the facts straight, but pictures speak a thousand words. I would never quote The National Enquirer as a reliable source for anything, but having seen the pictures, I came to the conclusion that, barring a really good Photoshop job, this warranted posting. As for now I'm going to proceed with much, MUCH, caution, considering the source. However, looking at the photographs, I believe there is a little merit to this story… for now. I'll start this post as a launching point, and will follow these developments as they occur. Should this all prove to be true, we'll find out soon enough, won't we? [article link]
The Rapture - The taking into Heaven the Church body [Ekklesia - G1577] of Jesus Christ {Note: The Rapture [speculated to possibly occur on a future Feast of Trumpets day] of the 'born again' Spirit Church by Jesus into Heaven is the conclusion of the giving of the 'born again' Spirit (John 20:22) by Jesus that started on the Resurrection Day the Feast of Firstfruits (Easter). The rapture is not the conclusion to the separate and distinct work and giving of the Holy Spirit that occurred on the later Feast of Pentecost. The [witness and empowerment] work of the Holy Spirit that began at Pentecost continues on throughout the Tribulation period while the working of the Feast of Firstfruits will be concluded with the Church being removed from the earth and brought into Heaven by the call "shout" of Jesus.} The Church Rapture: "1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you [Christians] to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [passed away], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe [cross and resurrection] that Jesus died and rose again, **even so them also which sleep in Jesus [are already in Heaven with Jesus] will God [Jesus] bring [at the rapture] with Him. For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we [Christians] which are alive and remain unto the [rapture] coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep [they are already in Heaven]. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout [a bidding call - command - G2752], with the voice of the archangel, and with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ [already in Heaven] shall rise first: Then we [Christians] which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air [the rapture precedes the 2nd coming where Jesus physically returns to earth - unto to His brethren the Jews]: and so shall we ever
be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." - "Acts 3:19-21 Repent ye therefore, and be converted [become a Christian], that your sins may be blotted out [The O.T. didn't forgive 'blot out' sin as the N.T. does the O.T. only temporarily (yearly) covered sin], when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit]; And He shall send Jesus Christ [2nd coming], which before was preached unto you: **Whom the heaven must receive [Jesus will remain in Heaven - the rapture, uniting of the Church with Jesus will occur in the air (heaven) not on earth - Jesus returns to the earth to the Jews (not the Church) later in the 2nd coming (Zechariah 12:10, Revelation 14:1)] until the [2nd coming] times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." -- The Spirit baptism of Jesus began on the feast of Firstfruits and continues throughout all of Church history until it concludes at the event of the Rapture of the Church. - "John 1:32 And John [the baptist] bare record, saying, I saw the [Holy] Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him [Jesus]. And I knew Him not: but He [God] that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is **He [Jesus] which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." [article link]
Test Drive Intel® Core™ [i3, i5, i7] processors based on what you want to do with your computer - Welcome to the Intel® Core™ Processor Experience, where you'll discover how Intel [CPU] innovation is creating processors that are not just faster, they're smarter - TURN ON YOUR SPEAKERS (Portable) Music: Listen [on the go] - Rip CDs, download purchased songs or listen to Internet radio [on the go] with the Intel® Core™ i3 processor. Or step up to the Intel® Core™ i5 processor for even better performance. Home Computing: Personal - The Intel® Core™ i5 processor keeps up with email, video chat, Web surfing, online banking, and editing and sharing photos and videos. - Entertainment: Creator - The Intel® Core™ i7 processor handles heavy-duty tasks like filmmaking, editing home movies, high-definition video content and other intensive media creation jobs. [article link]
Christian Movie: Faith Like Potatoes (2006) - BASED ON THE INSPIRING TRUE STORY OF ANGUS BUCHAN {Note: An Excellent movie! Extremely well-acted and produced! - Also Note: The movie (like most Christian message movies) is an emotional rollercoaster, be prepared and have the people watching it with you prepared for an excellent, emotional, true movie that is also very moving, touching and most of all faith promoting.} (DVD) Based on the novel Faith Like Potatoes, this inspiring film tells the story of Angus Buchan, a South African farmer who suffers a series of seemingly insurmountable losses, but through an unlikely friendship with his Zulu farmhand and divine interventions, discovers the key to healing himself and learning to accept others lies in his unwavering belief in the power of faith. This powerful DVD includes a gripping 54 minute documentary on the real life Angus Buchan, the making of Faith Like Potatoes, director and cast commentary, deleted scenes and more. [article link]
The inherited 'born again' Christian gifts given to each Christian from God - Jesus Christ [Prophet, Priest, King] in us (Colossians 1:27) - each Christian [with the born again Spirit] prophecies to others according to our own individual faith - each Christian (as a part of Jesus' priesthood) offers gifts to God according to our own individual faith - each Christian exercises spiritual (Kingdom of Jesus) authority [over the Church realm and over the spiritual realm] according to our own individual Christian faith -- "Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified [made right with God] by [our] faith [in the works of Jesus Christ, His cross and His resurrection], we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access [to God] by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." "Romans 14:17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat [food] and drink [socializing]; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth (serves) [Jesus] Christ is acceptable to God,
and approved of men." -- The individual Christian gift of prophecy (hearing from God): "Romans 12:5-6 So we [Christians], being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members [belongs with] one of another. Having then {inherited} gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;" --- The individual Christian gift of priesthood (offering individually to God): "Romans 12:1 I urge you brethren by the mercies of God to present [as your Christian priesthood] your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual [priestly] service of worship." -- "1st Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." -- "2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth [faith] in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful [faith based] giver." -- "Romans 15:16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost." --- individual Christian gift of Kingdom authority (individual spiritual authority from God): "2 Corinthians 10:8-9 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord [Jesus Christ] hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters." -- "Acts 13:47 For so hath the Lord [Jesus Christ] commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." -- "Acts 16:18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee [evil spirit] in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he [evil spirit] came out [of her] the same hour." -- "Acts 17:30-31 And the times [past] of this [Gentile] ignorance God winked at; but now [God] commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Jesus Christ] whom He hath ordained; whereof He [God] hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised (eternal life) Him [Jesus Christ] from the dead. [article link]
Heart of the Matter - Live One Hour Call-in Show - Shows Aired in 2010 - Grace parts 1 & 2 (Mp3 - Mp4) About Heart of the Matter: Started in early 2006, Heart of the Matter is a TV show produced in the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City. It's where Mormonism meets Biblical Christianity face to face! Shawn McCraney, the host of Heart of the Matter, provides great entertainment value and valuable knowledge of Mormonism and what it means to be a Born-Again Christian. Shawn is the author of "I Was a Born-Again Mormon" and the pastor of Calvary Campus. [article link]
The Old Testament Offices of Prophet, Priest and King combine in Jesus Christ [in Office] and are now not a New Testament [human] Office but are more of an Inheritance for every Christian believer in Jesus Christ {Note: The Higher Offices of the Old Testament (Prophet, Priest and King) are replaced with the even Higher Office of the New Testament - the Office of Servant of Jesus Christ.} "Matthew 12:17-21 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet, saying, *Behold My servant (Jesus Christ), whom I have chosen; My beloved, in whom My soul is well pleased: I [Father God] will put My Spirit upon Him (Matthew 3:16), and He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice [protesting] in the streets. A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto [resurrection] victory. And in His name shall the Gentiles trust." -- "Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them [Disciples] unto Him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief (first - G4413) among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." -- "Romans 1:1-2 Paul, *a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, Which He had promised afore [O.T. times] by His prophets in the [O.T.] Holy scriptures," -- "James 1:1 James, *a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the Twelve [Jewish] Tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting." -- "1 Peter 2:15-17 For so is
the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness [wrong doing], but *as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king." -- "2 Peter 1:1-2 Simon Peter, *a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:" -- "Jude 1:1-2 Jude, the *servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied." -- "Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His *servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His *servant [Disciple] John:" [article link]
The Three Offices of God; Prophet (receives from God on behalf of mankind), Priest (access to God - offers to God on behalf of mankind), and King (God's authority to mankind on earth) -- Prophet (O.T. books of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, etc.) - Priest (O.T. books of Exodus, Leviticus, etc.) -- King (O.T. books of 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, etc.) - Only in the one person of Jesus Christ are the Three Offices of God [deliberately separated among mankind] but combined into the one authority and office only in and for the one person of Jesus Christ Office of Prophet: 1 Samuel 3:20-21 And all Israel from Dan [in the North] even to Beer-sheba [in the South] knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the Word of the LORD." - "1 Samuel 9:9 Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer." -- Office of Priest: "Exodus 27:21 In the Tabernacle of the congregation without (outside) the vail, which is before the [Ark of the] Testimony, Aaron [Levitical High Priest] and his sons [Levitical/Aaronic priests] shall order [officiate] it from evening to morning before the LORD [God]: it shall be a statute [observance] forever unto their generations *on the behalf of the Children of Israel." -- "Exodus 24:4-8 And Moses [an earthly prophet of Isreal (see also: Exodus 7:1-2, Numbers 11:27-29)] wrote all the Words of the LORD [King of Israel], and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he (Moses) sent young men [earthly priests for Israel] of the Children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD [God]. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant [Old Covenant - Old Testament - established via Moses - N.T. established through Jesus Christ], and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant [Old Covenant - Old Testament], which the LORD [King of Israel] hath made with you concerning all these [O.T. Covenant] Words." -- Office of King: "2 Samuel 6:21 And [King] David said unto Michal, It was before [in the presence of] the LORD, which chose me before thy father [King Saul], and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before [in the presence of] the LORD." - "Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He [Christ] is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass [donkey], and upon a colt [baby] the foal of an ass [donkey]." [article link]
Basic Christian: Atonement - renewed [human] access into God's personal presence - The atonement between man and God is complete and completed (Hebrews 1:3); there is no current or future work of atonement - We have received the work that Jesus as our High Priest did for us on the cross - The relationship between man and God is [now] open and available - The atonement is a sacrifice that is offered from a priest [who has access] to God - We do not receive atonement from God [we receive knowledge of the repaired relationship] God is not offering [a sacrifice] to us because He has not offended us (but Jesus did offer His sinless, eternal life for us on the cross because no one human can amend (atone) for the sins of the world) - Now that the relationship between God and man has been atoned (repaired by Jesus Christ) it is now the responsibility of
each individual person to take advantage of the repaired relationship and to have a [personal] relationship with God -- "Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we [humans] have now received the atonement (repair)." Atonement is an offering given by the offending party to the offended party. Offences separate and sever relationships. When the relationship is severed it requires a mending in order to repair and re-establish the broken relationship. The means to mend the broken relationship is called the atonement. Man has offended God. After all, all God did was to create us, give us life, bring us into existence and love us. All man does is to disobey and turn our backs and walk away from God. With this behavior it is necessary that the broken relationship between God and man be mended. In this case man is so separated from the knowledge of who God is that mankind is not even aware that we have so offended God and that the relationship is broken and needs to be repaired. When two parties are no longer communicating there is need for a third party to intercede. This third party is called the "mediator". In this case, it is man that is not talking to or seeking after God, so God sent Jesus as a mediator to get the attention of mankind and to tell mankind that we have broken the relationship with God {it is not uncommon for the offending party to be so clueless that they are completely unaware of their offending behavior}. Jesus has done much of this mediation by speaking to prophets and having the Bible written. The relationship is so broken that many people even deny the existence of God. The most shattered a relationship can become is to deny the existence of the other person. Jesus is mediating/talking to us on behalf of God, because Jesus is God and therefore He is capable of talking for God and representing God. -- When the broken relationship is identified as broken, it is then possible to determine a remedy (atonement). It is up to the offended party to declare what is suitable to repair the relationship and it is up to the offending party to desire to remedy the relationship otherwise the relationship will remain broken. -- God being the offended one has declared that a relationship in the current sinful physical state of man is not acceptable. God has determined that to repair the relationship it will be necessary to have a new birth, a new Spiritual Born Again birth. Now it would normally be up to the offending party to meet the needs of the offended one therefore restoring the relationship. In this case, man is not able to repair the breach, the brokenness is too broken for us to repair. In this case God, has sent Himself to repair (atone) the separation on man's behalf. -- The atonement is what the offending party is offering to the offended party. God has a special category of people that make offerings to Him. This group of people are called priests. A priest offers to God on behalf of man, where a prophet receives from God and offers it to man. Because God is not upset with Himself and God is not in a broken relationship with Himself, God has no need to make atonement with Himself. For this reason God had to become a man. God had to become a man and serve as a priest to offer atonement (repair) for the broken relationship between man and God. ... After the offending party offers the repair (atonement) it is up to the offended party to determine if the offering is acceptable and if acceptable, therefore repairing and restoring the relationship. We know beyond any doubt that Jesus and what Jesus did as a Priest in offering atonement to God is acceptable to God and has repaired the relationship between man and God. The reason that we know this is that God resurrected Jesus from death and gave Him a new Spiritual [resurrection] body. "Romans 1:3 Concerning His (Father's) Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." It is the resurrection of Jesus that shows us that Jesus is the Son of God. "Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (repair)." The atonement between man and God is complete and completed; there is no current or future work of atonement. We have received the work that Jesus as our High Priest did for us on the cross. The relationship between man and God is open and available. The atonement is a sacrifice that is offered from a priest to God. We do not receive atonement from God. God is not offering to us because He has not offended us. Now that the relationship between God and man has been atoned (repaired) it is now the responsibility of each individual person to take advantage of the repaired relationship and to have a relationship with God. - {Note: The Limited Atonement doctrine confuses the Office of Priest (offering on behalf of man to God) with the Office of King (Divine authority and rule of God). Atonement is not just a Divine decree
from God but is primarily a work (of the cross), a sacrifice, an offering to God from man [Jesus Christ].} [article link]
Note: a main reason that modern 'Reformed' (modern Calvinism) doctrine [once saved, always saved] does not resonate with people and is unaccepted by a majority of people today is that it might (as a teaching) just be out of sync with God and His current last Church Era and Dispensation Jesus instructed Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) His last Church [emphasizing His last Church age and dispensation] that it is important for Christians to know and to understand that if people are not living their life for and with God that He will ultimately reject them. The prescribed teaching of Jesus for His Church today is not 'once saved, always saved' but the knowledge and reality that God can and will reject Christians who have found their comfort not in God but in this present world. There are several crucial teachings and corrections given to the Church of Laodicea notably. 1. The earth and the world [cosmos - world system] have both been created by God not evolution. 2. God can and will reject those who do not whole heartedly accept God. 3. The personal experience of trials and difficulties are personally beneficial to the believer who is being conformed into the image of Jesus through them. -- "Revelation 3:14-22 And unto the angel of the Church of the [last Church] Laodiceans write; These things saith [Jesus] the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the beginning (Arche - G746 i.e. highest ruler, Chief Priest, Chief Shepherd 1 Peter 5:4) of the *creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, **I will spue [reject] thee out of My mouth. **Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art [spiritually] wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: *I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. *As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and *repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup [nourish] with him, and he with Me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My [Kingly] Throne [on earth - 8th Kingdom, Millennial Reign], even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne [in Heaven]. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the [Holy] Spirit saith unto the Churches." [article link]
Also Coming Soon: Basic Christian Dispensation Theology - End Time Dispensation Theology without the 'Hyper' Although the Basic Christian Ministry is posting Christian material that is often grouped, categorized and segmented into common themes and occurrences (dispensations) the Basic Christian Ministry is in no way advocating a Hyper-Dispensation Theology. Mankind as individuals we are born into our own unique location and time period [dispensation]. For instance if we wanted to experience with the Children of God their ancient bondage and slavery in Egypt with Moses, the deliverance, wilderness wandering and then with Joshua the conquest of the Promise Land, we would have to have been born about 5,800 years ago in Egypt. Though mankind is bound by dispensations (if we are alive today we cannot then later be born 5,800 years ago in a past dispensation) God is not bound by dispensations. Hyper-Dispensationalism might seek to limit God's abilities to certain timeframes and locations though Biblically God is anything but limited. Regular Dispensation Theology only seeks to group and coordinate events, times, seasons and conditions that are Biblically linked and bound together but does not in any way try to limit God or His actions to certain timeframes, locations or dispensations. Three quick examples of Biblical occurrences outside of man's dispensation but completely within God's limitless Dispensation are 1. The Apostle Paul called by God to be an Apostle after the close of the 40 Day Apostle Dispensation (1 Corinthians 15:8 - "as of one born out of due time" - out of dispensation) 2. The Disciple John being brought into the future and the End Time Tribulation Dispensation (Revelation 4:1) in order to view firsthand the events of Revelation. 3. The crucifixion offering of Jesus Christ outside of human time and existence "Revelation 13:8 And all [End Time humans] that dwell upon the earth shall worship him
[Antichrist], whose names are not written in the Book of Life **of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world [eternity past]. See Also: Matthew 13:35, Matthew 25:34, John 17:24, Ephesians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 4:3, 1 Peter 1:19-20. [article link]
Coming Soon: The Vagabond Priesthood - Sons of Sceva - a Bible Study by David Anson Brown Acts 19:11-20 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of [the Apostle] Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. *Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you [evil spirit] by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the [vagabond] priests {not Levitical priests}, which did so [exorcisms]. And the evil spirit answered and said, *Jesus I know, and Paul [a servant] I know; **but who are ye [vagabond]? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the Name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and [publically] confessed, and shewed their deeds [Christian characteristics]. Many of them also which used curious arts [witchcraft] brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed. -- Wiki.com Vagabond: A vagabond or "drifter" is an itinerant person. Such people may be called drifters, tramps, rogues, or hobos. A vagabond is characterized by almost continuous traveling, lacking a fixed home, temporary abode, or permanent residence. Vagabonds are not bums, as bums are not known for traveling, preferring to stay in one location. Historically, "vagabond" was a British legal term similar to vagrant, deriving from the Latin for 'purposeless wandering'. Following the Peasants' Revolt, British constables were authorized under a 1383 statute to collar vagabonds and force them to show their means of support; if they could not, they were jailed. By the 19th century the vagabond was associated more closely with Bohemianism. The critic Arthur Compton-Rickett compiled a review of the type, in which he defined it as men "with a vagrant strain in the blood, a natural inquisitiveness about the world beyond their doors." Examples included Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Leo Tolstoy, William Hazlitt, and Thomas de Quincey. [article link]
Prophet, Seer, Apostle, 144,000 Witnesses [the coming Dispensation of Revelation Tribulation with the 144,000 Jewish witnesses (i.e. announcers, forerunners - Prophets, Seers, Apostles) for the 1,000 year Kingdom Reign on earth of Jesus Christ] -- 'Matthew 11:13 For all the [O.T.] prophets and the law prophesied [of the coming Messiah - Jesus Christ] until John [the Baptist - the last O.T. prophet]. And if ye [Spiritual Church] will receive it, this [John the Baptist] is [Spiritual] Elias (Elijah) [Elijah - "Elohim is my God"], which was [announcer, forerunner of Christ] for to come. -- '1 Corinthians 15:8 And last of all He [resurrected Jesus Christ] was seen of me [last N.T. Apostle - Apostle Paul] also, as of one born out of due time.' -- 'Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye [Gentiles] are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the [Jewish] Saints, and of the Household of God; And are built upon *the foundation of the [N.T.] Apostles and [O.T.] Prophets, **Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief [foundation] Corner Stone; In [Jesus Christ] whom all the [Temple] building fitly framed together groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation [living place] of God through the [Holy] Spirit.' - {Note: The Prophets prophesied of the coming Messiah (Christ) and wrote the Old Testament of the Bible with the words of their prophecies. Then with the actual arrival of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) the O.T. prophecy was completed (in John the Baptist) and scripture authority was then given to the Apostles who were in the actual presence of Jesus Christ and it was the Apostles [not Prophets] who wrote the Kingdom of God instructions in Righteousness of Jesus Christ - the New Testament. Also Note: This is Not replacement theology - the 'Spiritual Church' (seperate from physical [redeemed] Israel) began at the giving of the Spirit of Jesus after His resurrection on Resurrection Sunday [Easter Sunday] and continues until the 'Rapture' taking of the Spiritual Church into heaven. Then with the Spiritual Church removed from the
earth the events of Revelation revert almost exclusively to physical events and physical [redeemed] Israel -- the only or primarily 'spiritual' events of Revelation Tribulation are the counterfeit spiritual events of the Antichrist. Also Note: We are currently in the 'Church Age' [not the Prophet, Apostle or 144,000 Dispensation or Age] the Church Age started after the Apostles [Disciples of Jesus] with the Church Fathers [disciples of the Apostles] i.e. Polycarp of Smyrna, Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch.} Seer: The Seer was part of a short distinct time period in the history of Israel and came from the office of the Prophets. The office of Seer took place during the unique time period of Israel when God was their King. With God in the midst of Israel He was no longer Prophesied about but was seen by the Seer. This time period began after the Passover and upon leaving Egypt. Exodus 13:17 "God led them" He could be Seen leading the new Nation of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promise Land. In those days everyone in Israel could See God as He appeared in a pillar of Cloud by day and in a pillar of Fire by night. The Seer time period lasted from the Egypt Exodus throughout the wilderness into the Promise Land including the time period of the Judges and until the regretful moment when Israel as a Nation rejected the leadership of God and chose for themselves an earthly king named Saul ('asked for') so they could be like all of the other nations around them and like all of the other nations they could no longer see God in their midst. With the anointing and placing of Saul into the office of King the brief Seer period of Israel reverted back to the prophet period and remains the prophet period for Israel until this day. "1 Samuel 10:17-19 And ye have this day rejected your God." As that day they were anointing Saul King. The Church however has God as King and is at times in a position of a Seer. "Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." As the "Born Again" "Pure in Heart" Church we at times do get to glimpse and to see God at work as He leads and directs our path into His righteousness. There are times that are just too Compassionate, to Divine and to Miraculous to be anything but the occurrence of God. It is only the Christian that is equipped and able to be a Seer into these very special moments in life [with God].... [article link]
A Basic Christian Study: The Christian Apostles {Note: To say that the Christian Church only started at Pentecost [50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ] and not on the Resurrection Sunday of Jesus (Luke 24:45, John 20:22) is to say that the Apostles were not Christians [the entire 40 days that Jesus met with them after His resurrection and before His ascension] it wipes out the [True] Christian Apostolic dispensation [lasting only 40 days] and with it a great part of the foundation that the Christian Church is founded and based upon.} Matthew 10:2-4 Now the names of the Twelve Apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. -- Matthew 28:18-20 And [40 days after the resurrection] Jesus came and spake unto them [Apostles], saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations [the Christian Apostles' doctrine], baptizing them [converts to Christianity] in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them [fellow Christians] to observe all things whatsoever I [Jesus Christ] have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you [Disciples] alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. -- Acts 2:42 And they [Pentecost converts to Christianity] continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. -- 1 Corinthians 15:7-9 After that [first resurrection days of Jesus - being seen by Peter and the {remaining} 12 Apostles {at that time only 11 Apostles} and then over 500 resurrection witnesses at one time], He [resurrected Jesus] was seen of James [Gospel of James - son of Joseph and half-brother of Jesus]; then of all the Apostles [who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ]. **And last of all He [Jesus] was seen of me [Apostle Paul - The 12th Apostle, Judas' replacement - chosen by God (Romans 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:1, etc.) not by the casting of lots (Acts 1:26)] also, *as of one born out of due time [missing the 40 days of the Apostle dispensation]. For I [Apostle Paul/Saul] am the least of the Apostles, that am not meet to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. -Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye [Gentiles] are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the [Jewish] Saints, and of the Household of God; And are built upon *the foundation of the [N.T.] Apostles and
[O.T.] Prophets, **Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief [foundation] Corner Stone; In [Jesus Christ] whom all the [Temple] building fitly framed together groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation [living place] of God through the [Holy] Spirit. [article link]
Verse by Verse with Mike and Chris - Chris and Mike begin a new study in the book of Galatians (Mp3s) Verse by Verse Bible Teaching Podcast and Links. [article link]
***Highly Recommended - Bible versions Controversy EXPLAINED - find out the MAJOR differences (Mp3) Can you trust the new versions? before you say yes, you need to hear this message. learn where they came from, who is behind them, and HEAR ACTUAL AUDIO FROM CHUCK SWENDOL, DR. D.A.WAITE AND OTHERS... Learn what you need to know before you use that new [deceptive] bible version. [article link]
[LDS Founder] Joseph Smith's Death Not Inherently Significant? - As part of a discussion here at Mormon Coffee about Joseph Smith's alleged "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter" comment, one of our [LDS] Mormon commenters wrote, "Joseph Smith never claimed that his blood would atone for sins, and neither have his followers,… Joseph never claimed to be giving his life and blood in a propitiatory way as Christ; rather, he used the scripture to explain that he intended to face his likely and unlawful death in the same innocent, calm terms that Jesus did" - "Again, you're trying to claim that Joseph's death should be understood as inherently significant (like Jesus Christ's) - *This is not, and never has been, a Mormon position - In Mormonism, Joseph Smith is Martyr, not Messiah" - **I respectfully disagree - There is no doubt whatsoever that Mormons, individual and corporate, understand Joseph Smith's death as "inherently significant (like Jesus Christ's)" - This [1994 LDS] article states that Joseph Smith provided for the new covenant to be "in full effect" by the shedding of his blood By Sharon Lindbloom - As part of a discussion here at Mormon Coffee about Joseph Smith's alleged "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter" comment, one of our Mormon commenters wrote, "Joseph Smith never claimed that his blood would atone for sins, and neither have his followers,… Joseph never claimed to be giving his life and blood in a propitiatory way as Christ; rather, he used the scripture to explain that he intended to face his likely and unlawful death in the same innocent, calm terms that Jesus did." (6/26/10) "Again, you're trying to claim that Joseph's death should be understood as inherently significant (like Christ's). This is not, and never has been, a Mormon position. In Mormonism, Joseph Smith is Martyr, not Messiah." (6/27/10) If the author of these statements meant to address the sole idea of propitiation or atonement for sin, I have no basis for disagreement. Mormons do not believe Joseph's shed blood atoned for their sins. However, if the claim is understood in a broader sense, I respectfully disagree. There is no doubt whatsoever that Mormons, individual and corporate, understand Joseph Smith's death as "inherently significant (like Christ's)." Consider the following statement that appeared in the official LDS Ensign magazine in 1994: "As suggested earlier, the life of Joseph Smith was in some degree patterned after that of his Master, Jesus Christ. That pattern holds true even when extended to its tragic conclusion. Like his Master, Joseph Smith also shed his blood in order that the final testament, the reestablishment of the new covenant, might be in full effect (see Heb. 9:16)." (Robert L. Millet, "Joseph Smith among the Prophets," Ensign, June 1994, 19) This article states that Joseph Smith provided for the new covenant to be "in full effect" by the shedding of his blood. To support this claim Dr. Millet referenced Hebrews 9:16 which says, "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator" (KJV). Dr. Millet's article went on to include a quote wherein Joseph Smith, just before his death, reportedly said, "I have to seal my testimony to this generation with my blood. I have to do it, for this work will never progress until I am gone, for the testimony is of no force until the testator is dead." Joseph Smith claimed his death was necessary in order to make his testimony valid. Consider this BYU-Idaho Devotional from 2005: "Jesus was a lamb without spot or blemish. He was the sinless Son of God. And he chose to die at the hands of evil men so that salvation could come to all who believe and obey. "…Joseph submitted to death at the hands
of evil men so that salvation could come to all who believe and obey." (Jack H. Goasling, "Joseph Smith's Christlike Attributes," June 28, 2005) Mr. Goasling, of the First Quorum of the Seventy, said that Joseph Smith, like Jesus, died so that salvation could come. Consider the Weber Stake Ward Teachers' Lesson from June 1922: "Christ sealed his testimony with his blood on Calvary. Joseph Smith sealed his testimony with his blood at Carthage, Ill. Who shall doubt the divine mission of these Saviours of mankind?" This lesson taught that Joseph's death had great significance "(like Christ's)." Consider this newspaper report from 1988: "The Old Carthage Jail, where Mormon founder Joseph Smith was murdered in 1844, holds the same significance to his…followers as Calvary holds for Christians all over the world. That's the comparison made by Ted Cannon, director of the Mormon Visitor Centers at Carthage and Nauvoo." (Journal Star, Peoria, IL, Sunday, June 26, 1988, D3) Mormon Ted Cannon suggested an understanding among Mormons that Calvary and Carthage [jail] have at least equal significance. Consider these words from an LDS hymn: "The Saints, the Saints, his only pride! For them he lived, for them he died… "Unchanged in death with a Saviors love, he pleads their cause in the courts above… "He died, he died, for those he loved. He reigns, he reigns in the realms above…" (The Seer, Joseph, The Seer, Hymns, 1975, #296) This hymn claims that Joseph died for his followers and now intercedes for them before the judgment seat of God. Finally, consider the writings of Rodney Turner, Emeritus Professor of Ancient Scripture (BYU): "Jesus Christ and Joseph the Prophet came to bring life, light, and salvation to mankind. In doing so, they sealed their testimonies with their life's blood. Both died because of who they were and what they proclaimed. For had they not lived the lives they lived and borne the witnesses they bore, they would not have died as they did. So Jesus died on the hill of Calvary; Joseph in the shadows of Carthage. Each triumphed in his own way." (Rodney Turner, Jesus and Joseph: Parallel Lives, 169) These statements all demonstrate that many Mormons do understand an "inherent significance (like Christ's)" in Joseph Smith's death. While they don't believe Joseph died for their sins, his death was nevertheless necessary and efficacious for them in securing the full effect of the [LDS] new covenant [3rd heaven 'exaltation'], the validity of Joseph's testimony, and the coming of salvation. [article link]
No doubt there's rough spiritual sea dead ahead - Circa 1987 Dr. Walter Martin made the following dead on target assessment: Anyone who does not know that today the church visible-world around-is in full-blown apostasy does not know what is going on - And further, I say that anyone who thinks the visible church is in better condition now seriously needs to have their spiritual head examined - Biblical truth is the only framework by which we can evaluate the rightness or wrongness of ministry methods - Any end-justifies-themeans philosophy of ministry inevitably will compromise doctrine, despite any proviso to the contrary - Utterly missing from most of the [modern] church growth literature is any critical analysis of the faulty doctrinal platform on which much contemporary church growth is built No doubt there's rough spiritual sea dead ahead; and while I don't agree with everything he taught, Apprising Ministries has told you before that Dr. Walter Martin (1928-1989), author of the classic textbook The Kingdom of the Cults, was widely recognized as one of the foremost defenders of what he would so often call "the historic orthodox Christian faith." Circa 1987 Dr. Martin made the following dead on target assessment: Anyone who does not know that today the church visible-world around-is in full-blown apostasy does not know what is going on. And further, I say that anyone who thinks the visible church is in better condition now seriously needs to have their spiritual head examined. ... Biblical truth is the only framework by which we can evaluate the rightness or wrongness of ministry methods. Any end-justifies-the-means philosophy of ministry inevitably will compromise doctrine, despite any proviso to the contrary. If we make effectiveness the gauge of right and wrong, how can that fail to color our doctrine? Ultimately the pragmatist's notion of truth is shaped by what seems effective, not by the objective revelation of Scripture. A look at the methodology of the church growth movement shows how this occurs. The movement studies all growing churches-even those with false doctrine at the core of their teaching. Sometimes Mormon assemblies, Roman Catholic churches, even Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Halls are held up to the specialist's scrutiny. The church growth expert looks for characteristics common to all growing churches and advocates whatever methods seem to work. Are we to
believe that growth in non-Christian congregations is proof that God is at work? Why would we want to duplicate the methodology of religious [control - cult] groups that deny the gospel? Isn't it fair to question whether any growth resulting from such methods is illegitimate, engineered by fleshly means? After all, if a method works as well for a cult as it does for the people of God, there's no reason to assume positive results signify God's blessing. Utterly missing from most of the church growth literature is any critical analysis of the faulty doctrinal platform on which much contemporary church growth is built. [article link]
APOLOGETICS CONFERENCE - SATURDAY, JULY 31, 8:00AM - 5:00PM - You won't want to miss this all day conference featuring some of the best Apologists in Christianity [Dr. Norman Geisler, Ergun Caner] who will be responding to some critical issues confronting the church today - See bullentin insert {Note: It will be interesting to see if Calvary Chapel will withdraw Dr. Norman Geisler and Ergun Caner from participation in this Church event and begin to put an end to this obvious charade, hoax and falsehood that is taking place or if Calvary Chapel will continue on in its business as usual manner and continue to be a part of the Caner [Ergun and Emir] cover-up, deceit and lies that are now openly taking place within Christianity.} Apologetics Conference: Calvary Chapel Downey is hosting an Apologetics Conference on Sat., July 31. Come out and glean from some excellent speakers: *Norman Geisler, "Understanding and Answering the Emergent Church"; Paul Copan, "Responding to Relativism with Absolutes"; Ron Rhodes, "The Reliability of the New Testament"; *Ergun Caner, "5 Reasons Why I am not a Muslim"; Doug Geivett, "If God, Why Evil?"; William Dembski, "The Scientific Case for Intelligent Design"; and Patty Tunnicliffe, "Oprah Winfrey". For cost and detailed information, contact CC Downey's Church office [Source: www.cccsdowney.org/high-school/monthlyletter/]. -- Dr. Norman Geisler's Speaking Schedule - July 31, [2010] Calvary Chapel (Downey, CA), Apologetics Conference [Source: www.normangeisler.net/schedule2.html] [article link]
#1 Download (by far) of Summer 2010 - Holiness Mp3 {To Download any of the Mp3s 'Right Click' on the file and select "Save file as …"} (Mp3) A Christian music with message compilation. [article link]
Time and Judgment by Randy Maugans {Time - Eternity: "Romans 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:" -- "Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." -Judgment: "John 3:18 He [person] that believeth on Him [Jesus] is not condemned: but he that believeth not *is condemned (judged) already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God." Note: The Judgment of God is occurring NOW it is not a future event but a future accumulation of our ongoing events (as Randy is pointing out) in our own actions and through our own deeds. Also Note: The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the Judgment of God is not to be feared by the Christian since we have already passed from death to life and from condemnation into Righteousness in Jesus Christ. -- "Philippians 4:3 ... with other my fellowlabourers [in the Gospel], whose names are in the Book of Life (eternal)."} (Mp3) In the words of Solomon we gain some fascinating insights into salvation and the process of judgment, or the rendering of one's existence into the eternal. In breaking off the chains of religion and dogma…moving into the realm of pure spirit we become, in one sense, "law unto ourselves", or more correctly, Creator's law unto ourselves. This is called freedom-the freedom obtained and sealed by Messiah. This leads into huge questions about judgment, law, devotion and an ascendancy into power and dominion in this present life. Our choices in the here and now are the fulcrum into the infinite. Understanding that religion is a closed system, but devotion of Creator is the gateway to true liberty and self-determination. Segment two is a reading from the "Archko Volume," and an historical perspective on religion, worship, and government from a completely God-centric position. From the perspective of Rabbi Hillel III, we view the transitions of devotion toward Creator, and the
ebb and flow of the religious structures through time. [article link]
Excellent!! Commentary by James White - Another Attempt to Make Lemon Juice Out of Lemons.... (Video) Is lying in the pulpit not a "moral" failure? How did we get here in the Evangelical Church? Some thoughts. [article link]
PTC Slams Fox [Network] for Skirting Broadcast Decency Law, Ignoring FCC Authority - The degree of arrogance in Fox's [Rupert Murdoch] behavior is simply astounding - a January 3, 2010 episode of "American Dad" which resulted in over 100,000 indecency complaints - It is preposterous for Fox executives to argue that since they didn't see indecency complaints from specific DMAs, the complaints don't exist - We urge the FCC to get tough with Fox and stand ready to revoke the licenses of any and all broadcasters who refuse to comply with the terms of those licenses LOS ANGELES (July 7, 2010) - The Parents Television Council™ called out Fox for its latest attempt to skirt the broadcast decency law and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority. According to Broadcasting & Cable, Fox is arguing that it should not be forced to pay a $25,000 fine to the FCC after it refused to provide vital information about a January 3, 2010 episode of "American Dad" which resulted in over 100,000 indecency complaints. "The degree of arrogance in Fox's behavior is simply astounding. The network has refused to provide information about an explicit episode of 'American Dad' to the sole government agency responsible for enforcing the broadcast decency law. While that is contemptible enough, now Fox has the audacity to try to skirt a fine that was proposed simply because it didn't provide the information the FCC requested," said PTC President Tim Winter. ... "The indecent 'American Dad' episode at issue generated more than 100,000 FCC complaints from citizens around the United States. It is preposterous for Fox executives to argue that since they didn't see indecency complaints from specific DMAs, the complaints don't exist. The question is about which Fox affiliates aired the show, and the answer is simple and straightforward. ... "We agree with Fox that the FCC must act in a more timely manner to adjudicate indecency complaints. But Fox's decision to dismiss the investigative efforts of the very agency that grants broadcast licenses demonstrates contempt for the law, not to mention parents and families. We urge the FCC to get tough with Fox and stand ready to revoke the licenses of any and all broadcasters who refuse to comply with the terms of those licenses," Winter concluded. [article link]
"Driven By Destiny" [Emergent Church book] is slated for release in October 2010 - The premise of Dr. Adams' book is completely at odds with the biblical teaching on what "rights" we, as Christians, have to our lives - With her new book "Driven by Destiny" Dr. LaVerne Adams reveals 12 secret keys that inspire readers to overcome feelings of confusion and frustration while navigating their own unique destiny roadmap - Rick Warren "America's Pastor" has written the foreword to the new book loaded with theological error and which promises to be heavy on pragmatic, self-focused, "Word Faith-y" narcissism as if American Christians needed any more encouragement for that - this [New Age] teaching has taken on Christian terminology and flooded into today's churches Dr. Adams is passionate about motivating people [to] live the life of their dreams. Sounds terrific….except for that little problem of Christians having no "rights." You see, we are slaves, slaves to Christ (1 Peter 2:16), and slaves do not have rights. Our lives are not our own, we have been bought for a price (1 Corinthians 6:20), and only God can know and direct our destiny. If I plan out my life and God has a destiny in store for me other than the one I have mapped out, I must bend the knee in humble submission before God's greater plan for my life. Just ask Stephen [Acts 6:5-7:60], who was stoned to death after rebuking the Sanhedrin for their sinful rejection of the prophets and Messiah himself. About Stephen [it doesn't get anymore 'outside the box' than what Stephen displayed in completely trusting God with his life!], I wonder: did the "life of (his) dreams" include death by stoning? Probably not, because in our flesh, we are all small, narcissistic, self-protective and vain to the extreme. But when submitted to the Lord, as Stephen was, and as we all must strive to be by God's grace, our lives have deeper meaning and serve eternal purposes that our finite minds cannot grasp. But not
according to Dr. Adams, whose assessment of Stephen would be that he was not successfully navigating his "unique destiny roadmap." Poor Stephen, not to have the "12 Secret Keys" to unlocking his future…..he had only the Lord to entrust his destiny to. In addition to being unbiblical, this kind of positive self-talk in Dr. Adams' book also comes very close to being New Age/Integral Spirituality thought, which is not Christian at all. When I was in the New Age back in the 90s, this thinking was dubbed "New Thought." Its theology? What mind can conceive, man can achieve. This thoroughly New Age thinking really went mainstream and took off in 2007 with the book "The Secret," which "explained" that the secret of success in anyone's life was based on something called the "law of attraction." This "law of attraction" puts forth the concept that thoughts have energy and power, and when you clear yourself of negative blocks, get focused and think your thoughts purposefully, your thoughts will create what you desire by "attraction." The problem? This is not Christian teaching...which teaches a crucified self, a life yielded to its Maker. Nevertheless, this teaching has taken on Christian terminology and flooded into today's churches. [article link]
Next Short Study - Coming Soon - Basic Christian: The Fullness of God! Redemption, first fruits, works, boundaries, self-righteousness, -- what is the fullness of God and how do we experience it now! Hint: we experience God in His fullness in a first fruits (glimpse - foretaste) manner until the fullness of our bodily redemption (Romans 8:23) takes place in heaven. -- "Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which *have the firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit, even we [Christians] ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption [in heaven], to wit, the redemption of our body." {Note: The future "redemption of our body" is when we can enter bodily [body, soul and spirit] into the presence of God thought we are already able to enter Spiritually (*having the firstfruits of the Holy Spirit) into the presence of God but not yet bodily into the presence of God. Also Note: we receive from God the 'firstfruits' or 'born again' portion of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit then produces from within us our 'first fruits' of fellowship with God and our individual service to God that we live out and display in our own lives. What is being displayed in and through the many false prophets of today (Todd Bentley, Bob Jones, C. Peter Wagner, Rick Warren, Greg Laurie 'Lost Boy' [Harvest Crusade], the late William Branham, etc.), is not the existence, working or manifestation of the Holy Spirit but it is instead a counterfeit unholy spirit of deception, manipulation, harm and deceit.} [article link]
Extremely Important Viewing!!! Part 8 - Dialectic Deception - [To Download Click the Share Button] (Online Video) *Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Part 8 - Dialectic Deception - Download option 2 'Right Click' on the this Link and select "Save file as …" (Mp4 Download) *Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Part 7 - Yoga within the Christian Church - Download option 2 'Right Click' on the this Link and select "Save file as …" (Mp4 Download) *Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Part 6 - Brian McLaren - Download option 2 'Right Click' on the this Link and select "Save file as …" (Mp4 Download) *Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Part 5 - Occult infiltration - Download option 2 'Right Click' on the this Link and select "Save file as …" (Mp4 Download) *Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Part 4 - The Church of Oprah Winfrey - Download option 2 'Right Click' on the this Link and select "Save file as …" (Mp4 Download) *Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Part 3 - Contemplative/centering prayer - Download option 2 'Right Click' on the this Link and select "Save file as …" (Mp4 Download) *Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Part 2 - The Emergent Church - Download option 2 'Right Click' on the this Link and select "Save file as …" (Mp4 Download) *Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Part 1 - Introduction - Download option 2 'Right Click' on the this Link and select "Save file as …" (Mp4 Download) *Emerging Church DVD (Online) This two hour and forty-five minute DVD takes a hard look into the beliefs and practices of what has become one of the most dangerous deceptions assaulting God's people today - The Emergent Church. - Part 8: Sandy Simpson speaks on: Methods used by false teachers to deceive God's people. [article link]
Mormon Coffee blog: Researcher Helen Radkey has discovered what she believes to be [LDS] records for proxy temple ordinances performed on behalf of Mary (Jesus' mother), Jesus Christ, and Mary Magdalene - While Ms. Radkey found "Joseph" listed as Mary's spouse, the submission form indicated Mary's "Husband #1" was "God the Father" - Ms. Radkey says her research also turned up recent proxy temple ordinances on behalf of Jesus Christ, though he is identified in the records as "Jesus Christian" and "Jesus Cristian" Ms. Radkey explains the records show that Jesus was [LDS] baptized by proxy on April 8, 2010, and after initiatiory and endowment ordinances, was finally sealed to his "spouse" "Mary Magdelena" on April 9, 2010 - all at the [LDS] Salt Lake City Temple Everyone Needs LDS Temple Ordinances: July 5, 2010 By Sharon Lindbloom - Researcher Helen Radkey has
discovered what she believes to be records for proxy temple ordinances performed on behalf of Mary (Jesus' mother), Jesus Christ, and Mary Magdalene. Ms. Radkey writes, "'Mary Mother of Jesus,' the spouse of 'Joseph' 'of the House of David…' was baptized and confirmed a member of the LDS Church by proxy on December 9, 2009 in the Idaho Falls Idaho (LDS) Temple. She was subjected to initiatory temple ordinances on December 16, 2009; an endowment ceremony on December 26, 2009; and a sealing to parents on January 7, 2010-all rites occurred in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple." While Ms. Radkey found "Joseph" listed as Mary's spouse, the submission form indicated Mary's "Husband #1" was "God the Father." Ms. Radkey says her research also turned up recent proxy temple ordinances on behalf of Jesus Christ, though he is identified in the records as "Jesus Christian" and "Jesus Cristian." Ms. Radkey explains the records show that Jesus was baptized by proxy on April 8, 2010, and after initiatiory and endowment ordinances, was finally sealed to his "spouse" "Mary Magdelena" on April 9, 2010 - all at the Salt Lake City Temple. The same proxy ordinances were performed for "Mary Magdelena" on the same dates in the same LDS temple. Ms. Radkey found a record for "Heavenly Father" as well: ... I would be surprised if the LDS Church approved (or would ever approve) proxy temple ordinances for Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ, so please don't misunderstand me to be suggesting that these records and ordinances had official sanction. However, doesn't this make you wonder? • What led any Mormon to think and act on the notion that Jesus Christ needs proxy temple ordinances like baptism by the "proper authority," endowments, and temple marriage? According to Mormonism, if Jesus is a god he's already obtained those essential requirements for exaltation, hasn't he? • Why would Jesus' mother need proxy ordinances performed on her behalf? If temple ordinances were part of the early Christian church (as the LDS Church claims) wouldn't Mary have participated in her own ordinances while she was living? • What would cause someone to identify Mary's "husband #1" as God the Father? Is this the logical conclusion to which a Mormon has come based on the teachings of Brigham Young and other early LDS leaders? • As Ms. Radkey asks, "Why was 'Heavenly Father' listed in New FamilySearch-not only as the spouse of Mary-but as a living being who could possibly need LDS ordinances? Does LDS doctrine naturally lead to this kind of thinking about God? [article link]
Mormon Coffee blog: In his (YouTube) critique, FlackerMan disputes the frequently asserted LDS claim that [LDS founder] Joseph Smith knew he was going to die at Carthage [jail] - Comments: falcon on June 24th, 2010 - Man, the [LDS] Mormons are writing fast and furious today! Usually it only gets this hot when something about the faux priesthood is posted - Let's not forget, Joseph Smith ended up in jail for ordering the destruction of a printing press - Spin away Mormons but it was this lawless deed that sent him to jail and eventually to his death - Yea, I know and [LDS President] Brigham Young wasn't complicit in the Mountain Meadows Massacre [9-11-1857, in Utah the LDS ambush and murder of 120 American settlers on their way from Missouri to California] either - Smith wasn't interested in buying the farm when he went to jail - He had every reason to want to live - **He [Joseph Smith] had power, money and sex **the three things that corrupt men and he was corrupt - We're not talking about a flawed prophet here - We're talking about [Joseph Smith] a religious charlatan who armed himself [with 1 of 2 pistols smuggled into his jail cell by a fellow Mormon] in order to shoot his way out of jail if necessary - I for one wished the guy had lived - The whole deal would have eventually crumbled around him - He would have been the author of his own destruction which I guess he was any way I have edited and listed many of FlackerMan's questions here for your consideration. Joseph removed his temple garments before going to Carthage and told others to do the same {It's likely that Joseph Smith had everyone removed their LDS 'temple underwear garments' prior to getting to Carthage because once in town and especially once in jail it could easily be discovered that Joseph Smith had stolen the Freemasonry concepts from the Freemasons and was using them in his own LDS rituals [temple rituals] including using the two main Freemason symbols [compass and square] markings on their own LDS underwear and certainly the local Freemasons would not approve of it.} (D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, 146). Why would he do this if he were about to die a martyr's death for his testimony? Joseph, Hyrum and others drank
wine while singing songs in Carthage Jail (History of the Church, 7:101). Why would Joseph disobey the [LDS] Word of Wisdom, a direct [LDS] revelation from God, if he knew he was very soon to stand before that God for judgment and be required to give an account of his behavior? **Joseph sent an order to the [LDS-Mormon] Nauvoo Legion instructing an [LDS] attack on Carthage Jail to free the prisoners. When the mob approached, Joseph mistook them for his [Mormon Legion] liberators and told the frightened jailer, "Don't trouble yourself, they have come to rescue me" (Quinn, 141). Why would Joseph have made plans for, and expected, his escape if he knew he was going to die? Joseph had and used a gun defensively during the attack (History of the Church, 7:101-103). Why would he bother to fend off his attackers if he was going "like a lamb to the slaughter" and knew he was about to die? When Joseph's gun ran out of ammunition {jammed - approximately 3 of six shots were fired by Joseph Smith from one of two smuggled pistols - by most accounts hitting three people from the mob eventually killing two one who died from his wound in the arm and another after being seriously wounded in the face while less seriously wounding a third person in the shoulder - source: www.i4m.com/think/history/carthage-jail-smith.htm} he [Joseph Smith] ran to the [second story] window [in back of the jail] and, using the Masonic distress code ["O Lord My God! Is there no help for the widow's son?"], called for help from fellow Masons who might have been in the mob (see E. Cecil McGavin, Mormonism and Masonry, 16-17). Why would he call for help if he knew his destiny was to die that day? Indeed, if Joseph knew his death was imminent, why did he not just give himself up for the safety of his friends who were with him? After the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum, the LDS Church was in crisis. No clear direction for succession in leadership had been set in place. This lack of direction resulted in many schisms and breakaway Mormon groups all claiming to be God's only true church. If Joseph knew he was never to return from Carthage Jail, why didn't he definitively name a successor before his death? Did Joseph Smith know he was going to Carthage to die? The circumstances and Joseph's behavior surrounding his death make that seem highly unlikely. This is yet another faith-promoting Mormon myth employed to persuade people to pin their eternal hopes to what is ultimately a lie. ... Comments: David on June 24th, 2010 - Sharon, Let me play a little Devil's Advocate. I think it is fairly obvious that Joseph and company had a good idea that they might die if they went to jail. Is anyone disputing this? This was possibly a reason, or even the reason, why they were about to flee into the rocky mountains. Even if Joseph was interested in clearing his name at trial, he was not obliged to turn himself in as his safety was far from guaranteed as the historical record demonstrates. Granted, I think Joseph was engaged in at least one, and possibly multiple illegal activities (the destruction of the printing press {extensive bankmoney fraud (Joseph Smith's Kirtland Bank Failure - "An illegal bank created by Joseph Smith")} being the foremost), but the state is supposed to better than mere criminals and on that day it was not. ... Sharon on June 24th, 2010 - David, I'm on the road so this will be quick, but I'm gonna push back a little on this. I do not believe Joseph and Hyrum thought they were going to die at Carthage. I think there is plenty of evidence that suggests they thought they would either be liberated by the Nauvoo Legion, or, by Habeas Corpus which had worked so well for Joseph many times before. As for the WoW, true it was not yet a commandment, yet God did allegedly give specific directions regarding alcohol which Joseph disregarded in that situation. And last quick point, I think the context of the frontier is important to keep in mind, yet we need to be careful to not go too far. Yes, there was mob justice, but even so, history shows that the people *generally* wanted to solve things within the law (demonstrated, perhaps, by your surprise that the violence was not worse than it was). [article link]
***Highly Recommended - #5 AN INSIDER'S WARNING - BOB JONES (no relation to Bob Jones of Bob Jones University) - LAKELAND OUTPOURING - TODD BENTLEY - True or False? (YouTube) Andrew Strom is author of the first book on the Lakeland outpouring. He spent 11 years in the same Prophetic movement as Todd Bentley. Here he tells us why he questions the Lakeland outpouring, the teachings, drunk behavior, strange signs and wonders, etc. What will it take to see real Revival? [article link]
Hilarious!! False Prophet Post of the Day! - Todd Bentley - Is Emma the Angel Branham's "Jesus" [what about Maroni, does Emma know Maroni?] (YouTube) "they took a picture of it in the science world..." ROFLMAO! [article link]
The False Prophet - William Marion Branham (1909-1965) - One thing which characterized his meetings was his total dependence upon an angel - When his angel would show up then supernatural events and manifestations would begin to occur - Once he was asked if it was the Holy Spirit that did these things in his meetings - What was Branham's response? No, my angel does these things! - Branham died in 1965 after his car was struck by a drunk driver - For many days after his death several well known Latter Rain ministers prayed over his body in an attempt to raise Branham from the dead. . .obviously they failed The False Prophet - William Marion Branham: William Branham was a minister I once greatly admired. I have several of his books, many teaching tapes, and a video of his ministry in action. I would actually weep when hearing him minister supernaturally and wonder why the Lord is not manifesting Himself in this way today. Like most of the "giants" of Pentecostalism, if one can get past the hype and the emotion and do some solid logical research one will discover the adage is true that states: "The best of men are men at best." I do not doubt Branham's sincerity, nor His love for Jesus but it is indisputable that his teachings were heretical and many of his prophecies failed to come to pass. Due to teaching false doctrine and giving out false prophecies, William Branham must be labeled a false prophet. Some may ask "why Branham on the Rogue of the month, he has been dead for over 20 years."? The answer is simple - many 1,000's of people, and almost all the leaders of Pentecostalism and Charismania still revere this man as a true prophet. The web is filled with sites dedicated to Branham in English, French, and Spanish. All of his sermons are still sent out world-wide, all of his teachings now on cassette and video tape are being sold to yet another generation of "sign-seekers." So, though he himself is dead, the poison of his false teachings are still affecting multitudes of people. For this reason William Branham rightly deserves a place in the Rogues Gallery. ... My Critique of William Branham: The above are just a couple of excerpts from some of Branham's meetings. One thing which characterized his meetings was his total dependence upon an angel. When his angel would show up then supernatural events and manifestations would begin to occur. Once he was asked if it was the Holy Spirit that did these things in his meetings. What was Branham's response? No, my angel does these things! When ministering to people William Branham would always ask them if they believed he was God's prophet. When they answered yes then he would begin to tell them what was wrong with them and lay hands on them and send them on their way. It seemed as if the people had to buy into his claim to be a prophet before the angel (spirit) would reveal to Branham what was wrong with them. Now, unlike many outright frauds, like Peter Popoff, Branham did reveal things to people and about them that he got supernaturally. He was not faking these things. What happened in his meetings were without a doubt supernatural in nature. The issue is this - there are only 2 possibilities then, they were from God or they were from the devil. We have no Biblical record of Jesus doing His mighty works by the assistance of any angel(s). He did them by virtue [ability] of being God the Son and by the power of the Holy Spirit. The apostles in the book of Acts did what they did by the power of the Holy Spirit, again no angel is mentioned. With this Biblical record, why then did Branham need an angel when no other Biblical prophet or apostle needed one? At best his experience with this angel is extra-Biblical and thus very suspect. It is now my opinion that this angel was an angel of light. "2 Cor. 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds." Because of the signs and wonders in his meetings Branham demanded that the people accept his teaching. The "Word" he delivered was "confirmed" by signs following (or preceding at times). What does the Scripture say regarding this? "Deut. 13:1-3 If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find
out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." This text has always proven troublesome to those in the prophetic movement. They attempt to point out the signs and wonders proving what they are doing and teaching is approved of God. The problem is what they are teaching is usually either diametrically opposed to orthodox Christian doctrine or extra-Biblical in content. Branham arose, he did signs and wonders, much of what he revealed about people was true . . .(but we cannot discount the reality of familiar spirits who also can reveal exactly the things Branham did with the help of his angel). What of his doctrine? Did it lead God's people way from the true knowledge of God? YES! William Branham's Beliefs: Branham started off as a Baptist and then changed over to a Oneness Pentecostal. *He [Branham] vehemently denied the Trinity of God and took a strong "Jesus Only" stance in regards to the godhead [probably following the LDS-Mormon heresy that we can become like Jesus]. This alone places him in the ranks of earlier heretics. The early church fathers fought long and hard battles against those who denied the reality of One God in three distinct persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Thus, his Jesus was not the true Jesus of the Bible. *Branham also believed he was Elijah the prophet, see the picture above. This picture is available on the William Branham Homepage and many many other sites on the web. What was more, other people believed him to be the prophet Elijah who was to come before the return of Christ Jesus. Branham was not Elijah, thus we can easily see the depth of the deception working in him and his followers. *Branham taught a works salvation, not uncommon for most Pentecostals, although his form was rather extreme in regards to dress, make-up, etc. Thus, his doctrine of salvation was not sola gratia (grace), sola fide (faith), sola scriptura (scripture) as the reformers correctly taught. *Branham held to the belief in UFO's and somehow they figure into the end times (which is interesting when one considered the X-Files and Heavens' Gate). *He also taught about the great pyramid and its Biblical meaning and significance to his ministry. Branham died in 1965 after his car was struck by a drunk driver. For many days after his death several well known Latter Rain ministers prayed over his body in an attempt to raise Branham from the dead. . .obviously they failed. William Branham's Legacy: Apart from the fact that almost everything he said or taught publicly is available in one form of another there is a more lasting and damaging legacy left behind. Branham was responsible in a great part for the formation of what came to be known as the New Order of the Latter Rain. Branham believed in the distributing of spiritual gifts by the laying on of hands, he believed in restored prophets and apostles. He was the vanguard of many more to come who will operate in this end-time glory and power. Branham had a great influence over Hawtin & Hunt who would formalize his concepts into more of a doctrinal base at the Sharon compound in North Battleford. These errors, many propagated by Branham are still infecting millions today. This is unfortunately his legacy, and that being one or heresy, aberrant teachings, and deceiving signs. [article link]
Branham Vs Todd Bentley (YouTube) Hear William Branham share his thoughts on the Trinity. {Hint! [Branham] thinks it's from the Devil so then he thinks it is the Devil that is proclaiming Jesus to be God (Trinity view) while Branham then thinks the Holy Spirit is busy demoting Jesus and then exalting man to equality with Jesus -- or is it that Satan the Devil is busy exalting man while it is the Holy Spirit who is exalting the (Trinity) Truth of Jesus. I'm going to go with the Holy Spirit (Trinity) view that Jesus is God along with the Father and the Holy Spirit and that man is a sinner along with Satan and the other fallen angels.} [article link]
Kansas City Prophets (KCP) The Roots of the Revival - these will outline the history and sequence of events and even more importantly the entire 233-page report by Ernie Gruen that circulated to thousands of pastors in an attempt to show them what was really going on at Grace ministries with the KCP - The above testimony and open letter to the current eldership will bring us up to date with the situation and show how the errors were never dealt with but only denied and swept under the carpet, while the doctrines and practises of the KCP got out into the wild and infected the Church as a whole - 1983 Bob Jones arrives at KCP - 1991 (November) Bob Jones {after issuing many false, ridiculous and unBiblical prophecies is} exposed in a sexual scandal and
removed from public ministry by Vineyard/KCF Some of us who dealt with the Kansas City Prophets (hereafter knows as KCP in this report) in the 80's and 90's might think this report and the others associated with it are very much out of date and unnecessary now that the "prophets" have moved on and the church where they began their work has changed into Metro Christian Fellowship (formerly Grace Fellowship). Quite the contrary! While the KCP episode may be long gone in itself, it's now necessary to bring their doctrines to light once more, because the doctrines that are so very widespread and popular within the revival churches - indeed, central to the whole apostasy - were brought into prominence at that time. They have since grown to massive proportions and account for many seemingly inexplicable practises like impartation, the glory cloud, birthing, the inner room experience, spiritual levels, the overcomers, Joshua generation, Joel's Army, Saul and David, Ishmael and Isaac, the Jezebel spirit, school of the prophets, tabernacle of David, city church and much more. Prophets who were hosted by Mike Bickle such as Paul Cain, Bob Jones, Rick Joyner, and John Paul Jackson have gone on to take a leading role in the formation of the New Apostolic Church. I had already given a short summary of events in my separate article on IHOP International Houses of Prayer, or the Harp and Bowl prayer initiative, which started out with Metro Fellowship. To that I have added several reports written at the time by such ministries as CRI and PFO - these will outline the history and sequence of events - and even more importantly the entire 233-page report by Ernie Gruen that circulated to thousands of pastors in an attempt to show them what was really going on at Grace ministries with the KCP. More importantly, I have added an eye-witness testimony of events from a former member of Grace Fellowship/Metro City Fellowship who spent eight years there during the era of the KCP. Begin reading this testimony HERE; and follow the links within each article for the subsequent parts. The above testimony and open letter to the current eldership will bring us up to date with the situation and show how the errors were never dealt with but only denied and swept under the carpet, while the doctrines and practises of the KCP got out into the wild and infected the Church as a whole. [article link]
Bob Jones Talks About "Fire" in Longview, WA - "Christians are going to get themselves clean (false works gospel) so they can come before the Father" - Oh, his 'preaching' was so hot that fire trucks showed up to put out the fire - Yeah, he's a credible one - NOT! {Note: This Bob Jones heretic [Kansas City false prophets] is no relationship to any of the Bob Jones heretics of [BJU]. They are each their own heretical false teaching self, espousing to the public their own personal flavor of false doctrine and false teachings and are not to be confused with each other as I have just done even though I knew they were not the same person [KC Bob Jones and BJU Bob Jones II], but they seem to have been under the same false spirit and I do issue my apology for confusing the two people.} (YouTube) Comment: bob seems very satisfied with himself. ... Worship God in the Spirit according to the Holy Spirit inspired [in us - through the Bible], not the proven false prophet Bob Jones. ... He needs to repent of his false prophesies and come clean. [article link]
Bob Jones (fake Kansas City prophet - no relation to Bob Jones of Bob Jones University): 3 ft angel [demonic Erma - Emma-O] encounter - [while in his own living room during a (self-induced?) New Age-NWO trance] Erma feeding her leavened bread to women of the Church - {Note: Bob Jones might have viewed women as three feet tall figures but Jesus Christ and true Judeo-Christianity esteems, exalts and honors women and motherhood far beyond any religion, institution or culture of the world.} (YouTube) EMMA-O, The [Buddhist] god of the underworld. He lives in the Yellow Springs under the earth in a huge castle all covered in silver and gold, rosy pearls and other jewels. Thus, he, (she) appears in these Charismatic meetings, he brings gold dust, silver, rosy pearls and other jewels to steal the souls of the deluded Christians. [article link]
WARNING! Monica Dennington [started her ministry while in Kansas City] of "Tic Toc Ministries" - She is a false teacher who says the Holy Spirit is a woman! {Note: both Beth Moore and Nancy Leigh DeMoss (sister of Mark DeMoss) have also gone down this same path where they started out apparently teaching sound doctrine but are now also teaching more of a New Age Contemplative and cult (LDS) friendly message. Also Note: in 2007 the Nancy Leigh DeMoss Ministry (Revive Our Hearts - Women's Ministry) suddenly received a "matchable donation" (of between $10,000-$25,000) from an "unnamable" [LDS?] source while at the same time her brother Mark DeMoss was employed by the Mitt Romney campaign. Presumably the donation was payment to Nancy so she would not speak out about or against the LDS cult - something that since 2007 Nancy has rarely if ever done.} (YouTube Video) I'm shocked also. Jesus always was. He was not created [by sex between Father God and a female Holy Spirit]. A body of flesh was created for him through God and Mary but Jesus always was. This is so basic. I'm really surprized at Monica's twist on such a simple concept. This is bad news. Her previous teachings that I have heard seemed to be spot on. [article link]
Why We Say Beth Moore is a Contemplative Advocate - In our recent article "Rick Warren Points Network Followers to the Contemplative 'Sabbath'" we state that Beth Moore is a "contemplative advocate" - Some people have a hard time with this statement - Why do we say she is advocating contemplative spirituality? Below is our explanation The Be Still DVD by Fox Home Entertainment was released in April 2007. Featured speakers included Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Max Lucado, Beth Moore and many others. There is no indication on the DVD that Beth Moore is against contemplative prayer (the subject of the DVD), and in fact when we spoke with her assistant shortly after the release of the DVD, she told us that Beth Moore did not have a problem with Richard Foster or Dallas Willard's teachings. Furthermore, a statement was issued by Living Proof Ministries (see statement) that clarified: "We believe that once you view the Be Still video you will agree that there is no problem with its expression of Truth." Living Proof is offering to send a free copy of the DVD to anyone who receives their email statement and wishes to view the DVD, saying that, "It would be our privilege to do this for you to assure you that there is no problem with Beth's participation in the Be Still video." ... Moore builds her case for contemplative in her frequent references to Brennan Manning in her book, suggesting that his contribution to "our generation of believers may be a gift without parallel" (p. 72). This is indeed a troubling statement made by a Christian leader who so many women look to for direction and instruction in their spiritual lives. Many of those women, in reading Moore's comments about Manning and her quoting of him in the book may turn to the writings of Manning for further insights. When they do, they will find that Manning is a devout admirer of Beatrice Bruteau of The School for Contemplation. ... Lighthouse Trails has received a number of angry emails and calls from women who want Lighthouse Trails to stop saying this about Beth Moore, but we are presenting solid facts in a non-vitriolic, straight-forward manner, and we believe we are compelled by the Lord to do so, as are all believers required to defend the faith. Postscript: The Be Still DVD is being widely promoted and can be found even in your local video rental stores. Couple this DVD with the fast growing CCN (Church Communication Network - hosts of the marriage seminar with Moore and Thomas) and we can safely say that contemplative prayer is quickly becoming "normal" in Christianity. But before we are too swift to think "oh well, maybe it isn't that bad," listen to these words by mystic Richard Kirby: "The meditation of advanced occultists is identical with the prayer of advanced mystics." That statement is taken from Ray Yungen's book, A Time of Departing. Ray saw this coming back in 1994 when he sat and listened to Richard Foster and soon realized Foster was promoting the teachings of mystic Thomas Merton. [article link]
Todd Bently, Deceiving angel began his [revival] ministry [in Florida] (YouTube) Comments: Does this man know how to read?? Is he capable of reading the Bible? I never see him read or quote the Bible. Strange, really strange. He is great at kicking, punching, closelining, and well assaulting people.
No wonder our planet is doomed! ... WOW. LOL This is a joke right? This guy is just another dood who decided to become a false preacher cuz you can make a lot of money quick. Read the Bible people, dont listen to idiots like Todd, he just wants your money. [article link]
Todd Bentley - Emma The Angel - [Todd Bentley is] "Lyin' to My Face" (YouTube) Comments: I am so tired of all of the false prophets and garbage being preached to so many gullable people. It is sickening. My own family has been affected by many of these false teachers and they call themselves christians. Where is their discernment??? I do not understand WHY sooo many people fall for this stuff??? Incredible!! [article link]
Who is Emma-O? - as followed by Bob Jones and Todd Bentley (YouTube) Comments: God Bless You for exposing the truth... we must all worship Jesus Christ... not some "angel" a false prophet reveals to people... pray for the people who follow Todd Bently and Emma-O... [article link]
Wikipedia.org: Bob Jones Jr. (II) - Robert Reynolds Jones, Jr. (1911-1997), best-known as Bob Jones, Jr., was the second president and chancellor of Bob Jones University - Jones was the son of Bob Jones, Sr., the university's founder - He served as president from 1947 to 1971 and then as chancellor until his death - Jones enjoyed playing villains in Shakespeare plays and religious films-he founded the BJU cinema department in 1950 - he genuinely enjoyed a life of ideas and the fine arts Education: ... Jones was often called "Dr. Bob, Jr." during his lifetime-he disliked the "Jr."-but his doctorates were honorary, even though the first was conferred by Asbury College in 1934, when he was only twenty-three. Early career: As a young man Jones became an accomplished Shakespearean actor and studied at Stratfordupon-Avon. He considered turning professional and even received an offer from Hollywood-thereby causing some anxious moments for his evangelist father. Jones, Jr. did create a one-man show he called "Curtain Calls", in which he portrayed seven or eight Shakespearean characters accompanied by classical music, scheduling performances four weeks a year from 1933 to 1945. Jones believed that his primary calling was helping his father administer Bob Jones College. Administration per se seems to have held little interest for him; at least his autobiography contains virtually no mention of his college presidency. Nevertheless, Jones seems to have directed the school more autocratically after 1953, when the assistant of Bob Jones, Sr., Theodore Mercer, was fired, apparently for trying to lead a faculty rebellion against the Joneses. Fundamentalist Leader: Both Jones's position and his intellectual gifts made him a natural leader of separatist fundamentalism. Although he participated in the founding of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) in 1942 and was elected vice president in 1950, Jones left the organization in the following year because of its interest in cultivating a more moderate-to Jones, "compromising"-stance with those who denied biblical orthodoxy. By 1959, Jones had formally broken with Billy Graham, who had accepted the sponsorship of liberal Protestants and Roman Catholics for his 1957 New York City crusade. Later Jones criticized other fundamentalists who were insufficiently separatistic, such as evangelist John R. Rice and Jerry Falwell [Sr.], whose Moral Majority had embraced Catholics and Mormons. ... Personal life: Jones could be a demanding superior with strong, hyperbolically expressed, views about matters political and religious. But he also could display a childlike humility, especially on his many visits to foreign missionaries. Intimates found him witty and even impish. Although Jones enjoyed playing villains in Shakespeare plays and religious films-he founded the BJU cinema department in 1950-he genuinely enjoyed a life of ideas and the fine arts. A curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art was genuinely surprised when Jones failed to reflect his preconception as "a kind of backwoods evangelical" who would "thump the Bible" at him. "There was a gentleness and a kinship there," he recalled. "And even if he knew you thought differently than he did, that was OK; you could still be his friend." In 1938, he married Fannie May Holmes. They had three children, including Bob Jones III, who succeeded him as president of BJU. Bob Jones, Jr. published two religious novels, several books of sermons, and an autobiography. Jones
died of cancer in 1997 at the age of 86; he is buried near his parents on the campus of Bob Jones University. [article link]
{Flashback 2007} Bob Jones (III) Dances With The Devil - Bob Jones III, chancellor of the Christian fundamentalist school [Bob Jones University] named for his family, is endorsing Republican [LDS Mormon] Mitt Romney for president In his endorsement of Mitt Romney, Dr. Bob Jones III also said, "This all about beating Hillary." Oh, really? Since when does a preacher of the Gospel and Christian educator put electing charlatans (of any political party) ahead of standing for truth and doing right? And this leads to another problem. Our Christian "leaders" have forgotten what it means to stand on principle. They have gotten so bogged down in politics that they have forsaken the divine call to be watchmen on the wall. If Bob Jones III would be as concerned about standing for truth and principle as he is about "beating Hillary," many others might be encouraged to do the same--and we preachers might actually be able to have a positive impact upon the direction of our country. As it is, our Christian "leaders" are not only not helping to lead our nation out of its current mess, they are actually contributing to the problem, as Dr. Jones' endorsement of Mitt Romney illustrates. Furthermore, what is Dr. Bob going to say to the students and graduates of Bob Jones University? How can he justify all the years of "separation" preaching that BJU is known for? Where is his consistency? How can he now turn around and convince his students that all those Christian "standards" regarding the fellowship of light with darkness, reproving evil, contending for the faith, etc., apply only to areas outside politics? Obviously, BJU students now know that when it comes to politics, we can cast all those principles aside. It makes one wonder what other areas of the Christian life are exempt from Biblical principles. Maybe our business life? But that's a subject for another day. [article link]
Basic Christian: On break until after the 4th - Have a Blessed 4th of July 2010 God bless everyone in Jesus Christ as we continue in our Bible devotions, study, prayer, fellowship and obedience to God in Jesus Christ. ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
~ ~ ~ Updated - Basic Christian: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (PDF) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome - NWO] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ. [article link]
~ ~ ~ Updated - Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (PDF) The complete Basic Christian blog Bible Study covering Genesis to Revelation in PDF format. [article link]
Church Discipline: The Guest Teachers Series - DOES THE TRUTH MATTER ANYMORE? by John MacArthur $64.95 (5 Parts DVD) - entire series $203.72 (CrossTv.com) {Note: Christianity involves two parts, the death of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus. We follow Jesus in our own death (dying - self discipline) to self, sin and this world and in our own personal resurrection in living to God and His Holy Spiritual realm. Much of what the Emergent (New Age) Church is trying to do is to live the spiritual resurrection (grace, peace, holiness, wellbeing, sharing, joy) without first experiencing the death to self, sin and this world. Christianity is grounded and based in both parts, both dying to self (discipline) and resurrection (joy) living to God - these videos are more about the dying to self (self discipline) part but don't forget to also live the holy spiritual (grace, peace, holiness, wellbeing, sharing, joy) resurrection part. (Philippians 1:20-21, 1 Corinthians 10:31)} (DVDs) Everywhere is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better." Those words were written by Charles Spurgeon MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO! Yet, he might have just as easily been describing the state of the church at
the beginning of the 21st Century. Well, in this "tell-it-like-it-is" indictment of the attitudes, methods and approaches of much of the modern church, Pastor John MacArthur picks up where Charles Spurgeon left off. This is 'MUST VIEWING" for the modern Christian. Presented by: John MacArthur [article link]
Vacation For The Frank and Chris Show - {Just listened to what is normally the Frank and Chris Show podcast (one of my favorite podcast programs) but today it is an announcement that the podcast is on a (well deserved) break - Myself (and many others) will be looking forward to the return of the podcast in whatever form it takes and there are still plenty of excellent podcasts and projects going on over at the RRN website.} (Mp3s) We're taking a break. -All Frank's Fault- Download for a quick update and stay tuned. [article link]
Windows Phone 7 in trouble? MeeGo DOA? Not good signs: Microsoft backtracks on its clean break from Windows Mobile, while Intel invests in [Google] Android OS - By Galen Gruman | InfoWorld {MeeGo won't fail because the bar for handheld devices is extremely low especially when compared to other devices like a desktop pc that has to do everything locally [games, research, render video, run spreadsheets] for everyone at any one time but a handheld device only has a few tasks [widgets] to preform and most of the tasks are rendered on remote cloud computing - it goes online - it checks email - it checks Facebook - it checks the weather - then going really out on a limb it displays an eBook or plays an Mp3 or a Video - and these small, repetitive, quickly enabled tasks are what the Linux operating system [like MeeGo] and handheld devices [like Intel Moorestown] specialize in - end of story!} If I believed in conspiracy theories, I'd say that Windows Phone 7 is a failure six months before its expected availability. And the Nokia-Intel MeeGo operating system will be dead on arrival, if it's ever released. Windows Phone 7: Microsoft seems to be investing in alternatives Let's start with Windows Phone 7. Touted earlier this year as the successor to the much unloved Windows Mobile platform, Microsoft has gone largely silent on Windows Phone 7 since then, all but ignoring its great hope to stave off the iPhone at its recent TechEd conference. (And according to a recent Cnet report, Microsoft is sticking with its earlier decision not to include copy and paste -- sheesh! [probaly can't copy and paste with an ARM based CPU]) In the meantime, Microsoft has announced three other mobile operating systems. If Windows Phone 7 is meant to be the break-from-thepast successor to Windows Mobile, as Microsoft has said, the all-new mobile OS that brings Microsoft into the 21st century, why has Microsoft released Windows Phone (the poorly received Kin phones) and now the Windows Embedded Handheld OS? A Microsoft spokesman told me that Windows Embedded Handheld OS was meant to provide continuity for enterprises using specialized Windows Mobile 6.5 devices. Windows Phone 7 won't run Windows Mobile applications, so developers had two choices: Switch to Windows Phone 7 and rework the apps to the modern operating system, or keep using their specialty legacy devices. ... Intel invests in Android, while MeeGo limps along: Intel is another company that seems to be hedging its bets -- or is quietly backing a new horse -- on the mobile operating system front. This winter, it dropped its Moblin mobile Linux effort and joined with Nokia to develop a new mobile OS (MeeGo) that merged Moblin with Nokia's indevelopment Maemo, the intended successor to Nokia's lackluster Symbian operating system. You can tell from that description that neither the Moblin nor Maemo efforts were moving with any urgency. There've been plenty of conferences but little tangible result. And now word is out that Intel is porting Google's new Android OS 2.2 (Froyo) to the x86 chip architecture this summer. That can only mean Intel sees Android mattering greatly in the tablet and perhaps netbook markets, so Intel wants to make sure its Atom chips can power those devices. (Android was developed for the competing ARM-architecture chips, such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon in the HTC Droid Incredible and the Texas Instruments OMAP3630 in the forthcoming Motorola Droid X.) The speed at which Intel is moving on Android, compared to the snail's pace development of MeeGo, is telling. If Intel thought MeeGo were a significant OS, it would be pushing that effort along. ... Developing MeeGo in incremental stages over several years also seems a sure way to lose, and Intel's speedy action in
porting Android to x86 tells me that Intel already knows the MeeGo bet will fail. [article link]
[MS] Windows Phone 7 (yet to be released to consumers) "an ad-serving machine" - "For marketers this is actually turning out to be an ad-serving machine" - Microsoft says consumers can opt out of the services if they feel overwhelmed by the bombardment {Windows Phone 7 [a completely different form factor than the already exisitng MS Windows 7 for desktop computers] is now the odd operating system out. Phone 7 is designed not to run on an Intel CPU but on an ARM [phone] CPU -- but Apple iPhone and Google Android operating systems already run on an ARM [phone] CPU so MS Phone 7 is already left out. Intel and Nokia are developing MeeGo [Linux] and derivatives of MeeGo [Tablet] to be used on Intel CPUs and also a version of Android will run on an Intel CPU later this summer. It's important because with the already existing ARM [phone] CPU a phone is still basically a phone although ever increasingly more powerful but with an Intel CPU in a new phone the new Intel phone now becomes an Intel computer phone.} By Stewart Mitchell Posted on 28 Jun 2010 - Microsoft has branded its Windows Phone 7 smartphone platform [unrelated to MS windows 7 desktop version] an "ad-serving machine" during a briefing to show off new features. "For marketers this is actually turning out to be an ad-serving machine," said Kostas Mallios, general manager at Microsoft's Live Labs, at an advertising industry conference. "It lets advertisers connect with consumers over time." Microsoft showed off three tools in the sales-blitz portfolio - Apps, Tiles and Toast which give brand owners access to the front pages of handsets if consumers download apps from third parties. With the Tiles and Apps feature, Mallios said, icons on the homepage would be dynamic so a brand could send out information about offers or new releases. Should the message fail to get through - perhaps because the consumer has turned the application off - then a third tool, dubbed Toast, could be used to crank up the volume. "If the app isn't running then Toast is a dynamic way of reaching people," said Mallios. "Toast can enable an advertiser to push content out to the device." Microsoft says consumers can opt out of the services if they feel overwhelmed by the bombardment. Windows Phone 7 is expected to be released in October [2010]. [article link]
{Flashback} Intel/Nokia MeeGo 1.0 on Many Devices and Screen Sizes (Beijing, April 2010) - Netbook, TV, Mall Restaurant Menu, Coupon and Smart Sign Demonstration (YouTube) **A very important video to watch it shows the coming Smart Phone, Smart Device and accompanying (World Wide - Global) Cloud Computing concept for consumers. [article link]
{Flashback} More info on Windows Phone 7: Windows Live ID (i.e. Hotmail account) will be required {There is a ton of new (and transitional) always on internet phone [Intel Moorestown] - type of technology and gadgets coming out this fall and into 2011 finally providing for stable and highly useable mobile internet devices. Intel and Nokia have the MeeGo operating system, Google has their Android system, Apple has their iPhone system and Microsoft will have their own system in Phone 7 but so far Microsoft seems to be the one to avoid.} Microsoft still has a lot of work to do until the first Windows Phone 7 devices are launched (sometime in the fourth quarter of the year), and that's why we don't know all we'd want to know about the upcoming OS. However, new details have been uncovered by Tweakers.net, **including the fact that, to use a Windows Phone 7 handset [phone], you will need a Windows Live ID account (you automatically have one if you use Hotmail or MSN Messenger). Apparently, Windows Live ID will also provide access to Windows Marketplace. Furthermore, it looks like Windows Phone 7 will only support ARM7 processors (like the Qualcomm Snapdragon). This leaves out Intel's Moorestown processors - but it's not like Intel cares too much, since it has MeeGo and we'll soon see Moorestown-based MeeGo devices on the market. As previously mentioned, all Windows Phone 7 devices will require capacitive touchscreen displays (apparently, non-touch devices won't be able to run WP7), three buttons on the front (Back, Start and Search), a power button, a camera button, and two volume buttons. Weird enough, it looks like Windows Phone 7 will support Bluetooth 2.1, but not Bluetooth 3.0. Well, maybe support
for the newer version of Bluetooth will be added after launch. [article link]
Washington Post: Obama names Cook religious freedom ambassador - The White House just announced that they're filling the long awaited position of ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom - The appointee is Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook, whose experience includes pastoring a New York City church and founding a group called Wisdom Worldwide Center She has also been a chaplain for NYPD UPDATE: Cook's name had been out there for months (as we reported in January), so there has been plenty of time for the self-described international religious freedom community to react. Reaction has been pretty uniform -- respect for Cook's work in building a New York City-based mega-ministry and in her interest in public service, but concern for the lack of any expertise in international religious freedom and human rights work, or foreign policy work in general. And this at a time when President Obama has beefed up the staffing and role of religion in embassies worldwide. International religious freedom advocates have also been upset that the position remained empty for so long and that Cook -- unlike other ambassadors-at-large within the State Department -- and her staff will have less access to the Secretary of State than they believe the law creating her position envisioned. [article link]
LighthouseTrailsResearch.com: Obama Names Suzan Johnson Cook Ambassador For International Religious Freedom - According to a Washington DC press release in 2009, Johnson Cook is "dubbed Billy Graham and Oprah rolled into one" i.e., a new spirituality "Christian" - According to Johnson Cook's website, she is also a member of Renaissance Weekend, an interfaith **think tank [NWO 'think tank' religion i.e. Rick Warren] that "seeks to build bridges across traditional divides of professions and politics, geography and generations, religions and philosophies" According to a Washington DC press release in 2009, Johnson Cook is "dubbed Billy Graham and Oprah rolled into one" (i.e., a new spirituality "Christian). Since aggressively stepping up to the "spiritual" plate during the 911 attacks in 2001 [Ergun and Emir Caner also arose out of the ashes of 9-11-2001], serving as the only NYPD Chaplain's until now, Dr. Sujay has been called, "America's Chaplain". She firmly believes that, "We are mind, body and spirit which means it's time to put the stress of the current economic decline aside and get back to the basics of life - which is simply getting back in touch with your God, His wonderful promises and purpose for our lives." According to Johnson Cook's website, she is also a member of Renaissance Weekend, an interfaith think tank that "seeks to build bridges across traditional divides of professions and politics, geography and generations, religions and philosophies." [article link]
Wikipedia.org: Mike MacIntosh "a Ground Zero Chaplain" - the senior pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, California a Calvary Chapel affiliate - [Book] (2002) When Your World Falls Apart: Life Lessons from a Ground Zero Chaplain by Mike MacIntosh, Foreward by Anne Graham Lotz {Wow! 9-11 books and bracelets some Calvary Chapel pastors seemed to see 9-11 as an opportunity to make some quick money. No wonder Calvary Chapel Pastors don't investigate [or even publically talk about] the possible NYC 9-11-2001 events because it seems in their best interest (best income opportunities) to go along with the official 9-11 version of events.} Mike MacIntosh (born 1944) is the senior pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, California, and is a Christian leader in the United States. MacIntosh left the hippie scene of the 1960s and got involved with Calvary Chapel. He then went on to pastor Horizon Christian Fellowship, a Calvary Chapel affiliate, beginning in 1974. He is also the organizer of Festival of Life, an international evangelical outreach program. MacIntosh has also served as a chaplain for the San Diego Police Department, and has been involved in post-9/11 rescue efforts in New York City, as documented in his book When Your World Falls Apart. [When Your World Falls Apart (2002): Life Lessons from a Ground Zero Chaplain by Mike MacIntosh, Foreward by Anne Graham Lotz Amazon.com] -- An Unofficial Associate Pastor: An example of this is Calvary of Albuquerque [pastor Skip
Hietzig] where Skip's wife, Lenya, functioned almost as a pastor for women. Her "9-11 bracelet" idea [was it her idea alone or was it a 'think tank' religion idea being passed along through Lenya Hietzig?] ended up costing the church hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory write-offs. - Source: calvarychapel.pbworks.com/pastors-wife [article link]
{Flashback} Calvary Chapel (Skip Heitzig) Albuquerque States: Leonard Sweet Will Not Be Speaking at Conference - Lighthouse Trails Calls For Answers - Questions Arise: Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not? - the National Worship Leader Conference website still maintains that Leonard Sweet will indeed be speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque {Note: Because of deceptive and non-Christian practices emanating from various Calvary Chapel pastors the website links from Basic Christan to Skip Heitzig and several other Calvary Chapel (Costa Mesa) resources, Churches and pastors have recently been removed by the Basic Christian Ministry.} This is an update regarding the Lighthouse Trails report that New Age sympathizer Leonard Sweet is scheduled to speak at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque for the National Worship Leader Conference this June. Conflicting reports are occurring as to whether Sweet's speaking engagement has been cancelled. Please refer to our recent posting, Questions Arise: Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not? where we write on some of these conflicting reports. A number of Lighthouse Trails' readers contacted us over the last couple days sending us copies of an email they each received from an undisclosed personnel at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque. **The form letter states: Thank you for contacting us here at The Connection and thanks for writing to Pastor Skip. We always love to hear from you. The conference is not a Calvary conference. The conference is being put on by Worship Leader Magazine using our facility just like CAPE, Home school graduation, funerals, etc. Therefore, Leonard Sweet is not speaking at "Skip's Church". [LT: Heitzig is one of the speakers at this event.] He is part of a conference using Calvary's facilities. Leonard Sweet will attend the conference but WILL NOT BE SPEAKING. It is our prayer that God will continue to reveal Himself to you through His Word as you seek to know Him. Love in Christ, Connection Communications -- Because the National Worship Leader Conference website still maintains that Leonard Sweet will indeed be speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque, an official public notice from CCA stating that Leonard Sweet will not be speaking there could help clear up the present confusion. Just as important, a statement explaining to the body of Christ why they have decided to remove him from the platform would be important. In a day and age when so many Christian leaders are sending out mixed messages to the Church regarding spiritual deception, those wanting to maintain biblical integrity need to be forthright and clear in what they believe and stand for. And regardless of what denomination or movement this confusion is occurring in, those particular leaders do have a biblical obligation to the entire body of Jesus Christ. This is not Lighthouse Trails saying this - this is what the Bible requests of leaders and pastors. [article link]
{Flashback} Note: There has been a change to the referencing for each of the Basic Christian blog Bible Study postings - Each posting will now contain the Bible's book and chapter and will no longer provide a reference to an alternate past study by Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa - The change is being made out of necessity in that the teachings of the Basic Christian blog Bible Study are too divergent from the alternate material of Calvary Chapel and therefore providing Chuck Smith or Calvary Chapel as an alternate reference in the blog Bible Study has been causing too much confusion within the current blog Bible Study - The rereferencing of each post will be completed as soon as possible - My sincere apologies for any inconvenience that this has caused or might cause for anyone studying the Bible - God bless you, David Anson Brown Originally the postings to the Basic Christian blog Bible Study were listed with an alternate past study of the Calvary Chapel C3000 series by Chuck Smith however the teachings and material of Chuck Smith have become to inconsistent and run to counter to the current [in progress] teachings given in the Basic Christian blog Bible Study and therefore there is no reason to [continue to] provide a listing to an alternate Chuck Smith resource.
Sadly, it has also recently [in part through the faithful and diligent ministry of Randy Maugans at The Threshing Floor] come to the attention of the Basic Christian ministry that there are now several serious allegations that Chuck Smith does not have his own material but often plagiarizes much of his material from other sources [including now New Age material i.e. his 2006 book "When Storms Come" by Chuck Smith with (later removed) portions plagiarized from two New Age authors] and that Chuck Smith had then put his name on the material of others as though it was his own material. In Short there was an attempt to provide a reference to some past material as an alternate counterbalance to the Basic Christian material however it quickly became evident that the material of the alternate teaching of Chuck Smith is filled with too many personal antecedents has too many inconsistencies [biblical names, dates and locations] (probably from his use of too many external sources i.e. other commentaries) and even outright biblical misrepresentations [i.e. Kingdom - eternal rewards] to the point that the past study of Chuck Smith is incompatible with the current Basic Christian blog Bible Study and therefore for clarity all references to any Calvary Chapel or Chuck Smith material will be removed from all of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
{Flashback} Dr. Norman Geisler On Ergun Caner by Peter Lumpkins [Apparently it's not a hoax and Dr. Norman Geisler did author that incoherent rant.] {Note: We live in crucial times and as such it is now time that we REJECT the current Christian pastors, teachers and leaders that are unable or unwilling to accurately evaluate and assess the post 9-11-2001 era of danger, beguile and betrayal that we now exist in. Too many Pastors are still more interested in their own personal agendas, comfort and finances than in spreading the gospel message of Jesus Christ. -- Past pastors, teachers and leaders like Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel, Rick Warren, John Hagee, Greg Laurie, Skip Heitzig, James Dobson, Norman Geisler, Jerry Falwell Jr., John MacArthur, Rick Joyner, Mark Demoss, Tony Perkins, David Brody, Lee Strobel, R.C. Sproul, Max Lucado and a host of others who consider themselves to be apostles, prophets, teachers and leaders need no longer be taken seriously or even be considered to be viable as a Christian Church authority by those within or without the true Christian Church. It is time to call into question their motives, abilities, agendas and desires that make them unwilling to accurately or faithfully proclaim the trusted Gospel of Jesus Christ!} COMMENTS: Peter, With all due respect to Dr. Geisler's acomplishments of years past, I fear this is another of a group of recent statements showing how out of touch he is with present [since 9-11-2001] reality. What have we come to in the evangelical community when fabrications, exaggerations and lies are dismissed and those who expose such things are called "libelous"? I'm sorry, but relying solely on the assessments of men like Elmer Towns and Norm Geisler in a postmodern, digital age is not altogether sound. It would be safe to say that these men spend little or no time on the internet, much less reading blogs, web sites, twitter feeds, etc. The abundance of information today can be overwhelming for those of previous generations. This is not to say that the present environment is better, just VERY different. Moreover, Dr. Geisler is not a completely unbiased source in this matter. Caner is a regular speaker at apologetics conferences held at Southern Evangelical Seminary, founded by Geisler. Futhermore, how is it possible that he able to render summary judgement on this matter by only talking to "Dr. Caner and other principal parties at Liberty"? How can one make a final judgement on a matter by only talking to one side of the matter? What if we applied this same standard in our legal system? What if judges rendered judgement on a case after only speaking with the defendent? This seems grossly biased to me. Lastly, I agree we all should "pray for and encourage our brother". We should PRAY that DR. Caner will repent of his fabrications and falsehoods. We should ENCOURAGE Dr. Caner to start telling his TRUE testimony: that of a child from a broken him divided between Islamic and secularistic values whom God miraculously and graciously brought to salvation. {Amen!} [article link]
The Threshing Floor Radio Show-June 27, 2010-Randy Maugans - The End of Religion (Mp3) "The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world." Georgia Harkness -- We have got to deal with this: Many religious doctrines are of men,
not God. Religion is a tool of control that drives blind allegiances to falsehoods, stifles growth, and limits our capacity to be both critical and embracing of new information. Religion substitutes rigid rules and narrow interpretation for genuine seeking of TRUTH. Even worse, religion is conformity to a world-view that streams into the goals of the elites…easily aroused to passions of fervor, the religious become unwitting pawns in a game of social control, genocide, and war. This is about you…your quest…your battle for truth regardless of cost…heedless of risk. Faith begins at the point of not knowing, it ends at the moment you think you "know." [article link]
The Zeph Report - "Z Live" on WWCR - June 26, 2010 - Guest Randy Maugans - An extended transmission of the live shortwave feed (Mp3) "And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Isaiah 40:5" - A word is spoken in the show: REJECT FEAR! Additionally, I would say embrace loveAGAPE. The gulf oil spill is a shadow of the wounds that are in each of us…places that bleed, are broken, and need healing. Empty out yourself from yourself and get real before the Lord. The off-air segment finds us discussing music, along with summarizing the themes brought out in the broadcast. Nothing planned…no agendas…the Spirit heals in the places of our wounds. [article link]
LHTR Discussion Topic: The Shack Author Says "The God of Evangelical Christianity is a Monster" - Comments: Young's Jesus cannot save - Young is leading his readers straight to the Lake of Fire - He doesn't understand God's love [or God's Holiness, His righteousness and His justice] -- Incredibly, this novel continues to cut a swath through the Body of Christ - Will it make a difference when--and if--Christians learn the truth about the author's rejection of the Biblical Christ? -- I am very distressed as my denomination [unknown] greatly pushes this book as wonderful - has had lots of discussion groups, promotes its reading - When I said it was wrong, I got into all kinds of trouble - It saddens me greatly that the Christian community now puts "modern novels and wrong doctrine" above the Bible - Guess they only want to read things that "tickle the ears" On Friday night, author and researcher Ray Yungen attended a lecture at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon to hear The Shack author William Paul Young. The name of Young's talk was "Can God Really Be That Good?" During the talk, Young told the audience that "the God of evangelical Christianity is a monster." He was referring to the belief that God is a God of judgment and will judge the unbelieving. Young also rejects the biblical view of atonement (wherein Jesus died as a substitute for us to pay the price of our sins). This view by Young is evident in a radio interview he had one year ago where he rejected the biblical view of the atonement. He echoes the sentiments of William Shannon and Brennan Manning, who both say that the God who punishes His own son to pay for the sins of others does not exist: He is the God who exacts the last drop of blood from His Son, so that His just anger, evoked by sin, may be appeased. This God whose moods alternate between graciousness and fierce anger - a God who is still all too familiar to many Christians - is a caricature of the true God. This God does not exist. (Shannon, Silence on Fire, p. 110, also see Manning who stated the very same thing in Above All, pp. 58-59). Young told the audience that his book has now sold 14 million copies. He says that he believes his book has been a "god thing" to heal people's souls because so many people have been tainted by this evangelical God. Young said his book is so effective because when you put something in a story form it gets past mental defenses. Young's obvious distain for evangelical Christianity (in a derogatory manner, he said there are "1.4 million" rules in the evangelical church) is shown in his book as well when The Shack's "Jesus" states: "I have no desire to make them [people from all religious and political backgrounds] Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa" (p. 184). Young asked "evangelicals," "Do you want to hold onto your darkness?" and answered for them, "No, you want to get rid of it." [article link]
Bible verse: 1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we [Christians] have received, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit which is of God; that we might know *the things that are freely given to us of God. {Note: As Christians if
we were to try to go the 'works' route in attempting to facilitate a relationship with God our own works would continually keep us from experiencing the fullness of God, all that God has for us at any one moment. Works imply receiving something later, a later payment that is missing but a personal relationship facilitates fullness in God and with God at all times regardless of our own works or of our own abilities.} '1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we [Christians] have received, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.' -- 'Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.' -- 'Romans 5:17 For if by one man's [Adam's] offence death reigned by one; much more they [Saints - Christians] which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.' -- 'Romans 8:15-17 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the [born again] Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, *that we are the Children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.' -- 'Philippians 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.' [article link]
Josh McDowell: Can I Trust the Bible? - Parts 1-4 Video (wmv) "The Bible stands alone among all other books. It is unique, 'different from all others,' in the following ways plus a multitude more: *Continuity, *Circulation, *Translation, *Survival, *Teachings, *Influence on Literature, and *Influence on Civilization." Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Pg. 4, 4-16. [article link]
Hooray! This marks the official release of "The Bible vs Joseph Smith!" In a conversation between a Christian and a Mormon, the prophets of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon are put head to head in a test to see which prophets are truly speaking for God - If even one prophecy fails to come true, that prophet is a false prophet, and must be put to death -- See Also: The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon - DVD Trailers (Online Videos) Hooray! This marks the official release of "The Bible vs Joseph Smith!" We have worked very hard on this fulllength documentary since the beginning of august last year, and it's now finally available. And now is when we need your help more then ever! Here are some things you can do: 1. Order multiple copies to use in your witness to Mormons, and to promote the film in your community. 2. Host a local showing of the documentary (not restricted to pastors). 3. Forward our release email to 10 or more of your friends (for those on our mailing list). 4. Share this post on your facebook, twitter, myspace, etc., with the "share" icon at the bottom of this post! 5. Embed the trailer on your own website or blog with the code below: You have blessed us so much! Thank you for all your support, now lets spread this tool as far and wide as possible to uncover the falacy of Mormonism, and reveal the glory of God in Jesus Christ! *If you are a Mormon, email us and we'll set you up to watch The Bible vs Joseph Smith for free. [article link]
PREEMPTION BROADCAST with Russ Dizdar - Prophecy Prayer, the Past Present and Future (Mp3s) Prophecy Prayer, the Past Present and Future the Book of Daniel chapter 9. [article link]
The Amber May [Radio] Show is Coming To An End - Amber May's time on 1010 AM is coming to an end - She is so sadden by the ending - *She will continue to do podcasts - Please continue to visit her website www.ambermayshow.com - She just opened an online store on the website please check it out - She needs funds to pay off the radio bill - Amber May also has several discount offers on her website as well - Please check out the blog while you are there as well (Mp3s) Welcome to The Amber May Show. The aim of the program is to give hope to hurting hearts. The show also tries encouraging the believers of Christ, in their daily walk with him. Amber May deals with life issues from a
biblical perspective. Amber May would also like to introduce the character of God to those who may not know him. She hopes that people will have a better understanding of God after they listen to the program. Please check out the podcast. There might be a show that she had done, that may help you with a life struggle that you are currently dealing with. Amber May would love to hear from you. Please visit her contact page or, follow her on the social medias below. Make sure you check out the discounts page for some money saving codes for your next purchase. Please consider making a donation, radio air time is expensive. [article link]
Navigators.org: The Evolution of the Wheel Illustration - Throughout his ministry, Dawson Trotman, founder and first president of The Navigators, liked to use illustrations or diagrams like this to help others remember basic principles of the Christian life - So in the 1930s, when he was working with Sunday School classes and boys' clubs, he used the best illustration he had heard describing the balanced Christian life--the three-legged stool - But Trotman became dissatisfied with the [stool] illustration ... So in 1968 "Obedience" was moved to the rim of the Wheel and "Fellowship" replaced it as a spoke - That leaves us with the Wheel as it is today - And whether it remains in this form, or is eventually changed again, it is a useful way of understanding and remembering the essentials for living the Christian life The Wheel® - History: The Evolution of the Wheel Illustration by Ray King - "They say the Christian life is like a three-legged stool," the young Sunday School teacher told his class. "You must be supported by three things-the Word, prayer and witnessing--to be effective in your Christian lives." Throughout his ministry, Dawson Trotman, founder and first president of The Navigators, liked to use illustrations or diagrams like this to help others remember basic principles of the Christian life. So in the 1930s, when he was working with Sunday School classes and boys' clubs, he used the best illustration he had heard describing the balanced Christian life--the three-legged stool (illustration 1). But Trotman became dissatisfied with the illustration. It left the Christian sitting down--certainly not a practical way to approach the dynamic Christian life he saw taught in the Bible. After much thought and prayer, he designed what he called "The Wheel" illustration to solve this problem. This wasn't the Wheel many of us know today, but a forerunner to it. The hub was Christ, the center of the Christian's life; but there were only three spokes on this wheel, corresponding to the three legs of the stool (illustration 2). Now he had the Christian moving, but he began to see another weakness in the illustration. It showed that Christians should witness, know the Word and pray, but it left out the application of the Bible to all areas of one's life demonstrating the power of Christian living. So Trotman added a fourth spoke--"Living the Life" --to the Wheel (illustration 3). The rim was called "The Christian Life" or "The Christian in Action." This emphasis on living every area of life with and for the Lord came at an important time. Dr. Arthur Glasser, dean of the School of Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary, says, "Dawson was one of the pioneers in reacting against easy believism. Daws said 'You can't treat a command in the Bible as advice. A command is a command!' He was a living protest against a form of Christianity that sought to understand the Bible, but which wasn't serious about obeying it." Later the new fourth spoke, "Living the Life," was shortened to "Obedience" and the rim was renamed "The Christian Living the Life" (illustration 4). Some people asked, "Where is the Holy Spirit in the Wheel?" Trotman answered that the Holy Spirit was intrinsic throughout, being necessary to the fulfillment of each component of the Wheel. After Trotman's death, in 1956, the Wheel continued to change. Some thought "Obedience" shouldn't be a spoke, since it wasn't in the same category as the other spokes. Rather, it was the theme of the entire Wheel. At the same time others realized that another basic element of the Christian life was not included in the Wheel, even though it was being practiced throughout the body of Christ and was found throughout the New Testament--fellowship. So in 1968 "Obedience" was moved to the rim of the Wheel and "Fellowship" replaced it as a spoke. That leaves us with the Wheel as it is today (illustration 5). And whether it remains in this form, or is eventually changed again, it is a useful way of understanding and remembering the essentials for living the Christian life, just as its forerunners were. Original title: "The Wheel Was Once a Three-Legged Stool," by Ray King from the January 1975 issue of NavLog. [article link]
Navigators: The Wheel - Illustration with Bible Verses (PDF) Just as any wheel in balance must have the *hub directly in the *center (established), any life in balance must be centered [established] on Christ. He is the power source for a dynamic Chrisian life just as the wheel is driven forward by the power of the hub. The direction of any wheel also comes from the hub and so every mature believer follows the Lordship of Christ. He sets the direction for their lives. ... • The *rim [surrounding outer area - that holds everything together] on a wheel is where the rubber meets the road. This is living the daily life of following Christ by being *obedient to His commands. • The *spokes represent the basics of walking with Christ. Every believer must have these elements in their life in order to grow consistently and fruitfully. The **vertical spokes depict our relationship with God. The foundational spoke is the *Word (Holy Bible). In His Word God speaks to us and we get direction from Him. Through *Prayer we speak to God sharing with Him our needs, we praise His greatness and confess our sins. • The **horizontal spokes depict our relationships with people - *Fellowship (being served) is our relationship with believers [and also with non-believers]. We share the love of Christ with one another. *Witnessing (Serving) is our relationship with those who don't know Christ [and also with those who do know Jesus]. We share the reality of Christ and His gospel by our words and our lifestyle. [article link]
Warning: Amazon.com Recommends Henri Nouwen to Lighthouse Trails Readers - A Lighthouse Trails reader who had purchased a copy of Castles in the Sand from Amazon - The customer received the notice below from Amazon telling them that since they liked Castles in the Sand, they might also like Henri Nouwen's book, Spiritual formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit - We want to issue this warning that Henri Nouwen was a proponent of contemplative mysticism, the kind that Castles in the Sand so clearly warns against {**Note: I would at the least flip 2 and 3 of 'The five classical stages' - the illumination (light) of God (John 1:45) first causes within us the desires and ability to purge our sinful behavior from our own lives. It's backward for us to attempt to purge [work out of ourselves] the darkness in the often vain and false (Matthew 12:43-45) hope that God's light will then suddenly enter into us having used our own works [methods] that are actually counter to the Biblical principles of a personal, trusting, meaningful and intimate relationship with God in Jesus Christ. Biblically we are to have God's light (Bible, Prayer, Fellowship, Service all surrounded (encompassed) by obedience to God - i.e. the Navigators.org 'wheel' illustration) enter into us first and then with the light of God in Jesus Christ in us, His life in us automatically removes the darkness from us and with it our doubts and the fears of this world.} Today, we received an email from a Lighthouse Trails reader who had purchased a copy of Castles in the Sand from Amazon. The customer received the notice below from Amazon telling them that since they liked Castles in the Sand, they might also like Henri Nouwen's book, Spiritual formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit. We want to issue this warning that Henri Nouwen was a proponent of contemplative mysticism, the kind that Castles in the Sand so clearly warns against. At the end of Nouwen's life, after years of following the mystical path, in the last book he wrote, he said these words: "Today I personally believe that while Jesus came to open the door to God's house, all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her own way to God." -From Sabbatical Journey, page 51, 1998 Hardcover Edition. To understand Nouwen's Buddhist/Eastern spiritual outlook, read Ray Yungen's article, "Henri Nouwen and Buddhism." You will then understand why we feel compelled to post this warning regarding Amazon's recommendation to Lighthouse Trails readers. -- Dear Amazon.com Customer, As someone who has purchased or rated Castles in the Sand by Carolyn A. Greene, you might like to know that Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit will be released on June 29, 2010. From Back Cover: Henri Nouwen, the world-renowned spiritual guide and counselor, understood the spiritual life as a journey of faith and transformation that is deepened by accountability, community, and relationships. Though he counseled many people during his lifetime, his principles of spiritual direction and formation were never written down. Two of Nouwen's longtime students, Michael Christensen and Rebecca Laird, have taken his famous course in spiritual direction and supplemented it with his unpublished writings to create the definitive
series on Nouwen's thoughts on the Christian life. The first book in the series, Spiritual Direction, introduced readers to the core concepts of Nouwen's approach to the spiritual life. Book two, Spiritual Formation, showcases Nouwen's life-long effort to re-construct the five classical stages of spiritual development as movements in the journey of faith. The five classical stages are these: 1. Awakening (our desire) 2. Purgation (purifying our passions) 3. Illumination (of God) 4. Dark Night (of the Soul) 5. Unification (with God) Readings, stories, questions for personal reflection, and guided journal inquiry as articulated by Nouwen will provide readers with an experience in spiritual formation with the well-known author, priest, and guide. The third and final book in the series, Spiritual Discernment, is planned to release in 2012. - {**Note: I would at the least flip 2 and 3 of 'The five classical stages' - the illumination (light) of God (John 1:4-5) first causes within us the desires and ability to purge our sinful behavior from our own lives. It's backward for us to attempt to purge [work out of ourselves] the darkness in the often vain and false (Matthew 12:43-45) hope that God's light will then suddenly enter into us having used our own works [methods] that are actually counter to the Biblical principles of a personal, trusting, meaningful and intimate relationship with God in Jesus Christ. Biblically we are to have God's light (Bible, Prayer, Fellowship, Service all surrounded (encompassed) by obedience to God - i.e. the Navigators.org 'wheel' illustration) enter into us first and then with the light of God in Jesus Christ in us, His life in us automatically removes the darkness from us and with it our doubts and the fears of this world.} [article link]
Mormon Coffee blog: In his (YouTube) critique, FlackerMan disputes the frequently asserted LDS claim that [LDS founder] Joseph Smith knew he was going to die at Carthage [jail] - Comments: falcon on June 24th, 2010 - Man, the [LDS] Mormons are writing fast and furious today! Usually it only gets this hot when something about the faux priesthood is posted - Let's not forget, Joseph Smith ended up in jail for ordering the destruction of a printing press - Spin away Mormons but it was this lawless deed that sent him to jail and eventually to his death - Yea, I know and [LDS President] Brigham Young wasn't complicit in the Mountain Meadows Massacre [9-11-1857, in Utah the LDS ambush and murder of 120 American settlers on their way from Missouri to California] either - Smith wasn't interested in buying the farm when he went to jail - He had every reason to want to live - **He [Joseph Smith] had power, money and sex **the three things that corrupt men and he was corrupt - We're not talking about a flawed prophet here - We're talking about [Joseph Smith] a religious charlatan who armed himself [with 1 of 2 pistols smuggled into his jail cell by a fellow Mormon] in order to shoot his way out of jail if necessary - I for one wished the guy had lived - The whole deal would have eventually crumbled around him - He would have been the author of his own destruction which I guess he was any way I have edited and listed many of FlackerMan's questions here for your consideration. Joseph removed his temple garments before going to Carthage and told others to do the same {It's likely that Joseph Smith had everyone removed their LDS 'temple underwear garments' prior to getting to Carthage because once in town and especially once in jail it could easily be discovered that Joseph Smith had stolen the Freemasonry concepts from the Freemasons and was using them in his own LDS rituals [temple rituals] including using the two main Freemason symbols [compass and square] markings on their own LDS underwear and certainly the local Freemasons would not approve of it.} (D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, 146). Why would he do this if he were about to die a martyr's death for his testimony? Joseph, Hyrum and others drank wine while singing songs in Carthage Jail (History of the Church, 7:101). Why would Joseph disobey the [LDS] Word of Wisdom, a direct [LDS] revelation from God, if he knew he was very soon to stand before that God for judgment and be required to give an account of his behavior? **Joseph sent an order to the [LDS-Mormon] Nauvoo Legion instructing an [LDS] attack on Carthage Jail to free the prisoners. When the mob approached, Joseph mistook them for his [Mormon Legion] liberators and told the frightened jailer, "Don't trouble yourself, they have come to rescue me" (Quinn, 141). Why would Joseph have made plans for, and expected, his escape if he knew he was going to die? Joseph had and used a gun defensively during the attack (History of the Church, 7:101-103). Why would he bother to fend off his attackers if he was going "like a lamb to the slaughter" and knew he was about to die? When Joseph's gun ran out of ammunition {jammed - approximately
3 of six shots were fired by Joseph Smith from one of two smuggled pistols - by most accounts hitting three people from the mob eventually killing two one who died from his wound in the arm and another after being seriously wounded in the face while less seriously wounding a third person in the shoulder - source: www.i4m.com/think/history/carthage-jail-smith.htm} he [Joseph Smith] ran to the [second story] window [in back of the jail] and, using the Masonic distress code ["O Lord My God! Is there no help for the widow's son?"], called for help from fellow Masons who might have been in the mob (see E. Cecil McGavin, Mormonism and Masonry, 16-17). Why would he call for help if he knew his destiny was to die that day? Indeed, if Joseph knew his death was imminent, why did he not just give himself up for the safety of his friends who were with him? After the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum, the LDS Church was in crisis. No clear direction for succession in leadership had been set in place. This lack of direction resulted in many schisms and breakaway Mormon groups all claiming to be God's only true church. If Joseph knew he was never to return from Carthage Jail, why didn't he definitively name a successor before his death? Did Joseph Smith know he was going to Carthage to die? The circumstances and Joseph's behavior surrounding his death make that seem highly unlikely. This is yet another faith-promoting Mormon myth employed to persuade people to pin their eternal hopes to what is ultimately a lie. ... Comments: David on June 24th, 2010 - Sharon, Let me play a little Devil's Advocate. I think it is fairly obvious that Joseph and company had a good idea that they might die if they went to jail. Is anyone disputing this? This was possibly a reason, or even the reason, why they were about to flee into the rocky mountains. Even if Joseph was interested in clearing his name at trial, he was not obliged to turn himself in as his safety was far from guaranteed as the historical record demonstrates. Granted, I think Joseph was engaged in at least one, and possibly multiple illegal activities (the destruction of the printing press {extensive bankmoney fraud (Joseph Smith's Kirtland Bank Failure - "An illegal bank created by Joseph Smith")} being the foremost), but the state is supposed to better than mere criminals and on that day it was not. ... Sharon on June 24th, 2010 - David, I'm on the road so this will be quick, but I'm gonna push back a little on this. I do not believe Joseph and Hyrum thought they were going to die at Carthage. I think there is plenty of evidence that suggests they thought they would either be liberated by the Nauvoo Legion, or, by Habeas Corpus which had worked so well for Joseph many times before. As for the WoW, true it was not yet a commandment, yet God did allegedly give specific directions regarding alcohol which Joseph disregarded in that situation. And last quick point, I think the context of the frontier is important to keep in mind, yet we need to be careful to not go too far. Yes, there was mob justice, but even so, history shows that the people *generally* wanted to solve things within the law (demonstrated, perhaps, by your surprise that the violence was not worse than it was). [article link]
{Flashback} HOTM: Heart of the Matter a Live One Hour Call-in Show - 06/23/2009 Episode 171 Mountain Meadows Pt VII - at about 27 minutes into the show during the call-in portion Danny from Georgia calls in and among other things comments that "he is believing for the Lord to change millions of lives" [Danny is in a sense prophesying that millions of people are about to come out of the LDS organization and into true Christianity. Is the LDS about to come crashing down as a failed, bankrupt organization? I hope so and I certainly agree with Danny and Heart of the Matter on this one!] {Though the Basic Christian ministry is not a part of the ministry to the LDS movement it does join in prayer and in the hope that millions of people will be delivered from the LDS and into the glorious light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Note: Basic Christian is a Theology, Bible Study and Current Events ministry and sometimes the current events involve LDS issues. Above all the Basic Christian ministry is a Servant Ministry serving people by providing Links, Information and Resources to Christian material. - The Basic Christian ministry is not a Leadership ministry, not a Teaching ministry and not a Counseling ministry. The Basic Christian ministry does seek to use the Spiritual gifts of Discernment, Word of Knowledge and Word of Wisdom in its ministry capacity.} (Online Video - Mp4 and Mp3 Downloads) About Heart of the Matter: Started in early 2006, Heart of the Matter is a TV show produced in the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City. It's where Mormonism meets Biblical Christianity face to face! Shawn McCraney, the host of Heart of the Matter, provides great entertainment value and valuable knowledge of Mormonism and
what it means to be a Born-Again Christian. Shawn is the author of "I Was a Born-Again Mormon" and the pastor of Calvary Campus. -- Live One Hour Call-in Show - Airs Tuesdays 8pm MST - Rebroadcasts Tuesdays 11am MST -Salt Lake City Channel 20 KTMW - Boise, Idaho Channel 18 KCLP. [article link]
{Flashback} Basic Christian: Christianity and the Mormon (LDS) Cult are Very Different Mormonism (LDS) practices and engages in the longtime deceitful and illegal marketing practice of "bait and switch" to offer - bait the customer with one product and then through excuses, deceit and manipulations to steer the customer into a different inferior product. In this case Mormons universally offer Jesus, the Bible and a "truer Christianity" and then in a dishonest way switching from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible to the teachings of Joseph Smith and others. The Mormon Church is deliberately trying to avoid their true identity as a Mormon cult and is instead representing themselves as something they are not, which is true Christian followers of Jesus. Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
Verse-by-Verse Commentary with Dr. Grant C. Richison exposes the mind of God to the mind of man by expounding individual books of God's Word verse-by-verse (PDFs) Verse-by-Verse Commentary with Dr. Grant C. Richison exposes the mind of God to the mind of man by expounding individual books of God's Word verse-by-verse. Each study expounds a passage, forms a principle out of that passage, and shows how to apply that principle to your life. We recommend that you actively apply the principle to your life throughout each day to develop personal maturity. By applying principles of the Word daily, the believer will reach the status of edification construct (maturity). Verse-by-Verse Commentary is a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. ... NEW EXPOSITION BOOK: We finished the exposition on Ruth (in the process editing). Matthew still in process of editing as well. Romans is our next book. Browse Studies by Book and Verse - 3000 studies and 6000 pages (PDFs) available free! [article link]
David Payne Drama - [Apostle Paul] Prisoner of Passion - Payne delivers a powerful and inspiring presentation as Paul the Apostle reflecting on his life in Christ - Preview (YouTube) Who is David Payne? Born in London, England, David Payne discovered his calling as an actor portraying C. S. Lewis in the stage production of Shadowlands at Nashville's prestigious Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Acclaimed for the power, sensitivity, and authenticity of his portrayal of C. S. Lewis in the shows Shadowlands, In Search of Joy, and Weep for Joy, Payne now tours the U.S. performing his Lewis-inspired repertoire, which also includes his characterization of "Professor Daemon" in Target Practice - a show that found its inspiration from Lewis's The Screwtape Letters. More recently, he has starred as Aslan the Lion in U.S. tours of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe and The Magician's Nephew. His latest stage production is Prisoner of Passion. Drawing from the Pauline epistles and using the text of the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) translation, Payne delivers a powerful and inspiring presentation as Paul the apostle reflecting on his life in Christ. For more information, visit Payne's Ministry, Rising Image. Visit DavidPayneDrama on YouTube. [article link]
Heartlight.org [Daily Devotions] Facebook App We're excited to announce our new free Facebook application which lets you read, discuss, and share all of our daily devotionals and articles using your Facebook account. You can choose which of these resources are accesible to you in Facebook, including our daily graphics. You can find this free application here: apps.facebook.com/heartlight (email
[email protected] if you have problems or questions). Please also take a moment to become a fan of heartlight and tell your friends and family about us: www.facebook.com/pages/HeartlightR/121754564503401 - We have also released our new mobile version of Heartlight.org, so you can easily access our resources on iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and other mobile devices.
Take a look here: www.heartlight.mobi [article link]
Lighthouse Trails Interactive Forum - On June 22nd, 2010, Lighthouse Trails launched its first forum/message board On June 22nd, 2010, Lighthouse Trails launched its first forum/message board. A great place to leave comments, talk to others, and learn more about defending the faith and understanding the look of spiritual deception. You can get to the forum by clicking here. If you want to post discussion there, you will need to register. [article link]
mobile-computing-news: SSD drives going mainstream - Best Buy retails two Intel SSD Drives - The X25-M available in 80GB in stores and the X25-V available in a 40GB variation {Note: These are Intel 2nd Generation (G2) [34nm] SSDs the even better with larger storage Intel 3rd Generation (G3) [25nm] SSDs will be out later this year.} Over 800 Best Buy stores across the United States will begin carrying the award winning Intel X25-M, as well as the more 'affordable' Intel X25-V, with the X25-M available in 80GB in stores and the X25-V available in a 40GB variation. The reason these Intel SSD variations retailing in Best Buy is such a big deal is because this represents the very first time Best Buy has ever allocated shelf space to solid state drives by selling them in stores. This is an important step in the adoption of solid state drives, since a massive portion of computer components and hardware is still sold over the counter, and the mainstream presence Best Buy has may just be what this market segment needs to give it a boost. [article link]
Engadget: Intel swings 25nm [G3 SSD] factory doors open for a tour de fab Intel and Micron's recent announcement that their collective superhero body, appropriately named IM Flash, is sampling 25nm flash chips has been accompanied with a whirlwind tour of their Utah production facilities for a few lucky journalists. PC Perspective bring us the atmospheric photo above, along with some videos, as they prance about one of the most hallowed (and cleanest) environments known to gadget lovers. Apart from the die shrink, the lads also discuss Intel's reputed plans for a G3 SSD refresh some time "later this year" with snappier controllers onboard, which apparently was echoed by Micron who also intend to pump out faster processors with their SSD products. While you wait for all that to happen, hit the source link to find out how and where the stuff that gets put inside SSDs is made. [article link]
Wikipedia: Microsoft Windows Live SkyDrive - Windows Live SkyDrive is part of Microsoft's Windows Live range of online [cloud computing - cloud storage] services - Publicly-shared files do not require a Windows Live ID to access (.docx file downloads) Windows Live SkyDrive (initially Windows Live Folders) is part of Microsoft's Windows Live range of online services. SkyDrive is a file storage and sharing service that allows users to upload files to the computing cloud, then access them from a web browser. It uses Windows Live ID to control access to the user's files, allowing them to keep the files private, share with contacts, or make the files public. Publicly-shared files do not require a Windows Live ID to access. ... RSS feeds: It is possible to subscribe to RSS feeds of the content of public folders. The feeds contain preview images of the added files - either a thumbnail of an image or an icon representing the file type - and links to the file download pages. ... Download as .zip file: Entire directories can [also] be downloaded as a single .zip file with this feature. This feature is found in the "More" dropdown menu. [article link]
Basic Christian - via Microsoft Skydrive Online Storage | Share Files with Shared Folders | Windows Live SkyDrive - File Downloads Available (File - .docx - MS Word 2010) {Note: Select the blue File Tab then the
Download Option to download. - Also Note: All the files download by default in Protected Mode and start in Protected Mode when first opened but can be edited after opening by selecting edit mode.} Free 25 GB online storage means you can Store, access, and share your files online with friends or co-workers, from anywhere. ... Each folder on SkyDrive has a unique Web address, so you can save the link as a favorite or copy-and-paste it into e-mail or other documents for direct access. [article link]
Basic Christian - Windows Live SkyDrive - File Downloads Available (Folder - .docx - MS Word 2010) {Note: All the files download by default in Protected Mode and start in Protected Mode when first opened but can be edited after opening by selecting edit mode.} Free 25 GB online storage means you can Store, access, and share your files online with friends or co-workers, from anywhere. ... Each folder on SkyDrive has a unique Web address, so you can save the link as a favorite or copy-and-paste it into e-mail or other documents for direct access. [article link]
*Update: Starting soon [now in effect] Basic Christian is uploading version 2010 .docx MS Word files and will [has] discontinued uploading the 2007 MS Word version Note: Currently Basic Christian files are uploaded to the internet in (MS Word format) .doc [MS Word 2003] and .docx [MS Word 2007 format]. With the current release of MS Word 2010 the .docx extension remains however the 2007 version and the 2010 version of MS Word are different and possibly incompatible. The .doc [MS Word 2003] version will continue to be uploaded and the new .docx [MS Word 2010] version will be uploaded replacing the .docx [MS Word 2007] version. [article link]
Holiness (Mp3) A Christian music with message compilation. [article link]
The Amber May Show - End Times Part 1 &2 (Mp3s) This show looks at the End Times. Many people believe we are in the last days now and that God in all his glory will arrive on scene any day. May that is true but maybe it's not. Check this program out. [article link]
AnswersInGenesis.org: Counterfeit Reality with Bill Jack - Parts 1 & 2 (Online Video) Shot live before 300 teens and embellished with cutting-edge comic book style animation, Demolishing Strongholds features four highly engaging speakers: Ken Ham, Bill Jack, Charles Ware, and Carl Kerby. Each will prepare your students to stand firm on the authority of God's Word, and each will equip and challenge them to activate their faith! [article link]
SPIRITUALITY WITHOUT BOUNDARIES (A Reformed View Commentary on Individual Holiness) - We are saved [individual salvation] by grace, through faith [in Jesus Christ] (Ephesians 2:8) - We are [also] sanctified [our continuing individual holiness (Christian Maturity) in] the same way [by our faith in the completed and accomplished works of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10)] - *The people who really do love God and want to please Him often feel that they do not [do enough,] give enough and likely do not love [Him] enough - [Rick Warren and] Whitney's message [takes advantage of our natural guilt of not doing enough to please God but] is only abusive to those that believe him-much as the (ancient practice of the) sale of indulgences only abused those that believed indulgences were effective in sanctifying the dead [in a made-up pergatory] - Reformed Theology [in theory] exists to resist the processes [of self guilt] that led Luther to despair as he tried every practice the church had to offer for achieving [his own personal] holiness [until Luther found a personal trust and relationship with Jesus Christ] - {Note: I find Reformed Theology to be excessively human focused, man exalting
and man centered i.e. John Calvin, [John MacArthur, R. C. Sproul and many others] and not as focused on the presence, workings, gifting, reality, equality, leading and empowerment all freely given of God [the Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] that the Bible directs us to be.} Before I begin my critique, I want to place before you the areas where Whitney and I agree. Whitney has the gospel right and explains it (Whitney: 28). He is correct that it is the Holy Spirit who imparts a desire for holiness and does so for all Christians. He is correct that the purpose of sanctification is to conform us to the image of Christ. Some of the practices he endorses are valid means of grace (such as the Word of God and prayer). He cites in valid ways many orthodox teachers from church history. He understands that evangelism includes the call to repent and believe and that sharing the gospel constitutes "success" even if people refuse to listen (Whitney: 103). I appreciated his emphasis on the need to study the Bible in a scholarly way in his chapter about learning. And his thesis that we ought to make holiness a priority and take action to that end is a valid implication of his theme verse: "Discipline yourself for the purpose of "godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7). But I disagree with the manner in which Whitney uses Paul's athletic metaphor in his applications. Paul implies neither asceticism nor sanctification by human effort. Had Whitney's book been written when I was in Bible College, it would have proven toxic to me. I would have eaten up his ideas and embarked on a plan to put into practice everything he teaches. In fact, taken as a whole, the errors I pursued as a young Christian would be the most practical way to implement Whitney's approach to holiness: join a Christian commune or a monastery. I am very concerned that Whitney will harm young Christians who wish to be the best Christians they can be, just as I was. Because it contains the true gospel and begins with a respect for the scriptures, I believe Whitney's book to be even more seductive than were the teachers I was reading-like Watchman Nee. *Ordinary life [reality] does not lend itself to the [staged] high level practice of asceticism, pietism, and mysticism [emotions and feelings]. The problems with Whitney's book are these: serious category errors, a lack of boundaries, failure to understand the means of grace, pragmatism, the endorsement of false teachers such as Richard Foster and Dallas Willard without caveat, and his own toned-down version of mysticism. I shall proceed to show what I mean by interacting with his ideas. ... So Whitney is out of bounds to tell us we must do certain things that are not in the Bible if we want to achieve godliness on no other grounds than he said so. He provides arguments in order to justify some of his other practices, but shabby and weak arguments are not valid and should not be heeded. For example, when he teaches us to practice journaling he says this: "Though journaling is not commanded in Scripture, it is modeled" ... The writing of the Psalms and Lamentations was not done because God had made a general promise that if people of faith were to write a journal about their own feelings, experiences, and issues, that God would thereby sanctify them. David and Jeremiah were Holy Spirit-inspired Biblical authors, not people who "modeled" the practice of journaling so that others would do the same. The writers of Psalms and Lamentations wrote scripture that is binding and true. Despite Whitney's claims, our own journaling is a product of our imaginations-and not of scripture. Scripture is a valid means of sanctification and our own imaginative writings are not. ... We see the same problem in Whitney's claim that stewardship is a spiritual discipline. Yes, we are required to be stewards of all we have, including time and money, which Whitney discusses. True Christians are those who have died with Christ to the world and all its claims on us. But do we make ourselves stewards by spending more time in spiritual activities and giving away as much of our money as possible? Or do we put ourselves under God's means of grace, by faith, and as we study and believe the Bible, become stewards by God's grace? I consider Whitney's teaching on giving to be abusive. Paul refers to giving as a "gracious work" in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. That means that when God performs a work of grace, people become generous and eager to give. But Paul specifically says that giving is voluntary. Whitney says, "The proportion of your income that you give back to God is one distinct indication of how much you trust Him to provide for your needs. ... Donald Whitney is not teaching people to give everything away and move into a commune. He is, however, teaching Christians to think like those who give everything away and move into some equivalent of a monastery. As I read his book I thought about what happened to me when I thought that way. We have no way of being sure of how much we love and trust God. Only God knows. ... We are presumptuous when we create our own trials by asceticism supposedly to prove to ourselves that we trust Him. We should give and serve by His grace and not think that how much we give is a true indication that we trust
God to provide for us. A person can give everything away and yet not trust God on His terms at all. ... When I met with Rick Warren at the end of his 2008 Summit for his PEACE plan, Chris Rosebrough was there as well. He had sat through every session for several days and told Warren that what he heard day after day was "do more, sacrifice more, give more, etc.," but that he did not hear about the forgiveness of sins. Chris told Warren that he admits that he fails, doesn't serve enough, lacks self-discipline in some ways, and certainly has guilt. But, he said, Warren's program apparently offers nothing in the way of the cleansing of sin and hope for those who know they fall short. When I followed up and specifically asked Warren if he believed in the means of grace, he answered "Of course I do." If Whitney were asked, he likely would give the same answer. Chris had raised an important, pastoral consideration. The truly converted are constantly aware of their sinfulness. Ironically, the more sanctified a Christian becomes, the more he is aware of his sinfulness, and the more it troubles him. What would happen if the troubled Christian, perhaps having the "wretched man" thoughts that Paul expressed, picked up Whitney's book on spiritual disciplines looking for hope and believed what he read there? I see only two reasonable outcomes: hopelessness or self-righteousness. If he is totally honest, the outcome must be hopeless. Pastorally we must offer hope, not an illegitimate method. The hope is found [only] through the [eternal life] blood of Christ. The means of grace include the Lord's Supper because that reminds us of the reason for our hope. -- There are many similarities between Whitney's book and many portions of The Purpose Driven Life. Unless you start with a theology of innate human ability, neither book makes much sense. Whitney makes the analogy of a boy who wants to play a guitar. *The boy is given a vision by an angel [vs. the reality of God the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:10-13)] of an accomplished guitar player. The guitar playing dazzles the boy with amazement at its quality. Then the angel tells him that the person playing is him in a few years, but he must practice (Whitney: 15, 16). The idea is that if you have vision of what you will become, you will be motivated to put in all the effort. The analogy itself smacks of works righteousness. Whitney claims that Romans 8:29 supports his analogy. This is patently false because in context, **being conformed to the image of Christ is a certainty because of what God [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] does in every believer and not contingent on various levels of effort between believers. Furthermore, world-class guitar players begin with innate abilities that must be developed, and I agree that if that person works hard and has great teaching and is given opportunities he will do well. ***But we begin with no innate ability to be holy. ***Even as believers holiness does not come from innate ability plus practice, but from God's work [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] of grace. The analogy inculcates an attitude of works righteousness even if Whitney (like Rick Warren) denies believing such. [article link]
Bible verse: Matthew 13:43 Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of [God] their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his [the oppressor - ultimately Satan] burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing [personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ]. - Isaiah 58:6-14 Is not this the fast that I [God] have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy [prayers] house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own [shortcomings] flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy Righteousness shall go before thee; the Glory of the LORD [Jesus Christ] shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call [in prayer], and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I Am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke [coercion of others], the putting forth of the finger [manipulation of others], and speaking vanity [false and empty talk]; And if thou draw out thy soul [in compassion] to the hungry, and satisfy [attend to] the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many
generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot [self ways] from [during] the Sabbath [rest and trust in God], from doing thy pleasure on My Holy Day [every day for the Christian]; and call the Sabbath [trust and rest in God] a delight, the Holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour Him [Jesus Christ], not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob {Jacob (stumbler) was renamed (Genesis 32:28) by God to Israel (submitted to God) - God knows that we are ALL stumblers just like Jacob but those who look to God and have a personal relationship with God [and even strive with God] as Jacob did we will be accepted by God and renamed by God (Revelation 2:17)} thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. - Matthew 13:43 Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of [God] their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. -- Holy Bible [article link]
VFTB: Sarah Leslie - Discernment Nazis! (Mp3) CHRISTIANS WHO oppose dominion theology, the heretical idea that Christ isn't coming back until we take over the Earth (starting with America, of course), are no better than Nazi collaborators or Communist sympathizers. That's according to Janet Porter, who made those claims last week in her column at WorldNetDaily and an interview on KFAX radio in San Francisco. Sarah Leslie of Discernment Ministries was the target of Porter's hit piece, which is odd considering that Sarah, far from being a closet Christian, is the former head of Iowa Right to Life and a pioneer of the homeschooling movement. We discussed where dominion theology deviates from scripture, why it's dangerous, and how Christians should engage and try to change the culture. Recommended listening: Sarah's interview with Ingrid Schlueter on the Crosstalk radio program. [article link]
Crosstalk: Ingrid Schlueter with Sarah Leslie - The Gospel is More Important than America (Mp3) Sarah Leslie is an author and researcher, a member of the board of directors of Discernment Ministries and also a member of the Discernment Research Group. On May 3, Crosstalk aired a program dealing with the May Day event held at the Lincoln Memorial. Ingrid and Sarah brought to listener attention a movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation. The program exposed teachers such as Dutch Sheets, Chuck Pierce, and false "prophetesses" Cindy Jacobs and Stacey Campbell whose teachings revolve around the New Apostolic Reformation. It's a movement centered around a theology of dominionism that asks for a renewal of America based upon the idea that Christ's work on the cross wasn't finished. Janet Porter of Faith 2 Action was a key organizer of this event. Recently she wrote a piece called, "Christians" for the Separation of Church and State?" where she criticized Discernment Ministries and their herescope blogsite; falsely criticizing them for being "highly critical of any Christian group that engages in any type of political or cultural activity." Sarah explains that Porter not only brought in mainstream Christian leaders, but also some of the deceptive leaders from the New Apostolic Reformation, giving them the mainstream recognition they've been seeking. [article link]
***Highly Recommended - Bible versions Controversy EXPLAINED - find out the MAJOR differences (Mp3) Can you trust the new versions? before you say yes, you need to hear this message. learn where they came from, who is behind them, and HEAR ACTUAL AUDIO FROM CHUCK SWENDOL, DR. D.A.WAITE AND OTHERS... Learn what you need to know before you use that new [deceptive] bible version. [article link]
Verse by Verse with Mike and Chris - Chris and Mike begin a new study in the book of Galatians (Mp3) Verse by Verse Bible Teaching Podcast and Links. [article link]
The Berean Chronicles - Podcast Archive (Mp3's) Our mission here at The Berean Chronicles is to expose the Apostate Church, to equip the Saints with Truth, Knowledge, and Wisdom to be the Salt and Light Christ Jesus has called us to be. With the TRUTH given out on this talk show, we pray it will lead all who listen who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to the Saving knowledge. [article link]
EPISODE 51 - Sword of the Spirit: Update from CJ (Mp3) This is a show that I did to let everyone know what's been going on with me and why I haven't done a show in a while. [article link]
PREEMPTION BROADCAST with Russ Dizdar - REVELATION THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (Mp3s) FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE...THE RED HORSE....CHAOS and human slaughter. [article link]
DR. JOHN PIPER AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONS - Apprising Ministries now brings you a follow up to Questions Concerning Dr. John Piper where I told you that when Dr. Piper made the ill-advised decision to invite Leadership Network's propped-up Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren to DG 2010 [Desiring God National Conference, October 1-3 in Minneapolis] as a keynote speaker it set off a rippling effect where people, and not merely discernment ministries, have started to look a little closer at his theology, educational background, and associations; e.g. his charismatic bent, Fuller Theological Seminary, and the late Ralph Winter - Unfortunately it got even worse when Dr. Piper decided to defend his decision: At root I think [Rick Warren] is theological and doctrinal and sound - There's also no doubt that Warren himself promotes CSM, e.g. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, And Spiritual Disciplines, which now seems to shed some light on the DG 2010 invitation - This opposition to the Bible is SOP [Standard Operating Procedure] for mystics as I explained in Tony Campolo: "Christian Mysticism (Emotions and Feelings)" Trumps (goes one better than) The Bible [and presumably (Matthew 24:24, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) the coming false signs, wonders and miracles will then trump the individual mysticism] As I've asked before, just how apostate do you have to be in order for apostates to consider you apostate? But here's an important point building upon what Fisher just told us concerning the rebirth of interest in mysticism during the 1960's and 70's; in Root Of This New Downgrade I told you that those of us who've studied mysticism and liberal theology know that this rebirth of mysticism-precisely the same neo-Gnosticism taught in Foster-Willardism-would spread into the ecumenical movement of mainline denominations, and then into evangelicalism with the charismatic revival as it then traveled through the Jesus People/Movement circa early 1970's, and also into what became the Fuller Theological Seminary School of World Mission, which launched the man-centered Church Growth Movement. Which brings us back around to unanswered questions concerning Dr. John Piper and books by false prophet C. Peter Wagner, as well as books by the main purveyors of spurious CSM Richard Foster and Dallas Willard in the library Online catalog of Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC) where Dr. John Piper is listed as "Vocational Elder; Pastor for Preaching & Vision; Chancellor, Bethlehem College and Seminary." In the video below Dr. Piper is asked what he thinks about corrupt Contemplative/Centering Prayer (CCP); CCP is the crowing jewel of spurious CSM and a type of meditation in an altered state of consciousness, which itself is a form of neo-Gnosticism that flowered in the antibiblical monastic traditions of apostate Roman Catholicism. Considering what Dr. Piper has to say about CCP, although for me he seemed a bit evasive, the following books in the BBC library Online catalog would seem to sow some confusion as to what Dr. Piper's position actually is. Remember my question concerning apostates considering apostates apostate; well, here's Madame Guyon's ode to CCP, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ: ... This opposition to the Bible is SOP for mystics as I explained in Tony Campolo: "Christian Mysticism" Trumps The Bible; and the leading online apologetics and discernment ministry Lighthouse Trails Research (LTR) points out
that Manning "says that Dr. Beatrice Bruteau is a 'trustworthy guide to contemplative consciousness.'" ... Unfortunately, when Dr. Piper made his error of inviting Rick Warren to DG 2010, it has raised more unanswered questions, could Dr. Piper possibly have been more influenced by C. Peter Wagner, of the New Apostolic Reformation and formerly Fuller Theological Seminary, than we may have known? Perhaps all the more likely when we consider that both Dr. John Piper and C. Peter Wagner were both quite taken with the late "mission engineer" Ralph Winter; as was Rick Warren. There's also no doubt that Warren himself promotes CSM, e.g. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, And Spiritual Disciplines, which now seems to shed some light on the DG 2010 invitation. As I said before, it's beginning to look like Dr. Piper has a lot more in common with Rick Warren already than we even knew. Again I point you to what Dr. Piper said in his defense of the Warren invitation, "I just think he could put me to shame with his aggressively, in-your-life, transformative discipling of his church." From my ongoing research into all of this, I'll tell you that our key to seeing a deeper connection with all of these men, and maybe even a motive as to why Dr. Piper made his invitation to invite Rick Warren into the Reformed camp, just might lie in the little phrase "transformative discipling of his church." [article link]
*UPDATE* [May 10, 2010] LIBERTY UNIVERSITY [LU] FORMS INQUIRY COMMITTEE ABOUT ERGUN CANER - "In light of the fact that several newspapers [alerted by two bloggers one Christian blogger (Dr. James White Phoenix, AZ) and one Muslim blogger (Mohammad Khan - London, England)] have raised questions, we felt it necessary to initiate a formal inquiry" Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. said - an official inquiry with a goal of issuing its conclusions by the end of June [30, 2010] This is a short follow up to Has Muslim Convert Dr. Ergun Caner Been Exposed As A Jihadi Fraud? here at Apprising Ministries. It's beginning to appear that we may actually find the answer to that question after all. *Update* Now here's the very latest from News & Events on Committee formed to investigate Caner statements at Liberty University itself: Liberty University's Provost Dr. Ron Godwin is forming a committee to investigate a series of accusations against Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. The allegations have questioned public statements Caner has made regarding the details of his personal life story. Godwin is forming a committee to conduct an official inquiry with a goal of issuing its conclusions by the end of June. Following inquiries from several members of the mainstream media, Liberty decided to initiate its own investigation. "In light of the fact that several newspapers have raised questions, we felt it necessary to initiate a formal inquiry," Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. said. [article link]
Pastor Bryant Wright elected SBC president - Wright wins runoff for SBC president {Congratulations to SBC President Pastor Bryant Wright (Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, GA) [second term - first term in 2005] and Congratulations to Executive Committee President Frank Page. The SBC will have good leadership in Pastor Bryant Wright and the SBC Executive Committee will have good oversight in Frank Page.} ORLANDO, Fla. (BP)--Southern Baptist Convention messengers Tuesday afternoon elected Atlanta-area pastor Bryant Wright as their next president. Bryant Wright, senior pastor of the 7,600 member Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., won the run-off election for president of the Southern Baptist Convention with 55 percent of the vote. More than 7,660 messengers voted during the June 15 election at the 153rd annual meeting of the SBC at the Orange Country Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. [article link]
[SBC] Amended GCR report passes easily - [significant amendment] 'We affirm that designated giving to special causes is to be given *as a supplement to the Cooperative Program (CP) and *not as a substitute for Cooperative Program giving' ORLANDO, Fla. (BP)--Southern Baptist Convention messengers overwhelmingly adopted the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report Monday afternoon after it was amended twice to strengthen the language regarding the Cooperative Program. -- By an estimated 3-to-1 margin, the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report was adopted June 15 by messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in
Orlando, Fla. After the historic vote, task force chairman Ronnie Floyd recalled the statement issued by northern and southern Baptists after the 1845 founding of the Southern Baptist Convention and told the assembly: "Following the pattern of our leaders of old, we also would say to the watching world that the differences between those who support the Great Commission Resurgence report and recommendations and those who do not should not be exaggerated. "We are still brothers and sisters in Christ. We differ on no article of faith. We are guided by our shared commitment to the Gospel itself and to the articles of faith identified in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The Southern Baptist Convention is a convention of churches that is committed to a missional vision of presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations. We are a Great Commission people." The seven recommendations of the report were adopted on a show of ballots after about an hour and a half of debate, with one significant amendment. ... "Not to divide the body of Southern Baptists but to find some common ground on which we can stand for the sake of God's Kingdom, I would like to add this sentence that would state that 'We affirm that designated giving to special causes is to be given as a supplement to the Cooperative Program and not as a substitute for Cooperative Program giving.' "I would agree with this," Waters said, "and hope this could provide a pathway forward to finding us as people who love missions and evangelism, for the sake of Jesus Christ." Messengers adopted the proposed amendment with a show of ballots. [article link]
Open Letter to Southern Baptists about the GCRTF Recommendations by Dr. Morris H. Chapman June 4, 2010 The solution to our Convention's greatest need lies in multiple pockets [agendas] of personal repentance, evangelistic recommitment at the personal and local church level, and willing obedience to the commands of Christ - Real revival will not issue from a mere rewording of our mission statement An open letter to Southern Baptists has been released by Morris H. Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee, regarding issues to be decided at the convention's June 15-16 annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. The full text of Chapman's letter follows assessing the recommendations of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force: ... I am concerned that if the Convention approves the task force recommendations, it will be embarking upon a harmful course. I, like the task force, believe that the Convention can and should do better. But unlike the task force, I do not believe the answer lies in the recommendations it proposes. The solution to our Convention's greatest need lies in multiple pockets of personal repentance, evangelistic recommitment at the personal and local church level, and willing obedience to the commands of Christ. Real revival will not issue from a mere rewording of our mission statement. Our core values, already recorded in Scripture, are Godbreathed and sufficient. Our giving methods have proven their worth by providing for the largest mission forces (overseas and domestic) in history and the most expansive seminary system in the world. In fact, in the past our churches have produced twice the baptisms on half the revenue contributed to the SBC, so merely reallocating a few resources at the SBC level will not solve our underlying problems. We must concentrate on the only real solution. That solution is not structural, procedural, financial, or methodological. It is spiritual. And if we approve the task force report, we will be saying, as a Convention, that we believe our future performance lies in some realm other than the spiritual. ... It can be confusing when strongly expressed positions exist among people who love the Lord Jesus Christ with their whole hearts. But while I fully agree with the preamble of the task force's preliminary report, I cannot affirm their recommendations. I am firmly convinced that none of the recommendations will move us forward for the kind of spiritual renewal that must take place if we are to see an abundant harvest take place in our local churches. At most, they will merely make us feel as if we have done something, when we haven't. ... As I leave my post, my continued prayer until I go to see Jesus will be that God will blanket Southern Baptists with a spirit-empowered spiritual awakening that shall spread from coast to coast and beyond. If spiritual awakening of this magnitude were to come before I die, I will spend the rest of my years on earth praising God for answering the prayers of His people. Please read "A Better Way Ahead." Consider its contents and determine for yourself whether any or all of them seem better alternatives to those promoted by the task force. And if they do, as the Lord leads, feel free to offer one or more of them as
substitute recommendations at the appropriate time. ~ Your brother in Christ, Morris H. Chapman [article link]
Floyd: [SBC] GCRTF has changed wording of component three heading - "Encouraging Cooperative Program and Other Great Commission Giving" rather than its previous heading, "Celebrating and Empowering Great Commission Giving" ORLANDO (FBW) - On the eve of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force's report to the Southern Baptist Convention, Chairman Ronnie Floyd announced to state Baptist newspaper editors a change in the heading of component three to reflect the committee's support of the Cooperative Program. Floyd told the Association of State Baptist Papers June 14 that component three will now carry the heading, "Encouraging Cooperative Program and Other Great Commission Giving," rather than its previous heading, "Celebrating and Empowering Great Commission Giving." ... Commenting on opposition to the report, Floyd said that some confusion resulted from unclear communication by the task force while other confusion occurred because people misunderstood the committee's intentions. Yet meetings with state convention leaders helped the task force communicate its vision more clearly and end some of the strife, according to Floyd. He acknowledged that opposition from the Executive Committee proved challenging but said all the discussion and dissent ultimately contributed to refining the report. "This is not a perfect report," he said. "Nobody has ever stood up and said it's a perfect report. We're going to find out tomorrow how imperfect it is in some ways, and that's OK. We've been willing to change along the way. We have never dug our feet in the ground and said, 'No.' We have tried our very best to be willing. And if the Lord so chooses to do something to change it tomorrow to be better, then so be it." Floyd said the presentation of the report will last approximately 30 minutes with the remainder of the task force's hour and forty-five minute time slot allotted for discussion. [article link]
[SBC] Real change requires a 'different spirit' - Later during the meeting this week, [outgoing SBC President] Hunt will present findings from the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task force to messengers [delegates] and will encourage them to adopt the recommendations, which call for more resources [leaving traditional churches and] targeting [pseudo] evangelism around the nation and around the world {Note: There seems to be no shortage of a 'different spirit' at the 2010 SBC - There is a spirit of deceptive closed door committee elections along with a spirit of manipulation, coercion, public peer pressure and vague misrepresentations bordering on outright deception.} The [outgoing] president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) exhorted delegates [at] the denomination's annual business meeting to step out in faith and not allow unbelief or manmade obstacles to squelch Godsized dreams. Dr. Johnny Hunt delivered the annual president's address Tuesday morning to thousands of SBC "messengers" (delegates) gathered in Orlando. He preached from the Old Testament book of Numbers and used the characters Caleb and Joshua as examples of two people who stood against popular opinion and encouraged Israel to take the Promised Land. "Isn't that amazing?" asked Hunt. "God placed in this leader a different spirit. I'm telling you, in the name of Jesus, if things are going to change, it can't be the same. Somebody's got to have a different spirit; somebody's got to say we can go, we can take, we can overcome." Later during the meeting this week, Hunt will present findings from the Great Commission Resurgence Task force to messengers and will encourage them to adopt the recommendations, which call for more resources targeting evangelism around the nation and around the world. [article link]
[SBC] Executive Committee elects Frank Page president [president/CEO - SBC Executive Committee] in closed session - Outside the meeting, rumors spread that some Executive Committee members objected to the process used to select Chapman's replacement and questioned Page's involvement as a member of the SBC's {Ponzi Scheme like in apperance} Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force ORLANDO, Fla. (ABP) - The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention voted in a closed session June 14 to elect former SBC president Frank Page as the organization's next president and CEO, replacing
Morris Chapman, who retires Sept. 30 after 18 years. Page, 57, becomes president/CEO-elect July 1 and takes office Oct. 1. He currently serves as vice president of evangelization for the SBC North American Mission Board, a post he took in October 2009 after serving as a local-church pastor for more than 30 years. Randall James, chairman of the Executive Committee, requested deliberation about Page's election be discussed in executive session as a "personnel matter." He said that several members of the committee expressed a desire to close the session. One member, Stephen Wilson of Kentucky, objected that the Executive Committee should conduct its business in the open, but a large majority supported the recommendation to ask observers of the meeting, including media, to leave. Executive Committee members questioned Page, who as SBC president in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 was an ex-officio member of the committee, in private for more than an hour before dismissing him for prayer and the vote. Outside the meeting, rumors spread that some Executive Committee members objected to the process used to select Chapman's replacement and questioned Page's involvement as a member of the SBC's Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force. The blue-ribbon panel is bringing recommendations to the SBC's annual meeting that include reducing the Executive Committee's budget by nearly a third. Page told reporters outside the meeting room that various members of the Executive Committee saw his involvement on the task force as both a positive and a negative. "Some said I wasn't supportive enough of the GCR," he said. "Others said 'I can't believe you support any of it.'" Page also said he believes both his brief tenure at NAMB [North American Mission Board], after eight years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., and appointment to the Great Commission Task Force were providential. "I think God gave me that time to see the inside of a denomination better than I would have as a pastor," he said. "I think he let me go to NAMB to see some of the inside. I like some of it. Some of it I don't, as I've looked on the inside of the denomination. "Secondly, I think being part of the GCR at the same time helped me to provide a perspective to say NAMB has a unique missiological need. I think that was an encouragement to some on the committee to see that NAMB does have a place separately than the International Mission Board." Page said he believes the biggest reason God brought him to NAMB was to draw attention to a 10-year effort nicknamed GPS, short for "God's Plan for Sharing" the gospel message. [article link]
The [SBC] Great Commission Resurgence Debate - Celebrating and Empowering Great Commission Giving (GCR) - The Task Force also encourages Southern Baptists to celebrate the total dollar amount given to Southern Baptist causes (such as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missionaries and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missionaries). Churches will report "Great Commission Giving" by recording their gifts through the Cooperative Program as well as their gifts to other Southern Baptist causes - Those who oppose this recommendation believe that the sum total of "Great Commission Giving" will dilute the value of the Cooperative Program (CP) - churches will have less reason to support the (CP) program, leading to the dismantling of the current structure and the rise of special interests {Note: even if this kind of exploitive and coercive giving [and the accompanying bait and switch fundraising tactics] wasn't unbiblical it would still be sickening by normal societal standards that prohibit exploiting vulnerable (uninformed) and underprivileged people.} It's easy to be confused about the recommendations of the Southern Baptist Convention's Great Commission Task Force (GCR). Through state papers, blogs, and websites, the conversation about the future of the SBC has been moving at a furious pace. Hype can eventually obscure reality, leading to misunderstandings and miscommunication on the part of both camps. GCR supporters have sometimes spoken as if this resolution will be the spark of a worldwide revival that will send renewal through the SBC. GCR detractors have sometimes spoken as if these resolutions would end the SBC as we know it and destroy all our cooperative efforts. Today, the Convention will consider the Task Force's recommendations. If the pastor's conference has been any indication, it appears that there is widespread support for these recommendations. Final attendance numbers are not in yet, but to anyone who has been to the Convention's annual meetings in recent years, it is clear that the crowd is much bigger, much younger, and much more diverse. Most of the speakers at the pastor's conference on Sunday and Monday called pastors and messengers to center their churches upon the gospel
and the Great Commission. Several young pastors, such as Matt Chandler (pastor of The Village in Dallas, Texas) and David Platt (pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama), addressed Convention attendees. Today, Southern Baptists will vote on the recommendations of the Great Commission Task Force. Here is a summary of the report and the subsequent debate: ... 3. Celebrating and Empowering Great Commission Giving Summary: The Task Force affirms the Cooperative Program (the churches' undesignated gifts for supporting the various ministries and entities of the state and national conventions) as the central means of mobilizing our churches and extending our reach. The Task Force also encourages Southern Baptists to celebrate the total dollar amount given to Southern Baptist causes (such as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missionaries and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missionaries). Churches will report "Great Commission Giving" by recording their gifts through the Cooperative Program as well as their gifts to other Southern Baptist causes. Debate: • Those who oppose this recommendation believe that the sum total of "Great Commission Giving" will dilute the value of the Cooperative Program by elevating designated gifts for specific ministries. The result will be a return to societal giving, in which various entities will be forced to go from church to church, asking for funds. By celebrating designated giving, churches will have less reason to support the program, leading to the dismantling of the current structure and the rise of special interests. • Those who support this recommendation believe that the program is already weakened and needs to be strengthened, not by chastising churches for giving designated gifts, but by celebrating all Great Commission giving. Once churches become convinced [deceived enough] that the ministries funded by the program are worth their Great Commission dollars, they will rise to the occasion and increase giving in all areas. ... Summary: The (GTRF) Task Force recommends that the responsibility of promoting the Cooperative Program (CP) among local churches be transferred from the executive committee to the state conventions. The Executive Committee would work with the state conventions in developing a strategy for encouraging churches to increase participation and giving to the program. [article link]
Christian Living - Can I take communion at home like the disciples did? YES! - Communion brings you closer to the Lord as it is to be a proclamation of what Jesus did for you - your mind and heart become saturated with the truth of who Jesus is and all that His blood purchased for you - We pay tribute and honor to Jesus when we remember Him via administering communion to [ourselves and or] one another "Can I take communion at home like the disciples did?" YES! I will give you the scriptures that support my answer. I am familiar with the practices that surround the modern day observance of the Lord's Supper...taking communion during special times of the year, taking communion to signify the beginning of certain seasons & celebrations...and the administering of communion just before one passes from this world. I'd like to start by telling you a few inportant things concerning communion..the Lord's Supper..the meal that heals. Communion brings healing to your body..wholeness to your life. Communion brings you closer to the Lord as it is to be a proclamation of what Jesus did for you..your mind and heart become saturated with the truth of who Jesus is and all that His blood purchased for you. We pay tribute and honor to Jesus when we remember Him via administering communion to [ourselves and or] one another..our family, our friends, our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Quite often I have wondered (other Christian's have as well) why the modern Church doesn't seem to have all that which the early Church had..the power of God on their lives, the stick-to-it-ness or longevity when it comes to serving the Lord. I mean, we pray, we fast, we worship, we read the Bible..and yet, something seems to be missing. The answer? Daily communion [or weekly, or occasional comunion]. The New Testament believers (who were the Body of Christ..as we are today) met in one anothers home daily and did what Paul (in 1 Cor. 11:26) instructed them to do: "For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until He comes again. While it is common practice to take communion in a church (like you mentioned having done) we know that the Church is really the Body of Christ Jesus...the New Testament believers gathered daily..ate together daily..observed the Lord's Supper daily. Keeping Jesus (and everything Jesus did) in the forefront of their lives made them strong as a family..communion, prayer, worship & the teaching of Jesus' words became the glue that held the early Church together...and it is no different for us
today. [article link]
Communion Bread Recipe Communion Bread Recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup Water (cold), 1/2 teaspoon Salt, 6 tablespoons Olive Oil, 2 cups Whole Wheat Bread Flour [unleavened - no yeast]. -- Directions: Blend first three ingredients (water, salt, oil) in blender or beat vigorously in a bowl until white. Pour into flour and mix. Turn out onto floured board and knead for 5 minutes. Roll out to 1/4-inch thick {or thinner}, mark {a cross and or squares} lightly with a pizza cutter {or a knife}, cutting most squares almost through, but leaving some to be broken {off later - if necessary for Church} by {Church} Elders {also make pierce marks or holes with a fork}. -- Bake at 275:F degrees until nicely browned; (about 45 minutes to 1 hour). Note: Leftovers are traditionally burned or buried [it's not necessary and some or all of the bread can also be eaten by itself apart from Communion as a regular flatbread and also as a bread in a fellowship with God (break bread with God) meal/snack i.e. with cheese, smoked fish, sausage, olives, artichokes or other items and snacks, possibly including (unwatered) regular grape juice {juice can of course be watered down (and probably should) but not mingled like Communion wine just watered down to taste} or wine (if preferred) to drink]. Source: Adapted from Eat for Strength - Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. This recipe from CDKitchen for Communion Bread serves/makes 200. [article link]
Baking Stone - Do you have a stone oven? We don't - But we make "stone oven" pizzas, *flatbreads [Communion Bread], and hearth breads with this pizza baking stone For the absolutely crispiest-crusted pizza and bread. Do you have a stone oven? We don't. But we make "stone oven" pizzas, flatbreads, and hearth breads with this pizza baking stone. Brick-oven baking stone absorbs the oven's heat, then transfers it to bread. Moisture disperses out through the crust, making terrific, light-textured breads and pizzas with an incredible crackly-crunchy crust. ... Cook's Illustrated Top Choice! "We tested 10 baking stones and came to prefer a fairly large one (16 by 14 inches is ideal) with smooth edges. The Baker's Catalogue Baking Stone's moderate weight and ample size make it our favorite." [article link]
Baptists, combating malaise ["out of sorts" feeling], preoccupied by numbers - [Compromising (straying) from Biblical standards] Churches in America are losing ground with each successive generation - "I think the handwringing is driven by an angst of do we [SBC] want to join so many other [Protestant] denominations in decline?" said Ed Stetzer, president of SBC-affiliated LifeWay Research, which compiles and analyzes statistics "In our history as Southern Baptists, we've never had the kind of malaise statistically we've had in the last five years" said Alvin Reid, professor of evangelism at Southeastern Ask a Southern Baptist about the state of the denomination, and you'll probably get an answer with numbers in it. Numbers of baptisms in particular. And recently, declining numbers of baptisms. As members of the nation's largest Protestant denomination ready for their annual meeting next week in Orlando, Fla., statistics loom large in their plans to chart a new direction after years of malaise. "In 2008 we baptized only 75,000 teenagers," reads a new Southern Baptist report, Penetrating the Lostness. "In 1970 we baptized 140,000. Why? … Churches in America are losing ground with each successive generation." Why are Southern Baptists so focused on statistics? Simply put, they view them as a tangible way of tracking how well they are reaching those they call the "lost" - people without Jesus Christ. "I think the hand-wringing is driven by an angst of do we want to join so many other denominations in decline?" said Ed Stetzer, president of SBC-affiliated LifeWay Research, which compiles and analyzes statistics. Stetzer has issued blunt assessments of the denomination's baptism rates and membership decline - a reversal of fortunes that some Baptists have had trouble acknowledging. In a May commentary, he reviewed the ups and downs of baptism rates over the past six decades and declared that membership has probably peaked at 16.1 million. "Blips, untended, become dips … and dips, untended, become crypts," he warned in the commentary that appeared on Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's Between the Times blog. Other observers look at the numbers with worry. "In our history as Southern Baptists,
we've never had the kind of malaise statistically we've had in the last five years," said Alvin Reid, professor of evangelism at Southeastern. [article link]
SBC must build its Great Commission legacy [through humble individual service to Jesus Christ and not by donations or money tithed or given to SBC principals especially in the form of thinly veiled pleas and slightly disguised threats (i.e. pastors will be laid off) in requesting additional finances 'In difficult economic times' as Pastor David Uth seems to be doing], Uth says {Note: Money, pride and paid (professional) Charity work seldom mix very well and Christianity in the image of Jesus Christ is the essence of Humble Servant Charity Work. We need to be humble and be about the true reconciliation work of Jesus Christ and often that means being only in charge of ourselves and having authority only over ourselves and not having a staff, an expense account and not even having status within society all while we individually and collectively labor lovingly in God's Kingdom the True and Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ.} ORLANDO (FBW)-The Southern Baptist Convention sits at a crucial point in history when it must recommit to building a legacy of obedience to the Great Commission, David Uth, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando, said June 13 at the SBC Pastor's Conference. "There comes a point where we say, 'This is where we want to go. This is what we want life to look like. This is what we want our legacy to be,'" Uth said. "And I really believe this convention is the defining moment for us that will determine that legacy." Preaching from Acts 20, Uth said a godly denominational legacy must include living out the Great Commission rather than merely discussing it. "As Southern Baptists, we have been saying a lot about the Great Commission all of our history," he said. "We have been saying a lot about this kind of a legacy. But at some point, saying is not enough." Uth listed three steps Southern Baptists must take in order to build a legacy that glorifies God. First, they must walk with humility. "Southern Baptists, we're not all that. We need to honor and glorify the One from whom all blessings flow. We are not all that," Uth said. "One of the things that has broken my heart is to hear people talk about their ministry and people talk about their church. People talk about this and that, 'We did this. We did that. We did this.' Let me tell you, if you've done anything worthwhile of eternal value, you didn't do it. Your Father granted it from heaven. Give Him glory." Second, they must shed tears over the lostness in the world. While Southern Baptists cry over votes that don't go their way and derailed personal ambitions, many have stopped crying over non-Christians who are on the path to hell, Uth said. Yet the multitudes who do not know Jesus should be among the greatest causes of tears, he said. ... Third, Southern Baptists must fulfill their ministry despite trials. In difficult economic times, churches and denominational entities are being forced to cut budgets, he said. In fact, First Baptist Orlando recently cut six pastoral staff members. But fulfilling the Great Commission is worth the pain of budget cuts, he said. "The church does not exist to employ people. It exists to reach the nations for God's glory. And if I could just be so bold to say, the Southern Baptist Convention does not exist to employ people. It exists to reach the nations for the glory of God. And it just might be we have to do hard things," he said. Through any trial, Jesus is enough to sustain those who are following Him, Uth said. [article link]
Criteria for Christian Communion Criteria for Christian Communion: 1. First the 'body' (of Jesus Christ) bread [wafer] is to be unleavened (sinless), unsweetened (reality), salt (preserved), holes (pierced) and browned (bruised). 2. Second the 'blood' (of Jesus Christ) cup [grape juice, wine] is to be mingled (combined) 1/3 water with 2/3 grape [fruit of the vine]. Use three separate glasses or containers, 1 with water, 1 with grape, 1 empty. Then pour [mingle] at the same time both the grape and the water into the empty cup creating the cup of 2/3 grape mingled with 1/3 water. 3. Reading a Bible verse or passage provides the 3rd element of Communion the element of the Word of God being the Spirit of God. - Note: When the Communion bread is lifted up blessed, exalted and broken it represents the physical body of Jesus Christ on the cross then when the bread is eaten (consumed, eternalized) it represents the Spiritual [resurrection] body of Jesus Christ. Likewise when the Communion blood is mingled [grape, water] it represents the physical blood and water of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross [after His
death - by the spear wound (John 19:34-35)] for the remission of our sins and then when the blood is drink (consumed, eternalized) it represents the resurrection eternal life Spiritual blood of Jesus Christ. Both [the one body] the physical (earthly) body of Jesus Christ and His eternal Spiritual Resurrection [bodily resurrection] of Jesus Christ [along with our new eternal spiritual body in Jesus Christ] are represented in the one Communion of bread and wine (grape). [article link]
Criteria for Christian Baptism Criteria for Christian Baptism: 1. The person being baptized confesses a personal individual faith in Jesus Christ [the Apostles' Creed, a Psalm or a Bible verse can be read or recited]. Acknowledging the sinless Divine life, sacrificial atoning death on the cross and three days later the resurrection [eternal life] of Jesus Christ. 2. The person administering the baptism is to baptize in the Name of God the Father, the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit [not in the name of any individual, group or denomination] i.e. (Matthew 28:18-20) "I baptize you in the Name of God the Father, the beloved Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit." 3. The water baptism event [submerging into water] signifies our (dying) death and burial to this world (sin and death) while then [emerging from the water] signifies our own personal resurrection with eternal life in Jesus Christ entering into a new life in the eternal Kingdom of God. - Note: The water baptism [and accompanying confession of faith] is the Biblical public confession of faith for each individual Christian and is not to be confused with an alter call that although being a public stand it is not in its entirety the Biblical confession of faith. [article link]
Bible verse: 1 John 5:1-21 ... For whatsoever is [Spiritually] born [again] of God overcometh the world: and *this is the victory that overcometh the world, even **our faith ... {Note: it is 'our faith' in the completed and accomplished works of Jesus Christ, His works, His sinless life, His cross and His everlasting resurrection life that overcomes this fallen and sinful world. Our faith in Jesus overcomes the fallen world because Jesus overcame the sin and death of the world and it is not our works (good, bad or otherwise) that overcome the world but exclusively our faith in Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished for us to freely receive of from His eternal life. - Also Note: some new teachings now insist that God as assigned evil works or necessary evil in works of death and destruction for some [chosen or appointed] people to carry out i.e. 'messengers of destruction and death' or 'death angels' and it's simply another deception (Romans 3:8) and lie from Satan as the True God [the Holy God of Israel] is the God of everlasting life in Jesus Christ. The Holy God is not the god of human schemes of murder and mayhem. God is the God of forgiveness of sins, reconciliation for mankind and eternal life all in Jesus Christ.} The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com 1 John 5:1-21 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ (having and giving eternal life) is [Spiritually] born [again] of God: and every one that loveth Him [God the Father] that begat [sent Jesus into the world] loveth Him [Jesus] also that is begotten [was physically manifested in the world] of [in the exact Spiritual image of] Him [God the Father]. By this we know that we love the Children of God [Christians], when we love God, and keep His commandments [Love God, love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39)]. For this is the love of God, that we keep His Commandments: and His Commandments [of Love] are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and *this is the victory that overcometh the world, even **our faith [in love for God]. Who is he [worshiper] that overcometh the world, but he [Christian] that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He [Jesus] that came by water [womb] and blood [cross], even Jesus Christ; not by water [O.T. judgment upon the entire earth (Genesis 6:7, Numbers 31:23)] only, but by water and {now also} blood [N.T. judgment upon the entire earth (Matthew 26:28)]. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness [of the global judgments of water (O.T.), blood of Jesus (N.T.), the judgment of fire (2 Peter 3:12) yet to come and of the only Eternal Life through Jesus Christ], because the [Holy] Spirit is Truth. **For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. **And there are three that bear [judgment and eternal life] witness in earth, the Spirit [of Jesus Christ (Luke 23:46)], and the water [from the cross of Jesus Christ (John 19:34-35)], and the blood [from the cross of Jesus Christ (John 19:34-35)]:
and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]. He [person] that believeth on the Son of God hath the [Holy Spirit] witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him [God] a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is [only] in His Son [Jesus Christ]. He that hath the Son hath [eternal] life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not [reconciled to God] life. These things have I written unto you that believe [faith] on the Name [Jesus] of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him. If any man see his brother sin a sin [mistakes] which is not [unbelief] unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin [unbelief] unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All [mistakes] unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin [of mistakes] not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not [by not denying that Jesus is God]; but he that is begotten of God (born again) keepeth himself, and that wicked [Satan] one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come [personally], and hath given us an [Holy Spirit] understanding, that we may know Him [God] that is True, and we are in Him that is True, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the True God, and eternal life. Little children [Christians - not yet adopted as Sons of God], keep yourselves from idols [unholy desires]. Amen. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Note: The Basic Christian Info Feed will be on a short pause and will continue in about a week continuing with a brief Bible study (and hopefully at a later time a much more in-depth study) looking into the Biblical triune (3 in 1) nature [testimony, salvation, judgment] of the water, blood and Spirit (also represented in breath, wind, fire) that are each freely offered and given from God to all of mankind globally as a witness of sin (and eventually as a judgment against sin), a testimony of the once physical presence of Jesus Christ and as an eternal remedy for our own individual Salvation Where the Apostle Peter's significant life changing event during his time with Jesus seemed to be at the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-8, 2 Peter 1:16-18) the Apostle John's significant life changing event with Jesus seems to have been at the cross (John 19:34-35, 1 John 5:7-9) when Jesus was pierced by the Roman spear and the blood and water poured out from the wound in Jesus' side. The Apostle John then regards the presence of the Spirit and the separation of the blood and water coming out from Jesus as a witness, a judgment, and a testimony of salvation for all of mankind. When the Basic Christian blog History study returns in about a week we will Biblically look into the blood, water and fire (spirit), testimonies and judgments of the Bible from throughout the Old Testament starting in Genesis and continuing consistently throughout the entire Bible then concluding in book of Revelation [the sin of Adam and Eve and the shedding of blood, the Aaronic Priesthood, the Last Supper Communion, the atoning cross of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Jesus and birth (Alpha) of the Christian Church, the Pentecost global Spirit empowerment and witness, the calling home into heaven by Jesus the rapture (Omega) of the Christian Church, Revelation-Tribulation]. -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link]
ABP Opinion: 1st reaction to Great Commission Resurgence, 2nd verse - My strategy to encourage churches to higher CP (Cooperative Program) giving is this: Demonstrated commitment to CP from those who lead the Southern Baptist Convention - SBC president Johnny Hunt, who has pledged to double his church's CP (Cooperative Program) giving this year to about $900,000 {Note: This is a deliberate plan to take money away from the local Church authority [and local Church work] by donating it upstream [instead of downstream to needier Churches and causes] to some vague, vapid [non-Christian] national-international (secular) and fraudulent causes i.e. Rick Warren's purpose driven agendas and the New Apostolic Reformation and their upstream donations to their main church offices and to a select few (possibly non-Christian, infiltrated) directors, presidents and staff members.} If the SBC is to adopt a new mission statement -- and such adoption should be considered a huge undertaking -- what is the statement it replaces? The SBC was formed in 1845, according to our founding documents, for the "purpose of carrying into effect the benevolent intention of our constituents by organizing a plan for eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the denomination for the propagation of the gospel." The purpose of our convention, according to Article II of our bylaws, is "to provide a general organization for Baptists in the United States and its territories for the promotion of Christian missions at home and abroad and any other objects such as Christian education, benevolent enterprises, and social services which it may deem proper and advisable for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God." Are a "purpose" and a "mission statement" the same thing? If the proposed mission statement is an add-on, it can be enthusiastically endorsed. If it is to change the purpose statement of the convention, it needs far more serious consideration than to be the first of seven recommendations from a task force formed for a different purpose entirely. The task force still wants to dilute the Cooperative Program by making it the "first and primary component" of something they would call Great Commission Giving. The progress report in February basically would have taken any responsibility for Cooperative Program promotion and "returned" it to the state conventions. The new version still doesn't recognize that the states have always had primary responsibility for CP promotion and it urges the SBC Executive Committee to work with state conventions to form a "unified strategy with clearly established goals" by 2013. My strategy to encourage churches to higher CP giving is this: Demonstrated commitment to CP from those who lead the Southern Baptist Convention. SBC president Johnny Hunt, who has pledged to double his church's CP giving this year to about $900,000, rightly reminded the editors that no one responds positively to criticism. You can't get someone to do more of something by emphasizing how little of it they currently do. He reminded us that "thousands" of churches that claim SBC affiliation give nothing to CP -- and the six-percent average church CP commitment would be much smaller if not for the large dollar amounts churches like his provide. [article link]
The [Four] 2010 SBC presidential candidates share views - The annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention will be held June 15-16 [2010] in Orlando, Fla. The following is a summary of each of the four announced presidential candidates' views on issues, including the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force (GTRF) report and the Cooperative Program (CP) {Note: It looks like plans for lots of manipulation, hiding, transferring, switching and just plain funny business in general going on with SBC pooled and shared (CP) finances and resources.} Endel's strongest concern was that "the GCRTF may accelerate the crumbling of the CP funding system that holds our mission work together." Endel expressed his concerns about "Great Commission Giving" using the hypothetical that churches couldn't operate on a system that celebrated designated giving over unrestricted tithing to the general budget. In such a system, he said, funding falls apart such that bake sales would be needed to pay the bills, but there would be more than enough people wanting to contribute to the youth pastor's salary. "Conflict and competition will soon kill a church funded like that," Endel said. Endel also took issue with the final report recommendation that would result in the elimination of funding for Cooperative Program promotion and stewardship education by the SBC Executive Committee. "It is my opinion that the assistance of the Executive Committee has saved all Southern Baptists millions of dollars by helping us
collectively develop materials rather than forcing every state convention to separately develop these materials," Endel said. "Videos and printed materials are much cheaper when developed together and produced from one centralized source." Endel said the loss of this partnership "will be far more than the money saved by cutting the work of the Executive Committee." ... Jackson also expressed this point in terms of leadership representation. "While I applaud our megachurches and their very capable leadership, most of whom are longtime friends and acquaintances of mine, I do believe that we need a more representative balance of input and leadership from all of the churches in the convention." Jackson said his greatest concern with the GCRTF report has to do with CP giving. "Although the GCRTF report calls for a renewed emphasis in the giving to the CP," he said, "it also places it under the heading 'Great Commission Giving.' The CP becomes a way to give, not 'the' way. Such a change is risky at best." ... Traylor said the most pressing need is for spiritual awakening and leaders who are "deeply committed servants of Christ" as well as "resolute in their commitment to the Baptist Faith & Message 2000." As a way to move Southern Baptists toward spiritual awakening, Traylor said he would seek to call Southern Baptists to solemn assembly in January 2011 and "explore the possibility of incorporating the solemn assembly model in our SBC annual meeting" and that he would promote the use of NAMB's evangelism initiative, God's Plan for Sharing. He also indicated leadership is important to this end in that "the SBC president sets a direction with appointments. ... Individuals within the churches must return to Christ as their first love, Wright said in naming the most critical need in the Southern Baptist Convention. The lack of tithing reveals the idolatries of materialism and hedonism among evangelicals, he said, adding that the epidemic of sexual immorality has weakened the church. Wright proposes greater direct missions involvement to galvanize individuals and churches, and advocates that state conventions "keep less in the state and send more dollars to the IMB and to other areas of the country where lostness is so prevalent." He supports the work of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, but sees their efforts as a first step. "As a former church planter here at Johnson Ferry," he wrote to Baptist Press, "I am encouraged that the Task Force sees the importance of church planting in the areas of greatest need in the United States - particularly our pioneer states and our large cities. Also, I agree with the Task Force that every church should be a 'missional center.' " He would challenge local churches to participate on a mission trip as well as focusing on the immediate community as their mission field. Wright also expressed his desire that leaders be appointed who have a passion for Christ, commitment to the Word and a vision for seeing the Great Commission fulfilled. "I would seek to nominate folks that represent a broad spectrum of SBC life: pastors, church staff, laypeople, mainline states, pioneer states, larger churches, smaller churches, seasoned veterans and young leaders," he said. [article link]
[Four] Pastors [Bryant Wright, Leo Endel, Jimmy Jackson, Ted Traylor] nominated for 2010 Southern Baptist Convention presidency - The presidency will be decided by thousands of delegates - called "messengers" - who will attend the annual conference, representing more than 45,000 Southern Baptist churches throughout the country and their more than 16 million members - Unlike the top-down approach of Roman Catholicism, from Pope to priest, Southern Baptist churches are [were once in theory] autonomous (self governing) - The selection will be made at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla., on Tuesday and Wednesday [June 15 and 16, 2010] - current SBC President Johnny Hunt (two terms of one year each), pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., is ineligible for re-election Bryant Wright, senior pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church and founder of Right From The Heart Ministries, is one of four nominees for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention when that organization meets in Orlando on Tuesday. Wright's nomination was made by Dr. David Uth, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando. "Bryant has been a consistent leader among Southern Baptists who acknowledges and appreciates our traditional heritage while embracing some of the creative and innovative methods of reaching today's generation for Christ," Uth said. The presidency will be decided by thousands of delegates - called "messengers" - who will attend the annual conference, representing more than 45,000 Southern Baptist churches throughout the country and their more than 16 million members, Wright said. Attendance is expected to be between 12,000 to 18,000, with up to 14,000 being messengers. Unlike the top-down approach of Roman
Catholicism, from Pope to priest, Southern Baptist churches are autonomous. The term Southern Baptist Convention refers to both the denomination and its annual meeting. Working through 1,200 local associations and 41 state conventions and fellowships, Southern Baptists share a common bond of basic biblical beliefs and a commitment to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Convention attendees are called messengers rather than delegates because they are not instructed how to vote. Churches have up to 10 messengers they get to send to the convention, depending on their size. Since all 10 messengers from any one church may vote differently on the candidate of their choice, there's no way to predict who will be elected president. [article link]
SBC seminaries send forth [2010] graduates - The work of the six seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention is showcased with each spring's commencement - Reports from the seminaries' services follow Such faithfulness will ensure that the world knows "you are exactly what you claim to be" Paige Patterson, Southwestern's president, said during his commissioning message **"And if you will be faithful to the assignment you have [from SBC members?], then God will maintain your work, whatever His purpose for you" {Note: This is a very strange, unbiblical and even highly blasphemous comment from Paige Patterson. Does Paige Patterson wrongly believe that being loyal to and serving the SBC is the same thing as being loyal to and serving God if so this is very mistaken and very unbiblical. - Also Note: God does not uphold our work, God ONLY upholds His works (Joshua 5:13-15, Romans 8:4, Hebrews 1:1-3).} NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The work of the six seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention is showcased with each spring's commencement. Reports from the seminaries' services follow. ... SOUTHWESTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY -- One hundred years after the institution moved from Waco to Fort Worth, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduates were exhorted to continue to walk in integrity through life and ministry regardless of the result during spring commencement May 8. Such faithfulness will ensure that the world knows "you are exactly what you claim to be," Paige Patterson, Southwestern's president, said during his commissioning message. "And if you will be faithful to the assignment you have, then God will maintain your work, whatever His purpose for you." Preaching about the apostles' imprisonment in Acts 5, Patterson cautioned the graduates that there is no guarantee life will continue as it has for them in the same circumstances that they have enjoyed. "And many of you will not be serving in this country anyway," Patterson told the diverse group, which represented eight countries as well as those wishing to serve overseas. "Many of you will go to places where your life will be in jeopardy." Regardless, Patterson used Scripture to remind the students that the presence of God will be with them wherever they may serve -- something that enabled the early church to continue their ministry, "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name" (Acts 5:41). "Rejoicing that they could suffer. Aren't those words in strange proximity to one another?" Patterson said. "That is the key to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will suffer, not only possibly physically, but you will certainly, every one of you, suffer misunderstanding, misrepresentation, abuse and attack of various kinds in the ministry to which you go. "It will come," he assured them. "You have a choice at that point. You may either become bitter and resent what has happened to you, and that bitterness will permeate everything about you and everything around you to the point that there will be no joy at all, or you can choose to rejoice that you, too, are counted worthy to suffer for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." Southwestern administrators conferred 214 degrees, including 21 undergraduate, 172 master's and 19 doctorates. [article link]
Wikipedia: Paige Patterson - Role in the [supposed] Southern Baptist Convention SBC Conservative Resurgence Role in the SBC Conservative Resurgence: Patterson is best known for his prominent role in a conservative resurgence within the SBC starting in 1979 with the election of Adrian Rogers as Convention President. Believing SBC seminaries and other SBC institutions had drifted away from their conservative Biblical roots, Patterson joined with Judge Paul Pressler of Houston, TX to carry out a plan that included exposing the liberal theology taught and practiced by the leadership in SBC institutions. The most important issue was the nature
of scripture, particularly, whether or not it is inerrant. Patterson, Pressler, and a host of pastors and laymen began to spread the word that the teaching of SBC leadership was not reflective of their constituents who were paying their salaries. Patterson and the conservatives won the support of hundreds of like-minded churches, and as many as 40,000 messengers (church members willing to travel to the annual Southern Baptist Convention to vote). Patterson's influence has been felt at all levels of Southern Baptist life. The seminaries have for the most part returned to their conservative moorings. Local churches are hiring pastors educated at schools led by conservatives. Missionaries are being influenced by Patterson's leadership. By the time Patterson was appointed president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, the conservative leadership required that all faculty sign documents stating their allegiance to Southern Baptist theology, most notably, the Baptist Faith and Message. [article link]
Ergun Caner and brother Emir Caner - visit with *longtime mentor and Southwestern Seminary President Paige Patterson (Photo) Ergun Caner, left, president of Liberty Theological Seminary and brother to Emir Caner, right, visit with longtime mentor and Southwestern Seminary President Paige Patterson, center, before the ceremony. [article link]
[LU's] Ergun Caner: Lynchburg paper gives backgrounder - Also listed beside Caner's name, in Liberty University's online catalog of graduate courses and faculty, is a doctor of ministry degree - On his website, Caner says the doctor of ministry was an honorary degree, one of two that he has been given - It's so honorary that it's described this way in a 2003 Baptist Press article - "completed a D.Min. at Emmanuel Baptist University and a D. Theol. at the University of South Africa" - You do not describe an honorary degree as "completed" "Completed" implies some sort of coursework was done - Ergun just needs to come clean, and the sooner, the better - Preferably before the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) meets in Orlando, FL. in a month [June 13-16, 2010] ... and, more to the point of something I've been all over on this blog: Also listed beside Caner's name, in Liberty University's online catalog of graduate courses and faculty, is a doctor of ministry degree [D.Min.]. On his website, Caner says the doctor of ministry was an honorary degree, one of two that he has been given. That's been Ergun's excuse every time he's been questioned about it. I brought this up last August 2 in a blog post. Scroll down to "Is It Butter or Parkay? (Ergun's Allegedly Honorary Degree)" for the full scoop, but here's the pertinent detail. Ergun claims that his D.Min from "Emmanuel Baptist University" is honorary. It's so honorary that it's described this way in a 2003 Baptist Press article talking about his move from Criswell College to Liberty University: After receiving a B.A. from Cumberland College, Caner received the M.A. from The Criswell College, M.Div. and Th.M. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and completed a D.Min. at Emmanuel Baptist University and a D. Theol. at the University of South Africa. Erm. No. You do not describe an honorary degree as "completed." "Completed" implies some sort of coursework was done. It's the same word used to describe his earned Th.D from the University of South Africa. Now, I don't know if Ergun completed any coursework for the D.Min beyond writing a check, addressing an envelope, putting a stamp on the envelope and walking it down to the post office. But it can't be an "honorary" degree if he purchased it. Ergun just needs to come clean, and the sooner, the better. Preferably before the SBC meets in Orlando in a month, maybe? -COMMENTS: It's an odd comment to begin with, because a D.Min [Doctor of Ministry] is not usually an honorary degree, but a completed one. As a professional degree it does not entitle one to the honorific "Dr." Nevertheless *it is awarded upon completion of a course of study and ***the production of a professional paper [In some United States doctoral programs, the term "dissertation" can refer to the major part of the student's total time spent along with two or three years of classes, and may take years of full-time work to complete. At most universities, *dissertation is the term for the **required submission [paper] for the doctorate [degree], and thesis refers only to the master's degree requirement. - Wiki.com]. I've never heard of an honorary one. This is extremely "hinky." ... The whole question of honorary degrees, whether they should be
awarded, whether they are something to be proud of, listed as accomplishments, etc. is kind of murky, and I might gently suggest that on this particular issue there's smoke but not much fire. [Sr.] Jerry Falwell's only doctorate was honorary [three honorary doctorates - Wiki.com], but people who thought highly of him often referred to him as "Dr Falwell" rather than "Jerry." If you look at the "About the Authors" section at the end of some of the Left Behind books you may see that Jerry Jenkins claims to "hold" two honorary degrees while Tim LaHaye distinguishes between his earned degree and his honorary degrees. Jerry Falwell Jr. earned a JD [Juris Doctor], but you will occasionally see him referred to as "Dr Falwell," even though that is not the typical mode of address for a lawyer. Finally, some schools only address medical doctors (MDs, not dentists or PhDs in community health) as "Doctor" and all other doctoral degree recipients as "Mister." That's how it was where I got mine. Anyway, I'd suggest that there's smoke but no fire here; if he earned a doctorate in South Africa then he's Dr Caner, regardless of whether he got another honorary doctorate. [article link]
Apprising Ministries: The Emerging church - Three voices from the "emergent church" will explore this capacity of postmodern Christianity *to embrace and redefine tradition, ... Who should attend: Any futurist who feels that everything must change about [traditional Christian] religion and is curious about how progressive [New Age] Christianity is a leading indicator of change - What you'll learn: Attendees will learn how to ground [embed and saturate] their leadership and foresight in the concerns of tomorrow's [New World Order] spiritualities and relate religious concepts to futures thinking through a theology of (false and deceptive) hope - How can this *new knowledge be applied: Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how postmodern spiritualities are **reshaping conservative theologies and communities Back in November of 2005 the online apologetics and discernment work Apprising Ministries warned you about what is now a full blown cult of neo-liberalism operating within mainstream evangelicalism, the sinfully ecumenical Emerging Church. These past few years this EC has been busy forging together its new form of postmodern liberal theology, a Liberalism 2.0 many call Emergence Christianity, which Emergent Church guru Brian McLaren begins laying out in his latest book A New Kind of Christianity. ... Three voices from the "emergent church" will explore this capacity of postmodern Christianity to embrace and redefine tradition, ... Who should attend: Any futurist who feels that everything must change about religion and is curious about how progressive Christianity is a leading indicator of change. What you'll learn: Attendees will learn how to ground their leadership and foresight in the concerns of tomorrow's spiritualities and relate religious concepts to futures thinking through a theology of hope. How can this new knowledge be applied: Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how postmodern spiritualities are reshaping conservative theologies and communities. [article link]
[Modern] Pietism - Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid18th century and later - It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to begin the Brethren movement - The Pietist movement combined the Lutheranism of the time with the Reformed, and especially Puritan, emphasis on individual piety, and a vigorous Christian life History: Although pietism surely had roots prior to the Reformation and to some extent the cause of it, as a distinct movement within Protestantism pietism became identifiable in the 17th century. The Lutheran Church had continued Philipp Melanchthon's attempt to construct an intellectual backbone for the Evangelical Lutheran faith. By the 17th century the denomination remained a confessional theological and sacramental institution, influenced by orthodox Lutheran theologians such as Johann Gerhard of Jena (d. 1637), and keeping with the liturgical traditions of the Roman Catholicism of which it saw itself as a reformed variation. In the Reformed Church, on the other hand, John Calvin had not only influenced doctrine, but for a particular formation of Christian life. The Presbyterian constitution gave the people a share in church life which the Lutherans lacked, but it appeared to some to degenerate into a dogmatic legalism which, the Lutherans
believed, imperiled Christian freedom and fostered self-righteousness. However, in the pietist view, ritualistic elements which Luther wanted to remove were captivating the mainstream of the Lutheran church, squeezing the pietists into fellowships with which they were comfortable. ... In Pia desideria "Pious Desires" (1675), Spener made six proposals as the best means of restoring the life of the Church: 1. The earnest and thorough study of the Bible in private meetings, ecclesiolae in ecclesia ("little churches within the church"). 2. The Christian priesthood being universal, the laity [people] should share in the spiritual government of the Church. 3. A knowledge of Christianity must be attended by the practice of it as its indispensable sign and supplement. 4. Instead of merely didactic, and often bitter, attacks on the heterodox [variant views] and unbelievers, a sympathetic and kindly treatment of them. 5. A reorganization of the theological training of the universities, giving more prominence to the devotional life. 6. A different style of preaching, namely, in the place of pleasing rhetoric [examples directed from news, events and stories], the implanting of [Biblical] Christianity in the inner or new man [spiritual man], the soul of which is faith, and its effects the fruits of life. - This work produced a great impression throughout Germany, and although large numbers of the orthodox Lutheran theologians and pastors were deeply offended by Spener's book, its complaints and its demands were both too well justified to admit of their being point-blank denied. A large number of pastors immediately adopted Spener's proposals. ... In modern societies where Pietism has had a profound impact its religious foundations are no longer apparent. Atheistic pietism is a term used by Asgeir Helgason to describe a pietistic (moralistic) approach to life without religion. "We have denied the existence of God but kept the pietistic rules". Atheistic pietism has been suggested to be one of the characteristics (traits) of the modern day Swedish national spirit. The term is first known to have been used by W.H. Mallock in 1879. [article link]
[Modern] Anabaptist - Anabaptists "re-baptizers" or "adult baptism" [believer's baptism - credobaptism (reciting the well-known "Apostles' Creed" or a personal Bible verse or a Psalm at baptism)] are Christians of the Radical Reformation - Puritans of England and their Baptist branch arose independently, but were influenced by the Anabaptist movement - Where men believe in the freedom of religion, supported by a guarantee of separation of church and state [government], they have entered into that [Anabaptist] heritage Where men have caught the Anabaptist vision of [N.T.] discipleship, they have become worthy of that heritage - Where corporate discipleship submits itself to the New Testament pattern of the church, the heir has then entered full possession of his [N.T. - Anabaptist] legacy [Some] Anabaptists rejected *conventional [common and Biblically acceptable] Christian practices such as wearing wedding rings, taking oaths, and participating in civil government. They adhered to a literal interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount and Believer's baptism. The name Anabaptist is derived from this, because credobaptism ('Believer's baptism' - adult baptism) was considered heresy by all other major Christian denominations at the time of the reformation period (specifically, all major Christian denominations saw [infant] baptism as necessary for salvation and necessary for infants, and held that it was wrong to delay baptism until the child had reached a certain age; they did, however, require that those who converted later in life should confess a baptismal creed [the Apostles' Creed] at baptism (credobaptism). Anabaptists required that candidates be able to make their own confessions of faith and so refused baptism to infants). As a result, Anabaptists were heavily persecuted during the 16th century and into the 17th by both Roman Catholics and other Protestants. ... Somewhat related to this is the theory that the Anabaptists are of Waldensian origin. Some hold the idea that the Waldenses are part of the apostolic succession, while others simply believe they were an independent group out of whom the Anabaptists arose. Estep asserts "the Waldenses disappeared in Switzerland a century before the rise of the Anabaptist movement." Ludwig Keller, Thomas M. Lindsay, H. C. Vedder, Delbert Grätz, and Thieleman J. van Braght all held, in varying degrees, the position that the Anabaptists were of Waldensian origin. ... The Anabaptists were early promoters of a free church and freedom of religion (sometimes associated with separation of church and state). When it was introduced by the Anabaptists in the 15th and 16th centuries, religious freedom independent of the state was unthinkable to both clerical and governmental leaders. Religious liberty was equated with anarchy; Kropotkin traces the birth of
anarchist thought in Europe to these early Anabaptist communities. According to Estep: Where men believe in the freedom of religion, supported by a guarantee of separation of church and state, they have entered into that heritage. Where men have caught the Anabaptist vision of discipleship, they have become worthy of that heritage. Where corporate discipleship submits itself to the New Testament pattern of the church, the heir has then entered full possession of his legacy. [article link]
Apprising Ministries: MYSTICISM PART 5 - Pietism [personal rightiousness] & Subjective [my version of selfrightiousness] Christianity - Where Did Pietism Go Wrong? Of course that is a loaded question and presupposes that Pietism did go wrong - Given the fact that Pietism, to some degree, lives on in church related groups as diverse as Amish, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal and the Amana Society it is hard to be precise But, wherever experience and subjectivity reigns supreme over Scripture in the lives and churches of twentyfirst century believers there is something wrong {Note: The Basic Christian ministry at its core is really a remnant of the Anabaptist - Pietism movement. In about 2001 the Basic Christian: Statement of Faith was rewritten and expanded including the phrase "while to the *righteous He [Jesus Christ] will give of His life, His gifts, and His glory" this was added with much consideration and what it means is that the purpose of the Basic Christian ministry at its core is a Ministry of Righteousness in Jesus Christ. Righteousness is an extremely loaded word and it should be but it is so loaded that after that one small phrase [and a few more words] were added to the Basic Christian: Statement of Faith that article went from among the most popular articles on the website to one of the least popular articles on the site yet Righteousness (our righteousness only in Jesus Christ) is such an important Biblical concept that I decided to leave that phrase in the Statement of Faith just to help us keep our goals and ambitions on track and in a proper order. - The coming Millennial 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth is going to be His Kingdom of Righteousness [Isaiah 5:16, Isaiah 26:9, Isaiah 45:8, 19, Romans 1:17, 1 Corinthians 15:34, 2 Corinthians 3:9, 5:21, Galatians 5:5, Revelation 22:11] and in order for us as individuals to be able to inhabit properly within the Kingdom of God we need to have a concept of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ in our own lives. - Starting in about 2012 the Basic Christian Ministry is hoping to transition into more Biblical exploration of just what is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and how does it apply to each Christian in our own personal life and really the Righteousness of Jesus Christ functions and is displayed through the Holy Spirit and in the eternal Melchizedek, Righteous High Priesthood of Jesus Christ.} Although Pietists adhered to the inspiration of the Bible, they advocated individual feeling as being of primary importance. That may have been an adequate method for avoiding cold orthodoxy of "Protestant scholasticism," it opened the door for the equally dangerous enemy of "subjective experientialism." The first generation of Pietists could recall and reflect on its grounding in Scripture while validly advocating the need for individual experience. A second generation would stress the need for individual experience, but often without a proper Biblical or catechetical basis. This would leave a third generation that would question individual experience with no Biblical or doctrinal "standard" to serve as an objective criterion. In turn, their unanswered questions would tend to demand an authority. When Scriptures were neglected, human reason or subjective experience would fill the need as the required "standard." Thus while not causing other movements Pietism gave impetus to three other movements in the post-Reformation church: deism [reason and logic used apart from the Bible to get to know God], skepticism [doubting Biblical passages that don't seem to relate to the physical realm] and rationalism [placing personal human physical reasoning and understanding as a higher authority than the scriptures of the Holy Bible]. ... The great-grandchildren of Pietism live on in modern evangelicalism. On the positive side, much like original Pietists there is a great hunger today for spirituality. People want a spirituality that works in the trenches of life. They want a faith that is relevant, provides answers and draws them closer to God. There is little interest in "dead orthodoxy." People want to feel something experience something. George Gallup documents this spiritual hunger in his book, The Next American Spirituality. Unfortunately much of the spirituality that he observes is without biblical foundation leading him to warn, "Contemporary spirituality can resemble a grab bag of random experiences that does little more than promise to make our eyes mist up or our heart warm. We need perspective to separate the junk food from the
wholesome, the faddish from the truly transforming." But perspective is hard to come by due to the massive level of biblical illiteracy, not only in America but among Christians as well. Half, he says, "Of those describing themselves as Christians are unable to name who delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Many Americans cannot name the reason for celebrating Easter or what the Ten Commandments are. People think the name of Noah's wife was Joan, as in Joan of Ark." Then there is what some have called "the great disconnect." That is, there is a wide chasm between what Americans in general, and self-proclaimed Christians in particular, claim to believe and how they live. While the general populace claim to have a great interest in spirituality, and Christians claim to be followers of Christ, our societies, homes and churches are inundated with corruption, violence, substance abuse, racism, divorce and materialism. This "cluster of moral and theological shortcomings seemingly throws into question the transforming power of religious beliefs," Gallup admits, leading him to state, "Just because Americans claim they are more spiritual does not make them so." That leans into an excellent question, "Is the church really rediscovering its spiritual moorings - or just engaging in retreat from seemingly insoluble problems?" ... Such [emotional self-experience] "piety" is changing every facet of Christian and church life. Take worship for example. Monte E. Wilson has noted, "For the modern evangelical, worship is defined exclusively in terms of the individual's experience. Worship, then, is not about adoring God but about being nourished with religious feelings, so much so that the worshiper has become the object of worship." The cause for this type of worship, Wilson believes, is the loss of devotion to Scriptures. He writes in pejorative terms, "Others-probably the majority in modern American evangelicalism-have utterly neglected any commitment to the content of the Word and have ended with narcissistic 'worship' services where everyone drowns in a sea of subjectivism and calls it 'being bathed in the presence of the Holy Spirit.' These people come to church exclusively to 'feel' God." Pietistic leanings, of course, are not limited to worship and the gathered church. Where they are most evident, and most concerning is in the area of "God's leading." How does God speak to and lead His people according to Scripture? And how has Pietistic understanding of these things affected the way we interpret both Scripture and our subject feelings? This will be the topic of our next paper. [article link]
Apologetics Training Videos - Shepherd's Fellowship of Greensboro - In part I of our series on apologetic and evangelistic methods, Dustin S. Segers defines the problems inherent in modern evangelistic and apologetic methods and then goes on to discuss biblical methods of apologetics and evangelism {Apologetics Training from a Reformed, Calvinistic Theology - Good material but with the patented Reformed biased view. Charles Finney (1792 -1875) one of the greatest men of the Christian faith is referenced in the teaching as a heretic but it's not true. [Finney was a primary influence on the "revival" style of theology which emerged in the 19th century (1800's). Though coming from a Calvinistic background, Finney rejected (Shepherding) tenets of "Old Divinity" Calvinism which he felt were unbiblical and counter to evangelism and Christian mission. - Wiki.com]. Many of the Reformed theologies and Apologetics teachings in this series are excellent it is just that a heavily biased Reformed Only (Shepherding) view is never that excellent of a way to share, teach or preach the Holy Bible to fellow Christians.} (YouTube) Why Do We Exist? - 5. Restoring (Shepherding) Biblical Pastoral Oversight [vs. body of Jesus Christ fellowship, individuality (grace), freedom, ability and equality in Jesus Christ]. Many church leaders have neglected the duties of overseeing the spiritual welfare of individuals and families. Programs, facilities, and finances are managed and promoted by many pastors. If pastors and elders fail to care for souls, they fail to obey God to the great detriment of the church (1Pet. 5:1-2; Acts 20:28). We desire to see each individual in Shepherd's Fellowship mature to the glory of God so that each life produces a great harvest in the kingdom of God. While we want to purpose to be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3), we wish to see continually good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ (Col. 2:5). Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. (Heb 13:17) In conclusion, our desire is to glorify God in all that we do through proper preaching, teaching, ministering and evangelizing (Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Cor. 12:31). We pray that God will cause His gospel to spread quickly through our local area to bring honor and
glory to Christ and to seek and save those who are lost (Eph. 3:21). [article link]
Basic Christian: Statement of Faith and Beliefs - Updated: Now Includes 'The Chicago Statement on Biblical Application' from The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Basic Christian: Statement of Faith • We believe that God is the creator of the universe creating both of the seen (physical) and the unseen (spiritual) realms and that God the creator is also the giver of life. • We believe the Holy Bible is God's word Personally spoken by God for mankind for the purpose of revealing who He is and it is without error in all issues to which it speaks. • We believe in the Triunity (Trinity), one God in three Persons, consisting of Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit. • We Believe Jesus Christ is Divine God who came from Heaven to mankind as a man yet retaining the Divinity of God and who while living a sinless life was rejected and betrayed by man to be crucified and die on the cross yet not to remain dead but to Resurrect the third day in accordance with His Everlasting Divine life. • We believe that the death of Jesus on the cross provided complete atonement for all the sins of the world therefore cleansing those who choose to be cleansed from their sin to then receive the Holy Spirit and by receiving the Holy Spirit becoming "Born Again" and being Born Again becoming children of God. Children in the family of God and as children in a personal relationship with their Father who is God above all and as children also inheritors in the Heavenly Kingdom of Jesus the kingdom that is without end. • We believe that Jesus is the judge of all of mankind's thoughts, intentions and actions and that He is just and wise in His judgment. As judge, Jesus will judge the unjust to everlasting condemnation while to the righteous He will give of His life, His gifts, and His glory. • We believe Jesus physically rose from the dead, was seen by and interacted with many eyewitnesses including the Disciples and Apostles and that Jesus has now ascended back into Heaven where He originally came from. Jesus is currently seated in Majesty, Power and Authority alongside the Father and He is now accessible to us in both Prayer and Fellowship. ~ God Bless you, David Anson Brown [article link]
1689 Baptist Confession of Faith - "The Baptist Confession of Faith adopted by the ministers and messengers of the General Assembly which met in London in 1689" the Second London Confession, originally composed in 1677, has ever since been called "The 1689 Confession" This became the most popular confession of Calvinistic Baptists in the English speaking world. It enjoyed editions in Britain in 1693, 1699, 1719, 1720, 1791, 1809. In 1855 C. H. Spurgeon issued a new edition. It was only the second year of his ministry at the New Park Street Chapel. Spurgeon wrote, "I have thought it right to reprint in a cheap form this excellent list of doctrines, which were subscribed to by the Baptist Ministers in the year 1689. We need a banner because of the truth; it may be that this small volume may aid the cause of the glorious gospel by testifying plainly what are its leading doctrines ... May the Lord soon restore unto Zion a pure language, and may her watchmen see eye to eye." He addressed these remarks to "all the Household of Faith, who rejoice in the glorious doctrines of Free Grace." Other British editions have appeared in 1958, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1974. -- In the later 1600's Benjamin Keach and another minister of London published the 1689 Confession with two articles added, one on "the laying on of hands" and another''the singing of psalms". When Elias Keach, son of Benjamin, became a Baptist minister in America in 1688, he became a part of the Calvinistic Baptists who formed the Philadelphia Baptist Association in 1707. Through him the Second London Confession with his father's addenda was adopted by the Philadelphia Association. For years the association appealed to the confession, formally adopting it in 1742. The first edition of the "Philadelphia Confession of Faith" was printed by Benjamin Franklin in 1743. Under this name the 1689 confession became the definitive doctrinal statement of Calvinistic Baptists throughout the colonial and early United States periods. Associations in Virginia (1766) Rhode Island (1767), South Carolina (1767), Kentucky (1785), and Tennessee (1788) adopted the confession. It came to be known in America 85 "The Baptist Confession". Familiarity with the Confession and its doctrines declined in the latter half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. But since God has remarkably revived Biblical Calvinism among Baptists in recent days, interest in this historic confession has
been renewed. [article link]
Historic Baptist Documents - Confessions, Catechisms, Creeds Many contemporaries have a deep-seated suspicion of catechisms. In our own Baptist denomination, many would consider the words "Baptist catechism" as mutually exclusive. A popular misconception is that catechisms are used in times and places where inadequate views of conversion predominate or the fires of evangelism have long since turned to white ash. If the Bible is preached, they continue, no catechism is necessary; catechisms tend to produce mere intellectual assent where true heart religion is absent. This concern reflects a healthy interest for the experiential side of true Christianity. Concern for conversion and fervor, however, should never diminish one's commitment to the individual truths of Christianity nor the necessity of teaching them in a full and coherent manner. An Encouragement to Use Catechisms, Tom Nettles -- I am persuaded that the use of a good Catechism in all our families will be a great safeguard against the increasing errors of the times, and therefore I have compiled this little manual from the Westminster Assembly's and Baptist Catechisms, for the use of my own church and congregation. Those who use it in their families or classes must labour to explain the sense; but the words should be carefully learned by heart, for they will be understood better as years pass. ~ C. H. Spurgeon -- "There never was a man in the world without a creed. What is a creed? A creed is what you believe. What is a confession? It is a declaration of what you believe. That declaration may be oral or it may be committed to writing, but the creed is there either expressed or implied." ~ B.H. Carroll [article link]
Note: Just a reminder that the pace of the Basic Christian blog History Study is going to slowdown throughout the Summer The Basic Christian Study of The Christian Apostles is going to continue at a slower pace as we spend the Summer leisurely looking into the early formation that began the Christian Church and at the original Church structure that continues to hold the Christian Church together today. [article link]
Starting Soon - A Basic Christian Study: The Christian Apostles {Note: To say that the Christian Church only started at Pentecost [50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ] and not on the Resurrection Sunday of Jesus (Luke 24:45, John 20:22) is to say that the Apostles were not Christians [the entire 40 days that Jesus met with them after His resurrection and before His ascension] it wipes out the [True] Christian Apostolic dispensation [lasting only 40 days] and with it a great part of the foundation that the Christian Church is founded and based upon.} Matthew 10:2-4 Now the names of the Twelve Apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. -- Matthew 28:18-20 And [40 days after the resurrection] Jesus came and spake unto them [Apostles], saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations [the Christian Apostles' doctrine], baptizing them [converts to Christianity] in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them [fellow Christians] to observe all things whatsoever I [Jesus Christ] have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you [Disciples] alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. -- Acts 2:42 And they [Pentecost converts to Christianity] continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. -- 1 Corinthians 15:7-9 After that [first resurrection days of Jesus - being seen by Peter and the {remaining} 12 Apostles {at that time only 11 Apostles} and then over 500 resurrection witnesses at one time], He [resurrected Jesus] was seen of James [Gospel of James - son of Joseph and half-brother of Jesus]; then of all the Apostles [who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ]. **And last of all He [Jesus] was seen of me [Apostle Paul - The 12th Apostle, Judas' replacement - chosen by God (Romans 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:1, etc.) not by the casting of lots (Acts 1:26)] also,
*as of one born out of due time [missing the 40 days of the Apostle dispensation]. For I [Apostle Paul/Saul] am the least of the Apostles, that am not meet to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. -Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye [Gentiles] are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the [Jewish] Saints, and of the Household of God; And are built upon *the foundation of the [N.T.] Apostles and [O.T.] Prophets, **Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief [foundation] Corner Stone; In [Jesus Christ] whom all the [Temple] building fitly framed together groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation [living place] of God through the [Holy] Spirit. [article link]
The Nicene Creed (325 A.D.): ... And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic [universal] and **[A]postolic Church [based on the foundation of the Apostles] - I acknowledge one Baptism [personal - individual identity (cross and resurrection) with Jesus Christ] for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come Amen The Three Ecumenical or Universal Creeds -- The Apostles' Creed [The title, Symbolum Apostolicum (Symbol or Creed of the Apostles), appears for the first time in a letter from a Council in Milan (probably written by Ambrose himself) to Pope Siricius in about 390 A.D. - Wiki.com]: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic [universal] Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. -- The Nicene Creed [adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first (second) ecumenical council (Jerusalem Acts 15:6 was the first ecumenical Church council), which met there in 325 A.D. - Wiki.com]: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. -- The Athanasian Creed [The use of the Creed in a sermon by Caesarius of Arles, as well as a theological resemblance to works by Vincent of Lérins, point to Southern Gaul as its origin. The most likely time frame is in the late fifth or early sixth century A.D. (475-525 A.D.) at least 100 years after Athanasius (293 A.D. May 2, 373 A.D.) - Wiki.com]: Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic [universal] faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic [universal] faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal. As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son
almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the catholic [universal] religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another; But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give an account of their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic [universal] faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved. [article link]
Creating Your Own Way To Worship God - Mark Driscoll [pastor of Mars Hill Fellowship in Seattle Washington] and Neo-Reformed New-Calvinist [once saved always saved] Contemplative [New Age - altered state of consciousness i.e. transcendental meditation] Spirituality - Dr. John Piper, who's seen as a "pioneer" of this New Calvinism - back in February of this year [2010] Driscoll was a featured speaker, along with CSM teacher Peter Scazzero, at the Radicalis conference put on by Purpose Driven Pope [exercising excessive authority] Rick Warren at his Saddleback Church {Really as others have noted the contemplative meditative spirituality movement is the new circumcision of modern Christianity. In the ancient Church early Christians attempted to focus on circumcision in order to avoid the seemingly unpopular cross and teachings of Jesus Christ. Today modern Christians are contemplating anything and everything in another attempt to distance themselves from the cross (sin nature of mankind) and what they perceive to be unpopular teachings of Jesus Christ all the while neglecting the true Majesty and Glory of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.} Creating Your Own Way To Worship God - Apprising Ministries has shared some concern about this New Calvinism as expressed e.g. by Matt Chandler and particularly Mark Driscoll, founder of Acts 29 Network, in recent posts such as Acts 29 Network And Reformed Counter Reformation Spirituality? and Acts 29 Pastor Matt Chandler On Being A Reformed Charismatic. In my assessment there's very good reason for concern as these people are rapidly growing in popularity and influence within the younger sector of the Reformed Camp; being blessed as they are by Dr. John Piper, who's seen as a "pioneer" of this New Calvinism. Then in Spiritual Disciplines According To Martin Luther I connected some more of the dots for you concerning the Acts 29 Church Planting Network itself where you heard from Darren Patrick, its own Vice President, that they are a "neo-Reformed" section of the Emerging Church. Let me be perfectly clear: Acts 29 is most certainly not heretical in its basic theological beliefs. The concern here is the recommendation of a key component that was hidden within the Trojan Horse of the sinfully ecumenical Emergent Church (EC) and its new "big tent" progressive/liberal de-formation of the Christian faith they call Emergence Christianity. This EC-a neo-liberal
cult now firmly entrenched within the walls of mainstream evangelicalism-has long been busy now blurring doctrinal lines through their core doctrine of Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) as taught by Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster along with his spiritual twin and Southern Baptist minister Dallas Willard. ... Although Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Fellowship in Seattle Washington, is said to have denounced certain aspects of the emergent church, Driscoll is a proponent of the main element behind the emerging church - contemplative prayer. ... I previously pointed out in Who Is John Main? this form of "mantra meditation" encouraged by Thomas, and apparently also recommended by Driscoll, is traced to Dom (father) John Main (1926-1982). Main was a Roman Catholic priest and monk of the Order of Saint Benedict (OSB); he's also universally known by those in the so-called "contemplative tradition" as the man who rediscovered "the practice of pure prayer, or Christian meditation," using a "holy phrase" also known as a mantra. In 1975 Main "began the first meditation groups at his monastery in London and, later, in Montreal." ... In closing this out, for now, you should understand that what this CSM ends up producing is a sappy, centered on the self, psychobabble form of Christianity as these mystics "go within" themselves in search of "an authentic self" aka some supposed "true self." However, at its very core, it ends up a denial of the doctrine of original sin. I find it rather odd that people, who would tell us they are Protestants in line with Reformation theology, would be so quick to recommend this kind of Counter Reformation spirituality to their church planters and to the younger section of evangelicals influenced by this New Calvinism. [article link]
John Piper - More Details About Our 2010 National Conference - The conference theme is Think: The Life of the Mind & the Love of God - A number of people have asked about John Piper's decision to invite [purpose driven] Rick Warren - Below is a 12 minute clip from last night's Ask Pastor John session where he addresses that question and explains why he thinks it will be good for Rick [Warren] to come (Video) The 2010 Desiring God National Conference will take place, Lord willing, October 1-3 in Minneapolis. The conference theme is Think: The Life of the Mind & the Love of God, and the speakers and message titles are as follows: Al Mohler - "The Way the World Thinks: Meeting the Natural Mind in the Mirror and in the Market Place"; Rick Warren - "Thinking Purposefully for the Glory of Christ: The Life of the Mind and Global Reality"; R. C. Sproul (via video) - "Thinking Deeply in the Ocean of Revelation: The Bible and the Life of the Mind"; Thabiti Anyabwile - "Thinking for the Sake of Global Faithfulness: Confronting Islam with the Mind of Christ"; Francis Chan - "Think Hard, Stay Humble: The Life of the Mind and the Peril of Pride"; John Piper - "Thinking for the Sake of Joy: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God" -- John Piper's Upcoming Leave - By John Piper March 28, 2010 - As you may have already heard in the sermon from March 27-28, the elders graciously approved on March 22 a leave of absence that will take me away from Bethlehem from May 1 through December 31, 2010. We thought it might be helpful to put an explanation in a letter to go along with the sermon. I asked the elders to consider this leave [without pay - but possibly with perks (Per diem - travel, living expences) that can far exceed the regular salary] because of a growing sense that my soul, my marriage, my family, and my ministrypattern need a reality check from the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, I love my Lord, my wife, my five children and their families first and foremost; and I love my work of preaching and writing and leading Bethlehem. I hope the Lord gives me at least five more years as the pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem. But on the other hand, I see several species of pride in my soul that, while they may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry, grieve me, and have taken a toll on my relationship with Noël and others who are dear to me. How do I apologize to you, not for a specific deed, but for ongoing character flaws, and their effects on everybody? I'll say it now, and no doubt will say it again, I'm sorry. Since I don't have just one deed to point to, I simply ask for a spirit of forgiveness; and I give you as much assurance as I can that I am not making peace, but war, with my own sins. ... Personally, I view these months as a kind of relaunch of what I hope will be the most humble, happy, fruitful five years of our 35 years at Bethlehem and 46 years of marriage. Would you pray with me to that end? And would you stand by your church with all your might? May God make these eight months the best Bethlehem has ever known. It would be just like God to do the greatest things when I am not there. "Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth" (1
Corinthians 3:7). I love you and promise to pray for you every day. Pastor John. [article link]
The question remains: Is this phenomenon of former pastors becoming full-time conference speakers and authors a good thing? Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove suggests it's not in his new book, 'The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture' {Note: there is the added burden that today MUCH of what is passed off to the Christian public as authored works by leading pastors, teachers and leaders is in fact 'ghost authored' material and more and more the 'ghost authors' of modern Christian material are in actuality New Age authors seeking alternate avenues and venues to saturate their material into. -- Also Note: When it comes to the very serious business of adequately Pastoring a diverse congregation of people any 'one man show' is a complete no-go! It has been conclusively proven time and again in modern-Christianity to be completely UNNACCEPTABLE and even TOXIC to allow any one person to have the bulk of authority at any Church level. Even the Catholic Pope presides within a careful system of checks and balances.} What's going on? Is the local church becoming the "farm team" for full-time conference and book ministry? Normal pastoral transition, pastoral stress, the personality of church planters, and American culture all probably play a role in these type of transitions. ... Third, people who are good at church planting tend to have creative and communication gifts that also make them good writers. Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird write in the 2007 State of Church Planting in the United States, "Aggressive and highly effective church planters tend to be entrepreneurial and find creative means of funding the plant other than with direct assistance from denominational or church-planting agencies." It is not surprising that the entrepreneurial and creative energies of church planters will sometimes lead them to write books describing what they have learned along the way. Belcher, Chan, Rollins, McLaren, and others were all church planters. So was *Eugene Peterson [scam author of the 'ghost authored' and highly New Aged plagiarized 'The Message' bible], who left the church he planted after 29 years to become a professor at Regent College in 1991. (Piper's church has been in existence since the 19th century, but he led it to major growth.) Fourth, American culture expects authors to travel and promote their books through speaking engagements. Outside speaking engagements and further writing often take pastors away from the church they founded. Some pastors, such as Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Max Lucado, Tim Keller, and Rob Bell, have made arrangements to stay at the churches they founded with other pastors taking on a significant portion of the preaching. ... Still, it is problematic for us to judge people from a distance for their [self-serving] vocational decisions. "If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?" (1 Cor 12:17). We should be careful not to assume that these moves are made out of pride. In Sunday's sermon, for example, Chan was particulary eager to emphasize that he felt God is leading him to greater obscurity, not prominence. But even when prominence does come with these moves, we can all be thankful for good writing and speaking. Maybe God is setting aside some people for these [new apostle] tasks so that the body of Christ might be built up. {It's highly doubtful that this unbiblical, extremely deceptive and very much a worldly compromised movement could possibly be in any way a valid movement or work of God.} [article link]
It is only by FAITH in Jesus Christ (His sinless life, His atoning cross, His eternal life resurrection) that a person becomes a Christian - NOT by any kind of personal WORKS, good, bad or otherwise (Holy Bible) "John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ), that whosoever believeth [faith] in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name [Person] of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light [Jesus Christ] is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their [works] deeds were evil [selfish]. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light [God], neither cometh to the [True] light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth [Biblical] Truth cometh to the light [God], that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are
wrought [made - relationship] in God." -- "Ephesians 2:4-10 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins {the sins of Adam and Eve}, hath quickened us together with [Jesus] Christ, by grace ye are saved; And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. **For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: *Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto [God's] good works, *which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." [article link]
The works of God are different from the works of man - The Good Works of God are embodied in the works of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Holy Bible) "Matthew 16:24-28 Then said Jesus unto His Disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and **take up his cross, and follow Me. *For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life [die to this world] for My sake shall find it [eternal life]. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole [fallen] world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For [Jesus Christ] the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of [God] His Father with His [holy] angels; and **then He shall reward every man according to his [godly - Jesus centered] works [after taking up the cross]. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man [glorified - Mt. of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9)] coming in [displaying] His [righteous] Kingdom." -- "Hebrews 12:2-8 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our [Christian] faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." -- "Hebrews 12:12-17 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame [human good works] be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed [relationship with God]. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently [to God] lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." -- "Hebrews 12:22-25 But ye [disciples] are come unto Mount Sion [Zion - the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ], and unto the city of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of [holy] angels, To the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn [covered by the blood of Jesus], which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect [complete], And to Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not Him [Jesus] that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him [Moses] that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him [Jesus] that speaketh from heaven:" -- "Hebrews 12:28-29 Wherefore we [Christians] receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved [shaken down], let us have grace [individuality], whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire [removing unrighteousness]." [article link]
The Dalai Lama is wrong - There is "one truth" behind the "many faiths" and that core truth, he argues, is compassion [good works - i.e. Pastor Rick Warren's 'purpose driven' agenda] - Followers of the Dalai Lama revere him as a reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion - So it should not be surprising
that he sees compassion at the heart of all religions - Jesus came, according to most Christian thinkers, to stamp out sin and pave the path to [eternal] salvation (humans reconciled back into a (family) *relationship and *fellowship with Holy God) - religion is an immensely powerful force both personally and politically By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN - I am a big fan of the Dalai Lama. I love his trademark smile and I hate the fact that I missed his talks this week in New York City. But I cannot say either "Amen" or "Om" to the shopworn clichés that he trots out in the New York Times in "Many Faiths, One Truth." Recalling the Apostle Paul-"When I was a child, I spoke like a child"-the Dalai Lama begins by copping to youthful naivete. "When I was a boy in Tibet, I felt that my own Buddhist religion must be the best," he writes, "and that other faiths were somehow inferior." However, just as Paul, upon becoming a man, "put away childish things," the Dalai Lama now sees his youthful exclusivism as both naïve and dangerous. There is "one truth" behind the "many faiths," and that core truth, he argues, is compassion. Like the Dalai Lama, who writes of how he was influenced by Thomas Merton, I believe we can learn greatly from other religions. I too hope for tolerance and harmony in our interreligious interactions. I am convinced, however, that true tolerance and lasting harmony must be built on reality, not fantasy. Religious exclusivism is dangerous and naïve. But so too is pretend pluralism. The cause of religious harmony is not advanced in the least by the shibboleth that all religions are different paths up the same mountain. If you ask religious universalists what lies at the top of the mountain, the answers they will give you are not one but many ... As I argue in my new book, "God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World-and Why Their Differences Matter," religion is an immensely powerful force both personally and politically. So if we want to understand the world we must understand the world's religions. This includes reckoning with both similarities and differences, and with the capacity of each of the great religions to do both good and evil. I know that when it comes to the Dalai Lama we are all supposed to bow and scrape. So I am happy to applaud his project to find "common ground" across the world's religions. But I also know that the Buddha said to worship no man. And I cannot agree with the Dalai Lama's claim that "the essential message of all religions is very much the same." The Dalai Lama was doubtless naïve when, as a boy, and before learning about other religions, he arrived at the conclusion that only his religion was true. But it is no advance out of innocence to make the equally fantastic claim that all the religions are at heart vehicles for compassion. If we are to build a world of interreligious harmony, or even a world of interreligious détente, it will have to be constructed on a foundation of adult experience rather than youthful naivete. [article link]
{Flashback} Calvary Chapel Senior Pastor Chuck Smith now supports Rick Warren [Rick Warren's good friend (and Saddleback Church attendee) Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News also owns and distributes the Satanic bible, is a leading promoter of evolution and abortion and is also one of the leading distributors of pornographic material throughout the world] - {Note: Chuck Smith seems to think that 'anything' he does is a move of the Holy Spirit or is endorsed 'blessed' by the Holy Spirit simply because he does it and that is complete blasphemy! Pastor Chuck Smith needs to continually submit himself to the Holy Spirit in the same way and manner as everyone else. There are no special circumstances or special people, even in these End Times [or especially in these End Times], everyone is to be submitted to God at all times and there are no exceptions. Honestly, Pastor Chuck Smith and Pastor Rick Warren seem to think that they have some special anointed 'secret agent' End Time calling on their life and are to define and complete the Church and to personally above everyone else 'deliver the Church personally to God' as some super servant at the 2nd Coming appearance and return of Jesus and it is certainly not the case. - The Apostle Paul had the calling of Apostle on his life and the Apostle Paul openly and publically declared to everyone his calling [1 Corinthians 1:1] and his intentions within the Church. We now live in days where Church leaders and pseudo Church leaders like Smith and Warren seem to be enacting out a secret fantasy of an End Time calling [that does not exist] with their secret intentions and hidden agendas and it's not Biblically correct. Secrecy is a deception that is being imposed upon the Christian Church by the leaders of the Church and the Church doesn't need it or want it. Also Note: Chuck Smith is always overselling his Calvary Chapel agenda and Rick Warren is always overly aggressive in demanding his agenda and both approaches towards people and audiences are unbiblical.}
(YouTube) This video shows the many compromises that Chuck Smith has made, on this one I fear he has gone beyond the pale. [article link]
Oprah and Julia Roberts Make Push for New Age 'Eat, Pray, Love' Summer 2010 Movie - the message in Gilbert's book 'Eat, Pray, Love' is a New Age one that encourages eastern meditation [contemplating that all is one and all is well in this world without the cross and reconciliation of Jesus Christ (no sin) vs. fellowshipping with God in a right relationship of sinful human and loving, Holy God (Isaiah 1:18)] as a way to find peace and fulfillment in life - According to Time magazine, the following people are among the 2008 (100 most) influential people in the world - The ones we have listed all have some connection to promoting the New Age movement: #81 - Rupert Murdoch On May 24th, on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Julia Roberts joined Oprah to promote the upcoming film, Eat, Pray, Love, based on Elizabeth Gilbert's New York Times Best Selling book with the same name. The movie will be released this summer and will most likely be a box office hit with Roberts starring in the film and Brad Pitt producing. Sadly, the message in Gilbert's book is a New Age one that encourages eastern meditation as a way to find peace and fulfillment in life. ... According to Time magazine, the following people are among the 2008 100 most influential people in the world. The ones we have listed all have some connection to promoting the New Age movement: #1 - Dalai Lama, #3 - Barack Obama, #4 - Hilary Clinton, #22 - Oprah Winfrey, #67 Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love), #81 - Rupert Murdoch. [article link]
INFLUENCES: RICK WARREN AND C. PETER WAGNER OF NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION - Simpson reminds us that Warren [purpose driven Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church] "wrote his doctoral dissertation at Fuller Seminary [1993] on his church growth ideas" And after informing us that he has Warren's "full dissertation in my possession" Simpson then tells us: His mentor was [new apostle reformation heretic] C. Peter Wagner! ... You can see this information compiled by Sandy Simpson right here - As far as I'm concerned the ill-advised decision by Dr. John Piper to bring Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren into the Desiring God Conference 2010 [October 1-3 in Minneapolis, MN] as the keynote speaker begins to look even more peculiar And Warrengate continues to simmer... Apprising Ministries points you now to something Christian apologist and missionary Sandy Simpson of the fine online apologetics and discernment ministry (Deception in the Church) was covering back in 2004. As I have said before, Simpson was one of the first to assist me when I first came on the Net in late August of 2005, when he helped draw attention to my early [Apprising Ministries] writings. In an addendum to "The New Apostolic Reformation" [NAR] What is it and where it is going? Simpson tells us about facts "that were obtained after the NAR video series was completed"; he then explains that, "This information is available in the book version of the NAR series." First Simpson further documents C. Peter Wagner's Involvement In The Latter Rain: Latter Rain heresy is likened to pioneers making "mistakes". Latter Rain heretics were only pioneers in the sense of pioneering age old heresies in the 20th century. Heresy is not a mistake, it is a sin, and one we are to reject ... Wagner claims God began speaking these Latter Rain things again. Does God [again] speak heresy? ... Then in the Rick Warren/C. Peter Wagner Connections, Simpson reminds us that Warren "wrote his doctoral dissertation at Fuller Seminary on his church growth ideas." And after informing us that he has [Rick] Warren's "full dissertation in my possession" Simpson then tells us: His mentor was C. Peter Wagner! Here is a copy of the FirstSearch Dissertations Abstracts listing: ... You can see this information compiled by Sandy Simpson right here. As far as I'm concerned the ill-advised decision by Dr. John Piper to bring Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren into the Desiring God Conference 2010 as the keynote speaker begins to look even more peculiar. And Warrengate continues to simmer... [article link]
New Southern California Seminary Founded by Norman Geisler and Joseph Holden in MURRIETA, California Veritas Seminary is planning their first annual apologetics conference for November 6-7 [2009], featuring lectures by distinguished pastors and apologists including Ravi Zacharias, *Norman Geisler, *Chuck Smith [Sr.], *Ergun Caner [LU], Lee Strobell, Ron Rhodes, Greg Koukl and others MURRIETA, Calif., April 9 [2009]/Christian Newswire/ -- Former Dean and President of Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES), Norman Geisler, has founded Veritas Evangelical Seminary in Murrieta, California, with cofounder and former SES student, Joseph Holden, who now serves as the seminary's first president. The founding of the institution has added a classically oriented apologetic curriculum with a strong emphasis on biblical inerrancy to the southern California area that hosts other larger universities such as Biola University, Fuller Seminary, and Azusa Pacific University. The Veritas faculty consists of well-known evangelical scholars and authors such as Randall Price, H. Wayne House, *Ergun Caner, Gary Habermas, Thomas Ice, Ron Rhodes, Arnold Fruchtenbaum and others. -- When asked of the need for such a unique seminary President Holden said, 'I see Veritas Seminary as an answer to the rapid slide away from the classical doctrines of Christianity such as the inerrancy of Scripture, the immutable and timelessly eternal nature of God, and the need to proclaim the gospel to a lost and searching world. In large part this is due to the influence of postmodernism on the thinking on some faculty and students. No longer can we take it for granted that one's church or school will hold fast to these cherished beliefs. Thus, our focus is not on the academic degree or credential one will earn, the stakes are much higher today, it is on the equipping of the Body of Christ and personal transformation by the Holy Spirit. What is needed today is an academic reformation and spiritual revival.' Since it's founding in March 2009, Veritas Seminary has experienced unprecedented support and enrollment by students and faculty seeking a safe learning environment. Holden said, 'The seminary's first course, Introduction to Apologetics, was taught by Dr. Geisler to a nearly full classroom of students from diverse backgrounds, all seeking a safe haven from the ideologies that are driving the shift away from sound doctrine.' Veritas Seminary is planning their first annual apologetics conference for November 6-7, featuring lectures by distinguished pastors and apologists including Ravi Zacharias, Norman Geisler, Chuck Smith, Ergun Caner, Lee Strobell, Ron Rhodes, Greg Koukl and others. For more information concerning Veritas Evangelical Seminary visit www.VeritasSeminary.com [article link]
Calvary Chapel Bible College located in Murrieta California [since about 1996] - Calvary Chapel Bible College is affiliated with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa where Chuck Smith [Sr.] is the pastor - All members of the Bible College staff are employees and ministers of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, under the direction of Pastor Chuck Smith and Associate Pastor Brian Brodersen [Note: associate pastor Brian Brodersen is just Chuck Smith's son in law.] Affiliation: Calvary Chapel Bible College is affiliated with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa where Chuck Smith is the pastor. All members of the Bible College staff are employees and ministers of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, under the direction of Pastor Chuck Smith and Associate Pastor Brian Brodersen. -- Letter From The President: God is moving mightily by His Holy Spirit in this generation and we praise Him for His mighty works. As a part of what God is doing by His Spirit worldwide, He has raised up the Calvary Chapel ministries to help feed His people with His Word. At Calvary Chapel Bible College, men and women from all over the world gather together in the beautiful Murrieta Hot Springs oasis of Southern California to study the Word of God with Calvary Chapel pastors. May God bless you richly with His abundant love. Pastor Chuck Smith, President -As the Vice President of the Bible College, Pastor Brian Brodersen works closely with Pastor Chuck and the Bible College Director, Pastor David Shirley to shape the vision of CCBC. Brian has been involved in pastoral ministry for over 20 years. He has served as Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Vista in Southern California, and also as Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Westminster in London, England. Brian has been extensively involved in missionary work throughout various parts of Europe. Brian is the featured speaker on the Bible teaching program 'Back to Basics' as well as the co-host of the live call-in program 'Pastor's Perspective.' Pastor Brian
Brodersen, Vice President. [article link]
Declining donations force churches to adjust strategies - Nearly 40 percent of U.S. churches experienced declines in church giving and offerings in 2009, the second consecutive year of significant funding drop {I think a large part of this besides the economy is that people no longer want to just blanket donate [tithe] to modern 5013c Corporation Churches. People should be very cautious about how they donate to modern Corporation Churches [look how many Christian organizations then used Christian donations to fundraise for Mitt Romney i.e. Regent University, Focus on the Family, etc.] Christians should primarily donate to a Church or a cause only on a base by base continuance and then only if there is a specific justifiable cause to donate to. It's just not a good enough cause to donate to overprice building projects and overpriced perks, functions and agendas. Note: Christian internet ministries are a great place to donate to and support (not at the complete exclusion of the local Church) but it does help to establish needy ministries on the internet. - Also Note: Basic Christian is contemplating doing a whole series [in 2011] on why many current Churches and organizations simply need to fail and why it could be a work of God in His Church if they do fail. Don't be so quick to financially come to the aid [even at their request] of a failing Church or organization and in so doing making ourselves partakers of their plagues that they have brought upon themselves i.e. (Revelation 2:5) in their disobedience and unfaithfulness towards God.} Even as First Baptist Church of Dallas launches a $115 million capital campaign, the most ambitious ever for a large Protestant church, congregations across the country struggle to pay everyday bills. Nearly 40 percent of U.S. churches experienced declines in church giving and offerings in 2009, the second consecutive year of significant funding drops, according to the 2010 State of the Plate surveys conducted by the Maximum Generosity ministry and Christianity Today International. After the October 2008 stock market plunge, 29 percent of churches reported declines in giving. In 2009, 38 percent of churches responding to the survey had experienced declines. "What normally happens is a downturn hits churches about six months after it hits everyone else, and it takes about six months after the recovery starts for churches to see that," said Simeon May, chief executive officer for the Richardson-based National Association of Church Business Administration. "We aren't seeing much improvement yet." It's little wonder, then, that some churches have delayed or postponed capital campaigns and focused instead on "operational giving," said Joel Mikell, president of RSI Church Stewardship Group of Dallas, which guides 200 to 250 churches through capital campaigns each year. [article link]
***Highly Recommended - Future Quake 5/24/2010 - The Merging of the [Pseudo] Religious Right and the New Apostolic Reformation (Mp3) FutureQuake.com - [Guest] Derek Gilbert, Host of "Peering Into Darkness" and "A View From The Bunker" Radio Shows (www.pidradio.com). [Discusses] "May Day", and the Merging of the Religious Right and the New Apostolic Reformation - Signs of the Last Days. [article link]
**Updated - [LDS Mormon] Church-owned Deseret Book stops publishing [late LDS Mormon Apostle] McConkie's Mormon Doctrine, claiming "low sales" and gets caught lying by [2Utah.com] a local news organization - The paperback version is (Amazon.com) ranked tonight at an incredible #5,657, although it is fluctuating - The book Mormon Doctrine, written by Bruce R. McConkie, is one of the time-honored classics of Mormon literature - Few [LDS] books can match it in endurance or number of copies sold - What's the REAL reason it was stopped? 1) Tighter [LDS] correlative (committee) control 2) Because of the book's embarrassing clarity 3) Because of some controversial assertions in the book - Low sales? What a cowardly lie -- (McConkie served in military intelligence at Fort Douglas - held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at his discharge on February 26, 1946, one of the youngest in Army Intelligence to hold that rank - wiki.com) - {Note: modern Evangelical leaders and modern LDS leaders get along so well and work so closely together because honestly they both have so much in common [including lying]. - Seriously both leaders represent themselves at a higher standard
of spirituality/anointing than they actually do have and both believe themselves to be the inheritors of special kingdoms. Evangelical leaders (some) believe that they will inherit a Nation State (based on the size of their earthly ministry influence) to oversee during the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ while it is common knowledge that LDS leaders believe that they will inherit their own planet to oversee.} By Aaron Shafovaloff - Church-owned Deseret Book stops publishing & shelving McConkie's Mormon Doctrine, claiming "low sales", and gets caught lying by a local news organization (HT: Rob Sivulka of MormonInfo.org). Let me breathe in deeply and exhale loudly on this: LIARS! Bill McKeever observes: Though hardly a scientific analysis, it is curious to note that on Amazon.com Mormon Doctrine still enjoys a moderate sales ranking of 209,180. This is higher than other LDS books that are still in print, including: Faith Precedes the Miracle (#244,876), Answers to Gospel Questions (#700,130), Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (#590,328), Are Mormons Christian? (#659,996), and volume one of the Joseph Smith Papers (#412,561). Update: Bill was looking at the hardcover version. The paperback version is ranked tonight at an incredible #5,657, although it is fluctuating. Update 2: "The book Mormon Doctrine, written by Bruce R. McConkie, is one of the time-honored classics of Mormon literature. Few [LDS] books can match it in endurance or number of copies sold. Perhaps few books, except the scriptures, can match it in the frequency with which it has been quoted in talks and lessons by those seeking to teach gospel principles." (Joseph Fielding McConkie, The Bruce R. McConkie Story: Reflections of a Son, Deseret Book, 2003, p.182.) Having heard a rumor that this was going to happen about a year ago (a Mormon with a connection to LDS curriculum development said there was a new moratorium on quoting from the book), I personally asked Deseret Book employees in Fort Union (in the SLC area) how well the book sold and they said it sold well. This was also foreshadowed by the removal in the 2009 Gospel Principles of any references of quotes from Mormon Doctrine. What's the REAL reason it was stopped? 1) Tighter correlative control 2) Because of the book's embarrassing clarity 3) Because of some controversial assertions in the book - Low sales? What a cowardly lie. As I have written elsewhere, Mormon teaching can sometimes have a "shelf-life". When Mormon teaching dies, it normally does so though distancing over time, not formal repudiation. Formal repudiation is usually avoided by Mormon leaders. It would highlight the fallibility of church leaders and potentially bring a sensitive, embarrassing issue to light, prompting many to investigate material from earlier [LDS] Church leaders which isn't faith-promoting. ... So I'm not seeing a lot of cause for general [Christian] optimism short of God doing a supernatural work of revival, where [LDS] people are cut to the heart, confessing their sins, spurning false teachers, and worshiping the true God. [article link]
Dr. Norman Geisler On Ergun Caner by Peter Lumpkins [Apparently it's not a hoax and Dr. Norman Geisler did author that incoherent rant.] {Note: We live in crucial times and as such it is now time that we REJECT the current Christian pastors, teachers and leaders that are unable or unwilling to accurately evaluate and assess the post 9-11-2001 era of danger, beguile and betrayal that we now exist in. Too many Pastors are still more interested in their own personal agendas, comfort and finances than in spreading the gospel message of Jesus Christ. -- Past pastors, teachers and leaders like Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel, Rick Warren, John Hagee, Greg Laurie, Skip Heitzig, James Dobson, Norman Geisler, Jerry Falwell Jr., John MacArthur, Rick Joyner, Mark Demoss, Tony Perkins, David Brody, Lee Strobel, R.C. Sproul, Max Lucado and a host of others who consider themselves to be apostles, prophets, teachers and leaders need no longer be taken seriously or even be considered to be viable as a Christian Church authority by those within or without the true Christian Church. It is time to call into question their motives, abilities, agendas and desires that make them unwilling to accurately or faithfully proclaim the trusted Gospel of Jesus Christ!} COMMENTS: Peter, With all due respect to Dr. Geisler's acomplishments of years past, I fear this is another of a group of recent statements showing how out of touch he is with present [since 9-11-2001] reality. What have we come to in the evangelical community when fabrications, exaggerations and lies are dismissed and those who expose such things are called "libelous"? I'm sorry, but relying solely on the assessments of men like Elmer Towns and Norm Geisler in a postmodern, digital age is not altogether sound. It would be safe to say that
these men spend little or no time on the internet, much less reading blogs, web sites, twitter feeds, etc. The abundance of information today can be overwhelming for those of previous generations. This is not to say that the present environment is better, just VERY different. Moreover, Dr. Geisler is not a completely unbiased source in this matter. Caner is a regular speaker at apologetics conferences held at Southern Evangelical Seminary, founded by Geisler. Futhermore, how is it possible that he able to render summary judgement on this matter by only talking to "Dr. Caner and other principal parties at Liberty"? How can one make a final judgement on a matter by only talking to one side of the matter? What if we applied this same standard in our legal system? What if judges rendered judgement on a case after only speaking with the defendent? This seems grossly biased to me. Lastly, I agree we all should "pray for and encourage our brother". We should PRAY that DR. Caner will repent of his fabrications and falsehoods. We should ENCOURAGE Dr. Caner to start telling his TRUE testimony: that of a child from a broken him divided between Islamic and secularistic values whom God miraculously and graciously brought to salvation. {Amen!} [article link]
Norman Geisler Comments on the [LU] Caner Saga - One is immediately struck by the incoherence of the statement - First, we are told Ergun Caner is innocent; then we are told to wait for the findings of the inquiry We are told asking honest questions of Ergun Caner amounts to a "vicious attack" and that those who have asked these questions are "extremists" guilty of slander and libel, yet, at the same time, we are told that Christians have a bad habit of shooting their wounded - How can we make sense of such contradictory material? {Norman Geisler's pseudo rant makes Evangelical Christianity look like it is folding and collapsing upon itself like a house of cards stacked from a badly worn deck. - Quick Norman rant some more with your uninformed, biased (see photo) opinions, maybe someone will believe you and support your ridiculous fabrications. Note: if Norman Geisler really did write that statement he is pathetic!} (Photo - Geisler lovingly admiring Caner's bald head) My first thought upon reading the statement was, "If Dr. Geisler has talked to Ergun Caner, and can conclude that directly contradictory statements such as "I was born in Istanbul" and "I was born in Stockholm" are merely "ambiguous" statements, then **it is now morally incumbent upon Dr. Geisler, who did not need to involve himself in the matter, to answer the questions that Ergun Caner has so far refused to answer." If he possesses answers to all twenty two questions I posted earlier, then a moral obligation is upon him to provide these answers to the rest of the world, in light of Dr. Caner's refusal to do so. He says he is "convinced" of his conclusions. Wonderful! Now he needs to convince the rest of us. Of course, there is reason to be worried about the depth of Dr. Geisler's knowledge of the situation. Note the inaccuracy of his first sentence. Mohammad Khan is not a "Muslim group," nor have these "slanderous charges" been generated by anyone other than Ergun Caner. When a speaker produces self-contradictory statements on matters of fact that bear directly upon his self-claimed expertise and then refuses to answer honest questions about why he is contradicting himself, then that person is the source of the problem, not those asking the questions. But we are truly left wondering who these "other extremists" might be. The use of such language as this is highly unwise, given that it only adds to the confusion; it in no way provides clarity. **Dr. Geisler uses two terms that themselves are extremist: libel and slander. Given the nature of the evidence upon which the questions have been based (video recordings, audio recordings, published works, and court documents), this kind of rhetoric is simply reprehensible. This is language meant to inflame, not explain, obfuscate, not clarify. How can questions based upon such clear evidence be identified by such terms? This only adds to the incoherence of the statement. I am sure that if I were to take a few moments to scan through some of Norman Geisler's works I could find all sorts of statements about the need to be truthful and accurate in our statements. So one is left wondering how Dr. Caner's "I came here in 1979 from Turkey, trained in the youth jihad" can be made a mere "misstatement" in light of his own confession in 2002 that he had been in Ohio since 1969? Is there something "ambiguous" about claiming to debate Islamic scholars you have never even met, especially in light of the fact that you have not actually debated anyone in that context at all? Of course, this might reflect Ergun Caner's misleading of Norman Geisler: the leaked memo from Caner to the staff at Liberty partook of the same
deception, unfortunately. But Dr. Geisler has shown himself very unwise to make a public statement without explaining the documentation that has been provided. ... Likewise the "illegal" question seems to miss the point. Might students at Liberty have a basis for complaint that they came to the [LU] school on the basis of fraudulent claims about Caner's expertise in apologetics especially those in the "Global Apologetics Program"? Possibly so, but the controversy is over integrity and honesty in the Christian ministry and apologetics. Legal issues [LU - Caner] I gladly leave to others to sort out. [article link]
Surrendering Your Rights by J. Oswald Sanders (Mp3) Dr. John Oswald Sanders (17 October 1902 - 24 October 1992) was a general director of Overseas Missionary Fellowship in the 50's and 60's while it was still China Inland Mission and authored more than forty books on the Christian life. He became an elder statesman and worldwide conference speaker from his retirement at 65 until his death at 90. Sanders left a promising law practice in his native New Zealand to serve as an instructor and administrator at the Bible College of New Zealand. He later became general director of the China Inland Mission (now the Overseas Missionary Fellowship), and was instrumental in beginning many new missions projects throughout East Asia. - Wiki.com [article link]
Basic Christian Theology: Justice - A lack of justice is very difficult on people causing people to suffer mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically - Because injustice is so hard on people it is one of Satan's main tools to discourage people - The worldly earthly system of governments, law {religion} and business are being influenced by the ruler of this world (Satan) and with Satan's influence there is a lack of justice - Christians should keep the focus on Jesus to look for true justice - Jesus knows the intentions of every person and is therefore the one true administer of justice First Use: Genesis 18:19 For I (God) know him (Abraham), that he will command his children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him. - "Micah 6:8 He (God) hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God?" Justice is making correct decisions. Since in the world both sin and righteousness exist, God judges with justice (correctness). Justice involves judgment Since there is disobedience justice requires that disobedience not be rewarded but that it will be correctly identified and punished. Justice is First Used in the Bible when the Lord reveals to Abraham that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are about to be judged by God. In justice, God is judging two cities according to their conduct. - "Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." - Throughout the world people can deal with poverty, hunger and a variety of hardships but a lack of Justice is difficult to endure. "Ezekiel 45:9 Thus saith the Lord God; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord God." A lack of justice is very difficult on people causing people to suffer mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. - Because injustice is so hard on people it is one of Satan's main tools to discourage people. The worldly earthly system of governments, law {religion} and business are being influenced by the ruler of this world (Satan) and with Satan's influence there is a lack of real justice. Christians should keep the focus on Jesus to look for true justice. Jesus knows the intentions of every person and is therefore the one true administer of justice. - "Isaiah 42:1-4 Behold My servant (Jesus), whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the gentiles {Jesus will be ruler over the nations}. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street {Jesus taught, He didn't shout in the streets}. A bruised reed shall He not break and the smoking flax shall He not quench {Jesus will not kick people when they are down}: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He has set judgment in the earth: and the isles (far places) shall wait for His law." [article link]
{Not Recommended!} Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. appears on 'Glenn Beck' TV show [May 19, 2010] - to discuss social justice {Discussing individual social justice (their preferred justice) vs group justice (claiming Obama supports it) but still advocating the falsehood of individual justice. - Note: It is the Juxtaposition of two false premises both individual justice and group justice are false premises within the realm of mankind but both individual justice and group justice are fulfilled eternally within the realm and Kingdom of Jesus Christ (Revelation 21:4, Revelation 22:2). -- Man does not make things just or right, only God does (eternally) through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ!} (Video) Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell appeared on the "Glenn Beck" TV show on FOX News on Tuesday to discuss social justice and the role of religion in today's society. He is also scheduled to appear on Friday's show about revisionist history. Joining Falwell on Tuesday's program was Peter Lillback, a professor at Westminster Theological Seminary and author of "George Washington's Sacred Fire." [article link]
{Flashback} Walter Cronkite, NWO, WTF - Ocotober 19, 1999: Video clip where Walter Cronkite calls for world government "global justice," ending National sovereignty, and [only half jokingly] "joining him to sit at the right hand of Satan" as he says himself - Walter Cronkite speaks his mind and "by God he does!" {Cronkite calls every Christian a criminal "that needs to be brought to justice" for desiring the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and not embracing his global government concept.} (YouTube) Comments: It absolutely amazes me that these seemingly educated people are so ignorant. Downright stupid. They talk about ending all wars, when it's the globalists that cause the wars. They talk about saving the planet when it's these same people that are the biggest polluters and rapists of natural resources. The same people that hinder technology that would benefit mankind. I suppose that if you don't get involved in politics you are doomed to be ruled by your inferiors. ... If you believe Hermit, giving the power to run the world to a small group of people is a good thing Given the track record of globalists, military industrial complex of starting wars, fixing prices, monopolies, reducing choice it makes no sense to give them ANY power. How do we vote them out, if we disagree. YOU CANT How do you change the leaders YOU DON'T Consolidation of Power to the cabal that financed Hitler, the Communists, C.American dictators ie Rockefeller, P Bush is INSANE. [article link]
Liberty University's Caner is a Pathological Liar - A university's main objective should be to exalt, honor and teach the truth - Dishonesty should have no place in the curriculum or faculty of a school of higher learning Liberty University, founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, has always represented itself as a citadel of truth - But now it turns out that its seminary president, Ergun Caner, is a blatant and pathological liar - I would have expected Liberty University to be humbled and apologetic about the disconcerting discovery of treachery in their midst - How Liberty University handles this issue will speak volumes about the integrity of the school "Liberty University will investigate reports that its seminary president has misled the public in his testimony about converting from militant Islam to Christianity, officials of the school in Lynchburg, Va., announced May 10 [2010]. Liberty Provost Ron Godwin is reportedly forming a committee to conduct a formal inquiry into questions surrounding Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, that have circulated on blogs and more recently in media outlets including Christianity Today and Associated Baptist Press." A university's main objective should be to exalt, honor and teach the truth. Dishonesty should have no place in the curriculum or faculty of a school of higher learning. Liberty University, founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, has always represented itself as a citadel of truth. But now it turns out that its seminary president, Ergun Caner, is a blatant and pathological liar. I would have expected Liberty University to be humbled and apologetic about the disconcerting discovery of treachery in their midst. However, Elmer Towns, the dean of Liberty University's School of Religion told reporters that officials had investigated the discrepancies and were satisfied it wasn not an "ethical or "moral" issue. Caner is a transparent liar, he claimed that he grew up as a devout Muslim in Turkey, turns out he was raised in Ohio. "Caner issued a statement admitting to 'pulpit mistakes' but insisting he never intentionally misled anyone. Liberty University revised Caner's online biography
to remove references that he was raised in Turkey and has debated leaders of various faiths." Caner deliberately misled his students, his colleagues and everybody else. It's not enough for Liberty University to remove his lies [from] their Web site, they need to kick Caner to the curb. Caner needs to apologize to the Muslim community, to Liberty University, and to Christians in general. How Liberty University handles this issue will speak volumes about the integrity of the school. Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze. [article link]
James White - A Lament for Discernment - So seeing the "cult of personality" [Modern Evangelicalism] in action at Liberty and in the broader "Baptist" world has been startling to me, I must admit - The utter lack of discernment or the application of fundamental principles of honesty and integrity has truly been disappointing, at best - I cannot help but think, "Well, if this is what the world sees of those who call themselves Christians on a regular basis, it is no wonder our witness is not taken seriously" - the sanctity of the pulpit [is] a place where truth must be supreme in all things {**Note: I just visited the "Standin and prayin for Dr. Ergun Caner" FaceBook page and though it is a good and admirable site and the site is listed as 'Privacy Type: Open: All content is public' it looks like whoever is in charge of the page is deleting posts [1 for certain] that are in any way asking for openness and accountability in the Caner situation. This is just not a good trend that is emerging from Caner or LU. - **Update: There is a new post on the FB page that says the page is only for Caner support and that is fine but the page description should probably be re-written from 'Description: Ok, so if you are reading this you probably know about all the controversy …' to reflect that it is only a support page instead of mentioning the controversy and then continuing to delete posts that also mention the controversy. **Update: After a flood of posts requesting openness and accountability from the LU faculty the facebook page has now been removed.} So seeing the "cult of personality" in action at Liberty and in the broader "Baptist" world has been startling to me, I must admit. The utter lack of discernment or the application of fundamental principles of honesty and integrity has truly been disappointing, at best. I cannot help but think, "Well, if this is what the world sees of those who call themselves Christians on a regular basis, it is no wonder our witness is not taken seriously." This morning I saw quotes scrolling through our chat channel in support of Ergun Caner. I finally jumped in and asked where they had come from. I was directed to a Facebook page titled "Standin and prayin for Dr. Ergun Caner." As I scanned down the entries the same themes kept coming up over and over again: "Hey, this doesn't really matter, Dr. Caner is a great guy, he loves Jesus, he's a great preacher, I've had a spiritual experience because of him, so all this other stuff doesn't matter, and the people attacking him are all jerks." That was the basic gist of the commentary. There was nothing relevant to the real issues, and, in fact, it seemed like most of those commenting are ignorant of the facts and have only heard second and third-hand reports of what is going on. I did not read all the comments, but in what I did read I saw no one expressing the slightest concern about the Christian witness to Muslims, the integrity of Liberty Seminary, or the university as a whole, or the sanctity of the pulpit as a place where truth must be supreme in all things. It was a paean to the cult of personality in glowing letters. [article link]
Liberty U. Announces Investigation of Caner Claims - Just last week, Liberty broke its months-long silence with a dismissive waving away of the controversy - Christianity Today magazine reported that Elmer Towns, dean of the school of religion, "says the Liberty board has held an inquiry and directors are satisfied that Caner has done nothing theologically inappropriate" - Furthermore, Towns said, the questions raised about Caner were neither moral nor ethical issues, a claim that had the opposite of its intended effect among Baptist bloggers who had been calling for Caner and Liberty to come clean - But didn't Towns say that the university's board had already looked into it? Well, it turns out that the board "inquiry" that Towns described to Christianity Today was just a "passing discussion" at a March meeting of the board's seminary subcommittee - It "wasn't an inquiry or anything like that" says Liberty spokesman Johnnie Moore {The shameful conduct, blatant lies and
purposeful deceptions surrounding the whole LU Caner scandal are just perplexing.} Submitted by Peter on May 11, 2010 - 11:32am - We recently noted the energetic conversation on Muslim and Christian blogs about documented discrepancies in the dramatic "Jihad to Jesus" life story told by Dr. Ergun Caner, head of Liberty University's seminary. Just last week, Liberty broke its months-long silence with a dismissive waving away of the controversy. Christianity Today magazine reported that Elmer Towns, dean of the school of religion, "says the Liberty board has held an inquiry and directors are satisfied that Caner has done nothing theologically inappropriate." Furthermore, Towns said, the questions raised about Caner were neither moral nor ethical issues, a claim that had the opposite of its intended effect among Baptist bloggers who had been calling for Caner and Liberty to come clean. How can publicly and repeatedly lying not be a moral or ethical issue, they asked? Towns' response also generated a damaging story by the Associated Baptist Press. Early this week, I wrote a piece for Alternet noting that Liberty University had dug in its heels and asking why Caner wouldn't take advantage of the path from public repentance to redemption that has been well-worn by misbehaving evangelical leaders. Yesterday, Liberty changed its tune and announced that Ron Godwin, the university's provost, "is forming a committee to investigate a series of accusations against Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary." The brief official statement included a quote from Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. dissing the very bloggers who have documented the holes in Caner's story. "Liberty does not initiate personnel evaluations based upon accusations from Internet blogs," Falwell said. "However, In light of the fact that several newspapers have raised questions, we felt it necessary to initiate a formal inquiry." But didn't Towns say that the university's board had already looked into it? Well, it turns out that the board "inquiry" that Towns described to Christianity Today was just a "passing discussion" at a March meeting of the board's seminary subcommittee. It "wasn't an inquiry or anything like that," says Liberty spokesman Johnnie Moore. Liberty says it will complete its investigation by June 30 [2010]. Stay tuned. [article link]
Huffington Post: Ergun Caner, Ex-Muslim Evangelical Leader, Exposed As Fake - Ergun Caner is one of the most prominent figures in the evangelical movement he is also one of the most deceptive - Today, as president of the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and a professor of apologetics, he exhibits tremendous influence in shaping the next generation of evangelical leaders {LU doesn't want to be accountable to the Christian (bloggers) yet in pointing out the obvious it is the Secular Beast (Revelation 17:16) that will ultimately destroy the Unfaithful Woman (false church) that tries to ride upon the Secular Beast. As LU tries to ride upon the approval of the secular media it is itself being destroyed by those very media sources.} Ergun Caner is one of the most prominent figures in the evangelical movement. He is also one of the most deceptive. A self-professed Muslim convert to Christianity, Caner plays an important, and arguably dangerous, role in the community. After the 9/11 attacks, when many Americans were searching for answers, Caner stepped up with enthusiasm to present himself as an expert on Islam. He used his own "personal history" (much of it since demonstrated as bogus) to confirm his audience's deeply-held suspicions about the faith that many of them blamed for the attacks. Today, as president of the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and a professor of apologetics, he exhibits tremendous influence in shaping the next generation of evangelical leaders. [article link]
Mark Hughes gets tased (for real) - Mark is Matt Hughes' brother [Matt Hughes - is the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter - 9-Time UFC Welterweight Champion] {I posted this (YouTube) link of Mark Huges because bloggers are calling the Tase of Dr. Ergun Caner in the previous 'Ergun Caner video clips (YouTube)' post a fake Tase. I agree that the Dr. Caner Tase at Liberty University looks staged "show pony" or maybe he isn't saying it's staged (http://echothetruth.blogspot.com/2010/02/brian-brodersen-and-ergun-caner-showing.html). Also some other bloggers that are spoofing Caner and LU are calling Liberty University 'Fibberty University' so big problems ahead for the Falwells (Jerry Falwell Jr., Jonathan Falwell), Ergun Caner and the Directors of 'Fibberty University' until LU can clean some house, get rid of the fibbers and get back to preaching the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. - Oh! Along with getting rid of the Falwells, Caner and some of the Directors, Liberty University will now probably also have to change their name to something new and less tainted by scandal.} (YouTube) As part of a demonstration for Hillsboro High School students, Mark Hughes agrees to be tazed by the Hillsboro Police Department. [article link]
{Very Interesting!} James White - Once Again, No, No, and Again, No - [LU's] Dr. Ergun Caner video clips {Dr. Ergun Caner (at 27:00 min) gets Tasered by police - well sort of, it looks staged and phony (not the real voltage-duration) - sort of a familiar Caner style.} (YouTube) One other note (as I wait for the video of a portion of today's DL to finish rendering so I can start uploading it and get the DL blogged at the same time). I was sent a "sermon" from January 17, 2010, called "Rip the Roof Off." It was another "30 minutes of story telling, 5 minutes on the text" type sermon, but this time there was a twist. This time Ergun said he was converted in a black church. Yes, you read that right, a black church. Now, think for a moment on the description of the pastor of the Stelzer Road Baptist Church that he's given in other contexts, and ask yourself, did it ever occur to you he was talking about a black church? Me either. Of course, that was just a few days before Ergun appeared on the Calvary Chapel program [The Pastor's Perspective Radio Show with Brian Broderson on 1/22/10] that led me to post this video, which was the immediate precursor to my discovery of his Shabir Ally fable, and, well, the rest is now history, as they say. I doubt we will be hearing too many more whopper-filled "sermons" like that in the future. Source: aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=3917 [article link]
Slander of the Brethren and Refusal to Repent - In 2006, Dr. Caner said "Calvinists are worse than Muslims" {Is LU's Dr. Caner purposely fomenting division and causing strife within the Christian Church?} In 2006, Dr. Caner said "Calvinists are worse than Muslims." Realizing that Calvinists make up a great portion of today's churches, including most Reformed and Presbyterian denominations, many have stood in shock and given him an opportunity to repent, but Caner will not back down. In fact, this took place on an online Q&A interview on Caner's own website. [article link]
That's (Yale dropout) Dr. Glenn Beck-Thanks to Liberty University - Saturday morning [May 15, 2010] in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty University [LU] conveyed an honorary doctorate in humanities and scientists on [LDS] Mormon conservative media heavyweight Glenn Beck {Wow! - Liberty University has now gone the ecumenical route in a big way! - What will really be interesting is when Glen Beck returns his free Doctorate back to LU because of the taint of the Caner scandal.} Breaking into his trademark tears, Beck told the stadium of 8,000 Liberty University grads and 20,000 friends and family members, "as a man who was never able to go to college-I went for one semester but I couldn't afford any more than that---I am humbled and honored." Beck immediately offered an apology of sorts for his Mormonism, saying that it was an act of "courage" for the fundamentalist Baptist Liberty University to invite him to speak and that he understood it was "not meant as an endorsement of my faith," offering instead his own "endorsement of your faith," emphasizing his personal belief in Jesus Christ, and exhorting the audience to "look to God and live," a reference to the story of Moses and the brazen serpent (Numbers 21: 7-9). Using research and citation methods that would have earned him a failing grade in any respectable freshman composition class, Beck took a swipe at Barack Obama's May 1 commencement address to the University of Michigan, suggesting that Obama had discouraged the search for "truth" by describing the incredible availability of information in the digital age as a source of confusion. Beck then described one semester at Yale University, during which an unnamed professor discouraged him from reading an unnamed book and instructed that he instead read another unnamed book, virtually bullying him from the classroom podium to do so. Beck encouraged students to reject the Obama-Yale-information-elite and instead use their "God-given
right" on a "Holy Spirit"-led search for truth wherever it might lead…. [article link]
The End-Times Outpouring of Antichrist by Monica Dennington of TicTocMinistries (YouTube - Video Teaching) Can we identify where the Holy Spirit is working by looking at where the miracles are "coming down"? When we hear that God is moving in Toronto, Florida, Kansas City, or other places, should we run to see it? When we see a "prophet" doing miracles, should we not flock to get one for ourselves? Join Monica Dennington as she goes straight to Jesus words for the answer to the question, "Is this the End-Times Outpouring?" [article link]
Misty Edwards - As In the Days of Noah - A YouTube Music Video via Conservmom {We are living in times and about to enter times too perilous to place our trust in man or in ministries but we need to simply place our trust and cares in the capable hands of the living, loving, resurrected Son of God the Lord and Savior of all mankind Jesus Christ.} (YouTube) This is my interpretation of the Misty Edwards song, "As In the Days of Noah" [article link]
***Highly Recommended - (PID) VFTB 046: Jackie Alnor - The Fleecing of Christianity (Mp3) FLEECING, in the sense we're using it tonight, means "skinned alive". Because that's what the Enemy is doing to well-meaning brothers and sisters in Christ. Jackie Alnor, founder of Apostasy Alert and author of The Fleecing of Christianity, discusses the false prophets, self-appointed apostles, and lying signs and wonders of the New Apostolic Reformation, and how it's luring undiscerning believers into an anti-Christian plot to take over the world. [article link]
***Highly Recommended - (PID) VFTB 048: Sarah Leslie - False Christs and False Prophets - The *New Apostolic Reformation is lifting up a generation of self-appointed, self-anointed apostles who believe they're on a mission from God to take over the world {Note: Back in the day (mid-90's) I read several of the books and bought a few [especially books on prayer by Cindy Jacobs] proposing a modern apostolic movement based on 'globally' impacting ministries. The modern definition of a modern apostle being a global ministry and at the time this seemed reasonable to me however after more Bible study it's easy to see that the modern term for apostle has been redefined. A Biblical Apostle is strictly one of the people [the Apostle Paul being the last Apostle (1 Corinthians 15:8)] who personally witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ and who primarily wrote the New Testament scriptures based on the teachings of Jesus from their personal time spent with Jesus. Also Note: A Christian ministry was always intended to have a global impact and regular Christian ministry is mentioned in the Bible apart from any reference to any local apostolic authority or mandate. - Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your [regular Christian] faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. -- *No global apostolic mandate is mentioned or referenced here by the Apostle Paul.} (Mp3) We're watching prophecy unfold before our very eyes. The New Apostolic Reformation is lifting up a generation of self-appointed, self-anointed apostles who believe they're on a mission from God to take over the world. Sarah Leslie of Discernment Ministries, publisher of the excellent Herescope blog, joined us to talk about this movement-its history, its beliefs, and the links between these new apostles, mainstream evangelicals, New Agers, and political power brokers. It doesn't take a prophecy scholar to see this leading to the one-world church of the Apocalypse. [article link]
{Not Recommended!} New Apostolic Reformation and the Faith and Work Movement - Dr. C. Peter Wagner (*Global Harvest Ministries) is an experienced observer of the *global expansion of the 20th Century Church He speaks and writes mostly as an observer, giving language and logic to assist others in responding to God's work in the world of *global evangelism - {Note: Previous to the widespread use of the internet (world wide
web) the modern definition of a modern apostle was a person with a world-wide (global) ministry or influence. Now with the internet and everyone essentially a modern world-wide apostle [though prayer has always been global because you can always pray for others in distant locations] the definition of a modern apostle seems to have changed again and now it is [as it always was] those who demand, force and coerce others into accepting them in their deceptions and delusions of grandeur.} Dr. C. Peter Wagner is an experienced observer of the global expansion of the 20th Century Church. After 16 years as a missionary in South America (he served in Bolivia under two different agencies) before he joined the faculty of Fuller School of World Mission (FSWM). He was an early disciple of Donald Mac Gavran and became the heir apparent leader of the Church Growth Movement after his mentor's death. Dr. Wagner's career at Fuller ended officially with his retirement after more than thirty years as a professor. He continues to teach occasional courses at FSWM, is the founder of Global Harvest Ministries, The World Prayer Center, The Wagner Leadership Institute, The *International Coalition of Apostles and The Apostolic Counsel of Prophetic Elders. He has long been the recognized leader of AD 2000's United Prayer Track and the Spiritual Warfare Track as well. His career has been rooted in the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, an decidedly nonCharismatic denomination. During his tenure at Fuller, he was a member of Lake Avenue Congregational Church during the leadership of Ray Ortland and Paul Cedar. His openness to spiritual gifts and spiritual warfare developed over a long period of time beginning with the influence of John Wimber. Wimber had been a student at Fuller and later a colleague when Wagner recruited him to became director of the Charles E. Fuller Institute of Church Growth and Evangelism. His convictions and his journey of faith are well documented in over forty best selling books. ... I say all this to assert the obvious. In my humble opinion, Dr. Wagner is a professional missiologist par excellence, a global church leader of long standing, an astute and credible observer of church growth and now, as he moves into his 70's, an active and eager statesman for a large part of the church worldwide. In this latter role, drawing on the skills of his varied career, he has become the champion for a movement he has called, "The New Apostolic Reformation." Mind you, he is not creating this movement, he is chronicaling it in keeping with his past role as a descriptive teacher of church growth dynamics. But in a more directive way, Dr. Wagner is also cooperating aggressively with what he senses the Lord is doing in the world as the 3rd Millennium begins. The incredible variety of leadership roles he plays offers Dr. Wagner an unusual array of platforms from which to "beat the drum for apostolic reformation" for all to hear. He's serious about his convictions. Let me summarize my understanding of some of them for those who aren't yet "in the loop" and who aren't likely to read the rapidly expanding body of literature describing this phenomenon. [article link]
Apprising Ministries: PID RADIO WITH SARAH LESLIE - FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS - The New Apostolic Reformation is lifting up a generation of self-appointed, self-anointed apostles who believe they're on a mission from God to take over the world (Mp3 links) Apprising Ministries is pleased to point you to this program where my friend Derek Gilbert interviews another person I'm blessed to call a friend: Sarah Leslie of Discernment Ministries, publisher of the excellent Herescope blog, joined us to talk about this movement-its history, its beliefs, and the links between these new apostles, mainstream evangelicals, New Agers, and political power brokers. It doesn't take a prophecy scholar to see this leading to the one-world church of the Apocalypse… We're watching prophecy unfold before our very eyes. The New Apostolic Reformation is lifting up a generation of self-appointed, self-anointed apostles who believe they're on a mission from God to take over the world. Recommended reading: Joel's Army by Jewel Grewe The Coalescing of the Christian Right with Apostolic Dominionism by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp - The Tea Party's Strange Bedfellows and What They Believe by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp - May Day Prayers by the Discernment Research Group - You can download and/or listen to this important program right here. In addition, over at the fine website Slaughter of the Sheep Chrystal tells us in her post New Apostolic Reformation: Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries did a one hour program on the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) with guest Mike Oppenheimer of Let Us Reason Ministries on Saturday, May 15, on her Understanding the Times radio program which is one of my favorite radio programs. It covers pertinent information as it relates to the New Apostolic
Reformation and C. Peter Wagner's International Coalition of Apostles… Ingrid Schlueter of the Crosstalk America radio program did a program on May 3rd with guest Sarah Leslie of Discernment-Ministries, Inc., which covered the same topic… Both programs will inform and educate you on the key players of the NAR, as well as the dangerous doctrines they teach. You will find the links to listen to both of these programs right here. [article link]
Alpha & Omega Ministries Apologetics Blog - Jerald Dirks, the Deen Show, and the Prologue of John (Video) 05/17/2010 - James White - Category: Islam. [article link]
Wikipedia.com: Jerald F. Dirks - Dr. Jerald F. Dirks (born 1950, Kansas) is a former ordained[citation needed] Methodist minister, Muslim convert and popular author of several books on Islam and Christianity Education: Dr. Dirks enrolled at Harvard College as a philosophy major in 1967. He was named a Hollis Scholar, signifying that he was a top pre-theology student in the college. He worked as a youth minister at a fairly large United Methodist Church during his freshman and sophomore years. He graduated in 1971 and was admitted to the Harvard Divinity School thereafter, from where he graduated with a Master's degree in Divinity. During his seminary education, he also completed a two-year externship program as a hospital chaplain at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. He also holds a Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Denver. ... He has published several works on Islam and Christianity in recent years. [article link]
Jerald Dirks - A Christian Minister's Conversion to Islam - My preaching began to draw community-wide attention, and before long I was occasionally filling pulpits at other churches, at a nursing home, and at various church-affiliated youth and ladies groups, where I typically set attendance records [then] By age 17, when I began my freshman year at Harvard College, my decision to enter the ministry had solidified - By virtue of my [Harvard] seminary training and education, I knew how badly the Bible had been corrupted and often knew exactly when, where, and why, I had no belief in any triune godhead, and I had no belief in anything more than a metaphorical "sonship" of Jesus, peace be upon him - In short, while I certainly believed in God, I was as strict a monotheist as my Muslim friends It was at this juncture that I began to come into contact with the local Muslim community. For some years before, my wife and I had been actively involved in doing research on the history of the Arabian horse. Eventually, in order to secure translations of various Arabic documents, this research brought us into contact with Arab Americans who happened to be Muslims. Our first such contact was with Jamal in the summer of 1991. ... By the last week of December of 1992, I was forced to admit to myself, that I could find no area of substantial disagreement between my own religious beliefs and the general tenets of Islam. While I was ready to acknowledge that Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a prophet of (one who spoke for or under the inspiration of) God, and while I had absolutely no difficulty affirming that there was no god besides God/Allah, glorified and exalted is He, I was still hesitating to make any decision. I could readily admit to myself that I had far more in common with Islamic beliefs as I then understood them, than I did with the traditional Christianity of the organized church. I knew only too well that I could easily confirm from my seminary training and education most of what the Qur'an had to say about Christianity, the Bible, and Jesus, peace be upon him. Nonetheless, I hesitated. Further, I rationalized my hesitation by maintaining to myself that I really didn't know the nitty-gritty details of Islam, and that my areas of agreement were confined to general concepts. As such, I continued to read, and then to re-read. ... Later, when Iman came with my check, I attempted a round-about apology by saying: "I'm afraid I was a little abrupt in answering your question before. If you were asking me whether I believe that there is only one God, then my answer is yes. If you were asking me whether I believe that Muhammad was one of the prophets of that one God, then my answer is yes." She very nicely and very supportively said: "That's okay; it takes some people a little longer than others." ... I was a Christian, or so I said. After all, I had been born into a Christian family, had been given a Christian upbringing, had attended church
and Sunday school every Sunday as a child, had graduated from a prestigious seminary, and was an ordained minister in a large Protestant denomination. However, I was also a Christian: who didn't believe in a triune godhead or in the divinity of Jesus, peace be upon him; who knew quite well how the Bible had been corrupted; who had said the Islamic testimony of faith in my own carefully parsed words; who had fasted during Ramadan; who was saying Islamic prayers five times a day; and who was deeply impressed by the behavioral examples I had witnessed in the Muslim community, both in America and in the Middle East. (Time and space do not permit me the luxury of documenting in detail all of the examples of personal morality and ethics I encountered in the Middle East.) If asked if I were a Muslim, I could and did do a five-minute monologue detailing the above, and basically leaving the question unanswered. I was playing intellectual word games, and succeeding at them quite nicely. ... Nonetheless, it is a Muslim's duty to be a good neighbor, and it is a Muslim's duty to be willing to discuss Islam with others. As such, I accepted the invitation for the following evening, and spent most of the waking part of the next 24 hours contemplating how best to approach this gentleman in his requested topic of conversation. The appointed time came, and we drove over to our neighbor's. After a few moments of small talk, he finally asked why I had decided to become a Muslim. I had waited for this question, and had my answer carefully prepared. "As you know with your seminary education, there were a lot of non-religious considerations which led up to and shaped the decisions of the Council of Nicaea." He immediately cut me off with a simple statement: "You finally couldn't stomach the polytheism anymore, could you?" He knew exactly why I was a Muslim, and he didn't disagree with my decision! For himself, at his age and at his place in life, he was electing to be "an atypical Christian". Allah willing, he has by now completed his journey from cross to crescent. ... For those contemplating the acceptance of Islam and the surrendering of oneself to Allah-glorified and exalted is He, there may well be sacrifices along the way. Many of these sacrifices are easily predicted, while others may be rather surprising and unexpected. There is no denying the existence of these sacrifices, and I don't intend to sugar coat that pill for you. Nonetheless, don't be overly troubled by these sacrifices. In the final analysis, these sacrifices are less important than you presently think. Allah willing, you will find these sacrifices a very cheap coin to pay for the "goods" [72 virgins in heaven] you are purchasing. © 2002 (Abu Yahya) Jerald F. Dirks, M. Div, Psy. D. Reproduced with the author's permission. [article link]
[Modern] Apostles, Prophets & The {Legitimate} International Fellowship of Christians & Jews - David Cannistraci wrote "Apostles and the Emerging Apostolic Movement" in 1996 - It is stated that it is, "A Biblical look at Apostleship and how God is blessing His church today" - Bill Bright, David Yonggi Cho, Ted Haggard and Cindy Jacobs are some of the many [modern apostolic movement] endorsers - Cannistraci's close friend and mentor, C. Peter Wagner, has declared this book to be required reading for all his "Fuller" students Wagner wrote in the forward of the book of the Postdenominational Movement, that being a world-wide movement that is recognizing the reinstatement of the new apostles as authoritative leadership David Cannistraci wrote "Apostles and the Emerging Apostolic Movement" in 1996. It is stated that it is, "A Biblical look at Apostleship and how God is blessing His church today." Bill Bright, David Yonggi Cho, Ted Haggard and Cindy Jacobs are some of the many endorsers. Cannistraci's close friend and mentor, C. Peter Wagner, has declared this book to be required reading for all his "Fuller" students. Wagner wrote in the forward of the book of the Postdenominational Movement, that being a world-wide movement that is recognizing the reinstatement of the new apostles as authoritative leadership. 'Inherent in today's postdenominational churches...are "apostolic networks,' in which both the gift and office of apostle are recognized and accepted." ... The definition of [modern] apostle within the book is "...one who is called and sent by Christ to have the spiritual authority, character, gifts and abilities to successfully reach and establish people in Kingdom truth and order, especially through founding and overseeing local churches...Apostolic people are Christians who support and participate in apostolic ministry, but are not actual apostles...people work with apostles to reach the lost through dynamic outreach, church planting and nurturing. Apostolic churches...recognize and relate to modern-day apostles...The apostolic movement is the Holy Spirit's worldwide activation of apostles and apostolic people to come together as a part of a great revival on earth....a restored
function of New Testament apostles is not only important it is critical...' Excusing the failure of people like William Branham, "who appears to have become deluded near the end of his life..." Cannistraci states "apostles are primary in the Body of Christ, they are only human and as such they will be imperfect and fallible..." That is no different than Rick Joyner declaring God's prophets to have the normal acceptable error in predictions anywhere from 10-90%. Not unlike the Catholic church and "fathers", the author presents the concept of apostles taking on a fatherly role. ... Since people like Rick Joyner and others like him are considered by many to be Apostles, are we now to call him our spiritual father? In 1986, the ever ecumenical Oral Roberts, considered the apostle of healing, formed the International Charismatic Bible Ministries (ICBM.) ICBM advertises last years Conference audio and videotape which shows speakers/video workshops to have included "Bill Basansky & Rodney Howard-Browne" teaching, "Church Growth/Home Cell Ministries" and Oral Roberts & Benny Hinn working together. Their new conference is slated for June 20-22, 2000. Their slogan has been "Love and Unity through Signs and Wonders." The ICBM conducts "leadership conferences," and is a "coalition of charismatic leaders," many of whom are dominionists. While noting that the names change occasionally Al Dager cited an Ad for Charismatic Bible Ministries, in Charisma, May 1987 showing that the original officers and trustees were: Oral Roberts* - Chairman; Ken Copeland* - Secretary; Jack Hayford* - Vice Chariman; Billy Joe Dougherty* - Treasurer; Paul Yonggi Cho-International Honorary Chairman; Executive Committee Members: Charles Green, Marilyn Hickey, Karl Strader. [article link]
Listen America! by Jerry Falwell (book - 1981) - Falwell preaches a narrowly defined version of the Christian faith - Throughout his career, *Falwell [Sr.] has tried to present himself as a sort of modern-day prophet [modern-day prophet, modern-day apostle or (NWO) False Flag ops specialist?] {Not Recommended!} This review is from: Listen, America! (Hardcover) -- First published in 1980, "Listen, America!" by Jerry Falwell is a political manifesto of the so-called "Christian Right." "Listen" is basically a diatribe against the various groups whom Falwell despises: humanists, feminists, gay rights activists, much of the music and television industries, etc. Through it all, Falwell preaches a narrowly defined version of the Christian faith. The only good thing that can be said about "Listen, America!" is that it's a pretty clear and concise example of essential Christian Right thought. Falwell praises or quotes other right wing figures like Phyllis Schlafly and Jesse Helms. He reviews American history through a distorted, one-sided lens; in his efforts to depict the United States as a Christian nation, he fails to acknowledge the full theological and philosophical diversity of the nation's founders. He insists on a simplistically literalistic reading of biblical passages. Falwell found himself the object of much scorn after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 -- attacks which brought devastation to New York City and Washington, DC. After that horrible tragedy, Falwell publicly blamed pagans, feminists, civil libertarians, gay activists, and others for allegedly bringing divine wrath on the U.S., and thus helping cause the attack. This cruel and insensitive rant outraged an already hurting nation, and greatly discredited Falwell. But his comments should not really have surprised anybody; he had made similar intolerant statements 20 years earlier in "Listen, America!" Throughout his career, Falwell has tried to present himself as a sort of modern-day prophet. But "Listen, America" reveals him to be someone who is totally out of step with the true Christian prophets of the 20th century: individuals such as Thomas Merton, John McNeill, and Martin Luther King, Jr. While interesting as a historical document, "Listen, America!" is an ugly, mean-spirited book. [article link]
Dispute over theology, background led to Caner probe - Liberty University did not publicly respond to the [Christian] bloggers' allegations for most of this year, regarding them as the outgrowth of "a theological dispute" spokesman Johnnie Moore said {Note: Liberty University has placed themselves in the ridiculous position of valuing secular media and opinions over that of the cares and concerns of Christians. The Caner mess is so unsightly and so sticky that I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Jerry Falwell Jr. have to depart Liberty University as well as Caner just to begin to rebuild trust and faith in Liberty University as a Christian institution.}
When Liberty University begins the investigation it announced last week into the background of Ergun Caner, president of its [theology] seminary, the panel doing the work could explore several questions. Where did Caner grow up - in Ohio or in Turkey? When did he come to the United States - as a teenager as he has said, or at age 4 as his parents' divorce documents indicate? Did Caner have a nominal Muslim upbringing, or was he raised in Islamic jihad, "trained to do that which was done on 11 September" as he told an audience in Jacksonville, Fla., in November 2001? Did he formally debate scholars of other faiths, including Islam, as his online biography once claimed? ... Last Monday, the university posted this notice: "Liberty University Provost Dr. Ron Godwin is forming a committee to investigate a series of accusations against Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. "The Internet allegations have questioned public statements Caner has made regarding the details of his personal life story." Caner, who joined the seminary's faculty in 2003 and became its president in 2005, posted this comment later in the week: "I am thrilled that Liberty University is forming this committee, and I look forward to this entire process coming to a close." In February, Caner posted on his website a response to blog comments, acknowledging the questions and saying, "every minister has made pulpit mistakes." He also said, "I have never intentionally misled anyone." The earliest blog posts came from advocates of Calvinism, a strict view of salvation that Caner openly opposed. ... Ergun Caner gave vivid accounts of his Muslim upbringing to church audiences in Florida and Texas shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. "I was raised as a Sunni Muslim" in Europe, Caner said at First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., according to a recording of his talk there on Nov. 20, 2001. "I was the son of the muezzin, the one who does the call to prayer at the top of the minaret," Caner said, describing himself as being similar to a "preacher's kid." "May I submit to you, until I was 15 years old I was in the Islamic youth jihad. And so until I came to America; until I found Jesus Christ as Lord, I was trained to do that which was done on 11 September. As were thousands of [Shiite Islam - not Sunni Muslim] youth {Caner claiming to be Sunni and falsely claiming to have been trained for jihad against the U.S. and against the West is probably a part of a FALSE FLAG OP blaming Sunni Islam when it is Shiite Islam that is really being NWO trained, equipped and financed to commit jihad. Caner [and his brother Emir] are probibaly planted and conducting FALSE FLAG OPS ultimatly (causing friction and distrust) against Christians and Jews and the OP is based and operating (aided by the Falwell's) from within Liberty Univeristy.}," Caner said on the recording. ... Caner's academic specialties include apologetics, a branch of theology that seeks to defend or prove the divine nature of Christianity. That specialty apparently led Caner into exchanges with theologians who argue in support of Calvinism, which takes a stern view of how people are destined for salvation. Some participants in those discussions, including James White, a Calvinist theologian, then challenged Caner's online biography. As of last July, the biography said Caner had debated "Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and other religious leaders in 13 countries and 35 states." Those statements have since been removed from the online biography. In addition, in his February statement, Caner admitted, after an accusation from White, that he had incorrectly named a Muslim scholar as someone he had debated. Calling White's accusation "a legitimate complaint," Caner said in his statement, "Sin is sin, and if I am dumb enough to say something like that, I should be man enough to deal with it and never make such a grievous error again." [article link]
Point of View: Why Glenn Beck is wrong for [LU] Liberty University's [2010] commencement - For those who may not be aware, Liberty University [Jerry Falwell - Jerry Falwell Jr.] in Lynchburg, Va., which has consistently been known for its strong conservative and Christian values as a Baptist school, has invited political talk show host Glenn Beck to give the commencement speech to its graduates this week - On the surface that may not seem alarming to many since he is [a fake - Fox News - Rupert Murdoch] conservative - But given the fact he is a [LDS] Mormon there ought to be red flags and sirens going off all across Christian circles Article Date: May 14, 2010 For those who may not be aware, Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., which has consistently been known for its strong conservative and Christian values as a Baptist school, has invited political talk show host Glenn Beck to give the commencement speech to its graduates this week. On the surface that may not seem alarming to many since he is conservative. But given the fact he is a Mormon there ought to be
red flags and sirens going off all across Christian circles. As a Florida Baptist pastor who is a part of this graduating class, I felt compelled to speak out in regards to my disappointment because this is a huge deal to me. I do want to say how much I enjoyed the excellent professors and the great education I received at the seminary - a division of LU. I also want to say how kind Jerry Falwell Jr., chancellor of Liberty, was to me when I met him. This is not a slap against the professors or against anyone's integrity, but a real concern about what seems to me is a great lack of discernment from the school's leadership. It seems that the leadership's decision in this matter gives the impression that it is more committed to conservatism than the Gospel. This isn't the first time something like this has happened at Liberty and I am perplexed as to why it seems more are not as equally alarmed. I have no beef with Glenn Beck as a person, but I certainly do with his religious beliefs. Why does Liberty not invite a Christian? If they want a famous Christian, why not Coach Tony Dungy, Mike Huckabee, or movie star Kirk Cameron. I am sure Franklin Graham or Tim Tebow would have loved to come. It is unique how Liberty which was once seen as a bit legalistic in the eyes of many is now beginning to shift the opposite way. Could you imagine a SBC seminary inviting a Mormon to speak at its commencement? I highly doubt it. If you were under the impression Mormonism is a Christian group you are greatly mistaken. Mormonism is a polytheistic religion which believes Mary had sex with one of their gods and became pregnant with Jesus. They do not believe that salvation is by grace through faith alone or many other critical truths of our faith. Christians sadly have more in common with Muslims if you really get down to it since at least they are monotheistic - and we know how far from the truth Islam is. I must say how shocked and disappointed I was when I arrived for the commencement ceremonies to discover that a man who is not committed to the Gospel was speaking to a group of graduates who have committed verbally that they are. If I were a student at BYU I would expect it, but not at Liberty. Let's not fall into the trap that conservatism is the greatest need in America. I consider all the men I have met at Liberty as brothers, but am very concerned about the future of the school. If Liberty is doing this because they are trying to build bridges to reach out to the lost community I applaud their hearts, but this isn't the right avenue. It is time for Liberty to get on track and make sure they send a clear message to the world that their commitment is first to the Gospel. ~ Ryan Begue is the founding pastor of First Baptist Church in Esto, a congregation he planted in 2003. He is being awarded the Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary during commencement exercises on May 15 [2010]. [article link]
{Flashback 2007} Regent University [Pat Robertson] in Virginia Beach, Va. - students upset at Romney's choice as [commencement] speaker - his Mormon faith clashes with the school's bedrock evangelical Christianity "What we're against is the fact that Mormonism is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Christian values and what we believe" {A guest speaker is one thing and a commencement speaker is another. A commencement speaker is who you want your students to emulate as an example. The Mormon Mitt Romney like other Mormons likely believes that ALL contemporary Christians are eternally damned (diminishing the blood of Jesus) and headed to hell, or to a third heaven or forever to be servants to obedient Mormons or something similar. Pat Robertson needs to explain this decision!} VIRGINIA BEACH - Selecting presidential candidate Mitt Romney as its May commencement speaker has riled some of Regent University's students and alumni who say his Mormon faith clashes with the school's bedrock evangelical Christianity. "What we're against is the fact that Mormonism is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Christian values and what we believe," said Doug Dowdey, a Virginia Beach pastor who said he graduated from Regent's divinity school last year. The controversy over Romney's visit has bubbled for two weeks among students, spilling onto Regent's internal electronic bulletin board, "The Branch." Scores of e-mails on both sides of the debate have been posted, a student said. Pat Robertson, the Christian broadcaster who is Regent's founder and chancellor, invited Romney to be the keynote speaker, said Sherri Stocks, a Regent vice president. Romney is the former Republican governor of Massachusetts. [article link]
{Flashback 2007} PAT ROBERTSON'S REGENT UNIVERSITY INVITES MORMON MITT ROMNEY! - they (Christians) will start wondering whether supporting the religious right leaders who have been taking them down this path for over 25 years was EVER the right thing to do - You know, whether it was EVER God's Will See what people who are dancing with the mammon (money and power) demon are capable of. The Bush presidency and the Iraq War has been really harmful for the GOP and ESPECIALLY the religious right, and they know that if a Democrat gets into office (or worse, if a GOPer gets in without their at least PRETENDING to be kingmaker), then they will be to the GOP what, well, we blacks are to the Democratic Party! They will be out of power for good after having accomplished ABSOLUTELY NOTHING despite all those years of getting their parishioners to contribute money and volunteer for campaigns. And you know what will happen then? All of those parishioners who fill their suburban megachurches, send their kids to their colleges (LIKE REGENT UNIVERSITY, WHERE MORMON MITT ROMNEY IS GOING TO SPEAK!), and support their political and TV networks will start to wonder exactly why they spent all of their resources on trying to change laws through politics and the ballot box rather than trying to change hearts with the gospel, and then they will start wondering whether supporting the religious right leaders who have been taking them down this path for over 25 years was EVER the right thing to do. You know, whether it was EVER God's Will. [article link]
LU officials to investigate Caner's background claims - Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary president [since 2005] (Dr.) Ergun Caner faces an inquiry by LU officials after bloggers and others expressed doubts about his background - The controversy focuses on whether Caner was raised in Turkey and in the Muslim faith until age 17, as he has been recorded as saying in remarks to large church congregations in Florida [First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida] and Texas [First Baptist Church of Dallas, TX - Metropolitan Baptist Church of Houston, TX - Castle Hills Baptist Church of San Antonio, TX - Green Acres Baptist Church of Tyler, TX - source: erguncaner.com/home/schedule/events.php] in the months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York Divorce documents cited by at least one blog, and obtained from a Columbus, Ohio courthouse by The News & Advance, indicate Caner was born in Sweden and moved with his father and mother to the United States about four years later {Note: Back in 2007 the Basic Christian Ministry (unaware of his Liberty University ties though it would not have mattered) linked to one of Dr. Ergun Caner's online (GodTube) Testimonies - he seems like a great guy with a genuine concern for both Christians and Muslims however there is just no way that Caner has the background and the education necessary to so quickly become President of Theology at Liberty University and his direct placement in that position is suspicious [his brother, Dr. Emir Caner, is the President of Truett-McConnell College, a Baptist college in Georgia - erguncaner.com/biography]. -- This bizarre story [involving Christianity Today magazine as the major catalyst of events] just seems to have (NWOCIA) planted 'sleeper agent' written all over it!} Liberty University will investigate whether Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, actually has all of the Muslim background that he has described in some of his speaking engagements around the country. Liberty University described Caner as a converted Sunni Muslim and immigrant from Turkey when it named him head of the seminary in 2005, according to News & Advance files. For several weeks, bloggers who claim either Baptist or Muslim connections have expressed doubts about Caner's testimony. ... The controversy focuses on whether Caner was raised in Turkey and in the Muslim faith until age 17, as he has been recorded as saying in remarks to large church congregations in Florida and Texas in the months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York. Divorce documents cited by at least one blog, and obtained from a Columbus, Ohio courthouse by The News & Advance, indicate Caner was born in Sweden and moved with his father and mother to the United States about four years later. Caner's parents separated a few years after they moved to Ohio. His father, by mostly undisputed accounts, was a Muslim. However, courts awarded custody of the three Caner children to their mother. Ergun Caner became a Christian in his late teens, according to most accounts. Christianity Today last week became the first mainstream news outlet to report the controversy about Caner's Muslim background. In that report, the magazine quoted Elmer Towns, dean of LU's School of Religion, as saying the university's board of directors declined to take public action against Caner after bloggers raised
doubts about the seminary president's descriptions of his childhood as a Muslim. A call to Towns was returned Monday by Moore, who said the investigative committee was being formed because the mainstream media was starting to ask questions. "The provost is going to put together a committee of people, internal and external," Moore said. "They are going to look at all of the accusations, one by one, and make a determination of the legitimacy of the accusations. "The deadline is June 30," for the committee's report, Moore said. "That is the end of the fiscal year, and that just seemed like a good target." ... Moore also provided more details about the LU board's look at the controversy during its annual meeting in March. "The board at Liberty had a passing discussion (about the Caner controversy) during its annual board meeting; it wasn't an inquiry or anything like that," Moore said. He added that the discussion occurred within the board's seminary subcommittee and not before the full board. "Before the Christianity Today article, it was just a few blog accusations," Moore said. "This will be a formal investigation." [article link]
Liberty U. [Baptist College] to investigate alleged untruths by seminary president - Liberty University will investigate reports that its seminary president [Dr. Ergun Caner] has misled the public in his testimony about converting from militant Islam to Christianity - James White then was contacted by Mohammad Khan, a 22year-old Muslim college student in London, who made a series of videos on his laptop computer accusing Caner of misrepresenting Islam in order to make Muslims look bad - Some Baptist bloggers accused Caner of giving Christianity a bad name by deliberately misrepresenting his testimony - Caner issued a statement admitting to "pulpit mistakes" but insisting he never intentionally misled anyone LYNCHBURG, Va. (ABP) -- Liberty University will investigate reports that its seminary president has misled the public in his testimony about converting from militant Islam to Christianity, officials of the school in Lynchburg, Va., announced May 10. Liberty Provost Ron Godwin is reportedly forming a committee to conduct a formal inquiry into questions surrounding Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, that have circulated on blogs and more recently in media outlets including Christianity Today and Associated Baptist Press. "Liberty does not initiate personnel evaluations based upon accusations from Internet blogs," said Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr., breaking weeks of silence amid criticism from both Christian and Muslim bloggers. "However, in light of the fact that several newspapers have raised questions, we felt it necessary to initiate a formal inquiry." The author of books including Unveiling Islam: An Insider's Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs, which he co-wrote in 2002 with his brother, Caner has been quoted in Baptist and secular media as an expert on Islam. But discrepancies in biographical information he has provided in sermons -- many recorded -preached over the years have caused some to question his credibility. Some are questioning even his basic testimony of converting to Christianity from a devout Sunni Muslim background -- which has been held out by many Southern Baptist and other evangelical leaders in recent years as an illustration of Christ's power to save anyone. ... Caner issued a statement admitting to "pulpit mistakes" but insisting he never intentionally misled anyone. Liberty University revised Caner's online biography to remove references that he was raised in Turkey and has debated leaders of various faiths. Liberty officials initially sought to downplay the controversy. Elmer Towns, co-founder -- along with the late Jerry Falwell -- of Liberty University and dean of its School of Religion, told Christianity Today that officials had investigated the discrepancies and were satisfied it was not an "ethical" or "moral" issue. [article link]
The following is a critique of the article, Smith and Calvary Chapel: Evangelicalism was started with the goal of saving the world, but {by its various and many compromises, shortcomings and infiltrations by non-Christians} it helped usher in the [very] apostasy that we are [now] living in The following is a critique of the article, Smith and Calvary Chapel: Evangelicalism was started with the goal of saving the world, but it helped usher in the apostasy that we are living in. The supposed (worldly) success of big named evangelical preachers like Billy Sunday, Dwight Moody, R.A. Torrey, Charles Fuller, and Billy Graham sucked thousands of bishops into their movement. They saw some success and thought their efforts would
bring world wide revival. This revival movement has been a major cause of the apostasy we are living in. Their limited success led them to believe nothing could stop them. They rejected the clear teaching of the Scriptures that just prior to the Second Advent of YAHSHUA there would be the apostasy (2 Thes. 2.3; 2 Tim. 4.3,4). They propagated the idea that there would be a world wide revival prior to the Lord's return and ignored everything except evangelism. Their arrogance ushered in a time of great ignorance of the Scriptures among believers. The bishops (pastors) that joined the revival crusade neglected discipleship and left the people they saved in a permanent state of infancy. Few bishops taught anything more than the basic doctrines and they preached mostly salvation messages. The only ones who grew in knowledge and faith were men who sought to be bishops. This situation has not changed since the first days of the revival movement and it never will. It is too easy for bishops to preach boring {or worldly} sermons and do little else. It is much easier to do that than to personally teach the Scriptures to every member of their flock (I Tim. 4:6,11,13-16; 5:17; 6:17-19), exhort them (2 Tim. 4:2; Titos 1:9; 2:15), watch over them (Heb. 13.17; I Peter 5.1), enable them to exercise their gifts for the common good (Rom. 12:6; I Cor. 12:7), train them to be able to "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks" them "to give the reason for the hope that" they "have" (I Peter 3:15), teach them to obey civil authorities, do good deeds and not slander anyone or be contentious (Titus 3:1,2,14), train young men to be bishops (2 Tim. 2:2; 3:16,17), and to refute and correct those who contradict their teaching (2 Tim. 2:25; 3:16,17; 4:2; Titus 1:9,13; 2:15) or continue in sin (I Tim. 5:20). The founders of the pentecostal/charismatic movement also thought they would save the world through the power of the HOLY SPIRIT and they rejected the clear teaching that there would be a great apostasy among true believers in the last days. They perverted the Gospel teaching people that unless they had a supernatural experience they were not born from above or were second class believers. Virtually everyone in that movement is convinced that their experiences prove they have been born from above. They focus on experience and neglect the study of the Scriptures which is vital to spiritual growth (Acts 17.11). Their primary goal is to get high on the "supernatural" and tell others they can have the same experience. In some of the most corrupt branches of the pentecostal/charismatic movement, salvation through "Jesus Christ" is secondary. The churches embracing the latest charismatic fads -- laughing, barking, growling, shaking -- spend most of their time putting on carnival style shows and neglect Bible teaching altogether. Chuck Smith saw the aberrations emanating out of the charismatic movement and backed away from the practice of exercising the sign gifts in public services. He no longer allows any sign gift to be used in a worship/teaching service and he put an end to the use of them in all church services. I applaud him for this, but he has a long way to go. He needs to concentrate on teaching small groups and back away from preaching to large audiences. He knows this, but if he were to do this he would lose most of his flock and his financial support. I don't think he or any bishop of a mega-church has the courage to do what is right and forget about being famous and wealthy. Had he concentrated on discipleship rather than evangelism he would have started a true world wide revival and his disciples would have led millions to the Lord. Instead he went the way of the revivalists and raised up hundreds of disciples who have led millions to believe they are saved when they are not. Unfortunately, the love of fame and money motivates bishops of most assemblies no matter the size. They think bigger is better and do not realize their top priority should be the spiritual welfare of their flock. Most of the Reformed assemblies have stayed with teaching the Scriptures and have not been swept away with the revival movement, yet some Reformed bishops have fallen prey to revivalism and the mega-church syndrome. The charismatic/pentecostal movement is another major cause of the apostasy we are living in. The revivalists of all persuasions are the primary cause of the apostasy of the last days and few of the people in those movements are truly born from above. I do not say this lightly. It is based on my experience in both groups. I have met only a handful of men and women among the thousands I have known that had any desire to study the Scriptures and fewer still who actually knew more than the elementary teachings of the faith. Only a handful have been able to share a testimony that showed that understood salvation and had trusted YAHSHUA of Nazareth to save them. I must remind everyone who has been caught up in the pentecostal/charismatic movement that YAHSHUA (Jesus Christ) prophesied about pentecostals and charismatics: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast
out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles.' And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" (Matthew 7.21-23). There is no way to reverse the apostasy, but every believer who is aware of this has the duty to warn others and encourage them to study the Scriptures. Since few bishops will take the time to teach the flock it is up to those who know the Word to disciple people oneon-one and the few who are qualified should start local assemblies. {Note: Join a Church and also a separate fellowship (try to regularly attend two different Church fellowships i.e. a larger Church and a smaller Church to help balance your Christian walk) also you can discuss with each group what is going on at the other Church to help maintain your discernment, and provide both edification and accountability for each Church - this will go a long way to providing you with a fuller Christian environment with more diversity and more opportunity in places where you feel comfortable to do the best you can to fellowship, contribute and mature personally in the love of Jesus Christ.} [article link]
Calvary Chapel Visitor Comments - The Ross Institute Internet Archives for the Study of Destructive Cults, Controversial Groups and Movements "I also recently left Calvary Chapel...I discerned for two years that the place was not right but always thought it was in my head. Until others from the church were leaving and I found your website...What complete deception!...I would sit there in complete disbelief, but the Holy Spirit kept prompting me to leave, thank God I left." -- "I attended a Calvary Chapel for a number of years in another state before marrying and moving to my current location. The experience I am having now is completely different and most upsetting. The pastor runs the church like a 'one man show.' Many precious Christians with various gifts are not being given the opportunity to use them. The 'board' is in name only and the financial affairs are handled by the pastor's buddy. Only the two of them ever see the books. Nor is there ever a meeting, discussion or vote on how funds are spent. Actually no one has a clue what's going on. The pastor and associate pastor are also business partners. I'm sick about all this, but what can you do when the pastor runs a church like a dictator except get out?" -- "The personality of the senior pastor is the main driving force of the individual congregations. Nepotism runs rampant. I guess the age-old adage of, 'it's not what you know, it's whom you know,' radiates through the vast majority of Calvary Chapels." -- "I just read some of the material on your site about Calvary Chapel and was surprised to suddenly realize that there are others out there who have come to the same conclusions about it that we my husband and I have as former members. Although they preach grace, they bring condemnation for everything--from soup to nuts. They are the Calvary Chapel denomination, as much a denomination as the Presbyterians or the Baptists. We would not call Calvary Chapel a 'cult'--but perhaps leaning that way in some respects". -- "I would like to thank you for including Calvary Chapel within your Web site. Your doing so has become a major milestone in my recovery from our 12-year involvement with that organization--half of those as leaders. I have been unable to describe our experience with anyone, because Calvary has such a good surface reputation that I figured I would just be labeled as someone with a personal axe to grind. Our former Calvary pastor has blacklisted us with other churches and spread malicious lies about us among the congregation, which I have felt powerless to counter. For four years I have virtually hidden myself in my house or escaped by doing the shopping out of town--alienated, distrustful, and full of the fear of running into the pastor and members of the church. Now, through your Web site I have the beginning of an explanation for others--who in our small town, ask me why we left. Our Calvary Chapel scored 90% on your 'Warning Signs' 'Unsafe Group/Leader' checklist and 90% on your 'People Involved with an Unsafe Group/Leader' checklist. This month I have gotten the courage to seek professional counseling. Thanks again. Don't let anyone ever talk you into taking Calvary Chapel off of your Web site." -- "I am presently a student at an accredited school of theology. I was involved with the Calvary Chapel movement for a number of years. I have grave concerns about Chuck Smith's teachings. He makes it sound as if Calvary Chapels are non divisive and believe only the Scriptures, but then sets up the leaders of the Calvary movement as the sole judge of truth. This is apparent from the last page of his pamphlet entitled 'Calvinism, Arminianism, and the Word of God.' He makes it sound as if he can judge true doctrine based on his assessment of a person's attitude." --
"My wife and I are born again Christians and have not left the faith because of our experiences, but have certainly modified our thinking in some ways so as to not fall prey to these so-called men of God again. I cannot say enough about what an evil philosophy this so called church lives by. I think that you should actually have more about what exactly their guru Chuck Smith actually teaches. You will find that it is a far cry from orthodoxy where Christianity is concerned." -- "Thank you, for providing a site where people with questions can seek answers. In my quest to resolve ongoing mental and emotional pain I have always suspected Calvary Chapel. After three years of attendance, in the early 80s my life has never been the same. I've spent years trying to put it back together. It's been a painful journey. On the surface Calvary appears OK, but it's what happens behind the scenes that leads one into confusion, despair and fear. Calvary can systematically strip one of self worth, family and friends and break down trust--leaving nowhere to turn. You loose the ability to think for yourself. Your taught to distrust your thoughts, and feelings. Other institutions are discredited as 'cultic' or 'worldly.' It's difficult to leave, you are always bound--if only by thought. But some of us have escaped and I would encourage those gripped by fear that there is a life beyond Calvary and God too." -- "Calvary Chapels started in California with the Jesus Movement. Since then they have spread across the U.S. My wife and I experienced spiritual abuse from a Calvary pastor who questioned our motives and became quite antagonistic all because of a simple suggestion we made. The pastors wield a lot of power and there is no room for dissent or discussion. Basically, if you don't like what's going on, your only option is to head for the exit. Since leaving Calvary, we have found a church in a denomination where discussion and 'back and forth' is encouraged. There are safeguards, and the pastors have received a professional seminary education, in contrast to Calvary where they study tapes at a Bible college. My advice to Calvary attendees who are considering another church is to not be afraid. There are many better churches out there. We were afraid to leave, but are very glad we have." [article link]
CultHelp.info: (Calvary Chapel) Day of Reckoning - Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel face an uncertain future Pastors, former board members, and attendees who spoke with CT [Christianity Today] say the wellspring of Calvary Chapel's problems are in the Costa Mesa mother church - But those close to Chuck Smith would rather wait until his tenure has closed before addressing any problems Christianity Today, March, 2007 - Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel face an uncertain future. Rob Moll | posted 2/16/2007 09:08AM - Talk to Calvary Chapel pastors about their vibrant network of 1,300 churches across the U.S., however, and they'll offer two radically different views. Most will call Calvary Chapel a mighty and ongoing work of a faithful God - and they will be right. But the other view expresses deep worry that lax moral standards among some key leaders will sink Calvary's ship. As one pastor said to Christianity Today, "The Titanic has hit the iceberg. But the music is still playing." Calvary Chapel continues to thrive, nationally and internationally, as it has for five decades. But alongside the growth lie the network's deep-rooted problems, which threaten to undo the association. The visible tip of the iceberg is contentious litigation. Chuck Smith, the founder of the movement, and his son are battling in court with a former Calvary Chapel pastor for control of the Calvary Satellite Network's extremely valuable 400 radio stations. The litigation involves competing allegations of financial mismanagement of the ministry's assets, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, as well as the alleged personal use of ministry resources by insiders. Below the waterline, the iceberg looks even more threatening. Leading pastors told CT that Calvary Chapel, and specifically Chuck Smith, are dangerously lax in maintaining standards for sexual morality among leaders. "These men cannot call sin sin," says one 20-year veteran pastor. Easy forgiveness, insiders say, has created an atmosphere of sexual license, where some unethical pastors [i.e. Greg Laurie?, Skip Heitzig?, others? - just wondering] sense that there are few consequences for sexual misconduct. Additionally, former members and some pastors say Calvary Chapel fosters an authoritarian culture, where pastors believe they are accountable only to God. It has enticed some leaders to become power hungry, avoid financial oversight [profiteering], and, at times, become spiritually abusive, according to Calvary insiders. For nearly a year, CT has spoken with Calvary Chapel pastors, former pastors, and others, some of whom sought out CT unsolicited to tell their stories. Many, fearing retribution, asked to remain anonymous. Other leaders whose names are well known within the Calvary Chapel network
either declined to speak to CT or denied the existence of significant problems. Pastors, former board members, and attendees who spoke with CT say the wellspring of Calvary Chapel's problems are in the Costa Mesa mother church. But those close to Chuck Smith would rather wait until his tenure has closed before addressing any problems. At 79, there is no telling how much longer Smith will remain in control. Some leaders told CT that they worry the network can't wait for Smith to retire before addressing its problems and that changes should be initiated now. [article link]
Calvary Chapel (Skip Heitzig) Albuquerque States: Leonard Sweet Will Not Be Speaking at Conference Lighthouse Trails Calls For Answers - Questions Arise: Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not? - the National Worship Leader Conference website still maintains that Leonard Sweet will indeed be speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque {Note: Because of deceptive and nonChristian practices emanating from various Calvary Chapel pastors the website links from Basic Christan to Skip Heitzig and several other Calvary Chapel (Costa Mesa) resources, Churches and pastors have recently been removed by the Basic Christian Ministry.} This is an update regarding the Lighthouse Trails report that New Age sympathizer Leonard Sweet is scheduled to speak at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque for the National Worship Leader Conference this June. Conflicting reports are occurring as to whether Sweet's speaking engagement has been cancelled. Please refer to our recent posting, Questions Arise: Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not? where we write on some of these conflicting reports. A number of Lighthouse Trails' readers contacted us over the last couple days sending us copies of an email they each received from an undisclosed personnel at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque. **The form letter states: Thank you for contacting us here at The Connection and thanks for writing to Pastor Skip. We always love to hear from you. The conference is not a Calvary conference. The conference is being put on by Worship Leader Magazine using our facility just like CAPE, Home school graduation, funerals, etc. Therefore, Leonard Sweet is not speaking at "Skip's Church". [LT: Heitzig is one of the speakers at this event.] He is part of a conference using Calvary's facilities. Leonard Sweet will attend the conference but WILL NOT BE SPEAKING. It is our prayer that God will continue to reveal Himself to you through His Word as you seek to know Him. Love in Christ, Connection Communications -- Because the National Worship Leader Conference website still maintains that Leonard Sweet will indeed be speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque, an official public notice from CCA stating that Leonard Sweet will not be speaking there could help clear up the present confusion. Just as important, a statement explaining to the body of Christ why they have decided to remove him from the platform would be important. In a day and age when so many Christian leaders are sending out mixed messages to the Church regarding spiritual deception, those wanting to maintain biblical integrity need to be forthright and clear in what they believe and stand for. And regardless of what denomination or movement this confusion is occurring in, those particular leaders do have a biblical obligation to the entire body of Jesus Christ. This is not Lighthouse Trails saying this - this is what the Bible requests of leaders and pastors. [article link]
{Flashback} Note: There has been a change to the referencing for each of the Basic Christian blog Bible Study postings - Each posting will now contain the Bible's book and chapter and will no longer provide a reference to an alternate past study by Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa - The change is being made out of necessity in that the teachings of the Basic Christian blog Bible Study are too divergent from the alternate material of Calvary Chapel and therefore providing Chuck Smith or Calvary Chapel as an alternate reference in the blog Bible Study has been causing too much confusion within the current blog Bible Study - The rereferencing of each post will be completed as soon as possible - My sincere apologies for any inconvenience that this has caused or might cause for anyone studying the Bible - God bless you, David Anson Brown Originally the postings to the Basic Christian blog Bible Study were listed with an alternate past study of the Calvary Chapel C3000 series by Chuck Smith however the teachings and material of Chuck Smith have become
to inconsistent and run to counter to the current [in progress] teachings given in the Basic Christian blog Bible Study and therefore there is no reason to [continue to] provide a listing to an alternate Chuck Smith resource. Sadly, it has also recently [in part through the faithful and diligent ministry of Randy Maugans at The Threshing Floor] come to the attention of the Basic Christian ministry that there are now several serious allegations that Chuck Smith does not have his own material but often plagiarizes much of his material from other sources [including now New Age material i.e. his 2006 book "When Storms Come" by Chuck Smith with (later removed) portions plagiarized from two New Age authors] and that Chuck Smith had then put his name on the material of others as though it was his own material. In Short there was an attempt to provide a reference to some past material as an alternate counterbalance to the Basic Christian material however it quickly became evident that the material of the alternate teaching of Chuck Smith is filled with too many personal antecedents has too many inconsistencies [biblical names, dates and locations] (probably from his use of too many external sources i.e. other commentaries) and even outright biblical misrepresentations [i.e. Kingdom - eternal rewards] to the point that the past study of Chuck Smith is incompatible with the current Basic Christian blog Bible Study and therefore for clarity all references to any Calvary Chapel or Chuck Smith material will be removed from all of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
{Flashback} Unexpected Storm for Nelson Author - Chuck Smith's latest book, 'When Storms Come' has generated a storm of its own - Both Smith and Thomas Nelson agree that there was a rush to get the book out, but deny any theological errors - Smith acknowledges that his son [Emergent Church (NWO) - New Age author] Chuck Jr., edited the book and added these elements - There was a haste to get it out, and some things slipped by By Lori Smith -- Publishers Weekly, 6/28/2006 2:00:00 AM - Chuck Smith's latest book, When Storms Come (Thomas Nelson/World, Jan.), has generated a storm of its own. The 79-year-old pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and leader of the Calvary Chapel fellowship of churches drew ire from online evangelical activists, like Dave and Deborah Dombrowski of the Lighthouse Trails Research Project, who said the book "included contemplative and Eastern meditation language" inconsistent with orthodox Christian theology. Both Smith and Thomas Nelson agree that there was a rush to get the book out, but deny any theological errors. David Moberg, v-p and publisher for W Publishing, who recently took over responsibility for World trade books, said, "The Web site postings on Lighthouse Trails created the impression that Thomas Nelson tampered with the book. This is simply not true. We simply did a quick copy edit. Nothing substantive was added or changed." Ramona Richards, the in-house editor on the project, described the problem passages: "There was a threeword quote from Anthony de Mello, a Jesuit priest from India whose other works have to do with contemplative spirituality, and another passage about a deep breathing exercise to help you relax before prayer." Moberg added, "These are totally minor issues in a book of sound Calvary doctrine, based on a series of Chuck's sermons." Smith acknowledges that his son, Chuck Jr., edited the book and added these elements. "There was a haste to get it out, and some things slipped by. We didn't really mean to create a storm, it was supposed to be a book that would help a person through the storm. There are a lot of heresy hunters out there that are just looking for anything to jump on." Thomas Nelson has agreed to put this edition of the book-which has sold 12,000 copies to date-out of print and intends to work with Calvary Chapel to correct the problems, likely with a new edition. Smith is eager to re-release the book with the problem elements removed, along with some copy corrections. "We will work with them and accommodate what they want to do," Moberg told RBL. Chuck Smith Jr. is pastor at Capo Beach Calvary, which recently removed itself from the Calvary Chapel fellowship of churches-creating more online speculation about possible controversy. Smith Sr. denied any rift. He said that Capo Beach's ministry is directed toward the postmodern generation, and that style of ministry does not fit within the more conservative Calvary Chapel model. Smith Sr. recently wrote cautionary guidelines about postmodern ministry, or the "emergent church," in a "Parson to Parson" letter to the 1,400 churches in the Calvary Chapel fellowship. However, the letter has not been released to the public and Smith avoided discussing specifics. Asked if he would work with his son again on another book, he replied, "Oh, yes. He's an
excellent writer; he's a very brilliant young man." Smith said his next book likely will be a commentary on the book of Ephesians. [article link]
The 40th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission [1970, April 11-17 - Wiki.com] {Apollo 13 movie (1995) - directed by Ron Howard - starring Tom Hanks} - "The correlation between 'Marooned' [1964 novel, 1969 movie] and actual events threatening Apollo 13 is really uncanny" said NASA engineer Jerry Woodfill "People may not agree, but in my mind this movie was actually a catalyst to the rescue of Apollo 13" - Woodfill recounted how back in early 1970, he heard about the movie "Marooned" and that the flight directors at NASA were invited to a special screening of the film, and later, the Apollo 13 crew came to a special release and public viewing of the movie {So possibly the NASA Apollo 13 drama was a pre-scripted made for TV event used to entice people into their outer space dramas (excessively budgeted NASA programs, modern UFOs) - During the three-day conference [December 2008 at a Hilton hotel in Baltimore, Maryland], the 317 attendees snacked on "light refreshments" of soda, coffee, fruit, bagels and cookies at a cost of $62,611, according to a NASA Inspector General report. That's $66 a day per person. Source: tammybruce.com/2010/03/out-of-this-world-snacks-fornasa.html} "Marooned" starred Gregory Peck as a Gene Kranz-like flight director, David Janssen as head of the astronaut office (who looked strikingly like the real Chief Astronaut Deke Slayton), with Richard Crenna, James Franciscus, and Gene Hackman as the astronauts. Like the movie "Apollo 13," "Marooned" dealt with three astronauts stranded in space, but was an adaptation of a 1964 novel of the same name by author Martin Caidin, and not a real-life portrayal. The novel told the story of a single astronaut in a Mercury-like capsule, but the movie was adapted to reflect the current-day Apollo program. ... "Marooned" won an Oscar award for Best Special Visual Effects, but when the movie "Apollo 13" received an Academy Award for Best Screen Adaptation, Caidin joked that he should have received the award for scripting the movie in his novel a quarter century before. ... Woodfill also listed several other similarities between "Marooned" and the real-life drama of Apollo 13: • The use of simulators is almost identical to that which Apollo 13's ground team used in the course of the rescue. • Gregory Peck's character announces, "Every resource of NASA and our industrial contractors is being used to the fullest extent," similar to what was done during the real Apollo 13 drama. • Press conferences in the movie were similar to those conducted by Chris Kraft for the Apollo 13 media coverage. • The "Marooned" crew wrongly thinks they may have suffered a meteor strike as did the crew of Apollo 13. • A hurricane threatens the rescue as was the case with Apollo 13. Even the weathermen wrongly predict its course as did the Apollo 13 meteorologists. • Commanders of both "Marooned" and Apollo 13 are named Jim. • The threat of consumables running out is dealt with in the same fashion as Apollo 13 with severe conservation measures being utilized. • The medics in "Marooned" express concern for the crew's sleep deprivation as did Apollo 13's doctors. • The "Marooned" crew is told to shut down fuel cells 2 and 3, using only fuel cell 1. This is what the Apollo 13 flight controllers experienced as a result of the oxygen tank explosion, two fuel cells shut down with only one sustaining power, until it, too, was lost. But perhaps, said Woodfill, the most notable of "Maroon's" correlations with the Apollo 13 rescue had to do with those reentry batteries discussed above, and this earlier article in the "13 Things That Saved Apollo 13" series. The batteries were used during the time the ground team was confused about the source of Apollo 13's explosion. This severely depleted them, and without enough power to the Command Module, reentry could be fatal. These batteries normally were to be used only during the mission's final hours to power the reentry capsule. [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus did not have a wife or a child - Da Vinci Code (Jesus is only human) Cults Exposed! - Network TV, the movie "The Da Vinci Code" 'SEEK THE TRUTH' {Sony Pictures - Directed by: Ron Howard, Starring: Tom Hanks, May 2006} and now The Da Vinci Code part two "Angels & Demons" (2009) are programs that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth
Network TV, the movie "The Da Vinci Code" 'SEEK THE TRUTH' {Sony Pictures - Directed by: Ron Howard, Starring: Tom Hanks, May 2006} and now The Da Vinci Code part two "Angels & Demons" (2009) are programs that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth. Following is some material to consider regarding this very wrong and false topic. This is a startling topic yet it is a good opportunity for us as Christians to define Christianity to others and to point out the errors of the non-Biblical approach to defining Jesus. "Any marriage prior to the Cross would mean that Jesus was marring a sinner and really teachings of an earthly marriage of Jesus are yet another false set of teachings that are attempting to do away with the need of mankind for the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross and of His Glorious Resurrection and it is an attempt to deny the special relationship that Jesus has with His Bride - The Church." [article link]
New ULV Core i3, faster i5 and i7 chips coming - Intel is about to launch a sweeping set of notebook processor upgrades, according to a slew of official information - they would be inexpensive enough to count as part of Intel's CULV [Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage] family and could replace the Core 2 Duo in the ultraportable yet cheap category, where prices often dip below $800 {$600-$400} Intel is about to launch a sweeping set of notebook processor upgrades, according to a slew of official information. A roadmap from the company has an ultra-low voltage (ULV) Core i3 in the works along with new ULV Core i5s. The chips' specs or pricing aren't known, but they would be inexpensive enough to count as part of Intel's CULV family and could replace the Core 2 Duo in the ultraportable yet cheap category, where prices often dip below $800. They will all be built on the same 32nm process as their full-power counterparts and will share the graphics built into the chip package. PC Client Operations VP Stephen Smith said the chips will be available for companies to use before the end of the spring but that shipping notebooks wouldn't arrive until the second half of the year. [article link]
HP TouchSmart TM2 to get [Intel - ULV] Core i3 and i5 processors-Rumors [Currently the HP TouchSmart TM2 does not have a built-in DVD/CD player - have to use an external optical disk player] (Photo) As stated in the title this is just a rumor now but this can also become real news pretty soon. Sources say that HP is planning to update its Touch Smart TM2 tablet with core i3 and i5 processors. It also seems that this change may happen in June when Intel plans to release its [ULV - Ultra-Low Voltage] Core i5 processors. This obviously makes a synch and makes us believe too. [article link]
Intel to launch [CPU] Core i3 ULV processor this quarter (Photo) We knew that Intel had a Core i5 ULV chip in the works for a June release, and now PC World is reporting on an Intel roadmap mentioning the aforementioned CPU, as well as a ULV Core i3. Due for release this quarter, the new 32nm processor should reach "laptops in the second half of the year," according to Intel VP Stephen Smith. The company was mum on release date, performance, and pricing, but don't fret -- keep your eyes on this space, and we promise you'll know as soon as we do. [article link]
Intel Wins Simulated Moorestown vs. iPad Battle [actually an older Intel Menlow CPU vs. iPad] (Video) UMPC Portal ran a browser test between an iPad and Viliv X70, which has its Menlow-based Atom platform running at 800MHz. While this isn't a test between Moorestown and the ARM-based A4, the practical architectures between Menlow and Moorestown should be quite similar. In a webpage loading test, the 800MHz Atom Menlow running the latest Chrome on Windows XP matched the loading speeds of Safari on the iPad. When the Atom was cranked up to Menlow's 1.3GHz ceiling, the *Windows XP tablet was able to load faster than the iPad - even with Flash enabled. The simulation leads us to believe that the [newer] Moorestown running at a 1.5GHz speed would be even faster. Check out the video below for the test. [article link]
Ernie Harwell [May 04, 2010], Detroit Baseball Fans Say Farewell To Harwell - Fans lined the sidewalk outside Comerica Park in downtown Detroit on Thursday to pay their final respects to cherished broadcaster Ernie Harwell, who was considered by many Tigers fans to be the voice of summer - "In my almost 92 years on this Earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey," [devout Christian] Harwell [had previously] said at a microphone behind home plate Westland resident Tyler Amaro said he was focusing not on the sadness of Harwell's passing, but on the joy he brought to people. "He was my hero not for necessarily what he did behind the microphone, but what he did as a person when he wasn't behind the microphone," he said. "When he would meet somebody, he would genuinely be appreciative that the person wanted to meet him. Dozens of postings also are being left on Facebook fan pages, while several videos announcing Harwell's death Tuesday have been posted on YouTube. There's even a Facebook campaign to change Comerica Park to "Harwell Field at Comerica Park." Across the street, the marquee of the Fox Theatre read: "Thanks for the memories Ernie." Other venues also had similar public messages. He said last September he had inoperable cancer, a month after surgery for an obstructed bile duct. Shortly after Harwell's announcement, the Tigers honored him during the third inning of a game against Kansas City on Sept. 16, showing a video tribute and giving him a chance to address the crowd at Comerica Park. "In my almost 92 years on this Earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey," Harwell said at a microphone behind home plate. "The blessed part of that journey is that it's going to end here in the great state of Michigan." Harwell spent 42 of his 55 years in broadcasting with the Tigers. He was their play-by-play radio voice from 1960-1991 and 1993-2002. [article link]
Max Palevsky, who died on Wednesday [May 05, 2010] aged 85, was one of the early pioneers of the electronics industry in America's "Silicon Valley"; he helped to found Intel, the world's largest maker of computer chips, and became one of the country's richest men - in 1971, [Intel] produced the first microprocessor the "computer on a chip" that made possible hand-held calculators and personal computers The son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, Max Palevsky was born on July 24 1924 in Chicago - His father, a house painter, spoke little English, owned no car and hauled his equipment around the city on trams As a venture capitalist in his own right, Palevsky became a founder investor and director of the semi-conductor giant Intel Corp, launched in 1968. It led the world in the development of memory chips and, in 1971, produced the first microprocessor - the "computer on a chip" that made possible hand-held calculators and personal computers. Today more than 80 per cent of the world's PCs contain Intel microprocessors. ... Although he played a key role in fostering the modern obsession with computers, Palevsky latterly became a critic of the revolution he had helped to create, complaining that computers and the internet had become "substitutes for interaction with the real world". "I haven't touched a computer, watched TV or used a credit card in 15 years," he told a reporter in 2001. "I am a Luddite." The son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, Max Palevsky was born on July 24 1924 in Chicago. His father, a house painter, spoke little English, owned no car and hauled his equipment around the city on trams. Max graduated from a local high school and during the Second World War served in the US Army Air Corps as a weatherman. Having studied Science and Mathematics at the University of Chicago, and Electronics at Yale, he was posted to the USAF's main electronics base in the South Pacific. After the war he returned to Chicago University, graduating in Mathematics and Philosophy. It was while he was working as a teaching assistant at UCLA that Palevsky attended a lecture about the arrival of computer technology. He realised the implications, and resigned to join an aircraft company developing the last, and most sophisticated, of a postwar generation of differential analysers which, in the early 1950s, were superseded by electronic computers. In 1957 he moved to Packard Bell and persuaded the company to enter the computer business, working on the development of the first silicon computer, the Packard Bell PB250. In 1961 - with an initial $60,000 investment of his own, and having raised $1 million in venture capital - Palevsky set up SDS with a view to penetrating the market for small and medium-sized computers. After some modest early successes, the company made the critical breakthrough in 1966 with the introduction of the Sigma 7, the machine that propelled the company into business data processing. In little more than three years, he had sold
SDS to the Xerox Corporation for $920 million. ... His interests were eclectic: he rescued Rolling Stone magazine from bankruptcy in 1970 by buying a substantial shareholding and becoming chairman of the board. He also moved into independent film production, in a joint venture with the former vice-president of Paramount Pictures, Peter Bart. [article link]
Know Your Rights: H.264, patent licensing, and you - So what are the rates, and who has to pay? - the party [Church - Ministry] selling or distributing the [H.264] video to the end user -- has to pay royalties for using the H.264 encoder In any event, MPEG-LA has said to us that only the parties at the top and bottom of the H.264 tool chain are generally required to pay royalties; that is, the party who makes the encoder, and the party who distributes the encoded file to the end users. You can think of that as the first and last transaction, if you like -- the person who sells the encoder and the person who sells the content are the ones who have to pay. That ultimately means products that come with an H.264 codec don't also come with a license to use the codec commercially - in order to distribute H.264 content in a way that makes money, the distributor has to pay for a separate license. So products like Windows 7, Mac OS X, Final Cut Pro, Avid, and modern video cameras aren't licensed to distribute video for commercial use -- they all have fine print somewhere that says they're for personal and non-commercial use only. It's language that feels incredibly aggressive and broad, especially since it apparently conflicts with the MPEG-LA's general position that only the final link in the chain -- the party selling or distributing the video to the end user -- has to pay royalties for using the H.264 encoder. Ouch. So people are mad because they have to pay to make and distribute videos for commercial use? Yes, but it's not as bad as it seems. First off, we've directly asked MPEG-LA whether or not using an H.264 camera simply to shoot video for a commercial purpose requires a license, and the answer is no. We've also asked whether an end user watching H.264 videos would ever have to pay or be licensed, and the answer to that question is also no. Yes, the license terms are worded poorly, but those are the answers straight from the patent horse's mouth. Everyone can breathe again, 'kay? On top of that, there's a gigantic exception to the license rules that should put any lingering fears to rest: using H.264 to distribute free internet video to end users doesn't cost a thing, and won't cost anything until at least 2015. After that, it's up in the air, and that's a bridge we'll have to cross when we come to it -- there's a chance the MPEG-LA could start charging a royalty for free video in five years. But for right now MPEG-LA president Larry Horn says the group doesn't want to "plug a royalty into a business model that's still unsettled." It's also important to note that the MPEG-LA can't just run off and do whatever it wants; its decisions are made by the various patent holders it represents, many of whom are also still trying to figure out the economics of video on the web themselves. [article link]
Microsoft Says Web Video in IE9 Is All About H.264 - It should be noted that both Microsoft and Apple - the two main proponents of native H.264 playback in their browsers - hold patents in the H.264 patent pool The argument over which web video playback technology to support has been a point of major tension among browser makers ever since last year, when the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) bowed out of the debate, declining to recommend any single video technology for HTML5. The result, so far, is a stalemate - Microsoft and Apple are supporting H.264, Mozilla and Opera are supporting Ogg Theora and Google, for the time being, is supporting both. As we've said before, H.264 is a dangerous path for web video to go down, mostly because there are patents and licensing issues associated with it that keep it from being freely used. It should be noted that both Microsoft and Apple - the two main proponents of native H.264 playback in their browsers - hold patents in the H.264 patent pool. Other technologies, such as Ogg Theora and VP8, appear to be a much safer alternative for video on the web to remain free and open, which is why the browser makers who have no stake in H.264 (Mozilla and Opera) are pushing for Theora. [article link]
{Flashback - July 17, 2009} Why Amazon went Big Brother on some Kindle e-books - Amazon.com shocked customers yesterday when it reached out to hundreds, if not thousands of Kindles [ebook readers] and simply deleted texts that users had not only purchased, but had started to read - Amazon spoiled the readers' descent into Orwellian masochism with nary a warning or apology - Perhaps the (Thought Police) Amazon Customer Service team could cut off your ebooks whenever they wanted to {Note: can Microsoft and Apple do this as well with H.264 Video?} The story first popped up when customers began crying foul on the Amazon community, and several sites covered it, including the NYTimes. What no one could determine for certain was "why" this was happening. Amazon's email to customers gave the impression that the publisher had a change of heart: "Although a rarity, publishers can decide to pull their content from the Kindle store." That didn't tell the whole story, however. Ars Technica has learned that this was more serious than a publisher flippantly changing course. Accusations that Amazon had caved to the powerful meanderings of a "major publisher" were far off the mark, although the cause is still unsettling. As it turns out, the books in question were being sold by Amazon despite being unauthorized copies. The works weren't legit. It was all copywrong. In other words, Amazon was selling bad books. Hot letters. Pilfered paragraphs. MobileReference, the publisher in question, formats and sells public domain books on Amazon. The only problem is that George Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984 are not yet in the public domain, at least not in the US. According to Amazon's statement to Ars Technica, "These books were added to our catalog using our self-service platform by a third-party who did not have the rights to the books." When the publisher informed Amazon of this, Amazon moved to rectify the situation. The two books are no longer listed on MobleReference's website, either. But does Amazon's Terms of Service even allow for this kind of "rectification"? Peter Kafka examined the ToS and believes that there is no backing for this move. The ToS makes it sound as if all sales are final: [article link]
{Flashback} More info on Windows Phone 7: Windows Live ID (i.e. Hotmail account) will be required {There is a ton of new (and transitional) always on internet phone [Intel Moorestown] - type of technology and gadgets coming out this fall and into 2011 finally providing for stable and highly useable mobile internet devices. Intel and Nokia have the MeeGo operating system, Google has their Android system, Apple has their iPhone system and Microsoft will have their own system in Phone 7 but so far Microsoft seems to be the one to avoid.} Microsoft still has a lot of work to do until the first Windows Phone 7 devices are launched (sometime in the fourth quarter of the year), and that's why we don't know all we'd want to know about the upcoming OS. However, new details have been uncovered by Tweakers.net, **including the fact that, to use a Windows Phone 7 handset [phone], you will need a Windows Live ID account (you automatically have one if you use Hotmail or MSN Messenger). Apparently, Windows Live ID will also provide access to Windows Marketplace. Furthermore, it looks like Windows Phone 7 will only support ARM7 processors (like the Qualcomm Snapdragon). This leaves out Intel's Moorestown processors - but it's not like Intel cares too much, since it has MeeGo and we'll soon see Moorestown-based MeeGo devices on the market. As previously mentioned, all Windows Phone 7 devices will require capacitive touchscreen displays (apparently, non-touch devices won't be able to run WP7), three buttons on the front (Back, Start and Search), a power button, a camera button, and two volume buttons. Weird enough, it looks like Windows Phone 7 will support Bluetooth 2.1, but not Bluetooth 3.0. Well, maybe support for the newer version of Bluetooth will be added after launch. [article link]
Nokia and Intel defensive on MeeGo Linux patents - Microsoft and Apple are finding new ways to rein in the competition on phones: they're using patent threats - Ari Jaaksi, Nokia's vice president of MeeGo devices, told The Reg Tuesday that Intel and Nokia could "guarantee and promise" that MeeGo is safe from any and all patent claims because of the size and breadth of the companies' patent portfolios Tech companies are playing hardball on smart phones, but Linux could gain the upper hand with Intel and Nokia going on the defensive with MeeGo. To get you on Facebook while on the bus, play a tune, and - oh,
yeah - make a call, Microsoft and Apple are finding new ways to rein in the competition on phones: they're using patent threats. ... MeeGo, YouGo, WeAllGo MeeGo, the latest mobile-Linux effort - this time from Intel and Nokia - reckons it might have a chance with patents, too. Only instead of chasing people for royalties, they will use patents to protect those who adopt MeeGo against opportunistic trolls and companies like Microsoft that might decide one day that the best way to make some easy money or to hobble your business is by claiming patent infringement in the MeeGo Linux you are busy using on your smart phones. Ari Jaaksi, Nokia's vice president of MeeGo devices, told The Reg Tuesday that Intel and Nokia could "guarantee and promise" that MeeGo is safe from any and all patent claims because of the size and breadth of the companies' patent portfolios, and also because of the size of Intel and Nokia themselves. MeeGo is based on the Linux kernel and uses common components such as X-Windows and Gstreamer. "Both Nokia and Intel have a huge patent portfolio and we have put our investment into the standard Linux-based platform. That's a guarantee and promise that it's safe for anyone to take this platform because we will look after your investment with our patent platform," Jaaksi said. "With the big patent portfolios already backing up MeeGo as an operating system, that should make some of the concerns go away... we'll defend that with our patent portfolio." [article link]
Intel confirms Moorestown MeeGo device for 2010 - The resulting platform is intended to be used as a base for mobiles, MIDs, laptops, netbooks and even televisions Pankaj Kedia, Director of Global Ecosystem Programs and Mobile Internet Devices at Intel, has let slip that the first wave of Moorestown MeeGo devices will be here "by the end of 2010". The MeeGo platform is a joint project comprised of the amalgamation of the Nokia Maemo and Intel Moblin operating systems. The resulting platform is intended to be used as a base for mobiles, MIDs, laptops, netbooks and even televisions. ... In discussing the growth and momentum of the MeeGo project he remarked, "It's only been two months since we announced MeeGo, and we're seeing the momentum every day. With the first MeeGo devices due to market in the second half of this year, the project has no plans of slowing down anytime soon!" Whether that will turn out to be a Nokia smartphone, or some other kind of device entirely remains to be seen, but whichever it is, it shouldn't be too long before we find out. Stay tuned. [article link]
New Atom Z6 [CPU - Platform] Positions Intel for Phone, Tablet Push - the Atom Z6 uses up to 50 times less power when idling, 20 times less when performing audio functions, and 2 to 3 times less during Web browsing and video watching - Intel claims that these savings can result in more than 10 days of battery life in standby [6 hours of phone calls], up to 2 days when playing back [Mp3] audio, and 4 to 5 hours of Web browsing and video The Z6 is designed for both smartphones and more traditional tablets, but Intel hopes that the phone is where the platform, based on the traditional X86 architecture, eventually ends up. The new Lincroft chip (part of a platform Intel calls "Moorestown") supports up to 1.5 GHz for high-end smartphones and up to 1.9 GHz for tablets and other handheld designs. "Intel has delivered its first product that is opening the door for Intel Architecture [IA] in the smartphone market segment," said Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Ultra Mobility Group, in a statement. "Through 'Moorestown,' Intel is scaling the benefits of IA while significantly reducing the power, cost and footprint to better address handheld market segments. As a result of our efforts, the Intel Atom processor is pushing the boundaries of higher performance at significantly lower power to show what's possible as handheld devices become small, powerful mobile computers." ... Intel also touts the family's improved compute performance (1.5 to 3 times higher), faster JavaScript rendering (a fourfold speed increase), and 2 to 4 times better graphics, as well as support for 1080p HD video decoding (see above) and 720p video recording; and Burst Performance Technology, which lets the processor dynamically burst to higher performance for short periods of time without affecting the TDP. The chip's MP20 Platform Controller Hub (code-named "Langwell") supports what Intel calls "a range of systemlevel functions and I/O blocks." These include a NAND controller; a low-power, 24-bit audio engine called Intel
Smart Sound Technology (SST), which enables voice processing and supports audio codecs like MP3, AAC-LC, HE-AAAC (v1 and v2), VMA9, and PCM; a high-resolution camera; USB and USB On-the-Go (OTG), the latter for helping smartphones communicate with other devices such as cameras, printers, or portable hard drives; security blocks, and wireless, as well as board-level functions and Intel's Smart & Secure security architecture. A dedicated Mixed Signal IC (aka MSIC, and originally code-named "Briertown") integrates power delivery and battery charging; and consolidates analog and digital components such as audio codecs, a touch screen controller, sensors, LDOs, DC-DC, and GPIOs. The MSIC is one of the key ways the Atom Z6 family achieves such a low-power status: It enables power gating through a series of voltage rails to the processor and PCH, and by shutting down transistors that aren't in use can reduce power leakage and increase battery life. Per press notes, it also "enables faster transitions in and out of power states, allow for more frequent and longer residency in ultra-low-power saving states." The Atom Z6 family of chips is available today. The platform supports scalable frequencies ranging up to 1.5 GHz for high-end smartphones and up to 1.9 GHz for tablets and other handheld designs; and include support for Wi-Fi, 3G/HSPA, and WiMAX. [article link]
New Intel Atom (CPU) - 'Moorestown' SoC [computer - System on a Chip] unveiled - Intel has pulled the wraps off its second generation Atom platform - Codenamed Moorestown, it's a speedy, yet ultra-low power systemon-a-chip design, aimed at smartphones and tablets {Note: Intel has specifically designed and created a unique CPU [50x more power efficient] designed to run portable devices while Microsoft is unsuccessfully attempting to go the opposite route in attempting to reuse their already existing [too enormous] PC Desktop software for operating small portable devices.} Intel has pulled the wraps off its second generation Atom platform. Codenamed Moorestown, it's a speedy, yet ultra-low power system-on-a-chip design, aimed at smartphones and tablets. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers get dizzy at the pace of change. ... Intel is positioning Moorestown as a smartphone world-beater. ... Quoted battery life in a typical smartphone form factor ... would be approximately 10 days of standby life, ... six hours of 3G talk time. ... Idle power for the ... platform ... is "21-ish milliwatts". That's less than one fiftieth [of] the ... power required by the previous-generation. ... [But] low power doesn't translate to low performance. ... The Atom Z6XX Series - will be available in speeds of up to 1.5GHz for smartphones and 1.9GHz for tablets. ... Globally, there will be one billion more new "connected" users by 2015 than there are today. ... There will be 10 billion connected devices in use. ... Intel might just sell more ultramobile processors in the next five years than it has sold into the PC market over its entire history. ... This launch is roughly equivalent to the arrival of Conroe and the Core 2 family ... [which] confirmed Intel's commitment to abandoning frequency as the central ... means of processor performance. It ... allowed Intel to keep up a pace of innovation that competitors have been unable to match. ... The future of ultramobility and perhaps mainstream computing seems all but sure to remain in Intel's corner. [article link]
After HP-Palm deal, Microsoft loses if it snoozes - reports have surfaced that HP has canceled the (Windows 7) Slate because it is unsatisfied with Windows 7 as a tablet operating system {Note: Microsoft has lazily attempted to shove its entire existing Desktop PC platform operating system (Windows 7) into newly created portable [Tablet] devices. #1 Smartphones and Tablet devices use touchscreen devices as their main interface PCs use a Mouse Pointer as a main interface so Microsoft is attempting to emphasize the wrong operating system features for portable devices - #2 Microsoft (Windows 7) requires 3 GB of Memory to comfortably operate yet Tablet devices are currently equipped with only 1 GB of memory. #3 Microsoft is attempting to put a huge, bloated, power hungry operating system into a handheld portable device that is not designed to handle such a large operating system. -- Microsoft needs to offer a specialized operating system based on Windows 7 but made specifically for portable Tablet and Smartphone devices.} Remember that Hewlett-Packard slate computer Steve Ballmer showed off at (2009) CES? Ya know how the Microsoft CEO was all excited that it runs Windows 7? Yeah, Windows 7 is Microsoft's first operating system to
come with [secondary] touch-screen support right out of the box [a mouse pointer is still the primary device Tablets don't generally use a mouse device]. So what? Tablet PCs, most of them running some form of Windows, have been around for a decade. And until Apple's introduction of the iPad this year, the tablet market had been "disastrous," said IDC analyst David Daoud. "I think what Apple has done is reset the agenda of what the tablet should be," he told seattlepi.com. "I think now it creates an opportunity for the PC world. For Microsoft to play the game in that market." But now that HP has acquired Palm, WebOS and the firm's extensive patent portfolio, the tech giants - at least those interested in the tablet market - have some thinking to do. HP, the world's biggest computer manufacturer, now has its own mobile operating system. ... There's no doubt the tablet PC market, finally taking off, holds immense opportunity for Microsoft. Many tablets will run Windows 7. The HP Slate already will - and HP probably will continue to produce Windows tablets, Daoud said, even if it starts selling them with WebOS. Microsoft is, for the most part, being kept afloat by Windows sales. So when it comes to the tablet market, the software juggernaut just can't fall asleep at the helm. "They have to be competitive," Daoud said. "They have to understand there's Apple, there's Google, there's competition out there." "Nobody," he added, "should look at Microsoft and say, 'Oh, that's it.'" [article link]
Updated -- Westminster Seminary: Christ, Kingdom & Culture Conference [January 2010] - This conference addressed the sovereignty of God as it relates to His Kingdom (7 Free Video Downloads) What is the Christian's relationship to culture? This conference addressed the sovereignty of God as it relates to his kingdom, to our role as Christians in God's world, in the state, at work, at school, and in the church. [article link]
Heart of the Matter with Shawn McCraney - Show #211 David's Sin (Mp3, Video) Started in early 2006, Heart of the Matter is a TV show produced in the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City. It's where Mormonism meets Biblical Christianity face to face! Shawn McCraney, the host of Heart of the Matter, provides great entertainment value and valuable knowledge of Mormonism and what it means to be a Born-Again Christian. Shawn is the author of "I Was a Born-Again Mormon" and the pastor of Calvary Campus. Live One Hour Call-in Show Airs Tuesdays 8pm MST, Rebroadcasts Tuesdays 11am MST, Salt Lake City Channel 20, KTMW Boise, Idaho Channel 18 KCLP. [article link]
Revelations Radio Network - The Frank & Chris Show: Episode 103 (Mp3) The Revelations Radio Network is an online family of Christian Podcasts and Talk Shows. Together we cover a wide range of topics including Bible Study, End Times Bible Prophecy, Spiritual Deception, Apostasy Within the Church, The New World Order, and Conspiracy "Theory". If you've ever felt like world is spiraling out of control and you're looking for Scripturally sound answers as to the how and the why, RRN is for you. The comment section is restricted to members only. [article link]
The Threshing Floor with Randy Maugans - The Plummet is Laid (Mp3) There is now a division in the Spirit. Those who live as predators, hunter-gathers, and merchandisers of souls…have passed their "point of no return." Grace, which became the licence for lawlessness is disappeared for such. This is the "quickening," it is the time of the plummet laid to the line of judgment. [article link]
Dr. Scott Johnson - End Time Current Events: 4-25-10 Parts 1 & 2 (Mp3s) Dr. Scott Johnson, 04/25/2010 -- Part of the Current Events & Bible Study series, preached at a Sunday Morning service Iceland's Volcano Simply Explodes! President Obama is pushing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to carve up Jerusalem Study Confirms Link Between Autism and Use of Cells From Abortions in Vaccines Aborted Babies & Vaccines Deadly airborne fungus in Oregon set to spread--The new, rare strain has
killed 1 in 4 infected, researchers say The "Emergent" Church Movement Exposed Max Lucado Joins "Covenant for Civility" Amazing Quotes From Heretics You Shouldn't Forget About Keeping it Under Wraps: Giants, Mummies and Megalithic Mysteries More Lies from Old Splitfoot's "Pride and Joy": Devil Betraya [article link]
Impact Ministries - Free Audio - The Gospel of Peace - The 4 Most Important Messages (Mp3s) I've got great news for you: God is madly in love with you! That's right! Sure you've got problems; maybe your life isn't what you want it to be, but that doesn't matter... God is for you and never against you! He doesn't find fault in you and He's not looking for fault in you! He just wants to give you the most incredible life you could imagine... and more! God never meant for the world to be so messed up, corrupt and full of pain. But He gave us the freedom to make our own choices... and it seems we've habitually made the wrong choices, you know, the ones that end in pain and suffering! Religion has probably convinced you that God is angry at you for all the bad choices and destructive things you've done! They've probably convinced you that all the pain in your life is God's punishment for your shortcomings! But I assure you, nothing is farther from the truth! Years ago, I became totally disgusted with religion. And, you'll be glad to know God hates religion too, so I committed myself to helping people experience God without getting caught in all the religious traps. I started this ministry called Impact Ministries. I believe that experiencing the love of God will make the most powerful impact on your life that you could ever experience. We've been around since back in the seventies. It exists to help people like you find wholeness through the love of God. You may be asking, "What do you mean by, people like me?" Simple! People who are searching for the real God of the Bible, people who have been worn out by religion, people who want God but don't want to spend their life jumping through religious hoops, being controlled and playing games, people who want a real relationship with God without all the useless religious stuff. You see, I found out a long time ago that religion has made the world afraid and angry! Religion starts wars. Religion despises man. But God loves man. He makes peace. He is the giver of life not the giver of death! He never wants you to be afraid of Him. He never wants you to suffer. If what you've heard about God makes you afraid, you just haven't heard the truth! In fact, the Bible says it is what legalistic, controlling leaders have said about God that causes His name to be hated and blasphemed. The same prophet goes on to say that a day will come when people will see God as He is and in that day they will turn to Him. Maybe today is your day to see God as He really is. Everything in this website is dedicated to just that: showing you who God really is! As you read and listen to the information on this site I promise you this: I will never use fear - I will never use manipulation Everything I tell you will be based on the finished work of Jesus - Everything God offers you is a free gift Because of Jesus you are qualified for everything God offers - God will never hurt you! [article link]
Sony Said to Announce TVs With Intel [customized Atom] Chips, Google Tools in May 2010 April 29 (Bloomberg) -- Sony Corp., trying to reverse sales declines in its TV division, will announce homeentertainment devices next month that use Intel Corp. chips and Google Inc. software, said two people familiar with the matter. ... Sony, aiming to win back share lost to Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc., would use Intel and Google to help produce televisions and Blu-ray DVD players with Internet access. Intel, whose processors run 80 percent of personal computers, wants to get its chips into new areas, including mobile phones and consumer electronics. The three companies have been working with Logitech International SA on ways to add more Internet content to televisions, two people involved with the discussions said in March. Logitech is developing a keyboard that would work as a remote control, one of the people said. [article link]
Intel/Nokia MeeGo 1.0 on Many Devices and Screen Sizes (Beijing, April 2010) - Netbook, TV, Mall Restaurant Menu, Coupon and Smart Sign Demonstration (YouTube) **A very important video to watch it shows the coming Smart Phone, Smart Device and accompanying (World Wide - Global) Cloud Computing concept for consumers. [article link]
Why HP's Acquisition of Palm Will Upset Microsoft, Google, Apple, and RIM - Now Microsoft, RIM, Apple, and Google must all deal with a new entry: webOS [an operating system - like MeeGo] backed by a firm [HP] with the money, time, and management expertise to make competitive products - This must be particularly worrying for Microsoft because, for the first time, a major customer will deliver [Netbook] computers without needing its operating systems - In fact, HP has just made itself a competitor Neither Apple nor RIM should rest easy. Bradley called the acquisition "a transformational deal in the connected mobility market" and one that can help fuel growth. It sees the smartphone market as currently over $100 billion in size [World Wide] and growing [Globally] 20 percent annually, and one that plays well with another big interest: cloud computing. HP wants the money on the table; it expects to "invest heavily in product development" and put forth the money and effort to sell effectively. Furthermore, HP plans to extend webOS to "other" devices - read that as tablets, netbooks, and maybe even lightweight laptops, which is a real problem for Microsoft, Apple, and Google. {Note: Google and Apple have few if any worries while Microsoft on the other hand is making all the wrong moves. -- Where this is going is that in days past a person had a Computer and possibly a Laptop [both running Microsoft Windows] but now enter Smartphones [with various operating systems] that can also access the internet and do almost anything a laptop can do and now add to the Smartphone revolution the emergence of Tablets, iPads, Televisions, Game Consoles, Smart Cars, Smart Advertisements, Smart Billboards, Coupons, Restaurants, Shops, Sales, Special Events and everything else that is electronic and information and they all have to talk to each other [via Cloud Computing] and communicate and sync [OS, Apps, Hardware & Bios patches and upgrades] with each other [hopefully using at least the same CPU architecture (Intel - i3, i5, i7 or Atom) and a similar operating system: i.e. Meego or webOS] but Microsoft has now crossed up their operating systems [MS Windows, Phone 7] and the CPU architectures [Intel, ARM] that the systems run on virtually removing themselves from the arena of device compatibility so now it is up to the manufactures [Intel, Apple, HP, Google, etc.] to make their own devices compatible across the coming broad spectrum and array of electronic consumer and business devices.} [article link]
The New Apple? HP's Palm Acquisition Makes It Possible - HP plans to use its acquisition of Palm as the centerpiece of a mobile strategy across a full range of mobile devices including smartphones, slate or tablet PCs, and netbooks HP's planned $1.2 billion acquisition of smartphone developer Palm gives HP the technology and the app base that could make it not only a mobile device and cloud computing powerhouse, but also a formidable competitor with Apple. Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday tore a page from Apple's business playbook with plans to use its acquisition of Palm as the centerpiece of a mobile strategy across a full range of mobile devices including smartphones, slate or tablet PCs, and netbooks. [article link]
Hewlett Packard [HP] to buy Palm for $1.2bn {This is a very good move on HP's part they will now be a serious contender in a market that they were getting left out of and they do have the resources and ability to turn Palm products back into winning consumer and corporate products in a very short time.} Hewlett Packard stepped in to buy troubled smartphone maker Palm on Wednesday, announcing a $1.2bn deal, bringing an end to the rising doubts in recent weeks over the future of the iconic Silicon Valley personal technology brand. HP said it would pay $5.70 a share in cash for the company, a 23 per cent premium over its closing stock price on Wednesday. The deal will catapult HP, the world's largest tech company in terms of revenue, into the middle of the rapidly growing smartphone business in direct competition with a handful of other tech giants, including Apple, Google and Microsoft. [article link]
Updated: Part 2. The Anointing and Throne of a King: King David was anointed three times [first among his own family (by Samuel on behalf of God), later by the Tribe of Judah (lit. Praise) and lastly by the Elders of the Nation of Israel] -- Saul was anointed twice both times by the same person [Samuel] - Solomon was anointed
King *twice [first by a select committee (1 Kings 1:32-40) - then by the people (1 Chronicles 29:22)] - Jesus Christ is anointed King three times, First by His family [God (Matthew 3:16-17, Acts 10:38)], Secondly [among His Praise] the Church Age of individuals, Thirdly by each of the Nations as a whole [in the Kingdom Age] beginning with the Nation of Israel at the 2nd Coming return of Jesus Christ King Saul [a type of Satan] was chosen by God and anointed the first time privately by the Prophet Samuel [1 Samuel 10:1]. Saul was initiated [1 Samuel 10:17-24] as the 1st King of Israel [in Mizpeh of Gilead] without anointing and while Saul was personally in hiding (i.e. hidden as Satan is in hiding now). Saul was anointed by Samuel a second time though oil is not mentioned it might have been strictly a verbal anointing with the Prophet Samuel speaking prophecy over King Saul and not anointing him with oil. -- King David [a type of Jesus Christ] was anointed three times [1 Samuel 16:12-14 (Bethlehem), 2 Samuel 2:4 (Hebron), 2 Samuel 5:3 (Hebron) - the first (person) anointed in Jerusalem was the Temple (a direct representation of Jesus Christ), it was dedicated (anointed) in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:10-11) before Solomon or any of the later Kings, the descendants of Solomon, were anointed in Jerusalem] and the moment David was anointed the first time the anointing of God departed [1 Samuel 16:14] from the presence of then King Saul [a type of Satan] so only one of them was anointed by God as King at any one time and when King Solomon [a type of the Antichrist] was anointed there is no indication or recording of the anointing of God leaving King David the way it previously had left King Saul. -- King Solomon [a type of the Antichrist] was anointed twice, first [1 Kings 1:32-40] by a chosen and selected committee [the High Priest, the Prophet and the people gathered in Gihon who happened to be in knowledge of the event] and later by all the people [1 Chronicles 29:22]. -- Jesus Christ the Messiah has been anointed twice. First by His family of God [Matthew 3:16-17]. "Matthew 3:16-17, Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me [Messiah, Jesus Christ], because He [God] hath anointed Me [Jesus] to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." - "Acts 4:26-28 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against thy Holy Child Jesus, whom Thou [God] hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined [to kill Jesus] before to be done." - Jesus is currently being anointed throughout His Christian Church Age. "1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God [Jesus] was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on [anointed] in the world, received up into glory." - "2 Corinthians 1:20-22 For all the promises of God in Him are yea [yes], and in Him Amen [Truth], unto the glory of God by us. Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] in our hearts." {My perspective on the Church rapture is just when is the Antichrist 'anointed' by God to receive his Kingdom on earth is it pre-tribulation [this happens to be my position on End Time events]? or is it 3½ years later at pre-wrath [also a very possible position for End Time events]? The anointed Church (2 Corinthians 1:20-22) and the future Kingdom of Antichrist are not going to coexist and when the anointed 'born again' Church is raptured only then will the Antichrist be anointed for his Kingdom on earth. Then with the Christian Church gone the Antichrist will preside over a Kingdom on earth that will go horribly wrong for everyone involved as the Antichrist attempts to receive the anointing of the Nations starting in the Holy of Holies (Matthew 24:15) with the Nation of Israel.} - There is yet a third and future anointing of the Messiah Jesus Christ the anointing among the Nations starting with Jesus being anointed King by the elders of Israel in Jerusalem. "Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks [490 years] are determined upon thy people [the Jews] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness [the Kingdom of God among the Nations], and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint [Messiah] the most Holy." "Zechariah 12:10-14 And I will pour [anoint] upon the House of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the [Holy] Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me [Jesus Christ] whom they have pierced (crucified), and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in [agony] bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning *in
Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the House of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the House of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain [after the Tribulation], every family apart, and their wives apart." {Note: the coming Tribulation during the events of Revelation is primarily a Gentile (Martyred Saints) Holocaust the Jews having already suffered their [WWII] Holocaust will primarily be exempt from the Holocaust to come but still it will be dangerous and difficult times for everyone and not every family will make it through the events. Presumably the Nation of Israel will emerge (anoint the Messiah Jesus Christ) and enter into the Kingdom Age [1,000 year reign of the Messiah] far more intact than any of the Gentile Nations.} - "Ezekiel 43:57 So the [Holy] Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court [Millennial Temple - 4th Temple in Jerusalem]; and, behold, the Glory of the LORD filled the House. And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the House; and *the Man [Jesus Christ] stood by me. And He said unto me, Son of man [Ezekiel], the place of My Throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell [as anointed King] in the midst of the children of Israel for ever ..." [article link]
Part 2a. A brief look and introduction into the 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th King Jesus Christ: Beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) -- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) -- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) -- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) -- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) -- Julius Caesar (Rome and The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire - Daniel 7:19) -- Antichrist [emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire] (Satan - Daniel 7:20) -- Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred
up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Apple Eliminates Passion From Its MacBook Pro - Should you skip this update and wait for Intel's nextgeneration *Sandy Bridge processor architecture, which will arrive later this year? {The Sandy Bridge [32nm] CPU family of technology from Intel Corp. available in 2011 is really the beginning of the end of silicone CPU's for desktop computers - Sandy Bridge is so complete that future CPU technologies will offer little in advancement for silicone desktop CPU's. When buying a desktop computer or even a laptop try to plan around the Sandy Bridge family and then buy a computer that you really want because it will last a really long time no more 2-3 year upgrade cycles. The later 22nm and 16nm CPU technology advancements are going to be
more beneficial for portable and handheld devices while the desktops will have mostly maxed out in benefits from the 32nm CPU [Sandy Bridge] designs.} Opinion - Is it just me or is Apple's latest MacBook Pro Update a truly useless refresh? In all seriousness, how much more boring can the MacBook Pro get? Is there value in this delayed update of Apple's top-of-the-line portable computers, if PC rivals offer so much more? Should you skip this update and wait for Intel's nextgeneration Sandy Bridge processor architecture, which will arrive later this year? The new MacBook Pro raises some questions and I wonder if Apple's efforts in the notebook space get lost in the iPhone and iPad hype. Judging Apple products purely on hardware components would be foolish. The value of any Apple product is created by an entire system of characteristics, such as product design, features, software and integration with other Apple products. But we are also used to predictable product refresh cycles that deliver upgrades to more recent hardware, which was the case yesterday when Apple updated its MacBook Pro line. The press release was wrapped into the glamorous vocabulary we are used to hear from Apple, promising an entirely new world of performance. ... I am glad Apple got around offering Intel's 32nm i5 chips and one i7 processor option. They have been around long enough (January 2010). There were rumors that Intel had some supply problems especially as far as the i5 processor is concerned, but an introduction more than four months after the initial announcement is not exactly what I would call quick. Previously, Apple has been among the first companies to offer new processor generations and even jumped the gun on Intel's announcements by disregarding nondisclosure agreements. ... In a way, it seems that the MacBook Pro and many other Apple products got lost in the iPhone/iPad tsunami of announcements and I can't help but feel that the business focus inside Apple is shifting - and there may be a justifiable reason. According to Apple's most recent earnings release, Macs (desktops and portables) account for only 28.4% of Apple's revenue, while the iPhone is at 35.6% and the iPod at 29.04%. Compared to the iPod and the iPhone, the Mac business is growing not nearly as fast and it is the business segment with the lowest margins. Apple's iPhone business has grown by 90% year over year, the iPod business is torpedoed by the iPhone but is stable, while Apple's Mac business grew by 25% year over year (the portable business grew by just 9%, according to Apple's Fiscal Q1 2010 earnings report.) Did Apple shift its focus in favor of those segments that promise higher profit margins? What impact will the iPad have on the MacBook? Your guess is as good as mine. But it does not take much to predict that product updates such as yesterday's MacBook Pro refresh won't accelerate the growth of MacBook (Pro) sales. Apple's Macs have become tremendously successful by sparking emotions the PC can't match. Those emotions have been somewhat lost in the latest product generation. [article link]
Did Steve Jobs Steal The iPad? Genius Inventor Alan Kay Reveals All - The similarity to the iPad and previous Webpads was amazing - What struck me was how the article noted that the device called Dynabook dates back to 1968 - The Dynabook is still remembered as a vision of what computers could eventually become (Photos) Apple proclaims that the iPad is magical. Steve Jobs himself said that it would be one of the most important works of his life. But is there a story to the iPad that the public doesn't know? We take you 38 years into the past, when the iPad was invented. Did Steve Jobs Steal the iPad? The industry tends to get too consumed by excitement for Apple's latest products. So much, in fact, that we forget to ask questions we usually would like to ask. There is the general perception that Steve Jobs is one of the greatest inventors of our time. Be prepared for the wrath of Apple's fan base if you criticize Apple and especially Jobs. Think about the iPhone and what it has done for the status of Jobs. Or the iPad, which Jobs reportedly described as the most important device he has ever launched. But is it possible that Steve Jobs is really the origin of all those captivating ideas? ... Like the author of the Business Insider article, I had never heard of the Dynabook. Google quickly revealed the source of the article, a 1972 research paper published by a Xerox PARC scientist. I have been an IT writer for the entire span of my 15-year career, so PARC was no secret to me and you perhaps know as well that this famed research center was the origin of many technologies we take for granted today, such as the laser printer, the computer mouse, and the Ethernet. It turned out the Dynabook is at least as significant as those technologies. ... As you read the paper entitled "A Personal Computer for Children of All Ages," you get the impression that
the author had a clear vision of a device like the iPad. Remember, this was 38 years ago in a time when the phrase "personal computer" did not exist, when there was no Microsoft and computers were not popular enough to have convinced a publisher to design and create a magazine for it. I'll spare you the details of the paper and you can read the text or download the PDF of the article to learn about a part of computer history you don't hear about that often. It so happens that the author of this paper is Alan Kay, one of the key people who have shaped the way we are using computers today. You may not have heard of Kay, as he is part of the research community and does not stand on stages like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates does. Kay is widely recognized and best known as the key scientist behind the graphical user interface and one of the inventors of objectoriented programming. The Dynabook is still remembered as a vision of what computers could eventually become. Kay described a plasma screen with a contrast ratio approaching that of a book; a keyboard with no moving parts; a network connection with the ability to purchase, transfer, and download "instantiate" files; global information connectivity, such as libraries; media connectivity; and a target price of $500. After reading the paper, it was natural to ask the question: Did Steve Jobs read this paper as well and did he just try to build the Dynabook? I was lucky enough to catch up with Alan Kay and ask him what he thought. Needless to say, I also tried to contact Apple's PR department and Steve Jobs himself, but I did not get a reply. After a week of exchanging delightful emails with Alan Kay, I have learned quite a bit about the origins of personal computing and the Dynabook, but I have to admit that answering the question whether the iPad was Jobs' idea or not is nearly impossible. Kay told me that back in 1972 he "wasn't trying to predict the iPad" and that "the desiderata for the Dynabook should be judged on their own merits." In fact, the Dynabook was not so much a prediction, but a vision for a personal computer and what it could be. That vision not only included hardware, but software as well that would allow anyone, especially children, to use the computer as a medium of expression, much like reading and writing are amplified by the printing press, as Kay describes it. Kay believes that computers can be much more powerful than most people can imagine today. A significant component of the Dynabook's usage model was that its users would be able to easily develop simple applications. For example, even children could use simple yet effective graphics-based script languages to understand and translate experiments as well as to modify and write their own scripts and eventually entire programs such as games. There is a clear difference between the Dynabook concept and what the iPad is today. If you look at the iPad and the Dynabook, the usage models could not be any different. You could even claim that the iPad is geared for passive computing, while the Dynabook represented an idea of active computing. The last thing you would want to do on an iPad is write your own software. You have the App Store, so why would you program anything? However, there is a much deeper connection between Kay and Apple. Kay agreed that Steve Jobs has known about the Dynabook idea and the interim-Dynabook (called the PARC Alto) for several decades. The result of the research and Kay's colleagues at Apple were the Lisa and Macintosh. After becoming an Apple Fellow in 1984, Kay intended to build a Dynabook and actually came very close to completing it. "The Newton was one such project and it was a shame that the Apple marketing people messed up the design of it," Kay said. Over time, there were more Dynabook hints in the IT industry. For example, there was the Tablet PC, which was predicted to revolutionize the notebook market. However, Kay believes that "the design of this machine was ruined by Bill Gates, who insisted that Windows be the software on it." The Tablet PC, by the way, was first designed by Chuck Thacker, who also designed the PARC Alto. So, did the Dynabook influence Steve Jobs and the iPad? "Hard to imagine that it didn't," Kay said. [article link]
Facebook Aims to Complete Takeover of Internet - "The Web is at a really important turning point now" Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at a conference for Web and software developers in San Francisco "Most things aren't social and they don't use your real identity - This is really starting to change" {I have been on Facebook for a while but didn't start using it until this last Winter - mostly to play FarmVille with a cousin but hopefully playing FV will end. I didn't plan on using Facebook but it is an incredible way to keep up with people so like everyone else I'm using it more and more and someday [soon] I'll probably commit to it enough to add a photo to my Facebook bio. - Note: The Basic Christian ministry has no intention of integrating any of
the new Facebook features into any of the Basic Christian websites. Someday the Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion might be slightly connected with Facebook or some other Social website because the Jesus Walk Devotion was initiated as and has always been intended to be a Social Devotion but even that will be a while before actually happening.} Facebook is spreading its wings to the broader Web with new tools that will allow users to see personalized versions of websites they visit elsewhere. The move could change the way people experience the online world, though it could come with deeper privacy implications. By accessing Facebook's tools, websites will be able to customize the experience based on the list of friends, favorite bands and other things users have shared on their Facebook profiles. "The Web is at a really important turning point now," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at a conference for Web and software developers in San Francisco. "Most things aren't social and they don't use your real identity. This is really starting to change." It already has, with Facebook among its earliest pioneers. The world's largest online social network has long insisted, with varying success, that its users go by their real identities when they sign up for the service, offering a contrast to the culture of pseudonyms common elsewhere online. And Facebook has sometimes transported those identities beyond its own service. - The latest changes take this a step further. It means Facebook users will be able to see a Web tailored to them based on their interests and social connections, as long as they are already logged in to Facebook. So when visiting a news site for the first time, they could see which of their Facebook friends liwith their online entourages. If users embrace it, Facebook could gain valuable insights that could help it sell more advertising, potentially rivaling online ad leader Google Inc., which typically tailors ads based on keywords in search terms and Web content. "If I were Google I would be really scared because Facebook might end up with a lot more intelligence than them," said Alain Chuard, founder of social marketing firm Wildfire. "Google is just an algorithm, but Facebook could rule the Web." [article link]
Intel's Moorestown to Compete in 'Handheld Computers' Sector - In this article I want to talk about Intel's Moorestown, a platform Intel has been public about for over 2 years - It's Intel's stab at a platform for the mobile, always-on, always connected segment - That is, smart devices - From smartphones and smart tablets all the way up to smart netbooks I define a smart device as being mobile, always on, always connected, sensor-aware and having what I call a dynamic operating system. That is, an OS that is interesting to use, stylish and that is 'point-of-sale capable' via an active application and content ecosystem. The prime example of a dynamic operating system is Apple's iPhone OS. In this article I want to talk about Intel's Moorestown, a platform Intel has been public about for over 2 years. It's Intel's stab at a platform for the mobile, always-on, always connected segment. That is, smart devices. From smartphones and smart tablets all the way up to smart netbooks. As ARM-based smartphones get bigger and more powerful and already have ALL the smart features required, there's a huge risk to Intel so clearly there's a serious business reason for doing this and getting it right. At IDF in Beijing today, Pankaj Kedia presented the latest information on the Moorestown platform and in his slides, he gives a good overview of where the device is targeted and what its key features are. Let me walk you through some of the slides. ... The next public check-point for Intel will be Computex in Taiwan, June 2010 so unless Intel (or their customers) release information before then, we'll have to wait a few months for more details. I'll be in Taiwan for Computex so stay tuned for more coverage. [article link]
MeeGo gets wide support, features and UI shots show up - The features of MeeGo handheld devices should include: 3G voice and data, Wi-Fi, VoIP, Instant Messaging, social networking integration, location based services, data sync for cloud and device, feeds (stock, weather and news), Fennec browser with Flash support, audio and video players, camera and so on The Linux Foundation announced that MeeGo (the new platform resulted by merging Intel's Moblin with Nokia's Maemo) has received support from many companies from a wide range of sectors. The companies are:
Acer, Asus, Asianux, Amino, BMW Group, CS2C, Collabora, Ltd., DeviceVM, EA Mobile, Gameloft, Linpus, Hancom, Maemo Community Council, Mandriva, MontaVista Software, Metasys, Miracle, Novell, Red Flag, PixArt, ST-Ericsson, TurboLinux, Tencent, VietSoftware, WTEC, Wind River and Xandros. In addition, feature lists for MeeGo handhelds (smartphones) and netbooks have been made public during Intel's IDF conference in Beijing. The features of MeeGo handheld devices should include: 3G voice and data, Wi-Fi, VoIP, Instant Messaging, social networking integration, location based services, data sync for cloud and device, feeds (stock, weather and news), Fennec browser with Flash support, audio and video players, camera and so on. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Apparently there was a breakdown very early after the original creation regarding the patriarchal family structure of one husband and one wife with God as the ultimate head and authority for each family group - Today we have many counterfeit and substitutional family groups; the workplace, friends, political parties, sports teams and even church denominations are all common substitutes for the Divinely sanctioned family group with Jesus Christ remaining the head and authority for each individual In Cain and Lamech we see the early breakdown of the godly sanctified family as the intended family is being substituted and misused for power, sex, authority and greed. "Genesis 4:17-26 And Cain knew [sexualy] his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch {3rd from Adam}: and he [Cain] builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. *And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubal- cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. *And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. And Adam knew his wife [Eve] again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed (Genesis 3:15) instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call [in the hope of the coming Messiah-Redeemer-Seed, Jesus Christ] upon the Name of the LORD." -- The breakdown in the traditional family is restored in the Spiritual family of Christianity with Jesus Christ remaining as the head and authority over the entirety of the Christian Church family. "John 19:26-27 When Jesus therefore saw His mother [Mary], and the disciple [John] standing by, whom He loved (greatest good and highest wellbeing love, Spiritual-emotional, unselfish, non-sexual, eternal love - G25 Agapao, Agape), He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith He (Jesus) to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home." {Note: This event that took place at the crucifixion of Jesus is the structuring of the Christian Church into a Spiritual family. Also Note: This is not an adoption event as adoption has with it a house (i.e. John 14:2, a future adoption event) and Mary went to John's house, permanently precluding adoption (Mary did not adopt John - and the younger does not adopt the elder) Mary went with the Disciple John to his house as a part of a Spiritual, united Christian family.} [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- We Are One In The Spirit (YouTube) Music by the band Jars of Clay. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- The Pre-flood 'dispensation' is one of several human groups or dispensations separated out and grouped together by God as part of a continuing and ongoing work of God in order for God to continually reunite a separated mankind back into His closeness and presence -- "Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven [Christian Church Age - New Testament Dispensation] is greater than he [John the Baptist - Old Testament Dispensation]."
Various dispensations are carefully alluded to throughout the Bible including in the New Testament. "1 Corinthians 9:16-18 For though I [a Christian] preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe [misery] is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will [unwillingly], [still] a dispensation [part] of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my [willing] reward then [not money - but fellowship with God]? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel." ... "Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He [God - the Father] might gather together in one all things in [Jesus] Christ, both which are in heaven [Angels], and which are on earth [humans]; even in Him [Jesus Christ]:" - Note: As John the Baptist was greatest among the O.T. Saints in having Divine Messianic Revelation, he was least when compared to the Divine Messianic [Jesus Christ] Revelation that each Christian possesses. Later each Christian has less Divine Messianic [Jesus Christ] Revelation then possibly each of the Martyred Saints of Revelation (Revelation 7:15) and certainly the Christian Church has less Divine Messianic [Jesus Christ] Revelation then any the 144,000 Jewish (Salvation) Firstfruits of Revelation (Revelation 14:3). [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Antediluvian [Pre-flood] Civilizations - {The pre-flood civilization up until the days of Noah encompassed about 2,000 years of human history and probably involved several billion people. - Note: In the pre-flood earth it doesn't appear that there were any Kings or Governments and that the long lives [experience and expertise] of each individual precluded them from being reigned and ruled over by others. Instead of a governmental structure of Kings and Politicians the earth seemed to have been Governed strictly by each family patriarch (head) according to God's governance and that after the flood in the new, young and now naive post-flood civilization the inexperienced human civilization now required [and allowed strangers - nonfamily members] rulers and Kings and that Nimrod was possibly the first King though human history had existed for some 2,000 years before Nimrod. - Also Note: Jesus is not a stranger but He is family with everyone and as family He has our own individual best interest at His heart. Jesus is the kinsman (relative related) redeemer to everyone [we are created in God's image - relationship] and His (Fatherly, creation Brotherly, redemption and salvation) relationship to all humans is maintained via His Virgin (Divine) birth.} Introduction: "'Antediluvian civilizations'" are civilizations believed to have existed before the Great flood of Noah. If the fossil record is indeed the result of the Biblical flood as described in the Bible, then it is somewhat expected for evidence of antediluvian (pre-flood) civilizations to exist. It is assumed by many that humans reached advanced stages of technological development before the flood. Such presuppositions are usually based on the Biblical genealogy, which states that ancient people lived to approximately 10 times our current life span. Also it is frequently mentioned that Adam and Eve would likely possess higher than normal intelligence since they were created as adults, with knowledge that subsequent humans obtain from their parents. Another theory states that the antediluvian race called the Nephilim was superior to other humans in this respect. All accounts of the Great flood from civilizations around the world indicate that there were civilizations before the flood. However, as a result of the destruction during the flood and the passage of time, the remaining evidence is scanty. As a result of the flood, the earth was covered in hundreds of feet of sediment, and very little of the antediluvian horizon has been exposed. It is also problematic that the scientific community is quick to dismiss any artifacts that dispute their presupposed interpretation of the fossil record. Nevertheless, any truly advanced civilization would have left durable traces or constructions that would likely surface during excavations or by erosion. Relatively insightful accounts can be drawn from the Bible, apocrypha, and ancient Babylonian and Greek accounts of antediluvian civilization. ... Implications of the Tower of Babel: We can not dispute the existence of atypical knowledge possessed by Adam and Eve, however, we should also consider the tower of Babel curse as it relates to human accomplishments to that date. Monumental constructions are a great source of pride for humans. It was most likely this type of technological development that God attempted to retard by creating the language barriers at the tower of Babel. The Babel event suggests that the tower was the first major monument that mankind had ever built. It was the first construction that had no purpose but to be a monument [temple] to human achievement [based on Satanic interaction]. The tower
was not a particularly important technological development [Babel was a major object of Satanic interaction between humans and Satan - harming humans to the extent of possibly permanently altering our human (DNA) making us more susceptible to disease, illness and further shortening our lifespan and also harming our psyche (soul) by lessening our confidence and our decision making capabilities making us even more susceptible to Satanic deceptions]. It was built out of bricks, and was therefore incomparable to even the limestone pyramids. In comparison to our modern building it was hardly more than a mud mound. Many better monuments would be built afterwards, but given God's reaction, it is logical to propose that nothing like it had been built prior to the flood. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- The Date of Noah's Flood - The placing of a catastrophic global flood in the year (about) 2304 BC [and Creation at about 4,000 B.C.] means that all civilizations discovered by archaeology [today] must fit into the last 4,285 years {The flood of Noah (about 4,284 years ago) destroyed all the previous civilizations so about 4,284 years of land based archeology exists - though pre-flood archeology may well exist [and some evidence (artifacts 'Ooparts') have been found and do exist] deep under the sea or deep underground.} Since we exist in the present, we are really trying to find information that will enable us to add up the years between us and Noah's Flood. As our starting point we will take the Birth of Christ. It is unlikely anyone will dispute that Christ was born approximately 1,984 years ago. Since Christ is recorded as having referred to Noah's Flood as a past event it should be obvious that we need data that will take us back beyond 2,000 years. The next date we can put down with reliable certainty is 967 BC or 2,948 years ago. This is the date at which Solomon laid the foundation of the Temple (1 Kings 6:1). For those who are interested in the detailed evidence as to why this event can be placed in 967 BC I would refer you to Professor Edwin Thiele's work The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings. His work can be summarized by the statement that both the chronology of the Ancient Assyrian Culture and the Biblical record point to this date. The first verse of Kings chapter 6 is also useful in that it tells us there was a time span of 480 years (see Appendix 1) from the time Israel left Egypt (the Exodus) until Solomon began to build the Temple. The Exodus occurred therefore roughly 1,981 + 967 + 480 years ago (see Appendix 2) or 3,428 years ago or 1447 BC +/- 1 year. Why do I say +/- 1 year? As the chronologist compares the family trees or chronologies in the Bible, it is interesting to note that these lists use only whole years (e.g. Gen. 11). Now if a person is listed as being 44 years of age when their son was born, they may have been just 44 or nearly 45. Anywhere in this period of 12 months they are still 44. This introduces a margin of error of up to 12 months or 1 year for each person or event in such a list. -- As the Bible records the Flood a significant time before the Exodus, let us examine data which will take us back before this event. Paul, a university trained Jew, well skilled in the Hebrew language, the religion of the Jews and the writings of Moses, wrote in the early years of the Christian era, a letter to the church at Galatia (Galatians 3:17). He stated that the Israelites left Egypt to return to the promised land 430 years (see Appendix 3) after God gave the promise to Abraham, the founder of the Jewish race. According to Acts 7:4 and Genesis 12:1-4, Abraham was 75 years old when God gave him the promise and in the same year his father Terah was 205 years old and Abraham was born when Terah was 130 years of age (Gen.11:26-33). (See Appendix 4.) The statements of genealogy in Genesis 11:10-26, are father-son statements and link Abraham to Noah's son, Shem. The statements list the persons by name. Their year of birth against their father's age is listed and their father is named. These chronologies do not have missing generations; there are no gaps. If we add up the figures mentioned between Shem's 100th year (Gen. 11:10) and Abraham (Gen. 11:26) we get 350 years. Since 9 names are mentioned it is 350 years +/- 9 (9 margins of error of up to 1 year each). Genesis 11:10 tells us that Shem was 100 years old, 2 years after the Flood had finished. When was Noah's Flood? 1,981 years to AD 0 plus 967 years to the founding of Solomon's Temple plus 480 years to the end of the Exodus plus 430 years to the promise to Abraham plus 75 years to Abraham's birth plus 350 years to Shem's 100th birthday plus 2 years to the Flood. The Biblical data places the Flood at 2304 BC +/- 11 years. This date is, as expected, in conflict with secular archaeology which regards the Flood as either local or a myth and the Biblical chronologies as irrelevant or inaccurate. The placing
of a catastrophic global flood in the year 2304 BC means that all civilizations discovered by archaeology must fit into the last 4,285 years. The significance of this fact will be pursued in later articles. [Ed.- for more information, see TJ 2 (1986), pp. 56-87 and TJ 3 (1988), pp. 96-136.] [article link]
Ancient Brass BELL (Oopart - Out of place artifact) Found Encased IN COAL supposed to be about 300 million years old! - the bell is an antediluvian [before the deluge, pre-flood] artifact made before the Genesis Flood (Noah's Ark) - For more detailed pictures of the bell and the [idol] demon-like figure on top, click here (Photos) In 1944, as a ten year old boy, Newton Anderson dropped a lump of coal in his basement and found that it contained this bell inside. The bituminous coal that was mined near his house in Upshur County West Virginia is supposed to be about 300 million years old! What is a brass bell with an iron clapper doing in coal ascribed to the Carboniferous Period? According to Norm Sharbaugh's book Ammunition (which includes several "coal anecdotes") the bell is an antediluvian artifact (made before the Genesis Flood). The Institute for Creation Research had the bell submitted to the lab at the University of Oklahoma. There a nuclear activation analysis revealed that the bell contains an unusual mix of metals, different from any known modern alloy production (including copper, zinc, tin, arsenic, iodine, and selenium). -- Genesis 4:22 states that Tubal-Cain was "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron..." Perhaps when his civilization came to an end in the flood, this bell was buried with a mass of vegetation that became coal and ended up thousands of years later in Newt Anderson's coal bin. ... Later on, Newton Anderson spent a great deal of time researching the demon atop the bell. He discovered similarities to the Babylonian Southwest Wind Demon and the Hindu deity Garuda. Garuda is sometimes depicted on top of bells, as is the Egyptian Isis. [article link]
OOPARTS (out of place artifacts) & ANCIENT HIGH TECHNOLOGY -- Evidence of Noah's Flood? - Do unexplained technologies of the ancients provide possible proofs of Pre-flood civilizations? - If you believe that the flood of Noah actually happened, what was the state of the technology of (antediluvian) pre-flooders? Could they have left physical evidence of their existence? - We expect you to use your own knowledge filter (Christian discernment) on this site Point of View: We have a Biblical viewpoint on the world. Ooparts are evidence, we think, that the Flood actually happened. News items or magazine articles that report them may not have the same perspective that Christians do. When we read for instance, a scientific article that puzzles over our lack of genetic variability, we think of the Flood of Noah. We would include that article here, without editing, because we expect Christians to use their filters on such an article. That does not mean that we agree with the evolutionary timeframe given in said article. -- We think it's more interesting when general newspaper articles or science articles observe data that they might see one way, but that Christians might see another way given our own knowledge about God, creation and the flood. It's more interesting to quote Stephen Jay Gould saying that "the lack of transitional fossils is the trade secret of paleontology", than it might be to hear another Christian say it. So, no we don't believe the universe is millions or billions of years old. We don't know how old it is-we just know who created it and how long it took Him. We do not believe in pre-Adamic races, though we do believe that there were "civiilizations" prior to the Flood. We don't believe in space aliens or cooties. We expect you to use your own knowledge filter on this site. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- "Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven [sky] and the earth." - Christian Creationism vs. Secular Evolution Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven (sky) and the earth. - It is only through creation and not by means of evolution that people can be "created in the image of God" therefore creation is the very heart of the plan of God. "Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image ..." Either people are created and are therefore in the image of God making us capable of fellowship and able to have a relationship with God or we are involved in some random evolution process in a random universe that is without meaning and ultimately is
totally useless. "Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every Nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made (created) heaven, and earth' ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- BasicChristian.org: Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual realms as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th realm being God's realm of unrestricted eternity} Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the 5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. Note: So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation [into our human realms] of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Also Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2. Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic [Nephilim spirits] - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -"Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Wikipedia: Dimension - A diagram showing the first four spatial dimensions [Length, Height, Width, Time via Movement] From left to right, the square, the cube, and the tesseract. The square is bounded by 1-dimensional lines, the cube by 2-dimensional areas, and the tesseract by 3-dimensional volumes. ... Time: Time is often referred to as the "fourth dimension". It is one way to measure physical change. It is perceived differently from the three spatial dimensions in that there is only one of it, and that we cannot move freely in time but subjectively move in one direction. The equations used in physics to model reality do not treat time in the same way that humans perceive it. The equations of classical mechanics are symmetric with respect to time, and equations of quantum mechanics are typically symmetric if both time and other quantities (such as charge and parity) are reversed. In these models, the perception of time flowing in one direction is an artifact of the laws of thermodynamics (we perceive time as flowing in the direction of increasing entropy). The best-known treatment of time as a dimension is Poincaré and Einstein's special relativity and extended to general relativity, which treats perceived space and time as components of a four-dimensional manifold, known as spacetime, and in the special, flat case as Minkowski space. -- Additional dimensions: Theories such as string theory and M-theory predict that physical space in general has in fact 10 and 11 dimensions, respectively. The extra dimensions are spacelike. We perceive only three spatial dimensions, and no physical experiments have confirmed the reality of additional
dimensions. A possible explanation that has been suggested is that space acts as if it were "curled up" in the extra dimensions on a subatomic scale, possibly at the quark/string level of scale or below. Another less-held fringe view asserts that dimensions beyond the fourth progressively condense timelines and universes into single spatial points in the above dimension, until the tenth, where a 0-dimensional point equates to all possible timelines in all possible universes. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- 8 Kingdoms [Revelation 17:10] Introduction: Some brief criteria for the 8 Global Kingdoms of the earth - Throughout human history there have been many glorious [in man's eyes] Empires, Kingdoms and Dominions but only 8 of the Kingdoms of mankind are the incredible (Revelation 17:10) Kingdoms of the earth {Note: The Basic Christian blog History Study is also going to include some of the additional great Kingdoms primarily Hammurabi (Saudi Arabia), Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia), Solomon (Israel), and Sennacherib (Assyria).} 8 Kingdoms Summary: The Seven incredible Global Gentile Kingdoms of Revelation 17:10 are Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and [revised Rome] the Antichrist Kingdom. While the 8th and final Kingdom is the eternal, righteous Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each of these 8 Kingdoms is going to share some remarkable similarities: Each Kingdom will have possessed all of or a majority of the world's wealth [gold, silver, precious gems] at one time. Each Kingdom has or will have knowledge [both public and secret knowledge] beyond that of their peers. The Kingdoms will also possess influence, military power and political prestige beyond the peers of their day. *Most importantly each of the 8 Kingdoms will also have exerted FAVORABLE influence over the Jews, over Jerusalem and over the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Nimrod [about two generations and 100 years after the flood of Noah] encompassed all of humanity including Abraham's forefather Arphaxad (Genesis 11:11), the Kingdom of Nimrod possessed all human wealth, knowledge and wisdom and the Kingdom of Nimrod built a Temple (the Tower of Babel). Egypt the 2nd Kingdom amassed much of the fortune of the world and much of the knowledge of the world and a great part of that fortune would be "favorably" given to the Jews at their Passover departure from Egypt (Exodus 3:21-22). The wealth of Egypt would then be used by the Jews in the building of the Tabernacle of God by Moses at Mt. Sinai (Saudi Arabia) and later the wealth of the Tabernacle would be transferred into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The wealth of the Temple in Jerusalem would be given back to Egypt by the Jewish King Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25-26). The 3rd Kingdom Babylon [initially very favorable to the Jews, Jerusalem and the Temple] captured the wealth of Egypt in Egypt and took it to their Palace in Babylon. The 4th Kingdom Persia [Iran] conquered Babylon [Iraq] and consolidated the wealth of the world into the Palace at Shushan (Esther 1:4) part of the wealth of Persia was given to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 45:28, 2 Chronicles 36:23). The 5th Kingdom Greece and Alexander the Great [on either 10 or 11 June 323 B.C., Alexander the Great died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon at the age of 32 - wiki.com]. King Alexander the Great who immersed the world in Greek thought and philosophy and after sparing the Jews, Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple then "at the age of 32" died among the wealth of ancient Egypt, Babylon and Persia. The 6th Kingdom Rome oversaw an extensive expansion in the size of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The 7th Kingdom the Kingdom of Antichrist is going to sign a favorable [7 year] covenant with the Jews and the Nation of Israel (Daniel 9:27) and will also in some way rebuild [and eventually occupy (Matthew 24:15)] the now destroyed Temple in Jerusalem. The 8th and final Kingdom the Eternal, Righteous Kingdom of Jesus Christ [Jesus being Jewish] will of course be very favorable to the Jews as Jesus will rule the entire world from the unprecedented Millennial Temple (Ezekiel 43:7) in Jerusalem. [article link]
Basic Christian: - The Basic Christian Bible Study: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth - The 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th Kingdom the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ -- The Kingdoms: beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) -- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) -- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon - Jeremiah 27:4-7,
Daniel 2:37) -- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) -- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) -- Julius Caesar (Rome and The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire - Daniel 7:19) -- Antichrist [emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire] (Satan - Daniel 7:20) -- Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments after (Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon) - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece - 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome
annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome - Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Update: After Easter the Basic Christian Ministry is going to [briefly] update some ministry events The new Basic Christian ministry email address is - David.Anson.Brown[at]Gmail.com - and hopefully it will clear up any confusion because the previous Hotmail account has so many problems that I seldom manage to get Ministry emails into my inbox. If I didn't reply to an email that needed a reply then I probably didn't get the email so here's hoping the new email address can improve communication. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Jesus Christ has risen from the grave - Truly He has risen - He has risen indeed! Jesus Christ has risen from the grave - Truly He has risen - He has risen indeed! -- Thank you for taking part in the 2010 Jesus Walk Holy Week Timeline Devotion! Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, I pray that God will richly bless you, keep you and that His everlasting Divine face will continue to shine upon you. The Lord Jesus Christ be with you in all things as we look to the soon return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ~ God bless you, David Anson Brown [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Rich Mullins - [Apostles] Creed (YouTube) This is the Rich Mullins music video featuring the song "Creed" as it appears on the "Rich Mullins: Pursuit of a Legacy" DVD. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Creed by Third Day (YouTube) This is the song by the Late, Great, Rich Mullins, it's about the Apostles Creed. I belive this song is true in all manner, and every time I sing it, it fills me with Gods will and glory. Enjoy it. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Song by 2nd Chapter of Acts (YouTube) This track is from the live album, "To the Bride," a Jesus Music Classic, featuring Barry McGuire, 2nd Chapter of Acts, and A Band Called David. "Easter Song" is performed in this track by the 2nd Chapter of Acts. Enjoy, and Happy Easter. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Song by Glad (YouTube) Another Classic from Glad. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Song by Keith Green (YouTube) Keith Green performing "Easter Song" live from The Daisy Club -- LA (1982). [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Sunrise Baptism {Video is usually preceded by a commercial - Try the Continue to Video (option)} (Metacafe) Comments: Awsome God power - The water is still chilly in March, yet everyone has a huge expression of joy on their face, like the water doesn't even phase them because their so focused on and in love with Christ. beautiful. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Jesus' Glorious Resurrection Life Sunday - Glorious Salvation Resurrection (Easter) Day! Jesus conquers death by Love & Eternal Life - The Rebirth of Life and we now have Salvation and live an Eternal Life in the Resurrection life of Jesus Christ Sunday {Jesus' Glorious Resurrection Life Sunday} This day coincides with Sunday April 4, 2010 Resurrection Sunday (Easter) also the "Feast of First Fruits," the first Sunday of the week after the feasts of the "Lord's Passover & Unleavened Bread" (Matthew 28:1-15, Mark 16:1-14, John 20:1-23). Sunday, the first day of the week, we arise early and ponder that today is also a feast day, the fourth feast, the "Feast of First fruits". We wonder why Leviticus 23 this Feast did not have an actual date to be celebrated like the Lord's Passover, the 14th of the month and the Unleavened Bread, the 15th of the month but the Feast of First Fruits is specifically to be celebrated on the first Sunday of the week after the Passover. Today is also the day the seal is scheduled to be removed from the tomb of Jesus. Some of the women go early in the morning at first light to await access to the tomb to continue to anoint the body of Jesus. While walking to the tomb the women encounter an Angel who asks them why they are seeking the "Living" among the dead? For Jesus whom you seek is Not Dead but He is Alive! The women continue walking. They arrive at the tomb and they see the Roman seal is broken, the stone is rolled back and looking into the tomb they notice that the body of Jesus is missing but His burial wrappings remain there in an undisturbed manner. Seeing what appears to be the Gardener, the women ask him where he has moved the body of Jesus too? "Mary" replies the Gardener, WAIT! Mary knows that voice. This Gardener is JESUS, HE'S ALIVE! Mary and the women grab the feet of Jesus. Jesus tells them that He has not yet gone to the Father (John 20:17) but to go and tell the Good News "of the resurrection" to the rest of the disciples. Peter and John, like the rest of the disciples doubt the good news of the resurrection of Jesus but they run to the tomb to see for themselves. John and Peter enter the empty tomb together. John had been one of the disciples at the crucifixion and he helped place Jesus into the tomb. As John saw the anointed strips of cloth used to wrap the body of Jesus, John realized that the cloth was not unwound but just empty, vacated and collapsed down in a way in which a human body could not have been physically removed from within the cloth covered with ointment. John seeing this, believed (John 20:8). Back in the upper room two, disciples are excitedly telling of meeting and journeying with the Risen Jesus on their way to the town of Emmaus, (Luke 24:33). Meanwhile, in the upper-room the door is shut and locked (John 20:19) and Jesus suddenly appears in their midst in a supernatural way. The newly Resurrected Jesus presents Himself to the disciples. The disciples marvel that Jesus is alive again and then King Jesus breathes His Holy breath on them to give them His
resurrection Spirit life. Amazed we realize that this is the same way and the same giver of Life who had previously breathed life into Adam our first forefather (Genesis 2:7). Jesus said "receive you the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). The disciples by faith receive the Holy Spirit offered by Jesus and by receiving the Holy Spirit they become "Born Again" new creations. - We realize that it is by Faith that we are saved, this Faith! The faith in the risen, living, resurrection Jesus. The faith that Jesus has personally sealed us with the Holy Spirit. We realize that this is the true feast the "Feast of First Fruits" as Jesus breathes into us the "First Fruits" of the Holy Spirit. We know that this is just the First Fruit, the first fruits of the Holy Spirit with much more to come. This fruit is special because it is, according to Leviticus 23, the first of the fruit from within the Promise Land (Joshua 5:1012) that is from the Promise Land of Heaven and eternal life. We rejoice. Like the children of Israel who were delivered from Egypt, we have escaped the bondage of this world and the cruelty of Satan and the certain death that goes with it. We have escaped by the death of the Firstborn Son of God, His Son Jesus Christ, and we are now alive in His resurrection glory. We like, the Jews of Egypt, have wandered in the desert wilderness of unbelief until our unbelief has vanished. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have crossed the dangerous Jordan river and entered into the Promise Land of Heaven having accepted Jesus as our leader, our King, and our Lord by entering into His New Covenant, the covenant of life. Now alive we realize that the death of sin has "Passed Over" us by our receiving His shed blood as the cleansing of our sins through the death of Jesus on the cross. We now rejoice in the Gospel of Good News that Jesus being Righteous, Holy, Just, and True, the Son of God and God Himself, that He cannot die as humans die but He is alive in the Spiritual realm, the eternal realm that Jesus existed in with the Father before He took on a fleshly body in the womb of Mary (John 16:27-28). -Personal Reflection #10 Resurrection Day "The Re-birth of Life" [after the original life in Garden of Eden] Jesus demonstrates His Authority of Life over death: Life, our meaning and purpose in it have now been answered once and for all in this the very Resurrection Life of Jesus. We now know that there is a God, that He has power to remove sins and to then give life over death, that He Loves us and that we are made alive to be friends with Him forever in His Eternal Resurrection Kingdom of Heaven. How can we ever comprehend this joyous event, Life in Jesus, but comprehend it we must as it is the only way to eternal Life. "Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the Resurrection from the dead." Light shines! And with it Life! Jesus is the True Light! Jesus is the Life! God is not dead, God is Alive! Now we too are alive when Jesus breaths His Resurrection Spirit Life into us. Alive and united with the Holy God inside of us, that is Eternal Life! "John 1:3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehend it not." "2 Corinthians 4:6 For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- The Power Of The Cross - Oh To See The Dawn (YouTube) The Power of the Cross: Written by Keith Getty, sung by Stuart Townend. - Comments: The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe. ... Amen... What a poweful song, I am grateful everyday for what God has done for me. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (YouTube) Song: Where you there when they crucified my Lord? [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- You Were There - God You were always there for us {Most of the movie scenes are from The Bible [Series] - Apocalypsis Revelation (2002) - Starring Richard Harris} (YouTube) Comments: What a fantastic song which means the world to me, when I was going through the hardest thing that I will possibly go through, he was there.... Thank you Lord. Thank you for dying for me and even tho we were the ones that put you on the cross, you still show us mercy. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- 3 Day & 3 Night Prophecy Fulfillment Saturday - The Third Day of Death is Fulfilled This day coincides with Saturday April 3, 2010 - Saturday is again the weekly Sabbath day of rest. We rest physically but emotionally we are anything but at rest as we ponder an uncertain future without a leader, without our King Jesus. -- Let's recap Thursday - Sunday by looking at some verses in Luke: "Luke 23:52-24:1 [Thursday][Crucifixion day] "This man, Joseph of Arimathaea, went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down [from the cross] and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulcher (tomb) that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation [preparation for the evening Sabbath of Unleavened Bread], and the Sabbath [Unleavened Bread, evening Sabbath curfew] drew on. And the women also, which came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld (observed) the sepulcher, and how His body was laid. And they returned (home) and [Friday] [normal Day] prepared (worked & labored) spices and ointments; and rested the [Saturday][Sabbath Day] Sabbath day according to the commandment [the 4th of the 10 commandments, the weekly Saturday Sabbath]. Now upon the first day of the week [Sunday][Resurrection Day], very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them." -- Personal Reflection #9 Getting through the darkness: It's dark in there; it's a dark and lonely place in those deep dark tombs. Death is dark, and it's dark when we look death in the face. Will the light shine? Will there be life? Will life live and conquer the darkness; the loneliness, the despair, the finality of death? We as humans have to know. We have to know if there is any hope, any permanent existence, any purpose, any reason to life and our existence or if our brief existence here on earth is only a byproduct of some random collision of molecules. Only God - Jesus can answer this question for us and it can only be answered in the Resurrection Life of Jesus as only life can hold the answers to the problems that face mankind. God has given to us, a long time ago, the answer and His promise in each new day. In the beginning of creation God created the Physical Light. He created light as a representation for us to see that indeed His true Spirit light of life shines and it does indeed remove the darkness of death. Every time life gets dark just remember the New Day the Sunrise the Resurrection Sunshine from on high as the Sun represents to us the True Son Light, Jesus. God made it that way! The Sun is our daily and momentary reminder of God, of His Son Jesus, of His light, His warmth, His promises, His Life, His Love and His Eternal Resurrection Life for us. "Lamentations 3:21-23 This I recall in my mind, therefore I have hope. It is the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed, because His Compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Thy Faithfulness." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Sealed Tomb Friday - Roman Guards seal the Tomb - additional Spices and Ointments are purchased and prepared to further anoint the body of Jesus This day coincides with Friday April 2, 2010 - We awake Friday morning our first day without the presence of Jesus. Today, the day after the Feast of Unleavened Bread and before the weekly Saturday Sabbath that begins at Sundown Friday, Jewish time, today is another regular day that happens to be sandwiched between the two Sabbath day Feast days in this year's original "Jesus Passover" celebration. Therefore with today not being a Sabbath day the usual work including buying and selling can take place. Several people go to purchase spices and ointments (Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56) and mix them together to prepare them in order to further anoint the body of Jesus. "Mark 16:1-2 And when the Sabbath (feast of unleavened bread) [Thursday] was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, [Friday] had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day [Sunday] of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun." Early in the day we also find out that the Jewish leaders have just conferred with the Roman leaders (Matthew 27:62-66) to have guards placed at the tomb of Jesus. This is to prevent the disciples from stealing the body of Jesus and then claiming that He rose from the dead, something I'm sure that no disciple intended to do, after all what good is a dead leader? The tomb is now sealed with a Roman "seal" signifying that the body of Jesus is inside and that all is secure in the tomb. The guards stand in front of the sealed tomb and wait for Sunday. The intent is that on Sunday the tomb will be unlocked/unsealed and the body of Jesus will be shown to the Jewish leaders and all will be back to normal in Jerusalem because Jesus said that He would live the third day, not the second day or the fourth day. Jesus remaining dead in the tomb on
Sunday would reveal that He was not a prophet able to prophesy that He would be alive the third day and also that He is not God able to overcome human death. There is no chance to enter the sealed tomb until the three days are up and the seal is removed by the Romans who placed it on the tomb. None of the soldiers on duty have the authority to remove the seal and open the tomb, only the Roman government has the authority to open the tomb and according to the contract with the Jews, it will be after the third day. The frightened disciples are in no condition to reveal themselves as followers of Jesus. So back to the familiar upper room everyone journeys. In the lonely darkness that comes on with despair the disciples lament that they are not prophets. One proclaims that he is just a herder of flocks from his youth (Zechariah 13:4-6). Likewise we sit in the dark and also wonder if we have the spiritual stamina that it takes to make it through this "dark night of the soul." We begin to think about Jesus and His ministry here on earth. We think about the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23) and how hard and compacted the soil of our heart is. Emotionally we are against obstacles and unable to push our spiritual roots down any further into fresh new soil. We wonder what has become of Jesus the master Gardener, we need Him. We need the Gardener to pull the weeds of doubt, to help us through life's thorns, to break up the shallow rocky soil and to direct His seed into the good soil of our heart so it can bring forth much fruit. Oh, it's no use a garden needs a gardener to keep it pleasant. The garden can't maintain itself from the hard soil, shallow rocks and choking weeds. Without a Gardener, the good plants will come to nothing as they are choked out and perish among the weeds and hard soil. We need God's direction and His plan in order for us to fulfill our life's purpose. -- Personal Reflection #8 Man puts his seal of approval on God's death: "Matthew 27:66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure [inventory of the tomb contents], sealing the stone, and setting a watch." With the death of Jesus comes the Seal of approval from mankind. You can be certain that Jesus died on the cross and you can be just as certain that the dead body of Jesus was in the tomb on this the next day when the tomb was closed and the seal was placed on it. Certain because mankind would have it no other way than that God, would be declared dead, null, and void. Oh they sealed the right tomb of death alright but they sealed the wrong object. What they should have placed their seal on is on the death of sin, the sin that has separated mankind from the Holy God for all of these years as God knows and as the Christian knows it is sin that has been declared dead, null, and void and not God. As we reflect on the death of sin, that the penalty for sin has been removed from us by Jesus, do we really understand that the worst that can possibly happen to us is death from sin? But that Jesus died for us so the worst thing that can happen to us has happened to Jesus as He took our penalty for us. Now with the worst behind us thanks to Jesus, we now have the best and a new opportunity as a new relationship with God is now before us. "Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- (Catholic) Pope's Holy Thursday [Last Supper] Mass Dedicated to Priests - The ceremony is described by the Vatican as a sign of strict union between the Pontiff (Pope) in his role of pastor of the world's 1 billion Catholics and his fellow priests VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI urged priests to oppose violence as he led a ceremony dedicated to the priesthood Thursday, marking a Holy Week with his church buffeted by clergy sex abuse scandals. "As priests, we are called in fellowship with Jesus Christ, to be men of peace, we are called to oppose violence and trust in the greater power of love," Benedict said in his Holy Thursday homily in St. Peter's Basilica. He made no mention of the scandals. Spread out before him, in white robes, was row after row of priests, who responded in chorus to his chants in Latin. A choir of men and boys intoned solemn hymns. The late morning Mass, the first of several appearances Benedict will make in the final days of Holy Week before Easter, was described by the Vatican as a sign of strict union between the pontiff in his role of pastor of the world's 1 billion Catholics and his fellow priests. In the evening, Benedict will wash the feet of 12 priests -- a traditional sign of humility -- at a Holy Thursday ceremony in St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. ... In his homily Thursday, Benedict said Christians "as good citizens" must "keep the law and do what is just and good," while not accepting "a wrong that is
enshrined in law," citing as example legalized abortion. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Crucifixion Agony - Redemption Thursday - Jesus is betrayed and arrested He is then tried and by popular demand is sentenced to die - Jesus is crucified and suffers Death on the Cross - This is the end and Removal of Death and Sin (Leaven) Thursday {Crucifixion - Agony (Bitter) Thursday} This day coincides with Thursday April 1, 2010 Crucifixion Thursday - Feast of Unleavened Bread, 15th of Nisan (Matthew 26:47-27:28, Mark 14:53-15:47). In the next few hours Jesus will undergo six trials all of them will be a mockery of justice. Jesus will come out of His third trial just in time to hear the disciple Peter deny a third time to being a follower of Jesus. A rooster will crow marking the dawn to the sunrise of a new day. This is the day in which Jesus of Nazareth, the true and living Son of God, will be despised, rejected of man and crucified on a wooden cross. This day will be the seventh day of our journey back and the third feast day, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" - the feast of the removal of sin/leaven. Jesus will be despised, rejected and beaten all of this because of the love that God has for His own creation and of an ultimate desire to reunite the people that are rejecting Him back unto Himself. - The horrific beating (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) that King Jesus will endure for us will be a savage fit of rage, the rage of mankind and a fit of Satanic rage all wrapped into one. No person has ever been so savagely beaten as Jesus was that day. It is the kind of abuse that all evil has against all innocence. Peter will have gone out and wept bitterly for his part in denying Jesus. Peter will not look to himself but will again look to God and experience the total love and forgiveness that God Has for mankind. Judas, who also betrayed God, will not look to God, but instead Judas will look to himself and will find no hope but only despair and in despair Judas will go out and commit suicide. Jesus is now led to a hill and crucified. It is the same hill that the Jewish forefather Abraham brought his son Isaac to 4,000 years earlier (Genesis 22:1-19), to enact out a loving father offering his only beloved son, a parallel to the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus is offered wine mixed with bitter gall to drink but Jesus rejects the bitter wine because He has promised that the next wine He drinks will be with us in Heaven and it will be a sweet cup of Heavenly rejoicing not the bitter cup of this world. - Jesus' first words on the cross (Luke 23:34) will be "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Forgiveness. Even as He is rejected, Jesus forgives. We stand amazed as the two thieves being crucified along with Jesus, mock Him. Then one of the thieves turns and says "we are getting our just rewards; but Jesus is innocent". Then one of the thieves says a most remarkable thing. He says "Jesus remember me when you enter into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). We look on in dismay. "Enter the Kingdom of Jesus?" True, Jesus declared Himself to be a King only a few days ago and a King has to have a kingdom, but Jesus is dying on a cross - No! Not death! The thief is right. Jesus is entering into His kingdom, one where there is no more curse of the flesh. Where sin does not reign. In fact sin is not even present in the Kingdom of Jesus. That's it - only the Spiritual Kingdom of God is good enough for Jesus. He died to the sin and human flesh of this world so that we can be united with Him in His glory, in His Holy Spiritual Kingdom. Jesus will remain alive on the cross for six hours, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. At noon, the sky will grow dark (Amos 8:9, Matthew 27:45). Jesus will cry out from the cross "My God, my God why hast thou forsaken Me?" (Psalm 22:1-31, Matthew 27:46). At 3:00 p.m., Jesus will give a victory cry and proclaim "It is finished" (John 19:30). We marvel that the prophecy given to Eve in Genesis 3:15 is now fulfilled as Jesus, the Son of God, has His own heal bruised for us while supporting His weight on the cross. It was also on the same cross of victory on a hill called Golgotha or Skull (John 19:17) that Jesus has crushed the head (skull) [Genesis 3:15] of the deceiving serpent Satan. - Jesus will then commend His Spirit to His Father, He will then permit His Spirit to leave His body (Luke 23:46). It is now near the evening of the third feast day, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread." This feast according to Leviticus chapter 23, is a Sabbath - Rest feast and in order to properly keep this feast the followers need to be at home before sundown and are unable to engage in any work. The legs of the two thieves on the other two crosses are broken to hasten their deaths and to proceed with their burials before sundown. Jesus' lifeless body is taken down from the cross and placed into a new nearby tomb, which is really a cavern carved out of solid rock and has been provided by Joseph of Armethia. Jesus will be laid in the new tomb. His body, including His face, will be wrapped with fresh linen cloth and soaked with 75 lbs. of anointing
oils (John 19:39). Those taking part in the burial of Jesus will quickly depart to get home before the Sabbath curfew of sundown. That evening we will return with the disciples back to the upper room where the Lord's Passover feast was held the night before. The door will be shut and locked as everyone will cower in the dark and in silence for fear that Romans will knock down the door to seize more of the disciples and drag them off to be horribly crucified. It is the first night without the presence of Jesus. It is a dark and bitter night. We sit down to consider the events. The third feast - we wonder what are the odds that everything of major importance would happen on a Feast Day? We know the odds are the same as those that brought life into existence and the same as those that could write the pages of the Bible before the events actually happened. We know that no odds could do this because there are no odds. There is no chance involved. It is the predetermined plan of God. Not chance, but a plan! It is a plan being carried out carefully and deliberately before the eyes of mankind. We ponder the feasts, first was "Sabbath" the required rest and Jesus presenting Himself as our King. Next was the "Lord's Passover", the Covenant feast of escaping death and entering into life with Jesus in heaven in the presence of the Father. Now it is the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" the third feast of the eight feasts prescribed by God to Moses in Leviticus chapter 23. That's it! Jesus often referred to leaven as "sin." "Beware of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees" Jesus would say and this Feast is to remove the leaven, that is to remove the sin that infects mankind. Jesus' shed blood and His death on the cross are a complete removal of our sin. It is complete because death is the end result of sin therefore in Jesus' death all of our sins died. The death of sin occurs on the cross. Later in the Resurrection of Jesus, we will receive of His eternal Resurrection Life. Sin has to be removed. We cannot have fellowship with the Holy God in the New Covenant until the Sin is removed. Jesus on this day became the penalty for the sins of the world reconciling those who choose to be reconciled with God in the New Covenant. -- Personal Reflection #7 The Cross - a place of no compromise: Jesus reached out to us - all the way and without compromise. He didn't compromise as He took on the appearance of a human and entered into our physical realm so that He could interact with us on our level. He entered into our physical level because we are separated from the Holy God on His Spiritual level. We are separated from Him by our sins and it is impossible for God to bring us and the sin that accompanies us into His direct presence, so God in Jesus, came to us in our existence. In reaching out to us Jesus didn't compromise. He reached out with both arms open and fully extended all the way, even to the cross. Mankind in return didn't compromise as mankind rejected God. Mankind then reaching back with a hammer, nailed both of His open and extended arms onto a wooden cross. Today it is still our opportunity and our turn to reach out and touch Jesus even though we do not see Him as He is in the Spirit realm like we see one another in the physical realm. We can still come to that place of no compromise and touch Jesus in that no compromising place called faith. "Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- New Covenant Wednesday - Last Supper - Communion - Passover Dinner - Jesus covenants to die for us in our place therefore by the death of Jesus eternal Death now passes over and skips over us humans This day coincides with Wednesday March 31, 2010 the start of the Passover week with the Feast of the Lord's Passover, 14th of Nisan - Wednesday we would wake up to the second of the feast days known as the "Lord's Passover." This feast was first observed by the Jewish people in Egypt the night the plague killed all of the Egyptian firstborn sons, while death "Passed over" the Jewish firstborn because they were saved by the "Covenant blood" placed above the doors of their houses (Exodus 12:1-36). This feast is also prescribed by God in Leviticus chapter 23. We will follow Jesus to Jerusalem to eat the Passover dinner and celebrate it with the disciples in an upper room made ready by some friends. As we come into the upper room in the early afternoon prior to the Lord's Passover feast which will be observed and eaten later "at evening". We will see that Jesus and the disciples have just finished eating a lunch/supper (John 13:2). Jesus is telling the disciples that God the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth to Him. We marvel that this Jesus standing before us is not just the King of Judah but is the King of the Universe, the King of heaven and of the earth, of
the physical realm that is seen and also of the unseen spiritual realm. Jesus presides over all as King. Before we can comprehend the enormity of the kingdom of Jesus, we see King Jesus lay aside His garments, pour water into a wash basin and begin to wash the disciples feet. We are in total agreement with Peter when Peter says to Jesus "Thou shall never wash my feet," after all, kings of the earth do not wash their followers feet, so much more the reason that the King of the universe should not wash our feet. Then Jesus explains to Peter that unless He washes our feet that Jesus will have nothing to do with us. We wonder, "why have Jesus wash our feet and only our feet"? Then we realize that Jesus is King and He is also our Abba, Daddy, Father, and likewise He is also the Holy God. Being Holy, Jesus requires that we be cleansed in able to approach Him. Our creator, Abba, Father, Jesus is happy to take all of His authority and use it to clean us and draw us near to Him. We now know that Jesus is really talking about cleansing our "Souls", our thought life and our emotions as the foot is a reference to the soul. We realize that one dirty item cannot make another dirty item clean. We gasp as we realize that ONLY Jesus can make us clean because only Jesus is clean and without Jesus washing us and cleansing us, we will remain dirty and Jesus will "have nothing to do with us." We make a mental note to spend more quality cleansing time with Jesus in prayer and in reading the Bible. - It is now evening and time for the Lord's Passover Supper. All of the disciples are seated around Jesus (Matthew 26:20). Jesus begins to explain how one of the disciples will betray Him. We join the other disciples wondering if we will betray Jesus? After the events of the past week, we now know that we are not that familiar with the plans of God and that Sin is deceitful. Knowing that we can easily be deceived and betray Jesus in our thoughts and actions, we make another mental note to walk in the Spirit with Jesus at all times, seeking the wisdom and will of God continually for each and every activity we do during the moments of our lives. Jesus speaking up tells the disciples that to identify the one who will betray Him, He will dip His bread in the sauce at the same time the betraying disciple dips his bread. As Judas dips his bread Jesus also dips His (Matthew 26:23). We now know why, after the foot washing that Jesus said "not everyone is clean" (John 13:10) because Judas is not clean, he is a betrayer. Judas asks Jesus if he is the betrayer. Jesus tells him "yes he is." We marvel that sin is so deceptive, that one can betray God and actually think that he is doing God's work. We shudder as we think of all of the killing and all of the wrong that has gone on by the deceived ones throughout the Church ages in the name of Christianity. We are very glad to make the journey back to Holy Week to walk with Jesus and to learn who He is so that we can be true disciples and true followers of Jesus. Judas, after receiving a bread dipped in sauce by Jesus, then departs the room to proceed to betray Jesus. The disciples wonder were Judas has gone. Some think he is going to make arrangements for the next feast, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" which begins tomorrow, (John 12:29). At first we think it is unlawful for Judas to go out at night on a feast day but then a quick glance in our Bibles back to Leviticus 23 reveals that the Lord's Passover is not a "Sabbath Feast." We wonder at the thought that the Lord's Passover feast is not a "Sabbath - Rest" feast like all of the other feasts and therefore there is no evening curfew for the feast. Unfortunately, as Judas leaves the presence of Jesus, Satan then enters into Judas and demonically possesses Judas (John 13:27). Again we realize the importance of staying in the presence of Jesus to keep ourselves safe from the demonic/Satanic realm. - Jesus then takes the unleavened bread of the "Lord's Passover Feast" (Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22) and giving Thanks, Jesus breaks the bread explaining that this is His body broken for us, speaking of the cross that is to come tomorrow. He then passes the bread for the disciples to eat. Much earlier while following Jesus the disciples had dealt with this very issue of Jesus' body. In John 6:47-58, Jesus told a large group of disciples that He, "is the true bread of life that came down from heaven and any man who would eat of it that man would not die but would live forever." Many disciples were disturbed at that saying of Jesus, (John 6:66) "and some walked with Jesus no more." But Jesus had also explained to the disciples (John 6:63) that it is the Spirit that aids a man not the physical. Jesus said that His words are Spirit. -- So here this night of the Passover the disciples readily enjoy the bread knowing that it is the Spirit of Jesus that gives Spiritual life. -- Next Jesus takes a cup of wine. It is the third cup of the four prescribed cups of the feast. The third cup is known as the cup of redemption. The first cup is the cup of Sanctification, meaning to be set apart to God for the feast. The second cup is the cup of instruction, instructing that there were many plagues on the land of Egypt, yet the children of God could not go free from slavery until there was a death of the firstborn. Now this night Jesus is proclaiming that He is the Firstborn of God and that His death
will set us free from the slavery of sin and the cruelty of Satan just like the death of the firstborn did so many years ago back in Egypt. Then Jesus taking the cup (Mark 14:23) of redemption and like the bread, giving thanks, Jesus passed the cup to the disciples and said "take drink all of it," (Matthew 26:27) this cup is the New Testament in His blood: this do, that as often as we drink of it, to do it in remembrance of Jesus. The disciples are fully aware that Jesus is speaking of a better blood than man has, of His Spiritual life blood. They gladly take the cup of wine and gladly drink all of it. We marvel that Jesus wants us to "Drink all" that He has for us, all of His Life, Love, Compassion and Mercy. Jesus then mentions that He will not drink again of the wine until He drinks it anew with us in His Father's Kingdom. The fourth cup of wine that Jesus is postponing to drink is called the "cup of Rejoicing." After the feast, the cup of rejoicing is to be drunk as we rejoice in all that God has done in our lives in setting us free and reuniting us with Him in the promise land of Heaven. Jesus says that He will drink that next cup with all of us for real in the real heaven. Jesus and the disciples then sing a Psalm in the closing of the "Lord's Passover Feast." Jesus now reminds us again that He is about to be betrayed. He tells us in advance so that we will know that He does indeed know all things. Jesus then reveals to us that this dark moment is Satan's time. Judas has already left to betray Jesus. Jesus instructs us saying that "Satan has nothing in Him", but that Jesus will show His love for the Father by giving His life as a sacrifice to reunite us back to God, as this is the will of the Father and it is also the will of the Son Jesus. - Arising they depart the room (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26, John 14:31). We marvel that this feast is not a Sabbath feast so they are able to walk in the night and not break the law of the feast. Now during a short walk, Jesus talks to the disciples about Himself being the vine, the source of life and that the disciples are the branches and that the disciples are to abide in Jesus for life. He also teaches about the persecution that will come to all of His followers. Then Jesus instructs them some more about the Holy Spirit who the Father will send. Jesus then prays His "Priestly High Prayer" to the Father (John 17:1-26), asking the Father to receive all of His followers including us, His future followers and to unite us all with Himself in Heaven with the Father. As Jesus prays to God the Father we conclude that we know that Jesus' prayers are heard by the Father and answered! After His priestly prayer of intercession for us to the Father, Jesus commits to His crucifixion and then crosses over the brook of Cedron (John 18:1) as He proceeds on to the garden of Gethsemane, the Garden of destiny. (Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32). We now know why God has not made the Lord's Passover to be a "Rest - Sabbath Feast" because Jesus and the disciples would have to remain at home or inside after the feast and could not have legally walked to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden of destiny. Had this been a "Sabbath - Rest Feast", it is also very unlikely that the Temple guards would have broken the Sabbath themselves to journey to the Garden to arrest Jesus who, after all was only peaceably praying to the Father. This is another powerful demonstration that these events are events orchestrated and allowed by God Himself and not man just as these events are foreseen in the prophetic writings by the prophets of the Old Testament. -- The Garden is the ideal place to reveal that God is in control. It was so many years ago that Adam and Eve lost mankind's relationship with God through their own disobedience in the original garden, the Garden of Eden. Jesus is now stepping into another garden, the Garden of Gethsemane. Through His desire and obedience Jesus will continue to restore back the lost relationship between God and mankind, this time for forever. Had Jesus been arrested anywhere but in a Garden, say for instance in the streets or in the upper-room, it would be difficult to correlate the events of the Last Supper to the events of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Since God made certain to go to the Garden we have to correlate these two garden events and also the coming event of the resurrection of Jesus from yet another garden, the Garden Tomb. This again reveals the detailed plan of God as He has set it out for us in His Prophetic Word, the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. -- We follow and see that Jesus is separated from His disciples and engaged in prayer to the Father. Jesus asks for the third time for the Father to remove "this cup" (Matthew 26:42) but there is no other "cup" of redemption available to mankind. Either Jesus gives His life for us or mankind will never be reunited to God. Angels come and minister to Jesus. He arises. Judas can now be seen leading a group of Temple soldiers intent on arresting Jesus. Judas then betrays Jesus with a kiss (Matthew 26:49). Jesus in turn calls Judas "friend" (Matthew 26:50). Jesus is arrested, bound with ropes and led off as all of the disciples abandon Him and flee. - Personal Reflection #6 New Covenant Reflection: The New Covenant - God has agreed to take on the appearance of a Human, to come for us and to die in our place for
our sins so that we can Live anew in a new Spiritual relationship with God. God in His Love for us has taken our penalty of death so that we can live in His life of love. With the New Covenant and our New Spiritual Life "All things have become New." "2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold All things are become New." Are we allowing ourselves to live in our newfound Relationship with God and are we allowing ourselves the New Freedom that this relationship has to offer? When Jesus took His Communion cup and offered it to His followers Jesus gave with it the instruction and the invitation to "Drink all of it." Amen - and drink all of it we will. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Betrayal Tuesday - Judas Agrees to betray Jesus for Thirty pieces of silver This day coincides with Tuesday March 30, 2010 (Matthew 26:6-16, Mark 14:3-11) - As we awake Tuesday morning we will not go to Jerusalem and the Temple as Jesus had departed the Temple for the last time on Monday. Instead, today we will go with Jesus to Bethany and enter the house of Simon, a leper whom Jesus has previously cured. A woman will anoint Jesus with more oil. Judas will depart to meet with the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus. Judas will receive the promise of thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:2, Matthew 26:15) for promising to deliver Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leaders. -- Personal Reflection #5 Fellowship with the one who has cleansed us: Jesus has returned to spend time with Simon a Leper whom Jesus had previously cleansed. How is it that Jesus would want to visit someone that was previously Unclean? How is it that Simon would trust Jesus? Usually when someone has knowledge of the unclean areas of our life we want to get away from them because we are vulnerable and do not want to be exposed by them for what we were or for what we truly are. Yet Simon welcomed Jesus into his own home and prepared for Him a meal. All throughout the Bible we read how hurting and longing and suffering people have turned to God and have found compassion and healing and like Simon, we too have the privilege of hosting Jesus, the one who has healed us. "Matthew 11:2830 Come to Me (Jesus), all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your Souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Teaching Monday - Temple teaching and later the Mt. Olivet Discourse End Time Teaching is given This day coincides with Monday March 29, 2010 - Arising early the next day Monday, we know from Mark 14:1 and Matthew 26:2 that we have two days left until the Passover (Wednesday). We would again follow Jesus to Jerusalem and to the temple as Jesus spends another day preaching in the temple and having discourse with the Scribes and Pharisees. On the way to the temple we would again pass the fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before and be astonished with the other disciples that the fig tree has completely dried up and withered from the roots up (Matthew 21:19, Mark 11:20). We would again consider that the fig tree cannot be our covering for sin and that God finds man-made religious practices unacceptable, not one day will pass where the religious practices of man are acceptable to God. We would follow Jesus back into the temple where the Scribes, Pharisees and lawyers will make a final assault on the authority of Jesus (Matthew 21:23-23:39, Mark 11:27-12:44). Jesus will end His discussion with the Scribes and Pharisees with the comments of "Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Jesus uses strong words for strong circumstances. The leaders of Judah are misrepresenting Jesus. They are misrepresenting the word of God in the Bible and all that God stands for. Jesus refers to them as a "brood of vipers", referring to the words and actions of the leaders that their deeds are separating people from the true God and are therefore as poisonous as the poison of a snake. Earlier, through the prophet Isaiah, Jesus said to the leaders of ancient Judah that when the circumstances of their lives pressed against them and caused them to be uncomfortable that they would responded from their heart. Jesus saw that the leaders were upset with circumstances that they didn't understand and that their actions really revealed their true heart towards God. Jesus was therefore quoting the prophet Isaiah in order to encourage the leaders to search the scriptures in a new light and gain new insight into the person of God and new insight
into the kingdom of God. After the death and resurrection of Jesus the book of Acts tells us that many of the Priests came to believe in Jesus (Acts 6:7). Jesus is showing us that although strong words were used, Jesus did it in a way of Reconciliation. There is only one Ministry, it is the ministry of reconciliation, man to God and man to man. After this discussion, Jesus left the Temple for the last time (Matthew 24:1, Mark 13:1). We can immediately remember the Prophet Ezekiel, (Ezekiel 10:1-22) and his depiction of the presence of God departing from the temple as the people had rejected God. Ezekiel wrote of a temple from which the presence of God had departed and later that temple would be destroyed by the invading Babylonians. Likewise, this temple with the presence of God, in the person of Jesus departing, would later be destroyed by the Roman armies. After the discussion between the leaders and Jesus, Jesus walked out of the temple and the disciples followed (Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2). The disciples thought that this was the long awaited moment, the moment when the King Jesus, would take control and according to scripture would reign and rule from Jerusalem. The disciples were now interested in the buildings of the temple. In effect, the disciples were saying these are great buildings to rule from and probably wondering where their office would be. As we stand there and eavesdrop, we would hear Jesus reply and give a prophecy that the temple would be destroyed, one stone block at a time, until there were no more stone blocks left stacked upon another. The disciples were stunned. They realized that they were not familiar with the current plan of Jesus. - That evening when they returned to the Mount of Olives, some of the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked "what is the time or sign of Jesus coming into power?" In other words, when is Jesus the King going to reign and rule on earth as the King? Jesus told them that it was not for them to know the times and gave a long informative discourse into the end time events. Jesus specifically warned the disciples not to fall for deception, that many will be deceived by the vast amount of lies and deceit being told in the world. He taught that only the Bible is the true word of God. The teaching is now called "Jesus' Mt. Olivet Discourse" (Matthew 24:3-26:2, Mark 13:3-14:1). -- Personal Reflection #4 Our Ministry of Reconciliation: What is our part in Reconciliation? Jesus came to Reconcile. The very Ministry of Jesus is Reconciliation, reconciling man back into a relationship with God and also reconciling us humans into a relationship with one another. "2 Corinthians 5:18,19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us (Christians) to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." *The word reconciliation is called the Gospel, the "Good News" of our Life in Jesus as opposed to the sour fact of our death in this earthly world. The ministry of Jesus is the embodiment of the Cross that Jesus would be crucified on as on the cross Jesus is lifted up - suspended, between Heaven (the dwelling of God) and Earth (the dwelling of man). The vertical post of the cross represents reconciliation between God and Man while at the same time the outstretched - reaching out arms of Jesus and the horizontal beam of the cross represent the reconciliation of one to another. Reconciliation is accomplished only in and by Jesus. There is no other hope for mankind but in Jesus, His Cross and His Resurrection. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Cleansing - Holiness Sunday - Jesus cleanses the Temple by removing unholy activities including overthrowing the tables of the moneychangers This day coincides with Sunday March 28, 2010 - We awake early Sunday morning, the first day of the week, to see Jesus and the disciples on their way back to Jerusalem and the Temple (Mark 11:12). Catching up we would find Jesus examining a fig tree for fruit. Finding no fruit Jesus will curse the fig tree (Mark 11:14). We will stand by in amazement as we realize that this Jesus is the same God that Adam and Eve sinned against and then used a fig leaf in an attempt to cover their sins. Jesus is now saying that there are no more self-made, man-made coverings for sin. The system of fig tree religion is now a curse by God because fig tree religion never did produce fruit for God. We will then follow Jesus into the Temple as acting King. Jesus will now cleanse the Temple of ungodliness (Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19) and we will know that the true Temple is our bodies and that we need to present our bodies holy and undefiled to God (Romans 12:1-5). Listening we hear Jesus proclaim that His Temple will be a House of Prayer for ALL nations (Mark 11:17) and we rejoice to be a part of the Kingdom of God and to know that above all, God desires for us to pray (talk/listen) to Him in getting to
know Him. That evening we will return with Jesus and the disciples to the Mount of Olives. -- Personal Reflection #3 Unfruitfulness in our own life: Jesus recognized unfruitfulness and He took action to remove it. Every one of us (unlike Jesus) has an unfruitful aspect in our own life. We too can be bold like Jesus, in that when we see unfruitfulness we can declare it as unacceptable to God and recognize it as a cursed item, not a blessing. In cursing it, curse it at its root so that it will immediately wither and dry up no longer sustaining an appearance of being potentially fruitful but being what it truly is, something that does not give pleasure to God. "Matthew 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- (Catholic) Holy Week, 2010 - It reenacts the main events of Jesus' last days: his entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the Last Supper (Holy Thursday), his arrest and trial, the carrying of the cross, and the Crucifixion itself (Good Friday) - Unfortunately, the linkage between the liturgies of Holy Week and the original times and places of the sacred events became obscured in the medieval West Holy Week, as everyone knows, is observed during the final week of Lent, with its liturgical climax at the Easter Vigil and then on Easter morning itself. It reenacts the main events of Jesus' last days: his entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the Last Supper (Holy Thursday), his arrest and trial, the carrying of the cross, and the Crucifixion itself (Good Friday). The early Christians, however, were content each year to recall Christ's suffering, death, and Resurrection in a single, unified liturgical celebration known as Pascha (Greek for the Christian "Passover," or Easter). *This yearly paschal observance occurred either on a fixed day of the lunar month, which would have been according to the Jewish tradition, or on the Sunday that followed it. ... By the fifth and sixth centuries, the highly influential churches of Rome and Constantinople had adopted these Holy Week liturgies. The liturgies subsequently spread from these centers to other local churches within their vast jurisdictions, both in the West and in the East. Unfortunately, the linkage between the liturgies of Holy Week and the original times and places of the sacred events became obscured in the medieval West. The situation was not remedied until the restoration of Holy Week that was mandated by Pope Pius XII in 1956, and the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council a few years later. Nowhere were these changes more evident than in the celebration of the Easter Vigil. Prior to the restoration of the Holy Week liturgies, Holy Saturday was the least popular of all of that week's liturgies. I know whereof I speak. The long and complicated ceremony was conducted entirely in Latin, early on Holy Saturday morning, with only a handful of people and a few unlucky altar boys in attendance. Looking back now, the restoration of Holy Week remains one of Pope Pius XII's greatest achievements." Father Richard P. McBrien is the Crowley-O'Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Triumphal Entry - Jesus is King Saturday - The Triumphal Entry - Jesus Enters Jerusalem the capital city of Israel and presents Himself as the Lord and King for all people This day coincides with Saturday March 27, 2010 Palm Saturday - Feast of Sabbath Rest - 10th of Nisan, Selection of the Passover Lamb, (Exodus 12:3). "Psalms 84:3 .. O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God." - On this next day Saturday, (John 12:12), we would rise up early with Jesus and the disciples. The people gathering for the celebration of the week long Passover Feast in the city of Jerusalem would hear that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and would gather palm branches to wave in honor of their coming King, Jesus. Because Saturday is a Sabbath day it is unlawful for the people to gather branches for their own personal use but it is not unlawful to gather the branches and wave them in an act of worship of Jesus (God). It is work to sustain our lives but it is not work to worship God. Jesus would send two disciples ahead to get a donkey and the donkey's baby that Jesus would ride on His way into Jerusalem. This will be a direct fulfillment of what the Prophet Zechariah saw and wrote about 400 years earlier. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O Daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; upon the colt the full of a donkey." We would see on this day Jesus would present Himself to Israel as the King. The prophet Daniel also
saw and wrote about this day, (Daniel 9:25). The event of cheering Jesus as King would take the entire day. There would be one dispute with the Pharisees as they would demand that Jesus silence His disciples. Jesus would reply that if the disciples remained silent that the very rocks would cry out in testimony to the glory of God. "Mark 11:10-11 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide [close of this Saturday Sabbath day] was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve." We will enter into the Temple with Jesus and look around but we will soon depart as the evening is near and with the darkness of nightfall the Jewish Sabbath day will draw to a close. We depart the Temple and Jerusalem with Jesus keeping all of the Triumphal entry and the Temple events of that Glorious day enclosed within the one (Saturday) Sabbath day and not permitting the Triumphal Entry events to continue into the next day (Sunday) a non-Sabbath, non-Feast day. That evening we would return with Jesus back up to the Mount of Olives to Bethany (Mark 11:11). We would have to leave at the evening time to get to our destination before nightfall as this day is a Sabbath day and is a day of rest. (Acts 1:12) tells us that Mount Olivet is "from Jerusalem a Sabbaths days journey" so we know that we would be able to walk that distance and not break the Sabbath law. -- That night laying at the top of Mount Olives and looking at the stars and reflecting on the days events, it would begin to seem that the events that Jesus is carrying out have already been written about by the prophets hundreds even thousands of years earlier. As disciples wanting to be informed about the situation at hand, we would rethink the scriptures in a new light and begin to consider that Jesus has presented Himself as King to the people and this occurred on a feast day the feast day of "Sabbath." Examining Leviticus 23, we would notice that God prescribed eight Feasts that were to be followed in order, by His people the Jews. The first feast was the weekly Saturday feast of "Sabbath" or rest. This was the feast we celebrated today. Suddenly, life flows through our bodies as we remember a Bible passage from the Apostle Paul, Colossians 2:16;17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of any holy day, or of the new moon or of the Sabbath days: which are shadows of the things to come; but the body is of Christ." Wow! We realize that Jesus is now at this very moment in the process of fulfilling scripture, the prophecies and the feasts appointed in Leviticus 23 which were written in advance for Jesus to later fulfill. We consider and savor the thought that our King has come and we can now find rest. With Jesus in rule and authority over our lives we can now rest or Sabbath. Jesus is our King! In Him is Justice, righteousness, Truth, Light and Life! In Him we can trust and in Jesus we find our [only] rest. No more striving with a world that is full of inhumane wrongs and cluttered with injustice. In King Jesus we now have comfort. We note that the "Sabbath" is first a commandment, the 4th of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai and it is also the 1st prescribed feast day of God. We then pay special attention to entering into the rest that Jesus provides as King in our lives, we do not want to disobey both a Commandment and a Feast day. Life becomes much more meaningful as we peacefully rest-Sabbath the night in Jesus. -- Personal Reflection #2 Jesus our Savior, our King, our Friend, our Rest: "Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork." We too would like to join in with the rocks of Jerusalem and indeed all of creation and declare the glory of our God and King in Christ Jesus and as we do declare the Deity and Honor of Jesus we declare that we to can now rest in His rule and in His Authority. We rest in Jesus, resting physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is a wonderful accomplishment to be able to cease from worry, fear and anxiety. Few are they that enter into it but blessed are those who do as rest is something to be entered into, it is an achievement, an accomplishment. "Hebrews 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same [wilderness wondering] example of unbelief." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Anointing - Preparation Friday - Catching up with Jesus and His disciples in the town of Bethany This day coincides with Friday March 26, 2010: On our journey to be with Jesus we find that Bethany is located on the Mount of Olives, (Luke 19:29, Mark 11:1) and that Bethany is less than 2 miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18). Once we walk up the Mount of Olives and ask directions to Lazarus', Mary's, and Martha's house, we
would come into a small stone house to find Martha busy working in the kitchen while Mary is seated and at rest beside Jesus. Lazarus whom Jesus had recently raised from the dead (John 11:44) was also seated at the table no doubt he had much to talk to Jesus about. If we came in at just the right moment, we would smell the aroma that filled the house as Mary anointed Jesus with almost a pound of very costly Spikenard oil (John 12:3). We would hear Judas complain that the expensive ointment was wasted and hear the rebuke of Jesus as He defended Mary and proclaimed that she had committed an honorable act of worship in anointing Him for His coming burial. -- Personal Reflection #1 Anointing Oil: Mary Anointed Jesus with very costly and very precious oil. Biblically oil is a symbol of acceptance. To anoint someone is to accept them, to accept them for who and for what they are. Judas on the other hand did not want to bother with anointing Jesus. He didn't even want to be bothered with other people anointing Him. Mary was accepting Jesus. She had accepted that He had come to die for her in her place and was anointing Jesus for His coming burial. The cross of Jesus was something that even the disciples had not yet been able to come to grips with yet Mary had and Mary acknowledged and accepted Jesus for it. Having accepted the gift from Jesus that He was to die in her place for her sins she had now entered into a place of rest and comfort. Rest in that she did not have to work to amend for her own sins and comfort in that all things would be taken care of for her through God who is also King, her King Jesus. - As we begin our walk with Jesus let's pause and reflect (Selah) about acceptance ... are there people in our own lives who we need to anoint and to accept even though we don't understand them? How much could our fellowships gain by this one simple act of anointing one another in the simple affection of acceptance. Anointing others with the precious oil of acceptance can only come from our own rest and security through the knowledge of what Jesus Himself has done and will do for us in our lives. - "Psalms 133 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded His blessing, even life forevermore." Are we anointing and accepting of ourselves? Biblically people are allowed to anoint - refresh themselves with oil (Matthew 6:17). In fact it is crucial that we accept ourselves. God has already accepted us. He created us and He is for us. How is it that we can reject what God has already accepted? Are we anointing and accepting of Jesus? Even today we can anoint Jesus with His precious costly oil of acceptance by accepting His accomplishments in His sacrificial death and eternal resurrection life for us and by trusting in His authority and Kingly rule over and in our lives. We would like to be bold enough to take the steps to walk where Jesus walks, but it is now evident even on this day, day one, that Jesus does not walk as a human walks but that He walks as God walks. For us to walk with Jesus we are going to have to be bold and remove our focus from others and place it on God. [article link]
***Starting Tomorrow -- Jesus Walk 2010 -- Friday March 26, 2010 - The 10 Day Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion it will change your life! - Friday March 26th ---> Easter Sunday April 4th, 2010 (PDF Available) An Ancient Holy Week Timeline, Bible Study, Devotional & Personal Journal for Easter Week 2010. ... Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) holiday dates of 2010 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected' returned from death' just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. ... It will change your life! [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- A Day at the Western Wall Jereusalem - (Short Video) Exploring the depth of Jewish connection to this eternal holy site. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- World Clock: Current local time in Jerusalem {Note: Setting a 2nd Widget or Gadget clock on your computer to Jerusalem time is also a good option.} (clock - pop-up window)
Jerusalem, Israel. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel The native name of Israel is Yisra'el. Most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Jerusalem Weather Station (Photos) This site is intended to give the feeling of what is happening outside. The data is from a station standing out there - at the cold fronts and the heat waves. You can search in the archive for weather history or to know when there was a very extensive weather (hot or cold). [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Holy Week (2010) From the Vatican To Be Televised Online (www.CatholicTV.com) Holy Week broadcasts on the CatholicTV Network • For Palm Sunday, March 28, Masses are broadcast all day long on CatholicTV. Father Robert Reed celebrates Mass on cw56 in Boston at 7 a.m. This Mass is rebroadcast on CatholicTV at 7 p.m. Tune in at 10 a.m. for Notre Dame Sunday Mass live from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Join Pope Benedict XVI for Palm Sunday Mass at noon and 8 p.m. For our Spanish-speaking viewers, Mass from San Antonio's San Fernando Cathedral airs at 4 p.m. • On Monday, March 29, at noon and 8 p.m., join the Holy Father for a special Mass to commemorate the April 2, 2005, anniversary of the death of Servant of God John Paul II. • Tune in Tuesday, March 30, as Cardinal Seán O'Malley presides with priests from the Archdiocese of Boston in attendance to bless the oils and renew the promises they made at ordination. This Mass of Chrism airs live at 11 a.m. and will be rebroadcast at 4 p.m. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- [Holy Week 2010] Easter Week in Rome, Italy - Holy Week in Rome - There are very few examples of Pageantry grander than Holy Week in Rome - The Pope himself delivers several masses between Palm Sunday and Easter, and tens of thousands of pilgrims and fellow travelers are on hand to celebrate with him The following will give you an idea of what's going on and when for Easter Week in 2010; most services take place in St Peter's Square or inside the Basilica (consider a walking tour in Rome to get your bearings, or one of Viator's Vatican tours if you arrive early enough to avoid the crowds). You can certainly expect crowds in Rome and the Vatican during Easter Week. But for Catholics and religious-minded travelers (frankly, for anybody and everyone who appreciates ritual and pomp), the experience of Easter Week is unforgettable. Palm Sunday (March 28): Palm Sunday, a sort of prequel, starts off Holy Week with the Pope's blessing of the palms in St Peter's Square (9:30am). At the end of the mass, the Pope usually sends a special message - the 'Angelus' - to the youth of the world. Holy Thursday (April 1): The Pope honors his predecessor, John Paul II, on Holy Monday with a mass at 6pm. Then, after a few days' break during which you will notice a steadily increasing population density in and around the Vatican, the Easter celebration begins in earnest on Holy Thursday (also called 'Maundy Thursday'). The Pope performs a rare morning mass at 9:30am, known as the 'Mass of the Chrism', in St Peter's Basilica ('chrism' is a mixture of olive oil and balsam, which, once blessed, is used in some of the sacraments). In the evening, the Mass of the Lord's Supper commemorates Christ's bathing of the feet of the Apostles. Good Friday (April 2): On Good Friday, instead of a mass, choirs sing St John's version of Christ's crucifixion. Later that night, the Pope traces the Via Crucis, or Stations of the Cross, from the Colosseum to Palatine Hill. This torch-lit procession is one of the grandest, most solemn things you can witness in Rome. Saturday: Saturday night is traditionally the time of the Easter Vigil, when the Pope celebrates a late mass in St Peter's Basilica. This is also traditionally when converts are accepted into the Catholic Church. Easter Sunday (April 4) On Easter Sunday, the Pope says mass in St Peter's Square starting at 10:15am. Despite the crowds typically this is the most attended event of Holy Week - you should be able to spot the Holy Father, high above the square on a balcony of the church. At noon, he delivers the 'Urbi et Orbi' message - 'to the city and the world - in which the Pope grants forgiveness to those present and to Catholics world wide. Visiting Rome During Holy Week Pope Benedict XVI Although these events are generally free, some require tickets (a must if you want a seat, or in some cases if you want to get in at all). Honestly, it is not easy to get tickets - we're
saying this simply to set your expectations. For Catholics, this is usually arranged through your bishop. You might also try the American Seminary in Rome. For non-Catholics, it's a bit dicier, but you might try the American Seminary. The official Vatican liturgical calendar for Holy Week can be found here. The Vatican museums (and those throughout Rome) are generally open during Holy Week, with the exceptions of Easter Sunday and the following Monday. Ideas on spending the rest of your time in the Eternal City [Rome] can be found in our complete list of things to see and do in Rome. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- TBN Easter Week Programming - The Greatest Story Ever Told - Special show times: Sun 3/28 7:00 PM - 10:30 PM {Note: The movie 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' (1965) was intentionally filmed to look like a master painting so every scene in the movie looks like a painting and is certainly a work of fine art. Excellent Movie!} (Movie) TBN Easter Week 2010: We have exciting Easter programming to spark conversations and open the door to share your faith. Start Easter week with special showings of "The Greatest Story Ever told", then specials with Jim Caveziel and Michael English, Dateline Jerusalem, and many more. For the little ones we have "At Jesus' Side", a fun animated feature sure to become a classic. There are opportunities to experience Easter as never before. -- George Stevens presents his monumental adaptation of the story of Jesus Christ starring Max von Sydow. The film concentrates on the most familiar episodes of the biblical story, including the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, Herod's (Jose Ferrer) decree of the execution of all male children in Judea, and the Holy family's escape into Egypt. It continues as Christ encounters John the Baptist (Charlton Heston) searches for the Twelve Apostles, and raises Lazarus (Michael Tolan), while John the Baptist is executed. It concludes with Jesus' expulsion of the moneylenders from the temple, the instruction of the Apostles at the Last Supper, Christ's betrayal by Judas (David McCallum), the Passion, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. The product of years of research and planning by Stevens, the film features a huge cast of stars, among whom Von Sydow, McCallum, Dorothy McGuire (Mary), Sidney Poitier (Simon of Cyrene), Claude Rains (Herod the Great), Donald Pleasence (The Devil), Martin Landau (Caiaphas), and Janet Margolin (Mary of Bethany), give fine performances. [article link]
Update: Starting this Friday March 26th 2010 - The Basic Christian Website is going to blog the 2010 Jesus Walk Easter 10 Day Timeline Devotion After Jesus Walk 2010 the Basic Christian Ministry is planning to post some brief blog postings regarding the concepts, goals and future objectives of the Basic Christian Ministry. After about a week or two of looking at the Basic Christian Ministry itself then the blogging of the '8 Kingdoms of the Earth' Bible Study should begin. In short the Basic Christian Ministry has been intently praying since January regarding just what should the future of the Basic Christian Ministry be. I was considering some varied and different directions for ministry but after several months of prayer I think the answer is to continue the Basic Christian Ministry mostly in its current format but with a few changes that will hopefully improve the quality of the material. I'm looking forward to sharing some of the objectives, goals and intentions that have gone into the making of the Basic Christian Ministry and also [possibly] some of my concerns regarding modern Christianity and just what and where Basic Christian is trying to fit in though this second part might be postponed until after the '8 Kingdoms of the Earth' Bible Study. God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
A Preview and look at some of the aspects of Holy Week and of the 10 Day Jesus Walk 2010 Easter Timeline Devotion that will later start on Friday March 26th and go until ---> Easter Sunday April 4th, 2010 We are going to begin to look at some of the aspects of Holy Week regarding what actually happened during the final Amazing events of Jesus Christ while He was physically here on earth. We will be considering what His events accomplished and how His completed events affect us today both personally and individually as Christians and as a whole as the Christian Church. - God bless you ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
VLC Media Player (cnet - Free Download) VLC Media Player is a long-time open-source favorite, and the latest version is also the first to be out of beta development. It's not the only option for free video playback, but it's one of the best, and the feature updates in version 1 make it well worth the upgrade. ... Users can now get frame-by-frame advancement, granular speed controls allowing for on-the-fly slower or faster playback, and live recording of streaming video. The toolbars are fully customizable, so you can have only the buttons you need in the interface, there's AirTunes streaming, and there's better integration in Gtk environments. Along with the improvements, VLC continues to offer robust support for a wide range of video and audio formats, including OGG, MP2, MP3, MP4, DivX, HD codecs like AES3, Raw Dirac, and even support for playing back zipped files. The default interface is still a stripped down player that belies VLC's functionality and features. Skinning can fix that quickly, but behavior can still be a bit unpredictable depending on the quality of the skin. VLC's open-source foundation and community ensures that it evolves quickly and often, with new features and fixes released frequently. Overall, VLC Media Player is a must-have application for its ability to open just about any type of video file you throw at it. [article link]
VLC media player - FREE Media Player - Mp3, Mp4, Flac, MKv, DVD - [DVD Viewing, Setting Suggestions: Video - Deinterlace - Yadif (2x); Video - Aspect Ratio 16:10 {if you have a larger screen}; Video - Fullscreen] (Free Download) The cross-platform open-source multimedia framework, player and server VLC media player is a highly portable multimedia player and multimedia framework capable of reading most audio and video formats (MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, DivX, MPEG-1, mp3, ogg, aac ...) as well as DVDs, Audio CDs VCDs, and various streaming protocols. See the full features list. It can also be used as a media converter or a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on networks. [article link]
BasicChristian.org
Basic Christian: Info, News and Resources 2009 Articles **Scroll down for Updates: Continuing with our Holy Week 2010 preview - The 8 Kingdoms [Kings - Nimrod, Pharaoh Akhenaten, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Antichrist (Satan), Messiah (Jesus Christ)] of the earth - The Kingdom of Jesus Christ [specifically starting with His Triumphal Entry (as King of all creation - Luke 19:38-40) into Jerusalem] when His eternal Kingdom was initially established during His events of the original Holy Week in Jerusalem approximately 2,000 years ago After Holy Week the Basic Christian info feed is going to post a Bible Study regarding the 8 Global Kingdoms of the earth however since the events of Holy Week are when Jesus was ushering in His Global Kingdom for us it would be a good time to look at both an introduction and a brief summary regarding the 8 Kingdoms before the events of Holy Week 2010 to help us put the events of Jesus Christ and Holy Week into a Global Kingdom perspective then shortly after Easter we can do the actual 8 Kingdom study in its entirety. [article link]
Part 4 the Conclusion: The three Fall Feasts of Leviticus Chapter 23 seem to be the Transition Phase out of the approximately 2,000 years of individuals serving and fellowshipping with God in the Christian Church Age - Into the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom of Messiah the reign of Jesus Christ among the Nations on the Earth The whole concept of the 8 Kingdom Study has been that there is a major transition in the Kingdom of God that is to take place and that is the Kingdom of God being shifted from the individual perspective (Church Age) to the National perspective (Kingdom Age). The shift from the individual (remnant) worship of God to the (corporate) National worship of God is continued and completed during the transition of the Antichrist Kingdom. In short throughout human history and particularly while going through the Book of Revelation there are two separate [parallel] Kingdoms at work in the Kingdom of Antichrist and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. In the Book of Revelation while the Antichrist Kingdom is attempting to unify (666 - fallen angels, fallen humans, demons) and is unable to do so the Kingdom of God [888 (in a sense) - Holy God, holy Angels, redeemed mankind] does unify. The Kingdom of God starts out in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1:10-18) with Jesus walking among the 7 Churches of the earth and holding the stars of Heaven in His hand as Jesus is in the process of reconciling the earth back to Heaven to make the two separate Kingdoms of Heaven and earth back into one Kingdom. Jesus writes seven letters to His Church in each letter identifying Himself with each Church. Then in Revelation (Revelation 5:6) Jesus is seen as The Lamb Slain as Jesus identifies Himself with all of His Martyred Saints from all of the Children of God from throughout all human history. During the events of Revelation the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ becomes so identified with and intermingled with the Saints on earth and the holy Angels of Heaven in bonding and closeness that as an Angel appears (Revelation 10:1-7) it is difficult to tell if it is an Angel speaking and acting or if it is Jesus Himself speaking and acting. Note: In concluding this 8 Kingdom summary by reading the events of the Bible's Book of Revelation the Kingdom of God becomes identified with the Christian Saints, the Martyrs and even the holy Angels of Heaven at the very same time that the Kingdom of Antichrist is attempting to unify with fallen mankind, fallen angels and the demons but the Kingdom of Antichrist is falling apart and coming apart at such a rapid pace and in reality is never anywhere close to mixing into a unified Kingdom as the "iron does not mix with the clay" of Daniel. While in complete success the Kingdom of God is unified, united and completly identifiable with both mankind and with the holy Angels of Heaven all through the accomplishments and achievements of God the Son Jesus Christ. -- Ephesians 1:10-14 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times [ages] He [God] might gather together in one all things in Christ, *both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: In whom also we [Christians] have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: That we [Apostles] should be to the {Anointing} Praise of His Glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye [individuals] also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: in whom also after that ye [individuals] believed, ye [individuals] were
sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our [individual] inheritance until the redemption {Kingdom Age} of the purchased possession, unto the {Anointing} Praise of His Glory. [article link]
Part 3. The Three Fall [Harvest] Feats of Leviticus 23 - the Three [Second Coming] Fall Feasts of Leviticus 23 The Three [First Coming] Spring Feasts [month of Nisan] initiated the individual Church Age and it is thought that in the same way the Three Fall Feasts of Leviticus 23 [month of Tishri] conclude the 8 Kingdom Feasts of God and initiate the 8th Kingdom the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (Messiah) and His 1,000 year Kingdom of Nations reign on earth The 8 Holy Feasts of Leviticus 23: Three Feasts corresponding to the Second Coming and the Kingdom on Earth of Jesus Christ. --Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Rashanah) "Leviticus 23:23-25 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an Holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD." The offering of fire is likely the Baptism of Fire that the Christian is undergoing since the Flames of Fire upon the heads of the believers occurring at the Feast of Pentecost. The Trumpet is an announcement and in this case it is an announcement for God's people to gather together into one place. For the Church this is very likely fulfilled in the Rapture, the calling by God of His Church into Heaven to be with Him and to escape His coming judgment that is about to come upon the entire world of non-believers. "Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the voice which I heard was as it were of a Trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter." -- Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) "Leviticus 23:27-32 Also on the Tenth day of this Seventh month there shall be a Day of Atonement." This feast in a large part was completed at the cross of Jesus as Jesus is the Atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Atonement is the repair the mending of a broken relationship. For a relationship to be repaired there has to be a desire to repair the union and there needs to be an acknowledgment of the wrong that severed the relationship in the first place. It is corresponding to the second coming of Jesus because there is still much to be fulfilled with this particular feast. For starters at the Atonement Feast Leviticus 16:1-34 there are two goats the first goat is sacrificed for the atonement, the removal of sin, because the result of sin is death so only when death occurs is sin satisfied. This sacrifice is a representation of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us. Meanwhile, the second goat called the "scapegoat", the carrier of sins is released far away carrying with it the sins of the people and if that scapegoat never returns then the sins never return and are completely removed and stay away. If the scapegoat does return then all of the sins return with it. It is evident that at the cross of Jesus that a man called Barabbas was the scapegoat, as Barabbas was set free and he was never heard from again. That is until the Antichrist comes because the Antichrist will be carrying the name of "Son of the Father" which translated into Hebrew is "Barabbas" Bar = son and Abba = Father. Unfortunately the scapegoat the carrier of sin "Satan" will be returning one day as he will again be accepted by the people to be their friend and their king and when he does come he will bring with him the sins of the world. Also the Jewish people as a nation have not yet recognized Jesus as the true Messiah and this will happen at the second coming of Jesus so this feast is still partially yet to be fulfilled. -- Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) "Leviticus 23:34-43 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The Fifteenth day of this Seventh month shall be the feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. ... That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." The Tabernacle is a Tent a temporary shelter as opposed to a Temple which is a permanent building. The Jewish Temple originally was a Tabernacle a Tent that the Hebrews carried with them and set up during their wilderness journey prior to their entry into the Promise Land of Israel. Once in the Promise Land, the permanent living place the Tent was then replaced in Jerusalem by the permanent Temple made of stone. This is the comparison of our earthy body to our future Spiritual body. Currently we Tabernacle in a Tent body a temporary body made of flesh. Whenever anyone dies their spirit and soul departs this tent and if you are a child of God, God then accepts you into Heaven our Permanent home and we receive our new Temple body, a Spiritual body to match our spirit and our soul. {Note: The 8 Holy Fests
of Leviticus Chapter 23 have been separated primarily into two parts, the three Spring Feasts of the 1st Coming [Firstfruits] of Jesus Christ and the three Fall Feasts and the2nd Coming of Jesus Christ. Together the 8 Holy Feasts combine to usher in on earth the one Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ.} [article link]
Part 2a. A brief look and introduction into the 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th King Jesus Christ: Beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) -- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) -- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) -- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) -- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) -- Julius Caesar (Rome and The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire - Daniel 7:19) -- Antichrist [emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire] (Satan - Daniel 7:20) -- Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments - Persia,
Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Part 2. The Anointing and Throne of a King: King David was anointed three times [first among his own family (by Samuel on behalf of God), later by the Tribe of Judah (lit. Praise) and lastly by the Elders of the Nation of Israel] -- Saul was anointed twice both times by the same person [Samuel] - Solomon was anointed King *twice [first by a select committee (1 Kings 1:32-40) - then by the people (1 Chronicles 29:22)] - Jesus Christ is anointed King three times, First by His family [God (Matthew 3:16-17, Acts 10:38)], Secondly [among His Praise] the Church Age of individuals, Thirdly by each of the Nations as a whole [in the Kingdom Age] beginning with the Nation of Israel at the 2nd Coming return of Jesus Christ King Saul [a type of Satan] was chosen by God and anointed the first time privately by the Prophet Samuel [1 Samuel 10:1]. Saul was initiated [1 Samuel 10:17-24] as the 1st King of Israel [in Mizpeh of Gilead] without anointing and while Saul was personally in hiding (i.e. hidden as Satan is in hiding now). Saul was anointed by Samuel a second time though oil is not mentioned it might have been strictly a verbal anointing with the Prophet Samuel speaking prophecy over King Saul and not anointing him with oil. -- King David [a type of Jesus Christ] was anointed three times [1 Samuel 16:12-14 (Bethlehem), 2 Samuel 2:4 (Hebron), 2 Samuel 5:3 (Hebron) - the first (person) anointed in Jerusalem was the Temple (a direct representation of Jesus Christ), it was dedicated (anointed) in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:10-11) before Solomon or any of the later Kings, the descendants of Solomon, were anointed in Jerusalem] and the moment David was anointed the first time the anointing of God departed [1 Samuel 16:14] from the presence of then King Saul [a type of Satan] so only one of them was anointed by God as King at any one time and when King Solomon [a type of the Antichrist] was
anointed there is no indication or recording of the anointing of God leaving King David the way it previously had left King Saul. -- King Solomon [a type of the Antichrist] was anointed twice, first [1 Kings 1:32-40] by a chosen and selected committee [the High Priest, the Prophet and the people gathered in Gihon who happened to be in knowledge of the event] and later by all the people [1 Chronicles 29:22]. -- Jesus Christ the Messiah has been anointed twice. First by His family of God [Matthew 3:16-17]. "Matthew 3:16-17, Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me [Messiah, Jesus Christ], because He [God] hath anointed Me [Jesus] to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." - "Acts 4:26-28 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against thy Holy Child Jesus, whom Thou [God] hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined [to kill Jesus] before to be done." - Jesus is currently being anointed throughout His Christian Church Age. "1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God [Jesus] was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on [anointed] in the world, received up into glory." - "2 Corinthians 1:20-22 For all the promises of God in Him are yea [yes], and in Him Amen [Truth], unto the glory of God by us. Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] in our hearts." {My perspective on the Church rapture is just when is the Antichrist 'anointed' by God to receive his Kingdom on earth is it pre-tribulation [this happens to be my position on End Time events]? or is it 3½ years later at pre-wrath [also a very possible position for End Time events]? The anointed Church (2 Corinthians 1:20-22) and the future Kingdom of Antichrist are not going to coexist and when the anointed 'born again' Church is raptured only then will the Antichrist be anointed for his Kingdom on earth. Then with the Christian Church gone the Antichrist will preside over a Kingdom on earth that will go horribly wrong for everyone involved as the Antichrist attempts to receive the anointing of the Nations starting in the Holy of Holies (Matthew 24:15) with the Nation of Israel.} - There is yet a third and future anointing of the Messiah Jesus Christ the anointing among the Nations starting with Jesus being anointed King by the elders of Israel in Jerusalem. "Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks [490 years] are determined upon thy people [the Jews] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness [the Kingdom of God among the Nations], and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint [Messiah] the most Holy." "Zechariah 12:10-14 And I will pour [anoint] upon the House of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the [Holy] Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me [Jesus Christ] whom they have pierced (crucified), and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in [agony] bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning *in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the House of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the House of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain [after the Tribulation], every family apart, and their wives apart." {Note: the coming Tribulation during the events of Revelation is primarily a Gentile (Martyred Saints) Holocaust the Jews having already suffered their [WWII] Holocaust will primarily be exempt from the Holocaust to come but still it will be dangerous and difficult times for everyone and not every family will make it through the events. Presumably the Nation of Israel will emerge (anoint the Messiah Jesus Christ) and enter into the Kingdom Age [1,000 year reign of the Messiah] far more intact than any of the Gentile Nations.} - "Ezekiel 43:57 So the [Holy] Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court [Millennial Temple - 4th Temple in Jerusalem]; and, behold, the Glory of the LORD filled the House. And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the House; and *the Man [Jesus Christ] stood by me. And He said unto me, Son of man [Ezekiel], the place of My Throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell [as anointed King] in the midst of the children of Israel for ever ..." [article link]
Part 1b. Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy is an explanation of an earlier Vision [Daniel chapter 7] regarding the Kingdoms of the Earth [Daniel 7:17 the 4 remaining Kingdoms - Persia, Greece, Rome, Antichrist] - Keep in mind that the 490 years of Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy are all years that occur only during one of the Kingdoms of Earth - Currently we are not directly under one of the Kings of the Earth nor are we directly in one of the Kingdoms of the Earth and therefore not yet using up one of the 490 years of the prophecy [but we are in the period (Daniel 2:42) of the Revising of the Roman (iron) Empire without yet the direct global King] - 483 years [Persia, Greece, Rome] of the 490 years have been completed and only the final [Antichrist] Week '7 years' of the prophecy remains to be fulfilled According to Daniel (Daniel 9:25) at end of the 69th Week the Messiah would reveal Himself [the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem] and make available His Kingdom [*ending the reign of the Kings of the earth] then "after" the 69th Week "shall Messiah be cut off" the crucifixion of Jesus Christ occurred 4 days after the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ. The Triumphal Entry did end the reign of the Global Kings of the Earth {as King Herod (part of a Global Kingdom - Rome) feared it would in Matthew 2:2-3} the rejection of Jesus Christ by both Rome and Jerusalem and the crucifixion of Jesus 4 days later then re-opened the (now postponed) 70th Week and the Antichrist Kingdom. The 70th Week specifically belongs to the Antichrist and since the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem at the completion of the 69th Week the timeline of the Prophecy of Daniel has stopped until the Kingdom of Antichrist claims its 1 Week (7 year period) that will be given to it by God. The amount of time [2,000 years so far] between the 69th week of Daniel and the 70th and final week of Daniel has been the Church Age. The Church Age where almost the entirety of the Book of Acts was spent grappling with the issue that the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ had momentarily become completely individualized {the early (remnant - firstfruit) rain (Hosea 6:2-3)} [with the individuals entering into the Kingdom of God primarily being the Gentiles] and that it will not be until the final events of the Book of Revelation [the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ on earth] that the Kingdom of God becomes evident primarily through the Nations of the earth {the later (community - harvest) rain (Hosea 6:2-3)} and not just primarily through the individuals of the earth as it is now. [article link]
Part 1. Reconciling the general community (Corporate) [Kingdom on earth] Messiah Prophecy of Daniel [Daniel's 70 Weeks (Daniel 9:25-26)] with the [Eternal Spiritual] individual (Remnant) Kingdom Revelation of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42-43) Daniel a Prophet to the Nations: A summary of Daniels (Corporate) Messiah's Kingdom on earth "70 Weeks (490 years) Prophecy" - Daniel 9:22-27 And he [the holy angel Gabriel] informed me [Daniel], and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding [of the previous vision from God]. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the *vision. Seventy weeks [490 years (involving all of the Global Kingdoms from Babylon until the Kingdom of the Messiah totaling 6 of the 8 Global Kingdoms - Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Antichrist and finally the Kingdom of the Messiah, Jesus Christ)] are determined upon thy [Jewish] people and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish [make an end of] the [world's] transgression {intentional sins}, and to make an end of [all] sins {intentional and unintentional}, and to make [global] reconciliation for iniquity, and **to bring in Everlasting Righteousness [the 8th Kingdom - the Kingdom of God], and to seal up [conclude] the vision and prophecy, ***and to anoint [Messiah - Jesus Christ] the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks [it would take 49 years to rebuild Jerusalem], and threescore (60) and two weeks [434 years of a rebuilt Jerusalem]: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after [the] threescore and two weeks [after 483 years of the 490 years] shall Messiah be cut off [lit. executed - crucifixion], *but not for Himself [but for the sins of the people]: and the people of the [Antichrist] prince that shall [future] come [7th Kingdom - Antichrist (Satan)] shall destroy the city [70 A.D.] and the [Temple] sanctuary [also destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.]; and the end thereof shall be with a flood [overflowing of destruction], and unto the end of the war [with Satan] desolations are
determined. And he [Antichrist - 7th Kingdom] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [the 70th and final week - the final 7 year period - not yet started]: and in the midst of the week [3½ years] he [Antichrist] shall cause the [Temple - 3rd Temple in Jerusalem] sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading [completeness] of abominations he [Antichrist] shall make it [the entire earth unholy] desolate [empty], even until the consummation [end of human history - human separation from God], and that determined [vial-bowl judgments of Revelation] shall be poured upon the desolate [sky and earth]. [article link]
Part 1a. The anointing of the Messiah, Jesus Christ being anointed individually by His followers - The corporate (group) anointing of the Messiah prophesied by Daniel the Prophet is alluded to but [temporarily] becomes individualized as individuals are anointing Jesus the Messiah for His Kingdom in the same way that the thief on the cross as an individual [not yet the Nations of the world] acknowledged and entered into the eternal Kingdom of the Messiah - In short the two individuals [women] who anointed Jesus with oil and the thief on the cross were all doing the very same thing, each individually anointing and acknowledging the Kingdom of Messiah - Individuals (a remnant) acknowledging and entering into the Kingdom of Messiah [Kingdom of God] long before the Prophesied Nations as a whole are to enter into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and **to anoint [Messiah] the most Holy. -- John 12:3 Then {Friday} took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. -- Matthew 26:6-7 Now {Tuesday} when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman [thought to be Mary Magdalene] having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head, as He sat at meat [dinner]. -- Luke 23:42 And he [thief on the cross] said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into Thy Kingdom. {Note: How the corporate (group) anointing (the head) of the Messiah and the general acceptance of the Messiah as spoken of by Daniel the Prophet becomes an individual anointing of the feet of the Messiah and later another anointing by another individual this time anointing the head of Jesus. Both anointings and the acknowledging of the Kingdom of God [also divine revelation from the thief on the cross] are in reference to the Prophecy of Daniel {the thief on the cross was probably directly recalling Daniel 9:26} but are not yet a direct fulfillment of the anointing and general acceptance of the Messiah as Prophesied by Daniel in his 70 Week prophecy.} [article link]
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ (John 1:12) accepted by some and rejected by others - The Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ in initially being rejected by the rulers of this world (Luke 23:24) has been placed in an individual (experiential) basis until the fullness of the Kingdom of God is brought into its knowable entirety during the events of the Book of Revelation - Basically what we are going to do in the next few days before Holy Week is to begin to consider and to reconcile the [Kingdom on earth] Messiah Prophecy of Daniel [Daniel's 70 Weeks (Daniel 9:25-26)] and the [Eternal Spiritual] Kingdom Revelation of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:43) with each other and attempt to more fully understand the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ that is currently being so generously offered by God to all mankind Note: Regarding the rejection and death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The people of Jesus' day asked Him for a sign that He was indeed God (Matthew 12:40) and Jesus also said (John 2:19) the sign that He would give the world would be that He would resurrect the 3rd day from death. The resurrection of Jesus proved the Deity (Immortality) of Jesus to all mankind for all time. So the events of Holy Week that ended in the crucifixion and later in the resurrection of Jesus were not events that went astray but were events that were foretold and necessary in order for God to unmistakably reveal and reconcile Himself to all mankind. Having then revealed Himself to all mankind by His prophecies, miracles and resurrection He is now selecting for Himself a Kingdom of believing people for His own from within mankind. -- Romans 1:3-5 Concerning His [God's] Son Jesus Christ
our Lord, which was made [physically] of the seed of [King] David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, **by the resurrection from the dead: By [Jesus] whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the [Christian] faith among all Nations, for His Name: [article link]
8 Kingdoms Introduction: Some brief criteria for the 8 Global Kingdoms of the earth - Throughout human history there have been many glorious [in man's eyes] Empires, Kingdoms and Dominions but only 8 of the Kingdoms of mankind are the incredible (Revelation 17:10) Kingdoms of the earth {Note: The Basic Christian blog History Study is also going to include some of the additional great Kingdoms primarily Hammurabi (Saudi Arabia), Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia), Solomon (Israel), and Sennacherib (Assyria).} 8 Kingdoms Summary: The Seven incredible Gentile Kingdoms of Revelation 17:10 are Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and [revised Rome] the Antichrist Kingdom. While the 8th and final Kingdom is the eternal, righteous Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each of these 8 Kingdoms is going to share some remarkable similarities: Each Kingdom will have possessed all of or a majority of the world's wealth [gold, silver, precious gems] at one time. Each Kingdom has or will have knowledge [both public and secret knowledge] beyond that of their peers. The Kingdoms will also possess influence, military power and political prestige beyond the peers of their day. *Most importantly each of the 8 Kingdoms will also have exerted FAVORABLE influence over the Jews, over Jerusalem and over the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Nimrod [about two generations and 100 years after the flood of Noah] encompassed all of humanity including Abraham's forefather Arphaxad (Genesis 11:11), the Kingdom of Nimrod possessed all human wealth, knowledge and wisdom and the Kingdom of Nimrod built a Temple (the Tower of Babel). Egypt the 2nd Kingdom amassed much of the fortune of the world and much of the knowledge of the world and a great part of that fortune would be "favorably" given to the Jews at their Passover departure from Egypt (Exodus 3:21-22). The wealth of Egypt would then be used by the Jews in the building of the Tabernacle of God by Moses at Mt. Sinai (Saudi Arabia) and later the wealth of the Tabernacle would be transferred into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The wealth of the Temple in Jerusalem would be given back to Egypt by the Jewish King Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25-26). The 3rd Kingdom Babylon [initially very favorable to the Jews, Jerusalem and the Temple] captured the wealth of Egypt in Egypt and took it to their Palace in Babylon. The 4th Kingdom Persia [Iran] conquered Babylon [Iraq] and consolidated the wealth of the world into the Palace at Shushan (Esther 1:4) part of the wealth of Persia was given to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 45:28, 2 Chronicles 36:23). The 5th Kingdom Greece and Alexander the Great [on either 10 or 11 June 323 B.C., Alexander the Great died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon at the age of 32 - wiki.com]. King Alexander the Great who immersed the world in Greek thought and philosophy and after sparing the Jews, Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple then "at the age of 32" died among the wealth of ancient Egypt, Babylon and Persia. The 6th Kingdom Rome oversaw an extensive expansion in the size of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The 7th Kingdom the Kingdom of Antichrist is going to sign a favorable [7 year] covenant with the Jews and the Nation of Israel (Daniel 9:27) and will also in some way rebuild [and eventually occupy (Matthew 24:15)] the now destroyed Temple in Jerusalem. The 8th and final Kingdom the Eternal, Righteous Kingdom of Jesus Christ [Jesus being Jewish] will of course be very favorable to the Jews as Jesus will rule the entire world from the unprecedented Millennial Temple (Ezekiel 43:7) in Jerusalem. [article link]
Continuing to examine the Thursday and Friday of the ancient Holy week Timeline - The original Holy Week days of Thursday and Friday having been meshed together into the one Friday of the modern Holy Week [a Friday crucifixion - because Saturday is the Sabbath Day] excludes the purchasing of additional oils and ointments to further anoint the body of Jesus while it lay lifeless in the tomb -- 'Mark 16:1 And when the [Thursday] (evening) Sabbath [from the 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread] was past, [on Friday - a normal working day] Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, **had bought (purchased)
sweet spices, that they might come [on Friday] and anoint Him (Jesus).' {Note: it appears that by the time of their arrival to the tomb on Friday, with the oils and spices to anoint the body of Jesus, the tomb had just been sealed by Roman guards and they would have to come back on Sunday [at the end of three days] when the seal was to be removed by the Romans intending that the un-resurrected body of Jesus would still be in the tomb on Sunday but early Sunday morning Jesus resurrected.} The Gospel of Luke tells us that the newly purchased oils and spices were prepared in order to further anoint the body of Jesus. "Luke 23:55-56 And the women also, which came with Him [Jesus] from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre (tomb), and how His body was laid. And they returned, and [Friday] prepared [labored] spices and ointments; and rested the [Saturday] **Sabbath day according to the Commandment [4th of the 10 Commandments - Exodus 20:9-10]." -- On Thursday [15th of Nissan] the Feast Day [Feast of Unleavened Bread] the Jewish leaders stayed outside of the presence of the Romans in order to observe the Feast day. "John 18:28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas [the Jewish High Priest] unto the [Roman] Hall of Judgment: and it was early [Thursday]; and they [Jewish leaders] themselves went not into the [Roman] Judgment Hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the [Unleavened Bread] Passover." while on the next day [Friday] the day when the Jewish elders requested that the tomb of Jesus be sealed the Jewish leaders did not remain outside of the presence of the Romans because Friday being a normal day the Jewish leaders were able to enter into the presence of the Romans. "Matthew 27:62 Now [Friday] the next day, that followed the [Thursday] day of the preparation [Feast of Unleavened Bread], the [Jewish] Chief Priests and Pharisees *came together **unto Pilate," -- Noting again that the ancient events that took place over two days [Thursday and Friday] are combined into the one Friday of the modern Holy Week timeline of events. Also Note: "Luke 23:56 … and rested the Sabbath day according to the [4th] Commandment" Luke now references the Sabbath [the week] after the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as the Sabbath of the Commandments. Luke might be saying that the Sabbath of the Levitical Feasts was previously fulfilled and completed on the previous week with the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and that what was taking place now was a Commandment Sabbath and not a Feast Sabbath. - The 4th of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and the first of the Eight Feasts of Leviticus chapter 23 are both the weekly Sabbath day. [article link]
A Preview and look at some of the aspects of Holy Week and of the 10 Day Jesus Walk 2010 Easter Timeline Devotion - The modern Holy Week Timeline appears to be the Biblical Holy Week Timeline shortened by one day having Thursday combined with Friday in the modern Timeline - The Basic Christian Jesus Walk Easter Holy Week Timeline Devotion adds back in the Thursday [all the other days remain the exact same though the days previous to Thursday are each backed up by one day] and also starts a day earlier in the Friday anointing of Jesus at Bethany This timeline is the same number of days as the traditional timeline view until the tomb where it includes the three days and three nights in the tomb. This third day moves the crucifixion back one day from Friday (Good Friday) to Thursday (Crucifixion Thursday) and likewise moves each of the preceding events back one day of the week so then backing up by one day the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem occurs on Saturday and not the traditional Sunday. However it is Saturday and not Sunday that is the better fit and the more appropriate day according to the Biblical description of the Triumphal entry of Jesus and it is Saturday that fulfills the Feast day of Sabbath. ... I think what has happened is that somewhere in [ancient] Church history the [Catholic] Church began to observe an abbreviated week of Holy week. It was easier for people to get time off from work and celebrate Friday - Sunday than the Thursday - Sunday of the Bible. Likewise shortening the events places the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Sunday instead of Saturday therefore making for another convenient Holiday as the Church is already routinely gathered for the Sunday Worship service. The events as we observe them in modern times are a slightly abbreviated version of the Biblical times in which they occurred. It was never intended to replace the Biblical version as everyone knows that a Friday crucifixion does not equal the three days and three nights in the tomb. The Thursday crucifixion does and it also supports all of
the events of the Bible. [article link]
3.) Continuing with the Hunt Heresy - Dave Hunt after deliberately offending Protestants by wrongly claiming that Jesus did not observe the Passover Feast - Hunt then goes on to deliberately and to systematically offend the Catholics by haphazardly pointing out that the crucifixion was on Thursday rather than on the common Friday [Good Friday] of modern Catholic tradition - {Note: Roman Catholicism is a Christian sect [the main Christian sect] it is also highly built upon traditions and as a part of their traditions they seemingly [a very long time ago] shortened Holy Week by one day so that for convenience Holy Week [Palm Sunday - Easter Sunday] would encompass two Sundays (for convenient Church attendance) instead of the Saturday [Triumphal Entry] to Sunday of the Biblical events. The Catholic Church is not engaging in deceit because they have never said that Jesus didn't fulfill His three days and three nights prophecy the way Dave Hunt is saying that Jesus never observed Passover even though Jesus Himself had said [Luke 22:7-16] that He had highly "desired" to eat the Passover with His 12 Apostles.} The error in a Friday crucifixion is that clearly only two days and two nights are fulfilled in Jesus' own prophecy. [Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas (Jonah) was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.] Jesus prophesied that He would spend three days and three nights in the center (heart) of the earth. With Dave Hunt previously stating that Jesus did not observe the Passover and with the common teaching of the Friday crucifixion opening the door to yet another 'seemingly' unfulfilled prophecy then it does clearly open the way for a usurper an Antichrist to enter in and to pretend to fulfill prophesies, prophesies that are already fulfilled and completed by Jesus Christ it is just that modern teachers (pastors), teachings and modern interpretations have readily and systematically edited Jesus out of His own fulfillments and out of His own accomplishments. Dave Hunt does offer Thursday as the crucifixion day however in his already greatly confused and highly truncated timeline of events Hunt offers the Thursday crucifixion seemingly more as a momentary opportunity to deride Catholicism than as a fundamental opportunity to express fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy. All the while Dave Hunt continues to attempt to lead the Christian Church into confusion and with confusion into factions [Protestant, Roman Catholicism] and with factions then comes unwanted strife and division within the Christian Church. [article link]
2.) Examining the Dave Hunt Heresy [John 18:28] where Hunt incorrectly contends that Jesus intended to celebrate the Passover but was unable to do so - Hunt's theory is only speculation and confusion on Dave Hunt's part - Hunt confuses the later Feast of Unleavened Bread [15th of Nissan - Leviticus 23:6] for the earlier Feast of the Lord's Passover [14th of Nissan - Leviticus 23:5] It is easy enough to prove that Jesus and the 12 Apostles did observe the Lord's Passover Feast: Luke 22:7-16 Then came the day [14th of Nissan - Feast of the Lord's Passover] of unleavened bread, when the Passover (lamb) must be killed. And He (Jesus) sent Peter and John, saying, **Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat. And they said unto Him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And He said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city [Jerusalem], there shall a man [thought to be Mark] meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the Passover. **And when the [evening] hour was come, He sat down, and the Twelve Apostles with Him. And He [Jesus] said unto them, ***With desire I have desired to eat [fulfill] this Passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it [Feast Days] be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. - Dave Hunt's Heresy contends that based on [John 18:28] Jesus was unable to fulfill the Passover. - "John 18:28 Then [the next day the 15th of Nissan (Thursday, crucifixion day) - the Feast of Unleavened Bread] led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they [Jewish leaders] themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the
[Unleavened Bread] Passover." -- {This verse proves that the crucifixion took place on the 15th of Nissan the day after the Lord's Passover because the Lord's Passover [14th of Nissan] is not a Sabbath Rest Feast but the next day [15th of Nissan] the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is (at sundown) a Sabbath Rest.} "John 19:31-35 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the [Unleavened Bread] Sabbath day, *for that Sabbath day was an high day [not the regular Saturday Sabbath], besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he [Disciple John] that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. - Note: The Feast of the Lord's Passover [14th Nissan] is not a Sabbath (rest) feast [that is why Jesus and the 11 Apostles were able to go out to the Garden of Gethsemane that night - had the Lord's Passover been a Sabbath (evening rest) Feast, by Jewish (Torah) Law they would have had to remain inside resting] (the original Lord's Passover [Exodus 12:11] was not a day of rest it was the [busy] day "in haste" when the children of God busily prepared to leave Egypt) the accompanying Feast the Feast of Unleavened Bread [starting the 15th of Nissan] is a seven day feast and the first day [15th Nissan] and the seventh day [21st of Nissan] are both (evening rest) Sabbath rest days. Leviticus 23:6-8 And on the fifteenth day of the same month [Nissan] is the Feast of Unleavened Bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day [15th of Nissan] ye shall have an *holy convocation [evening Sabbath]: ye shall do no servile work therein (after sunset). But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD [for] seven days: in the seventh day [21st of Nissan] is [also] an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. -- The Dave Hunt Heresy is so easily wrong in so many ways and in so many obvious aspects that it can almost be concluded that Dave Hunt is deliberately, intentionally and systematically propagating disinformation within the Christian Church, regarding the life, ministry and accomplishments of Jesus Christ. [article link]
A Preview and look at some of the aspects of Holy Week and of the 10 Day Jesus Walk 2010 Easter Timeline Devotion - 1.) The events that Jesus Christ participated in and completed or initiated for us to receive from are primarily distributed throughout the 8 Levitical Feasts [Leviticus Chapter 23] the Jewish Feasts days that were in occurrence during the Holy Week Events - {Note: It is important to know that Leviticus stipulates that the Feasts themselves are to be Observed and Fulfilled in their proper order beginning with the Feast of Sabbath. In other words there would not be a proper observance of either the Passover or Pentecost feasts without first having properly observed and having entered into the Feast of Sabbath Rest as fulfilled and offered to us in Jesus Christ.} Leviticus 23:4 These are the [8] Feasts of the LORD, even Holy Convocations [gatherings], which ye shall proclaim *in their Seasons [in their proper order and at their proper time].- The Jesus Walk 10 Day Easter Timeline Devotion originally started out [in 1994] as a Bible study simply attempting to following Jesus through the events of Holy Week. The original study-devotion did not start out as a devotion focusing on the 8 Levitical Feasts as the devotion has primarily become since 2000. The essence of the Jesus Walk devotion is fellowshipping with Jesus by following along with Jesus during His origional Holy Week events, events that happen to be foretold and previously explained by Moses in the 8 Feasts of Leviticus Chapter 23. The original Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion started as a Bible study project in 1994 however I was completely unable to fit the 10 days of Biblical events [Anointing Friday - Resurrection Sunday] into the eight days [Palm Sunday Easter Sunday] observed in the current modern Holy Week format. Frustrated with trying to fit the Biblical events into the modern timeline I twice [in 1997 and later in 1999] gave up on the Jesus Walk project but in 1998 with the verse "1 Corinthians 5:7 ... For even Christ our Passover (the week of Passover - Holy Week) is sacrificed for us" ringing in my head I also read some of a book [Armageddon: Appointment with Destiny] by Grant R. Jeffery and he pointed out that Easter Sunday was actually the Feast of First Fruits and also that the crucifixion was on the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Previously most of the preaching that I had heard only
referenced The Feast of Passover and it was usually wrongly associated with the crucifixion day of Jesus while 1 Corinthians 11:23 says that the Last Supper "Passover" was on the night Jesus was betrayed not on the day he was crucified so clearly the events of Holy Week had been enacted on specific days in accordance with the 8 Feasts of Leviticus Chapter 23 where the Holy Week events had originally been embedded for our later understanding. After another major effort during Easter 1999 the Jesus Walk project was again given up in failure until previous to Easter 2000 when some really horrible teaching [by Dave Hunt - saying that Jesus never even kept the Passover] put me right back into the Jesus Walk project and in 2000 I thought I had a word of discernment from the Holy Spirit that the project would come together that year and as Easter 2000 came and went I still felt encouraged to continue the study and at the end of May 2000 the devotional timeline days were shifted in my study notes [because they just didn't fit in the modern timeline] and Palm Sunday was backed up to [Palm Saturday] and I couldn't believe it Sunday had become a Saturday fulfilling the First Feast Day but I immediately thought that there was a verse in the Bible that proclaimed the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to be on a Sunday but there was no such verse and after some careful examination in the Greek I realized that [not Sunday] but Saturday is the day Biblically supported as the Day of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem and then finally with the day of the Triumphal Entry established the Jesus Walk Holy Week Study Devotion became the completed 10 Day Holy Week Timeline Devotion. ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
Chick.com: Somebody Angry? - God's Divine Covenant to watch over Israel and the Jews (Online Tract) Zechariah 12:1-14 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Check out how a Christian pro-Israel man was treated by a Muslim gas station employee in Tampa - And check out how it was Christians who protested this anti-Israel gas station - If only even a sliver of my fellow [Jewish] co-religionists were as supportive of Israel and the Jewish people as these fine, courageous Christians, whom I'm happy to have as friends and allies - Kudos to Tampa Bay TV reporter Tanya Arja for covering the story {Praying for Israel and the Peace of Israel does not imply praying against Muslims. It
is about praying for peace for all mankind because when the Jews have peace and safety wherever they are in the world we will all have peace and safety wherever we are. God has fixed the wellbeing of all mankind on the safety and security of His Jewish people -- history testifies of the greatness of countries and individuals that support the Jews and of the downfall of the very same nations and individuals as they no longer support God's chosen people the Jews.} (Video) About three dozen people stood outside a Brandon gas station Thursday, protesting the treatment of a customer. Mark Moser says he was pumping gas at the Citgo station on Brandon Blvd last Friday when the pump stopped at $1.88. Moser told FOX 13 he went into the station to ask why and was surprised by the clerk's response. "I told the gas attendant, My pump shut off, what happened?' He said, 'Yeah, I shut the pump off,'" Moser recalled. "I said, 'Excuse me?' He said, 'You pray for Israel; I pray for Palestine. You're not getting any gas here.'" Moser believes the clerk saw the decal on his windshield that reads, "Pray for Israel," with a Christian fish on one side and a Star of David on the other. He has two other decals on the windows that read, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." The owner of the gas station, Nasir Abuoleim, said through his attorney that they investigated the claim, and that the employee admitted to denying gas. . . . Moser - who held a sign at the protest that read, "Denied gas for praying for Israel" - said he is not Jewish but that the Bible tells him to support Israel. He said he is not after money; he just wants to take a stand. [article link]
URGENT! Presbyterian Church USA Ready to Declare War Against Israel - A group of activists hostile to Israel [using the Christian Church as a cover], including theologians and others in some prominent Protestant churches have launched a dangerous campaign to use theology to delegitimize the Jewish State and her supporters - They may be only days away from putting the (boycott Israel) policy of a large Protestant denomination on a collision course with Israel's survival - unless we raise our voices in protest Take Action Now - {Note: So much of this radical anti-Israel agenda [and other radical agendas (i.e. environmentalism)] are being carried out by NON-CHRISTIANS from within the confines of what many ordinary people think is Christianity. Just a hunch but TRUE-CHRISTIANS need to stand up and declare that Christianity is against the unjust treatment of any people or group and especially against any unfavorable treatment directed at the Jews.} (Email Petition) In 2004, The Presbyterian Church in the US (PCUSA) became the first mainline Protestant denomination to approve a policy of divestment from Israel. Unpopular with church members, it was later rescinded. But in 2008, church leaders supposedly seeking to balance PCUSA'a Middle East policies, instead, created a committee dominated by seven activists holding strong anti-Israel beliefs. The lone member sympathetic to Israel, quit in protest when he saw their radical agenda. Adoption of this poisonous document by the Presbyterian Church will be nothing short of a declaration of war on Israel and her supporters. It will be negatively impact interfaith relations, and could have significant repercussions in the political domain, with 46 Members of the US Congress and Senate who are Presbyterians. And these initiatives, encouraged by the Geneva-based World Council of Churches, will cause a ripple effect on other denominations. Which is why we urgently ask you to do two things: 1) Protest directly to the top leadership of the PCUSA urging them to stop this dangerous campaign which denies the legitimacy and security of Israel. 2) Reach out to your Presbyterian friends and ask them to speak out against this potential rewriting of PCUSA's policy towards Israel that will destroy the era of good will that has been fostered with the Jewish community for decades. There are many staunch friends of Israel in PCUSA whose voices are being drowned out by a few determined activists, who are relentlessly pursuing a radical political anti-Israel agenda. [article link]
Introducing [HonestReporting] HR Radio - a weekly review of mainstream media coverage of Israel - Our New (YouTube) Podcast! Welcome to the first broadcast of HonestReporting Radio, a weekly review of mainstream media coverage of Israel. Join HR's Pesach Benson and Yarden Frankl as they discuss the double standards behind media coverage
of [27] Afghan civilian casualties of Nato's latest military offensive compared with Palestinian civilian casualties of [past] IDF operations. [article link]
MoriahFilms.com - [Jewish] Simon Wiesenthal Center: Against the Tide - The Story of America During the [WWII] Holocaust - Through a never before seen 1977 interview, Bergson gives a first-hand account of what occurred - Against the Tide addresses the attitudes of [Illuminati] President Roosevelt (Franklin D. Roosevelt U.S. President 1933-1945) and his senior [Occultist] advisors, who used the pretext of winning the war against the Nazis to block any Jewish immigration to the U.S. and juxtaposes the events in America with heartwrenching heroic stories of the doomed Jews of Europe and the leaders of Polish Jewry who had faith that their powerful brothers and sisters in the United States would somehow be able to save them - Narrated by Dustin Hoffman (DVD) "Against the Tide" is a compelling film that documents what happened in the United States during the Holocaust, highlighting how a young activist, Peter Bergson, challenged Washington and the establishment Jewish organizations to demand that the rescue of Europe's Jews become a top priority for American Jews. Through a never before seen 1977 interview, Bergson gives a first-hand account of what occurred. Through a never before seen 1977 interview, Bergson gives a first-hand account of what occurred. The more successful he became in attracting support from important non-Jewish members of Congress and Hollywood personalities such as Ben Hecht, *Edward G. Robinson [Movie star - served in the U.S. Office of War Information department as a Propaganda officer during the end of WWII - he was probably a very legit patriot (one of only a few) serving America in a very unpatriotic un-American government funded agency] and Paul Muni, the more threatened and resentful Jewish establishment leaders became. Only the ultra Orthodox Vaad Hatzala [the Rescue Committee or Committee for Rescuing - founded in 1939 was an (U.S. and Canada) organization to rescue Jews in Europe from the Holocaust - wiki.com], led by Rabbis Aaron Kotler and Eliezer Silver worked with him. Against the Tide addresses the attitudes of President Roosevelt and his senior advisors, who used the pretext of winning the war against the Nazis to block any Jewish immigration to the U.S. and juxtaposes the events in America with heart-wrenching heroic stories of the doomed Jews of Europe and the leaders of Polish Jewry who had faith that their powerful brothers and sisters in the United States would somehow be able to save them. [article link]
1611 KJV Holy Bible - Reader Version - Now available in EPUB version (ePub) Red Letter Edition - Reader Version now in ePub format. To download the eBook 'Right Click' on the Article Link and select "Save file as …" [article link]
Basic Christian: blog Bible Study eBook now available in EPUB version (ePub) The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study in ePub format. To download the eBook 'Right Click' on the Article Link and select "Save file as …" [article link]
gizmag.com: Intel Moorestown [Atom CPU] platform to drive smartphones [iPads] in 2010 - Look for Intel's Moorestown platform to power new smartphones starting in 2010 (Technology) Look for a boost in smartphone performance and capabilities as the Intel Moorestown platform starts to appear in devices this year. Intel says that the new mobile Internet device (MID) platform will be launching during the first half of 2010, and should begin appearing in consumer devices on the market as early as the third quarter. The specs look promising and Intel was showing off a bevy of prototypes and reference designs at CES 2010, including units from Aava Mobile, EB, Inventec, Open Peak, and Winstron. LG also had a Moorestown-based smartphone on hand at the show. The Moorestown platform is designed to be a faster, more efficient version of the Atom CPU computing platform. Combined with Intel's Moblin [MeeGo] OS, the
company is looking to make the platform a serious competitor in the smartphone market. Moorestown is designed to idle using much less power than the Atom or other processors. Intel claims it uses up to 50 times less power at idle. This would provide the essential long battery life for a smartphone or netbook. The Moorsetown platform also feature HD video, with the ability to record 720p HD and playback 1080p HD. In demos at CES, Moorestown-based devices were shown playing HD video at 30fps. [article link]
OpenTablet 7: OpenPeak announced the new OpenTablet 7, a portable multimedia tablet device which combines telephony and multimedia features - It is set to go up against Apple's iPad (Technology) As the name implies, the OpenTablet 7 has a 7-inch multitouch display with LED backlit, Bluetooth connectivity and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. It also has cellular connectivity for phone calls. The Tablet PC is only 15mm thick with a diameter of 9 x 5 inch. It also integrates dual cameras and a HDMI output. OpenTablet comes with built-in speaker, microphone, a USB port and a microSD card slot. The unit is based on the Intel Moorestown Atom processor. It comes with a wide selection of services and preloaded applications plus developers can create highly interactive applications using Adobe Flash CS4 for their needs. Yes you heard it right it supports Flash unlike the iPad. The price and availability date of OpenTablet 7 is not known yet. [article link]
OpenTablet™ 7 [iPad] - OpenPeak Inc, a leading provider of multimedia touch-screen devices and device management platforms, today officially debuted its new OpenTablet™ 7 - an ultra-sleek, portable, touch-screen tablet that combines high-quality telephony with advanced multi-media communications services and applications to deliver an engaging, interactive experience - The OpenTablet is expected to be adopted by multiple branded customers and service providers and ship in the second half of this year [Fall 2010] (Technology) Powered by Intel's next generation [mobile CPU] handheld and tablet platform, codenamed "Moorestown," the OpenTablet 7 features a high-resolution 7-inch multi-touch TFT LCD screen with LED backlighting, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and cellular connectivity, HDMI output and dual cameras for capturing both highdefinition video and still images. The on-board USB interface and MicroSD slot expand the device's connectivity, while built-in speakers and microphone allow the device to serve as a fully functioning telephone and multimedia platform. At just 9 inches by 5 inches, and only .59" thick, the device is as slim and unobtrusive as a photo frame, and weighs just 1.15 pounds. "The OpenTablet is the ultimate control panel, delivering the most commonly accessed multi-media services right to your fingertips anywhere," said Dan Gittleman, CEO of OpenPeak. "The all-in-one device allows you to sync schedules, check movie times, listen to music, watch videos, get weather updates, and even monitor energy usage and home security, all from a single, easy-to-use device." ... Leveraging the powerful Intel Moorestown [CPU] platform and built on the proven, reliable OpenPeak platform, the OpenTablet is a ready-to-deploy device that provides plug-and-play ease of installation at an affordable price point. The device is available with either a desktop docking station or handset docking station. "The Intel Moorestown platform will deliver exceptional performance for a range of rich, interactive, Internet-based experiences while dramatically reducing power", said Pankaj Kedia, director of global ecosystem programs in Intel Corporation's Ultra Mobility Group. "Based on this next generation Intel platform, the OpenTablet represents a powerful, user friendly and innovative design in the emerging tablet market segment." [article link]
Coming Soon: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (RSS) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ [article link]
History of the Rosetta Stone (Youtube) History of the Rosetta Stone and Israel Archaeology. Randall Niles looks at the importance of Egyptian Hieroglyphics to Biblical Studies. Visit www.AllAboutTheJourney.org/isr to read how the history of the Rosetta Stone and other Egyptian artifacts impact the integrity of the Jewish scriptures. Also, go to www.RandallNiles.com/videos.htm to watch more videos about the history of the Rosetta Stone and other archaeological treasures related to Israel Archaeology! [article link]
Coming Soon: blog History Study - Church History (RSS) A.D. 0 - 100 A.D., A.D. 100 - 200 A.D., A.D. 200 - 300 A.D., A.D. 300 - 400 A.D., etc. [article link]
The blog Bible Study has concluded the Bible study portion! - Sometime after Holy Week and Resurrection Day (Easter) the study will continue with some ancient history and Church history segments - Thanks to everyone for your participation and especially for your prayers! The blog Bible Study concluded fairly quickly - I had looked at the website visitor logs a couple of weeks ago and saw that people were scattered all throughout the study though primarily in the New Testament while the study was blogging O.T. studies at the time and that's a good thing because the material is designed to be a self-help service but with people so scattered [though many people were current] I decided to move along and if at all possible conclude the study and the study has been concluded. The material is now available as a complete resource for the convenience of anyone who wants to use it. The study really turned into an amazing, fascinating study! I learned a lot during the study and I mostly learned that I need to spend more time reading the Bible and being in prayer, and in fellowship and just in general being in a Christian life. We serve a Great God!!! Thanks to everyone especially for your prayers - the study truly encountered the heights of Heaven and the depths of other things unmentionable and through it all it was the prayers of the Saints in fellowship that gave us a tremendous victory! After Holy Week we will continue with the history portion of the study but in the time before Holy Week it seems like a good opportunity to look at some areas and aspects of the events of Holy Week as we prepare ourselves for Holy Week 2010. Then after Holy Week and some history segments the blog will continue with some basic Topical Bible studies and devotions. -- God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
-- The Bible study is dedicated in the name of Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Savior The Bible study is dedicated in the name of Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Savior. May the Lord Jesus Christ be honored by our devotions, our study and in our fellowship. May all the people be blessed and grow in the grace and knowledge of the love and presence of God our creator and our savior. Amen! [article link]
Revelation 22 - The Disciple John is shown the Eternal State of the Saints with the New Jerusalem containing the Eternal Throne of God [Father, Son Jesus (Lamb), Holy Spirit] on earth - The beloved Disciple John closes the great Revelation of the beloved Jesus Christ by sealing (the 8th Seal) it with a promise, this final Seal is an unbreakable promise from Jesus Christ Himself to return quickly, when it is time (opened) and when the 8th Seal is opened Jesus will return according to all of His promises - The Disciple John then prays in agreement with Jesus Christ and requests the return of Jesus Christ - The Disciple John then finalizes all Holy Bible Scripture with a blessing from Jesus Christ to all the beloved Saints in Jesus Christ -- 'Revelation 22:1-6 And he [Angel] shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb [in the New Jerusalem]. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there *the Tree of Life (Genesis 2:9), which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and **the leaves of the tree were for the healing [wellbeing] of the Nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the Throne of God and of the Lamb [Jesus Christ] shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His face;
and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. And he said unto me, These sayings are Faithful and True: **and the Lord God of the holy prophets **sent His Angel [messenger] **to shew unto His servants [Christians - Saints] the things which must shortly be done [accomplished].' The Bible's book of Revelation concludes completing the Holy Bible: Revelation 22:7-21 Behold, I [Jesus Christ] come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I [Jesus Christ] come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine Angel [messenger] to testify unto you these things in the Churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the [Holy] Spirit and the Bride [Christian Church] say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the Words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book. He [Jesus Christ] which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. [article link]
Revelation 21 - The earth and sky are going to pass away as humanity enters into a new earth and a new sky in the eternal state with God -- 'Revelation 21:1-5 And I saw a new heaven (sky) and a new earth: for the first heaven (sky) and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle [dwelling] of God [the Father] is with men, and He [the Father] will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God [Jesus] Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: **for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: **for these Words [being from God] are True and Faithful.' The New Jerusalem, the new Holy City on the new earth is revealed and the gates of the Holy City are permanently open inviting all the eternal Saints to freely enter into the eternal city to bring in their glory and honor in worship and praise to God: Revelation 21:6-8 And He [God] said unto me [Disciple John], It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, *the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, ***and he shall be My [adopted] Son. *But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. ... Revelation 21:22-27 And [in the New Jerusalem, the new Holy City on earth] I saw no Temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. **And the Nations of *them *which *are *saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings [mighty] of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter
into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but [only] they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. - Note: There appears to remain a societal structure for mankind (Saints) complete with individual Nations, cities and towns even out into the eternal state. [article link]
Revelation 20 - Satan is to be incarcerated for the entire 1,000 year Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ on earth -'Revelation 20:1-3 And I saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1) and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, *and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the Nations no more, till the thousand years [Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ on earth, 8th Kingdom] should be fulfilled: and after that he [Satan] must be loosed a little season. - Note: The human elements of Satan's 7th Kingdom the human Antichrist and the human false prophet have at this point already been sentenced to the eternal lake of fire. Satan is held in chains for the 1,000 years and then he is released for a brief final temptation on mankind.' Revelation 20:4-15 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and *which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; **and they [saints Martyred during the Tribulation period] lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. *But the rest of the dead [all the unsaved] lived [manifested] not again until the thousand years were finished. **This is the first resurrection [the resurrection of the Holy Saints of Jesus Christ]. **Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: **on such the second death [judgment] hath no power, but they shall be [Righteous, Melchizedek] Priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, *Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the Nations [the new nations established or re-established during the 1,000 reign of Jesus Christ] which are in the four quarters of the earth, *Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:1-23), to gather them [sinners from the 1,000 Kingdom] together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed [encircled] the Camp of the Saints about, and the beloved city [Jerusalem]: and fire came down from God out of Heaven, and devoured them. And the devil [Satan] that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. ***And [later the 1,00 years] I saw a Great White Throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the Heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. {Note: during the Great White Throne judgment there is no earth and no sky, and the people being judged are naked disembodied spirits - so apparently if they want to contend with God [and smirk and insult] during their judgment it will be more than a bit awkward for them having no body and even no planet to stand on.} And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the [judgment] books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, **according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead [demons] which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the [spiritual] dead [fallen angels] which were in them: and they were judged every man {human, demon and fallen angel} according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. **This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. - Note: After the Church age and after the Revelation [Martyred Saints, 144,000] Tribulation age there is then the 1,000 year Kingdom age. The testing by Satan after the 1,000 year Kingdom age is only for the people of the 1,000 year Kingdom age. The resurrected Saints are not judged again (Hebrews 9:27) not judged continually. A Saint that was with Moses in the desert and once resurrected that Old Testament Saint is not judged during the Church era and the Church is not judged in the Martyred Saints of Revelation era and only the people physically alive in the 1,000 year Kingdom reign are in a position to receive or reject their eternal salvation. Once a Saint receives resurrection [adoption as a Son of God] then it is eternal and being eternal it is secure. It is not even the remotest possibility [no longer even having a sin nature] that resurrected Christian Saints or resurrected Old Testament Saints could even rebel against God and then hypothetically need to be judged and removed from
God's eternal Kingdom at any given point in time in the Kingdom. Once a Saint [we are born with a sin nature and die with our sin nature but we are resurrected without a sin nature] is in the resurrected Kingdom of God and God being faithful and love God does not ever turn against His own people (and again resurrected Saints will not even have a sin nature) so the eternal Kingdom of God is in all actuality, and in all reality, and for all purposes - eternity - and eternity with God is security and that is eternal. [article link]
Revelation 19 - The Great eternal Congregation of Saints in Heaven all Worship and Praise God at the same time and in the same place -- 'Revelation 19:1-5 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For True and Righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great [unfaithful] whore, **which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the Throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the Throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.' The Lord Jesus Christ begins to take physical possession of the earth to reign and rule on the earth for His Millennial (1,000 year)Kingdom on earth: Revelation 19:6-21 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent [all powerful] reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: *for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife [the Christian Church] hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness [in Jesus Christ] of Saints. And he saith unto me, **Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb {probably occurring shortly after Revelation 4:1 and before the first Seal is broken}. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him [Angel]. And he [Angel] said unto me, See thou *do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the Testimony of Jesus: ***worship [only] God: **for the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse [the true conquering King Jesus]; and He [Jesus Christ] that sat upon Him was called Faithful and True, and in *righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were [judgment] as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns [authorities]; and He [also] had a [personal] Name written, **that no man knew, but [only] He himself {this unknown Name is a reference to God's creation (mankind) being at war with God, even after the cross of Jesus and no man can possibly know the agony of the experience of having to eternally judge mankind that God loves so much}. And He was clothed with a vesture [garment] dipped in [human] blood {we are offered to wear Jesus' shed blood for our eternal life covering but those who reject it God will shed their blood}: and His Name [Jesus] is called The Word of God. And the armies [various dispensations] which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword [word of God], that with it He should smite the Nations: and He shall rule [8th Kingdom] them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture [garment] and on His thigh a Name [we will all know] written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. **And the beast [Antichrist] was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. **These both [two parts of the unholy trinity ] were cast alive [directly] into a lake of fire burning with brimstone [skipping the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11)]. And the [unholy] remnant were slain with the sword [Word] of Him [Jesus Christ] that sat upon the
horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. [article link]
Revelation 18 - The sins of Mystery Babylon will result in the plagues of God upon Mystery Babylon -'Revelation 18:1-5 And after these things I saw another Angel [messenger] come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with His Glory [Jesus Christ]. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all Nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication [unfaithfulness], and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. **And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins (Genesis 11:4) have reached unto Heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities [intentional sins].' Mystery Babylon is to be judged and destroyed all in a single day: Revelation 18:6-10 Reward her [Mystery Babylon] even as she rewarded [betrayed] you [humans], and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. *Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. ... Revelation 18:20-24 Rejoice over her [Mystery Babylon], thou Heaven, and ye Holy Apostles and Prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down (Jeremiah 51:63), and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. **And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. [article link]
Revelation 17 - The great Mystery Babylon [the hidden invisible unholy spiritual realm] is revealed -'Revelation 17:1-2 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me [Disciple John], saying unto me, Come hither [near]; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters [Nations]: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication [unfaithfulness], and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine [spiritual influences] of her fornication.' The great Mystery Babylon, the hidden invisible unholy spiritual realm that is so affecting mankind and the earth is to come to an end in a great and final destruction at the judgment of God: Revelation 17:3-18 So he [Angel] carried me [Disciple John] away in the spirit into the wilderness [empty place]: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. **And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints [of all human history], and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration [bewilderment]. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that
carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition [eternal damnation]: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains [governments - the kingdoms of the world], on which the woman sitteth. **And there are seven kings [Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt), Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon), Cyrus (Persia), Alexander the Great (Greece), Julius Caesar (Rome), Antichrist (Satan)]: five [Nimrod, Egypt, ancient Babylon, Persia, Greece] are fallen, and one [Roman Empire] is, and the other [Antichrist] is not yet come; and when he [Antichrist] cometh, he must continue a short space [3 1/2 years, the Ministry of Jesus Christ was 3 1/2 years on earth but the Antichrist his kingdom being so violent (Matthew 24:21-22) might only end up with about 45 days (Daniel 12:11-2)]. And the beast [Antichrist] that was [ruling], and is not [Antichrist is assassinated], even he [antichrist] is the eighth [resurrected, fake demonic contrived resurrection], *and is of the seven [the seventh guy (antichrist) becomes Antichrist, Satan incarnate in Satan's contrived eternal life, creation, resurrection], and [Antichrist] goeth into perdition [eternal damnation]. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten [region] kings, which have received no kingdom as yet [not until the End Time]; but receive power as kings one hour [for a very short time] with the beast. *These [puppets] have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb [Jesus Christ], and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He [Jesus Christ] is Lord of lords, and King of kings: **and they [Saints] that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he [Angel] saith unto me, *The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, *are peoples, and multitudes, and Nations, and tongues. And the ten horns [global government] which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore [false religious system], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, **and to agree [willingly - 7 of the 10 give their kingdom willingly to the Antichrist 3 are forced to do so (Daniel 7:8)], and give their kingdom unto the beast [forming the 7th Global Kingdom on earth], **until the Words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great [invisible - spiritual] city [Mystery Babylon], which reigneth over the kings of the earth. [article link]
Revelation 15-16 - The Martyred Saints of Revelation continue to assemble in Heaven - The 7 Vial (Measured) Judgments, the final judgments of Revelation are revealed -- 'Revelation 15:1-4 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven Angels having the Seven *last plagues [the 7 Measured Bowl judgments]; for in them is filled up the wrath [lit. passion for justice and righteousness] of God. And I saw as it were a Sea of Glass {now} mingled with fire {the earlier view while the Christian Church was present (Revelation 4:6) was without the Tribulation Wrath fire}: and them [Martyred Saints of Revelation] that had gotten the victory over the beast [Antichrist, Satan], and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number [666, a trinity of emptiness] of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they [Martyred Saints of Revelation] sing the (Salvation) Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-18) the servant of God, and the Song of the Lamb [Jesus Christ], saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and True are Thy ways, Thou King of *Saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy Name? for Thou only art Holy: for all Nations shall come and Worship (give thanks for eternal life) before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest [visible].' - Note: The Saints of Revelation [Gentiles] coming through the Tribulation Period [with redemption but not yet salvation] have more in common with Moses and the Children of Israel then they do with the Christian Church that possessed Salvation while alive on earth. The 7 Vial Judgments of Revelation are poured out primarily on the Demonic realm however the Demonic realm, the earth and the human realm have all intermingled at this point in time regarding human events: Revelation 16:1-21 And I heard a great voice out of the Temple [in Heaven] saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials [measured bowels] of the Wrath wrath [lit. passion for justice and righteousness] of God upon the earth. And the first [Angel] went, and poured out his vial upon the earth [demonic infestation]; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark [demonic mating] of the beast,
and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea [demonic habitation]; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers [demonic streams] and fountains [demonic teachings] of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun [demonic astrology]; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat (earth) [throne] of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. *And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [Mystery Babylon], and out of the mouth of the beast [Antichrist], and out of the mouth of the false prophet [the all Satanic unholy trinity - see also: Zechariah 11:8]. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world [7th Kingdom], to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. **Blessed is he [Saints] that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he [Antichrist] gathered them [armies of the world, also the 6th Trumpet judgment] together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air [Satan's realm (Ephesians 2:2)]; and [after the 7th Vial, then the 6th Seal, an earthquake (Revelation 6:12)] there came a great voice out of the Temple of Heaven, from the Throne, saying, ***It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake (6th Seal), such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the Nations fell: ***and great Babylon [Satanic mystery system] came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island [far away place] fled away, and the mountains [governments] were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail [rocks, stones]; for the plague [stoning of blasphomey (Leviticus 24:16)] thereof was exceeding great. [article link]
Revelation 14 - The 144,000 Jewish Saints of Jesus Christ -- 'Revelation 14:1-5 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb [Jesus Christ] stood on the Mount Sion (Zion) [Jerusalem], and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand [144,000], having His Father's Name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from Heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps [praise]: **And they [144,000] sung as it were a New Song before the Throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and [it is a separate and exclusive group] no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed [Jewish] from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed [Jewish] from among men, being the firstfruits [Jewish Salvation] unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the Throne of God.' With the Christian Church in Heaven and no longer a direct witness on the earth and the Martyred Saints of Revelation being quickly overcome the holy Angels of Heaven now take on a more open and active role in the events and redemption of mankind: Revelation 14:6-13 And I saw another [holy] Angel fly in the midst of heaven, **having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, **Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and Worship [give thanks for your life to] Him that made [created] heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another [holy] Angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is
fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third [holy] Angel followed them, **saying with a loud voice, If any man worship [ask for eternal life from] the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: **and they have no rest day nor night, **who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. ***Here is the patience of the Saints: here are they that keep the Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me, Write, **Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and **their works [on earth] do follow them [as rewards in Heaven]. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another [holy] Angel came out of the Temple [in Heaven], crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time [the great End Time harvest of souls] is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He [Jesus Christ] that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another [holy] angel came out of the temple which is in Heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another [holy] angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the [holy] Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without [outside] the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs (Isaiah 63:3, Revelation 19:15). [article link]
BasicChristian.org: What is the Mark of the Beast 666 - There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the Book of Revelation There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the book of Revelation. It is an actual mark or marking and it is also an Image (Icon) a representation of the Antichrist (Satan) himself and it is represented in his personal name of, emptiness, which is referenced by the number 666. [article link]
Revelation 13 - The Beast [Antichrist, Satan], the False Prophet and the 666 [Mystery Babylon, demonic realm] of the Unholy Trinity -- 'Revelation 13:1-4 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast [Antichrist] rise up out of the sea [Nations, people], having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. ... And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded [assassinated] to death; and his [fake] deadly wound was healed [fake resurrection]: and all the world wondered after the [apparent eternal life of the] beast [Antichrist]. And they worshipped [gave thanks for their life] the dragon which gave power unto the beast [the fake trinity]: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is [Messiah, Christ] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with [everlasting life] him?' The Antichrist Kingdom, the 7th global Kingdom of mankind wages a war against Jesus, against God and against the Saints of God still on the earth: Revelation 13:5-18 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things (Antichrist is the fulfillment of Nimrod the type the mighty hunter of sin, Genesis 10:9) and blasphemies; and power was given unto him [Antichrist] to continue forty and two months {the Antichrist has a 3 1/2 year Kingdom but according to Daniel (Daniel 12:11-2) the Antichrist kingdom [being complete destruction and human death] might last only 45 days}. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His Name, and His Tabernacle [dwelling], **and them [Christians] that [now] dwell in heaven. ***And it was given unto him [Antichrist] to make war with the Saints [Martyred Saints of Revelation], and **to overcome them [the Christian Church is not to be overcome but the Martyred Saints of Revelation will be quickly overcome (Matthew 16:18)]: and power was given him [Antichrist, 7th Kingdom] over all kindreds, and
tongues, and nations. **And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, [those] whose names are not written in the *Book of Life of the Lamb [Jesus Christ] slain [before the world began] from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He [NWO, 7th Kingdom participant] that leadeth [others] into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword (Galatians 6:7). **Here [during Tribulation] is the patience and the faith of the Saints. And I beheld another beast [false Prophet - of the unholy trinity] coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb [like a Christian], and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly [assignation] wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth (1 Kings 18:24-38) in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should *make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life [lit. spirit, breath - Pneuma, G4151] unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth **all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark [identifier] in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark [identifier], or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six [666]. - Note: The Mark of the Beast is comprised of three components. 1. An image or stature of the Antichrist. 2. A demonic initiation, seemingly a demonic counterfeit spirit to the real 'born again' spirit of Jesus Christ. 3. An identifying mark on the hand or forehead readily revealing those who have been initiated [mated, married] into the demonic spirits. As a side note those who do not have the identifier cannot buy or sell [participate in the economy] the actual mark [identifier] itself has nothing to do with buying or selling, the mark is not a unique to each person mark it is not a computer chip (though everyone may already be chipped, it is a separate issue from the mark of the beast and 666) the mark of the beast is the same [identifier] mark for everyone and essentially those who do not have the mark their personal economy [previously implanted computer chip]will be blacklisted and unable to function properly in the existing 7th Kingdom Antichrist economy. [article link]
Revelation 12 - The Disciple John while in the middle of the Visions of Revelation gives a historical summary of previous events further revealing that the Vision of Revelation as a whole is not in chronological order -'Revelation 12:1-5 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman [Nation of Israel] clothed with the sun [in fellowship with God], and the moon under her feet [observing proper spiritual discernment], and upon her head a crown of twelve stars [12 Tribes of Israel]: And she being with Child [Jesus Christ] cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon [Satan], having seven heads [the 7 global Gentile Kingdoms] and ten horns (Daniel 7:7), and seven crowns [king's crown - Diadema, G1238] upon his heads. And his [Satan's] tail drew the third part {this is where it is believed that 1/3 of the Angels fell with Satan} of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the Dragon [Satan] stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her Child [Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:16)] as soon as it was born. And she [Nation of Israel] brought forth a man child [Jesus Christ], who was to rule all Nations [8th Kingdom] with a rod of iron: and her child [Jesus Christ] was caught up [Resurrection - Ascension (Acts 1:9)] unto God, and to His Throne.' The Disciple John is given an overview of End Time events, not from the Churches' perspective [the Christian Church has concluded by this time] but from the Nation of Israel's perspective: Revelation 12:6-17 And the woman [Nation of Israel] fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days [3½ years]. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon [Satan - Lucifer]; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon [Satan] was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth [3rd Woe],
and his [Satan's] angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, **Now is come salvation [on earth], *and strength [Righteousness], 8and the Kingdom of our God, and the power [authority] of His Christ: for the accuser [lit. devil] of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. ***And they [Saints] overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, **and by the Word of their testimony; **and they loved not their lives unto the death. *Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. **Woe [3rd Woe] to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, *because he knoweth that he hath but a short time [3½ years]. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman [Nation of Israel] which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time (1), and times (2), and half a time (1/2)[3½ years], from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. **And the earth helped the woman [Israel], and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with ***the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have [Salvation] the Testimony of Jesus Christ. and the dragon was angry against the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, those keeping the Commands of God, and having the Testimony of Jesus Christ. [article link]
Revelation 11 - The 3rd Temple in Jerusalem is measured and described - At the time that the Disciple John was writing this in about 95 A.D. the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem had already been destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Legions of forces of Rome -- 'Revelation 11:1-2 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the Angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the Temple of God [3rd Temple], and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the Temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city [Jerusalem] shall they tread under foot forty and two months [3½ years].' - Note: There are several 3½ year segments in the Tribulation time period however they are not all a part of the same 7 year period. This 42 month period could be well under way before the Rapture then the 3½ years of the Two Witnesses could occur right after the Rapture and at the start of the 7 years of Tribulation. Just keep in mind that there are multiple 3½ year periods with different starting times and different completion times. Revelation 11:3-13 And I [God] will give power unto my Two Witnesses [Two Prophets - possibly Moses and Elijah], and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days [1,260 days, 3½ years - 360 days in a Biblical prophetic year], clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth (Zechariah 4;3). And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them [the Two Witnesses], he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city [Jerusalem], which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations *shall see [via global television] their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood [resurrection] upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: **and *the *remnant were affrighted, and **gave glory to the God of heaven. The *second *woe [demonic infestation - demons from the bottomless pit] is past; and, behold, the third woe [Satan himself - Antichrist] cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded;
and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign [the 8th Kingdom] for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the Nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in His Temple the Ark of His Testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. - Note: The 7th global Kingdom of mankind gives way to the Kingdom of God, the 8th Kingdom, the eternal Righteous Kingdom of Jesus Christ. [article link]
Revelation 10 - With the Judgments of Revelation becoming accomplished the Mystery and separation between God and mankind is about to come to an end as all the many Holy Prophets have been Prophesying since the beginning of sin and seperation -- 'Revelation 10:5-7 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be [separation] time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, **the Mystery [unknown separation] of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets.' Revelation 10:8-11 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book (scroll) which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat [internalize] it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter [digesting the bitter events of Tribulation], but it shall be in thy mouth sweet [tasting the soon reconciliation of Heaven and earth] as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. **And he [Angel] said unto me, ***Thou must prophesy again before *many peoples, *and Nations, and tongues, and Kings. - Note: The prophecies of the Book of Revelation affect all mankind and are addressed to all mankind. [article link]
Revelation 8-9 - The 7th Seal is mentioned before the revelation of the 7 Trumpet judgments and the 7 Vial Judgments however it appears that though revealed in separate groups the actual events occur largely in one comingled and continuous group of judgments -- 'Revelation 8:1 And when He [Jesus Christ] had opened the Seventh Seal, there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour.' Revelation 8:2-6 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. ... Revelation 9:20-21 And the rest of the men [on earth] which were not killed by these plagues [7 Trumpets] **yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: **Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. - Note: The Tribulation events of Revelation are specifically designed by God to bring as many people as possible into repentance and Salvation though some will not repent a large "innumerable" number of people will repent and receive Salvation and eternity with God. [article link]
Revelation 7 - The 144,000 Jewish 'firstfruits' are sealed as witnesses of Jesus Christ during the Tribulation days - The 144,000 are the first (firstfruits)of Jewish Salvation (Revelation 14:4) - Up until this point in time the Jews have Redemption or became Christians and received Christian Salvation however at this point with the Christian Church era having ended the Jews now begin to receive Salvation as Jews -- 'Revelation 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand [144,000] of all the Tribes of the Children of Israel.' Revelation 7:9-17 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude [the Tribulation Saints], which no man could number, [Gentiles] of all Nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, **clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, *Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the Angels stood round about the Throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the Throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest [John did not know who the Martyred Saints of Revelation were - it is a group separate and distinct from the 144,000, separate from the Jews and even separate and distinct from the Christian Church]. And he [Angel] said to me, These are they which came out of Great Tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. **Therefore are they before the Throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His Temple: and He that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. - Note: It is substantial that the Disciple and Apostle John [a Christian Church leader] did not know who the Martyred Saints were. John was unable to recognize the group because this is a group of redeemed and saved Gentiles who come to Jesus Christ after the rapture and close of the Christian Church. This group of Saints are clearly separate but closer to God [serving at the Throne of God] and distinct from the Christian Church, the Church seems to be located further out on the glassy sea. If the Martyred Saints were in any way affiliated with the Christian Church the Disciple John would have been able to recognize them. [article link]
Revelation 6 - The Revelation Judgments of Jesus Christ the 7 Seal Judgments begin - Each Seal is a restraint that has kept the evil of mankind within certain boundaries - What Jesus Christ is doing is breaking each boundary (seal) and removing certain restraints on mankind and allowing mankind to more completely behave the way mankind wants to behave - The 7 Seal judgments are overseen and administered by Jesus Christ While the 7 Trumpet Judgments are overseen by the Holy Spirit and administered by Angels - While the 7 Vial (measured bowl) judgments are overseen by God the Father and are also administered by Angels -- 'Revelation 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb [Jesus Christ] opened one of the (7) Seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts [Spirit beings] saying, Come and see.' Revelation 6:2-17 And I saw, and behold [1st seal] a white horse: and he [probably the Antichrist] that sat on him [now unrestrained] had a bow {covenant - false peace treaty}; and a crown [accomplishment - Stephanos, G4735] was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer [over mankind]. And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth {false treaty is proven to be false}, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure [a daily food ration] of wheat for a penny [a full day of labor wages], and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the [abundant] oil and the wine [of the rich]. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and **Hell followed with him [just to die in the Tribulation is not a ticket
into heaven - people still have to confess Jesus Christ to enter into Heaven]. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. And when He had opened the fifth seal [Martyred Saints of revelation], I saw under the altar the souls [separate from the Christian Church] of them that were **slain {first 3 ½ years of Tribulation} for **the Word of God, and for the Testimony [Jesus Christ is God] which they held: And they [Martyred Saints] cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, Holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes [righteousness] were given unto every one of them [after their death of martyrdom]; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season {the second 3½ years the Great Tribulation}, until their fellow servants [the other Martyred Saints of revelation] also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal {the 6th seal is probably opened with the 4th Trumpet judgment and 7th Vial (bowl) judgment}, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? - Note: The 7th Seal (Revelations 8:1) is silence in Heaven {and probably on earth} just moments before the conclusion of Heaven and earth becoming reconciled together once again. The 7 Seals, the 7 Trumpets and the 7 Vials all intermingle with one another it isn't all 7 seals then all 7 Trumpets concluded by the 7 Vials. The Bible explains the three judgments in three groups but parts of the judgments are occurring simultaneously in Heaven and on earth with all three judgments concluding in the same act of restoration and reconciliation of the earth with Heaven. [article link]
Revelation 5 - The events of the Book of Revelation are going to bring about the final reconciliation between Heaven [Throne of God] and earth the dwelling of mankind -- 'Revelation 5:1-5 And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the Throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals [restraints judgments]. And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals [restraints] thereof? And no man in heaven [alone], nor in earth [alone], neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I [Disciple John] wept much, because no {one dimensional} man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda (Judah), the Root [descendant] of [King] David, hath prevailed [being from Heaven and overcoming on earth] to open the book [to reconcile and unite Heaven and earth], and to loose the seven seals thereof.' With the Christian Church in Heaven the final reconciliation work between Heaven and earth begins to take place both in Heaven and on earth: Revelation 5:6-14 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the Throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain [Jesus being without sin resurrected in His physical body and the Disciple John was given a glimpse of Jesus as He had been slain on the cross], having seven horns [complete power] and seven eyes [complete vision], which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And He [Jesus Christ] came and took the book out of the right hand of Him [Father God] that sat upon the Throne. And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours [prayers of all saints], which are the prayers of saints. **And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof [reconciling and reuniting Heaven and earth]: for thou wast slain [on earth], and hast redeemed ***us [Christians] to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and Nation; And hast ***made us unto our God Kings [rulers] and [Righteous - Melchizedek] Priests: and we shall reign on the earth [during the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ]. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many
Angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was [innumerable] ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, **Worthy is the Lamb [Jesus Christ] that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. **And every creature which is *in Heaven, and *on the earth, *and under the earth [hades], and such [demons] as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever (Romans 14:11). And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and Worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever. - Note: The important sealed document (scroll)is probably much more than just a common title deed to the earth and whatever it is it was never in the possession of Satan as Satan has never had direct ownership of the earth. Adam and Eve were given 'dominion' (Genesis 1:26) over the earth but not inheritance (Matthew 5:5) or ownership. Adam and Eve lost dominion but the ownership of the actual earth has always remained (Psalms 24:1) a sole possession of God in Heaven. [article link]
Revelation 4 - The Disciple John after writing and documenting the complete Christian Church age the Disciple is 'called' into Heaven to be told what will take place after the Christian Church era has concluded on earth -'Revelation 4:1-2 After this I [Disciple John] looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-51) talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter [after the Christian Church age]. And immediately I was in the Spirit [and in Heaven before the Throne of God]: and, behold, a Throne was set in Heaven, and One sat on the Throne.' - Note: It goes without saying that the interpretation, timing and events of Revelation are highly controversial and therefore all anyone can do is to interpret the Book of Revelation the best they can for their own understanding. - Also Note: It is imperative that mature Christians understand and have a concept of the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ and of the End Time events that precede His 2nd Coming and it is just as important that mature Christians are willing to place fellowship and Church unity over and above personal speculation about the End Times. Revelation 4:3-11 And He that sat was to look upon [multi-faceted] like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a [Heavenly] rainbow (earthly rainbow - Genesis 9:13) round about the Throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty (24) seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders [probably the leaders of the 12 Tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles] sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the Throne there was ***a sea of glass [where the Saints stand before the Throne of God] like unto crystal: and in the midst of the Throne, and round about the Throne, were four beasts [lit. eternal spiritual beings - Zoon (Zoe), G2226] full of eyes [vision] before and behind. And the first beast [Spirit being] was like a lion {Gospel of Matthew}, and the second beast like a calf {Gospel of Mark}, and the third beast had a face as a man {Gospel of Luke}, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle {Gospel of John}. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy [Father], Holy [Son Jesus], Holy [Spirit], Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the Throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the Throne, and Worship [give thanks for their life] Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns [accomplishments from on earth] before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive Glory and Honour and Power: for thou hast created all things, and **for Thy pleasure they are and were created. - Note: The Disciple John was for a brief time taken directly into Heaven and he personally observed and recorded some of the events continually taking place in Heaven around and about the Throne of God. [article link]
Sword of the Spirit Podcast - The Seven Letters of Revelation (Mp3s) Going through and studying what Christ is saying in His letters to the Church. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: The 7 Church Letters of Revelation from Jesus Christ - The Christian Church is divided into Seven Church groups - Which Church group are You in? Like the seven miracles that we went through in the Gospel of John that John himself personally witnessed, Jesus personally spoke to the disciple John and had John write an evaluation of the Christian Church in the book of Revelation. Likewise to critique the entire Christian Church (people) Jesus divided it up into seven churches. Each Church existed in the day that Jesus spoke to John about it and each Church type is still practiced throughout today. Note the book of Revelation and in particular the part about the seven churches is unique because Jesus is asking John to write it for Him. The entire Bible is written by God through man but Revelation makes that point even more evident. So onto the description of the seven churches as critiqued by none other than the resurrected Jesus Himself. ... The Parables of Jesus (Matthew 13:1-50) are from the teaching of Jesus during His time on earth. The letters of the Apostle Paul (New Testament) are from a representative of Jesus and finally the 7 letters of Revelation (Revelation 2:1-3:22) are teaching and instruction from the resurrected Jesus, the three teaching groups span three timeframes with the one unique message of Jesus Christ and His eternal Kingdom. [article link]
Revelation 2-3 - The Resurrected Lord and Savior Jesus Christ dictates Seven Letters to His entire Christian Church encompassing both the entire Church body and the entire Church age from the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the Christian Church (John 20:22) until the eventual rapture [closure] of the Christian Church -- 'Revelation 2:1-4 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith He [the Resurrected Jesus Christ] that holdeth the [heavens] seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of [earth] the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried [discerned] them which say they are Apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love [lit. Agape].' Revelation 3:14-22 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith [Jesus Christ] the Amen, the faithful and True witness, the beginning [lit. first cause] of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to **buy of Me gold tried in the fire [baptism of cleansing fire], that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve [humanity], that thou mayest see [the human condition]. As many as I love [lit. friendship - Phileo, G5368], I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. **Behold, I stand at the door, and knock (Song of Solomon 5:2): if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup [nurish] with him, and he with Me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne [authority], even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the [Holy] Spirit saith unto the Churches. - Note: The seventh and final Christian Church is considered to be the predominant characteristics of the modern Christian Church of our day and in our era. All of the Seven Letters of Jesus Christ are applicable at all times and at all locations to all Christians however the letter to the Church at Laodicea is considered to be the most relevant to the most Christians in our own current day and age. [article link]
Revelation 1 - The Disciple John begins to record for all mankind the Revelation Message given directly to him from the resurrected Jesus Christ -- 'Revelation 1:1-3 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God [the Father]
gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants [Church era] things which must shortly [Revelation 22:7] come to pass; and He [Jesus Christ] sent and signified it by his Angel [Messenger] unto His servant John [the Disciple John]: [the same John] Who bare record of the Word of God, and of the Testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all [disciple] things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the Words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.' - Note: At times some say that Jesus Christ did not have any direct input into the written Bible however Jesus Himself dictates the Book of Revelation to His Disciple John and Revelation seal's the New Testament and the entire Bible placing Jesus' seal and approval upon the entire Holy Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Revelation 1:9-12 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the [prison] isle that is called Patmos, for the Word of God, and for the Testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on {Sunday} the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. ... Revelation 1:17-20 And when I saw Him [Jesus Christ], I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive [resurrection] for evermore, Amen; **and have the keys of hell and of death. *Write the things which thou hast seen, and *the things which are, *and the things which shall be hereafter; The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars [lights in heaven] are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks [lights on earth] which thou sawest are the seven churches. - Note: The Book of Revelation is not a sealed book as the Book of Daniel was sealed (Daniel 12:4) but the book of revelation was sealed for most of Church history in a sense in that the English version of the Book of Revelation is really the language version that best matches the Book of Revelation and presents the Book of Revelation to the English (1611 KJV) reader like at no other time in history including the Greek and Latin versions of the Book of Revelation that were almost completely ignored, neglected and even in some cases rejected by the historical Christian Church. [article link]
Introduction to the Book of Revelation - The Book of Revelation is the most controversial book in the Bible Revelation has caused major divisions between denominations, churches and families - What makes this book so controversial? {Revelation is about the future and it is about complicated End Time events, events (Acts 1:67) that are purposely clouded from humanity even Christians, the very nature of the Book of Revelation requires a certain amount of speculation and with speculation comes controversy} - A promise of blessing is made in the very first chapter of the book to those who read and hear the words of this prophecy - The book has 404 verses, and according to some scholars, [over] half of those verses have an Old Testament reference The Book of Revelation is a letter revealed to man named John [Disciple John], who was on the Island of Patmos, off the coast of Asia Minor. He was persecuted because of his testimony of Jesus Christ. [The Book of Revelation also contains within it the seven letters] The letter was written to seven churches located in the mainland cities of; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. What is the meaning of this letter? Should the words be taken literally or are they symbolic? Did the letter concern events just in the day of John or did it include events in the future? Was John, the Apostle John or another John? Does this letter refer to Israel or to the church? These are just a few of the many questions raised by those who have studied this book. -- Who wrote the book of Revelation? The early church attributed authorship to the apostle John. Justin Martyr (100-165 A.D.) quotes John the Apostle that Jesus Christ would dwell in Jerusalem one thousand years. Irenaeus (120-200 A.D.) is quoted in every chapter of Revelation. Tertullian (155-220 A.D.) also quotes from almost every chapter of Revelation and attributes John the Apostle as author. Hippolytus (170-235 A.D.) also attributed Revelation to John, he quotes Revelation chapter 17 and 18 a great deal. Clement of Alexandria (150-211 A.D.) and Origen (185-254 A.D.) also attribute John the Apostle as the author of Revelation. Ignatius (30-108 A.D.) writes regarding John the Apostle, And why such facts as the following: Peter
was crucified; Paul and James were slain with the sword; John was banished to Patmos; Stephen was stoned to death by the Jews who killed the Lord? But, [in truth,] none of these sufferings were in vain; for the Lord was really crucified by the ungodly. The evidence against John the Apostle being the author is minimal, largely based on grammatical and writing style differences with the John's Gospel. -- When was the book of Revelation written? The other issue regarding Revelation is the date of the book. External tradition places the time of Revelation to the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96), brother of Titus, son of Vespation. Clement of Alexandria reports John returned to Ephesus after the death of Domitian, referred to as the "tyrant". the Apostle John. For when, on the tyrant's death, he returned to Ephesus from the isle of Patmos, he went away, being invited, to the contiguous territories of the nations, here to appoint bishops, there to set in order whole Churches, there to ordain such as were marked out by the Spirit. [article link]
The current plan for the 'blog Bible Study' is to complete the study in 10 segments [article link]
KJV 1611 Holy Bible - Red Letter Edition {A Free PDF KJV Bible} (PDF) The King James Version (KJV) 1611 with the Words of Jesus Formatted in Red is a complete Bible containing both the Old and the New Testaments. [article link]
Basic Christian Theology: Answers to Bible Questions (132 Topics) A Complete handy Reference - Study Guide/Tutorial. It covers 132 Christian Subjects and Topics from Adoption - Yahweh in an easy to read and understand format. An extensive resource, unparalleled in convenience and ease of use yet advanced in topic research. [article link]
BlueLetterBible.org: Audio & Video Commentaries - Chuck Missler (Online Audio) Mr. Missler is the chairman of Koinonia House (K-House), a non-profit organization which is dedicated to the development and distribution of materials for encouraging and facilitating serious study of the Bible as the inerrant Word of God. K-House was founded by Chuck and Nancy Missler, and moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in 1992. K-House now reaches tens of thousands through its monthly newsletter, radio shows, cassette tapes, and conferences. More than eight million study tapes have been distributed in the U.S. and in over 35 countries around the world. [article link]
InstaVerse the Bible at your Fingertips - just point your mouse at a verse reference, and the [Bible] text pops up in your preferred translation! - Note: The KJV Bible is free other Bible Versions require a purchase. Do you visit Christian web sites or receive daily devotional emails? Ever want to look up a scripture fast? InstaVerse™ by WORDsearch will let you instantly see the actual Bible text for scripture references like John 3:16 - just point your mouse at it, and the text pops up in your preferred translation! The best part is that InstaVerse with the KJV Bible is FREE! [article link]
!!!The Word Bible Study Software - One of the very best Bible study software programs available, commercial or otherwise - Although the price tag for The Word is free, do not be fooled into thinking that its price tag reflects its feature list (software) Find out what you can do with The Word: In the Beginning was the Word Bible software (The Word) was created in order to be a valuable, everyday tool for every Christian that wishes to read and study the Bible, the Word of God. We believe that In the Beginning was the Word Bible Software is one of the very best Bible study software programs available, commercial or otherwise. The Word is comparable to and in many cases, if not
most, better than its commercial counterparts. Although the price tag for The Word is free, do not be fooled into thinking that its price tag reflects its feature list. ... The Word is designed to be a tool for everyday use, always running in the background and ready to respond whenever you need to look-up a verse, read the Bible, or study a passage or theme of the Bible in depth. It's quick to load, easy to customize and intuitive to use. We feel that its value and quality cannot be fully presented through a feature list, so we urge you to try it out. Each little detail has been carefully contemplated, designed and implemented with many options and customizations. This is exactly what makes people stick with The Word, once they give it a try. That's the best way to make up your mind too! [article link]
Bible Study & Prayer - There are few things more important to Christian life than prayer - Prayer is our method of communication with Jesus our Lord and Creator (16 Short Text Studies) There are few things more important to Christian life than prayer. Prayer is our method of communication with our Lord and Creator. And yet far too few understand prayer or have taken any time to study it. As I prepared this study, I was impressed more and more about how prayer is centered on relationships. Just like in any other relationship, if we don't communicate, the relationship is strained. When we don't communicate with God, our relationship with Him is strained. This study is based on Andrew Murray's classic, "With Christ in the School of Prayer." Several quotes are taken from there and are noted throughout the text. The studies do not cover every chapter in the book but instead give a highlight of the overall theme Murray writes about. The chapter on the Prayer of Corporate Repentance is my own addition and is not based upon the book. [article link]
How to Study the Bible - Start with Prayer! Probably one of the most common reasons why Christians don't study the Bible is based on this complaint, "I just don't understand it!" Before you start each study session, begin by praying and asking God to open your spiritual understanding. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (NIV) So, as you pray, realize that the words you are studying are inspired by God. Psalm 119:130 tells us, "The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." (NIV). [article link]
How to Mark Your Bible - for EFFECTIVE Bible Study! By far the most useful method is [notes and use of] a color scheme {Using different color pens to put categorized () around Bible verses for easier and quicker future references.} Underscoring: It is often wise to underscore or underline key words or phrases that you want to stand out in order to find them quickly. I use two colored fine-line pens for my underscoring, black for generally important verses and red for very important verses. Do not overdo this by underlining every time a new thought strikes you or the time will come when you will have more underlined than non-underlined and this can lead to a confusing hodgepodge. ... COLOR TOPIC(S) TO REMEMBER COLOR - TOPIC: Light Blue - Prayer - Think of prayers going up into a BLUE sky. Dark Blue - Healing/Sickness - Think of BLUE cross or a dark BLUE wound. Orange - Resurrection - Sons of God RISING (remember: SUNRISE). Red - Sabbath and Holy Days - Stop, Rest, Relax, (Think of a STOP light). Pink - Marriage/Divorce - Think of PINK, fluffy clouds of marriage. Light Green Millennium/God's Kingdom - When earth will be GREEN & beautiful. Dark Green - Man's Mortality - Man's days are like GRASS - Psalm 103:15. Black/Gray - Satan/Demons (spiritual warfare) - EVIL, Darkness, Blackness. Purple - Promises to Israel and Heirs - Purple color of ROYALTY. Yellow/Gold - Law and Commandments - GOLDEN rule; Law worth more than GOLD. Brown - Repentance/Baptism - Picture AUTUMN LEAVES falling, dying of old self. {Feel free to use any colors in any way, in any combination and also not to use any color codes at all.} [article link]
walmart.com: Pigma Micron Pen Set - [Possible Pens for writing notes, marking and underling in Bibles] - See also the Pilot G2 Gel-ink Pens [only in black ink but with blue refills available] for writing notes in a notebook or on a notepad [the G2 pens are excellent for regular writing and notes but they use way too much ink to write in a Bible] {Another option in note taking is to write notes on a computer word program or some type of notes program or even make voice recordings. I'm going to write notes in a 'composition' paper notepad and then at a later time I might type them into a computer -- though I'll also put most of my notes - comments [hopefully the better ones] on the RSS new/info feed as well.} (Color Pen Set - $15.88) SAKURA-Pigma Micron Pens #05.45mm. Heritage Collection (1 each): Sepia, Royal Blue, Burgundy, Hunter Green, Blue/Black, Fresh Green. A fine point drawing and writing pen offering a waterproof quick drying pigment ink. Micron pens will not clog or dry out. Ink will not feather or bleed through even the thinnest papers and is smear proof once dry. The pigment in the ink remains colorful and will not spread when applied. It is fade proof against sunlight or UV light; and is permanent and washable on cotton fabrics. Archival Quality. Acid Free. Imported. [article link]
KJV (Hebrew-Greek) Key Word Study Bible - A Bible Recommendation for Studying Through the Bible along with the C-3000 Mp3s - The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible is a complete English Bible text for crossreference study to the original languages from which the Bible was translated (KJV Bible - $29.99) The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible combines essential tools for Hebrew and Greek with translations that accurately and clear. An easy-to-use style plus the benefits of the Strong's Dictionary numbering system makes this study Bible one for every student of God's Word, no matter what age. The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible is a complete English Bible text for cross-reference study to the original languages from which the Bible was translated. Key Features: Book Introductions - Footnotes on Key Passages - Red Letter Edition - System of Study - Key Words in the English Text Identified by James Strong's Numbering System - Codes in the New Testament Text Identify Grammatical Structure of Key Greek Words - Notations Explain the Significance of the Grammatical Codes - Hebrew and Greek Word Studies - Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries - Centercolumn Reference System - Concordance. [article link]
NLT Jesus Bible, Softcover - A Bible Recommendation for Studying Through the Bible along with the C-3000 Mp3s {Note: The C-3000 Through the Bible Mp3s are taught from the KJV Bible, since the teachings are KJV some people might want to follow with a different translation. It's always important to have a KJV in the Bible Study if the teacher is not using a KJV make sure you have one. The NLT (New Living Translation) is a good alternate translation I would defiantly avoid the NIV and NKJV versions. -- NLT is available at most bookstores and WalMart.} (NLT Bible - $14.99) The Jesus Bible shows that the real Jesus -- as described throughout all of Scripture -- is alive today and relevant to everyday life. Through The Jesus Bible, you will meet the Savior and experience his ability to break through all boundaries, all preconceived ideas, and all stereotypes. Special Features: 500 unexpected notes show how we can find Jesus in unexpected situations - 100 Real Expressions devotionals that are tied to Bible characters, and are based on stories from real teens - 600 X-Focus call-outs highlight key Scripture verses and passages that address God's plan of salvation through Christ - 24 Explicit Answers show key sayings of Jesus spread throughout the Bible - 200 Xtraordinary, But True articles in the OT highlight unusual stories of people and prophets and show their relevance to today - New Living Translation - 9 point text - Two-column layout Softcover. [article link]
Basic Christian - Monthly Memo: Fall 2009: Bible Study, Prayer, Devotions and Fellowship Monthly Memo: Fall 2009: Bible Study, Prayer, Devotions and Fellowship - 1. The Basic Christian info/news feed is probably going to transition this fall from the conspiracy, headline news events of the day into a more Bible, Christian doctrine and current Christian seminar-events centered info/news feed. 2. I'm thankful for the
patience that everyone had while we covered so many difficult topics in such a short period of time. I always try to maintain a focus that people are looking at the material and I defiantly try to spread the material out not putting too much of a burden on people at any one time. When Basic Christian started as a discussion forum it was basically all interaction all the time but now without a forum the website has little or no interaction though I still keep in mind the interaction of the past forum and do try not to overload everyone. 3. The Summer 2009 links to other websites and particularly to the Podcast Shows have been some of the best links that the Basic Christian website has been able to provide and I'm very grateful to all of the Podcast ministries for providing such a great and challenging time of Christian growth for everyone involved. 4. There are more Mp3s and now Video downloads available via Basic Christian. Some of the material tends towards conspiracy topics and some of it is a bit on the fire and brimstone side and it isn't necessarily what I would normally provide however these are materials that are increasingly being removed from the internet and becoming harder to locate so they are the files being provided in order to give others an additional chance to obtain them. In other words Hill Song videos are not disappearing from the internet but the conspiracy, hidden news materials and mature preaching topics are harder to locate and obtain so therefore those are the materials that are being provided. -- Thanks again to everyone for sticking it out through so much material and through so much unplanned controversy. I personally look forward to spending much more time in Bible study, in personal prayer time, in devotions and in fellowship this fall and into next spring. I'm really looking forward to [Edit: Studying through the Bible in the past it has] changed my life for the better so I'm very much looking forward to spending some daily [Edit: in Bible study, devotions, prayer, fellowship and Christian service]. All the very best! God Bless you, David Anson Brown. [article link]
How Can I Download (Youtube) Videos? - Download online videos with SaveVid.com [Enter Video URL:] (Utility) Savevid.com is a tool which gives you the ability to download videos from streaming video sites. You can download videos from Youtube, Google Videos, Metacafe, Spike and more in FLV, AVI, MOV, MPG or WMV formats. [article link]
Basic Christian: Downloadable - Recommended Resources (Video Downloads) Each Mp3 or Video offers important information, encouragement or teaches an important Biblical concept. [article link]
Basic Christian: Downloadable - Recommended Resources (Mp3 Downloads) Each Mp3 or Video offers important information, encouragement or teaches an important Biblical concept. [article link]
Free Downloads: (PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (Online) Through the Bible blog Bible Study online. The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study. [article link]
Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (PDF) The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study in PDF format. [article link]
Update Summer 2010: The Majesty and Glory of King Jesus Christ! "All Blessings, Honor, Glory, Majesty and Praise to the King and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ" - The Basic Christian Ministry is currently undergoing the series "The 8 Kingdoms of the World" regarding the Majesty and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ Basic Christian has recently completed the 'blog Bible Study' and is currently in the process of the 'blog History Study' including the '8 Kingdoms of the World' study. The current plan is to study at a slower pace than the fast paced blog Bible Study and also to insert a couple of Topical Studies before the 8 Kingdom Study really gets back on track. Ideally the plan is to really get into the 8 Kingdom Study this Fall and then conclude the 8 Kingdoms (Kings) study just before we celebrate Christmas 2010 and the birth of the King the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 6:5, Matthew 2:2). Then to spend the time from Christmas to Resurrection Day Easter (2011) studying Christian Church History as we prepare for Resurrection Day 2011 and the birth of the Christian Church - the Christian Church having started on the Resurrection Day of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. [article link]
Basic Christian: On break until after the 4th - Have a Blessed 4th of July 2010 God bless everyone in Jesus Christ as we continue in our Bible devotions, study, prayer, fellowship and obedience to God in Jesus Christ. ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
~ ~ ~ Updated - Basic Christian: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (PDF) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome - NWO] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ. [article link]
~ ~ ~ Updated - Basic Christian: blog Bible Study - Genesis - Revelation (PDF) The complete Basic Christian blog Bible Study covering Genesis to Revelation in PDF format. [article link]
Church Discipline: The Guest Teachers Series - DOES THE TRUTH MATTER ANYMORE? by John MacArthur $64.95 (5 Parts DVD) - entire series $203.72 (CrossTv.com) {Note: Christianity involves two parts, the death of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus. We follow Jesus in our own death (dying - self discipline) to self, sin and this world and in our own personal resurrection in living to God and His Holy Spiritual realm. Much of what the Emergent (New Age) Church is trying to do is to live the spiritual resurrection (grace, peace, holiness, wellbeing, sharing, joy) without first experiencing the death to self, sin and this world. Christianity is grounded and based in both parts, both dying to self (discipline) and resurrection (joy) living to God - these videos are more about the dying to self (self discipline) part but don't forget to also live the holy spiritual (grace, peace, holiness, wellbeing, sharing, joy) resurrection part. (Philippians 1:20-21, 1 Corinthians 10:31)} (DVDs) Everywhere is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better." Those words were written by Charles Spurgeon MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO! Yet, he might have just as easily been describing the state of the church at the beginning of the 21st Century. Well, in this "tell-it-like-it-is" indictment of the attitudes, methods and approaches of much of the modern church, Pastor John MacArthur picks up where Charles Spurgeon left off. This is 'MUST VIEWING" for the modern Christian. Presented by: John MacArthur [article link]
Vacation For The Frank and Chris Show - {Just listened to what is normally the Frank and Chris Show podcast (one of my favorite podcast programs) but today it is an announcement that the podcast is on a (well deserved) break - Myself (and many others) will be looking forward to the return of the podcast in whatever form it takes and there are still plenty of excellent podcasts and projects going on over at the RRN website.} (Mp3s) We're taking a break. -All Frank's Fault- Download for a quick update and stay tuned. [article link]
Windows Phone 7 in trouble? MeeGo DOA? Not good signs: Microsoft backtracks on its clean break from Windows Mobile, while Intel invests in [Google] Android OS - By Galen Gruman | InfoWorld {MeeGo won't fail because the bar for handheld devices is extremely low especially when compared to other devices like a desktop pc that has to do everything locally [games, research, render video, run spreadsheets] for everyone at any one time but a handheld device only has a few tasks [widgets] to preform and most of the tasks are rendered on remote cloud computing - it goes online - it checks email - it checks Facebook - it checks the weather - then going really out on a limb it displays an eBook or plays an Mp3 or a Video - and these small, repetitive, quickly enabled tasks are what the Linux operating system [like MeeGo] and handheld devices [like Intel Moorestown] specialize in - end of story!} If I believed in conspiracy theories, I'd say that Windows Phone 7 is a failure six months before its expected availability. And the Nokia-Intel MeeGo operating system will be dead on arrival, if it's ever released. Windows Phone 7: Microsoft seems to be investing in alternatives Let's start with Windows Phone 7. Touted earlier this year as the successor to the much unloved Windows Mobile platform, Microsoft has gone largely silent on Windows Phone 7 since then, all but ignoring its great hope to stave off the iPhone at its recent TechEd conference. (And according to a recent Cnet report, Microsoft is sticking with its earlier decision not to include copy and paste -- sheesh! [probaly can't copy and paste with an ARM based CPU]) In the meantime, Microsoft has announced three other mobile operating systems. If Windows Phone 7 is meant to be the break-from-thepast successor to Windows Mobile, as Microsoft has said, the all-new mobile OS that brings Microsoft into the 21st century, why has Microsoft released Windows Phone (the poorly received Kin phones) and now the Windows Embedded Handheld OS? A Microsoft spokesman told me that Windows Embedded Handheld OS was meant to provide continuity for enterprises using specialized Windows Mobile 6.5 devices. Windows Phone 7 won't run Windows Mobile applications, so developers had two choices: Switch to Windows Phone 7 and rework the apps to the modern operating system, or keep using their specialty legacy devices. ... Intel invests in Android, while MeeGo limps along: Intel is another company that seems to be hedging its bets -- or is quietly backing a new horse -- on the mobile operating system front. This winter, it dropped its Moblin mobile Linux effort and joined with Nokia to develop a new mobile OS (MeeGo) that merged Moblin with Nokia's indevelopment Maemo, the intended successor to Nokia's lackluster Symbian operating system. You can tell from that description that neither the Moblin nor Maemo efforts were moving with any urgency. There've been plenty of conferences but little tangible result. And now word is out that Intel is porting Google's new Android OS 2.2 (Froyo) to the x86 chip architecture this summer. That can only mean Intel sees Android mattering greatly in the tablet and perhaps netbook markets, so Intel wants to make sure its Atom chips can power those devices. (Android was developed for the competing ARM-architecture chips, such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon in the HTC Droid Incredible and the Texas Instruments OMAP3630 in the forthcoming Motorola Droid X.) The speed at which Intel is moving on Android, compared to the snail's pace development of MeeGo, is telling. If Intel thought MeeGo were a significant OS, it would be pushing that effort along. ... Developing MeeGo in incremental stages over several years also seems a sure way to lose, and Intel's speedy action in porting Android to x86 tells me that Intel already knows the MeeGo bet will fail. [article link]
[MS] Windows Phone 7 (yet to be released to consumers) "an ad-serving machine" - "For marketers this is actually turning out to be an ad-serving machine" - Microsoft says consumers can opt out of the services if they feel overwhelmed by the bombardment {Windows Phone 7 [a completely different form factor than the already exisitng MS Windows 7 for desktop computers] is now the odd operating system out. Phone 7 is designed not to run on an Intel CPU but on an ARM [phone] CPU -- but Apple iPhone and Google Android operating systems already run on an ARM [phone] CPU so MS Phone 7 is already left out. Intel and Nokia are developing MeeGo [Linux] and derivatives of MeeGo [Tablet] to be used on Intel CPUs and also a version of Android will run on an Intel CPU later this summer. It's important because with the already existing ARM [phone] CPU a phone is still basically a phone although ever increasingly more powerful but with an Intel CPU in a new phone the new Intel phone now becomes an Intel computer phone.}
By Stewart Mitchell Posted on 28 Jun 2010 - Microsoft has branded its Windows Phone 7 smartphone platform [unrelated to MS windows 7 desktop version] an "ad-serving machine" during a briefing to show off new features. "For marketers this is actually turning out to be an ad-serving machine," said Kostas Mallios, general manager at Microsoft's Live Labs, at an advertising industry conference. "It lets advertisers connect with consumers over time." Microsoft showed off three tools in the sales-blitz portfolio - Apps, Tiles and Toast which give brand owners access to the front pages of handsets if consumers download apps from third parties. With the Tiles and Apps feature, Mallios said, icons on the homepage would be dynamic so a brand could send out information about offers or new releases. Should the message fail to get through - perhaps because the consumer has turned the application off - then a third tool, dubbed Toast, could be used to crank up the volume. "If the app isn't running then Toast is a dynamic way of reaching people," said Mallios. "Toast can enable an advertiser to push content out to the device." Microsoft says consumers can opt out of the services if they feel overwhelmed by the bombardment. Windows Phone 7 is expected to be released in October [2010]. [article link]
{Flashback} Intel/Nokia MeeGo 1.0 on Many Devices and Screen Sizes (Beijing, April 2010) - Netbook, TV, Mall Restaurant Menu, Coupon and Smart Sign Demonstration (YouTube) **A very important video to watch it shows the coming Smart Phone, Smart Device and accompanying (World Wide - Global) Cloud Computing concept for consumers. [article link]
{Flashback} More info on Windows Phone 7: Windows Live ID (i.e. Hotmail account) will be required {There is a ton of new (and transitional) always on internet phone [Intel Moorestown] - type of technology and gadgets coming out this fall and into 2011 finally providing for stable and highly useable mobile internet devices. Intel and Nokia have the MeeGo operating system, Google has their Android system, Apple has their iPhone system and Microsoft will have their own system in Phone 7 but so far Microsoft seems to be the one to avoid.} Microsoft still has a lot of work to do until the first Windows Phone 7 devices are launched (sometime in the fourth quarter of the year), and that's why we don't know all we'd want to know about the upcoming OS. However, new details have been uncovered by Tweakers.net, **including the fact that, to use a Windows Phone 7 handset [phone], you will need a Windows Live ID account (you automatically have one if you use Hotmail or MSN Messenger). Apparently, Windows Live ID will also provide access to Windows Marketplace. Furthermore, it looks like Windows Phone 7 will only support ARM7 processors (like the Qualcomm Snapdragon). This leaves out Intel's Moorestown processors - but it's not like Intel cares too much, since it has MeeGo and we'll soon see Moorestown-based MeeGo devices on the market. As previously mentioned, all Windows Phone 7 devices will require capacitive touchscreen displays (apparently, non-touch devices won't be able to run WP7), three buttons on the front (Back, Start and Search), a power button, a camera button, and two volume buttons. Weird enough, it looks like Windows Phone 7 will support Bluetooth 2.1, but not Bluetooth 3.0. Well, maybe support for the newer version of Bluetooth will be added after launch. [article link]
Washington Post: Obama names Cook religious freedom ambassador - The White House just announced that they're filling the long awaited position of ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom - The appointee is Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook, whose experience includes pastoring a New York City church and founding a group called Wisdom Worldwide Center She has also been a chaplain for NYPD UPDATE: Cook's name had been out there for months (as we reported in January), so there has been plenty of time for the self-described international religious freedom community to react. Reaction has been pretty uniform -- respect for Cook's work in building a New York City-based mega-ministry and in her interest in public service, but concern for the lack of any expertise in international religious freedom and human rights work, or foreign policy work in general. And this at a time when President Obama has beefed up the staffing and role of religion in embassies worldwide. International religious freedom advocates have also been upset that the position remained empty for so long and that Cook -- unlike other ambassadors-at-large within the
State Department -- and her staff will have less access to the Secretary of State than they believe the law creating her position envisioned. [article link]
LighthouseTrailsResearch.com: Obama Names Suzan Johnson Cook Ambassador For International Religious Freedom - According to a Washington DC press release in 2009, Johnson Cook is "dubbed Billy Graham and Oprah rolled into one" i.e., a new spirituality "Christian" - According to Johnson Cook's website, she is also a member of Renaissance Weekend, an interfaith **think tank [NWO 'think tank' religion i.e. Rick Warren] that "seeks to build bridges across traditional divides of professions and politics, geography and generations, religions and philosophies" According to a Washington DC press release in 2009, Johnson Cook is "dubbed Billy Graham and Oprah rolled into one" (i.e., a new spirituality "Christian). Since aggressively stepping up to the "spiritual" plate during the 911 attacks in 2001 [Ergun and Emir Caner also arose out of the ashes of 9-11-2001], serving as the only NYPD Chaplain's until now, Dr. Sujay has been called, "America's Chaplain". She firmly believes that, "We are mind, body and spirit which means it's time to put the stress of the current economic decline aside and get back to the basics of life - which is simply getting back in touch with your God, His wonderful promises and purpose for our lives." According to Johnson Cook's website, she is also a member of Renaissance Weekend, an interfaith think tank that "seeks to build bridges across traditional divides of professions and politics, geography and generations, religions and philosophies." [article link]
Wikipedia.org: Mike MacIntosh "a Ground Zero Chaplain" - the senior pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, California a Calvary Chapel affiliate - [Book] (2002) When Your World Falls Apart: Life Lessons from a Ground Zero Chaplain by Mike MacIntosh, Foreward by Anne Graham Lotz {Wow! 9-11 books and bracelets some Calvary Chapel pastors seemed to see 9-11 as an opportunity to make some quick money. No wonder Calvary Chapel Pastors don't investigate [or even publically talk about] the possible NYC 9-11-2001 events because it seems in their best interest (best income opportunities) to go along with the official 9-11 version of events.} Mike MacIntosh (born 1944) is the senior pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, California, and is a Christian leader in the United States. MacIntosh left the hippie scene of the 1960s and got involved with Calvary Chapel. He then went on to pastor Horizon Christian Fellowship, a Calvary Chapel affiliate, beginning in 1974. He is also the organizer of Festival of Life, an international evangelical outreach program. MacIntosh has also served as a chaplain for the San Diego Police Department, and has been involved in post-9/11 rescue efforts in New York City, as documented in his book When Your World Falls Apart. [When Your World Falls Apart (2002): Life Lessons from a Ground Zero Chaplain by Mike MacIntosh, Foreward by Anne Graham Lotz Amazon.com] -- An Unofficial Associate Pastor: An example of this is Calvary of Albuquerque [pastor Skip Hietzig] where Skip's wife, Lenya, functioned almost as a pastor for women. Her "9-11 bracelet" idea [was it her idea alone or was it a 'think tank' religion idea being passed along through Lenya Hietzig?] ended up costing the church hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory write-offs. - Source: calvarychapel.pbworks.com/pastors-wife [article link]
{Flashback} Calvary Chapel (Skip Heitzig) Albuquerque States: Leonard Sweet Will Not Be Speaking at Conference - Lighthouse Trails Calls For Answers - Questions Arise: Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not? - the National Worship Leader Conference website still maintains that Leonard Sweet will indeed be speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque {Note: Because of deceptive and non-Christian practices emanating from various Calvary Chapel pastors the website links from Basic Christan to Skip Heitzig and several other Calvary Chapel (Costa Mesa) resources, Churches and pastors have recently been removed by the Basic Christian Ministry.} This is an update regarding the Lighthouse Trails report that New Age sympathizer Leonard Sweet is scheduled
to speak at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque for the National Worship Leader Conference this June. Conflicting reports are occurring as to whether Sweet's speaking engagement has been cancelled. Please refer to our recent posting, Questions Arise: Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not? where we write on some of these conflicting reports. A number of Lighthouse Trails' readers contacted us over the last couple days sending us copies of an email they each received from an undisclosed personnel at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque. **The form letter states: Thank you for contacting us here at The Connection and thanks for writing to Pastor Skip. We always love to hear from you. The conference is not a Calvary conference. The conference is being put on by Worship Leader Magazine using our facility just like CAPE, Home school graduation, funerals, etc. Therefore, Leonard Sweet is not speaking at "Skip's Church". [LT: Heitzig is one of the speakers at this event.] He is part of a conference using Calvary's facilities. Leonard Sweet will attend the conference but WILL NOT BE SPEAKING. It is our prayer that God will continue to reveal Himself to you through His Word as you seek to know Him. Love in Christ, Connection Communications -- Because the National Worship Leader Conference website still maintains that Leonard Sweet will indeed be speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque, an official public notice from CCA stating that Leonard Sweet will not be speaking there could help clear up the present confusion. Just as important, a statement explaining to the body of Christ why they have decided to remove him from the platform would be important. In a day and age when so many Christian leaders are sending out mixed messages to the Church regarding spiritual deception, those wanting to maintain biblical integrity need to be forthright and clear in what they believe and stand for. And regardless of what denomination or movement this confusion is occurring in, those particular leaders do have a biblical obligation to the entire body of Jesus Christ. This is not Lighthouse Trails saying this - this is what the Bible requests of leaders and pastors. [article link]
{Flashback} Note: There has been a change to the referencing for each of the Basic Christian blog Bible Study postings - Each posting will now contain the Bible's book and chapter and will no longer provide a reference to an alternate past study by Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa - The change is being made out of necessity in that the teachings of the Basic Christian blog Bible Study are too divergent from the alternate material of Calvary Chapel and therefore providing Chuck Smith or Calvary Chapel as an alternate reference in the blog Bible Study has been causing too much confusion within the current blog Bible Study - The rereferencing of each post will be completed as soon as possible - My sincere apologies for any inconvenience that this has caused or might cause for anyone studying the Bible - God bless you, David Anson Brown Originally the postings to the Basic Christian blog Bible Study were listed with an alternate past study of the Calvary Chapel C3000 series by Chuck Smith however the teachings and material of Chuck Smith have become to inconsistent and run to counter to the current [in progress] teachings given in the Basic Christian blog Bible Study and therefore there is no reason to [continue to] provide a listing to an alternate Chuck Smith resource. Sadly, it has also recently [in part through the faithful and diligent ministry of Randy Maugans at The Threshing Floor] come to the attention of the Basic Christian ministry that there are now several serious allegations that Chuck Smith does not have his own material but often plagiarizes much of his material from other sources [including now New Age material i.e. his 2006 book "When Storms Come" by Chuck Smith with (later removed) portions plagiarized from two New Age authors] and that Chuck Smith had then put his name on the material of others as though it was his own material. In Short there was an attempt to provide a reference to some past material as an alternate counterbalance to the Basic Christian material however it quickly became evident that the material of the alternate teaching of Chuck Smith is filled with too many personal antecedents has too many inconsistencies [biblical names, dates and locations] (probably from his use of too many external sources i.e. other commentaries) and even outright biblical misrepresentations [i.e. Kingdom - eternal rewards] to the point that the past study of Chuck Smith is incompatible with the current Basic Christian blog Bible Study and therefore for clarity all references to any Calvary Chapel or Chuck Smith material will be removed from all of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
{Flashback} Dr. Norman Geisler On Ergun Caner by Peter Lumpkins [Apparently it's not a hoax and Dr. Norman Geisler did author that incoherent rant.] {Note: We live in crucial times and as such it is now time that we REJECT the current Christian pastors, teachers and leaders that are unable or unwilling to accurately evaluate and assess the post 9-11-2001 era of danger, beguile and betrayal that we now exist in. Too many Pastors are still more interested in their own personal agendas, comfort and finances than in spreading the gospel message of Jesus Christ. -- Past pastors, teachers and leaders like Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel, Rick Warren, John Hagee, Greg Laurie, Skip Heitzig, James Dobson, Norman Geisler, Jerry Falwell Jr., John MacArthur, Rick Joyner, Mark Demoss, Tony Perkins, David Brody, Lee Strobel, R.C. Sproul, Max Lucado and a host of others who consider themselves to be apostles, prophets, teachers and leaders need no longer be taken seriously or even be considered to be viable as a Christian Church authority by those within or without the true Christian Church. It is time to call into question their motives, abilities, agendas and desires that make them unwilling to accurately or faithfully proclaim the trusted Gospel of Jesus Christ!} COMMENTS: Peter, With all due respect to Dr. Geisler's acomplishments of years past, I fear this is another of a group of recent statements showing how out of touch he is with present [since 9-11-2001] reality. What have we come to in the evangelical community when fabrications, exaggerations and lies are dismissed and those who expose such things are called "libelous"? I'm sorry, but relying solely on the assessments of men like Elmer Towns and Norm Geisler in a postmodern, digital age is not altogether sound. It would be safe to say that these men spend little or no time on the internet, much less reading blogs, web sites, twitter feeds, etc. The abundance of information today can be overwhelming for those of previous generations. This is not to say that the present environment is better, just VERY different. Moreover, Dr. Geisler is not a completely unbiased source in this matter. Caner is a regular speaker at apologetics conferences held at Southern Evangelical Seminary, founded by Geisler. Futhermore, how is it possible that he able to render summary judgement on this matter by only talking to "Dr. Caner and other principal parties at Liberty"? How can one make a final judgement on a matter by only talking to one side of the matter? What if we applied this same standard in our legal system? What if judges rendered judgement on a case after only speaking with the defendent? This seems grossly biased to me. Lastly, I agree we all should "pray for and encourage our brother". We should PRAY that DR. Caner will repent of his fabrications and falsehoods. We should ENCOURAGE Dr. Caner to start telling his TRUE testimony: that of a child from a broken him divided between Islamic and secularistic values whom God miraculously and graciously brought to salvation. {Amen!} [article link]
The Threshing Floor Radio Show-June 27, 2010-Randy Maugans - The End of Religion (Mp3) "The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world." Georgia Harkness -- We have got to deal with this: Many religious doctrines are of men, not God. Religion is a tool of control that drives blind allegiances to falsehoods, stifles growth, and limits our capacity to be both critical and embracing of new information. Religion substitutes rigid rules and narrow interpretation for genuine seeking of TRUTH. Even worse, religion is conformity to a world-view that streams into the goals of the elites…easily aroused to passions of fervor, the religious become unwitting pawns in a game of social control, genocide, and war. This is about you…your quest…your battle for truth regardless of cost…heedless of risk. Faith begins at the point of not knowing, it ends at the moment you think you "know." [article link]
The Zeph Report - "Z Live" on WWCR - June 26, 2010 - Guest Randy Maugans - An extended transmission of the live shortwave feed (Mp3) "And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Isaiah 40:5" - A word is spoken in the show: REJECT FEAR! Additionally, I would say embrace loveAGAPE. The gulf oil spill is a shadow of the wounds that are in each of us…places that bleed, are broken, and need healing. Empty out yourself from yourself and get real before the Lord. The off-air segment finds us discussing music, along with summarizing the themes brought out in the broadcast. Nothing planned…no
agendas…the Spirit heals in the places of our wounds. [article link]
LHTR Discussion Topic: The Shack Author Says "The God of Evangelical Christianity is a Monster" - Comments: Young's Jesus cannot save - Young is leading his readers straight to the Lake of Fire - He doesn't understand God's love [or God's Holiness, His righteousness and His justice] -- Incredibly, this novel continues to cut a swath through the Body of Christ - Will it make a difference when--and if--Christians learn the truth about the author's rejection of the Biblical Christ? -- I am very distressed as my denomination [unknown] greatly pushes this book as wonderful - has had lots of discussion groups, promotes its reading - When I said it was wrong, I got into all kinds of trouble - It saddens me greatly that the Christian community now puts "modern novels and wrong doctrine" above the Bible - Guess they only want to read things that "tickle the ears" On Friday night, author and researcher Ray Yungen attended a lecture at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon to hear The Shack author William Paul Young. The name of Young's talk was "Can God Really Be That Good?" During the talk, Young told the audience that "the God of evangelical Christianity is a monster." He was referring to the belief that God is a God of judgment and will judge the unbelieving. Young also rejects the biblical view of atonement (wherein Jesus died as a substitute for us to pay the price of our sins). This view by Young is evident in a radio interview he had one year ago where he rejected the biblical view of the atonement. He echoes the sentiments of William Shannon and Brennan Manning, who both say that the God who punishes His own son to pay for the sins of others does not exist: He is the God who exacts the last drop of blood from His Son, so that His just anger, evoked by sin, may be appeased. This God whose moods alternate between graciousness and fierce anger - a God who is still all too familiar to many Christians - is a caricature of the true God. This God does not exist. (Shannon, Silence on Fire, p. 110, also see Manning who stated the very same thing in Above All, pp. 58-59). Young told the audience that his book has now sold 14 million copies. He says that he believes his book has been a "god thing" to heal people's souls because so many people have been tainted by this evangelical God. Young said his book is so effective because when you put something in a story form it gets past mental defenses. Young's obvious distain for evangelical Christianity (in a derogatory manner, he said there are "1.4 million" rules in the evangelical church) is shown in his book as well when The Shack's "Jesus" states: "I have no desire to make them [people from all religious and political backgrounds] Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa" (p. 184). Young asked "evangelicals," "Do you want to hold onto your darkness?" and answered for them, "No, you want to get rid of it." [article link]
Bible verse: 1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we [Christians] have received, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit which is of God; that we might know *the things that are freely given to us of God. {Note: As Christians if we were to try to go the 'works' route in attempting to facilitate a relationship with God our own works would continually keep us from experiencing the fullness of God, all that God has for us at any one moment. Works imply receiving something later, a later payment that is missing but a personal relationship facilitates fullness in God and with God at all times regardless of our own works or of our own abilities.} '1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we [Christians] have received, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.' -- 'Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.' -- 'Romans 5:17 For if by one man's [Adam's] offence death reigned by one; much more they [Saints - Christians] which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.' -- 'Romans 8:15-17 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the [born again] Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, *that we are the Children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.' -- 'Philippians 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.' [article link]
Josh McDowell: Can I Trust the Bible? - Parts 1-4 Video (wmv) "The Bible stands alone among all other books. It is unique, 'different from all others,' in the following ways plus a multitude more: *Continuity, *Circulation, *Translation, *Survival, *Teachings, *Influence on Literature, and *Influence on Civilization." Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Pg. 4, 4-16. [article link]
Hooray! This marks the official release of "The Bible vs Joseph Smith!" In a conversation between a Christian and a Mormon, the prophets of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon are put head to head in a test to see which prophets are truly speaking for God - If even one prophecy fails to come true, that prophet is a false prophet, and must be put to death -- See Also: The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon - DVD Trailers (Online Videos) Hooray! This marks the official release of "The Bible vs Joseph Smith!" We have worked very hard on this fulllength documentary since the beginning of august last year, and it's now finally available. And now is when we need your help more then ever! Here are some things you can do: 1. Order multiple copies to use in your witness to Mormons, and to promote the film in your community. 2. Host a local showing of the documentary (not restricted to pastors). 3. Forward our release email to 10 or more of your friends (for those on our mailing list). 4. Share this post on your facebook, twitter, myspace, etc., with the "share" icon at the bottom of this post! 5. Embed the trailer on your own website or blog with the code below: You have blessed us so much! Thank you for all your support, now lets spread this tool as far and wide as possible to uncover the falacy of Mormonism, and reveal the glory of God in Jesus Christ! *If you are a Mormon, email us and we'll set you up to watch The Bible vs Joseph Smith for free. [article link]
PREEMPTION BROADCAST with Russ Dizdar - Prophecy Prayer, the Past Present and Future (Mp3s) Prophecy Prayer, the Past Present and Future the Book of Daniel chapter 9. [article link]
The Amber May [Radio] Show is Coming To An End - Amber May's time on 1010 AM is coming to an end - She is so sadden by the ending - *She will continue to do podcasts - Please continue to visit her website www.ambermayshow.com - She just opened an online store on the website please check it out - She needs funds to pay off the radio bill - Amber May also has several discount offers on her website as well - Please check out the blog while you are there as well (Mp3s) Welcome to The Amber May Show. The aim of the program is to give hope to hurting hearts. The show also tries encouraging the believers of Christ, in their daily walk with him. Amber May deals with life issues from a biblical perspective. Amber May would also like to introduce the character of God to those who may not know him. She hopes that people will have a better understanding of God after they listen to the program. Please check out the podcast. There might be a show that she had done, that may help you with a life struggle that you are currently dealing with. Amber May would love to hear from you. Please visit her contact page or, follow her on the social medias below. Make sure you check out the discounts page for some money saving codes for your next purchase. Please consider making a donation, radio air time is expensive. [article link]
Navigators.org: The Evolution of the Wheel Illustration - Throughout his ministry, Dawson Trotman, founder and first president of The Navigators, liked to use illustrations or diagrams like this to help others remember basic principles of the Christian life - So in the 1930s, when he was working with Sunday School classes and boys' clubs, he used the best illustration he had heard describing the balanced Christian life--the three-legged stool - But Trotman became dissatisfied with the [stool] illustration ... So in 1968 "Obedience" was moved to the rim of the Wheel and "Fellowship" replaced it as a spoke - That leaves us with the Wheel as it is today - And whether it remains in this form, or is eventually changed again, it is a useful way of understanding and remembering the essentials for living the Christian life
The Wheel® - History: The Evolution of the Wheel Illustration by Ray King - "They say the Christian life is like a three-legged stool," the young Sunday School teacher told his class. "You must be supported by three things-the Word, prayer and witnessing--to be effective in your Christian lives." Throughout his ministry, Dawson Trotman, founder and first president of The Navigators, liked to use illustrations or diagrams like this to help others remember basic principles of the Christian life. So in the 1930s, when he was working with Sunday School classes and boys' clubs, he used the best illustration he had heard describing the balanced Christian life--the three-legged stool (illustration 1). But Trotman became dissatisfied with the illustration. It left the Christian sitting down--certainly not a practical way to approach the dynamic Christian life he saw taught in the Bible. After much thought and prayer, he designed what he called "The Wheel" illustration to solve this problem. This wasn't the Wheel many of us know today, but a forerunner to it. The hub was Christ, the center of the Christian's life; but there were only three spokes on this wheel, corresponding to the three legs of the stool (illustration 2). Now he had the Christian moving, but he began to see another weakness in the illustration. It showed that Christians should witness, know the Word and pray, but it left out the application of the Bible to all areas of one's life demonstrating the power of Christian living. So Trotman added a fourth spoke--"Living the Life" --to the Wheel (illustration 3). The rim was called "The Christian Life" or "The Christian in Action." This emphasis on living every area of life with and for the Lord came at an important time. Dr. Arthur Glasser, dean of the School of Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary, says, "Dawson was one of the pioneers in reacting against easy believism. Daws said 'You can't treat a command in the Bible as advice. A command is a command!' He was a living protest against a form of Christianity that sought to understand the Bible, but which wasn't serious about obeying it." Later the new fourth spoke, "Living the Life," was shortened to "Obedience" and the rim was renamed "The Christian Living the Life" (illustration 4). Some people asked, "Where is the Holy Spirit in the Wheel?" Trotman answered that the Holy Spirit was intrinsic throughout, being necessary to the fulfillment of each component of the Wheel. After Trotman's death, in 1956, the Wheel continued to change. Some thought "Obedience" shouldn't be a spoke, since it wasn't in the same category as the other spokes. Rather, it was the theme of the entire Wheel. At the same time others realized that another basic element of the Christian life was not included in the Wheel, even though it was being practiced throughout the body of Christ and was found throughout the New Testament--fellowship. So in 1968 "Obedience" was moved to the rim of the Wheel and "Fellowship" replaced it as a spoke. That leaves us with the Wheel as it is today (illustration 5). And whether it remains in this form, or is eventually changed again, it is a useful way of understanding and remembering the essentials for living the Christian life, just as its forerunners were. Original title: "The Wheel Was Once a Three-Legged Stool," by Ray King from the January 1975 issue of NavLog. [article link]
Navigators: The Wheel - Illustration with Bible Verses (PDF) Just as any wheel in balance must have the *hub directly in the *center (established), any life in balance must be centered [established] on Christ. He is the power source for a dynamic Chrisian life just as the wheel is driven forward by the power of the hub. The direction of any wheel also comes from the hub and so every mature believer follows the Lordship of Christ. He sets the direction for their lives. ... • The *rim [surrounding outer area - that holds everything together] on a wheel is where the rubber meets the road. This is living the daily life of following Christ by being *obedient to His commands. • The *spokes represent the basics of walking with Christ. Every believer must have these elements in their life in order to grow consistently and fruitfully. The **vertical spokes depict our relationship with God. The foundational spoke is the *Word (Holy Bible). In His Word God speaks to us and we get direction from Him. Through *Prayer we speak to God sharing with Him our needs, we praise His greatness and confess our sins. • The **horizontal spokes depict our relationships with people - *Fellowship (being served) is our relationship with believers [and also with non-believers]. We share the love of Christ with one another. *Witnessing (Serving) is our relationship with those who don't know Christ [and also with those who do know Jesus]. We share the reality of Christ and His gospel by our words and our lifestyle. [article link]
Warning: Amazon.com Recommends Henri Nouwen to Lighthouse Trails Readers - A Lighthouse Trails reader who had purchased a copy of Castles in the Sand from Amazon - The customer received the notice below from Amazon telling them that since they liked Castles in the Sand, they might also like Henri Nouwen's book, Spiritual formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit - We want to issue this warning that Henri Nouwen was a proponent of contemplative mysticism, the kind that Castles in the Sand so clearly warns against {**Note: I would at the least flip 2 and 3 of 'The five classical stages' - the illumination (light) of God (John 1:45) first causes within us the desires and ability to purge our sinful behavior from our own lives. It's backward for us to attempt to purge [work out of ourselves] the darkness in the often vain and false (Matthew 12:43-45) hope that God's light will then suddenly enter into us having used our own works [methods] that are actually counter to the Biblical principles of a personal, trusting, meaningful and intimate relationship with God in Jesus Christ. Biblically we are to have God's light (Bible, Prayer, Fellowship, Service all surrounded (encompassed) by obedience to God - i.e. the Navigators.org 'wheel' illustration) enter into us first and then with the light of God in Jesus Christ in us, His life in us automatically removes the darkness from us and with it our doubts and the fears of this world.} Today, we received an email from a Lighthouse Trails reader who had purchased a copy of Castles in the Sand from Amazon. The customer received the notice below from Amazon telling them that since they liked Castles in the Sand, they might also like Henri Nouwen's book, Spiritual formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit. We want to issue this warning that Henri Nouwen was a proponent of contemplative mysticism, the kind that Castles in the Sand so clearly warns against. At the end of Nouwen's life, after years of following the mystical path, in the last book he wrote, he said these words: "Today I personally believe that while Jesus came to open the door to God's house, all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her own way to God." -From Sabbatical Journey, page 51, 1998 Hardcover Edition. To understand Nouwen's Buddhist/Eastern spiritual outlook, read Ray Yungen's article, "Henri Nouwen and Buddhism." You will then understand why we feel compelled to post this warning regarding Amazon's recommendation to Lighthouse Trails readers. -- Dear Amazon.com Customer, As someone who has purchased or rated Castles in the Sand by Carolyn A. Greene, you might like to know that Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit will be released on June 29, 2010. From Back Cover: Henri Nouwen, the world-renowned spiritual guide and counselor, understood the spiritual life as a journey of faith and transformation that is deepened by accountability, community, and relationships. Though he counseled many people during his lifetime, his principles of spiritual direction and formation were never written down. Two of Nouwen's longtime students, Michael Christensen and Rebecca Laird, have taken his famous course in spiritual direction and supplemented it with his unpublished writings to create the definitive series on Nouwen's thoughts on the Christian life. The first book in the series, Spiritual Direction, introduced readers to the core concepts of Nouwen's approach to the spiritual life. Book two, Spiritual Formation, showcases Nouwen's life-long effort to re-construct the five classical stages of spiritual development as movements in the journey of faith. The five classical stages are these: 1. Awakening (our desire) 2. Purgation (purifying our passions) 3. Illumination (of God) 4. Dark Night (of the Soul) 5. Unification (with God) Readings, stories, questions for personal reflection, and guided journal inquiry as articulated by Nouwen will provide readers with an experience in spiritual formation with the well-known author, priest, and guide. The third and final book in the series, Spiritual Discernment, is planned to release in 2012. - {**Note: I would at the least flip 2 and 3 of 'The five classical stages' - the illumination (light) of God (John 1:4-5) first causes within us the desires and ability to purge our sinful behavior from our own lives. It's backward for us to attempt to purge [work out of ourselves] the darkness in the often vain and false (Matthew 12:43-45) hope that God's light will then suddenly enter into us having used our own works [methods] that are actually counter to the Biblical principles of a personal, trusting, meaningful and intimate relationship with God in Jesus Christ. Biblically we are to have God's light (Bible, Prayer, Fellowship, Service all surrounded (encompassed) by obedience to God - i.e. the Navigators.org 'wheel' illustration) enter into us first and then with the light of God in Jesus Christ in us, His life in us automatically removes the darkness from us and with it our doubts and the fears of this world.} [article link]
Mormon Coffee blog: In his (YouTube) critique, FlackerMan disputes the frequently asserted LDS claim that [LDS founder] Joseph Smith knew he was going to die at Carthage [jail] - Comments: falcon on June 24th, 2010 - Man, the [LDS] Mormons are writing fast and furious today! Usually it only gets this hot when something about the faux priesthood is posted - Let's not forget, Joseph Smith ended up in jail for ordering the destruction of a printing press - Spin away Mormons but it was this lawless deed that sent him to jail and eventually to his death - Yea, I know and [LDS President] Brigham Young wasn't complicit in the Mountain Meadows Massacre [9-11-1857, in Utah the LDS ambush and murder of 120 American settlers on their way from Missouri to California] either - Smith wasn't interested in buying the farm when he went to jail - He had every reason to want to live - **He [Joseph Smith] had power, money and sex **the three things that corrupt men and he was corrupt - We're not talking about a flawed prophet here - We're talking about [Joseph Smith] a religious charlatan who armed himself [with 1 of 2 pistols smuggled into his jail cell by a fellow Mormon] in order to shoot his way out of jail if necessary - I for one wished the guy had lived - The whole deal would have eventually crumbled around him - He would have been the author of his own destruction which I guess he was any way I have edited and listed many of FlackerMan's questions here for your consideration. Joseph removed his temple garments before going to Carthage and told others to do the same {It's likely that Joseph Smith had everyone removed their LDS 'temple underwear garments' prior to getting to Carthage because once in town and especially once in jail it could easily be discovered that Joseph Smith had stolen the Freemasonry concepts from the Freemasons and was using them in his own LDS rituals [temple rituals] including using the two main Freemason symbols [compass and square] markings on their own LDS underwear and certainly the local Freemasons would not approve of it.} (D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, 146). Why would he do this if he were about to die a martyr's death for his testimony? Joseph, Hyrum and others drank wine while singing songs in Carthage Jail (History of the Church, 7:101). Why would Joseph disobey the [LDS] Word of Wisdom, a direct [LDS] revelation from God, if he knew he was very soon to stand before that God for judgment and be required to give an account of his behavior? **Joseph sent an order to the [LDS-Mormon] Nauvoo Legion instructing an [LDS] attack on Carthage Jail to free the prisoners. When the mob approached, Joseph mistook them for his [Mormon Legion] liberators and told the frightened jailer, "Don't trouble yourself, they have come to rescue me" (Quinn, 141). Why would Joseph have made plans for, and expected, his escape if he knew he was going to die? Joseph had and used a gun defensively during the attack (History of the Church, 7:101-103). Why would he bother to fend off his attackers if he was going "like a lamb to the slaughter" and knew he was about to die? When Joseph's gun ran out of ammunition {jammed - approximately 3 of six shots were fired by Joseph Smith from one of two smuggled pistols - by most accounts hitting three people from the mob eventually killing two one who died from his wound in the arm and another after being seriously wounded in the face while less seriously wounding a third person in the shoulder - source: www.i4m.com/think/history/carthage-jail-smith.htm} he [Joseph Smith] ran to the [second story] window [in back of the jail] and, using the Masonic distress code ["O Lord My God! Is there no help for the widow's son?"], called for help from fellow Masons who might have been in the mob (see E. Cecil McGavin, Mormonism and Masonry, 16-17). Why would he call for help if he knew his destiny was to die that day? Indeed, if Joseph knew his death was imminent, why did he not just give himself up for the safety of his friends who were with him? After the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum, the LDS Church was in crisis. No clear direction for succession in leadership had been set in place. This lack of direction resulted in many schisms and breakaway Mormon groups all claiming to be God's only true church. If Joseph knew he was never to return from Carthage Jail, why didn't he definitively name a successor before his death? Did Joseph Smith know he was going to Carthage to die? The circumstances and Joseph's behavior surrounding his death make that seem highly unlikely. This is yet another faith-promoting Mormon myth employed to persuade people to pin their eternal hopes to what is ultimately a lie. ... Comments: David on June 24th, 2010 - Sharon, Let me play a little Devil's Advocate. I think it is fairly obvious that Joseph and company had a good idea that they might die if they went to jail. Is anyone disputing this? This was possibly a reason, or even the reason, why they were about to flee into the rocky mountains. Even if Joseph was interested in clearing his name at trial, he was not obliged to turn himself in as
his safety was far from guaranteed as the historical record demonstrates. Granted, I think Joseph was engaged in at least one, and possibly multiple illegal activities (the destruction of the printing press {extensive bankmoney fraud (Joseph Smith's Kirtland Bank Failure - "An illegal bank created by Joseph Smith")} being the foremost), but the state is supposed to better than mere criminals and on that day it was not. ... Sharon on June 24th, 2010 - David, I'm on the road so this will be quick, but I'm gonna push back a little on this. I do not believe Joseph and Hyrum thought they were going to die at Carthage. I think there is plenty of evidence that suggests they thought they would either be liberated by the Nauvoo Legion, or, by Habeas Corpus which had worked so well for Joseph many times before. As for the WoW, true it was not yet a commandment, yet God did allegedly give specific directions regarding alcohol which Joseph disregarded in that situation. And last quick point, I think the context of the frontier is important to keep in mind, yet we need to be careful to not go too far. Yes, there was mob justice, but even so, history shows that the people *generally* wanted to solve things within the law (demonstrated, perhaps, by your surprise that the violence was not worse than it was). [article link]
{Flashback} HOTM: Heart of the Matter a Live One Hour Call-in Show - 06/23/2009 Episode 171 Mountain Meadows Pt VII - at about 27 minutes into the show during the call-in portion Danny from Georgia calls in and among other things comments that "he is believing for the Lord to change millions of lives" [Danny is in a sense prophesying that millions of people are about to come out of the LDS organization and into true Christianity. Is the LDS about to come crashing down as a failed, bankrupt organization? I hope so and I certainly agree with Danny and Heart of the Matter on this one!] {Though the Basic Christian ministry is not a part of the ministry to the LDS movement it does join in prayer and in the hope that millions of people will be delivered from the LDS and into the glorious light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Note: Basic Christian is a Theology, Bible Study and Current Events ministry and sometimes the current events involve LDS issues. Above all the Basic Christian ministry is a Servant Ministry serving people by providing Links, Information and Resources to Christian material. - The Basic Christian ministry is not a Leadership ministry, not a Teaching ministry and not a Counseling ministry. The Basic Christian ministry does seek to use the Spiritual gifts of Discernment, Word of Knowledge and Word of Wisdom in its ministry capacity.} (Online Video - Mp4 and Mp3 Downloads) About Heart of the Matter: Started in early 2006, Heart of the Matter is a TV show produced in the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City. It's where Mormonism meets Biblical Christianity face to face! Shawn McCraney, the host of Heart of the Matter, provides great entertainment value and valuable knowledge of Mormonism and what it means to be a Born-Again Christian. Shawn is the author of "I Was a Born-Again Mormon" and the pastor of Calvary Campus. -- Live One Hour Call-in Show - Airs Tuesdays 8pm MST - Rebroadcasts Tuesdays 11am MST -Salt Lake City Channel 20 KTMW - Boise, Idaho Channel 18 KCLP. [article link]
{Flashback} Basic Christian: Christianity and the Mormon (LDS) Cult are Very Different Mormonism (LDS) practices and engages in the longtime deceitful and illegal marketing practice of "bait and switch" to offer - bait the customer with one product and then through excuses, deceit and manipulations to steer the customer into a different inferior product. In this case Mormons universally offer Jesus, the Bible and a "truer Christianity" and then in a dishonest way switching from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible to the teachings of Joseph Smith and others. The Mormon Church is deliberately trying to avoid their true identity as a Mormon cult and is instead representing themselves as something they are not, which is true Christian followers of Jesus. Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
Verse-by-Verse Commentary with Dr. Grant C. Richison exposes the mind of God to the mind of man by expounding individual books of God's Word verse-by-verse (PDFs) Verse-by-Verse Commentary with Dr. Grant C. Richison exposes the mind of God to the mind of man by
expounding individual books of God's Word verse-by-verse. Each study expounds a passage, forms a principle out of that passage, and shows how to apply that principle to your life. We recommend that you actively apply the principle to your life throughout each day to develop personal maturity. By applying principles of the Word daily, the believer will reach the status of edification construct (maturity). Verse-by-Verse Commentary is a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. ... NEW EXPOSITION BOOK: We finished the exposition on Ruth (in the process editing). Matthew still in process of editing as well. Romans is our next book. Browse Studies by Book and Verse - 3000 studies and 6000 pages (PDFs) available free! [article link]
David Payne Drama - [Apostle Paul] Prisoner of Passion - Payne delivers a powerful and inspiring presentation as Paul the Apostle reflecting on his life in Christ - Preview (YouTube) Who is David Payne? Born in London, England, David Payne discovered his calling as an actor portraying C. S. Lewis in the stage production of Shadowlands at Nashville's prestigious Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Acclaimed for the power, sensitivity, and authenticity of his portrayal of C. S. Lewis in the shows Shadowlands, In Search of Joy, and Weep for Joy, Payne now tours the U.S. performing his Lewis-inspired repertoire, which also includes his characterization of "Professor Daemon" in Target Practice - a show that found its inspiration from Lewis's The Screwtape Letters. More recently, he has starred as Aslan the Lion in U.S. tours of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe and The Magician's Nephew. His latest stage production is Prisoner of Passion. Drawing from the Pauline epistles and using the text of the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) translation, Payne delivers a powerful and inspiring presentation as Paul the apostle reflecting on his life in Christ. For more information, visit Payne's Ministry, Rising Image. Visit DavidPayneDrama on YouTube. [article link]
Heartlight.org [Daily Devotions] Facebook App We're excited to announce our new free Facebook application which lets you read, discuss, and share all of our daily devotionals and articles using your Facebook account. You can choose which of these resources are accesible to you in Facebook, including our daily graphics. You can find this free application here: apps.facebook.com/heartlight (email
[email protected] if you have problems or questions). Please also take a moment to become a fan of heartlight and tell your friends and family about us: www.facebook.com/pages/HeartlightR/121754564503401 - We have also released our new mobile version of Heartlight.org, so you can easily access our resources on iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and other mobile devices. Take a look here: www.heartlight.mobi [article link]
Lighthouse Trails Interactive Forum - On June 22nd, 2010, Lighthouse Trails launched its first forum/message board On June 22nd, 2010, Lighthouse Trails launched its first forum/message board. A great place to leave comments, talk to others, and learn more about defending the faith and understanding the look of spiritual deception. You can get to the forum by clicking here. If you want to post discussion there, you will need to register. [article link]
mobile-computing-news: SSD drives going mainstream - Best Buy retails two Intel SSD Drives - The X25-M available in 80GB in stores and the X25-V available in a 40GB variation {Note: These are Intel 2nd Generation (G2) [34nm] SSDs the even better with larger storage Intel 3rd Generation (G3) [25nm] SSDs will be out later this year.} Over 800 Best Buy stores across the United States will begin carrying the award winning Intel X25-M, as well as the more 'affordable' Intel X25-V, with the X25-M available in 80GB in stores and the X25-V available in a 40GB variation. The reason these Intel SSD variations retailing in Best Buy is such a big deal is because this represents the very first time Best Buy has ever allocated shelf space to solid state drives by selling them in stores. This is
an important step in the adoption of solid state drives, since a massive portion of computer components and hardware is still sold over the counter, and the mainstream presence Best Buy has may just be what this market segment needs to give it a boost. [article link]
Engadget: Intel swings 25nm [G3 SSD] factory doors open for a tour de fab Intel and Micron's recent announcement that their collective superhero body, appropriately named IM Flash, is sampling 25nm flash chips has been accompanied with a whirlwind tour of their Utah production facilities for a few lucky journalists. PC Perspective bring us the atmospheric photo above, along with some videos, as they prance about one of the most hallowed (and cleanest) environments known to gadget lovers. Apart from the die shrink, the lads also discuss Intel's reputed plans for a G3 SSD refresh some time "later this year" with snappier controllers onboard, which apparently was echoed by Micron who also intend to pump out faster processors with their SSD products. While you wait for all that to happen, hit the source link to find out how and where the stuff that gets put inside SSDs is made. [article link]
Wikipedia: Microsoft Windows Live SkyDrive - Windows Live SkyDrive is part of Microsoft's Windows Live range of online [cloud computing - cloud storage] services - Publicly-shared files do not require a Windows Live ID to access (.docx file downloads) Windows Live SkyDrive (initially Windows Live Folders) is part of Microsoft's Windows Live range of online services. SkyDrive is a file storage and sharing service that allows users to upload files to the computing cloud, then access them from a web browser. It uses Windows Live ID to control access to the user's files, allowing them to keep the files private, share with contacts, or make the files public. Publicly-shared files do not require a Windows Live ID to access. ... RSS feeds: It is possible to subscribe to RSS feeds of the content of public folders. The feeds contain preview images of the added files - either a thumbnail of an image or an icon representing the file type - and links to the file download pages. ... Download as .zip file: Entire directories can [also] be downloaded as a single .zip file with this feature. This feature is found in the "More" dropdown menu. [article link]
Basic Christian - via Microsoft Skydrive Online Storage | Share Files with Shared Folders | Windows Live SkyDrive - File Downloads Available (File - .docx - MS Word 2010) {Note: Select the blue File Tab then the Download Option to download. - Also Note: All the files download by default in Protected Mode and start in Protected Mode when first opened but can be edited after opening by selecting edit mode.} Free 25 GB online storage means you can Store, access, and share your files online with friends or co-workers, from anywhere. ... Each folder on SkyDrive has a unique Web address, so you can save the link as a favorite or copy-and-paste it into e-mail or other documents for direct access. [article link]
Basic Christian - Windows Live SkyDrive - File Downloads Available (Folder - .docx - MS Word 2010) {Note: All the files download by default in Protected Mode and start in Protected Mode when first opened but can be edited after opening by selecting edit mode.} Free 25 GB online storage means you can Store, access, and share your files online with friends or co-workers, from anywhere. ... Each folder on SkyDrive has a unique Web address, so you can save the link as a favorite or copy-and-paste it into e-mail or other documents for direct access. [article link]
*Update: Starting soon [now in effect] Basic Christian is uploading version 2010 .docx MS Word files and will [has] discontinued uploading the 2007 MS Word version Note: Currently Basic Christian files are uploaded to the internet in (MS Word format) .doc [MS Word 2003] and .docx [MS Word 2007 format]. With the current release of MS Word 2010 the .docx extension remains however
the 2007 version and the 2010 version of MS Word are different and possibly incompatible. The .doc [MS Word 2003] version will continue to be uploaded and the new .docx [MS Word 2010] version will be uploaded replacing the .docx [MS Word 2007] version. [article link]
Holiness (Mp3) A Christian music with message compilation. [article link]
The Amber May Show - End Times Part 1 &2 (Mp3s) This show looks at the End Times. Many people believe we are in the last days now and that God in all his glory will arrive on scene any day. May that is true but maybe it's not. Check this program out. [article link]
AnswersInGenesis.org: Counterfeit Reality with Bill Jack - Parts 1 & 2 (Online Video) Shot live before 300 teens and embellished with cutting-edge comic book style animation, Demolishing Strongholds features four highly engaging speakers: Ken Ham, Bill Jack, Charles Ware, and Carl Kerby. Each will prepare your students to stand firm on the authority of God's Word, and each will equip and challenge them to activate their faith! [article link]
SPIRITUALITY WITHOUT BOUNDARIES (A Reformed View Commentary on Individual Holiness) - We are saved [individual salvation] by grace, through faith [in Jesus Christ] (Ephesians 2:8) - We are [also] sanctified [our continuing individual holiness (Christian Maturity) in] the same way [by our faith in the completed and accomplished works of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10)] - *The people who really do love God and want to please Him often feel that they do not [do enough,] give enough and likely do not love [Him] enough - [Rick Warren and] Whitney's message [takes advantage of our natural guilt of not doing enough to please God but] is only abusive to those that believe him-much as the (ancient practice of the) sale of indulgences only abused those that believed indulgences were effective in sanctifying the dead [in a made-up pergatory] - Reformed Theology [in theory] exists to resist the processes [of self guilt] that led Luther to despair as he tried every practice the church had to offer for achieving [his own personal] holiness [until Luther found a personal trust and relationship with Jesus Christ] - {Note: I find Reformed Theology to be excessively human focused, man exalting and man centered i.e. John Calvin, [John MacArthur, R. C. Sproul and many others] and not as focused on the presence, workings, gifting, reality, equality, leading and empowerment all freely given of God [the Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] that the Bible directs us to be.} Before I begin my critique, I want to place before you the areas where Whitney and I agree. Whitney has the gospel right and explains it (Whitney: 28). He is correct that it is the Holy Spirit who imparts a desire for holiness and does so for all Christians. He is correct that the purpose of sanctification is to conform us to the image of Christ. Some of the practices he endorses are valid means of grace (such as the Word of God and prayer). He cites in valid ways many orthodox teachers from church history. He understands that evangelism includes the call to repent and believe and that sharing the gospel constitutes "success" even if people refuse to listen (Whitney: 103). I appreciated his emphasis on the need to study the Bible in a scholarly way in his chapter about learning. And his thesis that we ought to make holiness a priority and take action to that end is a valid implication of his theme verse: "Discipline yourself for the purpose of "godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7). But I disagree with the manner in which Whitney uses Paul's athletic metaphor in his applications. Paul implies neither asceticism nor sanctification by human effort. Had Whitney's book been written when I was in Bible College, it would have proven toxic to me. I would have eaten up his ideas and embarked on a plan to put into practice everything he teaches. In fact, taken as a whole, the errors I pursued as a young Christian would be the most practical way to implement Whitney's approach to holiness: join a Christian commune or a monastery. I am very concerned that Whitney will harm young Christians who wish to be the best Christians they can be, just
as I was. Because it contains the true gospel and begins with a respect for the scriptures, I believe Whitney's book to be even more seductive than were the teachers I was reading-like Watchman Nee. *Ordinary life [reality] does not lend itself to the [staged] high level practice of asceticism, pietism, and mysticism [emotions and feelings]. The problems with Whitney's book are these: serious category errors, a lack of boundaries, failure to understand the means of grace, pragmatism, the endorsement of false teachers such as Richard Foster and Dallas Willard without caveat, and his own toned-down version of mysticism. I shall proceed to show what I mean by interacting with his ideas. ... So Whitney is out of bounds to tell us we must do certain things that are not in the Bible if we want to achieve godliness on no other grounds than he said so. He provides arguments in order to justify some of his other practices, but shabby and weak arguments are not valid and should not be heeded. For example, when he teaches us to practice journaling he says this: "Though journaling is not commanded in Scripture, it is modeled" ... The writing of the Psalms and Lamentations was not done because God had made a general promise that if people of faith were to write a journal about their own feelings, experiences, and issues, that God would thereby sanctify them. David and Jeremiah were Holy Spirit-inspired Biblical authors, not people who "modeled" the practice of journaling so that others would do the same. The writers of Psalms and Lamentations wrote scripture that is binding and true. Despite Whitney's claims, our own journaling is a product of our imaginations-and not of scripture. Scripture is a valid means of sanctification and our own imaginative writings are not. ... We see the same problem in Whitney's claim that stewardship is a spiritual discipline. Yes, we are required to be stewards of all we have, including time and money, which Whitney discusses. True Christians are those who have died with Christ to the world and all its claims on us. But do we make ourselves stewards by spending more time in spiritual activities and giving away as much of our money as possible? Or do we put ourselves under God's means of grace, by faith, and as we study and believe the Bible, become stewards by God's grace? I consider Whitney's teaching on giving to be abusive. Paul refers to giving as a "gracious work" in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. That means that when God performs a work of grace, people become generous and eager to give. But Paul specifically says that giving is voluntary. Whitney says, "The proportion of your income that you give back to God is one distinct indication of how much you trust Him to provide for your needs. ... Donald Whitney is not teaching people to give everything away and move into a commune. He is, however, teaching Christians to think like those who give everything away and move into some equivalent of a monastery. As I read his book I thought about what happened to me when I thought that way. We have no way of being sure of how much we love and trust God. Only God knows. ... We are presumptuous when we create our own trials by asceticism supposedly to prove to ourselves that we trust Him. We should give and serve by His grace and not think that how much we give is a true indication that we trust God to provide for us. A person can give everything away and yet not trust God on His terms at all. ... When I met with Rick Warren at the end of his 2008 Summit for his PEACE plan, Chris Rosebrough was there as well. He had sat through every session for several days and told Warren that what he heard day after day was "do more, sacrifice more, give more, etc.," but that he did not hear about the forgiveness of sins. Chris told Warren that he admits that he fails, doesn't serve enough, lacks self-discipline in some ways, and certainly has guilt. But, he said, Warren's program apparently offers nothing in the way of the cleansing of sin and hope for those who know they fall short. When I followed up and specifically asked Warren if he believed in the means of grace, he answered "Of course I do." If Whitney were asked, he likely would give the same answer. Chris had raised an important, pastoral consideration. The truly converted are constantly aware of their sinfulness. Ironically, the more sanctified a Christian becomes, the more he is aware of his sinfulness, and the more it troubles him. What would happen if the troubled Christian, perhaps having the "wretched man" thoughts that Paul expressed, picked up Whitney's book on spiritual disciplines looking for hope and believed what he read there? I see only two reasonable outcomes: hopelessness or self-righteousness. If he is totally honest, the outcome must be hopeless. Pastorally we must offer hope, not an illegitimate method. The hope is found [only] through the [eternal life] blood of Christ. The means of grace include the Lord's Supper because that reminds us of the reason for our hope. -- There are many similarities between Whitney's book and many portions of The Purpose Driven Life. Unless you start with a theology of innate human ability, neither book makes much sense. Whitney makes the analogy of a boy who wants to play a guitar. *The boy is given a vision by an angel [vs. the reality of
God the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:10-13)] of an accomplished guitar player. The guitar playing dazzles the boy with amazement at its quality. Then the angel tells him that the person playing is him in a few years, but he must practice (Whitney: 15, 16). The idea is that if you have vision of what you will become, you will be motivated to put in all the effort. The analogy itself smacks of works righteousness. Whitney claims that Romans 8:29 supports his analogy. This is patently false because in context, **being conformed to the image of Christ is a certainty because of what God [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] does in every believer and not contingent on various levels of effort between believers. Furthermore, world-class guitar players begin with innate abilities that must be developed, and I agree that if that person works hard and has great teaching and is given opportunities he will do well. ***But we begin with no innate ability to be holy. ***Even as believers holiness does not come from innate ability plus practice, but from God's work [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] of grace. The analogy inculcates an attitude of works righteousness even if Whitney (like Rick Warren) denies believing such. [article link]
Bible verse: Matthew 13:43 Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of [God] their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his [the oppressor - ultimately Satan] burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing [personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ]. - Isaiah 58:6-14 Is not this the fast that I [God] have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy [prayers] house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own [shortcomings] flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy Righteousness shall go before thee; the Glory of the LORD [Jesus Christ] shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call [in prayer], and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I Am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke [coercion of others], the putting forth of the finger [manipulation of others], and speaking vanity [false and empty talk]; And if thou draw out thy soul [in compassion] to the hungry, and satisfy [attend to] the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot [self ways] from [during] the Sabbath [rest and trust in God], from doing thy pleasure on My Holy Day [every day for the Christian]; and call the Sabbath [trust and rest in God] a delight, the Holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour Him [Jesus Christ], not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob {Jacob (stumbler) was renamed (Genesis 32:28) by God to Israel (submitted to God) - God knows that we are ALL stumblers just like Jacob but those who look to God and have a personal relationship with God [and even strive with God] as Jacob did we will be accepted by God and renamed by God (Revelation 2:17)} thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. - Matthew 13:43 Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of [God] their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. -- Holy Bible [article link]
VFTB: Sarah Leslie - Discernment Nazis! (Mp3) CHRISTIANS WHO oppose dominion theology, the heretical idea that Christ isn't coming back until we take over the Earth (starting with America, of course), are no better than Nazi collaborators or Communist sympathizers. That's according to Janet Porter, who made those claims last week in her column at WorldNetDaily and an interview on KFAX radio in San Francisco. Sarah Leslie of Discernment Ministries was the
target of Porter's hit piece, which is odd considering that Sarah, far from being a closet Christian, is the former head of Iowa Right to Life and a pioneer of the homeschooling movement. We discussed where dominion theology deviates from scripture, why it's dangerous, and how Christians should engage and try to change the culture. Recommended listening: Sarah's interview with Ingrid Schlueter on the Crosstalk radio program. [article link]
Crosstalk: Ingrid Schlueter with Sarah Leslie - The Gospel is More Important than America (Mp3) Sarah Leslie is an author and researcher, a member of the board of directors of Discernment Ministries and also a member of the Discernment Research Group. On May 3, Crosstalk aired a program dealing with the May Day event held at the Lincoln Memorial. Ingrid and Sarah brought to listener attention a movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation. The program exposed teachers such as Dutch Sheets, Chuck Pierce, and false "prophetesses" Cindy Jacobs and Stacey Campbell whose teachings revolve around the New Apostolic Reformation. It's a movement centered around a theology of dominionism that asks for a renewal of America based upon the idea that Christ's work on the cross wasn't finished. Janet Porter of Faith 2 Action was a key organizer of this event. Recently she wrote a piece called, "Christians" for the Separation of Church and State?" where she criticized Discernment Ministries and their herescope blogsite; falsely criticizing them for being "highly critical of any Christian group that engages in any type of political or cultural activity." Sarah explains that Porter not only brought in mainstream Christian leaders, but also some of the deceptive leaders from the New Apostolic Reformation, giving them the mainstream recognition they've been seeking. [article link]
***Highly Recommended - Bible versions Controversy EXPLAINED - find out the MAJOR differences (Mp3) Can you trust the new versions? before you say yes, you need to hear this message. learn where they came from, who is behind them, and HEAR ACTUAL AUDIO FROM CHUCK SWENDOL, DR. D.A.WAITE AND OTHERS... Learn what you need to know before you use that new [deceptive] bible version. [article link]
Verse by Verse with Mike and Chris - Chris and Mike begin a new study in the book of Galatians (Mp3) Verse by Verse Bible Teaching Podcast and Links. [article link]
The Berean Chronicles - Podcast Archive (Mp3's) Our mission here at The Berean Chronicles is to expose the Apostate Church, to equip the Saints with Truth, Knowledge, and Wisdom to be the Salt and Light Christ Jesus has called us to be. With the TRUTH given out on this talk show, we pray it will lead all who listen who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to the Saving knowledge. [article link]
EPISODE 51 - Sword of the Spirit: Update from CJ (Mp3) This is a show that I did to let everyone know what's been going on with me and why I haven't done a show in a while. [article link]
PREEMPTION BROADCAST with Russ Dizdar - REVELATION THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (Mp3s) FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE...THE RED HORSE....CHAOS and human slaughter. [article link]
DR. JOHN PIPER AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONS - Apprising Ministries now brings you a follow up to Questions Concerning Dr. John Piper where I told you that when Dr. Piper made the ill-advised decision to invite Leadership Network's propped-up Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren to DG 2010 [Desiring God National
Conference, October 1-3 in Minneapolis] as a keynote speaker it set off a rippling effect where people, and not merely discernment ministries, have started to look a little closer at his theology, educational background, and associations; e.g. his charismatic bent, Fuller Theological Seminary, and the late Ralph Winter - Unfortunately it got even worse when Dr. Piper decided to defend his decision: At root I think [Rick Warren] is theological and doctrinal and sound - There's also no doubt that Warren himself promotes CSM, e.g. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, And Spiritual Disciplines, which now seems to shed some light on the DG 2010 invitation - This opposition to the Bible is SOP [Standard Operating Procedure] for mystics as I explained in Tony Campolo: "Christian Mysticism (Emotions and Feelings)" Trumps (goes one better than) The Bible [and presumably (Matthew 24:24, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) the coming false signs, wonders and miracles will then trump the individual mysticism] As I've asked before, just how apostate do you have to be in order for apostates to consider you apostate? But here's an important point building upon what Fisher just told us concerning the rebirth of interest in mysticism during the 1960's and 70's; in Root Of This New Downgrade I told you that those of us who've studied mysticism and liberal theology know that this rebirth of mysticism-precisely the same neo-Gnosticism taught in Foster-Willardism-would spread into the ecumenical movement of mainline denominations, and then into evangelicalism with the charismatic revival as it then traveled through the Jesus People/Movement circa early 1970's, and also into what became the Fuller Theological Seminary School of World Mission, which launched the man-centered Church Growth Movement. Which brings us back around to unanswered questions concerning Dr. John Piper and books by false prophet C. Peter Wagner, as well as books by the main purveyors of spurious CSM Richard Foster and Dallas Willard in the library Online catalog of Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC) where Dr. John Piper is listed as "Vocational Elder; Pastor for Preaching & Vision; Chancellor, Bethlehem College and Seminary." In the video below Dr. Piper is asked what he thinks about corrupt Contemplative/Centering Prayer (CCP); CCP is the crowing jewel of spurious CSM and a type of meditation in an altered state of consciousness, which itself is a form of neo-Gnosticism that flowered in the antibiblical monastic traditions of apostate Roman Catholicism. Considering what Dr. Piper has to say about CCP, although for me he seemed a bit evasive, the following books in the BBC library Online catalog would seem to sow some confusion as to what Dr. Piper's position actually is. Remember my question concerning apostates considering apostates apostate; well, here's Madame Guyon's ode to CCP, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ: ... This opposition to the Bible is SOP for mystics as I explained in Tony Campolo: "Christian Mysticism" Trumps The Bible; and the leading online apologetics and discernment ministry Lighthouse Trails Research (LTR) points out that Manning "says that Dr. Beatrice Bruteau is a 'trustworthy guide to contemplative consciousness.'" ... Unfortunately, when Dr. Piper made his error of inviting Rick Warren to DG 2010, it has raised more unanswered questions, could Dr. Piper possibly have been more influenced by C. Peter Wagner, of the New Apostolic Reformation and formerly Fuller Theological Seminary, than we may have known? Perhaps all the more likely when we consider that both Dr. John Piper and C. Peter Wagner were both quite taken with the late "mission engineer" Ralph Winter; as was Rick Warren. There's also no doubt that Warren himself promotes CSM, e.g. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, And Spiritual Disciplines, which now seems to shed some light on the DG 2010 invitation. As I said before, it's beginning to look like Dr. Piper has a lot more in common with Rick Warren already than we even knew. Again I point you to what Dr. Piper said in his defense of the Warren invitation, "I just think he could put me to shame with his aggressively, in-your-life, transformative discipling of his church." From my ongoing research into all of this, I'll tell you that our key to seeing a deeper connection with all of these men, and maybe even a motive as to why Dr. Piper made his invitation to invite Rick Warren into the Reformed camp, just might lie in the little phrase "transformative discipling of his church." [article link]
*UPDATE* [May 10, 2010] LIBERTY UNIVERSITY [LU] FORMS INQUIRY COMMITTEE ABOUT ERGUN CANER - "In light of the fact that several newspapers [alerted by two bloggers one Christian blogger (Dr. James White Phoenix, AZ) and one Muslim blogger (Mohammad Khan - London, England)] have raised questions, we felt it necessary to initiate a formal inquiry" Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. said - an official inquiry with a goal of issuing
its conclusions by the end of June [30, 2010] This is a short follow up to Has Muslim Convert Dr. Ergun Caner Been Exposed As A Jihadi Fraud? here at Apprising Ministries. It's beginning to appear that we may actually find the answer to that question after all. *Update* Now here's the very latest from News & Events on Committee formed to investigate Caner statements at Liberty University itself: Liberty University's Provost Dr. Ron Godwin is forming a committee to investigate a series of accusations against Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. The allegations have questioned public statements Caner has made regarding the details of his personal life story. Godwin is forming a committee to conduct an official inquiry with a goal of issuing its conclusions by the end of June. Following inquiries from several members of the mainstream media, Liberty decided to initiate its own investigation. "In light of the fact that several newspapers have raised questions, we felt it necessary to initiate a formal inquiry," Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. said. [article link]
Pastor Bryant Wright elected SBC president - Wright wins runoff for SBC president {Congratulations to SBC President Pastor Bryant Wright (Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, GA) [second term - first term in 2005] and Congratulations to Executive Committee President Frank Page. The SBC will have good leadership in Pastor Bryant Wright and the SBC Executive Committee will have good oversight in Frank Page.} ORLANDO, Fla. (BP)--Southern Baptist Convention messengers Tuesday afternoon elected Atlanta-area pastor Bryant Wright as their next president. Bryant Wright, senior pastor of the 7,600 member Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., won the run-off election for president of the Southern Baptist Convention with 55 percent of the vote. More than 7,660 messengers voted during the June 15 election at the 153rd annual meeting of the SBC at the Orange Country Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. [article link]
[SBC] Amended GCR report passes easily - [significant amendment] 'We affirm that designated giving to special causes is to be given *as a supplement to the Cooperative Program (CP) and *not as a substitute for Cooperative Program giving' ORLANDO, Fla. (BP)--Southern Baptist Convention messengers overwhelmingly adopted the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report Monday afternoon after it was amended twice to strengthen the language regarding the Cooperative Program. -- By an estimated 3-to-1 margin, the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report was adopted June 15 by messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. After the historic vote, task force chairman Ronnie Floyd recalled the statement issued by northern and southern Baptists after the 1845 founding of the Southern Baptist Convention and told the assembly: "Following the pattern of our leaders of old, we also would say to the watching world that the differences between those who support the Great Commission Resurgence report and recommendations and those who do not should not be exaggerated. "We are still brothers and sisters in Christ. We differ on no article of faith. We are guided by our shared commitment to the Gospel itself and to the articles of faith identified in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The Southern Baptist Convention is a convention of churches that is committed to a missional vision of presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations. We are a Great Commission people." The seven recommendations of the report were adopted on a show of ballots after about an hour and a half of debate, with one significant amendment. ... "Not to divide the body of Southern Baptists but to find some common ground on which we can stand for the sake of God's Kingdom, I would like to add this sentence that would state that 'We affirm that designated giving to special causes is to be given as a supplement to the Cooperative Program and not as a substitute for Cooperative Program giving.' "I would agree with this," Waters said, "and hope this could provide a pathway forward to finding us as people who love missions and evangelism, for the sake of Jesus Christ." Messengers adopted the proposed amendment with a show of ballots. [article link]
Open Letter to Southern Baptists about the GCRTF Recommendations by Dr. Morris H. Chapman June 4, 2010 The solution to our Convention's greatest need lies in multiple pockets [agendas] of personal repentance, evangelistic recommitment at the personal and local church level, and willing obedience to the commands of Christ - Real revival will not issue from a mere rewording of our mission statement An open letter to Southern Baptists has been released by Morris H. Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee, regarding issues to be decided at the convention's June 15-16 annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. The full text of Chapman's letter follows assessing the recommendations of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force: ... I am concerned that if the Convention approves the task force recommendations, it will be embarking upon a harmful course. I, like the task force, believe that the Convention can and should do better. But unlike the task force, I do not believe the answer lies in the recommendations it proposes. The solution to our Convention's greatest need lies in multiple pockets of personal repentance, evangelistic recommitment at the personal and local church level, and willing obedience to the commands of Christ. Real revival will not issue from a mere rewording of our mission statement. Our core values, already recorded in Scripture, are Godbreathed and sufficient. Our giving methods have proven their worth by providing for the largest mission forces (overseas and domestic) in history and the most expansive seminary system in the world. In fact, in the past our churches have produced twice the baptisms on half the revenue contributed to the SBC, so merely reallocating a few resources at the SBC level will not solve our underlying problems. We must concentrate on the only real solution. That solution is not structural, procedural, financial, or methodological. It is spiritual. And if we approve the task force report, we will be saying, as a Convention, that we believe our future performance lies in some realm other than the spiritual. ... It can be confusing when strongly expressed positions exist among people who love the Lord Jesus Christ with their whole hearts. But while I fully agree with the preamble of the task force's preliminary report, I cannot affirm their recommendations. I am firmly convinced that none of the recommendations will move us forward for the kind of spiritual renewal that must take place if we are to see an abundant harvest take place in our local churches. At most, they will merely make us feel as if we have done something, when we haven't. ... As I leave my post, my continued prayer until I go to see Jesus will be that God will blanket Southern Baptists with a spirit-empowered spiritual awakening that shall spread from coast to coast and beyond. If spiritual awakening of this magnitude were to come before I die, I will spend the rest of my years on earth praising God for answering the prayers of His people. Please read "A Better Way Ahead." Consider its contents and determine for yourself whether any or all of them seem better alternatives to those promoted by the task force. And if they do, as the Lord leads, feel free to offer one or more of them as substitute recommendations at the appropriate time. ~ Your brother in Christ, Morris H. Chapman [article link]
Floyd: [SBC] GCRTF has changed wording of component three heading - "Encouraging Cooperative Program and Other Great Commission Giving" rather than its previous heading, "Celebrating and Empowering Great Commission Giving" ORLANDO (FBW) - On the eve of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force's report to the Southern Baptist Convention, Chairman Ronnie Floyd announced to state Baptist newspaper editors a change in the heading of component three to reflect the committee's support of the Cooperative Program. Floyd told the Association of State Baptist Papers June 14 that component three will now carry the heading, "Encouraging Cooperative Program and Other Great Commission Giving," rather than its previous heading, "Celebrating and Empowering Great Commission Giving." ... Commenting on opposition to the report, Floyd said that some confusion resulted from unclear communication by the task force while other confusion occurred because people misunderstood the committee's intentions. Yet meetings with state convention leaders helped the task force communicate its vision more clearly and end some of the strife, according to Floyd. He acknowledged that opposition from the Executive Committee proved challenging but said all the discussion and dissent ultimately contributed to refining the report. "This is not a perfect report," he said. "Nobody has ever stood up and said it's a perfect report. We're going to find out tomorrow how imperfect it is in some ways, and that's OK. We've been willing to change along the way. We have never dug our feet in the ground and said, 'No.' We have tried
our very best to be willing. And if the Lord so chooses to do something to change it tomorrow to be better, then so be it." Floyd said the presentation of the report will last approximately 30 minutes with the remainder of the task force's hour and forty-five minute time slot allotted for discussion. [article link]
[SBC] Real change requires a 'different spirit' - Later during the meeting this week, [outgoing SBC President] Hunt will present findings from the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task force to messengers [delegates] and will encourage them to adopt the recommendations, which call for more resources [leaving traditional churches and] targeting [pseudo] evangelism around the nation and around the world {Note: There seems to be no shortage of a 'different spirit' at the 2010 SBC - There is a spirit of deceptive closed door committee elections along with a spirit of manipulation, coercion, public peer pressure and vague misrepresentations bordering on outright deception.} The [outgoing] president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) exhorted delegates [at] the denomination's annual business meeting to step out in faith and not allow unbelief or manmade obstacles to squelch Godsized dreams. Dr. Johnny Hunt delivered the annual president's address Tuesday morning to thousands of SBC "messengers" (delegates) gathered in Orlando. He preached from the Old Testament book of Numbers and used the characters Caleb and Joshua as examples of two people who stood against popular opinion and encouraged Israel to take the Promised Land. "Isn't that amazing?" asked Hunt. "God placed in this leader a different spirit. I'm telling you, in the name of Jesus, if things are going to change, it can't be the same. Somebody's got to have a different spirit; somebody's got to say we can go, we can take, we can overcome." Later during the meeting this week, Hunt will present findings from the Great Commission Resurgence Task force to messengers and will encourage them to adopt the recommendations, which call for more resources targeting evangelism around the nation and around the world. [article link]
[SBC] Executive Committee elects Frank Page president [president/CEO - SBC Executive Committee] in closed session - Outside the meeting, rumors spread that some Executive Committee members objected to the process used to select Chapman's replacement and questioned Page's involvement as a member of the SBC's {Ponzi Scheme like in apperance} Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force ORLANDO, Fla. (ABP) - The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention voted in a closed session June 14 to elect former SBC president Frank Page as the organization's next president and CEO, replacing Morris Chapman, who retires Sept. 30 after 18 years. Page, 57, becomes president/CEO-elect July 1 and takes office Oct. 1. He currently serves as vice president of evangelization for the SBC North American Mission Board, a post he took in October 2009 after serving as a local-church pastor for more than 30 years. Randall James, chairman of the Executive Committee, requested deliberation about Page's election be discussed in executive session as a "personnel matter." He said that several members of the committee expressed a desire to close the session. One member, Stephen Wilson of Kentucky, objected that the Executive Committee should conduct its business in the open, but a large majority supported the recommendation to ask observers of the meeting, including media, to leave. Executive Committee members questioned Page, who as SBC president in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 was an ex-officio member of the committee, in private for more than an hour before dismissing him for prayer and the vote. Outside the meeting, rumors spread that some Executive Committee members objected to the process used to select Chapman's replacement and questioned Page's involvement as a member of the SBC's Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force. The blue-ribbon panel is bringing recommendations to the SBC's annual meeting that include reducing the Executive Committee's budget by nearly a third. Page told reporters outside the meeting room that various members of the Executive Committee saw his involvement on the task force as both a positive and a negative. "Some said I wasn't supportive enough of the GCR," he said. "Others said 'I can't believe you support any of it.'" Page also said he believes both his brief tenure at NAMB [North American Mission Board], after eight years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., and appointment to the Great Commission Task Force were providential. "I think God gave me
that time to see the inside of a denomination better than I would have as a pastor," he said. "I think he let me go to NAMB to see some of the inside. I like some of it. Some of it I don't, as I've looked on the inside of the denomination. "Secondly, I think being part of the GCR at the same time helped me to provide a perspective to say NAMB has a unique missiological need. I think that was an encouragement to some on the committee to see that NAMB does have a place separately than the International Mission Board." Page said he believes the biggest reason God brought him to NAMB was to draw attention to a 10-year effort nicknamed GPS, short for "God's Plan for Sharing" the gospel message. [article link]
The [SBC] Great Commission Resurgence Debate - Celebrating and Empowering Great Commission Giving (GCR) - The Task Force also encourages Southern Baptists to celebrate the total dollar amount given to Southern Baptist causes (such as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missionaries and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missionaries). Churches will report "Great Commission Giving" by recording their gifts through the Cooperative Program as well as their gifts to other Southern Baptist causes - Those who oppose this recommendation believe that the sum total of "Great Commission Giving" will dilute the value of the Cooperative Program (CP) - churches will have less reason to support the (CP) program, leading to the dismantling of the current structure and the rise of special interests {Note: even if this kind of exploitive and coercive giving [and the accompanying bait and switch fundraising tactics] wasn't unbiblical it would still be sickening by normal societal standards that prohibit exploiting vulnerable (uninformed) and underprivileged people.} It's easy to be confused about the recommendations of the Southern Baptist Convention's Great Commission Task Force (GCR). Through state papers, blogs, and websites, the conversation about the future of the SBC has been moving at a furious pace. Hype can eventually obscure reality, leading to misunderstandings and miscommunication on the part of both camps. GCR supporters have sometimes spoken as if this resolution will be the spark of a worldwide revival that will send renewal through the SBC. GCR detractors have sometimes spoken as if these resolutions would end the SBC as we know it and destroy all our cooperative efforts. Today, the Convention will consider the Task Force's recommendations. If the pastor's conference has been any indication, it appears that there is widespread support for these recommendations. Final attendance numbers are not in yet, but to anyone who has been to the Convention's annual meetings in recent years, it is clear that the crowd is much bigger, much younger, and much more diverse. Most of the speakers at the pastor's conference on Sunday and Monday called pastors and messengers to center their churches upon the gospel and the Great Commission. Several young pastors, such as Matt Chandler (pastor of The Village in Dallas, Texas) and David Platt (pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama), addressed Convention attendees. Today, Southern Baptists will vote on the recommendations of the Great Commission Task Force. Here is a summary of the report and the subsequent debate: ... 3. Celebrating and Empowering Great Commission Giving Summary: The Task Force affirms the Cooperative Program (the churches' undesignated gifts for supporting the various ministries and entities of the state and national conventions) as the central means of mobilizing our churches and extending our reach. The Task Force also encourages Southern Baptists to celebrate the total dollar amount given to Southern Baptist causes (such as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missionaries and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missionaries). Churches will report "Great Commission Giving" by recording their gifts through the Cooperative Program as well as their gifts to other Southern Baptist causes. Debate: • Those who oppose this recommendation believe that the sum total of "Great Commission Giving" will dilute the value of the Cooperative Program by elevating designated gifts for specific ministries. The result will be a return to societal giving, in which various entities will be forced to go from church to church, asking for funds. By celebrating designated giving, churches will have less reason to support the program, leading to the dismantling of the current structure and the rise of special interests. • Those who support this recommendation believe that the program is already weakened and needs to be strengthened, not by chastising churches for giving designated gifts, but by celebrating all Great Commission giving. Once churches become convinced [deceived enough]
that the ministries funded by the program are worth their Great Commission dollars, they will rise to the occasion and increase giving in all areas. ... Summary: The (GTRF) Task Force recommends that the responsibility of promoting the Cooperative Program (CP) among local churches be transferred from the executive committee to the state conventions. The Executive Committee would work with the state conventions in developing a strategy for encouraging churches to increase participation and giving to the program. [article link]
Christian Living - Can I take communion at home like the disciples did? YES! - Communion brings you closer to the Lord as it is to be a proclamation of what Jesus did for you - your mind and heart become saturated with the truth of who Jesus is and all that His blood purchased for you - We pay tribute and honor to Jesus when we remember Him via administering communion to [ourselves and or] one another "Can I take communion at home like the disciples did?" YES! I will give you the scriptures that support my answer. I am familiar with the practices that surround the modern day observance of the Lord's Supper...taking communion during special times of the year, taking communion to signify the beginning of certain seasons & celebrations...and the administering of communion just before one passes from this world. I'd like to start by telling you a few inportant things concerning communion..the Lord's Supper..the meal that heals. Communion brings healing to your body..wholeness to your life. Communion brings you closer to the Lord as it is to be a proclamation of what Jesus did for you..your mind and heart become saturated with the truth of who Jesus is and all that His blood purchased for you. We pay tribute and honor to Jesus when we remember Him via administering communion to [ourselves and or] one another..our family, our friends, our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Quite often I have wondered (other Christian's have as well) why the modern Church doesn't seem to have all that which the early Church had..the power of God on their lives, the stick-to-it-ness or longevity when it comes to serving the Lord. I mean, we pray, we fast, we worship, we read the Bible..and yet, something seems to be missing. The answer? Daily communion [or weekly, or occasional comunion]. The New Testament believers (who were the Body of Christ..as we are today) met in one anothers home daily and did what Paul (in 1 Cor. 11:26) instructed them to do: "For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until He comes again. While it is common practice to take communion in a church (like you mentioned having done) we know that the Church is really the Body of Christ Jesus...the New Testament believers gathered daily..ate together daily..observed the Lord's Supper daily. Keeping Jesus (and everything Jesus did) in the forefront of their lives made them strong as a family..communion, prayer, worship & the teaching of Jesus' words became the glue that held the early Church together...and it is no different for us today. [article link]
Communion Bread Recipe Communion Bread Recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup Water (cold), 1/2 teaspoon Salt, 6 tablespoons Olive Oil, 2 cups Whole Wheat Bread Flour [unleavened - no yeast]. -- Directions: Blend first three ingredients (water, salt, oil) in blender or beat vigorously in a bowl until white. Pour into flour and mix. Turn out onto floured board and knead for 5 minutes. Roll out to 1/4-inch thick {or thinner}, mark {a cross and or squares} lightly with a pizza cutter {or a knife}, cutting most squares almost through, but leaving some to be broken {off later - if necessary for Church} by {Church} Elders {also make pierce marks or holes with a fork}. -- Bake at 275:F degrees until nicely browned; (about 45 minutes to 1 hour). Note: Leftovers are traditionally burned or buried [it's not necessary and some or all of the bread can also be eaten by itself apart from Communion as a regular flatbread and also as a bread in a fellowship with God (break bread with God) meal/snack i.e. with cheese, smoked fish, sausage, olives, artichokes or other items and snacks, possibly including (unwatered) regular grape juice {juice can of course be watered down (and probably should) but not mingled like Communion wine just watered down to taste} or wine (if preferred) to drink]. Source: Adapted from Eat for Strength - Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. This recipe from CDKitchen for Communion Bread serves/makes 200. [article link]
Baking Stone - Do you have a stone oven? We don't - But we make "stone oven" pizzas, *flatbreads [Communion Bread], and hearth breads with this pizza baking stone For the absolutely crispiest-crusted pizza and bread. Do you have a stone oven? We don't. But we make "stone oven" pizzas, flatbreads, and hearth breads with this pizza baking stone. Brick-oven baking stone absorbs the oven's heat, then transfers it to bread. Moisture disperses out through the crust, making terrific, light-textured breads and pizzas with an incredible crackly-crunchy crust. ... Cook's Illustrated Top Choice! "We tested 10 baking stones and came to prefer a fairly large one (16 by 14 inches is ideal) with smooth edges. The Baker's Catalogue Baking Stone's moderate weight and ample size make it our favorite." [article link]
Baptists, combating malaise ["out of sorts" feeling], preoccupied by numbers - [Compromising (straying) from Biblical standards] Churches in America are losing ground with each successive generation - "I think the handwringing is driven by an angst of do we [SBC] want to join so many other [Protestant] denominations in decline?" said Ed Stetzer, president of SBC-affiliated LifeWay Research, which compiles and analyzes statistics "In our history as Southern Baptists, we've never had the kind of malaise statistically we've had in the last five years" said Alvin Reid, professor of evangelism at Southeastern Ask a Southern Baptist about the state of the denomination, and you'll probably get an answer with numbers in it. Numbers of baptisms in particular. And recently, declining numbers of baptisms. As members of the nation's largest Protestant denomination ready for their annual meeting next week in Orlando, Fla., statistics loom large in their plans to chart a new direction after years of malaise. "In 2008 we baptized only 75,000 teenagers," reads a new Southern Baptist report, Penetrating the Lostness. "In 1970 we baptized 140,000. Why? … Churches in America are losing ground with each successive generation." Why are Southern Baptists so focused on statistics? Simply put, they view them as a tangible way of tracking how well they are reaching those they call the "lost" - people without Jesus Christ. "I think the hand-wringing is driven by an angst of do we want to join so many other denominations in decline?" said Ed Stetzer, president of SBC-affiliated LifeWay Research, which compiles and analyzes statistics. Stetzer has issued blunt assessments of the denomination's baptism rates and membership decline - a reversal of fortunes that some Baptists have had trouble acknowledging. In a May commentary, he reviewed the ups and downs of baptism rates over the past six decades and declared that membership has probably peaked at 16.1 million. "Blips, untended, become dips … and dips, untended, become crypts," he warned in the commentary that appeared on Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's Between the Times blog. Other observers look at the numbers with worry. "In our history as Southern Baptists, we've never had the kind of malaise statistically we've had in the last five years," said Alvin Reid, professor of evangelism at Southeastern. [article link]
SBC must build its Great Commission legacy [through humble individual service to Jesus Christ and not by donations or money tithed or given to SBC principals especially in the form of thinly veiled pleas and slightly disguised threats (i.e. pastors will be laid off) in requesting additional finances 'In difficult economic times' as Pastor David Uth seems to be doing], Uth says {Note: Money, pride and paid (professional) Charity work seldom mix very well and Christianity in the image of Jesus Christ is the essence of Humble Servant Charity Work. We need to be humble and be about the true reconciliation work of Jesus Christ and often that means being only in charge of ourselves and having authority only over ourselves and not having a staff, an expense account and not even having status within society all while we individually and collectively labor lovingly in God's Kingdom the True and Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ.} ORLANDO (FBW)-The Southern Baptist Convention sits at a crucial point in history when it must recommit to building a legacy of obedience to the Great Commission, David Uth, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando, said June 13 at the SBC Pastor's Conference. "There comes a point where we say, 'This is where we want to go. This is what we want life to look like. This is what we want our legacy to be,'" Uth said. "And I really believe this convention is the defining moment for us that will determine that legacy." Preaching from Acts 20,
Uth said a godly denominational legacy must include living out the Great Commission rather than merely discussing it. "As Southern Baptists, we have been saying a lot about the Great Commission all of our history," he said. "We have been saying a lot about this kind of a legacy. But at some point, saying is not enough." Uth listed three steps Southern Baptists must take in order to build a legacy that glorifies God. First, they must walk with humility. "Southern Baptists, we're not all that. We need to honor and glorify the One from whom all blessings flow. We are not all that," Uth said. "One of the things that has broken my heart is to hear people talk about their ministry and people talk about their church. People talk about this and that, 'We did this. We did that. We did this.' Let me tell you, if you've done anything worthwhile of eternal value, you didn't do it. Your Father granted it from heaven. Give Him glory." Second, they must shed tears over the lostness in the world. While Southern Baptists cry over votes that don't go their way and derailed personal ambitions, many have stopped crying over non-Christians who are on the path to hell, Uth said. Yet the multitudes who do not know Jesus should be among the greatest causes of tears, he said. ... Third, Southern Baptists must fulfill their ministry despite trials. In difficult economic times, churches and denominational entities are being forced to cut budgets, he said. In fact, First Baptist Orlando recently cut six pastoral staff members. But fulfilling the Great Commission is worth the pain of budget cuts, he said. "The church does not exist to employ people. It exists to reach the nations for God's glory. And if I could just be so bold to say, the Southern Baptist Convention does not exist to employ people. It exists to reach the nations for the glory of God. And it just might be we have to do hard things," he said. Through any trial, Jesus is enough to sustain those who are following Him, Uth said. [article link]
Criteria for Christian Communion Criteria for Christian Communion: 1. First the 'body' (of Jesus Christ) bread [wafer] is to be unleavened (sinless), unsweetened (reality), salt (preserved), holes (pierced) and browned (bruised). 2. Second the 'blood' (of Jesus Christ) cup [grape juice, wine] is to be mingled (combined) 1/3 water with 2/3 grape [fruit of the vine]. Use three separate glasses or containers, 1 with water, 1 with grape, 1 empty. Then pour [mingle] at the same time both the grape and the water into the empty cup creating the cup of 2/3 grape mingled with 1/3 water. 3. Reading a Bible verse or passage provides the 3rd element of Communion the element of the Word of God being the Spirit of God. - Note: When the Communion bread is lifted up blessed, exalted and broken it represents the physical body of Jesus Christ on the cross then when the bread is eaten (consumed, eternalized) it represents the Spiritual [resurrection] body of Jesus Christ. Likewise when the Communion blood is mingled [grape, water] it represents the physical blood and water of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross [after His death - by the spear wound (John 19:34-35)] for the remission of our sins and then when the blood is drink (consumed, eternalized) it represents the resurrection eternal life Spiritual blood of Jesus Christ. Both [the one body] the physical (earthly) body of Jesus Christ and His eternal Spiritual Resurrection [bodily resurrection] of Jesus Christ [along with our new eternal spiritual body in Jesus Christ] are represented in the one Communion of bread and wine (grape). [article link]
Criteria for Christian Baptism Criteria for Christian Baptism: 1. The person being baptized confesses a personal individual faith in Jesus Christ [the Apostles' Creed, a Psalm or a Bible verse can be read or recited]. Acknowledging the sinless Divine life, sacrificial atoning death on the cross and three days later the resurrection [eternal life] of Jesus Christ. 2. The person administering the baptism is to baptize in the Name of God the Father, the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit [not in the name of any individual, group or denomination] i.e. (Matthew 28:18-20) "I baptize you in the Name of God the Father, the beloved Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit." 3. The water baptism event [submerging into water] signifies our (dying) death and burial to this world (sin and death) while then [emerging from the water] signifies our own personal resurrection with eternal life in Jesus Christ entering into a new life in the eternal Kingdom of God. - Note: The water baptism [and accompanying confession of faith] is the Biblical public confession of faith for each individual Christian and is not to be confused with an alter call
that although being a public stand it is not in its entirety the Biblical confession of faith. [article link]
Bible verse: 1 John 5:1-21 ... For whatsoever is [Spiritually] born [again] of God overcometh the world: and *this is the victory that overcometh the world, even **our faith ... {Note: it is 'our faith' in the completed and accomplished works of Jesus Christ, His works, His sinless life, His cross and His everlasting resurrection life that overcomes this fallen and sinful world. Our faith in Jesus overcomes the fallen world because Jesus overcame the sin and death of the world and it is not our works (good, bad or otherwise) that overcome the world but exclusively our faith in Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished for us to freely receive of from His eternal life. - Also Note: some new teachings now insist that God as assigned evil works or necessary evil in works of death and destruction for some [chosen or appointed] people to carry out i.e. 'messengers of destruction and death' or 'death angels' and it's simply another deception (Romans 3:8) and lie from Satan as the True God [the Holy God of Israel] is the God of everlasting life in Jesus Christ. The Holy God is not the god of human schemes of murder and mayhem. God is the God of forgiveness of sins, reconciliation for mankind and eternal life all in Jesus Christ.} The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com 1 John 5:1-21 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ (having and giving eternal life) is [Spiritually] born [again] of God: and every one that loveth Him [God the Father] that begat [sent Jesus into the world] loveth Him [Jesus] also that is begotten [was physically manifested in the world] of [in the exact Spiritual image of] Him [God the Father]. By this we know that we love the Children of God [Christians], when we love God, and keep His commandments [Love God, love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39)]. For this is the love of God, that we keep His Commandments: and His Commandments [of Love] are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and *this is the victory that overcometh the world, even **our faith [in love for God]. Who is he [worshiper] that overcometh the world, but he [Christian] that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He [Jesus] that came by water [womb] and blood [cross], even Jesus Christ; not by water [O.T. judgment upon the entire earth (Genesis 6:7, Numbers 31:23)] only, but by water and {now also} blood [N.T. judgment upon the entire earth (Matthew 26:28)]. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness [of the global judgments of water (O.T.), blood of Jesus (N.T.), the judgment of fire (2 Peter 3:12) yet to come and of the only Eternal Life through Jesus Christ], because the [Holy] Spirit is Truth. **For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. **And there are three that bear [judgment and eternal life] witness in earth, the Spirit [of Jesus Christ (Luke 23:46)], and the water [from the cross of Jesus Christ (John 19:34-35)], and the blood [from the cross of Jesus Christ (John 19:34-35)]: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]. He [person] that believeth on the Son of God hath the [Holy Spirit] witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him [God] a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is [only] in His Son [Jesus Christ]. He that hath the Son hath [eternal] life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not [reconciled to God] life. These things have I written unto you that believe [faith] on the Name [Jesus] of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him. If any man see his brother sin a sin [mistakes] which is not [unbelief] unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin [unbelief] unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All [mistakes] unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin [of mistakes] not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not [by not denying that Jesus is God]; but he that is begotten of God (born again) keepeth himself, and that wicked [Satan] one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come [personally], and hath given us an [Holy Spirit] understanding, that we may know Him [God] that is True, and we are in Him that is True, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the True God, and eternal life. Little children
[Christians - not yet adopted as Sons of God], keep yourselves from idols [unholy desires]. Amen. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Note: The Basic Christian Info Feed will be on a short pause and will continue in about a week continuing with a brief Bible study (and hopefully at a later time a much more in-depth study) looking into the Biblical triune (3 in 1) nature [testimony, salvation, judgment] of the water, blood and Spirit (also represented in breath, wind, fire) that are each freely offered and given from God to all of mankind globally as a witness of sin (and eventually as a judgment against sin), a testimony of the once physical presence of Jesus Christ and as an eternal remedy for our own individual Salvation Where the Apostle Peter's significant life changing event during his time with Jesus seemed to be at the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-8, 2 Peter 1:16-18) the Apostle John's significant life changing event with Jesus seems to have been at the cross (John 19:34-35, 1 John 5:7-9) when Jesus was pierced by the Roman spear and the blood and water poured out from the wound in Jesus' side. The Apostle John then regards the presence of the Spirit and the separation of the blood and water coming out from Jesus as a witness, a judgment, and a testimony of salvation for all of mankind. When the Basic Christian blog History study returns in about a week we will Biblically look into the blood, water and fire (spirit), testimonies and judgments of the Bible from throughout the Old Testament starting in Genesis and continuing consistently throughout the entire Bible then concluding in book of Revelation [the sin of Adam and Eve and the shedding of blood, the Aaronic Priesthood, the Last Supper Communion, the atoning cross of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Jesus and birth (Alpha) of the Christian Church, the Pentecost global Spirit empowerment and witness, the calling home into heaven by Jesus the rapture (Omega) of the Christian Church, Revelation-Tribulation]. -- "John 19:34-35 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His [Jesus'] side, and forthwith came there out {the global Judgment, global Testimony and global Salvation of} *blood and *water. And he (Disciple John) *that saw it bare record [testimony], and his [testimony] record is true: **and he knoweth that he saith true, ***that ye [individuals] might believe [salvation]." -- "1 John 5:7-9 For there are *three (triune) that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear *witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, *the witness [Spirit, water, blood] of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son [Jesus Christ]." [article link]
ABP Opinion: 1st reaction to Great Commission Resurgence, 2nd verse - My strategy to encourage churches to higher CP (Cooperative Program) giving is this: Demonstrated commitment to CP from those who lead the Southern Baptist Convention - SBC president Johnny Hunt, who has pledged to double his church's CP (Cooperative Program) giving this year to about $900,000 {Note: This is a deliberate plan to take money away from the local Church authority [and local Church work] by donating it upstream [instead of downstream to needier Churches and causes] to some vague, vapid [non-Christian] national-international (secular) and fraudulent causes i.e. Rick Warren's purpose driven agendas and the New Apostolic Reformation and their upstream donations to their main church offices and to a select few (possibly non-Christian, infiltrated) directors, presidents and staff members.} If the SBC is to adopt a new mission statement -- and such adoption should be considered a huge undertaking -- what is the statement it replaces? The SBC was formed in 1845, according to our founding documents, for the "purpose of carrying into effect the benevolent intention of our constituents by organizing a plan for eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the denomination for the propagation of the gospel." The purpose of our convention, according to Article II of our bylaws, is "to provide a general organization for Baptists in the United States and its territories for the promotion of Christian missions at home and abroad and any other objects such as Christian education, benevolent enterprises, and social services which it may deem proper and advisable for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God." Are a "purpose" and a "mission statement" the same thing? If the proposed mission statement is an add-on, it can be enthusiastically endorsed. If it is to
change the purpose statement of the convention, it needs far more serious consideration than to be the first of seven recommendations from a task force formed for a different purpose entirely. The task force still wants to dilute the Cooperative Program by making it the "first and primary component" of something they would call Great Commission Giving. The progress report in February basically would have taken any responsibility for Cooperative Program promotion and "returned" it to the state conventions. The new version still doesn't recognize that the states have always had primary responsibility for CP promotion and it urges the SBC Executive Committee to work with state conventions to form a "unified strategy with clearly established goals" by 2013. My strategy to encourage churches to higher CP giving is this: Demonstrated commitment to CP from those who lead the Southern Baptist Convention. SBC president Johnny Hunt, who has pledged to double his church's CP giving this year to about $900,000, rightly reminded the editors that no one responds positively to criticism. You can't get someone to do more of something by emphasizing how little of it they currently do. He reminded us that "thousands" of churches that claim SBC affiliation give nothing to CP -- and the six-percent average church CP commitment would be much smaller if not for the large dollar amounts churches like his provide. [article link]
The [Four] 2010 SBC presidential candidates share views - The annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention will be held June 15-16 [2010] in Orlando, Fla. The following is a summary of each of the four announced presidential candidates' views on issues, including the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force (GTRF) report and the Cooperative Program (CP) {Note: It looks like plans for lots of manipulation, hiding, transferring, switching and just plain funny business in general going on with SBC pooled and shared (CP) finances and resources.} Endel's strongest concern was that "the GCRTF may accelerate the crumbling of the CP funding system that holds our mission work together." Endel expressed his concerns about "Great Commission Giving" using the hypothetical that churches couldn't operate on a system that celebrated designated giving over unrestricted tithing to the general budget. In such a system, he said, funding falls apart such that bake sales would be needed to pay the bills, but there would be more than enough people wanting to contribute to the youth pastor's salary. "Conflict and competition will soon kill a church funded like that," Endel said. Endel also took issue with the final report recommendation that would result in the elimination of funding for Cooperative Program promotion and stewardship education by the SBC Executive Committee. "It is my opinion that the assistance of the Executive Committee has saved all Southern Baptists millions of dollars by helping us collectively develop materials rather than forcing every state convention to separately develop these materials," Endel said. "Videos and printed materials are much cheaper when developed together and produced from one centralized source." Endel said the loss of this partnership "will be far more than the money saved by cutting the work of the Executive Committee." ... Jackson also expressed this point in terms of leadership representation. "While I applaud our megachurches and their very capable leadership, most of whom are longtime friends and acquaintances of mine, I do believe that we need a more representative balance of input and leadership from all of the churches in the convention." Jackson said his greatest concern with the GCRTF report has to do with CP giving. "Although the GCRTF report calls for a renewed emphasis in the giving to the CP," he said, "it also places it under the heading 'Great Commission Giving.' The CP becomes a way to give, not 'the' way. Such a change is risky at best." ... Traylor said the most pressing need is for spiritual awakening and leaders who are "deeply committed servants of Christ" as well as "resolute in their commitment to the Baptist Faith & Message 2000." As a way to move Southern Baptists toward spiritual awakening, Traylor said he would seek to call Southern Baptists to solemn assembly in January 2011 and "explore the possibility of incorporating the solemn assembly model in our SBC annual meeting" and that he would promote the use of NAMB's evangelism initiative, God's Plan for Sharing. He also indicated leadership is important to this end in that "the SBC president sets a direction with appointments. ... Individuals within the churches must return to Christ as their first love, Wright said in naming the most critical need in the Southern Baptist Convention. The lack of tithing reveals the idolatries of materialism and hedonism among evangelicals, he said, adding that the
epidemic of sexual immorality has weakened the church. Wright proposes greater direct missions involvement to galvanize individuals and churches, and advocates that state conventions "keep less in the state and send more dollars to the IMB and to other areas of the country where lostness is so prevalent." He supports the work of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, but sees their efforts as a first step. "As a former church planter here at Johnson Ferry," he wrote to Baptist Press, "I am encouraged that the Task Force sees the importance of church planting in the areas of greatest need in the United States - particularly our pioneer states and our large cities. Also, I agree with the Task Force that every church should be a 'missional center.' " He would challenge local churches to participate on a mission trip as well as focusing on the immediate community as their mission field. Wright also expressed his desire that leaders be appointed who have a passion for Christ, commitment to the Word and a vision for seeing the Great Commission fulfilled. "I would seek to nominate folks that represent a broad spectrum of SBC life: pastors, church staff, laypeople, mainline states, pioneer states, larger churches, smaller churches, seasoned veterans and young leaders," he said. [article link]
[Four] Pastors [Bryant Wright, Leo Endel, Jimmy Jackson, Ted Traylor] nominated for 2010 Southern Baptist Convention presidency - The presidency will be decided by thousands of delegates - called "messengers" - who will attend the annual conference, representing more than 45,000 Southern Baptist churches throughout the country and their more than 16 million members - Unlike the top-down approach of Roman Catholicism, from Pope to priest, Southern Baptist churches are [were once in theory] autonomous (self governing) - The selection will be made at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla., on Tuesday and Wednesday [June 15 and 16, 2010] - current SBC President Johnny Hunt (two terms of one year each), pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., is ineligible for re-election Bryant Wright, senior pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church and founder of Right From The Heart Ministries, is one of four nominees for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention when that organization meets in Orlando on Tuesday. Wright's nomination was made by Dr. David Uth, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando. "Bryant has been a consistent leader among Southern Baptists who acknowledges and appreciates our traditional heritage while embracing some of the creative and innovative methods of reaching today's generation for Christ," Uth said. The presidency will be decided by thousands of delegates - called "messengers" - who will attend the annual conference, representing more than 45,000 Southern Baptist churches throughout the country and their more than 16 million members, Wright said. Attendance is expected to be between 12,000 to 18,000, with up to 14,000 being messengers. Unlike the top-down approach of Roman Catholicism, from Pope to priest, Southern Baptist churches are autonomous. The term Southern Baptist Convention refers to both the denomination and its annual meeting. Working through 1,200 local associations and 41 state conventions and fellowships, Southern Baptists share a common bond of basic biblical beliefs and a commitment to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Convention attendees are called messengers rather than delegates because they are not instructed how to vote. Churches have up to 10 messengers they get to send to the convention, depending on their size. Since all 10 messengers from any one church may vote differently on the candidate of their choice, there's no way to predict who will be elected president. [article link]
SBC seminaries send forth [2010] graduates - The work of the six seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention is showcased with each spring's commencement - Reports from the seminaries' services follow Such faithfulness will ensure that the world knows "you are exactly what you claim to be" Paige Patterson, Southwestern's president, said during his commissioning message **"And if you will be faithful to the assignment you have [from SBC members?], then God will maintain your work, whatever His purpose for you" {Note: This is a very strange, unbiblical and even highly blasphemous comment from Paige Patterson. Does Paige Patterson wrongly believe that being loyal to and serving the SBC is the same thing as being loyal to and serving God if so this is very mistaken and very unbiblical. - Also Note: God does not uphold our work, God ONLY upholds His works (Joshua 5:13-15, Romans 8:4, Hebrews 1:1-3).}
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The work of the six seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention is showcased with each spring's commencement. Reports from the seminaries' services follow. ... SOUTHWESTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY -- One hundred years after the institution moved from Waco to Fort Worth, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduates were exhorted to continue to walk in integrity through life and ministry regardless of the result during spring commencement May 8. Such faithfulness will ensure that the world knows "you are exactly what you claim to be," Paige Patterson, Southwestern's president, said during his commissioning message. "And if you will be faithful to the assignment you have, then God will maintain your work, whatever His purpose for you." Preaching about the apostles' imprisonment in Acts 5, Patterson cautioned the graduates that there is no guarantee life will continue as it has for them in the same circumstances that they have enjoyed. "And many of you will not be serving in this country anyway," Patterson told the diverse group, which represented eight countries as well as those wishing to serve overseas. "Many of you will go to places where your life will be in jeopardy." Regardless, Patterson used Scripture to remind the students that the presence of God will be with them wherever they may serve -- something that enabled the early church to continue their ministry, "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name" (Acts 5:41). "Rejoicing that they could suffer. Aren't those words in strange proximity to one another?" Patterson said. "That is the key to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will suffer, not only possibly physically, but you will certainly, every one of you, suffer misunderstanding, misrepresentation, abuse and attack of various kinds in the ministry to which you go. "It will come," he assured them. "You have a choice at that point. You may either become bitter and resent what has happened to you, and that bitterness will permeate everything about you and everything around you to the point that there will be no joy at all, or you can choose to rejoice that you, too, are counted worthy to suffer for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." Southwestern administrators conferred 214 degrees, including 21 undergraduate, 172 master's and 19 doctorates. [article link]
Wikipedia: Paige Patterson - Role in the [supposed] Southern Baptist Convention SBC Conservative Resurgence Role in the SBC Conservative Resurgence: Patterson is best known for his prominent role in a conservative resurgence within the SBC starting in 1979 with the election of Adrian Rogers as Convention President. Believing SBC seminaries and other SBC institutions had drifted away from their conservative Biblical roots, Patterson joined with Judge Paul Pressler of Houston, TX to carry out a plan that included exposing the liberal theology taught and practiced by the leadership in SBC institutions. The most important issue was the nature of scripture, particularly, whether or not it is inerrant. Patterson, Pressler, and a host of pastors and laymen began to spread the word that the teaching of SBC leadership was not reflective of their constituents who were paying their salaries. Patterson and the conservatives won the support of hundreds of like-minded churches, and as many as 40,000 messengers (church members willing to travel to the annual Southern Baptist Convention to vote). Patterson's influence has been felt at all levels of Southern Baptist life. The seminaries have for the most part returned to their conservative moorings. Local churches are hiring pastors educated at schools led by conservatives. Missionaries are being influenced by Patterson's leadership. By the time Patterson was appointed president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, the conservative leadership required that all faculty sign documents stating their allegiance to Southern Baptist theology, most notably, the Baptist Faith and Message. [article link]
Ergun Caner and brother Emir Caner - visit with *longtime mentor and Southwestern Seminary President Paige Patterson (Photo) Ergun Caner, left, president of Liberty Theological Seminary and brother to Emir Caner, right, visit with longtime mentor and Southwestern Seminary President Paige Patterson, center, before the ceremony. [article link]
[LU's] Ergun Caner: Lynchburg paper gives backgrounder - Also listed beside Caner's name, in Liberty University's online catalog of graduate courses and faculty, is a doctor of ministry degree - On his website, Caner says the doctor of ministry was an honorary degree, one of two that he has been given - It's so honorary that it's described this way in a 2003 Baptist Press article - "completed a D.Min. at Emmanuel Baptist University and a D. Theol. at the University of South Africa" - You do not describe an honorary degree as "completed" "Completed" implies some sort of coursework was done - Ergun just needs to come clean, and the sooner, the better - Preferably before the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) meets in Orlando, FL. in a month [June 13-16, 2010] ... and, more to the point of something I've been all over on this blog: Also listed beside Caner's name, in Liberty University's online catalog of graduate courses and faculty, is a doctor of ministry degree [D.Min.]. On his website, Caner says the doctor of ministry was an honorary degree, one of two that he has been given. That's been Ergun's excuse every time he's been questioned about it. I brought this up last August 2 in a blog post. Scroll down to "Is It Butter or Parkay? (Ergun's Allegedly Honorary Degree)" for the full scoop, but here's the pertinent detail. Ergun claims that his D.Min from "Emmanuel Baptist University" is honorary. It's so honorary that it's described this way in a 2003 Baptist Press article talking about his move from Criswell College to Liberty University: After receiving a B.A. from Cumberland College, Caner received the M.A. from The Criswell College, M.Div. and Th.M. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and completed a D.Min. at Emmanuel Baptist University and a D. Theol. at the University of South Africa. Erm. No. You do not describe an honorary degree as "completed." "Completed" implies some sort of coursework was done. It's the same word used to describe his earned Th.D from the University of South Africa. Now, I don't know if Ergun completed any coursework for the D.Min beyond writing a check, addressing an envelope, putting a stamp on the envelope and walking it down to the post office. But it can't be an "honorary" degree if he purchased it. Ergun just needs to come clean, and the sooner, the better. Preferably before the SBC meets in Orlando in a month, maybe? -COMMENTS: It's an odd comment to begin with, because a D.Min [Doctor of Ministry] is not usually an honorary degree, but a completed one. As a professional degree it does not entitle one to the honorific "Dr." Nevertheless *it is awarded upon completion of a course of study and ***the production of a professional paper [In some United States doctoral programs, the term "dissertation" can refer to the major part of the student's total time spent along with two or three years of classes, and may take years of full-time work to complete. At most universities, *dissertation is the term for the **required submission [paper] for the doctorate [degree], and thesis refers only to the master's degree requirement. - Wiki.com]. I've never heard of an honorary one. This is extremely "hinky." ... The whole question of honorary degrees, whether they should be awarded, whether they are something to be proud of, listed as accomplishments, etc. is kind of murky, and I might gently suggest that on this particular issue there's smoke but not much fire. [Sr.] Jerry Falwell's only doctorate was honorary [three honorary doctorates - Wiki.com], but people who thought highly of him often referred to him as "Dr Falwell" rather than "Jerry." If you look at the "About the Authors" section at the end of some of the Left Behind books you may see that Jerry Jenkins claims to "hold" two honorary degrees while Tim LaHaye distinguishes between his earned degree and his honorary degrees. Jerry Falwell Jr. earned a JD [Juris Doctor], but you will occasionally see him referred to as "Dr Falwell," even though that is not the typical mode of address for a lawyer. Finally, some schools only address medical doctors (MDs, not dentists or PhDs in community health) as "Doctor" and all other doctoral degree recipients as "Mister." That's how it was where I got mine. Anyway, I'd suggest that there's smoke but no fire here; if he earned a doctorate in South Africa then he's Dr Caner, regardless of whether he got another honorary doctorate. [article link]
Apprising Ministries: The Emerging church - Three voices from the "emergent church" will explore this capacity of postmodern Christianity *to embrace and redefine tradition, ... Who should attend: Any futurist who feels that everything must change about [traditional Christian] religion and is curious about how progressive [New Age] Christianity is a leading indicator of change - What you'll learn: Attendees will learn how to ground [embed and saturate] their leadership and foresight in the concerns of tomorrow's [New World Order]
spiritualities and relate religious concepts to futures thinking through a theology of (false and deceptive) hope - How can this *new knowledge be applied: Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how postmodern spiritualities are **reshaping conservative theologies and communities Back in November of 2005 the online apologetics and discernment work Apprising Ministries warned you about what is now a full blown cult of neo-liberalism operating within mainstream evangelicalism, the sinfully ecumenical Emerging Church. These past few years this EC has been busy forging together its new form of postmodern liberal theology, a Liberalism 2.0 many call Emergence Christianity, which Emergent Church guru Brian McLaren begins laying out in his latest book A New Kind of Christianity. ... Three voices from the "emergent church" will explore this capacity of postmodern Christianity to embrace and redefine tradition, ... Who should attend: Any futurist who feels that everything must change about religion and is curious about how progressive Christianity is a leading indicator of change. What you'll learn: Attendees will learn how to ground their leadership and foresight in the concerns of tomorrow's spiritualities and relate religious concepts to futures thinking through a theology of hope. How can this new knowledge be applied: Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how postmodern spiritualities are reshaping conservative theologies and communities. [article link]
[Modern] Pietism - Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid18th century and later - It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to begin the Brethren movement - The Pietist movement combined the Lutheranism of the time with the Reformed, and especially Puritan, emphasis on individual piety, and a vigorous Christian life History: Although pietism surely had roots prior to the Reformation and to some extent the cause of it, as a distinct movement within Protestantism pietism became identifiable in the 17th century. The Lutheran Church had continued Philipp Melanchthon's attempt to construct an intellectual backbone for the Evangelical Lutheran faith. By the 17th century the denomination remained a confessional theological and sacramental institution, influenced by orthodox Lutheran theologians such as Johann Gerhard of Jena (d. 1637), and keeping with the liturgical traditions of the Roman Catholicism of which it saw itself as a reformed variation. In the Reformed Church, on the other hand, John Calvin had not only influenced doctrine, but for a particular formation of Christian life. The Presbyterian constitution gave the people a share in church life which the Lutherans lacked, but it appeared to some to degenerate into a dogmatic legalism which, the Lutherans believed, imperiled Christian freedom and fostered self-righteousness. However, in the pietist view, ritualistic elements which Luther wanted to remove were captivating the mainstream of the Lutheran church, squeezing the pietists into fellowships with which they were comfortable. ... In Pia desideria "Pious Desires" (1675), Spener made six proposals as the best means of restoring the life of the Church: 1. The earnest and thorough study of the Bible in private meetings, ecclesiolae in ecclesia ("little churches within the church"). 2. The Christian priesthood being universal, the laity [people] should share in the spiritual government of the Church. 3. A knowledge of Christianity must be attended by the practice of it as its indispensable sign and supplement. 4. Instead of merely didactic, and often bitter, attacks on the heterodox [variant views] and unbelievers, a sympathetic and kindly treatment of them. 5. A reorganization of the theological training of the universities, giving more prominence to the devotional life. 6. A different style of preaching, namely, in the place of pleasing rhetoric [examples directed from news, events and stories], the implanting of [Biblical] Christianity in the inner or new man [spiritual man], the soul of which is faith, and its effects the fruits of life. - This work produced a great impression throughout Germany, and although large numbers of the orthodox Lutheran theologians and pastors were deeply offended by Spener's book, its complaints and its demands were both too well justified to admit of their being point-blank denied. A large number of pastors immediately adopted Spener's proposals. ... In modern societies where Pietism has had a profound impact its religious foundations are no longer apparent. Atheistic pietism is a term used by Asgeir Helgason to describe a pietistic (moralistic) approach to life without religion. "We have denied the existence of God but kept the pietistic rules". Atheistic pietism has been
suggested to be one of the characteristics (traits) of the modern day Swedish national spirit. The term is first known to have been used by W.H. Mallock in 1879. [article link]
[Modern] Anabaptist - Anabaptists "re-baptizers" or "adult baptism" [believer's baptism - credobaptism (reciting the well-known "Apostles' Creed" or a personal Bible verse or a Psalm at baptism)] are Christians of the Radical Reformation - Puritans of England and their Baptist branch arose independently, but were influenced by the Anabaptist movement - Where men believe in the freedom of religion, supported by a guarantee of separation of church and state [government], they have entered into that [Anabaptist] heritage Where men have caught the Anabaptist vision of [N.T.] discipleship, they have become worthy of that heritage - Where corporate discipleship submits itself to the New Testament pattern of the church, the heir has then entered full possession of his [N.T. - Anabaptist] legacy [Some] Anabaptists rejected *conventional [common and Biblically acceptable] Christian practices such as wearing wedding rings, taking oaths, and participating in civil government. They adhered to a literal interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount and Believer's baptism. The name Anabaptist is derived from this, because credobaptism ('Believer's baptism' - adult baptism) was considered heresy by all other major Christian denominations at the time of the reformation period (specifically, all major Christian denominations saw [infant] baptism as necessary for salvation and necessary for infants, and held that it was wrong to delay baptism until the child had reached a certain age; they did, however, require that those who converted later in life should confess a baptismal creed [the Apostles' Creed] at baptism (credobaptism). Anabaptists required that candidates be able to make their own confessions of faith and so refused baptism to infants). As a result, Anabaptists were heavily persecuted during the 16th century and into the 17th by both Roman Catholics and other Protestants. ... Somewhat related to this is the theory that the Anabaptists are of Waldensian origin. Some hold the idea that the Waldenses are part of the apostolic succession, while others simply believe they were an independent group out of whom the Anabaptists arose. Estep asserts "the Waldenses disappeared in Switzerland a century before the rise of the Anabaptist movement." Ludwig Keller, Thomas M. Lindsay, H. C. Vedder, Delbert Grätz, and Thieleman J. van Braght all held, in varying degrees, the position that the Anabaptists were of Waldensian origin. ... The Anabaptists were early promoters of a free church and freedom of religion (sometimes associated with separation of church and state). When it was introduced by the Anabaptists in the 15th and 16th centuries, religious freedom independent of the state was unthinkable to both clerical and governmental leaders. Religious liberty was equated with anarchy; Kropotkin traces the birth of anarchist thought in Europe to these early Anabaptist communities. According to Estep: Where men believe in the freedom of religion, supported by a guarantee of separation of church and state, they have entered into that heritage. Where men have caught the Anabaptist vision of discipleship, they have become worthy of that heritage. Where corporate discipleship submits itself to the New Testament pattern of the church, the heir has then entered full possession of his legacy. [article link]
Apprising Ministries: MYSTICISM PART 5 - Pietism [personal rightiousness] & Subjective [my version of selfrightiousness] Christianity - Where Did Pietism Go Wrong? Of course that is a loaded question and presupposes that Pietism did go wrong - Given the fact that Pietism, to some degree, lives on in church related groups as diverse as Amish, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal and the Amana Society it is hard to be precise But, wherever experience and subjectivity reigns supreme over Scripture in the lives and churches of twentyfirst century believers there is something wrong {Note: The Basic Christian ministry at its core is really a remnant of the Anabaptist - Pietism movement. In about 2001 the Basic Christian: Statement of Faith was rewritten and expanded including the phrase "while to the *righteous He [Jesus Christ] will give of His life, His gifts, and His glory" this was added with much consideration and what it means is that the purpose of the Basic Christian ministry at its core is a Ministry of Righteousness in Jesus Christ. Righteousness is an extremely loaded word and it should be but it is so loaded that after that one small phrase [and a few more words] were added
to the Basic Christian: Statement of Faith that article went from among the most popular articles on the website to one of the least popular articles on the site yet Righteousness (our righteousness only in Jesus Christ) is such an important Biblical concept that I decided to leave that phrase in the Statement of Faith just to help us keep our goals and ambitions on track and in a proper order. - The coming Millennial 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth is going to be His Kingdom of Righteousness [Isaiah 5:16, Isaiah 26:9, Isaiah 45:8, 19, Romans 1:17, 1 Corinthians 15:34, 2 Corinthians 3:9, 5:21, Galatians 5:5, Revelation 22:11] and in order for us as individuals to be able to inhabit properly within the Kingdom of God we need to have a concept of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ in our own lives. - Starting in about 2012 the Basic Christian Ministry is hoping to transition into more Biblical exploration of just what is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and how does it apply to each Christian in our own personal life and really the Righteousness of Jesus Christ functions and is displayed through the Holy Spirit and in the eternal Melchizedek, Righteous High Priesthood of Jesus Christ.} Although Pietists adhered to the inspiration of the Bible, they advocated individual feeling as being of primary importance. That may have been an adequate method for avoiding cold orthodoxy of "Protestant scholasticism," it opened the door for the equally dangerous enemy of "subjective experientialism." The first generation of Pietists could recall and reflect on its grounding in Scripture while validly advocating the need for individual experience. A second generation would stress the need for individual experience, but often without a proper Biblical or catechetical basis. This would leave a third generation that would question individual experience with no Biblical or doctrinal "standard" to serve as an objective criterion. In turn, their unanswered questions would tend to demand an authority. When Scriptures were neglected, human reason or subjective experience would fill the need as the required "standard." Thus while not causing other movements Pietism gave impetus to three other movements in the post-Reformation church: deism [reason and logic used apart from the Bible to get to know God], skepticism [doubting Biblical passages that don't seem to relate to the physical realm] and rationalism [placing personal human physical reasoning and understanding as a higher authority than the scriptures of the Holy Bible]. ... The great-grandchildren of Pietism live on in modern evangelicalism. On the positive side, much like original Pietists there is a great hunger today for spirituality. People want a spirituality that works in the trenches of life. They want a faith that is relevant, provides answers and draws them closer to God. There is little interest in "dead orthodoxy." People want to feel something experience something. George Gallup documents this spiritual hunger in his book, The Next American Spirituality. Unfortunately much of the spirituality that he observes is without biblical foundation leading him to warn, "Contemporary spirituality can resemble a grab bag of random experiences that does little more than promise to make our eyes mist up or our heart warm. We need perspective to separate the junk food from the wholesome, the faddish from the truly transforming." But perspective is hard to come by due to the massive level of biblical illiteracy, not only in America but among Christians as well. Half, he says, "Of those describing themselves as Christians are unable to name who delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Many Americans cannot name the reason for celebrating Easter or what the Ten Commandments are. People think the name of Noah's wife was Joan, as in Joan of Ark." Then there is what some have called "the great disconnect." That is, there is a wide chasm between what Americans in general, and self-proclaimed Christians in particular, claim to believe and how they live. While the general populace claim to have a great interest in spirituality, and Christians claim to be followers of Christ, our societies, homes and churches are inundated with corruption, violence, substance abuse, racism, divorce and materialism. This "cluster of moral and theological shortcomings seemingly throws into question the transforming power of religious beliefs," Gallup admits, leading him to state, "Just because Americans claim they are more spiritual does not make them so." That leans into an excellent question, "Is the church really rediscovering its spiritual moorings - or just engaging in retreat from seemingly insoluble problems?" ... Such [emotional self-experience] "piety" is changing every facet of Christian and church life. Take worship for example. Monte E. Wilson has noted, "For the modern evangelical, worship is defined exclusively in terms of the individual's experience. Worship, then, is not about adoring God but about being nourished with religious feelings, so much so that the worshiper has become the object of worship." The cause for this type of worship, Wilson believes, is the loss of devotion to Scriptures. He writes in pejorative terms, "Others-probably the majority in modern American evangelicalism-have utterly neglected any commitment to the content of the
Word and have ended with narcissistic 'worship' services where everyone drowns in a sea of subjectivism and calls it 'being bathed in the presence of the Holy Spirit.' These people come to church exclusively to 'feel' God." Pietistic leanings, of course, are not limited to worship and the gathered church. Where they are most evident, and most concerning is in the area of "God's leading." How does God speak to and lead His people according to Scripture? And how has Pietistic understanding of these things affected the way we interpret both Scripture and our subject feelings? This will be the topic of our next paper. [article link]
Apologetics Training Videos - Shepherd's Fellowship of Greensboro - In part I of our series on apologetic and evangelistic methods, Dustin S. Segers defines the problems inherent in modern evangelistic and apologetic methods and then goes on to discuss biblical methods of apologetics and evangelism {Apologetics Training from a Reformed, Calvinistic Theology - Good material but with the patented Reformed biased view. Charles Finney (1792 -1875) one of the greatest men of the Christian faith is referenced in the teaching as a heretic but it's not true. [Finney was a primary influence on the "revival" style of theology which emerged in the 19th century (1800's). Though coming from a Calvinistic background, Finney rejected (Shepherding) tenets of "Old Divinity" Calvinism which he felt were unbiblical and counter to evangelism and Christian mission. - Wiki.com]. Many of the Reformed theologies and Apologetics teachings in this series are excellent it is just that a heavily biased Reformed Only (Shepherding) view is never that excellent of a way to share, teach or preach the Holy Bible to fellow Christians.} (YouTube) Why Do We Exist? - 5. Restoring (Shepherding) Biblical Pastoral Oversight [vs. body of Jesus Christ fellowship, individuality (grace), freedom, ability and equality in Jesus Christ]. Many church leaders have neglected the duties of overseeing the spiritual welfare of individuals and families. Programs, facilities, and finances are managed and promoted by many pastors. If pastors and elders fail to care for souls, they fail to obey God to the great detriment of the church (1Pet. 5:1-2; Acts 20:28). We desire to see each individual in Shepherd's Fellowship mature to the glory of God so that each life produces a great harvest in the kingdom of God. While we want to purpose to be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3), we wish to see continually good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ (Col. 2:5). Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. (Heb 13:17) In conclusion, our desire is to glorify God in all that we do through proper preaching, teaching, ministering and evangelizing (Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Cor. 12:31). We pray that God will cause His gospel to spread quickly through our local area to bring honor and glory to Christ and to seek and save those who are lost (Eph. 3:21). [article link]
Basic Christian: Statement of Faith and Beliefs - Updated: Now Includes 'The Chicago Statement on Biblical Application' from The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Basic Christian: Statement of Faith • We believe that God is the creator of the universe creating both of the seen (physical) and the unseen (spiritual) realms and that God the creator is also the giver of life. • We believe the Holy Bible is God's word Personally spoken by God for mankind for the purpose of revealing who He is and it is without error in all issues to which it speaks. • We believe in the Triunity (Trinity), one God in three Persons, consisting of Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit. • We Believe Jesus Christ is Divine God who came from Heaven to mankind as a man yet retaining the Divinity of God and who while living a sinless life was rejected and betrayed by man to be crucified and die on the cross yet not to remain dead but to Resurrect the third day in accordance with His Everlasting Divine life. • We believe that the death of Jesus on the cross provided complete atonement for all the sins of the world therefore cleansing those who choose to be cleansed from their sin to then receive the Holy Spirit and by receiving the Holy Spirit becoming "Born Again" and being Born Again becoming children of God. Children in the family of God and as children in a personal relationship with their Father who is God above all and as children also inheritors in the Heavenly Kingdom of Jesus the kingdom that is without end. • We believe that Jesus is the judge of all of mankind's thoughts, intentions and actions and
that He is just and wise in His judgment. As judge, Jesus will judge the unjust to everlasting condemnation while to the righteous He will give of His life, His gifts, and His glory. • We believe Jesus physically rose from the dead, was seen by and interacted with many eyewitnesses including the Disciples and Apostles and that Jesus has now ascended back into Heaven where He originally came from. Jesus is currently seated in Majesty, Power and Authority alongside the Father and He is now accessible to us in both Prayer and Fellowship. ~ God Bless you, David Anson Brown [article link]
1689 Baptist Confession of Faith - "The Baptist Confession of Faith adopted by the ministers and messengers of the General Assembly which met in London in 1689" the Second London Confession, originally composed in 1677, has ever since been called "The 1689 Confession" This became the most popular confession of Calvinistic Baptists in the English speaking world. It enjoyed editions in Britain in 1693, 1699, 1719, 1720, 1791, 1809. In 1855 C. H. Spurgeon issued a new edition. It was only the second year of his ministry at the New Park Street Chapel. Spurgeon wrote, "I have thought it right to reprint in a cheap form this excellent list of doctrines, which were subscribed to by the Baptist Ministers in the year 1689. We need a banner because of the truth; it may be that this small volume may aid the cause of the glorious gospel by testifying plainly what are its leading doctrines ... May the Lord soon restore unto Zion a pure language, and may her watchmen see eye to eye." He addressed these remarks to "all the Household of Faith, who rejoice in the glorious doctrines of Free Grace." Other British editions have appeared in 1958, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1974. -- In the later 1600's Benjamin Keach and another minister of London published the 1689 Confession with two articles added, one on "the laying on of hands" and another''the singing of psalms". When Elias Keach, son of Benjamin, became a Baptist minister in America in 1688, he became a part of the Calvinistic Baptists who formed the Philadelphia Baptist Association in 1707. Through him the Second London Confession with his father's addenda was adopted by the Philadelphia Association. For years the association appealed to the confession, formally adopting it in 1742. The first edition of the "Philadelphia Confession of Faith" was printed by Benjamin Franklin in 1743. Under this name the 1689 confession became the definitive doctrinal statement of Calvinistic Baptists throughout the colonial and early United States periods. Associations in Virginia (1766) Rhode Island (1767), South Carolina (1767), Kentucky (1785), and Tennessee (1788) adopted the confession. It came to be known in America 85 "The Baptist Confession". Familiarity with the Confession and its doctrines declined in the latter half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. But since God has remarkably revived Biblical Calvinism among Baptists in recent days, interest in this historic confession has been renewed. [article link]
Historic Baptist Documents - Confessions, Catechisms, Creeds Many contemporaries have a deep-seated suspicion of catechisms. In our own Baptist denomination, many would consider the words "Baptist catechism" as mutually exclusive. A popular misconception is that catechisms are used in times and places where inadequate views of conversion predominate or the fires of evangelism have long since turned to white ash. If the Bible is preached, they continue, no catechism is necessary; catechisms tend to produce mere intellectual assent where true heart religion is absent. This concern reflects a healthy interest for the experiential side of true Christianity. Concern for conversion and fervor, however, should never diminish one's commitment to the individual truths of Christianity nor the necessity of teaching them in a full and coherent manner. An Encouragement to Use Catechisms, Tom Nettles -- I am persuaded that the use of a good Catechism in all our families will be a great safeguard against the increasing errors of the times, and therefore I have compiled this little manual from the Westminster Assembly's and Baptist Catechisms, for the use of my own church and congregation. Those who use it in their families or classes must labour to explain the sense; but the words should be carefully learned by heart, for they will be understood better as years pass. ~ C. H. Spurgeon -- "There never was a man in the world without a creed. What is a creed? A creed is what you believe. What is a confession? It is a declaration of what you believe. That
declaration may be oral or it may be committed to writing, but the creed is there either expressed or implied." ~ B.H. Carroll [article link]
Note: Just a reminder that the pace of the Basic Christian blog History Study is going to slowdown throughout the Summer The Basic Christian Study of The Christian Apostles is going to continue at a slower pace as we spend the Summer leisurely looking into the early formation that began the Christian Church and at the original Church structure that continues to hold the Christian Church together today. [article link]
Starting Soon - A Basic Christian Study: The Christian Apostles {Note: To say that the Christian Church only started at Pentecost [50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ] and not on the Resurrection Sunday of Jesus (Luke 24:45, John 20:22) is to say that the Apostles were not Christians [the entire 40 days that Jesus met with them after His resurrection and before His ascension] it wipes out the [True] Christian Apostolic dispensation [lasting only 40 days] and with it a great part of the foundation that the Christian Church is founded and based upon.} Matthew 10:2-4 Now the names of the Twelve Apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. -- Matthew 28:18-20 And [40 days after the resurrection] Jesus came and spake unto them [Apostles], saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations [the Christian Apostles' doctrine], baptizing them [converts to Christianity] in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them [fellow Christians] to observe all things whatsoever I [Jesus Christ] have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you [Disciples] alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. -- Acts 2:42 And they [Pentecost converts to Christianity] continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. -- 1 Corinthians 15:7-9 After that [first resurrection days of Jesus - being seen by Peter and the {remaining} 12 Apostles {at that time only 11 Apostles} and then over 500 resurrection witnesses at one time], He [resurrected Jesus] was seen of James [Gospel of James - son of Joseph and half-brother of Jesus]; then of all the Apostles [who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ]. **And last of all He [Jesus] was seen of me [Apostle Paul - The 12th Apostle, Judas' replacement - chosen by God (Romans 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:1, etc.) not by the casting of lots (Acts 1:26)] also, *as of one born out of due time [missing the 40 days of the Apostle dispensation]. For I [Apostle Paul/Saul] am the least of the Apostles, that am not meet to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. -Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye [Gentiles] are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the [Jewish] Saints, and of the Household of God; And are built upon *the foundation of the [N.T.] Apostles and [O.T.] Prophets, **Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief [foundation] Corner Stone; In [Jesus Christ] whom all the [Temple] building fitly framed together groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation [living place] of God through the [Holy] Spirit. [article link]
The Nicene Creed (325 A.D.): ... And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic [universal] and **[A]postolic Church [based on the foundation of the Apostles] - I acknowledge one Baptism [personal - individual identity (cross and resurrection) with Jesus Christ] for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come Amen The Three Ecumenical or Universal Creeds -- The Apostles' Creed [The title, Symbolum Apostolicum (Symbol or Creed of the Apostles), appears for the first time in a letter from a Council in Milan (probably written by Ambrose himself) to Pope Siricius in about 390 A.D. - Wiki.com]: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic [universal] Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. -- The Nicene Creed [adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first (second) ecumenical council (Jerusalem Acts 15:6 was the first ecumenical Church council), which met there in 325 A.D. - Wiki.com]: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. -- The Athanasian Creed [The use of the Creed in a sermon by Caesarius of Arles, as well as a theological resemblance to works by Vincent of Lérins, point to Southern Gaul as its origin. The most likely time frame is in the late fifth or early sixth century A.D. (475-525 A.D.) at least 100 years after Athanasius (293 A.D. May 2, 373 A.D.) - Wiki.com]: Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic [universal] faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic [universal] faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal. As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the catholic [universal] religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another; But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the
reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give an account of their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic [universal] faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved. [article link]
Creating Your Own Way To Worship God - Mark Driscoll [pastor of Mars Hill Fellowship in Seattle Washington] and Neo-Reformed New-Calvinist [once saved always saved] Contemplative [New Age - altered state of consciousness i.e. transcendental meditation] Spirituality - Dr. John Piper, who's seen as a "pioneer" of this New Calvinism - back in February of this year [2010] Driscoll was a featured speaker, along with CSM teacher Peter Scazzero, at the Radicalis conference put on by Purpose Driven Pope [exercising excessive authority] Rick Warren at his Saddleback Church {Really as others have noted the contemplative meditative spirituality movement is the new circumcision of modern Christianity. In the ancient Church early Christians attempted to focus on circumcision in order to avoid the seemingly unpopular cross and teachings of Jesus Christ. Today modern Christians are contemplating anything and everything in another attempt to distance themselves from the cross (sin nature of mankind) and what they perceive to be unpopular teachings of Jesus Christ all the while neglecting the true Majesty and Glory of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.} Creating Your Own Way To Worship God - Apprising Ministries has shared some concern about this New Calvinism as expressed e.g. by Matt Chandler and particularly Mark Driscoll, founder of Acts 29 Network, in recent posts such as Acts 29 Network And Reformed Counter Reformation Spirituality? and Acts 29 Pastor Matt Chandler On Being A Reformed Charismatic. In my assessment there's very good reason for concern as these people are rapidly growing in popularity and influence within the younger sector of the Reformed Camp; being blessed as they are by Dr. John Piper, who's seen as a "pioneer" of this New Calvinism. Then in Spiritual Disciplines According To Martin Luther I connected some more of the dots for you concerning the Acts 29 Church Planting Network itself where you heard from Darren Patrick, its own Vice President, that they are a "neo-Reformed" section of the Emerging Church. Let me be perfectly clear: Acts 29 is most certainly not heretical in its basic theological beliefs. The concern here is the recommendation of a key component that was hidden within the Trojan Horse of the sinfully ecumenical Emergent Church (EC) and its new "big tent" progressive/liberal de-formation of the Christian faith they call Emergence Christianity. This EC-a neo-liberal cult now firmly entrenched within the walls of mainstream evangelicalism-has long been busy now blurring doctrinal lines through their core doctrine of Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) as taught by Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster along with his spiritual twin and Southern Baptist minister Dallas Willard. ... Although Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Fellowship in Seattle Washington, is said to have denounced certain aspects of the emergent church, Driscoll is a proponent of the main element behind the emerging church - contemplative prayer. ... I previously pointed out in Who Is John Main? this form of "mantra meditation" encouraged by Thomas, and apparently also recommended by Driscoll, is traced to Dom (father) John Main (1926-1982). Main was a Roman Catholic priest and monk of the Order of Saint Benedict (OSB); he's also universally known by those in the so-called "contemplative tradition" as the man who rediscovered "the practice of pure prayer, or Christian meditation," using a "holy phrase" also known as a mantra. In 1975 Main "began the first meditation groups at his monastery in London and, later, in Montreal." ... In closing this out, for now, you should understand that what this CSM ends up producing is a sappy, centered on the self, psychobabble form of Christianity as these mystics "go within" themselves in search of "an authentic self" aka some supposed "true self." However, at its very core, it ends up a denial of the doctrine of original sin. I find it rather odd that people, who would tell us they are Protestants in line with Reformation theology, would be so quick to recommend this kind of Counter Reformation spirituality to their church planters and to the younger section of evangelicals influenced by this New Calvinism. [article link]
John Piper - More Details About Our 2010 National Conference - The conference theme is Think: The Life of the Mind & the Love of God - A number of people have asked about John Piper's decision to invite [purpose driven] Rick Warren - Below is a 12 minute clip from last night's Ask Pastor John session where he addresses that question and explains why he thinks it will be good for Rick [Warren] to come (Video) The 2010 Desiring God National Conference will take place, Lord willing, October 1-3 in Minneapolis. The conference theme is Think: The Life of the Mind & the Love of God, and the speakers and message titles are as follows: Al Mohler - "The Way the World Thinks: Meeting the Natural Mind in the Mirror and in the Market Place"; Rick Warren - "Thinking Purposefully for the Glory of Christ: The Life of the Mind and Global Reality"; R. C. Sproul (via video) - "Thinking Deeply in the Ocean of Revelation: The Bible and the Life of the Mind"; Thabiti Anyabwile - "Thinking for the Sake of Global Faithfulness: Confronting Islam with the Mind of Christ"; Francis Chan - "Think Hard, Stay Humble: The Life of the Mind and the Peril of Pride"; John Piper - "Thinking for the Sake of Joy: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God" -- John Piper's Upcoming Leave - By John Piper March 28, 2010 - As you may have already heard in the sermon from March 27-28, the elders graciously approved on March 22 a leave of absence that will take me away from Bethlehem from May 1 through December 31, 2010. We thought it might be helpful to put an explanation in a letter to go along with the sermon. I asked the elders to consider this leave [without pay - but possibly with perks (Per diem - travel, living expences) that can far exceed the regular salary] because of a growing sense that my soul, my marriage, my family, and my ministrypattern need a reality check from the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, I love my Lord, my wife, my five children and their families first and foremost; and I love my work of preaching and writing and leading Bethlehem. I hope the Lord gives me at least five more years as the pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem. But on the other hand, I see several species of pride in my soul that, while they may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry, grieve me, and have taken a toll on my relationship with Noël and others who are dear to me. How do I apologize to you, not for a specific deed, but for ongoing character flaws, and their effects on everybody? I'll say it now, and no doubt will say it again, I'm sorry. Since I don't have just one deed to point to, I simply ask for a spirit of forgiveness; and I give you as much assurance as I can that I am not making peace, but war, with my own sins. ... Personally, I view these months as a kind of relaunch of what I hope will be the most humble, happy, fruitful five years of our 35 years at Bethlehem and 46 years of marriage. Would you pray with me to that end? And would you stand by your church with all your might? May God make these eight months the best Bethlehem has ever known. It would be just like God to do the greatest things when I am not there. "Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth" (1 Corinthians 3:7). I love you and promise to pray for you every day. Pastor John. [article link]
The question remains: Is this phenomenon of former pastors becoming full-time conference speakers and authors a good thing? Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove suggests it's not in his new book, 'The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture' {Note: there is the added burden that today MUCH of what is passed off to the Christian public as authored works by leading pastors, teachers and leaders is in fact 'ghost authored' material and more and more the 'ghost authors' of modern Christian material are in actuality New Age authors seeking alternate avenues and venues to saturate their material into. -- Also Note: When it comes to the very serious business of adequately Pastoring a diverse congregation of people any 'one man show' is a complete no-go! It has been conclusively proven time and again in modern-Christianity to be completely UNNACCEPTABLE and even TOXIC to allow any one person to have the bulk of authority at any Church level. Even the Catholic Pope presides within a careful system of checks and balances.} What's going on? Is the local church becoming the "farm team" for full-time conference and book ministry? Normal pastoral transition, pastoral stress, the personality of church planters, and American culture all probably play a role in these type of transitions. ... Third, people who are good at church planting tend to have creative and communication gifts that also make them good writers. Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird write in the 2007 State of Church Planting in the United States, "Aggressive and highly effective church planters tend to be entrepreneurial and find creative means of funding the plant other than with direct assistance from
denominational or church-planting agencies." It is not surprising that the entrepreneurial and creative energies of church planters will sometimes lead them to write books describing what they have learned along the way. Belcher, Chan, Rollins, McLaren, and others were all church planters. So was *Eugene Peterson [scam author of the 'ghost authored' and highly New Aged plagiarized 'The Message' bible], who left the church he planted after 29 years to become a professor at Regent College in 1991. (Piper's church has been in existence since the 19th century, but he led it to major growth.) Fourth, American culture expects authors to travel and promote their books through speaking engagements. Outside speaking engagements and further writing often take pastors away from the church they founded. Some pastors, such as Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Max Lucado, Tim Keller, and Rob Bell, have made arrangements to stay at the churches they founded with other pastors taking on a significant portion of the preaching. ... Still, it is problematic for us to judge people from a distance for their [self-serving] vocational decisions. "If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?" (1 Cor 12:17). We should be careful not to assume that these moves are made out of pride. In Sunday's sermon, for example, Chan was particulary eager to emphasize that he felt God is leading him to greater obscurity, not prominence. But even when prominence does come with these moves, we can all be thankful for good writing and speaking. Maybe God is setting aside some people for these [new apostle] tasks so that the body of Christ might be built up. {It's highly doubtful that this unbiblical, extremely deceptive and very much a worldly compromised movement could possibly be in any way a valid movement or work of God.} [article link]
It is only by FAITH in Jesus Christ (His sinless life, His atoning cross, His eternal life resurrection) that a person becomes a Christian - NOT by any kind of personal WORKS, good, bad or otherwise (Holy Bible) "John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ), that whosoever believeth [faith] in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name [Person] of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light [Jesus Christ] is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their [works] deeds were evil [selfish]. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light [God], neither cometh to the [True] light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth [Biblical] Truth cometh to the light [God], that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought [made - relationship] in God." -- "Ephesians 2:4-10 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins {the sins of Adam and Eve}, hath quickened us together with [Jesus] Christ, by grace ye are saved; And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. **For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: *Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto [God's] good works, *which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." [article link]
The works of God are different from the works of man - The Good Works of God are embodied in the works of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Holy Bible) "Matthew 16:24-28 Then said Jesus unto His Disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and **take up his cross, and follow Me. *For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life [die to this world] for My sake shall find it [eternal life]. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole [fallen] world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For [Jesus Christ] the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of [God] His Father with His [holy] angels; and **then He shall reward every man according to his [godly - Jesus centered] works [after taking up the cross]. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man [glorified - Mt. of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9)] coming in [displaying] His [righteous] Kingdom." -- "Hebrews 12:2-8 Looking
unto Jesus the author and finisher of our [Christian] faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." -- "Hebrews 12:12-17 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame [human good works] be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed [relationship with God]. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently [to God] lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." -- "Hebrews 12:22-25 But ye [disciples] are come unto Mount Sion [Zion - the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ], and unto the city of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of [holy] angels, To the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn [covered by the blood of Jesus], which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect [complete], And to Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not Him [Jesus] that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him [Moses] that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him [Jesus] that speaketh from heaven:" -- "Hebrews 12:28-29 Wherefore we [Christians] receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved [shaken down], let us have grace [individuality], whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire [removing unrighteousness]." [article link]
The Dalai Lama is wrong - There is "one truth" behind the "many faiths" and that core truth, he argues, is compassion [good works - i.e. Pastor Rick Warren's 'purpose driven' agenda] - Followers of the Dalai Lama revere him as a reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion - So it should not be surprising that he sees compassion at the heart of all religions - Jesus came, according to most Christian thinkers, to stamp out sin and pave the path to [eternal] salvation (humans reconciled back into a (family) *relationship and *fellowship with Holy God) - religion is an immensely powerful force both personally and politically By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN - I am a big fan of the Dalai Lama. I love his trademark smile and I hate the fact that I missed his talks this week in New York City. But I cannot say either "Amen" or "Om" to the shopworn clichés that he trots out in the New York Times in "Many Faiths, One Truth." Recalling the Apostle Paul-"When I was a child, I spoke like a child"-the Dalai Lama begins by copping to youthful naivete. "When I was a boy in Tibet, I felt that my own Buddhist religion must be the best," he writes, "and that other faiths were somehow inferior." However, just as Paul, upon becoming a man, "put away childish things," the Dalai Lama now sees his youthful exclusivism as both naïve and dangerous. There is "one truth" behind the "many faiths," and that core truth, he argues, is compassion. Like the Dalai Lama, who writes of how he was influenced by Thomas Merton, I believe we can learn greatly from other religions. I too hope for tolerance and harmony in our interreligious interactions. I am convinced, however, that true tolerance and lasting harmony must be built on reality, not fantasy. Religious exclusivism is dangerous and naïve. But so too is pretend pluralism. The cause of religious harmony is not advanced in the least by the shibboleth that all religions are different paths up the same mountain. If you ask religious universalists what lies at the top of the mountain, the answers they will give you are not one but many ... As I argue in my new book, "God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World-and Why Their Differences Matter," religion is an immensely powerful force both personally and politically. So if we want to understand the world we must understand the world's religions. This includes
reckoning with both similarities and differences, and with the capacity of each of the great religions to do both good and evil. I know that when it comes to the Dalai Lama we are all supposed to bow and scrape. So I am happy to applaud his project to find "common ground" across the world's religions. But I also know that the Buddha said to worship no man. And I cannot agree with the Dalai Lama's claim that "the essential message of all religions is very much the same." The Dalai Lama was doubtless naïve when, as a boy, and before learning about other religions, he arrived at the conclusion that only his religion was true. But it is no advance out of innocence to make the equally fantastic claim that all the religions are at heart vehicles for compassion. If we are to build a world of interreligious harmony, or even a world of interreligious détente, it will have to be constructed on a foundation of adult experience rather than youthful naivete. [article link]
{Flashback} Calvary Chapel Senior Pastor Chuck Smith now supports Rick Warren [Rick Warren's good friend (and Saddleback Church attendee) Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News also owns and distributes the Satanic bible, is a leading promoter of evolution and abortion and is also one of the leading distributors of pornographic material throughout the world] - {Note: Chuck Smith seems to think that 'anything' he does is a move of the Holy Spirit or is endorsed 'blessed' by the Holy Spirit simply because he does it and that is complete blasphemy! Pastor Chuck Smith needs to continually submit himself to the Holy Spirit in the same way and manner as everyone else. There are no special circumstances or special people, even in these End Times [or especially in these End Times], everyone is to be submitted to God at all times and there are no exceptions. Honestly, Pastor Chuck Smith and Pastor Rick Warren seem to think that they have some special anointed 'secret agent' End Time calling on their life and are to define and complete the Church and to personally above everyone else 'deliver the Church personally to God' as some super servant at the 2nd Coming appearance and return of Jesus and it is certainly not the case. - The Apostle Paul had the calling of Apostle on his life and the Apostle Paul openly and publically declared to everyone his calling [1 Corinthians 1:1] and his intentions within the Church. We now live in days where Church leaders and pseudo Church leaders like Smith and Warren seem to be enacting out a secret fantasy of an End Time calling [that does not exist] with their secret intentions and hidden agendas and it's not Biblically correct. Secrecy is a deception that is being imposed upon the Christian Church by the leaders of the Church and the Church doesn't need it or want it. Also Note: Chuck Smith is always overselling his Calvary Chapel agenda and Rick Warren is always overly aggressive in demanding his agenda and both approaches towards people and audiences are unbiblical.} (YouTube) This video shows the many compromises that Chuck Smith has made, on this one I fear he has gone beyond the pale. [article link]
Oprah and Julia Roberts Make Push for New Age 'Eat, Pray, Love' Summer 2010 Movie - the message in Gilbert's book 'Eat, Pray, Love' is a New Age one that encourages eastern meditation [contemplating that all is one and all is well in this world without the cross and reconciliation of Jesus Christ (no sin) vs. fellowshipping with God in a right relationship of sinful human and loving, Holy God (Isaiah 1:18)] as a way to find peace and fulfillment in life - According to Time magazine, the following people are among the 2008 (100 most) influential people in the world - The ones we have listed all have some connection to promoting the New Age movement: #81 - Rupert Murdoch On May 24th, on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Julia Roberts joined Oprah to promote the upcoming film, Eat, Pray, Love, based on Elizabeth Gilbert's New York Times Best Selling book with the same name. The movie will be released this summer and will most likely be a box office hit with Roberts starring in the film and Brad Pitt producing. Sadly, the message in Gilbert's book is a New Age one that encourages eastern meditation as a way to find peace and fulfillment in life. ... According to Time magazine, the following people are among the 2008 100 most influential people in the world. The ones we have listed all have some connection to promoting the New Age movement: #1 - Dalai Lama, #3 - Barack Obama, #4 - Hilary Clinton, #22 - Oprah Winfrey, #67 -
Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love), #81 - Rupert Murdoch. [article link]
INFLUENCES: RICK WARREN AND C. PETER WAGNER OF NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION - Simpson reminds us that Warren [purpose driven Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church] "wrote his doctoral dissertation at Fuller Seminary [1993] on his church growth ideas" And after informing us that he has Warren's "full dissertation in my possession" Simpson then tells us: His mentor was [new apostle reformation heretic] C. Peter Wagner! ... You can see this information compiled by Sandy Simpson right here - As far as I'm concerned the ill-advised decision by Dr. John Piper to bring Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren into the Desiring God Conference 2010 [October 1-3 in Minneapolis, MN] as the keynote speaker begins to look even more peculiar And Warrengate continues to simmer... Apprising Ministries points you now to something Christian apologist and missionary Sandy Simpson of the fine online apologetics and discernment ministry (Deception in the Church) was covering back in 2004. As I have said before, Simpson was one of the first to assist me when I first came on the Net in late August of 2005, when he helped draw attention to my early [Apprising Ministries] writings. In an addendum to "The New Apostolic Reformation" [NAR] What is it and where it is going? Simpson tells us about facts "that were obtained after the NAR video series was completed"; he then explains that, "This information is available in the book version of the NAR series." First Simpson further documents C. Peter Wagner's Involvement In The Latter Rain: Latter Rain heresy is likened to pioneers making "mistakes". Latter Rain heretics were only pioneers in the sense of pioneering age old heresies in the 20th century. Heresy is not a mistake, it is a sin, and one we are to reject ... Wagner claims God began speaking these Latter Rain things again. Does God [again] speak heresy? ... Then in the Rick Warren/C. Peter Wagner Connections, Simpson reminds us that Warren "wrote his doctoral dissertation at Fuller Seminary on his church growth ideas." And after informing us that he has [Rick] Warren's "full dissertation in my possession" Simpson then tells us: His mentor was C. Peter Wagner! Here is a copy of the FirstSearch Dissertations Abstracts listing: ... You can see this information compiled by Sandy Simpson right here. As far as I'm concerned the ill-advised decision by Dr. John Piper to bring Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren into the Desiring God Conference 2010 as the keynote speaker begins to look even more peculiar. And Warrengate continues to simmer... [article link]
New Southern California Seminary Founded by Norman Geisler and Joseph Holden in MURRIETA, California Veritas Seminary is planning their first annual apologetics conference for November 6-7 [2009], featuring lectures by distinguished pastors and apologists including Ravi Zacharias, *Norman Geisler, *Chuck Smith [Sr.], *Ergun Caner [LU], Lee Strobell, Ron Rhodes, Greg Koukl and others MURRIETA, Calif., April 9 [2009]/Christian Newswire/ -- Former Dean and President of Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES), Norman Geisler, has founded Veritas Evangelical Seminary in Murrieta, California, with cofounder and former SES student, Joseph Holden, who now serves as the seminary's first president. The founding of the institution has added a classically oriented apologetic curriculum with a strong emphasis on biblical inerrancy to the southern California area that hosts other larger universities such as Biola University, Fuller Seminary, and Azusa Pacific University. The Veritas faculty consists of well-known evangelical scholars and authors such as Randall Price, H. Wayne House, *Ergun Caner, Gary Habermas, Thomas Ice, Ron Rhodes, Arnold Fruchtenbaum and others. -- When asked of the need for such a unique seminary President Holden said, 'I see Veritas Seminary as an answer to the rapid slide away from the classical doctrines of Christianity such as the inerrancy of Scripture, the immutable and timelessly eternal nature of God, and the need to proclaim the gospel to a lost and searching world. In large part this is due to the influence of postmodernism on the thinking on some faculty and students. No longer can we take it for granted that one's church or school will hold fast to these cherished beliefs. Thus, our focus is not on the academic degree or credential one will earn, the stakes are much higher today, it is on the equipping of the Body of Christ and personal transformation by the Holy Spirit. What is needed today is an academic reformation and spiritual revival.' Since
it's founding in March 2009, Veritas Seminary has experienced unprecedented support and enrollment by students and faculty seeking a safe learning environment. Holden said, 'The seminary's first course, Introduction to Apologetics, was taught by Dr. Geisler to a nearly full classroom of students from diverse backgrounds, all seeking a safe haven from the ideologies that are driving the shift away from sound doctrine.' Veritas Seminary is planning their first annual apologetics conference for November 6-7, featuring lectures by distinguished pastors and apologists including Ravi Zacharias, Norman Geisler, Chuck Smith, Ergun Caner, Lee Strobell, Ron Rhodes, Greg Koukl and others. For more information concerning Veritas Evangelical Seminary visit www.VeritasSeminary.com [article link]
Calvary Chapel Bible College located in Murrieta California [since about 1996] - Calvary Chapel Bible College is affiliated with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa where Chuck Smith [Sr.] is the pastor - All members of the Bible College staff are employees and ministers of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, under the direction of Pastor Chuck Smith and Associate Pastor Brian Brodersen [Note: associate pastor Brian Brodersen is just Chuck Smith's son in law.] Affiliation: Calvary Chapel Bible College is affiliated with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa where Chuck Smith is the pastor. All members of the Bible College staff are employees and ministers of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, under the direction of Pastor Chuck Smith and Associate Pastor Brian Brodersen. -- Letter From The President: God is moving mightily by His Holy Spirit in this generation and we praise Him for His mighty works. As a part of what God is doing by His Spirit worldwide, He has raised up the Calvary Chapel ministries to help feed His people with His Word. At Calvary Chapel Bible College, men and women from all over the world gather together in the beautiful Murrieta Hot Springs oasis of Southern California to study the Word of God with Calvary Chapel pastors. May God bless you richly with His abundant love. Pastor Chuck Smith, President -As the Vice President of the Bible College, Pastor Brian Brodersen works closely with Pastor Chuck and the Bible College Director, Pastor David Shirley to shape the vision of CCBC. Brian has been involved in pastoral ministry for over 20 years. He has served as Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Vista in Southern California, and also as Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Westminster in London, England. Brian has been extensively involved in missionary work throughout various parts of Europe. Brian is the featured speaker on the Bible teaching program 'Back to Basics' as well as the co-host of the live call-in program 'Pastor's Perspective.' Pastor Brian Brodersen, Vice President. [article link]
Declining donations force churches to adjust strategies - Nearly 40 percent of U.S. churches experienced declines in church giving and offerings in 2009, the second consecutive year of significant funding drop {I think a large part of this besides the economy is that people no longer want to just blanket donate [tithe] to modern 5013c Corporation Churches. People should be very cautious about how they donate to modern Corporation Churches [look how many Christian organizations then used Christian donations to fundraise for Mitt Romney i.e. Regent University, Focus on the Family, etc.] Christians should primarily donate to a Church or a cause only on a base by base continuance and then only if there is a specific justifiable cause to donate to. It's just not a good enough cause to donate to overprice building projects and overpriced perks, functions and agendas. Note: Christian internet ministries are a great place to donate to and support (not at the complete exclusion of the local Church) but it does help to establish needy ministries on the internet. - Also Note: Basic Christian is contemplating doing a whole series [in 2011] on why many current Churches and organizations simply need to fail and why it could be a work of God in His Church if they do fail. Don't be so quick to financially come to the aid [even at their request] of a failing Church or organization and in so doing making ourselves partakers of their plagues that they have brought upon themselves i.e. (Revelation 2:5) in their disobedience and unfaithfulness towards God.} Even as First Baptist Church of Dallas launches a $115 million capital campaign, the most ambitious ever for a large Protestant church, congregations across the country struggle to pay everyday bills. Nearly 40 percent of
U.S. churches experienced declines in church giving and offerings in 2009, the second consecutive year of significant funding drops, according to the 2010 State of the Plate surveys conducted by the Maximum Generosity ministry and Christianity Today International. After the October 2008 stock market plunge, 29 percent of churches reported declines in giving. In 2009, 38 percent of churches responding to the survey had experienced declines. "What normally happens is a downturn hits churches about six months after it hits everyone else, and it takes about six months after the recovery starts for churches to see that," said Simeon May, chief executive officer for the Richardson-based National Association of Church Business Administration. "We aren't seeing much improvement yet." It's little wonder, then, that some churches have delayed or postponed capital campaigns and focused instead on "operational giving," said Joel Mikell, president of RSI Church Stewardship Group of Dallas, which guides 200 to 250 churches through capital campaigns each year. [article link]
***Highly Recommended - Future Quake 5/24/2010 - The Merging of the [Pseudo] Religious Right and the New Apostolic Reformation (Mp3) FutureQuake.com - [Guest] Derek Gilbert, Host of "Peering Into Darkness" and "A View From The Bunker" Radio Shows (www.pidradio.com). [Discusses] "May Day", and the Merging of the Religious Right and the New Apostolic Reformation - Signs of the Last Days. [article link]
**Updated - [LDS Mormon] Church-owned Deseret Book stops publishing [late LDS Mormon Apostle] McConkie's Mormon Doctrine, claiming "low sales" and gets caught lying by [2Utah.com] a local news organization - The paperback version is (Amazon.com) ranked tonight at an incredible #5,657, although it is fluctuating - The book Mormon Doctrine, written by Bruce R. McConkie, is one of the time-honored classics of Mormon literature - Few [LDS] books can match it in endurance or number of copies sold - What's the REAL reason it was stopped? 1) Tighter [LDS] correlative (committee) control 2) Because of the book's embarrassing clarity 3) Because of some controversial assertions in the book - Low sales? What a cowardly lie -- (McConkie served in military intelligence at Fort Douglas - held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at his discharge on February 26, 1946, one of the youngest in Army Intelligence to hold that rank - wiki.com) - {Note: modern Evangelical leaders and modern LDS leaders get along so well and work so closely together because honestly they both have so much in common [including lying]. - Seriously both leaders represent themselves at a higher standard of spirituality/anointing than they actually do have and both believe themselves to be the inheritors of special kingdoms. Evangelical leaders (some) believe that they will inherit a Nation State (based on the size of their earthly ministry influence) to oversee during the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ while it is common knowledge that LDS leaders believe that they will inherit their own planet to oversee.} By Aaron Shafovaloff - Church-owned Deseret Book stops publishing & shelving McConkie's Mormon Doctrine, claiming "low sales", and gets caught lying by a local news organization (HT: Rob Sivulka of MormonInfo.org). Let me breathe in deeply and exhale loudly on this: LIARS! Bill McKeever observes: Though hardly a scientific analysis, it is curious to note that on Amazon.com Mormon Doctrine still enjoys a moderate sales ranking of 209,180. This is higher than other LDS books that are still in print, including: Faith Precedes the Miracle (#244,876), Answers to Gospel Questions (#700,130), Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (#590,328), Are Mormons Christian? (#659,996), and volume one of the Joseph Smith Papers (#412,561). Update: Bill was looking at the hardcover version. The paperback version is ranked tonight at an incredible #5,657, although it is fluctuating. Update 2: "The book Mormon Doctrine, written by Bruce R. McConkie, is one of the time-honored classics of Mormon literature. Few [LDS] books can match it in endurance or number of copies sold. Perhaps few books, except the scriptures, can match it in the frequency with which it has been quoted in talks and lessons by those seeking to teach gospel principles." (Joseph Fielding McConkie, The Bruce R. McConkie Story: Reflections of a Son, Deseret Book, 2003, p.182.) Having heard a rumor that this was going to happen about a year ago (a Mormon with a connection to LDS curriculum development said there was a new moratorium on quoting from the book), I personally asked Deseret Book employees in Fort Union (in the
SLC area) how well the book sold and they said it sold well. This was also foreshadowed by the removal in the 2009 Gospel Principles of any references of quotes from Mormon Doctrine. What's the REAL reason it was stopped? 1) Tighter correlative control 2) Because of the book's embarrassing clarity 3) Because of some controversial assertions in the book - Low sales? What a cowardly lie. As I have written elsewhere, Mormon teaching can sometimes have a "shelf-life". When Mormon teaching dies, it normally does so though distancing over time, not formal repudiation. Formal repudiation is usually avoided by Mormon leaders. It would highlight the fallibility of church leaders and potentially bring a sensitive, embarrassing issue to light, prompting many to investigate material from earlier [LDS] Church leaders which isn't faith-promoting. ... So I'm not seeing a lot of cause for general [Christian] optimism short of God doing a supernatural work of revival, where [LDS] people are cut to the heart, confessing their sins, spurning false teachers, and worshiping the true God. [article link]
Dr. Norman Geisler On Ergun Caner by Peter Lumpkins [Apparently it's not a hoax and Dr. Norman Geisler did author that incoherent rant.] {Note: We live in crucial times and as such it is now time that we REJECT the current Christian pastors, teachers and leaders that are unable or unwilling to accurately evaluate and assess the post 9-11-2001 era of danger, beguile and betrayal that we now exist in. Too many Pastors are still more interested in their own personal agendas, comfort and finances than in spreading the gospel message of Jesus Christ. -- Past pastors, teachers and leaders like Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel, Rick Warren, John Hagee, Greg Laurie, Skip Heitzig, James Dobson, Norman Geisler, Jerry Falwell Jr., John MacArthur, Rick Joyner, Mark Demoss, Tony Perkins, David Brody, Lee Strobel, R.C. Sproul, Max Lucado and a host of others who consider themselves to be apostles, prophets, teachers and leaders need no longer be taken seriously or even be considered to be viable as a Christian Church authority by those within or without the true Christian Church. It is time to call into question their motives, abilities, agendas and desires that make them unwilling to accurately or faithfully proclaim the trusted Gospel of Jesus Christ!} COMMENTS: Peter, With all due respect to Dr. Geisler's acomplishments of years past, I fear this is another of a group of recent statements showing how out of touch he is with present [since 9-11-2001] reality. What have we come to in the evangelical community when fabrications, exaggerations and lies are dismissed and those who expose such things are called "libelous"? I'm sorry, but relying solely on the assessments of men like Elmer Towns and Norm Geisler in a postmodern, digital age is not altogether sound. It would be safe to say that these men spend little or no time on the internet, much less reading blogs, web sites, twitter feeds, etc. The abundance of information today can be overwhelming for those of previous generations. This is not to say that the present environment is better, just VERY different. Moreover, Dr. Geisler is not a completely unbiased source in this matter. Caner is a regular speaker at apologetics conferences held at Southern Evangelical Seminary, founded by Geisler. Futhermore, how is it possible that he able to render summary judgement on this matter by only talking to "Dr. Caner and other principal parties at Liberty"? How can one make a final judgement on a matter by only talking to one side of the matter? What if we applied this same standard in our legal system? What if judges rendered judgement on a case after only speaking with the defendent? This seems grossly biased to me. Lastly, I agree we all should "pray for and encourage our brother". We should PRAY that DR. Caner will repent of his fabrications and falsehoods. We should ENCOURAGE Dr. Caner to start telling his TRUE testimony: that of a child from a broken him divided between Islamic and secularistic values whom God miraculously and graciously brought to salvation. {Amen!} [article link]
Norman Geisler Comments on the [LU] Caner Saga - One is immediately struck by the incoherence of the statement - First, we are told Ergun Caner is innocent; then we are told to wait for the findings of the inquiry We are told asking honest questions of Ergun Caner amounts to a "vicious attack" and that those who have asked these questions are "extremists" guilty of slander and libel, yet, at the same time, we are told that Christians have a bad habit of shooting their wounded - How can we make sense of such contradictory
material? {Norman Geisler's pseudo rant makes Evangelical Christianity look like it is folding and collapsing upon itself like a house of cards stacked from a badly worn deck. - Quick Norman rant some more with your uninformed, biased (see photo) opinions, maybe someone will believe you and support your ridiculous fabrications. Note: if Norman Geisler really did write that statement he is pathetic!} (Photo - Geisler lovingly admiring Caner's bald head) My first thought upon reading the statement was, "If Dr. Geisler has talked to Ergun Caner, and can conclude that directly contradictory statements such as "I was born in Istanbul" and "I was born in Stockholm" are merely "ambiguous" statements, then **it is now morally incumbent upon Dr. Geisler, who did not need to involve himself in the matter, to answer the questions that Ergun Caner has so far refused to answer." If he possesses answers to all twenty two questions I posted earlier, then a moral obligation is upon him to provide these answers to the rest of the world, in light of Dr. Caner's refusal to do so. He says he is "convinced" of his conclusions. Wonderful! Now he needs to convince the rest of us. Of course, there is reason to be worried about the depth of Dr. Geisler's knowledge of the situation. Note the inaccuracy of his first sentence. Mohammad Khan is not a "Muslim group," nor have these "slanderous charges" been generated by anyone other than Ergun Caner. When a speaker produces self-contradictory statements on matters of fact that bear directly upon his self-claimed expertise and then refuses to answer honest questions about why he is contradicting himself, then that person is the source of the problem, not those asking the questions. But we are truly left wondering who these "other extremists" might be. The use of such language as this is highly unwise, given that it only adds to the confusion; it in no way provides clarity. **Dr. Geisler uses two terms that themselves are extremist: libel and slander. Given the nature of the evidence upon which the questions have been based (video recordings, audio recordings, published works, and court documents), this kind of rhetoric is simply reprehensible. This is language meant to inflame, not explain, obfuscate, not clarify. How can questions based upon such clear evidence be identified by such terms? This only adds to the incoherence of the statement. I am sure that if I were to take a few moments to scan through some of Norman Geisler's works I could find all sorts of statements about the need to be truthful and accurate in our statements. So one is left wondering how Dr. Caner's "I came here in 1979 from Turkey, trained in the youth jihad" can be made a mere "misstatement" in light of his own confession in 2002 that he had been in Ohio since 1969? Is there something "ambiguous" about claiming to debate Islamic scholars you have never even met, especially in light of the fact that you have not actually debated anyone in that context at all? Of course, this might reflect Ergun Caner's misleading of Norman Geisler: the leaked memo from Caner to the staff at Liberty partook of the same deception, unfortunately. But Dr. Geisler has shown himself very unwise to make a public statement without explaining the documentation that has been provided. ... Likewise the "illegal" question seems to miss the point. Might students at Liberty have a basis for complaint that they came to the [LU] school on the basis of fraudulent claims about Caner's expertise in apologetics especially those in the "Global Apologetics Program"? Possibly so, but the controversy is over integrity and honesty in the Christian ministry and apologetics. Legal issues [LU - Caner] I gladly leave to others to sort out. [article link]
Surrendering Your Rights by J. Oswald Sanders (Mp3) Dr. John Oswald Sanders (17 October 1902 - 24 October 1992) was a general director of Overseas Missionary Fellowship in the 50's and 60's while it was still China Inland Mission and authored more than forty books on the Christian life. He became an elder statesman and worldwide conference speaker from his retirement at 65 until his death at 90. Sanders left a promising law practice in his native New Zealand to serve as an instructor and administrator at the Bible College of New Zealand. He later became general director of the China Inland Mission (now the Overseas Missionary Fellowship), and was instrumental in beginning many new missions projects throughout East Asia. - Wiki.com [article link]
Basic Christian Theology: Justice - A lack of justice is very difficult on people causing people to suffer mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically - Because injustice is so hard on people it is one of Satan's main tools to discourage people - The worldly earthly system of governments, law {religion} and business are being influenced by the ruler of this world (Satan) and with Satan's influence there is a lack of justice - Christians should keep the focus on Jesus to look for true justice - Jesus knows the intentions of every person and is therefore the one true administer of justice First Use: Genesis 18:19 For I (God) know him (Abraham), that he will command his children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him. - "Micah 6:8 He (God) hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God?" Justice is making correct decisions. Since in the world both sin and righteousness exist, God judges with justice (correctness). Justice involves judgment Since there is disobedience justice requires that disobedience not be rewarded but that it will be correctly identified and punished. Justice is First Used in the Bible when the Lord reveals to Abraham that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are about to be judged by God. In justice, God is judging two cities according to their conduct. - "Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." - Throughout the world people can deal with poverty, hunger and a variety of hardships but a lack of Justice is difficult to endure. "Ezekiel 45:9 Thus saith the Lord God; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord God." A lack of justice is very difficult on people causing people to suffer mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. - Because injustice is so hard on people it is one of Satan's main tools to discourage people. The worldly earthly system of governments, law {religion} and business are being influenced by the ruler of this world (Satan) and with Satan's influence there is a lack of real justice. Christians should keep the focus on Jesus to look for true justice. Jesus knows the intentions of every person and is therefore the one true administer of justice. - "Isaiah 42:1-4 Behold My servant (Jesus), whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the gentiles {Jesus will be ruler over the nations}. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street {Jesus taught, He didn't shout in the streets}. A bruised reed shall He not break and the smoking flax shall He not quench {Jesus will not kick people when they are down}: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He has set judgment in the earth: and the isles (far places) shall wait for His law." [article link]
{Not Recommended!} Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. appears on 'Glenn Beck' TV show [May 19, 2010] - to discuss social justice {Discussing individual social justice (their preferred justice) vs group justice (claiming Obama supports it) but still advocating the falsehood of individual justice. - Note: It is the Juxtaposition of two false premises both individual justice and group justice are false premises within the realm of mankind but both individual justice and group justice are fulfilled eternally within the realm and Kingdom of Jesus Christ (Revelation 21:4, Revelation 22:2). -- Man does not make things just or right, only God does (eternally) through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ!} (Video) Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell appeared on the "Glenn Beck" TV show on FOX News on Tuesday to discuss social justice and the role of religion in today's society. He is also scheduled to appear on Friday's show about revisionist history. Joining Falwell on Tuesday's program was Peter Lillback, a professor at Westminster Theological Seminary and author of "George Washington's Sacred Fire." [article link]
{Flashback} Walter Cronkite, NWO, WTF - Ocotober 19, 1999: Video clip where Walter Cronkite calls for world government "global justice," ending National sovereignty, and [only half jokingly] "joining him to sit at the right hand of Satan" as he says himself - Walter Cronkite speaks his mind and "by God he does!" {Cronkite calls every Christian a criminal "that needs to be brought to justice" for desiring the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and not
embracing his global government concept.} (YouTube) Comments: It absolutely amazes me that these seemingly educated people are so ignorant. Downright stupid. They talk about ending all wars, when it's the globalists that cause the wars. They talk about saving the planet when it's these same people that are the biggest polluters and rapists of natural resources. The same people that hinder technology that would benefit mankind. I suppose that if you don't get involved in politics you are doomed to be ruled by your inferiors. ... If you believe Hermit, giving the power to run the world to a small group of people is a good thing Given the track record of globalists, military industrial complex of starting wars, fixing prices, monopolies, reducing choice it makes no sense to give them ANY power. How do we vote them out, if we disagree. YOU CANT How do you change the leaders YOU DON'T Consolidation of Power to the cabal that financed Hitler, the Communists, C.American dictators ie Rockefeller, P Bush is INSANE. [article link]
Liberty University's Caner is a Pathological Liar - A university's main objective should be to exalt, honor and teach the truth - Dishonesty should have no place in the curriculum or faculty of a school of higher learning Liberty University, founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, has always represented itself as a citadel of truth - But now it turns out that its seminary president, Ergun Caner, is a blatant and pathological liar - I would have expected Liberty University to be humbled and apologetic about the disconcerting discovery of treachery in their midst - How Liberty University handles this issue will speak volumes about the integrity of the school "Liberty University will investigate reports that its seminary president has misled the public in his testimony about converting from militant Islam to Christianity, officials of the school in Lynchburg, Va., announced May 10 [2010]. Liberty Provost Ron Godwin is reportedly forming a committee to conduct a formal inquiry into questions surrounding Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, that have circulated on blogs and more recently in media outlets including Christianity Today and Associated Baptist Press." A university's main objective should be to exalt, honor and teach the truth. Dishonesty should have no place in the curriculum or faculty of a school of higher learning. Liberty University, founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, has always represented itself as a citadel of truth. But now it turns out that its seminary president, Ergun Caner, is a blatant and pathological liar. I would have expected Liberty University to be humbled and apologetic about the disconcerting discovery of treachery in their midst. However, Elmer Towns, the dean of Liberty University's School of Religion told reporters that officials had investigated the discrepancies and were satisfied it wasn not an "ethical or "moral" issue. Caner is a transparent liar, he claimed that he grew up as a devout Muslim in Turkey, turns out he was raised in Ohio. "Caner issued a statement admitting to 'pulpit mistakes' but insisting he never intentionally misled anyone. Liberty University revised Caner's online biography to remove references that he was raised in Turkey and has debated leaders of various faiths." Caner deliberately misled his students, his colleagues and everybody else. It's not enough for Liberty University to remove his lies [from] their Web site, they need to kick Caner to the curb. Caner needs to apologize to the Muslim community, to Liberty University, and to Christians in general. How Liberty University handles this issue will speak volumes about the integrity of the school. Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze. [article link]
James White - A Lament for Discernment - So seeing the "cult of personality" [Modern Evangelicalism] in action at Liberty and in the broader "Baptist" world has been startling to me, I must admit - The utter lack of discernment or the application of fundamental principles of honesty and integrity has truly been disappointing, at best - I cannot help but think, "Well, if this is what the world sees of those who call themselves Christians on a regular basis, it is no wonder our witness is not taken seriously" - the sanctity of the pulpit [is] a place where truth must be supreme in all things {**Note: I just visited the "Standin and prayin for Dr. Ergun Caner" FaceBook page and though it is a good and admirable site and the site is listed as 'Privacy Type: Open: All content is public' it looks like whoever is in charge of the page is deleting posts [1 for certain] that are in any way asking for openness and accountability in the Caner situation. This is just not a good trend that is emerging from
Caner or LU. - **Update: There is a new post on the FB page that says the page is only for Caner support and that is fine but the page description should probably be re-written from 'Description: Ok, so if you are reading this you probably know about all the controversy …' to reflect that it is only a support page instead of mentioning the controversy and then continuing to delete posts that also mention the controversy. **Update: After a flood of posts requesting openness and accountability from the LU faculty the facebook page has now been removed.} So seeing the "cult of personality" in action at Liberty and in the broader "Baptist" world has been startling to me, I must admit. The utter lack of discernment or the application of fundamental principles of honesty and integrity has truly been disappointing, at best. I cannot help but think, "Well, if this is what the world sees of those who call themselves Christians on a regular basis, it is no wonder our witness is not taken seriously." This morning I saw quotes scrolling through our chat channel in support of Ergun Caner. I finally jumped in and asked where they had come from. I was directed to a Facebook page titled "Standin and prayin for Dr. Ergun Caner." As I scanned down the entries the same themes kept coming up over and over again: "Hey, this doesn't really matter, Dr. Caner is a great guy, he loves Jesus, he's a great preacher, I've had a spiritual experience because of him, so all this other stuff doesn't matter, and the people attacking him are all jerks." That was the basic gist of the commentary. There was nothing relevant to the real issues, and, in fact, it seemed like most of those commenting are ignorant of the facts and have only heard second and third-hand reports of what is going on. I did not read all the comments, but in what I did read I saw no one expressing the slightest concern about the Christian witness to Muslims, the integrity of Liberty Seminary, or the university as a whole, or the sanctity of the pulpit as a place where truth must be supreme in all things. It was a paean to the cult of personality in glowing letters. [article link]
Liberty U. Announces Investigation of Caner Claims - Just last week, Liberty broke its months-long silence with a dismissive waving away of the controversy - Christianity Today magazine reported that Elmer Towns, dean of the school of religion, "says the Liberty board has held an inquiry and directors are satisfied that Caner has done nothing theologically inappropriate" - Furthermore, Towns said, the questions raised about Caner were neither moral nor ethical issues, a claim that had the opposite of its intended effect among Baptist bloggers who had been calling for Caner and Liberty to come clean - But didn't Towns say that the university's board had already looked into it? Well, it turns out that the board "inquiry" that Towns described to Christianity Today was just a "passing discussion" at a March meeting of the board's seminary subcommittee - It "wasn't an inquiry or anything like that" says Liberty spokesman Johnnie Moore {The shameful conduct, blatant lies and purposeful deceptions surrounding the whole LU Caner scandal are just perplexing.} Submitted by Peter on May 11, 2010 - 11:32am - We recently noted the energetic conversation on Muslim and Christian blogs about documented discrepancies in the dramatic "Jihad to Jesus" life story told by Dr. Ergun Caner, head of Liberty University's seminary. Just last week, Liberty broke its months-long silence with a dismissive waving away of the controversy. Christianity Today magazine reported that Elmer Towns, dean of the school of religion, "says the Liberty board has held an inquiry and directors are satisfied that Caner has done nothing theologically inappropriate." Furthermore, Towns said, the questions raised about Caner were neither moral nor ethical issues, a claim that had the opposite of its intended effect among Baptist bloggers who had been calling for Caner and Liberty to come clean. How can publicly and repeatedly lying not be a moral or ethical issue, they asked? Towns' response also generated a damaging story by the Associated Baptist Press. Early this week, I wrote a piece for Alternet noting that Liberty University had dug in its heels and asking why Caner wouldn't take advantage of the path from public repentance to redemption that has been well-worn by misbehaving evangelical leaders. Yesterday, Liberty changed its tune and announced that Ron Godwin, the university's provost, "is forming a committee to investigate a series of accusations against Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary." The brief official statement included a quote from Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. dissing the very bloggers who have documented the holes in Caner's story. "Liberty does not initiate personnel evaluations based upon accusations from Internet blogs," Falwell said. "However, In
light of the fact that several newspapers have raised questions, we felt it necessary to initiate a formal inquiry." But didn't Towns say that the university's board had already looked into it? Well, it turns out that the board "inquiry" that Towns described to Christianity Today was just a "passing discussion" at a March meeting of the board's seminary subcommittee. It "wasn't an inquiry or anything like that," says Liberty spokesman Johnnie Moore. Liberty says it will complete its investigation by June 30 [2010]. Stay tuned. [article link]
Huffington Post: Ergun Caner, Ex-Muslim Evangelical Leader, Exposed As Fake - Ergun Caner is one of the most prominent figures in the evangelical movement he is also one of the most deceptive - Today, as president of the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and a professor of apologetics, he exhibits tremendous influence in shaping the next generation of evangelical leaders {LU doesn't want to be accountable to the Christian (bloggers) yet in pointing out the obvious it is the Secular Beast (Revelation 17:16) that will ultimately destroy the Unfaithful Woman (false church) that tries to ride upon the Secular Beast. As LU tries to ride upon the approval of the secular media it is itself being destroyed by those very media sources.} Ergun Caner is one of the most prominent figures in the evangelical movement. He is also one of the most deceptive. A self-professed Muslim convert to Christianity, Caner plays an important, and arguably dangerous, role in the community. After the 9/11 attacks, when many Americans were searching for answers, Caner stepped up with enthusiasm to present himself as an expert on Islam. He used his own "personal history" (much of it since demonstrated as bogus) to confirm his audience's deeply-held suspicions about the faith that many of them blamed for the attacks. Today, as president of the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and a professor of apologetics, he exhibits tremendous influence in shaping the next generation of evangelical leaders. [article link]
Mark Hughes gets tased (for real) - Mark is Matt Hughes' brother [Matt Hughes - is the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter - 9-Time UFC Welterweight Champion] {I posted this (YouTube) link of Mark Huges because bloggers are calling the Tase of Dr. Ergun Caner in the previous 'Ergun Caner video clips (YouTube)' post a fake Tase. I agree that the Dr. Caner Tase at Liberty University looks staged "show pony" or maybe he isn't saying it's staged (http://echothetruth.blogspot.com/2010/02/brian-brodersen-and-ergun-caner-showing.html). Also some other bloggers that are spoofing Caner and LU are calling Liberty University 'Fibberty University' so big problems ahead for the Falwells (Jerry Falwell Jr., Jonathan Falwell), Ergun Caner and the Directors of 'Fibberty University' until LU can clean some house, get rid of the fibbers and get back to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. - Oh! Along with getting rid of the Falwells, Caner and some of the Directors, Liberty University will now probably also have to change their name to something new and less tainted by scandal.} (YouTube) As part of a demonstration for Hillsboro High School students, Mark Hughes agrees to be tazed by the Hillsboro Police Department. [article link]
{Very Interesting!} James White - Once Again, No, No, and Again, No - [LU's] Dr. Ergun Caner video clips {Dr. Ergun Caner (at 27:00 min) gets Tasered by police - well sort of, it looks staged and phony (not the real voltage-duration) - sort of a familiar Caner style.} (YouTube) One other note (as I wait for the video of a portion of today's DL to finish rendering so I can start uploading it and get the DL blogged at the same time). I was sent a "sermon" from January 17, 2010, called "Rip the Roof Off." It was another "30 minutes of story telling, 5 minutes on the text" type sermon, but this time there was a twist. This time Ergun said he was converted in a black church. Yes, you read that right, a black church. Now, think for a moment on the description of the pastor of the Stelzer Road Baptist Church that he's given in other contexts, and ask yourself, did it ever occur to you he was talking about a black church? Me either. Of course, that was just a few days before Ergun appeared on the Calvary Chapel program [The Pastor's Perspective Radio Show with Brian Broderson on 1/22/10] that led me to post this video, which was the immediate precursor to my discovery of his Shabir Ally fable, and, well, the rest is now history, as they say. I doubt we will be hearing
too many more whopper-filled "sermons" like that in the future. Source: aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=3917 [article link]
Slander of the Brethren and Refusal to Repent - In 2006, Dr. Caner said "Calvinists are worse than Muslims" {Is LU's Dr. Caner purposely fomenting division and causing strife within the Christian Church?} In 2006, Dr. Caner said "Calvinists are worse than Muslims." Realizing that Calvinists make up a great portion of today's churches, including most Reformed and Presbyterian denominations, many have stood in shock and given him an opportunity to repent, but Caner will not back down. In fact, this took place on an online Q&A interview on Caner's own website. [article link]
That's (Yale dropout) Dr. Glenn Beck-Thanks to Liberty University - Saturday morning [May 15, 2010] in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty University [LU] conveyed an honorary doctorate in humanities and scientists on [LDS] Mormon conservative media heavyweight Glenn Beck {Wow! - Liberty University has now gone the ecumenical route in a big way! - What will really be interesting is when Glen Beck returns his free Doctorate back to LU because of the taint of the Caner scandal.} Breaking into his trademark tears, Beck told the stadium of 8,000 Liberty University grads and 20,000 friends and family members, "as a man who was never able to go to college-I went for one semester but I couldn't afford any more than that---I am humbled and honored." Beck immediately offered an apology of sorts for his Mormonism, saying that it was an act of "courage" for the fundamentalist Baptist Liberty University to invite him to speak and that he understood it was "not meant as an endorsement of my faith," offering instead his own "endorsement of your faith," emphasizing his personal belief in Jesus Christ, and exhorting the audience to "look to God and live," a reference to the story of Moses and the brazen serpent (Numbers 21: 7-9). Using research and citation methods that would have earned him a failing grade in any respectable freshman composition class, Beck took a swipe at Barack Obama's May 1 commencement address to the University of Michigan, suggesting that Obama had discouraged the search for "truth" by describing the incredible availability of information in the digital age as a source of confusion. Beck then described one semester at Yale University, during which an unnamed professor discouraged him from reading an unnamed book and instructed that he instead read another unnamed book, virtually bullying him from the classroom podium to do so. Beck encouraged students to reject the Obama-Yale-information-elite and instead use their "God-given right" on a "Holy Spirit"-led search for truth wherever it might lead…. [article link]
The End-Times Outpouring of Antichrist by Monica Dennington of TicTocMinistries (YouTube - Video Teaching) Can we identify where the Holy Spirit is working by looking at where the miracles are "coming down"? When we hear that God is moving in Toronto, Florida, Kansas City, or other places, should we run to see it? When we see a "prophet" doing miracles, should we not flock to get one for ourselves? Join Monica Dennington as she goes straight to Jesus words for the answer to the question, "Is this the End-Times Outpouring?" [article link]
Misty Edwards - As In the Days of Noah - A YouTube Music Video via Conservmom {We are living in times and about to enter times too perilous to place our trust in man or in ministries but we need to simply place our trust and cares in the capable hands of the living, loving, resurrected Son of God the Lord and Savior of all mankind Jesus Christ.} (YouTube) This is my interpretation of the Misty Edwards song, "As In the Days of Noah" [article link]
***Highly Recommended - (PID) VFTB 046: Jackie Alnor - The Fleecing of Christianity (Mp3) FLEECING, in the sense we're using it tonight, means "skinned alive". Because that's what the Enemy is doing to
well-meaning brothers and sisters in Christ. Jackie Alnor, founder of Apostasy Alert and author of The Fleecing of Christianity, discusses the false prophets, self-appointed apostles, and lying signs and wonders of the New Apostolic Reformation, and how it's luring undiscerning believers into an anti-Christian plot to take over the world. [article link]
***Highly Recommended - (PID) VFTB 048: Sarah Leslie - False Christs and False Prophets - The *New Apostolic Reformation is lifting up a generation of self-appointed, self-anointed apostles who believe they're on a mission from God to take over the world {Note: Back in the day (mid-90's) I read several of the books and bought a few [especially books on prayer by Cindy Jacobs] proposing a modern apostolic movement based on 'globally' impacting ministries. The modern definition of a modern apostle being a global ministry and at the time this seemed reasonable to me however after more Bible study it's easy to see that the modern term for apostle has been redefined. A Biblical Apostle is strictly one of the people [the Apostle Paul being the last Apostle (1 Corinthians 15:8)] who personally witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ and who primarily wrote the New Testament scriptures based on the teachings of Jesus from their personal time spent with Jesus. Also Note: A Christian ministry was always intended to have a global impact and regular Christian ministry is mentioned in the Bible apart from any reference to any local apostolic authority or mandate. - Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your [regular Christian] faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. -- *No global apostolic mandate is mentioned or referenced here by the Apostle Paul.} (Mp3) We're watching prophecy unfold before our very eyes. The New Apostolic Reformation is lifting up a generation of self-appointed, self-anointed apostles who believe they're on a mission from God to take over the world. Sarah Leslie of Discernment Ministries, publisher of the excellent Herescope blog, joined us to talk about this movement-its history, its beliefs, and the links between these new apostles, mainstream evangelicals, New Agers, and political power brokers. It doesn't take a prophecy scholar to see this leading to the one-world church of the Apocalypse. [article link]
{Not Recommended!} New Apostolic Reformation and the Faith and Work Movement - Dr. C. Peter Wagner (*Global Harvest Ministries) is an experienced observer of the *global expansion of the 20th Century Church He speaks and writes mostly as an observer, giving language and logic to assist others in responding to God's work in the world of *global evangelism - {Note: Previous to the widespread use of the internet (world wide web) the modern definition of a modern apostle was a person with a world-wide (global) ministry or influence. Now with the internet and everyone essentially a modern world-wide apostle [though prayer has always been global because you can always pray for others in distant locations] the definition of a modern apostle seems to have changed again and now it is [as it always was] those who demand, force and coerce others into accepting them in their deceptions and delusions of grandeur.} Dr. C. Peter Wagner is an experienced observer of the global expansion of the 20th Century Church. After 16 years as a missionary in South America (he served in Bolivia under two different agencies) before he joined the faculty of Fuller School of World Mission (FSWM). He was an early disciple of Donald Mac Gavran and became the heir apparent leader of the Church Growth Movement after his mentor's death. Dr. Wagner's career at Fuller ended officially with his retirement after more than thirty years as a professor. He continues to teach occasional courses at FSWM, is the founder of Global Harvest Ministries, The World Prayer Center, The Wagner Leadership Institute, The *International Coalition of Apostles and The Apostolic Counsel of Prophetic Elders. He has long been the recognized leader of AD 2000's United Prayer Track and the Spiritual Warfare Track as well. His career has been rooted in the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, an decidedly nonCharismatic denomination. During his tenure at Fuller, he was a member of Lake Avenue Congregational Church during the leadership of Ray Ortland and Paul Cedar. His openness to spiritual gifts and spiritual warfare developed over a long period of time beginning with the influence of John Wimber. Wimber had been a student at Fuller and later a colleague when Wagner recruited him to became director of the Charles E. Fuller
Institute of Church Growth and Evangelism. His convictions and his journey of faith are well documented in over forty best selling books. ... I say all this to assert the obvious. In my humble opinion, Dr. Wagner is a professional missiologist par excellence, a global church leader of long standing, an astute and credible observer of church growth and now, as he moves into his 70's, an active and eager statesman for a large part of the church worldwide. In this latter role, drawing on the skills of his varied career, he has become the champion for a movement he has called, "The New Apostolic Reformation." Mind you, he is not creating this movement, he is chronicaling it in keeping with his past role as a descriptive teacher of church growth dynamics. But in a more directive way, Dr. Wagner is also cooperating aggressively with what he senses the Lord is doing in the world as the 3rd Millennium begins. The incredible variety of leadership roles he plays offers Dr. Wagner an unusual array of platforms from which to "beat the drum for apostolic reformation" for all to hear. He's serious about his convictions. Let me summarize my understanding of some of them for those who aren't yet "in the loop" and who aren't likely to read the rapidly expanding body of literature describing this phenomenon. [article link]
Apprising Ministries: PID RADIO WITH SARAH LESLIE - FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS - The New Apostolic Reformation is lifting up a generation of self-appointed, self-anointed apostles who believe they're on a mission from God to take over the world (Mp3 links) Apprising Ministries is pleased to point you to this program where my friend Derek Gilbert interviews another person I'm blessed to call a friend: Sarah Leslie of Discernment Ministries, publisher of the excellent Herescope blog, joined us to talk about this movement-its history, its beliefs, and the links between these new apostles, mainstream evangelicals, New Agers, and political power brokers. It doesn't take a prophecy scholar to see this leading to the one-world church of the Apocalypse… We're watching prophecy unfold before our very eyes. The New Apostolic Reformation is lifting up a generation of self-appointed, self-anointed apostles who believe they're on a mission from God to take over the world. Recommended reading: Joel's Army by Jewel Grewe The Coalescing of the Christian Right with Apostolic Dominionism by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp - The Tea Party's Strange Bedfellows and What They Believe by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp - May Day Prayers by the Discernment Research Group - You can download and/or listen to this important program right here. In addition, over at the fine website Slaughter of the Sheep Chrystal tells us in her post New Apostolic Reformation: Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries did a one hour program on the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) with guest Mike Oppenheimer of Let Us Reason Ministries on Saturday, May 15, on her Understanding the Times radio program which is one of my favorite radio programs. It covers pertinent information as it relates to the New Apostolic Reformation and C. Peter Wagner's International Coalition of Apostles… Ingrid Schlueter of the Crosstalk America radio program did a program on May 3rd with guest Sarah Leslie of Discernment-Ministries, Inc., which covered the same topic… Both programs will inform and educate you on the key players of the NAR, as well as the dangerous doctrines they teach. You will find the links to listen to both of these programs right here. [article link]
Alpha & Omega Ministries Apologetics Blog - Jerald Dirks, the Deen Show, and the Prologue of John (Video) 05/17/2010 - James White - Category: Islam. [article link]
Wikipedia.com: Jerald F. Dirks - Dr. Jerald F. Dirks (born 1950, Kansas) is a former ordained[citation needed] Methodist minister, Muslim convert and popular author of several books on Islam and Christianity Education: Dr. Dirks enrolled at Harvard College as a philosophy major in 1967. He was named a Hollis Scholar, signifying that he was a top pre-theology student in the college. He worked as a youth minister at a fairly large United Methodist Church during his freshman and sophomore years. He graduated in 1971 and was admitted to the Harvard Divinity School thereafter, from where he graduated with a Master's degree in Divinity. During his seminary education, he also completed a two-year externship program as a hospital chaplain at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. He also holds a Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Denver. ... He has
published several works on Islam and Christianity in recent years. [article link]
Jerald Dirks - A Christian Minister's Conversion to Islam - My preaching began to draw community-wide attention, and before long I was occasionally filling pulpits at other churches, at a nursing home, and at various church-affiliated youth and ladies groups, where I typically set attendance records [then] By age 17, when I began my freshman year at Harvard College, my decision to enter the ministry had solidified - By virtue of my [Harvard] seminary training and education, I knew how badly the Bible had been corrupted and often knew exactly when, where, and why, I had no belief in any triune godhead, and I had no belief in anything more than a metaphorical "sonship" of Jesus, peace be upon him - In short, while I certainly believed in God, I was as strict a monotheist as my Muslim friends It was at this juncture that I began to come into contact with the local Muslim community. For some years before, my wife and I had been actively involved in doing research on the history of the Arabian horse. Eventually, in order to secure translations of various Arabic documents, this research brought us into contact with Arab Americans who happened to be Muslims. Our first such contact was with Jamal in the summer of 1991. ... By the last week of December of 1992, I was forced to admit to myself, that I could find no area of substantial disagreement between my own religious beliefs and the general tenets of Islam. While I was ready to acknowledge that Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a prophet of (one who spoke for or under the inspiration of) God, and while I had absolutely no difficulty affirming that there was no god besides God/Allah, glorified and exalted is He, I was still hesitating to make any decision. I could readily admit to myself that I had far more in common with Islamic beliefs as I then understood them, than I did with the traditional Christianity of the organized church. I knew only too well that I could easily confirm from my seminary training and education most of what the Qur'an had to say about Christianity, the Bible, and Jesus, peace be upon him. Nonetheless, I hesitated. Further, I rationalized my hesitation by maintaining to myself that I really didn't know the nitty-gritty details of Islam, and that my areas of agreement were confined to general concepts. As such, I continued to read, and then to re-read. ... Later, when Iman came with my check, I attempted a round-about apology by saying: "I'm afraid I was a little abrupt in answering your question before. If you were asking me whether I believe that there is only one God, then my answer is yes. If you were asking me whether I believe that Muhammad was one of the prophets of that one God, then my answer is yes." She very nicely and very supportively said: "That's okay; it takes some people a little longer than others." ... I was a Christian, or so I said. After all, I had been born into a Christian family, had been given a Christian upbringing, had attended church and Sunday school every Sunday as a child, had graduated from a prestigious seminary, and was an ordained minister in a large Protestant denomination. However, I was also a Christian: who didn't believe in a triune godhead or in the divinity of Jesus, peace be upon him; who knew quite well how the Bible had been corrupted; who had said the Islamic testimony of faith in my own carefully parsed words; who had fasted during Ramadan; who was saying Islamic prayers five times a day; and who was deeply impressed by the behavioral examples I had witnessed in the Muslim community, both in America and in the Middle East. (Time and space do not permit me the luxury of documenting in detail all of the examples of personal morality and ethics I encountered in the Middle East.) If asked if I were a Muslim, I could and did do a five-minute monologue detailing the above, and basically leaving the question unanswered. I was playing intellectual word games, and succeeding at them quite nicely. ... Nonetheless, it is a Muslim's duty to be a good neighbor, and it is a Muslim's duty to be willing to discuss Islam with others. As such, I accepted the invitation for the following evening, and spent most of the waking part of the next 24 hours contemplating how best to approach this gentleman in his requested topic of conversation. The appointed time came, and we drove over to our neighbor's. After a few moments of small talk, he finally asked why I had decided to become a Muslim. I had waited for this question, and had my answer carefully prepared. "As you know with your seminary education, there were a lot of non-religious considerations which led up to and shaped the decisions of the Council of Nicaea." He immediately cut me off with a simple statement: "You finally couldn't stomach the polytheism anymore, could you?" He knew exactly why I was a Muslim, and he didn't disagree with my decision! For
himself, at his age and at his place in life, he was electing to be "an atypical Christian". Allah willing, he has by now completed his journey from cross to crescent. ... For those contemplating the acceptance of Islam and the surrendering of oneself to Allah-glorified and exalted is He, there may well be sacrifices along the way. Many of these sacrifices are easily predicted, while others may be rather surprising and unexpected. There is no denying the existence of these sacrifices, and I don't intend to sugar coat that pill for you. Nonetheless, don't be overly troubled by these sacrifices. In the final analysis, these sacrifices are less important than you presently think. Allah willing, you will find these sacrifices a very cheap coin to pay for the "goods" [72 virgins in heaven] you are purchasing. © 2002 (Abu Yahya) Jerald F. Dirks, M. Div, Psy. D. Reproduced with the author's permission. [article link]
[Modern] Apostles, Prophets & The {Legitimate} International Fellowship of Christians & Jews - David Cannistraci wrote "Apostles and the Emerging Apostolic Movement" in 1996 - It is stated that it is, "A Biblical look at Apostleship and how God is blessing His church today" - Bill Bright, David Yonggi Cho, Ted Haggard and Cindy Jacobs are some of the many [modern apostolic movement] endorsers - Cannistraci's close friend and mentor, C. Peter Wagner, has declared this book to be required reading for all his "Fuller" students Wagner wrote in the forward of the book of the Postdenominational Movement, that being a world-wide movement that is recognizing the reinstatement of the new apostles as authoritative leadership David Cannistraci wrote "Apostles and the Emerging Apostolic Movement" in 1996. It is stated that it is, "A Biblical look at Apostleship and how God is blessing His church today." Bill Bright, David Yonggi Cho, Ted Haggard and Cindy Jacobs are some of the many endorsers. Cannistraci's close friend and mentor, C. Peter Wagner, has declared this book to be required reading for all his "Fuller" students. Wagner wrote in the forward of the book of the Postdenominational Movement, that being a world-wide movement that is recognizing the reinstatement of the new apostles as authoritative leadership. 'Inherent in today's postdenominational churches...are "apostolic networks,' in which both the gift and office of apostle are recognized and accepted." ... The definition of [modern] apostle within the book is "...one who is called and sent by Christ to have the spiritual authority, character, gifts and abilities to successfully reach and establish people in Kingdom truth and order, especially through founding and overseeing local churches...Apostolic people are Christians who support and participate in apostolic ministry, but are not actual apostles...people work with apostles to reach the lost through dynamic outreach, church planting and nurturing. Apostolic churches...recognize and relate to modern-day apostles...The apostolic movement is the Holy Spirit's worldwide activation of apostles and apostolic people to come together as a part of a great revival on earth....a restored function of New Testament apostles is not only important it is critical...' Excusing the failure of people like William Branham, "who appears to have become deluded near the end of his life..." Cannistraci states "apostles are primary in the Body of Christ, they are only human and as such they will be imperfect and fallible..." That is no different than Rick Joyner declaring God's prophets to have the normal acceptable error in predictions anywhere from 10-90%. Not unlike the Catholic church and "fathers", the author presents the concept of apostles taking on a fatherly role. ... Since people like Rick Joyner and others like him are considered by many to be Apostles, are we now to call him our spiritual father? In 1986, the ever ecumenical Oral Roberts, considered the apostle of healing, formed the International Charismatic Bible Ministries (ICBM.) ICBM advertises last years Conference audio and videotape which shows speakers/video workshops to have included "Bill Basansky & Rodney Howard-Browne" teaching, "Church Growth/Home Cell Ministries" and Oral Roberts & Benny Hinn working together. Their new conference is slated for June 20-22, 2000. Their slogan has been "Love and Unity through Signs and Wonders." The ICBM conducts "leadership conferences," and is a "coalition of charismatic leaders," many of whom are dominionists. While noting that the names change occasionally Al Dager cited an Ad for Charismatic Bible Ministries, in Charisma, May 1987 showing that the original officers and trustees were: Oral Roberts* - Chairman; Ken Copeland* - Secretary; Jack Hayford* - Vice Chariman; Billy Joe Dougherty* - Treasurer; Paul Yonggi Cho-International Honorary Chairman; Executive Committee Members: Charles Green, Marilyn Hickey, Karl Strader. [article link]
Listen America! by Jerry Falwell (book - 1981) - Falwell preaches a narrowly defined version of the Christian faith - Throughout his career, *Falwell [Sr.] has tried to present himself as a sort of modern-day prophet [modern-day prophet, modern-day apostle or (NWO) False Flag ops specialist?] {Not Recommended!} This review is from: Listen, America! (Hardcover) -- First published in 1980, "Listen, America!" by Jerry Falwell is a political manifesto of the so-called "Christian Right." "Listen" is basically a diatribe against the various groups whom Falwell despises: humanists, feminists, gay rights activists, much of the music and television industries, etc. Through it all, Falwell preaches a narrowly defined version of the Christian faith. The only good thing that can be said about "Listen, America!" is that it's a pretty clear and concise example of essential Christian Right thought. Falwell praises or quotes other right wing figures like Phyllis Schlafly and Jesse Helms. He reviews American history through a distorted, one-sided lens; in his efforts to depict the United States as a Christian nation, he fails to acknowledge the full theological and philosophical diversity of the nation's founders. He insists on a simplistically literalistic reading of biblical passages. Falwell found himself the object of much scorn after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 -- attacks which brought devastation to New York City and Washington, DC. After that horrible tragedy, Falwell publicly blamed pagans, feminists, civil libertarians, gay activists, and others for allegedly bringing divine wrath on the U.S., and thus helping cause the attack. This cruel and insensitive rant outraged an already hurting nation, and greatly discredited Falwell. But his comments should not really have surprised anybody; he had made similar intolerant statements 20 years earlier in "Listen, America!" Throughout his career, Falwell has tried to present himself as a sort of modern-day prophet. But "Listen, America" reveals him to be someone who is totally out of step with the true Christian prophets of the 20th century: individuals such as Thomas Merton, John McNeill, and Martin Luther King, Jr. While interesting as a historical document, "Listen, America!" is an ugly, mean-spirited book. [article link]
Dispute over theology, background led to Caner probe - Liberty University did not publicly respond to the [Christian] bloggers' allegations for most of this year, regarding them as the outgrowth of "a theological dispute" spokesman Johnnie Moore said {Note: Liberty University has placed themselves in the ridiculous position of valuing secular media and opinions over that of the cares and concerns of Christians. The Caner mess is so unsightly and so sticky that I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Jerry Falwell Jr. have to depart Liberty University as well as Caner just to begin to rebuild trust and faith in Liberty University as a Christian institution.} When Liberty University begins the investigation it announced last week into the background of Ergun Caner, president of its [theology] seminary, the panel doing the work could explore several questions. Where did Caner grow up - in Ohio or in Turkey? When did he come to the United States - as a teenager as he has said, or at age 4 as his parents' divorce documents indicate? Did Caner have a nominal Muslim upbringing, or was he raised in Islamic jihad, "trained to do that which was done on 11 September" as he told an audience in Jacksonville, Fla., in November 2001? Did he formally debate scholars of other faiths, including Islam, as his online biography once claimed? ... Last Monday, the university posted this notice: "Liberty University Provost Dr. Ron Godwin is forming a committee to investigate a series of accusations against Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. "The Internet allegations have questioned public statements Caner has made regarding the details of his personal life story." Caner, who joined the seminary's faculty in 2003 and became its president in 2005, posted this comment later in the week: "I am thrilled that Liberty University is forming this committee, and I look forward to this entire process coming to a close." In February, Caner posted on his website a response to blog comments, acknowledging the questions and saying, "every minister has made pulpit mistakes." He also said, "I have never intentionally misled anyone." The earliest blog posts came from advocates of Calvinism, a strict view of salvation that Caner openly opposed. ... Ergun Caner gave vivid accounts of his Muslim upbringing to church audiences in Florida and Texas shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. "I was raised as a Sunni Muslim" in Europe, Caner said at First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., according to a recording of his talk there on Nov. 20, 2001. "I was the son of the muezzin, the one who does the call to prayer at the top of the minaret," Caner said, describing himself as being similar to a
"preacher's kid." "May I submit to you, until I was 15 years old I was in the Islamic youth jihad. And so until I came to America; until I found Jesus Christ as Lord, I was trained to do that which was done on 11 September. As were thousands of [Shiite Islam - not Sunni Muslim] youth {Caner claiming to be Sunni and falsely claiming to have been trained for jihad against the U.S. and against the West is probably a part of a FALSE FLAG OP blaming Sunni Islam when it is Shiite Islam that is really being NWO trained, equipped and financed to commit jihad. Caner [and his brother Emir] are probibaly planted and conducting FALSE FLAG OPS ultimatly (causing friction and distrust) against Christians and Jews and the OP is based and operating (aided by the Falwell's) from within Liberty Univeristy.}," Caner said on the recording. ... Caner's academic specialties include apologetics, a branch of theology that seeks to defend or prove the divine nature of Christianity. That specialty apparently led Caner into exchanges with theologians who argue in support of Calvinism, which takes a stern view of how people are destined for salvation. Some participants in those discussions, including James White, a Calvinist theologian, then challenged Caner's online biography. As of last July, the biography said Caner had debated "Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and other religious leaders in 13 countries and 35 states." Those statements have since been removed from the online biography. In addition, in his February statement, Caner admitted, after an accusation from White, that he had incorrectly named a Muslim scholar as someone he had debated. Calling White's accusation "a legitimate complaint," Caner said in his statement, "Sin is sin, and if I am dumb enough to say something like that, I should be man enough to deal with it and never make such a grievous error again." [article link]
Point of View: Why Glenn Beck is wrong for [LU] Liberty University's [2010] commencement - For those who may not be aware, Liberty University [Jerry Falwell - Jerry Falwell Jr.] in Lynchburg, Va., which has consistently been known for its strong conservative and Christian values as a Baptist school, has invited political talk show host Glenn Beck to give the commencement speech to its graduates this week - On the surface that may not seem alarming to many since he is [a fake - Fox News - Rupert Murdoch] conservative - But given the fact he is a [LDS] Mormon there ought to be red flags and sirens going off all across Christian circles Article Date: May 14, 2010 For those who may not be aware, Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., which has consistently been known for its strong conservative and Christian values as a Baptist school, has invited political talk show host Glenn Beck to give the commencement speech to its graduates this week. On the surface that may not seem alarming to many since he is conservative. But given the fact he is a Mormon there ought to be red flags and sirens going off all across Christian circles. As a Florida Baptist pastor who is a part of this graduating class, I felt compelled to speak out in regards to my disappointment because this is a huge deal to me. I do want to say how much I enjoyed the excellent professors and the great education I received at the seminary - a division of LU. I also want to say how kind Jerry Falwell Jr., chancellor of Liberty, was to me when I met him. This is not a slap against the professors or against anyone's integrity, but a real concern about what seems to me is a great lack of discernment from the school's leadership. It seems that the leadership's decision in this matter gives the impression that it is more committed to conservatism than the Gospel. This isn't the first time something like this has happened at Liberty and I am perplexed as to why it seems more are not as equally alarmed. I have no beef with Glenn Beck as a person, but I certainly do with his religious beliefs. Why does Liberty not invite a Christian? If they want a famous Christian, why not Coach Tony Dungy, Mike Huckabee, or movie star Kirk Cameron. I am sure Franklin Graham or Tim Tebow would have loved to come. It is unique how Liberty which was once seen as a bit legalistic in the eyes of many is now beginning to shift the opposite way. Could you imagine a SBC seminary inviting a Mormon to speak at its commencement? I highly doubt it. If you were under the impression Mormonism is a Christian group you are greatly mistaken. Mormonism is a polytheistic religion which believes Mary had sex with one of their gods and became pregnant with Jesus. They do not believe that salvation is by grace through faith alone or many other critical truths of our faith. Christians sadly have more in common with Muslims if you really get down to it since at least they are monotheistic - and we know how far from the truth Islam is. I must say how shocked and disappointed I was when I arrived for the commencement ceremonies to discover that a man who is not committed to the Gospel
was speaking to a group of graduates who have committed verbally that they are. If I were a student at BYU I would expect it, but not at Liberty. Let's not fall into the trap that conservatism is the greatest need in America. I consider all the men I have met at Liberty as brothers, but am very concerned about the future of the school. If Liberty is doing this because they are trying to build bridges to reach out to the lost community I applaud their hearts, but this isn't the right avenue. It is time for Liberty to get on track and make sure they send a clear message to the world that their commitment is first to the Gospel. ~ Ryan Begue is the founding pastor of First Baptist Church in Esto, a congregation he planted in 2003. He is being awarded the Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary during commencement exercises on May 15 [2010]. [article link]
{Flashback 2007} Regent University [Pat Robertson] in Virginia Beach, Va. - students upset at Romney's choice as [commencement] speaker - his Mormon faith clashes with the school's bedrock evangelical Christianity "What we're against is the fact that Mormonism is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Christian values and what we believe" {A guest speaker is one thing and a commencement speaker is another. A commencement speaker is who you want your students to emulate as an example. The Mormon Mitt Romney like other Mormons likely believes that ALL contemporary Christians are eternally damned (diminishing the blood of Jesus) and headed to hell, or to a third heaven or forever to be servants to obedient Mormons or something similar. Pat Robertson needs to explain this decision!} VIRGINIA BEACH - Selecting presidential candidate Mitt Romney as its May commencement speaker has riled some of Regent University's students and alumni who say his Mormon faith clashes with the school's bedrock evangelical Christianity. "What we're against is the fact that Mormonism is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Christian values and what we believe," said Doug Dowdey, a Virginia Beach pastor who said he graduated from Regent's divinity school last year. The controversy over Romney's visit has bubbled for two weeks among students, spilling onto Regent's internal electronic bulletin board, "The Branch." Scores of e-mails on both sides of the debate have been posted, a student said. Pat Robertson, the Christian broadcaster who is Regent's founder and chancellor, invited Romney to be the keynote speaker, said Sherri Stocks, a Regent vice president. Romney is the former Republican governor of Massachusetts. [article link]
{Flashback 2007} PAT ROBERTSON'S REGENT UNIVERSITY INVITES MORMON MITT ROMNEY! - they (Christians) will start wondering whether supporting the religious right leaders who have been taking them down this path for over 25 years was EVER the right thing to do - You know, whether it was EVER God's Will See what people who are dancing with the mammon (money and power) demon are capable of. The Bush presidency and the Iraq War has been really harmful for the GOP and ESPECIALLY the religious right, and they know that if a Democrat gets into office (or worse, if a GOPer gets in without their at least PRETENDING to be kingmaker), then they will be to the GOP what, well, we blacks are to the Democratic Party! They will be out of power for good after having accomplished ABSOLUTELY NOTHING despite all those years of getting their parishioners to contribute money and volunteer for campaigns. And you know what will happen then? All of those parishioners who fill their suburban megachurches, send their kids to their colleges (LIKE REGENT UNIVERSITY, WHERE MORMON MITT ROMNEY IS GOING TO SPEAK!), and support their political and TV networks will start to wonder exactly why they spent all of their resources on trying to change laws through politics and the ballot box rather than trying to change hearts with the gospel, and then they will start wondering whether supporting the religious right leaders who have been taking them down this path for over 25 years was EVER the right thing to do. You know, whether it was EVER God's Will. [article link]
LU officials to investigate Caner's background claims - Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary president [since 2005] (Dr.) Ergun Caner faces an inquiry by LU officials after bloggers and others expressed doubts about his background - The controversy focuses on whether Caner was raised in Turkey and in the Muslim faith until age
17, as he has been recorded as saying in remarks to large church congregations in Florida [First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida] and Texas [First Baptist Church of Dallas, TX - Metropolitan Baptist Church of Houston, TX - Castle Hills Baptist Church of San Antonio, TX - Green Acres Baptist Church of Tyler, TX - source: erguncaner.com/home/schedule/events.php] in the months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York Divorce documents cited by at least one blog, and obtained from a Columbus, Ohio courthouse by The News & Advance, indicate Caner was born in Sweden and moved with his father and mother to the United States about four years later {Note: Back in 2007 the Basic Christian Ministry (unaware of his Liberty University ties though it would not have mattered) linked to one of Dr. Ergun Caner's online (GodTube) Testimonies - he seems like a great guy with a genuine concern for both Christians and Muslims however there is just no way that Caner has the background and the education necessary to so quickly become President of Theology at Liberty University and his direct placement in that position is suspicious [his brother, Dr. Emir Caner, is the President of Truett-McConnell College, a Baptist college in Georgia - erguncaner.com/biography]. -- This bizarre story [involving Christianity Today magazine as the major catalyst of events] just seems to have (NWOCIA) planted 'sleeper agent' written all over it!} Liberty University will investigate whether Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, actually has all of the Muslim background that he has described in some of his speaking engagements around the country. Liberty University described Caner as a converted Sunni Muslim and immigrant from Turkey when it named him head of the seminary in 2005, according to News & Advance files. For several weeks, bloggers who claim either Baptist or Muslim connections have expressed doubts about Caner's testimony. ... The controversy focuses on whether Caner was raised in Turkey and in the Muslim faith until age 17, as he has been recorded as saying in remarks to large church congregations in Florida and Texas in the months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York. Divorce documents cited by at least one blog, and obtained from a Columbus, Ohio courthouse by The News & Advance, indicate Caner was born in Sweden and moved with his father and mother to the United States about four years later. Caner's parents separated a few years after they moved to Ohio. His father, by mostly undisputed accounts, was a Muslim. However, courts awarded custody of the three Caner children to their mother. Ergun Caner became a Christian in his late teens, according to most accounts. Christianity Today last week became the first mainstream news outlet to report the controversy about Caner's Muslim background. In that report, the magazine quoted Elmer Towns, dean of LU's School of Religion, as saying the university's board of directors declined to take public action against Caner after bloggers raised doubts about the seminary president's descriptions of his childhood as a Muslim. A call to Towns was returned Monday by Moore, who said the investigative committee was being formed because the mainstream media was starting to ask questions. "The provost is going to put together a committee of people, internal and external," Moore said. "They are going to look at all of the accusations, one by one, and make a determination of the legitimacy of the accusations. "The deadline is June 30," for the committee's report, Moore said. "That is the end of the fiscal year, and that just seemed like a good target." ... Moore also provided more details about the LU board's look at the controversy during its annual meeting in March. "The board at Liberty had a passing discussion (about the Caner controversy) during its annual board meeting; it wasn't an inquiry or anything like that," Moore said. He added that the discussion occurred within the board's seminary subcommittee and not before the full board. "Before the Christianity Today article, it was just a few blog accusations," Moore said. "This will be a formal investigation." [article link]
Liberty U. [Baptist College] to investigate alleged untruths by seminary president - Liberty University will investigate reports that its seminary president [Dr. Ergun Caner] has misled the public in his testimony about converting from militant Islam to Christianity - James White then was contacted by Mohammad Khan, a 22year-old Muslim college student in London, who made a series of videos on his laptop computer accusing Caner of misrepresenting Islam in order to make Muslims look bad - Some Baptist bloggers accused Caner of giving Christianity a bad name by deliberately misrepresenting his testimony - Caner issued a statement admitting to "pulpit mistakes" but insisting he never intentionally misled anyone
LYNCHBURG, Va. (ABP) -- Liberty University will investigate reports that its seminary president has misled the public in his testimony about converting from militant Islam to Christianity, officials of the school in Lynchburg, Va., announced May 10. Liberty Provost Ron Godwin is reportedly forming a committee to conduct a formal inquiry into questions surrounding Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, that have circulated on blogs and more recently in media outlets including Christianity Today and Associated Baptist Press. "Liberty does not initiate personnel evaluations based upon accusations from Internet blogs," said Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr., breaking weeks of silence amid criticism from both Christian and Muslim bloggers. "However, in light of the fact that several newspapers have raised questions, we felt it necessary to initiate a formal inquiry." The author of books including Unveiling Islam: An Insider's Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs, which he co-wrote in 2002 with his brother, Caner has been quoted in Baptist and secular media as an expert on Islam. But discrepancies in biographical information he has provided in sermons -- many recorded -preached over the years have caused some to question his credibility. Some are questioning even his basic testimony of converting to Christianity from a devout Sunni Muslim background -- which has been held out by many Southern Baptist and other evangelical leaders in recent years as an illustration of Christ's power to save anyone. ... Caner issued a statement admitting to "pulpit mistakes" but insisting he never intentionally misled anyone. Liberty University revised Caner's online biography to remove references that he was raised in Turkey and has debated leaders of various faiths. Liberty officials initially sought to downplay the controversy. Elmer Towns, co-founder -- along with the late Jerry Falwell -- of Liberty University and dean of its School of Religion, told Christianity Today that officials had investigated the discrepancies and were satisfied it was not an "ethical" or "moral" issue. [article link]
The following is a critique of the article, Smith and Calvary Chapel: Evangelicalism was started with the goal of saving the world, but {by its various and many compromises, shortcomings and infiltrations by non-Christians} it helped usher in the [very] apostasy that we are [now] living in The following is a critique of the article, Smith and Calvary Chapel: Evangelicalism was started with the goal of saving the world, but it helped usher in the apostasy that we are living in. The supposed (worldly) success of big named evangelical preachers like Billy Sunday, Dwight Moody, R.A. Torrey, Charles Fuller, and Billy Graham sucked thousands of bishops into their movement. They saw some success and thought their efforts would bring world wide revival. This revival movement has been a major cause of the apostasy we are living in. Their limited success led them to believe nothing could stop them. They rejected the clear teaching of the Scriptures that just prior to the Second Advent of YAHSHUA there would be the apostasy (2 Thes. 2.3; 2 Tim. 4.3,4). They propagated the idea that there would be a world wide revival prior to the Lord's return and ignored everything except evangelism. Their arrogance ushered in a time of great ignorance of the Scriptures among believers. The bishops (pastors) that joined the revival crusade neglected discipleship and left the people they saved in a permanent state of infancy. Few bishops taught anything more than the basic doctrines and they preached mostly salvation messages. The only ones who grew in knowledge and faith were men who sought to be bishops. This situation has not changed since the first days of the revival movement and it never will. It is too easy for bishops to preach boring {or worldly} sermons and do little else. It is much easier to do that than to personally teach the Scriptures to every member of their flock (I Tim. 4:6,11,13-16; 5:17; 6:17-19), exhort them (2 Tim. 4:2; Titos 1:9; 2:15), watch over them (Heb. 13.17; I Peter 5.1), enable them to exercise their gifts for the common good (Rom. 12:6; I Cor. 12:7), train them to be able to "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks" them "to give the reason for the hope that" they "have" (I Peter 3:15), teach them to obey civil authorities, do good deeds and not slander anyone or be contentious (Titus 3:1,2,14), train young men to be bishops (2 Tim. 2:2; 3:16,17), and to refute and correct those who contradict their teaching (2 Tim. 2:25; 3:16,17; 4:2; Titus 1:9,13; 2:15) or continue in sin (I Tim. 5:20). The founders of the pentecostal/charismatic movement also thought they would save the world through the power of the HOLY SPIRIT and they rejected the clear teaching that there would be a great apostasy among true believers in the last days. They perverted the Gospel teaching people that unless they had a supernatural experience they were not born from above or were second
class believers. Virtually everyone in that movement is convinced that their experiences prove they have been born from above. They focus on experience and neglect the study of the Scriptures which is vital to spiritual growth (Acts 17.11). Their primary goal is to get high on the "supernatural" and tell others they can have the same experience. In some of the most corrupt branches of the pentecostal/charismatic movement, salvation through "Jesus Christ" is secondary. The churches embracing the latest charismatic fads -- laughing, barking, growling, shaking -- spend most of their time putting on carnival style shows and neglect Bible teaching altogether. Chuck Smith saw the aberrations emanating out of the charismatic movement and backed away from the practice of exercising the sign gifts in public services. He no longer allows any sign gift to be used in a worship/teaching service and he put an end to the use of them in all church services. I applaud him for this, but he has a long way to go. He needs to concentrate on teaching small groups and back away from preaching to large audiences. He knows this, but if he were to do this he would lose most of his flock and his financial support. I don't think he or any bishop of a mega-church has the courage to do what is right and forget about being famous and wealthy. Had he concentrated on discipleship rather than evangelism he would have started a true world wide revival and his disciples would have led millions to the Lord. Instead he went the way of the revivalists and raised up hundreds of disciples who have led millions to believe they are saved when they are not. Unfortunately, the love of fame and money motivates bishops of most assemblies no matter the size. They think bigger is better and do not realize their top priority should be the spiritual welfare of their flock. Most of the Reformed assemblies have stayed with teaching the Scriptures and have not been swept away with the revival movement, yet some Reformed bishops have fallen prey to revivalism and the mega-church syndrome. The charismatic/pentecostal movement is another major cause of the apostasy we are living in. The revivalists of all persuasions are the primary cause of the apostasy of the last days and few of the people in those movements are truly born from above. I do not say this lightly. It is based on my experience in both groups. I have met only a handful of men and women among the thousands I have known that had any desire to study the Scriptures and fewer still who actually knew more than the elementary teachings of the faith. Only a handful have been able to share a testimony that showed that understood salvation and had trusted YAHSHUA of Nazareth to save them. I must remind everyone who has been caught up in the pentecostal/charismatic movement that YAHSHUA (Jesus Christ) prophesied about pentecostals and charismatics: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles.' And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" (Matthew 7.21-23). There is no way to reverse the apostasy, but every believer who is aware of this has the duty to warn others and encourage them to study the Scriptures. Since few bishops will take the time to teach the flock it is up to those who know the Word to disciple people oneon-one and the few who are qualified should start local assemblies. {Note: Join a Church and also a separate fellowship (try to regularly attend two different Church fellowships i.e. a larger Church and a smaller Church to help balance your Christian walk) also you can discuss with each group what is going on at the other Church to help maintain your discernment, and provide both edification and accountability for each Church - this will go a long way to providing you with a fuller Christian environment with more diversity and more opportunity in places where you feel comfortable to do the best you can to fellowship, contribute and mature personally in the love of Jesus Christ.} [article link]
Calvary Chapel Visitor Comments - The Ross Institute Internet Archives for the Study of Destructive Cults, Controversial Groups and Movements "I also recently left Calvary Chapel...I discerned for two years that the place was not right but always thought it was in my head. Until others from the church were leaving and I found your website...What complete deception!...I would sit there in complete disbelief, but the Holy Spirit kept prompting me to leave, thank God I left." -- "I attended a Calvary Chapel for a number of years in another state before marrying and moving to my current location. The experience I am having now is completely different and most upsetting. The pastor runs
the church like a 'one man show.' Many precious Christians with various gifts are not being given the opportunity to use them. The 'board' is in name only and the financial affairs are handled by the pastor's buddy. Only the two of them ever see the books. Nor is there ever a meeting, discussion or vote on how funds are spent. Actually no one has a clue what's going on. The pastor and associate pastor are also business partners. I'm sick about all this, but what can you do when the pastor runs a church like a dictator except get out?" -- "The personality of the senior pastor is the main driving force of the individual congregations. Nepotism runs rampant. I guess the age-old adage of, 'it's not what you know, it's whom you know,' radiates through the vast majority of Calvary Chapels." -- "I just read some of the material on your site about Calvary Chapel and was surprised to suddenly realize that there are others out there who have come to the same conclusions about it that we my husband and I have as former members. Although they preach grace, they bring condemnation for everything--from soup to nuts. They are the Calvary Chapel denomination, as much a denomination as the Presbyterians or the Baptists. We would not call Calvary Chapel a 'cult'--but perhaps leaning that way in some respects". -- "I would like to thank you for including Calvary Chapel within your Web site. Your doing so has become a major milestone in my recovery from our 12-year involvement with that organization--half of those as leaders. I have been unable to describe our experience with anyone, because Calvary has such a good surface reputation that I figured I would just be labeled as someone with a personal axe to grind. Our former Calvary pastor has blacklisted us with other churches and spread malicious lies about us among the congregation, which I have felt powerless to counter. For four years I have virtually hidden myself in my house or escaped by doing the shopping out of town--alienated, distrustful, and full of the fear of running into the pastor and members of the church. Now, through your Web site I have the beginning of an explanation for others--who in our small town, ask me why we left. Our Calvary Chapel scored 90% on your 'Warning Signs' 'Unsafe Group/Leader' checklist and 90% on your 'People Involved with an Unsafe Group/Leader' checklist. This month I have gotten the courage to seek professional counseling. Thanks again. Don't let anyone ever talk you into taking Calvary Chapel off of your Web site." -- "I am presently a student at an accredited school of theology. I was involved with the Calvary Chapel movement for a number of years. I have grave concerns about Chuck Smith's teachings. He makes it sound as if Calvary Chapels are non divisive and believe only the Scriptures, but then sets up the leaders of the Calvary movement as the sole judge of truth. This is apparent from the last page of his pamphlet entitled 'Calvinism, Arminianism, and the Word of God.' He makes it sound as if he can judge true doctrine based on his assessment of a person's attitude." -"My wife and I are born again Christians and have not left the faith because of our experiences, but have certainly modified our thinking in some ways so as to not fall prey to these so-called men of God again. I cannot say enough about what an evil philosophy this so called church lives by. I think that you should actually have more about what exactly their guru Chuck Smith actually teaches. You will find that it is a far cry from orthodoxy where Christianity is concerned." -- "Thank you, for providing a site where people with questions can seek answers. In my quest to resolve ongoing mental and emotional pain I have always suspected Calvary Chapel. After three years of attendance, in the early 80s my life has never been the same. I've spent years trying to put it back together. It's been a painful journey. On the surface Calvary appears OK, but it's what happens behind the scenes that leads one into confusion, despair and fear. Calvary can systematically strip one of self worth, family and friends and break down trust--leaving nowhere to turn. You loose the ability to think for yourself. Your taught to distrust your thoughts, and feelings. Other institutions are discredited as 'cultic' or 'worldly.' It's difficult to leave, you are always bound--if only by thought. But some of us have escaped and I would encourage those gripped by fear that there is a life beyond Calvary and God too." -- "Calvary Chapels started in California with the Jesus Movement. Since then they have spread across the U.S. My wife and I experienced spiritual abuse from a Calvary pastor who questioned our motives and became quite antagonistic all because of a simple suggestion we made. The pastors wield a lot of power and there is no room for dissent or discussion. Basically, if you don't like what's going on, your only option is to head for the exit. Since leaving Calvary, we have found a church in a denomination where discussion and 'back and forth' is encouraged. There are safeguards, and the pastors have received a professional seminary education, in contrast to Calvary where they study tapes at a Bible college. My advice to Calvary attendees who are considering another church is to
not be afraid. There are many better churches out there. We were afraid to leave, but are very glad we have." [article link]
CultHelp.info: (Calvary Chapel) Day of Reckoning - Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel face an uncertain future Pastors, former board members, and attendees who spoke with CT [Christianity Today] say the wellspring of Calvary Chapel's problems are in the Costa Mesa mother church - But those close to Chuck Smith would rather wait until his tenure has closed before addressing any problems Christianity Today, March, 2007 - Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel face an uncertain future. Rob Moll | posted 2/16/2007 09:08AM - Talk to Calvary Chapel pastors about their vibrant network of 1,300 churches across the U.S., however, and they'll offer two radically different views. Most will call Calvary Chapel a mighty and ongoing work of a faithful God - and they will be right. But the other view expresses deep worry that lax moral standards among some key leaders will sink Calvary's ship. As one pastor said to Christianity Today, "The Titanic has hit the iceberg. But the music is still playing." Calvary Chapel continues to thrive, nationally and internationally, as it has for five decades. But alongside the growth lie the network's deep-rooted problems, which threaten to undo the association. The visible tip of the iceberg is contentious litigation. Chuck Smith, the founder of the movement, and his son are battling in court with a former Calvary Chapel pastor for control of the Calvary Satellite Network's extremely valuable 400 radio stations. The litigation involves competing allegations of financial mismanagement of the ministry's assets, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, as well as the alleged personal use of ministry resources by insiders. Below the waterline, the iceberg looks even more threatening. Leading pastors told CT that Calvary Chapel, and specifically Chuck Smith, are dangerously lax in maintaining standards for sexual morality among leaders. "These men cannot call sin sin," says one 20-year veteran pastor. Easy forgiveness, insiders say, has created an atmosphere of sexual license, where some unethical pastors [i.e. Greg Laurie?, Skip Heitzig?, others? - just wondering] sense that there are few consequences for sexual misconduct. Additionally, former members and some pastors say Calvary Chapel fosters an authoritarian culture, where pastors believe they are accountable only to God. It has enticed some leaders to become power hungry, avoid financial oversight [profiteering], and, at times, become spiritually abusive, according to Calvary insiders. For nearly a year, CT has spoken with Calvary Chapel pastors, former pastors, and others, some of whom sought out CT unsolicited to tell their stories. Many, fearing retribution, asked to remain anonymous. Other leaders whose names are well known within the Calvary Chapel network either declined to speak to CT or denied the existence of significant problems. Pastors, former board members, and attendees who spoke with CT say the wellspring of Calvary Chapel's problems are in the Costa Mesa mother church. But those close to Chuck Smith would rather wait until his tenure has closed before addressing any problems. At 79, there is no telling how much longer Smith will remain in control. Some leaders told CT that they worry the network can't wait for Smith to retire before addressing its problems and that changes should be initiated now. [article link]
Calvary Chapel (Skip Heitzig) Albuquerque States: Leonard Sweet Will Not Be Speaking at Conference Lighthouse Trails Calls For Answers - Questions Arise: Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not? - the National Worship Leader Conference website still maintains that Leonard Sweet will indeed be speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque {Note: Because of deceptive and nonChristian practices emanating from various Calvary Chapel pastors the website links from Basic Christan to Skip Heitzig and several other Calvary Chapel (Costa Mesa) resources, Churches and pastors have recently been removed by the Basic Christian Ministry.} This is an update regarding the Lighthouse Trails report that New Age sympathizer Leonard Sweet is scheduled to speak at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque for the National Worship Leader Conference this June. Conflicting reports are occurring as to whether Sweet's speaking engagement has been cancelled. Please refer to our recent posting, Questions Arise: Is New Age Sympathizer Leonard Sweet Speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque or Not? where we write on some of these conflicting reports. A number of Lighthouse Trails'
readers contacted us over the last couple days sending us copies of an email they each received from an undisclosed personnel at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque. **The form letter states: Thank you for contacting us here at The Connection and thanks for writing to Pastor Skip. We always love to hear from you. The conference is not a Calvary conference. The conference is being put on by Worship Leader Magazine using our facility just like CAPE, Home school graduation, funerals, etc. Therefore, Leonard Sweet is not speaking at "Skip's Church". [LT: Heitzig is one of the speakers at this event.] He is part of a conference using Calvary's facilities. Leonard Sweet will attend the conference but WILL NOT BE SPEAKING. It is our prayer that God will continue to reveal Himself to you through His Word as you seek to know Him. Love in Christ, Connection Communications -- Because the National Worship Leader Conference website still maintains that Leonard Sweet will indeed be speaking at Calvary Chapel Albuquerque, an official public notice from CCA stating that Leonard Sweet will not be speaking there could help clear up the present confusion. Just as important, a statement explaining to the body of Christ why they have decided to remove him from the platform would be important. In a day and age when so many Christian leaders are sending out mixed messages to the Church regarding spiritual deception, those wanting to maintain biblical integrity need to be forthright and clear in what they believe and stand for. And regardless of what denomination or movement this confusion is occurring in, those particular leaders do have a biblical obligation to the entire body of Jesus Christ. This is not Lighthouse Trails saying this - this is what the Bible requests of leaders and pastors. [article link]
{Flashback} Note: There has been a change to the referencing for each of the Basic Christian blog Bible Study postings - Each posting will now contain the Bible's book and chapter and will no longer provide a reference to an alternate past study by Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa - The change is being made out of necessity in that the teachings of the Basic Christian blog Bible Study are too divergent from the alternate material of Calvary Chapel and therefore providing Chuck Smith or Calvary Chapel as an alternate reference in the blog Bible Study has been causing too much confusion within the current blog Bible Study - The rereferencing of each post will be completed as soon as possible - My sincere apologies for any inconvenience that this has caused or might cause for anyone studying the Bible - God bless you, David Anson Brown Originally the postings to the Basic Christian blog Bible Study were listed with an alternate past study of the Calvary Chapel C3000 series by Chuck Smith however the teachings and material of Chuck Smith have become to inconsistent and run to counter to the current [in progress] teachings given in the Basic Christian blog Bible Study and therefore there is no reason to [continue to] provide a listing to an alternate Chuck Smith resource. Sadly, it has also recently [in part through the faithful and diligent ministry of Randy Maugans at The Threshing Floor] come to the attention of the Basic Christian ministry that there are now several serious allegations that Chuck Smith does not have his own material but often plagiarizes much of his material from other sources [including now New Age material i.e. his 2006 book "When Storms Come" by Chuck Smith with (later removed) portions plagiarized from two New Age authors] and that Chuck Smith had then put his name on the material of others as though it was his own material. In Short there was an attempt to provide a reference to some past material as an alternate counterbalance to the Basic Christian material however it quickly became evident that the material of the alternate teaching of Chuck Smith is filled with too many personal antecedents has too many inconsistencies [biblical names, dates and locations] (probably from his use of too many external sources i.e. other commentaries) and even outright biblical misrepresentations [i.e. Kingdom - eternal rewards] to the point that the past study of Chuck Smith is incompatible with the current Basic Christian blog Bible Study and therefore for clarity all references to any Calvary Chapel or Chuck Smith material will be removed from all of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
{Flashback} Unexpected Storm for Nelson Author - Chuck Smith's latest book, 'When Storms Come' has generated a storm of its own - Both Smith and Thomas Nelson agree that there was a rush to get the book out, but deny any theological errors - Smith acknowledges that his son [Emergent Church (NWO) - New Age
author] Chuck Jr., edited the book and added these elements - There was a haste to get it out, and some things slipped by By Lori Smith -- Publishers Weekly, 6/28/2006 2:00:00 AM - Chuck Smith's latest book, When Storms Come (Thomas Nelson/World, Jan.), has generated a storm of its own. The 79-year-old pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and leader of the Calvary Chapel fellowship of churches drew ire from online evangelical activists, like Dave and Deborah Dombrowski of the Lighthouse Trails Research Project, who said the book "included contemplative and Eastern meditation language" inconsistent with orthodox Christian theology. Both Smith and Thomas Nelson agree that there was a rush to get the book out, but deny any theological errors. David Moberg, v-p and publisher for W Publishing, who recently took over responsibility for World trade books, said, "The Web site postings on Lighthouse Trails created the impression that Thomas Nelson tampered with the book. This is simply not true. We simply did a quick copy edit. Nothing substantive was added or changed." Ramona Richards, the in-house editor on the project, described the problem passages: "There was a threeword quote from Anthony de Mello, a Jesuit priest from India whose other works have to do with contemplative spirituality, and another passage about a deep breathing exercise to help you relax before prayer." Moberg added, "These are totally minor issues in a book of sound Calvary doctrine, based on a series of Chuck's sermons." Smith acknowledges that his son, Chuck Jr., edited the book and added these elements. "There was a haste to get it out, and some things slipped by. We didn't really mean to create a storm, it was supposed to be a book that would help a person through the storm. There are a lot of heresy hunters out there that are just looking for anything to jump on." Thomas Nelson has agreed to put this edition of the book-which has sold 12,000 copies to date-out of print and intends to work with Calvary Chapel to correct the problems, likely with a new edition. Smith is eager to re-release the book with the problem elements removed, along with some copy corrections. "We will work with them and accommodate what they want to do," Moberg told RBL. Chuck Smith Jr. is pastor at Capo Beach Calvary, which recently removed itself from the Calvary Chapel fellowship of churches-creating more online speculation about possible controversy. Smith Sr. denied any rift. He said that Capo Beach's ministry is directed toward the postmodern generation, and that style of ministry does not fit within the more conservative Calvary Chapel model. Smith Sr. recently wrote cautionary guidelines about postmodern ministry, or the "emergent church," in a "Parson to Parson" letter to the 1,400 churches in the Calvary Chapel fellowship. However, the letter has not been released to the public and Smith avoided discussing specifics. Asked if he would work with his son again on another book, he replied, "Oh, yes. He's an excellent writer; he's a very brilliant young man." Smith said his next book likely will be a commentary on the book of Ephesians. [article link]
The 40th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission [1970, April 11-17 - Wiki.com] {Apollo 13 movie (1995) - directed by Ron Howard - starring Tom Hanks} - "The correlation between 'Marooned' [1964 novel, 1969 movie] and actual events threatening Apollo 13 is really uncanny" said NASA engineer Jerry Woodfill "People may not agree, but in my mind this movie was actually a catalyst to the rescue of Apollo 13" - Woodfill recounted how back in early 1970, he heard about the movie "Marooned" and that the flight directors at NASA were invited to a special screening of the film, and later, the Apollo 13 crew came to a special release and public viewing of the movie {So possibly the NASA Apollo 13 drama was a pre-scripted made for TV event used to entice people into their outer space dramas (excessively budgeted NASA programs, modern UFOs) - During the three-day conference [December 2008 at a Hilton hotel in Baltimore, Maryland], the 317 attendees snacked on "light refreshments" of soda, coffee, fruit, bagels and cookies at a cost of $62,611, according to a NASA Inspector General report. That's $66 a day per person. Source: tammybruce.com/2010/03/out-of-this-world-snacks-fornasa.html} "Marooned" starred Gregory Peck as a Gene Kranz-like flight director, David Janssen as head of the astronaut office (who looked strikingly like the real Chief Astronaut Deke Slayton), with Richard Crenna, James Franciscus, and Gene Hackman as the astronauts. Like the movie "Apollo 13," "Marooned" dealt with three astronauts stranded in space, but was an adaptation of a 1964 novel of the same name by author Martin Caidin, and not a
real-life portrayal. The novel told the story of a single astronaut in a Mercury-like capsule, but the movie was adapted to reflect the current-day Apollo program. ... "Marooned" won an Oscar award for Best Special Visual Effects, but when the movie "Apollo 13" received an Academy Award for Best Screen Adaptation, Caidin joked that he should have received the award for scripting the movie in his novel a quarter century before. ... Woodfill also listed several other similarities between "Marooned" and the real-life drama of Apollo 13: • The use of simulators is almost identical to that which Apollo 13's ground team used in the course of the rescue. • Gregory Peck's character announces, "Every resource of NASA and our industrial contractors is being used to the fullest extent," similar to what was done during the real Apollo 13 drama. • Press conferences in the movie were similar to those conducted by Chris Kraft for the Apollo 13 media coverage. • The "Marooned" crew wrongly thinks they may have suffered a meteor strike as did the crew of Apollo 13. • A hurricane threatens the rescue as was the case with Apollo 13. Even the weathermen wrongly predict its course as did the Apollo 13 meteorologists. • Commanders of both "Marooned" and Apollo 13 are named Jim. • The threat of consumables running out is dealt with in the same fashion as Apollo 13 with severe conservation measures being utilized. • The medics in "Marooned" express concern for the crew's sleep deprivation as did Apollo 13's doctors. • The "Marooned" crew is told to shut down fuel cells 2 and 3, using only fuel cell 1. This is what the Apollo 13 flight controllers experienced as a result of the oxygen tank explosion, two fuel cells shut down with only one sustaining power, until it, too, was lost. But perhaps, said Woodfill, the most notable of "Maroon's" correlations with the Apollo 13 rescue had to do with those reentry batteries discussed above, and this earlier article in the "13 Things That Saved Apollo 13" series. The batteries were used during the time the ground team was confused about the source of Apollo 13's explosion. This severely depleted them, and without enough power to the Command Module, reentry could be fatal. These batteries normally were to be used only during the mission's final hours to power the reentry capsule. [article link]
{Flashback} Jesus did not have a wife or a child - Da Vinci Code (Jesus is only human) Cults Exposed! - Network TV, the movie "The Da Vinci Code" 'SEEK THE TRUTH' {Sony Pictures - Directed by: Ron Howard, Starring: Tom Hanks, May 2006} and now The Da Vinci Code part two "Angels & Demons" (2009) are programs that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth Network TV, the movie "The Da Vinci Code" 'SEEK THE TRUTH' {Sony Pictures - Directed by: Ron Howard, Starring: Tom Hanks, May 2006} and now The Da Vinci Code part two "Angels & Demons" (2009) are programs that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth. Following is some material to consider regarding this very wrong and false topic. This is a startling topic yet it is a good opportunity for us as Christians to define Christianity to others and to point out the errors of the non-Biblical approach to defining Jesus. "Any marriage prior to the Cross would mean that Jesus was marring a sinner and really teachings of an earthly marriage of Jesus are yet another false set of teachings that are attempting to do away with the need of mankind for the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross and of His Glorious Resurrection and it is an attempt to deny the special relationship that Jesus has with His Bride - The Church." [article link]
New ULV Core i3, faster i5 and i7 chips coming - Intel is about to launch a sweeping set of notebook processor upgrades, according to a slew of official information - they would be inexpensive enough to count as part of Intel's CULV [Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage] family and could replace the Core 2 Duo in the ultraportable yet cheap category, where prices often dip below $800 {$600-$400} Intel is about to launch a sweeping set of notebook processor upgrades, according to a slew of official information. A roadmap from the company has an ultra-low voltage (ULV) Core i3 in the works along with new ULV Core i5s. The chips' specs or pricing aren't known, but they would be inexpensive enough to count as part of Intel's CULV family and could replace the Core 2 Duo in the ultraportable yet cheap category, where prices often dip below $800. They will all be built on the same 32nm process as their full-power counterparts and will
share the graphics built into the chip package. PC Client Operations VP Stephen Smith said the chips will be available for companies to use before the end of the spring but that shipping notebooks wouldn't arrive until the second half of the year. [article link]
HP TouchSmart TM2 to get [Intel - ULV] Core i3 and i5 processors-Rumors [Currently the HP TouchSmart TM2 does not have a built-in DVD/CD player - have to use an external optical disk player] (Photo) As stated in the title this is just a rumor now but this can also become real news pretty soon. Sources say that HP is planning to update its Touch Smart TM2 tablet with core i3 and i5 processors. It also seems that this change may happen in June when Intel plans to release its [ULV - Ultra-Low Voltage] Core i5 processors. This obviously makes a synch and makes us believe too. [article link]
Intel to launch [CPU] Core i3 ULV processor this quarter (Photo) We knew that Intel had a Core i5 ULV chip in the works for a June release, and now PC World is reporting on an Intel roadmap mentioning the aforementioned CPU, as well as a ULV Core i3. Due for release this quarter, the new 32nm processor should reach "laptops in the second half of the year," according to Intel VP Stephen Smith. The company was mum on release date, performance, and pricing, but don't fret -- keep your eyes on this space, and we promise you'll know as soon as we do. [article link]
Intel Wins Simulated Moorestown vs. iPad Battle [actually an older Intel Menlow CPU vs. iPad] (Video) UMPC Portal ran a browser test between an iPad and Viliv X70, which has its Menlow-based Atom platform running at 800MHz. While this isn't a test between Moorestown and the ARM-based A4, the practical architectures between Menlow and Moorestown should be quite similar. In a webpage loading test, the 800MHz Atom Menlow running the latest Chrome on Windows XP matched the loading speeds of Safari on the iPad. When the Atom was cranked up to Menlow's 1.3GHz ceiling, the *Windows XP tablet was able to load faster than the iPad - even with Flash enabled. The simulation leads us to believe that the [newer] Moorestown running at a 1.5GHz speed would be even faster. Check out the video below for the test. [article link]
Ernie Harwell [May 04, 2010], Detroit Baseball Fans Say Farewell To Harwell - Fans lined the sidewalk outside Comerica Park in downtown Detroit on Thursday to pay their final respects to cherished broadcaster Ernie Harwell, who was considered by many Tigers fans to be the voice of summer - "In my almost 92 years on this Earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey," [devout Christian] Harwell [had previously] said at a microphone behind home plate Westland resident Tyler Amaro said he was focusing not on the sadness of Harwell's passing, but on the joy he brought to people. "He was my hero not for necessarily what he did behind the microphone, but what he did as a person when he wasn't behind the microphone," he said. "When he would meet somebody, he would genuinely be appreciative that the person wanted to meet him. Dozens of postings also are being left on Facebook fan pages, while several videos announcing Harwell's death Tuesday have been posted on YouTube. There's even a Facebook campaign to change Comerica Park to "Harwell Field at Comerica Park." Across the street, the marquee of the Fox Theatre read: "Thanks for the memories Ernie." Other venues also had similar public messages. He said last September he had inoperable cancer, a month after surgery for an obstructed bile duct. Shortly after Harwell's announcement, the Tigers honored him during the third inning of a game against Kansas City on Sept. 16, showing a video tribute and giving him a chance to address the crowd at Comerica Park. "In my almost 92 years on this Earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey," Harwell said at a microphone behind home plate. "The blessed part of that journey is that it's going to end here in the great state of Michigan." Harwell spent 42 of his 55 years in broadcasting with the Tigers. He was
their play-by-play radio voice from 1960-1991 and 1993-2002. [article link]
Max Palevsky, who died on Wednesday [May 05, 2010] aged 85, was one of the early pioneers of the electronics industry in America's "Silicon Valley"; he helped to found Intel, the world's largest maker of computer chips, and became one of the country's richest men - in 1971, [Intel] produced the first microprocessor the "computer on a chip" that made possible hand-held calculators and personal computers The son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, Max Palevsky was born on July 24 1924 in Chicago - His father, a house painter, spoke little English, owned no car and hauled his equipment around the city on trams As a venture capitalist in his own right, Palevsky became a founder investor and director of the semi-conductor giant Intel Corp, launched in 1968. It led the world in the development of memory chips and, in 1971, produced the first microprocessor - the "computer on a chip" that made possible hand-held calculators and personal computers. Today more than 80 per cent of the world's PCs contain Intel microprocessors. ... Although he played a key role in fostering the modern obsession with computers, Palevsky latterly became a critic of the revolution he had helped to create, complaining that computers and the internet had become "substitutes for interaction with the real world". "I haven't touched a computer, watched TV or used a credit card in 15 years," he told a reporter in 2001. "I am a Luddite." The son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, Max Palevsky was born on July 24 1924 in Chicago. His father, a house painter, spoke little English, owned no car and hauled his equipment around the city on trams. Max graduated from a local high school and during the Second World War served in the US Army Air Corps as a weatherman. Having studied Science and Mathematics at the University of Chicago, and Electronics at Yale, he was posted to the USAF's main electronics base in the South Pacific. After the war he returned to Chicago University, graduating in Mathematics and Philosophy. It was while he was working as a teaching assistant at UCLA that Palevsky attended a lecture about the arrival of computer technology. He realised the implications, and resigned to join an aircraft company developing the last, and most sophisticated, of a postwar generation of differential analysers which, in the early 1950s, were superseded by electronic computers. In 1957 he moved to Packard Bell and persuaded the company to enter the computer business, working on the development of the first silicon computer, the Packard Bell PB250. In 1961 - with an initial $60,000 investment of his own, and having raised $1 million in venture capital - Palevsky set up SDS with a view to penetrating the market for small and medium-sized computers. After some modest early successes, the company made the critical breakthrough in 1966 with the introduction of the Sigma 7, the machine that propelled the company into business data processing. In little more than three years, he had sold SDS to the Xerox Corporation for $920 million. ... His interests were eclectic: he rescued Rolling Stone magazine from bankruptcy in 1970 by buying a substantial shareholding and becoming chairman of the board. He also moved into independent film production, in a joint venture with the former vice-president of Paramount Pictures, Peter Bart. [article link]
Know Your Rights: H.264, patent licensing, and you - So what are the rates, and who has to pay? - the party [Church - Ministry] selling or distributing the [H.264] video to the end user -- has to pay royalties for using the H.264 encoder In any event, MPEG-LA has said to us that only the parties at the top and bottom of the H.264 tool chain are generally required to pay royalties; that is, the party who makes the encoder, and the party who distributes the encoded file to the end users. You can think of that as the first and last transaction, if you like -- the person who sells the encoder and the person who sells the content are the ones who have to pay. That ultimately means products that come with an H.264 codec don't also come with a license to use the codec commercially - in order to distribute H.264 content in a way that makes money, the distributor has to pay for a separate license. So products like Windows 7, Mac OS X, Final Cut Pro, Avid, and modern video cameras aren't licensed to distribute video for commercial use -- they all have fine print somewhere that says they're for personal and non-commercial use only. It's language that feels incredibly aggressive and broad, especially since it apparently
conflicts with the MPEG-LA's general position that only the final link in the chain -- the party selling or distributing the video to the end user -- has to pay royalties for using the H.264 encoder. Ouch. So people are mad because they have to pay to make and distribute videos for commercial use? Yes, but it's not as bad as it seems. First off, we've directly asked MPEG-LA whether or not using an H.264 camera simply to shoot video for a commercial purpose requires a license, and the answer is no. We've also asked whether an end user watching H.264 videos would ever have to pay or be licensed, and the answer to that question is also no. Yes, the license terms are worded poorly, but those are the answers straight from the patent horse's mouth. Everyone can breathe again, 'kay? On top of that, there's a gigantic exception to the license rules that should put any lingering fears to rest: using H.264 to distribute free internet video to end users doesn't cost a thing, and won't cost anything until at least 2015. After that, it's up in the air, and that's a bridge we'll have to cross when we come to it -- there's a chance the MPEG-LA could start charging a royalty for free video in five years. But for right now MPEG-LA president Larry Horn says the group doesn't want to "plug a royalty into a business model that's still unsettled." It's also important to note that the MPEG-LA can't just run off and do whatever it wants; its decisions are made by the various patent holders it represents, many of whom are also still trying to figure out the economics of video on the web themselves. [article link]
Microsoft Says Web Video in IE9 Is All About H.264 - It should be noted that both Microsoft and Apple - the two main proponents of native H.264 playback in their browsers - hold patents in the H.264 patent pool The argument over which web video playback technology to support has been a point of major tension among browser makers ever since last year, when the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) bowed out of the debate, declining to recommend any single video technology for HTML5. The result, so far, is a stalemate - Microsoft and Apple are supporting H.264, Mozilla and Opera are supporting Ogg Theora and Google, for the time being, is supporting both. As we've said before, H.264 is a dangerous path for web video to go down, mostly because there are patents and licensing issues associated with it that keep it from being freely used. It should be noted that both Microsoft and Apple - the two main proponents of native H.264 playback in their browsers - hold patents in the H.264 patent pool. Other technologies, such as Ogg Theora and VP8, appear to be a much safer alternative for video on the web to remain free and open, which is why the browser makers who have no stake in H.264 (Mozilla and Opera) are pushing for Theora. [article link]
{Flashback - July 17, 2009} Why Amazon went Big Brother on some Kindle e-books - Amazon.com shocked customers yesterday when it reached out to hundreds, if not thousands of Kindles [ebook readers] and simply deleted texts that users had not only purchased, but had started to read - Amazon spoiled the readers' descent into Orwellian masochism with nary a warning or apology - Perhaps the (Thought Police) Amazon Customer Service team could cut off your ebooks whenever they wanted to {Note: can Microsoft and Apple do this as well with H.264 Video?} The story first popped up when customers began crying foul on the Amazon community, and several sites covered it, including the NYTimes. What no one could determine for certain was "why" this was happening. Amazon's email to customers gave the impression that the publisher had a change of heart: "Although a rarity, publishers can decide to pull their content from the Kindle store." That didn't tell the whole story, however. Ars Technica has learned that this was more serious than a publisher flippantly changing course. Accusations that Amazon had caved to the powerful meanderings of a "major publisher" were far off the mark, although the cause is still unsettling. As it turns out, the books in question were being sold by Amazon despite being unauthorized copies. The works weren't legit. It was all copywrong. In other words, Amazon was selling bad books. Hot letters. Pilfered paragraphs. MobileReference, the publisher in question, formats and sells public domain books on Amazon. The only problem is that George Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984 are not yet in the public domain, at least not in the US. According to Amazon's statement to Ars Technica, "These books were added to our catalog using our self-service platform by a third-party who did not have the rights to the books."
When the publisher informed Amazon of this, Amazon moved to rectify the situation. The two books are no longer listed on MobleReference's website, either. But does Amazon's Terms of Service even allow for this kind of "rectification"? Peter Kafka examined the ToS and believes that there is no backing for this move. The ToS makes it sound as if all sales are final: [article link]
{Flashback} More info on Windows Phone 7: Windows Live ID (i.e. Hotmail account) will be required {There is a ton of new (and transitional) always on internet phone [Intel Moorestown] - type of technology and gadgets coming out this fall and into 2011 finally providing for stable and highly useable mobile internet devices. Intel and Nokia have the MeeGo operating system, Google has their Android system, Apple has their iPhone system and Microsoft will have their own system in Phone 7 but so far Microsoft seems to be the one to avoid.} Microsoft still has a lot of work to do until the first Windows Phone 7 devices are launched (sometime in the fourth quarter of the year), and that's why we don't know all we'd want to know about the upcoming OS. However, new details have been uncovered by Tweakers.net, **including the fact that, to use a Windows Phone 7 handset [phone], you will need a Windows Live ID account (you automatically have one if you use Hotmail or MSN Messenger). Apparently, Windows Live ID will also provide access to Windows Marketplace. Furthermore, it looks like Windows Phone 7 will only support ARM7 processors (like the Qualcomm Snapdragon). This leaves out Intel's Moorestown processors - but it's not like Intel cares too much, since it has MeeGo and we'll soon see Moorestown-based MeeGo devices on the market. As previously mentioned, all Windows Phone 7 devices will require capacitive touchscreen displays (apparently, non-touch devices won't be able to run WP7), three buttons on the front (Back, Start and Search), a power button, a camera button, and two volume buttons. Weird enough, it looks like Windows Phone 7 will support Bluetooth 2.1, but not Bluetooth 3.0. Well, maybe support for the newer version of Bluetooth will be added after launch. [article link]
Nokia and Intel defensive on MeeGo Linux patents - Microsoft and Apple are finding new ways to rein in the competition on phones: they're using patent threats - Ari Jaaksi, Nokia's vice president of MeeGo devices, told The Reg Tuesday that Intel and Nokia could "guarantee and promise" that MeeGo is safe from any and all patent claims because of the size and breadth of the companies' patent portfolios Tech companies are playing hardball on smart phones, but Linux could gain the upper hand with Intel and Nokia going on the defensive with MeeGo. To get you on Facebook while on the bus, play a tune, and - oh, yeah - make a call, Microsoft and Apple are finding new ways to rein in the competition on phones: they're using patent threats. ... MeeGo, YouGo, WeAllGo MeeGo, the latest mobile-Linux effort - this time from Intel and Nokia - reckons it might have a chance with patents, too. Only instead of chasing people for royalties, they will use patents to protect those who adopt MeeGo against opportunistic trolls and companies like Microsoft that might decide one day that the best way to make some easy money or to hobble your business is by claiming patent infringement in the MeeGo Linux you are busy using on your smart phones. Ari Jaaksi, Nokia's vice president of MeeGo devices, told The Reg Tuesday that Intel and Nokia could "guarantee and promise" that MeeGo is safe from any and all patent claims because of the size and breadth of the companies' patent portfolios, and also because of the size of Intel and Nokia themselves. MeeGo is based on the Linux kernel and uses common components such as X-Windows and Gstreamer. "Both Nokia and Intel have a huge patent portfolio and we have put our investment into the standard Linux-based platform. That's a guarantee and promise that it's safe for anyone to take this platform because we will look after your investment with our patent platform," Jaaksi said. "With the big patent portfolios already backing up MeeGo as an operating system, that should make some of the concerns go away... we'll defend that with our patent portfolio." [article link]
Intel confirms Moorestown MeeGo device for 2010 - The resulting platform is intended to be used as a base for mobiles, MIDs, laptops, netbooks and even televisions Pankaj Kedia, Director of Global Ecosystem Programs and Mobile Internet Devices at Intel, has let slip that the
first wave of Moorestown MeeGo devices will be here "by the end of 2010". The MeeGo platform is a joint project comprised of the amalgamation of the Nokia Maemo and Intel Moblin operating systems. The resulting platform is intended to be used as a base for mobiles, MIDs, laptops, netbooks and even televisions. ... In discussing the growth and momentum of the MeeGo project he remarked, "It's only been two months since we announced MeeGo, and we're seeing the momentum every day. With the first MeeGo devices due to market in the second half of this year, the project has no plans of slowing down anytime soon!" Whether that will turn out to be a Nokia smartphone, or some other kind of device entirely remains to be seen, but whichever it is, it shouldn't be too long before we find out. Stay tuned. [article link]
New Atom Z6 [CPU - Platform] Positions Intel for Phone, Tablet Push - the Atom Z6 uses up to 50 times less power when idling, 20 times less when performing audio functions, and 2 to 3 times less during Web browsing and video watching - Intel claims that these savings can result in more than 10 days of battery life in standby [6 hours of phone calls], up to 2 days when playing back [Mp3] audio, and 4 to 5 hours of Web browsing and video The Z6 is designed for both smartphones and more traditional tablets, but Intel hopes that the phone is where the platform, based on the traditional X86 architecture, eventually ends up. The new Lincroft chip (part of a platform Intel calls "Moorestown") supports up to 1.5 GHz for high-end smartphones and up to 1.9 GHz for tablets and other handheld designs. "Intel has delivered its first product that is opening the door for Intel Architecture [IA] in the smartphone market segment," said Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Ultra Mobility Group, in a statement. "Through 'Moorestown,' Intel is scaling the benefits of IA while significantly reducing the power, cost and footprint to better address handheld market segments. As a result of our efforts, the Intel Atom processor is pushing the boundaries of higher performance at significantly lower power to show what's possible as handheld devices become small, powerful mobile computers." ... Intel also touts the family's improved compute performance (1.5 to 3 times higher), faster JavaScript rendering (a fourfold speed increase), and 2 to 4 times better graphics, as well as support for 1080p HD video decoding (see above) and 720p video recording; and Burst Performance Technology, which lets the processor dynamically burst to higher performance for short periods of time without affecting the TDP. The chip's MP20 Platform Controller Hub (code-named "Langwell") supports what Intel calls "a range of systemlevel functions and I/O blocks." These include a NAND controller; a low-power, 24-bit audio engine called Intel Smart Sound Technology (SST), which enables voice processing and supports audio codecs like MP3, AAC-LC, HE-AAAC (v1 and v2), VMA9, and PCM; a high-resolution camera; USB and USB On-the-Go (OTG), the latter for helping smartphones communicate with other devices such as cameras, printers, or portable hard drives; security blocks, and wireless, as well as board-level functions and Intel's Smart & Secure security architecture. A dedicated Mixed Signal IC (aka MSIC, and originally code-named "Briertown") integrates power delivery and battery charging; and consolidates analog and digital components such as audio codecs, a touch screen controller, sensors, LDOs, DC-DC, and GPIOs. The MSIC is one of the key ways the Atom Z6 family achieves such a low-power status: It enables power gating through a series of voltage rails to the processor and PCH, and by shutting down transistors that aren't in use can reduce power leakage and increase battery life. Per press notes, it also "enables faster transitions in and out of power states, allow for more frequent and longer residency in ultra-low-power saving states." The Atom Z6 family of chips is available today. The platform supports scalable frequencies ranging up to 1.5 GHz for high-end smartphones and up to 1.9 GHz for tablets and other handheld designs; and include support for Wi-Fi, 3G/HSPA, and WiMAX. [article link]
New Intel Atom (CPU) - 'Moorestown' SoC [computer - System on a Chip] unveiled - Intel has pulled the wraps off its second generation Atom platform - Codenamed Moorestown, it's a speedy, yet ultra-low power systemon-a-chip design, aimed at smartphones and tablets {Note: Intel has specifically designed and created a unique CPU [50x more power efficient] designed to run portable devices while Microsoft is unsuccessfully attempting
to go the opposite route in attempting to reuse their already existing [too enormous] PC Desktop software for operating small portable devices.} Intel has pulled the wraps off its second generation Atom platform. Codenamed Moorestown, it's a speedy, yet ultra-low power system-on-a-chip design, aimed at smartphones and tablets. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers get dizzy at the pace of change. ... Intel is positioning Moorestown as a smartphone world-beater. ... Quoted battery life in a typical smartphone form factor ... would be approximately 10 days of standby life, ... six hours of 3G talk time. ... Idle power for the ... platform ... is "21-ish milliwatts". That's less than one fiftieth [of] the ... power required by the previous-generation. ... [But] low power doesn't translate to low performance. ... The Atom Z6XX Series - will be available in speeds of up to 1.5GHz for smartphones and 1.9GHz for tablets. ... Globally, there will be one billion more new "connected" users by 2015 than there are today. ... There will be 10 billion connected devices in use. ... Intel might just sell more ultramobile processors in the next five years than it has sold into the PC market over its entire history. ... This launch is roughly equivalent to the arrival of Conroe and the Core 2 family ... [which] confirmed Intel's commitment to abandoning frequency as the central ... means of processor performance. It ... allowed Intel to keep up a pace of innovation that competitors have been unable to match. ... The future of ultramobility and perhaps mainstream computing seems all but sure to remain in Intel's corner. [article link]
After HP-Palm deal, Microsoft loses if it snoozes - reports have surfaced that HP has canceled the (Windows 7) Slate because it is unsatisfied with Windows 7 as a tablet operating system {Note: Microsoft has lazily attempted to shove its entire existing Desktop PC platform operating system (Windows 7) into newly created portable [Tablet] devices. #1 Smartphones and Tablet devices use touchscreen devices as their main interface PCs use a Mouse Pointer as a main interface so Microsoft is attempting to emphasize the wrong operating system features for portable devices - #2 Microsoft (Windows 7) requires 3 GB of Memory to comfortably operate yet Tablet devices are currently equipped with only 1 GB of memory. #3 Microsoft is attempting to put a huge, bloated, power hungry operating system into a handheld portable device that is not designed to handle such a large operating system. -- Microsoft needs to offer a specialized operating system based on Windows 7 but made specifically for portable Tablet and Smartphone devices.} Remember that Hewlett-Packard slate computer Steve Ballmer showed off at (2009) CES? Ya know how the Microsoft CEO was all excited that it runs Windows 7? Yeah, Windows 7 is Microsoft's first operating system to come with [secondary] touch-screen support right out of the box [a mouse pointer is still the primary device Tablets don't generally use a mouse device]. So what? Tablet PCs, most of them running some form of Windows, have been around for a decade. And until Apple's introduction of the iPad this year, the tablet market had been "disastrous," said IDC analyst David Daoud. "I think what Apple has done is reset the agenda of what the tablet should be," he told seattlepi.com. "I think now it creates an opportunity for the PC world. For Microsoft to play the game in that market." But now that HP has acquired Palm, WebOS and the firm's extensive patent portfolio, the tech giants - at least those interested in the tablet market - have some thinking to do. HP, the world's biggest computer manufacturer, now has its own mobile operating system. ... There's no doubt the tablet PC market, finally taking off, holds immense opportunity for Microsoft. Many tablets will run Windows 7. The HP Slate already will - and HP probably will continue to produce Windows tablets, Daoud said, even if it starts selling them with WebOS. Microsoft is, for the most part, being kept afloat by Windows sales. So when it comes to the tablet market, the software juggernaut just can't fall asleep at the helm. "They have to be competitive," Daoud said. "They have to understand there's Apple, there's Google, there's competition out there." "Nobody," he added, "should look at Microsoft and say, 'Oh, that's it.'" [article link]
Updated -- Westminster Seminary: Christ, Kingdom & Culture Conference [January 2010] - This conference addressed the sovereignty of God as it relates to His Kingdom (7 Free Video Downloads) What is the Christian's relationship to culture? This conference addressed the sovereignty of God as it relates to
his kingdom, to our role as Christians in God's world, in the state, at work, at school, and in the church. [article link]
Heart of the Matter with Shawn McCraney - Show #211 David's Sin (Mp3, Video) Started in early 2006, Heart of the Matter is a TV show produced in the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City. It's where Mormonism meets Biblical Christianity face to face! Shawn McCraney, the host of Heart of the Matter, provides great entertainment value and valuable knowledge of Mormonism and what it means to be a Born-Again Christian. Shawn is the author of "I Was a Born-Again Mormon" and the pastor of Calvary Campus. Live One Hour Call-in Show Airs Tuesdays 8pm MST, Rebroadcasts Tuesdays 11am MST, Salt Lake City Channel 20, KTMW Boise, Idaho Channel 18 KCLP. [article link]
Revelations Radio Network - The Frank & Chris Show: Episode 103 (Mp3) The Revelations Radio Network is an online family of Christian Podcasts and Talk Shows. Together we cover a wide range of topics including Bible Study, End Times Bible Prophecy, Spiritual Deception, Apostasy Within the Church, The New World Order, and Conspiracy "Theory". If you've ever felt like world is spiraling out of control and you're looking for Scripturally sound answers as to the how and the why, RRN is for you. The comment section is restricted to members only. [article link]
The Threshing Floor with Randy Maugans - The Plummet is Laid (Mp3) There is now a division in the Spirit. Those who live as predators, hunter-gathers, and merchandisers of souls…have passed their "point of no return." Grace, which became the licence for lawlessness is disappeared for such. This is the "quickening," it is the time of the plummet laid to the line of judgment. [article link]
Dr. Scott Johnson - End Time Current Events: 4-25-10 Parts 1 & 2 (Mp3s) Dr. Scott Johnson, 04/25/2010 -- Part of the Current Events & Bible Study series, preached at a Sunday Morning service Iceland's Volcano Simply Explodes! President Obama is pushing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to carve up Jerusalem Study Confirms Link Between Autism and Use of Cells From Abortions in Vaccines Aborted Babies & Vaccines Deadly airborne fungus in Oregon set to spread--The new, rare strain has killed 1 in 4 infected, researchers say The "Emergent" Church Movement Exposed Max Lucado Joins "Covenant for Civility" Amazing Quotes From Heretics You Shouldn't Forget About Keeping it Under Wraps: Giants, Mummies and Megalithic Mysteries More Lies from Old Splitfoot's "Pride and Joy": Devil Betraya [article link]
Impact Ministries - Free Audio - The Gospel of Peace - The 4 Most Important Messages (Mp3s) I've got great news for you: God is madly in love with you! That's right! Sure you've got problems; maybe your life isn't what you want it to be, but that doesn't matter... God is for you and never against you! He doesn't find fault in you and He's not looking for fault in you! He just wants to give you the most incredible life you could imagine... and more! God never meant for the world to be so messed up, corrupt and full of pain. But He gave us the freedom to make our own choices... and it seems we've habitually made the wrong choices, you know, the ones that end in pain and suffering! Religion has probably convinced you that God is angry at you for all the bad choices and destructive things you've done! They've probably convinced you that all the pain in your life is God's punishment for your shortcomings! But I assure you, nothing is farther from the truth! Years ago, I became totally disgusted with religion. And, you'll be glad to know God hates religion too, so I committed myself to helping people experience God without getting caught in all the religious traps. I started this ministry called Impact Ministries. I believe that experiencing the love of God will make the most powerful impact on your life that you could ever experience. We've been around since back in the seventies. It exists to help people like you find wholeness through the love of God. You may be asking, "What do you mean by, people like me?"
Simple! People who are searching for the real God of the Bible, people who have been worn out by religion, people who want God but don't want to spend their life jumping through religious hoops, being controlled and playing games, people who want a real relationship with God without all the useless religious stuff. You see, I found out a long time ago that religion has made the world afraid and angry! Religion starts wars. Religion despises man. But God loves man. He makes peace. He is the giver of life not the giver of death! He never wants you to be afraid of Him. He never wants you to suffer. If what you've heard about God makes you afraid, you just haven't heard the truth! In fact, the Bible says it is what legalistic, controlling leaders have said about God that causes His name to be hated and blasphemed. The same prophet goes on to say that a day will come when people will see God as He is and in that day they will turn to Him. Maybe today is your day to see God as He really is. Everything in this website is dedicated to just that: showing you who God really is! As you read and listen to the information on this site I promise you this: I will never use fear - I will never use manipulation Everything I tell you will be based on the finished work of Jesus - Everything God offers you is a free gift Because of Jesus you are qualified for everything God offers - God will never hurt you! [article link]
Sony Said to Announce TVs With Intel [customized Atom] Chips, Google Tools in May 2010 April 29 (Bloomberg) -- Sony Corp., trying to reverse sales declines in its TV division, will announce homeentertainment devices next month that use Intel Corp. chips and Google Inc. software, said two people familiar with the matter. ... Sony, aiming to win back share lost to Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc., would use Intel and Google to help produce televisions and Blu-ray DVD players with Internet access. Intel, whose processors run 80 percent of personal computers, wants to get its chips into new areas, including mobile phones and consumer electronics. The three companies have been working with Logitech International SA on ways to add more Internet content to televisions, two people involved with the discussions said in March. Logitech is developing a keyboard that would work as a remote control, one of the people said. [article link]
Intel/Nokia MeeGo 1.0 on Many Devices and Screen Sizes (Beijing, April 2010) - Netbook, TV, Mall Restaurant Menu, Coupon and Smart Sign Demonstration (YouTube) **A very important video to watch it shows the coming Smart Phone, Smart Device and accompanying (World Wide - Global) Cloud Computing concept for consumers. [article link]
Why HP's Acquisition of Palm Will Upset Microsoft, Google, Apple, and RIM - Now Microsoft, RIM, Apple, and Google must all deal with a new entry: webOS [an operating system - like MeeGo] backed by a firm [HP] with the money, time, and management expertise to make competitive products - This must be particularly worrying for Microsoft because, for the first time, a major customer will deliver [Netbook] computers without needing its operating systems - In fact, HP has just made itself a competitor Neither Apple nor RIM should rest easy. Bradley called the acquisition "a transformational deal in the connected mobility market" and one that can help fuel growth. It sees the smartphone market as currently over $100 billion in size [World Wide] and growing [Globally] 20 percent annually, and one that plays well with another big interest: cloud computing. HP wants the money on the table; it expects to "invest heavily in product development" and put forth the money and effort to sell effectively. Furthermore, HP plans to extend webOS to "other" devices - read that as tablets, netbooks, and maybe even lightweight laptops, which is a real problem for Microsoft, Apple, and Google. {Note: Google and Apple have few if any worries while Microsoft on the other hand is making all the wrong moves. -- Where this is going is that in days past a person had a Computer and possibly a Laptop [both running Microsoft Windows] but now enter Smartphones [with various operating systems] that can also access the internet and do almost anything a laptop can do and now add to the Smartphone revolution the emergence of Tablets, iPads, Televisions, Game Consoles, Smart Cars, Smart Advertisements, Smart Billboards, Coupons, Restaurants, Shops, Sales, Special Events and everything else that is electronic and information and they all have to talk to each other [via Cloud Computing] and communicate and
sync [OS, Apps, Hardware & Bios patches and upgrades] with each other [hopefully using at least the same CPU architecture (Intel - i3, i5, i7 or Atom) and a similar operating system: i.e. Meego or webOS] but Microsoft has now crossed up their operating systems [MS Windows, Phone 7] and the CPU architectures [Intel, ARM] that the systems run on virtually removing themselves from the arena of device compatibility so now it is up to the manufactures [Intel, Apple, HP, Google, etc.] to make their own devices compatible across the coming broad spectrum and array of electronic consumer and business devices.} [article link]
The New Apple? HP's Palm Acquisition Makes It Possible - HP plans to use its acquisition of Palm as the centerpiece of a mobile strategy across a full range of mobile devices including smartphones, slate or tablet PCs, and netbooks HP's planned $1.2 billion acquisition of smartphone developer Palm gives HP the technology and the app base that could make it not only a mobile device and cloud computing powerhouse, but also a formidable competitor with Apple. Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday tore a page from Apple's business playbook with plans to use its acquisition of Palm as the centerpiece of a mobile strategy across a full range of mobile devices including smartphones, slate or tablet PCs, and netbooks. [article link]
Hewlett Packard [HP] to buy Palm for $1.2bn {This is a very good move on HP's part they will now be a serious contender in a market that they were getting left out of and they do have the resources and ability to turn Palm products back into winning consumer and corporate products in a very short time.} Hewlett Packard stepped in to buy troubled smartphone maker Palm on Wednesday, announcing a $1.2bn deal, bringing an end to the rising doubts in recent weeks over the future of the iconic Silicon Valley personal technology brand. HP said it would pay $5.70 a share in cash for the company, a 23 per cent premium over its closing stock price on Wednesday. The deal will catapult HP, the world's largest tech company in terms of revenue, into the middle of the rapidly growing smartphone business in direct competition with a handful of other tech giants, including Apple, Google and Microsoft. [article link]
Updated: Part 2. The Anointing and Throne of a King: King David was anointed three times [first among his own family (by Samuel on behalf of God), later by the Tribe of Judah (lit. Praise) and lastly by the Elders of the Nation of Israel] -- Saul was anointed twice both times by the same person [Samuel] - Solomon was anointed King *twice [first by a select committee (1 Kings 1:32-40) - then by the people (1 Chronicles 29:22)] - Jesus Christ is anointed King three times, First by His family [God (Matthew 3:16-17, Acts 10:38)], Secondly [among His Praise] the Church Age of individuals, Thirdly by each of the Nations as a whole [in the Kingdom Age] beginning with the Nation of Israel at the 2nd Coming return of Jesus Christ King Saul [a type of Satan] was chosen by God and anointed the first time privately by the Prophet Samuel [1 Samuel 10:1]. Saul was initiated [1 Samuel 10:17-24] as the 1st King of Israel [in Mizpeh of Gilead] without anointing and while Saul was personally in hiding (i.e. hidden as Satan is in hiding now). Saul was anointed by Samuel a second time though oil is not mentioned it might have been strictly a verbal anointing with the Prophet Samuel speaking prophecy over King Saul and not anointing him with oil. -- King David [a type of Jesus Christ] was anointed three times [1 Samuel 16:12-14 (Bethlehem), 2 Samuel 2:4 (Hebron), 2 Samuel 5:3 (Hebron) - the first (person) anointed in Jerusalem was the Temple (a direct representation of Jesus Christ), it was dedicated (anointed) in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:10-11) before Solomon or any of the later Kings, the descendants of Solomon, were anointed in Jerusalem] and the moment David was anointed the first time the anointing of God departed [1 Samuel 16:14] from the presence of then King Saul [a type of Satan] so only one of them was anointed by God as King at any one time and when King Solomon [a type of the Antichrist] was anointed there is no indication or recording of the anointing of God leaving King David the way it previously had left King Saul. -- King Solomon [a type of the Antichrist] was anointed twice, first [1 Kings 1:32-40] by a chosen and selected committee [the High Priest, the Prophet and the people gathered in Gihon who happened
to be in knowledge of the event] and later by all the people [1 Chronicles 29:22]. -- Jesus Christ the Messiah has been anointed twice. First by His family of God [Matthew 3:16-17]. "Matthew 3:16-17, Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me [Messiah, Jesus Christ], because He [God] hath anointed Me [Jesus] to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." - "Acts 4:26-28 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against thy Holy Child Jesus, whom Thou [God] hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined [to kill Jesus] before to be done." - Jesus is currently being anointed throughout His Christian Church Age. "1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God [Jesus] was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on [anointed] in the world, received up into glory." - "2 Corinthians 1:20-22 For all the promises of God in Him are yea [yes], and in Him Amen [Truth], unto the glory of God by us. Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] in our hearts." {My perspective on the Church rapture is just when is the Antichrist 'anointed' by God to receive his Kingdom on earth is it pre-tribulation [this happens to be my position on End Time events]? or is it 3½ years later at pre-wrath [also a very possible position for End Time events]? The anointed Church (2 Corinthians 1:20-22) and the future Kingdom of Antichrist are not going to coexist and when the anointed 'born again' Church is raptured only then will the Antichrist be anointed for his Kingdom on earth. Then with the Christian Church gone the Antichrist will preside over a Kingdom on earth that will go horribly wrong for everyone involved as the Antichrist attempts to receive the anointing of the Nations starting in the Holy of Holies (Matthew 24:15) with the Nation of Israel.} - There is yet a third and future anointing of the Messiah Jesus Christ the anointing among the Nations starting with Jesus being anointed King by the elders of Israel in Jerusalem. "Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks [490 years] are determined upon thy people [the Jews] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness [the Kingdom of God among the Nations], and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint [Messiah] the most Holy." "Zechariah 12:10-14 And I will pour [anoint] upon the House of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the [Holy] Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me [Jesus Christ] whom they have pierced (crucified), and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in [agony] bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning *in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the House of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the House of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain [after the Tribulation], every family apart, and their wives apart." {Note: the coming Tribulation during the events of Revelation is primarily a Gentile (Martyred Saints) Holocaust the Jews having already suffered their [WWII] Holocaust will primarily be exempt from the Holocaust to come but still it will be dangerous and difficult times for everyone and not every family will make it through the events. Presumably the Nation of Israel will emerge (anoint the Messiah Jesus Christ) and enter into the Kingdom Age [1,000 year reign of the Messiah] far more intact than any of the Gentile Nations.} - "Ezekiel 43:57 So the [Holy] Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court [Millennial Temple - 4th Temple in Jerusalem]; and, behold, the Glory of the LORD filled the House. And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the House; and *the Man [Jesus Christ] stood by me. And He said unto me, Son of man [Ezekiel], the place of My Throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell [as anointed King] in the midst of the children of Israel for ever ..." [article link]
Part 2a. A brief look and introduction into the 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th King Jesus Christ: Beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) -- Pharaoh
Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) -- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) -- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) -- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) -- Julius Caesar (Rome and The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire - Daniel 7:19) -- Antichrist [emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire] (Satan - Daniel 7:20) -- Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation,
but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Apple Eliminates Passion From Its MacBook Pro - Should you skip this update and wait for Intel's nextgeneration *Sandy Bridge processor architecture, which will arrive later this year? {The Sandy Bridge [32nm] CPU family of technology from Intel Corp. available in 2011 is really the beginning of the end of silicone CPU's for desktop computers - Sandy Bridge is so complete that future CPU technologies will offer little in advancement for silicone desktop CPU's. When buying a desktop computer or even a laptop try to plan around the Sandy Bridge family and then buy a computer that you really want because it will last a really long time no more 2-3 year upgrade cycles. The later 22nm and 16nm CPU technology advancements are going to be more beneficial for portable and handheld devices while the desktops will have mostly maxed out in benefits from the 32nm CPU [Sandy Bridge] designs.} Opinion - Is it just me or is Apple's latest MacBook Pro Update a truly useless refresh? In all seriousness, how much more boring can the MacBook Pro get? Is there value in this delayed update of Apple's top-of-the-line portable computers, if PC rivals offer so much more? Should you skip this update and wait for Intel's nextgeneration Sandy Bridge processor architecture, which will arrive later this year? The new MacBook Pro raises some questions and I wonder if Apple's efforts in the notebook space get lost in the iPhone and iPad hype. Judging Apple products purely on hardware components would be foolish. The value of any Apple product is created by an entire system of characteristics, such as product design, features, software and integration with other Apple products. But we are also used to predictable product refresh cycles that deliver upgrades to more recent hardware, which was the case yesterday when Apple updated its MacBook Pro line. The press release was wrapped into the glamorous vocabulary we are used to hear from Apple, promising an entirely new world of performance. ... I am glad Apple got around offering Intel's 32nm i5 chips and one i7 processor option. They have been around long enough (January 2010). There were rumors that Intel had some supply problems especially as far as the i5 processor is concerned, but an introduction more than four months after the initial announcement is not exactly what I would call quick. Previously, Apple has been among the first companies to offer new processor generations and even jumped the gun on Intel's announcements by disregarding nondisclosure agreements. ... In a way, it seems that the MacBook Pro and many other Apple products got lost in
the iPhone/iPad tsunami of announcements and I can't help but feel that the business focus inside Apple is shifting - and there may be a justifiable reason. According to Apple's most recent earnings release, Macs (desktops and portables) account for only 28.4% of Apple's revenue, while the iPhone is at 35.6% and the iPod at 29.04%. Compared to the iPod and the iPhone, the Mac business is growing not nearly as fast and it is the business segment with the lowest margins. Apple's iPhone business has grown by 90% year over year, the iPod business is torpedoed by the iPhone but is stable, while Apple's Mac business grew by 25% year over year (the portable business grew by just 9%, according to Apple's Fiscal Q1 2010 earnings report.) Did Apple shift its focus in favor of those segments that promise higher profit margins? What impact will the iPad have on the MacBook? Your guess is as good as mine. But it does not take much to predict that product updates such as yesterday's MacBook Pro refresh won't accelerate the growth of MacBook (Pro) sales. Apple's Macs have become tremendously successful by sparking emotions the PC can't match. Those emotions have been somewhat lost in the latest product generation. [article link]
Did Steve Jobs Steal The iPad? Genius Inventor Alan Kay Reveals All - The similarity to the iPad and previous Webpads was amazing - What struck me was how the article noted that the device called Dynabook dates back to 1968 - The Dynabook is still remembered as a vision of what computers could eventually become (Photos) Apple proclaims that the iPad is magical. Steve Jobs himself said that it would be one of the most important works of his life. But is there a story to the iPad that the public doesn't know? We take you 38 years into the past, when the iPad was invented. Did Steve Jobs Steal the iPad? The industry tends to get too consumed by excitement for Apple's latest products. So much, in fact, that we forget to ask questions we usually would like to ask. There is the general perception that Steve Jobs is one of the greatest inventors of our time. Be prepared for the wrath of Apple's fan base if you criticize Apple and especially Jobs. Think about the iPhone and what it has done for the status of Jobs. Or the iPad, which Jobs reportedly described as the most important device he has ever launched. But is it possible that Steve Jobs is really the origin of all those captivating ideas? ... Like the author of the Business Insider article, I had never heard of the Dynabook. Google quickly revealed the source of the article, a 1972 research paper published by a Xerox PARC scientist. I have been an IT writer for the entire span of my 15-year career, so PARC was no secret to me and you perhaps know as well that this famed research center was the origin of many technologies we take for granted today, such as the laser printer, the computer mouse, and the Ethernet. It turned out the Dynabook is at least as significant as those technologies. ... As you read the paper entitled "A Personal Computer for Children of All Ages," you get the impression that the author had a clear vision of a device like the iPad. Remember, this was 38 years ago in a time when the phrase "personal computer" did not exist, when there was no Microsoft and computers were not popular enough to have convinced a publisher to design and create a magazine for it. I'll spare you the details of the paper and you can read the text or download the PDF of the article to learn about a part of computer history you don't hear about that often. It so happens that the author of this paper is Alan Kay, one of the key people who have shaped the way we are using computers today. You may not have heard of Kay, as he is part of the research community and does not stand on stages like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates does. Kay is widely recognized and best known as the key scientist behind the graphical user interface and one of the inventors of objectoriented programming. The Dynabook is still remembered as a vision of what computers could eventually become. Kay described a plasma screen with a contrast ratio approaching that of a book; a keyboard with no moving parts; a network connection with the ability to purchase, transfer, and download "instantiate" files; global information connectivity, such as libraries; media connectivity; and a target price of $500. After reading the paper, it was natural to ask the question: Did Steve Jobs read this paper as well and did he just try to build the Dynabook? I was lucky enough to catch up with Alan Kay and ask him what he thought. Needless to say, I also tried to contact Apple's PR department and Steve Jobs himself, but I did not get a reply. After a week of exchanging delightful emails with Alan Kay, I have learned quite a bit about the origins of personal computing and the Dynabook, but I have to admit that answering the question whether the iPad was Jobs' idea or not is nearly impossible. Kay told me that back in 1972 he "wasn't trying to predict the iPad" and that "the desiderata
for the Dynabook should be judged on their own merits." In fact, the Dynabook was not so much a prediction, but a vision for a personal computer and what it could be. That vision not only included hardware, but software as well that would allow anyone, especially children, to use the computer as a medium of expression, much like reading and writing are amplified by the printing press, as Kay describes it. Kay believes that computers can be much more powerful than most people can imagine today. A significant component of the Dynabook's usage model was that its users would be able to easily develop simple applications. For example, even children could use simple yet effective graphics-based script languages to understand and translate experiments as well as to modify and write their own scripts and eventually entire programs such as games. There is a clear difference between the Dynabook concept and what the iPad is today. If you look at the iPad and the Dynabook, the usage models could not be any different. You could even claim that the iPad is geared for passive computing, while the Dynabook represented an idea of active computing. The last thing you would want to do on an iPad is write your own software. You have the App Store, so why would you program anything? However, there is a much deeper connection between Kay and Apple. Kay agreed that Steve Jobs has known about the Dynabook idea and the interim-Dynabook (called the PARC Alto) for several decades. The result of the research and Kay's colleagues at Apple were the Lisa and Macintosh. After becoming an Apple Fellow in 1984, Kay intended to build a Dynabook and actually came very close to completing it. "The Newton was one such project and it was a shame that the Apple marketing people messed up the design of it," Kay said. Over time, there were more Dynabook hints in the IT industry. For example, there was the Tablet PC, which was predicted to revolutionize the notebook market. However, Kay believes that "the design of this machine was ruined by Bill Gates, who insisted that Windows be the software on it." The Tablet PC, by the way, was first designed by Chuck Thacker, who also designed the PARC Alto. So, did the Dynabook influence Steve Jobs and the iPad? "Hard to imagine that it didn't," Kay said. [article link]
Facebook Aims to Complete Takeover of Internet - "The Web is at a really important turning point now" Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at a conference for Web and software developers in San Francisco "Most things aren't social and they don't use your real identity - This is really starting to change" {I have been on Facebook for a while but didn't start using it until this last Winter - mostly to play FarmVille with a cousin but hopefully playing FV will end. I didn't plan on using Facebook but it is an incredible way to keep up with people so like everyone else I'm using it more and more and someday [soon] I'll probably commit to it enough to add a photo to my Facebook bio. - Note: The Basic Christian ministry has no intention of integrating any of the new Facebook features into any of the Basic Christian websites. Someday the Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion might be slightly connected with Facebook or some other Social website because the Jesus Walk Devotion was initiated as and has always been intended to be a Social Devotion but even that will be a while before actually happening.} Facebook is spreading its wings to the broader Web with new tools that will allow users to see personalized versions of websites they visit elsewhere. The move could change the way people experience the online world, though it could come with deeper privacy implications. By accessing Facebook's tools, websites will be able to customize the experience based on the list of friends, favorite bands and other things users have shared on their Facebook profiles. "The Web is at a really important turning point now," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at a conference for Web and software developers in San Francisco. "Most things aren't social and they don't use your real identity. This is really starting to change." It already has, with Facebook among its earliest pioneers. The world's largest online social network has long insisted, with varying success, that its users go by their real identities when they sign up for the service, offering a contrast to the culture of pseudonyms common elsewhere online. And Facebook has sometimes transported those identities beyond its own service. - The latest changes take this a step further. It means Facebook users will be able to see a Web tailored to them based on their interests and social connections, as long as they are already logged in to Facebook. So when visiting a news site for the first time, they could see which of their Facebook friends liwith their online entourages. If users embrace it, Facebook could gain valuable insights that could help it sell more advertising,
potentially rivaling online ad leader Google Inc., which typically tailors ads based on keywords in search terms and Web content. "If I were Google I would be really scared because Facebook might end up with a lot more intelligence than them," said Alain Chuard, founder of social marketing firm Wildfire. "Google is just an algorithm, but Facebook could rule the Web." [article link]
Intel's Moorestown to Compete in 'Handheld Computers' Sector - In this article I want to talk about Intel's Moorestown, a platform Intel has been public about for over 2 years - It's Intel's stab at a platform for the mobile, always-on, always connected segment - That is, smart devices - From smartphones and smart tablets all the way up to smart netbooks I define a smart device as being mobile, always on, always connected, sensor-aware and having what I call a dynamic operating system. That is, an OS that is interesting to use, stylish and that is 'point-of-sale capable' via an active application and content ecosystem. The prime example of a dynamic operating system is Apple's iPhone OS. In this article I want to talk about Intel's Moorestown, a platform Intel has been public about for over 2 years. It's Intel's stab at a platform for the mobile, always-on, always connected segment. That is, smart devices. From smartphones and smart tablets all the way up to smart netbooks. As ARM-based smartphones get bigger and more powerful and already have ALL the smart features required, there's a huge risk to Intel so clearly there's a serious business reason for doing this and getting it right. At IDF in Beijing today, Pankaj Kedia presented the latest information on the Moorestown platform and in his slides, he gives a good overview of where the device is targeted and what its key features are. Let me walk you through some of the slides. ... The next public check-point for Intel will be Computex in Taiwan, June 2010 so unless Intel (or their customers) release information before then, we'll have to wait a few months for more details. I'll be in Taiwan for Computex so stay tuned for more coverage. [article link]
MeeGo gets wide support, features and UI shots show up - The features of MeeGo handheld devices should include: 3G voice and data, Wi-Fi, VoIP, Instant Messaging, social networking integration, location based services, data sync for cloud and device, feeds (stock, weather and news), Fennec browser with Flash support, audio and video players, camera and so on The Linux Foundation announced that MeeGo (the new platform resulted by merging Intel's Moblin with Nokia's Maemo) has received support from many companies from a wide range of sectors. The companies are: Acer, Asus, Asianux, Amino, BMW Group, CS2C, Collabora, Ltd., DeviceVM, EA Mobile, Gameloft, Linpus, Hancom, Maemo Community Council, Mandriva, MontaVista Software, Metasys, Miracle, Novell, Red Flag, PixArt, ST-Ericsson, TurboLinux, Tencent, VietSoftware, WTEC, Wind River and Xandros. In addition, feature lists for MeeGo handhelds (smartphones) and netbooks have been made public during Intel's IDF conference in Beijing. The features of MeeGo handheld devices should include: 3G voice and data, Wi-Fi, VoIP, Instant Messaging, social networking integration, location based services, data sync for cloud and device, feeds (stock, weather and news), Fennec browser with Flash support, audio and video players, camera and so on. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Apparently there was a breakdown very early after the original creation regarding the patriarchal family structure of one husband and one wife with God as the ultimate head and authority for each family group - Today we have many counterfeit and substitutional family groups; the workplace, friends, political parties, sports teams and even church denominations are all common substitutes for the Divinely sanctioned family group with Jesus Christ remaining the head and authority for each individual In Cain and Lamech we see the early breakdown of the godly sanctified family as the intended family is being substituted and misused for power, sex, authority and greed. "Genesis 4:17-26 And Cain knew [sexualy] his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch {3rd from Adam}: and he [Cain] builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. *And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of
the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubal- cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. *And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. And Adam knew his wife [Eve] again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed (Genesis 3:15) instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call [in the hope of the coming Messiah-Redeemer-Seed, Jesus Christ] upon the Name of the LORD." -- The breakdown in the traditional family is restored in the Spiritual family of Christianity with Jesus Christ remaining as the head and authority over the entirety of the Christian Church family. "John 19:26-27 When Jesus therefore saw His mother [Mary], and the disciple [John] standing by, whom He loved (greatest good and highest wellbeing love, Spiritual-emotional, unselfish, non-sexual, eternal love - G25 Agapao, Agape), He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith He (Jesus) to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home." {Note: This event that took place at the crucifixion of Jesus is the structuring of the Christian Church into a Spiritual family. Also Note: This is not an adoption event as adoption has with it a house (i.e. John 14:2, a future adoption event) and Mary went to John's house, permanently precluding adoption (Mary did not adopt John - and the younger does not adopt the elder) Mary went with the Disciple John to his house as a part of a Spiritual, united Christian family.} [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- We Are One In The Spirit (YouTube) Music by the band Jars of Clay. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- The Pre-flood 'dispensation' is one of several human groups or dispensations separated out and grouped together by God as part of a continuing and ongoing work of God in order for God to continually reunite a separated mankind back into His closeness and presence -- "Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven [Christian Church Age - New Testament Dispensation] is greater than he [John the Baptist - Old Testament Dispensation]." Various dispensations are carefully alluded to throughout the Bible including in the New Testament. "1 Corinthians 9:16-18 For though I [a Christian] preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe [misery] is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will [unwillingly], [still] a dispensation [part] of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my [willing] reward then [not money - but fellowship with God]? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel." ... "Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He [God - the Father] might gather together in one all things in [Jesus] Christ, both which are in heaven [Angels], and which are on earth [humans]; even in Him [Jesus Christ]:" - Note: As John the Baptist was greatest among the O.T. Saints in having Divine Messianic Revelation, he was least when compared to the Divine Messianic [Jesus Christ] Revelation that each Christian possesses. Later each Christian has less Divine Messianic [Jesus Christ] Revelation then possibly each of the Martyred Saints of Revelation (Revelation 7:15) and certainly the Christian Church has less Divine Messianic [Jesus Christ] Revelation then any the 144,000 Jewish (Salvation) Firstfruits of Revelation (Revelation 14:3). [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Antediluvian [Pre-flood] Civilizations - {The pre-flood civilization up until the days of Noah encompassed about 2,000 years of human history and probably involved several billion people. - Note: In the pre-flood earth it doesn't appear that there were any Kings or Governments and that the long lives [experience and expertise] of each individual precluded them from being reigned and ruled over by
others. Instead of a governmental structure of Kings and Politicians the earth seemed to have been Governed strictly by each family patriarch (head) according to God's governance and that after the flood in the new, young and now naive post-flood civilization the inexperienced human civilization now required [and allowed strangers - nonfamily members] rulers and Kings and that Nimrod was possibly the first King though human history had existed for some 2,000 years before Nimrod. - Also Note: Jesus is not a stranger but He is family with everyone and as family He has our own individual best interest at His heart. Jesus is the kinsman (relative related) redeemer to everyone [we are created in God's image - relationship] and His (Fatherly, creation Brotherly, redemption and salvation) relationship to all humans is maintained via His Virgin (Divine) birth.} Introduction: "'Antediluvian civilizations'" are civilizations believed to have existed before the Great flood of Noah. If the fossil record is indeed the result of the Biblical flood as described in the Bible, then it is somewhat expected for evidence of antediluvian (pre-flood) civilizations to exist. It is assumed by many that humans reached advanced stages of technological development before the flood. Such presuppositions are usually based on the Biblical genealogy, which states that ancient people lived to approximately 10 times our current life span. Also it is frequently mentioned that Adam and Eve would likely possess higher than normal intelligence since they were created as adults, with knowledge that subsequent humans obtain from their parents. Another theory states that the antediluvian race called the Nephilim was superior to other humans in this respect. All accounts of the Great flood from civilizations around the world indicate that there were civilizations before the flood. However, as a result of the destruction during the flood and the passage of time, the remaining evidence is scanty. As a result of the flood, the earth was covered in hundreds of feet of sediment, and very little of the antediluvian horizon has been exposed. It is also problematic that the scientific community is quick to dismiss any artifacts that dispute their presupposed interpretation of the fossil record. Nevertheless, any truly advanced civilization would have left durable traces or constructions that would likely surface during excavations or by erosion. Relatively insightful accounts can be drawn from the Bible, apocrypha, and ancient Babylonian and Greek accounts of antediluvian civilization. ... Implications of the Tower of Babel: We can not dispute the existence of atypical knowledge possessed by Adam and Eve, however, we should also consider the tower of Babel curse as it relates to human accomplishments to that date. Monumental constructions are a great source of pride for humans. It was most likely this type of technological development that God attempted to retard by creating the language barriers at the tower of Babel. The Babel event suggests that the tower was the first major monument that mankind had ever built. It was the first construction that had no purpose but to be a monument [temple] to human achievement [based on Satanic interaction]. The tower was not a particularly important technological development [Babel was a major object of Satanic interaction between humans and Satan - harming humans to the extent of possibly permanently altering our human (DNA) making us more susceptible to disease, illness and further shortening our lifespan and also harming our psyche (soul) by lessening our confidence and our decision making capabilities making us even more susceptible to Satanic deceptions]. It was built out of bricks, and was therefore incomparable to even the limestone pyramids. In comparison to our modern building it was hardly more than a mud mound. Many better monuments would be built afterwards, but given God's reaction, it is logical to propose that nothing like it had been built prior to the flood. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- The Date of Noah's Flood - The placing of a catastrophic global flood in the year (about) 2304 BC [and Creation at about 4,000 B.C.] means that all civilizations discovered by archaeology [today] must fit into the last 4,285 years {The flood of Noah (about 4,284 years ago) destroyed all the previous civilizations so about 4,284 years of land based archeology exists - though pre-flood archeology may well exist [and some evidence (artifacts 'Ooparts') have been found and do exist] deep under the sea or deep underground.} Since we exist in the present, we are really trying to find information that will enable us to add up the years between us and Noah's Flood. As our starting point we will take the Birth of Christ. It is unlikely anyone will dispute that Christ was born approximately 1,984 years ago. Since Christ is recorded as having referred to
Noah's Flood as a past event it should be obvious that we need data that will take us back beyond 2,000 years. The next date we can put down with reliable certainty is 967 BC or 2,948 years ago. This is the date at which Solomon laid the foundation of the Temple (1 Kings 6:1). For those who are interested in the detailed evidence as to why this event can be placed in 967 BC I would refer you to Professor Edwin Thiele's work The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings. His work can be summarized by the statement that both the chronology of the Ancient Assyrian Culture and the Biblical record point to this date. The first verse of Kings chapter 6 is also useful in that it tells us there was a time span of 480 years (see Appendix 1) from the time Israel left Egypt (the Exodus) until Solomon began to build the Temple. The Exodus occurred therefore roughly 1,981 + 967 + 480 years ago (see Appendix 2) or 3,428 years ago or 1447 BC +/- 1 year. Why do I say +/- 1 year? As the chronologist compares the family trees or chronologies in the Bible, it is interesting to note that these lists use only whole years (e.g. Gen. 11). Now if a person is listed as being 44 years of age when their son was born, they may have been just 44 or nearly 45. Anywhere in this period of 12 months they are still 44. This introduces a margin of error of up to 12 months or 1 year for each person or event in such a list. -- As the Bible records the Flood a significant time before the Exodus, let us examine data which will take us back before this event. Paul, a university trained Jew, well skilled in the Hebrew language, the religion of the Jews and the writings of Moses, wrote in the early years of the Christian era, a letter to the church at Galatia (Galatians 3:17). He stated that the Israelites left Egypt to return to the promised land 430 years (see Appendix 3) after God gave the promise to Abraham, the founder of the Jewish race. According to Acts 7:4 and Genesis 12:1-4, Abraham was 75 years old when God gave him the promise and in the same year his father Terah was 205 years old and Abraham was born when Terah was 130 years of age (Gen.11:26-33). (See Appendix 4.) The statements of genealogy in Genesis 11:10-26, are father-son statements and link Abraham to Noah's son, Shem. The statements list the persons by name. Their year of birth against their father's age is listed and their father is named. These chronologies do not have missing generations; there are no gaps. If we add up the figures mentioned between Shem's 100th year (Gen. 11:10) and Abraham (Gen. 11:26) we get 350 years. Since 9 names are mentioned it is 350 years +/- 9 (9 margins of error of up to 1 year each). Genesis 11:10 tells us that Shem was 100 years old, 2 years after the Flood had finished. When was Noah's Flood? 1,981 years to AD 0 plus 967 years to the founding of Solomon's Temple plus 480 years to the end of the Exodus plus 430 years to the promise to Abraham plus 75 years to Abraham's birth plus 350 years to Shem's 100th birthday plus 2 years to the Flood. The Biblical data places the Flood at 2304 BC +/- 11 years. This date is, as expected, in conflict with secular archaeology which regards the Flood as either local or a myth and the Biblical chronologies as irrelevant or inaccurate. The placing of a catastrophic global flood in the year 2304 BC means that all civilizations discovered by archaeology must fit into the last 4,285 years. The significance of this fact will be pursued in later articles. [Ed.- for more information, see TJ 2 (1986), pp. 56-87 and TJ 3 (1988), pp. 96-136.] [article link]
Ancient Brass BELL (Oopart - Out of place artifact) Found Encased IN COAL supposed to be about 300 million years old! - the bell is an antediluvian [before the deluge, pre-flood] artifact made before the Genesis Flood (Noah's Ark) - For more detailed pictures of the bell and the [idol] demon-like figure on top, click here (Photos) In 1944, as a ten year old boy, Newton Anderson dropped a lump of coal in his basement and found that it contained this bell inside. The bituminous coal that was mined near his house in Upshur County West Virginia is supposed to be about 300 million years old! What is a brass bell with an iron clapper doing in coal ascribed to the Carboniferous Period? According to Norm Sharbaugh's book Ammunition (which includes several "coal anecdotes") the bell is an antediluvian artifact (made before the Genesis Flood). The Institute for Creation Research had the bell submitted to the lab at the University of Oklahoma. There a nuclear activation analysis revealed that the bell contains an unusual mix of metals, different from any known modern alloy production (including copper, zinc, tin, arsenic, iodine, and selenium). -- Genesis 4:22 states that Tubal-Cain was "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron..." Perhaps when his civilization came to an end in the flood, this bell was buried with a mass of vegetation that became coal and ended up thousands of years later in Newt Anderson's coal bin. ... Later on, Newton Anderson spent a great deal of time researching the demon atop the
bell. He discovered similarities to the Babylonian Southwest Wind Demon and the Hindu deity Garuda. Garuda is sometimes depicted on top of bells, as is the Egyptian Isis. [article link]
OOPARTS (out of place artifacts) & ANCIENT HIGH TECHNOLOGY -- Evidence of Noah's Flood? - Do unexplained technologies of the ancients provide possible proofs of Pre-flood civilizations? - If you believe that the flood of Noah actually happened, what was the state of the technology of (antediluvian) pre-flooders? Could they have left physical evidence of their existence? - We expect you to use your own knowledge filter (Christian discernment) on this site Point of View: We have a Biblical viewpoint on the world. Ooparts are evidence, we think, that the Flood actually happened. News items or magazine articles that report them may not have the same perspective that Christians do. When we read for instance, a scientific article that puzzles over our lack of genetic variability, we think of the Flood of Noah. We would include that article here, without editing, because we expect Christians to use their filters on such an article. That does not mean that we agree with the evolutionary timeframe given in said article. -- We think it's more interesting when general newspaper articles or science articles observe data that they might see one way, but that Christians might see another way given our own knowledge about God, creation and the flood. It's more interesting to quote Stephen Jay Gould saying that "the lack of transitional fossils is the trade secret of paleontology", than it might be to hear another Christian say it. So, no we don't believe the universe is millions or billions of years old. We don't know how old it is-we just know who created it and how long it took Him. We do not believe in pre-Adamic races, though we do believe that there were "civiilizations" prior to the Flood. We don't believe in space aliens or cooties. We expect you to use your own knowledge filter on this site. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- "Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven [sky] and the earth." - Christian Creationism vs. Secular Evolution Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven (sky) and the earth. - It is only through creation and not by means of evolution that people can be "created in the image of God" therefore creation is the very heart of the plan of God. "Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image ..." Either people are created and are therefore in the image of God making us capable of fellowship and able to have a relationship with God or we are involved in some random evolution process in a random universe that is without meaning and ultimately is totally useless. "Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every Nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made (created) heaven, and earth' ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- BasicChristian.org: Article Introduction - The 7 physical and spiritual realms as unfolded in the 7 Days of the Genesis creation model {the 8th realm being God's realm of unrestricted eternity} Humans exist in and are limited to the first three physical dimensions (length, height, width) and also the fourth dimension (restriction) of time. The spiritual realm of demons, angels and in part the coming Antichrist exists in the less restricted 5th and 6th dimensions. In fact the coming Antichrist is going to bring down or "contact" the 5th and 6th dimensions and infuse 4th dimensional human beings with 5th dimensional demons [Nephilim spirits] and 6th dimensional fallen [Satanic] angelic spirit beings consequently orchestrating 5th and 6th dimensional miracles and signs and wonders in order to deceive mankind. Note: So who is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is the manifestation [into our human realms] of the infinite dimensional (infinite dimensions - no restrictions - unrestricted) God in Person. Melchizedek is God the Holy Spirit in Person. Melchizedek is the Order of the Holy Spirit Priesthood. -- Also Note: In the Basic Christian article "Who is Melchizedek?" the 8 dimensions (restrictions) are listed in conjunction with the original creation week (Genesis 1:1-2:4) and are
categorized as follows: 1. Length [Day one creation - light separated [Judgment] (length) from darkness] 2. Height [Day two creation - divided the waters above from the waters below] 3. Width [Day three creation - dry land and plants] 4. Time [Day four creation - sun, moon, stars for times and seasons] 5. Demonic [Nephilim spirits] - demons [Day five creation - fish from the waters below, birds from the waters above] 6. Angelic - Holy Angels and also Satan with all of his fallen angels [Day six creation - land animals and humans (pre-fall) humans the highest part of creation created separate and above the animals and equal to the angels but with sin mankind fell from the 6th dimension to the 4th dimension, in fact with the sin of mankind all of creation also fell from its original creation status] 7. Human Salvation redeemed by the blood, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ [Day seven creation - Rest] 8. Unrestricted [outside of creation] - The only Unrestricted, Eternal, Wise, ∞ Infinite, Almighty God consisting of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. -"Genesis 2:4 These are the generations [dimensions] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens ..." [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- Wikipedia: Dimension - A diagram showing the first four spatial dimensions [Length, Height, Width, Time via Movement] From left to right, the square, the cube, and the tesseract. The square is bounded by 1-dimensional lines, the cube by 2-dimensional areas, and the tesseract by 3-dimensional volumes. ... Time: Time is often referred to as the "fourth dimension". It is one way to measure physical change. It is perceived differently from the three spatial dimensions in that there is only one of it, and that we cannot move freely in time but subjectively move in one direction. The equations used in physics to model reality do not treat time in the same way that humans perceive it. The equations of classical mechanics are symmetric with respect to time, and equations of quantum mechanics are typically symmetric if both time and other quantities (such as charge and parity) are reversed. In these models, the perception of time flowing in one direction is an artifact of the laws of thermodynamics (we perceive time as flowing in the direction of increasing entropy). The best-known treatment of time as a dimension is Poincaré and Einstein's special relativity and extended to general relativity, which treats perceived space and time as components of a four-dimensional manifold, known as spacetime, and in the special, flat case as Minkowski space. -- Additional dimensions: Theories such as string theory and M-theory predict that physical space in general has in fact 10 and 11 dimensions, respectively. The extra dimensions are spacelike. We perceive only three spatial dimensions, and no physical experiments have confirmed the reality of additional dimensions. A possible explanation that has been suggested is that space acts as if it were "curled up" in the extra dimensions on a subatomic scale, possibly at the quark/string level of scale or below. Another less-held fringe view asserts that dimensions beyond the fourth progressively condense timelines and universes into single spatial points in the above dimension, until the tenth, where a 0-dimensional point equates to all possible timelines in all possible universes. [article link]
The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth -- 8 Kingdoms [Revelation 17:10] Introduction: Some brief criteria for the 8 Global Kingdoms of the earth - Throughout human history there have been many glorious [in man's eyes] Empires, Kingdoms and Dominions but only 8 of the Kingdoms of mankind are the incredible (Revelation 17:10) Kingdoms of the earth {Note: The Basic Christian blog History Study is also going to include some of the additional great Kingdoms primarily Hammurabi (Saudi Arabia), Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia), Solomon (Israel), and Sennacherib (Assyria).} 8 Kingdoms Summary: The Seven incredible Global Gentile Kingdoms of Revelation 17:10 are Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and [revised Rome] the Antichrist Kingdom. While the 8th and final Kingdom is the eternal, righteous Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each of these 8 Kingdoms is going to share some remarkable similarities: Each Kingdom will have possessed all of or a majority of the world's wealth [gold, silver, precious gems] at one time. Each Kingdom has or will have knowledge [both public and secret knowledge] beyond that of their peers. The Kingdoms will also possess influence, military power and political
prestige beyond the peers of their day. *Most importantly each of the 8 Kingdoms will also have exerted FAVORABLE influence over the Jews, over Jerusalem and over the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Nimrod [about two generations and 100 years after the flood of Noah] encompassed all of humanity including Abraham's forefather Arphaxad (Genesis 11:11), the Kingdom of Nimrod possessed all human wealth, knowledge and wisdom and the Kingdom of Nimrod built a Temple (the Tower of Babel). Egypt the 2nd Kingdom amassed much of the fortune of the world and much of the knowledge of the world and a great part of that fortune would be "favorably" given to the Jews at their Passover departure from Egypt (Exodus 3:21-22). The wealth of Egypt would then be used by the Jews in the building of the Tabernacle of God by Moses at Mt. Sinai (Saudi Arabia) and later the wealth of the Tabernacle would be transferred into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The wealth of the Temple in Jerusalem would be given back to Egypt by the Jewish King Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25-26). The 3rd Kingdom Babylon [initially very favorable to the Jews, Jerusalem and the Temple] captured the wealth of Egypt in Egypt and took it to their Palace in Babylon. The 4th Kingdom Persia [Iran] conquered Babylon [Iraq] and consolidated the wealth of the world into the Palace at Shushan (Esther 1:4) part of the wealth of Persia was given to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 45:28, 2 Chronicles 36:23). The 5th Kingdom Greece and Alexander the Great [on either 10 or 11 June 323 B.C., Alexander the Great died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon at the age of 32 - wiki.com]. King Alexander the Great who immersed the world in Greek thought and philosophy and after sparing the Jews, Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple then "at the age of 32" died among the wealth of ancient Egypt, Babylon and Persia. The 6th Kingdom Rome oversaw an extensive expansion in the size of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The 7th Kingdom the Kingdom of Antichrist is going to sign a favorable [7 year] covenant with the Jews and the Nation of Israel (Daniel 9:27) and will also in some way rebuild [and eventually occupy (Matthew 24:15)] the now destroyed Temple in Jerusalem. The 8th and final Kingdom the Eternal, Righteous Kingdom of Jesus Christ [Jesus being Jewish] will of course be very favorable to the Jews as Jesus will rule the entire world from the unprecedented Millennial Temple (Ezekiel 43:7) in Jerusalem. [article link]
Basic Christian: - The Basic Christian Bible Study: The 8 Global Kingdoms of the Earth - The 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th Kingdom the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ -- The Kingdoms: beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) -- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) -- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon - Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) -- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) -- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) -- Julius Caesar (Rome and The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire - Daniel 7:19) -- Antichrist [emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire] (Satan - Daniel 7:20) -- Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two
leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments after (Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon) - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece - 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome - Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands,
and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Update: After Easter the Basic Christian Ministry is going to [briefly] update some ministry events The new Basic Christian ministry email address is - David.Anson.Brown[at]Gmail.com - and hopefully it will clear up any confusion because the previous Hotmail account has so many problems that I seldom manage to get Ministry emails into my inbox. If I didn't reply to an email that needed a reply then I probably didn't get the email so here's hoping the new email address can improve communication. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Jesus Christ has risen from the grave - Truly He has risen - He has risen indeed! Jesus Christ has risen from the grave - Truly He has risen - He has risen indeed! -- Thank you for taking part in the 2010 Jesus Walk Holy Week Timeline Devotion! Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, I pray that God will richly bless you, keep you and that His everlasting Divine face will continue to shine upon you. The Lord Jesus Christ be with you in all things as we look to the soon return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ~ God bless you, David Anson Brown [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Rich Mullins - [Apostles] Creed (YouTube) This is the Rich Mullins music video featuring the song "Creed" as it appears on the "Rich Mullins: Pursuit of a Legacy" DVD. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Creed by Third Day (YouTube) This is the song by the Late, Great, Rich Mullins, it's about the Apostles Creed. I belive this song is true in all manner, and every time I sing it, it fills me with Gods will and glory. Enjoy it. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Song by 2nd Chapter of Acts (YouTube) This track is from the live album, "To the Bride," a Jesus Music Classic, featuring Barry McGuire, 2nd Chapter of Acts, and A Band Called David. "Easter Song" is performed in this track by the 2nd Chapter of Acts. Enjoy, and Happy Easter. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Song by Glad (YouTube) Another Classic from Glad. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Song by Keith Green (YouTube) Keith Green performing "Easter Song" live from The Daisy Club -- LA (1982). [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Easter Sunrise Baptism {Video is usually preceded by a commercial - Try the Continue to Video (option)} (Metacafe) Comments: Awsome God power - The water is still chilly in March, yet everyone has a huge expression of joy on their face, like the water doesn't even phase them because their so focused on and in love with Christ. beautiful. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Jesus' Glorious Resurrection Life Sunday - Glorious Salvation Resurrection (Easter) Day! Jesus conquers death by Love & Eternal Life - The Rebirth of Life and we now have Salvation and live an Eternal Life in the Resurrection life of Jesus Christ Sunday {Jesus' Glorious Resurrection Life Sunday} This day coincides with Sunday April 4, 2010 Resurrection Sunday (Easter) also the "Feast of First Fruits," the first Sunday of the week after the feasts of the "Lord's Passover & Unleavened Bread" (Matthew 28:1-15, Mark 16:1-14, John 20:1-23). Sunday, the first day of the week, we arise early and ponder that today is also a feast day, the fourth feast, the "Feast of First fruits". We wonder why Leviticus 23 this Feast did not have an actual date to be celebrated like the Lord's Passover, the 14th of the month and the Unleavened Bread, the 15th of the month but the Feast of First Fruits is specifically to be celebrated on the first Sunday of the week after the Passover. Today is also the day the seal is scheduled to be removed from the tomb of Jesus. Some of the women go early in the morning at first light to await access to the tomb to continue to anoint the body of Jesus. While walking to the tomb the women encounter an Angel who asks them why they are seeking the "Living" among the dead? For Jesus whom you seek is Not Dead but He is Alive! The women continue walking. They arrive at the tomb and they see the Roman seal is broken, the stone is rolled back and looking into the tomb they notice that the body of Jesus is missing but His burial wrappings remain there in an undisturbed manner. Seeing what appears to be the Gardener, the women ask him where he has moved the body of Jesus too? "Mary" replies the Gardener, WAIT! Mary knows that voice. This Gardener is JESUS, HE'S ALIVE! Mary and the women grab the feet of Jesus. Jesus tells them that He has not yet gone to the Father (John 20:17) but to go and tell the Good News "of the resurrection" to the rest of the disciples. Peter and John, like the rest of the disciples doubt the good news of the resurrection of Jesus but they run to the tomb to see for themselves. John and Peter enter the empty tomb together. John had been one of the disciples at the crucifixion and he helped place Jesus into the tomb. As John saw the anointed strips of cloth used to wrap the body of Jesus, John realized that the cloth was not unwound but just empty, vacated and collapsed down in a way in which a human body could not have been physically removed from within the cloth covered with ointment. John seeing this, believed (John 20:8). Back in the upper room two, disciples are excitedly telling of meeting and journeying with the Risen Jesus on their way to the town of Emmaus, (Luke 24:33). Meanwhile, in the upper-room the door is shut and locked (John 20:19) and Jesus suddenly appears in their midst in a supernatural way. The newly Resurrected Jesus presents Himself to the disciples. The disciples marvel that Jesus is alive again and then King Jesus breathes His Holy breath on them to give them His resurrection Spirit life. Amazed we realize that this is the same way and the same giver of Life who had previously breathed life into Adam our first forefather (Genesis 2:7). Jesus said "receive you the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). The disciples by faith receive the Holy Spirit offered by Jesus and by receiving the Holy Spirit they become "Born Again" new creations. - We realize that it is by Faith that we are saved, this Faith! The faith in the risen, living, resurrection Jesus. The faith that Jesus has personally sealed us with the Holy Spirit. We realize that this is the true feast the "Feast of First Fruits" as Jesus breathes into us the "First Fruits" of the Holy Spirit. We know that this is just the First Fruit, the first fruits of the Holy Spirit with much more to come. This fruit is special because it is, according to Leviticus 23, the first of the fruit from within the Promise Land (Joshua 5:1012) that is from the Promise Land of Heaven and eternal life. We rejoice. Like the children of Israel who were delivered from Egypt, we have escaped the bondage of this world and the cruelty of Satan and the certain death that goes with it. We have escaped by the death of the Firstborn Son of God, His Son Jesus Christ, and we are now alive in His resurrection glory. We like, the Jews of Egypt, have wandered in the desert wilderness of unbelief until our unbelief has vanished. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have crossed the dangerous Jordan river and entered into the Promise Land of Heaven having accepted Jesus as our leader, our King, and our Lord by entering into His New Covenant, the covenant of life. Now alive we realize that the death of sin has "Passed Over" us by our receiving His shed blood as the cleansing of our sins through the death of Jesus on the cross. We now rejoice in the Gospel of Good News that Jesus being Righteous, Holy, Just, and True, the Son of God and God Himself, that He cannot die as humans die but He is alive in the Spiritual realm, the eternal realm that Jesus existed in with the Father before He took on a fleshly body in the womb of Mary (John 16:27-28). -Personal Reflection #10 Resurrection Day "The Re-birth of Life" [after the original life in Garden of Eden] Jesus
demonstrates His Authority of Life over death: Life, our meaning and purpose in it have now been answered once and for all in this the very Resurrection Life of Jesus. We now know that there is a God, that He has power to remove sins and to then give life over death, that He Loves us and that we are made alive to be friends with Him forever in His Eternal Resurrection Kingdom of Heaven. How can we ever comprehend this joyous event, Life in Jesus, but comprehend it we must as it is the only way to eternal Life. "Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the Resurrection from the dead." Light shines! And with it Life! Jesus is the True Light! Jesus is the Life! God is not dead, God is Alive! Now we too are alive when Jesus breaths His Resurrection Spirit Life into us. Alive and united with the Holy God inside of us, that is Eternal Life! "John 1:3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehend it not." "2 Corinthians 4:6 For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- The Power Of The Cross - Oh To See The Dawn (YouTube) The Power of the Cross: Written by Keith Getty, sung by Stuart Townend. - Comments: The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe. ... Amen... What a poweful song, I am grateful everyday for what God has done for me. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (YouTube) Song: Where you there when they crucified my Lord? [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- You Were There - God You were always there for us {Most of the movie scenes are from The Bible [Series] - Apocalypsis Revelation (2002) - Starring Richard Harris} (YouTube) Comments: What a fantastic song which means the world to me, when I was going through the hardest thing that I will possibly go through, he was there.... Thank you Lord. Thank you for dying for me and even tho we were the ones that put you on the cross, you still show us mercy. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- 3 Day & 3 Night Prophecy Fulfillment Saturday - The Third Day of Death is Fulfilled This day coincides with Saturday April 3, 2010 - Saturday is again the weekly Sabbath day of rest. We rest physically but emotionally we are anything but at rest as we ponder an uncertain future without a leader, without our King Jesus. -- Let's recap Thursday - Sunday by looking at some verses in Luke: "Luke 23:52-24:1 [Thursday][Crucifixion day] "This man, Joseph of Arimathaea, went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down [from the cross] and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulcher (tomb) that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation [preparation for the evening Sabbath of Unleavened Bread], and the Sabbath [Unleavened Bread, evening Sabbath curfew] drew on. And the women also, which came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld (observed) the sepulcher, and how His body was laid. And they returned (home) and [Friday] [normal Day] prepared (worked & labored) spices and ointments; and rested the [Saturday][Sabbath Day] Sabbath day according to the commandment [the 4th of the 10 commandments, the weekly Saturday Sabbath]. Now upon the first day of the week [Sunday][Resurrection Day], very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them." -- Personal Reflection #9 Getting through the darkness: It's dark in there; it's a dark and lonely place in those deep dark tombs. Death is dark, and it's dark when we look death in the face. Will the light shine? Will there be life? Will life live and conquer the darkness; the loneliness, the despair, the finality of death? We as humans have to know. We have to know if there is any hope, any permanent existence, any purpose, any reason to life and our existence or if our brief existence here on earth is only a byproduct of some random collision of molecules. Only God - Jesus can answer this question for us and
it can only be answered in the Resurrection Life of Jesus as only life can hold the answers to the problems that face mankind. God has given to us, a long time ago, the answer and His promise in each new day. In the beginning of creation God created the Physical Light. He created light as a representation for us to see that indeed His true Spirit light of life shines and it does indeed remove the darkness of death. Every time life gets dark just remember the New Day the Sunrise the Resurrection Sunshine from on high as the Sun represents to us the True Son Light, Jesus. God made it that way! The Sun is our daily and momentary reminder of God, of His Son Jesus, of His light, His warmth, His promises, His Life, His Love and His Eternal Resurrection Life for us. "Lamentations 3:21-23 This I recall in my mind, therefore I have hope. It is the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed, because His Compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Thy Faithfulness." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Sealed Tomb Friday - Roman Guards seal the Tomb - additional Spices and Ointments are purchased and prepared to further anoint the body of Jesus This day coincides with Friday April 2, 2010 - We awake Friday morning our first day without the presence of Jesus. Today, the day after the Feast of Unleavened Bread and before the weekly Saturday Sabbath that begins at Sundown Friday, Jewish time, today is another regular day that happens to be sandwiched between the two Sabbath day Feast days in this year's original "Jesus Passover" celebration. Therefore with today not being a Sabbath day the usual work including buying and selling can take place. Several people go to purchase spices and ointments (Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56) and mix them together to prepare them in order to further anoint the body of Jesus. "Mark 16:1-2 And when the Sabbath (feast of unleavened bread) [Thursday] was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, [Friday] had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day [Sunday] of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun." Early in the day we also find out that the Jewish leaders have just conferred with the Roman leaders (Matthew 27:62-66) to have guards placed at the tomb of Jesus. This is to prevent the disciples from stealing the body of Jesus and then claiming that He rose from the dead, something I'm sure that no disciple intended to do, after all what good is a dead leader? The tomb is now sealed with a Roman "seal" signifying that the body of Jesus is inside and that all is secure in the tomb. The guards stand in front of the sealed tomb and wait for Sunday. The intent is that on Sunday the tomb will be unlocked/unsealed and the body of Jesus will be shown to the Jewish leaders and all will be back to normal in Jerusalem because Jesus said that He would live the third day, not the second day or the fourth day. Jesus remaining dead in the tomb on Sunday would reveal that He was not a prophet able to prophesy that He would be alive the third day and also that He is not God able to overcome human death. There is no chance to enter the sealed tomb until the three days are up and the seal is removed by the Romans who placed it on the tomb. None of the soldiers on duty have the authority to remove the seal and open the tomb, only the Roman government has the authority to open the tomb and according to the contract with the Jews, it will be after the third day. The frightened disciples are in no condition to reveal themselves as followers of Jesus. So back to the familiar upper room everyone journeys. In the lonely darkness that comes on with despair the disciples lament that they are not prophets. One proclaims that he is just a herder of flocks from his youth (Zechariah 13:4-6). Likewise we sit in the dark and also wonder if we have the spiritual stamina that it takes to make it through this "dark night of the soul." We begin to think about Jesus and His ministry here on earth. We think about the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23) and how hard and compacted the soil of our heart is. Emotionally we are against obstacles and unable to push our spiritual roots down any further into fresh new soil. We wonder what has become of Jesus the master Gardener, we need Him. We need the Gardener to pull the weeds of doubt, to help us through life's thorns, to break up the shallow rocky soil and to direct His seed into the good soil of our heart so it can bring forth much fruit. Oh, it's no use a garden needs a gardener to keep it pleasant. The garden can't maintain itself from the hard soil, shallow rocks and choking weeds. Without a Gardener, the good plants will come to nothing as they are choked out and perish among the weeds and hard soil. We need God's direction and His plan in order for us to fulfill our life's purpose. -- Personal Reflection #8 Man puts his seal of approval on God's death: "Matthew 27:66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure [inventory of the tomb contents],
sealing the stone, and setting a watch." With the death of Jesus comes the Seal of approval from mankind. You can be certain that Jesus died on the cross and you can be just as certain that the dead body of Jesus was in the tomb on this the next day when the tomb was closed and the seal was placed on it. Certain because mankind would have it no other way than that God, would be declared dead, null, and void. Oh they sealed the right tomb of death alright but they sealed the wrong object. What they should have placed their seal on is on the death of sin, the sin that has separated mankind from the Holy God for all of these years as God knows and as the Christian knows it is sin that has been declared dead, null, and void and not God. As we reflect on the death of sin, that the penalty for sin has been removed from us by Jesus, do we really understand that the worst that can possibly happen to us is death from sin? But that Jesus died for us so the worst thing that can happen to us has happened to Jesus as He took our penalty for us. Now with the worst behind us thanks to Jesus, we now have the best and a new opportunity as a new relationship with God is now before us. "Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- (Catholic) Pope's Holy Thursday [Last Supper] Mass Dedicated to Priests - The ceremony is described by the Vatican as a sign of strict union between the Pontiff (Pope) in his role of pastor of the world's 1 billion Catholics and his fellow priests VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI urged priests to oppose violence as he led a ceremony dedicated to the priesthood Thursday, marking a Holy Week with his church buffeted by clergy sex abuse scandals. "As priests, we are called in fellowship with Jesus Christ, to be men of peace, we are called to oppose violence and trust in the greater power of love," Benedict said in his Holy Thursday homily in St. Peter's Basilica. He made no mention of the scandals. Spread out before him, in white robes, was row after row of priests, who responded in chorus to his chants in Latin. A choir of men and boys intoned solemn hymns. The late morning Mass, the first of several appearances Benedict will make in the final days of Holy Week before Easter, was described by the Vatican as a sign of strict union between the pontiff in his role of pastor of the world's 1 billion Catholics and his fellow priests. In the evening, Benedict will wash the feet of 12 priests -- a traditional sign of humility -- at a Holy Thursday ceremony in St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. ... In his homily Thursday, Benedict said Christians "as good citizens" must "keep the law and do what is just and good," while not accepting "a wrong that is enshrined in law," citing as example legalized abortion. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Crucifixion Agony - Redemption Thursday - Jesus is betrayed and arrested He is then tried and by popular demand is sentenced to die - Jesus is crucified and suffers Death on the Cross - This is the end and Removal of Death and Sin (Leaven) Thursday {Crucifixion - Agony (Bitter) Thursday} This day coincides with Thursday April 1, 2010 Crucifixion Thursday - Feast of Unleavened Bread, 15th of Nisan (Matthew 26:47-27:28, Mark 14:53-15:47). In the next few hours Jesus will undergo six trials all of them will be a mockery of justice. Jesus will come out of His third trial just in time to hear the disciple Peter deny a third time to being a follower of Jesus. A rooster will crow marking the dawn to the sunrise of a new day. This is the day in which Jesus of Nazareth, the true and living Son of God, will be despised, rejected of man and crucified on a wooden cross. This day will be the seventh day of our journey back and the third feast day, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" - the feast of the removal of sin/leaven. Jesus will be despised, rejected and beaten all of this because of the love that God has for His own creation and of an ultimate desire to reunite the people that are rejecting Him back unto Himself. - The horrific beating (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) that King Jesus will endure for us will be a savage fit of rage, the rage of mankind and a fit of Satanic rage all wrapped into one. No person has ever been so savagely beaten as Jesus was that day. It is the kind of abuse that all evil has against all innocence. Peter will have gone out and wept bitterly for his part in denying Jesus. Peter will not look to himself but will again look to God and experience the total love and forgiveness that God Has for mankind. Judas, who also betrayed God, will not look to God, but instead Judas
will look to himself and will find no hope but only despair and in despair Judas will go out and commit suicide. Jesus is now led to a hill and crucified. It is the same hill that the Jewish forefather Abraham brought his son Isaac to 4,000 years earlier (Genesis 22:1-19), to enact out a loving father offering his only beloved son, a parallel to the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus is offered wine mixed with bitter gall to drink but Jesus rejects the bitter wine because He has promised that the next wine He drinks will be with us in Heaven and it will be a sweet cup of Heavenly rejoicing not the bitter cup of this world. - Jesus' first words on the cross (Luke 23:34) will be "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Forgiveness. Even as He is rejected, Jesus forgives. We stand amazed as the two thieves being crucified along with Jesus, mock Him. Then one of the thieves turns and says "we are getting our just rewards; but Jesus is innocent". Then one of the thieves says a most remarkable thing. He says "Jesus remember me when you enter into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). We look on in dismay. "Enter the Kingdom of Jesus?" True, Jesus declared Himself to be a King only a few days ago and a King has to have a kingdom, but Jesus is dying on a cross - No! Not death! The thief is right. Jesus is entering into His kingdom, one where there is no more curse of the flesh. Where sin does not reign. In fact sin is not even present in the Kingdom of Jesus. That's it - only the Spiritual Kingdom of God is good enough for Jesus. He died to the sin and human flesh of this world so that we can be united with Him in His glory, in His Holy Spiritual Kingdom. Jesus will remain alive on the cross for six hours, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. At noon, the sky will grow dark (Amos 8:9, Matthew 27:45). Jesus will cry out from the cross "My God, my God why hast thou forsaken Me?" (Psalm 22:1-31, Matthew 27:46). At 3:00 p.m., Jesus will give a victory cry and proclaim "It is finished" (John 19:30). We marvel that the prophecy given to Eve in Genesis 3:15 is now fulfilled as Jesus, the Son of God, has His own heal bruised for us while supporting His weight on the cross. It was also on the same cross of victory on a hill called Golgotha or Skull (John 19:17) that Jesus has crushed the head (skull) [Genesis 3:15] of the deceiving serpent Satan. - Jesus will then commend His Spirit to His Father, He will then permit His Spirit to leave His body (Luke 23:46). It is now near the evening of the third feast day, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread." This feast according to Leviticus chapter 23, is a Sabbath - Rest feast and in order to properly keep this feast the followers need to be at home before sundown and are unable to engage in any work. The legs of the two thieves on the other two crosses are broken to hasten their deaths and to proceed with their burials before sundown. Jesus' lifeless body is taken down from the cross and placed into a new nearby tomb, which is really a cavern carved out of solid rock and has been provided by Joseph of Armethia. Jesus will be laid in the new tomb. His body, including His face, will be wrapped with fresh linen cloth and soaked with 75 lbs. of anointing oils (John 19:39). Those taking part in the burial of Jesus will quickly depart to get home before the Sabbath curfew of sundown. That evening we will return with the disciples back to the upper room where the Lord's Passover feast was held the night before. The door will be shut and locked as everyone will cower in the dark and in silence for fear that Romans will knock down the door to seize more of the disciples and drag them off to be horribly crucified. It is the first night without the presence of Jesus. It is a dark and bitter night. We sit down to consider the events. The third feast - we wonder what are the odds that everything of major importance would happen on a Feast Day? We know the odds are the same as those that brought life into existence and the same as those that could write the pages of the Bible before the events actually happened. We know that no odds could do this because there are no odds. There is no chance involved. It is the predetermined plan of God. Not chance, but a plan! It is a plan being carried out carefully and deliberately before the eyes of mankind. We ponder the feasts, first was "Sabbath" the required rest and Jesus presenting Himself as our King. Next was the "Lord's Passover", the Covenant feast of escaping death and entering into life with Jesus in heaven in the presence of the Father. Now it is the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" the third feast of the eight feasts prescribed by God to Moses in Leviticus chapter 23. That's it! Jesus often referred to leaven as "sin." "Beware of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees" Jesus would say and this Feast is to remove the leaven, that is to remove the sin that infects mankind. Jesus' shed blood and His death on the cross are a complete removal of our sin. It is complete because death is the end result of sin therefore in Jesus' death all of our sins died. The death of sin occurs on the cross. Later in the Resurrection of Jesus, we will receive of His eternal Resurrection Life. Sin has to be removed. We cannot have fellowship with the Holy God in the New Covenant until the Sin is removed. Jesus on this day became the penalty for the sins of the world reconciling
those who choose to be reconciled with God in the New Covenant. -- Personal Reflection #7 The Cross - a place of no compromise: Jesus reached out to us - all the way and without compromise. He didn't compromise as He took on the appearance of a human and entered into our physical realm so that He could interact with us on our level. He entered into our physical level because we are separated from the Holy God on His Spiritual level. We are separated from Him by our sins and it is impossible for God to bring us and the sin that accompanies us into His direct presence, so God in Jesus, came to us in our existence. In reaching out to us Jesus didn't compromise. He reached out with both arms open and fully extended all the way, even to the cross. Mankind in return didn't compromise as mankind rejected God. Mankind then reaching back with a hammer, nailed both of His open and extended arms onto a wooden cross. Today it is still our opportunity and our turn to reach out and touch Jesus even though we do not see Him as He is in the Spirit realm like we see one another in the physical realm. We can still come to that place of no compromise and touch Jesus in that no compromising place called faith. "Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- New Covenant Wednesday - Last Supper - Communion - Passover Dinner - Jesus covenants to die for us in our place therefore by the death of Jesus eternal Death now passes over and skips over us humans This day coincides with Wednesday March 31, 2010 the start of the Passover week with the Feast of the Lord's Passover, 14th of Nisan - Wednesday we would wake up to the second of the feast days known as the "Lord's Passover." This feast was first observed by the Jewish people in Egypt the night the plague killed all of the Egyptian firstborn sons, while death "Passed over" the Jewish firstborn because they were saved by the "Covenant blood" placed above the doors of their houses (Exodus 12:1-36). This feast is also prescribed by God in Leviticus chapter 23. We will follow Jesus to Jerusalem to eat the Passover dinner and celebrate it with the disciples in an upper room made ready by some friends. As we come into the upper room in the early afternoon prior to the Lord's Passover feast which will be observed and eaten later "at evening". We will see that Jesus and the disciples have just finished eating a lunch/supper (John 13:2). Jesus is telling the disciples that God the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth to Him. We marvel that this Jesus standing before us is not just the King of Judah but is the King of the Universe, the King of heaven and of the earth, of the physical realm that is seen and also of the unseen spiritual realm. Jesus presides over all as King. Before we can comprehend the enormity of the kingdom of Jesus, we see King Jesus lay aside His garments, pour water into a wash basin and begin to wash the disciples feet. We are in total agreement with Peter when Peter says to Jesus "Thou shall never wash my feet," after all, kings of the earth do not wash their followers feet, so much more the reason that the King of the universe should not wash our feet. Then Jesus explains to Peter that unless He washes our feet that Jesus will have nothing to do with us. We wonder, "why have Jesus wash our feet and only our feet"? Then we realize that Jesus is King and He is also our Abba, Daddy, Father, and likewise He is also the Holy God. Being Holy, Jesus requires that we be cleansed in able to approach Him. Our creator, Abba, Father, Jesus is happy to take all of His authority and use it to clean us and draw us near to Him. We now know that Jesus is really talking about cleansing our "Souls", our thought life and our emotions as the foot is a reference to the soul. We realize that one dirty item cannot make another dirty item clean. We gasp as we realize that ONLY Jesus can make us clean because only Jesus is clean and without Jesus washing us and cleansing us, we will remain dirty and Jesus will "have nothing to do with us." We make a mental note to spend more quality cleansing time with Jesus in prayer and in reading the Bible. - It is now evening and time for the Lord's Passover Supper. All of the disciples are seated around Jesus (Matthew 26:20). Jesus begins to explain how one of the disciples will betray Him. We join the other disciples wondering if we will betray Jesus? After the events of the past week, we now know that we are not that familiar with the plans of God and that Sin is deceitful. Knowing that we can easily be deceived and betray Jesus in our thoughts and actions, we make another mental note to walk in the Spirit with Jesus at all times, seeking the wisdom and will of God continually for each and every activity we do during the moments of our lives. Jesus speaking up tells the disciples that to
identify the one who will betray Him, He will dip His bread in the sauce at the same time the betraying disciple dips his bread. As Judas dips his bread Jesus also dips His (Matthew 26:23). We now know why, after the foot washing that Jesus said "not everyone is clean" (John 13:10) because Judas is not clean, he is a betrayer. Judas asks Jesus if he is the betrayer. Jesus tells him "yes he is." We marvel that sin is so deceptive, that one can betray God and actually think that he is doing God's work. We shudder as we think of all of the killing and all of the wrong that has gone on by the deceived ones throughout the Church ages in the name of Christianity. We are very glad to make the journey back to Holy Week to walk with Jesus and to learn who He is so that we can be true disciples and true followers of Jesus. Judas, after receiving a bread dipped in sauce by Jesus, then departs the room to proceed to betray Jesus. The disciples wonder were Judas has gone. Some think he is going to make arrangements for the next feast, the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" which begins tomorrow, (John 12:29). At first we think it is unlawful for Judas to go out at night on a feast day but then a quick glance in our Bibles back to Leviticus 23 reveals that the Lord's Passover is not a "Sabbath Feast." We wonder at the thought that the Lord's Passover feast is not a "Sabbath - Rest" feast like all of the other feasts and therefore there is no evening curfew for the feast. Unfortunately, as Judas leaves the presence of Jesus, Satan then enters into Judas and demonically possesses Judas (John 13:27). Again we realize the importance of staying in the presence of Jesus to keep ourselves safe from the demonic/Satanic realm. - Jesus then takes the unleavened bread of the "Lord's Passover Feast" (Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22) and giving Thanks, Jesus breaks the bread explaining that this is His body broken for us, speaking of the cross that is to come tomorrow. He then passes the bread for the disciples to eat. Much earlier while following Jesus the disciples had dealt with this very issue of Jesus' body. In John 6:47-58, Jesus told a large group of disciples that He, "is the true bread of life that came down from heaven and any man who would eat of it that man would not die but would live forever." Many disciples were disturbed at that saying of Jesus, (John 6:66) "and some walked with Jesus no more." But Jesus had also explained to the disciples (John 6:63) that it is the Spirit that aids a man not the physical. Jesus said that His words are Spirit. -- So here this night of the Passover the disciples readily enjoy the bread knowing that it is the Spirit of Jesus that gives Spiritual life. -- Next Jesus takes a cup of wine. It is the third cup of the four prescribed cups of the feast. The third cup is known as the cup of redemption. The first cup is the cup of Sanctification, meaning to be set apart to God for the feast. The second cup is the cup of instruction, instructing that there were many plagues on the land of Egypt, yet the children of God could not go free from slavery until there was a death of the firstborn. Now this night Jesus is proclaiming that He is the Firstborn of God and that His death will set us free from the slavery of sin and the cruelty of Satan just like the death of the firstborn did so many years ago back in Egypt. Then Jesus taking the cup (Mark 14:23) of redemption and like the bread, giving thanks, Jesus passed the cup to the disciples and said "take drink all of it," (Matthew 26:27) this cup is the New Testament in His blood: this do, that as often as we drink of it, to do it in remembrance of Jesus. The disciples are fully aware that Jesus is speaking of a better blood than man has, of His Spiritual life blood. They gladly take the cup of wine and gladly drink all of it. We marvel that Jesus wants us to "Drink all" that He has for us, all of His Life, Love, Compassion and Mercy. Jesus then mentions that He will not drink again of the wine until He drinks it anew with us in His Father's Kingdom. The fourth cup of wine that Jesus is postponing to drink is called the "cup of Rejoicing." After the feast, the cup of rejoicing is to be drunk as we rejoice in all that God has done in our lives in setting us free and reuniting us with Him in the promise land of Heaven. Jesus says that He will drink that next cup with all of us for real in the real heaven. Jesus and the disciples then sing a Psalm in the closing of the "Lord's Passover Feast." Jesus now reminds us again that He is about to be betrayed. He tells us in advance so that we will know that He does indeed know all things. Jesus then reveals to us that this dark moment is Satan's time. Judas has already left to betray Jesus. Jesus instructs us saying that "Satan has nothing in Him", but that Jesus will show His love for the Father by giving His life as a sacrifice to reunite us back to God, as this is the will of the Father and it is also the will of the Son Jesus. - Arising they depart the room (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26, John 14:31). We marvel that this feast is not a Sabbath feast so they are able to walk in the night and not break the law of the feast. Now during a short walk, Jesus talks to the disciples about Himself being the vine, the source of life and that the disciples are the branches and that the disciples are to abide in Jesus for life. He also teaches about the persecution that will come to all of His followers. Then Jesus
instructs them some more about the Holy Spirit who the Father will send. Jesus then prays His "Priestly High Prayer" to the Father (John 17:1-26), asking the Father to receive all of His followers including us, His future followers and to unite us all with Himself in Heaven with the Father. As Jesus prays to God the Father we conclude that we know that Jesus' prayers are heard by the Father and answered! After His priestly prayer of intercession for us to the Father, Jesus commits to His crucifixion and then crosses over the brook of Cedron (John 18:1) as He proceeds on to the garden of Gethsemane, the Garden of destiny. (Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32). We now know why God has not made the Lord's Passover to be a "Rest - Sabbath Feast" because Jesus and the disciples would have to remain at home or inside after the feast and could not have legally walked to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden of destiny. Had this been a "Sabbath - Rest Feast", it is also very unlikely that the Temple guards would have broken the Sabbath themselves to journey to the Garden to arrest Jesus who, after all was only peaceably praying to the Father. This is another powerful demonstration that these events are events orchestrated and allowed by God Himself and not man just as these events are foreseen in the prophetic writings by the prophets of the Old Testament. -- The Garden is the ideal place to reveal that God is in control. It was so many years ago that Adam and Eve lost mankind's relationship with God through their own disobedience in the original garden, the Garden of Eden. Jesus is now stepping into another garden, the Garden of Gethsemane. Through His desire and obedience Jesus will continue to restore back the lost relationship between God and mankind, this time for forever. Had Jesus been arrested anywhere but in a Garden, say for instance in the streets or in the upper-room, it would be difficult to correlate the events of the Last Supper to the events of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Since God made certain to go to the Garden we have to correlate these two garden events and also the coming event of the resurrection of Jesus from yet another garden, the Garden Tomb. This again reveals the detailed plan of God as He has set it out for us in His Prophetic Word, the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. -- We follow and see that Jesus is separated from His disciples and engaged in prayer to the Father. Jesus asks for the third time for the Father to remove "this cup" (Matthew 26:42) but there is no other "cup" of redemption available to mankind. Either Jesus gives His life for us or mankind will never be reunited to God. Angels come and minister to Jesus. He arises. Judas can now be seen leading a group of Temple soldiers intent on arresting Jesus. Judas then betrays Jesus with a kiss (Matthew 26:49). Jesus in turn calls Judas "friend" (Matthew 26:50). Jesus is arrested, bound with ropes and led off as all of the disciples abandon Him and flee. - Personal Reflection #6 New Covenant Reflection: The New Covenant - God has agreed to take on the appearance of a Human, to come for us and to die in our place for our sins so that we can Live anew in a new Spiritual relationship with God. God in His Love for us has taken our penalty of death so that we can live in His life of love. With the New Covenant and our New Spiritual Life "All things have become New." "2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold All things are become New." Are we allowing ourselves to live in our newfound Relationship with God and are we allowing ourselves the New Freedom that this relationship has to offer? When Jesus took His Communion cup and offered it to His followers Jesus gave with it the instruction and the invitation to "Drink all of it." Amen - and drink all of it we will. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Betrayal Tuesday - Judas Agrees to betray Jesus for Thirty pieces of silver This day coincides with Tuesday March 30, 2010 (Matthew 26:6-16, Mark 14:3-11) - As we awake Tuesday morning we will not go to Jerusalem and the Temple as Jesus had departed the Temple for the last time on Monday. Instead, today we will go with Jesus to Bethany and enter the house of Simon, a leper whom Jesus has previously cured. A woman will anoint Jesus with more oil. Judas will depart to meet with the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus. Judas will receive the promise of thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:2, Matthew 26:15) for promising to deliver Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leaders. -- Personal Reflection #5 Fellowship with the one who has cleansed us: Jesus has returned to spend time with Simon a Leper whom Jesus had previously cleansed. How is it that Jesus would want to visit someone that was previously Unclean? How is it that Simon would trust Jesus? Usually when someone has knowledge of the unclean areas of our life we want to get away from them because we are vulnerable and do not want to be exposed by them for what we were or for what we
truly are. Yet Simon welcomed Jesus into his own home and prepared for Him a meal. All throughout the Bible we read how hurting and longing and suffering people have turned to God and have found compassion and healing and like Simon, we too have the privilege of hosting Jesus, the one who has healed us. "Matthew 11:2830 Come to Me (Jesus), all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your Souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Teaching Monday - Temple teaching and later the Mt. Olivet Discourse End Time Teaching is given This day coincides with Monday March 29, 2010 - Arising early the next day Monday, we know from Mark 14:1 and Matthew 26:2 that we have two days left until the Passover (Wednesday). We would again follow Jesus to Jerusalem and to the temple as Jesus spends another day preaching in the temple and having discourse with the Scribes and Pharisees. On the way to the temple we would again pass the fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before and be astonished with the other disciples that the fig tree has completely dried up and withered from the roots up (Matthew 21:19, Mark 11:20). We would again consider that the fig tree cannot be our covering for sin and that God finds man-made religious practices unacceptable, not one day will pass where the religious practices of man are acceptable to God. We would follow Jesus back into the temple where the Scribes, Pharisees and lawyers will make a final assault on the authority of Jesus (Matthew 21:23-23:39, Mark 11:27-12:44). Jesus will end His discussion with the Scribes and Pharisees with the comments of "Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Jesus uses strong words for strong circumstances. The leaders of Judah are misrepresenting Jesus. They are misrepresenting the word of God in the Bible and all that God stands for. Jesus refers to them as a "brood of vipers", referring to the words and actions of the leaders that their deeds are separating people from the true God and are therefore as poisonous as the poison of a snake. Earlier, through the prophet Isaiah, Jesus said to the leaders of ancient Judah that when the circumstances of their lives pressed against them and caused them to be uncomfortable that they would responded from their heart. Jesus saw that the leaders were upset with circumstances that they didn't understand and that their actions really revealed their true heart towards God. Jesus was therefore quoting the prophet Isaiah in order to encourage the leaders to search the scriptures in a new light and gain new insight into the person of God and new insight into the kingdom of God. After the death and resurrection of Jesus the book of Acts tells us that many of the Priests came to believe in Jesus (Acts 6:7). Jesus is showing us that although strong words were used, Jesus did it in a way of Reconciliation. There is only one Ministry, it is the ministry of reconciliation, man to God and man to man. After this discussion, Jesus left the Temple for the last time (Matthew 24:1, Mark 13:1). We can immediately remember the Prophet Ezekiel, (Ezekiel 10:1-22) and his depiction of the presence of God departing from the temple as the people had rejected God. Ezekiel wrote of a temple from which the presence of God had departed and later that temple would be destroyed by the invading Babylonians. Likewise, this temple with the presence of God, in the person of Jesus departing, would later be destroyed by the Roman armies. After the discussion between the leaders and Jesus, Jesus walked out of the temple and the disciples followed (Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2). The disciples thought that this was the long awaited moment, the moment when the King Jesus, would take control and according to scripture would reign and rule from Jerusalem. The disciples were now interested in the buildings of the temple. In effect, the disciples were saying these are great buildings to rule from and probably wondering where their office would be. As we stand there and eavesdrop, we would hear Jesus reply and give a prophecy that the temple would be destroyed, one stone block at a time, until there were no more stone blocks left stacked upon another. The disciples were stunned. They realized that they were not familiar with the current plan of Jesus. - That evening when they returned to the Mount of Olives, some of the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked "what is the time or sign of Jesus coming into power?" In other words, when is Jesus the King going to reign and rule on earth as the King? Jesus told them that it was not for them to know the times and gave a long informative discourse into the end time events. Jesus specifically warned the disciples not to fall for deception, that many will be deceived by the vast amount of lies
and deceit being told in the world. He taught that only the Bible is the true word of God. The teaching is now called "Jesus' Mt. Olivet Discourse" (Matthew 24:3-26:2, Mark 13:3-14:1). -- Personal Reflection #4 Our Ministry of Reconciliation: What is our part in Reconciliation? Jesus came to Reconcile. The very Ministry of Jesus is Reconciliation, reconciling man back into a relationship with God and also reconciling us humans into a relationship with one another. "2 Corinthians 5:18,19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us (Christians) to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." *The word reconciliation is called the Gospel, the "Good News" of our Life in Jesus as opposed to the sour fact of our death in this earthly world. The ministry of Jesus is the embodiment of the Cross that Jesus would be crucified on as on the cross Jesus is lifted up - suspended, between Heaven (the dwelling of God) and Earth (the dwelling of man). The vertical post of the cross represents reconciliation between God and Man while at the same time the outstretched - reaching out arms of Jesus and the horizontal beam of the cross represent the reconciliation of one to another. Reconciliation is accomplished only in and by Jesus. There is no other hope for mankind but in Jesus, His Cross and His Resurrection. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Cleansing - Holiness Sunday - Jesus cleanses the Temple by removing unholy activities including overthrowing the tables of the moneychangers This day coincides with Sunday March 28, 2010 - We awake early Sunday morning, the first day of the week, to see Jesus and the disciples on their way back to Jerusalem and the Temple (Mark 11:12). Catching up we would find Jesus examining a fig tree for fruit. Finding no fruit Jesus will curse the fig tree (Mark 11:14). We will stand by in amazement as we realize that this Jesus is the same God that Adam and Eve sinned against and then used a fig leaf in an attempt to cover their sins. Jesus is now saying that there are no more self-made, man-made coverings for sin. The system of fig tree religion is now a curse by God because fig tree religion never did produce fruit for God. We will then follow Jesus into the Temple as acting King. Jesus will now cleanse the Temple of ungodliness (Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19) and we will know that the true Temple is our bodies and that we need to present our bodies holy and undefiled to God (Romans 12:1-5). Listening we hear Jesus proclaim that His Temple will be a House of Prayer for ALL nations (Mark 11:17) and we rejoice to be a part of the Kingdom of God and to know that above all, God desires for us to pray (talk/listen) to Him in getting to know Him. That evening we will return with Jesus and the disciples to the Mount of Olives. -- Personal Reflection #3 Unfruitfulness in our own life: Jesus recognized unfruitfulness and He took action to remove it. Every one of us (unlike Jesus) has an unfruitful aspect in our own life. We too can be bold like Jesus, in that when we see unfruitfulness we can declare it as unacceptable to God and recognize it as a cursed item, not a blessing. In cursing it, curse it at its root so that it will immediately wither and dry up no longer sustaining an appearance of being potentially fruitful but being what it truly is, something that does not give pleasure to God. "Matthew 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- (Catholic) Holy Week, 2010 - It reenacts the main events of Jesus' last days: his entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the Last Supper (Holy Thursday), his arrest and trial, the carrying of the cross, and the Crucifixion itself (Good Friday) - Unfortunately, the linkage between the liturgies of Holy Week and the original times and places of the sacred events became obscured in the medieval West Holy Week, as everyone knows, is observed during the final week of Lent, with its liturgical climax at the Easter Vigil and then on Easter morning itself. It reenacts the main events of Jesus' last days: his entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the Last Supper (Holy Thursday), his arrest and trial, the carrying of the cross, and the Crucifixion itself (Good Friday). The early Christians, however, were content each year to recall Christ's suffering, death, and Resurrection in a single, unified liturgical celebration known as Pascha (Greek for the Christian "Passover," or Easter). *This yearly paschal observance occurred either on a fixed day of the lunar month, which
would have been according to the Jewish tradition, or on the Sunday that followed it. ... By the fifth and sixth centuries, the highly influential churches of Rome and Constantinople had adopted these Holy Week liturgies. The liturgies subsequently spread from these centers to other local churches within their vast jurisdictions, both in the West and in the East. Unfortunately, the linkage between the liturgies of Holy Week and the original times and places of the sacred events became obscured in the medieval West. The situation was not remedied until the restoration of Holy Week that was mandated by Pope Pius XII in 1956, and the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council a few years later. Nowhere were these changes more evident than in the celebration of the Easter Vigil. Prior to the restoration of the Holy Week liturgies, Holy Saturday was the least popular of all of that week's liturgies. I know whereof I speak. The long and complicated ceremony was conducted entirely in Latin, early on Holy Saturday morning, with only a handful of people and a few unlucky altar boys in attendance. Looking back now, the restoration of Holy Week remains one of Pope Pius XII's greatest achievements." Father Richard P. McBrien is the Crowley-O'Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Triumphal Entry - Jesus is King Saturday - The Triumphal Entry - Jesus Enters Jerusalem the capital city of Israel and presents Himself as the Lord and King for all people This day coincides with Saturday March 27, 2010 Palm Saturday - Feast of Sabbath Rest - 10th of Nisan, Selection of the Passover Lamb, (Exodus 12:3). "Psalms 84:3 .. O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God." - On this next day Saturday, (John 12:12), we would rise up early with Jesus and the disciples. The people gathering for the celebration of the week long Passover Feast in the city of Jerusalem would hear that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and would gather palm branches to wave in honor of their coming King, Jesus. Because Saturday is a Sabbath day it is unlawful for the people to gather branches for their own personal use but it is not unlawful to gather the branches and wave them in an act of worship of Jesus (God). It is work to sustain our lives but it is not work to worship God. Jesus would send two disciples ahead to get a donkey and the donkey's baby that Jesus would ride on His way into Jerusalem. This will be a direct fulfillment of what the Prophet Zechariah saw and wrote about 400 years earlier. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O Daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; upon the colt the full of a donkey." We would see on this day Jesus would present Himself to Israel as the King. The prophet Daniel also saw and wrote about this day, (Daniel 9:25). The event of cheering Jesus as King would take the entire day. There would be one dispute with the Pharisees as they would demand that Jesus silence His disciples. Jesus would reply that if the disciples remained silent that the very rocks would cry out in testimony to the glory of God. "Mark 11:10-11 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide [close of this Saturday Sabbath day] was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve." We will enter into the Temple with Jesus and look around but we will soon depart as the evening is near and with the darkness of nightfall the Jewish Sabbath day will draw to a close. We depart the Temple and Jerusalem with Jesus keeping all of the Triumphal entry and the Temple events of that Glorious day enclosed within the one (Saturday) Sabbath day and not permitting the Triumphal Entry events to continue into the next day (Sunday) a non-Sabbath, non-Feast day. That evening we would return with Jesus back up to the Mount of Olives to Bethany (Mark 11:11). We would have to leave at the evening time to get to our destination before nightfall as this day is a Sabbath day and is a day of rest. (Acts 1:12) tells us that Mount Olivet is "from Jerusalem a Sabbaths days journey" so we know that we would be able to walk that distance and not break the Sabbath law. -- That night laying at the top of Mount Olives and looking at the stars and reflecting on the days events, it would begin to seem that the events that Jesus is carrying out have already been written about by the prophets hundreds even thousands of years earlier. As disciples wanting to be informed about the situation at hand, we would rethink the scriptures in a new light and begin to consider that Jesus has presented Himself as King to the people and this occurred on a feast day the feast day of "Sabbath." Examining Leviticus 23, we would notice that God prescribed eight Feasts that were to be followed in order, by
His people the Jews. The first feast was the weekly Saturday feast of "Sabbath" or rest. This was the feast we celebrated today. Suddenly, life flows through our bodies as we remember a Bible passage from the Apostle Paul, Colossians 2:16;17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of any holy day, or of the new moon or of the Sabbath days: which are shadows of the things to come; but the body is of Christ." Wow! We realize that Jesus is now at this very moment in the process of fulfilling scripture, the prophecies and the feasts appointed in Leviticus 23 which were written in advance for Jesus to later fulfill. We consider and savor the thought that our King has come and we can now find rest. With Jesus in rule and authority over our lives we can now rest or Sabbath. Jesus is our King! In Him is Justice, righteousness, Truth, Light and Life! In Him we can trust and in Jesus we find our [only] rest. No more striving with a world that is full of inhumane wrongs and cluttered with injustice. In King Jesus we now have comfort. We note that the "Sabbath" is first a commandment, the 4th of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai and it is also the 1st prescribed feast day of God. We then pay special attention to entering into the rest that Jesus provides as King in our lives, we do not want to disobey both a Commandment and a Feast day. Life becomes much more meaningful as we peacefully rest-Sabbath the night in Jesus. -- Personal Reflection #2 Jesus our Savior, our King, our Friend, our Rest: "Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork." We too would like to join in with the rocks of Jerusalem and indeed all of creation and declare the glory of our God and King in Christ Jesus and as we do declare the Deity and Honor of Jesus we declare that we to can now rest in His rule and in His Authority. We rest in Jesus, resting physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is a wonderful accomplishment to be able to cease from worry, fear and anxiety. Few are they that enter into it but blessed are those who do as rest is something to be entered into, it is an achievement, an accomplishment. "Hebrews 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same [wilderness wondering] example of unbelief." [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Anointing - Preparation Friday - Catching up with Jesus and His disciples in the town of Bethany This day coincides with Friday March 26, 2010: On our journey to be with Jesus we find that Bethany is located on the Mount of Olives, (Luke 19:29, Mark 11:1) and that Bethany is less than 2 miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18). Once we walk up the Mount of Olives and ask directions to Lazarus', Mary's, and Martha's house, we would come into a small stone house to find Martha busy working in the kitchen while Mary is seated and at rest beside Jesus. Lazarus whom Jesus had recently raised from the dead (John 11:44) was also seated at the table no doubt he had much to talk to Jesus about. If we came in at just the right moment, we would smell the aroma that filled the house as Mary anointed Jesus with almost a pound of very costly Spikenard oil (John 12:3). We would hear Judas complain that the expensive ointment was wasted and hear the rebuke of Jesus as He defended Mary and proclaimed that she had committed an honorable act of worship in anointing Him for His coming burial. -- Personal Reflection #1 Anointing Oil: Mary Anointed Jesus with very costly and very precious oil. Biblically oil is a symbol of acceptance. To anoint someone is to accept them, to accept them for who and for what they are. Judas on the other hand did not want to bother with anointing Jesus. He didn't even want to be bothered with other people anointing Him. Mary was accepting Jesus. She had accepted that He had come to die for her in her place and was anointing Jesus for His coming burial. The cross of Jesus was something that even the disciples had not yet been able to come to grips with yet Mary had and Mary acknowledged and accepted Jesus for it. Having accepted the gift from Jesus that He was to die in her place for her sins she had now entered into a place of rest and comfort. Rest in that she did not have to work to amend for her own sins and comfort in that all things would be taken care of for her through God who is also King, her King Jesus. - As we begin our walk with Jesus let's pause and reflect (Selah) about acceptance ... are there people in our own lives who we need to anoint and to accept even though we don't understand them? How much could our fellowships gain by this one simple act of anointing one another in the simple affection of acceptance. Anointing others with the precious oil of acceptance can only come from our own rest and security through the knowledge of what Jesus Himself has done and will do for us in our lives. - "Psalms 133 Behold
how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded His blessing, even life forevermore." Are we anointing and accepting of ourselves? Biblically people are allowed to anoint - refresh themselves with oil (Matthew 6:17). In fact it is crucial that we accept ourselves. God has already accepted us. He created us and He is for us. How is it that we can reject what God has already accepted? Are we anointing and accepting of Jesus? Even today we can anoint Jesus with His precious costly oil of acceptance by accepting His accomplishments in His sacrificial death and eternal resurrection life for us and by trusting in His authority and Kingly rule over and in our lives. We would like to be bold enough to take the steps to walk where Jesus walks, but it is now evident even on this day, day one, that Jesus does not walk as a human walks but that He walks as God walks. For us to walk with Jesus we are going to have to be bold and remove our focus from others and place it on God. [article link]
***Starting Tomorrow -- Jesus Walk 2010 -- Friday March 26, 2010 - The 10 Day Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion it will change your life! - Friday March 26th ---> Easter Sunday April 4th, 2010 (PDF Available) An Ancient Holy Week Timeline, Bible Study, Devotional & Personal Journal for Easter Week 2010. ... Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) holiday dates of 2010 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected' returned from death' just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. ... It will change your life! [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- A Day at the Western Wall Jereusalem - (Short Video) Exploring the depth of Jewish connection to this eternal holy site. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- World Clock: Current local time in Jerusalem {Note: Setting a 2nd Widget or Gadget clock on your computer to Jerusalem time is also a good option.} (clock - pop-up window) Jerusalem, Israel. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel The native name of Israel is Yisra'el. Most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Jerusalem Weather Station (Photos) This site is intended to give the feeling of what is happening outside. The data is from a station standing out there - at the cold fronts and the heat waves. You can search in the archive for weather history or to know when there was a very extensive weather (hot or cold). [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- Holy Week (2010) From the Vatican To Be Televised Online (www.CatholicTV.com) Holy Week broadcasts on the CatholicTV Network • For Palm Sunday, March 28, Masses are broadcast all day long on CatholicTV. Father Robert Reed celebrates Mass on cw56 in Boston at 7 a.m. This Mass is rebroadcast on CatholicTV at 7 p.m. Tune in at 10 a.m. for Notre Dame Sunday Mass live from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Join Pope Benedict XVI for Palm Sunday Mass at noon and 8 p.m. For our Spanish-speaking viewers, Mass from San Antonio's San Fernando Cathedral airs at 4 p.m. • On Monday, March 29, at noon and 8 p.m., join the Holy Father for a special Mass to commemorate the April 2, 2005, anniversary of the death of Servant of God John Paul II. • Tune in Tuesday, March 30, as Cardinal Seán O'Malley presides with priests from the Archdiocese of Boston in attendance to bless the oils and renew the promises they made at ordination. This Mass of Chrism airs live at 11 a.m. and will be rebroadcast at 4 p.m. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- [Holy Week 2010] Easter Week in Rome, Italy - Holy Week in Rome - There are very few examples of Pageantry grander than Holy Week in Rome - The Pope himself delivers several masses between Palm Sunday and Easter, and tens of thousands of pilgrims and fellow travelers are on hand to celebrate with him The following will give you an idea of what's going on and when for Easter Week in 2010; most services take place in St Peter's Square or inside the Basilica (consider a walking tour in Rome to get your bearings, or one of Viator's Vatican tours if you arrive early enough to avoid the crowds). You can certainly expect crowds in Rome and the Vatican during Easter Week. But for Catholics and religious-minded travelers (frankly, for anybody and everyone who appreciates ritual and pomp), the experience of Easter Week is unforgettable. Palm Sunday (March 28): Palm Sunday, a sort of prequel, starts off Holy Week with the Pope's blessing of the palms in St Peter's Square (9:30am). At the end of the mass, the Pope usually sends a special message - the 'Angelus' - to the youth of the world. Holy Thursday (April 1): The Pope honors his predecessor, John Paul II, on Holy Monday with a mass at 6pm. Then, after a few days' break during which you will notice a steadily increasing population density in and around the Vatican, the Easter celebration begins in earnest on Holy Thursday (also called 'Maundy Thursday'). The Pope performs a rare morning mass at 9:30am, known as the 'Mass of the Chrism', in St Peter's Basilica ('chrism' is a mixture of olive oil and balsam, which, once blessed, is used in some of the sacraments). In the evening, the Mass of the Lord's Supper commemorates Christ's bathing of the feet of the Apostles. Good Friday (April 2): On Good Friday, instead of a mass, choirs sing St John's version of Christ's crucifixion. Later that night, the Pope traces the Via Crucis, or Stations of the Cross, from the Colosseum to Palatine Hill. This torch-lit procession is one of the grandest, most solemn things you can witness in Rome. Saturday: Saturday night is traditionally the time of the Easter Vigil, when the Pope celebrates a late mass in St Peter's Basilica. This is also traditionally when converts are accepted into the Catholic Church. Easter Sunday (April 4) On Easter Sunday, the Pope says mass in St Peter's Square starting at 10:15am. Despite the crowds typically this is the most attended event of Holy Week - you should be able to spot the Holy Father, high above the square on a balcony of the church. At noon, he delivers the 'Urbi et Orbi' message - 'to the city and the world - in which the Pope grants forgiveness to those present and to Catholics world wide. Visiting Rome During Holy Week Pope Benedict XVI Although these events are generally free, some require tickets (a must if you want a seat, or in some cases if you want to get in at all). Honestly, it is not easy to get tickets - we're saying this simply to set your expectations. For Catholics, this is usually arranged through your bishop. You might also try the American Seminary in Rome. For non-Catholics, it's a bit dicier, but you might try the American Seminary. The official Vatican liturgical calendar for Holy Week can be found here. The Vatican museums (and those throughout Rome) are generally open during Holy Week, with the exceptions of Easter Sunday and the following Monday. Ideas on spending the rest of your time in the Eternal City [Rome] can be found in our complete list of things to see and do in Rome. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2010 -- TBN Easter Week Programming - The Greatest Story Ever Told - Special show times: Sun 3/28 7:00 PM - 10:30 PM {Note: The movie 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' (1965) was intentionally filmed to look like a master painting so every scene in the movie looks like a painting and is certainly a work of fine art. Excellent Movie!} (Movie) TBN Easter Week 2010: We have exciting Easter programming to spark conversations and open the door to share your faith. Start Easter week with special showings of "The Greatest Story Ever told", then specials with Jim Caveziel and Michael English, Dateline Jerusalem, and many more. For the little ones we have "At Jesus' Side", a fun animated feature sure to become a classic. There are opportunities to experience Easter as never before. -- George Stevens presents his monumental adaptation of the story of Jesus Christ starring Max von Sydow. The film concentrates on the most familiar episodes of the biblical story, including the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, Herod's (Jose Ferrer) decree of the execution of all male children in Judea, and the Holy family's escape into Egypt. It continues as Christ encounters John the Baptist (Charlton Heston) searches for the Twelve Apostles, and raises Lazarus (Michael Tolan), while John the Baptist is executed. It concludes with Jesus'
expulsion of the moneylenders from the temple, the instruction of the Apostles at the Last Supper, Christ's betrayal by Judas (David McCallum), the Passion, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. The product of years of research and planning by Stevens, the film features a huge cast of stars, among whom Von Sydow, McCallum, Dorothy McGuire (Mary), Sidney Poitier (Simon of Cyrene), Claude Rains (Herod the Great), Donald Pleasence (The Devil), Martin Landau (Caiaphas), and Janet Margolin (Mary of Bethany), give fine performances. [article link]
Update: Starting this Friday March 26th 2010 - The Basic Christian Website is going to blog the 2010 Jesus Walk Easter 10 Day Timeline Devotion After Jesus Walk 2010 the Basic Christian Ministry is planning to post some brief blog postings regarding the concepts, goals and future objectives of the Basic Christian Ministry. After about a week or two of looking at the Basic Christian Ministry itself then the blogging of the '8 Kingdoms of the Earth' Bible Study should begin. In short the Basic Christian Ministry has been intently praying since January regarding just what should the future of the Basic Christian Ministry be. I was considering some varied and different directions for ministry but after several months of prayer I think the answer is to continue the Basic Christian Ministry mostly in its current format but with a few changes that will hopefully improve the quality of the material. I'm looking forward to sharing some of the objectives, goals and intentions that have gone into the making of the Basic Christian Ministry and also [possibly] some of my concerns regarding modern Christianity and just what and where Basic Christian is trying to fit in though this second part might be postponed until after the '8 Kingdoms of the Earth' Bible Study. God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
A Preview and look at some of the aspects of Holy Week and of the 10 Day Jesus Walk 2010 Easter Timeline Devotion that will later start on Friday March 26th and go until ---> Easter Sunday April 4th, 2010 We are going to begin to look at some of the aspects of Holy Week regarding what actually happened during the final Amazing events of Jesus Christ while He was physically here on earth. We will be considering what His events accomplished and how His completed events affect us today both personally and individually as Christians and as a whole as the Christian Church. - God bless you ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
VLC Media Player (cnet - Free Download) VLC Media Player is a long-time open-source favorite, and the latest version is also the first to be out of beta development. It's not the only option for free video playback, but it's one of the best, and the feature updates in version 1 make it well worth the upgrade. ... Users can now get frame-by-frame advancement, granular speed controls allowing for on-the-fly slower or faster playback, and live recording of streaming video. The toolbars are fully customizable, so you can have only the buttons you need in the interface, there's AirTunes streaming, and there's better integration in Gtk environments. Along with the improvements, VLC continues to offer robust support for a wide range of video and audio formats, including OGG, MP2, MP3, MP4, DivX, HD codecs like AES3, Raw Dirac, and even support for playing back zipped files. The default interface is still a stripped down player that belies VLC's functionality and features. Skinning can fix that quickly, but behavior can still be a bit unpredictable depending on the quality of the skin. VLC's open-source foundation and community ensures that it evolves quickly and often, with new features and fixes released frequently. Overall, VLC Media Player is a must-have application for its ability to open just about any type of video file you throw at it. [article link]
VLC media player - FREE Media Player - Mp3, Mp4, Flac, MKv, DVD - [DVD Viewing, Setting Suggestions: Video - Deinterlace - Yadif (2x); Video - Aspect Ratio 16:10 {if you have a larger screen}; Video - Fullscreen] (Free Download) The cross-platform open-source multimedia framework, player and server VLC media player is a highly portable multimedia player and multimedia framework capable of reading most audio and video formats (MPEG-2,
MPEG-4, H.264, DivX, MPEG-1, mp3, ogg, aac ...) as well as DVDs, Audio CDs VCDs, and various streaming protocols. See the full features list. It can also be used as a media converter or a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on networks. [article link]
**Scroll down for Updates: Continuing with our Holy Week 2010 preview - The 8 Kingdoms [Kings - Nimrod, Pharaoh Akhenaten, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Antichrist (Satan), Messiah (Jesus Christ)] of the earth - The Kingdom of Jesus Christ [specifically starting with His Triumphal Entry (as King of all creation - Luke 19:38-40) into Jerusalem] when His eternal Kingdom was initially established during His events of the original Holy Week in Jerusalem approximately 2,000 years ago After Holy Week the Basic Christian info feed is going to post a Bible Study regarding the 8 Global Kingdoms of the earth however since the events of Holy Week are when Jesus was ushering in His Global Kingdom for us it would be a good time to look at both an introduction and a brief summary regarding the 8 Kingdoms before the events of Holy Week 2010 to help us put the events of Jesus Christ and Holy Week into a Global Kingdom perspective then shortly after Easter we can do the actual 8 Kingdom study in its entirety. [article link]
Part 4 the Conclusion: The three Fall Feasts of Leviticus Chapter 23 seem to be the Transition Phase out of the approximately 2,000 years of individuals serving and fellowshipping with God in the Christian Church Age - Into the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom of Messiah the reign of Jesus Christ among the Nations on the Earth The whole concept of the 8 Kingdom Study has been that there is a major transition in the Kingdom of God that is to take place and that is the Kingdom of God being shifted from the individual perspective (Church Age) to the National perspective (Kingdom Age). The shift from the individual (remnant) worship of God to the (corporate) National worship of God is continued and completed during the transition of the Antichrist Kingdom. In short throughout human history and particularly while going through the Book of Revelation there are two separate [parallel] Kingdoms at work in the Kingdom of Antichrist and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. In the Book of Revelation while the Antichrist Kingdom is attempting to unify (666 - fallen angels, fallen humans, demons) and is unable to do so the Kingdom of God [888 (in a sense) - Holy God, holy Angels, redeemed mankind] does unify. The Kingdom of God starts out in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1:10-18) with Jesus walking among the 7 Churches of the earth and holding the stars of Heaven in His hand as Jesus is in the process of reconciling the earth back to Heaven to make the two separate Kingdoms of Heaven and earth back into one Kingdom. Jesus writes seven letters to His Church in each letter identifying Himself with each Church. Then in Revelation (Revelation 5:6) Jesus is seen as The Lamb Slain as Jesus identifies Himself with all of His Martyred Saints from all of the Children of God from throughout all human history. During the events of Revelation the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ becomes so identified with and intermingled with the Saints on earth and the holy Angels of Heaven in bonding and closeness that as an Angel appears (Revelation 10:1-7) it is difficult to tell if it is an Angel speaking and acting or if it is Jesus Himself speaking and acting. Note: In concluding this 8 Kingdom summary by reading the events of the Bible's Book of Revelation the Kingdom of God becomes identified with the Christian Saints, the Martyrs and even the holy Angels of Heaven at the very same time that the Kingdom of Antichrist is attempting to unify with fallen mankind, fallen angels and the demons but the Kingdom of Antichrist is falling apart and coming apart at such a rapid pace and in reality is never anywhere close to mixing into a unified Kingdom as the "iron does not mix with the clay" of Daniel. While in complete success the Kingdom of God is unified, united and completly identifiable with both mankind and with the holy Angels of Heaven all through the accomplishments and achievements of God the Son Jesus Christ. -- Ephesians 1:10-14 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times [ages] He [God] might gather together in one all things in Christ, *both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: In whom also we [Christians] have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: That we [Apostles] should be to the {Anointing} Praise of His Glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye [individuals] also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of
Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: in whom also after that ye [individuals] believed, ye [individuals] were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our [individual] inheritance until the redemption {Kingdom Age} of the purchased possession, unto the {Anointing} Praise of His Glory. [article link]
Part 3. The Three Fall [Harvest] Feats of Leviticus 23 - the Three [Second Coming] Fall Feasts of Leviticus 23 The Three [First Coming] Spring Feasts [month of Nisan] initiated the individual Church Age and it is thought that in the same way the Three Fall Feasts of Leviticus 23 [month of Tishri] conclude the 8 Kingdom Feasts of God and initiate the 8th Kingdom the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (Messiah) and His 1,000 year Kingdom of Nations reign on earth The 8 Holy Feasts of Leviticus 23: Three Feasts corresponding to the Second Coming and the Kingdom on Earth of Jesus Christ. --Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Rashanah) "Leviticus 23:23-25 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an Holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD." The offering of fire is likely the Baptism of Fire that the Christian is undergoing since the Flames of Fire upon the heads of the believers occurring at the Feast of Pentecost. The Trumpet is an announcement and in this case it is an announcement for God's people to gather together into one place. For the Church this is very likely fulfilled in the Rapture, the calling by God of His Church into Heaven to be with Him and to escape His coming judgment that is about to come upon the entire world of non-believers. "Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the voice which I heard was as it were of a Trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter." -- Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) "Leviticus 23:27-32 Also on the Tenth day of this Seventh month there shall be a Day of Atonement." This feast in a large part was completed at the cross of Jesus as Jesus is the Atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Atonement is the repair the mending of a broken relationship. For a relationship to be repaired there has to be a desire to repair the union and there needs to be an acknowledgment of the wrong that severed the relationship in the first place. It is corresponding to the second coming of Jesus because there is still much to be fulfilled with this particular feast. For starters at the Atonement Feast Leviticus 16:1-34 there are two goats the first goat is sacrificed for the atonement, the removal of sin, because the result of sin is death so only when death occurs is sin satisfied. This sacrifice is a representation of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us. Meanwhile, the second goat called the "scapegoat", the carrier of sins is released far away carrying with it the sins of the people and if that scapegoat never returns then the sins never return and are completely removed and stay away. If the scapegoat does return then all of the sins return with it. It is evident that at the cross of Jesus that a man called Barabbas was the scapegoat, as Barabbas was set free and he was never heard from again. That is until the Antichrist comes because the Antichrist will be carrying the name of "Son of the Father" which translated into Hebrew is "Barabbas" Bar = son and Abba = Father. Unfortunately the scapegoat the carrier of sin "Satan" will be returning one day as he will again be accepted by the people to be their friend and their king and when he does come he will bring with him the sins of the world. Also the Jewish people as a nation have not yet recognized Jesus as the true Messiah and this will happen at the second coming of Jesus so this feast is still partially yet to be fulfilled. -- Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) "Leviticus 23:34-43 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The Fifteenth day of this Seventh month shall be the feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. ... That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." The Tabernacle is a Tent a temporary shelter as opposed to a Temple which is a permanent building. The Jewish Temple originally was a Tabernacle a Tent that the Hebrews carried with them and set up during their wilderness journey prior to their entry into the Promise Land of Israel. Once in the Promise Land, the permanent living place the Tent was then replaced in Jerusalem by the permanent Temple made of stone. This is the comparison of our earthy body to our future Spiritual body. Currently we Tabernacle in a Tent body a temporary body made of flesh. Whenever anyone dies their spirit and soul departs this tent and if you are a child of God, God then accepts you into Heaven our Permanent home
and we receive our new Temple body, a Spiritual body to match our spirit and our soul. {Note: The 8 Holy Fests of Leviticus Chapter 23 have been separated primarily into two parts, the three Spring Feasts of the 1st Coming [Firstfruits] of Jesus Christ and the three Fall Feasts and the2nd Coming of Jesus Christ. Together the 8 Holy Feasts combine to usher in on earth the one Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ.} [article link]
Part 2a. A brief look and introduction into the 7 anointed Gentile Global Kings of the Earth (anointed from God) and the anointed 8th King Jesus Christ: Beginning with Nimrod (Tower of Babel - Genesis 10:8-10) -- Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt - Joseph's Pharaoh, the Dream Pharaoh - Genesis 41:1) -- Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon Jeremiah 27:4-7, Daniel 2:37) -- Cyrus (Persia - Isaiah 45:1-7, Ezra 1:1-4) -- Alexander the Great (Greece - Daniel 8:21) -- Julius Caesar (Rome and The Revised [10 Kingdom] Roman Empire - Daniel 7:19) -- Antichrist [emerges from within the Revised Roman Empire] (Satan - Daniel 7:20) -- Messiah, Jesus Christ's Kingdom (Heaven and Earth - Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45) Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty [occult] one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter {spiritual seeker, occult} before {anointed of} the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before {in the presence of} the LORD. *And the beginning of his [Nimrod's] Kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [later Babylon - modern Iraq]. {Note: all 7 of the Gentile global Kings-Kingdoms are anointed, for a time, given by God even as the Gentile King might at times or throughout thier duration be at odd with God.} -- Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed [a dream from God] {this is possibly or most probably the Pharaoh Akhenaten}: and, behold, he stood by the river. -- Jeremiah 27:4-7 ... Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, **and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all Nations shall serve him, and his son [Nabonidus], and his son's son [Belshazzar], until the very time of his land come: and then many Nations and Great Kings shall serve themselves of him. -- Isaiah 45:1-7 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus [of Persia], whose right hand I have holden, to subdue Nations before him; and I will loose the loins of Kings, to open before him the two leaved gates [of Babylon]; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: *And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness [Mystery Babylon - secret knowledge - the 7 Gentile Kingdoms 'beginning' with Nimrod and ending with Antichrist once manifested are aggregate and ongoing], *and hidden riches [wealth] of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. **For Jacob [the Nation of Israel] My servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. -- Ezra 1:1-4 Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an House [Temple - 2nd Temple] at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House [Temple] of the LORD God of Israel, He is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem. -Daniel 8:16-27 And I heard a Man's [Jesus'] voice [standing on the water] between the banks of [the river] Ulai, which called, and said, [Angel] Gabriel, make this man [Daniel] to understand the vision. So he [Gabriel] came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O
son of man [Daniel]: for at the Time of the End shall be the vision [the four Gentile global governments - Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist]. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for *at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are *the kings of Media and Persia [4th Kingdom]. And the rough goat is the King of Grecia [Greece 5th Kingdom]: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first King [Alexander the Great]. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four Kingdoms [Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon - wiki.com] shall stand up out of the Nation, but not in his power. And in the latter time of their [Roman] Kingdom {Rome annexed and acquired the Kingdom of Greece more by default (a weakened Greece) and through political contracts than through direct military conquest}, when the transgressors are come to the full, a King [Antichrist] of fierce countenance, and understanding dark [occult] sentences, shall stand up. And his [Antichrist] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [by Satan's]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft [occult - Satanism] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and *by [false] peace shall destroy many: he [Antichrist] shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes [Jesus Christ]; but he [Antichrist] shall be broken [spiritually] without [physical] hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's [Belshazzar - son of Nabonidus - grandson of Nebuchadnezzar] business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron (Rome), the clay (Revised Rome Antichrist), the brass (Greece), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon), broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [Kingdoms of the Earth]: and the Stone [Jesus Christ] that smote the image became a Great Mountain [single government], and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these Kings [Kings of the Earth] shall *the God of Heaven set up a [eternal] Kingdom, **which shall never be destroyed: and the [eternal] Kingdom shall not be left to other [unbelieving] people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these [7 earthly] Kingdoms, and it [the Kingdom of Jesus Christ] shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain [Divinely] without [physical] hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Great God hath made known to the King [Nebuchadnezzar] what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. [article link]
Part 2. The Anointing and Throne of a King: King David was anointed three times [first among his own family (by Samuel on behalf of God), later by the Tribe of Judah (lit. Praise) and lastly by the Elders of the Nation of Israel] -- Saul was anointed twice both times by the same person [Samuel] - Solomon was anointed King *twice [first by a select committee (1 Kings 1:32-40) - then by the people (1 Chronicles 29:22)] - Jesus Christ is anointed King three times, First by His family [God (Matthew 3:16-17, Acts 10:38)], Secondly [among His Praise] the Church Age of individuals, Thirdly by each of the Nations as a whole [in the Kingdom Age] beginning with the Nation of Israel at the 2nd Coming return of Jesus Christ King Saul [a type of Satan] was chosen by God and anointed the first time privately by the Prophet Samuel [1 Samuel 10:1]. Saul was initiated [1 Samuel 10:17-24] as the 1st King of Israel [in Mizpeh of Gilead] without anointing and while Saul was personally in hiding (i.e. hidden as Satan is in hiding now). Saul was anointed by Samuel a second time though oil is not mentioned it might have been strictly a verbal anointing with the Prophet Samuel speaking prophecy over King Saul and not anointing him with oil. -- King David [a type of Jesus Christ] was anointed three times [1 Samuel 16:12-14 (Bethlehem), 2 Samuel 2:4 (Hebron), 2 Samuel 5:3 (Hebron) - the first (person) anointed in Jerusalem was the Temple (a direct representation of Jesus Christ), it was dedicated (anointed) in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:10-11) before Solomon or any of the later Kings, the descendants of Solomon, were anointed in Jerusalem] and the moment David was anointed the first time the anointing of God departed [1 Samuel 16:14] from the presence of then King Saul [a type of Satan] so only one
of them was anointed by God as King at any one time and when King Solomon [a type of the Antichrist] was anointed there is no indication or recording of the anointing of God leaving King David the way it previously had left King Saul. -- King Solomon [a type of the Antichrist] was anointed twice, first [1 Kings 1:32-40] by a chosen and selected committee [the High Priest, the Prophet and the people gathered in Gihon who happened to be in knowledge of the event] and later by all the people [1 Chronicles 29:22]. -- Jesus Christ the Messiah has been anointed twice. First by His family of God [Matthew 3:16-17]. "Matthew 3:16-17, Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me [Messiah, Jesus Christ], because He [God] hath anointed Me [Jesus] to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." - "Acts 4:26-28 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against thy Holy Child Jesus, whom Thou [God] hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined [to kill Jesus] before to be done." - Jesus is currently being anointed throughout His Christian Church Age. "1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God [Jesus] was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on [anointed] in the world, received up into glory." - "2 Corinthians 1:20-22 For all the promises of God in Him are yea [yes], and in Him Amen [Truth], unto the glory of God by us. Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] in our hearts." {My perspective on the Church rapture is just when is the Antichrist 'anointed' by God to receive his Kingdom on earth is it pre-tribulation [this happens to be my position on End Time events]? or is it 3½ years later at pre-wrath [also a very possible position for End Time events]? The anointed Church (2 Corinthians 1:20-22) and the future Kingdom of Antichrist are not going to coexist and when the anointed 'born again' Church is raptured only then will the Antichrist be anointed for his Kingdom on earth. Then with the Christian Church gone the Antichrist will preside over a Kingdom on earth that will go horribly wrong for everyone involved as the Antichrist attempts to receive the anointing of the Nations starting in the Holy of Holies (Matthew 24:15) with the Nation of Israel.} - There is yet a third and future anointing of the Messiah Jesus Christ the anointing among the Nations starting with Jesus being anointed King by the elders of Israel in Jerusalem. "Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks [490 years] are determined upon thy people [the Jews] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness [the Kingdom of God among the Nations], and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint [Messiah] the most Holy." "Zechariah 12:10-14 And I will pour [anoint] upon the House of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the [Holy] Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me [Jesus Christ] whom they have pierced (crucified), and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in [agony] bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning *in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the House of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the House of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain [after the Tribulation], every family apart, and their wives apart." {Note: the coming Tribulation during the events of Revelation is primarily a Gentile (Martyred Saints) Holocaust the Jews having already suffered their [WWII] Holocaust will primarily be exempt from the Holocaust to come but still it will be dangerous and difficult times for everyone and not every family will make it through the events. Presumably the Nation of Israel will emerge (anoint the Messiah Jesus Christ) and enter into the Kingdom Age [1,000 year reign of the Messiah] far more intact than any of the Gentile Nations.} - "Ezekiel 43:57 So the [Holy] Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court [Millennial Temple - 4th Temple in Jerusalem]; and, behold, the Glory of the LORD filled the House. And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the House; and *the Man [Jesus Christ] stood by me. And He said unto me, Son of man [Ezekiel], the place of My Throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell [as anointed King] in the midst of the children
of Israel for ever ..." [article link]
Part 1b. Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy is an explanation of an earlier Vision [Daniel chapter 7] regarding the Kingdoms of the Earth [Daniel 7:17 the 4 remaining Kingdoms - Persia, Greece, Rome, Antichrist] - Keep in mind that the 490 years of Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy are all years that occur only during one of the Kingdoms of Earth - Currently we are not directly under one of the Kings of the Earth nor are we directly in one of the Kingdoms of the Earth and therefore not yet using up one of the 490 years of the prophecy [but we are in the period (Daniel 2:42) of the Revising of the Roman (iron) Empire without yet the direct global King] - 483 years [Persia, Greece, Rome] of the 490 years have been completed and only the final [Antichrist] Week '7 years' of the prophecy remains to be fulfilled According to Daniel (Daniel 9:25) at end of the 69th Week the Messiah would reveal Himself [the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem] and make available His Kingdom [*ending the reign of the Kings of the earth] then "after" the 69th Week "shall Messiah be cut off" the crucifixion of Jesus Christ occurred 4 days after the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ. The Triumphal Entry did end the reign of the Global Kings of the Earth {as King Herod (part of a Global Kingdom - Rome) feared it would in Matthew 2:2-3} the rejection of Jesus Christ by both Rome and Jerusalem and the crucifixion of Jesus 4 days later then re-opened the (now postponed) 70th Week and the Antichrist Kingdom. The 70th Week specifically belongs to the Antichrist and since the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem at the completion of the 69th Week the timeline of the Prophecy of Daniel has stopped until the Kingdom of Antichrist claims its 1 Week (7 year period) that will be given to it by God. The amount of time [2,000 years so far] between the 69th week of Daniel and the 70th and final week of Daniel has been the Church Age. The Church Age where almost the entirety of the Book of Acts was spent grappling with the issue that the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ had momentarily become completely individualized {the early (remnant - firstfruit) rain (Hosea 6:2-3)} [with the individuals entering into the Kingdom of God primarily being the Gentiles] and that it will not be until the final events of the Book of Revelation [the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ on earth] that the Kingdom of God becomes evident primarily through the Nations of the earth {the later (community - harvest) rain (Hosea 6:2-3)} and not just primarily through the individuals of the earth as it is now. [article link]
Part 1. Reconciling the general community (Corporate) [Kingdom on earth] Messiah Prophecy of Daniel [Daniel's 70 Weeks (Daniel 9:25-26)] with the [Eternal Spiritual] individual (Remnant) Kingdom Revelation of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42-43) Daniel a Prophet to the Nations: A summary of Daniels (Corporate) Messiah's Kingdom on earth "70 Weeks (490 years) Prophecy" - Daniel 9:22-27 And he [the holy angel Gabriel] informed me [Daniel], and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding [of the previous vision from God]. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the *vision. Seventy weeks [490 years (involving all of the Global Kingdoms from Babylon until the Kingdom of the Messiah totaling 6 of the 8 Global Kingdoms - Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Antichrist and finally the Kingdom of the Messiah, Jesus Christ)] are determined upon thy [Jewish] people and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish [make an end of] the [world's] transgression {intentional sins}, and to make an end of [all] sins {intentional and unintentional}, and to make [global] reconciliation for iniquity, and **to bring in Everlasting Righteousness [the 8th Kingdom - the Kingdom of God], and to seal up [conclude] the vision and prophecy, ***and to anoint [Messiah - Jesus Christ] the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks [it would take 49 years to rebuild Jerusalem], and threescore (60) and two weeks [434 years of a rebuilt Jerusalem]: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after [the] threescore and two weeks [after 483 years of the 490 years] shall Messiah be cut off [lit. executed - crucifixion], *but not for Himself [but for the sins of the people]:
and the people of the [Antichrist] prince that shall [future] come [7th Kingdom - Antichrist (Satan)] shall destroy the city [70 A.D.] and the [Temple] sanctuary [also destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.]; and the end thereof shall be with a flood [overflowing of destruction], and unto the end of the war [with Satan] desolations are determined. And he [Antichrist - 7th Kingdom] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [the 70th and final week - the final 7 year period - not yet started]: and in the midst of the week [3½ years] he [Antichrist] shall cause the [Temple - 3rd Temple in Jerusalem] sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading [completeness] of abominations he [Antichrist] shall make it [the entire earth unholy] desolate [empty], even until the consummation [end of human history - human separation from God], and that determined [vial-bowl judgments of Revelation] shall be poured upon the desolate [sky and earth]. [article link]
Part 1a. The anointing of the Messiah, Jesus Christ being anointed individually by His followers - The corporate (group) anointing of the Messiah prophesied by Daniel the Prophet is alluded to but [temporarily] becomes individualized as individuals are anointing Jesus the Messiah for His Kingdom in the same way that the thief on the cross as an individual [not yet the Nations of the world] acknowledged and entered into the eternal Kingdom of the Messiah - In short the two individuals [women] who anointed Jesus with oil and the thief on the cross were all doing the very same thing, each individually anointing and acknowledging the Kingdom of Messiah - Individuals (a remnant) acknowledging and entering into the Kingdom of Messiah [Kingdom of God] long before the Prophesied Nations as a whole are to enter into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and **to anoint [Messiah] the most Holy. -- John 12:3 Then {Friday} took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. -- Matthew 26:6-7 Now {Tuesday} when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman [thought to be Mary Magdalene] having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head, as He sat at meat [dinner]. -- Luke 23:42 And he [thief on the cross] said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into Thy Kingdom. {Note: How the corporate (group) anointing (the head) of the Messiah and the general acceptance of the Messiah as spoken of by Daniel the Prophet becomes an individual anointing of the feet of the Messiah and later another anointing by another individual this time anointing the head of Jesus. Both anointings and the acknowledging of the Kingdom of God [also divine revelation from the thief on the cross] are in reference to the Prophecy of Daniel {the thief on the cross was probably directly recalling Daniel 9:26} but are not yet a direct fulfillment of the anointing and general acceptance of the Messiah as Prophesied by Daniel in his 70 Week prophecy.} [article link]
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ (John 1:12) accepted by some and rejected by others - The Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ in initially being rejected by the rulers of this world (Luke 23:24) has been placed in an individual (experiential) basis until the fullness of the Kingdom of God is brought into its knowable entirety during the events of the Book of Revelation - Basically what we are going to do in the next few days before Holy Week is to begin to consider and to reconcile the [Kingdom on earth] Messiah Prophecy of Daniel [Daniel's 70 Weeks (Daniel 9:25-26)] and the [Eternal Spiritual] Kingdom Revelation of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:43) with each other and attempt to more fully understand the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ that is currently being so generously offered by God to all mankind Note: Regarding the rejection and death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The people of Jesus' day asked Him for a sign that He was indeed God (Matthew 12:40) and Jesus also said (John 2:19) the sign that He would give the world would be that He would resurrect the 3rd day from death. The resurrection of Jesus proved the Deity (Immortality) of Jesus to all mankind for all time. So the events of Holy Week that ended in the crucifixion and later in the resurrection of Jesus were not events that went astray but were events that were foretold and
necessary in order for God to unmistakably reveal and reconcile Himself to all mankind. Having then revealed Himself to all mankind by His prophecies, miracles and resurrection He is now selecting for Himself a Kingdom of believing people for His own from within mankind. -- Romans 1:3-5 Concerning His [God's] Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made [physically] of the seed of [King] David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, **by the resurrection from the dead: By [Jesus] whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the [Christian] faith among all Nations, for His Name: [article link]
8 Kingdoms Introduction: Some brief criteria for the 8 Global Kingdoms of the earth - Throughout human history there have been many glorious [in man's eyes] Empires, Kingdoms and Dominions but only 8 of the Kingdoms of mankind are the incredible (Revelation 17:10) Kingdoms of the earth {Note: The Basic Christian blog History Study is also going to include some of the additional great Kingdoms primarily Hammurabi (Saudi Arabia), Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia), Solomon (Israel), and Sennacherib (Assyria).} 8 Kingdoms Summary: The Seven incredible Gentile Kingdoms of Revelation 17:10 are Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and [revised Rome] the Antichrist Kingdom. While the 8th and final Kingdom is the eternal, righteous Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each of these 8 Kingdoms is going to share some remarkable similarities: Each Kingdom will have possessed all of or a majority of the world's wealth [gold, silver, precious gems] at one time. Each Kingdom has or will have knowledge [both public and secret knowledge] beyond that of their peers. The Kingdoms will also possess influence, military power and political prestige beyond the peers of their day. *Most importantly each of the 8 Kingdoms will also have exerted FAVORABLE influence over the Jews, over Jerusalem and over the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Nimrod [about two generations and 100 years after the flood of Noah] encompassed all of humanity including Abraham's forefather Arphaxad (Genesis 11:11), the Kingdom of Nimrod possessed all human wealth, knowledge and wisdom and the Kingdom of Nimrod built a Temple (the Tower of Babel). Egypt the 2nd Kingdom amassed much of the fortune of the world and much of the knowledge of the world and a great part of that fortune would be "favorably" given to the Jews at their Passover departure from Egypt (Exodus 3:21-22). The wealth of Egypt would then be used by the Jews in the building of the Tabernacle of God by Moses at Mt. Sinai (Saudi Arabia) and later the wealth of the Tabernacle would be transferred into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The wealth of the Temple in Jerusalem would be given back to Egypt by the Jewish King Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25-26). The 3rd Kingdom Babylon [initially very favorable to the Jews, Jerusalem and the Temple] captured the wealth of Egypt in Egypt and took it to their Palace in Babylon. The 4th Kingdom Persia [Iran] conquered Babylon [Iraq] and consolidated the wealth of the world into the Palace at Shushan (Esther 1:4) part of the wealth of Persia was given to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 45:28, 2 Chronicles 36:23). The 5th Kingdom Greece and Alexander the Great [on either 10 or 11 June 323 B.C., Alexander the Great died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon at the age of 32 - wiki.com]. King Alexander the Great who immersed the world in Greek thought and philosophy and after sparing the Jews, Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple then "at the age of 32" died among the wealth of ancient Egypt, Babylon and Persia. The 6th Kingdom Rome oversaw an extensive expansion in the size of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The 7th Kingdom the Kingdom of Antichrist is going to sign a favorable [7 year] covenant with the Jews and the Nation of Israel (Daniel 9:27) and will also in some way rebuild [and eventually occupy (Matthew 24:15)] the now destroyed Temple in Jerusalem. The 8th and final Kingdom the Eternal, Righteous Kingdom of Jesus Christ [Jesus being Jewish] will of course be very favorable to the Jews as Jesus will rule the entire world from the unprecedented Millennial Temple (Ezekiel 43:7) in Jerusalem. [article link]
Continuing to examine the Thursday and Friday of the ancient Holy week Timeline - The original Holy Week days of Thursday and Friday having been meshed together into the one Friday of the modern Holy Week [a Friday crucifixion - because Saturday is the Sabbath Day] excludes the purchasing of additional oils and
ointments to further anoint the body of Jesus while it lay lifeless in the tomb -- 'Mark 16:1 And when the [Thursday] (evening) Sabbath [from the 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread] was past, [on Friday - a normal working day] Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, **had bought (purchased) sweet spices, that they might come [on Friday] and anoint Him (Jesus).' {Note: it appears that by the time of their arrival to the tomb on Friday, with the oils and spices to anoint the body of Jesus, the tomb had just been sealed by Roman guards and they would have to come back on Sunday [at the end of three days] when the seal was to be removed by the Romans intending that the un-resurrected body of Jesus would still be in the tomb on Sunday but early Sunday morning Jesus resurrected.} The Gospel of Luke tells us that the newly purchased oils and spices were prepared in order to further anoint the body of Jesus. "Luke 23:55-56 And the women also, which came with Him [Jesus] from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre (tomb), and how His body was laid. And they returned, and [Friday] prepared [labored] spices and ointments; and rested the [Saturday] **Sabbath day according to the Commandment [4th of the 10 Commandments - Exodus 20:9-10]." -- On Thursday [15th of Nissan] the Feast Day [Feast of Unleavened Bread] the Jewish leaders stayed outside of the presence of the Romans in order to observe the Feast day. "John 18:28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas [the Jewish High Priest] unto the [Roman] Hall of Judgment: and it was early [Thursday]; and they [Jewish leaders] themselves went not into the [Roman] Judgment Hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the [Unleavened Bread] Passover." while on the next day [Friday] the day when the Jewish elders requested that the tomb of Jesus be sealed the Jewish leaders did not remain outside of the presence of the Romans because Friday being a normal day the Jewish leaders were able to enter into the presence of the Romans. "Matthew 27:62 Now [Friday] the next day, that followed the [Thursday] day of the preparation [Feast of Unleavened Bread], the [Jewish] Chief Priests and Pharisees *came together **unto Pilate," -- Noting again that the ancient events that took place over two days [Thursday and Friday] are combined into the one Friday of the modern Holy Week timeline of events. Also Note: "Luke 23:56 … and rested the Sabbath day according to the [4th] Commandment" Luke now references the Sabbath [the week] after the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as the Sabbath of the Commandments. Luke might be saying that the Sabbath of the Levitical Feasts was previously fulfilled and completed on the previous week with the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and that what was taking place now was a Commandment Sabbath and not a Feast Sabbath. - The 4th of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and the first of the Eight Feasts of Leviticus chapter 23 are both the weekly Sabbath day. [article link]
A Preview and look at some of the aspects of Holy Week and of the 10 Day Jesus Walk 2010 Easter Timeline Devotion - The modern Holy Week Timeline appears to be the Biblical Holy Week Timeline shortened by one day having Thursday combined with Friday in the modern Timeline - The Basic Christian Jesus Walk Easter Holy Week Timeline Devotion adds back in the Thursday [all the other days remain the exact same though the days previous to Thursday are each backed up by one day] and also starts a day earlier in the Friday anointing of Jesus at Bethany This timeline is the same number of days as the traditional timeline view until the tomb where it includes the three days and three nights in the tomb. This third day moves the crucifixion back one day from Friday (Good Friday) to Thursday (Crucifixion Thursday) and likewise moves each of the preceding events back one day of the week so then backing up by one day the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem occurs on Saturday and not the traditional Sunday. However it is Saturday and not Sunday that is the better fit and the more appropriate day according to the Biblical description of the Triumphal entry of Jesus and it is Saturday that fulfills the Feast day of Sabbath. ... I think what has happened is that somewhere in [ancient] Church history the [Catholic] Church began to observe an abbreviated week of Holy week. It was easier for people to get time off from work and celebrate Friday - Sunday than the Thursday - Sunday of the Bible. Likewise shortening the events places the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Sunday instead of Saturday therefore making for another convenient Holiday as the Church is already routinely gathered for the Sunday Worship service. The events as we observe them in modern times are a slightly abbreviated version of the Biblical times in which they
occurred. It was never intended to replace the Biblical version as everyone knows that a Friday crucifixion does not equal the three days and three nights in the tomb. The Thursday crucifixion does and it also supports all of the events of the Bible. [article link]
3.) Continuing with the Hunt Heresy - Dave Hunt after deliberately offending Protestants by wrongly claiming that Jesus did not observe the Passover Feast - Hunt then goes on to deliberately and to systematically offend the Catholics by haphazardly pointing out that the crucifixion was on Thursday rather than on the common Friday [Good Friday] of modern Catholic tradition - {Note: Roman Catholicism is a Christian sect [the main Christian sect] it is also highly built upon traditions and as a part of their traditions they seemingly [a very long time ago] shortened Holy Week by one day so that for convenience Holy Week [Palm Sunday - Easter Sunday] would encompass two Sundays (for convenient Church attendance) instead of the Saturday [Triumphal Entry] to Sunday of the Biblical events. The Catholic Church is not engaging in deceit because they have never said that Jesus didn't fulfill His three days and three nights prophecy the way Dave Hunt is saying that Jesus never observed Passover even though Jesus Himself had said [Luke 22:7-16] that He had highly "desired" to eat the Passover with His 12 Apostles.} The error in a Friday crucifixion is that clearly only two days and two nights are fulfilled in Jesus' own prophecy. [Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas (Jonah) was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.] Jesus prophesied that He would spend three days and three nights in the center (heart) of the earth. With Dave Hunt previously stating that Jesus did not observe the Passover and with the common teaching of the Friday crucifixion opening the door to yet another 'seemingly' unfulfilled prophecy then it does clearly open the way for a usurper an Antichrist to enter in and to pretend to fulfill prophesies, prophesies that are already fulfilled and completed by Jesus Christ it is just that modern teachers (pastors), teachings and modern interpretations have readily and systematically edited Jesus out of His own fulfillments and out of His own accomplishments. Dave Hunt does offer Thursday as the crucifixion day however in his already greatly confused and highly truncated timeline of events Hunt offers the Thursday crucifixion seemingly more as a momentary opportunity to deride Catholicism than as a fundamental opportunity to express fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy. All the while Dave Hunt continues to attempt to lead the Christian Church into confusion and with confusion into factions [Protestant, Roman Catholicism] and with factions then comes unwanted strife and division within the Christian Church. [article link]
2.) Examining the Dave Hunt Heresy [John 18:28] where Hunt incorrectly contends that Jesus intended to celebrate the Passover but was unable to do so - Hunt's theory is only speculation and confusion on Dave Hunt's part - Hunt confuses the later Feast of Unleavened Bread [15th of Nissan - Leviticus 23:6] for the earlier Feast of the Lord's Passover [14th of Nissan - Leviticus 23:5] It is easy enough to prove that Jesus and the 12 Apostles did observe the Lord's Passover Feast: Luke 22:7-16 Then came the day [14th of Nissan - Feast of the Lord's Passover] of unleavened bread, when the Passover (lamb) must be killed. And He (Jesus) sent Peter and John, saying, **Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat. And they said unto Him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And He said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city [Jerusalem], there shall a man [thought to be Mark] meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the Passover. **And when the [evening] hour was come, He sat down, and the Twelve Apostles with Him. And He [Jesus] said unto them, ***With desire I have desired to eat [fulfill] this Passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it [Feast Days] be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. - Dave Hunt's Heresy contends that based on [John 18:28] Jesus was unable to fulfill the Passover. - "John 18:28 Then [the next day the 15th of Nissan (Thursday, crucifixion day) - the Feast of
Unleavened Bread] led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they [Jewish leaders] themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the [Unleavened Bread] Passover." -- {This verse proves that the crucifixion took place on the 15th of Nissan the day after the Lord's Passover because the Lord's Passover [14th of Nissan] is not a Sabbath Rest Feast but the next day [15th of Nissan] the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is (at sundown) a Sabbath Rest.} "John 19:31-35 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the [Unleavened Bread] Sabbath day, *for that Sabbath day was an high day [not the regular Saturday Sabbath], besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he [Disciple John] that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. - Note: The Feast of the Lord's Passover [14th Nissan] is not a Sabbath (rest) feast [that is why Jesus and the 11 Apostles were able to go out to the Garden of Gethsemane that night - had the Lord's Passover been a Sabbath (evening rest) Feast, by Jewish (Torah) Law they would have had to remain inside resting] (the original Lord's Passover [Exodus 12:11] was not a day of rest it was the [busy] day "in haste" when the children of God busily prepared to leave Egypt) the accompanying Feast the Feast of Unleavened Bread [starting the 15th of Nissan] is a seven day feast and the first day [15th Nissan] and the seventh day [21st of Nissan] are both (evening rest) Sabbath rest days. Leviticus 23:6-8 And on the fifteenth day of the same month [Nissan] is the Feast of Unleavened Bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day [15th of Nissan] ye shall have an *holy convocation [evening Sabbath]: ye shall do no servile work therein (after sunset). But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD [for] seven days: in the seventh day [21st of Nissan] is [also] an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. -- The Dave Hunt Heresy is so easily wrong in so many ways and in so many obvious aspects that it can almost be concluded that Dave Hunt is deliberately, intentionally and systematically propagating disinformation within the Christian Church, regarding the life, ministry and accomplishments of Jesus Christ. [article link]
A Preview and look at some of the aspects of Holy Week and of the 10 Day Jesus Walk 2010 Easter Timeline Devotion - 1.) The events that Jesus Christ participated in and completed or initiated for us to receive from are primarily distributed throughout the 8 Levitical Feasts [Leviticus Chapter 23] the Jewish Feasts days that were in occurrence during the Holy Week Events - {Note: It is important to know that Leviticus stipulates that the Feasts themselves are to be Observed and Fulfilled in their proper order beginning with the Feast of Sabbath. In other words there would not be a proper observance of either the Passover or Pentecost feasts without first having properly observed and having entered into the Feast of Sabbath Rest as fulfilled and offered to us in Jesus Christ.} Leviticus 23:4 These are the [8] Feasts of the LORD, even Holy Convocations [gatherings], which ye shall proclaim *in their Seasons [in their proper order and at their proper time].- The Jesus Walk 10 Day Easter Timeline Devotion originally started out [in 1994] as a Bible study simply attempting to following Jesus through the events of Holy Week. The original study-devotion did not start out as a devotion focusing on the 8 Levitical Feasts as the devotion has primarily become since 2000. The essence of the Jesus Walk devotion is fellowshipping with Jesus by following along with Jesus during His origional Holy Week events, events that happen to be foretold and previously explained by Moses in the 8 Feasts of Leviticus Chapter 23. The original Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion started as a Bible study project in 1994 however I was completely unable to fit the 10 days of Biblical events [Anointing Friday - Resurrection Sunday] into the eight days [Palm Sunday Easter Sunday] observed in the current modern Holy Week format. Frustrated with trying to fit the Biblical events into the modern timeline I twice [in 1997 and later in 1999] gave up on the Jesus Walk project but in 1998 with the verse "1 Corinthians 5:7 ... For even Christ our Passover (the week of Passover - Holy Week) is sacrificed for us" ringing in my head I also read some of a book [Armageddon: Appointment with Destiny] by
Grant R. Jeffery and he pointed out that Easter Sunday was actually the Feast of First Fruits and also that the crucifixion was on the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Previously most of the preaching that I had heard only referenced The Feast of Passover and it was usually wrongly associated with the crucifixion day of Jesus while 1 Corinthians 11:23 says that the Last Supper "Passover" was on the night Jesus was betrayed not on the day he was crucified so clearly the events of Holy Week had been enacted on specific days in accordance with the 8 Feasts of Leviticus Chapter 23 where the Holy Week events had originally been embedded for our later understanding. After another major effort during Easter 1999 the Jesus Walk project was again given up in failure until previous to Easter 2000 when some really horrible teaching [by Dave Hunt - saying that Jesus never even kept the Passover] put me right back into the Jesus Walk project and in 2000 I thought I had a word of discernment from the Holy Spirit that the project would come together that year and as Easter 2000 came and went I still felt encouraged to continue the study and at the end of May 2000 the devotional timeline days were shifted in my study notes [because they just didn't fit in the modern timeline] and Palm Sunday was backed up to [Palm Saturday] and I couldn't believe it Sunday had become a Saturday fulfilling the First Feast Day but I immediately thought that there was a verse in the Bible that proclaimed the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to be on a Sunday but there was no such verse and after some careful examination in the Greek I realized that [not Sunday] but Saturday is the day Biblically supported as the Day of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem and then finally with the day of the Triumphal Entry established the Jesus Walk Holy Week Study Devotion became the completed 10 Day Holy Week Timeline Devotion. ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
Chick.com: Somebody Angry? - God's Divine Covenant to watch over Israel and the Jews (Online Tract) Zechariah 12:1-14 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Check out how a Christian pro-Israel man was treated by a Muslim gas station employee in Tampa - And check out how it was Christians who protested this anti-Israel gas station - If only even a sliver of my fellow [Jewish] co-religionists were as supportive of Israel and the Jewish people as these fine,
courageous Christians, whom I'm happy to have as friends and allies - Kudos to Tampa Bay TV reporter Tanya Arja for covering the story {Praying for Israel and the Peace of Israel does not imply praying against Muslims. It is about praying for peace for all mankind because when the Jews have peace and safety wherever they are in the world we will all have peace and safety wherever we are. God has fixed the wellbeing of all mankind on the safety and security of His Jewish people -- history testifies of the greatness of countries and individuals that support the Jews and of the downfall of the very same nations and individuals as they no longer support God's chosen people the Jews.} (Video) About three dozen people stood outside a Brandon gas station Thursday, protesting the treatment of a customer. Mark Moser says he was pumping gas at the Citgo station on Brandon Blvd last Friday when the pump stopped at $1.88. Moser told FOX 13 he went into the station to ask why and was surprised by the clerk's response. "I told the gas attendant, My pump shut off, what happened?' He said, 'Yeah, I shut the pump off,'" Moser recalled. "I said, 'Excuse me?' He said, 'You pray for Israel; I pray for Palestine. You're not getting any gas here.'" Moser believes the clerk saw the decal on his windshield that reads, "Pray for Israel," with a Christian fish on one side and a Star of David on the other. He has two other decals on the windows that read, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." The owner of the gas station, Nasir Abuoleim, said through his attorney that they investigated the claim, and that the employee admitted to denying gas. . . . Moser - who held a sign at the protest that read, "Denied gas for praying for Israel" - said he is not Jewish but that the Bible tells him to support Israel. He said he is not after money; he just wants to take a stand. [article link]
URGENT! Presbyterian Church USA Ready to Declare War Against Israel - A group of activists hostile to Israel [using the Christian Church as a cover], including theologians and others in some prominent Protestant churches have launched a dangerous campaign to use theology to delegitimize the Jewish State and her supporters - They may be only days away from putting the (boycott Israel) policy of a large Protestant denomination on a collision course with Israel's survival - unless we raise our voices in protest Take Action Now - {Note: So much of this radical anti-Israel agenda [and other radical agendas (i.e. environmentalism)] are being carried out by NON-CHRISTIANS from within the confines of what many ordinary people think is Christianity. Just a hunch but TRUE-CHRISTIANS need to stand up and declare that Christianity is against the unjust treatment of any people or group and especially against any unfavorable treatment directed at the Jews.} (Email Petition) In 2004, The Presbyterian Church in the US (PCUSA) became the first mainline Protestant denomination to approve a policy of divestment from Israel. Unpopular with church members, it was later rescinded. But in 2008, church leaders supposedly seeking to balance PCUSA'a Middle East policies, instead, created a committee dominated by seven activists holding strong anti-Israel beliefs. The lone member sympathetic to Israel, quit in protest when he saw their radical agenda. Adoption of this poisonous document by the Presbyterian Church will be nothing short of a declaration of war on Israel and her supporters. It will be negatively impact interfaith relations, and could have significant repercussions in the political domain, with 46 Members of the US Congress and Senate who are Presbyterians. And these initiatives, encouraged by the Geneva-based World Council of Churches, will cause a ripple effect on other denominations. Which is why we urgently ask you to do two things: 1) Protest directly to the top leadership of the PCUSA urging them to stop this dangerous campaign which denies the legitimacy and security of Israel. 2) Reach out to your Presbyterian friends and ask them to speak out against this potential rewriting of PCUSA's policy towards Israel that will destroy the era of good will that has been fostered with the Jewish community for decades. There are many staunch friends of Israel in PCUSA whose voices are being drowned out by a few determined activists, who are relentlessly pursuing a radical political anti-Israel agenda. [article link]
Introducing [HonestReporting] HR Radio - a weekly review of mainstream media coverage of Israel - Our New (YouTube) Podcast!
Welcome to the first broadcast of HonestReporting Radio, a weekly review of mainstream media coverage of Israel. Join HR's Pesach Benson and Yarden Frankl as they discuss the double standards behind media coverage of [27] Afghan civilian casualties of Nato's latest military offensive compared with Palestinian civilian casualties of [past] IDF operations. [article link]
MoriahFilms.com - [Jewish] Simon Wiesenthal Center: Against the Tide - The Story of America During the [WWII] Holocaust - Through a never before seen 1977 interview, Bergson gives a first-hand account of what occurred - Against the Tide addresses the attitudes of [Illuminati] President Roosevelt (Franklin D. Roosevelt U.S. President 1933-1945) and his senior [Occultist] advisors, who used the pretext of winning the war against the Nazis to block any Jewish immigration to the U.S. and juxtaposes the events in America with heartwrenching heroic stories of the doomed Jews of Europe and the leaders of Polish Jewry who had faith that their powerful brothers and sisters in the United States would somehow be able to save them - Narrated by Dustin Hoffman (DVD) "Against the Tide" is a compelling film that documents what happened in the United States during the Holocaust, highlighting how a young activist, Peter Bergson, challenged Washington and the establishment Jewish organizations to demand that the rescue of Europe's Jews become a top priority for American Jews. Through a never before seen 1977 interview, Bergson gives a first-hand account of what occurred. Through a never before seen 1977 interview, Bergson gives a first-hand account of what occurred. The more successful he became in attracting support from important non-Jewish members of Congress and Hollywood personalities such as Ben Hecht, *Edward G. Robinson [Movie star - served in the U.S. Office of War Information department as a Propaganda officer during the end of WWII - he was probably a very legit patriot (one of only a few) serving America in a very unpatriotic un-American government funded agency] and Paul Muni, the more threatened and resentful Jewish establishment leaders became. Only the ultra Orthodox Vaad Hatzala [the Rescue Committee or Committee for Rescuing - founded in 1939 was an (U.S. and Canada) organization to rescue Jews in Europe from the Holocaust - wiki.com], led by Rabbis Aaron Kotler and Eliezer Silver worked with him. Against the Tide addresses the attitudes of President Roosevelt and his senior advisors, who used the pretext of winning the war against the Nazis to block any Jewish immigration to the U.S. and juxtaposes the events in America with heart-wrenching heroic stories of the doomed Jews of Europe and the leaders of Polish Jewry who had faith that their powerful brothers and sisters in the United States would somehow be able to save them. [article link]
1611 KJV Holy Bible - Reader Version - Now available in EPUB version (ePub) Red Letter Edition - Reader Version now in ePub format. To download the eBook 'Right Click' on the Article Link and select "Save file as …" [article link]
Basic Christian: blog Bible Study eBook now available in EPUB version (ePub) The complete Through the Bible blog Bible Study in ePub format. To download the eBook 'Right Click' on the Article Link and select "Save file as …" [article link]
gizmag.com: Intel Moorestown [Atom CPU] platform to drive smartphones [iPads] in 2010 - Look for Intel's Moorestown platform to power new smartphones starting in 2010 (Technology) Look for a boost in smartphone performance and capabilities as the Intel Moorestown platform starts to appear in devices this year. Intel says that the new mobile Internet device (MID) platform will be launching during the first half of 2010, and should begin appearing in consumer devices on the market as early as the third quarter. The specs look promising and Intel was showing off a bevy of prototypes and reference designs at CES 2010, including units from Aava Mobile, EB, Inventec, Open Peak, and Winstron. LG also had a
Moorestown-based smartphone on hand at the show. The Moorestown platform is designed to be a faster, more efficient version of the Atom CPU computing platform. Combined with Intel's Moblin [MeeGo] OS, the company is looking to make the platform a serious competitor in the smartphone market. Moorestown is designed to idle using much less power than the Atom or other processors. Intel claims it uses up to 50 times less power at idle. This would provide the essential long battery life for a smartphone or netbook. The Moorsetown platform also feature HD video, with the ability to record 720p HD and playback 1080p HD. In demos at CES, Moorestown-based devices were shown playing HD video at 30fps. [article link]
OpenTablet 7: OpenPeak announced the new OpenTablet 7, a portable multimedia tablet device which combines telephony and multimedia features - It is set to go up against Apple's iPad (Technology) As the name implies, the OpenTablet 7 has a 7-inch multitouch display with LED backlit, Bluetooth connectivity and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. It also has cellular connectivity for phone calls. The Tablet PC is only 15mm thick with a diameter of 9 x 5 inch. It also integrates dual cameras and a HDMI output. OpenTablet comes with built-in speaker, microphone, a USB port and a microSD card slot. The unit is based on the Intel Moorestown Atom processor. It comes with a wide selection of services and preloaded applications plus developers can create highly interactive applications using Adobe Flash CS4 for their needs. Yes you heard it right it supports Flash unlike the iPad. The price and availability date of OpenTablet 7 is not known yet. [article link]
OpenTablet™ 7 [iPad] - OpenPeak Inc, a leading provider of multimedia touch-screen devices and device management platforms, today officially debuted its new OpenTablet™ 7 - an ultra-sleek, portable, touch-screen tablet that combines high-quality telephony with advanced multi-media communications services and applications to deliver an engaging, interactive experience - The OpenTablet is expected to be adopted by multiple branded customers and service providers and ship in the second half of this year [Fall 2010] (Technology) Powered by Intel's next generation [mobile CPU] handheld and tablet platform, codenamed "Moorestown," the OpenTablet 7 features a high-resolution 7-inch multi-touch TFT LCD screen with LED backlighting, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and cellular connectivity, HDMI output and dual cameras for capturing both highdefinition video and still images. The on-board USB interface and MicroSD slot expand the device's connectivity, while built-in speakers and microphone allow the device to serve as a fully functioning telephone and multimedia platform. At just 9 inches by 5 inches, and only .59" thick, the device is as slim and unobtrusive as a photo frame, and weighs just 1.15 pounds. "The OpenTablet is the ultimate control panel, delivering the most commonly accessed multi-media services right to your fingertips anywhere," said Dan Gittleman, CEO of OpenPeak. "The all-in-one device allows you to sync schedules, check movie times, listen to music, watch videos, get weather updates, and even monitor energy usage and home security, all from a single, easy-to-use device." ... Leveraging the powerful Intel Moorestown [CPU] platform and built on the proven, reliable OpenPeak platform, the OpenTablet is a ready-to-deploy device that provides plug-and-play ease of installation at an affordable price point. The device is available with either a desktop docking station or handset docking station. "The Intel Moorestown platform will deliver exceptional performance for a range of rich, interactive, Internet-based experiences while dramatically reducing power", said Pankaj Kedia, director of global ecosystem programs in Intel Corporation's Ultra Mobility Group. "Based on this next generation Intel platform, the OpenTablet represents a powerful, user friendly and innovative design in the emerging tablet market segment." [article link]
Coming Soon: blog History Study - The 8 Kingdoms of the World (RSS) Nimrod, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, [Revised Rome] Antichrist, Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ [article link]
History of the Rosetta Stone (Youtube) History of the Rosetta Stone and Israel Archaeology. Randall Niles looks at the importance of Egyptian Hieroglyphics to Biblical Studies. Visit www.AllAboutTheJourney.org/isr to read how the history of the Rosetta Stone and other Egyptian artifacts impact the integrity of the Jewish scriptures. Also, go to www.RandallNiles.com/videos.htm to watch more videos about the history of the Rosetta Stone and other archaeological treasures related to Israel Archaeology! [article link]
Coming Soon: blog History Study - Church History (RSS) A.D. 0 - 100 A.D., A.D. 100 - 200 A.D., A.D. 200 - 300 A.D., A.D. 300 - 400 A.D., etc. [article link]
The blog Bible Study has concluded the Bible study portion! - Sometime after Holy Week and Resurrection Day (Easter) the study will continue with some ancient history and Church history segments - Thanks to everyone for your participation and especially for your prayers! The blog Bible Study concluded fairly quickly - I had looked at the website visitor logs a couple of weeks ago and saw that people were scattered all throughout the study though primarily in the New Testament while the study was blogging O.T. studies at the time and that's a good thing because the material is designed to be a self-help service but with people so scattered [though many people were current] I decided to move along and if at all possible conclude the study and the study has been concluded. The material is now available as a complete resource for the convenience of anyone who wants to use it. The study really turned into an amazing, fascinating study! I learned a lot during the study and I mostly learned that I need to spend more time reading the Bible and being in prayer, and in fellowship and just in general being in a Christian life. We serve a Great God!!! Thanks to everyone especially for your prayers - the study truly encountered the heights of Heaven and the depths of other things unmentionable and through it all it was the prayers of the Saints in fellowship that gave us a tremendous victory! After Holy Week we will continue with the history portion of the study but in the time before Holy Week it seems like a good opportunity to look at some areas and aspects of the events of Holy Week as we prepare ourselves for Holy Week 2010. Then after Holy Week and some history segments the blog will continue with some basic Topical Bible studies and devotions. -- God bless everyone! ~ David Anson Brown [article link]
-- The Bible study is dedicated in the name of Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Savior The Bible study is dedicated in the name of Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Savior. May the Lord Jesus Christ be honored by our devotions, our study and in our fellowship. May all the people be blessed and grow in the grace and knowledge of the love and presence of God our creator and our savior. Amen! [article link]
Revelation 22 - The Disciple John is shown the Eternal State of the Saints with the New Jerusalem containing the Eternal Throne of God [Father, Son Jesus (Lamb), Holy Spirit] on earth - The beloved Disciple John closes the great Revelation of the beloved Jesus Christ by sealing (the 8th Seal) it with a promise, this final Seal is an unbreakable promise from Jesus Christ Himself to return quickly, when it is time (opened) and when the 8th Seal is opened Jesus will return according to all of His promises - The Disciple John then prays in agreement with Jesus Christ and requests the return of Jesus Christ - The Disciple John then finalizes all Holy Bible Scripture with a blessing from Jesus Christ to all the beloved Saints in Jesus Christ -- 'Revelation 22:1-6 And he [Angel] shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb [in the New Jerusalem]. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there *the Tree of Life (Genesis 2:9), which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and **the leaves of the tree were for the healing [wellbeing] of the Nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the Throne of God and of the Lamb [Jesus Christ] shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His face;
and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. And he said unto me, These sayings are Faithful and True: **and the Lord God of the holy prophets **sent His Angel [messenger] **to shew unto His servants [Christians - Saints] the things which must shortly be done [accomplished].' The Bible's book of Revelation concludes completing the Holy Bible: Revelation 22:7-21 Behold, I [Jesus Christ] come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I [Jesus Christ] come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine Angel [messenger] to testify unto you these things in the Churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the [Holy] Spirit and the Bride [Christian Church] say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the Words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book. He [Jesus Christ] which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. [article link]
Revelation 21 - The earth and sky are going to pass away as humanity enters into a new earth and a new sky in the eternal state with God -- 'Revelation 21:1-5 And I saw a new heaven (sky) and a new earth: for the first heaven (sky) and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle [dwelling] of God [the Father] is with men, and He [the Father] will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God [Jesus] Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: **for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: **for these Words [being from God] are True and Faithful.' The New Jerusalem, the new Holy City on the new earth is revealed and the gates of the Holy City are permanently open inviting all the eternal Saints to freely enter into the eternal city to bring in their glory and honor in worship and praise to God: Revelation 21:6-8 And He [God] said unto me [Disciple John], It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, *the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, ***and he shall be My [adopted] Son. *But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. ... Revelation 21:22-27 And [in the New Jerusalem, the new Holy City on earth] I saw no Temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. **And the Nations of *them *which *are *saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings [mighty] of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter
into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but [only] they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. - Note: There appears to remain a societal structure for mankind (Saints) complete with individual Nations, cities and towns even out into the eternal state. [article link]
Revelation 20 - Satan is to be incarcerated for the entire 1,000 year Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ on earth -'Revelation 20:1-3 And I saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1) and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, *and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the Nations no more, till the thousand years [Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ on earth, 8th Kingdom] should be fulfilled: and after that he [Satan] must be loosed a little season. - Note: The human elements of Satan's 7th Kingdom the human Antichrist and the human false prophet have at this point already been sentenced to the eternal lake of fire. Satan is held in chains for the 1,000 years and then he is released for a brief final temptation on mankind.' Revelation 20:4-15 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and *which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; **and they [saints Martyred during the Tribulation period] lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. *But the rest of the dead [all the unsaved] lived [manifested] not again until the thousand years were finished. **This is the first resurrection [the resurrection of the Holy Saints of Jesus Christ]. **Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: **on such the second death [judgment] hath no power, but they shall be [Righteous, Melchizedek] Priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, *Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the Nations [the new nations established or re-established during the 1,000 reign of Jesus Christ] which are in the four quarters of the earth, *Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:1-23), to gather them [sinners from the 1,000 Kingdom] together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed [encircled] the Camp of the Saints about, and the beloved city [Jerusalem]: and fire came down from God out of Heaven, and devoured them. And the devil [Satan] that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. ***And [later the 1,00 years] I saw a Great White Throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the Heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. {Note: during the Great White Throne judgment there is no earth and no sky, and the people being judged are naked disembodied spirits - so apparently if they want to contend with God [and smirk and insult] during their judgment it will be more than a bit awkward for them having no body and even no planet to stand on.} And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the [judgment] books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, **according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead [demons] which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the [spiritual] dead [fallen angels] which were in them: and they were judged every man {human, demon and fallen angel} according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. **This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. - Note: After the Church age and after the Revelation [Martyred Saints, 144,000] Tribulation age there is then the 1,000 year Kingdom age. The testing by Satan after the 1,000 year Kingdom age is only for the people of the 1,000 year Kingdom age. The resurrected Saints are not judged again (Hebrews 9:27) not judged continually. A Saint that was with Moses in the desert and once resurrected that Old Testament Saint is not judged during the Church era and the Church is not judged in the Martyred Saints of Revelation era and only the people physically alive in the 1,000 year Kingdom reign are in a position to receive or reject their eternal salvation. Once a Saint receives resurrection [adoption as a Son of God] then it is eternal and being eternal it is secure. It is not even the remotest possibility [no longer even having a sin nature] that resurrected Christian Saints or resurrected Old Testament Saints could even rebel against God and then hypothetically need to be judged and removed from
God's eternal Kingdom at any given point in time in the Kingdom. Once a Saint [we are born with a sin nature and die with our sin nature but we are resurrected without a sin nature] is in the resurrected Kingdom of God and God being faithful and love God does not ever turn against His own people (and again resurrected Saints will not even have a sin nature) so the eternal Kingdom of God is in all actuality, and in all reality, and for all purposes - eternity - and eternity with God is security and that is eternal. [article link]
Revelation 19 - The Great eternal Congregation of Saints in Heaven all Worship and Praise God at the same time and in the same place -- 'Revelation 19:1-5 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For True and Righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great [unfaithful] whore, **which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the Throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the Throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.' The Lord Jesus Christ begins to take physical possession of the earth to reign and rule on the earth for His Millennial (1,000 year)Kingdom on earth: Revelation 19:6-21 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent [all powerful] reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: *for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife [the Christian Church] hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness [in Jesus Christ] of Saints. And he saith unto me, **Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb {probably occurring shortly after Revelation 4:1 and before the first Seal is broken}. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him [Angel]. And he [Angel] said unto me, See thou *do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the Testimony of Jesus: ***worship [only] God: **for the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse [the true conquering King Jesus]; and He [Jesus Christ] that sat upon Him was called Faithful and True, and in *righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were [judgment] as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns [authorities]; and He [also] had a [personal] Name written, **that no man knew, but [only] He himself {this unknown Name is a reference to God's creation (mankind) being at war with God, even after the cross of Jesus and no man can possibly know the agony of the experience of having to eternally judge mankind that God loves so much}. And He was clothed with a vesture [garment] dipped in [human] blood {we are offered to wear Jesus' shed blood for our eternal life covering but those who reject it God will shed their blood}: and His Name [Jesus] is called The Word of God. And the armies [various dispensations] which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword [word of God], that with it He should smite the Nations: and He shall rule [8th Kingdom] them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture [garment] and on His thigh a Name [we will all know] written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. **And the beast [Antichrist] was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. **These both [two parts of the unholy trinity ] were cast alive [directly] into a lake of fire burning with brimstone [skipping the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11)]. And the [unholy] remnant were slain with the sword [Word] of Him [Jesus Christ] that sat upon the
horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. [article link]
Revelation 18 - The sins of Mystery Babylon will result in the plagues of God upon Mystery Babylon -'Revelation 18:1-5 And after these things I saw another Angel [messenger] come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with His Glory [Jesus Christ]. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all Nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication [unfaithfulness], and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. **And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins (Genesis 11:4) have reached unto Heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities [intentional sins].' Mystery Babylon is to be judged and destroyed all in a single day: Revelation 18:6-10 Reward her [Mystery Babylon] even as she rewarded [betrayed] you [humans], and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. *Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. ... Revelation 18:20-24 Rejoice over her [Mystery Babylon], thou Heaven, and ye Holy Apostles and Prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down (Jeremiah 51:63), and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. **And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. [article link]
Revelation 17 - The great Mystery Babylon [the hidden invisible unholy spiritual realm] is revealed -'Revelation 17:1-2 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me [Disciple John], saying unto me, Come hither [near]; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters [Nations]: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication [unfaithfulness], and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine [spiritual influences] of her fornication.' The great Mystery Babylon, the hidden invisible unholy spiritual realm that is so affecting mankind and the earth is to come to an end in a great and final destruction at the judgment of God: Revelation 17:3-18 So he [Angel] carried me [Disciple John] away in the spirit into the wilderness [empty place]: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. **And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints [of all human history], and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration [bewilderment]. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that
carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition [eternal damnation]: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains [governments - the kingdoms of the world], on which the woman sitteth. **And there are seven kings [Nimrod (Tower of Babel), Pharaoh Akhenaten (Egypt), Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon), Cyrus (Persia), Alexander the Great (Greece), Julius Caesar (Rome), Antichrist (Satan)]: five [Nimrod, Egypt, ancient Babylon, Persia, Greece] are fallen, and one [Roman Empire] is, and the other [Antichrist] is not yet come; and when he [Antichrist] cometh, he must continue a short space [3 1/2 years, the Ministry of Jesus Christ was 3 1/2 years on earth but the Antichrist his kingdom being so violent (Matthew 24:21-22) might only end up with about 45 days (Daniel 12:11-2)]. And the beast [Antichrist] that was [ruling], and is not [Antichrist is assassinated], even he [antichrist] is the eighth [resurrected, fake demonic contrived resurrection], *and is of the seven [the seventh guy (antichrist) becomes Antichrist, Satan incarnate in Satan's contrived eternal life, creation, resurrection], and [Antichrist] goeth into perdition [eternal damnation]. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten [region] kings, which have received no kingdom as yet [not until the End Time]; but receive power as kings one hour [for a very short time] with the beast. *These [puppets] have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb [Jesus Christ], and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He [Jesus Christ] is Lord of lords, and King of kings: **and they [Saints] that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he [Angel] saith unto me, *The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, *are peoples, and multitudes, and Nations, and tongues. And the ten horns [global government] which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore [false religious system], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, **and to agree [willingly - 7 of the 10 give their kingdom willingly to the Antichrist 3 are forced to do so (Daniel 7:8)], and give their kingdom unto the beast [forming the 7th Global Kingdom on earth], **until the Words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great [invisible - spiritual] city [Mystery Babylon], which reigneth over the kings of the earth. [article link]
Revelation 15-16 - The Martyred Saints of Revelation continue to assemble in Heaven - The 7 Vial (Measured) Judgments, the final judgments of Revelation are revealed -- 'Revelation 15:1-4 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven Angels having the Seven *last plagues [the 7 Measured Bowl judgments]; for in them is filled up the wrath [lit. passion for justice and righteousness] of God. And I saw as it were a Sea of Glass {now} mingled with fire {the earlier view while the Christian Church was present (Revelation 4:6) was without the Tribulation Wrath fire}: and them [Martyred Saints of Revelation] that had gotten the victory over the beast [Antichrist, Satan], and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number [666, a trinity of emptiness] of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they [Martyred Saints of Revelation] sing the (Salvation) Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-18) the servant of God, and the Song of the Lamb [Jesus Christ], saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and True are Thy ways, Thou King of *Saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy Name? for Thou only art Holy: for all Nations shall come and Worship (give thanks for eternal life) before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest [visible].' - Note: The Saints of Revelation [Gentiles] coming through the Tribulation Period [with redemption but not yet salvation] have more in common with Moses and the Children of Israel then they do with the Christian Church that possessed Salvation while alive on earth. The 7 Vial Judgments of Revelation are poured out primarily on the Demonic realm however the Demonic realm, the earth and the human realm have all intermingled at this point in time regarding human events: Revelation 16:1-21 And I heard a great voice out of the Temple [in Heaven] saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials [measured bowels] of the Wrath wrath [lit. passion for justice and righteousness] of God upon the earth. And the first [Angel] went, and poured out his vial upon the earth [demonic infestation]; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark [demonic mating] of the beast,
and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea [demonic habitation]; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers [demonic streams] and fountains [demonic teachings] of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun [demonic astrology]; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat (earth) [throne] of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. *And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [Mystery Babylon], and out of the mouth of the beast [Antichrist], and out of the mouth of the false prophet [the all Satanic unholy trinity - see also: Zechariah 11:8]. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world [7th Kingdom], to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. **Blessed is he [Saints] that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he [Antichrist] gathered them [armies of the world, also the 6th Trumpet judgment] together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air [Satan's realm (Ephesians 2:2)]; and [after the 7th Vial, then the 6th Seal, an earthquake (Revelation 6:12)] there came a great voice out of the Temple of Heaven, from the Throne, saying, ***It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake (6th Seal), such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the Nations fell: ***and great Babylon [Satanic mystery system] came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island [far away place] fled away, and the mountains [governments] were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail [rocks, stones]; for the plague [stoning of blasphomey (Leviticus 24:16)] thereof was exceeding great. [article link]
Revelation 14 - The 144,000 Jewish Saints of Jesus Christ -- 'Revelation 14:1-5 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb [Jesus Christ] stood on the Mount Sion (Zion) [Jerusalem], and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand [144,000], having His Father's Name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from Heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps [praise]: **And they [144,000] sung as it were a New Song before the Throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and [it is a separate and exclusive group] no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed [Jewish] from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed [Jewish] from among men, being the firstfruits [Jewish Salvation] unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the Throne of God.' With the Christian Church in Heaven and no longer a direct witness on the earth and the Martyred Saints of Revelation being quickly overcome the holy Angels of Heaven now take on a more open and active role in the events and redemption of mankind: Revelation 14:6-13 And I saw another [holy] Angel fly in the midst of heaven, **having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, **Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and Worship [give thanks for your life to] Him that made [created] heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another [holy] Angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is
fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third [holy] Angel followed them, **saying with a loud voice, If any man worship [ask for eternal life from] the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: **and they have no rest day nor night, **who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. ***Here is the patience of the Saints: here are they that keep the Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me, Write, **Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and **their works [on earth] do follow them [as rewards in Heaven]. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another [holy] Angel came out of the Temple [in Heaven], crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time [the great End Time harvest of souls] is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He [Jesus Christ] that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another [holy] angel came out of the temple which is in Heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another [holy] angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the [holy] Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without [outside] the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs (Isaiah 63:3, Revelation 19:15). [article link]
BasicChristian.org: What is the Mark of the Beast 666 - There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the Book of Revelation There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the book of Revelation. It is an actual mark or marking and it is also an Image (Icon) a representation of the Antichrist (Satan) himself and it is represented in his personal name of, emptiness, which is referenced by the number 666. [article link]
Revelation 13 - The Beast [Antichrist, Satan], the False Prophet and the 666 [Mystery Babylon, demonic realm] of the Unholy Trinity -- 'Revelation 13:1-4 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast [Antichrist] rise up out of the sea [Nations, people], having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. ... And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded [assassinated] to death; and his [fake] deadly wound was healed [fake resurrection]: and all the world wondered after the [apparent eternal life of the] beast [Antichrist]. And they worshipped [gave thanks for their life] the dragon which gave power unto the beast [the fake trinity]: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is [Messiah, Christ] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with [everlasting life] him?' The Antichrist Kingdom, the 7th global Kingdom of mankind wages a war against Jesus, against God and against the Saints of God still on the earth: Revelation 13:5-18 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things (Antichrist is the fulfillment of Nimrod the type the mighty hunter of sin, Genesis 10:9) and blasphemies; and power was given unto him [Antichrist] to continue forty and two months {the Antichrist has a 3 1/2 year Kingdom but according to Daniel (Daniel 12:11-2) the Antichrist kingdom [being complete destruction and human death] might last only 45 days}. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His Name, and His Tabernacle [dwelling], **and them [Christians] that [now] dwell in heaven. ***And it was given unto him [Antichrist] to make war with the Saints [Martyred Saints of Revelation], and **to overcome them [the Christian Church is not to be overcome but the Martyred Saints of Revelation will be quickly overcome (Matthew 16:18)]: and power was given him [Antichrist, 7th Kingdom] over all kindreds, and
tongues, and nations. **And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, [those] whose names are not written in the *Book of Life of the Lamb [Jesus Christ] slain [before the world began] from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He [NWO, 7th Kingdom participant] that leadeth [others] into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword (Galatians 6:7). **Here [during Tribulation] is the patience and the faith of the Saints. And I beheld another beast [false Prophet - of the unholy trinity] coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb [like a Christian], and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly [assignation] wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth (1 Kings 18:24-38) in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should *make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life [lit. spirit, breath - Pneuma, G4151] unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth **all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark [identifier] in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark [identifier], or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six [666]. - Note: The Mark of the Beast is comprised of three components. 1. An image or stature of the Antichrist. 2. A demonic initiation, seemingly a demonic counterfeit spirit to the real 'born again' spirit of Jesus Christ. 3. An identifying mark on the hand or forehead readily revealing those who have been initiated [mated, married] into the demonic spirits. As a side note those who do not have the identifier cannot buy or sell [participate in the economy] the actual mark [identifier] itself has nothing to do with buying or selling, the mark is not a unique to each person mark it is not a computer chip (though everyone may already be chipped, it is a separate issue from the mark of the beast and 666) the mark of the beast is the same [identifier] mark for everyone and essentially those who do not have the mark their personal economy [previously implanted computer chip]will be blacklisted and unable to function properly in the existing 7th Kingdom Antichrist economy. [article link]
Revelation 12 - The Disciple John while in the middle of the Visions of Revelation gives a historical summary of previous events further revealing that the Vision of Revelation as a whole is not in chronological order -'Revelation 12:1-5 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman [Nation of Israel] clothed with the sun [in fellowship with God], and the moon under her feet [observing proper spiritual discernment], and upon her head a crown of twelve stars [12 Tribes of Israel]: And she being with Child [Jesus Christ] cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon [Satan], having seven heads [the 7 global Gentile Kingdoms] and ten horns (Daniel 7:7), and seven crowns [king's crown - Diadema, G1238] upon his heads. And his [Satan's] tail drew the third part {this is where it is believed that 1/3 of the Angels fell with Satan} of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the Dragon [Satan] stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her Child [Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:16)] as soon as it was born. And she [Nation of Israel] brought forth a man child [Jesus Christ], who was to rule all Nations [8th Kingdom] with a rod of iron: and her child [Jesus Christ] was caught up [Resurrection - Ascension (Acts 1:9)] unto God, and to His Throne.' The Disciple John is given an overview of End Time events, not from the Churches' perspective [the Christian Church has concluded by this time] but from the Nation of Israel's perspective: Revelation 12:6-17 And the woman [Nation of Israel] fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days [3½ years]. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon [Satan - Lucifer]; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon [Satan] was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth [3rd Woe],
and his [Satan's] angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, **Now is come salvation [on earth], *and strength [Righteousness], 8and the Kingdom of our God, and the power [authority] of His Christ: for the accuser [lit. devil] of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. ***And they [Saints] overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, **and by the Word of their testimony; **and they loved not their lives unto the death. *Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. **Woe [3rd Woe] to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, *because he knoweth that he hath but a short time [3½ years]. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman [Nation of Israel] which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time (1), and times (2), and half a time (1/2)[3½ years], from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. **And the earth helped the woman [Israel], and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with ***the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have [Salvation] the Testimony of Jesus Christ. and the dragon was angry against the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, those keeping the Commands of God, and having the Testimony of Jesus Christ. [article link]
Revelation 11 - The 3rd Temple in Jerusalem is measured and described - At the time that the Disciple John was writing this in about 95 A.D. the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem had already been destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Legions of forces of Rome -- 'Revelation 11:1-2 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the Angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the Temple of God [3rd Temple], and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the Temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city [Jerusalem] shall they tread under foot forty and two months [3½ years].' - Note: There are several 3½ year segments in the Tribulation time period however they are not all a part of the same 7 year period. This 42 month period could be well under way before the Rapture then the 3½ years of the Two Witnesses could occur right after the Rapture and at the start of the 7 years of Tribulation. Just keep in mind that there are multiple 3½ year periods with different starting times and different completion times. Revelation 11:3-13 And I [God] will give power unto my Two Witnesses [Two Prophets - possibly Moses and Elijah], and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days [1,260 days, 3½ years - 360 days in a Biblical prophetic year], clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth (Zechariah 4;3). And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them [the Two Witnesses], he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city [Jerusalem], which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations *shall see [via global television] their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood [resurrection] upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: **and *the *remnant were affrighted, and **gave glory to the God of heaven. The *second *woe [demonic infestation - demons from the bottomless pit] is past; and, behold, the third woe [Satan himself - Antichrist] cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded;
and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign [the 8th Kingdom] for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the Nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in His Temple the Ark of His Testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. - Note: The 7th global Kingdom of mankind gives way to the Kingdom of God, the 8th Kingdom, the eternal Righteous Kingdom of Jesus Christ. [article link]
Revelation 10 - With the Judgments of Revelation becoming accomplished the Mystery and separation between God and mankind is about to come to an end as all the many Holy Prophets have been Prophesying since the beginning of sin and seperation -- 'Revelation 10:5-7 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be [separation] time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, **the Mystery [unknown separation] of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets.' Revelation 10:8-11 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book (scroll) which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat [internalize] it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter [digesting the bitter events of Tribulation], but it shall be in thy mouth sweet [tasting the soon reconciliation of Heaven and earth] as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. **And he [Angel] said unto me, ***Thou must prophesy again before *many peoples, *and Nations, and tongues, and Kings. - Note: The prophecies of the Book of Revelation affect all mankind and are addressed to all mankind. [article link]
Revelation 8-9 - The 7th Seal is mentioned before the revelation of the 7 Trumpet judgments and the 7 Vial Judgments however it appears that though revealed in separate groups the actual events occur largely in one comingled and continuous group of judgments -- 'Revelation 8:1 And when He [Jesus Christ] had opened the Seventh Seal, there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour.' Revelation 8:2-6 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. ... Revelation 9:20-21 And the rest of the men [on earth] which were not killed by these plagues [7 Trumpets] **yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: **Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. - Note: The Tribulation events of Revelation are specifically designed by God to bring as many people as possible into repentance and Salvation though some will not repent a large "innumerable" number of people will repent and receive Salvation and eternity with God. [article link]
Revelation 7 - The 144,000 Jewish 'firstfruits' are sealed as witnesses of Jesus Christ during the Tribulation days - The 144,000 are the first (firstfruits)of Jewish Salvation (Revelation 14:4) - Up until this point in time the Jews have Redemption or became Christians and received Christian Salvation however at this point with the Christian Church era having ended the Jews now begin to receive Salvation as Jews -- 'Revelation 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand [144,000] of all the Tribes of the Children of Israel.' Revelation 7:9-17 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude [the Tribulation Saints], which no man could number, [Gentiles] of all Nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, **clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, *Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the Angels stood round about the Throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the Throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest [John did not know who the Martyred Saints of Revelation were - it is a group separate and distinct from the 144,000, separate from the Jews and even separate and distinct from the Christian Church]. And he [Angel] said to me, These are they which came out of Great Tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. **Therefore are they before the Throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His Temple: and He that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. - Note: It is substantial that the Disciple and Apostle John [a Christian Church leader] did not know who the Martyred Saints were. John was unable to recognize the group because this is a group of redeemed and saved Gentiles who come to Jesus Christ after the rapture and close of the Christian Church. This group of Saints are clearly separate but closer to God [serving at the Throne of God] and distinct from the Christian Church, the Church seems to be located further out on the glassy sea. If the Martyred Saints were in any way affiliated with the Christian Church the Disciple John would have been able to recognize them. [article link]
Revelation 6 - The Revelation Judgments of Jesus Christ the 7 Seal Judgments begin - Each Seal is a restraint that has kept the evil of mankind within certain boundaries - What Jesus Christ is doing is breaking each boundary (seal) and removing certain restraints on mankind and allowing mankind to more completely behave the way mankind wants to behave - The 7 Seal judgments are overseen and administered by Jesus Christ While the 7 Trumpet Judgments are overseen by the Holy Spirit and administered by Angels - While the 7 Vial (measured bowl) judgments are overseen by God the Father and are also administered by Angels -- 'Revelation 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb [Jesus Christ] opened one of the (7) Seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts [Spirit beings] saying, Come and see.' Revelation 6:2-17 And I saw, and behold [1st seal] a white horse: and he [probably the Antichrist] that sat on him [now unrestrained] had a bow {covenant - false peace treaty}; and a crown [accomplishment - Stephanos, G4735] was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer [over mankind]. And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth {false treaty is proven to be false}, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure [a daily food ration] of wheat for a penny [a full day of labor wages], and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the [abundant] oil and the wine [of the rich]. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and **Hell followed with him [just to die in the Tribulation is not a ticket
into heaven - people still have to confess Jesus Christ to enter into Heaven]. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. And when He had opened the fifth seal [Martyred Saints of revelation], I saw under the altar the souls [separate from the Christian Church] of them that were **slain {first 3 ½ years of Tribulation} for **the Word of God, and for the Testimony [Jesus Christ is God] which they held: And they [Martyred Saints] cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, Holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes [righteousness] were given unto every one of them [after their death of martyrdom]; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season {the second 3½ years the Great Tribulation}, until their fellow servants [the other Martyred Saints of revelation] also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal {the 6th seal is probably opened with the 4th Trumpet judgment and 7th Vial (bowl) judgment}, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? - Note: The 7th Seal (Revelations 8:1) is silence in Heaven {and probably on earth} just moments before the conclusion of Heaven and earth becoming reconciled together once again. The 7 Seals, the 7 Trumpets and the 7 Vials all intermingle with one another it isn't all 7 seals then all 7 Trumpets concluded by the 7 Vials. The Bible explains the three judgments in three groups but parts of the judgments are occurring simultaneously in Heaven and on earth with all three judgments concluding in the same act of restoration and reconciliation of the earth with Heaven. [article link]
Revelation 5 - The events of the Book of Revelation are going to bring about the final reconciliation between Heaven [Throne of God] and earth the dwelling of mankind -- 'Revelation 5:1-5 And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the Throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals [restraints judgments]. And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals [restraints] thereof? And no man in heaven [alone], nor in earth [alone], neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I [Disciple John] wept much, because no {one dimensional} man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda (Judah), the Root [descendant] of [King] David, hath prevailed [being from Heaven and overcoming on earth] to open the book [to reconcile and unite Heaven and earth], and to loose the seven seals thereof.' With the Christian Church in Heaven the final reconciliation work between Heaven and earth begins to take place both in Heaven and on earth: Revelation 5:6-14 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the Throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain [Jesus being without sin resurrected in His physical body and the Disciple John was given a glimpse of Jesus as He had been slain on the cross], having seven horns [complete power] and seven eyes [complete vision], which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And He [Jesus Christ] came and took the book out of the right hand of Him [Father God] that sat upon the Throne. And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours [prayers of all saints], which are the prayers of saints. **And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof [reconciling and reuniting Heaven and earth]: for thou wast slain [on earth], and hast redeemed ***us [Christians] to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and Nation; And hast ***made us unto our God Kings [rulers] and [Righteous - Melchizedek] Priests: and we shall reign on the earth [during the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ]. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many
Angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was [innumerable] ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, **Worthy is the Lamb [Jesus Christ] that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. **And every creature which is *in Heaven, and *on the earth, *and under the earth [hades], and such [demons] as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever (Romans 14:11). And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and Worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever. - Note: The important sealed document (scroll)is probably much more than just a common title deed to the earth and whatever it is it was never in the possession of Satan as Satan has never had direct ownership of the earth. Adam and Eve were given 'dominion' (Genesis 1:26) over the earth but not inheritance (Matthew 5:5) or ownership. Adam and Eve lost dominion but the ownership of the actual earth has always remained (Psalms 24:1) a sole possession of God in Heaven. [article link]
Revelation 4 - The Disciple John after writing and documenting the complete Christian Church age the Disciple is 'called' into Heaven to be told what will take place after the Christian Church era has concluded on earth -'Revelation 4:1-2 After this I [Disciple John] looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-51) talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter [after the Christian Church age]. And immediately I was in the Spirit [and in Heaven before the Throne of God]: and, behold, a Throne was set in Heaven, and One sat on the Throne.' - Note: It goes without saying that the interpretation, timing and events of Revelation are highly controversial and therefore all anyone can do is to interpret the Book of Revelation the best they can for their own understanding. - Also Note: It is imperative that mature Christians understand and have a concept of the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ and of the End Time events that precede His 2nd Coming and it is just as important that mature Christians are willing to place fellowship and Church unity over and above personal speculation about the End Times. Revelation 4:3-11 And He that sat was to look upon [multi-faceted] like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a [Heavenly] rainbow (earthly rainbow - Genesis 9:13) round about the Throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty (24) seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders [probably the leaders of the 12 Tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles] sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the Throne there was ***a sea of glass [where the Saints stand before the Throne of God] like unto crystal: and in the midst of the Throne, and round about the Throne, were four beasts [lit. eternal spiritual beings - Zoon (Zoe), G2226] full of eyes [vision] before and behind. And the first beast [Spirit being] was like a lion {Gospel of Matthew}, and the second beast like a calf {Gospel of Mark}, and the third beast had a face as a man {Gospel of Luke}, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle {Gospel of John}. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy [Father], Holy [Son Jesus], Holy [Spirit], Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the Throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the Throne, and Worship [give thanks for their life] Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns [accomplishments from on earth] before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive Glory and Honour and Power: for thou hast created all things, and **for Thy pleasure they are and were created. - Note: The Disciple John was for a brief time taken directly into Heaven and he personally observed and recorded some of the events continually taking place in Heaven around and about the Throne of God. [article link]
Sword of the Spirit Podcast - The Seven Letters of Revelation (Mp3s) Going through and studying what Christ is saying in His letters to the Church. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: The 7 Church Letters of Revelation from Jesus Christ - The Christian Church is divided into Seven Church groups - Which Church group are You in? Like the seven miracles that we went through in the Gospel of John that John himself personally witnessed, Jesus personally spoke to the disciple John and had John write an evaluation of the Christian Church in the book of Revelation. Likewise to critique the entire Christian Church (people) Jesus divided it up into seven churches. Each Church existed in the day that Jesus spoke to John about it and each Church type is still practiced throughout today. Note the book of Revelation and in particular the part about the seven churches is unique because Jesus is asking John to write it for Him. The entire Bible is written by God through man but Revelation makes that point even more evident. So onto the description of the seven churches as critiqued by none other than the resurrected Jesus Himself. ... The Parables of Jesus (Matthew 13:1-50) are from the teaching of Jesus during His time on earth. The letters of the Apostle Paul (New Testament) are from a representative of Jesus and finally the 7 letters of Revelation (Revelation 2:1-3:22) are teaching and instruction from the resurrected Jesus, the three teaching groups span three timeframes with the one unique message of Jesus Christ and His eternal Kingdom. [article link]
Revelation 2-3 - The Resurrected Lord and Savior Jesus Christ dictates Seven Letters to His entire Christian Church encompassing both the entire Church body and the entire Church age from the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the Christian Church (John 20:22) until the eventual rapture [closure] of the Christian Church -- 'Revelation 2:1-4 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith He [the Resurrected Jesus Christ] that holdeth the [heavens] seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of [earth] the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried [discerned] them which say they are Apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love [lit. Agape].' Revelation 3:14-22 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith [Jesus Christ] the Amen, the faithful and True witness, the beginning [lit. first cause] of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to **buy of Me gold tried in the fire [baptism of cleansing fire], that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve [humanity], that thou mayest see [the human condition]. As many as I love [lit. friendship - Phileo, G5368], I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. **Behold, I stand at the door, and knock (Song of Solomon 5:2): if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup [nurish] with him, and he with Me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne [authority], even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the [Holy] Spirit saith unto the Churches. - Note: The seventh and final Christian Church is considered to be the predominant characteristics of the modern Christian Church of our day and in our era. All of the Seven Letters of Jesus Christ are applicable at all times and at all locations to all Christians however the letter to the Church at Laodicea is considered to be the most relevant to the most Christians in our own current day and age. [article link]
Revelation 1 - The Disciple John begins to record for all mankind the Revelation Message given directly to him from the resurrected Jesus Christ -- 'Revelation 1:1-3 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God [the Father]
gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants [Church era] things which must shortly [Revelation 22:7] come to pass; and He [Jesus Christ] sent and signified it by his Angel [Messenger] unto His servant John [the Disciple John]: [the same John] Who bare record of the Word of God, and of the Testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all [disciple] things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the Words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.' - Note: At times some say that Jesus Christ did not have any direct input into the written Bible however Jesus Himself dictates the Book of Revelation to His Disciple John and Revelation seal's the New Testament and the entire Bible placing Jesus' seal and approval upon the entire Holy Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Revelation 1:9-12 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the [prison] isle that is called Patmos, for the Word of God, and for the Testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on {Sunday} the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. ... Revelation 1:17-20 And when I saw Him [Jesus Christ], I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive [resurrection] for evermore, Amen; **and have the keys of hell and of death. *Write the things which thou hast seen, and *the things which are, *and the things which shall be hereafter; The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars [lights in heaven] are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks [lights on earth] which thou sawest are the seven churches. - Note: The Book of Revelation is not a sealed book as the Book of Daniel was sealed (Daniel 12:4) but the book of revelation was sealed for most of Church history in a sense in that the English version of the Book of Revelation is really the language version that best matches the Book of Revelation and presents the Book of Revelation to the English (1611 KJV) reader like at no other time in history including the Greek and Latin versions of the Book of Revelation that were almost completely ignored, neglected and even in some cases rejected by the historical Christian Church. [article link]
Introduction to the Book of Revelation - The Book of Revelation is the most controversial book in the Bible Revelation has caused major divisions between denominations, churches and families - What makes this book so controversial? {Revelation is about the future and it is about complicated End Time events, events (Acts 1:67) that are purposely clouded from humanity even Christians, the very nature of the Book of Revelation requires a certain amount of speculation and with speculation comes controversy} - A promise of blessing is made in the very first chapter of the book to those who read and hear the words of this prophecy - The book has 404 verses, and according to some scholars, [over] half of those verses have an Old Testament reference The Book of Revelation is a letter revealed to man named John [Disciple John], who was on the Island of Patmos, off the coast of Asia Minor. He was persecuted because of his testimony of Jesus Christ. [The Book of Revelation also contains within it the seven letters] The letter was written to seven churches located in the mainland cities of; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. What is the meaning of this letter? Should the words be taken literally or are they symbolic? Did the letter concern events just in the day of John or did it include events in the future? Was John, the Apostle John or another John? Does this letter refer to Israel or to the church? These are just a few of the many questions raised by those who have studied this book. -- Who wrote the book of Revelation? The early church attributed authorship to the apostle John. Justin Martyr (100-165 A.D.) quotes John the Apostle that Jesus Christ would dwell in Jerusalem one thousand years. Irenaeus (120-200 A.D.) is quoted in every chapter of Revelation. Tertullian (155-220 A.D.) also quotes from almost every chapter of Revelation and attributes John the Apostle as author. Hippolytus (170-235 A.D.) also attributed Revelation to John, he quotes Revelation chapter 17 and 18 a great deal. Clement of Alexandria (150-211 A.D.) and Origen (185-254 A.D.) also attribute John the Apostle as the author of Revelation. Ignatius (30-108 A.D.) writes regarding John the Apostle, And why such facts as the following: Peter
was crucified; Paul and James were slain with the sword; John was banished to Patmos; Stephen was stoned to death by the Jews who killed the Lord? But, [in truth,] none of these sufferings were in vain; for the Lord was really crucified by the ungodly. The evidence against John the Apostle being the author is minimal, largely based on grammatical and writing style differences with the John's Gospel. -- When was the book of Revelation written? The other issue regarding Revelation is the date of the book. External tradition places the time of Revelation to the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96), brother of Titus, son of Vespation. Clement of Alexandria reports John returned to Ephesus after the death of Domitian, referred to as the "tyrant". the Apostle John. For when, on the tyrant's death, he returned to Ephesus from the isle of Patmos, he went away, being invited, to the contiguous territories of the nations, here to appoint bishops, there to set in order whole Churches, there to ordain such as were marked out by the Spirit. [article link]
The current plan for the 'blog Bible Study' is to complete the study in 10 segments [article link]
KJV 1611 Holy Bible - Red Letter Edition {A Free PDF KJV Bible} (PDF) The King James Version (KJV) 1611 with the Words of Jesus Formatted in Red is a complete Bible containing both the Old and the New Testaments. [article link]
Basic Christian Theology: Answers to Bible Questions (132 Topics) A Complete handy Reference - Study Guide/Tutorial. It covers 132 Christian Subjects and Topics from Adoption - Yahweh in an easy to read and understand format. An extensive resource, unparalleled in convenience and ease of use yet advanced in topic research. [article link]
BlueLetterBible.org: Audio & Video Commentaries - Chuck Missler (Online Audio) Mr. Missler is the chairman of Koinonia House (K-House), a non-profit organization which is dedicated to the development and distribution of materials for encouraging and facilitating serious study of the Bible as the inerrant Word of God. K-House was founded by Chuck and Nancy Missler, and moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in 1992. K-House now reaches tens of thousands through its monthly newsletter, radio shows, cassette tapes, and conferences. More than eight million study tapes have been distributed in the U.S. and in over 35 countries around the world. [article link]
InstaVerse the Bible at your Fingertips - just point your mouse at a verse reference, and the [Bible] text pops up in your preferred translation! - Note: The KJV Bible is free other Bible Versions require a purchase. Do you visit Christian web sites or receive daily devotional emails? Ever want to look up a scripture fast? InstaVerse™ by WORDsearch will let you instantly see the actual Bible text for scripture references like John 3:16 - just point your mouse at it, and the text pops up in your preferred translation! The best part is that InstaVerse with the KJV Bible is FREE! [article link]
!!!The Word Bible Study Software - One of the very best Bible study software programs available, commercial or otherwise - Although the price tag for The Word is free, do not be fooled into thinking that its price tag reflects its feature list (software) Find out what you can do with The Word: In the Beginning was the Word Bible software (The Word) was created in order to be a valuable, everyday tool for every Christian that wishes to read and study the Bible, the Word of God. We believe that In the Beginning was the Word Bible Software is one of the very best Bible study software programs available, commercial or otherwise. The Word is comparable to and in many cases, if not
most, better than its commercial counterparts. Although the price tag for The Word is free, do not be fooled into thinking that its price tag reflects its feature list. ... The Word is designed to be a tool for everyday use, always running in the background and ready to respond whenever you need to look-up a verse, read the Bible, or study a passage or theme of the Bible in depth. It's quick to load, easy to customize and intuitive to use. We feel that its value and quality cannot be fully presented through a feature list, so we urge you to try it out. Each little detail has been carefully contemplated, designed and implemented with many options and customizations. This is exactly what makes people stick with The Word, once they give it a try. That's the best way to make up your mind too! [article link]
Bible Study & Prayer - There are few things more important to Christian life than prayer - Prayer is our method of communication with Jesus our Lord and Creator (16 Short Text Studies) There are few things more important to Christian life than prayer. Prayer is our method of communication with our Lord and Creator. And yet far too few understand prayer or have taken any time to study it. As I prepared this study, I was impressed more and more about how prayer is centered on relationships. Just like in any other relationship, if we don't communicate, the relationship is strained. When we don't communicate with God, our relationship with Him is strained. This study is based on Andrew Murray's classic, "With Christ in the School of Prayer." Several quotes are taken from there and are noted throughout the text. The studies do not cover every chapter in the book but instead give a highlight of the overall theme Murray writes about. The chapter on the Prayer of Corporate Repentance is my own addition and is not based upon the book. [article link]
How to Study the Bible - Start with Prayer! Probably one of the most common reasons why Christians don't study the Bible is based on this complaint, "I just don't understand it!" Before you start each study session, begin by praying and asking God to open your spiritual understanding. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (NIV) So, as you pray, realize that the words you are studying are inspired by God. Psalm 119:130 tells us, "The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." (NIV). [article link]
How to Mark Your Bible - for EFFECTIVE Bible Study! By far the most useful method is [notes and use of] a color scheme {Using different color pens to put categorized () around Bible verses for easier and quicker future references.} Underscoring: It is often wise to underscore or underline key words or phrases that you want to stand out in order to find them quickly. I use two colored fine-line pens for my underscoring, black for generally important verses and red for very important verses. Do not overdo this by underlining every time a new thought strikes you or the time will come when you will have more underlined than non-underlined and this can lead to a confusing hodgepodge. ... COLOR TOPIC(S) TO REMEMBER COLOR - TOPIC: Light Blue - Prayer - Think of prayers going up into a BLUE sky. Dark Blue - Healing/Sickness - Think of BLUE cross or a dark BLUE wound. Orange - Resurrection - Sons of God RISING (remember: SUNRISE). Red - Sabbath and Holy Days - Stop, Rest, Relax, (Think of a STOP light). Pink - Marriage/Divorce - Think of PINK, fluffy clouds of marriage. Light Green Millennium/God's Kingdom - When earth will be GREEN & beautiful. Dark Green - Man's Mortality - Man's days are like GRASS - Psalm 103:15. Black/Gray - Satan/Demons (spiritual warfare) - EVIL, Darkness, Blackness. Purple - Promises to Israel and Heirs - Purple color of ROYALTY. Yellow/Gold - Law and Commandments - GOLDEN rule; Law worth more than GOLD. Brown - Repentance/Baptism - Picture AUTUMN LEAVES falling, dying of old self. {Feel free to use any colors in any way, in any combination and also not to use any color codes at all.} [article link]
walmart.com: Pigma Micron Pen Set - [Possible Pens for writing notes, marking and underling in Bibles] - See also the Pilot G2 Gel-ink Pens [only in black ink but with blue refills available] for writing notes in a notebook or on a notepad [the G2 pens are excellent for regular writing and notes but they use way too much ink to write in a Bible] {Another option in note taking is to write notes on a computer word program or some type of notes program or even make voice recordings. I'm going to write notes in a 'composition' paper notepad and then at a later time I might type them into a computer -- though I'll also put most of my notes - comments [hopefully the better ones] on the RSS new/info feed as well.} (Color Pen Set - $15.88) SAKURA-Pigma Micron Pens #05.45mm. Heritage Collection (1 each): Sepia, Royal Blue, Burgundy, Hunter Green, Blue/Black, Fresh Green. A fine point drawing and writing pen offering a waterproof quick drying pigment ink. Micron pens will not clog or dry out. Ink will not feather or bleed through even the thinnest papers and is smear proof once dry. The pigment in the ink remains colorful and will not spread when applied. It is fade proof against sunlight or UV light; and is permanent and washable on cotton fabrics. Archival Quality. Acid Free. Imported. [article link]
KJV (Hebrew-Greek) Key Word Study Bible - A Bible Recommendation for Studying Through the Bible along with the C-3000 Mp3s - The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible is a complete English Bible text for crossreference study to the original languages from which the Bible was translated (KJV Bible - $29.99) The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible combines essential tools for Hebrew and Greek with translations that accurately and clear. An easy-to-use style plus the benefits of the Strong's Dictionary numbering system makes this study Bible one for every student of God's Word, no matter what age. The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible is a complete English Bible text for cross-reference study to the original languages from which the Bible was translated. Key Features: Book Introductions - Footnotes on Key Passages - Red Letter Edition - System of Study - Key Words in the English Text Identified by James Strong's Numbering System - Codes in the New Testament Text Identify Grammatical Structure of Key Greek Words - Notations Explain the Significance of the Grammatical Codes - Hebrew and Greek Word Studies - Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries - Centercolumn Reference System - Concordance. [article link]
NLT Jesus Bible, Softcover - A Bible Recommendation for Studying Through the Bible along with the C-3000 Mp3s {Note: The C-3000 Through the Bible Mp3s are taught from the KJV Bible, since the teachings are KJV some people might want to follow with a different translation. It's always important to have a KJV in the Bible Study if the teacher is not using a KJV make sure you have one. The NLT (New Living Translation) is a good alternate translation I would defiantly avoid the NIV and NKJV versions. -- NLT is available at most bookstores and WalMart.} (NLT Bible - $14.99) The Jesus Bible shows that the real Jesus -- as described throughout all of Scripture -- is alive today and relevant to everyday life. Through The Jesus Bible, you will meet the Savior and experience his ability to break through all boundaries, all preconceived ideas, and all stereotypes. Special Features: 500 unexpected notes show how we can find Jesus in unexpected situations - 100 Real Expressions devotionals that are tied to Bible characters, and are based on stories from real teens - 600 X-Focus call-outs highlight key Scripture verses and passages that address God's plan of salvation through Christ - 24 Explicit Answers show key sayings of Jesus spread throughout the Bible - 200 Xtraordinary, But True articles in the OT highlight unusual stories of people and prophets and show their relevance to today - New Living Translation - 9 point text - Two-column layout Softcover. [article link]
Basic Christian - Monthly Memo: Fall 2009: Bible Study, Prayer, Devotions and Fellowship Monthly Memo: Fall 2009: Bible Study, Prayer, Devotions and Fellowship - 1. The Basic Christian info/news feed is probably going to transition this fall from the conspiracy, headline news events of the day into a more Bible, Christian doctrine and current Christian seminar-events centered info/news feed. 2. I'm thankful for the
patience that everyone had while we covered so many difficult topics in such a short period of time. I always try to maintain a focus that people are looking at the material and I defiantly try to spread the material out not putting too much of a burden on people at any one time. When Basic Christian started as a discussion forum it was basically all interaction all the time but now without a forum the website has little or no interaction though I still keep in mind the interaction of the past forum and do try not to overload everyone. 3. The Summer 2009 links to other websites and particularly to the Podcast Shows have been some of the best links that the Basic Christian website has been able to provide and I'm very grateful to all of the Podcast ministries for providing such a great and challenging time of Christian growth for everyone involved. 4. There are more Mp3s and now Video downloads available via Basic Christian. Some of the material tends towards conspiracy topics and some of it is a bit on the fire and brimstone side and it isn't necessarily what I would normally provide however these are materials that are increasingly being removed from the internet and becoming harder to locate so they are the files being provided in order to give others an additional chance to obtain them. In other words Hill Song videos are not disappearing from the internet but the conspiracy, hidden news materials and mature preaching topics are harder to locate and obtain so therefore those are the materials that are being provided. -- Thanks again to everyone for sticking it out through so much material and through so much unplanned controversy. I personally look forward to spending much more time in Bible study, in personal prayer time, in devotions and in fellowship this fall and into next spring. I'm really looking forward to [Edit: Studying through the Bible in the past it has] changed my life for the better so I'm very much looking forward to spending some daily [Edit: in Bible study, devotions, prayer, fellowship and Christian service]. All the very best! God Bless you, David Anson Brown. [article link]
How Can I Download (Youtube) Videos? - Download online videos with SaveVid.com [Enter Video URL:] (Utility) Savevid.com is a tool which gives you the ability to download videos from streaming video sites. You can download videos from Youtube, Google Videos, Metacafe, Spike and more in FLV, AVI, MOV, MPG or WMV formats. [article link]
Basic Christian: Downloadable - Recommended Resources (Video Downloads) Each Mp3 or Video offers important information, encouragement or teaches an important Biblical concept. [article link]
Basic Christian: Downloadable - Recommended Resources (Mp3 Downloads) Each Mp3 or Video offers important information, encouragement or teaches an important Biblical concept. [article link]
Free Downloads: (PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
Basic Christian 2009 - Current Active Online PDF - News-Info Feed - Updated Automatically (PDF) Generates a current PDF file of the 2009 Extended Basic Christian info-news feed. [article link]
Basic Christian 2009 - Extended Version - News-Info Feed (RSS) The a current Extended Basic Christian info-news feed. [article link]
RSS 2 PDF - Create a PDF file complete with links of this current Basic Christian News/Info Feed after the PDF file is created it can then be saved to your computer {There is a red PDF Create Button at the top right corner of the website www.basicChristian.us} Free Online RSS to PDF Generator. [article link]
!!! Updated: 2009 Version Updated 01-09-2009 - The BasicChristian.org Website Articles Version 2008 (PDF) Now Available (1170 Pages) Basic Christian Full Content PDF Version 2008. The BasicChristian.org most complete resource. [article link]
!!! Updated: 2009 Version !!! FREE Download - Basic Christian Complete - eBook Version (.CHM) Possibly the best Basic Christian resource! Download it and give it a try! Includes the Red Letter Edition Holy Bible KJV 1611 Version. To download Right-Click then Select Save Target _As... [article link]
--New Article-- The 7 Church Letters of Revelation from Jesus Christ - The Christian Church is divided into Seven Church groups - Which Church group are You in? Like the seven miracles that we went through in the Gospel of John that John himself personally witnessed, Jesus personally spoke to the disciple John and had John write an evaluation of the Christian Church in the book of Revelation - Likewise to critique the entire Christian Church (people) Jesus divided it up into seven churches. Each Church existed in the day that Jesus spoke to John about it and each Church type is still practiced throughout today. Note the book of Revelation and in particular the part about the seven churches is unique because Jesus is asking John to write it for Him. The entire Bible is written by God through man but Revelation makes that point even more evident. So onto the description of the seven churches as critiqued by none other than the resurrected Jesus Himself. ... The Parables of Jesus (Matthew 13:1-50) are from the teaching of Jesus during His time on earth. The letters of the Apostle Paul (New Testament) are from a representative of Jesus and finally the 7 letters of Revelation (Revelation 2:1-3:22) are teaching and instruction from the resurrected Jesus, the three teaching groups span three timeframes with the one unique message of Jesus Christ and His eternal Kingdom. [article link]
Christian Faith Downloads - A Christian resource center with links to many FREE Mp3 downloads (Mp3's) Christian Faith Downloads - 1st Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. [article link]
Speaker: Dr. Scott A. Johnson - Code Red (Part 1 & 2) - Recently many high level sources have made predictions of impending doom. In each case there has been a press releases or news expose' predicting huge and building threats emerging from faceless enemies in shadowy places - This sermon contains essential information for believers - I advise that attention be given to Dr. Johnson's observations here - Approx. 250 Mp3 Messages (Mp3's) Recently many high level sources have made predictions of impending doom. In each case there has been a press releases or news expose' predicting huge and building threats emerging from faceless enemies in shadowy places. Joe Biden set the stage at a Seattle fund raiser for VIP's when he told the audience about an "international crisis" & "generated crisis" will develop within six months of a Barack Obama's Presidency & they will need the help of community leaders (Comment: Like the 501c3 Corporate Church) to control the population as unpopular decisions are made and Americans resist. Colin Powell told Meet the Press "....a crisis which will come along on the 21st, 22nd of January that we don't even know about right now." Lord West, adviser to Prime Minister Gordon Brown on national security says, "There is another great plot building up
again and we are monitoring...The threat is huge." In addition Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said "The devastation that could be wreaked by one major nuclear weapons incident alone puts 9/11 and almost everything else in to the category of the insignificant," Why are there so many high level politicians around the world in a seemingly coordinated effort warning of huge threats and developing crisis' that may include a nuclear device? Are they preparing the masses for an event or series of events that have been in the making for some time? This study will be tied into many other events that relate to this subject like the global financial collapse, Maitreya's most recent announcements and preparing (Body, Soul and Spirit) for the days ahead. [article link]
LostSeed.com Christian Compilations: The Simple Gospel (Mp3) - Please note that LostSeed is not affiliated with any of the Speakers nor does the music in the background necessarily reflect the speakers taste in music, we just really like them and think these messages can reach the youth (Mp3's) My brother and sister have listened to these Christian Compilations off and on for a few years and it's really encouraged and convicted us to draw closer to the Lord. Messages are much shorter than sermons which are particularly great for listening to in the car, or for giving to someone who will not listen to a 30 minute message. I only want to share messages that line up with the Bible in the right Spirit. [article link]
Billy Graham - Timeless Truth Series - 9 Video Clips (YouTube) Much more than Crusades, The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) is reaching more people than ever before through innovative ministries and global outreach projects. [article link]
Former terrorist Walid Shoebat [Shoebat is a known agent of disinformation and agent provocateur (i.e. Alex Jones) though some of his info is valid] says West ignoring real Hamas agenda - The core issue is not an issue of land whatsoever It's an issue of wiping the state of Israel out - Shoebat contends this effort is being carried out by a huge network of Islamic enemies - Many Islamic countries are involved in this" he points out - "Saudi Arabia [England, UN, NWO and USA (Bush family)] was funding...this kind of thing So it's a huge network that we're dealing with" {It seems that the disinformation in this Walid Shoebat article is that it targets Saudi Arabia and others as scapegoats while giving cover to the real entities (England, UN, NWO, USA Bush family) that are indoctrinating, financing, equipping and provoking the radical Islamic elements throughout the world particularly the radical Iranian Shiite factions.} Walid Shoebat is a former(?) member of the Palestine Liberation Organization and a convert(?) to Christianity. He now runs the Walid Shoebat Foundation, which is an organization that cries out for the justice of Israel and the Jewish people. Shoebat, author of the recently published God's War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy and the Bible, believes the recent terrorist rocket attacks by Hamas have nothing to do with wanting a Palestinian homeland. -- "The core issue is not an issue of land whatsoever. It's an issue of wiping the state of Israel out. If you look at even suicide bombing -- historically, if you look from 1980 until 2003, let's say 224 suicide bombings out of 300 existed in Islamic countries with no occupation whatsoever," he notes. "So it's not simply the desire to create a Palestinian state. It is the desire to destroy the Jewish state, and that's what we see." -Shoebat contends this effort is being carried out by a huge network of Islamic enemies. "It's a rebel network involved between Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, Syria. Many Islamic countries are involved in this," he points out. "Saudi Arabia was funding...this kind of thing. So it's a huge network that we're dealing with." [article link]
January 11, 2009: Report: U.S. rejected Israeli plea to attack Iran - President Bush rejected several (three) Israeli requests last year for weapons and permission for a potential airstrike inside Iran - Israel wanted specialized bunker-busting bombs, equipment to help refuel planes making flights into Iran, and permission to fly over Iraq to reach the site of Iran's only known uranium enrichment plant, according to the report - Bush, instead, persuaded Israeli officials to not proceed with the attack by sharing with them some details of covert U.S.
operations aimed at sabotaging Iran's nuclear ambitions, Sanger said - "We know that the U.S. has been trying to conduct covert industrial espionage, if you will, against Iran's nuclear program for many years" {"if you will," Bush isn't undermining Iran Bush is financing Iran's nuclear development. Iran is the main terror threat of the world. The Bush attack on Iraq actually created more terrorism while Bush's conduct regarding Iran is that Bush is more of an agent of Iran a protector and an enabler of radical Iranian Shiite policies.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush rejected several Israeli requests last year for weapons and permission for a potential airstrike inside Iran, the author of an investigative report told CNN. ... According to Sanger, Israel wanted specialized bunker-busting bombs, equipment to help refuel planes making flights into Iran and permission to fly over Iraq to reach the major nuclear complex at Natanz, the site of Iran's only known uranium enrichment plant. The White House "deflected" the first two requests and denied the last, Sanger said. "They feared that if it appeared that the United States had helped Israel strike Iran, using Iraqi airspace, that the result in Iraq could be the expulsion of the American troops (from Iraq)," he said. ... Bush, instead, persuaded Israeli officials to not proceed with the attack by sharing with them some details of covert U.S. operations aimed at sabotaging Iran's nuclear ambitions, Sanger said. The ongoing operations are designed to undermine Iran's ability to produce weapons-grade fuel and designs it needs to produce a workable nuclear weapon, the newspaper said. "We know that the U.S. has been trying to conduct covert industrial espionage, if you will, against Iran's nuclear program for many years," said CNN's Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr. "[They have been] going to the suppliers, going other places; trying to make sure that things get messed up, if you will; that parts may not be what they should be; that certain processes may not work right. Anything that they can do to jam the work to delay the program." Sanger said he based his report on conversations with intelligence officials, none of whom would speak on the record because of the topic's sensitivity. ... Sanger said Presidentelect Barack Obama, who said during the campaign he wants to engage in dialogue with Iran, now inherits the operation. [article link]
{Flashback} U.S.-Iran Trade Stronger Than Most Suspect - U.S. exports to Iran, including bras, cosmetics and possibly even *weapons [technology], grew more than tenfold under Bush - Despite increasingly tough rhetoric toward Iran, which Bush has called part of an "axis of evil" {It's great that America trades with Iran but let's have some controls and some honesty about it out of the Bush administration. Does Bush really think refrigerators and weapons are going to go only to the people but not to the regime? Bush has lied to the American people since day one, how many more lies can we endure. FYI Dick Cheney's daughter is a head honcho for the government in Iran affairs.} WASHINGTON - U.S. exports to Iran - including brassieres, bull semen, cosmetics and possibly even weapons grew more than tenfold during President George W. Bush's years in office even as he accused Iran of nuclear ambitions and helping terrorists. America sent more cigarettes to Iran, at least $158 million worth under Bush, than any other products. ... Despite increasingly tough rhetoric toward Iran, which Bush has called part of an "axis of evil," U.S. trade in a range of goods survives on-again, off-again sanctions originally imposed nearly three decades ago. The rules allow sales of agricultural commodities, medicine and a few other categories of goods. The exemptions are designed to help Iranian families even as the United States pressures Iran's leaders. "Our sanctions are targeted against the regime, not the people," said Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces the sanctions. The government tracks exports to Iran using details from shipping records, but in some cases it is unclear whether anyone pays attention. [article link]
{Flashback} Part 1: LIZ Cheney runs Iran-Syria Op Group at State Dept.. Since 2005, Dick Cheney's daughter Elizabeth has held a powerful position guiding Middle East policy - By all accounts, it is an enormously powerful post, and one for which she is uniquely unqualified {That Bush Cheney group they never bother to put an actually qualified person into a position when a Harriet Miers crony or a family member exists.} At the very heart of U.S. Middle East policy, from the war in Iraq to pressure for regime change in Iran and Syria
to the spread of free-market democracy in the region, sits the 39-year-old daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney. Elizabeth "Liz" Cheney, appointed to her post in February 2005, has a tongue-twisting title: principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs and coordinator for broader Middle East and North Africa initiatives. By all accounts, it is an enormously powerful post, and one for which she is uniquely unqualified. During the past 15 months, Elizabeth Cheney has met with and bolstered a gaggle of Syrian exiles, often in tandem with John Hannah and David Wurmser, top officials in the Office of the Vice President (OVP); has pressed hard for money to accelerate the administration's ever more overt campaign for forced regime change in both Damascus and Teheran; and has overseen an increasingly discredited push for Americaninspired democratic reform from Morocco to Iran. ... Liz Cheney catapulted into her current job after a rather undistinguished career that leapfrogged from public to private life and back again. In her early 20s, she did a stint at the State Department while her father was secretary of defense in the first Bush administration, and then headed to law school at the University of Chicago and worked for Armitage Associates, a firm run by Richard Armitage. As an attorney, she worked for the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, and served briefly as a U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) officer in Hungary and Poland. Her Middle East experience was, well, limited. [article link]
{Flashback} Part 2: LIZ Cheney runs Iran-Syria Op Group at State Dept.. Her husband is Philip Perry, general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security - she operates what is essentially a "shadow Middle East policy" - She has been known to insist on seeing a head of state without inviting the American ambassador to accompany her, in violation of protocol Liz Cheney has not shied away from throwing her weight around. During her frequent trips to the Middle East, she often operates independently of the department and of the U.S. ambassador in whatever country she is visiting. She has been known to insist on seeing a head of state without inviting the American ambassador to accompany her, in violation of protocol, often threatening the ambassador with the power of her contacts. -On at least one occasion, however, an ambassador called her bluff. "Liz Cheney comes out to this country, and she tells the ambassador - and she doesn't outrank him - she tells the ambassador, 'You're not going in the meeting with me,'" recalls Larry Wilkerson, who served as Colin Powell's assistant during his tenure as secretary of state. "And he says, 'I'm sorry, I'm going in the meeting with you. You're not going into a meeting with the head of state without me.' And she says, 'Nope - would you like a telephone call?'" -- In this case, says Wilkerson, the department's bosses backed up their ambassador, who accompanied a chastened Cheney into the meeting. But that has not always been the case. "It's not just that she is imperious in dealing with our ambassadors," notes a corporate lobbyist who is deeply involved in Middle East policy. "She's got her own foreign policy, her own agenda, and so of course she wouldn't want the ambassador to know what she is talking about when she meets a head of state." [article link]
{Flashback} Unsafe water may have sickened (US) troops in Iraq - Dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq fell sick at bases using "unmonitored and potentially unsafe" water supplied by the military and a contractor once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney's former company (Halliburton) WASHINGTON - Dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq fell sick at bases using "unmonitored and potentially unsafe" water supplied by the military and a contractor once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, the Pentagon's internal watchdog says. A report obtained by The Associated Press said soldiers experienced skin abscesses, cellulitis, skin infections, diarrhea and other illnesses after using discolored, smelly water for personal hygiene and laundry at five U.S. military sites in Iraq. The Pentagon's inspector general found water quality problems between March 2004 and February 2006 at three sites run by contractor KBR Inc., and between January 2004 and December 2006 at two military-operated locations. [article link]
{Flashback} Top US (Bush) officials declared war on truth when it came to Iraq: report - in the run-up to the Iraq war, lying 935 times in a two-year period leading up to the Iraq war WASHINGTON (AFP) - Top US officials ran roughshod over the truth in the run-up to the Iraq war, lying 935 times in a two-year period leading up to the Iraq war, a study released Wednesday found. The Center for Public Integrity's founder Charles Lewis and researchers helping him write a forthcoming book, identified "935 false statements by eight top administration officials that mentioned Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction, or links to Al-Qaeda, on at least 532 separate occasions" ahead of the March 18, 2003 invasion of Iraq, they said in a statement. With the fifth anniversary of the war looming, the center underscored that its work calls into question "the repeated assertions of (George W.) Bush administration officials that they were merely the unwitting victims of bad intelligence." Among those who made the false statements: Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, and White House press secretaries Ari Fleisher and Scott McClellan, the study said. "This is a report like no other, which calls into question more than 900 false statements that were the underpinnings of the administration's case for war," argued the CIJ's Executive Director Bill Buzenberg. [article link]
{Flashback} Study: False statements preceded Iraq war - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks {The greedy Bush family wanted to get its dirty hands on the Iraq oil. Bush is a slob and an oil glutton who hasn't lifted a finger to reduce the price of oil and gas. Bush happily sits by collecting money on his own oil investments all the while destroying America, the economy and the people.} WASHINGTON - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks. The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses." The study was posted Tuesday on the Web site of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism. ... "In short, the Bush administration led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003." [article link]
January 10, 2009: Updated - CNN's Staged Video - obviously staged video from Gaza promoted and vouched for by CNN - The company that provided this video story to CNN and several other news outlets is World News & Features (Nepras.net is the designer of the site) - the primary contact and general manager for Nepras.net is none other than the "freelance photographer" who filmed that staged hospital scene Here's an interesting update to the story of the obviously staged video from Gaza promoted and vouched for by CNN. The company that provided this video story to CNN and several other news outlets is World News & Features, as we pointed out yesterday after CNN published their defense of the piece. At the lower right of the World News & Features front page, we find a link to Nepras.net as the designer of the site. ... And the primary contact and general manager for Nepras.net is none other than the "freelance photographer" who filmed that staged hospital scene, Ashraf Mashharawi. -- Overnight, I received several more emails from doctors and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), all expressing the opinion that the video is staged and that the "CPR" shown is an obvious fraud, for many reasons. So far, not one doctor has written to say the technique shown in the video might be genuine. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: End Times Preview - WWI, WWII, WW3 - "The past is not dead - In fact, it's not even past" William Faulkner -- This is most True concerning the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Revelation 17:10-11 And there are seven [world (middle-east, Jerusalem) rulers: King Nimrod - builder of the tower of Babel, Egypt, Babylon (Iraq), Iran, Greece, Rome (Italy), Antichrist] kings: five are fallen, and one (Rome) is, and the other [7th world King - Antichrist] is not yet come; and when he (Antichrist) cometh, he must continue a short space [3 1/2 years]. And the beast [Antichrist] that was [7th ruler], and is not [because Antichrist is assassinated], even he (Antichrist) is the eighth [false resurrection], and is of the seven [the 7th ruler is killed or seems to be in an assassination, and resurrects himself [false eternal life] (demonic possession) to also become the 8th ruler], and goeth into perdition [everlasting damnation-hell]. -- In a short summary WWII (1939-1945) was Satan's practice run at taking over and ruling the world for his evil, demonic agenda. The next world war the coming future WW3 will be the war that installs a NWO a new world leader called the antichrist. The Bible is clear (Revelation 17:10-11) that after the previous Roman world leader there would not be another world leader until the antichrist. History has proven the Bible to be true and there has been no world leader since the time of Jesus Christ of Nazareth approximately 2,000 years ago. [article link]
January 9, 2008: The rift between Hamas [HAMAS - Gaza Strip] and Palestinian (PA) [Fatah - West Bank] President Abbas flared to the surface yesterday, confirming our position that the real reason for this Israeli attack on Hamas was to remove Hamas from power - the United States [and the UN] desperately wants Abbas [Fatah] to stay in power [over both West Bank and Gaza Strip] because he is a Freemason and is, therefore, totally compliant with the plans of Western Freemasonry to return control [part] of the Temple Mount to Israel so she can build a temple based upon Solomon's old temple - Hamas realizes this fact, as does Hezbollah, which explains their rock-solid resistance to Abbas - Hamas officials said that as of Friday they would not recognize Abbas's status as president of the PA {According to the Bible the prophets of old explained that Israel and the Jews are the time peace to human time, and particularly the Jewish Temple. If you want to know what "time" it is in human history and human existence then look to Israel (Jerusalem) and the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Right now the 2nd Jewish Temple remains in ruins while the 3rd Jewish Temple is about to be rebuilt [and the correlating time on the calendar of the human experience is far into the plan's of God], something that could not happen before 1967 because Israel did not politically control Jerusalem until then. The next Jewish Temple is significant because coming after the Times of Jesus Christ this temple is for the "End Times" and it is where the Antichrist will eventually rule from. No Jewish Temple in Jerusalem equals no throne for the Antichrist. A 3rd Jewish Temple in Israel equals a throne and a place for the Antichrist.} NEWS BRIEF: "Hamas: Abbas no longer heads Palestinian Authority", The Jerusalem Post, January 9, 2009 "The IDF's anti-Hamas operation in the Gaza Strip has diverted attention from the row over Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's term in office, which expires on Friday. Abbas's aides said he has no plans to step down in the near future, claiming that the PA's Basic Law allows him to stay in power for another year." Israel and the United States desperately wants Abbas to stay in power because he is a Freemason and is, therefore, totally compliant with the plans of Western Freemasonry to return control of the Temple Mount to Israel so she can build a temple based upon Solomon's old temple. Hamas realizes this fact, as does Hezbollah, which explains their rock-solid resistance to Abbas and to the Israeli leadership as they attempt to establish the Palestinian State. "Hamas officials said that as of Friday they would not recognize Abbas's status as president of the PA ... Hamas and some Palestinian legal experts have openly challenged Abbas's right to remain in power after the expiration of his term. 'Thursday was Abbas's last day in office', said Osama Hamdan, the Hamas representative in Lebanon. 'Our position on this issue is clear: Abbas's term in office has expired'." "Mushir alMasri, a spokesman for Hamas in the Gaza Strip, said Abbas would lose credibility because of his refusal to step down. 'He doesn't have the right to speak on behalf of the people', he said. 'He's in power only because the Israelis and the Americans want him to stay'." Exactly! Hamas and Hezbollah view Abbas as a traitor to the Palestinian cause, and a stooge of the Israelis and the Americans. [article link]
The Bush family War in Iraq Babylon - Keeping a Perspective - Is the Bush family America's worst nightmare? Is the Bush family America's worst nightmare? I personally don't think the group Al Qaeda is real other than it is a fake terrorist concoction used as a convenient source for the Bush administration to expand a global agenda i.e. "global war on terror." It seems that Bush is opposed to anything that is good for America and that Bush supports everything that is against America particularly the global radical Iranian Shiite Islamic cause. Has America been suffering under the ravages of a Bush family global Jihad (Islamic holy war) against the United States and against the citizens of the USA? Of course with the economy wrecking high price of oil, the lack of border security, the arming, training and funding of Islamic armies, and an unhindered Satanic crime and drug epidemic taking place in America it would easily seem that the Bush family is America's own worst nightmare. - At least six months before 9-11-2001 groups of American troops started training to invade Iraq and within moments of the 9/11 attack all of the military began committing to an Iraq invasion even though there was no 9/11-Iraq connection. The closest possible 9/11 connection was with Saudi Arabia. It seems that President Bush knew that 9/11 was going to happen a full six months before it did happen. Did President Bush try to stop 9/11? President Bush not only didn't intervene in the 9/11 events he used them as his original rational for his invasion of Iraq. President Bush likely knew all along the 9/11 events were going to take place and he may have even been involved in the planning of the 9/11 attacks with one of the indented results being the invasion of Iraq and the many other indented results being the boosting of his sagging popularity and enriching his family and associates with his new war economy and most important his boost of power and lack of accountability with his new Presidential war powers. -- The additional 9/11 attack on the Pentagon shows the massive scope and planning that was involved in the 9/11 attacks and made the attack a direct assault on the American government. Larry Silverstein who had recently purchased the World Trade Center complex and its many towers could not have possibly arranged such a wide scale attack involving the Pentagon as some have said. Silverstein has been accused by some for the damage to get insurance money, particularly because his WTC building #7 was demolished even though no plane hit it. The WTC building #7 was demolished but not at his direction it was the direction of the NY port authority and others within the NY safety net that demolished the #7 building. Larry Silverstein did everything he could to help and Larry Silverstein was among the most remorseful, the most helpful and the most honest of people on that tragic 9-11-2001 day. Larry Silverstein certainly could not have orchestrated the outcome of invading Iraq a decision that came straight from George Bush. [article link]
littlegreenfootballs.com January 4, 2008: - anti-Creation artice & links: Ken Miller Dissects the Creationists' Next Tactic - the DI's (Discovery Institute) latest attempts to rewrite the history of the (2005) Dover creationism lawsuit -- Smoke and Mirrors, Whales and Lampreys: A Guest Post by Ken Miller - a lawsuit known as Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District - The plaintiffs, a group of parents in Dover, Pennsylvania, objected to "intelligent design" being required to be presented as an scientific alternative to evolution {Just like Mormonism (LDS) is fostered in America by the U.S. Government because it is a bride taking people out of Christianity and into cults like Islam the government is also fostering and promoting the teaching of Evolution. Because evolution is a bridge in to Satanism by denying the very tenant of Christianity that Jesus Christ is God and creator who created all life and all existence. The lies of evolution are a bridge in to Satanism in that when a person is gullible enough to accept the notion of random evolution over God's creation of life then that person is sufficiently deceived enough to possibly believe that Satan is good and God [AntiChrist], then concluding that Jesus is not God who He claims to be. -- Bush policy isn't to educate children nor is it to protect families. The Bush family NWO policy is to bring down Christianity.} Biologist Ken Miller, the Discovery Institute's worst enemy, has three terrific guest posts at science writer Carl Zimmer's blog, destroying the DI's latest attempts to rewrite the history of the Dover creationism lawsuit: [article link]
{Flashback} Judge's Unintelligent Rant Against Design - Judge John E. Jones III - Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District [2005 Dover creationism lawsuit] could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000 {Judge is a Bush appointee - a thanks again W! way to come through for your voters} Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000. Yet this federal judge, who owes his position entirely to those voters and the Bush who appointed him, stuck the knife in the backs of those who brought him to the dance in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. Judge Jones issued a 139-page rant against anyone who objects to force-feeding public schoolchildren with the theory of evolution. He accused parents and school board members of "breathtaking inanity" for wanting their children to learn that "intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view." [article link]
January 9, 2008: Mitt Romney returns to business world, Marriott board - previously served on the Marriott board from 1992 to 2002, when he resigned to run for governor [Massachusetts] {Mormonism (LDS) is fostered in America by the U.S. Government because it is a bride taking people out of Christianity and into cults like Islam [LDS-Mormonism is just an Americanized version of Islam complete with servitude to its leaders on earth and the false premise that heaven is a place for fornication]. Once a person is gullible enough to believe and accept the Mormon lies that the LDS cult is in any way "family friendly" then that person is sufficiently deceived to probably believe that Islam is a "religion of peace".} The hotel chain said in a statement Wednesday that the former Massachusetts governor and 2008 Republican presidential contender would also lead the board's newly formed finance committee. Romney, 61, previously served on the Marriott board from 1992 to 2002, when he resigned to run for governor. His father, George, was a close friend of the company's founder, J. Willard Marriott. Romney's given first name, Willard, is also in honor of Marriott, and the two families are prominent in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ... The former venture capitalist has eschewed rejoining his former employer, Bain Capital, and a spokesman said his return to Marriott does not mean he is abandoning politics. A former Bain protege, one-time eBay Chairman Meg Whitman, is considering a run for California governor with the assistance of several Romney aides. [article link]
{flashback} Romney Criticized for Hotel Pornography - during his near-decade on the Marriott board - their hotels offer 70 different types of hardcore pornography - "They have to assume some responsibility. It's their hotels, it's their television sets" {The smallest honest examination of the (LDS) Mormon cult reveals that there is nothing family friendly about them. Mormons simply are a Money and Sex cult it's the plain ugly truth about the LDS (Mormons).} Two anti-pornography crusaders, as well as two conservative activists of the type Romney is courting, say the distribution of such graphic adult movies runs counter to the family image cultivated by Romney, the Marriotts and their shared Mormon faith. "Marriott is a major pornographer. And even though he may have fought it, everyone on that board is a hypocrite for presenting themselves as family values when their hotels offer 70 different types of hardcore pornography," said Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values, an anti-pornography group based on Ohio. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a leading conservative group in Washington, said: "They have to assume some responsibility. It's their hotels, it's their television sets." During a recent Associated Press interview, Romney said he did not recall pornography coming up for discussion while he was on the Marriott board from 1992 to 2001. Despite being chairman of the board's audit committee, he also said he was unaware of how much revenue pornography may have generated for the hotel chain. [article link]
{flashback} June 07, 2008 [at the height of the Democrat primary election for the 2008 Presidential candidate]: Speculation about Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton attending (secret) Bilderberger meeting - Dulles is just three
miles from the Westfields Marriott Hotel in Chantilly, where Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller, among other globalists, are gathered for the annual Bilderberg Group conference - Hillary Clinton is no stranger to Bilderberg - Bill Clinton attended the 1991 meeting in Germany shortly before he was elected president Hillary herself may have attended the 2006 meeting in Ottawa, Canada "Asked at the time about the Illinois senator's whereabouts, Gibbs smiled and declined to comment," the AP report continued. Bilderberg is a highly-secretive meeting where the most influential men and women of North America and Western Europe meet ostensibly to discuss policy. But the group has spent years promoting a globalist agenda, according to reports from journalists who have penetrated the meeting. The Bilderberg Group made a press release available explaining the agenda for the meeting. "The conference will deal mainly with a nuclear free world, cyber terrorism, Africa, Russia, finance, protectionism, U.S.-European Union relations, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Islam and Iran. Approximately 140 participants will attend, of whom about two-thirds come from Europe and the balance from North America," the release stated. "About one-third is from government and politics, and two-thirds are from finance, industry, labor, education and communications. The meeting is private in order to encourage frank and open discussion." -- Additionally, a list of the conference's attendees was released and included James A. Johnson, who was named this week to the three-person team vetting possible running mates for Obama. Rampant speculation in the blogosphere says the Obama-Clinton meeting last night was held to arrange the New York senator as Obama's vice-presidential candidate. Attendees at the Bilderberg conference included Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle and Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the board of governors for the Federal Reserve. -Hillary Clinton is no stranger to Bilderberg. Bill Clinton attended the 1991 meeting in Germany shortly before he was elected president. According to reports, he attended again in 1999 when the meeting was held in Sintra, Portugal, and Hillary herself may have attended the 2006 meeting in Ottawa, Canada. "Why were we not told about this meeting until we were on the plane, the doors were shut and the plane was about to taxi to take off?" one reporter asked Obama spokesman Gibbs in a heated exchange caught on camera by CNN. "Senator Obama had a desire to do some meetings, others had a desire to meet with him tonight in a private way, and that is what we are doing." Gibbs replied. "Is there more than one meeting, is there more than one person with whom he is meeting?" asked another reporter. "I am not going to get into all the details of the meeting." Gibbs replied. [article link]
CNN Commentary [how could so many ERRORS end up in one article?] by Peter Bergen CNN's national security analyst: How Bush botched war on terror - In 2006, for instance, President Bush claimed that "the Sunni and Shiite extremist represent different faces of the same threat" In reality, Sunni and Shiite extremists have been killing each other in large numbers for years in countries from Pakistan to Iraq - The groups have differing attitudes toward the United States, which Sunni extremists attacked in 1993 and again on 9/11, while Shiite militants have never done so {"while Shiite militants have never done so" is Bergen forgetting about the 1979 attack and takeover of the American embassy in Iran and the 444 day (1979-1981) Iran Hostage crises? The 1983 bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon with 241 deaths, the many bombings and airline hijackings? The 2002 shooting attack at the L.A. International Airport (LAX) that killed two people? Unfortunately the list of Shiite terrorism against America and against Americans goes on. Peter Bergen is clearly out to misrepresent facts in his lame attempt to re-write history.} Editor's note: Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst and a fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington and at New York University's Center on Law and Security. His most recent book is "The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader." WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama and his foreign policy advisers and speechwriters are wrestling with one of the most important speeches of his presidency, his inaugural address. One of their toughest conceptual challenges is how to describe and recast what the Bush administration has consistently termed the "war on terror." ... Under the banner of the war on terror, the Bush administration also tied itself in conceptual knots conflating the threat from al Qaeda with Shiite groups like Hezbollah and the ayatollahs in Iran. In 2006, for instance, President Bush claimed that "the
Sunni and Shiite extremist represent different faces of the same threat." In reality, Sunni and Shiite extremists have been killing each other in large numbers for years in countries from Pakistan to Iraq. The groups have differing attitudes toward the United States, which Sunni extremists attacked in 1993 and again on 9/11, while Shiite militants have never done so. So, how to reconceptualize the GWOT? Contrary to a common view among Europeans, who have lived through the bombing campaigns of various nationalist and leftist terror groups for decades, al Qaeda is not just another criminal/terrorist group that can be dealt with by police action and law enforcement alone. [article link]
Slate.com: How the Sunnis and Shiites traded places - How two Islamic sects traded places in the American mind - American intelligence experts warned that Shiite training camps in the Iranian mountains were preparing thousands of militants for a holy war against the United States - The Shiite scare was founded partly on the belief that Shiites were inherently prone to anti-Western violence - But now, in the American mind, Shiites have become Sunnis, and Sunnis have become Shiites - The Sunni-Shiite exchange has even infected Capitol Hill culture. A few years ago, liberals would call Christian conservatives "the Shiite wing of the Republican party" These days, lefties refer to Christian conservatives as "The American Taliban" {The NWO traded out Communism for Islam to be their main NWO WW3 instigation it seems the NWO has also switched between the Sunnis and the Shittes. Starting after WWI by backing the oil rich Sunnis the NWO switched in the 1970's and is now building up the Shiites. Every aspect of the Bush doctrine in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and globally has been to strip the Sunnis of power and wealth and to transfer it to the Iranian backed Shiites.} The Sunni-Shiite exchange has even infected Capitol Hill culture. A few years ago, liberals would call Christian conservatives "the Shiite wing of the Republican party." These days, lefties refer to Christian conservatives as "The American Taliban." -- Of course there are still extremist Shiites, and relatively moderate Sunnis still control the biggest Islamic states. But why have Sunnis and Shiites traded places in the American Zeitgeist? Shiites have shed their dreadful American reputation because Shiite extremists really have moderated. The Iranian revolution is 22 years old. Iran is no longer an infant state: It is an adult. It has lost a war with Iraq and lost its spiritual leader Khomeini. It no longer preaches global Islamic revolution. Iranians lived with militant religion for years, saw how oppressive it was, and have partly democratized and slightly loosened up as a consequence. -There are other reasons why Americans increasingly sympathize with Shiites. The United States used to support despicable Saddam Hussein in order to check Shiite Iran. But since Iraq's 1990 Kuwait invasion, Hussein has been enemy No. 1. Iran, the enemy of our enemy, somehow seemed kindlier, even though its anti-Americanism persisted. Much of the internal opposition to Saddam has come from Shiites in Southern Iraq, a group Saddam has brutalized. Though the United States has abandoned them militarily, their horrible suffering has been a reminder that Shiites are an oppressed minority in most of the Islamic world. And the most bloody-minded Shiite group, Hezbollah, has moderated. Now that Israel has left Lebanon and Lebanon's civil war has ended, Hezbollah has cut back on terrorism. It hasn't attacked American targets in more than a decade. Hezbollah, like the PLO, behaves more like a political operation now than a terrorist army: Its chief goal is winning political power in Lebanon. We have grown disenchanted with Sunnis because Sunni extremism has surged even as Shiite militancy has waned. Part of the Sunni radicalization can be blamed on blow-back. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the United States, hand in hand with Saudi Arabia, decided to fund Islamic fighters in Afghanistan. The U.S. policy was intended to repel the Communist invasion and check Iranian extremism next door. ... As there was a generation ago, there is a surging Islamic jihad, fomented by zealous clerics and soldiers who preach the glory of martyrdom, the corruption of most Arab governments, and the villainy of the United States and Israel. It has taken two decades, two massive regional wars, and an Israeli retreat for the Shiite fire to cool. Who knows how long it will take for this newer Sunni rage to burn itself out? [article link]
The New Da Vinci (Code) Type Hoax - Royal roots found on every family tree - also some people have actually tried to establish a documented line between Muhammad, who was born in the 6th century, and the medieval
English monarchs, and thus to most if not all people of European descent - Does President Bush Jr. Secretly Believe He is a (Shiite) Descendant of Mohammed? President George Bush might actually believe he is a descendant of Mohamed. It would explain allot of his comments and his actions. Comments like he believes the Quran (Koran) "to be the word of God" and actions like his complete and total worldwide proxy war on behalf of the Muslim Shiite sect. President Bush has removed all the Iraq oil revenues from the Sunni people of Iraq and has given it to the Shiite sect. Bush has also helped place three radical Iranian-Shiite Politicians in charge over Iraq meanwhile he privately finances and supports the radical Shiite groups of Hamas and Hizb'allah. England's Tony Blair and Prince Charles are also strong Shiite supporters with Prince Charles all but openly admitting that he is a convert to Islam. No wonder we live in days with so many strange events occurring because our world leaders have such strange beliefs. ... Since all European and British nobility can legitimately prove their lineage back through the Merovingians {and apparently attempts to claim Mohammed as well}, they can "prove" to a public who has bought this lie that their lineage goes back through Mary Magdalene to Jesus and they have "plugged into" Jesus, they are literally "home free" to King David! ... Thus, Antichrist (666) can "prove" his lineage back to King David, an absolute requirement if he (Antichrist) is to convince the Jewish people he is their Messiah for whom they have been awaiting! [article link]
Iran-Iraq War (September 1980 to August 1988) - Although the Iran-Iraq War from 1980-1988 was a war for dominance of the Persian Gulf region, the roots of the war go back many centuries - The war began when Iraq invaded Iran on 22 September 1980 following a long history of border disputes and fears of Shia (Shiite) insurgency among Iraq's long suppressed Shia (Shiite) majority influenced by Iran's Islamic revolution **President Ronald Reagan decided that the United States "could not afford to allow Iraq to lose the war to Iran" and that the United States "would do whatever was necessary to prevent Iraq from losing the war with Iran" {Looks like the Bush family held a different view from President Ronald Reagan as the Bush family fought this [Iraq] war on behalf of Iran and make no mistake it was the Bush NWO plan from the beginning to give a conquered Iraq to the extreme, radical Iran.} The war was commonly referred to as the Gulf War or Persian Gulf War until the Iraq-Kuwait conflict (Operation Desert Storm Jan-Feb 1991). ... The Iran-Iraq War, also known as the Imposed War (Jang-e-tahmili) and Holy Defense (Defa'-e-moghaddas) in Iran, and Saddam's Qadisiyyah (Qadisiyyat Saddam) in Iraq, was a war between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran lasting from September 1980 to August 1988. The war began when Iraq invaded Iran on 22 September 1980 following a long history of border disputes and fears of Shia insurgency among Iraq's long suppressed Shia majority influenced by Iran's Islamic revolution. Although Iraq hoped to take advantage of revolutionary chaos in Iran and attacked without formal warning, they made only limited progress into Iran and within several months were repelled by the Iranians who regained virtually all lost territory by June 1982. For the next six years Iran was on the offensive. Despite several calls for a ceasefire by the United Nations Security Council, hostilities continued until 20 August 1988. The last prisoners of war were exchanged in 2003. The war is noted for its similarity to World War I. Tactics used included trench warfare, manned machine-gun posts, bayonet charges, use of barbed wire across trenches and on no-mans land, human wave attacks and Iraq's extensive use of chemical weapons (such as mustard gas) against Iranian troops and civilians as well as Iraqi Kurds. ... In 1982 with Iranian success on the battlefield, the U.S. made its backing of Iraq more pronounced, supplying it with intelligence, economic aid, normalizing relations with the government (broken during the 1967 Six-Day War), and also supplying weapons. President Ronald Reagan decided that the United States "could not afford to allow Iraq to lose the war to Iran", and that the United States "would do whatever was necessary to prevent Iraq from losing the war with Iran." President Reagan formalized this policy by issuing a National Security Decision Directive ("NSDD") to this effect in June, 1982. [article link]
World War One (WWI) - In 1915, the British had signed with (Saudi Arabia) Ibn Saud a "treatise of friendship and cooperation" to be supported with British financing - By 1917, the Saudi ruler was receiving five thousand pounds per month - Faisal seized Damascus (Syria) in 1918 - Five days after the conquest of Damascus by Faisal's forces, an armistice with the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) came into effect - The Ottoman government effectively collapsed, and the empire was divided amongst the victorious powers - France and Britain got control of most of the Middle East while Italy and Greece were given much of Anatolia (Asia minor - Turkey) Hussayn (Hussein) was betrayed, and granted rule only over Iraq (The Husseins were again betrayed in 2001 when Bush Jr. blamed Iraq in part for 9/11 and then in 2003 Bush invaded Iraq and delivered Sunni Iraq to the now NWO favored Shiites of Iran.), which, along with Trans-Jordan, and Kuwait, were effectively British entities, as was Palestine (After several false promises to the Jews, England later after WWII in 1947 reluctantly allowed the Jews to return to part of (Palestine) Israel) {In 1915 the British, Churchill, NWO was working with Saudi Arabia but has since mostly turned against Saudi Arabia with the NWO now preferring the more radical Iranian Shiites. Note: The Illuminati with their various shades of Satanism [and anti-Semitism] are the main behind the scenes power. The "Zionists" are a created cover story and scapegoat for the actual Illuminati who desire to conduct their business in secrecy and who desire to rid 'their' world of Christians and Jews.} More important still was the role-played by the puppet-state of Saudi Arabia, which became the sponsor of Salafi terrorism. The Saudis would become an important linchpin in the Illuminati strategy to make the world dependent on Rockefeller-controlled oil, thus not only increasing demand and profits, but enhancing their strangle-hold over the world's governments and economies. The primary agent in this agenda was Winston Churchill. ... The victory of the Allied forces against the Ottoman Turks (Turkey) marked the beginning of the end of WWI, and the central powers one by one surrendered, signing an armistice on November 11, 1918. At the end of the war, Faisal continued his advanced, and eventually took what is today Jordan, large parts of the Arabian peninsula and parts of southern Syria. However, unbeknownst to Hussayn, the British secretly negotiated the Sykes-Picot agreement, to divide up the Middle East according to terms drawn up by Rothschild parties. Arbitrary divisions were created, which largely exist to the present, including the creation of Syria, and Lebanon as French "protectorates". Hussayn was betrayed, and granted rule only over Iraq, which, along with Trans-Jordan, and Kuwait, were effectively British entities, as was Palestine, which was accorded to the Zionists. The mandate for Palestine was drafted by Felix Frankfurter, the prominent American Zionist, who afterwards became Chief Advisor in the White House to President Roosevelt, and also United States Supreme Court Justice, and helped found the ACLU. Frankfurter is reported to have received a copy of Eva Frank's portrait from his mother, a descendent of the Prague Frankist family. According to Frankfurter, "The real rulers in Washington are invisible and exercise their power from behind the scenes." [article link]
Senators: Where is Iraq's oil money going? - Two senators are asking congressional investigators to look at Iraq's oil revenues and see if the war-ravaged nation can pay for its own reconstruction, an effort that has been bankrolled to this point mostly by U.S. taxpayers BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Two senators are asking congressional investigators to look at Iraq's oil revenues and see if the war-ravaged nation can pay for its own reconstruction, an effort that has been bankrolled to this point mostly by U.S. taxpayers. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, and John Warner, R-Virginia, said in their Friday letter to the Government Accountability Office that Iraq has "tremendous resources" in banks worldwide but is doing little to improve security and reconstruction efforts. Iraqi officials did not immediately respond to the senators' allegations. "We believe that it has been overwhelmingly U.S. taxpayer money that has funded Iraq reconstruction over the last five years, despite Iraq earning billions of dollars in oil revenue over that time period that have ended up in non-Iraqi banks," wrote the senators, who are their party's top members on the Armed Services Committee. The senators cited testimony of then-Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz who told a House subcommittee in March 2003 that the U.S. would not foot the entire bill for rebuilding Iraq. Wolfowitz predicted then that Iraq's oil revenues could reach between $50 billion and $100 billion in the next two or three years. "We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively
soon," Wolfowitz said in 2003. [article link]
Oil price gives Iran diplomatic strength - with oil at $140 a barrel, the Iranian regime is likely to be impervious to economic pressure {Bush knows what he is doing and what he is doing is building up a radical (Shiite) Iran. Bush has his "stay the course" Middle-East policy, but we need to ask just what is the true agenda Bush is pushing? We know America is not benefitting from any Bush executive decisions.} NEW YORK (CNN) -- Amid allegations of Iranian aid to Iraqi insurgents, Iran's effort to build a nuclear bomb and a report on an increase in U.S. covert operations in Iran, analyst Fareed Zakaria takes a look at possible changes in the country's leadership and assesses the threat Iran could pose to Mideast stability. ... Well, the efforts of the United States and Europe to put Iran in a box, because of its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment, are facing two problems. First, it will be very difficult to get a new round of even stiffer sanctions through the United Nations. Second, with oil at $140 a barrel, the Iranian regime is likely to be impervious to economic pressure. [article link]
{flashback} Rockets Hammer Green Zone in Iraq, Killing at Least One American - Suspected Shiite extremists hammered the U.S-protected Green Zone and other areas in Baghdad with rocket and mortar volleys Thursday, and the embassy said one American government employee was killed BAGHDAD - Suspected Shiite extremists hammered the U.S-protected Green Zone and other areas in Baghdad with rocket and mortar volleys Thursday, and the embassy said one American government employee was killed. It was the latest in a week of barrages against the heavily fortified area in central Baghdad. U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said the American was a government employee but provided no other details pending notification of relatives. It was the second death since frequent attacks against the Green Zone began on Sunday, when an American financial analyst was killed. At least five rounds also struck near the Green Zone on Thursday, killing one Iraqi civilian and injuring another 14, the U.S. military said in a separate statement. Three other rounds hit U.S. military bases on the predominantly Shiite eastern side of the Tigris River, wounding four U.S. soldiers, it added. [article link]
{flashback} U.S.: Shiite 'Special Group' Behind Baghdad Bombing That Killed 63 - No group claimed responsibility for the blast - "We believe he ordered the attack to incite Shiite violence against Sunnis" {I hope the Iraqi's can come to some terms and govern that nation. The tragedies and scope of human suffering over there is appalling.} BAGHDAD - The U.S. military blamed a renegade Shiite group Wednesday for a deadly car bombing in a Baghdad Shiite neighborhood and said it was seeking to re-ignite the sort of sectarian violence that swept the area 18 months ago. Iraqi officials said the death toll from the bombing rose to 63, including women and children. ... But U.S. spokesman Lt. Col. Steven Stover said the command did not believe Al Qaeda in Iraq was behind the attack based on the type of vehicle and explosives used. Instead, he said the command believed the attack was carried out by a Shiite special group led by Haydar Mehdi Khadum al-Fawadi, whom Stover described as a "murderous thug" seeking to incite violence "for his individual profit and gain." ... "We believe he ordered the attack to incite (Shiite) violence against Sunnis; that his intent was to disrupt Sunni resettlement in Hurriyah in order to maintain extortion of real estate rental income to support his nefarious activities," Stover said in an e-mail. Several Iraqi police officials said the casualty toll stood at 63, with another 78 wounded. [article link]
{flashback} Kidnapped archbishop found dead in Iraq - A Christian archbishop kidnapped in northern Iraq last month has been found dead, according to a Nineveh province official {Bush is a fraud and his plan for Iraq is one gigantic fraud of lies and deceit. Bush is enabling, financing, defending and strengthening worldwide radical Shiite Islam at the peril and cost of the lives of others.}
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A Christian archbishop kidnapped in northern Iraq last month has been found dead, according to a Nineveh province official. Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paul Faraj Rahho's body was found Thursday near the town of Mosul, where he and three companions were ambushed by gunmen on February 29. The archbishop's driver and two security guards were killed during the attack. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki had ordered security services to make it a priority to find and free the archbishop. Nineveh Deputy Gov. Khasro Goran, in Mosul, told CNN that the kidnappers had been in touch with the church and the relatives and wanted to be a paid a ransom for the archbishop's release. The contacts ended a few days ago. The apparent kidnappers had contacted relatives on Thursday and told them the body was in the eastern part of town. Relatives and authorities went to the location and found the body, which had gunshot wounds. [article link]
{flashback} "Iraq Tribal Study - Al Anbar Governorate" - the Sunnis "are deathly afraid of being ruled by a Shia (Shiite) government, which they believe will be little more than a puppet of the Shia religious extremists in Iran" It also cautioned that the main themes of the U.S. message in Iraq -- "freedom and democracy" -- do not resonate well with the population "because freedom is associated with chaos in Iraq." In addition, the Sunnis "are deathly afraid of being ruled by a Shia government, which they believe will be little more than a puppet of the Shia religious extremists in Iran." Pincus [article link]
{flashback} Iraqi: 'I killed her with a machine gun' - Basra turned into a battleground between warring Shiite factions vying for control of the country's oil-rich south after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 - Basra's streets teemed with Shiite militias armed with weapons, mostly from Iran, according to the Iraqi forces and the U.S. - Women bore the brunt of the militias' extremist ideologies military {Bush knew this was going to happen as both Bush and Rumsfeld used too few troops, let the Shiites keep most of their weapons during the invasion and then encouraged the Shiites to riot and loot after the takeover. This is the guilty Bush, Blair, NWO plan for the new Iraq to terrorize the people until they submit to anything, mostly a new more radical Islam.} CNN was shown what authorities say was his first confession. On it are the names of 15 girls whom he admitted kidnapping, raping and killing. The youngest girl on the list was just 9 years old. Basra turned into a battleground between warring Shiite factions vying for control of the country's oil-rich south after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Basra's streets teemed with Shiite militias armed with weapons, mostly from Iran, according to the Iraqi forces and the U.S. military. ... Women bore the brunt of the militias' extremist ideologies. The militants spray-painted threats on walls across Basra, warning women to wear headscarves and not to wear make-up. Women were sometimes executed for the vague charge of doing something "un-Islamic." In the wasteland on the outskirts of Basra, dotted with rundown homes, the stench of death mixes with the sewage. Local residents told the Iraqi Army that executions often take place in the area, particularly for women, sometimes killed for something as seemingly inocuous as wearing jeans. Militias implemented their own laws with abandon, threatening stores for displaying mannequins with bare shoulders or for selling Western music. Many store owners are still too frightened to speak publicly. [article link]
{flashback} Violence Leaves Young Iraqis Doubting Clerics "I hate Islam and all the clerics because they limit our freedom every day and their instruction became heavy over us" said Sara, a high school student in Basra {Note: Iraq was a moderate (Sunni) Muslim country but now that Bush Jr. has helped institutionalize radical Iranian (Shiite) Islam in Iraq the Iraqi people are in even more despair.} BAGHDAD - After almost five years of war, many young people in Iraq, exhausted by constant firsthand exposure to the violence of religious extremism, say they have grown disillusioned with religious leaders and skeptical of the faith that they preach. In two months of interviews with 40 young people in five Iraqi cities, a pattern of disenchantment emerged, in which young Iraqis, both poor and middle class, blamed clerics for the violence and the restrictions that have narrowed their lives. "I hate Islam and all the clerics because they limit our freedom every day and their instruction became heavy over us," said Sara, a high school student in Basra.
"Most of the girls in my high school hate that Islamic people control the authority because they don't deserve to be rulers." Atheer, a 19-year-old from a poor, heavily Shiite neighborhood in southern Baghdad, said: "The religion men are liars. Young people don't believe them. Guys my age are not interested in religion anymore." [article link]
{flashback} Iraqi Officials: Hezbollah, Iran Training Shiites in Art of Terrorism - Hezbollah instructors trained Shiite militiamen at remote camps in southern Iraq until three months ago when they slipped across the border to Iran {Bush is funding the terrorists. That is the Bush doctrine, record and probably the actual intended Bush plan. You know Hezbollah the Terrorist group that Bush donates 100's of millions of US taxpayer aid dollars to. You know the money Bush won't donate to the American farmer or use to build bridges, roads, levees, or to drill for more oil. But Hezbollah uses their Bush money to equip and travel to Iraq to train and kill Americans. Is there a problem with President Bush's leadership? Yes, an enormous problem!} BAGHDAD - Hezbollah instructors trained Shiite militiamen at remote camps in southern Iraq until three months ago when they slipped across the border to Iran - presumably to continue instruction on Iranian soil, according to two Shiite lawmakers and a top army officer. The three Iraqis claim the Lebanese Shiites were also involved in planning some of the most brazen attacks against U.S.-led forces, including the January 2007 raid on a provincial government compound in Karbala in which five Americans died. The allegations, made in separate interviews with The Associated Press, point not only to an Iranian hand in the Iraq war, but also to Hezbollah's willingness to expand beyond its Lebanese base and assume a broader role in the struggle against U.S. influence in the Middle East. [article link]
{Flashback} Iran confirms it will attend summit on Iraq - Iran, a Muslim Shiite-majority nation, has considerable influence among Iraqi Shiites Tehran, Iran (AP) -- Iran on Sunday confirmed it will attend this week's conference on Iraq in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik, saying its delegation will be headed by its foreign minister. The announcement will be widely welcomed as Iran, a Muslim Shiite-majority nation, has considerable influence among Iraqi Shiites, who now lead the Baghdad government. Iran is also suspected of having influential links with Shiite insurgent groups -- although it has repeatedly denied such ties. ... In Baghdad, an adviser in the prime minister's office, Sadiq al-Rikabi, confirmed Larijani would meet senior Iraqi officials. "It is a very important visit," he added. [article link]
High-Profile Norwegian Doctor in Gaza Called an 'Apologist for Hamas' - International media reports, including those from the BBC, CBS, CNN and FOX's sister station Sky News, present Gilbert as an ordinary doctor - But a look at his record shows that Gilbert, 61, is a political activist and member of the Norwegian Maoist "Red" party, and he has been involved in solidarity work for the Palestinians since the 1970s - Israeli government officials have said Hamas hides weapons in the hospital where Gilbert works - In addition to being supportive of the terrorist organization Hamas, Gilbert has voiced support for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon A high-profile Norwegian doctor who has said the September 11 terrorists were justified in their attack is now treating patients in Gaza and is being accused of presenting "hard-core propaganda" to TV interviewers in his telling of the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Dr. Mads Gilbert has become an unofficial advocate of the Palestinian cause, his critics say. International media reports, including those from the BBC, CBS, CNN and FOX's sister station Sky News, present Gilbert as an ordinary doctor. But a look at his record shows that Gilbert, 61, is a political activist and member of the Norwegian Maoist "Red" party, and he has been involved in solidarity work for the Palestinians since the 1970s. He has criticized the international aid organization Doctors Without Borders for refusing to take sides in conflicts. Gilbert volunteers at the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza with the Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC), an aid organization funded by the Norwegian government, and he has been interviewed by the media on a variety of issues. Israeli government officials have said Hamas hides weapons in the hospital where Gilbert works. ... In addition to being supportive of the terrorist organization
Hamas, Gilbert has voiced support for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. ... When asked if he supported a terror attack on the U.S., Gilbert said, "Terror is a bad weapon but the answer is yes within the context which I have mentioned." Gerald Steinberg, executive director of NGO Monitor, said Gilbert's characterization of the situation in Gaza is "in the form of incitement of hatred." "We question the accuracy and the political biases - if they exist - by groups that claim to promote human rights, humanitarian and non-political goals," Steinberg told FOXNews.com. "A doctor is someone who is not supposed to take a political side." [article link]
Microsoft has announced that a beta version of Windows 7 will be available for download beginning Friday {For someone in the market for a new computer building out a system with the new Intel i7 CPU (i7 920) and downloading a beta version for Windows 7 would be a good way to go. If you purchase Microsoft Vista right now you just have to pay again to upgrade to Windows 7 in the fall.} LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer kicked off the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday with an impassioned endorsement of PCs and a sneak peek at the company's future Windows 7 operating system. As expected, Ballmer announced that Microsoft is releasing a beta version of Windows 7, which will be available for download beginning Friday. The news suggests the world's largest software maker may be giving up efforts to rehabilitate its often-maligned Vista operating system, which was released worldwide in January 2007. "We are on track to deliver the best version of Windows ever," Ballmer told an audience of several thousand tech professionals and journalists inside a cavernous ballroom at the Venetian hotel. "We're working hard to get it right and get it ready." Without mentioning the security and compatibility issues that have dogged Vista, Ballmer promised that Windows 7 will make PCs faster and easier to use. He didn't offer a timetable for its official release, although Windows Vista went on sale more than two years after it was issued in beta form. Early reviews of Windows 7, which was leaked to the Internet in beta form in late December, have been positive. [article link]
Time Accused of Making Steve Jobs Look Even Thinner - An tech blog has accused Time magazine's Web site of manipulating the Apple CEO's image to make him appear even more gaunt but Time says it was an innocent mistake - the accompanying photo of Jobs, taken at his last public appearance in October, appeared stretched vertically so that the slim chief executive looked even slimmer {With the limited mass media outlets we have today we clearly live in days of deceit. It's hard to believe anything published whether text, photos or even video, (artist renditions and computer simulations are almost totally unbelievable) without correlating and verifying from additional sources and resources.} (Photos) An tech blog has accused Time magazine's Web site of manipulating the Apple CEO's image to make him appear even more gaunt - but Time says it was an innocent mistake. ... Time's Josh Quittner had a piece up within hours, but as the MacDailyNews blog found the next morning, the accompanying photo of Jobs, taken at his last public appearance in October, appeared stretched vertically so that the slim chief executive looked even slimmer. "Despicable," thundered MacDailyNews. "TIME Magazine should be ashamed if that's even possible for them anymore. ... TIME Magazine should publicly apologize to Apple Inc., Steve Jobs - and Apple shareholders, for that matter." ... "Unfortunately the height and width ratios were temporarily pre-set incorrectly on TIME.com," read the statement. "The error was corrected at 9:30 am ET Wednesday, after having been posted at 7:30 pm the previous night. We regret any confusion caused by the error." MacDailyNews' outraged posting seemed to think that was deliberate. "The original photo has had its size vertically increased via code in TIME's website," MacDailyNews wrote. "TIME's code specifies a width of 307 pixels and a height of 200 pixels, but in order to maintain the proper aspect ratio - in other words present the photo of Jobs as he actually looked at the time it was taken - the dimensions should be 307x175 pixels." But as anyone who's worked with photos on a Web page knows, that sounds like a pretty elementary mistake, one in which an oddly proportioned photo ends up distorting itself to fit into a prearranged size. ... MacDailyNews also cited the
infamous Time magazine O.J. Simpson cover from June 1994, when the football great's image was darkened to reflect the sudden dimming of his once-bright public image following the murders of his ex-wife and her friend. Critics of the Simpson cover charged Time with stoking racial antagonism. [article link]
Exchanges of fire mar 3-hour truce in Gaza - A planned three-hour lull in Israel's assault on Gaza was marred by sporadic attacks by Hamas militants and retaliatory fire from Israeli forces - The suspension of the campaign from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. was intended to allow residents of the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory to receive food and medical supplies JERUSALEM (CNN) -- A planned three-hour lull in Israel's assault on Gaza was marred by sporadic attacks by Hamas militants and retaliatory fire from Israeli forces. The suspension of the campaign from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. (6 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET) was intended to allow residents of the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory to receive food and medical supplies. U.N. Relief and Works Agency spokesman Chris Gunness said a three-hour truce is not enough to alleviate the "deepening humanitarian crisis" in Gaza. ... By Wednesday evening, 16 (HAMAS) rockets had struck the Jewish state, according to the Israeli military. There was no immediate report of injuries. [article link]
Walter Cronkite, NWO, WTF - Ocotober 19, 1999: Video clip where Walter Cronkite calls for world government, ending sovereignty, and [only half jokingly] "joining him to sit at the right hand of Satan" as he says himself Walter Cronkite speaks his mind and "by God he does!" {Cronkite calls every Christian a criminal "that needs to be brought to justice" for desiring the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and not embracing his global government concept.} (YouTube) Comments: It absolutely amazes me that these seemingly educated people are so ignorant. Downright stupid. They talk about ending all wars, when it's the globalists that cause the wars. They talk about saving the planet when it's these same people that are the biggest polluters and rapists of natural resources. The same people that hinder technology that would benefit mankind. I suppose that if you don't get involved in politics you are doomed to be ruled by your inferiors. ... If you believe Hermit, giving the power to run the world to a small group of people is a good thing Given the track record of globalists, military industrial complex of starting wars, fixing prices, monopolies, reducing choice it makes no sense to give them ANY power. How do we vote them out, if we disagree. YOU CANT How do you change the leaders YOU DON'T Consolidation of Power to the cabal that financed Hitler, the Communists, C.American dictators ie Rockefeller, P Bush is INSANE. [article link]
{Flashback} Numerous taxation schemes to finance the UN are being considered - "We must strengthen the United Nations as a first step toward world government" - Walter Cronkite, famous CBS news anchor A powerful network of Americans in government, and business, academia and media have conspired to empower the UN. One noteworthy "insider" is David Rockefeller -- head of the superrich family that donated the ground for UN headquarters. He told an elite group in Germany in 1991: "We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time magazine... whose directors have attended our meetings and have respected promises of discretion for almost 40 years. It would have been possible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to... publicity during those years. But the world is now more sophisticated and prepare to march towards a world government." Here is a sampling of what other globalists have said: -- "We must strengthen the United Nations as a first step toward world government." - Walter Cronkite, famous CBS news anchor -- "Nationhood as we know it will be opsolete, all states will recognize a single, global authority." - Strobe Talbot, Former Deputy Secretary of State ... And there would be no Congress to limit the UN's appetite for your tax dollars. [article link]
January 7, 2009: Henry Kissinger, Obama primed to create 'New World Order' Policy guru says global upheaval presents 'great opportunity' - According to Henry Kissinger, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former secretary
of state under President Nixon, conflicts across the globe and an international respect for Barack Obama have created the perfect setting for establishment of "a New World Order" - Kissinger's comments are captured at roughly the 2:47 mark of the following video: (Video) According to Henry Kissinger, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former secretary of state under President Nixon, conflicts across the globe and an international respect for Barack Obama have created the perfect setting for establishment of "a New World Order." Kissinger has long been an integral figure in U.S. foreign policy, holding positions in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations. Author of over a dozen books on foreign policy, Kissinger was also named by President Bush as the chairman of the Sept. 11 investigatory commission. Kissinger made the remark in an interview with CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" hosts Mark Haines and Erin Burnett at the New York Stock Exchange, after Burnett asked him what international conflict would define the Obama administration's foreign policy. ... The phrase 'new world order' traces back at least as far as 1940, when author H.G. Wells used it as the title of a book about a socialist, unified, one-world government. The phrase has also been linked to American presidents, including Woodrow Wilson, whose work on establishing the League of Nations pioneered the concept of international government bodies, and to the first President Bush, who used the phrase in a 1989 speech. "A new partnership of nations has begun, and we stand today at a unique and extraordinary moment," said Bush before a joint session of Congress. "Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective - a new world order - can emerge: A new era … in which the nations of the world, east and west, north and south, can prosper and live in harmony." -- The phrase "New World Order" causes alarm for many Americans, particularly those concerned about an international governing body trumping U.S. sovereignty or those that interpret biblical prophecy to foretell the establishment of a one-world government as key to the rise of the Antichrist. Conspiracy theorists, too, have latched on to the phrase, concerned that powerful financial or government figures are secretly plotting to rule the world. Kissinger's ties to government and international powers - as well as his use of the phrase - have made him suspect in the eyes of many who are wary of what "new world order" might actually mean. [article link]
June 07, 2008: Speculation about Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton attending (secret) Bilderberger meeting Dulles is just three miles from the Westfields Marriott Hotel in Chantilly, where Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller, among other globalists, are gathered for the annual Bilderberg Group conference - Hillary Clinton is no stranger to Bilderberg - Bill Clinton attended the 1991 meeting in Germany shortly before he was elected president - Hillary herself may have attended the 2006 meeting in Ottawa, Canada "Asked at the time about the Illinois senator's whereabouts, Gibbs smiled and declined to comment," the AP report continued. Bilderberg is a highly-secretive meeting where the most influential men and women of North America and Western Europe meet ostensibly to discuss policy. But the group has spent years promoting a globalist agenda, according to reports from journalists who have penetrated the meeting. The Bilderberg Group made a press release available explaining the agenda for the meeting. "The conference will deal mainly with a nuclear free world, cyber terrorism, Africa, Russia, finance, protectionism, U.S.-European Union relations, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Islam and Iran. Approximately 140 participants will attend, of whom about two-thirds come from Europe and the balance from North America," the release stated. "About one-third is from government and politics, and two-thirds are from finance, industry, labor, education and communications. The meeting is private in order to encourage frank and open discussion." -- Additionally, a list of the conference's attendees was released and included James A. Johnson, who was named this week to the three-person team vetting possible running mates for Obama. Rampant speculation in the blogosphere says the Obama-Clinton meeting last night was held to arrange the New York senator as Obama's vice-presidential candidate. Attendees at the Bilderberg conference included Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle and Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the board of governors for the Federal Reserve. -Hillary Clinton is no stranger to Bilderberg. Bill Clinton attended the 1991 meeting in Germany shortly before he was elected president. According to reports, he attended again in 1999 when the meeting was held in Sintra, Portugal, and Hillary herself may have attended the 2006 meeting in Ottawa, Canada. "Why were we not told
about this meeting until we were on the plane, the doors were shut and the plane was about to taxi to take off?" one reporter asked Obama spokesman Gibbs in a heated exchange caught on camera by CNN. "Senator Obama had a desire to do some meetings, others had a desire to meet with him tonight in a private way, and that is what we are doing." Gibbs replied. "Is there more than one meeting, is there more than one person with whom he is meeting?" asked another reporter. "I am not going to get into all the details of the meeting." Gibbs replied. [article link]
**ENDGAME Bilderberger Meetings - ALEX JONES - Blueprint for Global Enslavement (Google Online Video) Extremely interesting, shocking and disturbing. It should be essential viewing for everyone. Wake up world [and follow Jesus Christ], before it's too late. [article link]
dark-truth.org: Skull & Bones The Bush's China Connection - An obscure secret society known as "Skull & Bones" may have more to do with George Bush's (Sr.) obsessive support of Beijing's mass murderers than one may think - Except during the Carter administration, every U.S. Ambassador to Beijing since Kissinger's deal with Mao Zedong was a member of the same tiny Yale "Skull & Bones" cult - "MAO WAS A YALIE" - Back in 1903, Yale Divinity School established a number of schools and hospitals throughout China - "The Maoists made China into the world's largest opium producer" - The Anglo-American "Establishment" hated Sun, because he wanted to develop China - On the other hand, they loved the Chinese communists because they intended to keep China backward, and were committed to growing dope (opium) - "Nor should it be forgotten that Averell Harriman, the former Ambassador to Moscow who did so much to build up the Soviet Union, was a member of Skull and Bones. Harriman was also a business partner of Prescott Bush, Sr., the father of Maoist enthusiast George Bush" The January 26, 1990 issue of THE NEW FEDERALIST revealed even more about the Bush - one world connection. In his article, BUSH'S CHINA POLICY: SKULL AND BONES, Joseph Brewda writes: "Jan 19 (EIRNS)-An obscure secret society known as "Skull and Bones" may have more to do with George Bush's obsessive support of Beijing's mass murderers than one may think. ... "What has this to do with Bush policy towards China--or for that matter, Bush's "War on Drugs"? (Note: the last television news reporter to ask Bush a critical question concerning the many narcotics agents who are complaining about how bad the "drug war" was going, was promptly fired from his job shortly after the press conference - Branton) ... "George Bush, the first U.S. diplomatic representative to the People's Republic of China back in 1973, was a member of Skull and Bones. So were his father, brother, son, uncle, nephew, and several cousins. Winston Lord, the Reagan-Bush administration Ambassador to China was a member; so were his father and several other relatives. James Lilley, the current Ambassador to China, was a member of Skull and Bones, as was his brother. Except during the Carter administration, every U.S. Ambassador to Beijing since Kissinger's deal with Mao Zedong was a member of the same tiny Yale cult. A mere coincidence? ... "MAO WAS A YALIE - Back in 1903, Yale Divinity School established a number of schools and hospitals throughout China that were collectively known as 'Yale in China.' It has since been shown that 'Yale in China' was an intelligence network whose purpose was to destroy the republican movement of Sun Yat-sen on behalf of the Anglo-American Establishment. The Anglo-American "Establishment" hated Sun, because he wanted to develop China. On the other hand, they loved the Chinese communists because they intended to keep China backward, and were committed to growing dope. One of 'Yale in China's' most important students was Mao Zedong. -- "During World War II, 'Yale in China' was a primary instrument used by the U.S. Establishment and its Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to install the Maoists into power. 'Yale in China' was run by OSS operative Reuben Holden, the husband of Bush's cousin, and also a member of Skull and Bones. "The Maoists made China into the world's largest opium producer. "'Yale in China' was also closely associated with the New York-based Union Theological Seminary, which has been a center for U.S. subversion of Asia (literal wolves in sheep's clothing - Branton). Every prominent radical leader operating in Korea today, for example, was trained at Union Theological. Union Theological was
dominated for twenty years by Henry Sloane Coffin, a U.S. intelligence executive from the Sloane and Coffin families. He was a Skull and Bones member as were a dozen of his relatives. "Nor should it be forgotten that Averell Harriman, the former Ambassador to Moscow who did so much to build up the Soviet Union, was a member of Skull and Bones. Harriman was also a business partner of Prescott Bush, Sr., the father of Maoist enthusiast George Bush." [article link]
Cutting Edge News Alert August 1, 2008: Illuminati powerhouse, Henry Kissinger - Kissinger negotiated the American withdrawal (January 27, 1973) from South Vietnam by meeting with North Korean, Chinese and Russian diplomats over a period of years - These meetings were held primarily in Paris - Kissinger promised the North Vietnamese that they could have South Vietnam - Now, Kissinger is proposing a "diplomatic conference" which would establish a (Iraq) "formal peace settlement" Does he have the same formula [for Iraq] as we saw in Vietnam? - The Shi'ite Mahdi forces of the radical cleric, al-Sadr [and Iran could inherit Iraq and the oil wealth] Kissinger ends his treatise on the "Peace and Safety" promise - All this activity is laying the foundation for fulfillment of prophecy! Kissinger negotiated American withdrawal from South Vietnam by meeting with North Korean, Chinese and Russian diplomats over a period of years. These meetings were held primarily in Paris. Kissinger promised the North Vietnamese that they could have South Vietnam, but only if they waited a period of time following the American withdrawal before they launched their final attack. Such a "grace period" would allow the Americans to declare victory and pull out. -- Now, Kissinger is proposing a "diplomatic conference" which would establish a "formal peace settlement". Does he have the same formula as we saw in Vietnam? No one can be sure at this time, but events will soon give us the answers we need. President Bush will be allowed to declare victory -once again -- and then pull out. The Shi'ite Mahdi forces of the radical cleric, al-Sadr, will continue to stand down to give the illusion of an American victory. After waiting for a reasonable amount of time, Sadr will launch an attack, splitting Iraq into the three sections originally planned -- Shi'ite, Sunni and the Kurds. -- Kissinger does say, "The American presence in Iraq should not be presented as open-ended." If this is the case, why is the United States building one of the most sophisticated embassies in the world and establishing permanent military bases throughout Iraq? -- Kissinger then reveals that the final steps in this Plan for Iraq will spill over to the 44th President. "The next president has a great opportunity to stabilize Iraq and lay the basis for a decisive turn in the war against jihadist radicalism and for a more peaceful Middle East. Surely he will want to assess the situation on the ground before setting a strategy for his term. He should not be limited by rigid prescriptions to vindicate maxims of the past, no matter how plausible they once seemed. Withdrawal is a means; the end is a more peaceful and hopeful world." -- Thus, Kissinger ends his treatise on the "Peace and Safety" promise. All this activity is laying the foundation for fulfillment of prophecy! [article link]
November 26, 2008: Never seen before!: Fox news 5 reports WTC 7 collapse before it happens {NY WTC 9/11 was a Bush, NWO planned and scripted event. Fox News was one of the main groups following and presenting the script to the public that day.} (YouTube) Comments: Coincidence that BBC reported it early, even though it was standing behind that ladies head? Coincidence that CNN reported it early? Coincidence that Fox News 5 reported it early? Coincidence that a 47 story building fell perfectly, no resistance? Coincidence Larry S. said "pull it", then the building fell? Coincidence it was left out of the 911 commission report? It gets to the point where theres so many coincidences that you can't really assume they are coincidence anymore. ... At this point the reality that 9/11 was an inside job is overwhelmingly clear. Given the preponderance of hard, objective evidence, it seems those who are determined to believe the Bush Administration's account of 9/11 are engaging in "reaction formation." Rather than facing an unpleasant reality, they go to lengths to assert the very opposite, often with lots of invective and derision. Simply questioning the government's Official Conspiracy Theory makes them apoplectic! [article link]
April 03, 2007: 9/11: Total Proof That (Bush) Bombs Were Planted In The Buildings! (YouTube) Bombs, explosions, secondary explosions, explosive devices....how many more times do we need to hear these words being said by 9/11 witnesses before we start asking questions about what really happened on that awful day? This video shows that many actual 9/11 witnesses heard and saw explosions going off inside the towers, long before they actually fell. These witnesses include police, firemen and mainstream media reporters. And what is even more shocking is the fact that all of this has been ignored by the mainstream media. We really need to wake up to the facts and ask questions. If we don't, what does that say about us? [article link]
Deliberate Coincidences - A support beam of a bridge being rigged for demolition - A support beam of the WTC after the 9/11 attack (Photos) Deliberate Coincidences: "A society whose citizens refuse to see and investigate the facts, who refuse to believe that their government and their media will routinely lie to them and fabricate a reality contrary to verifiable facts, is a society that chooses and deserves the Police State Dictatorship it's going to get." -- Ian Williams Goddard [article link]
Waking From a Bad Dream[?] - It has been like a national nightmare: We are attacked by terrorists and our leaders respond not with courage and a call to our higher natures, but by spreading fear and turning us into a regime of torturers - Rather than celebrate our Constitution and its enduring values, they use the levers of government to subvert it It has been like a national nightmare: We are attacked by terrorists and our leaders respond not with courage and a call to our higher natures, but by spreading fear -- and turning us into a regime of torturers. Rather than celebrate our Constitution and its enduring values, they use the levers of government to subvert it. Now the nightmare appears to be almost over. By choosing two vocal opponents of torture for two key positions -Dawn Johnsen to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel and Leon Panetta to head the Central Intelligence Agency -- President-elect Barack Obama has indicated that he intends to make the cleanest possible break from Bush administration precedents, end torture and return to traditional interpretations of the Constitution. [article link]
The Berean Chronicles - Podcast (Mp3's) Our mission here at The Berean Chronicles is to expose the Apostate Church, to equip the Saints with Truth, Knowledge, and Wisdom to be the Salt and Light Christ Jesus has called us to be. With the TRUTH given out on this talk show, we pray it will lead all who listen who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to the Saving knowledge. [article link]
Bible verse: Isaiah 10:1-3 ... Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees ... To turn aside the needy from judgment ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Isaiah 10:1-3 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of My people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? -- Holy Bible [article link]
US First Cat 'India' dies - The Bush family black cat costumed as a witch-sorcerer Halloween 2008? - {The Bush family dressed up their black cat in a witch-sorcerer costume, presumably for some Halloween. The photo has four types of items a black sorcerer cat, pumpkins, a red (devilish) cowboy hat all immersed in green (greed).}
(Photo) WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Bush family's 18-year-old cat, India, has died at the White House, First Lady Laura Bush's office announced Monday. ... The black American Shorthair, which lived with President George W. Bush and his wife at the White House, died Sunday. [article link]
!!!Alert - First Cat Dies - The Bushes' 18-year-old cat died at the White House on Sunday [January 4, 2009] "India" a.k.a. "Willie" apparently couldn't bear life after the White House - The Bushes' 18-year-old female black American Shorthair died Sunday at home in the Executive Mansion - "India was a beloved member of the Bush family for almost two decades - She will be greatly missed" said the first lady's press secretary Sally McDonough {The extremely bizarre Satanic Skull & Bones Bush family has had their own female black cat for the last 18 years and things haven't gone very well for Americans during any of the Bush years. I wonder if all the spells, incantations, Witchcraft and Satanism that the Bush's have thrown America's way has actually taken a toll on American society. Note: Sunday seems to be the preferred day for Bush to do much of his devious business especially if it is personally important to him. All of the Federal Reserve takeover meetings [Bear sterns, Citi Group] were held on Sundays. Bush often meets with Arab officials at Camp David on Sundays. When Bush flew to Iraq and signed the last Status of Forces Agreement, when the shoes were thrown at Bush, that was a Sunday. Throughout his entire time in office Bush seems to take a perverse pleasure in defiling the Sunday 'day of worship' that is so meaningful and important to Christians.} The Bushes' 18-year-old female black American Shorthair died Sunday at home in the Executive Mansion. Named by a then-9-year-old Barbara Bush, the cat, who was also called "Kitty" by the family, was given the name "India" after the former Texas Ranger baseball player, Ruben Sierra, who was called El Indio. When they went off to college, Barbara and Jenna left India at the White House with President and Mrs. Bush. [article link]
The black cat: Mystery, myth and symbolism - Without a doubt, the most common association is of witches and black cats as their familiars - It was also thought that cats were sacrificed by witches during their rituals - At Halloween shelters may hesitate to place black cats {Did the Satanic Bush family sacrifice their old black cat "India" in a final or near final Satanic blood ritual in their personal residence at the White House? Was this a sacrifice timed to the very day with the announcement by Bush Sr. that he wants Jeb Bush to take up residence in the very room where the Bush Jr. family cat just got offered up to the pagan gods? PS. Why didn't the Bush family cat die at the Veterinarian's office where most ordinary pets meet their demise and does Bush Sr. think Satanic blood sacrifices enabled him to win the White House and to then pass it along to his son Bush Jr.? Is this a part of a Bush family Satanic blood offering to Satan in attempting to claim and pass along the American White House to Jeb Bush for more Bush family destruction on behalf of Satan?} No other kind of cat, whether purebred or moggie, is more steeped in myth and mystery than the black cat. From the basic good luck-bad luck premise to elaborate symbolism associated with different countries, black cats have been a part of the cultural history of the world since the dawn of recorded time. Without a doubt, the most common association is of witches and black cats as their familiars, along with frogs, birds and snakes. Pagan religions in Europe had witchcraft as their dominant belief and were associated with animals of nature, including cats. As Christianity became more entrenched, 15th century witch hunts centered around older women who were more likely to live alone and keep cats for companionship. The women became a prime target for blame if some kind of a disaster struck a village, especially if they had a cat that was black, the color of magic and mystery. Stories abound of late night shapeshifting in which felines were injured while doing battle with superstitious humans. In daylight women who had been associated with the cats were found with like injuries. The image of a witch being burned at the stake with her feline companion is etched into history, even into 17th century America. It was also thought that cats were sacrificed by witches during their rituals, but that is counter to the nature-friendly spirit of witchcraft. -- It's sometimes difficult to differentiate the mythology of the black cat versus cats in general. The image of the cat coiled into a circle like a serpent can
move from the symbol of eternity to a vicious circle leading to the belief that black cats are sinister. There's also the image of The Devourer in which the cat and the serpent fight each other. As the celestial cat of the sun god Ra fought the darkness of night, the devourer took the form of a serpent. In contrast the serpent can also be a symbol of light and life; as the sun set, it took the form of a serpent ablaze and the cat then became darkness, death and chaos. Devourers are neither male nor female although the "engulfing" aspect of the cat led it to emerge as a symbol for the darker side of femininity. As such the black cat became one of the great devouring goddesses known for playing cat and mouse with the young fertility gods of spring. [article link]
Cartoon Tract: Here Kitty Kitty - A Black Cat Sacrifice "to cast a spell on someone" - Jack Chick Animated Tracks {Some language and a few comments added by the readers.} (YouTube) Our players read aloud from the dramatic novel by Jack Thaddeus Chick. [article link]
Bush Sr. Jeb Bush for President - The first President Bush Sr. [on Sunday January 4, 2009] said he would like to see his "other" son, Jeb, become president one day, but if now's not the time he'd be an "outstanding senator" - Former President George H.W. Bush said his son Jeb should run for president and blasted the New York Times for its "grossly unfair" criticism of another son, President George W. Bush {Bush Sr. is insane he seems to think endless war, a rise in global terrorism, a police state, moral decay, a destroyed economy, devastated families, rampant drug use, pornography, gambling, increased crime and an annihilated Republican Party are a job well done.} Former President George H.W. Bush said his son Jeb should run for president and blasted the New York Times for its "grossly unfair" criticism of another son, President George W. Bush. During an interview on "FOX News Sunday," the nation's 41st president said Jeb, the former governor of Florida, is "as qualified and as able as anyone I know in the political scene" to be president. "I'd like to see him run," Bush said. "I'd like to see him be president some day. "As president, it's about service, service for the greatest country on the face of the Earth and the honor that goes with it," Bush said. "I think Jeb fits that description." -- He added: "I mean, right now is probably a bad time, because we've got enough Bushes in there." In the meantime, Jeb could take another job, his father suggested. "If Jeb wants to run for the Senate from Florida, he ought to do it," Bush said. "He'd be an outstanding senator. This is a guy that really has a feel for people, the issues in Florida and nationally. And his political days ought not to be over, says his old father." But the current President Bush's political days will soon be over, prompting the former President Bush to unburden himself about what he calls unfair criticism of his eldest son. "It's been tough on his father and his mother," the ex-president said. We're not very good sports about sitting around and hearing him hammered, I think, unfairly. [article link]
DARK SECRETS: INSIDE BOHEMIAN GROVE (Google Video) WHAT IS BOHEMIAN GROVE? SEE THE TRUTH AS DOCUMENTED IN ALEX'S FILM, DARK SECRETS: INSIDE BOHEMIAN GROVE Since 1873, the Global Elite Has Held Secret Meetings in the Ancient Redwood Forest of Northern California. Members of the so-called "Bohemian Club" Include Former Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan. The Bush Family Maintains a Strong Involvement. Each Year at Bohemian Grove, Members of This All-Male "Club" Don Red, Black and Silver Robes and Conduct an Occult Ritual Wherein They Worship a Giant Stone Owl, Sacrificing a Human Being in Effigy to What They Call the "Great Owl of Bohemia." Now, for the First Time in History, an Outsider Has Infiltrated Bohemian Grove with a Hidden Digital Video Camera and Caught the Ritual on Tape. That Man is Alex Jones, the Exclusive Digital Video is Just Part of His Shocking New Documentary: DARK SECRETS: INSIDE BOHEMIAN GROVE. [article link]
A SATANIC CEREMONY AT BOHEMIAN GROVE - THE DARK SECRETS OF BOHEMIAN GROVE - It draws in notables such as President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, former
House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Dow Chemical Chairman Frank Popoff, as well as actors and other luminaries - A SIGN WITH A SATANIC FACE GREETS VISITOR'S TO BOHEMIAN GROVE - "the governing elite" gather to take part in bizzare, satanic rituals - Not merely drunkenness, unbounded use of alcohol and drugs with vague homosexual tones, but reported activities much more serious - kidnapping, rape, paedophilia, illegal detention of children, sodomy and ritual [blood sacrifice] murder The Bohemian Club has an Annual Summer Encampment, a two-week retreat for the rich and powerful that President Herbert Hoover once called "the greatest party on Earth." The club's famed annual gathering has been held for more than 100 years at the 2,700-acre Bohemian Grove in Monte Rio, about 70 miles north of San Francisco in Sonoma County. It draws in notables such as President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Dow Chemical Chairman Frank Popoff, as well as actors and other luminaries. The annual gathering near the Russian River, which was first held in 1879, starts with the "Cremation of Care" ritual, in which the club's mascot is burned in effigy to an owl god (Moloch), symbolizing a freedom from care. Members also perform several plays, and gourmet food and expensive wine are plentiful. While the club was formed in 1872 by a group of San Francisco journalists, the male-only club now bars journalists from membership to protect the group's privacy. Membership is coveted, and people routinely wait 10 or 15 years before gaining admittance. There are currently about 2,700 members. ... Today, a prospective member faces an interrogation that, according to one club man, 'would satisfy the KGB.' There is a waiting list of 1,500 notables, all eager to pay the $2,500 initiation fee and $600-a-year dues." Some past members include, George P. Shultz, Stephen Bechtel, Jr., Gerald R. Ford, Henry Kissinger, William F. Buckley, Jr., Fred L. Hartley, Merv Griffin, Thomas Haywood, Joseph Coors, Edward Teller, Ronald Reagan, A. W. Clausen, George Bush, William French Smith, John E. Swearingten, Casper W. Weinberger, Justin Dart, William E. Simon, and hundreds of other prominent politicos and businessmen." Up until recently, our knowledge of Bohemian Grove was that it is the exclusive elitist hideaway of supposedly adult wheeler dealers, a.k.a. Washington statesman and prominent personalities. Some may dismiss their behavior as immature, even pitiful, acted out by emotionally disturbed individuals, and not worth attention. However, this is actually where Bush, Cheney, and their friends (2700 members) "the governing elite", gather to take part in bizzare, satanic rituals. Recent information will radically change the perception of Bohemian Grove. Not merely drunkenness, unbounded use of alcohol and drugs with vague homosexual tones, but reported activities much more serious - kidnapping, rape, paedophilia, illegal detention of children, sodomy and ritual murder. Investigation is blocked under the 1947 National Security Act.(!) For decades, there have been vague rumors of weird goings on in Bohemian Grove in more remote parts of its 2700 acres. Reliable reports claim Druidic like rituals - druids in red hooded robes marching in procession and chanting to the Great Owl (Moloch) - a funeral pyre with "corpses". Scores of men work in the Bohemian Grove as servants, so this party is fairly well established. [article link]
How Bush threw the 2008 election to Obama - Barack Hussein Obama will be sworn in as president Jan. 20, 2009 because George W. Bush handed him the election on a silver spoon - I have to admit, George W. Bush is right up there near the top of the worst of these men - Presidents need to be judged by their fruit and Bush's fruit is mostly rotten - Bush took a decisive action late in the campaign that clearly tipped the scales in Obama's favor - The only question is why he did so {Much of what Bush did the flooding of America with Hispanic illegal aliens, the not so covert sabotaging of the McCain/Palin campaign was all designed to put a Democrat in the White House in 2008 to maneuver for the real Bush family End Game of getting Jeb Bush into the White House in 2012. Note: The wife of ex-Florida Governor Jeb Bush is Hispanic (Mexico) and many think Bush Jr. has been trying to stack the deck with Hispanic votes for Jeb and Jeb's sons in future elections with the many and relentless Bush illegal alien amnesty programs.} I'm surprised no one else has explained this before. It seems so obvious to me that I'm a little embarrassed to have to write it and explain it. It worries me that no one else has, to date, stated so plainly and simply what I am about to tell you. Barack Hussein Obama will be sworn in as president Jan. 20 because George W. Bush handed him the election on a silver spoon. Maybe it's up to me to tell this story because I'm one of the very
few pundits in America who didn't have a horse in the race in 2008. First of all, let me begin by explaining that Bush is, without a doubt, one of the worst presidents of my lifetime - and I've seen some bad ones. The first president I remember - only vaguely - was Dwight D. Eisenhower. I lived through Lyndon Baines Johnson, truly a disaster and the height of corruption. I lived through Richard M. Nixon, need I say more? I lived through Gerald R. Ford, a man who didn't understand Soviet domination of Eastern Europe - at the end of his presidency! I lived through Jimmy Carter - barely. I lived through George W. Bush's father and his flip-flop on a "no new taxes" pledge. I lived through Bill Clinton - and have the scars to prove it. -- Nevertheless, I have to admit, George W. Bush is right up there near the top of the worst of these men. Presidents need to be judged by their fruit. And Bush's fruit is mostly rotten. But it was not the totality of his bad policies that made the Obama election inevitable. Despite them all, there was still a reasonable chance John McCain could have won the election - not that I cared. I didn't vote for him, and I'm happy I didn't. However, I still think it is fascinating and noteworthy that Bush took a decisive action late in the campaign that clearly tipped the scales in Obama's favor. The only question is why he did so. In the beginning of September, Bush announced, in the most dire terms imaginable, a bailout package for mortgage lenders. He assigned Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to begin emergency negotiations with Congress on the size and scope. It was presented to the American people not as a request, but as a demand. There was no time for debate. The very stability of the economy and the markets hung on an immediate action. That's the day McCain's fate was sealed. The rest, as they say, is history. [article link]
Interviews with IDF Ground Forces 3 Jan. 2009 (YouTube) Interviews with IDF forces as they prepare for a ground operation in the Gaza Strip to uproot Hamas' terrorist infrastructure on 3 Jan. 2009. [article link]
Breaking News -- Israeli Ground Forces Push Into Gaza - Israeli Ground Troops Launch Attack on Gaza - Israeli tanks and troops swept across the border into Gaza on Saturday night, opening a ground war against the militant group Hamas - "This will not be short, This will not be easy, I do not wish to delude anyone" Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak, said in a televised statement {God's Speed to the Israeli Defense Forces! I join others in praying for the safety of the people of Israel a safe return of their soldiers in harm's way. God bless them, protect, comfort and keep them. I also pray that the people of Gaza will have wisdom in how to overthrow their HAMAS oppressors so they can live a better life.} JERUSALEM - Israeli tanks and troops swept across the border into Gaza on Saturday night, opening a ground war against the militant group Hamas after a week of intense airstrikes. The Israeli military said in a statement that the objective of the ground campaign was "to destroy the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas," the militant Islamic group that controls the area, "while taking control of some of the rocket launching sites" that Hamas uses to fire at southern Israel. The ground campaign brought new risks to the Israeli Army, not least because Hamas has had 18 months since Israel withdrew from the territory to smuggle in more lethal weapons against tanks and troops. Hamas's more sophisticated arsenal has been on display over the last weeks, as it has launched scores of longer range rockets from Gaza into Israeli cities. "This will not be short. This will not be easy. I do not wish to delude anyone," Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak, said in a televised statement, adding that the coming days will be difficult for the residents of southern Israel. [article link]
*** Dr. Jack Hyles (1926 - 2001) - A Church Losing Its Independence And Not Knowing It 1989 - "Most fundamentalist Churches that go bad [no longer win souls to Jesus] don't go Liberal they just go Useless" "Having only one issue is very dangerous - Don't become a one issue [politics, anti-homosexual, pro-life] Christian - Build your Christian life on the whole Bible the whole counsel of God" (Mp3's) Dr. Hyles is the author of 49 books and pamphlets. Many of his sermons are available on audio and video tape. Dr. Hyles' experience covers numerous evangelistic campaigns, Bible conferences, etc. He preached in virtually every state of the Union and in many foreign countries. He hosted 37 annual Pastors' Schools, which have
attracted thousands of preachers from all over the world. [article link]
William Cooper's Mystery Babylon Series - The Mystery Babylon Series is a series of [46] radio broadcast done by William Cooper on the occult history of the new world order (Mp3's) The Mystery Babylon Series is a series of radio broadcast done by William Cooper on the occult history of the new world order. Starting with The Dawn of Man William covers the occult message to the adepts hidden in the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" where the birth of the "new man" is announced. From there he takes you through the Egyptian mystery religion of Isis and Osiris and on to the beginnings of the secret society networks. From the Assassins to the Freemasons and on down to the Nazis, William Cooper shines the light of truth into the dark corners of the followers of the mystery Babylon religion and those who seek to enslave mankind in a new world order of the ages. [article link]
John Todd a Former Illuminatist: Explaining The Illuminati (Google Video) His name was John Todd, a former member of the illuminati. He warned us against their plans for world domination before he was framed and effectively discredit by the illuminati. The words that he left on his audio tapes are still coming to pass which puts lots of credibility on his claim that he was an insider. This audio tape speaks about the evil plans of the illuminati for world control. This is just another piece of the puzzle that explains what's going on today's world. [article link]
John Todd in MP3 audio format! - Todd's message seems too bizarre to be believed - But in the context of the phony 9-11 attacks, the phony war on terror, the suspension of Constitutional protections, the erection of a police state, the failure of Congress and the media, the dumbing down and homosexualization of society, the sexualization of children, the explicit (Bush - Skull & Bones) Satanism, depravity and pornography in the "entertainment" industry, Todd makes a lot of sense" (Mp3's) Highest Illuminati Defector: "Rothschilds Rule with [England] Druid Witches" The following words are by America's friend, Henry Makow, Ph.D. ... "Anyone reading Todd's lectures can see he was raised in Satanism as he claimed, and had a profound understanding. Fritz Springmeier, who is also imprisoned, said Todd knew things that had taken him (Springmeier) years to grasp. Todd's message seems too bizarre to be believed. But in the context of the phony 9-11 attacks, the phony war on terror, the suspension of Constitutional protections, the erection of a police state, the failure of Congress and the media, the dumbing down and homosexualization of society, the sexualization of children, the explicit Satanism, depravity and pornography in the "entertainment" industry, Todd makes a lot of sense." SOURCE: savethemales.ca - Highest Illuminati Defector: "Rothschilds Rule with Druid Witches" [article link]
The [John Todd] Todd Tapes and Life Story - The Illuminati and Witchcraft - John Todd's present situation May 9, 2008 update: John had been killed that fall late 1979 - The "Todd Tapes" cover, roughly, the time frame from 1977 - 1981 [1979] (Mp3's) Jack Chick - I first met John in 1973. I found his information on the occult facinating. We worked together on a Crusaders story entitled, "The Broken Cross." Since its publication I know of witches coming to Christ through this story. A police captain visited a friend of mine and told him the book was the most factual he had ever read on the subject. ... My question is: Who is behind John's attackers? I know the Masons are delighted. So is the Illuminati. Are the ones attacking John winning souls? Why is it aired publicly? If John goes down because of the pressures from Christians, it will be a day of rejoicing for the occult. I back John up 100% with all his faults. I know this brother is doing his best to advance the kingdom of God. We must keep one fact in mind. John is not a minister, but a Christian layman sharing what he knows about a very explosive subject. We should be eager to know about what is going on in the enemy's camp, and to my knowledge, John Todd is the only
one qualified to give us that information. I encourage you to stand with him in the face of this onslaught. ... May 9, 2008 update: Back in 1978 I attended Liberty University. A guy named Steve Hoffer was a John Todd promoter of sorts on campus. This amounted to simply passing out some tapes and the like not really like some sort of official promoter. I saw him last in the fall of 1979. He had a letter he claimed was from Johns wife and it informed him that John had been killed that fall late. He read me the letter, I saw the letter. He was warned that he could be in danger. He has some close relationship at least by mail with the Todds. He [Steve Hoffer] left for home for Christmas break but never showed up. His car was found abandoned in Cincinnati about two weeks later. He was found around early May of 1980 a few mile outside Lynchburg tied to a tree and garroted in classic style, his body still hanging there. As you may know this is a special method of death and has a history and meaning. The death of a heretic. [article link]
Kentroversy Tapes: (secular) Interview with Michael Tsarion - Kentroversy Tapes # 05 - Michael Tsarion (June 25, 2007) {This is a representation of "secular," occult, Satanism teaching. Note: the interviewee considers it a crime to believe that the earth is submitted to humans and any human who does not submit to "mother earth" is a criminal. Also: the discussion late in the program that Bush invaded Iraq in part to plunder the antiques and relics of Iraq [like his grandfather Prescott Bush who plundered and robbed the skull from the grave of Geronimo] because Iraq (Babylon) was a main center where the dangerous Nephilim (Genesis 6:1-22) activity in the Bible occurred. Apparently Bush and his Satanic NWO cronies want to invoke the more evil demonic Nephilim fallen spirits (chained in Hades by God (Jude 1:6) because of their excessive evil towards mankind) or their modern counterparts and in order to practice their occult activities they wanted the costumes and masks and objects of the ancient Babylonians "they need to look the part in order to play the part" in their occult rituals. They also consider the Maya calendar prophecy 2012 end of the world apocalypse to be a reality. -- You can tell by listening to the interview that they don't have any real solutions themselves and that they only have any real ideas when they quote (and misquote) the Bible something they do often.} (Mp3) In my ongoing commemoration and celebration of the life of esoteric researcher Kent Daniel Bentkowski ( Kentroversy ) who passed July 30, 2008 by posting some of his past podcasts with some of the big names in the field, none come much bigger than Michael Tsarion. His research on ancient cultures, the Nephilim, UFOs, symbology, secret societies and their use by the NWO is second to none, except maybe Jordan Maxwell. So enjoy this Kentroversy Tapes podcast Kent made with Michael on March 2005. The podcast itself was posted by Kent on June 25th, 2007. [article link]
Michael Tsarion [New Ager, Yoga, Sigmund Freud, Satanist Aleister Crowley follower and general smorgasbord of New Age religion devotee] 2006 Talk - The year 2012 and The Future of Mankind {At 3 hrs 16 min 45 sec, Michael Tsarion defines a "human" as someone who has become "self-aware" meaning someone who has rejected the Bible, rejected God and become their own god. Note: The events that dictated the human Holocaust and slaughter that was WWII (1939-1945) were directed against God and his people and were dictated as physical bloodline events whether they were the Nazis and their raced based purity or the Japanese and their version of race based purity (both groups were extremely anti-Jewish and anti-Christian). The events of WW3 (approx. 2001-2013?) are also directed against God and his people but the killing has a new twist it is not as race based as the WWII belligerents were but WW3 aggression is against thought (thought police), conscience and spiritual differences. What led to killing in WWII was blood, genealogy and physical in WW3 it is more mental, doctrinal and spiritual beliefs.} (Google Video) [New Ager] Michael Tsarion gives a talk at the Granada Forum in Los Angeles, 2006. [article link]
Commentary: Thank you, Gov. Blagojevich - First, that under the 17th Amendment, governors alone have the power to appoint a replacement to complete the term of senators who are expelled, resign or die - And second, that under our system, the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty and that means being
allowed to return to work and fulfill one's responsibilities SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is growing on me. You see, I like chutzpah and I don't mind chaos. Blagojevich has an abundance of the former, and a knack for producing more than his share of the latter. It was with remarkable chutzpah that the man soon to be referred to as "the defendant in the above-named action" threw the world of politics into chaos this week by asserting a couple of principles that his critics find terribly inconvenient. First, that under the 17th Amendment, governors alone have the power to appoint a replacement to complete the term of senators who are expelled, resign or die. And second, that under our system, the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty -- and that means being allowed to return to work and fulfill one's responsibilities. Pundits are painting Blagojevich as a rogue politician who -having already been accused of trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama -wreaked even more havoc this week by abruptly tapping former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to fill the seat. You have to admire someone so committed to his job that he won't let a little thing like a federal prosecution interfere with doing it. Nor did Blagojevich seem concerned that Senate Democrats had threatened not to seat anyone he appointed because of the cloud overhead. My associates in the chattering class are missing the big picture. Blagojevich has done us all a favor with his mischievously brilliant and cynical maneuver. ... Senate Democrats probably don't have a leg to stand on. They don't have the legal authority to bar Roland Burris. And as a bunch of white men presiding over a body that -- as Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Illinois, bluntly pointed out this week in defense of Burris -- doesn't have a single African-American member, nor do they have the moral authority to do so. The powers-that-be in the Democratic Party are trapped by their own hollow rhetoric about inclusion and opportunity. And it's great fun to watch. We're going to learn a lot from all this -- about power and loyalty and who needs whom and who owes what. And for that, we should thank Gov. Rod Blagojevich. [article link]
How Blagojevich And Spitzer Are Connected - Spitzer and Blagojevich were both crushed just after they dared to challenge the nation's mightiest (Bush) financial kingpins - On Dec. 8, 2008 Blagojevich announced the State of Illinois will suspend business with Bank of America until credit is restored to the shuttered Republic Windows & Doors company in Chicago where workers were staging a sit-in at the time - The governor was arrested on federal corruption charges the following day Spitzer's perceived comeuppance occurred three weeks after the Washington Post published his editorial about predatory loans in which he wrote: "Not only did the Bush administration do nothing to protect consumers, it embarked on an aggressive and unprecedented campaign to prevent states from protecting their residents from the very problems to which the federal government was turning a blind eye." The headline - "Predator Lenders' Partner in Crime" - refers to the Decider-in-Chief himself. According to investigative journalist Greg Palast: "Spitzer was in Washington to launch a campaign to take on the Bush regime and the biggest financial powers on the planet." ... On Dec. 8, Blagojevich announced the State of Illinois will suspend business with Bank of America until credit is restored to the shuttered Republic Windows & Doors company in Chicago where workers were staging a sit-in at the time. The governor was arrested on federal corruption charges the following day. That Spitzer and Blagojevich were both crushed just after they dared to challenge the nation's mightiest financial kingpins, does not in and of itself establish a governmental modus operandi. But the Justice Department's 76-page complaint against the Illinois governor reveals another parallel to the Spitzer takedown: The evidence against Blago is much thinner than what published reports suggest. Furthermore, the general hysteria encircling both fall guys seems designed to conceal systemic corruption on a grand scale. If only the fourth estate [news media] would spend more time connecting the dots, and less time promoting demagogues. [article link]
Son of Hamas Leader Gives Glimpse Into Terror Organization - the organization betrays the Palestinian cause and tortures its own members - Hamas, formed in the late 1980's as an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of
the radical Muslim Brotherhood, is considered a terror organization by the U.S. government - Yousef, 30, said he realized the true nature of Hamas and radical Islam during a stint in an Israeli prison - He renounced his Muslim faith, left his family behind in Ramallah and converted to Christianity As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other world leaders try to broker a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, one former member of the militant Islamic organization said there will never be lasting peace between the two groups. "There is no chance. Is there any chance for fire to co-exist with the water?" said Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of one of the group's founding members. Yousef added: "It's not about Israel, it's not about Hamas: it's about both ideologies." Yousef, son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, one of the most influential leaders of the militant group, said the organization betrays the Palestinian cause and tortures its own members. Hamas, formed in the late 1980's as an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of the radical Muslim Brotherhood, is considered a terror organization by the U.S. government. Hamas seized power in the Gaza strip in 2007 in a violent coup against the more moderate Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas. ... Yousef, 30, said he realized the true nature of Hamas and radical Islam during a stint in an Israeli prison. He renounced his Muslim faith, left his family behind in Ramallah and converted to Christianity. "Islam is not the word of God," said Yousef. "If you want to be offended it's your problem. But you know something? Go study. Think for a second that I might be right. So wake up, look at your path, see where you're going. Are you really going to heaven with 72 virgins after you kill yourself and kill another 20 people?" Yousef has sought asylum in the United States and now attends an evangelical Christian church... [article link]
Pakistan Teen trained to be suicide bomber feels tricked - "When I finished reciting the Quran, a mullah then came to me and told me, 'Now that you have finished the Quran, you need to go and commit a suicide attack' That I should go to Afghanistan to commit a suicide attack" - He says his father didn't know radicals ran the school - The teenager wasn't given the chance to say goodbye to his parents or siblings when he was driven to the Pakistan-Afghan border and handed over to strangers KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A 14-year-old who was trained to kill by radicals in the tribal regions of Pakistan now sits in a crowded classroom at a detention facility in Kabul. His only wish is to see his parents again. ... He says his recruiters told him it was his mission as a Muslim to kill British and American soldiers because they were killing Muslims. They told him that once he blew himself up he wouldn't die because God would save him for being a true Muslim. ... He says his dad wanted him to learn more about Islam and the Quran, something he could not do himself. He says his father didn't know radicals ran the school. In the madrassa, Shakirullah learned to recite the Quran in Arabic, not his native language. He relied solely on the fanatical interpretations the mullahs were giving him. "When I finished reciting the Quran, a mullah then came to me and told me, 'Now that you have finished the Quran, you need to go and commit a suicide attack.' That I should go to Afghanistan to commit a suicide attack," he says. The teenager wasn't given the chance to say goodbye to his parents or siblings when he was driven to the Pakistan-Afghan border and handed over to strangers. [article link]
{flashback} Pakistan gets eight Cobra helicopters from US - The Cobra helicopters were handed over to Pakistan as part of a five-year aid programme as indicated by US President George W Bush in 2003 {Brilliant more advanced weapons to radical Islamists, and Bush wonders why his policies fail so completely.} Islamabad, Feb 02: The United States on Friday handed over eight Cobra Helicopter gunships to Pakistan to boost its capability to conduct operations against extremists. The refurbished helicopters, specially equipped for night-time operations, were handed over to Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retired) Tariq Wasim Ghazi by US Ambassador Ryan Crocker at a ceremony at an airbase in Rawalpindi. The US embassy said they were part of a 50 million- dollar deal for 20 refurbished helicopters. Speaking on the occasion, Crocker said the helicopters are "important weapons in our common fight against terrorism". [article link]
{flashback} Bush bonanza: US likely to announce substantial discount to Pak (Pakistan) in F-16 deal - which include periodic inspections of the fleet and their bases to verify guarantees by Pakistan that it would not pass the technology to China - The planes apparently would also not carry facilities to carry nuclear weapons ISLAMABAD: US President George W Bush plans to announce a "substantial discount" on the $5 billion deal to sell F-16s to Pakistan during President Pervez Musharraf's visit to Washington as a gesture of approval of his handling of the war on terror, a media report said on Tuesday. Musharraf, who left for Brussels on Monday on his way to the US, is "understood to be carrying private assurances from President Bush that he may receive a substantial discount in the price of the F-16 aircraft Pakistan is currently in the process of purchasing from Washington," The News reported. ... The planes apparently would also not carry facilities to carry nuclear weapons. [article link]
{flashback} A Taliban Spokesman's Confession - Dr. Hanif, who had been working with the Taliban for the past 14 months, told them that the organization would never have been able to challenge Afghan military and NATO forces without the direct assistance of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency Just last week, outgoing U.S. National Intelligence Director John Negroponte warned that while Pakistan is "a frontline partner in the war on terror," it is also the country "where the Taliban and al-Qaeda maintain critical sanctuaries." Al-Qaeda, he said, is "cultivating stronger operational connections and relationships that radiate outward from their leaders' secure hideout in Pakistan to affiliates throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe." And on a visit to Afghanistan Tuesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates reiterated the point, saying, "There are more attacks coming across the border; there are al-Qaeda networks operating on the Pakistani side of the border. And these are issues that we clearly will have to pursue with the Pakistani government." [article link]
OliveTreeViews.org: Has Israel gone too far? By Gary Bauer - Gaza is hell, but not because of Israel - Its conditions are unbearable because its people elected Hamas an organization with no economic plan, no educational ideas, nothing to offer at all except to kill the Jews, kill the infidel and destroy Israel - Hamas doesn't really mind if its missiles fail to hit their targets - As long as Israel hits its targets, and as a consequence more Palestinian civilians are killed, Hamas is content, because images of dead Palestinians helps Hamas in the eyes of its real target, public opinion - The New Year will bring nothing new to Gaza so long as Hamas is allowed to perpetuate the same old vicious cycle of provocation, reprisal and international outrage against Israel Gaza, in recent years, has been turned into "Gazastan," an Islamic republic that educates its own children to seek death in martyrdom operations. Gaza TV airs children's shows that teach six and seven year-olds to kill Jews. The Gaza government just instituted a new legal code based on Sharia Islamic law that permits crucifixion for certain crimes against Islam. -- Hamas exists to wreak havoc and destroy Israel. And it has acted accordingly since its inception. Between 2000 and 2004, Hamas was responsible for the deaths of 400 Israelis, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Hamas charter states that "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it." And, "there is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors." Hamas also is a proxy of Iran, whose president denies the Holocaust and vows to "wipe Israel off the map." -- Tuesday, Israel rejected international pressure to end air strikes against Hamas, which continues to hit Israeli civilian centers across Southern Israel. Though the number of Israeli casualties may be small, Hamas doesn't really mind if its missiles fail to hit their targets. As long as Israel hits its targets, and as a consequence more Palestinian civilians are killed, Hamas is content, because images of dead Palestinians helps Hamas in the eyes of its real target, public opinion. The New Year will bring nothing new to Gaza so long as Hamas is allowed to perpetuate the same old vicious cycle of provocation, reprisal and international outrage against Israel. [article link]
Report on Palestinian Rocket and Mortar Attacks against Israel - Palestinian rockets and mortar shells fired into Israel for the past 8 years - this chart showing the rapid increase in attacks since Hamas took power in Gaza {The Chart logging terrorist attacks from 2000-2008 which happens to be the Bush Jr. years vividly points out yet another massive Bush failure as both President and as a world leader.} (Charts) The Intelligence & Terrorism Information Center has a report (PDF) on Palestinian rockets and mortar shells fired into Israel for the past 8 years, including this chart showing the rapid increase in attacks since Hamas took power in Gaza. [article link]
{Flashback} Here is a jaw-dropping graph - that shows an almost-perfect correlation between the amount of money given to the Palestinian Authority (now Fatah) and the number of Israelis killed in terror attacks - See the blog for the graph - This picture is truly worth 1000 words We have on the blog a jaw-dropping graph from CAMERA that shows an almost-perfect correlation between the amount of money given to the Palestinian Authority (now Fatah) and the number of Israelis killed in terror attacks the following year. Given the large amount of evidence implicating Fatah in terror, the explanation shouldn't be much of a mystery, however. [article link]
{Flashback} Terrorist: U.S. training helps attack, kill Jews - As new program launches, Palestinian militant describes how American lessons fueled intifada - The training program, which includes courses in the use of weapons, is paid for by $86.5 million in U.S. tax dollars granted to the PA by Congress in April 2007 RAMALLAH - United States-run programs that train militias from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization have been utilized to kill Jews and were instrumental in the "success" of the Palestinian intifada that began in 2000, a senior Fatah militant trained by the U.S. told WND. "I do not think that the operations of the Palestinian resistance would have been so successful and would have killed more than 1,000 Israelis since 2000 and defeated the Israelis in Gaza without these American trainings," said Abu Yousuf, a senior officer of Abbas' Force 17 Presidential Guard unit in Ramallah. The U.S. has long run training programs at a base in the West Bank city of Jericho for members of Force 17, which serves as de facto police units in the West Bank, and for the Palestinian Preventative Security Services, another major Fatah security force. ... Many members of Force 17 and the Preventative Security Services also openly serve in the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's declared "military wing," which took credit along with the Islamic Jihad terror group for every suicide bombing in Israel in 2005 and 2006. Statistically, the Brigades is responsible for more terrorism from the West Bank than any other Palestinian organization. [article link]
{Flashback} Palestinians Shoot 15 Human Shields - 200 Gaza residents decided their "human shield" tactics worked so well against the Israelis, they would try it to stop the shooting between rival terrorists in Gaza - The gunmen used it as an opportunity to refine their technical skills, injuring approximately 15 of them 200 Gaza residents decided their "human shield" tactics worked so well against the Israelis, they would try it to stop the shooting between rival terrorists in Gaza: "Just as we used to protect you from the occupation by acting as human shields, we have come to protect you from yourselves," one protester shouted at gunmen, referring to instances when Palestinian civilians positioned themselves between militants and Israeli forces. The gunmen used it as an opportunity to refine their technical skills, injuring approximately 15 of them. ... "Even during the Israeli occupation the situation wasn't this terrible," says Um Mohammed, praying for an end to the lethal Palestinian infighting raging outside her Gaza City home. Fear reigns throughout the city, deserted but for prowling groups of armed men, loyal to rivals Hamas or Fatah, living on a daily diet of ambushes, kidnappings and assassinations. Dozens of snipers on the rooftops of the tallest buildings open fire seemingly on anything that moves. "We can't go near the window, let alone on the balcony. We have all become targets," says Um Mohammed. "This is a city of corpses and ghosts." ... On Wednesday, I saw several people shot in front of my building, I heard the screams of terrified women and children in a burning building, and I argued with
gunmen who tried to take over my home. I have seen a lot in my years as a journalist in Gaza, but this is the worst it's been. [article link]
{Flashback} August 23, 2006: Bush $230 Million for Hezbollah, $0 for Israel Today, President Bush announced $230 million for rebuilding South Lebanon, which Debbie Schussel persuasively argues will be funnelled to Hezbollah because of the lack of accountability on the funds for the Hezbollah-controlled area. Meanwhile, the administration has indicated that Israel won't receive any warrelated financial help at all, despite extensive damage as a result of the civilian-targeted attacks which are war crimes. [article link]
{Flashback} 9-11-2007: President Bush has perfected The Big Lie - He redefines his goals to fit his failures - With each new definition, more innocents die - Bush's cronies use taxpayer dollars to bribe Sunni [& Shiite] sheiks in Anbar province [and throughout Iraq, Lebanon-Palestine the entire Muslim world] - Of course, when the bribes stop, they may turn against us again President Bush has perfected The Big Lie. He redefines his goals to fit his failures. With each new definition, more innocents die. When he failed to catch Osama bin Laden "dead or alive," he redefined the enemy as Saddam Hussein. When he failed to find WMD in Iraq, he redefined our goal there as democracy. When he brought chaos instead of democracy to Iraq, he redefined the goal again: "Fight them there so we don't have to fight them here." Outstanding police work in England and Germany proves that al-Qaida doesn't come from Iraq, and isn't defeated in Iraq. This is a struggle against international crime, this is not a world war. Bush's latest lie is the "surge." Six months ago, he clearly defined its purpose: to give "breathing space" to the government in Baghdad. In those months, the dysfunctional puppet government has utterly collapsed, proving the surge a failure. But Bush now claims the surge a success because one Iraqi province is more peaceful. The London Times of Sept. 9 shows how Bush's cronies use taxpayer dollars to bribe Sunni [& Shiite] sheiks in Anbar province [and throughout Iraq, Lebanon-Palestine the entire Muslim world]. Of course, when the bribes stop, they may turn against us again. Bush pours American blood in the sand just to save face. Ending this war is not a job for him, but for the American people. Will we passively accept The Big Lie for five more years, or will we cry "No more!" in the name of truth and the Constitution? - Fred LaMotte, Steilacoom [article link]
Israel Says Senior Hamas Leader Was Given Time to Escape With Family, but Refused to Leave - Rayyan and his family had minutes to escape but the official says the Hamas leader chose to stay - The Israeli official said that surveillance aircraft spotted several people leaving the home and the decision to hit it was made Israeli officials say senior Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan and his family, killed by an Israeli airstrike this week, were given time to escape. Officials say they used a tactic called "roof knocking" before destroying Rayyan's home and the immediate area around it with a 2,000-pound bomb. Rayyan and 15 members of his family -- his four wives, six sons and five daughters -- were killed in the strike. ... The intelligence called the home and told the occupants they had minutes to leave. The Israeli official said that surveillance aircraft spotted several people leaving the home and the decision to hit it was made. Rayyan and his family had minutes to escape but the official says the Hamas leader chose to stay. [article link]
Microsoft Takes Another Net Step Backwards as Global IE Share Drops to New Low - Thirteen years after entering the Internet industry, Microsoft is still running a distant third [to Google and Yahoo] in the Internet game - If nothing else, this should alert those who regard Microsoft's Internet domination as a foregone conclusion that they might want to rethink things From Silicon Alley Insider, Jan. 2, 2009: When you consider that Microsoft owned the browser market five years ago, IE's continued share erosion is a watershed event for Microsoft and the rest of the technology industry.
Slowly but surely, the rise of the Internet is cracking the Windows monopoly apart, and as it does, Microsoft's relative power is likely to continue to wane. There are still those who say confidently that Microsoft's domination of the Internet is just a matter of time: Microsoft came from behind in word processors, spreadsheets, email, etc., and thanks to its tenacity and riches, it will come from behind here. No, it won't. -Thirteen years after entering the Internet industry, Microsoft is still running a distant third in the Internet game, despite having more advantages that any industry participant could ever dream of. Its share of ads is now increasing, but only because it is losing billions while even AOL continues to print money. Its share of the browser market, meanwhile, continues to decrease, a trend that to our knowledge has never happened in a market Microsoft wanted to dominate. If nothing else, this should alert those who regard Microsoft's Internet domination as a foregone conclusion that they might want to rethink things. [article link]
Computer Chips drive Hollywood closer to its most special effect - being able to create digital characters that are indistinguishable from real people - But he added, "I don't really see technology in any way replacing performers I see it enhancing the possibility of story telling" As even more powerful chips are developed, some experts say, it will become possible to create full-length movies featuring large numbers of animated actors with even more lifelike characteristics. Computer generation gives film producers enormous creative flexibility. Besides allowing them to change an actor's appearance - by digitally exaggerating their movements or facial expressions, for example - it also makes it easy to create elaborate animated environments, which can be a lot cheaper than having to fly an entire movie crew to exotic locations to shoot scenes. Moreover, being able to create digital characters that are indistinguishable from real people would enable performers who have grown older or have even died to continue appearing in movies, said Jules Urbach, who has licensed USC's technology to use in his Burbank animation business, LightStage. Urbach said an actor in his 30s - whom he declined to identify - recently asked him to capture the man's image with LightStage so the actor can star in future animated films without ever looking a day older than he does now. If needed, Urbach added, the actor's words could be digitally generated years from now through computerized voice reconstruction, a technology that also is rapidly advancing. While all this might enable actors to collect movie royalties well past their prime, some critics have decried giving animators so much creative control. Yet Mark Friedlander, national director of new media for the Screen Actors Guild, said his members shouldn't panic yet over what he called "blurring the line between the real and the synthetic." "It certainly is something we're beginning to watch," he said. But he added, "I don't really see technology in any way replacing performers. I see it enhancing the possibility of story telling." [article link]
January 01, 2009: Israel Assault on Gaza Kills Hamas Leader as Diplomacy Falters - the Islamic group continued to fire rockets into Israel {At the very first moment of "truce talks" on Tuesday President Bush sent an $85 Million aid package to Gaza (HAMAS) then HAMAS immediately pulled out of all cease fire negotiations. Why didn't Bush withhold the funding until HAMAS agreed to a cease fire? It seems Bush is paying the Palestinians to remain in the conflict. Bush seems to want to prolong this conflict because intentionally or otherwise that is what the Bush aid and Bush policy is doing. Bush isn't applying any pressure on HAMAS to be any kind of a descent neighbor to Israel.} Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Chances of a rapid halt to Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip dimmed after Israel killed a Hamas leader and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said her nation would keep applying pressure to the militant Islamic group. "The only way to see a change in the region is to help the moderates, but simultaneously to attack and to keep the pressure on the extremists like Hamas," Livni told reporters in Paris following a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. As diplomatic efforts to end the conflict faltered, Israel continued its bombardment of Hamas targets in the coastal enclave while the Islamic group continued to fire rockets into Israel, hitting an apartment building in Ashdod, Israel's second-largest port city. Israeli troops and tanks remained massed on the Gaza border. For the first time since the start of the aerial bombardment Dec. 27,
Israel yesterday killed a senior Hamas leader in an air strike. An army spokesman, speaking anonymously in accordance with regulations, said warplanes hit Nizar Rayyan's house in the Jabaliya refugee camp. Several members of his family were also killed, the head of Palestinian emergency services, Mu'awia Hassanein, said by telephone. [article link]
December 30, 2008: U.S. says will give $85 million to help Palestinians - The United States announced on Tuesday it would give $85 million to the U.N. agency providing aid to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria {Bush Jr. is sending Millions to prolong this conflict. The only way there is going to be a real cease fire is when the Palestinian people stop supporting the terrorists and start supporting peaceful leaders but as long as Bush is enabling, funding and supporting the HAMAS terrorists there will never be new moderate leadership in Gaza.} WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States announced on Tuesday it would give $85 million to the U.N. agency providing aid to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The announcement comes as the humanitarian situation is worsening in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which has been pounded by Israel for the past four days in retaliation for rockets fired into the Jewish state by Hamas and other Palestinian factions. The U.S. funds, which will help cover appeals for aid by the agency for 2009, would pay for urgently needed food, medicines and other humanitarian aid for Palestinian refugees, said the department in a statement. ... "The United States reiterates its deep concern about the escalating violence in Gaza and commends UNRWA's important work meeting the emergency needs of civilians in Gaza at this very difficult time," said the statement. "We hold Hamas fully responsible for breaking the ceasefire and for the renewal of violence," it added. [article link]
*** Spiritual Warfare - The Byte Show [Mp3's at the bottom of the page] - The "Todd Tapes" cover, roughly, the time frame from 1977 - 1981 -- The subject matter deals with the occult, witchcraft and the satanic new world order (Mp3's) The "Todd Tapes" cover, roughly, the time frame from 1977 - 1981. The subject matter deals with the occult, witchcraft and the satanic new world order. [article link]
Michael Tsarion [New Ager, Yoga, Sigmund Freud, Satanist Aleister Crowley follower and general smorgasbord of New Age religion devotee] 2006 Talk - The year 2012 and The Future of Mankind {At 3 hrs 16 min 45 sec, Michael Tsarion defines a "human" as someone who has become "self-aware" meaning someone who has rejected the Bible, rejected God and become their own god. Note: The events that dictated the human Holocaust and slaughter that was WWII (1939-1945) were directed against God and his people and were dictated as physical bloodline events whether they were the Nazis and their raced based purity or the Japanese and their version of race based purity (both groups were extremely anti-Jewish and anti-Christian). The events of WW3 (approx. 2001-2013?) are also directed against God and his people but with the new twist they are not as race based as the WWII belligerents were but WW3 aggression is against thought (thought police), conscience and spiritual differences. What was blood, genealogy and physical in WWII is more mental, doctrinal and spiritual in WW3.} (Google Video) [New Ager] Michael Tsarion gives a talk at the Granada Forum in Los Angeles, 2006. [article link]
Microsoft sends mixed messages about Zune fix - Microsoft posted an update on its ZuneInsider blog, noting that it was making progress on resolving the global failure of 30 gigabyte Zunes today - Updated, 2:30 pm: Microsoft is explaining that the failures were the result of a leap year bug {Microsoft claims that their 2006 Zune 30GB is a unique product and that is why only it was affected by the Z2k9 bug however the Zune 30GB is probably not a unique product as Microsoft does not make any of its hardware products. The Zune product
especially the early ones were all made by Toshiba and were essentially a rebranded Toshiba Gigabeat Mp3 Player. The next leap year is 2012 the Mayan end of civilization [as we know it - per New Agers] year and going into 2013 the dreaded Satanic New World Order Year. Was the Z2K9 bug a Microsoft test run for a Y2K13 bug? -- Update: A few People with new model Zunes are reporting the same freezing problem. It seems some people accidently updated their new Zune with the firmware update meant only for the Zune 30 GB model. Any Zune with the new 30 GB Microsoft update has failed to work on 12/31/2008 regardless of the size, type or style of Zune. -- After the New Year most Zunes are now working though some are still stuck and have not been able to re-start.} Twenty minutes ago, Microsoft posted an update on its ZuneInsider blog, noting that it was making progress on resolving the global failure of 30 gigabyte Zunes today. Check back now, and the message is no longer there. "We are getting close to IDing the issue. We are conducting additional testing and checks now to make sure it is accurrate. thanks again for your patience," read the message at 12:21 pm. As of 12:43 pm, it's now back to the official line: "We have a technical team working hard to isolate the issue right now and will update everyone as much as possible. Thanks for your patience while we get to the bottom of this." Microsoft is sending out mixed messages about a fix to the issue that has made thousands of Zunes unusable today. Earlier today, Microsoft's Larry Hryb, the director of programming for Xbox Live, twittered, "If you have a Zune 30 that was not working, I just found out that issue was resolved. You should be good to go." Less than an hour later, Hryb (who Twitters as "Major Nelson"), backtracked: "Ok. Major's wrong. Zune issue NOT fixed. I'll rattle some cages in Zuneland." Updated, 2:30 pm: Microsoft is explaining that the failures were the result of a leap year bug. Read more here. -- Early this morning we were alerted by our customers that there was a widespread issue affecting our 2006 model Zune 30GB devices (a large number of which are still actively being used). The technical team jumped on the problem immediately and isolated the issue: a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year. That being the case, the issue should be resolved over the next 24 hours as the time change moves to January 1, 2009. We expect the internal clock on the Zune 30GB devices will automatically reset tomorrow (noon, GMT). ... We know this has been a big inconvenience to our customers and we are sorry for that, and want to thank them for their patience. [article link]
The Day The 30 G Zune Stood Still (YouTube) December 31, 2008: Quick capture of the absolute meltdown of Microsoft 30gb Zunes everywhere. [article link]
Z2K9: Zunepocalypse - as of 2 a.m. today (Dec 30, 2008), and apparently part of some suicide pact/calendarrelated coincidence, 30GB Zunes [Mp3 Players] have been bricking themselves - it seems everyone with a (Microsoft Zune) 30GB HDD model has had this happen to them - There's no word yet on what the cause of the problem may be, or a fix/workaround for those people who own Zunes {Microsoft is just testing and keeping viable their End of the World Y2K scenario where every (consumer) computer device is rendered useless at the same moment by pre-implemented computer code within embedded microchips. The real Y2K, Z2K9 stuff will likely hit in the 2012-2013 New Year rollover or whenever the Satanist Bush family finally decides it wants the planet all to themselves.} Z2K9: Zunepocalypse: Seeing as how "Zune" and "Failure" are practically synonyms, it's surprising that Microsoft could buckle down and take the rabidly unpopular [Mp3] music player to a newer, and lower, level. But as of 2 a.m. today, and apparently part of some suicide pact/calendar-related coincidence, 30GB Zunes have been bricking themselves. ... The problem has become so widespread, in fact, that even Microsoft is aware of it, and has updated their Zune.net support page. There's no word yet on what the cause of the problem may be, or a fix/workaround for those people who own Zunes. Users are asked, however, not to offer to help by looking for answers on their iPhone/iPod touch. [article link]
December 31, 2008: Microsoft Zune Z2K9 Massive Zune Failure out of Microsoft hands - This December 31, 2008 We were bombarded with numerous news about the auto hung up of all (with newer Firmware) 30GB Zune, this failure rendered useless the music player - Only Zunes with the newer Firmware applied are reported to have the massive hung and there is not a single solution from people on the forums or from Microsoft that return the Zune to its previous state - others have called it "Z2K9" an automatic and instantly failure to all 30 GB Zunes worldwide Today big news about electronic devices is the Massive Zune Failure at the same time on the same date, something that points to a software glitch, but what a time… This December 31 We were bombarded with numerous news about the auto hung up of all (with newer Firmware) 30GB Zune, this failure rendered useless the music player. Only Zunes with the newer Firmware applied are reported to have the massive hung and there is not a single solution from people on the forums or from Microsoft that return the Zune to its previous state, Gizmodo.com and others have called it "Z2K9" an automatic and instantly failure to all 30 GB Zunes worldwide. Microsoft must take quick actions to solve the Zune already tarnished reputation, there isn't a better time for this to happen and thanks God there is not as much Zune users as iPod users around, because this would be a total disaster for the Zune brand. A quick update to a new fresh and operative Firmware will solve this, but remember that because of the Holidays not all engineers must be fully working at Microsoft and maybe the nearer date must be in early days of new year. We can only wish to the Zune users facing the Z2K9 is that Microsoft fix it as zoon as possible or take advantage of the cheaper prices of Amazon on iPods and other Media Players. [article link]
Jews For Jesus - Many Audio Bible Studies (Mp3's) We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are divinely inspired, verbally and completely inerrant in the original writings and of supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and life. We recognize the value of traditional Jewish literature, but only where it is supported by or conformable to the Word of God. We regard it as in no way binding upon life or faith. We believe in one sovereign God, existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, unbounded in power and measureless in love; that God is the source of all creation and that through the immediate exercise of His power all things came into being. We believe that God the Father is the author of eternal salvation, having loved the world and given His Son for its redemption. We believe that Jesus the Messiah was eternally pre-existent and is co-equal with God the Father; that He took on Himself the nature of man through the virgin birth so that He possesses both divine and human natures. We believe in His sinless life and perfect obedience to the Law; in His atoning death, burial, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, high-priestly intercession and His personal return in power and glory. ... [article link]
The Republican National Committee (RNC) draft rips Bush's bailouts [takeovers] - In what would amount to a slap in the face to a sitting Republican president - a resolution opposing the resort to "socialist" means to save capitalism - "If the party doesn't move in [conservative] direction, we will continue to be irrelevant" - "Frankly the way we view the platform is a joke - We work hard to drive our principles into the platform, then candidates ignore it" {The Bush form of government is not Socialism but a form of Dictator Fascism i.e. more closely related to what 1930's Nazi Germany instituted.} In what would amount to a slap in the face to a sitting Republican president and the party's Senate and House leaders, national GOP officials, including the vice chairman of the Republican National Committee, are sponsoring a resolution opposing the resort to "socialist" means to save capitalism. "We can't be a party of small government, free markets and low taxes while supporting bailouts and nationalizing industries, which lead to big government, socialism and high taxes at the expense of individual liberty and freedoms," said Solomon Yue, a cosponsor of a resolution that would put the RNC -- the party's national governing body -- on the record as opposing the U.S. government bailouts of the financial and auto industries. ... "Failing to do so,
we have today's identity crisis, which resulted in our losses in 2006 and 2008," Mr. Yue said. "The bailout is a good example ... In my view, if we are not going to address this, we will see more losses in 2010." ... "It is time the party gets involved in policy issues and forces candidates to respond to the platform," Mr. Emineth said. "Frankly the way we view the platform is a joke. We work hard to drive our principles into the platform, then candidates ignore it." "If the party doesn't move in this direction, we will continue to be irrelevant. Whoever has the larger star power will continue to win, and what they stand for and believe will become less relevant," Mr. Emineth said. Mr. Bopp, Mr. Yue and the other cosponsors say they have the numbers to pull off this rebellion, unprecedented in the history of either party's national committee. "We have enough co-sponsors to take this to the RNC floor" at the party's Jan. 28-31 annual winter meeting in Washington. "I will take it to the Resolutions Committee, but I intend to press this issue to the floor for decision." To the astonishment of most rank-and-file Republicans, hundreds of billions of dollars in bailouts of private-sector companies were pushed through Congress last month by President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. Just as astonishing, the Senate and House GOP leaders and the party's presidential nominee supported the bailout of the financial industry, which in some cases took the form of the U.S. government's gaining ownership of huge but financially troubled companies. Nonetheless, not all RNC members -- including some of Mr. Bopp's fellow conservatives -- are pleased with the idea of having it make policy instead of simply minding the campaign fundraising store. Fellow RNC member Ron Nehring, chairman of the California GOP, expressed more reservations. "We have to be careful not to confuse passing resolutions for action, or creating a situation where people interpret the lack of some resolution as an excuse for inaction on an important issue," he said. Historically - The RNC's sole job has been to raise money for candidates and to pass the party line down the food chain to state and local leaders. [article link]
Don't overlook Israel's vulnerability - [If] the UN, the US, the Quartet or whoever had shown itself willing and able to ensure Israel's security - Gaza, as in Lebanon before, are the consequence of a much earlier failure: the failure to enforce international law [against HAMAS] and truly guarantee Israel's right to exist {*** The bottom line is that the U.N. has to protect Israel and as proof the U.N. has to give Israel access to the Temple Mount and let them rebuild their Jewish Temple!} Before you rush to judgement on the iniquity of Israel's lethal air strikes on the Gaza Strip - your own judgement, not a judgement borrowed from flailing politicians or vocal lobbyists for either side - could you answer one question. Have you ever been to Israel? I don't mean have you looked at a map of the Middle East or glanced across from the beach in Aqaba, or even visited the slums that, more than 50 years on, are absurdly still called Palestinian refugee camps. I mean have you ever been to Israel? Because if you have, you might understand how small and devoid of natural defences this country is. You would see that from north, south and east, they are vulnerable to siege from those who command the higher ground and the escape routes. And you would realise how fearful Israelis remain, even three generations on, that they could actually be driven into the sea in a matter of hours. And a second question, if I may. Deep down, do you believe that the state of Israel has a right to exist, or do you feel, if you are brutally honest, that the world would be a simpler and more harmonious place if only the victorious Second World War Allies had found a way of purging their postHolocaust guilt without acquiescing in the creation of a Jewish homeland in what had been Palestine under the British mandate. Do you feel, even today, that Israel - and I'm talking about Israel, not the occupied territories is Arab land that belongs, by ancestral right, to the Palestinians? Well, I have been to Israel; I have driven the length and breadth of it in more peaceful times; I have talked to its leaders and people. My overwhelming impression is not of war-lust, but of insecurity. ... Now, as with the Lebanon war, Israel's critics charge that its action in Gaza has been "disproportionate" - "proportionate", presumably, being a few home-made rockets fired into civilian areas of Gaza as and when. Israel might retort, not unreasonably, that if Hamas wants war, it can have it: Israel's fight is for its future security. What these same Western critics should be asking, however, is why Israel feels so threatened that it resorts to such force, knowing full well the international opprobrium that will follow. And the answer is that if, in the past, the outside world - in the shape of the UN, the US, the Quartet
or whoever - had shown itself willing and able to ensure Israel's security, then neither Israel nor the Gaza Palestinians need have resorted to force this winter. The excesses in Gaza, as in Lebanon before, are the consequence of a much earlier failure: the failure to enforce international law and truly guarantee Israel's right to exist. [article link]
The Patristic Period 100 A.D. - 450 A.D. The beginnings of the early church - The Donatists [error] argued that the church was a body of saints where sinners had no place - The Donatists argued for their exclusion from the church - Augustine, otherwise, stated that the church must remain a mixed body of individuals saints and sinners - The validity of the churches' holiness did not depend upon the holiness of the members, but the person of Jesus Christ {Donatist an ancient Church error by some Christians who at the time said that some Priests did not perform the communion, baptism or marriage correctly and because the priest did it wrong or the priest had sin in their own life the union was void. This error then led to the discussion of "are you really saved" if the Priest did something wrong in the service or if the Priest who baptized and later left the Christian faith then was the baptism valid? Of course Salvation is only from Jesus Christ and not from men, Priest or otherwise. To reason that a ritual or the reputation of certain individuals Catholic or Protestant can make an event more or less valid is to misrepresent Christianity. Note: Christianity is unique in that it is about God (Jesus Christ) who came down to man to meet people where we are and in the condition we are in to give mankind of His Righteousness so that a relationship can be formed. The cults, on the other hand are all attempting to make mankind work and perform up to some level of acceptability to God but even then they never actually meet God because it is not God's plan it is a failed cult system of man's making.} The doctrine of the church (ecclesiology) also rose as an important subject, especially concerning its holiness. The Donatists argued that the church was a body of saints where sinners had no place. This became particularly important when persecution broke out in that the Donatists did not want to allow back into the church defectors who recanted and then recanted of their recantation because of that persecution. The Donatists argued for their exclusion from the church. Augustine, otherwise, stated that the church must remain a mixed body of individuals - saints and sinners. The validity of the churches' holiness did not depend upon the holiness of the members, but the person of Jesus Christ. -- The doctrines of grace also came to the forefront in the writings of Augustine over the heresy propagated by Pelagius, a British monk who believed that Adam's sin did not affect any of his progeny. So forceful was Augustine's pen against Pelagius that he became known as the "doctor of grace." Pelagius taught that the resources of salvation were within humanity, where Augustine taught that they were in Christ Jesus alone. ... Augustine refuted them demonstrating that the church is made up of sinners and saints, and that holiness is not something intrinsic in saints, but comes from Christ. Christ, then, affects the holiness of the church, not the saints of the church. ... The ethos of Pelagianism could be summed up as "salvation by merit," whereas Augustine taught "salvation by grace," following Ephesians 2:8-10. The Council of Carthage (c. 418) resolved to uphold the doctrines of grace and condemned Pelagianism in uncompromising terms. [article link]
Vatican Radio News, Report DECEMBER 25, 2008: Pope Benedict's special Christmas blessing 'to the city of Rome and to the world' {Strange times continued… Amazingly the very fundamentalist Evangelical Christian leaders who deny even to acknowledge the Christian existence of the Roman Catholic Church and who completely reject the Roman Catholic Church as an entity of Jesus Christ are the very people who now openly embrace and champion the LDS Mormon deceit. Note: In a not so vague way Protestants who reject the validity of the Catholic Church are in essence practicing a part of the religion of the Mormon Joseph Smith as Joseph Smith in 1820 claimed that the Christian Church was in apostasy in his day and that Smith restored a true gospel. Too many Protestants also declare the Catholic Church to be apostate and consider that Martin Luther in 1517 was a restorer of the True Christian faith. For certain the blood of Jesus Christ, His glorious resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit with eternal life to mankind has at no time become apostate. The
Christian Church is and will always remain the one true bride of Jesus Christ!} (Mp3) DECEMBER 25, 2008 URBI ET ORBI: Hear Pope Benedict's special Christmas blessing 'to the city of Rome and to the world'... (MP3) [article link]
Focus on the Family Pulls Interview with Mormon Author - "Mr. Beck is a member of the Mormon church (cult), and … we did not make mention of this fact in our interview with him" - Beck's interview had been featured on CitizenLink [a Focus on the Family publication] and claimed that Beck "is hoping to spread a more eternal sort of gospel through his new book" - Since the interview was published, Christians throughout the blogosphere have raised flags and sounded alarms, concerned that Focus on the Family was compromising central doctrinal truths to win the culture war {We really live in strange times; we have politicians who are rich and have everything but are so obsessed with wanting more particularly more money that they will sell their souls and thier country to the Muslims just to get their hands on a few more oil dollars. In the same way leading Christian ministries like Focus on the Family, Regent College and many other Christian ministries are so greedy for LDS money and Mormon affection that they are perfectly willing to destroy their own firm foundation in Christ just to get attention from a few more people.} Conservative ministry Focus on the Family has removed from its website an article about the latest book by former CNN host Glenn Beck in response to complaints over his Mormon ties. "Mr. Beck is a member of the Mormon church, and … we did not make mention of this fact in our interview with him," reads a statement prepared for the ministry's receptionists, according to Joel Campbell, the Mormon media observer for the MormonTimes. "We do recognize the deep theological difference between evangelical theology and Mormon theology, and it would have been prudent for us at least to have pointed out these differences," receptionists are instructed to say to those who call in about the missing article on the ministry's CitizenLink website. "Because of the confusion, we have removed the interview from CitizenLink." ... They use Mr. Beck's story as a way to show that hope can be found in God, which is true enough; the problem is that Mr. Beck's god is not the Triune God of the Bible nor is his Jesus the Jesus of the Bible," commented Dustin S. Seger, pastor of Shepherd's Fellowship of Greensboro, N.C. "I strongly discourage you from giving money to any religious organization that is so committed to a social agenda that they are willing to ignore the vast difference between biblical Christianity and the cult of Mormonism," he wrote to readers of the co-authored blog "Grace in the Triad" earlier this week. Though Beck's social views are regarded as mostly compatible with many Christian views, his beliefs in Mormonism have been distinguished as not. Aside from rejecting the Trinity and their belief in many gods, Mormons believe their prophet, Joseph Smith, was "the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam," according to the Mormons' History of the Church. "Every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, Junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are," claimed Brigham Young, a 19th century president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Clearly, Mormonism is a cult," the ministry Underground Apologetics expressed in a statement opposing Focus on the Family's promotion of Beck. [article link]
December 22nd, 2008: Focus on the Family Promotes Mormon Glenn Beck at CitizenLink - However, to promote a Mormon as a Christian is not helpful to the cause of Jesus Christ. For Christians to influence society, Christians should be promoting the central issues of the faith properly without opening the door to false religions {False religions including LDS Mormonism get their start from false spirit guides. Mormon founder Joseph Smith interacted with the false spirit guide he called Maroni and today the LDS Temple rites are designed to invoke spirit entities particularly those spirits with knowledge of the dead. For Dobson to embrace the false anti-Christian teachings of Mormonism to the extent that he is could indicate that Dobson is listening to false spirit guides and is not listening to the Bible.} MADISON, Wisc., Dec. 22 /Christian Newswire/ - Focus on the Family has a story on Glenn Beck, a Mormon, on their CitizenLink Website. Glenn Beck was a CNN host and will move to Fox News in January. Beck is currently
promoting his book, "The Christmas Sweater." The CitizenLink story focuses on Beck's faith and why he wrote "The Christmas Sweater." ... Through the years, Focus on the Family has done great things to help the family and has brought attention to the many social ills that are attacking the family. However, to promote a Mormon as a Christian is not helpful to the cause of Jesus Christ. For Christians to influence society, Christians should be promoting the central issues of the faith properly without opening the door to false religions. Some of the false doctrines of Mormonism include polytheism, an attack on the trinity, that Jesus was the spirit-brother of Lucifer, that God the Father is married to Mother God, temple baptisms for the dead, the Bible has missing parts and many errors. Christians are to stand up against the social ills of society, however, we are to put Christ first and His essential biblical truths. [article link]
News of Fabricated Holocaust Memoir Sparks Anger, Sadness - Rosenblat acknowledged that he and his wife did not meet, as they had said for years, at a sub-camp of Buchenwald, where she allegedly sneaked him apples and bread - Historical records prove Rosenblat was indeed at Buchenwald and other camps "Holocaust experience is not heartwarming, it is heart rending. All this shows something about the broad unwillingness in our culture to confront the difficult knowledge of the Holocaust" Waltzer said NEW YORK - It's the latest story that touched, and betrayed, the world. "Herman Rosenblat and his wife are the most gentle, loving, beautiful people," literary agent Andrea Hurst said Sunday, anguishing over why she, and so many others, were taken by Rosenblat's story of love born on opposite sides of a barbed-wire fence at a Nazi concentration camp in Germany. "I question why I never questioned it. I believed it; it was an incredible, hope-filled story." On Saturday, Berkley Books canceled Rosenblat's memoir, "Angel at the Fence." Rosenblat acknowledged that he and his wife did not meet, as they had said for years, at a sub-camp of Buchenwald, where she allegedly sneaked him apples and bread. The book was supposed to come out in February. Rosenblat, 79, has been married to the former Roma Radzicky for 50 years, since meeting her on a blind date in New York. In a statement issued Saturday through his agent, he described himself as an advocate of love and tolerance who falsified his past to better spread his message. ... Historical records prove Rosenblat was indeed at Buchenwald and other camps. "How sad that he felt he had to embellish a life of surviving the Holocaust and of being married for half a century," said Holocaust scholar Michael Berenbaum. The damage is broad. Publishing, the most trusting of industries, has again been burned by a memoir that fact-checking might have prevented. Berkley is an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), which in March pulled Margaret B. Jones' "Love and Consequences" after the author acknowledged she had invented her story of gang life in Los Angeles. Winfrey fell, as she did with James Frey, for a narrative of suffering and redemption better suited for television than for history. The damage is deep. Scholars and other skeptics as well as fellow survivors fear that Rosenblat's fabrications will only encourage doubts about the Holocaust. "I am very worried because many of us speak to thousands of students each year," says Sidney Finkel, a longtime friend of Rosenblat's and a fellow survivor. "We go before audiences. We tell them a story and now some people will question what I experienced." "This was not Holocaust education but miseducation," Ken Waltzer, director of Jewish Studies at Michigan State University, said in a statement. "Holocaust experience is not heartwarming, it is heart rending. All this shows something about the broad unwillingness in our culture to confront the difficult knowledge of the Holocaust," Waltzer said. "All the more important then to have real memoirs that tell of real experience in the camps." [article link]
Livni defends Israel's Gaza attacks - recent military action in Gaza - while condemning Hamas {Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is exactly right in her comments!} (Video) The Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has defended her country's recent military action in Gaza, while condemning Hamas. She spoke to the BBC's Aleem Maqbool. [article link]
Another Pallywood [Palestinian fake Hollywood] Production? - this photo that he filed yesterday has all the marks of being staged (Photo)
Associated Press Palestinian photographer Khalil Hamra seems to be the AP's inside man when it comes to pictures of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and this photo (shown below) that he filed yesterday has all the marks of being staged. Were these apparently unhurt children deliberately arranged on a stretcher next to a wounded man for propaganda purposes? Notice that the caption is vague about whether the children are injured. [article link]
Day #2 - Israeli jets target Gaza tunnels [used by Palestinians to smuggle rockets, explosives, illegal drugs and terrorists between Egypt and Gaza] - Israeli jets have bombed 40 tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip in a second day of intense air raids aimed at forcing Hamas militants to halt rocket fire - *Egyptian foreign minister has accused Hamas of not allowing injured Palestinians to leave Gaza to seek treatment {Many of the video clips and photos from the Gaza hospital appear to have been staged, it seems that the same kind of fake blood is repeatedly being put in the hair of the children. It explains why Hamas is not sending injured civilians to Egypt because likely many of the injuries are fake and don't require real medical treatment. The low civilian casualty rate is due to the care and skill of the Israeli armed forces and keep in mind that Hamas targets 100% of the civilian population of Israel.} (Video) Egypt has opened its border with Gaza at Rafah to let the injured seek treatment there. But the Egyptian foreign minister has accused Hamas of not allowing injured Palestinians to leave Gaza to seek treatment, even though much-needed medical supplies are waiting at the nearby El-Arish airport. ... Israel said it initially began easing the (Gaza) blockade, but this was halted when Hamas failed to fulfil what Israel says were agreed conditions, including ending all rocket fire and halting weapons smuggling. From 1967 Israel's military occupied the Gaza Strip and Jewish settlers built communities within the territory. Israel withdrew (military & communities) in 2005 but has maintained control of Gaza's borders. [article link]
Israel releases Gaza airstrike video - The video shows ~ an attack on a underground missile launching pad used by Hamas - It also notes with a yellow circle ~ a Palestinian missile misfiring after the attack The Israeli Air Force has released what it says is footage taken from a pilotless drone aircraft during the airstrikes on Gaza on Saturday. The video purportedly shows an attack on a underground missile launching pad used by Hamas. It also notes with a yellow circle what it says is a Palestinian missile misfiring after the attack. [article link]
Bethlehem douses Christmas lights over Gaza strikes - Christmas lights will be shut off around Bethlehem, including those on the city's giant Christmas tree, to protest Israel's deadly attacks in Gaza, its mayor (Victor Batarseh) said on Saturday {The Mayor of Bethlehem is trying to extend, exploit and manipulate [by being onesided and refusing to condemn deadly Palestinian attacks against Israel] what has already been a prolonged and bad situation for both sides. I hope Christians will boycott Bethlehem because the conduct of the Bethlehem Mayor is not respecting the life, teachings or Spirit of Jesus Christ who was born in Bethlehem.} BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AFP) - Christmas lights will be shut off around Bethlehem, including those on the city's giant Christmas tree, to protest Israel's deadly attacks in Gaza, its mayor said on Saturday. "We have decided to shut off the decorative lights and the Christmas tree to protest against the massacres committed in Gaza," Victor Batarseh told AFP. "Israel has sabotaged the holidays with these massacres," he said. The Christmas tree stands in front of the Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born more than 2,000 years ago. It normally stays lit until the Orthodox Nativity celebrations in early January. [article link]
May 05, 2007: Germany's foreign minister refuses to meet mayor of Bethlehem - allegedly because the mayor's city council included members of Hamas - However, sources close to Steinmeier told Ynet "the minister didn't meet the mayor of Bethlehem because such a meeting was not scheduled A diplomatic incident between Germany and the Palestinian Authority occurred Saturday, when German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier refused to meet the Mayor of Bethlehem, Victor Batarseh, allegedly
because the mayor's city council included members of Hamas. However, sources close to Steinmeier told Ynet "the minister didn't meet the mayor of Bethlehem because such a meeting was not scheduled. Other than that, the minister was very pleased with the welcome he received in the city." The governor of Bethlehem, Brigadier Salah Al-Ta'mari refused, in an act of solidarity with Batarseh, to meet the German minister. Even though Hamas is the largest faction in the city council, Palestinian law states only a Christian can be elected its mayor. Batarseh leads a council made up from Hamas as well as other faction. ... During his visit, Steinmeier also met with the Palestinian treasury, tourism and National Initiative ministers, who asked him to renew Germany's financial support to the Palestinian Authority. [article link]
Radio New Zealand News - Toll rises from air strikes on Gaza Strip - Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 227 people - More than 700 Palestinians were wounded - New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully describes the attacks as "a day of tragedy" - Mr. McCully says it is pointless to fingerpoint about who is responsible, or debate what is proportionate versus disproportionate response - The United States has called for Israel to do all it can to protect innocent people, but says Hamas is responsible for renewing violence in the region {The series of events in Gaza are tragic! It is tragic that the Palestinians are being misrepresented, used and abused by the leading powers of the world. The U.N. and the Western nations of the world are using the Palestinians and prolonging their plight as a reason to expand their control into the Middle-East while the Arab nations go along with the U.N. and neglect and ignore the Palestinians and enable their conditions to deteriorate. It's also tragic that Israel is consistently under deadly attacks from Gaza because attacking Israel (intifada) has become a source of commerce for Gaza.} Israel said the strikes were in response to almost daily rocket attacks from Gaza, which intensified after Hamas ended a six-month ceasefire on 19 December. A five-day offensive in March killed more than 120 people, but Saturday's death toll is reported to be the highest since 1948, when Israel was established. Hamas has called on Al-Jazeera television for a new intifada (uprising). The first Palestinian intifada began in 1987 and a second in 2000 after peace talks failed. ... Reactions: New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully describes the attacks as "a day of tragedy". Mr McCully says it is pointless to fingerpoint about who is responsible, or debate what is proportionate versus disproportionate response. The United States has called for Israel to do all it can to protect innocent people, but says Hamas is responsible for renewing violence in the region. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has condemned what he says is an excessive use of force leading to deaths and injuries of civilians. The European Union has called for an immediate ceasefire. [article link]
*** NEW WORLD EXPOSURE - Interview with GeorgeAnn Hughes - Download Available (Mp3) George Ann Huges on the new world exposure show. [article link]
*** Girl Talk - Moving In The Spirit - Sister Lucinda ~ Fear No Flu1.mp3 | Sister Lucinda ~ Fear No Flu2.mp3 {An excellent wide ranging discussion!} (Mp3's) As usual we plan nothing... everything is about letting the Holy Spirit lead. Talking about what is going on in the world and in our lives and helpful practical information. There is prayer and healing, discussion and "moving forward" out of bondage. The point here is to gather strength and insight... and punch holes in the walls that keep us from seeing the Kingdom of God... and to develop the "spiritual muscles" we need. [article link]
BasicChristian.org
Basic Christian: Info, News and Resources 2008 Articles Basic Christian 2008 - Current Active Online PDF - News-Info Feed - Updated Automatically (PDF) Generates a current PDF file of the 2008 Basic Christian info-news feed. [article link]
Basic Christian 2008 - Full Content Active Online Version - News-Info Feed (RSS) Generates a current PDF file of the 2008 Basic Christian info-news feed. [article link]
Basic Christian - Current Active Online PDF - Mp3 Downloads - Updated Automatically (PDF) Generates a current PDF file of the Basic Christian Mp3 download feed. [article link]
Basic Christian - Current Active Online PDF - Video, Flash, DVD, Movies - Updated Automatically (PDF) Generates a current PDF file of the Basic Christian Video, Flash, DVD, Movie feed. [article link]
***Updated - New FREE Download - Basic Christian Complete - eBook Version (.CHM) Possibly the best Basic Christian resource! Download it and give it a try! Includes the Red Letter Edition Holy Bible KJV 1611 Version. To download Right-Click then Select Save Target _As... [article link]
--New Article-- The 7 Church Letters of Revelation from Jesus Christ - The Christian Church is divided into Seven Church groups - Which Church group are You in? Like the seven miracles that we went through in the Gospel of John that John himself personally witnessed, Jesus personally spoke to the disciple John and had John write an evaluation of the Christian Church in the book of Revelation. Likewise to critique the entire Christian Church (people) Jesus divided it up into seven churches. Each Church existed in the day that Jesus spoke to John about it and each Church type is still practiced throughout today. Note the book of Revelation and in particular the part about the seven churches is unique because Jesus is asking John to write it for Him. The entire Bible is written by God through man but Revelation makes that point even more evident. So onto the description of the seven churches as critiqued by none other than the resurrected Jesus Himself. ... The Parables of Jesus (Matthew 13:1-50) are from the teaching of Jesus during His time on earth. The letters of the Apostle Paul (New Testament) are from a representative of Jesus and finally the 7 letters of Revelation (Revelation 2:1-3:22) are teaching and instruction from the resurrected Jesus, the three teaching groups span three timeframes with the one unique message of Jesus Christ and His eternal Kingdom. [article link]
Basic Christian: List of Chrisitan Websites and Locations with FREE Mp3 DownloadS A list for accessing Christian material on the internet. [article link]
Hollywood legend Charlton Heston dies at 84 - Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing "Ben-Hur" and portrayed Moses (in the movie "The 10 Commandments") LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing "Ben-Hur" and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other figures in movie epics of the '50s and '60s, has died. He was 84. The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said. Powers declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details.
"Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played," Heston's family said in a statement. "No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country." [article link]
The Official Web Site of Arthur Blessitt - The Man Who Carried The Cross (Cross Walk) Around The World in Every Nation {Basic Christian's "Jesus Walk" Easter Devotion is named in part based on the same Spirit of devotion as Arthur's "Cross Walk"} The World's Longest Walk as listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Now 305 NATIONS, 37,017 MILES (59,571 KM) 37 YEARS and still WALKING! Started Christmas 1969! Let Arthur Blessitt PRAY WITH YOU (Audio Prayers), Arthur Blessitt Weekly Column. [article link]
Desiring God - Conference Messages by Conference (Mp3 FREE Downloads) Desiring God exists to say... God's ultimate goal is to glorify himself. And that's good news. Everything we do aims to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. [article link]
Heroin helps the enemy - provides a substantial source of funds for anti-Israel terror networks Patriotism may be the latest weapon in Israel's war on drugs. A new media campaign conceived by Anti-Drug Authority head Col. (res.) Eliezer "Cheetah" Cohen is trying to explain to Israelis that drug use, whether "recreational" or a full-blown addiction, provides a substantial source of funds for anti-Israel terror networks. "When you buy drugs, you're part of the chain," explained a spokesman for the authority, which has operated since 1988 under the Prime Minister's Office. Israel's heroin, he noted, "comes from Lebanon, and you can't smuggle drugs in the North without being involved with Hizbullah. This [trade] funds terror cells within Israel and espionage against Israel. This is funding Hizbullah's activities." Israel's drug trade is estimated at some NIS 7 billion annually, including some three tons of cocaine, four tons of heroin and 20 million Ecstasy and LSD tablets. Only a tiny fraction - single-digit percentages - are intercepted by law enforcement forces. According to the government, the drug trade is controlled by organized crime organizations and is used by terror networks to conduct espionage against Israel and sneak terrorists into the country. [article link]
Blackwater Iraq contract to be renewed - The State Department will renew its contract with Blackwater to provide security in Iraq - an estimated 25,000 private contractors protect diplomats, reconstruction workers and government officials WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The State Department will renew its contract with Blackwater to provide security in Iraq, Greg Starr, acting assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security, said Friday. No provisions have been added to the contract, Starr said, but Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ordered several changes to procedure after a September incident in which Blackwater guards shot and killed 17 people, including women and children. The incident placed the operations of Blackwater and other security firms under scrutiny in Iraq, where an estimated 25,000 private contractors protect diplomats, reconstruction workers and government officials. Under a provision instituted in the early days of the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, security contractors have immunity from Iraqi law. The five-year State Department contract, which began in 2006, must be renewed every year and is up for renewal next month. Starr said, in effect, Blackwater's contract will roll over for another year. [article link]
Reprieve or RIP for Windows XP? - Microsoft gives XP a bit of a break, but doesn't budge on drop-dead dates for most versions - "There is no plan to extend sales of other editions of Windows XP beyond June 30, 2008"
So Microsoft didn't give XP a blanket extension? Absolutely not. Dix made it clear that the operating system isn't getting a general reprieve. "There is no plan to extend sales of other editions of Windows XP beyond June 30, 2008," he said before launching into a recitation of what Microsoft sees as Vista's success in the market. When will the other versions of XP officially be retired then? There are several dates that apply, but the one you're probably thinking of is the June 30 deadline that Dix referred to. That's the last day when large computer makers - the Dells, HPs and Lenovos of the world - will be allowed to preinstall Windows XP on new PCs. It also marks the official end of XP as a retail product. So-called system builders - the small shops that assemble machines for customers - can put XP on the PCs they sell until Jan. 31, 2009. [article link]
Windows 7, Successor To Vista, May Ship Next Year (2009) - Dissatisfaction with Vista has led Microsoft to extend the life of the older Windows XP OS for longer than originally planned Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) chairman Bill Gates said his company might ship a new version of its Windows operating system as soon as 2009. The news agency Reuters quoted Gates on Friday as saying that Windows 7 may be released "sometime in the next year or so." That would put the software ahead of the three-year cycle that Microsoft normally works on for OS releases. The current version of Windows, known as Vista, shipped in January 2007. Microsoft to date has said little about Windows 7, which has been in development under the code name Blackcomb. It was generally believed that the OS would ship in the 2010 timeframe. In response to an inquiry from InformationWeek, Microsoft said in a statement that Windows 7 is "scoped to three years from Windows Vista Consumer GA. As is standard with the release of a new product, we will be releasing early builds of Windows 7 prior to its General Availability as a means to gain tester feedback." [article link]
Costs of Gambling - For $1 of casino gambling revenue gained by a state, there are at least $2-$4 in costs for that state (families that become wards of the state after losing their homes, pensions, etc.; need for more prisons and police). For every dollar of casino gambling revenue gained by a state, there are at least two dollars, if not three or four, in costs for that state (families that become wards of the state after losing their homes, pensions, etc.; need for more prisons and police) • In a 50-mile radius of new casinos, there is a marked increase in the amount of spousal abuse as indicated by those treated at hospitals in the area. The combination of alcohol and gambling fueled by the casinos doubles the trouble. • proximately 51% of the revenue from a lottery comes from just 5% of the state's population. State programs to help education or senior citizens are largely being funded by people with serious gambling addiction. • More money is spent in the USA on gambling than on groceries! [article link]
Cows, Government, Corporations & Ideologies . . . CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE: You have two cows. You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows. {Note: The current Bush Family is the result of three generations of practicing Skull & Bones Satanists (Fascism) and loyal Nazi (Nazism) party members, and yes they are liars using their government positions and connections to stack the economic deck against everyone else!} FASCISM: You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them, and sells you the milk. NAZISM: You have two cows. The government takes both and then shoots you. ... [New Bush] AMERICAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You sell one; lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the second one. You force the 2 cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses. Your stock goes up. ... TALIBANISM: You have two cows. At first, the government makes them wear burkas, but later shoots them because "they are Hindu religious symbols." [article link]
Most Americans say U.S. on wrong track, poll says - More than 80 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction - "things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track" {America being
ransacked and bled dry by the Bush family and friends so they can become trillionaires isn't most people's idea of how the Nation should be run.} NEW YORK (AP) -- More than 80 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, the highest such number since the early 1990s, according to a new survey. The CBS News-New York Times poll released Thursday showed 81 percent of respondents said they believed "things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track." That was up from 69 percent a year ago, and 35 percent in early 2002. The survey comes as housing turmoil has rocked Wall Street amid an economic downturn. The economy has surpassed the war in Iraq as the dominating issue of the U.S. presidential race, and there is now nearly a national consensus that the United States faces significant problems, the poll found. A majority of Democrats and Republicans, men and women, residents of cities and rural areas, college graduates and those who finished only high school say the United States is headed in the wrong direction, according to the survey, which was published on The New York Times' Web site. [article link]
Who killed John O'Neil? - A Composite History of Modern Government - Corporate Crime in America - well done, this is a superb film (Video-Download) {We live in a time full of allegations but what is the meaning of all of this and what is our response to the current events unfolding throughout the world? The meaning of events and our response to them is to protect our soul. Although our body may perish our soul-spirit will live on forever and therefore it is essential that we must seek God and His righteous kingdom the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We should no longer allow ourselves to be misled by the tactics of man or by the strategies of devils.} Exposes links to the corporatocracy that hindered an investigation by John O'Neil which may have very well prevented the 9-11 attacks ... exposed the reall roots of the problem which lie far farther from Bin Laden and closer to home than we'd like to believe. ... well done, this is a superb film, it not only points out the mountains of evidence on all sorts of issues but it explains to people who haven't looked at anything how you feel when you do. To all you people who commented that it was too long, i'm very sure it could have been double the length and still only scratched the surface with all the evidence available. heres a link related: www.jonesreport.com/articles/160907_buried_interview.html thanks for this film it is superb. [article link]
Seven long years of deliberate Bush failures have prepared Americans to accept the new planned government and economy -- which literally will cause us to "jump from the frying pan to the fire"! "Four out of five Americans believe things are "on the wrong track" in the United States, the gloomiest outlook in about 20 years ... The poll found that 81 percent of respondents felt 'things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track'. That was up from 69 percent last year and 35 percent in early 2003 ... Only 4 percent of survey respondents said the country was better off than it was five years ago, while 78 percent said it was worse..." This kind of sentiment swept President Jimmy Carter out of the Oval Office in 1980, and propelled the Hollywood actor, Ronald Reagan, to the Presidency. Likewise, we believe that a Democrat will ascend to the White House in this election. The American people might just be so angry over the economy and other aspects of our national life that they will accept the draconian Fascist measure the next president will introduce. In this respect, the Bush Administration has done its job really well for the past seven years! The Plan of the Great White (magic) Brotherhood will likely be passed to the opposite party but it will go forward as planned and without hindrance. Soon, the world will be totally global and the Masonic Christ can arise. [article link]
Bush pushes for NATO expansion - to allow Ukraine and Georgia to start the admission process over Russian objections and to counter Osama bin Laden's latest threats to Europe by stepping up their efforts in Afghanistan - "We will show that America will not abandon our friends in the fight against terror and extremism" Bush vowed {Is Bush for real "to counter Osama bin Laden's latest threats to Europe" Bush & Co. already abandoned their search for bin Laden years ago. Of course if Bin Laden was the sole real threat to the world it would actually be nice if Bush would look for and find bin Laden. But it appears that bin Laden, spooky
story and all is only a fall guy, scapegoat, 'Patsy' being used to create a Global Security Force for the coming Global Government.} President Bush renewed urgent calls Wednesday for NATO nations to allow Ukraine and Georgia to start the admission process over Russian objections and to counter Osama bin Laden's latest threats to Europe by stepping up their efforts in Afghanistan. ... "We will show that America will not abandon our friends in the fight against terror and extremism," Bush vowed. ... But Bush and his wife, Laura, left Bucharest after the speech to spend most of the day in the Black Sea resort of Neptun, this country's presidential retreat location where Bush was holding talks with Romanian President Traian Basescu, the country's pro-western leader. [article link]
Stunning collapse of Carlyle bond fund leaves Carlyle down, not out - The apparent overnight meltdown of a $22 billion - Most of this stems from the roster of high-profile politicians on its books who, critics argue, have helped it to win more than its fair share of profits from the defence industry - James Baker III, the former US Secretary of State, served as a senior adviser between 1993 and 2005. George Bush Sr, the former US President, and his son, the President, have served on its board The apparent overnight meltdown of a $22 billion (£10.9 billion) credit fund is a huge embarrassment for Carlyle Group, the US private equity firm with unrivalled links to big business and global politics. Even a few weeks ago it would have been inconceivable that a fund operated by such a well-established and respected investment firm that specialised in AAA-bonds would suddenly melt down - especially when it invested in bonds underwritten by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the US government-chartered mortgage groups. When Carlyle, one of the biggest private equity firms in the world, with about $75 billion of assets under management, set up its ill-fated mortgage bond fund in 2006, it thought that it was on to a sure winner. ... The firm, which once boasted John Major, the former (British) Prime Minister, as its European chairman, is chaired by Louis Gerstner Jr, the former IBM chairman, who joined Carlyle in 2003. ... James Baker III, the former US Secretary of State, served as a senior adviser between 1993 and 2005. George Bush Sr, the former US President, and his son, the President, have served on its board. [article link]
Sweeping Fed Plan Sparks Intense Debate - The Bush administration Monday proposed the most far-ranging (control) overhaul of the financial regulatory system since the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression (CBS/AP) The Bush administration Monday proposed the most far-ranging overhaul of the financial regulatory system since the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression. The plan would change how the government regulates thousands of businesses from the nation's biggest banks and investment houses down to the local insurance agent and mortgage broker. ... Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin blasted Paulson's approach as "a disastrous backward step that would put the investor in jeopardy" because it would pre-empt state regulation of securities and insurance. [article link]
Bear Stearns Deal Protected Markets, Argue Regulators - "Was this a justified rescue to prevent a systemic collapse of financial markets or a $30 billion taxpayer bailout for a Wall Street firm while people on Main Street struggle to pay their mortgages?" - Schwartz says if the Fed had opened up its discount window earlier, his firm might have survived {$30 billion instantly allocated by the Federal Reserve on a Sunday, over the weekend and in a hurry while the markets are closed = scam.} Regulators refuted accusations Thursday that they ignored signs of distress at Bear Stearns (NYSE:BSC) as lawmakers questioned if the Federal Reserve was justified in using public funds to back the emergency takeover of the fifth-largest U.S. investment bank. ... Bear CEO Alan Schwartz said his firm wasn't directly involved in government talks with JPMorgan. He told lawmakers that the company had enough capital to keep operating but that "it looked like people wanted to induce a panic," suggesting there was a coordinated effort by speculators to destroy the firm. After Bear's collapse, the Fed let securities firms borrow directly from the
central bank for the first time since the Depression. Schwartz says if the Fed had opened up its discount window earlier, his firm might have survived. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson this week proposed streamlining America's banking regulations, giving the Fed more authority over investment banks. But lawmakers, banking groups and affected agencies have plenty of objections. Major reforms probably will not happen until after President Bush leaves office. [article link]
CuttingEdge.org: SPECIAL NEWS ALERT March 17, 2008 - NEWS BRIEF: "JPMorgan acquires troubled Bear - the way in which the long-standing Illuminati firm, J.P. Morgan, acquired Bear Stearns for such an unbelievably low price ($2 a share [now upped to about $10] from $160 a share a year ago) is exactly how other Establishment firms have acted in the past to dramatically increase their total value However, the way in which the long-standing Illuminati firm, J.P. Morgan, acquired Bear Stearns for such an unbelievably low price is exactly how other Establishment firms have acted in the past to dramatically increase their total value, at the expense of others. Do you remember the Battle of Waterloo, a most important battle which preserved the independence and power of Great Britain over France? Listen to this report as to how the Rothschild family became so filthy rich virtually overnight that they were able to lead the financial drive to achieve the New World Order, quoting "NATHAN ROTHSCHILD & THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO", Aladdan, 10 November 2003) "As the wealth and power of the Rothschilds grew in size and influence so did their intelligence gathering network. They had their 'agents' strategically located in all the capitals and trading centers of Europe, gathering and developing various types of intelligence ... it was based on a combination of very hard work and sheer cunning ... Rothschild coaches careened down the highways; Rothschild boats set sail across the Channel; Rothschild agents were swift shadows along the streets. They carried cash, securities, letters and news. Above all, news -- the latest exclusive news to be vigorously processed at stock market and commodity bourse." "And there was no news more precious than the outcome at Waterloo..." (The Rothschilds p. 94)."Upon the battle of Waterloo depended the future of the European continent. If the Grande Army of Napoleon emerged victorious France would be undisputed master of all she surveyed on the European front. If Napoleon was crushed into submission England would hold the balance of power in Europe and would be in a position to greatly expand its sphere of influence ... There were vast fortunes to be made -- and lost -- on the outcome of the Battle of Waterloo. The Stock Exchange in London was at fever pitch as traders awaited news of the outcome of this battle of the giants. If Britain lost, English consuls would plummet to unprecedented depths. If Britain was victorious, the value of the consul would leap to dizzying new heights. ... In his possession was a top secret report from Rothschild's secret service agents on the progress of the crucial battle. This intelligence data would prove indispensable to Nathan in making some vital decisions. The special agent was met at Folkstone the following morning at dawn by Nathan Rothschild himself. After quickly scanning the highlights of the report Rothschild was on his way again, speeding towards London and the Stock Exchange ... Arriving at the Exchange amid frantic speculation on the outcome of the battle ... Rothschild agents immediately began to dump consuls on the market. As hundred of thousands of dollars worth of consuls poured onto the market their value started to slide. Then they began to plummet." "Nathan continued to lean against 'his' pillar, emotionless, expressionless. He continued to sell, and sell and sell. Consuls kept on falling. Word began to sweep through the Stock Exchange: 'Rothschild knows'. - 'Rothschild knows. Wellington has lost at Waterloo'. The selling turned into a panic as people rushed to unload their 'worthless' consuls or paper money for gold and silver in the hope of retaining at least part of their wealth. Consuls continued their nosedive towards oblivion. After several hours of feverish trading the consul lay in ruins. It was selling for about five cents on the dollar." At that point, Rothschild signaled to his agents on the floor to begin buying these nearly worthless stocks! Overnight, the Rothschild fortune hit dizzying heights -- because once the word arrived that Great Britain had actually won at Waterloo, the stock market exploded to new heights, taking the companies which Nathan Rothschild had just purchased at only 5% of true value back up to the true value and beyond. The value of the Rothschild fortune was instantly multiplied over 20 times. This is the way the Illuminati operates, and it is the way in which J.P. Morgan has just bought out a major competitor! You can watch for
other acquisitions of this type as the "Order out of Chaos" plan continues to unfold. [article link]
Stock Market Protection "Uptick rule" - The Uptick rule is a former financial regulations rule (under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), relating to the trading of securities in the United States - The rule was eliminated by the (Bush) SEC, effective July 6, 2007 {The rule was put in place to protect the small and middleclass investors from complete manipulation of the stock market by the big instiutions and money fund managers.} 'Uptick' is the name generally given to Rule 10a-1, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which states that short selling is only permitted following a trade where the traded price was higher than the previously traded price (uptick). ... On the March 20, 2008 episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer launched his campaign to reinstate the Uptick Rule. Citing the wild swings of the market since its elimination, Cramer pointed out that the SEC eliminated the rule during a bull market, when liquidity was not a problem. Cramer believes that, without the Uptick Rule in place, short sellers are devaluing perfectly solid stocks. As a former hedge fund manager, Cramer admitted to making millions short selling with the Uptick Rule in place. Without an impediment such as the Uptick Rule to slow down the pace of short sellers, Cramer believes it puts the market at risk for the very problems that lead to the Great Depression. [article link]
Christian Educators! - PZ Myers "I'm a goddamned atheist" is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris {If you ever had any doubt that the secular atheists are losing the Creation Battle and just plain loosing it! This ranting loose cannon is actually a college professor and how true that a public education can't make an adult of everyone.} You know, I think Christianity is awfully foolish anyway, but I'm a goddamned atheist. You don't care what I think. But I would think the concerted and largely successful effort in our culture to equate Christianity with the idiocy of belief in a 6000 year old world or a god who meddles in trivialities or denying the facts of a natural world would piss you off. Unless it's true, that is, that you don't mind having your religious beliefs associated with flaming anti-scientific lunacy. [article link]
Sean Maloney, the Londoner inside Intel Corp. - Sean Maloney is one rung away from the top slot at the world's greatest microchip maker - Could he end up as one of the most powerful Britons in global business? "I went from being a devout Christian to reading Marx, substituting one dogma for another" he says {Is Maloney also full of 'baloney'? Maloney as the perfect 'New World Order' man is all things to all governments but is nothing of significance. The Maloneys of the 'New World Order' are full of labels but empty of substance. The 'New World Order' Maloneys are full of baloney.} Maloney was a self-styled reprobate before he discovered technology - you could say that computers saved him. "I went from being a devout Christian to reading Marx, substituting one dogma for another," he says. "But you've got to remember the UK was much more politically polarised in the 1970s." ... He was turned on to computers by an older brother, who showed him how to produce a printout - essential when he was given 1,000 lines at the Christian Brothers school he attended. "A new punishment, when they weren't whacking me." [article link]
Gene Warr - The Bottom Line - a 5 Part Mp3 Series (Mp3's) Gene Warr was commissioned in the US Army at age 19, and served as a reconnaissance platoon leader in an armored division of George Patton's 3rd Army. After WWII Gene returned to business life in Oklahoma City where God has used him in an extensive ministry in speaking, teaching, witnessing and discipling men in North America and around the world. [article link]
Discipleship Library - As many messages as possible, from Christian speakers in disciplemaking ministry, are being archived in digital form and made freely available on the Internet (Mp3's - PDF's) Your online source for the very best in Christian discipleship training resources. We're digitizing thousands of classic studies that have been presented over the last 60 years and will be making them available for online training or downloading to your multimedia-ready computer. [article link]
heartlight.org - My Utmost for His Highest: March 29, 2008 - Our Lord's Surprise Visits "Be ye therefore ready also" Luke 12:40 - If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious (that is, using religion as a higher kind of culture) and be spiritually real The great need for the Christian worker is to be ready to face Jesus Christ at any and every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience is. The battle is not against sin or difficulties or circumstances, but against being so absorbed in work that we are not ready to face Jesus Christ at every turn. That is the one great need, not the facing our belief, or our creed, the question whether we are of any use, but to face Him. Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical connections. The only way a worker can keep true to God is by being ready for the Lord's surprise visits. It is not service that matters, but intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This will give our life the attitude of child-wonder which He wants it to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious (that is, using religion as a higher kind of culture) and be spiritually real. If you are "looking off unto Jesus," avoiding the call of the religious age you live in, and setting your heart on what He wants, on thinking on His line - you will be called unpractical and dreamy; but when He appears in the burden and the heat of the day, you will be the only one who is ready. Trust no one, not even the finest saint who ever walked this earth, ignore him, if he hinders your sight of Jesus Christ. [article link]
Rockets Hammer Green Zone in Iraq, Killing at Least One American - Suspected Shiite extremists hammered the U.S-protected Green Zone and other areas in Baghdad with rocket and mortar volleys Thursday, and the embassy said one American government employee was killed BAGHDAD - Suspected Shiite extremists hammered the U.S-protected Green Zone and other areas in Baghdad with rocket and mortar volleys Thursday, and the embassy said one American government employee was killed. It was the latest in a week of barrages against the heavily fortified area in central Baghdad. U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said the American was a government employee but provided no other details pending notification of relatives. It was the second death since frequent attacks against the Green Zone began on Sunday, when an American financial analyst was killed. At least five rounds also struck near the Green Zone on Thursday, killing one Iraqi civilian and injuring another 14, the U.S. military said in a separate statement. Three other rounds hit U.S. military bases on the predominantly Shiite eastern side of the Tigris River, wounding four U.S. soldiers, it added. [article link]
Obama Picks Up Support from Romney Backer - "No doubt some of my friends will see this as a matter of party or intellectual treachery" Kmiec wrote {I don't know why in this particular election cycle so many leaders are so quick to sell their soul, their reputation and everything they stood for just to make a low level political endorsement for sub-par political candidates. Maybe it has always been that way in politics but it is just more evident this time. Real leaders stick to their principals.} It might seem unlikely that if Mitt Romney was your first choice for president, Barack Obama would be your second. But that is the case for constitutional scholar Douglas W. Kmiec, who shocked the conservative legal world on Sunday by endorsing Obama in a post on Slate.com. Besides serving as legal counsel to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Kmiec was co-chairman of Romney's Committee for the Courts and the Constitution, which was to advise him on constitutional questions and judicial appointments. "No doubt some of my friends will see this as a matter of party or intellectual treachery," Kmiec wrote. "I regret that, and I
respect their disagreement." In fact, some of his friends on the right and at conservative legal blogs seemed ready to come after the constitutional law professor at Pepperdine University with a net. [article link]
Alan Keyes - Important campaign news - He is now looking to the Constitution Party {I'm not sure Alan Keyes or any conservative can find a home in the Constitution party. The Constitution Party is deeply flawed and already a broken party. 1. The Constitution Party is deeply (LDS) Mormon and infested with the worst kind. Infused with a group of Mormon LDS'ers who think women should not even have the right to vote. Any group i.e. (LDS) or anyone who uses the USA Constitution or the Bible to deny rights and freedoms to other individuals is a severely flawed group and the Constitution Party is emerging as such a group.} As most of you know by now, Alan Keyes has departed from the Republican Party, or, more properly, the Republican Party has departed from him. He is now looking to the Constitution Party. The Constitution Party's members have labored in the conservative vineyard for many years, selflessly devoting themselves to the cause of restoring our republican form of self-government and defending our liberty, and at long last, the day has arrived for the rest of the conservative movement - including us - to join them. [article link]
A Letter From Ben Powers Regarding His Resignation From The Minnesota Constitution Party - I am writing you today to make you aware of the current status of the Constitution Party Current estimates state that over 1/3 of Constitution Party national committee members are Mormons, and most of the employees of the national Constitution Party are Mormons. This past election season, Mormoncontrolled Constitution Party affiliates in Colorado, Idaho, and Nevada ran pro-abortion candidates. Mr. Hansen and his supporters contend that they cannot be held to the life plank or any other plank of the Constitution Party platform if their Prophet decrees opposition. By the logic of Hansen, Inc., a Satanist should be welcome in the Constitution Party and should be exempt from the party platform rather than be in opposition to her religious beliefs. Since at least 1996, Constitution Party literature has been critical of the Republican Party and its candidates that are in direct opposition to the Republican Party platform. The Constitution Party has in principle now jettisoned its much flaunted motto, "Principle over Politics!," and made itself no better than the Republican Party. [article link]
BOOK OF REVELATION: Overview (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE Downloads - Amazingly the book of Revelation is so accurate and so relevant to today that reading the ancient book of Revelation is like reading the newspaper of today Get the basics regarding the Bible's book of Revelation (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE downloads. The book of Revelation (revealed - unveiling) was written by the beloved disciple John at the instructions of the risen resurrected Jesus in approximately the year 100 AD.. Revelation contains seven letters given from Jesus to the entire Christian Church movement. Letters of instruction and also letters of encouragement. Did you know that all of the Apostles of Jesus died a martyrs death except for the disciple John and that according to early Church tradition the Roman government had likewise tried to kill John by boiling him in oil yet God delivered him and did not allow John to be hurt therefore the Roman government banished John to a small island named "Patmos" and it was there at this prison island of Patmos that the disciple John again saw the resurrected Jesus and wrote the things Jesus instructed John to write giving us "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" the Bibles' last book. The book of Revelation describes in vivid detail the final events of the earth and of mankind prior to the glorious return of Jesus. Amazingly the book of Revelation is so accurate and so relevant to today that reading the ancient book of Revelation is like reading the newspaper of today. [article link]
Blast kills 4, raising U.S. toll in Iraq to 4,000 - "No casualty is more or less significant than another; each soldier, Marine, airman and sailor is equally precious and their loss equally tragic"
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Four U.S. soldiers died in a roadside bombing in Iraq on Sunday, military officials reported, bringing the American toll in the 5-year-old war to the grim milestone of 4,000 deaths. ... The U.S. milestone comes just days after Americans marked the fifth anniversary of the start of the war. "No casualty is more or less significant than another; each soldier, Marine, airman and sailor is equally precious and their loss equally tragic," Rear Admiral Gregory Smith, the U.S. military's chief spokesman in Iraq, said. "Every single loss of a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine is keenly felt by military commanders, families and friends both in theatre and at home," Smith said. [article link]
The 9th Annual Jesus Walk 10 Day Easter Timeline Devotion - Jesus Walk 2009 [Preview] it will change your life! - Friday April 3rd ---> Easter Sunday April 12th, 2009 (PDF) An Ancient Holy Week Timeline, Bible Study, Devotional & Personal Journal for Easter Week 2009. ... Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) holiday dates of 2009 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected' returned from death' just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. ... It will change your life! [article link]
~~~ Now in Progress ~~~ The 8th Annual Jesus Walk 10 Day Easter Timeline Devotion - Jesus Walk 2008 it will change your life! - Friday March 14th ---> Easter Sunday March 23rd, 2008 (PDF) An Ancient Holy Week Timeline, Bible Study, Devotional & Personal Journal for Easter Week 2008. ... Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) holiday dates of 2008 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected' returned from death' just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. ... It will change your life! [article link]
This Generation Does Not Need Any More Signs - You don't need any more "signs"! You have your "sign"! It is the "sign" of the (Easter) resurrection God is shouting from heaven to mankind today - You don't need any more "signs"! You have your "sign"! It is the "sign" of the resurrection. If this doesn't convince you that Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth and worthy to be praised, honored, and served, then be forever damned with the rest of the unbelievers and infidels! Saints of God, preach a resurrected Savior! Preach the Resurrection! This is God's last and highest evidence of Jesus' Divine Call and Mission. Jesus is God in the flesh! How do we know this? For one thing - the "sign" of the resurrection proves it to be so. [article link]
3 Striking Prayers In The Bible - There are three striking prayers found in the Bible which deserve our individual and undivided attention There are three striking prayers found in the Bible which deserve our individual and undivided attention. Believe it or not - the first one was prayed by a group of three thousand demons. The second was prayed by a multitude of people. And the third was prayed by a man who was just set free from demonic power. ... In summary, the demons in the first example were wanting to get away from Jesus. The multitudes in the second example wanted Jesus to get away from them. And now, in this third example, we find the delivered man earnestly desiring to follow Jesus wherever He went. [article link]
WayOfTheMaster.com: A Powerful Lesson from ER (YouTube 9:27) A number of people called our attention to this clip from the popular TV series ER. It really is amazing for secular televison. The "Fair Use" law allows us to teach from it without violating copyright laws. Please send it all over the internet. [article link]
The Kristo: Excellent! (Flash) English and Spanish versions of this excellent flash animation presentation. [article link]
Part 1: The Crucifixion of Jesus (Flash) This Christian animation of Jesus' walk to the cross has been viewed by millions at Java for Jesus.com. On Easter Sunday of 1999 more than 50,000 unique computers accessed this file and it is still among the favorite pages on the site. [article link]
Part 2: The Easter Resurrection of Jesus (Flash) Risen - This animation was based on the resurrection of Christ. Download available ($5). [article link]
Agony of Love, The - Missler, Chuck - 01127.mp3 (Mp3 free Download) An examination of the crucifixion events. [article link]
Audio: The Agony Of Love: 6 Hours In Eternity - What happened to Christ while he hung on the cross? - How can one who is immortal die? - 5 Part Audio (Online) In this study, Dr. Mark Eastman highlights the medical and forensic aspects of the crucifixion, while Chuck Missler explores the hyperdimensional aspects. [article link]
The Crucifixion of Christ - EXCRUCIATE: to cause great agony, torment - Latin : ex : out of, from cruciate : cross - "from the cross" [...]the physical passion of the Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of this initial suffering, the one of greatest physiological interest is the bloody sweat. It is interesting that St. Luke, the physician, is the only one to mention this. He says, "And being in Agony, He prayed the longer. And His sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground." [article link]
Street Meetings.mp3 - motivational spreading of the Gospel in the streets (Mp3's) Speaker: Nick Morelli & Others, motivational spreading of the Gospel in the streets, near bars and schools. [article link]
Vaccination.mp3 - Settling for just enough of God to prevent us from getting the complete real thing (Mp3's) Speaker: Damon Thomas. Settling for just enough of God to prevent us from getting the complete real thing. [Igy] [article link]
Fed Cuts Lending Rate to Financial Institutions to 3.25% - President Bush rushed to strike a note of calm to the turbulent situation on Monday morning, hailing the Fed's action and saying: "We've taken strong decisive action" {Bush & Company did a good job in handling this crisis, now if Bush would release enough oil reserves to quickly get gasoline down to $2 at the pump the economy would do alright.} President Bush rushed to strike a note of calm to the turbulent situation on Monday morning, hailing the Fed's
action and saying: "We've taken strong decisive action." The president spoke after meeting at the White House with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and other members of his economic team. "We're in challenging times," Bush said. The central bank, in an extraordinarily rare weekend move, took the bold action Sunday in an attempt to calm the markets. It also approved a cut in its emergency lending rate to financial institutions to 3.25% from 3.50%, effective immediately. "These steps will provide financial institutions with greater assurance of access to funds," Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told reporters in a brief conference call Sunday evening. [article link]
G-rated movies power 2007 box office, again Family films fare 438% better than R-rated in latest study According to the study, G-rated movies averaged nearly $92.2 million, more than 438 percent better than Rrated movies, making only $17.1 million "Our annual report to Hollywood shows once again, with relevant financial statistics, that people, including most moviegoers, want good to conquer evil, truth to triumph over falsehood, justice to prevail over injustice and beauty to overcome ugliness," explains Ted Baehr, the president of the group. "They also want to take their whole family to the movies more often (assuming, of course, that ticket prices, concession prices and gasoline prices don't get too high or prohibitive). And they want to see their religious faith respected and celebrated." [article link]
House challenges Bush on surveillance - The Democratic plan would allow telecommunications companies to be sued for their role in the administration's much-disputed warrantless surveillance program WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives voted Friday to back the Democratic-sponsored revisions to federal surveillance laws. The vote was 213 to 197 in favor of a revision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) bill that was backed by the Democratic leadership. One member voted present. The vote came after a unique secret session Thursday night in the House. It was the first time the House has met in secret since 1983. The Democratic plan would allow telecommunications companies to be sued for their role in the administration's much-disputed warrantless surveillance program -- something that President Bush and GOP allies have railed against. Bush has spent weeks pressuring the House to grant retroactive legal immunity to the phone companies that took part in the program, initiated after the September 11 attacks. [article link]
Kidnapped archbishop found dead in Iraq - A Christian archbishop kidnapped in northern Iraq last month has been found dead, according to a Nineveh province official {Bush is a fraud and his plan for Iraq is one gigantic fraud of lies and deceit. Bush is enabling, financing, defending and strengthening worldwide radical Shiite Islam at the peril and cost of the lives of others.} BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A Christian archbishop kidnapped in northern Iraq last month has been found dead, according to a Nineveh province official. Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paul Faraj Rahho's body was found Thursday near the town of Mosul, where he and three companions were ambushed by gunmen on February 29. The archbishop's driver and two security guards were killed during the attack. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki had ordered security services to make it a priority to find and free the archbishop. Nineveh Deputy Gov. Khasro Goran, in Mosul, told CNN that the kidnappers had been in touch with the church and the relatives and wanted to be a paid a ransom for the archbishop's release. The contacts ended a few days ago. The apparent kidnappers had contacted relatives on Thursday and told them the body was in the eastern part of town. Relatives and authorities went to the location and found the body, which had gunshot wounds. [article link]
AFA.Net: Ford meets conditions; AFA suspends boycott - AFA is suspending its two year boycott of Ford Motor Company - Your support of the boycott played a key role in convincing Ford to cease its significant support of the homosexual agenda Your support of the boycott played a key role in convincing Ford to cease its significant support of the
homosexual agenda. During the 24 months the boycott was in effect, Ford sales dropped an average of 8% per month. The boycott was not entirely responsible for the drop in sales, but it played a very significant role. A total of 780,365 individuals signed AFA's Boycott Ford petition. ... A few minor issues remain, and we will continue to bring these to the attention of Ford. But basically Ford has met the terms of the agreement. We are therefore suspending the boycott. Thank you for caring enough to get involved. [article link]
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in disgrace Wednesday after getting caught in a call-girl scandal - As a longtime opponent of sex trafficking, I was shocked and heartbroken to hear that the Governor was linked to a prostitution ring NEW YORK - New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in disgrace Wednesday after getting caught in a call-girl scandal that shattered his corruption-fighting, straight-arrow image, saying: "I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work." ... U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said: "This is a sad time for our state and the Spitzer family. As a longtime opponent of sex trafficking, I was shocked and heartbroken to hear that the Governor was linked to a prostitution ring. It's a sad irony that Governor Spitzer fought for and signed the toughest anti-trafficking legislation in our states history. She added: "The governor's office could not be in better hands than those of David Paterson. [article link]
The Spitzer resignation - "I have begun to atone" {Not only was he late to his own press conference he is also clearly delusional. What a textbook train wreck of a person and a political career.} A few points: The words did not match his still-defiant attitude. The continued emphasis on "private failings." The continued lack of humility. The continued emphasis on his commitment to the "public good." [article link]
Breaking News: Spitzer to resign - "It is a 'when' question on the resignation, not an 'if.' He knows that," a Democratic source said - "Eliot knows he cannot hold onto his job here. He might want to, but he is absolutely aware of his predicament" ALBANY, New York (CNN) -- Gov. Eliot Spitzer will resign Wednesday, his aides said, as the New York governor faces allegations -- but no charges -- that he is tied to an international high-dollar prostitution ring ensnared in a federal probe. ... The FBI criminal division joined the inquiry to look into the prostitution ring, while the federal corruption team continued its investigation into Spitzer. Investigators are focusing on how Spitzer paid for the sexual encounters, what he may have done to conceal the movement and source of the money, and whether he broke any laws doing it, sources said. [article link]
Spitzer's friend Fox upset his name used as alias - George Fox, a friend and campaign contributor of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer {NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer even committed identity theft in order to further his sleazy lifestyle, could he really have been NY State's Attorney General, the guy is like a one person crime spree!} BOSTON (Reuters) - George Fox, a friend and campaign contributor of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, said on Tuesday he was disappointed and distressed by a report that said Spitzer used his name as an alias when contacting a prostitution ring. Fox, a hedge fund investor, said the discovery of his name in the sex scandal engulfing Spitzer "comes as a great surprise and disappointment." ... Fox, whose firm Titan Advisors invests $3.5 billion in some of the world's most prominent hedge funds, and Spitzer have been friends for two decades and Fox donated to Spitzer's 2006 campaign for governor. The New York Times reported on Monday that Spitzer had hired a $1,000-an-hour prostitute and was caught on a federal wiretap at least six times last month arranging to meet her at a Washington hotel where he used Fox's name to rent the room. [article link]
What Eliot Spitzer was up to today before the news broke - The abortion racketeers are seeking more money And he was preparing to push NY legislators to do their bidding-before he was forced to cancel his appearance As payback to his abortion industry supporters, Spitzer had supported "the Reproductive Health & Privacy Protection Act (RHAPP)" under the guise of "codifying Roe v. Wade." It would: * Allow non-doctors to perform abortions, including a dentist, a social worker, or a health care practitioner. * Let girls as young as 12 obtain abortions throughout all 9 months of pregnancy without ever having to tell their parents. * Force health practitioners or Catholic hospitals to lose their medical licenses if they don't perform abortions since they would be denying women the "fundamental right" of an abortion. [article link]
Reports: Spitzer expected to resign - By mid-2007, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo ruled that Spitzer improperly used the state police to gather damaging information against Bruno, a chief political rival His resignation would end a shockingly rough and largely ineffective 15 months for Spitzer, who took control in January 2007 and immediately insulted Albany's leaders, boasting that he was the "steamroller" who would force legislation through the state Senate and Assembly. But he immediately met stiff resistance from Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Democrat Speaker of the Assembly Sheldon Silver, neither of whom were willing to bend for the boisterous governor. By mid-2007, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo ruled that Spitzer improperly used the state police to gather damaging information against Bruno, a chief political rival. Spitzer also lost a high-stakes battle with Silver after Comptroller Alan Hevesi resigned after he was found to have used government employees to drive his wife around. [article link]
Eliot's Mess - "This is not even a nail in the coffin-this is a spike" a political science professor tells the WP "It would be difficult for him to govern - His moral authority is nonexistent" Complicating matters for Spitzer is that the conversation seems to clearly suggest that it wasn't the first time Spitzer used the Emperors' Club VIP services ... Kristen spent about two hours with the governor at the Mayflower hotel and collected $4,300 from him, which included extra money (the LAT says about $1,600) as a deposit for future encounters. The WSJ and NYT report that Spitzer had registered under the name "George Fox," who, in reality, is a hedge-fund consultant and a longtime friend and supporter of the governor. The day after the encounter, which most papers make sure to point out was Valentine's Day, Spitzer testified before Congress on the bond insurance industry. The WP says Spitzer was not "initially scheduled to appear at the hearing" and was only included after he called to insist on testifying. ... "This is not even a nail in the coffin-this is a spike," a political science professor tells the WP. "It would be difficult for him to govern. His moral authority is nonexistent." [article link]
Spitzer IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDING? - Republicans Set Deadline For Governor's Resignation? If Gov. Eliot Spitzer opts to roll the dice and not resign, state Republican leadership may force him to go all-in and call for his impeachment from office, according to a state Assemblyman NEW YORK (CBS) ? If Gov. Eliot Spitzer opts to roll the dice and not resign, state Republican leadership may force him to go all-in and call for his impeachment from office, according to a state Assemblyman. ... Sources told CBS 2 HD shortly after it was reported that the governor was linked to a prostitution ring that he would hand in his resignation, which could happen within the next 36 hours. State Assemblyman James Tedisco (RSchenectady) told CBS 2 HD that he spoke with Lt. Governor Paterson Monday evening and that the two discussed Paterson taking on a new role of leadership, leading Tedisco to believe that action was "forthcoming." Tedisco said if Spitzer does not resign according to a deadline that's been imposed, state Republican leadership will call for impeachment proceedings to begin. Spitzer, though, was clearly examining his legal options Monday night; a spokesman said the governor had retained the Manhattan law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, one of the nation's most prominent. The news of Spitzer's alleged
transgression set off one of the largest scandals in modern New York state political history. [article link]
Left and right agree: Eliot Spitzer must go - Spitzer's got a history of exempting himself from the rules everyone else must follow, and then attempting to downplay his transgressions by classifying them as personal - recounting how he lied about his father financing his attorney general campaign - "I didn't realize how necessary it was to be transparent about every personal financial transaction" Spitzer's got a history of exempting himself from the rules everyone else must follow, and then attempting to downplay his transgressions by classifying them as personal. I found this passage in a New York magazine profile from last July, recounting how he lied about his father financing his attorney general campaign, quite telling: ... "I didn't realize how necessary it was to be transparent about every personal financial transaction." It's difficult to hear the word transparent and not think that the more precise word is honest. ... As for those few delusional apologists who want to argue that Spitzer engaged in a victimless crime, here are four of Spitzer's innocent victims. Looking at that beautiful family makes the utter lack of remorse and humility in Spitzer's appearance yesterday all the more mind-boggling. [article link]
Reports that Spitzer's 'weighing a possible resignation' as New York governor The Times reports that Spitzer, a Democrat, first came to the attention of IRS investigators when someone reported suspicious financial transactions in which his money ended up in bank accounts controlled by shell companies. The paper says federal agents were looking for signs of corruption when they stumbled upon the prostitution ring. "Mr. Spitzer has not been charged with a crime. But one law enforcement official who has been briefed on the case said that Mr. Spitzer's lawyers would probably meet soon with federal prosecutors to discuss any possible legal exposure," the paper says. "The official said the discussions were likely to focus not on prostitution, but on how it was paid for: Whether the payments from Mr. Spitzer to the service were made in a way to conceal their purpose and source. That could amount to a crime called structuring, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison." [article link]
Is scandal enough to sink Spitzer for good? - "There's no way he can survive it" said Ed Rollins, a Republican political consultant - "Not only is he a hypocrite, he may also end up being a charged felon" NEW YORK (CNN) -- Before Monday, Eliot Spitzer was a rising star in the Democratic Party -- his squeaky-clean image as a corruption buster led to his being mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate and possibly even a future White House contender. Now, after federal investigators have linked the New York governor to a top-dollar prostitution ring, political advisers are split over whether Spitzer has any political future at all. "There's no way he can survive it," said Ed Rollins, a Republican political consultant and adviser to former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. "All the facts aren't out there, but as they're being reported, there's no way you can survive. "Not only is he a hypocrite, he may also end up being a charged felon." On Monday, Spitzer publicly apologized for an undisclosed personal matter. He did not specifically mention the prostitution sting, nor did he resign. [article link]
Source: Spitzer ID'd As 'Client 9' In Court Papers (used "George Fox" as alias) - Lewis said the client would be "paying for everything -- train tickets, cab fare from the hotel and back, mini bar or room service, travel time and hotel," the court papers said. The client paid $4,300 in cash to the service. - The issues against Spitz are for illegal wire transfers, possible money laundering, transporting a woman across state lines for illegal activity etc. NEW YORK -- More details about Eliot Spitzer's alleged meeting with a prostitute emerged Monday after the New York governor and father of three apologized to his family and the public. According to a law enforcement source close to the investigation, the Democratic governor used the alias "George Fox" when meeting with a prostitute. His alleged conversations with the prostitution ring are detailed in court papers in
which Spitzer is identified as "Client 9," according to a source. On Monday afternoon, the Democratic governor delivered an apology standing next to his wife, Silda, who looked down at the ground as he spoke. "I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and violates my, or any, sense of right and wrong," Spitzer said. "I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public, whom I promised better." "I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals; it is about ideas, the public good and doing what is best for the state of New York," Spitzer said. The governor may have been linked to the ring through cell phone records, sources told NewsChannel 4. Spitzer's involvement in the ring was caught on a federal wiretap as part of an investigation opened in recent months, according to a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing inquiry. [article link]
Spitzer Linked To Prostitution Ring, Paper Says - on the night of Feb. 13 - "Later in the morning, he testified before a Congressional committee" the paper said The New York Times is reporting that Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been involved in a prostitution ring and was scheduled to address the media this afternoon in New York City about it. ... The governor's travel records, according to the Times, show that he was in Washington in mid-February. One of the clients described in court papers arranged to meet with a prostitute who was part of the ring, the Emperors Club VIP on the night of Feb. 13, the paper said. "Mr. Spitzer appeared on a CNBC television show at 7 a.m. the next morning. Later in the morning, he testified before a Congressional committee," the paper said. "An affidavit filed in federal court in Manhattan in connection with that case lists six conversations between the man, identified as Client 9, and a booking agent for the Emperors Club." [article link]
Pro-family leader calls for Spitzer's resignation - A pro-family leader in New York is calling on Governor Eliot Spitzer to resign for his alleged role in a prostitution ring - Spitzer issued his apology today not long after canceling a speech at a "family planning" conference in New York City sponsored by abortion provider Planned Parenthood Rabbi Yehuda Levin, a spokesman for the New York-based group Jews for Morality, said sarcastically that Spitzer was "being too hard on himself" during his news conference. "...There is no reason that we should be judgmental on this," says a sarcastic Levin. "We have to understand that those who are making a connection between his personal behavior and the social legislation he's pushing -- homosexual marriage, ...abortion as a...constitutional right in the state of New York. These people are just discriminatory, [and] bigoted..." At a brief conference today, Spitzer seemed to indicate he was not planning to step down. He said, "I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals. It is about ideas, the public good...I will report back to you in short order." [article link]
Congress - House Files Lawsuit to Force Bush Aides Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten to Testify on Justice Firings - Bush administration's claims to be immune from congressional oversight are at odds with U.S. constitutional principles WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee has filed suit to force former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten to provide information about the firing of U.S. attorneys. The lawsuit filed in federal court Monday says Miers is not immune from the obligation to testify and both she and Bolten must identify all documents that are being withheld from Congress. ... Conyers says he is confident the federal courts will agree that the Bush administration's claims to be immune from congressional oversight are at odds with U.S. constitutional principles. [article link]
Prescription drugs found in drinking water across U.S. - A vast array of pharmaceuticals -- including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones -- have been found in the drinking water supplies of at
least 41 million Americans (AP) -- A vast array of pharmaceuticals -- including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones -- have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows. To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe. But the presence of so many prescription drugs -- and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen -- in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health. [article link]
Unsafe water may have sickened (US) troops in Iraq - Dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq fell sick at bases using "unmonitored and potentially unsafe" water supplied by the military and a contractor once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney's former company (Halliburton) WASHINGTON - Dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq fell sick at bases using "unmonitored and potentially unsafe" water supplied by the military and a contractor once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, the Pentagon's internal watchdog says. A report obtained by The Associated Press said soldiers experienced skin abscesses, cellulitis, skin infections, diarrhea and other illnesses after using discolored, smelly water for personal hygiene and laundry at five U.S. military sites in Iraq. The Pentagon's inspector general found water quality problems between March 2004 and February 2006 at three sites run by contractor KBR Inc., and between January 2004 and December 2006 at two military-operated locations. [article link]
Microsoft Windows Vista: Is VISTA Really Spying on Us for US Government? - If this is true, Microsoft has gone too far Does Windows Vista Send Information to the Government? ... He used port sniffing software and networking tools to see what was going on. What he found he referred to as "foundation shaking." ... The computer was in an idle state. It shows the computer connected to the following (in his own words): a.. DoD Network Information Center (Department of Defense). b.. United Nations Development Program (Seems to correlate to the parent branch of the U.N. Informatics Division). c.. Halliburton Company (We all know these guys). d.. Ministry of Defense Data Return Agent. e.. DOHS-Recon (traceroutes for this address provided nothing, suspected blocks on traceroute. Many of us who are monitoring this situation have suspected the acronym stands for the Department of Homeland Security Reconnaissance. This is merely a guess, but an educated one at that) [article link]
Senators: Where is Iraq's oil money going? - Two senators are asking congressional investigators to look at Iraq's oil revenues and see if the war-ravaged nation can pay for its own reconstruction, an effort that has been bankrolled to this point mostly by U.S. taxpayers BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Two senators are asking congressional investigators to look at Iraq's oil revenues and see if the war-ravaged nation can pay for its own reconstruction, an effort that has been bankrolled to this point mostly by U.S. taxpayers. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, and John Warner, R-Virginia, said in their Friday letter to the Government Accountability Office that Iraq has "tremendous resources" in banks worldwide but is doing little to improve security and reconstruction efforts. Iraqi officials did not immediately respond to the senators' allegations. "We believe that it has been overwhelmingly U.S. taxpayer money that has funded Iraq reconstruction over the last five years, despite Iraq earning billions of dollars in oil revenue over that time period that have ended up in non-Iraqi banks," wrote the senators, who are their party's top members on the Armed Services Committee. The senators cited testimony of then-Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz who told a House subcommittee in March 2003 that the U.S. would not foot the entire bill for rebuilding Iraq. Wolfowitz predicted then that Iraq's oil revenues could reach between $50 billion and $100 billion in the next two or three years. "We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively
soon," Wolfowitz said in 2003. [article link]
Iraqis demand protection from crime - Thousands of Iraqis have marched on the Basra police headquarters demanding better security for their crime-ridden city - Shiite groups have been fighting for control of the area BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Thousands of Iraqis have marched on the Basra police headquarters demanding better security for their crime-ridden city. Kidnappings, murders and thefts have risen in the southern oil-rich city since British troops handed over responsibility for the province to Iraqi soldiers and police. In Basra, Iraq's second-largest city and the urban center of the country's oil-rich region, Shiite groups have been fighting for control of the area. Saturday's protest started as angry citizens took to the streets of southern Basra and walked to the center of the city and the Basra Police Headquarters, according to Hakim al-Mayahi, the head of Basra's security council. "We, as the security council in Basra, hold the central Iraqi government and security forces in Basra responsible for the recent deterioration in security situation," al-Mayahi said. The protesters, estimated by The Associated Press to be as many as 5,000 people, criticized Police Chief Gen. Abdul Jalil Khalaf -- who has held the post for nine months -- for failing to establishing security in the city. [article link]
Movie Review: '10,000 BC' should be left to rot AP) -- A mix of vast CGI spectacle and small, silly moments, the prehistoric saga "10,000 BC" is an epic in name only. Rather, the latest mind-numbing extravaganza from director Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow") feels more like a video game in film form. Our dreadlocked, dirt-smudged hero, D'Leh (Steven Strait), must protect his Yagahl people from a variety of foes, including a pack of woolly mammoths, marauders on horseback, some angry ostrich-looking things and an enormous saber-toothed tiger. He also must rescue the love of his life, the mystical Evolet (Camilla Belle, looking weirdly like Lindsay Lohan being hounded by paparazzi), from the slave raiders who've kidnapped her. ... But this is otherwise a slice of history you'd like to forget. Considering how superficially the characters are drawn, it won't be hard. [article link]
UPDATE: Shooting at Jerusalem Seminary - Witnesses say one terrorist fired 500-600 bullets before he was shot - Insider Source: New Hezbollah Group in Gaza Takes Credit - [CORRECTION: Turns out to be ONE terrorist] had explosive vests on, which, thankfully, failed to detonate - And--no surprise--Palestinians danced in the streets to celebrate I really wish Bush's chickie Condi Clueless Rice would stay away from Israel and quit trying to force it into deals with Palestinian Muslim Nazis, as she did yesterday and today. In the midst of her "peace" negotiations, today, Muslim Arab terrorists murdered at least TEN Jewish students at a Yeshiva [Jewish academy of higher learning]. And they didn't pick this Yeshiva, the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva (also spelled, "Mercaz HaRav"), by accident. Merkaz HaRav means "Center of the Rabbi," or "The Rabbi's Center," as it was founded in 1924 in Jerusalem by Israel's First, most famous, and most Zionistic Chief Rabbi, Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, who believed in a Zionist Jewish homeland in Israel, built by Jewish laborers (not Arab Palestinian imports). [article link]
(CNN) Palestinian territories closed; seminary shooter named - Ala Abu Dehein from East Jerusalem's Jabel Mukaber neighborhood - He was employed as a driver and held an identity card that Israel issues to Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Authorities closed the Palestinian territories Friday, a day after a gunman from East Jerusalem opened fire at a Jewish seminary school, killing eight students. The general closure of the West Bank and Gaza went into effect early Friday morning and "will be lifted according to security assessments," a statement from Israel Defense Forces said. A Jerusalem police spokesman identified the shooter Friday as Ala Abu Dehein from East Jerusalem's Jabel Mukaber neighborhood. He was employed as a driver and held an identity card that Israel issues to Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem. ... The students, ages 15 to 26, died
Thursday night when a gunman armed with an automatic weapon and a handgun slipped into the school and began shooting. ... Hours later, the U.N. Security Council met to discuss a public statement condemning the attack as terrorism, but couldn't reach a consensus. The council said Libya -- a new, non-permanent member -blocked the statement. [article link]
(Fox) Breaking News: Shooting at Jerusalem Seminary Kills 10 - Israeli media said about 35 people were wounded - The gunmen entered the library, where about 80 people were gathered, witnesses said, and opened fire JERUSALEM - Two gunmen went on a deadly shooting rampage, entering a Jerusalem rabbinical seminary through the dining room and opening fire after nightfall Thursday, killing at least 10 people, health services sources told FOX News. ... The gunmen entered the library, where about 80 people were gathered, witnesses said, and opened fire. "There are at least seven killed and 10 people wounded," said Eli Dein, director of Israel's rescue service. ... The attack came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice persuaded moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to return to peace talks with Israel. It came on the same day as Egyptian officials were trying to mediate a truce between Palestinian militants and Israel. [article link]
(CNN) Breaking News: Jewish seminary attacked in Jerusalem - Several people were killed Thursday in what Israeli police are calling a "severe terrorist attack" at a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem - "They opened fire on innocent youngsters studying" JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Several people were killed Thursday in what Israeli police are calling a "severe terrorist attack" at a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem. Video from the scene showed a frantic crowd of rescue workers carrying bloodied victims into ambulances. Dozens of police officers were scouring the campus and surrounding streets. Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said: "They opened fire on innocent youngsters studying. A number of students have been killed. "We are still searching the building for the possibility of a second terrorist still in the building." [article link]
How Mike Huckabee Changed The Future Of The Republican Party - You may not agree with him, but Huckabee pulled off something pretty special First of all, the obvious. Mike Huckabee got further than he ever should have. I don't agree with Huckabee on several issues, but let's give credit where credit is due -- Huckabee outperformed EVERY candidate when you break things down by resources. He had virtually NO money or organization, had no major endorsements in any state, had no major political groups backing him, and still managed to last until the end. He was the only Republican candidate to really show any personality and humanity at all and we saw that there IS a portion of the Republican party that responded to that. Every Republican doesn't want an all-tough-talk-what-I-think-isright-even-if-you-don't-agree conservative, especially after eight years of George W. Bush. And Huckabee was really the only Republican to tap into that. He used his personality and human touch to make up for his lack of money and resources and managed to do better than anybody ever thought he would. This is a guy who polled at 1% last year and ended up lasting longer than the presumptive nominee for all of 2007, Rudy Giuliani, and Mr. Moneybags, Mitt Romney. Eventually his lack of money and resources caught up to him, but he had no business getting as far as he did and deserves a lot of credit for overcoming enormous odds. [article link]
Huckabee's Last Act of Defiance - Until the very end of his campaign, Mike Huckabee defied convention NEW YORK CITY -- Until the very end of his campaign, Mike Huckabee defied convention. ... "We started this effort with very little recognition and virtually no resources," Huckabee said in his speech, his wife Janet at his side. "We ended with slightly more recognition and very few resources." His audience laughed. "But what a journey. What a journey, a journey of a lifetime. It is not lost on me where I started." ... Politics, at its worst, is
about deceit and manipulation, but if Romney's greenbacks and political influence could not determine the caucus outcome, then Huckabee's win seemed to affirm the power of the ordinary individual to decide the kind of man and the message they wanted to vote for. ... What Huckabee seemed to do was prove the inverse true: that a campaign with a lot of heart and not much strategy could seem bigger than it would ever become. [article link]
Oklahoma Christian University - Students Recieve Free MacBook, and choice of iPhone or iPod SAN FRANCISCO - Incoming students at Oklahoma Christian University will receive new Apple Macbook laptops the school said, and also get a choice between a new iPhone or an iPod Touch. "By offering the MacBook, we are addressing the needs of those students and faculty who are better served by a Mac OS platform," said John Hermes, chief technology officer, CTO at the university. Current students will be offered a program where they can trade in their used laptops for a new MacBook. "Given the technologically advanced state of our students, this new platform satisfies their desire to access academic content outside the classroom," Hermes added. OCU said it has had an on-campus wireless network since 2001. [article link]
Huckabee Quits Presidential Race - Conservative Republican Gained Respect but Faced Delegate Reality - But there is no doubt the longshot-turned-contender left his mark on the GOP race {Mike Huckabee and his supporters ran a very IMPRESSIVE campaign! What the Huckaboom team accomplished will be analyzed and envied by political strategists for decades. Now with a lack of real moral leadership in America I pray that God will keep His guiding hand on America.} Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has conceded the Republican nomination to rival Senator John McCain, R-Ariz. But there is no doubt the longshot-turned-contender left his mark on the GOP race. ... Huckabee's brand of social conservatism, combined with his strong core support among evangelicals, and a frugal campaign budget, left party rivals scrambling to defend their conservative credentials. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney were all, at least in part, victims of Huckabee's surprise success. [article link]
Woman at the well (GodTube 2:37) I want to say thank you and this needs to be passed on to every women that we know, for those that are lost and the ones that have fallen, this needs to go to teenage girls everywhere. you have the access lets get it out there to save those girls. ... Absolute clarity....straight communication.....this is how fast The WORD acts!!! Real LOVE.....that is unconditional LOVE is nonjudgmental, NO FEAR based, humble, and is only concerned about what GOD THE FATHER thinks....Halleleujah!!! [article link]
Violence Leaves Young Iraqis Doubting Clerics "I hate Islam and all the clerics because they limit our freedom every day and their instruction became heavy over us" said Sara, a high school student in Basra {Note: Iraq was a moderate Muslim country but now that Bush Jr. has helped institutionalize radical Islam in Iraq the Iraqi people are in even more despair.} BAGHDAD - After almost five years of war, many young people in Iraq, exhausted by constant firsthand exposure to the violence of religious extremism, say they have grown disillusioned with religious leaders and skeptical of the faith that they preach. In two months of interviews with 40 young people in five Iraqi cities, a pattern of disenchantment emerged, in which young Iraqis, both poor and middle class, blamed clerics for the violence and the restrictions that have narrowed their lives. "I hate Islam and all the clerics because they limit our freedom every day and their instruction became heavy over us," said Sara, a high school student in Basra. "Most of the girls in my high school hate that Islamic people control the authority because they don't deserve to be rulers." Atheer, a 19-year-old from a poor, heavily Shiite neighborhood in southern Baghdad, said: "The
religion men are liars. Young people don't believe them. Guys my age are not interested in religion anymore." [article link]
Britain Enlisted Astrologer to Fight Hitler in World War II - British spies hired an astrologer during World War II to write horoscopes for him and other Nazi leaders - He was sent by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who did not believe in astrology, to the U.S. to persuade Americans that the Nazis would lose within months if they entered the war LONDON - Desperate for a glimpse into Adolf Hitler's unpredictable mind, British spies hired an astrologer during World War II to write horoscopes for him and other Nazi leaders, documents declassified Tuesday show. They soon regretted it. ... Sir Charles Hambro, the head of Britain's Special Operations Executive, soon hired de Wohl as part of his network of agents across Europe. The government rented the astrologer a hotel apartment on London's exclusive Park Lane. There, de Wohl wrote horoscopes for Allied and Nazi leaders on paper with the letterhead "Psychological Research Bureau." But de Wohl's predictions were often vague. ... Ultimately it was Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, that brought the U.S. into the war - not de Wohl's assurances that President Franklin Roosevelt had a stunning horoscope. His services no longer needed, de Wohl was called back to London in February 1942. He returned to find his hotel apartment stripped bare and his "department" disbanded. According to the released MI5 correspondence, senior officers offered a number of proposals on how to "dispose" of de Wohl, including interning him in a camp or moving him to a remote corner of the country. Two other options are blanked out. Deciding de Wohl was potentially damaging the reputation of his employers, MI5 decided to keep him happy and continue to employ him. [article link]
Experts create new image of Bach - Experts have digitally rebuilt the face of 18th century German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) -- and say the results may surprise his fans - "we have no realistic portrait of him" {How convenient that the 'Experts' would neglect to point out that there is an actual painting of Bach that Bach himself commissioned in 1746 and further omitting the minor detail that the 1894 excavated bones have no known connection to Bach.} BERLIN (Reuters) - Experts have digitally rebuilt the face of 18th century German composer Johann Sebastian Bach -- and say the results may surprise his fans. Using his bones and computer modeling, they have come up with an image of a thick-set man with closely-shorn white hair. The new Bach face, the creation of Scottish forensic anthropologist Caroline Wilkinson, will go on display at the Bachhaus museum in the eastern German town of Eisenach, Bach's birthplace, next month. ... "For most people, Bach is an old man in a wig, it is a stylized image, we have no realistic portrait of him," Joerg Hansen, managing director of the museum, told Reuters. ... Bach's bones(?) were excavated in 1894 and sculptors first used them to help create a bust in 1908. But it was mainly based on a portrait of the composer and contemporary critics said it (bust) was so inaccurate that it might as well have been the composer Handel. [article link]
The Eyes of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) - Furthermore, only one portrait of Bach is undoubtedly authentic - The portrait commissioned by Bach and painted by Elias Gottlob Haussmann - Bach's second wife, Anna Magdalena, considered the portrait a good likeness - Dubious resources of uncertain authenticity are interesting but not reliable - For example, a skeleton alleged to be Bach's was found in 1894 (Photo) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is probably the most famous composer of all time, and his music is still the gold standard for many practicing musicians as well as for listeners of classical music. Unfortunately, an unknown but substantial amount of his work is lost. The same applies to information about Bach's private life. In contrast to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for example, who had a vivid and abundant correspondence with his family members, only a few of Bach's letters have survived. ... Furthermore, only one portrait of Bach is undoubtedly authentic. The portrait commissioned by Bach and painted by Elias Gottlob Haussmann (16951774), dated 1746, shows Bach holding his trademark: a triple canon for 6 voices (BWV 1076) as proof of his highly developed skills as a composer. Bach's second wife, Anna Magdalena, considered the portrait a good
likeness. Unfortunately, when the painting underwent major restoration in 1913, the details of the portrait were altered considerably. In 1950, a studio copy of the original portrait was discovered in the United States, also by Haussmann, signed and dated 1748. This copy gives a rough idea of Bach's appearance. ... Dubious resources of uncertain authenticity are interesting but not reliable. For example, a skeleton alleged to be Bach's was found in 1894 ... Another example is the pair of reading glasses that supposedly belonged to Bach, but these also can never be proven to have been in his possession. [article link]
The Face Of Bach - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) - This remarkable photograph is not a computer generated composite; the original of the Weydenhammer Portrait Fragment, all that remains of the portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach that belonged to his pupil Johann Christian Kittel, is resting gently on the surface of the original of the Portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach (Photo of two paintings together) The Face Of Bach is a website devoted to the portraits of Johann Sebastian Bach, and to the fair and accurate analysis of the various images that purport to be accurate depictions of the facial features of Johann Sebastian Bach. As I continue to develop this site, I hope to offer thorough evaluations of the various Bach portraits and to provide information on the source materials that are the foundation for any discussion of the portraits of Johann Sebastian Bach. When I opened this website, on July 31, 2000, the 250th anniversary of the interment of the mortal remains of Johann Sebastian Bach in the Johanneskirchof on what were then the outskirts of the City of Leipzig, I announced to the world the existence of a previously unknown portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach. After 191 years, the long lost portrait of Bach that had belonged to his devoted pupil Johann Christian Kittel had finally turned up! [article link]
Beyond Bach the Monument, Who Was Bach the Man? - No stone or sign marked the grave site, but the excavators, guided by archival documents to look for an oaken coffin and by an oral tradition to seek a spot six paces from the south door of the church, believed they had found the earthly remains of Johann Sebastian Bach ON Oct. 22, 1894, a skeleton was uncovered here in the cemetery of St. John Church. No stone or sign marked the grave site, but the excavators, guided by archival documents to look for an oaken coffin and by an oral tradition to seek a spot six paces from the south door of the church, believed they had found the earthly remains of Johann Sebastian Bach, laid to rest on July 30, 1750. The bones were examined by a team of medical experts from Leipzig, nearby Halle, and Vienna, declared authentic and studied for abnormalities. (There were none.) Then, in a moment of inspiration, the director of the group, the eminent Leipzig anatomist Wilhelm His, summoned the local sculptor Carl Ludwig Seffner to reconstruct Bach's countenance from the skull. The Seffner Bach Bust served in turn as the basis for Seffner's well-known 1908 statue of Bach, which stands alongside St. Thomas Church here. The New Bach Monument, as it is known (having succeeded a smaller memorial of 1843, sponsored by Mendelssohn), has become an object of veneration by Bach pilgrims the world over. [article link]
Johann Sebastian Bach - Later in life Bach became blind - Bach died in Lepzig, Germany, July 28, 1750 - Bach was buried in an unmarked grave, for an unknown reason, in the churchyard of St. John's {Note: It was also common at that time for famous and religious people to request to be buried in an unmarked grave. John Bunyan (1806-1841) author of "Pilgrim's Progress" requested to be buried in an unmarked grave. Desiring that their tomb would not become a monument to themselves but that their life's work would be a monument to Jesus Christ.} At age 15 Bach joined the choir at St. Michael's church. At age 19 Bach left St. Michael's and became a professional organist at St. Boniface. Bach studied music until 1703. In 1707, when Bach was 22 he married his cousin Maria Barbara. Maria had 7 children with Bach. Three of them died. In 1716, when Bach was thirty-one, he was put in jail for thirty-one days because people didn't believe that he shouldn't be writing that kind of music at that time. In those 31 days, Bach wrote five to ten musicals. Those five to ten musicals he wrote when
he was in jail turned into two hundred musicals. In 1717 Bach became the court conductor at Anhalt-Cothen. 14 years later in 1721 Maria died leaving Bach to take care of four children. Bach was thirty-six at this time. One year later when Bach was thirty-seven in 1722 he married another woman. This woman's name was Anna Magdalina. Anna had thirteen children. ... Bach wrote 300 religious and nonreligious pieces called cantatas. Some people think that bach was the best composer of all time. Bach was a very religious man. Bach showed his religions in his music. Bach joined an orchestra at Weimar as a violinist. His home town was famous for music. One time when Bach was young, he walked thirty-five miles to a town named Hamburg to hear a concert. [article link]
Arctic 'Sea Monster' Terrorized Prehistoric Oceans - The fiercest reptile ever to terrorize the oceans has been identified from a fossil on a frozen Arctic island {Leviathan - Job, 41:1, Psalm 74:14, Psalm 104:26, Isaiah 27:1} The huge pliosaur, dubbed "The Monster" by its discoverers, dated from 150 million(?) years ago and boasted 60 dagger-like teeth the size of cucumbers, which it used to rip chunks out of prey. The 50-foot animal was one of the biggest marine predators to have ever swum and would have been able to take on "anything that moved" in the water. It was built for speed and power, and with its armory of fangs would have been rivaled in ferocity only by an extinct shark, the megalodon, which lived about 16 million(?) years ago. Fossilized remains of the pliosaur, which had 10-foot-long jaws, were located on the island of Spitsbergen in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, inside the Arctic Circle. {Psalm 104:24-28 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.} [article link]
The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text - Pages 680-682 [Behemoth and Leviathan Revelation chapter 13] (Online Book) Google Book search. [article link]
USA in Bible prophecy | Second Beast of Revelation 13! [Behemoth and Leviathan - Revelation chapter 13] (YouTube 8:16) {Prophecy is about the future and even though the Bible informs us of what is to come we really cannot put our finger on the exact events before they unfold although we do have the general idea that something huge is going to happen.} Read the bible and pray and you will know what the message of this video's all about. I love the video because it gives me a warning ahead before this happen. so you better watch out. stay bless! [article link]
Woman at the well (GodTube 2:37) I want to say thank you and this needs to be passed on to every women that we know, for those that are lost and the ones that have fallen, this needs to go to teenage girls everywhere. you have the access lets get it out there to save those girls. ... Absolute clarity....straight communication.....this is how fast The WORD acts!!! Real LOVE.....that is unconditional LOVE is nonjudgmental, NO FEAR based, humble, and is only concerned about what GOD THE FATHER thinks....Halleleujah!!! [article link]
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg passes on White House run - "People have stopped working together, government is dysfunctional, there's no collaborating and congeniality" he said "America is being held back" (CNN) -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has publicly flirted with the idea of a run for the White
House as an independent, says he will not run for president. ... Bloomberg, a former Democrat who won the mayor's office as a Republican, would have been on a strict timetable to start collecting signatures to get on the ballot, a process that varies from state to state. At a summit designed to bridge the divide between Democrats and Republicans, Bloomberg said in January partisanship is limiting the nation's progress. "People have stopped working together, government is dysfunctional, there's no collaborating and congeniality," he said. "America is being held back." In the opinion piece, Bloomberg said he's hopeful that the current Democratic and Republican campaigns will address an independent approach to governing. [article link]
Breaking News: William F. Buckley dies at 82 {Satanic Skull & Bones - Bohemian Grove member and fake conservative William F. Buckley today went on to bow his knee before the Lord Jesus Christ before entering into his eternal, lost, damnation.} NEW YORK (AP) -- Author and conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr. has died at age 82. His assistant Linda Bridges says Buckley died Wednesday morning at his home in Stamford, Connecticut. Buckley became famous for his intellectual political writings in his magazine, the National Review. [article link]
Dark Secrets Inside Bohemian Grove Reprise by Alex Jones (Video 1 hr 31 min) In Dark Secrets: Inside Bohemian Grove, Jones and his assistant infiltrated the annual secret gathering of the Bohemian Club. He was aided by a team of British filmmakers working for Channel 4. Footage was later shown in the U.K. as part three in a four-part documentary, The Secret Rulers of the World. One of the filmmakers, Jon Ronson, subsequently documented the experience in his book, Them: Adventures with Extremists. [article link]
Freemasonry, Skull & Bones and the Bohemian Grove EXPOSED (Video 1 hr 31 min) Beit Shalom Ministries and Voice in the Wilderness present a documentary compilation exposing the dark occult practices of Freemasons, the Order of Skull and Bones, and the Bohemian Grove. See what the Bible says concerning this elite's devil worship of pagan gods such as Molech and Baal. Is George Bush a genuine Christian? This film brings to light the truth about the rulers of this world. [article link]
Bill O'Reilly Spins Away From Bohemian Grove Questions - O'Reilly does talk about Skull & Bones (Video 3:01) John Conner from TheResistanceManifesto.com calls Bill O'Reilly to enter the 'no spin zone' only to have Bill spin away from Bohemian Grove questions and then insults him and almost everyone who lives in San Diego, CA. [article link]
FOX News Bill O'Reilly Lies To East Coast Voters - I'm convinced that FOX News, and I suppose that has to mean Rupert Murdoch, is in bed with the Skull & Bones gang, of which G. Bush is a high level member Bill O'Reilly is clucking on endlessly for Big Brother government, a veritible apologist for the Thought Police, and FOX News misleads the public on the east coast (the most densly populated stretch of coastline in the world, I think) with an image of Mark Foley the Pervert as a Democrat...We all know Foley is a Republican from Palm Beach County, Florida. [article link]
A SATANIC CEREMONY AT BOHEMIAN GROVE - THE DARK SECRETS OF BOHEMIAN GROVE - This is not a resort devoted to, for example, tennis or swimming - It is apparently devoted to blood sacrifices - Some past members include, Gerald R. Ford, Henry Kissinger, William F. Buckley, Jr., Merv Griffin, George Bush ... and hundreds of other prominent politicos and businessmen - Up until recently, our knowledge of Bohemian Grove was that it is the exclusive elitist hideaway of supposedly adult wheeler dealers, a.k.a. Washington statesman and prominent personalities
An article in a local community newspaper, The Santa Rosa Sun, reported on the Cult of Canaan and the legend of Moloch in place at Bohemian Grove. The Moloch Pagan Cult of Sacrifice is human sacrifice. About the mid 1980s there were rumors of murders in remote parts of the property. A local police investigation went nowhere. State investigators on related criminal acts went nowhere. An observer and near victim has described the Bohemian Grove inner hideaways, the closed sanctum, even the decor at secret locations, places where no outsider goes (or servants according to our sources). Apparently there is an UNDERGROUND lounge (sign spelled U.N.derground) a Dark Room, a Leather Room and a Necrophilia Room. ... Also he reported: "Slaves of advancing age or with failed programming were sacrificially murdered at random in the wooded grounds of Bohemian Grove and I felt it was only a matter of time until it would be me." This potential victim survived. Others reportedly did not. These cults were based on human sacrifice. Why would such a resort reproduce cult ceremonies? At the minimum, it demonstrates an attraction to the ceremonial practices of the occult, i.e. adoration of destruction, blood, barbarity and sacrifice of children. In brief, the charges are consistent with the tenants of Bohemian Grove as played out in ceremony. This is not a resort devoted to, for example, tennis or swimming. It is apparently devoted to blood sacrifices. -- There is a videotape put out by radio talk show host Alex Jones,www.infowars.com, who shows on his Web site the bizarre, Luciferian ceremonies that occur there. It was taken surreptitiously by Jones from as far as 200 yards from the owl idol during the grove's annual and highly secret "Cremation of Care" ceremony. But Jones says he could make out the form of a wrapped infant, which he believed was real and alive, being sacrificed. At their corporate-feudal Shangri-La, the New World Order people are bringing to birth a new age in which ritual sacrificing of live humans shall be considered normal and healthy. -- These ruling class elitists are certain that by convincing the Left and the Right that each other is the main enemy, they can orchestrate a crescendo of conflict between both camps, knock both out, and eliminate substantial sectors of resistance to the New World Order in the process. The denizens of the Grove are well aware of the critical juncture of time we now live in. After inducing the various elements of the opposition to fall upon each other, perhaps they will be able to continue their bizarre behavior, and human sacrifices, in a more open and accepting environment. Perhaps the behavior we see at the Bohemian Grove is just a taste of the type of society they envision for all of us in the near future. [article link]
Skull And Bones - Secret Yale Society Includes America's Power Elite - "Skull and Bones narrowly endorsed admitting women" says Robbins The day before these women were supposed to be initiated, a group of Bonesmen, including William F. Buckley, obtained a court order to block the initiation "I think Skull and Bones has had slightly more success than the mafia in the sense that the leaders of the five families are all doing 100 years in jail, and the leaders of the Skull and Bones families are doing four and eight years in the White House," says Rosenbaum. Bones is not restricted to the Republican Party. Yet another Bonesman has his eye on the Oval Office: Senator John Kerry, Democrat, Skull & Bones 1966. "It is fascinating isn't it? I mean, again, all the people say, 'Oh, these societies don't matter. The Eastern Establishment is in decline.' And you could not find two more quintessential Eastern establishment, privileged guys," says Rosenbaum. "I remember when I was a nerdy scholarship student in the reserve book room at, at the Yale Library, and John Kerry, who at that point styled himself 'John F. Kerry' would walk in." "There was always a little buzz," adds Rosenbaum. "Because even then he was seen to be destined for higher things. He was head of the Yale Political Union, and a tap for Skull and Bones was seen as the natural sequel to that." David Brooks, a conservative commentator who has published a book on the social dynamics of the upwardly mobile, says that while Skull & Bones may be elite and secret, it's anything but exciting. "My view of secret societies is they're like the first class cabin in airplanes. They're really impressive until you get into them, and then once you're there they're a little dull. So you hear all these conspiracy theories about Skull and Bones," says Brooks. ... you have to have an incredibly high tolerance for tedium 'cause you're sittin' around talking, talking, and talking. You're not running the world, you're just gassing." ... "Skull and Bones narrowly endorsed admitting women," says Robbins. "The day before these women were supposed to be initiated, a group of Bonesmen, including William F. Buckley, obtained a court order to block the initiation claiming that letting women into the tomb
would lead to date rape. Again more legal wrangling; finally it came down to another vote and women were admitted and initiated." But Skull & Bones now has women, and it's become more multicultural. [article link]
Turkish Salvage Tycoon in War-Torn Iraq Says U.N. Owes Him Millions Sadikoglu was asked by the U.N. to clear from the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr several sunken ships that were blocking this major supply artery into the war-torn country. But nearly five years later, the colorful billionaire insists he's out more than $50 million - with the meter running on another $100,000 a day in interest and expenses - and has been blocked from providing life-saving aid by the very agency charged with overseeing the project, the U.N. Development Program, or UNDP. That's not all. Dozens of crew members living on a virtual armada of Sadikoglu's salvage ships - nine in all - remain stuck in limbo at an Iraqi port, unofficially held hostage, he claims, in a stalemate the UNDP seems uninterested in or unable to resolve. [article link]
EU Fines Microsoft Record $1.3 Billion for Charging Rivals Too Much - Microsoft immediately said the issues for which it was fined have been resolved - "Talk is cheap," (Neelie) Kroes said "Flouting the (UN) rules is expensive" BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The European Union fined Microsoft Corp. a record $1.3 billion Wednesday for the amount it charges rivals for software information. EU regulators said the company charged "unreasonable prices" until last October to software developers who wanted to make products compatible with the Windows desktop operating system. The fine is the largest ever for a single company and brings to just under $2.5 billion the amount the EU has demanded Microsoft pay in a long-running antitrust dispute. [article link]
Yahoo Message Board: Uh-Oh:EU Fines Microsoft Record $1.3 Billion - HOWEVER, the EU committee is WHACKO and I actually fully agree with MS in this instance The EU seems to make its own rules against MS, but do not object to European companies charging even higher royalties for their own IP (e.g. higher royalties to U.S. companies). This EU-arrogance is simply intolerable and I am saddened that MS waged a losing battle. Moreover, MS has now reduced its EU royalties from almost 4% to 0.4% and the EU STILL seems to think that this is unfair. MS even resorted to 0% royalty and offers a flat fee (just barely enough to cover MS's cost to process the EU license. That too is being criticized by the EU. I will say this about EU patents. I have more irrational trouble with EU patent examiners than any other patents on earth. The EU charges me 10-100 times more than other countries for everything they do. Language translations can cost 10-100 times more than the U.S. Patent examiners take it upon themselves to actually REWRITE some of MY OWN G.D. CLAIMS in my inventions. What @#$%g audacity! Based on the EU actions against MS, I am coming to the conclusion that Europeans have some sort of arrogant holier than thow stance against the USA. Only China is as arrogant. But China is hell bent on stealing everything from the US. The EU is just money hungry. MS has cowed down to them FAR TOO MUCH. Ace. [article link]
When will Microsoft Vista Fizzle? (YouTube 3:36) Is the Microsoft Vista operating system salvageable? More and more it looks like no! The entire 'Windows' concept is a broken concept. The operating system doesn't work and isn't reliable when it does work. The programs that install into the Windows environment also don't work and are equally unreliable. [article link]
Alex Jones - Michael Moore is a Fraud - "Moore is a joke and is probably working for the bush regime as a useful idiot for a useful idiot" (YouTube 9:37) Alex Jones has a good point. Michael Moore may or may not be a gatekeeper, but in his film F911 he sure acted like one. Michael Moore did ignore the real hard questions. As Alex Jones says, Bush a(t) least knew what
was happening and let it happen. Why hasn't Michael Moore picked up on that? [article link]
CPU chip maker Intel Israel exports jump in '07; Fab 28 to open in H2 - Intel has been operating in Israel for more than 30 years and is the largest foreign company in Israel TEL AVIV, Feb 26 (Reuters) - U.S. chip maker Intel Corp (INTC) said on Tuesday its Israeli subsidiary posted an 18.4 percent growth in exports in 2007 to $1.54 billion. ... Intel has been operating in Israel for more than 30 years and is the largest foreign company in Israel, with a number of chip plants and research and development centres. It is currently building its $5 billion Fab 28 chip plant in the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Gat, which will begin production in the second half of 2008, Fassberg said. [article link]
Europe's Antitrust Chief (Neelie Kroes) Defies Critics, and Microsoft - Mrs. Kroes is exercising the sweeping powers the EU gives her office. Her investigators have launched surprise office raids to gather corporate documents in broad "sector inquiries" - She has no formal antitrust training and isn't a lawyer - She dismisses such criticism, saying she sees herself as a "generalist" who uses input from her team of specialists to make "a balanced decision" Yet she has staked out a robust course. A number of other U.S. tech companies -- including Intel Corp., Qualcomm Inc. and Rambus Inc. -- are on her docket this year. Google Inc.'s acquisition of DoubleClick Inc., a deal already cleared by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, hinges on her blessing. She was emboldened in September by an important court victory over Microsoft that ratified her aggressive challenges. ... Mrs. Kroes is exercising the sweeping powers the EU gives her office. Her investigators have launched surprise office raids to gather corporate documents in broad "sector inquiries." Mrs. Kroes announces big fines -- € 329 million on a cartel of zipper makers, for example -- with relish at news conferences and denounces with bombast corporations she believes are trampling consumers. ... "Mrs. Kroes has been remarkably determined and coherent," says Mr. Monti, her predecessor. Mrs. Kroes at times lacks polish. Her English -- the international language of antitrust -- is rough, sometimes to the point of confusion. She has no formal antitrust training and isn't a lawyer. She dismisses such criticism, saying she sees herself as a "generalist" who uses input from her team of specialists to make "a balanced decision." [article link]
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus (Cartoon) Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. - Mat 16:24). How often we complain about the cross we bear but don't realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we cannot. Whatever your cross. Whatever your pain. There will always be sunshine after the rain. Perhaps you may stumble. Perhaps even fall. But God is always ready to answer your call. He knows every heartache. Sees every tear. A word from His lips, can calm every fear. Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night. But suddenly vanish, dawn's early light. The Savior is waiting in Heaven above. To give you His grace, and send you His love. [article link]
Church History - 35 messages on church history by Pastor Phillips - Pastor Phillips takes us on a tour of some of the early Christians after the death of the Apostle Paul (Free Mp3's - Note: Church History **John Bunyan 1628 - Save the "Play!" Version, open it in a player and save it that way - the Mp3 download version has an Error.) "WOW - what a great series!!" A couple years ago I followed the journey of the early church by a comprehensive study of the Acts of the Apostles, etc., and have wanted to fill in the gap of church history from that time to present, but don't have much time to read. I like to listen to sermons on the treadmill and in the tractor, so I searched for a series on church history. I found the first 3 and did extra time on the treadmill today so I could keep listening! Pastor Phillips has a way of telling the facts in a very interesting way and then finishes with application and lessons for today. After the 3rd sermon (on Augustine) I really wanted to hear more so I
searched again. I was THRILLED to find 39 messages on church history by Pastor Phillips!! I plan to download all of them since spring seeding is coming up and I will be spending many hours in the tractor, and now I am looking forward to that! In the meantime, I'll keep at the treadmill. Thanks for posting all those great sermons! [article link]
Church History Frances Shaeffer 1912-1984 - Francis Schaeffer, the missionary to thinking people, shows us how to combine truth and love in reaching the lost for Christ (Mp3) "Great Sermon!" I've enjoyed the whole series of the lectures on church history by Rev Michael Phillips. these are all very well presented, not only very educational but also interesting and edifying. I recommend this series highly. [article link]
Foxe's Book of Martyrs - Audio Reading MP3 - (Acts & Monuments With the Life of John Foxe) - Covering martyrs from the early church through to Foxe's day, it was one of the most influential books of the sixteenth century! - First published in 1554 (Free Mp3) "No book ever inflicted a wound so deep and incurable on the Romish system of superstition and bloody persecution... (it) was placed in... all churches and chapels throughout the kingdom, by order of Queen Elizabeth." ... The testimony of the martyrs was extraordinary. Their impact was greatly increased through the industrious writing of John Foxe... Never before had such a work on such a scale appeared in English, certainly never at such a moment ... Along with the Bible, Foxe's Book of Martyrs became a family book in many homes. Foxe's Acts and Monuments (the formal title of his extensive chronicle on the martyrs) was the principal practical means of turning England to Protestantism. ... Most importantly, though, this book overflows with faith building testimony of the power of God to overcome the most cruel and barbarous acts of human depravity and demonic cruelty. [article link]
Bush Approval Below 20% - a new low in American Research Group polling - 19% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 77% disapprove George W. Bush's overall job approval rating has dropped to a new low in American Research Group polling as 78% of Americans say that the national economy is getting worse according to the latest survey from the American Research Group. Among all Americans, 19% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 77% disapprove. When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 14% approve and 79% disapprove. American Research Group [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Northern Illinois University (NIU) Killer Steven Kazmierczak Was Arabic-Speaking, HAMAS-fan a Muslim Convert? I mean, I'm sure this is just a coincidence--him liking HAMAS and then rampaging HAMAS-style, murdering multiple innocent people on the NIU campus: ... UPDATE: The plot thickens. Brian Keegan of Muslim Watcher writes: ... The Muslim woman reporter that the NIU shooter talked Arabic to, about Hamas, is a radical Muslim. Just take a look at my blog where she, Rasmieyh Abdelnabi, is mentioned a lot. She wrote radical Muslim proPalestinian articles at NIU, and she spearheaded the wearing of the hijab at NIU. She was a leader in the Muslim Student Union, a Saudi Wahabi outfit. [article link]
**Dr. Francis Schaeffer -- How Should We Then Live? The Christian Worldview Mankind's Hope for a Future -(DVD) Wondering what the past teaches us about the present? Francis Schaeffer's sweeping series on the rise and decline of Western thought and culture surveys history -- from the Roman Empire through the 20th century -and offers biblical answers to modern problems. Features an interview with the late Dr. Schaeffer and his wife,
Edith. Includes study guide. Set includes 10 episodes on two DVDs with a total running time of approximately 6 hours. [article link]
Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984) - Once an agnostic, Francis Schaeffer was a Presbyterian minister with an ability to see how the questions of meaning, morals, and value being dealt with by philosophy, were the same questions that the Bible dealt with Francis Schaeffer was a Presbyterian minister with an ability to see how the questions of meaning, morals, and value being dealt with by philosophy, were the same questions that the Bible dealt with, only in different language. Once an agnostic, Schaeffer came to the conclusion that Biblical Christianity not only gave sufficient answers to the big questions, but that they were the only answers that were both self-consistent and livable. With this conviction he became a man of conversation. Schaeffer taught that God is really there and He is not silent. He had spoken to man in the Bible as and a result we could have "true truth" about God and man. Knowing the dignity of man created in God's image, he placed a high value on creativity as an expression of that image. He opened his Swiss home to travelers to discuss these things. Later he began lecturing in universities and writing a number of books. Perhaps no other Christian thinker of the twentieth century, besides C.S. Lewis, has had more influence on thinking people. [article link]
Francis A. Schaeffer: The Early Years - MP3 Lectures & Resource List (Free - Mp3's) Identification of the biblical emphasis in the thought and life of Francis and Edith Schaeffer, with a focus on the development of their early ministry in the United States and Europe and the founding of L'Abri. The course considers issues related to spiritual growth, the Christian family, the unity of the church, Christians and the arts, and various aspects of Christian ministry. [article link]
Francis A. Schaeffer: The Later Years - MP3 Lectures & Resource List (Free - Mp3's) Continuation of material in Francis Schaeffer: The Early Years. An examination of the biblical emphasis in the thought and life of Francis and Edith Schaeffer, with focus on the developments in Schaeffer's theological, cultural, and social concerns from the time of L'Abri's founding until his death in 1984. [article link]
Breaking News Report: Helicopter Carrying 3 U.S. Senators Makes Emergency Landing in Afghanistan WASHINGTON - A helicopter carrying three senior U.S. senators has made an emergency landing in Afghanistan. Sens. John Kerry, Joseph Biden and Chuck Hagel were aboard the aircraft., according to Jon Summers, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The lawmakers are on a trip this week that includes stops in India, Turkey and Pakistan. Kerry and Biden are Democrats from Massachusetts and Delaware, respectively, and the Republican Hagel is from Nebraska. [article link]
Breaking News Report: Serb protesters attack (empty) U.S. embassy - tens of thousands of Serbs protested Kosovo independence and reportedly set fire to the facade of the U.S. embassy in Belgrade {Yet another Bush Jr. decision that brings in ruin and strife to people throughout the world.} (CNN) -- Violence broke out Thursday as tens of thousands of Serbs protested Kosovo independence and reportedly set fire to the facade of the U.S. embassy in Belgrade, according to news agencies. An estimated 150,000 protesters took to the streets in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said; "We are in contact with the Serbian government to ensure that they devote the appropriate assets to fulfill their international obligations to help protect diplomatic facilities in this case." The embassy was closed and not staffed, a U.S. official told CNN. The United States was among the first countries to offer official recognition of independent Kosovo. The violence was part of a much bigger, peaceful demonstration where up
to 150,000 people chanted 'Kosovo is Serbia," and vowed to never accept the province's independence. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: On Presidents Day (2008), Best & Worst of Contemporary Presidents - WORST: George W. Bush: Single-handedly brought down the country's conservative movement and his own party by trying to be more liberal than liberals - Bush failed on so many levels {Debbie Schlussel is one of the premier investigative reporters of our time, she has the stories, events and info that few can obtain. How true George Bush Jr. has failed our Nation "on so many levels" and yet are his many and varied failures incompetence or is it actually his intent?} George W. Bush: Single-handedly brought down the country's conservative movement and his own party by trying to be more liberal than liberals. Spent like a drunken sailor on bills he supported with Ted Kennedy. Education bill led to America's decline in math, science, and reading on his watch. Most memorable (and false) slogan of eight years is "Islam is peace." He was faced with America's biggest catastrophe in contemporary times and responded by pandering to the Muslim cult that fomented it. Refused to restrict immigration by the religion of the 19 hijackers and instead invited their supporters to the White House for Ramadan dinners. Instead of responding, he listened to Islamist Grover Norquist and hired those with ties to Al-Qaeda to work for him as Muslim advisors, some with access to important national security info. Had several years to institute a "Manhattan Project" to remove us from the oil-teat of Saudis and other OPEC nations. Instead, hung out with Saudi pan-terrorist buddies Prince Bandar and King Abdullah, all even though Mrs. Prince Bandar paid the rent of some 9/11 hijackers. ... Domestically, gave away millions in wasteful spending. The Carter "malaise" days aren't just coming back. They're already here. And in the next administration we will hurt greatly from the Bush "malaise" days. Bush failed on so many levels. [article link]
[USA, Computer CPU maker] Intel chair says no chance to reply (to first EU charges) before (2nd) EU raid European Union antitrust regulators expanded their investigation of Intel before the world's largest chipmaker had a chance to answer pending charges - "We have not had a chance to respond to the first allegations yet" BRUSSELS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - European Union antitrust regulators expanded their investigation of Intel before the world's largest chipmaker had a chance to answer pending charges, the chairman of Intel's board said on Thursday. Asked whether he was surprised that the European Commission had raided Intel in a new probe while still pursuing it on other charges, Craig Barrett said: "You have to ask the EU why they are expanding it at this stage." "We have not had a chance to respond to the first allegations yet," he said on the sidelines of the European Business Summit. The Commission this month raided Intel offices in Munich and retailers in Germany, France and Britain, seeking evidence they acted illegally to exclude rival chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices. ... Also on Thursday, BEUC, an organisation of virtually all major consumer groups in Europe, applied to the European Commission to become an interested outside party in the case. "BEUC and its member organisations consider this as a very serious matter. We have therefore applied to the Commission hearing officer to be heard as interested third party in this case," the group said. BEUC could attend the closed hearing if it joined the case. A spokesman for the European Commission said he had no comment on the statement by Barrett or the petition by BEUC. [article link]
Microsoft yanks Vista SP1 update causing endless reboots - No fix, no word on whether this delays mid-March SP1 rollout {I think Microsoft is going to go down the tubes on this one. If they can't pull the DRM; create a reliable working operating system; stop spying on their customers and lower their prices then Microsoft is going to be the last software people want on their computers.} Responding to reports of endlessly rebooting PCs that flooded support newsgroups last week, Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday it had pulled an update designed to prep Windows Vista for Service Pack 1. Although the update -- actually a pair of prerequisite files that modify Vista's install components -- has been temporarily pulled from Windows Update, Microsoft has not yet produced a fix for users whose machines either won't boot
or reboot constantly. [article link]
The Top 50 Proprietary Programs that Drive You Crazy - and Their Open Source Alternatives The following fifty proprietary programs are listed in no particular order within broad categories along with their open source alternatives. In some cases you could probably write your own book on frustrations with the proprietary programs shown here. In other cases, you'll discover that the open source alternative isn't quite up to snuff yet. And, in other cases still, you'll learn that some proprietary programs are real gems, but that the open source advocate can replace those gems with equally shiny objects from the open source repertoire. [article link]
St. Patrick's Day causing Catholic dilemma - For the first time since 1940, St. Patrick's Day will fall during Holy Week, the sacred seven days preceding Easter - liturgical rules dictate that no Mass in honor of the saint can be celebrated on Monday {In other words Holy Week is to focus on Jesus and Jesus only, and that is the appropriate procedure.} COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- That famous saint named Patrick will have his green-drenched party this year, but it's unclear when the guests are supposed to arrive. For the first time since 1940, St. Patrick's Day will fall during Holy Week, the sacred seven days preceding Easter. Because of the overlap, liturgical rules dictate that no Mass in honor of the saint can be celebrated on Monday, March 17, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. But a few Roman Catholic leaders are asking for even more moderation in their dioceses: They want parades and other festivities kept out of Holy Week as well. Bishop J. Kevin Boland of the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia, wrote to practically every agency in his city, from the Chamber of Commerce to the Board of Education, saying the diocese was changing the date of its celebration this year. In response, the citywide Irish festival was moved to Friday, March 14, when schools will close and bagpipe-driven parties will carry into the streets. [article link]
Travel The Road - Season 3 DVD set Pre-Order ($59.99) Travel the Road, the groundbreaking reality television series that documents the adventurous lives of young missionaries Tim Scott and Will Decker over 18-months, through 25 countries, across 40,000 miles is a unique look into the world of frontline mission work. The journey is filled with danger, excitement, adventure and epic triumph as Tim and Will undertake unbelievable expeditions into the most remote areas of the world to bring the gospel. From the deserts of Ethiopia to the island villages of Papua New Guinea they travel from country to country with one backpack, a change of clothes, and a message of hope that pushes them deeper into the unknown. The journey is a landmark television debut of reality programming with a purpose. Join the expedition of a lifetime on TBN every Saturday at 8:30 PM Pacific - 11:30 PM Eastern. [article link]
Saudi Arabia Stands By Its Arrest of An American Woman in Starbucks - Saudi Arabia's religious police have issued a rare public statement defending their arrest of an American woman living in Riyadh, jailed for sitting with a male colleague at Starbucks Yara, a businesswoman and married mother of three, said she was strip-searched, forced to sign false confessions and told by a judge she would "burn in hell" before she was released on Feb. 4. Late Monday night, The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice publicly denounced her with a statement posted on the Internet, saying her actions violated the country's Shariah law. "It's not allowed for any woman to travel alone and sit with a strange man and talk and laugh and drink coffee together like they are married," it said. "All of these are against the law and it's clear it's against the law. First, for a woman to work with men is against the law and against religion. Second, the family sections at coffee shops and restaurants are meant for families and close relatives," it continued. The Commission contested Yara's version of events,
saying she was never strip-searched or forced to sign confessions. [article link]
Exodus International Sees Dramatic Growth - The largest worldwide Christian outreach to those affected by unwanted same-sex attraction The largest worldwide Christian outreach to those affected by unwanted same-sex attraction, and their friends and family, is experiencing rapid growth. Exodus International has seen a 59 percent increase in its member agencies, growing from 117 in 2003 to more than 200 in 2008. The ministry also is receiving more requests for resources and speaking engagements. ... "People are hungry for a hopeful message about homosexuality that encompasses God's truth, as well as His compassionate heart," Chambers said. "We are thrilled to be a small part of what God is doing to reach a new generation with His liberating truth." [article link]
Castro resigns as [dictator] president of Cuba, state-run paper reports HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- Fidel Castro announced his resignation as president of Cuba and commander-in-chief of Cuba's military on Tuesday, according to a letter published in the state-run newspaper, Granma. The resignation ends nearly a half-century of iron-fisted rule that inspired revolutionaries but frustrated 10 U.S. presidents. Castro revealed his plans without advance notice by publishing a letter in the middle of the night in state-run newspaper Granma. ... "I think there have been preparations taking place for quite awhile to assure the crowning of Raul Castro," she told CNN on Tuesday morning. "It doesn't mean any change to the system. It doesn't mean there will be freedom for the Cubans. One big dictator is replacing the other."It will be big deal when political prisoners are released, when political parties are allowed to organize, when the country stops being ruled by a single party." [article link]
Pakistan ruling party concedes defeat - "I think it's a very dramatic statement about what happens when people can vote," U.S. Sen. John Kerry told CNN from Islamabad ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's ruling party conceded defeat Tuesday as early poll results indicated that the country's opposition looked set to deal a crushing blow to President Pervez Musharraf. Headlines hail early results at a roadside stall in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Tuesday. "We concede and congratulate the people who have won the elections," Mushahid Syed Hussain, general secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, told CNN. "People have voted for the victory of the ballot box," he said. "We will look forward to strengthening the democratic process by remaining in opposition." Thousands of ecstatic Pakistanis took to the streets as the results trickled in. They waved placards and broke into impromptu songs. "All the King's Men, Gone!" blared the headline in the English-language The Daily Times. "Heavyweights knocked out," proclaimed the newspaper, Dawn. National voter turnout for the parliamentary race exceeded expectations with 45.69 percent of the 81 million eligible voters casting ballots, the election commission told CNN. "I think it's a very dramatic statement about what happens when people can vote," U.S. Sen. John Kerry told CNN from Islamabad. He added that the people of Pakistan "spoke up for change, they spoke up for a different course. I think now Pakistan is looking at a dramatic moment of opportunity." [article link]
Journalist Who Exposes U.N. Corruption Disappears From Google - "I think they said, 'If we can't get this guy out of the U.N., let's disappear him from the Internet'" Lee said NEW YORK - How big do you have to be to earn the wrath of the United Nations and Internet giant Google? If you're journalist Matthew Lee, all it takes are some critical articles and a scrappy little Web site. ... But beginning Feb. 13, Google News users could no longer find new stories from the Inner City Press. "I think they said, 'If we can't get this guy out of the U.N., let's disappear him from the Internet,'" Lee said. It began with an innocuous-sounding yet chilling form letter from Google to Lee, e-mailed on Feb. 8: "We periodically review news sources, particularly following user complaints, to ensure Google News offers a high quality experience
for our users," it said. "When we reviewed your site we've found that we can no longer include it in Google News." As soon as he read it, Lee immediately suspected one thing: That someone at the UNDP had pressured Google into "de-listing" him from Google News - essentially preventing Inner City Press from being classified on Google News as a legitimate news source and from having its stories pop up when someone conducts a Google News search. Over the last couple of years, Lee has proved to be a constant - and controversial - thorn in the U.N.'s side. [article link]
U.S., Britain, France back Kosovo - Bush: 'History will prove' Kosovo move correct - Like the United States, Britain and France, Germany also has long supported Kosovo's move toward independence (CNN) -- U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday justified recognizing Kosovo as an independent nation, saying that doing so will bring peace to a region scarred by war. The recognition "presents an opportunity to move beyond the conflicts of the past and toward a future of freedom and stability and peace," he said. ... Meanwhile, two pro-Russian separatist provinces in Georgia -- South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- were looking to use Kosovo's move to declare their own independence. ... Like the United States, Britain and France, Germany also has long supported Kosovo's move toward independence, but before the EU meeting, Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier did not say whether Germany would follow the others' suit. Such a declaration, he said, "constitutes the end point in the history of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and that development, that history, was accompanied by bloodshed and suffering for the people on the ground," he said. "The developments in Kosovo did not take us by surprise," he added. Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said his nation "will not recognize Kosovo independence because we do not consider it in line with international law." [article link]
Serbia Recalls U.S. Ambassador After U.S. Recognizes Kosovo - Ninety percent of Kosovo's 2 million people are ethnic Albanian - most of them secular Muslims - and they see no reason to stay joined to the rest of Christian Orthodox Serbia ARUSHA, Tanzania - The United States and key European countries recognized Kosovo on Monday, a day after the province's ethnic Albanian leaders declared independence from Serbia Giddy Kosovars danced in the streets when they heard of the endorsements. Kosovo's leaders sent letters to 192 countries seeking formal recognition and Britain, France, Germany and U.S. were among the countries that backed the request. But other European Union nations were opposed, including Spain which has battled a violent Basque separatist movement for decades. "The Kosovars are now independent," President Bush said during a trip to Africa. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Bush "has responded affirmatively" to Kosovo's request to establish diplomatic relations. [article link]
Serbia recalls ambassador from US - saying the US has "violated international law" - Kosovo, the ministers agreed, was a unique case and did not call into question international legal principles, such as territorial integrity - The EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana said there was a total commitment to bring all the Balkan countries into the EU - "This is an ugly victory for demographic warfare - SEQ, London" It took hours of tortuous negotiations but the EU managed to pass the unity test, our correspondent says. Kosovo, the ministers agreed, was a unique case and did not call into question international legal principles, such as territorial integrity. The bloc's statement said the EU was ready to play a leading role in the Balkans, with a 2,000-strong police and justice mission headed to Kosovo and new measures to promote economic and political development in the region, including a donors' conference by June. The EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana said there was a total commitment to bring all the Balkan countries into the EU. But Kosovo will not be able to get very close until it is recognised by all 27 members, and that may take a long time, our correspondent adds. Among other countries to recognise Kosovo was Turkey. Correspondents say this has symbolic significance because for centuries the Ottoman Turks ruled the Balkans, including modern-day Serbia
and Kosovo. [article link]
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Musharraf Party Trailing in Third Place, Bhutto Party in Lead After Polls Close - The proMusharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Q was trailing in third ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The party of slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto remained in the lead Monday and that of President Pervez Musharraf trailed behind in third place as vote-counting continued at the close of polls in Pakistan - a stunning development with major implications for the war on terror in the United States and abroad. Early indications showed Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party in a strong first place in the parliamentary elections, followed by opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Q was trailing in third. [article link]
Father of Dodi al Fayed Blames Royals for Diana's Death at Inquest - Mohamed al Fayed calls Prince Philip a 'racist Nazi,' says the royals wanted to 'get rid' of Diana LONDON - Mohamed al Fayed gave a dramatic performance in the witness box at the inquests into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and his son Dodi, this morning, declaring that the couple were murdered by MI6 at the behest of Prince Philip. The Harrods owner claimed that the pair were the victims of an establishment conspiracy, but that most of the proof had disappeared in the ensuing cover-up. ... Mr Fayed has said in the past that he believes Diana's killing was ordered because the royal family did not want the mother of the future king having a child with a Muslim businessman. [article link]
Reforming My Mind - IX Marks Ministries: Jonathan Edwards and Evangelicalism Divided with Iain Murray (MP3's) {Evangelicalism Divided is about 39 min into the audio. Note: The more Jesus is removed or misrepresented the more divided any Church community will become. Keeping Jesus as the head/leader of His Church and His word the Bible center to Church teaching is the only way to maintain, nurture and mature a Christian community.} Reforming My Mind - MP3's. Grace and peace to all visitors and blog friends. I hope this blog is a ministry to you. I usually update new MP3 links on old blogposts every 2-3 months. I normally create new posts 5-9 times a month. Please come back often and click on my free books. [article link]
Dean M's blog Links! - Free Christian resources! (MP3's) Dean M's blog Links! Favourites! Stuff! Info! Freeware! Free resources! Free Christian resources! etcetera... Refresh your browser to see new entries and updates. [article link]
The Pledge: One Nation Under God (MP3) Location: The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium. America was founded on Christian principles, and our system of government is based upon the belief that we are a nation "under God." Our rights come from God, not from government. In The Pledge: One Nation Under God, William J. Murray outlines the history of early-American settlers and their overall reliance upon God in every phase of life. [article link]
Bible verse: Matthew 18:11-14 For the Son of man (Jesus) is come to save that which was lost ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.org} For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven,
that one of these little ones should perish. -- Bible [article link]
American Tract Society: Easter 2008 Outreach Kits! Now you can order Easter Outreach Kits with resources perfectly suited to share the gospel of Jesus Christ! Reach 20 families in your neighborhood. Fill the plastic bag doorhangers with the contents and deliver one to each door. [article link]
Jesus Builds His Church (Free - MP3's) A Statement of Faith is a written declaration of the church's position on matters that pertain to the essentials of historical Christianity. The following statements comprise Calvary Chapel Chino Hills' Statement of Faith: We believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative, and the inerrant Word of God (II Timothy 3:15-17, II Peter 1:21 ). We believe there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30). [article link]
William and Mary president (Gene Nichol) resigns in disgrace The head of the College of William and Mary, Gene Nichol, has resigned in disgrace. Several readers send along his resignation letter. You'll recall that he roiled the campus with his decision to hide the cross at the famous school chapel to make it "less faith-specific." More recently, he hosted a sex workers show on campus while restricting critics who wanted to tape it. Here's his letter: ... [article link]
{Flashback} William & Mary's Wren Cross decision defines arrogance - I have not spoken to one person who has received a response from President Gene Nichol to letters or e-mails concerning the matter - I guess he figures it's acceptable to just ignore them It seems that the most amazing aspect of the debate over whether a historic cross should be returned to the College of William & Mary's Wren Chapel is the incredibly arrogant attitude displayed by the college's administration. ... This time the arrogance is displayed by Nichol's director of university relations, Michael Connelly. In a Feb. 23 CNS News article, Connolly blamed the students, and especially those students who opposed the cross's removal, for bringing an embarrassing "Sex Workers' Art Show" to campus. He's quoted as saying the show "was financed by student fees, selected by students, paid for by student organizations." The article mentioned that Connelly said "two of the students who set up the Save the Wren Cross campaign on campus were also school senators [who] had voted on the issue of where to spend the student fees." He added: "Why did the co-founders of the Save the Wren Cross site allow this certain program to go on using their student fees? If there is hypocrisy here, it might begin with the student founders of the Save the Wren Cross site. To use un-Christian means to promote Christianity seems to be a contradiction in terms." *** Seems scathing, but here is the problem with Connelly's statement: The two student senators Connelly alluded to voted against the sex show. And this guy is a seasoned PR professional? Connelly has a lot of nerve twisting the facts *** and then using these false characterizations to impugn the faith of these courageous young men. Clearly, an apology is in order. {An apology and a resignation or two would also be in order!} [article link]
{Flashback} Cross debate costs College of William & Mary $12 million donation WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (AP) -- A longtime donor to the College of William and Mary is withholding a $12 million pledge because of the decision to remove of a cross from a campus chapel, the school said. The donor, who was not identified, changed his mind after school President Gene Nichol decided in October that the cross should be stored in a sacristy to make the chapel welcoming to students of all faiths, Nichol spokesman Mike Connolly said. The loss of the funds "represents a serious setback to the college," Nichol wrote in an e-mailed
statement Tuesday. [article link]
What Makes the Bible...The Bible ULTIMATE AUTHORITY - A 9 Part Series, click 'Archive' to see the Entire Series The ninth and final essential component that give us a complete definition of the Bible is: 9. Ultimate Authority (life and practice). "Everything pertaining to life and godliness." 2 Peter 1:3. The Bible does not speak to every issue in the universe, however it does speak to "Everything pertaining to life and godliness" (see above). It is the ultimate authority regarding life and practice. In this regard it is perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. "The law of the Lord is perfect" Psalm 19:7. ... Either the Bible is the inerrant, infallible word of the omniscient God or it is not. If it is, then we indeed have "everything pertaining to life and godliness" (see 2 Peter 1:3-4). If not, then all is relegated to personal opinion. [article link]
Which Language Did Jesus Speak - Aramaic or Hebrew? - There is no ground for assuming that Jesus did not speak Hebrew; and when we are told (Acts 21:40) that [Apostle] Paul spoke Hebrew, we should take this piece of information at face value" A Final Witness: In addition to the witnesses of the New Testament itself, archaeology, and linguistic scholarship, we also have that of the Church Fathers. Of them, Jean Carmignac says, "Eight early writers assert that Matthew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew: altogether there are over thirty formal assertions that this was so in the works of Papias, Hegesippus, Irenaeus, Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea, Cyril of Jerusalem, Epiphanius and Jerome". The most important of these testimonies is that of Papias, a second century Church father: "Matthew recorded in the Hebrew language the words [of Jesus], and everyone interpreted them as he is able". Dr. Brad Young sums up the importance of considering the Jewish background of Jesus' life and teachings: "…without consideration of the Jewish parallels, the Gospels will forever be filtered through Western culture, and Jesus will be completely missed or greatly misunderstood…The world…including church leaders and outstanding scholars, often has missed Jesus. The original Jewish environment of his life promises to reveal a new vision of Jesus and his message" (Jesus the Jewish Theologian, p. xxxvi). [article link]
Easter - Gifts, Apparel, Books, DVD's, Music, Cards, Easter for Kids, Lent Resources Christianbook.com, is the online affiliate of Christian Book Distributors, Inc. ("Christian Book Distributors" and "CBD"), the world's largest distributor of Christian products. In business for over 25 years as a catalog order company, Christian Book Distributors has now built this fast and efficient Web site to allow customers to order directly from their home PCs. Customers can still place orders with us by phone, fax, or mail. To call in an order or speak with a customer service representative, dial our toll free number 800-CHRISTIAN (800-247-4784). International callers, please call (978) 977-5000. Fax orders should be sent to (978) 977-5010. Orders can be mailed to Christian Book Distributors at P.O. Box 7000, Peabody, MA 01961-7000. [article link]
Easter Flags Display at church, home, or school; weather resistant for indoor or outdoor use; design is equally beautiful from both sides. Created exclusively for the Gift Collection at Christianbook.com. 12" x 16". [article link]
Bible verse: Isaiah 61:3 - To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes ... To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified. -- Bible [article link]
Abandoned to God: The Oswald Chambers Story (DVD) Abandoned to God: Oswald Chambers Story DVD 199199 -->From locations in England and Scotland, David McCasland shows you some of the places and describes key events and people that influenced the young Scottish preacher. Also includes an interview with Chambers' daughter Kathleen who shares memories of her father. Come away with a better understanding of this influential man of God. [article link]
Slowing down Vista with SP1 - But my preliminary tests show that Vista SP1 can be as much as 20% slower than pre-SP1 when it comes to copying files - And XP's copying speed leaves both in the dust XP outperforms both versions of Vista by a wide margin. I found that it's three times as fast as both versions of Vista copying a folder of files to a local disk, and more than twice as fast as both versions of Vista when copying a folder of files to a network folder. XP is slightly slower than pre-SP1 Vista when it comes to copying a single 2.49 GB file to a local folder, and slightly faster than SP1 Vista. And XP is slower than both versions of Vista when it comes to copying a single 2.49 GB file to a network folder. ... What People Are Saying: Did Microsoft just add more DRM crippleware to SP1? That is supposedly the main reason why Vista is so dog slow. [article link]
Huckabee Challenges Washington Caucus Results --and-- Huckabee ... rejected the notion that he's on any short list to be McCain's running mate and refused to give it consideration at this point. "I'm not going to be asked" Mike Huckabee is challenging the results of the Washington state Republican caucuses, his campaign announced Sunday, after accusing the state party chairman of calling the election for John McCain before all the votes were counted. ... Esser issued a statement congratulating McCain on a "hard-fought win," and Huckabee on a "strong second-place finish." Ed Rollins, Huckabee campaign chairman, directly challenged Esser's move, saying the count was incomplete because the other 12.8 percent of precincts could tip the scales since McCain was beating Huckabee by only a couple hundred votes. "The chairman showed very bad judgment in stopping the voting last night when announcing John McCain had won, when there was less than a 200-vote margin between the two candidates," Rollins told FOX News in an exclusive interview. "You never announce a vote, in my 40 years of politics, I have never know anybody to announce a vote count before the vote is counted." ... Huckabee acknowledged that he will vote for for the Republican nominee no matter who it is, rejected the notion that he's on any short list to be McCain's running mate and refused to give it consideration at this point. "I'm not going to be asked. I think it's pretty evident that there would be a whole lot of people on the list long, long before me, and one of them would say 'yes,"' Huckabee said. [article link]
Archbishop of Canterbury Faces Calls to Quit Over Sharia Uproar - The Archbishop of Canterbury was facing a crisis of confidence in his leadership yesterday after calling for parts of Islamic law, or Sharia, to be introduced into Britain Amid growing calls for his resignation, including from members of the General Synod of the Church of England, Dr. Rowan Williams hastily backtracked, claiming he had never called for a parallel jurisdiction of Sharia for Muslims. But his moral authority, already undermined by the dispute over homosexuality, looked further in jeopardy as prelates from overseas provinces of the Anglican Communion joined in the criticism. Weblogs and other sites have been overwhelmed by comments from the public, Anglicans and nonAnglicans, the vast majority being highly critical of Williams and his apparent appeasement of Islamism. The Prince of Wales, Britain's foremost champion of good relations with Islam, has distanced himself from the Archbishop's views. Privately, he is concerned that the speech is in danger of being taken out of context and distilled into scaremongering headlines. Although the Queen is head of the Church, her spokeswoman declined to comment. [article link]
Excellent Analysis of the Current Election Events - Topic: Romney drops out of race - conservatives rally behind Huckabee - February 7 (Mp3) Guests: Gary Glenn, Peter LaBarbera, and William Murray. Topic: Romney drops out of race - conservatives rally behind Huckabee. [article link]
Right wants Romney as standard-bearer - Some 50 stalwarts of the political right privately met with Mitt Romney minutes after he dropped out of the Republican nominating race to discuss the former Massachusetts governor becoming the face of conservatism, as Ronald Reagan became en route to his 1980 election win {The secular conservative movement has now sunken so low that they have selected a non-electable, closet liberal to be the face of their new movement.} "If someone had suggested a year ago and a half ago that we would be welcoming Mitt Romney as a potential leader of the conservative movement, no one would have believed it," Mr. Keene said to open the meeting. "But over the last year and a half, he has convinced us he is one of us and walks with us." ... Jay Sekulow, a Romney volunteer and chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, told attendees that Mr. Romney is the "turnaround specialist" the conservative movement needs. "The movement needs someone of Ronald Reagan's stature and Romney could fill that role," Mr. Sekulow told The Washington Times yesterday. Hanging over the extraordinary meeting, held immediately after Mr. Romney bowed out of the Republican nomination race, was a mood that ranged from skepticism to cold hostility toward Mr. McCain. [article link]
How Mormons Saw Romney - In wooing evangelicals, he made some fellow LDS members uneasy In his pursuit of the presidency, Mitt Romney held fast to his Mormon faith, though his religion remains controversial with evangelicals and some other Christians. But his determined (and ultimately futile) wooing of evangelicals led him to make some statements that didn't quite square with Mormon beliefs and culture. And the effort itself may have deepened the impression of him as inauthentic--even to some fellow Mormons. ... Romney's failed courtship of evangelicals was predictable, Oman says, given that for many evangelicals, "Mormons are anathema--not only on theological grounds [but because to evangelicals] there is something uniquely disreputable about being a Mormon. I really don't think there's anything you can say that is going to convince these people to forgive you for being a Latter-day Saint. I didn't see there was any way he was going to get those votes." So even while the attempts to sound mainstream failed to persuade evangelicals, they also made some of Romney's fellow Mormons uneasy. "Rather than the individual little comments that may have startled Mormons, I think what troubled [fellow LDS members] was a sense that he was pandering," says Bushman. "To try to be something you're not just doesn't work," he says. "I think it was a moral error, as well as a political error." [article link]
George Müller - Robber Of The Cruel Streets (DVD) George Müller (1805-1898) was a German playboy who found Christ and gave his life to serve Christ unreservedly. His mission was to rescue orphans from the wretched street life that enslaved so many children in England during the time of Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist. Müller did rescue, care for, feed, and educate such children by the thousands. The costs were enormous for such a great work. Yet, amazingly, he never asked anyone for money. Instead he prayed, and his children never missed a meal. This docu-drama presents his life story and shows how God answered prayer and met their needs. It is a story that raises foundational questions regarding faith and finances. Also included are two special documentaries on Müller and some of the lives affected by his work. [article link]
Announcement: The basicChristian Newsfeed is going to return to a reduced programming schedule of Christian content and Christian events
The 2008 Presidential Primary had become the main news event of late 2007 through early 2008. Basic Christian as a theological ministry would have preferred not to get so involved in political issues but with the LDS Mormon religion falsely claiming to be a Christian denomination; an LDS candidate forwarding the LDS agenda; and far too many Christian ministries supporting that LDS agenda Basic Christian felt the need to rise to the challenge and provide an alternate voice to the mainstream, diluted, religious culture of the day. The country soundly rejected a notion of LDS validity and surprisingly non-Christians seemed more discerning and more weary of the LDS claims than some Christians who should have known better. Love, truth, freedom and reality are always the greatest accomplishments of mankind, none of which can be accomplished without a true and accurate knowledge of Jesus Christ and of His divine ministry. The LDS fables have distorted and manipulated Jesus into an unrecognizable figure and it is our Christian duty to always give a reasonable and accurate depiction of the hope and eternal life that reside within the true and unique Jesus Christ of Nazareth. God bless you, David Anson Brown [article link]
***Breaking News - Romney withdraws from White House race {Mitt Romney gave it his best and we all wish him all the best! I think it's just a bad time for the Republican Party in general. The party leaders don't know what they want to do or what direction they want to go.} Romney made the announcement in front of an influential conservative political group in Washington, saying that he was withdrawing because America was at war in Iraq and he would rather support McCain as nominee rather than make it easier for the Democratic nominee to win. [article link]
Born Again Christians Favor Democratic Candidates, Says Survey {The current Bush-Romney RINO Republican Party is void of any true principals and is completely lacking in any genuine concepts so there is no reason for anyone to support them.} A surprising new survey out Monday found that more born again Christian voters said they would support a Democratic candidate than a Republican candidate, breaking the long tradition of born-again support for the GOP. The new Barna study shows that if the general election was held today, 40 percent of all born again adults who are likely to vote in November would choose the Democratic candidate, and only 29 percent would choose the Republican candidate. The remaining 28 percent are currently unsure whom they would support, preferring to vote for a specific candidate rather than strictly along party lines. [article link]
Can you guess where this is from? (Photo) The first to correctly guess what this is and where exactly it is from gets a free DVD copy of The Gospel of John. ... Okay, here's the only hint I'll give: It is found within Salt Lake City, but it represents something outside of Salt Lake City. [article link]
Magic mormon underwear - John Safran, From the Aussie TV program John Safran v God talks about Mormon Garments (YouTube 5:20) {Do you really know who you are supporting and voting for if you support Mormon Mitt Romney?} Even though Mormon wards, stakes and temples are completely absent of crosses, it's chock full of occultic and Masonic symbols. Most disturbing though, is Mormonism's blatant use of the inverted Satanic pentagram. [article link]
Romney faces long odds in bid to overtake a surging McCain {In 2009 Mitt Romney will still be calling himself Governor and will still be running for the 08 Republican nomination. Romney is obsessed with politics and anything he thinks is power.} Mitt Romney, who prides himself on "wallowing in the data" before making tough decisions, now confronts an
unforgiving mathematical landscape of delegate counts, polls, and popular vote tallies that suggest the odds are overwhelmingly against his presidential bid. John McCain's sweep on Super Tuesday of winner-take-all states in the Northeast and big states such as California gave him a commanding lead in delegates - 703 of the 1,191 needed to clinch the nomination, compared with 293 for Romney and 190 for Mike Huckabee, according to an Associated Press tally. ... McCain, meanwhile, is looking to cement his front-runner status, finish off his rivals before the March 4 contests, and start uniting the fractured GOP behind him. National polls of Republicans show McCain with a commanding lead, [article link]
Romney loses momentum as Huckabee regains ground - exit polls suggest many of Huckabee's voters in the south would have picked McCain as a second choice - casting doubt on Romney's claim of stolen votes Mitt Romney, the clearest loser from Super Tuesday, today gathered his advisers for an early-morning meeting in Boston to review the future of his campaign although his team insisted the fight for the Republican nomination will continue. With a disappointing haul of six victories, two of which were in his "home" states of Massachusetts and Utah, the businessman-turned-politician fell victim to a southern resurgence by rival conservative Mike Huckabee. ... "Last night was almost devastating, I would say, for Romney," said Johnson. ... Although Romney is the wealthiest candidate in the race, he is likely to think carefully about committing more personal funds to mass telephone canvassing and to television advertisements. The Washington Post reported that his campaign's has spent $1.16m for each delegate it has secured - a rate which means it would cost Romney some $1.3bn to win the nomination. Huckabee, in contrast, has won 20 delegates for every $1m of outlay. [article link]
Romney to meet with congressional supporters - Speculation reportedly growing that he may drop out of the race Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), coming off a disappointing Super Tuesday, will meet with his congressional supporters Thursday afternoon, sources told The Hill. Romney will meet with the members who endorsed his run at the Capitol Hill Club, shortly after addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference's (CPAC) annual convention. As results were still being tabulated Tuesday night, speculation grew that Romney might be on his way out of the nomination battle after Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) built on his front-runner status and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee showed surprising strength in a number of Southern states. Romney told assembled supporters Tuesday night that he planned to continue his run all the way to the convention, but rumors soon surfaced that the former governor was set to meet with his senior staff to discuss the future of the campaign. [article link]
Romney Prepared to Keep On Going - said his son, Tagg, a senior campaign adviser, in an interview today advisers have been discussing the existence of three different categories of delegates - and then perhaps get him to a point where he has enough momentum to wrest some of those promised but not officially bound delegates into his column at a contested convention In a measure of just how dire the situation is for the campaign, Mr. Romney's advisers have been discussing the existence of three different categories of delegates: those that have been already been awarded and bound to a candidate; those that have been promised to someone but are not technically bound; and those that have not yet been allocated. They are mapping out a farfetched possibility premised on conservative fears continuing to fester against Mr. McCain, which they hope fuels a series of wins for Mr. Romney and then perhaps get him to a point where he has enough momentum to wrest some of those promised but not officially bound delegates into his column at a contested convention. Mr. Romney appeared to even allude to this potential route in his speech on Tuesday night, promising to take the contest "all the way to the convention." [article link]
"Mitt - Set Our (LDS) People Free" ... A 7th Generation Mormon's Plea for Truth - Blows the Lid Off Romney's "Soft Secrecy" Campaign {If Mitt Romney really has a calling or a destiny for his life it is not to be President of the USA but it would be to lead his people out of the dangerous and manipulating Mormon LDS cult and into the freedom of reality. -- Mitt, set your people Free!} This book is nothing less than Mike Moody's open letter to college fraternity brother Mitt Romney, the final chapter in a correspondence begun between the two former friends in 1999 ... There are many newsworthy observations in the book - as well as some startling (but well-sourced in 10 pages of end-notes) allegations about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), better known to the world as the Mormon Church. Below are a few of those insights, observations and well-documented allegations that collectively represent Mitt Romney's "Swift Boat" moment - this is all based on well-documented facts - many of the documents semi-secret documents from the LDS Church's own archives and libraries. [article link]
Romney's real problem with the Log Cabin letter - Romney's sold himself as a conservative to leaders of the religious right, and now conservative leaders are concerned that he misled them - This is not the last time this will happen {At best Mitt Romney is a conservative mirage, a cloud, a vapor, a smoke screen, the nearer one get's to his actual policies the quicker they all vanish into the glare of liberalism.} Romney's sold himself as a conservative to leaders of the religious right, and now conservative leaders are concerned that he misled them. That is the importance of these quotes. Clearly what is happening is that people are circling back with this letter and re-evaluating and asking him questions. This is not the last time this will happen. There will be statements on abortion, more statements on homosexuality, etc. Each time another letter or statement comes out and gets this level of scrutiny, it is going to lower the trust of the leaders of these groups. Romney will lose credibility over time both as a conservative, but also as a leader. Republicans like leaders that don't act on the direction of the wind. Romney will have trouble taking that stance. These kinds of things give cover to people anxious about "the Mormon Question". They are uncomfortable with that, but willing to tolerate it because he's a real conservative. But now that they are not completely sure that they can trust what he says about where he is on the issues, their concerns about the religious foundations for his positions can also become an issue. As one religious leader said - and Evangelicals for Mitt quoted - "It's not whether I could vote for a Mormon, it's whether I could vote for this Mormon." Indeed, the question goes from, "I have concerned about trusting this man," to "I have concerns about trusting this Mormon." [article link]
The Romney (gay agenda) Log Cabin letter (PDF) "As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever that as we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent (Sen. Edward M. Kennedy)," [article link]
Full text of Romney's 1994 (Log Cabin) gay rights letter surfaces - "If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent cannot do this. I can and will" Romney wrote "As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever that as we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent," Romney wrote, referring to US Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. ... Among bloggers, Kathleen Lopez downplays the recent Romney disclosures. Andrew Sullivan asks "Was he lying then or is he lying now? What does he really believe?" On AmericaBlog, a poster says: "This almost as fun as Mary Cheney pregnant." And Town Hall's Dean Barnett offers a bit of explanation here. [article link]
McCain's biggest early victory was in New York, where Rudy Giuliani's allies had set up a winner-take-all rule that gave all 101 delegates to McCain after Giuliani dropped out of the race last week {The Republican Primary is crooked - Winner take all RINO States while the Conservative States share the delegates. This is going to be severely damaging and demoralizing to an already broken Republican Party. The 2006 Republican Party ignored the conservative voter and lost both the House and Senate majority and now it has gotten even worse not better. 2008 is going to be the Republicans biggest disaster right down to the State and local office level.} Riding a wave of votes across four time zones on Super Tuesday, John McCain celebrated the biggest presidential primary day in the nation's history by taking a commanding lead in the race for the Republican nomination. ... The battle for Super Tuesday among Republicans revealed ideological fault lines as the party moves toward picking a leader to succeed President Bush. McCain has tried to woo conservatives and moderates, describing the GOP as "the party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan." [article link]
FAITH OF MY FATHERS - THE JOHN McCAIN STORY This book report covers one of the greatest pieces of literature, and is a must read by every man of military background. It is a serious, utterly gripping account of faith, fathers, and the military. John McCain, one of the most admired leaders in the United States Government, tells a story that, in the words of NEWSWEEK, "makes the other presidential candidates look like pygmies". John McCain learned about life and honor from his father and grandfather, both four star admirals in the U.S. Navy. This story covers their lives, their heroism, and the ways that sons are shaped and enriched by their fathers. John McCain's grandfather was one of the Navy's greatest commanders, and led the strongest aircraft carrier force of the THIRD FLEET in key battles during WWII. John's father followed a similar path, equally distinguished by heroic service in the Navy as a submarine commander during WWII, rising to the rank of four star admiral. The McCains became the first family in American History to achieve that distinction. John McCain Jr. became commander of all U.S. forces in the Pacific during the Vietnam war. It was in the Vietnam war that John McCain III faced the most difficult challenge of his life. As a naval aviator he was shot down over Hanoi in 1967. His story tells of torture beyond belief, inhumane treatment by his Vietnamese captors during five and a half years of imprisonment. [article link]
~New Link~ Cutting Edge Weekly Newsletter - Now, carefully notice the new GOP elephant logo - The three stars are the Goatshead of Mendez Pentagram - The change occurred in the year 2000 "The Party of Satan" {The new 2000 GOP Republican Party elephant logo is also no longer red, white and blue it is now a purple, white and blue (Logo) with the three upside-down (Satanic) stars.} Did you know that the Republicans changed the stars in their official elephant logo to two stars upward in the year 2000, the very year in which Skull & Bones George Bush was "elected" President? This Republican logo is the traditional elephant logo as this book front page cover demonstrates. The book is entitled, "The Pictorial History of the Republican Party", by Beryl Frank, published in 1980. As you can see, the stars on this elephant logo are the same as the traditional stars on an American flag, i.e., with one point upward. This style of Pentagram is a "good", White Magic type of star, the same type of star as in the traditional American flag. Now, carefully notice the new GOP elephant logo. The three stars are the Goatshead of Mendez Pentagram, with two points upward. This style of Pentagram is the "evil", Black Magick type of star. The Illuminati program for their Masonic Christ (Antichrist) is most definitely the Black Magick variety. The plans these Globalists have for this country and this world is literally the "worst case" scenario, from the planned destruction of 66% of all humanity, to the dissolution of every elected government on earth, to replacing those governments with the most repressive dictatorship in world history. This dictatorship will be supported by unprecedented level of modern technology, which will allow government authorities to monitor nearly everyone in the world at every moment of the day. This Plan fulfills prophecies exactly, especially those in the Book of Revelation and Daniel. When was this Republican elephant logo changed? The change occurred in the year 2000 ("The Party of Satan", Radio Left, Mon 17 Dec 2007, quoting the Thom Hartmann Show, of December 17). This is the year George W.
Bush (Jr.) was elevated to the White House, following one of the closest elections in American history, an election not decided until December 13, when the Supreme Court decided that Bush had beaten Gore in Florida. Therefore, at the time the country was electing its second Skull & Bones President, the Republican Party quietly changed the stars on its official Republican elephant logo to the Goatshead of Mendez star. This reality means that America has been officially and deliberately set on a course of extreme evil since that momentous year. Have we ever been so beset, from without and within, than in the last 6 years? This is just a partial listing of all the evils which have beset us since 2000: ... [article link]
Mitt Romney's Mormon detour - There's never a good time for a funeral, but the one Mitt Romney went to Saturday (Gordon B. Hinckley) may have been particularly inopportune - The service blended mellow Tabernacle Choir songs with dry speeches sprinkled with soft humor - It was almost devoid of any actual religious ritual SALT LAKE CITY -- There's never a good time for a funeral, but the one Mitt Romney went to Saturday may have been particularly inopportune. In the closing stage of a campaign where he has tried his hardest to manage scrutiny of his faith, Mitt Romney, candidate for president, pulled himself off the campaign trail for the morning and became Mitt Romney, grieving Mormon. ... But the way Romney's campaign handled his visit betrayed a more complicated set of calculations. Attending the funeral was, in some ways, an even more public declaration of his faith than Romney's heavily hyped speech on religion in December; there was no on-message way for him to frame the service for a man Mormons called, in addition to president, "prophet, seer and revelator." Barely 170 years after the religion burst into existence, it still apparently makes some mainstream Christians squeamish enough that only Mormon bigwigs in national politics (Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada; Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, attending on behalf of President Bush; Utah Sens. Orrin Hatch and Robert Bennett) came to the service. Compare that to the scene three years ago, when Catholic and Protestant elected officials alike made a big show of flocking to Rome to see Pope John Paul II buried, and you can understand how the visit posed a dilemma for Romney. His campaign didn't exactly go out of its way to play up his trip this week. ... The church-owned Deseret Morning News led Saturday's paper with Romney's visit to the state -- giving it more attention than his own campaign did. [article link]
Missionary (LDS Church) - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 50,000 full-time missionaries worldwide - As a measure of missionary effectiveness, there is some concern within the LDS Church that the number of [tithing] convert baptisms per missionary per year has fallen from a high of 8.03 in 1989 to just 4.67 in 2005 {LDS missions are yet another attempt by the LDS to make even more money and it's no wonder people don't want to be sucked up by the LDS Mormon money vacuum machine. If the LDS believed in what they taught they would spend their LDS Billions on outreach instead the LDS keeps its money and uses everyone else's money in order to get even more money. How much money does the non-profit LDS corporation need?} Missionaries are expected to pay their own expenses while on the mission, often with assistance from family and friends. In the past, each missionary paid his or her actual living expenses, but this approach created a disproportionate burden on missionaries who were assigned to more expensive areas of the world. In 1990, a new program was introduced to equalize the financial responsibility for each missionary and his or her family. Now, all young missionaries pay a flat monthly rate which is then redistributed according to regional costs of living. The cost of a mission as of January 2006 is USD$400 per month, which covers food, lodging, transportation, and personal items. As families now contribute to a general fund for missionary expenses, the sum is deductible under many nations' tax policies regarding charitable gifts. Young people in the church are encouraged to save money throughout their childhood and teenage years to pay for as much of their mission as they can, although nearly all receive assistance from parents, family, or friends.[citation needed] Missionaries who cannot save the required funds may obtain assistance from their home congregation or from a general
missionary fund operated by the church and contributed to by Latter-day Saints around the world. Married couple missionaries are expected to pay their own costs. In many areas, church members often invite locallyassigned missionaries over for meals to help reduce the overall expenditures of the missionary program. [article link]
Challenges Await New Mormon President - Thomas S. Monson 16th Mormon president, 16th Mormon prophet - 80-Year-Old Leader Confronts Slowdown in (LDS) Church's Worldwide Growth {Ya funny, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pentecostal churches and LDS Mormons are denominations of the same organization. LDS is an outside cult and Mormons would no more meet - fellowship with Pentecostals than they would give up their sacred Mormon underwear.} The new leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Thomas S. Monson, is taking the reins of the church at a time of unprecedented scrutiny and significant challenges. The selection of the tall, affable 80-yearold Monson as president of the 13 million-member Mormon church was announced yesterday. He replaces Gordon B. Hinckley, 97, who died last week after serving 12 years as president. The globe-trotting Hinckley left behind a denomination that is better known than it used to be -- partly because of the presidential candidacy of Republican Mitt Romney -- but also one whose growth rate has slowed and whose dropout rate troubles its leaders. Worldwide Mormon church membership grew as fast as 8 percent a year in the late 1980s, but the growth rate has decreased since 2000 {A decline due to the internet now exposing LDS propaganda, mainly from the ex-Mormon websites, and the Christian video-DVD Ministries instructing people in the differences between LDS and Christianity.} to less than 3 percent. The Seventh-day Adventist Church and some Pentecostal churches are among the denominations now growing faster. [article link]
Unethical Campaign Tactic by Romney - Sleazy Mitt Romney is Posting message Lies on people's answering machines "Hello this is Governor Mitt Romney ... it is now a two person race" (YouTube :52) {What is Mitt Governor of? Last I knew he was out of office. Besides John McCain & Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul is still in the race. Romney is a deceiver!} Added: February 02, 2008 Romney is using unethical campaign tactics to trick supporters of Mike Huckabee into thinking it is a 2 person race. ... And in his own voice. He basically called and told people Huckabee has dropped. That is unethical! Oh ya, a dirty trick and he is trying buy the white house. I am so mad..... I just want to break something! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!! [article link]
McCain Ad Casts Romney As Anti-Reagan - Romney "Yeah, I voted in the (1992) Democratic Primary" SCRIPT: McCain: "I'm John McCain and I approve this message." Announcer: "Mitt Romney on Ronald Reagan." Romney (from video clip): "Look, I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush." Announcer: "Mitt Romney was against Ronald Reagan, before he was for him." Romney (from video clip): "Yeah, I voted in the Democratic Primary...When I was running in '94, I wasn't trying to return to Reagan-Bush." Announcer: "If we can't trust Mitt Romney on Ronald Reagan, how can we trust him to lead America?" Romney: "I'm not running as the Republican view or a continuation of Republican values." KEY IMAGES: Ad opens with a photo of McCain shaking hands with Reagan. The clips of Romney appear against a faded backdrop of Reagan. As the announcer speaks, his words also appear on the screen. A caption explains that in 1992 Romney voted for Democrat Paul Tsongas for president. [article link]
Mitt Romney voted for Democrat Tsongas for president (1992), then lied about it to Stephanopoulos - Romney, who until he made an unsuccessful run for Senate in 1994 had spent his adult life as a registered independent "Romney confirmed he voted for former U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas in the state's 1992 Democratic presidential primary, saying he did so both because Tsongas was from Massachusetts and because he favored his ideas over those of Bill Clinton
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said today he voted for Paul Tsongas in the 1992 Democratic presidential primary as a tactical maneuver aimed at finding the weakest opponent for incumbent President George Bush. ... "In Massachusetts, if you register as an independent, you can vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary," said Romney, who until he made an unsuccessful run for Senate in 1994 had spent his adult life as a registered independent. ... But 12 years ago, the Boston Globe reported that Romney was giving a different explanation for his vote for Tsongas. ... "Romney confirmed he voted for former U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas in the state's 1992 Democratic presidential primary, saying he did so both because Tsongas was from Massachusetts and because he favored his ideas over those of Bill Clinton," the Boston Globe's Scot Lehigh and Frank Phillips wrote on February 3, 1994. [article link]
Romney in last bid to derail McCain - Republicans were telling him, "We don't want Senator McCain; we want a conservative" {The thought that the ultra-liberal, ultra-deceiving Mitt Romney is a conservative or any hopes that Mitt Romney will in any way represent conservatives is a fairy tale of the tallest order. In fact there is a better chance that the Tooth Fairy will leave the winning Lottery ticket under your pillow at night than the possibility that Mitt Romney will represent conservative values in Washington D.C.} Mitt Romney launched what could be his last bid to stop John McCain from seizing the Republican presidential nomination. Meanwhile, Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton were locked in an increasingly tight race and battled for support in delegate-rich northeastern states ahead of Super Tuesday. Romney continued to hammer away at his assertion that McCain is weak on economic issues and is too much of a maverick for the conservative party. The former Massachusetts governor told voters in a series of coast-tocoast stops that hardcore Republicans were telling him, "We don't want Senator McCain; we want a conservative." [article link]
{Flashback} [abortion] Activists remember a different Romney - "You need someone like me in Washington" he said - Making personal appeals on the state's liberal touchstones - gay rights, abortion rights and the environment - Romney developed a persuasive style, convincing audiences that his passion matched theirs and that he was committed to their causes {Don't believe Mitt Romney for one second. Just as quick as he has 'embraced' conservative values is just exactly how quick he is going to reject them if ever elected. If Romney is soooo Pro-Life how did he end up with a pro-abortion wife? Romney's actions speak louder than his words, much louder!} Though Romney's policy shifts have become widely known, his meetings with activists for abortion rights and other causes - which have received far less attention - show he put much work into winning support from Massachusetts' liberal establishment only a few years ago. Making personal appeals on the state's liberal touchstones - gay rights, abortion rights and the environment - Romney developed a persuasive style, convincing audiences that his passion matched theirs and that he was committed to their causes. He impressed environmentalists by using rhetoric sharper than theirs. He met gay-rights activists on their turf, in a restaurant attached to a popular gay bar, and told skeptics he would be a "good voice" and a moderating force within his party. And in many cases, he said his commitment had been cemented by watching the suffering of someone dear to him: a grandchild whose asthma left him worried about air pollution; his wife's multiple sclerosis, which had him placing hope in embryonic stem cell research; the death of a distant relative {This now 'distant relative' has also been quoted as Romney's Aunt. I wonder if this tragic story is even true or if it's just another made for politics drama.} in an illegal abortion, convincing him that the procedure needed to remain legal. In discussing the need to combat global warming, he said he worried about his family's favorite vacation spot. [article link]
Chuck Norris: Will Romney buy the White House? - To me, such excessive self-financing of one's own campaign is not only a competitive injustice that rivals the use of steroids by athletes but a fundamental flaw in the general race for the presidency - As the Washington Post rightly noted, "Romney's money is his mojo: If he's
not spending, he probably isn't winning" Last Wednesday Romney conveyed that "his campaign was not trying to purchase television advertisement" on Super Tuesday, when 20-plus states hold simultaneous nominating contests. Then he flip-flopped (again) the very next day, telling reporters, "I have authorized a seven-figure - I won't give you the exact number - but seven-figure advertising buy for our campaign." As one news agency put it, "One of Romney's greatest campaign strengths has been his deep pockets. A wealthy former businessman who has largely financed his own campaign …" The BBC described that Mitt "may be the only Republican candidate who can afford to buy advertising in major media markets ahead of Tuesday's poll." A couple months ago, he was spending $85,000 daily on presidential commercials. Over these past few days he spent millions more. The only concession for Mitt is that he is possibly being outspent in this particular inning by his Democrat opponents. But, then again, their money is largely donated by others, not funded by themselves. ... GOP candidate and former governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee is the only presidential hopeful who is not spending recklessly or rashly ... As the Washington Post rightly noted, "Romney's money is his mojo: If he's not spending, he probably isn't winning." [article link]
Romney's Economic Claims Challenged - According to state unemployment numbers, the net number of jobs added during the four years Romney was in office was 24,400 - a fraction of the total of about 200,000 lost during the recession - most of the rest of the country rebounded much faster {Note: The math on this is that Romney lost private sector jobs during his term but Romney expanded the Government so govt. job numbers increased.} BOSTON (AP) - It's part of Mitt Romney's core narrative: Massachusetts, in the throes of a fiscal freefall, fell back on his CEO skills and turnaround wizardry to spark - in his words - "a dramatic reversal of state fortunes and a period of sustained economic expansion." It's a rosy opinion of Massachusetts' economy that few in the state share. Instead, observers say, the state's recovery from a disastrous 2001 recession has been tepid at best, and Romney gives himself more credit than deserved on job creation and balancing the state budget. Romney says that by the time he left office, the unemployment rate in Massachusetts was lower and the state had recovered nearly 80,000 jobs from the low point of the recession. A fuller look reveals a state still struggling to recoup the jobs washed away in the recession, while much of the rest of the country has already sailed past pre-recession highs. According to state unemployment numbers, the net number of jobs added during the four years Romney was in office was 24,400 - a fraction of the total of about 200,000 lost during the recession. Although the number of new jobs steadily climbed during Romney's four years in office - from a loss of 54,700 in his first year to a gain of 34,700 in his final year - most of the rest of the country rebounded much faster. [article link]
Romney Hangs His Hat on Credibility... No, Really! - Debate Romney Vs. Real Romney - ON THE ECONOMY: Debate Romney: "During my term in office, we added jobs" [CNN GOP Debate, 1/30/08] - Romney Reality: Massachusetts Lost 10,000 Jobs During Romney Administration [Boston Herald, 2/21/07] WASHINGTON, Jan 31, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Last night's debate was yet another reminder of why smooth talking Mitt Romney keeps wracking up the silver and bronze medals, but just can't seem to make it across the finish line. After losses in almost every critical state heading up to next Tuesday, Romney's campaign has apparently decided that his last hope is to try to re-brand himself yet again -- this time as an "authentic conservative." After all the damage Romney's flip-flops have done to his credibility, hanging his hat on authenticity might not be the best plan. Exit polls in every early state have shown that voters who want a candidate who believes what he says are rejecting Romney: He was the top choice of just 7 percent of those voters in South Carolina, 14 percent in Iowa, 15 percent in New Hampshire, and 19 percent in Florida. Even in Michigan, a state where his home field advantage helped him win, Romney was the top choice of fewer than one in four voters who wanted a candidate who says what he believes. [CNN Exit Polls, 1/29/08] [article link]
Quotations from Mormon Leaders on the Christian Faith - "I was answered that I must join none of them (Christian Churches), for they were all wrong...that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight" (Joseph Smith History 1:19). "...orthodox Christian views of God are Pagan rather than Christian." (Mormon Doctrine of Deity by B.H. Roberts, p.116) "...the God whom the 'Christians' worship is a being of their own creation..." (Apostle Charles W. Penrose, JD 23:243) "The Christian world, so called, are heathens as to their knowledge of the salvation of God." (Brigham Young, JD 8:171) "What! Are Christians ignorant? Yes, as ignorant of the things of God as the brute best." (John Taylor, JD 13:225 "What does the Christian world know about God? Nothing...Why so far as the things of God are concerned, they are the veriest fools; they know neither God nor the things of God." (John Taylor, JI) 13:225) "Believers in the doctrines of modern Christendom will reap damnation to their souls (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.177) ... "...brother Joseph B. Nobles once told a Methodist priest, after hearing him describe his god, that the god they worshiped was the "Mormon's" Devil-a being without a body, whereas our God has a body, parts and passions." (Brigham Young, JD 5:331). [article link]
Updated - Christianity and the Mormon (LDS) Cult are Very Different (PDF) Mormonism (LDS) practices and engages in the longtime deceitful and illegal marketing practice of "bait and switch" to offer - bait the customer with one product and then through excuses, deceit and manipulations to steer the customer into a different inferior product. In this case Mormons universally offer Jesus, the Bible and a "truer Christianity" and then in a dishonest way switching from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible to the teachings of Joseph Smith and others. The Mormon Church is deliberately trying to avoid their true identity as a Mormon cult and is instead representing themselves as something they are not, which is true Christian followers of Jesus. Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
Alan Keyes: Romney responsible for same-sex marriage fiasco - "Mitt Romney pushed through same-sex marriage all by himself, in the absence of any authority or requirement to do so, having a complete misunderstanding of his role as governor and of the significance of the court's opinion," said Keyes. The court never ordered him to act, nor did he have the right to act, since the legislature never changed the law "Most people are unaware of the way Massachusetts came to adopt same-sex marriage," the former Reagan administration diplomat said. "They think the state's Supreme Judicial Court forced it to happen. That's incorrect." "The court merely issued an opinion stating that, in its view, the existing marriage law was unconstitutional because it failed to allow persons of the same sex to marry," Keyes said. "The court then gave the legislature 180 days to 'take such action as it may deem appropriate in light of this opinion' - implicitly telling lawmakers to come up with a new marriage statute." Noting that the legislature did not act within the court-imposed 180-day window, refusing to let the judiciary infringe on its law-making powers, Keyes said the only reason same-sex marriage became the law was because of Romney's actions. "Mitt Romney pushed through same-sex marriage all by himself, in the absence of any authority or requirement to do so, having a complete misunderstanding of his role as governor and of the significance of the court's opinion," said Keyes. "The court never ordered him to act, nor did he have the right to act, since the legislature never changed the law. [article link]
{Flashback} Family leaders call Romney 'disaster' - Letter criticizes 'deceptive rhetoric' around candidate - The letter cites seven issues seen as problematic in the Romney campaign, including a "phony pro-life 'conversion'" - The letter also criticized those in the conservative community who are supporting Romney, accusing them of "gross malpractice, ruthless ambition and dishonesty" The letter also criticized those in the conservative community who are supporting Romney, accusing them of "gross malpractice, ruthless ambition and dishonesty." "Behind the empty gestures and deceptive rhetoric,
Romney was not pro-life or a defender of marriage by any stretch of the imagination. He was a disaster," said O'Gorman, of the board for Massachusetts Citizens for Life. He said Romney "deceptively" claims to have been awarded a pro-life award from the group. "The award Romney arranged for himself with the local Pioneer Valley Chapter was the Mullins Award for Political Leadership, not a pro-life award and not approved by MCFL's state board of directors," he said. "We're blowing the whistle to warn voters..." "For some bizarre reason the mere fact that Romney's never been divorced and goes to a temple regularly is supposed to negate the fact that he's extremely liberal," said Harvey. "He used his Republican and Mormon identity to push through radical policies on gay marriage, abortion and pro-homosexual school programs that Ted Kennedy always dreamed about." The Romney campaign repeatedly has declined to respond to WND requests for comment on such issues, including a failure to respond to multiple requests for a one-on-one interview in which the candidate would have been allowed to give his definitive perspective of the issues being raised. [article link]
12 things satanists pray against us daily {This includes LDS Mormons and other Cults who also pray these things against the Christian Church.} The other day I received an interesting e-mail from a ministry online. It included a copy of an e-mail from a Pastor in Berlin/Germany. He sent a list of the 12 things that Satanists are regularly praying for. I felt impressed of the Lord to send this to y'all so that we could take what they pray for and reverse the curse - so to speak. Read what they are praying for and then please take the time to cancel their prayers and speak blessings on what they have selected for their curses. Let's keep a copy of this list on hand so that we can zealously cancel their assignments through our effectual, fervent prayers. [article link]
What is up with the Pope's (John Paul II) inverted cross - I recognize that Roman Catholics associate the upside down cross with the apostle Peter's crucifixion (Photos) {It's bad form he should be testifying of Jesus and not of the upside-down cross Peter was martyred on. People can easily get confused with a symbol like that and that symbol the upside-down cross is not a symbol of the Church and does not belong in the Church.} I recognize that Roman Catholics associate the upside down cross with the apostle Peter's crucifixion in argument for apostolic succession which is then used to support the Roman Catholic distinctive of papal infallibility, a very late dogma. However, Protestants argue that the Church is founded upon Jesus Christ. But, for the sake of explanation let us visit Matthew 16:18-19 which reads, And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." [article link]
Crop Circles (Demon Circles) and Occultic, Masonic & Illuminati Symbols (Video 7:00) Description: Crop Circles and Occultic, Masonic & Illuminati Symbols. [article link]
-- Scroll down for LDS Info Updates Mormon LDS President-prophet Hinckley funeral updates and info. [article link]
-- Joseph Fielding, 10th Mormon president, 10th Mormon prophet, - No Hell in Mormon Theology? - LDS Apostle John Widtsoe insisted there was no hell when he said, "In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), there is no hell. - only outer darkness - {And No Forgiveness of Sins in Mormonism only LDS WORKS, LDS WORKS, LDS WORKS, LDS WORKS ... Also Satan (the Mormon 1/2 brother of their Mormon jesus) doesn't even go to hell.} LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith explained: "The Lord will judge each individual case and will assign
transgressor to that degree to which each is entitled according to his works. If a man only merits a place in the telestial, that will be his reward; if it should be the terrestrial, then he shall be admitted to that kingdom. In order to enter the celestial a man must be true and faithful to the end, observing all things which the Lord has commanded, otherwise he shall be assigned to some other kingdom, or to outer darkness if his sins so merit" (Doctrines of Salvation 3:310). ... Is there a concept of hell in Mormonism? Yes and no. LDS Apostle John Widtsoe insisted there was no hell when he said, "In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is no hell. All will find a measure of salvation; all must pay for any infringement of the law; but the payment will be as the Lord may decide" (Joseph Smith, Seeker After Truth, p. 178). However, 10th LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: "The Church does teach that there is a place called hell. Of course we do not believe that all those who do not receive the gospel will eventually be cast into hell" (Answers to Gospel Questions 2:210). [article link]
-- Traveling with the prophet (Gordon B. Hinckley) - the Nauvoo Temple dedication - a standing Angel Moroni statue rather than a recumbent one as in the original temple - "I like it better" he said {So the LDS leadersprophets don't build their temples according to God's standards, and there is only one true Godly Temple - to be built in Jerusalem, they (LDS) build them and furnish them according to their own worldly standards and lusts. It is not a surprise that God is left out of even the LDS temple building decisions.} Gordon B. Hinckley was a master of the moment. - Hinckley clearly enjoyed bantering with reporters. At the Nauvoo Temple dedication, I asked why the church would spend millions to rebuild an exact replica of the structure destroyed in the 19th century, yet have a standing Angel Moroni statue rather than a recumbent one as in the original temple. "I like it better," he said without losing a beat. [article link]
-- Mormons Hope No One Is Watching - Gordon B. Hinckley (is he a drunk? - he is slurring his speech) mistakes Joseph Smith as "Jesus Smith" - (YouTube :35) {This is hilariously funny! No wonder all the official LDS stuff is staged. CAUTION some bad Language.} Mormons could not wait to get the Olympics to call attention to themselves. The great moment came and Pres. Hinckley took center stage..... well maybe it was not such a great idea. [article link]
-- Gordon B. Hinckley "I'm sooo Almost Excited about it" - Meaningless Gestures at the [yet another] Nauvoo LDS Temple dedication (YouTube 1:21) {Gordon B. Hinckley the prophet-president of boredom "I'm sooo Almost Excited about it"!!} Someone's (Gordon B. Hinckley) bitterness and cynicism spills out at the Nauvoo Temple ground breaking [article link]
-- MORmON Math by Gordon Hinckley (YouTube 1:56) {Most people wouldn't buy a used car from this slick salesman let alone a religion.} Does anyone suspect that Hinckley wants to hedge these numbers in THE (LDS) church's favor ..... or is some leader just not too bright.... or both! [article link]
-- The Prophets Joseph Smith & Brigham Young (YouTube 1:21) Brigham and Joseph show that the Glory of God is Intelligence - unfortunately the LDS Mormon cult is lacking in glory to God. [article link]
-- (LDS) Latter-day Credo - Pre-existence and the afterlife {Seems the LDS Mormons are particularly vague about what they actually believe and teach. This is the closest thing I could find to actual LDS afterlife doctrine.} Pre-existence and the afterlife: Before their mortal birth, humans existed in pre-mortality and were born in the spirit world to heavenly parents. Mormons also believe in the resurrection and teach that most people will
receive some measure of salvation and have a place in a three-level eternal kingdom. {The LDS Mormons also have some very vague concept of hell, yes they say there is a Mormon hell but no one goes there and if they do go there it is only for a short time not permanent like eternity.} [article link]
-- Arguably the (LDS) Church's most unusual teaching of all-the polytheistic doctrine that one day, righteous Mormons will become gods - the 5th prophet-president (Lorenzo Snow) of the (LDS) Church taught "As man now is, God once was. As God now is, man may become" {Mankind is in the 'image of God' (like the operating system software is the image of a computer; Linux, Windows, Mac) in order to interact and communicate with God if we did not have feelings, emotions, expression and language we could not interact with God. Also the Biblical word 'perfect' is the modern word 'complete' be complete in God. God does not call people to be perfect - sinless but to be righteous through Jesus.} He also confirmed what is arguably the Church's most unusual teaching of all-the polytheistic doctrine that one day, righteous Mormons will become gods and live with their families forever. As Boone explains, the fifth prophet of the Church taught, "As man now is, God once was. As God now is, man may become." Boone quotes chapter and verse from the Old and New Testaments to support the claim that Christianity was always intended to be polytheistic, with righteous human beings eventually becoming gods. "In the creation account in Genesis it says, 'Let us make man in our own image' ... and we believe that. I'm not sure about everybody else. When Christ was giving the Sermon on the Mount, he directed them 'to be perfect, even as their Father in heaven was perfect.' Well that's quite a charge. So most Christians would say and most Jews would say and most Muslims would say that we ought to be more God-like in our activities. So where do you draw the line. [article link]
-- 15th (LDS) prophet-president Hinckley's funeral set for Saturday - The funeral for LDS Church (prophet) President Gordon B. Hinckley is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. in Salt Lake City's LDS Conference Center While funerals for every president from Brigham Young on have taken place in the LDS Tabernacle, Hinckley's will be in the center to accommodate the expected crowds {Basic Christian is going to do a series on Mormon Death to see how the LDS practice it differently from the Bible. The Mormons treat death like a physical journey to a distant place very similar to the ancient Egyptians. In actuality now that Gordon B. Hinckley is dead he is either (a.) Having sex like a rabid teenager as an (LDS) Mormon god on his own distant planet. or (b.) Has been cast out of the presence of God and is burning in hell as an unsaved - unrepentant heretic.} The funeral for LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. in Salt Lake City's LDS Conference Center. While funerals for every president from Brigham Young on have taken place in the LDS Tabernacle, Hinckley's will be in the center to accommodate the expected crowds. The 97-year-old leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints died at his Salt Lake City home on Sunday at 7 p.m., surrounded by his children and other members of the governing First Presidency. Though many saw signs of decline in recent weeks, Hinckley continued to work until Wednesday. On Thursday, he simply couldn't get out of bed, family sources said, and by Saturday, loved ones had gathered to say goodbye. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has confirmed he will attend the funeral, as have Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Utah Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch. Other expected dignitaries, and the schedule of speakers, has yet to be determined, said Scott Trotter, LDS Church spokesman. People attending the funeral must be seated no later than 10:30 a.m., and seating will be restricted to 21,000 individuals. Overflow seating, with large screen viewing of the proceedings available, will be in the LDS Tabernacle, Assembly Hall and Conference Center Theater. [article link]
-- Hinckley's funeral set for Saturday - Hinckley's burial in Salt Lake Cemetery, beside his companion of 67 years, wife Marjorie, will immediately follow the funeral, which will last at least 90 minutes {Already the (LDS) Mormon weirdness begins! Is she his 'companion' first - into some afterlife? or is she his wife. The LDS propaganda and double speak is already occurring and also note the desire not to have the public ceremony in
the LDS Temple. I guess it is considered bad public relations to go anywhere near the LDS Temple and make no mistake the funeral of Gordon B. Hinckley is going to be used as yet another public relations ploy by the LDS.} KUTV will broadcast live coverage, as will KSL TV and radio and Brigham Young University's television station. The proceedings also will broadcast via satellite, and in 69 languages, to more than 6,000 LDS Church buildings across the globe. Between the funeral proceedings and the grave-side service, "In His Own Words," a program about the life and ministry of Hinckley, will be televised in the Conference Center, overflow venues, on BYU television and via satellite. Hinckley's burial in Salt Lake Cemetery, beside his companion of 67 years, wife Marjorie, will immediately follow the funeral, which will last at least 90 minutes. Public viewing of Hinckley's body is set for Thursday and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the LDS Church Administration Building, 47 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City. There will be a tent on the west side of the building where people can wait before walking indoors. Due to Hinckley's death, church officials announced that the dedication of the Rexburg Temple in Idaho, which had been scheduled for Sunday, will now take place on Feb. 10. [article link]
-- Thousands to attend viewing for LDS prophet (Gordon B. Hinckley) - Tickets for funeral will be handed out Saturday - Church employees were to be given the first chance to pay respects at the viewing - Visitors will have to pass through security checks, and cameras and other recording devices are not being allowed in the "Hall of the Prophets" area where President Hinckley's casket is The number of visitors expected at the viewing is drawn from the 1995 viewing for President Howard W. Hunter, who preceded President Hinckley. "For President Hunter, we had 60,000 visitors in one day," said church spokesman Mark Tuttle, ... Visitors will have to pass through security checks, and cameras and other recording devices are not being allowed in the "Hall of the Prophets" area where President Hinckley's casket is. ... Whether a significant number of visitors will travel long distances for the funeral or viewing is less certain. Some of the major hotels downtown, the two Marriott locations and the Grand America, said they have not seen any spike in the requests for rooms this weekend. Those who plan to attend either the viewing or the funeral are reminded that downtown parking is extremely limited - especially during weekday hours - with the recent demolition of both the ZCMI Center and Crossroads Plaza parking structures. [article link]
-- Joseph, Smith Mormon founder, 1st Mormon president, 1st Mormon prophet, 1st, 2nd and later 3rd LDS Mormon Temples {There can only be one Temple "throne of God" the Bible says the Temple of God is in Jerusalem, Israel. The Mormons say it is in, Kirtland, Ohio, and Independence, Missouri and Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm going with Jerusalem, Israel. ... Jeremiah 3:17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.} Under Smith's leadership & direction, the church's first temple was constructed in Kirtland. The work of building the Kirtland Temple was begun in 1833, and was completed by 1836. Around the time of its completion, many extraordinary events were reported: appearances by Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Elias, and numerous angels, speaking and singing in tongues, prophesying, and other spiritual experiences. However, the construction of the temple, in addition to other ventures of Smith's, left him and the (LDS) Church in deep debt. To raise money, Smith planned a banking institution, which was called the Kirtland Safety Society. The State of Ohio denied Smith a charter to legally operate a bank causing Smith to rename the company under the advice of non-Mormon legal counsel as 'The Kirkland AntiBanking Safety Society' and he continued to operate the bank and print notes. The bank collapsed after 21 days of operation in January. During this time, Smith and his associates were accused of illegal and unethical actions. In the wake of this bank failure, many Mormons, including prominent leaders who had backed the venture, became disaffected with Smith. Eventually, lawsuits and indictments against Smith and his banking partners became so severe that, on January 12, 1838, Smith and Rigdon left Kirtland by dark of night for the Far West settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri. At the time, there were at least $6,100 in civil suits outstanding against him in Chardon, Ohio courts, and an arrest warrant had
been issued for Smith on a charge of bank fraud. Those who continued to support Smith left Kirtland for Missouri shortly thereafter. Independence, Missouri was identified as "the center place" and the spot for building a temple. Smith first visited Independence in the summer of 1831, and a site was dedicated for the construction of the temple. Soon afterward, Mormon converts-most of them from the New England areabegan immigrating in large numbers to Independence and the surrounding area. [article link]
-- Brigham Young, 2nd Mormon president, 2nd Mormon prophet, of the Mormon (LDS) church - 1801-1877; died in Salt Lake City, 29 August, 1877 - Meanwhile much of his (Brigham Young) time was spent in Kirtland, where he was occupied in working on the Temple and in studying Hebrew {The LDS Mormons think they are both the true Christians and the true Jews even though the Bible always keeps both groups separate.} The territory of Utah was established on 9 September, 1850, and on 3 February, 1851, Young took the oath of office as its governor, commander-in-chief of the militia, and superintendent of Indian affairs, to which places he had been appointed by President Fillmore. ... Meanwhile the Federal judges were forced by threats of violence to leave Utah, and the laws of the United States were defied and subverted as early as 1850. Colonel Edward Steptoe was sent in 1854 to Utah as governor, with a battalion of soldiers; but he did not deem it, prudent to assume the office, and, after wintering in Salt Lake City, he formally resigned his post and went with his command to California. Most of the civil officers that were commissioned about the same time with Colonel Steptoe arrived in Utah a few months after he had departed, and were harassed and terrified like their predecessors. In February, 1856, a mob of armed Mormons, instigated by sermons from the heads of the (LDS) church, broke into the court-room of the United States district judge and compelled him to adjourn his court. Soon afterward all the United States officers, with the exception of the Indian agent, were forced to flee from the territory. These and other outrages determined President Buchanan to supersede Brigham Young in the office of governor, and to send to Utah a military force to protect the Federal officers. (See CUMMING, ALFRED, and JOHNSTON, ALBERT SIDNEY.) The affair terminated with the acceptance of a pardon by the Mormons, who on their part promised to submit to the Federal authority. ... Besides his office of president of the church, Young was grand archer of the order of Danites, a secret organization within the church, which was one of the chief sources of his absolute power, and whose members, it is claimed, committed many murders and other outrages by his orders. By organizing and directing the trade and industry of the community, he accumulated great wealth. His funeral was celebrated with impressive ceremonies, in which more than 30,000 persons participated. [article link]
Republican Discontent: Conservatives Dislike McCain, Mistrust Romney - GOP Contenders Fight for Nomination but Party Faithful Not Satisfied - "I haven't seen a leader in the entire Republican group" For the last year, conservative Republicans have been unhappy with the Republican field. But some pundits predicted that eventually the party would coalesce around someone. Now the field has been winnowed down largely to two candidates -- Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. Nevertheless, the discontent remains. ... And while Romney claims conservative credentials -- that assertion is undercut by his own record. "I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush," Romney said during his unsuccessful 1994 Senate bid against Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy. ... With dislike of McCain and distrust of Romney, some say only one candidate could unify and energize conservative voters: Hillary Clinton. But conservative activists warn the nominee ignores their concerns at his own peril. "Every time the Republican candidate has not had the enthusiastic support from the base of the Republican party they lose, no matter who the opponent is," said Richard Viguerie, a conservative activist and author. [article link]
Abuse of U.S. Muslim Women Is Greater Than Reported, Advocacy Groups Say - "I suspect it's happening a lot more than we think" says Hussain, who works with battered Muslim women at the Tahirih Justice Center in
Northern Virginia WASHINGTON - Two months into an arranged marriage, Fozia Sadiq, a young Pakistani immigrant, found herself trapped in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, with a violent husband. She says he routinely beat her and intimidated her into never going anywhere in public without him. "My neck had so many bruises, and I had scratches all over my arms," Sadiq told FOXNews.com through an interpreter. A practicing Muslim, Sadiq finally escaped in 2006, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. [article link]
Florida's Jeb Bush not involved in (Republican) presidential primary - As race travels to Florida, famous former governor sits it out {Jeb Bush like the rest of his deranged family likes to see America get on its knees and beg. Jeb Bush will not act until he has forced Americans to beg him to run for office. It's also been that way with George Bush Jr. he will not act on behalf of America or anyone w/o first making them pay in some way.} TAMPA, Fla. - He's the most prominent Republican name in Florida, but he might as well be the invisible man in the state's presidential primary. GOP hopefuls have been snapping up allies from former Gov. Jeb Bush's vaunted political machine in advance of Tuesday's crucial contest. But a question remains. Where's Jeb? "Well under the radar," said Kevin Wagner, a political science professor at Florida Atlantic University. ... Mr. Doster said many Florida Republicans would still like to see him run for national office in the future. ... The secondoldest of the four Bush brothers, Jeb was viewed as the one being groomed to follow father George Bush to national office. [article link]
The State of The Republican Race - Romney outspent him 10:1 in the ad war, but McCain still won a five point victory in the Sunshine state - More trouble for Romney: Far from being seen as the outsider/agent of change, now he's viewed as the status quo Republican, per the exit polling - The angry-with-Bush "change" vote gravitated toward McCain The winner-take-all aspect of McCain-friendly states like New York, New Jersey, Arizona and Connecticut makes a delegate battle tough for Romney. More trouble for Romney: Far from being seen as the outsider/agent of change, now he's viewed as the status quo Republican, per the exit polling. Voters who were happy with Bush and happy with the economy pulled the lever for Romney. The angry-with-Bush "change" vote gravitated toward McCain. This suggests Romney's sunny, optimistic ads about reviving the economy may have seemed out-to-lunch for GOP voters getting jittery about a recession. [article link]
BostonHerald.com: Big win for McCain! Romney for Senate? - What is best right now for the Republican Party is for the nasty attacks between McCain and Romney to end - Governor Romney should reevaluate his candidacy before looking foolish {It's over! Romney needs to go on with a Plan B for his life.} Last night was a huge win for John McCain! For all those pundits who said McCain cannot win a Republican only primary - you were wrong! So what is next? If you look at the winner take all states, McCain has a substantial lead. He will easily win New York (101 delegates), Connecticut (30 delegates), New Jersey (52 delegates) and Arizona (53 delegates). Many of the other states are proportional in delegate selection and the race between McCain and Romney is competitive. Therefore, Romney will not be able to pick up big chunks of delegates to stop McCain. My prediction is that McCain will be the Republican nominee next Wednesday. Moreover, Rudy Giuliani will be the Attorney General. What is best right now for the Republican Party is for the nasty attacks between McCain and Romney to end. Governor Romney should reevaluate his candidacy before looking foolish. Wouldn't his millions be better spent taking on John Kerry and winning? ... I don't think he can appeal to Massachusetts after this campaign. He'd be better off moving out to Nevada where has a following and going after Harry Reid's seat in 2010. [article link]
Is Romney Fighting the Last (Political) War? - he was the only Republican candidate who seemed to be on the right side of nearly every issue for the plurality of the old GOP coalition - And yet, his candidacy sputtered {Mitt sputtered due to a serious lack of credibility among voters. Mitt Romney is Gov. Big Dig the pro-choice, taxraising, liberal-agenda pushing, fiscally irresponsible ex-Governor of Massachusetts. People do not want Gov. Big Dig to become President Big Dig. ... The conservative Republican base still exists it is true conservative Republican candidates that don't exist.} From the start, Mitt Romney had a clear strategy for winning the White House. He would run as the candidate of the ideological establishment, the Republican old-guard, the coalition of Ronald Reagan, with that threelegged stool of social, fiscal and national security conservatism. He would become the inside man in a presidential field filled with outsiders. So Romney played in nearly every early straw poll, and pandered to each conservative demographic. He joined the NRA. He talked tough on illegal immigrants, and became a crusader against gay marriage. "Strength" was his watchword. With an impressive gallery of high-profile endorsements, he was the only Republican candidate who seemed to be on the right side of nearly every issue for the plurality of the old GOP coalition. And yet, his candidacy sputtered. His narrow loss Tuesday to John McCain in Florida was just the latest in a series of disappointments that began in Iowa and New Hampshire, two states where he had outspent his rivals and once led in the polls. His failures have many causes, which will be raked over by historians. But they also suggest a broader shift: Romney may be running to lead a Republican Party that no longer exists. [article link]
Super Tuesday: 'It's the economy, stupid' - Primary states lost 1.5 million manufacturing jobs under Bush {The Bush - Mitt Romney team outsourced America. Now they want our support, I don't think so!} The 24 states holding primaries in next week's Super Tuesday have lost 1,568,600 manufacturing jobs in the seven years since President Bush took office, according to statistics provided WND by the Alliance for American Manufacturing, or AAM. "In the Super Tuesday states, "It's the economy, stupid,' is what voting is going to be all about," Kerri Houston, senior analyst at AAM, told WND. "It's also about 'It's the defense, stupid," Houston said, "given how many U.S. defense suppliers have now been outsourced overseas." "The Department of Defense now has graveyards full of broken-down equipment, including tanks, airplanes and missile launchers that are out of action for lack of a part," she continued. ... "Republicans who have opposed unions for decades don't want to talk about outsourcing as a problem, because they are afraid the unions would come back if the jobs came back, and the Republicans are happy to see Democrats denied campaign contributions that would be coming out of union dues," Houston emphasized. "But when the military can't find steel, tires or metal parts, and military procurement demands the Department of Defense look for a U.S. manufacturer, we're out of luck," she said. "The part the military needs may today only be made in China." According to AAM data, the 24 Super Tuesday states have lost 914,400 jobs across all sectors to China alone while Bush has been in office. [article link]
Half (or more likely 90%) of gold in central banks is gone? - Watchdog: 'We want to expose and stop the manipulation' - "Most observers calculate central bank reserves are supposed to have about 30,000 tons of gold worldwide in their vaults, but we believe the amount of gold actually there may be more like 15,000 tons," Murphy said "The rest of the gold is gone" {It is in private bank holdings i.e. the Nazi Bush family has helped themselves to the nation's wealth. Now gold is just another manipulated market. The Bush rich will get richer selling gold that doesn't exist while the working middle-class will suddenly get poorer when the rug is pulled out from under the gold market.} "We want to expose and stop the manipulation of the gold market by the United States Treasury and Federal Reserve right now," Murphy said. "The purpose of this ad is to wake people up in the investment world as to what is going on behind the scenes in the U.S. gold and financial markets," Murphy told WND. He explained GATA has decided to pay the Wall Street Journal $264,000 for a one-time placement of the full page ad in the national edition because the financial press has not covered the story. "We have had two major international
conferences since 2001; the mainstream financial press has blackballed our message," Murphy explained. "Anybody Seen Our Gold?" the ad is titled, charging U.S. gold reserves held at depositories such as Fort Knox or West Point may have been seriously depleted as they are shipped overseas to settle complex transactions utilized by the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury to suppress prices. GATA further charges the U.S. government strategy to manipulate the price of gold has begun to fail. "The objective of this manipulation is to conceal the mismanagement of the U.S. dollar so that it might retain its function as the world's reserve currency," the ad copy reads. [article link]
Romney to attend Mormon (puppet master) leader's funeral - Romney recalled that he met with Hinckley three or four times to discuss planning for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and once before Romney decided to run for president - He said he was not particularly close to Hinckley WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Mitt Romney, who rarely talks on the campaign trail about his Mormon faith, said today that he plans to attend the funeral of Gordon B. Hinckley, the church president who died yesterday at age 97 in Salt Lake City. At a news conference called in part to discuss Hinckley's death, Romney recalled that he met with Hinckley three or four times to discuss planning for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and once before Romney decided to run for president. ... Romney said he did know Hinckley personally until he took over the leadership of the Winter Olympics and the two met to discuss the use of church assets, such as property next to the ski jump facility. Some of his requests were approved, others were denied, Romney said. ... Romney did not mention meeting with Hinckley to discuss his run for the presidency until a reporter asked him about it. ... He said he was not particularly close to Hinckley. [article link]
Ten Examples Of Lies Told By Gordon B. Hinckley - In the Larry King Interveiw - Example 7: When asked about the church and politics, Hinckley tells King, "The church does not become involved in politics" {10 plus Lies in only one, one hour interview that's amazing.} Example 1: When asked by King about the church's annual income being $5.9 billion, Hinckley responded, "Well, I don't know about that figure, but we get along." As the senior officer of the LDS church, with its many holdings, combined with tithing from thousands of members (or tens of thousands), it is unimaginable that Hinckley would not know whether $5.9 billion was the figure for church annual income or not. ... Example 9: When asked by King about the LDS church telling Catholics (for example) to leave their church and faith and become a Mormon, Hinckley said, "I say this to other people: you develop all the good you can. We have no animosity toward any other church. We do not oppose other churches. We never speak negatively of other churches. [article link]
Bush praises Hinckley's 'friendship and wisdom' - In 2004, Bush presented Hinckley with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civil award, in recognition of his lifelong public service {What kind of 'public service' did LDS cult leader Gordon B. Hinckley do? The bigger the fraud the bigger the Bush approval.} "He was a tireless worker and a talented communicator who was respected in his community and beloved by his congregation," Bush said. "Laura and I will miss Gordon's friendship and wisdom. ... In 2004, Bush presented Hinckley with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civil award, in recognition of his lifelong public service. GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney, who is Mormon, said in Florida he would take time off from campaigning to attend Hinckley's services. ... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat and a Mormon, called Hinckley a "phenomenal builder" for his focus on constructing new temples across the globe and new ward houses for worshipers. [article link]
Just released! "Late Great USA" DVD, a companion to the best-selling Jerome Corsi book! - The North American Union would not just be the end of America as we know it, but the beginning of an EU-like nightmare - a
bureaucratic coup d'etat foisted upon millions of American citizens without their knowledge or consent (DVD) In 2005, during a meeting in Waco, Texas, the leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada announced the establishment of the innocuous-sounding "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America," an announcement that was never submitted to Congress.Why? In this video, WND author Jerome Corsi offers convincing evidence the Security and Prosperity Partnership is laying the groundwork for the unthinkable - a merger of the U.S., Mexico and Canada into a European Union-type "North American Union," complete with a shared judiciary, open borders and a new currency designed to replace the dollar - the amero. In his New York Times bestseller "The Late Great USA: The Coming Merger with Mexico and Canada," Corsi showed how a bureaucratically entrenched army of "world citizens" is working tirelessly toward this EU-like merger. In the brave new world they envision, the U.S. will no longer be a sovereign nation, but a market designed for maximum economic exploitation by multinational corporations and foreign governments, regardless what American citizens want. [article link]
CuttingEdge.org - Video Viewing Room (Online Video) View Samples of several of our DVDs here. These videos are included here with permission of the copyright holders and cannot be posted on other web sites or used in any way without permission of the copyright holders of each publication. [article link]
Stocks as Good as Gold - The reality, though, is that regardless of the allure of gold in down times, the longterm performance of gold lags stocks by a significant margin - But investors don't need to give up the shiny lure of stability to earn better returns in stocks -- there are stocks out there that are as good as gold - In fact, many are even better than gold {The promise of $1,000 Gold could easily be a TRAP stay out of it if you can. The Bush-Yale Money Managers (MM's) are viciously out to rob from the middle class investor. If the RINO Bush people didn't ruin you with a bad housing market, high oil prices, a bad stock market or by giving your job and your taxes to foreigners, a Gold Trap is also within their ability.} Even at the mention of gold, ideas of value, stability, and growth immediately pop into my head. This is largely thanks to the decades that the precious metal has been marketed as an attractive investment and a great way to hedge inflation, recession, and almost every other economic bogeyman. The reality, though, is that regardless of the allure of gold in down times, the long-term performance of gold lags stocks by a significant margin. But investors don't need to give up the shiny lure of stability to earn better returns in stocks -- there are stocks out there that are as good as gold. In fact, many are even better than gold. [article link]
LONG ago and far away, I was a student of law and of economics at Yale - Note what is happening here: They are not figuring out which way the (stock) market will go - They are making the (stock) market go the direction they want So when you see the market gyrating wildly downward and hear some pundit saying it's because of this or that data or this paradigm or that ratio, remember trader realism. The traders move the market any way they want, any way they think they can make money, and then they whisper a reason to journalists later in the day. Then the journalists print it or say it on television, and the amateurs believe it. And the traders snicker. These traders, not economists or securities analysts, can turn the world upside down, make governments tremble, give central bankers colitis and ruin the lives of ordinary men and women saving for their children's college education or their own retirement. In America today, it is the traders, not the politicians or the generals or the corporate bosses, who have the power. This is what has become of the America of Thomas Jefferson. Lucky for the traders. Sad for the rest of us. And one thing's for sure: With the traders running things, it won't be a good time for amateurs until the traders cry "Switch!" and the market starts to rise. [article link]
Princess Diana Feared Dodi's Father Was Spying on Her - The princess believed the yacht she and Dodi Fayed were vacationing aboard had been bugged by Dodi's father, Mohammed Al Fayed LONDON - Princess Diana feared her boyfriend's father was spying on her as the couple took a luxurious Mediterranean cruise, Diana's sister said Monday. The princess believed the yacht she and Dodi Fayed were vacationing aboard had been bugged by Dodi's father, Mohammed Al Fayed, her sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale told an inquest investigating Diana and Dodi's deaths. "She thought the boat was being bugged by Mr. Al Fayed senior," ... Earlier Monday, a British detective said a box allegedly containing letters addressed to the princess from Philip (Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband) remains missing. Acting Detective Inspector Roger Milburn said the whereabouts of the box, which he said contained correspondence between the two, remained "an unanswered question." McCorquodale also said she had no idea where the letters had gone. [article link]
Why Kennedy's Endorsement Matters - I also think it reflects Kennedy's belief that Obama will ultimately serve the liberal cause better than Clinton could - And given that Kennedy has seen both presidential contenders up close, as Brian Beutler notes, that judgment has meaning But it's not clear how Kennedy stands to gain politically by antagonizing Clinton, who remains the presumptive front-runner. Nor is there evidence of personal animus between the two. On the contrary, every account I've ever heard suggests Kennedy has a high regard for Clinton, going back to her days as First Lady. So my hunch - and, to be clear, it's just a hunch -- is that this is mostly the real thing. It may reflect Kennedy's anger over the recent campaign tactics, about which Kennedy apparently complained directly to the Clintons. It may reflect Kennedy's sense that Obama has tapped into the same idealism that JFK once did -- a feeling the former president's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, wrote about in her own Obama endorsement on the Times op-ed page yesterday. But I also think it reflects Kennedy's belief that Obama will ultimately serve the liberal cause better than Clinton could. And given that Kennedy has seen both presidential contenders up close, as Brian Beutler notes, that judgment has meaning. Naturally, Kennedy's endorsement carries some risk, too. What will all those Republicans thinking about supporting Obama -- the Obamicans, as he has started calling them -- say when they see Kennedy embracing him? Then again, I bet that's a problem Clinton wishes she had today. [article link]
The Exodus Revealed: Search for the Red Sea Crossing (DVD) This DVD follows the footsteps of the children of Israel in an unforgettable journey of discovery. A journey that reveals physical evidence for the Exodus including: the remains of 3800 year old Hebrew settlements in Egypt's Nile Delta, Egyptian records of the Israelite's bondage under Pharaoh; the precise route they may have followed to freedom; their crossing site on shore of the Red Sea; and the location of Mt. Sinai. This DVD brings to light the first significant archaeological "find" of the 21st century. Approx. 3 hours. DVD Extra Features: Who Was the Pharaoh of the Exodus? Where Are the Ten Commandments? From Egypt to Mt. Sinai - Cecil B. DeMille's Exodus. Timeline from Joseph to the Birth of Jesus Christ - Director's Cut [article link]
Michael Rood - A ROOD Awakening - The cities of Sodom & Gomorrah located - The (Tammuz) PaganChristian Connection Exposed (Book & DVD combo) Author Michael Rood is a bearded Israeli who dresses in the sandals, head covering, tunic and robe from an ancient time and distant place. But don't let the authentic attire and humble introduction disarm you, for in the next split second, Michael shifts into high gear, grabs you by the hand, leads you on a journey back through your Bible, shakes you to the foundations of your soul, and changes you forever. What can a Jewish scholar and theologian teach a Christian about Christianity? Plenty! Michael Rood proves God's power with hold-in-yourhand evidence. He explodes the long held Christian traditions of Christmas, Easter, and Lent. He uses the Bible to lead us back to irrefutable truths from the Word of God. [article link]
Bethany Bible Church - Mp3 Sermon Messages - Online - Downloads Pastor Dave's messages are relevant, informative, scriptural and God-inspired. He keeps his messages firmly rooted in the Bible, and applicable to living life day to day in the 21st Century. Give them a listen and hear for yourself. You have a choice of messages recorded in the Sanctuary service or the Chapel service. You also have the following choices for listening to the messages: [article link]
NASA photo analyst: Bush wore a device during 2004 debate - Nelson stresses that he's not certain what lies beneath the president's jacket. He offers, though, "that it could be some type of electronic device -- it's consistent with the appearance of an electronic device worn in that manner" {If these politicians had a true stand they wouldn't need coaching during their debates. Because they are liberal RINO politicians pretending to be conservatives they need all the help they can get to pull off their public deceptions.} Oct 29, 2004 | George W. Bush tried to laugh off the bulge. "I don't know what that is," he said on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, referring to the infamous protrusion beneath his jacket during the presidential debates. "I'm embarrassed to say it's a poorly tailored shirt." Dr. Robert M. Nelson, however, was not laughing. He knew the president was not telling the truth. And Nelson is neither conspiracy theorist nor midnight blogger. He's a senior research scientist for NASA and for Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and an international authority on image analysis. Currently he's engrossed in analyzing digital photos of Saturn's moon Titan, determining its shape, whether it contains craters or canyons. For the past week, while at home, using his own computers, and off the clock at Caltech and NASA, Nelson has been analyzing images of the president's back during the debates. A professional physicist and photo analyst for more than 30 years, he speaks earnestly and thoughtfully about his subject. "I am willing to stake my scientific reputation to the statement that Bush was wearing something under his jacket during the debate," he says. "This is not about a bad suit. And there's no way the bulge can be described as a wrinkled shirt." ... Nelson stresses that he's not certain what lies beneath the president's jacket. He offers, though, "that it could be some type of electronic device -- it's consistent with the appearance of an electronic device worn in that manner." The image of lines coursing up and down the president's back, Nelson adds, is "consistent with a wire or a tube." [article link]
The Romney Whisper Mystery - the whisper-assist to Romney in last night's debate - The fact that their is a second whisper "support" heard in another question shows that he was indeed cheating We're linking to this over on the Video Feed too, but I just couldn't pass up a chance to weigh in on the whisper-assist to Romney in last night's debate. Tim Russert is asking Romney whether he'd do what Reagan did to solidify Social Security. Romney looks a little non-plussed until there's an audible whisper from somewhere "…raised taxes," after which Romney immediately starts in "I'm not going to raise taxes..." ... The fact that their is a second whisper "support" heard in another question shows that he was indeed cheating so sad that our great country is now under control of a corrupt few! [article link]
Strange Whisper Before Romney Answer Perplexes Debate Viewers - The Romney campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment from FOX News Right before Romney answered, somebody seemed to whisper: "He raised taxes." And then Romney responded, as if taking the cue, "I'm not going to raise taxes." So where did the whisper come from? ... Web site The Raw Story wrote in a brief article about the incident Friday that some are accusing Romney of "shenanigans" - like waiting for a prompt before answering the question. The Romney campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment from FOX News. Jeremy Gaines, a spokesman for debate sponsor MSNBC, said in an e-mail to FOXNews.com, "We heard the same thing you heard. There was obviously an open mike which picked up the whisper, but we have no way of knowing who did the whispering." The whispers about the whisper are reminiscent of the Internet speculation in 2004 over whether George W. Bush was wearing a wire during a debate, after photos showed what appeared to be an unusual bulge on his back. Bush denied he was
getting a feed from his aides, and laughed off the rumors. [article link]
SCRIPTED MITT ROMNEY AT THE MSNBC FLORIDA DEBATE!!! - I have to conclude Romney is getting fed answers - The media needs to be all over this (YouTube 10 sec) stevizal-NBC has UPDATED since then and Brian Williams wrote in his blog, he heard the "whisper" and does not know from where it came, but it wasn't from him whispering to Russert. Open mike was the first propaganda - but people weren't believing it - so they changed to "do not know" another lie. [article link]
Romney, Like George W. Bush, Using a Wire - The sound of Romney's prompter (debate aide - audio prompt) was in the original broadcast - MSNBC even blogged about it, but has since removed the post The sound of Romney's prompter was in the original broadcast. MSNBC even blogged about it, but has since removed the post. And to get busted on "Don't Raise Taxes" which is the answer regardless of the question! Would be funny if it weren't so tragic that not even his opponents will mention it. Are they cheating too? The media wouldn't mention Bush's cheating - can we force them to mention Romney's (which will, of course, bring up Bush's cheating)? Please contact the media. If there's another explanation, MSNBC knows what it is. There is the possibility that Tim Russert cheats. Could that be part of the explanation for the media's resistance to calling out cheating candidates? [article link]
Abortion issue will decide if party belongs to Rudy (RINO) or Reagan - it marks either the beginning of the end of the Giuliani campaign - or the beginning of the end of the Party of Ronald Reagan {What truly is at issue in the 2008 Republican Party is if the party is going to be liberal (RINO) or conservative. Bush is all about the RINO party and actually seems to want to destroy forever the conservative side of the Republican Party. The Bush supported Mitt Romney is a Bush 'false flag' operation (pretending to be on one side yet actually being on the other) in that Romney is as RINO as they come - Romney bragged on several occasions that he was more liberal than Sen. Ted Kennedy.} "After months of conflicting signals on abortion, Rudolph W. Giuliani is planning to offer a forthright affirmation of his support for abortion rights in public forums, television appearances and interviews in coming days," writes The New York Times. If true, it marks either the beginning of the end of the Giuliani campaign - or the beginning of the end of the Party of Ronald Reagan. For Reagan's party was a pro-life party. Life defined the man. Life defined the movement he led. It was Reagan who insisted that his speechwriters include mention of the life issue in every State of the Union. At one lunch with senior staff, Reagan choked up as he read a letter from a woman who said she daily thanked God she had not had an abortion 45 years before, as she had considered doing, as now the son she had borne was taking care of her in her old age. Since Reagan, whatever GOP nominees have believed privately, they ran as pro-life . If Rudy were to be nominated as a pro-choice Republican, millions would stay home or vote third party. For it was the life issue that brought them into the party, or kept them there when they disagreed with the party on almost everything else. [article link]
Microsoft partners get Vista successor - Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista - The new Microsoft operating system - that has now been moved up a few months to second-half 2009 {Looks like most people and businesses can stay with XP to skip Vista and wait for windows 7 if you are not on Linux or a Mac by then.} Industry sources have confirmed the shipment to "key partners" of an early version of Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista. The new Microsoft operating system was previously code named Blackcomb Vienna and is likely to be introduced in the second half of 2009. The version will be a "Milestone 1" (M1) edition for validation purposes only; two more Milestone builds are expected before the public Beta release. Microsoft's roadmap for release had slated 2010 for the debut; that has now been moved up a few months to second-half 2009. ... It will become clearer when Windows 7 will be going into production when Microsoft
announces its Windows Logo Program Changes for the software; at present there is little information available on Vista's replacement [article link]
Christian author has problem with conservatives {Both offended and offending Christians are the weaker Christians. Do not focus your faith walk on other people. Mature, strong Spiritual Christians focus on Jesus and His grace. There is only One Body of Jesus Christ the (Church) to distain a fellow Christian is to distain a fellow brother and a child of God. If the liberal left hand of the Church body pokes out the conservative right eye of the Church body it is the same body of Christ that is injured.} ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- Donald Miller still loves God and Jesus. Don't misunderstand him. Five years after he wrote "Blue Like Jazz," Donald Miller's book on Christianity becomes a hit. His problem is with Christianity, at least how it's often practiced. "It's a dangerous term so I try to avoid it," said Miller, who considered giving up his career as a Christian writer and leaving the church in 2003 because he couldn't attend services without getting angry. For him, the word conjured up conservative politics, suburban consumerism and an "insensitivity to people who aren't like us." To quell his rage, he sat in his boxer shorts and banged out a memoir of his experiences with God, stripped of the trappings of religion. ... Then five years later, spurred by a grass-roots movement of 20-something Christians longing to connect to God without ties to the religious right, the book became a sudden hit. Fans were buying caseloads and passing out copies to friends. It peaked at No. 18 on The New York Times list of best-sellers among paperback nonfiction in November. He was mobbed by fans after a recent Young Life conference in Orlando where he addressed a crowd of roughly 4,000. Christians tired of the "life is perfect" mantra of some churches, revel in his ability to talk unashamedly about smoking pot, living in a hippie commune and the notion that God isn't a Republican. Supporters say Miller's authentic, graceful approach to God has finally given a voice to their brand of Christianity. The book also debuted at a time when the emerging church movement -- which emphasizes the individual's faith experience and varied worship styles -- is flourishing, signaling a fertile audience for such religious musings among more socially liberal evangelicals. [article link]
Rock and Roll Sorcerers of the New Age Revolution - The one that started it all - the original 1992 video expose - A four-hour live seminar given at Hermosa Beach California - Because of the live format - this DVD remains a favorite (DVD) This video seminar is the most comprehensive music documentary exposing the Satanic influence behind yesterday and today's secular music. It contains irrefutable evidence that demonic beings are leading the world to destruction in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Don't miss out on the opportunity to own your own copy of this eye opening exposé which is sure to convince even the hardest of skeptics! [article link]
Deputy Coroner Stole Gift Cards From Dead Woman - A deputy coroner has been arrested on accusations she stole gift cards from the body of a woman - Investigators have recovered evidence, including tapes of (her) using the gift cards at local stores AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A deputy coroner has been arrested on accusations she stole gift cards from the body of a woman who had committed suicide. Investigators arrested Richmond County Deputy Coroner Charlena Graham on Wednesday. She has been charged with a felony count of theft by taking. Graham, 43, has also been fired from the coroner's office, where she worked for about four years, officials said. ... Shortly after, all personal items from woman were turned over to Graham, including five gift cards for Macy's, Target, Victoria's Secret and a local steak house, according to Richmond County Sheriff Ronnie Strength. Authorities later learned from family members of the deceased woman that some gift cards might have been missing, Strength said. Sheriff's Lt. Jack Francisco said the total value of the gift cards was about $400. "I'm surprised, but not shocked," he told the Augusta Chronicle. Investigators have recovered evidence, including tapes of Graham using the gift cards at local stores, Sheriff Strength said. [article link]
Microsoft ponders offline profiling of Web users - Microsoft Corp. is developing a method of using personal data such as credit-card information to target Internet users with advertising once they connect to the Web {Microsoft has engaged in this activity for a long time. Vista and XP SP3 are just Microsoft spyware platforms. Microsoft is unable to keep other virus programs from infecting their computer operating systems because Microsoft software is itself basically one gigantic virus. There is no personal privacy on the internet, on your work computer, or even on your own home personal computer.} SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Microsoft Corp. is developing a method of using personal data such as credit-card information to target Internet users with advertising once they connect to the Web, according to a patent application filed by the company. In an application disclosed earlier this month, a Microsoft team including Chairman Bill Gates presents a method of collecting information about users' "cell phones, geolocation systems, credit-card information" and other data sources to select and display "targeted advertising." The technology described in the patent application touches on a delicate issue for Microsoft and other online companies such as Google Inc. [article link]
How RFID works (YouTube 2:31) The actual RFID tag is shaped in a Nazi Iron cross and a swastaka. ... doen anybody notice how it makes a swastaka symbol on (frame) 1:15 in the video. [article link]
RFID, The Good, Bad & Ugly (YouTube 3:40) ROBTV report on Radio Frequency Identification. [article link]
f2a.org: Radio Show Archives January 18 - Guests: co-author of Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID (FREE Mp3's) Faith2Action Radio Program Archive: Listen to some of the most brilliant minds (our guests) and most effective organizations on the side of faith and family. List of Radio Stations that air our daily radio program: For our internet listeners, in any event where there is a problem with the site or live streaming, here are two alternative sources to hear the program live on weekdays at 2 PM ET: (www.vcyamerica.org) (www.reachfm.org) Our most recent broadcasts: [article link]
STRANGE DAYS - Chronicles of the End of the Age - Tiny radio frequency identification, or RDIF, tags similar to VeriChip have been embedded in livestock and pets in the millions in recent years as a more secure form of identification than external tags For over two years we have been covering the moves of Applied Digital Solutions' VeriChip implants, and it looks that what we at first surmised is turning into reality. I remember how ADS, when news first broke out, denied forcefully that their "invention" was to be implanted into people. I personally sent them an e-mail (over two years ago) to ask them this very question and they were in total denial. Well, it turns out that they were lying through their teeth since they ARE now indeed implanting it into human beings. So much for truth and honesty. ... The Food and Drug Administration has cleared the way for a Florida company to market implantable chips that would provide easy access to individual medical records. The approval, which the company announced yesterday, is expected to bring to public attention a simmering debate over a technology that has evoked Orwellian overtones for privacy advocates and fueled fears of widespread tracking of people with implanted radio frequency tags, even though that ability does not yet exist. ... Tiny radio frequency identification, or RDIF, tags similar to VeriChip have been embedded in livestock and pets in the millions in recent years as a more secure form of identification than external tags. But no device maker has yet been able to create a market for human implantable tags like VeriChip, which are the size of a grain of rice and are
inserted under the skin of the arm or hand with a syringe. [article link]
California outlaws the forced subdermal RFID tagging of humans - the bill (SB 362) called forced RFID tagging the "the ultimate invasion of privacy" Worrying that your employer will force you to stick a small chip beneath your skin ranks low on the list of employee concerns in most parts of the country, but that didn't stop the state of California from passing a bill last week to ban such forced tagging of humans. The state senator who sponsored the bill called forced RFID tagging the "the ultimate invasion of privacy," and his bill is now on its way to the governor's desk for his signature. ... "I think it's unfortunate and regrettable that the industry hasn't come out in support of SB 362," he said in a statement after the bill passed the Senate. "I understand why we're having a robust debate about the privacy concerns related to RFID, but at the very least, we should be able to agree that the forced implanting of under-the-skin technology into human beings is just plain wrong. I'm deeply concerned that this isn't a given for the industry." [article link]
{Flashback} Hold Off on That Chip, Says Thompson Ex-Bush Cabinet Officer in No Rush for Implant WASHINGTON - When former Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson joined the board of directors of a company promoting the broad implantation of microchips into Americans for identification purposes, he pledged to get chipped himself as an example. But Thompson doesn't appear to be in any hurry to get the implant. ... But when authors Liz McIntyre and Katherine Albrecht, who researched human chipping for their book "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID," contacted VeriChip Corp. earlier this month, they were told that the chipping never took place. VeriChip spokesman John Procter said Thompson has been "too busy" to undergo the chipping procedure, adding that he had no clear plans to do so in the future. "I wouldn't put any type of time line on it," Procter said. [article link]
TCS expands relationship with Microsoft to deliver (radio frequency identification) RFID [Tracking Devices] - to deliver RFID solutions to global companies - its RFID solution accelerator for re-usable asset tracking, built using Microsoft BizTalk RFID At the RFID Journal Live 2007 conference in Orlando, TCS' RFID practice experts will demonstrate its RFID solution accelerator for re-usable asset tracking, built using Microsoft BizTalk RFID. TCS is uniquely positioned to deliver RFID solutions seamlessly to any location worldwide through its Global Network Delivery Model™. TCS' RFID practice group is staffed by core RFID technology experts and industry consultants. It offers solutions and services that cover the full spectrum of RFID deployment including business consulting, architecture design, radio frequency equipment selection and installation, software development and implementation, systems integration, and maintenance. ... In 2003 TCS announced the establishment of a dedicated RFID practice to build technical competence and create assets around RFID solutions. Additionally, in June 2005 TCS launched its RFID Technology Center in Chicago , Illinois, to provide consulting services and solutions to enterprises pursuing business strategies that capitalize on RFID. [article link]
French bank Societe Generale said Thursday it has uncovered a $7.14 billion fraud - one of history's biggest by a single futures trader who fooled investors and overstepped his authority - It said a trader at the futures desk had misled investors in 2007 and 2008 through a "scheme of elaborate fictitious transactions" PARIS (AP) -- French bank Societe Generale said Thursday it has uncovered a $7.14 billion fraud - one of history's biggest - by a single futures trader who fooled investors and overstepped his authority. The fraud destabilized a major bank already exposed to the subprime crisis. France's second- largest bank by market value said it would be forced to seek $8.02 billion in new capital. Trading in Societe Generale's shares, which
have lost nearly half their value over the past six months, was suspended on the Paris bourse. It was unclear when trading would resume. The bank said it detected the fraud at its French markets division the weekend of Jan. 19-20. In a statement announcing the discovery, it called the fraud "exceptional in its size and nature." It said a trader at the futures desk had misled investors in 2007 and 2008 through a "scheme of elaborate fictitious transactions." The trader, who was not named, used his knowledge of the group's security systems to conceal his fraudulent positions, a statement from the bank said. The individual confessed to the fraud, the bank said, and was being dismissed. His supervisors were to leave the group. Chief Executive Daniel Bouton offered his resignation, but the board rejected it. [article link]
{Flashback} Romney Fund-Raiser Resigns - Mr. Fabian, who had been one of 35 co-chairs on Mr. Romney's national finance committee, allegedly ran up $32 million in fake purchases with his consulting company previously served as a major fundraiser for George W. Bush AMES, Iowa-A top fund-raiser for Mitt Romney who was indicted this week in Maryland on a $32 million fraud scheme has resigned from his position with the campaign as a national finance committee co-chair, a spokesman for Mr. Romney said. A federal grand jury in Maryland unsealed its 23-count indictment of the fund-raiser, Alan B. Fabian, 43, on Thursday for money laundering, mail fraud, bankruptcy fraud, perjury and obstruction of justice. Mr. Fabian, who had been one of 35 co-chairs on Mr. Romney's national finance committee, allegedly ran up $32 million in fake purchases with his consulting company, Maximus Inc., based in northern Virginia, and pocketed the money for himself. He became a "bundler," one of those who commit to bringing in large sums through their own networks of donors, for Mr. Romney's campaign back in January, having previously served as a major fundraiser for George W. Bush. [article link]
McCain, Romney grab reins of California's GOP voters - "It's a tug-of-war between the moderate wing and the strong conservative wing, with Romney the favorite of the conservatives and McCain the favorite of the moderates" {When an ultra-liberal, say anything politician like Mitt Romney becomes the hope of the conservatives in the Republican Party, the Republican Party is a lost cause for conservatives. Why not just vote for Jane Fonda? On paper you couldn't find a difference between Jane Fonda or Mitt Romney, besides the liberal McCain is probably actually more conservative than the squirrely Mitt Romney.} "I've never seen such an unsettled field two weeks before an election, at least in a presidential primary," Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo said. The poll shows a sharp ideological split among Republicans considered likely to vote in the primary. "It's a tug-of-war between the moderate wing and the strong conservative wing, with Romney the favorite of the conservatives and McCain the favorite of the moderates," DiCamillo said. Republicans who describe themselves as "strongly conservative" support Romney over McCain, 26% to 16%. Republicans who describe themselves as "moderately conservative," "moderate" or "liberal" favor McCain over Romney, 27% to 9%. [article link]
Exxon guns for all-time profit record - again - With oil prices having recently crossed the $100 a barrel threshold - "For every $1 increase in the price of oil, Exxon makes another $125 million for the quarter" {When the Arabs up the price of oil from the middle-east it doesn't cost Exxon any more to pump and refine their oil so it is all profit for Exxon. Instead of holding the line for America and selling their N.A. oil at their price level they sell it for the most they can. Oil in the middle-east costs about $2-$5 to explore and pump per barrel while Exxon oil might be about $20 per barrel in costs, all the rest to $100 per barrel is pure profit for the oil companies.} NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Exxon Mobil, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, is within striking distance of setting an all-time profit record - again. Analysts are expecting the company to post solid quarterly and full-year earnings next Thursday - and if the results top forecasts, Exxon (XOM, Fortune 500) could end up reporting the highest profit ever for a U.S. company. With oil prices having recently crossed the $100 a barrel
threshold, it comes as no surprise that Exxon is a whisker away from setting a new milestone. "Exxon is likely to have record quarterly earnings," said Fadel Gheit, a senior energy analyst at Oppenheimer. "For every $1 [increase] in the price of oil, Exxon makes [another] $125 million for the quarter." [article link]
Baghdad, Al-Anbar Attacks Leave 2 U.S. Soldiers Dead - A total of 3,926 U.S. military personnel have died in Iraq, of whom 3,194 were killed in action. More than 28,900 have been wounded, 12,942 of them so seriously that they couldn't return to duty, according to figures on the Department of Defense Web site Jan. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Two U.S. soldiers died in attacks in Iraq's western province of al-Anbar and Baghdad's Arab Jabour, a suburb where American forces have carried out air strikes against suspected al-Qaeda positions during a nationwide operation. A roadside bomb killed the soldier in Arab Jabour. The other soldier died while fighting in al-Anbar. Both incidents took place on Jan. 19, the U.S. military said today in separate e- mailed statements. Further details weren't available. ... A total of 3,926 U.S. military personnel have died in Iraq, of whom 3,194 were killed in action. More than 28,900 have been wounded, 12,942 of them so seriously that they couldn't return to duty, according to figures on the Department of Defense Web site. [article link]
Top US (Bush) officials declared war on truth when it came to Iraq: report - in the run-up to the Iraq war, lying 935 times in a two-year period leading up to the Iraq war WASHINGTON (AFP) - Top US officials ran roughshod over the truth in the run-up to the Iraq war, lying 935 times in a two-year period leading up to the Iraq war, a study released Wednesday found. The Center for Public Integrity's founder Charles Lewis and researchers helping him write a forthcoming book, identified "935 false statements by eight top administration officials that mentioned Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction, or links to Al-Qaeda, on at least 532 separate occasions" ahead of the March 18, 2003 invasion of Iraq, they said in a statement. With the fifth anniversary of the war looming, the center underscored that its work calls into question "the repeated assertions of (George W.) Bush administration officials that they were merely the unwitting victims of bad intelligence." Among those who made the false statements: Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, and White House press secretaries Ari Fleisher and Scott McClellan, the study said. "This is a report like no other, which calls into question more than 900 false statements that were the underpinnings of the administration's case for war," argued the CIJ's Executive Director Bill Buzenberg. [article link]
Study: False statements preceded Iraq war - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks {The greedy Bush family wanted to get its dirty hands on the Iraq oil. Bush is a slob and an oil glutton who hasn't lifted a finger to reduce the price of oil and gas. Bush happily sits by collecting money on his own oil investments all the while destroying America, the economy and the people.} WASHINGTON - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks. The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses." The study was posted Tuesday on the Web site of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism. ... "In short, the Bush administration led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003." [article link]
World Net Daily (WND) acquires World Ahead Media - First Internet news site to own book-publishing division - The new wholly owned subsidiary corporation will take on the name WND Books, the name that has become synonymous with best-selling and cutting-edge titles for more than five years WASHINGTON - WND continues its industry trend-setting ways by acquiring World Ahead Media, a Los Angeles-based book-publishing company with which it has been partnered for the last 18 months. The new wholly owned subsidiary corporation will take on the name WND Books, the name that has become synonymous with best-selling and cutting-edge titles for more than five years. WND and World Ahead Media had recently partnered on Jerome Corsi's "Late Great USA," Joseph Farah's "Stop the Presses!," Kathleen Willey's "Target," and Aaron Klein's "Schmoozing With Terrorists." ... "This is a very exciting historical moment for WND," said Farah, WND's founder, editor and chief executive officer. "Not only does the acquisition mark the first major expansion for WND, but it represents a chance to join forces with some very talented people with whom we have had a chance to work closely over the last two years - people we respect and like and who add a new dimension to our growing media company." [article link]
Walking in Truth: These are the Last Days - days of Great Deception in the earth - Consequently, we find many professing a relationship with God that they truly are not walking out before all. In other words, they are "talking the talk" but not "walking the walk" Yet, in spite of the gross deception sweeping over the earth in this hour, God's command for His children to manage and direct their lives and affairs by His Holy Word is sounding out loud and clear. Those, who are heeding the call from heaven to "work out" their "own salvation with fear and trembling," are discovering that in the very midst of great pretension, hypocrisy, phoniness, and deceit - God's grace is enabling them to have a walk that is true and a lifestyle that is upright. Heaven is rejoicing to see it happen. ... Using this verse of Scripture as a springboard, this website was designed with the sole purpose of strengthening, edifying, and building up God's precious saints with His Holy Word to the point where they would become excessively preoccupied with the Truth and, resultantly, live in perfect accordance with it. As you visit this site, I pray you that you will not leave the way you came. As you "feast" on the various messages, based solely on the Awesome and Life-Changing Word of God, I believe for your life to be totally transformed by the Spirit of the Living God. [article link]
Major allegations of vote fraud in New Hampshire - Major allegations of vote fraud in New Hampshire are circulating after Hillary Clinton reversed a mammoth pre-polling deficit to defeat Barack Obama with the aid of Diebold electronic voting machines According to a voter in Sutton, New Hampshire, three of her family members voted for Ron Paul, yet when she checked the voting map on the Politico website, the total votes for Ron Paul were zero. {Their votes probably slid over to McCain.} ... Clinton would not have beat Obama without the aid of Diebold voting machines. In precincts where electronic voting machines were used, Clinton got a 7% swing over Obama, having gained 5% in comparison to hand-counted ballots and Obama losing 2%. {In summary the unverifiable electronic votes registered a 5% Hillary win while the paper ballets actually registered a 4% Barack Obama win.} [article link]
Unprecedented Vote Fraud About To Come - Huge Diebold Disparities Uncovered In New Hampshire Recount VOTE FRAUD EVIDENCE 122: Specifically, Bilderberg attendee and fixer-extraordinaire Hillary Clinton literally stole the nation's first primary from the forward surging favorite, Barack Obama. Behind by double digits in every conceivable poll (including their own internal audits) while drawing significantly sparser crowds at her rallies, Hillary Clinton still pulled what major television pundits on MSNBC called "one of the most stunning upsets in the history of politics." Others said the results "defied explanation," while Keith Olbermann labeled it a "titanic upset victory" for Mrs. Clinton. Once again, the culprit in this messy affair was the Diebold opticalscan voting system, which was responsible for tallying (in secret) 81% of all votes cast in New Hampshire. This
corrupt outfit-which has an exclusive programming contract for New Hampshire (as well as three other states in New England)-is LHS Associates, run by a man named John Silvestro. [article link]
Hillary Clinton displayed her "very special" (SATANIC) American flag at the victory celebration in New Hampshire! - Have you not seen this flag, pictured here to the left? Virtually no one else has, either, as this is a very special flag with a most unusual type of star(s) - has [50] inverted Goatshead of Mendez (Black Magic Pentagram Star) stars on it (Photos) NEWS BRIEF: "Hillary stuns Obama in New Hampshire", XPress News, January 9, 2008. "Hillary Rodham Clinton won New Hampshire's Democratic primary Tuesday night in a startling upset, defeating Barack Obama. ... Have you not seen this flag, pictured here to the left? Virtually no one else has, either, as this is a very special flag with a most unusual type of star. Look carefully at the white stars in the upper left corner, which is the normal, traditional location for the stars. The normal type of star in the upper left corner of the American flag is the standard star with one point up -- which "White Magic" practitioners consider the "Good Pentagram". You can easily see this type of star in the traditional American flag, shown above to the right. However, the stars in this Hillary flag are the (point down) two points up variety -- which is the evil, Black Magick pentagram, a Pentagram considered to be one of the most evil symbols in the world. Only the Hexagram is considered to be a more evil symbol. Therefore, Hillary is using a Black Magic Pentagram Star for her victory celebration on the night of the New Hampshire primary celebration! How many people in her victory party even noticed that the stars were different? Since most people will look at a common symbol and see what they think they should see, I can guarantee that very few people -- if any -- noticed the difference. At first, I thought that, perhaps, someone had just hung the flag upside down. But, that cannot be, because then the star section would be in the bottom right of the flag, and completely hidden by the throngs of people in front. No, the star section was in the traditional upper left corner; the only difference was that the stars had been rotated so that two points are showing up, making this the evil "Goatshead of Mendez" pentagram. [article link]
Newsmax.com: Dick Morris' Political Insider - It Might be Hillary vs. McCain {This election there is going to be some drama and some theater but in the end it will likely be Hillary vs. McCain and Hillary will win. The Republican-Democratic election is more rigged than the stock market and only slightly less rigged than a WWF WrestleMania title match. McCain will win and he will be faithful to do his McCain Melt for Hillary just as he was faithful to Melt and allow George Bush the 2000 primary win. In the Bush Republican Party, McCain is the pick while Romney is only allowed to spend his money and play. Mitt is not allowed to win or even eat at the table with the adults.} McCain is, of course, the Republican who, apart from Rudy, would have the best chance to defeat Hillary. She can't pull the old experience gambit on this long term Senator and his record on everything from global warming to corporate reform to campaign finance to torture to tobacco regulation to immigration reform makes it very hard for Hillary to defeat him. And, because of his appeal to Hispanics left over from his battle for the McCain-Kennedy immigration plan, he is ideally suited to take minority voters, burned by Hillary's scorched earth policy against Barack Obama, away from the Democrats. It's too early to coronate McCain or Hillary but they have clearly moved to the level of front runners as a result of their victories on Saturday. © 2008 Dick Morris & Eileen McGann [article link]
{Flashback} Exclusive: Dick Morris Says Hillary Will Be America's Next President - In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to slow investigations Barring a Clinton indictment, however, Hillary's White House path is clear for 2008. ... A Big Boost From ... Bush In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to
slow investigations. "In retrospect it will look like a mistake on his part," Morris told NewsMax. "He's treating the scandals as an inconvenience, but that's because of one of the core convictions of the Bush family. They always oppose aggressive action against former presidents." He argues that, though some of the accusations leveled against his ex-boss were "garbage," the 11th-hour pardons were a different matter. "That scandal was very real. And if there is no action on the pardon scandal, Bush will ultimately regret that," Morris predicts. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton - "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton" he said, referring to how Bill Clinton had followed his father, and Hillary Clinton could follow him - Bush said he checked in with Clinton occasionally {Bush Sr., Bill Clinton, Bush Jr., next is Hillary Clinton, then comes Jeb Bush ... It's just a theory but are you getting the picture?} WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush says Bill Clinton has become so close to his father that the Democratic former president is like a member of the family. Former President George Bush has worked with Clinton to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami and the hurricane disaster along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Asked about his father and Clinton, Bush quipped, "Yes, he and my new brother." "That's a good relationship. It's a fun relationship to watch," Bush said in an interview with CBS News broadcast on Sunday. While attending Pope John Paul's funeral, Bush said, "It was fun to see the interplay between dad and Clinton. One of these days, I'll be a member of the ex-president's club. ... I'll be looking for something to do." ... Bush said he checked in with Clinton occasionally. "And you know, he says things that makes it obvious - that makes it obvious to me that we're kind of, you know, on the same wavelength about the job of the presidency. Makes sense, after all, there's this kind of commonality," he said. Bush jokingly referred to speculation that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former president's wife, will seek the Democratic nomination for the presidency. He had earlier referred to the former first lady as "formidable." "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton," he said, referring to how Bill Clinton had followed his father, and Hillary Clinton could follow him. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush Says Hillary Clinton Will Be Democratic Nominee - President Bush, breaking his rule not to talk about presidential politics, says he believes Hillary Rodham Clinton will defeat Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries {Why is Bush campaigning for Hillary? The 2008 election is probably as rigged as an old WWF Title Match. Hillary is the ringer and likely McCain, Rudy, Fred or some other Republican sacrifice is destined to lose. Looks like Bush Jr. is playing the same "end game" his dad played when he gifted his 1992 reelection to Bill Clinton.} WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush, breaking his rule not to talk about presidential politics, says he believes Hillary Rodham Clinton will defeat Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries. Bush also predicts that Clinton will be defeated in the general election by the Republican nominee. "I believe our candidate can beat her but it's going to be a tough race," the president said. It has been difficult for Bush to remain silent about the 2008 president race, despite his promises not to be the "prognosticator in chief." He has been talking about the race and handicapping candidates during off-the-record chats with visitors to the White House. He finally went public with his Clinton prediction in an interview for a book by Bill Sammon, a reporter for The Washington Examiner. ... The White House did not challenge Sammon's account. ... Bush said Giuliani's popularity was a sign of how important the terrorism issue is to Republican voters, the newspaper said. It said Bush cautioned against ruling out Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., saying he had managed to revive his campaign after an implosion earlier this year. [article link]
Apple (computer) record Q1 earnings fall on deaf ears - Apple's (stock) shares, having closed at $155.64, down 3.5% for the day, plunged more than 12% in after-hours trading - "I talked to one of our technical analysts before the call and he told me that the stock was going down to $130 no matter what results Apple posted" Munster said in a phone interview - Yahoo AAPL Forum: "again this points to manipulation. this [stock market] is like a casino run by the mob. the rules dont apply anymore. its a total joke. revenues and earnings and
fundmentals mean nothing. you think sports are fixed, my god the stock market is rigged beyond belief. theres no way to win but luck." As expected, Apple (AAPL) had a very merry Christmas, posting the best quarter in its 32-year history, with earnings up 58% over the same quarter last year. But the good news fell on deaf ears in a market roiled by the broader meltdown. And the company's conservative projections for the next three months seems to have spooked investors attuned for signs of a coming recession. Apple's shares, having closed at 155.64, down 3.5% for the day, plunged more than 12% in after-hours trading. At one point the stock hit 136.75, a four-month low. ... Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster confessed that in his five years of covering Apple he's never seen anything like the market's reaction to these earnings. "I talked to one of our technical analysts before the call and he told me that the stock was going down to 130 no matter what results Apple posted," Munster said in a phone interview. [article link]
(Computer chip maker) AMD Posts Another Loss; Results Signal Recovery[?] After Tough Year - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) reported Thursday after the markets closed its fifth straight quarterly loss - The company reported a net loss of $1.772 billion, wider than the $576 million loss reported in the year-ago period - In reaction to the earnings results, traders bid up the stock, sending (AMD) up by about 3.5% in the after hours The company reported a net loss of $1.772 billion, wider than the $576 million loss reported in the year-ago period. The net loss included charges equating to $1.675 billion. On a per share basis, the net loss for the quarter was $3.06 per share, including a charge of $2.89 per share, compared to a loss of $1.08 per share last year. If not for these charges, the company would have reported a loss of $97 million compared to a non-GAAP net loss of $25 million in the same period last year. ... AMD's full year net loss widened to $3.379 billion from a net loss of $166 million for 2006. The recent year's bottom line results included a non-cash charge of $2.007 billion. The top line growth for the fiscal year 2007 was 6% to $6.013 billion. On an adjusted basis, the company posted a mammoth loss of $1.372 billion for the full year [2007] versus a profit of $401 million last year [2006]. [article link]
Chip Entrepreneur Settles SEC Lawsuit - $1.45 million in illegal trading profits - Saiyed Atiq Raza will pay nearly $3 million to settle an insider-trading lawsuit with the Securities and Exchange Commission - Raza learned from OrthoClear's CEO that the company had settled a legal dispute with its primary competitor, Align Technology Inc., and that the settlement would benefit Align's stock {Saiyed was the former AMD COO and was serving on the AMD board of directors.} SAN FRANCISCO - The former director of a company specializing in teeth-straightening mouthpieces will pay nearly $3 million to settle an insider-trading lawsuit with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC said Tuesday. Saiyed Atiq Raza, 58, of Palo Alto, agreed to pay back $1.45 million in illegal trading profits and a $1.45 million penalty, the SEC said. He also agreed to a five-year ban on serving as an officer or director of a public company. The settlement does not include an admission of guilt. ... According to the complaint, Raza learned from OrthoClear's CEO that the company had settled a legal dispute with its primary competitor, Align Technology Inc., and that the settlement would benefit Align's stock. Raza bought 3,500 Align call options, or the right to buy Align stock in the future at a set price, and 60,000 shares of Align common stock, according to the complaint. When news of the legal settlement was made public, Align's stock price shot up 48 percent, netting Raza a $1.45 million profit. [article link]
Commentary: Regulators are in a futile fight to stop insider trading - Hedge funds a bigger problem - It turns out there are a lot of trades out there that are sketchy - "They break up the trades to seem less noticeable" Investment banks are trading on non-public information as is suggested by a new study, a regulatory probe and a Wall Street Journal story about the practice. Is this revelation really such a shock to investors? For a year, this column has documented a pattern of suspicious trading activity in the days before deal announcements. The options markets have been rife with pre-deal bets for companies and deals large and small. "The
opportunities to do it are immense, not only because they have access but because there's so much noise in the market," said Jon Najarian, co-founder of OptionMonster Inc., an options research firm. "A lot of those algorithmic traders create cover because of the sheer volume of trades they make." ... Now, three professors argue that there is ample evidence that investment banks are trading on information gleaned in-house from investment bankers working with companies in deal talks. Note that the study came from European universities. Are U.S. schools losing their competitive edge to foreign rivals? [article link]
{Flashback} ENRON-BUSH-HARVARD-WTC-OIL-CONNECTION - Harvard could face inquiry into Enron links the timely selling of (Enron) stock which netted (Harvard) an estimated $50m as the company's shares declined (articles - links) A group of Harvard students and alumni have called for an investigation into possible links between an Enron director on the university's governing corporation and the timely selling of stock which netted an estimated $50m as the company's shares declined. HarvardWatch, which campaigns for more open governance of the university, admits it has no evidence of insider trading but is urging the suspension of Herbert "Pug" Winokur from the seven-member corporation pending the outcome of a "credible investigation into alleged financial improprieties regarding the management of the university's endowment". The university said Mr Winokur, who chairs Enron's finance committee, was a "valued member" of the Harvard Corporation. A Harvard alumnus, he has, since 1995, been on the board of the Harvard Management Company which oversees the university's $18bn endowment. [article link]
Thompson drops out of GOP presidential race - Former senator finished far behind in first contests Thompson's withdrawal capped a turbulent 10 months that saw him go from hot to not in short order Expectations rose higher and his standing in polls started to fall as he failed to meet them NAPLES, Fla. - Republican Fred Thompson, the actor-politician who attracted more attention as a potential presidential candidate than as a real one, quit the race for the White House on Tuesday after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states. ... Thompson's withdrawal capped a turbulent 10 months that saw him go from hot to not in short order. He began toying with a presidential run last March, emboldened by a fluid Republican nomination fight and a restive conservative GOP base. He also was charmed by resounding calls for him to get into the race - and his meteoric springtime rise to the top of national and state polls. Fans trying to draft him as a candidate launched an online effort, seizing on his conservative Senate voting record as well as his lumbering 6-foot-5 frame and deep baritone as they argued that he was right out of central casting. They painted him as the second coming of Ronald Reagan and the would-be savior of a Republican Party demoralized after electoral losses in 2006 at all levels of government. Expectations rose higher - and his standing in polls started to fall as he failed to meet them. Thompson played coy about his intentions all the while taking steps to prepare for a formal entrance into the race with a flourish. He cut ties with NBC, visited early voting states and delivered high-profile speeches. And, he started raising money and set up a preliminary campaign organization. [article link]
Grassfire is in our nation's Capitol today, championing the rights of the unborn, and lobbying key members of Congress to take a strong stand for the sanctity of life - Click here to listen to our latest audio update (Online Audio - Photos) Over the last 33 years of legalized unlimited abortion, nearly 50 million unborn babies have been killed at the hands of abortionists. Grassfire is committed putting an end to abortion through our national "Petition For Life" initiative that includes raising awareness, concern and support for the rights of the unborn. Additionally, Grassfire remains the grassroots voice in Washington, as we seek to bring about a change in thinking among our elected lawmakers, and ultimately an end to abortion through legislation and the courts. The "Petition For
Life" focuses on a number of key pro-life initiatives that we are pressing House and Senate leadership on: ... [article link]
Pro-Life Information and Resources - Pro-Life, Pro-Family, Pro-Society, Pro-Humanity - Psalms 139:14,16 I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.. (PDF) The pro-life movement is the movement acknowledging that all human life is created in the image of God and is sacred to God. The individuals' lifespan is a work of God and needs to be committed to God. We as people do not end the life of other people no matter how young or how old or in what condition they are in. Being involved in Pro Life issues or any other good cause does not make us a Christian. Accepting the life of Jesus for our own personal sins reconciles us to God. There are many people who do not take part in an abortion and yet will never remain in the presence of God, because of their own sins apart from abortion. ... We can't make right an abortion but God can and has. He died for us and for the unborn as well, so that we can live together with Him in heaven. Let's not cheapen the sacrifice that Jesus has given for us by saying that God's blood is not enough to cover our sins. The fact is, sinner's sin. God is not surprised by our actions He knows mankind. It is up to Christians to stand in this gap and to "Choose Life". One of the First functions of the early Church in Rome was to rescue the babies and children left to die (their form of abortion) on the hills outside the city. [article link]
94% of evangelicals rank abortion (problem) No. 1 - Christians put issue ahead of personal debt, content of movies, TV, homosexual agenda A new report from the Barna Group warns political campaigns that assuming the evangelical vote is "splintering" over abortion would be a mistake, with 19 of every 20 members of that group citing that issue as their top concern. The report comes just as the United States marks the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision in the U.S. Supreme Court that found in the Constitution a fundamental right to terminate a pregnancy at any time for any reason. "One of the myths about the 2008 election is that the evangelical vote is splintering over issues such as abortion and homosexuality. In fact, when defined based upon a consistent set of theological perspectives, evangelicals remain very united on abortion and homosexuality," said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group and director of the study. "Evangelicals' top concern - by a wide margin - was abortion (94 percent). This was followed by the personal debt of Americans (81 percent), the content of television and movies (79 percent), homosexual activists (75 percent), and gay and lesbian lifestyles (75 percent,)" the report on the assessment of voters' values and morals said. [article link]
As abortion rate drops, use of RU-486 is on rise - Pill has slowly, quietly transformed the way U.S. pregnancies can be ended Thirty-five years after the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision, a pill that has largely faded from the rancorous public debate over abortion has slowly and quietly begun to transform the experience of ending a pregnancy in the United States. The French abortion pill RU-486, on the market since 2000, has become an increasingly common alternative, making abortion less clinical and more private. At a time when the overall number of abortions has been steadily declining, RU-486-induced abortions have been rising by 22 percent a year and now account for 14 percent of the total -- and more than one in five early abortions performed by the ninth week of pregnancy. The pill, often called "miffy" after its chemical name mifepristone and brand name Mifeprex, also has helped slow the decline in abortion providers, as more physicians who previously did not perform the procedure discreetly start to prescribe the pill. [article link]
{Flashback} The Pro-Choice Bush Family - Care to guess who was the treasurer of Planned Parenthood when it launched its first national fundraising campaign in 1947? It was Prescott Bush, father and grandfather of the two Bush presidents
The SF Chronicle is running a piece that looks back at the Bush family's support for Planned Parenthood and family planning services. The article also highlights the fact that both Barbara and Laura Bush are against overturning Roe vs. Wade. "I agree with my husband that we should try to reduce the number of abortions in our country by doing all of those things, by taking responsibility, by talking about abstinence." Yes, pressed interviewer Katie Couric, but what about Roe vs. Wade? "No, I don't think that it should be overturned." [article link]
{Flashback} CWA's Crouse Calls Over-the-Counter Plan B Beyond-the-Pale - in response to President Bush's endorsement of Plan B 'morning after pill' Washington, D.C. - Concerned Women for America's (CWA's) Dr. Janice Crouse, Senior Fellow of the Beverly LaHaye Institute, responded to President Bush's endorsement of Plan B, the morning after pill, by calling it "beyond the pale." In a press conference on Monday, the President announced his support of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach's attempt to make this high dose of birth control available over-the-counter (OTC) for girls over 18. CWA strongly opposes making this drug available without a prescription because of its medical risks and the inability of the FDA to enforce an age restriction. ... "Of equal concern is the fact that any 18-year-old could buy Plan B OTC and give it to anyone else -- even underage girls -- without parental consent or knowledge. The ramifications of such distribution include sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. The amount of misinformation about Plan B is astounding. Those advocating OTC availability are touting the drug as a "silver bullet" for birth control. Yet, the easy availability that would come with OTC sales extends to those who are incapable of understanding the risks involved in any highpotency drug. [article link]
{Flashback} Family leaders call Romney 'disaster' - Letter criticizes 'deceptive rhetoric' around candidate - The letter cites seven issues seen as problematic in the Romney campaign, including a "phony pro-life 'conversion'" - The letter also criticized those in the conservative community who are supporting Romney, accusing them of "gross malpractice, ruthless ambition and dishonesty" The letter also criticized those in the conservative community who are supporting Romney, accusing them of "gross malpractice, ruthless ambition and dishonesty." "Behind the empty gestures and deceptive rhetoric, Romney was not pro-life or a defender of marriage by any stretch of the imagination. He was a disaster," said O'Gorman, of the board for Massachusetts Citizens for Life. He said Romney "deceptively" claims to have been awarded a pro-life award from the group. "The award Romney arranged for himself with the local Pioneer Valley Chapter was the Mullins Award for Political Leadership, not a pro-life award and not approved by MCFL's state board of directors," he said. "We're blowing the whistle to warn voters..." "For some bizarre reason the mere fact that Romney's never been divorced and goes to a temple regularly is supposed to negate the fact that he's extremely liberal," said Harvey. "He used his Republican and Mormon identity to push through radical policies on gay marriage, abortion and pro-homosexual school programs that Ted Kennedy always dreamed about." The Romney campaign repeatedly has declined to respond to WND requests for comment on such issues, including a failure to respond to multiple requests for a one-on-one interview in which the candidate would have been allowed to give his definitive perspective of the issues being raised. [article link]
Oliver Stone sets his sights on Bush - Now Hollywood director Oliver Stone is preparing to take an in depth look at how President Bush came to power - It includes his belief that God personally chose him to be president of the United States {Unless Oliver Stone documents the ultra Satanic Bush Skull & Bones involvement the movie will be completely inaccurate.} (CNN) - He's tackled the assassination of John F. Kennedy and tumultuous presidency of Richard Nixon. Now Hollywood director Oliver Stone is preparing to take an in depth look at how President Bush came to power. ... I want a fair, true portrait of the man. How did Bush go from an alcoholic bum to the most powerful figure in the world? It's like Frank Capra territory on one hand, but I'll also cover the demons in his private life, his bouts
with his dad and his conversion to Christianity, which explains a lot of where he is coming from. It includes his belief that God personally chose him to be president of the United States, and his coming into his own with the stunning, preemptive attack on Iraq," he added. Stone acknowledged Brolin and Bush do not bear too much resemblance, but he said the two share the same "drive and charisma." "Josh is actually better looking than Bush but has the same drive and charisma that Americans identify with Bush, who has some of that old-time movie-star swagger," he said. [article link]
{Flashback} No bones about it: President Bush favours a very secret (non-Christian) society of Skull and Bones President George Bush is alleged to have used its (Skull and Bones) connections to get his first job - before she stopped counting she knew of at least 11 Bonesmen whom Mr. Bush had appointed to government posts President George Bush is alleged to have used its (Skull and Bones) connections to get his first job. Mr Bush and Mr McCallum (Bush's Nominee as Ambassador to Australia) are members of Skull and Bones, the Yale society said to have the skull of the Indian chief Geronimo, dug up by Mr Bush's grandfather, in a glass case. In 2004 both presidential candidates, Mr Bush and John Kerry, were members. Mr Bush, in his autobiography, A Charge to Keep, wrote: "My senior year I joined Skull and Bones, a secret society. So secret, I can't say anything." The Skull and Bones headquarters is in a windowless stone building on the Yale campus known as the tomb. ... Alexandra Robbins, author of Secrets of the Tomb, says it includes a devil, a Don Quixote figure and a pope with one foot in a white monogrammed slipper, resting on a stone skull. ..."What I find disturbing about Skull and Bones is that it's basically the most powerful elite alumni network in the US," says Robbins. "It's essentially a form of nepotism that keeps the same people in power, over and over and over again." ... Robbins said that before she stopped counting she knew of at least 11 Bonesmen whom Mr. Bush had appointed to government posts. {Actually they believe the bones are the bones of an un-resurrected Jesus Christ and that the bones came to them from the "Knights Templars" of Da Vinci code fame and celebrate what they believe to be Satan's triumph over God in the death of Jesus on the cross and of course deny and neglect the true resurrection of Jesus. That's the secret in secret society.} [article link]
Iran President Rejects Oliver Stone Documentary - because Stone is part of the "Great Satan" cultural establishment TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rejected a proposal by Oscar-winning movie director Oliver Stone to make a film about him because Stone is part of the "Great Satan" cultural establishment, a semiofficial news agency reported. "I sent a negative answer by Ahmadinejad to Oliver Stone," the Fars agency quoted Mehdi Kalhor, media adviser to the president, as saying Sunday. "It is right that this person is considered part of the opposition in the U.S., but opposition in the U.S. is a part of the Great Satan." The term the "Great Satan" dates back to Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who first called the United States that after the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the country's U.S.-supported shah. [article link]
Tributes to MLK tend to ignore his complexity - King is facing the same fate that has befallen many a historical figure - being frozen in a moment in time that ignores the full complexity of the man and his message NEW YORK - They are some of the most famous words in American history: "I have a dream ..." And the man who said them has become an icon. ... But nearly 40 years after his assassination in April 1968, after the deaths of his wife and of others who knew both the man and what he stood for, some say King is facing the same fate that has befallen many a historical figure - being frozen in a moment in time that ignores the full complexity of the man and his message. ... "We're living increasingly in a culture of top 10 lists, of celebrity biopics which simplify the past as entertainment or mythology," he said. "We lose a view on what real leadership is by compressing him down to one window." ... By freezing him at that point, by putting him on a pedestal of perfection that does not acknowledge his complex views, "it makes it impossible both for us to find new
leaders and for us to aspire to leadership," Harris-Lacewell said. [article link]
Bible verse: Psalm 29 A Psalm of (King) David - Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.org} Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever. The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace. -- Bible [article link]
Feminization of the Evangelical Man: Men More Interested in Nice Than Truth - "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong - Let all that you do be done in love" - 1st Corinthians 16:13-14 There is a feminization going on in evangelicalism today that has recently spilled over to the blogosphere. ... These toy-soldiers carry what I call "a velvet covered sword." It's lightweight, easy to wield, isn't designed for battle, takes little strength to lift it, looks inviting, and won't cut too deep for fear of offending too greatly. It's like reading the ESV or NASB; and then one day you pickup up a copy of The Message thinking that it too is a Bible; when all that it is, is just a velvet covered sword. Speak the Truth in Love: To "speak the truth in love" beloved does not mean to be non-confrontational, passive, soft, or simply 'nice'. No question, Christ-like love is the godly compassion behind speaking the truth in an uncompromised and unadulterated way. As Paul said in warning of false teachers to Timothy and the church at Ephesus, "the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." - 1st Timothy 1:5 [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Mark Siljander - Indicted for Helping Islamic Charity That Funded Al-Qaeda, Taliban Siljander is a Born-Again Evangelical Christian - Siljander was known, at the time, as the most pro-Israel Congressman on Capitol Hill - If Mark Siljander was helping Islamic terrorists against America, then no-one is immune from succumbing to these forces of evil - If true, it's extremely disappointing and demoralizing to me **** UPDATE: Siljander was representing the Al-Qaeda front charity - he apparently lied, twice, to the FBI about it, is even more so - That he lied about writing a book about "bridging the gap" between Islam and Christianity is even worse What makes the allegations in the indictment so shocking, is that Siljander is a Born-Again Evangelical Christian. We had fast days in his office. There were prayer circles. So deeply religious and so deeply against the Islamic threat, Siljander was known, at the time, as the most pro-Israel Congressman on Capitol Hill, with many Jewish and pro-Israel Evangelical contributors from all over the world. My father was one of those contributors. His Chief of Staff, Robin Luketina, even served in the Israeli Defense Forces. Mark enlisted me to help him write a tough bill espousing sanctions against the Soviet Union because of its persecution of Soviet Jews. And he enlisted my help in pro-Israel and anti-PLO legislation. That's why it's so hard for me to read that he may have played for the opposite team--for the enemy. I'm truly shocked. And I hope it's not true. But--while I have a lot of distrust in the Department of Justice--on this one, I think there must be something there. It's crushing. I don't know if he knew the ultimate destination of the money. It's not apparent, since the Islamic charity "secretly" sent the money to Al-Qaeda. But what was he even doing lobbying for an Islamic charity? And he apparently lied about it to the FBI. That's not the Mark Siljander I knew and worked for over two summers and several spring breaks. It boggles my mind. It must have been the money, as I know that, after he lost his reelection bid (he was replaced by liberal Republican and pan-Islamist Fred Upton), he was engaged in a million
different business endeavors trying to make a success of one. If Mark Siljander was helping Islamic terrorists against America, then no-one is immune from succumbing to these forces of evil. If true, it's extremely disappointing and demoralizing to me. [article link]
Cutting Edge Weekly Newsletter - Now, carefully notice the new GOP elephant logo - The three stars are the Goatshead of Mendez Pentagram - The change occurred in the year 2000 "The Party of Satan" {The new 2000 GOP Republican Party elephant logo is also no longer red, white and blue it is now a purple, white and blue (Logo) with the three upside-down (Satanic) stars.} Did you know that the Republicans changed the stars in their official elephant logo to two stars upward in the year 2000, the very year in which Skull & Bones George Bush was "elected" President? This Republican logo is the traditional elephant logo as this book front page cover demonstrates. The book is entitled, "The Pictorial History of the Republican Party", by Beryl Frank, published in 1980. As you can see, the stars on this elephant logo are the same as the traditional stars on an American flag, i.e., with one point upward. This style of Pentagram is a "good", White Magic type of star, the same type of star as in the traditional American flag. Now, carefully notice the new GOP elephant logo. The three stars are the Goatshead of Mendez Pentagram, with two points upward. This style of Pentagram is the "evil", Black Magick type of star. The Illuminati program for their Masonic Christ (Antichrist) is most definitely the Black Magick variety. The plans these Globalists have for this country and this world is literally the "worst case" scenario, from the planned destruction of 66% of all humanity, to the dissolution of every elected government on earth, to replacing those governments with the most repressive dictatorship in world history. This dictatorship will be supported by unprecedented level of modern technology, which will allow government authorities to monitor nearly everyone in the world at every moment of the day. This Plan fulfills prophecies exactly, especially those in the Book of Revelation and Daniel. When was this Republican elephant logo changed? The change occurred in the year 2000 ("The Party of Satan", Radio Left, Mon 17 Dec 2007, quoting the Thom Hartmann Show, of December 17). This is the year George W. Bush (Jr.) was elevated to the White House, following one of the closest elections in American history, an election not decided until December 13, when the Supreme Court decided that Bush had beaten Gore in Florida. Therefore, at the time the country was electing its second Skull & Bones President, the Republican Party quietly changed the stars on its official Republican elephant logo to the Goatshead of Mendez star. This reality means that America has been officially and deliberately set on a course of extreme evil since that momentous year. Have we ever been so beset, from without and within, than in the last 6 years? This is just a partial listing of all the evils which have beset us since 2000: ... [article link]
Microsoft System May Monitor Workers' Brains, Bodies - Microsoft is developing Big Brother-style software capable of remotely monitoring a worker's productivity, physical well-being and competence - "This system involves intrusion into every single aspect of the lives of the employees" The Times has seen a patent application filed by the company for a computer system that links workers to their computers via wireless sensors that measure their metabolisms. The system would allow managers to monitor employees' performance by measuring their heart rates, body temperatures, movements, facial expressions and blood pressure," Labor unions said they fear that employees could be dismissed on the basis of a computer's assessment of their physiological state. Technology allowing constant monitoring of workers was previously limited to pilots, firefighters and NASA astronauts. This is believed to be the first time a company has proposed developing such software for mainstream workplaces. ... The system could also "automatically detect frustration or stress in the user" and "offer and provide assistance accordingly." ... Physical changes to an employee would be matched to an individual psychological profile based on a worker's weight, age and health. If the system picked up an increase in heart rate or facial expressions suggestive of stress or frustration, it would tell management that he needed help. ... "This system involves intrusion into every single aspect of the lives of the employees," Hugh Tomlinson, an expert on data protection law at the London law firm Matrix Chambers, said.
"It raises very serious privacy issues." [article link]
Why Microsoft must abandon Vista to save itself - "As a daily user of Mac OS X, Ubuntu and Vista, I'm keenly aware of what works and what doesn't. Mac and Linux work." {Microsoft Vista, besides the fact that it is a headache to use and that it is Way overpriced it just doesn't work very well. The Vista program basically amounts to 50 Gigabytes of malware, spyware, DRM restrictions and personal info - data mining tools so it's best to avoid Microsoft for now if you can.} While Vista was originally touted by Microsoft as the operating system savior we've all been waiting for, it has turned out to be one of the biggest blunders in technology. With a host of issues that are inexcusable and features that are taken from the Mac OS X and Linux playbook, Microsoft has once again lost sight of what we really want. ... Microsoft's "Extras" blunder is just another reason why the company must abandon Vista before it's too late. The first indication that Microsoft should abandon Vista is its poor sales figures. According to a recent report titled "Windows Vista Still Underperforming in U.S. Retail" from NPD, Vista sales are significantly behind XP sales during its early days. Even worse for Redmond, some are reverting to XP, citing issues with compatibility and overall design. And if that wasn't enough, Macs continue to surge and with the impending release of Leopard, Microsoft may be in for a rough holiday season. With each passing day, it's becoming blatantly clear that Microsoft released Vista too early and the company's continual mistakes and promises that can't be kept are further annoying the Windows faithful. [article link]
Newest junk bonds: U.S. Treasuries? - Future costs of Medicare, Social Security threaten U.S. debt rating - U.S. Treasuries should be downgraded to junk bond status, not given a "triple-A" government rating, economist John Williams says, supporting a warning issued by Moody's last week that the credit rating of the U.S. government may be plunging U.S. Treasuries should be downgraded to junk bond status, not given a "triple-A" government rating, economist John Williams says, supporting a warning issued by Moody's last week that the credit rating of the U.S. government may be plunging in the next decade. The issue surfaced recently when Reuters published a Moody's warning that in the next 10 years, the credit rating of the United States is at risk of being dropped below triple-A. "We decided to raise the flag," Tom Lemmon at Moody's told WND, "because the underlying credit rating of the U.S. government faces the risk of downgrading in the next 10 years if solutions are not found to our growing Medicare and Social Security unfunded obligations." Williams, author of the Internet newsletter ShadowGovernmentStatistics.com, said the credit-rating problem is immediate, not long-term. "The U.S. Treasury is currently issuing 10-year notes and 30-year bonds," Williams pointed out. "Yes, the U.S. government can always print money, but the question is whether the investors buying these Treasury securities will get paid off when they get their money back." [article link]
Prince Charles - Antichrist "The Prince who is to come" Identified From 666 and Revelation 13 - To quote Prince Charles directly, he says, "I have no power of my own, but I have influence - And you will have to see what I do with it" - Prince Charles is a globalist - He is the leading proponent of the European model The basic contrast between a Christ and antichrist or a Messiah and an antimessiah is like good and evil. Evil never presents itself as black vs. white or as death vs. life. Evil always attempts to imitate good and offers itself as an alternative. The results are in sharp contrast, but deception has its initial appeal ... Many prophecy students view the image of the antimessiah as a great charismatic figure who sweeps the world off its feet with power, offering himself first as a hero, then turning to evil. These are the vain imaginations of men. The Scripture presents the antimessiah as the person with no power who usurps and influences others. Those with power give it to him. To quote Prince Charles directly, he says, I have no power of my own, but I have influence. And you will have to see what I do with it." ... Prince Charles is not an elected official as the rulers of the European Union; he is a monarch. Therefore, as the prophecy says, he is different from them. Maybe you are
wondering if Prince Charles has any interest in leading Europe? He does. He tried to influence the original definition of the ECM in its formation in 1992. He argued that the monarchy was the most stable form of government, but Europe was into democracy and they turned him down. But the prophecy says they will consider his offer when they become a group of ten kings. [And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. REV 17:12] There are two competing models for the definition of world globalism. One is the UN model and the other European. The UN wants one great big community of everyone helping everyone. The European model divides the world into three parts: developed nations, developing nations, and undeveloped nations. The European model contends that there are not enough resources in the world for all nations to be developed and, therefore, part of the world needs to be sacrificed to meet the need of the other part. The European model also contends that there is not enough food to go around and the world population should be significantly reduced. There are six billion people right now; they think two billion would be a better number. The language of Zechariah suggests that the antimessiah will be the guy who leads the world while a large number of people die from starvation and lack of resources. Prince Charles is a globalist. He is the leading proponent of the European model. [article link]
Official: Diana's death 'simply an accident' - the death of Princess Diana will conclude that she died in a simple car crash - The official French inquiry revealed Henri Paul was three or four times over the drink-drive limit when he left the Ritz hotel in Paris with the couple and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, closely followed by the paparazzi {She should have had her seatbelt on, no seatbelt = no conspiracy.} The Official inquiry into the death of Princess Diana will conclude that she died in a simple car crash. Britain's former top policeman is to state publicly for the first time that he believes Diana was killed in an accident. The Daily Mail can reveal that following a two-year investigation, Lord Stevens plans to release an interim report saying there is no evidence she was killed unlawfully. His findings undermine the many conspiracy theories surrounding the 1997 car crash in a Paris underpass. ... They have found no evidence to contradict the French findings that Diana died in a tragic road traffic accident caused by excessive speed. They say even a skilled racing driver would have had difficulty controlling the Mercedes she died in as it hurtled through the Pont d'Alma tunnel. ... The official French inquiry revealed Henri Paul was three or four times over the drink-drive limit when he left the Ritz hotel in Paris with the couple and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, closely followed by the paparazzi. [article link]
Death of princes Diana: Accident or murder - The Dutch in this article has been translated into English by Marienella Meulensteen - They found cocaine in the handbag - I asked whose handbag he was talking about 'There was only one woman in that car' - That probably also explains why Dodi's mobile phone was not found at the place of the accident: 'It is possible that conversations were registered on his mobile phone with people that were known to the police as drug dealers The documentay also showed an interview with the journalist Patrick Chauvel. He spoke with frustrated French researchers of the death of Diana and Dodi who were under a lot of pressure of the Élisée, or the French government, to not reveal too much. They showed Chauvel proof that undermines one of the French lies, namely that the flash pole (speed photo trap) at the entrance of the tunnel would not have worked. Someone who had sped into the tunnel five minutes before the crash received a fine fifteen days later after having been flashed. Chauvel saw the photograph made by the flash pole of the Mercedes of Diana, saw the date, but also the flashed speed: 105 km/ph. With this, another lie about the very high rate of speed has been refuted. The legs under the proof for that very high speed had been previously sawed at by Mercedes Benz (see part two of this DaanSpeak series), as also told in the documentay by John McNamara, head security of Harrods after 26 years of service at Scotland Yard. He was rightfully astonished in the documentay about another remarkable fact, namely that during the very night of the accident, the tunnel was completely cleaned. In the documentary
you see pictures of how the cleaners are very thorough using special machines. All traces were erased and are literally covered with sand. Journalist Dickey of Newsweek was amazed that he did not come across anyone in the tunnel at seven in the morning, and that the road was already open for traffic. [The next paragraph has been added on April 18, 2004 and comes from HUMO [14/3317, '04] which cites from the book 'Diana, death of a legend', written by, also the maker of the documentary 'Diana: The Night She Died'], Cohen: [... Patrick] Chauvel fell silent for a moment. Then he said nonchalantly: 'Yes, there was something else. They found cocaine in the handbag'. I was stupefied. Bewildered, I asked whose handbag he was talking about. 'There was only one woman in that car', Chauvel said with a wry smile. [...] The cocaine find probably filtered very quickly to the police top and their political superiors: a few hours later instructions were issued that the information was not to leak out. That probably also explains why Dodi's mobile phone was not found at the place of the accident: 'It is possible that conversations were registered on his mobile phone with people that were known to the police as drug dealers.' Via [Cohens colleague] David Carr Brown, Cohen met a policeman who could confirm the story'. [article link]
Diana 'planned secret wedding to Hasnat Khan' - The Princess had discussed giving Mr. Khan his own rooms in Kensington Palace and having a second home in his native Pakistan - broke off her relationship with Mr Khan in July 1997, after he said he did not want to become a public figure - The Princess dated Dodi Fayed to make Mr. Khan jealous in the hope that he would rekindle their romance {Princess Diana used people to try to get what she wanted, that's not news - who didn't know that.} Diana, Princess of Wales explored the possibility of a secret wedding to Hasnat Khan, the heart surgeon with whom she had a two-year relationship, her former butler told the inquest into her death. Aware of the constitutional and religious complications entailed in the Christian mother of a future king marrying a Muslim man, the Princess asked her butler, Paul Burrell, to find out "if it would be possible to arrange a private wedding". Mr Burrell, 49, discussed the matter in 1996 with his own Catholic priest Father Anthony Parsons at the Carmelite Catholic Church in Kensington, West London, without Mr Khan's knowledge. The Princess, who described Mr. Khan as her "soulmate" and "the man she loved more than any other", Mr. Burrell said, broke off her relationship with Mr. Khan in July 1997, after he said he did not want to become a public figure. [article link]
Diana's butler: She had no plans to marry Fayed - At coroner's inquest, Burrell describes romance as a '30-day relationship' - "I want another marriage like I want a bad rash," Burrell has quoted Diana as saying in a telephone conversation when she was with Fayed in France LONDON - Princess Diana gave no indication that she intended to marry Dodi Fayed and made no arrangements to announce an engagement before she died, her butler testified Monday at a coroner's inquest. Paul Burrell, Diana's butler and confidant for a decade, said that if an announcement had been planned - as Fayed's father claims - he believes Diana would have put arrangements in place. "I think she would have cleared the decks and made space, certainly in the week preceding the announcement," he told the court. Burrell has previously disputed claims by Fayed's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, that Diana was pregnant with Fayed's child and that the couple were on the brink of announcing their engagement when they died in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997. "I want another marriage like I want a bad rash," Burrell has quoted Diana as saying in a telephone conversation when she was with Fayed in France. Diana's friend Annabel Goldsmith, who testified earlier, also reported Diana comparing marriage to an unwanted rash. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Prominent Hezbollah Supporter/Funder Backs Romney - Hezbollah's key funder in Congress, Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Michigan), is a key Romney guy and has been hangin' with Romney all over Michigan for the last week - There he is, denoted by a circle, in the picture below, from a Romney rally in the Detroit area yesterday {The truth is out (LDS) Mormons & Mitt Romney are more Islam than Christian. Read the Mormon doctrines the multiple wives on earth and in heaven. Joseph Smith didn't translate 'golden plates' or
any plates he simply plagiarized the Koran (Quran), other travel-story books of the time and the KJV Bible.} When I heard Mitt Romney, a week ago Saturday Night, in the ABC debate, claim that he's the only candidate who "understands radical jihad," I scratched my head. He refuses to ask his church to stop funnelling $20 million plus to a HAMAS charity, or even to say he disagrees with it. Plus, he made anit-American statements when he headed the 2002 Salt Lake Games that jihadists would love. And then, there was his statement at the ABC debate that he will take the Muslim world into "modernity and moderation." But, does he really believe "modernity" equals moderation? Um, I guess he's never seen a jihadist website or been to Dubai. They are more modern than we are. It's just their ideology that's back in the 7th Century and good luck to Mitt in bringing it up to date. Oh, and don't forget Romney's previous statement at a town hall meeting that he "admires Hezbollah." [article link]
Rival Economic Policies - former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift - Michigan voters shouldn't be fooled by Mitt Romney's latest campaign promises of economic development and job growth. They need to look closely at his record in Massachusetts, where manufacturing job growth was third-worst in the country and taxes and 'fees' increased by over $700 million per year' "Michigan voters shouldn't be fooled by Mitt Romney's latest campaign promises of economic development and job growth. They need to look closely at his record in Massachusetts, where manufacturing job growth was third-worst in the country and taxes and 'fees' increased by over $700 million per year,' said McCain backer and former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift, who withdrew from her re-election bid in 2002 under a cloud of voter anger. Her departure made way for Romney to win the nomination and state election. "Mitt Romney has a reputation of saying anything to win. A comparison of his record versus his rhetoric on the economy shows why," Swift said. [article link]
SermonIndex.net: The Adversary In The Church by Milton Green (Mp3) Description: Milton Green shares a very strong penetrating message about the state of the church in the modern day. The devil and the powers of darkness have been having much control and infiltration into the church in the modern day. A much needed message to hear of things to come. Scripture(s): Psalm 74, Ezekiel 34, Lamentations 1. [article link]
Bible verse: Hosea 14:1-9 O Israel [those governed by God], return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.org} O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips {smile - praise God}. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein. -- Bible [article link]
"Attack Of The Killer C's" - The Attack of the Casual Christian, the Cultural Christian, the Compromising Christian, the Corruptive Christian, and the Counterfeit Christian - Sermon Archive: (5 Part Mp3)
Attack of the Killer C's is a series revealing this cosmic battle we're in and exposes the seductive weapons the devil uses to keep us from becoming a mighty army for God Almighty. These attacks are as follows. The Attack of the Casual Christian, the Cultural Christian, the Compromising Christian, the Corruptive Christian, and the Counterfeit Christian. People of God, there's a war going on and its not just abroad but its right here in our own country. It's a cosmic battle for the souls of men and women all around us. The stakes are high and millions of lives are at risk. And if we're ever going to win this war then the American Church needs to once again shine for Jesus Christ. People, the alarm has been sounded. We are under attack! The Attack of the Killer C's. Don't let the enemy get you! [article link]
Evangelicals in S.C. not just voting on faith - "As Jesus said, be as innocent as a dove and as shrewd as a serpent" - some might call it a hardening -- of attitudes toward the faith professions of candidates, what they're claiming - "I think I need to vote in a way that is honoring to God" COLUMBIA, S.C. - Asked to assess the attitude of evangelical Christians as they mull over the current crop of presidential candidates, one pastor here paused, smiled and put it this way: "As Jesus said, be as innocent as a dove and as shrewd as a serpent." ... Eight years later, many evangelicals are tougher, more skeptical and far less trusting of the politicians who woo them, said de Treville "Det" Bowers, the silver-haired pastor of Columbia's Christ Church in the Carolinas, who emphasized "shrewd" in his biblical reference to the Book of Matthew. "I think in our community and in the South, which is what I know, evangelicals have been so burned by those who claim to be what maybe is not evidenced in the policies that come forth," said Bowers. "Because of that, there is a strength I would call it -- some might call it a hardening -- of attitudes toward the [faith] professions of candidates, what they're claiming." ... Trust in God: Electability isn't the only factor among evangelicals, many of whom say they trust that God will put the right person in the White House. "I'm interested in righteousness, what God sees as right" [article link]
Belt-tightening times for GOP campaigns - Republicans' fundraising has lagged far behind the Democrats' - In the wake of her New Hampshire primary victory, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York received more than $6 million in cash and pledges in a matter of days {The Republicans haven't bothered to do a good job while in office so now the voters have not bothered to donate or vote for the corrupt Republicans. Any $'s given to a Republican 2008 candidate is a waste of money, it's a better option to gas up the car than support a lazy Republican. The Republican Party hasn't been here for America. They abandoned the American people for their selfish quest of Arab oil money, that's the truth!} WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidates, losing the fundraising advantage their party has enjoyed for decades, are starting to feel the pinch. Tight for cash, Mitt Romney has pulled television advertising in two key states. Rudolph W. Giuliani has cut his payroll and moved staff from states that he is writing off. Even Mike Huckabee, winner of the GOP Iowa caucuses, has fallen short of his fundraising goals. ... Republicans' fundraising has lagged far behind the Democrats' in a primary campaign that has no clear GOP front- runner. Many voters are dissatisfied with their choices, and many analysts are predicting a Democratic victory in the fall. One measure of Democrats' advantage: In the wake of her New Hampshire primary victory, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York received more than $6 million in cash and pledges in a matter of days. The Republicans' New Hampshire winner, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, raised less than $1 million, even though the day after the primary was his biggest fundraising day of the campaign. As of Sept. 30, the Republican candidates combined reported having $42.7 million in cash on hand, which was $8 million less than Clinton alone, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. [article link]
Mitt - After Michigan, whether win or place - Huckabee and McCain (and in part it's due to their unholy alliance) to have stolen 2 out of the first 3 states from Mitt {The Mormons want you to know that Huckabee and McCain stole their election victories in Iowa and New Hampshire while Mitt's Wyoming win was an honest
one.} Finally, many people realize that it's been a confluence of fortunate circumstances for both Huckabee and McCain (and in part it's due to their unholy alliance) to have stolen 2 out of the first 3 states from Mitt, and those circumstances would also account for a "place" in Michigan. Many understand those circumstances won't apply to the rest of the country and it's too early to crown a victor after 4 states. McCain has some real problems with the conservatives and moderates that make up the majority of the Republican party. And despite his claims to the contrary, McCain LOST to Mitt in the Republican vote in NH (it was independents that gave him the extra 5% he won by). Even if McCain won Michigan, a close second by Mitt would likely erode McCain's already tenuous claim he's the front-runner, and certainly slows the perceived momentum. [article link]
Some question Romney Wyoming 'victory' - The results of Republican nonbinding straw polls in some Wyoming counties Saturday don't jibe with the statewide delegate selection results in favor of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney - questioned why statewide straw poll results had not been publicized - Joe A. "Your "Primary" will never have national relavence if it is not transparent." {They should have an honest revote in Wyoming.} CHEYENNE -- The results of Republican nonbinding straw polls in some Wyoming counties Saturday don't jibe with the statewide delegate selection results in favor of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. In Johnson County, for example, former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee came in first in the straw poll, while Romney was in fourth place. ... Johnson County Republicans who contacted the Star-Tribune Monday, including Ruth Osborn of Buffalo, questioned why statewide straw poll results had not been publicized. Osborn, a state GOP committeewoman, said in a telephone interview Monday that people were asking why the national news media were reporting Wyoming voted for Romney when her county's straw poll gave him fourth place. ... In Park County's straw poll, Hunter outpolled Romney 26-20, according to the Cody Enterprise's online edition. But the county delegates chose Marilyn Taylor, a Romney supporter, as an alternate delegate to the national GOP convention. In Campbell County, Romney supporter Greg Schaefer won the delegate slot although Paul won the straw poll, according to published accounts. [article link]
Salt Lake Tribune - Mitt Romney is often his own worst enemy {Now the LDS kicks Romney to the curb with their Monday moring quarterbacking.} BOSTON - Several months ago, W. Mitt Romney said presciently that he had only himself to fear. Despite his millions, the picture-perfect family and an overpowering campaign organization, Romney becomes his own worst nightmare every time he dishes half-truths and exaggerations and dissembles about his religious and political views, pointlessly trying to persuade the so-called Christian Right that he is one of them. If it continues, he may not win his party's nomination. ... Romney's inability to empathize with common folk is longstanding. As an LDS stake president, he was kind, though often impatient and patronizing, with members who didn't measure up. Once, he joked that a church-sponsored social group for older single adults he championed was a club for "quitters and losers." ... One would expect that no son-of-George would ever allow one of the more guileless members of his campaign team to take the fall for its misbegotten attempt to involve LDS Church leaders in its efforts to secure support from BYU-affiliated business school groups. But Mitt did. One would think no heir-to-George would pin blame on his eldest son for the illegal immigrants working in the family garden. But Mitt did. No loyal husband would gracelessly roll his own wife under the bus ("Her contributions are for her and not for me. Her positions are not terrible [sic] relevant to my campaign.") to dodge accountability for his own previous support for Planned Parenthood. [article link]
Darwin's Plantation: Evolution's Racist Roots - "Although racism did not begin with Darwinism, Darwin did more than any person to popularize it" - from Darwin's Plantation (Book $9.99 - Use Cupon Code "ONERACE") Most people do not realize how intimately connected the idea of evolution and the worst racist ideology in
history are. This fascinating book by Ken Ham and Dr. Charles Ware reveals the compelling history of the effect of evolution on the history of the United States, including slavery and the civil rights movement. It goes beyond politically-correct teaching to show the global harvest of death and tragedy, which stems from Darwin's controversial theories. You will also learn what the Christian's view of racism should be and what the Bible has to say about it. A compassionate and uniquely convincing book! Uncover: the origin of the word "race" and the tragic legacy of Darwin's theory. Discover: the disturbing connection between evolutionary thought and the most ruthless (and bloody) dictators in history. Join: an eye-opening discussion on racism and its roots in the hearts and minds of millions. Step: beyond the legal precedents to find the true solution in the Bible-one that resolves this issue in the hearts of mankind. [article link]
Joy Behar: No More Saints Due to Modern Medicine - I think that in the old days, the saints were hearing voices and they didn't have any Thorazine to calm them down," Behar said on ABC's "the view" daily chatfest. "Now that we have all of this medication available to us, you can't find a saint anymore." {The Apostles and disciples did hear God's voice and they wrote it as they heard it. They accurately foretold our future - there is no medication that can undo that.} Saints were psychotic and advances in modern medicine have essentially wiped them off the planet. That's "the view" of comedian Joy Behar, as expressed on national television Wednesday. "I have a theory that you can't find any saints anymore because of psychotropic medication. I think that [in] the old days, the saints were hearing voices and they didn't have any Thorazine to calm them down," Behar said on ABC's daily chatfest. "Now that we have all of this medication available to us, you can't find a saint anymore." ... A spokesman for "The View" said Joy was just joking. "She said very clearly it was just a theory - she has lots of really funny theories that she kind of gives on a daily basis. She's a Catholic, and she loves to talk about the Catholic Church. It's one of her favorite subjects." [article link]
Polish Man Finds Wife Working in Brothel - A Polish man visiting a brothel was surprised to find his wife working there - The couple reportedly are getting a divorce WARSAW - A Polish man visiting a brothel was surprised to find his wife working there, Reuters reported. The woman, who had told her husband she had been working at a store in town to make extra money, Reuters reported. "I was dumfounded. I thought I was dreaming," the husband told the Polish tabloid Super Express on Wednesday. The couple reportedly are getting a divorce. [article link]
McCain's win keeps contest wide open - For Romney, who has invested more than $20 million of his own money in his campaign, the second-place finish is devastating - And more voters said they thought Romney had run the most unfair campaign MANCHESTER, N.H. - Sen. John McCain of Arizona completed a stunning political resurrection Tuesday, decisively winning New Hampshire's Republican presidential primary and embarrassing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in his own backyard. ... For Romney, who has invested more than $20 million of his own money in his campaign, the second-place finish is devastating. His methodical campaign was built on the idea that victories in Iowa and New Hampshire would propel him to the nomination. But accusations that he is a flip-flopper dragged him down as he waged a multifront campaign against McCain and Huckabee. ... McCain's victory was aided by Huckabee's defeat of Romney five days earlier in Iowa. Huckabee came in third in New Hampshire behind Romney. Giuliani, who spent millions of dollars in the Granite State but never seemed committed to the race, virtually disappeared, finishing fourth, while Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, the anti-war conservative, finished fifth. Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson placed sixth. State officials estimated Tuesday's record-breaking turnout exceeded a half-million voters. [article link]
Wyoming County GOP backs Romney? - In a straw poll among Park County GOP precinct voters, Hunter beat Romney 26-20 "But we selected Marilyn as our county alternate delegate to represent Romney at the national convention" {Is that an election irregularity? Can they do that, disregard and ignore the voters and go ahead with their own agenda? This is why Romney, the LDS and now the Republican Party have no credibility because they will tell any lie and commit any crime to get their way.} Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has Park County's support. County GOP leaders selected Marilyn Taylor as their alternate delegate Saturday during the county convention at the Holiday Inn. Taylor, who said she has volunteered for the former Massachusetts governor's campaign for the past year, will go to the Republican National Convention on Sept. 1-4 in St. Paul, Minn. ... In a straw poll among Park County GOP precinct voters, Hunter beat Romney 26-20. "That was interesting," said Terry Hinkle, vice-chairman of the county Republican Party. "But we selected Marilyn as our county alternate delegate to represent Romney at the national convention." ... Hinkle said the event did run smoothly and they had a standing-room only crowd. [article link]
Romney Supporters Remove McCain Signs {The janitor asked us to remove the McCain signs - and put up our Romney signs, that's classic. You can always trust a cult to do the cult thing!} Supporters of Mitt Romney removed McCain signs before a campaign event in New Hampshire before the primary. ... Comments: Desperate signs... literally... shame on them!!! Wow, just shows what tactics the Romney campaign will go through to win... You'd think that if Romney paid $250 per vote in Iowa, and still can't win, then he probably isn't the best candidate. Of course, he has a couple hundred million more in the bank, but hopefully NH voters aren't easily sold. ... Romney is a snake who was planted to take credit for the winter olympics in Utah. He smiled pretty and got credit by doing nothing. His clone Mike Leavitt was in big trouble up to his ears over the crooked shenanigans involved in obtaining the event for Utah. [article link]
Quote Of The Day: Former Huckabee Staffer -- Scandal Is Going To Destroy Romney - I will be surprised, however, if he's still in the race when the South Carolina primary comes around. Even if the impending scandal that has been rumored for weeks doesn't derail his campaign (I can't say what it is but you should hear about it before Jan. 8)..." -- Blogger & Former Huckabee staffer Joe Carter - are hearing that the story is going to be that Romney was behind the "anti-Mormon" push polling that got so much attention If this turns out to be true -- and I caution you that it may not be -- I think it would be extremely damaging to Mitt because there is absolutely no way, given the tight ties that Mitt has to that PAC, that they could be doing push polling like this without Mitt knowing that they were behind it. Here's a little info on Commonwealth PAC and its relationship to Romney, Friends and supporters of Governor Mitt Romney have established a political action committee that has lavished more than $250,000 on Republican candidates and county GOP organizations across the nation since July, apparently laying the groundwork for a potential presidential run for the Massachusetts politician in 2008. ...Funded largely by Romney's former colleagues at the venture capital firm Bain Capital, Commonwealth PAC has quickly established a strong presence in states that are crucial to any presidential hopeful. Romney has made time for appearances in most of those states, too. ... ''Governor Romney is fully aware of the Commonwealth PAC and is supportive of its mission," Fehrnstrom said. ''However, he does not participate in the management decisions of the PAC." Money for the PAC's donations is mostly coming from Bain executives, as well as Massachusetts Republican Party chairman Darrell Crate and Staples Inc. founder Thomas Stemberg. [article link]
Report: Bear Stearns CEO to Step Down, Remain Chairman - Bear Stearns Chief Executive James Cayne is resigning under pressure from shareholders upset over the firm's losses - and the collapse of the (two) hedge funds NEW YORK -- Bear Stearns Chief Executive James Cayne is resigning under pressure from shareholders upset over the firm's losses amid a slew of problems sparked by the collapse of mortgage markets, The Wall Street
Journal reported Monday. ... Some people point to the collapse last summer of two Bear Stearns hedge funds set up to bet on risky mortgage debt as the trigger for the subprime mortgage crisis, which began as people with tainted or weak credit history started defaulting on their loans. Cayne later came under fire after the Journal reported that as the two hedge funds were going bankrupt, he was playing golf and bridge without access to e-mail or a telephone. Bear Stearns Cos.' fiscal fourth-quarter loss, the first in its 84-year history, and the collapse of the hedge funds, prompted Cayne to pass on his 2007 bonus. Members of the company's executive committee also did not receive year-end bonuses. Bear Stearns' profit plummeted 89% in fiscal 2007 as the bank wrote billions of dollars of bad debt off its books. The company's stock had lost almost 47% of its value as of late December. [article link]
{Flashback} Bear Stearns' CEO James Cayne Embroiled In Sticky Icky Icky Situation - Disappearing during August conference calls with investors - Mr. Cayne invited a fellow (card) player and a woman to smoke pot with him, according to someone who was there The Wall Street Journal this morning takes Bear Stearns CEO James Cayne to task for, among other things: Playing golf and bridge during the summer even as two Bear Stearns hedge funds were losing money. Cayne reportedly spent 10 of 21 workdays out of the office in July. Disappearing during August conference calls with investors. Eh, so what. All CEOs do play golf and bridge. BUT, do they: "After a day of bridge at a Doubletree hotel in Memphis, in 2004, Mr. Cayne invited a fellow player and a woman to smoke pot with him, according to someone who was there, and led the two to a lobby men's room where he intended to light up. The other player declined, says the person who was there, but the woman followed Mr. Cayne inside and shared a joint, to the amusement of a passerby," the Journal reported. "Asked more generally whether he smoked pot during bridge tournaments or on other occasions, Mr. Cayne said he would respond only "to a specific allegation," not to general questions. So that's what they mean by Cayne's "blunt style." [article link]
{Flashback} Last Trumpet Ministries - Newsletter - The Final Days of Satan's Last Empire! - Corrupt Leadership for a Corrupt People! - U.S. Senator Harry Reid (LDS) Mormon of Searchlight, NV - Reid was being interviewed in his home by reporters, he took them into his bathroom and pointed to his most prized possession - It was an autographed poster of the Grateful Dead - The Grateful Dead is a notorious hard rock band noted for their heavy drug cult following The new Majority Leader for the United States Senate is now U.S. Senator Harry Reid {a loyal (LDS) Mormon} of Searchlight, Nevada. When Reid was being interviewed in his home by reporters, he took them into his bathroom and pointed to his most prized possession. It was an autographed poster of the Grateful Dead. (38) The Grateful Dead is a notorious hard rock band noted for their heavy drug cult following. They are a satanic group of the first magnitude, and their followers are referred to as deadheads. Their emblem is a skeleton wearing a tuxedo and top hat with the skull wearing sunglasses. It is true, our Senate Majority leader is a deadhead, and this may explain the residue of the two lines of white powder on the glass top of the table, where he was seated with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, sometimes referred to as "Nasty Pelosi." I am now looking at a number of pictures of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on the day she took office. As she stood in front of all the dignitaries present, she held a black leather bull whip in front of her chest and proudly proclaimed, "I am the most powerful woman in America." Pelosi then made two clenched fists and held them in a tai kwon do karate position. In the next photograph, she is lifting a gavel high into the air with a look on her face that would scare the devil himself if he had a mind to look at her. The next picture shows Pelosi lifting her right fist above her head in the communist power salute that was so common during the riots and demonstrations of the 1960's. She then brings her fist slightly downward and turns her knuckles forward to the striking serpent salute used by Satanists. (39) The late high priest of the Church of Satan, also secretly known as the Hotel California, was often seen using the striking serpent salute. Without a doubt, hell has been raised, and hells children are now occupying the highest offices in our erstwhile great nation. [article link]
Revelation Press Publishes Blockbuster Expose: Mitt -- Set Our People Free! - a controversial book by a controversial author, written for those who support Romney -- and those who fear him - Like Toto in Oz, this book tears away the curtain and reveals the truth behind the Mormon Church and its beliefs about the U.S. Presidency (to set up a world-wide LDS theocracy) -- and what that will mean to "President" Mitt Romney Jesus said that man cannot serve two masters -- but if Romney is elected President, he will have to serve two conflicting oaths. American Presidents swear an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. However, this Presidential Oath is in direct conflict with Romney's sacred oath to his Mormon Church -- a blood oath which puts Romney's life, fortune and obedience at the unrestricted service of his Church. This obedience is defined by the Church's Living Prophet, the President of the Mormon Church and-as they believe -- the literal Voice of God on earth. According to author Mike Moody, "One of the LDS Church's basic tenets is a prophecy from founder and First Prophet Joseph Smith that in the latter days, the U.S. Constitution will 'hang by a thread as fine as silk fiber' until a Mormon leader rides in on his White Horse to save the U.S. and the Constitution -- then use his control of the United States to set up a world-wide theocracy, one based on the clearly unorthodox beliefs of the Church of Latter Day Saints." Author Mike Moody, himself a 7th Generation Mormon from a family of Church-founding patriarchs - men who served Joseph Smith and Brigham Young as they created this remarkable "church" -- uses his both insider knowledge of the LDS Church and his long-time personal ties to his one-time college fraternity brother, Mitt Romney, to point out the essential conflict between Romney's sacred Oath to the Church and the oath he seeks to take as President. [article link]
Blu-Ray Triumphs at Gadget Show - Sony CEO Cheerful After Blu-Ray Scores Decisive Victory Over HD DVD Movie-Disc Format - The shift in the format struggle isn't a reason to run out and buy Blu-ray players - today's (Blu-ray) players can't take advantage of the features planned for future Blu-ray discs LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The International Consumer Electronics Show is turning out to be a celebration party for Blu-ray, the high-definition format that Sony Corp. backed, and a wake for a rival movie disc technology pushed by Toshiba Corp. ... The impasse was broken Friday by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the last major studio to put out movies in both formats. It announced it was ditching HD DVD, and from May on, would only publish on Blu-ray and traditional DVD. The decision puts a strong majority of the major studios, five versus two, in the Blu-ray camp. Asked Monday at the show if the Warner announcement decides the format war, Stringer said: "I never put up banners that say 'Mission Accomplished.'" But his cheerful delivery belied his words. By contrast, the main media event scheduled for the show by the North American HD DVD Promotional Group, which includes Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp., was canceled because of Warner's defection. "We are currently discussing the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluating next steps," the group said in a statement. The shift in the format struggle isn't a reason to run out and buy Blu-ray players, however: today's players can't take advantage of the features planned for future Bluray discs. On Monday, Panasonic parent Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. demonstrated prototypes that can handle the new interactive features coming to Blu-ray. [article link]
Another Romney flip flop??? - So the Romney lesson of the day is that comparison or negative ads are only OK when Romney does them and when any one else does a comparison or a negative ad it is mud slinging or personal - Do as I say not as I do {Mitt Romney is or has been a senior, high office holder in the LDS Mormon cult and it is his cult conduct of 'preaching' one thing and then doing the exact opposite, seemingly every time, that causes the nation to distrust Romney and cults in general and Mormons in particular.} The ad features Romney speaking directly into the camera holding up three pieces of COMPARISON direct mail. He says, "Negative mudslinging does not belong in the Republican Primary." ... Mitt Romney refused to sign the No New Taxes pledge in 2002. Now he is for it. Why didn't he sign it in 2002? Because he raised corporate taxes, the gas tax and increased fees by half a billion. What do people say about him? The Cato Institute gives him a C as Governor. Mitt Romney you never know when he is going to change his mind again.
So the Romney lesson of the day is that comparison or negative ads are only OK when Romney does them and when any one else does a comparison or a negative ad it is mud slinging or personal. Do as I say not as I do. [article link]
Welcome to Christian Care Ministry - We are constantly working to add and improve services that reduce medical costs and improve the corporate health for our membership The Christian Care Ministry's primary mission is to offer Christians an organized means by which medical bills can be shared across a broad membership, saving families thousands of dollars each year compared to highcost insurance plans. There are now Christian Care Medi-Share® members in all 50 states and on every continent. In recent years, additional programs have been added to the Christian Care Ministry to further assist members with their health needs: [article link]
MEDI-SHARE - WHAT IS MEDI-SHARE? - The Medi-Share program brings Christians together to share the cost of their medical bills and save money - Medi-Share is NOT insurance The Medi-Share program brings Christians together to share the cost of their medical bills and save money. IS MEDI-SHARE NEW? No. The idea of sharing one another's needs is as old as the Bible itself (see Psalm 133, Galatians 6:2). Medi-Share has been bringing Christians together since 1993 and its members have shared more than $300,000,000 with each other over that period. WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT MEDI-SHARE? There are several key differences between Medi-Share and health insurance that are fully explained in our Guidelines, but here are the basics: Medi-Share is NOT insurance. Unlike health insurance companies where you pay a premium to the company and they, in turn, either reimburse you or pay the doctor or hospital, Medi-Share brings Christians together to share medical bills with one another. The key here is that medical needs are SHARED among members. Medi-Share is based on the biblical principles of caring for and sharing in one another's needs as set forth in Galatians 6:2. [article link]
(WWB) Wrestling With the Basics - Radio Show (Free Mp3-Wma Downloads) Radio Show Archive (Mp3's) [article link]
The Christian Basics 132 Topics - Easy to Use & Easy to Understand (PDF) Studying Theology: Is just like piecing together a puzzle. Individual Theology pieces fit together and the picture begins to emerge. The picture Theology displays is the image of Jesus! [article link]
(Part 3) *** Janet L. Folger reads from her Book - CRIMINALIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY (MP3) January 01, 2008 - The Criminalization of Christianity audiobook version - by Janet L. Folger "The most important book of 2006" for Christians on how to get our country back before it's too late. Buy a copy for yourself and one for your pastor! (Free Mp3 download) [article link]
(Part 1) *** Janet L. Folger reads from her Book - CRIMINALIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY (MP3) December 28, 2007 - The Criminalization of Christianity audiobook version - by Janet L. Folger "The most important book of 2006" for Christians on how to get our country back before it's too late. Buy a copy for yourself and one for your pastor! (Free Mp3 download) [article link]
(Part 2) *** Janet L. Folger reads from her Book - CRIMINALIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY (MP3) December 31, 2007 - The Criminalization of Christianity audiobook version - by Janet L. Folger "The most important book of 2006" for Christians on how to get our country back before it's too late. Buy a copy for
yourself and one for your pastor! (Free Mp3 download) [article link]
HD DVD backers reeling as Blu-Ray shines at electronics show - Warner Brothers studio pulled out of an alliance with Toshiba's HD DVD camp and switched sides, announcing on Friday that Hollywood's largest distributor of DVDs will do so exclusively in Sony's Blu-Ray format LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) - HD DVD backers are reeling at the world's top consumer electronics show in the wake of a major blow by rival Blu-Ray in the battle to be the reigning format for high density DVDs. Warner Brothers studio pulled out of an alliance with Toshiba's HD DVD camp and switched sides, announcing on Friday that Hollywood's largest distributor of DVDs will do so exclusively in Sony's Blu-Ray format. HD DVD Promotion Group cancelled a press conference it had planned for the eve of Monday's formal start of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. [article link]
The most ignored stories of 2007 - Here, with our readers' help, are WorldNetDaily editors' picks for the 10 most underreported stories of 2007 Quiet steps by the federal government toward merger of the U.S., Canada and Mexico top the list of the 10 most "spiked" or underreported stories of the last year, according to an annual WND survey. At the end of each year, news organizations typically present their retrospective replays of what they consider to have been the top news stories in the previous 12 months. WND's editors, however, have long considered it far more newsworthy to publicize the most important unreported or underreported news events of the year - to highlight perhaps for one last time major news stories that were undeservedly "spiked" by the establishment press. WND Editor and CEO Joseph Farah has sponsored "Operation Spike" every year since 1988, and since founding WorldNetDaily in May 1997, he has continued the annual tradition. [article link]
SonicLight.com: Audio Bible Study Lessons - MP3 Samples & Book by Book Overviews - (Free Mp3 Downloads) Below are samples of audio-based Bible study lessons from selected Study CDs. To begin, click one of the Bible Study titles below. To learn more about the MP3 technology used to create these lessons, click here. To see the available Discount Sets, click 'How to Order' above, then scroll down. To learn about the Sonic Light audio CDs, scroll down below the sample series. To learn about downloading to an iPod scroll down to the bottom. [article link]
kfuoam.org: Inspirational Christian Radio for the World (Free Mp3's) -- Audio Archives -- Free Mp3 Downloads. [article link]
BibleStudyGuide.org: Various Topics and Studies (Free Downloads Mp3's) BibleStudyGuide.org is devoted to providing Bible study resources. It contains resources authored by a number of individuals. Some of the resources are from people of different religious backgrounds and beliefs. For example, when using the commentaries, encyclopedias, and dictionaries, you will be studying material written by individuals from different churches who have differing beliefs on a particular subject. [article link]
A Hard Loss for Romney - Instead, his handlers framed Romney's candidacy in a fallacy - We were asked to believe that he was something that he was not - Iowa didn't buy it and neither will anyone else - What people are looking for is leadership - What the Romney campaign offered was obeisance {Obeisance - to bow down; Romney bowed down so low to his Bush handlers that is own persona wasn't able to emerge.} Where would you start? A large piece of the Romney campaign's failure was its unwillingness to discuss the major issues facing the country in substantive terms. He never said one interesting thing about how to defeat radical Islam in its war against the United States in particular and the developed world in general. In the midst
of the greatest financial meltdown in at least two decades, he didn't offer up even the sketchiest proposal for national or international oversight of the global financial system. In the midst of a genomic revolution in biological science, one that impacts everything from energy to health care to national security, he said nothing at all. A large part of politics is framing the context in which one's candidacy is understood. Romney was never going to be a base candidate. He's a Mormon and the base is not. Romney was never going to be the "conservative" candidate, he was the former governor of Massachusetts, perhaps the most liberal state in the country, and campaigned there for the US Senate (in 1994) and for governor (in 2002) as a moderate. [article link]
In Search of Romney's Silver Lining - What do you say after a very costly trouncing? - After spending $238 for each of their 29,405 votes -- a reported $7 million - he (Kevin Madden - Romney spokesman) was famous for saying that, no matter what, you have to have poise {One of the big themes to emerge from the Iowa caucus is that people are grateful that the people in Iowa did not sell their vote to the highest bidder (money or poise). Iowa does bode well for real elections from people evaluating real issues.} DES MOINES -- What do you say after a very costly trouncing? After spending $238 for each of their 29,405 votes -- a reported $7 million ... But like New Coke, which tested well in the labs and was a flop when it was introduced, the polls in Iowa were misleading. What they reflected was a part of the electorate which had not yet weighed in because they could not agree on a candidate: the evangelical base of the party. Then came Huckabee. And all of a sudden, the strength that Madden had been pointing to all year long evaporated. Madden is a veteran of political communications who used to work for embattled congressman Tom Delay. During that time, he was famous for saying that, no matter what, you have to have poise. He was the model of poise Thursday night, even as the bad news arrived in a torrent. [article link]
Mike Huckabee - Projected Winner in Iowa 35% {Congratulations to former Governor Mike Huckabee he is running a great campaign and a special thanks to the Iowa voters who have led the nation's primaries to a great start.} Once CNN projects a winner in each state contest, the "Status" for that contest changes to reflect the candidate's position. If the candidate is the projected winner, the Status will read "Projected winner". If not, the Status will read "2nd place," "3rd place," etc. The placement is only a reflection of the vote or delegate totals being provided at the time, and not necessarily CNN's projection of the candidate's final placement in the contest. [article link]
Evangelical Leaders Pledge Common Cause with Islam - They apologize for the 'sins of Christians,' leave the deity of Christ open for discussion {This is an extension of all the other slippery roads of compromise that too many Church leaders are leading us down. As always stay true to Jesus, read the Bible, pray, fellowship, serve the Church and you will grow and mature with or without good Church leadership.} An attempt by leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) to win friends and influence Muslims is alienating another group - evangelical Christians. Reactions have been negative and strong. Islam expert Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo has called it a "betrayal" and a "sellout." Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary (Southern Baptist), termed it "naiveté that borders on dishonesty." Others are just beginning to hear of it. In November, NEA President Leith Anderson and NEA Vice President Richard Cizik signed onto a Christian response to an invitation to dialogue from 138 Muslim leaders around the world. Their response - initiated by Yale Divinity School and endorsed by other liberal Christian leaders - apologized for the sins of Christians during the Crusades and for "excesses" of the global war on terror, without mentioning Muslim atrocities. It appeared to leave the fundamentals of Christianity - especially the deity of Christ - open for discussion. It even seemed to acknowledge Allah as the God of the Bible. "Before we 'shake your hand' in responding to your letter," it stated, "we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world." The very name of the Muslim communiqué - A Common Word between Us and You - is from a verse in the
Quran that condemns "people of the Scripture" (Christians) for alleged polytheism (the doctrine of the Trinity). Mohler said the agreement "sends the wrong signal" and contains basic theological problems, especially in "marginalizing" Jesus Christ. He also condemned the apology for the Crusades. "I just have to wonder how intellectually honest this is," he said. "Are these people suggesting that they wish the military conflict with Islam had ended differently - that Islam had conquered Europe?" [article link]
Family leaders call Romney 'disaster' - Letter criticizes 'deceptive rhetoric' around candidate - The letter cites seven issues seen as problematic in the Romney campaign, including a "phony pro-life 'conversion'" - The letter also criticized those in the conservative community who are supporting Romney, accusing them of "gross malpractice, ruthless ambition and dishonesty" The letter also criticized those in the conservative community who are supporting Romney, accusing them of "gross malpractice, ruthless ambition and dishonesty." "Behind the empty gestures and deceptive rhetoric, Romney was not pro-life or a defender of marriage by any stretch of the imagination. He was a disaster," said O'Gorman, of the board for Massachusetts Citizens for Life. He said Romney "deceptively" claims to have been awarded a pro-life award from the group. "The award Romney arranged for himself with the local Pioneer Valley Chapter was the Mullins Award for Political Leadership, not a pro-life award and not approved by MCFL's state board of directors," he said. "We're blowing the whistle to warn voters..." "For some bizarre reason the mere fact that Romney's never been divorced and goes to a temple regularly is supposed to negate the fact that he's extremely liberal," said Harvey. "He used his Republican and Mormon identity to push through radical policies on gay marriage, abortion and pro-homosexual school programs that Ted Kennedy always dreamed about." The Romney campaign repeatedly has declined to respond to WND requests for comment on such issues, including a failure to respond to multiple requests for a one-on-one interview in which the candidate would have been allowed to give his definitive perspective of the issues being raised. [article link]
The Political Wire: Romney Denies Dirty Tricks Charges ... Again - phone calls going out to Huckabee's Iowa supporters giving them incorrect caucus locations - Romney aides denied the charge Mitt Romney's campaign again denied charges from Mike Huckabee's camp Thursday that the Republican presidential candidate had anything to do with phone calls going out to Huckabee's Iowa supporters giving them incorrect caucus locations. Romney aides denied the charge, ... Huckabee's Iowa director Eric Woolson told FOX News Thursday mailers have been distributed giving Huckabee supporters "erroneous information" about their caucus locations. Woolson was very explicit about who's to blame. It's "obvious that Romney's campaign is trying to suppress Mike Huckabee's turnout by steering our supporters away from their actual precinct locations, trying to make this harder for them," he said. [article link]
Huckabee Supporters Get Warning Letters - warning them that getting involved in politics could endanger the tax-exempt status of their churches - the letters, which have no return address {If these letters are in any way tied to the Romney campaign then Romney needs to resign from the campaign. Why don't they just burn crosses in people's yards if they are so intent on intimidating people and keeping them from participating in the nation's elections.} DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa pastors who support Republican Mike Huckabee for president have received letters warning them that getting involved in politics could endanger the tax-exempt status of their churches. Several pastors who have publicly backed Huckabee, a Southern Baptist minister who has support from many evangelicals, said they have received the letters, which have no return address. They have arrived in the weeks leading to Thursday's precinct caucuses. Two letters were sent to the Rev. Brad Sherman, of Solid Rock Christian Church in Coralville. The first arrived a couple weeks ago and warned that he could be prosecuted for his support of Huckabee. "I just laughed. No one lands in jail for this," Sherman said. "Somebody is trying to intimidate Christians from getting involved." ... "I just encourage people to get out and vote and use their
biblical principles," Hollinger said. "I don't tell people who to vote for." Hollinger said he doubted the letters would intimidate anyone. The Rev. Rex Deckard has received nine letters, including three on Wednesday. ... Jim Harris, a Huckabee spokesman in Little Rock, Ark., said the campaign was aware of the letters but did not know how many pastors have received them or whether they were just being sent in Iowa. "We are gathering more information even as we speak," Harris said. "I would not rule out that we would ask for a criminal investigation, and people who would send such threatening letters to ministers for purely political purposes are cowardly and reek of desperation." [article link]
Six tips to managing workplace conflict - While disagreements and differing opinions are normal, even healthy, in work relationships, conflict can cost your company productivity, money and employee satisfaction - early intervention is the key to managing conflicts before they become crises, Stieber says Human resource managers report spending 24 to 60 percent of their time dealing with employee disputes. The number of violent incidents in the workplace has been increasing steadily, according to a study by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Nearly 60 percent of respondents said violence had occurred in their organization during the past three years, and they identified "personality conflicts" as the leading cause. Like birth, death, choice and change, conflict is a constant fact of life. It's also a fact of the workplace, especially when you deal or interact with people. While disagreements and differing opinions are normal, even healthy, in work relationships, conflict can cost your company productivity, money and employee satisfaction. ... "Understanding the nature of conflict, examining myths, and learning simple conflict-resolution skills can reduce friction and their negative toll on job satisfaction and productivity." Reasons for animosity at work run the gamut from weak communication to personality clashes to poor leadership. Whatever the reason, early intervention is the key to managing conflicts before they become crises, Stieber says. Make use of the following tips to resolve conflict at work: Choose your battles: How important is the dispute really? Does it truly affect you, and is it a chronic problem? If it's a one-time incident or mild transgression, let it pass, says Steven Menack, a professional divorce and business mediator. Expect conflict: Decide that friction will occasionally emerge in the course of human relationships, Stieber says. Don't fear it -- rather, learn to spot the symptoms early and see opportunity in the resolution. [article link]
Pope says family key to peace - Pope Benedict ushered in the New Year on Tuesday by criticizing policies that undermine the traditional family, saying they eroded one of the most important foundations for peace in the world VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict ushered in the New Year on Tuesday by criticizing policies that undermine the traditional family, saying they eroded one of the most important foundations for peace in the world. The Pontiff, delivering a traditional New Year prayer for peace, appeared to take a swipe at efforts in several countries to grant legal recognition to gay and unwed couples -- although he did not single out any policies by name. He said the traditional family led by a husband and wife instilled values that promote peace, and added it was an "irreplaceable" institution. "Those who are hostile, even unknowingly, to the institution of the family ... make peace fragile for the entire national and international community," the Pope told crowds gathered in a sunny St. Peter's Square. [article link]
Welcome to 2008!! Perceptive Pixel multi-touch computer system - is this future computer a future witnessing tool for the Church - I think so!! (Online Video 3:32) Perceptive Pixel, Inc. was founded by Jeff Han in 2006 as a spinoff of the NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences to develop and market the most advanced multi-touch system in the world. [article link]
The Dark Ages (DVD $16.99) {In case you have ever wondered if Satan is raging a relentless war against the Christian Church and against mankind in general this History documentary will lay aside all doubts.} Between the Fall of Rome and the dawn of the Renaissance, Europe plunged into a dark night of constant war, splintered sovereignties, marauding pagans, rabid crusaders and devastating plague. That anything of value arose from this chaotic muck - much less the Renaissance - is nothing short of miraculous. Through masterful cinematography and ground-breaking research, THE DARK AGES brings to life this amazing and mysterious time. Relive in striking detail critical turning points in the Early Middle Ages including the fall of Rome to the Visigoths, the horrors of Bubonic Plague, the rise of Charlemagne and the launching of the First Crusade. [article link]
Raising Godly Children (4 DVDs - $45) This is Vision Forum's top recommendation as a video training course for building loving, Christ-centered, unified, multi-generational families. In this eminently practical seminar, Michael and Susan Bradrick have provided Christians with an ideal training tool for use in the local church or during family devotions. [article link]
Item #1 - Heaven and Hell - They had learned the joy of service on earth, and now they had eternity to enjoy it, only more so - Heaven is a place God has created for all men, and he has created a way to be sure your name is on the A list - There is no B list C. S. Lewis drew us a mental picture of Hell, everyone was seated at a banquet table filled with wonderful food. The problem arose in that the food was several feet away, and they all had three foot long forks and knives. They could just reach the food, but the utensil's were too long to get the food into their mouths. There was anger, fighting, screaming and unpleasantness abounding. Think of the expansion of Moreso's law for eternity. Lewis also drew us a picture of Heaven, same huge banquet table filled with wonderful foods. The banqueters in Heaven were equipped with those same three foot long utensils. The difference was the joy, laughter, and excitement at the table; they were feeding each other, and enjoying a great feast. They had learned the joy of service on earth, and now they had eternity to enjoy it, only more so. [article link]
Item #2 - The Fountain - I guess this story has a moral... Teamwork i suppose - awesome artwork (YouTube Cartoon 4 min) nice, love it, ppl should make their kids watch things like this not the violent stupid stuff that's broadcasted now everywhere that steals their inocence. {The gentleman in the cartoon is a nice person however he is not a very helpful person. This is much like today where people in the cults are dying of thirst, a lack of the living water of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not enough to be just a nice person in a thirsty world. Christians who have the truth need to assist others to help them to drink from the living water of the message of Jesus Christ. -- John 7:37-38 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water.} [article link]
'It's About Jerusalem' - Audio Parts 1-3 (Mp3's) Great Sermon! AWESOME and moving word by Brother Baity on Jerusalem and gratitude to God for our blessings. [article link]
Obama slams McCain's energy policy - What Washington has done is what Washington always does: It's peddled false promises, irresponsible policy and cheap gimmicks that might get politicians through the next election but won't lead America - "For decades, John McCain has been a part of this failure in Washington" {I would go further and say that John McCain has not only been a part of the problems in Washington but that
he is one of the leaders of the problems in Washington. Every legislation bill McCain has a part in is an unreasonable disaster loaded with misrepresentations i.e. the Kennedy-McCain amnesty bill and the McCainFeingold campaign finance reform bill.} (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama blasted Sen. John McCain's energy plans Tuesday as "gimmicks," saying his policies "will only increase our oil addiction for another four years." "What Washington has done is what Washington always does: It's peddled false promises, irresponsible policy and cheap gimmicks that might get politicians through the next election but won't lead America toward the next generation of renewable energy," Obama said in Las Vegas, Nevada. ... "My entire energy plan will produce three times the oil savings that John McCain's ever could -- and what's more, it will actually decrease our dependence on oil while his will only grow our addiction further," he said. [article link]
Obama Leads McCain by 15 Points as Voters Reject Republicans - voter enthusiasm, views of President George W. Bush, the Republicans, the economy and the direction of the country -- point to even greater trouble for rival John McCain - Voters give Obama a 3-to-2 advantage on handling the economy {The new Liberal Bush Republican Party is in serious jeopardy of failing and it should fail as two Liberal Parties do not represent America. The Republican brand name is so tarnished that it might be over as a party. For certain the public's level of confidence in elected Republican representatives makes it almost impossible to trust a Republican candidate to faithfully serve America. The Republican Party is on the verge of being a party not worth saving and unless they can cleanse the Party of the Bush family influence and control then for all practical purposes the Party has no future and it is ruined. For the future of conservative, values voters representation in America it is best to look elsewhere.} Obama's margin and most of the poll's findings in other areas give the Democrats a commanding advantage more than four months before the November election, says Susan Pinkus, the Los Angeles Times polling director. "The Obama voters are much more energized and motivated to come out to vote than the McCain voters; McCain is still struggling to win over some of his core groups," she says. "The good news for Obama is also that he seems to be doing better on the issue that is uppermost in voters' minds, and that is the economy." Two-Way Race The poll shows that the third-party candidacies of Barr and Nader, who political experts say likely will be on the ballot in most states, are hurting Arizona Senator McCain slightly more than Obama. In a two-way race, Obama's lead over the presumptive Republican nominee narrows to 12 points. [article link]
Embattled McCain Adviser (Charlie Black) Absent on Campaign Trail - An adviser to John McCain who claimed that a terrorist attack would be a "big advantage" for his candidate has dropped off the campaign trail, at least temporarily - Ben Veniste wouldn't call for McCain to fire his trusted adviser {Why is it so hard for the McBush people to do the right thing? Bush and McCain surround themselves with unscrupulous characters and then refuse to dismiss them long after it is apparent to everyone else that they are not the caliber of person the nation needs in those positions.} Black, a key foreign policy strategist for the likely Republican presidential nominee, apologized for the comments on Monday, but after accompanying McCain on the campaign trail Monday was nowhere to be seen Tuesday. ... McCain condemned his adviser Monday, saying, "I cannot imagine why he would say it, it's not true … I strenuously disagree." Still, the Obama campaign circulated a report from the Think Progress Web site Tuesday revisiting similar comments McCain made during the 2004 election. Shortly before that election, McCain was quoted saying that the latest Usama bin Laden video message would be "very helpful" to President Bush because it focused voters' attention on the War on Terror - considered at the time to be Bush's strong suit. ... Ben Veniste wouldn't call for McCain to fire his trusted adviser, saying only that Black's remarks "call for some recalibration in the thinking and perhaps a greater adherence to principle here in staying away from the politics of fear, and I would suggest it would be a good idea to caution those whose candid thoughts have created this turmoil with Senator McCain." [article link]
Evangelist [family psychologist Dr. James Dobson] accuses Obama of 'distorting' Bible {1. Religion is likely to be a big topic this 2008 election year with some vague secular buffet type of religion emerging via the liberal biased media as the recommended, preferred religion of choice. As people of FAITH we simply need to stick to our Bible teachings as we have no reason to get swept up in some secular agenda of the moment. 2. Dr. Dobson supported the nitwit Republican Mitt Romney who's own Mormon cult teachings are among the most twisted teachings in the world. It would be more helpful if the Christian leaders could be more consistent in the standards they hold.} (CNN) -- A top U.S. evangelical leader is accusing Sen. Barack Obama of deliberately distorting the Bible and taking a "fruitcake interpretation" of the U.S. Constitution. ... In the comments to be aired Tuesday, Dobson said Obama should not be referencing antiquated dietary codes and passages from the Old Testament that are no longer relevant to the teachings of the New Testament. "I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own world view, his own confused theology," Dobson said, adding that Obama is "dragging biblical understanding through the gutter." ... Dobson also takes aim at Obama for suggesting in the speech that those motivated by religion should attempt to appeal to broader segments of the population by not just framing their arguments around religious precepts. "Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal rather than religion-specific values," Obama said. "It requires their proposals be subject to argument and amenable to reason." Dobson said the suggestion is an attempt to lead by the "lowest common denominator of morality." [article link]
The Seductive and Subversive (book) "Shack" - William P. Young's ragingly popular book The Shack - Is this work of fiction really Christian? It is called by some as one of Christianity's most influential books - He moves through his very engaging and emotional story to eventually present this same 'New Age' teaching that God is 'in' everything" - The Shack opens in the context of tragedy {I have found that an "engaging and emotional story" is the #1 tool of the CULTS used to get people's attention to garner their sympathy and then sucker them into their cause. They always have a story, a drama, a wrong. They eventually imply that God has let them down or has even wronged them and that it is up to me and others to come in and pick-up the pieces of what God couldn't or wouldn't do. I say NO WAY has God ever let anyone down! They need to PRAY to God and truly find out what is happening. If there is a wrong, contact the authorities (something they never want do) but don't solicit and contend with strangers about your woes and perceived mishaps.} "I was drawn into the 'New Age Movement' years ago by books and lectures containing parabolic stories that were not unlike The Shack. ... "I discovered that author William P. Young does exactly the same thing in The Shack. He moves through his very engaging and emotional story to eventually present this same 'New Age' teaching that God is 'in' everything." -- As writer and researcher Berit Kjos concludes, "Yet countless pastors and church leaders are delighting in its message. By ignoring (or redefining) sin and guilt, they embrace an inclusive but counterfeit 'Christianity' that draws crowds but distorts the Bible. Discounting Satan as well, they weaken God's warnings about deception. No wonder His armor for today's spiritual war became an early victim of this spreading assault on truth." -- So The Shack opens in the context of tragedy. Four years have passed since the cruel murder of Missy, Mack's precious six-year-old daughter. Enveloped in grief, he receives a strange invitation. "I've missed you," it says. "I'll be at the shack next weekend if you want to get together. Papa." What could it mean? Doubtful, but drawn to the meeting, Mack heads for the Oregon wilderness and finds the dilapidated old shack. "God" miraculously transforms it into a cozy cottage, and Mack meets his supposed maker. -- No, it doesn't get any stranger but sadly, it doesn't get more popular with Christians who miss the point that The Shack is intended to bring about a new definition of the Christian faith. As Albert Mohler says, "This is totally seductive and subversive, but readers, even believers, don't seem to mind." You can listen to all of his comments at this link. [article link]
**Highly Recommended - The Edge AM (Radio Shows) - Oct. 28th 2006, Daniel & Jamie Ott take your calls (3 Hours) - Taking live calls of Spooky Stories - Truth and Fear issues: discussed aprox. 2:14 - 2:23 (Mp3) Something freaky happen to you? Seen a ghost, monster, alien or just had a scary nightmare? Now's your chance to scare up your story with Daniel on the air. Share your true story with the Edge listening audience and receive free Edge gear! ... Truth and Fear issues: Fear 2:14:00 (2 hours 14 min) -- When things (demons, deceit) are unleashed do not let fear rule over you or let it overcome you -- "It's the Love of Christ that will cast these things out." Truth 2:16:30 (2 hours 16 min 30 sec) Truth rules! Truth is found only in the Bible! Truth has to be 100% not 99%. There are two ways to lie. 1. Change the truth. 2. Withhold and keep back some of the truth. [article link]
Americans: My Faith Isn't the Only Way to Heaven - America remains a nation of believers, but a new survey finds most Americans don't feel their religion is the only way to eternal life - even if their faith tradition teaches otherwise {People have opinions, the Bible has FACTS! -- John 6:38-40 For I (Jesus) came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. -- John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.} The findings, revealed Monday in a survey of 35,000 adults, can either be taken as a positive sign of growing religious tolerance, or disturbing evidence that Americans dismiss or don't know fundamental teachings of their own faiths. Among the more startling numbers in the survey, conducted last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life: 57 percent of evangelical church attenders said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical teaching. In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion. "The survey shows religion in America is, indeed, 3,000 miles wide and only three inches deep," said D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist of religion. "There's a growing pluralistic impulse toward tolerance and that is having theological consequences," he said. [article link]
This man died ...and returned... Heaven and Hell are real (YouTube) The man you see died in a plane-accident and was on his way to hell. But by the grace of God he was given a chance to cry out to God to save him. God did, and now he tells people hell is real- he experienced that darkness- and heaven is real. Pleading with you to repent and choose the Lord Jesus Christ, the ONLY WAY (John 14:6) to heaven and eternal life! [article link]
Mary K. Baxter Divine Revelation of Hell (Google Video Download) An interview of Mary K. Baxter, who was visited by Jesus Christ and shown Hell and Heaven. she was shown about the Judgments of God against the ungodly, and also about the glorious placed prepared for those who have repented and come to Jesus. [article link]
Manti Pageant Play - Mormons (LDS) mocking Christianity 1 of 2 (YouTube) Wow, didn't realize that the LDS Church mocked other Christians so badly at their Pageant. Know about the other ways they mock but didn't know about this aspect of it. Also, good for you guys for cheering the truth. Well timed and not done for too long. Just enough to make the point that salvation is indeed by faith. Sometimes we need to be radical in the face of such error! [article link]
Updated with Videos: Manti Pageant Evangelism - Christian Evangelists Banned from Using the Bathroom at Mormon Public Event - they were met in the front of the restrooms by a wall of LDS security and public law enforcement officers - "You can't use these" the officers told them - Mormons were allowed to pass, but apparently Christians were exempt using the Mormon-owned facility {Mormons, they never fail to do the Mormon (Cult) thing and once again the LDS leadership looks stupid as those blocked from the restrooms will just use alternate facilities i.e. an RV.} Manti Miracle Pageant, the annual [sanitized] story-telling of Joseph Smith's history where thousands of Mormons gather together to remember the roots of their beginnings. Of course, the pageant that plays on the side of the hill of the Mormon temple in this small town focuses on Smith, and so for more than two decades I first came out in 1987 myself Christians have come out to the public streets in front of the temple for 3-4 hours before the pageant begins to engage Mormons in conversation. Typically, there are many discussions and little trouble. This dynamic really gives the pageant a unique personality, something even faithful Mormons have even told me is true. -- For those who don't believe such evangelism works, perhaps you can talk to a number of former Mormons who were introduced to the gospel at Manti. Or contact Chip Thompson, who founded Ephraim Church of the Bible, a church with a building now too small to accommodate all they bring in every Sunday, the vast majority who are former Mormons. What a good problem to have! -- But last night, as the pageant was about to begin, some Christians went to the restrooms across the street to take care of business. It's just a part of nature after having been on the streets for four hours. However, they were met in the front of the restrooms by a wall of LDS security and public law enforcement officers. "You can't use these," the officers told them. Mormons were allowed to pass, but apparently Christians were exempt using the Mormon-owned facility. What? Since when does a disagreement with philosophy mean that common courtesy should be ignored? After all, when a Jehovah's Witness or Mormon comes to my door, the first thing my wife makes sure takes place is offering the missionaries a drink and "anything else" they might need. And we have fed more than one missionary over the years. [article link]
The Rapture - You NEED To See This (YouTube) A video I put together about the last approaching days and the scriptures prophecying what will take place. There are parts of it not meant to be taken literal. Such as the scripture about those desiring to kill themselves but will not be able to, and then right after a clip of someone jumping off the WTC buildings. That was used for image purposes. To have a visual aid sorta but by no means did I mean for that to be an example of the scripture itself. It was just to show what it will be like when those times come. But yah. Please enjoy. Comment all you want. Tell me how much you love it. Tell me how you'll be glad when God takes all the christian's out of the world. Tell me how I'm blindly believing in something that couldn't possibly be real. I accept all comments. But just know, you can say whatever you want, but it still does not prevent the inevitable. Your words can't make the truth, any less true. [article link]
On 6-6-6 (June 06, 2006): Bush Announces Mark of The Beast System {A Bush verification system that was to solve the illegal immigration problem. Well, it's obviously NOT a system that is solving illegal immigration so just who is being tracked and monitored by yet another Bush control system? It's not illegal foreigners who are being tracked it's not even Al Qaeda that is being tracked its mostly legitimate American citizens.} First Off, I want to apologize for the poor video quality, when I heard the Completely Corrupt Bush announcing the Mark of the Beast system, I was in a room that only had a old-school VCR and a well used tape. But the video and what Bush said was clear enough to know what time it is. How appropriate, that on 06/06/06, Bush announces the Biometric Mark of the Beast system. Now the AC Bush speaks of the Biometric IDs for foreign workers, to start with, but this is only the reason given to implement the infrastructure of the Mark. You all know that what starts with one group soon appplies to all. 666 is here. Everyone, feel priviledged that you live in the last days. Prepare, GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER!!! STEEL YOUR SPIRIT, MIND, AND BODY. THE TIME IS AT
HAND. HEED THE OMEN !!! [article link]
U.S. deporting Christian pastors - Immigration rejects requests to stay when church leaders' visas expire - U.S. immigration authorities have stepped up deportations, but rather than pursue illegal aliens, they have chosen to evict America's church ministers from the country instead Thomas became a Christian and served as a senior pastor in England for several years. His wife became homesick in 1990, and he decided to apply for U.S. citizenship again. The second time, Thomas received a pastor's religious work visa that lasted five years. He accepted a position as a pastor at the 8,000-member Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received a paycheck while his work visa was active, but when it came time for the pastor to apply for a residency visa, also known as a green card, immigration authorities denied his application based on Thomas' disclosure of overturned marijuana convictions in England. Thomas has asked for an appeal before an immigration judge to plead his case on several occasions, but his requests have fallen on deaf ears since September 2006. ... Immigration authorities have also marked a Catholic priest for deportation to Ireland on July 1 after documentation errors left the 58-year-old missionary without paperwork he needed to remain in De Smet, S.D. [article link]
Obama Apology to Muslim Women Orchestrated by Muslim U.S. House Rep. - Keith Ellison (D-Minn) the first Muslim ever elected to Congress - congressional sources indicated that Ellison's exchange with Obama was so intense that CBC Chairwoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., had to intervene and attempted to gavel down Ellison - Ellison provided the women's phone numbers An apology issued by Barack Obama to two Muslim women booted from the front lines of a public appearance by the Democratic presidential candidate last week was orchestrated by Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim ever elected to Congress. Multiple congressional sources confirm that it was Ellison, D-Minn., who confronted Obama over the issue during a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus. ... One key lawmaker who was present described the exchange between Obama and Ellison as "cordial" but "direct." Another source familiar with the exchange added that many members of the CBC supported Ellison and said "it was an issue that needed to be addressed. However, congressional sources indicated that Ellison's exchange with Obama was so intense that CBC Chairwoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., had to intervene and attempted to gavel down Ellison. Ellison refused to discuss the exchange with FOX News. "I can talk to you about my tie," said Ellison who declined to elaborate on what he said to Obama. ... In conversations with other media outlets, Ellison has been critical of Obama campaign efforts to distance the candidate from Islam. Ellison has also intimated that the campaign has cancelled campaign events because of the potential of linking Obama with him, the most-senior Muslim in the federal government. [article link]
McCain aide hits nerve with remarks on terror - Republican consultants also worry the campaign has not invested in on-the-ground operations in swing states, such as Ohio, to nearly the degree as George W. Bush did in 2004 or as has the Obama campaign {Fact: McCain is not even "in it to win it" as witnessed by the extremely lazy and excessively sloppy campaign McCain is running. The only group McCain and the Bush Party are consistently campaigning against are America's conservatives as conservative values are unwanted in this new Republican Party.} John McCain's right-hand man hit a raw nerve on Monday when he said another terrorist attack on US soil would prove a "big advantage" to the Republican nominee's general election chances. The comments by Charlie Black, who is arguably Mr McCain's most experienced adviser ... The Obama campaign said: "The fact that John McCain's top adviser says that a terrorist attack on American soil would be a 'big advantage' for their political campaign is a complete disgrace and is exactly the kind of politics that needs to change." The controversy arrived at a bad moment for the McCain campaign, which has come under increasing fire from otherwise friendly Republicans for its alleged amateurism. Critics say it has sent out mixed signals about Mr
McCain's political direction and shown a lack of "message discipline". For example, last week the campaign put out a televised advertisement stressing Mr McCain's credentials on global warming on the same day that he gave a speech in Houston calling for a lifting of the moratorium on offshore drilling. Republican consultants also worry the campaign has not invested in on-the-ground operations in swing states, such as Ohio, to nearly the degree as George W. Bush did in 2004 or as has the Obama campaign. ... Democrats have accused Mr McCain of hypocrisy for portraying himself as a political reformer while relying on several prominent working and former lobbyists for advice and fundraising. As one of those lobbyists Mr. Black - who headed the lobbying firm BKSH until he resigned in March - has also been targeted by groups that allege hypocrisy in Mr McCain's critical stance on such firms. [article link]
Charlie Black 'deeply regrets' terror comment - a senior adviser to John McCain, said Monday he "deeply regrets" his comments to Fortune Magazine suggesting a terrorist attack on the United States would benefit the Arizona senator's presidential campaign {The Republican Loony Bin gets Loonier! Too bad the Republicans would rather see the nation attacked and scared into their plan of submission than deal with the oil and housing crisises to get re-elected. The Republican Party prefers a path of fear and neglect instead of doing their job of helping to secure a future for America as a prosperous, flourishing and free nation but then only a REAL political party would endeavor to accomplish that for America!} (CNN) - Charlie Black, a senior adviser to John McCain, said Monday he "deeply regrets" his comments to Fortune Magazine suggesting a terrorist attack on the United States would benefit the Arizona senator's presidential campaign. ... Asked if McCain would stand to benefit from a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, Black answered: "Certainly it would be a big advantage to him." A McCain campaign official said Black does not explicitly remember saying the comment, but does not dispute it. According to the official, he was trying to emphasize that McCain is favored on national security issues. UPDATE: Barack Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton called Black's comments a "disgrace." [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Anti-WWII Book by Pat Buchanan "Churchill, Hitler, and the Unnecessary War" - He sees the Holocaust as being a result of the declaration of war by Britain and France not as a Nazi (Satanic) goal in and of itself {Yet another sad example of how the Bush Republican party has not only lost ALL of its credibility but has actually become a toxic, poisonous party.} UPDATE, 06/22/08: Reader Joel has some great criticisms of the Buchanan book and demonstrates Buchanan's absolute ignorance and naivete about history. And this is just based on a glance of the book, not a complete reading: The man is totally ignorant of History. The Holocaust began on Kristallnacht (you can make a case that it began on April 1, 1933 with the German boycott of Jewish stores). By the time of the Wannsee conference in Jan. 1942, there were already around a million dead Jews thanks to the Einsatzgruppen and the ghettoization in Poland. Buchanan wrote that had Britain not gone to war that only the Jews of Poland and the USSR would have been killed and that the rest of the Jews of Western Europe would have been spared. That is an absurd statement. -- He also claims that the Holocaust could be dated to Jan. 20, 1942 (the Wansee conference) neglecting the fact that the extermination of the Jews began with the invasion of Poland in September 1939 with the mobile killing squads and that by the time of the Wansee conference Jews had already been gassed by mobile killing vans at Chelmno in December 1941 and that the Einsatzgruppen had murdered hundreds of thousands of Jews in the USSR. -- He sees the Holocaust as being a result of the declaration of war by Britain and France not as a Nazi goal in and of itself. The commitment the Nazis had to exterminate the Jews of Europe, no matter what the military cost, would be evident in the Spring of 1944 during the deportation of the Jews of Hungary to Auschitz-Birkenau - the Germans used rolling stock and transportation systems that were desperately needed to supply their armies on the Eastern Front - but genocide came first. Buchanan is not a historian - he is dangerous because he has a little bit of knowledge and is talented (but wicked) polemicist. [article link]
Is Pastor Hagee Good for the Jews? {Ultimately the best people to help the Jews are the Jews themselves. When Christians or Gentiles try to help the Jews we should only do it in a supporting role as we can only provide support to the Jews and not leadership. Pastor John Hagee tries very hard and does a good to excellent job in most of his preaching and teaching. Like many Pastors Hagee is best when the sticks to Jesus and salvation but strays when he gets into politics.} Cutting ties with John Hagee has proved to be a lot easier for Senator John McCain than it has been for some of the very Jewish groups most offended by the conservative Evangelical pastor's statements about God and the Holocaust. McCain moved to dissociate himself from Hagee after a 1999 sermon was publicized in which Hagee claimed that God intended the Holocaust, and had prophesied it in the Book of Jeremiah. ... USER COMMENTS: I used to think Mr. Hagee was on solid ground with solid preaching, but I began to see he is on thin ice a few years ago. It is getting thinner too. He says some things that make him look rather hypocritical, I think. He gets too involved in politics and personal issues. [article link]
Northgate Christian Fellowship - Can You Hear Me Now? PT 1: Learning How to Pray - Audio Archives (Mp3's) If God knows everything and already has a plan, why should we pray? The answer begins with understanding that prayer isn't about getting God to see things my way as much as my learning to see His way. This week begins a new monthly sermon series, called "Can You Hear Me Now?" [article link]
***How to know if you're saved? - Why Jesus is like the Short LINE at the Department of Motor Vehicles [D.M.V] & Thief on the Cross Analogy (GodTube) Do you ever doubt your salvation? How do you know if you are saved? See why Jesus is like the short line at the DMV! [article link]
Why did God flood the planet? - The [Noah's] FLOOD was NOT meant to KILL anyone! {This video is a gem of a Bible commentary. Note: The Basic Christian News Feed is in the process of transitioning out of current events (text news) feeds and into more Christian Video Teachings, and Dramas especially small individual teachings like this one.} (GodTube) If you like science, the Bible and VERY dry humor, you've come to the right place!..........Why did god flood the planet? [article link]
Photos of the 2008 Manti Pageant Evangelism - Joseph Smith did WHAT? For those of you confused what what you're seeing, watch the video on this [link] blog post. ... More photos of the 2008 Manti Pageant evangelism will continue to be posted here until the pageant ends. [article link]
Photos of the 2008 Manti Pageant Evangelism - Visually Illustrating Joseph Smith's (34) Wives to Provoke Thought and Start Evangelistic Conversations at the Manti Miracle Pageant - It was an extraordinary success - I fully support the women who had the evangelistic fervor and creativity to put this together {This is an incredibly brilliant, amazing, bold, innovative and successful outreach. Congratulations and job well done to all the participants!} On Friday there were 34 women represented. On Saturday it looks like there were only 27 women represented. For more pictures from evangelism at the 2008 "Manti Miracle Pageant", scheduled to continue from next Tuesday till Saturday, see here. For those of you new to the issue, I welcome you to check out the list on (www.WivesOfJosephSmith.org). ... Remember, they're dealing with normal, regular Mormons, many of whom don't even know Joseph Smith practiced polygamy. Some of them are reaching their friends, neighbors, schoolmates, and coworkers. I didn't personally hear of complaints of the display being called offensive
(although I'm sure I'll hear them soon enough; it's not fun for Mormons to have to explain to their fellow members the history represented by this), but I heard stories of Mormons expressing disbelief. For them this was the first time learning that Smith not only married over 30 women, but married over 9 who were simultaneously married to living husbands. If one wanted to judge the event based off how effectively it educated and started good conversations, it was an extraordinary success. I fully support the women who had the evangelistic fervor and creativity to put this together. [article link]
Obama opens up big lead over McCain - Sen Barack Obama has opened up a double-digit lead over his Republican rival John McCain "With numbers consistently showing rock-bottom approval ratings for President Bush and a large majority of Americans unhappy with the country's direction, the opposing-party candidate should, in the normal course, have attracted more disaffected voters. Now it looks as if Obama is doing just that. A new Newsweek poll shows that he has a substantial double-digit lead, 51 percent to 36 percent, over McCain among registered voters nationwide," the newsweekly said. The new poll has found that only 14 percent of Americans say they are satisfied with the direction of the country. Overall, voters see Obama as the preferred agent of "change" by a margin of 51 percent to 27 percent. Younger voters between 18 and 39 favour Obama by 66 percent to 27 percent. [article link]
Flood victims caught without cover - After all, the federal disaster aid agency FEMA had assured the townspeople in 1999 that the levee was strong enough to withstand a historic flood - Some relieved homeowners then dropped their flood insurance, and others applied for permits to build new houses and businesses - The latest insurance disaster prompted policymakers to demand the federal Government come up with more accurate, up-to-date flood-risk assessments {Disaster George - is it a coincidence that so much has so consistently gone wrong in America during the Bush years? Of course not! This many manageable 'disasters' that constantly spiral out of control into major disasters are not merely disasters but are plans, a planned, concise and systematic destruction.} June 21, 2008: Juli Parks didn't worry when water began creeping up the levee that shields this town of about 750 people from the Mississippi River - not even when volunteers began piling up sandbags. After all, the federal disaster aid agency FEMA had assured the townspeople in 1999 that the levee was strong enough to withstand a historic flood. Some relieved homeowners then dropped their flood insurance, and others applied for permits to build new houses and businesses. But on Tuesday, the worst happened: the levee burst and Gulfport was submerged in 3m of water. Only 28 property owners were insured against the damage. "They all told us, 'The levees are good - you can go ahead and build'," said Ms Parks, who did not buy flood insurance because her bank no longer required it. "We had so much confidence in those levees." Around the US, thousands of residents who relied on the assurances of FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, may unknowingly face similar risks, with no cover. "People put all their hopes in the levees, and when they do fail, the damage is catastrophic," said Paul Osman, the National Flood Insurance Program co-ordinator for Illinois. "New Orleans is the epitome - a lot of those people didn't even realise they were in a floodplain until the water was up to their roofs." The latest insurance disaster prompted policymakers to demand the federal Government come up with more accurate, up-to-date flood-risk assessments, inform the public of the dangers, and require nearly all homeowners to buy insurance if they live near dams or levees. [article link]
Bush Remarks on Damage From Iowa Flooding - Paulison, who is the head of FEMA, tells me that there are 600 FEMA people moving around the state - Anyway, thanks for letting us come by and say -- (unfinished sentence) PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Our job is to come down here -- and I want to thank the Senator and Congressman and members of the Cabinet -- just to listen to what you got on your mind. Obviously, to the extent that we can help immediately we want to help, and then plan for recovery. I know a lot of farmers and
cattlemen are hurting right now, along with the city people. The other thing I think is just very important is that -- and the Senator and Governor have made it clear -- that as we worry about Cedar Rapids we also got to worry about the little towns. A lot of folks are wondering whether or not the government hears about them, too, and I can assure you that I know the Governor cares deeply about it, and so do we. Paulison, who is the head of FEMA, tells me that there are 600 FEMA people moving around the state, and that ought to help the people in the smaller communities know that somebody is there to listen to them and care about them. Our hearts and prayers are -- from around the nation go out to people here. It's a tough time for you. ... BUSH: The good news is the people in Iowa are tough-minded people. You'll come back better. Sometimes it's hard to see it when you're this close to the deal. ... But we want to -- Congress passed a -- is about to pass a big chunk of disaster money, which will put -- help put people's mind at ease and that will -- we're going to help people -help you recover. Anyway, thanks for letting us come by and say -[article link]
TRABING FIRE: Thousands of homes evacuated; South County blaze 50 percent contained - a blaze that may have been intentionally set - Do you realize that's three fires?" Cal Fire spokesman Paul Van Gerwen said SOUTH COUNTY (California) - Hundreds of firefighters are fighting a blaze that may have been intentionally set by a motorcyclist heading north on Highway 1 early Friday afternoon. The largest concentration of the fire was in the Buena Vista Boulevard exit area where according to officials an estimated 15 houses have burned off Trabing Road and on Grizzly Oaks. Animal Control Officer Todd Stosuy said, "Almost every other house has burned off Trabing." At 7 p.m. County Supervisor Tony Campos said he called the Governor's Office asking for the third state of emergency for Santa Cruz County. The first two were for the Summit Fire and the Martin Fire. About 5 p.m., the county issued a local emergency due to the fire dubbed the Trabing Fire. Six-hundred firefighters poured into the region, as they have twice before in the last month. First they came to fight the May 22 Summit fire near Corralitos and then the June 11 Martin fire in Bonny Doon. It's been less than a month since the Summit Fire ignited outside of Corralitos in the Santa Cruz Mountains "It's just so sad. Do you realize that's three fires?" Cal Fire spokesman Paul Van Gerwen said. "I'm scared. That's really scary." [article link]
Florida Everglades fire scorches 33,000 acres - The fire, which threatened private property - Last week, Florida authorities charged a suspect, Brian Crowder, with arson in connection with some of the fires in Palm Bay May 18, 2008: (CNN) -- Almost 33,000 acres of the Everglades National Park were burning Sunday, fire officials said, the latest in a series of wildfires that have scorched parts of Florida in May. ... The fire, which threatened private property as well as an endangered bird, started Friday, the Southern Area InterAgency Management Blue Team said. ... It is the latest wildfire to scorch Florida. More than 12,000 acres burned in the "Brevard Complex" fire near Palm Bay, on Florida's Atlantic Coast just south of Daytona Beach. That series of fires is about 75 percent contained and is expected to be fully contained on Tuesday, the National Interagency Fire Center said Sunday. ... Last week, Florida authorities charged a suspect, Brian Crowder, with arson in connection with some of the fires in Palm Bay. The Brevard County fires have destroyed about 22 homes and structures, and damaged another 160 homes. Damage totals more than $9 million, officials said. A 19,000-acre fire near Clewiston, Florida, on the south end of Lake Okeechobee, is about 50 percent contained, the fire center said Sunday. And a 1,300-acre fire north of Apalachicola in the Florida Panhandle was 80 percent contained by Sunday, it said. [article link]
Late One Night - A great Video clip - about witnessing and hell {A big part of Christian witnessing is simply confirming that there is an opportunity to reach out and to discover that God does exist. Christians are rightly counting on God (Holy Spirit) to reach out to all people and we are also counting on people themselves to reach back to God, i.e. seeking answers, asking questions, reading the Bible, prayer, attending Church.} (GodTube)
A great movie available from www.christianfilms.com for 7 copies for $21. [article link]
A Letter from Hell - From unsaved Josh to his Christian friend Zack who neglected to share with Josh his soul saving relationship with Jesus Christ (YouTube 8:22) Here is that letter in its entirety... [article link]
A Letter From Hell - Download - Via RichardDawkins.net an Ahteist website - Download and Comments {This is an incredible thought provoking video. I think it is an accurate depiction, how can someone end up in hell and not have regrets? As Christians how can we believe in God, Heaven and Salvation and then not tell others about it. Of course we desire to share our glorious discovery of Jesus with others that is the purpose of good news to share it.} (.Mov) A Letter From Hell - You've heard of the "Jesus Camp" and "Hell House" scare tactics used on children? Well, here's another addition to this unfortunate list. My 12 year old son a non-believer all by himself, without any help from me was given this link by a school friend who's going around trying to convert his classmates to Christianity. This video "A Letter From Hell" is a truly frightening, scare-the-kids-into-believing 'message'. A warning: It will both anger and sicken you. Humbly submitted for your viewing displeasure, ~ Carmine Bello (Double Bass Atheist) [article link]
Letter from Hell (girl version) - A girl dies and sends her friend a letter (GodTube) That opend my eyes i am sending it to all my friends. ... Thank you for this. I think sometimes we really don't fully conprehend that hell is a real place, and people are going there if they don't receive Jesus as their Lord. [article link]
Letter from Hell: REturn to Sender - A video Reply to the letter from hell (GodTube) A video Reply to the letter from hell. Every man will be judged by his own works. Not friends, neighbors, family or any other person will be to blame when its your judgment time. [article link]
Death, what really Happens? - Being created by God we are given the gift of everlasting life - Heaven is a real place and so is hell therefore choose wisely, choose well and most important of all choose Jesus Christ and live an eternity with meaning! (Video - Audio - Text) Being created by God we are given the gift of everlasting life. If life were not everlasting it would not have significant meaning since eventually our life would end and our experiences of life would cease to exist. Life does not end and what is at issue is where we will spend our everlasting life. 1. In the presence of God in heaven. 2. Away from the presence of God in hell. The gift of life from God is an enormous gift and with this gift comes the enormous responsibility of selecting where we are going to spend our eternity. Heaven is a real place and so is hell therefore choose wisely, choose well and most important of all choose Jesus Christ and live a life of meaning! [article link]
***Christian Worship Hour: Father's Day Message - Sunday Service June 15, 2008 - **Limited Availibility (Mp3) Our Sunday morning services are available online! Click on the "View" link to watch the service in Windows Media video streaming format. Right click on "view service" and select "Save Target As" to save the worship service to your computer and watch at your convenience. Click on the "Listen" link to Listen to the service. Right click on "Listen" and select "Save Target As" to save the worship service to your computer so you can listen at a later time or copy it to your ipod. If you don't have Windows Media Player, click on the link below and download it for free. [article link]
WebCam Antartica Penguins (Photos) Nature Observation PhotoDiary of Mrs. Elke Menzel-van den Bruck; this very unboastful website provides a wonderful detailed view on everydays photo observations. Nothing spectacular you could say, but with a huge knowledge of all observed species both zoological and botanical she introduces us into the small but remarkable miracles of nature which surround us everywhere. This little website teaches us to train our more precise look onto nature! Yes: these miracles are hidden even in the apparently insignificant things around us. Some pictures provide a nice rollover effect to magnify an interesting detail... [article link]
March 3, 2001 [6 months prior to 9-11-2001, the official Sen. John McCain website] ON IRAQ, GOP SPLIT OVER GAINING WORLD RESPECT OR ENFORCING IT - McCain, who's often feuded with President Bush on domestic policy, has become one of the administration's staunchest supporters on Iraq - crystallizes the choices America faces at a perplexing moment when our military power is unmatched and our sense of security is unraveling {Pre 9-11 "our sense of security is unraveling" interesting for back then.} But today, McCain and Hagel define the poles of Republican thinking on Iraq. ... This argument between two friends crystallizes the choices America faces at a perplexing moment when our military power is unmatched and our sense of security is unraveling. Hagel believes that to succeed in the struggle against terrorism and weapons proliferation, the U.S. needs cooperation from allies. "All of our great power will not be enough to assure American security and prosperity in the 21st century. The threats to both our country and the world will require strengthened alliances," Hagel said. Therefore, he argues, if we go to war in Iraq in a way that divides us from our allies, we could harm our security more than help it. "If that is the price of waging war in Iraq, then victory ... in the war on terrorism, in the Middle East, on the Korean peninsula, and against weapons of mass destruction, will not be ours," he said in a recent speech. In the broad sense, that means we must be humble in our approach to foreign policy, respectful of others' views, aware of anxieties about our motivations and power, and committed to solving problems multilaterally whenever possible. "We must avoid the traps of hubris and imperial temptation that come with great power," Hagel said. More immediately, he said, before we go to war, we should give inspections another "two or three months," with a firm deadline for Iraqi compliance, to build international consensus. That way, he said, "if a military option is required, we would have the legitimacy of the United Nations, our allies and world opinion." Hagel also insists we must balance our military thrusts against terrorism with global initiatives to solve problems that he believes breed extremism, such as poverty and hunger. "Military power alone will not end this scourge of mankind," he said. [article link]
Banned Bush Video - (2006) Irish TV interview with President Bush {In the video Bush repeatedly explains how safe and secure America was until 9-11-2001 and that 9-11-2001 changed everything and therefore Bush was correct to launch his "war on terror".} This video shows interview by Irish TV which calls bush a liar and a war criminal about the WMDs and Iraq War. [article link]
POW Family Treatment - 1992 Senate Select Cmte. on POW/MIA Affairs - Sen. McCain walks out on Delores Alfond - Delores Alfond's Brother USAF Captain Victor Apodaca is a Vietnam War POW/MIA - Video #2 has incredible interviews (Online Video 2 Parts) What Vietnam Veterans Think of John McCain - This is the "REAL" John McCain in living color seen belittling Delores Alfond, head of the National Alliance of POW/MIA whose brother went missing in action in Vietnam . . . [article link]
China admits taking, burying US POW from Korea - it marked the first time China had acknowledged taking a U.S. POW from North Korea into Chinese territory or burying an American there - And it appears to undercut the Pentagon's public stance that China returned all POWs it held inside China Two months after the March 2003 meeting, the Pentagon office responsible for POW-MIA issues sent Rolland
Desautels a brief written summary of what a Chinese army official had related about the case. "According to the Chinese, Sgt. Desautels became mentally ill on April 22, 1953, and died on April 29, 1953," the summary said. It added that he had been buried in a Chinese cemetery but the grave was moved during a construction project "and there is no record of where Desautels' remains were reinterred." The reported circumstance of Desautels' death - sudden mental illness - may sound improbable. But the key revelation - that he was taken from North Korea to a city in northeastern China and then buried - matches long-held U.S. suspicions about China's handling, or mishandling, of American POWs during and after the war. It raises the possibility that wartime Chinese records could shed light on the fate of other U.S. captives who were known to be held in Chinese-run POW camps but did not return when the fighting ended in 1953. And it appears to undercut the Pentagon's public stance that China returned all POWs it held inside China. The Pentagon has focused more on the related issue of China's management of POW camps inside North Korea during the war, which Chinese troops entered in the fall of 1950 on North Korea's side. Desautels' reported burial site - the city of Shenyang, formerly known as Mukden - is interesting because it is far from the North Korean border and was often cited in declassified U.S. intelligence reports as the site of one or more prisons holding hundreds of American POWs from Korea. Some U.S. reports referred to Mukden as a possible transshipment point for POWs headed to Russia. [article link]
Tech's Most Popular CEOs - Apple CEO Steve Jobs has an unsurprising 91% approval rating from his employees - On the low end is Hector Ruiz at AMD at 11% - The least satisfied work for HP (Hewlett-Packard) and AMD Inside Dell, CEO Michael Dell has a 66% approval rating -- higher than Steve Ballmer's approval rating 55% inside of Microsoft. Inside the foundering Motorola, CEO Greg Brown has a pitiful 19% approval rating, while Apple CEO Steve Jobs has an unsurprising 91% approval rating from his employees. ... On the low end is Hector Ruiz at AMD at 11% and John Rittenmeyer at EDS at 16%. Among tech companies with 40 or more reviews, the most satisfied employees work for VMware, Google, Intuit and Adobe. The least satisfied work for HP and AMD. [article link]
{Flashback} McCain courting Clinton loyalists - Republican John McCain's campaign is aggressively targeting former supporters of Hillary Clinton - Today McCain will host a nationwide telephone forum aimed at Clinton loyalists with Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard (HP), who is emerging as McCain's chief messenger to women {McCain chooses lighting rod Carly Fiorina to symbolize his campaign to women. Carly Fiorina is among the biggest supporters of outsourcing jobs away from America. It was Carly Fiorina who outsourced on mass many of the American computer and technical jobs. Some have said she is the most responsible for offshoring the once great American technology sector.} Republican John McCain's campaign is aggressively targeting former supporters of Hillary Clinton, hoping to capitalize on their dissatisfaction with presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama and anger over how Clinton was treated during the Democratic primaries. more stories like thisToday McCain will host a nationwide telephone forum aimed at Clinton loyalists with Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, who is emerging as McCain's chief messenger to women. On Thursday night, Fiorina spoke to dozens of disgruntled Clinton supporters in Columbus, Ohio, and during the next week she plans to visit a number of battleground states to speak to women voters. The campaign is betting that even women who favor abortion rights may be willing to accept a difference of opinion on that issue if they like what they hear McCain saying on broader issues such as national security, the economy, and healthcare. [article link]
{Flashback} McCain VP TICKET TALK - there's increasing speculation in Washington and among McCain's supporters that the Arizona maverick will instead run to the center and pick a more liberal vice presidential candidate - {Carly (the ruin of High Tec exec) Fiorina would be an obvious McCain VP choice. Hector Ruiz would probably be McCain's first choice but Hector is still busy running CPU maker AMD into the ground after his accomplishment of crippling the once great Motorola.} February 15, 2008 -- WASHINGTON - With all this talk of "suicide voters" {The only sure suicide for
conservatives is to back the fraudulent Bush RINOs.} - conservatives who are reluctant to back John McCain conventional wisdom has it that he has to pick a conservative as his running mate to shore up Republican support on the right. But there's increasing speculation in Washington and among McCain's supporters that the Arizona maverick will instead run to the center and pick a more liberal vice presidential candidate. ... In 2004, President Bush beat John Kerry by expanding the GOP base in conservative areas. This is a strategy that simply won't work for McCain because there is a certain bloc of core, loyal and principled conservatives who will never vote for him no matter what he says now, who he picks to run with, or who the Democratic nominee might be. Those conservatives will never forgive him for the immigration bill he wrote with Ted Kennedy and for opposing Bush's tax cuts. Bush's 2004 strategy was enough to edge out a boring stiff like Kerry, but it would hardly match the mania for Obama. [article link]
Critics Demand Resignation of U.N. Official Who Wants Probe of 9/11 'Inside Job' Theories - theories that the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were an "inside job" - Neuer has also criticized Falk for being biased against Israel {To look at 9-11 and blame Israel like this guy and others are doing is the height of neglect of reason and fact. Yes, "an inside job" all the 9-11 aircraft were in the air at the same time and all the targets were hit within a few hours of each other. It was "one job" one continuous action that day. The inside job of the Pentagon being hit had to be just that an inside job - no one has access to the Pentagon except the government. The majority of surveillance camera tapes from the Pentagon and WTC that have never been released and are in the hands of the government. All the FFA, NORAD, civil defense, military and civilian control is and was in the hands of the Bush government so any "inside job" can only be inside the Bush government.} Richard Falk, the special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, investigates alleged Israeli violations of human rights law for the U.N.'s Human Rights Council. But the former Princeton professor would also like to investigate whether "some sort of controlled explosion from within" destroyed the Twin Towers, he told FOXNews.com. "I do think there are questions that haven't been answered, questions about the way the buildings collapsed and the failure to heed a variety of signals that there was danger coming," Falk said. ... But Falk's support for Sept. 11 conspiracy theories isn't the only thing that has critics up in arms. In an online article for the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research last year, Falk - prior to his appointment as an unbiased human rights investigator - compared Israeli actions in Gaza to the Nazi treatment of Jews. This may have led to his appointment as the rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, Bolton said. "He was picked for a reason, and the reason is not to have an objective assessment - the objective is to find more ammunition to go after Israel," Bolton said. [article link]
Government Appeals LtCol Chessani Dismissal - Prosecution Turns into Persecution - This case has turned into the persecution of one of the Marine's finest combat commanders - LtCol Chessani devoted his life to the Marine Corps and his Nation - He served three tours of duty in Iraq, away from his wife and children in defense of us all Prosecutors have 20 days in which to file their appeal brief to the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals (NMCCA), which is located in Washington, D.C. Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, reacted with outrage, "This case has turned into the persecution of one of the Marine's finest combat commanders. LtCol Chessani devoted his life to the Corps and his Nation. He served three tours of duty in Iraq, away from his wife and children in defense of us all. In their attempt 'to get' Chessani, prosecutors granted immunity to seventeen Marines, including one they had charged with murder. Still they failed. Sadly, in the process they have destroyed the career of an outstanding officer. Enough is enough." ... LtCol Chessani's official 2006 Combat Fitness Report, which includes the time frame in which he is facing criminal charges, declared him "a superb leader, who knows his men, knows the enemy, knows his business," and recommended him for promotion. The reviewing Major General added, Lt. Colonel Chessani has "unlimited potential and value
to the Marine Corps," and also recommended him for promotion. [article link]
{Flashback} GOP misgivings with Gonzales boil over - Rohrabacher criticized the (Bush) administration for its "pattern of arrogance" and the "ruthless prosecution" of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean The latest example is Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.). The lawmaker has strongly criticized Gonzales in the case of two Border Patrol agents, who are serving long prison sentences for an incident that resulted in the shooting of a suspected Mexican drug smuggler. Rohrabacher criticized the (Bush) administration for its "pattern of arrogance" and the "ruthless prosecution" of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. Since taking office, the Bush administration's Justice Department has drawn the ire of Democrats and Republicans with expanding executive authority - often irking lawmakers in the process. [article link]
Feds Say Reagan Shooter John Hinckley Is Womanizing Narcissist - Would-be presidential assassin John Hinckley is a womanizing narcissist who juggles sexual relationships and "believes himself entitled to a life of leisure" {Does John Hinckley think the Bush family owes him a life of leisure for his work in the Reagan assignation attempt?} Hinckley, who shot and wounded President Reagan in 1981, has been committed to St. Elizabeth's Hospital since he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He said he shot Reagan to impress actress Jodie Foster. Hinckley has been allowed visits to his family home in Virginia but wants to extend those visits, as well as get a driver's license and begin volunteering or working in the community, all under the supervision of his doctors. But federal prosecutors argue he needs to address "his issues" surrounding these relationships, "in order to preclude the danger that he might again try to impress a woman through violence," The Smoking Gun reported. [article link]
{Flashback} Did then Vice President Bush Sr. attempt to have President Reagan Assassinated? - Bush Son (Neil) Had Dinner Plans With John Hinckley Brother (Scott) Before [Reagan] Shooting - In Washington, an aide to Vice President George Bush disputed a Houston Post report that the Hinckleys made large contributions to Bush's presidential campaign - The friendship between the Hinckley and Bush families goes back more than a decade to their shared conquest of the oilfields of Texas {Scroll down - several articles} -- Hinckley's brother was scheduled to have supper with Bush's son the day after the assassination attempt, which struck Blumberg as ''the most remarkable assassination coincidence in the history of this country." -- The friendship between the Hinckley and Bush families goes back more than a decade to their shared conquest of the oilfields of Texas. -- The Hinckley oil company was warned, just hours before the shooting, that it faced a $2-million fine for overpricing oil. The possible charges were never mentioned after Hinckley's attempt. -- The widely accepted official story that Hinckley was trying to get the attention of actress Jodie Foster was based entirely on a letter that Hinckley was said to have written, but which the public and the media never saw. Blumberg's book attempts to documents those assertions and blasts the nation's journalists for sloth and neglect. He said journalists were fed a barely believable story full of inconsistencies. [article link]
McCain's YouTube (Credibility) Problem Just Became a Nightmare - {The ability of the new Bush Republican Party to Lie at Every Instance is just astounding. America cannot continue to endure this amount of deceit.} (YouTube 3:14) There's no question John McCain is getting a free ride from the mainstream press. But with the power of YouTube and the blogosphere, we can provide an accurate portrayal of the so-called Maverick. We can put the brakes on his free ride! Since we first released The Real McCain a year ago, our REAL McCain series has garnered close to 2 million views, with over 13,000 comments and tens of thousands more in petition
signatures! Clearly, John McCain's record is something the public wants to discuss, and yet the corporate media is doing NOTHING to present the truth. We feel obliged to continue countering the mainstream media's love of McCain. And so we thought it was high time for a sequel: The Real McCain (Vol.) 2. [article link]
Obama opts out of public financing system - "But the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who've become masters at gaming this broken system" {That pretty much sums up the entire Bush family existence. They break a good system or create a broken system that others cannot fairly compete in and then they "game" it for all they can get from it whether it is money, land, wealth, positions or whatever most of their gain comes via their own twisted rules!} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama told supporters Thursday that he has decided not to accept public financing for his general election campaign. In an e-mail message, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said the decision means that his campaign will forgo more than $80 million in public funds. In exchange for taking public funds, candidates usually agree to a cap on the amount of money they can spend on their campaigns. "It's not an easy decision, and especially because I support a robust system of public financing of elections," Obama wrote. "But the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who've become masters at gaming this broken system." Obama repeatedly broke campaign fundraising records during the Democratic primary season. Since January 2007, he has raised more than $272 million. Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, raised less than half that amount, roughly $100 million, over the same period. [article link]
{Flashback} Barbara Bush made (hurricane Katrina) donation - provided her son's (Neil Bush) firm got it - "If everybody started doing that, it would ruin our whole system for tax-exempt organizations because people would be using them to benefit their business rather than for the public benefit" HOUSTON - Former first lady Barbara Bush contributed money to a hurricane-relief fund on the condition that it be spent to buy educational software from her son Neil's company. Jean Becker, the chief of staff of former President George H.W. Bush, would not disclose the amount earmarked for purchases from Ignite Learning. ... But Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, a charity watchdog group, said donors who direct that their money be used to buy products from a family business set a bad precedent. "If everybody started doing that, it would ruin our whole system for tax-exempt organizations because people would be using them to benefit their business rather than for the public benefit," he said. [article link]
23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese - 2nd Video Testimony Dec 2006 (Video Downloads) "My sincere hope is that this book is the closest you will ever come to experiencing hell for yourself." Bill Wiese saw the searing flames of hell, felt total isolation, and experienced the putrid and rotting stench, deafening screams of agony, terrorizing demons, and finally, the strong hand of God lifting him out of the pit. "Tell them I am coming very, very soon!" Wiese's visit to the devil's lair lasted just twenty-three minutes, but he returned with vivid details etched in his memory. Since this life-changing ordeal, he has spent the last seven years studying the Scriptures to find answers and has listed more than 150 Bible verses referencing hell. Everyone is curious about the afterlife, and now Wiese shares his insights to commonly asked questions such as: * Is hell a literal burning place? * Where is hell? * Do you have a body in hell? * Are there Degrees of punishment in hell? * Are there children in hell? * Can Demons torment people in hell? * Can "good" people go to hell? "Even if you don't believe my story, I hope you will believe the Scriptures and avoid hell just the same." [article link]
The Marks of a Cult: A Biblical Analysis - A fascinating analysis examining the core of Christian orthodoxy where denominations within the true Church ends and a cult like (LDS) Mormonism begins {Note: Redemption is a work of God, specifically the work of the cross (death, dead to sin - this world). Once redeemed, returned to
the presence of God, salvation (healing - alive in Jesus Christ in heaven) is now a cooperative work between God (Holy Spirit) and people. The Church points the way to the cross of Jesus to redemption and the Church (fellowship) also teaches and administers the healing salvation, life in heaven. Attending a good Bible based redemption and salvation Christian Church is crucial to developing our own personal Spiritual wellbeing.} (DVD $12.95) "Once again, The Apologetics Group has developed a scholarly presentation addressing a vital current issue. This new production not only deals with how to identify The Marks of a Cult, but in its own right is a type of "mini-systematic theology" that will greatly benefit any individual or church group. I highly recommend it for a better understanding of cult beliefs and practice, as well as, developing your understanding of historic Christian theology." Dr. Kenneth G. Talbot - President, Whitefield Theological Seminary. [article link]
***The Marks of a Cult: Division from Historic Christianity (Salvation from God) is the Mark of a Cult {This Excellent 10 min video clip exactly explains how and why cults like the LDS take the focus off of God (Jesus) and place it on cult leaders. Removing salvation from God while pretending to place it in the hands of the cult leaders.} (Online Video) falcon on June 18th, 2008: Excellent video. Add to it the notion to trust the leaders unquestionably and once the prophet/leader speaks the thinking is done. According to the Mormon church, can a member leave the church and still be saved? A big NO! Are the members controled by the leaders? Totally! The elite leaders own the salvation of the little gerbil followers so they can keep these folks busy on the little religion wheel running as fast they can. And the beauty of the gerbil wheel, to the leaders, is that the little gerbil followers never get any where. So they keep trying. And if the gerbils try to break out, they're reminded that outer darkness awaits anyone who leaves. Total control through fear. This is flat out spiritual abuse with the abused blaming themselves and not the abusers. No wonder the exMos carry anger with them for years. [article link]
Watchdog Web Site (Wikileaks.org) Goes After the Mormon and Scientology (Cult) Churches - In mid-April, Wikileaks took on the Mormon Church, releasing the secret version of the Handbook of Instructions for the Church of Latter-Day Saints - In March, the site published a document detailing behind-the-scene workings of the Church of Scientology: a 612-page manual commonly refered to as the secret "bible" of Scientology {Yep, paying that old green stuff to some cult for their secret way to get into heaven will get you into heaven every time, either that or it will simply dupe you out of your money every time, I'm thinking it's a duping.} Wikileaks.org - a watchdog Web site that leaks corporate and government documents - hasn't officially launched, yet it has already uncovered human rights violations in China, claimed to have swayed Kenya's elections and exposed the inner workings of Guantanamo Bay. So many were surprised when it recently turned its sights on two lawyer-heavy religious groups: the Mormons and the Scientologists ... In March, the site published a document detailing behind-the-scene workings of the Church of Scientology: a 612-page manual commonly refered to as the secret "bible" of Scientology, containing writings by L. Ron Hubbard on the eight different Operating Thetan levels, a basic principal of the religion. The public had never seen the entire document before it appeared on Wikileaks; the church views them as secret and had sued CNN and Time for releasing small parts of them in the past. ... Church of Scientology International spokeswoman Karin Pouw wrote in an e-mail to FOXNews.com: "I can only assume that religious bigotry and prejudice is driving their activity, as there is no altruistic value in posting our copyrighted scriptures, despite Wikileaks' self-serving statements to the contrary. ... In mid-April, Wikileaks took on the Mormon Church, releasing the secret version of the Handbook of Instructions for the Church of Latter-Day Saints. The materials, not available even to most Mormons, included information on how the church hierarchy deals with matters of discipline, excommunication and apostasy. The church issued legal warnings demanding that the information be taken down, and even sent threats to the Wikimedia Foundation - the not-for-profit that operates Wikinews and Wikipedia - for linking to the material in a WikiNews article. LDS church spokesman Michael Purdy wrote in an e-mail that there is
nothing particularly newsworthy in the material and said it is used as "a reference guide to assist local Church leaders in managing Church affairs. "However," he wrote, "the material is copyrighted. Copyright infringement is a concern for many organizations." The Wikimedia Foundation - which has no relation to the watchdog group - removed the documents. Wikileaks refused. [article link]
Mormon Church LDS legal notice to Wikileaks.org - [From] Intellectual Reserve, Inc. "Dear Sir of Madam:" {Is this stuff real? Can't the Mormons afford Lawyers who can write and spell? Shouldn't it read "Dear Sir or Madam:" - Looks like some Mormon Lawyers are in for some small planets to rule over if they can't properly rule over this important task of keeping their followers in the dark. How could Mormons this sloppy not lose some rewards from their eternal planet paradise if not lose their planet all together? Brigham Young the strict disciplinarian must be turning over in his grave!} (PDF) Formal notice of infringement filed by LDS with wikileaks, demanding removal of Church Handbook of Instructions. Sent by Berne S. Broadbent of the Intellectual Property Division of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints. ... Register of Copyrights - Application Received NOV 16, 1998 - a. Name of Author "Corporation of the President of the (LDS)" - b. Substantially new text. Selection, arrangement, condensation, and revision of preexisting text. - Previous Registration "No". {How could you not trust a 1998 updated book with all the rules that mankind needs to know in order to get your own far away sex-planet. After all it was completely updated in 1998 to the point that it needed to be copyrighted for the first time. Too bad no one is allowed to see such an important book of rules. IRI is the owner of the copyright of the "original" (LDS) work. I wonder if the Mormons know they are owned by corporations? Corporations that won't even show them the rules they are supposed to follow to be obedient enough to get their own Mormon planet. Too -- Weird!} [article link]
{Flashback} Mitt "How many counties are in Massachusetts?" she asked - Oh, no, I think it's 13, Romney said - A spokesman for Romney said he shortly thereafter, "corrected the record" to the right number of 14 {LDS member Mitt Romney was the Governor of Massachusetts from 2002-2006.} WILTON, Iowa -- Mitt Romney spent this morning barnstorming the small farming communities of Eastern Iowa, holding a series of "Ask Mitt Anything" events and urging his supporters to turn out Saturday for the straw poll in Ames. ... "How many counties are in Massachusetts?" she asked. "Thirteen," he said. A few feet away, an aide shook his head and said, "Ten." "Oh, no, I think it's 13," Romney said. "Not like your 99." He paused for a moment. "Yeah, if you count Dukes County ... " he trailed off. "So, anyway, we have very, very few." "Ninety-nine counties," Romney said, apparently hoping to change the subject, "Why didn't you get to 100?" ... A spokesman for Romney said he shortly thereafter, "corrected the record" to the right number of 14. [article link]
English Crop Circle's Mysterious Pattern Solved - Another crop circle has appeared in the English countryside and this one's clearly been made by someone, or something, that understands math {The drawing and explanation are not all that clear. A photocopy would be easier to follow than a drawing and besides the numbers 7 and 8 seem to be skipped over.} At first glance, the strange ratcheted pattern, radiating out clockwise, doesn't look like much - modern art, perhaps. But an electrical engineer from North Carolina - described by the London newspapers as a "retired astrophysicist" - figured out that it was an abstract representation of pi, the number at the center of Euclidean geometry. ... The circle, one of hundreds that have sprung up overnight in the English countryside over the past two decades, appeared in early June near Wroughton, Wiltshire, just south of Swindon and about 80 miles west of London. It's about half a mile from Barbury Castle, a pre-Roman fortress surrounded by long hillocks that may be the remnants of Iron Age buildings or burial mounds. [article link]
{Flashback} Crop Circles (Demon Circles) and Occultic, Masonic & Illuminati Symbols {Note: In the photos with Pope John Paul II the 'upside-down cross' on the chair is the cross of St. Peter who was crucified upside down. The crop circles are the best part of the video.} (Video 7:00) Description: Crop Circles and Occultic, Masonic & Illuminati Symbols. [article link]
U.S.: Shiite 'Special Group' Behind Baghdad Bombing That Killed 63 - No group claimed responsibility for the blast - "We believe he ordered the attack to incite Shiite violence against Sunnis" {I hope the Iraqi's can come to some terms and govern that nation. The tragedies and scope of human suffering over there is appalling.} BAGHDAD - The U.S. military blamed a renegade Shiite group Wednesday for a deadly car bombing in a Baghdad Shiite neighborhood and said it was seeking to re-ignite the sort of sectarian violence that swept the area 18 months ago. Iraqi officials said the death toll from the bombing rose to 63, including women and children. ... But U.S. spokesman Lt. Col. Steven Stover said the command did not believe Al Qaeda in Iraq was behind the attack based on the type of vehicle and explosives used. Instead, he said the command believed the attack was carried out by a Shiite special group led by Haydar Mehdi Khadum al-Fawadi, whom Stover described as a "murderous thug" seeking to incite violence "for his individual profit and gain." ... "We believe he ordered the attack to incite (Shiite) violence against Sunnis; that his intent was to disrupt Sunni resettlement in Hurriyah in order to maintain extortion of real estate rental income to support his nefarious activities," Stover said in an e-mail. Several Iraqi police officials said the casualty toll stood at 63, with another 78 wounded. [article link]
#1 Death, what Happens? - Sept. 30th, 2006 Bill Wiese - 23 Minutes In HELL (Mp3) Bill Wiese, on the night of November 23, 1998 , had an out of body experience whereby the Lord showed him Hell. This was not a dream, but rather a supernatural experience that placed Bill in a prison cell with stone walls and metal bars. He was confronted and tortured by demons, had no physical strength, no rest and was surrounded by darkness. Besides physical attacks, he felt extreme heat, unquenchable thirst, heard millions of people screaming, endured intense foul odors, experienced complete utter fear and worst of all, he felt the hopelessness of being lost forever. In his testimony, Bill shares that he found himself in Hell ... [article link]
#2 Death, what Happens? - Attack Of The Killer Jellyfish - Ian McCormick - 14059.mp3 (Mp3) Ian details his deadly encounter with a poisonous ocean jellyfish. Death with an unsaved soul is the ultimate torment of agony, therefore choose life, choose Jesus Christ and give your soul the refreshing free gift of eternal life forever. [article link]
#3 Death, what Happens? - Dying Testimonies Of Saved And Unsaved - Originally Published in 1898 (Online Book) Solomon B. Shaw was a wise recorder of life-and-death scenes. His best-known book is "Dying Testimonies of Saved and Unsaved", originally published in 1898. In this most touching, and spiritually rewarding, book, Shaw records the dying scenes, and the last words, of both the saved and unsaved, both famous and unknown. You will see the tremendous difference between those who are Born Again and those who have refused salvation, as they approach the hour of their death. As one physician once remarked, "Christians die well". Biblical doctrines which saints of God have believed all their lives sustain them wonderfully in the hour of their death. Many believers report seeing angels coming to escort them to Heaven and the lights of that wondrous abode shining around them as they lay dying. Conversely, you will realize that many unsaved go through the agonies of Hell as they approach death, some even feeling the fires of Hell and seeing demons in the room, coming to take their spirits to the Abyss. You will also discover that the Biblical doctrine that a person cannot come to Jesus on their own, but must be drawn by the spirit -- Who gives the very desire to come to salvation -- is borne out by the testimonies of the unsaved. No one should put off the promptings of the Holy Spirit, thinking
they can utter the correct words just before they die and go to Heaven. Truly, God is not mocked! [article link]
Bush to Urge Congress to Lift Offshore Drilling Ban - "The president believes Congress shouldn't waste any more time" {Bush already knowingly wasted eight years. What a FRAUD the Bush Republicans turned out to be.} WASHINGTON - President Bush plans to make a renewed push Wednesday to get Congress to end a longstanding ban on offshore oil and gas drilling, echoing a call by GOP presidential candidate John McCain. Congressional Democrats have opposed lifting the prohibitions on energy development on nearly all federal Outer Continental Shelf waters for more than a quarter-century, including waters along both the East and West coasts. With oil prices soaring and motorists paying $4 a gallon for gasoline, political pressures have been growing for more domestic oil and gas production. "The president believes Congress shouldn't waste any more time," White House press secretary Dana Perino told The Associated Press on Tuesday. [article link]
***Highly Recommended - The Edge AM (Radio Shows) - OCTOBER 1st, 2005 9:00 PM CST 2nd Hour RUSS DIZDAR - REAL LIFE NIGHT STALKER (Mp3's) Russ Dizdar has been tracking Satanic activities for 18 years. He is the Director of the agency SHATTER THE DARKNESS. He has personally held over 300+ deliverance sessions from demon possession. Russ has spent thousands of hours dealing with, interviewing, counseling, researching, tracking, investigating satanic crime, cult multiples, covens, rouge military, and underground dark occultism. He is currently writing a book entitled 'THE BLACK AWAKENING' on the satanic underground agenda. [article link]
RUSS DIZDAR - SHATTER THE DARKNESS - Website Resources and Info - THE COVERT INFILTRATION OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES - Radio Show, Newsletters THE MISSION OF SHATTER THE DARKNESS - PRAYER-INTERCESSION AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE: To pour out prayer for massive spiritual awakening for our day. For the salvation of hundreds of thousands. For th revival of the body of Christ. For the blessing of God to touch and grip society is such a way as to cause it to turn to God. May God so grip and strike with His kingdom of grace, power, truth and His astounding presence. For evil and that satanic agenda to be exposed and crushed. (Acts 4). [article link]
RUSS DIZDAR - 'THE BLACK (MAGIC) AWAKENING' RISE OF THE SATANIC SUPER SOLDIERS THE COURSE WILL BE RELEASED IN WHOLE - COST FOR COURSE ORDERS ARE $100 (Mp3's) YOU WILL BE SENT A WEB PAGE THAT HAS THE LINKS FOR 20 hours of sessions (extra will be added) THE SESSIONS (MP3..WINDOWS MEDIA) FOR YOU TO DOWN LOAD (MAKE YOUR OWN CD) AND A LINK FOR THE STUDY MANUAL YOU CAN PRINT IT OUT. [article link]
40daysforlife.com: 40 Day Pro-Life Prayer & Fasting Event - The 2008 fall campaign will be held from SEPTEMBER 24 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2, ending the Sunday before America goes to the polls to elect new national leaders - The registration period for the fall 40 Days for Life will begin in mid-July - sign-ups are tentatively scheduled to begin on July 16 Even as we've been aggressively working behind the scenes preparing for this fall's 40 Days for Life campaign, people have been pounding us non-stop with e-mails, wanting to register NOW so they can get started. In fact, more than 500 cities have already expressed an interest in joining the fall 2008 campaign! Now, I fully realize that some of these cities may not actually go through with it, but based on early indications, this fall's 40 Days for Life promises to be the largest and longest grassroots pro-life mobilization in history. Based on the questions coming in - as well as the feedback from the 139 cities that have previously conducted 40 Days for
Life campaigns - we've decided to give you a lot of information, tools, and training BEFORE registrations to help you: ... The fall campaign will be held from SEPTEMBER 24 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2, ending the Sunday before America goes to the polls to elect new national leaders - a crucial time for people of faith and conscience to join together in a massive, unified effort of prayer, fasting and peaceful action. The registration period for the fall 40 Days for Life will begin in mid-July - sign-ups are tentatively scheduled to begin on July 16. One of the biggest things past campaign leaders told us they needed was more time to prepare. Well, we listened. To help you prepare effectively, over these next few weeks we'll be sending you a number of short, focused pre-registration training materials including: Videos, Audios, Multimedia presentations, Downloadable training guides, Planning checklists, Printable materials. [article link]
**Highly Recommended - The Edge AM (Radio Shows) - Oct. 28th 2006 3 Hours Daniel & Jamie Ott take your calls - Taking live calls of Spooky Stories (Mp3's) Something freaky happen to you? Seen a ghost, monster, alien or just had a scary nightmare? Now's your chance to scare up your story with Daniel on the air. Share your true story with the Edge listening audience and receive free Edge gear! [article link]
"In Depth: The Big Lies" - Five Palistinaian Case Studies, Al-Dura, Jenin, Gaza Beach, Lebanon, Gaza Siege and Other Resources (Online Video Selections) HonestReporting: a fast-action website that monitors Mideast media bias and ensures that Israel receives fair worldwide press coverage. [article link]
Must-See Video: The BEST Al-Jazeera Clip I've EVER Seen! {The Al-Jazeera reviewer tried to pretend that Jerusalem has always been important to Islam and is written in the Quran when Jerusalem is not mentioned once. This is why Shiite Islam has such a credibility problem.} June 17, 2008 By Debbie Schlussel - I've long been a fan of scholar Mordechai Kedar, as was my late father. Dr. Kedar, who speaks Arabic, Hebrew, and English fluently, is professor of Arabic Studies at Israel's Bar-Ilan University and has written a great deal on Islam, Syria, and Arabic history--he is an expert on all of them. I've cited his work on this site, and he is very learned on Jerusalem and its true history as the eternal Jewish capitol versus its unimportance in Islam until recently. He is also a scholar at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. Dr. Kedar was recently on Al-Jazeera, and I can say--without qualification--that it's the best few moments I've ever watched on the Terrorist News Network. I don't agree with his statement that "G-d-willing, there will be a Palestinian State in the West Bank." (They have a state there--it's called Jordan.) But other than that, this is a broadcasting masterpiece (thanks to reader Herb for the tip): [article link]
{Flashback} Egyptian-Cairo Born Yasser Arafat's French Death Certificate Forged with Jerusalem Birthplace Zvili said the affair was "very badly perceived in Israel", adding that those responsible for issuing the "false document" could be subject to a legal process. "I don't understand how when Arafat arrived in France he had been born in Cairo [Egypt] and when he left France he had been born in Jerusalem," he said. [article link]
HonestReporting.com: Win a Free Trip to Israel while Helping to Fight Media Bias - Prize Drawing date: June 30, 2008 - Sign up to enter the drawing and if you're not already a subscriber - you'll begin receiving HonestReporting communiques Sign up to enter the drawing, and if you're not already a subscriber, you'll begin receiving HonestReporting communiques, joining the effort to ensure Israel receives fair and accurate coverage in the world media. Refer friends and for each friend who registers with HonestReporting, you will receive an extra chance to WIN! You
can check your entry stats (number of tickets) at any time. [article link]
TheEdgeAm.com: The Edge AM (Radio Shows) - Daniel Ott is the host of The Edge Radio Broadcast (Mp3 past shows) - {Info Radio with up to date current items of interest.} Daniel Ott is the host of The Edge Radio Broadcast. On The Edge show Daniel examines Politics, Religion, Unexplained Mysteries and Conspiracy Realities along with your e-mails, calls and Special Guests. [article link]
EscapeAllTheseThings.com: Tim McHyde "My Best Radio Interview" Listen free by downloading: 1st Hour.mp3 2nd Hour.mp3 (located on right side) {A good thoughtful interview the radio host is Excellent! Try to get past the "Planet X" discussion although planet x becomes interesting because the heavens will be re-aligned during the Revelation Tribulation. As with most things future, we don't know so it is interesting but uncertain except that Jesus will return in triumph that part is certain!} Thus, this site is not only a Bible prophecy site, but an all Bible learning site. It's just that a big part of learning solid answers to this question requires first understanding the whole Bible, including that part we all necessarily must put off till last, the difficult writings of the prophets. But they must not be put off forever. For example, for those of us living in the End Times, we have specific instructions from Jesus in his Olivet Discourse on one of the things that we should be doing now: ... If we are to watch and pray for what Jesus prophesied would happen, we must first understand what he described. This requires study into Bible prophecy, especially the books of Daniel and Revelation in conjunction with the Olivet Discourse. And after we study these things and understand them properly they should help us to improve our walk with our God, as Peter said: [article link]
Al Gore backs Obama for president - urging Americans to reject what he called the Bush administration's legacy of "incompetence, negligence and failure" {Amen! Bush is a failure.} (CNN) -- Former Vice President Al Gore endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday, urging Americans to reject what he called the Bush administration's legacy of "incompetence, negligence and failure." "Americans simply cannot afford to continue the policies of the last eight years for another four," Gore, the party's 2000 presidential nominee, told Obama supporters at a rally in Detroit, Michigan. Perceived as a senior statesman in the Democratic party, Gore brings a certain force to Obama's campaign, political analysts have said. Monday marked Gore's debut in the 2008 election; he had not weighed in while Obama was still battling Sen. Hillary Clinton. ... "After the last eight years, even our dogs and cats have learned that elections matter," Gore said, adding, "After eight years of lost jobs and lower wages, we need change. After eight years of incompetence, negligence and failure, we need change." Gore said the Bush administration has "dishonored and disrespected" the Constitution and led the nation through "eight years of the most serious foreign policy mistakes in the entire history of our nation." [article link]
Prince William becomes 1,000th knight - The Order of the Garter was established in 1348; the monarch (Queen) can give the honor to anyone she chooses without advice from government ministers LONDON (AP) -- Prince William was made a Royal Knight of the Garter on Monday at a ceremony presided over by his grandmother -- the British monarch -- and attended by his father, brother and girlfriend. Queen Elizabeth II made William the 1,000th knight to join the order and formally presented him with the regalia, including a blue garter, sash and star brooch. After the ceremony at Windsor Castle, the knights wore their traditional ostrich feather hats and velvet robes as they walked to St. George's chapel in the castle grounds for a service. ... The Order of the Garter was established in 1348; the monarch can give the honor to anyone she chooses without advice from government ministers. It is meant to honor those who have held public office, who have contributed to national life or who have served the queen personally. William, 25, is second in line to
the throne after his father, Prince Charles. [article link]
CuttingEdge.org: Prince William To Be Inducted Into The "Order of the Garter! - This "Order of the Garter" is a serious Illuminati decoration - If Prince William is to one day become Antichrist, as "Antichrist and a Cup of Tea" demonstrates he might, this honor is one of the prerequisite steps he must take "Of all the medals, orders and honorary decorations he will receive in his lifetime (and there will be plenty), Prince William will never be awarded anything quite like the extraordinary regalia he will wear on Monday. In fact, with a black ostrich-plumed hat, a red hood, a blue velvet cloak lined with white satin, a silver star, a priceless miniature of St George and the Dragon dangling from a chain of solid gold and a garter strapped just below his left knee, it will probably be the biggest dressing-up exercise this side of his own coronation ... The Prince will become a knight. And he will not be receiving any old knighthood, either. The second in line to the throne will be formally invested as a 'Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter'." This "Order of the Garter" is a serious Illuminati decoration. If Prince William is to one day become Antichrist, as "Antichrist and a Cup of Tea" demonstrates he might, this honor is one of the prerequisite steps he must take. Let us now go back to this featured story for more interesting detail. "It will be exactly 40 years since the Prince of Wales was invested as a member of the oldest order of chivalry in the world. Prince William will join a 660year-old club which goes to the heart of the English national identity and owes its origins to both King Arthur and St George. In addition, he will acquire a set of initials which will always take pride of place immediately after his name: KG." Do not be deceived: When Prince William takes the "Order of the Garter", he is taking a very large step toward becoming the Masonic Christ! [article link]
Bush, Berlusconi Meet in Rome - President Bush met with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi Thursday - Mr. Bush is scheduled to meet with Pope Benedict XVI on Friday (13th) before departing to Paris to continue his farewell European tour {What kind of a person schedules a meeting with the Pope on Friday the 13th? A Devil worshiper maybe? The June Friday the 13th of 2008 is the only Friday the 13th of 2008 and it is the last one before Bush leaves office.} ROME -- President Bush met with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi Thursday, a day after antiwar activists and hundreds of other demonstrators marched through the Italian capital to protest the U.S. president's visit. Mr. Bush praised Italy for committing troops to trouble spots around the world, including more than 2,000 Italian troops toward the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. Italy, along with Germany, France and Spain, have restricted their troops to less dangerous areas in northern Afghanistan -- and that has caused a rift because other NATO members (USA, Canada) are deployed in the more violent regions of the nation. [article link]
{Flashback} President Bush favours a very secret society - "Skull and Bones" with it's own "Black Pope" The Skull and Bones headquarters is in a windowless stone building on the Yale campus known as the tomb. Each year 15 Bonesmen - and since 1991, Boneswomen - are "tapped", or invited, to join, and put through a bizarre initiation ceremony. Alexandra Robbins, author of Secrets of the Tomb, says it includes [unholy trinity] a devil [Satan], a Don Quixote figure [false christ] and a [Black magic - Satanic/evil] pope [false prophet] with one foot in a white monogrammed slipper, resting on a stone skull. [article link]
{Flashback} Satanic Bible by Anton La Vey (called "The Black Pope") - from HarperCollins Publishers owend by Fox News Channel owner Rupert Murdoch Called "The Black Pope" by many of his followers, Anton La Vey began the road to High Priesthood of the (lurch of Satan when he was only 16 years old and an organ player in a carnival: ... From that time early in his life his path was clear. Finally, on the last night of April, 1966 -- Walpurgisnacht, the most important festival of the believers in witchcraft -- LaVey shaved his head in the tradition of Ancient executioners and announced the
formation of The Church Of Satan. He had seen the need for a church that would recapture man's body and his carnal desires as objects of celebration. [article link]
Is America's suburban dream collapsing into a nightmare? {No! There is a need for both suburban and urban living. The conservative suburban family is being attacked on all sides. Bush is the worst thing that has ever happened to America but the conservative movement can emerge more focused and much stronger. The conservative movement will survive and thrive!} (CNN) -- When Shaun Yandell proposed to his longtime girlfriend Gina Marasco on the doorstep of their new home in the sunny suburb of Elk Grove, California, four years ago, he never imagined things would get this bad. But they did, and it happened almost overnight. "It is going to be heartbreak," Yandell told CNN. "But we are hanging on." Yandell's marriage isn't falling apart: his neighborhood is. Devastated by the subprime mortgage crisis, hundreds of homes have been foreclosed and thousands of residents have been forced to move, leaving in their wake a not-so-pleasant path of empty houses, unkempt lawns, vacant strip malls, graffiti-sprayed desolate sidewalks and even increased crime. In Elk Grove, some homeowners not only cut their own grass but also trim the yards of vacant homes on their streets, hoping to deter gangs and criminals from moving in. ... "The American dream is absolutely changing," he told CNN. ... This change can be witnessed in places like Atlanta, Georgia, Detroit, Michigan, and Dallas, Texas, said Leinberger, where once rundown downtowns are being revitalized by well-educated, young professionals who have no desire to live in a detached single family home typical of a suburbia where life is often centered around long commutes and cars. Instead, they are looking for what Leinberger calls "walkable urbanism" -- both small communities and big cities characterized by efficient mass transit systems and high density developments enabling residents to walk virtually everywhere for everything -- from home to work to restaurants to movie theaters. The so-called New Urbanism movement emerged in the mid-90s and has been steadily gaining momentum, especially with rising energy costs, environmental concerns and health problems associated with what Leinberger calls "drivable suburbanism" -- a low-density built environment plan that emerged around the end of the World War II and has been the dominant design in the U.S. ever since. [article link]
--Important-- MichelleMalkin.com: Fight Their Smears: ABC News, Bob Beckel, Time, AP, Guardian, and NYT slime the Right {Conservative Talk Radio is the epicenter of the War against Conservatism being waged in part it seems by the Bush Republican Party. Ask Rush Limbaugh or any Conservative; Columnist - Reporter Commentator, how much support they get from the Bush Republican Party and the answer is zero. The Bush Republican Party supports the conservative movement the same way the Bush White House supports military recruiters on college campuses, Bush support is a complete absent no-show!} Time lies. The NYTimes slimes. AP distorts. ABC News, the Guardian, and the blithering Bob Beckel {with a FALSE "smear story" aimed at Michelle Obama, and WRONGLY claiming that conservatives are behind the story} have all now piled on, too. They are at it again. Smearing conservative bloggers and talk radio. Because they think they can get away with it. ... And just when you think they can't go any lower, along comes Bob Beckel. First, let's review what he said in a heavy-breathing interview on Fox and Friends on June 3. I've taken the time to transcribe the exact moment when he launches into his hyped-up Michelle Obama rumormongering-which was not solicited or prompted by the hosts. Pay close attention: [article link]
June 12, 2008: Ron Paul Suspends Campaign - Says 'Thank You' {Ron Paul runs for the Exit - Why did Ron Paul Quit suddenly after 17 Months? - Ron Paul was close to the WIN - Only two Republican candidates remained a crumbling, bumbling John McCain and a Surging, money (4.5 mil) in the bank Ron Paul. Ron Paul quit when not only victory was within reach but some of the major changes he espoused, or pretended to support, were within his grasp. It seems Texas Congressman Ron Paul was a Bush spoiler only needed to draw votes away from McCain to put Hillary in the White House but now that Hillary is gone Ron Paul is out of a job.}
THANK YOU: For 17 months we brought the message of peace, freedom, and prosperity to millions of Americans. The response overwhelmed me: more Americans believe in liberty and the Constitutions than I ever imagined. I am deeply honored and moved by your hard work and sacrifice on behalf of our cause. However, after much serious thought, I have decided to end my campaign for the Presidency of the United States. It is time now to take the energy this campaign has awakened and channel it into long term efforts to take back our country. We have some exciting plans and projects to move the revolution forward that will come together in the next several months. Watch for them. I will work until my last breath on behalf of this great message. That I promise you. We don't have to live in the kind of America the two major parties have in store for us. Together, let us continue to lay the foundations for an America worthy of our Founding Fathers. Ron Paul [article link]
Ross Perot - 1992 presidential candidacy - Perot became a potential candidate and soon polled roughly even with the two major party candidates (George H. W. Bush & Bill Clinton) - [Then he suddenly Dropped out in July 1992] - by claiming that Republican operatives had wanted to reveal compromising photos of his daughter - Later in the 1990s, Perot's detractors accused him of not allowing the Reform Party to develop into a genuine national political party, but rather keeping it a movement to support him On February 20, 1992, he appeared on CNN's Larry King Live and announced his intention to run if his supporters could get his name on the ballot in all 50 states. With such declared policies as balancing the federal budget, firm pro-choice stance, expansion of the war on drugs, ending outsourcing of jobs, opposition to gun control, belief in protectionism on trade, his support of the Environmental Protection Agency and enacting electronic direct democracy via "electronic town halls," he became a potential candidate and soon polled roughly even with the two major party candidates. Perot's candidacy received increasing media attention when the competitive phase of the primary season ended for the two major parties. President George H.W. Bush was losing support, and Democratic nominee Bill Clinton was still suffering from the numerous scandal allegations made in the previous months. With the insurgent candidacies of Republican Pat Buchanan and Democrat Jerry Brown winding down, Perot was the natural beneficiary of populist resentment toward establishment politicians. On May 25, 1992 he was featured on the cover of Time Magazine with the title "Waiting for Perot", an allusion to Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot. With several months to go until the Democratic and Republican conventions, Perot filled the vacuum of election news, as his supporters began petition drives to get him on the ballot in all 50 states. This sense of momentum was reinforced when Perot hired two savvy campaign managers in Democrat Hamilton Jordan and Republican Ed Rollins. ... Later in the 1990s, Perot's detractors accused him of not allowing the Reform Party to develop into a genuine national political party, but rather keeping it a movement to support him, [article link]
Citizen Perot - IN JULY 1992, Ross Perot hastily called a press conference to announce he was dropping out of the presidential race - He reentered the race on Oct. 1 and, through infomercials and solid performances in the presidential debates, soon approached 20% in the polls - Then he made a decision that stopped his momentum cold: he agreed to a 60 Minutes interview to present the "real reason" for his earlier withdrawal IN JULY 1992, Ross Perot hastily called a press conference to announce he was dropping out of the presidential race. He reentered the race on Oct. 1 and, through infomercials and solid performances in the presidential debates, soon approached 20% in the polls. Then he made a decision that stopped his momentum cold: he agreed to a 60 Minutes interview to present the "real reason" for his earlier withdrawal. On Sunday, Oct.25, he told startled viewers he had pulled out after receiving "multiple reports" that there was a Republican plot to embarrass his daughter by disrupting her summer wedding, and that there was also a plan to distribute a computerized false photo of his daughter. After the show Perot was widely ridiculed, and many believed his reasons were bogus. ... Barnes now admits that no such pictures existed and that he concocted the story. But he insists he did so on explicit instructions from Perot himself so that Perot would have an excuse for his withdrawal. It is hard to imagine, though, that Perot, so concerned about the privacy of his family, would
encourage anyone to circulate such a story. Barnes and Taylor deny that they were the sources for the allegation that the Republicans intended to disrupt Perot's daughter's wedding. To this day, Perot refuses to identify those sources. [article link]
Ron Paul, the (once) Political Wild Card in This Presidential Election - his devoted followers could be a problem for Sen. John McCain in November - Paul is certain to win re-election in his congressional district south of Houston - He'll barely have to sweat {It makes no sense for Ron Paul to suddenly suspend his campaign unless he is a ringer who never intended to make a difference.} While most Republicans are likely to consider Rep. Ron Paul of Texas a mere pest, his devoted followers could be a problem for Sen. John McCain in November. Paul, the GOP congressman with the squeaky voice but with a following of vocal supporters, will not go away. He's suspended his presidential campaign but his crusade goes on. Paul got into the presidential race with no chance of winning. But his opposition to the war in Iraq, his isolationist foreign policy, and his leave-us-alone views on the domestic front won him faithful supporters during the debates earlier this year. Based on those performances, the Paul campaign raised millions of dollars, especially on the Internet. As of the end of April, he had pulled in $35 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks these things. It was one of the surprises in this campaign with many twists and turns. ... Paul has serious disagreements with the nominees of both major parties. It is hard to see him back either McCain or Barack Obama. Paul is certain to win re-election in his congressional district south of Houston. He'll barely have to sweat. The Republican nightmare is for Paul backers to stay at home in a close presidential election. It could happen, since everything else has this campaign. [article link]
From Reagan's Berlin Wall Speech: Message For Today's GOP - For conservatives and Republicans who are wondering what in the world happened to their party, we should recall June 12, 1987 - Two and half years later, the wall was down and a new chapter begun For conservatives and Republicans who are wondering what in the world happened to their party, we should recall June 12, 1987. That day, 21 years ago, President Ronald Reagan stood before the wall dividing East and West Berlin and directed his famous appeal to the leader of the then Soviet Union, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." The rest, as they say, is history. Two and half years later, the wall was down and a new chapter begun. It's always worth recalling Reagan's courageous act and words of that time. But we particularly should consider it now in light of today's Republican conundrums. I turn to the well-known account of Peter Robinson, then a Reagan speechwriter, of how it all came about. The story of Reagan's Berlin speech, as recounted by Robinson, is about change and fighting the Washington establishment - exactly the themes we're hearing almost every day now from our current presidential aspirants. Robinson wrote the speech for President Reagan, including the famous "tear down this wall" line, and submitted it for review. The opposition to it from the administration's entire foreign policy establishment was uniform and adamant. The National Security Council and the State Department were opposed, as was our highest-ranking diplomat in Germany. They felt it was too provocative and unrealistic. But the president liked it. After several drafts, Robinson told Reagan, at a meeting to review the speech, that his words would be broadcast on the other side of wall, in East Berlin. He asked him if he had anything to say to those people. "Well, there's the passage about tearing down the wall," Reagan said. "That wall has to come down. That's what I'd like to say." [article link]
How to Pick a Vice President - presidential candidates should use their VP choice to make a statement about their own candidacy - The vice president is a candidate's first and most important appointment {McCain in expressing the desires of the new Republican Party likely will pick a liberal for VP, most of the people Bush chooses to associate with are very liberal. The Republican Party is NOT going to WIN in 2008. If conservatives stay in this sinking RINO boat the conservative will be the biggest losers of 2008. Abandon the RINO Party and make your vote count as an Independent or in some other Party. The FUTURE of the Conservative Voice
depends on not becoming a useless, taken for granted, hostage in this hostile Republican Party. When Republican leaders wake up and finally admit that they cannot win w/o their conservative base our conservative voice will return to the Party.} Bill Clinton's selection of Al Gore changed forever the calculus presidential candidates need to use in choosing their running mates. Previously, presidential candidates usually used their VP pick to help them to carry a pivotal state or region, as JFK did in choosing Lyndon Johnson in 1960. But the single state theory doesn't work anymore. Voters can tell the difference between the first and second place on the ticket and don't let the tail wag the dog in determining their votes. After all, John Kerry couldn't carry North Carolina even after putting Edwards on his 2004 ticket. Instead, presidential candidates should use their VP choice to make a statement about their own candidacy. The vice president is a candidate's first and most important appointment. ... For McCain, the pressing need is to lend excitement to his candidacy. His low key delivery, one often wonders if he is putting himself to sleep with his own speeches, does not provoke anything like the excitement that Obama does. [article link]
When McCain Drops Out - I think there is every reason to believe John McCain won't be the nominee - Ok, let me say that again - McCain will not be the Republican candidate in November - The reason will be healthrelated {This is why Ron Paul had to head for the door to assure that the liberal John McCain stays in unopposed. For the Bush Republican leaders 2008 is about reshaping the Party it is not about winning an already lost White House. Bush would rather drive the Republican Party into more Liberal tracks than *replace McCain and win the White House in 2008. It's most important to the RINOs that they displace the conservative base and regulate conservatives to a 2nd or 3rd class (voiceless) status within the Republican Party.} When the Republicans choose their candidate on September 4th, there is a very real chance that they could throw the election into an unexpected chaos as they pull a genuine September Surprise. I think there is every reason to believe John McCain won't be the nominee. Ok, let me say that again. McCain will not be the Republican candidate in November. ... Here's how it could happen: At some point in mid August, John McCain will announce that he has decided that he can not accept his party's nomination for president. The reason will be health-related, and that may turn out to be the truth. Anyone who's seen him on stage these days knows he looks like he's about to keel over. And anyone who's been on a presidential campaign knows the physical demands are grueling and can be a challenge for a young man. But excuses or facts hardly matters. He won't be accepting his party's nomination. The reasons are simple. He can't win. Now that Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee -- the polls all show that McCain's pro-war stance and Bush endorsement make him a lost cause in November. That combined with soft stand on litmus test conservative issues make him an unpopular candidate among the base. [article link]
McCain and Clayton Williams - So when the McCain campaign got asked about the "lie back and enjoy it" remark, they swiftly canceled the fundraiser - Except now it turns out that the fundraiser's not canceled and the $300,000 is still being banked, the venue is just shifting to someone else's house - Comments: McSame is proving himself to be one giant hypocrite {"McSame" (lol) - The Bush "McSame" party is literally crumbling. It's possible Ron Paul had to perform a hasty exit from the Presidential race just to keep McCain in the lead on the Republican side. Oops, Ron Paul is not an agent of change just a tool like the tools Ross Perot and Ralph Nader before him.} Clayton Williams is a prominent person in Texas politics. Prominent enough to secure the GOP gubernatorial election in 1990. During this election campaign he said various things that decent people find abhorrent, such as joking about rape that "As long as it's inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it." These remarks were publicized in Texas and perhaps played a role in Williams' 1990 loss. But this is a big country, and there are lots of non-decent people out there. Thus, Williams was tapped as a fundraiser for John McCain and put together an event that was going to raise $300,00 for McCain. So far, so good -- we already know that McCain
has a fondness for sexist jokes. But uh-oh, this fundraiser was scheduled for the time period when McCain is trying to woo women disappointed by Hillary Clinton's loss by touring his love of Abba. So when the McCain campaign got asked about the "lie back and enjoy it" remark, they swiftly canceled the fundraiser. So that was the story -- McCain cancels fundraiser. Except now it turns out that the fundraiser's not canceled and the $300,000 is still being banked, the venue is just shifting to someone else's house. ... Comments: McSame is proving himself to be one giant hypocrite. And it is frankly scary how McSame is selling himself out to so many people of very shady backgrounds. His entire campaign is run by lobbyists...and not just any lobbyists, but some of the most sleazy around with a veritable rogue's gallery of client. McSame should never be allowed into the White House...just repaying the favors he owes to all of these jerks would bring our country down. [article link]
Conservative blacks leaning towards Obama - "Among black conservatives" Williams said, "they tell me privately, it would be very hard to vote against him in November" - Likewise, retired Gen. Colin Powell, who became the country's first black secretary of state under President George W. Bush Sr., said both candidates are qualified and that he will not necessarily vote for the Republican WASHINGTON - Black conservative talk show host Armstrong Williams has never voted for a Democrat for president. That could change this year with Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's nominee. ... Perhaps sensing the possibility of such a shift, Republican presidential candidate John McCain has made some efforts to lure black voters. He recently told Essence magazine that he would attend the NAACP's annual convention next month, and he noted that he recently traveled to Selma, Ala., scene of seminal voting rights protests in the 1960s, and "talked about the need to include 'forgotten Americans.'" ... Williams, the commentator, says his 82year-old mother, who also hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, has already made up her mind. "She is so proud of Senator Barack Obama, and she has made it clear to all of us that she's voting for him in November," Williams relates. "That is historic. Every time I call her, she asks, 'How's Obama doing?' They feel as if they are a part of this. Because she said, given the history of this country, she never thought she'd ever live to see this moment." [article link]
Online Video Demo - Entire New Testament (Contemporary English Version) on DVD! For limited time, get acclaimed 'WatchWORD' 12-DVD set at 1/4 previous price! $49,95 Over 10 years in the making, the entire New Testament on video - word for word - is now available from WorldNetDaily for only $49.95 - the same 12 DVD recordings that previously sold nationally for up to $299.95! The WatchWORD Bible New Testament is history's first true "Video Book." A remarkable new art form for the information age: You watch it, read it and hear it all at once. The entire set originally retailed for $299.95, with WND offering it for between $169.95 and $199.99. But now, thanks to new manufacturing and distribution partners, we are able to make the entire 12-DVD "WatchWORD Bible New Testament" available to our readers for the amazing price of $59.95, which we are temporarily lowering to only $49.95! All 27 books of the New Testament are presented with dynamic text on screen, inspiring narration, thousands of scenes, special effects, original music and sound effects. The WatchWORD Bible is compelling to watch - a chapter a day or more! Instant chapter selection on DVD plus amazing quality. God's Word leaps from the printed page to your television and computer! [article link]
Firstborn - The Firstborn has many Biblical implications all of which are fulfilled in Jesus who is the Firstborn of our resurrected life - The feast of Passover was to protect the Firstborn of Israel from the plague of death suffered by the Firstborn of Egypt - A plague that was required to set the Jews free from Egypt and allowed them to be led to the promise land of God (PDF) Firstborn is a position. It is a position determined by God as God calls forth the generations of the families. The Firstborn is a position of honor because prior to the Firstborn the family is childless and if a child is not born the family will cease to exist. In early Biblical times a birth was not just a child but the birth of a nation as these
children became fathers of nations. To kill a person is to also kill his nation, his generations of offspring that will never know life because of his death. The Firstborn is also a position of responsibility, the responsibility of leading and guiding the family on a course that includes knowledgeable worship of God. If a family ceases to worship the living God, it is the spiritual death of a family nation. -- The Firstborn has many Biblical implications all of which are fulfilled in Jesus who is the Firstborn of our resurrected life. It was necessary for the death of the Firstborn before God's children could be set free from the bondage and slavery of Egypt. Likewise, the death of Jesus has set us free from the bondage and slavery of sin. Had Jesus, the Firstborn, not died, we would still be slaves to sin. Jesus suffered the death of the Firstborn for us and Jesus having atoning blood also fulfilled the feast of Passover. The feast of Passover was to protect the Firstborn of Israel from the plague of death suffered by the Firstborn of Egypt. A plague that was required to set the Jews free from Egypt and allowed them to be led to the promise land of God. Jesus is also our Passover. He has set us free and He has also given us Passover life. Jesus is the Firstborn of God and the Passover is a feast only for the Firstborn. It was only the Firstborn that were in jeopardy of death that night in Egypt. This is why our life is in Jesus because only He has life, as death (separation from God) has passed Him over and death will pass us over too if we are identified with Jesus the Firstborn. [article link]
SermonAudio.com: "Let Us" - Enter in, Rest, Hear, Obey, Labor, Rejoice, Etc. (Mp3 Series 4 Parts) Pastored Bible Baptist Church, Apheatone, Oklahoma. Graduated from Bible Baptist Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas with Bachelor of Divinity Degree. While attending Seminary was Associate Pastor of Victory Baptist Church, Kennedale, Texas. After graduation pastored Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, Texas, then organized the Ruidoso Baptist Church, Ruidoso, New Mexico, in February 1959. He is still the pastor. [article link]
Is Gitmo a day spa? - Rotunda says Gitmo is hardly a concentration camp - "On the average, the detainees have gained about 15 pounds since they've been in Guantanamo Bay {It's reported that the days in Gitmo consist of recreation, banqueting and reading Harry Potter books. Gitmo is not a concentration camp yet, in the sense of a 'political detainee' camp. Just wait until the government gets done training and practicing with their Islam stand-ins and starts stuffing Gitmo with Christians and Jews then the place will cease to be a spa and will become a concentration death camp.} A former Army JAG officer who was a member of the Guantanamo prosecution team says the detention facility in Cuba is not the concentration camp the media portrays, but a place where detainees actually receive more privileges than many American prisoners. ... Rotunda says Gitmo is hardly a concentration camp. "On the average, the detainees have gained about 15 pounds since they've been in Guantanamo Bay. Many of them have eyeglasses that they've never had before. And also most of them live in open bays. They get up to 12 hours of recreation time. There's an extensive library. They can take classes," Rotunda explains. The Gitmo detainees, according to Rotunda, are treated much better than U.S. citizens in American prisons. [article link]
Friday the 13th - The reason Friday the 13th is considered unlucky is that the 10th Plague [death of the firstborn] visited by God on Ancient Egypt took place on Friday the 13th - Friday the 13th for the Egyptians Jewish calendar it was the 14th (Passover), because the Jews started the next day at sundown The reason Friday the 13th is considered unlucky is that the 10th Plague visited by God on Ancient Egypt took place on Friday the 13th. On the Jewish calendar it was the 14th, because the Jews started the next day at sundown, but the Egyptians didn't start the next day until after midnight. When the firstborn son of every Egyptian family was slain, it was still the 13th. Unfortunately, there are those who take a historical fact or Biblical truth and make a silly superstition out of it. There's no such thing as luck. God is in control.... [article link]
**LIST OF SATANIC HOLIDAYS - All Friday the 13th's are high satanic days - Satanic holiday dates change annually according to the regular calendar and differ from cult to cult {**Warning Satanic Calendar website.} A. The highest ritual holiday is the member's birthday. It usually involves the member or a victim of the member's choice and someone in authority, usually the coven's leader. B. The first and third of every month. Put 1 and 3 together and it makes 13, though ritual/worship can occur at anytime, frequently coinciding with times of stress. C. All Friday the 13th's are high satanic days. D. All full-moon nights provide reason for major occult activity easiest to move around without difficulty and without being detected. E. Holy week Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Some groups are thought to sacrifice, cook and eat a human baby on Easter Sunday.. [article link]
Bush, Berlusconi Meet in Rome - President Bush met with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi Thursday - Mr. Bush is scheduled to meet with Pope Benedict XVI on Friday (13th) before departing to Paris to continue his farewell European tour {What kind of a person schedules a meeting with the Pope on Friday the 13th? A Devil worshiper maybe? The June Friday the 13th of 2008 is the only Friday the 13th of 2008 and it is the last one before Bush leaves office.} ROME -- President Bush met with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi Thursday, a day after antiwar activists and hundreds of other demonstrators marched through the Italian capital to protest the U.S. president's visit. Mr. Bush praised Italy for committing troops to trouble spots around the world, including more than 2,000 Italian troops toward the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. Italy, along with Germany, France and Spain, have restricted their troops to less dangerous areas in northern Afghanistan -- and that has caused a rift because other NATO members (USA, Canada) are deployed in the more violent regions of the nation. [article link]
Friday June 13, 2008: George W. Bush meets Pope amid claims he might convert to Catholicism - {If Bush converted to Catholicism-Christianity it would be a false conversion because Bush Jr. nor any of the Bushes for that matter have renounced their Satanic membership in the Skull & Bones Society. Bush has placed many Skull & Bones associates in his government. FYI - The "Skull & Bones" that Bush and his Satanic associates celebrate are the alleged bones of Jesus Christ. The "Bonesmen" are celebrating what they believe to be Satan's victory over Jesus Christ on the cross and they claim the bones of Jesus in denying the resurrection of Jesus.} George W Bush and Pope Benedict XVI have held an intimate meeting in Rome as rumours mounted in Italy that the president may follow in Tony Blair's footsteps and convert to Catholicism. The two men spoke for half an hour in the 12th century Tower of St John, a private area in the Vatican gardens which is used by the pope for private reflection. The usual protocol for heads-of-state is a meeting in the pope's library in the Apostolic Palace, but a spokesman for the Vatican said Benedict wanted to reward Mr Bush for the "warmth" of his reception at the White House earlier this year. ... Several Italian newspapers cited Vatican sources suggesting that Mr Bush may be prepared to convert. One source told Il Foglio, an authoritative newspaper, that "Anything is possible, especially for a born-again Christian such as Bush." He added that while the Holy See deplored the war in Iraq, "on ethical matters he has always had a line that is practically identical to that of the Vatican." Mr Bush has spoken out against gay marriage, abortion and stem cell research. He proposed amending the US constitution to "fully protect marriage" as the "union of man and woman as husband and wife". {Bush has "spoken out" against so many things yet Bush is the first President to FUND stem cell research and all these things Bush pretends to oppose are now the law of the land. Is it because in reality Bush is not "born-again Christian" but is in fact a Judas (false) leader?} [article link]
May 18, 2003: Pope (John Paul II) fears Bush is antichrist, journalist contends - John Paul II has always believed the world was on the precipice of the final confrontation between Good and Evil as foretold in the New Testament - Madsen contends that "Bush is a dangerous right-wing ideologue who couples his political fanaticism with a neo-Christian (Satanic) blood cult" John Paul II has always believed the world was on the precipice of the final confrontation between Good and
Evil as foretold in the New Testament. Before he became pope, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla said, "We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of the American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel." The pope worked tirelessly to convince leaders of nations on the UN Security Council to oppose Bush's war resolution on Iraq. Vatican sources claim they had not seen the pope more animated and determined since he fell ill to Parkinson's Disease. In the end, the pope did convince the leaders of Mexico, Chile, Cameroon and Guinea to oppose the U.S. resolution. Madsen contends that "Bush is a dangerous right-wing ideologue who couples his political fanaticism with a neo-Christian blood cult." [article link]
German Papers Say 'Many Have Lost Faith in America' Because of Bush - "Rarely has an American president been less popular in this country - And rarely has one embodied the arrogance of power more convincingly than Bush" {I wonder why the unpopular Bush trotted over to Europe at this time, was he intending to celebrate an expected EU election victory in Ireland and then use it to push his North America Merger over here? Update: Bush Jr. also timed his visit to meet the Pope on a scheduled Friday the 13th (June 13, 2008), the only Friday the 13th of 2008 and the last one before Bush leaves office.} NEW YORK With George W. Bush visiting Germany and other parts of Europe this week, German newspapers have been slamming the U.S. president in language stronger than most American dailies use. The Der Spiegel publication compiled some of the comments, which are quoted below. -- Berliner Zeitung: "Rarely has an American president been less popular in this country. And rarely has one embodied the arrogance of power more convincingly than Bush. -- Suddeutsche Zeitung: "In Germany, America is no longer seen as a country of individual liberty, as a reliable ally, and definitely not as a model. There are a large number of justified accusations leveled at Bush's policies. They include dangerous naivete, lies, and the sustained infringement of human rights. -- "Bush won't care, but in the thoughts and feeling of many Germans he is leaving behind a mixture of antipathy, ridicule, anger, and skepticism towards U.S. policies and towards America in general. Differentiating between the two has become more difficult with every year of his presidency. The memory of Bush will darken America's image in the world for years to come." [article link]
EU at crossroads after Irish vote - lurking at the back of everybody's mind is the thought that, once all the other countries have ratified, Ireland might be asked to vote again, and come up with the right answer this time - The Irish prime minister left this option on the table when he spoke on Friday evening immediately after the official result was announced But anyone who spent time with voters during this campaign was presented with a bewildering array of objections to the treaty. Among them: abortion, neutrality, tax sovereignty, military conscription, the loss of an Irish commissioner, the deregulation of the taxi trade and, of course, the desire to give the government of the day - not to mention the ubiquitous "Eurocrats" - a good kicking. Amending the Lisbon Treaty to encompass those objections would challenge even the mightiest Euro-minds. Then there's the question of political timing. Getting people to vote again is a good trick. But there's a limit to how many times you can pull it. Irish voters may have other things on their mind than the re-weighting of votes in the Council of Ministers. They are not dumb, and they may get more than a little irritated at being asked to vote over and over again until they come up with the right answer. And as the Irish economy hits a particularly rocky patch, who is to say that Ireland's voters are going to be in a better mood in six months time, if they are asked to vote again? On the Monday before the vote Brian Cowen was asked whether the treaty was dead if Ireland voted against it. "Obviously", came back his reply. Come late Friday he'd changed his mind. [article link]
Ron Paul declines to concede at rally, but his website says it's really over - the campaign website made his withdrawal official: "After much serious thought, I have decided to end my campaign for the Presidency of the
United States" - "Conservatives have been having problems with the Republican Party for a few years now - It cost them in 2006 - If they don't learn their lesson, it will cost them in 2008" But overnight, the campaign website made his withdrawal official: "After much serious thought, I have decided to end my campaign for the Presidency of the United States," Paul said in a statement posted there. ... But Paul, 72, had symbolically held off on conceding the nomination and said he did not intend to endorse McCain, with whom he clashed over the Iraq war and other issues. ... and his insistence on a reduced international role for the United States attracted those uncomfortable with the size of the U.S. government. ... It was unclear how much of a schism Paul could represent within the party -- or whether he could coalesce already disaffected conservatives. "It depends on his definition of libertarianism, which is a very elastic term," said John J. Pitney Jr., an analyst at Claremont McKenna College. "Paul's own brand of libertarianism might not have a large following, but a broader definition that is Republican -- fiscal conservative but less conservative on social issues -- that brand might have a following." ... "And it's not just libertarians," Muth said. "Conservatives have been having problems with the Republican Party for a few years now. It cost them in 2006. If they don't learn their lesson, it will cost them in 2008." [article link]
New Report: Carly Fiorina the Latest McCain Advisor Linked to Iran, Says Democratic National Committee "The fact that John McCain is stocking his campaign with lobbyists and corporate executives who have profited from companies doing business in Iran raises serious questions about his promise to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons" According to a 2004 article in Forbes, Hewlett-Packard was "among many other U.S. companies" that kept offices in Dubai and were linked to Iranian traders there. As the report noted, "If you want to get around export controls, just sell the product to a front company in Dubai. The middlemen will take it from there." The CEO of Hewlett-Packard at the time was Carly Fiorina. In fact, Fiorina bragged about Hewlett-Packard's success in the Middle East during a 2003 corporate earnings call. [Forbes, 4/19/04; Hewlett Packard Q1 2003 Earnings Conference Call, Fair Disclosure Wire, 2/25/03] "The fact that John McCain is stocking his campaign with lobbyists and corporate executives who have profited from companies doing business in Iran raises serious questions about his promise to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons," said Democratic National Committee Senior Advisor Matt Dorf. "McCain has consistently taken a 'do as I say, not as I do' approach to the reforms he claims to support, but our nation's security is too important for games like this. If McCain is serious about his call to isolate Iran, he will rid his campaign of any advisors and strategists who worked to circumvent the American government's trade boycott." [article link]
Why Is Carly Fiorina-a Symbol of Corporate Excesses-McCain's Favorite CEO? - At HP, Fiorina developed the reputation of a manager who knocked heads together-or who chopped them off - And there were massive layoffs during her tenure - In 2003, the company announced it would dismiss almost 18,000 people - In February 2005, she was pushed out of HP The company's board, with which she had been battling for years, had had enough of her - she ended up symbolizing not one but at least three corporate excesses: outsourcing, M&A-mania, and golden parachutes - She's a real American success story-for corporate Republicans She had not succeeded in reviving HP as a computer-selling powerhouse. The day she was dumped, the company's stock price rose 7 percent. That was Wall Street exclaiming, Hooray. As Robert Cihra, an analyst with Fulcrum Global Partners told Money magazine, "The stock is up a bit on the fact that nobody liked Carly's leadership all that much. The Street had lost all faith in her and the market's hope is that anyone will be better." ... But Fiorina did fine for herself. She departed the company with a $21 million severance package. "I doubt very much that she's worried about making ends meet," Magin cracked. In her 2006 book, Tough Choices, Fiorina defended her management of HP and claimed the firm's subsequent successes were a result of changes she had implemented. But it had been a rocky tenure at best. Nevertheless, McCain is deploying Fiorina as a surrogate on economic policy and as an ambassador to women voters. But in this time of economic insecurity,
there's not much about Fiorina's time at HP that can be reassuring to voters female or otherwise experiencing financial jitters. After six years at Hewlett-Packard, she ended up symbolizing not one but at least three corporate excesses: outsourcing, M&A-mania, and golden parachutes. Workers and shareholders did not prosper during her reign, but Fiorina made millions, got a book deal, and now is a top PowerPointer for a presidential candidate. She's a real American success story-for corporate Republicans. [article link]
Newsman Tim Russert dies (heart attack) at 58 - Tim Russert, who became one of America's leading political journalists as the host of NBC's "Meet the Press" died Friday {Tim Russert was a genuine good guy news commentator until the NWO agenda machine got ahold of him and ruined him. In the last few years Russert seldom looked happy as he knowingly distributed false info to the American public.} (CNN) -- Tim Russert, who became one of America's leading political journalists as the host of NBC's "Meet the Press," died Friday, according to the network. He was 58. The network said Russert suffered a heart attack while at work and could not be revived. ... Russert joined the network in 1984 and quickly established himself as the face of the network's political coverage. [article link]
Ireland rejects European Union reform treaty - Ireland's voters have rejected the European Union reform treaty, a blueprint for modernizing the 27-nation bloc that cannot become law without Irish approval, electoral officials said Friday - Anti-treaty groups from the far left and right mobilized "no" voters by claiming that the treaty would empower EU chiefs in Brussels, Belgium, to force Ireland to change core policies - including its low business tax rates, its military neutrality and its ban on abortion DUBLIN, Ireland - Ireland's voters have rejected the European Union reform treaty, a blueprint for modernizing the 27-nation bloc that cannot become law without Irish approval, electoral officials said Friday. In a major blow to the EU, 53.4 percent of Irish voters said no to the treaty. Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen now will join other EU leaders at a summit next week to try to negotiate a new way forward. Anti-treaty groups from the far left and right mobilized "no" voters by claiming that the treaty would empower EU chiefs in Brussels, Belgium, to force Ireland to change core policies - including its low business tax rates, its military neutrality and its ban on abortion. [article link]
{Flashback} ***NWO Alert*** Irish Finance Minister (FM) warns against EU 'no' vote - Ireland's finance minister said Wednesday that a rejection of a new EU treaty in an Irish referendum next month would be a step backward for his country's economy - creating a new post of EU president {EU getting bigger, bolder and taking more power, welcome to the New World Order (NWO) whether you like it or not (Daniel 2:28). Somehow I don't think it will be better financially in the long run but of course the people already have little or no choice thanks to their leaders stripping them of their voice.} BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Ireland's finance minister said Wednesday that a rejection of a new EU treaty in an Irish referendum next month would be a step backward for his country's economy. ... The new EU treaty would clear the way for the European Union's executive office to pass more decisions by majority -- rather than unanimous -- vote, and would raise the bloc's profile on the world stage by creating a new post of EU president. Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said he believed Irish voters would see the advantages of approving the treaty, stressing that there was strong Irish support for European projects such as the euro currency. "For me, a 'No' vote is a step into isolationism for Ireland," he said. "When people reflect on the current position of the Irish economy, they see how important it is to deepen and strengthen our international position. "A decision by the Irish people not to ratify the treaty ... would send a very clear signal to those who have traded with us in Europe," he said. As part of the euro-zone, Ireland no longer controls its own interest rates and its economy has not been helped by the European Central Bank's refusal to follow the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of England in slashing borrowing costs to stoke slowing growth. [article link]
Poll: Republican support, enthusiasm down - Only 37% of Republicans feel enthusiastic and 36% of Republicans say they are not enthusiastic about voting - "Bottom line: After eight years of the Bush presidency, Republicans are demoralized" {Even after the 2006 election disaster the Bush Republican Party is unwilling to offer any concessions to the conservative base. Bush and his RINOs are willingly destroying the Republican Party.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Republican party may face tough times at the polls come November, according to results of a new national survey. ... "Republicans are far less enthusiastic about voting than Democrats are, and enthusiasm has plummeted among GOPers since the start of the year," said Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "There was already an 'enthusiasm gap' in January, when Democrats were 11 points higher than GOPers on this measure. Now, that gap has grown to 26 points." "Bottom line: After eight years of the Bush presidency, Republicans are demoralized," said Bill Schneider, CNN senior political analyst. [article link]
Walter E. Williams asks: Are Americans slaves? - Personally, I don't believe that the state of condition in America fosters anything but captivity to the current system - Yeah, we're slaves all right, just like Williams describes in his piece. Now the question is: What are we going to do about it? {Freedom is in God not from mankind. Jesus came to set the captives FREE (Luke 4:18-19). Currently we live and work in this fallen world but there is a day coming when we will all rejoice the day that Jesus returns and restores the world to righteousness.} Over at Townhall.com Williams has posed the question: "Are Americans pro-slavery?". It's a fairly short but rich piece that should have everyone reading it question whether they are really free or not. Personally, I don't believe that the state of condition in America fosters anything but captivity to the current system. That we aren't "owned" in terms of there existing a title deed with one's name on it doesn't change the fact that most of the product of our own labor does go to bigger government. And can it be said that we are becoming "more free" at all, in this day of increasing taxes and mandates on the citizenry? Yeah, we're slaves all right, just like Williams describes in his piece. Now the question is: What are we going to do about it? [article link]
'Hazzard's' Cooter: I was out of control - He's written about his ups and downs in his autobiography, "Redneck Boy in the Promised Land" - "My life is not a story about falling down" he said "it's a story about getting up" WASHINGTON (AP) -- Ben Jones figures he drank 43,000 beers; drank 2,000 jugs of whiskey, wine, gin and vodka; and smoked pounds of pot in the 20 years he was out of control. Ben Jones says there were days when he would wake up in jails not knowing how he got there. "I'd wake up in jails just wondering how I got there. Vomit on my shoes and blood on my shirt," the 66-year-old actor said. ... "That all seemed dreamlike to me," he said. "That's when it hit me, what a blessing I had been given and I just started crying." ... "My life is not a story about falling down," he said, "it's a story about getting up. I think people could relate to that and they could relate to alcoholism and all that behavior that goes with it, because it's a common disease. ... [article link]
Southern Baptists worried by decline in baptisms - Baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention have fallen to a 20-year low - growth, fell in 2007 for the third year in a row - We are commanded to go and preach the gospel (eternal life in Jesus) to every person - Several delegates interviewed by Reuters expressed their concern in such terms: fewer baptisms meant fewer saved souls INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention have fallen to a 20-year low, a trend that is setting off alarm bells in America's largest evangelical denomination. The number of people baptized in Southern Baptist churches and ceremonies, an important indicator of conversions and denominational growth, fell in 2007 for the third year in a row by 5 percent to 345,941. That was the lowest number since 1987, a trend on the minds of many of the 7,000 delegates known as "messengers" attending the SBC's annual meeting in Indianapolis. This year's theme is called "Fulfilling the Mission" and the logo pointedly depicts a picture of a baptism in progress. For Southern Baptists, a decline in baptisms is a worry because a major tenet of their faith is to spread it. Many believe the "unchurched" are doomed to an eternity in hell. "We should always be
concerned when baptisms dip. It's about salvation. ... We are commanded to go and preach the gospel to every person," said Tommy French, a 77-year-old pastor from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Several delegates interviewed by Reuters expressed their concern in such terms: fewer baptisms meant fewer saved souls. [article link]
A majority of Republicans 68% do not believe in evolution, according to a Gallup Poll released Monday From the poll taken between May 21-24, results showed that 68 percent of Republicans tended to favor the idea that humans were created in their present form about 10,000 years ago, while only 30 percent believe in the theory that humans originated from simple organisms. Independents and Democrats, on the other hand, were more likely to believe in evolution - 61 and 57 percent, respectively. The results come after recent presidential primary debates touched on the subject of evolution and whether Republican candidates believed in the theory. [article link]
Ron Paul to End Campaign - Paul's announcement will be a formality - Paul has said he won't endorse Sen. John McCain the likely GOP presidential nominee AUSTIN, Texas - Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul will end his campaign Thursday night and announce a new effort to help elect libertarian-leaning Republican to public offices around the country. Campaign spokesman Jessee Benton said the announcement, expected during a speech outside the Texas Republican convention, was "not a disappointment at all. I think this is really exciting." ... The 72-year-old Texas congressman won few delegates during the Republican primaries. But he raised millions of dollars online and developed a large, grass-roots following among those who backed his call for end the war in Iraq and smaller government at home. Supporters have pushed for a speaking role for him at the Republican National Convention in September in St. Paul, Minn. [article link]
Justices: Gitmo detainees can challenge detention in U.S. courts {I think this is a good ruling. If the Bush spy ring has any info on anyone they need to prove it otherwise let these people go. There has been no 9-11 investigation only what Bush claims and the claims of Bush don't add up to reality.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Suspected terrorists and foreign fighters held by the U.S. military at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have the right to challenge their detention in federal court, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The decision marks another legal blow to the Bush administration's war on terrorism policies. The 5-4 vote reflects the divide over how much legal autonomy the U.S. military should have to prosecute about 270 prisoners, some of whom have been held for more than six years without charges. Fourteen of them are alleged to be top al Qaeda figures. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said, "the laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times. Liberty and security can be reconciled; and in our system reconciled within the framework of the law." [article link]
ThirdPartyWatch.com: How does Bob Barr get so much publicity? - Bob Barr gets more online media than any of the other alternative presidential candidates, including Ralph Nader Gaking analyzes Barr's press releases in detail, showing how they aim at the weak spots of both of the major party candidates. These press releases are a strategic treasure for the Barr campaign. They trigger widespread chatter in the blogosphere. They also take on a strategy that has shown to be successful for alternative candidates. "I am hardly a Barr fan," Gaking concludes, "but I have to give him credit for getting off to an impressive start for a third party campaign." And there's a lesson here for the other alternative candidates: "They must get aggressive to earn their share of coverage in 2008." ... FOX and Friends have been talking about McCain and Obama in the mornings. Brian Kilmeade keeps making the statement that many people don't want to vote for either one of these Candidates, so all people can do is stay home and not vote. I sent an e-mail to
them about Bob Barr. Everyone needs to contact them and let them know about Bob Barr. [article link]
ABA and Biden Join Feminists' War on Fathers - which was produced "for use in litigation" called the "Commission on Domestic Violence" - "10 Myths" is designed to teach lawyers how to win money verdicts against fathers by using false or misleading arguments masquerading as objective research {With the Bush Republican Party amounting to an empty suit when it comes to legitimate conservative - family causes, we are deeply at risk of being disenfranchised and being steamrolled by the out of touch, unrealistic, self serving, Joe Biden's of the world.} The "Commission's" website notes this disclaimer: "The ABA Commission on Domestic Violence does not engage in research, and cannot vouch for the quality or accuracy of any of the data excerpted here." Too bad the "10 Myths" flier doesn't include this disclaimer, too, because most of it lacks both quality and accuracy. A non-profit research and education organization called Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting (RADAR) has just published a detailed analysis of "10 Myths." RADAR's report proves that "10 Myths" uses bogus statistics and is "profoundly and systematically biased . . . unworthy to be used as a foundation for legal practice or public policy." ... Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) has rushed to the aid of women who want free lawyers to help them make domestic violence accusations, and of lawyers seeking income from those cases. He is the lead sponsor of an extravagant new boondoggle called the National Domestic Violence Volunteer Attorney Network Act (S.1515). Biden's bill would give $2 million a year to the ABA "Commission" that wrote "10 Myths" in order to create a National Domestic Violence Volunteer Attorney Network Referral Project. Biden wants the taxpayers to pay the lawyers' student loans. Biden's bill will channel an estimated $55.5 million of taxpayers' money to lawyers and the special-interest ABA "Commission" will be in the catbird seat. The bill will authorize federal funding to create and maintain an electronic network, provide mentoring, training and other assistance, and set up a legal coordinator's office in each state to match lawyers to victims. [article link]
Key Women Clinton Supporters: McCain Won't Get Our Vote - John McCain has made it clear that his campaign intends to aggressively court supporters of Hillary Clinton, include her major base of women voters {Bush, McCain, Schwarzenegger, Condoleezza Rice, Romney, Rove, Dole, Jack Kemp, etc. have been desperately trying to form a new liberal Republican Party one that does not have to answer to a conservative base. This is a great disservice to the Nation by duplicating two liberal parties and obliterating the conservative voice in America. I doubt Bush can pull it off and they can only remake the Republican Party into a liberal party if we conservatives blindly allow them to void our voice and I don't see that happening. **Note: Prescott Bush was always a liberal Democrat who became a Republican RINO only because he was unable to get elected as a Democrat. The Bush family has ALWAYS been more loyal to the Democrat causes.} The Nation -- John McCain has made it clear that his campaign intends to aggressively court supporters of Hillary Clinton, include her major base of women voters. Now top women Clinton supporters have a message for McCain: not so fast. "The McCain campaign has been talking about the mythology of trying to pick up HRC supporters," says Ellen Malcolm, president of EMILY'S List. "This is a pipe dream, because he's out of touch with their lives and the issues they care about." "We are here to sound the alarm bell," said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of South Florida on a conference call today. "We are going to work hard to make sure that John McCain is not allowed to pull the wool over womens' eyes one more day." ... McCain is currently running well behind George W. Bush in 2004, who lost women voters to John Kerry by just three points by appealing to "security moms." [article link]
Setback for John McCain - A number of Republican Congressmen have declined to endorse Senator John McCain for President, including Ron Paul of Texas who is still running for President Republican members who have not endorsed or publicly backed McCain include Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Reps. Jones, Peterson, John Doolittle (Calif.), Randy Forbes (Va.), Wayne Gilchrest (Md.),
Virgil Goode (Va.), Tim Murphy (Pa.), Ron Paul (Texas), Ted Poe (Texas), Todd Tiahrt (Kan.), Dave Weldon (Fla.) and Frank Wolf (Va.). Many of the recalcitrant GOP members declined to detail their reasons for withholding support, but Rep. John Peterson (R-Pa.) expressed major concerns about McCain's energy policies and Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) cited the Iraq war, according to a report from TheHill.com. ... Meanwhile, Ron Paul continues his own Presidential campaign on the Republican ticket. Representative Ron Paul, the Republican presidential candidate, will be the main attraction at the Twin Cities confab. No, not the Republican National Convention fewer than eight miles away at the XCel Center, but at his own party, to be held on the second day of the event that will seal Senator John McCain as the G.O.P. nominee. "This isn't a protest," said Jesse Benton, the libertarian-leaning Republican's spokesman. "This is a celebration of limited government and Republican principles." Paul had been building momentum during the final weeks of the Primary voting, where he received double digit percentages in nearly every remaining state. An AOL poll showed he was getting more of the vote among Republicans in a handful of Northwestern States, which was reflected in primary voting as well particularly Idaho. [article link]
McCain is likely a good fit for pro-choice Democrats - John McCain is far from the standard-issue Republican they instinctively vote against - While McCain has positioned himself as "pro-life" during this campaign, his statements over the years show considerable latitude on the issue In a 1999 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board, McCain said, "I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America" to undergo "illegal and dangerous operations." ... McCain played a central role in the Gang of 14 - the seven Democratic and seven Republican senators who joined hands to find common ground on court appointments. For his efforts at compromise, McCain took a pummeling from the right wing. Note that Obama, the self-styled foe of division, declined to join the bipartisan group. ... And if a President McCain did put forth a controversial candidate, the Democratic majority in the Senate - sure to grow after the upcoming election - would put a quick end to the idea. That's why McCain would probably choose a cipher, as had some of his Republican predecessors. Ronald Reagan gave us Sandra Day O'Connor, and George H.W. Bush picked David Souter. Both justices were essentially friendly to Roe. Obama is no doubt pro-choice, but on the issue, he's hardly been a profile in courage. As an Illinois state senator, he famously voted "present" on anti-choice legislation. Voting "present" is a tactic used to express disapproval without actually taking a stand. [article link]
**Direct Link - The Values Voter 2008 Presidential Debate (Online Video) The V2 (Values Voter) Debate was held September 17th, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. While another date had been planned for the Democratic candidates, they all declined. ... "The big losers last night were the no-show [Republican] candidates Fred Thompson who placed at 4%, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain who each received 1% and Mitt Romney (Marriott porn peddler) who was the only candidate to receive zero votes at the end of the night." [article link]
**Direct Link - The Values Voter 2008 Presidential Debate ($10 DVD - the 2 dvd set covers the entire debate) The Values Voter Debate was held September 17th, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. While another date had been planned for the Democratic candidates, they all declined. Questions came from 40 of our nation's leaders including: Paul Weyrich, founder and President of the Free Congress Foundation, Phyllis Schlafly, founder and President of Eagle Forum, Don Wildmon, founder and Chairman of the American Family Association, Judge Roy Moore, with the Foundation for Moral Law, Rick Scarborough, Vision America, and Mat Staver of Liberty Council. This isn't about partisanship. It's about values. It's not about the letter behind the name, rather it's about the values of the heart and the policies that effect the public. [article link]
{Flashback} Note: Watch the online Video or get the DVD of the "Values Voter" Debate, you will be SHOCKED at how far the Bush Republican Party has left the Conservative base -- The First Ever Values Voter Presidential Debate - Delegates from America's Largest Voting Block (Values Voters) United - *Online Replay - Select the "Live Streaming" Option then Click Play Button - "Values Voter Guide PDF, DVD's" and video clips of last night's debate event {The following no-show Republican candidates refused to participate in the Values Voter debate event - John McCain - Rudy Giuliani - Mitt Romney - Fred Thompson. Looks like the Bush-RINOs unanimously stiffed their own party base!} The First Ever Values Voter Presidential Debate Straw Poll, held last night at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, declared Governor Mike Huckabee as the pro-family winner. "The big losers last night were the no-show candidates Fred Thompson who placed at 4 percent, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain who each received 1 percent and Mitt Romney who was the only candidate to receive zero votes at the end of the night." "While many very good candidates attended the event, Governor Mike Huckabee was the clear winner," said Janet Folger, President of Faith2Action (F2A.org) and member of the Values Voter Debate committee. Huckabee received nearly five times the votes of the other candidates. [article link]
Southern Baptists remain wary of McCain - the Baptists are meeting again and John McCain's campaign is nowhere to be seen at a gathering of 7,200 people, most of them staunch Republicans {I strongly recommend that all Reagan, Conservative, Christian voters leave the Republican Party at least for a while. The Bush-McCain party has no interest in the Reagan base. There is no sense in remaining in a Republican Party that is actually openly hostile to our values and beliefs. Register as an Independent, vote for Ron Paul, vote for Obama, vote for a write-in but do not contribute time, money or effort to further this new deceitful Bush liberal Republican Party.} INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Four years ago, the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign hosted a reception for Southern Baptist pastors at a hotel across the street from their annual meeting. The country is electing a president again, the Baptists are meeting again and John McCain's campaign is nowhere to be seen at a gathering of 7,200 people, most of them staunch Republicans. The absence has some Southern Baptists wondering whether the Arizona senator wants their vote. Others are more sympathetic to a campaign still gearing up, a candidate not known for talking about his faith, and reticence McCain might feel over his recent rejection of two endorsements by high-profile, evangelical pastors. In interviews, Southern Baptist leaders and the rank-and-file said they were warily waiting for McCain to inspire them while acknowledging that they will vote for him anyway now that Sen. Barack Obama, far too liberal for most Southern Baptists, has all but secured the Democratic nomination. "There's a lack of fire and passion for (McCain) right now, and for him to win, that fire has to be kindled," said the Rev. Jack Graham, a former president of the 16.2 million-member denomination and among its most politically connected leaders. [article link]
Possibly the World's Oldest Christian Church Unearthed in Northern Jordan - dating from AD 33 to AD 70 - the Rihab area of Jordan has been "rich in unique archaeological sites" with some 30 churches uncovered there so far {A wonderful ancient Church discovery! The original Christian Church was in Jerusalem. The "Upper Room" where the disciples received the "Born Again" Spirit from Jesus (John 20:22) would be the original and oldest Christian Church then Christianity spread out from Jerusalem.} (Jordan)-In what is being hailed as an "important milestone for Christians all around the world," an ancient cave was discovered recently, beneath St. Georgeous Church in Jordan. Archaeologist Abdul Qader Hussan, head of the Rihab Center for Archaeological Studies, said the find was "amazing," stating that they "uncovered what we believe to be the first church in the world, dating from AD 33 to AD 70." According to the report, the Rihab area of Jordan has been "rich in unique archaeological sites" with some 30 churches uncovered there so far. ... "We have evidence to believe this church sheltered the early Christians: the 70 disciples of Jesus Christ," explained Hussan, citing a mosaic inscription on the floor of St. Georgeous Church that reads: "the 70 beloved
by God and Divine." [article link]
Texas Judge in polygamy case threatened - Police were provided dossiers and photos of 16 men and women deemed a threat - warned of "enforcers" from the (FLDS) sect {Nothing friendlier than a bunch of irate Mormons except maybe a den of rattlesnakes.} SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) -- The home of a judge in Texas who ordered the removal of 440 children from a polygamist ranch is under guard after Utah and Arizona authorities warned of "enforcers" from the sect, a newspaper reported Wednesday. ... Police assigned to Judge Walther's Texas, house were provided dossiers and photos of 16 men and women deemed a threat, the Deseret News said. ... The newspaper reported that law enforcement has been on alert since an FLDS-related Web site published Walther's home address and telephone numbers. ... A Web site that talks of a threat to "pay Ms. Walther's home a visit" is not sanctioned by the FLDS Church, Parker said. The site is run by Medvecky, a Florida., man who has donated to the fund for captive FLDS children, Parker said. [article link]
Rep. Dennis Kucinich introduces Bush impeachment resolution - Kucinich announced his intention to seek Bush's impeachment Monday night, when he read the lengthy document into the record {A real leader who loves America wouldn't entangle the nation in the short end of so many foreign affairs and wouldn't allow the nation to become hostage to foreign oil the way Bush has. The damage Bush is doing to the wealth, moral, character and conduct of America is beyond the scope of treason. Bush might not get impeached though he deserves it but Bush will very likely be convicted and jailed for war crimes after he leaves office. It would be better if America impeached Bush but the NWO wants' to take over and exercise authority over Bush instead of letting the American people exercise authority over our own government.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a former Democratic presidential candidate from Ohio, introduced a resolution to impeach President Bush into the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Kucinich announced his intention to seek Bush's impeachment Monday night, when he read the lengthy document into the record. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly said she would not support a resolution calling for Bush's impeachment, saying such a move was unlikely to succeed and would be divisive. Most of the congressman's resolution deals with the Iraq war, contending that the president manufactured a false case for the war, violated U.S. and international law to invade Iraq, failed to provide troops with proper equipment and falsified casualty reports for political purposes. Kucinich also charges that Bush has illegally detained without charge both U.S. citizens and "foreign captives" and violated numerous U.S. laws through the use of "signing statements" declaring his intention to do so. Other articles address global warming, voting rights, Medicare, the response to Hurricane Katrina and failure to comply with congressional subpoenas. [article link]
Former Referee Says NBA Fixed Playoff Series and Other Games - NBA referees, influenced by cozy relationships with league officials, rigged a 2002 playoff series to force it to a revenue-boosting seven games {Cheater George Bush Jr. went from the sports world to politics. No wonder Bush thinks it's just a game to cheat America out of its revenue. Not just a game though as it seems Bush is trying to be a Judas Goat (false leader) in leading America to destruction.} NEW YORK - NBA referees, influenced by cozy relationships with league officials, rigged a 2002 playoff series to force it to a revenue-boosting seven games, a former referee at the center of a gambling scandal alleged Tuesday. Without identifying anyone or naming teams, Tim Donaghy also claimed the NBA routinely encouraged refs to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results but discouraged them from calling technical fouls on star players to keep them in games and protect ticket sales and television ratings. The allegations were contained in a letter filed by a lawyer for Donaghy, who pleaded guilty last year to felony charges alleging he took cash payoffs from gamblers and bet on games himself. Donaghy, 41, faces up to 33 months in prison at sentencing on July 14. "If the NBA wanted a team to succeed, league officials would inform referees that
opposing players were getting away with violations," the letter said. "Referees then would call fouls on certain players, frequently resulting in victory for the opposing team." [article link]
Welcome to Operation Gratitude - Support Our Troops - Operation Gratitude Makes A Difference! "...I just wanted to say thank you very much for all that you are doing I think it is great. It's really nice to know that what we are doing is appreciated. I told my mother about Operation Gratitude and she is so happy that there are people who are willing to take time out of their lives to give us thanks. It's not easy for me to be this far away from my family but your package brought me closer to home. Thank you very much..." AM3 T.B. [article link]
Soldiers Story Video tribute - To those who have seen duty clear, far and away from home...this is dedicated to you. Bless You...and come home soon!!! (YouTube) Regardless of your feelings about the wrong or right of this war, it behooves each and every one of us to support our troops...our nation's sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers. To those who have seen duty clear, far and away from home...this is dedicated to you. Bless You...and come home soon!!! [article link]
Remember Me Video tribute - Support Our Troops - We Love You! - We Miss You! - We Are Proud of You! We Thank You for Your Service and Sacrifice to Our Great Nation! (YouTube) This video is simply amazing. As I sat here watching it? I called my brother over to see it. As we sat here watching and remembering all the familys that go through waiting for thier family members to come home, and to remember for us what it was like to have my uncle come home. All frightened and waiting for my uncle to come home...what joy was brought to our hearts! God bless the soilders that have gone away to war and bless the familys waiting for familys :] ... WOW is all I can say ,,, my husband in overseas right know an this movie brought tears to me..? You did an amazing job on it... thank you very much for making it !! ... I absolutely love this video. It's amazing. Maybe if more people could see it they'd realize what they take for granted. It's good to know there? are still people who back us up. God speed. [article link]
June 10, 2008: U.S. Court Orders Deportation of Former Nazi Guard Living in Pennsylvania - A retired steelworker who served as a Nazi guard should be deported even though the United States granted him a visa in 1956, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday - The office has prevailed in more than 100 cases, leading to at least 65 deportations, a spokeswoman previously said {Even though Anton Geiser was a small cog in a big machine he was a part of a machine that waged an unrelenting, unscrupulous war against innocents, civilians, women and children. The war he waged had no honor and no dignity and he needs to go. Good riddance, don't let the door hit you on your way out. Oh, and take the Nazi Bushes with you.} PHILADELPHIA - A retired steelworker who served as a Nazi guard should be deported even though the United States granted him a visa in 1956, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. Anton Geiser's work as a guard meets the type of persecutory conduct banned under the Refugee Relief Act, which was in effect when he entered the U.S., the ruling said. Geiser, 83, did not cite his Nazi ties on his visa application, but he is not accused of lying about them. Files from the period have been lost and it is not clear what questions he was asked. ... But the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court, which focused on the language of the Refugee Relief Act, said Geiser should have his U.S. citizenship revoked and be deported. "We conclude, as have other Courts of Appeals, that according to the plain meaning of the RRA, concentration camp guards 'personally advocated or assisted in ... persecution,' Judge D. Michael Fisher wrote. ... The Justice Department's Office of Special Investigation has been pursuing naturalized citizens with alleged Nazi ties for three decades. The office has prevailed in more than 100 cases, leading to at least 65 deportations, a spokeswoman previously said. [article link]
Did John McCain Really Refuse to Meet With One Of the Most Beloved People (Billy Graham) on the Planet? The John McCain campaign insists it is trying to arrange a meeting with the Evangelist Billy Graham after a letter surfaced from the McCain camp that suggested the candidate didn't have time for such a meeting - It reads, "I must pass along our regrets and do not foresee an opportunity to add this event to our calendar" The John McCain campaign insists it is trying to arrange a meeting with the Evangelist Billy Graham after a letter surfaced from the McCain camp that suggested the candidate didn't have time for such a meeting. Graham, the nation's best-known Christian evangelist, had long been a spiritual adviser to presidents of both parties. The letter, written June 3 by McCain scheduling director Amber Johnson to an intermediary trying to set up a meeting, came to light as the McCain camp tries to patch things up with Christian conservatives. It reads, "I must pass along our regrets and do not foresee an opportunity to add this event to our calendar." [article link]
McCain, Graham camps: Rumor false {Well not really false} A Web story said the Republican had refused to meet the preacher (Billy Graham) - Wead even produced a form letter from a McCain scheduler declining the offer - McCain campaign staffers were claiming that they were working with Franklin Graham to set up a meeting between Billy Graham and McCain - For the record, Billy Graham spokesman Larry Ross said the McCain campaign has never called him or Billy Graham's Montreat office about such a meeting A half-baked Internet news "story" that said Sen. John McCain had declined a meeting with Billy Graham dominated the Christian blogosphere Monday. It sent McCain staffers scurrying to deny the rumor and insist they've been working behind the scenes to set up such a meeting with the Charlotte-born evangelist. But spokesmen for Graham and his son, Franklin, insist neither of the evangelists have initiated a McCain sit-down or have talked with McCain staffers about holding one. The chain of events began Sunday night with a startling online headline: "McCain Campaign Declines to Meet with Billy Graham," read the headline atop a story on Newsmax.com, a conservative site that claims to report news. By Monday morning, Christian and conservative blogs were all over the story. The author: Doug Wead, a one-time White House staffer who dealt with religious groups during the George H.W. Bush administration. In the first-person article, he claimed that he and a Texas pastor, Brian Jacobs, had offered to broker a meeting between McCain and Graham. Wead even produced a form letter from a McCain scheduler declining the offer - proof, Wead wrote, that McCain "has little interest in reaching out to his conservative base, including evangelical Christian voters." McCain recently repudiated the endorsements of two other evangelical ministers - Rev. John Hagee and Rev. Rod Parsley - because of their controversial statements. Was he now distancing himself from Graham, too? [article link]
June 10, 2008: McCain: 'I will veto every single beer' {Well McCain has the slip of the tongue brains of Bush Jr. McCain would be a 3rd Bush term with no real plans for America. McCain's second wife Cindy chairs her deceased father's (Jim Hensley) business it is the 3rd largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributor in America so McCain likely has beer on his mind.} (Video) He'll veto every single beer? In a slip of the tongue while railing against excessive earmarks at the National Small Business Summit in Washington, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee inadvertently pledged to veto the popular alcoholic beverage. I will use the veto as needed. I will veto every single beer - bill with earmarks," he said, as rumblings from the crowd could be heard. "And every single bill that we have come across my desk I will make them famous. I will veto them, you will know their names." ... Aside from vetoing beer, it's kind of disturbing to hear him say that he'll veto every bill with earmarks. Sometimes earmarks are good things! Imagine if the Rep. from Minneapolis/St Paul had earmarked some $$ for bridge reconstruction! Of course some of them are outrageous Alaska, I'm looking at you but not all. I'm just sayin'. [article link]
8/7/2007: McCain's wife controls family's riches - The candidate's spouse (Cindy - daughter of Jim Hensley) runs an investment portfolio of an estimated $36.6 million to $53.4 million and chairs one of the nation's largest beer distributorships - nation's third-largest distributor of Anheuser-Busch products
Among presidential candidates, GOP Sen. John McCain has a particularly sophisticated financial adviser: his wife. ... Less well-known is that she is chairwoman of Hensley, the nation's third-largest distributor of AnheuserBusch products. She also controls the McCain family portfolio, which is estimated at between $36.6 million and $53.4 million. ... But like the candidate himself, the McCain family is more distinguished for its valor than its investment prowess. The Arizona senator was the most famous POW in the Vietnam War, and both of his sons are in the service, one at the U.S. Naval Academy and the other a Marine private bound for Iraq. [article link]
{Flashback} Anheuser-Busch to Stop Selling Beverage Critics Said Was Targeting Minors - a 2-ounce bottle of flavored-malt beverage meant to be mixed with beer or other drinks, or consumed as a shot - Packaged in colorful bottles, Spykes contains 12 percent alcohol by volume - the flavor masks the strong taste of alcohol ST. LOUIS - Anheuser-Busch said Thursday it will stop selling a malt beverage called Spykes, a product under fire from critics who charged that it appealed to underage drinkers. ... "Due to its limited volume potential and unfounded criticism, we have ceased production of Spykes," Michael J. Owens, Anheuser-Busch Cos.' marketing vice president, said in a statement. He said Spykes was introduced about two years ago in test markets, and nationwide in January, but had not performed to expectations. Critics said the product was designed to attract underage drinkers. ... Spykes is a 2-ounce bottle of flavored-malt beverage meant to be mixed with beer or other drinks, or consumed as a shot. Packaged in colorful bottles, Spykes contains 12 percent alcohol by volume. Critics, including more than two dozen state attorneys general, say those characteristics are attractive to underage drinkers. They say the flavor masks the strong taste of alcohol. Spykes comes in four flavors - lime, mango, melon and hot chocolate. It also contains caffeine, ginseng and guarana, which are components of energy drinks popular among teens and young adults. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said, "This move by Anheuser-Busch, ceasing sales of Spykes after attorneys general raised significant concerns, is a significant victory in the fight against underage drinking." He said Spykes appealed to children in taste, packaging and marketing. "Anheuser-Busch is doing the right thing about Spykes - and should become a model for the entire industry by stopping marketing of all caffeinated alcoholic drinks that appeal to underage drinkers," Blumenthal said. [article link]
{Flashback} Hillary's Your Gal - Right - as I was saying: dump McCain and nominate Hillary for president, running on the Republican ticket - And in any case, you already have a Lefty running for president - John McCain doesn't give a rat's patootie about conservatives; - Call it Operation Chaos in reverse I mean, get real: He's old, he's weird, he's married to a Stepford Wife who won't release her tax returns (why in case America finds out just how profitable beer is?). Plus he'll nominate some clueless midwestern white guy nobody's ever heard of as veep, and that will be that. Sure, you Baby Boomers have some vague memory of Vietnam, how you heroically dodged the draft in Canada, smoked dope and had sex for peace, and blew up a townhouse or two in Greenwich Village, but for my generation, "Hey, hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?" is an ancient as "54-40 or fight," whatever that was. By the time this election is over, McCain will be lucky to get Bob Dole's gig as the senior-citizen vet, hawking Viagra, and the clueless white guy will join the ranks of Henry Cabot Lodge and William E. Miller. ... Just look at the tatters of your "conservative" movement. Rush can't stop reading his press clips; his radio show has become the equivalent of Lenny Bruce reading from his trial transcripts while the paying public heads for the exits. The once-formidable Bill O'Reilly hawks his Factor gear, boasts about his tax bracket, and embarrasses himself every time he talks about pop culture; a show that was once as much fun to watch as a bullfight with a naked matador has devolved into a circle of sycophantic adulation, with Geraldo Rivera appearing periodically as the designated "sparring partner." Newt Gingrich has gone from visionary to blowhard, whose legacy will eventually boil down to this: bested by Bill Clinton in hand-to-hand combat and forced to give up his seat. And Bush is a spent force, whose last remaining order of business is passing Harry Truman's record-low opinion polls before he leaves office. [article link]
{Flashback} Judge's Unintelligent Rant Against Design - Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000 {Judge is a Bush appointee - a thanks again W! way to come through for your voters} Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000. Yet this federal judge, who owes his position entirely to those voters and the Bush who appointed him, stuck the knife in the backs of those who brought him to the dance in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. Judge Jones issued a 139-page rant against anyone who objects to force-feeding public schoolchildren with the theory of evolution. He accused parents and school board members of "breathtaking inanity" for wanting their children to learn that "intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view." [article link]
Treblinka by Jean-Francois Steiner (His father Mr. Kadmi Cohen died in the Nazi Holocaust at the Auschwitz sub-camp Gleiwitz) - One of the best books on the Holocaust - This is without a doubt one of the better books about the death camps - You will become intimately acquainted with Treblinka and the Nazis who ran it Steiner's book is well-written and does justice to the horror {An absolute must read but be prepared for the hard realities the book portrays. It's a difficult book to contemplate because it shows society at its worst in the past and now society is heading back in that very same direction.} (Book) A chance meeting with a university professor in NY years ago caused me to ask the question of what was it really, really like to exist in a place of complete insanity; where you were placed at risk of death at every moment, where every act, every gesture could be your last. What sort of social structure could possibly evolve in such indescrible conditions where inmate sometimes turned on inmate for a crust of bread. And yet in this dark chaos an order did evolve. The inmates organized themselves to such an extent that they ultimately rose up in rebellion, overpowering their opressors and a small number actually escaped. I have read numerous books on the Holocaust but none of those prepared me for Steiner's superb work. Many of the works I've read concerned Auschwitz. Frankly, I never focused on Treblinka. As there is a relatively large number of Auschwitz survivors, I suspect scholars tend to focus on them. As far as Treblinka survivors go... there were only 75. Steiner's descriptions are so overwhelming; his imagery so clear and lucid that you can see in your own mind, the acts of brutality and barbarism, as well as small acts of kindness as if you are actually there. I found myself cringing at the blows of the clubs and the slash of the whips. And yet he takes pains to describe acts of heroism one can hardly imagine. You see how exposure to this inhumanity affects the inmates. Some degenerate while others work at mostly futile individual escape attempts in order to warn the remaining Jews of what ultimately lies in wait at the railhead at Treblinka Station. This is strong stuff and is not for everyone. This is not a book that compiles statistics but rather paints a searing description of day-to-day life with the inmates, their struggles to make it another day, their planning and finally their courageous attempt to escape. If you make it through this book, read Kogon's "The Theory and Practice of Hell" and then the next time you see "ethnic cleansing" taking place in some remote venue such as the Balkans, Rawanda or Timor ask yourself just how far we've really come and how easily we've learned to mouth the words "never again". [article link]
Anthony Beevor: "A Writer At War" Vasily Grossman with the (Russian) Red Army 1941-1945 - details the experiences of the Russian author Vasily Grossman throughout his time as a frontline correspondent during the Second World War - Ultimately Grossman's story leaves you with an impression of the sheer scale and brutality of the times he lived through and a feeling that during those years there was no reality, let alone normality, only war {"Grossman's arrival at a newly liberated Treblinka (Treblinka camp #1?)" The well known 'Treblinka' death camp #2 after a camp wide prisoner revolt with about 200 prisoners escaping (sixty surviving until the end of the war) had already been disassembled, covered over and was functioning as a farm by the end of the war.} (Book) At the time of the German invasion of Russia, Grossman was an overweight writer in his mid-thirties. Declared
unfit for active duty, he signed up as a war correspondent for Red Star, the newspaper of the Red Army, and insisted on reporting from the front line. The scale and importance of the events he witnessed and reported on were breathtaking. From the disasters of the summer of 1941, where huge German encirclements threatened to destroy the Russian army wholesale, to the months he spent detailing the street fighting at Stalingrad. From the massive tank engagements at Kursk, to the re-capturing of the Ukraine the following year. As well as being one of the first journalists to enter Warsaw, Grossman also witnessed the discovery of the horrors at Treblinka and finally, in May 1945, found himself standing inside Hitler's office at the Reich chancellery. ... In addition to this, we learn of the personal pain of Grossman's war. He reported from Stalingrad for four months and knew that somewhere else within the city his nephew was also serving; it was not until after the battle had finished that they were to be finally reunited, when Grossman found his nephew's grave. As the Russian advance continued, and they reclaimed more and more of their country, he came ever closer to his hometown of Berdichev. At the start of the German onslaught his mother and many other members of his family had been trapped there. He blamed himself for failing to evacuate them in time, a guilt that was all the heavier from the thought of the fate that may befall them as Jews. When Berdichev was eventually re-taken he returned to discover that his worst fears had been true; during the first months of occupation, his mother, her family and 20-30,000 other Jews of the town had been taken by the Nazis to a nearby airfield and executed on mass. -This was not the first such atrocity that Grossman discovered, and it wasn't to be the last. As the evidence of the Jews treatment built up, Grossman and fellow writer Ilya Ehrenburg decided to document everything that was found in what they called The Black Book. There was plenty of material; from the massacre at Babi Yar, to the almost total annihilation of the Jewish population of the Ukraine, and ultimately to Grossman's arrival at a newly liberated Treblinka. The interviews he conducted with the forty or so survivors from that camp formed his most powerful and famous article The Hell called Treblinka which was quoted at the Nuremburg trials and is reproduced in large part by Beevor. -- Despite the success of that article, others on a similar theme were heavily edited, or like The Black Book itself, suppressed due to Stalin's order that "The dead shall not be divided"; a decree he used to avoid the embarrassment of collaboration by locals with the Nazi atrocities being revealed. [article link]
Debate Forum: Final Destination Treblinka - Upon their arrival in 1945, the Soviets found a moon-like wasteland of recent excavations by scavengers complementing other scars in the landscape left by the obliteration of the camp's building foundations. Most tellingly, they found among the upturned soil innumerable human remains - (Photos - Documents) Before continuing, it must be noted that this paper is not intended to be an exhaustive exegesis of Treblinka. I have written it to demonstrate beyond any reasonable doubt that Treblinka was an extermination camp devoted to the wholesale slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Jews within the framework of the Final Solution. Any shortcomings of detail, therefore, must needs be remedied by other treatises. ... Field Command Post 10.4.1943 (October 04, 1943) To the inspector of statistics, PG. Korherr (B e r l i n) The Reichsführer SS has reviewed your statistical report on "the final solution of the Jewish question in Europe." He wishes that the term "special treatment of the Jews" be nowhere be mentioned. Page 9, point 4, must read as follows: "Transportation of Jews from the eastern provinces to the Russian East: The following numbers were sifted through the camps in the General government ..... through the camps in the Warthegau ..............." No other formulation may be used. I have sent the copy of the report already draughted to the Reichsführer SS with the request to amend page 9 accordingly and send it back again. SS-Obersturmbannführer ... At least over 800,000 Jews and likely far more as many train records are incomplete or lack head counts were shipped to Treblinka in the space of a year for 'special treatment'; 'evacuation'; 'liquidation'; 'resettlement'; murder, with only a handful ever seen again. Such creative language had long been used to attempt to disguise killing operations of Jews in the east, most notably by the Einsatzgruppen but also by the Gendarmerie. ... As SS-Sergeant and camp guard Franz Suchomel put it, "Treblinka was a primitive but efficient production line of death. Understand? Primitive, yes. But it worked well, that production line of death." We know that Jews were being sent to their deaths, but
the question of how remains. Much allusion has been made up to this point to use the use of gas chambers. Eichmann, in a paper entitled "Götzen" he submitted for his defence, wrote that "Globocnik had established gassing camps at Treblinka and Belzec upon instruction from Himmler and Krüger." Reference to the testimony of those present best describes what was occurring inside the camp all the while. Testimony of SSUnterscharführer Willi Mentz: ... [article link]
Treblinka Death Camp History (Photos) The camp staff of Treblinka, responsible for the smooth operation of the mass killings, consisted of about 3540 Germans, all of whom wore the field-grey uniform of the Waffen-SS. None of them held a rank lower than SS-Unterscharführer {NCO-E4}. They came either from the Waffen-SS, or from the General Allgemeine SS, but some had previously served with the Police, and many had experience of working at various "euthanasia" killing centres. Men like Franz, Kuttner, Miete, Mentz, Hirtreiter, and Matthes, were already brutal mass murderers. In addition to the Germans, there were approximately 90-120 Ukrainian auxiliaries, who mainly assisted with guard duties. As distinct from the Germans, these men wore black uniforms, and were armed with carbines; the German camp staff all carried pistols, and sometimes sub-machine guns. Most of the Ukrainian guards were former Soviet prisoners of war who had volunteered to serve the Germans, and had been trained at the Trawniki camp. ... The witness Jan Sulkowski, a Polish prisoner from the Treblinka l forced labour camp, who helped construct the death camp from 19 May 1942, recalled: "SS-men said it was to be a bath. Only later on when the building was almost completed, I realised it was to be a gas chamber. What was indicative of this was a special door of thick steel insulated with rubber, twisted with a bolt and placed in an iron frame, and also the fact that in one of the building compartments, an engine was installed from which 3 iron pipes led through the roof to the 3 remaining parts of the building. A specialist from Berlin came to put tiles inside and he told me that he had already built such chambers elsewhere". [article link]
Treblinka Camp History - Rudolf Höss, Auschwitz commandant, visited Treblinka in spring 1942 - Treblinka was ready to receive transports 22 July 1942 - The camp was turned into a farm (1944?) - A Ukrainian guard, a certain Streibel, was settled there, in order to give the impression that nothing untoward had happened at the camp site, and to prevent the local population from unearthing any remaining valuables {Streibel the Ukrainian guard turned farmer was given the land to farm however after some months Streibel took his family and fled from his free land declaring the land to be full of ghosts and extremely haunted (an area full of demons).} Treblinka was ready to receive transports from 22 July 1942. Jews from Warsaw and neighbouring towns, as well as inmates from Treblinka I, were used to complete the construction. In charge of the building work was SS Hauptsturmführer Richard Thomalla, the Aktion Reinhard construction expert. Rudolf Höss, Auschwitz commandant, visited Treblinka in spring 1942. ... When this final gassing was completed, the camp area was ploughed over and trees were planted. The camp was turned into a farm. A Ukrainian guard, a certain Streibel, was settled there, in order to give the impression that nothing untoward had happened at the camp site, and to prevent the local population from unearthing any remaining valuables. After he left the site, the local population descended on the camp site, looking for gold and other valuables. Whilst doing this they unearthed parts of decomposed bodies. The remaining Jewish prisoners, who had been forced to dismantle the camp, were transferred to the Sobibor death camp on 20 October 1943, via Siedlce and Chelm. On 17 November 1943, the last transport departed, carrying equipment from the camp. Parts of the barracks were sent to the Forced Labour Camp Dorohucza near Trawniki. It is estimated that a minimum of between 700,000 and 800,000 Jews lost their lives in Treblinka. Most recent research suggests a figure at or beyond the upper limit of this range. [article link]
A YEAR IN TREBLINKA By Yankel Wiernik - An Inmate Who Escaped Tells the Day-To-Day Facts of One Year of His Torturous Experiences - The farm (Photo) which was built in Treblinka after the liquidation of the death
camp, in order to leave no traces of the crime - It was burnt down by the Ukrainian owner on June 1944 {Streibel the Ukrainian guard turned farmer not only fled from his free 'extremely haunted' farm he revolted and burned it down joining the Jews before him who had revolted and burned parts of Treblinka to the ground.} (On-line Book) Dear Reader: For your sake alone I continue to hang on to my miserable life, though it has lost all attraction for me. How can I breathe freely and enjoy all that which nature has created? Time and again I wake up in the middle of the night moaning pitifully. Ghastly nightmares break up the sleep I so badly need. I see thousands of skeletons extending their bony arms towards me, as if begging for mercy and life, but I, drenched with sweat, feel incapable of giving any help. And then I jump up, rub my eyes and actually rejoice over it all being but a dream. My life is embittered, Phantoms of death haunt me, specters of children, little children, nothing but children. I sacrificed all those nearest and dearest to me. I myself took them to the place of execution. I built their death-chambers for them. Today I am a homeless old man without a roof over my head, without a family, without any next of kin. I talk to myself. I answer my own questions. ... [article link]
Senate Considers Windfall Profits Tax on Big Oil - on whether to consider a windfall profits tax against the five largest U.S. oil companies and rescind $17 billion in tax breaks the companies expect to enjoy over the next decade - if energy prices are not reined in "we're going to find ourselves in a deep recession" - The five largest U.S. oil companies earned $36 billion during the first three months of the year - in the face of a threatened GOP filibuster {For six years (2000-2006) the Bush Republican Party held the White House, Senate, Congress and most of the Governorships, yet the Republican Party refused to drill for more oil domestically and lacked implementing any new plans to secure America's future.} WASHINGTON - With gasoline prices topping $4 a gallon, Senate Democrats want the government to grab some of the billions of dollars in profits being taken in by the major oil companies. Senators were to vote Tuesday on whether to consider a windfall profits tax against the five largest U.S. oil companies and rescind $17 billion in tax breaks the companies expect to enjoy over the next decade. "The oil companies need to know that there is a limit on how much profit they can take in this economy," said Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, warning that if energy prices are not reined in "we're going to find ourselves in a deep recession." But the Democrats are going to have to overcome staunch Republican opposition to any new taxes on the oil industry. The five largest U.S. oil companies earned $36 billion during the first three months of the year. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., will need 60 votes Tuesday to proceed with the oil tax legislation in the face of a threatened GOP filibuster. If he doesn't get 60, he likely will pull the bill from the floor. ... Most Senate Republicans have a different approach to dealing with the growing energy crisis - pump more oil and gas. The GOP energy plan, rejected by the Senate last month, calls for opening a coastal strip of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil development and to allow states to opt out of the national moratorium that has been in effect for a quarter century against oil and gas drilling in more than 80 percent of the country's coastal waters. "Republicans by and large believe that the solution to this problem, in part, is to increase domestic production," said McConnell. [article link]
Obama: Economy needs urgent $50 billion boost - "Such relief can't wait until the next president takes office" he told a North Carolina crowd on the first day of what is to be a two-week economic tour around the country {Good someone has to step in and take over the country from Bush. Bush prefers his oil profits to the welfare of the country and Bush seems mainly interested in ruining our great nation.} NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- On the first day of what is to be a two-week economic tour around the country, Barack Obama said Monday that lawmakers should inject another $50 billion immediately into the sluggish U.S. economy. ... With a big jump in the unemployment rate and record oil prices, Barack Obama says he wants to extend benefits for those out of work and send out more rebate checks. ... The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee cited the largest monthly increase in the unemployment rate in over 20 years,
and record highs in oil prices, food prices and foreclosures. Such relief can't wait until the next president takes office. ... That's why I've called for another round of fiscal stimulus, an immediate $50 billion to help those who've been hit hardest by this economic downturn," Obama told a crowd in Raleigh, N.C. He said that he supports the expansion and extension of unemployment benefits, as well as a second round of tax rebate checks. [article link]
{Flashback} The Bush family and the S&L Scandal - Prior to the American entry into WWII Prescott Bush was director of Union Banking Corporation - Union Banking Corporation helped to finance Hitler's regime Prescott (Bush) profited directly from the Auschwitz labor camp There are several ways in which the Bush family plays into the Savings and Loan scandal, which involves not only many members of the Bush family but also many other politicians that are still in office and still part of the Bush Jr. administration today. Jeb Bush, George Bush Sr., and his son Neil Bush have all been implicated in the Savings and Loan Scandal, which cost American tax payers over $1.4 TRILLION dollars (note that this is about one quarter of our national debt). ... The S&L scandal is by no means the only incident of questionable, and actually illegal, financial activity that the Bush family has been involved in. The line of questionable, illegal, and unethical businesses practices goes back at least to Prescott Bush Sr., George Bush Sr.'s father. Prescott Bush was a Senator from 1952 - 1963. Previous to his time as a Senator Prescott was a banker and businessman. Prior to the American entry into WWII Prescott Bush was director of Union Banking Corporation. Union Banking Corporation helped to finance Hitler's regime. The Concentration Camps of Nazi Germany were labor camps that the Nazis used to make products for their regime as well as for sale to raise money. Prescott profited directly from the Auschwitz labor camp. In 1942, after Hitler declared war on America the United States government seized the Union Banking Corporation under the Trading with the Enemy Act as a front operation that was supporting the Nazis. Much of the profits from the operation were already pocketed by Prescott however, and $1.5 million was put in a trust fund for George Bush Sr. For more on Prescott Bush's ties to the Nazis see: ... {It was the FBI (J. Edgar Hoover) that investigated and then seized the Nazi Bush family business that is why the Bush family has been so active in creating and furthering the CIA as a Bush replacement to the American FBI.} [article link]
Oregon University Hosts Talk by Notorious Holocaust Denier, Amid Protest - Irving, a prolific historian who has stated that there were no gas chambers in Auschwitz and routinely downplays the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust {Far from denying the Holocaust of WWII the actual events of WWII dictate a much larger Holocaust including the allied fire-bombings of Dresden and other 'sanctuary cities' and the huge post war death toll in allied controlled POW camps mainly housing German POW's. Much of what happened before, during and after WWII was Holocaust in scope and nature directed against all the people of Europe the Jews though being the main target of the Holocaust.} The University of Oregon will play host Monday night to Holocaust denier David Irving, prompting protests from a local rights group. ... Williams is helping organize a Monday-night protest vigil against Irving, a prolific historian who has stated that there were no gas chambers in Auschwitz and routinely downplays the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust. ... Frohnmayer wrote a letter condemning the "gutter bigotry" of the Pacifica Forum, but defended its right to speak out. "My own feeling is that these subjects are better expressed . . . than left to fester silently," he wrote, but stressed that the forum "did not speak for the University of Oregon." Despite his objection to the content of the presentation Monday, Williams said he wasn't concerned that students would attend the meeting or be swayed by the forum and David Irving's anti-Semitic sentiments. "Students stay away in droves," he said. [article link]
{Flashback} Jan Karski: How One Man Tried to Stop the Holocaust - They asked him if he could carry their information to Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt - They also asked if he would be willing to enter the
Ghetto and see for himself what was happening - Mr. Karski, who was blessed with a photographic memory, agreed {2 Internet Pages} One of the Jews who had prompted Mr. Karski to enter the Ghetto and escorted him around was a lawyer named Leon Feiner. Mr. Karski recalled that Mr. Feiner kept murmuring, "Remember this, remember this." There was also another man, whose name Mr. Karski never learned. They both urged Mr. Karski to tell what he was witnessing to as many people in the West as he could. They knew the information would be hard to believe, but they wanted the West to know that the Germans were systematically taking thousands of Jews each day to extermination camps. ... And when Mr. Karski carried his information about the destruction of the Jews to higher authorities in London, he was met by even greater reluctance to act. "In February 1943, I reported to Anthony Eden," he would later write about his secret meeting with the British Foreign Secretary. "He said that Great Britain had already done enough by accepting 100,000 refugees." ... The Jews were totally helpless. - The Jews had no country, no government. They were fighting but they had no [nation backing] identity." [article link]
{Flashback} Mass Grave Believed to Contain Thousands of Jews Killed by Nazis Found in Ukraine - near the site of what was once a concentration camp KIEV, Ukraine - A mass grave holding the remains of thousands of Jews killed by the Nazis has been found in southern Ukraine near the site of what was once a concentration camp, a Jewish community representative said Tuesday. The grave was found by chance last month when workers were preparing to lay gas pipelines in the village of Gvozdavka-1, near Odessa, said Roman Shvartsman, a spokesman for the regional Jewish community. ... Efraim Zuroff, director of the Israel office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said the finding was no surprise: "It underscores the enormous scope of the plans of annihilation of the Nazis and their collaborators in eastern Europe." "The scope is enormous, the number of places where murders were carried out is very large and that is why even now at this point, so late after the events, graves are still being discovered," he added. ... Shvartsman said that Jewish community knew about the mass killing but did not know where the bodies were located. Anatoly Podolsky, director of the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, said there are believed to be some 250-350 mass grave sites from the Nazi occupation, during which some 1.5 million Ukrainian Jews are believed to have been killed - including those massacred near their homes and those deported to camps elsewhere. He said most of the site have been discovered, many of them since the Soviet collapse of 1991, but others have not. ... Ilia Levitas, the head of Ukraine's Jewish Council, put the number of mass Jewish graves in the country at over 700 and said more than 100 are without monuments to the victims. ... Odessa's chief rabbi, Shlomo Baksht, hopes to fence the site off and erect a monument to the victims by the end of the year. Ukraine's Jewish population was devastated during the Holocaust. Babi Yar, a ravine outside the capital Kiev where the Nazis slaughtered some 34,000 Jews over two days in September 1941, is a powerful symbol of the tragedy. About 240,000 Jews were killed by the Nazis in the Odessa region, according to Shvartsman. He said a mass grave with remains of about 3,500 Jews was found in the region last year. [article link]
wikipedia: World War II casualties - The total estimated human loss of life caused by World War II was roughly 72 million people, making it the deadliest, and most destructive war in human history - The civilian toll was around 47 million, including 20 million deaths due to war related famine and disease - The military toll was about 25 million, including the deaths of about 4 million prisoners of war in captivity - The Allies lost approximately 61 million people, and the Axis powers lost 11 million The casualties of World War II were suffered disproportionately by the various participants. This is especially true regarding civilian casualties. The following chart gives data on the casualties suffered by each country, along with population information to show the relative impact of losses. Military casualties include battle deaths and personnel missing in action, as well as fatalities due to accidents, disease and deaths of prisoners of war in captivity. Civilian casualties include deaths caused by strategic bombing, Nazi persecution, Japanese war crimes, population transfers in the Soviet Union and deaths due to war related famine and disease. Jewish
losses in the Holocaust are listed separately for each nation, since they are known. Compiling or estimating the numbers of deaths caused during wars and other violent conflicts is a controversial subject. Historians often put forward many different estimates of the numbers killed during World War II. The distinction between military and civilian casualties caused directly by warfare and collateral damage is not always clear cut. For nations that suffered huge losses such as the U.S.S.R, China, Poland and Yugoslavia, our sources can give us only the total estimated population loss caused by the war and a rough estimate of the breakdown between deaths caused by military activity, crimes against humanity and war related famine. The footnotes give a detailed breakdown of the casualties and their sources. ... Notes: Germany 1. The number killed in action was 2,303,320; died of wounds, disease or accidents 500,165; 11,000 sentenced to death by court martial; 2,007,571 missing in action or unaccounted for after the war; 25,000 suicides; 12,000 unknown 6,335; *459,475 confirmed POW deaths, of whom 77,000 were in the custody of the U.S., UK and France; and 363,000 in Soviet custody. POW deaths includes 266,000 in the post war period after June 1945, primarily in Soviet captivity. [article link]
Dresden - Second World War: The bombing of Dresden by the (British) Royal Air Force and by the United States Air Force between February 13 and February 15, 1945, remains one of the more controversial Allied actions of the Western European theater of war - The inner city of Dresden was completely destroyed during what later proved to be the final weeks of war in Europe - industrial and military sites on the outskirts were relatively unscathed Dresden - Second World War: Being the capital of a state, it also had garrisons and military industry for centuries and during the Second World War. None of all these garrisons military sites had ever been targeted on 13th February 1945 by the Allies. Dresden was attacked seven times between 1944 and 1945. It was completely captured by the Red Army after German capitulation. The bombing of Dresden by the Royal Air Force and by the United States Air Force between February 13 and February 15, 1945, remains one of the more controversial Allied actions of the Western European theater of war. The inner city of Dresden was completely destroyed during what later proved to be the final weeks of war in Europe. While the inhabited city center was literally wiped out, larger residential, industrial and military sites on the outskirts were relatively unscathed. Some of the Allies described the operation as the justified bombing of a military and industrial target while others called it "Terror." Prime Minister Winston Churchill tried to distance himself from the attack which he had ordered himself. [article link]
FAQs about the Holocaust - Why didn't the Allies bomb Auschwitz [rail lines]? - The Allies had command of the skies by that time, and air bases in Italy brought the Allied forces in the West within range - Allied aircraft flew over the camp several times on a mission to photograph German industrial plants a few kilometers away The first detailed information about Auschwitz reached the Allies in June 1944 {the west had almost complete knowledge about the Holocaust the entire time, the Holocaust was not hidden from the world leaders}, in a report from two escaped prisoners forwarded by Jewish underground activists in Slovakia. The information included a request to bomb the camp and the rail lines leading to it from Hungary, as masses of Hungarian Jews were then being deported to the camp. The Allies had command of the skies by that time, and air bases in Italy brought the Allied forces in the West within range of parts of Poland. From the spring to the autumn of 1944, Allied aircraft flew over the camp several times on a mission to photograph German industrial plants a few kilometers away. In the late summer these plants were bombed, but the extermination camp AuschwitzBirkenau was never bombed. The Allies explained their decision not to bomb the camp in several ways. They said it was technically impossible for them to reach the camp. The fact that they bombed other targets very nearby indicates that this was not true. They argued that such bombardment would not slow down the murder operation and would divert forces from decisive battles and endanger the airmen. The only way to rescue Jews, they said, was by winning the war. Their main arguments, then, were "rescue through victory" and "no diversion from the war effort." Whether a bombing mission to the extermination camp would have succeeded or failed is
an open question. However, it is clear that the Allies did not marshal the same energy and determination to rescue the Jews as the Nazis did to murder them. [article link]
U.S. Should Have --And Could Have-- Bombed Auschwitz - The refusal to bomb Auschwitz was part of a broader policy by the Roosevelt administration to refrain from taking action to rescue or shelter Jewish refugees during the Holocaust WASHINGTON, D.C.- A leading Holocaust research institute has praised President Bush for his statement that the United States "should have bombed" the Auschwitz death camp in 1944. ... OTHER AMERICAN LEADERS WHO HAVE SAID THAT - THE U.S. SHOULD HAVE BOMBED AUSCHWITZ: * President Bill Clinton ... * U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance ... * U.S. Senator and 1972 Democratic Presidential Nominee George McGovern was one of the pilots who attacked German oil factories near Auschwitz in 1944. In an interview with Israel Television and the Wyman Institute on December 20, 2004, McGovern said "There is no question we should have attempted ... to go after Auschwitz. There was a pretty good chance we could have blasted those rail lines off the face of the earth, which would have interrupted the flow of people to those death chambers, and we had a pretty good chance of knocking out those gas ovens ... "God forgive us for that tragic miscalculation." [article link]
{Flashback} WWII Polish Underground Operative Jan Karski (1943) delivered unheeded messages on Holocaust - an emissary for the Polish underground and was one of the first non-Jewish eyewitnesses to the Holocaust to tell Western leaders about Hitler's extermination of European Jews - On requests for U.S. visa forms that could be delivered to the underground and forged to save the lives of Jews, Karski was summarily dismissed When meeting with State Department and War Department representatives, Karski said, he delivered requests and demands for various actions on behalf of European Jews. All were refused, he recalled. "Whatever demand I submitted on behalf of the Jews, [the response was], 'impossible.' " On Jewish calls for Allied leaders to make a public declaration that stopping the Holocaust become part of the official war strategy, Karski was told that it would only reinforce German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels' contention that World War II was provoked by Jews and that Western nations were suffering on their behalf. On suggestions that Germans be notified about the Holocaust via bomber-delivered leaflets, he was told that each sortie was too critical to consider carrying anything other than bombs. On Jewish demands to bomb railroad lines leading into Auschwitz, he was told that the rails would be quickly repaired - by Jewish prison laborers, many of whom would die in the effort. On requests for U.S. visa forms that could be delivered to the underground and forged to save the lives of Jews, Karski was summarily dismissed by Charles Bohlen, an envoy who would later become ambassador to Moscow and Paris: "That would be a violation of federal law." Overall, Karski said, "Everybody sympathized with the Jews, but the Jews were abandoned." However, he said, "My message is, the Jews were abandoned by governments, by churches, by societal structures - but not by humanity. Thousands of individuals - in Poland, in Belgium, in the Netherlands, in Greece - were trying to help the Jews. "Don't believe that humanity betrayed the Jews." Many Poles, he said, assisted Jews even though there was an automatic death sentence in occupied Poland for anyone caught doing so. At the same time, in many regions, Karski said Poles who informed on Jews in hiding or collaborators were offered a "bounty" of one liter of vodka. [article link]
Allies of World War II - The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. Within the ranks of the Allied powers, the British Empire, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States of America were known as "The Big Three" - During December 1941, Roosevelt devised the name "United Nations" for the Allies, and the Declaration by United Nations, on 1 January 1942, was the basis of the modern UN During December 1941, Roosevelt devised the name "United Nations" for the Allies, and the Declaration by United Nations, on 1 January 1942, was the basis of the modern UN. At the Potsdam Conference of July-August 1945, Roosevelt's successor, Harry S. Truman, proposed that the foreign ministers of China, France, the Soviet
Union, the United Kingdom and the United States "should draft the peace treaties and boundary settlements of Europe," which led to the creation of the Council of Foreign Ministers. ... The Charter of the United Nations was agreed to during the war at the United Nations Conference on International Organization, held between April and July 1945. The Charter was signed by 50 nations on 26 June (Poland had its place reserved and later became the 51st "original" signatory), and was formally ratified shortly after the war on 24 October 1945. The five leading Allied nations, namely China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States met repeatedly during the war, such as at the 1944 conference at Dumbarton Oaks where the formation and permanent seats of the United Nations Security Council were decided. The Security Council met for the first time in the immediate aftermath of war on 17 January 1946. The first version of the UN flag, introduced in April 1945.These are the original 51 signatories. Security Council Permanent members are indicated in bold. [article link]
Axis powers of World War II - The three major Axis powers, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan The Axis powers, also interpreted as Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those countries opposed to the Allies during World War II. The three major Axis powers, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan were part of a military alliance on the signing of the Tripartite Pact in September 1940, which officially founded the Axis powers. At their zenith, the Axis powers ruled empires that dominated large parts of Europe, Africa, East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean, but World War II ended with their total defeat. Like the Allies, membership of the Axis was fluid, and some nations entered and later left the Axis during the course of the war. ... The term was first used by Benito Mussolini, in November 1936, when he spoke of a Rome-Berlin axis arising out of the treaty of friendship signed between Italy and Germany on October 25, 1936. Mussolini declared that the two countries would form an "axis" around which the other states of Europe would revolve. This treaty was forged when Italy, originally opposed to Germany, was faced with opposition to its war in Abyssinia from the League of Nations and received support from Germany. Later, in May 1939, this relationship transformed into an alliance, called by Mussolini the "Pact of Steel". The term "Axis powers" formally took the name after the Tripartite Pact was signed by Germany, Italy and Japan on September 27, 1940 in Berlin, Germany. The pact was subsequently joined by Hungary (November 20, 1940), Romania (November 23, 1940), Slovakia (November 24, 1940) and Bulgaria (March 1, 1941). The Italian name Roberto briefly acquired a new meaning from "Rome-Berlin-Tokyo" between 1940 and 1945. Its most militarily powerful members were Germany and Japan. These two nations had also signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with each other as allies before the Tripartite Pact in 1936. [article link]
BOOK OF REVELATION: Overview (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE Downloads Get the basics regarding the Bible's book of Revelation (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE downloads. The book of Revelation (revealed - unveiling) was written by the beloved disciple John at the instructions of the risen resurrected Jesus in approximately the year 100 AD.. Revelation contains seven letters given from Jesus to the entire Christian Church movement. Letters of instruction and also letters of encouragement. Did you know that all of the Apostles of Jesus died a martyrs death except for the disciple John and that according to early Church tradition the Roman government had likewise tried to kill John by boiling him in oil yet God delivered him and did not allow John to be hurt therefore the Roman government banished John to a small island named "Patmos" and it was there at this prison island of Patmos that the disciple John again saw the resurrected Jesus and wrote the things Jesus instructed John to write giving us "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" the Bibles' last book. The book of Revelation describes in vivid detail the final events of the earth and of mankind prior to the glorious return of Jesus. Amazingly the book of Revelation is so accurate and so relevant to today that reading the ancient book of Revelation is like reading the newspaper of today. [article link]
Bible verse: Isaiah 31:1-7 Woe to them that go down to Egypt [the world] for help ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.net}
Isaiah 31:1-7 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! Yet He also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back His words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out His hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall down, and they all shall fail together. For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also He will deliver it; and passing over He will preserve it. Turn ye unto Him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin... -- Bible [article link]
Darwin 'ripped off' theory of evolution - Author: 'Origin of Species' stolen by famous naturalist {Evil-ution (evolution) theory has been around since the Greeks. It was a Greek philosophy. Darwin's Dad and Uncle were both evolutionist before Darwin was even born.} Davies' book, "The Darwin Conspiracy: Origins of a Scientific Crime," accuses Darwin of incorporating ideas from Wallace's letters to him into his writings and claiming the ideas as his own. The publisher's website describes The Darwin Conspiracy as "a true story about deceit and deception and stands as an outstanding metaphor for the idea of survival of the fittest." Historians have long known of the letters from Wallace to Darwin but have generally accepted Darwin's testimony that they arrived from far-off Indonesia after Darwin published his famous theory. According to Davies, however, newly examined shipping records demonstrate that two crucial letters written by Wallace - who was struck feverishly with malaria and wrote to his colleague Darwin, explaining his ideas - actually arrived before Darwin published his Origin of Species. Darwin's treatise on evolution that launched a scientific revolution was published 15 months after Wallace wrote those letters. [article link]
Can you believe this goes on at U.S. colleges? - Stunning new DVD shows universities today resemble totalitarian states - Censorship, Enforced political conformity, Hostility to diversity of opinion, Sensitivity training Censorship. Enforced political conformity. Hostility to diversity of opinion. Sensitivity training. Though such despotic tactics are usually associated with totalitarian regimes, they increasingly describe life on America's university campuses. "When we think of going to college, we think of intellectual freedom. We imagine four years of exploring ideas through energetic, ongoing, critical thinking and debate," says filmmaker Evan Coyne Maloney in the stunning new video documentary "Indoctrinate U: Our Education, Their Politics." "But the reality is very far from the ideal. What most of us don't know is that American college students check their First Amendment rights and individual freedom at the door." Hailed by the New York Sun as one of "America's most promising" documentary filmmakers, Maloney has assembled a scorching indictment of higher education in America today, one sure to make students, parents, trustees, lawmakers and concerned citizens sit up and take notice. Produced by On the Fence Films, with the support of the Moving Picture Institute, "Indoctrinate U" makes the campus culture wars - often treated as an abstract, hopelessly partisan battle - intensely personal and unforgettably human. [article link]
What undid Hillary Clinton - She campaigned as the ultimate Washington insider just when Democrats were clamoring for an outsider - failed to recognize the national hunger for something bigger A Washington mentality may even explain Hillary Clinton's astoundingly inept approach to the nominating process. The Clinton team seemed to treat the primaries more as a media narrative than a race for delegates. First, in their insider arrogance, Clinton's aides assumed that they could eliminate Obama early, in the Iowa
caucuses and New Hampshire primary. When that didn't happen, they focused on the importance of wins in such "big states" as California, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the Obama team grasped that it could lose such key high-profile contests and still take the nomination by methodically racking up delegates in smaller, unglamorous places the media had little interest in, such as Idaho, Colorado, Maine, Kansas and Utah. -- When Obama started to overtake Clinton in the pledged delegate count, she fell back on the ultimate Washington insider's argument: that superdelegates, the creation of the inside-Washington party machine, would come to her rescue and override the will of the voters. Not only did this strategy fail, it enhanced Clinton's image as an insulated Beltway manipulator. -- Even Clinton's supposed mastery of political media backfired on her. Her media team overplayed its hand early in the campaign, engendering resentment among reporters with a bareknuckled, kill-or-be-killed philosophy cultivated during past Clinton scandals. Last September, for instance, Clinton aides forced GQ magazine to spike a critical story on her campaign by threatening to withhold access to Bill Clinton. -- And other aides, notably Penn, became figures of ridicule with their constant over-spinning as they found ever-more creative ways to explain away Obama's wins and Clinton's losses caucuses don't really count, Clinton won more "electoral votes," etc. [article link]
***"Pro-Life Leaders and Groups to Join Together for Massive Prayer, Fasting, and Action..." - FREE Teleconference and Web Simulcast event Thursday, June 5, 2008 9 PM Eastern (6 PM Pacific) Give us 60 minutes and we'll reveal all the exciting details about a massive gathering in Washington, D.C. later this summer (Aug 16th) -- and how this event could be a major turning point for the pro-life movement... [article link]
SermonAudio.com: Principles of War - A 10 Part Series - #1 - Objective, #2 - Offense, #3 - Concentration, #4 Mobility (10 Free Mp3's - page 2) Evangelical Institute of Greenville: At EIG we are passionate about making disciples who really get to know Jesus. We want to join with Him in grounding them in the Scriptures and equipping them so they can be fruitful in living for Him. [article link]
The Emerging (NWO) Church, Series 1-4 (Free Mp3's) "A Warning Siren" The enemy is within the christian community, they are attempting to dilute and graft the gospel onto the world. The 'Mantra' of these so called christians heading up the emerging church is one of 'making church relevant to...', 'using a language that they understand' etc. They do not have faith in the transforming power of the word of God, they feel they have to sweeten the bitter medicine. This emerging church is around us, it isn't being franchised from above, it is being orchestrated from within. It is like a rehashed romanist ritual; sounds, lights and smells, it is all about experience, emotionalism, it is a powerful deciever. It is a merging of all of the contemporary and ancient christian heresies. Protect your young people from it, it is as dangerous for them as any class A drug and just as heroin will lead them to a place of emptiness and despair! [article link]
Conspiracy Theory #27 - The Brotherhood of Darkness - Montieth, Stan (Free Mp3's) Here are the (Mp3) messages from our 1999-2000 catalogs, available exclusively for download. [article link]
Part #1: Speculation about Obama, Clinton attending (secret) Bilderberger meeting - Sen. Barack Obama ditched his unsuspecting press entourage yesterday to attend a secretive meeting with Sen. Hillary Clinton The 56th Bilderberg meeting is still going on this weekend at the Westfields Marriott, according to various sources {McCain, Romney, and Bush Jr. they are probably all there. Today the difference between a Democrat and a Republican is non-existent either party will willingly sellout to foreign anti-American, anti free world,
NWO interests.} But where did that meeting take place? Was it at the secretive Bilderberg conference in Chantilly, Va.? So far, neither campaign is talking. The 56th Bilderberg meeting is still going on this weekend at the Westfields Marriott, according to various sources. But attendance is a well-guarded secret - along with the agenda, which tends toward the promotion of globalist ideas. Obama's spokesman Robert Gibbs confirmed Clinton and Obama met but declined to inform the press of the location of the meeting. However, it was reportedly not held at Clinton's Washington home. Hillary's spokesman also declined to give the location of the rendezvous. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., told Fox News the two candidates met at her house in Washington. Feinstein said she was working upstairs while Clinton and Obama sat by her fireplace. Asked if Obama attended more than one meeting last night, Gibbs declined to "get into all the details." ... Members of the press were outraged over the way Obama's campaign organizers covered up the meeting. Reporters were led to believe they would be getting on a plane back to Obama's campaign headquarters in Chicago with the senator. But while they were in the airport, the presidential candidate remained in the area for a secret meeting. [article link]
Part #2: Speculation about Obama, Clinton attending (secret) Bilderberger meeting - Dulles is just three miles from the Westfields Marriott Hotel in Chantilly, where Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller, among other globalists, are gathered for the annual Bilderberg Group conference - Hillary Clinton is no stranger to Bilderberg - Bill Clinton attended the 1991 meeting in Germany shortly before he was elected president Hillary herself may have attended the 2006 meeting in Ottawa, Canada "Asked at the time about the Illinois senator's whereabouts, Gibbs smiled and declined to comment," the AP report continued. Bilderberg is a highly-secretive meeting where the most influential men and women of North America and Western Europe meet ostensibly to discuss policy. But the group has spent years promoting a globalist agenda, according to reports from journalists who have penetrated the meeting. The Bilderberg Group made a press release available explaining the agenda for the meeting. "The conference will deal mainly with a nuclear free world, cyber terrorism, Africa, Russia, finance, protectionism, U.S.-European Union relations, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Islam and Iran. Approximately 140 participants will attend, of whom about two-thirds come from Europe and the balance from North America," the release stated. "About one-third is from government and politics, and two-thirds are from finance, industry, labor, education and communications. The meeting is private in order to encourage frank and open discussion." -- Additionally, a list of the conference's attendees was released and included James A. Johnson, who was named this week to the three-person team vetting possible running mates for Obama. Rampant speculation in the blogosphere says the Obama-Clinton meeting last night was held to arrange the New York senator as Obama's vice-presidential candidate. Attendees at the Bilderberg conference included Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle and Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the board of governors for the Federal Reserve. -Hillary Clinton is no stranger to Bilderberg. Bill Clinton attended the 1991 meeting in Germany shortly before he was elected president. According to reports, he attended again in 1999 when the meeting was held in Sintra, Portugal, and Hillary herself may have attended the 2006 meeting in Ottawa, Canada. "Why were we not told about this meeting until we were on the plane, the doors were shut and the plane was about to taxi to take off?" one reporter asked Obama spokesman Gibbs in a heated exchange caught on camera by CNN. "Senator Obama had a desire to do some meetings, others had a desire to meet with him tonight in a private way, and that is what we are doing." Gibbs replied. "Is there more than one meeting, is there more than one person with whom he is meeting?" asked another reporter. "I am not going to get into all the details of the meeting." Gibbs replied. [article link]
Analysis: Why Clinton's bid failed - The thought of a Clinton following a Bush following a Clinton following a Bush hardly seemed to fit the national mood - After a third-place finish in Iowa stunned her campaign, the former president (Bill) shifted from chief optimist to attack dog - Those challenges might have been overcome
-- if the organization she gathered around her hadn't failed her in nearly every respect Months before she declared her candidacy, the adjective that appeared most often in descriptions of the former first lady's campaign was "inevitable." But once the race began, those advantages rapidly evolved into chronic, near-unfixable vulnerabilities. Her image as a tested leader left her open to attacks on two fronts: from those who questioned the extent of that experience -- and from the overwhelming majority of Americans who told pollsters they were eager for wholesale change. The thought of a Clinton following a Bush following a Clinton following a Bush hardly seemed to fit the national mood. ... Clinton's efforts to stress her credentials as a fighter -- and her years of experience taking on the "Republican attack machine" -- may have resurrected baggage stowed in the nation's collective memory. Before the race began, the '90s were remembered as an era of plummeting crime rates and soaring opportunity, when jobs seemed plentiful and the deficit disappeared. Clinton's rhetoric revived messier memories: of unmatched partisan warfare and the biggest battle of all -- the impeachment of her husband and his affair with a White House intern. Bill Clinton, who entered the year with a reputation as the greatest campaigner of his generation, seemed to be a bit out of step with the national mood. He spoke like a politician with nothing to lose, and his confrontational comments on the trail alienated supporters and undecideds alike. He stole headlines from his wife and regularly threw her team into triage mode, raising concerns over his outsized influence and contributing to the impression that a vote for her would be a ballot for restoring a de-facto Bill Clinton presidency. [article link]
Six years of Hillary - on the right-wing conspiracy that my editor, Peter Kaplan, cleverly headlined "Not So Vast" the Stop Hillary movement was "the paper-thin product of aging Republican operatives looking for a payday and marginal conservative pundits eager for 15 minutes on Fox News" - Her real and more potent enemies emerged last year: Large sections of the Democratic establishment bearing grudges from the 1990s, or simply eager to move on Clinton has been running for president for a long time. The moment she and Bill Clinton first discussed it remains unknown, but the prospect emerged clearly in November of 2000, when she won a Senate seat the same day Al Gore started losing the White House. I wrote a piece for the New York Sun in 2002 I think that was, as I recall, illustrated by a watercolor of a car with two steering wheels on the road to New Hampshire: Clinton held one, Rudy Giuliani the other. By Christmas of 2004, it was clear to everyone in Hillaryland that she was building a presidential campaign for 2008. Her aides wouldn't breathe the word publicly, but it was their working assumption. "The eye is always on the prize," one of them told me at the time. ... Clinton's camp, of course, had an interest in maintaining the myth of Clinton's invincibility. They also fed another myth: That she faced stealthy, potent enemies on the right. As I wrote in a 2005 story on the right-wing conspiracy that my editor, Peter Kaplan, cleverly headlined "Not So Vast," the Stop Hillary movement was "the paper-thin product of aging Republican operatives looking for a payday and marginal conservative pundits eager for 15 minutes on Fox News." Her real and more potent enemies emerged last year: Large sections of the Democratic establishment bearing grudges from the 1990s, or simply eager to move on. If you'd listened closely, they were there all along. Even many New York politicians and staffers who backed her, from major players like Chuck Schumer to local elected officials, didn't disguise that they felt Obama's pull. Hillary was built by the media and her own apparatus into the sort of larger-than-life, freakish figure that her husband - for better and worse really is. [article link]
Mel Gibson's Dad: MySpace Crusade - Much has been made of Hutton Gibson, a Holocaust denier - Mel Gibson's World Faith Foundation - Gibson senior organizes in one place his entire assault on the modern Catholic Church, rejecting any changes to the church doctrine since the 1500s - "Heresy is the Greek word for choice" "Nothing new is Catholic" {The Gibsons are just trying to run a cult a very dangerous anti-Jewish and anti-Christian cult. Mel is a sick puppy he introduces needless, endless violence into his films and calls it creativity. I saw an account on the internet that Bush Jr. as a child tortured small animals, I suspect Mel is similar
to Bush. Never trust a person who tortures animals their demons are manifested.} This isn't so great for Gibson, who is trying to re-start his dead-in-the-water Hollywood career with a police thriller called "Edge of Darkness." Sandler and friends may have ended that before it began, since the former "SNL" star's audience is 12-year-old boys - the next generation of movie-ticket buyers. Sandler leaves no doubt in their minds that Gibson is a bad guy, a hick and a racist, to be mocked. Talk about reverse propaganda! What both Gibson and Tom Cruise don't realize is, when the kids start laughing at you, not with you, it's over. ... Gibson never has refuted his father's shocking and offensive statements about the Holocaust. He told Diane Sawyer: "He's my father. Gotta leave it alone, Diane. Gotta leave it alone." And what was the result of leaving it alone? Hutton Gibson now has a MySpace page. Welcome to the 21st century. Not only that: He has a Web page, too. [article link]
8 days in February that sunk Hillary Clinton - When a team loses a close game, heartbroken fans often zero in on the game's final moments - But the players often focus instead on the middle of the game - a momentum shift, a lost lead, the point when a victory that once seemed assured was suddenly in doubt {This also applies to the Church -- when Pastors stray from the Bible and into an agenda geared at placating people and the cults the Church loses momentum ultimately losing its agenda of changing lives and changing society for the better. In the end the Church would wake up and wonder where did we go wrong? We are going wrong right now by not moving forward with God's Gospel truth.} When a team loses a close game, heartbroken fans often zero in on the game's final moments: a pivotal play, a referee's call, a questionable coaching decision. But the players often focus instead on the middle of the game - a momentum shift, a lost lead, the point when a victory that once seemed assured was suddenly in doubt. Supporters of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign will gather today in Washington, to celebrate her closebut-just-short race for the Democratic nomination and watch Clinton endorse rival Barack Obama. The faithful will also compare theories on what went wrong, and the temptation might be to focus on the endgame: What if the Democratic National Committee seated Michigan and Florida's disputed delegations at full strength? We'll suggest an alternative topic: eight days in February when Clinton lost control of the race for good. [article link]
Japanese School Caves to 'Monster' Parents, Gives All Kids Lead in School Play - Across Japan teachers are reporting an astonishing change in the character of parents, who, after decades of respectful silence, have become a super-aggressive army of complainers - The problem is that nobody can decide whether this is a good thing or not - Japan's mass media has opted to demonize them The parents believe that they are champions of basic consumer rights, rights that Japanese society has supposedly long trampled over in the name of conformity and order. Either way, few deny that mothers and fathers have shifted from being staunch supporters of Japan's rigid education system to its most ardent assailants. Previously, when a child was in trouble the parents apologized profusely to the teacher; nowadays, they try to have the teacher sacked. Where previously schools were trusted and respected, they are now the targets of concerted activism. Dozens of educators have been forced to resign in the face of the blazing fury of parents who no longer tolerate anything that appears to disadvantage their offspring. [article link]
U.S. tries to solve Iran's nuclear issue through diplomacy - "I understand that Israel is very concerned about their future and their safety when they have a neighbor in their region -- Iran-- that says they want to wipe them off the map" Perino said {Israel should leave Iran for Bush to handle. Bush is an armchair warrior and cannot be counted on and besides the Bush mid-East info is a fountain of faulty knowledge. There is no sense for Israel to get involved in a Bush project and attack Iran for Bush when Bush doesn't actually know what he intends to do or how to follow through and stabilize - modernize Iran.} According to media reports, Israel's Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz threatened earlier Friday that Iran would face an attack from Israel if Iran continues to pursue its nuclear weapons program. "If Iran continues its nuclear
weapons program, we will attack it," Mofaz was quoted as saying. The United States has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program. Iran has denied U.S. charges and insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. [article link]
Alabama City Workers Told to Take Extra Day Off to Soften Blow of High Fuel Costs - A new plan in Birmingham, Ala., will roll back work schedules for city employees to four days a week, an initiative expected to save the city's 4,000 commuters tens of thousands of dollars a year - "America needs to go on a four-day, 10hour per day workweek" he added As more people across the nation are switching to alternative forms of transportation to beat the rising cost of fuel, one city is simply telling people to stay home. A new plan in Birmingham, Ala., will roll back work schedules for city employees to four days a week, an initiative expected to save the city's 4,000 commuters tens of thousands of dollars a year. The program, introduced by Mayor Larry Langford, will go into effect July 1 and intends to soften the blow of high gas prices without hurting productivity. "We've done this before when I was with the county, and it worked," Langford said, referring to his tenure as county commission president in Jefferson County, Ala. "America needs to go on a four-day, 10-hour per day workweek," he added. Employees are welcoming the plan, and the savings. "I drive 60 miles round-trip every day, so I'm looking forward to seeing that adjustment," said Ashley Grigg, an employee at the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. [article link]
Intel Corp's Patrick Gelsinger on the hot seat - Most interesting thing people don't know about him: He lives a very active Christian life and is author of Balancing Your Family, Faith & Work [Life Journey, 2003] - Last book read: The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World, by Alan Greenspan - Best movie ever: Chariots of Fire Patrick Gelsinger is an electrical engineer. He joined Intel in 1979, worked on the design of the 80286 and 80386 microprocessors, and was the chief architect for the 80486 chip. On the 30th anniversary of the x86 architecture's birth, he talked about why it has been so successful. ... Also, I'd point to the move to the Pentium Pro in 1995. It was a dramatic architectural leap to what's known as an out-of-order architecture in which instructions could be executed out of order. We just took the best ideas of computer architectures from the minis and mainframes and implemented them better, because we had a superior canvas to paint them on, called silicon. ... What does the future hold for the x86? I gave a speech at the Intel Developer Forum in Shanghai in April. I included a picture of the Monkey King, which in China had a very powerful tool -- the golden stick. It could be as small as a needle or as big as a pillar that held up the sky. In my speech, "From Milli Watts to Peta FLOPS," I made the analogy that, like the Monkey King that had the golden stick, we had the architecture that will grow up to be the biggest things on Earth -- petaflops computers -- and also the smallest computers on earth. [article link]
CuttingEdge.org: En Route to Global Occupation by Gary Kah - "Enroute To Global Occupation" is the #1 Christian book which exposes the hidden truth that Illuminized Freemasonry is THE secret force behind the global drive to the New World Order - Reveals that Masonry either created or furthered the rise of false religions designed to weaken and dilute the genuine Christian faith (Book) "Enroute To Global Occupation" is the #1 Christian book which exposes the hidden truth that Illuminized Freemasonry is THE secret force behind the global drive to the New World Order.'Enroute' reveals: 1. Masonry is the modern day rebirth of Gnosticism and of the Ancient Mystery Religions; 2. Proves Lucifer is the god worshipped in the super-secret Masonic Palladian Rite which Albert Pike created; 3. Reveals that Masonry either created or furthered the rise of false religions designed to weaken and dilute the genuine Christian faith -Christian Science, Unitarianism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Mormon Church. 'Enroute' demonstrates the role which the Luciferianic Knights Templar and Rosicrucianism played in forming Freemasonry. Shows a very critically important map of the world of the 10-Nation reorganization now being carried out today. Clearly shows the North American and the South American regions being created into separate super states! Most
important map, the likes of which I have not seen. Reveals Masonic control of U.S. Government through the CFR, Trilateral Commission, the CIA, and (Satanic) Skull & Bones. Gary then proves that these organizations control both political parties! [article link]
Muslim Extremist's Web Site Stirs Mixed Emotions in Charlotte, N.C. - supporting Al Qaeda through his Web site, which he reportedly runs from his parents' home - Neighbors described Khan who immigrated to the U.S. from Saudi Arabia when he was 7 years old - as "friendly" and "reserved" - They said he launched his Web site while taking classes at Central Piedmont Community College - he's trying ... to show he's an insider {Proving yet again that 'Al Qaeda' is an American fronted (CIA) organization.} The site posts videos of U.S. Humvees being blown up by roadside bombs in Iraq. It aims to inspire young Muslims to wage war against the West. Terrorism experts say the Web site, written in English, is one of the premiere sites for Western audiences to get access to radical Islamist propaganda. ... "This is the most sophisticated and aggressive Web site in English that really puts out bin Laden's ideology and the message that's promoted by Al Qaeda," he added. Brachman said Khan's site "raises the threshold for what it means to be a good, pro-Al Qaeda website" and is "the best in English." A graphic prominently displayed on the site shows a picture of Abu Yahya al-Libi, a prominent Al Qaeda spokesman whom Brachman calls "Bin Laden 2.0." "He's the guy poised to take over the movement after bin Laden fades away," Brachman said. "The fact that Khan would display him like he does means he's trying not only to show he's an insider, but also to model himself after him." The exact dangers his site poses are difficult to assess, experts said. "It doesn't necessary move someone to action immediately, but it primes the pump," Brachman said. "It gets somebody motivated to think more about Al Qaeda and so over the long term this is a very threatening message that he's promoting." [article link]
Large Explosion Rocks Danish Embassy in Pakistan, at Least 5 Killed - There was no immediate claim of responsibility - Ben Venzke, CEO of IntelCenter, a U.S. group that monitors Al Qaeda messages, said the bombing was likely the work of the terror group {Is IntelCenter monitoring Al Qaeda messages or are they simply making them up? Note: There is no Islamic group "Al Qaeda" the Islamic groups are Shiite & Sunni. If the bombing was Islamic it was ultimately from either a Shiite or a Sunni group or if it was "Al Qaeda" it was the CIA. Al Qaeda is a Bush-CIA invention used to promote terrorism. Bush is the Al Qaeda spokesman, how do we know who, Al Qaeda is and what they are doing - Bush tells us. It's also clear that Bush's "War on Terror" is not against Bin Laden, he is not being sought, or Al Qaeda they are thriving.} ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - An apparent car bomb exploded outside the Danish embassy in Pakistan's capital Monday amid threats against Denmark over the reprinting of Prophet Muhammad cartoons in newspapers. ... There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri recently called for attacks on Danish targets in response to the publication of caricatures in Danish newspapers depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Denmark has faced threats at its embassies following the reprinting in Danish newspapers of the caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims generally consider depicting the prophet to be sacrilegious and Islamic militants had warned of reprisals. Muslims generally consider depicting the prophet to be sacrilegious. In April, Danish intelligence officials warned of an "aggravated" terror threat against Denmark because of the cartoon. The warning specifically singled Pakistan, along with North Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan. Ben Venzke, CEO of IntelCenter, a U.S. group that monitors Al Qaeda messages, said the bombing was likely the work of the terror group or one of its affiliates. [article link]
The Great Pyramid-Lost Legend of Enoch - The Great Pyramid Trilogy (DVD's) The most astonishing mystery that has long been hidden under the shroud of ancient mythology, legend, and outright historical distortions finally comes into the light of day in this astonishing and monumental 1hr and 4 minute ( made for T.V. 54 minutes) extravaganza. The film presents the real story, in dramatic conflict, into the
real forces behind the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza. While the general historical consensus and traditional view holds to the belief that the pyramid was built by the pharaoh Khufu, The Pillar of Enoch unequivocally proves that the Great Pyramid was far to sophisticated and complex for people of that day to have designed, and was far beyond the knowledge of mortals. With graphic CG displays, historical over laments, and on site exposition, the film proves that the confluence of architectural, astronomical, mathematical and cosmological knowledge had to have come down via a supernatural intelligence and source. The Great Pyramid-Lost Legend of Enoch, while provocative and compelling is not over the top with wide eyed beyond belief speculation, but is highly entertaining and entreatable. In a carefully crafted and documented style it rips off the veil that has covered over the truth for thousands of years. It's not only the long hidden emerging truth the film presents, but also the explosive spiritual life changing power that makes this more than just a documentary. [article link]
Chuck Missler: Monuments - Sacred or Profane? - Is there a link between the "pyramids" on Mars, and the Great Pyramid of Egypt? - {**This is one of the scariest and most daunting Bible teachings you will ever listen to.} MP3 Download ($7.95) Are the recent discoveries on the Planet Mars really monuments built by some other culture? Is the mile-wide "Face" a carefully crafted monument, or simply a natural aberration? Is there a link between the "pyramids" on Mars, and the Great Pyramid of Egypt? Has all this been described in the Bible? Chuck Missler is an internationaly recognized authority, and was a consultant on several CBS prime-time television specials.This briefing pack comes with: -two mp3 audio files -one notes file in pdf format -total file size equals 52 MB. [article link]
Mazzaroth (Zodiac in Hebrew is mazzaroth) - Chuck Missler -- Signs in the Heavens #2 - Chuck Missler (FREE Mp3's) Mazzaroth - Chuck Missler #00452.mp3 -- Signs in the Heavens #2 - Chuck Missler #00066.mp3 [article link]
EPISODE: K-House Holidays: The Mazzeroth (Online Audio) 66/40 Radio Broadcast by Koinonia House. [article link]
'Missing Pyramid' Found by Egyptian Archaeologists - In 1842, German archaeologist Karl Richard Lepsius mentioned it among his finds at Saqqara, giving it number 29 and calling it the "Headless Pyramid" because its top was missing - But the desert sands covered Lepsius' discovery, and no archaeologist since was able to find Menkauhor's resting place SAQQARA, Egypt - Egypt unveiled on Thursday a newly uncovered 4,000-year-old "missing pyramid" and a ceremonial procession road where high priests, their faces obscured by masks, once carried mummified sacred bulls worshipped in the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. The pyramid was actually a "rediscovery," said Egypt's antiquities chief, Zahi Hawass. ... We have filled the gap of the missing pyramid," Hawass told reporters on a tour of the discoveries at Saqqara, the necropolis and burial site of the rulers of ancient Memphis, the capital of Egypt's Old Kingdom, about 12 miles south of Cairo. Only the pyramid's base - or the superstructure as archeologists call it - was found after a 25-foot-high mound of sand was removed over the past year and a half by Hawass' team. [article link]
The Great Pyramid - God signifies His Truth consistently in different media so even a fool should not err therein - He displayed It first in the stars (zodiac, Leo-Lion, Virgo-Virgin), erected It as the Great Pyramid, then wrote It in paper and ink we call the Bible - In our today lesson we'll speak on many things but our topic will be the Great Pyramid at Giza {The Great Pyramid is a great mystery, I wouldn't say Enoch built it but it's likely man did
not build it - angels?} Our text is Jeremiah 32:20, "God has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and have made Yourself a Name, as at this day." -- The Bible is the Book of Life, the Book of Redemption for Adam's race and the Title Deed to the inheritance we forfeited. It tells how God redeemed the saints in each Age, from the first couple in Eden to the 144,000 elect Israelites, and how at the White Throne Judgment we will judge the world by Christ, granting the different groups of the "saved" into eternal Life, and casting the lost into the lake of Fire. -- The Bible is the story of God changing His Form from the eternal Holy Spirit alone with His thoughts to the manifestation of those thoughts in the glorified flesh of His family. It is fitting that we see this represented in the Great Pyramid. Its missing capstone represents the rejected Christ and His rejected end-time Bride who will be under pre-eminence as He was, to manifest the Sons of God. Its open coffer signifies He is risen, and the various passageways and chambers explain the story able minds of mathematicians and intellectuals have sought for centuries to understand. -- The word "god" means "object of worship" and Jesus told us that to be pleasing and acceptable to God, we must worship Him in spirit and in Truth. That is, whole heartedly by revelation, having the mind that was in Christ in us. For true worship isn't singing and shouting "Hallelujah's," but having the Token Life of Christ on display all the time. Our lives are to be written epistles of the PRESENT Truth, read and known by all men. So we can only worship or serve God as we understand His Word. And He made a way. -- As a result of Eve's deception and swift redemption by Adam, the human race separated themselves from God's Presence. But He made a way back through the shed blood of an innocent Kinsman as revealed in the symbolism of the Garden after the fall with four cherubim guarding the Altar in the East. Also in the heavenly Temple from which Moses patterned the Tabernacle in the Wilderness and Solomon built the Temple. These motifs are repeated throughout the Book of Revelation, in our new birth, and the three kinds of believers. [article link]
Download for K-Lite Codec Pack 3.80 - Free windows Media Player - Plays all media files, Mp3, WMV, MP4, Divx, ect... (Free Download) About the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack - K-Lite Codec Pack is a collection of VFW/ACM codecs, DirectShow filters and tools. Codecs and DirectShow filters are needed for encoding and decoding (playing) audio and video formats. The K-Lite Codec Pack is designed as a user-friendly solution for playing all your audio and movie files. With the K-Lite Codec Pack you should be able to play all the popular audio and video formats and even several less common formats. [article link]
Download for K-Lite Codec Pack - 3.9.5 FULL IF AVAILABLE - (FREE Download) About the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack - K-Lite Codec Pack is a collection of VFW/ACM codecs, DirectShow filters and tools. Codecs and DirectShow filters are needed for encoding and decoding (playing) audio and video formats. The K-Lite Codec Pack is designed as a user-friendly solution for playing all your audio and movie files. With the K-Lite Codec Pack you should be able to play all the popular audio and video formats and even several less common formats. [article link]
#1 -- Microsoft RoboCopy GUI 3.1.1 - Note: "UtilitySpotlight2006_11.exe" is the Robocopy GUI - Free Program Download Link - Download --> UtilitySpotlight --> Unzip it --> then run Setup - RoboCopy besides being the best utility for multiple mp3 files (copy/backup) it may be the only program that can successfully copy large files in windows - The Mirror Copy Option '/MIR' is one of the best options to use - it will mirror one directory to another directory (Free Windows Utility) The Microsoft RoboCopy GUI developed by Microsoft has recently been released that will take the guess work out of figuring out the RoboCopy syntax in a nice and clean graphical user interface (GUI). This GUI version will also allow you to generate scripts with all of the proper syntax in place that you have chosen and can save for later use. It also has a log that you can examine as well which is very useful. Download it and test it for yourself
and let me know what you think. [article link]
#2 -- Installation Guide for RoboCopy 3.1.1 (UtilitySpotlight2006_11.exe) - Click the Paper Icon to download PDF - (PDF) Requirements - Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP or Windows 2000 Operating System. [article link]
#3 -- wikipedia.org: Robocopy - Robocopy is notable for capabilities above and beyond the built-in Windows copy and xcopy commands, including the following - Ability to copy large numbers of files that would otherwise crash the built-in XCOPY utility From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: RoboCopy, or "Robust File Copy", is a command-line (GUI) directory replication command. It was available as part of the Windows Resource Kit, and introduced as a standard feature of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Robocopy is designed for reliable mirroring of directories or directory trees. It has features to ensure all NTFS attributes and properties are copied, and includes additional restart code for network connections subject to disruption. ... References 1. Utility Spotlight: Robocopy GUI - Note: "UtilitySpotlight2006_11.exe" is the Robocopy GUI - Free Program Download Link. [article link]
#4 Optional: Microsoft - Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools - Includes RoboCopy - RoboCopy besides being the best utility for multiple mp3 files (copy/backup) it may be the only program that can successfully copy large files in windows (Free Windows Utility) The Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools are a set of tools to help administrators streamline management tasks such as troubleshooting operating system issues, managing Active Directory®, configuring networking and security features, and automating application deployment. [article link]
HIGH PERFORMANCE NETWORK ATTACHED STORAGE (NAS) - With RAID 6, the system ensures data integrity even with 2 simultaneous disk failures ReadyNAS™ Pro is the newest and most powerful member of the award-winning ReadyNAS product family. Designed for small and medium businesses, workgroups and home offices, ReadyNAS Pro delivers classleading performance, ease of use, and robust features in a desktop small form factor chassis supporting 6 SATA channels and up to 6 TB of storage. This 6-bay gigabit network attached storage (NAS) appliance is packed with high-end server features, including RAID (redundant array of independent disks) levels 0, 1, 5, 6, and AutoExpandable X-RAID2 support for data protection against disk failure, system monitoring capabilities and builtin backup. To ensure high availability to stored data, the ReadyNAS Pro features dual redundant Gigabit Ethernet ports for failover protection. ... The ReadyNAS Pro utilizes hardware-accelerated RAID to ensure full data redundancy without compromising the system performance. Incorporating Intel Matrix Storage Technology, the ReadyNAS Pro supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, and NETGEAR's patent pending X-RAID2™, with hot spare capability. With RAID 6, the system ensures data integrity even with 2 simultaneous disk failures. The extra disk bays provided by the 6-bay ReadyNAS Pro makes RAID 6 and hot spares practical options worth considering to prevent any prolonged state in which the ReadyNAS data volume is left in an unprotected state. ... ReadyNAS Pro is a single centralized source for all of your digital data. The variety of computers and hard drives that currently house the data in your office and home can make locating a particular file quite arduous. ReadyNAS can bring all of that data together for fast and easy file serving to multiple clients simultaneously across the local network or via the Internet. [article link]
Intelligent RAID 6: Accelerated by Intel - RAID 6 offers another level of protection that has been in existence for some time, but has, until recently, been available almost exclusively in proprietary devices
Data protection is a growing concern for businesses of all sizes. Current solutions for data protection utilize Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) technology in a variety of implementations and form factors. RAID enables a bunch of disks to be treated as one large volume and also protects data from internal component failures by making copies of data and rebuilding lost or damaged data. The most popular RAID levels are 0, 1 and 5. ... What is RAID 6? RAID 6 is defined as additional disk drive failure tolerance provided by a second independent distributed parity scheme. RAID 6 offers another level of protection that has been in existence for some time, but has, until recently, been available almost exclusively in proprietary devices. By using additional parity calculations, RAID 6 can protect mission-critical data from two concurrent disk drive failures. With the growth of disk array sizes, increasing disk densities and the introduction of Serial ATA (SATA,) drives (said by some to have lower reliability) into the storage market, the likelihood for two concurrent failures is increasing. [article link]
Build the $340 NAS for half the price but double the speed The thing that has always bothered me with the NAS (Network Attached Storage) market for consumers is that it's very high margin yet the products deliver very poorly on performance. While that might be great for the product manufacturers bottom line, it isn't so great when you're the consumer. Typical NAS devices that allow you to insert 4 to 6 drives cost anywhere between $500 to $1000 yet they only deliver between 15 to 30 megabyte/sec of performance when they imply gigabit (125 megabyte/sec) performance to the consumer in their advertising. [article link]
#1 -- Build your own (NAS) file server - SUPERMICRO CSE-743T-650B - Intel regular ATX Motherboard (LGA 775) compatible Great box, lots of room for large boards. Supports 8 SATA drives (hotswap), and all fans are hotswap as well. [article link]
#2 -- Optional - Samba: (NAS) File Server Software - Samba is software that can be run on a platform other than Microsoft Windows - When correctly configured, it allows that host to interact with a Microsoft Windows client or server as if it is a Windows file and print server Samba is software that can be run on a platform other than Microsoft Windows, for example, UNIX, Linux, IBM System 390, OpenVMS, and other operating systems. Samba uses the TCP/IP protocol that is installed on the host server. When correctly configured, it allows that host to interact with a Microsoft Windows client or server as if it is a Windows file and print server. [article link]
#3 -- Optional - WebMin: (NAS) Webmin is a web-based interface for system administration for Unix - The new version of Webmin includes Ubuntu 8.04 fixes Webmin is a web-based interface for system administration for Unix. Using any modern web browser, you can setup user accounts, Apache, DNS, file sharing and much more. Webmin removes the need to manually edit Unix configuration files like /etc/passwd, and lets you manage a system from the console or remotely. See the standard modules page for a list of all the functions built into Webmin, or check out the screenshots. [article link]
1881 Lighthouse, presumed destroyed, found on opposite coast - Local historians for decades thought the 30foot tall lighthouse that once overlooked Wellfleet Harbor had been taken down and destroyed in 1925 - Turns out it had just been moved to the California coast WELLFLEET, Massachusetts (AP) -- Local historians for decades thought the 30-foot tall lighthouse that once overlooked Wellfleet Harbor had been taken down and destroyed in 1925. Turns out it had just been moved to the California coast. The fate of the cast-iron tower was uncovered last year by lighthouse researchers and
reported by Colleen MacNeney in this month's edition of Lighthouse Digest. ... MacNeney told the Cape Cod Times in Wednesday's edition it was her most exciting discovery. Wellfleet historian Helen Purcell says the discovery of the lighthouse at Point Montara at the southern end of San Francisco Bay was a genuine shock. MacNeney says she discovered correspondence that proved the lighthouse, first erected in 1881, had been moved by the Coast Guard from Wellfleet to Yerba Buena, California, and eventually to Point Montara. [article link]
(FLDS) The Texas Supreme Court's Ruling Regarding the FLDS Mothers Is Significantly More Protective of the Children Involved than the Media Painted It To Be - The Texas Supreme Court Did Not Clear the Adults at the FLDS Compound of Abuse Claims, Nor Did It Vindicate Any "Rights" on Their Part The Texas Supreme Court Did Not Clear the Adults at the FLDS Compound of Abuse Claims, Nor Did It Vindicate Any "Rights" on Their Part: It is extremely important for people to understand this point: The Texas Supreme Court did not say that there was no abuse and did not place its imprimatur on the notion that the FLDS to could return to abuse as usual. The week before, FLDS members had turned investigators away from the gates of the compound. The court made clear that should not happen again and, by implication, that if investigators during this investigation uncover further evidence of abuse, the state will not be barred from further actions taken to protect each child. Moreover, neither the Texas Supreme Court nor the lower appellate court ruled on whether the parents have any "rights," constitutional or otherwise - a point the Texas Supreme Court stated explicitly. To the contrary, both decisions were state law rulings on the sufficiency of the evidence to date to take all of the children at once. An Admirable Dissent Penned By the Court's Only Female Justice: A three-judge dissent to the Texas Supreme Court's opinion was written by Justice O'Neill. The only woman on the court, Justice O'Neill made the compelling argument that at least the class of pubescent girls should have remained in state custody. It is a sad commentary on the plight of children in our society that her view did not obtain a majority. We have left behind the era when rape was deemed the woman's fault, but we remain in the dark ages when the certain sexual abuse of girls is still insufficiently moving for courts to take action in their favor. No one wants to think about the sex abuse of children, but this court had an obligation to examine the facts without flinching and, if it had done so, the pubescent girls would have remained in state custody. The majority's decision trivializes their plight, or the law of sexual assault, or both. One can only wonder what the result would have been if one of the girls being abused had been one of their own children. [article link]
What Went Wrong? How Hillary Lost - Faulty Strategy, Infighting Fell Former Frontrunner to Unifying Obama But her campaign, it would turn out, was based on a series of fundamental miscalculations - about the mood of the electorate, the threat posed by Sen. Barack Obama and even the basic rules of the Democratic primary process {The Bush-Clinton attitude clearly ended Hillary's presidential bid. There is little interest in America in continuing down the Bush-Clinton road of massive, unresponsive government, completely unaccountable and completely out of control.} Back when Sen. Hillary Clinton was just starting her campaign, top aides and advisers had a ready answer when asked if she could win the presidency. "She's already winning," came the response, as repeated by chief strategist Mark Penn, campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe and other top aides and advisers, in memos, press releases and interviews as the campaign began more than a year ago. It was a rejoinder that fit the "inevitable" candidate - and for a long while, the response fit the facts. Clinton, D-N.Y., occupied the race's top perch virtually until the voting started, with a campaign that was designed to hover above the opposition and break through with dramatic early victories that would end the campaign cleanly and quickly. But her campaign, it would turn out, was based on a series of fundamental miscalculations - about the mood of the electorate, the threat posed by Sen. Barack Obama and even the basic rules of the Democratic primary process. In retrospect, the mistakes started with a faulty assumption: That inevitability itself could underpin the rationale for a presidential candidacy, even in the face of a deep Democratic desire for change and the wide enthusiasm that greeted a first-term senator from Illinois. [article link]
Obama claims victory, makes history - Obama crosses historic milestone - In less than a year, Barack Obama went from being an obscure, first-term U.S. senator to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee - he told his supporters "change is coming" (CNN) -- In less than a year, Barack Obama went from being an obscure, first-term U.S. senator to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. On Tuesday, Obama became the first African-American to head the ticket of a major political party, beating out Sen. Hillary Clinton, who was hoping to become the first female nominee. The two Democratic candidates fought a protracted and, at times, bitter battle that carried them through every state and brought nearly 35 million of their supporters to the polls. When Obama declared his candidacy in February 2007, he faced an uphill battle. Clinton, a former first lady and New York senator, was the favored candidate. Eleven months later, Obama proved the cynics wrong. He won Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses and, in what he called a "defining moment in history," he told his supporters "change is coming." [article link]
George Temporarily Removes Pfleger From St. Sabina - The order requires Fr. Pflger to at least temporarily leave the rectory he's called home for the past 24 years - It's clear that Pfleger tried to fight the move CHICAGO (CBS) 2 News has learned that Francis Cardinal George is temporarily removing Father Michael Pfleger from his position as pastor of St. Sabina Roman Catholic Church on Chicago's South Side. CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports the move comes after several days of deliberation and consultation by the Cardinal, who first learned about Pfleger's racially charged comments about senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton from the pulpit of Trinity Unity Church of Christ last Thursday night. ... "I have asked Father Michael Pfleger, Pastor of St. Sabina's Parish, to step back from his obligations there," the Cardinal said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon, "and take leave for a couple of weeks from his pastoral duties, effective today." The order requires Fr. Pflger to at least temporarily leave the rectory he's called home for the past 24 years. It's clear that Pfleger tried to fight the move. ... The Cardinal also reached out to parishioners. "I hope also that the life of St. Sabina's parish may continue in uninterrupted fashion. I ask the members...to cooperate with [Father William Vanecko, who will temporarily replace Pfleger] and to keep him and Fr. Pfleger in their prayers. They are in mine," the Cardinal's statement said. [article link]
{Flashback} At Obama's Church, Chicago Minister Says Clinton Felt 'White' Entitlement {Reason #1 why if you are not preaching Jesus Christ and the Bible you are not preaching. The pulpit is for reconciliation, the Bible says the Christian message is the message of reconciliation, people reconciled to God and people reconciled to other people. 2nd Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.} Another Chicago minister is causing headaches for Barack Obama after he told the Democratic candidate's church congregation Sunday that Hillary Clinton felt entitled to the presidency because she's white. Catholic pastor Michael Pfleger, who is white, issued a formal apology for his sermon Thursday after Obama put out a statement saying he was "deeply disappointed" by Pfleger's remarks at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. "I regret the words I chose on Sunday. These words are inconsistent with Senator Obama's life and message, and I am deeply sorry if they offended Senator Clinton or anyone else who saw them," Pfleger said. That was after a video of his sermon was posted on YouTube. [article link]
Hard to find a job, but not an internship - Companies are cutting back on jobs but hiring more summer interns to keep their talent pipeline supplied - More students want to get on-the-job experience - Employers plan this year to increase their internship rosters by 3.7% over 2007 NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Even as the trim their payrolls, companies are keeping one eye on the future by stocking up on summer interns. Employers, in a sign that they are looking beyond the current economic slowdown, are using intern programs to help build their junior ranks. Certainly interns can provide cheap and eager labor. But they also bring fresh ideas and allow companies to build their talent pools, experts said. Firms
are hiring a larger number of their entry-level workers from their intern pool, so they are looking to lure top college students well before graduation. "We're seeing growth every year in the number of interns being hired," said Camille Luckenbaugh, research director for the National Association of Colleges and Employers. "One reason companies are looking to hire is to fill their talent pipeline. They are looking five to 10 years down the road." [article link]
Ahmadinejad Calls U.S. 'Satanic,' Israel 'About to Die' - The White House immediately dismissed Ahmadinejad's latest attack on Israel and accused him of "total disregard" for the Iranian people's needs and beliefs {Why is Bush always trying to speak for Islam and for the Iranian people? Bush has proven over and over again that he is incapable of identifying danger in the world and dealing with it.} Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted that Muslims would uproot "satanic powers" and reaffirmed his prediction that the Jewish state will soon be wiped off the map, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported Monday. ... "Today, the time for the fall of the satanic power of the United States has come and the countdown to the annihilation of the emperor of power and wealth has started," the hard-line president said. The White House immediately dismissed Ahmadinejad's latest attack on Israel and accused him of "total disregard" for the Iranian people's needs and beliefs. The Iranian president is a devotee of the Mahdi, who Shiites believe disappeared more than a thousand years ago and will return to bring a new era of peace and harmony, the AFP reported. Ahmadinejad has been forecasting the disappearance of Israel since taking office in 2005. [article link]
'Too Tired' Court Clerk Nixes New York Wedding - A Bronx bride (four-months-pregnant) was left at the altar, but it wasn't the groom who stood her up - it was the court clerk, who refused to marry the couple because she claimed to be tired and hungry - But Ortiz's wedding day was saved when a lawyer, court officers and a judge stepped in for the weak and weary clerk and performed the ceremony {Where was the Church in all of this? Where are the Christian ordained pastors? If the Church is going to support marriage the Church has to perform marriages - not pass off marriages to civil clerks until they collapse from the workload. Maybe the couple thought their predicament kept them from seeking the Church. Our sin predicaments don't keep us from God because the Clergy (Priest) is to focus on Jesus not on us. In the Bible the sacrifice for sin, lambs and later Jesus, was examined by the clergy for acceptability but the sinner is not examined for acceptability because why examine a sinner of course you will find sin.} In a scene reminiscent of a scandal that erupted a year ago in the Marriage Bureau at Bronx Supreme Court, 23-year-old Gwendolyne Ortiz stood in her white dress as she used a brown paper bathroom towel to wipe away tears. "The clerk's upset with the staffing. She refuses to do any more ceremonies," the bride said, choking back tears. ... "The clerk says she's tired and she's hungry." But Ortiz's wedding day was saved when a lawyer, court officers and a judge stepped in for the weak and weary clerk and performed the ceremony Friday. Appalled at seeing the crying, four-months-pregnant bride, lawyer Maxine Susseles, Maj. Raymond Diaz, Sgt. Tamara Glover and others came to the rescue. "You know what they say, 'You cry once on your wedding day, that's 1,000 tears you won't cry during your marriage,' " Glover told the bride. [article link]
CBS Opinion: It's All Over For Hillary - The New York Senator's Road To The Nomination Has Essentially Been Closed - Barack Obama won Barack Obama won. That's the bottom line after a day of wrangling by Democratic National Committee's rules and bylaws committee over whether to seat delegates selected in the disputed primaries of Michigan and Florida. New York Senator Hillary Clinton put her name on the Michigan ballot when Illinois Senator Obama did not. And while the names of both candidates were on the Florida ballot, Clinton visited the state on the eve of the primary -- effectively breaking a pledge not to campaign -- while Obama stayed out of the Sunshine State. Clinton won both January primaries, and she was counting on big delegate hauls to renew her flagging
campaign for the Democratic nomination. She didn't get it. ... Add it all up and Obama finishes 178 delegatevote lead over Clinton. That's a win. ... But the fact is that Clinton's road to the nomination -- which seemed virtually impossible before Saturday -- has essentially been closed by a friendly arm of the Democratic National Committee. [article link]
{Flashback} *** 911, NWO, Skull & Bones: The Greatest Lie Ever Sold - By Anthony Hilder (Google Video Download) At 1hr 14mn 10sec (1:14:10) into this amazing video documentary President Bush is on TV giving his account of where he was when the first plane hit the first Twin Tower (WTC) building. President Bush admits he was in his staff car, outside the school building, watching the live CIA surveillance of the first building being hit. Bush would only be watching surveillance of the first hit if he was a part of the operation. Bush needed to know the attack was underway before he proceeded into the school to continue with his cover story of reading a book to school children in Florida. Bush needed to be far away from NY and far away from the White House so he would have an excuse for not intervening in the events of the day. Clearly President Bush was visibly shaken as he slowly read from the book to the school children even before Bush receives notice of the second WTC tower being struck. [article link]
Give the glory to God! - While it may be true that at other weddings, the bride is the star and gets the glory, it will not be true in the wedding feast of Jesus - HE is the star - HE gets the glory - In fact, in everything we do as believers, we are instructed to give the glory to God {Don't get caught up in Rick Warren's nonsense and don't get caught up in President Bush's nonsense. These guys are friends and they are False prophets with deceitful messages and a hidden NWO (anti-christ) agenda.} But I do feel compelled in my spirit to take issue with a statement made by Rick Warren about his effort. "At a wedding the bride is the main character, the center, the start of the show - everyone else is supporting cast, but the glory goes to the bride," Warren was quoted as saying in the press release. "The PEACE Plan is built on the same principle. The Bride of Christ - of which the church is its local expression around the world - deserves the focus, the credit and the glory for faithfully serving their communities year after year." ... Why does God get all the glory? Because everything we are and have belongs to Him. He created us - from nothing. He is the one who empowers us to do everything we do - to accomplish anything we accomplish. He's not just the general giving orders. He is our very life's breath. Believers need to be very careful about the language we use about God for fear of misleading people - believers and non-believers alike. It is even more important for pastoral leaders to stick to the Bible as the standard because of their position and the audiences they reach. It's time to give all the glory to God. There is nothing we can't accomplish in His name. And we don't need other religions, businesses or governments to help us when our partner is the Creator of the universe. [article link]
{Flashback} Slick Rick shows Syria video in church - Pastor says clip was pulled from 12 hours of tapes after denying shooting (video) on trip - "We did not tape anything because it was a courtesy call, like I do in every country," Warren responded {Audio of Warren selling radical Islam to his audience.} (Audio) Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren showed a brief video clip of his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad to his mega-congregation after telling WND no recording was done on his controversial trip to the terrorist-sponsoring nation. ... Warren emailed Joseph Farah, editor of WND, Nov. 16, denying he made comments as reported by the Syrian news agency. Farah asked Warren in a return email if he made any notes or recordings in Syria that would show the true intent and purpose of his meetings there. "We did not tape anything because if (sic) was a courtesy call, like I do in every country," Warren responded. ... He (Saddleback Church member) also was disturbed that the video was posted on YouTube, then removed, and hasn't been available since. Those videos are routinely used by church leaders when they travel the world, as a kind of travelogue to keep members informed about events and plans, he said. "To see it pulled after it gets put up,
that doesn't spell straightforward truthfulness for me and that's not what I'm used to seeing at my church," he said. [article link]
CareerBuilder.com: You're not getting the job - 25 reasons why - #3. Not networking, #4. Only using the Internet, #5. Only searching for the perfect job When you're job hunting, you can go mad if you think about the amount of factors beyond your control that affect your chances of getting hired. The economy, your location, industry trends -- even the hiring manager's mood -- can influence whether or not you get a job. Still, as nice as it would be to blame your lack of offers on external factors, you can't forget that common denominator in your job hunt -- from the résumé to the interview -- is you. Here are 25 ways you might be unknowingly sabotaging your own job search: [article link]
Preview of the next Basic Christian topic: "The Christian Church - Catholic & Protestant" -- Do I Have A (Catholic - monastic calling) Vocation? -- {The call from Jesus is to become a Christian and being in a denomination is a part of being a Christian. The Protestant denominations are a part of being a Christian and the Catholic denominations are a part of being a Christian. The Christian Church until about 42 AD (Acts 10) was entirely Jewish then until 1517 the Christian Church with the exception of small remnants was entirely Roman Catholic. To ignore the Roman Catholic aspect or the Jewish aspect of the Christian Church is to ignore much of the Church's glorious composition and history.} (Online Video) How do i know if i have a monastic Vocation? these are photos and a video, that start to answer that question. Testimonies and advice from young American Monks in Italy. Why monks? In every age, God has raised up men and women who hear Christ's call to discipleship, and respond in a radical way, leaving the comfort of friends and family to dedicate themselves completely to the Lord. The radical nature of this way of life finds a sympathetic echo in the human heart, which is "restless until it rests it Thee", as St. Augustine put it. When the Lord Jesus walked this earth, disciples gathered round him who wanted to be with him, remain with him, abide with him forever. The monk longs to follow the Lord in the same way. [article link]
theJesusTv.com: YouTube Blasphemy Challange - Clearing the Air (Online Video 5:33) Watch this video as Fr. Elias explains the true nature of blasphemy and how it does not lead to ... [article link]
***Highly Recommended - Is Christianity Intolerant? - A must-hear message! (Mp3) Much has been made in recent years about the bigotry and intolerance of Christianity in modern culture and the media. Christianity is routinely blamed for causing the Holocaust, slavery and a host of other ills. Is this really an accurate characterization of the Christian faith though? Dr. Fernandes looks at this topic and shows how Christianity is in fact, the moral conscience of a nation and that the apostasy from Christianity has led to that which Christians are blamed for. He shows how the "new tolerance" of political correctness and the neopagan movement has set up a "straw man" to attack genuine Christianity. ... "Great Sermon!" The title does not indicate the essential nature of this lecture nor does it hint at the powerful insight into our crumbling culture. A must-hear message! [article link]
The Heart of the Matter - May 30, 2008 Edition - Edgar Harrell - Out of the Depths: A Survivor's Story of the Sinking of the WWII ship USS Indianapolis (Mp3) Edgar Harrell - Out of the Depths: A Survivor's Story of the Sinking of the Indianapolis * Pastor David Carson Contending for the Faith at Walsingham, Remembering the Martyrs. [article link]
Spiritual Warfare Series (3 Mp3's) - How to Identify the Voice of Satan - How Satan Gets Into Your Head When the Devil Goes to Church Has Satan gained a manipulative influence in your life without your even realizing it? The Apostle Paul uncovers the Devil's ageless scheme to manipulate your emotions and to control your actions in order to accomplish his destructive purposes in your life. No Christian can hope to live a victorious life without this vital Biblical instruction on the spiritual warfare that threatens us every day of our life. [article link]
Dangers in the Way - Series 06 of 06 - Resisting the Worlds Propoganda - by A. W. Tozer (Mp3) A 20th-century prophet" they called him even in his lifetime. For 31 years he was pastor of Southside Alliance Church in Chicago, where his reputation as a man of God was citywide. Concurrently he became editor of Alliance Life, a responsibility he fulfilled until his death in 1963. His greatest legacy to the Christian world has been his 30 books. Because A.W. Tozer lived in the presence of God he saw clearly and he spoke as a prophet to the church. He sought for God's honor with the zeal of Elijah and mourned with Jeremiah at the apostasy of God's people. But he was not a prophet of despair. His writings are messages of concern. They expose the weaknesses of the church and denounce compromise. They warn and exhort. But they are messages of hope as well, for God is always there, ever faithful to restore and to fulfill His Word to those who hear and obey. [article link]
[Rumor] Hillary Clinton to be offered dignified exit - Hillary Clinton will be offered a dignified exit from the presidential race and the prospect of a place in Barack Obama's cabinet (health care) under plans for a "negotiated surrender" of her White House ambitions being drawn up by Senator Obama's aides - Tentative contacts have already taken place between Obama and Clinton aides over the endgame She will get something to do with health care, a cabinet post or the chance to lead the legislation through the Senate." Another Democrat who has discussed strategy with friends in the Obama inner circle said that Mr Obama was openly considering asking Mrs Clinton to join his cabinet, alongside two other former presidential rivals: John Edwards, who is seen as a likely attorney general; and Joe Biden, who is a leading contender to become Secretary of State. ... Informal talks have already begun between Obama and Clinton fundraisers to discuss a merger, enabling Mr Obama to pay off Mrs Clinton's campaign debts of $11 million. Tentative contacts have already taken place between Obama and Clinton aides over the endgame, but there have been no formal talks. [article link]
McClellan: Bush Should Have Fired Rove - The White House had said in 2003 that anyone who leaked classified information in the case would be dismissed - Bush reiterated that promise in June 2004 - By July 2005, Bush qualified his position, saying he would fire anyone for leaking classified information if that person had "committed a crime" WASHINGTON - President Bush broke his promise to the country by refusing to fire aide Karl Rove for leaking a CIA agent's identity, said Scott McClellan, the president's chief spokesman for almost three years. "I think the president should have stood by his word and that meant Karl should have left," McClellan said Sunday in a broadcast interview about his new tell-all book, a scathing rebuke of the White House under Bush's leadership. ... In fact, Rove and Libby did help leak Plame's identity, as confirmed in a later criminal investigation. Libby had resigned by then, but Rove remained in office and eventually stepped down on his terms in August 2007. "I think the president should have stood by the word that we said, which was that if you were involved in this in any way, then you would no longer be in this administration. And Karl was involved in it," McClellan said. ... The White House had said in 2003 that anyone who leaked classified information in the case would be dismissed. Bush reiterated that promise in June 2004. By July 2005, Bush qualified his position, saying he would fire anyone for leaking classified information if that person had "committed a crime." Rove was never charged with a crime. McClellan writes in his book that Bush backpedaled to protect Rove, a point McClellan repeated in the interview. "We had higher standards at the White House," McClellan said. "The president said he was going to
restore honor and integrity. He said we were going to set the highest of standards. We didn't live up to that. When it become known that his top adviser had been involved, then the bar was moved." [article link]
Sheldon Alberts: Is Hillary preparing the "nuclear option" in Democratic race? - Bill and Hillary Clinton no longer control the Democratic primary {What a great day it would be when the Bush family no longer controls the Republican Party however I suspect the Bushes will destroy the Republican Party long before they ever willingly give up control.} Bill and Hillary Clinton no longer control the Democratic primary. There's simply no other conclusion to draw after the party's Rules and Bylaw committee reached a decision Saturday that helps Barack Obama and hurts Hillary Clinton's chances of somehow winning the Democratic presidential nomination. Clinton, in the words of Florida State Sen. Arthenia Joyner, wanted "it all" at Saturday's meeting. She wanted full delegations seated from Florida and Michigan, with a full vote. She wanted Obama to get zero delegates from Michigan, since he followed the rules, ignored the outlaw primary and went so far as to take his name off the ballot. (Granted, he did this largely to please voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, but so did Clinton when she agreed not to campaign in either state). Instead of acquiesing to Clinton's demands, the rules committee awarded full delegations with half votes. And they gave Obama a bunch of delegates from Michigan to boot, rejecting Clinton's argument those delegates should be uncommitted. [article link]
'Quake lake' canal completed - Chinese soldiers and engineers dug a spillway from an earthquake-created lake that was threatening to burst its banks - the magnitude-7.9 earthquake that struck on May 12, 2008 {Well done by the Chinese to contain and take action on a major project. Amazing that the huge lake was formed in minutes during and as a result of the earthquake. I wonder how many scientists already believe the lake is millions of years old even though right now the lake is only two weeks old.} BEICHUAN COUNTY, China (CNN) -- Chinese soldiers and engineers dug a spillway from an earthquake-created lake that was threatening to burst its banks in the central county of Beichuan, state-run news agency Xinhua reported Sunday. ... Tangjiashan Lake was created when a landslide caused by the earthquake dammed Jianjiang River. ... The lake in Beichuan County is the largest of several "quake lakes" created by the earthquake nearly three weeks ago. Authorities were concerned that the lake could burst its banks or that another aftershock or earthquake could rupture the earthen dam and cause a sudden flood of water on the communities downstream. The project to divert the water took nearly a week. It will be Wednesday or Thursday before authorities know whether their emergency operation is successful, a commander said. Some of the mountains overlooking the region's rivers are now bare and brown where landslides wiped them clean of their tree-covered sides. Rocks can still be heard falling from the mountains. Because the region is so remote -- most of the roads were cut off by landslides -- the government has brought the equipment and personnel in with Russian military helicopters. [article link]
Update: Alien video: Puppet or real E.T.? - Rojas said the (b&w) video was taken on July 17, 2003, in Nebraska The screening, organized by Denver resident Jeff Peckman, was not open to the public {Mystery solved the reason the video is in b&w is so you might not see the black sleeve of the arm that the alien mask is attached to. It almost works, except when the alien head arcs away from the window you can tell it's on an arm. Also the way the alien head pops straight up as though an unseen neck stretches 18 inches as it appears in the window that doesn't really work either so the video is really pathetic. They should just use some computer-generated imagery (CGI) effects and really impress people.} A few minutes of grainy, black and white video show a shadowy creature with big eyes peeping over a windowsill. But does it show a puppet or an alien from outer space? The video, purportedly capturing proof of alien life, was released this morning during a press conference at the Tivoli Student Union on the Auraria campus in downtown Denver. Over the course of three minutes or so, the footage shows a white creature with
a balloon-shaped head that keeps popping up and down in a windowsill that was 8 feet above ground. The face was white, with large black eyes that seemed to blink. "If it was a puppet, it would be a very elaborate and sophisticated puppet," said Alejandro Rojas, education director of MUFON, the Mutual UFO Network, who spoke at the press conference. [article link]
Video Purportedly Showing Space Aliens Shown - A video purportedly showing aliens has been shown to the press, the Denver Post reports - The approximately three-minute-long video, in grainy black and white {How can you tell if a video is a hoax - well if the video is "grainy black and white" it's almost certainly a hoax. Usually only hoaxers submit blurry, grainy, b&w material with vague explanations and outlandish conclusions.} A video purportedly showing aliens has been shown to the press, the Denver Post reports. The approximately three-minute-long video, in grainy black and white, appears to show a creature with big eyes looking through a window into a house, the Post said. But it was unclear if it was a puppet or an alien. Jeff Peckman, who has proposed the city of Denver create an 18-member extraterrestrial affairs commission, screened the video for the media Friday at Metropolitan State College. "This one looked very gentle and very innocent and youthful," Peckman told FOX News on Friday. [article link]
{Flashback} Loch Ness - Nessie Footage Questions Focus On Filmmaker - Who is Gordon T. Holmes? - As I've mentioned before in print and in interviews, a videotape or photograph of a cryptid should never be analyzed without regard to looking into the background of the person that took the image or images What do we know about the man who took the Nessie footage in late May 2007? Does Gordon Holmes have visions of becoming the next Sherlock Holmes, following in the footsteps of that character's creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? It is with no disrespect that I compile for my readers the facts that Mr. Holmes has placed out there in cyberspace about himself. He has freely admitted that he has filmed fairies, seen apparent alien black cats (ABCs, alien big cats, as they are often called because they are "out of place" or alien - not from outer space), taken electrical spectrograms of what he thinks are large electric eels in Lake Morar, and has a "sort of medical condition…for visualising a sort of frame from a Dream whilst being conscious." Now he's getting publicity for filming Nessie. Whoa. [article link]
KIDS IN AMERICAN (TORTURE CAMPS) - reporters who don't report, a.k.a. journalists who love the government too much - Turning a blind eye to torture - Watching passively as CIA goons destroy the trust of a possible material witness to terrorism - "A new Justice Department report praises the refusal of FBI agents to take part in the military's abusive questioning of prisoners in Guantánamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan" {The Bush legacy is one of deception, torture, widespread surveillance, and a wholesale stripping of individual rights and freedoms. When Bush departs the White House torture is probably going to be the topic of the day. Likely there is enough crime in the Bush Government to send Bush to some UN prison (i.e. Manuel Noriega). Even after Bush gets locked up and there is a new administration don't expect the oppression we now live under to lessen.} When Lichtblau found out that the Bush Administration was listening to Americans' phone calls and reading their e-mail, he decided to hold the story. Instead of fulfilling his duty to the Times' readers and running with it, he asked the White House for permission. By the time the NSA domestic surveillance story finally ran, 14 months had passed--and Bush had won the 2004 election. ... "Abusive questioning." "Harsh interrogation tactics." ... Torture. Such a simple word. Why not use it? ... In 2003 one FBI agent had "begin building a rapport" with Yussef Mohammed Mubarak al-Shihri, a Saudi citizen. Al-Shihri told the agent that female CIA agents had "forced to listen to the 'meow mix' jingle for cat food for hours and had a women's dress 'draped' on him." As usual, the agent turned to the torturer. "The agent said he confronted a female military intelligence interrogator who admitted to 'poaching' his detainee, but there was little more the agent could do. Following the incident, al-Shihri became uncooperative, and the agent said he never bothered to tell his superiors about the military interrogator's actions." Turning a blind eye to torture. Watching passively as CIA goons destroy the
trust of a possible material witness to terrorism. ... It's a tale bizarre enough to make Rush Limbaugh blush: intelligence agents from communist China invited to an American military base, where they're allowed to torture political dissidents in American custody, with American soldiers as their sidekicks. In light of China's crackdown on Tibet during the run-up to the Olympics, it's a tasty news tidbit. But it didn't run in The Times--as far as I can tell, it only ran in one newspaper, the Christian Science Monitor. ... As usual, the Newspaper of Record's worst sins in Gitmogate are those of omission--the really weird stuff that could deprive the Administration of its few remaining supporters. "Buried in a Department of Justice report," reported ABC News, "are new allegations about a 2002 arrangement between the United States and China, which allowed Chinese intelligence to visit Guantánamo and interrogate Chinese Uyghurs held there." ... If a man screams in a government torture chamber, does he make a sound? Not if the only one who hears him is an American reporter. [article link]
McClellan: 'Glad' to testify about White House {We already know the Democrats are not going to impeach Bush and McClellan is not doing these things on his own he is being told what to do. This might be a precursor to a NWO "war crimes" trial set about the time Bush is to leave the White House. EU-UN-NWO is a governing body needing more authority and convicting and jailing an American President (Bush) or ex-President would give them considerable worldwide authority over all the nations. Bush is the most perfect fall guy since Lee Harvey Oswald.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Friday that he would be willing to comply with a possible congressional subpoena to discuss the administration's handling of prewar intelligence, telling CNN's Wolf Blitzer he'd be "glad to share my views" if asked to testify. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Florida, said Friday that McClellan, who left the White House in 2006, would be able to provide valuable insight into a number of issues under investigation by the House Judiciary Committee. The committee is looking into the use of prewar intelligence, whether politics was behind the firing of eight U.S. attorneys in 2006 and the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson's identity, Wexler, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said. In the book, McClellan says President Bush told him he had authorized the leaking of Plame Wilson's identity to the press. [article link]
Can Identity Politics Save the Right? - Fresh out of other options, the Republican Party's bid to regain power is likely to come in the form of a pander to "real Americans" {The false-flag RINO Republican Governors like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mitt Romney, George Bush Jr. and all the rest of them have devastated the legitimate conservative movement.} To understand the depth of the hole that the Republican Party finds itself in this year, set aside the presidential race for a moment and zoom out the map. The real secret of Republican success starting in 1994 and into this decade was not Newt Gingrich or Karl Rove--it was big-state Republican governors who were seen as successful in implementing actual conservative policies, from welfare reform to standards-based education reform to tax-cutting economics. In the late 1990s, you could start in Boston and drive out I-90 to Chicago, back up and down through the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest, and with the idiosyncratic exception of Indiana, the governor's name on every "Welcome to ..." sign you passed would be that of a Republican, most likely popular and considered successful. Although much of that success was built on accounting fraud (Christine Todd Whitman, that means you), it was these Republican governors who made voters comfortable with the idea that conservative governance could work. Republican governors of the 1990s produced the senators (George Voinovich, Lamar Alexander), cabinet secretaries (Tom Ridge, Tommy Thompson, John Ashcroft), and the president of the current decade. ... Today all this is gone. There are still 23 Republican governors, but of the big states in the Northeast and Midwest, only Minnesota is governed by a Republican. A handful of the 23 are considered successful, mostly because they have moderated their predecessors' conservatism--notably Charlie Crist of Florida, who reversed many of the barriers to voting set up
by Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, M. Jodi Rell of Connecticut, and Jim Douglas of Vermont succeed by accommodating liberal Democratic legislatures to such a degree that it could be argued that they give Democratic legislators a little more courage, because the governors will share political responsibility for tax increases or other policies that might bring a backlash. (I grew up in Connecticut, and it's unquestionably a more reliably progressive state now than when it had Democratic governors in my youth, passing domestic-partnership and real campaign-finance reform legislation, raising the estate tax, and moving toward a universal health program.) A few other GOP governors, including Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Jon Huntsman of Utah, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, and Sarah Palin of Alaska, are considered successful conservatives but run states that are so solidly red that for purposes of the presidency and the Senate, their success has little external effect. [article link]
'North American Parliament' under way - Some hope exercise of U.S., Canadian, Mexican reps becomes reality A group supporting North American integration is holding its fourth annual "North American Model Parliament" for 100 university students from the U.S., Canada and Mexico - A major goal of the model parliament, according to the NAFI Triumvirate website, is to "develop the participants' sense of belonging to North America" A group supporting North American integration is holding its fourth annual "North American Model Parliament" for 100 university students from the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The North American Forum on Integration, or NAFI, began is "Triumvirate" sessions Monday in Montreal's City Hall with a plan to conclude Friday. According to the NAFI website, "Triumvirate 2008" brings together the students "to participate in an international negotiation exercise in which they will simulate a parliamentary meeting between North American political actors." Participants are assigned to play one of three roles: a legislator, representing a country other than their own; a journalist; or a lobbyist. Four themes were selected as subjects of the mock parliament's debate: Fostering Renewable Electricity Markets (in English); Countering North American corporate outsourcing (in French); Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (in English); and NAFTA's Chapter 11 on investments (in English). [article link]
More colleges move toward optional SATs - Jen Wang of Short Hills, New Jersey, took her first SAT when she was in sixth grade, long before she would start filling out college applications - After all that preparation, she ended up attending a school that has made the SAT Reasoning Test optional {That's good news. College success is one of those things with so many variables like, time, money, teachers, desire, atmosphere, ect. The SAT never really did help and usually the SATs kept good people out of college.} (CNN) -- Jen Wang of Short Hills, New Jersey, took her first SAT when she was in sixth grade, long before she would start filling out college applications. "My family thought it was very important for me to do well on this test, and I basically obtained nearly every SAT study guide out there by the time I was a junior in high school," she said. "For Christmas one year, I received an electronic device that allowed me to practice the SAT's 'on-thego.' "After all that preparation, she ended up attending a school that has made the SAT Reasoning Test, generally known as the SAT, the most widely used college admissions exam in the United States, optional. Her school, Connecticut College, is one of a growing number of colleges and universities that are making the SAT optional in the admissions process. In May, two highly selective schools -- Smith College in Massachusetts and Wake Forest University in North Carolina -- decided to drop the SAT and ACT, which some students take as an alternative to the SAT, as requirements for admission. [article link]
Survey: Americans Skip Flying More Often - because of the hassles involved - 28% of air travelers avoided an average of 1.3 trips each {Few things in America have been as entangled in the Bush administration bureaucracy as the airline industry. This is conclusive proof that Bush is making both business and leisure life in America worse.}
WASHINGTON--Nearly half of American air travelers would fly more if it were easier, and more than one-fourth said they skipped at least one air trip in the past 12 months because of the hassles involved, according to an industry survey. The Travel Industry Association, which commissioned the survey released Thursday, estimated that the 41 million forgone trips cost the travel industry $18.1 billion -- including $9.4 billion to airlines, $5.6 billion to hotels and $3.1 billion -- and it cost federal, state and local authorities $4.2 billion in taxes in the past 12 months. When 28% of air travelers avoided an average of 1.3 trips each, that resulted in 29 million leisure trips and 12 million business trips not being taken, the researchers estimated. [article link]
Church of England Advised Against Withholding Christ from Muslims - The Church of England is divided over a proposed motion for it to proclaim Christianity as the only way to salvation and offer strategies on how to evangelize Muslims - Muslims expect Christians to believe that Jesus is the only way to God The Church of England must make it clear that it believes in what the Bible says about Jesus being the only way to salvation, he said. Currently training to become a priest, Eddy believes that being upfront about the church's beliefs will be helpful to Muslim-Christian relations. "Most Muslims that I've talked to say, 'I really wish that Christians would stop watering down their faith and expecting us to do the same,'" Eddy said on BBC Radio Four on Sunday. "Until we start really saying what we really believe in our faith, there will be no respect." Also, Muslims expect Christians to believe that Jesus is the only way to God, Eddy noted. "They will expect us - if we're true Christians - to try to evangelize them, in the same way they will expect us, if they're true Muslims, to adopt their faith," he said. But the problem is that the church, in an effort to be inclusive and to avoid offending people of other faiths, has "lost its nerve" and has "not doing what the Bible says," he noted. "Both Christianity and Islam are missionary faiths," Eddy pointed out. "For years, we have sent missionaries throughout the whole world, but when we have the privilege of people of all nations on our doorstep, we have a responsibility as the state church to share the gospel of Jesus Christ." [article link]
Texas (school) Update: Islam-promoting principal out [reassigned] - In the 40-minute (school) session, representatives of the Houston office of the controversial Council on American- Islamic Relations, an organization critics link to terrorist groups, presented a 40-minute lesson in the religious beliefs and requirements of Islam The controversy erupted at Friendswood Junior High when students were diverted from a scheduled physical education class and taken to an assembly set up by Principal Robin Lowe. In the 40-minute session, representatives of the Houston office of the controversial Council on American- Islamic Relations, an organization critics link to terrorist groups, presented a 40-minute lesson in the religious beliefs and requirements of Islam. ... The CAIR representatives instructed students that Adam, Noah and Jesus are prophets; announced "there is one god, his name is Allah"; taught the five pillars of Islam; told students how to pray five times a day; and gave instruction on Islamic religious requirements for dress. The assembly had not been authorized by the district, officials confirmed. ... Hanks told parents in a memo she had authorized the presentation for staff members only, not students. "My concern for our community and for our students is not as much with the content of the presentation as explained to me," she wrote, according to a Houston Chronicle report, "but with the fact that a group had an audience with our students without consent from parents or this administration. "I am not surprised by the community's reaction," she continued. "Most of you receiving this letter have had years of experience with this district and know the kinds of activities your child has been exposed to in school. This was an isolated incident and a mistake." Texas Education Agency officials confirmed that state law allows parents to remove their children from activities or classes that violate their religious or moral beliefs. There was no information available on Lowe's new position. The district's brief statement said Lowe "has accepted another administrative position effective immediately." [article link]
Texas (school) children roped into Islamic training - Class by CAIR teaches: 'There is one god, Allah' - According to a parent, whose name was withheld, the children were given the Islamic indoctrination during time that was supposed to be used for a physical education class {Islam is a chosen NWO religion because it is a slavery religion in fact the word Islam literally means slavery/submission. Christianity is the one true freedom religion and therefore opposed by the NWO.} Public school students at Friendswood Junior High in the Houston area have been roped into Islamic training by representatives from the Council on American-Islamic Relations during class time, prompting religious leaders to protest over Principal Robin Lowe's actions. Pastor Dave Welch, spokesman for the Houston Area Pastor Council, confirmed the indoctrination had taken place and called it "unacceptable." "The failure of the principal of Friendswood Junior High to respect simple procedures requiring parental notification for such a potentially controversial subject, to not only approve but participate personally in a religious indoctrination session led by representatives of a group with well-known links to terrorist organizations and her cavalier response when confronted, raises serious questions about her fitness to serve in that role," the pastors' organization said. According to a parent, whose name was withheld, the children were given the Islamic indoctrination during time that was supposed to be used for a physical education class. "I am simply trying to get the word out to those whose kids may not have told them about an Islamic presentation that all kids were required to attend," wrote the parent, who was working to assemble protests to the school board. [article link]
Marine removed from duty over Bible coin reports {The Marine puts his life on the line every single day and the government goes bazzerk over this. The Bush occupying govt. is a looser if it can't provide some individual freedom over there. Why is there no RELIGIOUS FREEDOM after five years in Iraq? Why is Bush only supporting radical Shiite Islam?} BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A U.S. Marine in Iraq has been removed from duty amid complaints that he was handing out coins with Bible verses at an American checkpoint, the military said Thursday. A military spokesman said Iraqis in Falluja complained that the Marine was giving the coins, which were printed in Arabic, to people at an entry control point in Falluja. U.S. military regulations prohibit religious proselytizing. "This has our full attention," said Col. James L. Welsh, chief of staff of Multi-National Force, West. "We deeply value our relationship with the local citizens and share their concerns over this serious incident." At least one of the coins is stamped with the words "Where will you spend eternity?" according to a report published Thursday by McClatchy Newspapers. The other side of the coin reportedly contains a verse from John 3:16 that reads, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." [article link]
Wife of ex-gov: I paid for cronies to come to wedding - Besides finances, the other unresolved issue is whether McGreevey committed fraud by marrying Matos McGreevey - She claims she was duped into marrying a gay man who needed the cover of a wife to advance his political career - He said she knew that their union was "a contrivance on both our parts" ELIZABETH, New Jersey (AP) -- The estranged wife of New Jersey's gay former governor portrayed herself as a dutiful spouse and dedicated political ally who went so far as to pay for their $30,000 wedding and to add his political cronies to the guest list. Taking the stand Wednesday in their bitter divorce trial, Dina Matos McGreevey claimed that she devoted herself to James McGreevey's goal of being elected governor. "Once we became engaged, I was a full partner," said Matos McGreevey, who was to return to the witness stand Thursday. The McGreeveys wed in 2000, but their marriage unraveled after he proclaimed himself "a gay American" in 2004, announced that he had had an affair with a male staffer and resigned as governor. The staffer denies the affair and says he was sexually harassed by McGreevey. ... Besides finances, the other unresolved issue is whether McGreevey committed fraud by marrying Matos McGreevey. She claims she was duped into marrying a gay man who needed the cover of a wife to advance his political career. He said she
knew that their union was "a contrivance on both our parts." [article link]
Microscopic ramen bowl believed to be world's smallest - Japanese scientists say they have used cutting-edge technology to create a noodle bowl so small, it can be seen only through a microscope TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Japanese scientists say they have used cutting-edge technology to create a noodle bowl so small, it can be seen only through a microscope. Mechanical engineering professor Masayuki Nakao said Thursday that he and his students at the University of Tokyo used a carbon-based material to produce a noodle bowl with a diameter of 1/25,000 of an inch. The project was aimed at developing nanotube-processing technology. Nakao said the Japanese-style ramen bowl was carved out of microscopic nanotubes. ... The ramen bowl experiment included a string of "noodles" that measured 1/12,500 of an inch in length. [article link]
{Flashback} ISRAELI boffins (scientists, engineers) have stuck a Bible onto a gold coated silicon chip smaller than a pinhead - the 308,428-word Hebrew Bible on a 0.5 millimetre square According to AFP, this makes it the world's tiniest Bible as the nearest rival, in the Guinness Book of World Records, is 50 times bigger." The bible was etched into the surface of the chip using focused beams of gallium ions. The big idea was to get kids interested in Nanoscience. The team's next project is to take pictures of the miniature Bible and blow it up to a seven-by-seven metre poster, which will make it possible to read the entire Bible with the naked eye. [article link]
New! About me: Hillary Lynne Rubin - Religious affiliation / observance: I'm a Jew Just a Jew - All four of my grandparents are Holocaust survivors in VERY different ways - You may not like it but I have something controversial to say: I can't stand Liberal Jews who say everything in the Middle East is Israel's fault - WAKE UP PEOPLE! Without Israel, we have no home to shelter us and bring us together My history: I was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit with a strong connection to Judaism and Israel. I made Aliyah on 6/6/06 and that significant date pretty much sums up my first few days in Israel- Hellish. I returned to the States a year later to take care of family problems but I will soon return home. Family history: For the most part I am Polish and Hungarian. All four of my grandparents are Holocaust survivors in VERY different ways. My dad was born in D.P. camp in Germany. My mom is a first generation American in my family. My siblings and I were raised to be extremely blunt and honest. Oddly enough, so were my cousins all the way in Israel and Germany. I love it when Israelis tell me I'm sooo Polish- it's a compliment to me. You may not like it but I have something controversial to say: I can't stand Liberal Jews who say everything in the Middle East is Israel's fault. What event needs to happen for American Jews to wake up and see we are no safer now than we were in Europe in the 1930s. WAKE UP PEOPLE! Without Israel, we have no home to shelter us and bring us together. [article link]
Personal Testimony of Pastor Achille Blaize - A well presented testimony of the Lord's Grace and Providence in the life of Achille Blaize when Satan (Mormons, JW's) and the world would have tried to distract him from the Savior (Mp3) "Wonderful Testimony to God's Providence" A well presented testimony of the Lord's Grace and Providence in the life of Achille Blaize when Satan and the world would have tried to distract him from the Savior. An encouraging word to hear. [article link]
'Iran Targeting Christian Converts' - Iran Arrests Suspected Converts to Christianity - police arrested eight people in the southern city of Shiraz Amid a growing crackdown on religious freedom, Iranian police reportedly have been rounding up people they
suspect have converted to Christianity. On May 11, police arrested eight people in the southern city of Shiraz, according to Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA, a Christian organization that fights religious persecution. Converting from Islam is a crime in Iran; converts can face jail and other penalties. Most of those detained have been released, but at least one of them, 21-year-old Mojtaba Hussein, is still behind bars and is not cooperating with his captors, according to Moeller. "He may not be willing to give up the names of other Muslim converts. He may not be willing to recant his faith himself," Moeller said. Numerous calls to Iranian government representatives in the U.S. have not been returned. [article link]
Bush's former spooks enjoy the profits of war - Now working inside America's "shadow" spy industry, George Tenet, Richard Armitage, Cofer Black and others are cashing in big on Iraq and the war on terror - Over the past decade, contracting for America's spy agencies has grown into a $50 billion industry that eats up seven of every 10 dollars spent by the U.S. government on its intelligence services - Yet, there is essentially no government oversight of this private sector at the heart of our intelligence empire - And the lines between public and private have become so blurred as to be nonexistent Over the past decade, contracting for America's spy agencies has grown into a $50 billion industry that eats up seven of every 10 dollars spent by the U.S. government on its intelligence services. Today, unbeknownst to most Americans, agencies once renowned for their prowess in analysis, covert operations, electronic surveillance and overhead reconnaissance outsource many of their core tasks to the private sector. The bulk of this market is serviced by about 100 companies, ranging in size from multibillion dollar defense behemoths to small technology shops funded by venture capitalists. ... Nearly every one of them has sought out former highranking intelligence and national security officials as both managers and directors. Like Armitage, these are people who have served for decades in the upper echelons of national power. Their lives have been defined by secret briefings, classified documents, covert wars and sensitive intelligence missions. Many of them have kept their security clearances and maintain a hand in government by serving as advisers to high-level advisory bodies at the Pentagon, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and the White House. Now, with their government careers behind them, they make their living by rendering strategic advice to the dozens of information technology vendors and intelligence contractors headquartered along the banks of the Potomac River and the byways of Washington's Beltway. ... Ever since the 1950s, with the rise of America's modern military-industrial complex, high-level U.S. officials and military men have moved between the government and private sectors. But what we have today with the intelligence business is something far more systemic: senior officials leaving their national security and counterterrorism jobs for positions where they are basically doing the same jobs they once held at the CIA, the NSA and other agencies -- but for double or triple the salary, and for profit. It's a privatization of the highest order, in which our collective memory and experience in intelligence -- our crown jewels of spying, so to speak -- are owned by corporate America. Yet, there is essentially no government oversight of this private sector at the heart of our intelligence empire. And the lines between public and private have become so blurred as to be nonexistent. [article link]
Christians Hungry for Sermon Podcasts - Overall, 23% of all adults said they downloaded a church podcast in the past week - Yet, nothing matches the potency of life-on-life discipleship Nearly half of large churches that have more than 250 adults have adopted podcasting, an earlier Barna study found. Overall, one out of every six Protestant churches has taken up podcasting. David Kinnaman, the lead researcher of the latest Barna study, praises the use of podcasts to reach the masses. But he cautioned church leaders to balance the spiritual and cultural potential of the technology. "Having the means of reaching the masses - for instance, through podcasting - is a good thing. Yet, nothing matches the potency of life-on-life discipleship," he said. "In this respect, social networking and blogs can be effective tools to intimately connect with a small, natural network of relationships. The key is using the technology in a way that is consistent with your calling and purpose, not just an addictive self-indulgence. "In this respect, social networking and blogs
can be effective tools to intimately connect with a small, natural network of relationships. [article link]
Critiquing the Missional Movement - In part, he argues the MM muddies the Cross-centered focus of the Church and misunderstands the apostolic context of the Great Commission {Link to Mp3 Download} Now that all the Sovereign Grace Ministries messages are free, I'm slowly feasting message-by-message in a long and delicious buffet of audio. Today I finally arrived at Dave Harvey's message from the SGM Leadership Conference this Spring at the time, I was on the other side of the wall listening to Dever speak on his annual reading schedule. Harvey, the author of the excellent book When Sinners Say I Do: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage (Shepherd's Press: 2007), is also an expert church planter and apostolic leader within SGF. This Spring in his session "Watch Your Mission: To Be, or Not to Be, 'Missional,'" he assessed the strengths and weakness of the missional movement. In part, he argues the MM muddies the Cross-centered focus of the Church and misunderstands the apostolic context of the Great Commission. Here's the heart of his outline: ... [article link]
10:31 Sermon Jams: was made to bring sermons and music together - They were created to bring life changing truth, and the good news of Jesus Christ to the current culture - Our goal is to take biblically saturated sermons and turn them into (Mp3) tracts (Music + Message Free Mp3's) We are Bryan and Caleb, and our mission is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to all people. This ministry is based on 1 Corinthians 10:31, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Our main focus is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and to make His name famous. Our goal is to take biblically saturated sermons and turn them into tracts prevelant to the current generation. [article link]
EagleForum.org: Fifteenth Annual Collegians Leadership Summit - Eagle Forum Summit registration Registration for the 2008 Eagle Forum Summit is ongoing - register soon to get a spot in the more spacelimited events. Print our flyer [PDF] and share it with others to promote the summit. [article link]
Dunkin' Donuts Pulls Rachael Ray Ad Over 'Terror' Scarf - Dunkin' Donuts Pulls Rachael Ray Ad Over 'Terror' Symbolism CANTON, Mass. - Dunkin' Donuts said Wednesday it stopped running an online advertisement featuring Rachael Ray after complaints that a fringed black-and-white scarf that the celebrity chef wore in the ad offers symbolic support for Muslim extremism and terrorism. The coffee and baked goods chain said the ad that began appearing online May 7 was pulled over the past weekend because "the possibility of misperception detracted from its original intention to promote our iced coffee." ... Critics, including conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, complained that the scarf looked similar to the black-and-white checkered kaffiyeh, the traditional Palestinian scarf. Critics who fueled online complaints about the ad in blogs say such scarves have come to symbolize Muslim extremism and terrorism. [article link]
President Bush to visit Utah Wednesday - President Bush will spend the night in Utah, and Thursday, before he leaves, he will meet with the First Presidency of The (LDS) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints {Finally Bush is meeting someone on his own level someone he is worthy of clasping hands with. To bad it's only a Mormon LDS fraud member but that's the best Bush can do.} Even though the President's approval ratings are at an all-time low, he's still considered the GOP's prime source for campaign cash, and he plans to raise a pile of cash during his trip to Salt Lake City and Park City tomorrow. ... Mitt Romney's Deer Valley vacation home will be home to one of President Bush's fundraisers tomorrow night. The ticket price to enter is more than $70,000 per couple. Another fundraiser, again with President Bush at the helm, will be held in Salt Lake tomorrow afternoon, though ticket prices are reportedly substantially
lower, at $10,000 a person. White House staff members and Secret Service agents were at the home this afternoon. ... The President's stay means more than 100 law enforcement officers will be part of his security detail and will help manage traffic. The estimated cost of that could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. So, you may not be attending the fundraisers, but you'll end up paying for part of his visit. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush praises (LDS) Hinckley's 'friendship and wisdom' - In 2004, Bush presented Hinckley with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civil award, in recognition of his lifelong public service {I wonder how much money the Mormons had to pay to have Busher cough up this medal I'm thinking 100k - 250k? Busher is no lightweight when it comes to selling off National resources.} "He was a tireless worker and a talented communicator who was respected in his community and beloved by his congregation," Bush said. "Laura and I will miss Gordon's friendship and wisdom. ... In 2004, Bush presented Hinckley with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civil award, in recognition of his lifelong public service. GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney, who is Mormon, said in Florida he would take time off from campaigning to attend Hinckley's services. ... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat and a Mormon, called Hinckley a "phenomenal builder" for his focus on constructing new temples across the globe and new ward houses for worshipers. [article link]
Secret plans under way to tear down Christian symbols - Army says chapel crosses violate policy - Soldiers say high-ranking officers have been secretive about plans for the crosses and have not made an official announcement to troops - leaving most in the dark about plans until the crosses have been removed U.S. soldiers stationed at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo may be stunned to find three wooden crosses stripped from the exterior grounds of their chapel in coming weeks - and many never saw it coming. Several highranking officers have met behind closed doors to discuss plans for the crosses. They have decided to remove, and perhaps destroy, the Christian symbols located outside Peacekeeper's Chapel in the name of free exercise of religion. ... Following a secret vote, several officers decided to take down the crosses as part of a "relandscaping" project. Only one person present at the meeting voted against the measure. ... Soldiers say high-ranking officers have been secretive about plans for the crosses and have not made an official announcement to troops - leaving most in the dark about plans until the crosses have been removed. The crosses will be replaced with a stone monument engraved with the name of the chapel and the crest of U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, Jenkins said. At the time of this report, there were no indications of plans to notify soldiers of the decision. [article link]
Tec Check: Intel Corp's Wild Wednesday - Investors awoke to read a Financial Times (FT.com) article claiming that the European Commission was on the verge of finding Intel guilty of anti-competitive behavior and ready to levy [up to] a staggering $4.1 billion fine against the world's largest chipmaker - And the trouble is, the story appears to be false {Bush is napping in the White House because American companies being harassed and fined billions of dollars by the EU is no concern to the American President. Note: Shell Oil, Mercedes Benz and other EU business are much more aggressive in the American market than the American companies are in Europe.} A source close to Intel tells me today that the EU story this morning smacks of another breaking news story the FT uncovered a couple of years back, purporting a supposed investigation into Intel by the German competition cartel. There was no investigation. But a few days later, Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) called on the cartel to launch an investigation, which it was compelled to do because it was asked to. Flash forward to today's "news," which comes from the FT's (Financial Times) office in Hamburg, not all that close to the EU's offices in Brussels. Nonetheless, as the story goes, the story goes. It can't be ignored that the last plant in the world that AMD manufactures microprocessors in is in nearby Dresden, Germany. I'm not saying the story came from there, but these coincidences ought not be ignored. I say this not just because of what a
source at Intel tells me he suspects, but because of the harsh criticism leveled against the FT by the EU itself. The EU took the unusual step of reacting strongly to the FT coverage. I'm told officials went ballistic. ... Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy told Reuters on Tuesday: "To the best of our knowledge, no decision has been made. We continue to work with the Commission to attempt to convince them that our business practices are well within the law." Meantime, it appears that while Intel continues to try to explain itself away to the EU, the FT may want to try some of the same methods with Intel shareholders. [article link]
New Homeland Security Policy: DON'T Buy American . . . & Pay Four Times As Much - While America's economy is sputtering, our precious DHS has chosen to spurn Americans and pay four times as much to import bomb-sniffing dogs from Europe While America's economy is sputtering, our precious DHS has chosen to spurn Americans and pay four times as much to import bomb-sniffing dogs from Europe. Because we need to subsidize the European economy. Buy American? No way, at DHS: The government imports hundreds of untrained bomb- and drug-sniffing dogs from Europe each year for as much as $4,535 apiece, four times the price charged by American breeders, says a federal report out Friday. ... The high canine price tags are prompting outrage from congressional and government spending critics and U.S. breeders, who say taxpayer money is being wasted. [article link]
US lawmakers blast Boeing defense contract snub - after the US military awarded a 35-billion-dollar aircraft deal to Europe's Northrop Grumman/EADS group, in a major blow to US manufacturer Boeing {The "explanation" is that Bush is either an agent of "Al Qaeda" and he is out to destroy the country or Bush is a complete fool who doesn't know how to be President.} US lawmakers have reacted angrily after the US military awarded a 35-billion-dollar aircraft deal to Europe's Northrop Grumman/EADS group, in a major blow to US manufacturers Boeing. "It's stunning to me that we would outsource the production of these airplanes to Europe instead of building them in America," said Republican Senator Sam Brownback about the Pentagon's decision. "I'll be calling upon the Secretary of Defense for a full debriefing and expect there will be a protest of the award by Boeing." The US Defense Department announced Friday that it was awarding the deal for a fleet of in-flight refuelling craft to the Northrop Grumman/EADS team, in a huge coup for Boeing's main rival Airbus. The surprise choice of EADS marks the European group's entry into the lucrative US defense market, where so far it had had only a marginal presence. Boeing voiced strong disappointment after the contract slipped through its hands and said it would ask for an explanation. [article link]
Amazing Grace Ministries - Reaching out to those confined in Nursing Homes! We take church to those confined to living in nursing/convalescent homes, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Our retired Pastors make personal VISITS with the residents on a regular basis, conduct CHURCH SERVICES and BIBLE STUDIES plus offer COMMUNION and PRAYER. We want to be with them to help curtail the loneliness by bringing companionship and fellowship. By showing them the love of Jesus Christ through our actions, we are able to talk with them about their eternal destiny that is rapidly approaching. [article link]
MichelleMalkin.com: The keffiyeh kerfuffle - The keffiyeh - is the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad - Popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos, the apparel has been mainstreamed by both ignorant and not-so-ignorant fashion designers, celebrities, and left-wing icons The scarves are staples at anti-Israel rallies in San Francisco and Berkeley. Balenciaga made them chic on the runway. British retailer Top Shop sold them stamped with skull prints. Urban Outfitters turned the keffiyehs into a youth trend a few years ago and marketed them as "anti-war scarves." Which brings us to Rachael Ray. Ray
hawked Urban Outfitters scarves on her website before appearing in the Dunkin Donuts ad. If she (or whichever stylist is dressing her) wasn't aware of the jihad scarf controversy before she posed for the Dunkin campaign, she should have been. Urban Outfitters initially pulled the keffiyeh merchandise and apologized when Jewish customers protested, but reintroduced them with different names and colors in several global markets. This is the same company that marketed a bigotry-laced "Everyone loves a Jewish girl t-shirt" stamped with dollar signs and shopping bags. Most recently, the company halted sales of a violence-promoting t-shirt last week depicting a young Palestinian boy in a keffiyeh carrying an AK-47 assault rifle, over the word "Victimized." The t-shirt also featured the Palestinian flag, a map of the Palestinian territories and a small white dove. "Please understand that we do not buy items to provoke controversy or to intentionally offend," a company spokesman pleaded. Their actions, however, speak louder than their assuaging words. Dunkin Donuts won't identify where Ray's scarf was purchased... [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Dunkin' Donuts Spokesmodel Rachael Ray and the Keffiyeh - the jihadist's fave accessory - it's not just a scarf, just as a white (kkk) hood is not just a hood I've written a lot about the keffiyeh and why it is offensive, violent garb, including a recent February column on First Daughter wanna-be Meghan McCain's engagement in that "fashion" offense. The message in that column is not just for Juniorette McCain, but for all of the celebs and pop culturists who adorn themselves with the scarf of death. Because neither Rachael Ray, nor the Dunkin' stylist, nor many others get it, and because several portions of that column have been appropriated (without credit) and repackaged by other parties in the wake of the Dunkin' controversy, I'm reprinting my February 25, 2008 column, "Fashion Tips by Meghan McCain: The Garb of Jihad," below. As I wrote then (and someone else has now reconstituted my statments), it's not just a scarf, just as a white hood is not just a hood. [article link]
May, 28 This day in History - Jewish Books Confiscated (1731) Giovanni Antonio Costanzi, the Vatican librarian and author of a catalogue of the Vatican's Hebrew manuscripts, directed searches in all the Jewish quarters throughout the Papal States to confiscate Jewish holy books. The confiscation begun on the 22nd Iyar in 1731. More confiscations continued over the next twenty years. [article link]
Hundreds of New Testaments torched in Israel {People think that because the Jews are God's chosen people that they are infallible but that is not the case. People also think that because the Jews make mistakes they are not God's chosen people but that is another huge error. The Bible OT and NT goes to great lengths to point out the mistakes of the Jews all the while confirming that they remain God's chosen people. Romans 11:31 Even so have these (Jews) also now not believed, that through your (Christian) mercy they (Jews) also may obtain mercy.} The episode has worried defenders of Israel's minority population of Messianic Jews, who consider themselves Jewish but believe in the divinity of Jesus, as do Christians. It also has concerned evangelical Christians in North America, Europe and Asia, who visit Israel by the hundreds of thousands. ... Calev Myers, an attorney for Messianic Jews in Israel, told CNN he plans to file a formal complaint Thursday with the national police at the request of the United Christian Council in Israel, an umbrella organization for a few dozen Christian organizations outside Israel. "I hope the people who are responsible for breaking the law will be indicted and prosecuted," he said. About 200 New Testaments were burned, Aharon said, but he saved another 200. His goal was to stop attempts to distribute Christian literature in the city, he said. Myers, however, said he doubts that Messianic Jewish missionaries distributed the New Testaments. He said it's not clear how the volumes found their way into homes in Or-Yehuda. The deputy mayor told CNN he respects the New Testament and would not do what has been done to the Jews in the past -- a reference to Nazi burning of Jewish and other books in
the 1930s, and other occasions when Jewish texts, including sacred ones, were burned. [article link]
Ex-White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan Rips Bush, White House in New Book - that Bush relied on "propaganda" to sell the war in Iraq - in his book "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception" {"Washington's Culture of Deception" from a Bush insider that sums things up!} Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan slams President Bush on domestic and foreign issues, such as Iraq and Hurricane Katrina, in his upcoming memoir saying Bush was not "open and forthright on Iraq" and was slow in his response to Katrina. ... The former secretary alleges in his book "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception," that I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the vice president's then chief of staff, and Karl Rove, the president's then senior adviser, "had at best misled" him about their role in the disclosure of former CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity, the Web site reported. [article link]
Pilots Run Out of Fuel, Pray, Land Safely Near Jesus Sign - "My friend and I are both Christians so our immediate reaction in a life-threatening situation was to ask for God's help" - After Wilson glided the powerless craft to a landing on the grassy strip, the pair noticed they were beside a 20-foot-tall sign that read, "Jesus is Lord - The Bible." WELLINGTON, New Zealand - It seemed like an almost literal answer to their prayers. When two New Zealand pilots ran out of fuel in a microlight airplane they offered prayers and were able to make an emergency landing in a field - coming to rest right next to a sign reading, "Jesus is Lord." Grant Stubbs and Owen Wilson, both from the town of Blenheim on the country's South Island, were flying up the sloping valley of Pelorus Sound when the engine spluttered, coughed and died. "My friend and I are both Christians so our immediate reaction in a life-threatening situation was to ask for God's help," Stubbs told The Associated Press on Wednesday. He said he prayed during the ill-fated flight Sunday that the tiny craft would get over the top of a ridge and that they would find a landing site that was not too steep - or in the nearby sea. Wilson said that the pair would have been in deep trouble if the fuel had run out five minutes earlier. "If it had to run out, that was the place to be," he said. "There was an instantaneous answer to prayer as we crossed the ridge and there was an airfield - I didn't know it existed till then." After Wilson glided the powerless craft to a landing on the grassy strip, the pair noticed they were beside a 20-foot-tall sign that read, "Jesus is Lord - The Bible." [article link]
**LostSeed.com: Sunday Morning Christianity.mp3 - This is an amazing open-air message against (selfish - selfcentered) Sunday morning religion, It's not sugar coated and sweet (Mp3's) Spiritual Growth: Growing to Spiritual Maturity and Food for the Soul. [article link]
**calvaryle.org: Pastor John's Farewell (Mp3) We are a fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ. It is our goal to simply teach the Bible, worship the Lord, and grow in our knowledge of Him. This site is designed to help you get to know our fellowship. Browse through the links, and contact us if you don't find what you need. [article link]
Obama supporters planning DNC counter-protest - Supporters of Barack Obama's presidential bid are planning to demonstrate outside the Saturday (May 31) meeting in Washington where Democratic officials are slated to debate the seating of the Florida and Michigan delegations at the party's summer convention {The DNC would be smart to quietly resolve this before May 31st. If people have to protest and take to the streets over something that was already agreed to and signed by both parties it will be bad for America.} The move comes days after backers of Hillary Clinton's White House run announced plans to converge on the
Washington, D.C. hotel where members of the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee are meeting. "Hillary Clinton's supporters are going to be bussing in protestors for the Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting, so it's critical that we show up for the counter-protest," wrote on organizer in a post on the Daily Kos Web site Tuesday morning. Last week, the pro-Clinton Committee to Count Every Vote said it was organizing a day-long May 31 rally outside the RBC meeting. "Our purpose is not to divide the party or attack the DNC or Senator Obama. Michigan and Florida, however, in addition to Hillary's strong support nationwide, cannot and must not be dismissed in DNC efforts to unify the party." The group said it was organizing buses to carry protestors to the meeting site, and could offer some overnight housing for those who could not afford to pay for accommodations. Earlier this month, Clinton told a group of bloggers who support her candidacy that she encouraged efforts to lobby the committee. [article link]
Hillary Clinton signed and agreed not to seat MI & FL delegates (YouTube 3:24) Hillary Clinton signed and agreed not to seat Florida and Michigan delegates, now that Hillary is trailing in the delegate race Hillary wants Florida and Michigan delegates to count. [article link]
Vayahiy Preaching Ministry - The Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ - an Introduction (Free 31 Mp3's) SermonAudio may require an email address prior to Mp3 download. [article link]
**The Spirit Filled Life by Oswald J. Smith {At about 55 min in the message Oswald gives some of his testimony of brokenness if you listen to nothing else forward to his amazing story including evangelist Paul Rader.} (Mp3) Oswald J Smith was born on November 8, 1889 in Odessa, Ontario, Canada. Smith wrote some 1,200 hymns, Gospel songs & poems. From 1915 to 1959, he served as a pastor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [article link]
Paul Rader's Sermon, "The Stone Age" In the 1920s, Paul Rader of the Chicago Gospel Tabernacle in Chicago was one of the most dynamic evangelists in North America. Click for his biography. He was a pioneer in many ways of using new media such as radio to spread an evangelistic message about the hope and salvation available through Jesus Christ. And the Tabernacle was one of the most active churches in the city, with an outreach to all parts of Chicago. Rader's ministry had an impact on a multitude of lives, many of whom became evangelists or pastors or missionaries themselves. But of his actual sermons, of all the thousands of hours he preached, there is only one old, scratchy phonograph record left, a brief sermonette called "The Stone Age", based on the Gospel of John 8:1-11. Click to hear Paul Rader's sermon, "The Stone Age." [article link]
Evangelist - Street Corner Preacher Paul Rader 1879-1938 - The Stone Age by evangelist Paul Rader (Online Audio - 4 minutes, 9 seconds) But, listen, there's a new thing in the earth, a new thing in the earth.. There he sits - Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Those ten men lined up there represent Moses. The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17) And there he sits between the law and the guilty woman to give life instead of death. They can only deal death. He deals life. The law? He's fulfilled it. They can't hit him with one of the stones because he never sinned. All the law that they represent, "Thou shall love the lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul, strength...," he's kept it all. Therefore he can come between the stones and the woman. And if they hit him, casting a stone at her, he can take the stone. And there he sits, a new thing in the earth. And now He can dismiss the law. And so he says to the law. "Those of you that are without sin, you men, cast the first stone. Go ahead and hit her." And commencing at the oldest, they're going out, they're going out, they're going out. They've all gone. The whole law has left the room. And now there she is. Alone with life, alone with love, alone
with light, alone with grace, the new thing that God has brought to the earth in the person of his Son to stand between us who are sinners and breakers of the law and the execution that the law calls for. He alone can give life. Here he is. He's fulfilled the law and now he's come as life. Like tearing away all the old forms and now see the great new concrete structure that stands out. The law must be taken away like the old forms and the real thing exposed. He's the real thing. He's life, He's purity, He fulfills all the law. ... Grace there is my every debt to pay, blood to wash my every stain away. [article link]
Rod Parsley Ministries - Important Video Reply to the Current Election Controversy Crisis (Online Video Aprox. 3 Min) About Rod Parsley Ministries: Beginning as a 17-person back-yard Bible study in 1977, the fellowship of World Harvest Church has continually experienced God's blessing and amazing growth. Today, Rod Parsley leads nine other major ministries, including the Center for Moral Clarity, a grassroots organization focusing on the biblical response to moral issues; a Christian school; a Bible college; Hispanic and urban-outreach ministries; a national ministerial fellowship; the Reformation Ohio urban and rural mission project; and Bridge of Hope, a world-wide missions organization. [article link]
Subway Bans Homeschooled Kids from Essay Contest - Subway, by this careless -- or intentional -- ban on homeschooled children, could have easily offended 10 million American adults - Oops - You'd think Subway would learn - In late 2004, 50 of their German franchisees created a table-top in-store ad that showed an obese Statue of Liberty - Outraged Americans -- who objected to an American company publicly mocking America in Europe, just to make a quick Euro -- quickly abandoned Subway in droves - With this PR blunder, Subway quite possibly helped kindle the skyrocketing growth of Quiznos Subway, by this careless -- or intentional -- ban on homeschooled children, could have easily offended 10 million American adults. Oops. But why is this snub at homeschoolers even an issue? Homeschoolers face constant harassment from "officials" at the state and local school board level, as well as from teachers unions, and they are therefore more than a bit sensitive to perceived commercial discrimination. By banning homeschooled children from their essay contest, Subway has -- accidentally or intentionally -- placed themselves firmly in the "enemy's camp." School boards generally oppose homeschooling, and the National Educational Association and other teachers unions relentlessly lobby against homeschooling, for two reasons. First, homeschooling parents -- by teaching three million kids nationwide -- replace the equivalent of 100,000 union teachers. Second, Federal and State public school financing is based on per-enrolled student -- and both the teachers unions and the school boards see homeschooling parents as literally taking federal funds out of their coffers or paychecks. ... You'd think Subway would learn. In late 2004, 50 of their German franchisees created a table-top in-store ad that showed an obese Statue of Liberty. This promotion was tied into the German release of the film "Super Size Me," and it boldly mocked Americans' proclivity for eating fattening fast foods. Subway's decision-makers apparently thought that nobody outside their German franchised Subway stores would notice this anti-American in-store ad -- but within days, Congressman Tom DeLay was denouncing Subway from the well of the House, waving the table-top ad before the cameras for all to see. Outraged Americans -- who objected to an American company publicly mocking America in Europe, just to make a quick Euro -- quickly abandoned Subway in droves. With this PR blunder, Subway quite possibly helped kindle the skyrocketing growth of Quiznos, a competing sub-sandwich shop that caught on almost immediately after Subway's "gaffe." [article link]
Homeschool Families Call for Boycott of Subway Restaurants - The number of parents choosing to homeschool their children is growing each year The homeschool community is a tight knit arena in which news travels fast. Forums, blogs, and email lists of homeschool parents have been a buzz all weekend over the exclusion with many heated discussions taking
place. The number of parents choosing to homeschool their children is growing each year, and homeschooled students compete with public schooled children in many contests through out the school year. In 2007 the winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee was Evan O'Dorney a homeschool student who resides in Danville, California. ... Not only are parents who homeschool their children upset that they are not allowed to participate in the contest but they have pointed out the appalling typos that can be found in the writing contest rules. The writer of the copy misspelled United States by spelling it the "Untied States" and gift basket was misspelled "gift bakset". While homeschooled parents across the web cry for a boycott and a public apology from Subway we can only wait to see if the proposed boycott will make a difference, and whether or not Subway can recover from this disastrous PR debacle. [article link]
AFA.net: Take Action! e-mail (form letter) to Subway President - Subway tells home schoolers: We will not allow you to participate in our contest "No home schools will be accepted" Take Action! 1. Send an e-mail to Subway President Frederick A. DeLuca. Tell him you will not eat with them anymore until and unless they allow home schoolers to participate. 2. Contact your local Subway store and give the manager the same message. 3. Please forward this to your friends and family, especially home schoolers. [article link]
Hillary Dangerfield Gets No Respect - Hillary was not prepared for a long struggle and did not have the organization in place after Super Tuesday, causing her to lose 11 straight contests Bill added that he has "never seen a candidate treated so disrespectfully just for running." I'm not certain because I wasn't there, but there must have been a short man in a white suit standing by Bill's side, pointing to the sky and shouting "the planes boss, the planes". Clearly, Bill has taken up residence on Fantasy Island. ... Hillary was not prepared for a long struggle and did not have the organization in place after Super Tuesday, causing her to lose 11 straight contests. That lack of being able to assess the field and plan accordingly does not speak well of someone who wants to run an effective general election campaign against John McCain, or someone who wants to run the country for that matter. What has proven to be true is that the support for Hillary was 10 miles wide and 1/4 inch deep. Democrats supported her because they thought she could win. What they saw when Obama starting gaining momentum was a candidate that could win whose last name was not Clinton and did not carry all the baggage that goes along with that name. It had nothing to do with respect. [article link]
Meet the "Conservative" Paris Hilton (radio talk show host Kevin James) - an example of how only idiots and airheads who pretend to be conservatives are the ones getting talk shows today - every once in a while, one is required to stand and deliver - his inability to do so says everything you need to know about James and his brand of conservatism {The sad face of the new Bush-McCain moderate Republican Party. A new moderate Party so void and so totally clueless about the reality of the world that they have completely retreated into a pretend Bush realm that doesn't even exist. Minus the Bush led talking points the Party is a complete void. Totally empty of any substance, rational, reason or logic.} (Online Video) By Debbie Schlussel - When people ask me why I attack fraudulent "conservatives" almost as much as I attack liberals, Los Angeles-based "conservative" radio talk show host Kevin James is Exhibit A. A **** idiot, if I ever saw one. This guy is a complete ignoramus, a Sean Hannity in the making. He is so clueless that he made for great-but-painful television on MSNBC recently. ... an example of how only idiots and airheads who pretend to be conservatives are the ones getting talk shows, today. ... If thoughtful conservatives see the disconnect, if they have the intellectual integrity to find it shameful, the news flash is, thoughtful conservatives no longer predominate their ideology. ... They are geniuses at rhetoric ("War on Christmas," anyone?) that rouses the rabble and lets them feel aggrieved, while simultaneously having the intellectual heft of cotton balls. But they can no more step beyond that rhetoric than Gilligan could step off his island. There is no there, there. Still, every once in a while, one is required to stand and deliver. His inability to do so says everything you need to
know about James and his brand of conservatism. [article link]
UN Charity: Aid workers raping, abusing children - Children as young as 6 are among those who have been forced to have sex with (UN) aid workers and peacekeepers in return for food and money, Save the Children UK said in a report {The sad Bush legacy is going to be that Bush was a leading agent of worldwide evil and abuse.} LONDON, England (CNN) -- Humanitarian aid workers and United Nation peacekeepers are sexually abusing small children in war-ravished and famine-gripped countries, a leading European charity has said. ... After interviewing hundreds of children, the charity says it found instances of rape, child prostitution, pornography, indecent sexual assault and trafficking of children for sex. "It is hard to imagine a more grotesque abuse of authority or flagrant violation of children's rights," Jasmine Whitbread, chief executive of Save the Children UK, said. [article link]
{Flashback} Hurricane Katrina and the Aftermath - A group of female hurricane survivors were told to show their breasts if they wanted to be rescued - American rescuers (New Orleans Police officers) turned their boat around and sped off when the the women refused Sep 7, 2005 (YAHOO) 'Rescuers' left Katrina survivors to rot who didn't expose their breasts. A group of female hurricane survivors were told to show their breasts if they wanted to be rescued, a British holidaymaker has revealed. Ged Scott of Liverpool watched from the Ramada as American rescuers turned their boat around and sped off when the the women refused. [article link]
{Flashback} Church leaders quit Bush-Clinton Katrina aid panel - Interfaith advisory committee members say advice was ignored NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Nearly all the religious leaders serving on a committee created by the BushClinton Katrina Fund to disburse money to churches destroyed by Hurricane Katrina have quit their posts, claiming their advice was ignored. ... "I've learned in life that if people say they want your advice and then they change it, ignore it, or undermine it, then they really don't want it," said Gray, also a former congressman. ... Numerous disagreements ensued, but Jakes and Gray said the last straw was the fund's decision to cut checks to 38 houses of worship, each for $35,000, without first conducting an audit to ensure the church exists. Imam Abdelhafiz Bensrieti, another committee member who resigned, said the Washington staff wanted the religious leaders to "rubber stamp" their decisions. "They had their agenda and that's unacceptable," he said. [article link]
Doubts about McCain just don't go away - If the Republican Party, led by you, begins to distance itself from conservative values, I'll have to look elsewhere for a party that I can believe in {The Republican Party is tightly controlled by the Bush family and it is the deranged Bush family that has actively engaged in disabling the conservative wing of their own party. The Republican Party is as dysfunctional as the Bush family is deranged and any reasons for a true conservative to support this current Bush Republican Party are few to non-existent.} Why does the Republican Party want to distance itself from its conservative foundation and instead pander to the independents and the soft Democrats? Reagan twice proved that a conservative agenda and an inspiring leader will win overwhelmingly. It was proven in 1984 with the Republican "Contract With America" and in 1994 when the party took over both houses while running on conservative values and beliefs. We also saw the disastrous results in 2006 when we strayed from those same principles. Convince me, Sen. McCain, of who you really are. ... Bob Barr, the Libertarian candidate, and a true conservative, is beginning to interest me and it would be wise to pick a running mate of his caliber. I want a vice president who carries the conservative banner proudly and is an inspiring leader, one who has a good chance of winning after your one term is up. ... So be very careful Sen. McCain. Don't take my vote or those of other conservatives for granted. The only reason you have my vote right now is because I can't conceive the damage that would be caused to the country by the
other side's candidate and not because of your track record. [article link]
The end of the honeymoon - new data that suggests John McCain's two-month honeymoon period is over, and he's shedding support to both his right and his left {It's 'Game Over' for the McBush, McCain, McRomney, Republican party. People are no longer buying what those con artists are selling.} Pollster John Zogby is out with new data that suggests John McCain's two-month honeymoon period is over, and he's shedding support to both his right and his left. The new poll, which includes third-party candidates Bob Barr (who is seeking the Libertarian Party's nomination at their convention this weekend) and Ralph Nader, shows McCain at 37 percent support nationally, 10 points behind Barack Obama. Nader earns 4 percent support and Barr wins 3 percent. Among self-described "very conservative" voters, Barr wins 10 percent, and wins 22 percent of those who say they are philosophical libertarians. "As McCain continues to angle for moderate support on the campaign trail, Barr could create havoc for him among McCain's political base," Zogby writes in his analysis. [article link]
Ex-GOP congressman (Bob Barr) becomes Libertarian '08 candidate - Barr, 59, left the Republican Party in 2006 - His candidacy has attracted more attention to the Libertarian Party, with some GOP observers watching to see whether Barr will draw votes away from the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain {It's official idiot George killed the Republican party.} (CNN) -- Former Georgia Rep. Bob Barr was officially nominated Sunday as the Libertarian candidate for president. ... Barr is best known for playing a prominent role in the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton. His candidacy has attracted more attention to the Libertarian Party, with some GOP observers watching to see whether Barr will draw votes away from the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, in the general election. "We're not in this race to make a point, though a very important point will be made," Barr said. ... In his last term, Barr became an increasingly vocal critic of President Bush, particularly criticizing the administration's support of the anti-terrorist Patriot Act. Like former Libertarian standard-bearer Ron Paul, the Texas congressman who sought the GOP presidential nomination this year, Barr supports a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. Barr has said the 5-year-old war has resulted in "tremendous cost and only the most speculative of benefit." He worked as an occasional contributor and analyst for CNN after leaving office. [article link]
Iraq Survey Group Final Report - Use of Illicit Smuggling and Transportation Networks - using Iraqi diplomatic couriers - Smuggling by Air - A former Iraqi diplomat described how several times per month Iraqi diplomatic personnel (diplomatic mail) would smuggle large quantities of money and prohibited equipment from Russia to Iraq - Equipment smuggled by this method included high-technology items such as radar jammers, GPS jammers, night-vision devices, avionics, and missile components of various types - A charter flight flew from Moscow to Baghdad every Monday, with a return flight on Wednesday Use of Illicit Smuggling and Transportation Networks: Iraq has been at the center of various trade routes for centuries. Historically, this trade involved illicit activity, or smuggling, to escape taxes or to evade governmental oversight. Despite the imposition of sanctions by the United Nations in 1990, Iraq managed to circumvent UN sanctions through long-established business relationships with its neighbors, cross-state tribal connections, and use of ancient smuggling routes. Contemporary smuggling methods used by Iraqi trade companies used the entire spectrum of smuggling methods: disguising illicit shipments as legitimate cargo; hiding illicit goods in legitimate shipments; avoiding customs inspections; and for high priority, low-volume shipments, using Iraqi diplomatic couriers. Captured documents indicate that there were approximately 500 official and unofficial border crossing points between Iraq and Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iran. According to the documents, there were also other border checkpoints between Iraq and Turkey and between Iran under Kurdish control. Despite the number of possible crossings, almost all goods entered Iraq at just five major border crossings and the port of Umm Qasr. ... Smuggling by Air: A former Iraqi diplomat described how
several times per month Iraqi diplomatic personnel would smuggle large quantities of money and prohibited equipment from Russia to Iraq. From 2001 until the fall of Baghdad, goods were smuggled out of Russia by Iraqi Embassy personnel. Equipment smuggled by this method included high-technology items such as radar jammers, GPS jammers, night-vision devices, avionics, and missile components of various types. A charter flight flew from Moscow to Baghdad every Monday, with a return flight on Wednesday. The flight was not inspected by the UN and was used to smuggle cash and other goods, which Iraq was not allowed to procure under UN sanctions, into Baghdad. Cash and equipment were smuggled two or three times a month by diplomatic courier, usually disguised as diplomatic mail. Bribes were paid to Russian customs officials to facilitate these illicit shipments. A former Iraqi MFA employee who worked as a diplomatic courier and had direct access to information reports that the Iraqi ambassador to Russia personally delivered GPS jammers to the Iraqi Embassy in Damascus during April 2003. The ambassador used a private jet for transport, with the GPS jammers concealed as diplomatic mail. The jammers were transferred to Al Qaim border checkpoint. A senior executive in the MIC provided information detailing how direct frequent flights between Minsk and Baghdad were instituted in the summer of 2000. Belarus established a joint airline with Iraq that employed four Boeing-747s to transfer unspecified illicit items, experts, and officials direct to Baghdad under the cover of humanitarian aid missions. Amman airport was also used as an air transshipment point. An Iraqi businessman declared that, a Jordanian company procuring illicit goods on behalf of Iraq shipped prohibited goods to Amman airport for onward transfer to Iraq. [article link]
Cargo Plane Splits in Two on Runway Before Takeoff in Belgium - the plane had been scheduled to fly to Bahrain - Airport officials said the plane was carrying cargo weighing 76 tons, over half of which was (diplomatic mail) - Other cargo included a car and batteries {This is why George Bush Jr. is either evil in perpetuating the Iraq war via so many channels Iran/Bahrain or he is just too stupid to ever win. I'm thinking he is evil.} BRUSSELS, Belgium - A large cargo plane crashed and broke apart close to a row of houses while trying to abort a takeoff Sunday at Brussels airport, authorities said. The Boeing 747-200 skidded to a halt in a field at the end of a runway around 1:30 p.m. (1130 GMT). Four of the five crew members on board the plane, operated by U.S.-based cargo carrier Kalitta Air, were slightly injured and were hospitalized, said Jan Van der Cruysse, spokesman at Brussels Airport. "The plane is very seriously damaged," he said. The aircraft cracked near the tail and by the wings when it slid 325 yards past the end of runway 20. ... Airport officials said the plane was carrying cargo weighing 76 tons, over half of which was diplomatic mail. Other cargo included a car and batteries. The plane is owned by Kalitta Air, a cargo carrier based at Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it made regular flights from Brussels, officials said. A person who answered the telephone at Kalitta Air on Sunday morning said no one was available to comment. [article link]
U.S. Alarmed as Some Exports Veer Off Course - In 2005, the discovery of a American-made (AMD) computer (CPU) circuit in an unexploded roadside bomb in Iraq transformed what had been a polite diplomatic exchange into a nasty dispute - [from] Mayrow General Trading in Dubai - It went to Iran, then turned up in Iraq By reading a serial number on the chip and studying shipping records, American investigators determined that it had moved from the manufacturer, AMD of Sunnyvale, Calif., to Mayrow General Trading in Dubai. It went to Iran, then turned up in Iraq in "limited numbers" of roadside bombs, a federal official involved in the inquiry said. No known deaths have been linked to the bombs, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Officials at the Commerce and Defense Departments would not discuss how they had connected Mayrow to the unexploded bomb. But Michael D. Turner, who until last year was director of the Commerce Department's enforcement office, said investigators uncovered evidence definitively connecting the two. A spokesman for AMD said the company cooperated with the inquiry, adding that its customers are bound by agreements not to re-export its products to Iran. American officials had no authority to act against Mayrow, a foreign company,
and the Commerce Department had not required AMD to get an export license restricting resale of the chip because it was not considered particularly powerful. But American officials were angry that their United Arab Emirates counterparts had not immediately moved to close Mayrow. [article link]
Iranian computing center removes photos of Opteron (cpu) system from Web site - Picture pointing to UAE as technology source disappears; U.S. concerns about that country's role as a transfer point remain December 11, 2007 Computerworld -- The Iranian computing research center that says it built a supercomputer with Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s Opteron processors has removed from its Web site photographs showing a possible link to the United Arab Emirates as a source of the chips. But something that can't be removed so easily are longstanding U.S. concerns about the UAE being a conduit for sending technology to Iran and other banned countries. U.S. antiterrorism trade restrictions bar the sale of technology developed here to Iran. But as Computerworld reported last week, the Iranian High Performance Computing Research Center (IHPCRC) claims on its Web site that it has assembled a clustered system with 216 Opteron processing cores for use in weather forecasting and meteorological research. On another part of its site, the Tehran-based IHPCRC had posted a photo gallery that included snapshots of what appeared to be staff members working on the servers and racks of the supercomputer. However, the entire photo gallery now appears to have been taken down from the Web site. Among the shots was a photograph showing a man working on the cluster, with a stack of boxes behind him that included the word "Thacker" and the initials "U.A.E." handwritten on their sides. Thacker FZE is an authorized distributor of AMD products that is based in the UAE and is also listed under the name Sky Electronics on AMD's Web site. In addition to removing the photo gallery, the IHPCHC appeared to have disabled the English-language link on its home page on Tuesday. [article link]
Report: Titanic (Ship) Discovery Was Cold War Cover-Up - The man who located the wreck of the Titanic has revealed that the discovery was a cover-up for the real mission of inspecting the wrecks of two Cold War nuclear submarines When Bob Ballard led a team that pinpointed the wreckage of the liner in 1985, he had already completed his main task of finding out what happened to USS Thresher and USS Scorpion. Both of the U.S. Navy vessels sank during the 1960s, killing more than 200 men and giving rise to fears that at least one of them, Scorpion, had been sunk by the Soviet Union. Ballard, an oceanographer, has admitted that he located and inspected the wrecks for the U.S. Navy in top secret missions before he was allowed to search for the Titanic. ... Ballard said what he had seen during the inspection of the submarine wrecks gave him the idea of finding a trail of debris that would lead to the main sections of the Titanic. Thresher, had imploded deep beneath the surface and had broken up into thousands of pieces and Scorpion was almost as completely destroyed. "It was as though it had been put through a shredding machine," Ballard said. "There was a long debris trail." ... "I couldn't tell anybody," he said. "There was a lot of pressure on me. It was a secret mission. I felt it was a fair exchange for getting a chance to look for the Titanic." [article link]
(NASA) Phoenix Lander Touches Down on Mars - to determine if the (Mars) polar environment has the ingredients needed for life to emerge {The planet Mars is the new Galapagos Islands for the atheists and evolutionists where they can spin their stories and tall tales of evolution and then if you doubt their findings you would have to go there and check the evidence for yourself. The stories are forgeries that's why they need extreme distant destinations to backdrop their theories so people cannot easily get there and check their speculations.} Mission control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory celebrated after the Phoenix Mars Lander signaled back that it had survived Sunday's fiery entry. Phoenix will be the first spacecraft to study the Martian arctic plains. Unlike NASA's mobile twin rovers, the lander will stay in one spot. It will use its robotic arm to dig into the
permafrost to determine if the polar environment has the ingredients needed for life to emerge. [article link]
'Harry Potter' actor stabbed to death - A British teenage actor playing a minor role in the upcoming "Harry Potter" film was stabbed to death during a brawl in London on Saturday, police said LONDON, England (AP) -- A British teenage actor playing a minor role in the upcoming "Harry Potter" film was stabbed to death during a brawl in London on Saturday, police said. - Knox, 18, was stabbed after he got caught up in a fight outside a bar in southwest London early Saturday, London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Knox plays Ravenclaw student Marcus Belby in the upcoming film "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment of the popular series set for release in November. Warner Bros., the studio that is producing the film, said it was shocked by the news. Knox was one of five young men taken to various hospitals after the brawl, police said. Among them was a 21-year-old who has since been arrested on suspicion of murder. ... it puts the number of violent teenage deaths in London at 14 so far this year. [article link]
{Flashback} J.K. Rowling Reveals 'Harry Potter' Character Dumbledore Is Gay - She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love" - "Dumbledore is gay" the author responded to gasps and applause NEW YORK - Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday night while appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall. After reading briefly from the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," she took questions from audience members. She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love." "Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause. [article link]
{Flashback} Special Article: Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling is part of a larger movement that is helping to bring in the New Age antiChrist "messiah" - HARRY POTTER TEACHES CHILDREN TO USE PROFANITY AND BLASPHEME GOD Occultists use fiction to separate the true seekers from the common "herd". This article (and particularly the second part next week) will prove that Harry Potter is truly satanic. Although I have tried to make sure there is nothing crude or profane in this article, it is written and intended for adults only. This is an in-depth review (primarily) of J.K. Row ling's first Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (1999) from a Biblical perspective. It is divided into sections. Christians reading and defending Harry Potter books (Chuck Colson, etc.) are part of the "falling away" predicted for these last days (2 Thess.2:3, 1 Tim.4:1). This article will explain why. I pray many will be convinced and turn from this deception. Part two of this study will deal with the deep occult themes and symbolism used by Rowing that is meant for the 'seekers" and "initiates". Rowling is more than familiar with Balvatsky, Pike and Crowley. Her Potter books are abundantly laced with pure occultism. Rowling is not a naive author who simply wrote a best-selling fantasy. She is part of a larger movement that is helping to bring in the New Age "messiah". [article link]
{Flashback} Film Director Sparks Debate Over Origins of 'Harry Potter' - or whether she's just a good actress fronted by multinational commercial interests A Norwegian film director has sparked a debate in Norway over whether JK Rowling really is the enormously successful author who launched the Harry Potter craze, or whether she's just a good actress fronted by multinational commercial interests. A Norwegian film director has doubts as to whether JK Rowling is really behind the story of Harry Potter. [article link]
Free Republic: Boycott Subway - Subway Contest excludes homeschoolers - Oh my - Did they really say "No home schools will be accepted" ACK! - But, now I'm wondering if even by that they are just saying that they won't give the $5,000 of sports equipment to a family instead of a school - A home school student may still be able to win the essay but not keep the equipment personally - Someone from Subway needs to do some explaining - This doesn't look good though Here is my contest entry: The smell of fresh baked bread coming from the store was so good that the students from the Grace Home Schoolers Friday Enrichment Program could barely bring themselves to pass it by. It had been a tradition on Fridays for many years to walk to Subway during their lunch hour and enjoy the fabulous variety of subs prepared there. Sadly, when the students' parents learned that homeschoolers were barred from competing in Subway's writing contest, they knew they had to act. They had decided that, while Subway had every right to decide who could compete in their contest, homeschoolers had every right to decide where to spend their money. They didn't want to spend their money at an establishment that chose to exclude them. So, in keeping with their families' decision to boycott Subway, they walked on down the street to Quiznos. [article link]
Rev. Rod Parsley (The pastor of World Harvest Church) withdraws McCain endorsement - Parsley has criticized Islam, calling it inherently violent and saying it is "the anti-Christ religion" - McCain also rejected Texas televangelist John Hagee's February endorsement {Even if I was going to vote Republican in 2008 I wouldn't vote for McCain. I'm a big fan of both Rev. Rod Parsley and Rev. John Hagee. Also I don't like the way the Republican Party has snubbed Dr. James Dobson a man who has done so much for the Republican Party, especially in almost single handedly providing the votes making the difference to get Bush Jr. elected and yet the Republican Party only has abuse and neglect for its conservative, values voters base.} After saying Friday that he would not withdraw his endorsement of Sen. John McCain, pastor Rod Parsley has changed his mind. The pastor of World Harvest Church, in the Canal Winchester area, issued a statement almost identical to one he had sent late Friday night, but with one key change: the addition of the sentence "Therefore I withdraw my endorsement." Spokesman Gene Pierce wouldn't shed light on Parsley's decision, saying only "this statement is a clarification on (Friday's) statement." McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, rejected the Columbus pastor's endorsement after holding on to it for nearly three months. Parsley has criticized Islam, calling it inherently violent and saying it is "the anti-Christ religion." [article link]
Hillary's Sexism Claims - resulted in the key phrase of the early primaries: Clinton Fatigue - Barack Obama's meteoric rise to the top of the Democratic party - He was sought after, found, recruited, and vaulted to prominence with one purpose in mind: to defeat Hillary Clinton Of late Hillary Clinton's campaign has been crying foul over alleged sexism directed at the New York senator. But is that really what's broken the back of her once-promising campaign? Andrew Stephen says it is and blames media bias for causing her defeat. But is Hillary's real problem simply that she's a Clinton? Or was she simply out-thought and out-fought by the Obama campaign? Being Bill Clinton's wife did not help Hillary during this year's primaries. How could it when the former president repeatedly made an arse of himself in print and in front of the cameras? He didn't have a big upside to begin with, even before he started talking. The problems started when he reminded Americans that he'd be back in the White House if Hillary won the nomination and the general election. This mistake resulted in the key phrase of the early primaries: Clinton Fatigue. Hillary's effort was also hurt by the seemingly constant tinkering with her message and campaign staff either. It was clear early on that her campaign was not running smoothly simply. There were too many changes and reverses of field, too many comings and goings. It all smacked of desperation, even before things got desperate. ... My friend says that's the explanation for Barack Obama's meteoric rise to the top of the Democratic party. He was sought after, found, recruited, and vaulted to prominence with one purpose in mind: to defeat Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential primaries. To which all I can say is, "Wow." I can't really believe that. But if the goal of some Democrats was to defeat Hillary Clinton, they would need a special candidate.
Another woman, perhaps, though no other female Democrat compares well to Hillary. If a male, the candidate would have to be a minority, hence Obama. Her theory, while Machiavellian, makes a certain amount of sense. [article link]
Military and Veterans Info (Mp3's) Military service is perhaps the ultimate service. It has been well said about Military service that "All gave some, and Some gave All" this saying is also well applied to the family, friends and supporters of those who are in uniform. As with all things godly, military service for a godly Country with godly desires and godly outcomes is indeed godly and being godly it is an honorable and acceptable offering of service and sacrifice to both God and man. Because of the enormous nature and scope of an individual's Military service the resulting advantages and disadvantages are equally just as enormous and far reaching into the veteran's life. [article link]
***Alert -- False Flag Op -- Tony Blair's Jet Comes Within Minutes of Being Shot Down by Israeli Fighter Planes - Air traffic controllers spotted a suspicious aircraft heading into Israeli airspace from the Sinai peninsula on Monday and made several attempts to establish contact - Initial investigations into the events indicated a technical malfunction was to blame for the breakdown in communication, the Israeli newspaper Maariv said {Looks like Blair was set up in an attempt to provoke Israel in the hopes of creating another international incident like the USS Liberty incident.} Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair came within moments of being killed when two Israeli fighter aircraft threatened to shoot down a private jet taking him to a Middle East conference in the belief that it might have been staging a terrorist attack. ... Air traffic controllers spotted a suspicious aircraft heading into Israeli airspace from the Sinai peninsula on Monday and made several attempts to establish contact. When the pilot failed to respond to their urgent requests, the Israelis scrambled two fighters to intercept what they feared could have been a terrorist attacker. ... The fighters flew above Blair's civilian aircraft to indicate to the pilot that he was considered a suspect target, at which point he finally made contact. The pilot told them that he was carrying Blair. During the entire incident, Blair - flying with other delegates from the WEF, who were also attending the Bethlehem conference - was not informed of the situation by the pilot. "They were unaware of it while they were on the plane," Ruti Winterstein, spokeswoman for Blair's office in Israel, said. "They didn't hear about it until afterwards, from the media." [article link]
The USS Liberty - The Israeli attack on the USS Liberty was a grievous error, largely attributable to the fact that it occurred in the midst of the confusion of a full-scale war in 1967 - Ten official United States investigations and three official Israeli inquiries have all conclusively established the attack was a tragic mistake {In 1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the Navy ship USS Liberty into Egyptian area waters during the height of the Israel - Arab War. The Israelis did get confused and attacked the ship thinking it was an Egyptian vessel.} On June 8, 1967, the fourth day of the Six-Day War, the Israeli high command received reports that Israeli troops in El Arish were being fired upon from the sea, presumably by an Egyptian vessel, as they had a day before. The United States had announced that it had no naval forces within hundreds of miles of the battle front on the floor of the United Nations a few days earlier; however, the USS Liberty, an American intelligence ship under the dual control of the Defense Intelligence Agency/Central Intelligence Agency and the Sixth Fleet, was assigned to monitor the fighting. As a result of a series of United States communication failures, whereby messages directing the ship not to approach within 100 miles were not received by the Liberty, the ship sailed to within 14 miles off the Sinai coast. The Israelis mistakenly thought this was the ship shelling its soldiers and war planes and torpedo boats attacked, killing 34 members of the Liberty's crew and wounding 171. Ships from the Sixth Fleet were directed to launch four attack aircraft with fighter cover to defend the Liberty, but the planes were recalled after a message was received at the White House that the Israelis had admitted they had attacked the ship. Numerous mistakes were made by both the United States and Israel. For example, the Liberty was first reported - incorrectly, as it turned out - to be cruising at 30 knots (it was later recalculated to be 28
knots). Under Israeli (and U.S.) naval doctrine at the time, a ship proceeding at that speed was presumed to be a warship. The sea was calm and the U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry found that the Liberty's flag was very likely drooped and not discernible; moreover, members of the crew, including the Captain, Commander William McGonagle, testified that the flag was knocked down after the first or second assault. According to Israeli Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin's memoirs, there were standing orders to attack any unidentified vessel near the shore. The day fighting began, Israel had asked that American ships be removed from its coast or that it be notified of the precise location of U.S. vessels. The Sixth Fleet was moved because President Johnson feared being drawn into a confrontation with the Soviet Union. He also ordered that no aircraft be sent near Sinai. A CIA report on the incident issued June 13, 1967, also found that an overzealous pilot could mistake the Liberty for an Egyptian ship, the El Quseir. [article link]
Alex Jones: False Flag History - from Alex Jones' documentary film "Terrorstorm" (Google Video Download) Alex Jones - False Flag History is a video summary of six historical examples of governments staging "False Flag Operations," attacks being carried out for the purpose of being blamed on another country. In this clip, six examples of false flag terror are examined, including Hitler's use of such techniques during World War II, Operation Ajax in Iran in 1953, the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964, the U.S.S. Liberty being attacked in 1967, Cubana Flight 455 in 1976, and Operation Gladio in 1983. This clip is a 14 minute excerpt from Alex Jones' documentary film "Terrorstorm." [article link]
{Flashback} False Flag Op -- July 29, 2006: Bush "apology" over bomb flights - Prestwick Airport (Scotland) One air traffic controller, who did not want to be identified, said: "We usually don't know the cargo that is on board but for some reason this one's flight plan was brazenly advertising it was carrying bombs (supposedly US bombs for Israel) {This is another Secret Operation in order to enrage Europe's Muslims. To get them even more radical and more anti-Israel and anti-Western.} US President George Bush has apologised to Tony Blair over the use of Prestwick Airport (Scotland) to refuel planes carrying bombs to Israel, Mr Blair's spokesman says. ... One air traffic controller, who did not want to be identified, said: "We usually don't know the cargo that is on board but for some reason this one's flight plan was brazenly advertising it was carrying bombs. [article link]
{Flashback} False Flag Result -- July 1, 2007: Car bomb hits Glasgow (Scotland) airport - "We believe the incident at Glasgow airport is linked to the events in London yesterday" Rae said. "There are clearly similarities and we can confirm that this is being treated as a terrorist incident" Three terrorist suspects are in police custody - and a fourth man under guard in hospital - following attacks that saw a flaming jeep crash into a Scottish airport and two car bomb plots foiled in central London. ... Police and security officials said the attacks were clearly linked, adding all three vehicles had carried large amounts of flammable materials - including petrol and gas cylinders. The chaos over the past two days has raised fears that the type of car bomb attacks that have become commonplace in Iraq has now reached European shores. Britain has raised its security alert level to critical - the highest possible level, indicating terror attacks may be imminent. [article link]
Portraits of fallen comfort broken hearts - Hundreds of families across the nation have received portraits of their fallen loved ones thanks to Project Compassion, a nonprofit organization dedicated to painting every American military service member who has died on active duty since the September 11, 2001, attacks (CNN) -- Not long after Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas Kirven was killed in an insurgent ambush in Afghanistan on Mother's Day in 2005, his family was contacted by a stranger. Could an artist halfway across the country paint his portrait as a gift for his loved ones? "I immediately wrote back and said I'm so interested," recalled Beth
Belle, Kirven's mother. She sent a few photographs of her son and several weeks later, when the painting arrived at her Fairfax, Virginia, home, Belle said she and her husband were in awe. "We both started to cry, it was so beautiful," she said. "Sometimes, even though it's been as long as it's been, I come around the corner and it takes my breath away because it's such a likeness of Nicholas." Hundreds of families across the nation have received portraits of their fallen loved ones thanks to Project Compassion, a nonprofit organization dedicated to painting every American military service member who has died on active duty since the September 11, 2001, attacks. [article link]
Welcome to the Survivor (Military Family) Benefits Home Page {Lots of info and forms available for all people related to anyone who served in the US military at any time.} This web site is dedicated to the surviving spouses and dependents of military personnel who died while in active military service and to the survivors of veterans who died after active service. We are grateful for the opportunity to provide quality information and assistance to family members suffering the loss of their husbands and wives, sons and daughters, and mothers and fathers. While most benefits are the same regardless of whether the service member or veteran died on active duty or during civilian life, the "Death in Service" button shown below will take you to additional information specific to death in service issues. You also will find information from other federal agencies and organizations that offer related benefits and services to survivors and dependents. It is our sincere hope that you will find the information here helpful in your time of need. [article link]
Victorious Publications - Free Downloadable Pamphlets & Tracts (PDF) Now, through the miracle of the Internet, any church or Christian ministry in the world can obtain high quality, scripture-packed discipleship booklets and pamphlets for FREE distribution! When downloaded and printed out by your computer, our wide assortment of professionally produced, royalty free pamphlets can be reproduced inexpensively by a standard copy machine or printing press. Evangelical churches and missionary organizations in many nations are currently using these well-written, doctrinely sound materials to touch lives for the cause of Christ. Our series of Victorious Living Bible study pamphlets, consist of scores of different titles and subjects, all relating to basic Christian living. These are excellent for discipleship or display rack distribution. Each tri-fold pamphlet is attractively typeset with eye-catching graphics, composed of approximately 1500 words, and printed in a one-color format for reproduction on a standard 8½ x 11" paper sheet. These materials are designed to be duplicated inexpensively for missions purposes, and are made available at no cost to any church or missionary work. Authored by veteran pastor/author, Dr. Dale A. Robbins. NOTICE: Some titles listed are not yet available, but will be online soon. [article link]
Website Links Page: Tim's (Rev. Tim Gibson) Free Bibles/Bible Studies/Teaching.... Welcome to my free Christian Bible Study page. You can download many multimedia studies for free or go through them online. [article link]
20 Ideas for a Great Podcast - Stuff every podcaster should keep in mind - If you have something important/valuable to say, get something out there - It may not be perfect, but if you've got great content, some omissions from the above list are tolerable So I got a shiny new iPod for Christmas, and my previously held contempt for podcasts who has the time?! has melted away and been replaced by complete and total love. I'm actually quite amazed at how much I like them. Video podcasts when done well are probably my favorite, but audio ones are excellent too and are the topic of this post. Someday I may venture into podcast land myself, probably over on WorkHappy.net. So, while I'm still a relative podcast newbie and thinking about this, I want to jot down some notes about what I think works. Feel
free both of my readers to add to the mix. Stuff every podcaster should keep in mind: ... Well, I've just set the bar impossibly high for when/if I ever do this myself. Ok, let me say this: doing a good podcast is hard. It takes equipment, production, planning, and good editing. These things take time, effort and money. So let me add one final one to the mix. If you have something important/valuable to say, get something out there. It may not be perfect, but if you've got great content, some omissions from the above list are tolerable. There, I'm covered. [article link]
Earth to Hillary: No Prize for Second Place - There is a growing effort by the Clintons - led by Bill - to convey a sense of entitlement for Hillary's newly minted vice presidential ambitions And Hillary comes with unique baggage all her own. Her very presence on the ticket makes all of the unanswered questions about Bill Clinton to the fore. They suddenly become relevant and answers become imperative. 1. What did Bill Clinton do for the $15 million he was paid by the Emir of Dubai? 2. What did he do for the Canadian mining magnate Frank Giustra, who he brought with him to Kazakhstan and introduced to its president after Giustra gave his foundation, which he controls, $100 million? 3. What did he do for InfoUSA, the direct mail list company that sold lists of vulnerable elderly people to criminally convicted telemarketers so they could scam them? 4. Did Bill Clinton know that Hillary's brothers were being paid to secure some of the pardons he granted on their recommendations? Obama doesn't need this kind of trouble. Bringing Hillary on the ticket brings Bill with her, these days a loose cannon at best, a self-destructive narcissist at worst. [article link]
Chelsea in 2016? Just a Minute! What About Hillary? - Bill Clinton is not only busy promoting his wife for the second spot on Obama's ticket, but he's also promoting the political chops of his daughter Chelsea {It was a mistake to elect the unqualified, incompetent Bush Jr. and it is a mistake to set up the political Bush-Clinton families as thought they are privileged and deserving of presiding over their American empire. We need new, honest, friendly leadership in Washington not the self serving, hate-America leaders we have now.} In these down days for his family, Bill Clinton is not only busy promoting his wife for the second spot on Obama's ticket, but he's also promoting the political chops of his daughter Chelsea. The 28-year-old numbers cruncher/investment strategist is on leave from the $12 billion hedge fund Avenue Capital to campaign fulltime for her mother. Avenue, which specializes in "distressed investing," is run (and founded) by Clinton financial backer Marc Lasry. Bill Clinton is not alone in his vision for Chelsea, who reportedly outdrew her father at some campaign stops. Newspapers have reported that buttons sporting the message, "Chelsea in 2016," under a picture of the former first daughter, have been increasingly seen around Clinton rallies. [article link]
Bill Clinton thinks Hillary good choice for VP BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Hillary Clinton and her advisers say she wants to be president and is not interested in the vice president slot, but friends of the political pair say former President Bill Clinton is toying with the possibility. The reports about Bill Clinton's musings have come to light as the Barack Obama camp has quietly begun the process of searching for a partner on the Democratic ticket. An Obama-Clinton ticket has been political gossip for months, with some Democratic leaders promoting the idea as a way to unify the party. Yet anyone who knows the Clintons is well aware they come to politics with different motivations. Both of them want to return to the White House; Sen. Clinton enjoys being a senator, while Bill Clinton, according to associates, sees the vice presidency as perhaps her best path to becoming president someday if she fails to gain the nomination. [article link]
John Edwards - Not Hillary Clinton - Favored by Oddsmakers to be Democratic Vice President - Bill Richardson and Jim Webb had the next best odds If oddsmakers are correct - as they are more times than not - then it will be John Edwards selected as Barack
Obama's Vice Presidential running mate, not Hillary Clinton. Alas, the odds on favorite is running neck and neck with Hillary for the Democratic selection. Edwards opened at 5/2 odds; Hillary Clinton opened at 3-1 odds. Bill Richardson and Jim Webb had the next best odds of being named the Democratic Vice Presidential running mate. [article link]
McCain rejects Hagee endorsement - Republican presidential candidate John McCain today rejected the endorsement of controversial minister John Hagee, as comments surfaced in which the minister said Adolf Hitler's acts during the Holocaust were part of God's will {The Holocaust is the FURTHEST thing from God's will. The Jews are God's chosen people, chosen for good not for evil. Reverend John Hagee was making the point that God was able to keep the Jews and to bless them by bringing them back to their homeland. I believe God knowing all things has mentioned the Holocaust and the after effects in the Bible. God is able to Bless much more than Hitler and Satan are able to destroy.} In a statement to CNN on Thursday, McCain said "Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Rev. Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well." ... Hagee is pastor of a 19,000-member evangelical church in San Antonio, Texas, and founder of a global Christian broadcast network. In a statement released before McCain rejected his endorsement, Hagee said his words had been taken out of context. "The intentional mischaracterization of my statements by an Internet journalist seeking to use me as a political football in the upcoming presidential race is a gross example of bias at its worst. I will not stand idly by while my character is assassinated and my views on the Holocaust are grossly distorted. "To assert that I in any way condone the Holocaust or that monster Adolf Hitler is the biggest and ugliest of lies. I have always condemned the horrors of the Holocaust in the strongest of terms." He also pointed to millions of dollars worth of donations his ministry had made to humanitarian efforts in Israel. Hagee has been a strong supporter of Israel for years. One prominent Jewish group does not believe that the pastor is anti-Semitic but is deeply concerned with the comments. "The notion that the Holocaust was part of God's plan ... as a way of punishing the Jews is a deeply, deeply troubling ... assertion to be repudiated by all people of conscience," said Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. [article link]
Al-Dura Trial: Karsenty Wins in Paris - France (news TV channel) 2, however, only made available some 18 out of 27 minutes of footage that apparently exists - Evidently, these scenes and the unreliability of France 2's cameraman Talal Abu Rahma has convinced the French appeals judge - Philippe Karsenty has won the appeal against his libel conviction Today's ruling shows there are serious doubts about France 2's version of events, and that the entire world press - including the American TV networks - were irresponsible in being so quick to take at face value the claims of a local Palestinian cameraman working for France 2, a cameraman who has admitted his partisanship. ... Karsenty said in a statement released after his victory: The al-Dura lie is an assault on our ability to think, to criticize, to evaluate, and finally to reject information - especially the right to reject information on which we base our most cherished assumptions. One of Europe's most cherished assumptions is that Israel is a vicious Nazi-like entity that deliberately murders Palestinian Arab children. Moreover, polls conducted in Europe have identified Israel as the greatest threat to world peace, greater than Iran and North Korea, Pakistan and Syria. The al-Dura hoax is one of the pillars on which these assumptions rely. ... Now it is time for France 2 to acknowledge that it created and is continuing to perpetuate the worst anti-Semitic libel of our era. [article link]
{Flashback} ***New - Al Durah What Happened? - The Birth of an Icon {This Amazing documentary exposes the abundant and excessive fraud in Middle East reporting. Incredibly the 'actors' are both alive and well at the end of the production!} (FREE Video Download 13:52) This documentary, a continuation of the earlier Pallywood, examines the circumstances surrounding the
shooting of the explosive footage about Muhamed al Durah and his father Jamal at Netzarim Junction, September 30, 2000. [article link]
McCain rejects Hagee endorsement - Rev. John Hagee withdrew his endorsement, citing critics who had been "grossly misrepresenting" his positions {I don't think John McCain has any grasp of what Rev. John Hagee preaches. Besides it's clear that McCain isn't the candidate to usher in a Republican victory so the whole McCain 2008 campaign and VP election process is mute. } (CNN) -- In the face of mounting controversy over headline-grabbing statements from the Rev. John Hagee, CNN has learned that presumptive Republican nominee John McCain decided Thursday to reject his endorsement. McCain told CNN's Brian Todd that he rejected the endorsement after Todd brought to his attention Hagee's comments that Adolf Hitler had been fulfilling God's will by hastening the desire of Jews to return to Israel in accordance with biblical prophecy. "Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Rev. Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well," McCain said in a statement to CNN on Thursday. Shortly after McCain's announcement Thursday afternoon, Hagee withdrew his endorsement, citing critics who had been "grossly misrepresenting" his positions. [article link]
Daughter, 5, of Christian Music Star Steven Curtis Chapman Killed by SUV Driven by Teen Brother - "It looks like a tragic accident" she said {Prayer Alert! … This is the toughest of all tragedies, my heart goes out to the entire Chapman family.} In a statement, Velvet Kelm, a publicist for Chapman, said Maria was the Chapmans' youngest daughter. Chapman, who is originally from Paducah, Ky., and his wife have promoted international adoption and have three daughters from China, including Maria. They also have three biological children. ... The singer's Web site says the couple was persuaded by their oldest daughter to adopt a girl from China. The experience led the family to adopt two more children and create Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation and ministry to financially assist thousands of couples in adoption. The Chapmans did missionary work at Chinese orphanages in 2006 and 2007, according to the Web site. "After our first trip to China, my wife and I knew our lives were changing - our eyes and hearts were opening to how big God really is, and we have wanted to experience more of that," Chapman says on the Web site. "We've really wondered whether or not we should just go to China and stay there. But I don't think so. I believe God is saying, 'I want you to go, get your heart broken, your eyes opened, and then take this story back to the church in America and around the world."' [article link]
Alaska GOP Gov. will sue Bush administration over polar bear listing - GOP presidential candidate John McCain supported the listing Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin is taking on the Bush administration's eco-pandering decision to put polar bears on the threatened species list. Via Reuters comes news that Alaska will file suit to block the move. ... The Bush administration's listing was an act of submission in the face of lawsuits from environmental activist groups. As usual with acts of submission, this one didn't satisfy the demanders. They've gone back to court to sue because the listing doesn't "include steps against global warming." ... GOP presidential candidate John McCain supported the listing: [article link]
{Flashback} Bush Designates Largest Marine Sanctuary on Earth in Hawaii - Commercial fishing will be phased out in the area within five years, but it is possible permits will still be granted for recreational activities such as diving and sport fishing The world's largest protected marine sanctuary off the coast of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands was created last week with the stroke of a pen. President Bush has signed a proclamation designating an area more than seven
times bigger than all other U.S. national marine sanctuaries combined. ... The 10 islands and atolls whose coastal waters will be protected cover 140,000 thousand square miles. For comparison, that's the size of Montana, the fourth-largest U.S. state, and 12 times bigger than land mass of Hawaii itself. ... Commercial fishing will be phased out in the area within five years, but it is possible permits will still be granted for recreational activities such as diving and sport fishing. - Some Opposition from Locals - Sunny Rivera, a local fisherman in Honolulu, is very happy about the new designation and hopes the government will ensure that people have a way to truly enjoy it. He also believes, however, that fishing should be allowed to coexist with the preserve in some areas, because of its importance to trade and local cuisine. [article link]
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back for Farm Bill - Congress passed the Farm Bill, the President (Bush) vetoed it - So Congress will vote on the Farm Bill, they'll send it to the President with the trade title included this time, he'll veto it and it will come back to Congress for an override vote - this error will likely push final approval into June. Congress passed the Farm Bill, the President vetoed it, and the House overrode the veto. But it looks like a clerical error will require a do-over starting with Congress voting on the Farm Bill Conference Report. "When the enrolling clerk enrolled the bill to send to the White House, somehow or another they inadvertently or how ever it happened did not include the trade title, Title III of the bill in the official documents that went to the White House," says House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn. "So the President vetoed the bill minus the trade title, Title III." While the override vote went through passing 316-108, recommendations have been made by parliamentarians to start the process over again. So Congress will vote on the Farm Bill, they'll send it to the President with the trade title included this time, he'll veto it and it will come back to Congress for an override vote. ... The House is scheduling a vote first thing Thursday morning and because Congress is slated to adjourn for the Memorial Day recess on Friday, a vote to extend the current farm legislation that expires Friday will also be held. While it looked as though the Farm Bill would be completed before the recess, this error will likely push final approval into June. [article link]
Iraq could have largest oil reserves in the world - Iraq dramatically increased the official size of its oil reserves yesterday after new data suggested that they could exceed Saudi Arabia's and be the largest in the world - He said that Iraq was pumping 2.5 million barrels of oil a day at present, earning about $70 billion in revenue this year The Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister told The Times that new exploration showed that his country has the world's largest proven oil reserves, with as much as 350 billion barrels. The figure is triple the country's present proven reserves and exceeds that of Saudi Arabia's estimated 264 billion barrels of oil. Barham Salih said that the new estimate had been based on recent geological surveys and seismic data compiled by "reputable, international oil companies . . . This is a serious figure from credible sources." The Iraqi Government has yet to approve a national oil law that would allow foreign companies to invest. Mr Salih said that the delay was damaging Iraq's ability to profit from oil output, robbing the country of potentially huge revenues. With oil selling for more than $125 dollars a barrel and demand rising, Mr Salih is frustrated that Iraq still struggles over the establishment of a regulatory framework. "There is a real debate in the Government and among political leaders about the type of oil management structures we should have. I am for liberalising this sector and allowing the private sector to come in to develop these vast resources." ... He said that Iraq was pumping 2.5 million barrels of oil a day at present, earning about $70 billion (£35.9 billion) in revenue this year. [article link]
"Iraq Tribal Study - Al Anbar Governorate" - the Sunnis "are deathly afraid of being ruled by a Shia (Shiite) government, which they believe will be little more than a puppet of the Shia religious extremists in Iran" It also cautioned that the main themes of the U.S. message in Iraq -- "freedom and democracy" -- do not resonate well with the population "because freedom is associated with chaos in Iraq." In addition, the Sunnis
"are deathly afraid of being ruled by a Shia government, which they believe will be little more than a puppet of the Shia religious extremists in Iran." Pincus [article link]
Iraqi: 'I killed her with a machine gun' - Basra turned into a battleground between warring Shiite factions vying for control of the country's oil-rich south after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 - Basra's streets teemed with Shiite militias armed with weapons, mostly from Iran, according to the Iraqi forces and the U.S. - Women bore the brunt of the militias' extremist ideologies military {Bush knew this was going to happen as both Bush and Rumsfeld used too few troops, let the Shiites keep most of their weapons during the invasion and then encouraged the Shiites to riot and loot after the takeover. This is the guilty Bush, Blair, NWO plan for the new Iraq to terrorize the people until they submit to anything, mostly a new more radical Islam.} CNN was shown what authorities say was his first confession. On it are the names of 15 girls whom he admitted kidnapping, raping and killing. The youngest girl on the list was just 9 years old. Basra turned into a battleground between warring Shiite factions vying for control of the country's oil-rich south after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Basra's streets teemed with Shiite militias armed with weapons, mostly from Iran, according to the Iraqi forces and the U.S. military. ... Women bore the brunt of the militias' extremist ideologies. The militants spray-painted threats on walls across Basra, warning women to wear headscarves and not to wear make-up. Women were sometimes executed for the vague charge of doing something "un-Islamic." In the wasteland on the outskirts of Basra, dotted with rundown homes, the stench of death mixes with the sewage. Local residents told the Iraqi Army that executions often take place in the area, particularly for women, sometimes killed for something as seemingly inocuous as wearing jeans. Militias implemented their own laws with abandon, threatening stores for displaying mannequins with bare shoulders or for selling Western music. Many store owners are still too frightened to speak publicly. [article link]
Old Fashioned Revival Hour - Originally aired throughout the USA and around the world from 1937 to 1968, they are timeless - Mp3 Archive - Each program is about 50 minutes (FREE Mp3's) We wish to welcome you to the Old Fashioned Revival Hour with Evangelist Charles E. Fuller and the beautiful Gospel music of pianist Rudy Atwood and Choir & Quartet. Now you can freely listen online to the original broadcasts in MP3. These one-hour programs are filled with beautiful music and a Bible-based message that will stir your soul. Many wayward sinners were led to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through these broadcasts. Countless Christians were enouraged and blessed as well. Visit the letters section to read many wonderful testimonies. It is our earnest desire to reintroduce these wonderful Gospel programs to our present day and age. Perhaps you are in need of the Saviour and your heart will be touched by listening yourself? Although originally aired throughout the USA and around the world from 1937 to 1968, they are timeless, indeed. [article link]
Christian Crusaders - Audio Archive (Online) {Note: In this context the term 'crusade' is an older way of saying agenda or concern. Every group Biblical based or not has an agenda-crusade.} About Christian Crusaders -- Our Mission: To proclaim Jesus Christ as Redeemer of the world and personal Savior to all those who receive Him. We proclaim Him through radio, personal visitation, written media and the Internet. Our Program: Christian Crusaders' thirty-minute worship service delivers a powerful and concise gospel message based on biblical truth. Our service offers traditional hymns, scripture readings, and prayer for those who cannot attend church. Our listeners may be the homebound, ill, those who work on Sunday, those without a church home, or those who simply want to be strengthened and uplifted by listening to a Christcentered message. This weekly program gives strength for facing today's challenges, while proclaiming Jesus Christ as Redeemer of the world and personal Savior. [article link]
**Updated -- Studying the Four Gospels of the Bible - each Gospel is written to a Specific defined audience and group of people (PDF) Studying the Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. How they relate to and correspond with each other. Of first Importance when reading and studying the four Gospels is to recognize that each Gospel is written to a Specific defined audience and group of people. Matthew is written to the Jewish audience. Mark is written to the Roman, action - result oriented person. Luke is written to the Greek, thinking, discerning and understanding person. John is written to the "Born-Again" Christian *Church member. Why Other additional writings are not in the Bible. [article link]
**Updated -- Studying the Four Gospels of the Bible - each Gospel is written to a Specific defined audience and group of people (PDF) Studying the Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. How they relate to and correspond with each other. Of first Importance when reading and studying the four Gospels is to recognize that each Gospel is written to a Specific defined audience and group of people. Matthew is written to the Jewish audience. Mark is written to the Roman, action - result oriented person. Luke is written to the Greek, thinking, discerning and understanding person. John is written to the "Born-Again" Christian *Church member. Why Other additional writings are not in the Bible. [article link]
Which Old Testament text did Jesus prefer and quote from? - Jesus quoted from 24 different Old Testament books - The New Testament as a whole quotes from 34 books of the Old Testament Books - None of the apocryphal books were ever quoted in the New Testament - Not even once! Jesus quoted from 24 different Old Testament books. The New Testament as a whole quotes from 34 books of the Old Testament Books. These 5 books are never quoted in the New Testament: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. It is not significant that these books: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, were never quoted in the New Testament, because they were part of "collections" of Old Testament books. Since other books within the same collection were quoted, this shows them too to be inspired. The New Testament never quotes from the any of the apocryphal books written between 400 - 200 BC. What is significant here is that NONE of the books within the "apocryphal collection" are every quoted. So the Catholic argument that "the apocryphal books cannot be rejected as uninspired on the basis that they are never quoted from in the New Testament because Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon are also never quoted in the New Testament, and we all accept them as inspired." The rebuttal to this Catholic argument is that "Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther" were always included in the "history collection" of Jewish books and "Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon" were always included in the "poetry collection". By quoting one book from the collection, it verifies the entire collection. None of the apocryphal books were ever quoted in the New Testament. Not even once! This proves the Catholic and Orthodox apologists wrong when they try to defend the apocrypha in the Bible. [article link]
House passes bill to sue OPEC over oil prices - including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela - but the Bush Republican White House threatened to veto the measure {Bush should just resign his office and go live in Iran since everything he does benefits Iran and ruins America. I don't believe Bush's pretend angst against Iran for one second the Bush family is in bed with Iran.} WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Tuesday allowing the Justice Department to sue OPEC members for limiting oil supplies and working together to set crude prices, but the White House threatened to veto the measure. The bill would subject OPEC oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela, to the same antitrust laws that U.S. companies must follow. The measure passed in a 324-84 vote, a big enough margin to override a presidential veto. The legislation also creates a Justice Department task force to aggressively investigate gasoline price gouging and energy market
manipulation."This bill guarantees that oil prices will reflect supply and demand economic rules, instead of wildly speculative and perhaps illegal activities," said Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin, who sponsored the legislation. The lawmaker said Americans "are at the mercy" of OPEC for how much they pay for gasoline, which this week hit a record average of $3.79 a gallon. [article link]
{Flashback} Iran confirms it will attend summit on Iraq - Iran, a Muslim Shiite-majority nation, has considerable influence among Iraqi Shiites Tehran, Iran (AP) -- Iran on Sunday confirmed it will attend this week's conference on Iraq in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik, saying its delegation will be headed by its foreign minister. The announcement will be widely welcomed as Iran, a Muslim Shiite-majority nation, has considerable influence among Iraqi Shiites, who now lead the Baghdad government. Iran is also suspected of having influential links with Shiite insurgent groups -- although it has repeatedly denied such ties. ... In Baghdad, an adviser in the prime minister's office, Sadiq al-Rikabi, confirmed Larijani would meet senior Iraqi officials. "It is a very important visit," he added. [article link]
Placing 'help' above 'hype' - "We need to see that care for the poor and care for the environment need to go hand in hand" - "It has a high view of man, a biblical view of stewardship, and a responsible regard for the needs of the poor" "We need to see that care for the poor and care for the environment need to go hand in hand," he explains, "and that our care for the environment needs to not be allowed to compromise our care for the poor ...." That compromise, says Beisner, often occurs when people are pursuing "policies based on fairly speculative claims about environmental problems, such as manmade catastrophic global warming." ... Another signer, the SBC's Dr. Richard Land, says the campaign is what is needed to set the record straight on global warming. "It has a high view of man, a biblical view of stewardship, and a responsible regard for the needs of the poor," Land says. [article link]
House Conservatives to Offer Ideas for G.O.P. Message - "Clearly, we have been sobered by three special election losses in a row" said Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas {The once mighty Republican Party is quickly becoming a 'sobered' joke. I won't miss it when it's gone. We need a real Conservative Party not just a Bush family play party. It has been odd as not one Republican stood up to Bush but I guess they didn't mind seeing their party get flushed down the drain by a child in the White House, they all probably made money from the high oil and the war and could care less.} WASHINGTON - Conservative Republicans in the House plan to urge their colleagues to rally behind a new manifesto that mixes antispending initiatives and tighter restrictions on government benefits as the party seeks a fresh message after a string of election defeats. Leaders of the Republican Study Committee intend to use a closed-door party meeting on Tuesday to present a seven-point proposal calling for a constitutional limit on federal spending, a new simplified income tax alternative and a proposal to require recipients of food stamps or housing aid to meet work requirements. "Clearly, we have been sobered by three special election losses in a row," said Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas, chairman of the group of more than 100 Republican lawmakers. "We are sobered by the massive cash advantage that Democrats have to get their message out." [article link]
(FLDS) Motion to have judge removed from case dismissed - FLDS member Dan Jessop filed a new motion asking for Judge Barbara Walther's removal from his case The parents say they are being persecuted for their religion, which includes the belief that polygamy brings glorification in heaven. In one hearing, attorneys complained that the Book of Mormon was confiscated from some of the children at a foster facility. "If they can openly admit they can take away the Book of Mormon from us today, it'll be the Bible tomorrow," Jessop said. CPS spokesman Patrick Crimmins says it may only be one
case where authorities removed pictures and teachings of Warren Jeffs from some (B.O.M.) scriptures, then gave the books back. He says, "We obviously don't have any quarrel with the Book of Mormon, or the Bible, or the Koran." He says the problem is when children are reading the words of a convicted sex offender like Warren Jeffs. [article link]
Dodd rips Bush 'Nazi' comments - Bush chided - without naming names - those who would negotiate with terrorists and radicals as foolishly deluded as Nazi appeasers before World War II {Bush doesn't just negotiate with terrorists he funds the terrorists with millions and millions of our tax dollars and then lets them come here vacation and give speeches.} WASHINGTON - Still steaming from comments President Bush made a day earlier to the Israeli Knesset, Sen. Chris Dodd said Friday that it is "lunacy" to suggest that the United States should not engage its enemies in dialogue. In an address Thursday before Israel's parliament, Bush chided - without naming names - those who would negotiate with terrorists and radicals as foolishly deluded as Nazi appeasers before World War II. Dodd, who has endorsed Barack Obama for president, said that he has no doubt the barb was intended for Obama and was shocked that it was launched from foreign soil. "Never in my 27 years as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has an American president gone after a presidential candidate while out of the country," he said. "And, to suggest that somehow people who think the opposite of him is tantamount to treason. Is Richard Nixon a traitor for having spoken to Mao Zedong? Is Ronald Reagan a traitor for engaging the Soviet Union? Or, is President Bush's father a traitor for talking to Syria? What kind of lunacy is this?" [article link]
{Flashback} Wednesday, August 23, 2006: Bush $230 Million for Hezbollah, $0 for Israel Today, President Bush announced $230 million for rebuilding South Lebanon, which Debbie Schussel persuasively argues will be funnelled to Hezbollah because of the lack of accountability on the funds for the Hezbollah-controlled area. Meanwhile, the administration has indicated that Israel won't receive any warrelated financial help at all, despite extensive damage as a result of the civilian-targeted attacks which are war crimes. [article link]
{Flashback} Palestinians bilked U.S. taxpayers out of millions? - Congress hears study contending PA population numbers massively inflated Congress today will be presented with a new study that documents the Palestinians have inflated their population numbers by over 50 percent and that almost $3 billion in United States taxpayer funds may have been provided as aid to the Palestinians in part based on fraudulent data. "American tax dollars and other international humanitarian aid have been based on inflated population numbers which have been accepted without question by governments and aid agencies. Our researchers pointed out that money has been spent to help Palestinians who were double-counted, never born or not present in the West Bank and Gaza," Bennet Zimmerman, head of the new study, titled "Arab Population in the West Bank and Gaza," told WND. [article link]
{Flashback} Photo shows Iran leader Ahmadinejad as 1979 U.S. hostage taker - Ahmadinejad has denied role in seizure of embassy seizure, abuse of Americans - U.S. "investigators" never bothered to interview any of the former hostages who made the charges against the Iranian leader (Photos) The Russian publication Kommersant has published a newly located photograph of a U.S. hostage-taker in Iran circa 1979 bearing a striking resemblance to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. ... some of those hostages and former Iranian President Abholhassan Bani-Sadr, who says he was a ringleader and the liaison with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. ... Charges by the ex-hostages were made shortly after Ahmadinejad came to power June 24, 2005. But from the beginning, the White House and State Department made it clear they would rather not know the truth about Ahmadinejad because it would place the U.S. in a position of refusing to permit a head of
government into the country to attend U.N. meetings. [article link]
{Flashback} Ahmadinejad Blasts Israel, Denies Existence of Iranian Gays During Columbia Speech - In animated remarks before students and faculty at a controversial speaking engagment at Columbia university Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday questioned why Iran can't have a nuclear program when the United States has one, repeated his inference that historical accounts of the Holocaust are myths, and denied that there are homosexuals in Iran. In animated remarks before students and faculty at a controversial speaking engagment at Columbia university, the Iranian leader also denied that Iran sponsors terror, and instead pointed the finger at the U.S. government as a supporter of terrorism. [article link]
{Flashback} University convocation told of Allah, not Jesus - Speakers also invoke Buddha, Dalai Lama - The only name that was omitted, of course, Jesus Christ {Jesus Christ the only name that brings comfort, healing and hope. 2nd CORINTHIANS 2:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.} Speakers at the Virginia Tech convocation called on Allah and Buddha in their efforts to minister to the survivors, family and friends of victims of the shooting massacre at the school - but Jesus wasn't mentioned by name. ... "I'm sitting here watching the convocation service at VT," wrote a WND reader who was given anonymity. "Five minutes ago they had four representatives from the local 'religious community.' The Muslim specifically invoked Allah's blessings… and he didn't shy away from saying the name of Allah. The Jewish rep asked for God's blessings. Buddha was represented. The only name that [was] omitted, of course, Jesus Christ." [article link]
Mom forced to live in car with dogs - Harvey was forced into homelessness earlier this year after being laid off - "It went to hell in a handbasket" she said - "I didn't think this would happen to me ... It happens very quickly, too" {Bush doesn't mind he has a place to sleep tonight besides a friend of his will get some extra money that he doesn't need for taking her condo and selling it out from under her. Bush and his business associates can now boast at what an easy task it was to ruin the economy simply by quickly increasing gas prices 400% and then using the crises they created to steal the homes, businesses, land, farms and the savings accounts of the American people who trusted them and put them in office.} SANTA BARBARA, California (CNN) -- Barbara Harvey climbs into the back of her small Honda sport utility vehicle and snuggles with her two golden retrievers, her head nestled on a pillow propped against the driver's seat. A former loan processor, the 67-year-old mother of three grown children said she never thought she'd spend her golden years sleeping in her car in a parking lot. "This is my bed, my dogs," she said. "This is my life in this car right now." Harvey was forced into homelessness earlier this year after being laid off. She said that three-quarters of her income went to paying rent in Santa Barbara, where the median house in the scenic, oceanfront city costs more than $1 million. She lost her condo two months ago and had little savings as backup. "It went to hell in a handbasket," she said. "I didn't think this would happen to me. It's just something that I don't think that people think is going to happen to them is what it amounts to. It happens very quickly, too." Harvey now works part time for $8 an hour, and she draws Social Security to help make ends meet. But she still cannot afford an apartment, and so every night she pulls into a gated parking lot to sleep in her car, along with other women who find themselves in a similar predicament. [article link]
Apple Computer cleaning up in $1,000-plus retail market - On Friday eWeek published some data confirmed by NPD that reveals Apple now owns 66% of the U.S. retail market for personal computers that cost more than $1,000 - Its percentage of the U.S. retail market in general is 14%, according to NPD {People who can afford to and people who want to future proof their computer investment dollars are switching over to Apple to avoid
the MS Vista hassles.} Apple's doing well in the high-rent district of the computer industry, according to NPD. On Friday eWeek published some data confirmed by NPD that reveals Apple now owns 66 percent of the U.S. retail market for personal computers that cost more than $1,000. Its percentage of the U.S. retail market in general is 14 percent, according to NPD. Apple only sells one Mac below $1,000--the Mac mini--so it's not all that surprising that it would do well in that category, given the momentum behind Mac sales over the past year. By contrast, the single largest category of notebooks available at Best Buy--when sorted by price--falls between $700 and $899. And two-thirds of the desktops on the site are priced below $1,000. These numbers don't include an awful lot of sales--such as corporate PCs that account for about half the market, and online-heavy sellers such as Dell-but tend to illustrate trends in the U.S. PC market over time. [article link]
Big Business Starts to Sour on MS Vista - Corporate users may bypass Microsoft's troubled new operating system and hold out for Windows 7 {Avoid MS Vista at all costs if you can. The problems with MS Vista are so numerous and the benefits so few that avoiding the MS operating system is a wise course of action. Amazingly MS Vista is getting worse with each new update and patch.} Microsoft introduced Vista, the latest version of its Windows operating system, in New York City in January, 2007, with dramatic fanfare. Performers hung from a seven-story building to unfurl a Microsoft banner. A rock band blared in the rented-out Times Square theater. The CEOs of Dell (DELL), Toshiba, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) joined Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on stage to celebrate what he called "the biggest launch in software history." But now some high-profile corporate customers are taking a pass on Vista. In the most recent move, General Motors (GM) says it may take a detour around Vista because preliminary tests have turned up so many problems and complications. The automaker may wait for the next version of Windows, due in 2010 or 2011. "We're considering bypassing Vista and going straight to Windows 7," says Fred Killeen, chief systems and technology officer for GM. Many of Killeen's corporate counterparts are similarly vexed by Vista. [article link]
SEC Sues 8 in AOL Revenue Case - have been charged with helping to overstate advertising revenue by more than $1 billion from 2000 to 2002 Six years after a scandal first erupted over AOL allegedly inflating its revenue during its merger with Time Warner Inc., U.S. regulators have concluded their investigation and filed civil-fraud charges against eight former executives. The former executives, including onetime Time Warner Chief Financial Officer John Michael Kelly and AOL's high-profile former deal maker David Colburn, have been charged with helping to overstate advertising revenue by more than $1 billion from 2000 to 2002. Four of the former executives, including Mr. Colburn, who headed AOL's business-affairs unit, have agreed to pay a combined sum of $8.1 million to settle ... [article link]
Affair revelation halts GOP congressman's re-election pursuit - Fossella, who represents Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, is the 30th Republican to announce they would not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives - As a result, Democrats, who hold a 236-199 majority in the House, could see gains in the November election WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A New York congressman who admitted to fathering a child out of wedlock with a woman who bailed him out of jail on a drunk driving charge this month announced Monday that he will not run for re-election. ... Fossella's sudden downfall began soon after midnight on May 1, when he ran a red light in Alexandria, Virginia and was stopped by police. A breath test put his blood-alcohol level at 0.17 percent, more than double the state's legal limit, according to his arrest report. The congressman apologized the next day for what he said was "an error in judgment." A week later, the 43-year-old, married Fossella was apologizing again to his family and constituents because of his secret extramarital affair with Laura Fay. It became public because the police report said Fossella told the arresting officer he was going to visit a sick
daughter when he was stopped, identifying Fay's street as his destination. Fossella told reporters after his arrest that he had been celebrating the Super Bowl champion New York Giants' appearance at the White House with constituents. Fossella first came to Congress in a 1997 special election and has won five full terms since. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush celebrates National (2006) Character Counts Week - During National Character Counts Week, Bush Stumps for Philanderer - President Bush flew here to champion the reelection of a congressman who last year settled a $5.5 million lawsuit alleging that he beat his mistress during a five-year affair "I'm pleased to be here with Don Sherwood," a smiling president told the congressman's loyal but dispirited supporters at a luncheon fundraiser Thursday. "He has got a record of accomplishment." Quite a record. While representing the good people of the 10th District, the married congressman shacked up in Washington with a Peruvian immigrant more than three decades his junior. During one assignation in 2004, the woman, who says Sherwood was striking her and trying to strangle her, locked herself in a bathroom and called 911; Sherwood told police he was giving her a back rub. At a time when Republicans are struggling to motivate religious conservatives to go to the polls next month, it is not clear what benefit the White House found in sending Bush to stump for Sherwood - smack dab in the middle of what Bush, in an official proclamation, dubbed "National Character Counts Week." [article link]
{Flashback} Pollster: Republican "Brand" Needs Repair - The Republican "brand" has been tarnished by corruption and poor performance - pollsters said voters told them the 2006 election was more about competence than war But pollsters said voters told them the election was more about competence than war, scandal or any shift in ideology. They said voters now viewed Democrats as more likely to rein in government spending, cut taxes for the middle class and trim the budget deficit - things Republicans promised when they took control of Congress in 1994. "The image and brand of the GOP and conservatives has taken a hit and needs repair," pollster Neil Newhouse of Public Opinion Strategies told the Republican Governors Association. ... "They (voters) didn't fire us because they don't believe what we believe. They fired us because we didn't do what we said we were going to do," he said. [article link]
Feminists Upset With NARAL Women's Rights Group They Thought Had Hillary Clinton's Back - Particularly upset are leaders of the state chapters who were not consulted before the national board's announcement {People are actually surprised that the largest self serving pro-abortion organization stabbed its best member in the back. There is no fair play or justice among the abortion society leaders it is everyone for themselves, just like the womb warfare they espouse daily.} Last week's endorsement of Obama by the abortion rights group NARAL has prompted a flurry of criticism by feminists upset with the organization for turning its back on Hillary Clinton. Particularly upset are leaders of the state chapters who were not consulted before the national board's announcement. New York NARAL chapter head Kelli Conlin tells The Politico newspaper the move created a firestorm, mystifying everyone - and prompting concerns about alienating NARAL's donor base. At one point there were more than 3,000 comments on NARAL's Web site - most negative. Even Obama supporters profess unhappiness with the endorsement. Conlin says, "The supporters of Obama that I know on our board and in our membership thought it was illtimed and ill-advised and really antithetical to people coming together in common purpose to beat John McCain." [article link]
Justices: Child porn is not protected speech (Justices David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented 7-2) The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a law aimed at preventing child pornography, ruling a provision dealing with "pandering" illicit material does not violate constitutional protections on free speech {If something harms
another individual it is a crime i.e. abortion, rape, incest … crime is not a free speech and neither is there any right in privacy to commit a crime.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a law aimed at preventing child pornography, ruling a provision dealing with "pandering" illicit material does not violate constitutional protections on free speech. ... The "Protect" Act was Congress' latest attempt to control graphic images on the Internet. Previous efforts were struck down by the high court on First Amendment issues. ... "Child pornography harms and debases the most defenseless of our citizens," he said. "This court held unconstitutional Congress' previous attempt to meet this new threat, and Congress responded with a carefully crafted attempt to eliminate the First Amendment problems we [earlier] identified." The Bush administration urged the high court to accept the case, saying the overall impact of the law was being held "hostage to a few hypothetical scenarios." ... Justices David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented. [article link]
McCain Rebuffs Dobson: Will Evangelicals Bolt? - Sen. John McCain's campaign has so far turned a deaf ear to invitations to meet with politically powerful evangelical leader Dr. James Dobson - raising the possibility that the nation's sizable evangelical bloc will sit out the presidential race in November {Christians should always VOTE, we should never disenfranchise ourselves from our vote and by default lose our voice. I'm a newly registered Democrat for this election, that way Republicans can't claim me as a likely voter like they do if you register Independent or Constitution Party. I intend to vote Democrat in this election and likely for Obama, it is more a vote against Bush than for Obama. I'm willing to give Obama a chance that he might be a good President however I think anyone who is pro-abortion and anti-Israel can never truly be a great leader or a great President.} Sen. John McCain's campaign has so far turned a deaf ear to invitations to meet with politically powerful evangelical leader Dr. James Dobson at his Focus on the Family headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., raising the possibility that the nation's sizable evangelical bloc will sit out the presidential race in November. The move would all but assure the election of Sen. Barack Obama, columnist Robert Novak argues in a recent column. Noting that Dobson has indicated he can't support McCain for president, Novak writes that Dobson's opposition to McCain "reflects continued resistance to the prospective presidential nominee among Christian conservatives who are unhappy with McCain's current positions on stem-cell research, immigration and global warming, not to mention his past sponsorship of campaign-finance reform." But conservatives are surprised that, despite the differences between McCain and some key conservatives, McCain hasn't responded to their olive branches and sought meetings. [article link]
Kenny Chesney wins top ACM award, says fan votes should not decide - saying the academy turned the award "into a sweepstakes to see who can push people's buttons the hardest on the Internet" {There is a real trend underway in America where those in charge, in positions of leadership and authority, are now unable to make public decisions so they pawn off their decision making responsibilities onto others.} LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Kenny Chesney won entertainer of the year for a fourth straight time Sunday, then promptly took issue with the way the Academy of Country Music awarded the honor: through fan votes. ... For the first time in the show's 43 years, the top prize -- traditionally decided by ACM members -- was determined through online voting. ... He said his complaint is directed at the industry, not the fans -- and that the method amounted to "complete disrespect" of the artists, saying the academy turned the award "into a sweepstakes to see who can push people's buttons the hardest on the Internet." Messages left for officials with the Academy of Country Music Awards were not immediately returned Sunday night. [article link]
Obama hijacked phrase from pro-Palestinian friend? - Both called Israel conflict 'constant sore' within days of each other - Columbia University Professor Rashid Khalidi also previously held a fundraiser for Obama - He (Professor Rashid Khalidi) has made repeated statements supportive of Palestinian terror
JERUSALEM - In terming the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a "constant sore" last week, did Sen. Barack Obama borrow the phraseology of a pro-Palestinian activist and harsh critic of Israel who has been described as a friend of the senator? Columbia University Professor Rashid Khalidi also previously held a fundraiser for Obama. He has made repeated statements supportive of Palestinian terror. In a much-quoted interview with the Atlantic, Obama was asked last week whether he thinks Israel is a "drag on America's reputation oversees." Obama replied: "No, no, no. But what I think is that this constant wound, that this constant sore, does infect all of our foreign policy." He went on to say the "lack of a resolution to this problem provides an excuse for antiAmerican militant jihadists to engage in inexcusable actions, and so we have a national-security interest in solving this, and I also believe that Israel has a security interest in solving this because I believe that the status quo is unsustainable. I am absolutely convinced of that, and some of the tensions that might arise between me and some of the more hawkish elements in the Jewish community in the United States might stem from the fact that I'm not going to blindly adhere to whatever the most hawkish position is just because that's the safest ground politically." Obama's remarks, slammed by pro-Israel and Republican organizations, came five days after the Nation magazine published an opinion piece by Khalidi, titled "Palestine: Liberation Deferred" in which the Palestinian activist opened by calling the "Palestinian question" a "running sore." "The 'Palestine Question' has been with us for sixty years. During this time it has become a running sore, its solution appearing ever more distant," wrote Khalidi in the first paragraph of his op-ed. [article link]
China quake shakes faith in school buildings - The first thing you notice about this small town in China's quakedevastated Sichuan province is that every building is standing except one: the primary school {As the jobsite posters say "Good planning is no accident."} WUFU, China (CNN) -- The first thing you notice about this small town in China's quake-devastated Sichuan province is that every building is standing except one: the primary school. ... A few miles away, a government building stands virtually untouched by last Monday's massive temblor. Bi and his wife are among a group of parents who believe their children were killed by a building made of cheap, shoddy materials that rendered the school a virtual death trap. ... According to China's state-run media, government officials have promised to find out why nearly 7,000 school buildings collapsed during last Monday's earthquake, which measured between 7.9 and 8.0 in magnitude. ... Unlike a 1999 earthquake in Turkey, where allegations of widespread corruption in the country's building industry followed an earthquake that killed nearly 20,000 people, one British engineer said nothing he's seen of the Chinese disaster suggests corruption. [article link]
McCain National Finance Co-Chairman Resigns in Campaign Lobbyist Purge - "lobbying firm has collected nearly $15 million from Saudi Arabia since 2002 and millions more from other foreign and corporate interests, including a French aerospace firm seeking Pentagon contracts" WASHINGTON - John McCain's national finance co-chairman has stepped down, becoming the latest adviser to leave the Republican's presidential campaign because of ties to lobbyists. Former Texas Rep. Thomas G. Loeffler, one of McCain's key fundraisers, resigned after the campaign last week instructed staff to disclose all lobbying ties and to make certain they are no longer registered as lobbyists or foreign agents. ... Loeffler lobbies for the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., which with Northrop Grumman Corp. won a lucrative contract to provide air refueling tankers for the Air Force. McCain helped scuttle an earlier contract that would have gone to a competitor, Boeing Co. Newsweek reported over the weekend that Loeffler's "lobbying firm has collected nearly $15 million from Saudi Arabia since 2002 and millions more from other foreign and corporate interests, including a French aerospace firm seeking Pentagon contracts." Lobbying disclosure records also showed that on May 17, 2006, Loeffler listed meeting McCain along with the Saudi ambassador to "discuss US-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relations," even though Loeffler told a reporter last month that he had not discussed his clients with McCain, Newsweek said. [article link]
HolyGhostOnline.com: -- Wings Like A Dove -- Listen (download) over 100 recent revival sermons (Mp3's) Recommended Mp3 -- Wings Like A Dove (Mp3). [article link]
State College Alliance Church - Audio Archive 2007 - 2006 (Mp3's) Welcome to the State College Alliance Church -- We are glad that you took the time to visit! On this site, you will be able to get a feel for the ministry of the church, meet the staff, and check for upcoming events. Please visit the site regularly, as it will be updated with news and upcoming events. We would love to meet you at the church! Come visit and grab a cup of coffee. [article link]
State College Alliance Church - 06/11/2006: [exBiker] Ride for Christ (Mp3's) Recommended Mp3 -- 06/11/2006: Ride for Christ (Mp3) [article link]
State College Alliance Church - 7/08/2007: Chris Cunningham (Mp3's) Recommended Mp3 -- 7/08/2007: Chris Cunningham (Mp3) [article link]
Horizon: Message for Sunday, January 15, 2006 (Mp3's) Recommended Mp3 -- Missions Weekend (John 15 & Romans 1). Guest Speaker: Sabet Kuj. [article link]
SFU: Campus Crusade for Christ - "Win, Build, Send" - (Mp3's) Recommended Mp3 -- Jan 19th - Caryn, Ivan, and Jillian: "Win, Build, Send" - (11.4MB MP3) [article link]
Campus for Christ Western Winter Conference '07 Promo (YouTube) Do you know what God can do through a man or woman willing to live by faith? Not many people do, because living by faith takes commitment: it is a step into the unknown, letting go of the security blanket, trusting Jesus Christ to lead you into a faith adventure. The Western Canadian Winter Conference 2007 could be the next big step for you to experience the adventure that God has planned. It could radically change your life as you worship, pray, learn, grown, witness and celebrate with other Campus for Christ students from Manitoba to BC. Together, you will hear from God and He will challenge you to follow Him into the unknown: the adventure of living by faith. [article link]
Campus for Christ Winter Conference 2006 - ONE HOLY PASSION (YouTube) Highlights of Winter Conference 2006 at Calgary, Alberta [article link]
Cornerstone: CCFC - Study Resources (Mp3 - PDF) This section of the Cru website is a collection of resources for students who are interested in learning about the character of God, leading a small group Bible study, or sharing their faith with friends. [article link]
CCFC: Go Summer Project - (Mp3's) Project students share their own journeys of faith and listen to others share theirs. For many, this is the first time to talk so openly about Christ to others. As they do so, the reality sets in that there are still people inTHIS country who have no idea who Jesus is or what He offers…who don't know a single person who truly follows Christ. Dennis (Staff, 2007 Epic Bay Area Project) ... Project really gave me that urge to go out and spread the Word to everyone. I was only on a week long project but I learned so much...I wish I had chosen a full summer
project. With everything I took from the adventure week I feel a lot more confident in sharing the gospel. 2007 San Diego Adventure Project. [article link]
Campus Crusade Today - CCFC - (Mp3's) Campus Crusade Today gives voice to all of the activity occurring under the Campus Crusade for Christ umbrella of ministry organizations. Its focus is on changed life stories and the salvation experienced through Jesus Christ. Ministry reports come from the Jesus Film, Family Life, Athletes in Action, Heres Life Inner City, Campus Ministries, Crossroads, Gain, and all other CCCI ministries around the world. [article link]
Campus Crusade for Christ CCFC - North Carolina State University MP3 files can be large and take a few minutes to dowload. To save one to your hard drive for later use; right click "Save Target As" and it will save it wherever you want. Load these talks onto your IPOD and listen to them while walking to class, working out, or driving on a trip. You can also listen to them directly from your computer by double clicking on the link. [article link]
Media from Encounter - CCFC - (Mp3's) We're in the process of putting audio and video of the main seminars as well as the break-out seminars on the Audio & Video page. Check out the A/V page first to see which ones we have up and then check back later for the complete list. [article link]
Company to Reprint High School Yearbooks After Head Switching - The high school had required Lifetouch to make heads the same size and eyes at the same level in all student photos, company spokeswoman Sara Thurin Rollin said Saturday - The request was "unusual and definitely very particular, but that's not to suggest what happened here is acceptable" she said Besides the head and body switching, some necks were stretched, one girl's arm was missing, and another girl's head was placed on what appeared to be a nude body, with the chest blurred. A spokeswoman for Minnesotabased Lifetouch National School Studios Inc. said the alterations were "an unfortunate lapse in judgment" by an employee but didn't believe it was malicious. ... Rollin declined to say if the company fired or reprimanded the employee who altered the images. She said Lifetouch is taking full responsibility for the altered pictures, about 30 in all, and will pay to have the publication reprinted before the seniors graduate. [article link]
Intel Corp. Announces Winners of World's Largest Pre-College Science Fair - "To see young students from around the world develop innovative solutions to problems confronting society shows the true power of this international science fair" said Intel Corporation Chairman Craig Barrett {It's great to see people who are solving life's problems unlike the Bush administration that puts all of its efforts into creating problems.} Natalie Saranga Omattage of Cleveland, Miss., Sana Raoof of Muttontown, N.Y. and Yi-Han Su of Chinese Taipei were selected from more than 1,550 young scientists from 51 countries, regions and territories for their commitment to innovation and science ... Omattage developed a more efficient and less expensive way to screen for food additive contaminants, including those responsible for the recent deaths of many pets. By developing biosensors based on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), Omattage's research provides a new way for ports and warehouses to more thoroughly screen for food additives and other contaminants that could be found in food imported into the United States. Raoof's research provided new insight into how a better understanding of mathematical knot theory could help resolve classic biochemical problems. Specifically, her work focused on the Alexander-Conway polynomial invariant for chord diagrams to help prove how to classify molecules on a structural basis. Su focused her efforts on identifying a high-activity catalyst that could improve
methanol reforming reactions in order to generate hydrogen more efficiently. In doing so, Su has developed a method that can be used to improve the homogeneity of metal mixing and increase the surface area of catalysts which can also be used for the synthesis of other multi-composition materials with high homogeneity. "To see young students from around the world develop innovative solutions to problems confronting society shows the true power of this international science fair," said Intel Corporation Chairman Craig Barrett. [article link]
{Flashback} Impoverished Haiti has sugar (cane charcoal) to burn - Engineers: Cane charcoal could help solve cooking fuel problems Given that challenge, the D-Lab's engineers began sifting through -- and burning -- garbage. They ultimately settled on sugar cane, a common crop in Haiti. "Sugar cane [waste] works well because it's not used for anything else [and] there's no real nutritional value for it," said Smith. "And the charcoal that it produces is pretty good." ... The engineers were able to create a charcoal that could be produced easily and at low cost. ... The advantages of sugar cane charcoal include improved taste, availability and economics, Smith said. [article link]
Cleaning her mountains one bottle at a time - "The parks surrounding the school were littered with plastic bottles and beer bottles" recalls Salva - So Salva began Esperanza de Vida in 1997 to organize and lead young participants in "making our streets and our environment cleaner" {This is an incredible Church outreach opportunity to clean up graffiti, fix vandalism and pick up trash (use gloves and a trash tongs if you can). Graffiti, vandalism and trash are very demonic elements and are used by the occult as invitations to commit crime and to decay-destroy society.} TILCARA, Argentina (CNN) -- Carmen Salva's mission may be ambitious, but her belief is simple: "It's never too early to start caring for the land you live in and grow up in." That's why on Saturdays, Salva and a group of 60 to 100 students, parents and teachers can be found venturing into the high altitude of their northern Argentina mountains, trash bags in hand and llamas in tow. They're part of Esperanza de Vida (Hope for Life), Salva's youth environmental group that is out to clean up the surroundings, one plastic bottle at a time. ... "We have a lot of issues to work on -- the problem of water contamination; there's so much trash," Salva says. "We can't just think that it will take care of itself." ... "The parks surrounding the school were littered with plastic bottles and beer bottles," recalls Salva. They began volunteering with a government program, collecting and bagging waste in the area. But the program waned after a year, and students and teachers could no longer continue their environmental efforts. "Our city had no formal recycling program or even knowledge of why it was important to learn about fresh water, forestation, and the importance of recycling," says Salva. So Salva began Esperanza de Vida in 1997 to organize and lead young participants in "making our streets and our environment cleaner." [article link]
Pain at the pump - Paying for gasoline easily tops the list of economic woes facing families in the United States, according to a survey on how changes in the economy have affected people's lives - The Arabs are using their money to buy up cheaper American assets, and to corrupt our political system, and to control the world with their vast wealth - Both the Clinton and the Bush family are heavily involved in making money from Arab oil sheiks - It has been reported that Jimmy Carter has accepted huge amounts of Arab money WASHINGTON - Paying for gasoline easily tops the list of economic woes facing families in the United States, according to a survey on how changes in the economy have affected people's lives. ... It is erroneous to claim that the high price of oil is cause by free market factors. the price of oil is high because the price is controlled by a cartel. It is true that the petroleum is purchased bat auction in a free market, but the supply is strictly regulated. When the Arabs want oil to go up in price, they simply slow the taps, causing relative shortages in the market. When they want the price to fall, they open the spigots.The oil sheiks know when to buy and to sell oil futures. The Opec bigwigs and their friends and lackeys throughout the world are getting rich on the oil inflation... and the USA dollar had dropped drastically because of inflation caused by the rapid rise in energy
costs. The Arabs are using their money to buy up cheaper American assets, and to corrupt our political system, and to control the world with their vast wealth. Saudi Arabia is the biggest supporter of terrorism throughout the world, and has been so for over 50 years. Both the Clinton and the Bush family are heavily involved in making money from Arab oil sheiks. It has been reported that Jimmy Carter has accepted huge amounts of Arab money as our "Ex President for Sale". Many ex State Department cadre have rich jobs from Arab Oil Sheikhs...legal post retirement payment for services rendered while in office. We need a President who will break the back of the oil cartel, and force a free market to control prices. Posted by Milton Fried, MD | April 30, 2008 10:11 PM. [article link]
Obama blasts Bush, McCain over 'attacks' - Obama said McCain and Bush have to answer for Iran's benefiting from the invasion of Iraq, Hamas' gaining control of Gaza and Iran's continued funding of terrorist organizations, all of which, he said, have affected U.S. security "That's the Bush-McCain record on protecting this country" WATERTOWN, South Dakota (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama linked Sen. John McCain Friday with what he called "the failed policies" of the Bush administration, accusing the presumed Republican presidential nominee and the White House of "bombastic exaggerations and fear-mongering" in place of "strategy and analysis and smart policy." "What we've done over the last eight years does not work," the Democratic front-runner said. ... But Obama said McCain and Bush have to answer for Iran's benefiting from the invasion of Iraq, Hamas' gaining control of Gaza and Iran's continued funding of terrorist organizations, all of which, he said, have affected U.S. security. "That's the Bush-McCain record on protecting this country," [article link]
Multinationals make billions in profit out of growing global food crisis - Globalist companies are borrowing the speculative tactic by which crude oil prices have been driven upward for driving up global food prices -- 100 million people are hungry and on the edge of starvation! Giant agribusinesses are enjoying soaring earnings and profits out of the world food crisis which is driving millions of people towards starvation, The Independent on Sunday can reveal. And speculation is helping to drive the prices of basic foodstuffs out of the reach of the hungry. The prices of wheat, corn and rice have soared over the past year driving the world's poor - who already spend about 80 per cent of their income on food - into hunger and destitution. ... Cargill's net earnings soared by 86 per cent from $553m to $1.030bn over the same three months. And Archer Daniels Midland, one of the world's largest agricultural processors of soy, corn and wheat, increased its net earnings by 42 per cent in the first three months of this year from $363m to $517m. The operating profit of its grains merchandising and handling operations jumped 16-fold from $21m to $341m. [article link]
Chambliss: Bush veto of farm bill a 'huge mistake' that could hurt McCain {Bush only wants to help out big oil; farmers and workers are not on the Bush agenda.} Columbus, Ga. - U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss said he's told President Bush that vetoing the $300 billion farm bill would be a "huge mistake" that could hurt Republican presidential candidate John McCain in November. "He and I have had a couple personal conversations about that. I think it's a huge mistake for him, politically and otherwise," said Chambliss, a Republican who himself faces re-election this year. Chambliss said he pointed out to Bush that the states in the South and West that gave him his strongest support all had agricultural economies. "These are people that want to vote for John McCain. If they get turned off by Republicans, it's going to make it tough," Chambliss told reporters after a speech to The House and Senate both passed the massive bill this week by veto-proof margins. Both Chambliss and U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson have promised to help override a presidential veto. [article link]
U.S. to suspend oil reserve shipments - Oil falls from record near $128 a barrel as Energy Department says shipments to government oil reserves will end in July {The government seems in no real hurry to fix this crisis. If Bush can't get this runaway oil price under control he should be immediately IMPEACHED and removed from office. Oil prices have skyrocketed, even with the new increased Iraq oil production and exports. The only reason oil prices are out of control is because the oil companies know they have an accomplice in the White House. This is Bush's oil fraud and he should be impeached, convicted, removed from office and imprisoned for his crimes against his country.} NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The government said Friday that it would halt deliveries to the strategic oil reserves, and in quick response, oil prices retreated from a record high near $128 a barrel. The U.S. Energy Department said it would stop delivering oil to government reserves in July. The announcement comes several days after Congress voted to direct the Bush administration to stop the shipment of oil to the emergency reserves. The Energy Department decided not to purchase oil from July to December to protect against liability for unfulfulled contracts should the bill become law, said Megan Barnett, a spokeswoman for the department. Earlier on Friday, oil had risen more than $3 a barrel as Saudi Arabia rejected President Bush's call to increase production, saying there wasn't enough demand from its customers. [article link]
Saudi Arabia Refuses to Increase Oil Production Despite Request From President Bush {Bush doesn't need to go begging hat in hand to the Saudis. The government needs to open up more American drilling and free up more American oil supplies. We have enough oil of our own to ease the oil burden. Oil rich quick Bush just wants to blame the Saudis for this current oil scam. Why didn't Bush ask Iraq to increase production? Bush and the NWO are likely trying to blame Saudi Arabia and possibly making Saudi Arabia a future target while strengthening now radical Iraq and Iraq's new radical ally Iran.} RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The White House says Saudi Arabia's leaders are making clear they see no reason to increase oil production until customers demand it. President Bush was in the oil-rich country Friday to appeal to King Abdullah for greater production to help halt rising gas prices in the United States. But his national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, says Saudi officials stuck to their position that they already are meeting demand. [article link]
Wikipedia: Arctic Refuge drilling controversy - The question of whether or not to allow drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has been a political football for every sitting American president since Jimmy Carter - The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is just east of Prudhoe Bay in Alaska's "North Slope" which is North America's largest oil field Estimates of oil reserves -- A 1998 United States Geological Survey (USGS) study indicated at least 4.3 billion (95% probability) and possibly as much as 11.8 billion (5% probability) barrels (0.9 to 2.5 km³) of technically recoverable oil exists in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 1002 area, with a mean value of 7.7 billion barrels (1.7 km³). In addition, in the entire assessment area, which covers not only land under Federal jurisdiction, but also Native lands and adjacent State waters within three miles (5 km), technically recoverable oil is estimated to be at least 5.7 billion (95%) and as much as 16.0 billion (5%) barrels (0.7 to 1.9 km³), with a mean value of 10.4 billion barrels (1.2 km³). Economically recoverable oil within the Federal lands assuming a market price of $40/barrel (constant 1996 dollars - the highest price included in the USGS study) is estimated to be between 3.4 billion (95%) and 10.4 billion (5%) barrels (0.5 to 1.7 km³), with a mean value of 6.8 billion barrels (1.1 km³).[3] (current market prices are over $120 and using inflation rate between 1996 to 2007 it comes out to $89 dollars in 1996). The U.S. consumes about 20 million barrels (3,200,000 m³) daily. If the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil reserves were used to supply 5% of the U.S. daily consumption -- most is imported from Canada (19%), Mexico (15%), Saudi Arabia (11.5%), Nigeria (10.5%) and Venezuela (10.5%)[11] -- the reserves, using the low figure of 4.3 billion barrels (680,000,000 m³), would last approximately 4300 days, or almost 12 years. Using the high estimate, the reserves would last approximately 11800 days, or 32 years. Total oil independence at 20
million barrels per day (using the before mentioned 10.5 billion barrel mean) would only supply the United States for 525 days (or less than a year and a half, but this complete supporting is impossible). Using the increasing price of oil this supply (with 10.5 billion barrel mean and crude oil at over $120 a barrel) would be worth 1,260,000,000,000.00 ($1.26 trillion). Using this revenue directed back creating wind power and solar power plants could supply more than a quarter of the domestic energy consumption. [article link]
Other States May Copy New York's Amazon Tax Law - Dubbed the "Amazon" law, it requires Web retailers to collect state sales taxes even if they, like the online retailer, are based solely on the Internet with no physical presence in the state Several other states are taking notice of New York's new sales tax law. Dubbed the "Amazon" law, it requires Web retailers to collect state sales taxes even if they, like the online retailer, are based solely on the Internet with no physical presence in the state. Seattle-based Amazon.com has filed a lawsuit, claiming the law is unconstitutional because it would hinder interstate commerce. Amazon isn't saying whether it will also ask a judge to bar collection of the tax until its suit is heard. But with the law scheduled to take effect June 1, time to take that legal step is running out. Legal arguments and strategies aside, collection and enforcement would be a logistical nightmare. The state sales tax in New York is 4%, but it's higher in New York City, for example, where the sales tax is 8.375% -- and there are 78 different tax jurisdictions in this state alone. [article link]
{Flashback} Numerous taxation schemes to finance the UN are being considered - "We must strengthen the United Nations as a first step toward world government" - Walter Cronkite, famous CBS news anchor A powerful network of Americans in government, and business, academia and media have conspired to empower the UN. One noteworthy "insider" is David Rockefeller -- head of the superrich family that donated the ground for UN headquarters. He told an elite group in Germany in 1991: "We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time magazine... whose directors have attended our meetings and have respected promises of discretion for almost 40 years. It would have been possible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to... publicity during those years. But the world is now more sophisticated and prepare to march towards a world government." Here is a sampling of what other globalists have said: -- "We must strengthen the United Nations as a first step toward world government." - Walter Cronkite, famous CBS news anchor -- "Nationhood as we know it will be opsolete, all states will recognize a single, global authority." - Strobe Talbot, Former Deputy Secretary of State ... And there would be no Congress to limit the UN's appetite for your tax dollars. [article link]
{flashback} U.S. won't cede control of (Internet) Net computers [to the UN] - The U.S. government said Thursday it would indefinitely retain oversight of the Internet's main traffic-controlling computers Associated Press, by Anick Jesdanun 6/30/2005 NEW YORK - The U.S. government said Thursday it would indefinitely retain oversight of the Internet's main traffic-controlling computers, ignoring calls by some countries to turn the function over to an international body. The announcement marked a departure from previously stated U.S. policy... Though the computers themselves - 13 in all, known as "root" servers - are in private hands, they contain government-approved lists of the 260 or so Internet suffixes, such as ".com." [article link]
UN 'bit tax' proposal draws fire - A United Nations proposal for a 'bit tax' to pay for Internet access in developing nations is drawing fire from U.S. lawmakers and high-tech executives While critics said the report may be well-intentioned, they maintained it would have the opposite effect, creating a regulatory structure that could ultimately stifle the Internet's growth. House Majority Leader Dick Armey on Thursday sent a letter to his colleagues in Congress and to President Clinton, urging them to reject the proposal as an "unnecessary and burdensome tax on the Internet." "Every time you turn around, it seems
there is another agency or bureaucracy looking to get its greedy mitts on the Internet through new taxes," the Texas Republican wrote. "U.S. taxpayer dollars should not be used to support UN reports pushing this kind of redistribution policy. I urge the Administration to reject this report and the policy suggestions it makes," the Armey letter states. Armey's opposition to the idea grows out of the GOP conviction that new government regulations will ultimately hurt the Internet, a spokesman said. "We're opposed to any new tax, particularly when you're talking about an industry that has driven the economy," Armey spokesman Jim Wilkinson said in an interview. [article link]
Intellectual Property Watch - UN Events Map Efforts To Narrow Digital Divide, Increase Information Access A cluster of events taking place in Geneva from the 13 to 30 May culminates in the eleventh session of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development, to be held 26-30 May, where there will be a review of progress made on implementing goals outlined by World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), on creating "infrastructure and an enabling environment" for equitable access to information and communications technology. ... Intellectual Property and the Information Society -- Events this week broadly give governments and other stakeholders a chance to come together and report on progress made to date, including on the building of access-related infrastructure, such as purchase of computers or the expansion of broadband network area, and literacy training, either through computer training courses or even basic language training, as often foreign-language literacy is required to access much of the Web. Upcoming meetings of particular interest to intellectual property specialists include a 19 May meeting with UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, discussing access to information and knowledge, and a 22-23 meeting on security and the use of information technology, which is being run by the ITU. A 27 May meeting on South-South technology transfer might also have intellectual property implications. [article link]
The True Story - 1948, Israel, and the Palestinians - at a time when huge numbers of Palestinian Arabs were being actively driven from their homes by their own leaders and/or by Arab military forces, whether out of military considerations or in order to prevent them from becoming citizens of the prospective Jewish state What makes these Jewish efforts all the more impressive is that they took place at a time when huge numbers of Palestinian Arabs were being actively driven from their homes by their own leaders and/or by Arab military forces, whether out of military considerations or in order to prevent them from becoming citizens of the prospective Jewish state. In the largest and best-known example, tens of thousands of Arabs were ordered or bullied into leaving the city of Haifa on the AHC's instructions, despite strenuous Jewish efforts to persuade them to stay. Only days earlier, Tiberias' 6,000-strong Arab community had been similarly forced out by its own leaders, against local Jewish wishes. In Jaffa, Palestine's largest Arab city, the municipality organized the transfer of thousands of residents by land and sea; in Jerusalem, the AHC ordered the transfer of women and children, and local gang leaders pushed out residents of several neighborhoods. Tens of thousands of rural villagers were likewise forced out by order of the AHC, local Arab militias, or the ALA. Within weeks of the latter's arrival in Palestine in January 1948, rumors were circulating of secret instructions to Arabs in predominantly Jewish areas to vacate their villages so as to allow their use for military purposes and to reduce the risk of becoming hostage to the Jews. By February, this phenomenon had expanded to most parts of the country. It gained considerable momentum in April and May as ALA and AHC forces throughout Palestine were being comprehensively routed. On April 18, the Hagana's intelligence branch in Jerusalem reported a fresh general order to remove the women and children from all villages bordering Jewish localities. Twelve days later, its Haifa counterpart reported an ALA command to evacuate all Arab villages between Tel Aviv and Haifa in anticipation of a new general offensive. In early May, as fighting intensified in the eastern Galilee, local Arabs were ordered to transfer all women and children from the Rosh Pina area, while in the Jerusalem sub-district, Transjordan's Arab Legion likewise ordered the emptying of scores of villages. As for the Palestinian Arab leaders themselves, who had placed their reluctant constituents on a collision course with Zionism in the 1920's
and 1930's and had now dragged them helpless into a mortal conflict, they hastened to get themselves out of Palestine and to stay out at the most critical moment. Taking a cue from these higher-ups, local leaders similarly rushed en masse through the door. High Commissioner Cunningham summarized what was happening with quintessential British understatement: You should know that the collapsing Arab morale in Palestine is in some measure due to the increasing tendency of those who should be leading them to leave the country. . . . [article link]
Bin Laden urges Muslims to liberate Palestine - In a message entitled "The Causes of Conflict on the 60th Anniversary of the State of Israeli Occupation" bin Laden reiterated jihadist opposition to the existence of the Jewish state {That is some extravagant message title, who titled and wrote that message Osama Bin Laden or a Harvard Lawyer? My money is on the lawyer especially if the lawyer was a member of the Skull & Bones Society. There is little if any proof that Osama Bin Laden, who was gravely ill before the 9-11 attacks is even alive, his name is just being used by Bush to stir up strife and to continue and expand terrorism so Bush can continue and expand the global war of NWO oppression. ... The photo CNN is displaying is clearly a photoshopped edited image with a thick cutout-outline-line of Bin Laden.} (CNN) -- Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden -- in a blunt new message that coincides with Israel's 60th anniversary -- urged his followers to liberate Palestine, a terrorism analyst told CNN on Friday. In a message entitled "The Causes of Conflict on the 60th Anniversary of the State of Israeli Occupation," bin Laden reiterated jihadist opposition to the existence of the Jewish state and its policies. Bin Laden's audio message, released Thursday, told listeners that "liberating" Palestine should be the aim of every Muslim, according to terrorism analyst Laura Mansfield. The message, played over a still image on jihadist Web sites, runs 9 minutes and 40 seconds. [article link]
Can the GOP Avoid an Election-Day Disaster? - "The political atmosphere … is the worst since Watergate and far more toxic than the fall of 2006 when we lost 30 seats" - cannot seem to shed the deeply unpopular cloak of President Bush {The Republican leadership fools should go to the gas station and spend a fortune to fill up their car because an oil thief Bush is in the White House. Then go and try to find a job that hasn't been outsourced or offshored by the Republican Robber Barons or see what kind of a raw deal they can get in Bush's new military and then look around at our schools and at our society that is in decay and about to crumble. Then I think they will have a little better understanding of why America wants' Bush and the Republicans gone.} GOP leaders are showing signs of panic after the Republican Party lost three straight House seats in what should have been safe territory. Scandal, campaign financing barriers and a mixed message have left the party waiting for the other shoe to drop. But with congressional approval ratings so low, Republicans are also wondering why they can't gain ground against the Democratic majority. "The political atmosphere … is the worst since Watergate and far more toxic than the fall of 2006 when we lost 30 seats," Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., wrote GOP leadership after Democrat Travis Childers won a Mississippi special election Tuesday in a district that had been in GOP hands since 1994. ... So far, Republicans - no matter where they are - cannot seem to shed the deeply unpopular cloak of President Bush, especially at a time when the economy is tanking and the Iraq war continues to claim American lives. [article link]
Why are the Right Wing Talking Heads Pro-Hillary? - I have to tell you, it's really weird to hear Pat Buchanan say positive things about her or any Democrat, for that matter and reading about how she is more electable Is it just me, or is almost every right wing pundit backing Hillary and encouraging her to stay in the race? And failing her getting the nomination, why do they unanimously back her for VP? I find it interesting. Pat Buchanan is on MSNBC right now, as he is every day, bloviating about how she should stay in, she has a chance, it's her right, she's the best, blah, blah. Tucker Carlson, the baby-faced O'Reilly wannabe, is doing exactly the same thing as well as Michael Smerconish. We all know that Rush is pushing Hillary's candidacy, even though he's
recently flip-flopped on "Operation Chaos", his unethical and likely illegal, at least in some states, effort to manipulate primary results. Who else is out there? Well, let's see...neo-con William Kristol just wrote "Hillary Gets No Respect" in his column in the New York Times. Ann Coulter calls Obama the "Manchurian Candidate" who appeals to the "traitor wing" of the Democratic Party. While not an endorsement of Hillary, she and Glenn Beck work almost full time undermining Obama. Sean Hannity continually takes the same tact and just recently won runner up in Olbermann's Worst person segment for his distortions about Obama. John Gibson wrote an editorial piece that she shouldn't quit, and shovels a continuous stream of vitriol against Obama. And so it goes. [article link]
Bush Compares Obama To Nazi Appeasers - President Bush has said repeatedly that he would not insert himself into the presidential race {Bush again stumps for Hillary for President. Bush spends more time trying to get Hillary elected then he does McCain, hum… something is a little strange in Bush land.} President Bush has said repeatedly that he would not insert himself into the presidential race, but that stance changed dramatically today during his trip to Israel. After likening Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Osama bin Laden, Bush compared Barack Obama to Nazi appeasers: ... Obama himself quickly responded to the comparison, calling it a false attack and listing past presidents who didn't think that diplomacy was such a bad idea: [article link]
{Flashback} Bush Says Hillary Clinton Will Be Democratic Nominee - President Bush, breaking his rule not to talk about presidential politics, says he believes Hillary Rodham Clinton will defeat Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries {Why is Bush campaigning for Hillary? The 2008 election is probably as rigged as an old WWF Title Match. Hillary is the ringer and likely McCain, Rudy, Fred or some other Republican sacrifice is destined to lose. Looks like Bush Jr. is playing the same "end game" his dad played when he gifted his 1992 reelection to Bill Clinton.} WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush, breaking his rule not to talk about presidential politics, says he believes Hillary Rodham Clinton will defeat Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries. Bush also predicts that Clinton will be defeated in the general election by the Republican nominee. "I believe our candidate can beat her but it's going to be a tough race," the president said. It has been difficult for Bush to remain silent about the 2008 president race, despite his promises not to be the "prognosticator in chief." He has been talking about the race and handicapping candidates during off-the-record chats with visitors to the White House. He finally went public with his Clinton prediction in an interview for a book by Bill Sammon, a reporter for The Washington Examiner. ... The White House did not challenge Sammon's account. ... Bush said Giuliani's popularity was a sign of how important the terrorism issue is to Republican voters, the newspaper said. It said Bush cautioned against ruling out Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., saying he had managed to revive his campaign after an implosion earlier this year. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton - "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton" he said, referring to how Bill Clinton had followed his father, and Hillary Clinton could follow him - Bush said he checked in with Clinton occasionally {Bush Sr. -- Bill Clinton -- Bush Jr. next is Hillary Clinton, then comes Jeb Bush ... It's just a theory but are you getting the picture?} WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush says Bill Clinton has become so close to his father that the Democratic former president is like a member of the family. Former President George Bush has worked with Clinton to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami and the hurricane disaster along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Asked about his father and Clinton, Bush quipped, "Yes, he and my new brother." "That's a good relationship. It's a fun relationship to watch," Bush said in an interview with CBS News broadcast on Sunday. While attending Pope John Paul's funeral, Bush said, "It was fun to see the interplay between dad and Clinton. One of these days, I'll be a member of the ex-president's club. ... I'll be looking for something to do." ... Bush said he checked
in with Clinton occasionally. "And you know, he says things that makes it obvious - that makes it obvious to me that we're kind of, you know, on the same wavelength about the job of the presidency. Makes sense, after all, there's this kind of commonality," he said. Bush jokingly referred to speculation that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former president's wife, will seek the Democratic nomination for the presidency. He had earlier referred to the former first lady as "formidable." "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton," he said, referring to how Bill Clinton had followed his father, and Hillary Clinton could follow him. [article link]
{Flashback} Exclusive: Dick Morris Says Hillary Will Be America's Next President - In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to slow investigations Barring a Clinton indictment, however, Hillary's White House path is clear for 2008. ... A Big Boost From ... Bush. In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to slow investigations. "In retrospect it will look like a mistake on his part," Morris told NewsMax. "He's treating the scandals as an inconvenience, but that's because of one of the core convictions of the Bush family. They always oppose aggressive action against former presidents." He argues that, though some of the accusations leveled against his ex-boss were "garbage," the 11th-hour pardons were a different matter. "That scandal was very real. And if there is no action on the pardon scandal, Bush will ultimately regret that," Morris predicts. [article link]
{Flashback} THE BUSH-CLINTON DYNASTY - Face it folks: the Bushes and Clintons are political soul mates - the Bushes and Clintons are as close as America has gotten to a crime family dynasty To believe that the Bushes and Clintons are political and philosophical opponents is the height of absurdity. Both have the support and do the bidding of the international elite. Both families are imbedded in secret societies and globalist agendas. And mark my words, the Bushes will be working behind the scenes for a Hillary victory in 2008. I will even be so bold as to say that the Bushes and Clintons are as close as America has gotten to a crime family dynasty. If you are brave at heart, do a little personal research into the connection between these two families and the CIA's infamous "extra curricular" C-130 flights to Central and South America originating in and out of Mena, Arkansas back in the '90's. Barak Obama needs to pray he doesn't get too close to the Democratic nomination. And the American people need to pray for a "Great Awakening," because another four or eight years of the Bush-Clinton dynasty might turn this once-great constitutional republic into just another banana republic. [article link]
{Flashback} THE BUSH-CLINTON DYNASTY - John Mack is not the first Bush supporter to jump on the Hillary bandwagon - Neither will he be the last - The Bushes and Clintons go way back - They have been fast friends for decades That wealthy and influential supporters of G.W. Bush are now supporting Hillary Clinton only surprises those who have not been paying attention. For the rest of us, this is merely par for the course. The Bushes and Clintons go way back. They have been fast friends for decades. Only a closely guarded media cover up has hidden this fact from the general public. As you will recall, George H.W. Bush was President of the United States while William Jefferson Clinton was Governor of Arkansas. During this time, it was very common for the two families (along with G.W. Bush and Laura) to vacation together. This is well-known to those who are familiar with the two families. Yet, the connection between the Bushes and Clintons is much deeper than simple friendship. They share a deep socio-political alliance as well. Remember that it was President Bill Clinton who first proposed what came to be called the USA Patriot Act. Of course, he failed to convince a GOP Congress to approve the measure. However, G.W. Bush succeeded where Clinton failed. Remember, too, that it was President Bill Clinton who gave us NAFTA, something G.W. Bush has not only supported but expanded into the SPP and a burgeoning North American Community. Furthermore, both Bush and Clinton are major players in
the push for amnesty for illegal aliens. And the list just goes on and on. Face it folks: the Bushes and Clintons are political soul mates. Therefore, why should it be surprising that many Bush supporters are now working for the Hillary Clinton campaign? [article link]
{Flashback} The program, which then Gov. Mitt Romney signed into law a year ago Thursday, - includes a requirement that everyone in Massachusetts get some form of health insurance by July 1, 2007 - If they don't, they face a series of increasing tax penalties - That mandate amounts to an "unprecedented expansion of government power" - "In essence, you have Romney embracing 'Hillarycare,' and that doesn't play well on the right" {Mormon Mitt's first move is to sic the IRS and the law on every single person in Massachusetts. I doubt Romney has what it would take to be a good President!} The program, which Romney signed into law a year ago Thursday, includes a requirement that everyone in Massachusetts get some form of health insurance by July 1. If they don't, they face a series of increasing tax penalties.That mandate amounts to an "unprecedented expansion of government power," says Michael Tanner, a health policy expert at the Cato Institute, a libertarian Washington think-tank. The law also created the "Connector," a program for providing low-cost policies aimed at attracting younger and healthier residents who currently do not have insurance. Critics have questioned demands by the Connector's overseers for prescription drug coverage, as well as policies with premiums capped at $200 per month. "There is a likening of this central concept of his _ the Connector _ to managed competition, which was at the heart of the 1993 Clinton health care proposal," Tanner said. "In essence, you have Romney embracing 'Hillarycare,' and that doesn't play well on the right." [article link]
{Flashback} Harriet Miers (helped) Contribute to Hillary's NY Senate Election in 2000 On May 17, 2000, while Harriet Miers was managing the law firm of Locke Liddell from the firm's Dallas office, she contributed $415 to the law firm's political action committee. Federal Election Commission reports show that two days later, Locke Liddell's PAC contributed $1,000 to Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate Campaign Committee. For an unexplained reason, Harriet Miers listed herself as a "self-employed attorney," according to the FEC Report on her 2000 contribution to the Locke Liddell PAC. [article link]
Iranian embassy employees shot in Baghdad - The Baghdad Operations Command, however, reported that an Iraqi army patrol was shot at and returned fire at the SUVs - Iran's state-run Islamic Republic News Agency was blaming the United States for the attack {Bush is literally the failed ghost of Jimmy the dhimmi (conquered by Islam) Carter. Anything that goes wrong in this world is now the fault of the USA. Well done Bush you ruined your own country.} BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iranian Embassy employees and their driver were shot Thursday in a Baghdad incident that some reports said involved Iraqi troops. An Iraqi Interior Ministry official said five employees of the Iranian Embassy were shot and wounded about 9 p.m. in Baghdad. The official said there had been conflicting reports about the shooting. An Interior Ministry report said unidentified gunmen in northern Baghdad fired on two SUVs carrying the five employees and driver, who were transported to an Iraqi hospital. The Baghdad Operations Command, however, reported that an Iraqi army patrol was shot at and returned fire at the SUVs -injuring the embassy workers and their driver, according to the official. ... The agency quoted an Iranian Embassy official as saying the group was traveling to visit the graves of two religious leaders when 16 bullets were fired at their vehicle from another vehicle. ... Iran's state-run Islamic Republic News Agency was blaming the United States for the attack. "U.S. agents carried out terror attacks on Iranian Embassy staff in Baghdad," a bulletin on IRNA's Web site said. [article link]
Exclusive Q&A with Coach Wei - Chairman, Founder & CTO of Nexaweb - Web 2.0 (the 2nd version of the internet) brings a fundamental computing paradigm shift - "Enterprise 2.0" pertains to the collaborative aspects of "Enterprise Web 2.0": blogs, wikis, mashups, etc. AJAXWorld Magazine: Still on the subject of names and industry segments, how would you distinguish between "Web 2.0," "Enterprise Web 2.0", and "Enterprise 2.0"? Coach Wei: "Web 2.0" is an umbrella term that covers a new level in terms of the user's experience of web applications and the life experience due to the deep penetration of the Internet into our society. The rise of AJAX (JavaScript + XML = AJAX) and its ability to deliver continuous high fidelity applications typifies the "Web 2.0" user experience, while consumer sites such as Facebook, YouTube and MySpace exemplify the life experience. Their impact on our business lives is going on quietly behind the scenes and, I predict, it will create even more of a transformation than it has for the consumer sites. "Enterprise Web 2.0" refers to the adoption of "Web 2.0" into the business arena. Beyond the obvious collaborative solutions like blogs, wikis, social bookmarking and social networking, "Enterprise Web 2.0" brings a fundamental computing paradigm shift that can only be compared to the changes from servercentric computing via mainframes, to client-centric computing via the PC/desktop, and back to server-centric computing in the form of Web 1.0. The "Web 2.0" computing architecture is neither server-centric nor clientcentric; rather, it is an "architecture of partition" that enables developers to choose the right architectural partition for applications. "Enterprise 2.0" pertains to the collaborative aspects of "Enterprise Web 2.0": blogs, wikis, mashups, etc. There is no reason that "Enterprise 2.0" should be restricted to these aspects only. [article link]
Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar's Dream (Daniel 2:1-49) - "Now I will tell you what it means" said Daniel - "But one day, God is going to put an end to all the kingdoms on earth - God will put His Holy Mountain in their place, and from there God will rule, and His Kingdom will have no end" (PDF) "That's it!" cried the king. "Now I will tell you what it means," said Daniel. "The statue with its head of gold, chest of silver, waist of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay - these are all the kingdoms of the people on earth. Your kingdom is the head of gold. It is a great and glorious kingdom. But it won't last forever. Another kingdom will come. It won't be as great as yours. That is the statue's chest of silver. After that will come the kingdom of bronze, after that, the kingdom of iron, and finally, the kingdom of iron and clay. "But one day, God is going to put an end to all the kingdoms on earth. God will put his Holy Mountain in their place, and from there God will rule, and his kingdom will have no end." King Nebuchadnezzar fell to the ground. He knew that this was a message from God. He said to Daniel, "Now I know that your God is the one, true God, the one who knows all mysteries, and the King who rules over all the kings of the earth." [article link]
Kids Pages coloring and puzzles - Bible Story 156 NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM - DANIEL 2:1-49 (PDF) "Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?" DANIEL 2:25-26 ... Daniel was brought before the king and said, "There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the __ [latter, last] days." DANIEL 2:28 [article link]
***NWO Alert*** Irish Finance Minister (FM) warns against EU 'no' vote - Ireland's finance minister said Wednesday that a rejection of a new EU treaty in an Irish referendum next month would be a step backward for his country's economy - creating a new post of EU president {EU getting bigger, bolder and taking more power, welcome to the New World Order (NWO) whether you like it or not (Daniel 2:28). Somehow I don't think it will be better financially in the long run but of course the people already have little or no choice thanks to their leaders stripping them of their voice.} BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Ireland's finance minister said Wednesday that a rejection of a new EU treaty in an
Irish referendum next month would be a step backward for his country's economy. ... The new EU treaty would clear the way for the European Union's executive office to pass more decisions by majority -- rather than unanimous -- vote, and would raise the bloc's profile on the world stage by creating a new post of EU president. Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said he believed Irish voters would see the advantages of approving the treaty, stressing that there was strong Irish support for European projects such as the euro currency. "For me, a 'No' vote is a step into isolationism for Ireland," he said. "When people reflect on the current position of the Irish economy, they see how important it is to deepen and strengthen our international position. "A decision by the Irish people not to ratify the treaty ... would send a very clear signal to those who have traded with us in Europe," he said. As part of the euro-zone, Ireland no longer controls its own interest rates and its economy has not been helped by the European Central Bank's refusal to follow the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of England in slashing borrowing costs to stoke slowing growth. [article link]
'King of the City' (monopoly) Journalism Is All the Rage - What kind of impacts might such rapidly changing ownership portend: - All roads may lead to Yahoo - AP may be a pivotal chip in the new game - AP has moved as smartly as a cooperative can, embracing the ideas of web 2.0 Consider the new Big City American journalism and the emerging cast of characters owning it. It's a page right out of the history books when a few well-heeled titans controlled the press, and its new incarnation could have all kinds of implications for the Yahoo Newspaper Consortium, for AP and for journalism start-ups near and far. ... It's funny, isn't it, that pundits hypothesized that the Internet and associated technologies would democratize media and here we are back to the landscape of the early 1900s. Hearsts and Pulitzers and the rest changed journalism, started wars and elected presidents. Now undoubtedly, our media is much more diverse, but arguably getting more concentrated at the top end, where most of the ad revenue is and where the greatest bullhorns are heard. Yes, daily newspapers' businesses are in a world of hurt, but those able to buy low, leverage the assets synergistically with emerging media or subsidize them to meet other business and political goals are in a great position. The brand value associated with the the L.A. Times, the San Jose Mercury News, the Chicago Tribune and Newsday, just to name a few, is still great, and can be harnessed in any ways new owners see fit. [article link]
40DaysForLife.com: I am in complete awe of the unprecedented level of pro-life activity that is stirring all across America and Canada as more than 170 cities actively gear up for this fall's 40 Days for Life campaign 2008 -- at a crucial time when abortion is back at the top of the news headlines and in the forefront of the heated political debate (Mp3) We've also learned of many other organizations now joining in 40 Days for Life's call for nationwide prayer, fasting, and action: The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION has joined the call, asking all believers to unite together in the 2008 September 24 - November 2 season of prayer and fasting. ... This fall is not only going to be the largest and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history, it could also be one of the largest unified 40-day seasons of prayer and fasting in North America during our lifetime. WOW! Who would have ever believed that this would go from one simple idea to a worldwide movement - in just ONE YEAR……But, by the grace of God, it has. And YOU can help shape history by participating! [article link]
Microsoft's Renewed Vista Strategy {Microsoft is winning the battle in getting people to spend hundreds of their hard earned dollars to upgrade to MS Vista but Microsoft is losing the war in that people are so displeased with Microsoft and Microsoft products that as soon as there is an alternative they are gone forever. Apple, Linux and Solaris are very close to becoming real replacements to MS software.} It is eighteen months since Windows Vista was launched with the slogan "The 'Wow' starts now." Far from wowing users, however, Vista left them cold. They were unhappy with its speed, with compatibility issues and
with what seemed like gratuitous changes to well known functions. All through 2007 and into 2008 the beat-up continued and Microsoft's rivals, most notably Apple with its engaging comparison advertising, made hay with little effective response from Redmond. Microsoft, a company once renowned for its marketing and for swift PR responses to even the mildest slight, seemed to have lost its mojo. ... Meanwhile, much of the noise out of Seattle is now about Vista's successor, Windows 7, leading some to suggest it's all over for Vista and even Microsoft has moved on. And doesn't that pull the rug from under Green and his efforts to shift perceptions of Vista? Not so, Green says. Microsoft has learned from its Vista experience and one of the things it has learned is to shorten the time between operating system releases -- hence the noise about Windows 7. Shorter cycles will also mean users won't be exposed to huge changes when they upgrade, he says. Another reason why Microsoft is talking about Windows 7 is that it is engaging much more with the Windows "ecosystem" over the development of the new operating system, including independent software vendors to preempt future compatibility problems. [article link]
Japanese Expert: North Korean (Dictator) Leader Kim Jong Il Died in 2003 - Expert on North Korea claims that (Dictator) Kim Jong Il -- pictured in 2001, left, and 2006 -- actually died in 2003 and has been replaced by a look-alike {We briefly lived in the 'information age' which soon gave way to the 'age of deceit' but now we have entered into the 'age of conjure' where deceit, lies and manipulations have given way to outright fabrications [i.e. fake leaders, 'Osama bin Laden'] where dis-information is intentionally conjured up like a magical spell at Disneyland and passed off as truth to an unsuspecting audience.} (Photos) Is Kim Jong Il for real? The question has baffled foreign intelligence agencies for years, but a veteran Japanese expert on North Korea says the "dear leader" is actually dead - and his role is played by a double. The expert says Kim died of diabetes in 2003 and world leaders, including [Bush], Vladimir Putin of Russia and Hu Jintao of China, have been negotiating with an imposter. He believes that Kim, fearing assassination, had groomed up to four look-alikes to act as substitutes at public events. One underwent plastic surgery to make his appearance more convincing. Now, the expert claims, the actors are brought on stage whenever required to persuade the masses that Kim is alive. [article link]
Palin has party revved for victory - They are more fired up than they've been since Ronald Reagan's Morning in America in 1980 - Sarah Palin won the hearts and hopes of a party that had, six months ago, resigned itself to losing this election The Republicans are, to swipe a phrase from that other campaign, all fired up and ready to go. They are more fired up than they've been since Ronald Reagan's Morning in America in 1980, only this time their hopes are pinned not on a controversial former California governor but a controversial Alaska governor. The GOP, per its convention, is running a hiding-in-plain sight, anti-incumbent incumbent campaign that essentially has it running against itself, which isn't half as painful as its sounds and which, in many corners of America, may just work. In St. Paul last week, Sarah Palin won the hearts and hopes of a party that had, six months ago, so resigned itself to losing this election that it was willing to hold its nose and run the bete noir of both the farright opinionators and the party's Capitol Hill gang, John McCain. But Palin, the 44-year-old cheerily telegenic, ideologically orthodox vice-presidential nominee, delivered a speech Wednesday night that was such an Obama-knocking stem-winder that, watching the ecstatic faces in the crowd as she spoke, you could almost hear what they were hearing: "Wah wah wah WIN...wah wah wah WIN..." [article link]
Liberal Meltdown - With the nomination of Barack and Sarah, three major industries and shibboleths of the left, feminism, racism and the media are losing their clout, big time In a delicious stroke of cosmic justice, it seems that the left, not the earth, is in meltdown stage. The sacred pillars of liberal orthodoxy are in the process of losing their underpinnings and it is not a pretty sight. With the nomination of Barack and Sarah, three major industries and shibboleths of the left, feminism, racism and the
media are losing their clout, big time. The feminists who have preached against the 'social construct' of male patriarchy and female victimhood have achieved their stated goal, and they're furious. After 40 years, the feminist mantra that a woman can and should have it all, has come to fruition in Sarah Palin. There's only one small problem. Palin doesn't buy into the feminist line. As Peggy Noonan so aptly put it, "she is a feminist not in the Yale Gender Studies sense but the How Do I Reload This Thang way." When feminists see Sarah Palin, they see a woman. When conservatives see Palin, they see a conservative. Who'se sexist? -- Feminists are furiously backtracking on one of their core tenets, questioning whether Sarah Palin has the ability to juggle home and job. Instead of applauding a woman who has it all, they instead question whether she will have time to be VP, what with her family and all. ... The presidential race of 2008 will go down in history as a turning point - as the pivotal event that exposed the shallowness of liberal policies, institutions and people. A mere 5 months ago, the liberals were on the brink of victory. And now… [article link]
NewsBusters.org: Oprah Refuses To Interview Sarah Palin - Are you kidding me? The strongest and most popular voice for women in this country (Oprah) is refusing to interview the first woman nominated to be vice president in 24 years? {The liberal media - Oprah's biased discrimination is really disturbing. If anyone thought there was any semblance of fairness from the established media that mirage is now gone.} She's done multiple events for Barack Obama since announcing her support in late 2007, which apparently has cost her some popularity with her fans. All because he hasn't been on her program since then, does she actually believe that she's not using her show nee fame as a platform? Winfrey certainly used her show as a platform to bash George W. Bush weeks before the 2006 midterm elections when she invited on the New York Times columnist Frank Rich to discuss his hit book about the president. Beyond this, in September 2000, Oprah invited both Al Gore and Bush on her program to discuss their campaigns. As such, it's a tad late for Winfrey to hide behind the fallacy that her sofa is apolitical. With this in mind, as the ABC.com piece stated, Winfrey is taking a risk of looking absurdly biased and hypocritical by refusing to interview Palin especially as her audience is dominated by women: [article link]
**SermonAudio.com: Pursue Peace and Holiness (MP3) Covenant Community Church - A Family Integrated Church where the Word of God is the only certain rule of faith and obedience. We are a Reformed Baptist Church and adhere to the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689. [article link]
Bible verse: Joshua 5:12-15 Joshua went unto Him (Jesus), and said unto Him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And He (Jesus) said, Nay (neither); but as Captain of the Host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship {God does not choose sides as God has His own plan and His own agenda. His plan and His agenda is to reconcile (cross) sinful mankind back into a relationship with Himself. It is up to us as individuals to get involved in the Captain's (Commander Jesus') plan if we are to be in with 'the Host of the LORD' - the assembled [entourage] army of Jesus Christ.} (The complete Bible is available at www.BasicChristian.net) Joshua 5:12-15 And the manna (bread of the 40 year desert wandering) ceased on the morrow after they (Jews) had eaten of the old corn of the (Promise-Israel) land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of (Israel) Canaan that year. And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with His sword drawn in His hand: and Joshua went unto Him (Jesus), and said unto Him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And He (Jesus) said, Nay (neither); but as Captain of the Host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto Him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is Holy. And Joshua did so. -- Holy Bible. {When in the presence of God (Jesus) both Moses (at
the burning bush) and later Joshua (entering Israel - the Promise land) were instructed by God to remove their sandals. It is the same for us when we are in the presence of God (Bible, prayer, fellowship) to remove our sandals. The sandal (footware) is a covering for the soul of the foot 'the walk' when in God's presence the covering (doubt, disbelief) any hindrance to accepting what God has to say is to be removed from us as God is to be allowed to speak directly to us, directly into our spirit and directly into our soul.} [article link]
McCain throws Obama for loop - how Sen. John McCain has overcome political odds against him - the concept known as OODA [Pray](observe, [Pray] orient, [Pray] decide, [Pray] act)[Pray] loop in decision making and performance in a fast-paced, changing environment {Unless our decisions are being orientated towards God (Biblically based) and God's plan there is no reason to even spend the energy the time or the resources in what will ultimately be a wasted venue. However getting orientated to what God has for our life will make for many ultimate, fulfilling and eternally unstoppable accomplishments.} Col. John Boyd was an ace fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. He fought in Korea and Vietnam, helped design F15 and F-16 jet fighters, and is revered within military circles as a strategist who conceived an entirely new way of conducting war or doing business. Robert Coram's biography of Boyd is a riveting story of an eccentric genius breaking new frontiers in a discipline and profession far removed from concerns of the general public. Even a passing acquaintance with the late John Boyd would help in knowing how Sen. John McCain has overcome political odds against him. -- Boyd developed the concept known as OODA (observe, orient, decide, act) loop in decision making and performance in a fast-paced, changing environment. The ingenuity of OODA loop is the formula for rapid assessment and response to events or opponents in gaining advantage in dynamic situations. This ability to assess and outpace opponents has been a key factor in McCain's progress as a politician not ideologically stuck to partisan politics, and being readily open in adapting to new information. [article link]
A Priest's (Father Jonathan Morris) View of the Palins - I have felt a growing obligation to say why Governor Sarah Palin and her family have won my utmost respect In the best of worlds, I would leave most discussion of a politician's family matters to the privacy of the home. But over the last few days I have witnessed such meanness, such venomous politicking, such childish gossip all, of course, in the name of news reporting- that I have felt a growing obligation to say why Governor Sarah Palin and her family have won my utmost respect. It's mostly about comparison. As a priest, families often ask me to help them through personal situations like Bristol's teenage pregnancy. So when I think of Bristol's case, I immediately think too of Molly, Jenny, Amy, Christy, and so on….how they and their families responded to the same life-altering reality. As you read along, consider this: how a family fares in such a challenge is mostly about good instinct and character. A family that thinks as family and has lived as family will almost always come out of the test being more family for it. More love. More trust. More loyalty. More "us" and less "me." From my perspective, here are a few things that show the Palin's are a very special family: ... God bless, Father Jonathan. Father Jonathan Morris is author of the new book, "The Promise: God's Purpose and Plan for when Life Hurts". For information go to www.fatherjonathan.com. [article link]
Joe Biden [abortion-minded Catholic]: no plans to prosecute Bush - Biden said it is Congress -- not a potential Obama administration -- that is investigating the White House - And he denied today that an Obama administration would launch criminal investigations against the 43rd president of the United States {Biden is deep seated Washington D.C. politics, he is bought, sold and owned by special interest groups like the Bush family. Joe Biden is the opposite of change. Biden would be a VP like G.H.W. Bush was a VP to Reagan where Bush stabbed Reagan in the back every chance he could. There is a Reagan aide (talk radio) quote where Reagan's biggest regret was his being talked into letting Bush Sr. join his administration.} The story first broke in London's Telegraph newspaper, under the headline "Barack Obama would consider charging Bush administration over Guantanamo." The article described a campaign event in Deerfield, Fla., in
which, according to the Telegraph, vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said: "If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation, they will be pursued, not out of vengeance, not out of retribution, out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no attorney general, no president -- no one is above the law." Asked about the comment this morning on Fox News, Biden said it is Congress -- not a potential Obama administration -- that is investigating the White House. And he denied today that an Obama administration would launch criminal investigations against the 43rd president of the United States. [article link]
Palin strikes back at critics - Today she is the most talked-about woman in the world and with good reason Palin turned out to be an electrifying mix of intelligence, passion, energy, optimism and plain speaking - the choice of Palin looks absolutely inspired {I'm convinced that God gave America and the Republican Party a gift in Sarah Palin. The Peggy Noonan Republican Party is broken and almost unfixable but with real Conservative values comes real hope! God Bless America!!!} Today she is the most talked-about woman in the world. And with good reason. Sarah Palin's sensational performance at the Republican Party Convention may turn out to be the tipping point of this rollercoaster American election. Obama fans hoping she would fluff her big night were in for a nasty shock. This speech has turned the election upside down. It was simply stunning. Democrats and their Lefty media backers had been sneering that she was a small town nobody, a hick from the Alaskan sticks put into a job way beyond an inexperienced woman. Believe me, you will not be hearing that again. Palin turned out to be an electrifying mix of intelligence, passion, energy, optimism and plain speaking. ... For an unpopular party divided over Iraq and struggling to compete with Obama's Messianic glamour, the choice of Palin looks absolutely inspired. ... The irony, as Palin pointed out, is that liberal media sniping has only succeeded in uniting Republicans behind her. The wagons have been drawn up and the Republicans are ready for battle. The McCain-Palin ticket now looks in exciting shape. [article link]
McCain/Palin nominated - Republicans formally declared John McCain their presidential candidate {It's official John McCain & Sarah Palin. God Bless Them!! God Bless America!!} Republicans formally declared John McCain their presidential candidate ... McCain locked up the nomination with a roll call vote late Wednesday at the Republican National Convention. Republicans hope the veteran senator with a reputation as a maverick can overcome the legacy of George W. Bush and give their party four more years in the White House. ... McCain, 72, is scheduled to accept the nomination in a speech Thursday night. [article link]
Sarah Palin receives rousing welcome at 2008 Republican Convention {Just watched (on the internet) Sarah Palin give her magnificent speech. John and Cindy McCain seem to be very happy with the Palin VP pick. John McCain has never appeared happier or more comfortable then since he announced Gov. Palin as his VP. I think McCain knows that the Palin family has his back and that he can trust them, also it's good to see the way John McCain and his staff have stepped in for his VP and have supported her.} Sarah Palin took a very public swat at her critics Wednesday night in St. Paul, using her debut performance at the Republican National Convention to scold the media for questioning her credentials and cast Barack Obama as two-faced. The first-term Alaska governor, tapped Friday to be John McCain's running mate, introduced herself to voters as a small-town Washington outsider and pitched that as an asset. "I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I've learned quickly, these last few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone," she said. "But … here's a little news flash for those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country." [article link]
Media on Palin - a sudden case of 'family values'? - **Vote in our poll - What is the motive behind media attacks on Palin? - I think the Left always takes an opportunity to take a personal crisis and turn it into a policy issue. So this will be no exception Bob Knight, director of the Culture and Media Institute, says it is quite humorous to watch the media "finally discover family values." Knight predicts that in light of the Alaska governor "saying that she's pro-life and her daughter's pro-life, and she decided to keep her Down syndrome baby herself and her daughter is keeping her baby and plans to get married...I think the attempts by the media to paint this as a moral crisis will fail." Knight says in the end, the media "will have egg on its face" because Palin's family has rallied around her daughter and reaffirmed its belief that life is precious. ... At least one TV journalist has suggested that Bristol Palin's pregnancy is a result of her mother's stated promotion of abstinence-only education. Nevertheless, says Knight, "the attacks have already started. Abstinence has been questioned on CBS and other networks, and I think the Left always takes an opportunity to take a personal crisis and turn it into a policy issue. So this will be no exception." [article link]
Christian Band Adam's Road follows a new road for former (Mormon) LDS missionaries - The name refers to the biblical Adam as representing the path all people must take to return to God through Jesus - They don't go out of their way to offend believing Mormons, but do feel an obligation to share their conversion with members of the LDS Church, Matt Wilder says. "As a band, we are not afraid to testify to what we believe" -Holy Bible Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty where with Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke (Mormon/Islam) of bondage. Wilder's awakening began with an evangelical minister's challenge to read the Bible more closely, noting discrepancies between the ancient text and Mormon beliefs. ... They don't go out of their way to offend believing Mormons, but do feel an obligation to share their conversion with members of the LDS Church, Matt Wilder says. "As a band, we are not afraid to testify to what we believe." That approach created a small problem on Sunday Aug. 17 when organizers of Worship '08, a nondenominational Christian concert at Gallivan Plaza in downtown Salt Lake City, suggested that they tone down or eliminate their rhetoric about Mormonism. They refused to play without it and organizers relented. The Rev. Gregory Johnson of Standing Together, a consortium of Utah's evangelical churches that sponsored the event, denied that that was his instruction. "We talked about their Mormon background in our press release," Johnson insisted, adding, "but this is not [just] an ex-Mormon gathering." ... After his conversion, Warren came to see God's love as unconditional and allencompassing. The lyrics resonate well with Wilder's father, Michael, and mother, Lynne, who resigned from the LDS Church in response to their son's prompting after being active Mormons for more [than] three decades. Lynne Wilder gave up a tenured position at (BYU) Brigham Young University. At his son's insistence, Michael Wilder says, he re-read the New Testament and began delving into little-known aspects of Mormon history. "It opened my eyes," he said. "Once I got into Mormon doctrines, I realized this is not what Christ would teach. We are not anti-Mormon, just anti-Mormon doctrine." [article link]
TheEdgeAM.com: August 23th, 2008 - Anthony Hilder 9/11, Conspiracies, Illuminati - As a Documentary Film Producer he (Anthony Hilder) made 9-11 The Greatest Lie Ever Sold, which is now in 23 countries and 7 languages {Anthony Hilder has excellent research but lousy Theology. Hilder obviously has no grasp on Eternity and therefore no real concept of Heaven or Hell or he wouldn't be so multi-religion compromised. - Holy Bible John 14:6-7 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from (Jesus) henceforth ye know Him (Father), and have seen Him.} (MP3) Anthony J. Hilder's ever-present goal is to insight a Revelation to avoid a Revolution & form an Alliance of Independent Tribal, Linguistic, Religious, Political, Ethnic and Racial Nation States in opposition to the United Nations. Hilder is fully cognizant that the world must have an option to the U.N. and the chaos & killing that is
being deliberately directed by this Brotherhood of Death to bring about our control. Hilder is the Producer of 21 Video Documentaries ... As a Documentary Film Producer he made 9-11 The Greatest Lie Ever Sold, which is now in 23 countries and 7 languages. [article link]
On the First Lady (Laura Bush): Is It Just Me . . . This woman--after telling the press she'd never don a hijab on her phony Mid-East breast cancer PR tour--went and donned a hijab - She also hinted--over the years--that she's pro-abortion {Interesting photos of Laura Bush wearing Muslim garb. Laura dressed in the Muslim hood looks more like she is wearing it as a Witchcraft or Skull & Bones hood (robe) an outfit Laura seems to be accustomed to wearing.} (Photos) You think you or I could run a stopsign, commit vehicular manslaughter, and get away with it? Think again. It's negligence, it's manslaughter, and it's not without consequences . . . if you're one of the little people. We'd be ex-cons, if we were even "ex" at this point. Let's face it. This woman--after telling the press she'd never don a hijab on her phony Mid-East breast cancer PR tour--went and donned a hijab and pandered to the future payers of her husband's high-dollar speaking fees and exorbitant Presidential Library: The Gulf State Emirs and Kings. And, just to make sure the future deals are sealed, she also smilingly posed with women in niqabs, or as I call it, "The Full Ninja" (complete face veil). She also hinted--over the years--that she's pro-abortion. And she and hubby surrounded themselves with liberals like Colin Powell and Condi Clueless. [article link]
At youth vote rally, Mike Huckabee says youth vote crucial, remarks on McCain and Palin - "Sarah Palin got more votes in her election as mayor than Joe Biden did in his run for the presidency" {Mike Huckabee is a class act and has been a tremendous Blessing in the 2008 election, especially with his great sense of humor. I will always appreciate the fact that Mike Huckabee was open and honest with his followers particularly when he announced early on that he didn't have a chance at the VP slot.} Mike Huckabee made a surprise appearance Monday at a Republican youth vote luncheon at the Hard Rock Cafe -- introduced by daughter Sarah Huckabee who was scheduled to speak. On McCain and Sarah Palin: Sarah Palin got more votes in her election as mayor than Joe Biden did in his run for the presidency. Sarah Palin has more actual experience in making decisions in two years as a governor then Joe Biden as Senator. ... Huckabee said the current and future elections will have a significant impact among young voters, drawing increased interest today from the youth vote. [article link]
Alaska's Jewish community says Palin 'remarkable' - Cites participation in cultural events, support for Israel's 60th anniversary - Governor Palin had plans to visit Israel with members of the Jewish community, which did not happen yet because of scheduling conflicts Sarah Palin has established a great relationship with the Jewish community over recent years, and has attended several of our Jewish cultural gala events," said Rabbi Yossel Greenberg, Chabad emissary in Alaska. Palin has shown solidarity with Israel by signing a State of Alaska Resolution recognizing Israel's 60th Anniversary and its relationship with Alaska. In the resolution, Governor Palin pointed to Alaska's special connection to Israel dating back to Alaska Airlines' participation in the rescue of 40,000 Yemenite Jews when it airlifted them from Yemen to Tel Aviv during 1948 and 1949. ... Though Greenberg was unequivocal in stating that Chabad representatives do not endorse political candidates, and as spiritual leaders reach out to anyone regardless of political affiliation, he did say, "We all feel that the Governor is a remarkable, energetic, and good person." [article link]
SermonAudio.com: Pursue Peace and Holiness (MP3) Covenant Community Church - A Family Integrated Church where the Word of God is the only certain rule of faith and obedience. We are a Reformed Baptist Church and adhere to the Second London Baptist Confession
of 1689. [article link]
1689 Baptist Confession of Faith - "The Baptist Confession of Faith adopted by the ministers and messengers of the General Assembly which met in London in 1689" the Second London Confession, originally composed in 1677, has ever since been called "The 1689 Confession" This became the most popular confession of Calvinistic Baptists in the English speaking world. It enjoyed editions in Britain in 1693, 1699, 1719, 1720, 1791, 1809. In 1855 C. H. Spurgeon issued a new edition. It was only the second year of his ministry at the New Park Street Chapel. Spurgeon wrote, "I have thought it right to reprint in a cheap form this excellent list of doctrines, which were subscribed to by the Baptist Ministers in the year 1689. We need a banner because of the truth; it may be that this small volume may aid the cause of the glorious gospel by testifying plainly what are its leading doctrines ... May the Lord soon restore unto Zion a pure language, and may her watchmen see eye to eye." He addressed these remarks to "all the Household of Faith, who rejoice in the glorious doctrines of Free Grace." Other British editions have appeared in 1958, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1974. -- In the later 1600's Benjamin Keach and another minister of London published the 1689 Confession with two articles added, one on "the laying on of hands" and another''the singing of psalms". When Elias Keach, son of Benjamin, became a Baptist minister in America in 1688, he became a part of the Calvinistic Baptists who formed the Philadelphia Baptist Association in 1707. Through him the Second London Confession with his father's addenda was adopted by the Philadelphia Association. For years the association appealed to the confession, formally adopting it in 1742. The first edition of the "Philadelphia Confession of Faith" was printed by Benjamin Franklin in 1743. Under this name the 1689 confession became the definitive doctrinal statement of Calvinistic Baptists throughout the colonial and early United States periods. Associations in Virginia (1766) Rhode Island (1767), South Carolina (1767), Kentucky (1785), and Tennessee (1788) adopted the confession. It came to be known in America 85 "The Baptist Confession". Familiarity with the Confession and its doctrines declined in the latter half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. But since God has remarkably revived Biblical Calvinism among Baptists in recent days, interest in this historic confession has been renewed. [article link]
Historic Baptist Documents - Confessions, Catechisms, Creeds Many contemporaries have a deep-seated suspicion of catechisms. In our own Baptist denomination, many would consider the words "Baptist catechism" as mutually exclusive. A popular misconception is that catechisms are used in times and places where inadequate views of conversion predominate or the fires of evangelism have long since turned to white ash. If the Bible is preached, they continue, no catechism is necessary; catechisms tend to produce mere intellectual assent where true heart religion is absent. This concern reflects a healthy interest for the experiential side of true Christianity. Concern for conversion and fervor, however, should never diminish one's commitment to the individual truths of Christianity nor the necessity of teaching them in a full and coherent manner.~An Encouragement to Use Catechisms, Tom Nettles. [article link]
Free Resources for Christian Living and Ministry - Southern Baptist Confessions of Faith - Topics Under Discussion in Southern Baptist Life (An Evangelical Manifesto PDF) First Baptist exists to experience, celebrate, and share God's grace. We affirm six main functions as the means of so doing: Christ-centered Worship, Biblical Instruction, Prayer, World Evangelization, Nurturing Fellowship, and Caring Acts. [article link]
** Labor Day 2008 Project 'Labor with the LORD' Download and Listen to these 76 mp3 files - Then pass along to others these Excellent Short Sermon Messages set to background Music - {All the Mp3's fit on one DVD} (FREE - Mp3's)
I burned many Compilations from the Audio Section on CDs so we can hand them out to people. I had several opinions in which order to place the tracks; I think they turned out good. I give the red one to anyone, but the blue one to younger people because the first track is a bit intense. You can download the entire CD's with the things I printed, the link is below. More information is at the bottom. [article link]
Palin rebuts rumors, says daughter pregnant - some in the mainstream media were pushing a false story about Gov. Palin's most recent pregnancy - PRO-LIFE GROUPS OFFER SUPPORT - head of Americans United for Life, said, "We join them in welcoming this new life" ST. PAUL (Reuters) - The 17-year-old unmarried daughter (Bristol Palin) of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant, Palin said on Monday in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child. ... PRO-LIFE GROUPS OFFER SUPPORT: Palin is staunchly anti-abortion, and pro-life groups welcomed the decision to keep the child. James Dobson, an influential Christian evangelical conservative, said his Focus on the Family group had always counseled young mothers to see their pregnancies through, "even though there will be of course challenges along the way." "That is what the Palins are doing, and they should be commended once again for not just talking about their pro-life and pro-family values, but living them out even in the midst of trying circumstances," he said in a statement. Charmaine Yoest, head of Americans United for Life, said, "We join them in welcoming this new life." [article link]
Hurricane Gustav tests New Orleans levees - The storm was weaker than had been feared - But waves splashed over floodwalls containing the New Orleans Industrial Canal, triggering a tense watch over the barrier system that failed three years ago NEW ORLEANS, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Hurricane Gustav slammed ashore on the U.S. Gulf Coast just west of New Orleans on Monday, hammering the city devastated by Katrina in 2005 with surging floodwaters that threatened its rebuilt levees. The storm was weaker than had been feared. But waves splashed over floodwalls containing the New Orleans Industrial Canal, triggering a tense watch over the barrier system that failed three years ago, flooding 80 percent of the city and stranding thousands of people. Six inches (15 cm) of water pooled in some streets near the canal, and troops prepared to evacuate residents. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the levees had not been breached and city pumps were able to keep up with the flooding. ... A dangerous Category 4 hurricane a few days ago, Gustav hit shore near Cocodrie, Louisiana, about 70 miles (115 km) southwest of New Orleans, as a Category 2 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity, one step below Katrina's strength when it made landfall. Wind ripped through the city, knocking down trees, tearing down shop awnings and bowling trash cans through all but deserted streets. "Gustav doesn't have no punch," pool builder Randall Dreher said, head bowed into the gale. "I went through Katrina and this is totally different. It's weak." About 500,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana, the governor said. [article link]
New Orleans spared a repeat of Katrina · Hurricane downgraded to category two · Levees expected to hold · Bush says emergency planning has improved New Orleans appeared today to have been narrowly spared a repeat of the devastation of Katrina three years ago when Hurricane Gustav weakened in power and veered away to the west of the city in a last-minute reprieve. The hurricane was categorised downwards from force three to two just before it hit land near Cocodrie, a thinly populated town west of New Orleans known for its fishing and oil industries. Dramatic television footage showed waves being forced by winds of up to 110 mph over the tops of the flood defences on the west side of the city, in a worrying echo of what happened in 2005. Power supplies were cut to large parts of New Orleans as falling trees downed electricity lines and flattened several homes. Crucially, though, sea level surges were this time mercifully limited to up to 9ft in some places, markedly less than the 27ft surges
that were seen with Katrina. [article link]
Senator Hillary Clinton Discusses Global Warming with Al Gore {The most suspect thing about this whole charade is that the politicians refuse to mention or acknowledge weather modification Projects like HAARP that are doing more to offset (droughts/floods) the balance of nature than anything else. Taxing every person, every home and every business was the entire agenda there was no agenda to lessen any real crisis.} (YouTube) Adding comments has been disabled for this video. [article link]
AL GORE: Global Warming Testimony {Al Gore the perfect example of a mindless-heartless politician. This is a prime example of how government (government greed) sees itself as the only option and the only alternative to whatever problem or dilemma they want to associate as the crisis of the moment. In Al Gore's world people don't exist, families don't exist only government programs exist. Ten minutes into the video and it's true Al Gore is a main source of Hot Air!} (YouTube) March 21, 2007 - Al Gore testifies to the House Energy & Science committees. ... "....It's become borderline fascism. You can't think anything else. When it gets hotter it's global warming. When it gets colder it's global warming. When everything is global warming then nothng is global warming." ~Dennis Miller. [article link]
Teen daughter of GOP VP pick is pregnant - Bristol Palin, the 17-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin, is pregnant and will keep the baby and marry the father, a senior aide to Sen. John McCain confirmed to CNN - "Senator McCain knew this and felt in no way did it disqualify her from being vice president," said the aide - "Families have difficulties sometimes, and lucky (Blessed) for her she has a supportive family" {The Palin VP selection gives me hope that someone will enter office who has America's family needs on their mind just as much as the American governments' needs. I think that the Government has never seemed to figure out that "families have difficulties" and that life in America is hard. The Government seems to think that instead of it helping us or working with us that we are to be doing everything for the government when in actuality the government needs to be assisting families and helping to create a sustained atmosphere that is both Pro-Person & ProFamily, putting people first instead of putting a global government first.} ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) -- Bristol Palin, the 17-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin, is pregnant and will keep the baby and marry the father, a senior aide to Sen. John McCain confirmed to CNN Tuesday. Republican presidential candidate McCain was aware of Bristol Palin's pregnancy before he chose her mother for his running mate, the aide said. "Senator McCain knew this and felt in no way did it disqualify her from being vice president," said the aide. "Families have difficulties sometimes, and lucky for her she has a supportive family." The 17-year-old, a senior in high school, is about five months along, in her second trimester, according to the aide. The aide said it was decided the campaign would reveal this information now because of rampant Internet rumors that Sarah Palin's 4-month-old baby, who has Down syndrome, was actually Bristol's. [article link]
Summary - Adolf Hitler {The Fascist (controlling-manipulating) Nazi Party at first was very unpopular in Germany. The lesson to learn is that even an unpopular system can be voted into office and it can then easily takeover. That is why the economy (oil prices) and society are manipulated (i.e. terrorist threats) so that unpopular (surveillance) agendas can be introduced against the regular will of the people.} (YouTube) Note: After WWI When Hitler first joined the "Workers Party" Hitler did it as an Army Spy, Hitler was still in the army as a secret agent at the time to spy for the German Government against the Fascist groups but all along or soon after Hitler became a double agent and threw in with the Fascists. [article link]
NAZI GUN LAW(S) - Hitler, afraid the public might oust him, didn't plan to hold more elections - On March 23, 1933, parliament voted to give him emergency powers under the Constitution - There were no more elections in Germany until after World War II - The Nazis were far from being popular with the German people - The Nazis knew that many Germans opposed them -- THE NAZI STYLE GUN CONTROL LAWS WERE ENACTED BY THE FEDERAL CONGRESS AS THE U.S. GUN CONTROL ACT OF 1968 {I was first introduced (at an End Times seminar in 1994 by a Jewish-Christian speaker, also covering the Nazi-USA gun laws) to the idea that America's elected leadership throughout all forms of government in the Local, State and Federal offices were in fact actually working against America and against the individual American citizens curtailing our individuality, our freedoms and our safety. It was this initial information that explained many things about society and brought the light of reality to me causing me to see the world for what it is, a deceptive dangerous place by intent and design of the NWO (Skull & Bones) Satanic AntiChrist agenda. It has been my experience that the Jews are the ones Blessing and helping America and the world especially in the furthering of a civil society and through the many technological gains we are now accustomed to. The Jews are in no way harming or endangering the world the Jews are Blessing it.} Many of us living today were not yet born during the reign of terror of Adolph Hitler and his German Nazi party. Yet, every one of us have been told about the horrors and inhuman crimes perpetrated by the Nazis against select groups of people throughout all of Europe. We refer to Hitler and the Nazis as a group of criminals who took over a legitimate government and turned it into a killing machine. We heave a sigh of relief and thank God that kind of thing could never happen here in America. Germany's Nazis were criminals .... mass murderers. About 12,000,000 civilians were murdered by the Nazis, among them thousands of women and children. Jews and Gypsies were targeted by the Nazis for total extermination. Some died from gassing in concentration camps. Some died from starvation in ghettos. Some were lined up in front of open graves and shot. ... For the Nazis, society was the end, individuals the means, and its whole life consisted in using individuals as instruments for its social ends. Individuals rights were only recognized in so far as they were implied in the rights of the state. The state was conceived as an absolute, in comparison with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived of in their relation to the state. The Nazi state was viewed as an embodied will to power and government. The Nazi's ruled under Police Power. The essential method of the police power is that of regulation, restriction, or prohibition, but not that of taking for public use. This power or means is used where the government does not desire ownership of anything, but wishes rather to control the conduct of individuals. Sometimes regulation is much easier when a license is required. Some courts here in America have held that the taking of a few dollars for licenses, the primary purpose not being revenue, is an exercise of the police power. The courts have held that where "regulation goes too far it will be recognized as a taking." In operation, it may be defined as the power of the state (government) to regulate the conduct of individuals to the point of complete prohibition of certain acts of conduct or even to the destruction of the things involved. This belief in the police power is the theory that animates a number of dictatorial and totalitarian regimes throughout the world today. -- The Nazi Doctrine rejected the whole idea of democracy and representative government. Rules of morality do not apply to the state or to its workers when serving the state (absolute immunity). Fraud, treachery, torture, even murder, are right if committed in the interest of the state (Waco, Texas). The people, incapable of governing, must be led by an "elite," a group or party that is able to seize and to hold power. Freedom of speech, press, thought, and religion must not be permitted; they are foolish democratic ideas, like elections and representative government. The state is not simply a means to attain the welfare of men. Instead it uses men to achieve its higher purpose, and that purpose is nothing less than power, power and more power. To avoid war and seek peace is only democratic weakness. War is the very life of the state in Nazi doctrine. As strange as it may appear, Nazi ideas have been imported into the United States, and have found secret as well as open and avowed recruits among both ordinary American citizens and many elected officials. One need only look to Washington D.C., as well as to elected public servants in the Union States, where you can find many supporters of the Nazi Doctrine. [article link]
ALEX JONES Documentary Filmmaker, Nationally Syndicated Radio Talkshow Host - Jones has produced fifteen documentary films to date exposing the police state, the New World Order and government sponsored terrorism {Alex Jones has good material however he is misleading in his material when he blames Michelle Malkin and Jews in general for what the NWO (Skull & Bones) politicians like George W. Bush and Joseph Biden are doing in their actual support and financing of radical terrorism. Israel is certainly no supporter of Islamic terrorism the way Joe Biden is.} As featured in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Dallas Morning News, The Los Angeles Times, The Austin-American Statesman, and The Austin Chronicle, Alex Jones has created a powerful platform in an attempt to re-create a Bill of Rights, freedom-orientated culture in the face of an ever more federalized and security-obsessed America. Alex Jones broadcasts nationwide on the Genesis Communications Radio Network. ... Alex is known for not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. He combines his media presence with actual physical activism, a practice that once led to him being arrested on the personal order of George W. Bush! ... Jones has produced fifteen documentary films to date exposing the police state, the New World Order and government sponsored terrorism. ... Whether it be Bill Clinton or George W. Bush, Jones pulls no punches in bringing to light corruption on both sides of the political equation. He also points out that the left/right paradigm is a controlling mechanism to get people squabbling about issues of little or no significance. This is why he is respected by liberals and conservatives alike. [article link]
Joe Biden Threatened Cutting Off Aid to Israel - During that committee hearing, at the height of the Lebanon War, Sen. Joe Biden (Delaware) had attacked Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and threatened that if Israel did not immediately cease this activity, the US would have to cut economic aid to Israel Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden sure has some interesting impulses with his famous temper. On Tuesday, we reported on his post-9/11 response of sending a $200 million "blank check" to Iran. In a 1992 Jerusalem Post story, Biden threatened to cut off all aid to Israel unless all settlement activity was stopped: In a conversation with Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, after a sharp confrontation in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the subject of the settlements, Begin defined himself as "a proud Jew who does not tremble with fear" when speaking with foreign statesmen. During that committee hearing, at the height of the Lebanon War, Sen. John [sic] Biden (Delaware) had attacked Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and threatened that if Israel did not immediately cease this activity, the US would have to cut economic aid to Israel. When the senator raised his voice and banged twice on the table with his fist, Begin commented to him: "This desk is designed for writing, not for fists. Don't threaten us with slashing aid. Do you think that because the US lends us money it is entitled to impose on us what we must do? We are grateful for the assistance we have received, but we are not to be threatened. I am a proud Jew. Three thousand years of culture are behind me, and you will not frighten me with threats. Take note: we do not want a single soldier of yours to die for us." After the meeting, Sen. Moynihan approached Begin and praised him for his cutting reply. To which Begin answered with thanks, defining his stand against threats. [article link]
Joe Biden's Response to 9/11: Send $200 Million to Iran - "Seems to me this would be a good time to send, no strings attached, a check for $200 million to Iran" Biden declares {Sen. Joseph Biden and President George W. Bush are from different political parties but both have the same goal, the same cause and are exercising the same NWO agenda in strengthening radical-dangerous Iran.} Senator Joseph Biden was ostensibly chosen by Barack Obama for his foreign policy gravitas. Get a load of this excerpt from the liberal New Republic in the wake of 9/11: At the Tuesday-morning meeting with committee staffers, Biden launches into a stream-of-consciousness monologue about what his committee should be doing, before he finally admits the obvious: "I'm groping here." Then he hits on an idea: America needs to show the Arab world that we're not bent on its destruction. "Seems to me this would be a good time to send, no strings attached, a check for $200 million to Iran," Biden declares. He surveys the table with raised eyebrows, a
How do ya like that? look on his face. The staffers sit in silence. Finally somebody ventures a response: "I think they'd send it back." Then another aide speaks up delicately: "The thing I would worry about is that it would almost look like a publicity stunt." Still another reminds Biden that an Iranian delegation is in Moscow that very day to discuss a $300 million arms deal with Vladimir Putin that the United States has strongly condemned. But Joe Biden is barely listening anymore. He's already moved on to something else. Some facts seem to have eluded the foreign policy specialist: -Iran is Persian, and is therefore not part of the Arab World. -It is the leading sponsor of Global Jihad terrorism, which is the force that struck America on 9/11. Far more serious than the bizarre 'brainstorming' idea is the paradigm it reveals--the universally held notion among Democrats that the proper response to the Global Jihad is gift offerings to Muslim countries to demonstrate goodwill. This is the definition of dhimmi behavior. [article link]
Bush Handed Iraq to Iran & Hezbollah - On this site, I've repeatedly criticized the "free" (one-sided) elections in Iraq, which handed the country over to Iran and Shi'ite extremism - The arrest of Ali Al-Lami [Iran Shiite agent] is blatant evidence of that - Bush [& England] made a big mistake not handing the country over to a benevolent, pro-U.S, [pro-West]. Shah-like Sunni dictator -- Exit Question: How many others like Al-Lami are there in the Iraqi government - Answer: it's swarming with 'em - "Winning in Iraq"? Or Establishing Iran II in Iraq? On this site, I've repeatedly criticized the "free" elections in Iraq, which handed the country over to Iran and Shi'ite extremism. The arrest of Ali Al-Lami is blatant evidence of that. Not only is Al-Lami a top Iraqi official, he was on the Iraqi Elections Commission, which raises questions about election fraud in favor of pan-Iranian Shi'ite parties. Bush made a big mistake not handing the country over to a benevolent, pro-U.S. Shah-like Sunni dictator. ... A senior official in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government was in custody Thursday, suspected of ties to Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias and plotting a June bombing that killed 10 people, including four Americans, Iraqi authorities said. Advertisement The arrest of Ali al-Lami -- which happened Wednesday in Baghdad as he left a plane arriving from Lebanon -- reinforced suspicions about Iran's influence within the Shi'ite-led Iraqi government and could open wider investigations into Shi'ite networks, including possible links to Lebanon's Hizballah. ... Iraqi Shi'ite parties that dominate the government maintain close ties to Iran [DS: Duh!], where many key figures spent years in exile during Hussein's rule. . . ."The Americans know very well that such people were brought up and trained" in the Iranian intelligence system, [Sunni legislator Mohammed] alDaini said. . . . "The detention of al-Lami is part of a chain of events that will lead to the uncovering of others." Exit Question: How many others like Al-Lami are there in the Iraqi government. Answer: it's swarming with 'em. "Winning in Iraq"? Or Establishing Iran II in Iraq? [article link]
Iran-Iraq War (September 1980 to August 1988) - Although the Iran-Iraq War from 1980-1988 was a war for dominance of the Persian Gulf region, the roots of the war go back many centuries - The war began when Iraq invaded Iran on 22 September 1980 following a long history of border disputes and fears of Shia (Shiite) insurgency among Iraq's long suppressed Shia (Shiite) majority influenced by Iran's Islamic revolution **President Ronald Reagan decided that the United States "could not afford to allow Iraq to lose the war to Iran" and that the United States "would do whatever was necessary to prevent Iraq from losing the war with Iran" {Looks like the Bush family held a different view from President Ronald Reagan as the Bush family fought this war on behalf of Iran and make no mistake it was the Bush NWO plan from the beginning to give a conquered Iraq to the extreme, radical Iran.} The war was commonly referred to as the Gulf War or Persian Gulf War until the Iraq-Kuwait conflict (Operation Desert Storm Jan-Feb 1991). ... The Iran-Iraq War, also known as the Imposed War (Jang-e-tahmili) and Holy Defense (Defa'-e-moghaddas) in Iran, and Saddam's Qadisiyyah (Qadisiyyat Saddam) in Iraq, was a war between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran lasting from September 1980 to August 1988. The war began when Iraq invaded Iran on 22 September 1980 following a long history of border disputes and fears of Shia
insurgency among Iraq's long suppressed Shia majority influenced by Iran's Islamic revolution. Although Iraq hoped to take advantage of revolutionary chaos in Iran and attacked without formal warning, they made only limited progress into Iran and within several months were repelled by the Iranians who regained virtually all lost territory by June 1982. For the next six years Iran was on the offensive. Despite several calls for a ceasefire by the United Nations Security Council, hostilities continued until 20 August 1988. The last prisoners of war were exchanged in 2003. The war is noted for its similarity to World War I. Tactics used included trench warfare, manned machine-gun posts, bayonet charges, use of barbed wire across trenches and on no-mans land, human wave attacks and Iraq's extensive use of chemical weapons (such as mustard gas) against Iranian troops and civilians as well as Iraqi Kurds. ... In 1982 with Iranian success on the battlefield, the U.S. made its backing of Iraq more pronounced, supplying it with intelligence, economic aid, normalizing relations with the government (broken during the 1967 Six-Day War), and also supplying weapons. President Ronald Reagan decided that the United States "could not afford to allow Iraq to lose the war to Iran", and that the United States "would do whatever was necessary to prevent Iraq from losing the war with Iran." President Reagan formalized this policy by issuing a National Security Decision Directive ("NSDD") to this effect in June, 1982. [article link]
Alex Jones: Anti-semitic rhetoric; the hits keep coming! - History always repeats its self - It is unfortunate that Jewish persecution seemingly has become part of that cycle - I was pretty much oblivious to the modern world of "anti-zionism" and "anti-jewish" rhetoric - This type of information completely invalidates these (Alex Jones) web-sites, doesn't it? {Information is information and it is where you can find it, just be careful with all info and bring all info into the light of the Bible and to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ doing that will automatically cause you to reject the anti-Jewish bias they insert into their info.} Before I stumbled on to this web-site and the world of conspiracy theory in early 2004, I was pretty much oblivious to the modern world of "anti-zionism" and "anti-jewish" rhetoric. I mean, I had heard horror stories from my maternal grandparents about violence and vandalism that they and my other ancestors had endured over the years, but this sort of thing seemed miles away. I really just look like a big Italian linebacker, so maybe that helped me out a little bit. Anyway, back to the point. -- I like to skim conspiracy "news" sites frequently, even the ones that I discovered, way back in '04, are anti-semitic. One lovely example is Jeff Rense. While I was perusing his selection of today's "headlines", I found this gem; www.texemarrs.com.... This little beauty is by Texe Marrs, and is one of the most bigoted, hate-filled things I have read in quite some time. I mean the article is clearly listed on www.rense.com under the heading "Z Media". This website, unfortunately, is linked to multiple times a day. Just like Alex Jones' website. So my question is, does this sentiment really exist so widely throughout the conspiracy community? Do half of the detractors of Zionism actually know what it means, in both the past and modern tense? When did it become okie dokie to cyclically bash a sect of people? This type of information completely invalidates these web-sites, doesn't it? ... Well, that's not entirely true, T. The last time I checked, Rupert Murdoch and Ted Turner aren't "Jews" or "Zionists". What does that make them? This smells a lot like baseless paranoia. Nothing more. How many of the top ten most wealthy men in the world are Jewish? All ten? Nope. History always repeats its self. It is unfortunate that Jewish persecution seemingly has become part of that cycle. [article link]
Warning!! Shocking Video -- DNC: Malkin in Jeopardy - In this exclusive Pajamas TV video… Michelle Malkin is under attack by Alex Jones {Michelle Malkin speaks at the end of the Video and she is BRILLIANT as always. -- I have seen several Alex Jones DVD's and recommend them except. 1. Alex Jones is very anti-Jewish and that always poisons his material and to an extent it is really what is behind this sad inexcusable, sickening tirade. 2. Alex Jones is knowingly misrepresenting her book and her info. 3. Alex Jones has a website, a radio show and produces DVD's he has several major outlets in order to express his views, this tantrum was not necessary. 4. Alex created an extremely ugly ambush journalism situation giving her no opportunity to speak and literally endangering her safety what he did was really a crime.}
In this exclusive Pajamas TV video… Michelle Malkin is under attack by self-described anarchists yelling "Kill Michelle Malkin" in front of the Denver Mint. (NOTE: We are providing more or less raw footage here for timeliness. The Malkin incident does not appear for several minutes; please be patient. Pajamas Media will provide a more carefully edited high definition version of this incident soon.) [article link]
Warning!! Shocking Video -- Video Exclusive: Michelle Malkin Attacked at DNC; "Kill Michelle Malkin" (The first 90 Seconds of video gives you most of the info) {Alex Jones appears to be a "Professional Race-Baiter" in this Shocking, Stupid and Inaccurate public mob inciting, diatribe. It is creepy, ugly and NWO disgusting. Whatever anyone believes about 9/11 Alex Jones is shouting at someone who had nothing to do with it. Alex Jones, others and the chief loon of them all a person named Texe Marrs are only out to create hatred especially against the Jews so do not buy into their disinformation campaigns when they attempt to blame the Jews, it is all lies and they are trying to cover-up for the real people who did 9/11. Hint: Alex Jones is from Austin Texas (Bush family Headquarters). Alex Jones has many DVD's with some good info however Jones is way off base in trying to project all the world's problems onto the Jews. You can easily tell Jones is paid in what he is doing, it's his career, in trying to incite this ugly mob violence against another person Alex Jones has gone way too far.} Michelle Malkin was attacked by protesters and conspiracy nut Alex Jones during the "Shake Your Money Maker" event while Recreate68 attempted to levitate the Denver Mint. Another protester began shouting "Kill Michelle Malkin." [article link]
Bush tells Gulf Coast residents to flee 'dangerous' storm - Bush said he planned to head to Texas to meet with emergency workers and evacuees {It's good to see President Bush taking an active role in serving, protecting and improving the lives of American citizens in need.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush warned residents of the Gulf Coast on Sunday that a serious storm was headed their way, echoing the sentiments of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who reiterated his demands that city residents evacuate. Meanwhile, a federally supported computer projection says Hurricane Gustav could cause up to $29.3 billion in property damage when it hits the Gulf Coast. The software, developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Institute of Building Sciences, also projected Sunday that 4.5 million people will be in the storm's path and 59,953 buildings will be destroyed. The path also ensnares about 170 hospitals and more than 1,100 police and fire stations. Bush said he planned to head to Texas to meet with emergency workers and evacuees. "This storm is dangerous," he warned, urging residents to heed calls to evacuate. After a briefing at FEMA headquarters, Bush said he would forgo an appearance at the GOP National Convention on Monday and will be in Texas instead. He said he would not go to Louisiana because he did not want to impede the work of emergency officials. Nagin said Sunday that New Orleans will impose a "dusk-to-dawn" curfew and will cease efforts to help people leave the city Sunday afternoon. The city-wide curfew will continue until the threat of the storm passes, Nagin said, warning that looters would be dealt with harshly. [article link]
Advisers say conservative ire pushed McCain away from picking Lieberman - For her part, Palin still sounded surprised to have been picked - "I know that it will demand the best that I have to give, and I promise nothing less" For weeks, advisers close to the campaign said, McCain had wanted to name as his running mate his good friend Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, the Democrat turned independent. But by the end of last weekend, the outrage from Christian conservatives over the possibility that McCain would fill out the Republican ticket with Lieberman, a supporter of abortion rights, had become too intense to be ignored. ... Introducing Palin at a rally Saturday in Washington, Pennsylvania, McCain praised her and spoke about her selection. "You know, I had a lot of good people to choose from, and I want to thank Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani," said McCain, referring to his rivals for the Republican
nomination. "And," he added, "it's with great pride and gratitude I tell you I have found the right partner to help me stand up to those who have corrupted Washington." For her part, Palin still sounded surprised to have been picked. "Well, I know that when Senator McCain asked me to be his running mate, he had a short list of highly qualified men and women," she said. "To have made that list at all was a privilege. And to have been chosen, it brings a great challenge. "I know that it will demand the best that I have to give, and I promise nothing less." [article link]
Faith2Action (F2A.org) Radio Program Archive - Listen to some of the most brilliant minds (our guests) and most effective organizations on the side of faith and family - August 29, 2008 - Topics: Announcement of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as McCain's vice presidential pick; Senator Barack Obama's nomination acceptance speech (Mp3) August 29 2008 Guests: Rich Noyes (Media Research Center), Dr. Irwin Gellman, Presidential historian, Bob Beauprez (Coalition for a Conservative Majority), and Joe Murray (The Bulletin) -- Topics: Announcement of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as McCain's vice presidential pick; Senator Barack Obama's nomination acceptance speech. [article link]
Testimony: Band 'Adam's Road' on Heart of the Matter with Shawn McCraney - 08/19/2008 128 By Their Fruits - Part 3 (TV Show) Adam's Road, a Christian band of musicians four of which are LDS returned missionaries . . . who abandoned (LDS) ship and embraced the Gospel according to Jesus Christ! [article link]
Testimony: Interview with Ex-Mormon Christian Band 'Adam's Road' - Thanks so much for posting this - I really enjoyed listening to their testimonies - That was so much more real than the same testimony that every Mormon has (YouTube) What I thought was interesting was when the young men were asked what Bible verses had meaning to them and the young man on the left said something like; previously, when he was LDS, he hadn't trusted the Bible because it didn't align with Mormonism. That just jumped out at me……the aha moment. There i[t] is: "The LDS religion does not align with the Bible." The other thing was when they were talking about the five points the MM are suppose to emphasize and they were led away from the first four into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ……the Jesus of the Bible with which Mormonism does not align. ... This was very inspirational and encouraging. I kept thinking about the Mormon missionaries that I have talked to over the years. I wonder where they are today? I wonder if that Baptist minister knows what has taken place in the life of this exMormon who now knows the real Jesus of the Bible? I'm sure he has no idea what the impact of just that onetime meeting where he gave a faithful witness has done in obviously so many lives. [article link]
The American Heritage Series - Join historian David Barton and experience the untold story of our nation's history in the American Heritage Series (10 DVD's - $89.95) Discover the forgotten and astonishing story of our nation's foundation in the American Heritage Series. For centuries, Americans were taught a truthful view of history that recognized the Godly heroes and moral foundation our nation was founded upon. But in recent years, a new version of history has assaulted the moral and spiritual fiber of our nation, leaving the truth of our past eliminated and forgotten. Until today. From Separation of Church and State, to the Civil Rights Movement, the heroism of our founding Fathers to the building of our nation's monuments, this series will inspire every American to reclaim the Godly, true story of our nation. Join historian David Barton and experience the untold story of our nation's history in the American Heritage Series. [article link]
onenewsnow.com: BREAKING NEWS... A GOP first -- female VP nominee - **Vote in our poll - Does the addition of Gov. Sarah Palin as VP strengthen or weaken the GOP presidential ticket? John McCain has announced an "out-of-the-box" pick for his vice-presidential running mate: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. [see video report] In Dayton, Ohio, the McCain campaign has confirmed that the presumptive GOP presidential nominee named Palin -- the first female governor of Alaska -- as his pick to join him on the November ticket. Palin and her husband, Todd, are the parents of five children, one of them with Down syndrome. She is a reformer and a self-styled "hockey mom." The 44-year-old governor, described by some in the media as a "religious conservative," was elected to lead Alaska in 2006 after defeating the Republican incumbent. She is strongly pro-life, opposes same-sex "marriage," and is noted for her energy policies promoting independence from big oil companies. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Brilliant McCain Stroke - Though I'm no big fan of John McCain, his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate is a stroke of genius - Brilliant {I agree with Debbie it is a brilliant choice. In visiting several conservative internet blogs just before the announcement it seems to me that the Republican Party was about to disintegrate had McCain not chosen a Conservative, Pro-Life candidate as his choice for VP. Where the Republican Party was really going to be demolished was in the State and Local elections from conservatives who had lost interest in the Republican Party but now the Republican Party might hold together if McCain can keep it together.} Though I'm no big fan of John McCain, his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate is a stroke of genius. Brilliant. ... The choice of Palin makes me more enthused to cast my vote for John McCain in November, because I like Palin. She's pro-drilling for oil in ANWR and offshore, she's pro-life, and she's an attractive and intelligent married mother of several kids. And she articulates the conservative viewpoint well. ... Believe me, when it comes to Palin, all of the feminists and Democrats' talk about "breaking the glass ceiling" and "a woman in the White House" will be replaced by "Cats R Us." They'll be so-much cat-fight sniping against her by that crowd, we may run out of kitty litter. [article link]
UPDATE: Read the official McCain campaign (VP Sarah Palin) press release Blog - Draft Sarah Palin For Vice President: Every network is reporting that Gov. Palin will be introduced as McCain's pick shortly. I'l have a lot more later, but needless to say I am positively elated. [article link]
John McCain picks Alaska's Gov. Sarah Palin as his VP - McCain confirmed that his vice presidential running mate is Sarah Palin The rumor is true. As The Ticket reported just before dawn this morning, minutes ago, McCain confirmed that his vice presidential running mate is Sarah Palin, the first female governor of Alaska and the first woman on a national GOP ticket. ... She overthrew her own state party's corrupt (Republican) establishment in 2005-06 to run without its support and win on a reform ticket against a Democratic former governor, Tony Knowles. [See video below] She's been enjoying statewide popularity ratings of 70% to 80%, not least for her down-to-earth touches, like selling the previous governor's jet plane to fly commercially and driving herself to work in the family Jetta. She's worked against government pork barrel projects; again, a familiar phrase. ... Palin is also an ardent advocate of developing Alaskan natural oil resources, having recently signed a bill to establish a new trans-Alaska gas pipeline to deliver energy to the lower 48 states. In the face of opposition from large domestic oil companies, which have ruled Alaskan state politics for many years, Palin supported the 1,700-mile gas line proposed by a Canadian firm. She also likes to point out that Alaska was admitted to the Union 50 years ago in large part for its trove of natural resources, much of them now locked up, while the country sends billions to other oil-rich nations. She notes that while the controversial Arctic Natural Wildlife Preserve is roughly 19 million acres of protected federal land, the area actually proposed for oil development with directional drilling
is smaller than (Los Angeles international airport) LAX. [article link]
Alaska Gov. Palin to be Named as McCain Running Mate {If it's true that's a game changer for the Republican Party and for America, let's hope it is!} DAYTON, Ohio - John McCain will introduce Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential running mate at an event here at noon Friday, senior campaign sources confirmed to FOX News. Palin emerged earlier in the day as the hot name in the VP sweepstakes after reports circulated that two short-listers - Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty - were out of the running. ... Palin is considered a rising star in the Republican Party. She is the state's first female governor, the mother of five - and at 44 is its youngest chief executive. FOX News confirmed Thursday that McCain had made his selection and would appear with his pick at the Dayton rally. Born in Idaho, Palin moved to Alaska with her parents, to Charles and Sally Heath, when she was 3 months old. She grew up in Wasilla, just outside of Anchorage, and played on the Wasilla state championship girls' basketball team. She was crowned Miss Wasilla in 1984 and was a runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant. Palin studied journalism and political science at the University of Idaho and graduated in 1987. She eloped with her high school boyfriend, Todd Palin, in 1988 to save money on an expensive wedding. She helped out in her husband's family commercial fishing business and appeared occasionally as a television sportscaster. [article link]
Caring McCain Has Shoulder To Cry On [for Hillary] - the McCain campaign's sudden concern for the bruised feelings of certain Hillary Clinton supporters - It's kind of like the slightly sleazy next-door neighbor who just happens to drop by right after you've had an argument with your spouse - It's just possible he doesn't have your best interests in mind {The McCain Republican Party is just too willing to throw the conservative Party base under any passing bus for the opportunity to pander to every Liberal cause. It's not as though there is no Democratic Party to pander to the Liberals so the Republicans are not doing anyone any favors.} Have you ever seen anything quite as touching, quite as considerate, as the McCain campaign's sudden concern for the bruised feelings of certain Hillary Clinton supporters? ... Then it's Rudy Giuliani on the Sunday talk shows, saying that Clinton really should have been Obama's running mate. That she and Obama each got 50 percent of the Democratic vote, and that Obama had to go out of his way not to pick her. ... Who knew the GOP had gone into anger management? Except, of course, that the object of all this counseling isn't to help Clinton supporters get past their feelings; it's to make sure they stay ticked off right through November. ... Ticked off enough that they vote for John McCain, or at least decide to stay home on Election Day. That'll show that arrogant Obama! And all his pals in the Democratic leadership! And the media! And the Kennedys! And ... The GOP strategists are betting big on tantrums. They're betting that women - you know, those flighty, emotional, not-quite-logical types - will cast aside any thoughts of John McCain's voting record. And his preference in Supreme Court justices. And the impact of a McCain Supreme Court - compared to, say, an Obama Supreme Court - on the issues Hillary Clinton has been fighting for all these years. Ignore all that, the strategists whisper. In fact, ignore nearly everything that matters to you. Your gal was ... disrespected. Here's your chance to get even. [article link]
The Next President: Look Past the Rhetoric - When it comes to electing a President, we should be thinking about leadership - We've been fooled too often by rhetoric - Remember the "compassionate conservatism" campaign of President George W. Bush in 2000? He proved to be neither compassionate nor truly conservative, as evidenced by his profligate spending and the deficit he has run up - Bottom line: Don't judge politicians on their promises - Judge them on their [past & present, proven record of] leadership All this hoopla is aimed at getting their candidate elected President. But it doesn't tell us what we really need to know. Honestly speaking, voters should ignore all this political image-shaping. Instead, they should try to determine the type of leader John McCain or Barack Obama would be in the world's most powerful leadership position. -- We've been fooled before by political rhetoric. Remember the "compassionate conservatism"
campaign of President George W. Bush in 2000? He proved to be neither compassionate nor truly conservative, as evidenced by his profligate spending and the deficit he has run up. In 1992, Bill Clinton ran on a health-care platform of "managed competition" that turned out a plan that was anything but competitive and almost sank his Presidency. Going farther back in history, Lyndon Johnson envisioned in 1964 a Great Society and instead left us mired in Vietnam. In 1968, Richard Nixon promised to "win the peace in Vietnam," and wound up extending the war until 1974. Bottom line: Don't judge politicians on their promises. Judge them on their leadership. [article link]
Putin accuses U.S. (Bush) of orchestrating Georgian war - Putin said the U.S. had encouraged Georgia to attack the autonomous region of South Ossetia - "U.S. citizens were indeed in the area in conflict" - it was done to benefit a presidential candidate Republican John McCain" {It was done to benefit the NWO. Bush has turned into the worst leader the world has ever known. Bush had everything [Republican Senate, Republican Congress] but he rejected peace, he rejected prosperity and instead went on his lunatic, self serving, warmongering agenda.} SOCHI, Russia (CNN) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates. ... "U.S. citizens were indeed in the area in conflict," Putin said. "They were acting in implementing those orders doing as they were ordered, and the only one who can give such orders is their leader." ... Putin said Russia had no choice but to invade Georgia after dozens of its peacekeepers in South Ossetia were killed. He told Chance it was to avert a human calamity. [article link]
Welcome to the American Taxpayer Party - Whether you consider yourself a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent you are probably looking for some real change in our federal government - You've come to the right place {All other issues aside this 2008 Election year it is a must that people vote! Whatever you are thinking about doing don't let non-voting become an option. Make it your Patriotic, Civic and Biblical duty to VOTE in every single election on every single issue! Note: I had registered into the so called 'Constitution Party' that was a huge MISTAKE the 'CP' is just an LDS front party for their Mormon bigotry, hint: they (CP-LDS) candidates don't even want women to have a vote. I will defiantly vote this election though I still need a Political Party to affiliate with I'm not in CP but I don't want to be an Independent Voter. [I un-registered Republican, then CP, then registered and voted Democrat in the 2008 primary, now I'm not sure about any party].} Welcome to the official website of the American Taxpayer party - a new grass roots movement for the 2008 presidential election! The American Taxpayer party movement is a working class response to what we all can see happening in Washington, D.C. now days (in both parties). Whether you consider yourself a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent you are probably looking for some real change in our federal government. You've come to the right place. ... Have you noticed that the will of the American Taxpayer has been set aside for the good of the "global community"? Do you like seeing your tax money wasted in a thousand ways? Is it your opinion that our country is headed in the wrong direction? Do you find yourself becoming cynical and losing hope for the future of our country? Want some real change? We thought so, and so do we. We think you'll like the American Taxpayer party movement. [article link]
Bush's Top Ten (2004) Flip-Flops - #2 Nation Building and the War in Iraq - #7 Same-Sex Marriage - #9 Campaign Finance Reform - #10 Gas Prices - As gas topped a record level of $50 a barrel this week, Mr. Bush has shown no propensity to personally pressure, or "jawbone" Mideast oil producers to increase output {Bush says one thing in public then ultimately pushes to do the opposite. Every Bush flip-flop has gone AGAINST America. What are the odds that America would lose out in every Bush backroom decision?} Nation Building and the War in Iraq: During the 2000 campaign, George W. Bush argued against nation building and foreign military entanglements. In the second presidential debate, he said: "I'm not so sure the
role of the United States is to go around the world and say, 'This is the way it's got to be.'" The United States is currently involved in nation building in Iraq on a scale unseen since the years immediately following World War II. During the 2000 election, Mr. Bush called for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from the NATO peacekeeping mission in the Balkans. His administration now cites such missions as an example of how America must "stay the course." -- Homeland Security Department: President Bush initially opposed creating a new Department of Homeland Security. He wanted Tom Ridge, now the secretary of Homeland Security, to remain an adviser. Mr. Bush reversed himself and backed the largest expansion of the federal government since the creation of the Defense Department in 1949. -- Gas Prices: Mr. Bush was critical of Al Gore in the 2000 campaign for being part of "the administration that's been in charge" while the "price of gasoline has gone steadily upward." In December 1999, in the first Republican primary debate, Mr. Bush said President Clinton "must jawbone OPEC members to lower prices." As gas topped a record level of $50 a barrel this week, Mr. Bush has shown no propensity to personally pressure, or "jawbone," Mideast oil producers to increase output. A spokesman for the president reportedly said in March that Mr. Bush will not personally lobby oil cartel leaders to change their minds. [article link]
Condi pulls a Solomon: Split Jerusalem in 2 - Sources reveal status of secret (Bush) talks to create Palestinian state this year {Wasn't it a Bush campaign promise Not to split Jerusalem? It was also a Bush promise not to nation build and to spend only six months in Iraq. Oh and I thought Bush was going to build up America. Bush not only lies about everything, Bush lies about anything and everything!} JERUSALEM - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, completing a visit to the region today, has been pressing Israel to sign a document by the end of the year that would divide Jerusalem by offering the Palestinians a state in Israel's capital city as well as in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to top diplomatic sources involved in the talks. The Israeli team, led by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, has been negotiating the division of Jerusalem - despite claims to the contrary - but would rather conclude an agreement on paper by the end of the year that would give the Palestinians a state in the West Bank, Gaza and some Israeli territory, leaving conclusions on Jerusalem for a later date, the informed diplomatic sources told WND. The sources said the Palestinian team has been pushing to conclude a deal by January on all core issues, including Jerusalem, and has been petitioning the U.S. to pressure Israel into signing an agreement on paper that offers the Palestinians eastern Jerusalem. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: End Times Preview - WWI, WWII, WW3 - "The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past" William Faulkner -- This is most True concerning the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ Revelation 17:10-11 And there are seven [world (middle-east, Jerusalem) rulers: King Nimrod - builder of the tower of Babel, Egypt, Babylon (Iraq), Iran, Greece, Rome (Italy), Antichrist] kings: five are fallen, and one (Rome) is, and the other [7th world King - Antichrist] is not yet come; and when he (Antichrist) cometh, he must continue a short space [3 1/2 years]. And the beast [Antichrist] that was [7th ruler], and is not [because Antichrist is assassinated], even he (Antichrist) is the eighth [false resurrection], and is of the seven [the 7th ruler is killed or seems to be in an assassination, and resurrects himself [false eternal life] (demonic possession) to also become the 8th ruler], and goeth into perdition [everlasting damnation-hell]. -- In a short summary WWII (1939-1945) was Satan's practice run at taking over and ruling the world for his evil, demonic agenda. The next world war the coming future WW3 will be the war that installs a NWO a new world leader called the antichrist. The Bible is clear (Revelation 17:10-11) that after the previous Roman world leader there would not be another world leader until the antichrist. History has proven the Bible to be true and there has been no world leader since the time of Jesus Christ of Nazareth approximately 2,000 years ago. [article link]
Old WWII Tunnels show Hitler's megalomaniac vision [Hitler wanted to rule the world - to be the 'NWO' leader] - "Berlin the capital of the world" - Hitler called the concept, a symbol of the power of the Third Reich [Nazi
planned 1,000 year world rule] but in recent times it has come to be known as ("Deutschland") "Germania" {In the coming future NWO government that the Bible talks so much about, instead of Hitler ruling the world from Berlin the antichrist will deceive the world (claiming to be God) and the antichrist will rule for a short time (3 ½ years) from God's Temple in God's city Jerusalem Israel. Jesus Christ will return and remove the antichrist and He will set up His Righteous 1,000 year Kingdom reign on earth, after the 1,000 years there will be a new heaven/sky and a new earth (Revelation 21:1) for eternity. Jesus will rightfully rule from earth for 1,000 years from His Temple in Jerusalem (city of God) then Jesus will rule for all eternity from the new Kingdom because Jesus is God who has come from heaven to mankind to reveal and fulfill His original perfect, loving and complete plan for all mankind.} BERLIN (Reuters) - Three vast tunnels were opened under central Berlin this month, giving a glimpse of Adolf Hitler's megalomaniac vision of a new architectural centre for the capital of Nazi Germany. ... The overground plans, never completed because of World War Two, included boulevards, squares and huge buildings, such as an arch dwarfing the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and the 290-metre high Great Hall, with room for 180,000 people. Hitler called the concept, a symbol of the power of the Third Reich, "Berlin -- the capital of the world" but in recent times it has come to be known as "Germania." [article link]
Blog Porch Pondering - Take a trip around the world in less than five minutes and you'll be smiling all the way through {This is a great Prayer implement, watch the video and pray for each location, country and people. Pray that the people will be Blessed by God! Pray that God will bind the evil works of darkness, pray for protection for the people and pray that the Life, Love, Light and knowledge of Jesus Christ will shine in the hearts, minds and lives of the people in each Nation!} (Video) Summer is typically "off-season" in the life of the church. As a pastor I have to adjust my expectations for Sunday mornings because I know that people are often away on vacation. Vacations are essential. I highly recommend them. But so also, in this "off-season" it feels like we've made some good progress in our mission to this community. We've launched two new teams that will add needed structure to our life together. The first is the Entry Team. This team will focus on creating a sense of welcome for people who are encountering Village for the first time. They're going to help get the word out about who we are and when a new person or family arrives, they're going to help them feel at home. The second group is the Connect Team. This team will focus on connecting those "already here." Everything from mission trips to Miracle Ranch, to Bible Studies, to social gatherings will fall under the banner of the Connect Team. Three other teams will soon be off the ground in the fall season. Even so, we've made good progress with these two teams in the lazy days of summer. [article link]
McCain can't count all his houses? eight properties worth more than $13 million - on the Web, the AFL-CIO had circulated a video claiming that McCain and his wife owned 10 homes - I don't know anybody, no matter how rich, who could not answer that question - Even Teddy Kennedy knows how many houses he owns - But John McCain, looking more than ever like a confused old man, could only blurt out: "I think, I'll have my staff get to you, It's condominiums where, I'll have them get to you" Quickly attempting to defuse the situation, McCain's staff soon reported that he owned four homes. They were off by half. As The Washington Post documented, the McCains actually own eight homes: a condo in Arlington, Va.; three condos in Phoenix, Ariz.; two oceanside condos in Coronado, Calif.; one condo up the road in La Jolla, Calif.; and a ranch in Sedona, Ariz. which actually has five houses on it. Altogether, these eight properties are worth more than $13 million. By any stretch, that's a lot of real estate. How could McCain own so much but know so little about it? There are four possible explanations: Either he really didn't know ... or he couldn't remember ... or he knew, but didn't want to embarrass himself ... or he couldn't count that high. However his campaign tries to explain it, the housing gaffe is bad news for McCain. Most Americans didn't know he is one of the wealthiest and most pampered members of the Senate. They do now. And, as Obama was quick to point out, hard-working Americans can't trust McCain to understand their economic woes when, on top of thinking
you have to make $5 million to be considered rich, he can't even remember how many houses he owns. [article link]
John Edwards In Sickness and In Hell - John reportedly made a love pledge to Hunter earlier this month, saying, "We'll be together when Elizabeth is gone" {John Edwards said he was 99% telling the truth about his one-time affair, if that's his definition of truth his lies must be doozies.} According to Elizabeth Edwards, her husband John met his mistress Rielle Hunter one year before Elizabeth's cancer diagnosis. The couple decided to work through the affair--however John reportedly made a love pledge to Hunter earlier this month, saying, "We'll be together when Elizabeth is gone." People are fired up over this, calling Edwards heartless--even downright despicable. After all, with not much time left to live, couldn't John have held off on cheating out of respect for his wife? It's no surprise that the public reacted strongly. Here are some message board responses to the scandal: "He has a beautiful wife who has cancer and doesn't deserve this horrible treatment her husband has bestowed upon her." [article link]
John Edwards calling former staffers asking for forgiveness - the onetime presidential contender is a man without a party - or a political future - trying to rebuild bridges through dozens of remorseful phone calls - It's proving a hard sell with onetime true believers DENVER - John Edwards is burning up the phone lines, begging former aides and backers to forgive him for lying about his affair - but hearing their rage instead. As Democrats kick off their convention Monday, the onetime presidential contender is a man without a party - or a political future - trying to rebuild bridges through dozens of remorseful phone calls. It's proving a hard sell with onetime true believers. ... Many are bitter and disillusioned after swallowing his lies about his affair with a campaign staffer and vouching for his credibility with friends and journalists. Some ignore his plaintive phone entreaties and don't call back - even when Edwards leaves follow-up messages. A few return his calls - and give him a piece of their angry minds. When Edwards reached one longtime confidant asking for advice, he was cut off with a terse: "I don't want you to call me again." [article link]
**Gnosticism: New Release! Hollywood's War on God - Learn how these movies are initiating the masses into a Gnostic worldview that will culminate in a "strong delusion" as the world joins Satan & the final Antichrist in their war against God (DVD - $19.95) Hollywood's War on God is a mind-blowing, eye-popping documentary that reveals how satanic forces are using Hollywood's most memorable movies and most popular actors to propagate an ancient lie in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Learn how these movies are initiating the masses into a Gnostic worldview that will culminate in a "strong delusion" as the world joins Satan & the final Antichrist in their war on God. Such titles include Ron Howard & Tom Hanks "The Da Vinci Code"; Keanu Reeves "The Matrix" and "Constantine"; Brad Pitt's "Fight Club"; Jim Carrey's "Truman Show"; Toby McQuire's "Pleasantville"; Arnold Swarzenegger's "Total Recall"; Johnny Depp's "From Hell"; Shawn Connery's "League of Extraordinary Gentleman"; J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter"; Harrison Ford's "Bladerunner"; Tom Cruise's "Vanilla Sky," "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Minority Report" and many others. [article link]
CUTTING EDGE David Bay MINISTRIES DISCLOSES THEIR HIDDEN (anti KJV 1611) AGENDA - [Emails] Cutting Edge is helping to bring to pass the agenda of the Antichrist, which is to discredit and eventually do away with the established canon (66 books) of Scripture (Genesis - Revelation) and to substitute the [Fake] Gnostic scriptures in its place (Mp3's) The following audio programs are presentations by Barbara Aho which were made shortly after the release of "The Secret Mysteries of America's Beginnings" Video by Cutting Edge Ministries. The audios present much evidence refuting the false claims made by David Bay of Cutting Edge that King James I of England conspired
with Francis Bacon and the Rosicrucians to transform the 1611 King James Version into "a Rosicrucian Bible which would reverberate with Satanic power every second of every day, a sacred book which would gradually move the peoples of the world into practicing that 'Mystic Christianity', Rosicrucianism." Following the audio programs is evidence that David Bay and Cutting Edge have planned all along to discredit, not only the KJV, but all English Bibles as Rosicrucian works. ... Notwithstanding David Bay's protestations to the contrary, Pastor Ron Riffe of Cutting Edge Ministries divulged last January (2006) that they have been planning all along to use the "Secret Mysteries" video series to "expose the King James Version as a Rosicrucian/Freemason masterpiece... edited by the Rosicrucian/Freemason Francis Bacon and his band of intellectuals known as the 'Order of the Helmet'." [article link]
Info: FMH Children's Club International - An Open Letter To David Bay Of Cutting Edge Ministries {Note: Cutting Edge is often asking for money besides selling their info on their website. This letter is from a Ministry that was unable to obtain a gift subscription from Cutting Edge so Cutting Edge seems to be very much a take and not give ministry. Basic Christian has links to the 'Cutting Edge' website and sort of recommends their 'America's Mysteries - Secret Beginnings' DVD series. But in every case including the Basic Christian material please be careful about it, errors will happen and not every ministry is trustworthy. Also there seems to be an indication that David Bay is anti KJV 1611 even though when called on that issue by others he couches his responses. David Bay may not be a Christian it's hard to tell in this day and age and just be careful of ministries that know too much about the cults, interview active cult leaders as their main source of info and often ask for your money.} An Open Letter To David Bay Of Cutting Edge Ministries - Dear "Brother" Bay, I'm sure you've heard of the proverbial "snake in the woodpile", right? Well, as the Lord God would have it, this, our third letter to you, is focused on addressing yours. "This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." (2 Corinthians 13:1 KJV) In fact, just to refresh your memory, here's a copy of our second letter to you, which also made mention of our first: ... [Email] Cutting Edge Ministries is rather stalled right now, and we need your help. Without warning, and almost overnight, our total income from subscriptions, donations, and bookstore sales have fallen 75% {This 75% decrease is probably because their anti KJV info became public}. But, our daily readership remains very steady at historically high levels, about 30,000 people per day…The harsh reality is that Cutting Edge has never been able to retain a cash cushion of more than 7-10 days of average income for the entire 12 years we have been an Internet ministry. [article link]
**ENDGAME - ALEX JONES - Blueprint for Global Enslavement (Google Online Video) Extremely interesting, shocking and disturbing. It should be essential viewing for everyone. Wake up world [and follow Jesus Christ], before it's too late. [article link]
John Edwards' Earlier Visit to Lover? - June 18 between 10:30 and 11 p.m Vs. July 22 at 2:30 in the morning Was John Edwards visiting his lover and possible baby mama Rielle Hunter earlier than thought? {Is there a chance Rielle Hunter was a friend of Joe Biden before she happened to meet John Edwards? I bet Bidden was sending every bimbo he met Edwards way. Edwards was Biden's main competition for the VP slot.} Remember: the National Enquirer's big scoop was that they found Edwards in the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 22 at 2:30 in the morning. Their reporters cornered him in a basement bathroom after he'd been visiting Hunter and her baby, Frances Quinn. Edwards later explained the meeting to ABC's Bob Woodruff as a chance to discuss with Hunter how details of their association were coming out in the press. But now a very credible source tells me they ran into Edwards at the Beverly Hilton on June 18, between 10:30 and 11 p.m. This encounter took place not in the ballroom at a public function or in one of the restaurants or bars, but again, in the basement parking lot. ... "I came down to get something from my car, and I saw another car pull in and drop someone off," says the source. "It was John Edwards. I couldn't believe it. He was by himself. I asked him if
he was staying there, and he said, no, he was staying with friends. He was very uncomfortable." [article link]
Obama Aides Defend Bank's Pay to Biden Son - During the years that Senator Joe Biden was helping the credit card industry win passage of a law making it harder for consumers to file for bankruptcy protection, his son had a consulting agreement that lasted five years with one of the largest companies pushing for the changes Consumer advocates and other Democratic allies remain sharply critical of Mr. Biden's actions Mr. Biden's support for the bankruptcy changes, which were signed into law in 2005, puts him at odds with Mr. Obama of Illinois, who opposed the bill and has criticized the presumptive Republican nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona, for supporting it. Consumer advocates and other Democratic allies remain sharply critical of Mr. Biden's actions, saying in recent days that they could hamper the campaign's efforts to attack the Republicans over their handling of the nation's credit crisis. -- The financial services industry began seeking relief from Congress in the mid-1990s from an increase in bankruptcies that was cutting into its profits. Its initial support came from Republican lawmakers, who repeatedly introduced bills to make it more difficult for consumers to erase their debts. During that time, executives at MBNA, which was bought in 2006 by Bank of America, began donating heavily to both major political parties and many national politicians, including Mr. Biden. -- In late 1996, the company hired the younger of Mr. Biden's two sons, Robert Hunter Biden, known as Hunter, who had just graduated from Yale Law School, as a lawyer. The company promoted Mr. Biden to senior vice president by early 1998. And after the younger Mr. Biden worked at the Commerce Department on electronic commerce issues from 1998 to 2001, MBNA hired him back on a monthly consulting contract to advise it on such issues, aides said. [article link]
Guess who (ultra-ultra-ultra liberal) Biden wanted on (2004 VP to John Kerry) Dem presidential ticket? - John McCain - it is time to have a guy like John McCain - a Republican - on the ticket with a guy (Kerry) he does like - They (Kerry-McCain) do get along," answered Biden, "and they don't have fundamental disagreements on major policies" {So is McCain Pro-Life or is he lying? Biden seems to know.} In two separate television interviews in the spring of 2004, Biden suggested the best way to bring unity to a divided nation was for the then-Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry, to select McCain as his running mate. "I think John McCain would be a great candidate for vice president. I mean it. I know John doesn't like me saying it, but the truth of the matter is, it is," Biden told Tim Russert of NBC's "Meet the Press." Only a few months earlier, Chris Matthews of MSNBC TV's "Hardball" asked Biden if he thought McCain would consider joining Kerry on a "fusion ticket." "I think that this is time for unity in this country, and maybe it is time to have a guy like John McCain - a Republican - on the ticket with a guy he does like. They do get along," answered Biden, "and they don't have fundamental disagreements on major policies." [article link]
McCain Camp Accuses Obama of Passing Over Clinton for VP {I wouldn't put it past McLame to put Hillary on as his VP. Is Hillary the abortion candidate McCain-Bush has been so interested in? Note: The Republican Party is controlled by the Bush family from top to bottom, McCain doesn't make any decisions, if McCain made his own decisions he would know even simple things like how many houses he owns. People like McCain, Condoleezza Rice, Karl Rove, Alberto Gonzales, Donald Rumsfeld and yes even the Clintons (Bill & Hillary) and also Joe Biden are just tokens people like the Bush family are using and manipulating to move around in fulfilling their NWO, global Satanist (Skull & Bones) agenda.} In a blistering new ad, John McCain's campaign accused Barack Obama of passing over Hillary Clinton as his running mate because she pointed out his flaws during the Democratic primaries. Obama announced Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his vice presidential pick Saturday, following reports that Clinton was not even vetted for the job. McCain's ad capitalizes on the lingering tension between Obama and Clinton's supporters, with just one day remaining until the Democratic National Convention in Denver. [article link]
McCain and Biden both rivals and friends - Those ties made it less than surprising that McCain, the Republican candidate for president, picked up the phone Saturday morning to call his old pal, just named the running mate of Democratic candidate Barack Obama "It was a brief call between friends" said McCain spokesman {There is no conservative representation from the Republican Party. Conservatives need a backup plan and we need it now. A backup plan that calls for an exit from the established politics of today and into a new trustworthy 3rd party.} SEDONA, Ariz. (AP) - Longtime political rivals but personal friends, John McCain and Joe Biden are reprising those roles that they have mastered for decades in the most exclusive circles of power in Washington. Both are veteran members of that exclusive club called the United States Senate - Biden heading the Foreign Relations Committee and McCain forging a campaign finance reform effort. Both are old hands on the presidential campaign trail, looking for a better result this fall than they had in past election cycles. Those ties made it less than surprising that McCain, the Republican candidate for president, picked up the phone Saturday morning to call his old pal, just named the running mate of Democratic candidate Barack Obama. "It was a brief call between friends," said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds. "John McCain simply called to congratulate him and let his friend know he was thinking about him and his wife." That's how things work in the Senate, where shifting alliances are the order of the day and today's ally can be tomorrow's rival. There's considerable history between the two, and a lot of shared years in Washington. [article link]
iReporter reactions to Biden are mixed bag - The news that Sen. Barack Obama chose Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket generated hundreds of responses on iReport.com, ranging from passionate support to extreme disappointment - Obama "failed to do something historic" - "No wonder Obama revealed his choice in the dead of the night and buried this over the weekend" (CNN) The news that Sen. Barack Obama chose Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket generated hundreds of responses on iReport.com, ranging from passionate support to extreme disappointment. ... Rick Seno of Dallas, Texas, said he was hoping for Clinton or former Gen. Wesley Clark to be on the Democratic ticket, so when he received word that it was Biden, he "lost faith" in the presidential hopeful. "Biden is not change. Biden is status quo," Seno said. Now, with Biden on the ballot, Seno said, his vote will go to Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney instead. ... "While I have nothing against Joe Biden, I am disgusted, and for the first time ever, I have no clue who to vote for. I know Obama's big message is change, so he picks a running mate that has been in DC longer than I have been old enough to vote? He picked Biden because of his experience, which sounds logical, but how is he going to change with a certified member of old Washington on the ticket?" [article link]
More GOP Reax on Obama-Biden Ticket - Chuck Hagel's kind words weren't the only GOP reaction to the new Democratic ticket - Dick Lugar, the Republican senator from Indiana - congratulating Dems for the pick "I have enjoyed for many years the opportunity to work with Joe Biden to bring strong bipartisan support to United States foreign policy" - Of course not all Republicans share the same Obama-Biden love {It's official were sold out by the Republicans and the Democrats. It's nice to see the Republicans still get the NWO talking points memos because EVERYONE talking up Biden's sudden foreign policy genius can't possibly be a coincidence. Looks like a good year to give a 3rd Party candidate a try.} Of course not all Republicans share the same Obama-Biden love. "Americans looking for a pair of candidates who are ready to fix a [Bush] broken Washington aren't going to find them on the Obama/Biden ticket," House Republican Leader John Boehner said in a statement. "In Joe Biden, Barack Obama has not only found a running mate who doesn't believe he's ready to be president, he's proven his opposition to an 'All of the Above' energy reform strategy to lower fuel costs for families and small businesses," he continued. [article link]
RedState.com: Just How Little Change There Is In Obama's Hope - The only twist is that Obama chose to wake everyone up at 3:00 a.m. in the morning to tell them -- Why? Why was the ad (text message) sent out at 3 o'clock in the morning? I suspect it was a snub at Hillary Clinton - the Hillary Clinton ad "The 3 am crisis call" (Video) The non-traditional politician chooses (Joe Biden) a gaffe machine who has been in the United States Senate since The One was eight years old. The only change there is that Obama has finally chosen to ditch the idea that he is a new type of politician. Obama is part of the failed legacy of liberalism of the past 100 years. There is nothing new here except the package. The pro-abortion church going secularist chose a pro-abortion nonchurch going Catholic. Yeah, yeah, Biden goes to church, it's just that while he's there he finds himself all alone. It's his private, away from everyone time. See Matt 18:20. The only twist is that Obama chose to wake everyone up at 3:00 in the morning to tell them. Why? Why was the ad sent out at 3 o'clock in the morning? I suspect it was a snub at Hillary Clinton: ... It's 3 a.m. and who answered the phone? You did! Because Barack Obama woke your butt up to tell you he was abandoning his hope and change message in favor of a guy who did not even think Obama was qualified to be President less than eight months ago -- someone just like Hillary Clinton, but not her!!!! Beyond the fact it is so galling the Obama campaign told us all he'd text us at 10 a.m. this morning, and chose 3 o'clock to do it maybe this was honoring the Chinese again, after all it was 3 p.m. in Beijing, look at where this puts Obama: ... Some see Obama's candidacy as a chance for a new sort of politics made up of hope and change, which can earn back some international respect for an America they think desperately needs it. ... Sorry, folks. Did you really think this was about anything genuinely new? [article link]
Biden VP Pick Puts Experience Over Change - 3 a.m. (text message) Call: Why Obama Picked Biden - "We weren't trying to hide anything. We're pretty good at keeping secrets. ... I have a feeling that most of the people who normally text (message) were probably up [at 3 a.m.] and got it" - Biden had been on Obama's short list, but had cryptically told reporters earlier in the week, "I'm not the guy" {The ultra divisive Joe Biden can only make it a bumpier road for Obama. Once dumping Hillary it would have been hard to find a more divisive candidate but they managed to do it. Biden lost big time in both of his Presidential attempts (1988 & 2008) it's so clear people do not want what Biden is offering. Unfortunately Biden is just a trusted Shill for the NWO government and that's why I think these elections are rigged in advance because why else would Obama put Biden on his ticket unless someone else ordered that it be done. Next McCain will add his prearranged NWO shill to his liberal agenda based ticket and America will yet again be worse off for it.} Media reports in the hours before the official announcement strongly hinted at the Obama pick: A private plane was tracked flying from Chicago's Midway airport to New Castle, Del., and the Secret Service had been dispatched to protect Biden, the six-term senator. In the early morning hours, those hints were confirmed prior to the Obama camp's text message. Biden had been on Obama's short list, but had cryptically told reporters earlier in the week, "I'm not the guy." {The first among many lies from VP candidate Joseph Biden.} [article link]
{Flashback} ABA and Joe Biden Join Feminists' War on Fathers - which was produced "for use in litigation" called the "Commission on Domestic Violence" - "10 Myths" is designed to teach lawyers how to win money verdicts against fathers by using false or misleading arguments masquerading as objective research {With the Bush Republican Party amounting to an empty suit when it comes to legitimate conservative - family causes, we are deeply at risk of being disenfranchised and being steamrolled by the out of touch, unrealistic, self serving, Joe Biden's of the world.} The "Commission's" website notes this disclaimer: "The ABA Commission on Domestic Violence does not engage in research, and cannot vouch for the quality or accuracy of any of the data excerpted here." Too bad the "10 Myths" flier doesn't include this disclaimer, too, because most of it lacks both quality and accuracy. A non-profit research and education organization called Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting (RADAR) has just published a detailed analysis of "10 Myths." RADAR's report proves that "10 Myths" uses
bogus statistics and is "profoundly and systematically biased . . . unworthy to be used as a foundation for legal practice or public policy." ... Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) has rushed to the aid of women who want free lawyers to help them make domestic violence accusations, and of lawyers seeking income from those cases. He is the lead sponsor of an extravagant new boondoggle called the National Domestic Violence Volunteer Attorney Network Act (S.1515). Biden's bill would give $2 million a year to the ABA "Commission" that wrote "10 Myths" in order to create a National Domestic Violence Volunteer Attorney Network Referral Project. Biden wants the taxpayers to pay the lawyers' student loans. Biden's bill will channel an estimated $55.5 million of taxpayers' money to lawyers and the special-interest ABA "Commission" will be in the catbird seat. The bill will authorize federal funding to create and maintain an electronic network, provide mentoring, training and other assistance, and set up a legal coordinator's office in each state to match lawyers to victims. [article link]
Tunguska Explosion 30 June 1908: In 1907 and 1908, Tesla wrote about the destructive effects of his energy transmitter - His Wardenclyffe facility was much larger than the Colorado Springs device that destroyed the power station's generator - When Tesla used his high power transmitter as a directed energy weapon he drastically altered the normal electrical condition of the earth - By making the electrical charge of the planet vibrate in tune with his transmitter he was able to build up electric fields that effected compasses and caused the upper atmosphere to behave like the gas filled lamps [i.e. the florescent light bulb Tesla invented] in his laboratory. He had turned the entire globe into a simple electrical component that he could control - The North Pole lies close to a great circle line connecting Shoreham, Long Island and the Tunguska region - That path passes close by Alert on Ellesmere Island where Peary spent the winter {It's thought that Tesla while in Long Island NY (1908) was trying to effect the sky above the North Pole in order to get the attention of Admiral Bird's Expedition and then gain the attention of the global media. If you start out in Long Island NY and aim an electronic or particle beam above Admiral Bird's 1908 expedition rest stop and accidently over shoot the intended target the Tunguska Russia region is directly in the line of fire. It's possible Tesla overshot and overpowered his experiment and caused a massive explosion in the Tunguska Siberia region of Russia.} (Photos) Then, in 1915, he (Tesla) stated bluntly: It is perfectly practical to transmit electrical energy without wires and produce destructive effects at a distance. I have already constructed a wireless transmitter which makes this possible. ... But when unavoidable it may be used to destroy property and life. The art is already so far developed that the great destructive effects can be produced at any point on the globe, defined beforehand with great accuracy. ... He seems to confess to such a test having taken place before 1915, and, though the evidence is circumstantial, Tesla had the motive and the means to cause the Tunguska event. His transmitter could generate energy levels and frequencies capable of releasing the destructive force of 10 megatons, or more, of TNT. ... The nature of the Tunguska event, also, is consistent with what would happen during the sudden release of wireless power. No fiery object was reported in the skies at that time by professional or amateur astronomers as would be expected when a 200,000,000 pound object enters the atmosphere at tens of thousands miles an hour. Also, the first reporters, from the town of Tomsk, to reach the area judged the stories about a body falling from the sky was the result of the imagination of an impressionable people. He noted there was considerable noise coming from the explosion, but no stones fell. The absence of an impact crater can be explained by there having been no material body to impact. An explosion caused by broadcast power would not leave a crater. -- In contrast to the ice comet collision theory, reports of upper atmosphere and magnetic disturbances coming from other parts of the world at the time of and just after the Tunguska event point to massive changes in earth's electrical condition. Baxter and Atkins cite in their study of the explosion, The Fire Came By, that the Times of London editorialized about "slight, but plainly marked, disturbances of ... magnets," which the writer, not knowing then of the explosion, associated with solar prominences. -- In Berlin, the New York Times of July 3rd reported unusual colors in the evening skies thought to be Northern Lights: "Remarkable lights were observed in the northern heavens ... bright diffused white and yellow illumination continuing through the night until it disappears at dawn." Massive glowing "silvery clouds"
covered Siberia and northern Europe. A scientist in Holland told of an "undulating mass" moving across the northwest horizon. It seemed to him not to be a cloud, but the "sky itself seemed to undulate." A woman north of London wrote the London Times that on midnight of July 1st the sky glowed so brightly it was possible to read large print inside her house. A meteorological observer in England recounted on the nights of June 30th and July 1st (1908): ... [article link]
Tunguska Explosion 30 June 1908 {At the Tunguska explosion site there is known radiation poisoning, meaning an electro-magnetic, nuclear type of explosion and not just a physical explosion occurred. The Cheko Lake often considered a possible final impact site from an air-bursting meteorite (bolide) explosion has trees older than 100 years near the lake so likely a meteorite was not the cause but a directed (shaped) explosion could have been. The Cheko Lake was unknown to exist and was not on any maps prior to the explosion and no flooding occurred in that area. The lake crater could have been caused by an electro-magnetic-particle type of explosion.} (YouTube) At 7:17 AM on the morning of June 30, 1908, a mysterious explosion occurred in the skies over Siberia. It was caused by the impact and breakup of a large meteorite, at an altitude roughly six kilometers in the atmosphere. Realistic pictures of the event are unavailable. However, Russian scientists collected eyewitness accounts of the event. I believe that we now know enough about large impacts to "decode" the subjective descriptions of the witnesses and create realistic views of this historic asteroid impact as seen from different distances. [article link]
Catholic group denounces Obama's pick of Biden for V.P. - Barack Obama's selection of pro-abortion Catholic Joe Biden to be his V.P. running mate "is a slap in the face to Catholic voters" and poses a major challenge for American Catholics The Roman Catholic group, Fidelis, says Barack Obama's selection of pro-abortion Catholic Joe Biden to be his V.P. running mate "is a slap in the face to Catholic voters" and poses a major challenge for American Catholics. In a press release sent out overnight, Fidelis president, Brian Burch, declared that Barack Obama has "reopened a wound among American Catholics" by picking a pro-abortion Catholic politician like Joe Biden. According to Burch, the American Catholic bishops have made it clear that Catholic political leaders must defend the dignity of every human person, including the unborn." Sadly, Joe Biden's tenure in the United States Senate has been marked by steadfast support for legal abortion" he added. During the recent Democratic primary campaign Biden said: I am a long-standing supporter of Roe v Wade and a woman's right to choose." Burch notes that in 2004, John Kerry's support of abortion sparked a nationwide controversey over whether Catholics who support legal abortion can receive communion. Burch says "now, everywhere Biden campaigns, we'll have this question of whether a pro-abortion Catholic can receive Communion." "Senator Biden is an unrepentant supporter of abortion in direct opposition to the church he claims as his own. [article link]
Obama picks Biden as running mate {This is the same old trash politics Nothing new here. I'm voting 3rd Party, or possibly McCain, it's not even possible that I could ever cast a ballot for Joe Biden.} Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has selected Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, one of the longestserving members of the Senate, as his vice presidential running mate. "Barack has chosen Joe Biden to be his running mate," Obama's official Web site announced early Saturday. "Joe Biden brings extensive foreign policy experience, an impressive record of collaborating across party lines, and a direct approach to getting the job done." [article link]
Christian Cinema Special Offers (DVD's) Unique sets and limited-time offers give you significant savings by combining titles and lowering our prices even further. As you're building your Christian and family film collection, check back here often for new
specials. [article link]
Time Changer - This movie starts out rather slow,,,,but stick with it! When the movie started, I remember thinking that the acting was terrible - I also thought "couldn't they get someone better to play the main character?" At the end of the movie I was saying "They couldn't have picked anyone better, to play the main character" - The acting does get better - This movie is an eye opener to all who claim to be Christian, yet don't stand up out of fear of offending someone for what is right - It is a "must see" for every christian!! Powerful message (DVD) The year is 1890 and Bible professor Russell Carlisle (D. David Morin) has written a new manuscript "The Changing Times." His book is about to receive a unanimous endorsement from the board members of the Grace Bible Seminary until his colleague Dr. Norris Anderson (Gavin MacLeod) raises an objection. Dr. Anderson believes that what Carlisle has written could greatly affect the future of coming generations. Using a secret time machine, Anderson sends Carlisle over 100 years into the future, offering him a glimpse of where his beliefs will lead. Rated PG for thematic elements. Closed-captioned. Approx. 90 minutes. [article link]
Intel Looks to Power (Electronic) Devices Through Air - Intel has been able to send electrical current over distances of a couple of feet with 75% efficiency - systems that could deliver [recharging] power to cellphones, laptop computers and other devices [rechargeable batteries] without [plug-in] cords and power supplies relying on magnetic resonance, a concept pioneered by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) {Note: This technology was discovered in 1882 by the famous inventor Nikola Tesla.} Intel Corp. is beginning to talk about a world without wires -- more specifically, power cords. The chip giant Thursday plans to demonstrate prototype technology that can transfer electricity about two feet through the air, and could theoretically pave the way for systems that could deliver power to cellphones, laptop computers and other devices without cords and power supplies. ... What's most promising, Mr. Sample said, is that Intel has been able to send electrical current over distances of a couple of feet with 75% efficiency --wasting scarcely more electricity than some power supplies used with computers. For applications that could tolerate less efficiency, distances could be even greater, he noted. "This is really raw physics research," Mr. Sample noted. "We still don't know how far we could push this out." Any application of the technology is probably at least two years away, Mr. Sample said. But ultimately, he and other Intel researchers envision adding wireless charging coils that in all kinds of environments, including smart cubicles that could provide power to any device that enters a certain field, he said. [article link]
Nikola Tesla - Genius From Smiljan, a fascinating scientist and inventor, possessed unusual mental characteristics - If somebody would destroy his inventions, the world would simply stop - his father (an Orthodox priest) hoped he would have a successor in Nikola - That's why he was preparing his son with different spiritual exercises to become a priest - He should have become a priest: father gave in to Nikola's wish to study technique only when Nikola got seriously ill, and when doctors predicted he had only a few months left to live - He lived in a heroic time of technology. He was a scientist and mystic. A poet of electricity. New Yorkers called him the "old wizard from the park" {The tragic Nikola Tesla like so many other people of God given genius ability eventually neglected God to the point that Satan is even considered a source of his ingenuity and not God. The great painter Vincent van Gogh started the same career as his father a Protestant Minister but by the end of his genius life Van Gogh was virtually a New Ager and certainly a complete suicidal wreck. God gives the ability to people then Satan seems to try to take the credit and after using them Satan then throws their gifted life away. If these gifted, truly genius people had maintained a Christian walk with Jesus Christ their life would have been much better lived. Note: All of Tesla's discoveries could have good applications in better energy, better communications, more abundant food and water sources even hurricanes could be dispersed or re-directed. Yet the majority of Tesla's discoveries are being used against mankind and
not to help mankind.} He lived in a heroic time of technology. He was a scientist and mystic. A poet of electricity. New Yorkers called him the "old wizard from the park". People were afraid of him when he was talking about how he could cut the planet in half using powerful oscillators. Because of the blue lights that sparked out of his laboratory at nights, people believed Tesla knew how to set the sky on fire. They laughed at him when he played, just as a little boy would, with model boats on the Hudson River. They didn't know that with these models remote control technology was born, which has wide use in every home today. And everything began on July 10, 1856, in the village of Smiljan, not far from Gospic in Lika. Exactly one year before his son Nikola was to be born, on July 10, 1855, Milutin Tesla had, as he wrote, providence from God. ... Nikola's older brother Dane, for whom even in early childhood it was discovered that he was a mathematical wunderkind, died from the consequences of a fall from a horse. His brother's death left a huge impact on Tesla. Years after that, he had nightmares and hallucinations that reminded him of Dane's death. As Nikola remained the only male child in the family, his father hoped he would have a successor in Nikola. That's why he was preparing his son with different spiritual exercises to become a priest. They would spend long hours in prayers. They "played" by guessing thoughts and communicating without words [of course nothing Christian about mind-reading, so his Orthodox doctrine was partly distorted]. Only when Nikola became severely ill and doctors predicted the boy didn't have much time left, his father, a priest, allowed him to study technology. [article link]
Nikola Tesla - The Forgotten Genius - When I learned that Nikola Tesla invented the radio, and not Marconi, I was shocked. Tesla also invented [the wireless remote control], the electric generator, the electric motor, fluorescent lighting, alternating current (AC) and devised the technologies that generate and deliver our electrical power for our homes, schools and factories. So why didn't I ever learn about Tesla in school -- the same way I learned about Thomas Edison, Marconi and Einstein? {Because the government doesn't want people to know how advanced and powerful its surveillance, weather modification (HAARP), and weapons of mass destruction capabilities really are?} The story about Nikola Tesla is the story of a genius who was largely disrespected and abused by other scientists and inventors -- many of whom stole his ideas and took credit for his discoveries. But how did this happen? ... Born to a Serbian family on July 9th, 1856 in Smiljan, Croatia (former Yugoslavia), Nikola Tesla was a dreamer with a poetic touch. His first "invention" consisted of a rotary engine, powered by insects that the young Tesla had glued to a paper wheel. This boyhood fascination with motors developed a unique mental ability where Tesla could visualize inventions in his mind, complete to the most minute detail, and execute these plans without the need for a blueprint or meticulous calculations. ... An eccentric genius, Tesla had few friends and remained reclusive. He never had a home in America, choosing instead to live in hotels. During the final few decades of his life he withdrew in a New York hotel, only granting interviews and making annual public appearances on his birthdays. At these press conferences Tesla proposed future inventions, but his accounts were frequently distorted by the popular press. After Tesla's death the Federal Bureau of Investigation took note of Tesla's proposals for advanced weapons systems and searched his papers for information about reports of his death ray machine as world conflict was impending. see also Weapon of Total Destruction, Viewzone back issue. [article link]
Wikipedia: Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 - 7 January 1943) was an inventor [discovered AC electrical current, replacing the DC current layout of Thomas Edison], a mechanical and an electrical engineer. Born in Smiljan, Croatian Krajina, Austrian Empire, he was an ethnic Serbian subject of the Austrian Empire and later became an American citizen - Tesla is best known for many revolutionary contributions in the field of electricity and magnetism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tesla's patents and theoretical work formed the basis of modern alternating current electric power (AC) systems - After his demonstration of wireless communication (radio) in 1894 and after being the victor in the "War of Currents" [DC Vs. AC], he was widely respected as
America's greatest electrical engineer (Photos) Colorado Springs: In 1899, Tesla decided to move and began research in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he would have room for his high-voltage, high-frequency experiments. Upon his arrival he told reporters that he was conducting wireless telegraphy experiments transmitting signals from Pikes Peak to Paris. Tesla's diary contains explanations of his experiments concerning the ionosphere and the ground's telluric currents via transverse waves and longitudinal waves. At his lab, Tesla proved that the earth was a conductor, and he produced artificial lightning with discharges consisting of millions of volts, and up to 135 feet long. Tesla also investigated atmospheric electricity, observing lightning signals via his receivers. ... Tesla researched ways to transmit power and energy wirelessly over long distances via transverse waves, to a lesser extent, and, more readily, longitudinal waves. He transmitted extremely low frequencies through the ground as well as between the earth's surface and the Kennelly-Heaviside layer. He received patents on wireless transceivers that developed standing waves by this method. In his experiments, he made mathematical calculations and computations based on his experiments and discovered that the resonant frequency of the Earth was approximately 8 Hertz (Hz). In the 1950s, researchers confirmed that the resonant frequency of the Earth's ionospheric cavity was in this range later named the Schumann resonance. ... Tesla left Colorado Springs on January 7, 1900. The lab was torn down and its contents sold to pay debts. The Colorado experiments prepared Tesla for his next project, the establishment of a wireless power transmission facility that would be known as Wardenclyffe. Tesla was granted U.S. Patent 685,012 for the means of increasing the intensity of electrical oscillations. The United States Patent Office classification system currently assigns this patent to the primary Class 178/43 "telegraphy/space induction", although the other applicable classes include 505/825 "low temperature superconductivity-related apparatus". [article link]
{Flashback} Nikola Tesla: He powered the world (HAARP) Predecessor In Colorado Springs' where he stayed from May 1899 until 1900' Tesla made what he regarded as his most important discovery-- terrestrial stationary waves. By this discovery he proved that the Earth could be used as a conductor and would be as responsive as a tuning fork to electrical vibrations of a certain frequency. He also lighted 200 lamps without wires from a distance of 25 miles (40 kilometers) and created man-made lightning. [article link]
{Flashback} Nikola Tesla: Mysterious Death In 1943 Nikola Tesla claimed that he had perfected his "death beam". He died shortly after in the Hotel New Yorker' where he had been living. The next morning after Tesla died' when his nephew came to his uncle's room at the hotel' the body was gone and many of his papers were missing. [article link]
{Flashback} HAARP: Weapons of Total Destruction Editor's Note: Many articles have been written about HAARP. What this author wishes to make clear is that he believes HAARP is not the actual facility designed to be used as a military system but a "front" or "red herring" facility which allows the authorities to deny important questions about its purpose and operation. The real facility is located in Poker Flats' North of Fairbanks' Alaska. Please read the Congressional Executive Summary which is provided here in full for the truth. [article link]
-- New Link-- {Flashback} HAARP: Did it cause the 2003 Blackout? Did a Secret Military Experiment Cause the 2003 Blackout' [Editor's Note: It's hard to know for sure what happened on August 14' (East Coast Blackout) but I never felt that it was a natural occurence...] [article link]
{Flashback} The Government Can Control the Weather (HAARP) Lots of people know that Nicola Tesla patented weather influencing machinery before 1910, and explained how it could be used to control weather thousands of miles away. Not only can the technology be used to guide moisture laden air to drought stricken locations, but it can keep moisture away from droughts as well. What can be achieved is a barrier to wind flow called a stationary pressure front, which forces weather away from its natural destination. The modern name for a device of this type is an atmospheric heater, which works by beaming concentrated radiowaves tuned to heat some component of the atmosphere. Many people now know that a stationary pressure front has been sitting off the California coast since 19xx because it is blamed for droughts in recent decades, but few of them also know that stationary pressure regions were unheard of before 19xx, xx years after the USSR finished constructing an atmospheric heater. [article link]
--Updated Link-- The Devil's Delight: Deceiving the Church by Jan Markell - "Don't spend too much time focusing on the deception but rather, on the truth (Bible)" May I add, don't stop being a "watchman" or "contender for the faith" - So don't despair and do plan on a great reward for standing up for truth rather than the razzle-dazzle gimmicks that tell us we can get closer to God if we walk the labyrinth or practice centering prayer - He's (Holy Spirit) living inside of us - How much closer can He be to us than living within us? Writer and researcher Berit Kjos says, "Infiltration and deception have been tools of conspirators through the ages, and the church has been a primary target! After all, God warns us that 'the whole world is under the sway of the evil one' (I John 5:19). One of his most effective schemes is to redefine God's Word and divert Christians from His unchanging truth to man's shifting ideals." ... "Don't spend too much time focusing on the deception but rather, on the truth." May I add, don't stop being a "watchman" or "contender for the faith" So don't despair and do plan on a great reward for standing up for truth rather than the razzle-dazzle gimmicks that tell us we can get closer to God if we walk the labyrinth or practice centering prayer. He's living inside of us. How much closer can He be to us than living within us? [article link]
Intel Computer CPU Developer Forum (IDF) 2008: Day 1 Wrap Up - "The embedded Internet, where every human being is connected to the Internet" Gelsinger said of Intel's vision - Another projection of his is that this "will result in 15 billion connected devices by 2015" Instead of diving straight into the technology, the IDF 2008 commencement keynote began with Craig Barrett, chairman of the board at Intel, emphasizing the importance of education and the things the company is doing to expand its reach into emerging markets. What is the impact of technology on the five billion people living outside the United States, Japan, and Europe-world powers that are thriving in this area? And what is to become of our education system without good teachers and funding for research and development? ... Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president of Intel's Digital Enterprise Group, took the stage immediately after the SSD announcement. "The embedded Internet, where every human being is connected to the Internet," Gelsinger said of Intel's vision. Another projection of his is that this "will result in 15 billion connected devices by 2015." [article link]
'Cold War' fears in Middle East - Israel sees 'theater of conflict' emerging as Russia boosts military ties with Syria - According to informed security sources, there are already Russian naval troops and missile crews operating in Syria JERUSALEM - Israeli security officials have confirmed fears in Jerusalem that Russia may spark a Cold War-like military build up in the Middle East by sending war ships and advanced weaponry to foe Syria. Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived today on a two-day visit to Moscow, where he will reportedly discuss with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ways to expand military ties with Moscow, whose arms sales to Mideast countries, including Syria and Iran, have angered Israel and the U.S. In a widely-circulated article, the London Times reported today Russia is expected to propose a revival of its Cold War-era naval bases at the Syrian ports of Tartus and Latakia on the Mediterranean. Moscow maintained bases in Damascus during the Cold War, but
Russia's influence in the region weakened after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Times information is not new, though. Indeed, the deal was already sealed five months ago. WND reported March 9 Syria quietly struck a deal with Russia that allows Moscow to station submarines and war boats off Tartus and Latakia. In exchange, Russia is supplying Syria with weaponry at lower costs, with some of the missiles and rockets being financed by Iran. [article link]
How Israel Trained and Equipped Georgia's Army - The Russian military blasted Israel today for supplying weapons and training to its adversaries in Georgia {Many countries have equipped Georgia and the USA is the biggest supplier. The one thing that has kept Russia back from being a great world leader is their irrational (Satanic) dislike of Israel. Really the only nations that God will bless are the nations that support and are friends to Israel. Other nations like Russia, Iran and China try to force the world to accept their leadership but it doesn't work because any leadership they do produce is skewed towards an ugly intolerance and away from the freedoms and opportunities God wants for the Jews and for ALL people to have.} "In 2007, Israeli experts trained Georgian commandos," he added. Georgia's Deputy Defense Minister Batu Kutelia previously said that "Georgian corporals and sergeants train with Germans, alpine units and the navy work with French instructors, and special operations and urban warfare troops are taught by Israelis." ... In addition, "Israel has reportedly helped upgrade Soviet-designed Su-25 ground attack jets assembled in Georgia. And former Israeli generals serve as advisers to the Georgian military," according to the Jewish Week. All told, "Israel arms sales to Georgia over the last decade have been estimated at some $300 million to $500 million." *But, by late 2007, Israeli analysts saw war and the horizon for Russia and Georgia, Ha'Aretz observes. "The defense and foreign ministries started ordering military exports to Georgia be cut last year, thwarting a major deal for Israeli-made Merkava tanks... Senior Israeli generals apparently felt a showdown was imminent, and preferred not to get directly involved." Especially because Jerusalem "views cooperation from Moscow which has been supplying Iran with arms and help in its nuclear efforts - as crucial to halting Iran's drive" for atomic weaponry, the Jewish Week adds. During the first few days of the war, the Russians seemed placated. "We are appreciative of Israel's position of not selling offensive weapons to a conflict area," Russian diplomat Anatoly Yurkov said. Today, the rhetoric changed. [article link]
{Flashback} August 17, 1790: Letter from (Jewish) Moses Seixas to first American President George Washington (1789-1797) - Reply Letter from George Washington to Moses Seixas (PDF - pages 5 & 6) To the President of the United States of America ... Done and Signed by order of the Hebrew Congregation in NewPort, Rhode Island August 17th 1790. Moses Seixas, Warden ... To the Hebrew Congregation in NewPort, Rhode Island. Gentlemen ... May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy. G. Washington. [article link]
{Flashback} George Washington - 1790 goodwill visit he paid to Newport, Rhode Island, during his first term as President - May the Children of the Stock of Abraham (Jews), who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid George Washington's private life and writings reveal no evidence of anti-Semitism, and his public attitude towards religious tolerance was well expressed on a 1790 goodwill visit he paid to Newport, Rhode Island, during his first term as President. When a goodwill address was presented to him by the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Washington responded by penning "the first presidential declaration of the free and equal status of Jewish-American citizens" ... The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for giving to Mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For
happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection, should demean themselves as good citizens. [article link]
Poll suggests McCain's support hinges on VP pick - "mainly because evangelicals and conservative Democrats are disproportionately supporting him" - "McCain really has not unified the (values voters) base of the party that has elected every Republican candidate since the Moral Majority started in the '60s'" Merrill said {It seems that McCain has already dropped the ball on his VP pick. At the very least McCain has fumbled and bumbled his way into his decision, a decision that should have already been made at this point. McCain acts like he never knew he needed a running mate and worse McCain acts like any VP running mate must first serve McCain more than serving the country. If the VP selection is a preview of John McCain's leadership and decision making skills I can do without McCain in the White House.} Sen. John McCain's 10-point lead in Arizona over Sen. Barack Obama - and possibily his chances of winning the White House - could hang on his choice for vice president, a survey suggests. Pollster Bruce Merrill said the state's senior senator is maintaining his lead over the likely Democratic nominee "mainly because evangelicals and conservative Democrats are disproportionately supporting him." But Merrill, who conducted the survey of 402 registered voters earlier this month for KAET-TV, the Phoenix PBS affiliate, said that fact has to weigh on McCain's mind as he sifts through potential running mates. And that list, Merrill said, includes at least one "prochoice'' candidate: former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. "I don't think he can afford to do that,'' Merrill said of the possibility of a McCain-Ridge ticket. He said that while Pennsylvania's electoral votes are important, anything McCain picks up there would be lost elsewhere. "McCain really has not unified the base of the party that has elected every Republican candidate since the Moral Majority started in the '60s,'' Merrill said. [article link]
The Devil's Delight: Deceiving the Church by Jan Markell - "Don't spend too much time focusing on the deception but rather, on the truth (Bible)" May I add, don't stop being a "watchman" or "contender for the faith" - So don't despair and do plan on a great reward for standing up for truth rather than the razzle-dazzle gimmicks that tell us we can get closer to God if we walk the labyrinth or practice centering prayer - He's (Holy Spirit) living inside of us - How much closer can He be to us than living within us? Writer and researcher Berit Kjos says, "Infiltration and deception have been tools of conspirators through the ages, and the church has been a primary target! After all, God warns us that 'the whole world is under the sway of the evil one' (I John 5:19). One of his most effective schemes is to redefine God's Word and divert Christians from His unchanging truth to man's shifting ideals." ... "Don't spend too much time focusing on the deception but rather, on the truth." May I add, don't stop being a "watchman" or "contender for the faith" So don't despair and do plan on a great reward for standing up for truth rather than the razzle-dazzle gimmicks that tell us we can get closer to God if we walk the labyrinth or practice centering prayer. He's living inside of us. How much closer can He be to us than living within us? [article link]
Heartbreak of the Mormon Gospel - Christian friends, is this not heartbreaking? The "gospel" Orson Scott Card (LDS Missionary) was sent to Brazil to preach was that "the repentance which merits forgiveness" is found in one's own work and worthiness - This is an impossible gospel - Furthermore, "The Miracle of (LDS) Forgiveness" maligns the genuine Good News, the biblical Gospel of grace {"The biblical Gospel of grace" GodJesus Christ paid for our sins (death) for us because we cannot pay that high of a penalty for ourselves. Therefore it is important to know that Christianity is a doctrine of "Promises" God's Promises (Forgiveness, Eternal Life) to mankind and not a doctrine of works i.e. man's works to obtain God's righteousness or favor. Besides what can people do that God can't do for Himself [God can send an Angel to Brazil or give someone in Brazil a vision. God doesn't need a missionary to go do His work. God allows Christian Missionaries to participate in His work of Salvation because that is the Relationship some people have with God.] so of course works directed at God are meaningless. However a real personal RELATIONSHIP directed to God where people
interact (pray, fellowship, abide) with God is priceless.} I, too, read "The Miracle of Forgiveness" when I began my mission to bring the Gospel to Latter-day Saints. And like Mr. Card's experience, it touched my heart, as well. But not in the same way. When I read "The Miracle of Forgiveness" my heart broke for the LDS people. If Mr. Kimball's teaching is believed, Latter-day Saints live under a sin burden from which they can never escape. "The Miracle of Forgiveness" says that gaining forgiveness for sins requires the successful completion of a six-step repentance process, which includes a permanent abandonment of sin and keeping all the commandments of God. In other words, to be forgiven one must reach a state of perfection ... Christian friends, is this not heartbreaking? The "gospel" Orson Scott Card was sent to Brazil to preach was that "the repentance which merits forgiveness" is found in one's own work and worthiness. One must perfectly and completely abandon all sin, and then (as Moroni 10:32 in the Book of Mormon states) Christ's grace is applied. This is an impossible gospel. Furthermore, "The Miracle of Forgiveness" maligns the genuine Good News, the biblical Gospel of grace: [article link]
UAW blasts McCain for stand on auto loan - UAW President Ron Gettelfinger criticized Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Monday for opposing government loans for Detroit automakers, saying McCain "has slammed the door on any real support for the domestic auto industry" {What will be prudent for McCain when Detroit is legislated out of business and the only option Americans have is to buy a foreign car? The simple fact that Bush-McCain refuse to support the American home front is very disturbing to me. The Bush McCain people are at 'War' with America and I don't know how else to put it. McCain-Bush absolutely refuse under any circumstances to do anything to aide American cities, people, farms, factories, jobs, businesses or anything that will be good for America's future. Yet Bush-McCain give Trillions of our dollars to every foreign radical, militant group they can find. Why does McCain want to end subsidy support for American causes but continue to finance every foreign cause? Something is wrong! Seriously wrong! -- When these politicians can learn to put America first then and only then they might begin to become qualified as a candidate to run for an American office.} WASHINGTON -- UAW President Ron Gettelfinger criticized Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Monday for opposing government loans for Detroit automakers, saying McCain "has slammed the door on any real support for the domestic auto industry." The UAW, which has endorsed Democratic rival Barack Obama, has pushed lawmakers to fund $25 billion in low-interest loans for Detroit automakers to help cover retooling costs. Automakers have embraced the idea in recent months as a vicious economic downturn has shut their access to traditional financing. Obama has backed a UAW proposal for Congress to approve $4 billion this year that would cover the costs for lending $25 billion, a plan that faces many hurdles to passage. In his visit to Michigan last week, McCain said such loans wouldn't be prudent, adding he was worried about "predicting failure on the part of automakers when they've made strides on things like labor agreements." McCain has proposed a $300-million prize for battery research and a $5,000 tax credit for consumers who buy fuel-efficient vehicles. [article link]
Obama: McCain 'Doesn't Know What He's Up Against' - "I don't intend to lose this election - John McCain doesn't know what he's up against" {If anything the 2008 election especially the Republican primary has had the look and feel of a rigged election. I think Obama can and likely will win this election and Obama can win it in a fair, open and honest way something that will be very good for America as opposed to the backroom deals that emerged from the past Bush-Clinton-Bush-McCain campaigns.} RALEIGH, N.C. - A combative Barack Obama said Tuesday that Republican John McCain "doesn't know what he's up against" in this election and challenged his rival to stop questioning his character and patriotism. Obama, campaigning in a state where he hopes to become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win in more than three decades, implored his supporters to fight for the presidency. "Our job in this election is not just 'win,' although I'm a big believer in winning," Obama said during the rally. "I don't intend to lose this
election. John McCain doesn't know what he's up against." ... Addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Orlando, Fla., Obama reaffirmed his early opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq and said the strategy of sending in 30,000 additional troops last year had not produced the political reconciliation necessary to achieve lasting peace in the country. [article link]
Rush Puts Kibosh on VP Ridge or Lieberman - "They (RINO's) don't know what makes us tick, we're aliens to them - And they think that we're gonna at the end of the day sit around and vote for McCain regardless - And this is where the miscalculation is huge" - How about some discussion from the McCain campaign about a conservative who can be counted on across the board, who can help lead the country in the right direction Who can help rebuild the Republican party ... neither McCain nor Lieberman nor Ridge can do that conservative talk radio giant Rush Limbaugh said today. "This is crap," he continued. "What is this about picking a liberal Democrat or a liberal Republican? McCain has already seen to it that he can walk across the aisle that he's the top of the ticket. If anybody is going to attract moderates it's going to be the top of the ticket guy. He's not going to help himself any additional way, he's going to hurt himself by putting a liberal or a liberal Republican on this ticket, particularly pro-choice. If they do that, if the McCain camp does that, they will have effectively destroyed the Republican party and pushed the conservative movement into the bleachers." ... Limbaugh suggested "someone like Rick Santorum other than Tom Ridge. How about some discussion from the McCain campaign about a conservative who can be counted on across the board, who can help lead the country in the right direction. Who can help rebuild the Republican party - Lieberman can't do that - and rebuild the conservative movement - neither McCain nor Lieberman nor Ridge can do that." [article link]
Mystery website tipping off this person as McCain's VP - suggests Alaskan governor (Sarah Palin) will complete GOP ticket - Palin has drawn attention as a potential running mate because of her youth and charisma, personally demonstrated pro-life beliefs and willingness to tackle tough issues, including an incident where she took on Republican leadership in her state for ethics violations - Editor Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard last year called Palin "a politician of eye-popping integrity" {It would be GREAT if the Republican Party selected Gov. Sarah Palin for the VP pick. That has been what is so frustrating about the Bush Republican Party, there are many, many qualified conservative candidates for jobs yet Bush puts the Harriet Miers' and the Condoleezza Rice's into positions. Harriet Miers was the Texas Lottery representative and worked for a crooked realestate company then Bush tapped her to be his Supreme Court pick completely ignoring greats like Samuel Alito until Bush was shamed into changing his decision.} Palin has drawn attention as a potential running mate because of her youth and charisma, personally demonstrated pro-life beliefs and willingness to tackle tough issues, including an incident where she took on Republican leadership in her state for ethics violations. -- Editor Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard last year called Palin "a politician of eye-popping integrity." "Her rise is a great (and rare) story of how adherence to principle - especially to transparency and accountability in government - can produce political success," Barnes wrote. Who then, created the McCainPalin.com website and asked readers to "stay tuned" for an announcement? Several websites and blogs are touting Palin, hoping she'll be chosen as the vice presidential nominee, including Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President, PalinforVP.com and My McCain Blog, which created the graphic of the theoretical campaign sign pictured above. Palin's press secretary acknowledged to WND that these sites have been in existence for several months and are consolidating their resources to rally Palin supporters. [article link]
RNC: McCain Won't Choose Abortion-Supporting Running Mate - Republican National Committee officials said Tuesday that McCain is no longer considering former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge As speculation grows around who John McCain will select as his vice presidential running mate next week, Republican National Committee officials said Tuesday that McCain is no longer considering former
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. Several sources at the RNC told FOX News that in the last 36 hours, senior McCain advisers and aides have told RNC officials that McCain "got the message" last week that choosing a running mate who supports abortion rights would not be helpful. GOP pundits had been vocal in urging the presumptive presidential nominee not to pick a running mate who supports abortion rights. Ridge, the first homeland security secretary, was said to be on McCain's short list, and the only candidate who explicitly supports abortion rights. [article link]
Conservatives Warn McCain Against Abortion-Supporting Running Mate - The National Review reported Monday that the McCain campaign has been calling key state Republican officials around the country in recent days to weigh the consequences of picking a candidate who backs abortion rights - The conservative magazine interpreted that as a sign that the McCain campaign is seriously considering Ridge or another abortion rights defender {I don't think that now is good time for the Republican elites to again betray the conservative part of the party.} As speculation grows around who John McCain will select as his vice presidential candidate next week, GOP pundits are urging the presumptive presidential nominee not to pick a running mate who supports abortion rights. Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge is said to be on McCain's short list, and is the only candidate who is explicit in his support for abortion rights. The National Review reported Monday that the McCain campaign has been calling key state Republican officials around the country in recent days to weigh the consequences of picking a candidate who backs abortion rights. The conservative magazine interpreted that as a sign that the McCain campaign is seriously considering Ridge or another abortion rights defender. -- "I think it's a hard sell and I don't see much upside to Tom Ridge except for John McCain likes him a lot," National Review Editor Rich Lowry told Fox News Tuesday. "I don't think he's going to be a big benefit in Pennsylvania and even if he is, I think the downside is the rest of the country among conservatives are going to be upset about this, just at the moment they're beginning to work up being excited about John McCain." Conservative commentator David Limbaugh went even further Tuesday, labeling a McCain-Ridge ticket "political suicide." [article link]
Understanding (computer disk storage) Raid 6 and RAID 61 - Hifn RAID 6 - Hifn RAID 61 {As more and more Churches and Ministries depend on large, audio and video computer files to distribute their ministry information a sound and reliable computer disk backup implementation plan is needed. RAID 6 is self correcting with two errors either disk sector errors, complete disk hard drive failures or a combination of both.} (PDF) Introduction: The prime directive for a storage manager is simple-don't lose data! Countless hours are spent on developing and implementing backup/restore plans, disaster recovery plans, information life cycle plans, regulatory compliance plans, etc. However, if you don't start with highly protected data systems, all your plans may be for naught. ... With today's larger SATA disk drives being deployed in primary storage environments, serious data protection issues arise during prolonged storage array rebuild times for RAID 5 based systems. Active/ Passive or even Active/Active failover schemes that limit themselves to a single box lessen their ability to provide true high availability storage. Hifn's RAID 6 and RAID 61 based IP storage arrays take data protection and high availability to levels normally associated with enterprise class SCSI or FC implementations. Hifn brings these enterprise class features to the IP SAN market. [article link]
Russians Seize Georgia Soldiers, U.S. Humvees - Pentagon says no significant change in occupation; Medvedev says pullout will happen Friday {It seems likely that Bush and Condoleezza Rice did have a big part in Georgia's attack on South Ossetia and therefore Bush should not be trying to solve this crisis because he is likely a big part of the crisis. I doubt Russia has any real interest in negotiating with Dr. Rice so in this case a more neutral nation should negotiate a real and lasting ceased fire between Georgia and Russia.} Also Tuesday, Russian soldiers took about 20 Georgian troops prisoner at a key Black Sea port in western
Georgia, blindfolding them and holding them at gunpoint, and commandeered American Humvees awaiting shipment back to the United States. ... Along with the soldiers, the Russian troops also took away a container holding U.S. military property: Five U.S. military regular humvees and one armored humvee, according to Alan Middleton, CEO of Poti Sea Port. They had been used in a military exercise recently in Georgia involving U.S. and Georgian troops and were being shipped back to a European base. It is unclear whether the Georgians seized had anything to do with the container. [article link]
Settling the hoo-hah about John McCain's "cross in the sand" story - here's a nugget from a former POW who was in North Vietnam with John McCain: "I recall John telling that story when we first got together in 1971, when were talking about every conceivable thing that had ever happened to us when we were in prison" Swindle told me {Did a North Vietnamese prison guard draw a cross in the sand for John McCain when McCain was in a lot of pain? It's hard to tell. At one time a Republican could be trusted until doubt surfaced. Now Republican politicians are more doubted until some form of proof is presented.} At this past weekend's Saddleback forum, John McCain retold his story about a Christian North Vietnamese prison guard sharing a surreptitious Christmas moment when McCain was a POW. In the days afterward, some people pointed out that McCain's tale was a lot like one told by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and said that McCain might have swiped the story. I posted about it, suggesting it was an unfair shot without some proof. [article link]
FBI admits error but stands by anthrax probe - "We'll never put all the questions to rest" said Vahid Majidi, head of the FBI's Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate [the highest-ranking Muslim in U.S. law enforcement] - Ivins' lawyers maintain his innocence, saying that more than 100 people had access to the strain - The FBI says its investigation cleared all of them but Ivins WASHINGTON (CNN) -- FBI officials, while admitting a mistake, are offering more evidence to support their assertion that government scientist Bruce Ivins was responsible for the anthrax-laced mailings that killed five people in 2001. ... "We'll never put all the questions to rest," said Vahid Majidi, head of the FBI's Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate. "There's always going to be a spore on a grassy knoll." Majidi, FBI Laboratory Director David Hassell, six outside scientists, and academicians and several scientists from the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, joined the news conference. ... The scientists said their investigation lasted from 2001 to 2008 because they were using new genetic analytic processes that were unfolding even as the investigation proceeded. ... The scientists said the anthrax in the letters could have been created in three to seven days by one person using the type of equipment located at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute in Fort Detrick, Maryland, where Ivins worked. Although authorities had previously said the anthrax in the attacks was "weaponized," coated with a special substance to make it disperse in the air, the scientists at the briefing said that was not the case. The genetic analysis used in the investigation may yield payoffs in the future, said FraserLiggett. "This has application to homeland security -- our food, water and outbreaks," she said. [article link]
National Geographic: Bigfoot Discovery Declared a [rubber suit] Hoax - If the group had instead sent in hair samples from the body, it would have been relatively simple to confirm that it belonged to an unidentified primate species, Linville said - Moneymaker called the press conference an elaborate "profiteering scam" engineered by Biscardi {I wonder what their first clue it was a fake was, the fur that looked more like a rug or the plastic tongue? Update: CNN is saying the first clue was the fake fur then during the defrosting when a (rubber) foot poked through an ice opening and a scientist then determined the frozen freezer contents to be a rubber suit.} Within the community of amateur and professional Bigfoot hunters, Biscardi has a "reputation of ill repute," Meldrum said. Meldrum is also extremely skeptical about the authenticity of a photograph released in the days leading up to the press conference showing what appears to be a hairy corpse in a refrigerator. "It looks like a heap of costume fur. It doesn't look like natural hair," Meldrum said. "The gut pile looks like it was dumped on
there just for effect." ... The DNA sample was analyzed by Curt Nelson, a molecular biologist at the University of Minnesota, who described it as a mixture of human and opossum. ... Matthew Moneymaker is the president of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, an international network of Bigfoot investigators. Moneymaker called the press conference an elaborate "profiteering scam" engineered by Biscardi. "They know there's tremendous interest in seeing photographs of [Bigfoot], and they're trying to get people to pay to see hoaxed photos," he said. Moneymaker's organization tracks Bigfoot news in the media, and he says Biscardi really scored with his latest exploit. "There's been at least a thousand stories in newspapers across the world," Moneymaker said. "Before this, the highest record was about 200 articles in newspapers." Moneymaker predicts that the mass exposure could actually hurt Biscardi in the long run. "Now he's really a famous con man," Moneymaker said. "He was a con man known in Bigfoot circles for years, and now it won't be long before everybody knows it." [article link]
{Flashback & Reminder} (Loch Ness) Nessie Footage Questions Focus On Filmmaker - Who is Gordon T. Holmes? - *As I've mentioned before in print and in interviews, a videotape or photograph of a cryptid should never be analyzed without regard to looking into the background of the person that took the image or images What do we know about the man who took the Nessie footage in late May 2007? Does Gordon Holmes have visions of becoming the next Sherlock Holmes, following in the footsteps of that character's creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? It is with no disrespect that I compile for my readers the facts that Mr. Holmes has placed out there in cyberspace about himself. He has freely admitted that he has filmed fairies, seen apparent alien black cats (ABCs, alien big cats, as they are often called because they are "out of place" or alien - not from outer space), taken electrical spectrograms of what he thinks are large electric eels in Lake Morar, and has a "sort of medical condition…for visualising a sort of frame from a Dream whilst being conscious." Now he's getting publicity for filming Nessie. Whoa. [article link]
LivePrayer.com: Pastor Rick Warren Plays Softball with Senators Obama and McCain - In the end we learned NOTHING new about either of these men and their faith - Warren refused to use the opportunity to share with the millions watching that there is only one Truth, the Bible, and only one way to be saved, faith in Jesus Christ - But fear not, there are many faithful pastors, many men and women who love the Lord who will not compromise the Truth and are part of this last days remnant In the end we learned NOTHING new about either of these men and their faith. Warren refused to use the opportunity to share with the millions watching that there is only one Truth, the Bible, and only one way to be saved, faith in Jesus Christ. I guess that would be asking too much from a man who envisions himself as the nation's pastor. His fame of course didn't come from saving souls or taking a stand for the Truth of the Word. He is actually well known for compromising both to achieve what he calls "the greater good." His fame comes from being the author of "The Purpose Driven Life," a book that has sold over 20 million copies, largely due to the fact that tens of thousands of churches used it as a study instead of the Bible and congregations were expected to buy the book to follow along. Pretty clever marketing strategy. -- The reality is, when studying the PDL, people are expected to leave their Bibles home and rely on the passages Warren gives you. A closer check shows those passages come from numerous versions of the Bible, each one carefully picked to give the passage the intended meaning, even though it may be used out of context. The PDL has caused many churches to split, while bringing a watered down mentality into those who have followed Warren's guidance. It is understanding the whole PDL mentality that helps to explain why the event last Saturday night became what it was, two men using the opportunity to further their political careers and one man using the opportunity to further his global agenda. Rick Warren has proven that he has no problem getting in bed with people who follow the false religions, cults, and New Age beliefs in order to advance his global social agenda. ... But fear not, there are many faithful pastors, many men and women who love the Lord who will not compromise the Truth and are part of this last days remnant. These people are not part of the elite who rub shoulders with the
powerful and wealthy, but simple men and women of God whose only desire is to serve Him and see the lost won to Jesus Christ. [article link]
Gnosticism: New Release! Hollywood's War on God - Learn how these movies are initiating the masses into a Gnostic worldview that will culminate in a "strong delusion" as the world joins Satan & the final Antichrist in their war against God (DVD - $19.95) Hollywood's War on God is a mind-blowing, eye-popping documentary that reveals how satanic forces are using Hollywood's most memorable movies and most popular actors to propagate an ancient lie in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Learn how these movies are initiating the masses into a Gnostic worldview that will culminate in a "strong delusion" as the world joins Satan & the final Antichrist in their war on God. Such titles include Ron Howard & Tom Hanks "The Da Vinci Code"; Keanu Reeves "The Matrix" and "Constantine"; Brad Pitt's "Fight Club"; Jim Carrey's "Truman Show"; Toby McQuire's "Pleasantville"; Arnold Swarzenegger's "Total Recall"; Johnny Depp's "From Hell"; Shawn Connery's "League of Extraordinary Gentleman"; J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter"; Harrison Ford's "Bladerunner"; Tom Cruise's "Vanilla Sky," "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Minority Report" and many others. [article link]
Gnosticism, New Age, and the Da Vinci Code - What do they Have in Common? - Heresies are a lot like the common cold - They keep coming back around, but in a slightly changed form - But the change is just enough so that they sneak by the defense of our immune system and pose a new threat to our spiritual health - Both the New Age movement and the The Da Vinci Code seek spirituality without sacrifice (Jesus), without authority (Jesus), without the cross (Jesus) - A Christianity with no cross is a Christianity with no power and a religion with no power doesn't last very long {The cross is the victory of Jesus Christ over sin, death, and the power of Satan. The proof of the victory of the cross of Jesus is the Resurrection of Jesus. Jesus is Alive! sin is dead and Satan is powerless, over our freewill.} Heresies are a lot like the common cold. They keep coming back around, but in a slightly changed form. But the change is just enough so that they sneak by the defense of our immune system and pose a new threat to our spiritual health. Neither the New Age movement nor the The Da Vinci Code buys into to ancient Gnosticism lock, stock, and barrel. But they both rely on key Gnostic ideas that have as much appeal now as they did in the second century. For who does not eventually feel the emptiness and ennui of a life without the spiritual dimension, a life devoid of mystery? Our contemporary Western society, like 2nd century Roman society, has lost its soul. We suffer from the desperation that comes from a lack of meaning. -- The New Age has appeal because it restores a sense of mystery. It imitates the syncretism of the Gnostics, blending together exotic ideas from the east with traditions native to the west to produce a hodge-podge that may be incoherent but is nevertheless intriguing. The Da Vinci Code resurrects the claim of a secret tradition that is earlier and more faithful than the New Testament Scriptures. It offers us a way to feel connected to Jesus even while we scorn the leaders and laws of the Church said to be founded by him. -- But the appeal of these currents also constitute their undoing. Both the New Age movement and the The Da Vinci Code seek spirituality without sacrifice, without authority, without the cross. They follow ancient Gnosticism in preserving a veneer of Christianity while emptying it of its heart and soul.. But the fate of Gnosticism ought to serve as a warning here. A Christianity with no cross is a Christianity with no power. And a religion with no power doesn't last very long. The Da Vinci Code may have sold a few million copies in the first years of the third millennium. But here is my guess - in the fourth millennium, it will take an archeologist digging in the arid sands of Egypt to find a copy. [article link]
The Da Vinci Code Exposed - The Gnostic Gospels - Notice, however, there is no mention of Mary being married to Jesus - In fact, there is not one ancient text anywhere, Gnostic or otherwise, that suggests that Jesus was married to Mary - None! The only famous text of Jesus being married is Dan's Brown's book itself - (Dan Brown) made it up
The Gnostic followers play an important role in Brown's conspiracy. The word Gnostic means "secret knowledge." According to the novel there are 80 Gnostic gospels that were burned or buried by the Catholic Church. These gospels give a different view of Jesus and His teachings. Many have asked me about these supposedly "lost books of the Bible". First of all, they are not lost books of the Bible. They do not belong to the Bible at all; therefore, they are not lost books of the Bible. These books were known by the fourth century Bishops, and they excluded them from the Canon of Scripture because they did not meet the strict criteria to be included. Actually in truth, there are 52 fragmented texts that were discovered in a cave in Egypt on December of 1945 by an Arab peasant. These Gnostic writings are a collection of poems and myths attributing to Jesus certain sayings and beliefs which are very different than the canonical (accepted as correct-true) Bible. ... The Apostles were not unfamiliar with the teachings of the Gnostics. They denounce their teachings in several New Testament passages. Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith (1 Tim 6:20-21). The Greek word for knowledge is gnosis. Notice Paul warns against those who "falsely call" themselves knowledgeable ones. This is a clear reference to the Gnostics of the first century. He even says that those who profess this false knowledge have wandered from the faith. [article link]
Gnosticism, the Soul-Only "Gospel" and the End Times - Gnosticism falsely concludes: There were two separate realms-one spiritual, the other material (physical) - The spiritual realm, created by God [not by Father God but by Satan or some other unknown god that Satan channeled, however more and more often Satan is being taught as the original Father spirit god], was all good; the material realm, created by the demiurge [Father God, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit], all evil - Man needed to be saved, not from Original Sin, but from enslavement to matter (physical body, physical world and from God who created the physical world, though the cults sure like sex, drugs, alcohol, money etc. so maybe they don't want to be 'saved' from everything physical)[rejecting this (physical) world]-[rejecting the (moral government) law] For this, he had to learn the mystical arts - Thus Gnosticism became a source for the occult (Satanic) tradition {Gnosticism - Is Jesus who loves us, gave His life and died for us on the cross God or is Satan who lies to us and kills us God? That is the dilemma of the Gnostic and actually that is also the dilemma for everyone. However even in this upside down world where wrong is right and lies are truth it is still easy to tell that Jesus the God of Love is God!} In addition, Gnostics engaged in speculative theology, even in the days of the apostles, based upon a higher form of knowledge not available to "ordinary" Christians. This resulted in "speculations respecting angels and spirits" and a false dualism "leading to asceticism on the one hand *[rejecting this world], and to an immoral libertinism on the other hand *[rejecting the law]." Today, we have an eschatological system that purports to know we are living in the last days, not by an appeal to the Bible but by having a special ability to read contemporary signs. ... Certain strange inferences were derived from this bizarre worldview. Gnostic doctrine concluded that Jehovah of the Old Testament was actually Satan, thus, Satan ruled the physical world. The body also belonged to Satan. It was the prison of the soul. "The Gnostic secret is that the spirit is trapped in matter, and to free it, the world must be rejected."5 Not only asceticism but escapism became a major tenet of the Gnostic gospel. If the physical world is evil, then man must do anything and everything to escape it. [article link]
Gnosticism: The Gnostic NIV Bible Exposed - A look At Gnosticism And The NIV - The Gnostics were a group of individuals who considered themselves as "an elite group that knows it all" - Words Identifying Christ as God Are Stolen Away The word "Gnostic" comes from the Greek verb "ginosko", which means "to know, or to be taking in knowledge". Or you can derive it from the noun "gnosis", which means "knowledge, or a seeking to know". The Gnostics were a group of individuals who considered themselves as "an elite group that knows it all". Their headquarters was in Alexandria, Egypt, where they had collected an enormous library. ... They claimed to understand God and Salvation perfectly. They believed that they themselves were spirit, while all other people
were soul and body. They believed that all matter was evil, and therefore the world produced from evil matter and possessed by evil demons cannot be a creation of a good God. Therefore they were willing for Christ to be the creator as long as it was agreed that He was an inferior god. Therefore they denied the reality and the necessity of the Atonement of Christ, and they claimed that Christ's body was an illusion. They did not believe that Christ really came in the flesh. They rejected the Old Testament and its God Jehovah. -- They were obsessed with a cult of angels, from which they derived the concept of guardian angels. They were obsessed with the concept of man, and of God, and of the world through religious experiences. They allegorized all the teachings of Scripture in order to achieve a strange conformity between Gnosticism and Christianity. The Gnostics worked hard on destroying the Person of Christ as coequal to God, and as having both a human nature and a Divine nature. Therefore we recognize that the Apostles in their letters were warning the churches against the influence of the Gnostics. We read that in 1 John 2:22, from which we can see their struggle against the Gnostics of the 1st century. [article link]
Warren: Obama dodged question on when life begins - Warren said "to just say 'I don't know' on the most divisive issue in America is not a clear enough answer for me" - Warren went on to suggest Obama's nonanswer will not sit well with many Christians - Psalm 139 clearly states that God has determined that life begins in the womb -- and a professed Christian should know that The moderator of Saturday night's presidential forum on faith -- Pastor Rick Warren -- says Barack Obama failed to adequately address the question of when life begins. Senator Obama (D-Illinois) told Pastor Warren that it was "above [his] pay grade" to determine at what point a baby should be given human rights. Following the forum, Pastor Warren criticized Obama's decision to dodge the question. In an interview with Beliefnet, Warren said "to just say 'I don't know' on the most divisive issue in America is not a clear enough answer for me." Warren went on to suggest Obama's non-answer will not sit well with many Christians. As Warren puts it: "If an evangelical really believes that the Bible is literal -- in other word[s], in Psalm 139 God says 'I formed you in your mother's womb and before you were born I planned every day of your life' -- if they believe that's literally true, then they can't just walk away from that. They can add other issues, but they can't walk away from the belief that at conception God planned that child, and to abort it would be to short circuit the purpose." [article link]
'I will win,' Obama promises donors - "I will win. Don't worry about that" Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said during a Sunday night fundraiser in San Francisco, California {Bush said exactly the same thing in 2004. I suspect the elections are tremendously rigged. The candidates go away on vacation then suddenly they have all the answers. I wonder who told them what while they were gone. Of course the candidates don't need the voters anymore (that is obvious) everything is now a backroom deal with the Democrats and the Republicans constantly shifting and dividing up their domains among themselves.} (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama has promised donors that he will recapture the White House for the Democrats this fall. "I will win. Don't worry about that," Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said during a Sunday night fundraiser in San Francisco, California. Obama raised a whopping $7.8 million in a series of events Sunday in San Francisco, a key fundraiser for the Democrat said. The campaign would not confirm the total, but, if accurate, it would present the largest Obama fundraising day to date. Obama told his donors that the money was needed to help break through the public's cynicism about politics. [article link]
Rick Warren Says McCain Didn't Cheat - The only question he knew, I gave them the first question - I talked to both of them a week before the debate and told them all the themes - I talked personally to John McCain and I talked personally to Barack Obama {Of course both candidates knew ALL the Questions and Topics in advance or they would not have shown up. It was a staged event, it's not even possible for these two political parties to do something that is not 110% rigged and staged in advance as a meager show for the electorate.} Rev. Rick Warren strongly denied rumors GOP presidential candidate John McCain had "cheated" at a political
forum he hosted at his church Saturday evening. "That's absolutely a lie, absolutely a lie," Warren said in an interview with BeliefNet. "That room was totally free, with no monitors--a flat out lie." Warren said Barack Obama's supporters who are making the accusation McCain had knowledge of the questions Warren asked him ahead of time are "dead wrong." "That's just sour grapes," Warren said. "They both did fantastically well. The only question he knew, I gave them the first question and I was changing the questions within an hour before the forum began. I talked to both of them a week before the debate and told them all the themes. I talked personally to John McCain and I talked personally to Barack Obama. [article link]
Why no matter what happens at Saddleback this weekend may spell disaster for the GOP over the long term If Warren succeeds in moving America's churches towards non-partisanship the Republican party loses any chance of becoming a majority party over the long haul - It may turn out that Warren is as big a threat to the Republican party in future election cycles as the progressive netroots are today {The Bush Republican Party has rejected the values-voters, conservative, middle-class America to their own peril. I wouldn't be surprised if the McCain Republican Party gets wiped off the map in the next election. There is no reason to have two Liberal Parties so there is no reason to even have a Liberal Republican Party when the Liberal Democrats can sell us down the river just fine by themselves. Besides who would ever trust a Republican they constantly say one sortof Conservative thing and then do exactly the opposite.} Interesting piece by Alan Wolfe over at The New Republic about Rick Warren's efforts for his church to welcome both parties. Warren wants to be seen as the "anti-Falwell", and move towards a place where churches are no longer seen as connected to any one political party. Wolfe clearly sees how this benefits Obama in the short term, and Warren and America's churches in long term. ... But as I read Wolfe's argument it became clear to me that if he is right, and I think he is, this movement spells disaster for the Republican party long term. The religious right fueled the rise of the Republican majority from Reagan to Gingrich and beyond. If Warren succeeds in moving America's churches towards non-partisanship the Republican party loses any chance of becoming a majority party over the long haul. It may turn out that Warren is as big a threat to the Republican party in future election cycles as the progressive netroots are today. -- From Wolfe's piece - "If Rick Warren is successful in linking both political parties with his church, he will pave the way to a situation in which churches will no longer be identified with any political party. Then and only then will evangelical Protestantism become the moral and spiritual force it ought to be, urging its members to manifest their compassion, reminding them of their inclination to sin, and helping them find ways to reconcile their conviction that their God is the one and true Lord with those who adhere to other faiths or none at all. ... The United States is unlikely ever to be as secular as Western Europe. If a better balance between religion and politics is to come about, it will because of what religious leaders do, and not because of what non-believers such as myself want to happen." [article link]
A Prayer For Israel Psalm 83 (Flash) -- Psalm 122 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD - unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD - Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee - Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces - I will now say, Peace be within thee - Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good {Israel belongs to the Jews, it is their nation, their homeland and their possession, it is that simple! The rest of the nations of the world need to stay out of Israel and everyone needs to help, protect and to assist Israel. God has his eyes on Israel, the nation of Israel - the Jews are not perfect but they are chosen so to go against Israel is to go against God's will.} (Flash & Screensaver Downloads) Also [FRENCH VERSION : SPANISH VERSION : GERMAN VERSION : PORTUGUESE VERSION] A Christian flash show based on Psalm 83, as intercession for Israel. -- Holy Bible Psalm 122 - A Song of degrees of (King) David. - I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: Whither the
tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good. [article link]
Movies for children - The Phenomenon Harry Potter - Resemblance to the occult activity - The entire series Harry Potter is full of allusions to the occultism - The gravity of this fact is usually ignored by the writer Rowling' s fans - Harry's entire magic activity in Rowlig's books has a correspondent in the real life - Rowling does not create new types of "imaginary" witchcraft, but, on the contrary, she presents practices appeared in the ancient times which are still used in the contemporary occultism - Madame H.P. Blavatsky [Harry Potter is derived from H.P. Blavatsky] - Blavatsky the founder of the Theosophical Society whose aim was "to oppose the scientific materialism to any form of dogmatic theology, especially the Christian one ... Blavatsky said about herself and had been described by her disciples as being possessed by "somebody" ... she clearly stated [Gnosticism] that "Satan, the snake of the Genesis, is the real creator and benefactor, the Father of the spiritual world" The entire series Harry Potter is full of allusions to the occultism. The gravity of this fact is usually ignored. by the writer Rowling' s fans. They pretend that they create an imagery world, the way J. R. R., Tolkein and C. S. Lewis created in their books, and, accordingly, they cannot understand why such a commotion should be created and that it shouldn't be given too much importance to the presence of the witches and of the other similar things. Unfortunately, the world of the writer is far from being imaginary; it follows thoroughly the contemporary occult activity. -- Harry's entire magic activity in Rowlig's books has a correspondent in the real life. Let's start by taking a look at the Hogwards School's program. It is a seven years' program which resembles very much the teaching offered by Ordo Anno Mundi (OAM), an occult group in London which venerates the snakes. Just like the Hogwarts School, the OAM offer a seven years' program of instruction. The OAM' s program also includes a course on the "ancient runes". In the volume "Prisoner in Azkaban" Harry Potter is initiated in the "study of the ancient runes" (Rowling, "Harry Potter, Prisoner in Azkaban"-New York: Scholastic, 1999, pg. 13). The group OAM also offers courses on fortune telling, farsightedness and divination for the students in the first year. In "Prisoner in Azkaban" Harry Potter is told in the classroom that : "This year we are going to learn the basic methods of the divination". The OAM members also have a course on" the metamorphosis into beasts and werewolves". At the Hogwarts School Harry Potter is also told: "the metamorphosis is one of the most complex and dangerous witchcraft practices we are going to learn" ("Harry Potter and the Philosophical Stone"-Scholastic, 1997, pg.134). And we could easily go on with other similar comparisons. Other occult activities mentioned by Rowling are: astrology, spells, necromancy the science of plants, magic, familial ghosts (spiritism where are invoked relatives), talismans, chiromancy and others. -Rowling does not create new types of "imaginary" witchcraft, but, on the contrary, she presents practices appeared in the ancient times which are still used in the contemporary occultism. She herself admits having researched and studied occult practices in order to render her story credible (Abanes,pg. 23, quoting Rowling in a radio interview in the broadcasting "The Diane Rheim Show", Wamu, National Public Radio, October 20, 1999. ... A character in Mrs. Rowling's books who should be attentively looked at by the Christian readers is Cassandra Vlabatsky. Richard Abames constantly shows that this character is named after the famous Helena P. Blavatsky, whose name is reformulated in order to hide the outspoken mentioning (Rowling used an identical anagram when one of Voldemorteste's pseudonyms is introduced in the form of the anagram "Tom Marvolo Riddle". This pseudonym is elucidated when the letters are rearanged under the form "I am Lord Voldemort"). H. P. Blavatsky lived in the 19th century and she is the founder of the Theosophical Society whose aim was " to oppose the scientific materialism to any form of dogmatic theology, especially the Christian one that is looked at by the leaders of the society as being extremely dangerous" (taken from a booklet of the Theosophical Society quoted in the book The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow" by Constance Cumbey, Shreveport, Lousiana:
Huntington House, 1983, pg. 45). Blavatsky said about herself and had been described by her disciples as being possessed by "somebody" (M. K. Neff, "Helena P. Blavatsky's Personal Memories",pg. 244) and moreover, she clearly stated that "Satan, the snake of the Genesis, is the real creator and benefactor, the Father of the spiritual world" (Helena P. Blavatsky, "The Secret Doctrine - Los Angeles: The Theosophcal Company, 1925. Third volume, Pg. 386). [article link]
'Harry Potter' flick pushed to next summer 2009 - bumping the sixth movie in the series from fall to next summer - But Entertainment Weekly which shares the studio's parent company, Time Warner Inc. was unaware, featuring "Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe on the cover of its August 22-29 fall-preview issue - The magazine leads off the issue with a six-page spread pegged to "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Maybe Harry Potter should have brought a note from his parents saying he would be missing school. Warner Bros. gave Harry the school year off, announcing last week it was bumping the sixth movie in the series from fall to next summer. But Entertainment Weekly -- which shares the studio's parent company, Time Warner Inc. -- was unaware, featuring "Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe on the cover of its August 22-29 fall-preview issue. The magazine leads off the issue with a six-page spread pegged to "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," which Warner Bros. on Thursday moved from its November 21 release date to July 17, 2009. ... The magazine's online edition added a preface about the date change to the "Harry Potter" story. It also had a laugh or two about the lack of communication between two Time Warner outfits. [article link]
{Flashback} Film Director Sparks Debate Over Origins of 'Harry Potter' - or whether she's just a good actress fronted by multinational commercial interests A Norwegian film director has sparked a debate in Norway over whether JK Rowling really is the enormously successful author who launched the Harry Potter craze, or whether she's just a good actress fronted by multinational commercial interests. A Norwegian film director has doubts as to whether JK Rowling is really behind the story of Harry Potter. [article link]
American Evangelicalism: New Leaders, New Faces, New Issues - A new generation of evangelical leaders includes best-selling author and megachurch pastor Rick Warren {At the past Rick Warren agenda driven event (Global Summit on AIDS & the Church) the Christian cross is encompassed and submitted to one of Warren's social causes (AIDS). More importantly though the AIDS social cause ribbon is actually depicted as a Muslim headdress so really Rick Warren and his associates appear to be attempting to condition his Christian audiences to be submitted to homosexuality and to Islam.} (Photo) D. Michael Lindsay, author of Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite, described eight fallacies or misconceptions he held as he began his book. In the three years of his extensive research, he made surprising discoveries about the true power brokers and centers of power in American evangelicalism. He also found that the deep divisions in this movement are not between the political left and right, not between young and old, but between "cosmopolitan" and "populist" evangelicals. Lindsay discussed the implications of his findings for this election year as well as the future of the evangelical movement. David Kirkpatrick, Washington Correspondent for The New York Times, added some history about "old-school" evangelicalism and ways of categorizing the changes that are occurring within the American evangelical movement. [article link]
Did Rev. Rob Schenk really owe Rick Warren that apology? - Today, a certain Randy J. sent me a copy of the news release regarding the Reverend Rob Schenk's apology to Warren and the following terse message under the title "Ready to eat crow?" "The entire nation will know you are a fool, Sir, if you do not do the same. You have misjudged a godly man" {Did Pastor Rick Warren really hear from God that America is only to choose from candidate A or candidate B? Rick Warren like the early un-empowered Christians (before Pentecost) who
where voting (Acts 1:15-26) to replace the traitor Judas decided only two candidates would provide enough diversity. Yet God had a different candidate in mind to replace Judas. God chose Saul (Paul the Apostle) of Tarsus to be His replacement. Rick Warren can't possibly think that he is appointed to lead Christians. I hope and pray that there will be no more foolish talk about a Rick Warren leadership or representation of Christians.} I know numerous Christians who, based on what they knew about Rick who assiduously avoided these (ProLife) issues in the past, as if they didn't exist, ranting on instead about poverty and the social gospel [they] had issued public statements urging Rick to ask the tough questions. ... Let me be crystal clear: Rick Warren is advocating socialist programs the likes of which have been tried and have failed in the past. The only difference is that his proposed programs risk bankrupting Americans now faced with the record gasoline prices and much less buying power than ever. He is expecting a different outcome but, should his programs be implemented, will only prove, once again, that socialism does not work. Tragically, we the poor, not he the rich, will pay. Now, Randy, that is a prediction. -- Finally, there are issues vital to our nation that internationalist Warren ignored in his forum: -- tackling the oil crisis by down to earth means like drilling, building refineries, nuclear power and the like. To his credit, John McCain, and McCain alone, emphatically urged: drill here, drill now, to thunderous applause. -- the dangerous "Fairness" doctrine, which is not only an infringement on the First Amendment but is anything but fair because the universities and media with the exception of radio are all solidly in the hands of the left. -- illegal immigration. Neither the candidates nor Rick Warren seem to consider this a problem. While McCain frames the oil crisis as a national security issue, and rightfully so, he does not see any security problem in keeping our borders open and inviting 20 million lawbreakers to reside in our country indefinitely, inviting their friends and family to do likewise. This despite the roughly 19 Americans who die every day at the hands of illegal immigrants. -- Nor did Rick, or anyone else for that matter, touch on the way the rights of Christians are trampled in schools, the way any Christian or other for that matter opposing the homosexual agenda can be threatened with fines and jail under "hate" crimes legislation and allied human rights issues should such legislation pass. If our "leaders" ultimately stand for anything, it is not thanks to them. It is thanks to what I call the [watchdog groups] "American sheep dog." [article link]
On Rick Warren ... A few words come to mind; Poseur and phony are the ones I'll say here {Phony is exactly accurate, absolutely nothing was going to come out of that infomercial that is why both politicians participated in it. The Warren event was not broadcast on any mainstream media, it was solely a made for TV event that is to misdirect (only two party candidates) the Christian audience. Rick Warren does not represent the Christians of America. I don't care who he thinks he is and how many books he has had written for him, Rick Warren is as "phony" as they get. Rick Warren is a pretend plant Christian out to deceive the Church by attempting to lead it and send it down a non-Christian, new-age, psychology, godless NWO path. No thanks or praise to Rick Warren because I will pray and follow the leading of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the KJV 1611 Bible and participate in the fellowship among the Christian Saints of the Holy Christian Church all without the leading or guiding of Pastor Rick Warren.} August 16, 2008: On Rick Warren ... A few words come to mind; Poseur and phony are the ones I'll say here. If you're not watching the "live coverage" and so-called "grilling" by Rick Warren, let me describe it for you. It's like an episode of Oprah, with Rick Warren cast as a fat, white, goateed Oprah. The live audience is perhaps more annoying though, with the constant canned applause. [article link]
On Rick Warren ... A few words come to mind; Poseur and phony are the ones I'll say here {Phony is exactly accurate, absolutely nothing was going to come out of that infomercial that is why both politicians participated in it. The Warren event was not broadcast on any mainstream media, it was solely a made for TV event that is to misdirect (only two party candidates) the Christian audience. Rick Warren does not represent the Christians of America. I don't care who he thinks he is and how many books he has had written for him, Rick Warren is as "phony" as they get. Rick Warren is a pretend plant Christian out to deceive the Church by attempting to lead it
and send it down a non-Christian, new-age, psychology, godless NWO path. No thanks or praise to Rick Warren because I will pray and follow the leading of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the KJV 1611 Bible and participate in the fellowship among the Christian Saints of the Holy Christian Church all without the leading or guiding of Pastor Rick Warren.} August 16, 2008: On Rick Warren ... A few words come to mind; Poseur and phony are the ones I'll say here. If you're not watching the "live coverage" and so-called "grilling" by Rick Warren, let me describe it for you. It's like an episode of Oprah, with Rick Warren cast as a fat, white, goateed Oprah. The live audience is perhaps more annoying though, with the constant canned applause. [article link]
{Flashback} Mega Pastor Rick Warren's Inquisition - In his latest missive to fellow pastors, he writes: "You've got to protect the unity of your church. If that means getting rid of troublemakers, do it." - And, equally curious, why does Rick Warren eagerly seek to find common ground with Muslim leaders while, at the same time, so ruthlessly advocating the disfellowship of Christian believers? I may not be pastor of a mega-church, but, I've got to tell you, Rick Warren's priorities and sensibilities and his biblical literacy and standards are upside-down, inside-out and twisted beyond anything remotely connected with Scripture. And I'm not afraid of his threats of ex-communication from the new papacy he apparently seeks to create. Warren cites Paul's advice in II Timothy 2:23-26 as the basis for when and how "pastors" should draw the line on disagreements among the flock. However, Paul was addressing Timothy not as a "pastor" or "priest," but rather as an itinerant evangelist doing his utmost to spread the Gospel to non-believers. ... That happens to be excellent advice for anyone attempting to evangelize unbelievers. It is not, however, a call for church "professionals" to declare themselves as founts of unlimited wisdom and infallibility in spiritual matters. ... No, Satan's greatest weapon is hardly disunity. His greatest weapon since his fall and since the Garden of Eden has been deception. In fact, Satan loves unity - as long as those unified are knowingly or unknowingly serving him. He'd love for all of us to "go to hell in a handbasket." Are more people led to death by debate within the body of Christ or by spiritual leaders who demand absolute obedience to themselves? ... For heaven's sake, nothing could be clearer from Scripture than that no man has a monopoly on truth. That is why Paul even had to correct Peter (Galatians 2:11-14). Besides worshipping God, this would seem to be one of the principal purposes of the church. The church is warned over and over about false teachers throughout the Bible. Surely Rick Warren is familiar with those warnings. Why would he assume all pastors to be righteous and assume all lay dissenters to be unrighteous? And, equally curious, why does Rick Warren eagerly seek to find common ground with Muslim leaders while, at the same time, so ruthlessly advocating the disfellowship of Christian believers? [article link]
{Flashback} THE RICK WARREN & Ted Haggard DEBATE What do you think of "America's pastor"? - I think we can expect more from these wolves in sheeps clothing in the future {They seem to have an agenda, a New World Order agenda, one that diverts people, finances and resources from delivering the Christian Gospel and into NWO pet projects.} Birds of a Feather Posted by X on Dec 28, 2006 01:29. When I heard about Ted Haggard and Rick Warren (months before Ted Haggards drugs and *sex scandel) signing on to a statement to incourage congress to stop Global warming by increasing Federal regulations on carbon Dioxide emisions and to work closley with the UN (basicly support the Kyoto treaty). That completly ruined their credibility with me. After that the *sex scandel did not surprise me. I think we can expect more from these wolves in sheeps clothing in the future. Note * modified word. [article link]
{Flashback} Slick Rick shows Syria video in church - Pastor says clip was pulled from 12 hours of tapes after denying shooting (video) on trip - "We did not tape anything because it was a courtesy call, like I do in every country," Warren responded
Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren showed a brief video clip of his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad to his mega-congregation after telling WND no recording was done on his controversial trip to the terrorist-sponsoring nation. ... Warren emailed Joseph Farah, editor of WND, Nov. 16, denying he made comments as reported by the Syrian news agency. Farah asked Warren in a return email if he made any notes or recordings in Syria that would show the true intent and purpose of his meetings there. "We did not tape anything because if (sic) was a courtesy call, like I do in every country," Warren responded. ... He (Saddleback Church member) also was disturbed that the video was posted on YouTube, then removed, and hasn't been available since. Those videos are routinely used by church leaders when they travel the world, as a kind of travelogue to keep members informed about events and plans, he said. "To see it pulled after it gets put up, that doesn't spell straightforward truthfulness for me and that's not what I'm used to seeing at my church," he said. [article link]
{Flashback} Rick Warren says he's sorry - {Then calls him Satan's agent to his back in group email} - Do you see the contradictions? Who is Rick Warren talking about "doing Satan's job"? I have to believe it's me. Yet, I got a personal apology from Rick the same day this nasty, brutish, accusatory, divisive, offensive, UNTRUE mass email went out (Scroll down to Listen to Warren's Audio about Syria) Will the real Rick Warren please stand up? And now that the recording of what you actually said in Syria has been made public, can you please stop blaming distortions by Syria's state press? [article link]
Russia signs cease-fire, tensions remain high - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed the cease-fire plan designed to end its military conflict with Georgia, his office says - Medvedev saw the cease-fire as "very positive," said spokesman Andrei Nesterenko Saturday {Good for Bush for getting control of this situation and not letting it deteriorate further.} TBILISI, Georgia (CNN) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed the cease-fire plan designed to end its military conflict with Georgia, his office says. ... Medvedev saw the cease-fire as "very positive," said spokesman Andrei Nesterenko Saturday. ... It has been the toughest week in east-west relations since the end of the Cold War after Georgia launched an offensive against the Russian-allied separatist government in South Ossetia and Russia responded by invading, the conflict also spreading to a second breakaway region -Abkhazia. The fighting has died down, but Russian troops remained within 25 miles (40 kilometers) of Georgia's capital Tbilisi Saturday, and were still on the western front around the breakaway section of Abkhazia, according to CNN's Frederik Pleitgen. Nesterenko told CNN the troops were "completing security operations," which included removing "huge depots" of ammunition and equipment and boobytraps left behind by retreating Georgian troops. [article link]
**Why Joseph Farah (worldnetdaily.com) is forsaking McCain - Editor says Republican's victory would be worse than Obama's {Joseph Farah is right on this, that McCain (Amnesty Bill 2005) is as liberal, or even more so than Obama. Farah explains that if the Liberal McCain wins and is able to move the Republican party far to the left we will lose our party!} (Online Video) *A must see video! [article link]
Analysis: Candidates can't ignore values-based voters - This much is clear: Presidential candidates ignore the importance of the values-based vote at their peril - All of which begs the question: Is the faltering economy really issue No. 1 in 2008? Or will the mobilization of values voters, particularly social conservatives, trump pocketbook issues and foreign policy worries on Election Day? WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Exactly how much of a role will faith and values play in determining the next occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? ... While the two presumptive nominees are meeting with Warren, members of
TheCall, an organization of "values voters," will rally on the National Mall in Washington to emphasize their belief that America is in need of "the mercy of God and a great spiritual awakening." All of which begs the question: Is the faltering economy really issue No. 1 in 2008? Or will the mobilization of values voters, particularly social conservatives, trump pocketbook issues and foreign policy worries on Election Day? This much is clear: Presidential candidates ignore the importance of the values-based vote at their peril. [article link]
Rice Presses for Pullout as Georgia Signs Cease-Fire - At the same time, a column of at least a dozen armored vehicles moved south from Gori, the central Georgian city, to the village of Igoeti, and took up a position there, about 15 miles from Tbilisi, the Georgian capital - This company-sized unit of armored personnel carriers, commanded by a Russian captain, has come closer to the capital than any other so far {Have to see where this goes but for certain Bush-Rice don't have much clout.} With Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice standing by, the Georgian president signed a cease-fire agreement with Russia on Friday. Ms. Rice then declared that all Russian troops must leave Georgian territory immediately. ... At the same time, a column of at least a dozen armored vehicles moved south from Gori, the central Georgian city, to the village of Igoeti, and took up a position there, about 15 miles from Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. This company-sized unit of armored personnel carriers, commanded by a Russian captain, has come closer to the capital than any other so far. Russia put its signature to the accord earlier this week, but the agreement included a point that allowed Russian troops to act in what was termed a peacekeeping role, even outside the boundaries of the separatist enclaves where the war began. It soon became clear that Russian forces had turned this provision to their advantage as Russian troops, pushed further into Georgia and seized full control of the central city of Gori in recent days. [article link]
Petropolitics at heart of Russia-Georgia clash - Oil-pipeline routes, market leverage make struggle a 'battle for energy' - the pipeline crossing Georgia, bringing approximately a million barrels of Caspian oil a day to the West - Oil reserves underneath the Caspian Sea are believed to be huge, perhaps as much as 200 billion barrels - That compares with the estimated 260 billion barrels in Saudi Arabia {The keen Bush oil mind has America over a barrel at approx. $4 a gallon at the pump. The Bush know it all plans sure manage to ruin the American middle-class.} President Bush has heated up what Klare regards as a struggle over vital resources, rather than a throwback to the cold-war era or classic balance-of-power politics. In that struggle, the US helped Mikheil Saakashvili win the presidency in Georgia after its 2003 "Rose Revolution" and helped build up and train Georgia's armed forces. When the American-educated Saakashvili attempted to show his mettle and restore the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to Georgia's control, the Russians took the opportunity to show who is boss. Klare worries that an American military adviser might be hit inadvertently by a Russian bomb, raising US-Russia tensions further. ... The $4 billion BTC pipeline, managed by and 30 percent owned by British Petroleum (BP), was routed through Georgia to avoid sending Caspian oil through Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, or Russia. A 10-mile pipeline could have connected Caspian oil to the well-developed Iranian pipeline system. Beeman charges that millions in government bribes changed hands to place the pipeline in its tortuous route. [article link]
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Newton) says Romney has no 'moral scruple'- Frank said, (Mitt Romney) lacks "any commitment to any particularly principle and is willing to say anything that will win the next election" and practices politics "completely without moral scruple" {It's a sad day when Barney Frank one of the world's sickest individuals has the high ground on the Republican Party but the Bush-McCain-Romney RINO's are sick enough to make it happen. Mormon Mitt Romney relentlessly peddled his Marriot hotel porn mostly to traveling businessmen enticing them to elicit prostitutes and to cheat on their wives. That is the MormonRomney-Republican values of today. The Budweiser McCain family peddles alcohol to minors that is used in numerous date-rapes. Not to be out done the Bush family peddles their Satanism, lies and mass murder
throughout the world.} John Walsh, the chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, was also on the call, and reiterated Frank's point. "The flip flopping is legendary," he said, "I don't think it's possible for anyone to be comfortable with his positions." In particular, Walsh added, Romney's "gyrations on abortion are really of Olympic" proportions. Walsh also criticized Romney's tenure as governor of the Bay State. He said that the state ranked 46th in the national in job creation during Romney's term and that fewer people worked in the state when he left office than when he entered. And that is why, Walsh said, "Mitt Romney was so unpopular when he left. Recent polls show that 41 percent of Massachusetts voters would be less likely to vote for John McCain if Mitt Romney was on the ticket." "He wasn't very good at governing," added Frank. Romney, Frank said, has no pension for governance and lacked any interest in it. "He was simply there to advance his political career," he said. Ultimately, Frank criticized Romney for inconsistencies on policy positions. "This man," he said, "has zig-zagged extraordinarily." [article link]
Rice Presses for Pullout as Georgia Signs Cease-Fire - At the same time, a column of at least a dozen armored vehicles moved south from Gori, the central Georgian city, to the village of Igoeti, and took up a position there, about 15 miles from Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. This company-sized unit of armored personnel carriers, commanded by a Russian captain, has come closer to the capital than any other so far {Have to see where this goes but for certain Bush-Rice don't have much clout.} With Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice standing by, the Georgian president signed a cease-fire agreement with Russia on Friday. Ms. Rice then declared that all Russian troops must leave Georgian territory immediately. ... At the same time, a column of at least a dozen armored vehicles moved south from Gori, the central Georgian city, to the village of Igoeti, and took up a position there, about 15 miles from Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. This company-sized unit of armored personnel carriers, commanded by a Russian captain, has come closer to the capital than any other so far. Russia put its signature to the accord earlier this week, but the agreement included a point that allowed Russian troops to act in what was termed a peacekeeping role, even outside the boundaries of the separatist enclaves where the war began. It soon became clear that Russian forces had turned this provision to their advantage as Russian troops, pushed further into Georgia and seized full control of the central city of Gori in recent days. [article link]
McCain adviser (Randy Scheuneman) got money (Millions) from Georgia [and other small nations] - The payments raise ethical questions about the intersection of Randy Scheunemann's personal financial interests and his advice to the Republican presidential candidate who is seizing on Russian aggression in Georgia as a campaign issue - "Scheunemann's work as a lobbyist poses valid questions about McCain's judgment in choosing someone who and whose firm are paid to promote the interests of other nations" {That's the problem with McCain in that he is so easily manipulated (big government spending, pro-choice, open borders, global warming, anti-farm subsidies) by foreign countries and any (liberal) special interest really, McCain is easily bought and sold.} WASHINGTON - John McCain's chief foreign policy adviser and his business partner lobbied the senator or his staff on 49 occasions in a 3 1/2-year span while being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by the government of the former Soviet republic of Georgia. ... "Scheunemann's work as a lobbyist poses valid questions about McCain's judgment in choosing someone who - and whose firm - are paid to promote the interests of other nations," said New York University law professor Stephen Gillers. "So one must ask whether McCain is getting disinterested advice, at least when the issues concern those nations." ... In addition to the 49 contacts with McCain or his staff regarding Georgia, Scheunemann's firm has lobbied the senator or his aides on at least 47 occasions since 2001 on behalf of the governments of Taiwan and Macedonia, which each paid Scheunemann and his partner Mike Mitchell over half a million dollars; Romania, which paid over $400,000; and Latvia, which paid nearly $250,000. Federal law requires Scheunemann to publicly disclose to the Justice
Department all his lobbying contacts as an agent of a foreign government. -- After contacts with McCain's staff, the senator introduced a resolution saluting the people of Georgia on the first anniversary of the Rose Revolution that brought Mikhail Saakashvili to power. Four months ago, on the same day that Scheunemann's partner signed the latest $200,000 agreement with Georgia, McCain spoke with Saakashvili by phone. The senator then issued a strong statement saying that "we must not allow Russia to believe it has a free hand to engage in policies that undermine Georgian sovereignty." [article link]
Biblical Proof that Jesus is God - The Names used to refer to Jesus reveal that Jesus is God in Substance, Authority, and Character - Luke 2:21 ... His name substance, authority, character was called JESUS ((JE = God, Yahweh, Jehovah) + (SUS = Salvation, Healing)), which was so named of the angel before He was conceived in the womb A note about the Holy Bible, as a document the Bible was spoken by God and written down by prophets and scribes. Today some people think of the Bible as a collection of ancient events and stories while in actuality the Bible is a legal document containing both the Old & New Testaments, the covenant and contract between God and mankind. The words, terms and phrases are legal in nature and binding in stature. When Jesus refers to Himself as Christ, Lord, Savior, and God, He is saying it in a legal binding term, a legal binding term between God and mankind. -- In the historical events of the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ the reason for the guilty verdict, the recorded "crime", by the leaders of His day in order to condemn Him at His multiple trials was that Jesus repeatedly declared Himself to be God to many eyewitnesses. Declaring oneself to be God is a part of the crime of blaspheming (misrepresenting God) unless of course as in the case of Jesus where God actually was in human flesh visiting mankind to remove the sins of the world. In other words Jesus was sentenced to death and crucified not for committing a crime like robbing a bank or kidnapping or something that we would normally associate with a death penalty case. Jesus was convicted of the "crime" of blasphemy, declaring Himself to be God. ... [article link]
Planet's been saved already (2,000 years ago), Bachmann says - Responding to Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's comment about creating an energy policy to help save the planet - Bachmann said "We all know that someone (Jesus Christ) did that over 2,000 years ago, they [Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit] saved the planet - we didn't need Nancy Pelosi to do that" Continuing her push for a comprehensive energy plan that includes increased oil drilling, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., reminded Americans that the Democrats message to save the planet doesn't add up. The world has been saved already, she says. Responding to Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's comment about creating an energy policy to help save the planet, Bachmann added religion to the energy crisis during her interview with OneNewsNow, a Web site run by Christian American Family News Network. "[Pelosi] is committed to her global warming fanaticism to the point where she has said that she's just trying to save the planet," Bachmann said. "We all know that someone did that over 2,000 years ago, they saved the planet - we didn't need Nancy Pelosi to do that." [article link]
McCain Says He'd Consider Pro-Choice (pro-abortion) VP - McCain opposes abortion rights [or does he really?] {All the while the Bush-McCain-Romney RINO's keep pushing the party to the left. To think that McLame is going to protect innocent children is misplaced trust. The Republican Party is no longer the Party of Life, Freedom and Opportunity. The Republican Party is now another Party of Death, Deciet (Oppression) and Slavery.} WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Wednesday floated the prospect of picking a running mate who supports abortion rights and cited former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge as someone worth considering. "I think that the pro-life position is one of the important aspects or fundamentals of the Republican Party," McCain said in an interview with The Weekly Standard. "And also I feel that - and I'm not
trying to equivocate here - that Americans want us to work together," McCain added. "You know, Tom Ridge is one of the great leaders and he happens to be pro-choice. And I don't think that that would necessarily would rule Tom Ridge out." [article link]
Iran rejects magic Olympic moment - An Iranian athlete mysteriously runs into problems ahead of an event, failing to show for a contest for which the draw places him against an Israeli - In the fourth heat of the 100metre breaststroke, the empty lane designated for Iran's Mohammad Alirezaei eerily rippled with the waves of other swimmers' strokes - Israel's Tom Be'eri raced to a new Israeli record - Iran has managed to avoid competing against Israel since the revolution of 1979 Ah, the Olympic Games: exalting the brotherhood of man, the human spirit, the quest for peace through sport. And then there's Iran. We saw it again on the first full day of competition. An Iranian athlete mysteriously runs into problems ahead of an event, failing to show for a contest for which the draw places him against an Israeli. In the fourth heat of the 100-metre breaststroke, the empty lane designated for Iran's Mohammad Alirezaei eerily rippled with the waves of other swimmers' strokes. Israel's Tom Be'eri raced to a new Israeli record. As for Alirezaei, we can only imagine how he spent the moments of the competition for which he had trained so hard. Did he watch it on television? Did he weep? Did he feel pride - or rage? Having Israelis and Iranians swimming together at the same time in the same pool would have created one of those magic Olympic moments, adding to that fiction we love that the Olympics are apolitical. It would not have put an end to the animosity between the two countries. It would not have changed the course of history. But athletic competitions bring to life the knowledge that beneath all the bluster of politicians stand human beings with their shared dreams and their ability to transcend hatred. [article link]
Jews - God's Chosen People - Why are the Israelites God's chosen [redeemed] people? {The Jews are currently 'redeemed' (physically redeemed - in the presence of God) by God, it is their 'salvation' (Spiritual healing) that is postponed.} -- Holy Bible Isaiah 43:1-2 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have *redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee... God does not play favorites among His people, however, the Bible does tell us that God's chosen people are the Jewish race because they were the ONLY ones to obey Him in lieu of other gods. Deuteronomy 7:6 says, "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." This does not mean they are automatically "saved" and will go to Heaven. In order to assurance of eternal life in heaven, one must believe in God's Son, Jesus. Because of God's Promise to redeem the Jews in the end times, Israel will turn to her Messiah and be saved. So, in the meantime, any believers in Jesus are "grafted in" and may partake of the Tree of Life. What are the factors that were involved in God's selection of Israel? ... Not only are the people of Israel special and God's chosen people, but the land is also special. In Deuteronomy 11:12, we read, "It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end." God is working out Israel's salvation from the time of the Old Testament. He desired the Messiah to appear there, and that the church would be formed there. {Israel is still in Bible prophecy as the antichrist will set up his throne in the rebuilt Jewish Temple during the time of the book of Revelation. Also during Revelation Jesus continues to provide for and protects the Jews and when Jesus returns to the earth He returns to the Jews [who are in hiding], (the Jews of Israel will have had to flee from the antichrist).} [article link]
History Of Israel - God's Purpose - History of Israel: The Descendants of Abraham (Isaac and Jacob) - the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are often referred to as the "Children of Israel" History of Israel: The Descendants of Abraham - The history of Israel commences with God's covenant with Abraham in approximately 2000 B.C., "I will make you into a great nation" (Genesis 12:2). The name "Israel"
(meaning either "one who fights victoriously with God" or "a prevailing prince with God") comes from the new name God gave Abraham's grandson Jacob, after Jacob withstood a spiritual struggle at Jabbok (Genesis 32:28). It is at this point that the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are often referred to as the "Children of Israel." [article link]
Don't bomb Iran, Bush warns Israel {Bush warns? It seems that Bush has spent months and possibly years attempting to coerce Israel into attacking Iran and now Bush is claiming he has prevented it.} WASHINGTON - President Bush and the top U.S. military commander warned Israel Wednesday against bombing Iran, suggesting the U.S. doesn't want to get involved in a third war. "This is a very unstable part of the world and I don't need it to be more unstable," Adm. Mike Mullen, the Joint Chiefs chairman, said at a briefing. Bush said, "I have made it clear to all parties including Israel that the first option is diplomacy," in getting Iran to stop enriching uranium that could be used for a nuclear weapon. The warnings came after the disclosure that Israel had conducted air operations over the Mediterranean that could simulate a strike on Iran. ... Comments: Logical Conclusion Jul 4, 2008 10:45:07 PM - Israel in 1948 was given statehood under the UN. Under that mandate, TWO states were to be created [*TWO States were created Israel for the Jews and Jordon for the Palestinians, how convenient for the Arabs to now change the original intent of Jordon]., one for Israel and one for the Palestinians. 60 years LATER, that mandate still has not come about. The UN and the United States MUST place peace keeping troops BETWEEN the two and create this Palestinian state. Since we give BOTH enormous amounts of aid, it is unlikely that EITHER will fire on our or the UN troops. THEY CAN NOT MAKE PEACE AMONG THEMSELVES...60 years of war is enough!! A Palestinian state will ease Arab tensions in the Middle East and give us an opportunity to interact with them to our advantage! AIPAC must stop running our middle east policy! [article link]
Chef Julia Child, others part of WWII spy network - The full secret comes out (today) Thursday, all of the names and previously classified files identifying nearly 24,000 spies who formed the first centralized intelligence effort (OSS-CIA) by the United States - They were soldiers, actors, historians, lawyers, [Politicians], athletes, professors, reporters, [newscasters] But for several years during World War II, they were known simply as the OSS - They studied military plans, *created propaganda, infiltrated enemy ranks and stirred resistance among foreign troops WASHINGTON (AP) -- Famed chef Julia Child shared a secret with Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg and Chicago White Sox catcher Moe Berg at a time when the Nazis threatened the world. They served in an international spy ring managed by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), an early version of the CIA created in World War II by President Franklin Roosevelt. The full secret comes out Thursday, all of the names and previously classified files identifying nearly 24,000 spies who formed the first centralized intelligence effort by the United States. The National Archives, which this week released a list of the names found in the records, will make available for the first time all 750,000 pages identifying the vast spy network of military and civilian operatives. They were soldiers, actors, historians, lawyers, athletes, professors, reporters. But for several years during World War II, they were known simply as the OSS. They studied military plans, created propaganda, infiltrated enemy ranks and stirred resistance among foreign troops. ... Other notables identified in the files include John Hemingway, son of author Ernest Hemingway; Quentin and Kermit Roosevelt, sons of President Theodore Roosevelt, and Miles Copeland, father of Stewart Copeland, drummer for the band The Police. ... Information about OSS involvement was so guarded that relatives often couldn't confirm a family member's work with the group. Walter Mess, who handled covert OSS operations in Poland and North Africa, said he kept quiet for more than 50 years, only recently telling his wife of 62 years about his OSS activity. "I was told to keep my mouth shut," said Mess, now 93 and living in Falls Church, Va. [article link]
Russia denounces U.S. statement on Russia-Georgia conflict - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday slammed the statement made by U.S. President George W. Bush on the conflict between Russia and Georgia - "I listened to George Bush's statement -- and was surprised -- the facts he cited are untrue" The Russian top diplomat said Bush did not mention the arming of Georgia in recent years, including by the United States, which also trained Georgian troops MOSCOW, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday slammed the statement made by U.S. President George W. Bush on the conflict between Russia and Georgia, saying facts mentioned in the speech are untrue, Russian news agencies reported. "I listened to George Bush's statement -- and was surprised -- the facts he cited are untrue," Lavrov was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying. He flatly denied the claims of the U.S. president that Russian troops had blocked Georgia's Black Seaport of Poti. The Russian top diplomat said Bush did not mention the arming of Georgia in recent years, including by the United States, which also trained Georgian troops. "No mention was made about what happened on Aug. 8, when Western leaders fell silent while Tskhinvali was shelled and bombed," Lavrov said, adding that there was also no mention of Russia's efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Tskhinvali and Tbilisi. Washington will have to choose between cooperation with Russia and a "virtual project" described Georgian leadership, Lavrov said. [article link]
Mercenaries and The Secret Government - It aired on PBS in 1987 and is as good as anything on tape *must see (YouTube 21 min) It aired on PBS in 1987 and is as good as anything on the tape (must see). Moyers is a very respected TV journalist who also worked for Lyndon B. Johnson and has a very professional approach. He interviews many different people involved with the CIA and other government agencies. His documentary gives quite an overview of what has actually happened in the last 50 years regarding the CIA and the cold war (including Iran, Guatamala, Cuba, Viet Nam and Chile). He features such people as Ralph McGeehee and Phil Retinger (both former CIA agents), Rear Admiral Gene La Rocque (Ret. U.S.N.), Theodore Bissell (active in the CIA at the time), Sen. Frank Church and many others. Moyers is so very credible. The full video "The Secret Government" is 90 minutes - this segment is edited by Frank Dorrel to 20 minutes. [article link]
Did (USA) mercenaries help Georgia? - The president of South Ossetia claims mercenaries took part in Georgia's offensive against the breakaway republic, according to Russia's RIA news agency (YouTube) The president of South Ossetia claims mercenaries took part in Georgia's offensive against the breakaway republic, according to Russia's RIA news agency. Eduard Kokoity says Ukrainians, people from the Baltics as well as nationals from other countries were involved. [article link]
Colin Powell to Endorse Barack Obama - Sources say former Secretary of State Colin Powell will endorse Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention - Powell told ABC News "I am not going to the convention I have made this clear" - Powell has unofficially advised Obama and Republican candidate John McCain but had not endorsed anyone {Bush gal pal Dr. Condoleezza Rice has also hinted that she is going to back Obama as well. The Bush career, professional, Republicans spend more time promoting and furthering the Democratic Party so no wonder Republicans are losing every election.} Sources say former Secretary of State Colin Powell will endorse Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol told FOX News exclusively on Thursday. "He may well give a speech at the Democratic convention explaining his endorsement of Obama," Kristol m a FOX News contributor, said, citing inside sources. "This is not an absolute done deal, but these people are very confident that Powell will endorse Obama," Kristol said, adding that he thinks Powell, a Republican, still has "a high respect" for John McCain, Obama's Republican rival. Powell immediately denied the report. ... Kristol said sources told him Powell will "quite possibly" speak at the Democratic convention on the same night as
Obama's vice-presidential selection and former President Bill Clinton. "The Obama people are quietly trying to line up a pretty strong convention," Kristol said. "I think the Obama campaign shouldn't be underestimated. Obviously anyone would like to have Powell's endorsement." [article link]
The Double Sputnik of 2008: An End to Illusions - Today, in August 2008, we are seeing the end of the illusion that American political values will shape the rest of the world {Before Bush Jr. the world was in a good place to cooperate and work together on major problems but Bush blew it big time … now Bush is going to have the whole world turning on each other, nation against nation and region against region as no one can trust anyone after the Bush years of lies and deceit.} Today, in August 2008, we are seeing the end of the illusion that American political values will shape the rest of the world. Indeed, we are seeing what Michael Lind of the New America Foundation first called a "Double Sputnik" - that is, incidents in which the Russians, as well as Chinese, show their strength, their determination not to let the 21st century be another American Century. ... What's happening in Christian Georgia is surely tragedy, but one of the illusions that we must part with, in 2008, is the notion that we are moving toward some sort of "end of history"-in which countries will grow closer together through democracy and capitalism, leaving us more time to concentrate on such peaceable pursuits as the reduction of carbon emissions. To put it another way, the environmental movement has hit a big roadblock: The world can only really think about difficult environmental cooperation in the absence of overt military confrontation. -- The truth seems to be that the world might be moving away from communism, but it is not moving toward freedom-and certainly not carbon reduction. ... And so if the world isn't becoming more like the West, then what is it becoming like? The answer, most likely, is that the world is going to revert back to the way it was before the US won World War Two and imposed a Pax Americana on what we called "The Free World." Pre-1945, there were lots of great powers jockeying around, fighting proxy wars constantly, attacking each other when it suited them. And now, it seems, we are returning back to that world. It is indeed sad when the illusions of an age melt away in the hot glare of a new era-although, of course, the great work of defending the United States, and its values, must continue in any era. But meanwhile, the Russians are going to be Russians, the Chinese are going to be Chinese-and the rest of the world, too, will go its various ways. So in the future, we Americans will look out at the world and see power plays, fighting, more power plays, and more fighting. And we had better be ready. [article link]
August 11, 2008: American Mercenary Captured By Russians - An American mercenary has been captured by Russian forces along with a number of Georgian soldiers - The story also backs up previous reports of dead black Americans having been found in Tskhinvali, the capital city of South Ossetia - Another report from the Russia daily Kommersant states that thousands of mercenaries from numerous different countries are fighting on the Georgian side and are being "commanded by the U.S. military instructors" An American mercenary has been captured by Russian forces along with a number of Georgian soldiers according to a report from the Russian news website Izvestia, providing more evidence that the U.S. and NATO are covertly supporting the Georgian army in a proxy war with Russia. According to the report, the mercenary is an African-American who is a NATO instructor and an ordinance specialist. He has now been transferred to the Russian base of Vladikavkaz. The story also backs up previous reports of dead black Americans having been found in Tskhinvali, the capital city of South Ossetia. ... U.S. soldiers recently conducted training programs where they instructed Georgian soldiers how to deal with unexploded ordinance as part of the Georgia Train and Equip Program. -- Another report from the Russia daily Kommersant states that thousands of mercenaries from numerous different countries are fighting on the Georgian side and are being "commanded by the U.S. military instructors." "The U.S. military instructors directly command and coordinate actions of mercenaries without being involved in actual fighting, the source specified. According to intelligence data, there are roughly 1,000 military instructors of the United States in Georgia," states the report. "Task force of Russia has annihilated a few groups of mercenaries. Some of mercenaries have been captured, and investigators are
working with them, the source said." [article link]
July 4, 2008: Bush to attend opening of Olympics - Although human rights concerns about China have led some leaders to boycott the Games' opening ceremony, the White House says Bush will go {Bush probably wanted to personally stab the world in the back one more time before he leaves office.} WASHINGTON -- The White House confirmed Thursday that President Bush would attend the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies next month, despite human rights concerns that have led to boycotts by his counterparts in Britain and Germany. ... Other world leaders have said they may attend the Games to watch their athletes compete but avoid the opening ceremonies as a way to quietly protest Chinese policies. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have stated that they will not be at the opening ceremonies; French President Nicolas Sarkozy has held out the possibility of attending, depending on the progress of talks involving Chinese officials and representatives of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. ... The White House had signaled in recent weeks that Bush was unlikely to stay home. He has said repeatedly that his attendance as a spectator at the Games would simply demonstrate his support for U.S. athletes. The White House held off announcing the trip, which will include visits to Japan, South Korea and Thailand, until virtually the last minute, and did so on the eve of a three-day holiday when the announcement was likely to draw little notice. [article link]
74 Russian army (troops) killed in Georgia fighting - and 171 injured in five days of fierce fighting triggered by Georgia's attempt to regain control over the breakaway republic of South Ossetia - he was unable to give exact number of Georgian soldiers killed in action - Gen Nogovitsyn hinted that several (mercenaries) black Americans and other foreigners were among the Georgian troops killed in the Russian operation {According to President Bush, Georgia never attacked South Ossetia and never planned such an attack especially on the opening day of the Beijing Olympics but somehow Bush's mercenaries ended up being used in Georgia's surprise attack on Ossetia.} Moscow, 13 Aug (PTI) Russia today said at least 74 army men were killed and 171 injured in five days of fierce fighting triggered by Georgia's attempt to regain control over the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. At least 19 servicemen were also reported missing, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Col-Gen Anatoly Nogovitsyn said and added that Russia has asked the Georgian military to exchange lists of POWs and persons missing in action. However, he was unable to give exact number of Georgian soldiers killed in action. Gen Nogovitsyn hinted that several black Americans and other foreigners were among the Georgian troops killed in the Russian operation. ... Meanwhile, the United States has cancelled upcoming joint military exercises with Russia, its first concrete response to the armed conflict in Georgia, as officials consider broader reprisals following Moscow aggression. A senior US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity yesterday said, the August 15-23 exercises involving Russian, French, British and US warships in the Sea of Japan "have been scrapped." The exercises were to involve an onshore component in the Russian port of Vladivostok. [article link]
Ohio sues e-voting company (formerly known as Diebold-now Premier Election Solutions), can't ditch faulty machines - The suit blames faulty software for losing votes in 11 of the 44 counties that use Premier machines Brunner has advocated reverting to a system of optically-scanned paper ballots, the solution endorsed in the 2006 study The name may have changed, but the artist formerly known as Diebold-now Premier Election Solutions-is still catching heat over problems with its electronic voting machines. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brenner is suing the firm, seeking unspecified damages for breach of contract and fraud. The suit blames faulty software for losing votes in 11 of the 44 counties that use Premier machines. The company was already embroiled in a legal battle with Ohio's Cuyahoga county, one it filed preemptively in May after election officials there decided to mothball $22 million worth of Premier touch-screen machines. Premier had hoped to forestall any claims
against it by seeking a declaratory judgment that it had met its obligations. ... Brunner has advocated reverting to a system of optically-scanned paper ballots, the solution endorsed in the 2006 study, though it would not be feasible to make the switch before November's elections at this point. Still, she says, Ohioans "should not be alarmed" as they head to the polls in the fall, pledging that officials will work to catch and correct any problems that arise. Forgive us if we remain skeptical. [article link]
Michelle Malkin: Democrat calls pastor's testimony b***s*** -The Rev. Robert Jones went to the Capitol last Wednesday hoping to make his voice heard - What he got instead was a swear-word laden rebuke from Democratic Sen. Pat Wiggins {This is why America needs a strong conservative Republican Party. Democrats talk this way to American constituents and easily treat them like garbage in public because they know that the Bush-McCain Republicans have become just as ugly as the Democrats have been for a while and that no one in politics will stick up for the interest of American citizens. -- McCain would go to a thousand Democratic fund raisers with these people and sign every liberal bill he could get his hands on before he would even consider supporting one conservative cause.} (Youtube) The Rev. Robert Jones went to the Capitol last Wednesday hoping to make his voice heard. What he got instead was a swear-word laden rebuke from Democratic Sen. Pat Wiggins, who interrupted Jones' testimony to say: "Excuse me, but I think your arguments are bull--." The exchange left Jones, the senior pastor at Oak Park United Methodist Church, stunned and offended. "It is a slap in the face," he said in an interview. [article link]
Georgia Caused This War - In all likelihood, the opportunistic Saakashvili saw the opening day of the Olympics in Beijing on Friday as his best chance for a successful blitzkrieg against recalcitrant South Ossetia - and to bring Abkhazia and South Ossetia under Georgia's control {It seems George W. Bush and his 9/11 fingerprints are on this sneak attack as well. Bush went to Florida to be reading a goat story book to school kids during the 9/11 sneak attack on America. This time Bush used the Olympics in China as a reason to be out of town when the sneak attack occurred. Who else but a Bush could be so miserable as to start a war on the opening day of the Olympics? I think the Chinese took notice.} The war in South Ossetia must be understood for what it really is -- Georgia's one-sided escalation of the conflict. This places full responsibility for the bloodshed on Georgia's side. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's decision to send in heavy equipment and artillery late Thursday led to large civilian casualties in South Ossetia. In all likelihood, the opportunistic Saakashvili saw the opening day of the Olympics in Beijing on Friday as his best chance for a successful blitzkrieg against recalcitrant South Ossetia. He also wagered that Russia's reaction would not be fast or powerful enough to stop Georgian divisions from seizing a large part of the unrecognized republic under their control, or from forcing the civilian population to flee through the Roki Tunnel into neighboring North Ossetia. ... Since he was unable to replace the Russian peacekeepers, Saakashvili opted to resolve the conflict by the simplest of means -- by force. Georgia's position is undeniably advantageous. Should it emerge victorious, Georgia would earn the honor and respect of the United States and the other NATO members. Should it lose and suffer a retaliatory strike by Russia, NATO will have great sympathy for Tbilisi. Thus, a tactical defeat could turn into a strategic victory if NATO decides at its December summit to grant Georgia membership. On the other hand, Georgia's recklessness may strengthen the position of NATO members, such as Germany, who are opposed to granting Tbilisi membership. -- It was inevitable that this conflict, which had been simmering for years, would eventually erupt into open warfare. Moreover, since South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the other breakaway republic, are allies, the Abkhaz leadership understood clearly that if Georgia was successful in Tskhinvali, it would turn its war machine toward Sukhumi. [article link]
Two Years Before 9/11, Candidate Bush was Already Talking Privately About Attacking Iraq, According to His Former (autobiography) Ghost Writer - "He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999" - the political benefits of attacking Iraq - According to Herskowitz, George W. Bush's beliefs on Iraq were based in part on a notion
dating back to the Reagan White House - ascribed in part to now-vice president Dick Cheney - "Start a small war Pick a country where there is justification you can jump on, go ahead and invade" {Reagan didn't have that philosophy or that mentality, though VP Bush Sr. and Cheney seem to have. Reagan rescued American students in Granada and committed Marines to stabilize Beirut but Reagan never went looking for any small country to kick around like the Bush passion seems to be. -- Also Bush seems to think that Iraq is a get rich quick scheme (no-bid contracts) for himself and his friends. If the Bush family and friends were personally losing lives and money in Iraq they wouldn't be there but it's a profitable venture for them so they don't want to leave even to the point that the Bush backed Iraq is trying to kick Bush out, yet Bush still won't leave.} HOUSTON -- Two years before the September 11 attacks, presidential candidate George W. Bush was already talking privately about the political benefits of attacking Iraq, according to his former ghost writer, who held many conversations with then-Texas Governor Bush in preparation for a planned autobiography. "He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999," said author and journalist Mickey Herskowitz. "It was on his mind. He said to me: 'One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief.' And he said, 'My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it.' He said, 'If I have a chance to invade·.if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency." Herskowitz said that Bush expressed frustration at a lifetime as an underachiever in the shadow of an accomplished father. In aggressive military action, he saw the opportunity to emerge from his father's shadow. The moment, Herskowitz said, came in the wake of the September 11 attacks. "Suddenly, he's at 91 percent in the polls, and he'd barely crawled out of the bunker." -- That President Bush and his advisers had Iraq on their minds long before weapons inspectors had finished their work - and long before alleged Iraqi ties with terrorists became a central rationale for war - has been raised elsewhere, including in a book based on recollections of former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. However, Herskowitz was in a unique position to hear Bush's unguarded and unfiltered views on Iraq, war and other matters - well before he became president. -- In 1999, Herskowitz struck a deal with the campaign of George W. Bush about a ghost-written autobiography, which was ultimately titled A Charge to Keep : My Journey to the White House, and he and Bush signed a contract in which the two would split the proceeds. The publisher was William Morrow. Herskowitz was given unimpeded access to Bush, and the two met approximately 20 times so Bush could share his thoughts. Herskowitz began working on the book in May, 1999, and says that within two months he had completed and submitted some 10 chapters, with a remaining 4-6 chapters still on his computer. Herskowitz was replaced as Bush's ghostwriter after Bush's handlers concluded that the candidate's views and life experiences were not being cast in a sufficiently positive light. According to Herskowitz, who has authored more than 30 books, many of them jointly written autobiographies of famous Americans in politics, sports and media (including that of Reagan adviser Michael Deaver), Bush and his advisers were sold on the idea that it was difficult for a president to accomplish an electoral agenda without the record-high approval numbers that accompany successful if modest wars. [article link]
Democracy Now! Premieres the Full Interview with Bush Biographer J.H. Hatfield Who Died 2 Years Ago of an Alleged Suicide Amidst Controversy Over his (George W. Bush Jr.) Book Fortunate Son - In the book, Hatfield charges that Bush was arrested in 1972 for cocaine possession - Why wasn't the future President charged? Hatfield writes that Bush's father used his political connections to have his son's record expunged - Hatfield had previously refused to reveal the source of his information about Bush's alleged cocaine arrest - He now to decided to name him - He claimed it was none other than Karl Rove, Bush's closest political adviser {Apparently Bush's cocaine abuse problem was going to break into the public view so Karl Rove leaked the info to a hack writer who was then easily discredited lessening the damaging impact on Bush's reputation and credibility.} In the book Fortunate Son: George W. Bush and the Making of an American President author J.H. Hatfield charges that President Bush was arrested in 1972 for cocaine possession and that Bush's father George Sr. used his political connections to have his son's record expunged. ... St. Martins Press promised to turn Fortunate Son into "furnace fodder." It withdrew 70,000 copies from bookshelves and destroyed them. But a small publisher
Soft Skull Press reprinted the book with the banner "The Book They Burned is Back." -- Hatfield had previously refused to reveal the source of his information about Bush's alleged cocaine arrest. He now to decided to name him. He claimed it was none other than Karl Rove, Bush's closest political adviser. If Rove did indeed leak the information, he couldn't have leaked it to a better subject. Soon after publication of the Fortunate Son, Hatfield's credibility came under fierce attack. The media followed the trail laid out for them. They diverted inquiries about Bush's drug history to stories about Hatfield's checkered past. He lost two other book contracts and faced financial ruin and obscurity. The character assassination finally took its toll. In July 2001, Hatfield was found dead of an apparent suicide in a hotel room in Springdale, Arkansas. He was 43 years old. Police said he left notes for his family and friends that listed alcohol, financial problems and Fortunate Son as reasons for killing himself. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: More Condi Clueless: U.S. Missed Russian/Georgian Conflict Because . . .incompetent Secretary of State Condoleezza - seemed so preoccupied with Iraq, Iran and the Arab-Israeli conflict that she didn't have time to fashion an effective response to Russia's muscle-flexing on its borders - Condoleezza Rice-if she is even slightly remembered--will go down in history as an ineffective and ignorant Secretary of State, who more than even just incompetence, helped her boss (George W. Bush Jr.) usher in Islamic terrorist states around the world [Gaza, Lebanon, Kosovo, Iraq, Liberia 2003, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Philippines, Georgia, Spain, France, England, Netherlands, Canada, USA, etc.] that grew in power and threatened us and our allies By Debbie Schlussel: I've always said--repeatedly on this site and elsewhere--that the choice of Rice, a Sovietologist in an age when that was mostly not the hot spot and the Soviet Union was gone, was a stupid move and one that could only be attributed to affirmative action. Her area of expertise was not and still isn't the Middle East, which is why huge new terrorist states in Gaza and Lebanon crystallized under her blind "watch." Ditto for Kosovo, an Islamic terrorist state, which she and Bush recognized. ... Now, as she prepares to leave office, there is actually a conflict she might have foreseen. But she was so busy creating Greater Barbaria, she was basically useless and failed to notice or intercede. -- Condoleezza Rice--if she is even slightly remembered--will go down in history as an ineffective and ignorant Secretary of State, who more than even just incompetence, helped her boss usher in Islamic terrorist states around the world that grew in power and threatened us and our allies. [article link]
Official: Child Singer Not Pretty Enough for (Beijing) Olympics Opener; Girl Lip-Syncs Her Song - A member of China's Politburo asked for the last-minute change to match one girl's face with another's voice, the ceremony's chief music director - "The audience will understand that it's in the national interest" Chen said - It was the second straight Olympics where the opening ceremony involved lip-syncing BEIJING - A 7-year-old Chinese girl was not good-looking enough for the Olympics opening ceremony, so another little girl with a pixie smile lip-synced "Ode to the Motherland," a ceremony official said - the latest example of the lengths Beijing took for a perfect start to the Summer Games. A member of China's Politburo asked for the last-minute change to match one girl's face with another's voice, the ceremony's chief music director, Chen Qigang, said in an interview with Beijing Radio. "The audience will understand that it's in the national interest," Chen said in a video of the interview posted online Sunday night. The news follows reports that some footage of the fireworks exploding across China's capital during the ceremony was digitally inserted into television coverage, apparently over concerns that not all of the 29 blasts could be captured on camera. ... It was the second straight Olympics where the opening ceremony involved lip-syncing. Luciano Pavarotti's performance at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin was prerecorded. The maestro who conducted the aria, Leone Magiera, said earlier this year that the bitter cold made a live performance impossible for Pavarotti, who was in severe pain months before his cancer diagnosis. Pavarotti died in September 2007 at age 71. [article link]
BP (previously known as British Petroleum - Wikipedia) shutters (one of three) Georgian pipeline(s) - The BTC pipeline(s) usually provides around 1 million barrels of Caspian crude to international markets - However, he added that BP had no reports of damage to pipelines in Georgia, despite claims from some officials there that Russian forces had attacked the lines - "I think those reports out there are inaccurate" he said LONDON (AP) -- BP PLC said it shut down an oil pipeline that runs through Georgia on Tuesday as a precautionary measure, but added that it is unaware of any Russian bombings on pipelines in the region. BP (BP) said the 90,000-barrel-a-day pipeline to Supsa on Georgia's Black Sea coast from Baku in Azerbaijan will remain closed indefinitely. Another pipeline operated by the London-based oil company in the former Soviet Republic, the larger Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, is already out of action after a fire last week on its Turkish stretch. The BTC pipeline usually provides around 1 million barrels of Caspian crude to international markets. ... However, he added that BP had no reports of damage to pipelines in Georgia, despite claims from some officials there that Russian forces had attacked the lines. "I think those reports out there are inaccurate," he said. [article link]
High Infidelity - What if three admitted adulterers (McCain, Giuliani, Newt Gingrich) run for president and no one cares? - But the most notorious of them all is undoubtedly Newt Gingrich, who ran for Congress in 1978 on the slogan, "Let Our Family Represent Your Family" - He was reportedly cheating on his first wife at the time - In 1999, he (57 year old - Newt Gingrich) was disgraced again, having been caught in an affair with a 33-yearold congressional aide while spearheading the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton Lurking just over the horizon are liabilities for three Republicans who have topped several national, independent polls for the GOP's favorite 2008 nominee: Sen. John McCain (affair, divorce), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (affair, divorce, affair, divorce), and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (divorce, affair, nasty divorce). Together, they form the most maritally challenged crop of presidential hopefuls in American political history. ... McCain was still married and living with his wife in 1979 while, according to The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof, "aggressively courting a 25-year-old woman who was as beautiful as she was rich." McCain divorced his wife, who had raised their three children while he was imprisoned in Vietnam, then launched his political career with his new wife's family money. In 2000, McCain managed to deflect media questioning about his first marriage with a deft admission of responsibility for its failure. It's possible that the age of the offense and McCain's charmed relationship with the press will pull him through again, but Giuliani and Gingrich may face a more difficult challenge. Both conducted well-documented affairs in the last decade-while still in public office. ... Giuliani informed his second wife, Donna Hanover, of his intention to seek a separation in a 2000 press conference. The announcement was precipitated by a tabloid frenzy after Giuliani marched with his then-mistress, Judith Nathan, in New York's St. Patrick's Day parade, an acknowledgement of infidelity so audacious that Daily News columnist Jim Dwyer compared it with "groping in the window at Macy's." In the acrid divorce proceedings that followed, Hanover accused Giuliani of serial adultery, alleging that Nathan was just the latest in a string of mistresses, following an affair the mayor had had with his former communications director. ... But the most notorious of them all is undoubtedly Gingrich, who ran for Congress in 1978 on the slogan, "Let Our Family Represent Your Family." He was reportedly cheating on his first wife at the time. In 1995, an alleged mistress from that period, Anne Manning, told Vanity Fair's Gail Sheehy: "We had **** sex. He prefers that modus operandi because then he can say, 'I never slept with her.'" Gingrich obtained his first divorce in 1981, after forcing his wife, who had helped put him through graduate school, to haggle over the terms while in the hospital, as she recovered from uterine cancer surgery. In 1999, he was disgraced again, having been caught in an affair with a 33-year-old congressional aide while spearheading the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton (over his lies about his Monica Lewinsky affair in the White House oval office). [article link]
The Strange Death of the Woman (Margie Schoedinger 1965-2003) Who Filed a (2002) Rape Lawsuit Against President George W. Bush Jr. - Sugar Land police found out that she dated Bush as a minor - Schoedinger said she was surprised the case wasn't covered more because "it is true......People have to be accountable for what they do, and that's why I'm pursuing it" - I remember thinking, "I hope she doesn't wind up on the wrong side of a gun" And sure enough, in late September (2003), Schoedinger did Early one Saturday afternoon in July 2003, I made a simple phone call to Margie Schoedinger, a Texas woman who filed a rape lawsuit against George W. Bush in December 2002. I expected to leave a message on a machine, so I was caught a little offguard when Schoedinger answered. ... "I am still trying to prosecute [the lawsuit]," said Schoedinger, a 38-year-old African-American woman who lived in the Houston suburb of Missouri City. "I want to get this matter settled and go on with my life." -- Well, Schoedinger hasn't gone on with her life. In fact, three months after I spoke to her, she died in an apparent suicide. And this matter remains unsettled. ... In her court petition, Schoedinger said police in Sugar Land, another Houston suburb where she said some assailants linked to Bush attempted to unsuccessfully abduct her from her car shortly before the 2000 election, refused to take a report or do anything about that incident. She filed a lawsuit against the Sugar Land department and said that in preparing its defense, Sugar Land police found out that she dated Bush as a minor. --Just wait. This story gets stranger-- I haven't seen stories on this strange death of a woman who filed a rape lawsuit against the U.S. president and wound up dead nine months later. I can't say I'm surprised. Or even angry. I don't know what the hell to think. All I know is I was one of the last - if not the last - reporters to speak to Schoedinger, and she didn't sound "deranged" to me in July 2003. She sounded like someone who had gone through something weird and was trying to sort it out. She sounded like someone who wanted the truth to come out. And now she's dead. ... I can really understand media members being intimidated, even frightened, of the Bush administration. As I've detailed before, these are not Boy Scouts running the show. The Schoedinger death is just the latest in a string of strange ones surrounding the Bush family - Bush biographer J.H. Hatfield ('Fortunate Son' book), Sen. Paul Wellstone, Sen. Mel Carnahan, and others that are detailed on various sites, including at members.boardhost.com/gwbush/msg/362.html ... For the record, I contacted Bush's media office about Schoedinger and have yet to hear back. [article link]
Wikipedia - Jennifer Fitzgerald - who allegedly had a long-term affair with President George H.W. Bush (Sr.) from the time he was United States ambassador to China (1974) which continued while he was Vice President and then President - The affair was first publicly reported by LA Weekly in 1988 - That August (1992), Spy magazine made her the centerpiece of a story suggesting she was but one of many Bush Sr. paramours (concubines) Jennifer Fitzgerald (born Jennifer Ann Isobel Patteson-Knight in 1932) is a British-born retired U.S. diplomat who allegedly had a long-term affair with President George H.W. Bush from the time he was United States ambassador to China which continued while he was Vice President and then President. During her career, she worked for Bush in several different capacities, and her influence on him has in turn reportedly caused friction between her and others working for him. She has never spoken about this allegation. Bush has denied it. -- The rumored affair, and Fitzgerald's full name, were often well-known to members of the media who had covered Bush and his career but never discussed in public. Veteran New York Times reporter R.W. Apple said her name was "known everywhere, and it is not used". The affair was first publicly reported by LA Weekly in 1988. During the 1988 presidential campaign, Donna Brazile, a campaign aide to Bush's opponent Michael Dukakis, was asked to resign after she told reporters that George H.W. Bush needed to "'fess up" about unsubstantiated rumors of an extramarital affair. Said Brazile, "The American people have every right to know if Barbara Bush will share that bed with him in the White House." -- However, the alleged affair did not come to the full attention of the public until the next presidential campaign in 1992, after Bush's opponent, Bill Clinton, had to deal with disclosures of his own sexual infidelity. That August, Spy magazine made her the centerpiece of a story suggesting she was but one of many Bush paramours, and then other stories forced the media to address the issue. As a result Bush was personally confronted about it by NBC and CNN, and a front page story in the
Washington Post. Bush did not give a direct answer to the question of an affair on these occasions. In a White House press conference he called the allegations "a lie". [article link]
Bush, George Sr. - United Nations Representative - In 1971, President Richard M. Nixon appointed Bush U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations - In 1973, Bush was named chairman of the Republican National Committee - Bush, acting for the Republican Party, asked Nixon to resign - Nixon did so on August 9, 1974 - The new president, Gerald R. Ford, appointed Bush to what was then the top diplomatic post in the People's Republic of China, chief of the U.S. Liaison Office, in 1974. Bush remained in China until he was called home at Ford's request to become director (1976-77) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) - On July 13, 1985, the powers of the presidency were transferred temporarily to Bush while Reagan underwent cancer surgery - in 1992, Bush signed the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico Appointive Offices -- United Nations Representative: In 1971, President Richard M. Nixon appointed Bush U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations. It was a crucial time for the world organization. The United States had agreed to allow the admission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations for the first time since 1949, when the Communists took over the mainland of China. Bush argued forcefully for a so-called two-China policy. Under this compromise, a special seat would have been created for the Republic of China (Taiwan), which had held the China seat since the founding of the United Nations in 1945. But the United Nations rejected the two-China plan and expelled the Taiwan government in favor of the People's Republic. -Republican Party Chairman: In 1973, Bush was named chairman of the Republican National Committee. At this time, President Nixon and the Republican Party were under the cloud of the Watergate scandal. For a long time Bush defended Nixon. But when the White House tape recordings exposed Nixon's illegal activities, Bush, acting for the Republican Party, asked Nixon to resign. Nixon did so on August 9, 1974. Envoy to China and CIA Director: The new president, Gerald R. Ford, appointed Bush to what was then the top diplomatic post in the People's Republic of China, chief of the U.S. Liaison Office, in 1974. Bush remained in China until he was called home at Ford's request to become director (1976-77) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). ... And in 1992, Bush signed the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. ... Bush's successes in foreign affairs were offset by an economic recession at home, which became a decisive issue in the 1992 election campaign. Bush's Democratic opponent was Governor William (Bill) Clinton of Arkansas. H. Ross Perot, a Texas businessman, also ran as an independent candidate. Clinton won overwhelmingly, with 370 electoral votes to Bush's 168. [article link]
dark-truth.org: Skull & Bones The Bush's China Connection - An obscure secret society known as "Skull and Bones" may have more to do with George Bush's (Sr.) obsessive support of Beijing's mass murderers than one may think - "MAO WAS A YALIE" - Back in 1903, Yale Divinity School established a number of schools and hospitals throughout China - "The Maoists made China into the world's largest opium producer" - The AngloAmerican "Establishment" hated Sun, because he wanted to develop China - On the other hand, they loved the Chinese communists because they intended to keep China backward, and were committed to growing dope (opium) - "Nor should it be forgotten that Averell Harriman, the former Ambassador to Moscow who did so much to build up the Soviet Union, was a member of Skull and Bones. Harriman was also a business partner of Prescott Bush, Sr., the father of Maoist enthusiast George Bush" The January 26, 1990 issue of THE NEW FEDERALIST revealed even more about the Bush - one world connection. In his article, BUSH'S CHINA POLICY: SKULL AND BONES, Joseph Brewda writes: "Jan 19 (EIRNS)-An obscure secret society known as "Skull and Bones" may have more to do with George Bush's obsessive support of Beijing's mass murderers than one may think. ... "What has this to do with Bush policy towards China--or for that matter, Bush's "War on Drugs"? (Note: the last television news reporter to ask Bush a critical question concerning the many narcotics agents who are complaining about how bad the "drug war" was going, was promptly fired from his job shortly after the press conference - Branton) ... "George Bush, the first U.S.
diplomatic representative to the People's Republic of China back in 1973, was a member of Skull and Bones. So were his father, brother, son, uncle, nephew, and several cousins. Winston Lord, the Reagan-Bush administration Ambassador to China was a member; so were his father and several other relatives. James Lilley, the current Ambassador to China, was a member of Skull and Bones, as was his brother. Except during the Carter administration, every U.S. Ambassador to Beijing since Kissinger's deal with Mao Zedong was a member of the same tiny Yale cult. A mere coincidence? ... "MAO WAS A YALIE - Back in 1903, Yale Divinity School established a number of schools and hospitals throughout China that were collectively known as 'Yale in China.' It has since been shown that 'Yale in China' was an intelligence network whose purpose was to destroy the republican movement of Sun Yat-sen on behalf of the Anglo-American Establishment. The Anglo-American "Establishment" hated Sun, because he wanted to develop China. On the other hand, they loved the Chinese communists because they intended to keep China backward, and were committed to growing dope. One of 'Yale in China's' most important students was Mao Zedong. -- "During World War II, 'Yale in China' was a primary instrument used by the U.S. Establishment and its Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to install the Maoists into power. 'Yale in China' was run by OSS operative Reuben Holden, the husband of Bush's cousin, and also a member of Skull and Bones. "The Maoists made China into the world's largest opium producer. "'Yale in China' was also closely associated with the New York-based Union Theological Seminary, which has been a center for U.S. subversion of Asia (literal wolves in sheep's clothing - Branton). Every prominent radical leader operating in Korea today, for example, was trained at Union Theological. Union Theological was dominated for twenty years by Henry Sloane Coffin, a U.S. intelligence executive from the Sloane and Coffin families. He was a Skull and Bones member as were a dozen of his relatives. "Nor should it be forgotten that Averell Harriman, the former Ambassador to Moscow who did so much to build up the Soviet Union, was a member of Skull and Bones. Harriman was also a business partner of Prescott Bush, Sr., the father of Maoist enthusiast George Bush." [article link]
She (Doro Bush Koch) Remembers Father Bush Sr. - Koch tries to explain her family's distrust of the media, and how, despite a lifetime in the public eye, they often felt under siege - Doro Bush Koch joins President Bush and their father, George H.W. Bush, at the christening of the USS George H.W. Bush, in Newport News, Va. {Well now the Bush people own all of the larger media sources so apparently they can rest easy now knowing that their version of lies and deceit is going out unabated.} Koch tries to explain her family's distrust of the media, and how, despite a lifetime in the public eye, they often felt under siege. She examines a damaging story from 1992 "the worst political year" of Bush's life -- when the New York Times reported that the president didn't understand how a basic grocery store scanner worked, which Bush has long refuted. "The trouble is, it gets stuck in the computer, and it's still there today," he tells Koch. "It's just manufactured news -- fake history -- but there's no question that it hurt me a lot." She describes a scene of hurt and turmoil in the family when Newsweek published its infamous cover in 1987 referring to Bush as a "wimp." She says they all felt stunningly betrayed because they had cooperated with the magazine and the reporter. ... Koch brings up the rumor that Bush (Sr.) had an affair with a longtime aide (U.S. diplomat Jennifer Fitzgerald ) -- which he always denied. [article link]
**CNN used footage of Tskhinvali (South Ossetian) ruins to cover Georgian (town of Gori) report - "This Russian reporter is (angery) If I was him I would be too - They (CNN) stole his film and changed the story [of] it to the world {The CNN reporter said "the city of Gory is apparently ..." he knew it was a misleading broadcast. More and more news is vague, misleading and hedged with denying buzz words like "apparently," "sources say," "it's likely." During the first Bush Presidency (1989-1993) Bush Sr. was eaten alive by the news coverage. Things like Bush didn't like broccoli and how Bush didn't know how to purchase sox at the store because his servants had shopped for him all his life and the thing about Bush lying all the time. Now this time for the Bush Jr. Presidency (2001-2009) the Bushes really do own all of the news agencies. It doesn't matter how liberal the
news agencies like CNN used to be now they are all pumping out the Bush lies and deceit at full volume.} (YouTube) In one of its news bulletins CNN has shown Russian tanks and ruined buildings which they claimed are in the Georgian town of Gori. Russian cameraman of the Russian TV channel, who did the footage in reality in South Ossetian city of Tskhinvali says CNN aired footage of Tskhinvali district close to former Russian peacekeepers headquarters, nearly all of them were killed by Georgians after the footage was made. [article link]
Russian president calls halt to Georgian war - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said - it would be best if Saakashvili stepped down as Georgia's leader - Lavrov also had harsh words for the West, saying he was "deeply disappointed" Western powers had not talked Georgia (Saakashvili) out of attacking South Ossetia last Thursday {The President of Georgia is supposedly a Christian but the Eastern Orthodox Christians, the Palestinian Christians and the Republican Christians that follow the Satanist George W. Bush and his hateful actions and evil deeds in part by aligning themselves against the real Jews and against Israel (by removing the Jews and putting themselves and others (Muslims) as God's chosen people) are placing themselves in danger of belonging to what Jesus called the "synagogue of Satan" Rev 2:9. All of these different groups of Christians would be better off if they were Christians first and Eastern Orthodox, Palestinian and Republicans second. -Holy Bible Revelation 2:9 I (Jesus) know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.} MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced Tuesday that he has ordered an end to military operations against Georgia. ... The decision ends five days of fighting that began in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia and spread well into Georgia. ... Georgian Interior Ministry official said Tuesday that Russian bombs hit one of the three pipelines carrying oil to the Black Sea port of Poti. There was no oil in the pipeline at the time, the ministry official said. ... The Russians say Saakashvili (Georgia) attacked first in an attempt to gain control of South Ossetia. ... Lavrov said it would be best if Saakashvili stepped down as Georgia's leader -- something the president has vowed not to do -- but that Russia is not demanding his resignation. "We have no plans to throw down any leadership," Lavrov said. "It is not part of our culture. It is not what we do." However, Lavrov said Moscow did not trust the country's leadership. He said Saakashvili's "barbaric and brutal action" had undermined trust in Georgia. Lavrov also had harsh words for the West, saying he was "deeply disappointed" Western powers had not talked Georgia out of attacking South Ossetia last Thursday. [article link]
Inconsistencies Raise Concerns John Edwards May Still Be Lying About Affair - discrepancies between his story and the unraveling timeline of events raise more questions about whether Edwards' attempts to come clean are in fact just more lies and half-truths - By the time Hunter was signed on to the Edwards campaign as a videographer - for a fee of $114,000 - O'Brien said they were already in a steamy relationship John Edwards' explanation of his affair with videographer Rielle Hunter includes several apparent inconsistencies, which grate against his assertion that he was telling "99 percent" of the truth before coming clean Friday in a confessional interview. ... But discrepancies between his story and the unraveling timeline of events raise more questions about whether Edwards' attempts to come clean are in fact just more lies and halftruths. -- A former close friend to Edwards' mistress told FOXNews.com on Monday that the former presidential candidate's affair began months before she was hired to work for his campaign - contrary to Edwards' claim that the relationship began only after Hunter was hired to film Edwards for a series of documentaries to appear on the Internet. ... By the time Hunter was signed on to the Edwards campaign as a videographer - for a fee of $114,000 - O'Brien said they were already in a steamy relationship. ... In his written statement admitting the affair, Edwards said the "misconduct took place for a short period in 2006. It ended then." But according to reports, Hunter wrote e-mails in early April about a trip she took to North Carolina to see her "love lips." [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: On John Edwards' Affair - A Couple of Blind Items on Some Hypocrites I Know {Debbie Schlussel is excellent as always in her commentaries and with her inside experience and knowledge she really has traveled ground few people can even imagine. I agree we have a situation where Political and Religious (Christian) leaders and commentators are becoming completely detached from the message they are giving. They claim to have the answers to government, society and spirituality yet in the end they are just another inferior talking head. This mixed lifestyle message that some conservative and some Christian leaders are giving is really eroding the trust people have in the country and it is also undermining the faith people have in God.} I'm glad the mainstream media finally exposed--if kicking and screaming--the hypocrisy of John Edwards. That said, even though I've made a couple of snide references to him on this site, his affairs are not the biggest issue with him. First of all, we know that this is Democratic family values, and sometimes, Republican ones Newt Gingrich, David Vitter, etc. ... But second, the most objectionable thing to me about John Edwards will still and always be what an incredibly leeching, scumsucking trial lawyer he was and how he amassed his fortune off the backs of doctors and other professionals who actually provided something of substance to society. What he did in his marriage I just don't care about so much as I do what he did to America and would have done more of had he been elected to the White House. ... However, almost as objectionable to me are two very prominent, fraudulent conservative talk show hosts who've been going on and on and on and on over the last few weeks about Edwards the last few weeks, when both are currently married and both are known philanderers. I won't say their names here for obvious reasons, but I will tell you about them, because hearing them carry on makes me see visions of giant black pots. [article link]
Bush: Russia's actions in Georgia 'unacceptable' - "Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century" he said {Does Bush have amnesia? Has he never heard of Iraq and Afghanistan? Bush is so involved in what he thinks is the all powerful NWO he seems to think that just by opening his mouth he can make other countries do what he wants. Bush might have forgotten that he is an extremely unpopular, untrustworthy world figure and a lame-duck leader to boot but it's doubtful the Russians have.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Russia's "brutal escalation" of attacks against the former Soviet republic of Georgia has jeopardized Russia's relationship with the United States and European nations, President Bush told reporters Monday after returning from his trip to Asia. "Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century," he said. ... Bush said evidence suggests Russia may be preparing to depose Georgia's government. "Russia must reverse the course it appears to be on and accept this peace agreement as a first step in resolving this conflict," Bush said. ... Rice's Monday call was one of more than 90 she made this weekend to discuss the situation in Georgia, Wood said. ... The U.S. is trying to transport 2,000 Georgian troops serving in Iraq back home to fend off Russian advances, but beyond that "there are no discussions about the U.S. getting involved militarily," Wood said. [article link]
Russian military pushes into Georgia - A CNN crew in Gori saw Georgian forces piling into trucks and leaving the city at high speed - CNN saw thousands of troops driving out of the city {Georgia went into a neighboring province (likely at the instigation of George W. Bush) and Russia heavily responded. Russia showed their hand in this situation and it is a winning hand, coming in with 500+ tanks and 300+ pieces of heavy artillery in "a well planned attack." President Bush should recognize the resolve of Russia and sign a peace treaty giving Russia most or all of what they want. President Bush is escalating this and Bush can't put in what Russia can so this really has all the potential of being "Bay of Pigs 2". Bush Sr. handed us the original "Bay of Pigs" and now Bush Jr. has no better military skills than his father and is about to hand us another foreign intervention disaster.} TBILISI, Georgia (CNN) -- The Russian military advanced into Georgia on two fronts Monday, heading towards cities outside the breakaway provinces that have been the centers of fighting. From the flashpoint South Ossetia, the Russian military moved south towards the central Georgia city of Gori, Georgia said. Russia said its
troops were on the outskirts of the city. A CNN crew in Gori saw Georgian forces piling into trucks and leaving the city at high speed. CNN saw thousands of troops driving out of the city, as well as thousands of civilians traveling by convoy from Gori toward Tbilisi. Gori lies along Georgia's main east-west highway, and is an important site for Georgia's communication systems. Russian troops were also in Senaki, in western Georgia, having advanced from Abkhazia, Russian and Georgian officials said. ... The skies over the breakaway regions and Georgia belonged to the Russians, he said, as the Georgian air force was not flying. [article link]
Russia Forces Move to Within 35 Miles of Tbilisi - Russian forces swept across Georgia on Monday, capturing the town of Gori and moving to within 35 miles of the capital city Tbilisi, FOX News confirmed - Putin criticized the United States - "It's a pity that some of our partners instead of helping are in fact trying to get in the way" Putin said at a Cabinet meeting - "I mean among other things the United States airlifting Georgia's military contingent from Iraq effectively into the conflict zone" {If Bush did want to de-escalate the Georgia-Russia crisis his airlifting 2,000 Georgia combat troops directly into the conflict was not a smart move. Besides it is added stress to American troops in Iraq who now have to cover for the missing Georgian troops. Bush always governs at the spur of the moment and by the seat of his pants. Bush has his overall goal of Global Government but generally he can't seem to stabilize individual situations. -- If Bush thinks 2,000 troops are going to make the difference and save Georgia from Russia then Bush really is an amateur. Russia can handle them in about two hours therefore Bush is committing a rookie error in sending troops in piecemeal instead of keeping them in Iraq where they are essentially safe.} (Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin) Putin's comments reflected Russia's growing irritation with Western condemnation. "The scale of their cynicism causes surprise," Putin said. "It's the ability to cast white as black and black as white which is surprising, the ability to cast the aggressor as the victim and blame the victims for the consequences." Putin remarks also reflected deep anger at Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili. "Of course, Saddam Hussein ought to have been hanged for destroying several Shiite villages," Putin said. "And the incumbent Georgian leaders who razed ten Ossetian villages at once, who ran elderly people and children with tanks, who burned civilian alive in their sheds - these leaders must be taken under protection." Putin and other Russian officials have accused Georgian forces of committing atrocities against civilians in South Ossetia claims that could not be independently verified. [article link]
Eyes on Georgia...Violence in Afghanistan...Raids in Pakistan... {This is what the Bush Presidency has brought, unresolved conflict after unresolved conflict, conflicts that are growing and intensifying in every region. These conflicts are growing because Bush is funding (with our tax dollars), arming, equipping, training, and most importantly indoctrinating these groups of people (particularly the Muslims) into Bush's Satanic [anti-Jewish, anti-Christian], New World Order (NWO).} Washington (AP) The world's seven largest economic powers are urging Russia to accept the offer of an immediate cease-fire with the former Soviet republic of Georgia. They're also calling on Russia to respect Georgia's borders and agree to mediation over the crisis in Georgia's separatist regions. [article link]
Conspiracy for a Global Government - Shortly after [losing] the Civil War, (Freemason) Grand Master Albert Pike, a confederate general, laid out a plan to establish [a new war] a global (Satanic) government - Pike envisioned three world wars as a means of establishing a global government {The Illuminati envisioned that it would take three terrible wars before the world's people would be ground down to the point where they would finally comply to living in servitude under an oppressive and Godless global government. WWI & WWII have come and gone and now the Illuminati is hard at work ushering in a WW3.} Shortly after the Civil War, Grand Master Albert Pike, a confederate general, laid out a plan to establish a global government. Tragedy and crisis are always opportunity for change. The civil war was such an experience. Pike envisioned three world wars as a means of establishing a global government. The first war would be an
awareness of the need for global government. The second world war would be an atrocity against the Jews to build world sympathy for a need to give them their homeland in Israel again. The third world war would be an aggravation of the Jewish presence amidst the Islamic world that would cause such destruction that a global unity would usher in the global government. ... Meanwhile Albert Pike's plan was put to work. World War I, over an assassination of a duke, brought the failed League of Nations into existence. World War II over German aggression against Europe and the holocaust against the Jews ushered in both the United Nations and the country of Israel. -- Likewise the scattered Illuminati and the European nobility that still believes they are descended from Christ formed the Council on Foreign Relations and an innumerable other organizations that continue their agenda of a one world government. And in these organizations there are many who consciously do Satan's bidding and many who are ignorant of the Satanic driving force behind the agenda. Instead they believe the various lies used to foster the global government upon the world. -- Christian reader, do you think these things have happened in a vacuum? There is a conspiracy to destroy godliness and morality which are the main bulwarks against the progress of the global government. This conspiracy is both public and private. Do not believe the mockery of the word "conspiracy" for it is the norm of all human life. [article link]
ENDGAME - ALEX JONES - Blueprint for Global Enslavement (Google Online Video) Extremely interesting, shocking and disturbing. It should be essential viewing for everyone. Wake up world [and follow Jesus Christ], before it's too late. [article link]
Georgian Troops Begin Exiting Iraq To Fight Russians, Leaving Gap - The U.S. began flying Georgian troops out of Iraq on American military aircraft Sunday, and U.S. officials expect to have all of the Georgians home by midweek "so that they can support requirements there during the current security situation," according to Col. Steve Boylan, a military spokesman {Bush is entangling the world in war. Bush never seems to lessen a crisis whether it is jobs, housing, oil, crime, drugs, immorality, disobedience, the Katrina disaster in New Orleans or conflicts throughout the world they all seem to worsen under the Bush administration. But of course Bush being a Satanist (Skull & Bones) is out for evil and not for good.} BAGHDAD -- The crisis in the Caucasus spread to Iraq when Georgian troops began returning home to fight the Russians, leaving American commanders scrambling to figure out how to replace them. ... The U.S. began flying Georgian troops out of Iraq on American military aircraft Sunday, and U.S. officials expect to have all of the Georgians home by midweek "so that they can support requirements there during the current security situation," according to Col. Steve Boylan, a military spokesman. Col. Boylan acknowledged that the Georgians' departures were "unexpected" but said U.S. officials "are accommodating the changes." Still, replacing the Georgians will be difficult. The 2,000-strong Georgian contingent was the third-largest foreign force in Iraq, and Georgia, unlike most of the other coalition countries, allowed its forces to carry out dangerous missions near the Iraqi-Iranian border. [article link]
Russia bids to rid Georgia of its folly - a Russian war aim to drive Saakashvili from power? - The Russian argument is that, since coming to power in 2003, Saakashvili has militarized his country with US, NATO and Israeliarms arms [Bush always tries to use Israel as the scapegoat for his scams] - The Georgian political opposition at home, and in exile abroad, agrees - They charge the president and his family, - of growing corruptly rich off the arms trade and of seizing the country's resource, port and trading concessions for themselves and their supporters {This sounds just like the Bush family and some Republicans-Democrats who use their office and powers solely to confiscate wealth and American property for themselves.} But is it now a Russian war aim to drive Saakashvili from power? Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reportedly told US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over the weekend that Saakashvili "must go". Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, on a mediation mission on Monday between the Georgian and Russian capitals, will hear the same view in Moscow. The Russian argument is that, since coming to power in 2003,
Saakashvili has militarized his country with US, NATO and Israeli arms, military training and money, for no purpose except to threaten Russia, and the minority nationalities of the region, who seek the protection of Moscow - the Abkhazians and the Ossetians. Saakashvili, the Russian argument runs, has initiated military escalation over the past year because his political base has cracked and his domestic support is dwindling. The Georgian political opposition at home, and in exile abroad, agrees. They charge the president and his family, including the powerful Timur Alasaniya, Saakashvili's uncle, of growing corruptly rich off the arms trade and of seizing the country's resource, port and trading concessions for themselves and their supporters. Alasaniya, brother to Saakashvili's mother, holds the official position of Georgian representative to a United Nations Commission on Disarmament in New York (no relation to Irakly Alasaniya, Georgia's ambassador to the United Nations). The leaders of the Georgian opposition nearly succeeded in toppling Saakashvili last autumn. The president was forced to impose military rule in Tbilisi, while his former defense minister, Irakly Okruashvili, publicly accused him of murder and corruption. [article link]
Analysis: Georgia's major miscalculation? - perhaps hoping that he could consolidate power there while the world was preoccupied with the Olympics {President George W. Bush and Dr. Condoleezza Rice have been instructing and aiding the Georgian President. Is this Bush initiated 'oil war' conflict now happening because Bush has been unable to get his oil war in Iran underway? Bush seems to be intent on controlling every single drop of oil in the world and we have already experienced what Bush likes to do with the price of oil once it is within his control.} (CNN) -- There has been no doubt of Europe's priority in the conflict between Georgia and Russia: Bringing about a ceasefire on both sides and minimizing further bloodshed. Beyond that, nothing in this conflict is simple. European leaders feel a special responsibility for preventing further escalation and several of them have condemned a "disproportionate" use of force by Russia. The European Commission has called for an end to all Russian military activity on Georgian soil. But at the same time European diplomats accept that Mikheil Saakashvili initiated military action in seeking to reassert Georgian control of its breakaway province of South Ossetia, perhaps hoping that he could consolidate power there while the world was preoccupied with the Olympics. ... If Saakashvili thought that the Europeans in particular and the Western world in general would rally to his cause, he miscalculated. European diplomats have for a while been confessing a degree of "Georgia fatigue." That was why several of the Europeans banded together at the NATO summit in Bucharest in March to frustrate U.S. President George W. Bush's demand that Georgia should be set on the first step there towards NATO membership. [article link]
Cease-fire proposed in Russia-Georgia conflict - Georgia's president says he has signed an internationalbrokered proposal for a cease-fire with Russia in their conflict over the breakaway province of South Ossetia {Truth has certainly been a causality of this conflict. 1. This is another oil (control) war. 2. The Georgian military entered and attacked the province of South Ossetia first and Russia then responded to defend Ossetia. 3. The conflict does involve territory that contains oil field equipment and oil pipelines that are a main oil supply to Europe.} TBILISI, Georgia (CNN) -- Georgia's president (Mikheil Saakashvili) says he has signed an international-brokered proposal for a cease-fire with Russia in their conflict over the breakaway province of South Ossetia. President Mikheil Saakashvili said Monday that the proposal would be taken to Moscow by the French and Finnish foreign ministers. ... Saakashvili said that Georgian troops had downed "18 or 19" Russian warplanes, killed hundreds of Russian troops and repelled a Russian assault on the Georgian city of Gori. ... A Russian defense ministry spokesman denied that Russian troops had entered Georgian territory outside of the breakaway regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and said only four planes had been lost. ... Stubb said they had a proposal which included a "forceful way forward" to a cease-fire and withdrawal plan. "I agreed with every point of it," Saakashvili said. "They are going now back to Moscow trying to convince the Russians to take the offer." [article link]
JFK: The Orville Nix Story - The Warren Report (YouTube) Mr. Nix originally said that he believed that the fatal shot had come from "behind the picket fence", until he was approached during a taping of a CBS special by a "man" who told him what "they" wanted him to say. As a result, Mr. Nix publicly supported the Warren Report, but privately did not. [article link]
Interview - Richard Randolph Carr - Carr was Not Interviewed by the Warren Commission - Richard Randolph Carr was born in Dallas. During the Second World War Carr was a member of the Fifth Ranger Battalion. He served in North Africa and took part in the fighting at Anzio where his battalion was annihilated only 13 men survived - Richard Randolf Carr was cross-examined by Jim Garrison on 19th February, 1969 - I heard three rifle shots in succession, they seemed to be fired from an automatic rifle - there was a picket fence along in this area here, it does not show it in here, and it seems the shots came from this direction Richard Randolph Carr was born in Dallas. During the Second World War Carr was a member of the Fifth Ranger Battalion. He served in North Africa and took part in the fighting at Anzio where his battalion was annihilated (only 13 men survived). After the war Carr worked as a steel construction worker in Dallas. On 22nd November, 1963, Carr was working on the seventh floor of the new courthouse building on the corner of Houston Street in Dealey Plaza. Just before President John F. Kennedy was shot Carr saw a heavy-set man with horn-rimmed glasses and a tan sport jacket on the sixth floor of the Texas Book Depository. After the shooting Carr saw the man emerge from the building. Carr followed the man and later told the FBI: "This man, walking very fast, proceeded on Houston Street south to Commerce Street to Record Street. The man got into a 1961 or 1962 gray Rambler station wagon which was parked just north of Commerce Street on Record Street." This evidence corroborated those claims made by Roger Craig. Both Carr and Craig described the driver of the car as being dark-skinned. Carr's story was not believed by the authorities. The Warren Commission did not call him as a witness nor was he mentioned in any of their published evidence. [article link]
Interview - Lee H. Bowers, Jr. - The Warren Report - [Bowers died mysteriously (shellfish poison toxin? a CIA invention) in August, 1966] (YouTube) Mark Lane interviews Lee H. Bowers Jr., who was in a 14ft tower in the parking lot of the railroad yard. Bowers claimed to see two men and "a flash of light or smoke" in the area of the picket fence on top of the grassy knoll. He was never asked about this by the Warren Commission. [article link]
Radios and Railwaymen (Lee H. Bowers, Jr.) - Did a key JFK assassination witness unwittingly overhear conspirators' radio transmissions during those crucial minutes before and after the murder? - There are indications that Lee Bowers' recorded (Warren Report) testimony is incomplete - Furthermore, there is tantalizing evidence that Bowers might have picked something up on his railroad communications equipment that made him stop the train running through the Union Terminal railroad yards--a train that may have figured into the conspirators' plans Did a key JFK assassination witness unwittingly overhear conspirators' radio transmissions during those crucial minutes before and after the murder? Was this interception of radio transmission the catalyst behind why the infamous Dealey Plaza "Tramps" were apprehended? Was this information suppressed from the Commission's records? There are indications that Lee Bowers' recorded testimony is incomplete. Furthermore, there is tantalizing evidence that Bowers might have picked something up on his railroad communications equipment that made him stop the train running through the Union Terminal railroad yards--a train that may have figured into the conspirators' plans. ... Bowers goes on to say that after the shooting, a mob of policemen converged on the spot where he saw two strange characters milling about before the assassination. At this point, he decided to "[hold] off the trains until they could be examined, and there was (sic) some transients taken on at least one train." At this point in the testimony, Ball seems to cut off Bowers' elucidation of the so-called "Tramps" by implying that this material was covered in a previous deposition: ... Here the reader is confused as
to whether the "anything" being alluded to here is in the previous recorded testimony or the mysterious "deposition" of which there appears to be no record. Could this deposition contain allusions to more detailed events that Bowers--the eagle-eyed observer--may have described? Allusions about which the Warren Commission lawyers would have rather "forgotten"? Allusions to radio transmissions or interference? ... And what of Lee H. Bowers the keenly-observant switching supervisor? Bowers died mysteriously in August, 1966-some six months before the deaths of Ferrie and del Valle--in a one-car accident that took place in Midlothian, Texas. Bowers physician told independent researcher Penn Jones that he "never saw a case like this--that man was in some sort of strange shock (shellfish toxin)." Bowers was dead in three hours and cremated the next day. No autopsy was performed. [article link]
Gerald R. Ford told FBI about panel's doubts on JFK murder - two of his fellow members on the Warren Commission doubted the FBI's conclusion that John F. Kennedy was shot from the sixth floor of the Texas Book Depository in Dallas - Warren Commission records released in 1997 revealed that in the final report Ford changed the staff's original description of one of Kennedy's wounds - Ford's wording falsely made the wound seem higher on the body to make the panel's conclusion that one bullet hit both Kennedy and Texas Gov. John Connally more plausible WASHINGTON - Former President Ford secretly advised the FBI that two of his fellow members on the Warren Commission doubted the FBI's conclusion that John F. Kennedy was shot from the sixth floor of the Texas Book Depository in Dallas, according to newly released records from Ford's FBI files. ... That Ford served as the FBI's eyes and ears inside the commission has been known for years. Long ago, the government released a 1963 FBI memo that said Ford, then a Republican congressman from Michigan, had volunteered to keep the FBI informed about the panel's private deliberations, but only if that relationship remained confidential. The bureau agreed. ... "Two members of the commission brought up the fact that they still were not convinced that the President had been shot from the sixth floor window of the Texas Book Depository," DeLoach wrote. "These members failed to understand the trajectory of the slugs that killed the President. He stated he felt this point would be discussed further but, of course, would represent no problem." There was no explanation of what Ford meant by "no problem." -- Warren Commission records released in 1997 revealed that in the final report Ford changed the staff's original description of one of Kennedy's wounds. Ford said then he only made the description more precise. Skeptics said Ford's wording falsely made the wound seem higher on the body to make the panel's conclusion that one bullet hit both Kennedy and Texas Gov. John Connally more plausible. [article link]
Radio Liberty: "Conservites Betrayed" by the current Bush Administration - Date: 06-12-08 Hour: b - 1 hr. Richard Vigerie: Conservites betrayed (Mp3) Bringing you the Story behind the Story, the News behind the News. Hoping to convince you that reality is usually scoffed at and illusion is usually king, but in the battle for the survival of Western civilization it will be reality and not illusion or delusion that will determine what the future will bring. Radio Liberty is hosted by Dr. Stanley Monteith. [article link]
CollegePlus! a qualified and cost-effective alternative to the traditional college - A CollegePlus! information epacket - Special Limited Time Offer: Enroll by September 30th - any student who enrolls in the CollegePlus! program, will receive two free months of CollegePlus! coaching plus a $250 gift certificate good for any merchandise sold through Vision Forum [Promo Code: VFM08] Due to the fact that the first two years of college are considered to be a review of high school, CollegePlus! merges high school and college together avoiding the wasted time. Homeschooled students across the nation are combining college with high school and are even graduating with their entire bachelor's degree by the time they turn 18! It's time homeschoolers take dominion over mediocrity and maximize their education. After all, our nation's Founders were earning their degrees by their late teens. ... Perspective: CollegePlus! takes a
decidedly different approach from traditional colleges to obtaining a degree in that they see it as a means to an end, and not an end in itself. They see a degree as a powerful tool that can and should be used for God's glory through all of life, not just in the pursuit of a career. [article link]
Battle of Gettysburg 'Witness Tree' Downed in Storm - Standing just 150 feet from the platform on which President Abraham Lincoln delivered his most famous speech, one of the few remaining "witness trees" to the Battle of Gettysburg has been severely damaged by a storm, National Park Service officials said GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Standing just 150 feet from the platform on which President Abraham Lincoln delivered his most famous speech, one of the few remaining "witness trees" to the Battle of Gettysburg has been severely damaged by a storm, National Park Service officials said. The huge honey locust tree on Cemetery Hill fell Thursday evening. "The top of it is totally broken off, and [the storm] severely damaged 70 to 80 percent of the tree," Gettysburg National Military Park spokeswoman Jo Sanders said. "That means there's not a whole lot left of it. But it didn't kill the tree." The tree, which stood on the right side of the Union lines, "was there as a silent witness - to the battle, to the aftermath, to the burials, to the dedication of the cemetery," park historian John Heiser said. "I have no doubt that Union soldiers sat under it for all three days of the battle," he said. Park maintenance officials will assess what to do with the remains of the tree. [article link]
ENDGAME - ALEX JONES - Blueprint for Global Enslavement (Google Online Video) Extremely interesting, shocking and disturbing. It should be essential viewing for everyone. Wake up world, before it's too late. [article link]
Russian response called 'far disproportionate' - U.S. official: Russia's attack on Georgia is 'disproportionate' The EU and the "Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe" were sending envoys to Georgia to secure a cease-fire {It seems this latest very public 'flashpoint' war was created, on the opening day of the Beijing Olympics no less, with the opportunity in mind for the EU to find a council "emerging unified view" solution to this very ugly scene. Supposedly civilians everywhere are now to put their trust in the EU as the protectors of the people and the overseers of international commerce.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Russia's use of strategic bombers and ballistic missiles against Georgia's civilians outside of the South Ossetian conflict is "far disproportionate" to Georgia's alleged attack on Russian peacekeepers, a senior U.S. official said Saturday. The official was not authorized to speak on the record due to the sensitive nature of the diplomacy. Russia's use of its potent air weaponry signals a "severe" and "dangerous escalation in the crisis," the official said. "For the life of me, I can't image that being a proportionate response to the charge that Georgia has attacked Russian peacekeepers," the official said. "It's hard for us to understand what Russia's plan is here." ... The EU and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe were sending envoys to Georgia to secure a cease-fire, but a senior U.S. State Department official said the United States would send only a representative after a cease-fire is in place. The European Union said it was working with other parties "towards a ceasefire in order to prevent further escalation of this conflict." EU spokeswoman Christina Gallach told CNN: "We think it is not acceptable to see these scenes of bloodshed and destruction." [article link]
China Keeps Millions of Eyes Peeled in Massive Security Watch for Olympics - Beijing is being monitored by 300,000 security cameras with face-recognition technology - China has engineered an effective lockdown on the city of 16 million, making it difficult to get food into Beijing The country is keeping millions of eyes peeled for threats to the 2008 Beijing Olympics games. Every inch of Beijing is being monitored by 300,000 security cameras with face-recognition technology. By contrast, only 8,000 electronic eyes were employed in Athens for the 2004 Summer Games. ... About 130,000 police and army officers are on guard in the Chinese capital, but larger still is a much less visible security force: the 300,000
volunteers watching for suspicious activity - and carefully eying foreigners. ... China has engineered an effective lockdown on the city of 16 million, making it difficult to get food into Beijing. That has driven up the price of fruit and vegetables by about 100 percent, the price of meat by about 40 percent. Many Chinese workers have been affected by factory shutdowns on the edge of the city, costing hundreds of millions as the government tries to improve air quality and imposes stringent controls on trucking. China also refused to provide many visas in advance of the games, which it said was another needed security precaution. [article link]
John Edwards Sabotaged in (hidden code) Song? - we decided to take a better look at the "Webisodes" she (Rielle Hunter) made about him - Each one uses a theme song at its end by Boyd Tinsley of the Dave Matthews Band - The first verse says it all: When you look into a mirror Do you like what's looking at you? Now that you've seen your true reflections What on earth are you gonna do? The first verse says it all: When you look into a mirror Do you like what's looking at you? Now that you've seen your true reflections What on earth are you gonna do? That doesn't sound like a song endorsing the person it's describing. It's an indictment. It's unclear when Hunter put this music on the film. ... Then again, the rest of the lyrics are even worse - and portentous. I thought by now you'd be the president But after all that was yesterday But you've had time to go out in the world now But you chose to run away Well, people ask you what you're doing now You don't even know what to say. [article link]
John Edwards scandal is about money not [only] sex - It's a sorry, sordid tale and I think it far from over - This bizarre statement from Edwards in which he even says that he was "99% honest" {John Edwards has been a career lawyer a man who made millions based on testimony in the court of law. John Edwards was an elected Senator. John Edwards is a favorite of the establishment insiders and a media darling. John Edwards was awarded "Father of the Year" for 2007. John Edwards has twice run for the office of President and was on the 2004 Democratic ticket to be Vice President. Would John Edwards look America in the face and repeatedly lie even with mounting evidence? Apparently!} Here's my story about the John Edwards bombshell that he's been lying like a hairy egg about his affair. It's a sorry, sordid tale and I think it far from over. This bizarre statement from Edwards in which he even says that he was "99 per cent honest" when he flatly denied he'd been bonking Rielle Hunter begs many questions does not draw a line under this. ... Last autumn, no one followed the original National Enquirer story because Edwards was so outspoken about it being untrue. The mainstream media has been lambasted for keeping silent then and after the more recent Enquirer story. ... Edwards made his family life a centerpiece of his campaign. Elizabeth Edwards (cancer battles) inspired a lot of affection though, if Edwards version of events is to be believed, she colluded in her husband's lie. Their sometimes tragic family story was already a public drama which helps ensure that the drama will continue. [article link]
The "Days of Noah" Are Here - The Bible tells us that we are to live "holy and righteous" in this age - We are to be actively sharing the gospel in order for others to be redeemed - precisely because "the days are evil" That describes today quite accurately. Those who have normalized homosexual behavior have done so to the point of thinking anyone who opposes it are "crazy," "homophobic," "intolerant," and "bigots." -- For Bible believing, Christ following born-again Christians, such derogatory views and labels are only perpetuating deception about this dangerous behavior. Furthermore, homosexual activism both secular as well as in the church distracts people from what is truly most important in this life - that is - confessing and repenting of sin and knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us that we are to live "holy and righteous" in this age. We are to be actively sharing the gospel in order for other to be redeemed - precisely because "the days are evil." ... This world is filled with lust, murder, theft, adultery, fornication, lying, idol worship and the list could go on and on. Yet, most sane people do not advocate for churches to accept such concepts as "sanctified." However, this is exactly what is being done in liberal "Christian" churches throughout America! Claiming that a
particular sin should be allowed to be "sanctified" within Christ's church body meaning, all believers is an abomination to God! It is a form of idol worship. It is, in fact, as the Scriptures inform us, "exchanging the truth for a lie!" [article link]
"SATAN HINDERED US" 1st Thessalonians 2:18 - Since the first hour in which goodness came into conflict with evil, it has never ceased to be true in spiritual experience that Satan hinders us - in order that, if possible, we may miss the blessing - What then? We are not alarmed because Satan hinders us, for it is a proof that we are on the Lord's side and are doing the Lord's work, and in (Jesus) His strength we will win the victory From all points of the compass, all along the line of battle, in the advance party or in the rear, at the dawn of day and in the midnight hour, Satan hinders us. If we work in the field, he seeks to break our implements; if we build a wall, he tries to cast down the stones; if we are serving God in suffering or in conflict-everywhere Satan hinders us. He hinders us when we are first coming to Jesus Christ. We had fierce conflicts with Satan when we first looked to the cross and lived. Now that we are saved, he tries to prevent our growth in Christian character. You may be congratulating yourself: "So far I have walked consistently; no one can challenge my integrity." Beware of boasting, for your virtue will soon be tested; Satan will direct his engines against the very virtue for which you are most famous. If you have to this point been a firm believer, your faith will soon be attacked; if you have been meek like Moses, expect to be tempted to speak unadvisedly with your lips. The birds will peck at your ripest fruit, and the wild boar will dash his tusks at your choicest vines. Satan is sure to hinder us when we are faithful in prayer. He hinders our persistence and weakens our faith in order that, if possible, we may miss the blessing. Satan is equally vigilant in obstructing Christian effort. There was never a revival of religion without a revival of his opposition. As soon as Ezra and Nehemiah began to work, Sanballat and Tobiah were stirred up to hinder them. What then? We are not alarmed because Satan hinders us, for it is a proof that we are on the Lord's side and are doing the Lord's work, and in His strength we will win the victory and triumph over our adversary. [article link]
Pressure to Donate to (Mitt) Romney Alleged in Complaint - A former executive who says his boss pressured him to contribute to Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has filed an employment-bias complaint that offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain of big-money corporate fund raising - Mr. Romney received at least $92,000 in contributions from Huron executives, Federal Election Commission records show - Mr. Holdren also said that Mr. Romney had personally called to ask his help in raising money Richard Pimentel, a former executive of Huron Consulting Group Inc., contends he lost his job as a financialmanagement consultant partly in retaliation for refusing the chief executive's repeated calls to contribute to the former Massachusetts governor's bid for the Republican presidential nomination. The company denies that charge. But officials confirm the authenticity of emails showing that the CEO of the Chicago-based corporate consulting firm, Gary E. Holdren, repeatedly linked his requests for donations to Huron's business prospects. The emails were provided to The Wall Street Journal by Mr. Pimentel. ... Other emails from Mr. Holdren refer to conversations with Mr. Romney, deals Huron supposedly won from Romney supporters at other firms and promises to reward Huron executives with "business for your contributions." ... In his emails soliciting donations, Mr. Holdren mentioned the importance of gaining attention and business for the young firm, writing in September that a Romney donation "is some of the best practice-development money Huron could spend." ... In his Jan. 27 email, Mr. Holdren also said that Mr. Romney had personally called to ask his help in raising money, and that "I soon received a third call from Muneer Satter at Goldman Sachs asking for my help in raising more funds" for Mr. Romney. [article link]
Kathryn with Duane Pederson and Chuck Smith - (parts #4 & #8 recommended) parts 1-9 (FREE video downloads) by Chuck Smith Description: Take a trip back in time to 1971 with the kids from Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa as they meet on the
set with Kathyrn Kuhlman. Includes rare footage of Chuck Smith, Duane Pederson, Lonnie Frisbee and early performances by Children of the Day, Love Song, Debby Kerner, Country Faith and all the Jesus People. (1971) [article link]
Through the Bible Sunday Morning with Pastor Chuck Smith - Series T-3000 700+ Mp3's ($16.99) Pastor Chuck Smith expounds upon a verse from every chapter in the Bible in this collection of Sunday morning sermons. By teaching the richness of God's Word, Pastor Chuck digs deep from the well of Scripture, highlighting God's principles from every book of the Bible, for every need in life. Includes 2 double-sided DVD discs, containing the audio of over 700 Sunday morning topical messages and selected sermon notes taught by Pastor Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, CA. [article link]
Love One Another (10 part Mp3 series) One of the things that tears apart Christian love and unity at alarming rates is simply our opinions. Christians come to different biblically-informed decisions about things like corporate dress, alcohol, music, school choices, birth control, investing, debt, political affiliation, Bible translations, and a whole lot more. -- This message helps you wade through these issues and come to the understanding that there's something far more important than having to be 'right' about where you settle on these matters. What's more important is that the Gospel is transforming your heart and life to welcome other believers with the same spirit of patience, encouragement, and affection with which Christ welcomed you when you were still dead in sin. [article link]
The Westminster Confession of Faith 1648 - The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) and its related documents are the greatest of all the creeds of the Christian church (Mp3's) "As truly as in the cases of the Nicene and Chalcedonian formularies, the Westminster Standards mark an epoch in the history of human reflection on the truths of the gospel--an epoch in the attainment and registry of doctrinal truth; and as truly in the one case as in the other the statements they give of the truths that fall in their sphere are scientifically final. All attempts at restatement must either repeat their definitions or fall away from the purity of their conceptions or the justness of their language." (Benjamin B. Warfield, "The Significance of the Westminster Standards as a Creed," 1897) [article link]
Karen Hughes Gives State Dept. Funds to Islamic Radicals - A longtime adviser and close confidant of President Bush funneled millions of dollars in U.S. government grants to radical Islamist organizations, many of whose leaders have been convicted or indicted in terrorism cases in the United States A longtime adviser and close confidant of President Bush funneled millions of dollars in U.S. government grants to radical Islamist organizations, many of whose leaders have been convicted or indicted in terrorism cases in the United States, respected terrorism expert Steven Emerson told Congress last week. ... In addition to the grants to known Islamist organizations, Hughes brought Islamist leaders to Washington, D.C., and personally attended conferences held by anti-American organizations, Emerson said. The outreach policy championed by Hughes "legitimizes Islamism to the world and sends mixed messages to our allies," while "sending a terrible message to moderate Muslims who are thoroughly disenfranchised by the funding," said Emerson. ... "The question is: Why should the State Department spend U.S. taxpayer dollars to work with Islamists who actively oppose the foreign policy goals of the United States and subscribe to a supremacist, oppressive ideology?" Emerson said. He recommended that "the State Department discontinue its cooperation with Islamist groups." [article link]
Nasty Chemical in Martian (Mars) Soil Hurts Chances for Life - NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has detected the presence of a chemically reactive salt in the Martian soil, a finding that if confirmed could make it less friendly to potential life than once believed - "it is a reactive compound it's not usually considered an ingredient for
life" Mustard said LOS ANGELES - NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has detected the presence of a chemically reactive salt in the Martian soil, a finding that if confirmed could make it less friendly to potential life than once believed. Scientists previously reported that the soil near Mars' north pole was similar to backyard gardens on Earth where plants such as asparagus, green beans and turnips could grow. But preliminary results from a second lab test found perchlorate, a highly oxidizing salt, that would create a harsh environment. ... Brown University geologist John Mustard, who has no role in the mission, said judgment about the soil's potential to support life should be reserved until all the data are in. But at first glance, "it is a reactive compound. It's not usually considered an ingredient for life," Mustard said. [article link]
UFOs and the Christian Worldview - I don't believe God is just a super-alien who created us on his PC for a school project - God is eternal, holy, and unchanging - I believe in the God of the Bible, the God who made man His crowning creation Argument #1 Aliens, however, seem to have no trouble identifying walk-the-walk Christians. This demographic, this segment of the population, seems to be the only one immune to UFO activity. A walk-the-walk Christian will rarely, if ever, even spot a UFO, much less undergo abduction attempts. (See the excellent discussion of this here.) Some abductees claim to be Christian, such as Betty Andreasson, but their tales usually reveal their identity as talk-the-talkers only. ... Argument #2 Calling on the name of Jesus stops abductions in progress: Only by calling on the name of Jesus Christ in faith can abduction attempts be halted altogether. CE-4 (at: www.alienresistance.org/ce4.htm) tells the story of a new Christian who found himself being the object of an abduction attempt. ... Argument #3 The link between UFO activity and the occult: Just as there is a link between walk-the-walk Christians and the absence of UFO activity, so there is a link between those who experiment in the occult and the presence of UFO activity. Even the secular UFO literature comments that UFO abductees "tend to be unchurched" and often admit to occult practices. [article link]
UFO's - But What If ET Is Already Here, And He's the Devil? - manifestations of angels of darkness. "My main reason for thinking this is that UFO sightings have never, at least to my knowledge, led a person closer to God Books by Christian scholars on UFOs, alien intelligence {Links to the Books are at the bottom of the article} Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) are historically connected to the idea of extraterrestrial life. In some cases, behavior of these strange sightings have left witnesses feeling as if they had observed something alive, not mechanical. "I have become thoroughly convinced that UFOs are real," popular Christian writer Hal Lindsey once wrote. "I believe these beings are not only extraterrestrial but supernatural in origin. To be blunt, I think they are demons." In Angels Dark and Light, Gary Kinnaman accepts UFO sightings as the manifestations of angels of darkness. "My main reason for thinking this is that UFO sightings have never, at least to my knowledge, led a person closer to God. In fact, most UFO experiences have just the opposite effect." Associate professor of psychology Elizabeth L. Hillstrom points out in her book Testing the Spirits that a growing number of scholars support similar conclusions of UFOnauts being synonymous with historical demons ... Books by Christian scholars on UFOs, alien intelligence -- Nephilim Imperatives: Dark Sentences , by Terry James -- The Omega Conspiracy , by Dr. IDE Thomas -- Nephilim Stargates: The Year 2012 and the Return of the Watchers , by Dr. Thomas Horn. [article link]
The Berean Chronicles - The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 1Peter 4:7 KJV (Podcasts 2008-2003 Mp3's) Our mission here at The Berean Chronicles is to expose the Apostate Church, to equip the Saints with Truth, Knowledge, and Wisdom to be the Salt and Light Christ Jesus has called us to be. With the TRUTH given out on this talk show, we pray it will lead all who listen who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to
the Saving knowledge. [article link]
Tom Horn - Kelly (McGinley) interviews Tom Horn 126 MB (Mp3) - The 2nd Hour is about Mars and the Coming Mars discoveries {Fallen angels (demons) have been deceiving mankind since the beginning, the fall of Adam and Eve. I agree that fallen angels can make it appear as if there is life in outer space and on other planets. Any news events need to be considered in context i.e. If there is advanced intelligent life why have they never come to us? Why are they not friendly? Why are they distant? Of course, because they are demons trying to deceiving us and the government or news agencies have no discernment in these matters of importance.} Our mission here at The Berean Chronicles is to expose the Apostate Church, to equip the Saints with Truth, Knowledge, and Wisdom to be the Salt and Light Christ Jesus has called us to be. With the TRUTH given out on this talk show, we pray it will lead all who listen who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to the Saving knowledge. -- The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 1 Peter 4:7 KJV. [article link]
The Berean Chronicles - KELLY McGinley Home Page - The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 1Peter 4:7 KJV Our mission here at The Berean Chronicles is to expose the Apostate Church, to equip the Saints with Truth, Knowledge, and Wisdom to be the Salt and Light Christ Jesus has called us to be. With the TRUTH given out on this talk show, we pray it will lead all who listen who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to the Saving knowledge. [article link]
WHY KELLY (McGinley) HAS WITHDRAWN HER SUPPORT FROM ROY MOORE You may say I am crazy for coming out against Roy Moore for governor, and it saddens me to have to do it. This position will bring a firestorm on my head. I have spent much time and money supporting Roy Moore. I love him and his family. They have spent weeks at my condo in Orange Beach. I have taken his kids tubing in my boat. I ran his campaign in Mobile and have worked tirelessly for years for his cause. My talk show and web page have dedicated much time and space for this issue. Having lunch with Roy Moore recently he stated that Alabama needs to understand what it means if he becomes governor. I sat dazed. I should have asked, "What do you mean," so I could be sure what he intended. I was dazed because I DO know what it means if he becomes governor. The likely scenario is this. He puts the 10 Commandments in the State House. Someone sues. Judge rules for them to be removed. Govenor Moore says NO, President Bush invades Alabama with federal or NATO troops. In the meantime many agitators and provocateurs are giving great speeches on, "Dare Defend Your Rights", and we have sheep being led to the slaughter. Christians labeled as terrorists, home invasions to confiscate guns, arrest of Christians. More destruction of our rights and many dead. This is a well planned event, as the entire process has been laid out right before our eyes. [article link]
Defending The Pre-Trib Rapture (Again) - Tribulation/Wrath - 1 Thes. 5:9 that declares, "God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." Some body asked me a great question the other day. "Does Scripture actually promise a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, or is it just an opinion passed along from teacher to student?" Then he challenged me to cite even one Bible verse that would lead a person to believe the Pre-Trib position if they hadn't already heard about it from some Bible teacher. He said that in all his studies he's not been able to find one. Let's see if he's right. ... So When Does This Happen? In the New Testament, the clearest indication we get in the timing department is found in 1 Thes. 1:9-10. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. The Greek word translated "from" in this passage is "apo." Taken literally, it means we're to be rescued from the
time, the place, or any relation to God's wrath. It denotes both departure and separation. This is supported by 1 Thes. 5:9 that declares, "God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." [article link]
A Review and Defense of the Pre-Tribulation Resurrection (Rapture) of the Church - as with all sound doctrine, the pre-Tribulation resurrection of the Church has its basis in Scripture rather than in the teachings of men The assault on the pre-Tribulation rapture is part and parcel of a larger attack on the dispensational divisions of Scripture - The effect of repudiating the pre-Tribulation rapture will be to assure apostates who are left behind that they have not missed the coming of Jesus Christ for his bride, which (they are told) will be a pre-Wrath /post-Tribulation event Also, those who do not interpret the book of Revelation literally and chronologically would fail to see that the rapture is pre-Tribulation. (Yet many of these same people use the Tribulation chronology to locate the rapture at the 7th Trumpet or end-Tribulation.) Our report, Heeding Bible Prophecy demonstrates how the literal fulfillment of end-time prophecies will take place within the dispensational framework, which is really the only way to make sense of Bible prophecy. The assault on the pre-Tribulation rapture is part and parcel of a larger attack on the dispensational divisions of Scripture. Within this doctrinal framework, God's dealings with Israel were interrupted by the Church Age and will resume for seven years following the removal of the Church from earth. This doctrine is foundational to classic Pauline Dispensationalism, which was expounded by early Church fathers such as Irenaeus of Lyons (120-202 A.D.) in Book V of his treatise, Against Heresies: ... The effect of repudiating the pre-Tribulation rapture will be to assure apostates who are left behind that they have not missed the coming of Jesus Christ for his bride, which (they are told) will be a pre-Wrath /post-Tribulation event. [article link]
"SHOCK & AWE" IN THE KJV-ONLY CAMP - When we first took a stand for the King James Bible many years ago, it never occurred to us that "King James-Only" meant "no Greek and no Hebrew" - We have been, and always will be "Textus Receptus Only" and we mistakenly assumed that this was also the position of the leadership of the KJV-Only movement (PDF Download Link at the Bottom Right) When we first took a stand for the King James Bible many years ago, it never occurred to us that "King JamesOnly" meant "no Greek and no Hebrew." It was upon reading Gail Riplinger's most recent book, In Awe of Thy Word, that we discovered that the term "KJV-Only" was to be taken literally. It means that the King James Bible alone is divinely inspired, perfect and superior to all other translations and texts, including the Greek Textus Receptus and the Hebrew Masoretic Text. -- We have been, and always will be "Textus Receptus Only," and we mistakenly assumed that this was also the position of the leadership of the KJV-Only movement. Our discovery that this was not the case compelled us to write this lengthy expose of the heresy in Gail Riplinger's book and other false teachings in King James Onlyism which we now understand is an important component of the endtime deception. With this understanding, certain events of the past few years have come into clearer focus. David Bay's attack on the King James Bible and Gail Riplinger's assault on the Textus Receptus were not spontaneous, mutually exclusive events from rival factions, but well-timed and coordinated deceptions in the overall plan to eliminate the Christian Bible, especially the New Testament, in all of its expressions. [article link]
Ancient Brass BELL Found Encased IN COAL supposed to be about 300 million years old! - the bell is an antediluvian artifact made before the Genesis Flood (Noah's Ark) - For more detailed pictures of the bell and the [idol] demon-like figure on top, click here (Photos) In 1944, as a ten year old boy, Newton Anderson dropped a lump of coal in his basement and found that it contained this bell inside. The bituminous coal that was mined near his house in Upshur County West Virginia is supposed to be about 300 million years old! What is a brass bell with an iron clapper doing in coal ascribed to the Carboniferous Period? According to Norm Sharbaugh's book Ammunition (which includes several "coal
anecdotes") the bell is an antediluvian artifact (made before the Genesis Flood). The Institute for Creation Research had the bell submitted to the lab at the University of Oklahoma. There a nuclear activation analysis revealed that the bell contains an unusual mix of metals, different from any known modern alloy production (including copper, zinc, tin, arsenic, iodine, and selenium). -- Genesis 4:22 states that Tubal-Cain was "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron..." Perhaps when his civilization came to an end in the flood, this bell was buried with a mass of vegetation that became coal and ended up thousands of years later in Newt Anderson's coal bin. ... Later on, Newton Anderson spent a great deal of time researching the demon atop the bell. He discovered similarities to the Babylonian Southwest Wind Demon and the Hindu deity Garuda. Garuda is sometimes depicted on top of bells, as is the Egyptian Isis. [article link]
Photo of Fossil Footprints: shows how the dinosaur impression affecfted the human footprint when it (dinosaur) stepped into it (human footprint) - the stone's impressions indicate that the human stepped first, the dinosaur second (Photo) A closer view of the 'Alvis Delk Cretaceous Footprint' gives a closer view of the two prints, and shows how the dinosaur impression affecfted the human footprint when it stepped into it. Courtesy of David Lines / Creation Evidence Museum. / Mineral Wells Index. Order photo reprints. [article link]
Rock-solid proof? A discovery by a former Mineral Wells resident might hold proof man and dinosaur walked the Earth together - Baugh said he believes both sets of prints (human and dinosaur) were made "within minutes, or no more than hours of each other" about 4,500 years ago, around the time of Noah's Flood - He said the clay-like material that the human and dinosaur stepped in soon hardened, becoming thick, dense limestone common in North Texas - the stone's impressions indicate that the human stepped first, the dinosaur second (Photos) A slab of North Texas limestone is on track to rock the world, with its two imbedded footprints poised to make a huge impression in scientific and religious circles. The estimated 140-pound stone was recovered in July 2000 from the bank of a creek that feeds the Paluxy River near Glen Rose, Texas, located about 53 miles south of Fort Worth. The find was made just outside Dinosaur Valley State Park, a popular destination for tourists known for its well-preserved dinosaur tracks and other fossils. The limestone contains two distinct prints - one of a human footprint and one belonging to a dinosaur. The significance of the cement-hard fossil is that it shows the dinosaur print partially over and intersecting the human print. In other words, the stone's impressions indicate that the human stepped first, the dinosaur second. If proven genuine, the artifact would provide evidence that man and dinosaur roamed the Earth at the same time, according to those associated with the find and with its safekeeping. It could potentially toss out the window many commonly held scientific theories on evolution and the history of the world. ... Baugh said the scans prove that the impressions are real and could not have been carved or etched into the stone. ... He also noted how the dinosaur's impression pushed up material from the human print and altered its shape in the area of the intrusion. [article link]
Fossil: Meister Sandal Track with Trilobite (beetle-bug) embedded - The oldest fossil (human) footprint yet found was discovered in June 1968 by William J. Meister on an expedition to Antelope Spring, 43 miles west of Delta, Utah - Amazingly the human was wearing a sandal! The sandal that seems to have crushed a living trilobite was 10 1/4 inches long and 3 1/2 inches wide; the heel is indented slightly more than the sole, as a human shoe print would be - A trilobite crushed within a human sandal print Found on June 1, 1968 (Photo) Meister Sandal Track: The oldest fossil footprint yet found was discovered in June 1968 by William J. Meister on an expedition to Antelope Spring, 43 miles west of Delta, Utah. He was accompanied by his wife and two daughters, and by Mr. and Mrs. Francis Shape and their two daughters. The party had already discovered several fossils of trilobites when Meister split open a two-inch-thick slab of rock with his hammer and discovered the print. The rock fell open "like a book." revealing on one side the footprint of a human with
trilobites right in the footprint itself. The other half of the rock slab showed an almost perfect mold of the footprint and fossils. Amazingly the human was wearing a sandal! The sandal that seems to have crushed a living trilobite was 10 1/4 inches long and 3 1/2 inches wide; the heel is indented slightly more than the sole, as a human shoe print would be. The Meister Sandal Track is another strong piece of evidence that the evolutionary theories promated in class rooms across the nation and world do not promote "Truth", but instead promote theory that is bankrupt at its core. [article link]
OOPARTS (out of place artifacts) & ANCIENT HIGH TECHNOLOGY -- Evidence of Noah's Flood? - Do unexplained technologies of the ancients provide possible proofs of Pre-flood civilizations? - If you believe that the flood of Noah actually happened, what was the state of the technology of (antediluvian) pre-flooders? Could they have left physical evidence of their existence? - We expect you to use your own knowledge filter (Christian discernment) on this site Point of View:We have a Biblical viewpoint on the world. Ooparts are evidence, we think, that the Flood actually happened. News items or magazine articles that report them may not have the same perspective that Christians do. When we read for instance, a scientific article that puzzles over our lack of genetic variability, we think of the Flood of Noah. We would include that article here, without editing, because we expect Christians to use their filters on such an article. That does not mean that we agree with the evolutionary timeframe given in said article. -- We think it's more interesting when general newspaper articles or science articles observe data that they might see one way, but that Christians might see another way given our own knowledge about God, creation and the flood. It's more interesting to quote Stephen Jay Gould saying that "the lack of transitional fossils is the trade secret of paleontology", than it might be to hear another Christian say it. So, no we don't believe the universe is millions or billions of years old. We don't know how old it is-we just know who created it and how long it took Him. We do not believe in pre-Adamic races, though we do believe that there were "civiilizations" prior to the Flood. We don't believe in space aliens or cooties. We expect you to use your own knowledge filter on this site. [article link]
Darwin Taught Male Superiority - "males are more evolutionarily advanced than females" {Genesis 1:26-28 And God said, Let us (Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, after Our likeness: ... So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; *male and *female created He them. And God blessed them, -- Holy Bible. Mankind, male and female are created in the "image" of God so we can communicate and interact with God. If we did not have some of the emotions, understanding and feelings of God we would have nothing in common with God. Note: Our human emotions and thoughts are now tainted by sin while God remains pure and Holy.} According to Darwinian theory, women were less evolved than men, and because of their smaller brains, they were "eternally primitive," childlike, less spiritual, more materialistic, and "a real danger to contemporary civilization." The supposed intelligence gap that many leading Darwinists believed existed between human males and females was so large that some leading Darwinists classified them as two distinct species-males as Homo frontalis and females as Homo parietalis. The differences were so great that Darwin was amazed "such different beings belong to the same species." Reasons for male superiority included the conclusion that war and hunting pruned the weaker men, allowing only the most fit to return home and reproduce. Women, in contrast, were not subject to these selection pressures but were protected by men, allowing the weak to survive. ... Darwin's writings and those of his disciples reveal that the belief of women inferiority was central to early evolutionary theory. In The Descent of Man Darwin argued that adult females of most species resembled the young of both sexes and that "males are more evolutionarily advanced than females." [article link]
Heidelberg Catechism 1563 - #6 Christ's Glory (FREE 64 Mp3's) Brief Sermon Overview: Sermon Points: 1. Christ's Glory Publicized to Us -- 2. Christ's Glory Poured out on Us --
3. Christ's Glory Protects Us. [article link]
The Heidelberg Catechism January 19, 1563 - The Heidelberg Catechism has been translated into many languages and is the most influential and the most generally accepted of the several catechisms of Reformation times The Heidelberg Catechism was written in Heidelberg at the request of Elector Frederick III, ruler of the most influential German province, the Palatinate, from 1559 to 1576. This pious Christian prince commissioned Zacharius Ursinus, twenty-eight years of age and professor of theology at the Heidelberg University, and Caspar Olevianus, twenty-six years old and Frederick's court preacher, to prepare a catechism for instructing the youth and for guiding pastors and teachers. Frederick obtained the advice and cooperation of the entire theological faculty in the preparation of the Catechism. The Heidelberg Catechism was adopted by a Synod in Heidelberg and published in German with a preface by Frederick III, dated January 19, 1563. A second and third German edition, each with some small additions, as well as a Latin translation were published in Heidelberg in the same year. The Catechism was soon divided into fifty-two sections, so that a section of the Catechism could be explained to the churches each Sunday of the year. [article link]
How Obama prepped the world for the Antichrist - Obama's World Tour was planned as the high point of his campaign - It's a great speech, like I said, if somebody is running for president of the world - It was a typically flowery Obama speech, but it hit an unexpectedly sour note when he dramatically intoned: "People of Berlin people of the world - this is our moment. This is our time. ... With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again" Obama's World Tour was planned as the high point of his campaign, with the candidate retracing the footsteps of great presidents of the past, hobnobbing with world leaders and as one pundit put it, "making the Europeans love us again." Obama drew huge crowds in Berlin where he addressed them, oddly enough, as "fellow citizens of the world." It was a typically flowery Obama speech, but it hit an unexpectedly sour note when he dramatically intoned: "People of Berlin - people of the world - this is our moment. This is our time. ... With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again." Pundits on both sides are trying to sort it out. It's a great speech, like I said, if somebody is running for president of the world, but it was too much, even for a compliant and Obamafriendly press corps. The politically "progressive" newspaper of record, the Washington Post nicknamed Obama the "presumptuous nominee" after his European performance. ... And the Bible says that such a leader will soon make his appearance on the scene. It won't be Barack Obama, but Obama's world tour provided a foretaste of the reception he can expect to receive. He will probably also stand in some European capital, addressing the people of the world and telling them that he is the one that they have been waiting for. And he can expect as wildly enthusiastic a greeting as Obama got in Berlin. The Bible calls that leader the Antichrist. And it seems apparent that the world is now ready to make his acquaintance. [article link]
Tyson Foods Plant Drops Labor Day For Muslim Holiday - More Than Half Of Tyson Plant's Workforce Muslim Workers at the Tyson Foods poultry processing plant in Shelbyville will no longer have a paid day off on Labor Day but will instead be granted the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr - Union leaders said implementing the holiday was important for the nearly 700 Muslims, many of them Somalis, who work at the plant that employs a total of 1,200 people Workers at the Tyson Foods poultry processing plant in Shelbyville will no longer have a paid day off on Labor Day but will instead be granted the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr. According to a news release from the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, a new five-year contract at the plant included the change to accommodate Muslim workers at the plant. Tyson's director of media relations Gary Mickelson said the contract includes eight paid holidays -- the same number as the old contract. Eid al-Fitr -- which falls on Oct. 1
this year -- marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. Union leaders said implementing the holiday was important for the nearly 700 Muslims, many of them Somalis, who work at the plant that employs a total of 1,200 people. Nineteen-year plant veteran William Pentecost doesn't agree with the decision. "I don't think it's right. I really don't think it's right," he said. [article link]
"Peace and Safety" Setting the Stage for the [End Times] Apocalypse - The purpose of this article is to explain how current events are being driven to set the stage for the "peace and safety" that precedes the Day of the Lord - The Day of the Lord will begin when the world in general, and Israel in particular, is experiencing a period of relative calm and stability - While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, 1 Thess 5:3 The Day of the Lord will begin when the world in general, and Israel in particular, is experiencing a period of relative calm and stability. This is predicted very clearly by the Apostle Paul, who was only reiterating the very words of Jesus. Paul begins his predictions by describing the rapture and the resurrection of living and dead believers, and then he connects it with the beginning of the Day of the Lord. This is the end-times Tribulation, and Paul states that it will begin suddenly and catastrophically when the world least expects it, [According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:9 NIV] [article link]
Cutting Edge News Alert August 1, 2008: Illuminati powerhouse, Henry Kissinger - Kissinger negotiated the American withdrawal (January 27, 1973) from South Vietnam by meeting with North Korean, Chinese and Russian diplomats over a period of years - These meetings were held primarily in Paris - Kissinger promised the North Vietnamese that they could have South Vietnam - Now, Kissinger is proposing a "diplomatic conference" which would establish a (Iraq) "formal peace settlement" Does he have the same formula [for Iraq] as we saw in Vietnam? - The Shi'ite Mahdi forces of the radical cleric, al-Sadr [and Iran could inherit Iraq and the oil wealth] Kissinger ends his treatise on the "Peace and Safety" promise - All this activity is laying the foundation for fulfillment of prophecy! Kissinger negotiated American withdrawal from South Vietnam by meeting with North Korean, Chinese and Russian diplomats over a period of years. These meetings were held primarily in Paris. Kissinger promised the North Vietnamese that they could have South Vietnam, but only if they waited a period of time following the American withdrawal before they launched their final attack. Such a "grace period" would allow the Americans to declare victory and pull out. -- Now, Kissinger is proposing a "diplomatic conference" which would establish a "formal peace settlement". Does he have the same formula as we saw in Vietnam? No one can be sure at this time, but events will soon give us the answers we need. President Bush will be allowed to declare victory -once again -- and then pull out. The Shi'ite Mahdi forces of the radical cleric, al-Sadr, will continue to stand down to give the illusion of an American victory. After waiting for a reasonable amount of time, Sadr will launch
an attack, splitting Iraq into the three sections originally planned -- Shi'ite, Sunni and the Kurds. -- Kissinger does say, "The American presence in Iraq should not be presented as open-ended." If this is the case, why is the United States building one of the most sophisticated embassies in the world and establishing permanent military bases throughout Iraq? -- Kissinger then reveals that the final steps in this Plan for Iraq will spill over to the 44th President. "The next president has a great opportunity to stabilize Iraq and lay the basis for a decisive turn in the war against jihadist radicalism and for a more peaceful Middle East. Surely he will want to assess the situation on the ground before setting a strategy for his term. He should not be limited by rigid prescriptions to vindicate maxims of the past, no matter how plausible they once seemed. Withdrawal is a means; the end is a more peaceful and hopeful world." -- Thus, Kissinger ends his treatise on the "Peace and Safety" promise. All this activity is laying the foundation for fulfillment of prophecy! [article link]
Book of Common Prayer (1662) - "I believe there is no Liturgy in the world, either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of a solid, scriptural, rational piety than the Common Prayer of the Church of England" John Wesley (PDF) The 1662 Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England (you can download it by clicking the picture to the left or the link below) is still technically the only "official" prayer book of the Church of England, the mother church (for the moment at least) of the Anglican Communion. It itself is the result of more than a century of liturgical development through a turbulent time in British history. Its literary and theological influence is immense; this alone makes it an important document. [article link]
Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) - Downloadable Documents (Doc) The Westminster Catechism was completed in 1647 by the Westminster Assembly and continues to serve as part of the doctrinal standards of many Presbyterian churches. [article link]
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) - Downloadable Documents (PDF) In 1643, during a period of civil war, the English "Long Parliament" (under the control of Presbyterian Puritans) convened an Assembly of Divines (mostly Puritan ministers, including a few influential Scottish commissioners) at Westminster Abbey in London. Their task was to advise Parliament on how to bring the Church of England into greater conformity with the Church of Scotland and the Continental Reformed churches. The Westminster Assembly produced documents on doctrine, church government, and worship that have largely defined Presbyterianism down to this day. These documents included a Confession of Faith (1646), a Larger Catechism (1647), and a Shorter Catechism (1647), often collectively called "the Westminster standards." Parliamentary efforts to reconstitute the established Church of England along Presbyterian lines were soon thwarted by the rise to power of Cromwell (who favored Independency) and the expulsion of Presbyterians from Parliament in 1648, and then the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, which quickly led to the reinstitution of Episcopacy and the suppression of Puritanism. -- But things were different in Scotland. The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland adopted the Confession of Faith in 1647 and the Catechisms in 1648. The Scottish Parliament ratified them in 1649 and again (after a time of political and religious strife) in 1690. The Presbyterian character of the Church of Scotland was safeguarded when Scotland and England were united under one crown in 1707. Numerous Presbyterian bodies have been formed since then, both in the United Kingdom and around the world, and they have always been constituted on the basis of the Westminster standards (although declension from them has sometimes followed). -- When the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was formed in 1788, it adopted the Westminster standards, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures. However, it revised chapters 20.4, 23.3, and 31.2 of the Confession, basically removing the civil magistrate (i.e., the state) from involvement in ecclesiastical matters. [article link]
***4 Great Church Councils Part 1 & 2 (Mp3's) {Note: The Council of Jerusalem Acts 15:6-31 (Approx. 52 A.D.) is the original and first Christian Church Council. All of the later Church Councils are modeled after the first Jerusalem Council.} Excellent!! [article link]
The Bible and The Creeds - Sermon Series: An Introduction to the Creeds (FREE 13 Mp3's) Brian Borgman is the founding pastor of Grace Community Church. He earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Biola University (La Mirada, CA), a Master of Divinity from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary (Portland, OR) and a Doctor of Ministry from Westminster Seminary (Escondido, CA). [article link]
The Council of Jerusalem Acts 15:6-31 (Approx. 52 A.D.): where we read of the first General Church Council - A serious question of doctrine arose, and "the apostles and the presbyters came together to consider this matter" - The decree of the Council of Jerusalem went on, then, to establish a binding obligation upon all Christians in the local churches of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: "that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality" (Acts 15:29) - Did the local churches bristle at this imposition of doctrine and practice from the ecclesiastical leadership of the whole Church? Not at all, but rather they "rejoiced over its encouragement" (Acts 15:31) {The 50 A.D. Jerusalem Council decision was yes, Gentiles can become Christians and then simple directions and reminders were given so that the new Gentile Christians would not offend God. The food (abstain from eating blood) decision was given so that Christians would not offend the Jews. Christians can eat any food however God is still protecting the Jews and He does not want them offended by others even Christians. Acts 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them (Jews) that preach (law) him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.} The Council of Jerusalem: We may prove this quite readily by turning to Acts 15:6-31, where we read of the first General Church Council. A serious question of doctrine arose, and "the apostles and the presbyters came together to consider this matter" (Acts 15:6). After hearing the arguments and testimony of Peter, Paul and Barnabas, the leader of the Council, James [half brother of Jesus, writer of the book of James], then passed a decree with the words, "Therefore I judge" (Acts 15:19, 'dio ego krino'). This passage describes no truly democratic process, but rather it describes submission to the judgment of a central ecclesiastical authority [an authority completely submitted to Jesus Christ]. -- After receiving the judgment of James, "it pleased the apostles and presbyters together with the whole Church" (Acts 15:22: 'apostolois kai tois presbyterois syn hole ekklesia') to dispatch delegates with a letter promulgating the decree of the Council. The council then drafted a letter in the name of "the apostles and the brother-presbyters" (Acts 15:23: 'hoi apostoloi kai hoi presbyteroi adelphoi'). This phrasing, and especially the apposition of 'presbyteroi' and 'adelphoi', is quite precise in establishing the authority of the decision of the Council in the office of the ministers who serve and lead the Church, as opposed to a democratic process. -- Does the phrase "whole Church" here refer to the universal Church, or merely to the entirety of the congregation at Jerusalem. Recalling that the leadership of the Council was comprised of the apostles who were planting local churches in the Hellenistic world, delegates of the Hellenistic churches, and the presbyters of the church at Jerusalem, we can only rightly conclude that they spoke in the name of the universal Church. Indeed, the letter explicitly states that the authors speak in the authority of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28); since Paul tells us that it is by one Spirit that we were baptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13) which is Christ (1 Cor. 12:27) and over which Christ is the head (1 Eph. 1:22-23), when Luke writes in Acts 15:22 of the leadership of the whole Church assenting to the decree of James which is binding on all Gentile Christians, he is necessarily speaking of the Church in its universal or catholic sense. -- The Council then sent the letter to the local churches in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. This letter remarks that the false doctrine which the council repudiated was in fact discernibly false because "we gave no such commandments" (Acts 15:24). Hence, the Bible tells us that right doctrine is subject to the discernment of the leadership of the whole Church. The decree of the Council of Jerusalem went on, then, to establish a binding obligation upon all
Christians in the local churches of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: "that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality" (Acts 15:29). Did the local churches bristle at this imposition of doctrine and practice from the ecclesiastical leadership of the whole Church? Not at all, but rather they "rejoiced over its encouragement" (Acts 15:31). Clearly, the Bible itself sets a precedent for the government of the universal Church by means of General Councils. [article link]
Cutting Edge Weekly Newsletter July 30, 2008: Fox News commentators are using the scripted notes which the Bush White House provides them, giving a huge propaganda boost to a beleaguered President! - this is the first time that a former White House Press Secretary (Scott McClellan) has admitted that Mass Media "talking heads" are just reading a script! In other words, these commentators are simply paid hacks for the Establishment Mass Media; they are not independent journalists just trying to get to the bottom of the story, as they are portrayed! - Democrats do the very same thing, just using different outlets like the New York Times NEWS BRIEF: "Fox News Commentators Use The (Scripted) 'Talking Points' That The White House Sends Them", Think Progress News, July 26, 2008 "On MSNBC's Hardball last night, host Chris Matthews asked former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan if he saw 'FOX television as a tool' to get the White House's 'message out' while he was in the Bush administration. 'Certainly there were commentators and other, pundits at FOX News, that were useful to the White House', replied McClellan, adding that they were given 'talking points' ... 'a script'". Cutting Edge has always paid attention to the bold assertion of the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, as they boasted of controlling the world's Mass Media - a boast made over 100 years ago. We have also quoted Peter Lemesurier a great many times as he revealed that world events are carefully scripted and that all major world leaders are just reading their lines from a script ("The Armageddon Script"). But, this is the first time that a former White House Press Secretary has admitted that Mass Media "talking heads" are just reading a script! In other words, these commentators are simply paid hacks for the Establishment Mass Media; they are not independent journalists just trying to get to the bottom of the story, as they are portrayed! Therefore, we know that Fox News is simply a propaganda extension of the Bush White House! But, the Democrats do the very same thing, just using different outlets like the New York Times! Remember, there is no difference between Republican and Democrat, as leaders on both sides of the political aisle are equally as committed to the pulling down of this Old World Order so the New World Order can be established. [article link]
Obama's 'Private' Note to God Was a Media Stunt - Obama's note was published in Maariv and other international publications following his authorization to make the content of the note public - Obama submitted a copy of the note to media outlets when he left his hotel in Jerusalem (Photo) What initially seemed to be a journalistic scoop of dubious moral propriety now seems to be a case of an Israeli paper being played by the Barack Obama campaign. Maariv, the second most popular newspaper in Israel, was roundly criticized for publishing the note Obama left in the Kotel. But now a Maariv spokesperson says that publication of the note was pre-approved for international publication by the Obama campaign, leading to the conclusion that the "private" prayer was intentionally leaked for public consumption.... If the Maariv statement about pre-approval of publication of the note is true, it would mean that the Obama campaign had managed the event brilliantly, if deceptively, getting the double benefit of appearing to be victimized by the invasive Israeli press and prayer-thieving Jew while at the same time leaking out his humble Christian plea to the Lord. Already by the weekend, a (relatively) slick video appeared on YouTube that blended Obama's Western Wall prayer with various church scenes, crosses aplenty, a dove of peace, and a soundtrack based on Amazing Grace. The video closes with a "vote" button and an invitation to visit the official campaign website. Revelation of this latest Obama collaboration with the media might detract a bit from the perceived sincerity of the prayer and strike some as an especially cynical use of the Kotel and an obstensibly private prayer to the Deity as a campaign prop. [article link]
House poised to apologize for slavery, Jim Crow - the House would also acknowledge the "injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow {The U.S. government really needs to end the Abortion Holocaust and apologize to the American people for their part in legalizing, funding and perpetuating the cruelest disaster in American history.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives was poised Tuesday to pass a resolution apologizing to African-Americans for slavery and the era of Jim Crow. The nonbinding resolution, which is expected to pass, was introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen, a white lawmaker who represents a majority black district in Memphis, Tennessee. While many states have apologized for slavery, it will be first time a branch of the federal government will apologize for slavery if the resolution passes, an aide to Cohen said. By passing the resolution, the House would also acknowledge the "injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow," the period after slavery was abolished in which African-Americans were denied the right to vote and other civil liberties. The resolution states that "the vestiges of Jim Crow continue to this day." ... The House would also commit itself to stopping "the occurrence of human rights violations in the future," if it passes the resolution. [article link]
***Last Day to Register July 29, 2008 - 40 Days for Life: 21 cities have already submitted applications! Application to participate in the September 24- November 2 nationwide 40 Days for Life! When we first saw the 40 Days for Life Campaign it resounded in our hearts. Wow! We would be united with many other cities in prayer and fasting, peaceful, prayerful vigil, and community outreach to stop abortion in our land. What power to break spiritual strongholds! What power to address the reality of abortion in our midst! We wanted this program in our state... we were willing to do whatever the program called for... we said, Yes! [article link]
Milton Green Mp3's - Zion-16 MIXTURE in The Word of God (i.e. Rick Warren) "The strong lord it over the weak" "It [then] becomes Politics" - so what do you think you'll get out of the Bible when he preaches? MIXTURE (Worldliness) in The Word of God (Mp3 5-Min) Topics: How the 'carnal Christians' chose a man from the world to be their Pastor. Men in the world - You let a man move in his religious setting - he's never really repented - the strong lord it over the weak he moves into religion - the strong lord it over the weak it becomes Politics and you move him to the top - so what do you think you'll get out of the Bible when he preaches? MIXTURE in The Word of God. TUNNEL VISION. This is the Day of The Lord we're living in NOW. [article link]
Could the Emergent Church Sway the 2008 Election? By Jan Markell July 28, 2008 - The bottom line is that the under-30 generation could be casting a deciding vote this coming November - Researcher and author Berit Kjos (www.crossroad.to) suggests that there is now an emphasis on deeds instead of creeds - She suggests that behind its noble appearance hides a post-modern version of "Christian Socialism" which many of these young people have bought into - They are more world-centered and perhaps less (Bible) Word-centered Conservatives are not against helping the sick and needy; however, they also will not abandon the defenseless unborn to the grinder of modern secular abortion mills. The "Christian Right" will remain more concerned about "spiritual poverty" and biblical illiteracy. But neither side has a lock on morality or anything else. ... associates have paved the way for them and made the grass look much greener on the other side of conservatism. But thanks to the Fall in the Garden, every square foot of grass on either side is full of weeds, and there is really no panacea for the world's desperate problems except for the Lord's return. -- That does not mean that until that time some of the issues being raised should not be attended to. But expectations should be kept relatively low. And no matter what administration rides into the White House on January 20, 2009, much of the glowing campaign rhetoric will fizzle out as man is not the problem solver nor is bigger government. The only solution is the government that is upon His shoulders (Isaiah 9:6). [article link]
Creeds & Statements of Faith: Nicene Creed - The Nicene Creed is the only creed accepted by all three major branches of Christendom: Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant - It was adopted by a general Council of the entire Church (Ecumenical) in 325 A.D. and revised by a general council of the entire Church in 381 A.D. {The Christian Church has always been "Ecumenical" (whole-house) it is the modern Ecumenical movement that is trying to lead out of Christianity and into other religions.} The Nicene Creed: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made. Who, for us all for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy universal and apostolic (Christian) Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. [article link]
Ecumenical Christian Creeds - The Apostles' Creed - The first creeds of the Christian Church are called ecumenical creeds because they were decided upon in church councils that represented the entire church at the time before the church permanently spilt into Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Roman) factions in AD 1054 - Later creeds reflect the diversity of the Christian tradition and tend to become more specialized expressions of particular doctrines for various groups The Apostles' Creed: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. [article link]
The Apostles' Creed - The Bible itself contains brief creed-like statements (1 Cor. 8:6; 15:3-4; 1 Tim. 3:16) - The early church leaders also wrote short creeds, perhaps as baptism ceremonies - These eventually were recited by congregations in their worship services Writing in Greek somewhere around the year 200 A. D., Irenaeus (born 115 A.D. - died 202 A.D.) describes a creed that has some similarities to the Apostles' Creed, and may have been a precursor. He presented his creed not as something new, but as something the church had been using for a long time. He lived in what is now France, but had grown up in Asia Minor, where he had been taught by Polycarp, a student of the apostle John. An early Latin version of the Creed is in the writings of Tertullian, from North Africa, about the year 220. About a century later, Marcellus, from Asia Minor, shared a similar creed. In A.D. 390, after study in Rome, Egypt and Palestine, Rufinus had a similar creed in northern Italy. Augustine, bishop in North Africa in 400, had a nearly identical creed, and it was apparently standard in Gaul in 650, even before Charlemagne. The text accepted today is identical to what was written in 750 by Pirminius, who lived in what is now Switzerland. This history shows that churches in many different regions were involved in the development of the Apostles' Creed. As churches in one part of the empire communicated with others, their short list of doctrines became standardized. [article link]
Everybody Still Hates (Microsoft) Vista - 60% of respondents won't upgrade to the new Windows operating system - in November only 50% planned to avoid the upgrade then - And let's not forget that Apple is selling more Macs than ever {Vista with the very latest updates and sp1 seems to finally be a stable operating system. For a new personal computer Vista (64 bit) is now a good option, all the new Intel CPU's are 64 bit. However for a business anything Microsoft is just too expensive. A Mac is now a better solution to windows and Linux is likely the best future system solution of all.} Everybody still hates Vista, it seems. A new survey from systems management specialist KACE -- which makes products that watch the health of other computer products -- finds that 60% of respondents won't upgrade to the new Windows operating system. KACE last administered the survey in November; only 50% planned to avoid the upgrade then. Microsoft, for its part, won't concede that there's trouble with Vista. To the contrary; the company says that it has sold 180 million licenses of the OS. But that's a misleading statistic: Every copy to box makers such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard counts as a license. [article link]
Bob Novak: McCain camp playing him? - reported that Sen. John McCain's campaign was planning an early announcement of a running mate this week, suggests that he may have been played for a story to counter the headlines Barack Obama is making Robert Novak, the conservative columnist who reported that Sen. John McCain's campaign was planning an early announcement of a running mate this week, suggests that he may have been played for a story to counter the headlines Barack Obama is making with his journey through Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East and Europe. ... "I got a suggestion from a very senior McCain aide late yesterday afternoon that he was going to announce it this week," Novak told Fox News Channel today. "They didn't want it to come out the way it was going to come out so they suggested I put it out. ... "I've since been told by certain people that this was a dodge and that they were trying to get some publicity to rain on Obama's campaign," Novak, a FOX contributor, told the cable news network. "It's pretty reprehensible if it's true, but we'll find out in a couple of days." Time will tell who's playing whom. [article link]
Bob Novak: Tried to Flee Hit & Run of Homeless Man - He claimed that he didn't even know he hit anyone and feels so bad - But a man riding his bike near the scene says that the man Novak hit ended up on his windshield and that Novak was trying to get away - The man chased Novak down on his bike and repeatedly urged him to return to the scene of the crime (News Video) The man Novak hit is an 86-year-old homeless former Broadway Director who remains in the hospital with injuries. I hope the guy sues the HAMAS-green pants off of Novak. And this isn't the first time for Novak. He was sued in 2004 for the same thing. And he almost hit me (Debbie Schlussel), too. When I was an intern in Washington in the late '80s, Novak nearly ran me over, as he drove through a red light while I had the green light and was in the middle of crossing a street in Georgetown. At that time, he was driving a convertible Mercedes Benz. He didn't apologize or care. The guy's a scumbag. [article link]
Bob Novak: Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak says he has brain tumor - Biopsy set for later today - Novak said he was diagnosed Sunday with a tumor and will soon begin treatment at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston - "I will be suspending my journalistic work for an indefinite but, God willing, not too lengthy period" {If ever there was a convenient time to suddenly have a brain tumor this must be it. Most people who hit and run just pretend to have a drinking or a drug problem to try to stay out of jail.} Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak said today he has been diagnosed with a brain tumor but says that, "God willing," he plans to be back at work soon. Novak said he was diagnosed Sunday with a tumor and will soon begin treatment at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He issued the following statement: "On Sunday, July 27, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I have been admitted to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where doctors will soon begin appropriate treatment. "I will be suspending my journalistic work for an
indefinite but, God willing, not too lengthy period." ... The diagnosis was sudden. Novak became ill Sunday during a family outing near Cape Cod, Mass. A family member called 911, and he was brought by ambulance to Brigham and Women's Hospital, where the diagnosis was made. [article link]
x264 Video Conversion (.mkv video - .mka audio) Codec Improvement - x264 is an open source codec of standard MPEG4 AVC/H.264, developed by programmers from all over the world - Nowadays, x264 is one of the best codecs of its standard, what is verified by different comparisons {Scroll down for program downloads} Improvement description: We decided to improve ABR rate control mode. In this mode codec tries to compress a film with target average bitrate satisfying specified restrictions of maximum frame bitrate and buffer size. Accumulated during previous frames' compressions statistic is actively used by codec to improve effectiveness of adaptive models. But there is no statistical information on the first frames of the sequence. To solve this problem, codec uses some predefined values or values defined by user. An analysis showed that these default values are more suitable to high bitrates. Therefore unfounded quality increase appears on low bitrates, that leads to deterioration of both quality of consequent frames and average quality of a movie. [article link]
Download x264 Video Codec - Better than Xvid - Now i use H264 for encoding - A bit slower than Xvid but quality is much superior - 2-Pass H264 gives the best quality by any codec - this codec is for next generational encoding To decode, we suggest you to use a recent build of FFDShow or a media player that supports H.264 internally like MPlayer (there are few interesting frontends for Windows: MPlayerUI, MPlayer Frontend) and VLC (VideoLAN Client). Important:- VFW and installer were removed from auto update, VFW is outdated. However, you may try the Leiming's x264 GUI. - Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, AVISynth and DGIndex are required to use with MeGUI but NOT included. ... Compressibility = 5, bitrate control at 2-pass encodings = 5, encoding speed = 3. ... better quality than any other codec i've used, however the de-blocking filter gives many features a smeared appearance and should be turned off at any bit-rate. the codec default is to use de-blocking during encoding, the first thing you should do after installing is turn that feature off or adjust the strength and threshold to a level that doesn't make your video look like putty. ... it's a good one h.264 codec and it's free gave me better contrast than XviD in reencoding some old videos. [article link]
Obsession (DVD) - $4.95 Special Offer - Note: If you choose not to participate in this special promotional offer, you may order "Obsession" here [full price] - "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West" is an awardwinning, eye-opening documentary that allows us to enter the minds of radical Islamists - to hear and see what they think about us in the West. Using actual footage from Arabic TV rarely seen in the West, and interviews with former terrorists, "Obsession" documents the call for world domination and global jihad that are made by Islamic leaders daily - "Obsession" shows that what the West perceives as seemingly isolated acts of terrorism are actually viewed by radical Islamists as integral parts of the global war they are waging against us - the film also traces blatant similarities between the Nazi movement of World War II, and the "Islamo-fascists" (WW3) of today Due to its vivid exposition of the terrorist's ideology and methodology, "Obsession" has been used by numerous military and security personnel for educational purposes as well. ... "Obsession" should serve as a wake-up call to the free world to confront the threat now, before it is too late..." Joel Surnow, Executive Producer of "24". "Obsession" is without exaggeration one of the most important films of our time… Please, you must see it." Glenn Beck of CNN Headline News. -- "Obsession" is touted as "The movie Hollywood doesn't want you to see," due to the fact that despite the overwhelming public interest, no distributor was willing to pick up the film for release because of its controversial nature. "Obsession" shows that what the West perceives as seemingly isolated acts of terrorism are actually viewed by radical Islamists as integral parts of the global war they are waging against us. -- The feature-length edition is now being released despite protests from
political groups opposed to the film. ... The film demonstrates parallels between Chamberlain's doomed strategy of appeasing Hitler and the West's current attitude of appeasing Iran and radical Islamists, the film also traces blatant similarities between the Nazi movement of World War II, and the "Islamo-fascists" (WW3) of today. [article link]
Olmert not confident of peace deal this year (2008) - Palestinians hope East Jerusalem will one day become the capital of a Palestinian state - The Bush administration has repeatedly said it believes a peace deal can be achieved by the end of President Bush's final term in office - Israel regards the land as part of its undivided capital - Talks between the two sides aim to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing an independent Palestinian state that peacefully co-exists with Israel JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert does not believe a peace accord with the Palestinians can be reached by the end of the year, according to a senior Israeli official. Speaking to parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Olmert said Monday that Jerusalem's status was the main hurdle in the way of reaching such an agreement, according to the official, who attended the committee meeting. Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed a joint statement in November at a U.S. summit for Middle East peace, pledging to work toward securing a peace agreement by the end of this year. The Bush administration has repeatedly said it believes a peace deal can be achieved by the end of President Bush's final term in office. Palestinians hope East Jerusalem will one day become the capital of a Palestinian state. Israel regards the land as part of its undivided capital. Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were closer to reaching an agreement on other final status or "core" issues, such as refugees and borders, Olmert said, according to the official. [article link]
Obama Torpedoes the (2008) Palestinian State - a third Palestinian State -- in addition to Israel and Jordan -will be created [later] during his term as President if he wins the forthcoming election in November Addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Washington this week Mr Obama declared: "Any agreement with the Palestinian people must preserve Israel's identity as a Jewish state" An Israeli proposal in 2000 to allow up to 100000 Arabs to return to Israel was firmly rejected by the Arabs. It is unlikely to be offered again given the radicalisation of the Palestinian Arabs since then. This issue has been one of the major stumbling blocks to President Bush's Roadmap failing to even make it to first base despite The backing of the European Union, Russia and the United Nations. Now, almost at the same time as Obama's speech to AIPAC, the head of the Palestinian Authority's negotiating team Ahmed Qurei has told PLO activists at a meeting in Ramallah that an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority before the new American President takes office next January would require a "miracle." No doubt conferences, negotiations, press releases and Presidential statements will continue to flow until a new American President is in control and will continue throughout the next Presidential term of office but nothing tangible can possibly emerge until the Arabs drop their demand for the right of return. [article link]
Free Olympic Prayer Band - The eyes of the world will soon be on the Olympics - But the eyes of God remain on His children and especially those who suffer for their faith - Despite what you may hear in the news, Chinese Christians who refuse to register with the government controlled church are being persecuted - Many have undergone horrific suffering The eyes of the world will soon be on the Olympics. But the eyes of God remain on His children and especially those who suffer for their faith. Despite what you may hear in the news, Chinese Christians who refuse to register with the government controlled church are being persecuted. Many have undergone horrific suffering. -- Recently a prominent representative of a group of house churches in China asked Christians throughout the free world to pray for China during the Olympics. The Voice of the Martyrs, in partnership with China Aid Associates, has accepted that call and has produced the Olympic Prayer Band. We would like to invite you to
request one for free to wear during the Olympics. Similar prayer bands will also be distributed to house church Christians in China and they will be praying for you as well. [article link]
3 Testimonies: Paul's Wife Charo, a Mountain Man & a Lady who had Prayed the Sinner's Prayer 6 times (Mp3) There are 3 testimonies given in this service, the 1st one is from Paul's wife Charo, who was saved out of her false profession while Paul was preaching the sermon, "A Sermon That Has Angered Many - Examine Yourself" at Grace Community Church in San Antonio, Texas (www.gccsatx.com). The other 2 testimonies are given by Paul about a mountain man and a lady who had prayed the sinners prayer 6 times before, who were both saved under Paul's preaching. [article link]
The Bridge to Eternal Life - A Way to Witness (Mp3) Anchor Baptist Church - We are an independent, fundamental, Baptist church in the North Myrtle Beach area devoted to reaching individuals and families with the Gospel. Our goal is Changing Lives with the Unchanging Word. Our services are characterized by conservative, traditional music and Bible-based preaching. At Anchor, you will experience warm, friendly fellowship with other believers in Christ. We stand for the truths of the Bible without apology. Come visit us soon. [article link]
Pope: 'Spiritual desert' growing across world - He urged the young people in his more than 1 billion-strong flock to be agents of change because "the world needs renewal" - The 81-year-old pope said it was up to a new generation of Christians to build a world in "which God's gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished -- not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed" - They must embrace the power of God "to let it break through the curse of our indifference, our spiritual weariness, our blind conformity to the (Satanic) spirit of this age" he said {Amen, the world needs Jesus Christ there is no other way to grace, peace, and eternal life!} "In so many of our societies, side by side with material prosperity, a spiritual desert is spreading: an interior emptiness, an unnamed fear, a quiet sense of despair," the pontiff said. ... The 81-year-old pope said it was up to a new generation of Christians to build a world in "which God's gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished -- not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed." ... They must embrace the power of God "to let it break through the curse of our indifference, our spiritual weariness, our blind conformity to the spirit of this age," he said. The aim was "a new age in which hope liberates us from the shallowness, apathy and selfabsorption which deadens our souls and poisons our relationships," he said. [article link]
Israel calls for removal of two U.N. soldiers from Lebanon after photos surface of the (UN) soldiers saluting coffins of Hezbollah terrorists - The blue-helmet U.N. troops, who operate under the auspices of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), are meant ... be an impartial buffer along the country's border with Israel The identity of the troops wasn't certain, but Getty Images reports they were from Italy - The truck bearing the coffins also featured a large image of Imad Mughniyeh, the Hezbollah mastermind who was killed in February Israel is calling for removal of two United Nations soldiers from Lebanon after photographs surfaced of the soldiers saluting the coffins of Hezbollah terrorists during a prisoner exchange Wednesday. ... The blue-helmet U.N. troops, who operate under the auspices of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), are meant disarm Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and be an impartial buffer along the country's border with Israel. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, said he was "shocked and horrified" by the photograph and that it was time for the saluting soldiers to go. "I think they should be recalled and be sent back to whichever country they came from," said Gillerman. "I think they've definitely compromised their impartiality and have in a very big way, in a very serious way, compromised the integrity of the United Nations." -- But a UNIFIL spokeswoman said the salute was nothing out of the ordinary. "It is customary in most armies for military personnel in uniform to salute whenever a coffin passes in a procession," UNIFIL spokeswoman Yasmina
Bouziane said. "They were merely following this customary military tradition and saluted coffins draped in Lebanese national flags at their own initiative." -- The identity of the troops wasn't certain, but Getty Images reports they were from Italy. The incident occurred as Israel released five living Hezbollah prisoners and the bodies of 199 Lebanese and Palestinian militants killed in recent conflicts. In exchange, Hezbollah returned the remains of two Israeli soldiers kidnapped during a cross-border raid in 2006. The truck bearing the coffins also featured a large image of Imad Mughniyeh, the Hezbollah mastermind who was killed in February in Damascus. [article link]
The Anatomy of Deception, Part (1 of 3) - Are We willing for authenticity's sake and for truth's sake not to grasp at the first straw that floats our way, and Which seems to present the possibility of solving our problems? Are we willing to refrain from simulating something out of our own humanity that has the appearance of love, but is not? The Cry for Reality -- God has triggered something in my heart to raise the questions of authenticity before the Body of Christ. Are We willing for authenticity's sake and for truth's sake not to grasp at the first straw that floats our way, and Which seems to present the possibility of solving our problems? Are we willing to refrain from simulating something out of our own humanity that has the appearance of love, but is not? ... Last Days' Deceptions are related to an inadequate view of God by which we interpret the 'blessing' or seeming power as Being the evidence of God as we know Him, but the true knowledge of God would have made no room for that Kind of understanding, or even the desire for these phenomena in the form in which they have been Manifested. [article link]
Back in Stock! **Highly Recommended on Sale Now! - VisionForum.com: The History of the World MegaPack (10 DVDS and 52 CDs) Save 30% ($294.00) Vision Forum is pleased to introduce its most comprehensive collection of world history resources ever made available online. Featuring 10 DVDs and 52 CDs, and totaling more than sixty-three hours of combined audio and video resources, the History of the World MegaPack provides teachers, students, and those who love the study of history with a superior understanding of world history from a distinctly Christian perspective. [article link]
The Christian Basics 132 Topics "Systematic Theology" - Easy to Use & Easy to Understand (PDF) Studying Theology: Is just like piecing together a puzzle. Individual Theology pieces fit together and the picture begins to emerge. The picture Theology displays is the image of Jesus! [article link]
Sudanese president charged with genocide - The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has filed genocide charges against Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for a five-year campaign of violence in Darfur - If issued, the warrant would make al-Bashir the first sitting president to be indicted by the ICC for genocide (CNN) -- The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has filed genocide charges against Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for a five-year campaign of violence in Darfur. They include masterminding attempts to wipe out African tribes in the war-torn region with a campaign of murder, rape and deportation. ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo presented his evidence against al-Bashir to the judges at the Hague in the Netherlands on Monday. The judges must now decide whether to issue the warrant, and it is widely expected that they will; the judges have approved all 11 of Moreno-Ocampo's previous submissions to the court. If issued, the warrant would make al-Bashir the first sitting president to be indicted by the ICC for genocide. In his request, Moreno-Ocampo says there are reasonable grounds to believe that al-Bashir bears criminal responsibility for five counts of genocide, two counts of crimes against humanity, and two counts of war crimes. [article link]
Universalism -- the end of Christian influence - This belief that "all roads lead to God" is called universalism Oprah Winfrey epitomizes universalism - If you reject the Bible, that is your right -- I'm just saying let's not twist and distort what the New Testament explicitly teaches about the exclusivity of Jesus If you reject the Bible, that is your right -- I'm just saying let's not twist and distort what the New Testament explicitly teaches about the exclusivity of Jesus. Getting theologically consistent answers from "universalism" is like nailing Jell-O to the wall. In Christianity there is a phrase called "systematic theology." That is to say, there are intellectual building blocks upon which the faith is put together so that people can understand it. Another term used is "apologetics," which means a logical flow of ideas. You don't have to go to seminary to have a basic understanding of Christian apologetics. There are books for the common person which help in this regard. Josh McDowell's books such as More Than a Carpenter and Evidence That Demands a Verdict are excellent resources. But the Pew Forum survey found that "57 percent of evangelical church attendees said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical teaching. In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion." "The survey shows religion in America is, indeed, 3,000 miles wide and only three inches deep," said D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist of religion. [article link]
**Battle Hymn of the Republic - High School Choir (Flash) Excellent!! [article link]
The "buzz" is growing... 40 Days for Life 2008 - The History of 40 Days for Life (Mp3) A discussion on the nationally syndicated "Point of View" talk show - featured broad-ranging discussions about: The history of 40 Days for Life - The rapid nationwide and international growth of the campaign The lifesaving impact of this initiative. Ways to raise awareness and get other people involved in a local campaign. When and how people can register for this fall's 40 Days for Life. How people will be equipped and empowered to conduct a successful campaign. But, in my opinion, the best part of the show was hearing the testimonials from five of the previous 40 Days for Life local leaders talking about their experiences with the campaign. These were ordinary people God used to accomplish extraordinary things! [article link]
Compare #1: TheEdgeAm.com: Radio Show June 28th 2008 Lynn Marzulli - Crystal Skulls [Indiana Jones Movie] and The End Time Deception - In the newest Indiana Jones movie #4 the plot is that 13 'Crystal Skulls' are placed in a circle in a temple and this summons alien/demonic entities (Info 3:30-7:30 min into Audio Mp3) {Note: Following popular culture will eventually lead people into Satanism. The journey popular culture is taking people on is to the destination of Satanism.} He sees the current fascination with UFOs and other unusual phenomena as tools that the enemy is using to deceive people. It bothered him that Satan was deceiving so many, just as he'd been deceived. He wanted to warn others as to what was really happening, and equip other believers to share their faith with those who were caught up in supernatural phenomena. [article link]
Compare #2: The Occult History of the Third Reich: Heinrich Himmler - Nazi SS leader Himmler built a secret crypt, to contact past Nazi spirits/demonic entities, in the bottom of his house - he had 12 small stone pillars arranged in a circle to support vases containing the ashes of 12 cremated SS leaders. The 12 'Ash Skulls' plus the leader Himmler would equal the 13 human skulls (Info about 36 min into Video) (Google Video Download){Note: The first Indiana Jones movie started out with the Nazis as the enemy yet by the 4th Indiana Jones movie the religion of Indiana Jones is the religion of the Nazis. The journey that the Indiana Jones movies, and what most of Hollywood-Entertainment is taking their viewers on is to the destination of Satanism.}
Four volume documentary set ("Adolph Hitler", "The SS Blood and Soil", "The Enigma of the Swastika", and "Himmler The Mystic") containing mainly B&W as well as some color archival footage, with narration explaining the influences of alternative belief systems (occult, paganism, mysticism, etc) on the Nazi ideology and Hitler's personal philosophy. Also documents the history and development of the ideas and symbols that would be used along with eugenicist racial politics to perpetrate the murder and oppression of millions during World War II. [article link]
Updated Link: Secret Societies, Satanic Sects, The Prieure du Sion, The Knights Templars and Freemasons What's Their Purpose and Are They At Core of New World Order? However, throughout my research which continues as time permits even today, one mysterious piece of symbolism that has somehow survived for centuries is the notorious skull and crossbones. Mizrack also concurs about the mysterious survival of the skull and crossbones symbolism, saying this about its origins and usage today: "The skull and crossbones seems to have been used as an emblem first and foremost by esoteric and heretical groups as a symbol of rebirth. It later became the battle flag of the Knights Templar (and a nasty rumor about the Templars claimed they chose it because of a horrific necromantic ritual) and, in the 17th century, the "Jolly Roger" flag of British and French pirates. {Again from the beginning the skull and "crossbones" have been used and continue wrongly as a faked Satanic victory of the devil over God at the "cross" of Jesus and as always this is the supposed secret in secret societies that Jesus did not resurrect. They pretend they have the bones (the "crossbones" the bones from the cross of Jesus) to prove it and to discredit Christianity although they forget the true witness of God, the Holy Spirit, the Church, all nature and the prophecies of scripture in the Holy Bible all confirm the resurrection of Jesus to life and therefore their act mostly goes unnoticed although the day of their deception is likely about to be unconcealed and their secret version of events presented to the world as fact.} [article link]
The Folly of Blindly Following After the Rule of Wicked Leaders - Several examples of lawless presidents, from Andrew Jackson to the current President, are described, along with the complete satisfaction that the public displays in their lawless actions - Following the King · 1 of 2 (Mp3) Samuel Rutherford, the Godly Presbyterian minister and writer of the mid 17th Century, developed the concept of the Rule of Law above kings in his work, "Lex Rex" - the Law is King. Instead of the King being the law, Rutherford explained that every power must be subject to the Law, and contract, and constitution, so that the King ought be judged by the Law, and not the Law by the King. -- Though our country is based upon the rule of law - Lex Rex - we have seen repeatedly that the tendency of men to follow a leader, even against the law, makes the rule of law a most fragile construct. Several examples of lawless presidents, from Andrew Jackson to the current President, are described, along with the complete satisfaction that the public displays in their lawless actions. Sadly, the Church has often contributed to the support of lawless rulers, both political and ecclesiastical. -- The Lord Jesus is the only ruler with whom we ought to be satisfied completely. He IS the Law and the Word, so there can never by any failure or lawlessness in following after Him! [article link]
Being Completely Satisfied with the Lord Jesus - Following the King · 2 of 2 (Mp3) Man's history is littered with examples of people following blindly their leaders into lawlessness and depravity. Indeed, it seems that mankind is wont to be satisfied with wicked leaders. The rule of law above everyman is a fragile construct, and we have observed how easily it is broken even in our own country today. But King David was often a type of our Lord Jesus, and the people's satisfaction with whatever their King did is a model of how the Saints ought to always be satisfied and pleased with whatever our Lord Jesus does. [article link]
Holocaust siblings meet after 66 years - It was the first time since 1942 they had seen each other, when she was 17 and he was just 7 - That was the night the invading Nazis came to take her away from her Ukrainian home DONETSK, Ukraine (CNN) -- A frail Irene Famulak clutched her brother on the airport tarmac, her arm wrapped around him in a tight embrace, tears streaming down their faces. It was the first time since 1942 they had seen each other, when she was 17 and he was just 7. That was the night the invading Nazis came to take her away from her Ukrainian home. "I remember it well because I kissed him good-bye, and he pushed me away," she said of her brother. "I asked, 'Why did you do that?' And he said that he doesn't like kisses." "The Nazis told my mother that I was being taken to work in a German labor camp for six months. But it was, of course, much longer. I was there for years." Both siblings survived the Holocaust and grew up on different sides of the Iron Curtain, not knowing the fate of the other. But after 66 years apart, Famulak, 83, was reunited with her long lost 73-year-old brother, Wssewolod Galezkij. They held each other close this time, cherishing the moment. [article link]
July 11, 2008: "President Bush PARDONS HIMSELF From POTENTIAL WARCRIMES" - The very fact that President Bush and his Congressional supporters would even want to pass this type of legislation means that he considers himself to be guilty - This legislation may protect Bush and his cronies from American persecution, but it will not protect him from the International Criminal Court "The House has just passed a President Bush's bill to redefine the treatment of detainees, and the Senate is expected to do the same thing today. Buried deep in side this legislation is a provision which will pardon President Bush and all the members of his Administration of any possible crimes connected with the torture and mistreatment of detainees going all the way back to September 11, 2001. -- "At least President Nixon had Gerald Ford to do the dirty work for him, but President Bush is trying to pardon himself. Here's the deal: Under the War Crimes Act, violations of the Geneva Convention are felonies, in some cases punishable by death. When the Supreme Court ruled that the Geneva Convention did apply to al-Qaeda and Taliban detainees, President Bush and his boys were suddenly in big trouble. Since 9/11, they have been working these boys over pretty good. -- "In an effort to avoid possible prosecution, Bush and his supporters are trying to cram this bill through Congress ... Do you want to know the REAL disgrace, what these people are about to do? (Republican leaders) apparently do not see anything wrong with this. I really do wonder what we are becoming in this country. The question is this: 'Should Congress pass a bill giving retroactive immunity to President Bush for possible war crimes?' "The very fact that President Bush and his Congressional supporters would even want to pass this type of legislation means that he considers himself to be guilty, and therefore, liable for persecution. Skull & Bones Bush is really admitting his guilt to the entire world through this legislation! -- Cutting Edge has been warning from the moment Bush stepped into the Oval Office that he was not genuinely Born Again. His refusal to disavow the Satanic secret society, plus his actions while Texas Governor, added up to "Evil Fruits" which proved that he could not be truly saved. In the almost eight years since then, we have kept a list of the actions Bush has done which no true Christian would ever do. To read this list, and see our documentation, please click on "President Bush's Evil vs Good Fruits". -- This legislation may protect Bush and his cronies from American persecution, but it will not protect him from the International Criminal Court. That is the venue we have always expected this President to be required to stand before, once he is no longer the President. When Bush is thoroughly discredited, the backlash will be so severe that it will set up genuine Christians for persecution, just as the Sixth Seal of the Book of Revelation foretells! NOTE: This legislation passed Congress and became law in January, 2008. [article link]
Shock and betrayal: 'Atomic Iran' - Jerome Corsi tells how greedy U.S. politicians 'sold their souls' to aid terror kingpin - The book also explains how greedy U.S. politicians sold their souls and American technology to make that threat a reality (Book) With Iran ominously test-firing missiles, threatening to "burn down Tel Aviv" and possibly preparing for launching a catastrophic nuclear electromagnetic pulse attack, WND is offering the explosive expose of the
coming Iranian nuclear nightmare, "Atomic Iran," ... Indeed, Iran - the most powerful member of the "axis of evil" - is now on a collision course with the U.S. and Israel because of its support of terrorism, including alQaida and Hezbollah, and its relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons. What most Westerners don't know is that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad harbors an apocalyptic belief in the near-term coming of an Islamic messiah, which leads to Western fears that Iran may just try to hasten that day by bringing about a nuclear holocaust. This arguably makes Iran the world's most dangerous nation - dangerous not just to the Middle East, but to America. There's more. "Atomic Iran" is not just the story of the Iranian threat, disturbing and dangerous as it may be. The book is also explains how greedy U.S. politicians sold their souls and American technology to make that threat a reality. [article link]
Ally's Sen. Phil Gramm (R), "Nation Of Whiners" Remark Plagues McCain {It's amazing at just how out of touch the Republicans really are with this Nation. They can only get that out of touch by 1. Isolating themselves from the people who elected them and who they promised they would represent. 2. By not caring about the people. 3. Having other hidden agendas that are more important to them.} Remarks by former Sen. Phil Gramm (R), a top economic advisor to Sen. John McCain, are drawing heavy negative attention for the candidate in the latest media cycle. ABC World News, which reported the story as its lead last night, said, "So, how bad is the economy? Not all that bad, says a key economic adviser of John McCain." The "fundamentals of the economy may be sound, as Gramm argues, but there are a lot of people suffering right now." ABC added "Gramm suggested to the Washington Times that the bad economy is just a figment of people's imagination." Gramm: "You just here this constant whining, complaining. ... We've sort of become a nation of whiners." ... The CBS Evening News reported, "The problem is what Gramm says about economics is in direct contrast to what McCain has been arguing about CEO pay and Wall Street greed. ... The Washington Post reports in a front page story Gramm "expressed no regret" for the comments, but "the McCain campaign quickly shifted into damage-control mode, distancing the candidate from his friend's assessment." Fox News' Special Report said that at a news conference in Michigan, McCain "seemed to throw his top economic adviser and national campaign co-chairman, former Texas Senator Phil Gramm, under the Straight Talk Express." John McCain: "Phil Gramm does not speak for me. I speak for me." NBC Nightly News reported, "The trouble for McCain, he has relied on and praised his long-time friend's expertise." [article link]
Bureaucrats and the Lying Lies They Tell - How did we get to the point where we think berries (bureaucrats) know so much? - They have sucked vast wealth away from the middle class to support rich institutions which they call "the system" - Why would we give vast new powers to the berries that run the Fed when they have proven they don't know what they are doing? {It might surprise some to know that this article is not from Conspiracy Central but from Minyanville.com a website that follows the stock market and is literally as mainstream as a website can be. Also in several posts today on Yahoo boards people are calling for Bush to be imprisoned and telling of their abandonment of the Republican party and wondering if America is finically secure at all. FYI: Bush created his own problems and Bush will ultimately have to answer for his conduct so don't feel sorry for Bush feel sorry for your fellow Americans enduring Bush's unnecessary turmoil borne out of his neglect.} "Berries" is my new name for "bureaucrats". It's hard to spell the real word. I had to come up with something since I assume I will be writing about them all the time now. We can't get away from them. They have too much power and now they want more. ... How did we get to the point where we think berries know so much? That they can fix and control and natural thing like the markets? Can weathermen control the weather? The Federal Reserve has mis-managed America's money supply. They have sucked vast wealth away from the middle class to support rich institutions which they call "the system". Why would we give vast new powers to the berries that run the Fed when they have proven they don't know what they are doing? Ron Paul asked this direct question, but he knew the answer and he knew the Berry Twins would not answer it. Real lending should take
place between saver and borrower. A saver will take much better care of lending his money than would a speculator handed free money by the Federal Reserve. ... If we didn't have a central bank, we simply would not have the debt (five times normal) plaguing our country today. Heresy, you say! Well, read your history. Ron Paul has. [article link]
Full Context: KARL ROVE DOES RAP AT CORRESPONDENTS DINNER {Full context of the Republican furnished dinner nightmare. This has to have been rehearsed and staged I don't think it's impromptu but it is incredibly demeaning to everyone involed.} (YouTube 8:29) MARCH 28, 2007 C-SPAN [article link]
{Flashback} Updated: Rapping (Karl) Rove - It's Real, It's Stupid, It's Really Stupid, It's Bush's Republican 'Party' This is actual Video of a Republican something - some lame event where Rove and other Bush administration delinquents are rapping {If you still thought you had something in common with the Bush Republican Party these zeroes rapping will change that. I have left the Republican Party and I couldn't be happier (*actually after Palin I reregistered Republican). The more distance I put between myself and the liberal Bush Republicans the better I feel.} (YouTube) If Rove is such a genius how did he get caught off guard by McClellan? I bet if he had any idea what's about to go down with his Subpoena to appear before congress he wouldn't be dancing or whatever that is he's doing. I wouldnt want to be in his shoes when Conyers issues an arrest order but then what else would you expect from the thugs in the Bush Gang! ... This is not the conservative republican party. This is the rockefeller (liberal) wing that is hijacking the party. Another reason i'm sitting out the election. {Please don't sit out the 2008 election. It's obvious that the Bush people are clowns or worse but we need to have every avenue to have our conservative voices heard and that means if we are unwelcome in the new Republican Party then register as an Independent and vote for another candidate i.e. Bob Barr. Sitting out an election in America should be the last option in fact it should not even be an option for someone who is concerned about the future of our great nation.} [article link]
Phil Gramm: We need more leadership, less whining - Gramm blasted for saying Americans who have named the economy as a top concern this campaign cycle were "a nation of whiners" - Phil Gramm, a top adviser to Sen. John McCain {Phil Gramm and his political cronies have made millions and in some cases billions off of the American taxpayer and then he calls us names because we have to work for a living and even at that it's hard to make ends meet. We can't live off the taxpayers and rigged contracts like they do.} (CNN) -- Phil Gramm, a top adviser to Sen. John McCain, on Thursday stood by his comment that the country is in a "mental recession," and said he was trying to say the nation's leaders, not its people, were "whiners." Democrats blasted Gramm, who advises presumed Republican nominee McCain on economic matters, for saying Americans who have named the economy as a top concern this campaign cycle were "a nation of whiners." McCain forcefully repudiated the remarks while campaigning in Michigan, which has the highest unemployment rate in the nation. ... "We have sort of become a nation of whiners. You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline," said the former Texas senator. "You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession." ... "I don't agree with Sen. Gramm," McCain said. "I believe that the person here in Michigan that just lost his job isn't suffering a mental recession. I believe the mother here in Michigan and around America who is trying to get enough money to educate their children isn't whining." "Phil Gramm does not speak for me," he said. "I speak for me." [article link]
Censored Question from Bush Blair Press Conference! - "Why has opium production that finances Al Qaeda been allowed to increase 2000% in Afghanistan after the coalition invasion in 2001?" - They wouldn't Answer -
recorded from the radio and some related photos added (YouTube) May 17,2007; A Surprise Question at the President Bush and Tony Blair Press Conference in the White House rose garden stunned the western leaders and was censored from major media reports. [article link]
Dancing With Karl Rove - Comments from Dave Letterman {Warning! Watching this idiotic Karl Rove might give you the desire to register as an Independent voter.} (YouTube) If anyone thinks that Karl Rove in this clip isn't ridiculous and just BEGGING to be made fun of, then they are the ones who are all twisted and mangled by their political ideology. And why not do it by tying it in with something else begging to be made fun of, namely, the state of world opinion that Rove's inane foreign policies are largely responsible for; policies, by the way, the MAJORITY of this country now disagree with. [article link]
Updated: both before and after photos - Iran's Photoshopped Missile Launch - At least one of the photographs released today by Iran and published by an unquestioning Western media is a Photoshop fake looking at it again, I count 2 missles launched. The copied launch plume you pointed out, plus look at the smoke trails. The outside missles are the same trail, and the inner ones are the same, with the right inside missle's smoke plume smudged at the bottom to erase lenght to fit. ... US intel admitted they saw 6 missiles go up. So, the only reason to photoshop is for domestic consumption. Iran has rationing, 25%+ inflation, huge unemployment and a whole lot of unhappy Iranians. It is also now a death penalty to use the internet to disparage Iran, so what are the chances an Iranian will share this fact with his maybe brothers/maybe Big Brothers? [article link]
Rove Contempt Vote Not To Come Until Later This Month - "Mr. Rove's absence today is an insult to the American people and to the system of checks and balances that are the basis of our constitution and our democracy" Conyers said in a statement - "Mr. Rove is not above the law and Congress will assert its constitutional role to serve as a check on the power of the executive branch" Sanchez added The House Judiciary Committee is not likely to vote on a contempt resolution against Karl Rove until late this month, according to the panel's chairman. Rove, the former White House deputy chief of staff and top political advisor to President Bush, refused to appear today before a subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee to testify on the "politicization" of the Justice Department under the current administration. Citing a claim of executive privilege by Bush, Rove did not show up for today's hearing despite a committee subpoena. ... But the Judiciary Committee is already in a legal battle with the Bush administration over earlier subpoenas issued to White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers. Although the House approved criminal-contempt resolutions against both, the Justice Dept., citing earlier legal opinions, refused to bring criminal charges against Bolten and Miers. The Judiciary Committee then filed a civil lawsuit against the White House to enforce the subpoenas. The case is now in federal court, and it is unclear if there will be an decision in the case prior to the start of the August recess. [article link]
Carly Fiorina's fuzzy McCain-speak - Carly Fiorina is one of John McCain's chief surrogates, talking him up particularly to that key target group, women - Fiorina, ousted as chief of Hewlett-Packard in 2005, is not above rounding the edges on straight talk - she told women in Columbus, Ohio, that McCain "has never signed on to efforts to overturn Roe vs. Wade" the landmark Supreme Court decision confirming the right to abortion {It's hard to trust the Republican politicians when they say one thing then do exactly the opposite while also surrounding themselves with people who portray and represent the opposite positions. Usually the Republican politicians will vote conservative only in a losing meaningless vote when their vote isn't needed for a liberal cause but when there is a chance to win a conservative cause the Republican votes suddenly don't show up. In other words in real life I doubt McCain would lift a finger to overturn Roe v. Wade. FYI: Microsoft (Bill Gates)
and HP (Carly Fiorina) were at one time the two leading companies funding-donating to UN global abortion causes.} It is not the first time that Fiorina has taken some license with McCain's positions. Recently, Newsweek magazine reported, she told women in Columbus, Ohio, that McCain "has never signed on to efforts to overturn Roe vs. Wade," the landmark Supreme Court decision confirming the right to abortion. Actually, according to his campaign website: "John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench." The distinctions are important: Democratic strategists have long worried that McCain's reputation as a Republican maverick would mask his staunchly conservative views on issues such as abortion rights and birth control. A recent survey conducted for NARAL confirmed that -- and suggested notable gains for Democrat Barack Obama when women learned of McCain's positions. [article link]
Update: Iran's Photoshopped Missile Launch - This image, part of a framegrab from an Al Alam television broadcast of the launch (apparently taken at approximately the same time from a slightly higher elevation) makes it pretty clear which missile was conjured from borrowed pixels A handout picture released on the news website and public relations arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards … shows an image apparently digitally altered to show four missiles rising into the air instead of three during a test-firing at an undisclosed location in the Iranian desert on July 9, 2008. The 2nd Right missile has apparently been added in digital retouch to cover a grounded missile that may have failed during the test. [article link]
Rove ignores committee's subpoena, refuses to testify - arguing that the committee could not compel him to testify due to "executive privilege" {Except that Rove is not the "Executive" Bush is so Rove clearly has no executive privilege and never did. The Bush group is insane and trying to make up rules as they go along. If they seriously think the Constitution of the United States does not hold them accountable to Congress then they are a danger to America. Karl Rove and Harriett Miers could and should end up in prison for their unconstitutional, illegal and self serving antics.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Karl Rove, President Bush's longtime political guru, refused to obey an order to testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday. Rove's lawyer asserted that Rove was "immune" from the subpoena the committee had issued, arguing that the committee could not compel him to testify due to "executive privilege." ... "A refusal to appear in violation of the subpoena could subject Mr. Rove to contempt proceedings, including statutory contempt under federal law and proceedings under the inherent contempt authority of the House of Representatives," Conyers and Sanchez wrote. Rove's lawyer cited a letter from the Justice Department saying Rove is "constitutionally immune from compelled congressional testimony." He said Rove is willing to submit to an "informal interview" [article link]
Anglicans for Life - July 2008 News Brief PDF - There is something frightening about bringing a child into the world - It is, then, no small act when we hand these children over (to God) in baptism [or baby dedication] - In doing so we acknowledge that we cannot guarantee their future - Also Link to DVD Preview "Life, An International Perspective" {Click globe link on right} (Online Video) There is something frightening about bringing a child into the world, and I'm not sure we'd ever do it if nature didn't just get the better of us. I'm afraid I didn't do a very good job of replying on the spot to your comment, so I thought I'd try to organize my ideas better by putting them down on paper. ... It is, then, no small act when we hand these children over in baptism. In doing so we acknowledge that we cannot guarantee their future. No more than a mother who hands over her child for adoption can we know what the future will hold for them, do anything more to shape it, help them to face it, or deflect the speeding trucks that may be coming. Perhaps the first thing a genuinely pro-life sensibility needs to recapture is this sense of our own limits. The gift of the child, precisely because it is a gift, is ours to care for but not finally to secure. There had better be angels in the
wilderness, who can say to us as to Hagar: "Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad." Love, Dad. [article link]
Preview Video for Life! Anglicans for Life - DVD "Life, An International Perspective" - this month, we are introducing our newest DVD, "Life, An International Perspective" which explores the abortion issue from a point of view that crosses national boundaries {Click globe link on right} (Online Video) Also, this month, we are introducing our newest DVD, "Life, An International Perspective," which explores the abortion issue from a point of view that crosses national boundaries. As the relaxing summer months go by, please remember to pray for the ministry of Anglicans for Life. Pray that we may reach out, with God's love, to men, women and families who struggle with an unplanned pregnancy or troubling medical diagnosis and help them to make decisions that affirm the Sanctity of Life. [article link]
Download Link: 40 Days for Life in your town - video case study Fargo, North Dakota {Blessed are the people that take part in the Pro-Life movement. The Pro-Life movement is pure gold in God's eyes.} (Google Video Download) The 39-minute video is a comprehensive case study of a very successful 40 Days for Life campaign that was held in Fargo, North Dakota. Shawn Carney and I flew to Fargo a couple weeks ago to meet with the local 40 Days for Life leaders and film this, and I think you will be richly blessed. You'll hear from their entire campaign team - as well as other volunteers and leaders, including a local radio station owner, the North Dakota leader of Concerned Women for America, and Catholic Bishop Samuel Aquila. [article link]
Blog: 40 Days for Life in your town - video case study Fargo, North Dakota {Blessed are the people that take part in the Pro-Life movement. The Pro-Life movement is pure gold in God's eyes.} (Online Video 39 Min) The 39-minute video is a comprehensive case study of a very successful 40 Days for Life campaign that was held in Fargo, North Dakota. Shawn Carney and I flew to Fargo a couple weeks ago to meet with the local 40 Days for Life leaders and film this, and I think you will be richly blessed. You'll hear from their entire campaign team - as well as other volunteers and leaders, including a local radio station owner, the North Dakota leader of Concerned Women for America, and Catholic Bishop Samuel Aquila. [article link]
Smithsonian Puts Mysterious Crystal Skull on Display - Nonetheless, the giant crystal skull that mysteriously arrived at the Smithsonian 16 years ago is out of its locked cabinet in Walsh's office and will be on public view until Sept. 1 - Studying this skull led Walsh to extend her investigation into crystal skulls in other museums and to conclude that all are fakes, made in the 19th and 20th centuries - seems to have been made between 1950 and 1960 - Indeed, no crystal skulls have ever been found at an archaeological site WASHINGTON - Some mysteries are such fun you almost don't want to know the truth. That may help explain why people are fascinated with crystal skulls. Happy to share the spotlight with the latest Indiana Jones movie, the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History is putting its crystal skull on display starting Thursday. "People like to believe in something greater than themselves," Smithsonian anthropologist Jane MacLaren Walsh said, and crystal skulls are mysterious and beautiful. The skulls "are a fascinating example of artifacts that have made their way into museums with no scientific evidence to prove their rumored pre-Columbian origins," she added. ... Crystals carved into the shape of a human skull fed the 19th century's need for drama and mystery and its fascination with death. They were supposed to be the creation of ancient Mesoamericans - Aztecs, Mixtecs, Toltecs, perhaps Maya. ... The skulls were claimed to represent the art and religion of these peoples. Some even said the skulls had special, even supernatural, powers. Scientists say it ain't so. ... Of the many crystal skulls in museums and private collections around the world, the Smithsonian's is one of the largest, at 10 inches high and weighing 30 pounds. It was mailed to the museum anonymously, accompanied by a note claiming it was of Aztec origin. It's isn't, Walsh said. The skulls were carved from blocks of quartz - sometimes called rock crystal -
and show the marks of modern carving tools. That means they were not made before the 19th century. The Smithsonian one, she said, seems to have been made between 1950 and 1960. Indeed, no crystal skulls have ever been found at an archaeological site. [article link]
"EYE OF THE PHOENIX" DVD available Dec. 2008 - VIDEO TRAILER! (Online Video) This video will prove that three occultists of international renown conspired to place the Illuminati "Symbol of Antichrist" on the left side of the back of the American One Dollar Bill! The All-Seeing Eye of Horus hovering over the unfinished pyramid is the Eye of Antichrist and American rulers of that time knew it! The three people who worked together to place this Satanic symbol on the back of our One Dollar Bill were: 1) Nicholas Roerich Russian mystic and channeler. 2) President Franklin D. Roosevelt -- 33rd Degree Mason. 3) Vice President Henry Wallace -- 33rd Degree Mason. Furthermore, this video will also shock you as to the blatant Satanic symbols which are everywhere on both sides of the One Dollar Bill, and which deliver a unified message to the world. Occultists consider the One Dollar Bill to be the highest "Magical Symbol" in world history! You will also be surprised to learn the reason Masons chose the Dollar Bill as the most important document they could place this symbolism on. We continue our Pre-Sale offer, allowing you to pre-purchase this video at $5.00 off. If we are to continue producing this video without interruption, we need your support NOW! [article link]
{Flashback} Let's Prosecute Drug Smugglers, Not Border Guards - CNN judicial expert Jeffrey Toobin described it as "one of the most unusual prosecutions I've ever seen ... I am baffled why this case was brought." {George Bush is actually more than a Republican embarrassment and more than a failure he is well on his way to being our worst president ever.} The big question is, why didn't the government prosecute the drug smuggler and give immunity to the border guards (who had good service records), instead of vice versa' The smuggler admitted his illegal-drug project to a Border Patrol agent before Sutton gave him immunity, and the prosecutor did not bother to investigate this drug smuggling by checking the cell phone left in the smuggler's van, or by ordering a fingerprint search of the van until a month after it entered the U.S., and even then didn't have it done by the FBI. A few days before the Ramos-Compean trial began on Oct. 17, 2005, the same drug smuggler was caught bringing in a second van loaded with nearly 1,000 pounds of illegal drugs, but he was not arrested so as not to interfere with his role as star witness against the border guards. To preserve the smuggler's credibility, Judge Kathleen Cardone sealed the record about the second van so it could not be mentioned at the trial, and she put the families of the defendants under a gag order not to discuss it. ... The failure to release a transcript of the trial one year after the trial took place is an outrage that prevents Ramos and Compean from starting their appeal. Nor has any hearing been scheduled on the assertion by three jurors that they were coerced by the jury foreman to vote for a guilty verdict. The longer President Bush waits to remedy this injustice perpetrated by his two appointees, prosecutor Sutton and Judge Cardone, the more he convinces the public that the answer to our bafflement about this prosecution is that the Bush Administration policy is to intimidate the Border Patrol from stopping the entry of illegal aliens and illegal drugs. [article link]
Government Takes First Step to Overturn Judge's Dismissal of Charges Against LtCol Chessani - On June 17, 2008 Military Judge, Col Steven Folsom, USMC, dismissed all charges against LtCol Chessani, on the grounds of unlawful command influence - Attempting to revive their failed prosecution, Government prosecutors yesterday took the required second step in their appeal of the Judge's ruling - "This is certainly a David versus Goliath battle" said Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Law Center, "but we will fight this unjust prosecution as long as it takes" ANN ARBOR, MI - In Iraq, LtCol Jeffrey Chessani, one of America's most effective combat commanders, led the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines - one of the Marine Corps' most decorated units. After devoting over 20 years of his life to the Corps, and three tours of duty in Iraq, he was criminally charged by government prosecutors for the
combat action taken by four of his Marines who engaged insurgents in a fierce house-to-house, room-byroom battle, after being ambushed in Haditha, Iraq on November 19, 2005. On June 17, 2008 Military Judge, Col Steven Folsom, USMC, dismissed all charges against LtCol Chessani, on the grounds of unlawful command influence. Attempting to revive their failed prosecution, Government prosecutors yesterday took the required second step in their appeal of the Judge's ruling by filing the authenticated record of trial with the Navy and Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals (NMCCA). The government now must file their appellate brief within twenty days - no later than July 29, 2008. ... "This is certainly a David versus Goliath battle," said Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Law Center, "but we will fight this unjust prosecution as long as it takes." [article link]
Nazi hunters search Chile for WWII 'Dr. Death' - Heim, known as "Dr. Death," was indicted in Germany on charges he murdered hundreds of inmates at Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was camp doctor "His crimes are fully documented by himself, because he kept a log of the operations that he carried out" After World War II, Heim was held for two and a half years by the United States military but was released without being tried SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- The Simon Wiesenthal Center has strong evidence that a former SS member known as "Dr. Death" is in southern Chile or Argentina, a top Nazi hunter for the human rights organization said Tuesday. ... Searchers think he's alive, Zuroff said, because a bank account with $1.6 million and other investments in Heim's name in Berlin have not been claimed by Heim's children. To do that, they would have to produce proof that Heim was dead. ... Heim, known as "Dr. Death," was indicted in Germany on charges he murdered hundreds of inmates at Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was camp doctor. "His crimes are fully documented by himself, because he kept a log of the operations that he carried out," Zuroff said. "He tortured many inmates before he killed them at Mauthausen, and he used body parts of the people he killed as decorations." After World War II, Heim was held for two and a half years by the United States military but was released without being tried. He disappeared in 1962, when he was tipped off that the indictment by German authorities was imminent, according to Zuroff. The Chilean government is helping in the investigation, Zuroff said [article link]
U.S.-Iran Trade Stronger Than Most Suspect - U.S. exports to Iran, including bras, cosmetics and possibly even weapons, grew more than tenfold under Bush - Despite increasingly tough rhetoric toward Iran, which Bush has called part of an "axis of evil" {It's great that America trades with Iran but let's have some controls and some honesty about it out of the Bush administration. Does Bush really think refrigerators and weapons are going to go only to the people but not to the regime? Bush has lied to the American people since day one, how many more lies can we endure. FYI Dick Cheney's daughter is a head honcho for the government in Iran affairs.} WASHINGTON - U.S. exports to Iran - including brassieres, bull semen, cosmetics and possibly even weapons grew more than tenfold during President George W. Bush's years in office even as he accused Iran of nuclear ambitions and helping terrorists. America sent more cigarettes to Iran, at least $158 million worth under Bush, than any other products. ... Despite increasingly tough rhetoric toward Iran, which Bush has called part of an "axis of evil," U.S. trade in a range of goods survives on-again, off-again sanctions originally imposed nearly three decades ago. The rules allow sales of agricultural commodities, medicine and a few other categories of goods. The exemptions are designed to help Iranian families even as the United States pressures Iran's leaders. "Our sanctions are targeted against the regime, not the people," said Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces the sanctions. The government tracks exports to Iran using details from shipping records, but in some cases it is unclear whether anyone pays attention. [article link]
Part 1: LIZ Cheney runs Iran-Syria Op Group at State Dept.. Since 2005, Dick Cheney's daughter Elizabeth has held a powerful position guiding Middle East policy - By all accounts, it is an enormously powerful post, and
one for which she is uniquely unqualified {That Bush Cheney group they never bother to put an actually qualified person into a position when a Harriet Miers crony or a family member exists.} At the very heart of U.S. Middle East policy, from the war in Iraq to pressure for regime change in Iran and Syria to the spread of free-market democracy in the region, sits the 39-year-old daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney. Elizabeth "Liz" Cheney, appointed to her post in February 2005, has a tongue-twisting title: principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs and coordinator for broader Middle East and North Africa initiatives. By all accounts, it is an enormously powerful post, and one for which she is uniquely unqualified. During the past 15 months, Elizabeth Cheney has met with and bolstered a gaggle of Syrian exiles, often in tandem with John Hannah and David Wurmser, top officials in the Office of the Vice President (OVP); has pressed hard for money to accelerate the administration's ever more overt campaign for forced regime change in both Damascus and Teheran; and has overseen an increasingly discredited push for Americaninspired democratic reform from Morocco to Iran. ... Liz Cheney catapulted into her current job after a rather undistinguished career that leapfrogged from public to private life and back again. In her early 20s, she did a stint at the State Department while her father was secretary of defense in the first Bush administration, and then headed to law school at the University of Chicago and worked for Armitage Associates, a firm run by Richard Armitage. As an attorney, she worked for the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, and served briefly as a U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) officer in Hungary and Poland. Her Middle East experience was, well, limited. [article link]
Part 2: LIZ Cheney runs Iran-Syria Op Group at State Dept.. Her husband is Philip Perry, general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security - she operates what is essentially a "shadow Middle East policy" - She has been known to insist on seeing a head of state without inviting the American ambassador to accompany her, in violation of protocol Liz Cheney has not shied away from throwing her weight around. During her frequent trips to the Middle East, she often operates independently of the department and of the U.S. ambassador in whatever country she is visiting. She has been known to insist on seeing a head of state without inviting the American ambassador to accompany her, in violation of protocol, often threatening the ambassador with the power of her contacts. -On at least one occasion, however, an ambassador called her bluff. "Liz Cheney comes out to this country, and she tells the ambassador - and she doesn't outrank him - she tells the ambassador, 'You're not going in the meeting with me,'" recalls Larry Wilkerson, who served as Colin Powell's assistant during his tenure as secretary of state. "And he says, 'I'm sorry, I'm going in the meeting with you. You're not going into a meeting with the head of state without me.' And she says, 'Nope - would you like a telephone call?'" -- In this case, says Wilkerson, the department's bosses backed up their ambassador, who accompanied a chastened Cheney into the meeting. But that has not always been the case. "It's not just that she is imperious in dealing with our ambassadors," notes a corporate lobbyist who is deeply involved in Middle East policy. "She's got her own foreign policy, her own agenda, and so of course she wouldn't want the ambassador to know what she is talking about when she meets a head of state." [article link]
Pelosi Asks Bush to Draw From Petroleum Reserve to Combat Surge in Oil Prices - Pelosi's proposal doesn't go far enough, Boehner said - "Republicans stand ready to work across the aisle on a real solution to our energy crisis: an all-of-the-above plan that increases production of American energy, encourages conservation and promotes alternative fuels," he said in a written statement {The do nothing Republicans did nothing for the six years they controlled both the House and Senate and now only they can solve the crises, the one they created, get real.} House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked President Bush on Tuesday to draw down a portion of the country's Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a way to reduce crude prices and help motorists who are suffering from the rising cost of gasoline. ... House Minority Leader John Boehner said he agrees "more supply is necessary," which
is why Republicans "have been arguing for decades in favor of more American energy production." Pelosi's proposal doesn't go far enough, Boehner said. "Republicans stand ready to work across the aisle on a real solution to our energy crisis: an all-of-the-above plan that increases production of American energy, encourages conservation and promotes alternative fuels," he said in a written statement. [article link]
Atheist soldier sues Army for 'unconstitutional' discrimination - Hall said there is a pattern of discrimination against non-Christians in the military {This CNN story is 1000% Baloney - the Military is so religious but most Chaplains can't even pray in the name of Jesus. *People and stories like this are trying to start a religious war (WW3) between Muslims and Christians. So far Muslims and Christians have not taken the Bush (NWO) bait to start a WW3 and I hope we never do. Luke 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him (John the Baptist), saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man (civilian), neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. -- Holy Bible} Hall said he met some atheists who suggested he read the Bible again. After doing so, he said he had so many unanswered questions that he decided to become an atheist. His sudden lack of faith, he said, cost him his military career and put his life at risk. Hall said his life was threatened by other troops and the military assigned a full-time bodyguard to protect him out of fear for his safety. In March, Hall filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, among others. In the suit, Hall claims his rights to religious freedom under the First Amendment were violated and suggests that the United States military has become a Christian organization. "I think it's utterly and totally wrong. Unconstitutional," Hall said. Hall said there is a pattern of discrimination against non-Christians in the military. ... Another group, the Officers' Christian Fellowship, has representatives on nearly all military bases worldwide. Its vision, which is spelled out on the organization's Web site, reads, "A spiritually transformed military, with ambassadors for Christ in uniform empowered by the Holy Spirit." Weinstein has a different interpretation. "Their purpose is to have Christian officers exercise Biblical leadership to raise up a godly army," he says. [article link]
Iraq official: U.S. could be out by 2011 BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A deadline should be set for the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces from Iraq, and the pullout could be done by 2011, an Iraqi government spokesman said Tuesday. ... The Bush administration has been trying to strike a security deal with Iraq by the end of July, but disputes over the basing of U.S. troops and what authority they would have within Iraq make it unlikely an agreement will be reached by then, alDabbagh said. "We still have our points of disagreement, and we are working on reaching the middle ground that will always guarantee us Iraq's sovereignty," al-Dabbagh said. [article link]
Citizens stunned as school board walks out of meeting - Students, supporters of reassigned teachers protest to empty chairs - "Shame! Shame! Shame!" chanted the crowd, as the board retreated to another room to hold a closed, executive session - Nelligan believes he was transferred because of his outspoken, conservative viewpoints and criticism of the teachers' union A crowd of students and citizens of Guilderland, N.Y., gathered last week at a public school board meeting to protest the questionable reassignment of two teachers, only to look on in disbelief as the school board stood up and left the room. "Shame! Shame! Shame!" chanted the crowd, as the board retreated to another room to hold a closed, executive session. Without their intended audience, supporters of the teachers continued the meeting, addressing their comments to one another, to television cameras and, as one student stated, to "the empty chairs." Undaunted, Guilderland Town Board member Mark Grimm declared, "We're going to have the meeting we should have had." ... School officials have said that the move was designed to address problems with the cultural climate of the social studies department, but Nelligan believes he was transferred because of his outspoken, conservative viewpoints and criticism of the teachers' union leadership. "It's a witch hunt and a punishment," he told the Altamont Enterprise. "Everybody knows it's punishment." The scene for confrontation
was set at last week's board meeting when dozens of students and citizens, rallied by Facebook, MySpace and Internet pages dedicated to support of the teachers, packed into a room at the school, many sitting on the floor. The Enterprise estimates over 300 people attended the meeting. [article link]
Two (English) seventh-grade Boys punished with detention for refusing to pray to Allah - "This isn't right, it's taking things too far," parent Sharon Luinen told the London Daily Mail Two (English) seventh-grade boys were given detention and their classmates forced to miss their scheduled refreshment break when the pair refused to kneel and pray to Allah during a [Shiite] religious studies class. Outraged parents called the punishment of the boys for not wanting to take part in the practical demonstration at Alsager High School near Stoke-on-Trent, UK, of how Muslims' worship Allah a breach of their human rights. "This isn't right, it's taking things too far," parent Sharon Luinen told the London Daily Mail. -- "I understand that they have to learn about other religions. I can live with that, but it is taking it a step too far to be punished because they wouldn't join in Muslim prayer. Making them pray to Allah, who isn't who they worship, is wrong and what got me is that they were told they were being disrespectful. [article link]
Anti-Taliban offensive a 'charade'? - Pakistan seen as conducting 'make-believe' raids to placate U.S. - "It was a drama to make the Americans happy" said a resident of Hayatabad - Another resident described the operation as "theatrical" {To placate (calm) the US government or to fool the US population? With all the surveillance you can be sure the US government knows what is going on over there on the ground the only people being fooled are the citizens.} While the government of Pakistan touts a complete and swift success against Taliban operatives in the remote region bordering Afghanistan, reports from the scene suggest the offensive is more of a charade to placate the Bush administration whose determination to capture or kill Osama bin Laden before the end of the president's term is well-known, according to a report in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin. Reports from Peshawar say armored vehicles occasionally roll through the streets of the Khyber tribal district, but little actual conflict is evident. ... At one checkpoint at the entrance to the Khyber district, only four armed soldiers and some policemen were present. Another police post nearby was empty, while at a third four officers lounged on a bed frame under a tree to avoid the hot sun. "It was a drama to make the Americans happy," said a resident of Hayatabad. Another resident described the operation as "theatrical." [article link]
FEMA NAFTA BUSH = Population Agenda? - 600+ FEMA internment camps within these United States - A 1996 leak of FEMA strategy: having RED and BLUE priority lists for mass incarceration for these 600+ camps - Total lists then were around 6 million people - Gunderson Rail Car Co. received a contract to build over 400 boxcars These boxcars were ordered and paid for by the UN - They were white and they had shackles built into them {Does the Bush family have plans to bring their occupation and control of Iraq plans to America?} The truth will not be televised, so please learn to read...IN SHORT: Bush and Cheney have been shown to have ties to KCS, Union Pacific, Trinity Rail Car, The Chamberlain Group, and The Greenbrier Companies, after only a small amount of internet research. Imagine what you could learn if you followed up on this. I did not begin looking for a Bush/Cheney connection when I began researching this article, but I sadly ended up there. SUMMARY OF FACTUAL POINTS: 600+ FEMA internment camps within these United States. A 1996 leak of FEMA strategy: having RED and BLUE priority lists for mass incarceration for these 600+ camps. Total lists then were around 6 million people. GUNDERSON RAIL CAR COMPANY: Speaking on anonymity, an employee of a manufacturer of railcars stated that Gunderson Rail Car Co. received a contract to build over 400 boxcars. These boxcars were ordered and paid for by the UN. They were white and they had shackles built into them. THRALL RAILCAR: Another company was making the boxcars as well. A company called Thrall Railcar. Thrall Rail Car merged with Trinity Industries, Inc. in October of 2001 to form the Trinity Rail Group....on Board of Directors of Trinity Rail Group is Craig J. Duchossois, heavy contributor to Bush-Cheney 04 campaign, labeled a Pioneer--
someone who contributed more than $100,000 to re-election campaign. Duchossois is Chairman of The Chamberlain Group, sells access and security products for homes and businesses around the world including biometrics. [article link]
Iraq insists on timetable for U.S. troops' withdrawal - Rubaie's comments came after his meeting with Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani {Bush - the Skull & Bones Bush family has wanted to be "Puppet Master" to a global radical Shiite (anti-Western, anti-Jewish, anti-Christian) army. It looks like the (UN) global radical Shiite army will exist but it also looks like the Bush family is getting dismissed.} BAGHDAD, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's National Security Advisor Muwafaq al-Rubaie said Tuesday that his country will reject any security pact with the United States unless a specific date for withdrawal of U.S.-led troops is set, according to reports from the holy city of Najaf. "Our stance in the negotiations with the Americans will be strong. We will not sign any memorandum of understanding without specifying a date for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq," Rubaie told reporters in Najaf. Rubaie's comments came after his meeting with Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, during which Rubaie briefed him on the progress of his government's security efforts and the ongoing talks over the security agreement with the United States. Rubaie's new strong remarks also came a day after Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said that his country was seeking a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as part of its negotiations with the United States on the status of U.S. forces in Iraq beyond 2008. [article link]
News roundup: Iraqi eyes withdrawal timeline; Regional implications of Kabul bombing - The Washington Post and USA TODAY report that Iraq's president 'Maliki' [Note: Nouri Kamel Mohammed Hassan al-Maliki is Prime Minister (PM) of Iraq and he is the secretary-general of the Islamic (Shiite) Dawa Party - President Jalal Talabani is the 6th President of Iraq since 2005] is talking about a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from his country {The American military won the war in Iraq and won it very well. It is from the Bush policies (enacting radical Shiite extremist authority, cutting off the Sunni people from oil money revenue and from government jobs, instituting Shiite Shariah law) that all of the violence has come from. It is the Bush policies that have miserably failed both the people of Iraq and the people of America.} The Washington Post and USA TODAY report that Iraq's president is talking about a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from his country. "The current trend is to reach an agreement on a memorandum of understanding either for the departure of the forces or a memorandum of understanding to put a timetable on their withdrawal," Maliki said, according to a statement released by his office. "In all cases, the basis for any agreement will be respect for the full sovereignty of Iraq." The Los Angeles Times examines the regional implications of a suicide bombing that killed more than 50 people and wounded nearly 150 others near the Indian Embassy yesterday in Kabul, Afghanistan. "Long-standing tensions between India and Pakistan have at various times become entangled in the Afghan conflict," the paper says. "However, it was not immediately clear who carried out the bombing or why the Indian Embassy was targeted." [article link]
Iraqi Security Adviser: Iraq Will Insist on U.S. Troop Withdrawal Timetable {The fact that Bush abandoned America to his failed Iraq policies makes Bush the worst President in America's existence. Bush promised not to get America involved in prolonged foreign engagements and yet he has done just that. Bush had no just cause for getting in any of the foreign disputes he has gotten into and the fact that Bush just quit doing his job (sometime after 2004) and has left his messes for others to clean up makes Bush a despicable loser and now it's up to the Iraqis and others to clean up the messes Bush created.} BAGHDAD - Iraq's national security adviser said Tuesday his country will not accept any security deal with the United States unless it contains specific dates for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces. The comments by Mouwaffak al-Rubaie were the strongest yet by an Iraqi official about the deal now under negotiation with U.S. officials. It came a day after Iraq's prime minister first said publicly that he expects the pending troop deal with
the United States to have some type of timetable for withdrawal. U.S. President George W. Bush has said he opposes a timetable. The White House said Monday it did not believe al-Maliki was proposing a rigid timeline for U.S. troop withdrawals. U.S. officials had no immediate comment Tuesday on al-Rubaie's words. [article link]
McCain insists he can balance US budget by 2013 - the non-partisan Concord Coalition budget watchdog group as saying that McCain was unlikely to achieve his goal, considering the policies he proposed {It's time to stop being a Republican first and a Christian second and to start being a Christian first realizing that the current Republican Party is as poisonous (or more) to the Conservative movement then some of the policies and agendas of the Liberal Democratic Party. The Conservative movement can survive a Democratic White House. The Conservative movement cannot survive a takeover by a Liberal Republican agenda.} The campaign of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Tuesday eagerly seized upon unflattering accounts of McCain's budget plan, on the second day of a week-long duel between the rivals over the economy. Obama himself was in the southern state of Georgia, unveiling proposals to reform bankruptcy laws, in part to help Americans who are financially crippled healthcare costs brought on by an unexpected illness. "When it comes to strengthening the safety net for hard-working families, John McCain has been part of the problem, not part of the solution," Obama said, again accusing his rival of wanting to prolong Bush administration economic policies. "We don't want the same old thing, we want something new." [article link]
McCain campaign, Act II - The candidate has a new stage manager (Steve Schmidt, a veteran of the tightly controlled Bush 2004 campaign) How'd he perform? {Since the Republican politicians did not enter office to save lives (end abortion), make our streets safer, or build up our educational system so we can compete better in a future economy and they are not making America a better place to live, we have to ask what are the Republicans doing and do we really need them? The answer is no! We do not need more of the failed Liberal Bush Republican agenda that we are getting and realize that from a conservative perspective Bush has failed in everything he has done whether it was war, the economy, energy, banking, finance, or the budget. Bush has been a miserable failure and there is no directional change indicated from the Republican leadership, apparently they are content with their record, therefore a reason for a Conservative to support a Republican does not exist!} At the Denver Center for Performing Arts, the advance team set up not one but three teleprompters to make McCain's often stilted delivery more natural. He still missed a few words, but appeared more practiced. Blueand-white banners heralding McCain's "Jobs for America" plan framed the stage and a large blue rug with the McCain logo gave the room a finished look. Technicians toned down the house lights to avoid drawing attention McCain's white hair. There was even new music. The jarring mix of Abba and techno beats at McCain's events was replaced by songs from homespun country crooners -- Rascal Flatts' "Mayberry" and Alan Jackson's "Tequila Sunrise." Though McCain fielded far-flung questions, he managed to hit his central themes - which has not always been the case. He even squeezed in his new message that he will "always put our country first" -- a dig at Democratic rival Barack Obama, whom the campaign has cast as a self-serving politician. "Whenever I faced an important choice between my country's interests or my own interests, party politics or any special interest, I chose my country," McCain said. [article link]
Conservatives vs. McCain - Conservatives seem to have particular concerns about McCain's views on global warming, immigration, stem cell research and campaign finance - Some who seem to come from the GOP are wringing their hands, and one particularly disaffected poster has stated strong support for Libertarian Bob Barr {The Republican Party has little Conservative substance and it is mostly an empty suit party. McCain with his dark sunglass look comes off looking like a criminal while the Libertarian Bob Barr is looking like a vote getter. As Conservatives we have to Register & Vote this year. By not voting we are removed from the political decision making process and that is just what the Liberal (McCain-Bush-RINO) Republicans want.}
We don't ask our Readers Who Comment to identify their political leanings, but many of those who have filed on this article seem to be Democrats, because they're enjoying the fight. Some who seem to come from the GOP are wringing their hands, and one particularly disaffected poster has on three occasions since the story went up stated strong support for Libertarian Bob Barr. Others offer political analysis, often suggesting that the center is where America wants to be. ... chrisdunning1 said, "I'm enthusiastically in favor of 'the grassroots having a say' in the formation of any party's platform. I think that the major parties have become far too similar when it comes to national politics. American's need to be presented with a clear choice between parties that are based on principles not on political calculations..." camdryg wrote, "McCain is a clown. I don't care what he did fifty years ago for his country, I care about what he is going to do for our country now!... That man won't change and he is completely unacceptable to me politically." [article link]
'Zero' chance lottery tickets stun some players - discovered the Virginia State Lottery was continuing to sell tickets for games in which the top prizes were no longer available - "I felt duped into buying these things," Hoover said - records that showed the Virginia State Lottery sold $85 million in tickets for which no top prize was available He discovered the Virginia State Lottery was continuing to sell tickets for games in which the top prizes were no longer available. Public records showed that someone had already won the top prize one month before Hoover played. He is now suing the state of Virginia for breach of contract. ... Through a request filed under the Freedom of Information Act, Fishwick's firm was able to obtain records that showed the Virginia State Lottery sold $85 million in tickets for which no top prize was available. Fishwick says the state should pay $85 million in damages. ... Virginia isn't the only state to sell tickets that have no top prizes available. USA Today estimates that about half of the 42 states that have lotteries were, as of early July, continuing to sell tickets after the top prizes are claimed. Lottery officials from some states say the practice is fair because lesser prizes are still available, and they say tickets and lottery Web sites make that clear. In New Jersey, tickets for the "$1,000,000 Explosion" scratch-off game were still on sale last week, even though the million-dollar grand prize was already awarded. Lottery ticket buyers outside a New Jersey convenience store were stunned to hear the news. [article link]
Oil price gives Iran diplomatic strength - with oil at $140 a barrel, the Iranian regime is likely to be impervious to economic pressure {Bush knows what he is doing and what he is doing is building up a radical (Shiite) Iran. Bush has his "stay the course" Middle-East policy, but we need to ask just what is the true agenda Bush is pushing? We know America is not benefitting from any Bush executive decisions.} NEW YORK (CNN) -- Amid allegations of Iranian aid to Iraqi insurgents, Iran's effort to build a nuclear bomb and a report on an increase in U.S. covert operations in Iran, analyst Fareed Zakaria takes a look at possible changes in the country's leadership and assesses the threat Iran could pose to Mideast stability. ... Well, the efforts of the United States and Europe to put Iran in a box, because of its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment, are facing two problems. First, it will be very difficult to get a new round of even stiffer sanctions through the United Nations. Second, with oil at $140 a barrel, the Iranian regime is likely to be impervious to economic pressure. [article link]
The Secrets of Hitler's Last Living Aide - in Hitler's bunker beneath the Chancellery Rochus Misch, Hitler's bodyguard and telephone operator, is the last surviving member of Hitler's entourage. He has just turned 90 and is publishing a book about his time with the Führer. ... An hour earlier, Misch, 27 years old at the time, had ended his duties in Hitler's bunker beneath the Chancellery. He asked Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's Propaganda Minister and newly-appointed Reich Chancellor, if there was anything left to do. "Herr Reich Chancellor, I'd like to leave with the rest of the comrades," he says. At that point the Red Army was 200 meters, or 656 feet, away from what had been Misch's place of work for the last six years. Misch was Adolf Hitler's bodyguard and telephone operator - one of the last people to leave the bunker. He survived them all.
He is the last witness. [article link]
Hitler was strangled, Eva escaped, book claims - A post-mortem report, held in the Soviet archives, shows that the woman died from shrapnel wounds to the chest days before burial Mr Thomas has studied papers relating to Hitler's death held in Soviet archives for 50 years. His book, Dopplegangers -The Truth about the Bodies in the Berlin Bunker, claims that Hitler's SS colleagues were also involved in an elaborate plot to disguise the identity of the body thought to be Eva Braun's. Mr Thomas contends that they placed a specially prepared double in the grave, allowing Hitler's mistress to escape. They apparently placed gold bridge work made for Eva Braun in the mouth of the corpse and destroyed most of its teeth. But Mr Thomas, a consultant surgeon to the Army Medical Corps and author of Hess: A Tale of Two Murders, has seen copies of Eva Braun's dental records, which he says do not match those of the corpse in any way. Despite the Nazis' efforts to fake a suicide by placing a broken cyanide capsule in the corpse's mouth, this was not the woman's true cause of death. The Soviet post-mortem examination found no trace of cyanide poisoning, nor a gunshot wound to the head. A post-mortem report, held in the Soviet archives, shows that the woman died from shrapnel wounds to the chest days before burial. ... Only the death of Goebbels and his family is regarded as uncontentious. He, his wife and their six children did die from cyanide poisoning, Russian reports show. Mr Thomas believes that the children did not commit suicide voluntarily and were murdered by an SS officer. [article link]
A Summary of the Final Moments of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun - The first body found thought to be Hitler, an almost exact duplicate of Hitler, was of a man shot with one bullet in the head and the body was found hidden in a water tower nearby what would later turn out to be Hitler's underground bunker - Adolf Hitler's staff had a detailed escape plan for Hitler including the use of a lookalike (body double) and part of Hitler's escape plan was actually put into practice - (Link to Google Video) At the end of a losing war Hitler retreats back to the city of Berlin and his final bunker location, away from the rapidly approaching Russian army to the east. The specially designed underground bunker will be Hitler's 13th and final command location. The Russian army fights its way into Berlin suffering a loss of 380,000 troops killed and wounded in the Berlin battle alone even though Berlin is primarily defended by underequipped Nazi youth and an aged home guard. The only higher priority for the Russian army than administering their own private terror campaign of rape, murder and plunder onto the citizens of Germany was the finding of Adolph Hitler. The first body found thought to be Hitler, an almost exact duplicate of Hitler, was of a man shot with one bullet in the head and the body was found hidden in a water tower nearby what would later turn out to be Hitler's underground bunker. Two days later two burnt bodies were discovered in a shallow grave and would be identified as Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun. The surviving captured Nazis would begin to tell their tales of the last moments in the Hitler bunker... [article link]
CNN Poll: Most say Founding Fathers wouldn't be impressed - How would the likes of [George Washington founding father, first President - Constitution signer, but not Declaration of Independence signer], Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin feel about the way the United States has turned out 232 years after declaring its independence? - Not pleased, a majority of Americans recently polled said {223 years later America is still the best nation on the earth. Israel is also a great nation with all they go through.} (CNN) -- How would the likes of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin feel about the way the United States has turned out 232 years after declaring its independence? Not pleased, a majority of Americans recently polled said. According to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey, 69 percent of adult Americans who responded to a poll June 26-29 said the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be disappointed by the way the nation has turned out overall. ... Americans "didn't always feel that way," according to Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "In 2001, 54 percent thought that the signers of the Declaration of
Independence would be pleased with the state of the country today." Still, most who responded to last month's poll took great pride in their country. Sixty-one percent said they were extremely proud to be Americans; another 28 percent said they were very proud. Seven percent answered "moderately," 2 percent said "only a little," and 1 percent answered "not at all." [article link]
George Washington - 1790 goodwill visit he paid to Newport, Rhode Island, during his first term as President May the Children of the Stock of Abraham (Jews), who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid George Washington's private life and writings reveal no evidence of anti-Semitism, and his public attitude towards religious tolerance was well expressed on a 1790 goodwill visit he paid to Newport, Rhode Island, during his first term as President. When a goodwill address was presented to him by the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Washington responded by penning "the first presidential declaration of the free and equal status of Jewish-American citizens" ... The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for giving to Mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection, should demean themselves as good citizens. [article link]
August 17, 1790: Letter from Moses Seixas to George Washington - Reply Letter from George Washington to Moses Seixas (PDF - pages 5 & 6) To the President of the United States of America ... Done and Signed by order of the Hebrew Congregation in NewPort, Rhode Island August 17th 1790. Moses Seixas, Warden ... To the Hebrew Congregation in NewPort, Rhode Island. Gentlemen ... May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy. G. Washington. [article link]
July 04, 2008: Former Sen. Jesse Helms dies - Former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, a North Carolina Republican who became an icon to conservatives, died Friday at age 86, the Jesse Helms Center said - Helms once said his job was to derail the freight train of liberalism WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, a North Carolina Republican who became an icon to conservatives, died Friday at age 86, the Jesse Helms Center said. Former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, R-North Carolina, was hailed as a leader of the conservative movement. Helms once said his job was to derail the freight train of liberalism. Conservatives admired him for his opposition to abortion and what he called "indecent art," while liberals accused him of using race as a wedge issue to defeat black opponents. ... "Today we lost a senator whose stature in Congress had few equals," said Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate's Republican leader. "Sen. Jesse Helms was a leading voice and courageous champion for the many causes he believed in." White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said, "America lost a great public servant and true patriot today." [article link]
4th of July - Celebrate Freedom - On this Fourth of July holiday when we celebrate our hard-won American freedom, let Christians also celebrate our freedom in Christ - Having been given the gift of reconciliation to God and new life in Christ by grace through faith in the One who is able to save, we are no longer slaves to sin By Sharon Lindbloom -- On this Fourth of July holiday when we celebrate our hard-won American freedom, let Christians also celebrate our freedom in Christ. Having been given the gift of reconciliation to God and new life in Christ by grace through faith in the One who is able to save, we are no longer slaves to sin. We are no longer
enslaved by the impossible task of working to convince our Holy God that we are worthy - based on our obedience - to dwell eternally in His presence. Let us celebrate the immeasurable riches of His grace and His inexpressible gift. Let us live with hearts and minds transformed, in profound gratitude toward the incomparable Gift-giver (Jesus Christ). [article link]
Rare patriotic song manuscript discovered - found handwritten manuscript of "America" (My Country 'tis of Thee) tucked behind the picture The song was intended to be played in schools to inspire and teach children and was first played in public on July 4, 1831, in the First Baptist Church in Newton, Massachusetts, Morgan said. The song is written to the tune of "God Save the Queen," the national anthem of the United Kingdom." The authenticity of the document was confirmed by Morgan, a handwriting expert who has been authenticating historical documents for nearly a decade, and Diana Yount, an archival specialist at Andover Newton Theological School. Yount reached her conclusion after comparing the handwriting with that in a hymn written by Smith. Morgan, whose collection includes artifacts from Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, Thomas Jefferson and Ulysses S. Grant, was ecstatic. [article link]
Case Dismissed: UK Chief Justice Lays Down Law on Sharia - Britain's most senior judge declared last night that there was no place for Sharia courts in this country and insisted that all residents were governed by the laws of England and Wales LONDON - Britain's most senior judge declared last night that there was no place for Sharia courts in this country and insisted that all residents were governed by the laws of England and Wales. The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, told an audience of several hundred at the London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel that those who chose to live in England and Wales had to accept the laws as they found them. "There is no question of such [Sharia] courts sitting in this country or such sanctions being applied here." ... But Lord Phillips, in one of his last speeches before retiring as Lord Chief Justice to become senior law lord in autumn, defended Sharia principles. A Muslim was free to practise his or her own faith and live his or her life in accordance with those principles, yet not be in conflict with the law. [article link]
{Flashback} 2005 12, Sept: Ontario Canada Rejects Use of Islamic "Shariah" Law (Fox) TORONTO - The premier of Ontario said Sunday that he won't let his province become the first Western government to allow the use of Islamic law to settle family disputes and that he would move to ban all religious arbitration. Ontario's provincial government has been reviewing a report recommending that Shariah, or Islamic law, be allowed to settle family disputes like divorce and had said it would soon make a decision. "There will be no Shariah law in Ontario. There will be no religious arbitration in Ontario. There will be one law for all Ontarians," Premier Dalton McGuinty told The Canadian Press. [article link]
{Flashback} An Explanation of Islamic Law, known as "Shariah" The historical pattern of Islam shows us that when a nation gains a sufficiently large Muslim population, they will begin to agitate for Shariah to be implemented. Shariah is the primary source of persecution for Christians in Muslim dominated states. Shariah is the system of civil law that is based upon the Qur'an and the Ahadith and the work of Muslim scholars in the first two centuries of Islam. Shariah extends beyond just civil law. Applied fully, the Shariah is a code for living that all Muslims should adhere to, including prayers, fasting and donations to the poor. Shariah is the totality of religious, political, social, domestic and private life. Shariah is primarily meant for all Muslims, but applies to a certain extent also for people living inside a Muslim society. Muslims feel that Shariah has been misunderstood by Christians, who have tended to concentrate on the demands for harsh punishments such as amputation of a hand or foot for theft and public flogging for people caught drinking alcohol. Under the Shariah laws in Afghanistan, the Taliban's religious police, formally known
as the Department for Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue, enforce the Shariah laws. ... For example, a man's beard must be long enough to protrude from a fist clenched at the base of the chin. If it is not, he is subject to punishment. Under Shariah in Afghanistan, women are not allowed to work in any field except the medical sector. The Islamic law of Afghanistan does not allow the employment of women in government departments or international agencies. Women should not go outside their residences with the exception of those working in the medical sector. Shariah also places restrictions on what women can wear and whom they can see. It forbids women from wearing jewelry and make-up and from making noise with their shoes when they walk. If a woman does work outside the home, she is forbidden to sit beside the driver when traveling to and from work. Stylish dress and decoration of women is forbidden. [article link]
Tunguska blast (June 30, 1908) still a mystery after 100 years [Wikipedia: most likely caused by the air burst of a large meteoroid or comet fragment] - It produced a blast hundreds of times stronger than the Hiroshima bomb, was seen hundreds of miles away and narrowly missed obliterating an entire city -- but 100 years to the week after the mysterious explosion in Siberia (Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia), no one is any closer to understanding what caused it MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- It produced a blast hundreds of times stronger than the Hiroshima bomb, was seen hundreds of miles away and narrowly missed obliterating an entire city -- but 100 years to the week after the mysterious explosion in Siberia, no one is any closer to understanding what caused it. ... "But there are many aspects to the phenomenon that don't fit any standards or analogies. In everything about it we find something complicated, problematic, vague. It's truly out of the ordinary." Deepening the mystery was the delay in a full investigation into the event, which occurred as Russia was entering the years of upheaval that surrounded the communist revolution. ... And even though the effects of the blast wave that destroyed 80 million trees are still visible today, "meteoreticians," as some theorists are know, have found no point of impact to support their claim, "Up to this day, not a single fragment of the Tunguska phenomenon, no cosmic substance has been found. That's the main reason why there isn't any even fundamental understanding (of the phenomenon) yet," said Boris Mushailov, a professor at the Sternberg Astronomical Institute in Moscow. [article link]
If you were running John McCain's campaign ... you might just be very worried about this new poll, shows him trailing Barack Obama in Montana - No, that's not a misprint - the Rasmussen Reports survey has Obama up by five in a state that's as Republican red as they come - But if he's down in Montana before the Fourth of July, it's a bad, bad early sign {High oil, few jobs - 2008 might shape up to be another send Bush a message election. Republicans might get wiped of the map in 08.} If you were running John McCain's campaign, you might just be very worried about this new poll, show him trailing Barack Obama in Montana. No, that's not a misprint - the Rasmussen Reports survey has Obama up by five in a state that's as Republican red as they come. Even if you chalk up Obama's strength in Montana to the recent Democratic nomination campaign (the state was the last to hold its primary), you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who believed the Illinois senator actually led McCain. Here's Rasmussen's take: "It would be truly stunning if Obama could turn Montana into a competitive state this November. George W. Bush won Montana's 3 Electoral College Votes by twenty percentage points in 2004 and by twenty-five points four years earlier ... The last Democrat to win Montana was Bill Clinton in 1992." ... Where McCain might run into trouble is that Obama's national organization, at the moment anyway, is far stronger and the Illinois senator figures to have enough money to compete in a lot of states Democrats have simply given up on in the past. To wit: At a recent briefing, Obama's senior campaign aides contended their candidate would be competitive this fall in Alaska. And they didn't get laughed out of the room. [article link]
Part 1: Former Nazi Explains How The Holocaust Happened - The similarities between Nazi Germany and America today (YouTube)
Secrets of how it was possible for the holocaust to happen as told by former Nazi Hilmar von Campe. Hilmar explains the similarities between Nazi Germany and America today. Hosted by Linda Evans Shepherd on Denver Celebration. Part One. [article link]
Part 2: Former Nazi Explains How The Holocaust Happened - The similarities between Nazi Germany and America today (YouTube) Secrets of how it was possible for the holocaust to happen as told by former Nazi Hilmar von Campe. Hilmar explains the similarities between Nazi Germany and America today. Hosted by Linda Evans Shepherd on Denver Celebration. Part Two. [article link]
4th of July: Founding Fathers Quotes - "The country's first two presidents, George Washington and John Adams, were firm believers in the importance of religion for republican (represented) government" --official Library of Congress statement "...both the legislators and the public considered it appropriate for the national government to promote a nondenominational, nonpolemical Christianity" --official Library of Congress statement The First Charter of Virginia (granted by King James I, on April 10, 1606) • We, greatly commending, and graciously accepting of, their Desires for the Furtherance of so noble a Work, which may, by the Providence of Almighty God, hereafter tend to the Glory of His Divine Majesty, in propagating of Christian Religion to such People, as yet live in Darkness and miserable Ignorance of the true Knowledge and Worship of God…Instructions for the Virginia Colony (1606) Lastly and chiefly the way to prosper and achieve good success is to make yourselves all of one mind for the good of your country and your own, and to serve and fear God the Giver of all Goodness, for every plantation which our Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out. [article link]
4th of July: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (Gettysburg Address) - Video of the old Disneyland Lincoln Attraction - Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln made its debut at the Illinois Pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair, appearing with other Disney attractions - You can hear these original recordings below (Online Video, Audio have to login **Highly Recommended) The likeness of Abraham Lincoln was the first fully functioning audio animatronic human figure designed by Disney Imagineers for the 1964 World's Fair. In this presentation, he stands, speaks and gestures realistically. In the original show, his speech was actually a composite of several speeches he gave during his presidency. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln made it's debut at the Illinois Pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair, appearing with other Disney attractions such as The Carousel of Progress, It's a Small World, and The Ford Pavilion's Magic Skyway (this would later become The Primeval World, visible from the Disneyland Railroad). You can listen to the previous version of the attraction below, along with the Golden Dream underscore and Finale. -- The Foyer, which has recently undergone a major refurbishment, features a tribute to Walt Disney, featuring photos and a short film. There are also various exhibits and displays featuring Walt Disney memorabilia. -- Upon entering the theater, you are seated and are given wireless stereo headphones through which the show audio is played. Some mild in-house special effects during the introduction, and a completely redone presentation make this a memorable attraction and a tribute to both Walt Disney and Abraham Lincoln. Frequent park visitors may notice the absence of the Paul Frees narration and the "Two Brothers" sequence. (You can hear these original recordings below) [article link]
The Battle of Gettysburg - Friday July 3, 1863 - Major General George E. Pickett discussing the aftermath of Pickett's Charge in letters to his fiancée, July 6 & 12, 1863 - "The sacrifice of life on that blood soaked field on the fatal third was too awful for the heralding of victory, even for our victorious foe, who I think, believe as we do, that it decided the fate of our cause"
"On the Fourth-far from a glorious Fourth to us or to any with love for his fellow men-I wrote you just a line of heartbreak. The sacrifice of life on that blood soaked field on the fatal third was too awful for the heralding of victory, even for our victorious foe, who I think, believe as we do, that it decided the fate of our cause. No words can picture the anguish of that roll-call-the breathless waits between the responses. The "Here" of those who, by God's mercy, had miraculously escaped the awful rain of shot and shell was a sob-a gasp-a knell-for the unanswered name of his comrade. There was no tone of thankfulness for having been spared to answer to their names, but rather a toll, and an unvoiced wish that they, too, had been among the missing. Even now I can hear them cheering as I gave the order, "Forward!" I can feel the thrill of their joyous voices as they called out all along the line, "We'll follow you, Marse George. We'll follow you-we'll follow you." Oh, how faithfully they kept their word-following me on-on-to their death, and I, believing in the promised support, led them onon-on-Oh, God! [article link]
June 1, 2004: Last Civil War widow dies at 97 - In 1927, she married the 81-year-old war veteran of the Confederate army, William Martin, when she was 21 Martin had already been widowed with a son when she met William Martin, also a widower who had served with the 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment during the siege of Petersburg in 1864-65 and had a $50-a-month pension. The two lived on the same road in Opp, Alabama, and soon a marriage of convenience was born. Ten months later the couple had a son, also called William. He survives Martin. Soon after her husband died in 1931, Martin married his grandson, Charlie Martin. He died in 1983. In her later years, the daughter of a sharecropper became the belle of the modern-day buffs of Confederate history, appearing at their rallies and parades. "She was a link to the past. People would get emotional, holding her hand, crying and thinking about their family that suffered greatly in the past," Mr Chancery said. The last widow of a Union veteran, Gertrude Janeway, died last year (2003) in Tennessee aged 93. [article link]
GoodFight.org: Abide or Burn CD Series ($17.00) - In this teaching series, the deception of the "Once Saved Always Saved" doctrine and its teachers are exposed in the light of Scripture -- 2 Peter 2:20-21 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the Holy Commandment (love Jesus, love your neighbor, do good) delivered unto them. -- Holy Bible {Basic Christian just compiled a major study of the WWII Holocaust and a big surprise in the study is just how many Nazi Holocaust participants were at one time 'Saved' Christians yet they turned from Jesus and then became mass murders on a scale previously unknown to the world. Those "once saved" Nazis abandoned their heavenly home and purchased for themselves an eternal torment in the very pit of hell. This is a caution to all of us to reject the convenient ways of this world and to be prepared even to suffer persecution for our eternal welfare.} In this teaching series, the deception of the "Once Saved Always Saved" doctrine and its teachers are exposed in the light of Scripture. With over seven hours of teaching, this series will give its listeners a clear, Biblical understanding of abiding in Christ. [article link]
Conservative evangelicals discuss backing McCain - Conservative evangelical leaders met privately this week to discuss putting aside their misgivings about John McCain and coalescing around the Republican's presidential bid {I have been doing a Bible study trying to get some concept of settling for the lesser of two evils and that is not to be found in the Bible. The Bible tells us to follow God and let the consequences be what they are. The problem is the Republican Party is so far down the road from doing what is right that it is practically on the road of evil. Do we follow the Republican Party until we find ourselves useless Nazis headed for hell? Everyone has to make their own decision of how much evil they are willing to tolerate. I say let's pray (and fast) for God's direction and not to simply follow man's worldliness.}
About 90 of the movement's leading activists gathered Tuesday night in Denver for a meeting convened by Mathew Staver, who heads the Florida-based legal advocacy group Liberty Counsel. Many evangelical leaders backed other GOP candidates early on and remain wary of McCain's commitment to their causes and his previous criticisms of movement leaders. But with the presidential field now set, many evangelical leaders are taking a more pragmatic view, realizing also that the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, is making a strong play for evangelical voters and talking freely about his faith. "Our shared core values compel us to unite and choose the presidential candidate that best advances those values," said Staver, who previously backed Huckabee's bid. "That obvious choice is Sen. John McCain. I think people left the meeting in unity the likes of which have not been evident through the primaries." [article link]
McCain shakes up staff amid concern about 'unforced errors' - Sen. John McCain's campaign announced a shakeup at the top Wednesday, in the wake of growing Republican concern about its ability to compete against Sen. Barack Obama {McCain sat out the opportunity to campaign and give his message during the crucial time when Obama and Hillary were going at it. I don't think McCain is 'in it to win it' how can someone just remain quiet during the first two months after he is appointed the Republican candidate and let the Democrats catch-up? His lousy 'Town Halls' are more like tourist stopovers for an aged candidate. McCain makes no sense unless the Bush Party wants to lose. Oh and McCain desperately needs to pick a VP soon! Oops the Republican McCain is waiting to follow the lead of the Democrat Obama. Fact, the Republicans are followers and not leaders when the Nation needs leaders.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain's campaign announced a shakeup at the top Wednesday, in the wake of growing Republican concern about its ability to compete against Sen. Barack Obama. Campaign manager Rick Davis said Tuesday that senior adviser Steve Schmidt would take over day-to-day operations of the campaign. The Bush campaign veteran will report to Davis, but the rest of the campaign will report to Schmidt, who will be in charge of everything from messaging and communications to the political structure, organization and scheduling. ... That, combined with an erratic schedule of speeches too late to make newscasts, and inconsistent themes against Obama, all have made for what senior McCain advisers admit has been a muddled message. ... McCain advisers privately tell CNN that the moves are a direct result of missteps in messaging and scheduling that didn't give the candidate a good platform, and a political structure that many thought was misguided. The Wednesday shakeup comes on the first anniversary (July 2, 2007) of what McCain aides call "Black Monday" -- when much of the campaign's staff was fired because it ran out of money and began collapsing. [article link]
Yale student's 1998 murder linked to 9/11? - she was seen walking toward the Yale Police office at Phelps Gate which is right around the block from the Skull & Bones building on High St. - What had Suzanne Jovin written her thesis on? Osama bin Laden - Suzanne just may well have been the first victim of 9/11 {Even in 1998 with the sudden flurry of news coverage about Osama bin Laden it was obvious to many that bin Laden was being setup to be a scapegoat for something big. How was it that a lone man (bin Laden) wandering aimlessly among rocks on the other side of the world, wearing sandals, carrying only a stick and hiding in desert caves could be so dangerous to the world?} What had Suzanne written on her thesis? She handed her new thesis draft about Osama bin Laden to her Navy Intelligence thesis advisor with very high top security Pentagon clearance and an expert on drug trafficking and Bin Laden and less than seven hours later, she winds up stabbed 17 times by someone the police said she knew and drove her to the scene four days before her thesis was due and after she had been complaining about Van de Velde's lack of support with her thesis, yet he had written her a glowing recommendation for graduate school in late October. ... For those who believe the official 9/11 story, the connection between Suzanne's thesis subject and Van de Velde's Military intelligence background might seem irrelevant, but for those who are suspicious about 9/11, the connection is just too hard to get past. Suzanne's friends say whoever killed her was
"someone who knew what they were doing." I think I agree. Suzanne just may well have been the first victim of 9/11. [article link]
{Flashback} Who killed John O'Neil? - A Composite History of Modern Government - Corporate Crime in America - well done, this is a superb film (Video-Download) {We live in a time full of allegations but what is the meaning of all of this and what is our response to the current events unfolding throughout the world? The meaning of events and our response to them is to protect our soul. Although our body may perish our soulspirit will live on forever and therefore it is essential that we must seek God and His righteous kingdom the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We should no longer allow ourselves to be misled by the tactics of man or by the strategies of devils.} Exposes links to the corporatocracy that hindered an investigation by John O'Neil which may have very well prevented the 9-11 attacks ... exposed the reall roots of the problem which lie far farther from Bin Laden and closer to home than we'd like to believe. ... well done, this is a superb film, it not only points out the mountains of evidence on all sorts of issues but it explains to people who haven't looked at anything how you feel when you do. To all you people who commented that it was too long, i'm very sure it could have been double the length and still only scratched the surface with all the evidence available. heres a link related: www.jonesreport.com/articles/160907_buried_interview.html thanks for this film it is superb. [article link]
"Top Gun" video by Eric Blumrich - Explains Bush's National Guard Career (or lack thereof) {If you are a veteran or family or a friend of the military and you think Bush has the back of the military and he is watching out for the military, think again.} (Online Video) In 1968 on his Air Force entry application Bush checked "does not volunteer" for overseas duty. {Note: there is also a claim that Bush would only get certified as a pilot in an older obsolete aircraft again assuring that Bush would not deploy overseas.} [article link]
This is an aprox. 1970 photograph (Bush Jr.) published on the Presidential Library site of George H.W. Bush Sr. We can clearly see that in this photograph, George W. Bush is wearing an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) - his NGB22 National Guard discharge form dated October 1, 1973, has no award(s) listed - This means, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that George W. Bush was photographed wearing a ribbon he clearly did not earn {Did George Bush Jr. wear an Air Force ribbon he is not entitled to? The ribbon was eventually issued 1 Oct 73-30 Sep 75. Bush Jr. was wearing it in 1970. (Bush was not wearing his National Defense Service Medal to not wear that medal at that time was considered very anti-Vietnam veteran. It was a slap in the face to every Vietnam veteran as it was distancing oneself from the war claiming that the war was wrong and unjust how ironic is that now.)} He is listed as a second lieutenant in this photograph, and we know for a fact he earned the wings as he graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training according to the record. As far as the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon is concerned, he obviously earned that ribbon while he was an Airman prior to his commission as evidenced by line 24 of the NGB22 filed when he was discharged as an Airman: ... The awards listed here are the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon and the National Defense Service Medal, but no mention is made of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. It also lists his dates of service with units. Other than his time training, he was assigned to the 111th Fighter Intercept Squadron and it's parent organization, the 147th Fighter Intercept Group. His discharge date from the Texas National Guard was October 1, 1973. The above photograph had to have been taken some time between his qualifying as a pilot in 1969 and his promotion to First Lieutenant on November 7, 1970. So what about the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award? ... This states explicitly that the units received the Air force Outstanding Unit Award for the time period from October 1, 1973 to September 30, 1975. George W. Bush's discharge date from the 111th FIS and the 147th FIG was October 1, 1973. Clearly, these units did not receive an award of the AFOUA until after George W. Bush had
been discharged, and well after the date the photograph in question was taken. This means, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that George W. Bush was photographed wearing a ribbon he clearly did not earn. [article link]
George H. W. Bush: The Unauthorized Biography - Bush has presented several differing versions of his own (WWII) story - "That guy is not telling the truth," Mierzejewski said of Bush - Bush's "plane was never on fire" and that "no smoke came out of his cockpit when he opened his canopy to bail out - "I think Bush could have saved those lives, if they were alive. I don't know that they were, but at least they had a chance if he had attempted a water landing" On September 2, 1944, Bush and three other Avenger pilots, escorted by Hellcat fighter planes, were directed to attack a radio transmitter on Chichi Jima. Planes from the USS Enterprise would also join in the attack. On this mission Bush's rear-seat gunner would not be the usual Leo Nadeau, but rather Lt. (jg) William Gardner "Ted" White, the squadron ordnance officer of VT-51, already a Yale graduate and already a member of Skull and Bones. White's father had been a classmate of Prescott Bush. White took his place in the rear-facing machine gun turret of Bush's TBM Avenger, the Barbara II. The radioman-gunner was John L. Delaney, a regular member of Bush's crew. What happened in the skies of Chichi Jima that day is a matter of lively controversy. Bush has presented several differing versions of his own story. In his campaign autobiography published in 1987 Bush gives the following account: ... It will be seen that these versions contain numerous internal contradictions, ... The only person who has ever claimed to have seen Bush's plane get hit, and to have seen it hit the water, is Chester Mierzejewksi (a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross), who was the rear turret gunner in the aircraft flown by Squadron Commander Douglas Melvin. During 1987-88, Mierzejewksi became increasingly indignant as he watched Bush repeat his canonical account of how he was shot down. Shortly before the Republican National Convention in 1988, Mierzekewski, by then a 68 year old retired aircraft foreman living in Cheshire, Connecticut, decided to tell his story to Allan Wolper and Al Ellenberg of the New York Post, which printed it as a copyrighted article. -- "That guy is not telling the truth," Mierzejewski said of Bush. -- If the plane was on fire, there is a very good chance he would be able to see that. ... Mierzejewksi for his part said that his plane was flying about 100 feet ahead of Bush's plane during the incident - so close that he could see into Bush's cockpit. ... He asserted that after that there was no more smoke visible, that Bush's "plane was never on fire" and that "no smoke came out of his cockpit when he opened his canopy to bail out." Mierzejewski stated that only one man ever got out of the Barbara II, and that was Bush himself. "I was hoping I would see some other parachutes. I never did. I saw the plane go down. I knew the guys were still in it. It was a helpless feeling." Mierzejewski has long been troubled by the notion that Bush's decision to parachute from his damaged aircraft might have cost the lives of Radioman second class John Delaney, a close friend of Mierzejewksy, as well as gunner Lt. Junior Grade William White. 'I think Bush could have saved those lives, if they were alive. I don't know that they were, but at least they had a chance if he had attempted a water landing,'" Mierzejewski told the New York Post. [article link]
Wikipedia: Prescott Bush (1895 - 1972) - He was the father of former President of the United States George H. W. Bush and the grandfather of current President George W. Bush. - Prescott Bush came under fire in the Meuse-Argonne offensive (WWI) - In what became a controversy, Prescott Bush wrote home about receiving medals for heroic exploits, and his letters were later published in Columbus newspapers - However, Prescott Bush retracted statements made in his letters a few weeks later when it was revealed that he, in fact, had not received such medals - alleged 1933 attempt to stage a military coup against President Franklin D. Roosevelt forcing Roosevelt (FDR) to resign or, failing that, to assassinate him and installing a fascist [Nazi] dictatorship in the United States Prescott Sheldon Bush (May 15, 1895 - October 8, 1972) was a United States Senator from Connecticut, a Wall Street executive banker and founding partner with Brown Brothers Harriman, and director of Union Banking Corp.-New York. He was the father of former President of the United States George H. W. Bush and the
grandfather of current President George W. Bush. Early life: Bush was born in Columbus, Ohio to Flora Sheldon and Samuel Prescott Bush. Samuel Bush was a railroad executive, then a steel company president, and during World War I, also a federal government official in charge of coordination and assistance to major weapons contractors. -- Bush attended the Douglas School in Columbus and then St. George's School in Newport, Rhode Island from 1908 to 1913. In 1913-1917, he enrolled at Yale University, continuing a family legacy; four subsequent generations of Bushes have been Yale alumni. Prescott Bush was admitted to the Zeta Psi fraternity while at Yale and Skull & Bones secret society. Prescott Bush played varsity golf, football, and baseball, and was president of the Yale Glee Club. Military service: After graduation, Bush served as a field artillery captain with the American Expeditionary Forces (1917-1919) during World War I. He received [Illuminati] intelligence training at Verdun, France, and was briefly assigned to a staff of French officers. Alternating between intelligence and artillery, Bush came under fire in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. In what became a controversy, Bush wrote home about receiving medals for heroic exploits, and his letters were later published in Columbus newspapers. However, Bush retracted statements made in his letters a few weeks later when it was revealed that he, in fact, had not received such medals. The retraction was made in a cable in which Bush stated that his earlier letter had been written "in a spirit of fun" and was not intended for publication. ... Alleged plot to overthrow FDR: On July 23, 2007, the BBC Radio 4 series Document reported on the alleged Business Plot and the archives from the McCormack-Dickstein Committee hearings. The program mentioned (Prescott) Bush's directorship of the Hamburg-America Line, a (shipping) company that the committee investigated for Nazi propaganda activities, and the alleged 1933 attempt, supposedly led by Gerald MacGuire, to stage a military coup against President Franklin D. Roosevelt aimed at forcing Roosevelt to resign or, failing that, to assassinate him and at installing a fascist [Nazi] dictatorship in the United States. [article link]
#1: The (Nazi) Family That Preys Together...Stays Together - (Does this 1938 Nazi Group Photo Contain the Bush Family? - Is the Nazi George Scherff Sr. the American Prescott Bush? - Is this a Photo of a Bush Family Visit to Nazi Germany in 1938?) - The cozy photo also possibly includes -- Josef Mengele (concentration camp supervisor known as the 'Angel of Death'), Otto Skorzeny (special agent), Martin Bormann (private secretary to Adolf Hitler), Reinhard Gehln (Nazi intelligence - founder of the German CIA after WWII) {Prescott Bush despised J. Edgar Hoover and his FBI, Prescott was instrumental in founding the competing CIA. Prescott despised the FBI for declaring him a Nazi participant and then under the new WWII "Trading With the Enemy Act" the USA government seized his "Union Banking Corporation" business. A son of Prescott Bush, George H.W. Bush with presumably no prior experience suddenly stepped in and directed the CIA as Director of Central Intelligence (CIA) from 1975-1977.} (Scroll down for photo listing) Study these two photos very closely. Take your time and look at them carefully. The photo on the left is a cropped and enlarged section of a group photo taken around 1938 in a mountain lodge somewhere in Germany. The boy seen in the sailor suit is 14 or 15 years old. The photo on the right was taken on March 7, 1949 in Midland, Texas showing the family of Prescott Bush standing in front of a prop driven passenger airplane. George Herbert Walker Bush is 25 years old in this photo. Now, ask yourself : are the same people posing in both photographs? ... Otto Skorzeny told Eric Bermen that George Scherff Jr, identified in the above photo, and George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States, are one and the same person. After reading Don Nicoloff's article, I was initailly under the impression that George Scherff Sr. and Prescott Bush were two different men, but as I look at these photos, it seems to me that Prescott Sheldon Bush and George Scherff Sr. may be the same person. And I think it's beyond conincidence that the woman sitting in front of George Scherff Sr. in the above photo, looks astonishingly similar to Dorothy Wear Walker Bush (about 37 years old in this photo) , who eleven years later, is photographed standing in front of an airplane with her husband Prescott S. Bush, and her son, George HW Bush (or is it George H. Scherff Jr.?). [article link]
#2: The Revelations of Otto Skorzeny - Martin Bormann: (Nazi) Reichsleiter in Exile & American Retiree Bormann came to realize that Germany could not win the war (WWII) and made extensive preparations to export Third Reich brain power, personnel, stolen assets and technological secrets out of Germany before the (Russian) allies could seize them - the Odessa operation to surreptitiously relocate 50,000 Nazis into North and South America with CIA complicity and protection Martin Bormann No central figure of the Third Reich has generated more speculation and controversy than Reichsleiter Martin Bormann. He proved to be the most cunning, capable, and intelligent master chess player of the Third Reich. Towards the latter half of the war, no one could get to see Hitler without Bormann's approval. Hitler invested his total trust in Bormann alone and assigned to Bormann full control of the Third Reich in his Last Will signed in the final days at the Berlin bunker. Bormann came to realize that Germany could not win the war and made extensive preparations to export Third Reich brain power, personnel, stolen assets and technological secrets out of Germany before the allies could seize them. ... [article link]
#3: The Bush Nazi Connection - Radio Show The Investigative Journal - it could be that Martin Bormann and the other aging Nazis may want the story out, as a testament to their Triumph of the Will, so to speak - The late Paul Manning suggested such a recognition/legacy scenario in his 1981 book, Martin Bormann, Nazi in Exile, but this is merely speculation - 1. The Investigative Journal with host Greg Syzmanski: {Scroll to bottom} (Mp3) In 1998, 29 year old Eric Bermen of Florida began dating a local girl whose 6'-4" ninety year old father possessed "the largest hands I'd ever shaken," he said. Over time, "Big Ed," as he was known locally, revealed to the younger man that his real name was Otto Skorzeny, legendary SS (Schutzstaffel) commando of World War II fame, personal bodyguard to Adolf Hitler, and subsequent life-long CIA operative. But that was just the beginning. -- In the months prior to Skorzeny's death in December of 1999, Skorzeny revealed to Berman some of the most mind boggling information ever made available concerning the whereabouts and activities of major personalities of the Third Reich who were either declared dead by historians or otherwise reported to have been living in undisclosed locations abroad . Skorzeny's lifelong circle of intimate associates-many living in the United States- included Martin Bormann, Josef Mengele, Alois Brunner, Walter Rauff, and Reinhard Gehlen. An even more surprising revelation from Skorzeny, however, involved two domestic Nazis operatives, both well known to the American public: Prescott Sheldon Bush and his son, George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States. -- To buttress his story, Skorzeny produced a shoebox filled with over one hundred photographs spanning a period of more than sixty years and gave them to Berman. The photos were of the usual poses taken at weddings, anniversaires, holidays, or family reunions in the decades between the 1930's and the 1990's, but what made these photos highly extraordinary was the identity of the individuals seen within those photographs. The shoebox photos show Otto Skorzeny posing with the above named Third Reich personalites, along with additional photographs showing Skorzeny posing with Prescott Bush, his wife, Dorothy Walker Bush, and their son, George Herbert Walker Bush. To say that Berman was in the "right place, at the right time" and was handed what may turn out to be the biggest story to ever come down the pike, is the understatement of the century. [article link]
The Poisoned Well (Global CIA intelligence has always 'poisoned' the well of truth with their deceit and pretend intelligence discoveries) - "The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past" William Faulkner** - Congress and the (Cold War) American public obtained a steady diet of scare stories - Will we soon hear alarming news of Iran's nuclear capabilities from Iranian exile organizations Threat Inflation: A German Import? Elementary knowledge of human psychology suggests that once the United States Government ceased to be terrified by the Soviet military, the (German CIA) Organization would no longer have a privileged and well-paid function; its flunkies would accordingly be obliged to scratch a living through honest toil. That alternative being abhorrent, the U.S. Government received and disseminated the most baroque exaggerations of Soviet power - only a few years after the European USSR had been nearly leveled,
with up to 27 million military and civilian deaths. Despite the fundamental weakness of the post-war Soviet Union (which Stalin attempted to conceal) Congress and the America public obtained a steady diet of scare stories: In 1948, U.S. intelligence purported to believe the Red Army could mobilize "320 line divisions" in 30 days. This at a time when millions of Soviets were living in holes in the soil of Western Russia, there being nothing better to house them. The same year, the Secretary of the Navy told Congress that Soviet submarine were "sighted off our coasts" - although the Office of Naval intelligence could offer no evidence of such sub sightings. Its own estimates said that the Soviet Navy would be unable to mount continuing, overseas operations until 1957. Air Force Secretary Stuart Symington claimed in Congressional hearings that the Soviet Air Force was superior to that of the U.S. The military governor of Germany in 1948, General Lucius Clay, wrote a letter that conveniently found its way to Congress, stating that it was his "feeling" that the Soviets were planning war. ... All our knowledge of Cuba is what "exiles" comfortably ensconced in Coral Gables want us to think, just as our appreciation of the USSR was distorted by exiles from the Greater Germany Project. Exiles like General Gehlen. Does this begin to sound familiar? Why is everything we are supposed to know about "the Greater Middle East" funneled through a foreign power? [i.e. the CNN parade of tortured Kuwaiti, and Iraqi nationals before Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom] Do Ahmed Chalabi's alarming pronouncements about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction circa 2003 sound oddly similar to Reinhard Gehlen's estimation of Soviet capabilities circa 1948? Will we soon hear alarming news of Iran's nuclear capabilities from Iranian exile organizations like the Mujahedeen e Kalq? [article link]
Mormonism and Islam - Are there similarities between the two religions? Mormonism / LDS and Islam? (YouTube) christians are not anti-mormon or hate mormons or anyone at all. we want to show people the truth about Jesus Christ and give them the Gospel. what could be more loving then that? [article link]
Iraqi Officials: Hezbollah, Iran Training Shiites in Art of Terrorism - Hezbollah instructors trained Shiite militiamen at remote camps in southern Iraq until three months ago when they slipped across the border to Iran {Bush is funding the terrorists. That is the Bush doctrine, record and probably the actual intended Bush plan. You know Hezbollah the Terrorist group that Bush donates 100's of millions of US taxpayer aid dollars to. You know the money Bush won't donate to the American farmer or use to build bridges, roads, levees, or to drill for more oil. But Hezbollah uses their Bush money to equip and travel to Iraq to train and kill Americans. Is there a problem with President Bush's leadership? Yes, an enormous problem!} BAGHDAD - Hezbollah instructors trained Shiite militiamen at remote camps in southern Iraq until three months ago when they slipped across the border to Iran - presumably to continue instruction on Iranian soil, according to two Shiite lawmakers and a top army officer. The three Iraqis claim the Lebanese Shiites were also involved in planning some of the most brazen attacks against U.S.-led forces, including the January 2007 raid on a provincial government compound in Karbala in which five Americans died. The allegations, made in separate interviews with The Associated Press, point not only to an Iranian hand in the Iraq war, but also to Hezbollah's willingness to expand beyond its Lebanese base and assume a broader role in the struggle against U.S. influence in the Middle East. [article link]
August 8 2008, 8-8-08, 888 and its Numerical Significance {Jesus Day 888 - I'm all for that! When you do a 'word study' in the Bible for the phrase "the day of the Lord" it turns out that every day is a day of the Lord. All the days of creation, the days before the cross the days after the cross the days of Tribulation and the days of eternity are all 'days of the Lord' enjoy!} (YouTube) August 8 2008, 8-8-08, will it be a significant day? 888 corresponds to "Jesus" in Greek, the language of the Bible's New Testament.... [article link]
{Flashback} On 6-6-6 (June 06, 2006): Bush Announces Mark of The Beast System {A Bush verification system that was to solve the illegal immigration problem. Well, it's obviously NOT a system that is solving illegal immigration so just who is being tracked and monitored by yet another Bush control system? It's not illegal foreigners who are being tracked it's not even Al Qaeda that is being tracked its mostly legitimate American citizens.} First Off, I want to apologize for the poor video quality, when I heard the Completely Corrupt Bush announcing the Mark of the Beast system, I was in a room that only had a old-school VCR and a well used tape. But the video and what Bush said was clear enough to know what time it is. How appropriate, that on 06/06/06, Bush announces the Biometric Mark of the Beast system. Now the AC Bush speaks of the Biometric IDs for foreign workers, to start with, but this is only the reason given to implement the infrastructure of the Mark. You all know that what starts with one group soon appplies to all. 666 is here. Everyone, feel priviledged that you live in the last days. Prepare, GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER!!! STEEL YOUR SPIRIT, MIND, AND BODY. THE TIME IS AT HAND. HEED THE OMEN !!! [article link]
Laura Schwartz: Bush May Cancel 2008 Elections! - Democratic strategist Laura Schwartz was filling in for Brian Kilmeade on the radio this morning (July 30, 2007) - She and Judge Andrew Napolitano discussed FISA, NSA, and the limits of authority on the executive branch {To quote others on the internet "Bush is a spent force" however the entry and the exit of a Tyrant are defiantly two critical times. Entry (9-11-2001) because they can still blame the events on the previous group (i.e. Clintons) in charge. Exit (?) because they think they won't be around to be held accountable for anything that happens.} (YouTube) Like George Carlin says. This country is GONE~ The WAKE UP CALL is NOW! WE may as well kiss our asses goodbye. The NEOCON Fascists have achieved their objective. All what is happening now in the Mid.East has been reported ~ (in honest objective news sources..not Murdock's Fox and those criminals) years ago. The plan was to take Iraq,Pakistan, Afghan,and Iran. Bsh=CIA=Patriot Act=Homeland security=the SS~! Our Congress has NO balls. The Speaker gave Bsh a pass~! no impeachment. we are history! [article link]
***Updated Link*** - Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) - Architect of NWO Ideas - (YouTube 9:47) An expose on the man who called himself "the beast (666)" and how his teachings have affected influential people in history which have changed the face of the moral world today. [article link]
Romney tops McCain veep list {Romney is only a favorite until the McCain Party is done milking the Romney supporters of their last dime. The Republicans are users. McCain will most likely pick an openly liberal, preferably female running mate.} In a surprise to many Republican insiders, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is at the top of the vice presidential prospect list for John McCain. But lack of personal chemistry could derail the pick. "Romney as favorite" is the hot buzz in Republican circles, and top party advisers said the case is compelling. Campaign insiders say McCain plans to name his running mate very shortly after Barack Obama does, as part of what one campaign planner called a "bounce-mitigation strategy." The Democratic convention is in late August, a week ahead of the Republican convention. That means McCain can size up the opposing ticket before locking in his own. McCain campaign staffers declined to comment, saying McCain has made it clear they are not to discuss the matter. [article link]
Live WWII bombs haunt Orlando, Florida neighborhood - The search teams comb through the backyards of the half-million-dollar homes with metal detectors - The bombs are left over from a 12,000-acre World War II bombing range ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- The search teams comb through the backyards of the half-million-dollar homes
with metal detectors, placing red flags on the manicured lawns every time they get a hit. To the shock of residents, they sometimes find live bombs. The area has become an Orlando neighborhood with thousands of homes. The Army Corps of Engineers has launched a $10 million cleanup of what used to be the PineCastle Jeep Range, but it said bombs could remain there once they're done. "Chances are, it's not a problem," said Mike Ornella, the man leading the Army Corps cleanup. But he conceded, "We're never going to be 100 percent sure. We're never going to give a 100 percent guarantee that the properties are clear." The developer refused comment for this story. Residents are enraged. ... "It's incomprehensible," said Frank Kruppenbacher, the general counsel of the Orange County school board. "It starts with my wondering why the U.S. military ever allowed any of these properties [to] be developed without first saying you have to go through X-checklist." The first bomb was found last summer next to the Odyssey Middle School track. Since that time, 126 rockets and bombs -- with high explosives -- have been found on school property, along with other military debris. No children have been injured by the explosives. Two adults who found munitions on school property suffered minor burns, including a worker, who while making repairs on the track, uncovered a fragment that was buried under concrete and it caught fire. A handful of explosives have been found in the housing developments, but no residents have been hurt, officials said. [article link]
WWII Japan Tried To Surrender (April 1942) After the Battle of Midway Island Defeat - Japanese were [later] attempting to surrender before the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs - George Marshall, [warmonger] Roosevelt's army chief of staff, would not hear of any peace attempts {Where post war Communism failed the NWO as the planned and intended WW3 trigger, it seems Communism is in part being replaced with Iranian Shiite Islam to be the eventual NWO trigger to start WW3 a war that concludes with the End Time battles written in the Book of 'Revelation'.} Peace feelers continued through '42, '43 and '44, when the blood was really flowing in the Pacific. They tried through the Soviets, the British and the Siamese. Marshall would not consider anything but Unconditional Surrender, knowing the Japanese would not give up Hirohito to the hangman, which didn't happen anyway. But this was always threatened, deliberately driving the Japanese to desperate acts to protect their god-leader. All well understood by the psychiatrists in FDR's gang. Even after Okinawa, Marshall said the desperate attempts at surrender were "premature." Going through the list of terrible battles in the Pacific while the Japanese were frantically attempting to end the war is mind-numbing. ... There has to be greater understanding of the reasons behind the military partnership between the US and the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1945, when the New World Order was established. Soviet Communism was saved and then spread around the world, and this was the main purpose of FDR, which was why he desperately needed the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor, because Hitler would not fall for his provocations in the Atlantic, as the Japanese did in the Pacific. [article link]
Wikipedia: Nazi #2 Leader - Rudolf Hess (1894 - 1987) acting as Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party - Like Goebbels, Hess was privately distressed by the war with Britain - Hess may have hoped to score a diplomatic victory by sealing a peace between the Third Reich and Britain - Hess flew (a peace flight) to Britain in May 1941 to meet the Duke of Hamilton - Hess believed Hamilton to be an opponent of [warmonger] Winston Churchill whom he held responsible for the outbreak of the war - Hess was quickly arrested - Churchill's instructions were that Hess should be strictly isolated {Winston Churchill was so committed to a prolonged world war and he was not about to let anything interfere with his war so for days Churchill refused to acknowledge that Hess was even on English soil. Eventually Churchill met with Hess and quickly declared that Hess had nothing to offer that he was interested in.} 1941 Peace Flight to Scotland: Like Goebbels, Hess was privately distressed by the war with Britain. According to William L. Shirer, author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Hess may have hoped to score a diplomatic victory by sealing a peace between the Third Reich and Britain. ... Hess flew to Britain in May 1941 to meet the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, parachuting from his Messerschmitt Bf 110 over Renfrewshire on May 10 and
landing (though breaking his ankle) at Floors Farm near Eaglesham, just south of Glasgow. A young boy who was living on the farm was shooting pigeons at the time when Hess landed nearby. He claimed to have shot down Hess's plane with a stray bullet, a tale that was accepted by the other residents. Hess was quickly arrested, although the details of how this happened are somewhat unclear and remain controversial. In one newsreel clip, farmhand David McLean claims to have arrested Hess with his pitchfork. -- It appears that Hess believed Hamilton to be an opponent of Winston Churchill, whom he held responsible for the outbreak of the war. His proposal of peace included returning all the western European countries conquered by Germany to their own national governments, but German police would remain in position. Germany would also pay back the cost of rebuilding these countries. In return, Britain would have to support the war against Soviet Russia. Hess's strange behaviour and unilateral proposals quickly discredited him as a serious negotiator (especially after it became obvious he did not officially represent the German government). ... Although Hess was officially Deputy Führer, he had been squeezed out of Hitler's inner circle and had little detailed military information to offer. Hess became increasingly agitated as his conviction grew that he would be murdered. Mealtimes were difficult, since Hess suspected that his food might be poisoned, and the MI6 officers had to exchange their food with his to reassure him. Gradually, their conviction grew that Hess was insane. [article link]
IRAN in WWII - Pan Aryan Alliance - In 1935 the Hitler Nazi government declared the nation of "Persia" to be an Aryan Brotherhood renaming it Iran (Aryan) and in 1936 exempted it from the 1935 Nurnberg Laws of racial purity {Ever wonder why with Iran at times being really the one true enemy of America that the politicians repeatedly give Iran a free pass and instead attack other nations like Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Iran and particularly the radical Shiites of Iran are the 'end game' the final Bush NWO tool in their goal to bringing about WW3 destruction. The Shiites of Iran will likely be the modern Nazis of WW3 and will have been nurtured and brought into global power by the Nazi, Satanic Bush NWO agenda.} (YouTube) Comments: Read Wikipedia and find ARYAN please.....Darius the Great, King of Persia (521--486 BC), in an inscription in Naqsh-e Rustam (near Shiraz in present-day Iran), proclaims: "I am Darius the great King... A Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan, having Aryan lineage...", This is a very old documents on Iranians are Aryan. [article link]
Iran and Germany brotherhood 2004 (YouTube) Comments: As an Iranian I say respect for all nations regardless of their past, to an Iranian you are a human first and anything else. But I must say Aryan correctly refers to "one who is Nobel" it is driven from old Iranian, and the swatzica symbol is an ancient Iranian symbol but with no affiliation to Hitler's political agenda. [article link]
Time Magazine Nov. 25, 1935: Hitler's Nurnberg Laws (The Nuremberg Race Laws of 1935) were passed Under the decrees neither his (Soviet Ambassador Jacques Suritz) nor any other "Jewish family" in Germany may keep a non-Jewish maid less than 45 years old unless she was in their service before the Nurnberg Laws were passed, in which case she must be not less than 35 years old {In 1935 Hitler seemed to think that his 42 year old grandmother had been seduced while she was a maid for a Jewish family. This strange law that a (nonJewish) German woman had to be 45 years old (past child bearing) or older to work for a Jewish family was one of the very first laws Hitler enacted once in full power. -- Hitler as with ALL politicians it's not what they say that they believe it's what they do that they believe.} Hitler's 1935 Nurnberg Laws -- Extra-marital relations are made punishable if one party is a 50% Jew or more and the other is of German or "similar blood." Not only entitled but compelled to marry pure Germans are 25% Jews who are rated as Germans. Scathingly London's Times commented that these laws make Germany a "paradise for black-mailers." Even before it went into effect British Jew Rudolph Selz had been arrested for "racial defilement" of a German woman and non-Jew Edmond Thomas is in jail for consorting with a Jewess. -Angriest Jew in all Berlin last week was His Excellency the Soviet Ambassador Jacques Suritz. Under the decrees neither his nor any other "Jewish family" in Germany may keep a non-Jewish maid less than 45 years old unless
she was in their service before the Nurnberg Laws were passed, in which case she must be not less than 35. A family of Jewesses only is not a "Jewish family" and may keep whatever maids they like, but one Jew in the house is considered to imperil the German maid's morals and the decree becomes operative. Jews may keep German manservants but this the State discourages without forbidding. -- Politically the new decrees place Jews & Jewesses in the same category, lumping them with German criminals and imbeciles beyond the pale of citizenship, franchise and eligibility for State office. [article link]
In 1930, Hilter entrusted Frank to research his ancestry in order to dispell rumors that Hitler had Jewish blood what he discovered made it appear possible, if not likely, that Hitler's father had been half Jewish - The Frankenbergers had a son who was nineteen years old at the time Hitler's forty-two-year-old grandmother bore a child out of wedlock, and the Jewish family paid for the support of the child (Hitler's father) up to the time he was fourteen years old {Note: Hitler and his fellow Nazis (Italy's Mussolini, Japan's Tojo, Russia's Stalin) did not need the 'Royal' [invented] Illuminati (Da Vinci code) bloodline to be allowed to rise to power by the Illuminati, only the real British, Italian and French rulers need to pretend they have the genealogy. The "Nazis" were only tools of the Illuminati; pawns, useful idiots, a temporary, a George Bush Jr. ... used as scapegoats to bring in destruction and misery and suffering on a massive scale previously unknown to the world.} "Frank undertook this delicate task, and he declared in the autobiography written in his cell at Nuremberg that what he discovered made it appear possible, if not likely, that Hitler's father had been half Jewish. The main facts are clear enough. Hitler's grandmother, a Fraulein Maria Anna Schicklgruber, worked as a cook for a wellto-do Jewish family named Frankenberger. The Frankenbergers had a son who was nineteen years old at the time Hitler's forty-two-year-old grandmother bore a child out of wedlock, and the Jewish family paid for the support of the child up to the time it was fourteen years old. Frank wrote that the money was given to avoid a public scandal. Apparently, although Frank does not say so, Fraeulein Schicklgruber had threatened to bring a suit against the Frankenbergers. Frank wrote that many letters were subsequently exchanged between them and Hitler's grandmother, which seemed to him to be evidence of a cordial relationship. Nevertheless, both he and Hitler were convinced that the child was actually the offspring of a millworker, Johann Georg Hiedler, a second cousin of Fraeulein Schicklgruber, who five years after the birth of the child married her and legitimized her son. But Frank, writing in Nuremberg no longer for the benefit of the Fuehrer, was also of the opinion that it was not out of the question that Hitler's father, who later changed his name from Hiedler to Hitler, was half Jewish." [article link]
"Where the rubber meets the road, the Illuminati (Skull & Bones) have an absolutely satanic hatred for Jews" The picture that emerges is a conspiracy of gentiles, part Jews and hidden Jews united by allegiance to a satanic world dictatorship - In the meantime, "the Jews" serve as a convenient scapegoat (i.e. 9/11, a future attack on Iran) for the Illuminati - the [nation] (UN) State of Israel, which was intended to dominate the Middle East, serve as an excuse for WWIII, and as capital of the future Masonic (antichrist) world government "The Illuminati are racist in the extreme... Yes, there are some very powerful Jewish people in this group. For instance, the Rothschild family literally runs the financial empire in Europe (and indirectly the States), and are a well-known Jewish family...But to rise to power in the Illuminati, a Jewish person would be forced to renounce their faith, and to give their first allegiance to Lucifer and the beliefs of the Illuminati." ... The satanic leader Jacob Frank (1726-91) formed an alliance with the Rothschilds, the power behind the Illuminati. They started the Reform and Conservative schools of Judaism, which posed as "liberation from the confines of Jewish inner law and ghetto." They encouraged Jews to assimilate, inter-marry, change their names and even convert to Christianity. They tapped selected followers to advance their satanic agenda by subverting Christian civilization from within. -- Sen. John Kerry's background fits this profile perfectly. His grandfather was a Frankest Jew "Kohn" who adopted an Irish name and converted to Catholicism. His father worked for the CIA. His mother was part of the Forbes family, which made its fortune in the drug trade (opium - 'Poppy Bush Sr.'), like many of
America's "first families." Kerry himself is a member of the Illuminati Skull and Bones. During the last election, Wesley Clark discovered he was half-Jewish. Madeleine Albright admitted she was Jewish. Her father Josef Korbel was Condoleezza Rice's mentor at Denver University. Before that he was accused of stealing art treasures from a prominent Czech family when he was a Communist official in the post-war period. -- The picture that emerges is a conspiracy of gentiles, part Jews and hidden Jews united by allegiance to a satanic world dictatorship. Winston Churchill, whose mother was Jewish and the current Baron Jacob Rothschild, whose mother was not Jewish, fit this description. There is a surprising list of American Presidents who are suspected of being part-Jewish including Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Eisenhower, and Lyndon Johnson. -- It is possible that members of the Nazi hierarchy were also part-Jewish. Hitler's grandmother left the Rothschild's employment in Vienna when she became pregnant with Hitler's father. In his 1964 book "Before Hitler Came" author Dietrich Bronder, a Jew himself, claims the following personages all had Jewish blood: Hesse, Goering, Strasser, Goebbels, *Rosenberg, Frank, Himmler, von Ribbentrop, Heydrich, [Josef Mengele] and many more. (Kardel, Hitler Founder of Israel p.4) In the 1930's the Jewish German intermarriage rate was 60% and this must have gone on for some time. There were far more mixed Jews than 'pure' ones and 150,000 "mischlings" served in the Nazi army. [article link]
Democratic Party official accused in satanic rape, kidnap - Woman, husband said to shackle victims to beds, keep them in dog cages without food - According to published and broadcast reports, prosecutors said a man and a woman met Craig through a shared interest in Satan worship, although the couple never consented to any physical abuse {This is why the Bush family is so eager to please the Democratic Party all the time. The Bush's are a part of this Satanic element of the Democrat Party that goes all the way back to the supreme Satanists Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prescott Bush. There are both Republicans and Democrats like John Kerry in the Bush "Skull & Bones Society". Prescott Bush was a Democrat when he joined the Skull & Bones (1913) while a student at Yale.} A Democratic Party official and her husband are facing charges in connection with alleged satanic rituals involving the kidnap, rape and starvation of another couple in North Carolina. Joy Johnson, 30, a vicechairwoman of the Durham County Democratic Party and vice chairwoman of the Young Democrats, made an appearance in court yesterday after she and her spouse, Joseph Craig, were arrested Friday. Craig, 25, is charged with second-degree rape, second-degree kidnapping and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon for an incident in January and another in May. Johnson is charged with two counts of aiding and abetting. According to published and broadcast reports, prosecutors said a man and a woman met Craig through a shared interest in Satan worship, although the couple never consented to any physical abuse. Craig allegedly shackled his victims to beds, kept them in dog cages and starved them inside his home. Police say he beat the man with a cane and a cord, and raped the woman. "This goes well above what they were interested in doing," Mark McCullough, an assistant district attorney, told WTVD-TV. [article link]
Skull & Bones: The Secret Society That Unites John Kerry and President Bush - All a Bonesman had to do was call up another Bonesman, maybe even if they have never met, and they would cough up money or connections or a plan Okay. So, according to Skull and Bones lore, and this is something that both Senator Kerry and president bush would have learned, in 322 B.C., a Greek orator died. When he died, the goddess Eulogia, the goddess, whom Skull and Bones called the goddess of eloquence, arose to the heavens and didn't happen to come back down until 1832, when she happened to take up residence in the tomb of Skull and Bones. Now Skull and Bones does everything in deference to this goddess. They have songs or they call them that sacred anthems that they sing when they are encouraged to steal things, some remarkably valuable items, supposedly, they are said to be bringing back gifts to the goddess. They begin each session in the tomb, and they meet twice weekly by unveiling a sort of a guilt shrine to Eulogia. That's the point of the society. They call themselves the Knights of
Eulogia. That's where the 322 comes in. ... I think partly because for George W. Bush, his Skull and Bones connections sort of work with the whole theory that he's riding his father's coattails and that he has gotten his way in life because of his connections, which I would agree with, and which I have traced in secrets of the tomb, to align closely with his Skull and Bones connections. He turned to Skull and Bones throughout his career for help. Even his Rangers deal, which is supposed to be the one thing he achieved on his own, had at least one Bonesman involved. [article link]
George W., Knight of Eulogia - Inside the temple (Skull & Bones Tomb) on [64] High Street hang paintings of some of Skull and Bones's more illustrious members; the painting of George Bush [Sr.], the most recently installed, is five feet high On High Street, in the middle of the Yale University campus, stands a cold-looking, nearly windowless GrecoEgyptian building with padlocked iron doors. This is the home of Yale's most famous secret society, Skull and Bones, and it is also, in a sense, one of the many homes of the family of George W. Bush, Yale '68. Bush men have been Yale men and Bonesmen for generations. Prescott Bush, George W.'s grandfather, Yale '17, was a legendary Bonesman; he was a member of the band that stole for the society what became one of its most treasured artifacts: a skull that was said to be that of the Apache chief Geronimo. Prescott Bush, one of a great many Bonesmen who went on to lives of power and renown, became a U.S. senator. George Herbert Walker Bush, George W.'s father, Yale '48, was also a Bonesman, and he, too, made a conspicuous success of himself. Inside the temple on High Street hang paintings of some of Skull and Bones's more illustrious members; the painting of George Bush, the most recently installed, is five feet high. There were other Bush Bonesmen, a proud line of them stretching from great uncle George Herbert Walker Jr. to uncle Jonathan Bush to cousins George Herbert Walker III and Ray Walker. So when George W. was "tapped" for Skull and Bones, at the end of his junior year, he, too, naturally became a Bonesman ... New members of Skull and Bones are assigned secret names, by which fellow Bonesmen will forever know them. The name Long Devil is assigned to the tallest member; Boaz (short for Beelzebub) goes to any member who is a varsity football captain. Many of the chosen names are drawn from literature (Hamlet, Uncle Remus), from religion, and from myth. ... The name Magog (destroyer) is traditionally assigned to the incoming Bonesman deemed to have had the most sexual experience, and Gog goes to the new member with the least sexual experience. William Howard Taft and Robert Taft were Magogs. So, interestingly, was George Bush [Sr]. George W. was not assigned a name but invited to choose one. According to one report, nothing came to mind, so he was given the name Temporary, which, it is said, he never bothered to replace; Temporary is how Bush's fellow Bonesmen know him today. {The code word 'temporary' attached to Bush Jr. as a Skull & Bones member is considered a sign that Bush Jr. is only temporary and that he is to be sacrificed to the Satanic NWO agenda. Look for Bush to be tried for war crimes by a NWO court after he has left office. As a child Bush Jr. (firstborn) was offered as a sacrifice to Satan by the Satanic Bush parents George and Barbara, only the timing of the sacrifice is yet to be determined.} [article link]
Mormon (LDS) harassment and persecution of non-Mormons - LDS doesn't want people to come to their church - 1 of 2 (Youtube) The LDS church apostle Thomas S. Monson said that he welcomed jack-mormons, ex-mormons, questioning mormons and inactive members of the church back.. that is not what the rest of LDS want.. [article link]
Mormon (LDS) harassment and persecution of non-Mormons - LDS doesn't want people to come to their church - 2 of 2 (Youtube) The LDS (cult) church treats people otherwise that don't conform so easily to the standards of the church good. They treat them bad. The LDS church is not christ like. ... Comments: I am a Mormon who has just left the church and he has not fabricated anything, sadly. There is no exceptance in the church. I had a friend that was struggling to get her gambling under control and was told that she was not worthy. There is no room in their
religion for a recovering compulsive gambler...which by the way she did not have to be honest about but she was trying to get counsel from the Bishop for. Lets not even mention the whole Joseph Smith story, [it] is more like a Harry Potter story. [article link]
FEMA inspector (Koley) goes berserk with golf club - the inspector nearly drove over the pedestrian According to the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Koley stopped the car, got out and insisted that "he didn't have to slow down, he was with FEMA" CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - A FEMA inspector, angered at a pedestrian who got in his way, allegedly took out a golf club, chased the pedestrian down and bashed him across the arm, breaking the club in the process. According to the Cedar Rapids Gazette, the incident Friday grew out of an argument, which started after the inspector nearly drove over the pedestrian, and ended with witnesses surrounding the car to prevent the inspector from escaping before authorities arrived. ... After an argument, Kramer turned to walk away, but Koley returned to the car, retrieved a golf club and struck Kramer across the arm. Kramer was not seriously injured, but the Gazette reported that several Penford employees who witnessed the assault surrounded the car to prevent Koley from making a getaway. At one point, according to police, Koley got back in the car and tried to nudge the vehicle through the crowd, nearly running down Kramer a second time. Koley has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and booked into the Jones County Jail in nearby Anamosa, Iowa. [article link]
Mormon Website - Why people leave the LDS Church, and what we (Mormons) can do about it - 'Screencast' (Mormon) Recommendations: Forget "true"...consider "good" what will bring you the most joy? - You can be a Mormon on your own terms at the core everyone is {This guy goes to great lengths to reveal many of the inconstancies of Mormonism. In short after much agonizing and despite what he intends he concludes that the LDS religion has so many inconsistencies and hidden errors that indeed LDS Mormonism is deeply flawed. But his main response is that yes the LDS is a lie but it's still kind of a neat group to belong to so just pretend the lies don't exist, pay your money and stay in the LDS group as flawed as it is.} (Mormon - audio & slides, presentation) Recently a (LDS) stake high councilman came to me very concerned about a family that had just decided to leave the (LDS) church, and have their names removed from the records. He and his wife were desperate to know how to counsel this family-one of the best and brightest in their stake. To help, I came up with this screencast. The basic premises are-1) you can't help them if you don't know what they're going through, and 2) you can't help them by making them a "project". For those of you with loved ones who have left or are leaving, I would love you to watch/listen to this and let me know what you think. For those of you who are struggling, or have left, I would love to know if you or your family/friends would find this useful, in helping people understand and deal with your situation better. Please let me know. This is only in draft form, and I could really use your feedback. [article link]
Mormon Website - Why people leave the LDS Church, and what we (Mormons) can do about it (Mp3) Recently a (LDS) stake high councilman came to me very concerned about a family that had just decided to leave the (LDS) church, and have their names removed from the records. He and his wife were desperate to know how to counsel this family-one of the best and brightest in their stake. To help, I came up with this screencast. The basic premises are-1) you can't help them if you don't know what they're going through, and 2) you can't help them by making them a "project". For those of you with loved ones who have left or are leaving, I would love you to watch/listen to this and let me know what you think. For those of you who are struggling, or have left, I would love to know if you or your family/friends would find this useful, in helping people understand and deal with your situation better. Please let me know. This is only in draft form, and I could really use your feedback. [article link]
Director of Will Smith-Founded School Says It's Not Scientologist - "We are a secular school, and just like all nonreligious independent schools, faculty and staff do not promote their own religions at school or pass on the beliefs of their particular faith to children" {Every teaching is eventually grounded in a religious belief. The religion of secular schools is neo-paganism (sex-condoms, drugs, evolution, rebellion against God), to believe that secular schools don't teach a religion and that they don't fanatically teach their religion is the height of naivety.} LOS ANGELES - Will Smith 's soon-to-open private school is not a Scientology facility, as some reports have suggested, the academy's director said. Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, have founded the New Village Academy, scheduled to open in September. The school will use instructional methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard called study technology. And a few teachers belong to the (Scientology) church. ... "We are a secular school, and just like all nonreligious independent schools, faculty and staff do not promote their own religions at school or pass on the beliefs of their particular faith to children," New Village Academy director Jacqueline Olivier told the Los Angeles Times. Oliver said some of the school's staffers are Scientologists, Muslim, Christian or Jewish. [article link]
{Flashback} Can you believe this goes on at U.S. colleges? - Stunning new DVD shows universities today resemble totalitarian states - Censorship, Enforced political conformity, Hostility to diversity of opinion, Sensitivity training Censorship. Enforced political conformity. Hostility to diversity of opinion. Sensitivity training. Though such despotic tactics are usually associated with totalitarian regimes, they increasingly describe life on America's university campuses. "When we think of going to college, we think of intellectual freedom. We imagine four years of exploring ideas through energetic, ongoing, critical thinking and debate," says filmmaker Evan Coyne Maloney in the stunning new video documentary "Indoctrinate U: Our Education, Their Politics." "But the reality is very far from the ideal. What most of us don't know is that American college students check their First Amendment rights and individual freedom at the door." Hailed by the New York Sun as one of "America's most promising" documentary filmmakers, Maloney has assembled a scorching indictment of higher education in America today, one sure to make students, parents, trustees, lawmakers and concerned citizens sit up and take notice. Produced by On the Fence Films, with the support of the Moving Picture Institute, "Indoctrinate U" makes the campus culture wars - often treated as an abstract, hopelessly partisan battle - intensely personal and unforgettably human. [article link]
Mitzi Nelson's Testimony out of (LDS) Mormonism and Into Christianity "the arms of Jesus" - Mormonism vs. Christianity "It's all about TRUTH!" (Video 9:02) Comments: falcon on June 30th, 2008 Thank you for sharing Mitzi's testimony here. It's encouraging to see someone do the hard work of research and study and then have the courage to walk away from what they once thought to be true. The light of the Gospel does shine and the darkness cannot overcome it. Her testimony is now about Jesus and her salvation through faith in Him. It's not about Joseph Smith. It's about Jesus. [article link]
Does Mormonism Attack Other Religious Systems? Yes! (YouTube 9:04) Comments: I was baptized as a Mormon years ago as a child, I just have one thing to say, no threat to anyone intended. If ANY church/denomination/religion/division tells you that you will only go to heaven IF you are a member of said denomination, That's when it's time to get up & walk out. There is only 1 way to GOD, & that is through JESUS CHRIST, and no denomination can give him to anyone, he must be found inside, on your own & the decision made, on your own. Fellowship is good. Be sure they teach CHRIST. [article link]
The Marks of a Cult: A Biblical Analysis - A fascinating analysis examining the core of Christian orthodoxy where denominations within the true Church ends and a cult like (LDS) Mormonism begins {Note: Redemption is a work of God, specifically the work of the cross (death, dead to sin - this world). Once redeemed, returned to the presence of God, salvation (healing - alive in Jesus Christ in heaven) is now a cooperative work between God (Holy Spirit) and people. The Church points the way to the cross of Jesus to redemption and the Church (fellowship) also teaches and administers the healing salvation, life in heaven. Attending a good Bible based redemption and salvation Christian Church is crucial to developing our own personal Spiritual wellbeing.} (DVD $12.95) "Once again, The Apologetics Group has developed a scholarly presentation addressing a vital current issue. This new production not only deals with how to identify The Marks of a Cult, but in its own right is a type of "mini-systematic theology" that will greatly benefit any individual or church group. I highly recommend it for a better understanding of cult beliefs and practice, as well as, developing your understanding of historic Christian theology." Dr. Kenneth G. Talbot - President, Whitefield Theological Seminary. [article link]
***The Marks of a Cult: Division from Historic Christianity (Salvation from God) is the Mark of a Cult {This Excellent 10 min video clip exactly explains how and why cults like the LDS take the focus off of God (Jesus) and place it on cult leaders. Removing salvation from God while pretending to place it in the hands of the cult leaders.} (Online Video) falcon on June 18th, 2008: Excellent video. Add to it the notion to trust the leaders unquestionably and once the prophet/leader speaks the thinking is done. According to the Mormon church, can a member leave the church and still be saved? A big NO! Are the members controled by the leaders? Totally! The elite leaders own the salvation of the little gerbil followers so they can keep these folks busy on the little religion wheel running as fast they can. And the beauty of the gerbil wheel, to the leaders, is that the little gerbil followers never get any where. So they keep trying. And if the gerbils try to break out, they're reminded that outer darkness awaits anyone who leaves. Total control through fear. This is flat out spiritual abuse with the abused blaming themselves and not the abusers. No wonder the exMos carry anger with them for years. [article link]
Standing Fast in the Truth of the Gospel (Gospel - Jesus is God, He alone freely gives of His Eternal Life) "Unchanging Gospel" We must stand for the Gospel in our generation - So: define it, delight in it, declare it and defend it! {John 6:33 For the bread of God is He (Jesus) which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. -- John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee (Heavenly Father) the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. -- Holy Bible} Note: In the original Bible the word 'and' is an equal sign '=' "God and(=) Jesus" Jesus is God, (Holy Father, Holy Son Jesus, Holy Spirit) also in the original (Hebrew/Greek) Bible the letters (alphabet) represent numbers. (Mp3) Dr. Alan Cairns served for 25 years as pastor of Faith Free Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC, before retiring and being named Pastor Emeritus in 2007. Prior to coming to the United States, he pastored Free Presbyterian churches in Dunmurry and Ballymoney, in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. Dr. Cairns also held the position Professor of Theology in the Whitefield College of the Bible in Northern Ireland and lectured in what is now Geneva Reformed Seminary in Greenville. As both an author and expositor, Dr. Cairns is revered for his Christcentered focus and gifts of scriptural insight. [article link]
Bill Clinton: Obama has to 'kiss my *&%!' Former president's rage still so great even loyal allies shocked by attitude {The politicians love to dish out their lies, tricks, deceit and dirty games onto the American people but when they get a taste of their own medicine from a system they cultivate they can't handle it.} Despite Barack Obama's and Hillary Clinton's show of unity yesterday at a rally in Unity, N.H., a senior Democrat adviser who worked for Bill Clinton said the former president is so enraged by the primary campaign that he has told friends Obama will have to beg for his full support. The adviser told the London Telegraph even
Clinton's closest friends are shocked by his lingering fury. "He's been angry for a while. But everyone thought he would get over it. He hasn't. I've spoken to a couple of people who he's been in contact with and he is mad as hell," the senior Democrat said. ... During the campaign, Clinton's temper came to the forefront when he accused the Obama campaign of injuring his reputation by interpreting his remarks as racist. [article link]
June 27, 2008: Outspoken U.S. archbishop to lead Vatican court - "This is more power than Americans have ever had in Rome" - Archbishop Raymond Burke, an expert in church law and perhaps the most outspoken of conservative U.S. bishops, will likely be made a cardinal after his appointment Friday - The supreme court is traditionally headed by a cardinal - Bozek, the Polish priest, said Burke could well be on his way to a future papacy "He may well become the first American pope" {There is little to no chance of an "American Pope" anytime soon besides there is a [non-biblical] Malachi Martin prophecy that says the next Pope will not be a real Pope but instead will be the "False Prophet" of the Antichrist.} ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AP) -- An archbishop who tussled with singer Sheryl Crow, college basketball coach Rick Majerus, and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry over their support for abortion rights has been named as the first American to lead the Vatican supreme court. Rev. Marek Bozek, who, along with his parish board, were excommunicated by Burke after a long-simmering dispute over control of St. Stanislaus Kostka's assets. Burke also excommunicated three women for participating in a women's ordination that is forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church. ... In 2004, Burke caused a stir by saying he would deny Communion to Kerry because of the Massachusetts senator's stance supporting abortion rights. Last year, Burke indicated he would so the same for then-Republican front-runner Rudy Giuliani. He also protested Crow's appearance at a benefit for a Catholic children's hospital over her support for embryonic stem cell research. In January, Burke called on Saint Louis University, a Jesuit school, to discipline Majerus for publicly supporting abortion rights. "Every prochoice Catholic Democrat politician should be very nervous," Reese said. "He made his name in the U.S. by denying Communion to pro-choice politicians. "If he gets that view articulated strongly in Rome, he could become the voice for having that position for the universal church." Bozek, the Polish priest, said Burke could well be on his way to a future papacy. "With this office, he will be named cardinal in the very near future, and as cardinal he will have the chance to run for pope two or three times in his lifetime," he said. "He may well become the first American pope." [article link]
The (Civil War) Battle of Gettysburg - Setting the Stage - June 1863 - (General) Hooker lost the confidence of his Corps commanders - Joseph Hooker tendered his resignation, President Lincoln immediately accepted Very early in the morning on June 28, 1863, three days before the Battle of Gettysburg would begin, President Lincoln ordered Major General George Gordon Meade to take command of the Army of the Potomac But with the first hard fighting of the Battle of Chancellorsville, Hooker lost the confidence of his Corps commanders when he withdrew to a defensive position while victory still hung in the balance. Some of his Corps and Division commanders expressed their plummeting opinions of "Fighting Joe's" capabilities in person to President Lincoln. When, in an ongoing quarrel with General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck, Joseph Hooker tendered his resignation, President Lincoln immediately accepted. Very early in the morning on June 28, 1863, three days before the Battle of Gettysburg would begin, President Lincoln ordered Major General George Gordon Meade to take command of the Army of the Potomac. Meade would follow in the footsteps of McClellan, Pope, Burnside, and Hooker, all of whom had commanded an Eastern Theater Army within the last year. Although General Meade's subordinates viewed him as capable, he did not inspire the same loyalty, confidence, and enthusiasm as did (Confederate) General Lee. Many of the men however, did not doubt their own abilities to defend northern soil. [article link]
Nazis: The Occult Conspiracy Part 1 (Google Video - Download) Nazis-the occult conspiracy is a documentary about how the Hitler and the Nazis made use of occultism
(attempting) to win the war, and to remind the Germans that they were the best humans on the planet, the master-race. There are better documentaries around, but this is a solid documentary. There are many rare pictures from Nazi-Germany to be seen here, and you get to learn more about the religous beliefs of nazileaders like: Hitler, Goebbles, Goering, Hess and Himmler. I can't advice people enough to watch documentaries about Nazi-Germany, because they show how crazy and evil humans can be. [article link]
Nazis: The Occult Conspiracy Part 2 (Google Video - Download) Nazis-the occult conspiracy is a documentary about how the Hitler and the Nazis made use of occultism (attempting) to win the war, and to remind the Germans that they were the best humans on the planet, the master-race. There are better documentaries around, but this is a solid documentary. There are many rare pictures from Nazi-Germany to be seen here, and you get to learn more about the religous beliefs of nazileaders like: Hitler, Goebbles, Goering, Hess and Himmler. I can't advice people enough to watch documentaries about Nazi-Germany, because they show how crazy and evil humans can be. [article link]
The Occult History of the Third Reich: Adolf Hitler (Google Video - Download) Four volume documentary set ("Adolph Hitler", "The SS Blood and Soil", "The Enigma of the Swastika", and "Himmler The Mystic") containing mainly B&W as well as some color archival footage, with narration explaining the influences of alternative belief systems (occult, paganism, mysticism, etc) on the Nazi ideology and Hitler's personal philosophy. Also documents the history and development of the ideas and symbols that would be used along with eugenicist racial politics to perpetrate the murder and oppression of millions during World War II. [article link]
The Occult History of the Third Reich: Heinrich Himmler (Google Video - Download) Four volume documentary set ("Adolph Hitler", "The SS Blood and Soil", "The Enigma of the Swastika", and "Himmler The Mystic") containing mainly B&W as well as some color archival footage, with narration explaining the influences of alternative belief systems (occult, paganism, mysticism, etc) on the Nazi ideology and Hitler's personal philosophy. Also documents the history and development of the ideas and symbols that would be used along with eugenicist racial politics to perpetrate the murder and oppression of millions during World War II. [article link]
Nazi Concentration Camps (Nuremberg Trial Film) - {Graphic Content} (Google Video - Download) The file entitled "Nazi Concentration Camps" was entered as evidence at the 1945 Nuremberg Trials of Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess, and 22 other Nazi officials at the end of World War II. It presented a stark picture of the atrocities of the Holocaust and ensured than no one would ever doubt the meaning of the charge "crimes against humanity." [article link]
An Alfred Hitchcock documentary on the Nazi Holocaust - {Graphic Content} (Google Video - Download) A film the British Government deemed too grisly for release after World War II - has received its public debut on British television. Fifteen minutes of the black-and- white film, which was shot by the armed forces after the war, were televised Tuesday night by the Independent Television News. [article link]
Part 1: Channeled WW2 German General Sets the Record Straight on Nazi Motivations {Note: This material is not 'channeled' via some unnamed, unknown dead Nazi general. It is the same material, ideas and concepts that has circulated among the Holocaust survivors themselves as they grappled to come to terms with the powerful events that overcame them on such a large scale. This article does show better than most other
articles that mankind, friend or foe, Nazi or American were both manipulated into killing on a mass scale and this is done via the demonic, Satanic spiritual realm the truly unseen hand that directs the evil affairs of all mankind.} [A deep magic is performed] The number and manner of the deaths in the death camps, even the locations of the camps, which were of astrological points of power, the timing of the deaths, and the vast deep heartrending swell of anguish rolling up from deep within the very souls of our camp guests, was all part of the plan. You cannot know the purity of our satisfaction. Those of us who fell from the high purpose, who lost the vision and went insane and killed randomly, were working against the grand plan. -- You cannot know the satisfaction we felt as we saw the numbers ticking away, the bodies stacking up, the criminals dying, leading to one great grand flash of light, the atomic blast at Hiroshima, as we hoped, prayed, and planned. Yes, you, who think yourself so much better than we for not having committed these atrocities, you were part of this grand incantation, and without will, without knowledge, you performed the final blinding burst of the magic spell. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were our aim and our goal-oh, not necessarily those cities, but that beautiful bright blinding blast of pitiless, heartless, loveless light that was so much brighter and whiter than any other light that had ever been manifest on this planet. Even in our defeat we had succeeded. We welcomed Lucifer with joyous and open arms, and went to our (Nazi) deaths knowing we had succeeded in opening the very gates of Hell here on this planet. And for that we would be well rewarded, oh well rewarded. {Except that Lucifer, Satan the Devil is a liar and has no eternal rewards but only death, destruction and mocking so an eternal bargain with Lucifer for any person, at any time and in any place is a bad deal in fact it is the worst deal.} ... for this war is still being fought and this World War II that you think is long over and dead, and you have your documentaries and your black-and-white footage and your computer re-creations, and it is all very grand and noble and distant-it is still being fought in the hearts and minds and spirits of every being on this planet. It has far deeper and far older roots than you might imagine, and further-reaching consequences than you might imagine. [article link]
Part 2: Betrayal was built into the (Nazi) magic - from an external viewpoint it was more than obvious that it had to come - It was beyond our understanding, this concept, this idea that what you do and how you do it shapes what the outcome will be in that manner {Even at the height of the Nazi political, military and civilian power and control the Nazi system was a broken system. The Nazi system was beset by infighting (instigated by Hitler), backstabbing, lies, fraud, greed, cheating and stealing by even the most adherent Nazi supporters turning the Nazi party into an impractical primordial survival of the fittest goo. If the rest of the world had never even fired a shot the Nazi system would have collapsed of its own defects. Fortunately the WWII Allies saved Europe from the catastrophe that was the Hitler Nazi Party.} [Betrayal was built into the magic] And that was where the betrayal came in-the betrayal that, in retrospect, we now see as having been so obvious, so inherent in the deep magic we practiced, that from an external viewpoint it was more than obvious that it had to come. For in the massive acts of betrayal that we were performing daily, hourly, minutely by the minute, we were building into the magic the concept and structure of betrayal. It was beyond our understanding, this concept, this idea that what you do and how you do it shapes what the outcome will be in that manner. We had so disconnected ourselves from our hearts and our deep feelings of emotions, intuitions, and yearnings that we were like cold, pure, machines of ice. We had taken our Germanic heritage of rationality über alles to the very most extreme, and we were tripped up by the flaws inherent in that pursuit. [article link]
Massachusetts Lawmaker's Pledge to 'Rip Apart' Child Rape Victims at Trial Draws Fury - A Massachusetts politician and defense attorney has touched off a firestorm with his shocking public vow to torment and "rip apart" child rape victims who take the witness stand if the state legislature passed stiff mandatory sentences for child sex offenders - Massachusetts State Rep. James Fagan is a Democrat representing the Third Bristol District ... has been representing the district since 1993, and serves as chair of the House ethics committee {Rep. James
Fagan is among the voices, faces, and forces of the new "political correctness" movement where "correctness" is only what they define and what they allow to exist, it is in every way similar to the Nazi "political correctness" of the past.} Rep. James Fagan, a Democrat, made the comments during debate last month on the state House floor. "I'm gonna rip them apart," Fagan said of young victims during his testimony on the bill. "I'm going to make sure that the rest of their life is ruined, that when they're 8 years old, they throw up; when they're 12 years old, they won't sleep; when they're 19 years old, they'll have nightmares and they'll never have a relationship with anybody." "I thought his comments were over the top and unnecessary," Massachusetts House Minority Leader Bradley Jones told FOXNews.com on Wednesday. Fagan did not respond to repeated requests for comment from FOXNews.com. His remarks drew the ire of local activists as well as colleagues. "I appreciate that he's a defense attorney, and felt he had a point to make, but I think it was unnecessary," said Jones, who supported an original version of the bill. "It was excessive." ... Reader Information: State Rep. James Fagan is a Democrat representing the Third Bristol District, which includes the city of Taunton. Fagan, a 1973 graduate of Suffolk Law School, has been representing the district since 1993, and serves as chair of the House ethics committee. [article link]
Famous World Trials (Nazi) Nuremberg Trials 1945-1949 - The Justice Trial considered the criminal responsibility of judges who enforce immoral laws - Fritzsche, Hans (War Criminals Trial) - Fritzsche was acquitted by the IMT (International Military Tribunal) - He said, "I am entirely overwhelmed--to be set free right here, not even to be sent back to Russia That was more than I hoped for" He was later tried and convicted by a German court, then freed in 1950. He died in 1953 {The Nazi's conceived, established and staffed over 300 concentration-death camps. The WWII era crimes of Nazi Germany were immense yet the punishments handed out by the Nuremberg IMT Trial were almost non-existent. The Nuremburg Trial was more cover-up than correction.} No trial provides a better basis for understanding the nature and causes of evil than do the Nuremberg trials from 1945 to 1949. Those who come to the trials expecting to find sadistic monsters are generally disappointed. What is shocking about Nuremberg is the ordinariness of the defendants: men who may be good fathers, kind to animals, even unassuming--yet who committed unspeakable crimes. Years later, reporting on the trial of Adolf Eichmann, Hannah Arendt wrote of "the banality of evil." Like Eichmann, most Nuremberg defendants never aspired to be villains. Rather, they over-identified with an ideological cause and suffered from a lack of imagination or empathy: they couldn't fully appreciate the human consequences of their careermotivated decisions. -- Twelve trials, involving over a hundred defendants and several different courts, took place in Nuremberg from 1945 to 1949. By far the most attention--not surprisingly, given the figures involved-has focused on the first Nuremberg trial of twenty-one major war criminals. Several of the eleven subsequent Nuremberg trials, however, involved conduct no less troubling--and issues at least as interesting--as the Major War Criminals Trial. For example, the trial of sixteen German judges and officials of the Reich Ministry (The Justice Trial) considered the criminal responsibility of judges who enforce immoral laws. (The Justice Trial became the inspiration for the acclaimed Hollywood movie, Judgment at Nuremberg.) Other subsequent trials, such as the Doctors Trial and the Einsatzgruppen [final solution of the Jews] Trial, are especially compelling because of the horrific events described by prosecution witnesses. These three subsequent trials each receive separate coverage elsewhere in this website. By Doug Linder (c) 2000. [article link]
Wikipedia.org: Nazi Leader - Ernst Röhm - In 1930 Hitler personally assumed command of the [bully police] "brownshirts" Storm Troopers (SA) ... and sent a personal request to Röhm, asking that he return to Germany to serve as the SA's chief of staff - The SA was purged (by the SS) [ss Gestapo - secret police] during the "Night of the Long Knives" June 30, 1934 - Hitler arranged to arrest Röhm personally at a resort in Bad Wiessee In 1930 Hitler personally assumed command of the SA as its new Oberste SA-Führer and sent a personal request to Röhm, asking that he return to Germany to serve as the SA's chief of staff. Röhm accepted this offer
in 1931, bringing radical new ideas to the SA and staffing its senior leadership with several of his close friends. The more or less open homosexuality of Röhm and other SA leaders such as Edmund Heines along with the stormtroopers' penchant for heavy drinking and street violence added to the SA's notorious reputation in Germany. The SA was a political army, protecting the party leadership and terrorizing primarily communist opponents such as the Red Front. The SA's street-wise use of intimidation contributed to the rise of the Nazis, first in Munich and later throughout Germany. -- Many writers have suggested Röhm and his deputy Edmund Heines allowed or encouraged the promotion of many individuals into SA leadership as a result of liaisons with both themselves and other powerful SA figures for example, Karl Ernst had been a bouncer at a gay nightclub in spite of anti-gay Nazi policies which included the strengthening of Paragraph 175 criminalising homosexual acts of the German Criminal Code of 1871. -- By this time, Röhm and Hitler were so close that Hitler addressed Röhm as du, the intimate German form of "you." In turn, Röhm was the only member of the party who addressed Hitler as "Adolf," rather than "my Führer." ... Although determined to curb the power of the SA, Hitler put off doing away with his long-time comrade Ernst Röhm to the very end. Himmler, Heydrich and Göring used Röhm's published anti-Hitler rhetoric to assert the SA was plotting to overthrow Hitler. The SA was purged during the "Night of the Long Knives" in June 1934. Hitler arranged to arrest Röhm personally at a resort in Bad Wiessee on June 30. Röhm was briefly held without trial at Stadelheim Prison in Munich in cell 70. Hitler was uneasy authorizing his execution and as a last act of compassion, ensured he had an opportunity to commit suicide first. On July 2 he was visited by SS-Brigadeführer Theodor Eicke (then Kommandant of Dachau) and SS-Sturmbannführer Michael Lippert, who offered Röhm a pistol. When Röhm refused to commit suicide, Lippert shot Röhm at point-blank range. The purge of the SA was legalized the next day by a decree in the Law Regarding Measures of State Self-Defense. John Toland noted that Hitler, while disapproving, had long been privately aware Röhm was homosexual but Nazi propaganda accounts of the purge made use of Röhm's sexual orientation as a justification of his execution. Ernst Röhm was buried in the Westfriedhof (Western Cemetery), in Munich. [article link]
Wikipedia.org: Nazi Leader - Heinrich Himmler - Himmler underwent religious turmoil during his (college) studies at Munich Technische Hochschule. In his diaries he claimed to be a devout Catholic, and wrote that he would never turn away from the church. However, he was a member of a fraternity which he felt to be at odds with the tenets of the church - Himmler became a disbeliever of Christian doctrine and was very critical of sermons given by priests - In 1923, Himmler took part in Hitler's [failed] Beer Hall Putsch (coup d'état government takeover) under Ernst Röhm - Heinrich joined the SS in 1925 and became deputy-Reichsführer-SS in 1927 Heinrich Luitpold Himmler 7 October 1900 - 23 May 1945 was a high-ranking German Nazi politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS). Throughout much of the war he was the second most powerful man in Nazi Germany, having displaced Hermann Göring. As Reichsführer-SS he oversaw all police and security forces, including the Gestapo. As overseer of the concentration camps, extermination camps, and Einsatzgruppen (death squads), Himmler co-ordinated the killing of millions of Jews, between 200,000 and 500,000 Romanians, many prisoners of war, and perhaps another three to four million Poles, communists, or other groups whom the Nazis deemed unworthy to live or simply 'in the way', including homosexuals, and those with physical and mental disabilities. Shortly before the end of the war, he offered to surrender to the Allies if he were spared from prosecution. However, after being arrested by British forces, he committed suicide before he could be questioned. ... Himmler underwent religious turmoil during his studies at Munich Technische Hochschule. In his diaries he claimed to be a devout Catholic, and wrote that he would never turn away from the church. However, he was a member of a fraternity which he felt to be at odds with the tenets of the church: biographers have defined Himmler's theology as Ariosophy, his own religious dogma of racial superiority of the Aryan race and Germanic Meso-Paganism, partly from his interests in folklore and mythology of the ancient Teutonic tribes of Northern Europe. Himmler became a disbeliever of Christian doctrine and was very critical of sermons given by priests. ... A recently-published book by pro-Nazi, Holocaust denier Joseph Bellinger, - offers a speculative account of
Himmler's death, stating that Himmler was assassinated by his British interrogators in May 1945 along with other high-ranking officers of the SS and Werwolf organizations. ... Bellinger's account was first published in Germany - It is largely derivative of the mainstream book, Himmler's Secret War, by Martin Allen, which makes identical allegations, but later admitted to being based on fabricated documents, "in fact produced using a laser printer, documents replete with anachronistic terminology" Public confirmation of the hoax was forthcoming in "July 2005, it was discovered that a number of files held at The National Archives [England] contained forged documents." In May of 2008, a conclusive and thorough British police investigation "identified 29 forgeries that had been slipped into 12 files after 2000" which had been used to support recent Himmler conspiracies and speculations. The Financial Times (FT.com) newspaper further reported that "the forgeries were cited as sources by a historian who had written three books about World War Two." [article link]
Why one vegetarian activist is obsessed with Hitler's diet - like other devout vegetarians, whose diets are inextricably linked to their self-avowed, pacifistic lifestyles, can't stand being associated with Hitler - John Lukacs, author of Hitler of History, says that the German leader was "mostly a vegetarian" especially after 1938, when Hitler began to worry that his health was failing - Is vegetarianism really undermined if it's true that Hitler abstained from meat? - Berry's new book, Hitler: Neither Vegetarian nor Animal Lover {Hitler was a practicing vegetarian and also an avowed animal rights person but the real connection to the modern vegetarian, sexual perversion, animal rights movement is that it is about as friendly and tolerant of others as the Hitler Nazi movement was of their skeptics. The present vegetarian "political correctness" is every bit as intolerant and as aggressive in their ideals as the past Nazi "political correctness" was in theirs. It really shows in the main politically correct doctrine of global population reduction and a "sustainable growth" of course sustainable according only to their ideas and doctrines of who and how many people should be allowed to live on the earth.} While the book doesn't quote any primary sources, the secondary sources Berry uses-newspaper articles, memoirs, other historical texts-seem reputable. The generally accepted idea about Hitler's nutritional regime seems to be that he at least tried to be a vegetarian. ... Berry asserts that propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels furthered the notion of Hitler as a strict vegetarian to make the ruthless dictator seem like an ascetic without vices who neither drank, nor smoked, nor ate meat, and was devoted above all to his people. Most lies told by the Third Reich were exposed in the postwar years, but not this one, according to Berry. "It's too good a story for historians to spoil it with the truth," he says. "They relish the paradox that a genocidal tyrant might have observed a Gandhian diet." ... Daniel Goldhagen, a Harvard political scientist and author of Hitler's Willing Executioners, a look at how a number of ordinary Germans eagerly assisted in Hitler's genocidal terror, has been a vegetarian since he was 10. Yet despite his intimate understanding of both vegetarianism and Hitler, he doesn't see a connection. ... Like Hitler, many vegetarians cheat on their diet. Does this make them like Hitler? Of course not. It only makes them crappy vegetarians-at least according to Rynn Berry. [article link]
Bush and Hitler (billboards) 'back' stray dog campaign (2008) in Romania - Hitler was a well-known animal lover who could not abide cruelty to any animals George Bush, Adolf Hitler and Nicolae Ceausescu are being used to persuade people to adopt stray dogs in Romania. Posters featuring them with the slogan: "A dog loves you just the way you are" are appearing on billboards across the country. Hitler was a well-known animal lover who could not abide cruelty to any animals, while Ceausescu, who ran a police state that tortured and murdered thousands, was rarely seen without his two pet dogs, Corbu and Sarona. ... Ioana Casetti, the president of the Romanian National Committee for the Protection of Animals, said: "Our idea is to make people sensitive to what an animal can offer in terms of affection by showing them that even the most hated dictators on this planet received love from their dogs. ... Bucharest and other Romanian cities have huge problems with stray dogs and an estimated 200,000 roam the country at any one time. [article link]
'It's About Jerusalem' - Audio Parts 1-3 (Mp3's) Great Sermon! AWESOME and moving word by Brother Baity on Jerusalem and gratitude to God for our blessings. [article link]
Wyoming Mountain Depicted on Colorado Stamp? - The U.S. Postal Service plans to issue a total of 60 flag stamps in alphabetical order -- one for each state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories as well as the stars and stripes FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Colorado's new flag stamp that went on sale two weeks ago as part of a new national stamp series may have a major problem: the mountain is in Wyoming. The U.S. Postal Service stamp shows the Colorado flag, with a snowy mountain and evergreen trees. ... TheDenverChannel.com located a photo of Mount Helen and attempted to see if it matched. You can see from the animation below how closely the top of Mount Helen matches the artist's rendering on the stamp. ... He said it is supposed to be a generic representation of a mountain -- not a specific mountain in Colorado. [article link]
What Makes McCain Tick? - Unpredictability is welcome as evidence of fresh thinking, but not when it suggests inconsistencies that may be born more of crass opportunism than of insight {McCain seems to be in politics solely to fulfill his own selfish ambitions. How else can a long-term politician be so unmoved by the current crisises gripping America unless he views them as not his concern.} Will the real John McCain stand up? Actually, I don't expect him to, now that he is the Republican presidential candidate, pandering to the irrationalities that drive his party. Nor is it likely that the fawning mass media will pressure him to the point of clarity. But I remain genuinely confused as to what makes him tick. McCain is the most confounding of candidates, veering as he does from the stance of provincial reaction to sophisticated enlightenment within an almost instantaneous time frame. He did it last week when he blasted Barack Obama for being soft in appraising America's adversaries, while in the same moment calling for sensible rapprochement with Vladimir Putin's Russia on nuclear arms control. While such unpredictability can be appealing in a senator, it is unnerving in a possible president. Unpredictability is welcome as evidence of fresh thinking, but not when it suggests inconsistencies that may be born more of crass opportunism than of insight. There are major contradictions in the McCain America has witnessed over the years that are truly troubling. [article link]
Friday, June 26, 1863 - The Battle of Gettysburg - According to the above monument, Private George Washington Sandoe then became "the first Union soldier killed at Gettysburg" - what would become the Battle of Gettysburg, the largest battle ever on the North American continent Less than two months after their victory at Chancellorsville, the (Southern-Confederate) Army of Northern Virginia surged northward. As part of Major General Jubal Anderson Early's Division of Ewell's Corps, Confederate Brigadier General John B. Gordon's Brigade arrived in Gettysburg on June 26, 1863. ... According to the above monument, Private George Washington Sandoe then became "the first Union soldier killed at Gettysburg". Private Sandoe emerged as one of over 20,000 Union casualties stemming from what would become the Battle of Gettysburg, the largest battle ever on the North American continent. However, 1st New York Cavalry Corporal William Rihl in reality had the sad distinction of becoming the first Union casualty to fall on Pennsylvania soil when, days earlier, he came into contact with some of Lee's advanced troopers. Corporal Rihl died during a skirmish with CSA Brigadier General Albert Jenkins' Cavalry on June 22, 1863 just north of Greencastle Pennsylvania about 30 miles west of Gettysburg. The monument pictured here, dedicated to his memory, reads, "A Humble but Brave Defender of the Union". [article link]
Anheuser-Busch cans alcoholic energy drinks - An investigation by attorneys general of 11 states found that the brewer was marketing its caffeinated alcoholic beverages to minors and misrepresenting the drinks' health
benefits NEW YORK (CNN) - Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc., the largest U.S. brewer, will take the "energy" out of its alcoholic energy drinks as part of a nationwide legal settlement, it announced Thursday. An investigation by attorneys general of 11 states found that the brewer was marketing its caffeinated alcoholic beverages to minors and misrepresenting the drinks' health benefits, said New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. As a result of the settlement, Anheuser-Busch will remove caffeine and other stimulants - such as guarana and ginseng - from the drinks, making them simply alcoholic beverages instead of alcoholic energy beverages, the company and the attorneys general said. [article link]
{Flashback} Anheuser-Busch to Stop Selling Beverage Critics Said Was Targeting Minors - a 2-ounce bottle of flavored-malt beverage meant to be mixed with beer or other drinks, or consumed as a shot - Packaged in colorful bottles, Spykes contains 12 percent alcohol by volume - the flavor masks the strong taste of alcohol ST. LOUIS - Anheuser-Busch said Thursday it will stop selling a malt beverage called Spykes, a product under fire from critics who charged that it appealed to underage drinkers. ... "Due to its limited volume potential and unfounded criticism, we have ceased production of Spykes," Michael J. Owens, Anheuser-Busch Cos.' marketing vice president, said in a statement. He said Spykes was introduced about two years ago in test markets, and nationwide in January, but had not performed to expectations. Critics said the product was designed to attract underage drinkers. ... Spykes is a 2-ounce bottle of flavored-malt beverage meant to be mixed with beer or other drinks, or consumed as a shot. Packaged in colorful bottles, Spykes contains 12 percent alcohol by volume. Critics, including more than two dozen state attorneys general, say those characteristics are attractive to underage drinkers. They say the flavor masks the strong taste of alcohol. Spykes comes in four flavors - lime, mango, melon and hot chocolate. It also contains caffeine, ginseng and guarana, which are components of energy drinks popular among teens and young adults. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said, "This move by Anheuser-Busch, ceasing sales of Spykes after attorneys general raised significant concerns, is a significant victory in the fight against underage drinking." He said Spykes appealed to children in taste, packaging and marketing. "Anheuser-Busch is doing the right thing about Spykes - and should become a model for the entire industry by stopping marketing of all caffeinated alcoholic drinks that appeal to underage drinkers," Blumenthal said. [article link]
8/7/2007: McCain's wife controls family's riches - The candidate's spouse (Cindy - daughter of Jim Hensley) runs an investment portfolio of an estimated $36.6 million to $53.4 million and chairs one of the nation's largest beer distributorships - nation's third-largest distributor of Anheuser-Busch products Among presidential candidates, GOP Sen. John McCain has a particularly sophisticated financial adviser: his wife. ... Less well-known is that she is chairwoman of Hensley, the nation's third-largest distributor of AnheuserBusch products. She also controls the McCain family portfolio, which is estimated at between $36.6 million and $53.4 million. ... But like the candidate himself, the McCain family is more distinguished for its valor than its investment prowess. The Arizona senator was the most famous POW in the Vietnam War, and both of his sons are in the service, one at the U.S. Naval Academy and the other a Marine private bound for Iraq. [article link]
June 10, 2008: McCain: 'I will veto every single beer' {Well McCain has the slip of the tongue brains of Bush Jr. McCain would be a 3rd Bush term with no real plans for America. McCain's second wife Cindy chairs her deceased father's (Jim Hensley) business it is the 3rd largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributor in America so McCain likely has beer on his mind.} (Video) He'll veto every single beer? In a slip of the tongue while railing against excessive earmarks at the National Small Business Summit in Washington, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee inadvertently pledged to veto the popular alcoholic beverage. I will use the veto as needed. I will veto every single beer - bill with earmarks," he said, as rumblings from the crowd could be heard. "And every single bill that we have come
across my desk I will make them famous. I will veto them, you will know their names." ... Aside from vetoing beer, it's kind of disturbing to hear him say that he'll veto every bill with earmarks. Sometimes earmarks are good things! Imagine if the Rep. from Minneapolis/St Paul had earmarked some $$ for bridge reconstruction! Of course some of them are outrageous Alaska, I'm looking at you but not all. I'm just sayin'. [article link]
Congress tasks intelligence community to work on greatest threat facing America - fighting Al Gore's battles - a new National Intelligence Assessment on Global Climate Change {Is anyone else getting the feeling that a REAL "Global War on Terrorism" is not being fought but that a show is being put on just to enforce stricter rules and regulations on everyone.} ... people who joined intel agencies hoping to support our warfighters and inform our policymakers about threats to our security have been tasked to fighting Al Gore's battles. Trained analysts who could be tracking Al Qaeda or probing for weaknesses in Mugabe's regime or watching China's buildup or tracking smugglers or interrogating Khaled Sheikh Mohammed are instead cranking out a new National Intelligence Assessment on Global Climate Change. [article link]
KJV Bible in Mp3 - Audio Only (Mp3 Downloads) The complete King James Version Bible in mp3 audio format on a 2 disc set. This recording can be legally copied for non-commercial use. Voice narration only. Non-dramatized with no background music. There are individual mp3 files for each chapter of the Bible and playlist for each book are also included. [article link]
--New Article-- The 7 Church Letters of Revelation from Jesus Christ - The Christian Church is divided into Seven Church groups - Which Church group are You in? Like the seven miracles that we went through in the Gospel of John that John himself personally witnessed, Jesus personally spoke to the disciple John and had John write an evaluation of the Christian Church in the book of Revelation - Likewise to critique the entire Christian Church (people) Jesus divided it up into seven churches. Each Church existed in the day that Jesus spoke to John about it and each Church type is still practiced throughout today. Note the book of Revelation and in particular the part about the seven churches is unique because Jesus is asking John to write it for Him. The entire Bible is written by God through man but Revelation makes that point even more evident. So onto the description of the seven churches as critiqued by none other than the resurrected Jesus Himself. ... The Parables of Jesus (Matthew 13:1-50) are from the teaching of Jesus during His time on earth. The letters of the Apostle Paul (New Testament) are from a representative of Jesus and finally the 7 letters of Revelation (Revelation 2:1-3:22) are teaching and instruction from the resurrected Jesus, the three teaching groups span three timeframes with the one unique message of Jesus Christ and His eternal Kingdom. [article link]
Christian Faith Downloads - A Christian resource center with links to many FREE Mp3 downloads (Mp3's) Christian Faith Downloads - 1st Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. [article link]
(PDF) Christian Faith Downloads - A Christian resource center with links to many FREE Mp3 downloads (Mp3's) Christian Faith Downloads - 1st Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. [article link]
LostSeed.com Christian Compilations: The Simple Gospel (Mp3) - Please note that LostSeed is not affiliated with any of the Speakers nor does the music in the background necessarily reflect the speakers taste in music,
we just really like them and think these messages can reach the youth (Mp3's) My brother and sister have listened to these Christian Compilations off and on for a few years and it's really encouraged and convicted us to draw closer to the Lord. Messages are much shorter than sermons which are particularly great for listening to in the car, or for giving to someone who will not listen to a 30 minute message. I only want to share messages that line up with the Bible in the right Spirit. [article link]
Billy Graham - Timeless Truth Series - 9 Video Clips (YouTube) Much more than Crusades, The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) is reaching more people than ever before through innovative ministries and global outreach projects. [article link]
January 10, 2009: Updated - CNN's Staged Video - obviously staged video from Gaza promoted and vouched for by CNN - The company that provided this video story to CNN and several other news outlets is World News & Features (Nepras.net is the designer of the site) - the primary contact and general manager for Nepras.net is none other than the "freelance photographer" who filmed that staged hospital scene Here's an interesting update to the story of the obviously staged video from Gaza promoted and vouched for by CNN. The company that provided this video story to CNN and several other news outlets is World News & Features, as we pointed out yesterday after CNN published their defense of the piece. At the lower right of the World News & Features front page, we find a link to Nepras.net as the designer of the site. ... And the primary contact and general manager for Nepras.net is none other than the "freelance photographer" who filmed that staged hospital scene, Ashraf Mashharawi. -- Overnight, I received several more emails from doctors and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), all expressing the opinion that the video is staged and that the "CPR" shown is an obvious fraud, for many reasons. So far, not one doctor has written to say the technique shown in the video might be genuine. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: End Times Preview - WWI, WWII, WW3 - "The past is not dead - In fact, it's not even past" William Faulkner -- This is most True concerning the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ Revelation 17:10-11 And there are seven [world (middle-east, Jerusalem) rulers: King Nimrod - builder of the tower of Babel, Egypt, Babylon (Iraq), Iran, Greece, Rome (Italy), Antichrist] kings: five are fallen, and one (Rome) is, and the other [7th world King - Antichrist] is not yet come; and when he (Antichrist) cometh, he must continue a short space [3 1/2 years]. And the beast [Antichrist] that was [7th ruler], and is not [because Antichrist is assassinated], even he (Antichrist) is the eighth [false resurrection], and is of the seven [the 7th ruler is killed or seems to be in an assassination, and resurrects himself [false eternal life] (demonic possession) to also become the 8th ruler], and goeth into perdition [everlasting damnation-hell]. -- In a short summary WWII (1939-1945) was Satan's practice run at taking over and ruling the world for his evil, demonic agenda. The next world war the coming future WW3 will be the war that installs a NWO a new world leader called the antichrist. The Bible is clear (Revelation 17:10-11) that after the previous Roman world leader there would not be another world leader until the antichrist. History has proven the Bible to be true and there has been no world leader since the time of Jesus Christ of Nazareth approximately 2,000 years ago. [article link]
January 9, 2008: The rift between Hamas [HAMAS - Gaza Strip] and Palestinian (PA) [Fatah - West Bank] President Abbas flared to the surface yesterday, confirming our position that the real reason for this Israeli attack on Hamas was to remove Hamas from power - the United States [and the UN] desperately wants Abbas [Fatah] to stay in power [over both West Bank and Gaza Strip] because he is a Freemason and is, therefore, totally compliant with the plans of Western Freemasonry to return control [part] of the Temple Mount to Israel so she can build a temple based upon Solomon's old temple - Hamas realizes this fact, as does Hezbollah, which explains their rock-solid resistance to Abbas - Hamas officials said that as of Friday they would not
recognize Abbas's status as president of the PA {According to the Bible the prophets of old explained that Israel and the Jews are the time peace to human time, and particularly the Jewish Temple. If you want to know what "time" it is in human history and human existence then look to Israel (Jerusalem) and the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Right now the 2nd Jewish Temple remains in ruins while the 3rd Jewish Temple is about to be rebuilt [and the correlating time on the calendar of the human experience is far into the plan's of God], something that could not happen before 1967 because Israel did not politically control Jerusalem until then. The next Jewish Temple is significant because coming after the Times of Jesus Christ this temple is for the "End Times" and it is where the Antichrist will eventually rule from. No Jewish Temple in Jerusalem equals no throne for the Antichrist. A 3rd Jewish Temple in Israel equals a throne and a place for the Antichrist.} NEWS BRIEF: "Hamas: Abbas no longer heads Palestinian Authority", The Jerusalem Post, January 9, 2009 "The IDF's anti-Hamas operation in the Gaza Strip has diverted attention from the row over Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's term in office, which expires on Friday. Abbas's aides said he has no plans to step down in the near future, claiming that the PA's Basic Law allows him to stay in power for another year." Israel and the United States desperately wants Abbas to stay in power because he is a Freemason and is, therefore, totally compliant with the plans of Western Freemasonry to return control of the Temple Mount to Israel so she can build a temple based upon Solomon's old temple. Hamas realizes this fact, as does Hezbollah, which explains their rock-solid resistance to Abbas and to the Israeli leadership as they attempt to establish the Palestinian State. "Hamas officials said that as of Friday they would not recognize Abbas's status as president of the PA ... Hamas and some Palestinian legal experts have openly challenged Abbas's right to remain in power after the expiration of his term. 'Thursday was Abbas's last day in office', said Osama Hamdan, the Hamas representative in Lebanon. 'Our position on this issue is clear: Abbas's term in office has expired'." "Mushir alMasri, a spokesman for Hamas in the Gaza Strip, said Abbas would lose credibility because of his refusal to step down. 'He doesn't have the right to speak on behalf of the people', he said. 'He's in power only because the Israelis and the Americans want him to stay'." Exactly! Hamas and Hezbollah view Abbas as a traitor to the Palestinian cause, and a stooge of the Israelis and the Americans. [article link]
The Bush family War in Iraq Babylon - Keeping a Perspective - Is the Bush family America's worst nightmare? Is the Bush family America's worst nightmare? I personally don't think the group Al Qaeda is real other than it is a fake terrorist concoction used as a convenient source for the Bush administration to expand a global agenda i.e. "global war on terror." It seems that Bush is opposed to anything that is good for America and that Bush supports everything that is against America particularly the global radical Iranian Shiite Islamic cause. Has America been suffering under the ravages of a Bush family global Jihad (Islamic holy war) against the United States and against the citizens of the USA? Of course with the economy wrecking high price of oil, the lack of border security, the arming, training and funding of Islamic armies, and an unhindered Satanic crime and drug epidemic taking place in America it would easily seem that the Bush family is America's own worst nightmare. - At least six months before 9-11-2001 groups of American troops started training to invade Iraq and within moments of the 9/11 attack all of the military began committing to an Iraq invasion even though there was no 9/11-Iraq connection. The closest possible 9/11 connection was with Saudi Arabia. It seems that President Bush knew that 9/11 was going to happen a full six months before it did happen. Did President Bush try to stop 9/11? President Bush not only didn't intervene in the 9/11 events he used them as his original rational for his invasion of Iraq. President Bush likely knew all along the 9/11 events were going to take place and he may have even been involved in the planning of the 9/11 attacks with one of the indented results being the invasion of Iraq and the many other indented results being the boosting of his sagging popularity and enriching his family and associates with his new war economy and most important his boost of power and lack of accountability with his new Presidential war powers. -- The additional 9/11 attack on the Pentagon shows the massive scope and planning that was involved in the 9/11 attacks and made the attack a direct assault on the American government. Larry Silverstein who had recently purchased the World Trade Center complex and its many towers could not have possibly arranged such a wide scale attack involving the Pentagon as some have said.
Silverstein has been accused by some for the damage to get insurance money, particularly because his WTC building #7 was demolished even though no plane hit it. The WTC building #7 was demolished but not at his direction it was the direction of the NY port authority and others within the NY safety net that demolished the #7 building. Larry Silverstein did everything he could to help and Larry Silverstein was among the most remorseful, the most helpful and the most honest of people on that tragic 9-11-2001 day. Larry Silverstein certainly could not have orchestrated the outcome of invading Iraq a decision that came straight from George Bush. [article link]
littlegreenfootballs.com January 4, 2008: - anti-Creation artice & links: Ken Miller Dissects the Creationists' Next Tactic - the DI's (Discovery Institute) latest attempts to rewrite the history of the (2005) Dover creationism lawsuit -- Smoke and Mirrors, Whales and Lampreys: A Guest Post by Ken Miller - a lawsuit known as Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District - The plaintiffs, a group of parents in Dover, Pennsylvania, objected to "intelligent design" being required to be presented as an scientific alternative to evolution {Just like Mormonism (LDS) is fostered in America by the U.S. Government because it is a bride taking people out of Christianity and into cults like Islam the government is also fostering and promoting the teaching of Evolution. Because evolution is a bridge in to Satanism by denying the very tenant of Christianity that Jesus Christ is God and creator who created all life and all existence. The lies of evolution are a bridge in to Satanism in that when a person is gullible enough to accept the notion of random evolution over God's creation of life then that person is sufficiently deceived enough to possibly believe that Satan is good and God [AntiChrist], then concluding that Jesus is not God who He claims to be. -- Bush policy isn't to educate children nor is it to protect families. The Bush family NWO policy is to bring down Christianity.} Biologist Ken Miller, the Discovery Institute's worst enemy, has three terrific guest posts at science writer Carl Zimmer's blog, destroying the DI's latest attempts to rewrite the history of the Dover creationism lawsuit: [article link]
{Flashback} Judge's Unintelligent Rant Against Design - Judge John E. Jones III - Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District [2005 Dover creationism lawsuit] could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000 {Judge is a Bush appointee - a thanks again W! way to come through for your voters} Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000. Yet this federal judge, who owes his position entirely to those voters and the Bush who appointed him, stuck the knife in the backs of those who brought him to the dance in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. Judge Jones issued a 139-page rant against anyone who objects to force-feeding public schoolchildren with the theory of evolution. He accused parents and school board members of "breathtaking inanity" for wanting their children to learn that "intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view." [article link]
January 9, 2008: Mitt Romney returns to business world, Marriott board - previously served on the Marriott board from 1992 to 2002, when he resigned to run for governor [Massachusetts] {Mormonism (LDS) is fostered in America by the U.S. Government because it is a bride taking people out of Christianity and into cults like Islam [LDS-Mormonism is just an Americanized version of Islam complete with servitude to its leaders on earth and the false premise that heaven is a place for fornication]. Once a person is gullible enough to believe and accept the Mormon lies that the LDS cult is in any way "family friendly" then that person is sufficiently deceived to probably believe that Islam is a "religion of peace".} The hotel chain said in a statement Wednesday that the former Massachusetts governor and 2008 Republican presidential contender would also lead the board's newly formed finance committee. Romney, 61, previously served on the Marriott board from 1992 to 2002, when he resigned to run for governor. His father, George, was a close friend of the company's founder, J. Willard Marriott. Romney's given first name, Willard, is also in honor
of Marriott, and the two families are prominent in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ... The former venture capitalist has eschewed rejoining his former employer, Bain Capital, and a spokesman said his return to Marriott does not mean he is abandoning politics. A former Bain protege, one-time eBay Chairman Meg Whitman, is considering a run for California governor with the assistance of several Romney aides. [article link]
{flashback} Romney Criticized for Hotel Pornography - during his near-decade on the Marriott board - their hotels offer 70 different types of hardcore pornography - "They have to assume some responsibility. It's their hotels, it's their television sets" {The smallest honest examination of the (LDS) Mormon cult reveals that there is nothing family friendly about them. Mormons simply are a Money and Sex cult it's the plain ugly truth about the LDS (Mormons).} Two anti-pornography crusaders, as well as two conservative activists of the type Romney is courting, say the distribution of such graphic adult movies runs counter to the family image cultivated by Romney, the Marriotts and their shared Mormon faith. "Marriott is a major pornographer. And even though he may have fought it, everyone on that board is a hypocrite for presenting themselves as family values when their hotels offer 70 different types of hardcore pornography," said Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values, an anti-pornography group based on Ohio. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a leading conservative group in Washington, said: "They have to assume some responsibility. It's their hotels, it's their television sets." During a recent Associated Press interview, Romney said he did not recall pornography coming up for discussion while he was on the Marriott board from 1992 to 2001. Despite being chairman of the board's audit committee, he also said he was unaware of how much revenue pornography may have generated for the hotel chain. [article link]
{flashback} June 07, 2008 [at the height of the Democrat primary election for the 2008 Presidential candidate]: Speculation about Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton attending (secret) Bilderberger meeting - Dulles is just three miles from the Westfields Marriott Hotel in Chantilly, where Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller, among other globalists, are gathered for the annual Bilderberg Group conference - Hillary Clinton is no stranger to Bilderberg - Bill Clinton attended the 1991 meeting in Germany shortly before he was elected president Hillary herself may have attended the 2006 meeting in Ottawa, Canada "Asked at the time about the Illinois senator's whereabouts, Gibbs smiled and declined to comment," the AP report continued. Bilderberg is a highly-secretive meeting where the most influential men and women of North America and Western Europe meet ostensibly to discuss policy. But the group has spent years promoting a globalist agenda, according to reports from journalists who have penetrated the meeting. The Bilderberg Group made a press release available explaining the agenda for the meeting. "The conference will deal mainly with a nuclear free world, cyber terrorism, Africa, Russia, finance, protectionism, U.S.-European Union relations, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Islam and Iran. Approximately 140 participants will attend, of whom about two-thirds come from Europe and the balance from North America," the release stated. "About one-third is from government and politics, and two-thirds are from finance, industry, labor, education and communications. The meeting is private in order to encourage frank and open discussion." -- Additionally, a list of the conference's attendees was released and included James A. Johnson, who was named this week to the three-person team vetting possible running mates for Obama. Rampant speculation in the blogosphere says the Obama-Clinton meeting last night was held to arrange the New York senator as Obama's vice-presidential candidate. Attendees at the Bilderberg conference included Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle and Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the board of governors for the Federal Reserve. -Hillary Clinton is no stranger to Bilderberg. Bill Clinton attended the 1991 meeting in Germany shortly before he was elected president. According to reports, he attended again in 1999 when the meeting was held in Sintra, Portugal, and Hillary herself may have attended the 2006 meeting in Ottawa, Canada. "Why were we not told about this meeting until we were on the plane, the doors were shut and the plane was about to taxi to take
off?" one reporter asked Obama spokesman Gibbs in a heated exchange caught on camera by CNN. "Senator Obama had a desire to do some meetings, others had a desire to meet with him tonight in a private way, and that is what we are doing." Gibbs replied. "Is there more than one meeting, is there more than one person with whom he is meeting?" asked another reporter. "I am not going to get into all the details of the meeting." Gibbs replied. [article link]
CNN Commentary [how could so many ERRORS end up in one article?] by Peter Bergen CNN's national security analyst: How Bush botched war on terror - In 2006, for instance, President Bush claimed that "the Sunni and Shiite extremist represent different faces of the same threat" In reality, Sunni and Shiite extremists have been killing each other in large numbers for years in countries from Pakistan to Iraq - The groups have differing attitudes toward the United States, which Sunni extremists attacked in 1993 and again on 9/11, while Shiite militants have never done so {"while Shiite militants have never done so" is Bergen forgetting about the 1979 attack and takeover of the American embassy in Iran and the 444 day (1979-1981) Iran Hostage crises? The 1983 bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon with 241 deaths, the many bombings and airline hijackings? The 2002 shooting attack at the L.A. International Airport (LAX) that killed two people? Unfortunately the list of Shiite terrorism against America and against Americans goes on. Peter Bergen is clearly out to misrepresent facts in his lame attempt to re-write history.} Editor's note: Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst and a fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington and at New York University's Center on Law and Security. His most recent book is "The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader." WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama and his foreign policy advisers and speechwriters are wrestling with one of the most important speeches of his presidency, his inaugural address. One of their toughest conceptual challenges is how to describe and recast what the Bush administration has consistently termed the "war on terror." ... Under the banner of the war on terror, the Bush administration also tied itself in conceptual knots conflating the threat from al Qaeda with Shiite groups like Hezbollah and the ayatollahs in Iran. In 2006, for instance, President Bush claimed that "the Sunni and Shiite extremist represent different faces of the same threat." In reality, Sunni and Shiite extremists have been killing each other in large numbers for years in countries from Pakistan to Iraq. The groups have differing attitudes toward the United States, which Sunni extremists attacked in 1993 and again on 9/11, while Shiite militants have never done so. So, how to reconceptualize the GWOT? Contrary to a common view among Europeans, who have lived through the bombing campaigns of various nationalist and leftist terror groups for decades, al Qaeda is not just another criminal/terrorist group that can be dealt with by police action and law enforcement alone. [article link]
Slate.com: How the Sunnis and Shiites traded places - How two Islamic sects traded places in the American mind - American intelligence experts warned that Shiite training camps in the Iranian mountains were preparing thousands of militants for a holy war against the United States - The Shiite scare was founded partly on the belief that Shiites were inherently prone to anti-Western violence - But now, in the American mind, Shiites have become Sunnis, and Sunnis have become Shiites - The Sunni-Shiite exchange has even infected Capitol Hill culture. A few years ago, liberals would call Christian conservatives "the Shiite wing of the Republican party" These days, lefties refer to Christian conservatives as "The American Taliban" {The NWO traded out Communism for Islam to be their main NWO WW3 instigation it seems the NWO has also switched between the Sunnis and the Shittes. Starting after WWI by backing the oil rich Sunnis the NWO switched in the 1970's and is now building up the Shiites. Every aspect of the Bush doctrine in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and globally has been to strip the Sunnis of power and wealth and to transfer it to the Iranian backed Shiites.} The Sunni-Shiite exchange has even infected Capitol Hill culture. A few years ago, liberals would call Christian conservatives "the Shiite wing of the Republican party." These days, lefties refer to Christian conservatives as "The American Taliban." -- Of course there are still extremist Shiites, and relatively moderate Sunnis still control
the biggest Islamic states. But why have Sunnis and Shiites traded places in the American Zeitgeist? Shiites have shed their dreadful American reputation because Shiite extremists really have moderated. The Iranian revolution is 22 years old. Iran is no longer an infant state: It is an adult. It has lost a war with Iraq and lost its spiritual leader Khomeini. It no longer preaches global Islamic revolution. Iranians lived with militant religion for years, saw how oppressive it was, and have partly democratized and slightly loosened up as a consequence. -There are other reasons why Americans increasingly sympathize with Shiites. The United States used to support despicable Saddam Hussein in order to check Shiite Iran. But since Iraq's 1990 Kuwait invasion, Hussein has been enemy No. 1. Iran, the enemy of our enemy, somehow seemed kindlier, even though its anti-Americanism persisted. Much of the internal opposition to Saddam has come from Shiites in Southern Iraq, a group Saddam has brutalized. Though the United States has abandoned them militarily, their horrible suffering has been a reminder that Shiites are an oppressed minority in most of the Islamic world. And the most bloody-minded Shiite group, Hezbollah, has moderated. Now that Israel has left Lebanon and Lebanon's civil war has ended, Hezbollah has cut back on terrorism. It hasn't attacked American targets in more than a decade. Hezbollah, like the PLO, behaves more like a political operation now than a terrorist army: Its chief goal is winning political power in Lebanon. We have grown disenchanted with Sunnis because Sunni extremism has surged even as Shiite militancy has waned. Part of the Sunni radicalization can be blamed on blow-back. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the United States, hand in hand with Saudi Arabia, decided to fund Islamic fighters in Afghanistan. The U.S. policy was intended to repel the Communist invasion and check Iranian extremism next door. ... As there was a generation ago, there is a surging Islamic jihad, fomented by zealous clerics and soldiers who preach the glory of martyrdom, the corruption of most Arab governments, and the villainy of the United States and Israel. It has taken two decades, two massive regional wars, and an Israeli retreat for the Shiite fire to cool. Who knows how long it will take for this newer Sunni rage to burn itself out? [article link]
The New Da Vinci (Code) Type Hoax - Royal roots found on every family tree - also some people have actually tried to establish a documented line between Muhammad, who was born in the 6th century, and the medieval English monarchs, and thus to most if not all people of European descent - Does President Bush Jr. Secretly Believe He is a (Shiite) Descendant of Mohammed? President George Bush might actually believe he is a descendant of Mohamed. It would explain allot of his comments and his actions. Comments like he believes the Quran (Koran) "to be the word of God" and actions like his complete and total worldwide proxy war on behalf of the Muslim Shiite sect. President Bush has removed all the Iraq oil revenues from the Sunni people of Iraq and has given it to the Shiite sect. Bush has also helped place three radical Iranian-Shiite Politicians in charge over Iraq meanwhile he privately finances and supports the radical Shiite groups of Hamas and Hizb'allah. England's Tony Blair and Prince Charles are also strong Shiite supporters with Prince Charles all but openly admitting that he is a convert to Islam. No wonder we live in days with so many strange events occurring because our world leaders have such strange beliefs. ... Since all European and British nobility can legitimately prove their lineage back through the Merovingians {and apparently attempts to claim Mohammed as well}, they can "prove" to a public who has bought this lie that their lineage goes back through Mary Magdalene to Jesus and they have "plugged into" Jesus, they are literally "home free" to King David! ... Thus, Antichrist (666) can "prove" his lineage back to King David, an absolute requirement if he (Antichrist) is to convince the Jewish people he is their Messiah for whom they have been awaiting! [article link]
Iran-Iraq War (September 1980 to August 1988) - Although the Iran-Iraq War from 1980-1988 was a war for dominance of the Persian Gulf region, the roots of the war go back many centuries - The war began when Iraq invaded Iran on 22 September 1980 following a long history of border disputes and fears of Shia (Shiite) insurgency among Iraq's long suppressed Shia (Shiite) majority influenced by Iran's Islamic revolution **President Ronald Reagan decided that the United States "could not afford to allow Iraq to lose the war to
Iran" and that the United States "would do whatever was necessary to prevent Iraq from losing the war with Iran" {Looks like the Bush family held a different view from President Ronald Reagan as the Bush family fought this [Iraq] war on behalf of Iran and make no mistake it was the Bush NWO plan from the beginning to give a conquered Iraq to the extreme, radical Iran.} The war was commonly referred to as the Gulf War or Persian Gulf War until the Iraq-Kuwait conflict (Operation Desert Storm Jan-Feb 1991). ... The Iran-Iraq War, also known as the Imposed War (Jang-e-tahmili) and Holy Defense (Defa'-e-moghaddas) in Iran, and Saddam's Qadisiyyah (Qadisiyyat Saddam) in Iraq, was a war between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran lasting from September 1980 to August 1988. The war began when Iraq invaded Iran on 22 September 1980 following a long history of border disputes and fears of Shia insurgency among Iraq's long suppressed Shia majority influenced by Iran's Islamic revolution. Although Iraq hoped to take advantage of revolutionary chaos in Iran and attacked without formal warning, they made only limited progress into Iran and within several months were repelled by the Iranians who regained virtually all lost territory by June 1982. For the next six years Iran was on the offensive. Despite several calls for a ceasefire by the United Nations Security Council, hostilities continued until 20 August 1988. The last prisoners of war were exchanged in 2003. The war is noted for its similarity to World War I. Tactics used included trench warfare, manned machine-gun posts, bayonet charges, use of barbed wire across trenches and on no-mans land, human wave attacks and Iraq's extensive use of chemical weapons (such as mustard gas) against Iranian troops and civilians as well as Iraqi Kurds. ... In 1982 with Iranian success on the battlefield, the U.S. made its backing of Iraq more pronounced, supplying it with intelligence, economic aid, normalizing relations with the government (broken during the 1967 Six-Day War), and also supplying weapons. President Ronald Reagan decided that the United States "could not afford to allow Iraq to lose the war to Iran", and that the United States "would do whatever was necessary to prevent Iraq from losing the war with Iran." President Reagan formalized this policy by issuing a National Security Decision Directive ("NSDD") to this effect in June, 1982. [article link]
World War One (WWI) - In 1915, the British had signed with (Saudi Arabia) Ibn Saud a "treatise of friendship and cooperation" to be supported with British financing - By 1917, the Saudi ruler was receiving five thousand pounds per month - Faisal seized Damascus (Syria) in 1918 - Five days after the conquest of Damascus by Faisal's forces, an armistice with the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) came into effect - The Ottoman government effectively collapsed, and the empire was divided amongst the victorious powers - France and Britain got control of most of the Middle East while Italy and Greece were given much of Anatolia (Asia minor - Turkey) Hussayn (Hussein) was betrayed, and granted rule only over Iraq (The Husseins were again betrayed in 2001 when Bush Jr. blamed Iraq in part for 9/11 and then in 2003 Bush invaded Iraq and delivered Sunni Iraq to the now NWO favored Shiites of Iran.), which, along with Trans-Jordan, and Kuwait, were effectively British entities, as was Palestine (After several false promises to the Jews, England later after WWII in 1947 reluctantly allowed the Jews to return to part of (Palestine) Israel) {In 1915 the British, Churchill, NWO was working with Saudi Arabia but has since mostly turned against Saudi Arabia with the NWO now preferring the more radical Iranian Shiites. Note: The Illuminati with their various shades of Satanism [and anti-Semitism] are the main behind the scenes power. The "Zionists" are a created cover story and scapegoat for the actual Illuminati who desire to conduct their business in secrecy and who desire to rid 'their' world of Christians and Jews.} More important still was the role-played by the puppet-state of Saudi Arabia, which became the sponsor of Salafi terrorism. The Saudis would become an important linchpin in the Illuminati strategy to make the world dependent on Rockefeller-controlled oil, thus not only increasing demand and profits, but enhancing their strangle-hold over the world's governments and economies. The primary agent in this agenda was Winston Churchill. ... The victory of the Allied forces against the Ottoman Turks (Turkey) marked the beginning of the end of WWI, and the central powers one by one surrendered, signing an armistice on November 11, 1918. At the end of the war, Faisal continued his advanced, and eventually took what is today Jordan, large parts of the Arabian peninsula and parts of southern Syria. However, unbeknownst to Hussayn, the British secretly negotiated the Sykes-Picot agreement, to divide up the Middle East according to terms drawn up by Rothschild
parties. Arbitrary divisions were created, which largely exist to the present, including the creation of Syria, and Lebanon as French "protectorates". Hussayn was betrayed, and granted rule only over Iraq, which, along with Trans-Jordan, and Kuwait, were effectively British entities, as was Palestine, which was accorded to the Zionists. The mandate for Palestine was drafted by Felix Frankfurter, the prominent American Zionist, who afterwards became Chief Advisor in the White House to President Roosevelt, and also United States Supreme Court Justice, and helped found the ACLU. Frankfurter is reported to have received a copy of Eva Frank's portrait from his mother, a descendent of the Prague Frankist family. According to Frankfurter, "The real rulers in Washington are invisible and exercise their power from behind the scenes." [article link]
Senators: Where is Iraq's oil money going? - Two senators are asking congressional investigators to look at Iraq's oil revenues and see if the war-ravaged nation can pay for its own reconstruction, an effort that has been bankrolled to this point mostly by U.S. taxpayers BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Two senators are asking congressional investigators to look at Iraq's oil revenues and see if the war-ravaged nation can pay for its own reconstruction, an effort that has been bankrolled to this point mostly by U.S. taxpayers. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, and John Warner, R-Virginia, said in their Friday letter to the Government Accountability Office that Iraq has "tremendous resources" in banks worldwide but is doing little to improve security and reconstruction efforts. Iraqi officials did not immediately respond to the senators' allegations. "We believe that it has been overwhelmingly U.S. taxpayer money that has funded Iraq reconstruction over the last five years, despite Iraq earning billions of dollars in oil revenue over that time period that have ended up in non-Iraqi banks," wrote the senators, who are their party's top members on the Armed Services Committee. The senators cited testimony of then-Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz who told a House subcommittee in March 2003 that the U.S. would not foot the entire bill for rebuilding Iraq. Wolfowitz predicted then that Iraq's oil revenues could reach between $50 billion and $100 billion in the next two or three years. "We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively soon," Wolfowitz said in 2003. [article link]
Oil price gives Iran diplomatic strength - with oil at $140 a barrel, the Iranian regime is likely to be impervious to economic pressure {Bush knows what he is doing and what he is doing is building up a radical (Shiite) Iran. Bush has his "stay the course" Middle-East policy, but we need to ask just what is the true agenda Bush is pushing? We know America is not benefitting from any Bush executive decisions.} NEW YORK (CNN) -- Amid allegations of Iranian aid to Iraqi insurgents, Iran's effort to build a nuclear bomb and a report on an increase in U.S. covert operations in Iran, analyst Fareed Zakaria takes a look at possible changes in the country's leadership and assesses the threat Iran could pose to Mideast stability. ... Well, the efforts of the United States and Europe to put Iran in a box, because of its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment, are facing two problems. First, it will be very difficult to get a new round of even stiffer sanctions through the United Nations. Second, with oil at $140 a barrel, the Iranian regime is likely to be impervious to economic pressure. [article link]
{flashback} Rockets Hammer Green Zone in Iraq, Killing at Least One American - Suspected Shiite extremists hammered the U.S-protected Green Zone and other areas in Baghdad with rocket and mortar volleys Thursday, and the embassy said one American government employee was killed BAGHDAD - Suspected Shiite extremists hammered the U.S-protected Green Zone and other areas in Baghdad with rocket and mortar volleys Thursday, and the embassy said one American government employee was killed. It was the latest in a week of barrages against the heavily fortified area in central Baghdad. U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said the American was a government employee but provided no other details pending notification of relatives. It was the second death since frequent attacks against the Green Zone began on Sunday, when an American financial analyst was killed. At least five rounds also struck near the Green
Zone on Thursday, killing one Iraqi civilian and injuring another 14, the U.S. military said in a separate statement. Three other rounds hit U.S. military bases on the predominantly Shiite eastern side of the Tigris River, wounding four U.S. soldiers, it added. [article link]
{flashback} U.S.: Shiite 'Special Group' Behind Baghdad Bombing That Killed 63 - No group claimed responsibility for the blast - "We believe he ordered the attack to incite Shiite violence against Sunnis" {I hope the Iraqi's can come to some terms and govern that nation. The tragedies and scope of human suffering over there is appalling.} BAGHDAD - The U.S. military blamed a renegade Shiite group Wednesday for a deadly car bombing in a Baghdad Shiite neighborhood and said it was seeking to re-ignite the sort of sectarian violence that swept the area 18 months ago. Iraqi officials said the death toll from the bombing rose to 63, including women and children. ... But U.S. spokesman Lt. Col. Steven Stover said the command did not believe Al Qaeda in Iraq was behind the attack based on the type of vehicle and explosives used. Instead, he said the command believed the attack was carried out by a Shiite special group led by Haydar Mehdi Khadum al-Fawadi, whom Stover described as a "murderous thug" seeking to incite violence "for his individual profit and gain." ... "We believe he ordered the attack to incite (Shiite) violence against Sunnis; that his intent was to disrupt Sunni resettlement in Hurriyah in order to maintain extortion of real estate rental income to support his nefarious activities," Stover said in an e-mail. Several Iraqi police officials said the casualty toll stood at 63, with another 78 wounded. [article link]
{flashback} Kidnapped archbishop found dead in Iraq - A Christian archbishop kidnapped in northern Iraq last month has been found dead, according to a Nineveh province official {Bush is a fraud and his plan for Iraq is one gigantic fraud of lies and deceit. Bush is enabling, financing, defending and strengthening worldwide radical Shiite Islam at the peril and cost of the lives of others.} BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A Christian archbishop kidnapped in northern Iraq last month has been found dead, according to a Nineveh province official. Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paul Faraj Rahho's body was found Thursday near the town of Mosul, where he and three companions were ambushed by gunmen on February 29. The archbishop's driver and two security guards were killed during the attack. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki had ordered security services to make it a priority to find and free the archbishop. Nineveh Deputy Gov. Khasro Goran, in Mosul, told CNN that the kidnappers had been in touch with the church and the relatives and wanted to be a paid a ransom for the archbishop's release. The contacts ended a few days ago. The apparent kidnappers had contacted relatives on Thursday and told them the body was in the eastern part of town. Relatives and authorities went to the location and found the body, which had gunshot wounds. [article link]
{flashback} "Iraq Tribal Study - Al Anbar Governorate" - the Sunnis "are deathly afraid of being ruled by a Shia (Shiite) government, which they believe will be little more than a puppet of the Shia religious extremists in Iran" It also cautioned that the main themes of the U.S. message in Iraq -- "freedom and democracy" -- do not resonate well with the population "because freedom is associated with chaos in Iraq." In addition, the Sunnis "are deathly afraid of being ruled by a Shia government, which they believe will be little more than a puppet of the Shia religious extremists in Iran." Pincus [article link]
{flashback} Iraqi: 'I killed her with a machine gun' - Basra turned into a battleground between warring Shiite factions vying for control of the country's oil-rich south after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 - Basra's streets teemed with Shiite militias armed with weapons, mostly from Iran, according to the Iraqi forces and the U.S. - Women bore the brunt of the militias' extremist ideologies military {Bush knew this was going to happen as both Bush and Rumsfeld used too few troops, let the Shiites keep most of their weapons during the invasion and then encouraged the Shiites to riot and loot after the takeover. This is the guilty Bush, Blair, NWO plan for
the new Iraq to terrorize the people until they submit to anything, mostly a new more radical Islam.} CNN was shown what authorities say was his first confession. On it are the names of 15 girls whom he admitted kidnapping, raping and killing. The youngest girl on the list was just 9 years old. Basra turned into a battleground between warring Shiite factions vying for control of the country's oil-rich south after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Basra's streets teemed with Shiite militias armed with weapons, mostly from Iran, according to the Iraqi forces and the U.S. military. ... Women bore the brunt of the militias' extremist ideologies. The militants spray-painted threats on walls across Basra, warning women to wear headscarves and not to wear make-up. Women were sometimes executed for the vague charge of doing something "un-Islamic." In the wasteland on the outskirts of Basra, dotted with rundown homes, the stench of death mixes with the sewage. Local residents told the Iraqi Army that executions often take place in the area, particularly for women, sometimes killed for something as seemingly inocuous as wearing jeans. Militias implemented their own laws with abandon, threatening stores for displaying mannequins with bare shoulders or for selling Western music. Many store owners are still too frightened to speak publicly. [article link]
{flashback} Violence Leaves Young Iraqis Doubting Clerics "I hate Islam and all the clerics because they limit our freedom every day and their instruction became heavy over us" said Sara, a high school student in Basra {Note: Iraq was a moderate (Sunni) Muslim country but now that Bush Jr. has helped institutionalize radical Iranian (Shiite) Islam in Iraq the Iraqi people are in even more despair.} BAGHDAD - After almost five years of war, many young people in Iraq, exhausted by constant firsthand exposure to the violence of religious extremism, say they have grown disillusioned with religious leaders and skeptical of the faith that they preach. In two months of interviews with 40 young people in five Iraqi cities, a pattern of disenchantment emerged, in which young Iraqis, both poor and middle class, blamed clerics for the violence and the restrictions that have narrowed their lives. "I hate Islam and all the clerics because they limit our freedom every day and their instruction became heavy over us," said Sara, a high school student in Basra. "Most of the girls in my high school hate that Islamic people control the authority because they don't deserve to be rulers." Atheer, a 19-year-old from a poor, heavily Shiite neighborhood in southern Baghdad, said: "The religion men are liars. Young people don't believe them. Guys my age are not interested in religion anymore." [article link]
{flashback} Iraqi Officials: Hezbollah, Iran Training Shiites in Art of Terrorism - Hezbollah instructors trained Shiite militiamen at remote camps in southern Iraq until three months ago when they slipped across the border to Iran {Bush is funding the terrorists. That is the Bush doctrine, record and probably the actual intended Bush plan. You know Hezbollah the Terrorist group that Bush donates 100's of millions of US taxpayer aid dollars to. You know the money Bush won't donate to the American farmer or use to build bridges, roads, levees, or to drill for more oil. But Hezbollah uses their Bush money to equip and travel to Iraq to train and kill Americans. Is there a problem with President Bush's leadership? Yes, an enormous problem!} BAGHDAD - Hezbollah instructors trained Shiite militiamen at remote camps in southern Iraq until three months ago when they slipped across the border to Iran - presumably to continue instruction on Iranian soil, according to two Shiite lawmakers and a top army officer. The three Iraqis claim the Lebanese Shiites were also involved in planning some of the most brazen attacks against U.S.-led forces, including the January 2007 raid on a provincial government compound in Karbala in which five Americans died. The allegations, made in separate interviews with The Associated Press, point not only to an Iranian hand in the Iraq war, but also to Hezbollah's willingness to expand beyond its Lebanese base and assume a broader role in the struggle against U.S. influence in the Middle East. [article link]
{Flashback} Iran confirms it will attend summit on Iraq - Iran, a Muslim Shiite-majority nation, has considerable influence among Iraqi Shiites Tehran, Iran (AP) -- Iran on Sunday confirmed it will attend this week's conference on Iraq in the Egyptian resort
of Sharm el-Sheik, saying its delegation will be headed by its foreign minister. The announcement will be widely welcomed as Iran, a Muslim Shiite-majority nation, has considerable influence among Iraqi Shiites, who now lead the Baghdad government. Iran is also suspected of having influential links with Shiite insurgent groups -- although it has repeatedly denied such ties. ... In Baghdad, an adviser in the prime minister's office, Sadiq al-Rikabi, confirmed Larijani would meet senior Iraqi officials. "It is a very important visit," he added. [article link]
High-Profile Norwegian Doctor in Gaza Called an 'Apologist for Hamas' - International media reports, including those from the BBC, CBS, CNN and FOX's sister station Sky News, present Gilbert as an ordinary doctor - But a look at his record shows that Gilbert, 61, is a political activist and member of the Norwegian Maoist "Red" party, and he has been involved in solidarity work for the Palestinians since the 1970s - Israeli government officials have said Hamas hides weapons in the hospital where Gilbert works - In addition to being supportive of the terrorist organization Hamas, Gilbert has voiced support for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon A high-profile Norwegian doctor who has said the September 11 terrorists were justified in their attack is now treating patients in Gaza and is being accused of presenting "hard-core propaganda" to TV interviewers in his telling of the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Dr. Mads Gilbert has become an unofficial advocate of the Palestinian cause, his critics say. International media reports, including those from the BBC, CBS, CNN and FOX's sister station Sky News, present Gilbert as an ordinary doctor. But a look at his record shows that Gilbert, 61, is a political activist and member of the Norwegian Maoist "Red" party, and he has been involved in solidarity work for the Palestinians since the 1970s. He has criticized the international aid organization Doctors Without Borders for refusing to take sides in conflicts. Gilbert volunteers at the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza with the Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC), an aid organization funded by the Norwegian government, and he has been interviewed by the media on a variety of issues. Israeli government officials have said Hamas hides weapons in the hospital where Gilbert works. ... In addition to being supportive of the terrorist organization Hamas, Gilbert has voiced support for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. ... When asked if he supported a terror attack on the U.S., Gilbert said, "Terror is a bad weapon but the answer is yes within the context which I have mentioned." Gerald Steinberg, executive director of NGO Monitor, said Gilbert's characterization of the situation in Gaza is "in the form of incitement of hatred." "We question the accuracy and the political biases - if they exist - by groups that claim to promote human rights, humanitarian and non-political goals," Steinberg told FOXNews.com. "A doctor is someone who is not supposed to take a political side." [article link]
Microsoft has announced that a beta version of Windows 7 will be available for download beginning Friday {For someone in the market for a new computer building out a system with the new Intel i7 CPU (i7 920) and downloading a beta version for Windows 7 would be a good way to go. If you purchase Microsoft Vista right now you just have to pay again to upgrade to Windows 7 in the fall.} LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer kicked off the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday with an impassioned endorsement of PCs and a sneak peek at the company's future Windows 7 operating system. As expected, Ballmer announced that Microsoft is releasing a beta version of Windows 7, which will be available for download beginning Friday. The news suggests the world's largest software maker may be giving up efforts to rehabilitate its often-maligned Vista operating system, which was released worldwide in January 2007. "We are on track to deliver the best version of Windows ever," Ballmer told an audience of several thousand tech professionals and journalists inside a cavernous ballroom at the Venetian hotel. "We're working hard to get it right and get it ready." Without mentioning the security and compatibility issues that have dogged Vista, Ballmer promised that Windows 7 will make PCs faster and easier to use. He didn't offer a timetable for its official release, although Windows Vista went on sale more than two years after it was issued in beta form. Early reviews of Windows 7, which was leaked to the Internet in beta form in late
December, have been positive. [article link]
Time Accused of Making Steve Jobs Look Even Thinner - An tech blog has accused Time magazine's Web site of manipulating the Apple CEO's image to make him appear even more gaunt but Time says it was an innocent mistake - the accompanying photo of Jobs, taken at his last public appearance in October, appeared stretched vertically so that the slim chief executive looked even slimmer {With the limited mass media outlets we have today we clearly live in days of deceit. It's hard to believe anything published whether text, photos or even video, (artist renditions and computer simulations are almost totally unbelievable) without correlating and verifying from additional sources and resources.} (Photos) An tech blog has accused Time magazine's Web site of manipulating the Apple CEO's image to make him appear even more gaunt - but Time says it was an innocent mistake. ... Time's Josh Quittner had a piece up within hours, but as the MacDailyNews blog found the next morning, the accompanying photo of Jobs, taken at his last public appearance in October, appeared stretched vertically so that the slim chief executive looked even slimmer. "Despicable," thundered MacDailyNews. "TIME Magazine should be ashamed if that's even possible for them anymore. ... TIME Magazine should publicly apologize to Apple Inc., Steve Jobs - and Apple shareholders, for that matter." ... "Unfortunately the height and width ratios were temporarily pre-set incorrectly on TIME.com," read the statement. "The error was corrected at 9:30 am ET Wednesday, after having been posted at 7:30 pm the previous night. We regret any confusion caused by the error." MacDailyNews' outraged posting seemed to think that was deliberate. "The original photo has had its size vertically increased via code in TIME's website," MacDailyNews wrote. "TIME's code specifies a width of 307 pixels and a height of 200 pixels, but in order to maintain the proper aspect ratio - in other words present the photo of Jobs as he actually looked at the time it was taken - the dimensions should be 307x175 pixels." But as anyone who's worked with photos on a Web page knows, that sounds like a pretty elementary mistake, one in which an oddly proportioned photo ends up distorting itself to fit into a prearranged size. ... MacDailyNews also cited the infamous Time magazine O.J. Simpson cover from June 1994, when the football great's image was darkened to reflect the sudden dimming of his once-bright public image following the murders of his ex-wife and her friend. Critics of the Simpson cover charged Time with stoking racial antagonism. [article link]
Exchanges of fire mar 3-hour truce in Gaza - A planned three-hour lull in Israel's assault on Gaza was marred by sporadic attacks by Hamas militants and retaliatory fire from Israeli forces - The suspension of the campaign from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. was intended to allow residents of the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory to receive food and medical supplies JERUSALEM (CNN) -- A planned three-hour lull in Israel's assault on Gaza was marred by sporadic attacks by Hamas militants and retaliatory fire from Israeli forces. The suspension of the campaign from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. (6 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET) was intended to allow residents of the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory to receive food and medical supplies. U.N. Relief and Works Agency spokesman Chris Gunness said a three-hour truce is not enough to alleviate the "deepening humanitarian crisis" in Gaza. ... By Wednesday evening, 16 (HAMAS) rockets had struck the Jewish state, according to the Israeli military. There was no immediate report of injuries. [article link]
Walter Cronkite, NWO, WTF - Ocotober 19, 1999: Video clip where Walter Cronkite calls for world government, ending sovereignty, and [only half jokingly] "joining him to sit at the right hand of Satan" as he says himself Walter Cronkite speaks his mind and "by God he does!" {Cronkite calls every Christian a criminal "that needs to be brought to justice" for desiring the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and not embracing his global government concept.} (YouTube) Comments: It absolutely amazes me that these seemingly educated people are so ignorant. Downright stupid. They talk about ending all wars, when it's the globalists that cause the wars. They talk about saving the planet when it's these same people that are the biggest polluters and rapists of natural resources. The same people
that hinder technology that would benefit mankind. I suppose that if you don't get involved in politics you are doomed to be ruled by your inferiors. ... If you believe Hermit, giving the power to run the world to a small group of people is a good thing Given the track record of globalists, military industrial complex of starting wars, fixing prices, monopolies, reducing choice it makes no sense to give them ANY power. How do we vote them out, if we disagree. YOU CANT How do you change the leaders YOU DON'T Consolidation of Power to the cabal that financed Hitler, the Communists, C.American dictators ie Rockefeller, P Bush is INSANE. [article link]
{Flashback} Numerous taxation schemes to finance the UN are being considered - "We must strengthen the United Nations as a first step toward world government" - Walter Cronkite, famous CBS news anchor A powerful network of Americans in government, and business, academia and media have conspired to empower the UN. One noteworthy "insider" is David Rockefeller -- head of the superrich family that donated the ground for UN headquarters. He told an elite group in Germany in 1991: "We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time magazine... whose directors have attended our meetings and have respected promises of discretion for almost 40 years. It would have been possible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to... publicity during those years. But the world is now more sophisticated and prepare to march towards a world government." Here is a sampling of what other globalists have said: -- "We must strengthen the United Nations as a first step toward world government." - Walter Cronkite, famous CBS news anchor -- "Nationhood as we know it will be opsolete, all states will recognize a single, global authority." - Strobe Talbot, Former Deputy Secretary of State ... And there would be no Congress to limit the UN's appetite for your tax dollars. [article link]
January 7, 2009: Henry Kissinger, Obama primed to create 'New World Order' Policy guru says global upheaval presents 'great opportunity' - According to Henry Kissinger, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former secretary of state under President Nixon, conflicts across the globe and an international respect for Barack Obama have created the perfect setting for establishment of "a New World Order" - Kissinger's comments are captured at roughly the 2:47 mark of the following video: (Video) According to Henry Kissinger, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former secretary of state under President Nixon, conflicts across the globe and an international respect for Barack Obama have created the perfect setting for establishment of "a New World Order." Kissinger has long been an integral figure in U.S. foreign policy, holding positions in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations. Author of over a dozen books on foreign policy, Kissinger was also named by President Bush as the chairman of the Sept. 11 investigatory commission. Kissinger made the remark in an interview with CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" hosts Mark Haines and Erin Burnett at the New York Stock Exchange, after Burnett asked him what international conflict would define the Obama administration's foreign policy. ... The phrase 'new world order' traces back at least as far as 1940, when author H.G. Wells used it as the title of a book about a socialist, unified, one-world government. The phrase has also been linked to American presidents, including Woodrow Wilson, whose work on establishing the League of Nations pioneered the concept of international government bodies, and to the first President Bush, who used the phrase in a 1989 speech. "A new partnership of nations has begun, and we stand today at a unique and extraordinary moment," said Bush before a joint session of Congress. "Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective - a new world order - can emerge: A new era … in which the nations of the world, east and west, north and south, can prosper and live in harmony." -- The phrase "New World Order" causes alarm for many Americans, particularly those concerned about an international governing body trumping U.S. sovereignty or those that interpret biblical prophecy to foretell the establishment of a one-world government as key to the rise of the Antichrist. Conspiracy theorists, too, have latched on to the phrase, concerned that powerful financial or government figures are secretly plotting to rule the world. Kissinger's ties to government and international powers - as well as his use of the phrase - have made him suspect in the eyes of many who are wary of what "new world order" might actually mean. [article link]
June 07, 2008: Speculation about Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton attending (secret) Bilderberger meeting Dulles is just three miles from the Westfields Marriott Hotel in Chantilly, where Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller, among other globalists, are gathered for the annual Bilderberg Group conference - Hillary Clinton is no stranger to Bilderberg - Bill Clinton attended the 1991 meeting in Germany shortly before he was elected president - Hillary herself may have attended the 2006 meeting in Ottawa, Canada "Asked at the time about the Illinois senator's whereabouts, Gibbs smiled and declined to comment," the AP report continued. Bilderberg is a highly-secretive meeting where the most influential men and women of North America and Western Europe meet ostensibly to discuss policy. But the group has spent years promoting a globalist agenda, according to reports from journalists who have penetrated the meeting. The Bilderberg Group made a press release available explaining the agenda for the meeting. "The conference will deal mainly with a nuclear free world, cyber terrorism, Africa, Russia, finance, protectionism, U.S.-European Union relations, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Islam and Iran. Approximately 140 participants will attend, of whom about two-thirds come from Europe and the balance from North America," the release stated. "About one-third is from government and politics, and two-thirds are from finance, industry, labor, education and communications. The meeting is private in order to encourage frank and open discussion." -- Additionally, a list of the conference's attendees was released and included James A. Johnson, who was named this week to the three-person team vetting possible running mates for Obama. Rampant speculation in the blogosphere says the Obama-Clinton meeting last night was held to arrange the New York senator as Obama's vice-presidential candidate. Attendees at the Bilderberg conference included Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle and Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the board of governors for the Federal Reserve. -Hillary Clinton is no stranger to Bilderberg. Bill Clinton attended the 1991 meeting in Germany shortly before he was elected president. According to reports, he attended again in 1999 when the meeting was held in Sintra, Portugal, and Hillary herself may have attended the 2006 meeting in Ottawa, Canada. "Why were we not told about this meeting until we were on the plane, the doors were shut and the plane was about to taxi to take off?" one reporter asked Obama spokesman Gibbs in a heated exchange caught on camera by CNN. "Senator Obama had a desire to do some meetings, others had a desire to meet with him tonight in a private way, and that is what we are doing." Gibbs replied. "Is there more than one meeting, is there more than one person with whom he is meeting?" asked another reporter. "I am not going to get into all the details of the meeting." Gibbs replied. [article link]
**ENDGAME Bilderberger Meetings - ALEX JONES - Blueprint for Global Enslavement (Google Online Video) Extremely interesting, shocking and disturbing. It should be essential viewing for everyone. Wake up world [and follow Jesus Christ], before it's too late. [article link]
dark-truth.org: Skull & Bones The Bush's China Connection - An obscure secret society known as "Skull & Bones" may have more to do with George Bush's (Sr.) obsessive support of Beijing's mass murderers than one may think - Except during the Carter administration, every U.S. Ambassador to Beijing since Kissinger's deal with Mao Zedong was a member of the same tiny Yale "Skull & Bones" cult - "MAO WAS A YALIE" - Back in 1903, Yale Divinity School established a number of schools and hospitals throughout China - "The Maoists made China into the world's largest opium producer" - The Anglo-American "Establishment" hated Sun, because he wanted to develop China - On the other hand, they loved the Chinese communists because they intended to keep China backward, and were committed to growing dope (opium) - "Nor should it be forgotten that Averell Harriman, the former Ambassador to Moscow who did so much to build up the Soviet Union, was a member of Skull and Bones. Harriman was also a business partner of Prescott Bush, Sr., the father of Maoist enthusiast George Bush" The January 26, 1990 issue of THE NEW FEDERALIST revealed even more about the Bush - one world connection. In his article, BUSH'S CHINA POLICY: SKULL AND BONES, Joseph Brewda writes: "Jan 19 (EIRNS)--
An obscure secret society known as "Skull and Bones" may have more to do with George Bush's obsessive support of Beijing's mass murderers than one may think. ... "What has this to do with Bush policy towards China--or for that matter, Bush's "War on Drugs"? (Note: the last television news reporter to ask Bush a critical question concerning the many narcotics agents who are complaining about how bad the "drug war" was going, was promptly fired from his job shortly after the press conference - Branton) ... "George Bush, the first U.S. diplomatic representative to the People's Republic of China back in 1973, was a member of Skull and Bones. So were his father, brother, son, uncle, nephew, and several cousins. Winston Lord, the Reagan-Bush administration Ambassador to China was a member; so were his father and several other relatives. James Lilley, the current Ambassador to China, was a member of Skull and Bones, as was his brother. Except during the Carter administration, every U.S. Ambassador to Beijing since Kissinger's deal with Mao Zedong was a member of the same tiny Yale cult. A mere coincidence? ... "MAO WAS A YALIE - Back in 1903, Yale Divinity School established a number of schools and hospitals throughout China that were collectively known as 'Yale in China.' It has since been shown that 'Yale in China' was an intelligence network whose purpose was to destroy the republican movement of Sun Yat-sen on behalf of the Anglo-American Establishment. The Anglo-American "Establishment" hated Sun, because he wanted to develop China. On the other hand, they loved the Chinese communists because they intended to keep China backward, and were committed to growing dope. One of 'Yale in China's' most important students was Mao Zedong. -- "During World War II, 'Yale in China' was a primary instrument used by the U.S. Establishment and its Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to install the Maoists into power. 'Yale in China' was run by OSS operative Reuben Holden, the husband of Bush's cousin, and also a member of Skull and Bones. "The Maoists made China into the world's largest opium producer. "'Yale in China' was also closely associated with the New York-based Union Theological Seminary, which has been a center for U.S. subversion of Asia (literal wolves in sheep's clothing - Branton). Every prominent radical leader operating in Korea today, for example, was trained at Union Theological. Union Theological was dominated for twenty years by Henry Sloane Coffin, a U.S. intelligence executive from the Sloane and Coffin families. He was a Skull and Bones member as were a dozen of his relatives. "Nor should it be forgotten that Averell Harriman, the former Ambassador to Moscow who did so much to build up the Soviet Union, was a member of Skull and Bones. Harriman was also a business partner of Prescott Bush, Sr., the father of Maoist enthusiast George Bush." [article link]
Cutting Edge News Alert August 1, 2008: Illuminati powerhouse, Henry Kissinger - Kissinger negotiated the American withdrawal (January 27, 1973) from South Vietnam by meeting with North Korean, Chinese and Russian diplomats over a period of years - These meetings were held primarily in Paris - Kissinger promised the North Vietnamese that they could have South Vietnam - Now, Kissinger is proposing a "diplomatic conference" which would establish a (Iraq) "formal peace settlement" Does he have the same formula [for Iraq] as we saw in Vietnam? - The Shi'ite Mahdi forces of the radical cleric, al-Sadr [and Iran could inherit Iraq and the oil wealth] Kissinger ends his treatise on the "Peace and Safety" promise - All this activity is laying the foundation for fulfillment of prophecy! Kissinger negotiated American withdrawal from South Vietnam by meeting with North Korean, Chinese and Russian diplomats over a period of years. These meetings were held primarily in Paris. Kissinger promised the North Vietnamese that they could have South Vietnam, but only if they waited a period of time following the American withdrawal before they launched their final attack. Such a "grace period" would allow the Americans to declare victory and pull out. -- Now, Kissinger is proposing a "diplomatic conference" which would establish a "formal peace settlement". Does he have the same formula as we saw in Vietnam? No one can be sure at this time, but events will soon give us the answers we need. President Bush will be allowed to declare victory -once again -- and then pull out. The Shi'ite Mahdi forces of the radical cleric, al-Sadr, will continue to stand down to give the illusion of an American victory. After waiting for a reasonable amount of time, Sadr will launch an attack, splitting Iraq into the three sections originally planned -- Shi'ite, Sunni and the Kurds. -- Kissinger does say, "The American presence in Iraq should not be presented as open-ended." If this is the case, why is
the United States building one of the most sophisticated embassies in the world and establishing permanent military bases throughout Iraq? -- Kissinger then reveals that the final steps in this Plan for Iraq will spill over to the 44th President. "The next president has a great opportunity to stabilize Iraq and lay the basis for a decisive turn in the war against jihadist radicalism and for a more peaceful Middle East. Surely he will want to assess the situation on the ground before setting a strategy for his term. He should not be limited by rigid prescriptions to vindicate maxims of the past, no matter how plausible they once seemed. Withdrawal is a means; the end is a more peaceful and hopeful world." -- Thus, Kissinger ends his treatise on the "Peace and Safety" promise. All this activity is laying the foundation for fulfillment of prophecy! [article link]
November 26, 2008: Never seen before!: Fox news 5 reports WTC 7 collapse before it happens {NY WTC 9/11 was a Bush, NWO planned and scripted event. Fox News was one of the main groups following and presenting the script to the public that day.} (YouTube) Comments: Coincidence that BBC reported it early, even though it was standing behind that ladies head? Coincidence that CNN reported it early? Coincidence that Fox News 5 reported it early? Coincidence that a 47 story building fell perfectly, no resistance? Coincidence Larry S. said "pull it", then the building fell? Coincidence it was left out of the 911 commission report? It gets to the point where theres so many coincidences that you can't really assume they are coincidence anymore. ... At this point the reality that 9/11 was an inside job is overwhelmingly clear. Given the preponderance of hard, objective evidence, it seems those who are determined to believe the Bush Administration's account of 9/11 are engaging in "reaction formation." Rather than facing an unpleasant reality, they go to lengths to assert the very opposite, often with lots of invective and derision. Simply questioning the government's Official Conspiracy Theory makes them apoplectic! [article link]
April 03, 2007: 9/11: Total Proof That (Bush) Bombs Were Planted In The Buildings! (YouTube) Bombs, explosions, secondary explosions, explosive devices....how many more times do we need to hear these words being said by 9/11 witnesses before we start asking questions about what really happened on that awful day? This video shows that many actual 9/11 witnesses heard and saw explosions going off inside the towers, long before they actually fell. These witnesses include police, firemen and mainstream media reporters. And what is even more shocking is the fact that all of this has been ignored by the mainstream media. We really need to wake up to the facts and ask questions. If we don't, what does that say about us? [article link]
Deliberate Coincidences - A support beam of a bridge being rigged for demolition - A support beam of the WTC after the 9/11 attack (Photos) Deliberate Coincidences: "A society whose citizens refuse to see and investigate the facts, who refuse to believe that their government and their media will routinely lie to them and fabricate a reality contrary to verifiable facts, is a society that chooses and deserves the Police State Dictatorship it's going to get." -- Ian Williams Goddard [article link]
Waking From a Bad Dream[?] - It has been like a national nightmare: We are attacked by terrorists and our leaders respond not with courage and a call to our higher natures, but by spreading fear and turning us into a regime of torturers - Rather than celebrate our Constitution and its enduring values, they use the levers of government to subvert it It has been like a national nightmare: We are attacked by terrorists and our leaders respond not with courage and a call to our higher natures, but by spreading fear -- and turning us into a regime of torturers. Rather than celebrate our Constitution and its enduring values, they use the levers of government to subvert it. Now the nightmare appears to be almost over. By choosing two vocal opponents of torture for two key positions -Dawn Johnsen to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel and Leon Panetta to head the Central
Intelligence Agency -- President-elect Barack Obama has indicated that he intends to make the cleanest possible break from Bush administration precedents, end torture and return to traditional interpretations of the Constitution. [article link]
Updated Podcast -- The Berean Chronicles - The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 1Peter 4:7 KJV (Podcasts 2008-2003 Mp3's) Our mission here at The Berean Chronicles is to expose the Apostate Church, to equip the Saints with Truth, Knowledge, and Wisdom to be the Salt and Light Christ Jesus has called us to be. With the TRUTH given out on this talk show, we pray it will lead all who listen who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to the Saving knowledge. [article link]
Bible verse: Isaiah 10:1-3 ... Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees ... To turn aside the needy from judgment ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Isaiah 10:1-3 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of My people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? -- Holy Bible [article link]
US First Cat 'India' dies - The Bush family black cat costumed as a witch-sorcerer Halloween 2008? - {The Bush family dressed up their black cat in a witch-sorcerer costume, presumably for some Halloween. The photo has four types of items a black sorcerer cat, pumpkins, a red (devilish) cowboy hat all immersed in green (greed).} (Photo) WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Bush family's 18-year-old cat, India, has died at the White House, First Lady Laura Bush's office announced Monday. ... The black American Shorthair, which lived with President George W. Bush and his wife at the White House, died Sunday. [article link]
!!!Alert - First Cat Dies - The Bushes' 18-year-old cat died at the White House on Sunday [January 4, 2009] "India" a.k.a. "Willie" apparently couldn't bear life after the White House - The Bushes' 18-year-old female black American Shorthair died Sunday at home in the Executive Mansion - "India was a beloved member of the Bush family for almost two decades - She will be greatly missed" said the first lady's press secretary Sally McDonough {The extremely bizarre Satanic Skull & Bones Bush family has had their own female black cat for the last 18 years and things haven't gone very well for Americans during any of the Bush years. I wonder if all the spells, incantations, Witchcraft and Satanism that the Bush's have thrown America's way has actually taken a toll on American society. Note: Sunday seems to be the preferred day for Bush to do much of his devious business especially if it is personally important to him. All of the Federal Reserve takeover meetings [Bear sterns, Citi Group] were held on Sundays. Bush often meets with Arab officials at Camp David on Sundays. When Bush flew to Iraq and signed the last Status of Forces Agreement, when the shoes were thrown at Bush, that was a Sunday. Throughout his entire time in office Bush seems to take a perverse pleasure in defiling the Sunday 'day of worship' that is so meaningful and important to Christians.} The Bushes' 18-year-old female black American Shorthair died Sunday at home in the Executive Mansion. Named by a then-9-year-old Barbara Bush, the cat, who was also called "Kitty" by the family, was given the name "India" after the former Texas Ranger baseball player, Ruben Sierra, who was called El Indio. When they went off to college, Barbara and Jenna left India at the White House with President and Mrs. Bush. [article link]
The black cat: Mystery, myth and symbolism - Without a doubt, the most common association is of witches and black cats as their familiars - It was also thought that cats were sacrificed by witches during their rituals - At Halloween shelters may hesitate to place black cats {Did the Satanic Bush family sacrifice their old black cat "India" in a final or near final Satanic blood ritual in their personal residence at the White House? Was this a sacrifice timed to the very day with the announcement by Bush Sr. that he wants Jeb Bush to take up residence in the very room where the Bush Jr. family cat just got offered up to the pagan gods? PS. Why didn't the Bush family cat die at the Veterinarian's office where most ordinary pets meet their demise and does Bush Sr. think Satanic blood sacrifices enabled him to win the White House and to then pass it along to his son Bush Jr.? Is this a part of a Bush family Satanic blood offering to Satan in attempting to claim and pass along the American White House to Jeb Bush for more Bush family destruction on behalf of Satan?} No other kind of cat, whether purebred or moggie, is more steeped in myth and mystery than the black cat. From the basic good luck-bad luck premise to elaborate symbolism associated with different countries, black cats have been a part of the cultural history of the world since the dawn of recorded time. Without a doubt, the most common association is of witches and black cats as their familiars, along with frogs, birds and snakes. Pagan religions in Europe had witchcraft as their dominant belief and were associated with animals of nature, including cats. As Christianity became more entrenched, 15th century witch hunts centered around older women who were more likely to live alone and keep cats for companionship. The women became a prime target for blame if some kind of a disaster struck a village, especially if they had a cat that was black, the color of magic and mystery. Stories abound of late night shapeshifting in which felines were injured while doing battle with superstitious humans. In daylight women who had been associated with the cats were found with like injuries. The image of a witch being burned at the stake with her feline companion is etched into history, even into 17th century America. It was also thought that cats were sacrificed by witches during their rituals, but that is counter to the nature-friendly spirit of witchcraft. -- It's sometimes difficult to differentiate the mythology of the black cat versus cats in general. The image of the cat coiled into a circle like a serpent can move from the symbol of eternity to a vicious circle leading to the belief that black cats are sinister. There's also the image of The Devourer in which the cat and the serpent fight each other. As the celestial cat of the sun god Ra fought the darkness of night, the devourer took the form of a serpent. In contrast the serpent can also be a symbol of light and life; as the sun set, it took the form of a serpent ablaze and the cat then became darkness, death and chaos. Devourers are neither male nor female although the "engulfing" aspect of the cat led it to emerge as a symbol for the darker side of femininity. As such the black cat became one of the great devouring goddesses known for playing cat and mouse with the young fertility gods of spring. [article link]
Cartoon Tract: Here Kitty Kitty - A Black Cat Sacrifice "to cast a spell on someone" - Jack Chick Animated Tracks {Some language and a few comments added by the readers.} (YouTube) Our players read aloud from the dramatic novel by Jack Thaddeus Chick. [article link]
Bush Sr. Jeb Bush for President - The first President Bush Sr. [on Sunday January 4, 2009] said he would like to see his "other" son, Jeb, become president one day, but if now's not the time he'd be an "outstanding senator" - Former President George H.W. Bush said his son Jeb should run for president and blasted the New York Times for its "grossly unfair" criticism of another son, President George W. Bush {Bush Sr. is insane he seems to think endless war, a rise in global terrorism, a police state, moral decay, a destroyed economy, devastated families, rampant drug use, pornography, gambling, increased crime and an annihilated Republican Party are a job well done.} Former President George H.W. Bush said his son Jeb should run for president and blasted the New York Times for its "grossly unfair" criticism of another son, President George W. Bush. During an interview on "FOX News Sunday," the nation's 41st president said Jeb, the former governor of Florida, is "as qualified and as able as anyone I know in the political scene" to be president. "I'd like to see him run," Bush said. "I'd like to see him be
president some day. "As president, it's about service, service for the greatest country on the face of the Earth and the honor that goes with it," Bush said. "I think Jeb fits that description." -- He added: "I mean, right now is probably a bad time, because we've got enough Bushes in there." In the meantime, Jeb could take another job, his father suggested. "If Jeb wants to run for the Senate from Florida, he ought to do it," Bush said. "He'd be an outstanding senator. This is a guy that really has a feel for people, the issues in Florida and nationally. And his political days ought not to be over, says his old father." But the current President Bush's political days will soon be over, prompting the former President Bush to unburden himself about what he calls unfair criticism of his eldest son. "It's been tough on his father and his mother," the ex-president said. We're not very good sports about sitting around and hearing him hammered, I think, unfairly. [article link]
DARK SECRETS: INSIDE BOHEMIAN GROVE (Google Video) WHAT IS BOHEMIAN GROVE? SEE THE TRUTH AS DOCUMENTED IN ALEX'S FILM, DARK SECRETS: INSIDE BOHEMIAN GROVE Since 1873, the Global Elite Has Held Secret Meetings in the Ancient Redwood Forest of Northern California. Members of the so-called "Bohemian Club" Include Former Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan. The Bush Family Maintains a Strong Involvement. Each Year at Bohemian Grove, Members of This All-Male "Club" Don Red, Black and Silver Robes and Conduct an Occult Ritual Wherein They Worship a Giant Stone Owl, Sacrificing a Human Being in Effigy to What They Call the "Great Owl of Bohemia." Now, for the First Time in History, an Outsider Has Infiltrated Bohemian Grove with a Hidden Digital Video Camera and Caught the Ritual on Tape. That Man is Alex Jones, the Exclusive Digital Video is Just Part of His Shocking New Documentary: DARK SECRETS: INSIDE BOHEMIAN GROVE. [article link]
A SATANIC CEREMONY AT BOHEMIAN GROVE - THE DARK SECRETS OF BOHEMIAN GROVE - It draws in notables such as President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Dow Chemical Chairman Frank Popoff, as well as actors and other luminaries - A SIGN WITH A SATANIC FACE GREETS VISITOR'S TO BOHEMIAN GROVE - "the governing elite" gather to take part in bizzare, satanic rituals - Not merely drunkenness, unbounded use of alcohol and drugs with vague homosexual tones, but reported activities much more serious - kidnapping, rape, paedophilia, illegal detention of children, sodomy and ritual [blood sacrifice] murder The Bohemian Club has an Annual Summer Encampment, a two-week retreat for the rich and powerful that President Herbert Hoover once called "the greatest party on Earth." The club's famed annual gathering has been held for more than 100 years at the 2,700-acre Bohemian Grove in Monte Rio, about 70 miles north of San Francisco in Sonoma County. It draws in notables such as President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Dow Chemical Chairman Frank Popoff, as well as actors and other luminaries. The annual gathering near the Russian River, which was first held in 1879, starts with the "Cremation of Care" ritual, in which the club's mascot is burned in effigy to an owl god (Moloch), symbolizing a freedom from care. Members also perform several plays, and gourmet food and expensive wine are plentiful. While the club was formed in 1872 by a group of San Francisco journalists, the male-only club now bars journalists from membership to protect the group's privacy. Membership is coveted, and people routinely wait 10 or 15 years before gaining admittance. There are currently about 2,700 members. ... Today, a prospective member faces an interrogation that, according to one club man, 'would satisfy the KGB.' There is a waiting list of 1,500 notables, all eager to pay the $2,500 initiation fee and $600-a-year dues." Some past members include, George P. Shultz, Stephen Bechtel, Jr., Gerald R. Ford, Henry Kissinger, William F. Buckley, Jr., Fred L. Hartley, Merv Griffin, Thomas Haywood, Joseph Coors, Edward Teller, Ronald Reagan, A. W. Clausen, George Bush, William French Smith, John E. Swearingten, Casper W. Weinberger, Justin Dart, William E. Simon, and hundreds of other prominent politicos and businessmen." Up until recently, our knowledge of Bohemian Grove was that it is the exclusive elitist hideaway of supposedly adult wheeler dealers, a.k.a. Washington statesman and prominent personalities. Some may dismiss their behavior as immature, even pitiful,
acted out by emotionally disturbed individuals, and not worth attention. However, this is actually where Bush, Cheney, and their friends (2700 members) "the governing elite", gather to take part in bizzare, satanic rituals. Recent information will radically change the perception of Bohemian Grove. Not merely drunkenness, unbounded use of alcohol and drugs with vague homosexual tones, but reported activities much more serious - kidnapping, rape, paedophilia, illegal detention of children, sodomy and ritual murder. Investigation is blocked under the 1947 National Security Act.(!) For decades, there have been vague rumors of weird goings on in Bohemian Grove in more remote parts of its 2700 acres. Reliable reports claim Druidic like rituals - druids in red hooded robes marching in procession and chanting to the Great Owl (Moloch) - a funeral pyre with "corpses". Scores of men work in the Bohemian Grove as servants, so this party is fairly well established. [article link]
How Bush threw the 2008 election to Obama - Barack Hussein Obama will be sworn in as president Jan. 20, 2009 because George W. Bush handed him the election on a silver spoon - I have to admit, George W. Bush is right up there near the top of the worst of these men - Presidents need to be judged by their fruit and Bush's fruit is mostly rotten - Bush took a decisive action late in the campaign that clearly tipped the scales in Obama's favor - The only question is why he did so {Much of what Bush did the flooding of America with Hispanic illegal aliens, the not so covert sabotaging of the McCain/Palin campaign was all designed to put a Democrat in the White House in 2008 to maneuver for the real Bush family End Game of getting Jeb Bush into the White House in 2012. Note: The wife of ex-Florida Governor Jeb Bush is Hispanic (Mexico) and many think Bush Jr. has been trying to stack the deck with Hispanic votes for Jeb and Jeb's sons in future elections with the many and relentless Bush illegal alien amnesty programs.} I'm surprised no one else has explained this before. It seems so obvious to me that I'm a little embarrassed to have to write it and explain it. It worries me that no one else has, to date, stated so plainly and simply what I am about to tell you. Barack Hussein Obama will be sworn in as president Jan. 20 because George W. Bush handed him the election on a silver spoon. Maybe it's up to me to tell this story because I'm one of the very few pundits in America who didn't have a horse in the race in 2008. First of all, let me begin by explaining that Bush is, without a doubt, one of the worst presidents of my lifetime - and I've seen some bad ones. The first president I remember - only vaguely - was Dwight D. Eisenhower. I lived through Lyndon Baines Johnson, truly a disaster and the height of corruption. I lived through Richard M. Nixon, need I say more? I lived through Gerald R. Ford, a man who didn't understand Soviet domination of Eastern Europe - at the end of his presidency! I lived through Jimmy Carter - barely. I lived through George W. Bush's father and his flip-flop on a "no new taxes" pledge. I lived through Bill Clinton - and have the scars to prove it. -- Nevertheless, I have to admit, George W. Bush is right up there near the top of the worst of these men. Presidents need to be judged by their fruit. And Bush's fruit is mostly rotten. But it was not the totality of his bad policies that made the Obama election inevitable. Despite them all, there was still a reasonable chance John McCain could have won the election - not that I cared. I didn't vote for him, and I'm happy I didn't. However, I still think it is fascinating and noteworthy that Bush took a decisive action late in the campaign that clearly tipped the scales in Obama's favor. The only question is why he did so. In the beginning of September, Bush announced, in the most dire terms imaginable, a bailout package for mortgage lenders. He assigned Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to begin emergency negotiations with Congress on the size and scope. It was presented to the American people not as a request, but as a demand. There was no time for debate. The very stability of the economy and the markets hung on an immediate action. That's the day McCain's fate was sealed. The rest, as they say, is history. [article link]
Interviews with IDF Ground Forces 3 Jan. 2009 (YouTube) Interviews with IDF forces as they prepare for a ground operation in the Gaza Strip to uproot Hamas' terrorist infrastructure on 3 Jan. 2009. [article link]
Breaking News -- Israeli Ground Forces Push Into Gaza - Israeli Ground Troops Launch Attack on Gaza - Israeli tanks and troops swept across the border into Gaza on Saturday night, opening a ground war against the militant group Hamas - "This will not be short, This will not be easy, I do not wish to delude anyone" Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak, said in a televised statement {God's Speed to the Israeli Defense Forces! I join others in praying for the safety of the people of Israel a safe return of their soldiers in harm's way. God bless them, protect, comfort and keep them. I also pray that the people of Gaza will have wisdom in how to overthrow their HAMAS oppressors so they can live a better life.} JERUSALEM - Israeli tanks and troops swept across the border into Gaza on Saturday night, opening a ground war against the militant group Hamas after a week of intense airstrikes. The Israeli military said in a statement that the objective of the ground campaign was "to destroy the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas," the militant Islamic group that controls the area, "while taking control of some of the rocket launching sites" that Hamas uses to fire at southern Israel. The ground campaign brought new risks to the Israeli Army, not least because Hamas has had 18 months since Israel withdrew from the territory to smuggle in more lethal weapons against tanks and troops. Hamas's more sophisticated arsenal has been on display over the last weeks, as it has launched scores of longer range rockets from Gaza into Israeli cities. "This will not be short. This will not be easy. I do not wish to delude anyone," Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak, said in a televised statement, adding that the coming days will be difficult for the residents of southern Israel. [article link]
*** Dr. Jack Hyles (1926 - 2001) - A Church Losing Its Independence And Not Knowing It 1989 - "Most fundamentalist Churches that go bad [no longer win souls to Jesus] don't go Liberal they just go Useless" "Having only one issue is very dangerous - Don't become a one issue [politics, anti-homosexual, pro-life] Christian - Build your Christian life on the whole Bible the whole counsel of God" (Mp3's) Dr. Hyles is the author of 49 books and pamphlets. Many of his sermons are available on audio and video tape. Dr. Hyles' experience covers numerous evangelistic campaigns, Bible conferences, etc. He preached in virtually every state of the Union and in many foreign countries. He hosted 37 annual Pastors' Schools, which have attracted thousands of preachers from all over the world. [article link]
William Cooper's Mystery Babylon Series - The Mystery Babylon Series is a series of [46] radio broadcast done by William Cooper on the occult history of the new world order (Mp3's) The Mystery Babylon Series is a series of radio broadcast done by William Cooper on the occult history of the new world order. Starting with The Dawn of Man William covers the occult message to the adepts hidden in the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" where the birth of the "new man" is announced. From there he takes you through the Egyptian mystery religion of Isis and Osiris and on to the beginnings of the secret society networks. From the Assassins to the Freemasons and on down to the Nazis, William Cooper shines the light of truth into the dark corners of the followers of the mystery Babylon religion and those who seek to enslave mankind in a new world order of the ages. [article link]
John Todd a Former Illuminatist: Explaining The Illuminati (Google Video) His name was John Todd, a former member of the illuminati. He warned us against their plans for world domination before he was framed and effectively discredit by the illuminati. The words that he left on his audio tapes are still coming to pass which puts lots of credibility on his claim that he was an insider. This audio tape speaks about the evil plans of the illuminati for world control. This is just another piece of the puzzle that explains what's going on today's world. [article link]
John Todd in MP3 audio format! - Todd's message seems too bizarre to be believed - But in the context of the phony 9-11 attacks, the phony war on terror, the suspension of Constitutional protections, the erection of a
police state, the failure of Congress and the media, the dumbing down and homosexualization of society, the sexualization of children, the explicit (Bush - Skull & Bones) Satanism, depravity and pornography in the "entertainment" industry, Todd makes a lot of sense" (Mp3's) Highest Illuminati Defector: "Rothschilds Rule with [England] Druid Witches" The following words are by America's friend, Henry Makow, Ph.D. ... "Anyone reading Todd's lectures can see he was raised in Satanism as he claimed, and had a profound understanding. Fritz Springmeier, who is also imprisoned, said Todd knew things that had taken him (Springmeier) years to grasp. Todd's message seems too bizarre to be believed. But in the context of the phony 9-11 attacks, the phony war on terror, the suspension of Constitutional protections, the erection of a police state, the failure of Congress and the media, the dumbing down and homosexualization of society, the sexualization of children, the explicit Satanism, depravity and pornography in the "entertainment" industry, Todd makes a lot of sense." SOURCE: savethemales.ca - Highest Illuminati Defector: "Rothschilds Rule with Druid Witches" [article link]
The [John Todd] Todd Tapes and Life Story - The Illuminati and Witchcraft - John Todd's present situation May 9, 2008 update: John had been killed that fall late 1979 - The "Todd Tapes" cover, roughly, the time frame from 1977 - 1981 [1979] (Mp3's) Jack Chick - I first met John in 1973. I found his information on the occult facinating. We worked together on a Crusaders story entitled, "The Broken Cross." Since its publication I know of witches coming to Christ through this story. A police captain visited a friend of mine and told him the book was the most factual he had ever read on the subject. ... My question is: Who is behind John's attackers? I know the Masons are delighted. So is the Illuminati. Are the ones attacking John winning souls? Why is it aired publicly? If John goes down because of the pressures from Christians, it will be a day of rejoicing for the occult. I back John up 100% with all his faults. I know this brother is doing his best to advance the kingdom of God. We must keep one fact in mind. John is not a minister, but a Christian layman sharing what he knows about a very explosive subject. We should be eager to know about what is going on in the enemy's camp, and to my knowledge, John Todd is the only one qualified to give us that information. I encourage you to stand with him in the face of this onslaught. ... May 9, 2008 update: Back in 1978 I attended Liberty University. A guy named Steve Hoffer was a John Todd promoter of sorts on campus. This amounted to simply passing out some tapes and the like not really like some sort of official promoter. I saw him last in the fall of 1979. He had a letter he claimed was from Johns wife and it informed him that John had been killed that fall late. He read me the letter, I saw the letter. He was warned that he could be in danger. He has some close relationship at least by mail with the Todds. He [Steve Hoffer] left for home for Christmas break but never showed up. His car was found abandoned in Cincinnati about two weeks later. He was found around early May of 1980 a few mile outside Lynchburg tied to a tree and garroted in classic style, his body still hanging there. As you may know this is a special method of death and has a history and meaning. The death of a heretic. [article link]
Kentroversy Tapes: (secular) Interview with Michael Tsarion - Kentroversy Tapes # 05 - Michael Tsarion (June 25, 2007) {This is a representation of "secular," occult, Satanism teaching. Note: the interviewee considers it a crime to believe that the earth is submitted to humans and any human who does not submit to "mother earth" is a criminal. Also: the discussion late in the program that Bush invaded Iraq in part to plunder the antiques and relics of Iraq [like his grandfather Prescott Bush who plundered and robbed the skull from the grave of Geronimo] because Iraq (Babylon) was a main center where the dangerous Nephilim (Genesis 6:1-22) activity in the Bible occurred. Apparently Bush and his Satanic NWO cronies want to invoke the more evil demonic Nephilim fallen spirits (chained in Hades by God (Jude 1:6) because of their excessive evil towards mankind) or their modern counterparts and in order to practice their occult activities they wanted the costumes and masks and objects of the ancient Babylonians "they need to look the part in order to play the part" in their occult rituals. They also consider the Maya calendar prophecy 2012 end of the world apocalypse to be a reality. -- You
can tell by listening to the interview that they don't have any real solutions themselves and that they only have any real ideas when they quote (and misquote) the Bible something they do often.} (Mp3) In my ongoing commemoration and celebration of the life of esoteric researcher Kent Daniel Bentkowski ( Kentroversy ) who passed July 30, 2008 by posting some of his past podcasts with some of the big names in the field, none come much bigger than Michael Tsarion. His research on ancient cultures, the Nephilim, UFOs, symbology, secret societies and their use by the NWO is second to none, except maybe Jordan Maxwell. So enjoy this Kentroversy Tapes podcast Kent made with Michael on March 2005. The podcast itself was posted by Kent on June 25th, 2007. [article link]
Michael Tsarion [New Ager, Yoga, Sigmund Freud, Satanist Aleister Crowley follower and general smorgasbord of New Age religion devotee] 2006 Talk - The year 2012 and The Future of Mankind {At 3 hrs 16 min 45 sec, Michael Tsarion defines a "human" as someone who has become "self-aware" meaning someone who has rejected the Bible, rejected God and become their own god. Note: The events that dictated the human Holocaust and slaughter that was WWII (1939-1945) were directed against God and his people and were dictated as physical bloodline events whether they were the Nazis and their raced based purity or the Japanese and their version of race based purity (both groups were extremely anti-Jewish and anti-Christian). The events of WW3 (approx. 2001-2013?) are also directed against God and his people but the killing has a new twist it is not as race based as the WWII belligerents were but WW3 aggression is against thought (thought police), conscience and spiritual differences. What led to killing in WWII was blood, genealogy and physical in WW3 it is more mental, doctrinal and spiritual beliefs.} (Google Video) [New Ager] Michael Tsarion gives a talk at the Granada Forum in Los Angeles, 2006. [article link]
Commentary: Thank you, Gov. Blagojevich - First, that under the 17th Amendment, governors alone have the power to appoint a replacement to complete the term of senators who are expelled, resign or die - And second, that under our system, the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty and that means being allowed to return to work and fulfill one's responsibilities SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is growing on me. You see, I like chutzpah and I don't mind chaos. Blagojevich has an abundance of the former, and a knack for producing more than his share of the latter. It was with remarkable chutzpah that the man soon to be referred to as "the defendant in the above-named action" threw the world of politics into chaos this week by asserting a couple of principles that his critics find terribly inconvenient. First, that under the 17th Amendment, governors alone have the power to appoint a replacement to complete the term of senators who are expelled, resign or die. And second, that under our system, the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty -- and that means being allowed to return to work and fulfill one's responsibilities. Pundits are painting Blagojevich as a rogue politician who -having already been accused of trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama -wreaked even more havoc this week by abruptly tapping former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to fill the seat. You have to admire someone so committed to his job that he won't let a little thing like a federal prosecution interfere with doing it. Nor did Blagojevich seem concerned that Senate Democrats had threatened not to seat anyone he appointed because of the cloud overhead. My associates in the chattering class are missing the big picture. Blagojevich has done us all a favor with his mischievously brilliant and cynical maneuver. ... Senate Democrats probably don't have a leg to stand on. They don't have the legal authority to bar Roland Burris. And as a bunch of white men presiding over a body that -- as Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Illinois, bluntly pointed out this week in defense of Burris -- doesn't have a single African-American member, nor do they have the moral authority to do so. The powers-that-be in the Democratic Party are trapped by their own hollow rhetoric about inclusion and opportunity. And it's great fun to watch. We're going to learn a lot from all this -- about power and loyalty and who needs whom and who owes what. And for that, we should thank Gov. Rod Blagojevich. [article link]
How Blagojevich And Spitzer Are Connected - Spitzer and Blagojevich were both crushed just after they dared to challenge the nation's mightiest (Bush) financial kingpins - On Dec. 8, 2008 Blagojevich announced the State of Illinois will suspend business with Bank of America until credit is restored to the shuttered Republic Windows & Doors company in Chicago where workers were staging a sit-in at the time - The governor was arrested on federal corruption charges the following day Spitzer's perceived comeuppance occurred three weeks after the Washington Post published his editorial about predatory loans in which he wrote: "Not only did the Bush administration do nothing to protect consumers, it embarked on an aggressive and unprecedented campaign to prevent states from protecting their residents from the very problems to which the federal government was turning a blind eye." The headline - "Predator Lenders' Partner in Crime" - refers to the Decider-in-Chief himself. According to investigative journalist Greg Palast: "Spitzer was in Washington to launch a campaign to take on the Bush regime and the biggest financial powers on the planet." ... On Dec. 8, Blagojevich announced the State of Illinois will suspend business with Bank of America until credit is restored to the shuttered Republic Windows & Doors company in Chicago where workers were staging a sit-in at the time. The governor was arrested on federal corruption charges the following day. That Spitzer and Blagojevich were both crushed just after they dared to challenge the nation's mightiest financial kingpins, does not in and of itself establish a governmental modus operandi. But the Justice Department's 76-page complaint against the Illinois governor reveals another parallel to the Spitzer takedown: The evidence against Blago is much thinner than what published reports suggest. Furthermore, the general hysteria encircling both fall guys seems designed to conceal systemic corruption on a grand scale. If only the fourth estate [news media] would spend more time connecting the dots, and less time promoting demagogues. [article link]
Son of Hamas Leader Gives Glimpse Into Terror Organization - the organization betrays the Palestinian cause and tortures its own members - Hamas, formed in the late 1980's as an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of the radical Muslim Brotherhood, is considered a terror organization by the U.S. government - Yousef, 30, said he realized the true nature of Hamas and radical Islam during a stint in an Israeli prison - He renounced his Muslim faith, left his family behind in Ramallah and converted to Christianity As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other world leaders try to broker a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, one former member of the militant Islamic organization said there will never be lasting peace between the two groups. "There is no chance. Is there any chance for fire to co-exist with the water?" said Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of one of the group's founding members. Yousef added: "It's not about Israel, it's not about Hamas: it's about both ideologies." Yousef, son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, one of the most influential leaders of the militant group, said the organization betrays the Palestinian cause and tortures its own members. Hamas, formed in the late 1980's as an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of the radical Muslim Brotherhood, is considered a terror organization by the U.S. government. Hamas seized power in the Gaza strip in 2007 in a violent coup against the more moderate Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas. ... Yousef, 30, said he realized the true nature of Hamas and radical Islam during a stint in an Israeli prison. He renounced his Muslim faith, left his family behind in Ramallah and converted to Christianity. "Islam is not the word of God," said Yousef. "If you want to be offended it's your problem. But you know something? Go study. Think for a second that I might be right. So wake up, look at your path, see where you're going. Are you really going to heaven with 72 virgins after you kill yourself and kill another 20 people?" Yousef has sought asylum in the United States and now attends an evangelical Christian church... [article link]
Pakistan Teen trained to be suicide bomber feels tricked - "When I finished reciting the Quran, a mullah then came to me and told me, 'Now that you have finished the Quran, you need to go and commit a suicide attack' That I should go to Afghanistan to commit a suicide attack" - He says his father didn't know radicals ran the school - The teenager wasn't given the chance to say goodbye to his parents or siblings when he was driven to
the Pakistan-Afghan border and handed over to strangers KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A 14-year-old who was trained to kill by radicals in the tribal regions of Pakistan now sits in a crowded classroom at a detention facility in Kabul. His only wish is to see his parents again. ... He says his recruiters told him it was his mission as a Muslim to kill British and American soldiers because they were killing Muslims. They told him that once he blew himself up he wouldn't die because God would save him for being a true Muslim. ... He says his dad wanted him to learn more about Islam and the Quran, something he could not do himself. He says his father didn't know radicals ran the school. In the madrassa, Shakirullah learned to recite the Quran in Arabic, not his native language. He relied solely on the fanatical interpretations the mullahs were giving him. "When I finished reciting the Quran, a mullah then came to me and told me, 'Now that you have finished the Quran, you need to go and commit a suicide attack.' That I should go to Afghanistan to commit a suicide attack," he says. The teenager wasn't given the chance to say goodbye to his parents or siblings when he was driven to the Pakistan-Afghan border and handed over to strangers. [article link]
{flashback} Pakistan gets eight Cobra helicopters from US - The Cobra helicopters were handed over to Pakistan as part of a five-year aid programme as indicated by US President George W Bush in 2003 {Brilliant more advanced weapons to radical Islamists, and Bush wonders why his policies fail so completely.} Islamabad, Feb 02: The United States on Friday handed over eight Cobra Helicopter gunships to Pakistan to boost its capability to conduct operations against extremists. The refurbished helicopters, specially equipped for night-time operations, were handed over to Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retired) Tariq Wasim Ghazi by US Ambassador Ryan Crocker at a ceremony at an airbase in Rawalpindi. The US embassy said they were part of a 50 million- dollar deal for 20 refurbished helicopters. Speaking on the occasion, Crocker said the helicopters are "important weapons in our common fight against terrorism". [article link]
{flashback} Bush bonanza: US likely to announce substantial discount to Pak (Pakistan) in F-16 deal - which include periodic inspections of the fleet and their bases to verify guarantees by Pakistan that it would not pass the technology to China - The planes apparently would also not carry facilities to carry nuclear weapons ISLAMABAD: US President George W Bush plans to announce a "substantial discount" on the $5 billion deal to sell F-16s to Pakistan during President Pervez Musharraf's visit to Washington as a gesture of approval of his handling of the war on terror, a media report said on Tuesday. Musharraf, who left for Brussels on Monday on his way to the US, is "understood to be carrying private assurances from President Bush that he may receive a substantial discount in the price of the F-16 aircraft Pakistan is currently in the process of purchasing from Washington," The News reported. ... The planes apparently would also not carry facilities to carry nuclear weapons. [article link]
{flashback} A Taliban Spokesman's Confession - Dr. Hanif, who had been working with the Taliban for the past 14 months, told them that the organization would never have been able to challenge Afghan military and NATO forces without the direct assistance of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency Just last week, outgoing U.S. National Intelligence Director John Negroponte warned that while Pakistan is "a frontline partner in the war on terror," it is also the country "where the Taliban and al-Qaeda maintain critical sanctuaries." Al-Qaeda, he said, is "cultivating stronger operational connections and relationships that radiate outward from their leaders' secure hideout in Pakistan to affiliates throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe." And on a visit to Afghanistan Tuesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates reiterated the point, saying, "There are more attacks coming across the border; there are al-Qaeda networks operating on the Pakistani side of the border. And these are issues that we clearly will have to pursue with the Pakistani government." [article link]
OliveTreeViews.org: Has Israel gone too far? By Gary Bauer - Gaza is hell, but not because of Israel - Its conditions are unbearable because its people elected Hamas an organization with no economic plan, no educational ideas, nothing to offer at all except to kill the Jews, kill the infidel and destroy Israel - Hamas doesn't really mind if its missiles fail to hit their targets - As long as Israel hits its targets, and as a consequence more Palestinian civilians are killed, Hamas is content, because images of dead Palestinians helps Hamas in the eyes of its real target, public opinion - The New Year will bring nothing new to Gaza so long as Hamas is allowed to perpetuate the same old vicious cycle of provocation, reprisal and international outrage against Israel Gaza, in recent years, has been turned into "Gazastan," an Islamic republic that educates its own children to seek death in martyrdom operations. Gaza TV airs children's shows that teach six and seven year-olds to kill Jews. The Gaza government just instituted a new legal code based on Sharia Islamic law that permits crucifixion for certain crimes against Islam. -- Hamas exists to wreak havoc and destroy Israel. And it has acted accordingly since its inception. Between 2000 and 2004, Hamas was responsible for the deaths of 400 Israelis, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Hamas charter states that "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it." And, "there is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors." Hamas also is a proxy of Iran, whose president denies the Holocaust and vows to "wipe Israel off the map." -- Tuesday, Israel rejected international pressure to end air strikes against Hamas, which continues to hit Israeli civilian centers across Southern Israel. Though the number of Israeli casualties may be small, Hamas doesn't really mind if its missiles fail to hit their targets. As long as Israel hits its targets, and as a consequence more Palestinian civilians are killed, Hamas is content, because images of dead Palestinians helps Hamas in the eyes of its real target, public opinion. The New Year will bring nothing new to Gaza so long as Hamas is allowed to perpetuate the same old vicious cycle of provocation, reprisal and international outrage against Israel. [article link]
Report on Palestinian Rocket and Mortar Attacks against Israel - Palestinian rockets and mortar shells fired into Israel for the past 8 years - this chart showing the rapid increase in attacks since Hamas took power in Gaza {The Chart logging terrorist attacks from 2000-2008 which happens to be the Bush Jr. years vividly points out yet another massive Bush failure as both President and as a world leader.} (Charts) The Intelligence & Terrorism Information Center has a report (PDF) on Palestinian rockets and mortar shells fired into Israel for the past 8 years, including this chart showing the rapid increase in attacks since Hamas took power in Gaza. [article link]
{Flashback} Here is a jaw-dropping graph - that shows an almost-perfect correlation between the amount of money given to the Palestinian Authority (now Fatah) and the number of Israelis killed in terror attacks - See the blog for the graph - This picture is truly worth 1000 words We have on the blog a jaw-dropping graph from CAMERA that shows an almost-perfect correlation between the amount of money given to the Palestinian Authority (now Fatah) and the number of Israelis killed in terror attacks the following year. Given the large amount of evidence implicating Fatah in terror, the explanation shouldn't be much of a mystery, however. [article link]
{Flashback} Terrorist: U.S. training helps attack, kill Jews - As new program launches, Palestinian militant describes how American lessons fueled intifada - The training program, which includes courses in the use of weapons, is paid for by $86.5 million in U.S. tax dollars granted to the PA by Congress in April 2007 RAMALLAH - United States-run programs that train militias from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization have been utilized to kill Jews and were instrumental in the "success" of the Palestinian intifada that began in 2000, a senior Fatah militant trained by the U.S. told WND. "I do not think that
the operations of the Palestinian resistance would have been so successful and would have killed more than 1,000 Israelis since 2000 and defeated the Israelis in Gaza without these American trainings," said Abu Yousuf, a senior officer of Abbas' Force 17 Presidential Guard unit in Ramallah. The U.S. has long run training programs at a base in the West Bank city of Jericho for members of Force 17, which serves as de facto police units in the West Bank, and for the Palestinian Preventative Security Services, another major Fatah security force. ... Many members of Force 17 and the Preventative Security Services also openly serve in the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's declared "military wing," which took credit along with the Islamic Jihad terror group for every suicide bombing in Israel in 2005 and 2006. Statistically, the Brigades is responsible for more terrorism from the West Bank than any other Palestinian organization. [article link]
{Flashback} Palestinians Shoot 15 Human Shields - 200 Gaza residents decided their "human shield" tactics worked so well against the Israelis, they would try it to stop the shooting between rival terrorists in Gaza - The gunmen used it as an opportunity to refine their technical skills, injuring approximately 15 of them 200 Gaza residents decided their "human shield" tactics worked so well against the Israelis, they would try it to stop the shooting between rival terrorists in Gaza: "Just as we used to protect you from the occupation by acting as human shields, we have come to protect you from yourselves," one protester shouted at gunmen, referring to instances when Palestinian civilians positioned themselves between militants and Israeli forces. The gunmen used it as an opportunity to refine their technical skills, injuring approximately 15 of them. ... "Even during the Israeli occupation the situation wasn't this terrible," says Um Mohammed, praying for an end to the lethal Palestinian infighting raging outside her Gaza City home. Fear reigns throughout the city, deserted but for prowling groups of armed men, loyal to rivals Hamas or Fatah, living on a daily diet of ambushes, kidnappings and assassinations. Dozens of snipers on the rooftops of the tallest buildings open fire seemingly on anything that moves. "We can't go near the window, let alone on the balcony. We have all become targets," says Um Mohammed. "This is a city of corpses and ghosts." ... On Wednesday, I saw several people shot in front of my building, I heard the screams of terrified women and children in a burning building, and I argued with gunmen who tried to take over my home. I have seen a lot in my years as a journalist in Gaza, but this is the worst it's been. [article link]
{Flashback} August 23, 2006: Bush $230 Million for Hezbollah, $0 for Israel Today, President Bush announced $230 million for rebuilding South Lebanon, which Debbie Schussel persuasively argues will be funnelled to Hezbollah because of the lack of accountability on the funds for the Hezbollah-controlled area. Meanwhile, the administration has indicated that Israel won't receive any warrelated financial help at all, despite extensive damage as a result of the civilian-targeted attacks which are war crimes. [article link]
{Flashback} 9-11-2007: President Bush has perfected The Big Lie - He redefines his goals to fit his failures - With each new definition, more innocents die - Bush's cronies use taxpayer dollars to bribe Sunni [& Shiite] sheiks in Anbar province [and throughout Iraq, Lebanon-Palestine the entire Muslim world] - Of course, when the bribes stop, they may turn against us again President Bush has perfected The Big Lie. He redefines his goals to fit his failures. With each new definition, more innocents die. When he failed to catch Osama bin Laden "dead or alive," he redefined the enemy as Saddam Hussein. When he failed to find WMD in Iraq, he redefined our goal there as democracy. When he brought chaos instead of democracy to Iraq, he redefined the goal again: "Fight them there so we don't have to fight them here." Outstanding police work in England and Germany proves that al-Qaida doesn't come from Iraq, and isn't defeated in Iraq. This is a struggle against international crime, this is not a world war. Bush's latest lie is the "surge." Six months ago, he clearly defined its purpose: to give "breathing space" to the government in Baghdad. In those months, the dysfunctional puppet government has utterly collapsed, proving
the surge a failure. But Bush now claims the surge a success because one Iraqi province is more peaceful. The London Times of Sept. 9 shows how Bush's cronies use taxpayer dollars to bribe Sunni [& Shiite] sheiks in Anbar province [and throughout Iraq, Lebanon-Palestine the entire Muslim world]. Of course, when the bribes stop, they may turn against us again. Bush pours American blood in the sand just to save face. Ending this war is not a job for him, but for the American people. Will we passively accept The Big Lie for five more years, or will we cry "No more!" in the name of truth and the Constitution? - Fred LaMotte, Steilacoom [article link]
Israel Says Senior Hamas Leader Was Given Time to Escape With Family, but Refused to Leave - Rayyan and his family had minutes to escape but the official says the Hamas leader chose to stay - The Israeli official said that surveillance aircraft spotted several people leaving the home and the decision to hit it was made Israeli officials say senior Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan and his family, killed by an Israeli airstrike this week, were given time to escape. Officials say they used a tactic called "roof knocking" before destroying Rayyan's home and the immediate area around it with a 2,000-pound bomb. Rayyan and 15 members of his family -- his four wives, six sons and five daughters -- were killed in the strike. ... The intelligence called the home and told the occupants they had minutes to leave. The Israeli official said that surveillance aircraft spotted several people leaving the home and the decision to hit it was made. Rayyan and his family had minutes to escape but the official says the Hamas leader chose to stay. [article link]
Microsoft Takes Another Net Step Backwards as Global IE Share Drops to New Low - Thirteen years after entering the Internet industry, Microsoft is still running a distant third [to Google and Yahoo] in the Internet game - If nothing else, this should alert those who regard Microsoft's Internet domination as a foregone conclusion that they might want to rethink things From Silicon Alley Insider, Jan. 2, 2009: When you consider that Microsoft owned the browser market five years ago, IE's continued share erosion is a watershed event for Microsoft and the rest of the technology industry. Slowly but surely, the rise of the Internet is cracking the Windows monopoly apart, and as it does, Microsoft's relative power is likely to continue to wane. There are still those who say confidently that Microsoft's domination of the Internet is just a matter of time: Microsoft came from behind in word processors, spreadsheets, email, etc., and thanks to its tenacity and riches, it will come from behind here. No, it won't. -Thirteen years after entering the Internet industry, Microsoft is still running a distant third in the Internet game, despite having more advantages that any industry participant could ever dream of. Its share of ads is now increasing, but only because it is losing billions while even AOL continues to print money. Its share of the browser market, meanwhile, continues to decrease, a trend that to our knowledge has never happened in a market Microsoft wanted to dominate. If nothing else, this should alert those who regard Microsoft's Internet domination as a foregone conclusion that they might want to rethink things. [article link]
Computer Chips drive Hollywood closer to its most special effect - being able to create digital characters that are indistinguishable from real people - But he added, "I don't really see technology in any way replacing performers I see it enhancing the possibility of story telling" As even more powerful chips are developed, some experts say, it will become possible to create full-length movies featuring large numbers of animated actors with even more lifelike characteristics. Computer generation gives film producers enormous creative flexibility. Besides allowing them to change an actor's appearance - by digitally exaggerating their movements or facial expressions, for example - it also makes it easy to create elaborate animated environments, which can be a lot cheaper than having to fly an entire movie crew to exotic locations to shoot scenes. Moreover, being able to create digital characters that are indistinguishable from real people would enable performers who have grown older or have even died to continue appearing in movies, said Jules Urbach, who has licensed USC's technology to use in his Burbank animation business, LightStage. Urbach said an actor in his 30s - whom he declined to identify - recently asked
him to capture the man's image with LightStage so the actor can star in future animated films without ever looking a day older than he does now. If needed, Urbach added, the actor's words could be digitally generated years from now through computerized voice reconstruction, a technology that also is rapidly advancing. While all this might enable actors to collect movie royalties well past their prime, some critics have decried giving animators so much creative control. Yet Mark Friedlander, national director of new media for the Screen Actors Guild, said his members shouldn't panic yet over what he called "blurring the line between the real and the synthetic." "It certainly is something we're beginning to watch," he said. But he added, "I don't really see technology in any way replacing performers. I see it enhancing the possibility of story telling." [article link]
January 01, 2009: Israel Assault on Gaza Kills Hamas Leader as Diplomacy Falters - the Islamic group continued to fire rockets into Israel {At the very first moment of "truce talks" on Tuesday President Bush sent an $85 Million aid package to Gaza (HAMAS) then HAMAS immediately pulled out of all cease fire negotiations. Why didn't Bush withhold the funding until HAMAS agreed to a cease fire? It seems Bush is paying the Palestinians to remain in the conflict. Bush seems to want to prolong this conflict because intentionally or otherwise that is what the Bush aid and Bush policy is doing. Bush isn't applying any pressure on HAMAS to be any kind of a descent neighbor to Israel.} Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Chances of a rapid halt to Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip dimmed after Israel killed a Hamas leader and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said her nation would keep applying pressure to the militant Islamic group. "The only way to see a change in the region is to help the moderates, but simultaneously to attack and to keep the pressure on the extremists like Hamas," Livni told reporters in Paris following a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. As diplomatic efforts to end the conflict faltered, Israel continued its bombardment of Hamas targets in the coastal enclave while the Islamic group continued to fire rockets into Israel, hitting an apartment building in Ashdod, Israel's second-largest port city. Israeli troops and tanks remained massed on the Gaza border. For the first time since the start of the aerial bombardment Dec. 27, Israel yesterday killed a senior Hamas leader in an air strike. An army spokesman, speaking anonymously in accordance with regulations, said warplanes hit Nizar Rayyan's house in the Jabaliya refugee camp. Several members of his family were also killed, the head of Palestinian emergency services, Mu'awia Hassanein, said by telephone. [article link]
December 30, 2008: U.S. says will give $85 million to help Palestinians - The United States announced on Tuesday it would give $85 million to the U.N. agency providing aid to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria {Bush Jr. is sending Millions to prolong this conflict. The only way there is going to be a real cease fire is when the Palestinian people stop supporting the terrorists and start supporting peaceful leaders but as long as Bush is enabling, funding and supporting the HAMAS terrorists there will never be new moderate leadership in Gaza.} WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States announced on Tuesday it would give $85 million to the U.N. agency providing aid to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The announcement comes as the humanitarian situation is worsening in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which has been pounded by Israel for the past four days in retaliation for rockets fired into the Jewish state by Hamas and other Palestinian factions. The U.S. funds, which will help cover appeals for aid by the agency for 2009, would pay for urgently needed food, medicines and other humanitarian aid for Palestinian refugees, said the department in a statement. ... "The United States reiterates its deep concern about the escalating violence in Gaza and commends UNRWA's important work meeting the emergency needs of civilians in Gaza at this very difficult time," said the statement. "We hold Hamas fully responsible for breaking the ceasefire and for the renewal of violence," it added. [article link]
*** Spiritual Warfare - The Byte Show [Mp3's at the bottom of the page] - The "Todd Tapes" cover, roughly, the time frame from 1977 - 1981 -- The subject matter deals with the occult, witchcraft and the satanic new world order (Mp3's) The "Todd Tapes" cover, roughly, the time frame from 1977 - 1981. The subject matter deals with the occult, witchcraft and the satanic new world order. [article link]
Michael Tsarion [New Ager, Yoga, Sigmund Freud, Satanist Aleister Crowley follower and general smorgasbord of New Age religion devotee] 2006 Talk - The year 2012 and The Future of Mankind {At 3 hrs 16 min 45 sec, Michael Tsarion defines a "human" as someone who has become "self-aware" meaning someone who has rejected the Bible, rejected God and become their own god. Note: The events that dictated the human Holocaust and slaughter that was WWII (1939-1945) were directed against God and his people and were dictated as physical bloodline events whether they were the Nazis and their raced based purity or the Japanese and their version of race based purity (both groups were extremely anti-Jewish and anti-Christian). The events of WW3 (approx. 2001-2013?) are also directed against God and his people but with the new twist they are not as race based as the WWII belligerents were but WW3 aggression is against thought (thought police), conscience and spiritual differences. What was blood, genealogy and physical in WWII is more mental, doctrinal and spiritual in WW3.} (Google Video) [New Ager] Michael Tsarion gives a talk at the Granada Forum in Los Angeles, 2006. [article link]
Microsoft sends mixed messages about Zune fix - Microsoft posted an update on its ZuneInsider blog, noting that it was making progress on resolving the global failure of 30 gigabyte Zunes today - Updated, 2:30 pm: Microsoft is explaining that the failures were the result of a leap year bug {Microsoft claims that their 2006 Zune 30GB is a unique product and that is why only it was affected by the Z2k9 bug however the Zune 30GB is probably not a unique product as Microsoft does not make any of its hardware products. The Zune product especially the early ones were all made by Toshiba and were essentially a rebranded Toshiba Gigabeat Mp3 Player. The next leap year is 2012 the Mayan end of civilization [as we know it - per New Agers] year and going into 2013 the dreaded Satanic New World Order Year. Was the Z2K9 bug a Microsoft test run for a Y2K13 bug? -- Update: A few People with new model Zunes are reporting the same freezing problem. It seems some people accidently updated their new Zune with the firmware update meant only for the Zune 30 GB model. Any Zune with the new 30 GB Microsoft update has failed to work on 12/31/2008 regardless of the size, type or style of Zune. -- After the New Year most Zunes are now working though some are still stuck and have not been able to re-start.} Twenty minutes ago, Microsoft posted an update on its ZuneInsider blog, noting that it was making progress on resolving the global failure of 30 gigabyte Zunes today. Check back now, and the message is no longer there. "We are getting close to IDing the issue. We are conducting additional testing and checks now to make sure it is accurrate. thanks again for your patience," read the message at 12:21 pm. As of 12:43 pm, it's now back to the official line: "We have a technical team working hard to isolate the issue right now and will update everyone as much as possible. Thanks for your patience while we get to the bottom of this." Microsoft is sending out mixed messages about a fix to the issue that has made thousands of Zunes unusable today. Earlier today, Microsoft's Larry Hryb, the director of programming for Xbox Live, twittered, "If you have a Zune 30 that was not working, I just found out that issue was resolved. You should be good to go." Less than an hour later, Hryb (who Twitters as "Major Nelson"), backtracked: "Ok. Major's wrong. Zune issue NOT fixed. I'll rattle some cages in Zuneland." Updated, 2:30 pm: Microsoft is explaining that the failures were the result of a leap year bug. Read more here. -- Early this morning we were alerted by our customers that there was a widespread issue affecting our 2006 model Zune 30GB devices (a large number of which are still actively being used). The technical team jumped on the problem immediately and isolated the issue: a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year. That being the case, the issue should be resolved over the
next 24 hours as the time change moves to January 1, 2009. We expect the internal clock on the Zune 30GB devices will automatically reset tomorrow (noon, GMT). ... We know this has been a big inconvenience to our customers and we are sorry for that, and want to thank them for their patience. [article link]
The Day The 30 G Zune Stood Still (YouTube) December 31, 2008: Quick capture of the absolute meltdown of Microsoft 30gb Zunes everywhere. [article link]
Z2K9: Zunepocalypse - as of 2 a.m. today (Dec 30, 2008), and apparently part of some suicide pact/calendarrelated coincidence, 30GB Zunes [Mp3 Players] have been bricking themselves - it seems everyone with a (Microsoft Zune) 30GB HDD model has had this happen to them - There's no word yet on what the cause of the problem may be, or a fix/workaround for those people who own Zunes {Microsoft is just testing and keeping viable their End of the World Y2K scenario where every (consumer) computer device is rendered useless at the same moment by pre-implemented computer code within embedded microchips. The real Y2K, Z2K9 stuff will likely hit in the 2012-2013 New Year rollover or whenever the Satanist Bush family finally decides it wants the planet all to themselves.} Z2K9: Zunepocalypse: Seeing as how "Zune" and "Failure" are practically synonyms, it's surprising that Microsoft could buckle down and take the rabidly unpopular [Mp3] music player to a newer, and lower, level. But as of 2 a.m. today, and apparently part of some suicide pact/calendar-related coincidence, 30GB Zunes have been bricking themselves. ... The problem has become so widespread, in fact, that even Microsoft is aware of it, and has updated their Zune.net support page. There's no word yet on what the cause of the problem may be, or a fix/workaround for those people who own Zunes. Users are asked, however, not to offer to help by looking for answers on their iPhone/iPod touch. [article link]
December 31, 2008: Microsoft Zune Z2K9 Massive Zune Failure out of Microsoft hands - This December 31, 2008 We were bombarded with numerous news about the auto hung up of all (with newer Firmware) 30GB Zune, this failure rendered useless the music player - Only Zunes with the newer Firmware applied are reported to have the massive hung and there is not a single solution from people on the forums or from Microsoft that return the Zune to its previous state - others have called it "Z2K9" an automatic and instantly failure to all 30 GB Zunes worldwide Today big news about electronic devices is the Massive Zune Failure at the same time on the same date, something that points to a software glitch, but what a time… This December 31 We were bombarded with numerous news about the auto hung up of all (with newer Firmware) 30GB Zune, this failure rendered useless the music player. Only Zunes with the newer Firmware applied are reported to have the massive hung and there is not a single solution from people on the forums or from Microsoft that return the Zune to its previous state, Gizmodo.com and others have called it "Z2K9" an automatic and instantly failure to all 30 GB Zunes worldwide. Microsoft must take quick actions to solve the Zune already tarnished reputation, there isn't a better time for this to happen and thanks God there is not as much Zune users as iPod users around, because this would be a total disaster for the Zune brand. A quick update to a new fresh and operative Firmware will solve this, but remember that because of the Holidays not all engineers must be fully working at Microsoft and maybe the nearer date must be in early days of new year. We can only wish to the Zune users facing the Z2K9 is that Microsoft fix it as zoon as possible or take advantage of the cheaper prices of Amazon on iPods and other Media Players. [article link]
Jews For Jesus - Many Audio Bible Studies (Mp3's) We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are divinely inspired, verbally and completely inerrant in the original writings and of supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and life. We recognize
the value of traditional Jewish literature, but only where it is supported by or conformable to the Word of God. We regard it as in no way binding upon life or faith. We believe in one sovereign God, existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, unbounded in power and measureless in love; that God is the source of all creation and that through the immediate exercise of His power all things came into being. We believe that God the Father is the author of eternal salvation, having loved the world and given His Son for its redemption. We believe that Jesus the Messiah was eternally pre-existent and is co-equal with God the Father; that He took on Himself the nature of man through the virgin birth so that He possesses both divine and human natures. We believe in His sinless life and perfect obedience to the Law; in His atoning death, burial, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, high-priestly intercession and His personal return in power and glory. ... [article link]
The Republican National Committee (RNC) draft rips Bush's bailouts [takeovers] - In what would amount to a slap in the face to a sitting Republican president - a resolution opposing the resort to "socialist" means to save capitalism - "If the party doesn't move in [conservative] direction, we will continue to be irrelevant" - "Frankly the way we view the platform is a joke - We work hard to drive our principles into the platform, then candidates ignore it" {The Bush form of government is not Socialism but a form of Dictator Fascism i.e. more closely related to what 1930's Nazi Germany instituted.} In what would amount to a slap in the face to a sitting Republican president and the party's Senate and House leaders, national GOP officials, including the vice chairman of the Republican National Committee, are sponsoring a resolution opposing the resort to "socialist" means to save capitalism. "We can't be a party of small government, free markets and low taxes while supporting bailouts and nationalizing industries, which lead to big government, socialism and high taxes at the expense of individual liberty and freedoms," said Solomon Yue, a cosponsor of a resolution that would put the RNC -- the party's national governing body -- on the record as opposing the U.S. government bailouts of the financial and auto industries. ... "Failing to do so, we have today's identity crisis, which resulted in our losses in 2006 and 2008," Mr. Yue said. "The bailout is a good example ... In my view, if we are not going to address this, we will see more losses in 2010." ... "It is time the party gets involved in policy issues and forces candidates to respond to the platform," Mr. Emineth said. "Frankly the way we view the platform is a joke. We work hard to drive our principles into the platform, then candidates ignore it." "If the party doesn't move in this direction, we will continue to be irrelevant. Whoever has the larger star power will continue to win, and what they stand for and believe will become less relevant," Mr. Emineth said. Mr. Bopp, Mr. Yue and the other cosponsors say they have the numbers to pull off this rebellion, unprecedented in the history of either party's national committee. "We have enough co-sponsors to take this to the RNC floor" at the party's Jan. 28-31 annual winter meeting in Washington. "I will take it to the Resolutions Committee, but I intend to press this issue to the floor for decision." To the astonishment of most rank-and-file Republicans, hundreds of billions of dollars in bailouts of private-sector companies were pushed through Congress last month by President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. Just as astonishing, the Senate and House GOP leaders and the party's presidential nominee supported the bailout of the financial industry, which in some cases took the form of the U.S. government's gaining ownership of huge but financially troubled companies. Nonetheless, not all RNC members -- including some of Mr. Bopp's fellow conservatives -- are pleased with the idea of having it make policy instead of simply minding the campaign fundraising store. Fellow RNC member Ron Nehring, chairman of the California GOP, expressed more reservations. "We have to be careful not to confuse passing resolutions for action, or creating a situation where people interpret the lack of some resolution as an excuse for inaction on an important issue," he said. Historically - The RNC's sole job has been to raise money for candidates and to pass the party line down the food chain to state and local leaders. [article link]
Don't overlook Israel's vulnerability - [If] the UN, the US, the Quartet or whoever had shown itself willing and able to ensure Israel's security - Gaza, as in Lebanon before, are the consequence of a much earlier failure: the failure to enforce international law [against HAMAS] and truly guarantee Israel's right to exist {*** The bottom line is that the U.N. has to protect Israel and as proof the U.N. has to give Israel access to the Temple Mount and let them rebuild their Jewish Temple!} Before you rush to judgement on the iniquity of Israel's lethal air strikes on the Gaza Strip - your own judgement, not a judgement borrowed from flailing politicians or vocal lobbyists for either side - could you answer one question. Have you ever been to Israel? I don't mean have you looked at a map of the Middle East or glanced across from the beach in Aqaba, or even visited the slums that, more than 50 years on, are absurdly still called Palestinian refugee camps. I mean have you ever been to Israel? Because if you have, you might understand how small and devoid of natural defences this country is. You would see that from north, south and east, they are vulnerable to siege from those who command the higher ground and the escape routes. And you would realise how fearful Israelis remain, even three generations on, that they could actually be driven into the sea in a matter of hours. And a second question, if I may. Deep down, do you believe that the state of Israel has a right to exist, or do you feel, if you are brutally honest, that the world would be a simpler and more harmonious place if only the victorious Second World War Allies had found a way of purging their postHolocaust guilt without acquiescing in the creation of a Jewish homeland in what had been Palestine under the British mandate. Do you feel, even today, that Israel - and I'm talking about Israel, not the occupied territories is Arab land that belongs, by ancestral right, to the Palestinians? Well, I have been to Israel; I have driven the length and breadth of it in more peaceful times; I have talked to its leaders and people. My overwhelming impression is not of war-lust, but of insecurity. ... Now, as with the Lebanon war, Israel's critics charge that its action in Gaza has been "disproportionate" - "proportionate", presumably, being a few home-made rockets fired into civilian areas of Gaza as and when. Israel might retort, not unreasonably, that if Hamas wants war, it can have it: Israel's fight is for its future security. What these same Western critics should be asking, however, is why Israel feels so threatened that it resorts to such force, knowing full well the international opprobrium that will follow. And the answer is that if, in the past, the outside world - in the shape of the UN, the US, the Quartet or whoever - had shown itself willing and able to ensure Israel's security, then neither Israel nor the Gaza Palestinians need have resorted to force this winter. The excesses in Gaza, as in Lebanon before, are the consequence of a much earlier failure: the failure to enforce international law and truly guarantee Israel's right to exist. [article link]
The Patristic Period 100 A.D. - 450 A.D. The beginnings of the early church - The Donatists [error] argued that the church was a body of saints where sinners had no place - The Donatists argued for their exclusion from the church - Augustine, otherwise, stated that the church must remain a mixed body of individuals saints and sinners - The validity of the churches' holiness did not depend upon the holiness of the members, but the person of Jesus Christ {Donatist an ancient Church error by some Christians who at the time said that some Priests did not perform the communion, baptism or marriage correctly and because the priest did it wrong or the priest had sin in their own life the union was void. This error then led to the discussion of "are you really saved" if the Priest did something wrong in the service or if the Priest who baptized and later left the Christian faith then was the baptism valid? Of course Salvation is only from Jesus Christ and not from men, Priest or otherwise. To reason that a ritual or the reputation of certain individuals Catholic or Protestant can make an event more or less valid is to misrepresent Christianity. Note: Christianity is unique in that it is about God (Jesus Christ) who came down to man to meet people where we are and in the condition we are in to give mankind of His Righteousness so that a relationship can be formed. The cults, on the other hand are all attempting to make mankind work and perform up to some level of acceptability to God but even then they never actually meet God because it is not God's plan it is a failed cult system of man's making.} The doctrine of the church (ecclesiology) also rose as an important subject, especially concerning its holiness. The Donatists argued that the church was a body of saints where sinners had no place. This became particularly
important when persecution broke out in that the Donatists did not want to allow back into the church defectors who recanted and then recanted of their recantation because of that persecution. The Donatists argued for their exclusion from the church. Augustine, otherwise, stated that the church must remain a mixed body of individuals - saints and sinners. The validity of the churches' holiness did not depend upon the holiness of the members, but the person of Jesus Christ. -- The doctrines of grace also came to the forefront in the writings of Augustine over the heresy propagated by Pelagius, a British monk who believed that Adam's sin did not affect any of his progeny. So forceful was Augustine's pen against Pelagius that he became known as the "doctor of grace." Pelagius taught that the resources of salvation were within humanity, where Augustine taught that they were in Christ Jesus alone. ... Augustine refuted them demonstrating that the church is made up of sinners and saints, and that holiness is not something intrinsic in saints, but comes from Christ. Christ, then, affects the holiness of the church, not the saints of the church. ... The ethos of Pelagianism could be summed up as "salvation by merit," whereas Augustine taught "salvation by grace," following Ephesians 2:8-10. The Council of Carthage (c. 418) resolved to uphold the doctrines of grace and condemned Pelagianism in uncompromising terms. [article link]
Vatican Radio News, Report DECEMBER 25, 2008: Pope Benedict's special Christmas blessing 'to the city of Rome and to the world' {Strange times continued… Amazingly the very fundamentalist Evangelical Christian leaders who deny even to acknowledge the Christian existence of the Roman Catholic Church and who completely reject the Roman Catholic Church as an entity of Jesus Christ are the very people who now openly embrace and champion the LDS Mormon deceit. Note: In a not so vague way Protestants who reject the validity of the Catholic Church are in essence practicing a part of the religion of the Mormon Joseph Smith as Joseph Smith in 1820 claimed that the Christian Church was in apostasy in his day and that Smith restored a true gospel. Too many Protestants also declare the Catholic Church to be apostate and consider that Martin Luther in 1517 was a restorer of the True Christian faith. For certain the blood of Jesus Christ, His glorious resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit with eternal life to mankind has at no time become apostate. The Christian Church is and will always remain the one true bride of Jesus Christ!} (Mp3) DECEMBER 25, 2008 URBI ET ORBI: Hear Pope Benedict's special Christmas blessing 'to the city of Rome and to the world'... (MP3) [article link]
Focus on the Family Pulls Interview with Mormon Author - "Mr. Beck is a member of the Mormon church (cult), and … we did not make mention of this fact in our interview with him" - Beck's interview had been featured on CitizenLink [a Focus on the Family publication] and claimed that Beck "is hoping to spread a more eternal sort of gospel through his new book" - Since the interview was published, Christians throughout the blogosphere have raised flags and sounded alarms, concerned that Focus on the Family was compromising central doctrinal truths to win the culture war {We really live in strange times; we have politicians who are rich and have everything but are so obsessed with wanting more particularly more money that they will sell their souls and thier country to the Muslims just to get their hands on a few more oil dollars. In the same way leading Christian ministries like Focus on the Family, Regent College and many other Christian ministries are so greedy for LDS money and Mormon affection that they are perfectly willing to destroy their own firm foundation in Christ just to get attention from a few more people.} Conservative ministry Focus on the Family has removed from its website an article about the latest book by former CNN host Glenn Beck in response to complaints over his Mormon ties. "Mr. Beck is a member of the Mormon church, and … we did not make mention of this fact in our interview with him," reads a statement prepared for the ministry's receptionists, according to Joel Campbell, the Mormon media observer for the MormonTimes. "We do recognize the deep theological difference between evangelical theology and Mormon theology, and it would have been prudent for us at least to have pointed out these differences," receptionists are instructed to say to those who call in about the missing article on the ministry's CitizenLink website.
"Because of the confusion, we have removed the interview from CitizenLink." ... They use Mr. Beck's story as a way to show that hope can be found in God, which is true enough; the problem is that Mr. Beck's god is not the Triune God of the Bible nor is his Jesus the Jesus of the Bible," commented Dustin S. Seger, pastor of Shepherd's Fellowship of Greensboro, N.C. "I strongly discourage you from giving money to any religious organization that is so committed to a social agenda that they are willing to ignore the vast difference between biblical Christianity and the cult of Mormonism," he wrote to readers of the co-authored blog "Grace in the Triad" earlier this week. Though Beck's social views are regarded as mostly compatible with many Christian views, his beliefs in Mormonism have been distinguished as not. Aside from rejecting the Trinity and their belief in many gods, Mormons believe their prophet, Joseph Smith, was "the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam," according to the Mormons' History of the Church. "Every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, Junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are," claimed Brigham Young, a 19th century president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Clearly, Mormonism is a cult," the ministry Underground Apologetics expressed in a statement opposing Focus on the Family's promotion of Beck. [article link]
December 22nd, 2008: Focus on the Family Promotes Mormon Glenn Beck at CitizenLink - However, to promote a Mormon as a Christian is not helpful to the cause of Jesus Christ. For Christians to influence society, Christians should be promoting the central issues of the faith properly without opening the door to false religions {False religions including LDS Mormonism get their start from false spirit guides. Mormon founder Joseph Smith interacted with the false spirit guide he called Maroni and today the LDS Temple rites are designed to invoke spirit entities particularly those spirits with knowledge of the dead. For Dobson to embrace the false anti-Christian teachings of Mormonism to the extent that he is could indicate that Dobson is listening to false spirit guides and is not listening to the Bible.} MADISON, Wisc., Dec. 22 /Christian Newswire/ - Focus on the Family has a story on Glenn Beck, a Mormon, on their CitizenLink Website. Glenn Beck was a CNN host and will move to Fox News in January. Beck is currently promoting his book, "The Christmas Sweater." The CitizenLink story focuses on Beck's faith and why he wrote "The Christmas Sweater." ... Through the years, Focus on the Family has done great things to help the family and has brought attention to the many social ills that are attacking the family. However, to promote a Mormon as a Christian is not helpful to the cause of Jesus Christ. For Christians to influence society, Christians should be promoting the central issues of the faith properly without opening the door to false religions. Some of the false doctrines of Mormonism include polytheism, an attack on the trinity, that Jesus was the spirit-brother of Lucifer, that God the Father is married to Mother God, temple baptisms for the dead, the Bible has missing parts and many errors. Christians are to stand up against the social ills of society, however, we are to put Christ first and His essential biblical truths. [article link]
News of Fabricated Holocaust Memoir Sparks Anger, Sadness - Rosenblat acknowledged that he and his wife did not meet, as they had said for years, at a sub-camp of Buchenwald, where she allegedly sneaked him apples and bread - Historical records prove Rosenblat was indeed at Buchenwald and other camps "Holocaust experience is not heartwarming, it is heart rending. All this shows something about the broad unwillingness in our culture to confront the difficult knowledge of the Holocaust" Waltzer said NEW YORK - It's the latest story that touched, and betrayed, the world. "Herman Rosenblat and his wife are the most gentle, loving, beautiful people," literary agent Andrea Hurst said Sunday, anguishing over why she, and so many others, were taken by Rosenblat's story of love born on opposite sides of a barbed-wire fence at a Nazi concentration camp in Germany. "I question why I never questioned it. I believed it; it was an incredible, hope-filled story." On Saturday, Berkley Books canceled Rosenblat's memoir, "Angel at the Fence." Rosenblat acknowledged that he and his wife did not meet, as they had said for years, at a sub-camp of Buchenwald, where she allegedly sneaked him apples and bread. The book was supposed to come out in February.
Rosenblat, 79, has been married to the former Roma Radzicky for 50 years, since meeting her on a blind date in New York. In a statement issued Saturday through his agent, he described himself as an advocate of love and tolerance who falsified his past to better spread his message. ... Historical records prove Rosenblat was indeed at Buchenwald and other camps. "How sad that he felt he had to embellish a life of surviving the Holocaust and of being married for half a century," said Holocaust scholar Michael Berenbaum. The damage is broad. Publishing, the most trusting of industries, has again been burned by a memoir that fact-checking might have prevented. Berkley is an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), which in March pulled Margaret B. Jones' "Love and Consequences" after the author acknowledged she had invented her story of gang life in Los Angeles. Winfrey fell, as she did with James Frey, for a narrative of suffering and redemption better suited for television than for history. The damage is deep. Scholars and other skeptics as well as fellow survivors fear that Rosenblat's fabrications will only encourage doubts about the Holocaust. "I am very worried because many of us speak to thousands of students each year," says Sidney Finkel, a longtime friend of Rosenblat's and a fellow survivor. "We go before audiences. We tell them a story and now some people will question what I experienced." "This was not Holocaust education but miseducation," Ken Waltzer, director of Jewish Studies at Michigan State University, said in a statement. "Holocaust experience is not heartwarming, it is heart rending. All this shows something about the broad unwillingness in our culture to confront the difficult knowledge of the Holocaust," Waltzer said. "All the more important then to have real memoirs that tell of real experience in the camps." [article link]
Livni defends Israel's Gaza attacks - recent military action in Gaza - while condemning Hamas {Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is exactly right in her comments!} (Video) The Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has defended her country's recent military action in Gaza, while condemning Hamas. She spoke to the BBC's Aleem Maqbool. [article link]
Another Pallywood [Palestinian fake Hollywood] Production? - this photo that he filed yesterday has all the marks of being staged (Photo) Associated Press Palestinian photographer Khalil Hamra seems to be the AP's inside man when it comes to pictures of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and this photo (shown below) that he filed yesterday has all the marks of being staged. Were these apparently unhurt children deliberately arranged on a stretcher next to a wounded man for propaganda purposes? Notice that the caption is vague about whether the children are injured. [article link]
Day #2 - Israeli jets target Gaza tunnels [used by Palestinians to smuggle rockets, explosives, illegal drugs and terrorists between Egypt and Gaza] - Israeli jets have bombed 40 tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip in a second day of intense air raids aimed at forcing Hamas militants to halt rocket fire - *Egyptian foreign minister has accused Hamas of not allowing injured Palestinians to leave Gaza to seek treatment {Many of the video clips and photos from the Gaza hospital appear to have been staged, it seems that the same kind of fake blood is repeatedly being put in the hair of the children. It explains why Hamas is not sending injured civilians to Egypt because likely many of the injuries are fake and don't require real medical treatment. The low civilian casualty rate is due to the care and skill of the Israeli armed forces and keep in mind that Hamas targets 100% of the civilian population of Israel.} (Video) Egypt has opened its border with Gaza at Rafah to let the injured seek treatment there. But the Egyptian foreign minister has accused Hamas of not allowing injured Palestinians to leave Gaza to seek treatment, even though much-needed medical supplies are waiting at the nearby El-Arish airport. ... Israel said it initially began easing the (Gaza) blockade, but this was halted when Hamas failed to fulfil what Israel says were agreed conditions, including ending all rocket fire and halting weapons smuggling. From 1967 Israel's military occupied the Gaza Strip and Jewish settlers built communities within the territory. Israel withdrew (military & communities) in 2005 but has maintained control of Gaza's borders. [article link]
Israel releases Gaza airstrike video - The video shows ~ an attack on a underground missile launching pad used by Hamas - It also notes with a yellow circle ~ a Palestinian missile misfiring after the attack The Israeli Air Force has released what it says is footage taken from a pilotless drone aircraft during the airstrikes on Gaza on Saturday. The video purportedly shows an attack on a underground missile launching pad used by Hamas. It also notes with a yellow circle what it says is a Palestinian missile misfiring after the attack. [article link]
Bethlehem douses Christmas lights over Gaza strikes - Christmas lights will be shut off around Bethlehem, including those on the city's giant Christmas tree, to protest Israel's deadly attacks in Gaza, its mayor (Victor Batarseh) said on Saturday {The Mayor of Bethlehem is trying to extend, exploit and manipulate [by being onesided and refusing to condemn deadly Palestinian attacks against Israel] what has already been a prolonged and bad situation for both sides. I hope Christians will boycott Bethlehem because the conduct of the Bethlehem Mayor is not respecting the life, teachings or Spirit of Jesus Christ who was born in Bethlehem.} BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AFP) - Christmas lights will be shut off around Bethlehem, including those on the city's giant Christmas tree, to protest Israel's deadly attacks in Gaza, its mayor said on Saturday. "We have decided to shut off the decorative lights and the Christmas tree to protest against the massacres committed in Gaza," Victor Batarseh told AFP. "Israel has sabotaged the holidays with these massacres," he said. The Christmas tree stands in front of the Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born more than 2,000 years ago. It normally stays lit until the Orthodox Nativity celebrations in early January. [article link]
May 05, 2007: Germany's foreign minister refuses to meet mayor of Bethlehem - allegedly because the mayor's city council included members of Hamas - However, sources close to Steinmeier told Ynet "the minister didn't meet the mayor of Bethlehem because such a meeting was not scheduled A diplomatic incident between Germany and the Palestinian Authority occurred Saturday, when German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier refused to meet the Mayor of Bethlehem, Victor Batarseh, allegedly because the mayor's city council included members of Hamas. However, sources close to Steinmeier told Ynet "the minister didn't meet the mayor of Bethlehem because such a meeting was not scheduled. Other than that, the minister was very pleased with the welcome he received in the city." The governor of Bethlehem, Brigadier Salah Al-Ta'mari refused, in an act of solidarity with Batarseh, to meet the German minister. Even though Hamas is the largest faction in the city council, Palestinian law states only a Christian can be elected its mayor. Batarseh leads a council made up from Hamas as well as other faction. ... During his visit, Steinmeier also met with the Palestinian treasury, tourism and National Initiative ministers, who asked him to renew Germany's financial support to the Palestinian Authority. [article link]
Radio New Zealand News - Toll rises from air strikes on Gaza Strip - Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 227 people - More than 700 Palestinians were wounded - New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully describes the attacks as "a day of tragedy" - Mr. McCully says it is pointless to fingerpoint about who is responsible, or debate what is proportionate versus disproportionate response - The United States has called for Israel to do all it can to protect innocent people, but says Hamas is responsible for renewing violence in the region {The series of events in Gaza are tragic! It is tragic that the Palestinians are being misrepresented, used and abused by the leading powers of the world. The U.N. and the Western nations of the world are using the Palestinians and prolonging their plight as a reason to expand their control into the Middle-East while the Arab nations go along with the U.N. and neglect and ignore the Palestinians and enable their conditions to deteriorate. It's also tragic that Israel is consistently under deadly attacks from Gaza because attacking Israel (intifada) has become a source of commerce for Gaza.} Israel said the strikes were in response to almost daily rocket attacks from Gaza, which intensified after Hamas ended a six-month ceasefire on 19 December. A five-day offensive in March killed more than 120 people, but Saturday's death toll is reported to be the highest since 1948, when Israel was established. Hamas has called on
Al-Jazeera television for a new intifada (uprising). The first Palestinian intifada began in 1987 and a second in 2000 after peace talks failed. ... Reactions: New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully describes the attacks as "a day of tragedy". Mr McCully says it is pointless to fingerpoint about who is responsible, or debate what is proportionate versus disproportionate response. The United States has called for Israel to do all it can to protect innocent people, but says Hamas is responsible for renewing violence in the region. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has condemned what he says is an excessive use of force leading to deaths and injuries of civilians. The European Union has called for an immediate ceasefire. [article link]
*** NEW WORLD EXPOSURE - Interview with GeorgeAnn Hughes - Download Available (Mp3) George Ann Huges on the new world exposure show. [article link]
*** Girl Talk - Moving In The Spirit - Sister Lucinda ~ Fear No Flu1.mp3 | Sister Lucinda ~ Fear No Flu2.mp3 {An excellent wide ranging discussion!} (Mp3's) As usual we plan nothing... everything is about letting the Holy Spirit lead. Talking about what is going on in the world and in our lives and helpful practical information. There is prayer and healing, discussion and "moving forward" out of bondage. The point here is to gather strength and insight... and punch holes in the walls that keep us from seeing the Kingdom of God... and to develop the "spiritual muscles" we need. [article link]
December 19, 2008: Foreign pot growers ruining U.S. parks - Armed illegals are killing wildlife and poisoning the environment - polluting our national forests and parks to a dangerously sickening degree - The residue of toxic chemicals necessary to grow the pot is what's doing the environmental damage, says the U.S. Forest Service - California's 1,800-square-mile Sequoia National Forest is the hardest hit, with up to 700 grow sites found in the past two years - There's been a move in Congress to provide clean-up funds, which is all well and good - But it makes more sense to clean out the cartels and their thug protectors before any mess is made How alarmed and angry would Americans be if they knew armed foreign nationals are protecting Mexican marijuana cartels growing pot on U.S. soil? ... This is just one more ugly manifestation of our porous borders allowing potential terrorists, gang members and thugs virtually unfettered access to our country. Mexico's pot growers are a new brand of criminal for law-enforcement authorities to contend with. As if it's not awful enough that illegal aliens are growing bounteous fields of unlawful marijuana in our nation, they're doing it in the most magnificent wilderness areas of the U.S. -- and polluting our national forests and parks to a dangerously sickening degree. The residue of toxic chemicals necessary to grow the pot is what's doing the environmental damage, says the U.S. Forest Service. California's 1,800-square-mile Sequoia National Forest is the hardest hit, with up to 700 grow sites found in the past two years. Sites have also been found on federal wilderness lands in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. The cartels, which are reportedly protected by armed thugs, some of whom may be veterans or active members of Mexico's armed forces, use rat poison and weed and bug sprays that are banned in the U.S. to kill deer, bears and other wildlife that endanger their pot plants. U.S. taxpayers spend millions every year to find and uproot the pot-growing operations, but no money is budgeted to clean up the polluted mess. There's been a move in Congress to provide clean-up funds, which is all well and good. But it makes more sense to clean out the cartels and their thug protectors before any mess is made. [article link]
Poll: 75% glad Bush is done - "It's been like a failed marriage" The public has completely lost confidence in this president" - "The vast majority of Americans believe he betrayed his promise to unite the country" Schneider said "He took a country that was divided under President Clinton and he divided it worse" {George W. Bush wanted to be President not to help and serve America but only to help and serve his own bruised ego. The self serving motives of George Bush have devastated America. Bush's self-aggrandizing [un-ending] Iraq war and
his resulting fanatic pandering to Iran and global Shiite Islam has been nothing but toxic to America.} (CNN) -- A new national poll suggests that three out of four Americans feel President Bush's departure from office is coming not a moment too soon. "It's been like a failed marriage," Schneider said. "Things started out well. When President Bush first took office in 2001, more than 60 percent saw him as strong and decisive. That impression was confirmed after the September 11th attacks. The public still saw Bush as strong and decisive when he took office a second time in 2005. "But no more. The public has completely lost confidence in this president," Schneider said. Bush has dropped on a number of measures, but possibly the biggest is that only 20 percent say he inspires confidence, Holland said. "That's an important figure when the country is facing its biggest economic crisis in a generation," he added. When running for the White House in the 2000 presidential campaign, Bush promised to be a uniter and not a divider. But 82 percent of poll respondents felt that Bush did not unite the country, compared with 17 percent who said he did. "The vast majority of Americans believe he betrayed his promise to unite the country," Schneider said. "He took a country that was divided under President Clinton and he divided it worse." Only 27 percent of those questioned in the poll approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president; 72 percent disapprove. "President Bush's job approval rating has been at or below freezing since the beginning of the year," Schneider said. "The current 27 percent approval rating is one of the lowest ratings for any president, ever." [article link]
Fringe Christianity: (Christian Monotheism - Unitarians) The Byte Show {Very good shows, guests and topics geared to examining the Christian faith and how it is practiced in Church today however there is a small amount of Unitarianism error within some of the discussions.} (Mp3's) Wikipedia - Unitarianism: as a theology is the belief in the single personality of God, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God). It is the philosophy upon which the modern Unitarian movement was based, and, according to its proponents, is the original form of Christianity. Unitarian Christians believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ, as found in the New Testament and other early Christian writings, and hold him up as an exemplar. Adhering to strict monotheism, they maintain that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but not God himself. Unitarians believe in the moral authority, but not necessarily the divinity, of Jesus. Their theology is thus distinguishable from the theology of Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, mainline Protestant, and other Christian denominations which hold the Trinity doctrine as a core belief. Some Christians hold a unitarian theology in that they see God as a single person, and are thus antitrinitarian, but because they perceive Jesus to be God himself do not fall into the general theology discussed here, which sees Jesus as subordinate to God and a finite being. Instead see: Sabellianism, Oneness theology, Oneness Pentecostalism, Monarchianism, Binitarianism. The term "Unitarian" (with an upper case "U") usually refers to the liberal branch of this theology, but the term "unitarian" (lower case "u") is sometimes used descriptively to refer to anyone adhering to the teaching of the single personhood of God. In the United States, "Unitarian" is sometimes used, somewhat incorrectly, as a shortened way of referring to present-day adherents of Unitarian Universalism. Conservative (Biblical or Evangelical) unitarians strictly adhere to the principle of sola scriptura and their belief that the Bible is both inspired and inerrant and uphold "fundamentals" of belief. This version of unitarianism is more commonly called Nontrinitarianism, rather than Unitarianism. --- Wikipedia monotheism: In theology, monotheism is the belief that only one deity exists. The concept of "monotheism" tends to be dominated by the concept of God in the Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and the Platonic concept of God as put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. The concept of monotheism has largely been defined in contrast with polytheistic and pantheistic religions, and monotheism tends to overlap with other Unitary concepts, such as monism. Whereas monotheism is a self-description of religions subsumed under this term, there is no equivalent self-description for polytheist religions: monotheism asserts itself by opposing polytheism, while polytheism does not use the same argumentative device, as it includes a concept of divine unity despite worshipping a plethora of gods. By the same token, monotheistic religions may still include concepts of a plurality of the divine, for example the Trinity, in which God is one being in three personal dimensions (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit). Additionally, most Christians
believe Jesus to have two natures (divine and human), each possessing the full attributes of that nature, without mixture or intermingling of those attributes, although this view is not shared by all Christians, notably the Oriental Orthodox (miaphysite) churches. Although Christian theology reserves worship for the Divine, the distinction between worshipping the divine nature of Jesus but not the human nature of Jesus can be difficult for non-Christians (and even Christian laity) to follow. [article link]
Today in the Word - Daily Two Minute Devotion - Archive (Mp3's) This Christmas day, may God open our hearts to Christ's love in a new and deeper way. This coming year, may He quicken our perception and enlarge our understanding of His Word. May His wisdom guide us in the years to come. [article link]
TODAY IN THE WORD - Daily Two Minute Devotion - Podcast (Mp3's) This Christmas day, may God open our hearts to Christ's love in a new and deeper way. This coming year, may He quicken our perception and enlarge our understanding of His Word. May His wisdom guide us in the years to come. [article link]
Iraq Christians face 'bleak future' - fellow Iraqi Christians, who have endured killings, displacement and daily intimidation - "We are heading for a demise" he said "It's getting to the point where it might be an ethnic cleansing in the future" {The Christian Church is one body together in Jesus Christ and we all hurt together in this insane, unjust, Bush influenced world. While we also all rejoice together knowing that Jesus Christ has overcome the world and that in Jesus is our hope and our future and it is magnificent indeed!} (CNN) -- It's a bittersweet Christmas season for Joseph Kassab, who grew up in Iraq under Saddam Hussein's Baathist regime and now lives in Detroit, Michigan. Tempering the season's joy is his concern for fellow Iraqi Christians, who have endured killings, displacement and daily intimidation. Christians in Iraq face a "bleak future," said Kassab, executive director of the Chaldean Federation of America, a nonprofit group that helps Iraqi Christians. "We are heading for a demise," he said. "It's getting to the point where it might be an ethnic cleansing in the future." A recent U.S. government report focused on the plight of Iraq's Christian minority. U.S. diplomats and legislators are worried, too. "I think the Christians are caught in the middle of a horrible situation," said U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, a California Democrat of Assyrian and Armenian ancestry. She said Iraqi Christians are suffering as a result of "religious cleansing," and she has urged more help for minorities who have fled their homes in Iraq. The Iraqi government has worked to be inclusive and accepting toward Christians, but daily intimidation has cowed the Christian community, with crosses removed from churches, priests afraid to wear their clerical garb, the faithful reluctant to attend church, and churches hiring private security guards. Iraq's Christian population has fallen from as many as 1.4 million in 2003 to between 500,000 and 700,000 more recently, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. [article link]
Bush springs drug dealers, leaves border agents to rot - Ramos-Compean supporter asks: 'Why is the president dug in so deep?' - President Bush today added a convicted methamphetamine dealer, a cocaine distributor and two marijuana suppliers to the list of drug operators he's pardoned while in office, bringing his total of drug suppliers who have been pardoned or had their sentences commuted to 36 President Bush today added a convicted methamphetamine dealer, a cocaine distributor and two marijuana suppliers to the list of drug operators he's pardoned while in office, bringing his total of drug suppliers who have been pardoned or had their sentences commuted to 36. He's also pardoned more than a dozen thieves, seven embezzlers, an arsonist, several mail thieves, a man who violated the Neutrality Act and eight Thanksgiving turkeys, but there's been no clemency for U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were convicted of shooting at a fleeing drug smuggler. Andy Ramirez of Friends of the Border
Patrol, who long has been involved in the Ramos-Compean case, said the questions just start piling up. "First and foremost is the question that has to be asked, 'Why is the president dug in so deep' on Ramos and Compean?" Ramirez said. "Look at how many members of Congress have sent him letters, and have held hearings. "You really have got to start to wonder … does this doper (in the Ramos-Compean case) lead to somebody really big? [Bush Sr.?]" he said. Joe Loya, the father-in-law of Ramos, said he, his daughter and grandchildren were "devastated" by word that Ramos and Compean had been denied clemency on the latest list of presidential actions. "We were praying for a miracle. We just don't understand where the connection is when drug smugglers are getting pardons and commuted sentences, yet two agents who are not criminals, who were just doing their jobs, are in isolation," he told WND by telephone as he traveled to visit his son-in-law in jail on Christmas Eve. "George Bush could redeem himself," he continued. "Ninety-five percent of our support is coming from Republicans. He certainly has nothing to lose. [article link]
Wikipedia: George (Sr.) H. W. Bush - Ambassador to the United Nations - He was confirmed unanimously by the Senate, and served for two years, beginning in 1971 - Director of Central Intelligence - He served in this role for 355 days, from January 30, 1976 to January 20, 1977 - Between 1977 and 1979, he was a director of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) foreign policy organization - Bush had decided in the late 1970s that he was going to run for president in 1980 in 1979, he attended 850 political events and traveled more than 250,000 miles to campaign for the nation's highest office - 1980 presidential campaign 1980 presidential campaign: Bush had decided in the late 1970s that he was going to run for president in 1980 in 1979, he attended 850 political events and traveled more than 250,000 miles to campaign for the nation's highest office. In the contest for the Republican Party nomination, Bush stressed his wide range of government experience, while competing against rivals Howard Baker, Bob Dole, John Anderson (who would later run as an independent), Phil Crane, John Connally, and the front-runner Ronald Reagan, former actor and Governor of California. -- In the primary election, Bush focused almost entirely on the Iowa caucuses, while Reagan ran a more traditional campaign. Bush represented the centrist wing in the GOP, whereas Reagan represented conservatives. Bush famously labeled Reagan's supply side-influenced plans for massive tax cuts "voodoo economics." His strategy proved useful, to some degree, as he won in Iowa with 31.5% to Reagan's 29.4%. After the win, Bush stated that his campaign was full of momentum, or "Big Mo". As a result of the loss, Reagan replaced his campaign manager, reorganized his staff, and concentrated on the New Hampshire primary. The two men agreed to a debate in the state, organized by the Nashua Telegraph, but paid for by the Reagan campaign. Reagan invited the other four candidates as well, but Bush refused to debate them, and eventually they left. The debate proved to be a pivotal moment in the campaign; when the moderator, John Breene, ordered Reagan's microphone turned off, his angry response, "I am paying for this microphone Mr. Greene", struck a chord with the public. Bush ended up losing New Hampshire's primary with 23% to Reagan's 50%. Bush lost most of the remaining primaries as well, and formally dropped out of the race in May of that year. With his political future seeming dismal, Bush sold his house in Houston and bought his grandfather's estate in Kennebunkport, Maine, known as "Walker's Point." At the Republican Convention, however, Reagan selected Bush as his Vice Presidential nominee, placing him on the winning Republican presidential ticket of 1980. [article link]
December 12, 2008: prisonplanet.com: Georgia Guidestones Vandalized {This supposed "vandalism" was intentionally done by someone as artwork for a photo shoot probably so the photos could be widely distributed and finally the pathetic message of the Georgia Guidestones can get out to the mass public [and Christians can take the blame for the vandalism mess]. The two tones of paint used the dark background paint splashes and the red graffiti pre-formatted for each surface and area size, all the alternative spellings, the many and various provoking messages all requiring planning give away the vandalism as not a spontaneous event but a planned and scripted photo op event. Note: Alex Jones is a Bush family agent. Alex only reports on issues that the Bush family pretends to disagree with and now Alex Jones is heavily promoting the legalization of
marijuana and all drugs. Drugs are a Bush family specialty in Afghanistan the production of Opium has increased 400% since Bush invaded. Also Note: In 1979 Bush Sr. was a Republican Presidential Candidate desperately wanting and expecting to usher in his "brave New World Order" it's likely that the Bush family funded or had some part in the Georgia Guidestones placement.} (Photos) On one of the highest hilltops in Elbert County, Georgia stands a huge granite monument. Engraved in eight different languages on the four giant stones that support the common capstone are 10 Guides, or commandments. That monument is alternately referred to as The Georgia Guidestones, or the American Stonehenge. Though relatively unknown to most people, it is an important link to the Occult Hierarchy that dominates the world in which we live. The origin of that strange monument is shrouded in mystery because no one knows the true identity of the man, or men, who commissioned its construction. All that is known for certain is that in June 1979, a well-dressed, articulate stranger visited the office of the Elberton Granite Finishing Company and announced that he wanted to build an edifice to transmit a message to mankind. He identified himself as R. C. Christian [backwards = Religion See. Ours. (New Age) or Christian See Ours], but it soon became apparent that was not his real name. He said that he represented a group of men [Skull & Bones] who wanted to offer direction to humanity, but to date, almost two decades later, no one knows who R. C. Christian really was [Bush Sr.], or the names of those he represented. Several things are apparent. The messages engraved on the Georgia Guidestones deal with four major fields: (1) Governance and the establishment of a world government, (2) Population and reproduction control, (3) The environment and man's relationship to nature, and (4) Spirituality. ... THE MESSAGE OF THE GEORGIA GUIDESTONES: 1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature. 2. Guide reproduction wisely - improving fitness and diversity. 3. Unite humanity with a living new language. 4. Rule passion - faith - tradition - and all things with tempered reason. 5. Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts. 6. Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court. 7. Avoid petty laws and useless officials. 8. Balance personal rights with social duties. 9. Prize truth - beauty - love - seeking harmony with the infinite. 10. Be not a cancer on the earth Leave room for nature - Leave room for nature. -- Limiting the population of the earth to 500 million will require the extermination of nine-tenths of the world's people. The American Stonehenge's reference to establishing a world court oreshadows the current move to create an International Criminal Court and a world government. The Guidestones' emphasis on preserving nature anticipates the environmental movement of the 1990s, and the reference to "seeking harmony with the infinite" reflects the current effort to replace JudeoChristian beliefs with a new spirituality. [article link]
#1 Bush Grave Robbing: Iraqi soldiers seize apparently stolen relics - Iraqi soldiers have seized 228 apparently stolen antiquities - In 2003, looters took thousands of artifacts from the National Museum in the chaotic aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. An unknown amount also was looted from Iraq's estimated 12,000 archeological sites {For years, even decades the Bush family has been intent on invading Iraq but what has been their real reason, their real goal and the true agenda? Safety (from terrorism) and stability (oil-economic) for America can be completely ruled out as reasons for the Bush invasion of Iraq. Immediately after the invasion three things happened 1. Bush seized control of the region's oil fields. 2. Bush removed the Sunni Muslims from power and inserted Iranian backed Shiite Muslims into power in Iraq. 3. Bush looted the country of its antiques and ancient Babylonian artifacts [with apparent U.N. approval as the U.N. hasn't complained].} BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi soldiers have seized 228 apparently stolen antiquities and arrested seven members of a gang suspected of trafficking in such items, a security official in Basra said Tuesday. Soldiers in Abi al-Khasib in southern Iraq's Basra province last week found 168 items and arrested five people in one raid and seized 60 more artifacts and detained two people in another, the official said. The troops found sculptures, intricate gold jewelry, decorative silverware and ceramic bowls buried in gardens and under a stone slab in a kitchen. Abdul Zahra al-Talaqani, a spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, said the ministry learned of the raids this week and is awaiting more details about the items. A special committee has been formed to work with the security forces, he said. The artifacts are to be sent to the National Museum in
Baghdad for inspection. Information on where or when the artifacts may have been stolen wasn't available. In 2003, looters took thousands of artifacts from the National Museum in the chaotic aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. An unknown amount also was looted from Iraq's estimated 12,000 archeological sites. [article link]
#2 Bush Grave Robbing: {Flashback} WHO HAS GERONIMO'S SKULL? - In 1918, while stationed at the U.S. Army artillery training school at Ft. Sill, Prescott Bush, grandfather of President George W. Bush, along with Ellery James and Neil Mallon, broke into Geronimo's grave and removed his skull - Prescott Bush and his two friends were members of the Skull & Bones Society, a highly secret (Satanic) order existing only at Yale University Each year the new pledges are ordered to steal a skull and bring it to the "tomb" the secret meeting room {Why isn't it a shocking surprise to find out that the Bush family actually has a documented history of robbing graves and stealing bones and the skulls from them?} Almost everyone knows about Geronimo, the most famous of Apache leaders. Born in 1829 in Mexican Territory, Geronimo was a medicine man, spiritual leader and fierce warrior. He could see into the future, walk without creating footprints and even hold back the dawn. Bullets could not harm him. ... In 1986, representatives of Skull and Bones-among them George H.W. Bush's brother Jonathan-met with Ned Anderson, Apache tribal leader. They offered him a skull, but Anderson refused to accept it because it didn't look like the skull he had seen in a photograph that purported to be Geronimo's skull. Later documents noted that the skull was in fact that of a child! Anderson also refused to sign a document which would have forbade anyone from discussing the incident. ... Membership rolls of Skull & Bones reads like a Who's Who - Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, Secretaries of State, Diplomats, National Security advisers, Senators, publishing magnates [Rupert Murdoch - Fox News], and C.I.A. recruits fill the list. [article link]
#3 Bush Grave Robbing: {Flashback} Kentroversy Tapes: (secular) Interview with Michael Tsarion - Kentroversy Tapes # 05 - Michael Tsarion (June 25, 2007) {This is a good representation of "secular," occult, Satanism teaching. Note: the interviewee considers it a crime to believe that the earth is submitted to humans and any human who does not submit to "mother earth" is a criminal. Also: the discussion late in the program that Bush invaded Iraq in part to plunder the antiques and relics of Iraq [like his grandfather Prescott Bush who plundered and robbed the skull from the grave of Geronimo] because Iraq (Babylon) was a main center where the dangerous Nephilim (Genesis 6:1-22) activity in the Bible occurred. Apparently Bush and his Satanic NWO cronies want to invoke the more evil demonic Nephilim fallen spirits (chained in Hades by God (Jude 1:6) because of their excessive evil towards mankind) or their modern counterparts and in order to practice their occult activities they wanted the costumes and masks and objects of the ancient Babylonians "they need to look the part in order to play the part" in their occult rituals. They also consider the Maya calendar prophecy 2012 end of the world apocalypse to be a reality. -- You can tell by listening to the interview that they don't have any real solutions themselves and that they only have any real ideas when they quote (and misquote) the Bible something they do often.} (Mp3) In my ongoing commemoration and celebration of the life of esoteric researcher Kent Daniel Bentkowski ( Kentroversy ) who passed July 30, 2008 by posting some of his past podcasts with some of the big names in the field, none come much bigger than Michael Tsarion. His research on ancient cultures, the Nephilim, UFOs, symbology, secret societies and their use by the NWO is second to none, except maybe Jordan Maxwell. So enjoy this Kentroversy Tapes podcast Kent made with Michael on March 2005. The podcast itself was posted by Kent on June 25th, 2007. [article link]
Too Long in the Sun (god) "Time is the Ally of Deciet" - An overview of historical events that led to the abandonment of Biblical precepts and their replacement by Traditional Christianity - WHO IS A LIAR? HE THAT DENIETH THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST! (Set of 5 DVD's) Today Contemporary Christianity has not only allowed truth to fall, but it has thrown truth in the street as a
gesture of religious tolerance and compromise. It has given the adversaries of scripture exactly what they need to substantiate their claims that what most present as Christianity is nothing more than redefined pagan mythology. Educated theologians know that; yet they continue to present a compromised gospel filled with pagan tradition that never had anything to do with Christ. There has never been a more important time in the history of mankind for those called out as servants of our Creator to confront the philosophy and vain deceit that would lead people away from our Savior. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Bush Pardons Charles Winters - Will Jonathon Pollard Have to Die First, Too? - A new batch of Bush pardons was just announced - Among them, Charles Winters, who died in the 1980s {Phony George strikes again! Bush feigns support for Israel by pardoning a person deceased since the 1980's - that's another big help George. Bush also pretends to be religious, pro-life and a conservative but of course most people have figured out by now that the "decider" has only decided to put on a show for the folks at home.} A new batch of Bush pardons was just announced. Among them, Charles Winters, who died in the 1980s. I'm glad Bush pardoned him, for committing the "crime" of helping Israel in the War of Independence. But it's sad that Charles Winters had to wait so long. ... Not in the pardons, so far, Lewis I. "Scooter" Libby, whose crime was saying "I don't remember" about something he didn't remember, and of which he wasn't the source of the leak. Also not in the pardons, Jonathon Pollard who spied for Israel. Yes, he spied, and he should be punished. But he's been in prison for more than two decades, when other spies who did far more harm and spied for enemies--like China--got far less time and are already out. Most of what Pollard turned over to Israel was information the U.S. had agreed in writing to share with Israel, but chose not to. And he's been kept in solitary confinement and deprived of medicine for his illnesses. Much of the spying that he was credited for helping the Soviets get, actually turned out to have been committed by Aldrich Ames. Sadly, it looks like Pollard will get the Charles Winters treatment, if even that. If only he'd spied for the Chi-Coms, the Soviets, or the Muslims, he'd be free by now. [article link]
{Flashback} Judge's Unintelligent Rant Against Design - Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000 {Judge is a Bush appointee - a thanks again W! way to come through for your voters} Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000. Yet this federal judge, who owes his position entirely to those voters and the Bush who appointed him, stuck the knife in the backs of those who brought him to the dance in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. Judge Jones issued a 139-page rant against anyone who objects to force-feeding public schoolchildren with the theory of evolution. He accused parents and school board members of "breathtaking inanity" for wanting their children to learn that "intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view." [article link]
Shoe thrower exposes Bush's arrogance - One of them is symptomatic of Bush's disconnect with reality [Bush actually thought Iraqis and Shiite Muslims throughout the world saw him as a savior-liberator] and with the cultures and norms of the rest of the world [Bush on purpose has ruined the economy, societal norms, decency, the rule of law, the Republican party and everything else he touches] - The second one is indicative of Bush's low regard for American public opinion -- and therefore the American people [Bush family disdain for the American people ("read my lips" - as I lie to you with every word) is legendary] Using humor to shrug off the incident shows how little regard the president has for the opinions of those most affected by administration policies. ... However, the editorial leaves out two very important points. One of them is symptomatic of Bush's disconnect with reality and with the cultures and norms of the rest of the world. The second one is indicative of Bush's low regard for American public opinion and therefor the American people. ... These are not quite the adulatory deeds and words a modern-day liberator would have liked to see and hear
during what was supposed to be his victory lap through the liberated territories. According to subsequent news reports, many other Iraqis and Middle Eastern people applauded the words and deeds of this journalist and are hailing him as a national hero for Iraq. While I personally do not approve of such demonstrations of hate and disrespect toward our president, these are serious facts the president and his administration are trying to ignore or trivialize. -- Second, during a post-incident interview with ABC News' Martha Raddatz, Bush claimed that one of the major theaters in the fight against Al Qaeda turned out to be Iraq. Raddatz corrected him, "But not until after the U.S. invaded." Bush replied, "Yeah, that's right. So what?" Bush then went into his tired denials of the following facts: There was no Al Qaeda presence in Iraq before Bush invaded that country; Saddam Hussein viewed Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda as threats that he would have never tolerated in Iraq; and Al Qaeda's emergence in Iraq is totally attributable to Bush's invasion and occupation of that country. But what is even more offensive than Bush's attempts to ignore or deny the facts are the condescending, arrogant implications carried by those two little words, "So what?" [article link]
Update: Tourist Uncovers Hidden Treasure (Heraclius - gold coins) in Holy Land - A British tourist volunteering at the dig discovered the trove on Sunday - The coins bear the image of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius, who ruled between 610 and 641 A.D. - Heraclius was the last Byzantine emperor to rule over Jerusalem, which fell to Muslim Arab armies in 637 A.D. JERUSALEM - Israeli archaeologists said they have unearthed more than 250 gold coins from the seventh century on the edge of Jerusalem's walled Old City. A British tourist volunteering at the dig discovered the trove on Sunday. ... The coins bear the image of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius, who ruled between 610 and 641 A.D. He is depicted wearing military dress and holding a cross in his right hand. [Heraclius was the last Byzantine emperor to rule over Jerusalem, which fell to Muslim Arab armies in 637.] A statement Monday said the coins had likely been hidden in a niche in one of the building's walls. [article link]
Dictionary of Roman Coins - "CONOB" Inscribed Gold Coins - "CONOB" CON = [minted in] Constantinopoli, OB = obryzum (pure gold) and the Greek numeral 72 - the exergue CONOB coin may be read "Constantinople, 1/72 pound pure gold" CONOB. Constantinopoli obryzum. The solidus weighed 1/72 of the Roman pound. "OB" was both an abbreviation for the word obryzum, which means refined or pure gold, and is the Greek numeral 72. Thus the exergue CONOB coin may be read "Constantinople, 1/72 pound pure gold." -- "Byzantine Coinage" by Philip Grierson [article link]
Byzantine (Roman) Gold Coins - A private collection of Late Roman, Byzantine and western contemporary imitative gold coins from 330 AD to 1204 AD - Heraclius Gold Coin (Photo) Eastern Roman Emperor Heraclius -- October 5, 610 AD through January 11, 641 AD. - Minted At Constantinople [Byzantium, Asia Minor --> renamed as Nova Roma --> renamed as Constantinople --> now known as Istanbul, Turkey]. [article link]
2008 Chanukah: Israeli archaeologists find rare gold coins - Some Israeli archaeologists are having a particularly happy Hanukkah - The Israel Antiquities Authority reported a thrilling find Sunday [start of 2008 Hanukkah] the discovery of 264 ancient gold coins in Jerusalem National Park - The coins bear a likeness of Heraclius, who was the Byzantine [Eastern Roman Empire, 330 AD - 1453 AD] emperor from 610 to 641 - the emperor is clad with military garb and is holding a cross in his right hand - One the other side, there is the sign of the cross (Photo) JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Some Israeli archaeologists are having a particularly happy Hanukkah. ... "This is one of the largest and most impressive coin hoards ever discovered in Jerusalem -- certainly the largest and most important of its period," said Doron Ben-Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets, who are directing the excavation on
behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Researchers discovered the coins at the beginning of the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which started at sunset on Sunday. One of the customs of the holiday is to give "gelt," or coins, to children, and the archaeologists are referring to the find as "Hanukkah money." The 1,400year-old coins were found in the Giv'ati car park in the City of David in the walls around Jerusalem National Park, a site that has yielded other finds, including a well-preserved gold earring with pearls and precious stones. They were in a collapsed building that dates back to the 7th century, the end of the Byzantine period. The coins bear a likeness of Heraclius, who was the Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641. The authority said that while different coins had been minted during this emperor's reign, the coins found at the site represent "one well-known type." In that style, the emperor is clad with military garb and is holding a cross in his right hand. One the other side, there is the sign of the cross. [article link]
2008 Chanukah: Did Jesus celebrate Hanukkah? - Yes, Jesus did :) He is Jewish :) Read John 10 Did Jesus celebrate Hanukkah? I am wondering, [since] Hanakkah was an ancient Jewish holiday, would Jesus have celebrated it? I am asking as a Christian. What does the Bible say about it? ... Yes, John 10:22 It was the Feast of Hanukkah at Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). John 10:23 It was winter, and Yeshua (Jesus) was walking in the temple, in Shlomo's (Solomon's) porch. John 10:24 The Yehudim (Judean Jewish people) therefore came around him and said to him, "How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." -- If you love the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua, you should love and respect and care about His natural [Jewish] family as well. Hanukkah is a wonderful holiday to celebrate. The Jewish people were being persecuted by the Greek people of the time-- who were trying to snuff out the Jewish people's faithfulness to God by oppressing them, destroying the Torah, killing Jewish people who refused to sacrifice a pig to an idol, and encouraging Jewish people to adopt Greek culture instead of obeying the Law of Moses. However, with God's help, the Jewish people rebelled against a much larger army and were victorious. This happened three hundred years [note: 164 BC to 63 BC] before Yeshua's (Jesus') birth. The Temple was restored to true worship. God showed Himself strong on their behalf. "And His word/ broke their sword/ when our own strength failed us" goes one of the traditional songs for Hanukkah. Yeshua said that whatever a person did for the least of His brothers which could also mean Jewish people, that person is doing for Him. Absolutely, it is right to extend friendship, respect, and appreciation to the Jewish people and to appreciate and value Jewish culture. (God) The Father's heart is still bound to them (Jews) and will be forever. [article link]
2008 Chanukah: The Festivals of Hanukkah and Christmas - Every year as Christians celebrate Christmas, the Jewish community observes Hanukkah 'the Feast of Lights' Is there any historic or symbolic connection between Hanukkah and Christmas? - Yes, both historic and symbolic - Herman Wouk, a contemporary Jewish author, in his book entitled "This is My God" says: "The two festivals have one real point of contact - Had [the Greek King] Antiochus succeeded [against the Jewish Maccabee revolt] in obliterating Jewry a century and a half before the birth of Jesus, there would have been no Christmas - The feast of the Nativity rests upon the victory of Hanukkah" {Christianity rests upon all of the Jewish accomplishments, miracles, Bible prophecies and victories from the past, in the current present and on into the future!} The Festivals of Hanukkah and Christmas: Hanukkah the "Feast of Lights" Q: Every year as Christians celebrate Christmas, the Jewish community observes Hanukkah' - the Feast of Lights.' Is there any historic or symbolic connection between Hanukkah and Christmas? EDB: Yes - both historic and symbolic. Herman Wouk, a contemporary Jewish author, in his book entitled "This is My God", says: "The two festivals have one real point of contact. Had Antiochus succeeded in obliterating Jewry a century and a half before the birth of Jesus, there would have been no Christmas. The feast of the Nativity rests upon the victory of Hanukkah." Q: Is there a Christian interest in the Festival of Hanukkah? EDB: I have asked myself, Why are some Christians vitally interested in the Jewish Festival of Hanukkah? Perhaps the most obvious answer is that Jesus attended the Festival, as we may read in the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verses 22 and 23: "Then came the Feast of the
Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade" ... The Feast of the Dedication' - Dedication' is the English translation of the Hebrew word Hanukkah'. Jesus Celebrated Hanukkah Q: So Jesus celebrated Hanukkah. What kind of ritual took place in the Temple during Hanukkah in Jesus' time? EDB: In Jesus' time there was an extra illumination of the Temple during the celebration of Hanukkah, the annual commemoration of the Dedication of the Altar' and of the Sanctuary', in 165 B.C. (some scholars give 164 B.C.). (I Maccabees 4:36-59; Alfred Edersheim. The Temple. Its Ministry and Services at the Time of Christ,' p. 334). Beside the ancient Mosaic 7-branched Menorah, there were "great candelabras burning in the Women's Court". (Alfred Edersheim. "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah", Vol. II, Book IV, chap. VI) And in addition to that, the special Hanukkah lamp-stand was lit. It had eight branches and a leader-lamp called the Shammash' or Servant. The custom was then, as it still is, to light the Servant lamp first, and with it kindle the first lamp on the first night. Then, one additional lamp was lit each night, until on the eighth night all lamps were burning. [article link]
2008 Chanukah: Debbie Schlussel - Happy Chanukah: What It Means in the Age of Mumbai Bombings, HAMAS, Hezbos; Still No Modern Maccabees - Chanukah is the story of miracles on so many levels, miracles Jews remember during this eight-day holiday, every year - Chanukah is the story of the few against the many Above all, Chanukah is about the age-old, repeat fight of the Jewish people for religious freedom {This Chanukah season we join Jews and Christians everywhere praying for God's blessing upon His children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God's chosen, anointed, elect and destined children of Israel the Jews. How true so many miracles that God has kept and brought the Jews through during so many perilous and dangerous times. God is going to keep and preserve the Jewish people and in fact the New Testament of the Holy Bible concludes in the book of Revelation with much of the attention and focus again on the Jews of Israel because the Jews do prevail and win as they finally at last look upon their Savior Messiah. Zechariah 12:10 … and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced …} As I write this, it's nightfall in Michigan, and the Jewish holiday of Chanukah began--as all Jewish holidays do-at sundown, about an hour ago. Chanukah is the story of miracles on so many levels, miracles Jews remember during this eight-day holiday, every year. It's especially compelling, this year, as we remember the murder of several Jews at the Lubavitch Chabad House Jewish Center in Mumbai, India, at the hands of Islamic terrorists less than a month ago. Chanukah is the story of the few against the many--the few Maccabees, led by Matthew [Matityahu, and then, after his death, Matthew's son, Judah [Yehudah], who fought against oppression by Greek-Assyrian King Antiochus Epiphanies and miraculously beat him and his army, which far outnumbered the Jews. It's the story of the one jar of olive oil which mirculously lasted eight days--the amount of time it took to make more jars--in lighting the menorah [candelabra] in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. All other jars had been destroyed or made impure by the Greeks, and it was the one jar that miraculously survived intact. Above all, Chanukah is about the age-old, repeat fight of the Jewish people for religious freedom. [article link]
I Wish We'd All Be Ready - A THIEF IN THE NIGHT THEME SONG (YouTube) Opening theme (I Wish We'd All Been Ready) by Larry Norman. Classic and very popular rapture film from 1972. A nice (but unsaved) young girl named Patty gets "left behind." Starring Patty Dunning, Thom Rachford and others. It was filmed in Iowa on a low budget and I think it starred all local people. It's alittle preachy, alot of cheesy, but it's colorful and oh so 70's. Alot of us kids that were brought up in christian homes were shown this movie and some say that it traumatized them. I would say that I felt that way for a long time but have gotten over it. I like it now and there are others that do, too. So enjoy! By the way, this film is available (I know people are gonna ask) on most online Christian DVD stores. [article link]
I Wish We'd All Be Ready - DC Talk (YouTube) Do you want to be left behind?? [article link]
The Light of the World (DVD $19.95) The Truth as You've Never Seen it Before. This 78-minute film takes you on an unforgettable journey, showing the biblical account of the creation of man and the entrance of sin into the world. See why Jesus Christ came to earth and how He dealt with the sin issue once and for all. Follow the Lord's life, from His miraculous birth to His agonizing crucifixion and glorious resurrection. Lost people will suddenly realize the horrible price Christ paid for their sins, and understand why He is the only way to heaven. ... In a day when many Christians are producing watered-down, politically-correct films, The Light of the World provides exactly what you would expect from Jack Chick-a straightforward, biblically accurate, no-punches-pulled presentation of the gospel with a compelling salvation appeal. [article link]
***The Light of the World - "Is Jesus the light of YOUR world?" - Illustrated Christian Movie - Using over 360 breathtaking oil paintings (YouTube 1hr 19 min) Here's the whole story...the Biblical account of the creation of man, the entrance of sin into the world and why Jesus Christ came to earth. Using over 360 breathtaking oil paintings, this film will take you on an unforgettable journey. Follow the life of Christ, from His miraculus birth and His sinless life, to His agonizing crucifixion and His glorious resurrection. Soon you will know the answer to life's most important question, "Is Jesus the light of YOUR world?" [article link]
Alex Jones' Prison Planet.com Analysis - FEMA Detention Camps: Re-inventing the [Concentration Camp] Mousetrap by Randy Lavello - What could this all mean? With the creation of the Patriot Act [On March 9, 2006, President Bush Signed The USA PATRIOT Improvement And Reauthorization Act Of 2005] our government is capable of labeling U.S. citizens domestic terrorists under the broad definition of someone who breaks a state or federal law and endangers the welfare of others - Once labeled an "enemy combatant" by the presidential administration, a person would be stripped of his Constitutional Rights and held indefinitely [Guantanamo Bay] without any notification - This is basically a blank check to make dissidents into political prisoners; therefore the government would need to have "camps" standing by to throw Americans in - Let us not forget Executive Order 11000 [February 16, 1962 - JFK] which provides for the seizure of all American people for work forces under Federal supervision, splitting up families where necessary - This Executive Order was signed by JFK forty years ago Strange, to know these (Detention) camps are in place doesn't make me feel any safer. But why would anyone want to put troops on the street, and citizens in "camps?" Well, this scenario has been the dream of tyrants since the dawn of man. And as history tells us, once in a "camp," people never get released - only freed or killed. -- We know that the admitted procedure in case of a chemical, biological, or radiological attack is to declare a national state of emergency and implement martial law, which gives dictatorial power to the president. Let us not forget Executive Order 11000 which provides for the seizure of all American people for work forces under Federal supervision, splitting up families where necessary. This Executive Order was signed by JFK forty years ago. Could this order, among others have caused him to state ten days before he was assassinated: "The high office of the president has been used to foment a plot to destroy the American's freedom and before I leave office, I must inform the citizen of this plight" Well, these work forces are still standard operating procedure if martial law is declared, and since another terrorist attack has been guaranteed by our own intelligence agencies, martial law is therefore inevitable as well. There is also the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act which, recently enacted, will allow quarantines and forced vaccination. Strangely, this act also allows for the commandeering of drugs and firearms. Why would a gun-grabbing law be placed in a bill about vaccinations and medication confiscation? Also take into account that there are close to fifty
"relocation" camps presently in place with more on the way, and we have "textbook tyranny" as Alex says. It is all an elaborate trap, constructed by the globalists, or "a plot to destroy the American's freedom." So the mousetrap is in place, with the "government cheese" bait! There are still people out there who don't see the trap; therefore I must mention that history is the story of the tyrant's lust for power versus the citizen's rights. -Stalin terrorized and oppressed his own people, Hitler attempted to take over Europe, so did Napoleon, Britain and Spain took over vast portions of the earth for monetary gains, there were the Crusades which lasted hundreds of years, the Roman Empire took over everything in walking distance, Egypt was at war between the forces of Upper and Lower Egypt, there were the famous wars of Babylon, and here we are - as a few men try to merge all the governments and currencies of the world into one. The point I'm trying to make here is that wherever there has been centralized power in the history of the world, eventually there has also been an attempt to increase that power and hold dominion over other lands. Those who are attracted to positions of power, once in control inevitably reach for more. In our time, implementing this sort of power would mean imprisoning the populous. [article link]
DECEMBER 21, 2008: Groups want Obama to investigate Bush for war crimes but (US) prosecution would be difficult - Turner was outraged when Bush signed an executive order in 2007 that he said permitted highly abusive treatment - He recalls telling senior Justice Department officials during a conference call prior to the public release of the order: "Do you people understand that you are setting up the president of the United States to be tried as a war criminal?" The conference call, he said, quickly came to an end "It is mind boggling to say eight years later that there is not going to be some sort of criminal accountability for what happened," said David Glazier, a law of war expert at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a retired naval officer. "It certainly undermines our moral authority and our ability to criticize other countries for doing exactly the same thing. But given the legal issues and the political reality, I am hard-pressed to see any other outcome." Robert Turner, a former Reagan White House lawyer who supported several of the Bush administration's assertions of executive powers but not the use of harsh interrogation techniques, said that war crimes "may well have been committed," given reports by human-rights organizations that some prisoners may have been beaten to death. Turner was outraged when Bush signed an executive order in 2007 that he said permitted highly abusive treatment, so long as the purpose was to acquire intelligence to stop future terrorist attacks, rather than just to humiliate or degrade the detainee. He recalls telling senior Justice Department officials during a conference call prior to the public release of the order: "Do you people understand that you are setting up the president of the United States to be tried as a war criminal?" The conference call, he said, quickly came to an end. ... Democrats, however, are likely to feel pressure to open some sort of broader criminal inquiry, especially given recent revelations. Earlier this year, retired Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba found that U.S. personnel tortured and abused detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo by using beatings, electrical shocks, sexual humiliation and other practices. This month's Senate report concluded that top officials -- including former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- were responsible for the use of "abusive" interrogation techniques on detainees. The Senate Armed Services Committee, chaired by Michigan's Carl Levin, also dismissed the Bush administration's repeated claims that the abuses were the work of a few low-level officials. [article link]
DECEMBER 18, 2008: [Defense Secretary Robert Gates] orders development of plans to close (mothball) Guantánamo - plans to empty the prison camps at Guantánamo Bay in anticipation that one of President-elect Barack Obama's first acts will be ordering the closure of the detention center WASHINGTON -- The Defense Department is drawing up plans to empty the prison camps at Guantánamo Bay n anticipation that one of President-elect Barack Obama's first acts will be ordering the closure of the detention center associated with the abuse of terror suspects. Defense Secretary Robert Gates "has asked his team for a proposal on how to shut (the detention center) down, what would be required specifically to close it and move
the detainees from that facility while at the same time, of course, ensuring that we protect the American people from some dangerous characters," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morell told reporters on Thursday. The prison, built to hold suspected terrorists after the 2001 U.S.-led military intervention in Afghanistan, now houses about 250 detainees, including Khalid Sheik Mohammad and others accused in connection with the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Obama, who's asked Gates to stay on as his defense secretary, has said that he wants to close the prison within two years of taking office on Jan. 20. Gates also has spoken publicly about the need to close the facility. "If this is one of the president-elect's first orders of business, the secretary wants to be prepared to help him as soon as possible," Morell said. "The request (for a closure plan) has been made, his team is working on it so that he can be prepared to assist the president-elect should he wish to address this very early in his tenure." In a telephone interview, Morell said that Gates' study is "comprehensive" in nature, but is being conducted only inside the Pentagon and not in concert with the Justice Department or other government agencies. [article link]
October 07, 2008: Judge orders release of Chinese Muslims into US - Federal judge orders release of Chinese Muslims held from Guantanamo Bay into US - The detainees, known as Uighurs, have been held for almost seven years by the Bush administration, which no longer considers them enemy combatants - U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina was hearing arguments Tuesday morning into whether the Uighurs should be set free in the United States, perhaps in northern Virginia where a Chinese Muslim association has agreed to help them find work and housing Updated: A federal judge has ordered the release of a small group of Chinese Muslims from Guantanamo Bay into the United States. In a landmark decision, U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina (ur-BEE'-nuh) said it would be wrong for the Bush administration to continue holding the detainees, known as Uighurs (WEE'gurz), since they are no longer considered enemy combatants. They have been in custody for almost seven years and have been cleared for release since 2004. Although the Chinese government has demanded custody of the Uighurs, supporters and the Bush administration fear they would be tortured if turned over to Beijing. On Tuesday, Urbina called the detention unlawful saying the Constitution prohibits indefinite imprisonment without charges. ... WASHINGTON (AP) - As a federal judge considered whether to order the release of several Chinese Muslims into the United States, Beijing on Tuesday demanded custody of the men once they are released from the U.S. facility at Guantanamo Bay. The detainees, known as Uighurs, have been held for almost seven years by the Bush administration, which no longer considers them enemy combatants. U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina was hearing arguments Tuesday morning into whether the Uighurs should be set free in the United States, perhaps in northern Virginia where a Chinese Muslim association has agreed to help them find work and housing. The Bush administration says the judge does not have the authority to release the men into the United States and that they should not be sent back to China where they likely would be tortured. In Beijing, the government demanded that all Uighurs held at the naval prison in Cuba be repatriated to China. Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said the Uighurs are suspected of being members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which the United States lists as a terrorist organization. "China has urged the U.S. to repatriate these Chinese terrorist suspects to China on many occasions. We hope the U.S. will take our position seriously and repatriate these persons to China sooner rather than later," he said. The Uighurs have been at Guantanamo Bay since the U.S. military took custody of them in Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2001. Efforts by the Bush administration to find a home for the detainees has been complicated by fears in many countries of diplomatic reprisals by China. In 2006, Albania gave refuge to five Uighurs from Guantanamo amid Chinese protests. [article link]
The Berean Chronicles - Jim Jones Massacre 11/18/2008 - Jonestown, Guyana November 18, 1978 (Mp3) Kelly McGinley of the Berean Chronicles discusses the Jim Jones Massacre. [article link]
Episode 41: Guyana's Heart of Darkness "Jonestown" - What drove the people of Jonestown to commit mass suicide (November 18, 1978) under the direction of the Reverend Jim Jones? (Mp3) In this episode, we take a look at the dark events of 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana. What drove the people of Jonestown to commit mass suicide under the direction of the Reverend Jim Jones? Was Jones simply a charismatic paranoiac, or was there something deeper involved? [article link]
Bo Gritz - Bo Gritz was a Green Beret and a Delta Force commander - On page 584, Col. Gritz outlines the true story of the Jonestown, Guyana, camp massacre, and how Jonestown was actually a tightly-run concentration camp, complete with medical and psychiatric experimentation, run with the assistance of the CIA - The people who died didn't drink cyanide-laced Kool-Aid, as reported; half of them were cold-bloodedly murdered by hypodermic injection in the camp, and the other half who fled into the jungle were deliberately hunted down and shot in cold blood by British and American Special Forces troops -- Under qualifications Bo states that he is [now] a "Security & Counter-terrorist Specialist" Within the government, they are already referring to Christians who are against the NWO as terrorists The Green Berets is another organization that has been heavily targeted by the Satanists, to indoctrinate and recruit. The Green Berets are increasingly moving toward being warrior-monk group. Many of them are now programmed multiples. One man who is being looked up to by many American Patriots and Christian Patriots as the leader to help them oppose the New World Order is Bo Gritz. He was a recent presidential candidate. Bo Gritz was a Green Beret and a Delta Force commander. Bo Gritz is very proud of the fact that he wrote the manual for the Delta Forces. He also worked for the CIA. Bo Gritz is one of the military's best programmed multiples, and perhaps one of the most dangerous. ... According to Bo Gritz's campaign literature for President he was a commander in Delta Forces. Reproduced on a previous page is Bo's own presidential campaign literature where he states that he is "Intelligence Officer & Reconnaissance Chief, Delta Force." He is also "Chief, Special Activities, U.S. Army General Staff, the Pentagon" and "Principle Agent, National Security Council, Intelligence Support Activity". Under qualifications Bo states that he is a "Security & Counter-terrorist Specialist." Within the government, they are already referring to Christians who are against the NWO as terrorists. Bo is their greatest counter-intelligence counter-terrorist they have. He came in like a storm and took control of the Patriot movement, and it has been like pulling teeth to warn patriots about who he is. Bo Gritz himself was a Green Beret, and was used to assassinate 300 people. His blood lust caused him at one point during the Vietnam War to shoot 30 prisoners in cold blood. I also heard Bo talk about say being Temple recommend Mormon. That means he was at that time in good standing with the LDS Mormon church so that he could go to the Temple and participate in its rituals. Those who are alert realize that the temple rituals are like Masonic and Witchcraft rituals. Now he is no longer a Mormon. But he still continues in the military philosophy he believes in. ... On page 584, Col. Gritz outlines the true story of the Jonestown, Guyana, camp massacre, and how Jonestown was actually a tightly-run concentration camp, complete with medical and psychiatric experimentation, run with the assistance of the CIA. The people who died didn't drink cyanide-laced Kool-Aid, as reported; half of them were cold-bloodedly murdered by hypodermic injection in the camp, and the other half who fled into the jungle were deliberately hunted down and shot in cold blood by British and American Special Forces troops. Col. Gritz spoke to an embittered SF Sergeant who'd taken part in the operation, and who subsequently wrote a book on the experience, entitled, "All The Niggers Are Dead!" When Col. Gritz asked him to explain the crudeness of that name, he replied, "Sir, that's what they were. Both blacks and whites were niggers; that's what any slave is; that's what they were. That was our final radio message when the job we were assigned was finished. " (From the book CALLED TO SERVE, by Special Forces Lt.Colonel "Bo " Gritz, 1991, p. 524.) [article link]
Jonestown - Jonestown was a CIA experiment to determine whether it was possible to establish a large mindcontrolled slave labor force - Jim Jones was a CIA operative and former Housing Commissioner for San
Francisco - There were only 3 (Jonestown) deaths attributable to cyanide (Kool-Aid), the rest died of [injections in the back of the shoulder and] gunfire Jonestown was a CIA experiment to determine whether it was possible to establish a large mind-controlled slave labor force. Jim Jones was a CIA operative and former Housing Commissioner for San Francisco. Ukiah District Attorney Tim Stone was assigned the task of procuring state mental patients and transferring their guardianship to the Peoples Temple. Assisting Jones was former police chief Dan Mitrioni, a contract CIA operative, who previously had instructed Brazilian and Bolivian security personnel in advanced torture interrogation techniques. Prior to the purchase of the Guyana property, the entire staff of the Mendocino State Mental Hospital were dismissed and replaced by Jim Jones's personnel. According to mind-control survivors, Josef Mengele programmed inmates there, at that time period. One member of Jones's staff at Mendocino was allegedly the mother of O.J. Simpson. Perhaps this explains why one psychologist, very experienced in observing mind-control survivors, noted that during Simpson's trial, he displayed symptoms of alterpersonality switching. ... Thorazine was used regularly at the CIA's Jonestown, Guyana group control experiment. Survivors of Jonestown have testified as to its effectiveness. After this gruesome experiment in mind control came to its end with a massacre, large amounts of drugs were discovered. Just one footlocker at Jonestown alone contained 11,000 doses. The authorities prevented chemical autopsies of the bodies to insure secrecy of this sophisticated concentration camp which was used for medical and psychiatric experimentation by the CIA. An examination of the drugs that are used in mental hospitals to alter the minds of patients offers a clear indication of what is being used in the Monarch Mind Control programming. ... "I hope it is becoming clear to you the various levels that are used by the Intel community to get their job done. Remember Jonestown? It was one of ours that went sour because a "Clear Eyes" was in the group. "When he, the "Clear Eyes", began firing on the runway, it all self destructed. Congressman Leo Ryan, who was killed, knew it was a government operation. The "Clear Eyes" was accidentally, through a lone sequence, activated! There was no way to stop the killings. All members of the cult were programmed to at least level 3. There were only 3 deaths attributable to cyanide, the rest died of gunfire. Now you know little more about our line of work. I am glad I am out of it." Gunther Russbacher [article link]
Fire From The Sky PART 20: - LT. COL. JAMES "BO" GRITZ AND JONESTOWN (1978) - The officer in charge of all U.S. Army Special Forces for Latin America at the time of the Jonestown holocaust was Lt. Col. James "Bo" Gritz - The Guyana massacre was carried out by Bo Gritz' men - Gritz has more about Jonestown in his autobiography "Called to Serve" Perhaps you simply cannot believe what I am telling you - Will you believe it if told to you by the Green Beret officer in charge of the men who did the killing? - I've seen other things like that in combat where there have been abuses - I wrote about one of them in my book where the Captain tortured the young severely and the young Sergeant put on a swastika and said, "If I'm going to act like a Nazi I'm going to look like one' I think that the same kind of negative impact occurred in Jonestown" The Guyana massacre was carried out by Bo Gritz' [army] men (along with British SAS troops). *Flatland* (#10) magazine, in an interview with Gritz, asked him: ... "Most of the black and Hispanic poor people and social activists who became the inmates of the camp were brought there either by force or coercion, or lured under false pretenses, where extensive experiments of drug-induced mind control were performed on them. Even before they were moved to Guyana, reports of beatings, kidnappings, sexual abuse and mysterious deaths had leaked out to the press about the earlier Peoples' Temple in Ukiah, California. -- "Jim Jones had a very interesting past which was overlooked by the media: During the time his friend Dan Mitrione was teaching torture techniques to the Brazilian and Argentineans, Jones was also sent to Brazil where his house, transportation and groceries were provided to him by the U.S. Embassy, and he frequently traveled to Belo Horizonte, the CIA headquarters in Brazil. -- "Jones had been contacted in Ukiah by 'Christian missionaries' from World Vision (World Vision is a CIA controlled front operation), an evangelical order which had performed espionage work for the CIA in Southeast Asia. Most of Jones' top lieutenants were from wealthy, educated backgrounds, many with connections to the military or intelligence agencies. These were the people who were
involved in setting up the bank accounts, complex legal transactions and financial agreements which put people under the control of the Peoples' Temple. -- "Some of Jones' Lieutenants were: Dr. Lawrence Layton was chief of Chemical and Biological Warfare Research at Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah for many years and later worked as Director of Missile and Satellite Development at the Navy Propellant Division at Indian Head, Maryland. His wife, Lisa, was the daughter of Hugo Phillips, who had represented the huge Nazi manufacturing cartel, I.G. Farben, as a stockbroker. Their daughter, Debbie, met and married George Philip Blakey, whose parents had extensive stock holdings in Solve Drugs, a division of I.G. Farben. -- "Blakey was reputed to be training mercenaries in Jonestown who were sent to work with CIA-backed UNITA forces in Angola. Terri Buford's father, Admiral Charles T. Buford, worked with Naval Intelligence. Marie Katsaris' father was minister with the Greek Orthodox Church, thought to be a conduit of CIA funding, and she claimed she had proof he was a CIA agent. The 'official survivors' were represented upon their return to the U.S. by Joseph Blatchford, an attorney who had been named in a prior scandal involving CIA infiltration of the Peace Corps. "The people who were taken from San Francisco to begin their 'new life' in Guyana were bussed to Florida and arrived in Guyana bound and gagged, where they were forced to work 16 hours or more daily, and were fed on minimum rations. As more and more rumors began to filter back to the United States of druggings, beatings, torture, sexual humiliations and coercion at the Guyana site, Congressman Leo Ryan decided to go to Guyana and verify the situation for himself. [article link]
Christmas "Savior Day" 2008 - Celebrating the Arrival-Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind - Giving 'Glory to God in the Highest' this is the very basis of our human relationship to the Holy, loving, kind, compassionate and tender God! Christmas Day - "Savior Day" The Day Jesus Christ the Savior of the world entered into the world! Celebrating the Arrival (Birth) of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind Christmas time is a wonderful time it is a time of reassurance of God's love and of God's commitment for all mankind throughout all time. Enjoy the Christmas holiday season knowing that there is indeed a Savior-Redeemer for mankind and that Jesus Christ is the SaviorRedeemer. ... Luke 2:8-12 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. [article link]
*** The Amber May Show - The True Meaning of Christmas (Mp3's) This show looks at the real meaning of christmas. Why do we celebrate it? Where does it come from? [article link]
The Christmas Story (Mp3) or Download the radio station .wav version here "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today, in the town of David, a Savior is born." As our gift to you this holiday season, Faith Comes By Hearing presents this dramatized version of The Christmas Story as a reminder of God's gift to us.[article link] **Updated: The Christmas 2008 Download and Share Mp3 Project at ChristianFaithDownloads.com - This 2008 Christmas Holiday Season share the Love of Jesus Christ by downloading and passing along life changing Christian Mp3 files - The first Mp3 Sermon files that should be accessed and shared are the ones from your own home Church and fellowship - Please pass along the 2008 Christmas Mp3 share project to your Church, family and friends (PDF) Some of the purposes and objectives of the 2008 Christmas Mp3 share project are 1. To Bless ourselves and other people with the many Blessed Mp3 sermon messages, praise music, Bible studies and teachings available
on the internet. 2. Usually the Mp3 Bible and a large quantity of Mp3 Sermon messages and music need to be downloaded and kept on hand in order to find a particularly good personal application sermon message for personal use at any given time so having only a few Mp3's is not really an option and having more Mp3's means having more reasons to share with others. 3. Not everyone has an internet connection and especially a high-speed connection so downloading and sharing Mp3's is going to be the only way many people will ever be able to receive Christian Mp3's to listen to. 4. Sharing a large quantity of Mp3's is easy to do and it is a tremendously time saving project especially saving others the time and hassle of locating and downloading quality Christian Mp3's. 5. Once the Mp3 sermons, praise music, Bible studies or teachings have been downloaded they can easily be shared. It is easier to share an Mp3 then it is to locate and download an Mp3. A full eight hours of high-speed internet downloads can be shared in less than 5 minutes from person to person. A person that has received shared Mp3's has freed up the internet (for others) from hours and possibly even days of redundant download time. 6. The Ministry trend is to place more Audio (Mp3) files on the internet and also now to place the even larger Video (Mp4) files on the internet for people to download. The larger Mp4 files require longer download times and even larger storage capacity meaning that as important as it is to download and share the Mp3 files it is even more important and beneficial to download and share the larger Mp4 Sermon video files. [article link]
Bible Study Podcasts - BibleStudyPodcasts.org is about creating a means by which people can grow deeper in their understanding of God's Word (Mp3's) BibleStudyPodcasts.org is about creating a means by which people can grow deeper in their understanding of God's Word. Our desire is that by deepening your understanding of the Bible, you will grow in your walk as a Christian as well. While the main focus is Bible study, we will also have podcasts addressing contemporary, relevant issues, objections, etc. as part of our focus is on apologetics as well. [article link]
Bible Stories My Kids Love - Here Comes the Son! (Mp3's) Here Comes the Son! In today's Bible Stories My Kids Love hear about the prophecies that lead up to the Birth of Jesus and how the fulfilling of these promises gave us the Greatest Gift of all. [article link]
History: The Lost American Colony (1587): A Group of 117 Early American Settlers Disappears Without a Trace By 1587, England and its European rivals had been crossing the Atlantic Ocean to explore the New World for over 50 years Imagine returning to the location of what had previously been a burgeoning colony of over 100 settlers only to find the village abandoned with no trace of the occupants. This is what happened to John White at Roanoke Island. The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony is one of the biggest mysteries in American history. By 1587, England and its European rivals had been crossing the Atlantic Ocean to explore the New World for over 50 years. Queen Elizabeth I realized that whichever nation was able to gain a permanent foothold in those lands would have a substantial advantage over its rivals. As a result, she commissioned Sir Walter Raleigh to put together a group of settlers to stake out a claim to land in North America. Raleigh first sent out a group in July of 1585 to accomplish the Queen's wish. This expedition was almost entirely composed of soldiers, with a few specialists. Upon reaching the New World, the group decided that Roanoke Island looked like a hospitable place to live. Unfortunately, these men, although brave, were ill equipped to handle the task of surviving in a new land. ... On August 27, 1587, White set sail. He left behind [2nd group] not just a group of colonists he had organized, but also his daughter and newly born grandchild. He expected to return the following spring. That would prove impossible. ... When White finally landed on Roanoke Island, there was nobody there. The only evidence as to where the group might have gone were the letters "C-R-O" carved into one tree and "Croatoan" inscribed on another tree. Before he left for England, White and the settlers had discussed the possibility that circumstances might force relocation north toward the
Chesapeake Bay area they had originally intended to colonize. If they were going to do this, the plan was to carve their destination into a tree. If they were forced to move because they were in some kind of danger, a cross was to be carved into the same tree. Since there was no cross to be found on either of the trees with writing on it, White was left to assume that the move was voluntary. ... John White was never able to return to the New World again to search for his family and the other settlers. Future expeditions were also unsuccessful in finding the "Lost Colony." [article link]
Fire at Palin's Church Has Lifted Spirits, Churchgoer Says - A member of Sarah Palin's church says a fire at the house of worship has lifted spirits of congregants - an accelerant was poured around the exterior of the 2 1/2year-old building - A small group (five women and two children) was inside the church, but no one was injured - "We're all kind of wondering what the investigators will learn" he told FOXNews.com - "We have nothing to go on, but the feeling is that perhaps it has to do with the Christian message itself, that perhaps someone has animosity to the basic Christian message" "But it's serving to be more unifying for each of us" - A message on the church's Web site read: "Praise God that no one in the building was injured, and pray for us as we rebuild" {Disasters and tragedies that happen in America especially to Christians and Churches seem to be of no concern to Bush. President Bush is a Satanist (Anarchist) and in Satanism "chaos" is a code word for burning or attacking a church (bringing chaos to the Christian church) and truthfully Bush and his administration seem to be doing more to enable and cover up crimes then they are doing to solve crimes and protect innocent lives.} Federal officials joined an arson investigation at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's church on Monday, days after an accelerant was poured around the exterior of the 2 1/2-year-old building, causing $1 million in damages. A small group was inside the church, but no one was injured. ... But one churchgoer told FOXNews.com that the fire has lifted the spirits of church members. "It was very upbeat, people were in good spirits," Rob Tracy said after Sunday services, which were held at Wasilla Middle School. "In one respect, people were reeling from the shock of the news, but in another respect, they were very positive. It felt like we had the whole family together yesterday. It's not often we have the full congregation together, but it felt like every single person was there. "It was a feeling of unity, solidarity," Tracy said. ... "We're all kind of wondering what the investigators will learn," he told FOXNews.com. "We have nothing to go on, but the feeling is that perhaps it has to do with the Christian message itself, that perhaps someone has animosity to the basic Christian message." During his sermon yesterday, Pastor Larry Kroon focused on messages of "faith, hope and love," Tracy said. "And that really resonated," he said. "We will continue to be a church that lives the message of hope and expresses Christ's love." But the timing of the fire, which occurred less than two weeks before Christmas, shocked and angered some worshippers, he continued. "The fact that it's close to Christmas says more about the person who set this fire and their motivations," he said. "But it's serving to be more unifying for each of us." A message on the church's Web site read: "Praise God that no one in the building was injured, and pray for us as we rebuild." [article link]
Shoe-thrower's brother: He wanted to humiliate 'tyrant' - The brother of the journalist now famous for hurling his shoes at President Bush said his sibling's actions were "spontaneous" and represented millions of Iraqis who want to "humiliate the tyrant" - described the reporter's hatred for the "material [Bush-Satanic] American occupation" and the "moral Iranian [Shiite-Shariah law] occupation" BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The brother of the journalist now famous for hurling his shoes at President Bush said his sibling's actions were "spontaneous" and represented millions of Iraqis who want to "humiliate the tyrant." Dhirgham al-Zaidi, who sometimes worked as his brother's cameraman, described the reporter's hatred for the "material American occupation" and the "moral Iranian occupation." Muntadhar al-Zaidi's feelings were influenced by watching the agony suffered by everyday Iraqis. Most of the reporter's stories focused on Iraqi widows, orphans, and children, said the brother. Sometimes the 29-year-old journalist would cry. Moved by the tales he reported of poor families, he sometimes asked his colleagues to give money to them. On most nights,
he returned to his home in central Baghdad -- one of the country's most violent slums and the epicenter of several of the war's pitched battles. Muntadhar al-Zaidi's reporting for Egypt-based independent television AlBaghdadia was "against the occupation," his brother said. The journalist would occasionally sign off his stories "from occupied Baghdad." ... Yet Dhirgham al-Zaidi said he was "shocked" when he saw his brother hurling his shoes at President Bush at a Sunday news conference after a surprise visit by Bush to Baghdad. [article link]
December 15, 2008: Terrorists declare 2008 'The year of the shoe' - An Iraqi journalist's act of hurling of shoes at President Bush yesterday has prompted excited reaction here from across the Palestinian arena, with one senior terrorist declaring 2008 the "year of the shoe" - Iraqi journalist who shot to pan-Arab stardom for his (shoe) attack on Bush and his cry: "This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog" - "One Arab among 250 million Arabs and among billions of Muslims had the courage to do what every one of us wanted to do" RAMALLAH, West Bank - An Iraqi journalist's act of hurling of shoes at President Bush yesterday has prompted excited reaction here from across the Palestinian arena, with one senior terrorist declaring 2008 the "year of the shoe." "This is the main historic event of the year of 2008, the year of the shoe," Muhammad Abdel-Al, spokesman and a top leader of the Popular Resistance Committees terrorist group, told WND. He was speaking by cell phone from the Gaza Strip. "There are people that go into history by their inventions, by their martyrdom, by their sacrifices, but this guy went into history by his shoes," said Abdel-Al, praising Muntazer alZaidi, an Iraqi journalist who shot to pan-Arab stardom for his attack on Bush and his cry: "This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog." ... Abu Abdullah, a Gaza-based a senior leader of Hamas' so-called military wing, told WND by cell phone, "It's important that this was from a journalist and not a motivated resistance group. It's from the average Arab person." The Committees' Abdel-Al explained that in Islam hitting someone with the sole of a shoe is the most humiliating act. "Bush deserves no more than to be hit by a shoe," he said. "When you hit with your hand, you respect him, and he's a rival for you. When hit with a shoe, it means you have no respect for him and see him as dirt. In the West, protesters can throw ice cream and tomatoes, but this doesn't reflect the humiliation of a shoe. This is the most original way to close Bush's period in power with the shoe." The terrorist warned, "If the successor of Bush will continue with America's policy of occupation and massacres of Muslims, then America and the West will finish under the shoes of all the Arabs and Muslims." Abel-Al said his group, together with Hamas, will be holding a rally later calling for the Iraqi government to release Zaidi, who reportedly is being held pending an interrogation to determine whether anyone paid him to throw his shoes at Bush. He also was being tested for alcohol and drugs, and his shoes were being held as evidence, said an Iraqi official speaking to the Associated Press. The Cairo-based al-Baghdadiya TV channel said Zaidi should be freed because he had been exercising freedom of expression. Slow motion clips of Zaidi throwing his shoes at Bush were broadcast continuously today on Al Jazeera and other Arab networks. Arabic commentators said the act was a reversal of a more glorious moment for Bush when Iraqis were filmed using their shoes to beat a statue of Saddam Hussein toppled by U.S. invading troops in 2003. [article link]
December 14, 2008: Iraqi journalist throws shoes at Bush in Baghdad - Bush said the work "hasn't been easy, but it has been necessary for American security, Iraqi hope and world peace" {Poor idiot George, he spent his entire time in the White House laboring as an agent of Islam (Iranian-Shiite) in betraying America on behalf of his sick Satanic family and how do the Muslims repay him, by publically calling him a "dog" and throwing shoes at him.} BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A man identified as an Iraqi journalist threw shoes at -- but missed -- President Bush during a news conference Sunday evening in Baghdad, where Bush was making a farewell visit. ... Hurling shoes at someone, or sitting so that the bottom of a shoe faces another person, is considered an insult among Muslims. Al-Baghdadia issued a statement Sunday demanding al-Zaidi's release. Al-Zaidi remained in custody Monday while the Iraqi judiciary decides whether he will face charges of assaulting al-Maliki, a government official said. The official said al-Zaidi is being tested for alcohol and drugs to determine if he was fully
conscious during the incident. Al-Zaidi drew international attention in November 2007 when he was kidnapped while on his way to work in central Baghdad. He was released three days later. Bush had been lauding the conclusion of a security pact with Iraq as journalists looked on. ... Bush said the work "hasn't been easy, but it has been necessary for American security, Iraqi hope and world peace." Bush landed at Baghdad International Airport on Sunday and traveled by helicopter to meet with President Jalal Talabani and his two vice presidents at Talabani's palace outside the Green Zone. It marked the first time he has been outside the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad without being on a military base. The visit was Bush's fourth since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. [article link]
December 15, 2008: Lawsuit Filed Against US Treasury Dept: Stop AIG Bailout Financing Terrorism - A federal lawsuit was filed this morning against U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. and the Federal Reserve Board to stop all bailout funds from going to American International Group, Inc. ("AIG") - According to the lawsuit, the U.S. government, through its ownership of AIG, is not only violating the Constitution, but also promoting and financing the destruction of America using American tax dollars - The basis of the lawsuit is that AIG intentionally promotes Shariah-compliant businesses and insurance products, which by necessity must comply with the 1200 year old body of Islamic cannon law based on the Quran ANN ARBOR, MI - A federal lawsuit was filed this morning against U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. and the Federal Reserve Board to stop all bailout funds from going to American International Group, Inc. ("AIG"). According to the lawsuit, the U.S. government, through its ownership of AIG, is not only violating the Constitution, but also promoting and financing the destruction of America using American tax dollars. The basis of the lawsuit is that AIG intentionally promotes Shariah-compliant businesses and insurance products, which by necessity must comply with the 1200 year old body of Islamic cannon law based on the Quran, which demands the conversion, subjugation, or destruction of the infidel West, including the United States. To help achieve these objectives and with the aid of federal tax dollars, AIG employs a three-person Shariah Advisory Board, with members from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Pakistan. According to AIG, the role of its Shariah authority "is to review operations, supervise its development of Islamic products, and determine Shariah compliance of these products and investments." Of particular significance is the Pakistani Board member, Dr. Muhammed Imran Ashraf Usmani. Dr. Usmani is the son and devoted disciple of Sheik Mufti Taqi Usmani, the leading authority on Shariah financing who, in 1999, authored a book dedicating an entire chapter on why a Western Muslim must engage in violent jihad against his own country - even if Muslims are given equality and freedom to practice their religion and to proselytize. [article link]
Christmas Traditions Around the World The information placed on this site may not be the way all people celebrate traditions today many are over 100 years old. Many people change to suit their families. [article link]
*** Watershed of the Evangelical World by Francis Schaefer (Mp3) Francis Schaefer shares how the society of North America has succumbed to the humanistic values and ideals. Christian values and standards according to Scripture has all become irrelevant in this type of society. There is a need more then ever to believe and live the standards of the Scriptures. [article link]
The Christmas 2008 Download and Share Mp3 Project at ChristianFaithDownloads.com - This 2008 Christmas Holiday Season share the Love of Jesus Christ by downloading and passing along life changing Christian Mp3 files - The first Mp3 Sermon files that should be accessed and shared are the ones from your own home Church and fellowship - Please pass along the 2008 Christmas Mp3 share project to your Church, family and friends (PDF)
Some of the purposes and objectives of the 2008 Christmas Mp3 share project are 1. To Bless ourselves and other people with the many Blessed Mp3 sermon messages, praise music, Bible studies and teachings available on the internet. 2. Usually the Mp3 Bible and a large quantity of Mp3 Sermon messages and music need to be downloaded and kept on hand in order to find a particularly good personal application sermon message for personal use at any given time so having only a few Mp3's is not really an option and having more Mp3's means having more reasons to share with others. 3. Not everyone has an internet connection and especially a high-speed connection so downloading and sharing Mp3's is going to be the only way many people will ever be able to receive Christian Mp3's to listen to. 4. Sharing a large quantity of Mp3's is easy to do and it is a tremendously time saving project especially saving others the time and hassle of locating and downloading quality Christian Mp3's. 5. Once the Mp3 sermons, praise music, Bible studies or teachings have been downloaded they can easily be shared. It is easier to share an Mp3 then it is to locate and download an Mp3. A full eight hours of high-speed internet downloads can be shared in less than 5 minutes from person to person. A person that has received shared Mp3's has freed up the internet (for others) from hours and possibly even days of redundant download time. 6. The Ministry trend is to place more Audio (Mp3) files on the internet and also now to place the even larger Video (Mp4) files on the internet for people to download. The larger Mp4 files require longer download times and even larger storage capacity meaning that as important as it is to download and share the Mp3 files it is even more important and beneficial to download and share the larger Mp4 Sermon video files. [article link]
Free Christmas Wallpaper & Backgrounds (1. click on the small picture 2. when the medium sized picture comes up 3. Click the "Enlarge Wallpaper" Tab or look for the "Download Now!" Link on the right 4. then when the Large Picture comes up "Right Click" on it and "Save Picture As...") DesktopNexus -- Browsing wallpapers tagged: Christmas [article link]
theRawStory Comments: About the article CNN guest (David Brody): Bush Bible comment shocked evangelicals - Comments are moderated; there will be a delay before seeing your comment - He (Bush) is evil - "Evangelical Christians were conned into thinking that Bush was 'one of them'" the Moral Collapse blogger concluded - "the reality is that he isn't one of them and he never was" And you're just figuring that out NOW???!!! {The RawStory Comments are being posted to show what many Americans have been thinking all along as Bush has been so obviously duping his Evangelical base. Bush is responsible for his own actions and comments and it's time the Evangelical base moved on from Bush and the Republican Party and re-focused on Jesus. And yes, we Christians did give Bush and the Republican Party too much benefit of the doubt without enough honest examination of the true Bush doctrines and agendas.} theRawStory Comments are moderated; there will be a delay before seeing your comment. ... He (Bush) is evil. ... They (Christians) voted the bastard in, so it's they who are the truest birdbrains. To vote for someone because they share religious views from before Christ, if you believe in that fable, is tantamount to playing Pin The Tail On The Donkey. ... The evangelicals are cuckoo birds all of em.Fuck em all. ... ha! ha! ha! evangelical suckers!!! the rest of us knew, but your god makes you blind, you are so easily led by someone who can talk your talk! be very careful, VERY careful! the devil can walk the walk and talk the talk and you will not know until it is too late. ha! ha! ha! ... "Evangelical Christians were conned into thinking that Bush was 'one of them,'" the Moral Collapse blogger concluded. "the reality is that he isn't one of them and he never was." And you're just figuring that out NOW???!!! ... These morons have been used by the GOP for years and are clueless about it. Couldn't happen to a nicer group of bigots. ... Ha! Take that you fucking retards! Bush played you fools for the idiots we all know you are and because of your ignorance and support he was practically able to destroy the entire country. Nice work, bible thumpers. ... 'Brody suggested that Bush may have merely been referring to what creationists call "microevolution"' - No, he wasn't refering to microevolution, Bush clearly knows that the our current theories on evolution are rock solid. ... Now they are (((((shocked)))))? ... These people are mental
midgets! ... Oh well. Don't need to pander to the Religious Right anymore, I guess. ... LOL...what a bunch of fucking retards we have in this country. ... Dear Raw Story reader: We are aware of your concerns about comments on Raw Story. Our team is working to develop a new, registration required, comment system. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE. [article link]
CNN guest (David Brody): Bush Bible comment shocked evangelicals - George W. Bush's recent statement that he believes the Bible is "probably not" literally true has apparently left many Christian conservatives reeling in shock - One blogger at the conservative Washington Times, commented the next morning, "I already have an e-mail from a former Bush administration official who writes 'This just completely alienated his evangelical supporters'" - Download video via RawReplay.com (Article, Video Download) David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network told CNN"s John Roberts on Thursday, "I think a lot of social conservative evangelicals were surprised -- probably grabbing the smelling salts as we speak." Bush made the controversial statement during a Monday interview on ABC's Nightline. When asked whether he thinks the Bible is literally true, he replied, "Probably not. No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it." One blogger at the conservative Washington Times, commented the next morning, "I already have an e-mail from a former Bush administration official who writes, 'This just completely alienated his evangelical supporters.'" ... Brody, who has written that Bush would "have had to go into damage control mode" after these comments if he were still running for office, said that the remarks definitely "would have been an issue" in 1999, when Bush was actively seeking the support of the religious right in his bid for the presidency. ... Some evangelicals, however, claim they were not surprised by Bush's remarks. A blog titled "The Moral Collapse Of America" pointed out after the interview that "George W. Bush's religious beliefs are not compatible with evangelical Christianity," because "Bush has openly said many times that Christians, Muslims and all other religions pray to the same God." "Evangelical Christians were conned into thinking that Bush was 'one of them,'" the Moral Collapse blogger concluded. "the reality is that he isn't one of them and he never was." [article link]
SermonAudio.com: - Bible probably not true, says George Bush - Comments: George Bush is a Luciferian (Devil worshiper) - We always knew he was Skull and Bones - The only flag he was ever interested in defending was the Jolly Roger (Skull & Bones), and the American flag was what he used to wave in front of the faces of the American people like a bullfighter would a bull - And we've been stuck and crippled the same way also Comments: We always knew he (Bush) was Skull and Bones. The only flag he was ever interested in defending was the Jolly Roger, and the American flag was what he used to wave in front of the faces of the American people like a bullfighter would a bull. And we've been stuck and crippled the same way also, to take the analogy a bit further. People (George Bush) who snort coke and have gay porn stars (Jeff Gannon) visiting the White House late at night on a regular basis and who visit places like Bohemian Grove, who flash the el diablo at the inauguration, as well as some other more commonly known crude (middle finger) hand signals are not typically considered Christian. And Christians don't preside over mass murder conspiracies (9/11) or lie nations into horrible wars so Israel can have an oil pipeline[?] [in truth Bush has done almost nothing for the benefit of America and both Bush Sr. and Jr. have done even less for the benefit of Israel] and Afghanistan will be forced to start up [quadruple] its opium trade again. ... George Bush is a Luciferian, and Luciferians know what the Bible says in some ways better than the Christians. For example, it's amazing how many Christians don't even know that Satan's name is Lucifer [Lucifer is Not a name it is a Title "lightbearer" Devil is not a name it means "accuser" and Satan is not a name it means "slanderer" the actual name of the evil demon Lucifer is not in the Bible]. ... The funniest part of the interview if you folks did not catch it was that he believes God sent [a] his son. To believe in the incarnation takes more literalism and faith than saying you believe or don't believe the book of Jonah. George Bush is a Christian who has never had Biblical teaching [wrong, Bush said [a] son, Bush knows full well the deception he is implementing]. [article link]
The Moral Collapse Of America: Documenting The Increasing Wickedness That Threatens To Destroy America George W. Bush: The Bible Is "Probably Not" Literally True - During one trip to Iraq, Bush reportedly made this statement: "I want you to convey this message to Mr. Sistani ("the spiritual custodian of Shiite political dominance in Iraq" NY Times) - Tell him that I pray to the same god he prays to... Tell Sistani I have nothing but praise for your (Islam) religion" - The truth is that George W. Bush has always rejected even the most basic Christian beliefs - Evangelical Christians were conned into thinking that Bush was "one of them" - the reality is that he isn't one of them and he never was In an absolutely stunning new interview, President George W. Bush publicly said that the Bible is "probably not" literally true, that he prays to the same God that other major religions do and that he believes the scientific proof for evolution. When asked if he believed that the Bible was literally true, President Bush responded this way: "Probably not. No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it." This interview will come as a disappointment to many evangelical Christians who rabidly supported Bush through two rocky terms as president. The reality is that George W. Bush's religious beliefs are not compatible with evangelical Christianity. For example, President George W. Bush has openly said many times that Christians, Muslims and all other religions pray to the same God. In stunning public statements, Bush has admitted that he prays to the God of Islam, that non-Christians and Muslims will go to heaven and that he has "nothing but praise" for Islam. ... But it wasn't just during the Charles Gibson interview that Bush declared himself to be a universalist..... In a stunning interview with Al Arabiya television, Bush said, "I believe in an almighty God, and I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God." During that same interview Bush also said, "I believe there is a universal God. I believe the God that the Muslim prays to is the same God that I pray to. After all, we all came from Abraham [not true!]. I believe in that universality." During one trip to Iraq, Bush reportedly made this statement: "I want you to convey this message to Mr. Sistani. Tell him that I pray to the same god he prays to... Tell Sistani I have nothing but praise for your religion." Now does any of that sound "Christian" to you? According to George W. Bush, Jesus must have been mistaken in John 14:6..... Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." [article link]
Why did Christ (Messiah) have to be God? Isaiah 9:6 and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, "The mighty God", The everlasting Father... [Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, my son (Isaac), God will provide *Himself (Jesus Christ) a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.] (Video-AudioDownload) Dr. Alan Cairns served for 25 years as pastor of Faith Free Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC, before retiring and being named Pastor Emeritus in 2007. Prior to coming to the United States, he pastored Free Presbyterian churches in Dunmurry and Ballymoney, in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. Dr. Cairns also held the position Professor of Theology in the Whitefield College of the Bible in Northern Ireland and lectured in what is now Geneva Reformed Seminary in Greenville. As both an author and expositor, Dr. Cairns is revered for his Christcentered focus and gifts of scriptural insight. [article link]
Oprah Denies Christ (says the exact same thing Bush Jr. says) - {Oprah and Bush Jr. are practicing the same NWO religion because of course they attend the same NWO seminars, belong to the same NWO groups and promote the same NWO agendas. Note: It is the Holy Spirit (John 12:32, Hebrews 3:7, Hebrews 10:15) that seeks to bring people to God (Jesus). The Holy Spirit covers the entire world and also all creation testifies to all mankind of the glory, goodness and abilities of God. Because the Holy Spirit is everywhere pleading with all mankind, all mankind is without an excuse as to why they do not accept the love and relationship of the one True God revealed to mankind in Jesus Christ.} (YouTube) Comments: thats why i say oprah should let the person say what they need to say. she dosn't listen like a real host to be a talk show host. watch her other interviews she over talks and when the guests talks she starts talking like she already let the guest say what they needed to say then she cuts them off again. [article link]
George Bush Jr.'s Univeralism (apparently everyone, except Jews and probably fundamentalist Christians, will go to heaven in Bush's NWO religion) - George Bush claiming that all religions follow the same god {The Bushwhacker is a confused bundle of contradictions and the more he reveals of himself and of his personal beliefs, actions and habits the more disappointing he becomes. It's interesting that ABC news commentator Charlie Gibson didn't ask Bush Jr. if Jews go to heaven. Gibson only asked if Bush thought Christians, nonChristians, and Muslims go to heaven with Bush answering, yes. Note: The Bush family, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. are Satan (Skull & Bones) Devil worshipers going back at least to Bush's great grandfather Samuel Prescott Bush father of Prescott Bush. The Satan worshipers call Satan Lord and consider Satan to be the true God so when Bush uses the words, God, Almighty God, Lord and other 'Divine' words it in no way means that Bush is a Christian or that he is even referencing Jesus Christ a name by the way Bush never uses.} (YouTube) George Bush claiming that all religions follow the same god. (YouTube) [article link]
December 09, 2008 : Bush Says Creation 'Not Incompatible' With Evolution - President says in televised interview the Bible is "probably not" literally true and that a belief God created the world is compatible with the theory of evolution - Interviewer Cynthia McFadden asked Bush if the Bible was literally true - "You know. Probably not. ... No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it, but I do think that the New Testament for example is ... has got ... You know, the important lesson is 'God sent [a] son,"' Bush said - The president also said that he prays to the same God as those with different religious beliefs {Bush is nothing but a phony opportunist he will say anything and do anything only to put money in his pocket. If so many Arabs and Muslims weren't oil rich the Bush family wouldn't cater to them for one second. The Bush family decisions are concerned only with money and power while Christian principles like righteousness, truth, mercy, justice and honesty never even enter into the corrupt Bush mind.} WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush said his belief that God created the world is not incompatible with the scientific theory of evolution. In an interview with ABC's "Nightline" on Monday, the president also said he probably is not a literalist when reading the Bible although an individual can learn a great deal from it, including the New Testament teaching that God sent his only son. Asked about creation and evolution, Bush said: "I think you can have both. I think evolution can -- you're getting me way out of my lane here. I'm just a simple president. But it's, I think that God created the earth, created the world; I think the creation of the world is so mysterious it requires something as large as an almighty and I don't think it's incompatible with the scientific proof that there is evolution." He added, "I happen to believe that evolution doesn't fully explain the mystery of life." Interviewer Cynthia McFadden asked Bush if the Bible was literally true. "You know. Probably not. ... No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it, but I do think that the New Testament for example is ... has got ... You know, the important lesson is 'God sent a son,"' Bush said. "It is hard for me to justify or prove the mystery of the Almighty in my life," he said. "All I can just tell you is that I got back into religion and I quit drinking shortly thereafter and I asked for help. ... I was a one-step program guy." The president also said that he prays to the same God as those with different religious beliefs. "I do believe there is an almighty that is broad and big enough and loving enough that can encompass a lot of people," Bush said. [article link]
{Flashback} March 17, 2006: No bones about it: President Bush favours a very secret (non-Christian) society of Skull and Bones {Actually they believe the bones are the bones of an un-resurrected Jesus Christ and that the bones came to them from the "Knights Templars" of Da Vinci code fame and celebrate what they believe to be Satan's triumph over God in the death of Jesus on the cross and of course deny and neglect the true resurrection of Jesus. That's the secret in secret society.} President George Bush is alleged to have used its (Skull and Bones) connections to get his first job. Mr Bush and Mr McCallum (Bush's Nominee as Ambassador to Australia) are members of Skull and Bones, the Yale society said to have the skull of the Indian chief Geronimo, dug up by Mr Bush's grandfather, in a glass case. In 2004 both presidential candidates, Mr Bush and John Kerry, were members. Mr Bush, in his autobiography, A
Charge to Keep, wrote: "My senior year I joined Skull and Bones, a secret society. So secret, I can't say anything." The Skull and Bones headquarters is in a windowless stone building on the Yale campus known as the tomb. ... Alexandra Robbins, author of Secrets of the Tomb, says it includes a devil, a Don Quixote figure and a pope with one foot in a white monogrammed slipper, resting on a stone skull. ..."What I find disturbing about Skull and Bones is that it's basically the most powerful elite alumni network in the US," says Robbins. "It's essentially a form of nepotism that keeps the same people in power, over and over and over again." ... Robbins said that before she stopped counting she knew of at least 11 Bonesmen whom Mr Bush had appointed to government posts. [article link]
{Flashback} Secret Societies, Satanic Sects, The Prieure du Sion, The Knights Templars and Freemasons - What's Their Purpose and Are They At Core of New World Order? {Again from the beginning the skull and "crossbones" have been used and continue wrongly as a faked Satanic victory of the devil over God at the "cross" of Jesus and as always this is the supposed secret in secret societies that Jesus did not resurrect. They pretend they have the bones (the "crossbones" the bones from the cross of Jesus) to prove it and to discredit Christianity although they forget the true witness of God, the Holy Spirit, the Church, all nature and the prophecies of scripture in the Holy Bible all confirm the resurrection of Jesus to life and therefore their act mostly goes unnoticed although the day of their deception is likely about to be unconcealed and their secret version of events presented to the world as fact.} However, throughout my research which continues as time permits even today, one mysterious piece of symbolism that has somehow survived for centuries is the notorious skull and crossbones. Mizrack also concurs about the mysterious survival of the skull and crossbones symbolism, saying this about its origins and usage today: "The skull and crossbones seems to have been used as an emblem first and foremost by esoteric and heretical groups as a symbol of rebirth. It later became the battle flag of the Knights Templar (and a nasty rumor about the Templars claimed they chose it because of a horrific necromantic ritual) and, in the 17th century, the "Jolly Roger" flag of British and French pirates. [article link]
{Flashback} Reasons Why it is Very Doubtful that President Bush is a Christian (CuttingEdge.org) In this hot debate amongst Christian brethren over whether the fruits (actions) of President Bush were of such Biblically "good fruit" nature to allow Fundamental, Bible-believing Christians to consider him "Born Again", I have created a list showing the fruits I have seen since he became a candidate for President in 2000. On the left, I have listed the "bad fruits" I have seen, and on the right, I have listed the "good fruits" he has produced. "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matt 7:16 ). [article link]
{Flashback} March 21, 2006: President Bush talks 'kerfuffle' - but has no idea what Bible - Revelation prophecy is The apocalypse is another word that doesn't come up often in presidential discussions - at least not in front of the cameras. But it was at the heart of the first question posed to Bush during his Cleveland appearance. A woman said some Christians see the war in Iraq and the rise of terrorism as signs of the apocalypse - the destruction of the world as described in the biblical book of Revelation. "Do you believe this, that the war in Iraq and the rise of terrorism are signs of the apocalypse? And if not, why not?" Bush was taken aback. "Hmm," he started. "The answer is - I haven't really thought of it that way," he continued, to laughter from the audience. "Here's how I think of it. The first I've heard of that, by the way. I guess I'm more of a practical fellow." [article link]
{flashback} Harriet Miers Objected to an Initial Draft of President Bush's 2001 Christmas Message as Being "too Christian" Objected to an initial draft of President Bush's 2001 Christmas message as being "too Christian" and one that
"might offend people of other faiths." The author, aide Ned Ryun, refused to change the message; and the assignment of writing the Christmas message was transferred to another staffer. [article link]
{flashback} December 10, 2002 - President Bush: Koran is God's word - Welcome to (Islam) Submission President George W. Bush's Statements about Submission (Islam in Arabic) December 10, 2002 - President Bush: Koran is God's word. [article link]
{flashback} Does President Bush Secretly Believe He is a (Shiite) Descendant of Mohammed? President George Bush might actually believe he is a descendant of Mohamed. It would explain allot of his comments and his actions. Comments like he believes the Quran (Koran) "to be the word of God" and actions like his complete and total worldwide proxy war on behalf of the Muslim Shiite sect. President Bush has removed all the Iraq oil revenues from the Sunni people of Iraq and has given it to the Shiite sect. Bush has also helped place three radical Iranian-Shiite Politicians in charge over Iraq meanwhile he privately finances and supports the radical Shiite groups of Hamas and Hizb'allah. England's Tony Blair and Prince Charles are also strong Shiite supporters with Prince Charles all but openly admitting that he is a convert to Islam. No wonder we live in days with so many strange events occurring because our world leaders have such strange beliefs. [article link]
{flashback} Bush's indispensable toy: First iPod President's player features eclectic list of downloaded tunes {No Christian Selections Though} With him, as usual, was his indispensable exercise toy: an iPod music player loaded with country and popular rock tunes aimed at getting the presidential heart rate up to a chest-pounding 170 beats per minute. He has selections by Van Morrison, whose "Brown Eyed Girl" is a Bush favorite. ... "My Sharona," the 1979 song by the Knack that Joe Levy, a deputy managing editor at Rolling Stone in charge of music coverage, cheerfully branded "suggestive if not outright filthy" in an interview last week. [article link]
{flashback} Dick Cheney's iPod Irks Reporters (no Christian tunes for this VP) And what's on the Veep's iPod? music on it "ranges from country to classical, according to an administration official," reports ABC news, and "he has a good amount of music from the 1940s and 1950s and apparently is fond of Johnny Cash." [article link]
{flashback} iPod Fovorites - The Ten Best Musical works - chosen by Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State everything [except for Christian music] A little bit of everything [except for Christian music]. "Believe it or not, I loved acid rock in college - and I still do." ... Condoleezza Rice. [article link]
{flashback} Karl Rove, Atheist? - Karl Rove is not a believer - he doesn't shout it from the rooftops - For Karl Rove, power is the ultimate religion Karl Rove is not a believer, and he doesn't shout it from the rooftops, but when asked, he answers quite honestly. I think the way he puts it is, "I'm not fortunate enough to be a person of faith." ... What must Bush make of that? I think it's false to say that the president acts as if he believes he has God's instructions. Compared to Jimmy Carter, he's nowhere. He's a Methodist, having joined his wife's church in the end. He also claims that Jesus got him off the demon drink. He doesn't believe it. His wife (Laura Bush) said, "If you don't stop, I'm leaving and I'm taking the kids." You can say that you got help from Jesus if you want, but that's just a polite way of putting it in Texas. [article link]
{flashback} Judge's Unintelligent Rant Against Design {Judge is a Bush appointee - a thanks again W! way to come through for your voters} Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000. Yet this federal judge, who owes his position entirely to those voters and the Bush who appointed him, stuck the knife in the backs of those who brought him to the dance in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. Judge Jones issued a 139-page rant against anyone who objects to force-feeding public schoolchildren with the theory of evolution. He accused parents and school board members of "breathtaking inanity" for wanting their children to learn that "intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view." [article link]
{flashback} CWA's Crouse Calls Over-the-Counter Plan B Beyond-the-Pale - in response to President Bush's endorsement of Plan B 'morning after pill' Washington, D.C. - Concerned Women for America's (CWA's) Dr. Janice Crouse, Senior Fellow of the Beverly LaHaye Institute, responded to President Bush's endorsement of Plan B, the morning after pill, by calling it "beyond the pale." In a press conference on Monday, the President announced his support of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach's attempt to make this high dose of birth control available over-the-counter (OTC) for girls over 18. CWA strongly opposes making this drug available without a prescription because of its medical risks and the inability of the FDA to enforce an age restriction. ... "Of equal concern is the fact that any 18-year-old could buy Plan B OTC and give it to anyone else -- even underage girls -- without parental consent or knowledge. The ramifications of such distribution include sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. The amount of misinformation about Plan B is astounding. Those advocating OTC availability are touting the drug as a "silver bullet" for birth control. Yet, the easy availability that would come with OTC sales extends to those who are incapable of understanding the risks involved in any highpotency drug. [article link]
{flashback} A Defector From the Bush Inner Circle - Does Matthew Dowd's startling public criticism of the President signal that a broader rebellion is stirring among former supporters? - "People are desperate to connect with one another and be a part of a cause greater than themselves - They're tired of spin and sloganeering from political, business, and religious institutions that constantly fail them" {Bush is a failed Liberal not a Conservative. Bush is as Liberal as they get.} The buzz is strong because Dowd is the first defector from Bush's political inner circle, which has always been known for its loyalty. He was Bush's chief strategist in the 2004 re-election campaign and a Bush adviser dating back to the president's years as governor of Texas. Dowd seemed to embody a central part of Bush's appeal in 2000-his track record of reaching out to the other side. Dowd said he was moved to change his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican specifically because he was so impressed with Governor Bush and his promise to be a "uniter not a divider" as president. "I really like him, which is probably why I'm so disappointed in things," Dowd told the Times. He added: "I think he's become more, in my view, secluded and bubbled in." Dowd now calls for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq-the position that Democratic nominee John Kerry took in 2004and wants Bush to reach out to his critics rather than take a "my way or the highway" approach. ... Another formative event, not analyzed by the Times, was Dowd's co-authorship of a book, Applebee's America, which was published last year by Simon & Schuster. In describing the book, the publisher said, "People are desperate to connect with one another and be a part of a cause greater than themselves. They're tired of spin and sloganeering from political, business, and religious institutions that constantly fail them." Anyone who read this book would have realized that Dowd had made a fundamental change in direction from the divide-andconquer, govern-from-the-right strategy of Bush and Karl Rove. In the process of thinking about what's wrong with the country and writing that book, Dowd's distance from his former mentors grew wider and deeper. [article link]
{flashback} Tempting Faith: Christian Conservatives Duped by BushCo. Part II - Olbermann: Among them, thatbehind their backs-the nation's top evangelical Christians were regarded with routine mockery and contempt by White House staffers - called 'nuts' and 'ridiculous' {Absolute must see-Download Video 7 Min.} In Kuo's eyes, today's national Christian leaders were being used. They didn't have the same shrewdness Billy Graham had in the '70s, to question whether Nixon was using him for his appeal to religious voters. In fact, Christians who voted for Mr. Bush based on his religion, may have ended up hurting the very people Jesus sought to help: the poor. [video] Bush - "I urge the Senate to pass the faith-based initiative for the good of America. But when Senator Chuck Grassley tried to rewrite Mr. Bush's 1.7 trillion dollar tax cut to include six billion in tax credits for groups helping the poor - tax credits that Mr. Bush himself had publicly proposed - Kuo says Bush's assistant told Grassley to drop the charity tax credits. The White House had no interest. **The cuts Mr. Bush did want made things worse for charities. Kuo claims that the estate tax cuts discouraged charitable giving, costing charities an estimated 5 billion dollars. The ultimate impact of Mr. Bush's tax cuts, he says, was to brutalize the very charities Mr. Bush once identified as his top priorities. After only a year, charitable donations were down dramatically, and some charities had shut down. Kuo says the White House was more concerned with the appearance of doing something. [article link]
Bible verse: Psalms 19:1-14 ... The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament (earth) sheweth His handywork. ... There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard - Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Program to Chaos - in Hebrew V=6, therefore (vv) or W=66 in kabbalism (Jewish occultism) is the number of the fallen angels or qlippoth - making a third v therefore equaling 666 the number of the beast {In the Bible 6 = incomplete and 6 equals man as man without God is incomplete. In short 6 = fallen man without God, 66 = fallen angels and 666 = the most incomplete Antichrist. Occultist like Sir Francis Bacon (William Shakespeare) William Shakespeare is the pen name of Sir Francis Bacon he is the actual Shakespeare. Bacon used the W composed of two v's (VV) equating himself as a fallen Angel (Nephilim) [William = conquer and Shakespeare = "Spear Shaker" one angry and at war with God (Nimrod Genesis 10:9 - mighty spear shaker "hunter" against God). George W. Bush uses his W in the same way to equate himself as a fallen evil Nephilim.} I had recognized that, in Hebrew, V=6, therefore, W=66. 66 in kabbalism is the number of the fallen angels or qlippoth. Hitler was a kabbalist, as well, and incorporated the VV(66) of the fallen angels into the Volks-Wagon symbol; two V's interlaced, making a third, therefore equaling 666, the number of the beast. Can you spot the number of the beast in this photo? The beast, "W", had arrived, and I knew they would wait no longer. I felt
they needed 2 weeks for public reaction, therefore something would need to happen in mid-September. I picked the date 9/11 because it was the date that HW(H stands for the Emperor) stated, "there will be a New World Order." Had I known that both the Pentagon, and the "Twin Towers" had begun construction on 9/11, I would have predicted the targets, as well. I did not feel prophetic, I felt that everything was going according to plan. But, who's plan? [article link]
Sir Francis Bacon AKA William Shakespeare - More than twenty thousand books and articles have been written about the "identity problem" regarding William Shakespeare - So lets start by looking at the actor from Stratford: All the known autographs of the Stratford actor read "William Shakspere" not "William Shakespeare" - His parents were illiterate - Shakspere's daughter Judith was an illiterate - No record exists of William Shakspere as having ever played a leading role in the famous dramas he is supposed to have written - None of his heirs were involved in the printing of the First Folio after his death, nor did they benefit financially from it his will mentions no literary productions whatsoever It does however mention his second-best bed and his "broad silver gilt bowl" Let's look at Sir Francis Bacon: The content in the Shakespearian dramas are politically recognized viewpoints of Sir Francis Bacon (His "enemies" are frequently caricatured in the plays.) The religious, philosophic, and educational messages all reflect his personal opinions. Similarities in style and terminology exist in Bacon's writings and the Shakespearian plays. Certain historical and philosophical inaccuracies are common to both (such as identical misquotations from Aristotle.) Sir Francis Bacon possessed the range of general and philosophical knowledge necessary to write the Shakespearian plays. Sir Francis Bacon was a linguist and a composer. (Necessary to write the sonnets.) He was a lawyer, an able barrister and a polished courtier and possessed the intimate knowledge of parliamentary law and the etiquette of the royal court revealed in the Shakespearian plays. Bacon furthermore visited many of the foreign countries forming the background for the plays (Necessary to create the authentic local atmosphere. There is no record of William Shakspere's ever having travelled outside of England). ... Why the secrecy? Manly Palmer Hall writes: "Sir Francis Bacon knew the true secret of Masonic origin and there is reason to suspect that he concealed this knowledge in cipher and cryptogram. Bacon is not to be regarded solely as a man but rather as the focal point between an invisible institution and a world which was never able to distinguish between the messenger and the message which he promulgated. This secret society, having rediscovered the lost wisdom of the ages and fearing that the knowledge might be lost again, perpetuated it in two ways: (1) by an organization (Freemasonry) to the initiates of which it revealed its wisdom in the form of symbols; (2) by embodying its arcana in the literature of the day by means of cunningly contrived ciphers and enigmas." [article link]
Movie: Ron Howard Prepares to Unleash Angels & Demons (2009) - the follow-up to The Da Vinci Code [Angels & Demons is part 1 - The Da Vinci Code was actually part 2] - Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon from The Da Vinci Code - Variety's report goes on to note that, although the Angels & Demons novel was written before and takes place before The Da Vinci Code, the film will be a sequel {The next Ron Howard movie "Angels & Demons" is a continuing part of the agenda to rise the evil fallen Nephilim [the occult considers Nephilim to be powerful, wise, illuminated (enlightened) and call themselves the followers "Illuminati"] and submit mankind to these fallen evil spirits. Note: Biblically fallen Angels and Demons are probably not the same thing though people often refer to them as being the same thing. Fallen Angels are Angels [that generally do not attempt to possess (indwell) people] while Demons [desire to possess and indwell people] may be offspring of the Nephilim (fallen Angels) & human intermixing that occurred in Geneses chapter 6 and that were all killed in the flood [the reason for the flood] of Noah's time. So saying Angels and Demons does not make one group good and the other bad both groups (angels and demons) would be bad if the Angels are fallen and in rebellion against God.} One of the many high-profile productions being affected by the looming writers' strike is Angels & Demons,
the follow-up to The Da Vinci Code -- but if director Ron Howard and his fellow filmmakers have anything to say about it, their sequel's progress will be unimpeded. Variety reports on the last-minute preparations behind the scenes of Angels & Demons, which will find Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon from The Da Vinci Code, the $758 million-grossing adaptation of Dan Brown's bestselling book. Angels is scheduled to start filming in Europe next February, but with the writers' strike coming as early as November 1, Howard's team has to move quickly. ... Meanwhile, the "Angels" team have begun casting around Tom Hanks, who will reprise his role as Robert Langdon. Hanks' character, a Harvard-based expert on religious symbols, this time sleuths a mystery that involves a secret society and a conspiracy that leads to Vatican City and threatens the future of the Catholic Church. Variety's report goes on to note that, although the Angels & Demons novel was written before -- and takes place before -- The Da Vinci Code, the film will be a sequel. [article link]
Memoirs of an Emergent Church Victim - Within weeks of his start date, sweeping changes took place in our church. I liken it to a bull in a china shop. The music -- the one thing that is most readily noticed and a sensitive subject for any church began to change, Two on the pastoral staff left fairly suddenly, The organist resigned The church services began to look different - Social programs absent a clear plan for presenting the gospel began to emerge - many of the elders strongly urged the church to get on board with all that was happening the contemplative prayer movement - My trust level was tanking - I got the word that a friend of our new pastor, Terry Esau, would be speaking in my Sunday school class - His subject? "Breathing Lessons [contemplative prayer] for Your Church" My heart sank {Real prayer is communion [fellowship] with God (not Angels, spirits or aliens) in order for us to get to know God and to interact with God on a personal level. For us to get to know what plans and designs God has for each of our lives so we can submit to God while He brings us into His plan for eternity. The fake new contemplative prayer removes God the Bible and God's desires from us in order to open people up more to the entire spirit realm particularly the demonic area of the spirit realm. Is Contemplative prayer a step in receiving and being deceived by the coming Nephilim spirits that re-emerge in the End Times?} Nonetheless, in due course, the congregation voted and the vote was just short of unanimous. We officially "called" our new senior pastor. Within weeks of his start date, sweeping changes took place in our church. I liken it to a bull in a china shop. The music -- the one thing that is most readily noticed and a sensitive subject for any church -- began to change. Two on the pastoral staff left fairly suddenly. The organist resigned. The church services began to look different. Social programs absent a clear plan for presenting the gospel began to emerge. I tried to set these peripheral things aside and concentrate on his sermons. This was often difficult because the substance seemed elusive. I found myself second-guessing everything he said. Sometimes what he said and the way he said it sounded disrespectful of the Word of God. He spoke positively about New Age advocate Oprah Winfrey. He began to weave quotes and video clips from Emergent leaders into his messages. He -- and many of the elders -- strongly urged the church to get on board with all that was happening, and eagerly promoted a questionable book we should read to help us in the transition. And one elder blatantly recommended a book -- two weeks in a row -- by prominent Catholic mystic Henry Nouwen who is a father to the contemplative prayer movement. My trust level was tanking. ... Others in the church were aware of the proEmergent direction in which the church was headed and tried to address it. Many of the older members -- who were systematically being ousted by the change in service music and venue -- tried to talk to the new pastor or an elder to no avail. Finally four of us had the opportunity to meet with the pastor and a couple of the elders. At that meeting I heard firsthand what so many had reportedly been told: "If there are those who are uncomfortable with the direction the church is headed, it may be wise for them to find another place to worship." It wasn't directed at me, but I got the message. They wouldn't consider any pleas for caution, no matter how scripturally-based. By the time that meeting was over, I'd had enough. It was time to move on. [article link]
December 6, 2008: "George W. Bush attends his own hanging" - Remarks of President George W. Bush at the unveiling of his portrait, Lincoln Hall, Union League of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - THE PRESIDENT (Bush Jr.): "Good morning Welcome to my hanging (Laughter and applause) Thank you for coming and thank you for your warm welcome" {Bush with his gallows humor after ruining everything he touched and most of it on purpose. It seems Bush Jr. is just like Hitler and wants to pull the plug after things went so wrong that he could no longer deceive most of the people during his widespread global attempts and plans of forwarding and enticing his Satanic-Antichrist [Skull & Bones] chaos (terrorism), destruction, death and despair.} Remarks of President George W. Bush at the unveiling of his portrait, Lincoln Hall, Union League of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dec. 6, 2008. THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Welcome to my hanging. (Laughter and applause.) Thank you for coming and thank you for your warm welcome. First, I'd like to compliment Mark Carder. He did a really fine job with a challenging subject. (Laughter.) I was taken aback by how much gray paint you had to use. (Laughter.) It speaks more about my job than yours. (Laughter.) But thanks a lot, it's been a joy to work with you and I'm confident this portrait will stand the test of time. I want to thank Fred and Frank for welcoming me here. I thank you for the medal. I'm keeping pretty good company, which I will speak about in a minute. First of all I do want to thank the board of directors of The Union League for taking time out of your Saturday to be here. And I appreciate all the guests who have come, as well. I particularly want to say thanks to my friend, Arlen Specter, for joining us. (Applause.) It's been a joy working with you -- most of the time. (Laughter.) He's a pretty independent-minded fellow -- (laughter) -- who is honest and decent. (Applause.) And like me, he married very well. (Laughter.) So Joan, thanks for being here, and I appreciate -- I appreciate you supporting this good man during some very difficult times. (Applause.) I thank the Hoopers, for paying for this work. (Applause.) I thank Jim Straw and the Abraham Lincoln Foundation and the Foundation members who are here today. I appreciate you preserving the legacy of a -- of a good man. I am -- it turns out this award had been given to folks I have had the honor of serving with: Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld, Secretary Tom Ridge -- three good men who are dedicated and patriot public servants. I'm especially proud to be a co-recipient with a guy I call "41." (Applause.) The 1987 Gold Medal Award Winner -- a guy I call "dad," you call him "President Bush." We owe our achievements to the same savvy political counselor and firm disciplinarian: Barbara. (Laughter and applause.) And they're both doing well, by the way. (Applause.) Mother is coming out of the hospital. I hope they don't put this on TV, but she's a tough old bird -- (laughter) -- whose spirits are soaring high. [article link]
November 15, 2008: George W. Bush Shamed At G20 Summit - World leaders avoid George Bush Jr. like the plague (YouTube) Comments ... did you notice how he (Bush) hung his head in shame looks like someone got a telling off from the school bully back stage.... must have told him dont even make eye contact. ... "and so shall ye reap..." Bush gets the respect and deference he so rightly deserves! ... Thank goodness he is leaving!!!!!! Bush IS a bully, and he and and Cheney are thugs. Not new news. [article link]
November 07, 2008: Goodbye @sshole (Bush Jr), We'll See You In Court [International UN court charged with War Crimes and Crimes against humanity (9/11)] - Bush Jr. "The idea is to change the Middle-East" - "The best way to give hope [to the elite] is through a form of (global NWO) government" {Eternal life in the eternal resurrection life of Jesus Christ is actually the one and only True and achievable hope for all mankind. There is no hope in Bush and his fellow NWO flunkies that has been proven over and over again.} (YouTube) Comments: You have crippled the USA, our USA. ... put those (Bush) criminals in prison. These are criminals who because of their elite status can get away with FULL MURDER!!! In the U.S.A courts, you never prosecute bastards who commit the worst mafia crimes, instead they prey on the little guys who are barely making it in the wicked system and the big government mafia KKK get away scott free, above and beyond the law. Not only
dick and gonzales, but bush needs to be brought in for crimes against humanity!!! Bring the Nazi bastards IN to TRIAL! ... What a scum bag. He has brought America to it's knee's. I hope they jail the bastard for what he has done. ... Don't expect prosecution. There will be much bigger fish to fry. Yes the Bush administration was complicit in 9/11, yes the war in Iraq is about stealing Middle East oil, yes billions were stolen by Bush cronies from the US, yes Bush united it's enemies against the US, yes Bush bankrupted the country, yes the constitution was subverted and yes they fully intended to declare martial law and make Bush president for life. Even this is not worth pursuing compared to what challenges lie ahead. [article link]
{Flashback} Walter Cronkite, NWO, WTF - Ocotober 19, 1999: Video clip where Walter Cronkite calls for world government, ending sovereignty, and "joining him to sit at the right hand of Satan" as he says himself - Walter Cronkite speaks his mind and "by God he does!" {Cronkite calls every Christian a criminal "that needs to be brought to justice" for desiring the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and not embracing his global government concept.} (YouTube) Comments: It absolutely amazes me that these seemingly educated people are so ignorant. Downright stupid. They talk about ending all wars, when it's the globalists that cause the wars. They talk about saving the planet when it's these same people that are the biggest polluters and rapists of natural resources. The same people that hinder technology that would benefit mankind. I suppose that if you don't get involved in politics you are doomed to be ruled by your inferiors. ... If you believe Hermit, giving the power to run the world to a small group of people is a good thing Given the track record of globalists, military industrial complex of starting wars, fixing prices, monopolies, reducing choice it makes no sense to give them ANY power. How do we vote them out, if we disagree. YOU CANT How do you change the leaders YOU DON'T Consolidation of Power to the cabal that financed Hitler, the Communists, C.American dictators ie Rockefeller, P Bush is INSANE. [article link]
November 26, 2008: Never seen before!: Fox news 5 reports WTC 7 collapse before it happens {NY WTC 9/11 was a Bush, NWO planned and scripted event. Fox News was one of the main groups following and presenting the script to the public that day.} (YouTube) Comments: Coincidence that BBC reported it early, even though it was standing behind that ladies head? Coincidence that CNN reported it early? Coincidence that Fox News 5 reported it early? Coincidence that a 47 story building fell perfectly, no resistance? Coincidence Larry S. said "pull it", then the building fell? Coincidence it was left out of the 911 commission report? It gets to the point where theres so many coincidences that you can't really assume they are coincidence anymore. ... At this point the reality that 9/11 was an inside job is overwhelmingly clear. Given the preponderance of hard, objective evidence, it seems those who are determined to believe the Bush Administration's account of 9/11 are engaging in "reaction formation." Rather than facing an unpleasant reality, they go to lengths to assert the very opposite, often with lots of invective and derision. Simply questioning the government's Official Conspiracy Theory makes them apoplectic! [article link]
April 03, 2007: 9/11: Total Proof That (Bush) Bombs Were Planted In The Buildings! (YouTube) Bombs, explosions, secondary explosions, explosive devices....how many more times do we need to hear these words being said by 9/11 witnesses before we start asking questions about what really happened on that awful day? This video shows that many actual 9/11 witnesses heard and saw explosions going off inside the towers, long before they actually fell. These witnesses include police, firemen and mainstream media reporters. And what is even more shocking is the fact that all of this has been ignored by the mainstream media. We really need to wake up to the facts and ask questions. If we don't, what does that say about us? [article link]
Technical Documentation: PDF links don't resolve (work) in Adobe Reader 9 - In Adobe Reader 9, go to the Edit menu and click Preferences. In the Categories list, click Documents. Under PDF/A View Mode, change the
selection from Only for PDF/A documents to Never, and click OK This is a change introduced by Adobe, which has altered the default setting for view mode in Adobe Reader 9. In order to access links, users need to change their settings so that the document is not in view mode. In Adobe Reader 9, go to the Edit menu and click Preferences. In the Categories list, click Documents. Under PDF/A View Mode, change the selection from Only for PDF/A documents to Never, and click OK. [article link]
Adobe (PDF) Reader 9 software FREE Download - Adobe Reader software is the global standard for electronic document sharing Adobe Reader software is the global standard for electronic document sharing. It is the only PDF file viewer that can open and interact with all PDF documents. Use Adobe Reader to view, search, digitally sign, verify, print, and collaborate on Adobe PDF files. [article link]
The God Journey - 11/02/07 The Willow Creek Implosion (Mp3's) Explaining how the Willow Creek keep busy "system" of groups, clubs and activities has actually been vaccinating people and keeping them from a place of receiving the fullness of true Christianity. [article link]
LostSeed - Vaccination - Speaker: Damon Thompson Size: 10.48 MB (Mp3) Vaccination - Speaker: Damon Thompson {How people are getting just enough Church activities to keep from getting the real thing a life transforming relationship with God in Jesus Christ.} [article link]
The God Journey (Blog-Podcast) "The Journey Begins" - facilitates a growing conversation among those who are thinking outside the box [Sunday Church Fellowship] of organized religion - The fastest growing segment of Christianity is those who do not attend a Church denomination group on Sunday but are independent stay at home Christians - "Christians are leaving the institutional Sunday fellowships not to abandon their Christian faith but to preserve it" {Note: Christians are called to assemble and to fellowship because we each have so much to both receive from others and to give to others especially in encouragement, wisdom and life knowledge. If you are not at home in a Church Fellowship, as too many modern Churches are changing into the ways of the world, consider starting your own Fellowship of believers. Always keep focused on the building up and the establishing of the Christian Church that we are all a part of. The Basic Christian ministry strongly encourages both individual Christian growth and Christian group Fellowship with all focus and purpose being in the name, presence and Holiness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.} (Mp3's) Co-hosted by Wayne Jacobsen and Brad Cummings, The God Journey facilitates a growing conversation among those who are thinking outside the box of organized religion. One listener tagged it as "two real brothers talking about life," and you can also view an introductory video that captures what The God journey is all about. By sharing their own journeys, searching the Scriptures, interacting with their listeners, and examining current events and cultural trends, they hope to encourage others on their own spiritual journey. Their purpose is not to attack people who see it differently, but to inspire those whose spiritual hungers cannot be met in the conventional expressions of Christianity and yet want to live more deeply in Jesus and be part of the church he is building. New podcasts are posted on Fridays. You can join the conversation on the forum or by contacting Brad and Wayne directly. (For those who want to try this themselves, here are the technical details of how we produce our podcast.) [article link]
Bible verse: Romans 3:22-31 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto [given to] all (Jews and Gentiles) and upon [received by] all them that believe ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com}
Romans 3:22-31 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (full payment) through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the *law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is He the God of the Jews only? is He not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision (Jews) by faith, and uncircumcision (Gentiles) through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. -- Holy Bible [article link]
That's my King! - Pastor S. M. Lockridge - free video - If you're not already familiar with S M Lockridge's My King - then you should be! He simply speaks for seven minutes about Jesus Christ, but it's impossible not to listen without responding in heartfelt praise (Videos - Mp3) Last summer I put together a video: a combination of Lockeridge's words, with some images that I hope will add to the power of his message. I've been encouraged to share the video - so have uploaded it here. If you're looking for a video to inspire you in your Christian faith, or a video to show before the sermon in a Sunday service in church, or just something to remind you how God is worthy of our praise, then this might be just the thing. Just click the play button if you can see it below (there are higher quality versions further down the page). It might take up to 20 seconds to buffer before anything actually starts to play. [article link]
LostSeed - Amazing Compilations - Reverend Roberts - Fourthman.mp3 {Similar to "That's my King!"} (Mp3) Speaker: Reverend Roberts. Older man speaking with techno music. [article link]
Mission Valley Christian Fellowship with Pastor Leo Giovinetti - Sermon Archive (Mp3's) Pastor Leo Giovinetti may have had more than his share of Flying Pepperonis - those "you'd-never-believe-meif-I-told-you" circumstances which get in the way of serving Jesus - but he's never let that stop him. A former Las Vegas, Reno, and Tahoe entertainer, Pastor Leo is bigger than life. Yet, at the same time, his favorite thing to do is sit down, one on one, and tell someone about Jesus. He's totally committed to reaching the world for Jesus. He's a down-to-earth teacher whose animated style brings the gospel to life in a vibrant and exciting way. ... Maybe the only difference is that he really does read his Bible for at least an hour every day. This isn't time spent preparing for Sunday sermons, or researching a scriptural topic. It's quite-time spent with The Lord. You see, Pastor Leo's in love with Jesus and he's truly passionate about the Bible. And if you get nothing else from his messages, but you start reading your Bible every day, he'll rejoice because you'll be spending time with Jesus - and you'll draw closer to God. [article link]
Prayer Starters: Pray without ceasing - Find Help and Encouragement to Pray - Lord Jesus, teach us to pray May we abide in your presence today and all the days of our life! What is Prayer? - Prayer is God's idea, part of God's plan for His people. God is calling His people unto Himself. God is calling His people everywhere to pray and seek His face, to come to know Him, to walk with Him each day, to abide in Him, so that He can abide with us and in us. God wants a personal relationship with His people. God wants us to know Him intimately. We see God at work in the world, calling us to prayer, calling us to know Him. God has promised that He will be found by us, when we seek Him with all our heart. God is everywhere and continually reveals Himself to us in every circumstance of life. God has done and continues to do everything necessary for us to know Him, but until we seek Him with all our heart, He will not be found by us. We will find satisfaction in Him, if we hunger and thirst for Him. We must desire a closer relationship with Him;
we must spend time with Him, if our relationship is to grow. God wants us to grow to the point that we are one with Him--no longer two, but one. He wants us to know Him as He is. He wants us to be transformed into His likeness. He wants us to be made complete in Christ. He wants us to be of one mind with Him. He wants us to make His ways our ways, His thoughts our thoughts. Through persistent prayer, we come to know the Father, His will and His ways. Through our time with Him, we come to know the Father intimately. We experience Gods presence and power in our lives as we develop a life of prayer. Lord, teach us to pray. May we abide in your presence today and all the days of our life! [article link]
Prayer Starters: Praise You (Jesus) In This Storm (YouTube) [It] reminds us all that even through all the storms, we will continue to praise him (Jesus)! [article link]
Prayer Starters: When Heaven Scrapes The Pavement (Video) VideoPile - (4:40 min). [article link]
Prayer Starters Misc: Dancing Matt 2008 - Where in the World is Matt [Select - Watch in high quality] (YouTube) Dancing Matt 2008 -- Category: Travel & Events. [article link]
Prayer Starters Misc: Harmonica + Beatbox: Final Cut (YouTube) Yuri Lane performs beatbox harmonica in this short video directed by Marty Nowak. [article link]
Prayer Starters Misc: A Wonderful World-Hand Puppet Show (YouTube) This is a really cute video from the 7th Annual Helpmann Awards. The song is A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. [article link]
T.R.U.T.H. Sleuth: Part 1 & 2 - the Case of Heaven's Key (Video-YouTube) One day, amid the wreckage of what he so blindly clings to as a career, Joe Nuior receives a visit. Just what perils have befallen this angel-faced dame? Could this down in the dumps private eye be the one to 'shed some light' on her case? Can he, indeed, get a clue? Or, does she possess an ulterior motive beyond that of which he is able to comprehend? Tag along and find out where this trail of intrigue leads in "The Case of Heaven's Key". [article link]
Real Life Radio with Pastor Leo Giovinetti - A former Las Vegas, Reno, and Tahoe entertainer, Pastor Leo is bigger than life - Yet, at the same time, his favorite thing to do is sit down, one on one, and tell someone about Jesus - He's totally committed to reaching the world for Jesus (Mp3's) Pastor Leo Giovinetti may have had more than his share of Flying Pepperonis - those "you'd-never-believe-meif-I-told-you" circumstances which get in the way of serving Jesus - but he's never let that stop him. A former Las Vegas, Reno, and Tahoe entertainer, Pastor Leo is bigger than life. Yet, at the same time, his favorite thing to do is sit down, one on one, and tell someone about Jesus. He's totally committed to reaching the world for Jesus. He's a down-to-earth teacher whose animated style brings the gospel to life in a vibrant and exciting way. ... Maybe the only difference is that he really does read his Bible for at least an hour every day. This isn't time spent preparing for Sunday sermons, or researching a scriptural topic. It's quite-time spent with The Lord. You see, Pastor Leo's in love with Jesus and he's truly passionate about the Bible. And if you get nothing else from his messages, but you start reading your Bible every day, he'll rejoice because you'll be spending time
with Jesus - and you'll draw closer to God. [article link]
KCIS Christian Radio - LIVING CHRISTIAN WITH MICHELLE MENDOZA - The last broadcast of "Living Christian" on KCIS was Thursday, September 27th, 2007 You can access previous broadcast information and podcasts from the links below (Mp3 Archive) The last broadcast of "Living Christian" on KCIS was Thursday, September 27th. You can access previous broadcast information and podcasts from the links below. [article link]
*** CrossTalkAmerica.com: November 28, 2008 (Radio Show Archive) - [28] Kitty Foth-Regner: Heaven Without Her - Kitty Foth-Regner joined Ingrid Schlueter to discuss her testimony which is documented in the book entitled, Heaven Without Her: A Desperate Daughter's Search for the Heart of Her Mother's Faith {Scroll down to locate the Mp3 archive calendar.} (Mp3's) Kitty Foth-Regner joined Ingrid Schlueter to discuss her testimony which is documented in the book entitled, Heaven Without Her: A Desperate Daughter's Search for the Heart of Her Mother's Faith. Kitty was a feminist, high-tech copywriter in full and happy control of a God-free life. Then the Lord began to work in her life when her beloved mother developed inoperable colorectal cancer. The despair that followed led Kitty down a path that eventually ended at the foot of the cross. Although Kitty grew up in a Christian home, feminism took root. In spite of her Christian home, questions still existed, questions such as: - Is there a God? - If there is one, which one is the correct one? And what does this God require of me in order to obtain a place in heaven? Little did Kitty realize, God in His grace and mercy would answer her questions in a most interesting way. As a science copywriter, Kitty's interest in science landed her in the middle of the origins debate. This led her to the amazing scientific facts within the Bible, the hundreds of prophecies concerning Christ, as well as the prophecies concerning the nation of Israel. NOTE: This program was originally broadcast on May 20, 2008. [article link]
Calvary Chapel Bible Fellowship - Women's Ministry (Mp3's) Calvary Chapel Bible Fellowship has been formed as a fellowship of believers in the lordship of Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is to know Jesus and be conformed into His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are a non-denominational Church, but we are not opposed to denominations, only their tendency to over emphasis the doctrinal differences that have led to the division of the body of Christ. We believe that the only true basis of Christian Fellowship is His Agape Love, which is greater than any differences we may have. And without His love we have no right to claim ourselves as Christians. We Believe: Worship of God should be spiritual, therefore we remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our worship. Worship of God should be inspirational, therefore we give great place to music in our worship. Worship of God should be intelligent, therefore our services are designed with great emphasis upon teaching the Word of God that He might instruct us how He would be worshipped. Worship of God is fruitful, therefore we look for His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have truly been worshipping Him. [article link]
The Way of Agape (Love) and Be Ye Transformed [life change] by Nancy Missler (Mp3's) Here are the messages from our 1998 catalog, available exclusively for download. [article link]
Bible verse: Matthew 3:8-12 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance [life change] ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Matthew 3:8-12 Bring forth therefore fruits (Galatians 5:22) meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham [physical birthright] to our father: for I (John the Baptist) say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe [separation - judgment] is laid
unto the root of the trees [mankind]: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He (Jesus) that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost (John 20:22), and with fire (Acts 2:3): Whose fan [tool] is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge [empty] His [threshing separation] floor, and gather His wheat [Saved] into the garner [heaven]; but He will burn up [cast-out] the chaff with unquenchable fire. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Bible verse: Matthew 7:15-21 Beware of false prophets ... Ye shall know them by their fruits ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Matthew 7:15-21 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto Me (Jesus), Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Bible verse: John 15:1-12 He that abideth in Me (Jesus), and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} John 15:1-12 I (Jesus) Am the true vine, and My Father is the Husbandman (Artist-Sculpturer). Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth (removes the dirt from) it, that it may bring forth more fruit [love-life]. Now ye are clean through the word [Bible] which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you (John 20:22). As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I Am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned [eternal judgment]. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit [love-life]; so shall ye be My disciples. As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. -Holy Bible {Note: Love means a commitment to the highest good for yourself and for other people, love is committing to God-Jesus, the ways of Jesus.} [article link]
Bible verse: Galatians 5:22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Bible verse: Philippians 1:9-11 ... Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are [only] by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} -- {Note: After the Tribulation Period during the coming 1,000 year Kingdom reign of Jesus here on earth we will not be primarily calling God "Jesus" (Jehovah God is Salvation) we will be calling God "Jehovah Tsidkenu" (THE LORD
OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS) [Jeremiah 23:6 ... and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.]} Philippians 1:9-11 And this I (Apostle Paul) pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day (return-revealing) of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Bible verse: Jude 1:10-13 But these speak evil of those things which they know not (spirit realm): ... trees (people) whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead (born Spiritually dead and now Spiritually dead again no longer Born Again), plucked up by the roots; ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Jude 1:10-13 But these speak evil of those things which they know not (spirit realm): but what they know naturally (physically), as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain (Genesis 4:5), and ran greedily after the error of Balaam (Numbers 22:5, 31:8) for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core [Korah] (Numbers 16:32). These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars [not in alignment], to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever [eternal judgment]. -- Holy Bible [article link]
Deception in Society (Mp3) Deception1_Part2.mp3 - note: Deception1_Part1.mp3 is missing and is unavailable at this time when and if it is located it will be added to the download list. This teaching is Excellent and getting just the 2nd half is well worth the effort. [article link]
Steeling the Mind Conferences with Chuck Missler - 1998-2005 - MP3'S (Torrent Download) Details of Steeling the Mind - 1998-2005 - MP3. 1.05 gigabyte in 90 files. [article link]
Living Torrents - Latest Torrents Mp3's - Children's Bible Stories (Torrent Downloads) Tracking: 627 Torrents [article link]
The Thanksgiving Holiday - Thanksgiving Day 2008 'A Blessed Time to Worship & Give Thanks to God' Thanksgiving Info and Resources 2nd Corinthians 4:13-18 We having the same Spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present (in heaven) us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the *Thanksgiving* of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man (soul) is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen (physical realm), but at the things which are not seen (spiritual realm): for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. [article link]
Pollster to Mormons: Inform [Deceive] with simple [vague] facts - There are many teachings of the (LDS) church that are vital, according to Lawrence, but one teaching sets the (LDS) church apart, one teaching focuses on the difference between the LDS Church and other churches - That teaching is that the gospel has been restored -
But nobody knows what Mormons mean when they say "restored gospel" {This is the true message of the LDS Mormons because they have no clue of what the true Christian Gospel is let alone any "restored Gospel" so they are just making things up as they go along. The only thing LDS "Salt Lake" knows for certain is that every LDS Mormon is to hand over at least 10% of their income to them in order to be LDS Temple pure, and that people are to be obedient to the LDS leadership whims all the while believing the LDS fairytales told to them.} Tired of feeling guilty about not doing enough missionary work? Worn down by negative press about Mormons? Gary C. Lawrence, author of the new book, "How Americans View Mormonism," tells ordinary members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to end the guilt, relax and just be who they are. "We have been motivating too much by guilt," Lawrence said. And guilt doesn't work. ... Lawrence writes in his book about how it might be difficult for somebody to come right out and say he or she is Mormon. He recommends including a "parenthetical mention" of the church in conversations. For example, a person might say, "I had to go to Salt Lake last week on business, so I scheduled an extra day and took my daughter, who goes to BYU, skiing at Sundance. Great powder." A comment like this will allow the other person to choose what direction to take the conversation -- the business trip, the skiing or maybe: "Your daughter goes to BYU? Are you Mormon?" From there it is just ordinary conversation. The greatest danger is that an enthusiastic member might try to tell everything about the church instead of simple, easy-to-remember points. ... There are many teachings of the church that are vital, according to Lawrence, but one teaching sets the church apart, one teaching focuses on the difference between the LDS Church and other churches. That teaching is that the gospel has been restored. But nobody knows what Mormons mean when they say "restored gospel." "The focus groups, when I've asked them about the word 'restored,' they say it's what you do to grandpa's '66 Mustang that's been in the shed for 20 years. It's what you do to grandma's dining-room table. In other words, you sand it down, you re-stain it, you re-varnish it. Those objects never went away. And most people think of restoring something that the object never went away, it just got some rust on it -- you just have to polish it up," Lawrence said. The word "gospel" is also thought by most people to just mean Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. "So we say, 'the gospel has been restored,' and people think, 'Matthew (has) a new coat of paint?'" Lawrence said. To get the distinctive message of the (LDS-Mormon) church across, Lawrence recommends three simple phrases: Christ [apparently the LDS wants Jesus omitted] organized a [the] church. Men changed it. It has been brought back [supposedly by the LDS Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Gordon B. Hinckley and many other frauds, liars and deceivers]."There is not a religious word in there except the word 'church,'" Lawrence said. "...anybody with any kind of upbringing can understand those twelve words." [article link]
Mormons' Uneasy (Proposition 8) Victory - in the face of post-election protests outside its temples, the (LDS) church doesn't seem to want to take much credit - This is new and awkward territory for many Mormons The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is becoming a potent political force. Last year's story was that Mormons had risen to some of the highest offices in America -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid belongs to the (LDS) church, as does former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. This year's headline is that, with the encouragement of their religious leaders, Mormons gave loads of money and man-hours to pass Proposition 8 in California, which banned same-sex marriage in the state. Indeed, they were probably the most organized and consequential force behind the measure's passage. But in the face of post-election protests outside its temples, the church doesn't seem to want to take much credit. ... There are Mormons who fought hard against the measure, drawing attention to the extent of Mormon involvement by outing fellow members on donor lists. There are Mormons so upset they're thinking of renouncing their church membership as well as Mormons who wholeheartedly supported the initiative. And then there are those who gave money out of obedience to their leaders, without much thought to the policy it was being used to support. Regardless of where they fall on this spectrum, many probably feel a bit like Otterson: uneasy with all the attention. It's unusual for an institution to shrink from responsibility for a victory at the ballot box. But being Mormon isn't quite like being, say, Southern Baptist. The highly centralized LDS church makes a lot of Americans nervous, and it has done so since Joseph Smith founded the movement, which was driven out of state after state before settling in the Salt Lake Valley.
Where some see an efficient religious organization that requires unusual devotion from its members, others see conspiracy, even cult. [article link]
Can nobody make a sandwich like McDonald's? - the fast-food giant McDonald's has set its sights on his invention - The company has filed patents in Europe and the US that claim the "method and apparatus for making a sandwich" as its intellectual property - Lawrence Smith-Higgins of the UK Patent Office said: "McDonald's or anyone else can't get retrospective exclusive rights to making a sandwich It has been the food of monarchs and commoners ever since John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, first pressed some meat between two slices of bread and took a bite. Billions of butties later, the fast-food giant McDonald's has set its sights on his invention. The company has filed patents in Europe and the US that claim the "method and apparatus for making a sandwich" as its intellectual property. Patent application WO2006068865 relates to the "pre-assembly of sandwich components and simultaneous preparation of different parts of the same sandwich". It covers the "simultaneous toasting of a bread component" and heating a "meat and/or cheese filling". And it says the company has invented a way to add garnishes and condiments using a "sandwich assembly tool". The patent says McDonald's wants to cut down on the time and labour required to put its sandwiches together. The company also wants them to look and taste the same and has come up with what it describes as "novel methods" to put them together. ... Lawrence Smith-Higgins of the UK Patent Office said: "McDonald's or anyone else can't get retrospective exclusive rights to making a sandwich. They might have a novel device but it could be quite easy for someone to make a sandwich in a similar way without infringing their claims." McDonald's would not comment. [article link]
Inventor files patent suit over iPhone Web browsing - Apple has been hit with a patent-infringement suit from an inventor who claims to have patented iPhone-like mobile Web surfing - "The '196 patent claims cover the display of Internet content reformatted from HTML to XML on mobile devices--the industry standard EMG Technology, which appears to be a holding company for the interests of inventor Elliot Gottfurcht, filed suit against Apple on Monday in the 21st century rocket docket, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in the Tyler Division. EMG was awarded U.S. Patent number 7,441,196 in October after filing its patent application in March 2006, and thinks Apple's iPhone has run afoul of the claims in the patent. In a basic sense, the patent supposedly covers the ability of a Web site to reformat itself to the size of the screen trying to access that site. "The '196 patent claims cover the display of Internet content reformatted from HTML to XML on mobile devices--the industry standard currently displayed by the iPhone," EMG adviser Stanley Gibson said in a press release announcing the lawsuit. It's not clear why EMG is going after Apple, given that many companies have similar technology in the market, although EMG says the patent also covers "the technology for manipulating a region of the screen for zooming and scrolling." An Apple representative said the company does not comment on pending litigation. [article link]
November 24, 2008: Clintons' imprint seen on Obama appointees - It started with Obama's appointment of John Podesta as head of his transition team - [later] Obama's reported choice for chief counsel, Gregory B. Craig, a Yale Law School friend of both Clintons - Craig successfully defended Clinton in his Senate impeachment trial WASHINGTON - When I can't sleep, I slip downstairs and munch cereal and milk while I surf the news channels. Suddenly the gray face of attorney Lanny Davis flashed by on the local Fox News. A nightmare, I thought. A decade ago, Davis appeared around the clock explaining away President Bill Clinton's foibles with Monica Lewinsky and Paula Corbin Jones during the impeachment crisis. No, I wasn't dead and in purgatory. It was really Davis, and his steel rims and his steely smile. The Clintons' envoy to Fox News was defending the choice Presidentelect Barack Obama has made for attorney general, Eric Holder. ... Holder's nomination will fly through the Senate with scarcely a rumble. But his appointment was a reminder that nobody ever really leaves
Washington. Moreover, the Clintons' recruitment of Davis to justify Holder's abandonment of his duty to block an improper pardon is clear evidence of the influence the Clintons' have in Obama's administration. It started with Obama's appointment of John Podesta as head of his transition team. Podesta joined the Clinton administration in 1993. Podesta was White House chief of staff when the pardons moved through, when Clinton repealed the last restrictions on the investment banks, and when the last of the big oil company mergers got administration support. Podesta was a top aide when Clinton created four regional railroad monopolies across America. Podesta is being helped by law professor Dawn Johnson, who served in Clinton's 1992 transition group. Then Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., a Clinton political and press aide, was tapped to become the next White House chief of staff. Emanuel has other big bullets on his resume, but it is said he was a strong advocate of the North American Free Trade Agreement that Obama claimed during the primary to have reservations about. On Thursday, it was reported that Peter Orszag, a senior economic adviser to President Clinton, will be the next White House budget director. On Wednesday, it was announced that Lisa Brown, who served in senior Justice Department and White House roles under Clinton, would serve Obama as overseer to his entire White House staff. In between was Obama's reported choice for chief counsel, Gregory B. Craig, a Yale Law School friend of both Clintons. Craig successfully defended Clinton in his Senate impeachment trial. [article link]
November 20, 2008: Eric Holder as the next (Obama) United States attorney general - Holder's past as a member of the Clinton administration is already under scrutiny - but I'm just getting the sense from one appointment after the other here, the Obama campaign doesn't care because they know they've got the votes - This is now the Obama-Clinton administration in many ways - it appears as though President Obama is looking very hard at some of the people that worked in the Clinton administration ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Welcome to "Hannity & Colmes". Getting right to our "Top Story" tonight. And it is the growing saga surrounding the possible nomination of Eric Holder as the next United States attorney general. Multiple reports yesterday indicated that Holder is the president- elect's top choice to fill the position, but Holder's past as a member of the Clinton administration is already under scrutiny. As deputy attorney general, Holder had oversight over the controversial last minute Clinton pardons including that of fugitive financier Marc Rich. Earlier today Pennsylvania senator, Arlen Specter, who is the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that Rich's pardon will be an issue during Holder's confirmation. In February of 2001 the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee also held hearings into the pardons. Holder himself testified along with former Clinton chief of staff and Obama's new transition chief John Podesta. The ranking Democrat on the committee, California congressman, Henry Waxman, called the Rich pardon an end run around the judicial process, and a committee report later concluded that Holder and Rich's attorney, Jack Quinn, who also had worked in the Clinton White House, had, quote, "cut the Justice Department out of the process." ... HANNITY: So he quarterbacked the Clinton [fake] impeachment case. He also defended John Hinckley, the guy that shot Ronald Reagan and others in an attempted assassination case. He, too, was the lawyer working on Castro's behalf in the Elian Gonzalez case, in as much as taking that position there, and he also, you know, was very forceful in defending the Sandinistas, you know, the - communists or rebels against the Contra Freedom fighters. [article link]
November 26, 2008: Citibank (Citigroup) tells cardholders to take a hike - Bailouts for Citibank, rate hikes for their cardholders - My current APR on my Citibank credit card is 7.99% - Yesterday, the same day I find out Citibank is receiving $25 billion in bailout cash from our tax dollars, I received a notice with my billing statement stating my APR would nearly double to 14.99% - the rate increase would affect about 20% of Citibank cardholders {The Bush Govt. now owns a large portion of Citibank and the first thing they do is double the interest rate for 20% of the cardholders. Who will oversee the unfair and very likely illegal lending practices of the new Citibank? Not the Bush Govt. they instituted the unfair selective rate hike. Why is it that only 20% of the cardholders are getting a rate hike? Are the 20% who are required to pay more America's middleclass while
others like illegal-aliens, foreigners and the rich escape the selective rate hikes?} I have been a Citibank cardholder since 2002. I have a better than average credit score and a perfect payment history with Citibank. My current APR on my Citibank credit card is 7.99%. Yesterday, the same day I find out Citibank is receiving $25 billion in bailout cash from our tax dollars, I received a notice with my billing statement stating my APR would nearly double to 14.99%. The notice also said I would be given the chance to opt out of the rate increase and keep my current rate until my card expires, at which point my account would be closed, and I could pay off the balance at my current rate. When I called to opt out, a Citibank representative assured me that I did not have any problems with my account that would have prompted a rate increase and read me a canned message about the "current economic crisis" and how Citibank would otherwise be "unable to keep its doors open" if it doesn't increase its cost of extending credit. It is my understanding that last week, Citibank told the Wall Street Journal it would be raising APR rates 3% on average and the rate increase would affect about 20% of Citibank cardholders. Sure. My fiance also received the same notice despite his high credit score. When he called Citibank, he was given the same canned speech. [article link]
November 24, 2008: Citigroup saved - The (Bush) government has announced a massive rescue package for Citigroup -- the latest move to help the banking giant, whose shares have plunged in the past week - The Treasury Department and FDIC will guarantee more than $300 billion in Citigroup assets and inject $20 billion in capital into the troubled bank {Bush is directing the government and the Federal Reserve (non-government) to finance and rescue the companies that are heavily invested in by the Middle-East funds and other foreign entities.} NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The U.S. government on *Sunday announced a massive rescue package for Citigroup - the latest move to steady the banking giant, whose shares have plunged in the past week. Citigroup shares rose 33% in premarket trading Monday. The plan has two key features: First, the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will backstop some losses against more than $300 billion in troubled assets. Second, the Treasury will make a fresh $20 billion investment in the bank. The government has already injected $25 billion into Citigroup as part of the $700 billion bailout passed by Congress in October. In return for the latest intervention, the government will receive an additional batch of preferred shares - $20 billion for its direct investment and $7 billion as compensation for the loan guarantees. Citigroup will pay an 8% dividend rate on those shares. [article link]
Nov 16, 2008: Bush hosts Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi - at the president's wooded retreat at Camp David, Md The visit marked the second time in just five months that the crown prince received a coveted invitation to the secluded compound - Bush's government is prodding leaders in the oil-rich Gulf to invest in the staggering U.S. economy - The visit on *Sunday was decidedly low-key - There was no press coverage permitted at Bush's retreat WASHINGTON (AP) - Fresh off presiding over a global financial summit, President George W. Bush on Sunday conferred privately about the world's economic downturn with the leader of a wealthy Persian Gulf emirate. Bush was hosting Sheik Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, at the president's wooded retreat at Camp David, Md. The visit marked the second time in just five months that the crown prince received a coveted invitation to the secluded compound. "They always have a good time meeting with each other," White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Sunday. The two leaders were scheduled to discuss the world's deteriorating financial stability, as well as Middle East security. On Saturday in Washington, Bush presided over a gathering of leaders from the world's richest nations and developing economies, who pledged steps to revamp the global financial markets. Bush's government is prodding leaders in the oil-rich Gulf to invest in the staggering U.S. economy. Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt offered that message in a visit to Dubai last month. Johndroe declined comment on whether Bush would urge the crown prince to funnel more money into U.S. interests, but said, "Secretary Kimmitt's comments made in the
Gulf stand: We encourage investment in the United States." The visit on Sunday was decidedly low-key. There was no press coverage permitted at Bush's retreat. In January, Bush visited Abu Dhabi and traveled to the crown prince's remote desert encampment, where he raises horses and prize falcons. [article link]
November 27, 2007: Abu Dhabi buys Citi stake - Citigroup-Abu Dhabi deal: A sign of the times - $7.5 billion cash infusion from Abu Dhabi's state investment fund - (Middle-East) Sovereign wealth funds are looking to park more of their $2 trillion with U.S. companies NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Citigroup's newfound $7.5 billion cash infusion from Abu Dhabi's state investment fund may not cure all that ails the embattled bank, but it heralds the growing influence of sovereign wealth funds. With similar government-owned funds swimming in cash, more iconic U.S. firms like Citigroup may find themselves owned, at least in part, by foreign governments. Sovereign wealth funds, which act as a country's investment arm, have long been investing money gained through exports or from the sale of commodities such as oil. But because of their rapidly expanding size, these funds have become harder to ignore. Located both in the oil-rich Middle East, as well as other nations such as Russia and Singapore, the funds' combined assets under management are expected in the next three years to quadruple in size to $7.9 trillion from $1.9 trillion, according to Merrill Lynch. While government debt like U.S. Treasuries have long been their investment vehicle of choice, the funds' appetites have grown more complex as they have searched for greater returns, said Jay Bryson, global economist at Wachovia Corp. [article link]
{Flashback} September 29, 2008: Dow down 300 points after European banks get bailed out and Citi buys Wachovia's banking assets - The government brokered the deal, and the FDIC noted that Wachovia did not fail as a bank - Wachovia's stock ($52.80 yr. -> $10 last trade Friday -> $.96 today) plunged 90% in pre-market trading to penny stock status and has of yet not opened for regular-hours trading {It couldn't be more obvious that the 'bailout' is not a bailout for American banks. Why is the government via the FDIC confiscating every bank it can for two pennies on the dollar if there is a bailout plan in the works to save the banks? The banks have been on the verge of failing for 2 1/2 years why is the FDIC so quick to act now right before the bailout goes through. The plan it seems isn't to save the American banks but to confiscate the banks and to then bailout the overseas banks (China - Middle-East) who are so heavily invested in the American commercial real estate market. The foreign banks don't have to sell at all or at a loss the American property they invested in like the Americans do. The foreign banks will now be able to keep ownership of any property they have and safely buy more.} The FDIC announced that Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) was taking over Wachovia's (WB, Fortune 500) deposit network and debt, as well as more than $300 billion worth of the company's loan portfolio. The government brokered the deal, and the FDIC noted that Wachovia did not fail as a bank. Wachovia's stock plunged 90% in pre-market trading to penny stock status and has of yet not opened for regular-hours trading. Citigroup gained 2% in the morning. The House of Representatives was meeting to vote on the bailout Monday morning. The Senate is expected to vote on the plan on Wednesday. Congress unveiled its long-awaited $700 billion bailout plan Sunday. The core of the bill is based on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's request to purchase troubled, and mortgage-related, assets from banks so they can resume lending, in order to free up the frozen credit market. [article link]
January 25, 2008: Advance planning by Bush & Paulson…….Executive Order #13456 - In January 23, 2008 of this year, Bush signed Executive Order # 13456 allowing, permitting and encouraging the so-called [investment] in America by foreign agents, individuals and corporations - Apparently trying to make sure he finished his father's efforts to sell off the taxpayer funded and owned infrastructure to private interests, including foreigners In January of this year, Bush signed Executive Order # 13456 allowing, permitting and encouraging the socalled [investment] in America by foreign agents, individuals and corporations. Apparently trying to make sure
he finished his father's efforts to sell off the taxpayer funded and owned infrastructure to private interests, including foreigners, this EO makes clear the intent to divest America of all assets previously funded and paid for by US taxpayers, and the intention to offshore even more of our jobs and businesses to foreign investors. ... I have no doubt this EO was written with full knowledge of the planned collapse of our economy. When reading through it, note the extensive powers already delegated to the Treasury Secretary…..many of which were promoted as new powers under the bailout package. [article link]
{Flashback} Wanna Buy a Bridge?: Selling America's Infrastructure - Cities and states across the country are selling off billions of dollars worth of strategic infrastructure and often they are peddling these vital American assets to foreigners - The privatization wave goes back more than a decade (Bush Sr. 1992 - Executive Order 12803) - The U.S. government first blessed this (previously illegal) sale of American infrastructure on April 30, 1992, when the senior President Bush signed Executive Order 12803, called "Infrastructure Privatization" {After 24 straight years of a Bush, Clinton or a Carter in the White House (President/VP) nothing has been done to protect America and everything has been done to dismantle America. Is it a coincidence? Is it a quarter of a century of neglect? Or is it a systematic plan?} Cities and states across the country are selling off billions of dollars worth of strategic infrastructure and often they are peddling these vital American assets to foreigners. ... The privatization wave goes back more than a decade. The U.S. government first blessed this fire sale of American infrastructure on April 30, 1992, when the senior President Bush signed Executive Order 12803, called "Infrastructure Privatization." ... Many of the critical infrastructure assets that Americans rely on daily - from airports, seaports and highways to water systems - are managed by private foreign companies, according to a 2006 report by the Reason Foundation. • Most of the U.S. domestic shipping industry, including vessels, containers, handling equipment, and port facilities, and approximately 80 percent of U.S. port terminals, are leased and operated by foreign companies. • Of the 517 domestic airports offering commercial passenger service in the U.S., 13 have management contracts with private companies, and all of these companies have significant foreign ownership or involvement. [article link]
{Flashback} Why do so many people say that Bill Clinton started NAFTA? It was Bush Sr. who signed [initiated] it in - Go about a 1/4 of the way down the page (link-photos) and see the signing ceremony, it was Bush Sr. These Bush worshipers [Bushism is a religion an evil cult] will shift the blame to anyone that is convenient - This country, by the hand of the (Bush) Republicans, supports communism more than Karl Marx and Stalin combined - {Working in tandem to dismantle America Bush Sr. signed (1992) the 'initiating' NAFTA paperwork while Bill Clinton then signed (1993) NAFTA into law.} Not that I don't blame Clinton also, because Clinton could have stopped it and didn't, so I blame him just as much. It is Bush Sr. who signed it into law. Go about a 1/4 of the way down the page and see the signing ceremony, it was Bush Sr. ... These Bush worshipers will shift the blame to anyone that is convenient. The elder Bush did sign in on NAFTA, and the younger bush signed in on CAFTA. Both of these have destroyed the American economy, and sent our factories to China, and Mexico and Brazil and Viet Nam, etc. This country, by the hand of the Republicans, supports communism more than Karl Marx and Stalin combined. [article link]
Rare Audio Recordings - Billy Sunday (1862-1935) Preaches Against Booze {Billy Sunday is warning America about the emerging crime culture (booze, drugs, sex, gambling, lottery) enabled and sponsored by the US government as the government profits (taxes) from the illicit activities of others. Billy also explains that money that goes into the booze economy is money taken out of the legitimate economies of housing, clothing, food and technology.} (Mp3's) Some popular speakers include - Duncan Campbell, Harry Ironside, Bob Jones Sr., D. L. Moody, W. P. Nicholson, J. Edwin Orr, Ian Paisley, Leonard Ravenhill, Paris Reidhead, Ira Sankey, T. Austin-Sparks, Billy Sunday, A. W.
Tozer... [article link]
TheBereanChronicles.com - 5/29/2008 NKJV Done [Published] By A Catholic [Thomas Nelson Publishing] {This Excellent show details how the NKJV has made thousands and thousands of changes from the original KJV [though they promised they wouldn't make any changes except for modern word changes] and how the changes actually bring the NKJV into alignment with the NIV and other New Age 'Gnostic' (denying the Deity of Jesus Christ) types of material.} (Mp3's) NKJV Done By A Catholic | Weird News 5/29/2008 Kelly discusses who were behind the NKJV and Weird News. [article link]
EPISODE 1 of "Living in The Way" our new teaching podcast! - the Emerging Church and why you should steer clear of this disorganized system and their leaders/teachers, who will lead you away from Jesus Christ (Mp3) Living in The Way Pastor Jon Sharp and Pastor Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries discuss the Emerging Church. Our goal in this show is to give some of the basics of what the "Emerging Church" is, who is involved, and why you should steer clear of this disorganized system, their meeting groups, and their leaders/teachers, who will lead you away from Jesus Christ and toward a religion that can't provide spiritual freedom because they refuse to teach the Truth of God's Word. [article link]
Stephen Kaung - Spiritual Value #1 & #2 (Mp3's) Stephen Kaung is a Chinese Christian speaker and writer in Richmond, Virginia. At an early age, Kaung was converted to Christianity and was active in the Methodist Church in China, with whom his father was a minister. He first met Watchman Nee in the early 1930s and joined Nee's indigenous Christian work full-time, working with him until 1949 when he left China and became involved with Christian work in other areas of the Far East. [article link]
The Life Verses of Paul Washer - An Unplanned Sermon on Guide Posts and Warning Signs (Mp3) "Incisive, to the point, and biblical" Once again, Brother Washer has preached a fearless and loving message to the sleepy and lukewarm church of America. I approached this with a raised eyebrow, because I generally have something against rambling and topical sermons based on the preacher's experience, but our God does not let His Word return to Him void. Each passage is dealt with carefully and Scripturally, and I am sure that any Christian of any kind will be duly rebuked and encouraged by the whole sermon. [article link]
Bible verse: Isaiah 12:1-6 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com} Isaiah 12:1-6 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise Thee: though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. -- Holy Bible [article link]
SermonIndex.net: Ten Indictments - A Historical 21st Century Message by Paul Washer (Mp3) Description: Preached Wednesday, October 22nd at the Revival Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Paul Washer delivers a urgent appeal to the Christians and Churches in North America that many have been believing a false gospel and have false assurance of their salvation. He lists 10 indictments against the modern Church system in America. This is a historical urgent message, tell others and spread the message. We need a reformation and
revival of a biblical standard! Watch the video and download in other formats at: www.tenindictments.com [article link]
Bondage Breaker - Parts 1-4 - by Neil T. Anderson (Mp3's) FREE Mp3's from SermonIndex.net. [article link]
**The Spirit Filled Life by Oswald J. Smith {At about 55 min in the message Oswald gives some of his testimony of brokenness if you listen to nothing else forward to his amazing story including evangelist Paul Rader.} (Mp3) Oswald J Smith was born on November 8, 1889 in Odessa, Ontario, Canada. Smith wrote some 1,200 hymns, Gospel songs & poems. From 1915 to 1959, he served as a pastor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [article link]
Evangelist - Street Corner Preacher Paul Rader 1879-1938 - The Stone Age by evangelist Paul Rader (Online Audio - 4 minutes, 9 seconds) But, listen, there's a new thing in the earth, a new thing in the earth.. There he sits - Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Those ten men lined up there represent Moses. The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17) And there he sits between the law and the guilty woman to give life instead of death. They can only deal death. He deals life. The law? He's fulfilled it. They can't hit him with one of the stones because he never sinned. All the law that they represent, "Thou shall love the lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul, strength...," he's kept it all. Therefore he can come between the stones and the woman. And if they hit him, casting a stone at her, he can take the stone. And there he sits, a new thing in the earth. And now He can dismiss the law. And so he says to the law. "Those of you that are without sin, you men, cast the first stone. Go ahead and hit her." And commencing at the oldest, they're going out, they're going out, they're going out. They've all gone. The whole law has left the room. And now there she is. Alone with life, alone with love, alone with light, alone with grace, the new thing that God has brought to the earth in the person of his Son to stand between us who are sinners and breakers of the law and the execution that the law calls for. He alone can give life. Here he is. He's fulfilled the law and now he's come as life. Like tearing away all the old forms and now see the great new concrete structure that stands out. The law must be taken away like the old forms and the real thing exposed. He's the real thing. He's life, He's purity, He fulfills all the law. ... Grace there is my every debt to pay, blood to wash my every stain away. [article link]
Discipleship Library - J. Oswald Sanders -- Improving Leadership Effectiveness -- (15 Free Mp3's) Improving Leadership Effectiveness -- And the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. II Timothy 2:2 [article link]
Worthy Devotions - Daily Christian Devotion (Thanksgiving) - Live like a king! - "I thank God" said the homeless man, "I am never unhappy" - Yes, we can have nothing, yet have it all - So often, we focus on what we have and forget who we are! The two are not related at all - what we have or don't have has nothing to do with who we are! - The Word (Holy Bible) says that we are kings and priests and so it is! Revelation 1:5-6 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. -- One day a passerby saw a homeless man on the roadside. He stopped for a moment to hand him some loose change and casually said "God bless you, my friend". "I thank God," said the homeless man, "I am never unhappy." "What do you mean?" the passerby asked. "Well," he said, "when the sun is out, I thank God when it rains, I thank God. When I am full, I thank God and when I am hungry, I thank God. And, since God's will is my will, and whatever pleases Him pleases me, why should I say I am unhappy when I am not?" The man
looked at him in astonishment and asked, "Who are you?" "I am a King," said he. "Where, then, is your Kingdom?" asked the man. "In my heart." The homeless man replied. -- Yes, we can have nothing, yet have it all. So often, we focus on what we have and forget who we are! The two are not related at all - what we have or don't have has nothing to do with who we are! The Word says that we are kings and priests and so it is! Let's give all our concerns to the Lord and see ourselves as He does - Kings and Priests! Thank God in every circumstance and there, we will find our victory. [article link]
WW II vet held in Nazi (political prisoner) slave camp breaks silence: 'Let it be known' - He was one of 350 U.S. soldiers held at Berga an der Elster, a satellite camp of the Nazis' notorious Buchenwald concentration camp One day while in Stalag IX-B, he says, a German commander gathered American soldiers and asked all Jews "to take one step forward" Few willingly did so - About 90 Jewish soldiers and another 260 U.S. soldiers deemed "undesirables" those who "looked like Jews" were selected - Acevedo, who is not Jewish, was among them Acevedo's story is one that was never supposed to be told "We had to sign an (US) affidavit saying we never went through what we went through - We weren't supposed to say a word" he says - The U.S. Army Center of Military History provided CNN a copy of the document signed by soldiers at the camp before they were sent back home - His message on this Veterans Day, he says, is never to hold animosity toward anybody -"You only live once. Let's keep trucking. If we don't do that, who's going to do it for us? We have to be happy. Why hate?" he says. "The world is full of hate, and yet they don't know what they want." LOMA LINDA, California (CNN) -- Anthony Acevedo thumbs through the worn, yellowed pages of his diary emblazoned with the words "A Wartime Log" on its cover. It's a catalog of deaths and atrocities he says were carried out on U.S. soldiers held by Nazis at a slave labor camp during World War II -- a largely forgotten legacy of the war. ... He was one of 350 U.S. soldiers held at Berga an der Elster, a satellite camp of the Nazis' notorious Buchenwald concentration camp. The soldiers, working 12-hour days, were used by the German army to dig tunnels and hide equipment in the final weeks of the war. Less than half of the soldiers survived their captivity and a subsequent death march, he says. Acevedo shows few emotions as he scans the pages of his diary. But when he gets to one of his final entries, the decades of pent-up pain, the horror witnessed by a 20year-old medic, are too much. "We were liberated today, April the 23, 1945," he reads. ... Acevedo's story is one that was never supposed to be told. "We had to sign an affidavit ... [saying] we never went through what we went through. We weren't supposed to say a word," he says. The U.S. Army Center of Military History provided CNN a copy of the document signed by soldiers at the camp before they were sent back home. "You must be particularly on your guard with persons representing the press," it says. "You must give no account of your experience in books, newspapers, periodicals, or in broadcasts or in lectures." The document ends with: "I understand that disclosure to anyone else will make me liable to disciplinary action." ... For a soldier who survived one of the worst atrocities of mankind, the military's reaction is still painful to accept. "My stomach turned to acid, and the government didn't care. They didn't give a hullabaloo." It took more than 50 years, he says, before he received 100 percent disability benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. ... About 90 Jewish soldiers and another 260 U.S. soldiers deemed "undesirables" -- those who "looked like Jews" -- were selected. Acevedo, who is not Jewish, was among them. They were told they were being sent to "a beautiful camp" with a theater and live shows. "It turned out to be the opposite," he says. "They put us on a train, and we traveled six days and six nights. It was a boxcar that would fit heads of cattle. They had us 80 to a boxcar. You couldn't squat. And there was little tiny windows that you could barely see through." It was February 8, 1945, when they arrived. The new camp was known as Berga an der Elster, a subcamp of Buchenwald, the Nazi concentration camp where tens of thousands of Jews and other political prisoners were killed under Adolf Hitler's regime. [article link]
Ted Turner: 'I'm not chased by demons' - Ted Turner appeared Tuesday on CNN, the network he founded, to talk about last week's election results, his business ventures, and his relationship with ex-wife Jane Fonda -
Turner has also made news as a philanthropist and supporter of the United Nations - I gave the government $32 million when they were a little short and couldn't pay the dues to the U.N. {Ted Turner is yet another talented and gifted person who crushed his life under the wheel of the false, empty and unrelenting NWO god. Turner is no longer chased by 'demons' they caught him a longtime ago. Note: The U.N. came in at the end of WWII as a replacement for the defunct WWI 'League of Nations'. Turner (CNN) made the donations to the U.N. because, drum roll … Turner wanted to be President of the U.N. it's also the same reason Bill Gates (Microsoft) and so many others have donated a fortune of their fortune to the very unworthy and already financed U.N. scam.} (CNN) -- Ted Turner appeared Tuesday on CNN, the network he founded, to talk about last week's election results, his business ventures, and his relationship with ex-wife Jane Fonda. Turner is promoting a new autobiography, "Call Me Ted" (Warner Books), which documents his life, loves, successes and failures. Probably best known for his 1980 launch of CNN, the first 24-hour all-news cable network, Turner has also made news as a philanthropist and supporter of the United Nations. He won the America's Cup of yachting in 1977, and owned the Atlanta Braves when they won the World Series in 1995. ... You lost $7 billion when the dot-com bubble burst after the Time Warner-AOL merger. How did you not see the dot-com bubble bursting? How did you not see that that was all built on air? Turner: Maybe I did, but I was on a board of directors and a founder, and I was concerned about the AOL merger, but we didn't know that the books were cooked. We didn't do enough due diligence. Was that the worst business decision of your life? Turner: Oh yeah. Absolutely. ... CNN: I know you've got to move around a lot. But some people have observed that when you are chased by demons, you have to move around a lot to stay out in front of them. Turner: Well, I'm not chased by demons. I feel pretty good. CNN: Why would people say that? Turner: I don't know. That I'm chased by demons? I don't know. They don't know. The only person who knows about demons is me. [article link]
World War One (WWI) - In 1915, the British had signed with (Saudi Arabia) Ibn Saud a "treatise of friendship and cooperation" to be supported with British financing - By 1917, the Saudi ruler was receiving five thousand pounds per month - Faisal seized Damascus (Syria) in 1918 - Five days after the conquest of Damascus by Faisal's forces, an armistice with the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) came into effect - The Ottoman government effectively collapsed, and the empire was divided amongst the victorious powers - France and Britain got control of most of the Middle East while Italy and Greece were given much of Anatolia (Asia minor - Turkey) Hussayn (Hussein) was betrayed, and granted rule only over Iraq (The Husseins were again betrayed in 2001 when Bush Jr. blamed Iraq in part for 9/11 and then in 2003 Bush invaded Iraq and delivered Sunni Iraq to the now NWO favored Shiites of Iran.), which, along with Trans-Jordan, and Kuwait, were effectively British entities, as was Palestine (After several false promises to the Jews, England later after WWII in 1947 reluctantly allowed the Jews to return to part of (Palestine) Israel) {In 1915 the British, Churchill, NWO was working with Saudi Arabia but has since mostly turned against Saudi Arabia with the NWO now preferring the more radical Iranian Shiites. Note: The Illuminati with their various shades of Satanism [and anti-Semitism] are the main behind the scenes power. The "Zionists" are a created cover story and scapegoat for the actual Illuminati who desire to conduct their business in secrecy and who desire to rid 'their' world of Christians and Jews.} More important still was the role-played by the puppet-state of Saudi Arabia, which became the sponsor of Salafi terrorism. The Saudis would become an important linchpin in the Illuminati strategy to make the world dependent on Rockefeller-controlled oil, thus not only increasing demand and profits, but enhancing their strangle-hold over the world's governments and economies. The primary agent in this agenda was Winston Churchill. ... The victory of the Allied forces against the Ottoman Turks (Turkey) marked the beginning of the end of WWI, and the central powers one by one surrendered, signing an armistice on November 11, 1918. At the end of the war, Faisal continued his advanced, and eventually took what is today Jordan, large parts of the Arabian peninsula and parts of southern Syria. However, unbeknownst to Hussayn, the British secretly negotiated the Sykes-Picot agreement, to divide up the Middle East according to terms drawn up by Rothschild parties. Arbitrary divisions were created, which largely exist to the present, including the creation of Syria, and
Lebanon as French "protectorates". Hussayn was betrayed, and granted rule only over Iraq, which, along with Trans-Jordan, and Kuwait, were effectively British entities, as was Palestine, which was accorded to the Zionists. The mandate for Palestine was drafted by Felix Frankfurter, the prominent American Zionist, who afterwards became Chief Advisor in the White House to President Roosevelt, and also United States Supreme Court Justice, and helped found the ACLU. Frankfurter is reported to have received a copy of Eva Frank's portrait from his mother, a descendent of the Prague Frankist family. According to Frankfurter, "The real rulers in Washington are invisible and exercise their power from behind the scenes." [article link]
FINAL WARNING A HISTORY OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER - CHAPTER THREE BRINGING THE WORLD TOGETHER WORLD WAR I - on April 6, 1917, Congress declared war, selling it as a "war to end all wars" and a war "to make the world safe for democracy" - The armistice ending World War I on November 11, 1918, was negotiated on the basis of Wilson's "Fourteen Points" and on June 28, 1919, was included in the Treaty of Versailles, a 20-year truce which divided up Europe [and the Middle-East], setting the stage for World War II [and WW3] - The armistice ending World War I on November 11, 1918 [World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918] {The Illuminati manipulated the day, hour and minute attempting to show the world that they have the ability to start and stop wars to the very minute. It's was just a cheap manipulation of men, God has the ultimate sovereignty over the affairs of mankind.} The Illuminati-controlled newspapers publicized, and played-up the sinking of the British auxiliary cruiser, the Lusitania, which was torpedoed by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915. The Germans said they had the right to attack an allied ship, even though the United States, up to that time, had been neutral. The Lusitania, which had been converted into an ammunition war ship early in the war, was armed with guns, and was carrying six million pounds of ammunition, which were to be sold to England and France for use in the war against Germany. It was illegal for American passengers to be on board a ship carrying munitions, and on May 1, 1915, the German embassy in Washington, D.C., ran ads in the New York papers, in addition to verbal announcements, warning Americans that the ship would be attacked. Three months earlier, Germany had issued a proclamation that the waters around the British Isles were part of the war zone, In addition, it was later revealed, that on December 14, 1914, British Intelligence broke the German war code, which meant that the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, knew the location of every U-Boat in the English Channel area. When the ship was sunk off the coast of Ireland, 1201 people were killed, including 128 Americans. The Illuminati used the incident to create a war fever, portraying the Germans as being barbaric. ... Colonel House was already in England, making firm commitments that America would enter the war; and on April 6, 1917, Congress declared war, selling it as a "war to end all wars," and a war "to make the world safe for democracy." [i.e.The 2001 Bush Patriot Act] -- When the war was finally over, over 63,000 American soldiers had been killed in the [6 months of American involved] fighting. A year later, in 1919, Lenin offered four-fifths of Soviet territory, in exchange for the formal recognition of his communist government, and economic aid from the United States. He offered to accept the creation of allied-sponsored non-communist states in the Baltic region, in the area of Archangel, Western Byelorussia, half of the Ukraine, Crimea, the Caucasus, the Ural Mountains, and all of Siberia. Wilson rejected the offer for "patriotic reasons," because the Illuminati had big plans for that country. Had he accepted the offer, Russia would have never have become a world power. ... The armistice ending World War I on November 11, 1918, was negotiated on the basis of Wilson's "Fourteen Points" and on June 28, 1919, was included in the Treaty of Versailles, a 20-year truce which divided up Europe, setting the stage for World War II. [article link]
November 11, 2008: Europe Marks 90th Anniversary of WWI Armistice - Leaders of a united Europe on Tuesday marked the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I, which tore the continent apart and cost millions of lives {WWI is part of the Illuminati three World War plan (population reduction) to dominate the globe (WWI (infused global) Government control-Nationalism, WWII (infused global) Government control-business-wealth-
Fascism, WW3 (infusing global) Government-control-personal-behavior-Secular-Islam-New-Age). Note: The USA had no business and no need to be involved in WWI except the leaders insisted on folding America into the NWO then called the "League of Nations." WWI and WWII have come and gone and WW3 is in the process of engaging. WW3 really started in the 1970's when Jimmy Carter helped create the fake oil shortage to raise the price of oil and fund Islam while the CIA created, funded, equipped and started training and empowering the Iranian Shiites, Lebanon Hezbollah, the Afghanistan Taliban. Note: After WWII the Russian - Chinese Communists were the intended NWO WW3 trigger however it never worked out (Biblically) and in the 1970's the NWO switched from Communism to Islam to be the main WW3 belligerent.} DOUAUMONT, France - Leaders of a united Europe on Tuesday marked the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I, which tore the continent apart and cost millions of lives. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Britain's Prince Charles attended the solemn ceremony near one of the conflict's bloodiest battlefields. It was held in the northeastern French town of Douaumont, near the site of the Battle of Verdun. There, an estimated 300,000 soldiers lost their lives in 300 days of ferocious fighting between French and German troops for control of River Meuse, a key strategic post on the eastern approach route from Germany to Paris. The French forces prevailed in December 1916. ... France has been reflecting on how best to keep the memory of the 1914-1918 war alive, following the death earlier this year of the last of the 8.4 million Frenchmen who fought in the conflict. Lazare Ponticelli died in March, at age 110. ... Germany's last veteran from the war also died earlier this year, leaving only a handful of living veterans from the conflict. Britain will mark the anniversary with its three surviving World War I veterans - Henry Allingham, 112, Harry Patch, 110 and Bill Stone, 108. The three will take part in ceremonies in London at the Cenotaph, a war memorial near the Houses of Parliament. [article link]
Slate.com: How the Sunnis and Shiites traded places - How two Islamic sects traded places in the American mind - American intelligence experts warned that Shiite training camps in the Iranian mountains were preparing thousands of militants for a holy war against the United States - The Shiite scare was founded partly on the belief that Shiites were inherently prone to anti-Western violence - But now, in the American mind, Shiites have become Sunnis, and Sunnis have become Shiites - The Sunni-Shiite exchange has even infected Capitol Hill culture. A few years ago, liberals would call Christian conservatives "the Shiite wing of the Republican party" These days, lefties refer to Christian conservatives as "The American Taliban" {The NWO traded out Communism for Islam to be their main NWO WW3 instigation it seems the NWO has also switched between the Sunnis and the Shittes. Starting after WWI by backing the oil rich Sunnis the NWO switched in the 1970's and is now building up the Shiites. Every aspect of the Bush doctrine in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and globally has been to strip the Sunnis of power and wealth and to transfer it to the Iranian backed Shiites.} The Sunni-Shiite exchange has even infected Capitol Hill culture. A few years ago, liberals would call Christian conservatives "the Shiite wing of the Republican party." These days, lefties refer to Christian conservatives as "The American Taliban." -- Of course there are still extremist Shiites, and relatively moderate Sunnis still control the biggest Islamic states. But why have Sunnis and Shiites traded places in the American Zeitgeist? Shiites have shed their dreadful American reputation because Shiite extremists really have moderated. The Iranian revolution is 22 years old. Iran is no longer an infant state: It is an adult. It has lost a war with Iraq and lost its spiritual leader Khomeini. It no longer preaches global Islamic revolution. Iranians lived with militant religion for years, saw how oppressive it was, and have partly democratized and slightly loosened up as a consequence. -There are other reasons why Americans increasingly sympathize with Shiites. The United States used to support despicable Saddam Hussein in order to check Shiite Iran. But since Iraq's 1990 Kuwait invasion, Hussein has been enemy No. 1. Iran, the enemy of our enemy, somehow seemed kindlier, even though its anti-Americanism persisted. Much of the internal opposition to Saddam has come from Shiites in Southern Iraq, a group Saddam has brutalized. Though the United States has abandoned them militarily, their horrible suffering has been a reminder that Shiites are an oppressed minority in most of the Islamic world. And the most bloody-minded Shiite group, Hezbollah, has moderated. Now that Israel has left Lebanon and Lebanon's civil war has ended, Hezbollah has cut back on terrorism. It hasn't attacked American targets in more than a decade. Hezbollah, like
the PLO, behaves more like a political operation now than a terrorist army: Its chief goal is winning political power in Lebanon. We have grown disenchanted with Sunnis because Sunni extremism has surged even as Shiite militancy has waned. Part of the Sunni radicalization can be blamed on blow-back. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the United States, hand in hand with Saudi Arabia, decided to fund Islamic fighters in Afghanistan. The U.S. policy was intended to repel the Communist invasion and check Iranian extremism next door. ... As there was a generation ago, there is a surging Islamic jihad, fomented by zealous clerics and soldiers who preach the glory of martyrdom, the corruption of most Arab governments, and the villainy of the United States and Israel. It has taken two decades, two massive regional wars, and an Israeli retreat for the Shiite fire to cool. Who knows how long it will take for this newer Sunni rage to burn itself out? [article link]
Satanist (who influenced Skull & Bones) Albert Pike (1809-1891) - Pike designed a plan for world conquest and wrote of it in a letter to Mazzini dated August 15, 1871 - He said three future world wars (WWI,WWII,WW3) would prepare the world for the New World Order (Secular-Occult NWO) - Communism was to be built up and used to destroy other governments and weaken religions - After World War Three is ended, those who aspire to undisputed world domination will provoke the greatest social cataclysm the world has ever known - We quote his own written words taken from the letter catalogued in the British Museum Library, London, England "We shall unleash the Nihilists and Atheists, ... the true light through the universal manifestation of the pure doctrine of Lucifer, brought finally out in the public view, ... which will follow the destruction of Christianity and atheism, both conquered and exterminated at the same time" [Pike bitterly upset at America for his side losing the US Civil war (1861-1865), Pike was an minor, obscure Confederate Southern Army General during the war.] Pike designed a plan for world conquest and wrote of it in a letter to Mazzini dated August 15, 1871. He said three future world wars would prepare the world for the New World Order. Albert Pike's plan for the Illuminati was as simple as it has proved effective. He required that Communism, Naziism, Political Zionism, and other International movements be organized and used to foment the three global wars and three major revolutions. The First World War was to be fought so as to enable the Illuminati to overthrow the powers of the Tzars in Russia and turn that country into the stronghold of AtheisticCommunism. The differences stirred up by agentur of the Illuminati between the British and German Empires were to be used to foment this war. After the war ended, Communism was to be built up and used to destroy other governments and weaken religions. -- World War Two, was to be fomented by using the differences between Fascists and Political Zionists. This war was to be fought so that Naziism would be destroyed and the power of Political Zionism increased so that the sovereign state of Israel could be established in Palestine. During World War Two International Communism was to be built up until it equalled in strength that of united Christendom. At this point it was to be contained and kept in check until required for the final social cataclysm. Can any informed person deny Roosevelt and Churchill did put this policy into effect? World War Three is to be fomented by using the differences the agentur of the Illuminati stir up between Political Zionists and the leaders of the Moslem world. The war is to be directed in such a manner that Islam (the Arab World including Mohammedanism) and Political Zionism (including the State of Israel) will destroy themselves while at the same time the remaining nations, once more divided against each other on this issue, will be forced to fight themselves into a state of complete exhaustion physically, mentally, spiritually and economically. Can any unbiased and reasoning person deny that the intrigue now going on in the Near, Middle, and Far East is designed to accomplish this devilish purpose? -- After World War Three is ended, those who aspire to undisputed world domination will provoke the greatest social cataclysm the world has ever known. We quote his own written words taken from the letter catalogued in the British Museum Library, London, England. "We shall unleash the Nihilists and Atheists, and we shall provoke a formidable social cataclysm which in all its horror will show clearly to the nations the effect of absolute atheism, origin of savagery and of the most bloody turmoil. Then everywhere, the citizens, obliged to defend themselves against the world minority of revolutionaries, will exterminate those destroyers of civilization, and the multitude, disillusioned with Christianity, whose deistic spirits will be from that moment without compass (direction), anxious for an ideal,
but with out knowing where to render its adoration, will receive the true light through the universal manifestation of the pure doctrine of Lucifer, brought finally out in the public view, a manifestation which will result from the general reactionary movement which will follow the destruction of Christianity and atheism, both conquered and exterminated at the same time" (William Guy Carr, Pawns in the Game, p. xv-xvi). This strategy is corroborated by Dr. Dennis L. Cuddy PhD. in The Power Elite's use of Wars and Crises. pike.htm. [article link]
Secret Societies at my University [University of Arkansas] - The Palladian Order of Skull and Bones (Albert Pike) - Albert Pike, a very powerful and influential 33rd-Degree Scottish-Rite Freemason, created the "Palladian Order of Skull and Bones" at the University of Arkansas on May 1, 1876 - founded on the ideal that Pike could control Arkansas politics by producing class year after class year of loyal, educated men who were bound to later join the Masonic Order - While University President, Fulbright was faculty-tapped in the Order of Skull and Bones. He later moved on to become a famous politician - While teaching law at the University of Arkansas, a Rhodes Scholar named William was faculty-tapped into the Palladian Bonesmen: We later knew him as President Bill Clinton - Have any of you heard of the Arkansas group Not the Yale (Bush) Bonesmen, which everyone has heard of? I am a student at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Last Fall semester, I was mistaken for a student called "Michael", and I was approached by an older student in an unforgettable way. I was tapped very roughly on my left shoulder, spun around, and handed a black book with a tiny skull and bones pin stabbed into the front cover. Underneath the book was a parchment-colored scroll with a huge crimson colored wax seal on it. I couldn't see the design. As I was spun around, the person asked me something like, "Palladian Order of the Bones...Accept the Light?" It scared the hell out of me, naturally. Just as I was about to ask what this was about, a tall student yelled something at us, ran up to us and grabbed the stuff from me. He and the other guy turned and walked away. ... In 1912, the Kappa Sigma house created a Tap-Society called "Skull and Key"; the purpose was to select the best and brightest of senior-year fraternity men and unite them into a nepotistic network of old money and new talent. He told us that the "Keys" were an offshoot of another, much older group called "The Palladian Order of Skull and Bones". The split - away happened because of newer pledges rebelling against the long-standing tradition of Bonesmen having to join the Masonic Lodge upon graduation. Skull and Key, on the other hand, only required that its men belong to a fraternity-any Greek-letter frat. The man introduced my friends and me to several alumni in the area who had more information. ... Shortly after its inception, the college became the University of Arkansas (1871) Not many people outside of Arkansas have ever heard of Albert Pike, but apparently he was a lot more than just a famous Arkansas lawyer and civil war general (the south). -- Albert Pike, a very powerful and influential 33rd-Degree Scottish-Rite Freemason, created the "Palladian Order of Skull and Bones" at the University of Arkansas on May 1, 1876. Allegedly, the account is concealed inside the repository archive inside the Masonic lodge in Fayetteville. From what the former freemasons told me, this senior-year secret society was founded on the ideal that Pike could control Arkansas politics by producing class year after class year of loyal, educated men who were bound to later join the Masonic Order. Many cities in Arkansas have memorials, highways, and statues of Albert Pike. Even the Scottish Rite temple (A HUGE, immaculate building) is named in his honor, complete with library and marbletiled flooring. The wealth this organization has is just incredible. ANYWAY....point being that this group that I unwittingly encountered is very old, very secretive, and very disagreeable to revelation. I do not know much about this organization, the Masons. From what I have read, they are either just a bunch of old farts with a penchant for holding secret meetings about raising money for sick kids... or else maybe they are powerful men of means. I don't know for certain. [article link]
The Thule Society [German Skull & Bones], [Yale] Skull and Bones, and George Bush's Christianity - The ways in which the Thule Society and Skull and Bones are similar is that they [worship Satan-Lucifer] enlist young members, put them through an initiation that involves sexual deviance, and then forces them to swear
allegiance to the organization - Skull and Bones dosen't care about America, it merely wants to use America to further their (Satnic-Occult) New World Order agenda - Since George Bush is (still) a member of Skull and Bones and if a bonesman's oath to the presidency means nothing then dosen't his oath to God mean nothing also? Perhaps the next time Bush [or anyone in the Bush family network] talks of "God's will" we might need to ask which God that is [of coures Bush's god is the Skull & Bones god Lucifer (Satan)] Is George Bush a Christian? Does he worship the Christian God? Let's look at some information that seems to indicate otherwise. First let's look at the beliefs of the Skull and Bones, Nazi Germany counterpart, the Thule Society. The Thule Society helped to form the Nazi Party and existed to help its members reach high positions in government to help further their own agenda. Sounds like Skull and Bones right? ... The ways in which the Thule Society and Skull and Bones are similar is that they enlist young members, put them through an initiation that involves sexual deviance, and then forces them to swear allegiance to the organization. Skull and Bones dosen't care about America, it merely wants to use America to further the a New World Order agenda that is also being carried out by groups like the Bilderburgs and Illuminatis. The main place that the above evidence dosen't hold up is the sexual practices of skull and bones members. We just plain don't know. But we do know some of what goes on at Bohemian Grove, and those occurances point to George Bush being a sexual deviant satanist too. I will post more on Bohemian Grove later. ... the Thule Society became a center of the counterrevolutionary subculture. An espionage network and arms caches were organized. The Thule Club rooms became a nest of resistance to the revolution and the Munich Soviet Republic. ... Harrer knew that the mechanic Anton Drexler, who was working for the railroads, was a well-known anti-semite, chauvinist and proletarian. With drexler as nominal chairman, Harrer founded the German Workers Party in January 1919. The German Workers Party was only one of many associations founded and controlled by the Thule Society. The Thule was the "mother" to the German Socialist Party, led by Julius Streicher, and the right-wing radical Oberland Free Corps. It published the Munich observer, which later became the National Observer. Hitler became the most prominent personality in the party. He caused Harrer to drop out, and he pushed Drexler, the nominal chairman, to the sidelines. He filled key positions with his own friends from the Thule Society and the Army. During the summer of 1920, upon his suggestion, the party was renamed the National Socialist German Worker Party (NASDAP). The new name was intended to equally attract nationalists and proletarians. -- To go along with the new name his mass movement also required a flag with a powerful symbol. Among many designs under consideration, Hitler picked the one suggested by Thule member Dr. Krohn: a red cloth with a white circle in the middle containing a black swastika. Hitler wanted to turn the German Workers Party into a mass-conscious fighting party, but Harrer and Drexler were hesitant, due in part to their woeful financial situation. The Thule Society was not yet supplying very much money and no one seemed to know how to build up a mass party. Hitler arranged two public meetings in obscure beer halls, and he drafted leaflets and posters, but there was no real breakthrough. All of this changed dramatically at the end of the 1919 when Hitler met Dietrich Eckart. Most biographers have underestimated the influence that Eckart exerted on Hitler. He was the wealthy publisher and editor-in-chief of an anti-semitic journal which he called In Plain German. Eckart was also a committed occultist and a master of magic. As an initiate, Eckart belonged to the inner circle of the Thule Society as well as other esoteric orders. There can be no doubt that Eckart - who had been alerted to Hitler by other Thulists - trained Hitler in techniques of self confidence, self projection, persuasive oratory, body language and discursive sophistry. With these tools, in a short period of time he was able to move the obscure workers party from the club and beer hall atmosphere to a mass movement. The emotion charged lay speaker became an expert orator, capable of mesmerizing a vast audience. [article link]
WWII Veterans in focus: Brothers fighting brothers - World War II didn't just divide the world it also divided four (Japanese-American) brothers - "When we first met, the topic of the war came up - Both sides were saying their side was right" Ken said - "Saburo and Shiro got really hot and stood up, they wanted to fight us" - "The propaganda situation in Japan was very extreme" Shiro said - "The elders told you what you should do is revere the emperor like a god, and if you didn't abide by it, you were physically harmed" - It took the intercession of
their father to stop the familial battle - "Shut up" the elder Akune said - "The war is over" - But he holds nothing against the two brothers who fought for the other side - "They were in Japan, educated there it's only right to be loyal to the Japanese force" he said LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) World War II didn't just divide the world. It also divided four brothers. Not long after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Harry and Ken Akune were sent to live in an internment camp in Amache, Colorado. When the U.S. Army's Military Intelligence Service came to their camp to recruit Japanesespeaking volunteers as interpreters, they joined so they could prove their loyalty to their country. Across the world in Japan, their father Ichiro was raising the rest of his large family -- which had returned to his home country after the death of his wife in a fishing village, Kagoshima, on the island of Kyushu. The youngest brothers, Saburo and Shiro, were just teenagers when they were drafted into the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... After the war, the Akune brothers discovered they served against each other, leading to ill feelings on both sides. Harry and Ken, now in Japan as members of the Allied Prisoner of War Recovery Team, joined Saburo and Shiro at a family reunion in Kagoshima. -- "When we first met, the topic of the war came up. Both sides were saying their side was right," Ken said. "Saburo and Shiro got really hot and stood up, they wanted to fight us." "The propaganda situation in Japan was very extreme," Shiro said. "The elders told you what you should do is revere the emperor like a god, and if you didn't abide by it, you were physically harmed." It took the intercession of their father to stop the familial battle. "Shut up," the elder Akune said. "The war is over." All four brothers ended up in the United States, with Shiro -- ironically -- serving as an American GI in Korea. Saburo died several years ago, but Shiro, Harry and Ken continue to live in Southern California. Ken still volunteers full time with the "Go For Broke" National Education Center, which preserves the memory of Japanese-American soldiers who served the United States in World War II. Harry says his military service helped him identify as an American. "The benefit of going to war for the United States helped me manage myself not as a JapaneseAmerican, but more like an American. I feel very happy I was able to do that," he said. But he holds nothing against the two brothers who fought for the other side. [article link]
Raiding Sarah's Closet - Palin Sorts Through Wardrobe to Return RNC-Bought Clothes - The former Republican vice presidential candidate spent the weekend picking through an assortment of clothing her family wore during the campaign that was paid for by the Republican National Committee {As the Democrats prepare their Party for the Presidential inauguration the obsolete Bush Republican Party stoops to new lows and becomes more pathetic by the moment as the only worthy agenda they can scrape up at the moment is to steal the clothes out of the closet of the family that just did more for the Republican Party than anyone else in the last 20 years. When the Republican Party is gone few will miss it!} WASILLA, Alaska -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin spent part of the weekend going through her clothing to determine what belongs to the Republican Party after it spent $150,000-plus on a wardrobe for the vice presidential nominee, according to Palin's father. Palin and John McCain's campaign faced a storm of criticism over the tens of thousands of dollars spent at such high-end stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus to dress the nominee. Republican National Committee lawyers are still trying to determine exactly what clothing was bought for Palin, what was returned and what has become of the rest. Palin's father, Chuck Heath, said his daughter spent the day Saturday trying to figure out what belongs to the RNC. "She was just frantically ... trying to sort stuff out," Heath said. "That's the problem, you know, the kids lose underwear, and everything has to be accounted for. "Nothing goes right back to normal," he said. Heath dismissed the clothes controversy as "ridiculous," and said his daughter told him the only clothing or accessories she had personally purchased in the last four months was a pair of shoes. RNC lawyers have been discussing with Palin whether what's left of the clothing and accessories purchased for her on the campaign trail will go to charity, back to stores or be paid for by Palin, a McCain-Palin campaign official said Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the campaign hadn't authorized comment. The McCain-Palin campaign said about a third of the clothing was returned immediately because it was the wrong size, or for other reasons. However, other purchases were apparently made after that, the campaign official said. On Friday, Palin told reporters: "Those are the RNC's
clothes. They're not my clothes. I never forced anybody to buy anything." [article link]
The Simon Wiesenthal Center - KRISTALLNACHT SEVENTY YEARS LATER "Was There No Space in the World for Us?" by Rabbi Marvin Hier - [November 9-10, 1938] the most notorious pogrom was unleashed by Hitler's Germany - On this day was born the Night of Broken Glass, Kristallnacht - a Christian who was forced to watch the march of the Jews that night wrote, they looked like Christ figures, their heads held high, unbowed by any feelings of guilt - Pastor Julius von Jan preached to his congregation ... "Our nation's infamy is bound to bring about divine punishment" Seventy years ago, while Jews in America gathered at the Algonquin Hotel and Waldorf Astoria at banquets in support of Jewish causes or in personal celebration of a Simcha, the most notorious pogrom was unleashed by Hitler's Germany. On this day was born the Night of Broken Glass, Kristallnacht. The Nazis said it was in reaction to the killing of a German official in Paris, but as documents showed, it was a state organized pogrom involving the highest officials of Nazi Germany. As Reinhardt Heidrich instructed his SS underlings - synagogues are to be burned down but only when there is no danger to the surroundings...businesses and private apartments of the Jews may be destroyed but not looted. Jews, especially the rich, are to be arrested - as many as can be accommodated in our prisons. Upon arrest, concentration camps should be contacted immediately to arrange their confinement... In Baden Baden, a Christian who was forced to watch the march of the Jews that night wrote, they looked like Christ figures, their heads held high, unbowed by any feelings of guilt. ... While most non-Jews acquiesced, or joined the mob, a few did not. A week after Kristallnacht, in Swabia, Pastor Julius von Jan preached to his congregation, "Houses of worship have been burned down with impunity. Men who served our nation and have done their duty have been thrown into concentration camps because they belong to a different race. Our nation's infamy is bound to bring about divine punishment." [article link]
November 10, 2008: Bush popularity rating (24%) is lowest in history - Bush leaving office more unpopular than Nixon - "No other president's disapproval rating has gone higher than 70 percent - Bush 76% disapproval rating {Bush has left America with no reason to support or approve of his time in office.} WASHINGTON DC (CNN) -- On the day that President-elect Barack Obama is visiting the White House, a new national poll suggests that the current occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is the most unpopular president since approval ratings were first sought more than six decades ago. Seventy-six percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday disapprove of how President Bush is handling his job. That's an all-time high in CNN polling and in Gallup polling dating back to World War II. "No other president's disapproval rating has gone higher than 70 percent. Bush has managed to do that three times so far this year," says CNN polling director Keating Holland. "That means that Bush is now more unpopular than Richard Nixon was when he resigned from office during Watergate with a 66 percent disapproval rating." Before Bush, the record holder for presidential disapproval was Harry Truman, with a 67 percent disapproval rating in January of 1952, his last full year in office. [article link]
Voters distrust 'diluted' (liberal) GOP - A conservative non-profit organization has completed a study that shows the liberal tsunami on Election Day 2008 was not because the country wanted to move radically to the left, but because voters wanted to punish Republicans for abandoning conservative principles - the (Republican) party is "diluted" to the point where the American people do not really know what the GOP stands for anymore {This is the reason the Republicans lost their elections but the Conservative initiatives like the Marriage protection amendments won.} A conservative non-profit organization has completed a study that shows the liberal tsunami on Election Day 2008 was not because the country wanted to move radically to the left, but because voters wanted to punish Republicans for abandoning conservative principles. The American Issues Project (AIP) has released its report known as "Issue Autopsy '08," which came from a survey of swing-state voters in Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and
Virginia. AIP president Ed Martin says the survey indicates that despite the disastrous showing by the GOP, the country is not really that liberal. He says the "shellacking" delivered to the Republican Party last week reveals the party is "diluted" to the point where the American people do not really know what the GOP stands for anymore. "The voters -- the people who talked about who they were and what the principles and issues were for them in America -- are still sort of classically center-right people," Martin explains. "Their principles are smaller government, controlling spending, lower taxes, government competent when it is acting." [article link]
Republican Bill Frist - Good to have senators (Obama/Biden) in charge - Now is the time for a new beginning - I call for change throughout our legislative and executive branches - I encourage Democrats not to repeat the missteps made by Republicans by excluding thoughtful debate {If the Republicans in office think the Democrats are going to give them the time of day, they really are living in lala land. The Democrats consider being a Republican to be a criminal offense against society. The Democrats will outlaw the Republican Party and imprison the Republican leadership long before they ever consider listening to anything a Republican has to say. Note: The Republican leadership has always considered themselves to be the second rate party, afraid to govern, afraid to lead and afraid to make decisions of any kind only content to survive off the crumbs of the Democratic Party. Well, now the political crumbs are going to dry up and with it the Republican Party might cease to exist.} Editor's Note: William Frist, the former Republican majority leader of the U.S. Senate, is a physician. He was elected to represent Tennessee in the Senate in 1994 and served two terms before deciding not to run for reelection in 2006. NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) -- Now is the time for a new beginning. And how it is approached may well turn on the often overlooked fact that both the president-elect and the vice presidentelect are products of the U. S. Senate. America shines at her best in times of challenge, and never in my adult life have we seen more challenge coming from more dimensions. I encourage Republicans to rally behind this president-elect and openly express support for the call for change throughout our legislative and executive branches. I encourage Democrats not to repeat the missteps made by Republicans by excluding thoughtful debate. And I encourage the American people to stay involved with the intensity manifested by heightened participation in the democratic process. [article link]
{Flashback} By Debbie Schlussel: Prez Bush: No "God Bless America"? - Bush simply said, "May God Bless ya" {It looks like President Bush is no longer even attempting to keep up the facade that he is either religious or conservative. Bush's closest advisors in Washington have been Teddy Kennedy and Hillary Clinton. The Bush legislation has consisted of Teddy Kennedy's No Child Left Behind, Hillary's 2006 prescription drug plan, Bush's Illegal Alien Amnesty Plan, etc... The Media is trying to spin the news that Bush was some unreasonable conservative unwilling and unable to work with a single Democrat. The truth is Bush is unreasonable and unwilling to work with a single conservative Republican.} Is President Bush, in his last days in office, losing it . . . or at least forgetting something? Are his speechwriters and teleprompters forgetting? ... an ABC Radio broadcast of President Bush's address to the nation regarding the economic and financial crisis. At the conclusion of his speech--unless ABC Radio cut him off and it didn't sound like it--President Bush simply said, "May G-d Bless ya." There was none of the usual, "G-d Bless America." The omission--at least, to me--was glaring. Why was that omitted? Hopefully just an oversight, but the President uses teleprompters for his addresses to the nation, so whoever wrote that speech either deliberately didn't put it in, or forgot something important. And President Bush has addressed the country plenty of times. He shouldn't have forgotten that. (Plus, I didn't learn anything new from the speech. Did you?) First, they got rid of "The American Way" from Superman movies, and now "G-d Bless America" is gone. What's next? Well, at least the President asked G-d to bless us ("ya"). Just not U.S. [article link]
CuttingEdge.org: News Alert November 10, 2008 - "UK's Brown: Now is the time to build global society" - The international financial crisis has given world leaders a unique opportunity to create a truly global society, Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown will say in a keynote foreign policy speech on Monday. In his annual speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet, Brown ... will say Britain, the United States and Europe are key to forging a [secular - New Age] new world order (NWO)" "LONDON (Reuters) - The international financial crisis has given world leaders a unique opportunity to create a truly global society, Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown will say in a keynote foreign policy speech on Monday. In his annual speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet, Brown ... will say Britain, the United States and Europe are key to forging a new world order." Based upon voluminous evidence, Cutting Edge has always maintained that the current financial crisis was deliberately created in order to forge the government controlled economy called for in the plans for a New World Order. There is no room for Capitalism in the New Global Order and Russia and China proved that the Communist economy does not work, so the Illuminati tested the Fascist Economy in Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in the immediate aftermath of World War I, and continued the experiment in post-World War II Japan. These experiments proved that the Fascist Economy works so when Deng Jia-ping replaced Mao Tse-tung in 1980, the economy of China was changed from Communist to Fascist -- and the world today stands amazed at how economically rich and powerful China has become. Now, British Prime Minister Brown is boldly stating that a new economic order will arise out of this financial crisis! "'The alliance between Britain and the U.S. -- and more broadly between Europe and the U.S. -can and must provide leadership, not in order to make the rules ourselves, but to lead the global effort to build a stronger and more just international order' ... Uniquely in this global age, it is now in our power to come together so that 2008 is remembered not just for the failure of a financial crash that engulfed the world but for the resilience and optimism with which we faced the storm, endured it and prevailed' ..." Notice that he used past tense verbs in describing the financial crisis, even saying that the world's economies "endured it and prevailed". Indeed, we knew that this was the plan all along, and we were confident in the statement by author Bill Cooper in "Behold A Pale Horse" in which he said the Illuminati learned after World War II how to control the economies of the world as precisely as the Air Force can control a missile in flight! -- Therefore, we now know that the current financial crisis is being tightly controlled so that the nations of the world will endure it and "prevail", i.e., return to a condition of prosperity. But, it took a financial crisis of global proportions to accomplish this goal. PM Brown concluded on this global note: "My message is that we must be: internationalist not protectionist; interventionist not neutral; progressive not reactive; and forward looking not frozen by events. We can seize the moment and in doing so build a truly global society." This last point brings us to another quote from "Behold A Pale Horse" which shows that this global crisis originated in broad form as far back as 1917! "... secret societies were planning as far back as 1917 to invent an artificial threat ... in order to bring humanity together in a one-world government, which they call the New World Order." ["Behold A Pale Horse", by New Age author, Bill Cooper, p. 27] [article link]
Marines Credited With Rescue at California Motel Fire - A half-dozen off-duty Marines who raced through a burning motel on Sunday warning sleeping guests that it was on fire were hailed as lifesaving heroes - Amy Amadito-Phelps said she and her husband and 14-month-old son were sleeping in a room near the flames when they were awakened - She said the Marines saved their lives - "We were right next to a room completely on fire and we couldn't smell smoke" said Amadito-Phelps - "No fire alarms were going off" - "I'd call them absolute heroes" said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Pardi LAKE FOREST, Calif. - A half-dozen off-duty Marines who raced through a burning motel on Sunday warning sleeping guests that it was on fire were hailed as lifesaving heroes. ... Marine Pvt. Colton Oliver said he and two colleagues were walking along a second-floor landing about 8 a.m. when they saw flames and smoke. They rousted their fellow Marines and all six began knocking on doors and windows of rooms, urging people to leave. "Everybody was out by the time the firefighters got here," Oliver said. "It's what we're trained to do." Amy Amadito-Phelps said she and her husband and 14-month-old son were sleeping in a room near the flames
when they were awakened. She said the Marines saved their lives. "We were right next to a room completely on fire and we couldn't smell smoke," said Amadito-Phelps. "No fire alarms were going off. The only thing we heard was Marines banging on our windows and telling us to get out." The Camp Pendleton-based Marines, who were on leave, were also staying at the motel. "I'd call them absolute heroes," said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Pardi. [article link]
TheEdgeAM.com: November 8th, 2008 (Guest) Guy Malone - Bible Physics & The Abilities of Fallen Angels - In short, he feels people are dealing with fallen angels and global conspiricists, not true aliens from other planets {Guy makes many good points in his presentation and I completely agree that there isn't an Alien realm, because it doesn't make any sense. If Aliens were advanced enough to get here then they should be advanced enough to help us out, to cure cancer or to offer insight or do something-anything useful and helpful for mankind. However in every case the so called aliens are either abusive or become abusive and teach false doctrines i.e. Mormonism and Islam were both started by "Angel Messengers." I agree there isn't an Alien realm there is however a Spiritual realm and part of the Spiritual Realm is fallen and in rebellion against God.} (Mp3) Malone believes that the occult teachings and doctrines of modern (alleged) aliens, as well as intentional disinformation, is best countered with sound, verifiable research, coupled with sound Biblical doctrine. While affirming that UFOs are real (see his UFOs 101 lecture), and the fact that many people today are experiencing contacts with non-human intelligences, Malone feels the "extra-terrestrial hypothesis" (aliens) is the least provable and least likely explanation for the phenomena (and therefore an "article of faith" for it's adherents i.e., a religious viewpoint). His research has led him to instead favor a man-made view of suppressed technology as the probable explanation behind most UFO reports, and the Genesis 6 paradigm, which teaches that people are being brought into communication with deceiving angels intent on promoting an anti-christ worldview of global government (aka "The New World Order"). In short, he feels people are dealing with fallen angels and global conspiricists, not true aliens from other planets. Malone lives in Roswell New Mexico with his wife, and together they continue the work of protecting the elect against the coming grand delusion. [article link]
Churchgoers Nationwide Reflect on Obama Election - Christian clergy members on Sunday asked God to give Obama the wisdom and strength to lead the country out of what many consider a wilderness of despair and gloom Across the country, from a mostly white church in the Southwest to the pulpit from which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached his message of equality and nonviolent change, Christian clergy members on Sunday asked God to give Obama the wisdom and strength to lead the country out of what many consider a wilderness of despair and gloom. And on the day King famously called "the most segregated day of the week," they also called for the nation to come together behind the man who will be the first black president. In his Web message last week, senior pastor Gregg Matte of Houston's 167-year-old First Baptist Church decried a society that has turned to government as its savior. "Today," he wrote, "Hollywood is our pastor, technology is our Bible, charisma is our value and Barack Obama is our President." But from the pulpit Sunday, Matte asked the 1,000 or so mostly white faces staring back at him to "lift up President-elect Obama" even if he wasn't their choice on Tuesday. "Regardless of whether you voted for him or not, he's now our president come Jan. 20," he said. "So we're going to come behind him and pray for him and pray for wisdom, that God will give him wisdom and be able to really speak to his heart." [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: 70th Anniversary of Kristallnacht: Too Many of My People Have Forgotten (Photos) Today is the 70th Anniversary of Kristallnacht--the "Night of Broken Glass". On that night, Nazis raided, vandalized, burned down, or otherwise destroyed German Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues, while non-Jewish residents and police and fireman watched and did nothing. On November 9-10, 1938, more than 90 Jewish people were murdered and about 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps where they, too,
would mostly face death. Anti-Semitism always dominated Europe, which is why my paternal grandfather's family left for America at the turn of the century and my paternal grandmother left not long after. But the night of November 9, 1938 marked the official start of the Holocaust--the official symbol that this European antiSemitism had escalated to a level of even more unspeakable horrors against Jews than previously imagined. [article link]
Germany marks November 9, 1938 "Kristallnacht" or "Night of Broken Glass" pogrom (Jewish persecution) that led to Holocaust - A memorial concert and other events are also being held to mark the anniversary of the Nazi-incited riots that killed more than 91 Jews and damaged some 1,000 synagogues {The German attack on Judaism began Nationwide on September 15, 1935 with the enactment of "The Nuremberg Race Laws" The laws excluded German Jews from Reich citizenship and prohibited them from marrying or having sexual relations with persons of "German or related blood." Source: ushmm.org} BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel is calling on Germans to stand together against racism and anti-Semitism as the nation marks the 70th anniversary of the Nazi pogrom known as "Kristallnacht" or "Night of Broken Glass." Merkel has stressed that it is not enough to remember the events of November 9, 1938 through memorials and ceremonies but "we must always think how it was that it could come to this singular event, the Holocaust." The chancellor is taking part in an official ceremony later Sunday along with the head of the Central Council of German Jews Charlotte Knobloch. A memorial concert and other events are also being held to mark the anniversary of the Nazi-incited riots that killed more than 91 Jews and damaged some 1,000 synagogues. Hermann Simon, the director of Berlin's restored, gold-domed Neue Synagogue, firmly believes acts of commemoration are crucial to preventing a repeat of the destruction that gutted the city's landmark, central Jewish house of worship. Yet he acknowledges the how remains a challenge. "It's difficult to know how to commemorate a day of tragedy," Simon said. "We have to find a way, we need a new approach, but what is the right way?" German children begin learning in the middle-school years about the Nazis' attempt to destroy European Jewry that effectively began with Kristallnacht and culminated in the systematic murder of 6 million Jews by 1945. [article link]
The 1935 Nuremberg Race Laws - At the annual (Nazi) party rally held in Nuremberg in 1935, the Nazis announced new laws which institutionalized many of the racial theories prevalent in Nazi ideology - After the (1936) Olympic Games in which the Nazis did not allow German Jewish athletes to participate, the Nazis again stepped up the persecution of German Jews - In 1937 and 1938, the government set out to impoverish Jews by requiring them to register their property and then by "Aryanizing" Jewish businesses {At the resent 2008 Beijing China Olympics the Jewish athlete 1972 Olympic hero Mark Spitz was not allowed to attend China or participate in any way while Michael Phelps surpassed his 1972 seven gold medal wins with eight 2008 Olympic gold medals. Note: The current President Bush plan to takeover and consolidate large portions of the US financial market is just a Nazi style "Aryanizing" of American businesses. Currently American business and companies are systematically being dismantled, "Aryanized" (private hedge fund ownership) or outright destroyed while Middle-East Arab companies [and Mosques] are getting subsidized, funded and political preferential treatment from the NWO-Nazi Bush Administration along with the Democrats in office.} At the annual party rally held in Nuremberg in 1935, the Nazis announced new laws which institutionalized many of the racial theories prevalent in Nazi ideology. The laws excluded German Jews from Reich citizenship and prohibited them from marrying or having sexual relations with persons of "German or related blood." Ancillary ordinances to the laws disenfranchised Jews and deprived them of most political rights. -- The Nuremberg Laws, as they became known, did not define a "Jew" as someone with particular religious beliefs. Instead, anyone who had three or four Jewish grandparents was defined as a Jew, regardless of whether that individual identified himself or herself as a Jew or belonged to the Jewish religious community. Many Germans who had not practiced Judaism for years found themselves caught in the grip of Nazi terror. Even people with Jewish grandparents who had converted to Christianity were defined as Jews. ... After the Olympic Games in
which the Nazis did not allow German Jewish athletes to participate, the Nazis again stepped up the persecution of German Jews. In 1937 and 1938, the government set out to impoverish Jews by requiring them to register their property and then by "Aryanizing" Jewish businesses. This meant that Jewish workers and managers were dismissed, and the ownership of most Jewish businesses was taken over by non-Jewish Germans who bought them at bargain prices fixed by Nazis. Jewish doctors were forbidden to treat non-Jews, and Jewish lawyers were not permitted to practice law. -- Like everyone in Germany, Jews were required to carry identity cards, but the government added special identifying marks to theirs: a red "J" stamped on them and new middle names for all those Jews who did not possess recognizably "Jewish" first names "Israel" for males, "Sara" for females. Such cards allowed the police to identify Jews easily. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Spitz Should Have Been Invited to the "Phelps Olympics" That said, Mark Spitz has been an incredibly good sport in wishing Phelps well and in repeatedly telling interviewers that he hopes Phelps beats his 36-year record of holding the most Olympic Gold medals from any one Summer Games. He's also said he's held the record for too long, and that it's time to be broken. ... But Spitz is rightfully upset that no-one in the U.S. or International Olympic Committees invited him to the Olympics to watch Phelps break his record. Stupid move on their part. Here you have a champion magnanimously wishing another breaks his record, and no-one cares to invite him. He's simply ignored. And, frankly, from a marketing standpoint, it's stupid not to invite him. ... "You don't go to the Olympics just to say, 'I am going to go.' Especially because of who I am," Spitz, now 58, told a French wire service. "I am going to sit there and watch Michael Phelps break my record anonymously? That's almost demeaning to me. It is not almost -- it is." Exactly right. The NHL invited Gordie Howe to watch Wayne Gretzky beat his all-time goalscoring record. And other sports teams and leagues have done the same when other big records were broken. It's not only the right thing to do, it's great PR--PR, which everyone blew in the case of Spitz. To leave Spitz out is simply indecent. [article link]
A Summary of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (German theologian, author, pastor, teacher and martyr) - DIETRICH BONHOEFFER 1906-1945 - Kristallnacht That "night of broken glass" November 10, 1938, is the only date marked in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Bible {In 1938 Dietrich Bonhoeffer was on a North America speaking tour while residing at the Union Theological Seminary in NY. On the night of November 9, 1938 "Kristallnacht" Dietrich was in Canada on his speaking tour. On November 10, 1938 Dietrich read in his nightly Bible devotions Psalm 74, verse 8: "They said in their hearts, let us plunder their goods! They burn all the houses of God in the land….0 God, how long is the foe to scoff? How long will the enemy revile your name?" Bonhoeffer was so moved by the Psalm that he dated it in his Bible he then went into the living room of the house where he was a guest and turned on the radio to hear the first reports of the "Kristallnacht" terror night back in his native Germany. "Kristallnacht" occurred on November 9, 1938 and like all the news back then was reported (at least) a day later on the radio November 10, 1938.} Kristallnacht: That "night of broken glass" November 10, 1938, is the only date marked in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Bible. The day after the Nazi "Kristallnacht" destruction a concentrated attack on Jews and their homes, synagogues, and shops he marked the date next to Psalm 74, verse 8: "They said in their hearts, let us plunder their goods! They burn all the houses of God in the land…. 0 God, how long is the foe to scoff? How long will the enemy revile your name?" -- Having opposed Hitler and the Nazi party so far only in ideological terms, Bonhoeffer grew increasingly opposed to the Fuhrer and his party. He seriously contemplated leaving Germany, knowing war was inevitable and that he would never fight in Hitler's army. Offered a post at the Union Seminary in New York, he set out in June 1939, but by the time he arrived he had changed his mind. He wrote to a friend: "I have come to the conclusion that I made a mistake in coming to America…I shall have no right to take part in the restoration of Christian life in Germany after the war unless I share the trials of this time with my people." [article link]
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) - An oft-quoted line from one of his more widely read books, The Cost of Discipleship (1937), foreshadowed his death. "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die" - The theological and political reasons behind his shift from Christian pacifism, which he espoused in the mid-1930s, to participation in planning the assassination of Hitler are much debated - Bonhoeffer is one of the ten 20thcentury martyrs from across the world who are depicted in statues above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey, London Dietrich Bonhoeffer (February 4, 1906- April 9, 1945) was a German religious leader and participant in the resistance movement against Nazism. Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and theologian, took part in the plots being planned by members of the Abwehr (Military Intelligence Office) to assassinate Hitler. He was arrested, imprisoned, and eventually hanged following the failure of the July 20, 1944, assassination attempt. ... During World War II, Bonhoeffer played a key leadership role in the Confessing Church, which opposed the antisemitic policies of Adolf Hitler. He was among those who called for wider church resistance to Hitler's treatment of the Jews. While the Confessing Church was not large, it represented a major focus of Christian opposition to the Nazi government in Germany. ... Dietrich Bonhoeffer is considered a martyr for his faith; he was absolved of any crimes by the German government in the mid-1990s. The calendars of the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America commemorate him on April 9, the date on which he was hanged in 1945. An oft-quoted line from one of his more widely read books, The Cost of Discipleship (1937), foreshadowed his death. "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." His books Ethics (1949) and Letters and Papers from Prison (1953) were published posthumously. ... Bonhoeffer is one of the ten 20thcentury martyrs from across the world who are depicted in statues above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey, London. [article link]
The 1935 Nuremberg Race Laws - At the annual (Nazi) party rally held in Nuremberg in 1935, the Nazis announced new laws which institutionalized many of the racial theories prevalent in Nazi ideology - In 1937 and 1938, the (German) government set out to impoverish Jews by requiring them to register their property and then by "Aryanizing" Jewish businesses At the annual party rally held in Nuremberg in 1935, the Nazis announced new laws which institutionalized many of the racial theories prevalent in Nazi ideology. The laws excluded German Jews from Reich citizenship and prohibited them from marrying or having sexual relations with persons of "German or related blood." Ancillary ordinances to the laws disenfranchised Jews and deprived them of most political rights. -- The Nuremberg Laws, as they became known, did not define a "Jew" as someone with particular religious beliefs. Instead, anyone who had three or four Jewish grandparents was defined as a Jew, regardless of whether that individual identified himself or herself as a Jew or belonged to the Jewish religious community. Many Germans who had not practiced Judaism for years found themselves caught in the grip of Nazi terror. Even people with Jewish grandparents who had converted to Christianity were defined as Jews. ... After the Olympic Games in which the Nazis did not allow German Jewish athletes to participate, the Nazis again stepped up the persecution of German Jews. In 1937 and 1938, the government set out to impoverish Jews by requiring them to register their property and then by "Aryanizing" Jewish businesses. This meant that Jewish workers and managers were dismissed, and the ownership of most Jewish businesses was taken over by non-Jewish Germans who bought them at bargain prices fixed by Nazis. Jewish doctors were forbidden to treat non-Jews, and Jewish lawyers were not permitted to practice law. -- Like everyone in Germany, Jews were required to carry identity cards, but the government added special identifying marks to theirs: a red "J" stamped on them and new middle names for all those Jews who did not possess recognizably "Jewish" first names -- "Israel" for males, "Sara" for females. Such cards allowed the police to identify Jews easily. [article link]
Bible verse: Isaiah 8:9-10 Associate yourselves [NWO], O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; ... {The complete Bible is available at ChristianFaithDownloads.com}
Isaiah 8:9-10 Associate yourselves [NWO], O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird (arm) yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take [occult] counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word [Israel's destruction], and it shall not stand: for God is with us (Israel). -- Holy Bible [article link]
!!!NWO Fake Ancient Fable Alert!!! - Does Israel = ISIS--RA--EL (Isis, Ra) Egyptian gods? No! [Note: El does = YHWH or Jehovah in Hebrew, Israel = governed by God or "upright with YHVH"] - We've been over this before, and the "Isis-ra-el" concept is disinformation, put out by someone who has quite an [NWO] agenda - The IsisRe-El connection is, frankly silly - It relies on picking names from different time periods, (two different Nations) and kitbashing them together and coming to a conclusion that proves the disinformant's pet theory We've been over this before, and the "Isis-ra-el" concept is disinformation, put out by someone who has quite an agenda. In fact, if you look at history AND the bible, you will see that the name means "upright with YHVH" en.wikipedia.org... The Isis-Re-El connection is, frankly silly. It relies on picking names from different time periods and kitbashing them together and coming to a conclusion that proves the disinformant's pet theory. It's kind of like kitbashing together "Snoop" (rapper Snoop Doggy Dog) and "John" from St. John and "Bee" from "Aunt Bea" of "The Andy Griffith Show" and then saying that the song "Sloop John B" is actually a song that has hidden meanings about the Civil Rights movement spying on John F Kennedy. Really. The idea is THAT [unlikely]. ... To put it bluntly, you have learned exactly what you were supposed to have learned [from secular society]. Do you not understand that Lucifer knew of Gods plan to send the Son of God so Satan became [titled] the sun god. No matter what you think you know, Babylon came before any of the other cultures, shortly after the flood. You are being deceived [thinking Christianity is a copy and mix of other false religions], it's nothing new. ... Nimrod, Semiramis, and Tammuz are all prototypes of the false gods, or haven't you figured that out yet. Just twists and turns. Same lie different versions. Nimrod a real person is killed is said to become Baal and Semiramis his mother-wife becomes pregnant by the sun(Baal) and has a son Tammuz. Zeus the Greek head god as Nimrod(Baal) impregnates a mortal and has Hercules the son of god the savior of men. All designed to keep mankind from seeing the true Son of God who walked earth and was the savior of mankind. Check out all the eastern religions Hinduism, Buddism, Shintoism, Confucainism etc., etc. etc. ... The ideas that you are talking about have been largely rejected by those who research the history of religions. The idea that the coincidences between Christianity and the pagan myths is the work of the devil is the result of [truth and] early Christian apologists. The idea that most ancient myths are actual Solar Myths is from Max Muller, an early researcher in comparative mythology, and, again, his ideas are practically universally rejected today. [article link]
{Flashback} ***NWO Hoax Alert*** World Net Daily Book - Bible [False] fact No. 19: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob not Jews {[Genesis 14:12-13 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the *Hebrew; (it is later Abraham with the -ah- breath of life from God added to Abram and his wife Sarai after receiving the breath of life from God becomes Sarah - Genesis 17:15).] The word Hebrew means "Wanderer" Judah in Hebrew means "Praise Praise to God" the person and tribe of Judah was named after an already existing Hebrew-Jewish word. Abraham is the Father of the Jewish (Judaism - "people of praise" [Wikipedia]) nation it was Abraham then his son Isaac and then Jacob (Israel) that each received the promises of God (Covenant of circumcision Genesis 17:8-14) that are passed down to the Nation Tribes of Israel. Noah lived before Abraham and Noah is the Father of All Nations (all modern post flood Nations) while Abraham a descendant of Noah is the Father of the Hebrew-Jewish Nation and Abraham in receiving the -ah- "born again" Spirit-breath of life from God, Abraham is the Father of Faith (Romans 4:16) "...of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all." Judah is not the start of the Jewish nation [Abraham is] and has NEVER been presented as being the start as Judah is a brother (a 12th) of the 12 Tribes of Israel (Jacob), you can't be born into something that already exists and then be considered the start of it. Note: Most or all False bible teachings come out of twisting and misrepresenting
Bible words and passages. God has a plan for mankind and the Jews-Hebrews the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 6:3-4, Acts 3:13) are the chosen center piece of God's plan (Genesis 12:1-3) for mankind.} One of the most common misconceptions some people have about the Bible is that the Old Testament centers only on Jews and Judaism, while the New Testament focuses on Christians and Christianity. Many assume some of the most well-known heroes - including Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (whose named was changed to Israel) - were Jews. Though these worshippers of God were the ancestors of the Jews, when the Holy Scriptures are read without any preconceived notions, it is impossible for themselves to have been Jews. How can this be? The answer is simple. Those people were all born before a man named Judah, whose name is the origin of the word "Jew." This is just one of the stunning facts brought to light in "Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told," the stunning new best-seller by Joe Kovacs, the executive news editor of WND. [article link]
Radio Liberty: Date 10-14-08 - Hour: c - 2 hrs. 8:00-9:00: Pastor Joe Schimmel: (Dr.) Kinsey and the attack on Christianity (Mp3's) Dr. Monteith currently spends five hours daily on talk radio, writes extensively, and lectures on geopolitics. He has spent 30 years researching the causes for America's spiritual and moral decline. [article link]
New Release!!! - The Kinsey Syndrome - Working secretly in his attic, Dr. Kinsey was one of America's original pornographers - "The number of victims of childhood sexual abuse and molestation grows each year - This horrific crime is directly tied to the growth of pornography on the Internet" - Among his workers was a Nazi pedophile whose relationship to Kinsey was exposed in a German court (DVD) This documentary shows how "The Kinsey Reports" have been used to change the laws concerning sex crimes in America, resulting in the minimal sentences so often given to rapists and pedophiles. Further explained is that the Kinsey data laid the foundation for sex education -- training teachers, psychologists and even Catholic priests in human sexuality. What has been the consequence? And what was Kinsey's research really based upon? Working secretly in his attic, Dr. Kinsey was one of America's original pornographers. His influence inspired Hugh Hefner to launch Playboy Magazine - the "soft" approach to porn - which in time would escalate the widespread use of pornography through magazines, cable TV and the Internet. In 2006 the California Child Molestation & Sexual Abuse Attorneys reported that: "The number of victims of childhood sexual abuse and molestation grows each year. This horrific crime is directly tied to the growth of pornography on the Internet." Perhaps most disturbing, Alfred Kinsey has been accused of training pedophiles to work with stopwatches and record the responses of children being raped - all in the name of "science." Among his workers was a Nazi pedophile whose relationship to Kinsey was exposed in a German court. The information from these crimes was then recorded in "Table 34" of Kinsey's Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. How can lawmakers use such a document to define the moral parameters of our society? Why has the truth about Kinsey been suppressed for so long? And what can Americans do to make a difference? [article link]
Election 2008 Review: Ron Paul illuminati Hand Signal - Masonic Handshake? (videos - Photos) Ron Paul Masonic Handshake? Freemasons use many forms of secret handshakes or hand gestures to show loyalty to their fellow members. At times, members use the secret handshake so that the person they shakehands with, can then come to know that person is a fellow mason. Many of the men world leaders are members of the freemasonry. An routley, they give the secret handshake to each other that can be seen in many photos on web sites. Below are photos from a video of Ron Paul on the program of Bill Maher's show 5/25/07. They seem to show him using the secret handshake. Also, at the bottom of the page, one can see a photo of Tony Blair shaking the hand of Pope Benedict XVI and once again it looks to be the secret handshake
that is used by the Freemasons. [Masonic handshake is used by Tony Blair not Pope Benedict XVI.] [article link]
{Flashback} Eyes Wide Shut: Occult Symbolism - Figure 24 Here, Dr. Harford (Tom Cruise) displays an Illuminati hand-neck (sacrifice) sign - Figure 24a Here, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan makes the same hand (sacrifice) sign on the September 18, 2007 edition of THE DAILY SHOW {The actors for the movie EWS were chosen not just as actors 'acting' out a movie but as actual occultists 'reenacting' their secret lives.} (Photos) "A number of dictionaries of symbols state that the hand placed on the neck signifies sacrifice. Now, sacrifice can have at least two meanings --- one, the continuing threat of the penalties to be applied to punish those adepts and initiates who so impertinently reveal the secrets of the Order; and two, the willingness of the individual performing the sign to sacrifice himself for the good of the Order, or for the good of the cause or Great Work of the Illuminati." Take a good close look at the screenshot of Dr. Harford holding the palm of his hand to his cheek. Has the reader ever seen anything like this in another film? ... As the dream story draws to a close, the viewer is left wondering just exactly has gone on in this film. Fantasy has been juxtaposed with reality, and the blurring between both worlds remains uncertain. The viewer is left wondering about the significance of the mask laying upon the pillow, as Alice lay sleeping beside it. Likewise, the viewer is left wondering if the events truly happened, or if they were imagined. As filmmaker Richard Linklater, who hails from Austin, Texas USA, asked in his 2001 film Waking Life: "Are we sleep-walking through our waking state, or wake-walking through our dreams?" This appears to be a valid question to ask, especially given the Illuminati's propensity to inject heavy doses of fantasy to keep as many people asleep as they can, sleeping as they do, with their eyes wide shut. [article link]
{Flashback} The Wrong Way (Occult) Wizard [secular blog - movie review] - "Eyes Wide Shut" 1999 by Stanley Kubrick - The acronym EWS is a big give away to the topography of the film - The missing letter from the set of E, W and S is 'N' where it stands for North - The falling star is Lucifer - The [False] Secret Doctrine tells us that Satan is the true name of Jehovah - architect of our Matrix (existence) {"Eyes Wide Shut" is one of the most Satanic movies of all time next to "The Wizard of OZ" and like OZ this move is a mirror of our modern 'secular (mind control) - occult' society. To read this review (no need to watch the movie) is to glimpse the structure of the NWO that is even now predominating society with its fake ancient fables, crude, nasty, vulgar exhibit of debasing fornication, lies, deceit, meaningless deceptions and endless death. Already, what a fraud, waste of time and loss of precious life the NWO is turning out to be.} EWS is itself an attempt, through incomparable artifice, to carry out a mass analysis and re-program. The program in question initiates the Age of Horus, which reads in some plain words as an attempt to socialize and market individualism and de-construct the western nuclear family - among other delights. Kubrick delivers both a scathing comment on 20th century values and a psychoanalytic trigger for the New World Values that will replace them. -- Conspiracy theorists hop around ground-zero, NYC, like jumping beans. Ask and most can give startling details of the myriad web that links the Skull and Bones Society to the protracted events leading up to 9/11. Many a robust young researcher has been exhausted chasing leads to back before the second world war and yonder still. There are some sharp points to be made, no doubt, for those with a nose for finery, but Da WWWiz wishes to show the big rainbow connexion. 9/11 = Death. We have blinked, missed the rapture, and hopskotched the kingdom of Malkuth straight into Hell. 9(10)11. It is just that simple and just that awesome. The overarching mystery of 9/11 is no commonplace conspiracy, but the full-scale initiation of humanity into death culture. EWS is both a document and keystone to these events: on the morining of Sept. 11, 2001, all the lost souls were dragged, kicking and screaming, beyond the surly bonds of Time toward Uranus and the depths of Hades. ... This is a large claim so I will stand on it. The key is the number of the Harford's apartment, numbered 5A. This motif is used througout the film. Kubrick is numbering the age that he depicts as the Fifth Age, the Piscean (Christian) Age, which is grinding to a halt as you read. The magnetic
power of Kubrick's metaphor is that it clings to the external world from which it is manifested and somehow carries it's audience across into impossible abyss of the unleashed imagination foretold as the (New Age) Age of Aquarius. EWS is an Ark. By the method of housing reality for posterity EWS is the one and only cinematic equal to the impossible Quintuple Axel, and likewise it defies gravity. Events not made in any way explicit are implied to the level of absolute certainty. Earth culture has been shaped, for 2000 years, by western values, and the World of EWS is tied on every level to the mutli-colored arc of that civilization. It's all inside. ... The events of Sept 11, 2001 are both predicted and depicted by EWS. When Alice drops her dress we can pinpoint the undoings of EWS as just after 9/11. Compare these images of the Thoth Priestess, the Waite Priestess and the nude Alice Harford with the words attributed to ISIS by M.P. Hall in The Secret Teachings of All Ages: I, Isis, am all that has been, is, or will be, and no mortal man has ever me unveiled. Kubrick shows ISIS stripped bare. The Twin Pillars of Boaz and Joachim have tumbled down and we have entered the land of the dead. Eyes Wide Shut is the chronicle of the secret conspiracy behind those events. The greatest conspiracy the universe has known. And we're all in on it. [article link]
{Flashback} **Gnosticism: New Release! Hollywood's War on God [Christian DVD] - Learn how these movies are initiating the masses into a Gnostic worldview that will culminate in a "strong delusion" as the world joins Satan & the final Antichrist in their war against God {The Stanley Kubrick movie "Eyes Wide Shut" is among the movies reviewed.} (DVD - $19.95) Hollywood's War on God is a mind-blowing, eye-popping documentary that reveals how satanic forces are using Hollywood's most memorable movies and most popular actors to propagate an ancient lie in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Learn how these movies are initiating the masses into a Gnostic worldview that will culminate in a "strong delusion" as the world joins Satan & the final Antichrist in their war on God. Such titles include Ron Howard & Tom Hanks "The Da Vinci Code"; Keanu Reeves "The Matrix" and "Constantine"; Brad Pitt's "Fight Club"; Jim Carrey's "Truman Show"; Toby McQuire's "Pleasantville"; Arnold Swarzenegger's "Total Recall"; Johnny Depp's "From Hell"; Shawn Connery's "League of Extraordinary Gentleman"; J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter"; Harrison Ford's "Bladerunner"; Tom Cruise's "Vanilla Sky," "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Minority Report" and many others. [article link]
Election 2008 Final - Remarks from Senator John McCain - Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history, we make history. Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you all very much. {Election 2008 wrap-up - The Republican party is in disarray so much so that America is rapidly transitioning into a one-party system and it won't be the Republican Party that is the one active Party left in America. The main bright spot in the 2008 election was Sarah Palin and also the amazing Cindy McCain. The hidden truth is that Cindy McCain made the crucial decisions that kept that campaign viable and in the running. America thanks the McCains and the Palins for a job well done in facing the impossible election conditions generated by the current Bush Republican administration.} Thank you. Thank you, my friends. Thank you for coming here on this beautiful Arizona evening. My friends, we have -- we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly. A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Senator Barack Obama to congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love. In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving. ... I am so deeply grateful to all of you for the great honor of your support and for all you have done for me. I wish the outcome had been different, my friends. The road was a difficult one from the outset. But your support and friendship never wavered. I cannot adequately express how deeply indebted I am to you. I am especially grateful to my wife, Cindy, my children, my dear mother and all my family and to the
many old and dear friends who have stood by my side through the many ups and downs of this long campaign. I have always been a fortunate man, and never more so for the love and encouragement you have given me. You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate's family than on the candidate, and that's been true in this campaign. All I can offer in compensation is my love and gratitude, and the promise of more peaceful years ahead. I am also, of course, very thankful to Governor Sarah Palin, one of the best campaigners I have ever seen and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength. Her husband Todd and their five beautiful children with their tireless dedication to our cause, and the courage and grace they showed in the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign. We can all look forward with great interest to her future service to Alaska, the Republican Party and our country. ... And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties but to believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history, we make history. Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you all very much. [article link]
CrossTalk Podcast (Mp3's) Crosstalk Radio Talk Show is heard each weekday on over 80 radio outlets across America and worldwide on the Internet. Crosstalk covers the issues that affect our world, our nation, our families and the Christian church from a perspective centered in the Word of God. Whether we discuss the economy, the political scene, the continuing moral collapse of our nation, legislation that affects the family, or the state of evangelicalism, our authority is found in the unchanging standard of the Holy Scriptures. Veteran co-hosts Dr. Vic Eliason, Jim Schneider, and Ingrid Schlueter have worked as a team for over 20 years to bring solid information to the body of Christ. [article link]
Michelle Malkin: Memo to McCain blabbermouths - "Character is destiny" (book by John McCain 2008) -- Sarah Palin worked her heart out - She energized tens of thousands to come out who would have otherwise stayed home - She touched countless families My syndicated column today takes on the cowardly character assassins in the McCain campaign who are trying to kneecap Sarah Palin. More than 10,000 people signed the petition yesterday expressing thanks to Sarah Palin for stepping up to the plate. I had to close it off due to liberal hate trolls indulging their PDS. Their comments will be deleted. I'll print off the petition and send the whole thing off to the Alaska Governor's office. The question now is whether John McCain - proud author of books on character and courage, honor and duty - will just sit on the sidelines and let this debacle continue or stand up and defend the running mate he chose. ... Sarah Palin worked her heart out. She energized tens of thousands to come out who would have otherwise stayed home. She touched countless families. I didn't agree with everything she said on the campaign trail. But she vigorously defended the Second Amendment and the sanctity of life more eloquently in practice than any of the educated conservative aristocracy. And she did it all with a tirelessness and infectious optimism that defied the shameless, bottomless attempts by elites in both parties to bring her and her family down. Liberty needs a virtuous people to survive; self-governance requires virtuous leaders. -- "The most important thing I have learned, from my parents, from teachers, from my faith, from many good people I have been blessed to know, and from the lives of people whose stories we have included in this book," John McCain wrote in Character is Destiny, "is to want what they had, integrity, and to feel the sting of my conscience when I have risked it for some selfish reason." John McCain not only failed to make that message stick with the electorate, he apparently couldn't persuade his own staff to heed his advice and practice what he preached. [article link]
RedState.com: No Palin, No base! - I've had it with the post-election Palin backbiting I was aghast last night, listening to Carl Cameron's report about McCain's aides bashing of Palin on The O'Reilly Factor. I was seething when more alleged details were leaked anonymously on Thursday. Until their anonymous
veils are lifted, ALL of McCain's aides will be tainted as untrustworthy and should be viewed as disloyal. Even Hillary Clinton's aides aired their dirt with names attached. Good luck getting hired by a future candidate when "McCain campaign staffer" is listed on your resume. FoxNews' Carl Cameron's reports should be taken with a huge grain of salt. He was profusely anti-Fred Thompson during the primaries. I lost count how many times he gleefuly displayed drive-by tendencies against the conservative candidates running. Bias-light. [article link]
RedState.com: Erick Erickson's Diary -- Comments: fox news said in one news story more "bad" things about Mrs. Palin than the rest of the MSM said bad about the massiah (Obama) in 9 months - I'm so glad you guys finally realize just how Fair and Balanced Fox News is - You can tell Palin felt she was holding up the campaign - Now that I think about it, I'm not sure what states McCain secured for the ticket, besides Arizona - Tuesday night watching the numbers I'm thinking Obama takes 48 states if Palin was not on the R ticket - They didn't come close in any blue state a Moderate at the top of the ticket was supposed to have a chance at {So apparently the Bush, Rove, Mitt Romney people are the ones orchestrating this after election [Fox news report] credibility attack on Gov. Sarah Palin. Of course they are going after her to further thier own agendas and political ambitions. Sarah Palin has them running scared and for good reason because if Palin isn't on the next ticket then neither are the voters and that is their dilemma in not wanting any conservatives representing their party.} Comments: I'm kind of surprised Fox (news) was the one to break the Africa/NAFTA thing, though. Are they trying to kneecap her, for some reason? ... I'm so glad you guys finally realize just how Fair and Balanced Fox News is ... This is an early hatchet job on top contender, pure and simple! I don't care whether these ridiculous rumours are coming directly from Romney or not. Fox is pulling the strings. They went hard Romney in final days of primary and now they are kneecapping all his opposition. Just wait for the dossiers to start appearing on FNC. But will talk radio be on board? BOYCOTT IF THEY KEEP THIS UP. FNC needs to learn that this is still a republic! They don't get to turn MSNBC on us! ... You can tell Palin felt she was holding up the campaign. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure what states McCain secured for the ticket, besides Arizona. McCain might have lost the entire south without the religious conservatives she brought on board. Tuesday night watching the numbers I'm thinking Obama takes 48 states if Palin was not on the R ticket. They didn't come close in any blue state a Moderate at the top of the ticket was supposed to have a chance at. ... thing I got right about this stinking election is that the blame would be on Palin. Folks, she is a Conservative, and is a rising star, so she must be destroyed. "Also," to quote Sarah, if she didn't know all the things they say she didn't know who does that say more about, her or McCain! So, the Evangelica wing to the Party is now being beat down. Is this really the direction, Republicans want to go? [article link]
Tensions between McCain (Bush people) and Palin camps come to light - a (Bush) Republican Party lawyer would be dispatched to Alaska to inventory and retrieve the clothes still in her possession - [I don't think there is a problem between McCain and Palin it is the Bush Party people that are kicking Palin to the curb because the Bush family is scared to pieces of Sarah Palin an actual conservative Republican] {God Bless Sarah Palin! Sarah did an incredible job and our Nation is proud of her and of her effort! From the start the Bush Republican Party never wanted to win this 2008 election. When Sarah Palin came on the scene and brought excitement to the Republican ticket the Bush handlers immediately began to sabotage her at every move. Isn't it odd that the Bush handlers sent Palin to the jungles of Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric to do her interviews instead of to Bill O'Reilly or other friendly interviewers so she could have a civil interview and half a chance at succeeding? But then that's what the Bush family objective is in not allowing Sarah Palin or any other true conservatives to succeed in politics.} Reporting from Phoenix -- Sarah Palin left the national stage Wednesday, but the controversy over her role on the ticket flared as aides to John McCain disclosed new details about her expensive wardrobe purchases and revealed that a Republican Party lawyer would be dispatched to Alaska to inventory and retrieve the clothes
still in her possession. [I doubt there are that many stores in Alaska so she should shop when and where she has the chance]. Tensions have simmered for much of the last month between aides loyal to McCain and those loyal to Palin, but they boiled over after the Republican nominee's defeat, as both sides spoke freely -- though anonymously -- about the wardrobe controversy and other conflicts. Two aides to McCain and two to Palin discussed the tensions but asked that their names not be revealed, saying they were not comfortable speaking openly about internal operations. ... Resentments had started to brew earlier. Palin was not comfortable with the team of handlers sent by (Bush) party headquarters to manage her appearances, and there were frequent conflicts between the staff at (Bush) headquarters and her traveling staff. Palin felt constrained by the fact that she had little decision-making power, and questioned the directions being given to her by the (Bush) campaign, an aide said. -- In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Palin denied that there were tensions with the McCain camp [the tensions were with the Bush people]. But that is at odds with accounts from aides on both sides. The strain worsened, the aides said, after Palin was recorded talking to a Canadian comedian who pretended to be French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Campaign staffers said McCain's top aides were blindsided by the call, which they said was approved by Palin foreign policy aide Steve Biegun. McCain aides said the Palin camp did not notify McCain's senior staff or the State Department about the supposed contact. Outraged, Schmidt organized a conference call. He demanded to know who had arranged the call, and questioned why anyone would have agreed to such an unusual request and then failed to clear it with top staff, McCain aides said. Biegun immediately took responsibility. In an interview Wednesday, he said some aides at McCain headquarters were in fact aware of the call, and that it had been on the schedule for "a couple days." "I was fooled," he said. "No one's going to beat me up more than I beat myself up for setting up the (Alaskan) governor (Palin) like that." [article link]
**Dr. Francis Schaefer - Watershed of the Evangelical World (Mp3's) Your online source for the very best in Christian discipleship training resources. We're digitizing thousands of classic studies that have been presented over the last 60 years and will be making them available for online training or downloading to your multimedia-ready computer. Vision: As many messages as possible, from Christian speakers in disciplemaking ministry, are being archived in digital form and made freely available on the Internet. Wherever access to the Web is available, in any country around the world, whether by wireless connection on an airplane, or on a submerged submarine, users should be able to access thousands of the best archived messages from Godly men and women covering hundreds of topics of interest. [article link]
SermonIndex.net: Dr. Francis Schaefer (Mp3's - Video Downloads) VISION OF THIS MINISTRY: 'The mission of SermonIndex is the preservation and propagation of classical vintage preaching and the promotion of genuine biblical revival to this generation.' The work and ministry of sermonindex can be encapsulated in this one word: Revival. Sermonindex is not an organization, business, or any attempt by man to build something for God. It is rather a expression of a heart burden to see the Church revived and brought back to holiness, purity, and power with God. The main thrust of the speakers and articles on the website are towards an 'apostolic' vision of the church of God found in Holy Scriptures. This biblical balanced Christianity is something needed in contrast to our modern day commercial, superficial, cultural Christianity. The desire for a spiritual awakening is in hopes that it will restore this original apostolic church in this world as a better expression of what the Church should be. 'I was now beholding a precious gem, what my heart had been longing for. The strong preaching that seems to have gone by the wayside has once again been resurrected.' - Mike Balog. [article link]
LivePrayer.com: Daily Devotional - As a follower of Christ, a servant of the most high Lord, all we have is His message. NOTHING ELSE! Despite the illusion so many high profile men and women of God are under, especially those who are on TV, they are not celebrities, they are not stars, and this is not Hollywood! We are
nothing more than spokespeople for the Lord and despite how clever we may convince ourselves into thinking we are, we only have one message that matters, THE GOSPEL! All the rest is wood, hay, and stubble! If we are doing what we do for ANY other reason than to serve the Lord, if we have any other message but the Gospel, than we have totally failed God! My friend, that is all any of us can ask. All you can ask of your unsaved family members, neighbors, classmates, the people you work with, those you meet along your daily journey, is that they hear your message. God gave each person free will. We can't force anyone to believe. We can't force anyone to give their heart and life to Jesus. We can't force anyone to live their life according to the Bible. All we can do is share the message of Christ's love and the Truth of God's Word and than pray for that person. People are hearing the messages of the world loud and clear virtually every waking moment. Even Christians are hearing the messages of the world all throughout the day. Why do you think so many Believers fall into sin, go the way of the world despite having placed their faith in Jesus Christ? THEY ARE INFLUENCED BY THE MESSAGES THE WORLD IS SENDING THEM CONSTANTLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY! -- That is why we have been commanded by God to share our faith with others, to share with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is why I challenge you all the time to become more bold and not to let those opportunities we all get each day to tell someone about Jesus pass you by. We take for granted that people will hear the message from someone else. We take for granted that because the person is alive today they will be alive tomorrow. THE FACT IS GOD PUT YOU IN THEIR LIFE TO SHARE WITH THEM THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST'S LOVE AND THEY MAY NOT BE ALIVE TOMORROW SINCE TOMORROW IS PROMISED TO NONE OF US!!!! [article link]
**40DaysForLife.com: I am in complete awe of the unprecedented level of pro-life activity that is stirring all across America and Canada as more than 170 cities actively gear up for this fall's 40 Days for Life campaign 2008 -- at a crucial time when abortion is back at the top of the news headlines and in the forefront of the heated political debate (Mp3) We've also learned of many other organizations now joining in 40 Days for Life's call for nationwide prayer, fasting, and action: The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION has joined the call, asking all believers to unite together in the 2008 September 24 - November 2 season of prayer and fasting. ... This fall is not only going to be the largest and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history, it could also be one of the largest unified 40-day seasons of prayer and fasting in North America during our lifetime. WOW! Who would have ever believed that this would go from one simple idea to a worldwide movement - in just ONE YEAR……But, by the grace of God, it has. And YOU can help shape history by participating! [article link]
**Announcement** Basic Christian is going to 'broadcast' a smaller news feed version - Past Basic Christian Info-News Feed items have been archived and are now available in both PDF and RSS format The Basic Christian info-news feed is now broadcasting a smaller version news feed. Originally the feed maintained about 50 news items however the feed has ballooned to over a couple of hundred of news items. This is an attempt to save time for those who download the current news feed and also to more evenly distribute our internet resources. The vast majority of past news items are now available as archive files in both PDF and the original RSS. The free downloads are currently available at ww.BasicChristian.us. [article link]
Free Downloads: (PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
Updated 07-02-2007 - The BasicChristian.org Website Articles Version 2007 (PDF) - Now Available (545 Pages) Basic Christian Full Content PDF Version 2007. The BasicChristian.org most complete resource. [article link]
** Labor Day 2007 Project 'Labor with the LORD' Download and Listen to these 65 mp3 files - Then pass along to others these Excellent Short Sermon Messages set to background Music - {All the Mp3's fit on one CD} (FREE - Mp3's) I burned many Compilations from the Audio Section on CDs so we can hand them out to people. I had several opinions in which order to place the tracks; I think they turned out good. I give the red one to anyone, but the blue one to younger people because the first track is a bit intense. You can download the entire CD's with the things I printed, the link is below. More information is at the bottom. [article link]
Lifespring Podcast Archives 1991 - 1994 (Mp3's) It is the most natural thing in the world to want, even chase after, joy and happiness. (And by the way, those, to me, are two different things). As a matter of fact, the American Declaration of Independence talks about "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." So this isn't new. It's been important to people since the dawn of man. What's the difference between joy and happiness? To me, happiness is an emotion you feel from an outside event. Joy is something that comes from within, it's based not on present circumstances, but on, well, that's what the show is about today. I talk about the chase, the pursuit of happiness and joy, on this show. [article link]
Microsoft Downplays Stealth Update Concerns - saying that silent modifications to the Windows Update (WU) software have been a longtime practice and are needed to keep users patched In fact, the practice has been going on for some time, Clinton claimed. "The Windows Update client is configured to automatically check for updates anytime a system uses the WU service, independent of the selected settings for handling updates. This has been the case since we introduced the Automatic Update feature in Windows XP. In fact, WU has autoupdated itself many times in the past," he said. That would be news to the majority of people who filled several threads on Microsoft's own support newsgroups starting in late August. "I found this information by myself, checking the Windows directories," griped someone identified as Frank. "But the point is that I didn't allow the update (Automatic Update properties on 'notify') and there is no information about this update on Microsoft [Web pages]. Why [didn't] Microsoft publish any information about this update?" [article link]
Greenspan: Oil the Prime Motive for Iraq War - America's elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil {It isn't America that is benefiting from Bush's oil and opium wars. Bush is funding his radical Islam army in part with our Tax dollars, the Oil money of Iraq and the Opium money of Afghanistan. That is why we now pay $3.00+ at the pump for gas instead of $1-$2 and why the USA $ is now near an all time low exchange rate providing a bargain for foreign oil rich investors to buy up American assets at discount prices.} America's elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil. In his long-awaited memoir, to be published tomorrow, Greenspan, a Republican whose 18-year tenure as head of the US Federal Reserve was widely admired, will also deliver a stinging critique of President George W. Bush's economic policies. However, it is his view on the motive for the 2003 Iraq invasion that is likely to provoke the most controversy. "I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil," he says. Greenspan, 81, is understood to believe that Saddam Hussein posed a threat to the security of oil supplies in the Middle East. Britain and America have always insisted the war had nothing to do with oil. Bush said the aim was to disarm
Iraq of weapons of mass destruction and end Saddam's support for terrorism. [article link]
Value Voter 2008 Presidential Debate - If you want to see where they stand on the traditional, pro-family issues, don't miss this debate - please call and e-mail the following candidates and request they participate in the event - Rudy Giuliani - Mitt Romney - John McCain - Fred Thompson - Tell The RNC you want these candidates to show up {Looks like the greater part of the GOP is AWOL when it concerns the Values Voters.} Mark the date! September 17 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The Values Voter Presidential Debate held in Fort Lauderdale will be streamed live by the American Family Association. What makes this debate different? The candidates will be asked questions related to abortion, immigration, marriage and other issues Values Voters consider important. If you want to see where they stand on the traditional, pro-family issues, don't miss this debate. The debate will be moderated by Joseph Farah who is the founder of the very popular website WorldNetDaily. ... "Unlike other straw polls where candidates have bussed in supporters or paid for their tickets, the Values Voter Straw poll conducted at this Presidential debate promises results consistent with the largest voting block in America-the Values Voter," said Mat Staver, Chairman of Liberty Counsel and member of the host committee. "This will be the most important straw poll yet." [article link]
BasicChristian.org
Basic Christian: Info, News and Resources 2007 Articles A Lamplighter For Christ - A Celebration and Remembrance of the Life of D. James Kennedy, Ph.D (Book And DVD - $50) This lavishly illustrated look at Dr. Kennedy's life and ministry features pages of stirring photographs and touching tributes from friends and fellow Christian leaders. The companion DVD, D. James Kennedy: His Life and Legacy, offers a one-hour documentary with never-before seen footage and interviews to give you new insight into this servant of Jesus Christ. As an added bonus, the DVD includes a moving message Dr. Kennedy preached about Heaven. The book, A Lamplighter for Christ, and the special DVD, D. James Kennedy: His Life and Legacy, are yours for your memorial gift to Coral Ridge Ministries of $50 or more. [article link]
Hoffa: Bush creating North American Union - Teamsters boss: Mexican trucks part of 'master plan' for 'supergovernment' - he is convinced "the Bush administration has a master plan to erase all borders and to have a super-government in North America" Saying he is convinced "the Bush administration has a master plan to erase all borders and to have a supergovernment in North America," James P. Hoffa, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, celebrated the Senate's 75-23 vote Tuesday night to block the Department of Transportation's Mexican truck demonstration project. In an exclusive interview with WND, Hoffa argued that the Bush administration push to allow Mexican trucks into the U.S. is symptomatic of a larger administration plan advanced by multi-national corporations to create a European Union-style regional 'super-government' in North America. "Congress has now spoken out and said Mexican trucks cannot come into the United States until they meet our standards," Hoffa told WND. He noted the Senate seconded the House's overwhelming 411-3 vote to pass the Safe Roads Act of 2007, a bill also targeted to block the Mexican truck project. "We're very excited about the Senate vote," Hoffa told WND. "We worked very hard on it. We thought we already had this Mexican truck demonstration project stopped three times before this year, and every time the administration comes right back trying to press this idea of opening the borders to unsafe Mexican trucks." [article link]
A Bush Speech That Could Backfire - Bush's trumpeting of what he called a "return on success" could end up backfiring - "You have an unpopular President (Bush) going onto prime time television, interrupting Americans' TV programs, to remind them of why they don't like him" - It didn't help that Bush said American forces would be on the ground in Iraq, as part of an "enduring relationship" well past the end of his term in office But Bush's trumpeting of what he called a "return on success" could end up backfiring. Bringing the war into America's living rooms is never a safe political bet. And if news of a slow drawdown may be popular, Bush himself still is not. Some key Hill Republicans, in fact, were upset that he returned front and center on the issue at a time when the White House had so carefully ceded the selling of the surge to Petraeus and Crocker. "Why would he threaten the momentum we have?" says one frustrated Capitol Hill Republican strategist with ties to the GOP leadership. "You have an unpopular President going onto prime time television, interrupting Americans' TV programs, to remind them of why they don't like him." Republicans in Congress who were finally breathing a sigh of relief after months of bludgeoning on Iraq felt Bush was risking the progress he had made with those closely following the war by thrusting it in the faces of those who may not be paying attention. It didn't help that Bush said American forces would be on the ground in Iraq, as part of an "enduring relationship," well past the end of his term in office. [article link]
Bush signals no change of course - President George W. Bush has now delivered his verdict - The current US strategy in Iraq will continue - He believes his strategy in Iraq is succeeding - And he clearly has no intention of
changing course now {The Devil's strategy enacted by George W. Bush is succeeding in that the world is becoming an increasingly dangerous and more radically Islamic place.} After a crowded week of evidence sessions on Capitol Hill from the US commander in Iraq and Washington's ambassador there, plus news conferences and briefings, President George W Bush has now delivered his verdict. The current US strategy in Iraq will continue, though some US troops will be coming home, a measure according to Mr Bush, of the success already achieved. President Bush is not for turning. He believes his strategy in Iraq is succeeding. And he clearly has no intention of changing course now. By offering the prospect of limited troop cuts, he hopes to disarm his domestic critics, especially those voices in his own Republican Party who have argued for a fundamental shift in the US approach. [article link]
"Dead Certain" Bush not swayed by Iraq reality - Bush's war in Iraq has caused the deaths of more Americans than died in the Sept. 11 attacks and probably more Iraqis than Saddam Hussein killed - What is the point of all this slaughter? {The point is that the dedicated Satanist George Bush Jr. is trying to align, train, equip and fund a vicious end-time Muslim army in hopes his new army of Islam will attack and destroy the peaceful, religious Christians and Jews.} Here's the question that senators ought to have asked General Petraeus (the current Colin Powell): Could you give us a rough estimate, general, of how many more American men and women will die in Iraq? Not a precise figure, just an approximation? That is an important question. Chicago political guru Don Rose has pointed out that Bush's war in Iraq has caused the deaths of more Americans than died in the Sept. 11 attacks and probably more Iraqis than Saddam Hussein killed. What is the point of all this slaughter? ... This might be a good week to read Robert Draper's book Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush. Draper is sympathetic to Bush and tries to be favorable, but he wants to understand how the president can be so "dead certain" about everything. It is a question many Americans are asking. [article link]
Key Sunni ally of U.S. assassinated - A key Sunni sheik who united with U.S. forces to fight al Qaeda militants in Iraq was assassinated Thursday in a roadside bomb attack - Bush is expected to reiterate Anbar's success in a major address to the nation Thursday night (tonight) Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha, 39, was head of the Anbar Salvation Council, a coalition of tribes that has been working with the U.S. military to counter al Qaeda militants in Sunni-dominated Anbar province. The afternoon attack near the sheik's home in Ramadi killed two bodyguards and wounded five other escorts, Ramadi police and Interior Ministry officials said. ... Bush has repeatedly cited successful efforts to bring Anbar tribesmen over to the coalition's side in the fight against al Qaeda in Iraq as evidence of overall success by the U.S. military in Iraq. Since the Sunni sheiks began cooperating with the U.S. military, violent attacks have significantly decreased in Anbar, once a hot-spot for al Qaeda attacks. Bush is expected to reiterate Anbar's success in a major address to the nation Thursday night. [article link]
Soldiers who signed anti-war op-ed piece die in Iraq - "Four years into our occupation, we have failed on every promise, while we have substituted Baath Party tyranny with a tyranny of Islamist, militia and criminal violence" Two U.S. soldiers whose signatures appeared on an op-ed piece in The New York Times critical of the war in Iraq were among seven Americans killed in a truck accident outside of Baghdad, family members said Wednesday. ... the op-ed piece that appeared in the Times on August 19. It called the prospects of U.S. success "far-fetched" and said the progress being reported was being "offset by failures elsewhere." "Four years into our occupation, we have failed on every promise, while we have substituted Baath Party tyranny with a tyranny of Islamist, militia and criminal violence," they wrote. "When the primary preoccupation of average Iraqis is when and how they are likely to be killed, we can hardly feel smug as we hand out care packages." ... American troops in Iraq are operating "in a bewildering context of determined enemies and questionable allies, one where the balance of forces on the ground remains entirely unclear." However, they concluded, "As committed
soldiers, we will see this mission through." [article link]
AFA.net: Action Alert - Hardees/Carl's Jr. hit new lows with ads - Ask your local TV stations to stop or refuse the ads - Hardees and Carl's Jr. have a solid history of completely ignoring consumer complaints {Only 10% of the regular customers need to BOYCOTT a company like Hardees/Carl's Jr. for a noticeable loss in sales then the company can financially figure out that they are offending people.} CKE Restaurants, Inc. (Hardees/Carl's Jr.) is hitting new lows in their latest round of television commercials. After offending families with Paris Hilton and Hugh Hefner-driven ads over the past few years, the hamburger chain is taking its history of sleaze marketing to a new level. One of the latest ads, now on national television, depicts a sexualized female teacher in a high school classroom doing a stripper-style dance on top of her desk, while male students do a rap song about her "flat buns." ... In another ad, a scantly-clad woman gyrates to a countdown of things she wants a man to do to her. ... Take Action! These ads are airing on local television stations across the nation. These stations are licensed by the FCC to "serve the public interest." Enter your zip code and click "GO" to urge your local station(s) to stop or refuse to air these ads in support of local decency standards. We have prepared an email letter for you. This action alert requires you to select your local television stations as recipients of your email letter. Please do not select the newspaper and radio stations options. Hardees and Carl's Jr. have a solid history of completely ignoring consumer complaints. However, if you wish to contact them, we have supplied contact information here. You may also wish to contact your local restaurant manager by finding the store's number in your local yellow pages. [article link]
Portugal FM now opposes Hamas talks - "After what happened in Gaza [the Hamas takeover in June], the commitment of the EU to support the government of [PA] President [Mahmoud] Abbas is total." - Israeli officials have expressed concern that cracks were appearing in Europe's wall against dealing with Hamas Portugal's Foreign Minister Luis Amado, one of 10 EU foreign ministers who signed a letter hinting at the need to engage Hamas, told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday that the initiative "was in the past." "The position of the EU is quite clear at this moment," Amado said at the end of a two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. "After what happened in Gaza [the Hamas takeover in June], the commitment of the EU to support the government of [PA] President [Mahmoud] Abbas is total." Portugal currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, a position that gives it increased clout inside the EU for six months. "The letter was in the past, absolutely," Amado said, adding that he did not now think it wise to engage Hamas. Since the letter was published in July, Israeli officials have expressed concern that cracks were appearing in Europe's wall against dealing with Hamas. [article link]
Here is a jaw-dropping graph - that shows an almost-perfect correlation between the amount of money given to the Palestinian Authority (now Fatah) and the number of Israelis killed in terror attacks - See the blog for the graph - This picture is truly worth 1000 words We have on the blog a jaw-dropping graph from CAMERA that shows an almost-perfect correlation between the amount of money given to the Palestinian Authority (now Fatah) and the number of Israelis killed in terror attacks the following year. Given the large amount of evidence implicating Fatah in terror, the explanation shouldn't be much of a mystery, however. [article link]
9-11-2007: President Bush has perfected The Big Lie - He redefines his goals to fit his failures - With each new definition, more innocents die - Outstanding police work in England and Germany proves that al-Qaida doesn't come from Iraq, and isn't defeated in Iraq - This is a struggle against international crime, this is not a world war President Bush has perfected The Big Lie. He redefines his goals to fit his failures. With each new definition, more innocents die. When he failed to catch Osama bin Laden "dead or alive," he redefined the enemy as
Saddam Hussein. When he failed to find WMD in Iraq, he redefined our goal there as democracy. When he brought chaos instead of democracy to Iraq, he redefined the goal again: "Fight them there so we don't have to fight them here." Outstanding police work in England and Germany proves that al-Qaida doesn't come from Iraq, and isn't defeated in Iraq. This is a struggle against international crime, this is not a world war. Bush's latest lie is the "surge." Six months ago, he clearly defined its purpose: to give "breathing space" to the government in Baghdad. In those months, the dysfunctional puppet government has utterly collapsed, proving the surge a failure. But Bush now claims the surge a success because one Iraqi province is more peaceful. The London Times of Sept. 9 shows how Bush's cronies use taxpayer dollars to bribe Sunni [& Shiite] sheiks in Anbar province [and throughout Iraq, Lebanon-Palestine the entire Muslim world]. Of course, when the bribes stop, they may turn against us again. Bush pours American blood in the sand just to save face. Ending this war is not a job for him, but for the American people. Will we passively accept The Big Lie for five more years, or will we cry "No more!" in the name of truth and the Constitution? - Fred LaMotte, Steilacoom [article link]
Campaigns feel the effects of Hsu case - In a campaign that has seen unprecedented sums raised, nearly every candidate has received money from unsavory sources - Earlier this year, Romney returned $2,000 to Utah donor Thomas E. Mower, after the Los Angeles Times found that the contribution was dated in January -- when Mower was in prison for tax evasion On the Republican side, Mitt Romney's former national finance committee co-chairman, Alan B. Fabian of Maryland, was indicted last month on 23 counts, including mail and bankruptcy fraud and obstruction of justice. Romney returned $2,300 given by Fabian, but not the money that he raised or that was given by Fabian's family. "The money he helped raise was donated by people who have not been accused of any wrongdoing, and we saw no reason for returning it," Romney spokesman Matt Rhoades said. Earlier this year, Romney returned $2,000 to Utah donor Thomas E. Mower, after the Los Angeles Times found that the contribution was dated in January -- when Mower was in prison for tax evasion. The presidential candidate did not return an additional $5,000 Mower gave to a Romney-controlled committee last year, after Mower was convicted. Attorney Kirk Jowers, who oversees the committee, said Tuesday that he would review the Mower donation. [article link]
Matthews condemns Romney campaign, attacks Tompkins' record (UPDATED) - The move has drawn national ire from across the political spectrum and has brought the previous dirty tactics of Romney's chief S.C. strategist Warren Tompkins, who worked for President Bush in 2000, back into the limelight (Video) Hardball host Chris Matthews Tuesday went after presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R-Mass.), whose campaign Monday launched a Website attacking rival Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.). The site was quickly pulled once the Washington Post caught wind that Romney's South Carolina staffers were behind the effort, but it was too late. The move has drawn national ire from across the political spectrum and has brought the previous dirty tactics of Romney's chief S.C. strategist Warren Tompkins, who worked for President Bush in 2000, back into the limelight. ... UPDATE: The "campaign of sleaze" to which Chris Matthews refers was the one waged against John McCain in the 2000 South Carolina Republican presidential primary. It is interesting to note that Warren Tompkins - who was a consultant to George W. Bush at the time - all but admitted responsibility. Here is the account from Newsweek magazine: ... [article link]
Romney tries to distance campaign from anti-Thompson website - The website, PhoneyFred.org, made unflattering characterizations - calling him "Playboy Fred," "Trial Lawyer Fred," and "Moron Fred," among other monikers {The once mighty and honorable Republican Party is quickly becoming Bush's Dumb & Dumber Party.} Republican rivals Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson skirmished yesterday over a website attacking Thompson that was created by the business partner of a Romney consultant from South Carolina. While Romney's
campaign tried to distance itself from the website, a spokesman for Thompson called on Romney to fire the consultant and to issue an apology for what he called "high-tech gutter politics." ... Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Romney, said the site was created without the knowledge of Tompkins or Romney. The campaign, he said, had no knowledge of its development - and had no authority to fire Donehue because he was not on the campaign's payroll. ... The Thompson campaign was not satisfied with Romney's response, and yesterday afternoon reissued its demands. "Today's half-baked coverup attempt by the Romney campaign does not even pass the laugh test," Todd Harris, a Thompson campaign spokesman, said in a statement. [article link]
ATS Tratcs Newsletter - Halloween Activities - Don't miss this great evangelism opportunity! (PDF) Halloween isn't just for kids anymore. More adults than ever are taking part in Halloween activities. What a perfect time to hand out the greatest treasure on earth--an introduction to Jesus Christ. Don't miss this great evangelism opportunity! [article link]
Radio Frequencies Help Burn Salt Water - want to find out whether the energy output from the burning hydrogen which reached a heat of more than 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit - would be enough to power a car or other heavy machinery - The discovery is "the most remarkable in water science in 100 years" ERIE, Pa. - An Erie cancer researcher has found a way to burn salt water, a novel invention that is being touted by one chemist as the "most remarkable" water science discovery in a century. John Kanzius happened upon the discovery accidentally when he tried to desalinate seawater with a radio-frequency generator he developed to treat cancer. He discovered that as long as the salt water was exposed to the radio frequencies, it would burn. The discovery has scientists excited by the prospect of using salt water, the most abundant resource on earth, as a fuel. Rustum Roy, a Penn State University chemist, has held demonstrations at his State College lab to confirm his own observations. The radio frequencies act to weaken the bonds between the elements that make up salt water, releasing the hydrogen, Roy said. Once ignited, the hydrogen will burn as long as it is exposed to the frequencies, he said. ... Roy will meet this week with officials from the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense to try to obtain research funding. The scientists want to find out whether the energy output from the burning hydrogen - which reached a heat of more than 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit would be enough to power a car or other heavy machinery. "We will get our ideas together and check this out and see where it leads," Roy said. "The potential is huge." [article link]
Girl, 14, fled abuse, 'mind control' of (Mormon-FLDS) polygamy - whose leader, Warren Jeffs, goes on trial this week in Utah (CNN) -- Sara Hammon saw some of her sisters pulled out of school to be married to men they didn't know. She dreaded a similar fate. And so, she ran away from home before she was old enough to drive legally. Sara Hammon says the prospect of an arranged marriage was "like marching to the guillotine." She left behind 19 mothers, 74 siblings, and a father she says could never remember her name, even though he repeatedly molested her. And, she left behind a culture she says was oppressive for young women. Hammon recently gave CNN a deeply disturbing account of her life inside the polygamous sect whose leader, Warren Jeffs, goes on trial this week in Utah. Jeffs is accused of being an accomplice to rape. The charge stems from his alleged practice of arranging polygamous marriages between child brides and older male followers. ... "There was a tremendous amount of abuse in our home," Hammon said. "It happened on a daily basis and there was all kinds: sexual, physical, emotional, mental. My brothers were sexually abusive. Some of my mothers were physically abusive." [article link]
Kiddie Porn Movie Rocks Toronto as 'Feel-Awful' Film of the Year - directed by Alan Ball, the man behind "Six Feet Under" and "American Beauty" - The movie (is) so odious that many people have simply walked out
during the screenings The worst and most offensive movie I've seen in a while has just had three screenings at the kooky Toronto Film Festival. "Nothing Is Private" is written and directed by Alan Ball, the man behind "Six Feet Under" and "American Beauty." But it's caused outrage here for its graphic depiction of sexual, mental and physical child abuse that verges quite literally on kiddie porn. The movie - so odious that many people have simply walked out during the screenings. [article link]
Burglars hit Romney's headquarters - pried open a locked door, and robbed a highly secure office - They stole seven laptop computers and their docking stations; six belonged to the candidate's finance department, the seventh to a member of Romney's legal team who worked with the finance department - They ripped from a wall a 37-inch plasma television - an aide said he (Romney) was not available for comment The burglars struck after midnight. They opened a window on the ground floor, crept up two flights, pried open a locked door, and robbed a highly secure office: the headquarters of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in Boston's North End. They stole seven laptop computers and their docking stations; six belonged to the candidate's finance department, the seventh to a member of Romney's legal team who worked with the finance department, according to a Boston police report. They ripped from a wall a 37-inch plasma television, the personal property of Spencer Zwick, the candidate's finance manager and close personal adviser. ... Romney's headquarters on Commercial Street is monitored by private security 24 hours a day, but nothing was reported to police during the burglary, which took place before 6:45 a.m. yesterday, according to the police report. A Romney aide was the first to report the crime, calling 911 at 9:40 a.m. ... Romney was scheduled to attend finance events [fundraisers] yesterday in Boston and New York. and an aide said he was not available for comment. His aides were quick to point out that other campaign offices have been burgled recently. [article link]
Romney Campaign Tied to Anti-Thompson WebSite - At least two top members of Mitt Romney's South Carolina operation appear to be connected to an anti-Fred Thompson Web site that was taken down - The site is hosted by a Utah company, Bluehost.com {Looks like Mitt and his Mormon Mafia morons are simply unfit to lead our Nation.} The Web site was taken down earlier today. At least two top members of Mitt Romney's South Carolina operation appear to be connected to an anti-Fred Thompson Web site that was taken down today after reporters began to make inquiries about it. The Web site, PhoneyFred.org, had attacked Mr. Thompson's conservative credentials, opening with the line: "Phoney Fred. Acting like a conservative." But Internet queries reveal connections between the site and Warren Tompkins, a South Carolina political consultant hired by Mr. Romney, and Terry Sullivan, Mr. Romney's South Carolina state director. The site is hosted by a Utah company, Bluehost.com. But a search of that site reveals a long list of associated Web accounts that are hosted by the same server, including one for TTS Strategies, a political consulting firm where Mr. Tompkins and Mr. Sullivan are partners, and another for Under the Power Lines, which identifies itself as "South Carolina's only online campaign strategy firm" and lists Mr. Tompkins and Mr. Sullivan as partners as well. Another Web account listed on the same server is palMITTostate.com, a pro-Romney Web site which bills itself as a "volunteer grassroots community to help Mitt Romney win the South Carolina Presidential Primary." [article link]
{Flashback} Ministry Files Lawsuit - The suit by Utah Lighthouse Ministry Inc. accuses The [Mormon] Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) of registering 13 Internet domain names associated with UTLM The alleged cybersquatting - the practice of registering or using Internet domain names with the intent of profiting from the good will associated with someone else's trademark On the next page is a copy of Exhibit 1, our opening web page, and Exhibit 29, one of the web pages of the defendants. Wyatt's web sites were specifically designed to mimic the "look and feel" of our official site. All of the sites have now been taken down but that does not resolve the problem of "acts of cybersquatting,
trademark infringement, trademark dilution and unfair competition in violation of the laws of the United States of America and the State of Utah." ... After visiting www.utahlighthouse.org another man wrote "I assume you already knew about it, but just in case you didn't, you really should have a look. If that isn't illegal manipulation of the image and purpose of your Website, I don't know what is!" (Complaint p. 20). In Exhibit 46 a customer wrote "I went to www.utahlighthouseministry.com and found a different site, obviously not yours, talk about deceptive, let me tell you." (Complaint p. 21). [article link]
Petraeus: Drawdown in Iraq to Pre-Surge Levels Could Come Next Summer - The numbers didn't satisfy many Democratic lawmakers, several of whom called Petraeus' testimony to Congress the wicked work of the White House {Apparently Bush and his revolving cast of characters have little credibility left.} "General Petraeus has been tasked with stalling Congress to keep the troops in the middle of a civil war. General Petraeus has failed to give Congress an independent assessment of the Iraq war. His statement sounds like the president's talking points," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, a 2008 presidential candidate.. "Our brave American service men and women are sacrificing daily for a policy that has no end in sight. A policy of more of the same is no strategic vision, strains our military to the breaking point, and enables Iraqi leaders to dither endlessly instead of reaching a political consensus over the future of their country," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. "No amount of sugar coating and spin can change one simply fact -- four years after the president's invasion of Iraq our troops are caught in the midst of a civil war with no end in sight, and it's up to the US Congress to use the power of the purse to force the President to bring them home," said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., a longtime opponent of the war. [article link]
CuttingEdge.org: Cutting Edge Weekly Newsletter - NAFTA - Iran - original Cutting Edge article explains that the creation of NAFTA is part of a global plan to reorganize the world into 10 Super Nation states, of which NAFTA is one - This plan fulfills Daniel 7:7-8 and sets the stage for fulfillment of Revelation 17:12-17! This original Cutting Edge article explains that the creation of NAFTA is part of a global plan to reorganize the world into 10 Super Nation states, of which NAFTA is one. This plan fulfills Daniel 7:7-8 and sets the stage for fulfillment of Rev 17:12-17! Finally, remember that NAFTA was officially formed in 1993 as an economic union. The steps we are seeing here now are the steps to move an already-existent NAFTA into a political nation. Even though the Presidents of the United States and Mexico, and the Prime Minister of Canada denied several weeks ago that the purpose of their annual meeting is to create a NAFTA SuperState, evidence continues to pile up that NAFTA is, indeed, coming together rapidly. Once again, we are faced with the reality that our national leaders lie to us continuously. Truly, the old salesman's joke applies to virtually all national leaders: Q: "How do you know when a salesman is lying to you?" A: "When his lips are moving" We shall focus on three factors which demonstrate, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this SuperState is coming together: 1) New North Carolina Driver's Licenses featuring a NAFTA logo. 2) New Amero Coins bearing the NAFTA image. 3) Mexican truckers are now coming across the American border, effective today. [article link]
Osama bin Laden: The Newest Fake - In this morph between the real Osama and the new one, the mouth and ears have been aligned, which shows that the mouth and brows are clearly not the same {Wow, the 'Newest Fake' guy isn't even a close match. Mitt Romney looks more like Osama bin Laden than this guy with the fake beard.} Notice also that while the real Osama has a straight beard, this "Osama's" beard is very curly, thin enough to show the shape of his face, and more than anything looks like 'crepe' hair used by theatrical makeup artists. Dying one's beard is strictly forbidden under Islamic law. Any devout (Sunni) Muslim would be aghast at an image of a purported spokesperson with a dyed beard. It's okay to tint it with henna (only), but in that case gray hair appears orange. Pakistan is full of guys sporting huge orange beards, but there is no market
whatsoever for Grecian formula, at least not among the Wahhabis. [article link]
D. James Kennedy - The Man and His Ministry - Biography (Book) Discover the events in Dr. Kennedy's life that established his passionate dedication to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the ministry of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Evangelism Explosion International, and thriving international television and radio ministries. Softcover, 415 pp. [article link]
California outlaws the forced subdermal RFID tagging of humans - the bill (SB 362) called forced RFID tagging the "the ultimate invasion of privacy" Worrying that your employer will force you to stick a small chip beneath your skin ranks low on the list of employee concerns in most parts of the country, but that didn't stop the state of California from passing a bill last week to ban such forced tagging of humans. The state senator who sponsored the bill called forced RFID tagging the "the ultimate invasion of privacy," and his bill is now on its way to the governor's desk for his signature. ... "I think it's unfortunate and regrettable that the industry hasn't come out in support of SB 362," he said in a statement after the bill passed the Senate. "I understand why we're having a robust debate about the privacy concerns related to RFID, but at the very least, we should be able to agree that the forced implanting of under-the-skin technology into human beings is just plain wrong. I'm deeply concerned that this isn't a given for the industry." [article link]
Dr. James Kennedy (1930 - 2007) Memorial Website "Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life. They will probably put me in a box and roll me right down here in front of the church, and some people will gather around, and a few people will cry. But I have told them not to do that because I don't want them to cry. I want them to begin the service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living. And I will be alive forevermore, in greater health and vitality and joy than ever, ever, I or anyone has known before." D. James Kennedy, Ph.D. [article link]
D. James Kennedy dies at 76 - Author, theologian, pastor, founder of Coral Ridge Ministries - Kennedy, born Nov. 3, 1930, became a Christian in 1953 - Sleeping late on a Sunday morning, his radio alarm went off and a preacher's booming voice invaded his slumber - "Suppose you were to die today and stand before God and He were to ask you, 'What right do you have to enter into My heaven?'- what would you say?" D. James Kennedy, author, theologian, biblical scholar, pastor of the 10,000-member "Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church" in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and founder of the highly influential Coral Ridge Ministries, died early this morning in his sleep following complications from a heart attack. ... James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said the church "has lost one of its truly significant figures, and American families have lost one of their most passionate, effective defenders." For decades, Dr. Kennedy has been a passionate defender of biblical truth in a culture that increasingly forgot it," Dobson said. "He was a giant in the battle to restore traditional values in our nation. Most importantly, I believe, Dr. Kennedy would want to be remembered as a man whose greatest desire was to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Believers around the world are indebted to him for holding firm to that important calling." ... Kennedy launched his weekly one-hour television show, "The Coral Ridge Hour," in 1978. It has been broadcast nationally every Sunday morning on the Trinity Broadcasting Network and syndicated on other networks. Available to 81 percent of the nation's television households, "The Coral Ridge Hour" has the greatest number of TV station affiliates of any religious program in the U.S. His daily radio broadcast, "Truths that Transform," is carried on nearly 750 radio stations across the country.
Announcement of his retirement Aug. 26 prompted a flood of accolades from Christian leaders and ministries. [article link]
Christian Warrior D. James Kennedy Dies - Dr. D. James Kennedy, an internationally renowned Presbyterian minister, religious broadcaster, and Christian warrior, passed away early Wednesday morning - He was 76 After arriving at the modest mission church of 45 people known as Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in 1959, Dr. Kennedy transformed it into 10,000-member Christian epicenter, with services broadcast to three million Americans and 200 nations. In addition, his commitment to cultural renewal and evangelism led Dr. Kennedy to found several organizations focused on training Christians to carry the Gospel into all parts of society. "Dr. Kennedy was a true Christian leader for our time, and we are grateful for his example, wisdom, and uncompromising commitment to spreading the Kingdom of God. He was an outspoken foe of the ACLU and activist judges who were de-Christianizing our nation. He will be missed," said Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center. [article link]
Ford sales collapse again - For August, Ford reported a 14.4% drop in sales over the same month last year boycott a driving force - Ford Motor Company continues to suffer monthly sales losses because of its support of homosexuality Simply put, people are not buying Fords. Ford Motor Company continues to suffer monthly sales losses because of its support of homosexuality. For August, Ford reported a 14.4% drop in sales over the same month last year. Rather than taking a neutral position in the culture war, Ford uses its profits to support gay activist groups, whose top agenda is to push pro-homosexual marriage and "gay" hate crimes laws on the rest of the nation. While other automakers are at least holding their own (GM sales actually went up in August), Ford continues to suffer huge sales losses month after month. It's obvious by now that homosexuals don't have enough purchasing power to keep the Ford ship afloat. [article link]
Declaration of Independent Voters - Survey Shows Voters Calling Themselves "Independents" Now Outnumber Republicans - the number of Republicans has been falling for two years straight and now hovers around 30% {Ok, I'm an Ex-Republican and now happily a part of the Constitution Party. It was not easy to leave the Republican Party but I can no longer identify with that lost, incoherent, unproductive, corrupt, shambles of a party and would rather be a part of the Constitution Party.} A recent survey (http://rasmussenreports.com) shows the number of Republicans has been falling for two years straight and now hovers around 30%. The Rasmussen poll also found the number of people identifying themselves as Democrats has fallen to its lowest level in a year and a half and is gauged at about 37%. Some see this as evidence Americans have lost faith in both 'Big Box' parties. As a result, the number of Americans not affiliated with either major party has jumped to an all-time high-almost 33%. That means there are now more Independents than there are Republicans. "For many years, both parties have abused their power because no serious challenges to their duopoly have emerged, until now," commented New York Times bestselling author and Constitution Party member Jerome Corsi, Ph.D. [article link]
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig Reconsiders Decision to Resign - A telephone call Craig received last week from Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., urging him to consider fighting for his seat is affecting Craig's decision to reconsider his resignation {Tomorrow I'm switching parties, leaving the Republican Party and joining the Constitution Party.} BOISE, Idaho - Sen. Larry Craig is reconsidering his decision to resign after his arrest in a Minnesota airport sex sting and may still fight for his Senate seat, his spokesman said Tuesday evening. "It's not such a foregone conclusion anymore, that the only thing he could do was resign," said Sidney Smith, Craig's spokesman in Idaho's capital. "We're still preparing as if Senator Craig will resign Sept. 30, but the outcome of the legal case in Minnesota and the ethics investigation will have an impact on whether we're able to stay in the fight - and
stay in the Senate." ... A telephone call Craig received last week from Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., urging him to consider fighting for his seat is affecting Craig's decision to reconsider his resignation, Smith said. [article link]
Police say teacher hid heroin in class - Teacher Bonds Out Of Jail - Teacher's Aide Found Baggie, Spoon, Straw Florence Elementary School OMAHA, Neb OMAHA, Neb. -- An Omaha teacher bonded out of jail on Friday after spending the night there. She was arrested at school Thursday on drug charges. A teacher's aide found what looked like drug paraphernalia at an Omaha school, prosecutors said on Friday, and that helped lead to the arrest of an elementary school teacher. ... Police said the teacher had heroin in her classroom. Prosecutors said in court on Friday that a paraprofessional that worked with Crosby in a portable classroom at Florence Elementary School found a baggie, spoon and straw in a bathroom that is accessible to students. The defense said the items were found in a locker that only Crosby and the aide had access to. [article link]
Romney Uses Police Escort in SC - exceeded speed limits and went through stop lights Friday as local law officers escorted him, blue lights flashing, to campaign events - Traffic pulled over for Romney's caravan as Saluda County Sheriff Jason Booth, a Romney supporter, led the candidate's motor home and staff cars {What the Romney's don't speak enough English to get directions? I guess if you're a Mormon and a politician power is there for their abuse and not there to be used with reservation.} Asked whether it's proper to use flashing police lights to escort a candidate, he said, "I'm not getting into this with you, sir. I have no comment." Booth, a former supporter of Arizona Sen. John McCain, switched to Romney in April. Later in the day, Romney said his campaign requests that police turn their lights on only if there's a public safety concern. Streets in the town of Saluda were blocked off while the motorcade passed through. The escort disregarded traffic lights on those streets and at least one traffic light in the county. A Newberry County deputy joined the caravan at the county line and used flashing lights for several miles until reaching city limits, the reporter observed. Newberry County Sheriff's Maj. Todd Johnson said that deputy's escort was unplanned. Romney's motorcade became lost and requested help finding the campaign stop, he said. "They didn't know exactly where they were going," Johnson said. "All he did was guide him to the event. He never activated blue lights other than to indicate that he would be the one leading." Romney had no police escort after leaving Newberry. [article link]
Millions of Missing White House E-Mails - The Presidential Records Act (1978) requires that White House email be saved - A private group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, is suing the White House Office of Administration seeking information about the missing e-mails WASHINGTON - A Democratic House leader asked presidential counsel Fred Fielding on Thursday to turn over a report first requested three months ago about the White House's problems with lost e-mail. ... At a May 29 briefing, Keith Roberts, deputy general counsel for the White House Office of Administration, said a review apparently found that on some days a very small number of e-mails were preserved and that on some days no e-mails were preserved at all, Waxman's letter stated. ... At the May briefing, the White House staffers also reported that an unidentified company was responsible for daily audits of the e-mail system and the e-mail archiving process. "Mr. Roberts was not able to explain why the daily audits conducted by this contractor failed to detect the problems in the archive system when they first began," wrote Waxman ... The Bush administration argued last week that the suit should be dismissed because Office of Administration records are not subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The argument marks a reversal. In the past decade, the Office of Administration has responded to hundreds of FOIA requests. [article link]
Two call girls have dropped assault charges against the nephew of Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said Monday - the judge issued a gag order that shielded al-Sanussi's nationality and all but silenced any coverage of the case - when a major gas deal was announced {Un-American Mitt Romney probably also owns stock in this foreign 'major gas deal'.} LONDON - Two call girls have dropped assault charges against the nephew of Libyan leader Muammar alQaddafi, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said Monday. The case against Mohammed al-Sanussi, 26, was brought by Karen Etchebery, 21, and Patricia Bech, 25, who allege they were beaten up by al-Sanussi at his London home on Nov. 17. The women said in court documents the attack occurred after they tried to leave when a dispute over money erupted. Sanussi was arrested after police went to his London house. The case began three weeks ago in London's Blackfriars court but the judge issued a gag order that shielded al-Sanussi's nationality and all but silenced any coverage of the case. Telephone calls to Judge David Martineau on the reason behind the gag order were not immediately returned on Monday. Al-Sanussi's father, Abdullah, is the head of Libya's intelligence service and Qaddafi's brother-in-law. The Libyan government asked the Foreign Office to pass on their "concerns" to prosecutors, according to a British government official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. Libyan officials also allegedly raised the matter during former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's trip to Tripoli when a major gas deal was announced. [article link]
Quran Used for Smuggling Narcotics - 5.5 kilograms of hashish and 710 grams of heroin concealed in the cavities of the Holy Quran and Tafheem-ul-Quran, the sources said RAWALPINDI: The Customs Collectorate, Rawalpindi, has recovered huge quantity of heroin and hashish, concealed in the Holy Quran and religious books being parcelled to United Kingdom (UK) through International Mail office, Customs sources told The News. Collector Customs Muhammad Ashraf Khan and Additional Collector Dr Arsalaan, received information that a drug mafia active in Pakistan, was sending huge consignments through mail for a long time, the sources said adding, the authorities constituted a raiding party comprising deputy collector, Naveed Iqbal, superintendent Wasim Ahmad and inspectors Afaan Younas, Muhammad Ismail and Imtiaz Bhatti to conduct raids at International Mail offices in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The team during checking of parcels booked for England, found four parcels suspicious, the sources said and added the Holy Quran and religious books (Tafheem-ul-Quran) as well as garments were packed in the parcels. [article link]
Roughly 92% of the world's heroin comes from opium poppies grown in Afghanistan, according to the 2007 World Drug Report TORONTO -- The Mounties have warned at least two federal agencies that Afghan heroin is "increasingly'' making its way to Canada and poses a direct threat to the public despite millions of dollars from Ottawa to fund the war-torn country's counter-narcotics efforts, newly released documents reveal. "The RCMP informs us that Afghan heroin is increasingly ending up on, or is destined for Canadian streets,'' say Foreign Affairs and Defence Department briefings, obtained separately by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. The Afghan-produced heroin "directly threatens'' Canadians, say the identically worded briefings. [article link]
{Flashback} March 28, 2002: Bush Will Not Stop Afghan Opium Trade - President Bush, who previously linked the Afghan drug trade directly to terrorism, has now decided not to destroy the Afghan opium crop The Bush administration has decided not to destroy the opium crop in Afghanistan. President Bush, who previously linked the Afghan drug trade directly to terrorism, has now decided not to destroy the Afghan opium crop. ... "If the estimated 3,000 tons of opium reaches market, it will lead to a new upsurge in international terrorism and a great loss in international credibility for the Bush administration and the United States' ability to conduct war in the 21st century. America's enemies throughout the world from China to North Korea to Iran will be emboldened by this lack of strategic vision and political will," said the source. [article link]
Report: Evidence Used to Convict Libyan in Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing Was Tampered With - He told the Guardian that when he was shown the timer switch fragments at the trial, they had been tampered with since he was first shown the evidence years earlier A Swiss engineer has confessed to lying about a key piece of evidence used to convict a Libyan agent in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, a British newspaper reported Sunday. Ulrich Lumpert, an employee of the company that manufactured a timer switch authorities said was used to construct the bomb, walked into a Zurich police station last week and asked to swear an affadavit before a notary stating that he lied about the timer that linked Abdulbaset al-Megrahi to the crime, the Guardian newspaper reported. ... Lumpert's confession backs up assertions his former employer, Edwin Bollier, has reportedly been making since his company's timer switch was first linked to the bombing. Bollier's company is now bankrupt due to the case, and he has been trying to clear its name for two decades. Bollier told the Guardian that his company, Mebo, did sell 20 timer switches to Libya two years before the Lockerbie bombing, but the type of switch used in the bomb was different from the switches sold. [article link]
Republican No More: Voters & Political Party Affiliation - When you register to vote in West Virginia (and most states), you may indicate a political party choice on the application to register, or you may check "No Party Affiliation" Voters -- A voter may change party affiliation by submitting a voter registration form showing the change to the County Clerk. The registration change must be made at least 21 days before the Primary Election in order to vote in the new party at the polls in the Primary Election. If the change is made later, it will apply at the next Primary Election. Candidates -- A candidate may not switch from one political party to another less than 60 days before filing for nomination as a candidate of the new party. That restriction does not apply to candidates with no party affiliation who file a change of registration to select a party shortly before filing for office. [article link]
2nd Peter 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage {For the 34 years since January 22, 1973 when Roe v. Wade and legal abortion became the law of the land the Republican Party has held the White House for most of that time. Now itself like a botched abortion the Republican Party just died on a toilet in an airport bathroom. For the evil that you don't overcome will overcome you!} 2nd Peter 2:13-19 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. -- Bible {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} [article link]
Conservative Coalition Assembles To Warn Americans About Agenda For 'Hush-Hush' North American 'MergeFest' In Quebec - led by President George Bush of the United States {President George Bush Jr. thinks he is some great intuitive world leader yet his own political Republican Party just died on a toilet in an airport bathroom along with the career of Senator Larry Craig and Bush isn't even smart enough to figure it out.} The summit, sponsored by The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, a vehicle by which the NAU is being advanced, will be led by President George Bush of the United States, Prime Minister Stephen
Harper of Canada, and President Felipe Calderon of Mexico to plan an EU-type merger joining all three countries. Former Director of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity, Howard Phillips said: "This summit is being held away from the scrutiny of the American people. It was declared off limits to those who oppose it, and that speaks volumes. The SPP is part of a treacherous scheme to incrementally merge Canada, the United States, and Mexico in a manner similar to that, which brought the European Union into being over a span of 50 years. Lost liberties and a lower standard of living would be the inevitable result if our borders with Mexico and Canada were to be erased. Americans won't want to be part of that global nightmare." Phillips, founder of the fast-growing Constitution Party, one-time presidential candidate and the leader of the Conservative Caucus (www.conservativeusa.org) will be joined by a coalition of American and Canadian leaders assembled in Quebec to speak out against the proposed merger of the three countries at a press conference. ... "The NAU and the SPP are a virtual toxic alphabet soup being cooked up behind closed doors so Americans won't have a clue they're about to lose their rights and freedoms until it's too late," warned Constitution Party National Committee Chairman Jim Clymer. "Just ask the people in Europe who are now dealing with the disastrous effects of the E.U.", Clymer further noted. [article link]
After Loss of Majority, Several Republicans Head for Exits - Democrats will win the White House, hold their majority in the House and in the Senate in 2008, and then in 2010 we will have an extraordinary opportunity {2008 & 2010 will be an 'extraordinary opportunity' for a 3rd Party like the Constitution Party but not for the Republican Party.} "I think our (Republican) party's chances for winning the majority back next time (2008) are pretty bleak at the moment," Mr. LaHood said in an interview, "and I will admit to you that being in the minority is less fun." "People are going to continue to have heartburn over the war," he said. "Democrats will win the White House, hold their majority in the House and in the Senate in 2008, and then in 2010 we will have an extraordinary opportunity in the off-year of a Democratic presidency and Congressional majorities to possibly win it back. But it is not going to happen the next time," in 2008. [article link]
A Constitutionalist's View of the GOP Presidential Hopefuls - we'll simply be fooling ourselves (again) when it comes to supporting a (Republican) candidate for president Doctor No, The 3 Musketeers and The 7 Dwarfs: A Constitutionalist's View of the GOP Presidential Hopefuls. There's reluctance among conservatives to see the ideological flaws of the current crop of president-wannabes but unless we're willing to line up each one of the 11 Republican contenders and strip off his 3 piece posturing to look deep into his political past, we'll simply be fooling ourselves (again) when it comes to supporting a candidate for president. Much like a woman who wants to get married so badly she ignores those 'dealbreaking' flaws, when it comes to the Republicans vying for the nomination, we just don't want to face the truth, because well, it would hurt too much to say, once again, "He's not for me", and move on, when there might not be anyone else to move on to. That kind of thinking always leads to desperation and ultimately disappointment. For those who've been saying "he's good enough, you can't have everything" I offer the following perspective of the Republicans in the '08 lineup. [article link]
Michael Marowitz: Why Bush must be impeached - abuse by the executive branch - Michael Marowitz is a San Rafael defense attorney with a JSM (master's degree) in constitutional law from Stanford Law School THE TRUE GENIUS of the founding fathers of the United States was to establish a system of checks and balances against governmental abuse by any of the three branches of government. In order to guard against abuse by the executive branch, Congress was charged with oversight responsibility to investigate possible transgressions by the president. President Bush's legally frivolous use of executive privilege has thwarted Congress' ability to carry out this vital function, a task that must be performed if this country is to be considered the constitutional democracy contemplated by the framers of our Constitution. Instead of
cooperating with Congress, Bush has chosen to mimic a monarch or a tyrant whose decisions prevail without public debate because they are made in and kept secret. Bush's self-serving assertions of executive privilege only serve to conceal his administration's wrongdoing in a host of areas. Never in the history of this republic has an administration stonewalled like this or has the Constitution been so corrupted. Last week, we learned more about the administration's latest violation of the rule of the law (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) in its eavesdropping program. [article link]
Sen. Craig hires Michael Vick's [Falcons QB pleaded guilty for his role in a grisly dogfighting operation] attorney (&) he has retained Stan Brand, who represented Major League Baseball in connection with the congressional investigation into Major League Baseball's steroid policies (CNN)-Senator Larry Craig is hiring some big guns from the legal world, including Michael Vick's lawyer, to represent him in his upcoming legal proceedings.Craig said he has retained Vick's attorney, Billy Martin, to handle most of his legal affairs. He said he has retained Stan Brand, who represented Major League Baseball in connection with the congressional investigation into Major League Baseball's steroid policies, to handle issues pertaining to an investigation by the Senate Ethics committee. The comments came in a question and answer session with Craig that his office released following his announcement he would resign his Senate seat effective September 30. [article link]
Idaho Senator Larry Craig Resigns - Asked Friday at the White House if the senator should resign, President Bush said nothing and walked off stage - President Bush called Craig after he heard the news of his resignation - and wished him well, said Scott Stanzel, a White House spokesman {This is the Bush Party and it is a disgusting, insane, mess. Until the Republican Party can Impeach Bush and move on from his failures there will be no future for it as a National Party that represents America!} While Republicans urged Craig to step down earlier in the week, GOP leaders were quick to wish Craig well after his announcement. President Bush called Craig after he heard the news of his resignation. "Sen. Craig made the right decision for himself, his family, his constituents, and the United States Senate. After the president heard the news he called Sen. Craig and he said he knew it was a difficult decision and wished him well," said Scott Stanzel, a White House spokesman. ... Asked Friday at the White House if the senator should resign, President Bush said nothing and walked off stage. [article link]
Company wins important ruling - Judge Coughenour of the Western District of Washington threw out Zango's lawsuit on the grounds that Kaspersky was immune from liability under the Communications Decency Act the Communications Decency Act, part of which states: "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be held liable on account of any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of material that the provider or user considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected, or any action taken to enable or make available to information content providers or others the technical means to restrict access to [such] material." The ruling protects consumer choice to determine what information and software is allowed on each computing system, and enables anti-malware vendors with the right to identify and label software programs that may be potentially unwanted and harmful to a user's computer as they see fit. [article link]
Denise Jackson's All in All - "There's no one-size-fits-all kind of answer for forgiveness" says Denise. "For each of us, the struggle will be individual But what I found in the long run, was that forgiveness was the key to real freedom in my life" Denise began to focus on superficial things and her faith grew cold. The pressures of a celebrity lifestyle brought back the insecure feelings she had as a young girl. Do I look good enough? What are they thinking
about me? Am I thin enough? There were seductive, confusing forces at work in their world. "I was finding that my teenage-sized faith just wasn't strong enough to counter them," says Denise. In November 1997, after their third daughter was born, Alan told Denise he wasn't happy in their marriage and after Christmas they separated. They had almost been married 18 years. "Over the years, he had become my foundation," says Denise. "So when he left there was nothing left for me to depend on." ... "I had just begun to put my roots back down in the faith of my youth," she says. "I was just beginning to turn my eyes to Jesus, to consider what was really important in life." Denise continued her normal routine and incorporated a weekly women's Bible study in her life. The women became her support group. Finally one day, Denise drove to her empty mansion. She sobbed as she drove into the driveway. "I totally let go and gave it all to God," she says. For the first time, Denise had a sure sense of real peace despite her circumstances. "I would have never chosen to go through the pain of those awful days," says Denise, "but through it, God got my attention." [article link]
McCain media duo joins Team Romney - the two respected veterans of President Bush's 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns will help Romney craft not just TV spots but online media, an increasingly integral part of the 2008 campaign A month after decamping from John McCain's flagging presidential campaign, Republican media strategists Russ Schriefer and Stuart Stevens have joined Mitt Romney's merry band of image-makers. As reported today by The Washington Post, the two respected veterans of President Bush's 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns will help Romney craft not just TV spots but online media, an increasingly integral part of the 2008 campaign. Stevens and Schriefer will work alongside Romney media guru Alex Castellanos as part of an image team Romney's campaign calls Midnight Ride Media. "This is part of our effort to add even more bandwidth to a stellar media team," said Romney spokesman Kevin Madden. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush family hedges bets - Baker said Romney "represents the fallback position of the Bush White House without having the Washington Bush supporters withdraw their support of McCain" {And the disgusting, corrupt lobbyist, Fred Thompson is likely the Bush family's fallback - fallback candidate seeing how lying Mitt Romney isn't doing much better than John McCain in the polls.} Many prominent GOP operatives close to President Bush have joined Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) while a majority of those close to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) are lining up behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R). ... Fifty-five of the president's biggest fundraisers - those who have reached "Ranger" and "Pioneer" rank - are backing McCain. (Rangers raise $200,000 or more while pioneers raise half that.) Thirty-one major Bush fundraisers are in Romney's camp. ... Baker said Romney "represents the fallback position of the Bush White House without having the Washington Bush supporters withdraw their support of McCain." "It's betting on two horses," said Baker of the Bush family's apparent hedging strategy. "It seems to me an effort to diversify their portfolio." [article link]
Remains of Second Ancient Jewish Temple Found? - If confirmed, (Herod's temple) this may be one of the most significant archeological finds in history - The Temple is central to the authenticity of Judaism and Christianity Archeologists believe that a massive structure--7 meters long (23 feet)--uncovered during reckless, unsupervised Muslim construction on the Temple Mount is a wall from the Second Temple. No remnant of the Temple has ever been uncovered before; the Western Wall is only what remains from Herod's support structure to support the mount upon which the Temple was constructed. Archeologists believe that heavy construction equipment has damaged the Temple wall, and that untold quantities of archeological treasures are being destroyed during the mosque construction. Previously, extraordinary finds were made in Jerusalem garbage dumps following unsupervised Muslim Temple Mount construction. ... If confirmed, this may be one of the most significant archeological finds in history. The Temple is central to the authenticity of Judaism and Christianity, but is held in suspicion by some archeologists, typified by this quote: There is virtually no
archaeological evidence that the united kingdom of David and Solomon ever existed. David's Jerusalem...was a poor, miserable village...there exists no archaeological evidence for Solomon's Temple. Of course, Palestinian leaders are intent on eradicating evidence of the Temple, despite classical Muslim commentaries that explicitly state that the "far mosque" (al-Aqsa) from which Muhammed is claimed to have ascended to heaven from, was actually the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem: [article link]
LostSeed.com CD's - FREE Mp3 CD Downloads (Mp3's) I burned many Compilations from the Audio Section on CDs so we can hand them out to people. I had several opinions in which order to place the tracks; I think they turned out good. I give the red one to anyone, but the blue one to younger people because the first track is a bit intense. You can download the entire CD's with the things I printed, the link is below. More information is at the bottom. [article link]
Rev. D. James Kennedy, known worldwide for radio sermons, is stepping down - While many ministers rolled up their sleeves and wore jeans to preach, Kennedy's style remained calm and measured {As Dr. James Kennedy steps down from ministry his life accomplishments and works will continue to live on. He has been an inspiration a help and a hero to so many people. God Bless You!} The Rev. D. James Kennedy, known worldwide for his television and radio sermons, his conservative politics and evangelization efforts, is stepping down as minister of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, a church he founded in 1959 and built into a mega-church with nearly 10,000 members. ... His outspoken views have put him at the center of controversies too. Last year, the Anti-Defamation League and others denounced Kennedy for producing "Darwin's Deadly Legacy," a documentary that linked Charles Darwin's theory of evolution to Adolf Hitler. ... For so many years, Jim Kennedy was always on the front line," said Penney. "But so many people misunderstood him." Better known for his large-scale efforts, Kennedy never missed an opportunity to win souls, whether it was his partner on a ski lift, his seatmate on a plane, or a waitress, said Penney. [article link]
Sen. Larry Craig 'I Did Nothing Wrong' - Idaho senator makes statement regarding June arrest, disorderly conduct guilty plea {After the 2008 elections when there are about 11 Republicans left in office maybe then the Republican representatives will begin to figure out that actually 'They Did Everything Wrong' of course by then it will be too late.} Allegations that Craig is a closet homosexual have dogged him since his college days in the 1960s, according to the 3,700-word article written by Popkey in Tuesday's Idaho Statesman, Craig's home state newspaper. During Craig's first term in Congress back in the early 1980s, when House and Senate members stood accused of abusing congressional pages, Craig took the unusual step of issuing a pre-emptive denial of involvement. The paper said it had received allegations in May from a man who said he and Craig engaged in sex at a men's bathroom in Washington, D.C.'s Union Station. Another man claimed Craig eyed him up during a half-hour cat and mouse chase in a Boise, Idaho, store in 1994. At the time, Craig called the charges scurrilous. "I've been in this business 27 years in the public eye here. I don't go around anywhere hitting on men, and by God, if I did, I wouldn't do it in Boise, Idaho! Jiminy!" he told the newspaper. [article link]
Craig to Hold Press Conference: Will He Resign? - Idaho Republican Is Expected to Discuss His Guilty Plea in Public Restroom Incident (4:30 p.m. EDT) {Buh-Bye, now that you have tanked the Republican Party to new lows! America is in desperate need of a descent honest political party. The Republicans are almost a total failure right now and with the likes of the Romney's wanting to lead the Republican Party it is almost certain to fall even further.} His future in doubt, with allies denouncing his behavior and former staffers voicing disbelief at his arrest, Sen.
Larry Craig, R-Idaho, will hold a press conference this afternoon that may answer questions about his political future. Long dogged by rumors about his sexuality, the married and conservative three-term senator is expected to address the June 11 incident at Minneapolis Airport in which an undercover officer arrested him on charges of lewd conduct in a men's room. [article link]
Larry Craig's pro-Romney video taken down UPDATE: The pulled video has been recovered: - BTW, rumors of Craig's homosexuality didn't just pop up last year. Then-Rep. Larry Craig went on network news in 1982 to deny rumors involving cocaine and sex with male pages. See the final 30 seconds of the below video: (Videos) BTW, rumors of Craig's homosexuality didn't just pop up last year. Then-Rep. Larry Craig went on network news in 1982 to deny rumors involving cocaine and sex with male pages. See the final 30 seconds of the below video: ... I live in South East Idaho and am "represented" by Craig, I say that while puking because we live under a dictatorship right here in good old Idaho. If your not a Republican and LDS then your aren't crap! ... and I for one am so glad were finally getting so many people moving here from other States, hopefully, we can overthrow our own State government soon. Just like in D.C. [article link]
Lewd Conduct Charge puts GOP Sen. Larry Craig's Political Future in Doubt - Craig has been one of Romney's top Senate supporters, serving as a Senate liaison for the campaign - Craig had handed the arresting officer a business card that identified him as a member of the Senate "What do you think about that?" Craig is alleged to have said "There's a chance that he'll resign over this," LiCalzi said. "With the pressure on the Republican party, he could be pressured to resign. If they think this is going to be something that's the same as Mark Foley - the sort of 'drip, drip, drip, there's more information that's going to come out' - they may try to push him out." On Monday, Craig quit Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, shortly after the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call revealed the plea and arrest details. ... Just last fall, Craig called allegations from a gay rights activist that he's had homosexual relationships "completely ridiculous." Mike Rogers, who bills himself as a gay activist blogger, published the allegations on his Web site in October 2006. [article link]
Craig Revelations Complicate Senate Picture - the potential to endanger what should be a safe seat and further complicates Republicans' attempts to limit their losses in 2008 - Republicans must defend 22 seats, as compared to just 12 for Democrats Craig Revelations Complicate Senate Picture The allegations swirling around Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) have the potential to endanger what should be a safe seat and further complicates Republicans' attempts to limit their losses in 2008. Craig was regularly mentioned as a retirement possibility before this story came to light (it was broken by Fix alma mater Roll Call). This story seems likely to up the ante on retirement although Democrats cautioned Monday that Craig is notoriously stubborn and might just try and see this thing through. ... No matter what happens with Craig, he has made this race a headache for Republicans. Whether it's a migraine or not depends to be seen. [article link]
{Flashback} Pollster: Republican 'Brand' Needs Repair - Republicans loss of governorships under Mitt Romney's tenure as chairman of the Republican Governors Association - "He put his own presidential aspirations ahead of his own party" Anderson said the three Republican governors considering a 2008 presidential campaign - Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and George Pataki of New York - had good records on controlling spending and improving health care in their states, issues important to voters. ... Democrats dispute that and noted the Republicans loss of governorships under Romney's tenure as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, including in Romney's home state of Massachusetts, where his handpicked successor lost by more
than 20 points. Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda cited complaints from Republican gubernatorial candidates that Romney had not done enough to aid their cause. "He put his own presidential aspirations ahead of his own party," Miranda said in a telephone interview. [article link]
PEARL HARBOR "everything that the Japanese were planning to do was known to the United States" ARMY BOARD, 1944 - President Roosevelt (FDR) provoked the attack President Roosevelt (FDR) provoked the attack, knew about it in advance and covered up his failure to warn the Hawaiian commanders. FDR needed the attack to sucker Hitler to declare war, since the public and Congress were overwhelmingly against entering the war in Europe. It was his backdoor to war. FDR blinded the commanders at Pearl Harbor and set them up by -- 1. denying intelligence to Hawaii (HI). 2. on November 27 and later, misleading the commanders into thinking negotiations with Japan were continuing to prevent them from realizing the war was on. 3. having false information sent to HI about the location of the Japanese carrier fleet. [article link]
Day of Deceit: The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor - Pearl Harbor 1941 Day of Deceit...Uncovers the secret military documents withheld from Congress and the American public for over sixty years. For the first time in publishing you can read and examine the key documents. ... Pearl Harbor was not an accident, a mere failure of American intelligence, or a brilliant Japanese military coup. It was the result of a carefully orchestrated design, originated in the Office of Naval Intelligence. According to a key memorandum, eight actions were taken to make sure America would enter the war by this means. Pearl Harbor was the only way, leading officials felt, to galvanize the reluctant American public into action. This great question of Pearl Harbor--what did we know and when did we know it? [article link]
Ron Paul's campaign buzz resonates on Internet - What remains to be seen is whether his online backing translates at polls In quiet, deliberative fashion, Paul answers all questions, sketching a deeply minimalist philosophy. "I want to be president mainly for what I don't want to do: I don't want to run your life, I don't want to run the economy and I don't want to police the world," he tells a man who asks about his dislike of the Federal Reserve. Ranging from anti-war liberals to staunch conservatives, with a large dose of libertarians, Paul's followers reflect a campaign that is drawing support across the political spectrum - an uncommon feat in an era of wedge politics, micro-targeting and playing to the base. [article link]
Romney's Latest Flip-Flop: His Own Health Care Plan - Romney's plan "departs significantly from the universal health care measure that he helped forge as governor of Massachusetts August 24, 2007 -- After months of flip-flopping to cover up his record as Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney is back in the Sunshine State today to roll out his so-called health care plan at the Florida Medical Association's Annual Meeting in Hollywood, FL. In his latest flip-flop, Romney's plan "departs significantly from the universal health care measure that he helped forge as governor of Massachusetts, reflecting the conservative audience he must now appeal to in order to win the Republican presidential nomination." ... Mitt's plan is filled with political calculations, enabling him to "avoid answering questions on whether he would require all Americans to purchase insurance -- a provision in the Massachusetts law he signed into law that might not be well received by GOP voters." [article link]
US Senator Larry Craig (R) withdraws from Romney campaign role - pleaded guilty earlier this month to a charge of disorderly conduct after a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a
men's public bathroom US Senator Larry Craig resigned tonight as Senate co-chairman for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, within hours after news broke of Craig's guilty plea to disorderly conduct after an incident in a men's bathroom. "Senator Craig has stepped down from his role with the campaign. He did not want to be a distraction and we accept his decision," Romney's campaign said in a statement. ... Craig denied any "inappropriate conduct" and said his actions had been misconstrued. ... In February, Romney announced that Craig of Idaho and Robert Bennett of Utah would serve as co-Senate liaisons. "Both men have a unique perspective of the new generation of challenges confronting our nation," Romney said in the statement announcing their roles. ... After reports of Craig's arrest, the Romney campaign made private (unavailable) a YouTube video [and other videos] in which Craig also praised Romney. [article link]
** {Why would Larry Craig be so supportive of Mitt Romney? Craig likely knows and appreciates the REAL Mitt Romney!} "Governor Mitt and Kerry" - "Pride Weekend" join forces at 2002 Boston Gay Pride Parade - Romney is a Pinko! (Flyer - Photo) And as if the color's not bad enough, Romney even had some pesky text printed up as well: "All citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual preference." So next time you're at a Ree-publican fundsqueezer and you see Willard Mitt working the room, sue-press the desire to bend over your plate of babyback ribs until Fraudo sidles his past your trough. Never know what's gonna fly out of his hand. And yes, we're offering a free meat-pie to anyone who sends in a color picture of the 'Protect A Woman's Right To Choose' pamphlets that Fraudo undoubtedly handed out at Pro-Choice Rallys across the Commonwealth .... [article link]
Word for Life World Ministries - Sermon 'The Christian's need to feel needed' 04-25-04 (Mp3's) Norman Russell - The Christian's need to feel needed. A congregation cannot grow unless each and every member has a "sense of belonging" and this applies to congregations of all sizes, from 2 to a million or more members. Paul wrote to many churches about this very subject. Sermon is based on Romans 12. [article link]
Romney Campaign Braces for Controversial Mormon Film - Violent Chapter in Mormon History Is Recounted in 'September Dawn' The Romney campaign did not reply to an e-mail asking for comment about the accuracy of the movie and how it might affect his candidacy. Previously, Romney remarked to The Associated Press about the Mountain Meadows Massacre: "That was a terrible, awful act carried out by members of my (Mormon) faith. There are bad people in any church(?) and it's true of members of my (Mormon) church, too." ... In an historical treatise on the Mormon Web site, Richard Turley wrote: "For a century and a half, the Mountain Meadows Massacre has shocked and distressed those who have learned of it. The tragedy has deeply grieved the victim' relatives, burdened the perpetrators' descendants and Church engineers generally with sorrow and feelings of collective guilt and unleashed criticism on the Church." [article link]
Mountain Meadow Massacre 9/11 1857 - Movie 'September Dawn' (Trailer) "A shocking piece of history about a particularly vicious religious war fought right here on American soil... told with artistry, conviction, power, and entertainment value. It opens your eyes and packs a wallop!" -- Rex Reed, The New York Observer. [article link]
Mountain Meadow Massacre - In a few minutes, on Sept. 11, 1857 - 120 human beings were massacred (Video - 5:40) The Mountain Meadows Massacre, told by Sandra Tanner. Parley P. Pratt's murder in Arkansas. Also noted is
Scott Fancher, the Mountain Meadow Massacre Mounument Foundation. [article link]
Jaunita Brooks Destroyed Historical Documents, When Writing Her Famous Book On The Subject Of Mountain Meadows Mascare Because They Were "Too Incriminating To The (Mormon-LDS) Church" - What Brigham Young told the chiefs in that hour was not recorded - in seven days they were harassing the emigrants at Mountain Meadows, and in ten days they participated in the massacre of the company (people) "Here the account stops abruptly, for the next leaf is torn out.....What Brigham Young told the chiefs in that hour was not recorded, but we might hazard an opinion that it was not out of harmony with his written instructions that 'they must learn that they have got to help us or the United States will kill us both.'.....At that time Brigham Young had to be sure of his allies, for he was conducting a war against tremendous odds. The previous Mormon policy had been to keep the natives from stealing and plundering and to teach them the peaceful pursuits of farming and cattle raising, but now Brigham Young seemed determined that he would no longer "hold them by the wrist," as he told Captain Van Vliet a few days later. The Indians must have started back home immediately, for in seven days they were harassing the emigrants at Mountain Meadows, and in ten days they participated in the massacre of the company." (Brooks, pp. 40-42.) In light of this information, it doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to deduce what Young told the Indians in that meeting ten days before the MMM. It also doesn't take a great brain to understand why someone tore the next page out of Hamblin's diary: it probably gave more details of Young's "counsel" to Hamblin, Huntingdon, and the Indians as to what to do with the Baker-Fancher train. Bagley documents in "Blood of the Prophets" where pages of journals and other incriminating documents were torn out and destroyed, to eliminate the "paper trail" of evidence which points to Brigham Young's involvement in the MMM. But unfortunately for Young, Mormon apologists, and the church's claims of institutional innocence, Huntington's journal reveals the whole story that the church has tried to keep hidden for 145 years. [article link]
A Pattern Of Mormons Disguised As Indians Attacking Wagon Trains Southern Utah Mormons in cahoots with Indians also attacked the Dukes train, which had preceded the Baker/Fancher train through southwestern Utah. A member of the Dukes train, S. B. Honea, stated "that he passed through Great Salt Lake City on August 17, that he saw everywhere preparations for war, that the company were harassed by Indians all the way, that in southern Utah they hired Mormon guides and interpreters to the sum of $1,810, and then were robbed on the Muddy [River] of 375 head of cattle. [George B.] Davis described the Indians who stole the cattle as having among them some with light, fine hair and blue eyes, and light streaks where they had not used sufficient paint. He gave the number of cattle taken as 326 head.....On October 17, the first members of the Duke train of emigrants arrived half-starved at San Bernardino with the Mormon theft of their cattle to add to the tale of the massacre." (Juanit Brooks, "The Mountain Meadows Massacre," pp. 125, 126, 146.) [article link]
Burying the Past: The Legacy of the Mountain Meadows Massacre (DVD) "In 1857, 120 immigrants from Arkansas were murdered under a white flag by Utah's Mormon settlers-one of the most horrifying events in the history of the American West known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Through the recounting of a young girl who survived and the accidental discovery of the victims' remains, this true story exposes a perpetual coverup as descendants from both sides struggle to heal wounds of bitterness." [article link]
Life & Truth DVD - Janet Folger's latest - Life and Truth (DVD) Janet Folger's latest - Life and Truth DVD Featuring Janet Folger's speech at Portland State University, with highlights from her talks at Reed College, Oregon State and the University of Portland. This is a "Must Have"
item, Get Yours Now! [article link]
As Oil Revenues Boom, Islamic Banking Goes Global - This growth comes in part as soaring oil wealth and simultaneous commercial development have contributed to the burgeoning political clout of Middle Eastern oil states Caribou Coffee, the second-largest U.S. java seller, seems at first blush like a fairly ordinary American company. The chain was founded in 1992 in the small town of Edina, Minn., the brainchild of idealistic newlyweds, and has since expanded to over 400 coffeehouses in 18 states. Caribou's menu is muffins and lattes -- not an Arabic coffee in sight. It may come as a surprise, then, to know that Caribou Coffee is "Shariah compliant," one of the largest American businesses to run its operations in accordance with Islamic law. Caribou isn't alone. After decades on the economic backburner, flush oil revenues are giving Middle Eastern companies and investors new prominence on the global financial stage. As a result, rising demand for Islamic-friendly investments is forcing multinational corporations -- and not just in Muslim-majority countries -- to consider what the Quran has to say about their business practices. The boom carries over to the financial sector, where firms offering Shariah-compliant products or consulting services to companies that seek compliance have themselves seen explosive growth rates. ... This growth comes in part as soaring oil wealth and simultaneous commercial development have contributed to the burgeoning political clout of Middle Eastern oil states. In 2006, when crude oil sold in the range of $55 to $65 a barrel, the Middle East's oil producing nations raked in roughly $320 billion in oil-based revenues. Now the price of crude has climbed higher yet, to around $70 a barrel. [article link]
"Understanding the Times 2007" is around the corner - The dates are October 19 & 20 - This is an event for those who are trying to understand the times and contend for the faith "Understanding the Times 2007" is around the corner. I realize many of you live in an area where attending is not possible. Some of you are in the Midwest and if you could help by sending a promotional flyer to friends or family, would you just reply here? We will e-mail you the promotional flyer which you can forward to any who might be interested. All information concerning the conference is located here: www.olivetreeviews.org/conferences.shtml Special guests include author and commentator Joel Rosenberg, Dr. David Reagan, Dr. Ron Carlson, Jason Carlson on the Emergent Church, and award-winning video-journalist Caryl Matrisciana. There is no cost and no registration is necessary. The dates are October 19 - 20, 2007 at Grace Church, Eden Prairie, MN, a southwest suburb of Minneapolis. This is an event any in the upper Midwest area should put on their calendars if they are trying to understand the times and contend for the faith. [article link]
Terrorist: U.S. training helps attack, kill Jews - As new program launches, Palestinian militant describes how American lessons fueled intifada - The training program, which includes courses in the use of weapons, is paid for by $86.5 million in U.S. tax dollars granted to the PA by Congress in April RAMALLAH - United States-run programs that train militias from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization have been utilized to kill Jews and were instrumental in the "success" of the Palestinian intifada that began in 2000, a senior Fatah militant trained by the U.S. told WND. "I do not think that the operations of the Palestinian resistance would have been so successful and would have killed more than 1,000 Israelis since 2000 and defeated the Israelis in Gaza without these American trainings," said Abu Yousuf, a senior officer of Abbas' Force 17 Presidential Guard unit in Ramallah. The U.S. has long run training programs at a base in the West Bank city of Jericho for members of Force 17, which serves as de facto police units in the West Bank, and for the Palestinian Preventative Security Services, another major Fatah security force. ... Many members of Force 17 and the Preventative Security Services also openly serve in the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's declared "military wing," which took credit along with the Islamic Jihad terror group for every suicide bombing in Israel in 2005 and 2006. Statistically, the Brigades is responsible for more terrorism from the West
Bank than any other Palestinian organization. [article link]
Christians, Jews in Holy Land alliance - If it wasn't for what the Jews brought to Christianity, there would be no Christianity," Christofaro said - "There is a promise to those who bless Israel to be blessed - Those who curse it will be cursed" {God called Abraham the father of the Jewish people and all Jews to be His people. The prophets, the Kings, King David, King Solomon, the 12 Apostles, the first disciples, the writers of the Bible's Old - New Testaments, all the early Christian Church members and of course the Messiah Jesus Christ are all Jewish.} This is not just religious ritual. They support Israel -- which to them includes Jewish settlements on the occupied West Bank. Church members tour settlements with Baras and have donated more than a $100,000 to support them. "If it wasn't for what the Jews brought to Christianity, there would be no Christianity," Christofaro said. "There is a promise to those who bless Israel to be blessed. Those who curse it will be cursed." Christofaro and Baras are part of a growing alliance between evangelical Christians and Israelis. A recent poll found that 59 percent of American evangelicals believe Israel is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates 85 million evangelicals believe God tells them to support Israel -- more than six times the world's Jewish population. ... Christian Zionists often converge on Washington by the thousands to lobby members of Congress in support of Israel. [article link]
{Flashback} Why Are Mormons Funding Islamic Terrorism? - The (LDS) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormon Church, is the single largest donor to the U.S. branch of Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) The Israeli government says it is a HAMAS front group it is also under investigation by the American government The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormon Church, is the single largest donor to the U.S. branch of Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), also known as Islamic Relief. In the past year, it donated $1.6 million to the charity. But Islamic Relief is not just any charity. The Israeli government says it is a HAMAS front group. It is also under investigation by the American government. IRW was founded in 1984 by Dr. Hany El Banna. He is a relative of Hassan El Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group--from which HAMAS, Yasser Arafat, and Al-Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman Al-Zawahiri emanated. [article link]
Bush doesn't deny plans for N. American Union - President avoids question, ridicules 'conspiracy theorists' who believe it "As you three leaders meet here, there are a growing number of people in each of your countries who have expressed concern about the Security and Prosperity Partnership. This is addressed to all three of you. Can you say today that this is not a prelude to a North American Union, similar to a European Union? Are there plans to build some kind of superhighway connecting all three countries? And do you believe all of these theories about a possible erosion of national identity stem from a lack of transparency from this partnership?" was the question, according to a White House transcript. Reporters at the news conference said he sidestepped, instead adopting the tactic that those who are arguing the European Union model of integrating nations into a larger continental union is being used in North America should be ridiculed. ... Bush's comments echoed the comments published just a day earlier in the Ottawa Citizen by David Wilkins, the U.S. ambassador to Canada. "While conspiracy theories abound, you can take it to the bank that no one involved in these discussions is interested in, or has ever proposed, a 'North American Union,' a 'North American super highway,' or a 'North American currency,'" he wrote. [article link]
CM151: Worship Foundations - We invite you to listen to this series of lay lectures to learn more about what worship truly is (Mp3's)
Dr. Gary Parrett shows us that Worship is the process of God's revelation and our appropriate, faithful response. We invite you to listen to this series of lay lectures to learn more about what worship truly is and how we might implement his practical suggestions in our own churches. [article link]
TH100: Now that I Believe - Our 12 week curriculum, "Now that I Believe; Your First Steps with God" points new believers in the right direction and encourages mature believers to mentor them Our 12 week curriculum, "Now that I Believe; Your First Steps with God," points new believers in the right direction and encourages mature believers to mentor them. In a typical week, the new believer interacts with a biblical text and is encouraged to begin journaling, praying and memorizing biblical passages. Then the new believer and mentor listen to a thirty minute talk with study notes provided, work through the application questions together and then have two more days reflecting over what they have learned. [article link]
President Bush Meets With Canadian, Mexican Leaders at North American Leaders' Summit - where he will promote North American integration with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon {This Republican - Bush party is the most dangerous and un-American party that the USA has ever had to endure!} MONTEBELLO, Quebec - President Bush, tending to relations with two border nations, sought Monday to invigorate his partnership with like-minded leaders of Canada and Mexico. Bush arrived by mid-afternoon in the Canadian countryside, where he will promote North American integration with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon. Police in riot gear pushed back dozens of protesters marching just outside the gate of the resort compound, where a few hundred people gathered in demonstration. ... The two-day summit is the third of its kind during Bush's presidency, and each one has been meant to bolster a compact - dubbed the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America - that serves as a way for the nations to team up on health, security and commerce. [article link]
*** F2A.org: Faith2Action Radio Program Archive - August 20 - Worldview Weekend and Christian Worldview Network (Mp3 - 53:25 min) {Highly Recommended!} Topics: National sovereignty, China, New school-to-work policy in Florida. [article link]
New! Steeling The Mind Albuquerque! Off the charts! - North American Union: Did We Vote On This? - A gotta see DVD!!! (DVD) This is a bomb shell for most Christians. Heck, it's a bomb shell for most Americans. Alan explains in fascination detail what happened to individual rights in Europe, and how the exact same thing is happening in the U.S. And no one is paying attention! The new "North American Union", the super-regional political and economic entity between Mexico, Canada, and the United States; the new (and close) money, the Amero, replace your Dollars; Who's really behind this; And where will it lead! A gotta see DVD!!! [article link]
WorldViewWeekend.com: All 20 Worldview Weekend DVDs (2004 - 2007) - Battle For The Mind DVD - This is a $300 value for only $140! (DVD's) The Worldview Weekends had their start in Minnesota in January of 1993. This national conference is one of our biggest events of the year and is filmed as part of our television productions. Don't miss out, register today for this cutting-edge worldview conference for adults and students. We have three special breakout sessions for students. When they are not in the student track they are in the general sessions. We average 600-800 students and 800-1,000 adults. A great weekend for individuals, couples, families and youth groups. [article link]
Christian Worldview Network™ A division of Worldview Weekend - Brannon S. Howse President & Founder Upcoming Conferences, September 28, 29, 2007 (Minnesota) National Worldview Weekend National Worldview Weekend For Adults and Students St. Paul, Minnesota, September 28, 29, 2007. The Worldview Weekends had their start in Minnesota in January of 1993. This national conference is one of our biggest events of the year and is filmed as part of our television productions. Don't miss out, register today for this cutting-edge worldview conference for adults and students. We have three special breakout sessions for students. When they are not in the student track they are in the general sessions. We average 600-800 students and 800-1,000 adults. A great weekend for individuals, couples, families and youth groups. ... Topics Include: Why There is Nothing Christian About Christian Yoga; The Danger of Mixing Christianity And Mysticism, Understanding The Worldview of Islam, Why So Many Students Are Leaving The Church and What We Can Do, The Criminalization of Christianity And What It Means For You, Your Family and Your Church, Archeology and The Bible, Fast Facts on False Teaching, Understanding What The Cults Really Believe, How Jesus Christ is Different From the Jesus of the Cults, Learning From The Martyrs of Christianity, Going To College Without Going Astray: Exposing The Lies You Will Hear in College, The Dangers of Open Theism, Answers for Skeptics, How To Study The Bible, The Emergent Church in their Own Words, The Search For Noah's Ark, and more. [article link]
Events: Values Voters' Presidential Debate Sept. 17 on Sky Angel - "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing" - Albert Einstein Last week, I wrote about the Values Voters Debate in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on September 17th. I mentioned that even with two-thirds (19 million) of the evangelical Christian eligible voters sitting on the bench in the last presidential election, we "values voters" still made up the largest voting block in the country-36 percent (over a third) of Bush's voters. ... Don't "look on and do nothing," remember the formula: E=mv2 Election = Majority of Value Voters. Our values are based in the truth; our eye is on the Supreme Court. And it is now "fourth and goal." One more judge. One more president. One more chance. The question is, will you take it? [article link]
F2A.org: Faith2Action Radio Program Archive - Listen to some of the most brilliant minds (our guests) and most effective organizations on the side of faith and family (Mp3's - RAM) Our thanks to Brannon Howse and the Christian Worldview Network for providing us with MP3 capabilities. Tapes and CDs for all shows can be obtained from VCY America for $5 by calling 1-800-729-9829 with a credit card or by check when you write to: VCY America, 3434 West Kilbourn Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53208. We are seeking radio stations nationwide to air our talk shows live at 2 PM Eastern (or anytime by tape delay). The shows are 55 minutes in length with three commercial breaks (avails) and are available for free satellite download. Let us know of your interest by calling Communication Director Ross Conley at 724-625-9013 or by e-mail (rconley @ f2a.org). [article link]
Poll: Family Ties Key to Youth Happiness - Close to half say religion and spirituality are very important. And more than half say they believe there is a higher power that has an influence over things that make them happy NEW YORK - So you're between the ages of 13 and 24. What makes you happy? ... From the body to the soul: Close to half say religion and spirituality are very important. And more than half say they believe there is a higher power that has an influence over things that make them happy. Beyond religion, simply belonging to an organized religious group makes people happier. And parents, here's some more for you: Most young people in school say it makes them happy. Overwhelmingly, young people think marriage would make them happy and want to be married some day. Most also want to have kids. Finally, when asked to name their heroes, nearly half of respondents mentioned one or both of their parents. The winner, by a nose: Mom. [article link]
Romney in 1994: Blind trust argument an "age-old ruse" - Like (Ted) Kennedy, Romney's campaign has responded to questions about those investments by saying that Romney was not aware of the blind trust's contents until yesterday - including two foreign oil companies with connections to Iran It also showed that the trustee, Ropes & Gray's Brad Malt, got rid of some stocks that he thought clashed with Romney's political views, including two foreign oil companies with connections to Iran. (At some point, however, Malt was making money for Romney -- or trying to make money for him -- by investing in those companies.) ... "The [ex]governor's trust is in fact a blind trust. There is an important distinction bewteen the references you cite. The trustee in charge of executing the [ex]governor's assets made it very clear during his explanation of the terms of the administration of the trust that he made transactions that, to the best of his ability, (were) consistent with the [ex]governor's public positions and statements. [article link]
Romney's vast wealth portfolio, unsavory ties still - he still holds stock in an oil company that does business in current genocide ground zero, Sudan, as his financial disclosure report filed Monday reveals - (sold) Philip Morris U.S.A., is the world's largest cigarette manufacturer - The sale included the dumping of a half a dozen casino companies The financial disclosure, which covers 2006 and the first half of 2007, shows that Malt sold stock in dozens of companies in recent months. Some of the problematic companies dumped from his portfolio were the Italian oil company Eni S.P.A. According to the report, Romney holds stock in China Petroleum and Chemical (also known as SinoPec), an oil supply company that has dealings in Sudan, according to an organization dedicated to ending the genocide in the African nation's Darfur region. Romney spokesman Kevin Madden, told Morain that "all decisions were made by Malt and that Romney had no influence over how his investments were handled." "Gov. Romney never gave the trustee instructions," Madden said. Other unsavory companies that Malt sold stock for Romney included the Altria Group, whose subsidiary, Philip Morris U.S.A., is the world's largest cigarette manufacturer. Romney still has some holdings in the company through at least one of his many investment funds. The sale included the dumping of a half a dozen casino companies, "earning Romney $155,000 to $1.18 million," according to Morain. [article link]
Romney faces fierce fight for the right - His weekend victory in an Iowa straw poll only highlights the tough competition he faces for the conservative vote - Combined, Huckabee and Brownback, who placed second and third, won more votes in the straw poll than Romney did DES MOINES -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has fought for months to unite social conservatives behind his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. But his weekend victory in an Iowa straw poll only underscored the fierce competition he still faces for conservatives who remain wary of the GOP's top White House contenders. "Clearly, no one has consolidated the conservative vote," said Whit Ayres, a Republican strategist unaligned in the presidential race. ... Still, the popularity of two rivals seeking to corner the Christian right's support -- former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas -- exposed the limits of Romney's appeal among conservatives. Combined, Huckabee and Brownback, who placed second and third, won more votes in the straw poll than Romney did. [article link]
Mitt $$-raiser is indicted in complex $32M fraud scheme - A former big-fish fund-raiser who was working on former Gov. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign was indicted for a scheme to defraud companies out of $32 million A former big-fish fund-raiser who was working on former Gov. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign was indicted for a scheme to defraud companies out of $32 million that he allegedly spent on real estate, a yacht and private jet trips for himself and his pets. In the wake of the 23-count indictment Wednesday, Alan B. Fabian, a Maryland financial adviser, resigned from his post as a co-chairman of Romney's national finance committee, the unpaid position he'd worked at since January, campaign spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said.
Fabian was one of the national cash cows who fueled President George W. Bush's campaigns by roping together several well-heeled donors, according to a Washington Post blog. He was courted by GOP presidential hopefuls early in the primary and landed in Romney's camp. [article link]
Romney Fund-Raiser Resigns - Mr. Fabian, who had been one of 35 co-chairs on Mr. Romney's national finance committee, allegedly ran up $32 million in fake purchases with his consulting company - previously served as a major fundraiser for George W. Bush AMES, Iowa-A top fund-raiser for Mitt Romney who was indicted this week in Maryland on a $32 million fraud scheme has resigned from his position with the campaign as a national finance committee co-chair, a spokesman for Mr. Romney said. A federal grand jury in Maryland unsealed its 23-count indictment of the fund-raiser, Alan B. Fabian, 43, on Thursday for money laundering, mail fraud, bankruptcy fraud, perjury and obstruction of justice. Mr. Fabian, who had been one of 35 co-chairs on Mr. Romney's national finance committee, allegedly ran up $32 million in fake purchases with his consulting company, Maximus Inc., based in northern Virginia, and pocketed the money for himself. He became a "bundler," one of those who commit to bringing in large sums through their own networks of donors, for Mr. Romney's campaign back in January, having previously served as a major fundraiser for George W. Bush. [article link]
Do Americans Have Faith In Romney? - Former Massachusetts Governor's Run For The White House Puts Mormon Religion In The Spotlight - Despite their differences, Mormons say they are Christians Despite their differences, Mormons say they are Christians. "We teach the Bible. We believe the Bible. We are firm believers in Jesus Christ," says Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican who has represented Utah in the Senate for more than 30 years. There are now 15 Mormons in Congress. Three are Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. But they all come from Utah, the center of American Mormonism, or nearby states. In a national election, Mormonism may be a key issue for Mitt Romney, especially among evangelicals. "When they learn some things about what Mormons believe, many of those things seem very strange, because they're out of their own experience," says John Green of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. [article link]
Alan B. Fabian - Major Romney Fundraiser Indicted in $32M Fraud Scheme - one of the largest monetary theft cases ever prosecuted in Maryland - Fabian set up an "investment fraud scheme and then lied about the scheme in bankruptcy court" BALTIMORE (AP) - A federal grand jury indicted a corporate executive who allegedly ran a scheme to make $32 million in false purchases of computer equipment, spending the money instead on beach real estate and private jet travel, prosecutors said Thursday. Alan B. Fabian, 43, of Hunt Valley, was charged in a 23-count indictment unsealed Thursday with mail fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy fraud, perjury and obstruction of justice. ... Fabian misrepresented the purchases by creating bogus companies and by using false documentation, according to prosecutors. He also executed corporate guaranties on behalf of Maximus to ensure the payment of debt. He is also accused of defrauding federal bankruptcy court officials probing the debts of one of his companies by creating false documents and giving false testimony. Fabian set up an "investment fraud scheme and then lied about the scheme in bankruptcy court," Rosenstein said. [article link]
Alan B. Fabian - raised at least $100,000.00 for George Bush (2004) - Bundler for Mitt Romney (2007), amount raised not listed Alan B. Fabian - Employer: Southwest Medical Center - State: MD - Status for 2004: Pioneer (George Bush), raised at least $100,000.00 - Name Disclosed By Candidate: Y - Status for 2008: Bundler for Mitt Romney, amount raised not listed - Name Disclosed By Candidate: N [article link]
Alan B. Fabian - Major Romney Fundraiser Indicted for Massive Fraud - now helping to gather contributions for the Romney campaign - Chris Cillizza calls these top-level bundlers "whales" So, two days before the Ames straw poll, we find out that one of Mitt Romney's most important fundraisers is also alleged to have perpetrated "one of the largest monetary theft cases ever prosecuted in Maryland." Not the kind of story Romney wants to see right now, I'd say. [article link]
Mitt "How many counties are in Massachusetts?" she asked - Oh, no, I think it's 13, Romney said - the right number is 14 counties {Like Mitt cared anything for the tiny state he scammed into letting him govern.} WILTON, Iowa -- Mitt Romney spent this morning barnstorming the small farming communities of Eastern Iowa, holding a series of "Ask Mitt Anything" events and urging his supporters to turn out Saturday for the straw poll in Ames. ... "How many counties are in Massachusetts?" she asked. "Thirteen," he said. A few feet away, an aide shook his head and said, "Ten." "Oh, no, I think it's 13," Romney said. "Not like your 99." He paused for a moment. "Yeah, if you count Dukes County ... " he trailed off. "So, anyway, we have very, very few." "Ninety-nine counties," Romney said, apparently hoping to change the subject, "Why didn't you get to 100?" ... A spokesman for Romney said he shortly thereafter, "corrected the record" to the right number of 14. [article link]
Hitler's Music Collection Turns Up in Dead Russian Soldier's Attic - The most astonishing fact about the records - essentially Hitler's "Best of . . ." collections - is the presence of Jewish performers {All cult leader-manipulators say ridiculous, twisted things publically and then refuse to follow their own teachings in private. Hitler is no different than the Mormon (LDS) founder Joseph Smith.} The most astonishing fact about the records - essentially Hitler's "Best of . . ." collections - is the presence of Jewish performers. Among the recordings is a Tchaikovsky concerto performed by the virtuoso Polish Jewish violinist Bronislaw Huberman. Hitler would have been aware, while listening to Huberman's playing, that he had founded the Palestine Orchestra in 1936 (which went on to be the foundation of today's Israel Philharmonic Orchestra) and that he was living in enforced exile. The Austrian Jewish pianist Artur Schnabel, whose mother was killed by the Nazis, also had his work included in Hitler's personal collection. It is not known which records in the collection were listened to most frequently, nor have they been formally catalogued. [article link]
Drinkin' & Smokin' (LDS) Prophets - Joseph Smith, authorizing himself to sell (or serve) liquor Joseph Smith, authorizing himself to sell liquor: "Ordinance on the Personal Sale of Liquors. Section 1. Be it ordained by the City Council of Nauvoo, that the Mayor of the city be and is hereby authorized to sell or give spirits of any quantity as he in his wisdom shall judge to be for the health and comfort, or convenience of such travelers or other persons as shall visit his house from time to time. Passed December 12, 1843. JOSEPH SMITH, Mayor. WILLARD RICHARDS, Recorder." (History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 111) [article link]
PDF Library - Foxes Book of Martyrs - and many other Books (FREE - PDF's) Harvestime Books Inc. - RESEARCH RESOURCE LIBRARY. [article link]
Dean M's blog - Links! Favourites! Stuff! Info! Freeware! Free resources! Free Christian resources! etcetera... Whats the VISION? Whats the VISION? The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. it Makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure. Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation. It loves people away from their suicide tears, their satan games. This is an army that will lay its life down for the cause. A million times a day its soldiers choose to lose that some day they might win the great "WELL DONE" of faithful sons
and daughters. [article link]
Preaching transformation, U.S. sect goes global - They insist on the total transformation of people How did a boisterous religious movement born in a U.S. street revival go on to claim a global following, according to the World Christian Database, of 500 million people? Several factors, including the movement's highly independent congregations and emphasis on transforming their local communities, have helped it gain converts, especially among the world's urban poor. "Sometimes I refer to them as evangelicals on steroids," Lugo said. "People associate evangelicals with conversion. But (with Pentecostals) there is this emphasis on heavy-duty transformation with a very strong emotional element. They insist on the total transformation of people." [article link]
WND correspondent Les Kinsolving returning to presidential press briefings - he and Tony Snow resolve differences - Snow refused to take his questions during three out of four sessions and then issued a public "rebuke" Kinsolving and WND editor and CEO Joseph Farah decided two weeks ago that Kinsolving should stop attending the briefings after Snow refused to take his questions during three out of four sessions and then issued a public "rebuke." Kinsolving and Snow reached an agreement during a phone conversation, after which an aide to Snow told Farah "Tony is very fond of Les and holds him in high personal regard." Farah decided Kinsolving - a veteran newsman who has been part of the elite White House press corps since 1973, during the administration of Richard Nixon - should resume his coverage of the White House for WND. ... In addition to his lengthy service in covering the White House, Kinsolving is distinguished by the fact that he is the only talkradio host in the presidential press corps. He has dealt with 12 previous White House press secretaries - as a one-time nationally syndicated columnist for 250 newspapers, two of which, in San Francisco, nominated him for the Pulitzer Prize. [article link]
Robert Nardelli named CEO of Chrysler - the disgraced former CEO of Home Depot, who became the poster child for excessive CEO compensation, has taken the reigns at Chrysler - Nardelli angered Home Depot shareholders when he refused to take questions during a shareholder meeting in May 2006 - Ultimately he was forced out of the company Fortune) -- As the deal to sell Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management finally came to a close on Friday, there was one rather salient fact that slipped under the radar. Robert Nardelli was appointed Chrysler's chairman and chief executive officer upon the deal's completion. Chrysler is American again That's right. Ceberus has confirmed that the disgraced former CEO of Home Depot (Charts, Fortune 500), who became the poster child for excessive CEO compensation, has taken the reigns at Chrysler. On the day the deal was finalized, August 3, Nardelli was elected to the Chrysler board. Soon after, the directors appointed him chairman and chief executive. ... Nardelli, who also worked at General Electric (Charts, Fortune 500), when CNBC reported that the private investment firm had offered him a spot as a so-called operations specialist. ... Nardelli angered Home Depot shareholders when he refused to take questions during a shareholder meeting in May 2006 as the stock was floundering. His rich pay package drew fire; he earned $38.1 million last year. Ultimately he was forced out of the company in January 2007, but left with a $210 million golden parachute in cash and stock options that included a $20 million severance payment and retirement benefits of $32 million. [article link]
Home Depot: Free Your Company From The Homosexual Agenda! - "The company should seriously rethink its association with a movement that promotes deviant sexual behaviors and targets children for recruitment" Home Depot: Free Your Company From The Homosexual Agenda! Washington, DC - TVC Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon is calling upon the management of Home Depot to distance itself from the homosexual agenda.
"Home Depot has recently caved in to pressure from the Unitarian Universalist Church's pro-homosexual lobbying efforts," said Sheldon. "The company should seriously rethink its association with a movement that promotes deviant sexual behaviors and targets children for recruitment." [article link]
Intelligent RAID 6: Accelerated by Intel - Computer Data protection is a growing concern for businesses of all sizes - RAID 6 Tutorial: See our new animation (click link on right side) Data protection is a growing concern for businesses of all sizes. Current solutions for data protection utilize Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) technology in a variety of implementations and form factors. RAID enables a bunch of disks to be treated as one large volume and also protects data from internal component failures by making copies of data and rebuilding lost or damaged data. The most popular RAID levels are 0, 1 and 5. ... RAID 6 is defined as additional disk drive failure tolerance provided by a second independent distributed parity scheme. RAID 6 offers another level of protection that has been in existence for some time, but has, until recently, been available almost exclusively in proprietary devices. By using additional parity calculations, RAID 6 can protect mission-critical data from two concurrent disk drive failures. With the growth of disk array sizes, increasing disk densities and the introduction of Serial ATA (SATA,) drives (said by some to have lower reliability) into the storage market, the likelihood for two concurrent failures is increasing. [article link]
Ron Paul's presidential bid draws legions of fans, but widespread support remains elusive - "I believe he is the father of the modern Republican Party" "I honestly believe that Congressman Ron Paul, as crazy as it might sound, I believe he is the father of the modern Republican Party," said Jason Stoddard, 31, an Austin, Texas, entrepreneur who has no formal ties to Paul's campaign but has made more than a thousand calls to Iowa voters urging their support. The enthusiasm of admirers like Stoddard has boosted Paul's national profile and helped his campaign raise $3 million over the past three months _ a fraction of the double-digit millions chalked up by the top-tier candidates, but a respectable sum for an underdog. That enthusiasm, however, hasn't translated into widespread support in presidential polls for Paul, who was a Libertarian Party candidate for president two decades ago and is best known as a champion of small government, low taxes and minimal foreign intervention. [article link]
Romney backs away from Hezbollah citation - The National Jewish Democratic Council slammed Romney for those remarks "Any candidate for President should know that Hezbollah's social programs are inseparably tied to terrorism" Mitt Romney's campaign said Hezbollah was not a proper model for his vision of U.S. diplomacy, addressing a controversy arising from his earlier remarks. ... "[Ex]Governor Romney believes that bloodthirsty terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas have smothered the progress of the people and nations where they have built their networks, Lebanon serving as an example," spokesman Kevin Madden said. "These terror organizations cannot and should not be allowed to gain an advantage with the citizenry in Muslim nations just because they mask their terror agenda with an offering of some vital services." Romney had made the comparison in explaining why he would expand on President Bush's AIDS program in Africa, widely regarded as earning goodwill. ... The National Jewish Democratic Council slammed Romney for those remarks. "Any candidate for President should know that Hezbollah's social programs are inseparably tied to terrorism," it said. [article link]
Romney: Hezbollah role model for U.S. - Urges emulating welfare projects used by terror group against Israel {Is Romney really that Clueless about Hezbollah that he doesn't know that it is a Terrorist structured system and that if the civilians don't support the terror they don't get the welfare therefore perpetuating this endless system of violence. I guess for Romney being in the heavily manipulative Mormon Cult this kind of manipulation looks like a normal occurrence.}
Sections of Hezbollah's social welfare network, including schools and camps, are routinely used by the terror group to indoctrinate students in anti-Israel propaganda, instruct in military tactics and promote Shiite Islamic beliefs, including the waging of a final, apocalyptic world battle against "evil." ... Romney said he would and then proceeded to explain the U.S. should aspire to implement the kind of social action network carried out in recent years by Hezbollah. The Romney campaign has not responded to WND's request for comment. ... Hezbollah the past few years has helped built a civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon - largely funded by Iran - that includes schools, health clinics and even inexpensive apartment buildings. Israeli security officials say Hezbollah's social infrastructure works to endear the group to the local population to help generate domestic support since Hezbollah also functions as a Lebanese political party. The security officials state Hezbollah's civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon, including hospitals and apartment buildings, is routinely used by the terror group to store and utilize rockets, weapons and other munitions. Hezbollah has built schools in southern Lebanon that reportedly are used to recruit youngsters to the group's guerrilla army. Some of the schools reportedly train students in military tactics. Hezbollah's Mahdi Scouts hold plastic rifles in parade on anniversary of outbreak of the second intifada (Center for Special Studies) WND reported Hezbollah's Youth Scouts, part of the group's social welfare network cited by Romney, instructs tens of thousands of children and teenagers in military tactics and indoctrinates them with radical Shiite Islam beliefs, according to materials found by Israel during last month's war in Lebanon. [article link]
Reports: Problems with Minnesota bridge noted twice since 2001 - the department was aware of the 2005 assessment, which gave the bridge a score of four on a scale of zero to nine - Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty described the bridge deficiencies as "minor" In another report two years ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Bridge Inventory database concluded the bridge was "structurally deficient." Jeanne Aamodt, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, told the Star Tribune, a Minneapolis newspaper, that the department was aware of the 2005 assessment, which gave the bridge a score of four on a scale of zero to nine. A bridge receives a four when there is "advanced section loss, deterioration, spalling or scour." Spalling is a term used to describe cracking, chipping, crumbling or fraying, while scour is a term used for erosion caused by flowing water. During a Wednesday news conference, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty described the bridge deficiencies as "minor" and said the state was told that the bridge's deck may need to be rehabilitated or replaced in 2020 or later. ... One expert said that it was baffling how the bridge collapsed. ... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said the collapse should trigger action. "I think we should look at this tragedy that occurred as a wake-up call for us. We have -- all over the country -- crumbling infrastructure, highways, bridges, dams, and we really need to take a hard look at this," Reid said Thursday. ... As of 2003, there were about 160,570 bridges deemed structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. The number represented 27.1 percent of the nation's bridges. {Probably Harry Reid sees a get rich quick scenario here and if he does anything it will be just to funnel some money. Most likely very little will be done to help America's infrastructure as little has been done.} [article link]
January 31, 2005 - Audit: U.S. lost track of $9 billion in Iraq funds WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly $9 billion of money spent on Iraqi reconstruction is unaccounted for because of inefficiencies and bad management, according to a watchdog report published Sunday. An inspector general's report said the U.S.-led administration that ran Iraq until June 2004 is unable to account for the funds. "Severe inefficiencies and poor management" by the Coalition Provisional Authority has left auditors with no guarantee the money was properly used," the report said. "The CPA did not establish or implement sufficient managerial, financial and contractual controls to ensure that [Development Fund for Iraq] funds were used in a transparent manner" [article link]
Romney's Fortunes Tied to Business Riches - giants like Bain, Blackstone and the Carlyle Group - "Increasingly, this world of private equity looks like a world of robber barons, and Romney comes out of that world." But Mr. Romney's Bain career - a source of money and contacts that he has used to finance his Massachusetts campaigns and to leap ahead of his presidential rivals in early fund-raising - also exposes him to criticism that he enriched himself excessively, sometimes by cutting jobs to increase profits. He made his money mainly through leveraged buyouts - essentially, mortgaging companies to take them over in the hope of reselling them at big profits in just a few years. It is a bare-knuckle form of investing that is in the spotlight because of the exploding profits of buyout giants like Bain, Blackstone and the Carlyle Group. In Washington, Congress is considering ending a legal quirk that lets fund managers escape much of the income tax on their earnings. ... Mr. Romney learned the perils of campaigning on his business career in his first run for office, when accusations that Bain Capital had fired union workers at an Indiana company it controlled derailed his effort to unseat Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a Democrat, in 1994. "Basically, he cut our throats," a laid-off worker said in a commercial attacking Mr. Romney. (He has said he had nothing to do with the firings.) Mr. Romney, in an interview, acknowledged that Bain Capital's acquisitions had sometimes led to layoffs but said that he could explain them to voters. [article link]
(LDS) Mormon Church Finances, Etc - One is to remove these assets from the (Mormon) Church in case of lawsuits - The other is to try to separate from 'tithing' funds so it can be used more flexibly and the (LDS) Church can defensively say that (LDS) Church funds wasn't used to do this or that I was the first to mention the 'Ensign Peak Advisors' on the board in the late 90's before any of this was public knowledge. I got a lot of skeptical responses from some here so I backed away. Maybe some of you will listen now. When I worked there, Ensign Peak Advisors was top secret. I heard my superiors mention it and everyone just 'knew' this was something you never talked about. I knew it was very controversial based on the secrecy even on the inside. Indeed many assets were transfered from the COP to this other 'company'. At that time Clarke worked in a back office secretly putting this altogether for Hinckley. There are probably many reasons for this new entity. One is to remove these assets from the Church in case of lawsuits. The other is to try to separate from 'tithing' funds so it can be used more flexibly and the Church can defensively say that Church funds wasn't used to do this or that. I do think Hinckley is involved in diversion of a lot of money to the benefit of his ego, friends and relatives. This does not come solely from my experience on the 'inside' but from following leads in newspapers, magazines, interviews, etc. I look forward to perhaps participating more on the board than I have for the last few years. [article link]
What do we know about "Ensign Peak" the LDS shadow organization? - "The largest investment fund in Utah is managed by Ensign Peak, a nonprofit corporation organized in 1997 to "benefit, perform the functions of, or carry out the purposes of" the LDS Church, according to Ensign's articles of incorporation" From the Salt Lake Tribune Article: "[The largest investment fund in Utah] is managed by Ensign Peak, a nonprofit corporation organized in 1997 to "benefit, perform the functions of, or carry out the purposes of" the LDS Church, according to Ensign's articles of incorporation." "Ensign Peak's board of trustees includes LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley and two members of the LDS Church's Quorum of Twelve Apostles, Robert D. Hales and Henry B. Eyring. Hales is a former general manager of Gillette, vice president of Max Factor International and president of Hughes Broadcasting Corp." "Ensign Peak's president is Roger G. Clarke, an investment and options scholar who concurrently serves as chairman of Analytic Investors Inc., a Los Angeles firm with $3.1 billion in assets under management, as of Dec. 31, 2002." If I recall correctly, our Ex-Mormon insider going by the name "Flew The Coop" posted about Ensign Peak. He said that top church officials have been selling church assests off to this entity over the last few years. ... What a perfect shell game. Bring the money in tax free, invest in for profit companies, place LDS leaders on the board but let LDS business men run the companies so that if they need to do a less than ethical transaction, LDS is not "responsible" since it is a
private corporation while LDS controls the whole show. Another nice benefit is LDS can hold vast amounts of tax free cash and dispense it to the company that would provide the best tax benefits and returns for maximum return. GM, AT&T and other corporations should think about starting a [Mormon] church to run their money through and reap even bigger profits. [article link]
Hedge Funds Banking on Social and Moral Issues - Hedge funds are a popular investment option for the wealthy - And the (LDS) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a private investment fund -- Ensign Peak Advisors -- to serve its Mormon constituents A hedge fund is a type of private investment vehicle for wealthy investors who choose to pool their money and invest in securities. Many hedge funds invest in unusual securities in unusual ways. They sometimes assume substantial risks on speculative strategies. This sometimes includes "hedging," or leveraging investments to get the most gain. Hedge funds are subject to few regulations. The Securities and Exchange Commission requires only that the investors be accredited, meaning that they must earn more than $200,000 per year or have a net worth of more than $1 million. Hedge fund managers are not currently required to register with the SEC. "We don't get into who's investing," said SEC spokesman John Heine. [article link]
OpedNews.com: If Pat Tillman was likely executed, on orders from above, because he was about to go public with his negative views on the Iraq war ~ and in the event of another 9/11 event, all Americans who exercise their consitutional right to dissent could well be subject to martial law: Allen L Roland As Paul Watson, Prison Planet, points out ~ " there was no evidence whatsoever of friendly fire, but the ballistics data clearly indicated that the three head shots had been fired from just 10 yards away and then the Army tried to concoct a hoax friendly fire story and sent gloating back-slapping e mails congratulating each other on their success while preventing the doctors from exploring the possibility of murder ~ The evidence points directly to it and the motivation is clear - Tillman abandoned a lucrative career in pro-football immediately after 9/11 because he felt a rampaging patriotic urge to defend his country, and became a poster child for the war on terror as a result. But when he discovered that the invasion of Iraq was based on a mountain of lies and deceit and had nothing to do with defending America, he became infuriated and was ready to return home to become an anti-war hero." [article link]
Report: White House Planning $20 Billion Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia - The size of the proposed package, which would include advanced weaponry, has made Israel and its supporters in Congress "nervous" the Times reported - The administration has not asked Saudi Arabia to pledge greater support to the U.S. effort in Iraq as a condition of the deal The Bush administration will be asking Congress to approve a $20 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf states despite the concerns of some U.S. officials that the Saudis have been hampering U.S. efforts in Iraq, the New York Times reported Saturday. The size of the proposed package, which would include advanced weaponry, has made Israel and its supporters in Congress "nervous," the Times reported. The administration is expecting Israeli supporters and Saudi critics in Congress to oppose the deal when it is formally presented to Congress this fall. To resolve these concerns, the administration has promised Israel $30.4 billion in military aid over the next decade, and is asking the Saudis to accept restrictions on the "range, size and location of the satellite-guided bombs" and to agree not to store the weapons near Israeli territory, a U.S. official told the Times. [article link]
"40 Days for Life" - Pro-Life Event Info (Mp3) Welcome to the "Pro-Life Breakthrough" Teleconference & Webcast Replay. You are about to discover the strategies of the groundbreaking pro-life campaign that is creating extraordinary results across America. Please
click on the play button on the audio-player to the right to listen or you can click on the "Download MP3" link to save the file to your computer or iPod. There is about a 10-second silence on the audio before the presentation starts. [article link]
Over the past three years, a handful of communities quietly conducted a groundbreaking pro-life campaign called "40 Days for Life," creating extraordinary results - Get the whole story by downloading your copy of the Fall 2007 Campaign Overview (PDF) report HERE The success of 40 Days for Life depends on the most powerful form of advertising in the world - word of mouth. Tell all of your friends, family members, co-workers, and fellow believers about 40 Days for Life. Take these four simple steps today: pray, sign-up, educate yourself, and spread the word. Then watch your e-mail inbox in the coming days for some exciting updates about 40 Days for Life! [article link]
Campaign will flood abortion with prayer - '40 Days' plan will include round-the-clock clinic vigils Pro-life volunteers are getting ready to pull out the heavy-duty artillery in their war against abortion, with a 40 Days for Life plan scheduled this fall that will flood abortion clinics across the country with prayer, 24 hours a day, for the length of the campaign. Volunteer Director David Bereit told WND the campaign already has been used in several cities, with impressive results, and leaders felt the need to coordinate a national effort that will run Sept. 26-Nov. 4. He witnessed the effort in College Station, Texas, firsthand, he said, where more than 1,000 people got involved, many for the first time, in advocating for life. "The most dramatic thing there was that the abortion rate dropped by 28 percent," he said. "In Dallas, folks confirmed 14 women planning to have an abortion - because of the people outside - changed their minds." He said in Houston area pregnancy centers reported 120 appointments set by women who had abortions scheduled, but did not follow through. This program will be different from most protests, he said, because it is being centered on prayer and fasting "with absolute intensity." "I've been involved in pro-life work for years," Bereit told WND. "Nothing has caused an impact like this." [article link]
Pro-Life Information and Resources - Psalms 139:14,16 I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.. (PDF) The pro-life movement is the movement acknowledging that all human life is created in the image of God and is sacred to God. The individuals' lifespan is a work of God and needs to be committed to God. We as people do not end the life of other people no matter how young or how old or in what condition they are in. Being involved in Pro Life issues or any other good cause does not make us a Christian. Accepting the life of Jesus for our own personal sins reconciles us to God. There are many people who do not take part in an abortion and yet will never remain in the presence of God, because of their own sins apart from abortion. ... We can't make right an abortion but God can and has. He died for us and for the unborn as well, so that we can live together with Him in heaven. Let's not cheapen the sacrifice that Jesus has given for us by saying that God's blood is not enough to cover our sins. The fact is, sinner's sin. God is not surprised by our actions He knows mankind. It is up to Christians to stand in this gap and to "Choose Life". One of the First functions of the early Church in Rome was to rescue the babies and children left to die (their form of abortion) on the hills outside the city. [article link]
Pro-Life Movie Collection - DVD - 5 movies dealing with the issue of abortion from a Christian worldview (5 DVD's $72.99) Customer Testimonials: " A great resource. Great products and speedy delivery." [article link]
Romney Misleads on Immigration Plans - he failed to mention that he had been caught using undocumented workers to work on the grounds of his own home - "Mitt Romney needs to start being honest with caucusgoers" Why Can't He Tell the Whole Story? Winterset, IA - Today Mitt Romney sought to bolster his conservative credentials by presenting a tough immigration stance to Iowa Republicans. However, Romney failed to tell the audience the whole truth about his own opinions on illegal immigrants. The former Governor claimed that he opposes the proposed pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the United States, but a little over a year ago, he supported just such a program. In addition, Romney called for an employer verification program that would sanction companies that hire illegal immigrants. Once again, he failed to mention that he had been caught using undocumented workers to work on the grounds of his own home. "Mitt Romney needs to start being honest with caucus-goers," said Carrie Giddins, Iowa Democratic Party Communications Director. "Romney's hypocrisy reached new heights today as he not only contradicted his own immigration position but also attacked himself for employing illegal immigrants." [article link]
Christians as Media Consumers (Mp3) The Concordia Institute on Lay Vocation is pleased to provide the archived audio files below in mp3 format. They are recordings of appearances by Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto on the Issues, etc. radio program. The Institute thanks the Issues, etc. radio program and KFUO radio for the opportunity to archive these audio files and make them available to a worldwide audience. Dr. Siemon-Netto appears on the Issues, etc. radio program as a regular guest on Mondays at 5:00 p.m. (central time). [article link]
Romney Weighing Speech on Religion {Great, just what we need Romney the porn peddling, king of greed, flip-flopping, election rigging scoundrel touting the merits of his (LDS) Mormon beliefs.} MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Thursday he'll probably deliver a speech explaining the role his Mormon faith plays in his political life, but he argued he's made strong gains among evangelicals despite questions about his religion. "I have thought about that," Romney said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I haven't made a final decision, but it's probably more likely than not." ... In March, a Gallup poll found that 46 percent had a negative opinion of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant group, considers the LDS church a cult and many [all] other Christian denominations also do not recognize Mormon baptism. [article link]
LearnOutLoud.com: Christian Doctrine - Concordia Seminary Course by Joel D. Biermann (Mp3's) Christian Doctrine, S-080, is a preseminary couse taught by Dr. Joel D. Biermann, Assistant Professor of Systematics, during the summer at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. This course is designed to assist the student in gaining the basic undersatding of Christian doctrine, which is prerequisite for the study of theolgoy at the Seminary level. Tracks are listed in the order which they they were tuaght in class. [article link]
Biblical Proof that Jesus is God (PDF) - 1st Timothy 3:16 God was manifest in the flesh In many, many places the Bible references, referrers to and calls Jesus, God. Here are just a few! 1 Timothy 3:16 "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." ... Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost (Spirit) hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath Purchased with His Own Blood. ... 2nd Corinthians 5:19 To whit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, ... Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son (Jesus) He (Father) saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy Kingdom.
... [article link]
Jesus Loves You! - A Chance to Receive Jesus into Your Life - Salvation Message (Video) Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If it does, I invite you to pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He promised. [article link]
Flight 93 memorial: 'Giant mosque' - Author presents evidence of new landmark's homage to terrorists - Alec Rawls' "Crescent of Betrayal: Dishonoring the Heroes of Flight 93," published by World Ahead documents a long list of Islamic and terrorist memorializing features in the Flight 93 National Memorial The planned crescent-shaped "memorial to heroes" of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania is nothing less than a huge outdoor mosque that pays homage to Islam, charges the author of a new book. Alec Rawls' "Crescent of Betrayal: Dishonoring the Heroes of Flight 93," published by World Ahead documents a long list of Islamic and terrorist memorializing features in the Flight 93 National Memorial. The primary feature, he says, is the giant central crescent of what originally was called the "Crescent of Embrace" design. A person facing into this halfmile wide crescent - still present in the superficially altered "Bowl of Embrace" redesign - will be oriented almost exactly at Mecca. That is significant, Rawls said, because a crescent that Muslims face to point them in the direction of Mecca - called a "mihrab" - is the central feature around which every mosque is built. Rawls said it seems impossible such startling revelations could go unreported, but Pennsylvania newspapers have ignored him. [article link]
Romney Swimming in an "Ocean" of Contradiction - Mitt attacks pornography despite his role with Marriott, which sold in-room smut - "For those who want a proven, consistent, pro-family leader in the White House, Mitt Romney is an unacceptable choice" {The real Hallmark of a Cultist is their contradicted "do as I say - not as I do" lifestyle. Mitt in his (LDS) Mormon lifestyle is so contradicted and phony that I think there will be few backers for his presidential bid and it shows in Romney's low 9%-11% national poll numbers.} ALEXANDRIA, VA - In a move rich with irony, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign released a new television advertisement decrying "the culture that surrounds our kids today," despite the fact that Romney served on the board of Marriott International, which generated tens of millions of dollars in revenue through in-room pornography services at its hotels. In stark contrast with Romney's role at Marriott, which brought him over $100,000 per year, Senator Sam Brownback lead the fight against indecency and asked the hotel chain to stop offering pornography in its rooms. ... "Mitt Romney apparently turned a blind-eye to the obscene, hard-core pornography offered in Marriott hotels. Instead, Romney and Marriott International chose to earn millions of dollars with such a morally objectionable business practice. For those who want a proven, consistent, profamily leader in the White House, Mitt Romney is an unacceptable choice." [article link]
Romney's 'Special Ops' staffer: Aide details 'very secretive' work on MySpace page - pages that also contain boisterous pictures of him hoisting a champagne bottle in a hot tub and other party shots - The Romney campaign has been besieged by allegations of questionable conduct by aides on the campaign trail An aide to former Gov. Mitt Romney who was linked to the campaign's alleged use of phony badges has created personal Internet pages where he boasts that he's a top secret "special ops" employee who toils in the "underbelly of politics." Will Ritter, who helps plan Romney's presidential campaign events, included the bizarre, Jason-Bournesque job description on Internet networking pages that also contain boisterous pictures of him hoisting a champagne bottle in a hot tub and other party shots. The Romney campaign has been besieged by allegations of questionable conduct by aides on the campaign trail. Ritter's boss, Jay Garrity, stepped down last week after the Herald reported he was accused of distributing phony badges to Ritter and another campaign staffer. ... On both services, Ritter uses terms that suggest he is a security operative on the
campaign. On MySpace, he describes his work as "very secretive, US special ops." On Facebook, he writes that his employer is the "underbelly of politics." Ritter's former boss, Garrity, is under investigation by criminal authorities probing allegations that he impersonated a law enforcement officer in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. [article link]
The Sermon Depository - Mike Pelletier - Assurance of salvation (MP3) - How Hot is Hell (MP3) - (Free Mp's) To download a file to your hard drive right click on the link and select "Save Target As". This is the prefered method for dial up users. [article link]
A Constitutionalist's View of the GOP Presidential Hopefuls - Ron Paul: The Congressman from Texas is quite simply, 'the best they've got' There's reluctance among conservatives to see the ideological flaws of the current crop of president-wannabes but unless we're willing to line up each one of the 11 Republican contenders and strip off his 3 piece posturing to look deep into his political past, we'll simply be fooling ourselves (again) when it comes to supporting a candidate for president. Much like a woman who wants to get married so badly she ignores those 'dealbreaking' flaws, when it comes to the Republicans vying for the nomination, we just don't want to face the truth, because well, it would hurt too much to say, once again, "He's not for me", and move on, when there might not be anyone else to move on to. That kind of thinking always leads to desperation and ultimately disappointment. [article link]
Embattled Romney staffer rides off into sunset - The source said the fake (police) badges were (also) used on the campaign trail and other events to discourage reporters from approaching Romney with questions - In one instance, the source said, an aide flashed a badge to drive through a Massachusetts Turnpike toll booth without paying A controversial aide has resigned from former Gov. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign following a Herald story in which he was accused of creating phony badges allegedly used to strong-arm reporters and gain access to restricted areas. With the Romney campaign under mounting pressure, director of operations Jay Garrity agreed to quit yesterday as the charges against him continued to raise questions about management of the former governor's White House bid campaign. ... Garrity is under investigation in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for incidents in which he is accused of pretending to be a law enforcement officer. ... A campaign source told the Herald that those alleged incidents were part of a broader pattern in which Garrity continually pretended to be a security operative on the campaign. The source said Garrity issued bogus badges to subordinates and directed them to use the shields to project an image of security on the campaign trail. The source said the fake badges were used on the campaign trail and other events to discourage reporters from approaching Romney with questions and to gain immediate access to restricted areas while planning events. In one instance, the source said, an aide flashed a badge to drive through a Massachusetts Turnpike toll booth without paying. Romney's campaign denied knowledge of any instances during the presidential campaign in which the badges were used inappropriately. ... But that statement conflicted with information provided by Boston law firm Mintz Levin, which is representing Garrity. [article link]
White House Gets Defensive Over Accusation Bin Laden Is Dead - Judging from all the available evidence, the White House knows for certain or at least strongly suspects that Bin Laden is dead and has been for many years Judging from all the available evidence, the White House knows for certain or at least strongly suspects that Bin Laden is dead and has been for many years, but they have chosen to maintain his myth for the purposes of political propaganda and as a hook on which to pin the advance of the imperial Neo-Con agenda. Townsend's reaction to the question is a clear indication that the Bush administration don't even want to be drawn into a
debate on whether Bin Laden is still alive. The premise that he might be dead cannot even be entertained because it would strip "Al-Qaeda" of much of the menace that the Neo-Cons need to attach to the group in order to keep Americans frightened and obedient. According to French newspaper Le Figaro, Bin Laden was on a kidney dialysis machine after he had one shipped to his base in Kandahar Afghanistan in 2000. Other accounts suggest he was also suffering from Hepatitis C at the time and had only two years left to live. Journalists who met Bin Laden before 9/11 later proclaimed their disbelief about the fact that he didn't appear on video after December 2001 to brag about the fact that he had not been captured. Since that time, every single Bin Laden video tape released has contained vague non-specific messages and in many cases the footage is old and re-hashed. [article link]
Audio Sermons - The following audio sermons cover Bible doctrines, prophecy, and spiritual warfare - #34 The Rapture (Online Audio) The following audio sermons cover Bible doctrines, prophecy, and spiritual warfare. It is recommended that you listen to them in the order presented. [article link]
True To His Word Podcasts - Calvary Chapel of Truckee - Recent Sunday Morning and Wednesday Evening Sermons (Mp3's) True To His Word," Pastor Brian Larson's 26-minute radio broadcast, can be heard weekly on Monday evenings at 8 p.m. (Pacific) on the Calvary Satellite Network (CSN), and daily on a number of locally owned stations. "True To His Word" is currently broadcasting programs on Seven Messages from Jesus to His Church (weekly program), and on the Book of Psalms (daily program). [article link]
How Jim Whitehead Lost His Sure Thing in GA-10 - Dr. Paul Broun (fundamentalist evangelical), will head to Washington (Congress) - A victory for Conservatism! - That Whitehead imploded is just another amazing spectacle in how Beltway Republicans have lost their ability to run campaigns RedState endorsed Jim Whitehead went down in flames in Georgia last night. His opponent, Dr. Paul Broun, will head to Washington. Whitehead was heavily backed by the establishment Republicans and Dr. Paul Broun, to put it mildly, is the Kossacks' worst nightmare - military pro-gun, fundamentalist evangelical, hard core states rights, and anti-budget. He said he'd carry a pocket Constitution with him and use the Bible to measure matters on which he'd vote. Going into the runoff, Whitehead had such a strong lead, in historic Georgia terms, he had over an 88% chance of winning the runoff. The congressional district pitted heavily liberal and large AthensClarke County in the west (home of the University of Georgia) with Richmond and Columbia Counties in the east - the real population center of the district. Broun was from the Athens-Clarke area and Whitehead from the Richmond-Columbia area, an area he represented in the State Senate. ... For three weeks, Paul Broun went into Whitehead's base territory with youthful door to door volunteers targeting Christian households and hard core conservative voters. For three weeks, Jim Whitehead did not knock on doors. [article link]
Exclusive: Dick Morris Says Hillary Will Be America's Next President - In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to slow investigations Barring a Clinton indictment, however, Hillary's White House path is clear for 2008. ... A Big Boost From ... Bush In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to slow investigations. "In retrospect it will look like a mistake on his part," Morris told NewsMax. "He's treating the scandals as an inconvenience, but that's because of one of the core convictions of the Bush family. They always oppose aggressive action against former presidents." He argues that, though some of the accusations
leveled against his ex-boss were "garbage," the 11th-hour pardons were a different matter. "That scandal was very real. And if there is no action on the pardon scandal, Bush will ultimately regret that," Morris predicts. [article link]
THE BUSH-CLINTON DYNASTY - Face it folks: the Bushes and Clintons are political soul mates - the Bushes and Clintons are as close as America has gotten to a crime family dynasty To believe that the Bushes and Clintons are political and philosophical opponents is the height of absurdity. Both have the support and do the bidding of the international elite. Both families are imbedded in secret societies and globalist agendas. And mark my words, the Bushes will be working behind the scenes for a Hillary victory in 2008. I will even be so bold as to say that the Bushes and Clintons are as close as America has gotten to a crime family dynasty. If you are brave at heart, do a little personal research into the connection between these two families and the CIA's infamous "extra curricular" C-130 flights to Central and South America originating in and out of Mena, Arkansas back in the '90's. Barak Obama needs to pray he doesn't get too close to the Democratic nomination. And the American people need to pray for a "Great Awakening," because another four or eight years of the Bush-Clinton dynasty might turn this once-great constitutional republic into just another banana republic. [article link]
THE BUSH-CLINTON DYNASTY - John Mack is not the first Bush supporter to jump on the Hillary bandwagon Neither will he be the last - The Bushes and Clintons go way back - They have been fast friends for decades That wealthy and influential supporters of G.W. Bush are now supporting Hillary Clinton only surprises those who have not been paying attention. For the rest of us, this is merely par for the course. The Bushes and Clintons go way back. They have been fast friends for decades. Only a closely guarded media cover up has hidden this fact from the general public. As you will recall, George H.W. Bush was President of the United States while William Jefferson Clinton was Governor of Arkansas. During this time, it was very common for the two families (along with G.W. Bush and Laura) to vacation together. This is well-known to those who are familiar with the two families. Yet, the connection between the Bushes and Clintons is much deeper than simple friendship. They share a deep socio-political alliance as well. Remember that it was President Bill Clinton who first proposed what came to be called the USA Patriot Act. Of course, he failed to convince a GOP Congress to approve the measure. However, G.W. Bush succeeded where Clinton failed. Remember, too, that it was President Bill Clinton who gave us NAFTA, something G.W. Bush has not only supported but expanded into the SPP and a burgeoning North American Community. Furthermore, both Bush and Clinton are major players in the push for amnesty for illegal aliens. And the list just goes on and on. Face it folks: the Bushes and Clintons are political soul mates. Therefore, why should it be surprising that many Bush supporters are now working for the Hillary Clinton campaign? [article link]
{Flashback} The program, which then Gov. Mitt Romney signed into law a year ago Thursday, - includes a requirement that everyone in Massachusetts get some form of health insurance by July 1, 2007 - If they don't, they face a series of increasing tax penalties - That mandate amounts to an "unprecedented expansion of government power" - "In essence, you have Romney embracing 'Hillarycare,' and that doesn't play well on the right" {Mormon Mitt's first move is to sic the IRS and the law on every single person in Massachusetts. I doubt Romney has what it would take to be a good President!} The program, which Romney signed into law a year ago Thursday, includes a requirement that everyone in Massachusetts get some form of health insurance by July 1. If they don't, they face a series of increasing tax penalties.That mandate amounts to an "unprecedented expansion of government power," says Michael Tanner, a health policy expert at the Cato Institute, a libertarian Washington think-tank. The law also created the "Connector," a program for providing low-cost policies aimed at attracting younger and healthier residents who currently do not have insurance. Critics have questioned demands by the Connector's overseers for prescription drug coverage, as well as policies with premiums capped at $200 per month. "There is a likening of
this central concept of his _ the Connector _ to managed competition, which was at the heart of the 1993 Clinton health care proposal," Tanner said. "In essence, you have Romney embracing 'Hillarycare,' and that doesn't play well on the right." [article link]
{Flashback} Harriet Miers (helped) Contribute to Hillary's NY Senate Election in 2000 On May 17, 2000, while Harriet Miers was managing the law firm of Locke Liddell from the firm's Dallas office, she contributed $415 to the law firm's political action committee. Federal Election Commission reports show that two days later, Locke Liddell's PAC contributed $1,000 to Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate Campaign Committee. For an unexplained reason, Harriet Miers listed herself as a "self-employed attorney," according to the FEC Report on her 2000 contribution to the Locke Liddell PAC. [article link]
Message from Ron Paul - There is a real hunger for our ideas, even in the mainstream media - The message of liberty is popular! Congressman Ron Paul is the leading advocate for freedom in our nation's capital. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Paul tirelessly works for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies. He is known among his congressional colleagues and his constituents for his consistent voting record. Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution. [article link]
Poll: 'None of the above' leads GOP field - And the leading Republican presidential candidate is ... none of the above WASHINGTON (AP) -- And the leading Republican presidential candidate is ... none of the above. The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back top-tier hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney, and no one candidate has emerged as the clear front-runner among Christian evangelicals. Such dissatisfaction underscores the volatility of the 2008 GOP nomination fight. ... A half year before voting begins, the survey shows the White House race is far more wide open on the Republican side than on the Democratic. The uneven enthusiasm about the fields also is reflected in fundraising in which Democrats outraised Republicans $80 million to $50 million from April through June, continuing a trend from the year's first three months. "Democrats are reasonably comfortable with the range of choices. The Democratic attitude is that three or four of these guys would be fine," David Redlawsk, a University of Iowa political scientist. "The Republicans don't have that; particularly among the conservatives there's a real split. They just don't see candidates who reflect their interests and who they also view as viable." More Republicans have become apathetic about their options over the past month. A hefty 23 percent can't or won't say which candidate they would back, a jump from the 14 percent who took a pass in June. [article link]
Young Republicans Defend Their Straw Poll {Romney goes "Mountain Meadows" style at Young Republican (YR) straw pole. Romney disguised not as an Indian but as a conservative suggested the YR's raise the 'white flag' and trust Romney to lead them to safety meanwhile behind their backs Romney powwowed a voting eligibility rules change and secretly brought in his band of ringers to secure an election victory. Romney's fellow Mormons are claiming it is a brilliant leadership strategy but unfortunately it was only a blatant election massacre.} Young Republican convention organizer Brian Graham defended the straw poll against the accuastions it was rigged for Mitt Romney. Graham, a Romney supporter, sent key Young Republican officials this e-mail, which this column has obtained. Some folks have gone on to some blogs to try to make our convention look bad. They are complaining about non-YRs voting in the Straw Poll. ... After asking a female member of the YRNC Planning Committee specifically who had assisted with registration about this issue, she initially confirmed that
she thought only Delegates, Alts. and registered guests for the Convention could vote. She later changed her mind to confirm that anyone could vote who paid to attend the dinner. ... Hence, the audible booing and hissing by YR Delegates as the Straw Poll results were announced at the closing YRNC2007 Sunday meeting. [article link]
A HUNGER FOR GOD - Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer - What we hunger for most, we worship (PDF) The weakness of our hunger for God is not because he is unsavory, but because we keep ourselves stuffed with "other things." Perhaps, then, the denial of our stomach's appetite for food might express, or even increase, our soul's appetite for God. What is at stake here is not just the good of our souls, but also the glory of God. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. The fight of faith is a fight to feast on all that God is for us in Christ. What we hunger for most, we worship. [article link]
Fasting - Basic Christian Theology - 132 Topics (PDF) Fasting is doing without. For instance, avoiding anger or jealousy, also examining our thoughts and speech are all acceptable fasts. Going without food is also a powerful fast in that the flesh and self-life are being denied. Hunger is a natural physical instinct, when we deny our hunger, our bodies let us know that we are hungry. The power in this type of fast is to then take that physical reminder of hunger and to be reminded that actually I hunger spiritually for the things of God. Throughout the time of the fast we are continually using the desire for food to remind us of our desire for God and in doing so we are re-adjusting our focus onto God. By the end of the fast we are more in the habit of seeking God and less in the habit of seeking self. Fasting is not a tool to gain God's recognition. The fast is a tool to readjust our focus and for us to seek God. When we seek God we will find Him. [article link]
The Romney Advantage: Who Needs Grassroots When You Can Afford Astroturf - the traditional rule that only delegates can vote in the YR straw poll has been changed - at the Cobb County GOP BBQ in Georgia on the 4th - Romney volunteers loitered around the straw poll ballot table urging people to refrain from voting for Fred Thompson {Until the current Republican Party can become honest with its supporters in a meaningful way it will be increasingly regulated to a niche party.} The other candidates running for the GOP nomination have run smack into the Romney money advantage today down in Florida. The Young Republicans are having their national hedonism convention. Somehow or another, I guess by the Executive Committee (the folks I've talked to aren't too sure), the traditional rule that only delegates can vote in the YR straw poll has been changed. Now, anyone who goes to tonight's dinner can vote in the YR straw poll, a big deviation from the historic pattern and practice. The dinner's keynote speaker tonight? Mitt Romney. The dinner's sponsor? Mitt Romney. The youth Republicans phone banking today to get people out for tonight's dinner were even supplied by Mitt Romney. ... [UPDATE:] Several people remind me that this is kind of like what happened at the Cobb County GOP BBQ here in Georgia on the 4th. It is a huge annual event complete with straw poll. Romney volunteers loitered around the straw poll ballot table urging people to refrain from voting for Fred Thompson, who still came in first. Romney came in third, behind Ron Paul. [article link]
VARs Ripping And Replacing Microsoft Vista For XP At Breakneck Pace - VARs and system builders said the Vista issues are so significant that they are simply ripping Vista off most systems Dell Computer isn't the only one warning clients of the pitfalls of moving to Microsoft's Vista operating system. System builders and VARs, however, aren't just talking about it. They are are ripping the much ballyhooed operating system off desktops and notebooks at a breakneck pace because of the problems that come with moving clients to Vista. ... VARs and system builders said the Vista issues are so significant that they are simply ripping Vista off most systems. "We are ripping it off systems 99 percent of the time," said Jay Tipton, vice
president of Technology Specialists, a Fort Wayne, Ind., Microsoft Gold partner. "There are too many issues especially in the medical vertical market. It hasn't been tested with any of the medical software out there. I'm not willing to make my client a beta site to find Microsoft bugs. I just can't in good faith put Vista on a client's network and expect all their software to work." [article link]
Video & Audio Sermons by David Wilkerson and Gary Wilkerson - Mostly Online a few Downloads World Challenge, Inc. was founded by Reverend David Wilkerson in 1971. The ministry's mission is to promote and perpetuate the message of Christ through public teachings. As such, World Challenge, Inc. serves as a corporate umbrella for Reverend Wilkerson's crusades, ministers' conferences, book and tract publishing, video production, Bible schools, street evangelism, literature distribution, feeding programs, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers and other charitable outreaches. He remains president of World Challenge, Inc. which has a mailing list to hundreds of thousands of people who regularly receive copies of his sermons and ministry updates. [article link]
Webpage to Join the Constitution Party or Join the 'Veteran's Coalition' Branch of the Constitution Party The Constitution Party: The Democrats and Republicans have squandered the Founders' legacy of liberty and justice under the Constitution. Countless government officials in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government ignore their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. Join the Constitution Party in its work to restore our government to its Constitutional limits and our law to its Biblical foundations. [article link]
Thompson lobbied for abortion-rights group, it (National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Assn) says A spokesman for the GOP presidential hopeful says he did no such work - An ex-colleague calls the denial 'bizarre' {This is just another reminder to myself that I no longer want to be associated with the current Republican Party. It is a party of despicable liars and the people they prefer to lie to and defraud the most is their own party base of supporters.} Fred D. Thompson, who is campaigning for president as an antiabortion Republican, accepted an assignment from a family-planning group to lobby the first Bush White House to ease a controversial abortion restriction, according to a 1991 document and several people familiar with the matter. ... I talked to him while he was doing it, and I talked to [DeSarno] about the fact that she was very pleased with the work that he was doing for her organization," said Barnes. "I have strong, total recollection of that. This is not something I dreamed up or she dreamed up. This is fact." DeSarno said that Thompson, after being hired, reported to her that he had held multiple conversations about the abortion rule with Sununu, who was then the White House chief of staff and the president's point man on the rule. Thompson kept her updated on his progress in telephone conversations and over meals at Washington restaurants, including dinner at Galileo and lunch at the Monocle, she said. At one of the meals, she recalled, Thompson told her that Sununu had just given him tickets for a VIP tour of the White House for a Thompson son and his wife. [article link]
AMD to remove deceptive Barcelona benchmarks on website {Another day in Bush's America, another day of deceit, false representations and outright lies.} A day after I blasted AMD for posting deceptive benchmarks on Barcelona, AMD is promising to release "honest Barcelona benchmarks". As of Thursday afternoon 7/5/2007 the misleading Barcelona numbers are still posted on AMD's website but AMD is promising to release updated numbers in the coming weeks with Barcelona 2.0 GHz scores (slated for September 2007 release) instead of "simulated Barcelona 2.6 GHz scores". ... So there you have it. AMD might have some plausible deniability here that they officially created these charts back in February, but they have this information posted prominently on their Barcelona product webpage and this information is only now making the rounds in the press as some miraculous triumph at a time when reality
is a late underwhelming Barcelona product. Shame on AMD, I'll be waiting for their "honest Barcelona numbers" to be updated on their product page. [article link]
TB patient says he was lured into isolation - The globe-trotting tuberculosis patient who sparked an international public health incident in May said Friday that he was tricked into a federal quarantine - He also noted that an early May CDC lab result -- from a test that looks for evidence of drug resistance in TB bacteria genes -- showed the less-dangerous TB ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- The globe-trotting tuberculosis patient who sparked an international public health incident in May said Friday that he was tricked into a federal quarantine. TB patient Andrew Speaker set off an international health scare when he traveled to Europe for his wedding in May. Andrew Speaker, a 31-year-old Atlanta, Georgia, attorney, said he would have gladly gone into isolation if health officials had asked him to. Instead, he said they asked him to swing by a New York City hospital for testing after his European vacation, then posted armed guards outside his door. "They tried to trick me when it was unnecessary," Speaker said from a Colorado hospital where he has been under treatment for a month. Speaker, the first person quarantined by the U.S. government since 1963, disclosed new details about the discussions he had with health officials ... He said he has no current plans to sue health officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other government agencies. "I'm worried about people coming after me," he said in a lengthy interview with The Associated Press. ... He also noted that an early May CDC lab result -- from a test that looks for evidence of drug resistance in TB bacteria genes -- showed the less-dangerous TB. Speaker argued that county health officials told him he was not a danger to his fiancee or others, and did not forbid him from traveling. "They said, 'You don't need to be sequestered.' How can they turn around later and say, 'You should have been in isolation'?" Speaker said. [article link]
'Gay'-rights leader quits homosexuality - Rising star in movement says God liberated him from lifestyle "Homosexuality is death, and I choose life" In 2005, Glatze was featured in a panel with Judy Shepard, mother of slain homosexual Matthew Shepard, at the prestigious JFK Jr. Forum at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "It was after viewing my words on a videotape of that 'performance,'" he writes, "that I began to seriously doubt what I was doing with my life and influence." "Knowing no one who I could approach with my questions and my doubts, I turned to God," he says. "I'd developed a growing relationship with God, thanks to a debilitating bout with intestinal cramps caused by the upset stomach-inducing behaviors I'd been engaged in." Toward the end of his time with Young Gay America, Glatze said, colleagues began to notice he was going through some kind of religious experience. Just before leaving, not fully realizing what he was doing, he wrote on his office computer his thoughts, ending with the declaration: "Homosexuality is death, and I choose life." [article link]
Romney Criticized for Hotel Pornography - during his near-decade on the Marriott board - their hotels offer 70 different types of hardcore pornography - "They have to assume some responsibility. It's their hotels, it's their television sets" {The smallest honest examination of the (LDS) Mormon cult reveals that there is nothing family friendly about them. Mormons simply are a Money and Sex cult it's the plain ugly truth about the LDS.} Two anti-pornography crusaders, as well as two conservative activists of the type Romney is courting, say the distribution of such graphic adult movies runs counter to the family image cultivated by Romney, the Marriotts and their shared Mormon faith. "Marriott is a major pornographer. And even though he may have fought it, everyone on that board is a hypocrite for presenting themselves as family values when their hotels offer 70 different types of hardcore pornography," said Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values, an anti-pornography group based on Ohio. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a leading conservative group in Washington, said: "They have to assume some responsibility. It's their hotels, it's their television sets." During a recent Associated Press interview, Romney said he did not recall pornography coming
up for discussion while he was on the Marriott board from 1992 to 2001. Despite being chairman of the board's audit committee, he also said he was unaware of how much revenue pornography may have generated for the hotel chain. [article link]
Brody File: Questions about Romney's Ties to Marriott Hotel Chain - how much presidential candidate Mitt Romney knew about the Marriott hotel chain's profits of pornography sales during his nearly ten years on the Board of Directors Some anti-pornography groups are demanding answers as to how much presidential candidate Mitt Romney knew about the Marriott hotel chain's profits of pornography sales during his nearly ten years on the Board of Directors in the 1990s. ... During his run for President, Romney has campaigned on a platform of "family values" recently telling a graduation class, "Pornography and violence poison our music and movies and television and video games." ... John Harmer, President of the anti-pornography group The Lighted Candle Society and the former Lieutenant Governor of California under Ronald Reagan isn't buying it. He wants to hear more. "My attitude toward board members is that they are fully responsible," Harmer said. "They knew exactly what they were receiving. I don't think any board member under any rationale could claim ignorance. You're either a board member or not. I can't imagine a board member going a full year and not receiving a revenue report from the company." Previous news accounts researched by The Brody File show that Romney was paid more than $100,000 per year while on the board of Marriott. When he left in 2002, J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International, called him, "an active, hands-on Director… From his first days on our Board nine years ago, Mitt has been an extraordinarily effective director and visionary leader." Mitt Romney has a very close relationship with the Marriott family. [article link]
America, Why I Love Her - Awsome! 4th of July John Wayne narration and photos of America. [article link]
The 4th of July in Photos & Music The 4th of July. The Celebration of Independence Day in the United States of America. [article link]
20+ Windows Vista Features and Services Harvest User Data for Microsoft - in excess of 20 Windows Vista features and services are hard at work collecting and transmitting your personal data to the Redmond company Are you using Windows Vista? Then you might as well know that the licensed operating system installed on your machine is harvesting a healthy volume of information for Microsoft. In this context, a program such as the Windows Genuine Advantage is the last of your concerns. In fact, in excess of 20 Windows Vista features and services are hard at work collecting and transmitting your personal data to the Redmond company. Microsoft makes no secret about the fact that Windows Vista is gathering information. End users have little to say, and no real choice in the matter. The company does provide both a Windows Vista Privacy Statement and references within the End User License Agreement for the operating system. Combined, the resources paint the big picture over the extent of Microsoft's end user data harvest via Vista. [article link]
Romney's (LDS) faith 'problem' could be blessing - Such a controversy would deflect attention from all of the other drawbacks to his candidacy - It's a clever sleight of hand - But his limited governing record is not that impressive when held up to close scrutiny {This article really explains why Mitt Romney is a Deal Breaker for most voters and he would only bring down any ticket he is a part of.} The biggest political accomplishment that Romney's supporters tout is that he balanced the budget in liberal
Massachusetts without raising taxes. But as the Cato Institute's Stephen Slivinski has pointed out, this is mostly a myth. Though he did not raise general tax rates, his first budget included a $500 million increase in fees, and he later closed "loopholes" in the tax code that effectively raised taxes on businesses by $140 million. One of the biggest gripes conservatives have with President Bush is that he betrayed small-government principles by leading the charge for the massive Medicare prescription drug plan. Yet when Romney was governor, his signature issue was a universal health care plan in which the government forced individuals to obtain medical insurance. Romney claimed to have achieved universal coverage without raising taxes, but before he left office last year, the program was already projected to cost $150 million more in 2007 than initially estimated by Romney. ... The same Gallup poll found Romney losing to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) by 13 points, to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) by 21 points and to former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) by a staggering 29 points. ... While conservatives may develop a soft spot for a politician who panders to them, swing voters will be less sympathetic. [article link]
Choices of Eternal Consequence - Yes, I believe in heaven and hell because I believe in a God of justice - If there were no consequences, my actions would have no significance (2 Peter 3:9) Yes, I believe in heaven and hell because I believe in a God of justice. If there were no consequences, my actions would have no significance. Yes, I believe in heaven and hell because I believe in a God of justice. If there were no consequences, my actions would have no significance. The God who creates us gives us a free will, enables us to make free moral decisions, and also holds us accountable for those decisions. As a Christian, I believe that at death my soul will be joined with the Lord and that when He returns in glory my body will be resurrected and I will live with Him during eternity. That sounds all well and good, you say, but how about those whom God sends to hell? Why would a loving God do that? God doesn't send anyone to hell. He gives us the clear understanding of how we are to behave and how we may have faith in Him and therefore be saved for eternity. The invitation is wide open. It doesn't exclude anyone, but it does call for us to do something: repent and believe. But if we choose not to do that, then we will remain for eternity in the state that we're in. That is, rebelling against God. We aren't sent to hell by God, we send ourselves there by refusing God's gracious offer. God is patient and is delaying judgment because he doesn't want "anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). [article link]
Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa - Bible College Extension Campus - FREE Downloads (Mp3's) "Calvary Chapel has been formed as a fellowship of believers in the lordship of Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is to know Christ and to be conformed into His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not a denominational church, nor are we opposed to denominations as such, only their overemphasis of the doctrinal differences that have led to the division of the Body of Christ." [article link]
Iraq War Veteran, gives thanks (Mp3) (Mp3) [article link]
WWII and Korean War Veteran, tells his story (Mp3) (Mp3) [article link]
A Desert Storm Veteran gives his compelling life Testimony (Mp3) How an encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ changed an entire family and gave one Marine the confidence and strength to excel during his Iraq war deployment. [article link]
A Vietnam Veteran POW Survivor tells his incredible story (Mp3) How confinement, prison and torture in a North Vietnamese prison camp actually paved the way for the ultimate psychological and spiritual freedom for one Navy fighter pilot. [article link]
A WWII Veteran - Survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis by a Japanese submarine and a four day struggle for life while floating in shark infested waters (Mp3) Ed Harrell - book 'Out of the Depths' - WWII Veteran Survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis tells of his faith in God. [article link]
Romney Questioned by Conservatives - The answer did not satisfy Van Steenis - "I asked if you had to look to one source what would it be? He didn't really respond to that," she told reporters after the event - "This is serious to me" Many conservative Christians are quietly nervous about Romney's religion and the issue surfaced as Romney opened his campaigning at a forum in Pella, about 40 miles south of Des Moines. Mary Van Steenis asked Romney how he would ponder important decisions as president and which source of inspiration he would seek. "Where would the Bible be in that process?" she asked. "Would it be above the Book of Mormon or would it be beneath it?" "I don't know that there's any conflict at all between the values of great faiths like mine, like yours, like other faiths, like Jews who don't believe in the New Testament," Romney said. "People of faith have different doctrines and different beliefs on various topics of a theological nature. But in terms of what it is we are going to believe and also based on our values for our country, I think we come from the same place," Romney said. The answer did not satisfy Van Steenis. "I asked if you had to look to one source what would it be? He didn't really respond to that," she told reporters after the event. "This is serious to me." [article link]
Recall Mel Martinez - RNC Chairman and U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez {Republican voters now have to Recall their own Republican elected leaders, this is why Republicans should Not get behind Romney. If Romney were to be elected we would live to regret it exactly as Massachusetts greatly regretted the Romney term to the point that it was impossible for Mitt to run for re-election, he was basically run out of the state on a rail. A candidate like Romney with a Republican label is not worth the effort.} Attention, Floridians who want to act by replacing pro-shamnesty politicians with pro-enforcement lawmakers who keep their word: There's a petition recall Mel Martinez here. The sponsors explain: The site www.RecallMel.com was launched June 18th 2007 by central Florida IT Tech Mr. Dewey Wallace to protest what he views as a reversal of Senator Martinez's campaign promises of no Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants. The website has a secure SSL page designed to gather signatures in an attempt to make a legal recall via special election of the Senator. Even though the stated goal of RecallMel.com to gather enough registered Florida voters to recall the Senator, Mr. Wallace readily admits that it is going to be an uphill battle as over 514,000 signatures are required, and no national recall has ever succeeded. However seeing this as an opportunity to set a new legal precedent, Mr. Wallace states RecallMel.com is moving forward with an optimistic eye on success. [article link]
JosephLied.com: Ancient brass plates? - (Fool me once, shame on you) - the Kinderhook Plates - one of them was rediscovered in the Chicago Historical Society Museum by Professor M.Wilford Poulson, of Brigham Young University (see a picture of this plate above) - {The metal 'plate' looks like a metal stamp that was intended to be made into a brass cowbell.} (Photo - scroll down) In 1965, three years after Mr. Ricks made this triumphant announcement, George M. Lawrence, a Mormon physicist was given permission to examine and make "some non-destructive physical studies of the surviving plate." In his "Report of a Physical Study of the Kinderhook Plate Number 5," George Lawrence wrote: The
dimensions, tolerances, composition and workmanship are consistent with the facilities of an 1843 blacksmith shop and with the fraud stories of the original participants." Since Mr. Lawrence was only allowed to make nondestructive tests, some Mormon scholars would not accept his work as conclusive. In 1980, however, the Mormon scholar Stanley P. Kimball was able "to secure permission from the Chicago Historical Society for the recommended destructive tests." Professor Kimball described the results of the tests in the official Mormon Church publication, The Ensign , August 1981, pp. 66-70: "A recent electronic and chemical analysis of a metal plate... brought in 1843 to the prophet Joseph Smith... appears to solve a previously unanswered question in Church history, helping to further evidence that the plate is what its producers later said it was - a nineteenthcentury attempt to lure Joseph Smith into making a translation of ancient-looking characters that had been etched into the plates.... As a result of these tests, we concluded that the plate... is not of ancient origin .... we concluded that the plate was made from a true brass alloy (copper and zinc) typical of the mid-nineteenth century; whereas the 'brass' of ancient times was actually bronze, an alloy of copper and tin." [article link]
How Heavy Were Those (Mormon) Gold Plates? - Mosiah 8:9 in the Book of Mormon that mentions 24 Jaredite plates that were "filled with engravings, and they are of pure gold" - as much as 234 pounds to as little as 100 pounds - as he (Smith) was jumping over a log - then ran at the top of his speed {All this and more while Smith carried his 100+ lbs of gold plates in a cloth sack under one arm.} (Video 4:47) Paintings of Smith show him receiving the plates with outstretched arms or resting on his knee. Although these are just an artist's perception, these descriptions do cause us to ask, "If they really existed, just how heavy would those plates have been given the size and description by Smith?" The answer to this question is varied. We do know that gold weighs about 250 pounds per cubic foot. Given the dimensions by Smith, some have concluded that the plates could have weighed as much as 234 pounds to as little as 100 pounds. ... Mormon metallurgist Reed Putnam estimates that if the plates were made of pure gold, they would have probably weighed around 100 pounds. In perspective, that would be like carrying a bag of Portland cement under one's arm. ... The FARMS' article supports the tumbaga theory by referring to William Smith, Joseph's brother, who was quoted in the Saints Herald (31, 1884, p. 644) as stating that the plates were a mixture of gold and copper. One can only imagine how William arrived at such a conclusion since there is no evidence to suggest that the plates were ever analyzed. Making William's statement even less credible is the fact that he admitted to having never seen the plates. He claimed, "I was permitted to lift them as they laid in a pillow-case; but not to see them, as was contrary to the commands he had received. They weighed about sixty pounds according to the best of my judgment" (A New Witness for Christ in America 2:417). {Did Joseph Smith get some readily available copper plates that are lighter than gold and stick them in his pillowcase while claiming they were golden plates, and no-one, nobody was ever allowed to actually see his 'golden' plates?} [article link]
humanities - plagiarism (.doc) - Although Mormons claim that the Book of Mormon is original, heavily researched material and side-by-side comparisons of the Book of Mormon to other texts, weigh the evidence highly in favor of plagiarism by Smith - Mirrored errors such as those are often traps that plagiarizers get caught in A Religion (LDS), a Lifestyle, a...Plagiarism? Plagiarism of all kinds has been committed over the years, ever since human beings have left much to be desired in the area of creativity. ... Although Mormons claim that the Book of Mormon is original, heavily researched material and side-by-side comparisons of the Book of Mormon to other texts, weigh the evidence highly in favor of plagiarism by Smith. First of all, the language style of the Book of Mormon is incredibly similar to that of the KJV, which is interesting, considering that the tablets that the Book of Mormon was written on were supposedly buried in 421 A.D., which was 1,190 years before the KJV was written.4 Another discrepancy in the originality of the Book of Mormon is that it has translation errors that the KJV also contains. "For example, in 2 Nephi 14:5 [BOM] which is the same as Isaiah 4:5, [KJV] the correct translation of the Hebrew 'Chuppah' is 'canopy,' not 'defense.' Another example is in 2 Nephi 15:25 (which is
the same as Isaiah 5:25). The correct translation of the Hebrew 'cuwchah' is 'filth,' not 'torn.'" 5 Mirrored errors such as those are often traps that plagiarizers get caught in, and Smith committed many other mirrored errors in his Book of Mormon. [article link]
Mormons, aren't the KJV quotes in the BOM proof that Mormonism isn't true? - So all these plates were supposedly written in ancient america, and somehow there are word for word quotes from the King James version of the Bible I don't understand why you Mormons still don't understand the question. Hello, there is KING JAMES VERSION quotes in the Book of Mormon!! Proof beyond any shadow of a doubt that the BOM is a FRAUD. There was no KING JAMES VERSION of the bible in 600 BC! Thats why ex-mormons are always mad at themselves for believing a religion that is so obviously not true. ... It is a fantasy and has been disproved for a century, but slick marketing, missionaries like ants, and a fantastic PR campaign that somehow casts dispersions on anyone who challenges their claims have been propagated to try to shore up this indigenous 19th century belief based on bad theology, hucksterism and naivety ... when will it erode? O, BTW, more people leave the LDS sect than are converted annually ... but you won't be able to prove that legitimately until the LDS release accurate numbers ... which they choose not to do. [article link]
Ex-Mormon now a Christian "child of God" I want to give my review on Mormonism and its false teachings it teaches (YouTube 9:15) "The King James Bible" & "The Book of Mormon" contain much of the "exact same text" & TRANSLATION ERRORS (of the Hebrew language). Hence, "The BoM" is PLAGIARIZED from the KJV Bible (& other books freely available at the Public Library n/t mid 1800s). The Gold Plates (now, BoM) were buried [supposedly] in 421 AD. COMMON SENSE: The Book of Mormon CANNOT be based on plates buried in 421 AD if it contains TRANSLATION ERRORS that DID NOT OCCUR (in the KJV) until 1611. [article link]
City Creek Mall - The Mormon Mall - Downtown Salt Lake City - the (LDS) church is building it's Vatican [a shopping mall] A Nordsrom executive see's the Mormon $1.5 billion mall as a huge fiasco. Apparently the church is already hitting up Cartier and Gucci to be future tennants. My uncle laughed and said they better pay the chuch employee better since the church is the largest employer in Utah. He just sighed and said the church is building it's Vatican since metropolitan SLC has evolved into a liberal city with a difersified minority base. Mormons are actually a minority. The church feels threatened by this and is willing to spend so much money in downtown Salt Lake, they make their presence known. They are trying to make everything church owned bigger and better. In short, the church is trying to compensate for it's shrinkage by building another huge masterpiece across from Temple Square. It's not a wise use of the money, but since when has the church ever been wise with it's money. It's been broke for most of it's history and almost went broke again in the late 1950's due to overexpansion. Amazing. When the church caught flak for closing the old Hotel Utah, Gordon B. Hinckley told the saints the church was losing money on it. He then addmitted the church wasn't very good at running commercial enterprises and these were better managed by the private sector than the church. So Gordo admitted the church doesn't run businesses well. Go figure. ... Our company estimates that the true cost will be $6 - $8 billion dollars. This is based on the following facts. 1. This is a fast tract project. [article link]
Mormon LDS Church Cuts Missionaries' Budget By 10.34% While Increasing Funding For Its SLC Commercial Venture 300% (from $500m To $2b) - there is NO WAY to spin it or wrap your brain around any reason good enough for doing this...if it's truly Christ's church and not a corporation I found a post about the BILLION dollar mall [now at 2 BILLION] and all the other stuff the church spends its
money on. I was angry and immediately told my husband what I'd been reading. He kept trying to come up with a good reason for the mall, but finally gave up because there is NO WAY to spin it or wrap your brain around any reason good enough for doing this...if it's truly Christ's church and not a corporation. Well, lo and behold the next day...we get an email from our missionary son in North Carolina. He informs us that his personal budget for food and essentials is being cut by the "church". (WHO in the HECK IS the CHURCH anyway???) His budget of $145 is being cut to $130 permanently. He mentioned that is it "pretty hard to eat good" on $130 and that when he was in his first area, his budget had been $130 and that the members were not feeding them at all. He and his comp got the "award" for least fed in the zone - three meals in a quarter. When I'd found out about the award I'd sent him some money because I didn't want him to starve. I didn't know at that time he was living on $130 a month. We were sending $400 a month for my son to have the privilege of serving and giving 100% of himself and they only give him $130. My husband and I discussed the situation when he got home from work. We were so upset, especially in light of the BILLION dollar mall. This was a chink in the armor of the church in my husband's eyes. He made the point that groceries never go down in price, only up. Why would the "church" cut their budget, and not expand it? To the MP's credit, my son said he was trying to convince the church not to cut their funds. I have to say, this was the last email my son wrote home to us. We were there in North Carolina the next Sunday BRINGING HIM HOME. [article link]
Romney second to Hillary in the can't-stand-'em poll - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, was second in the can't-stand-'em category, with 46% saying they wouldn't consider voting for him Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, was second in the can't-stand-'em category, with 46 percent saying they wouldn't consider voting for him. ... Romney struggled most with women: 50.9 percent said they wouldn't consider voting for him, while 49.1 said they would. "It's the flip-flop of Hillary," Harris said of Romney. "One could suppose it's the Mormon issue - we didn't ask follow-up questions - but his religion is an issue." ... The Iraq war (and the anemic state of the economy notwithstanding propogand to the contrary) has assured the death of the Republican party. [article link]
Romney's in the doghouse with some voters {The problem isn't just that no-brainer Mitt drove 12-hours up to Canada with his fine family dog strapped to the hot sunbaked roof of his car the whole way. The problem is that out of touch Mormon Mitt Romney is probably more compassionate about the way he treats his dog than the way he treats the average person.. i.e. the bizarre and overly aggressive Jay Garrity episodes do convey how Romney treats other people and in those episodes it's professional people already known and cleared by Romney.} Seamus was the Romneys' former mutt -- ah, actually, make that a distinguished canine gentleman of Irish extraction -- who, we learned on Wednesday, found himself ignominiously placed in a carrier atop the family station wagon back in 1983 as the Romneys embarked on a 12-hour drive to a vacation home Mitt's parents had on Lake Huron. [article link]
McCain Rids Snag, Romney Gets Extension - will not have to disclose details of his financial holdings until midAugust after obtaining an extension {Romney needs extra time in order to be open and honest about his finances, well why not I'm sure he has much to hide. Willard Mitt Romney only comes across as the least honest businessman-politician of this era.} Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, will not have to disclose details of his financial holdings until midAugust after obtaining an extension Thursday from the ethics office. The 2008 hopefuls faced a Friday deadline to file financial disclosure reports required from all presidential candidates. McCain and Romney had received extensions in May to address the contents of family blind trusts. Romney, whose assets are estimated to be between $190 million and $250 million, asked for a new extension because his advisers were compiling data in his blind trust. "All the information needed to complete the report is not yet available," Romney spokesman
Kevin Madden said. All presidential candidates were required to file financial disclosures with the Federal Election commission and the Office of Government Ethics by May 15. Romney, McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., received extensions at the time after the ethics office said all three would have to open their blind trusts. [article link]
Utahn's charter to Romney event may have been a no-no - Kem Gardner, a close friend of Romney, told The Salt Lake Tribune this week that he personally paid $150,000 to charter a Jet Blue plane to fly the Utahns to Boston for Romney's second national call day - "It's hard to see how it would not be an illegal contribution," says Anthony Corrado, a professor of government at Colby College in Maine who specializes in campaign finances WASHINGTON - A Utah supporter of Mitt Romney's White House bid chartered a jet to fly 150 people to a Boston campaign fundraiser - a possible illegal campaign contribution, experts say. Kem Gardner, a close friend of Romney, told The Salt Lake Tribune this week that he personally paid $150,000 to charter a Jet Blue plane to fly the Utahns to Boston for Romney's second national call day - an event where volunteers worked the phones, called friends, family and business associates to build up donations for Romney's presidential bid. ... Campaign finance authorities say that federal law limits the amount a person can contribute to a presidential campaign to $2,300 and Gardner has already contributed that amount to Romney's campaign. While the volunteers could have paid their own way to get to Boston or the campaign could have footed the bill, they say Gardner cannot simply pay the tab to shuttle volunteers across the country to a campaign event. "It's hard to see how it would not be an illegal contribution," says Anthony Corrado, a professor of government at Colby College in Maine who specializes in campaign finances. [article link]
Conservatives Question 'Poll' Position - Results of a new poll on the priorities of Republican voters are causing quite a commotion - Funded by four of the most liberal GOP organizations, the survey is a masterpiece of political manipulation - According to the results, U.S. Republicans now support gays in the military, universal health care, special rights for homosexuals, and 60% of them would vote for a presidential candidate who disagreed with their position on abortion Results of a new poll on the priorities of Republican voters are causing quite a commotion in today's headlines-and considering the survey's findings, it's no wonder. Funded by four of the most liberal GOP organizations, the survey is a masterpiece of political manipulation. According to the results, U.S. Republicans now support gays in the military, universal health care, special rights for homosexuals, and 60% of them would vote for a presidential candidate who disagreed with their position on abortion. Is the new message of the GOP to write off social issues altogether? An in-depth look at the polling questions suggests not. Most of the survey was crafted to produce a conditioned response. Here's one example. Participants were asked to agree or disagree with leading questions like this one: "The Republican Party has spent too much time focusing on moral issues." Fifty-three percent concurred, despite the fact that moral issues have historically been the winning issues on Election Day and the moral issue of corruption in office saddled a number of GOP candidates with defeat last November. Groups like the Republican Main Street Partnership may have succeeded in engineering some phony support for their issues, but we'll see how reliable those findings are after the ultimate polls at the ballot box. [article link]
Today, I, an American citizen, walk in the sunshine Today, I, an American citizen, walk in the sunshine. I feel the warmth of the light on my face. I am the face of every American whose rights are being violated every day while a tsunami of invasion goes on. Victory was ours this morning. No matter how many people bent on destroying our nation call us :"hateful", and "bigots" which we know-we are not. We are Americans. We treasure our Nation as one of laws. Of borders; of a common language and culture. A republic where citizenship is not for sale. It is not a right; it is a privelege. So today, let
us all walk in the sunlight. Our victory today has brought us, yes, the American, out of the shadows and into the light. If even just for a little while. We will continue to fight for the sovereignty of this great nation. The enemies within will know in years ahead how truly powerful the Amercan people are; we will never, ever, give up. We shall never let them destroy us. [article link]
Foodservicedirect.com stocks over 65,000 foodservice items The Easy way to Order Restaurant Supplies!If you are looking for restaurant supplies, you've come to the right place! Foodservicedirect.com stocks over 65,000 foodservice items of the highest quality, and we've been at it since 1988! Happy shopping! Please visit our new Office Supplies site! [article link]
Senators, farm groups complain about propane proposal - The proposal would list propane as a chemical of interest when kept in quantities greater than 7,500 pounds, forcing a costly risk assessment The proposal would list propane as a chemical of interest when kept in quantities greater than 7,500 pounds, forcing a costly risk assessment. "(Propane) is used by virtually every farmer to dry their grain or heat their house ..." Grassley said. "Hopefully they just don't understand how the new regulations would affect every farmer or even non farmer." Grassley sent a letter to Homeland Security Director Michael Cherthoff about the matter, and Iowa's other senator, Tom Harkin, said he'd take similar steps soon. The proposal also has drawn complaints from the National Grain and Feed Association and the Grain Elevator and Processing Society. A Homeland Security spokesman did not return telephone messages left Tuesday and Wednesday. Many farmers use propane, and the proposal would require completion of an assessment that Homeland Security estimated would cost $2,300 to $3,500. Grassley said the agency has the nation's best interests at heart but is proposing a requirement that would be unnecessarily burdensome on farmers. [article link]
Old tape shows Romney opposing farm subsidies - A nearly 13-year-old video of a younger, impassioned Mitt Romney calling for reductions in federal farm subsidizes is now dogging his presidential campaign in Iowa {Romney is a typical 'fat cat' his paycheck always has to be huge yet he cannot allow a perilous weather related livelihood like farming to be subsidized and not to mention the extreme importance of a sustained food supply for the US and the world!} DES MOINES -- A nearly 13-year-old video of a younger, impassioned Mitt Romney calling for reductions in federal farm subsidizes is now dogging his presidential campaign in Iowa. The video, and a series of 1994 news accounts of Romney calling for the "virtual elimination" of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, made their way into Republicans' e-mail in-boxes across Iowa this week. The former Massachusetts governor has been riding high in recent Iowa polls and is considered the GOP front-runner in the state. A 52-second video posted on the Web site YouTube shows Romney during an October 1994 U.S. Senate debate against Sen. Ted Kennedy. The footage shows Romney citing several ways he would seek to cut the federal budget, including slicing congressional pensions and eliminating 250,000 federal jobs through attrition. "I also believe we're going to have agriculture subsidies reduced," Romney said in the video. ... Romney's Iowa campaign spokesman Tim Albrecht insisted that an archival video does not diminish the former governor's strong support for agriculture. [article link]
ROMNEY: The Boston Globe has its fifth part in its Mitt Romney series: - despite Romney pledging to not take severance pay for his work at the Olympic Games, public records indicate he did otherwise - Romney ... accepted a $476,000 severance package from the Salt Lake Organizing Committee {I'm beginning to wonder more of when and not if Mitt Romney's presidential bid is going to end in disgrace. How many lies and broken promises can one guy engage in and still be considered honorable enough to be president.} The Globe also notes that despite Romney pledging to not take severance pay for his work at the Olympic Games, "public records indicate he did otherwise. Romney not only accepted a $476,000 severance package
from the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, according to federal tax records, but he helped to lobby the committee for similarly large pacts for his 25 senior managers, 17 of whom contributed to his 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign or the state Republican Party soon after the Winter Games." Romney's campaign says he donated the money to charity. [article link]
Bush White House refuses to turn over subpoenaed papers - President Bush, moving toward a constitutional showdown with Congress, asserted executive privilege Thursday and rejected lawmakers' demands for documents that could shed light on the firings of federal prosecutors WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush, moving toward a constitutional showdown with Congress, asserted executive privilege Thursday and rejected lawmakers' demands for documents that could shed light on the firings of federal prosecutors. Bush's attorney told Congress the White House would not turn over subpoenaed documents for former presidential counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor. "With respect, it is with much regret that we are forced down this unfortunate path which we sought to avoid by finding grounds for mutual accommodation," White House counsel Fred Fielding said in a letter to the chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. "We had hoped this matter could conclude with your committees receiving information in lieu of having to invoke executive privilege. Instead, we are at this conclusion." [article link]
Immigration Bill Fails Crucial Test Vote {I think the government will see that our existing immigration policy is sufficient. We currently have millions of legal immigrants coming to America and if the government would enforce the existing immigration laws, secure our borders and be open and honest there is already a good system in place.} WASHINGTON - A defiant group of senators refused to continue down the path of a widely unpopular immigration reform bill Thursday, putting up a roadblock on a procedural debate and squeezing out any time left to work on one of President Bush's top domestic priorities. On the cloture vote - the test to end debate and move to passage - the Senate voted 46-53 not to carry the motion. Sixty votes were needed for forward progress. The tally is a turnaround of 18 votes from two days earlier. Six Democrats and 12 Republicans changed their votes to no from a Tuesday vote that allowed the Senate to take up amendments on the bill. The vote most likely puts an end to efforts to fix the U.S.'s porous borders and legalize the 12 million unlawful immigrants now living inside the U.S. The issue is so volatile, lawmakers won't want to touch it before the next presidential election. [article link]
Harvest Crusade 2007 Raleigh NC - Broadcast Archives (Online Video) Can't make it to RBC Center for the Triangle Harvest? Watch the entire Crusade at your computer! Each night's events will be broadcast live over the Internet from start to finish. [article link]
2005 Southern California Harvest: Podcasts : Podcast #11 (Mp3's) The last of a series of very special podcasts featuring the 2005 Southern California Harvest on July 15-17, 2005 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. In this installment you will get a sense of Harvest Ministries' committment to helping new believers get a strong start with their new life, and also hear how a man's life (and family) was dramatically changed after attending the very first Harvest event. [article link]
Truth For Life Broadcasts-Podcasts - Looking to Jesus (Mp3's) It is always the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus. But Satan's work is just the opposite; he is constantly trying to make us look at ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for
pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you do not have the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold on Jesus." All these are thoughts about self, and we will never find comfort or assurance by looking within. [article link]
Stanley Kurtz is right: Something about this immigration battle doesn't sit well - Somehow this immigration battle feels different - The bill is wildly unpopular, yet it's close to passing - I'm still stuck on the way this bill was going to be pushed through without a public airing of crucial provisions {The sad realities of Bush and our leaders all sold out to a New World Order (NWO) a NWO decidedly anti-western and anti-American.} Something about this immigration battle doesn't sit well. For all the bitterness of our political battles, there's at least the sense that the government responds to the drift of public opinion. The Republicans in Congress turned into big spenders and the war in Iraq went poorly. As a result the Democrats prospered in 2006, if narrowly. That's how democracy works. Our politics are often angry and ugly (and that's a problem), but this is because the public is deeply divided on issues of great importance. Deep down, we understand that our political problems reflect our own divisions. Somehow this immigration battle feels different. The bill is wildly unpopular, yet it's close to passing. The contrast with the high-school textbook version of democracy is not only glaring and maddening, it's downright embarrassing. Usually, even when we're at each others' throats, there's still an underlying pride in the democratic process. This immigration battle strips us of even that pride. I'm still stuck on the way this bill was going to be pushed through without a public airing of crucial provisions, in the two or three days before Memorial Day recess. But I should be stuck even further back-on the way this bill was cooked up in a backroom deal that bypassed the ordinary process of public hearings. We take them for granted, but those civics textbook fundamentals are there for a reason. We're going to pay a steep price for setting the fundamentals aside. [article link]
LivePrayer.com: Mitt Romney recently called me a bigot - Bill Keller's response to Mormonism and Mitt Romney - On the Thursday, June 21st program, I wore a pair of the (LDS) "magical underwear" {It isn't just that Mitt is wearing 'Mormon underwear' it's that Romney and Mormons like him have more faith in the abilities of their underwear than they do in the abilities of Jesus Christ. Mormon underwear as protection including protection in the spirit realm is directly mocking the real God who is our real and everlasting protector. How some Christians and others can say that Mormons honor God is just a mystery.} (Video - Download) ***IF YOU MISSED IT! On the Thursday, June 21st program, I wore a pair of the "magical underwear" temple Mormons wear 24/7. To see these satanic garments and hear the truth about this satanic cult, you can watch the program by going to: www.liveprayer.com/archives.cfm [article link]
Theologian-in-Chief - Romney has continued to emphasize the idea that the President is "commander in chief, not a theologian in chief" and it has obviously paid off to the extent that last week he announced the backing of several high-profile right-wing leaders such as James Bopp, Jay Sekulow, and Lou Sheldon who have quickly begun parroting this talking point: {Likely in the years to come Romney will completely fade away as another Bob Dole type of politician a 'has been that never was' however the Christian leaders that bought into the Mormon Mitt propaganda agenda and sold their position astray for a few dollars will have a lifetime reputation as an untrustworthy Christian servant who abused their position of authority, neglected their position of trust and tried to lead astray the very people who trusted in their shepherding capabilities.} One of the key issues facing GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney in the primary is whether evangelical Republican grassroots voters will be willing to cast a vote for a Mormon: Here's the problem with electing a Mormon president, as Jason Thurman sees it: "I don't believe he would be guided by God." ... When it comes right down to it," says Thomas, 40, "a Mormon's strength is human. A Christian person's strength is superhuman. I want [a president] who has that extra on his side." In an attempt to counter this problem, Romney met with various right-wing leaders last year in an attempt to ease their concerns about his religion: ...
Romney has continued to emphasize the idea that the President is "commander in chief, not a theologian in chief" and it has obviously paid off to the extent that last week he announced the backing of several highprofile right-wing leaders such as James Bopp, Jay Sekulow, and Lou Sheldon who have quickly begun parroting this talking point: [article link]
While he refused all requests for pardons as governor, Romney has said that could change if he's elected president - I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was convicted of lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation, Romney said: "It's worth looking at that - I will study it very closely if I'm lucky enough to be president - And I'd keep that option open" BOSTON - Decorated Iraq war veteran Anthony Circosta seemed like an ideal candidate for a pardon from then-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for his boyhood conviction for a BB gun shooting. Romney said no twice - despite the recommendation of the state's Board of Pardons. ... Circosta worked his way through college, joined the Army National Guard and led a platoon of 20 soldiers in Iraq's deadly Sunni triangle. In 2005, as he was serving in Iraq, he sought a pardon to fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer. "I've done everything I can to give back to my state and my community and my country and to get brushed aside is very frustrating," said Circosta, 29, of Agawam, Mass. "I'm not some shlub off the street." ... While he refused all requests for pardons as governor, Romney has said that could change if he's elected president. Asked in last week's debate if he would consider pardoning Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was convicted of lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation, Romney said: "It's worth looking at that. I will study it very closely if I'm lucky enough to be president. And I'd keep that option open." ... For Circosta, who works as a project manager for disaster restoration company, Romney's refusal is an ongoing source of frustration. "I understand the political side, but I don't see in any way how it could hurt the campaign," Circosta said. "I'm decorated. I have a Bronze Star. I guess he just didn't want to sign it. It's obviously politically motivated and I don't know why." [article link]
Bush's "Amnesty" Gaffe - Mr. Bush had admitted the bill actually was offering amnesty - "If there are any elements of his party Bush has not betrayed apart from the CEO caste, it has escaped my notice - When he at last departs, the GOP will be in smoking ruins" Earlier today, in speaking about comprehensive immigration reform, President Bush misspoke. He told a group, "You know, I've heard all the rhetoric - you've heard it, too - about how this is amnesty. Amnesty means that you've got to pay a price for having been here illegally, and this bill does that." This has been construed as an assertion that comprehensive immigration reform legislation before the Senate offers amnesty to immigrants who came here illegally. That is the exact opposite of the president's long-held and often-stated position. President Bush has noted repeatedly that the comprehensive reform he supports is not an amnesty bill. Amnesty means forgiving wrongdoing without imposing punishment. The immigration reforms passed in 1986 granted amnesty. The legislation under consideration this year does not. This measure imposes significant punishments on those who came to this country illegally between 1986 and the beginning of this year. In fact, the White House website addresses the myth that the measure is amnesty. ... The White House website offers no more information other than a 404 error. Could it be that when the press secretary says "go to a website" it really means "search in vain for the absent meaning in the President's speech." [article link]
Return Of The Amnesty Bill Horror - Many Americans are outraged by the idea of rewarding criminals by allowing them to keep what they took - Allowing them to become permanent residents violates our sense of fair play almost as much as it violates our laws And we are unhappy about it. Many Americans are outraged by the idea of rewarding criminals by allowing them to keep what they took. While hundreds of thousands of people around the world patiently await permission to come to this country, or go home when their visas expire, illegals decided the rules didn't apply
to them. Allowing them to become permanent residents violates our sense of fair play almost as much as it violates our laws. We're assured that they will be at the "back of the line" for citizenship... but that line is supposed to form on the other side of the border. We're unhappy about rewarding criminal behavior. We're told that these illegals should be honored because they wanted to become Americans so badly that many of them risked death to come here. (We'll just ignore the fact that money was probably the real motivation for most of them.) But becoming American must include showing some regard for American sovereignty, and American laws. Those who deliberately crossed our borders illegally or overstayed their visas did not show that respect. Many illegal immigrants falsify records and documents on a daily basis, supply false Social Security numbers to employers, and lie to obtain drivers' licenses, credit cards and other documents. Moreover, those hundreds of thousands who marched protesting law enforcement waving Mexican flags and holding signs saying "This is our continent, not yours" didn't appear to want to become Americans, did they? Why should we reward them for that? ... Back in 1986, we were told that we would have real border security, in exchange for a one-time amnesty. Well, the politicians got their one-time amnesty. Now, we want our security. [article link]
Bush has little to lose pushing immigration cause - The issue pits the president against his base, but what's he saving that support for? - So impassioned are the feelings around the issue, that it's also fair to say the bridges burned won't easily be rebuilt - Bush may have little to lose pushing this bill, but the rest of us Americans have a LOT to lose if this goes through With his approval rating still low in most national polls, President Bush has precious little political capital. It wouldn't be wrong, however, if he blew it all on immigration reform. Stymied by procedural votes in the Senate, it appeared a few weeks ago that a bill addressing the horrendous state of affairs with regard to immigration had died. Many of the conservatives who make up the president's base of support don't want a bill that provides a path to residency and citizenship to the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in this country. They want, instead, strict enforcement of immigration laws and a secure border. ... It's up to the president to fight them, but doing so will come at a cost. Pushing hard for immigration reform pits Bush against some of his most loyal supporters. So impassioned are the feelings around the issue, that it's also fair to say the bridges burned won't easily be rebuilt. [article link]
Third claim against Gumshoe Garrity - Marcia Vickers of Fortune Magazine today said she also had a creepy encounter with Garrity - Some of these times, Romney was in the same car when Garrity pulled the possey over and got out of the car - The Romney people are beginning to make like they were clueless he was driving people into ditches in roadside police-like inquistions How weird is that. Some of these times, Romney was in the same car when Garrity pulled the possey over and got out of the car. The Romney people are beginning to make like they were clueless he was driving people into ditches in roadside police-like inquistions: Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said Vickers's account comes as "a total surprise" and that he hadn't heard any complaint from her. "We made every effort to accommodate the reporter, even going so far as to have staff transport her rental car so that she could easily get from event to event that day while interviewing the governor for her story," he said. "It was a day packed with travel events and by all accounts the travel, campaign stops and interview went successfully." According to Romney, they give Garrity "the benefit of the doubt" and he "hope other people do, too." Are we supposed to have confidence that Romney would recognize jihadists? [article link]
Romney stands by aide involved in impersonation investigation - Republican Mitt Romney said Monday he supports a top aide under investigation in two states for impersonating a law enforcement officer - Romney added: "I'm hoping it will come out real well for him" BOSTON --Republican Mitt Romney said Monday he supports a top aide under investigation in two states for impersonating a law enforcement officer, "but this really is now in his hands." The former Massachusetts
governor, in his first public comments on the case, described Jay Garrity as "a good guy" and cautioned against a rush to judgment. Before taking a leave of absence last Friday, Garrity was Romney's "director of operations," serving as a constant traveling companion, shepherding Romney between appointments and controlling access to him. He held a similar role during Romney's gubernatorial term. "I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt on this and I think other people would be wise to do the same thing," Romney told reporters during a news conference aimed at focusing attention on his second-quarter fundraising efforts. "He's a good guy and wish him the very best, but this is really now in his hands." Romney added: "I'm hoping it will come out real well for him." [article link]
Salt Lake City Mayor (D) Rocky Anderson Slams His Friend Mitt Romney for "Flip-Flopping" - Calling Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney "a great friend," Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson on Monday told a national radio audience that the former Massachusetts governor is not the same man he once was, at least not ideologically - Mitt Romney and his wife - and they're a team, believe me {Say anything Mitt Romney is still say anything Mitt. In the end Mitt is still an ultra-Liberal person and an ultra-Liberal candidate attempting to conceal his real positions in a conservative party within a conservative nation and in the end if elected Mitt is going to do whatever the Liberal Democrats want him to do just as he did as the ultra-Liberal Gov. of Massachusetts. Conservatives who support Mitt thinking Mitt is in any way Conservative might want to 'wake up' and smell the political coffee.} Calling Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney "a great friend," Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson on Monday told a national radio audience that the former Massachusetts governor is not the same man he once was, at least not ideologically. Rocky Anderson, in New York City to speak in favor of impeaching President Bush at a meeting of the Society for Ethical Culture, appeared on Democracy Now!, a syndicated radio program that is broadcast on more than 500 stations across North America, including KRCL in Salt Lake City. Anderson told host Amy Goodman, "This is not Mitt Romney. If you asked Mitt Romney, sat down and got the real Mitt Romney, first of all, he would say we never should have been in Iraq. Never would Mitt Romney and his wife - and they're a team, believe me - they would never support the concept of kidnapping and torturing human beings. They have always stood up for human rights, fundamental human rights." Among Anderson's points of criticism were Romney's statements at a recent GOP debate that the U.S. military's detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should be doubled in size. But Romney campaign spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said Romney has always backed the center and dismissed Anderson's portrayal of Romney's position as a "flip-flop." "Gov. Romney is a strong conservative," Gitcho said. "It's not surprising that Mr. Anderson disagrees with Gov. Romney on these issues because Gov. Romney's positions are clearly conservative. The fact is, Gov. Romney's message of conservative change in Washington is resonating across the country." Anderson and Romney became friends when Romney oversaw the 2002 Winter Olympic Games that had started out plagued by scandal but were ultimately regarded as a success. Romney later endorsed Anderson in his re-election bid for mayor, and in 2003 Anderson returned the favor by backing Romney in his run for governor of Massachusetts, saying in a television commercial, "Take it from this liberal Democrat: If you want an amazing leader, vote for Mitt Romney." [article link]
{Flashback} DNC: In Wake of Tax Cut Flip Flops and Flubs, Romney Returns to Florida - In his latest attempt to smooth talk his way out of his real record, Mitt Romney heads to Palm Beach tonight to address the right wing anti-tax group Club for Growth - Despite the fact that as Massachusetts governor, Romney raised state and local taxes to their highest level in 25 years and imposed an astounding $500 million in new fees on Bay State taxpayers But Romney has already tried -- and failed -- to smooth talk the voters into ignoring his real record on taxes. Despite signing a "no new tax" pledge he once mocked as "government by gimmickry," and despite bragging about supporting President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy despite opposing them, Romney has failed to gain
any ground among Republican primary voters. Romney remains stuck in single digits in just about every poll -including the latest USAToday/Gallup poll which has him stuck at three percent among Republican voters. Romney now trails two people who aren't even running yet. [article link]
Romney taps personal fortune again to fund bid - Mitt Romney said yesterday that he had written another check to his campaign this quarter and may do so again before the quarter ends - "It would be nice not to have to loan or contribute to your own campaign ..." {I wonder if when Mormon Mitt gives to his campaign it's actually a loan and he intends to get repaid. Also, the Mitt Romney song and dance (lies and deception) must not be all that popular among the folks.} Mitt Romney said yesterday that he had written another check to his campaign this quarter and may do so again before the quarter ends Saturday, signaling that he will tap his personal fortune to fund his presidential bid whenever he deems necessary. Romney, who loaned himself $2.4 million last year to help kick-start his campaign, said he felt compelled to contribute again this quarter because he needed to run TV ads and travel the country to broaden his name recognition. He said he began the race as an underdog to his better-known competitors, Senator John McCain of Arizona and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. "It would be nice not to have to loan or contribute to your own campaign, but the reality is if you want to have a strong campaign that gets out there and can talk across the nation, you're going to have to do what's necessary," Romney said at a news conference at the TD Banknorth Garden, where he had assembled supporters for a daylong fund-raising marathon. [article link]
Romney Secret Police (aka Jay Garrity): Depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is - Today's piece in the NYT is a perfect example of how the Romney camp uses carefully chosen words to fool the ill informed He has no connection to the number the call was made from because he had the phone disconnected after the incident. It's not his number, because he has a new number. The call wasn't made from his new phone or any phone he's aware of on the day this story is being published. [article link]
*Listen to Phone Call at Center of Romney Aide Probe "Trooper Garrity" Tape - {This is a seriously bizarre episode of someone pretending to be a law enforcement officer, even pretending to 'talk to command' on a radio and acting like typing on a keyboard system.} (Audio) An ever-present aide to Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, Jay Garrity, took a leave of absence Friday after he became the subject of investigations in two states for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer. Listen to the phone call in question by clicking the [play button]. [article link]
Meeting His Match - Germany nixes Cruise's movie plans because Scientology is a 'cult' - Cruise, they said, represents Scientology, a group that the German authorities do not recognize as a religion - They consider it a cult {A cult is a controlling, manipulating group-organization that is interested in using and abusing unsuspecting followers duped into their schemes. Schemes and cons that are Mostly sex and finance based i.e. if you don't pay the (LDS) Mormon cult 10% of every penny you ever get your hands on you cannot gain entrance into their supposed privileges like getting into their Mormon sex based afterlife.} {In Gen. 3:1-7 Satan offered mankind the original Cult based activity of disobedience directed against God and mankind that still exists today. Satan's cult is based on the four satanic cult principals and still exists even today. 1. Disobedience to the Holy God. 2. Unholy spirit life - false practices and teachings about God, human life and the spirit realm displayed mainly in the secular-pagan occult philosophy. 3. Unholy soul & emotional life - Pride and selfishness displayed mainly in money, greed and power. 4. Unholy Physical life - desires displayed mainly in sex, drugs and a lack of self control.} On Monday, the German Defense Ministry stepped up to the plate and tried to stop Tom Cruise from playing
World War II hero Col. Claus von Stauffenberg. The ministry said it would prohibit Cruise from filming his Nazi movie, "Valkyrie," at historic government sites. Cruise, they said, represents Scientology, a group that the German authorities do not recognize as a religion. They consider it a cult. Last week, Cruise was in Berlin meeting with local Scientology associates as he prepared to film "Valkyrie" with director Bryan Singer. People magazine said he was seeing "business associates," but German publications reported the real story. [article link]
Buddha, Blackstone and the Red Hot Bulls! - Mega-IPO echoes late '90s tipping point, reviving the 'Zen Millionaire' - The book is a page-turner about The Buddha's early days as a wealthy prince, his enlightenment, his teachings {Since Buddha wasn't enlightened enough to conquer sin, death and the grave as Jesus Christ did I'll skip the Buddha and stick with the everlasting, living, faithful, loving, caring, compassionate, God - Jesus!} ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- What's Deepak Chopra's new book about Buddha's enlightenment got to do with Blackstone's epiphany? Lots. Both remind me of the go-go 1990s, when all that mattered was getting rich fast! That mania encouraged me to write about the "Zen Millionaire," a book and a hundred columns over the years. The connection? Start with Blackstone's boss Stephen Schwarzman. The guy went to Yale with the president. He joined forces with Nixon's Secretary of Commerce, creating the private-equity firm Blackstone. For 30 years he ranted and railed about the evils of public ownership. Then suddenly, an epiphany. A voice warns: "Time to cash out Steve!" He flip-flops. IPOs. Fast! Partly because Congress might increase taxes on public partnerships. Mainly because the market bubble might pop before investors bail him out. Now he's got your money. He didn't really need it. Greed? He's worth $3.5 billion on the Forbes 400. But that wasn't enough. His 23% ownership in Blackstone ups his worth to $7.7 billion, more than the combined net worth of 150,000 Main Street Americans. [article link]
Napoleon-watch: Blackstone's IPO nearly broken {or not, who really knows how the stock is going to do} - The Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX - $32.32) has lost 7.47% of the value it created on its first day of trading (at aprox. $45 a share) - those oversubscription stories may have been fiction planted by underwriters to stimulate demand for Blackstone's securities {Oh, seemingly legitimate people and businesses will from time to time use the internet to plant fiction, lies and misrepresentations i.e. claiming Jesus isn't real and evolution is a valid theory, get it, got it, good!} There has been huge hype surrounding this IPO and I have gotten some grief for my role in that. DealBook, FP Trading Desk, and Felix Salmon were among the blogs that pointed out how far Blackstone's IPO closed below the $90 high I blogged about last week. But for those who read my posts, I made it clear that I did not think Blackstone was a good investment for individual investors and that the master limited partnership units were poised to pop because the IPO was reportedly seven times oversubscribed. And after last Friday's disappointing performance it dawned on me that those oversubscription stories may have been fiction planted by underwriters to stimulate demand for Blackstone's securities. [article link]
Blackstone IPO raises $4.1 bln - The Blackstone Group's initial public offering raised $4.13 billion for its stock market debut Friday by pricing at the top of its estimated range as the sixth richest IPO in U.S. history NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The Blackstone Group's initial public offering raised $4.13 billion for its stock market debut Friday by pricing at the top of its estimated range as the sixth richest IPO in U.S. history. The private equity firm launched in 1985 with $400,000 on its books ballooned to a market value of more than $33 billion after pricing at the high side of its $29-$31 range. "I'm very surprised," Blackstone co-founder and senior chairman Peter G. Peterson said in a brief interview on CNBC-TV. "I couldn't have imagined this 31 years ago." Blackstone (BX Last: 32.44) priced 133.33 million shares at $31 a share, the high side of its $29-$31 a share. Blackstone's offering represents a 12% stake in the firm. A high level of demand had been expected for Blackstone's IPO as Wall Street clamored for a stake in the firm behind a string of high profile deals involving Cadbury Schweppes, Celanese, Freescale Semiconductor, Houghton Mifflin, Michaels Stores, Universal Orlando
and many others. Blackstone manages roughly $80 billion in assets, including a large portfolio of investments of varying size in companies. [article link]
Napoleon-watch: Blackstone's IPO nearly broken {or not, who really knows how the stock is going to do} - The Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX - $32.32) has lost 7.47% of the value it created on its first day of trading (at aprox. $45 a share) - those oversubscription stories may have been fiction planted by underwriters to stimulate demand for Blackstone's securities {Oh, seemingly legitimate people and businesses will from time to time use the internet to post lies and misrepresentations i.e. evolution is a valid theory, get it, got it, good!} There has been huge hype surrounding this IPO and I have gotten some grief for my role in that. DealBook, FP Trading Desk, and Felix Salmon were among the blogs that pointed out how far Blackstone's IPO closed below the $90 high I blogged about last week. But for those who read my posts, I made it clear that I did not think Blackstone was a good investment for individual investors and that the master limited partnership units were poised to pop because the IPO was reportedly seven times oversubscribed. And after last Friday's disappointing performance it dawned on me that those oversubscription stories may have been fiction planted by underwriters to stimulate demand for Blackstone's securities. [article link]
Blackstone IPO raises $4.1 bln - The Blackstone Group's initial public offering raised $4.13 billion for its stock market debut Friday by pricing at the top of its estimated range as the sixth richest IPO in U.S. history NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The Blackstone Group's initial public offering raised $4.13 billion for its stock market debut Friday by pricing at the top of its estimated range as the sixth richest IPO in U.S. history. The private equity firm launched in 1985 with $400,000 on its books ballooned to a market value of more than $33 billion after pricing at the high side of its $29-$31 range. "I'm very surprised," Blackstone co-founder and senior chairman Peter G. Peterson said in a brief interview on CNBC-TV. "I couldn't have imagined this 31 years ago." Blackstone (BX Last: 32.44) priced 133.33 million shares at $31 a share, the high side of its $29-$31 a share. Blackstone's offering represents a 12% stake in the firm. A high level of demand had been expected for Blackstone's IPO as Wall Street clamored for a stake in the firm behind a string of high profile deals involving Cadbury Schweppes, Celanese, Freescale Semiconductor, Houghton Mifflin, Michaels Stores, Universal Orlando and many others. Blackstone manages roughly $80 billion in assets, including a large portfolio of investments of varying size in companies. [article link]
newegg.com: Barebone Computer Deals - Learning Center - Understanding Barebone System Specifications The barebone is a brand new methodology in the building of the personal computer system. A barebone system provides a pre-assembled combination of several basic components that a computer system must include, and leaves the ideal amount of room for DIYers to select the important components which may be upgraded more frequently. ... A typical barebone consists of several components, including the case, motherboard, and power supply. The case form factor in most cases also determines the motherboard form factor (ATX, mATX, BTX) and the system expandability as well. To complete the system you will need to select and install other components or devices, including the CPU, system memory, hard drive, and a CD or DVD drive. For more detailed information please see our Barebone System Buying Guide. [article link]
Build your own Dual Core or (Quad Core) computer for Digital Video - {Several very helpful How To Articles about building your own powerful computer-workstation.} Our DIY 4 and 5 machines are still an excellent recipe to follow. We still advise anyone planning on building a new machine (or having one built for them) to reference both these articles. We looked over the configs from those two articles and tweaked them a little, and then we re-priced them to reflect the most current pricing on
the web. We ended up with 4 models all told. [article link]
Intel plans 50% price cut for Core 2 Quad chips July 22, 2007 - plans to slash the price of its Core 2 Quad processors by 50 percent on July 22, according to a report Leading chipmaker Intel Corp. is reportedly set to bring out the big guns in its ongoing price war with rival chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. In a document Intel has distributed to its customers, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company announced plans to slash the price of its Core 2 Quad processors by 50 percent on July 22, according to a report published Tuesday from Bloomberg news. The chips, which were introduced in November, currently sell for around $530 each. [article link]
FREE - Sun Micro. Solaris 10 Operating System - The most advanced operating system on the planet - Sun 128bit ZFS file system The free and open source Solaris Operating System-available on hundreds of x64/x86 platforms and supported for thousands of open source and ISV applications and partners. [article link]
LearnOutLoud.com : is your one-stop destination for audio and video learning - Browse over 15,000 educational audio books, MP3 downloads, podcasts, and videos (Mp3 Downloads) Our mission is simple. We want to promote the use of audio and video educational material for personal and professional development. What does this means? It means that we want to help you to see how you can turn 'dead time' (time spent commuting, exercising, doing chores, etc.) into 'learning time.' Most of us have at least a couple of hours each day where we could be learning a foreign language, deepening our spiritual or philosophical interests or learning about hundreds other different subjects. We want to help you find material that is both entertaining and educational. We encourage you to join us in Learning Out Loud. Through our site we will help you discover new content and ways to incorporate audio learning into your daily life. We invite you to check out all of the areas of our site including our catalog (with over 15,000 audio and video titles), our articles, and our publisher and author resource pages. [article link]
Enjoy The Prophecy Videos - 'A Thief In The Night' 4 Video Series - To Play Videos, Media Player Is Required (Online Videos) A true story that is yet to happen. Gripping action thrillers depicting the stark realities of the apocalypse. Stories of the tribulation and the end times. Man kind has been given what they really wanted, -- A World Without God. [article link]
ydyc.org: Your Destiny Your Choice - Ryan Faces Death - Free Internet Movie (movie 25 min. - Download) To some there are many faces of death. In the movie 'Your Destiny Your Choice', Ryan gave little thought to life after death until he faced death...he was afraid! When his sister Nicky comes to visit in hospital, she shows him a computer program that could make him sure of his destiny. Will Ryan choose a new spiritual destiny? ... Are you still unsure of your destiny? Have you ever asked yourself, "Is there any meaning to life? Is there a purpose for me being here on earth? What am I here for?" If you are asking yourself any of these questions you are not alone. Millions of people around the world are searching for the meaning of life every day. What has been your approach to find some purpose to life? Have you sought to be successful? Being successful is good, but success does not equal purpose. You can reach all your goals and succeed in life and still feel something is missing inside. Or perhaps you have thought that your purpose in life is to be found in making a name for yourself, to be remembered. Perhaps you are looking for purpose in life by staying alive as long as you can. Or maybe you believe that life's purpose is found through pleasure - the weekends cannot come around quick
enough! Only in God, our creator, can we discover the true meaning and purpose for life. Without God life makes no sense. God created you for a purpose. The Bible says God is love and wants to express his love through you. You matter to God. He will not only give meaning and purpose to life but help you take control of your future. [article link]
ConservativesAgainstRomney.com: Mitt Romney's [signature] Support of Roe v. Wade on a Planned Parenthood Survey - In 2002, Romney said what he needed to say in order to get elected - In 2007 he is again saying what he needs to say in order to get elected Conservatives in opposition to Mitt Romney have constantly levied the charge of "flip-flopper," based upon his changing statements on abortion. In an interesting turn, Romney is now being called a flip-flopper... by Planned Parenthood! The Planned Parenthood website states: "In 2002, as a candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, Romney submitted a candidate questionnaire to the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts stating his support for the Roe v. Wade decision, as well as increased access to emergency contraception and comprehensive sex education in the public schools. He has since reversed his position on all of these issues as he seeks the Republican nomination for President." This is quite the ironic situation. In 2002, Romney said what he needed to say in order to get elected. In 2007 he is again saying what he needs to say in order to get elected, and it will end up costing him (potential) votes. Planned Parenthood even went so far as to protest Mitt Romney during a fundraiser he held on February 15th. [article link]
Fair (LDS) Defending Mormonism - FAIR Resources - "A Message of Friendship: Muslims and Latter-day Saints," (Mesa, Arizona: FAIR, May 2003) This FAIR Paper examines the many points that Muslims and LDS have in common {One thing about the Mormons they sure can spout the mumbo jumbo. Hey if you reject Jesus in this lifetime maybe you can accept Jesus in the LDS 'life to come' except the Mormon 'life to come' is a Satanic fantasy-lie. Satan always wants people to delay a decision for Jesus and the Mormons are right here faithful to Satan's deceptions. (Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: -Holy Bible)} (PDF) Latter-day Saints recognize Muslims as brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father, with whom we can find much common ground. LDS Prophet and Apostle Gordon B. Hinckley stated: "we value our Muslim neighbors across the world." Latter-day Saints respect the strong family values and moral accomplishments of Muslims as well as Islamic contributions to science, literature, history, philosophy, medicine, and the arts. While there are many differences between Muslims and Latter-day Saints in doctrine and practice, we acknowledge these differences with respect rather than criticism. Latter-day Saints extend a hand of friendship to Muslims everywhere. ... Based upon ancient and modern revelation, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gladly teaches and declares the Christian doctrine that all men and women are brothers and sisters, not only by blood relationship from common mortal progenitors but also as literal spirit children of an Eternal Father. The great religious leaders of the world such as Muhammad, Confucius, and the Reformers…received a portion of God's light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals... Consistent with these truths, we believe that God has given and will give to all peoples sufficient knowledge to help them on their way to eternal salvation, either in this life or in the life to come. [article link]
Obama: Some religious leaders have 'hijacked' faith - Obama is a member of the United Church of Christ, a church of about 1.2 million members that is considered one the most liberal of the mainline Protestant groups - In 1972, the church was the first to ordain an openly gay man. Two years ago, the church endorsed same-sex marriage, the largest Christian denomination to do so {No doubt about it the Christian faith is being 'hijacked' every day by unbiblical principals. If Jesus were to come back today would He now approve of teachings that He spoke out against.}
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Sen. Barack Obama told a church convention Saturday that some right-wing evangelical leaders have exploited and politicized religious beliefs in an effort to sow division. ... "There was even a time when the Christian Coalition determined that its number one legislative priority was tax cuts for the rich," Obama said. "I don't know what Bible they're reading, but it doesn't jibe with my version." Obama is a member of the United Church of Christ, a church of about 1.2 million members that is considered one the most liberal of the mainline Protestant groups. In 1972, the church was the first to ordain an openly gay man. Two years ago, the church endorsed same-sex marriage, the largest Christian denomination to do so. Obama believes that states should decide whether to allow gay marriage, and he opposes a constitutional amendment against it. Conservative Christian bloggers have linked Obama to what they call the "unbiblical" teachings of his church. [article link]
evangelicalsformitt.org: You may have already seen this, but Gov. Romney announced his National Faith And Values Steering Committee today. There are some familiar names: {An unholy alliance marches on! These deceivers sure like calling Romney "Governor" even thought he is rightly an 'ex-Governor'. Christians for Mitt are fools - what's next after this unholy Cult alliance? Are these discerning Christians going to help Muslims persecute and kill Christians and participate in Bible confiscation programs?} Dr. Robert Andringa, President Emeritus, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, Arizona - James Bopp, Jr., Romney For President Special Adviser on Life Issues, Indiana - Barbara Comstock, Former Department of Justice Spokesperson and former Susan B. Anthony List Advisory Committee Member, Virginia - Mark DeMoss, President, DeMoss Group Public Relations, Georgia - Jay Sekulow, Constitutional Attorney and Supreme Court Advocate, District of Columbia - Lou Sheldon, President, Traditional Values Coalition, California - Nathan Burd, Director of International Program & Public Policy, Heartbeat International, Ohio - David French, Senior Counsel, Alliance Defense Fund, Tennessee - Nancy French, Author, Red State of Mind, Tennessee - Keith Hunter, Board Member, Iowa Christian Alliance, Iowa - Don Hutchings, Senior Pastor, Evangel Temple, Arkansas - M.F. Jackson, Pastor, South Carolina - *Organization names are listed for identification purposes only and should not be construed as endorsements by such organizations. [article link]
TVC's Lou Sheldon backing Romney for president - Members of Romney's "Faith and Values Steering Committee" include attorney Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice; David French, senior counsel with Alliance Defense Fund; Pastor Don Hutchings with Evangel Temple Assembly of God (Fort Smith, Arkansas); and DeMoss Group Public Relations president Mark DeMoss (brother of Nancy Leigh DeMoss) {Amazing - Our so called Christian Leaders can't even wait for the "End Time Deception" to begin deceiving us they are busy deceiving us right now. They sure can sell the truth of Christianity for the lies of Mormonism and sell it cheep as most are getting onboard with Mormon Mitt for only a few thousand measly dollars. Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. -- Holy Bible. If our own Christian leaders have such little interest in Biblical truth and Christian well being than really they are unqualified to be church leaders.} Sheldon, the outspoken chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, has agreed to serve as one of the cochairs of the "Romney for President Faith and Values Steering Committee." Sheldon says he has met with Governor Romney on a number of occasions since October of last year, and has been impressed with the governor's "intelligent" positions on the issues and his relationship with his wife Ann. According to Sheldon, Romney's Mormon faith should not be a hindrance to Christian voters. "He reads the Bible regularly. He has said -- and I asked him -- that he has received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior," the pastor declares. "He believes that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God, only Son of God divine, and was crucified, buried and raised from the dead for our behalf. So, I think as he addresses those issues, that's certainly going to ignite good feeling [among Christians]." [article link]
Romney has been very clever and calculating in perpetuating the lie that he is a "Christian" by attracting mainline evangelical figures {Romney has no real support! I think Romney's other lie and deception is in attempting to pretend that many people support him. In fact in all the polls (that Romney can't manipulate by the busload) Romney only comes in around 9%-11%. Romney as a Mormon is actually practicing the art of Witchcraft and not only is he lying and attempting to deceive the voters but also is engaging in the witchcraft art of 'conjure' Romney is attempting to conjure up an appearance of support particularly in the conservativeChristian area. A close look at who actually supports Romney reveals that, including his purchased support, his support really is thin soup - very thin soup. In reality Romney has little to no support of any kind and none of us should get the impression that he does. Christians should Not become a part of or pawns to Romney's Mormon scam.} Romney has been very clever and calculating in perpetuating the lie that he is a "Christian" by attracting mainline evangelical figures like Jay Sekulow and many others to support his candidacy. (My Note: Sekulow works for the organization founded, controlled, and funded by Pat Robertson). Sekulow and any other Christian leader that support Romney should be held accountable by the Christian community for backing a member of a satanic cult that is leading the souls of men to hell. They have sold out the Truth of the Bible and Jesus Christ just like Judas did for whatever short term political power they may receive if Romney is elected. There is NO justification for their endorsement and support of a man whose influence will attract people to his cult, knowing those who follow the lies of Mormonism will die and go to hell! ... Denmark's ambivalence on matters of faith spurred a national debate in 2003 after a Danish Lutheran priest admitted publicly that he didn't believe in God. Church officials suspended him for a month, but hundreds of sympathetic parishioners rallied to his defense, saying that a priest didn't have to believe in God to promote Christian values. You religious right Fox News fans of Mormon Mitt Romney, the representative of the humanist cult who wants to fill you full of his demons and send you to the lake of fire for eternity, ought to love that one! [article link]
McCain Campaign Apologizes to Romney - "we apologize for any comment made concerning Governor Romney's religion. ... Such comments are inappropriate and unacceptable" {If Mormons think they have a valid (true-honest) religion and that they are exempt from any form of examination or scrutiny they are very seriously mistaken. Sure these corrupt, compromised McCain politicians will accept any lie but Americans on whole still respect the Truth and we want Honesty from our politicians.} DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - John McCain's presidential campaign has apologized to Republican rival Mitt Romney for comments about the Mormon church allegedly made by a volunteer earlier this year. The incident dates to a meeting of Iowa Republican activists in April, where McCain's Warren County chairman, Chad Workman, is alleged to have made negative comments about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Mormon faith. Romney is a Mormon. ... McCain spokesman Danny Diaz said, "we apologize for any comment made concerning Governor Romney's religion. ... Such comments are inappropriate and unacceptable." Romney's Iowa campaign manager Gentry Collins said the campaign has accepted the apology from McCain's campaign, and "it's our expectation that he'll make sure that these kinds of things don't happen again." [article link]
Tuesday, 19 July, 2005: Making Mitt Romney Look Good - Tax dollars at work: Mitt's $350G Image Team - The 13-person staff - Led by "director of operations" Jay Garrity - Romney aides steadfastly insist the operation is not political - despite its resemblance to a campaign advance team {Romney Lie #1 billion. Lying Mormon Mitt Romney. Romney isn't really just a 'flip-flopper' of epic proportions Mitt is really just a practiced Liar and Deceiver of epic proportions!} Massachusetts taxpayers are shelling out at least $350,000 a year for a cadre of aides whose chief duty is to make Gov. - and possible presidential candidate - Mitt Romney look spiffy during public appearances. The 13person staff of the newly expanded Governor's Office of Operations has taken over a warren of rooms in the State House basement previously occupied by the Legislature. [article link]
Prolife Mitt Romney Watch - Romney put Garrity on paid leave of absence, indicating he has full intention of bringing a man who obviously has some kind of mental problem and exercises it to feign police powers on innocent people, back on board the campaign The Romney people are testing the waters of stupidity by denying that Jay Garrity's entire existence is an impersonation of a law official. In today's Globe, the Romney camp insists the reporter, the state police and Wayne's Drain people are lying. ... Then why was there any conversation at all between them? Reporters follow candidates. Candidates want reporters to follow them. Asking people who use sound judgment to believe that the reporter made the story up, the police are lying and the drain people have the wrong police impersonator who called from his cell phone, bears the imprimatur of Gary Marx and Barbara Comstock political strategy. [article link]
Romney aide is the focus of probe - Allegedly acted as State Police trooper - Jay Garrity, who is director of operations on Romney's presidential campaign and a constant presence at his side - Garrity, [also] while working for Romney in the State House, was cited for having flashing lights and other police equipment in his car without proper permits - and identification showing a State Police patch that read "Official Business" State Police are investigating one of Mitt Romney's top campaign aides for allegedly impersonating a trooper by calling a Wilmington company and threatening to cite the driver of a company van for erratic driving, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the probe. Jay Garrity, who is director of operations on Romney's presidential campaign and a constant presence at his side, became the primary target of the investigation, according to one of the sources, after authorities traced the cellphone used to make the call back to him. The investigation comes three years after Garrity, while working for Romney in the State House, was cited for having flashing lights and other police equipment in his car without proper permits. The New Hampshire attorney general, according to the Associated Press, has also opened an investigation into a report that a Romney aide, later identified as Garrity, pulled over a New York Times reporter in New Hampshire and said he had run his license plate. New Hampshire law prohibits private citizens from accessing license plate databases or pulling over fellow citizens. ... Romney campaign spokesman Kevin Madden said that he was unaware of any investigation and that he could not comment further because Garrity was not working for the campaign the day of the call. "It's not related to any actions or duties that were performed as a campaign employee," Madden said. ... This week, Romney's campaign denied that the Times reporter's license had been checked or that his vehicle was pulled over. The reporter, Mark Leibovich, is sticking by his report. ... In 2004, the Globe reported, Garrity was cited and fined for driving a Crown Victoria with red and blue lights mounted in the grill, a siren, a PA system, and strobe lights; and for having a nightstick and identification showing a State Police patch that read "Official Business." Garrity was also cited for having windows that were more deeply tinted than state law permits. [article link]
Romney aide takes leave amid impersonation accusation - "We're looking into a phone call placed to an area business by an individual who represented himself as a state trooper" BOSTON --An ever-present aide to Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney took a leave of absence Friday after he became the subject of investigations in two states for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer. His attorney denied the charges. ... "Listening to the message, it sounded like he was calling control and speaking back and forth to people," said Dot Barme, whose Burlington company, Wayne's Drains, received the call. "I had my husband listen to it and he said, 'He's not talking to anybody; he's talking back and forth to himself," Barme told The Associated Press. ... "We're looking into a phone call placed to an area business by an individual who represented himself as a state trooper," Wark said. "We do not believe the person who made that call is a state trooper and we are working to determine his identity." Meanwhile, Garrity also has been accused of telling a New York Times reporter who had been following Romney's motorcade in New Hampshire last month that he had run the license plate of the reporter's rental car, and that he should break away from the caravan. [article link]
Colson: Christians must stop 'privatizing' faith - "We have a great, fabulous answer, because Christianity has been the most humanizing influence in human history," Colson says - "Christianity is the only belief system open to all people -- rich, poor, black, white, east, west; it's a universal appeal" Chuck Colson says attacks in America against Christianity are increasing in scope, frequency, and intensity. Christians, he says, must be ready to defend a biblical worldview in an anti-Christian society. ... The world is more dangerous today than ever before, says the founder of Prison Fellowship. Colson says Christians -- clergy and laity alike -- must do a better job of engaging the culture and answering the attacks against their faith. In the U.S., he says, that includes being on guard against radical Islam and standing strong in the battle for truth. "We have a great, fabulous answer, because Christianity has been the most humanizing influence in human history," Colson says. "Christianity is the only belief system open to all people -- rich, poor, black, white, east, west; it's a universal appeal." In addition, says the ministry founder, it is not a faith that forces itself on people. "It's not an imposition; it is a proposal, because we believe in free will," he explains. "If you look at Christianity, the essence of which is love and grace, it becomes tremendously appealing to people -- and yet, they have this negative stereotype. "Colson believes most Christians cannot defend their faith because the church no longer puts a premium on the defense of biblical truth. "We privatize the faith," he says. "We don't care so much any longer about truth, as we do about therapy. "You know, when truth retreats in a church, therapy takes over -[we are more concerned about] how can we make people feel better about themselves. That's not what the church is for," he states. "The church is for worshipping God." [article link]
'Evan Almighty' "Bruce Almighty 2" - In Theaters June 22nd - Official Movie Website - Group Ticket Info {This movie is probably about as biblically inaccurate as the ridiculous Hallmark movie 'Noah's Ark' where Noah fought with pirates. It's important to note that the Biblical Flood was God's first 'global judgment' of mankind. The global flood account is about global judgment. The second and final 'global judgment' that is about to happen as detailed in the Bible's book of Revelation when disobedient mankind again is judged in order to prove that there is no life apart from the Holy God therefore unfaithful and unholy mankind receives the 'judgments' of Revelation in order to inform people, who have not read and believed the Bible, of their mistake in disbelief and in hope of acquainting them with God who created them and loves them. (Revelation chapter 18)} Movie Trailer. [article link]
When God calls, Steve Carell follows his story ark in 'Evan Almighty' - "Bruce Almighty 2" {Whoever wrote this movie review obviously has issues. It shouldn't be the case but this sorry review makes me want to go see the movie and I hope the movie is a hit in part because the reviewer is so obnoxious towards Christianity.} "Evan Almighty," the Old Testament-derived comedy opening Friday and starring Carell as God's handmaiden, is director Tom Shadyac's quasi-sequel to his ridiculously successful "Bruce Almighty," the 2003 Carrey-driven farce (Carell played his sidekick) that became one of the most lucrative comedies ever (close to $500 million worldwide). For "Evan," Shadyac admits, he wanted Carrey. He got Carell. He should thank God, regardless of how God feels about being played by Morgan Freeman. ... The perspectives on "Evan Almighty" vary from cast member to cast member, filmmaker to filmmaker. According to Shadyac, God wanted the movie to be made. "Let me say, first of all, there's no bigger Jesus freak in this room than me, 'cause when I was as young as I can remember, having cognition and thought, I was looking at this Jesus guy and going, 'Whoever this is, this is somebody that's blowing my mind,' " the director explained. ... Somewhere in the middle is Carell, who takes perhaps slightly too serious an attitude about public reaction to a movie that takes the Lord's name in vain, profanes Holy Word and commits blasphemy with every frame. "It's really not about religion," he protests, dressed in a non-bird-spattered dark blue suit. "I'll tell you, I know in the first one" -- meaning "Bruce Almighty," the film that got Carell's big-screen career rolling -- "Morgan Freeman really didn't want to do much press for it because he would just get questions about, 'Well, if you really were God, what would you do?' And
they're impossible questions to answer. I think he wanted to keep what he believes in to himself. [article link]
Japan Changes Name of Island of Iwo Jima - Japan has changed the name of the Pacific island of Iwo Jima to the original name of 'Iwo To' TOKYO - Japan has changed the name of the Pacific island of Iwo Jima to the original name of Iwo To given by locals, who have become disenchanted with the popularization of its modern-day moniker by such movies as Clint Eastwood's recently released "Letters from Iwo Jima." The new name in Japanese looks and means the same as Iwo Jima - or Sulfur Island - but sounds different, the Japanese Geographical Survey Institute said. The institute announced the name change on Monday after discussing the issue with Japan's coast guard. An official map with the new name will be released Sept. 1. ... Before the war, however, the volcanic island was known as Iwo To by the 1,000 or so civilians who lived there. They were evacuated in 1944 as U.S. forces advanced across the Pacific. Some Japanese navy officers who moved in to fortify the island mistakenly called it Iwo Jima, and the name stuck. After the war, civilians weren't allowed to return and the island was put to exclusive military use by both the U.S. and Japan, cementing its identity. [article link]
HonestReporting.com: Leadership Mission to Israel 2007 - Be Inspired - and join a high-level group committed to defending Israel worldwide Be Inspired - and join a high-level group committed to defending Israel worldwide. Attend exclusive briefings with Israeli newsmakers and military experts. Study today's issues and receive training to act as Israel's ambassadors. Strategize, network, and exchange ideas with Hasbara Fellowships campus leaders. Accommodations at the luxurious Inbal Hotel in the heart of Jerusalem. Become inspired -- and inspire others! [article link]
Papers show Isaac Newton's religious side - Three-century-old manuscripts by Isaac Newton calculating the exact date of the apocalypse - reaching the conclusion that the world would end no earlier than 2060 {Although the Bushes and their Devil worshiping partners are doing their best to end the world early! Jesus Returns to earth (earlier than intended) in His second coming to save mankind from this destruction, the Satanic destruction of wars, disasters, famine and pestilence that Bush & Co. are engaging in and furthering at this very moment.}, detailing the precise dimensions of the ancient temple in Jerusalem and interpreting passages of the Bible JERUSALEM (AP) -- Three-century-old manuscripts by Isaac Newton calculating the exact date of the apocalypse, detailing the precise dimensions of the ancient temple in Jerusalem and interpreting passages of the Bible -- exhibited this week for the first time -- lay bare the little-known religious intensity of a man many consider history's greatest scientist. Newton, who died 280 years ago, is known for laying much of the groundwork for modern physics, astronomy, math and optics. But in a new Jerusalem exhibit, he appears as a scholar of deep faith who also found time to write on Jewish law -- even penning a few phrases in careful Hebrew letters -- and combing the Old Testament's Book of Daniel for clues about the world's end. The documents, purchased by a Jewish scholar at a Sotheby's auction in London in 1936, have been kept in safes at Israel's national library in Jerusalem since 1969. Available for decades only to a small number of scholars, they have never before been shown to the public. In one manuscript from the early 1700s, Newton used the cryptic Book of Daniel to calculate the date for the apocalypse, reaching the conclusion that the world would end no earlier than 2060. "It may end later, but I see no reason for its ending sooner," Newton wrote. However, he added, "This I mention not to assert when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop to the rash conjectures of fanciful men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, and by doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail." [article link]
Geronimo's Great-Grandson Wants Apache Leader's Remains Returned - Harlyn Geronimo wrote last year to President Bush, seeking his help in recovering the bones - He thought that since the president's grandfather, Prescott Bush, was allegedly one of those who helped steal the bones in 1918, the president would want to help return them - But, Harlyn Geronimo said, "I haven't heard a word" {Bush is too busy destroying the world by promoting global lawlessness, terrorism and unrest and could probably care less about what is right let alone any acts of kindness or compassion. What a family progression Grampy Bush was a grave robber, Bush Sr. was a liar and a deceiver to America and now George Jr. is a nightmare to the human race.} SANTA FE, N.M. - Legend has it that Yale University's ultrasecret Skull and Bones society swiped the remains of American Indian leader Geronimo nearly a century ago from an Army outpost in Oklahoma. Now, Geronimo's great-grandson wants the remains returned. ... If the bones at Yale aren't those of Geronimo, Harlyn Geronimo believes they belonged to one of the Apache prisoners who died at Fort Sill. He said they should still be returned. Harlyn Geronimo wrote last year to President Bush, seeking his help in recovering the bones. He thought that since the president's grandfather, Prescott Bush, was allegedly one of those who helped steal the bones in 1918, the president would want to help return them. But, Harlyn Geronimo said, "I haven't heard a word." The White House did not respond to messages seeking comment. President Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush, both attended Yale and joined the elite club. Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, is also a Bonesman, as are many other men in powerful government and industry positions. Members are sworn to secrecy - and that's one reason they won't say whether the club has Geronimo's bones. "The reason there's all these conspiracy theories around Skull and Bones is because their loyalty to one another goes beyond their public differences," said historian and former Yale Alumni Magazine editor Marc Wortman. Skull and Bones is one of a dozen secret Yale societies, according to Yale spokeswoman Gila Reinstein. "If it's true about the bones, that's disrespectful and disturbing," she said. [article link]
{Flashback} 911, NWO, Skull & Bones: The Greatest Lie Ever Sold - By Anthony Hilder (Google Video Download) What's it all about? Bush & zee Boys from der "Brotherhood of Death," "Skull & Bones" are preparing us for a POLICE STATE. Bush will try to surrender the Constitution & Bill of Rights. His goal? - establish a "New World Order" WARNING: This video contains no lies, or "White House" spin! [article link]
{Flashback} No bones about it: President Bush favours a very secret (non-Christian) society of Skull and Bones President George Bush is alleged to have used its (Skull and Bones) connections to get his first job. Mr Bush and Mr McCallum (Bush's Nominee as Ambassador to Australia) are members of Skull and Bones, the Yale society said to have the skull of the Indian chief Geronimo, dug up by Mr Bush's grandfather, in a glass case. In 2004 both presidential candidates, Mr Bush and John Kerry, were members. Mr Bush, in his autobiography, A Charge to Keep, wrote: "My senior year I joined Skull and Bones, a secret society. So secret, I can't say anything." The Skull and Bones headquarters is in a windowless stone building on the Yale campus known as the tomb. ... Alexandra Robbins, author of Secrets of the Tomb, says it includes a devil, a Don Quixote figure and a pope with one foot in a white monogrammed slipper, resting on a stone skull. ..."What I find disturbing about Skull and Bones is that it's basically the most powerful elite alumni network in the US," says Robbins. "It's essentially a form of nepotism that keeps the same people in power, over and over and over again." ... Robbins said that before she stopped counting she knew of at least 11 Bonesmen whom Mr Bush had appointed to government posts. {Actually they believe the bones are the bones of an un-resurrected Jesus Christ and that the bones came to them from the "Knights Templars" of Da Vinci code fame and celebrate what they believe to be Satan's triumph over God in the death of Jesus on the cross and of course deny and neglect the true resurrection of Jesus. That's the secret in secret society.} [article link]
{Flashback} Secret Societies, Satanic Sects, The Prieure du Sion, The Knights Templars and Freemasons - What's Their Purpose and Are They At Core of New World Order? However, throughout my research which continues as time permits even today, one mysterious piece of symbolism that has somehow survived for centuries is the notorious skull and crossbones. Mizrack also concurs about the mysterious survival of the skull and crossbones symbolism, saying this about its origins and usage today: "The skull and crossbones seems to have been used as an emblem first and foremost by esoteric and heretical groups as a symbol of rebirth. It later became the battle flag of the Knights Templar (and a nasty rumor about the Templars claimed they chose it because of a horrific necromantic ritual) and, in the 17th century, the "Jolly Roger" flag of British and French pirates. {Again from the beginning the skull and "crossbones" have been used and continue wrongly as a faked Satanic victory of the devil over God at the "cross" of Jesus and as always this is the supposed secret in secret societies that Jesus did not resurrect. They pretend they have the bones (the "crossbones" the bones from the cross of Jesus) to prove it and to discredit Christianity although they forget the true witness of God, the Holy Spirit, the Church, all nature and the prophecies of scripture in the Holy Bible all confirm the resurrection of Jesus to life and therefore their act mostly goes unnoticed although the day of their deception is likely about to be unconcealed and their secret version of events presented to the world as fact.} [article link]
{Flashback} Christianity and the Mormonism (LDS) Cult are Very Different - Christians who are supporting (Satanist) Bush and Bush's chosen replacement Presidential candidate Willard Mitt Romney should reconsider and realize that they are entering into an association with death and despair - Romney and his fellow (LDS) Mormons are a part of Satanism and the "Cult of Death" i.e. their "baptism of the dead," communicationinteraction and fascination with the dead and their own Devil worship make Mormons every bit as much the Devil worshipers and just as devoted to Satan as Bush and his "Skull and Bones" associates (PDF) Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
Ruth Graham remembered - Children pay tribute to mother's life - Ruth Graham's longtime pastor, Richard White of Montreat Presbyterian Church, encouraged attendees at the public service to keep their focus on Christ MONTREAT, N.C. (BP)--Hundreds of friends and family members packed the Montreat Conference Center June 16 to remember Ruth Graham and hear all five of her children -- as well as her husband in an unscheduled moment -- recount stories about her devotion to God and family. The public service was held at the 2,000-seat facility, which was filled to capacity. Prior to the service hundreds of people also lined the route from the funeral home to the conference center to pay their respects. The next day she was buried in a private ceremony. Ruth Graham's longtime pastor, Richard White of Montreat Presbyterian Church, encouraged attendees at the public service to keep their focus on Christ. "If you're here today and say, 'Ruth Graham was a great woman,' you've missed the point of her life," White said. "The reason Ruth Graham was a great woman is because she had a great Savior and a great love for Jesus Christ." [article link]
NOEL Newsletters - Anglicans for Life's mission is to advocate the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death in the Church and society (pdf) The coarsening of our culture devalues individual human life. People are living with the painful consequences caused by that devaluation. The Church exists to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel of Life. Anglicans for Life exists to assist the Church and her people fulfill these purposes. People need guidance on how to respond to the immorality of modern times. Anglicans for Life welcomes the opportunity to become an information and ministry resource to help! Working together as followers of Jesus Christ, we can reach out and minister to the lost, the needy, the sick and suffering, experiencing fun and fellowship as we fulfill the great commission. Join
our national ministry and inspire your parish and family to advocate the sanctity of life! [article link]
White House Hopeful Rudy Giuliani's South Carolina Campaign Chairman Indicted on Cocaine Charges - South Carolina Treasurer Thomas Ravenel, a millionaire former real estate developer - His father was a powerful politician from Charleston who served eight years in the U.S. House and is a former state representative and state senator COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina Treasurer Thomas Ravenel, a millionaire former real estate developer who became a rising political star after his election last year, was indicted Tuesday on federal cocaine charges. Ravenel, who is the state chairman for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign, bought less than 500 grams of cocaine from Michael L. Miller to share with other people, U.S. Attorney Reggie Lloyd said. Ravenel didn't sell any of the drugs, Lloyd said. Ravenel will be allowed to turn himself in, authorities said. The treasurer's office referred all questions to Ravenel's lawyer Joel Collins, who did not return a message left at his office. The investigation into Ravenel arose from a drug case last year in Charleston, Lloyd said. State Law Enforcement Division Chief Robert Stewart said his agents were aware of the allegations before Ravenel was elected in November, but didn't have enough information to pursue criminal charges until they turned the case over to the FBI in April. Ravenel and Miller, who is in custody, each face on charge of distribution of cocaine, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison."The investigation is just beginning," Lloyd said. Gov. Mark Sanford suspended Ravenel immediately based on the serious nature of the charge. The governor said he would name an interim treasurer soon. ... During his campaign for treasurer, Ravenel promised complete his term and not run in a primary in 2008 against U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, despite growing resentment for Graham by some of the state's Republicans. [article link]
Ethics Commission files LA city attorney Delgadillo - Rocky Delgadillo was fined $11,450 for 30 counts of violating campaign finance laws - "The officeholder account is not supposed to be spent for campaign purposes" LOS ANGELES-City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo was fined $11,450 for 30 counts of violating campaign finance laws. The Ethics Commission said Tuesday that Delgadillo's political officeholder account failed to provide a detailed itemization of how $394 on meals and $1,200 for flowers, candy and other gifts were related to official business. Besides fines for those 25 counts, the commission approved fines for five violations of using the account to make prohibited payments to consultants and researchers during his 2004-2005 re-election campaign. ... "The officeholder account is not supposed to be spent for campaign purposes," said Bob Stern of the Center for Governmental Studies. "The city attorney has to be more careful than anyone else because he is in charge of enforcing the law." [article link]
Delgadillo Apology, Explanation Not Quite Accurate - A day after he tried to clear the air about his wife's driving history, there are still questions about whether L.A. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo got some facts wrong, and whether he told the whole truth about those incidents The city attorney is facing a lot of criticism even after his news conference to explain what happened. His office took the step of sending out this e-mail to clarify things even further. ... I did not reimburse the city at the time because as an elected official I believed city policy allows for personal use of the vehicle." According to the City Ethics Commission the laws are clear: City vehicles are strictly for city business. Family members can't use them. Bryce Nelson is a political and media expert at USC's School of Journalism. "The city attorney has to obey the law. He has made a lot of mistakes, not having his facts, trying to hide it at the beginning, so crisis management is a skill that he's perhaps learning on the job." ... "She didn't know about her suspended license at that time. We didn't now, the notice might have been sent to a previous address, where we lived before. And so we didn't actually receive it," said Delgadillo Monday. The DMV told us today it sent the notice on June 25, 2004, and never received a notice from the post office saying the address changed and it wasn't delivered. ...
Delgadillo apparently did not have insurance on his personal car from June 2005 to July 2006. He claims he didn't know. Delgadillo has dealt with misstatements before. In 2006 his resume claimed he played professional football, that he received a scholarship and All-American academic honors at Harvard. The school said that was not true and these items are no longer on his resume. [article link]
Surprise! Rocky was better off not talking - His staff ended up having to scramble to correct the raft of misinformation he blurted out during the latest installment of the Rocky Horror Show - Delgadillo said at the press conference that he has always been insured, and he refused to answer questions about his wife's insurance record, calling it a private matter From June 2005 until July 2006, the city attorney himself had no insurance on his personal vehicle. ... Rocky Delgadillo's staff handled the paperwork on his wife's 2004 accident, and the city attorney said he was unaware that a required report on the accident was never filed with the city. Of course that doesn't explain why he thought you and I should pay for the repairs. Delgadillo said he thought it was OK for his wife to use the car. The city's policy, he claimed, is ambiguous. OK, so I'm putting my San Jose State education up against that of a man who went to Harvard and Columbia. But I've read both the municipal code and the Los Angeles Ethics Commission policy, and I'm here to tell you I find no ambiguity and nothing to suggest that it's OK to let family members drive city vehicles. "For me there's been no ambiguity," said City Controller Laura Chick, who as an elected official is subject to the same policy as Delgadillo. "It's been very clear." As the Ethics Commission puts it, an elected official can use a city vehicle for personal use, but "may not loan or direct staff or others to use the vehicle at any time to perform the elected official's personal errands." Nor could the city official's family members, one would presume, use the car for personal errands. ... Well, excuse me, but none of this was adding up, so I stayed after the press conference to ask a few more questions. Delgadillo claimed his wife didn't learn of her 2004 license suspension until 2006, so she didn't know she was driving without a valid license. But how, then, could she have been insured? Insurance companies run checks for license suspensions when policies come up for renewal. ... Why did he say at Monday's press conference that he had never been uninsured? And did his wife continue driving even after they became aware she had no license and no insurance? [article link]
City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo Holds Office Unlawfully - Neither Delgadillo nor his opponent met the qualifications for the office as set forth in the City Charter - The declaration of candidacy form used in 2001 for the office of Los Angeles city attorney contained this statement: "I am qualified to practice in all courts of this State, and will have been so qualified for at least five years next preceding my election. [Char. Sec. 42(1)]." The candidate was obliged to affirm the truth of that statement by signing the form under penalty of perjury Rockard J. "Rocky" Delgadillo is illegally holding office as Los Angeles city attorney and could be removed should a quo warranto proceeding be instituted. The office lawfully belongs to Deputy District Attorney Lea Purwin D'Agostino, who came in third in the April 10, 2001 primary election. Neither Delgadillo nor his opponent in the June 5 run-off election, then-City Councilman Michael Feuer, met the qualifications for the office as set forth in the City Charter. Somehow the press, this newspaper included, missed that at the time of the election. Sec. 270 of the charter, adopted in 2000, provides: "The City Attorney must be qualified to practice in all the courts of the state, and must have been so qualified for at least five years immediately preceding his or her election." Sec. 42 of the previous charter, adopted in 1925, had a similar provision. However, had Delgadillo practiced law in any court of this state between Jan. 1, 1995 and July 1, 1999 (other than as a pro per), he would have been engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. He was, during that time, on voluntary inactive status, performing non-legal duties in the administration of Mayor Richard Riordan, eventually as a deputy mayor (as of July, 1997). ... Delgadillo was unavailable for comment yesterday. However, a rather snotty press deputy telephoned to respond to a question I posed in a hand-delivered letter asking Delgadillo how he met the criteria of the charter provision in light of his years of inactive status. I was told: "Our response is that
Rocky passed the bar in 1986. Therefore, he's been qualified to practice in all the courts of the state since then." That simplistic reasoning is inane. Passing the bar exam does not, in and of itself, confer perpetual entitlement to practice law. ... The declaration of candidacy form used in 2001 for the office of Los Angeles city attorney contained this statement: "I am qualified to practice in all courts of this State, and will have been so qualified for at least five years next preceding my election. [Char. Sec. 42(1)]." The candidate was obliged to affirm the truth of that statement by signing the form under penalty of perjury. So it is that the man who holds the office of city attorney swore under penalty of perjury that he had been qualified to practice in all courts in the state from the period from June 5, 1996 to June 6, 2001 when, in truth, he was impotent to practice law during three years and 25 days of that period. The fact that he could have changed his status to active at any time during that period is irrelevant because the reality is that he didn't. He was not qualified to practice law for the entirety of the five year period preceding his election, his contrary statement on his declaration was false, and he entered office without possessing the legal qualifications. [article link]
Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo admits wife drove city SUV - L.A. city attorney had refused to discuss who was driving it during a 2004 accident - The vehicle was repaired at taxpayer expense After days of dodging questions, Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo acknowledged Monday that his wife was driving his city-owned SUV with a suspended license when it was damaged in a 2004 accident and later repaired at taxpayer expense. ... Despite initially denying that he drove without the automobile insurance required of all California drivers, Delgadillo actually was an uninsured motorist from June 2005 to July 2006. ... At the news conference, Delgadillo said he had been attending the Democratic National Convention in Boston when his wife used his SUV to go see her doctor because their personal car had broken down. He said she damaged the rear end backing the SUV into a pole in the parking lot at her doctor's office. He would not say where the accident occurred but that it was not at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as one Times source had stated. When Delgadillo returned from his Boston trip, he said, he turned the vehicle in to the city garage. Records show that the repair was estimated to cost $2,120. Delgadillo, however, provided a document that stated that the cost actually amounted to $1,222. He said he wrote a personal check Monday to reimburse the city for the expense. "It's the right thing to do," he said. By allowing his wife, Michelle, to drive his city vehicle something he said he had permitted on other occasions - Delgadillo may have violated rules that govern the use of city-owned vehicles. Although city workers are generally prohibited from allowing family members to drive city cars for personal uses, it is unclear whether the rules apply to elected officials, a Delgadillo spokesman said. [article link]
Hilton prosecutor hushed up wife's crash - his wife crashed his city-issued vehicle -- while driving on a suspended license - Delgadillo insisted his wife did not receive any special treatment - but was not cited for having a suspended license LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The city's top prosecutor's office got Paris Hilton jailed for violating probation by driving with a suspended license and then condemned her early release. On Monday, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo was the one apologizing for keeping quiet about a 2004 accident in which his wife crashed his cityissued vehicle -- while driving on a suspended license. "I realized that I should have spoken up earlier. That was a mistake," Delgadillo said at a news conference. "I mishandled the situation and I apologize." Delgadillo insisted his wife did not receive any special treatment. He also said his wife's violation is not comparable to the Paris Hilton case. "Paris Hilton was driving drunk, was on a probation ... she violated that probation more than once," he said. "My wife had a suspended license and then she received a ticket. She was never driving drunk." Michelle Delgadillo's license was suspended beginning in July 2004 after her personal vehicle "bumped another car" earlier that year, said Delgadillo's spokesman, Nick Velasquez. She did not file a report to the state motor vehicles department, but the other driver did. When she didn't provide proof of insurance to the DMV, her license was suspended "unbeknownst to her," Velasquez said. The same month her license was suspended, she
crashed her husband's city-issued GMC Yukon into a pole. She was ticketed in September 2005 for failing to obey a turn-only sign and paid a $186 fine, but was not cited for having a suspended license. [article link]
Judge Suspends Rogue Durham DA Mike Nifong - A judge suspended District Attorney Mike Nifong on Tuesday after learning the prosecutor disbarred for his handling of the Duke lacrosse rape case intended to stay in office for another month - Nifong, who was disbarred Saturday for breaking more than two dozen rules of professional conduct in his handling of the case Nifong, who was disbarred Saturday for breaking more than two dozen rules of professional conduct in his handling of the case, said in a letter released Monday that he would leave office July 13 - a date that could arrive before the legislation becomes law. That departure date wasn't soon enough for Hudson, who decided late Monday to suspend Nifong from office. ... Candy Clark, Nifong's legal assistant, said he wasn't in the office on Tuesday. The one case he was currently handling was being reassigned, she said. Durham County Sheriff Worth Hill went to Nifong's house with a deputy to serve the order Tuesday morning. "We took his keys and his badge that gave him access to the building," Hill said. "We'll make arrangements to help him get his personal belongings later. "I've been in law enforcement since 1959, and this is the first time I can recall something like this taking place. We would prefer not to be involved with something like this, but it's our duty and responsibility." [article link]
NOEL Newsletters - Anglicans for Life's mission is to advocate the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death in the Church and society (pdf) The coarsening of our culture devalues individual human life. People are living with the painful consequences caused by that devaluation. The Church exists to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel of Life. Anglicans for Life exists to assist the Church and her people fulfill these purposes. People need guidance on how to respond to the immorality of modern times. Anglicans for Life welcomes the opportunity to become an information and ministry resource to help! Working together as followers of Jesus Christ, we can reach out and minister to the lost, the needy, the sick and suffering, experiencing fun and fellowship as we fulfill the great commission. Join our national ministry and inspire your parish and family to advocate the sanctity of life! [article link]
'Tiller the killer' abortion charges coming to head - Under pressure from pro-life groups, state moves toward ruling on charges The results of yet another investigation into allegations a notorious Kansas doctor performs illegal late-term abortions will be released within a few weeks, officials have announced. Just six months ago the first investigation was finished, and it resulted in then-Attorney General Phill Kline filing 30 criminal charges against George Tiller. The state, which is under pressure from pro-life activists to move on the charges, will complete its second investigation into the charges against Tiller "by the end of June," according to a statement from Ashley Anstadt, a spokeswoman for current Attorney General Paul Morrison. However, she told WND she could not release the details of the "ongoing investigation." The pressure on the state has been mounting, because Kline, who was replaced in January by Morrison, had completed his investigation of Tiller. After having two judges approve the case, Kline had filed the 30 criminal counts against Tiller for performing illegal late-term procedures as well as failing to document the reasons for those abortions. A series of moves by officials, including a prosecutor and a judge, resulted in those charges being dismissed almost immediately. But producers for Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, who has aired several updates on the situation, were in Wichita recently to confront Tiller on a trip to a gas station about the allegations. The segment aired Tuesday, showing Tiller commenting about the weather when asked about the late-term abortions he performs. [article link]
{Flashback} Complaint cites abortion judge's money ties - State lawmaker seeks explanation why connections weren't disclosed - The complaint concerns events and "irregularities" that "raise substantial suggestions of partiality" on the part of Clark, who while ruling to dismiss the 30 criminal counts against Tiller, failed on three occasions to disclose his "funding relationships" with Tiller's attorney The complaint concerns events and "irregularities" that "raise substantial suggestions of partiality" on the part of Clark, who while ruling to dismiss the 30 criminal counts against Tiller, failed on three occasions to disclose his "funding relationships" with Tiller's attorney, Dan Monnat, and Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston, who submitted the request through which Clark dismissed the counts. The complaint states that Clark acted improperly when he did not disqualify himself from the Tiller case and asks for the KCJQ to "take appropriate disciplinary action, and thereby preserve and protect the public trust in the judicial system of the State of Kansas." [article link]
Weapon dates bowhead whale to 1800s - If 130 years old, it (the whale) would have been born in 1877, the year Rutherford B. Hayes was sworn in as president BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- A 50-ton bowhead whale caught off the Alaskan coast last month had a weapon fragment embedded in its neck that showed it survived a similar hunt -- more than a century ago. Embedded deep under its blubber was a 3½-inch arrow-shaped projectile that has given researchers insight into the whale's age, estimated between 115 and 130 years old. ... The whale harkens back to far different era. If 130 years old, it would have been born in 1877, the year Rutherford B. Hayes was sworn in as president, when federal Reconstruction troops withdrew from the South and when Thomas Edison unveiled his newest invention, the phonograph. The 49-foot male whale died when it was shot with a similar projectile last month, and the older device was found buried beneath its blubber... [article link]
Billy Graham Says His Ailing Wife Ruth 'Is Close to Going Home to Heaven' - Ruth is in the hospital and has slipped into a coma RALEIGH, N.C. - Evangelist Billy Graham said Wednesday that his ailing wife, Ruth, "is close to going home to heaven," and that the couple will be buried at the recently dedicated Billy Graham Library in Charlotte. "Ruth is my soul mate and best friend, and I cannot imagine living a single day without her by my side," the 88-year-old Graham said. "I am more in love with her today than when we first met over 65 years ago as students at Wheaton College." ... "Ruth and I appreciate, more than we can express, the prayers and letters of encouragement we have received from people across the country and around the world," he said Wednesday. [article link]
Two Palestinian States? - For years we've heard calls for an independent Palestinian state, even though Palestinians have yet to prove they are ready for their own state {It doesn't help any that Bush has stockpiled them with billions in cash and billions in weapons and ammunition giving them money to fight over and the weapons to do it with.} For years we've heard calls for an independent Palestinian state, even though Palestinians have yet to prove they are ready for their own state. They sure have created a lot of terrorist chaos. They've been kicked out of Jordan, destroyed Lebanon, were kicked out of Kuwait, and have watched their leaders steal foreign aid money. Now we see them fighting a civil war and battling the Lebanese army, yet some still continue to call for the founding of "Palestine." On what logical basis would such a state be established? With the current blood-feud raging between the Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah, the former taking control of Gaza, the later controlling the West Bank, will we start hearing calls for two independent (terrorist) states instead of one? As proof of how bad things are getting, here is what the AP reported from Gaza today -- and please note what I've highlighted: [article link]
Dobbs: Give it a rest, Mr. President - Isn't there anyone in this administration with the guts to say, "Give it a rest, Mr. President"? NEW YORK (CNN) -- President Bush is building his legacy, adding another unfortunate line of hollow bravado to his rhetorical repertoire. To "Mission accomplished," "Bring it on," "Wanted: Dead or alive," and of course, "I earned ... political capital, and now I intend to spend it," he has added "I'll see you at the bill signing," referring to his own ill-considered push for so-called comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Bush emerged from a midday meeting with Republican senators on Capitol Hill to declare, "We've got to convince the American people this bill is the best way to enforce our border. No, Mr. President, someone you trust and respect must convince you that kind of tortured reasoning should never be exposed before cameras and microphones. Isn't there anyone in this administration with the guts to say, "Give it a rest, Mr. President"? Sen. Jeff Sessions came close when he said, "He needs to back off." This president desperately needs to be reminded that he is the president of all Americans and not just of corporate interests and socio-ethnocentric special interest groups. [article link]
White House officials subpoenaed in U.S. attorneys probe - Subpoenas are being issued to two former White House officials - former White House counsel Harriet Miers WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Subpoenas are being issued to two former White House officials, the first to be subpoenaed in the fired U.S. attorneys investigation. The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday issued a subpoena to Sara Taylor, former White House political director. About the same time, it was announced that the House Judiciary Committee will issue a subpoena in the same case to former White House counsel Harriet Miers. Both committees say they will also subpoena documents from the White House, also a first in the investigation. The committees have issued subpoenas for officials and documents from the Justice Department. The committees are investigating whether the firings of eight U.S. attorneys last year were politically motivated and whether the White House was involved. E-mails and documents released by the Justice Department so far show the White House and other administration officials were more involved in the dismissals, and much earlier, than they had acknowledged. [article link]
Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States - Originally published in 1864 -"The Book the ACLU Does Not Want You to Read! - BONUS OFFER: Add "Christianity and the American Commonwealth" With page after page of original source material making the case that America was founded as a Christian nation. The evidence is unanswerable and irrefutable. This 1000-page book will astound you and send enemies of Christianity into shock. Keep in mind that it was published in 1864 and has been out of print for more than a century. It has been newly typeset using a very readable font and added subheads. A new Foreword written by my long-time friend Dr. Archie Jones describes the background of the book and provides a brief biography of the author." --Gary DeMar (Hardback, 1060 pages) FREE CD-ROM OFFER: Get a searchable PDF version of the book with your order! ... Originally published in 1898, Christianity and the American Commonwealth is one of the best summaries of the impact of Christianity on America. Galloway leaves no historical fact unturned in his demonstration that America was founded as a Christian nation. Furthermore, he proves that without the Gospel and the application of all of God's Word to all of life, civilizations turn despotic and crumble. [article link]
{Flashback} Coral Ridge Ministries: One Nation Under God - special DVD tour of America's rich Christian history ($25 Donation) This special video tour of America's rich Christian history features Dr. Kennedy on location in the historic Virginia cities of Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown. Though historical revisionists wish to portray her as an entirely secular nation, learn the truth from such noted experts as author Peter Marshall; Mary Thompson, the official research expert at Mt. Vernon; and historian David Barton, among many others. A DVD can be yours
when you send a gift of support to this ministry of $25 or more. [article link]
Terrorists Blow Up Part of Holy Golden Dome Shrine in Iraq - destroyed the two minarets of the Askariya Shiite shrine in Samarra, authorities reported, in a repeat of a 2006 bombing that shattered its famous Golden Dome BAGHDAD - Suspected Al Qaeda insurgents on Wednesday destroyed the two minarets of the Askariya Shiite shrine in Samarra, authorities reported, in a repeat of a 2006 bombing that shattered its famous Golden Dome and unleashed a wave of retaliatory sectarian violence that still bloodies Iraq. Police said the attack at about 9 a.m. involved explosives and brought down the two minarets, which had flanked the dome's ruins. No casualties were reported. ... It wasn't immediately clear how the attackers evaded the shrine's guard force, which had been strengthened after the 2006 bombing. A senior al-Maliki adviser said policemen at the shrine were detained Wednesday and would be questioned as part of an investigation ordered by the prime minister. [article link]
{Flashback} February 22, 2006: Explosion Destroys Dome of Revered Iraqi (Shiite) Mosque SAMARRA, Iraq - A large explosion destroyed the golden dome of one of Iraq's most famous Shiite shrines Wednesday, spawning mass protests and triggering reprisal attacks against Sunni mosques. It was the third major attack against Shiite targets this week and threatened to enflame sectarian tensions. Shiite leaders called for calm, but at least five Sunni mosques in the capital and two in Basra were attacked. About 500 Iraqi soldiers were sent to Sunni neighborhoods in Baghdad to prevent clashes between Shiites and Sunnis, army Capt. Jassim al-Wahash said. No group claimed responsibility for the early morning attack on the Askariya shrine in this city 60 miles north of Baghdad, but suspicion fell on Sunni extremist groups such as Al Qaeda in Iraq led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. [article link]
{Flashback} February 23, 2006: A combat engineer looks at the bomb attack on the Shia mosque in Samarra {It took hours to complete the demolition charges, the mosque had been heavily guarded and fortunately it looks like the mosque was empty at the time of the explosion. This is looking like an inside job that the Shiites blew up their own mosque in order to stir up strife and probably have America pull out of Iraq whatever the reason Bush bit (without an investigation) and blamed Al Queda and vows $400M for America to help rebuild the mosque.} The following is his analysis of the terror bomb attack on the Askariya Shrine in Samarra. Understand that his analysis is informed speculation, but speculation by a man who knows how to build buildings as well as destroy them. I have been asked if I think this attack in Iraq was an "a quick in and out raid," (a target of opportunity attack) or did the operation (placing the explosives) take some time to carry out? ... My guess is that it probably took some time to plant the charges. The charges would have to be taken into the building placed at a point some distance up in the structure of the dome itself. With only people power to move the stuff up there, place the charges and rig the ignition circuits I would tend to believe this was an operation covering three to five hours, not just a quick in and out raid. [article link]
Theft mystery over George Bush's vanishing timepiece - If you want to know the time, don't ask George Bush because the President's watch is missing (Photos - Video) If you want to know the time, don't ask George Bush - because the President's watch is missing. It seemed to disappear while Mr Bush was glad-handing cheering crowds in Albania. And it's now being claimed that the expensive timepiece had been artfully removed from his left wrist by a crafty thief. Footage being shown on YouTube and press photographs certainly seemed to support the idea that a pickpocket had been a work. [article link]
Mystery of President Bush's (wrist) watch in Albania - it looks like Mr Bush may have had his watch stolen - By the time he stood on the aircraft steps to wave goodbye someone on his staff had given him a replacement watch (3 Photos - YouTube Link) George W Bush was visibly cheered when he received a hero's welcome in Albania at the weekend, with Albanians draped in the Stars and Stripes reaching out to hug him and shake his hand. But perhaps the leader of the Western world should have exercised a little more caution and followed the standard advice to travellers in the Balkans to keep an eye on their belongings. Film footage of the President being mobbed taken by the Albanian TV station News24 was broadcast today on Italian TV news bulletins and watched by thousands on YouTube - and it looks like Mr Bush may have had his watch stolen. ... A White House spokeswoman denied today that that the President had been robbed. She also denied other Albanian reports that Mr Bush's watch did fall off during the vigorous walkabout but that it was returned to a bodyguard. Instead the spokeswoman said that Mr Bush had removed it himself. "He took it off," she said. When challenged that this did not seem to happen during the footage shown on YouTube, the spokeswoman said: "I'm not going to change what I'm saying. I was told that he took it off about the one-minute mark." -- "By the time he stood on the aircraft steps to wave goodbye someone on his staff had given him a replacement watch" [article link]
Serbian outrage over Bush remarks - Bush reiterated his backing for Kosovan statehood, adding: we seek independence for Kosovo - Kosovo, which lies just to the north of Albania, is dominated by ethnic Albanians, who are mostly Muslim SOFIA, Bulgaria (CNN) -- U.S. President George W. Bush was returning home Monday after an eight-day European tour dominated by concerns over American plans for a Europe-based missile defense system and the future status of the Serbian province of Kosovo. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said Monday that his country was "rightfully embittered" by Bush's remarks in support of Kosovan independence made during a brief stopover Sunday in Albania, adding that the United States "has no right to give away Serbia's territory to Albanians," according to a government news release. ... Bush also called for immediate approval of a plan drafted by U.N. diplomat and former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari that would give Kosovo limited statehood under international supervision. ... Russia sides with its ally, Serbia, in opposing independence for Kosovo, fearing that it could set a precedent for the Muslim-dominated province of Chechnya, where rebels have been fighting against Russian rule. Kosovo, which lies just to the north of Albania, is dominated by ethnic Albanians, who are mostly Muslim and have rejected Serbia's offer of autonomy within Serbian borders. The province has been administered by the United Nations since 1999, when NATO airstrikes stopped Serbia's crackdown on separatist ethnic Albanian rebels. [article link]
British PM Tony Blair in moderate Muslims appeal - Mr Blair hosted a breakfast meeting with Islamic leaders Tony Blair says he wants the "voice of moderation" among Muslims to be heard, as £1m funding was announced to boost Islamic studies at UK universities Ministers hope the money, announced as a report criticised teaching quality, will help train more imams in the UK. At a conference on Islam, Mr Blair also called for closer links between Islamic schools and mainstream state schools. ... He said the conference had been organised to "let the authentic voices of Islam, in their various schools and manifestations, speak for themselves". "Some of the most distinguished scholars and religious leaders the world over are gathered here. And I ask people in the country and wider to listen to them. They are the authentic voices of Islam," he said. ... Among those attending the two-day conference are clerics including the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shaykh Ali Gomaa, and the Grand Mufti of Bosnia, Mustafa Ceric. [article link]
Report: little-known antivirus (AV) packages outdo those of Symantec, McAfee, Microsoft Andreas Clementi, who runs the web site av-comparatives.org, has released his latest report that looks at how well antivirus programs do against threats that have not yet been identified and included in standard AV
signatures. The test looked at 17 different products, including offerings from Symantec, McAfee, AVG, Kaspersky, and Microsoft, and tested how well releases dated February 2 (with no updates) fared against a swath of new malware-viruses, scripts, trojans, and other nasties-that were discovered between February 2 and May 2. The winner of this antivirus sweepstakes was a product called Avira, which managed to detect and defeat 71 percent of the unknown malware. Right behind it was the equally-obscure NOD32, which swept away 68 percent of the threats. The more well-known commercial products fared more poorly. Norton Antivirus and McAfee tied at a mere 24 percent, while Microsoft's OneCare did even worse by only identifying 18 percent of the new threats. [article link]
An epic film - Luther: The Movie, (DVD) - Martin Luther, the brilliant man of God whose defiant actions changed the world (sparked the Protestant reformation) {An excellent movie about God and mankind and the relationship between the two. It also well documents the horrors of when a valid movement (i.e. having a local Bible translation for the people to read like in English) goes to far. Keep in mind that Dr. Martin Luther also had many faults, he later became somewhat anti-Jewish and the Nazis' later used some of Luther's writings to persecute the Jews.} Luther: The Movie, DVD --> Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) stars as Martin Luther, the brilliant man of God whose defiant actions changed the world, in this epic film that traces Luther's extraordinary and exhilarating quest for the people's liberation. Regional princes and the powerful Church wield a fast, firm and merciless grip on 16th-centur Germany. But when Martin Luther issues a shocking challenge to their authority, the people declare him their new leader - and hero. Even when threatened with violent death, Luther refuses to back down, sparking a bloody revolution that shakes the entire continent to its core. Approx. 2 hours 4 minutes. [article link]
MARTIN LUTHER'S ANTI-JEWISH WRITINGS: - ITS USE BY ANTI-SEMITES AND REJECED BY LUTHERAN'S New York, NY, April 20, 1995...The impact of Martin Luther's anti-Jewish writings, the persistence of anti-Jewish ideas in Christian theology and the efforts of the Lutheran Church to fight the scourge of anti-Semitism and racism are explored in the new issue of Interfaith Focus, a magazine published by the Anti-Defamation League. "We have devoted the issue to "Luther, Lutheranism and the Jews" to commemorate the first anniversary of the repudiation by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) of the use of Luther's anti-Jewish diatribes by present-day anti-Semites," said Rabbi Leon Klenicki, ADL Director of Interfaith Affairs. ... Another article, "With Love and Respect for the Jewish People," by the Rev. Richard E. Koenig, a Lutheran pastor and editor of several magazines for Lutheran clergy and other professional church workers, provides background information leading to the ELCA declaration. Rev. Koenig was involved in the preparation of the document. [article link]
Harvet Devotional for Monday Jun 11, 2007: The Pursuit of God - Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? by Greg Laurie {Registration} A glance at today's headlines might cause us to conclude that we live in pretty bleak times. There is great uncertainty about the future, especially among teens and twenty-somethings. Many feel they have nothing to grasp, no one to believe in, and no one to trust except themselves. But I would like to say there is something to grasp. There is someone to trust in, but it is not ourselves. It is the God who created us. Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? ... According to the Bible, happiness, fulfillment, and joy are not found by searching for them. We find them when we seek something else. Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me" (John 15:4). Let me put it this way: if you seek God and live according to His plan for your life, then you will find happiness. You will find joy. You will find fulfillment-not through the pursuit of those things, but through the pursuit of God. So seek Him! [article link]
Daily Encouragement Net Podcast - Fri, 8 June 2007 "I'm Accepted" Romans 15:7 (MP3) Daily Encouragement Net is encouraging followers of Jesus Christ with hope and encouragement from the Bible. "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God" (Romans 15:7). [article link]
Inmates File Suit After Prisons Ban Some Religious Books Over Terrorism Fears - "The set of books that have been taken out have been ones that we used to minister to new converts when they come in here," inmate John Okon, speaking on behalf of the prison's Christian population, told a judge last week NEW YORK - Inmates at the federal prison camp in Otisville, N.Y., were stunned by what they saw at the chapel library on Memorial Day - hundreds of books had disappeared from the shelves. The removal of the books is occurring nationwide, part of a long-delayed, post-Sept. 11 federal directive intended to prevent radical religious texts, specifically Islamic ones, from falling into the hands of violent inmates. Three inmates at Otisville filed a lawsuit over the policy, saying their Constitutional rights were violated. They say all religions were affected. "The set of books that have been taken out have been ones that we used to minister to new converts when they come in here," inmate John Okon, speaking on behalf of the prison's Christian population, told a judge last week. Okon said it was unfortunate because "I have really seen religion turn around the life of some of these men, especially in the Christian community." ... Feldman said inmates are permitted to order books on their own and bypass the chapel libraries. "So fundamentally this is not a case about what books the inmates have the ability to read," he said. However, inmates say the rules have had a chilling effect. [article link]
**Please Boycott ALL Sony Media and products - Sony Conglomerate Media Holdings Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Tri-Star, Sony Picture Classics, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Studios (Culver City), Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television (King of Queens, Rescue Me), GSN (part owned), Electronics like Sony televisions, computers, walkmans, camcorders, discs, PlayStation, Everquest and many other video games, 989 Sports. [article link]
Sony PlayStation game - Cathedral shootout game under fire - The Church of England accused Sony on Saturday of using a cathedral in Britain as the backdrop to a violent computer game, and said it should be withdrawn from shop shelves LONDON, England (AP) -- The Church of England accused Sony on Saturday of using a cathedral in Britain as the backdrop to a violent computer game, and said it should be withdrawn from shop shelves. The church said Sony did not ask for permission to use Manchester Cathedral and demanded an apology. The popular new PlayStation 3 game, "Resistance: Fall of Man," shows a virtual shootout between rival gunmen with hundreds of people killed inside the cathedral. Church officials described Sony's alleged use of the building as "sick" and sacrilegious. A spokesman for the Church of England said a letter would be sent to Sony on Monday, and that if the church's request for an apology and withdrawal of the game was not met it would consider legal action. Sony spokeswoman Amy Lake told The Associated Press on Saturday that the company's PlayStation division was looking into the matter and would release a statement later. [article link]
{Flashback} Sony Video Game Launch for 'God of War II' Features Gory Stunt With Freshly Killed Goat Sony used a freshly slaughtered goat to promote the company's new violent video game for its PlayStation 2 console, the Daily Mail reported. The dead animal's still-warm corpse was used as the highlight and centerpiece during a launch party for "God of War II." Sony challenged guests to reach inside the goat's carcass and eat offal, which were bought elsewhere and intended to resemble the animal's entrails. The company then further caused outrage when it used images from the party in its official PlayStation magazine. After being contacted by The Daily Mail, however, Sony issued an apology and promised to recall the materials. [article link]
{Flashback} Sony finally goes mad - there seems to be absolutely no concern about anything other than sheer profit at Sony Yeah, at least three demographics no longer spit when they hear the name Sony, Something must me done! Lets throw parties and kill animals! Brilliant plan, I'll sign off on it, but we need to take lots of glossy pics for our official magazine, parents don't hate us enough, so we should traumatise their kids a little too. ... In any case, there seems to be absolutely no concern about anything other than sheer profit at Sony, if customers or human decency get in the way, well, give them the goat treatment [article link]
{Flashback} Angry neighbors paint over Sony's graffiti-style ads Graffiti-style advertisements by Sony Corp. to promote its PlayStation Portable gaming system at three sites in North and South Philadelphia have been painted over by irate neighbors, city officials said yesterday. ... Two of the ads were painted over Thursday night or early yesterday, and one was painted over earlier this week, officials said. Pedro Ramos, city managing director, said: "The ads were illegal because they lacked proper zoning and licenses. They were phony, in that they were commercial advertising masquerading as something else. And they are disrespectful of the neighborhoods where Sony thought it could get away with this conduct." [article link]
{Flashback} THE BAD NEWS OF THE DA VINCI CODE MOVIE: Sony Pictures - Directed by: Ron Howard, Starring: Tom Hanks, May 2006 The New York Times called recently asking what's wrong with THE DA VINCI CODE. With regard to the book by that name, there have been a large number of articles, some published in MovieGuide', explaining its egregious historical, theological, and moral problems. With regard to the movie scheduled to be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures, however, about which the Times was calling, we won't know until we see the final product. The strange thing about the movie is that the two key people involved, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard, claim to be Christians. Mr. Hanks has told reporters that he came to Christ many years ago and now attends a Greek Orthodox church with his wife. A Campus Crusade minister worked as Ron Howard's assistant for many years and said that Mr. Howard went to a Presbyterian church. Therefore, it is strange that these two men are making THE DA VINCI CODE, unless they have either sold out and see it as a way of making a lot of money, or they plan to change it. [article link]
Romney and a Mormon Prophecy - Mormon myth claims Joseph Smith prophesied that in the last days the constitution would hang by a thread and a Mormon on a metaphorical white horse would ride in to save it {What a Laugh! If somehow this weird thing was fulfilled, and it makes no sense because it is saying that there will never be another future challenge to the Constitution - so apparently the Mormons intend to NEVER leave the White House, although Mormons don't really support America anyhow - no Romenys served in the military. It would be about the first ever Mormon prophecy fulfilled as most researchers place Mormon Prophecy fulfillment right around 0%.}{I wonder why Mormon Harry Reid (Senate Majority Leader) isn't a candidate for this (LDS) prophecy fulfillment, is it because Mormon Harry Reid is one of the ones busy destroying the US Constitution.} There's growing talk Mitt Romney could be the one to fulfill a so-called prophecy and save the U.S. Constitution. Mormon myth claims Joseph Smith prophesied that in the last days the constitution would hang by a thread and a Mormon on a metaphorical white horse would ride in to save it. The LDS Church in the past has discounted this "White Horse Prophecy," saying it is not doctrine. Romney told the Salt Lake Tribune he doesn't believe it, either. [article link]
{Flashback} The Mormon Plan for America and The Rise of Mitt Romney - Romney, a Mormon High Priest (PDF 26 pages)
When George Romney, Mitt's father, made his aborted run for President in 1968, there was a lot in internal LDS {false - wrong} talk about the last days prophecies that the US constitution would hang by a thread to be saved by the elders of the LDS church. Many felt that the day had finally arrived for the actual "Kingdom of God" to be established. This pure form of theocratic, prophet led government would prepare the way for the ushering in of the millennium, the time when Jesus would return to earth, sit in his temple in Missouri to reign over the earth, with the center of His government operated as the "Kingdom of God" on earth. The actual background for all these whispered conversations came from much of the historical documents of the church and the speeches of many of the early church authorities. [article link]
The Search for Truth - The video Jesus Christ / Joseph Smith has been produced using LDS Church documents, Joseph Smith's teachings and other historical documents - Welcome to our video page! You can watch the entire video we are offering online (On-line Video) What is it that you are looking for in life? Do you ever long to know the TRUTH? Can one person really make a difference? Questions like these are important and deserve answers. Visit the video section of our site to find out more about Jesus Christ and what he has done for YOU and how following Joseph Smith will effect your life and your eternity. The video Jesus Christ / Joseph Smith has been produced using LDS Church documents, Joseph Smith's teachings and other historical documents. This is the video that LDS leaders do not want you to see. [article link]
The (LDS) Church's Website Contains A Bold Face Lie - Notice the chronology offered by the text: "widowed by her first husband" and then "later marriage to Brigham Young" - In fact her first husband died 9 years after Brigham Young This is the biography of Zina Diantha Huntington Young, the second president of the Relief Society: www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884... (downloaded June 7 2007). I have included the complete text here: "Zina D. H. Young, a midwife and an educator, worked closely with Eliza R. Snow in the Relief Society. In 1870 Brigham Young called Sister Young to promote silk production among the women of the Church as part of the Church's emphasis on home industry and self-sufficiency. During her presidency the Relief Society affiliated with the United States National Council of Women and campaigned for women's suffrage. Sister Young continued the Relief Society's emphasis on health care, grain storage, education, and compassionate service. **Widowed by her first husband, she raised two sons from that marriage, one daughter from her later marriage to Brigham Young, and four of Brigham Young's other children" ... Notice the chronology offered by the text: "widowed by her first husband" and then "later marriage to Brigham Young". In fact her first husband died 9 years after Brigham [article link]
#1 {Is another corporate 'Enron' type of scam in the works?} - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is just beginning its 50 yard dash - TheStockMasters.com rate AMD as a buy {More like a 50 yard dash straight into bankruptcy for AMD. The last time I read this much 'Propaganda' and 'Nonsense' in an internet Tec article it was about the Microsoft Zune. I think the Tec companies (and in this case the obviously paid insider journalist) somehow exempt themselves the furthest from the truth. Maybe after gobbling up doses of evolution thought the simple truth just escapes them.} Despite the rumors and buzz around AMD's stock, there appears to be more to offer than just a short term gain. The option activity around AMD is crazy right now (read more about yesterday's activity) , and after next Friday, it's going to jump even more. So with shares trading near the 52-week low, options expiring next week, and the possibility of any good news -- The StockMasters rate AMD as a buy. [article link]
#1a - Monday, 30 April 2007 AMD's USD 2.2 Billion Offering of Notes Closed - AMD entered into capped call transactions with an affiliate of one of the initial purchasers - the common stock closed on April 23, 2007 at $14.04 {It looks like some finical institution recently got stuck with a bunch of AMD stock certificates priced at about $14.04 a share and then the AMD stock fell. They are determined to invent an AMD stock rally to offload their stock to unsuspecting investors and then move on to their next business deal.} Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. today announced the closing of its offering of .2 billion aggregate principal amount of 6% Convertible Senior Notes due 2015, including million of notes that were issued in connection with the exercise in full of the initial purchasers' over-allotment option. The notes were privately offered to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). In connection with the offering, AMD entered into capped call transactions with an affiliate of one of the initial purchasers. The capped call transactions are intended to reduce the potential dilution to AMD's stockholders upon any future conversion of the notes. The capped call transaction effectively will increase the conversion price of the convertible notes to .12 per share of AMD's common stock, representing a 300% premium relative to the last reported sale price of .04 per share of the common stock on April 23, 2007 ($14.04). [article link]
#1b - May 14, 2007 AMD axes 430 jobs - At the end of April, AMD posted a net loss for the first quarter of $611 million - with AMD's market share falling from 25.7 percent in the fourth quarter of last year to 18.7 percent AMD said last week it would cut 430 jobs, but the widespread job cuts will not affect its U.K. operations. Coming just weeks after its quarterly results showed huge losses, the layoffs affect about 2.6 percent of the chipset manufacturer's workforce. AMD had hinted that layoffs were coming when it acquired ATI Technologies last year, but it has also been struggling in the first half of this year with its main processor business. At the end of April, AMD posted a net loss for the first quarter of US$611 million, largely due to falling prices and sales, as well as supply chain problems. The same quarter a year earlier saw a profit of US$184.5 million. AMD's share price has dropped by 55 percent in the last year, while that of rival Intel has risen by 11 percent. Intel's market share is also rising, with AMD's market share falling from 25.7 percent in the fourth quarter of last year to 18.7 percent in the first quarter of this year. [article link]
#2 - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) May Lose Server Chip Share to Intel - "We've lost some ground here because if the performance is better, the customer is not going to be very religious about their choice," Henri Richard, chief marketing officer of Sunnyvale California-based Advanced Micro, said in an interview on June 6 2007 in Taipei, Taiwan. June 8 (Bloomberg) -- Advanced Micro Devices Inc., the second-largest maker of personal-computer processors, said it may extend market share losses in servers to higher-performance products from larger rival Intel Corp. ... "Some customers are telling us that AMD's performance is not so good, so they're switching back to Intel," said Albert Wu, deputy director of the server business at Taipei-based Asustek Computer Inc., the world's largest maker of boards that connect computer parts. ... Advanced Micro's Richard said the company is on schedule to release a new server chip called Barcelona in the third quarter, denying reports the product will ship late. ... "In the middle of 2006, Intel moved ahead in the entire product portfolio and on most benchmarks, except at the very highest end of the server market," said Acree, who has a "buy" rating on Intel's shares and "hold" on Advanced Micro. "The remainder, which is unfortunately 98 percent of the industry, would probably tip in favor of Intel on price and performance." [article link]
#3 - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) VP Sells Shares - An executive vice president of chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc., sold 19,597 shares of common stock Friday (06-01-07) for $14.32 apiece An executive vice president of chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc., sold 19,597 shares of common stock,
according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. In a Form 4 filed with the SEC Friday, Henri P. Richard reported he sold the shares Friday for $14.32 apiece. [article link]
#4 - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) asks to double common stock to 1.5 billion shares (03 March 2007) *MEANWHILE A SET of separate SEC filings was made yesterday - Hector Ruiz (chairman and chief executive officer of Advanced Micro Devices) disposed of 16,663 shares at $15.07 and took options* [stock units (RSUs)] of 18,000 shares at $0... {Weird, nearly every single AMD corporate executive is quietly selling their AMD stock yet now the public is being urged to buy this tremendous opportunity. This is just another reminder that although the internet is maturing it is still a ready and available outlet for deceit, lies and scams.} * MEANWHILE A SET of separate SEC filings was made yesterday. Harry Wolin disposed of 2,380 shares at $15.07 and took options* of 9,000 shares at $0; Martin Seyer disposed of 2,500 shares at $15.07 and acquired 9,000 options at $0; Hector Ruiz disposed of 16,663 shares at $15.07 and took options on 63,000 at $0; Robert River disposed of 18,000 shares at between $14.66 and $14.99 and took options of 18,000 at $0; Henri Richard disposed of 6,435 shares at $15.07 and took options of 18,000 at $0; Derrick Meyer disposed of 4,761 shares at $15.07 and took options of 18,000 at $0; and Thomas McCoy disposed of 12,000 shares at $15.0359 and took options of 12,000 at $0. * CORRECTION These are restricted stock units (RSUs), less risky than options. [article link]
Boycott helps drop Ford sales 6.8% in May - General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota sales increase during same period - For the 13th month out of the last 15, the boycott of Ford Motor Company by AFA and other profamily groups has helped cause Ford to lose sales For the 13th month out of the last 15, the boycott of Ford Motor Company by AFA and other pro-family groups has helped cause Ford to lose sales. Sales dropped 6.8% during May when compared with May 2006. The drop came as sales for GM [up 9.6%], Chrysler [up 4.3%] and Toyota [up 14%] were all increasing. Of the big four, only Ford showed a loss. AFA has identified Ford as a leading corporate promoter of homosexual marriage and the homosexual agenda. For more information on Ford's promotion of the homosexual lifestyle, click here. More than 700,000 individuals have signed the Boycott Ford Pledge. Even while losing billions of dollars and laying off of thousands of employees, Ford continues to financially support various homosexual groups. Despite the effectiveness of the boycott, the mainstream media has refused to cover the story. Had homosexuals been boycotting Ford, the boycott would have been given extensive play in the mainstream media. Because the mainstream media refuses to cover the boycott, AFA is asking that individuals forward this e-mail to friends and family. [article link]
Hindu appointed to run Christian religion studies at St. Olaf College MN - His writings also have been featured on the website of the Hindu-American Foundation, which earlier launched a diatribe against a variety of Christian organizations A college affiliated with a Christian denomination has appointed to head its religion department a practicing Hindu who believes that some forms of Christian ministry produce violence. Anantanand Rambachan, who has taught religion and philosophy at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., since 1985, now will become the first non-Christian to head the religion department in the school's 133-year history. ... "Last year (2005) we met in Rome in a joint consultation with the World Council of Churches to discuss conversion." ... His writings also have been featured on the website of the Hindu-American Foundation, which earlier launched a diatribe against a variety of Christian organizations. [article link]
LivePrayer.com: Bill Keller's appearance on The O'Reilly Factor {Notice the pro Mitt Romney propaganda from Bill O'Reilly. For starters Bill first calls Romney "Governor" not "ex-Governor". In most Romney memos and press releases Romney most often referrers to himself as "Governor" and it is a complete Lie. Romney is an ex-
Governor and in fact is so unpopular in Massachusetts that he would not have won re-election therefore he didn't run. It would be Awesome to see the Real Governor of Massachusetts (D) Deval Patrick sue Mitt Romney and his campaign for impersonating a sitting Governor.} (Video 4:12) Bill Keller's appearance on The O'Reilly Factor - Select (Video) Bandwidth. [article link]
Fake memo may hurt Best Buy's case - A lawyer for Best Buy Co. has acknowledged that he falsified e-mails and a memo before turning them over to plaintiffs in a nationwide class-action lawsuit A lawyer for Best Buy Co. has acknowledged that he falsified e-mails and a memo before turning them over to plaintiffs in a nationwide class-action lawsuit -- a development that could prompt the judge to find the company liable for tens of millions of dollars in damages. ... The lawsuit, filed in 2003, accuses Best Buy of signing up at least 100,000 customers for trial subscriptions to Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Internet service from 1999 to 2003, in many cases without their knowledge. Once the trial period ended, the customers began incurring credit card charges they had not approved. Microsoft, which paid Best Buy for each customer it signed up, is accused of allowing Best Buy's practice to continue even after receiving complaints. The lawsuit aims to hold Best Buy, Microsoft or both financially liable. [article link]
'Get used to cussing on TV' - Media monitor: Ruling another setback in crackdown on language - a media monitor says it's another setback in the battle for clean entertainment - the court's reasoning was "divorced from reality" A new decision from a federal appeals court in New York has tossed out a rule by the Federal Communications Commission that cracked down on "fleeting expletives" on television airwaves, and a media monitor says it's another setback in the battle for clean entertainment. "Vulgarity has literally exploded," Robert Peters, chief of Morality in Media, told WND. ... The court ruling was in a case brought by Fox, CBS, NBC and ABC, who went to court against the FCC after the agency cited the networks for allowing various objectionable words to hit the air - and ears of consumers. The case was based on those words that television characters sometimes blurt out - whether intentional or not. ... FCC chief Kevin Martin, who said he will consider whether an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court would be appropriate to try to re-activate the limits that the agency had imposed under instructions from the Bush Administration, concluded the court's reasoning was "divorced from reality." The government needs a way to make sure the airwaves are relatively clean of such language, he said, or, "Hollywood will be able to say anything they want, whenever they want." [article link]
Storm's wrath strikes Giuliani - Bad timing? I'd say it's perfect timing - If Giuliani truly believed in God and God's teachings through the Catholic Church, he would not support abortion - The lightning was a warning to his stance on abortion - I pray for his conversion {It's like the whole Universe is calling Rudy Giuliani a liar.} (Video) In a particular case of bad timing, lighting struck just as Giuliani was responding to recent comments from a Catholic bishop likening the former New York City mayor to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who condemned Jesus to be crucified. As his microphone buzzed in and out, Giuliani joked, "For someone who went to parochial schools all his life, this is a frightening thing that's happening right now." ... You probably better be frightened Giuliani. God must not approve of you or the other candidates. ... Bad timing? I'd say it's perfect timing. If Giuliani truly believed in God and God's teachings through the Catholic Church, he would not support abortion. The lightning was a warning to his stance on abortion. I pray for his conversion. ... So what do you think god was trying to say? [article link]
Google Opens Second R & D Facility in Israel - Joining greats like Intel and Microsoft, the Google Train rolled big time into the country to tap some of the best programmers in the world {Israel - the world's tiniest country
is also the world's Biggest Blessing. Without the Blessings of God delivered to mankind via the Jews (and also the Church) modern mankind would literally be living in the dirt! Don't believe it, just visit countries in this world that even today refuse to honor the Jews and refuse to accept Jesus Christ and guaranteed you will find a low standard of living.} In addition to the Haifa-based, 20-member team and a sales office in Tel Aviv of about 15, Google Tel Aviv currently has about 30 employees, and is headed by Yossi Matias, who Reuters describes as, "a scientist and expert on algorithms, databases and Internet technologies." I found a biography on Matias here. He's a pretty heavy hitter. He holds over 20 U.S. patents, and won the 2005 Goedel Prize for, "The space complexity of approximating the frequency moments," Journal of Computer and System Sciences 58 (1999), 137-147, that was first presented at the 28th ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing, 1996. ... This center is one of ten global R&D facilities Google runs in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. [article link]
Jehovah's Witness cult (58 min 41 sec) {Another (LDS) Mormon-esque Cult though not as bizarre as the Mormon cult well actually maybe as bizarre as (LDS) Mormonism. Unfortunately the common denominator for both these cults (JW's - LDS) is their universal dislike for true Christians and their absolute satanic like dislike of Judaism and both cults are out to disrupt true Christianity and true Judaism.} Exposes the truth about the Watchtower Bible and and Tract Society also known as Jehovah's Witnesses. [article link]
The Mormon Conspiracy - Google Video (48 min 37 sec) The Mormon Conspiracy. [article link]
WWII Polish Underground Operative Jan Karsk delivered unheeded messages on Holocaust - an emissary for the Polish underground and was one of the first non-Jewish eyewitnesses to the Holocaust to tell Western leaders about Hitler's extermination of European Jews When meeting with State Department and War Department representatives, Karski said, he delivered requests and demands for various actions on behalf of European Jews. All were refused, he recalled. "Whatever demand I submitted on behalf of the Jews, [the response was], 'impossible.' " On Jewish calls for Allied leaders to make a public declaration that stopping the Holocaust become part of the official war strategy, Karski was told that it would only reinforce German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels' contention that World War II was provoked by Jews and that Western nations were suffering on their behalf. On suggestions that Germans be notified about the Holocaust via bomber-delivered leaflets, he was told that each sortie was too critical to consider carrying anything other than bombs. On Jewish demands to bomb railroad lines leading into Auschwitz, he was told that the rails would be quickly repaired - by Jewish prison laborers, many of whom would die in the effort. On requests for U.S. visa forms that could be delivered to the underground and forged to save the lives of Jews, Karski was summarily dismissed by Charles Bohlen, an envoy who would later become ambassador to Moscow and Paris: "That would be a violation of federal law." Overall, Karski said, "Everybody sympathized with the Jews, but the Jews were abandoned." However, he said, "My message is, the Jews were abandoned by governments, by churches, by societal structures - but not by humanity. Thousands of individuals - in Poland, in Belgium, in the Netherlands, in Greece - were trying to help the Jews. "Don't believe that humanity betrayed the Jews." Many Poles, he said, assisted Jews even though there was an automatic death sentence in occupied Poland for anyone caught doing so. At the same time, in many regions, Karski said Poles who informed on Jews in hiding or collaborators were offered a "bounty" of one liter of vodka. [article link]
Jan Karski: How One Man Tried to Stop the Holocaust - They asked him if he could carry their information to Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt - They also asked if he would be willing to enter the Ghetto and see for himself what was happening - Mr. Karski, who was blessed with a photographic memory, agreed {2
Internet Pages} One of the Jews who had prompted Mr. Karski to enter the Ghetto and escorted him around was a lawyer named Leon Feiner. Mr. Karski recalled that Mr. Feiner kept murmuring, "Remember this, remember this." There was also another man, whose name Mr. Karski never learned. They both urged Mr. Karski to tell what he was witnessing to as many people in the West as he could. They knew the information would be hard to believe, but they wanted the West to know that the Germans were systematically taking thousands of Jews each day to extermination camps. ... And when Mr. Karski carried his information about the destruction of the Jews to higher authorities in London, he was met by even greater reluctance to act. "In February 1943, I reported to Anthony Eden," he would later write about his secret meeting with the British Foreign Secretary. "He said that Great Britain had already done enough by accepting 100,000 refugees." ... The Jews were totally helpless. - The Jews had no country, no government. They were fighting but they had no [nation backing] identity." [article link]
Mass Grave Believed to Contain Thousands of Jews Killed by Nazis Found in Ukraine - near the site of what was once a concentration camp KIEV, Ukraine - A mass grave holding the remains of thousands of Jews killed by the Nazis has been found in southern Ukraine near the site of what was once a concentration camp, a Jewish community representative said Tuesday. The grave was found by chance last month when workers were preparing to lay gas pipelines in the village of Gvozdavka-1, near Odessa, said Roman Shvartsman, a spokesman for the regional Jewish community. ... Efraim Zuroff, director of the Israel office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said the finding was no surprise: "It underscores the enormous scope of the plans of annihilation of the Nazis and their collaborators in eastern Europe." "The scope is enormous, the number of places where murders were carried out is very large and that is why even now at this point, so late after the events, graves are still being discovered," he added. ... Shvartsman said that Jewish community knew about the mass killing but did not know where the bodies were located. Anatoly Podolsky, director of the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, said there are believed to be some 250-350 mass grave sites from the Nazi occupation, during which some 1.5 million Ukrainian Jews are believed to have been killed - including those massacred near their homes and those deported to camps elsewhere. He said most of the site have been discovered, many of them since the Soviet collapse of 1991, but others have not. ... Ilia Levitas, the head of Ukraine's Jewish Council, put the number of mass Jewish graves in the country at over 700 and said more than 100 are without monuments to the victims. ... Odessa's chief rabbi, Shlomo Baksht, hopes to fence the site off and erect a monument to the victims by the end of the year. Ukraine's Jewish population was devastated during the Holocaust. Babi Yar, a ravine outside the capital Kiev where the Nazis slaughtered some 34,000 Jews over two days in September 1941, is a powerful symbol of the tragedy. About 240,000 Jews were killed by the Nazis in the Odessa region, according to Shvartsman. He said a mass grave with remains of about 3,500 Jews was found in the region last year. [article link]
History's worst mass killer (Mao Zedong of China) gets Hollywood makeover - Man (Mao) who slew 100 million people to have $60 million glam treatment "{Satanic} People like me only have a duty to ourselves; we have no duty to other people." {The very attitude a nation's leader shouldn't have. Hey, wait a minute: this guy sounds like George W. Bush.} A man who is believed to have killed up to 100 million people in his life is to be the subject of a positive $60 million biographical film portrait, if a Hollywood producer gets his way. "Challenging Heaven" by Steven North will tell the story of the founding of Communist China with Mao Zedong in the role of George Washington. North is currently trying to romance Beijing into offering support for the project. ... Though Mao, like fellow dictator Fidel Castro, is still romanticized to a degree in the West, most historians would agree he ranks at or very near the top of the worst mass murderers. ... In fact, the name of the Mao movie is significant. Mao once described himself as "without law and without heaven." Mao wrote: "I do not agree with the view that to be moral, the motive of one's actions has to be benefiting others. Morality does not have to be defined in relation
to others. … People like me want to … satisfy our hearts to the full, and in doing so we automatically have the most valuable moral codes. Of course there are people and objects in the world, but they are all there only for me. … People like me only have a duty to ourselves; we have no duty to other people." [article link]
An Unseen World.com - The supreme command of the Anton Lavey's satanic bible is "Do what thou wilt" There is no concept of sin or need for forgiveness in Pagan traditions. There is no need for salvation, as there is "nothing to be saved from." {They might want to consider that death is in fact something to be saved from and that Only the Resurrection of Jesus Christ overcomes death and the judgment and therefore His resurrection even overcomes the despair of death.} The main tenet of Wiccae is called the "Wiccan Rede". It states "An it harm none, do as ye will". Basically, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, anything goes. The supreme command of the Anton Lavey's satanic bible is "Do what thou wilt". The only difference in the Wiccan code and the Satanic code is the phrase,"an it harm none" {Of course their definition of 'harm' becomes so vague that it's mostly nonexistent}. Jesus said that the love of money is the root of all evil. However, the love of money is rooted in selfishness. Selfishness is the root of sin. Both phrases "An it harm none, do as ye will" and "Do what thou wilt" reinforces selfishness. This witch craft site will explore why God despises witch craft and the reasons why. It will also explore the difference between "black magic" and "white magic". Is there really such a thing as a "good witch" and a "bad witch"? [article link]
Mormon False Prophecies - Joseph Smith - The name of Oliver Granger shall be had in sacred remembrance from generation to generation, forever and ever. Doctrine and Covenants 117:12-15 (July 8, 1838) Brigham Young - The present struggle (Civil War) will not free the descendants of Ham who are slaves. Journal of Discourses, vol. 10, p. 250 (October 6, 1863) ... Orson Pratt - "God promised in the year 1832 that we should, before the generation then living had passed away, return and build up the City of Zion in Jackson County." - Journal of Discourses, vol. 13, p. 362 (May 5, 1870) ... Orson Pratt - "God said in the year 1832 ..." Journal of Discourses, vol. 17, p. 111 (June 14, 1874) ... Heber C. Kimball - Plurality of wives is a law established by God forever. It would be easier for the United States to build a tower to remove the sun as to remove polygamy. Millennial Star, vol. 28, p. 190 [article link]
Two FALSE PROPHECIES of Joseph Smith (founder of Mormonism) - False Prophecy #1: Temple in Independence - On September 22 and 23, 1832, Joseph Smith prophesied of an LDS temple to be built in the city of Independence, Missouri - "which temple shall be reared in this generation" {Ouch!} False Prophecy #2: Civil War Prophecy ... As early as July, 1832, South Carolina had shown itself to be a somewhat rebellious member of the Union, and had even threatened to secede from the union ... This news reached Ohio in due course and on December 25, l832, Joseph prophesied of a war that would originate in South Carolina. The point to note is this: since the news about the threat of war was public knowledge before Dec.25, l832, Smith had good material for his prediction. All the statement of South Carolina shows is that Joseph Smith knew the political situation of the time, and of course he would have known it, it was common knowledge that South Carolina had threatened secession over the tariff act. [article link]
(Loch Ness) Nessie Footage Questions Focus On Filmmaker - Who is Gordon T. Holmes? - As I've mentioned before in print and in interviews, a videotape or photograph of a cryptid should never be analyzed without regard to looking into the background of the person that took the image or images What do we know about the man who took the Nessie footage in late May 2007? Does Gordon Holmes have visions of becoming the next Sherlock Holmes, following in the footsteps of that character's creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? It is with no disrespect that I compile for my readers the facts that Mr. Holmes has placed out there in cyberspace about himself. He has freely admitted that he has filmed fairies, seen apparent alien black
cats (ABCs, alien big cats, as they are often called because they are "out of place" or alien - not from outer space), taken electrical spectrograms of what he thinks are large electric eels in Lake Morar, and has a "sort of medical condition…for visualising a sort of frame from a Dream whilst being conscious." Now he's getting publicity for filming Nessie. Whoa. [article link]
Holocaust Diary of 14-Year-Old Rutka Laskier Dubbed the 'Polish Anne Frank' Unveiled - vividly described the world crumbling around her as she came of age in a Jewish ghetto - Within a few months Rutka was dead The diary chronicles Rutka's life from January to April 1943. She shared it with her friend Stanislawa Sapinska, who she met after Rutka's family moved into a home owned by Sapinska's family, which had been confiscated by the Nazis to be included in the Bedzin ghetto. Sapinska came to inspect the house and the girls - one Jewish, one Christian - formed a deep bond. When Rutka feared she would not survive, she told her friend about the diary. Sapinska offered to hide it in the basement under the floorboards. After the war, she returned to reclaim it. "She wanted me to save the diary," Sapinska, now in her 80s, recalled Monday. "She said 'I don't know if I will survive, but I want the diary to live on, so that everyone will know what happened to the Jews.'" Sapinska stashed the diary in her home library for more than 60 years. She said it was a precious memento and thought it to be too private to share with others. Only at the behest of her young nephew did she agree to hand it over last year. "He convinced me that it was an important historical artifact," she said in Polish. [article link]
{Flashback} Treblinka by Jean-Francois Steiner (His father Mr. Kadmi Cohen died in the Nazi Holocaust at the Auschwitz sub-camp Gleiwitz) - One of the best books on the Holocaust - This is without a doubt one of the better books about the death camps - You will become intimately acquainted with Treblinka and the Nazis who ran it - Steiner's book is well-written and does justice to the horror {An absolute must read but be prepared for the hard realities the book portrays. It's a difficult book to contemplate because it shows society at its worst in the past and now society is heading back in that very same direction.} (Book) A chance meeting with a university professor in NY years ago caused me to ask the question of what was it really, really like to exist in a place of complete insanity; where you were placed at risk of death at every moment, where every act, every gesture could be your last. What sort of social structure could possibly evolve in such indescrible conditions where inmate sometimes turned on inmate for a crust of bread. And yet in this dark chaos an order did evolve. The inmates organized themselves to such an extent that they ultimately rose up in rebellion, overpowering their opressors and a small number actually escaped. I have read numerous books on the Holocaust but none of those prepared me for Steiner's superb work. Many of the works I've read concerned Auschwitz. Frankly, I never focused on Treblinka. As there is a relatively large number of Auschwitz survivors, I suspect scholars tend to focus on them. As far as Treblinka survivors go... there were only 75. Steiner's descriptions are so overwhelming; his imagery so clear and lucid that you can see in your own mind, the acts of brutality and barbarism, as well as small acts of kindness as if you are actually there. I found myself cringing at the blows of the clubs and the slash of the whips. And yet he takes pains to describe acts of heroism one can hardly imagine. You see how exposure to this inhumanity affects the inmates. Some degenerate while others work at mostly futile individual escape attempts in order to warn the remaining Jews of what ultimately lies in wait at the railhead at Treblinka Station. This is strong stuff and is not for everyone. This is not a book that compiles statistics but rather paints a searing description of day-to-day life with the inmates, their struggles to make it another day, their planning and finally their courageous attempt to escape. If you make it through this book, read Kogon's "The Theory and Practice of Hell" and then the next time you see "ethnic cleansing" taking place in some remote venue such as the Balkans, Rawanda or Timor ask yourself just how far we've really come and how easily we've learned to mouth the words "never again". [article link]
Bill Keller LivePrayer.com: The Fallout from taking on Romney - I've received 12 death threats so far {So much for the comments "Mormons are just another type of Christian." Mormonism is an extremely dangerous Cult
and if you don't believe the Mormon organization is dangerous in the same way that "Organized Crime" is dangerous then just expose what (LDS) Mormonism is all about and see how that cult does respond.} For the nearly 8 years I have been writing the Daily Devotional and the over 4 years of doing the TV program, some of the most viscous attacks on our technical infrastructure, on me personally, have come when I expose the lies of the satanic Mormon cult. This time was no different, except it was at an unprecedented level of ferociousness since I was taking on their greatest hope to capture the most powerful office in the world. We had our website and servers attacked relentlessly all weekend. I've received 12 death threats so far in addition to the scores of emails telling me that "someone will visit me when I least expect it." I refuse to live in fear and having dealt with these types of threats for the past 8 years, have learned how to use the common sense the Lord gave me and ultimately trust Him to watch over me as I serve Him each day. [article link]
Bill Keller LivePrayer.com: Tired of Fighting the Battles of Life - I can't stress enough that your first response MUST BE PRAYER! John 15:5, "without Me (Jesus) you can do nothing!" Obviously, of the 40,000 or so people who contact Liveprayer every day for prayer, the vast majority are in the midst of great battles in their life. The biggest mistake I see people make, the biggest mistake I sometimes make, is forgetting to pray. Once the battle begins we start fighting. That is our survival instincts kicking in. That is why when you start to fight multiple battles on many different fronts, you get overwhelmed, fatigued, frustrated, and eventually despair sets in, hopelessness sets in, and soon you begin to think about where to run and hide. I can't stress enough that your first response MUST BE PRAYER! John 15:5, "without me you can do nothing!" When we are weak, He is strong. God will fight for us. God will give us wisdom. There is victory in Jesus. These are all great truths but we need to first call on that name above all names and ask Him to help us. We need to ask Him to make us strong! We need to ask Him to fight for us! We need to ask Him for wisdom! We need to declare that there is victory in Jesus! If you don't pray you are already defeated. You can't do it on your own, nor do you have to. This is the time to make your faith real. You say you trust God, that your faith is in Jesus, now is the time to prove it. PRAY LIKE YOU TRUST GOD AND BELIEVE IN JESUS!!! Will praying make the attacks stop, make the devil go away? Nope. It will probably make him come after you even harder. What it does do is gives you renewed strength and energy. It also helps to clear your mind. How you look at a situation is critical. You can either look at a situation as hopeless or simply a hurdle that needs to be overcome. The power of prayer is that it gives you the increased faith, the confidence, the ability to look at the attacks you are under not as hopeless but as hurdles. [article link]
Seems Like The Last Collection Of (LDS) General Authorities Was 99.99% Lawyers {Mormon Mentality - Lawsuits - Lawsuits - and more Lawsuits. When confronted with a challenge the Mormon response is to sue with the full force of their legal staff.} Mormon GENERAL AUTHORITIES: Members of the LDS Church that rise past the rank of Stake President are considered General Authorities. They leave their current jobs and work for the LDS Church full time. In exchange, the LDS Church provides them a full salary and often lavish living expenses. Those who rise to the rank of Apostle must sell any business they own and renounce any board of directors for companies that are not directly own by the LDS Church (Hinckley 1996). Generally those who reach Apostle sell their businesses and hand the money over to the LDS Church. ... When the Mormon Prophet David O'McKay died in 1970 he had an estate worth an estimated at half a million dollars. David was a lifetime church employee (64 years) and accumulated this wealth from the LDS Church. ... Seems Like The Last Collection Of General Authorities Was 99.99% Lawyers. This year's collection is primarily CEOs. ... There they are---a real cross section of humanity. Disciples just like Jesus had---fishermen, etc. [article link]
At an LDS request? - Group sics IRS on Mormon critic - 'Bring it on,' evangelist says of investigation of Romney comment - "Let them come after me for making a spiritual statement about Mitt Romney - I would love that,"
he said The Internal Revenue Service has been asked to investigate the Florida ministry of Bill Keller, host of the Live Prayer TV program as well as LivePrayer.com for his comments about Mormonism. Americans United for Separation of Church and State said it has written to request the review of Keller's comments that a "vote for Mitt Romney [is a vote] for Satan." "Americans United asserts that Bill Keller Ministries seems to have violated federal tax law when its online division, Liveprayer.com, ran articles warning readers that a vote for Romney is a vote for Satan," the activist organization announced. - "This message today is not about Mitt Romney," he wrote. "Romney is an unashamed and proud member of the Mormon cult founded by a murdering polygamist pedophile named Joseph Smith nearly 200 years ago. The teachings of the Mormon cult are doctrinally and theologically in complete opposition to the Absolute Truth of God's Word. There is no common ground. If Mormonism is true, then the Christian faith is a complete lie. There has never been any question from the moment Smith's cult began that it was a work of Satan and those who follow their false teachings will die and spend eternity in hell." [article link]
The following is an account of the Mormon Church's lawsuit against Jerald and Sandra Tanner in 1999 - The goal of the lawsuit is to prevent these individuals from distributing excerpts from an unpublished (LDS) church book dealing with the procedures for members removing their names from the LDS Church's membership rolls - Many people who have heard of the lawsuit feel the (LDS) church's real agenda was to shut down the (UTLM.org) Ministry At approximately eleven in the morning, October 13, 1999, Sandra Tanner was working in the Utah Lighthouse Ministry Bookstore when she was surprised to encounter two well-dressed men who turned out to be representatives of the Mormon Church's law firm. They served legal papers on Utah Lighthouse Ministry and the Tanners, ordering us to immediately remove some material that was posted on our Ministry's web site [www.utlm.org]. The material in question was limited portions of the LDS Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1 (1998). This handbook is the updated version of the instruction manual given to local bishops in the Mormon Church. Various editions have been published over the last 100 years. This manual contains, among other topics, instructions on excommunication and discipline procedures against erring members. ... Many people who have heard of the lawsuit feel the church's real agenda was to shut down the Ministry. ... While the lawsuit is over, many questions still remain: Since the Handbook is still being disseminated on the Internet, why has no one else been sued? Why is the Church Handbook kept from its members? Why are members unable to see the rules and regulations that govern them? Why is the process to terminate LDS Church membership so complicated? Why can't people simply notify the LDS Church that they have quit? Why isn't that enough? [article link]
Jerald Tanner's Quest for Truth - For all the saints who from their labors rest, Who thee by faith before the world confessed, Thy name, O Jesus, be for ever blest. Alleluia. Alleluia. In light of Jerald's death I thought it would be a good time to pause and reflect on his life and, more particularly, on how God initially led him into the ministry he carried on so effectively, and with such great energy, integrity, and accuracy, for more than forty years. ... Jerald and Sandra's effectiveness lay partly in the fact that when push comes to shove very few people are interested enough in the truth to put themselves on the line for it. Bill McKeever began his excellent tribute at Jerald's funeral by quoting the words of A. A. Hodge, founder of Princeton Seminary: "it is easier to find a score of men wise enough to discover the truth than to find one intrepid enough, in the face of opposition, to stand up for it." [article link]
Sandra Tanner (utlm.org) Interview on Heart of the Matter (Google Video 1 hr 29 mn) Sandra Tanner Interview discussing problems with Mormonism on the TV Show "Heart of the Matter" hosted by Shawn McCraney. Aired 01/09/2007. [article link]
utlm.org: In Memoriam - Jerald D. Tanner, age 68, died peacefully on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006, due to complications associated with Alzheimer's disease - "Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing" Jerald D. Tanner, age 68, died peacefully on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006, due to complications associated with Alzheimer's disease. He was born June 1, 1938, in Provo, Utah, to George and Helen Tanner. He married Sandra McGee on June 14, 1959, in Mission Hills, California. He graduated from West High School, attended the University of Utah and graduated from Salt Lake Trade Technical Institute in 1959. After a few years as a machinist Jerald launched his own business, Modern Microfilm Co. and began publishing historical research. He closed his business in 1983 and established the non-profit organization Utah Lighthouse Ministry, which continues to publish his research. He authored more than forty books, including Mormonism-Shadow or Reality?, and in 1980 his book The Changing World of Mormonism was published by Moody Press. [article link]
Extraordinary Evidence About Jesus in the Dead Sea Scrolls - Quotes from the New Testament in the Dead Sea Scrolls - One of the most extraordinary of these scrolls released in 1991 actually referred directly to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ - Although the original scroll team still claimed that there was no evidence about early Christianity in the unpublished scrolls, this new scroll totally contradicted their statements {Why are 'Dead Sea Scroll' materials still unpublished for the public? It's very important to have discoveries Published within the lifetime of the discover so the discover can authenticate them. In researching the Mormon Cult they have a practice of waiting until the original people died before releasing their diaries and statements that are then greatly altered to fit LDS agendas.} The Crucified Messiah Scroll: In 1991 the world was astonished to hear that one of the unpublished scrolls included incredible references to a "Messiah" who suffered crucifixion for the sins of men. The scroll was translated by Dr. Robert Eisenman, Professor of Middle East Religions of California State University. He declared, "The text is of the most far-reaching significance because it shows that whatever group was responsible for these writings was operating in the same general scriptural and Messianic framework of early Christianity." Although the original scroll team still claimed that there was no evidence about early Christianity in the unpublished scrolls, this new scroll totally contradicted their statements. This single scroll is earthshaking in its importance. As Dr. Norman Golb, Professor of Jewish History at the University of Chicago said, "It shows that contrary to what some of the editors said, there are lots of surprises in the scrolls, and this is one of them." [article link]
25 Fascinating Facts About the Dead Sea Scrolls - The Dead Sea Scrolls were most likely written by the (Jewish sect) Essenes during the period from about 200 B.C. to 68 A.D. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in eleven caves along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea between the years 1947 and 1956. The area is 13 miles east of Jerusalem and is 1300 feet below sea level. The mostly fragmented texts, are numbered according to the cave that they came out of. They have been called the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times. See a Dead Sea Scroll Jar. ... The Scrolls have revolutionized textual criticism of the Old Testament. Interestingly, now with manuscripts predating the medieval period, we find these texts in substantial agreement with the Masoretic text [our Old Testament Bible] as well as widely variant forms. [article link]
Japanese Archaeologists Dig Up 2,100-Year-Old (watermelon) Melon - The melon might have been so wellpreserved because it was in a vacuum-packed state in a wet layer below the ground {Possibly 2,100 years old certainly zero evolution!} (Photo) Archaeologists digging in western Japan have excavated what they believe to be the oldest remains of a melon ever found, an official said Friday. ... The remains are believed to be the oldest of a melon that still has flesh on the rind, Yamazaki said. ... The melon might have been so well-preserved because it was in a vacuum-packed
state in a wet layer below the ground, an environment hostile to microorganisms that might otherwise have broken down the remains, Yamazaki said. Melon seeds have been often found in archaeological digs around the country, but researchers rarely find the remains of melon flesh, Yamazaki said. Moriyama is about 330 kilometers (205 miles) southwest of Tokyo. [article link]
Christianity and the Mormon (LDS) Cult are Very Different - There seems to be an impression among some Christians that Mormonism should not be questioned knowing that Mormonism does not stand up to any scrutiny (PDF) Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. ... There seems to be an impression among some Christians that Mormonism should not be questioned knowing that Mormonism does not stand up to any scrutiny. Perhaps they are possibly wondering if Christianity can stand up to a similar inspection itself. Rest assured that Christianity does stand up to scrutiny and in fact Christianity thrives on investigation. Critics who have investigated Christianity and the Bible are the very people who have become Christians while the Mormons who investigate their religious foundations soon leave Mormonism behind. With the enormous amount of Mormon fraud info now available and coming out on the internet and elsewhere I personally don't think the Mormon (LDS) cult will stand at least not in any substantial form, there are already signs of a Mormon (LDS) decline. I suspect the LDS will break up into three main groups. 1. True godly seekers will migrate over to our true Christian church. 2. Others will just become totally secular. 3. Distraught fanatic Mormons will embrace Islam as really Mormonism is a vaguely disguised, westernized form of Islam. Mormonism is not a pretty picture and Christians have no need to embrace it or promote it but Christians do have every right to expose and reject the false claims of the Mormon (LDS) cult. [article link]
{Flashback} Today's Devotional - DAILY DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY MAY 11, 2007 (Galatians 1:6-12) - If you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for satan! This message today is not about Mitt Romney. Romney is an unashamed and proud member of the Mormon cult founded by a murdering polygamist pedophile named Joseph Smith nearly 200 years ago. The teachings of the Mormon cult are doctrinally and theologically in complete opposition to the Absolute Truth of God's Word. There is no common ground. If Mormonism is true, then the Christian faith is a complete lie. There has never been any question from the moment Smith's cult began that it was a work of satan and those who follow their false teachings will die and spend eternity in hell. This message is about the top Christian leaders in our nation who are supporting this cult members quest to become the next President of the United States. ... As I have told you often, despite what some polls say, the better percentage of two full generations living right now have never even been to church. Everyone has a spiritual side to their life, and the cults and false religions, the new Age movements, have been having a field day attracting people to their false beliefs because of the overwhelming number of people who have no faith coupled with the fact Christians have quit evangelizing and virtually removed themselves from the culture leaving these lost souls to satan. It is against this backdrop that I tell you without any hesitation or equivocation that to support and vote for Mitt Romney is to support and vote for satan! [article link]
{Flashback} LivePrayer.com: Bill Keller - *Debate - Christian vs. Mormon (LDS) - INTERVIEW WITH FOX NEWS AND RADIO'S ALAN COLMES (Download - Mp3) Wednesday night I was interviewed for an hour on the Alan Colmes radio program. It was initially supposed to be just myself, but at the last moment, they brought in one of the leading defenders of the Mormon cult. The audio link for the program is: www.liveprayer.com/fox1.cfm [article link]
Yahoo People of the Web - Kirk Cameron - Kirk Cameron reaches a new audience these days through his Christian radio show, television show, and Web site (3-Part Online Video) BELLFLOWER, California - At the height of his Hollywood success, former "Growing Pains" sitcom star Kirk Cameron started worrying about something his money couldn't buy: salvation. He had more than just legions of fanatic fans. He also had stalkers and kidnapping threats, and was sometimes driven to the set in a bulletproof car. It got him thinking about his own mortality. He had it all, but still felt empty. ... Cameron says his priorities are very clear: "God, family, career - in that order." [article link]
Christian Website - Loch Ness monster No. 2 - Fake - {And many other well known photos of various subjects and objects that are also surprisingly fake, except the UFO ones everyone knows they are fake. - Scroll down for links.} At first glance you probably could mistake this famous photo for a picture of the Loch Ness monster. Millions have. But a sharp-eyed reader told us a program on the Discovery channel a few years ago revealed that this photo was part of a sequence that showed the creature emerging from the water. And no, it wasn't the Loch Ness monster at all. It was an elephant in Sri Lanka! [article link]
The Loch Ness Monster and the Surgeon's 1934 Photo [Hoax] - For years skeptics were sure that the photo was somehow a hoax In 1933 the Daily Mail, taking advantage of the Nessie craze, hired a famous big-game hunter named Marmaduke Wetherell to travel up to the Loch to investigate the sightings and to find the monster, if he could. Although he found no monster, in December 1933 he did locate what appeared to be its tracks-enormous footprints on the shore of the Loch leading into the water. Unfortunately, when researchers from the Natural History Museum examined the tracks, they determined that they had been made with a dried hippo's foot, of the kind that were popularly used as umbrella stands. Humiliated, Wetherell retreated from public view. ... According to Spurling, he had been approached by Wetherell (his stepfather) who wanted him to make a convincing serpent model. The model was then taken to Loch Ness, photographed, and the pictures were given to Wilson, whom Wetherell felt would be a creditable front man, since he was a surgeon. Apparently Wetherell's motive for concocting the elaborate plot was revenge, since he was still smarting from his humiliation over the hippo-foot tracks. "We'll give them their monster," his son later remembered him saying. [article link]
Celtic (Irish) Christianity and the early Celtic church - A number of Celtic (Irish) saints lived and worked in and around the kingdom of Dalriada in northwest Scotland. One of the best known is St. Columba, or Columcille, of Iona (521-597 AD) St Columba is believed to have been born in about 521 AD, in northern Ireland, of Fedlimid, son of Fergus, an aristocrat of the family called the Cenel Conaill, which ruled over much of county Donegal. When he was young, Columba was fostered to a priest, and learned from some of the greatest teachers in Ireland at the time. Little is known for sure about Columba's life in Ireland, prior to coming to Iona, even of two apparently significant but mysterious events in his life. The first was the battle of Cul Drebene, which was fought and won by Columba's kin and their allies, in 561 AD, against the ruling southern UiNeill. Two years after this battle, Columba left Ireland in exile for Britain, the exact reasons for which, researchers have been unable to determine. The second, chronicled but unexplained, is the story that Columba copied from a precious book, and was caught doing so, and admonished. ... Several other early manuscripts exist about Columba. The Cathach of St. Columba, part of a psalter dated around 600 AD, is among the oldest examples of Irish Latin in existence. Its style is unique, in that the initial letters are sometimes surrounded by red dots, a feature earlier found in Coptic manuscripts. The Coptic Church is Egyptian, leading one to ponder about possible "desert father" connections with the early Celtic saints, who seem to have used them as a monastic model. Some say that this Egyptian conection may have been Alexandrian, while others believe that the early Byzantine and
other eastern Christian sects may have had an influence. The early Syrian monastic communities, with their strong emphasis on the Anchorite desert hermit tradition, were a likely model for the Celtic monastic saints. Certainly they shared a severely ascetic lifestyle. [article link]
August 22, 565 • St. Columba Encountered Loch Ness Monster - Revered as a saint, his life was written by Adamnan. In reporting Columba's life, Adamnan gives what appears to be the first written account of the Loch Ness Monster - Adamnan's account has so many incredible tales that it is unbelievable Columba, you may recall, was trained by Irish monks. However, his youthful Christianity was skin-deep while his passions were strong. He was partly responsible for the battle of Cul-drebene in which many men lost their lives. Repentant, he sailed to Britain as "a pilgrim for Christ" and founded the monastery of Iona, from which Christianity spread across North Britain. He himself traveled and preached, establishing several churches and monasteries. Revered as a saint, his life was written by Adamnan. In reporting Columba's life, Adamnan gives what appears to be the first written account of the Loch Ness Monster. [article link]
Man claims to have filmed nessie (Loch Ness Monster) - The legend of the Loch Ness Monster dates back to 565 AD when St Columba was said to have seen a strange water monster in the loch (Video) An amateur scientist believes he could have captured the Loch Ness Monster - on videotape. Yorkshireman Gordon Holmes was carrying out experiments at the famous loch when by chance he happened to spot a strange creature in the waters. Now his film of the incident is causing a sensation. The legend of the Loch Ness Monster dates back to 565 AD when St Columba was said to have seen a strange water monster in the loch. [article link]
walkthru.org: Walk Thru the Bible Ministries - Going Public with Your Faith, CD series (Audio $34.95) Going Public with Your Faith, CD series - Learn how even you can move from being a "secret agent" Christian to a "public" witness as you develop the heart, skills and perspective to naturally share Christ as a part of your lifestyle and relationships. [article link]
Romney camp responds to anti-Mormon conduct - "I am one person who will not vote for a Mormon," Michaud said as Romney approached his table {Good for this man! These politicians just want to use people (in photo ops) and this man didn't want to be used. Of course Romney is now attempting to use him even more. Remember in '04 when two US Marines refused to talk to Kerry because of his anti-war, anti-America stand.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A spokesman for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney called one New Hampshire voter's anti-Mormon comments and refusal to shake the former governor's hand at a campaign stop "un-American" and "religiously bigoted" on Wednesday. The incident occurred one day earlier at a diner in Dover. After chatting with some patrons, the former Massachusetts governor walked over to greet a man, identified by the Associated Press as Al Michaud. "I am one person who will not vote for a Mormon," Michaud said as Romney approached his table. "Oh, is that right?" Romney said. "Can I shake your hand anyway?" "No," Michaud said, refusing to meet eyes with the Republican presidential candidate. [article link]
GodTube.com: Ergun Caner - Muslim reached for Jesus Christ - The dean of Liberty Baptist Seminary, is a former Muslim and discusses coming to know Jesus - This is an excellent video - Mr Caner is believable and communicates His love of the LORD well - I praise the LORD that He loves me unconditionally (Video 24:53 Min) (in prayer)..Thank you Heavenly Father for raising up a servant (Dr. Caner) that can be a true blessing/salvation to others. Not only to the Muslim community but to others such as myself that have struggled to understand why there is so much hate toward Christians. From Your servant's testimony I now understand. Father please
help me to not hate the Muslim, rather to love them as You have loved me...unconditionally. Thank you Lord and I pray for everyone seeing this clip that Your will be done..not ours...that You Lord will receive the honor and the glory forever..Amen. [article link]
The Problem of Human Tragedy - Is the Church Relevant? Part 1 Dr. Chuck Betters (Online Video - Order) Is the Church Sliding into Irrelevance? All of America witnessed the tragedy at Virginia Tech where one lone gunman executed 32 students and faculty in cold blood. Many struggle to contain the raw emotion of grief and fear. How could this happen? How could a man fall to this level? And what should the response of the church be to this ever growing culture of death and violence? More specifically, is the church any longer relevant? Does anyone care what we think about this tragedy or any tragedy for that matter? Is the Church Sliding into Irrelevance? is a 2 CD series that addresses five warning signs that each Christian should consider in answering this question for themselves and their church. This offer includes a detailed written article that complements the audio series. This resource is available in the United States while supplies last. The CD is available for $10. There is no charge for shipping. [article link]
OnePlace.com: Dr. Charles Betters - Toward a Victorious Prayer Life - two-minute segments [Parts 1 - 4] (Free Mp3's) MINISTRY DETAILS These two-minute segments contain highlights of Dr. Betters' preaching, packaged in an engaging and dramatic format. These "mined nuggets" of scriptural truths are played on both Christian radio stations and secular stations alike. Dr. Charles F. Betters often says that the death of his sixteen-year-old son, Mark, "unbolted us from our love affair with this world." Dr. Betters has served as Senior Minister of Glasgow Reformed Presbyterian Church in Bear, Delaware, since 1986 and is frequently called upon to address church pastors and leadership all across the country. [article link]
GodTube.com: Rapture - End Times - "This video gave me and anyone that I let watch it the goosebumps! It is so true and we really need to be ready" - "Thank you for adding this video. videos / messages like this are the essence of what GODTUBE should be" (Video 2:06 Min) I certainly jumped. I hate to give away my age...but...35 years ago..when I was a teen, they were saying the end was near. In that 35 years I've seen all sorts of changes that indicate that it is closer than ever. Do you all realize that the pics in that video all happened within the last 10 years and they were events that we have never seen the likes of in our lifetimes? I do want to say..there is a difference between the 2nd coming of Christ and the Rapture. I will leave to you to find out the difference. [article link]
GodTube.com: GodTube utilizes Web based technology to connect Christians for the purpose of encouraging and advancing the Gospel worldwide (100's of Videos - Songs) CHRISTIAN GROWTH - Our supreme desire is to know Jesus and to be conformed to His image, likeness, and example by the power of the Holy Spirit. We encourage this by abiding in Jesus Christ through His Word, prayer, fellowship, and by yielding our lives to the Holy Spirit. (John 4:23 Colossians 3:16, 1 Thessalonians 2:13) [article link]
What are some reasons to trust the Bible as true to history and to our experience? Video & Article Links (Video 3:00 Min) A Bible Prophecy Fulfilled That Takes No Codes to Discover - Ezekiel the prophet lived 2,500 years ago. He predicted the destruction of the city of Tyre. It happened 17 years later. In chapter 26, he outlined the total destruction very specifically: Fishermen would spread their nets there. Tyre would never be rebuilt on that same site. ... Nebuchadnezzar did destroy the city in 573 B.C., leaving just an island colony intact. Alexander the Great
sought to conquer that island 240 years later. He put together a naval force from the nations he'd already conquered but couldn't take the city by ship. Instead, he ordered his men to build a causeway from the mainland to the island. They built the causeway out of the debris from Nebuchadnezzar's previous destruction of Tyre's mainland. Then they swept this ancient site bare to bedrock, casting the rubble into the sea. To this day, fishermen spread their nets there. The city of Tyre that does exist in Lebanon today is not located on the ancient site. [article link]
Youth With A Mission (YWAM) - Do a DTS! YWAM's Discipleship Training School is six months that can change your life - Learn more... Is this mission only for young people or only focused on young people? Youth With A Mission has always sought to involve young people in ministry. While much of YWAM's outreach and training indeed focuses on young people, many second-career missionaries join YWAM as well. You can find people from age 8 to 80 in YWAM, and the people we serve come from all walks of life: HIV-positive babies in South Africa, future-pastors in Asia, or short-term outreach teams in Mexico. [article link]
66 videos and podcasts about missionary work - Missionary Conference from Central Baptist Church of Hobart Indiana - Let There Be Light (Ephesians 5:8-14) For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them. For the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of. But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that is revealed is light. Therefore he says, "Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." [article link]
Latest News: 9/11 New Videos and Info '911 Mysteries' 'The Great Conspiracy' The 9-11 News Special You Never Saw 1of3 - All of these downloadable movies are free {Click the links to be taken to the download page many options} Movies to make you think. All of these downloadable movies are free. Click the links to be taken to the download page. These are highly compressed videos, so if you want to spread the word PLEASE purchase the original DVD versions and support these great filmmakers. These video downloads are shared in the spirit of learning. If you have a problem with us hosting a video which you have rights to, please let us know and we will remove it, however many documentary makers have seen increased sales due to this exposure. [article link]
Remember America - Never Forget! - The best of 9 11 video's (4 Online Videos) 9 11 MYSTERIES the best movie todate. 9 11 PRESS FOR TRUTH second best. MARTIAL LAW - POLICE STATE RISING. THE TRUTH AND LIES OF 9/11 - AWESOME MOVIE. [article link]
Larry Silverstein - {9/11 Hero WTC owner Larry Silverstein. Silverstein is one of the many brave 9/11 heroes. He is one of the few 9/11 people of authority to tell the truth and accurately represent his knowledge of the events of that fateful day. Further Silverstein is the only person to make the 9/11 conspirators pay and in his ingenious two plane, two cause defenses he attempted to make them pay double. Silverstein is further faithful to N.Y. promising to use the money to rebuild and renew the hopes of both N.Y. and America.} In January 2001, Silverstein, via Silverstein Properties and Westfield America, made a $3.2 billion bid for the lease to the World Trade Center. Silverstein was outbid by $50 million by Vornado Realty, with Boston Properties and Brookfield Properties also competing for the lease. However, Vornado withdrew and Silverstein's
bid for the lease to the World Trade Center was accepted on July 24, 2001, seven weeks before the buildings were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks. This was the first time in the building's 31-year history that the complex had changed management. ... Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, he sought payment for the destruction of the towers as two incidents. ... In total, Silverstein was awarded nearly $5 billion in insurance money following the destruction of the Twin Towers [13]. He plans to use some or all of the settlement to rebuild. ... Silverstein's lease with the Port Authority for the World Trade Center requires him to continue paying $102 million annually in base rent.[16] He is applying insurance payments toward the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site. ... Silverstein had the legal right to rebuild office buildings including the Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center site and while the site is unoccupied, he continues to pay $10 million per month in rent to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. After several months of negotiation, in April 2006 he yielded some of those rights back to the Port Authority. ... 9/11 conspiracy theorists believe that 7 World Trade Center was deliberately destroyed. {Building #7 was intentionally destroyed but with only moments of notice to Larry Silverstein. Building #7 was also the emergency office for N.Y. Mayor Rudy Giuliani. An office that Rudy Giuliani avoided that day.} [article link]
Firemen douse Rudy's image as 9/11 hero - Union bid to halt White House run - "We're going to follow him around the country" said Riches. "We want all of America to know he is not the man he says he is" {Look for Rudy Giuliani to withdrawal from the 2008 Presidential race he is just too obvious as a 9/11 conspirator participant for America to elect him and too many 9/11 secrets will emerge if he continues his bid. It is Rudy Giuliani's emergency office in the destroyed building #7 that is thought to be the command center for the coordination, wiring, timing, attack and detonation of the WTC buildings. The destruction of building #7 was necessary in order to burry that evidence.} Helped by the firefighters' union, Riches and his friends are preparing to "swiftboat" Giuliani, borrowing the tactics of the Vietnam veterans, under the title Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, who pierced the Democratic nominee John Kerry's seemingly armour-plated credentials as a decorated war hero during the 2004 presidential campaign. ... Several American news organisations are preparing exposés of the "untold story" of 9/11 after Giuliani's dispute with the firefighters became embarrassingly public last week. He was the only leading presidential candidate not to appear at a Washington gathering of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which accused him of showing a "disgraceful lack of respect for the fallen" after the September 11 attacks. Behind the union's attack lies the grief and anger of families who believe their loved ones need not have died that day and their conviction that some bodies would never have been recovered had Giuliani had his way. [article link]
FEMA was in New York the Night Before 9/11 - Kenney states that FEMA was deployed to New York on Monday night, September 10th, to be ready to go into action on Tuesday morning, September 11th Validated by Giuliani - FEMA in NYC prior to 9-11 for Project TRIPOD terror drill, scheduled for 9-12. "... the reason Pier 92 was selected as a command center was because on the next day, on September 12, Pier 92 was going to have a drill, it had hundreds of people here, from FEMA, from the Federal Government, from the State, from the State Emergency Management Office, and they were getting ready for a drill for biochemical attack. So that was gonna be the place they were going to have the drill. The equipment was already there, so we were able to establish a command center there, within three days, that was two and a half to three times bigger than the command center that we had lost at 7 World Trade Center. And it was from there that the rest of the search and rescue effort was completed." ... The coincidental presence of a large FEMA team in NYC at the location, Pier 92, which became the Command Center for the entire emergency operation is disturbing. An alert press and a legitimate 9-11 Commission should have raised this issue long ago. [article link]
Who Signed Sakher Hammad's WTC Basement Level Pass? - License Suspect Had WTC Repair Pass, But Port Authority Did its Own Work - (Sakher Hammad) who was carrying a WTC pass for Sept 5th 2001 - He told police that he had been working on the sprinkler system As maintenance and electrical workers talked to each other on their dedicated radio channel, one man trapped in a stairwell on the 103rd floor of the north tower called repeatedly for help. "Open the stairway door," he called. The radio picked up his labored breathing, and he reported smoke rising. "People stuck in the stairway, open up the goddamn doors." Later he burst out, "Where's the f------ sprinkler system?" [article link]
9/11 Security - Courtesy of Marvin Bush (George Bush brother) - Marvin P. Bush, the president's younger brother, was a principal in a company called 'Securacom' that provided security for the World Trade Center (WTC), United Airlines [two planes hijacked], and Dulles International Airport [hijacked Flight 77] - Marvin Bush was in New York on 9/11 Marvin P. Bush, the president's younger brother, was a principal in a company called Securacom that provided security for the World Trade Center, United Airlines, and Dulles International Airport. The company, Burns noted, was backed by KuwAm, a Kuwaiti-American investment firm on whose board Marvin Burns also served. [Utne] According to its present CEO, Barry McDaniel, the company had an ongoing contract to handle security at the World Trade Center "up to the day the buildings fell down." ... Heightened WTC Security Alert Had Just Been Lifted ... But on Thursday [September 6], bomb-sniffing dogs were abruptly removed. ... Pre-9/11 World Trade Center Power-Down. On the weekend of 9/8, 9/9 there was a 'power down' condition in WTC tower 2, the south tower. This power down condition meant there was no electrical supply for approx 36 hrs from floor 50 up... "Of course without power there were no security cameras, no security locks on doors and many, many 'engineers' coming in and out of the tower." [article link]
Profile: Washington Dulles International Airport - (9:24 a.m.) September 11, 2001: By Some Accounts, FAA Notifies NORAD Flight 77 Is Hijacked and Washington-Bound Shortly after 9/11, NORAD reported that the FAA notified them at this time that Flight 77 "may" have been hijacked and that it appears headed toward Washington. [Washington Post, 9/12/2001; CNN, 9/17/2001; North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/18/2001; Guardian, 10/17/2001; Associated Press, 8/19/2002] Apparently, flight controllers at Dulles International Airport discover a plane heading at high speed toward Washington; an alert is sounded within moments that the plane appears to be headed toward the White House. [Washington Post, 11/3/2001] In 2003, the FAA supported this account, but claimed that they had informally notified NORAD earlier. "NORAD logs indicate that the FAA made formal notification about American Flight 77 at 9:24 a.m. (see (9:24 a.m.) September 11, 2001), but information about the flight was conveyed continuously during the phone bridges before the formal notification." [Federal Aviation Administration, 5/22/2003] Yet in 2004, the 9/11 Commission claims that both NORAD and the FAA are wrong. [article link]
Grateful Climber Recounts Everest Rescue - A Nepalese woman who escaped Mount Everest's "death zone" with little more than frostbite said Sunday her rescuers saved her life - "They gave me a second life" KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) - A Nepalese woman who escaped Mount Everest's "death zone" with little more than frostbite said Sunday her rescuers saved her life after finding her sick and unconscious on the world's highest mountain. It took a team of mountaineers and precision planning to get 22-year- old Usha Bista back to base camp after they discovered her at 27,880 feet suffering from cerebral edema, or swelling of the brain, which can be fatal if left untreated at a high altitude. "They gave me a second life," Bista told The Associated Press. "I can't believe the love and concern they showed to rescue me in spite of such a difficult situation." She has frostbite on two fingers and several toes but no other injuries. Bista was on her way to the summit on May 21 when she fell sick and collapsed. ... Bista said she only remembers walking toward the summit from the camp at South Col for a few hours before she began to lose strength, could go no further and collapsed. She had never
attempted to summit Everest before, although she says she had climbed smaller peaks. "I was determined to get going and kiss the summit," Bista said. Bista claimed her Sherpa guide left her when she fell sick, and that her team leader abandoned her at South Col on the last leg of the journey. Neither her guide nor team leader was reachable to comment on the allegations Sunday. [article link]
Military, Veterans, Family & Friends - Info Military service is perhaps the ultimate service. It has been well said about Military service that All gave some and Some gave All. This saying is also well applied to the family, friends and supporters of those who are in uniform. [article link]
Separate attacks kill 8 U.S. soldiers in Iraq - GI monthly (May 2007) death toll hits 100; Iraqi PM, American officials meet The deaths bring to 100 the number of U.S. forces killed in May, putting it on course to be one of the deadliest months for American troops in years. [article link]
The popularity of mega-churches - I think the push for larger churches misses the point of being a community of believers - I'd rather have a thousand 200-300 member communities than one 10,000 member one {I always encourage Christians to belong to - worship at, tithe at - two different Churches, like a large one and a small one. Churches are so specialized nowadays that worshiping in two places will Greatly Stabilize and Mature your Christian Walk!} When asked to describe their largest worship service, more than half of respondents to the 2005 study said: "Filled with a sense of God's presence", "inspirational" and "joyful". ... As we all know, I think that there is a very important argument that many mainstream churches ought to be doing things differently. ... However, I have been in a heap of smaller poorly resourced churches who are trying to emulate the megachurch model and whatever your intentions, an ageing guy with a drumkit and a 14 year old recorder player just don't have the capacity to create that "buzz". ... Before we started at Northern we wondered what would be the greater task to turn a non-bible belt church in decline into a missional church or to turn a bible belt church in plateau into a missional church. The smaller declining church has more openness to change, but less resources to work with (both financial and people). The larger church would be a force to be reckoned with but has a much larger investment in not changing. [article link]
*Updated Link* BOOK OF REVELATION: Overview (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE Downloads - Amazingly the book of Revelation is so accurate and so relevant to today that reading the ancient book of Revelation is like reading the newspaper of today Get the basics regarding the Bible's book of Revelation (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE downloads. The book of Revelation (revealed - unveiling) was written by the beloved disciple John at the instructions of the risen resurrected Jesus in approximately the year 100 AD.. Revelation contains seven letters given from Jesus to the entire Christian Church movement. Letters of instruction and also letters of encouragement. Did you know that all of the Apostles of Jesus died a martyrs death except for the disciple John and that according to early Church tradition the Roman government had likewise tried to kill John by boiling him in oil yet God delivered him and did not allow John to be hurt therefore the Roman government banished John to a small island named "Patmos" and it was there at this prison island of Patmos that the disciple John again saw the resurrected Jesus and wrote the things Jesus instructed John to write giving us "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" the Bibles' last book. The book of Revelation describes in vivid detail the final events of the earth and of mankind prior to the glorious return of Jesus. Amazingly the book of Revelation is so accurate and so relevant to today that reading
the ancient book of Revelation is like reading the newspaper of today. [article link]
Physician-Assisted Suicide Advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian to Be Released From Prison - Kevorkian, 79, was criticized even by assisted suicide supporters because of his unconventional practices For nearly a decade, Dr. Jack Kevorkian waged a defiant campaign to help other people kill themselves. The retired pathologist left bodies at hospital emergency rooms and motels and videotaped a death that was broadcast on CBS' "60 Minutes." His actions prompted battles over assisted suicide in many states. ... Experts say that's because abortion opponents, Catholic leaders, advocates for the disabled and often doctors have fought the efforts of other states to follow the lead of Oregon, where the law took effect in late 1997. Opponents defeated a measure in Vermont this year and are fighting similar efforts in California. Bills have failed in recent years in Hawaii, Wisconsin and Washington state, and ballot measures were defeated earlier by voters in Washington, California, Michigan and Maine. Kevorkian's release could spur another round of efforts, if only to prevent anyone else from following his example. Kevorkian, 79, was criticized even by assisted suicide supporters because of his unconventional practices. He used a machine he'd invented to administer fatal drugs and dropped off bodies at hospital emergency rooms or coroner's offices, or left them to be discovered in the motel rooms where he often met those who wanted his help. [article link]
Report: Soda May Seriously Harm Your Health - A common preservative found in drinks such as Coca-Cola, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Fanta and Diet Pepsi may cause serious cell damage Sodium benzoate, which derives from benzoic acid, has been used for decades by the carbonated drinks industry to prevent mold in soft drinks. The ingredient has been the subject of concern on cancer, because when mixed with Vitamin C, it causes a carcinogenic substance called sodium benzoate. Last year, a Food Standards Agency survey of benzene in drinks found high levels in four brands which were removed from sale. ... "These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether," said Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology. [article link]
US to airlift ammunition and 'advanced weapons' to Lebanese army - "A nightmarish US super weapon (microwave weaponry) reportedly was employed by American ground forces during chaotic street fighting in Baghdad" - the tank suddenly let loose a blinding stream of what seemed like fire and lightning, engulfing a large passenger bus and three automobiles {George W. Bush the evil merchant of despair, destruction and death seems to have a new toy. Of course being President of a powerful nation Bush has many non-lethal options - economic, political, and diplomatic but Bush just chooses death.} "The Bush administration decided to rearm the Lebanese troops with better weapons because if they fail to suppress the Islamist uprising in the northern camp, the unrest will spread. The south Lebanese Palestinian refugee camp of Ein Hilwa in the south is already getting restive..." (Ibid.) Notice that this Islamic unrest is already spreading southward, toward the Israeli border. We believe this whole battle scenario was designed, from the beginning, to prepare Hezbollah to make war on Israel without interference from either the Lebanese Army or the U.N. peacekeeping force. ... the tank [in Baghdad] suddenly let loose a blinding stream of what seemed like fire and lightning, engulfing a large passenger bus and three automobiles ... Dillon, who accumulated plenty of battlefield experience as a medic in Viet-Nam, and has since covered a number of wars from Somalia to Kosovo, told me that he has witnessed every kind of conventional ordnance that can be used on humans and vehicles. 'I've seen a freaking smorgasbord of destruction in my life', he said, 'flame-throwers, napalm, white phosphorous, thermite, you name it. I know of nothing short of an H-bomb that conceivably might cause a bus to instantly liquefy or that can flash broil a human body down to the size of an infant. God pity humanity if that thing is a preview of what's in store for the 21st century." [article link]
U.S. security contractors open fire in Baghdad - Blackwater employees were involved in 2 shooting incidents in past week - anger at Blackwater spilling over to other Americans working in the building WASHINGTON - Employees of Blackwater USA, a private security firm under contract to the State Department, opened fire on the streets of Baghdad twice in two days last week, and one of the incidents provoked a standoff between the security contractors and Iraqi forces, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. ... Degn said he was concerned the incident "could undermine a lot of the cordial relationships that have been built up over the past four years. There's a lot of angry people up here right now." Details about that incident remained sketchy. The Blackwater guards said the victim drove too close to their convoy and drew fire, according to the three American officials. [article link]
British 'Blackwater' type employees firing on Iraqi Civilians (scroll down - Video on the right) - THEY ARE BUILDING CITIES IN IRAQ WITH BLOOD = HABAKKUK - Habbakuk 2:12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! {Stay the course George W. Bush and his satanic dictatorship leadership style of Lies and Deceit has brought his cancer into Iraq and only serious drastic changes of real Freedom and Democracy can help the Iraqi people. So far Bush's reply to this problem has been to ban people serving in Iraq from posting their material on the internet and pretend like it's not happening.} (Graphic Video) WESLEY CLARK EXPOSED BUSH's 7 NATION WAR PLANNED IN 2001 BEFORE SEPT 11. For example, he says he learned from military sources at the Pentagon in November 2001, just two months after the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, that serious planning for the war on Iraq had already begun and that, in addition to Iraq, the administration had drawn up a list of six other nations to be targeted over a period of five years. [article link]
Movies "The Omega Code" & "Megiddo - The Omega Code 2" - chronicling the Great Tribulation, the battle of Armageddon, the second coming of Christ, and the ultimate triumph of God over Satan (Online Viewing - Free Downloads) The movies that brings the Gospel message and the climactic battles of the Book of Revelation to life like never before. Stunning visuals and gripping performances explode across the screen, chronicling the Great Tribulation, the battle of Armageddon, the second coming of Christ, and the ultimate triumph of God over Satan. [article link]
Apocalypse - Army after army descends into the Valley of Armageddon in central Israel - "the movie that Hollywood refuses to make - there has never been a major motion picture showing the Biblical account of the end-times - We've changed that with Apocalypse" {*A must see movie. A movie the years have already shown to have eerily accurate prophecies it is even eerie that the main actor is named 'Bronson Pearl' while in real life the murdered 'Daniel Pearl' "A Mighty Heart" has very significant end time implications.} (1998 - 94 Minutes DVD) It's a time of great tribulation and only Bronson Pearl (Richard Nester) and Helen Hannah (Leigh Lewis), the two co-anchors of the World News Network, are in a position to uncover the truth. But as Helen discovers the true identity of this great leader, she is torn between her deep love for Bronson and her new-found knowledge about Christ and the antichrist. With global police forces in hot pursuit, there is but one chance to warn the world as it rushes headlong into the Apocalypse! Prophecy Partners Inc., in cooperation with This Week in Bible Prophecy and Jack Van Impe Ministries is proud to announce the release of Apocalypse -- a full-length feature film depicting the earth's darkest hour -- and its brightest. The film was shot on location on six continents during a year-long production process ... "It is," says co-producer Peter Lalonde , "the movie that Hollywood refuses to make. Despite their search for new and greater disasters and earth-threatening scenarios, this is the one story that Hollywood simply won't tell. And for that reason there has never been a major motion picture
showing the Biblical account of the end-times. We've changed that with Apocalypse." [article link]
U.S., Arabs rush military aid to Lebanon - Palestinian factions have been scrambling to find a negotiated solution {The ultra-deceived George W. Bush is already sticking his satanic nose into this mess to make it worse and he could care less if he starts another war a war that will lead to Armageddon in fact that could even be Bush's sick desire to start WW III and Armageddon. Bush is so deceived that he doesn't even realize that he is on the wrong side of God in being anti-Israel and therefore he has already lost and lost in a big way in the future battle of Armageddon and in order for Bush to act like this he has already lost his soul.} TRIPOLI, Lebanon - Three U.S. transport planes carrying military aid to Lebanon's army arrived in Beirut Saturday, part of an international airlift to help troops fighting Islamic militants in a Palestinian refugee camp, airport officials said. The planes arrived from Kuwait, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. ... Palestinian factions have been scrambling to find a negotiated solution to end the siege and avert what many fear would be a bloody battle between the Lebanese army and the Fatah Islam militant group in Nahr al-Bared. ... The U.S. military aid also could attract other militants into what they see as a battle against the West and its allies. Extremist groups already were using the battle at the camp as propaganda. A group billing itself as al-Qaida's branch in Syria and Lebanon vowed "seas of blood" Friday if the Lebanese army resumes its attack. The airlift from the United States and Arab countries boosts the military in what could be a tough urban battle inside the camp, a densely built town of narrow streets. Eight military transport planes have landed at Beirut airport since late Thursday four from the U.S. Air Force, two from the United Arab Emirates and two from Jordan. The military said it received supplies from Arab countries and the U.S. but gave no details; media reports said they included ammunition, body armor, helmets and night-vision equipment. U.S. military officials have said Washington will send eight planes of supplies, part of a package that had been agreed on but that the Lebanese government asked to be expedited. [article link]
Angelina Jolie Movie "A Mighty Heart" - Al-Qaeda murder of Daniel Pearl - A movie with a [false] agenda - we get an onscreen repeat of the oft-told Muslim myth that 4,000 Jews didn't show up for work at the World Trade Center on 9/11, because the Jews planned the attacks {Satan is busy using his Lies (i.e. Jews were part of the 9/11 conspiracy) in order to deceive the nations and then gather and bring his deceived nations into war against Israel. The deceived nations will then fight and lose their final battle at the 'battle of Armageddon' where God will win the final victory for the Jews and His nation Israel.} As one would expect from the Jolie-Pitts, "A Mighty Heart" is mostly NOT about the Al-Qaeda murder of Daniel Pearl, killed in cold blood specifically because he was a Jew. In fact, the movie minimizes that, instead repeatedly blaming America for its treatment of Guantanamo Bay prisoners as the reason Pearl was cut into the ten pieces like a slaughtered chicken, the state in which his body was found. (That's no surprise, given that the Jolie-Pitts hired as "A Mighty Heart's" director, Michael Winterbottom, who also directed the propaganda fakeumentary, "The Road to Guantanamo.") In "A Mighty Heart," we see no depiction at all of Pearl's captivity or even kidnapping by Qaeda thugs, but for a few re-enactments of tiny parts of the famous Pearl video. Most shocking, we get an onscreen repeat of the oft-told Muslim myth that 4,000 Jews didn't show up for work at the World Trade Center on 9/11, because the Jews planned the attacks. The movie provides no refutation of this myth or any indication that it is invalid. (It shouldn't be shocking, though, given Jolie's anti-Israel and proPalestinian activities.) [article link]
Military pumps up China's influence, Pentagon says - It says China's military expansion is in part designed to protect its access to raw materials around the world - At present, the report says, "China can neither protect its foreign energy supplies, nor the routes on which they travel" {The coming Armageddon War - Battle, that the Bible tells so much about, will be bigger than WW II with China replacing Japan and Russia replaces Germany
with Iran and many Middle East countries joining in this new WW III. They will attack Israel and fight in and around Israel, much like France was a major battlefield of WW II, Israel will be the battlefield of WW III, except instead of America saving Israel like it saved France, God will step in and He will miraculously save Israel.} (CNN) -- China's modernizing military will make it a more muscular player in world events, a U.S. Defense Department report says. China's developing capabilities "will increase Beijing's options for military coercion to press diplomatic advantage, advance interests or resolve disputes," the Pentagon says in its annual report to Congress on China. The Pentagon says that Beijing remains preoccupied with military contingencies in the Taiwan Strait -- but adds that the Chinese military is also improving its ability to win possible conflicts over resources or territory. ... Military spending continues to grow more quickly than the expansion of the economy, with Beijing announcing an increase of nearly 18 percent in its defense budget in March. [article link]
Kings of the East 'China' - China ia a major part of the Revelation Prophecy Judgments {Scroll down for Text and Article Links.} "And the sixth angel poured his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." Revelation 16:12 [article link]
Don't Wait... A song the church desperately needs to hear {To Download "Right Click" This Link ...} (Flash) Free Evangelism Song. A song the church desperately needs to hear. [article link]
American (David Hahn), Sherpa Save Nepalese Woman Left to Die on Mount Everest - She was at a similar altitude to the cave where David Sharp died on May 15, 2006, after an estimated 40 climbers passed him by, most of them without making any attempt to save him The woman, identified only as Usha, was found on Monday morning suffering from severe altitude sickness about 550 meters beneath the 29,028-foot summit. She was at a similar altitude to the cave where Sharp died on May 15, 2006, after an estimated 40 climbers passed him by, most of them without making any attempt to save him. His death sparked an international controversy, with some arguing that a rescue would have cost more lives. Others, including Sir Edmund Hillary, condemned the cynicism of commercial mountaineers. Usha, like Sharp, was apparently on the sort of barebones expedition that charges clients typically as little as $8,933 and provides them with only basic equipment. ... "I was very concerned because her oxygen had run out. She was virtually unresponsive, and in a precarious spot on the mountain, on a steep snowy slope," Hahn told The Times via satellite phone from Base Camp. [article link]
LivePrayer.com: Bill Keller - *Debate - Christian vs. Mormon (LDS) - INTERVIEW WITH FOX NEWS AND RADIO'S ALAN COLMES (Download - Mp3) Wednesday night I was interviewed for an hour on the Alan Colmes radio program. It was initially supposed to be just myself, but at the last moment, they brought in one of the leading defenders of the Mormon cult. The audio link for the program is: www.liveprayer.com/fox1.cfm [article link]
All Articles #1-#6 - WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING (PDF) 1. The Threat of the False Prophet. Christ Jesus warned against the false prophets, calling them 'ravening wolves' who disguise themselves in sheep's clothing, in order to [destroy] prey upon the flock of God: [article link]
Article #1 - WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING - A collection of articles exposing and warning against false evangelists, unfaithful shepherds, and treacherous religious leaders {Including all secular sources - government, politicians, political leaders, newscasters, teachers, professors, business, entertainment, etc...} (PDF)
In any generation, the faithful pastor or evangelist - a man who genuinely has been called by and ordained of God - is in the minority. And in every generation, false prophets and false shepherds abound, typically enjoying a large popular following and support of the ruling elite. This situation - the malevolent majority versus the faithful few - was characteristic of Israel under the Old Covenant, and it is characteristic of the Church under the New. The Scripture has much to say concerning the false shepherd and concerning predators who feed upon the flock. The category 'false shepherd' is a broad and general category, into which the Scripture places deceivers of all sort. This is because the Scripture portrays the people as sheep, and their spiritual leaders, as shepherds. The Lord has assigned to the shepherd a multitude of responsibilities. But the men who today stand in the pulpits of the land generally are unaware of the responsibilities of the shepherd; moreover, most of them lack the calling of God, the gift of evangelist or pastor-teacher, and the necessary equipping for the ministry, and consequently are incapable of fulfilling the responsibilities of the shepherd. Many of these men are predators, having entered into the ministry because of lust, greed, or other sinister motivation. And, even among the men who genuinely have been called of the Lord to the ministry of the Gospel, many have demonstrated themselves unfaithful and thus unworthy of the calling. [article link]
Georgia Congressman Accused of Paying $500,000 to Family and Business From Campaign Funds - Rep. David Scott - The Atlanta Democrat, who graduated from the prestigious Wharton School of Business WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. David Scott has used his campaign account to pay more than $500,000 to four family members and his family's business, according to an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Atlanta Democrat, who graduated from the prestigious Wharton School of Business, also had had more than 40 tax liens - some dating to the 1980s and 1990s - placed against his home and business, the Atlanta-based Dayn-Mark Advertising. But none of that means Scott broke any campaign laws, and he says he's paying of the tax debts, some of which he says are the results of mistakes his wife, Alfredia. "I have done nothing wrong," Scott told the newspaper in an interview Thursday. ... His business and family members have received between $52,000 and $344,000 every two-year election period. Such transfers are allowed by the Federal Election Commission as long as family members are employed and the business is providing a service it typically provides at a fair market price. [article link]
BiblePacesetter.org: The Sin of Getting Stuck - use of the tabernacle as a metaphor for the Christian life (Mp3 download) This is a message I presented at Springfield UMC near Panama City, FL in April, 2003. The person who introduces me is Rev. Perry Dalton, then pastor at Springfield. This illustrates my use of the tabernacle as a metaphor for the Christian life. I have provided two files, a video and an audio. The video file is very large (just over 400 MB) as it is just over an hour long. The audio file is more manageable. There is some visual involved as we use chairs to create a sketch of the tabernacle. [article link]
Bible verse: Colossians 3:1-10 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Colossians 3:1-10 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in
knowledge after the image of Him that created him [a new man - 'born again']: -- Bible [article link]
Webpage to Join the Constitution Party or Join the 'Veteran's Coalition' Branch of the Constitution Party The Constitution Party: The Democrats and Republicans have squandered the Founders' legacy of liberty and justice under the Constitution. Countless government officials in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government ignore their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. Join the Constitution Party in its work to restore our government to its Constitutional limits and our law to its Biblical foundations. [article link]
The comprehensive open-borders goodie bag - a key goodie demanded by illegal alien lobbyists - The DREAM Act gives illegal alien students in-state college tuition breaks not available to out-of-state American students and legal immigrant students While they debate, here are 7 things buried inside the Bush-Kennedy amnesty goodie bag you should know about--plus more questions raised about the phony triggers and point system ... 1) It includes Ted Kennedy's DREAM Act (Title VI, Section 611, Subtitle B)--a key goodie demanded by illegal alien lobbyists. The DREAM Act gives illegal alien students in-state college tuition breaks not available to out-of-state American students and legal immigrant students. The Dream Act would repeal a clearly worded provision in the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) that states: ... 4) The requirements for proof of eligibility and bogus background checks for the illegal alien amnesty are a joke. Illegal aliens would be allowed to use the following, easily faked documents for their "Z visa" applications: ... 5)"The bill effectively shuts down our immigration-court system. If an alien in the removal process is eligible for the Z visa, the immigration judge must close the proceedings and offer the alien the chance to apply for the amnesty. [article link]
House Minority Leader John Boehner Calls Immigration Bill 'Piece of S---' - "I promised the president (Bush) today that I wouldn't say anything bad about ... this piece of s--- bill," {Can Bush really be this far out of touch with his own party? Or is Bush desperately attempting to cobble together and ramrod NWO Legislation through in his last remaining time as President.} WASHINGTON - House Minority Leader John Boehner, in a shockingly blunt admission Tuesday night to a small group of Republicans, called the immigration bill praised by congressional leaders and the White House a 'piece of s---," FOX News confirmed Wednesday. "I promised the president today that I wouldn't say anything bad about ... this piece of s--- bill," Boehner said, according to a report in the National Journal's Hotline blog. ... Boehner released a statement earlier Tuesday saying he had "significant concerns" about provisions in the Senate proposal that would "reward illegal immigrants who have consistently broken our laws." [article link]
Kevin Ham is the most powerful dotcom mogul you've never heard of, reports Business 2.0 Magazine. Here's how the master of Web domains built a $300 million empire - Ham is a devout Christian, and he spends $31,000 to add Christianrock.com to his collection, which already includes God.com {This is a valiant attempt to help keep some cleanliness in the internet and not let the internet be completely turned over to smut.} Kevin Ham is a boyish-looking 37-year-old, trim from a passion for judo and a commitment to clean living. His drink of choice: grapefruit juice, no ice. His mild demeanor belies the aggressive, work-around-the-clock type that he is. Ham frequently steers conversations about business back to the Bible. Not in a preachy way; it's just who he is. The son of Korean-born immigrants, Ham grew up on the east side of Vancouver with his three brothers. His father ran dry-cleaning stores; his mother worked graveyard shifts as a nurse. A debilitating illness at the age of 14 led Ham to dream of becoming a doctor. He cruised through high school and then undergraduate work and medical school at the University of British Columbia. Christianity had long been a mainstay with his family, but as an undergrad, he made the Bible a focal point of his life; he joined the Evangelical Layman's Church and attended regular Bible meetings. Ham recalls that it was about this time --
1992 or 1993 -- that he was introduced to the Web. A church friend told him about a powerful new medium that could be used to spread the gospel. [article link]
**Michelle Malkin Interview with Newt Gingrich on Immigration Bill - But when you look at the bill in detail, it strike me as - it's an amazingly badly written bill But when you look at the bill in detail, it strike me as - it's an amazingly badly written bill. For example, there are at least 30,000 illegal immigrants who belong to gangs, which are violent, which are drug dealing. Those 30,000 gang members, according to analysis I got a few minutes ago, would all be grandfathered in under a Zvisa and could not be deported. Now, I mean, this is as close to madness as anything I've seen in modern government. [article link]
TBN Thursday May 17, 2007 - Paul Crouch, Jr. hosts - Lee Strobel (Online - Video) Thursday May 17, 2007 - Paul Crouch, Jr. hosts Bob Cornuke, Lee Strobel, Dr. Oral Roberts, Bianca Ryan, Leon Patillo and Vern Jackson in Costa Mesa, CA. [article link]
*New - Al Durah What Happened? - The Birth of an Icon {This Amazing documentary exposes the abundant and excessive fraud in Middle East reporting. Incredibly the 'actors' are both alive and well at the end of the production!} (Video Download 13:52) This documentary, a continuation of the earlier Pallywood, examines the circumstances surrounding the shooting of the explosive footage about Muhamed al Durah and his father Jamal at Netzarim Junction, September 30, 2000. [article link]
Duncan Hunter: Israel Shouldn't Give an Inch - "not one inch" of disputed territory to the Arabs in exchange for pledges of peace If he becomes president, Rep. Duncan Hunter says he will continue to hold the position that Israel should surrender "not one inch" of disputed territory to the Arabs in exchange for pledges of peace. Addressing a Christian Zionist meeting in Alexandria, Va., Sunday evening, the California Republican recalled a visit with his father to the Golan Heights, where they viewed a narrow valley where a small number of Israeli tanks had held off more than 1,400 Soviet-built Syrian tanks during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Hunter, a Vietnam veteran and former chairman and current ranking minority member of the House Armed Services Committee, said he had vowed then that he would always support what he called that "postage stamp of a country." ... Sunday's program, entitled a Night to Honor Israel, was sponsored by The Jerusalem Connection International under the auspices of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), an organization founded last year by San Antonio, Texas, pastor John Hagee. [article link]
*Through the Bible Teachings - Part of the '4000' Series - C4001 - C4106 (Free - Mp3's) Join Pastor Chuck Smith as he goes through the entire Bible one verse at a time. [article link]
MySpace will turn over names of sex offenders - "This is no different than an offline community," he said. "We're trying to keep it safe" RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) -- MySpace.com will provide a number of state attorneys general with data on registered sex offenders who use the popular social networking Web site, the company said Monday. Attorneys general from eight states demanded last week that the company provide data on how many registered sex offenders are using the site and where they live. MySpace initially refused, citing federal privacy laws. ... Angus said the company, owned by media conglomerate News Corp. had always planned to share information on sex
offenders it identified and has already removed about 7,000 profiles out of a total of about 180 million. "This is no different than an offline community," he said. "We're trying to keep it safe" [article link]
The ABC Atheist Debate - Welcome to the Official Channel of The Way of the Master with Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort! {It's odd how Atheists will 'allow' in their opinion anything to exist, themselves, UFOs, aliens, angels, spirits, leprechauns, even demons and Satan. Yet the one 'being' Not allowed to exist according to Atheists is the Living, Loving, Caring, Creator, God Himself.} {I applaud Ray and Kirk 100%. I have been to several debates where Jesus is hardly mentioned by the Christian, if you don't present Jesus, then what is the point? Jesus-God has ALL the Answers not man!} (31+ Debate Video Clips) Our primary goal in doing the debate was to preach the gospel to the countless people who would be watching in their homes, because it is the gospel that is "the power of God unto salvation" (see Romans 1:16). I have noticed that often Christian apologists present wonderful arguments at debates that sweep the floor with their opponents, but they fail to preach "Christ and Him crucified." So our strategy was that we would first present clear and solid evidence of God's existence through creation (Romans 1:20 says that creation is what leaves the world without excuse), and then focus on preaching the moral Law and the gospel. Again, our primary goal was to preach the gospel and then (where possible) support our preaching with apologetics, reason, logic, with a loving demeanor. That is what we tried to do. [article link]
Democratically-Controlled Congress Capitulates to Bush's War of Perpetuity - I will say it again, as I did in my last article, the Democrats do not wish to end, nor reign in Bush, the war or his de facto expanded powers; they wish to possess it All timelines for withdraw are to be removed from the latest legislation. The conciliation is yet another example "proving the posit" that the Democrats do not want to end this war; they were only posturing and prevaricating for the press and the people who elected them. ... What's going on here? Congress is, and has always been, complicit in this war of aggression and inhumane act of senseless death and violence. The Democrat's opposition to Bush's illegal act of hostility was a canard and merely to appease the anti-war advocates for voting them into office. I will say it again, as I did in my last article, the Democrats do not wish to end, nor reign in Bush, the war or his de facto expanded powers; they wish to possess it. [article link]
Why The Gonzales Scandal Matters - These prosecutors have enormous power: they can wiretap people's homes, seize property and put people in jail for life - They can destroy businesses, and affect the outcomes of elections As Monica Goodling, a key player in the United States attorney scandal, prepares to testify before Congress on Wednesday, the administration's strategy is clear. It has offered up implausible excuses, hidden the most damaging evidence and feigned memory lapses, while hoping that the public's attention moves on. But this scandal is too important for the public or Congress to move on. This story should not end until Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is gone, and the serious damage that has been done to the Justice Department is repaired. The Justice Department is no ordinary agency. Its 93 United States attorney offices, scattered across the country, prosecute federal crimes ranging from public corruption to terrorism. These prosecutors have enormous power: they can wiretap people's homes, seize property and put people in jail for life. They can destroy businesses, and affect the outcomes of elections. It has always been understood that although they are appointed by a president, usually from his own party, once in office they must operate in a nonpartisan way, and be insulated from outside pressures. [article link]
Female Pakistani Tourism Minister Resigns Over Hug - A religious court set up by the clerics at a radical mosque in Islamabad issued a fatwa, or religious edict, against Bakhtiar - Cabinet colleagues and the
government appeared to cave in to the demands of the militants {Yet, Bush thinks his war on terror is going well especially in Pakistan - Pakistan is a "Partner Nation" to help Bush win the War and what a victory that will be when Bush does for America and the world what he has done for the Middle East.} Pakistan's woman tourism minister tendered her resignation today after hardline Islamic clerics accused her of obscenity for hugging her instructor after a charity parachute jump. Nilofar Bakhtiar, the Federal Minister for Tourism, was pictured wearing a brightly coloured jumpsuit and hugging her instructor after a tandem jump to raise money for child victims of the earthquake that struck Pakistan in October 2005. The images provoked the wrath of clerics in Islamabad, who accused Bakhtiar of posing in an obscene manner and violating the Islamic moral norms. ... religious court set up by the clerics at a radical mosque in Islamabad issued a fatwa, or religious edict, against Bakhtiar when the photographs first appeared in local newspapers last month. They urged the government to punish her and fire her from the Cabinet. Bakhtiar failed to win the support of Cabinet colleagues and the government appeared to cave in to the demands of the militants. As she announced her intention to resign today, Bakhtiar complained of a campaign of intimidation against her. [article link]
Indonesian Fisherman Catches Rare Ancient Fish - a "living fossil" - The coelacanth was believed to be extinct for 65 million years until one was found in 1938 off Africa's coast {How can something that was caught alive and well on Saturday be called 'Ancient' - Obviously not extinct, or millions of years old, or even evolved. Why is evolution science so consistently wrong in so many areas? When will science get it? Biblical creation is where the Truth is at!} JAKARTA, Indonesia - An Indonesian fisherman hooked a rare coelacanth, a species once thought as extinct as dinosaurs, and briefly kept the "living fossil" alive in a quarantined pool. Justinus Lahama caught the four-foot, 110-pound fish early Saturday off Sulawesi island near Bunaken National Marine Park, which has some of the highest marine biodiversity in the world. The fish died 17 hours later, an extraordinary survival time, marine biologist Lucky Lumingas said Sunday. ... The coelacanth (pronounced see-la-kanth) was believed to be extinct for 65 million years until one was found in 1938 off Africa's coast, igniting worldwide interest. Several other specimens have since been discovered, including another off Sulawesi island in 1998. [article link]
McCain Goes Nuts Near Senate Floor - Reportedly, the shouting match was played out in front of a bipartisan group of senators and aides who had gathered in the meeting room {What exactly are the chances that the Republican leaders can mature and successfully lead our Nation? Probably none!} Not to be outdone, Cornyn accused McCain of being too occupied campaigning for president to take part in the negotiations. "Wait a second here," Cornyn said to McCain. "I've been sitting in here for all of these negotiations and you just parachute in here on the last day. You're out of line." "F--- you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room," McCain reportedly rejoined. McCain, who has missed 42 votes this year, hasn't been intimately involved in the comprehensive immigration reform debate for months. Reportedly, the shouting match was played out in front of a bipartisan group of senators and aides who had gathered in the meeting room. [article link]
Bush: Gonzales "Has Done Nothing Wrong" - President Again Defends Embattled Attorney General, Calls Senate No-Confidence Vote "Political Theater" - His (Gonzales) cancellations also come days before his former White House liaison, Monica Goodling, was to testify about her role in the firings of U.S. attorneys last year Mr. Bush did not answer a question about whether he intends to keep Gonzales in office through the end of his presidency. Mr. Bush's comments came as support for Gonzales eroded even in the president's own party and the Senate prepared to hold a vote of no confidence in the attorney general, possibly at week's end. Gonzales, who is headed to Europe this week, scrapped a meeting with his Swiss counterpart and shelved tentative plans for a speech in Hungary. His cancellations also come days before his former White House liaison, Monica Goodling, was to testify about her role in the firings of U.S. attorneys last year. Senate support for Gonzales is
continuing to erode, with a fourth and fifth Republican calling for his resignation. On Sunday, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee predicted Gonzales would step down before senators go on record as having confidence in the attorney general, or not. [article link]
{From what appears to be (Hamas) Arab-PLO TV} Qassam fighters launch 'small' missiles on zionist Natsarim town in palestine {*Notice the guy who actually fires the rockets is entirely in civilian clothes.} (YouTube 1:37) Qassam fighters launch small missiles on zionist Natsarim town in palestine. [article link]
*Must See - Qassam missile attacks Sderot 2007 (YouTube 4:23) Qassam missile attack on the city of Sderot. More than 3000 missiles were launched towards Sderot since september 2000. Video Footage from YNET - www.ynet.co.il [article link]
Qassam missile attacks Sderot 2007 - Part 2 "Qassam terror attacks" (YouTube 1:11) See what happens in the city of Sderot when a Qassam missile is on it's way in the air. It's been more than six years now, of Qassam terror attacks. [article link]
A Prayer For Israel Psalm 83 [Flash & Screensaver Downloads] A Christian flash show based on Psalm 83, as intercession for Israel. [article link]
A Qassam rocket falls next to a gas station in the Israeli town of Sderot, seconds after cars drive by - Please continue to Pray for Israel and Our Troops - these many 'close calls' are "Prayer Victories" {The security camera video has some edits to save time in viewing but it's still amazing that buildings and people were spared and there are many more close calls every day.} (Video - 1:25) That coulda been a really serious tragedy. I'm surprised (a little) that Hamas and/or Fatah have taken time off from killing each other to keep lobbing rockets at civilian targets. Wonder what Human Rights Watch will have to say about this? ... Didn't seem to excite anybody very much. Just another day near the peacful palestinians. Ho Hum. ... [article link]
HonestReporting.com visits Sderot (2006) in the immediate aftermath of a Qassam missile attack (YouTube 4:06) HonestReporting visits Sderot in the immediate aftermath of a Qassam missile attack that seriously wounded two teenage boys. [article link]
Did Jesus have a wife and child, of course not! - Da Vinci Code (Jesus is only human) Cults Exposed A new movie is set to air a program that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth. Following is some material to consider regarding this very wrong and false topic. ... Since all European and British nobility can legitimately prove their lineage back through the Merovingians {and apparently attempts to claim Mohammed as well}, they can "prove" to a public who has bought this lie that their lineage goes back through Mary Magdalene to Jesus and they have "plugged into" Jesus, they are literally "home free" to King David! The Jewish Talmud teaches this same lie. Thus, Antichrist can "prove" his lineage back to King David, an absolute requirement if he is to convince the Jewish people he is their Messiah for whom they have been awaiting! [article link]
Prince Harry - Harry is the "spare" to his brother Prince William, heir to the throne of England - There have long been whispers that he is Not, in fact, the son of Prince Charles, but of his mother's lover, the "love rat" James Hewitt {Not that this in any way matters except that Prince Charles believes himself to be a descendant of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene via an already debunked Da Vinci Code scenario. If Charles has the blood work to prove Harry is not his real son as a 'royal' loose end it could become very dangerous for Prince Harry in Iraq or anywhere. In the Great End Time Deception it will be important for them to have at least an appearance of a Divine bloodline.} Harry is the "spare" to his brother Prince William, heir to the throne of England. Once known as the "The Happy Prince" for always smiling, lately Prince Harry seems to have taken the place in the tabloids formerly occupied by his deceased mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Harry was eight when his parents separated, and 12 when his mother was killed in a car crash. There have long been whispers that he is not, in fact, the son of Prince Charles, but of his mother's lover, the "love rat" James Hewitt. Both Hewitt and Diana stated that they didn't meet until after Harry's birth, but his red hair and small nose are unlike those of the Windsors. [article link]
CuttingEdge.org: Weekly Newsletter - Now Prince Harry is not going to serve outside Basra, Iraq, as planned Or, is he still going, under the cover of an untruthful media cover story? - "Prince Harry Banned From Nightclubs While His Unit Is Serving In Iraq: Boozy nights off limits for Harry" For several months now, the British military command insisted that Prince Harry was going to serve with his elite surveillance unit in Iraq. As a matter of fact, Harry was to serve in the area south and east of Basra, Iraq. This plan really piqued our interest because Illuminist author, H.G. Wells, stated in 1933 that World War III, which is designed to stage the Masonic Christ on the world scene, would begin because of something that would occur in Basra. Let us once again review that quote; you will be amazed. ".. the plan for the 'Modern World-State' would succeed in its third attempt (Third World War) and would come out of something that would occur in Basra, Iraq." ["The Globalists: The Power Elite Exposed", by Dr. Dennis Cuddy, p. 50., as he quotes Wells' 1933 book, "The Shape of Things To Come"]. ... So, we believe that Prince Harry is still going to Basra, Iraq, and that he is probably already on the ground. With strong war signals coming out of Israel, as we report above, the 1933 plan of the Illuminati to create an incident in Basra, Iraq, may still be on schedule. ... Former Satanists have told me that virtually the entire leadership of Great Britain is Illuminati and that Prince Charles is THE key leader of the worldwide group. Tim Cohen, author of the insightful book, "Antichrist And A Cup of Tea", provides wonderfully thorough documentation that the House of Windsor fulfills all the Biblical requirements of Antichrist. Cohen contends that THE Antichrist is likely to be either Prince Charles or Prince William. Therefore, if 22-year-old Prince Harry is the sacrificial lamb which will start World War III, he will be betrayed by the very leaders who now are expressing the greatest concern for his safety! [article link]
*Secret Mysteries 4 DVD Combo - Four Incredible Documentaries Exposing the Secret History of Elite Occult Practices in America (DVD's $59.95) {Find out why President George W. Bush is secretly attempting to permanently destroy the conservative-Christian Republican Party base in America.} For a limited time only you'll save nearly 20% off the regular price when you purchase these powerful films together in this special DVD bundle. [article link]
SolidRockFaith.com: Listen to Tommy Willis' inspiring and encouraging testimony of how he got Born Again (Mp3) {In short avoid alcohol, drugs and JW's but do read the Bible, pray and listen to true Preachers!} - Also Weapons of Moral Destruction; sermon (Mp3) {Scroll down and look for the graphic on the *Left side.} Listen to Tommy Willis' inspiring and encouraging testimony of how he got born again. You will find out that Jesus is real because of a changed life by the grace of God. Jesus rose from the dead, is seated in Heaven and will return soon to translate the saints and judge this wicked world. Are you prepared to meet the King of Kings
and Lord of Lords? [article link]
Trinity Broadcasting Network Films Library - More Than a Carpenter - Explore the truth in this man they call Jesus (FREE Video - Downloads) Just click on the title or picture below to watch. [for advanced users, you can download videos for later viewing by right clicking and choosing " Save As" on the "download file" link (caution: large, long downloads)] [article link]
Rove's Gift to the Democrats? The future on a silver platter - The "bi-partisan McCain-Kennedy plan" seemed almost deliberately designed to help Democrats and hurt Republicans - How does it do so? Let us count the ways... {I have said all along that Bush is a ringer a Fraud. Bush is a Satanist he worships the Devil. I think this is his great attempt to permanently destroy the conservative-Christian base in America.} Can you believe that the Republicans are handing us the future on a silver platter? An analysis of ethnic voting patterns done by Peter Brimelow and Ed Rubenstein projected three Democratic victories for every Republican one if current population trends (i.e., a growing minority vote) maintain themselves or intensify. There are no guarantees in life, of course. But I'll take three out of four election victories any day of the week. Hey, given our record this decade, we'd be glad to take any wins nationally. The "bi-partisan McCain-Kennedy plan" seemed almost deliberately designed to help Democrats and hurt Republicans. How does it do so? Let us count the ways... [article link]
The Republican Party General Chairman Senator Mel Martinez yucks it up with Senator Ted Kennedy after announcing their amnesty plan (Photo) {I think Bush not only just destroyed the Republican Party but also unwittingly the Bush family dynasty.} National Review Online explains how the immigration bill is not just a bad piece of legislation but will bring in the era of the democratic super majority for years to come: [article link]
Dems deal new blow to Gonzales - No-confidence vote sought as fifth GOP senator urges resignation - Asked twice during a news conference Thursday if he (Bush) personally ordered Gonzales to Ashcroft's hospital room, Bush refused to answer - "There's a lot of speculation about what happened and what didn't happen - I'm not going to talk about it," Bush said For all of the administration's defense, several GOP officials acknowledged privately that Republicans were still reeling from testimony this week that Gonzales, when he was Bush's White House counsel, pressured Attorney General John Ashcroft to certify the legality of Bush's controversial eavesdropping program while Ashcroft lay in intensive care. Asked twice during a news conference Thursday if he personally ordered Gonzales to Ashcroft's hospital room, Bush refused to answer. "There's a lot of speculation about what happened and what didn't happen. I'm not going to talk about it," Bush said. James Comey's account to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Schumer said, turned more lawmakers against Gonzales. New criticism came from multiple Republicans. ... For his part, Gonzales will be in Europe next week, visiting his counterparts in Hungary and Switzerland before joining the G-8 conference Thursday in Munich, Germany. He will be back in Washington on Friday -- the night before the long Memorial Day weekend. [article link]
Gonzales Hospital Episode Detailed - White House Counsel Alberto R. Gonzales and President Bush's chief of staff, Andrew H. Card Jr., were on their way to the hospital to persuade Ashcroft to reauthorize Bush's domestic surveillance program, which the Justice Department had just determined was illegal On the night of March 10, 2004, as Attorney General John D. Ashcroft lay ill in an intensive-care unit, his deputy, James B. Comey, received an urgent call. White House Counsel Alberto R. Gonzales and President
Bush's chief of staff, Andrew H. Card Jr., were on their way to the hospital to persuade Ashcroft to reauthorize Bush's domestic surveillance program, which the Justice Department had just determined was illegal. ... In vivid testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, Comey said he alerted FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III and raced, sirens blaring, to join Ashcroft in his hospital room, arriving minutes before Gonzales and Card. Ashcroft, summoning the strength to lift his head and speak, refused to sign the papers they had brought. Gonzales and Card, who had never acknowledged Comey's presence in the room, turned and left. ... "I was angry," Comey testified. "I thought I just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man, who did not have the powers of the attorney general because they had been transferred to me." ... It also marks the first public acknowledgment that the Justice Department found the original surveillance program illegal, more than two years after it began. [article link]
Bush insists on picking next World Bank chief - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who played a big role in negotiating Mr Wolfowitz's exit, said the search for a replacement was under way He is the first president to be forced out since the bank was established in 1944. Some observers see his demise and the fact that the Bush Administration failed to save him, as proof of the Administration's weakened position in the world. Persistent talk in Washington this week, some of it coming from European Bank officials, suggested that the time had come to end the convention by which the US, the bank's largest donor, chooses the president. Europeans choose the head of the International Monetary Fund. This point was emphasised yesterday when Japan said the nationality of Mr Wolfowitz's successor should be decided by the institution. "The nationality of the successor is a governance matter for the World Bank," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki told a news conference. [article link]
Blair tipped to be World Bank president as disgraced Wolfowitz resigns {Same faithful New world Order (NWO) characters different NWO job descriptions.} Tony Blair may be asked to head the World Bank ... Mr Blair is expected to cash in on his international contacts after quitting Downing Street on 27 June and his agent said he would quit as an MP if "a big international job" came up. Mr Stiglitz said the World Bank would probably prefer an economist with experience in development - which some pundits argue effectively rules out the prime minister, who has often admitted to being shaky at maths. Nevertheless, Prof Stiglitz said: "He is one of the people that is clearly being discussed. [article link]
Prelude to the Six Day War - Charles Krauthammer has a great column today on the upcoming anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War - Also - more about the recent revelations of Soviet involvement: 'Soviets engineered Six Day War' There has hardly been a Middle East peace plan in the past 40 years - including the current Saudi version - that does not demand a return to the status quo of June 4, 1967. Why is that date so sacred? Because it was the day before the outbreak of the Six-Day War in which Israel scored one of the most stunning victories of the 20th century. The Arabs have spent four decades trying to undo its consequences. [article link]
Palestinians Shoot 15 Human Shields - 200 Gaza residents decided their "human shield" tactics worked so well against the Israelis, they would try it to stop the shooting between rival terrorists in Gaza - The gunmen used it as an opportunity to refine their technical skills, injuring approximately 15 of them 200 Gaza residents decided their "human shield" tactics worked so well against the Israelis, they would try it to stop the shooting between rival terrorists in Gaza: "Just as we used to protect you from the occupation by acting as human shields, we have come to protect you from yourselves," one protester shouted at gunmen, referring to instances when Palestinian civilians positioned themselves between militants and Israeli forces. The gunmen used it as an opportunity to refine their technical skills, injuring approximately 15 of them. ... "Even
during the Israeli occupation the situation wasn't this terrible," says Um Mohammed, praying for an end to the lethal Palestinian infighting raging outside her Gaza City home. Fear reigns throughout the city, deserted but for prowling groups of armed men, loyal to rivals Hamas or Fatah, living on a daily diet of ambushes, kidnappings and assassinations. Dozens of snipers on the rooftops of the tallest buildings open fire seemingly on anything that moves. "We can't go near the window, let alone on the balcony. We have all become targets," says Um Mohammed. "This is a city of corpses and ghosts." ... On Wednesday, I saw several people shot in front of my building, I heard the screams of terrified women and children in a burning building, and I argued with gunmen who tried to take over my home. I have seen a lot in my years as a journalist in Gaza, but this is the worst it's been. [article link]
Anheuser-Busch to Stop Selling Beverage Critics Said Was Targeting Minors - a 2-ounce bottle of flavored-malt beverage meant to be mixed with beer or other drinks, or consumed as a shot - Packaged in colorful bottles, Spykes contains 12 percent alcohol by volume - the flavor masks the strong taste of alcohol ST. LOUIS - Anheuser-Busch said Thursday it will stop selling a malt beverage called Spykes, a product under fire from critics who charged that it appealed to underage drinkers. ... "Due to its limited volume potential and unfounded criticism, we have ceased production of Spykes," Michael J. Owens, Anheuser-Busch Cos.' marketing vice president, said in a statement. He said Spykes was introduced about two years ago in test markets, and nationwide in January, but had not performed to expectations. Critics said the product was designed to attract underage drinkers. ... Spykes is a 2-ounce bottle of flavored-malt beverage meant to be mixed with beer or other drinks, or consumed as a shot. Packaged in colorful bottles, Spykes contains 12 percent alcohol by volume. Critics, including more than two dozen state attorneys general, say those characteristics are attractive to underage drinkers. They say the flavor masks the strong taste of alcohol. Spykes comes in four flavors - lime, mango, melon and hot chocolate. It also contains caffeine, ginseng and guarana, which are components of energy drinks popular among teens and young adults. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said, "This move by Anheuser-Busch, ceasing sales of Spykes after attorneys general raised significant concerns, is a significant victory in the fight against underage drinking." He said Spykes appealed to children in taste, packaging and marketing. "Anheuser-Busch is doing the right thing about Spykes - and should become a model for the entire industry by stopping marketing of all caffeinated alcoholic drinks that appeal to underage drinkers," Blumenthal said. [article link]
{Flashback} Judge's Unintelligent Rant Against Design - Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000 {Judge is a Bush appointee - a thanks again W! way to come through for your voters} Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000. Yet this federal judge, who owes his position entirely to those voters and the Bush who appointed him, stuck the knife in the backs of those who brought him to the dance in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. Judge Jones issued a 139-page rant against anyone who objects to force-feeding public schoolchildren with the theory of evolution. He accused parents and school board members of "breathtaking inanity" for wanting their children to learn that "intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view." [article link]
Bush-Blair summit yields no regrets over Iraq tie - the two leaders heaped praise on each other and defended themselves against critics of a war that is increasingly unpopular {Did they remind each other that they Promised their nations 'no nation building' entanglements and only a six month involvement, no? Did either one of them have to sacrifice like any of our soldiers or families, no!} WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush and outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair insisted at a farewell summit today they have no regrets about their wartime alliance in Iraq despite damage to their
standing at home and abroad. Shoulder to shoulder at the White House for the last time before Blair steps down on June 27, the two leaders heaped praise on each other and defended themselves against critics of a war that is increasingly unpopular in both countries. ... Blair will leave office in mid-term, under pressure from within his own Labour Party to step aside before the next general election expected in 2009. ... But when asked whether he (Bush) thought he was partly to blame for Blair's early departure from power, Bush seemed to equivocate. "Could be," he said at first with a smile. However, he then quickly added, "I don't know." [article link]
Officers faulted in Iraq mission that left 3 troops dead - Daugherty said the soldiers were told to stand guard for up to 36 hours with just one Humvee, and there were no barriers on the road to slow access to them or provide early warning {The reality of the conditions our heroic troops are serving in are extremely difficult while Bush would prefer to lie and be dishonest about the whole thing.} According to the investigation of last June's attack, Tucker, Menchaca and Babineau were ordered to guard a mobile bridge over a canal to prevent insurgents from planting mines. Other members of their platoon, who were at two locations up to three-quarters of a mile away, heard small-arms fire at 7:49 p.m. When they arrived at the checkpoint about 25 minutes later, Babineau was dead and the others were gone. Daugherty said the soldiers were told to stand guard for up to 36 hours with just one Humvee, and there were no barriers on the road to slow access to them or provide early warning. To expect them to operate an observation post for 24 to 36 hours was unrealistic, he said. "From the time a vehicle was seen, it would have been in front or beside the (Humvee) in a matter of seconds," he wrote. Daugherty concluded that the platoon did not get the supervision or direction it needed. And he said the unit was hurt by the loss of 10 troops, including several leaders, who were killed in action as well as by the need to shuffle the platoon's leadership three times. [article link]
Senators, White House Reach Bipartisan Agreement on Immigration - would grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. {Bush's final insult to the people, laws, order and sanctity of American society, at least let's hope it's the final insult. There is plenty of legal immigration into America. I'm disappointed that once again George W. Bush embraces the secretive, illegal and dishonest way over the honest, right and just way.} WASHINGTON - Key senators and the White House reached agreement Thursday on an immigration overhaul that would grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and fortify the border. The plan would create a temporary worker program to bring new arrivals to the U.S. A separate program would cover agricultural workers. New high-tech enforcement measures also would be instituted to verify that workers are here legally. ... Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said he expects Bush to endorse the agreement. [article link]
Constitution Party vets tap Corsi for president - Jones said the veterans "want to go out and paper the country and let the people know there is a strong third party option, and we have a man who is going to be able to correct the problems this country faces." {*Note I joined this organization a few weeks ago by visiting their internet link. Already received a nice welcome letter and I would say that it has already been more gratifying to be a part of this organization than it has been in a lifetime of being a Republican. Yes, I have every intention of leaving the Republican Party and registering in the Constitution Party.} The National Veterans Coalition of the Constitution Party is preparing to draft Jerome R. Corsi as its choice for the party's presidential nominee in 2008. Corsi, who resigned as a WND staff reporter Monday, said he has joined the Constitution Party and is willing to explore a serious pursuit of the nomination. ... "The elections of 2008 is the year that the Constitution Party becomes a major party, and it's the year we're going to put someone in the White House," he said. Clymer said that with no incumbent running and with the Republican Party's inability to settle on a candidate, "the opportunity is better than at any time in my lifetime." "Even more important than that," he said, "there is a groundswell of dissatisfaction among conservatives with the Republican Party." ... I think this may well be the break-open year for a third party," he said. "The Constitution
Party is the only national party that takes a strong stand on securing our borders and stopping the illegal immigration." [article link]
Israel Reporter: EDITOR WOLLINS' RADIO INTERVIEW NIGHT AFTER NEAR-DEATH KASSAM FALL - *Request for Donations to Purchase Safety Equipment for Editor Wollins and Colleagues {Meanwhile real life and death issues are going on throughout the world. The citizens of Israel are receiving a relentless deadly Palestinian rocket attack on their cities.} Just hours after a Kassam missile landed just yards from his location, Shlomo Wollins was interviewed on the Tovia Singer Show (israelnationalradio.com) and described this near-death experience. And, in this 45-minute interview, Wollins provides a moving and comprehensive assessment of the situation in Sderot as well as the political/military landscape in the state of Israel. [article link]
{**I have attempted to contact some Christian Ministries requesting "Full Disclosure" in their Presidential campaign involvement i.e. financing, trips, rewards. David Brody 'The Brody File' of 'CBN' has been emailed a second time. The first time I received no answer and the second time (this morning) I received an error "Delivery to the following recipients failed." If anyone is interested please contact Mr. Brody and request a disclosure - It may just be a bad email link on his website. If Mr. Brody is currently unwilling to disclose his financial involvement with any Presidential Candidate it will only be a matter of time because I believe ALL records would eventually become public or there are legal ways to obtain them.} {Website} The Brody File - David Brody - CBN News Capitol Hill Correspondent. David Brody covers Capitol Hill and other topics ranging from National Security to the social issues of the day. [article link]
Dobson: No way I'll vote for Rudy - I will either cast my ballot for an also-ran - or if worse comes to worst - not vote for the first time in my adult life" - Dobson said, "My conscience and my moral convictions will allow me to do nothing else" {Or, hopefully help to build and establish a viable 3rd Party like the Constitution Party.} Family advocate James Dobson, widely considered an important GOP rainmaker, says he will not vote for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani under any circumstance in the upcoming presidential elections because of his positions on abortion, domestic partnerships for homosexual couples and other moral issues. Dobson says today in an exclusive WND column, speaking strictly as a private citizen, "I cannot, and will not, vote for Rudy Giuliani in 2008." ... Dobson said, "My conscience and my moral convictions will allow me to do nothing else." How could Giuliani say with a straight face that he 'hates abortion,' while also seeking public funding for it?" Dobson asks in his commentary. "How can he hate abortion and contribute to Planned Parenthood in 1993, 1994, 1998 and 1999? And how was he able for many years to defend the horrible procedure [partial birth abortion] ...While Dobson does not endorse candidates in his role with Focus on the Family, he told a talk radio host in January he would not back Arizona Sen. John McCain for the Republican nomination. [article link]
Romney's report showed that his campaign paid $25,919 to Regency Productions in Virginia Beach for "travel," presumably to rent an aircraft - Regency is run by Jay Sekulow, a close ally of Pat Robertson's {**I have emailed some 'Christian' ministries - organizations that are mysteriously vigorously campaigning for Mormon Mitt Romney, (though not yet Pat Robertson or Jay Sekulow) and have asked that in fairness, knowing that Mitt Romney is attempting to purchase undue favor, that they provide a "Full Disclosure" to their audiences. I have not received any answers or seen any disclosures so now I will post them myself as they become publically available.} Sen. Barack Obama raised more money than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for their Democratic primary clash during the first three months of the year, but Clinton heads into spring with more in her campaign account
than all Republican presidential candidates combined. ... "It's a telltale sign of what lies ahead," said Michael Toner, former chairman of the election commission, who has predicted that the nominees will together chew through more than $1 billion before one reaches the White House. ... The reports are valuable not just for their totals but also for details about the campaigns that can be revealing. For instance, Romney's report showed that his campaign paid $25,919 to Regency Productions in Virginia Beach for "travel," presumably to rent an aircraft. Regency is run by Jay Sekulow, a close ally of Pat Robertson's, and the arrangement could be a sign of support for Romney among Christian conservatives -- a key constituency for GOP primary hopefuls and one that Romney, a Mormon, has been courting. ... A sizable segment of Romney's haul came from Utah, suggesting that fellow Mormons were significant contributors. Four of the 10 Zip codes from which Romney received the most money are in Utah, and the leading Zip code is home to Brigham Young University, which Romney attended. He raised $2.8 million in the state, more than one-tenth of his total. [article link]
*Full Story: KEY BUSH SUPPORTERS TURN TO OBAMA - Republicans defect to the Obama camp - Some of the donations reflect the natural tendency of those with power to shift to the likely White House winner Some of the donations reflect the natural tendency of those with power to shift to the likely White House winner. Penny Pritzker, the staggeringly successful head of fundraising for Obama, voted for John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic candidate, but also donated that year to Bush. As she was a head of the family-run Hyatt hotel chain, it was considered a prudent move. ... What no one understand here is that Bush has failed miserably. You, as President, are not only held accountable for your intentions, but your ability to execute. What we're seeing is a Senator who is willing to go bi-partisan on issues. People like that. ... And as for Iraq and Dar fur, Dar fur was much more important to get to. If you want to go after Islamic militancy, go to Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Afghanistan....Iraq was the least of the concerns in the Middle East...yet it's where we base the war. Had a lot of oil though...hmnnnn. And Govt, do some history on the Sunni and Shi'ite conflict before you take down a regime with no plans for after. You created chaos and exposed the civil war. [article link]
KEY BUSH SUPPORTERS TURN TO OBAMA - Disillusioned supporters of President George W. Bush are defecting to Barack Obama {The Bush fallout is just beginning. At this rate Bush is going to leave the nation a disaster.} SARAH BAXTER, TIMES, UK - Disillusioned supporters of President George W Bush are defecting to Barack Obama, the Democratic senator for Illinois, as the White House candidate with the best chance of uniting a divided nation. Tom Bernstein went to Yale University with Bush and co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team with him. In 2004 he donated the maximum $2,000 to the president's reelection campaign and gave $50,000 to the Republican National Committee. This year he is switching his support to Obama. He is one of many former Bush admirers who find the Democrat newcomer appealing. ... Financiers have also been oiling Obama's campaign. In Chicago, his home town, John Canning, a "Bush pioneer" and investment banker who pledged to raise $100,000 for the president in 2004, has given up on the Republicans. . . According to figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, Obama and Clinton have vacuumed up more than $750,000 in individual contributions from former Bush donors. ... Comments: Anonymous said... Last time we had a choice between two Yalie Skulls, both Corporatists. This time, we'll have a choice between a white Corporatist and either a female or black Corporatist. Whoopee, the future's so bright we'll have to wear shades. [article link]
Yolanda King, daughter of MLK, dies at 51 - She was an actress, author, producer, advocate for peace and nonviolence ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Yolanda King, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s eldest child who pursued her father's dream of racial harmony through drama and motivational speaking, collapsed and died after making a speech. She was 51. King died late Tuesday in Santa Monica, California, said Steve Klein, a spokesman for the King Center. The family did not know the cause of death, but, relatives think it might have been a heart problem, he
said."She was an actress, author, producer, advocate for peace and nonviolence, who was known and loved for her motivational and inspirational contributions to society," the King family said in a statement. ... Yolanda Denise King -- nicknamed Yoki by the family -- was born November 17, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama., where her father was then preaching. Her brother Martin III was born in 1957; brother Dexter in 1961; and sister Bernice in 1963. [article link]
Yolanda King Blazes Her Own Spiritual Path {I hope that now in God's presence she realizes that God's love is sufficient.} For Yolanda King, the last several years have been a time of awakening. Not politically, socially, or in the sides of her life that the public generally sees. Rather, over the last decade, the eldest child of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. has boldly blended Eastern practices, Christian thought, and the ideas of Science of Mind to create a spiritual path truly her own. ... In terms of her spiritual life, King may be coming full circle. She recalls a childhood home in which the figure of Gandhi - whose teachings of nonviolence underscored much of Martin Luther King's philosophy - "was like a part of our family." His pictures and words abounded in the King household. And, yet, it was Gandhi's social analysis - not his yogic ideas - that held sway. It would not be until well into adulthood that Yolanda King experienced - through meditation, affirmative thought, and other practices - some of the spiritual leanings of a man who she previously understood through a political lens. In time, this burgeoning understanding may represent Yolanda King's true legacy: a marriage of mysticism and social thought that honors both the larger community and the individual's need for inner growth. "I understand that people would look to me to pick up the torch and run with it," King says. "And to some extent I have done that, but in my own way." [article link]
The WHOLE Story of Why I Left Mormonism - by Mike Norton - "I know that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, our Redeemer and our God and it is my prayer that we will all remember that year round. I testify these things to you in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen." - They [LDS] can be disappointed as much as they want...I don't know when I have felt closer to the Lord and nothing they say can change that One of the things that I found most disturbing was the fact that Brigham Young and countless other early Church leaders had obviously not been familiar with the "first vision" story as we know it now. ... I found out that the church taught from 1835 until 1921 that God was a spirit and did not have a physical body. ... I found out that the Church changed the identity of the angel (from Nephi to Moroni) that was alleged to have given Joseph Smith the gold plates over 50 years after it supposedly happened ... The list of major problems with church doctrine and teachings that I discovered just went on and on. ... Since leaving the LDS Church I have helped numerous people see the truth and leave the false gospel of Mormonism for the real gospel of Jesus Christ as it can be found in the Bible. I will continue to help those still trapped by the lies of Mormonism just as I would never leave a burning house without desperately trying to save those still trapped inside. The false gospel of Mormonism endangers those who follow it because they reject the free gift of salvation that Christ offered us and believe that they can somehow earn salvation by their good works. Your good works should be a result of your salvation, not an attempt to gain salvation. ... "They [LDS] can be disappointed as much as they want...I don't know when I have felt closer to the Lord and nothing they say can change that. Thank you, Mike. If it was not for you I would still be in the dark." ... [Mark's mother] [article link]
Mormonism in a Nutshell - Former Mormon warns fellow Christians not to support Romney - LDS members "want to infiltrate regular Christian religions so they can bring those Christians into Mormonism A one-time Mormon says anyone thinking about supporting presidential hopeful Mitt Romney -- a Mormon -in his White House campaign needs to be aware of what distinguishes that religious group's beliefs from Christianity. ... A woman whose father was a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and who is a former Mormon herself says Christians considering Mormon candidate Mitt Romney's bid for the U.S.
presidency need to be reminded about the differences between Mormonism and biblical Christianity. Writer, consultant, and business woman Tricia Erickson spent her childhood growing up in a Mormon home and knows a great deal about that religion, which she considers a cult. Now a born-again Christian, she wants to remind fellow believers that Mormons view Jesus differently than they do. ... Up until recently, Erickson contends, Mormons would never even describe themselves as born-again Christians. She believes many do so now because they want to gain access to mainstream Christianity, especially now that their church is facing difficulties. "Their missionaries are not doing as well out in the field," the former Mormon woman notes, and "their numbers are going down as far as new recruits." For that reason, she says, LDS members "want to infiltrate regular Christian religions so they can bring those Christians into Mormonism under the [impression] that they're Christian, too. They're anything but." Mitt Romney has said his Mormon faith will not be an issue as he campaigns to become president of the United States. But Erickson believes the former Massachusetts governor's presidential bid would help raise the profile of Mormonism and enhance its chances for winning new converts, so she says there is no way she can support him. [article link]
Bio: Jerry Falwell - was credited with helping elect Ronald Reagan president and with moving the Republican Party further to the right on social issues The Rev. Jerry L. Falwell, television evangelist who was among the leaders of the so-called Religious Right - a movement that emerged in the late 1970s with the goal of getting Christian fundamentalists involved in politics. Falwell's organization, the Moral Majority, was credited with helping elect Ronald Reagan president and with moving the Republican Party further to the right on social issues. The group's influence subsequently waned, however, and Falwell disbanded it in 1989. Falwell was born on Aug. 11, 1933 in Lynchburg, Va. From an early age, he excelled in school, graduating at the top of his high school class. He was also a talented athlete. Falwell entered Lynchburg College in 1950 with the intention of earning a degree in mechanical engineering. After becoming a born-again Christian in his sophomore year, Falwell transferred to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. Around the same time, Falwell turned down an offer to play for the St. Louis Cardinals major-league baseball team. ... In addition to its political activities, the Moral Majority led a boycott of 7-Eleven convenience stores as part of a successful effort to get the chain to stop selling the adult magazines Playboy, Penthouse and Forum. ... In 1979 Falwell founded the Moral Majority in order to rally evangelical Christians as a political lobbying force. At its height in the early 1980s, Falwell claimed that the Moral Majority had more than six million members. [article link]
Falwell Remembered for Impact on Conservative Movement - "I shudder to think where the country would be right now if the religious right had not evolved," Falwell said - Falwell's father and his grandfather were militant atheists - becoming a born-again Christian at age 19 - "My heart was burning to serve Christ," he once said in an interview "I knew nothing would ever be the same again" RICHMOND, Virginia - The Rev. Jerry Falwell founded a movement that helped mold the religious right into a political power. ... The fundamentalist church that Falwell started in an abandoned bottling plant in 1956 grew into a religious empire that includes the 22,000-member Thomas Road Baptist Church, the "Old Time Gospel Hour" carried on television stations around the country and 7,700-student Liberty University. He built Christian elementary schools, homes for unwed mothers and a home for alcoholics. He also founded Liberty University in Lynchburg, which began as Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971. ... In 2006, Falwell marked the 50th anniversary of his church and spoke out on stem cell research, saying he sympathized with people with medical problems, but that any medical research must pass a three-part test: "Is it ethically correct? Is it biblically correct? Is it morally correct?" ... "Dr. Falwell was a giant of faith and a visionary leader and he, as a man, has always been a man of great optimism and great faith and he has left instructions for those of us who have to carry on and we will be faithful to that charge," ... Falwell's father and his grandfather were militant atheists, he wrote in his autobiography. He said his father made a fortune off his businesses - including bootleging during Prohibition.
As a student, Falwell was a star athlete and a prankster who was barred from giving his high school valedictorian's speech after he was caught using counterfeit lunch tickets his senior year. He ran with a gang of juvenile delinquents before becoming a born-again Christian at age 19. He turned down an offer to play professional baseball and transferred from Lynchburg College to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo. "My heart was burning to serve Christ," he once said in an interview. "I knew nothing would ever be the same again." [article link]
Debbie Schlussel: Rev. Jerry Falwell, RIP: Founded Important (Pro-Israel) Anti-Islamist Political Movement Sad news today that Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority and Liberty University, died this morning at age 73. Jerry Falwell was a patriot and loved America. He loved its Judeo-Christian values, and he did his best to preserve them. ... Jerry Falwell loved the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Dr. Falwell helped inspire thousands of Christian tourists to visit and donate money to Israel, when it was in the worst economic doldrums of two Intifadas (Muslim uprisings). I met and heard him speak at a small dinner in 2000 and enjoyed it immensely. He was a vital part of the Reagan Revolution. [article link]
Reports are coming in that Reverend Jerry Falwell has died... Comments #6 Rest in peace. I didn't always agree with him, and he said some things I wish he hadn't, but he walked his talk, and cared more for the poor and sick and hurt than all the liberals who will only recall the sillier things he said. ... #39 he was a true supporter of Israel. #47 May God grant you peace good and faithful servant. You have earned a place at his table - sad for his family but happy for him. #53 He stood up for what he believed in, and would not conform to what certain [liberal] groups demanded. It took courage, and his belief in G-d was unquestionable. [article link]
**Breaking - The Rev. Jerry Falwell has died at age 73, The Associated Press reports The Rev. Jerry Falwell has died at age 73, The Associated Press reports. [article link]
Jerry Falwell Taken To Hospital After Being Found Unconscious - hospitalized in "gravely serious" condition after being found unconscious in his office Tuesday, a Liberty University {Our prayers at this time are with Jerry Falwell, his family, the Liberty staff - college and all those concerned for his health and safety!} Godwin said he was not sure what caused the collapse, but "he has a history of heart challenges." "I had breakfast with him, and he was fine at breakfast," Godwin said. "He went to his office, I went to mine and they found him unresponsive." Godwin said Falwell was receiving emergency care. A hospital spokeswoman said she had "no information to release at this time" on Falwell. Falwell, a television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority, became the face of the religious right in the 1980s. He later founded the conservative Liberty University and serves as its president. [article link]
None Of Romney's 5 Sons Have Served In the Military - Mitt Romney served as a Mormon missionary, which enabled him to receive a draft deferment from the Vietnam War {To all those that have served our great nation in uniform have a Blessed Memorial Weekend while we continue to remember our fallen veterans and keeping in our thoughts the past, present, and future generations of military service! - David Anson Brown L/Cpl USMC 81-84} All five of the Romney sons, who range in age from 26 to 37, served two years as church missionaries, a practice within their Mormon faith. Mitt Romney served as a Mormon missionary, which enabled him to receive a draft deferment from the Vietnam War. On the stump, Romney argues for a robust national defense. He said he wants to add 100,000 troops to the U.S. military and commit 4 percent of the gross domestic product to
funding the armed forces. [article link]
Romney says his (Mormon - LDS) faith's past is troubling - Calls practice of polygamy 'awful' {Yeah, Mitt Romney is just as appalled about Mormonism and polygamy as President George W. Bush is appalled about big government, corruption, lying, bribes, and oil company price gouging at the Gas station!} BOSTON -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said his Mormon religious faith's history of polygamy could trouble American voters and that he, too, is bothered by it. [article link]
With Gay Marriage, Isn't Polygamy Next Mr. Romney? - You see? There is no argument for gay marriage that does not also advance the cause of polygamy But polygamy may again become legal in America, and if it does it will be on the back on gay marriage. Let's revisit the arguments for gay marriage and apply them to polygamy. a) "Marriage is a choice and a contract between consenting adults." Polygamy can be a choice and a contract between consenting adults. b) "We love each other." Is there any reason a man cannot love two or more women at the same time? c) "We cannot continue with the illusion that marriage is only for the providing husband, the supportive wife, and 2.5 children." Exactly. Polygamy, like gay marriage, is based on the recognition of diverse forms of human cohabitation. d) "Denying people the right to marry is a form of oppression." This discrimination is equally if not more offensive when it applies to more than two people. e) "Who is to say that Heather can't have two mommies?" And who is to say that Heather can't have three mommies--and a dad? You see? There is no argument for gay marriage that does not also advance the cause of polygamy. I know that Jonathan Rauch, Andrew Sullivan and others get very indignant about this, insisting that they would limit gay marriage to two people. But why? Marriage currently has several elements: it requires that only two people be involved, it requires that they be adults and not closely related, and (except in Massachusetts) it insists that one of the parties be male and one female. Rauch and Sullivan want to eliminate the heterosexual condition, but in that case why keep the other requirements? Is it just because gays have more political power than Muslims and Mormons? ... Yes, I know that on certain questions presidential candidates have to be prudent, which is to say, evasive. But I'm not running for president, and I see it coming. Don't say I didn't warn you. [article link]
Pope Benedict XVI Addresses Latin American Bishops in Brazil - he added that unfettered capitalism and globalization, blamed by many in the region for the deep divide between the rich and poor, gives "rise to a worrying degradation of personal dignity through drugs, alcohol and deceptive illusions of happiness" APARECIDA, Brazil - Pope Benedict XVI blamed Marxism and unbridled capitalism for Latin America's problems on Sunday, and urged bishops to mold a new generation of Roman Catholic leaders in politics to reverse the church's declining influence in the region. ... America needs more dedicated Catholics in leadership positions in the media and at universities throughout the region. "This being a continent of baptized Christians, it is time to overcome the notable absence - in the political sphere, in the world of the media and in the universities - of the voices and initiatives of Catholic leaders with strong personalities and generous dedication, who are coherent in their ethical and religious convictions," Benedict said. ... Now, he said, the bishops must convince Catholics from all walks of life "to bring the light of the Gospel into public life, into culture, economics and politics." [article link]
(Italy) Thousands rally for traditional family in Italy - By the end of the day, organizers said as many as 1.5 million people had showed up - The turnout was above the organizers' expectations ROME, Italy (AP) -- With grandparents and children in tow, tens of thousands of families gathered in a Rome piazza to voice their opposition to a government bill that would give many legal rights to unmarried couples, including gay ones. The "Family Day" rally Saturday, drawing hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in total, was organized by lay Catholic groups and family associations. While the demonstration has been endorsed by
Italian bishops, neither the Vatican nor the Italian bishops conference is formally behind it. "With this demonstration, we wanted to give a signal. It must not be a sporadic event, but it must contribute to dialogue and help (people) understand family must be protected," said Emanuele Cirillo, 27, of Naples, who had traveled to Rome for the demonstration. People from across Italy began pouring into the massive St. John Lateran piazza in the morning. The demonstrators were entertained by singers, speakers and even a brief video of the late Pope John Paul II giving a 1988 speech about the need to protect family. [article link]
Mitt Romney created 'gay' marriage, family groups say - They had written to ask the governor to reject 'unconstitutional' court ruling - And they say he ignored them - "Of his own volition, Romney issued "constitutionally fraudulent 'homosexual marriage' licenses'" and with no authorizing legislation, he ordered marriage licenses to be changed from "husband" and "wife," to "Party A" and "Party B" Nearly four dozen pro-family leaders and activists have made public their direct challenge to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is considering a run for the presidency in 2008, to document his opposition to homosexual marriages. And they say he ignored them. According to the organization MassResistance.org, the leaders hand-delivered a letter to the former governor on Dec. 20, before he left office, documenting why they believe he voluntarily instituted directives that created homosexual "marriages" in that state, even though he did not have to. They asked him to act in response, and they say he didn't even acknowledge the letter. ... The letter had called on Romney to reverse his "erroneous directives which began homosexual 'marriages' through an executive order" but signers noted that Romney declined to act. "Under the Massachusetts Constitution, only the Legislature may change the statutes," the group said. "Of his own volition, Romney issued "constitutionally fraudulent 'homosexual marriage' licenses'" and with no authorizing legislation, he ordered marriage licenses to be changed from "husband" and "wife," to "Party A" and "Party B." [article link]
Updated - Mormon (LDS) Info - Mormonism (LDS) practices and engages in the longtime deceitful and illegal marketing practice of "bait and switch" (PDF) Mormonism (LDS) practices and engages in the longtime deceitful and illegal marketing practice of "bait and switch" to offer - bait the customer with one product and then through excuses, deceit and manipulations to steer the customer into a different inferior product. In this case Mormons universally offer Jesus, the Bible and a "truer Christianity" and then in a dishonest way switching from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible to the teachings of Joseph Smith and others. The Mormon Church is deliberately trying to avoid their true identity as a Mormon cult and is instead representing themselves as something they are not, which is true Christian followers of Jesus. Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity... [article link]
The Mormon Curtain - Blogging The Very Best Of The Ex-Mormon World - By Infymus - The Largest Repository Of Ex-Mormon Material In The World - Containing 2,811 Articles Spanning 178 Topics {From a once Mormon to Mormons this website gives deep insight into the Mormon world.} Q: Who runs this site? A: Infymus AKA Michael Hoenie runs this site. He lives in Salt Lake City where he works as a Senior Software Engineer. Married with two children. Resigned from the Mormon Corporation in 23 July 2001 and received his confirmation of resignation 28 August 2001. Q: What is the purpose of the Mormon Curtain? A: The primary purpose of the Mormon Curtain is to blog the Ex-Mormon world. This includes "recovery" boards, message boards, sites and more - and provide the very best posts and articles therein. This is to aid Ex-Mormons who are on the road to recovery, Mormons who are looking for more information on their own religion, and Non-Mormons who may be studying the Mormon Church on purpose of possible baptism. The secondary purpose of the Mormon Curtain is to expose to the world that Mormonism is a cult. It is hoped that the information and links contained here will help non-Mormons avoid the Cult of Mormonism. It is also hoped that current members of the LDS Church will find the answers that Mormon leaders have
forbidden them from seeing. In addition, those recovering from Mormonism (known as Ex-Mormons) will find links and information necessary to aid in recovery. [article link]
Romney Elaborates on Evolution - "And I believe evolution is most likely the process he used to create the human body" - Mr. Romney said his answer was satisfactory to faculty members "They teach evolution at B.Y.U.," he said {Christians believe that humans are "created in the image of God" as it is written in the Bible (Genesis 1:26-27) therefore we can talk, communicate - interact and share our feelings and emotions with God and be understood because we are in the image with God. However Mormons believe that they are now evolving into a god through the prescribed steps of Joseph Smith. Romney is just being consistent with his Mormon-Evolution belief. However it would simply not be possible to even pray to God if you were not originally created in the image of God and being in the image of God it then makes evolution unnecessary.} Mr. Romney, a devout Mormon, surprised some observers when he was not among those Republican candidates who raised their hands last week when asked at the Republican presidential debate if they did not believe in evolution. (Senator Sam Brownback, former Gov. Mike Huckabee and Representative Tom Tancredo said they did not.) "I believe that God designed the universe and created the universe," Mr. Romney said in an interview this week. "And I believe evolution is most likely the process he used to create the human body." ... The (Mormon) Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints has no definitive position on evolution, and church leaders have disagreed on the issue over the years. Mr. Romney said his answer was satisfactory to faculty members. "They teach evolution at B.Y.U.," he said. [article link]
The English Versions of Scripture - Info & Research "I had perceived by experience, how that it was impossible to stablish the lay people in any truth, except the scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue, that they might see the process, order, and meaning of the text." - William Tyndale, Preface to the Pentateuch, 1530 [article link]
Pope urges youth to resist 'snares of evil' - "Seek to resist forcefully the snares of evil that are found in many contexts," Pope Benedict told the crowd of some 40,000, with thousands more camped outside the stadium SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI urged tens of thousands of young Catholics packing a soccer stadium Thursday to resist the temptations of wealth, power and other "snares of evil," and told them to promote life from "its beginning to natural end." ... Before the pope arrived at the stadium, a man clad in a white robe took the stage and asked people in the crowd to stand and raise their right hands. "Yes to life!" the man shouted and the crowd repeated. "No to abortion!" [article link]
Planned Parenthood Report Shows Record Number of Abortions Done - He pointed out that the nonprofit's incoming is rapidly approaching the $1 billion mark and that it generated an estimated $100 million from doing abortions in 2005 - "One can be sure that in addition to killing more human beings than ever before, Planned Parenthood will have taken in more money than ever before" Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A preview of the latest annual report from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America shows that the nation's largest abortion business is doing more abortions than ever before. The report indicates PPFA affiliates across the country did 264,943 abortions in 2005 alone, increase of 3.9 percent over 2004. ... Douglas Scott, the head of Life Decisions International, a group that monitors corporations that donate to Planned Parenthood, said he found it hypocritical that the abortion business claims birth control and the Plan B drug reduces the number of abortions while doing more abortions than at any point in its history. "Planned Parenthood claims to prevent the 'need' for abortion while simultaneously working to increase its share of the lucrative abortion market," he told LifeNews.com in a statement. ... "One can be sure that in addition to killing more human beings than ever before, Planned Parenthood will have
taken in more money than ever before," Scott said. [article link]
Rudy Giuliani Will Formally Address Abortion After Planned Parenthood Flap - after defending himself from news reports showing that he's given donations to the Planned Parenthood abortion business on six different occasions Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The issue of abortion is becoming such a nightmare for GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani that he plans to formally address it in public forums, campaign appearance and interviews in the coming days. Though he will likely attempt to tone down his pro-abortion views, the exmayor's strategy may do more to remind the Republican Party's pro-life voters that he's out of touch with their views. ... Asked if the Republican Party would accept an abortion advocate, the former mayor replied, "I guess we are going to find out" and said he was "at peace" with the differences he has on abortion with the party. Meanwhile, the Times reports that the Giuliani campaign is also looking to de-emphasize the importance of the early primary states like Iowa and South Carolina where pro-life advocates represent the lion's share of GOP voters. ... A February Washington Post/ABC News poll found Republican voters are much less likely to vote for Giuliani because of his stance in favor of abortion. The poll also found that half of GOP voters said there is no chance they would support Giuliani because of his pro-abortion views. Only 10 percent said they would be more likely to back Giuliani for the GOP nod because of his pro-abortion views while a large 46 percent said they would be less likely. [article link]
Critics complain about record as Romney gets anti-abortion award (Romney contributed $15,000 to the group) - a universal health care bill Romney signed into law while Massachusetts governor includes a seat for Planned Parenthood -- which includes abortion among its family planning services - and his signing into law (after claiming to be 'Pro-Life') a bill that provides taxpayer-funded abortion in Massachusetts AGAWAM, Mass. --Conservative activists criticized Mitt Romney over his abortion record Thursday as the Republican presidential contender received an award from an anti-abortion group that also used to complain about his support for abortion rights. ... A coalition including the leaders of the Pro-Life Federation, the Michigan Conservative Union and Massachusetts Resistance was especially critical of the revelation that Romney's wife, Ann, had donated $150 to Planned Parenthood during her husband's 1994 U.S. Senate campaign. The group also complained because a universal health care bill Romney signed into law while Massachusetts governor includes a seat for Planned Parenthood -- which includes abortion among its family planning services -- on a payment policy board. "His commitment to the pro-life cause has been called into question because of his frequently changing position on the issue of abortion and his signing into law a bill that provides taxpayer-funded abortion in Massachusetts," the group said in a statement. ... Romney contributed $15,000 to the group, a past critic of his record, last December. [article link]
Google sticks by censorship policy - groups who criticised the company in early 2006 for bowing to pressure from the Chinese government and censoring its search results in China The motion also named Belarus, Burma, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam as countries where governments restrict access to Internet content. ... Co-founder Sergey Brin admitted earlier this year that the Chinese censorship had damaged the company. "On a business level, that decision to censor ... was a net negative," said Mr Brin, speaking at the Davos World Economic Forum in January. [article link]
Google shareholders defeat censorship proposal - Google has been stripping its Internet search results in China of information found objectionable by the Chinese government. In exchange, it gets to do business in the country - "We're comfortable," with the choice to censor, Schmidt told shareholders after Thursday's vote was
tallied "It preserves our mission, and helps the Chinese citizens" SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Google Inc. shareholders on Thursday defeated an anti-censorship proposal that the company said threatened its growing Chinese operations. The Office of the Comptroller of New York City, which owns about 500,000 Google shares, asked Google to not do business in China and other countries where it must censor its search results. The issue did not have the Google board's recommendation, thus condemning it to defeat. According to Google Vice President David Drummond, the world's leading Internet search engine would have to abandon its Chinese operations had the proposal passed. Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, addressing a question after the proposal was defeated, said Google also has already has taken many of the same steps the shareholders called for, including making it clear to users what results had been censored. [article link]
Number of fired prosecutors grows - Dismissals began earlier than Justice Department (Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales) has said - Graves said he was told simply that he should resign - He did appeal to Missouri's senior senator to try to persuade the (Bush) White House to allow him to remain long enough to prosecute a final, important case -- involving the slaying of a pregnant woman and kidnapping of her 8-month fetus - Justice officials rejected the request Graves said he was told simply that he should resign to "give another person a chance." He said he did not oppose the department's request, because he had already been planning to return to private practice. He did appeal to Missouri's senior senator to try to persuade the White House to allow him to remain long enough to prosecute a final, important case -- involving the slaying of a pregnant woman and kidnapping of her 8-month fetus. Justice officials rejected the request. ... A spokeswoman for Sen. Christopher S. Bond (R-Mo.) confirmed yesterday that Graves had contacted the senator's office after the Justice official suggested he leave -- and that the senator had asked the (Bush) White House for an extension of Graves's tenure, which was not granted. [article link]
EXCLUSIVE: Ray Comfort Speaks on the Debate - The face-off between two Christians and two atheists - "We felt like two goldfish in a bowl of piranhas - The believers were polite and quiet - The atheists were rude and loud." Before the debate began, Comfort was pleasantly surprised by his challengers' parents. "The mother of one of the atheists we debated contacted me. She said 'I am a Christian. I watch your television program twice a week, and I am earnestly praying for you guys, and thank you for befriending my son,'" said Comfort. "The female atheist - the other one who was debating us - her mother is a Christian," added Comfort. "She was sitting in the front row of the church. She came up and said she was earnestly praying for us and thanked us for doing the debate." Comfort told CBN News that Brian and Kelly were deliberately not listening to the evidence proving God's existence. Yet he said, "I pray that God opens the eyes of these guys." ... "We felt like two goldfish in a bowl of piranhas. There were 100 people allowed in the church, 50 percent atheists and 50 percent believers," said Comfort. "The believers were polite and quiet. The atheists were rude and loud." [article link]
Planned Parenthood sued by teen girl - Cincinnati's Planned Parenthood defended itself against a lawsuit claiming it failed to report a girl's claim that she was being sexually abused by her father - claiming she told clinic workers that she was being sexually abused by her father when he took her there for an abortion in 2004 LEBANON, Ohio (AP) - Cincinnati's Planned Parenthood defended itself against a lawsuit claiming it failed to report a girl's claim that she was being sexually abused by her father. The teenage girl filed the civil suit in Warren County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday, claiming she told clinic workers that she was being sexually abused by her father when he took her there for an abortion in 2004. ... The suit claims the girl's father continued to sexually abuse her for another year and a half because Planned Parenthood never filed a police report. The girl eventually told her future college sports coach about the abuse, and her father was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. At his trial, prosecutors said he repeatedly abused the girl from the time
she was 13 until she was 18. The lawsuit also claims Planned Parenthood subscribes to a "don't ask, don't tell" policy when it comes to abuse. [article link]
Romney's Wife Donated to Planned Parenthood - GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Wednesday reports that his wife donated $150 to Planned Parenthood in 1994 aren't surprising given his position on abortion at the time {What, Mitt Romney didn't know until he read about it in a news report? This is a very clumsy cover-up.} GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Wednesday reports that his wife donated $150 to Planned Parenthood in 1994 aren't surprising given his position on abortion at the time. ... And the disclosure of the Planned Parenthood contribution, first reported by ABC News, is likely to give fresh ammunition to foes already suspicious of his changed position on the issue. ... His wife's donation was made at a time when Romney was unsuccessfully running to unseat U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., before Romney was elected governor in 2002. The anti-abortion group's plan to give Romney an award is also stirring controversy. Abortion rights activists plan to picket the Republican presidential contender's appearance in Agawam at the Massachusetts Citizens for Life Mother's Day Dinner on Thursday, while abortion opponents are expected to demonstrate on Romney's behalf. A news conference planned by the event's organizer has been canceled, but Romney's staff said its scheduling was a mistake. The focus on the event - the presentation of the group's "Political Leadership Award" to Romney - has critics crying hypocrisy. Romney himself has conceded a shift in his support for abortion rights. [article link]
{Flashback} YouTube Video (23 seconds) - Romneys on abortion 2002 - Mitt Romney and his wife delcare Abortion to be 'just fine' {President Ronald Reagan didn't lie to America and the public like Mitt Romney is doing. ALL of the Governor Romney legislation even after his alleged change has been for extreme abortion, and extreme pro-homosexual making it impossible to trust or believe anything Romney says or does.} How many times does this have to come up? Mitt has flat out said he was wrong on his position on abortion back then and clearly admiits that he has changed to Pro-Life. Ronald Reagan did it 1 year before his run for President. Many other have changed positions from Pro-Choice to Pro-Life. At least he admits he feels he was wrong in the past. [article link]
{Flashback} [abortion] Activists remember a different Romney - "You need someone like me in Washington" he said - Making personal appeals on the state's liberal touchstones - gay rights, abortion rights and the environment - Romney developed a persuasive style, convincing audiences that his passion matched theirs and that he was committed to their causes {Don't believe Mitt Romney for one second. Just as quick as he has 'embraced' conservative values is just exactly how quick he is going to reject them if ever elected. If Romney is soooo Pro-Life how did he end up with a pro-abortion wife? Romney's actions speak louder than words, much louder!} Though Romney's policy shifts have become widely known, his meetings with activists for abortion rights and other causes - which have received far less attention - show he put much work into winning support from Massachusetts' liberal establishment only a few years ago. Making personal appeals on the state's liberal touchstones - gay rights, abortion rights and the environment - Romney developed a persuasive style, convincing audiences that his passion matched theirs and that he was committed to their causes. He impressed environmentalists by using rhetoric sharper than theirs. He met gay-rights activists on their turf, in a restaurant attached to a popular gay bar, and told skeptics he would be a "good voice" and a moderating force within his party. And in many cases, he said his commitment had been cemented by watching the suffering of someone dear to him: a grandchild whose asthma left him worried about air pollution; his wife's multiple sclerosis, which had him placing hope in embryonic stem cell research; the death of a distant relative {This now 'distant relative' has also been quoted as Romney's Aunt. I wonder if this tragic story is even true or if it's just another made for
politics drama.} in an illegal abortion, convincing him that the procedure needed to remain legal. In discussing the need to combat global warming, he said he worried about his family's favorite vacation spot. [article link]
{Flashback} Romney sidesteps ultrasound viewing requirement for abortion - Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, also campaigning in the state, reaffirmed his support Thursday for legislation that would mandate the requirement LEXINGTON, S.C. - Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney declined yesterday to weigh in on a South Carolina proposal that would require women seeking an abortion to view an ultrasound. Instead, the former Massachusetts governor said states should make their own abortion laws. ... Proponents think women would change their minds after seeing an ultrasound and choose to keep the child or offer it for adoption. Critics consider it a way to intimidate women who already have made a difficult decision. The House approved a version of the bill requiring women to view the images. If that proposal were enacted, it would make South Carolina the only state with such a requirement. [article link]
British Prime Minister Tony Blair: My political journey is over - he would tender his resignation as prime minister to Queen Elizabeth on June 27 LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced his resignation Thursday as Labour Party leader and prime minister after a decade in power. "I've come back here to Sedgefield, to my constituency, where my political journey began and where it's fitting that it ends," Blair said. "I've been prime minister of this country for just over 10 years ... I think that's long enough for me, but more importantly, for the country." ... At times, the outgoing PM appeared choked with emotion. He thanked the nation for supporting him during his time in office and apologized for his shortcomings -- but not for his actions. "I ask you to accept one thing," he said. "Hand on heart, I did what I thought was right. I may have been wrong -- that's your call. [article link]
{Flashback} Blair rejects ex-Baghdad envoy criticism - Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday he bore no responsibility for the violence in Iraq, dismissing allegations from a former ambassador to Baghdad that the British leader failed to focus on stabilizing the country immediately after the invasion {Of course who would even think to blame Blair or Bush.} "No American general ... was given the accountable responsibility to make sure that the first duty of any government - and we were the government - was to keep law and order on the streets," Greenstock said. "There was a vacuum from the beginning into which the looters, the saboteurs, the criminals, the insurgents, moved very quickly." {And now it is these very same "looters, the saboteurs, the criminals, the insurgents" who Bush has put into government and into power in Iraq - because that is who Bush by nature does his business with.} [article link]
{Flashback} England's P.M. Tony Blair revelations reiterate elite occult obsession - Remember the Aztec Rebirthing rituals, Witchcraft and nail clippings: the weird world of Cherie Blair and "channeling the light"? {This is how Satanists bow to Satan, the god of this world, they bow to each corner of the world. Rock stars often do this during their concerts as they bow in all four directions, fans think it is a bow to them but bowing to an empty backstage reveals it is a bow to the Devil.} This week's revelations in the London Independent about the obsessive "new age" activities of the Blairs reveal nothing new but serve to reiterate how our leaders are fascinated by "bizarre practices", odd ceremonies and rituals that any right minded person would find eerily occultist, certainly beyond the level an elected so called "Christian" leader should be engaging in. ... The Blairs stood outside a brick pyramid on the hotel's grounds and bowed toward each point of the compass while chanting to each of the four winds. The Pyramid and the compass are of course both ancient elite symbols that have been adopted by secret societies such as the Freemasons in more recent times. {This is how Satanists bow to Satan, the god of this world, they bow to each
corner of the world. Rock stars often do this during their concerts as they bow in all four directions, fans think it is a bow to them but bowing to an empty backstage reveals it is a bow to the Devil.} [article link]
{Flashback} England's P.M. Tony Blair, Bush to discuss Middle East - Blair is scheduled to travel to Washington Wednesday night - part of his agenda will be to stress the role the European Union could play in bolstering the Palestinian Authority's political and economic infrastructure {This is a fake news item in a sense in that England and P.M. Tony Blair (a professed Occultist) are actually running the Iraq show. Iraq is a New World Order plan from England not the USA. The new government of Iraq is modeled after the British Parliament with the current Iraqi leader a Prime Minister (P.M.) Nouri al-Maliki, this is not an American government but a British Parliament government. As usual George W. Bush is clueless and is just along for the ride, Bush will do whatever P.M. Blair tells him to do and currently that is to support the Palestinian Authority and to oppose Israel.} LONDON, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair is reportedly frustrated with U.S. President George Bush's Middle East policies and will fly to Washington this week. ... The timing of the visit also comes days after U.S. State Department official Kendall Myers claimed the relationship between Britain and the United States was "totally one-sided" and that Blair's advice on Iraq and the Middle East was routinely ignored by Bush, the newspaper said.Blair is to meet with Bush and U.S. congressional leaders Thursday and the newspaper said government sources said part of his agenda will be to stress the role the European Union could play in bolstering the Palestinian Authority's political and economic infrastructure, which is in tatters as a result of sanctions imposed this year. [article link]
EarthTimes - DNC: Romney Ads Can't Buy Security Credentials - While the ad ostensibly focuses on national security, it fails to outline a plan for what Romney would do in Iraq, or even mention the war {*Notice the large 'Take the Survey' McCain 2008 ad. The hyper liberal EarthTimes, what a place to find a large McCain ad rejecting the nation's food-farm subsidies. Is this really McCain's policy and his target audience for his Republican Presidential run? The Republican leaders have lost it they are so phony the party is becoming a joke.} While the ad ostensibly focuses on national security, it fails to outline a plan for what Romney would do in Iraq, or even mention the war. The fact is, Mitt Romney's plan for Iraq is four more years of President Bush's failed strategy. "Smooth talking Mitt Romney seems to think he can buy security credentials with a blizzard of new TV ads, but what the American people are really looking for is a clear plan to end the war in Iraq," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "Romney can cling to President Bush's failed strategy if he wants, but the American people have already rejected one failed leader who took his eye off the ball in the war on terror and refuses to change course in Iraq. They are hardly looking for another." [article link]
Three retired generals targeted a dozen members of Congress - in a new ad campaign today, saying they can't support President Bush's policies in Iraq and expect to be re-elected next year - "If members of his own party would pressure him, the president would not be standing like he is" "I am outraged, as are the majority of Americans. I'm a lifelong Republican, but it's past time for change," retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste told reporters in a conference call. "Our strategy in Iraq today is more of the same, a slow grind to nowhere which totally ignores the reality of Iraq and the lessons of history. Our president ignores sound military advice and surrounds himself with like-minded and compliant subordinates." ... "The fact is, the president has never listened to the soldiers on the ground effectively," said retired NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark, who ran for president in 2004. "This administration is not listening to the troops and is not supporting them." ... "If members of his own party would pressure him, the president would not be standing like he is," Horne said. [article link]
Pope Heads to Latin America Bearing Tough Messages - he supports the excommunication of politicians who legalized abortion in Mexico City, laying down a strong message about core church teachings at the start of his first trip to Latin America ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) -- - Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday he supports the excommunication of politicians who legalized abortion in Mexico City, laying down a strong message about core church teachings at the start of his first trip to Latin America as pontiff. Church teaching calls for automatic excommunication for anyone who has an abortion. In Mexico City, where abortion was legalized during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, church officials have said that doctors and nurses who perform the procedure, as well as lawmakers who supported its legalization, also would be excommunicated. "It's nothing new, it's normal, it wasn't arbitrary. It is what is foreseen by the church's doctrine," Benedict told reporters aboard a plane to Brazil in his first full-fledged news conference as pope. ... Benedict also said the exodus of Catholics for evangelical Protestant churches in Latin America was "our biggest worry." But he said the spread of Protestantism shows a "thirst for God" in the region, and that he intends to lay down a strategy to answer that call when he meets with bishops from throughout Latin America in a once-a-decade meeting in the shrine city of Aparecida near Sao Paulo. "We have to become more dynamic," he said. Evangelical churches, which the Vatican considers "sects," have attracted millions of Latin American Catholics in recent years. ... "I love Latin America. I have traveled there a lot," he told reporters, adding that he is happy the time had come for the trip after focusing on more urgent problems in the Middle East and Africa. ... Some 5,000 people -- both Catholics and Protestants -marched against abortion Tuesday in the capital of Brasilia. Similar marches were held in Mexico, where the capital's legislature legalized abortion last month. [article link]
Where have all the TV viewers gone? - TV's worst spring in recent memory, a startling number of Americans drifted away from television the past two months In TV's worst spring in recent memory, a startling number of Americans drifted away from television the past two months: More than 2.5 million fewer people were watching ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox than at the same time last year, statistics show. Everyone has a theory to explain the plummeting ratings: early Daylight Savings Time, more reruns, bad shows, more shows being recorded or downloaded or streamed. ... Scariest of all for the networks, however, is the idea that many people are now making their own television schedules. The industry isn't fully equipped to keep track of them, and as a result the networks are scrambling to hold on to the nearly $8.8 billion they collected during last spring's ad-buying season. "This may be the spring where we see a radical shift in the way the culture thinks of watching TV," said Sarah Bunting, co-founder of the Web site Television Without Pity. ... The networks argue that viewership is changing, not necessarily declining. Some advertisers respond that they are no longer willing to pay full price up front to reach viewers that may not tune in later. [article link]
Google preparing to police web - Google security specialist Niels Provos tells New Scientist, "The firewall is dead." He's referring to a shift in the way botnet infections are spread - and it's this shift that's making Google particularly nervous Increasingly worried by the use of conventional web sites to distribute the viruses that turn innocent PCs into botnet "zombies," Google appears to be readying a plan to police the web. If the plan goes forward, Google will use new software to automatically identify compromised web pages in its database and label them as "potentially harmful" in its search results. Because being labeled as suspicious by Google could devastate a site's traffic, the move would raise the security stakes for site owners dramatically. Google security specialist Niels Provos tells New Scientist, "The firewall is dead." He's referring to a shift in the way botnet infections are spread - and it's this shift that's making Google particularly nervous. Botnet viruses used to be distributed mainly through email attachments or computer worms, both of which could be blocked by firewalls or sniffed out by antivirus software. Over the past year, however, the operators of botnets have shifted to using regular web sites to distribute their malware. Reports New Scientist: As users have grown wary of email attachments
and installed firewalls and anti-virus software, however, the bad guys have shifted their attentions to websites in a bid to find more victims ... Even an ordinary website can be risky. At a meeting on botnets held last month in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Provos warned that many web users are becoming the victims of "drive-by" downloads of bots from innocent websites corrupted to exploit browser vulnerabilities. As firewalls allow free passage to code or programs downloaded through the browser, the bot is able to install itself on the PC. Antivirus software kicks in at this point, but some bots avoid detection by immediately disabling it. [article link]
Is Google's agenda becoming less evil? - In other words, Google will expose evil to the world if there is no cost to the company. But if exposing evil conflicts with Google's business plan, then the company will become an active participant in that evil - as it does with China In my newest book, "Stop the Presses! The Inside Story of the New Media Revolution," I make the case - and, I think, a pretty darn good one - that the premier Internet search engine company is evil. I won't try to recap all of my evidence, but you can get a good taste of it by reading a news story prepared by my colleagues here at WND. What pushed me over the edge with Google, however, was clearly the way the company kowtowed to the tyrants in Beijing out of a sense of pure greed. When China told Google Internet searches by its people should not bring up pro-democracy and pro-freedom information that could be used to stir hope in the hearts of its population of 1 billion slaves, the company dutifully complied. Remarkable for a company whose slogan is, unbelievably, "Don't Be Evil." [article link]
Mac share of [internet] surfers doubles in 8 months - Analysts see Intel-powered Macs as pushing the surge and say that Web designers and developers can't afford to keep ignoring Macs The portion of people surfing the Web using a Mac has doubled in the past eight months, an Internet metrics analyst said Tuesday, and represents an audience that can't be ignored by Web application developers. "The amazing story since last summer has been how well the Mac is doing," said Geoff Johnston, an analyst at WebSideStory. "For the longest time, Mac hung around 3 percent of the operating systems using the Web. But it picked up around last summer and has nearly doubled its market share." Measurements from WebSideStory and rival Net Applications put Apple's Mac OS X at close to or just over 6 percent of all machines in the U.S. that connected to the Web last month. "For the first time since 1999, when we started tracking, the Mac has really made a major push," said Johnston. Since August, the percentage of online Macs running Apple's operating system has climbed from the long-flat 3 percent to 5.6 percent, he said. Net Applications data, which splits the Mac's share between computers running the PowerPC version of Mac OS and those with an Intel edition of the operating system, pegged the total share at 6.2 percent for April. "Mac has almost doubled," Johnston said [article link]
Mitt Romney Responds on Intelligent Design - In 2005, Romney said that ID should 'not' be taught in public school science classes - Today's answer confirms that he still feels that way {Mitt Romney is not a Christian and the Mormon (LDS) Cult has nothing in common with Christianity so of course Mormon Mitt does not want TRUE Christian concepts taught in schools or anywhere. Mitt is out to promote Mormonism not Christianity.} In 2005, Romney said that ID should not be taught in public school science classes. Today's answer confirms that he still feels that way. You can read more about the 2005 comments here but below is his statement that I just received: "[Ex]Governor Romney believes that school curriculum is a decision for local school boards, first and foremost. He welcomes decisions by local school districts interested in teaching intelligent design as part of a religion or philosophy course. He does not think it should be required as part of science curriculum." ... I'm sure the Romney campaign thinks there's little risk here. But let's remember that Romney needs a bunch of Evangelicals to vote for him if he's going to win. Let's also remember that a good portion of them probably believe that if schools are going to teach Evolution as science, then Intelligent Design should be taught side by side. And if you're going to throw Intelligent Design into a religion class, then these same folks think you better
do that with Evolution too. [article link]
Romney Working To Solidify Conservatives - If you talk to those in the Romney camp, he is not just the only candidate worthy to carry the conservative mantle; he is the only conservative candidate that can win the nomination {Mitt Romney is not a conservative candidate but he may be the biggest liar of a candidate and so what if Mitt wins the Republican nomination he will just be an obscure candidate in an increasingly obscure party.} But Romney's road to the White House is not paved completely with gold. The 50-year-old politician, while sporting the picture perfect "Ozzie and Harriet" family, has some obstacles he has to address prior to claiming the conservative mantle. For pro-life voters, a major bloc of GOP primary voters, Romney's conversion to the pro-life moment conveniently coincided with Romney's ambitions for Pennsylvania Avenue. Such a scenario causes some concern that Romney's pro-life talk will amount to nothing more than talk. And with evangelical voters, another powerful segment of the GOP, the governor's Mormon faith is a sticky issue. [article link]
Ex: 'Demonic' Phil Spector pulled gun after party - "It wasn't him - He was demonic - It scared the hell out of me" - Spector rose to fame in the 1960s and '70s, changing rock music with what became known as the "Wall of Sound" recording technique LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A second woman has testified that Phil Spector threatened her with a gun, saying the music producer suddenly turned "demonic" after a party 18 years ago and tried to rape her. Prosecutors called Dianne Ogden, a music talent coordinator, to support their case that Spector's pattern of threatening women with guns led to the killing of actress Lana Clarkson. She was shot at Spector's suburban Alhambra mansion on February 3, 2003. Ogden testified Monday that Spector seemed to undergo a personality change as she tried to leave another Spector mansion in Pasadena after a party in 1989. "He was screaming at me, the F-word," she said. "He wasn't my Phil, not the man I loved. It wasn't him. He was demonic. It scared the hell out of me." ... "It was like he was taken over by something. It wasn't Phillip." [article link]
{Flashback} Rock and Roll Sorcerers of the New Age Revolution - The one that started it all - the original 1992 video expose - A four-hour live seminar given at Hermosa Beach California - Because of the live format - this DVD remains a favorite (DVD) This video seminar is the most comprehensive music documentary exposing the Satanic influence behind yesterday and today's secular music. It contains irrefutable evidence that demonic beings are leading the world to destruction in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Don't miss out on the opportunity to own your own copy of this eye opening exposé which is sure to convince even the hardest of skeptics! [article link]
TCS expands relationship with Microsoft to deliver (radio frequency identification) RFID [Tracking Devices] - to deliver RFID solutions to global companies - its RFID solution accelerator for re-usable asset tracking, built using Microsoft BizTalk RFID At the RFID Journal Live 2007 conference in Orlando, TCS' RFID practice experts will demonstrate its RFID solution accelerator for re-usable asset tracking, built using Microsoft BizTalk RFID. TCS is uniquely positioned to deliver RFID solutions seamlessly to any location worldwide through its Global Network Delivery Model™. TCS' RFID practice group is staffed by core RFID technology experts and industry consultants. It offers solutions and services that cover the full spectrum of RFID deployment including business consulting, architecture design, radio frequency equipment selection and installation, software development and implementation, systems integration, and maintenance. ... In 2003 TCS announced the establishment of a dedicated RFID practice to build technical competence and create assets around RFID solutions. Additionally, in June 2005 TCS launched its RFID Technology Center in Chicago , Illinois, to provide consulting services and solutions to
enterprises pursuing business strategies that capitalize on RFID. [article link]
STRANGE DAYS - Chronicles of the End of the Age - Tiny radio frequency identification, or RDIF, tags similar to VeriChip have been embedded in livestock and pets in the millions in recent years as a more secure form of identification than external tags For over two years we have been covering the moves of Applied Digital Solutions' VeriChip implants, and it looks that what we at first surmised is turning into reality. I remember how ADS, when news first broke out, denied forcefully that their "invention" was to be implanted into people. I personally sent them an e-mail (over two years ago) to ask them this very question and they were in total denial. Well, it turns out that they were lying through their teeth since they ARE now indeed implanting it into human beings. So much for truth and honesty. ... The Food and Drug Administration has cleared the way for a Florida company to market implantable chips that would provide easy access to individual medical records. The approval, which the company announced yesterday, is expected to bring to public attention a simmering debate over a technology that has evoked Orwellian overtones for privacy advocates and fueled fears of widespread tracking of people with implanted radio frequency tags, even though that ability does not yet exist. ... Tiny radio frequency identification, or RDIF, tags similar to VeriChip have been embedded in livestock and pets in the millions in recent years as a more secure form of identification than external tags. But no device maker has yet been able to create a market for human implantable tags like VeriChip, which are the size of a grain of rice and are inserted under the skin of the arm or hand with a syringe. [article link]
King Herod's tomb discovered, Israeli university says - Hebrew University professor says researchers have been searching for Roman king's grave for over 30 years The Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced on Monday the discovery of the grave and tomb of Herod the Great, the Roman empire's "King of the Jews" in ancient Judea. The University said in a brief statement the discovery was made at Herodium, where Herod's hilltop fortress palace once stood some 7 miles from Jerusalem. ... The Roman Senate appointed Herod "King of the Jews" in approximately 40 [B.C.] BCE. He was also well-known for the magnificent structures built at his behest. In addition to the Herodium fortress, he was responsible for the building of Masada and the expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. ... Herod is mentioned in Christian tradition, as well as Jewish tradition: The Gospel of Matthew says heordered the "Massacre of the Innocents", the killing of all young male children in Jesus' birthplace of Bethlehem out of fear he would lose his throne to a new "King of the Jews", whose birth had been related to him by the Magi. According to Matthew, Joseph and Mary fled with baby Jesus to Egypt to escape the slaughter. [article link]
(Wikipedia) Herod the Great - Herod the Great's son, Herod Antipas (who is also called Herod) is even more prominently featured in the New Testament for his role in John the Baptist's arrest and execution Shortly after the birth of Jesus, Magi from the East visit Herod to inquire the whereabouts of "the one having been born king of the Jews", because they had seen his star in the east and therefore wanted to pay him homage. Herod, who is himself King of Judea, is alarmed at the prospect of the new-born king usurping his rule. Herod is advised by the assembled chief priests and scribes of the people that the Prophet had written that the "Anointed One" (Grk. ho christos) is to be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Herod therefore sends the Magi to Bethlehem, instructing them to search for the child, and that, when they find him, they should "report to me, so that I too may go and worship him". However, after they find Jesus, the Magi are warned in a dream not to report back to Herod. Similarly, Joseph is warned in a dream that Herod intends to kill Jesus, so Joseph and his family flee to Egypt in order to escape Herod. When Herod realizes he has been outwitted by the Magi, he gives orders to kill all boys of the age of two years and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity. Joseph and his family stay in Egypt until Herod's death, then move to Nazareth in Galilee in order to avoid living under Herod's
son Archelaus. [article link]
King Herod the Great - the Roman appointed king of Israel in the days of the birth of Jesus Herod (73-4 BCE) was the pro-Roman king of the small Jewish state in the last decades before the common era. He started his career as a general, but the Roman statesman Mark Antony recognized him as the Jewish national leader. ... On moments like that, it was clear to anyone that Herod was not a Jewish but a Roman king. He had become the ruler of the Jews with Roman help and he boasted to be philokaisar ('the emperor's friend'), entertaining Agrippa, Augustus' right-hand man. On top of the gate of the new Temple, a golden eagle was erected, a symbol of Roman power in the heart of the holy city resented by all pious believers. Worse, Augustus ordered and paid the priests of the Temple to sacrifice twice a day on behalf of himself, the Roman senate and people. The Jewish populace started to believe rumors that their pagan ruler had violated Jewish tombs, stealing golden objects from the tomb of David and Solomon. ... Herod's reign ended in terror. The monastery at Qumran, the home of the Essenes, suffered a violent and deliberate destruction by fire in 8 BCE, for which Herod may have been responsible. When the king fell ill, two popular teachers, Judas and Matthias, incited their pupils to remove the golden eagle from the entrance of the Temple: after all, according to the Ten Commandments, it was a sin to make idols. The teachers and the pupils were burned alive. Some Jewish scholars had discovered that seventy-six generations had passed since the Creation, and there was a wellknown prophecy that the Messiah was to deliver Israel from its foreign rulers in the seventy-seventh generation (more...). The story about the slaughter of infants of Bethlehem in the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew is not known from other sources, but it would have been totally in character for the later Herod to commit such a terrible act. [article link]
Bush OKs 'integration' with European Union - Congress never asked about new obligation - The document acknowledges "the transatlantic economy remains at the forefront of globalization" President Bush signed an agreement creating a "permanent body" that commits the U.S. to "deeper transatlantic economic integration," without ratification by the Senate as a treaty or passage by Congress as a law. The "Transatlantic Economic Integration" between the U.S. and the European Union was signed April 30 at the White House by Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel - the current president of the European Council and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. The document acknowledges "the transatlantic economy remains at the forefront of globalization," arguing that the U.S. and the European Union "seek to strengthen transatlantic economic integration." The agreement established a new Transatlantic Economic Council to be chaired on the U.S. side by a cabinet-level officer in the White House and on the EU side by a member of the European Commission. [article link]
Reports: Six Arrested in Alleged Fort Dix Murder Plot - described as Islamic radicals, and said there is video showing some of the alleged planning Six people were arrested on Monday in connection with an alleged plot to murder as many soldiers as possible at Fort Dix, according to various media sites. The men, ethnic Albanians, allegedly attempted to purchase automatic weapons from an arms dealer working with the FBI and were arrested in New Jersey after officials learned of the plans, a law enforcement source said. The undercover investigation followed the men, three of whom are brothers, from New Jersey to the Poconos, where they allegedly practiced firing automatic weapons. Officials raided the homes of the men, described as Islamic radicals, and said there is video showing some of the alleged planning. [article link]
Communist symbol returns to Russian Army's flag - Russia's Parliament has voted to restore the communist-era hammer and sickle to the official flag of the Russian Army
Russia's Parliament has voted to restore the communist-era hammer and sickle to the official flag of the Russian Army. It is expect President Vladimir Putin will ratify the move in time for next week's commemorations marking the end of World War II in Europe. If so, Russians will again have the Soviet version of the victory banner for next week's Victory in Europe parade in Moscow. ... The red banner, together with the hammer, sickle and a white star, was the one raised on the Reichstag roof on May 1, 1945. Millions of people all over the world know that photograph, but in Russia its significance is much deeper, with the Soviet victory over fascism in World War II remaining something seen in almost religious terms. [article link]
Russian Atrocities in WW2 - Red Army (Russian) soldiers raped two million German women, and thousands of Soviet women in occupied Eastern Europe, says a book published on Monday Red Army soldiers raped two million German women, and thousands of Soviet women in occupied Eastern Europe, says a book published on Monday.... The rape of Germany left a bitter legacy. It contributed to the unpopularity of the East German communist regime and its consequent reliance on the Stasi secret police. The victims themselves were permanently traumatised: women of the wartime generation still refer to the Red Army war memorial in Berlin as "the Tomb of the Unknown Rapist". ... The day after our noble Soviet allies conquered Neisse, Silesia, 182 Catholic nuns were raped. In the diocese of Kattowitz 66 pregnant nuns were counted. In one convent when the Mother Superior and her assistant tried to protect the younger nuns with outstretched arms, they were shot down. A priest reported in Nord Amerika magazine for November 1, 1945, that he knew "several villages where all the women, even the aged and girls as young as twelve, were violated daily for weeks by the Russians." [article link]
(Wikipedia) Red Army (Russia) atrocities WWII - serious crimes, which probably offend against international law - or any of its members have ever been charged with, nor has anyone of those ever been convicted of war crimes by a court of law Red Army atrocities (WWII) gives a short overview about serious crimes, which probably offend against international law, committed by the Red Army's (1918-1946, later Soviet Army) leadership and an unknown number of single members of the Soviet armed forces during World War II (1939-45). Neither by any international military jurisdiction the Red Army's leadership or any of its members have ever been charged with, nor has anyone of those ever been convicted of war crimes by a court of law. ... Crimes committed by the Red Army in occupied territories between 1939 and 1941 and those atrocities of 1944-1945, indeed, in Poland, in the Baltic states, in Romania, in Hungary, in the Czech Republic and in Slovenia have always been present in the historical consciousness of those countries. Nevertheless, a systematic, publicly controlled discussion could begin only after the decay of the Soviet Union[16]. The same goes for those territories occupied by Soviet forces in Manchuria and the Kuril Islands, with the Soviet Union breaching its neutrality pact with Japan in 1945.[17] [article link]
Get ready for $4 gasoline - With prices at record high, demand and refining problems could push them much higher - Any relief in sight? {There is No justifiable or real reason that gas should be $2.50+ at the pump. I think Bush is desperately trying to fund radical Islam Shiite-Iran with high oil prices while directly funding radical Hamas-Hezbollah with our own tax dollars. Meanwhile the average American citizen is being deprived of the ability to maintain a healthy living standard.} NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With gas prices near record highs, experts say $4-a-gallon gasoline is just around the corner. "I think it's going to happen," said Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at Alaron Trading in Chicago. "Unless things change dramatically, I think we're going to see $4 a gallon." As pump prices set new record, experts say demand and refining problems could push them to $4 in many parts of the country. Is relief in sight? Already, prices in California average $3.48 a gallon, according to the motorist organization AAA. And one service station in San Francisco was charging $3.95, according to GasBuddy.com, a handy site that lists the
cheapest and most expensive gas stations by city and state across the country. ... Iraq's oil minister insists the future is bright despite bloodshed, bickering and oil industry doubts. CNN's Hugh Riminton reports (May 5). [article link]
Bush Wants Terrorists To Get Haven In U.S. - The president is secretly working to change immigration rules to allow foreign terrorists-including members of al-Qaida, Hamas and Hezbollah-to use the United States as a haven The president is secretly working to change immigration rules to allow foreign terrorists-including members of al-Qaida, Hamas and Hezbollah-to use the United States as a haven. The Immigration and Naturalization Act specifically bars the United States from accepting members of all armed nongovernmental groups as refugees because they are considered terrorists. These include members of political or social organizations that endorse or espouse terrorist activity as well as the spouses or children of those inadmissible under that category. Now the White House is pushing for an amendment to the law that would give the president authority to wave those longtime restrictions. [article link]
Sunni demand could unravel Iraqi government - Iraq's top Sunni official Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi "If the constitution is not subject to major changes, definitely, I will tell my constituency frankly that I have made the mistake of my life when I put my endorsement to that national accord," he said {Good for him, Bush has run a major scam on the Sunni people of Iraq and things need to change for the better for them over there.} BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's top Sunni official has set a deadline of next week for pulling his entire bloc out of the government -- a potentially devastating blow to reconciliation efforts within Iraq. He also said he turned down an offer by President Bush to visit Washington until he can count more fully on U.S. help. Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi made his comments in an interview with CNN. He said if key amendments to the Iraq Constitution are not made by May 15, he will step down and pull his 44 Sunni politicians out of the 275member Iraqi parliament. "If the constitution is not subject to major changes, definitely, I will tell my constituency frankly that I have made the mistake of my life when I put my endorsement to that national accord," he said. Specifically, he wants guarantees in the constitution that the country won't be split into Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish federal states that he says will disadvantage Sunnis. Al-Hashimi's cooperation with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government is widely seen as essential if there is to be a realistic chance of bridging the Shiite-Sunni divide in Iraq -- one of the key goals of the Bush administration. ... Without a change to the constitution, he said, "The situation would be a disaster for Iraq." He added, "I would like to see the identity of my country, in fact, restored back." Al-Hashimi said he has expressed his concerns to Bush, and that for now he will not travel to the United States unless he knows it will result in action. [article link]
NEWSWEEK Poll: Bush Hits All-Time Low 28% - and the leading Dems beat every major '08 Republican Coincidence? It's hard to say which is worse news for Republicans: that George W. Bush now has the worst approval rating of an American president in a generation, or that he seems to be dragging every '08 Republican presidential candidate down with him. But According to the new NEWSWEEK Poll, the public's approval of Bush has sunk to 28 percent, an all-time low for this president in our poll, and a point lower than Gallup recorded for his father at Bush Sr.'s nadir. The last president to be this unpopular was Jimmy Carter who also scored a 28 percent approval in 1979. This remarkably low rating seems to be casting a dark shadow over the GOP's chances for victory in '08. The NEWSWEEK Poll finds each of the leading Democratic contenders beating the Republican frontrunners in head-to-head matchups. [article link]
Overland Missions :: Any Road... Any Load... Any Time! - CHOOSE your MISSION Overland Missions is a missions organization committed to empowering the third world indigenous church and bringing the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. Through expedition-style missions we lead teams into locations that would otherwise remain neglected or unreached (a condition usually caused only by an area's lack of accessibility). Based in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Overland Missions' motto is, "Any Road, any Load, any Time". We believe this statement to be indicative of our commitment and our approach to meet the needs of the third world. We utilize the best equipment technology has to offer, the expertise of over 15 years of reconnaissance experience, and the revelation of the New Creation purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. Overland mobilizes young adults into more than 30 nations. We take God at His word and believe by faith to see the book of Acts continued in the earth today. We claim every nation, every island, every tribe, and every soul within our jurisdiction to reach, teach and empower with the Gospel. [article link]
Travel The Road - TV Season 1 - 12 Episodes! - The award winning series that changed the way we look at missionaries - 4 DVD Set Travel The Road TV Series Episodes 1-12 DVD. Buy Season 1 and Save! Bring home the amazing adventures of Tim Scott and Will Decker in the first ever documented reality missions series "Travel The Road". On the DVD are extra features like 15 minutes of never before scene footage, audio commentary, interactive menus, country profiles, and much more. Available in either format VHS or DVD. Get Season 2 and complete the series! [article link]
Travel the Road: Season 2 Boxed Set - DVD Reality TV Series: Season 2 of the amazing adventures of Tim Scott and Will Decker. The award winning series (NRB People's Choice Award, Nova award, Telly award, Best Series, Best Editing) that changed the way we look at missionaries returns with a bold new adventure in Travel The Road Season Two. [article link]
White House hopeful Romney woos religious right - Romney, addressing graduates of evangelist Pat Robertson's Regent University in Virginia - The Web site of Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network lists Mormonism on a page entitled "How Do I Recognize a Cult?" - Still, the evangelist had praise for Romney, including his balancing of the Massachusetts budget without hiking taxes VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney wooed Christian conservatives on Saturday but passed up a chance to address their concerns about his Mormon roots. ... Analysts say Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and investment banker, has lagged in part because of his Mormon faith. Some conservatives have questioned his dedication to their beliefs because he previously supported abortion rights, before changing his public stance in recent years. ... Larry Sabato, a politics professor at the University of Virginia, said Romney would have to address the issue of his faith eventually. "Mormonism is hurting him," he said, adding that Romney's switch on abortion was a political move. "An adult in his 40s and 50s having this overnight conversion -- nobody buys that." Romney previously was a bishop in Massachusetts of the Mormon faith's Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [article link]
'None of the Above' Beats Romney, Giuliani, and McCain in Conservative Poll - More conservatives say "none of the above" in a just-released poll than vote for any of the present GOP presidential candidates MANASSAS, Va., May 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More conservatives say "none of the above" in a justreleased poll than vote for any of the present GOP presidential candidates, including the three -- Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and John McCain -- who are considered the GOP front-runners. The presidential preference poll was conducted by the conservative website www.conservativesbetrayed.com/. It was taken immediately after the Thursday night GOP presidential contenders' debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. "None of these" was the preference of 25.6% of the conservatives who responded to the poll. The most preferred
candidate was the most conservative of the nine presidential wannabees, Ron Paul, who at 19.5% edged out Mitt Romney (16.5%). Trailing far behind them were Rudy Giuliani (6.8%) and John McCain (2.3%). Libertarians were tallied separately from conservatives. [article link]
Billericay Baptist Church (England) - The Devil's Grip On Your Life (2 Cor 10:1-6) - (Mp3) Welcome to the Billericay Baptist Church website! We are a large, lively church situated in the Essex town of Billericay in England, with two congregations and a total attendance approaching 600 people. We also have a partnership with Sunnymede Chapel. As a church we believe in a God who is intimately interested in your life. We love to meet together to learn more about Him and of course meet with Him. We place a strong emphasis on teaching from the Bible and on encountering God in worship. [article link]
Real Radio - Pastor Jack Hibbs - SPECIAL OFFER OF THE MONTH - 2 DVD Set On Islam Recently Pastor Jack was asked to teach at the Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara Prophecy Conference. There he laid out some very alarming information about the threat of radical Islam in America. Not only has Islam spread throughout western Europe but it has now come here to America. Its influence has spread throughout our government, our communities and even our schools. If you've been someone who would rather just not know ... it's time to wake up! ... A new friend of the ministry at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills is Brigitte Gabriel, wellknown author of the book Because They Hate. Brigitte is a Lebanese Christian who herself is a survivor of terrorism. You may have seen her on national TV news broadcasts such as Hannity and Colmes or Glenn Beck. Through arrangements orchestrated by the Lord we were able to host Brigitte Gabriel for a Sunday evening service. Her message was riveting. You must hear what she has to say. For a gift of any amount in support of Real Radio we will send you both DVDs on Islam in America - Pastor Jack and Brigitte Gabriel. [article link]
Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) - Podcast Archives 400+ Podcasts 'Get Podcasts' (Mp3's) All of our students have been on the same road, looking for direction and wondering how to maximize their lives for [Jesus] Christ. If you feel God is leading you to study God's Word and prepare for ministry, join us and Discover Dallas! [article link]
Faculty Profile: Reg Grant - Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) - "DTS's mission is to glorify God by equipping godly servant-leaders for the proclamation of His Word and the building up of the body of Christ worldwide" He sat on the pew and watched the plates of wafers and grape juice go by-his stomach was churning. Although he was only nine, his appetite rivaled that of almost any boy in town. Leaning over, young Reg asked his mother, "What do I have to do in order to eat?" She said he'd probably have to join the church. He did just that. In the process, however, he found out that communion was about much more than just filling your stomach. The pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Beeville, Texas, gave him a little blue book that explained what [Jesus] Christ had done on the cross for him. "I was pierced to the heart that someone would love me enough to die for me," he later said. After reading the book, he knelt down beside his bed and placed his trust in [Jesus] Christ. [article link]
Handbook to Prayer: Praying Scripture Back to God (Book) Looking for powerful prayer time? Praying scripture back to God is an amazing part of a balanced prayer life. This amazing resource will help. This is not a book about "Prayer" - it is for "Prayer" and praying scripture back to God. [article link]
Romney can run, but he can't hide -- from the hacks - Mitt was a venture capitalist - He took over failing corporations and turned them around by laying off extraneous layers of unneeded people The former governor of Massachusetts found himself in Simi Valley, Calif., on a stage full of guys with ill-fitting suits, bad hair, fractured syntax and tired eyes. Mitt quit the governorship, raised $25 million and traveled three time zones for this? Mitt was a venture capitalist. He took over failing corporations and turned them around by laying off extraneous layers of unneeded people. He had to be thinking last night how many of these governmental middle-management types around him need a pink slip from the race, pronto. [article link]
At Satanist Aleister Crowley's death, L. Ron Hubbard ("Battlefield Earth" author) believed that he was the self appointed Messiah to usher in the New Age under Antichrist Hubbard's occult ties have as of late come under more frequent exposure. Biographer Bent Corydon explains that the Satanist Aleister Crowley's Book of the Law was "perhaps the most important book in the life of L. Ron Hubbard." Before starting Scientology, Hubbard was closely associated with occultist Jack Parsons, the head of Aleister Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis in California. Known as his "magick partner," Hubbard and Parsons embarked on eclectic occult missions in pursuit of the demonic New Aeon spoken of by Crowley. At Scientology's headquarters in New York, the group's historical records contain letters between Parsons and Crowley that mention Hubbard several times. According to Parsons, Hubbard was ready and willing to bring about the kingdom of the antichrist in accord with Crowley's Magick. Jack Parsons wrote to Crowley early in 1946: ... One of Crowley's teachings was that in order to effectively spread his philosophies one would need to start a new religion. Hubbard's aptitude as a Crowleyian occultist applied this insight, thereby giving birth to his Church of Scientology. Consequently, Scientology's teachings are fully base upon the whole of Crowley's satanic dictums. In his book, Magick in Theory and Practice, Crowley wrote: "The whole and sole object of all true magickal training is to become free from every kind of limitation." Adopting the same stated purpose for Scientology, Hubbard said in a taped Scientology lecture: "Our whole activity tends to make an individual completely independent of any type of limitation.... Old Aleister Crowley had some interesting things to say about this. He wrote the Book of the Law." Crowley's diabolical plan for the New Age was to be renamed and giftwrapped for the new generation under the guise of Scientology. Hubbard copied a distinctively marked cross from the back of Crowley's Tarot-cards, which he used as the main cross and symbol for the Church. Hubbard even boasted to a group of Scientologists of his friendship with Crowley. [article link]
Mitt Romney's Hidden Geek - What we can learn from Romney's favorite book - You simply need a deep level of weird to like Battlefield Earth - The speed with which some of his aides tried to distance the [ex]governor from his remarks suggests they think he now looks a little too weird For those of you who didn't study it in school, Battlefield Earth takes place in the year 3000, when the human race is nearly extinct and the planet stripped of its natural resources. Mankind has been enslaved by evil aliens with very bad breath that explodes when it comes into contact with radioactive material. A young slave wielding lasers and draped in a tennis cardigan leads a rebellion and retakes Earth, only to be attacked again by a series of foes including a race of interstellar bankers trying to collect on bad debts. ... The whole tumbling horror of the Battlefield Earth experience is so profound it nearly comes out the other side and achieves a kind of perfection of awfulness. ... voters may not want to vote in another administration that believes in alternative realities-even if it's just in their nighttime reading-but these are minor concerns. [article link]
Former Governor James McGreevey Accepted Into Seminary School - McGreevey resigned from office in August 2004 after admitting he is gay and had cheated on his wife with a man he had hired to be his homeland security adviser Former New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey has been accepted to an Episcopal seminary school in Manhattan with the intent of starting the process of being a priest. McGreevey applied to study at the General Theological
Seminary in New York, the oldest one of the Episcopal church. McGreevey resigned from office in August 2004 after admitting he is gay and had cheated on his wife with a man he had hired to be his homeland security adviser. He is currently going through the "discernment" phase that precedes joining the seminary, Rev. Kevin Bean, vicar at St. Bartholomew's Church in Manhattan, told The Star-Ledger. [article link]
Iraqi parliament's break tests Congress' patience - They are furious that Iraqi politicians are considering a lengthy break this summer - "If they go off on vacation for two months while our troops fight -- that would be the outrage of outrages" said Rep. Chris Shays, R-Connecticut {The Iraq invasion-rebuild is strictly a part of the British New World Order (NWO) system. Iraq has a British Parliament Government and not an American Republic-Democracy. When Bush invaded Iraq he did it for the NWO and not for any other reason.} The Iraq parliament's recess, starting this July, would likely come without Baghdad politicians reaching agreements considered key to easing sectarian tensions. Examples include regulating distribution of the country's oil wealth and reversing measures that have excluded many Sunnis from jobs and government positions because of Baath party membership. Talk of the adjournment comes amid a heated debate in Congress on the pullout of U.S. troops in Iraq. [article link]
Bible verse: 1 Timothy 2:1-6 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} 1 Timothy 2:1-6 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. -- Bible [article link]
Panel cites gross violations of religious freedom in Iraq - Soaring sectarian violence and government abuses have caused an alarming deterioration in religious freedom in Iraq - worship is under severe threat - followers of numerous minority beliefs [*Christians] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Soaring sectarian violence and government abuses have caused an alarming deterioration in religious freedom in Iraq, prompting a U.S. advisory panel for the first time to place it on a watch list of countries where worship is under severe threat. Citing gross violations of the rights of Sunni and Shiite Muslims, as well as followers of numerous minority beliefs [*Christians], the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom added Iraq to its "watch list" on Wednesday. Violations included arbitrary arrests, torture and rape. Iraq joins Afghanistan, Belarus, Egypt, Bangladesh, Cuba, Indonesia and Nigeria on the list. Their designation is a notch below the designation "country of particular concern," which would make them subject to possible U.S. sanctions. [article link]
Bush veto forces Dems to weigh difficult concessions {Bush doesn't care how far down he drags the nation into his Failed (pro-Shiite) foreign policy. Bush is also running an Iraq-oil scam and he is committed to $3-$5 gasoline at the pump no matter what destruction it causes America.} WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush's veto of an Iraq war spending bill that set timelines for U.S. troop withdrawals puts new pressure on Democrats in Congress to craft a compromise even as their caucus grows more fractious on the topic. The party's most liberal members, especially in the House, say they will vote against money for continuing the war if there's no binding language on troop drawdowns. Bush and almost all congressional Republicans continue to insist on a spending bill with no strings attached on troop movements. [article link]
Free Ubuntu Download - Ubuntu 7.04 - Supported to 2008 Feel free to view the complete list of download locations and other download options. This list is sorted by continent and country and is updated frequently so that it only includes mirrors that have the most recent files. Note, the list is quite long. [article link]
Learn how to create a Boot-Install CD from your newly downloaded Ubuntu 7.04 file: - CD image files, called ISOs Ubuntu is distributed over the Internet as CD image files, called ISOs. To install Ubuntu, you first need to burn its ISO file onto a CD. You need a working CD/DVD burner and an 80 minute (700 Mb) CD for this. This page explains how you can do it using Windows, Mac OS X, Ubuntu and Kubuntu. If the CD writing fails, try writing at a slower burn speed. The CDIntegrityCheck page describes how to verify the integrity of the finished disk. If your finished disk fails to boot when you restart your computer, please refer to the BootFromCD page. The GettingUbuntu page has links to the ISO image files, as well as other methods of GettingUbuntu. [article link]
Ubuntu Online User Guide - Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) was released on April 19th, 2007 - This guide is a constantly evolving work-in-progress This guide was started by Chua Wen Kiat (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia). It is now being maintained by the Linux Center of University of Latvia, and everyone else who is willing to contribute. This guide can be discussed at the official UbuntuGuide.org Forum at ubuntuforums.org. Stop by and join the discussion. [article link]
How to install KDE - from the Ubuntu Terminal type "sudo aptitude install kubuntu-desktop" - This installation will require ~400MB of disk space {After installing Ubuntu on your computer you will likely want to upgrade to the free KDE desktop. Both desktops will be available on your computer.} How to install KDE - "sudo aptitude install kubuntu-desktop" Note: This installation will require ~400MB of disk space - To log in to KDE click on Sessions and choose KDE. [article link]
Bible verse: Psalms 108:1-5 O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory - Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Psalms 108:1-5 O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; -- Bible [article link]
Monitoring Americans - government seems increasingly suspicious of its citizens and Americans as a result are coming under an increasing amount of surveillance This trend runs counter to American legal tradition and philosophy. In a free society, citizens are innocent until proven guilty. If government, the arbiter of the law, presumes its citizens are innocent, it has no reason to keep them under surveillance. The fact that government now is increasingly surveilling civil society strongly indicates that government no longer trusts the people. In a society in which police task forces are used to intimidate citizens and in which people are placed under constant surveillance, government no longer serves the people, but seeks to be their master. This adversarial relationship between citizens and the state has increasingly characterized the United States since 9/11 - and the result is a society in which citizens come under increasing and near-constant scrutiny by government. ... The most obvious tools of this surveillance state are the now almost-ubiquitous closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras that have increasingly popped up on commercial
buildings, street corners, highways, and intersections. In New York City, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) points out that a 2005 "survey found 4176 cameras below Fourteenth Street, more than five times the 769 cameras counted in that area in 1998." The New York system is still expanding. According to the NYCLU, "The New York City Police Department, spurred by the promise of $9 million in Federal Homeland Security grants and up to $81.5 million in federal counter-terrorism funding, announced this year that it plans to create 'a citywide system of closed-circuit televisions' operated from a single control center." Video surveillance is not just confined to New York City. CCTV cameras are showing up in significant numbers around the country. [article link]
Senators make clear Bush's wiretap proposal faces uphill battle in Congress - "Is the administration's proposal necessary, or does it take a step further down a path that we will regret as a nation?" WASHINGTON: Citing FBI abuses and the attorney general's troubles, senators peppered top Justice and intelligence officials Tuesday with skeptical questions about their proposal to revise the rules for spying on Americans. Senate Intelligence Committee members said the Bush administration must provide more information about its earlier domestic spying before it can hope to gain additional powers for the future. "Is the administration's proposal necessary, or does it take a step further down a path that we will regret as a nation?" [article link]
Tony Blair promised yesterday that he would stand down as Prime Minister "in the next few weeks" - The announcement was a late attempt to avert a large protest vote against Labour in tomorrow's mid-term elections - Mr Blair fears that disillusioned Labour voters intend to give Labour a "kicking" because they are angry with him over issues such as Iraq He is planning to announce next Wednesday or Thursday that he is resigning as Labour leader. The decision should see Gordon Brown succeed him in Downing Street by July 2. Mr Blair used a television interview on the 10th anniversary of the 1997 general election victory that swept him to power to confirm that he will be gone within weeks. ... Mr Blair fears that disillusioned Labour voters intend to give Labour a "kicking" because they are angry with him over issues such as Iraq. [article link]
Bush Will Lie To Us "About Anything" - the Maliki "government" can't meet any benchmarks, even if they were enforced, because that government exists only as a fictional White House talking point To pick just one overarching example: much of the press still takes it as a given that Iraq has a functioning government that might meet political benchmarks (oil law, de-Baathification reform, etc., etc.) that would facilitate an American withdrawal. In reality, the Maliki "government" can't meet any benchmarks, even if they were enforced, because that government exists only as a fictional White House talking point. As Gen. Barry McCaffrey said last week, this government doesn't fully control a single province. Its Parliament, now approaching a scheduled summer recess, has passed no major legislation in months. Iraq's sole recent democratic achievement is to ban the release of civilian casualty figures, lest they challenge White House happy talk about "progress" in Iraq. [article link]
Obama: Iraq Veto Bush's Latest Foolhardy Step - In a conference call, the Illinois senator criticized President George W. Bush for massive policy blunders in Iraq, but he also said that impeaching him or calling him a war criminal is a waste of time Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke with Iowa veterans Tuesday. In a conference call, the Illinois senator criticized President George W. Bush for massive policy blunders in Iraq, but he also said that impeaching him or calling him a war criminal is a waste of time. "We have to reserve terms like war criminal to behavior that goes beyond initiating a foolhardy war," Obama said. ... Obama said Democrats need to continue pressing Bush to withdraw troops from Iraq, but that the effort would fail without more support from
independents and Republicans. [article link]
Bush Vetoes Troop Withdrawal Bill - Democrats accused Bush of ignoring Americans' desire to stop the war, which has claimed the lives of more than 3,350 members of the military "The president wants a blank check," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., moments after Bush's appearance. "The Congress is not going to give it to him." She said lawmakers would work with him to find common ground but added that there was "great distance" between them on Iraq. The legislation amounted to a rare rebuke of a wartime president and an assertion by Democrats that Congress must play a major role in Iraq and the extent of U.S. involvement. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Bush has an obligation to explain his plan for responsibly ending the war. "If the president thinks by vetoing this bill, he'll stop us from working to change the direction of the war in Iraq, he is mistaken," Reid said. [article link]
OliveTreeViews.org: "90 Minutes in Heaven" - Are such experiences legitimate? When one dies, is there a scripture verse that says some will visit Heaven (or hell) and return to tell the world about it? Not really - What, then, can we make of the many people who claim to have made these journeys? I have had numerous emails and inquiries about the best-selling Don Piper book, "90 Minutes in Heaven." Are such experiences legitimate? When one dies, is there a scripture verse that says some will visit Heaven (or hell) and return to tell the world about it? Not really. What, then, can we make of the many people who claim to have made these journeys? Piper is sincere and loves God. He seems to believe that he experienced Heaven and has been called by God now to share his experience. He's impressed a lot of people as the book has sold over 500,000 copies. I believe he wants to encourage Christians. He says, "Because I was able to experience Heaven, I was able to prepare for it. And now I am preparing you." Many over the years have claimed similar experiences due in part because "experiential Christianity" is so popular. I have to ask, "What was wrong with that old time religion where [we] just studied God's Word and didn't go beyond it?" We didn't need supernatural happenings? The Bible could stand alone. We could long for and anticipate Heaven even if all we know of it comes from the Bible. [article link]
Truths That Transform - Dr. D. James Kennedy - 90 Minutes in Heaven 1 (Mp3) Don Piper's ride home was not a pleasant experience! Not only was he killed in a car accident...he came back to life 90 minutes later with tremendous pain! So, what happened in-between, and why is Don Piper alive to tell his story today? [article link]
Constitution Party - Press Releases (Articles) Note that the official positions of the Constitution Party are stated in our platform. This article or transcript contains the opinions of the author and are not necessarily to be construed as representing the official positions of the CP. Nevertheless, we hope you find this piece thought-provoking and helpful as you consider what you can do to help "Restore the Republic". [article link]
Bush impeachment calls grow louder - Bush's critics have long charged that he illegally manipulated intelligence to accuse the Iraqi government of late president Saddam Hussein of secretly stockpiling weapons of mass destruction, thereby creating a false pretext for the war - and by lying and violating the trust of the American people April was one of the deadliest months in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, with hundreds of Iraqi civilians and over 100 American troops killed, further increasing pressure on President Bush, whose "troop surge" plan showed no signs of progress in either halting Iraq's raging violence or reducing the mounting death toll. Bush's
repeated threats to veto a Democrat-backed legislation linking war funding to the withdrawal of U.S. troops by the end of next March intensified calls for the president's impeachment over his handling of the war in Iraq. ... Bush's critics have long charged that he illegally manipulated intelligence to accuse the Iraqi government of late president Saddam Hussein of secretly stockpiling weapons of mass destruction, thereby creating a false pretext for the war. The White House strongly denies the intelligence manipulation charge, despite the fact that no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq. ... "The administration's actions in deceiving Congress and the nation about the threat posed by Iraq to illegally justify starting the war are particularly outrageous and just the start," Williams said, accusing the Bush administration of violating the UN charter by launching an illegal "war of aggression" against Iraq without cause and by lying and violating the trust of the American people. [article link]
MORE ON ROMNEY'S READING LIST - As we mentioned earlier today, Romney told FOX yesterday that L. Ron Hubbard's "Battlefield Earth" is his favorite novel - "I'm dumbfounded. Mitt Romney was a valedictorian English Major (B.A., Brigham Young University, 1971)." As we mentioned earlier today, Romney told FOX yesterday that L. Ron Hubbard's "Battlefield Earth" is his favorite novel. The Romney campaign replied to First Read that the governor "is an avid reader and has read many books." And, per his Facebook site, other books he likes include "Huckleberry Finn," Richard Ben Cramer's "What It Takes," Edmund Morris' "Theodore Rex," and Tom Friedman's "The World is Flat." [article link]
Afghan students burn Bush effigy in protest - The incident came amid concern about claims of heavy civilian casualties in the western province of Herat - "If the Americans have suspicions of people they must arrest the suspects and try them in a court not directly kill them in their houses with their family" JALALABAD (Afghanistan): Afghan students burned an effigy of US President George W Bush on Tuesday as they rallied in a third day of protests against civilians alleged to have been killed by coalition troops. A crowd of about 500 blocked a highway in the eastern province of Nangarhar, where six people were killed on Sunday. The incident came amid concern about claims of heavy civilian casualties in the western province of Herat. ... "If the Americans have suspicions of people they must arrest the suspects and try them in a court not directly kill them in their houses with their family," he said. [article link]
Shadowy Iraq office accused of sectarian agenda - Iraq's prime minister has created an entity within his government that U.S. and Iraqi military officials say is being used as a smokescreen to hide an extreme Shiite agenda that is worsening the country's sectarian divide BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's prime minister has created an entity within his government that U.S. and Iraqi military officials say is being used as a smokescreen to hide an extreme Shiite agenda that is worsening the country's sectarian divide. The "Office of the Commander in Chief" has the power to overrule other government ministries, according to U.S. military and intelligence sources. Those sources say the 24-member office is abusing its power, increasingly overriding decisions made by the Iraqi Ministries of Defense and Interior and potentially undermining the entire U.S. effort in Iraq. The Office, as it is known in Baghdad, was set up about four months ago with the knowledge of American forces in Iraq. Its goal is ostensibly to advise Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki -- the nation's new commander in chief -- on military matters. According to a U.S. intelligence source, the Office is "ensuring the emplacement of commanders it favors and can control, regardless of what the ministries want." [article link]
Daily Encouragement Net Podcast - Daily Encouragement Net is encouraging followers of Jesus Christ with hope and encouragement from the Bible (Mp3) Mon, 30 April 2007 "Purity" (1 Timothy 5:22) "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl" (Job
31:1). "Keep yourself pure" (1 Timothy 5:22). [article link]
Thru the Bible Sunday Sermons - Dr. J. Vernon McGee (Mp3) These Sunday Serrmon messages form a collection of the most effective and fruitful sermons given by Dr. J. Vernon McGee during his 21-year pastorate (1949-1970) at the historic Church of the Open Door when it was located in downtown Los Angeles. [article link]
729 full-length sermons from Skip Heitzig covering the entire Bible - 729 TEACHINGS IN MP3 FORMAT THROUGH THE BIBLE (Mp3 $42.50) The Through the Bible Teaching Library contains 729 full-length sermons from Skip Heitzig covering the entire Bible. The teachings are in an MP3 format and come on a set of 15 CDROMS. Each CD contains an MP3 player that can be used to listen to the MP3 files. The files can also be copied to your computer and then listened to using your media player. [article link]
Bill on Iraq to Be Delivered 4 Years After Bush's Words - on the fourth anniversary of the day Mr. Bush stood on an aircraft carrier under the banner "Mission Accomplished" and declared that major combat operations in Iraq had ended WASHINGTON, April 30 - Democratic leaders in Congress are planning a special ceremony on Tuesday afternoon to send President Bush a bill that sets timetables for troop withdrawal from Iraq. Go to Complete Coverage » The timing is no accident. It comes on the fourth anniversary of the day Mr. Bush stood on an aircraft carrier under the banner "Mission Accomplished" and declared that major combat operations in Iraq had ended. ... Democratic leaders delivered a final argument on Monday for Mr. Bush to sign the bill. "We ask him again to listen to the American people and his own military experts," Mr. Reid said on the Senate floor. "We ask that he finally summon the courage to admit his mistakes and take the steps we propose to begin to heal the grave wounds he has caused." [article link]
Veto Bush's Veto - By vetoing it, he's just showing that he really doesn't want to fund the troops and he wants to blame it on the Democrats I don't understand why in the **** the Democrats don't understand that they have the upper hand here, why they won't take control, why they won't show some gumption and start leading instead of following Baby Bush, why they're so afraid of another Baby Bush tantrum. ... THEY'RE JUST STALLING, ANYWAY... The Dem candidates have bought that PNAC project for endless profits through endless wars and World Domination. The 'fight' is only over which Party gets to be The Dictator. NONE of the "leading candidates" gives a fatratsazz about AMERICANS or about America! They are ALL totally self-serving, and if you don't know that by now, you're on another planet. BOTH party Candidates are equally rotten! It is time for a third party... preferably a NON party! It would be a VERY HEALING thing to have 4 years of NEITHER Repub NOR Dem with their damnedable dirty corruption. [article link]
Many Washington ties in Romney camp - stocked with Washington insiders, even as he proudly casts himself as a political outsider on the campaign trail BOSTON - Republican Mitt Romney is heading a presidential campaign stocked with Washington insiders, even as he proudly casts himself as a political outsider on the campaign trail. ... Romney has ceded his polling, advertising and large chunks of his communications and strategy to specialists from inside the Beltway. ... "I do not believe Washington can be transformed from within by a lifelong politician," the former Massachusetts governor declared Feb. 13 in his campaign announcement speech. "There have been too many deals, too many
favors, too many entanglements and too little real world experience managing, guiding, leading." ... the former Massachusetts governor is being advised by a core group similar to that which served him in the Statehouse, even as he imports Washington talent to his campaign headquarters overlooking Boston Harbor. [article link]
{Flashback} $6m more OK'd for (Massachusetts Turnpike) Big Dig repairs - {No wonder Gov. Big Dig Mitt Romney only wants to talk about the 02 Winter Olympics, not sure anyone would want this taxpayer fiasco on their Presidential resume!} The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority yesterday approved an additional $6 million to pay for Big Dig repairs, increasing the price tag from last summer's fatal tunnel ceiling collapse to $31 million -- with more potentially to come. ... About a month after Del Valle's death, Big Dig officials sought and received $15 million for fixes, but warned that the amount was a preliminary estimate. In December, the turnpike authority board approved another $10 million at the request of Big Dig officials. The Turnpike Authority board's chairman, John Cogliano , who presided over the aftermath of the tunnel collapse as transportation secretary under former governor Mitt Romney , said any initial estimates made on repair costs were based on limited information. "If you go back to July, we didn't know," he said. "We didn't know what the problems were. I would be hard pressed to come up with an estimate back then." ... The money has come from the state government's bond account. Attorney General Martha Coakley is contemplating a lawsuit against Big Dig contractors to recover the money. [article link]
Romney's 'sixth son' handles campaign money - Mitt Romney has five sons, but if he had another, it would be Spencer Zwick - Zwick grew up in Salt Lake City, but also lived abroad for almost 10 years of his childhood in Chile and Brazil - He served a Mormon Church mission to Bangkok, Thailand Zwick, 28, has been the presidential candidate's right-hand man for years, and now as Romney's national finance director, he is heading up the most crucial part of Romney's White House bid. Zwick, a holdover from Romney's days as the chief of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, is at the gut of Romney's campaign, and recently oversaw one of the most impressive hauls of campaign cash for a Republican candidate this early in the game: $21 million in less than three months.Romney and his wife, Ann, have called Zwick their "sixth son," a far cry from when the Brigham Young University student volunteered to translate documents for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee in advance of the Games. Zwick's first success in the campaign came a few days after Romney announced his presidential exploratory committee. Zwick organized a large fund-raising event and called it a National Call Day. Executives, friends, associates and supporters filled out a convention-hall ballroom and raised $6.5 million in one day. ... I don't know exactly what I'll do, but at least in the next several years I'm going to do everything I can to get Mitt Romney the resources he needs so he can be the next president of the United States." [article link]
Worldwide Terror Attacks Up By 25 Percent in 2006 WASHINGTON - Terrorist attacks worldwide shot up 25 percent last year, particularly in Iraq where extremists used chemical weapons and suicide bombers to target crowds. In its annual global survey of terrorism to be released Monday, the State Department says about 14,000 attacks took place in 2006, mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan. These strikes claimed more than 20,000 lives - two-thirds in Iraq. That is 3,000 more attacks than in 2005 and 5,800 more deaths. ... The numbers were compiled by the National Counterterrorism Center and refer to deaths and injuries sustained by non-combatants," with significant increases in attacks targeting children, educators and journalists. "By far the largest number of reported terrorist incidents occurred in the Near East and South Asia," says the 335-page report, referring to the regions where Iraq and Afghanistan are located. [article link]
Maliki's office is seen behind purge in forces - Some top commanders who were removed, arrested had pursued militias - several were considered to be among the better Iraqi officers in the field - The dismissals have angered U.S. and Iraqi leaders who say the Shiite-led government is sabotaging the military to achieve sectarian goals BAGHDAD - A department of the Iraqi prime minister's office is playing a leading role in the arrest and removal of senior Iraqi army and national police officers, some of whom have apparently worked too aggressively to combat violent Shiite militias, according to U.S. military officials in Baghdad. Since March 1, at least 16 army and national police commanders have been fired, detained or pressured to resign; at least nine of them are Sunnis, according to U.S. military documents shown to The Washington Post. ... "Their only crimes or offenses were they were successful" against the Mahdi Army, a powerful Shiite militia, said Brig. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard, commanding general of the Iraq Assistance Group, which works with Iraqi security forces. "I'm tired of seeing good Iraqi officers having to look over their shoulders when they're trying to do the right thing." The issue strikes at a central question about the fledgling government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki: whether it can put sectarian differences aside to deliver justice fairly. [article link]
Iran confirms it will attend summit on Iraq - Iran, a Muslim Shiite-majority nation, has considerable influence among Iraqi Shiites Tehran, Iran (AP) -- Iran on Sunday confirmed it will attend this week's conference on Iraq in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik, saying its delegation will be headed by its foreign minister. The announcement will be widely welcomed as Iran, a Muslim Shiite-majority nation, has considerable influence among Iraqi Shiites, who now lead the Baghdad government. Iran is also suspected of having influential links with Shiite insurgent groups -- although it has repeatedly denied such ties. ... In Baghdad, an adviser in the prime minister's office, Sadiq al-Rikabi, confirmed Larijani would meet senior Iraqi officials. "It is a very important visit," he added. [article link]
{Flashback} Once Opposed, Bush Begins Nation Building - As a candidate for the presidency in 2000, George W. Bush insisted that, if elected, he would not allow U.S. military forces to engage in "nation building" - Before the U.S.-led invasion, Iraq was a secular nation and westernized in many ways {Now Iraq is well on its way to being entrenched in radical Shiite Islam and being in partnership with radical Iran and radical Hamas. Of course this has been the secret Bush plan from the start!} WASHINGTON -- As a candidate for the presidency in 2000, George W. Bush insisted that, if elected, he would not allow U.S. military forces to engage in "nation building." No way would he follow President Bill Clinton's foray into nation building in the Balkans, Bush declared. Famous last words. Now that we have blasted Iraq to save it, Bush is in the business of nation building as U.S. military forces struggle to put that broken nation back together. Nation building in Iraq means not only getting the water and electrical supply going and arranging garbage collections. It also means writing a new constitution and creating a government. In the meantime, U.S. troops are performing basic police functions like directing traffic. The Bush administration is so eager to run Iraq that it insists on limiting the role of the United Nations to humanitarian relief. ... Before the U.S.-led invasion, Iraq was a secular nation and westernized in many ways, under the iron rule of ruthless dictator Saddam Hussein. It had one of the best water systems in the Middle East. The socialist regime provided free education and access to health care. But of course, Iraqis had none of the freedoms we cherish. [article link]
Satellite navigation users at risk for false messages - Two security experts have discovered a way to inject false messages -- some amusing and others potentially frightening -- into car satellite navigation systems April 20, 2007 (IDG News Service) Two security experts have discovered a way to inject false messages -- some amusing and others potentially frightening -- into car satellite navigation systems. Andrea Barisani, chief security engineer for Inverse Path Ltd. and Daniele Bianco, a hardware hacker at Inverse Path, used off the shelf equipment to transmit messages to their car satellite navigation system warning of conditions ranging from
foggy weather to terrorist attacks. They presented their findings on Friday at CanSecWest a security conference taking place this week in Vancouver. ... Some were amusing. One code number alerts users that there's a bull fight in progress. Another one indicates delays due to a parade. But some weren't so funny. One tells users that there has been a terrorist incident. Another indicates a bomb alert and another an air crash. The researchers demonstrated this capability in order to spread awareness that this type of hack could happen maliciously. Barisani advises satellite navigation users that if they ever see an alarming message on their device, "don't freak out immediately, listen to the news on the radio to get confirmation." [article link]
Two charged with hacking LA traffic lights - Disruption occurred just before August job action January 10, 2007 (IDG News Service) -- Two men have been charged with illegal computer access after they allegedly hacked into the Los Angeles city traffic center to turn off traffic lights at four intersections last August. The two men, both engineers with the city's Automated Traffic Surveillance Center, accessed city computers on the morning of Aug. 21, and were able to turn off signal control boxes just hours before a job action by city engineers, the Los Angeles district attorney said in a statement released late last week. The accused were able to bar other city employees from accessing the computer system to put the lights back online. No accidents were reported, but it took four days to fix the city's traffic control system, the statement said. [article link]
Microsoft explains how the ANI bug got baked into Vista - Some of Microsoft's own development and testing tools also failed to flag the code, which Howard said was taken from Windows 2000, a seven-year, two-monthold operating system Zaterdag 28 april 2007, 11:58 - In a postmortem of last month's Windows animated (.ANI) cursor vulnerability, one of Microsoft Corp.'s security development gurus Friday spelled out how the bug sneaked into Vista. Michael Howard, an authority on Microsoft's Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) -- a multipart initiative that aims to get developers to design more secure code -- posted an extensive entry on the brand-new SDL blog that outlined lessons learned from the ANI vulnerability. "SDL is not perfect, nor will it ever be perfect," Howard acknowledged Thursday. "We still have work to do, and this bug shows that." ... Some of Microsoft's own development and testing tools also failed to flag the code, which Howard said was taken from Windows 2000, a seven-year, two-month-old operating system. ... "This is the gap that we're seeing in the [SDL] process," added Friedrichs, "in that flawed legacy code can make it into a current version of Windows. And this gives them an incentive to analyze that legacy code. I would if I were in their shoes." "They're obviously recognizing that detecting these vulnerabilities is getting more complicated, and they must get more complex in their response," said Bitle. [article link]
Working Replica of Noah's Ark Opens (Photos) - Do you believe there was a real Noah's Ark as described in the Bible? (Poll) Members of the Bible Archaeology Search and Exploration Institute claimed they found the remnants of Noah's Ark in 2006 on Mount Suleiman in Iran. What the team found jutting out of the mountain was about the size of a small aircraft carrier, similar to the Ark's dimensions as described in the Bible. [article link]
New Noah's Ark ready to sail - a replica of the biblical Ark, built by Dutch creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible SCHAGEN, Netherlands (AP) -- The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was thrown open Saturday -you could say it was the first time in 4,000 years -- drawing a crowd of curious pilgrims and townsfolk to behold the wonder. Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark, built by Dutch creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible. Reckoning by the old biblical measurements, Johan's fully functional ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's two-thirds the length of a
football field and as high as a three-story house. Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold. ... Under sunny skies Saturday, Huibers said he wasn't worried about another biblical flood, since according to Genesis, the rainbow is the sign of God's promise never to flood the world again. But he does worry that recent events such as the flooding of New Orleans could be seen as a portent of the end of time. Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands, where churchgoing has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years. He also plans to visit major cities in Belgium and Germany. [article link]
As it was in the Days of Noah - The time leading up to the Great Flood was a lot like our time in that it was characterized by a deliberate and increasing disregard for the ways of God As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man (Matt 24:37). The time leading up to the Great Flood was a lot like our time in that it was characterized by a deliberate and increasing disregard for the ways of God. Finally "the Lord saw how great man's wickedness on earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time" (Gen. 6:5). ... the sequence of events suddenly became so obvious to me. Enoch was taken alive from earth and the Holy Spirit was withdrawn. Then in Gen. 6:5 man's behavior is described as having become unbearably wicked and in Gen. 7 the judgement came, in that order. Enoch's name means teaching and according to Jude 14-15 he gave the first prophecy of the 2nd coming. ... If Enoch is indeed a model of the church and if the Lord's prophecy of Matt 24:37 includes the sequence of events, as seems likely, then one day soon we will be taken alive (raptured) from earth, the Holy Spirit withdrawn. Man's behavior will become unbearably wicked and the judgement will come, all in that order. As it was in the days of Noah. Selah. [article link]
As The Days of Noah Were - Luke 17:26: "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man" The Reason for the Flood: It was the infusion of these strange (demonic) beings into the human predicament that brought on the Flood of Noah. The Flood was preceded by four generations of prophets/preachers warning of the coming judgment: Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. It seems that this was part of Satan's stratagem to corrupt the line of Adam to prevent the fulfillment of the Messianic redemption. Noah was apparently unique in that his genealogy was still uncorrupted. The strange events which led to the flood are also alluded to in ancient mythologies. The legends of the Greek "titans"---partly terrestrial, partly celestial--embrace these same memories. (The Greek titan is linguistically linked to the Chaldean sheitan, and the Hebrew satan.) [article link]
Bush to veto troop-funding bill - The Democrat-led Congress plans to send Mr Bush a bill tomorrow that gives $124 billion for the Iraq war but requires a pull-out to begin by October 1 - The White House has said Mr Bush will waste no time in vetoing it A FIERCE political battle over a Democratic Party plan to pull US troops from Iraq is moving towards a critical stage as President George Bush prepares to veto the bill. But talks on a new bill have already quietly begun. The Democrat-led Congress plans to send Mr Bush a bill tomorrow that gives $124 billion for the Iraq war but requires a pull-out to begin by October 1. ... Democrats will highlight the unprecedented rebuke they are delivering to Mr Bush when they send him their bill tomorrow, the fourth anniversary of Mr Bush's speech on an aircraft carrier declaring the end to major combat operations in Iraq. As a reminder of the anniversary, antiwar groups are running television advertisements showing footage of Mr Bush on the carrier, decorated with a "Mission Accomplished" banner. ... The showdown comes as Mr Bush's unpopularity and a string of political setbacks have created a toxic climate for the Republican Party as it struggles to raise money and recruit candidates for its drive to retake control of Congress. Some of the party's top choices to run for the House next
year have declined. ... their clout diminished after November's mid-term election losses [article link]
Once Opposed, Bush Begins Nation Building - As a candidate for the presidency in 2000, George W. Bush insisted that, if elected, he would not allow U.S. military forces to engage in "nation building" - Before the U.S.led invasion, Iraq was a secular nation and westernized in many ways {Now Iraq is well on its way to being entrenched in radical Shiite Islam and being in partnership with radical Iran and radical Hamas. Of course this has been the secret Bush plan from the start!} WASHINGTON -- As a candidate for the presidency in 2000, George W. Bush insisted that, if elected, he would not allow U.S. military forces to engage in "nation building." No way would he follow President Bill Clinton's foray into nation building in the Balkans, Bush declared. Famous last words. Now that we have blasted Iraq to save it, Bush is in the business of nation building as U.S. military forces struggle to put that broken nation back together. Nation building in Iraq means not only getting the water and electrical supply going and arranging garbage collections. It also means writing a new constitution and creating a government. In the meantime, U.S. troops are performing basic police functions like directing traffic. The Bush administration is so eager to run Iraq that it insists on limiting the role of the United Nations to humanitarian relief. ... Before the U.S.-led invasion, Iraq was a secular nation and westernized in many ways, under the iron rule of ruthless dictator Saddam Hussein. It had one of the best water systems in the Middle East. The socialist regime provided free education and access to health care. But of course, Iraqis had none of the freedoms we cherish. [article link]
{Flashback} The DaVinci Code Movie "Seek The Truth" Sony Pictures Movie Trailer {Oops No Truth in This Movie} Full length movie trailer. [article link]
State Department official resigns over 'D.C. madam' - A top State Department official resigned Friday after revealing to ABC News that he had been a client of the alleged "D.C. madam's" (prostitute) escort service WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A top State Department official resigned Friday after revealing to ABC News that he had been a client of the alleged "D.C. madam's" escort service. A State Department official, on condition of anonymity, confirmed to CNN the reason for Randall Tobias' departure as director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The State Department said that Tobias, 65, resigned for "personal reasons." ABC reported on its Web site that Tobias, 65, said Thursday that he had used Deborah Jeane Palfrey's escort service "to have gals come over to the condo to give me a massage." He told the network that there was no sex involved. ... Two weeks ago, Palfrey revealed the name of another purported client in a court document. In a motion filed with the court regarding her counsel, Palfrey named Harlan K. Ullman as "one of the regular customers" of her business. Ullman denied the allegation. Ullman is one of the leading theorists behind the "shock and awe" military strategy that was associated with the 2003 invasion of Iraq. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush Visits Hawaii - The acting director of the White House Travel Office was robbed and beaten in Waikiki early Tuesday morning outside a night - strip club (Bobby G's Dance Club) The acting director of the White House Travel Office was robbed and beaten in Waikiki early Tuesday morning outside a night club. Gregg Pitts was mugged by two men at 2 a.m. outside of Bobby G's Dance Club. Pitts was accompanying Bush on a brief visit to Hawaii after an eight-day trip to Asia. Pitt was with a group that had dinner at Duke's and then crossed the street to Bobby G's. He was admitted to Queen's Medical Center and did not board the plane for the return to Washington. [article link]
{Flashback} White House Staffer Robbed, Beaten In Waikiki - Gregg Pitts' wallet and id were stolen, passport and international phone were also taken Pitts left the bar alone. He walked through International Marketplace, where he was confronted by three men beaten up and robbed, according to a source familiar with the case. His friends went looking for him and found him lying in a pool of blood. [article link]
{Flashback} President Bush's Visit to Hawaii Marred by Bizarre Incidents You would think that not much could happen when the President of the United States visited Hawaii for less than 24 hours with no scheduled public appearances and where all activities tool place on U.S. military bases. Well, such was not the case, [article link]
In Awe of Thy Word - Book Preview (PDF) My wholehearted endorsement is given to Dr. Gail Riplinger's new book, In Awe of Thy Word. Its subtitle, Understanding the King James Bible, Its History and Mystery, Letter by Letter, tells us that it is concerned with the smallest elements of language as it is conveyed by the Bible, with the alphabet itself and simple phonemes. The book expounds the use of these in the Bible as no other book has ever done. The very smallest of these elements, letters, vowels, consonants, and syllables, were given to us by God. The nature of the letters and syllables and their arrangement into sequences are crucial to making the meaning of words and passages intelligible to us, so that they stand alone without need of lexicon or commentary. [article link]
Authorized Version KJV (AV) Publications - Free Book Preview Downloads (PDF) DISCOVER what translators and past generations knew --- exactly how to find the meaning of each Bible word, inside the Bible itself. ... Journey around the world and see that only the KJV matches the pure scriptures preserved "to all generations" and "to all nations," including the Greek, Hebrew, Old Italia, Italian, Dutch, German, French, Spanish and others. [article link]
(*Updated Link) IMPORTANT VIDEO LECTURE BY PROF. EUGENE NARRETT IN JERUSALEM (Includes Q & A) On April 6th, 2006, Dr. Eugene Narrett, Professor & Coordinator of Multi-Disciplinary Studies at Cambridge College in Massachusetts, spoke at the O-U Center in Jerusalem with regard to American foreign policy and the decline of Western culture, the myth of Palestinian nationalism and the geo-political forces aligned against Israel under the guise of pro-arab policies, and a variety of other topics and issues. We provide below a flash video box loaded with one hour of the remarkable talk and responses to questions in four separate clips. We had first been exposed to Dr. Narrett on The Tovia Singer Show webcast over the Internet. During his recent trip to Israel, we had a chance to sit down over dinner with this unique renaissance man whose thorough and historic grasp of the global situation as it pertains to Israel is only exceeded by his passionate defense of the Jewish People and their right to live in peace in the Land of Israel. [article link]
Faith Defenders with Dr. Robert Morey - Sunday Sermons (Mp3's) Faith Defenders is an evangelical think-tank, where Dr. Morey is training the next generation of Christian apologists, philosophers, and theologians. Through the California Biblical University and Seminary, Dr. Morey is personally guiding the education of students to apply the Lordship of Christ to all of life. [article link]
Secret Mysteries of America's Beginnings - Very Special Special Sale - Two Videos For Only $39.88 (DVD's) - We are running this very special sale for only four days -- Thursday through Sunday! This video unfolds the fascinating history behind the founding of America, and exposes the esoteric underbelly
of its design. Why is Washington D.C. build on the 77th Meridian? Are the Revolutionary War cities really built in perfect alignment with Stonehenge? If America was founded as a Christian nation, why are many of its symbols, buildings, and monuments based on Pagan traditions? There is no doubt that America's cultural national heritage was Christian, but just as a coin has two sides, our national heritage has a second side - one based squarely on occult secret societies and their values. [article link]
Bush Watch: Dictator Bush - Various Articles - Fear of Tyranny Grips Many Americans My own recollection is fear of President Bush today is infinitely greater than fear during the era of Senator Joe McCarthy back in the Fifties. McCarthy whipped up anti-Communist sentiment to paranoid heights but he was only a Senator. He couldn't start a war on his own or reach out and have people arrested under any Patriot Act. Now there is a president with virtual dictatorial powers who has deceitfully invaded Iraq , where reportedly 650,000 civilians have been killed for no good reason; who has threatened the use of nuclear weapons, who operates secret prisons around the world, and who implies his critics are unpatriotic. What's his next step? Yes, it is happening before our eyes: the nation that gave the world the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Four Freedoms, and played a large role in creating the UN Charter, is witnessing the evisceration of its civil liberties. Those who are beating the war drums about terror abroad may well be the first to unleash terror at home. Am I scared? You bet. Gangrene spreads. (Sherwood Ross is an American reporter. Reach him at
[email protected]) [article link]
Fascist America, in 10 easy steps - As difficult as this is to contemplate, it is clear, if you are willing to look, that each of these 10 steps has already been initiated today in the United States by the Bush administration It is my argument that, beneath our very noses, George Bush and his administration are using time-tested tactics to close down an open society. It is time for us to be willing to think the unthinkable - as the author and political journalist Joe Conason, has put it, that it can happen here. And that we are further along than we realise. Conason eloquently warned of the danger of American authoritarianism. I am arguing that we need also to look at the lessons of European and other kinds of fascism to understand the potential seriousness of the events we see unfolding in the US. 1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy. ... 5. Harass citizens' groups. ... 6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release. ... 7. Target key individuals. ... Most Americans surely do not get this yet. No wonder: it is hard to believe, even though it is true. In every closing society, at a certain point there are some high-profile arrests - usually of opposition leaders, clergy and journalists. Then everything goes quiet. After those arrests, there are still newspapers, courts, TV and radio, and the facades of a civil society. There just isn't real dissent. There just isn't freedom. If you look at history, just before those arrests is where we are now. [article link]
Easter Sunrise Baptism - Calvary Chapel Gulf Breeze's, annual Easter Sunrise baptism at the Beach (Video 2:02) awesome video - nice song it suits the video really gd. Love the video it was so nice! [article link]
U.S. criticized for building wall around Sunnis - Criticism mounted Saturday over a wall U.S. troops are building around a Sunni enclave surrounded by Shiite areas in Baghdad, with residents calling it "collective punishment" and the local council leader saying the community did not approve the project before construction began BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Criticism mounted Saturday over a wall U.S. troops are building around a Sunni enclave surrounded by Shiite areas in Baghdad, with residents calling it "collective punishment" and the local council leader saying the community did not approve the project before construction began. ... The area, located on the eastern side of the Tigris River, would be completely gated, with entrances and exits manned by Iraqi soldiers, the U.S. military said in a statement earlier this week. But some residents were alarmed about the plan, and said they had not been consulted about the barrier being built in their own neighborhood. "This will make
the whole district a prison. This is collective punishment on the residents of Adhamiya ," said Ahmed alDulaimi, a 41-year-old engineer who lives in the area. "They are going to punish all of us because of a few terrorists here and there. "We are in our fourth year of occupation and we are seeing the number of blast walls increasing day after day, suffocating the people more and more," al-Dulaimi said in an interview. [article link]
Administration officials say Gonzales should step down - Gonzales said more than 60 times that he "couldn't recall" certain incidents - His former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, used that explanation 122 times during his testimony weeks ago WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Several administration officials and the House Republican Conference chairman said Friday that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should step down, following the harsh response to his Senate testimony on last year's firing of eight U.S. attorneys. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee grilled Gonzales for hours Thursday about the dismissals. The attorney general has been roundly criticized for his handling of the shakeup and for the shifting explanations Justice Department officials have given for the changes. Gonzales said more than 60 times that he "couldn't recall" certain incidents. His former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, used that explanation 122 times during his testimony weeks ago. ... During the hearings Thursday, while Democratic senators criticized Gonzales' leadership, some of the sharpest criticism came from Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, including one who called for his resignation. [article link]
Word for Life World Ministries - Jesus Christ, the Wonderful Counselor - Sermon Audio Downloads (Audio) Norman Russell - Jesus Christ, the Wonderful Counselor - taking a serious look at the "wonder" in the words understanding the awesome nature of Jesus. There is a lot to know about the actual words used to describe Jesus, and this lesson takes a detailed look at them. [article link]
DEUTERONOMY Audio Summary: THE LAW THAT DELIVERS (Free Mp3) Each book of the Bible is covered by a single message, plus one message on the 400 Silent years between the Testaments. Ray captures the theme of each book so clearly and concisely that these sermons and the tapes they were taken from have been very popular for more than 20 years. [article link]
Bible verse: Deuteronomy 32:1-9 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth ... ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Deuteronomy 32:1-9 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of His children: they are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not He thy father that hath bought thee? hath He not made thee, and established thee? Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee. When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. -- Bible [article link]
Bible verse: Deuteronomy 33:27-29 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: Happy art thou, O Israel [Individuals submitted-governed of God]: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the
LORD, the shield of thy help, and Who is the sword of thy excellency! ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Deuteronomy 33:27-29 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also His heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and Who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places. -- Bible [article link]
Message about the Kingdom of God preached at Lighthouse Church in Musselburgh Scotland (Mp3) I (Phil Holden) was asked by my church (Lighthouse Church in Musselburgh) to do a talk on The Kingdom of God. [article link]
Xbox Gaming A Disaster For Microsoft[?] - Microsoft's Xbox is merely a trojan horse to get into everybody's front (living) room and control their lives Maybe the meme that became fact, that Microsoft's Xbox is merely a trojan horse to get into everybody's front room and control their lives hasn't been properly communicated to a chap called Roger Ehrenberg. ... "The Microsoft strategy sounds more like a niche strategy for hard-core gamers, in which case it's investment in a console strategy should be smaller and more targeted." ... The point here is not that one analyst might be putting 2+2 together and coming up with 22, but that Forbes is taking the time to print the analysis in the first place. [article link]
The Gonzales Testimony: "A Performance Among The Worst I've Seen By A Public Official" - Attorney General was "going down in flames" {This comes from the disastrous Bush recipe of leadership. Don't bother hiring anyone who is the least bit competent just make sure a "yes man that fulfills the secret agenda" fills the post, like nominating Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court.} It is hard to know which is more disappointing. Alberto R. Gonzales' miserable performance yesterday before the Senate Judiciary Committee or President Bush's announcement yesterday afternoon that he was "pleased" with the testimony of his Attorney General. I watched the contentious hearing for hours Thursday and cannot for the life of me think of a single moment that could have "pleased" the President. In fact, given Mr. Bush's travel plans Thursday-he flew to Ohio and was gone from Washington from 11:10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.-it's unclear to me whether or how the President even could have watched the testimony that he later endorsed so heartily. And, indeed, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told CBS News this morning that the President was "updated" on the Gonzales hearing but that she does not know whether Mr. Bush actually saw any part of the proceedings. ... This is unacceptable for many reasons, not the least of which is that as the nation's top lawyer the Attorney General stands as a symbol for justice, not the obstruction thereof. The second image is of Gonzales as a leader who could not and did not lead; who allowed his unseasoned subordinates to make vital personnel decisions without any meaningful input or supervision from their boss. This is unacceptable not just because the results were disastrous-monumentally bad judgment at the Justice Department lead us to where we are today-but also because it demonstrates that one of the nation's most important cabinet-level positions is now filled by someone who has taken neither command nor responsibility. Whether he is a liar, as some say, or a fool, as others contend, the consequence ought to be the same. And if you didn't believe it before surely you should consider it now in the wake of his appalling testimony before the Committee: Gonzales simply isn't good enough to merit the job he now has. [article link]
Prison torture should seal Gonzales' fate - the kangaroo court at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay - The U.S. attorney scandal is threatening to take down Gonzales - But it is his condoning of torture from Guantanamo to Abu Ghraib that should seal his fate It is appropriate that a person from Australia, home of the kangaroo, should be the first one dragged before the kangaroo court at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay. David Hicks, imprisoned there for more than five years, pleaded guilty Monday to providing material support for terrorism. The case of Hicks offers us a glimpse into the Kafkaesque netherworld of detentions, kidnappings, torture and show trials that is now, internationally, the shameful signature of the Bush administration. Hicks' passage through this sham process affords us all an opportunity to demand the closure of Guantanamo and an end to such heinous policies. Conditions may soon exist to shutter the prison, with George W. Bush's lame-duck status, the Democratic takeover of Congress, the possible departure of Guantanamo's archdefender and architect, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and, if recent reports are true, a desire to close the prison on the part of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The bogus military commission trials amplify global contempt for the Guantanamo prison. ... Guantanamo has sparked one of the United States' major growth industries: protesting against Guantanamo. From campuses to churches, the anger has driven regular citizens to action. [article link]
dying words - the last words spoken by famous people at death, or shortly before - I'm bored with it all Before slipping into a coma - He died 9 days later ~~ Winston Churchill, statesman (Satanist, Illuminati, NWO), d. January 24, 1965 See in what peace a Christian can die. ~~ Joseph Addison, writer, d. June 17, 1719. ... Damn it . . . Don't you dare ask God to help me. To her housekeeper, who had begun to pray aloud. ~~ Joan Crawford, actress, d. May 10, 1977 ... Lord help my poor soul. ~~ Edgar Allan Poe, writer, d. October 7, 1849 [article link]
Mystery Pollster on Mystery Romney Numbers - Mark Blumenthal notices in the ABC News/Washington Post poll that "opposition to Romney is greater than much better known figures, such as Hillary Clinton (45%) and John McCain (47%)" - The (54%) that would definitely not support Romney includes "a third of Republicans - a particularly broad level of rejection within his own party" Mark Blumenthal notices in the ABC News/Washington Post poll that "opposition to Romney is greater than much better known figures, such as Hillary Clinton (45%) and John McCain (47%)." ... Romney is well-known by about 20% of Americans, so maybe he's become quite polarizing among those who've heard of him. ... As both articles point out, opposition to Romney is greater than much better known figures, such as Hillary Clinton (45%) and John McCain (47%). Two other polls out in the last week showed Romney with negative ratings that were slightly (though not significantly) higher than his positives: Gallup (23% favorable, 24% unfavorable - via Polling Report) and CBS News (10% favorable, 16% unfavorable). [article link]
(Virginia Tech) Killer mimicked scenes from violent South Korean film "Oldboy" - Violent South Korean movie garnered Cannes award, critical acclaim in U.S. - Reviewer Peter Bradshaw of the London Guardian said of "Oldboy" that the film is so dark and horrific the "terms 'violent' or 'ultraviolent' or even 'super-ultraviolent' don't quite cover it" In the video and still images sent to NBC News, the killer responsible for 32 deaths before shooting himself at Virginia Tech this week apparently acted out scenes from an extremely violent South Korean film that won acclaim from U.S. reviewers. Police believe Cho Seung-Hui repeatedly watched "Oldboy" - a bloody 2003 prizewinner with themes of obsession and revenge - in preparation for his rampage, the deadliest mass shooting in American history, the Evening Standard of London reported. ... "Oldboy," directed by Park Chan-wook, won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It received praise from the president of the jury, director Quentin Tarantino, who tried to persuade members to give it the coveted Palme d'Or over Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11." ... Reviewer Peter Bradshaw of the London Guardian said of "Oldboy" that the film is so dark and horrific
the "terms 'violent' or 'ultraviolent' or even 'super-ultraviolent' don't quite cover it." But the popular moviereview website Rotten Tomatoes shows 95 positive reviews out of 117 for the film. Reviewer remarks included: The hero of this Kafkaesque nightmare could be anybody who feels abused, raging against fate or God and discovering only absurdity and more horror -John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal. Bringing the concept of revenge and evil to a different level, the film is brilliant as it is disturbing -Angela Baldassarre, Sympatico.ca. [article link]
Gunman sent package to NBC News - 'This didn't have to happen,' says message mailed between shootings Sometime after he killed two people in a Virginia university dormitory but before he slaughtered 30 more in a classroom building Monday morning, Cho Seung-Hui mailed NBC News a large package, including photographs and videos, lamenting that "I didn't have to do this," the network said Wednesday. ... The package included an 1,800-word manifesto-like statement diatribe in which he expresses rage, resentment and a desire to get even. The material is "hard-to-follow ... disturbing, very disturbing - very angry, profanity-laced," Capus said in an interview late Wednesday afternoon. [article link]
"Random" Washington Post Online Cover Photo from VTech - I'm sure this objective mainstream media outlet would nevah evah have an agenda . . . . (Photo) Hmmm . . . I'm sure of all the thousands of students at the memorial mourning the dead at Virginia Tech's convocation, today, the Washington Post took this and chose this particular one at random for its cover shot at its website, WashingtonPost.com. Just a random photo, right? I mean, I'm sure this objective mainstream media outlet would nevah evah have an agenda . . . . [article link]
University convocation told of Allah, not Jesus - Speakers also invoke Buddha, Dalai Lama - The only name that was omitted, of course, Jesus Christ {Jesus Christ the only name that brings comfort, healing and hope. 2nd CORINTHIANS 2:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.} Speakers at the Virginia Tech convocation called on Allah and Buddha in their efforts to minister to the survivors, family and friends of victims of the shooting massacre at the school - but Jesus wasn't mentioned by name. ... "I'm sitting here watching the convocation service at VT," wrote a WND reader who was given anonymity. "Five minutes ago they had four representatives from the local 'religious community.' The Muslim specifically invoked Allah's blessings… and he didn't shy away from saying the name of Allah. The Jewish rep asked for God's blessings. Buddha was represented. The only name that [was] omitted, of course, Jesus Christ." [article link]
Vote in our (Constitution Party) Presidential Poll! - The poll lists men who have demonstrated their commitment to life, liberty and limited government, in some cases in spite of their current party affiliations Confidentially, it also includes some who have expressed openness to considering a strategy of leaving the Republican Party to run on the Constitution Party ticket, bringing their supporters with them, when they are shunned by the Republican brass It's hard to believe, but the 2008 Presidential campaign has begun. Regardless of the rhetoric, we can rest assured that the candidates who will win the nominations of the two big parties will have much in common. But the Constitution Party is gearing up to provide America with a real choice. There are many amazing and accomplished men whom we might attract to become our candidate for the highest office in the land. I'm sure that they are no strangers to you. Men like Congressman Ron Paul who, almost single-handedly, demands that legislation is Constitutional, or Alan Keyes whose eloquence and passion for the pre-born is unparalleled, or Congressman Tom Tancredo who has stood up to his own party and demanded a sane immigration policy. These men, and others, have demonstrated a commitment to values rare in American politics today. And that's
why I am so enthusiastic about having one of them as our candidate. But if we are going to attract men of this stature, we need to build the foundation so they can run strong and effective campaigns. And we need to start now because time is short. You and I both know that the two big parties will never nominate men of real integrity. I am certain that the GOP will turn away good men with sound principles like Ron Paul and Tom Tancredo. You see, neither of the presidential candidates that will be chosen by the Democrat or Republicans parties will acknowledge God the Creator as the source of our rights. Neither will stand for Constitutional liberties. Neither will fight for a limited Federal Government. Neither will be a strong defender of the unborn. And neither will stand against the illegal invasion that is destroying our country. And that's why we have such an amazing opportunity now. There can be no doubt; millions of Americans want an alternative. They are desperate for a solution to the problems our country faces. And the Constitution Party is that solution. [article link]
'Penthouse' no longer porn, Shell Oil Co. announces - Policy change allows sale of 'adult sophisticates' by retailers Shell Oil Co. has determined "Playboy" and "Penthouse" no longer are pornography, but instead are "adult sophisticates," according to a company statement. The issue arose when the Florida Family Association contacted Shell about the sale of such explicit magazines at convenience stores owned by Circle K in southeastern parts of the United States. David Caton, executive director of the pro-family organization, said his group asked Shell to require Shell-branded Circle K Stores to stop selling the pornography, as it has done in the past with other retailers. The request, Caton told WND, has been made to more than a dozen major oil companies supplying fuel to nearly 150,000 outlets in the United States. And until now, Caton said, there has been virtually a 100 percent positive response. "However, Shell Oil Company has decided instead to change their definition of pornography, unlike all other major oil companies, to exclude Penthouse and Playboy magazines which are sold by Circle K Stores," he said. The confirmation came in an e-mail from Otto O. Meyers III, a Shell executive, who told the Florida Family Association those stores selling "Penthouse" are not selling pornography. "In regard to your inquiry about specific Circle K locations, our investigation has concluded that these stores are not selling pornography as one would think the general public defines it, but rather 'adult sophisticate' magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse," Meyers wrote. [article link]
(UK) More doctors refuse to perform abortions - "Who admits to friends at a dinner party that they are an abortionist?" An increasing number of doctors are refusing to carry out abortions despite a surge in demand, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said yesterday. Abortions levels have reached record levels in England and Wales, with more than 190,000 terminations carried out every year. ... There are no official figures on the number of doctors refusing to perform abortions but the RCOG said anecdotal evidence suggested that it was a widespread issue. ... an increasing number of junior doctors were reluctant to train in the area. A cut in their working hours had worsened the problem because it meant less time to train in all areas of the NHS. ... "We have always had conscientious objectors, but more doctors now are just wanting to do something different and don't see abortion care as attractive. [article link]
Top court upholds ban on abortion procedure - Partial birth abortions at issue; first time justices ban specific procedure WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court upheld the nationwide ban on a controversial abortion procedure Wednesday, handing abortion opponents the long-awaited victory they expected from a more conservative bench. The 5-4 ruling said the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act that Congress passed and President Bush signed into law in 2003 does not violate a woman's constitutional right[?] to an abortion. ... It was the first time the court banned a specific procedure in a case over how - not whether - to perform an abortion. ... They also said that such a ruling could threaten most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, although government lawyers
and others who favor the ban said there are alternate, more widely used procedures that remain legal. The outcome is likely to spur efforts at the state level to place more restrictions on abortions. More than 1 million abortions are performed in the United States each year, according to recent statistics. Nearly 90 percent of those occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and are not affected by Tuesday's ruling. [article link]
Israeli 76-year-old Holocaust Survivor, Hero of VTU Massacre: Gave Life to Save Students While at least 32 were murdered in yesterday's massacre at Virginia Tech University, a lot more could have been killed. But a number of students were spared because of the heroic efforts of Liviu Librescu. Librescu, a 76-year-old Holocaust survivor and Israeli, was a professor at VTU, yesterday, when the gunman tried to enter his classroom. But he stopped the gunman and saved the lives of his students by jumping in front of him and giving his life. [article link]
Christianity and the Mormonism (LDS) Cult are Very Different - Christians who are supporting (Satanist) Bush and Bush's chosen replacement Presidential candidate Willard Mitt Romney should reconsider and realize that they are entering into an association with death and despair - Romney and his fellow (LDS) Mormons are a part of Satanism and the "Cult of Death" i.e. their "baptism of the dead," communication-interaction and fascination with the dead and their own Devil worship make Mormons every bit as much the Devil worshipers and just as devoted to Satan as Bush and his "Skull and Bones" associates (PDF) Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
The 'good guys' are evil, too - Why don't they do what they are trained and paid to do? Why do they sit back and allow evil to run its course without fighting to stop it? Because they're evil {American society via our President Bush is influenced and managed via Satan. Bush is a Satan/Devil worshiper he is Not a Christian. George Bush is 100% a "Skull and Bones" Satanist and 0% a Christian. You cannot be a Satanist and be a Christian. Bush has never renounced his "Skull and Bones" ties and is in fact promoting and providing influence for his "Skull and Bones" associates. The current problems, neglect and the decay of American society are the results of George Bush and his death oriented Devil worship.} I have only one explanation for why everybody failed to act. Why they did what they did. Why they didn't do what they should have done. Because they're evil. Because our laws, our culture, our attitudes, our ways are all influenced by evil. This is Satan's world, and most are marching to the beat of his drum, whether they know it or not. Those ''authorities,'' and anyone else who had any opportunity to thwart this slaughter, are complicit in this horrible crime. They sat on their hands and stood by as dozens of innocents, completely unaware of the evil about to be thrust upon them, were slaughtered. I can draw only one conclusion. They refused to act, because they didn't want to act. If that's not evil, I don't know what is. ... Evil - It's out there. And it reared its ugly head yet again today in a sleepy little town in Virginia. Sadly, the ''good guys'' stood around and watched it happen. And that, my friend, is evil. [article link]
Constitution Party: HAVE CHRISTIANS BECOME DUPES - It is time that Christian people begin seeing their politicians, not as saints who can be blindly trusted, but as sinners whose works must be constantly analyzed and scrutinized in the light of the U.S. Constitution Come on folks, get real! A politician is not a pastor. The American people have a sacred duty to the principles of freedom and their posterity to hold their civil magistrates accountable for their policies and actions. Furthermore, if the civil leader is a true Christian, he would have it no other way. ... As Theodore Roosevelt said, "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by
inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else." ... Pastors would not be able to get by with the lying, deceit, and dishonesty that politicians routinely get by with. Many believers give politicians much more honor than they give to their pastors. How foolish! ... It is time that Christian people begin seeing their politicians, not as saints who can be blindly trusted, but as sinners whose works must be constantly analyzed and scrutinized in the light of the U.S. Constitution. [article link]
BREAKING NEWS: At least 22 [33] dead in Va. Tech shooting rampage - Gunman shot people in a dorm, second building; suspect among dead - "Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions" BLACKSBURG, Va. - A gunman opened fire in a dorm and classroom at Virginia Tech on Monday, killing at least 21 people in the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. The gunman also was killed and some officials expected the death toll to be even higher given that several dozen others were also shot. "Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said Virginia Tech president Charles Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified." The university reported shootings at opposite sides of the 2,600-acre campus, beginning at about 7:15 a.m. at West Ambler Johnston, a co-ed residence hall that houses 895 people, and continuing about two hours later at Norris Hall, an engineering building. [article link]
{Flashback} #1 News-Blog item of 2006 - Brian Rohrbough appears on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric - the featured Columbine father speaks against school violence, evolution and abortion (Video - Online or Download) ROHRBOUGH: I'm saddened and shaken by the shooting at an Amish school today and last week's school murders [in Bailey, Colorado]. When my son Dan was murdered on the sidewalk at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, I hoped that would be the last school shooting. Since that day, I tried to answer the question, "Why did this happen?" This country is in a moral freefall. For over two generations, the public school system has taught in a moral vacuum, expelling God from the school and from the government, replacing him with evolution, *where the strong kill the weak without moral consequences*. And life has no inherent value. We teach there are no absolutes, no right or wrong, and I assure you the murder of innocent children is always wrong, including by abortion. Abortion has diminished the value of children. Suicide has become an acceptable action and has further emboldened these criminals. We're seeing an epidemic increase in murder/suicide attacks on our children. Sadly, our schools are not safe. In fact, we now witness that within our schools, our children have become a target of terrorists from within the United States. [article link]
The Religious Right Has Had Its Day? Fat Chance - A recent essay in Time magazine claimed "The religious right's era is over" Someone better tell that to the GOP presidential candidates praying for the fundamentalist movement's (Votes) blessings Concludes Wallis confidently, "The era of the Religious Right is now past, and it's up to all of us to create a new day." If the Religious Right is dead, someone forgot to tell that to many leading political figures. The unusually early start to the 2008 campaign season has been marked by a number of aspiring Republican presidential hopefuls contorting themselves to please Religious Right honchos. One of the nation's leading experts on the Religious Right, John C. Green, a professor of political science at the University of Akron, said that Wallis has probably overstated the case in proclaiming a post-Religious Right era. [article link]
Poll Shows Pro-Abortion Stance Hurting Rudy Giuliani With Republicans - he's now slipping in the overall lead he has over his top rivals for the party's presidential nomination Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new national poll shows the issue of abortion is hurting Rudy Giuliani as
he's now slipping in the overall lead he has over his top rivals for the party's presidential nomination. The survey is the first to come out since a flap over whether he supported taxpayer funding of abortion. A new CNN poll released Monday shows that Sen. John McCain, the Arizona lawmaker who had been sliding in the polls, has slightly recovered. ... Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who has not announced a candidacy, has the backing of 8 percent and several other candidate stood further down in the poll. Overall, 13 percent of Republicans were unsure about which candidate they support. Without Gingrich in the race, Giuliani moves up to 30 percent, McCain has 24 percent, Thompson gets 12 percent and Romney gets 10 percent. [article link]
Researchers Explore Scrapping Internet - some university researchers with the federal government's blessing want to scrap all that and start over {I wonder if the institutions think there is too much individual freedom on the current internet.} NEW YORK (AP) - Although it has already taken nearly four decades to get this far in building the Internet, some university researchers with the federal government's blessing want to scrap all that and start over. The idea may seem unthinkable, even absurd, but many believe a "clean slate'' approach is the only way to truly address security, mobility and other challenges that have cropped up since UCLA professor Leonard Kleinrock helped supervise the first exchange of meaningless test data between two machines on Sept. 2, 1969. ... Kleinrock, the Internet pioneer at UCLA, questioned the need for a transition at all, but said such efforts are useful for their out-of-the-box thinking. [article link]
Al-Sadr Orders 6 Cabinet Ministers to Quit Iraqi Government - Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to withdraw from Iraq's coalition government on Monday {Even prior to the Iraq invasion President Bush has continually funded Al-Sadr and his organization with 100's of millions of US dollars. These six 'Cabinet' positions were not elected like other politicians but were special Bush appointments to appease Al-Sadr. The Bush backroom policies and the unfair Iraq constitution have been the major cause of failure and strife in Iraq.} The move, while unlikely to topple Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's regime, would deal a significant blow to the U.S.-backed leader, who relied on support from the Sadrists to gain office. Al-Sadr's ministers will "withdraw immediately from the Iraqi government and give the six Cabinet seats to the government, with the hope that they will be given to independents who represent the will of the people," said Nassar al-Rubaie, head of alSadr's bloc, reading a statement from the cleric. ... Meanwhile, thousands upset about poor city services marched peacefully through the streets of Iraq's second largest city on Monday, demanding the provincial governor's resignation despite calls by top government officials a day earlier to call off the protest. ... Residents have complained of inadequate electricity, garbage disposal and water supplies in Basra, situated 340 miles southeast of Baghdad. [article link]
Jesus: Real-Not Relic, Fact-Not Artifact, Head-Not Figurehead - Jesus came to give us Life to the full-to experience His Life daily in one another, not to say borrowed words and sing and pray stained-glass religious words - LIFE! (PDF) This is a Church-to live this way every day, not attending the house of God, but being the place where God Lives. Then our homes, our workplace and our Church all become one. There are no more barriers from my heart to yours and no more barriers between my home and yours. I put away selfishness, pride, laziness and unbelief, and I love others as Jesus has loved me. When everyone does that, from the least to the greatest, Jesus pours out His healing oil, and we are a Church, a beautiful Bride. Jesus did not come to make us smarter. He came to give us Life to the full-to experience His Life daily in one another, not to say borrowed words and sing and pray stained-glass religious words. LIFE! [article link]
Romney Is all Things To All People - to be the nominee of George W. Bush's fading party - These big money types are investing in a Romney candidacy just as they invest in other deals - in anticipation of turning a healthy profit on their investment - It worked with Bush and it can work with Romney It turns out those feeding that conviction to the tune of $23 million probably aren't particularly interested in Romney's views on stem-cell research, immigration or any of the other concerns of the religious right base he needs to be the nominee of George W. Bush's fading party. About a quarter of Romney's donors are rich Mormons who'd understandably like to see a fellow rich Mormon in the White House and most of the rest are commonly known as fat cats, who'd like to see a fellow fat cat in the White House. Among them are many Bush donors, ... These big money types are investing in a Romney candidacy just as they invest in other deals - in anticipation of tuning a healthy profit on their investment. It worked with Bush and it can work with Romney. [article link]
The Resume' of Jesus Christ - I will properly direct your paths, and lead you into everlasting life Hello. My name is Jesus - The Christ. Many call me Lord! I've sent you my resume' because I'm seeking the top management position in your heart. Please consider my accomplishments as set forth in my resume'. Qualifications: I founded the earth and established the heavens, (See Proverbs 3:19). I formed man from the dust of the ground, (See Genesis 2:7). I breathed into man the breath of life, (See Genesis 2:7). I redeemed man from the curse of the law, (See Galatians 3:13). The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant comes upon your life through me, (See Galatians 3:14). [article link]
[Australia] Teen death payout may lead to wave of alcohol lawsuits - "That's the only language they speak - It was well known that this particular stuff was causing trouble" ALCOHOL companies could face a wave of lawsuits after the parents of a teenager who died after drinking a large bottle of vodka essence won a confidential payout. "There is growing interest in the prospects for litigation against the manufacturers and promoters of alcohol given the success of the legal cases against tobacco manufacturers in recent years. We only need one successful case to set a precedent which will have widespread application." He said litigation against alcohol interests, even if unsuccessful, would create community awareness and set new standards. ... But Mr Gordon said he could see a good chance for success in a case involving alcohol manufacturers targeting youth or other vulnerable people. A claim could be successful if it could be proved people had been injured as the result of the actions by a teenager who was induced to drink at a music festival or club by the tactics of an alcohol manufacturer or supplier - and where evidence existed that a manufacturer had specifically targeted an under-age group, he said. Professor Valerie Brown, a visiting fellow at the ANU's Fenner School of Environment and Society, said legal action had been the final and most effective weapon in efforts to deal with health risks from polluted water, tobacco and asbestos. "In every case, the extent of the risk was known, scientifically to public health researchers and anecdotally to the public, for decades until public outrage in affected groups initiated civil action, then legal action. Only then did government and whole-of-society action follow." ... The kind of imitation essence involved in the Clarks' case is no longer on sale. [article link]
MLJ on "Talking to Yourself" Rather than "Listening to Yourself" - The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself I say that we must talk to ourselves instead of allowing "ourselves" to talk to us! Do you realize what that means? I suggest that the main trouble in this whole matter of spiritual depression in a sense is this, that we allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self. ... The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: "Why art thou cast down" - what business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself: "Hope thou in God" - instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on
to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and What God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: "I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God." [article link]
The Problem Reaction Solution Paradigm (The Hegelian Dialectic) - 1. The government creates or exploits a problem blaming it on others The Problem Reaction Solution Paradigm (The Hegelian Dialectic) - 1. The government creates or exploits a problem blaming it on others. 2. The people react by asking the government for help willing to give up their rights. 3. The government offers the solution that was planned long before the crisis. [article link]
911 - Government Prior Knowledge - Evidence that the United States Government Trained, Funded and Protected the terrorists - If this sounds outrageous, it should - This page details evidence found in "Main Stream Media" articles Trained: Hijackers May Have Trained at U.S. Bases - MSNBC - NewsWeek - THREE OF THE alleged hijackers listed their address on drivers licenses and car registrations as the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla.-known as the "Cradle of U.S. Navy Aviation," according to a high-ranking U.S. Navy source. Another of the alleged hijackers may have been trained in strategy and tactics at the Air War College in Montgomery, Ala., said another high-ranking Pentagon official. The fifth man may have received language instruction at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Tex. Both were former Saudi Air Force pilots who had come to the United States, according to the Pentagon source. Funded: US sent Afghanistan $125 million - Washington is largest donor for 2nd straight year - WorldNetDaily - The United States has sent nearly $125 million in aid to Afghanistan this year, making Washington the country's largest benefactor for the second straight year. Protection: Bush took FBI agents off Laden family trail - The Times of India - America was itself to blame for the events of September 11 because the US administration was using "kid gloves" in tracking down Osama bin Laden and "other fanatics linked to Saudi Arabia", a special BBC investigation has alleged in a damning indictment of the two presidents Bush and American foreign policy. Active FBI special agent claims FBI obstructed anti-terrorist investigations. Complains that September 11 terrorists attacks might have been prevented. [article link]
666 in the Barcode and "The Mark of the Beast" - ALL UPC Barcodes have the 666 code imbedded There is 666 code imbedded in every barcode on every product sold in America. This page explains how to read the barcodes and the undeniable detail of the 666 code imbedded in each one. It also explains the profound implications. ... The UPC (Universal Product Code) is the type of barcode used at the cash register (Point of Sale). There are many types of barcodes but the only ones that will be recognized at the cash register are of the UPC type. Barcodes used for shipping labels or serial numbers are ignored. One product may have two different barcodes such as Diet Coke has a bar code on each can and another on a 12 pack case. The reseller will program their system to read the can barcode, the 12 pack barcode, or both based on which they sell. ... I may be wrong, but I do not believe that the barcode is the "Mark of the Beast". What I am sure of is that any new device (Smart Card, Implantable Microchip or other such device) MUST have the 666 markers imbedded within it in order to be decoded by existing equipment at the cash register. [article link]
Constitution Party: HAVE CHRISTIANS BECOME DUPES - because a politician or conservative celebrity claims to be a Christian, they are presumed to be untouchable - Such people must not be criticized or challenged, no matter how unconstitutional or stupid their actions might be Come on folks, get real! A politician is not a pastor. The American people have a sacred duty to the principles of freedom and their posterity to hold their civil magistrates accountable for their policies and actions.
Furthermore, if the civil leader is a true Christian, he would have it no other way. ... As Theodore Roosevelt said, "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else." ... Pastors would not be able to get by with the lying, deceit, and dishonesty that politicians routinely get by with. Many believers give politicians much more honor than they give to their pastors. How foolish! ... It is time that Christian people begin seeing their politicians, not as saints who can be blindly trusted, but as sinners whose works must be constantly analyzed and scrutinized in the light of the U.S. Constitution. [article link]
Constitution Party: Battered Voter Syndrome - 82% of those asked think the Republican Party no longer represents them - "Like battered spouses, many voters held on, believing time and again the promises the Republicans made about limiting government, staying true to conservative ideals and getting the country back on track" - "My view is that the Republican Party is beyond repair" For Those Suffering from This Debilitating Disorder, New Poll Suggests Recovery Has Begun. LANCASTER, PA/ March 12, 2007: A recent poll taken at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. shows conservatives are fed up with the current political regime and want a new batch of leaders. The poll (ConservativesBetrayed.com) shows 82% of those asked think the Republican Party no longer represents them. The results of the poll are tantamount to a "no confidence" vote and come in the wake of the Republican Party's stunning defeat in November. "Like battered spouses, many voters held on, believing time and again the promises the Republicans made about limiting government, staying true to conservative ideals and getting the country back on track" commented Constitution Party (www.constitutionparty.com) National Chairman Jim Clymer. "For far too long voters endured the disappointment of years of broken promises from those they trusted. Now, it appears voters are quietly packing their bags, filing for divorce from their abusive political party and moving in with a party that has never strayed from its constitutionally-sound platform" Clymer noted. [article link]
Commentary: GOP hungers for an alternative - "What's missing so far is a clear down-the-line conservative champion, an establishment candidate" The GOP presidential race can be summed up this way: three strong contenders and a hunger for someone else. ... "What's missing so far is a clear down-the-line conservative champion, an establishment candidate," said Greg Mueller, a GOP consultant. Nine months before the leadoff Iowa caucuses, the fragmented field and disenchantment with the top candidates may present an opportunity for a fourth formidable contender to emerge. ... Romney, meanwhile, remains significantly low in national polls. He continues to be dogged by his reversals on abortion and gay rights, and his equivocations on other issues. He resumed television advertising in Iowa and New Hampshire to define himself. His campaign is eager to start debates, in which aides believe he will shine. Given the (liberal) shifts in the field, Republican consultant Alex Vogel said, "You have to wonder whether gravity takes hold again and conventional (conservative) wisdom will apply or whether this really does indicate a new (liberal) paradigm in the Republican primary." [article link]
Pope puts his faith in the Book of Genesis, not Darwin - the Pope suggested that the "cosmos" was an "intelligent project" and criticised those who said that creation was without direction or order Pope Benedict XVI has stepped into the debate over Darwinism with remarks that will be seen as an endorsement of "intelligent design". The Pope did not explicitly back intelligent design or creationism. He praised scientific progress but said that the Darwinian theory of evolution was "not finally provable" because: "We cannot haul 10,000 generations into the laboratory." Intelligent design (ID) argues that life forms are too complex to have evolved randomly, and must have been created by a higher power. Scientists denounce this as
a thinly disguised form of creationism, the view that God created the world literally as described in the Book of Genesis. US courts have ruled that neither should be taught in school science because that would violate the separation of Church and State. ... Last November the Pope suggested that the "cosmos" was an "intelligent project" and criticised those who said that creation was without direction or order. [article link]
batzion.blogspot.com: The Set Time Has Arrived - Jesus is the soon coming King! One of the most important and most neglected messages of the church today is the message of Jesus' second coming. Our fear of controversy has caused us to put this truth aside keeping silent on this vitally important, life-giving truth. Jesus is coming soon. In the Old Testament, there are twenty times as many prophecies about Jesus' second coming as there are about His first advent. In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, the second coming is mentioned 380 times. It is truly a most important topic. May the church restore again the fourth dimension of the four-square Gospel: Jesus is Saviour, Jesus is Healer, Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and Jesus is the soon coming King! [article link]
{Updated Link} John Conner visits Barnes and Noble, finds the Satanic Bible for Sale (Video 3:43) John Conner author of The Resistance Manifesto goes to Barnes and Noble and finds the Satanic Bible for sale. [article link]
Paul Wolfowitz May Not Survive World Bank Scandal Involving Girlfriend's Promotion, Pay Hike - The controversy dates back to 2005, when Wolfowitz, then the Bush Administrations No. 2 man at the Pentagon, joined the bank - Riza, who joined the bank in 1997, occupied a communications advisor job involving the Middle East region Can World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz survive in his job? Increasingly, there is speculation that he cannot. ... The controversy dates back to 2005, when Wolfowitz, then the Bush Administrations No. 2 man at the Pentagon, joined the bank. At that time, Riza, who joined the bank in 1997, occupied a communications advisor job involving the Middle East region. In recognition of Wolfowitz's conflict of interest as her ultimate boss, Riza was moved to a post at the U.S. State Dept. where she worked directly for Liz Cheney, the daughter of the vice president - even while remaining on the Bank payroll. Her job title was bumped up to a managerial level. Her tax-free World Bank salary also moved-in fact it rocketed, from $132,660 to $193,590 by 2006 - making her better paid that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who earns a gross salary of $186,000, and pays taxes on it. [article link]
(Wikipedia) Paul Wolfowitz - In 1977 under U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Wolfowitz made the move to The Pentagon to broaden his experience of military issues - but may be most famous as a prominent architect of the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration known as the Bush Doctrine, which resulted in the 2003 invasion of Iraq Paul Dundes Wolfowitz (b. December 22, 1943) is an American academic and political figure. He is currently the President of the World Bank, but may be most famous as a prominent architect of the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration known as the Bush Doctrine, which resulted in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Paul Wolfowitz was born to a Jewish family in the university town of Ithaca, New York, to parents Jacob Wolfowitz and Lillian Dundes. He was their second child. His father was a Professor of Mathematics at Cornell University. Jacob Wolfowitz was a Polish national of Jewish descent whose parents fled to the United States in 1920 to escape persecution. Many of Wolfowitz's relatives left behind in Poland were to die in the Holocaust. ... From 1989-93 under U.S. President George H.W. Bush Wolfowitz served as U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy reporting to the then U.S. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. Wolfowitz was charged with realigning U.S. military strategy in the post-cold war environment. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War Wolfowitz's team were charged with the co-ordination and review of military strategy as well as the raising of $50 billion in allied financial
support for the operation. [article link]
Leahy: Aides lying about White House-Justice e-mails - White House spokesman Scott Stanzel acknowledged that 22 White House aides have e-mail accounts sponsored by the RNC and that e-mails they sent may have been lost - The administration also is drafting new guidelines for aides on how to comply with the law Democrats say the firings might have been improper, but that probe yielded a weightier question: Whether White House officials such as political adviser Karl Rove are intentionally conducting sensitive official presidential business via non-governmental accounts to evade a law requiring preservation -- and eventual disclosure -- of presidential records. The White House issued an emphatic "No" to those questions during a conference call with reporters Wednesday, saying the Republican National Committee accounts were used to comply with the Hatch Act, which bars political work using official resources or on government time. ... "E-mails don't get lost," Leahy insisted. "These are just e-mails they don't want to bring forward." The revelation about the e-mails escalates a standoff between the Democrat-controlled Congress and the White House over the prosecutor firings. The subpoenas come a few days before Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is to appear before Leahy's committee to fight for his job Tuesday. Leahy's panel approved new subpoenas that would require the Bush administration to surrender hundreds of new documents and force two officials -- Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General William Moschella and White House political aide Scott Jennings -- to reveal their roles in the firings. The panel delayed for a week a vote on whether to authorize a subpoena for Rove's deputy, Sara Taylor. [article link]
(Monica M. Goodling) Bush Loyalist Rose Quickly at Justice - Part of a generation of young religious conservatives who swept into the federal government after the election of President Bush in 2000, Goodling displayed unblinking devotion to the administration and expected others to do the same {A misplaced allegiance, signing on with anything Bush is proving to be a low road to ruin.} "She was the embodiment of a hardworking young conservative who believed strongly in the president and his mission," said David Ayres, former chief of staff to Bush's first attorney general, John D. Ashcroft. ... To her detractors, Goodling was an enforcer of political loyalty who was not squeamish about firings -- of interns or of senior officials. "She forced many very talented, career people out of main Justice so she could replace them with junior people that were either loyal to the administration or would score her some points," said a former career Justice official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. ... Goodling enrolled in law school at American University but transferred to Regent, founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson in Virginia Beach. ... "She is very motivated by her faith," Johnson added. "She doesn't wear her faith on her sleeve, but she lives a very faithful life." Greg Wilhelm, a Regent law school classmate, said Goodling also "developed a very positive reputation for people coming from Christian schools into Washington looking for employment in government, always ready to offer encouragement and be a sounding board." [article link]
Monica and the Media - The 33-year-old White House liaison and senior counselor to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales took a voluntary leave of absence last month but quickly made headlines declaring she would invoke her Fifth Amendment rights in the face of congressional pressure to testify about the U.S. attorney firings (YouTube 4:24) D. Kyle Sampson's departure from the Justice Department came quietly and swiftly. One day he was chief of staff, the next day he was gone. But the story of Monica Goodling's eventual resignation from the Justice Department last week was hardly as simple. The 33-year-old White House liaison and senior counselor to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales took a voluntary leave of absence last month but quickly made headlines declaring she would invoke her Fifth Amendment rights in the face of congressional pressure to testify about the U.S. attorney firings. Her dramatic posture raised more questions than it answered as reporters began
piecing together how this Republican operative climbed so quickly to the highest echelons of DOJ. [article link]
Goodling Resigns - the Patriot Act gave an attorney general authority to appoint "interim" prosecutors absent congressional approval, allowing Justice Department staff, including Monica Goodling and her boss, Kyle Sampson, to coordinate and implement the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys last year as a "personnel matter" The young Messiah College and Regent University Law School graduate apparently no longer believes that the "proper response is not retreat; it is courage," a quote from a 2005 speech by President Bush that she added as the auto-close to her now-infamous emails. Through her attorney, Washington political heavyweight John Dowd, the "young religious conservative" has refused several House and Senate entreaties to her former boss and to her lawyer to become a Congressional witness. ... Perhaps her testimony will not be necessary if Attorney General Alberto Gonzales takes full responsibility when he testifies this month. If that happens, we might have to wait for this Monica to write a book and be interviewed by Barbara Walters to know her full role in the matter. [article link]
{Flashback} Some background on Kyle Sampson - Gonzales Staffer Was "Ready Replacement" for Karl Rove Kyle is from Utah - He also served a 2 year (Mormon) LDS mission to Minnesota Minneapolis around 19981991 Some background on Kyle Sampson, the now former chief of staff to Alberto Gonzales whom you'd never heard of before today. ... From the NYT: "...He arrived in Washington in 1999, around his 30th birthday, with impeccable credentials - at least for a man his age - among religious conservatives. A native of Utah and a Mormon, he had completed his undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University. Mr. Sampson then followed the lead of Dallin H. Oaks, the former president of Brigham Young, by attending the University of Chicago for law school, another bastion of conservatism..." Kyle is from Utah... He was edged out of the US Attorney job in Utah by Brett Tolman. Tolman was the guy that put the Patriot language in the conference report. ... He also served a 2 year LDS mission to Minnesota Minneapolis around 1998-1991. [article link]
{Flashback} PAT ROBERTSON'S REGENT UNIVERSITY INVITES MORMON MITT ROMNEY! - they (Christians) will start wondering whether supporting the religious right leaders who have been taking them down this path for over 25 years was EVER the right thing to do - You know, whether it was EVER God's Will See what people who are dancing with the mammon (money and power) demon are capable of. The Bush presidency and the Iraq War has been really harmful for the GOP and ESPECIALLY the religious right, and they know that if a Democrat gets into office (or worse, if a GOPer gets in without their at least PRETENDING to be kingmaker), then they will be to the GOP what, well, we blacks are to the Democratic Party! They will be out of power for good after having accomplished ABSOLUTELY NOTHING despite all those years of getting their parishioners to contribute money and volunteer for campaigns. And you know what will happen then? All of those parishioners who fill their suburban megachurches, send their kids to their colleges (LIKE REGENT UNIVERSITY, WHERE MORMON MITT ROMNEY IS GOING TO SPEAK!), and support their political and TV networks will start to wonder exactly why they spent all of their resources on trying to change laws through politics and the ballot box rather than trying to change hearts with the gospel, and then they will start wondering whether supporting the religious right leaders who have been taking them down this path for over 25 years was EVER the right thing to do. You know, whether it was EVER God's Will. [article link]
No Thanks, Mr. President - Dem leader rejects Bush invite on war funding - "The president is inviting us down to the White House with preconditions That's not the way things should operate" WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday turned down President Bush's invitation to meet at the White House next week to try to break through the stalemate over the Iraq war spending bill,
charging the invitation came with "preconditions." Reid's response was the latest in the intensifying push-andshove match between the Democratic-controlled Congress and the White House. Reid said Bush needs to "take a seat of negotiation, of compromise, of direction change." "The president is inviting us down to the White House with preconditions. That's not the way things should operate," he said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. [article link]
House committee subpoenas Gonzales documents - the panel chairman saying he had run out of patience WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed new documents Tuesday from Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as part of its investigation into the firings of federal prosecutors, with the panel chairman saying he had run out of patience. ... But one Justice official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said the House request included the full text of all documents that had been partially or completely blacked out in the Justice Department's initial release of more than 3,000 pages last month. The Justice official said some U.S. attorney evaluations were included in these documents. The official said the request also included an unredacted list ranking the performance and standing of each of the 93 U.S. attorneys. Government officials have previously confirmed that Chicago-based prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, one of the Justice Department's premier U.S. attorneys, was ranked as "not distinguished." ... Gonzales, a former White House counsel who became attorney general in 2005, is scheduled to testify April 17 before the Senate Judiciary Committee. It is a congressional showdown believed to be a make-or-break appearance for Gonzales. The committee also has pledged to compel the testimony of White House officials such as Karl Rove and former counsel Harriet Miers to determine the extent of White House involvement. On Friday, Monica Goodling, the Justice Department's liaison to the White House, abruptly quit after telling Congress she would not testify. [article link]
White House unofficial e-mail accounts draw scrutiny - The White House is being accused of improperly trying to hide e-mails about government business by using unofficial e-mail accounts - The Presidential Records Act, passed during the Nixon administration, requires the preservation of all official records of and about the president WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House is being accused of improperly trying to hide e-mails about government business by using unofficial e-mail accounts. Congressional investigators say they found communications on one account from top White House aides about official matters, like the December firings of eight U.S. attorneys. Those e-mails were discovered on a Republican National Committee e-mail domain called gwb43.com. That domain is not part of the official White House communication system. The Presidential Records Act, passed during the Nixon administration, requires the preservation of all official records of and about the president. A White House spokesman defended the use of outside e-mail accounts as an appropriate method of separating official business from political campaign work. But the use of those accounts by officials discussing the firings -- and one from now-imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- have led a liberal watchdog group to accuse administration of trying to skirt the law governing preservation of presidential records. "They wanted to make sure that no record could ever be found of what they were really up to in the White House," Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told CNN. [article link]
McCain, Romney Advisers Spar Over Mormon Religion - Mark Halperin, one of the session's moderators, asked advisers to McCain and Giuliani whether they would pledge not to let anyone affiliated with their campaigns communicate negatively with voters about the Mormon religion - McCain campaign CEO Rick Davis and Giuliani campaign manager Mike DuHaime vowed not to do so {This is the problem with the Liberal BushRomney Republicans they love to deceive the public with cover-ups and lies and their own hidden agendas so much that the truth has now left the Republican Party and they are now no different from the Democratic Party.}
The issue was Romney's Mormon religion and for a few minutes, the audience was transfixed by an exchange between McCain advisers Bill McInturff and Stuart Stevens and Romney advisers Alex Castellanos and Ben Ginsberg. The discussion underscored the deep sensitivity within the former governor's campaign about the potential impact of his religion on his presidential aspirations. ... Mark Halperin, one of the session's moderators, asked advisers to McCain and Giuliani whether they would pledge not to let anyone affiliated with their campaigns communicate negatively with voters about the Mormon religion. When McCain campaign CEO Rick Davis and Giuliani campaign manager Mike DuHaime vowed not to do so, Ginsberg replied: "When is this on the record?" That brought the exchange to an end, but not before it was clear how touchy Romney campaign officials are about the religion issue and how concerned they appear to be that rival campaigns will continue to stoke it in coming months -- their pledges notwithstanding. [article link]
Romney's Hunt for Voters Missing the Mark - The voters have already figured out that, on issue after issue, Romney is trying to smooth talk them into ignoring his real record instead of offering a real agenda for America {Mitt Romney's short tenure as a politician has racked up a staggering array of Lies and Deceit. Romney has crossed over the line of just being a misleading politician and is clearly in the realm of deranged, evil, hidden-agenda driven maniac. There is no way that good, honest, hard working Americans have anything in common with the Romney Republicans. Romney would clearly be a nightmare for America.} The voters have already figured out that, on issue after issue, Romney is trying to smooth talk them into ignoring his real record instead of offering a real agenda for America. From abortion, to gay marriage, to gun rights, to tax cuts, to immigration reform, to Social Security -- even his own political heroes -- Romney has switched his positions on just about every issue in this campaign. All of this helps explain why Romney remains stuck in single digits in just about every poll ... "With his latest attempt to mislead the voters about his past, Mitt Romney has once again revealed the reality behind his cynical attempts to tell the voters whatever he thinks they want to hear," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "Romney is missing the mark on the campaign trail because voters want straight shooters who outline clear plans for America's future, not smooth talking, flip-flopping panderers who will say anything for their vote." ... [article link]
The Basic Christian: Jesus Walk 2007 Easter Timeline Devotion - ** Now in Progress ** - Friday March 30th Easter April 8th - Join in Anytime - Please invite your Church, family & friends, to experience the 2007 Jesus Walk Easter Timeline Devotion - It will change their life! - Because Jesus is the World's Only Hope! (PDF) Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) Holiday dates of 2007 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected, returned from death, just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. [article link]
***A Venture in Faith: The Calvary Chapel Story (Movie - Improved Resolution) {*To Download Right Click - This Link -} This is an outstanding documentary on the history and philosophy of Calvary Chapel. It demonstrates how through one man's (Chuck Smith) faith and obedience God began a revival in a period know as the Jesus Movement. This video chronicles the trials that Chuck Smith faced by stepping out into a ministry and trusting that Where God Guides, God Provides. This video tape is an encouraging message for anyone who desires to know and follow Gods will and to gain the proper perspective of ministry. [article link]
Happy Passover: Holiday Celebrates Freedom of Jewish People from Slavery To all of my Jewish friends and readers, I wish you a Happy Passover. To all of my non-Jewish friends and
readers, I will be out of blog-commission from Tonight until Wednesday Night, as I celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover. Though, if time permits, I will try to have a few things for my webmaster to post in my absence. Thanks to the many of you who have sent me Passover good wishes and greetings. As you may know, Passover is the celebration of the Jewish people's freedom from slavery in Egypt. For the first two nights, beginning tonight, we have a special ceremonial dinner, called a "Seder," which means "order." We eat several foods to symbolize the bitterness and sadness of slavery and the joy of freedom from it. ... [article link]
Swift Boat donor's appointment sidesteps Congress - the president used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in the job without Senate confirmation {Good the Bush administration did the right thing in this instance, I'm glad it worked out for Mr. Fox.} WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush named Republican fundraiser Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium on Wednesday, using a maneuver that allowed him to bypass Congress where Democrats had derailed Fox's nomination. Recognizing Fox did not have the votes to obtain Senate confirmation, Bush withdrew the nomination last month. On Wednesday, with Congress out of town for a spring break, the president used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in the job without Senate confirmation. This means Fox can remain ambassador until the end of the next session of Congress, effectively through the end of the Bush presidency. [article link]
Come discover what can happen through a life yielded to God - Welcome to the Billy Graham Library, an innovative multimedia experience highlighting the life and ministry of Billy Graham - The Library is scheduled to open in late spring 2007, and will be open to the public free of charge A Library Like No Other: Nearing completion in Charlotte, N.C., the Billy Graham Library will present his pursuit of God's calling for more than six decades of worldwide ministry. Visitors will first see the structure styled after a dairy barn-reminiscent of Billy's upbringing on a farm just four miles from the Library site. The entrance to the Library is in the shape of a cross, a visual reminder to visitors of the focus of his life work. Wooden beams emblazoned with Scriptures like "By God's grace you are saved through faith" span the main entry. ... "It is my prayer that this center will be a testimony to the world of the amazing love of God and the great things He can do through lives that are surrendered to Him." - Franklin Graham President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. [article link]
Mormon base a mixed blessing for Romney - one in Las Vegas and another outside Phoenix At both of those events, Mormons made up at least half the crowd - they are laying the foundation for a potent grass-roots network including a cadre of young church members experienced in door-to-door missions who say they are looking forward to hitting the streets for him - "When Mormons get mobilized, they're like dry kindling - You drop a match and get impressive results quickly," said University of Notre Dame political scientist David Campbell, who is Mormon {Donating to Romney's campaign is like donating to Mormon missions who will happily sign anyone up a Mormon as they go door-to-door for Romney.} There was no great mystery why Romney was in town. The former Massachusetts governor is a Mormon, as are about one-quarter of Idaho residents, including Ipsen and many others who turned out for the lunchtime event. The fundraiser was bracketed by two others in the Mountain West: one in Las Vegas and another outside Phoenix. At both of those events, Mormons made up at least half the crowd, organizers said. Altogether, the two-day swing brought in well over $1 million for Romney. As he vies for a place in the top tier of contenders for the Republican nomination, Romney is reaping enormous benefits from being part of a growing religion that has traditionally emphasized civic engagement and mutual support. Mormons are fueling his strong fundraising operation, which this week reported raising $21million, the most of any Republican candidate. And they are laying the foundation for a potent grass-roots network - including a cadre of young church members experienced in door-to-door missions who say they are looking forward to hitting the streets for him. "When
Mormons get mobilized, they're like dry kindling. You drop a match and get impressive results quickly," said University of Notre Dame political scientist David Campbell, who is Mormon. "It's almost a unique group in the way in which it's organized at the local level and the channels through which mobilization can occur." But the intensity of this support has a potential downside as Romney tries to establish an identity separate from a religion still regarded warily by many Americans - a quarter of whom, polls suggest, do not want a Mormon president. [article link]
House Democrats Offer Plan to Ban Use of 'Global War on Terror' - The memo, sent out on March 27, calls for specific references to specific operations instead of phrases used by the Bush administration - The memo offers replacement phrases such as "war in Iraq," "war in Afghanistan," "operations in the Horn of Africa" (Somalia) or "ongoing operations throughout the world" {Bush's 'War on Terror' is a fraud. It's just a cover to enable Bush to finance, empower and militarize radical Islam. As everyone knows radical Islam is progressing nicely since the Bush-Blair 'War on terror' besides Bush refuses to secure our own borders against 'terrorists' of any kind, again not a real war against terror.} Democratic leaders in the House Armed Services Committee don't like the phrases and want defense policy to be more specific and "avoid using colloquialisms," according to the report. The memo, sent out on March 27, calls for specific references to specific operations instead of phrases used by the Bush administration. President Bush began using the "global War on Terror" phrase after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. ... The memo offers replacement phrases such as "war in Iraq," "war in Afghanistan," "operations in the Horn of Africa" or "ongoing operations throughout the world." ... Republicans weren't consulted about the changes, said Josh Holly, a spokesman for Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., ranking member of the committee. [article link]
Mitt Romney Unveils Secret Plan To End The (Iraq) War - Richard Nixon "campaigned in 1968 by saying he had a secret plan to end the war in Vietnam" His Defense Secretary Melvin Laird later wrote, "Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 on the assumption that he had a plan to end the Vietnam War. He didn't have any such plan" In fact, the war dragged on, leading to over 20,000 American deaths {It is a pointless strategy, probably why Romney embraced it and besides candidates always have a secret plan and in this case a Mormon in the White House with more secrets can't be a good thing. Romney should try once again to just tell the truth.} Creating a secret Iraq timeline, as Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) also proposed last week, would be pointless. The key purpose of a public timeline is to make clear to the Iraqi people and their government that the U.S. does not have an open-ended commitment to Iraq, and to use that fact to pressure Iraqi politicians to make compromises. Making it secret won't actually prevent Iraqis from knowing when the U.S. is leaving; there's no subtle way to pack up and move 145,000 troops and their equipment. Romney is just desperate to thread the needle between supporting Bush and distancing himself from the war, so much so that he's willing to embrace completely absurd ideas. [article link]
Romney's Funding Soars, But Not Polls - "Romney has yet to prove he has a strong base of support among voters" {Romney's ability to pile up millions of dollars has never been an issue however Romney's ability to be trusted to tell the truth is seriously an issue.} "Romney has a background as a corporate executive and can raise money in the Mormon community. But is that enough to win the Republican nomination? He's going to have a hard time doing that," said Peter Schweizer, the author of books on the Bush family and the Reagan presidency and a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, a Republican-establishment think tank. ... When dealing with his Mormon religion, for instance, he often tries making jokes. At a dinner of Washington insiders Saturday, he noted Giuliani had suggested he may let his wife sit in on Cabinet meetings. "If I adopt the same policy," Romney cracked, "We're going to need a heck of a lot more chairs in the Cabinet room." [article link]
Bush denies he is isolated from own party - Commander-in-chief says he's trying to avoid the 'cauldron of chaos' Iraq could become - more "isolated from his own party in Congress" than any president of the past halfcentury, as one conservative columnist wrote He is not, he said in response to a question, more "isolated from his own party in Congress" than any president of the past half-century, as one conservative columnist wrote. He has not, he said, lost his "gut-level bond with the American public," as the chief strategist of his 2004 campaign wrote. ... As Democrats see it, Bush is having a hard time adjusting to life in a two-party government. "He is president of the United States, not king of the United States," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters in his home state. "He has another branch of government, a legislative branch of government, he has to deal with." Democratic presidential candidates quickly accused Bush of ignoring the public sentiment expressed in the November elections and in recent opinion polls. "This is vetoing the will of the American people," Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, N.Y., said in Iowa. Both sides, of course, are engaged in what Bush on Tuesday called a "political dance," but the last step is not clear. The Democrats still must reconcile competing versions of their legislation, which Bush then plans to veto. [article link]
Bush Backs (Democratic) Richardson Trip to North Korea - N.M. Governor in Group Claiming War Remains - the announcement from the Bush White House yesterday was a gift: - caused much bipartisan head-scratching yesterday - "Talk about retreating to a Clinton policy" said Republican political consultant Ed Rogers - "Next they will want Hillary to sponsor heath-care legislation" For a Democratic presidential candidate whose support in voter preference polls hovers around the margin of error, the announcement from the Bush White House yesterday was a gift: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) will co-head a private bipartisan delegation to North Korea next week to retrieve the remains of U.S. troops lost during the Korean War, receiving logistical support and technical expertise from the U.S. government. ... For that reason, the statement issued in the name of White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino caused much bipartisan head-scratching yesterday. "Talk about retreating to a Clinton policy," said Republican political consultant Ed Rogers. "Next they will want Hillary to sponsor heath-care legislation," he said, referring to the Democratic front-runner, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), and her ill-fated bid to overhaul health insurance as first lady. Rogers said he was puzzled about why President Bush would complain yesterday about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visiting Syria while praising Richardson for going to North Korea. [article link]
Proactive Americans Get Involved - The battle to stop the North American Union - The road to restoring American independence and preserving our freedom and American way of life must start at the grass roots, run through our local and state governments, and continue on to our U.S. Congress That citizen activism of this sort is effective was proved by the major (though virtually unreported) David vs. Goliath victory in 2004 over the Free Trade Area of the Americas. As noted elsewhere in this issue, the effort to establish the FTAA was launched in 1994 and was planned to go into force in January 2005. John Birch Society President John F. McManus points out that the concerted two-year JBS campaign to "Stop the FTAA" paid off. "Many people thought the FTAA was unstoppable, and its promoters thought they had it cinched," Mr. McManus noted. "But we poured it on, with petitions, letter-writing, speaker tours, pamphleteering, billboards, literature distribution. Finally, the White House even realized they couldn't twist enough arms to pass it." While the major media, with the exception of CNN's Lou Dobbs, ignore both the efforts to create and to stop the North American Union, a single-issue nationwide coalition has been formed, calling itself the Coalition to Block the North American Union. The coalition, now including over 40 organizations, is led by a steering committee consisting of bestselling author Dr. Jerome Corsi, American Policy Center President Tom Deweese, Conservative Caucus Chairman (and chairman of the coalition) Howard Phillips, John Birch Society President John F. McManus, and Eagle Forum Founder Phyllis Schlafly. The road to restoring American independence and preserving our freedom and American way of life must start at the grass roots, run through our local and state
governments, and continue on to our U.S. Congress. As more Todd Wursters continue to awaken to the nature of the battle before us, our prospects for traveling successfully down that road improve significantly. [article link]
A Defector From the Bush Inner Circle - Does Matthew Dowd's startling public criticism of the President signal that a broader rebellion is stirring among former supporters? - "People are desperate to connect with one another and be a part of a cause greater than themselves - They're tired of spin and sloganeering from political, business, and religious institutions that constantly fail them" {Bush is a failed Liberal not a Conservative. Bush is as Liberal as they get.} The buzz is strong because Dowd is the first defector from Bush's political inner circle, which has always been known for its loyalty. He was Bush's chief strategist in the 2004 re-election campaign and a Bush adviser dating back to the president's years as governor of Texas. Dowd seemed to embody a central part of Bush's appeal in 2000-his track record of reaching out to the other side. Dowd said he was moved to change his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican specifically because he was so impressed with Governor Bush and his promise to be a "uniter not a divider" as president. "I really like him, which is probably why I'm so disappointed in things," Dowd told the Times. He added: "I think he's become more, in my view, secluded and bubbled in." Dowd now calls for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq-the position that Democratic nominee John Kerry took in 2004and wants Bush to reach out to his critics rather than take a "my way or the highway" approach. ... Another formative event, not analyzed by the Times, was Dowd's co-authorship of a book, Applebee's America, which was published last year by Simon & Schuster. In describing the book, the publisher said, "People are desperate to connect with one another and be a part of a cause greater than themselves. They're tired of spin and sloganeering from political, business, and religious institutions that constantly fail them." Anyone who read this book would have realized that Dowd had made a fundamental change in direction from the divide-andconquer, govern-from-the-right strategy of Bush and Karl Rove. In the process of thinking about what's wrong with the country and writing that book, Dowd's distance from his former mentors grew wider and deeper. [article link]
Romney appears reconciled to cash politics - "I don't like the influence of money whether it's business, labor or any other group - I do not like that kind of influence" Romney said then - {now} the bundling model of fundraising credited to Bush and adopted by Romney - Under the system, wealthy donors and interest groups commit to raising $100,000 to $200,000 from their friends and business associates - "It breaks the back of the public financial system, allows candidates to evade disclosure and results in quid pro quo favors for the bundlers" {Just in case you wondered why calling your senator is so useless and why very little good, honest, descent legislation ever gets passed and mostly gambling, oil gouging, price fixing legislation gets passed it's because legislation is now totally bought and paid for in politics.} In that 1994 campaign, Romney railed against the cost of political campaigns, argued for the elimination of political action committees and favored spending limits. "I don't like the influence of money whether it's business, labor or any other group. I do not like that kind of influence," Romney said then. "The kinds of demands being placed on the economics of running a campaign suggest an increasing power on the part of monied interests, and I think it's wrong and we've got to change it." In his first year as governor of Massachusetts, however, Romney signed legislation abolishing a taxpayer-financed campaign election system that included limits on candidate spending. ... Craig Holman, campaign finance lobbyist for the government watchdog group Public Citizen, wasn't as complimentary. He lamented that the 2008 presidential election will exceed $1 billion and could be the first in which every candidate rejects public financing, designed to reduce the influence of special-interest money on politics. Holman blames the bundling model of fundraising credited to Bush and adopted by Romney. Under the system, wealthy donors and interest groups commit to raising $100,000 to $200,000 from their friends and business associates. Bush dubbed his bundlers pioneers and rangers. Donors solicited under this method put a distinct tracking number on their checks so that the campaign can monitor and credit each bundler's progress without revealing who is doing the actual
fundraising. Under pressure from watchdogs, Bush revealed the names and home states of bundlers who met their targets, among them the notorious lobbyist Jack Abramoff. "There are so many dangers to this," Holman says. "It breaks the back of the public financial system, allows candidates to evade disclosure and results in quid pro quo favors for the bundlers." Romney has not said whether he will release the names of his major campaign solicitors. But a "fact sheet" disseminated by the Romney campaign says he believes in transparency and disclosure "in a way so the public knows who's raising money and who's contributing money." [article link]
'America can't afford Bush (Iraq) strategy' - if Bush upholds his threat and vetoes the legislation, it will be he, not the congressional majority, denying war funding to U.S. troops {Apparently Bush doesn't understand how the American government works. Bush had won the war over four years ago with the ousting of Saddam. Now in the fifth year Bush has been there too long, besides Bush himself promised America at the start that he would only stay in Iraq 6 months to depose Saddam.} Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Steny Hoyer, the Senate and House majority leaders respectively, are warning that if Bush upholds his threat and vetoes the legislation, it will be he, not the congressional majority, denying war funding to U.S. troops. Meanwhile, Rep. Rahm Emanuel accused the president of engaging in flights of fancy. ... Given the Administration's record of failure in Iraq, Democrats in Congress refuse to simply rubber-stamp the President's latest funding request. Thus, for the first time in four years, we demand that the Iraqi government be held accountable and meet the benchmarks for progress that the President himself articulated in January, and we support a responsible redeployment that is supported by nearly 70 percent of Americans and endorsed by the bipartisan, independent Iraq Study Group. [article link]
Romney rakes in cash from Mormons - Still, polls show that Romney remains relatively little known outside Massachusetts, where he was elected governor in 2002; the business world, where he delivered hefty returns for investors in Bain Capital, the private equity firm he founded; and in Utah, where he has played a prominent role in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Although Romney's membership in the Mormon church has often been discussed as a potential political liability, he has taken deliberate steps to turn his affiliation with the church into a fundraising asset. He has tapped wealthy Mormon donors including the Marriott family, founders of the hotel chain, and Jon M. Huntsman Sr., whose family made a fortune in plastics packaging. Last year, for example, Huntsman and his sons gave more than $100,000 to political action committees set up to lay the groundwork for Romney's campaign. A handful of other Mormons have done so as well. They made the contributions through a chain of federal and state committees Romney set up that allowed donors to contribute the legal limit of $5,000 to each one. Residents of Utah, the center of the Mormon church, contributed about 15 percent of the total contributions, more per capita than any other state. Last fall, officials of the Romney campaign met privately with a senior leader of the Mormon church about reaching out to the 6 million Mormons around the country. The Boston Globe reported that Romney campaign officials also contacted officers of the church's school, Brigham Young University, where Romney attended college. Two deans of the university's business school later sent an e-mail message to 150 supporters and alumni soliciting donations for the campaign, the newspaper reported. [article link]
National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) President Backs Bible Text for Public Schools - Some Christians have also voiced disapproval of the text book, including radio talk show co-host Nancy Manno of the In Great Company, who said it "uses the Bible to advance a secular humanist agenda and a one world, pluralistic religion" The new president of the National Association of Evangelicals has endorsed a hotly debated public school Bible textbook that was recently highlighted in Time magazine's cover story about why the Bible should be taught in public school. ... Some Christians have also voiced disapproval of the text book, including radio talk show co-
host Nancy Manno of the In Great Company, who said it "uses the Bible to advance a secular humanist agenda and a one world, pluralistic religion." Manno also said in a statement that she discredits the book's author, Freedom Forum First Amendment Center Senior Scholar Charles Haynes, as an unreliable source for Christian input. Despite such opposition, The Bible and Its Influence is in its first year and is being used in 83 school districts in 30 states. In total, Bible curricula are now being studied in 460 school districts in 37 states, according to Time magazine. Others who support the text include Bishop Richard Sklba, chair of the Catholic Biblical Association and Marc Stearn, the general counsel of the American Jewish Congress. [article link]
Stephanopoulos Catches Mitt Romney Lying for the (Mormon) Lord - {Apparently door-knocker Mitt learned his Mormon lies and deceptions well back in his (LDS) missions days and still confused Christians think Romney and the Mormons are good honest people.} (YouTube :58) Brief clip of Stephanopoulos correcting Romney on Mormon Doctrine. The video is from a third party source not affiliated with the networks. ... Romney chose to evade the question and answer something else. Why is it so hard for Mormons to understand that this is lying? He answered a question that was not asked and tried to pass it off. He got caught. End of story. This wasn't the first time and I am sure it won't be the last. [article link]
Constitution Party Poised to Challenge 'Big Box' Parties in '08 - "Conservatives are extremely disappointed and disillusioned with the national Republican Party - This discouragement is only deepened as they peruse the field of prominent candidates being trotted out as 'frontrunners'" Third Largest Political Party to Convene in Boise: LANCASTER, PA: The Constitution Party (www.constitutionparty.com) will hold its Spring National Committee Meeting April 20-21, 2007 in Boise, Idaho. The third largest federally-recognized political party, based on voter registrations (www.ballot-access.org) announced a nation-wide gathering of party leaders and those seeking an alternative to 'politics as usual' in 2008. "... (C)onservatives are extremely disappointed and disillusioned with the national Republican Party. This discouragement is only deepened as they peruse the field of prominent candidates being trotted out as 'frontrunners'", commented columnist and radio talk show host Chuck Baldwin. ... As the Constitution Party gears up for the '08 presidential race with plans to gain ballot access in all 50 states voters are encouraged to find out about the party's Life, Liberty and Limited Government platform. Representatives from across the country will participate in the National Committee meeting to focus on party-building, voter registration drives and ballot access efforts. To arrange media access to the Constitution Party Spring National Committee Meeting or to schedule phone interviews. [article link]
FOX News Poll: Most Think Democrats Will Win White House in 2008 - By 67% to 22%, American voters think the Democrats are going to win the 2008 presidential election {It's likely that the Republicans will finish being swept from power when they lose the White House in 2008. Somehow I get the feeling they don't even care and that second place is good enough for them. But they should not count on always having second place I think the "Constitution Party" has more promise and could easily compete.} NEW YORK - The latest FOX News poll finds that Americans think the next person to move into the White House will be a Democrat, and while many voters would be enthusiastic or pleased if any one of the current front-runners were to win, one candidate scares more people than the others - Sen. Hillary Clinton. [article link]
White House works behind the scenes for immigration reform - The administration has been meeting with key Republican senators to devise a consensus plan aimed at garnering wide GOP support - The intense effort conceived by the president's chief political strategist, Karl Rove - is intended to ensure that Bush will achieve at least one crucial policy victory in the last two years of his presidency {When Bush goes through with his amnesty for illegal aliens plan it could possibly kill the Republican Party. This would be a last straw for many
and why would anyone support the Republican party when Bush just gave 40 million new Democrats a vote, there are not 40 million Republican votes to counter this move. The sad thing is Bush is mostly a Democrat himself and he could care less if the Republican Party is destroyed.} WASHINGTON - With President Bush looking to counter a legacy increasingly marred by the war in Iraq, the White House has launched a bold, behind-the-scenes drive to advance a key domestic goal: immigration reform. For a month, White House staffers and Cabinet members have met three to four times a week with influential Republican senators and aides to hash out a consensus plan designed to draw a significant number of GOP votes. With that effort largely completed, Republicans were hoping to present their proposal Wednesday to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who would lead the Democrats in any attempt to move a bill through the Senate. The intense effort - conceived by the president's chief political strategist, Karl Rove - is intended to ensure that Bush will achieve at least one crucial policy victory in the last two years of his presidency. ... Though public work on an immigration overhaul appeared to have slowed, momentum simply moved behind closed doors. "We are working very hard on this," Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said in an interview, calling it a "top priority." [article link]
{Flashback} Bush names Education Department headquarters after LBJ - Lawmakers were eager to move the bill quickly so that the former first lady would know that the Department of Education headquarters, near Capitol Hill, will be known as the Lyndon Baines Johnson Federal Building WASHINGTON - Lyndon Baines Johnson's daughters, Lynda Robb and Luci Baines Johnson, returned to the Oval Office on Friday for a bill-signing that named the Education Department headquarters building after their father, the 36th president. It was a Texas reunion for the Johnson daughters and their families and President Bush and first lady Laura Bush. "We're all children of the Oval Office," Bush said, according to Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, who sponsored the legislation. ... Lawmakers were eager to move the bill quickly so that the former first lady would know that the Department of Education headquarters, near Capitol Hill, will be known as the Lyndon Baines Johnson Federal Building. ... The bill was stalled for several Congresses by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, who objected to the "big government" that Johnson represented. [article link]
{Flashback} Listen, who did President Bush invite first to the White House but Ted Kennedy? Who did George Bush Sr. give his third annual award for distinguished service? To Ted Kennedy. And who did President Bush rename the Justice Department? The Robert F. Kennedy Justice Department. So it's really not a partisan issue {The Republicans have been more supporting, forwarding and advancing of individual Democrats and the Democrat agenda than even the Democrats themselves have been. Bush has needlessly, through his neglect and misuse has put the Republican Party into severe disarray, disarray that could possibly even end the Republican Party's viability as a National party.} MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about the Kennedy family. First of all, the word Camelot is in fact a post-Dallas term. No one ever called the new frontier Camelot when Kennedy was there. Who first started it? It was Jackie in her interview with Ted White for "LIFE" magazine that created the whole notion of Camelot. Do you think it was just a myth? LAURENCE LEAMER, AUTHOR, "SONS OF CAMELOT": Well, White didn't know what to do that weekend, because he thought it was over the top. But here was the president's widow the weekend after. And he went with it and it created an enormous impact in "LIFE" magazine. Yes, but I think, finally, after all these years, we've come to terms with the Kennedys, the good and the bad. Listen, who did President Bush invite first to the White House but Ted Kennedy? Who did George Bush Sr. give his third annual award for distinguished service? To Ted Kennedy. And who did President Bush rename the Justice Department? The Robert F. Kennedy Justice Department. So it's really not a partisan issue. We know that these are patriots who care for their country. MATTHEWS: In fact, Ronald Reagan, to name another Republican, he gave the Freedom Medal to Robert Kennedy soon after he came in. And Jimmy Carter had been holding that up. But I guess question is, what role do they play? Are they out of power or in power? Would you say the Kennedys are still influential
with regard to national policy? [article link]
{*Correction - apparently if you raise $1,000 for Romney you get $100 but if you raise up to $999.00 you still get zero for your efforts.} Romney offers student fundraisers a commission - Participants in "Students for Mitt" will get 10 percent of the money they raise for the campaign beyond the first $1,000 {Why is the first $1,000 free to Mitt? This is a scam! Go out and raise Mitt $1,100 and all Mitt will do is cut you a *$110 check. Legit business practices do not rip-off their workers. I bet Mormon Mitt calculated that the average hard working volunteer could come up with $500 or less so Mitt decided to pay at $1,000 ensuring he wouldn't have to pay much if anything to his workers.} Participants in "Students for Mitt" will get 10 percent of the money they raise for the campaign beyond the first $1,000. While candidates often offer professional fundraisers commissions up to 8 percent, campaign experts believe the Massachusetts Republican is the first to do so with the legion of college students who have historically served as campaign volunteers. ... The participants are asked to contact members of their academic, social and family circles ... The students get 10 percent of all money above $1,000 that is contributed under their ID and source code. [article link]
Critics chide Romney's fundraiser payouts - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is engaging in a fundraising tactic that professional money raisers say may be unethical - people raising money should take a set fee for their services He's offering to pay a percentage-based commission to students collecting cash for his White House bid. The practice of paying a percentage commission is listed as unethical in a code of standards by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, who instead say those people raising money should take a set fee for their services. ... Romney's campaign launched the program this month and advertised several recruiting meetings for college students. The first two locations: Provo, Utah, and Rexburg, Idaho, home of LDS Church-owned Brigham Young University and BYU-Idaho, respectively. Romney is a Mormon, though students signing up for the program are told not to use any church-related list to raise funds. [article link]
Expanding the Team and the Take: Team Romney Steals Another March - Mitt Romney's latest innovation in the field of fundraising has eyebrows raised again {At one time honorable Republicans like Ronald Reagan promised to serve the American people. Now the Bush-Romney Republicans and other politicians demand that Americans serve them ... millions and millions of dollars. Romney doesn't get it when it comes to the honored institutions of the USA and when he is done everything in America and about America is going to be a getrich-quick scheme.} Which is why Mitt Romney's latest innovation in the field of fundraising has eyebrows raised again. I detailed in my new book, "A Mormon in the White House," the innovations Romney brought to the 2005-2006 cycle, including the first-ever use of state committees as a substitute for a single PAC. Romney thus outraised all of the other GOP contenders last year. The book also went to press late enough to include notice of Romney's opening-day telethon that netted $7 million, a record-setting single-day tally. Now at --- comes the latest innovation: rewarding the younger fundraisers who sign on to the effort with 10 percent of any funds raised above the first $1,000. [article link]
DiFi (Sen. Dianne Feinstein) and the culture of corruption - Sen. Dianne Feinstein's conflict of interests as a member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee who voted for appropriations worth billions to her husband's firms - They report on Feinstein's resignation from the subcommittee yesterday: SEN. Dianne Feinstein has resigned from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee Is DiFi dirty? In January, I linked to Metroactive's extensive investigation of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's conflict of
interests as a member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee who voted for appropriations worth billions to her husband's firms. Looks like Metroactive's work may have had an effect. They report on Feinstein's resignation from the subcommittee yesterday: ... The NYTimes is demanding an investigation. Arianna Huffington has launched ads lambasting Feinstein. The left-wing blogosphere is an uproar over Feinstein's war profiteering. -- Kidding. Am I missing something? Because I surfed over to the San Francisco Chronicle website, and as of 10:55am Eastern, I see nothing about Feinstein's resigation. [article link]
Study: Dinosaur loss wasn't mammals' gain - "I was flabbergasted," said study co-author Ross MacPhee, curator of vertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York {More proof the evolutionist are simply groping their way through theories and making them up as they go along.} NEW YORK (AP) -- The big dinosaur extinction of 65 million years ago didn't produce a flurry of new species in the ancestry of modern mammals after all, says a huge study that challenges a long-standing theory. Scientists who constructed a massive evolutionary family tree for mammals found no sign of such a burst of new species at that time among the ancestors of present-day animals. ... Some experts praised the large scale of the new evolutionary tree, which used a controversial "supertree" method to combine data covering the vast majority of mammal species. It challenges paleontologists to find new fossils that can shed light on mammal history, said Greg Wilson, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. William J. Murphy of Texas A&M University, who is working on a similar project, said no previous analysis had included so many mammal species. But, "I don't think this is the final word," he said. The study's approach for assigning dates was relatively crude, he said, and some dates it produced for particular lineages disagree with those obtained by more updated methods. So as for its interpretation of what happened when the dinosaurs died off, "I'm not sure that conclusion is well-founded," Murphy said. [article link]
Netflix CEO Joins Microsoft Board - It also includes ... James E. Robison professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School; Dina Dublon, former chief financial officer of JPMorgan Chase; and Raymond Gilmartin, professor of management practice at Harvard Business School and former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Merck & Co ... David Marquardt, general partner at August Capital, ... Charles Noski, former vice chairman of AT&T; and Dr. Helmut Panke, former chairman of the board at BMW AG, round out the board Microsoft announced it has expanded the company's board by one seat -- from nine to 10 -- and elected Reed Hastings, 46, chairman and CEO of Netflix, to fill the new spot. Hastings has also been appointed to the finance committee. ... Hastings founded Netflix in 1997, and the company had 6.3 million subscribers by the end of 2006, more than doubling over the last two years. Prior to founding Netflix, Hastings founded Pure Software, which he built into one of the world's 50 largest public software companies, according to a Microsoft statement. Rational Software, now a part of IBM, bought out Pure in 1997. Also a former president of the California State Board of Education, Hastings has a masters in computer science from Stanford University, according to his bio online. [article link]
Bush, Broadcast Reporters Share A Few Laughs - President Bush poked fun at himself (again) Wednesday night at the annual Radio and Television Correspondents' dinner {At a time when the Nation desperately needs leadership we truly have a child in the White House office. In these days Bush should have canceled his appearance at this dinner, he has more important things to do than to Yuk it Up yet again with the press corps.} "A year ago my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee for the Supreme Court had just withdrawn, and my vice president had shot someone," the president said. "Ah," he said, "those were the good ol' days." ... Looking ahead to life after leaving the White House, Mr. Bush said he might follow President Clinton's lead and produce a memoir. "I'm thinking of something really fun and creative for mine," he said. "You know, maybe a pop-up
book." [article link]
Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Oppose Israeli Land Concessions - Americans believing by a factor of 45% to 22% that a Palestinian state would be a "terrorist state rather than a peaceful democracy" The poll, conducted among 1,000 Americans on March 25, also found that Americans overwhelmingly (by a factor of 45% to 4.6%) supported Israel over the Palestinians in the context of the conflict. "This puts to rest that anti-Semitic nonsense [according to which] a small group of Jews are pushing America into doing Israel's will," commented ZOA head Morton Klein upon the release of the poll's findings on Tuesday. "American congressmen support Israel because their constituents do," he told The Jerusalem Post, adding, "if [Americans' support was] 10-to one in favor of the Arabs over Israel, I promise you Congress would not be supporting Israel." The study's findings indicate that a primary issue which may be detracting from support for the Palestinians is terrorism, with Americans believing by a factor of 45% to 22% that a Palestinian state would be a "terrorist state rather than a peaceful democracy." "And it's not surprising," commented Klein, saying of the Palestinians: "It's not like they're acting like decent civilized people promoting peace. They're not. Most Palestinians say in polls [conducted in Palestinian areas] that even if they have a state they will continue with terrorism." ... The study's findings regarding Egypt and Saudi Arabia show that Americans are almost as wary of these countries as they are of Palestinian intentions, as 65% of Americans believe that Saudi Arabia is an unreliable and untrustworthy ally "in the war against radical Islamic terrorism," according to the figures, compared with only 11% who believe the opposite. [article link]
Senate passes war spending bill with withdrawal deadline - Bush invited all House Republicans to the White House to appear with him in a sort of pep rally to bolster his position in the continuing war policy fight {Now the Bush Republican Party has sunk to the depths that Republicans are not to support America but Bush only. If this keeps up The Republican defeat in 2006 is going to be minor compared to a 2008 defeat.} The Senate vote marked its boldest challenge yet to the administration's handling of a war, now in its fifth year, that has cost the lives of more than 3,200 American troops and more than $350 billion. In a show of support for the president, most Republicans opposed the measure, unwilling to back a troop withdrawal schedule despite the conflict's widespread unpopularity. [article link]
Bush withdraws envoy nominee who had Swift Boat campaign ties {Liberal Republicans like George Bush cannot be counted on to come through and defend their base supporters. The Swift Boat Vets are probably wondering why they even bothered to raise money and support Bush.} Washington -- Facing almost certain defeat in the Senate, the White House on Wednesday withdrew the ambassadorial nomination of Sam Fox, who contributed $50,000 to the Swift Boat veterans' controversial campaign against Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in the 2004 presidential race. President Bush had nominated Fox, a St. Louis businessman, to be the U.S. envoy to Belgium. The withdrawal, a rare setback for the sort of nomination that normally would sail through the Senate, reflected both the muscle Democrats are exercising in Congress and the problems likely to surround any Bush appointee linked to the attacks on Kerry. ... The nomination was withdrawn less than an hour before the committee was scheduled to vote on it, amid indications that Fox would be defeated. Fox, 77, is national chairman of the Jewish Republican Coalition. He and his wife have donated about $1 million to a long list of moderate and conservative Republican candidates and causes since the early 1990s. [article link]
Ex-Justice official (Kyle Sampson) says prosecutors fired for not supporting Bush agenda - He acknowledged planning the firings as much as two years ago with the considered, collective judgment of a number of senior Justice Department officials - However, he denied that the firings were improper {Besides totally fanning the
flames of the scandal Kyle makes it sound like his job was just a giant witch hunt. Until now the Republican Party line has been that the prosecutors were not performing well enough.} WASHINGTON---- Eight federal prosecutors were fired last year because they did not sufficiently support President Bush's priorities, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' former chief of staff maintains, calling it a legitimate policy. ... The Justice Department admitted Wednesday that it gave senators inaccurate information about the firings and presidential political adviser Karl Rove's role in trying to secure a U.S. attorney's post in Arkansas for one of his former aides, Tim Griffin. ... Still, Sampson provided plenty of fodder. He acknowledged planning the firings as much as two years ago with the considered, collective judgment of a number of senior Justice Department officials. However, he denied that the firings were improper, and he spoke dismissively of Democrats' condemnation of what they call political pressure in the firings. "The distinction between 'political' and 'performance-related' reasons for removing a United States attorney is, in my view, largely artificial," he said. "A U.S. attorney who is unsuccessful from a political perspective ... is unsuccessful." {Politics is not above the law. The Bush administration seems to think it is above the law and even that now it is the law.} [article link]
Support of Romney for President is Dropping - only three percent of Republican and Republican-leaning voters support Romney, down from eight percent earlier this month (KSL News) A new poll shows support is dropping for Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. The poll done by USA Today shows only three percent of Republican and Republican-leaning voters support Romney, down from eight percent earlier this month. The paper says part of the drop could be blamed on the announcement from former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson saying he may enter the race. [article link]
Senate Democrats Win Vote to Keep Iraq Withdrawal Timetable in Emergency Spending Bill - President Bush has said he will veto any withdrawal language and the votes are not there to override his veto - The debate came on legislation that provides $122 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as domestic priorities such relief to hurricane victims and payments to farmers {I don't think Bush can veto this bill it has his funding in it and he needs it.} Before the vote, Nelson said he would reject the measure - offered up by Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss. - because it strikes several other "critical provisions, including language acknowledging that the situation in Iraq has become a civil war," as well as a call for diplomatic and political engagement by the Iraqi and American governments. The measure also called for suggested goals for the Iraqi government to provide for its own security, enhance democracy and distribute its oil wealth fairly. "Such steps are necessary for success in Iraq and I do not support taking them out of the supplemental bill. Therefore, I will vote against this amendment," Nelson said. [article link]
Sentiment on war has shifted, but not President Bush - WITHIN THREE weeks, the United States could face a constitutional crisis over President Bush's war policy in Iraq - Bush's "take-it-or-leave-it" approach to the bill is also "hurting the political standing of his Republican colleagues" in Congress by forcing them to back an openended commitment in Iraq at a time when their constituents are demanding a different approach WITHIN THREE weeks, the United States could face a constitutional crisis over President Bush's war policy in Iraq. The president and his allies seem to want this fight. Yet insisting upon a confrontation will be another mistake in a long line of bad judgments about a conflict that grows more unpopular by the day. ... Bush, of course, might still win this Senate vote and a reprieve for his war policy. But the president's refusal to acknowledge that the country has fundamentally changed its mind on the war makes it impossible for him to work with Congress on a sensible approach to a withdrawal that will happen some day -- with or without a constitutional showdown. [article link]
U.S. commander: No civil war in Iraq - He characterizes the Iraqi conflict as being driven by "small factions fighting each other" {If his assessment is true then this is an Iraqi situation and there is no reason for our troops to be over there and we should finally bring them home. However I doubt his assessment is honest and there is a major civil war going on over there and Bush is determined to support the radical Shiite's until the end.} The Pentagon report said warfare in Iraq has morphed from a "predominantly Sunni-led insurgency against foreign occupation to a struggle for the division of political and economic influence among sectarian groups and organized criminal activity." {I would question the "Sunni-led" aspect it seems al-Sadr, the Shiites and Iran have been a bigger problem for the USA, but then Bush doesn't seem to want to be honest about what is going on over there.} ... When he was asked, "What are you going to do about Iran?" Fallon says, "The question is what is Iran going to do about its behavior." {Isn't that propaganda 101 where the person answers a valid question with their own nonsense question?} [article link]
Billy Graham ceremony draws special guests - the dedication of the $27 million Billy Graham Library - The library will be open free of charge within weeks after the dedication, Franklin Graham said CHARLOTTE -- Two former U.S. presidents will attended the dedication of the $27 million Billy Graham Library, which the facility's namesake also is expected to attend. ... The library looks like a barn from the outside, a tribute to Graham's childhood years spent on a farm. A giant glass cross is built-in to the front of the building, which Graham estimates will attract 200,000 to 400,000 people annually. The library will be open free of charge within weeks after the dedication, Franklin Graham said. [article link]
Romney Offers Student Fundraisers Money - Participants in "Students for Mitt" will get 10 percent of the money they raise for the campaign beyond the first $1,000 {Mitt is turning his Presidential bid into just another 'get-rich-quick' scheme for himself; he probably doesn't know how to do anything else.} "It may very well succeed, but I'd like to think that he'd approach young people and college students based on their commitment to the country, not because they want walking-around money," said Steve Grossman, a prominent Massachusetts fundraiser and past chairman of the Democratic National Committee. [article link]
George Soros And The Dope Lobby - Bill Maher, has also declared, "I'm the guy who thinks religion is bad and drugs are good" Richardson took $50,000 from Soros and one of his pro-marijuana front groups and successfully pressured the New Mexico state legislature into passing a fraudulent "medical marijuana" bill that offers false hope to sick people. Meanwhile, a leading British newspaper, The Independent, has now admitted, years after promoting the decriminalization of marijuana in that country, that the drug causes a loss of contact with reality, a condition known as psychosis, and other mental problems. The Independent, which had successfully campaigned to decriminalize the drug in Britain, published a March 18 editorial apologizing for having misled the public. ... [article link]
Romney Receding - A big financial backer in Florida defects from the Romney to the Giuliani camp Meanwhile, NewHampshireforRomney.com is desperately seeking bloggers - after the three they had lost interest - and hasn't been updated, apparently, since January 30, 2007 It has not been a good couple of days for the Romney campaign. The former senator from Tennessee, Fred Thompson, who isn't even running, overtakes Mr. Romney in Iowa, where there's a robust Romney campaign apparatus. Mr. Thompson ties Mr. Romney in Ohio. A big financial backer in Florida defects from the Romney to the Giuliani camp. Now, a rival-campaign operative forwards on some other recent bad news for Mitt that you may have missed. First, we've got one state rep. in Michigan switching from Romney to McCain, and another state rep. in Michigan, a member of Mr. Romney's leadership team in the state, defecting to Mr.
Giuliani. Also, a Tennessee congressman, John J. Duncan Jr. (R-Knoxville), who endorsed Mr. Romney less than two months ago, now says he'd rather support Mr. Thompson if he enters the fray. Meanwhile, NewHampshireforRomney.com is desperately seeking bloggers - after the three they had lost interest - and hasn't been updated, apparently, since January 30, 2007. [article link]
Those Left Behind By Evolution - Mitt Romney has described the shift in his positions on abortion and other issues as an evolution, a gradual change that occurred when he broadened his perspective as time passed ... the death of a distant relative in an illegal abortion, convincing him (Mitt Romney) that the procedure needed to remain legal. {I wonder if Mitt will ever become convinced that any abortion is dangerous to both the mother and the child.} ... The personal touch got Al Gore in trouble in 2000. Recall when Gore used the death of his sister to explain his anti-tobacco passion -- and then it came out that Gore profited from leasing his land to tobacco interests years after her death? Republicans had no problem pointing out the hypocrisy involved then, and we can expect these anecdotes to come out of Romney's past in the 2008 campaign. [article link]
Newspapers Roiled by Declining Ad Revenue - Newspaper ad revenue suffered a sharp drop in February, with some leading U.S. publications showing double-digit declines compared to February of last year Collectively, February ad sales were "the worst group performance to date," said Steven Barlow, an analyst at Prudential Equity Group. Mark Fratrik, an economist at BIA Financial Network, told the New York Times: "The younger groups, the most desired demographics, are just not reading [newspapers]." ... Newspaper circulation peaked in 1984 at 63 million, but today stands at 53 million. Analysts said the decline in ad revenue was due in large part to the shift of classified ads from print to online, and to the weakness of the real estate market in several areas, the Times reported. ... There was one piece of good news for the newspaper industry - ad spending on newspaper Web sites rose 31.5 percent last year compared to the year before, to $2.7 billion. But that's still small potatoes compared to last year's $22.2 billion in print ad revenue. [article link]
UPS Launches Package Intercept Service - a new service allowing customers to intercept or reroute sent packages before they are delivered - "This service allows us to create flexibility and a kind of insurance policy for customers in a world of tight deadlines" Customers who want to either change the delivery address or halt delivery of a package that has been shipped but not yet been delivered can do so using Atlanta-based UPS' web site or over the phone around the clock. Kuehn cited the example of one UPS user who shipped double orders to a customer during the test phase and was able to intercept one order, avoiding the embarrassment of having both orders delivered. "Also, if you send out a business presentation and realize you have the wrong figures in there, you can intercept it before it gets to your client," he added. ... Kuehn said the service is unique and claimed UPS will gain a competitive advantage in the package delivery market because of the degree of control it will give customers over their packages while in UPS' network. [article link]
HonestReporting.com - Download Short Info Films - Can the media be so eager for news that they report stories that are not true? Absolutely! (Downloads - .swf files) Israel is in the midst of a battle for public opinion - waged primarily via the media. To ensure Israel is represented fairly and accurately "'HonestReporting'" monitors the media, exposes cases of bias, promotes balance, and effects change through education and action. ... Why is the struggle for media fairness so important? The media sways public opinion, which directly affects foreign policy towards Israel and in turn the lives of her citizens. One person alone may not impact this struggle, but thousands united can! [article link]
What is the Mark of the Beast 666 - There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the book of Revelation There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the book of Revelation. It is an actual mark or marking and it is also an Image (Icon) a representation of the Antichrist (Satan) himself and it is represented in his personal name of, emptiness, which is referenced by the number 666. [article link]
Christians Say National ID Number Is the 'Mark of the Beast' - Several Christian evangelical groups say the national ID numbers mandated by Congress represent the Bible's "mark of the beast" - the number 666 associated with the godless Several Christian evangelical groups say the national ID numbers mandated by Congress represent the Bible's "mark of the beast" - the number 666 associated with the godless. The federal Real ID Act will standardize state drivers licenses and link them to corresponding national ID numbers by 2009, and the ID cards will be required to board an airplane or enter a federal building. But the Christian groups fear that persons assigned a national ID number will be "marked" as prophesied in the Bible's book of Revelation. Their concern is that the numberbased ID system will eventually spread throughout the world and be used by a global dictator - the antichrist who will control international trade with the ID numbers, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. [article link]
Hagel: Some See Impeachment as Option - he made clear that some lawmakers viewed that as an option should Bush choose to push ahead despite public sentiment against the war - "We have clearly a situation where the president has lost the confidence of the American people in his war effort" "Any president who says, I don't care, or I will not respond to what the people of this country are saying about Iraq or anything else, or I don't care what the Congress does, I am going to proceed - if a president really believes that, then there are - what I was pointing out, there are ways to deal with that," said Hagel, who is considering a 2008 presidential run. The Senate planned to begin debate Monday on a war spending bill that would set a nonbinding goal of March 31, 2008, for the removal of combat troops. ... "We have clearly a situation where the president has lost the confidence of the American people in his war effort," Hagel said. "It is now time, going into the fifth year of that effort, for the Congress to step forward and be part of setting some boundaries and some conditions as to our involvement." "This is not a monarchy," he added, referring to the possibility that some lawmakers may seek impeachment. "There are ways to deal with it. And I would hope the president understands that." [article link]
Republican hopefuls stay mum on Bush - the annual conference of the American Conservative Union, which drew 6,300 participants, Bush was the man who was not there - Not only did he not speak to the convention, he was barely mentioned when those vying to succeed him addressed the conservative cadres {The Republican Party is no longer a credible party with the American people. We have all heard enough Republican lies. The party leaders now have to actually do something and accomplish something positive like real Pro-Life achievements and supporting, defending and backing Israel. Words, speeches and petty donations are not even close to being enough.} WASHINGTON - The Republican presidential candidates are giving President Bush the silent treatment. ... As one candidate after another addressed the annual conference of the American Conservative Union, which drew 6,300 participants, Bush was the man who was not there. Not only did he not speak to the convention, he was barely mentioned when those vying to succeed him addressed the conservative cadres. ... Listing the issues that consistently come up as voter concerns in his surveys - the war, healthcare, education, the economy and rising gasoline prices - he added, "What they need to say is, 'I'm going to lead you out of this.' They're going to have to do that, but they're not doing it now." [article link]
UN Secretary General Won't Meet PA's Hamas Leadership - Among other pressing issues, the two discussed the efforts to obtain the release of kidnapped IDF soldiers Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser Shalit is being held by the Islamist Hamas faction of the PA government, and Regev and Goldwasser are being held by the Lebanese Hizbullah terrorist organization {Bush can and should be blamed for this ongoing mess. Bush stopped the war early and has done little or nothing to gain their release. The untrustworthy Bush has however largely financed and armed these terrorist organizations and is preparing them for their next bloody war against Israel.} United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon arrived in Israel on Saturday for a three-day official visit, which will include meetings with Israeli and Palestinian Authority leaders. ... Ki-Moon is scheduled to meet with PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and other PA leaders in Ramallah on Sunday. However, during a press conference in Cairo on Saturday, the Secretary General announced that he would not meet with PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Addressing reporters following a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, KiMoon said that he expects the new PA unity government to "live up to the expectations of the international community, for the sake of regional peace and security." [article link]
American newcomers find their place in the IDF - Battalion 50 has one of the highest concentrations of lone soldiers who came to Israel from abroad to serve in the IDF - over 70 - hailing mostly from the United States, but also from Holland and other European countries They all fought in the Second Lebanon War and have since conducted patrols along Israel's northern border. Last week, close to nine months after the war against Hizbullah ended and with talk of a possible new conflict by summertime, the soldiers of Battalion 50 of the Nahal Brigade took to the hills of the Golan Heights for five weeks of training, which commander Lt.-Col. Zion Razon says will prepare them for the challenges to come. Battalion 50 is just like most of the other infantry units in the IDF. During the war, its soldiers fought with the rest of the Nahal Brigade in the central sector of southern Lebanon. The battalion lost one soldier on July 12, the first day of the war and the same day reservists Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser were kidnapped. [article link]
VOLUME 2 -- Secret Mysteries of America's Beginnings: Riddles in Stone - Secret Architecture of Washington, D.C. - Does this occult "wisdom" represent the interests of America, or a hidden agenda? (DVD $29.99) "Riddles In Stone: Secret Architecture of Washington, D.C.", will continue to explore the fascinating history behind the origins and focus of the world's most powerful nation: America. Why was this nation founded? How was the precise location of Washington, D.C., determined? What is the meaning of the seemingly countless occult images in our nation's capitol? Volume II zeroes in on the Masonic & Rosicrucian influence so prevalent amongst our Founding Fathers as they planned, and began to implement, the layout of America's Capitol. For years, extreme controversy has abounded as to the exact meaning of the occult symbols found within the street layout, the buildings, and the monuments of Washington, D.C. ... Why did our Masonic Founding Fathers perform "Corn, Wine, and Oil" ceremonies at cornerstone layings and at the dedication of the finished structure? ... Does this occult "wisdom" represent the interests of America, or a hidden agenda? As with Volume I, this "Secret Mysteries" series will continue to explore current -- and possibly future -- events by examining America's past. What can these realities mean for the unfolding destiny of America and the world? Now you will know that, when President Bush said he was fulfilling the "Ancient Hope" of the "New Order of the Ages" (as we show in Volume I), he was merely acting out the plan reflected in the street layout and in the architecture of Washington, D.C. 3 hour video (DVD). [article link]
Time for God - Drawing on polls that show over 60% of Americans favor teaching about Scripture in a secular setting like public schools, writer David van Beima discusses the consequences of our nation's Biblical illiteracy - Among them, he notes the lack of knowledge and understanding about Western civilization at large The movement to bring the world's best-selling book back into the classroom is gaining ground across the
U.S., demonstrated, in large part, by a thoughtful Time magazine cover story on the subject. The article, "The Case for Teaching the Bible," argues that the social and cultural benefits of secular Bible classes outweigh any hypersensitivity about Church and State. Drawing on polls that show over 60% of Americans favor teaching about Scripture in a secular setting like public schools, writer David van Beima discusses the consequences of our nation's Biblical illiteracy. Among them, he notes the lack of knowledge and understanding about Western civilization at large. Van Beima writes, "[In the end], what is required in teaching the Bible in our public schools is patriotism: a belief that we live in a nation that understands the wisdom of its Constitution clearly enough to allow the most important book in its history to remain vibrantly accessible for everyone." What was lost in the sweeping 1963 Supreme Court case that removed prayer from public schools is the reality that the Constitution does not bar an objective treatment of the Bible and religion in schools. It encourages it. Yet the case triggered a mass exodus of any reference to Christianity in education. The time has come for our nation to experience a true revelation on the Bible's relevance--not only to our personal lives but to our identity as Americans. [article link]
Perens continues to fight the good fight - continuing his campaign against Novell which he began after the company signed a deal with Microsoft last year Every year, Novell holds its annual tradeshow, which it calls Brainshare, in Salt Lake City, Utah. This year, the company has had a much smaller, but possibly more raucuous, companion, across the street. Free software advocate Bruce Perens, one of the two people who founded the open source initiative to bridge the gap between free software and the business community, was out there, continuing his campaign against Novell which he began after the company signed a deal with Microsoft last year. [article link]
Novell apologizes for false free software funding claim - after it was pointed out that his claim that Novell is "a significant financial contributor to the Free Software Foundation" was incorrect - "Novell last gave funds to the FSF in October 2005, when they donated $5K as part of FSF Corporate Patron program In his apology Steinman stated that he believed his original statement to be true at the time he made it, but nevertheless apologized for misrepresenting the facts. "Further research inside Novell confirms that Peter Brown is correct and I spoke in error. I want to make it clear that I had no intention of making false claims or providing misinformation to the market," he wrote. "I want to apologize to the Free Software Foundation and to the open source community for making this misrepresentation. I should have double-checked the accuracy of my information before speaking, and for that, I offer no excuse." The apology comes at a time when Novell's standing in the open source community is at best precarious. It has been openly criticized for entering into a patent agreement with Microsoft Corp in November 2006 that Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, has used to suggest that Linux infringes Microsoft's intellectual property. [article link]
Gonzales And His "I Did Not Have Sex With That Woman" Moment - Either he misled us all, via live television a la former President Clinton, when he told us two weeks ago that he wasn't involved in these sorts of conversations, Or he wasn't sharp enough to remember his presence and role at this meeting and comprehend the notion that,eventually, this information would tumble into the public realm Either way, this latest embarrassing episode alone (never mind all the other reasons) disqualifies Gonzales to serve as the nation's top lawyer and its chief law enforcement official. Either way, it undercuts a core premise of the defense the Justice Department and the White House had tried so hard this past week to sell us: the Attorney General is a good guy who was shocked-- shocked!-- to find his subordinates playing fast and loose with well-established (if unwritten) rules about the political dismissal of U.S. Attorneys. It's no wonder that there are now two separate investigations underway at the Justice Department to determine the scope of the wrongdoing. [article link]
Dueling Fools: Microsoft Bear - Any investor looking for long-term growth should look elsewhere - it's worthwhile to note that it (Microsoft) makes money on only three of its seven product lines When it comes to the long haul, Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) wheels are spinning. Any investor looking for long-term growth should look elsewhere. Technology's changing swiftly, and Microsoft's a massive behemoth that has historically had a hard time moving quickly enough to keep up. Its operating-system business is definitely in the uptrend of the cycle now, which should bode well for the next couple years. But for the true long term, I'm thinking that an investment here might be the equivalent of stuffing cash under your mattress. ... Information is slowly but surely moving off the desktop. People can argue about whether Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) is a bargain or terribly overvalued, but one thing's for sure -- it's helping to bring us closer to the time when most of what we do on our computers happens on, and is stored on, the Internet. As that transition continues, operating systems will become less and less significant. Soon, it won't matter whether one uses a PC, one of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) Macs, or even the Linux OS. Microsoft's competitive advantage in operating systems has faded compared with a decade ago, given increasing compatibility. [article link]
Bush names Education Department headquarters after LBJ - Lawmakers were eager to move the bill quickly so that the former first lady would know that the Department of Education headquarters, near Capitol Hill, will be known as the Lyndon Baines Johnson Federal Building WASHINGTON - Lyndon Baines Johnson's daughters, Lynda Robb and Luci Baines Johnson, returned to the Oval Office on Friday for a bill-signing that named the Education Department headquarters building after their father, the 36th president. It was a Texas reunion for the Johnson daughters and their families and President Bush and first lady Laura Bush. "We're all children of the Oval Office," Bush said, according to Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, who sponsored the legislation. ... Lawmakers were eager to move the bill quickly so that the former first lady would know that the Department of Education headquarters, near Capitol Hill, will be known as the Lyndon Baines Johnson Federal Building. ... The bill was stalled for several Congresses by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, who objected to the "big government" that Johnson represented. [article link]
Documents Show Gonzales Approved Plans to Fire Several U.S. Attorneys - Gonzales signed off on the plan, which was crafted by his chief of staff, Kyle Sampson WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales approved plans to fire several U.S. attorneys in a November meeting, according to documents released Friday that contradict earlier claims that he was not closely involved in the dismissals. ... focused on a five-step plan for carrying out the firings of the prosecutors, Justice Department officials said late Friday. There, Gonzales signed off on the plan, which was crafted by his chief of staff, Kyle Sampson. Sampson resigned last week in the wake of the political firestorm surrounding the firings. [article link]
Some background on Kyle Sampson - Gonzales Staffer Was "Ready Replacement" for Karl Rove - Kyle is from Utah - He also served a 2 year (Mormon) LDS mission to Minnesota Minneapolis around 1998-1991 Some background on Kyle Sampson, the now former chief of staff to Alberto Gonzales whom you'd never heard of before today. ... From the NYT: "...He arrived in Washington in 1999, around his 30th birthday, with impeccable credentials - at least for a man his age - among religious conservatives. A native of Utah and a Mormon, he had completed his undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University. Mr. Sampson then followed the lead of Dallin H. Oaks, the former president of Brigham Young, by attending the University of Chicago for law school, another bastion of conservatism..." Kyle is from Utah... He was edged out of the US Attorney job in Utah by Brett Tolman. Tolman was the guy that put the Patriot language in the conference report. ... He also served a 2 year LDS mission to Minnesota Minneapolis around 1998-1991. [article link]
Bush Official Admits Guilt In Abramoff Scandal - Griles vehemently denied any ties to Abramoff and told senate investigators that it was "outrageous" and "not true" that the disgraced lobbyist had any special access to him or his department - He now admits he lied and that Abramoff did in fact have special access to him {Abramoff is who lobbied for Indian casino gambling and tries to outlaw internet gambling (their competition) while protecting and promoting casino gambling.} The highest-ranking Bush Administration official to be criminally investigated in the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal finally admits that he obstructed justice by concealing his unique relationship with the convicted lobbyist and repeatedly lying about it to senate investigators. ... The senate committee launched the investigation amid reports that wealthy Indian casino operators paid Abramoff tens of millions of dollars to influence Congressional and Interior Department decisions that would affect them. Abramoff lured his clients by assuring them that he had serious connections at the Interior Department and a close relationship with a high-ranking official. In a desperate effort to hamper the senate committee's investigation that criminally implicated him, Griles vehemently denied any ties to Abramoff and told senate investigators that it was "outrageous" and "not true" that the disgraced lobbyist had any special access to him or his department. He now admits he lied and that Abramoff did in fact have special access to him. [article link]
Romney endorsed by Christian Coalition officer Drew McKissick - Gitcho and McKissick said there was no link between the endorsement and the paid campaign job - Romney's political action committee donated $5,000 to McKissick's SC for Marriage group {George Soros and his liberal pals donate millions of dollars to their causes, while Mitt Romney also one of the world's richest men donates nickels to conservative causes. I think you could say that Romney is not really dedicated to conservative causes like Soros is to liberal causes and that Romney is just buying window dressing.} The campaign declined to say how much McKissick would be paid. Last year, Romney's political action committee donated $5,000 to McKissick's SC for Marriage group, which pushed a state constitutional amendment that prevents any type of legal recognition of same-sex unions. While the group solicited cash from other presidential hopefuls, Romney was the only one to write a check, McKissick said. [article link]
{Flashback} Mitt Romney Buys the Right - If Romney secures the Republican nomination, he will confirm Will Rogers' words of wisdom, "A fool and his money are soon elected" {If Romney wins anything, it's not even winning, it's not even winning ugly, it's just dirty backroom political bribes and tricks.} As I reported in the Nation last November, Lopez was given a private reception by Romney last October. The visit yielded a fawning blog post and a softball interview in which NR editors acknowledged that KLo "has some pro-Romney tendencies." What the National Review failed to acknowledge was that Romney donated $10,000 to its in-house think tank, the National Review Institute, right before declaring his presidential candidacy. As David Kirpatrick of the Times reported yesterday, NR is not the only right-wing group awash in Romney's riches. The Federalist Society, a right-wing legal cabal that hosted, Romney as a speaker at its 2005 convention, has been granted $35,000 by the ex-governor over the past two years. Romney's relationship with the Massachusetts Family Institute is more telling. The Family Institute, a local affiliate of James Dobson's Focus on the Family, was one of Romney's most aggressive critics during his term as governor. But in 2006, after Romney donated $10,000 to the group, it changed its tune. ... Romney's fortunes have continued to flood the conservative grassroots since he declared his candidacy. Many observers of the recent conservative movement gathering, CPAC, were suprised that Romney defeated other, more conservative Republican presidential contenders in the event's straw poll. Yet his victory was assured from the beginning: Romney paid droves of student "volunteers" to attend CPAC, purchasing their plane tickets and hotel fare in exchange for their votes. [article link]
Democratic Party : DNC: Three Days, Three Scandals, One Bottom Line: Romney Not Ready for Prime Time - #3 The Politico revealed that three leaders of his "Lawyers for Romney" fundraising arm worked for scandal-
plagued Attorney General Alberto Gonzales when he was White House counsel {Mitt Romney is too much of a Washington insider - we need change and responsibility in Government not more of what the Mitt Romney's have to offer.} Today, The Politico revealed that three leaders of his "Lawyers for Romney" fundraising arm worked for scandal-plagued Attorney General Alberto Gonzales when he was White House counsel, including one who has been directly linked to emails concerning Karl Rove's involvement in the politically-motivated firing of eight U.S. Attorneys. ... The news comes barely a week after Romney backed Gonzales on Larry King Live, saying it was too soon to determine whether he should be fired, which raises the question of whether this explains Romney's support for Gonzales, and whether these three former White House lawyers were vetted to see if they played any role in the Attorneys' firings. [article link]
The Mitt Romney Challenge to Debate The Truth (YouTube 5:31) {Bravo!! This is an Excellent Presentation … this person gets it … issues matter, issues matter and issues matter. Let's start having some real candidate access about real motives and the real intentions of America's 2008 Presidential candidates.} Certainly all of you are tired of the back and forth truths being exposed and disclosed by my videos and the Romney Camp. I too wish to have clarity in this area.. so here it is: Governor If you have nothing to HIde then lets meet and show the youtube world the truth, full disclosure on your beliefs and mine and I am willing to give in to you if you could possibly prove me wrong on your bizarre absolutely incredulous beliefs that are racist and unfounded. I accept anytime anywhere. [article link]
Gap in Justice, White House e-mails raises questions - A 16-day gap in e-mail records between the Justice Department and the White House concerning the firing of U.S. attorneys last year has attracted the attention of congressional investigators WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A 16-day gap in e-mail records between the Justice Department and the White House concerning the firing of U.S. attorneys last year has attracted the attention of congressional investigators. In an investigation into whether seven U.S. attorneys were fired for political rather than professional reasons, the Justice Department on Monday handed over 3,000 pages of documents to the House and Senate Judiciary committees. But the documents included no correspondence about the firings in the critical time period between November 15, 2006, and December 2, 2006, right before the attorneys were asked for their resignations. [article link]
Bush Used Press Confrence to Force PR Buzzwords into the Debate - THE PRESIDENT (Bush): Earlier today, my staff met with congressional leaders about the "resignations" of U.S. attorneys - however, that "firing" has and continues to be the keyword used to describe what the Bush administration did to their Federal Attorneys In a scripted moment of imperial bravado, President Bush held a press conference yesterday to address the scandal over his Attorney General having lied to Congress. Why this sudden move? In a word: framing. ... In the very first sentence of his press conference, President Bush said the following: THE PRESIDENT: Earlier today, my staff met with congressional leaders about the resignations of U.S. attorneys. Since the key to framing a debate is naming the subject being discussed, the top priority of the White House, yesterday, was to redirect the whole discussion of Attorney General Gonzales with one, big word: resignations. President Bush repeated "resignation" 4 conspicuous times in his 12-minute appearance, yesterday, including the coveted opening line of the entire event. So important is this word to the White House that they even used it in the title they gave the press conference on their website ("President Bush Addresses Resignations of U.S. Attorneys"). A simple Google search reveals, however, that "firing" has and continues to be the keyword used to describe what the Bush administration did to their Federal Attorneys. By attempting to swap the word "firing" for the word "resignation," President Bush is trying to force the debate onto more neutral grounds. [article link]
Tom DeLay Nomination Prompts American Conservative Union (ACU) Protest - Four members of the American Conservative Union's board resigned in protest over the nomination of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to the board - [they] refuse to let the Texas Republican off the hook for the massive increases in government spending that took place during his tenure as majority leader Four members of the American Conservative Union's board resigned in protest over the nomination of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to the board. ... But some members of the ACU - one of America's most prominent conservative groups - refuse to let the Texas Republican off the hook for the massive increases in government spending that took place during his tenure as majority leader. "He carried the water for some of the biggest government expansions in the history of the republic," political strategist Marc Rotterman, one of the four board members who resigned after DeLay was nominated in December, told the publication Roll Call. "We looked at Tom DeLay to stop those kinds of bills, not to promote them. He was complicit." ... Rotterman singled out the No Child Left Behind Act, the Medicare prescription drug program and the surge in federal earmarks as big-spending measures that passed during DeLay's tenure. Conservative Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona described DeLay's leadership as concentrating on redistricting, fund raising, and the distribution of pork, according to columnist Robert Novak, who first disclosed the resignations. [article link]
Listen, who did President Bush invite first to the White House but Ted Kennedy? Who did George Bush Sr. give his third annual award for distinguished service? To Ted Kennedy. And who did President Bush rename the Justice Department? The Robert F. Kennedy Justice Department. So it's really not a partisan issue {The Republicans have been more supporting, forwarding and advancing of individual Democrats and the Democrat agenda than even the Democrats themselves have been. Bush has needlessly, through his neglect and misuse has put the Republican Party into severe disarray, disarray that could possibly even end the Republican Party's viability as a National party.} MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about the Kennedy family. First of all, the word Camelot is in fact a post-Dallas term. No one ever called the new frontier Camelot when Kennedy was there. Who first started it? It was Jackie in her interview with Ted White for "LIFE" magazine that created the whole notion of Camelot. Do you think it was just a myth? LAURENCE LEAMER, AUTHOR, "SONS OF CAMELOT": Well, White didn't know what to do that weekend, because he thought it was over the top. But here was the president's widow the weekend after. And he went with it and it created an enormous impact in "LIFE" magazine. Yes, but I think, finally, after all these years, we've come to terms with the Kennedys, the good and the bad. Listen, who did President Bush invite first to the White House but Ted Kennedy? Who did George Bush Sr. give his third annual award for distinguished service? To Ted Kennedy. And who did President Bush rename the Justice Department? The Robert F. Kennedy Justice Department. So it's really not a partisan issue. We know that these are patriots who care for their country. MATTHEWS: In fact, Ronald Reagan, to name another Republican, he gave the Freedom Medal to Robert Kennedy soon after he came in. And Jimmy Carter had been holding that up. But I guess question is, what role do they play? Are they out of power or in power? Would you say the Kennedys are still influential with regard to national policy? [article link]
Bush Aides Facing Subpoenas Over Firings - Watch John Jessup's report and Pat Robertson's comments about why Americans yearning for statesmanship (Video) {It's obvious that the Republicans are Bush League (or more likely just too liberal and inept) when it comes to politics. They kissed the toes of every Democrat like (Sandy) Samuel R. Berger instead of following the law when they had the chance to and now of course the Democrats are going to fight for real. The Lazy Republicans sat out their responsibilities, sat out their elected terms and the 2006 elections and now they want favors from the Democrats well don't count on it.} CBNNews.com - The showdown has been simmering for days. Members of Congress want to know whether the dismissals of eight U.S. attorneys was part of a politically-charged plan hatched by the White House. ... A House committee is expected to authorize subpoenas as early as today to investigate the firings. Their targets? Karl
Rove and other administration officials, including former White House counsel Harriet Miers who is believed to be part of a campaign to oust U.S. prosecutors who were not on the same page with the administration. The move comes after President Bush offered to let key officials be interviewed privately. Under his proposal, they would not be under oath during a one-time only session without any recorded transcripts. [article link]
FreeAgent™ Pro - Access your content (Mp3's) from anywhere, share it with anyone and sync it to almost anything - The FreeAgent™ Pro data mover automatically duplicates and moves content you select to multiple locations The FreeAgent Pro data mover provides anyone who's serious about their digital content with the freedom to stay connected to it. It's all about having your latest files right where you need them, when you need them. The FreeAgent™ Pro data mover automatically duplicates and moves content you select to multiple locations like email and contacts to your IPod™, photos to a Shutterfly™ account, your entire "My Documents" folder to FreeAgent, or move it to your own online space where you can access it from any browser 24/7 or share it with anyone you choose. [article link]
Introducing DAVE™, Seagate's latest technology platform that moves, stores, and connects with your digital life - This small, sleek cell phone companion delivers 10 GB or 20 GB of storage capacity that sets your customers free from the limits of in-phone storage Imagine being able to store gigabytes of music, video, games, and business data downloaded to mobile phones. DAVE technology from Seagate enables just that. This small, sleek platform slips easily into a consumer's pocket, purse or backpack, then stays connected to a handset up to 30 feet away over Bluetooth 2.0 or Wi-Fi. DAVE technology installs itself automatically once paired with the phone, so consumers can access their stored content using the graphic interface on the phone itself. [article link]
BluOnyx Mobile Content Server (for cell phones) - Your (Mp3) Content From Anywhere - Enjoyed Everywhere Now your Pictures, emails, files, video and music can be right there when you want them. You can view them on the cell phone, TV or PC screen. All that High Def pictures and video can be moved using the SD slot on the BluOnyx. Music, Video and Documents can be played or viewed on your cell phone. Put the BluOnyx on the home network and you can drag and drop content to it then pick it up and go. [article link]
Today's Devotional: "You Will be Scattered, Each to his Own Home, and Will Leave Me Alone" John 16:32 Few had fellowship with the sorrows of Gethsemane. The majority of the disciples were not sufficiently advanced in grace to be admitted to behold the mysteries of the agony. Occupied with the Passover feast at their own houses, they represent the many who live upon the letter but are mere babes as to the spirit of the Gospel. To twelve, no, to only eleven the privilege was given to enter Gethsemane and see "this great sight." Out of the eleven, eight were left at a distance; they had fellowship, but not of that intimate sort to which men greatly beloved are admitted. Only three highly favored ones could approach the veil of our Lord's mysterious sorrow. Within that veil even they must not intrude; they remain a stone's throw apart. He must tread the winepress alone, and of the people there must be none with Him. ... To some selected spirits it is given, for the good of others and to strengthen them for future, special, and tremendous conflict, to enter the inner circle and hear the pleadings of the suffering High Priest; they have fellowship with Him in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death. Yet even these cannot penetrate the secret places of the Savior's woe. "Thine unknown sufferings" is the remarkable expression of the Greek liturgy: There was an inner chamber in our Master's grief, shut out from human knowledge and fellowship. There Jesus is "left alone." Here Jesus was more than ever an "unspeakable gift!" Is not Watts right when he sings-- And all the unknown joys He gives, Were bought with
agonies unknown. [article link]
With each new crisis, Bush finds less political support from GOP - "I think Republicans are in a very awkward position of having to defend a number of indefensible acts," said GOP strategist Scott Reed - "It's causing them to move into the every-man-for-himself mode" The Associated Press WASHINGTON - With every unfolding crisis, President Bush is finding fewer allies in his corner. Republicans are ever more nervous about the Iraq war, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' problems, FBI abuses of the USA Patriot Act and the botched treatment of war wounded at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. ... These have not been good days for the administration. The Senate voted 94-2 Tuesday to end Gonzales' authority to fill U.S. attorney vacancies without Senate confirmation. The House is to vote this week on a war spending bill that would effectively withdraw U.S. combat troops by fall 2008. Competing threats of presidential vetoes and congressional subpoenas fill the air. ... More and more, there's less Bush can do to reward Republicans for backing him - or punish those who don't. "Support for President Bush becomes less important the closer we get to the election," said Republican consultant Rich Galen. "I'm not sure he'll be totally irrelevant, but certainly there will be more time, attention and money spent on propping up and/or defending the emerging front-runner, and then the party nominee, than the outgoing president." [article link]
Rove will not tesitfy under oath {so far} on firings - Mr Bush said in a televised address. "I will oppose any attempts to subpoena White House officials" - The Senate judiciary committee is to vote to authorise subpoenas on Thursday An influential Republican with close White House ties said the attorney-general's position was not safe. He said Fred Fielding, the White House counsel, had not lined up a replacement for the attorney-general, but that he "knows all the potential choices", he said. ... "It is sort of giving us the opportunity to talk to them, but not giving us the opportunity to get to the bottom of what really happened here," said Chuck Schumer, the New York senator. "In that way, it is a pretty clever proposal." The Senate judiciary committee is to vote to authorise subpoenas on Thursday. It is particularly interested in Mr Rove because his former aide was named to replace one of the prosecutors fired last year. ... Earlier on Tuesday, Democrats rejected a White House offer of making Mr Rove and Ms Miers available for private questioning by the Senate judiciary committee. "After telling a bunch of different stories about why they fired the US attorneys, the Bush administration is not entitled to the benefit of the doubt," said Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader. "If Karl Rove plans to tell the truth, he has nothing to fear from being under oath like any other witness." Mr Bush's language marks a serious deterioration in White House relations with the Hill after several months of both sides promising to create a climate of bipartisan co-operation. Few observers now believe that what little bipartisan rapport had been reached will be easy to retrieve. [article link]
WD [My Book(TM) World Edition(TM) II] Simplifies Access to Digital Content **Network Required for use, No USB to Computer connection** (Sermons - Bible Studies - Missionary Trips) From Anywhere in the World With New Shared Storage Appliances {I can't wait to purchase one of these. I think it's going to revolutionize Church - congregation interaction. It seems to be a really good and convenient way for a Church to keep it's worshipers and visitors up to date with sermons, messages, video and info.} "The My Book World Edition shared storage appliances eliminate the limits of traditional external hard drives," said Jim Welsh, vice president and general manager of WD's Branded Products group. "Using this appliance is like carrying as much as a terabyte of content with you wherever you go and knowing that your personal content is safe at home. This new concept in storage enables virtually limitless accessibility to family, friends and associates for sharing and backup." In a new twist on today's popular social networks, the My Book World Edition enables friends and family to share digital content such as photos and documents anywhere in the world without the hassle or insecurity of having to upload it to a third-party Web site. Road warriors will
appreciate the ease with which they can retrieve an important presentation and other documents from their My Book World Edition while traveling, as well as the ability to remotely back up their laptop/notebook data to their My Book World Edition. Small workgroups can easily share critical documents over the Internet or within a local network without the need for a separate, and often cumbersome, FTP server. [article link]
CPAC 2007: The Unauthorized Documentary (YouTube-Video 7:18) {A Good Video it shows that the Republican Party has a lot of Soul searching to do before the next Presidential election in 08. It is also proof positive that Michelle Malkin is among the Very Best of talented, committed, trustworthy news commentators, if not the Best!} The Nation's Max Blumenthal takes us on a revealing (and at times shocking) tour of the Conservative Political Action Conference. Featuring Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Grover Norquist, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo, and many more. [article link]
Mitt Romney and Ann Coulter CPAC 2007 Backstage right before she gave her speech (YouTube-Video 2:51) {This is just plain Bizarre! ... try to listen to all of the comments.} Mitt Romney and Ann Coulter CPAC 2007 Backstage right before she gave her speech. I apologize that I had to delete msg'ing as comments were becoming equally offensive and I truly hope everyone understands. [article link]
PAT ROBERTSON'S REGENT UNIVERSITY INVITES MORMON MITT ROMNEY! - they (Christians) will start wondering whether supporting the religious right leaders who have been taking them down this path for over 25 years was EVER the right thing to do - You know, whether it was EVER God's Will See what people who are dancing with the mammon (money and power) demon are capable of. The Bush presidency and the Iraq War has been really harmful for the GOP and ESPECIALLY the religious right, and they know that if a Democrat gets into office (or worse, if a GOPer gets in without their at least PRETENDING to be kingmaker), then they will be to the GOP what, well, we blacks are to the Democratic Party! They will be out of power for good after having accomplished ABSOLUTELY NOTHING despite all those years of getting their parishioners to contribute money and volunteer for campaigns. And you know what will happen then? All of those parishioners who fill their suburban megachurches, send their kids to their colleges (LIKE REGENT UNIVERSITY, WHERE MORMON MITT ROMNEY IS GOING TO SPEAK!), and support their political and TV networks will start to wonder exactly why they spent all of their resources on trying to change laws through politics and the ballot box rather than trying to change hearts with the gospel, and then they will start wondering whether supporting the religious right leaders who have been taking them down this path for over 25 years was EVER the right thing to do. You know, whether it was EVER God's Will. [article link]
Want Your Tax Dollars to Kill Human Embryos? - President Bush is the first president to federally fund human embryonic stem cell research {Embryonic stem cells are different from adult stem cells.} Next week, the U.S. Senate will consider a bill to fund research that requires the killing of human embryos. Sponsored by Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), S. 5 will federally fund research on human embryos that supposedly are "leftover" from in vitro fertilization. Instead of promoting the adoption of these human embryos, this bill would require their death. President Bush is the first president to federally fund human embryonic stem cell research. He decided that such research could be funded so long as the cells had been obtained from embryos on or prior to August 9, 2001, the date of his announcement. Since then, the government has funded research on over 22 stem cell lines based on these embryos. However, the President's policy does not encourage the further killing of human embryos. [article link]
Rise of the Adulterers: GOP at Risk of Hostile Takeover by the Left - Are grassroots conservative Republicans really willing to abandon everything they ever believed in and every conservative principle they ever supported for the illusory hope of a soulless victory? - Giuliani, McCain, and Romney - have been either lifelong moderates or liberals and have been longtime opponents of conservatives on a host of issues Following the GOP's electoral debacle in the November 2006 mid-term elections, conservatives remain in complete disarray. Perhaps in belated realization that they have been supporting a President for the past six years who does not now and never has shared their conservative principles, many have become disillusioned with the GOP. They have been discouraged due to repeated betrayals of conservative principles by Bush and other GOP leaders and are ambivalent as to whether they will vote for the GOP in the next election without major policy changes that address their concerns, including either a plan for winning the war in Iraq or getting out entirely. Others have lost their way and no longer seem to know what they believe or who they should support, causing conservative commentator Robert Novak to write a recent article entitled "The Conservative Void." ... Perhaps it is a measure of how liberal the Republican Party has become since the party was hijacked from conservatives by George W. Bush, that three of the top four GOP candidates in early primary polls Giuliani, McCain, and Romney - have been either lifelong moderates or liberals and have been longtime opponents of conservatives on a host of issues. [article link]
Swift Boat group's backer joins Romney campaign - Perry has earned a reputation for his willingness to finance the political activities of "527 groups" WASHINGTON -- The primary donor of an independent group that raised questions about Senator John F. Kerry during the 2004 presidential election has signed on to raise money for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's GOP presidential campaign. Perry has earned a reputation for his willingness to finance the political activities of "527 groups," nonprofit organizations named after the federal tax code that applies to them. He gained notoriety for the $4.5 million he donated to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group of Vietnam War veterans who questioned Kerry's military credentials. ... In 2006, Perry was the largest political donor in Texas. [article link]
Military.com - Opinion: The Deceit of the Right - Playing the Course - That's Homeland Security's job, and if Homeland Security can't keep terrorists from infiltrating our country, why does it even exist? {BTW "The Sunni organization al-Qaeda" are not the same thing 'Sunni' is a tribe-sect of Islam 'al-Queda' is an invented convenient scapegoat for George Bush, anything Bush wants to Boogieman becomes 'al-Queda', al-Queda is simply an Arabic term meaning 'the base'.} Straying the Course: From the beginning, The (Bush) administration and its echo chamberlains have sold their woebegone war in Iraq with a fabric of glittering generalities, appeals to emotion, bandwagons, sand bagging, blame shifting, straw man attacks, faulty main assumptions, false analogies, and the rest of the propaganda arsenal. They coaxed us into this war by making visions of mushroom clouds dance in our heads, and they've been playing Rovewellian mind games with us ever since. Their most enduring trick has been the "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here" mantra. In recent months "fighting them over there" has morphed into "If we withdraw, they will follow us here." Pish. How are they going to get here--hide in our troops' luggage? Swim? Wind surf? Jump? ... That's Homeland Security's job, and if Homeland Security can't keep terrorists from infiltrating our country, why does it even exist? [article link]
Claire's (Claire's Stores, which sells costume jewelry and accessories) agrees to $3.1 billion private buyout - The deal makes Claire's the latest in a string of retailers snapped up by cash-rich private-equity firms. Recent successful bids have targeted Dollar General Corp., Neiman-Marcus Group and Toys "R" Us NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Claire's Stores Inc. said Tuesday that it has agreed to be acquired by an affiliate of private-equity firm Apollo Management for about $3.1 billion. ... The deal makes Claire's the latest in a string of
retailers snapped up by cash-rich private-equity firms. Recent successful bids have targeted Dollar General Corp., Neiman-Marcus Group and Toys "R" Us. ... "We believe that the increased flexibility available to a private company will enable Claire's to capitalize on the many opportunities before it, both here and abroad," said Peter Copses, a senior partner at Apollo. "We have a long track record of successful investment in the retail industry and are firmly committed to Claire's continued growth as a highly successful global specialty retailer." [article link]
Emerging confrontation with 'citizen journalists' - How much do we really want the average person to contribute to the newsgathering process, to politics and to the culture itself? It depends on whom you ask - the vast collection of online opinions will profoundly influence on many areas of life HOLLYWOOD (MarketWatch) -- How much do we really want the average person to contribute to the newsgathering process, to politics and to the culture itself? It depends on whom you ask. "If we keep up this pace, there will be over five hundred million blogs by 2010, collectively corrupting and confusing popular opinion about everything from politics to commerce, to arts and culture," writes Andrew Keen, author of the recently published "The Cult of the Amateur: How the Democratization of the Digital World Is Assaulting Our Economy, Our Culture and Our Values." Keen, a moderator at the iHollywood Forum in Hollywood this week, is no doubt spot-on with his prediction that hundreds of millions of blogs, many written by rank amateurs, lie in our future. Consider that there were just 10,000 Web sites back in 1994. Today, it's estimated that there are more than 100 million. It's likely that Keen is similarly accurate in stating that the vast collection of online opinions will profoundly influence on many areas of life. [article link]
The power of brands - As voice, television, Internet and wireless services converge, the question facing the players is: Who accrues the most value? NAPA, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- As voice, television, Internet and wireless services converge, the question facing the players is: Who accrues the most value? Will it be the companies the content, such as Walt Disney, Google, Viacom or News Corp's MySpace? The device makers, such as Apple, Nokia, or Motorola? How about the network operators, such as cable companies, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Sprint Nextel, Verizon? ... Few attending the retreat made any outright predictions regarding the question posed above, with the exception of Rich Wong, a venture capital partner at Accel Partners. He argued that content players would be the big winners, if market capitalization was the measure. He pointed to the $140 billion market value of Google versus the paltry valuations of the Internet service providers which managed to survive. [article link]
White House: Karl Rove, Harriet Miers Won't Testify Under Oath - The White House offered Tuesday to make political strategist Karl Rove and former counsel Harriet Miers available for interviews - but not testimony under oath WASHINGTON -- The White House offered Tuesday to make political strategist Karl Rove and former counsel Harriet Miers available for interviews - but not testimony under oath - by congressional committees investigating the firing of eight federal prosecutors. ... The White House move was announced after the Senate voted overwhelmingly to end the Bush administration's ability to unilaterally fill U.S. attorney vacancies. That had come as a backlash to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' firing of the prosecutors. [article link]
{Flashback} Supreme Court Nominee Harriet Miers Provided Misleading Information to Judiciary Committee Miers gives wrong dates in questionnaire; Firm was sued during period omitted. President Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court, Harriet Miers, provided erroneous and incomplete information to the Senate Judiciary Committee about her membership on a Board of Directors for a real estate investment company, RAW STORY has learned. [article link]
{Flashback} Diocese: Harriet Miers Never Catholic - Acquaintances of Miers have said she worshipped as a Catholic DALLAS -- The Roman Catholic diocese of Dallas is setting the record straight: Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers has never been a Catholic. A review of records for such sacraments as baptism, first Eucharist and confirmation found no evidence that Miers or anyone in her immediate family was Catholic, Bronson Havard, a spokesman for the diocese, said Friday. [article link]
{Flashback} Harriet Miers Objected to an Initial Draft of President Bush's 2001 Christmas Message as Being "too Christian" Objected to an initial draft of President Bush's 2001 Christmas message as being "too Christian" and one that "might offend people of other faiths." The author, aide Ned Ryun, refused to change the message; and the assignment of writing the Christmas message was transferred to another staffer. [article link]
Mitt's Commie phrase sparks rage - Romney also garnered criticism for ... and ending the talk with the phrase "Libertad, Libertad, Libertad," a revolutionary saying made famous in the gangster movie "Scarface," which many Cubans feel plays on cultural stereotypes {If you think Mitt Romney had no reason to know the names of key-prominent GOP members think again. During the failed 2006 elections Romney was chairman of the Republican Governors Association.} {It's obvious that to Mormons facts just don't matter.} Cubans in Miami are steaming mad at former Gov. Mitt Romney for shooting his mouth off in stumbling Spanish, mispronouncing names and erroneously associating a notorious Fidel Castro-spewed Communist catch phrase with freedom fighters. ... At another point in the speech to the Miami-Dade Republican Party, Romney bungled the names of prominent Cuban GOP politicians, referring to Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio as "Mario." Romney also garnered criticism for his hard-line stance on immigration and ending the talk with the phrase "Libertad, Libertad, Libertad," a revolutionary saying made famous in the gangster movie "Scarface," which many Cubans feel plays on cultural stereotypes. [article link]
Mitt Romney Loses 2008 Florida Vote, in 2007 - he mistakenly associated Fidel Castro's trademark speechending slogan -- Patria o muerte, venceremos! -- with a free Cuba, listeners didn't laugh - They winced - What's next? "Heil Hitler!" in a room of Jews? {Repeat ... Mitt Romney is the 2008 version of Bob Dole - Romney is the unelectable candidate.} People chuckled when presidential candidate Mitt Romney, a Mormon raised in Michigan and elected in Massachusetts, bungled the names of Cuban-American politicians during a recent speech in Miami. But when he mistakenly associated Fidel Castro's trademark speech-ending slogan -- Patria o muerte, venceremos! -with a free Cuba, listeners didn't laugh. They winced. Castro has closed his speeches with the phrase -- in English, ''Fatherland or death, we shall overcome'' -- for decades. ''Clearly, that's something he was ill-advised on or didn't do his homework on,'' said Hialeah City Council President Esteban Bovo. ``When you get cute with slogans, you get yourself into a trap.'' ... I'm in complete agreement with Louis on this one. Romney has his foot in his mouth up to his knee. We can analyze whether it was poor preparation, an ignorant speech writer, too much time in Mass, or something else. In the end it doesn't really matter. It is just part of the pre-election parade of guayabera-wearing-cafecito-drinking-vivaCubalibre spouting politicos who come around every election eve on the arm of local power mongers looking for our votes. They don't really mean half of what they say, and there is no intent to follow through. [article link]
Marine Commander Faces Politically Charged "Haditha" Prosecution; - Prior to the November 19, 2005 attacks, Marines had uncovered evidence that the Haditha area was a terrorist stronghold - Thomas More Law Center Joins Defense Team {Bush can step in anytime now and support and defend his own troops … or is Bush just
going to continue to be AWOL in his own war!} The decision to launch a criminal investigation of the November 19 incident was made three months after its occurrence and as a result of a grossly erroneous and inflammatory Time Magazine news lead, which military commanders in the field suspected was instigated by terrorist propaganda. The suspicious nature of the process was reinforced when months before the investigation was completed, Congressman John Murtha, an outspoken anti-war critic and chairman of the House military appropriations subcommittee, publicly accused the four Marines of being "cold-blooded murderers" and high ranking officers of "covering it up." Murtha is the same person caught on tape negotiating bribes with Arab Sheiks during the FBI's 1980 Abscam investigationhe was an un-indicted coconspirator in that case. ... The gist of the charges against Chessani is that he failed to properly investigate and brief higher commanders on the November 19 incident. However, fellow Marines of all ranks have supported the fact that under the circumstances, Chessani had properly briefed his superiors concerning the incident, including the civilian deaths, within hours. According to news stories, higher echelons were even monitoring the action as it was taking place through radio traffic and remote controlled aircraft. Yet, none of these higher echelon commanders saw the need for further investigation. [article link]
DefendtheDefenders.org raises money and awareness for the defense of soldiers and Marines whose actions in the heat of combat are being second-guessed A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." Theodore Roosevelt, 1903 [article link]
'Excavation Vacations' Attract Holy Land Diggers - "I didn't expect to find something like that, so it's very exciting," Krewson says - About 30,000 to 50,000 people pay to do the dig each year JERUSALEM (AP) - Deep in a 2,000-year-old tunnel system outside Jerusalem, a young woman unearthed a rare oil lamp used in ancient rituals. Tourists pay $25 to spend the day digging and sifting through the ruins. Their fees underwrite the more difficult parts of archaeological work: washing pottery shards, logging finds, and publishing papers in academic journals. For Abby Krewson, the discovery was especially gratifying: Krewson is a 10th-grader from Philadelphia participating in a "dig for a day" archaeological experience with her family and a Bible college group. "I didn't expect to find something like that, so it's very exciting," Krewson says. Tourists like Krewson pay $25 to spend the day working in ancient tunnels at Israel's Beit Guvrin National Park, about 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem. [article link]
Oregon Biology Teacher Fired Over Bible References - "Critical thinking is vital to scientific inquiry," said Helphinstine, who has a master's degree in science from Oregon State "My whole purpose was to give accurate information and to get them thinking" {So Oregon school officials trust that their teachers will not cause their students to think … and America wonders why it is having trouble competing for jobs in the scientific world.} SISTERS, Ore. - During his eight days as a part-time high school biology teacher, Kris Helphinstine included Biblical references in material he provided to students and gave a PowerPoint presentation that made links between evolution, Nazi Germany and Planned Parenthood. That was enough for the Sisters School Board, which fired the teacher Monday night for deviating from the curriculum on the theory of evolution. "I think his performance was not just a little bit over the line," board member Jeff Smith said. "It was a severe contradiction of what we trust teachers to do in our classrooms." Helphinstine, 27, said in a phone interview with The Bulletin newspaper of Bend that he included the supplemental material to teach students about bias in sources, and his only agenda was to teach critical thinking. [article link]
The Emerging Church - and the Problems with it - 25008.mp3 (Mp3) The emerging church is a new worldly style of Christianity. The concerns about this new teaching is that it
deemphasize many of the existing Christian tenants like Biblical Truth and therefore there is a lack of received Biblical Holiness and a lack of Biblical acceptance resulting in a lack of Biblical obedience. [article link]
Mp3 File Storage Systems - Portable Drives - Portable Mp3 File Sharing High-performance portable storage for your Mac® and PC. Light and rugged, it's easy to carry and no external power adapter is needed. ... Carry thousands of songs, [sermons] or pictures. These drives are simple to use, light and easy to carry, and require no power adapter--they are powered directly through the USB cable. [article link]
Mp3 File Storage Systems - Church, Home, Office - File Sharing and Remote File Access - Share and access your data anywhere, anytime, even when your local computer is off - Securely share photos or Mp3's with your friends anywhere in the world without uploading them to the web Add this unique remote-access storage system to your wired or wireless network and you'll have a surprisingly simple and secure way to access and share data and photos at home, in the office, and anywhere in the world-even when your local computer is off. ... Extraordinary capacity - With one terabyte (1,000 GB) of storage in this elegant, small footprint design, you have plenty of room to store an entire digital photo library, up to 120 hours of HD video, or up to 76 hours of Digital Video (DV) ... Up to 250,000 songs - sermons (MP3). [article link]
The Three Stages of Discipleship - Christians are designed to grow - Whenever a Christian is stagnant, something is drastically wrong The Advanced Stage of Discipleship is where the mature Christian is refined over a longer period of time. John compares them to the father. The father is mature. He is a leader and works with other younger ones so that they can be protected, guided and properly cared for. These spiritual fathers have a constant need for growth. Except one will not see much of it from the outward. Their spiritual roots are growing very deep as they come to know God more. The father is the one who bears children. The mature Christian should bear fruit. This fruit will show itself in several areas of life: more Christlikeness, serving others to help them grow, use of their spiritual gifts to equip the body of Christ and general overseer tasks of protection from cults, leadership decisions and help to those needing comfort. The fathers have been there. They have experienced trials and are best at comforting others. BFF has a lot of training material for those in the Advanced Stage of Discipleship. Because of lack of clarity and challenge, many men and women drift at this stage when they should be bearing much fruit. [article link]
CuttingEdge.org Newsletter: News reports seem to be telling us that President Bush is once again engaged in deceptive tactics in dealing with the American public - Months ago, he told us all that he needed to "surge" 21,500 more troops into the Battle For Baghdad - Now, he and/or his officials keep asking for more troops incrementally - One news report indicates that the President may be secretly aiming for a total of 50,000 more troops! Did you catch this revelation? General Pretraeus is asking for up to 3,000 more troops, in addition to the more than 26,000 troops already on the way to Iraq! President Bush initially told Congress and the American people that he needed 21,500 additional troops. Already, that number has increased by 4,500, with General Petraeus asking for 3,000 more. But, now this next article informs us that the real number of troop increase might be 50,000! NEWS BRIEF: "US military has told Bush that to "retake" Baghdad" will require 50,000 more troops", TBR News.org, March 12, 2007 ""We are rapidly approaching a major confrontation here yet very few people are aware of it. The military has told Bush that to 'retake Baghdad' i.e., kick out the insurgents and, most important, secure the city against a return, the U.S. will need ca 50,000 new troops!" [article link]
{Flashback} Nearly 800 civilian contractors killed in Iraq - The U.S. has outsourced so many war and reconstruction duties that there are almost as many contractors (120,000) as U.S. troops (135,000) in the war zone In a largely invisible cost of the war in Iraq, nearly 800 civilians working under contract to the Pentagon have been killed and more than 3,300 hurt doing jobs normally handled by the U.S. military, according to figures gathered by The Associated Press. Exactly how many of these employees doing the Pentagon's work are Americans is uncertain. But the casualty figures make it clear that the Defense Department's count of more than 3,100 U.S. military dead does not tell the whole story. "It's another unseen expense of the war," said Thomas Houle, a retired Air Force reservist whose brother-in-law died while driving a truck in Iraq. "It's almost disrespectful that it doesn't get the kind of publicity or respect that a soldier would." [article link]
Gonzales has lost credibility, should resign -- or be fired - The Bush administration has been tossing expendable officials overboard at an accelerating pace as scandals continue to erupt The Bush administration has been tossing expendable officials overboard at an accelerating pace as scandals continue to erupt. The process began with the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, with low-level "fall guys" taking the heat while higher-ups claimed ignorance. Late last year, with the war in Iraq going increasingly badly, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was kicked off the boat. Then, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the chief of staff to the vice president, was hung out to dry, sacrificed in a trial that hinted at the involvement of higher-ups. That was quickly followed by the scandal at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which has consumed several generals. The latest is the Army's top medical officer -- the surgeon general -- who earlier this week "asked" to retire. Meanwhile, the FBI was revealed to have misused provisions of the Patriot Act to obtain personal information on hundreds of American citizens, just as critics of the act had warned. And although no has been sacked -- yet -- FBI Director Robert Mueller "took responsibility." ... And then Tuesday, the chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned to deflect growing heat on Gonzales, who is trying to deflect heat from the president, over the clumsy, politically motivated firings of eight U.S. attorneys. [article link]
GOP misgivings with Gonzales boil over - Rohrabacher criticized the (Bush) administration for its "pattern of arrogance" and the "ruthless prosecution" of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean The latest example is Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.). The lawmaker has strongly criticized Gonzales in the case of two Border Patrol agents, who are serving long prison sentences for an incident that resulted in the shooting of a suspected Mexican drug smuggler. Rohrabacher criticized the (Bush) administration for its "pattern of arrogance" and the "ruthless prosecution" of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. Since taking office, the Bush administration's Justice Department has drawn the ire of Democrats and Republicans with expanding executive authority - often irking lawmakers in the process. [article link]
Will Gonzales Fall For Attorney Firings? - The fallout from the firings continues to grow in Washington, and sources tell CBS News that it looks like Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will take the fall - "Maybe the president should have an attorney general who is less a personal friend and more professional in his approach" The White House is bracing for a weekend of criticism and more calls for Gonzales to go. One source tells CBS News he's never seen the administration in such deep denial, and Republicans are growing increasingly restless for the president to take action. ... "Even for Republicans, this is a warning sign … saying there needs to be a change," said Rohrbacher. "Maybe the president should have an attorney general who is less a personal friend and more professional in his approach." [article link]
Wal-Mart withdraws industrial banking push - FDIC says retailer 'made a wise choice' not to pursue application for limited banking operations - (Walmart) The world's largest retailer applied in July 2005 to establish an
"industrial loan bank" or "industrial loan company" (ILC) in Utah NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Wal-Mart Stores said Friday it will withdraw its controversial application for limited banking operations, after critics said the world's No. 1 retailer might use the bank as a stepping stone to offer a broader range of financial services. "Since the approval process is now likely to take years rather than months, we decided to withdraw our application to better focus on other ways to serve customers," Jane Thompson, president of Wal-Mart Financial Services, said in a statement. ... If Wal-Mart attracts all the deposits from small town banks, it could wipe out small businesses that depend on community banks for loans to support their operations," Narter said. "Where Wal-Mart excels is not in commercial lending. It's good at commercial processes like check cashing and money transfers." The withdrawal was greeted by federal regulators. "Wal-Mart made a wise choice. This decision will remove the controversy surrounding their intentions," FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair, said in a comment e-mailed to CNNMoney.com Friday. [article link]
{Flashback} Wal-Mart Partners With Gay and Lesbian Group - A Wal-Mart spokeswoman declined to comment on the trio of moves and would only confirm the company's partnership with the NGLCC - "This partnership shows Wal-Mart is changing" COLUMBUS, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- In an unprecedented push, Wal-Mart Stores has hired a gay-marketing shop, joined the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and begun discussions with activist groups about extending domestic-partnership benefits to its employees. ... "This partnership shows Wal-Mart is changing," Mr. Wexler said. "It's worth noting they declined to publicize this partnership and left it up to the chamber. Wal-Mart is very eager to publicize partnerships. It's possible they fear a backlash from their conservative consumer base." [article link]
{Flashback} Wal-Mart Faces Boycott for "Banning" Christmas - Top retailer accused of discrimination while promoting Kwanzaa, Hanukkah He points out, and WND confirmed, that when using the company's online search engine, if the world "Hanukkah" is entered, 200 items for sale are returned. The term "Kwanzaa" yields 77. But when "Christmas" is entered, the message returned says: "We've brought you to our 'Holiday' page based on your search." [article link]
Doctors Group Laments Record Oregon Assisted Suicide Figures - A doctors group says it's dismayed by new figures from the Oregon health department showing the number of assisted suicides on the rise {Critical life decisions and legalized marijuana Not a good mix.} Ottawa, Canada (LifeNews.com) -- A doctors group says it's dismayed by new figures from the Oregon health department showing the number of assisted suicides on the rise. The numbers also show that, in 2006, more patients died after killing themselves in assisted suicides than in any previous year since the state become the only one to allow the practice. According to the data, 46 Oregonians, most of them suffering from cancer, killed themselves after getting a prescription for a lethal amount of drugs from their physician. ... The group is disappointed that the Oregon Department of Human Services prepared a very brief report on assisted suicide compared with more comprehensive reporting in the past. It says the report "is amazingly brief and incomplete, and much of the past narrative-type information is not present in this year's report." For example, the doctors group says the new survey doesn't include information about the number of prescriptions written by doctors that prior reports contained. But when analyzing the information the report does contain, the physicians group is worried about the status of assisted suicide in Oregon. "Only two of the 46 patients dying from assisted suicide in 2006 were referred for psychiatric evaluation, yet depression is the most common cause of suicidal ideation," the group said. The organization was also worried about the lack of a true doctorpatient relationship. [article link]
Will the Real Mitt Romney Please Stand Up? - It's hard to know quite what to do with this suggestion that Romney was pro-life before he was pro-choice before he was pro-life - You have to wonder, though, if the Romney campaign got Dushku in touch with the [Washington] Post in the hope of planting the notion that Romney has actually always been pro-life {I don't see how this account makes Mitt Romney appear anything but Pro-Choice, he seems to be a strong supporter for abortion. And what is the point here an 'aunt of his who had died during a botched abortion' as though supposed legal abortions are in any way safe.} Dr. Judith Dushku, a professor of government at Suffolk University. She tells of speaking with Romney (whom she knew from (LDS) church) after he announced he would run against Sen. Kennedy in 1994, and writes, "I congratulated him on taking a pro-choice position, one of the reasons I had been open to working with him. I remember his response was something like: "Well, this is Massachusetts. I realized I had to take this position," which was the first indication to me that what I had understood to be his personal view was a stance he was actually taking pragmatically. He went on that day to talk about an aunt of his who had died during a botched abortion and how he thought legalized abortion was important. But those around him, and people who knew him closely in the ward, knew that it was a position he had taken because he thought he had to in order to win." ... It's hard to know quite what to do with this suggestion that Romney was pro-life before he was prochoice before he was pro-life. You have to wonder, though, if the Romney campaign got Dushku in touch with the Post (as they presumably did with the others who wrote) in the hope of planting the notion that Romney has actually always been pro-life. [article link]
By Dick Morris: Right Candidate Blocked by Romney, Gingrich - But neither McCain, as he fades, nor Romney, as he sputters, nor Gingrich, as he waits, are getting out of the way to let [new] right-wingers attract support {Mitt Romney is the 2008 version of Bob Dole - Romney is the unelectable candidate.} Romney, who is panting after their support, is a political duck decoy, distracting onlookers from focusing their gaze on the real conservatives who might run. He can't win. He can't get nominated or even become the consensus candidate of the right wing. He's too Mormon (it shouldn't be an issue, but it is) and flip-flop-flipped from pro-life to pro-choice and back again. These problems, combined with his flip-flops on gay rights and stem cell research, make him incapable of becoming the right-wing candidate to oppose Giuliani. ... But neither McCain, as he fades, nor Romney, as he sputters, nor Gingrich, as he waits, are getting out of the way to let right-wingers attract support - These three well-known candidates are standing in the way, blocking one of the lesser-known candidates from emerging. [article link]
EXCLUSIVE: E-Mails Show Karl Rove's Role in U.S. Attorney Firings - Unreleased Emails contradict White House Assertions That the Firings Originated With Harriet Miers New unreleased e-mails from top administration officials show that the idea of firing all 93 U.S. attorneys was raised by White House adviser Karl Rove in early January 2005, indicating Rove was more involved in the plan than the White House previously acknowledged. The e-mails also show that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales discussed the idea of firing the attorneys en masse weeks before he was confirmed as attorney general. The emails directly contradict White House assertions that the notion originated with recently departed White House counsel Harriet Miers, and was her idea alone. ... What has made the issue a political firestorm is the White House's insistence that the idea came from Miers and was swiftly rejected. White House press secretary Tony Snow told reporters Tuesday that Miers had suggested firing all 93, and that it was "her idea only." Snow said Miers' idea was quickly rejected by the Department of Justice. The latest e-mails show that Gonzales and Rove were both involved in the discussion, and neither rejected it out of hand. [article link]
KSM: The Ultimate Patsy "Confesses" - But since Khalid has squealed on the "A to Z" of 9/11, perhaps he can provide some answers to a few troubling little questions that still have us 9/11 "conspiracy nuts" running around in circles - Was Khalid Shaikh Mohammed responsible for NORAD completely reversing its standard
operating procedure on the day of 9/11? {And … why was the Pentagon hit by a small missile and not a plane?} Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the alleged "Al-Qaeda mastermind," has confessed to direct involvement in a myriad of terrorist attacks and assassination plots around the world, including 9/11 "from A to Z," but some are likely to be disappointed that after 5 years of torture he stopped short of accepting responsibility for killing Kennedy, creating AIDS and being the real Santa Claus. ... But since Khalid has squealed on the "A to Z" of 9/11, perhaps he can provide some answers to a few troubling little questions that still have us 9/11 "conspiracy nuts" running around in circles; ... Was Khalid Shaikh Mohammed responsible for the FBI ordering the 1993 World Trade Center bombing to go ahead? In his confession, KSM says he ran the attack but fails to explain why it was the FBI who provided the terror cell with the bomb materials through their informant. ... Was Khalid Shaikh Mohammed responsible for advising the Secret Service not to remove President Bush from a completely unsecured Florida elementary school by letting them know he wasn't a target on 9/11? [article link]
Reports of the GOP's Death . . . You would have to be a clueless Republican not to be worried - {The Republican Party needs Christian/conservatives more than Christian/conservatives need the Republican Party. In fact with this current Liberal - Republican in name only Party there might as well be Democrats in the White House. If anyone thinks Bush is at all popular even in his own Party just look back at the last election disaster.} Months before the first votes are cast in the campaign of 2008, some in the media are conducting last rites for the Republicans. The rush to bury the GOP is as hasty as it is premature. ... Of course, Republican partisans have every reason to be uneasy today. Their party has lost control of both houses of Congress. The president's overall ratings are in the cellar; the Iraq war continues, with mounting casualties; and aggressive investigations are uncovering fresh scandals in the administration at almost every turn. You would have to be a clueless Republican not to be worried. But the only thing we know for certain about the 2008 election is that we know none of the vital facts that will determine its outcome. We don't know the identities of the candidates or their strengths and weaknesses. We don't know where the war will be or what new challenges terrorism and other international forces may present. We don't know what condition the economy will be in, and we don't know what fears or hopes will animate the voters. [article link]
U.S. Mint accidentally releases coins without 'In God We Trust' - Production of the presidential dollar entails a "new, complex, high-volume manufacturing system" that the mint will adjust to eliminate any future defects, the mint said in a statement Faulty coins from Philly: About half were made in Philadelphia and the rest in Denver. So far the mint has only received reports of error coins coming from Philadelphia, mint spokeswoman Becky Bailey said. Bailey said it was unknown how many coins lacked the inscriptions. Ron Guth, president of Professional Coin Grading Service, one of the world's largest coin authentication companies, said he believes that at least 50,000 error coins were put in circulation. ... Guth said it appeared from the roughly 50 smooth-edge dollars he has authenticated that the problem had to do with quality control rather than a mechanical error. ... Bailey said the striking of the Adams coin, expected to roll out in mid-May, will proceed as planned. "We are adjusting the manufacturing process to try to eliminate the problems," she said. [article link]
Panel OKs Subpoenas in Attorney (General) Probe - Still, Bush left himself room to sack the attorney general "What was mishandled was the explanation of the cases to the Congress," Bush said "And Al's (Alberto Gonzales) got work to do up there" The subpoenas are a warning to the embattled administration to follow through on promises in recent days by Gonzales and Bush to tell the whole story of the firings, beyond the selected details that Associate Deputy Attorney General William Moschella revealed to the House panel last week. ... Although some Republicans have been tepid in their support for the attorney general, Sununu was the first to go so far in the uproar over the Justice Department's firing of the attorneys and its response to congressional questions, plus a separate report
that the administration abused its power to secretly investigate suspected terrorists. The White House issued a curt response to Sununu's remarks. "We're disappointed, obviously," White House spokesman Tony Snow said. A Justice Department spokeswoman refused to comment. Speaking to reporters in Mexico before returning to Washington, Bush expressed confidence in Gonzales and defended the firings. "What Al did and what the Justice Department did was appropriate," the president said. Still, Bush left himself room to sack the attorney general. "What was mishandled was the explanation of the cases to the Congress," Bush said. "And Al's got work to do up there." Gonzales, expected to meet with lawmakers this week, has been fending off Democratic demands that he resign over the ousters of the eight U.S. attorneys, which Democrats have characterized as a politically motivated purge. "We want Congress to know, to understand what happened here," Gonzales said. "We'll work it out." [article link]
'Congress was lied to' - Calls for ouster of attorney general (Alberto Gonzales) if involved in providing false information to lawmakers U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa said Wednesday he was "outraged" that executive branch officials recently gave a congressional hearing misleading and inaccurate testimony based on information that both the Department of Justice and the White House knew to be untrue. "We can soft-pedal it a lot of ways, but Congress was lied to," Issa, R-Vista, said in a Wednesday phone interview from his Washington office. ... He said that if Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had any role in false information being given to Congress, "he should not be able to continue in his job." ... "I am concerned that we have lost trust in the attorney general's office," Issa said. "Everybody who is part of us getting false testimony must go, up to and including the attorney general himself." [article link]
{Flashback} November 14 - November 25, 2001: US Secretly Authorizes Airlift of Pakistani and Taliban Fighters (from Afghanistan to Pakistan) - when asked to assure that the US did not allow such an airlift, Rumsfeld says, "Oh, you can be certain of that. We have not seen a single-to my knowledge, we have not seen a single airplane or helicopter go into Afghanistan in recent days or weeks and extract people and take them out of Afghanistan to any country, let alone Pakistan" - Reporter Seymour Hersh believes that Rumsfeld must have given approval for the airlift At the request of the Pakistani government, the US secretly allows rescue flights into the besieged Taliban stronghold of Kunduz, in Northern Afghanistan, to save Pakistanis fighting for the Taliban (and against US forces) and bring them back to Pakistan. Pakistan's President "Musharraf won American support for the airlift by warning that the humiliation of losing hundreds-and perhaps thousands-of Pakistani Army men and intelligence operatives would jeopardize his political survival." [New Yorker, 1/21/02] Dozens of senior Pakistani military officers, including two generals, are flown out. [PBS Now with Bill Moyers, 2/21/03] In addition, it is reported that the Pakistani government assists 50 trucks filled with foreign fighters to escape the town. [New York Times, 11/24/01] Many news articles at the time suggest an airlift is occurring. [BBC, 11/26/01; Independent, 11/26/01; New York Times, 11/24/01; Independent, 11/16/01; Guardian, 11/27/01; MSNBC, 11/29/01] Significant media coverage fails to develop, however. The US and Pakistani governments deny the existence of the airlift. [State Department, 11/16/01; New Yorker, 1/21/02] On December 2, when asked to assure that the US did not allow such an airlift, Rumsfeld says, "Oh, you can be certain of that. We have not seen a single-to my knowledge, we have not seen a single airplane or helicopter go into Afghanistan in recent days or weeks and extract people and take them out of Afghanistan to any country, let alone Pakistan." [MSNBC, 12/2/01] Reporter Seymour Hersh believes that Rumsfeld must have given approval for the airlift. [PBS Now with Bill Moyers, 2/21/03] However, The New Yorker magazine reports, "What was supposed to be a limited evacuation apparently slipped out of control and, as an unintended consequence, an unknown number of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters managed to join in the exodus." A CIA analyst says, "Many of the people they spirited away were in the Taliban leadership" who Pakistan wanted for future political negotiations. US
intelligence was "supposed to have access to them, but it didn't happen," he says. According to Indian intelligence, airlifts grow particularly intense in the last three days before the city falls on November 25. Of the 8,000 remaining al-Qaeda, Pakistani, and Taliban, about 5,000 are airlifted out and 3,000 surrender. [New Yorker, 1/21/02] Hersh later claims that "maybe even some of bin Laden's immediate family were flown out on those evacuations." [PBS Now with Bill Moyers, 2/21/03] [article link]
{Flashback} Bush Admits He Lied About Rumsfeld For Political Purposes (Video 1 Min.) Last week, President Bush unequivocally told a group of reporters that Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney would "remain with him until the end of his presidency, extending a job guarantee to two of the most-vilified members of his administration." Bush said, "Both those men are doing fantastic jobs and I strongly support them." Today, he announced Rumsfeld is resigning and being replaced by former CIA Director Robert Gates. ... Bush admitted that he had talked to Rumsfeld about resigning and was actively searching for his replacement at the time. [article link]
Exclusive: 2002 Pro-Choice Romney Video - He clearly states his firm position of being pro-choice in this video, which is sure to make lasting impressions of Romney in the minds of many voters {Mitt Romney is clearly dishonest. Why is the Republican Party even willing to take a chance on him?} CBNNews.com -- As if Mitt Romney's conversion from pro-choice to pro-life didn't make enough conservatives uneasy, a second You Tube video -- discovered and reported first by CBN News -- is almost sure to make a few more waves in his quest for presidency. The 2002 video shows footage of Romney and his wife, Ann, being interviewed during his bid for the Governor of Massachusetts. He clearly states his firm position of being prochoice in this video, which is sure to make lasting impressions of Romney in the minds of many voters. Earlier this year in January, a video surfaced on You Tube of Romney's 1994 U.S. senatorial campaign debate with Sen. Ted Kennedy, where he clearly stated his pro-choice stance, as well. In a press release which can be found on Romney's Web site, the governor's communications director, Kevin Madden, commented that the 1994 footage was "ancient," implying that he had long since departed from that view. [article link]
Folger urges conservatives not to settle for GOP frontrunners - But Folger says she is especially troubled that many conservative leaders are rushing to support former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney - Romney is "extreme" as he "not only wants abortion -- he wants you to pay for it with your tax dollars" - "even after his supposed (Pro-Life) conversion" Conservative author and talk show host Janet Folger of the group Faith 2 Action (faith2action.org) believes GOP presidential frontrunners -- Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney -- are Republicans in name only. Meanwhile, she says GOP presidential candidates who actually agree with the party's platform are not even being considered by the mainstream press and many conservative leaders. ... But Folger says she is especially troubled that many conservative leaders are rushing to support former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. "This is the most concerning," she says, "because there's a lot of people who are running to him because he suddenly and conveniently switched from being an ardent, hardcore pro-abort." In actuality, the pro-family talk radio host says, Romney is "extreme," as he "not only wants abortion -- he wants you to pay for it with your tax dollars." And that is exactly what the candidate's healthcare plan said, she points out, "even after his supposed conversion." Romney also "mandated marriage licenses to homosexual couples," Folger adds, "even after his supposed pro-marriage conversion." Instead of looking at name-only Republican presidential hopefuls such as McCain and Romney, she argues, conservatives need to take a closer look at candidates like Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo, Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee, and others who more closely align with the Republican Party's platform. [article link]
Microsoft Sues Cybersquatters - Software giant alleges trademark infringement against companies claiming similar domain names - a practice known as cybersquatting, or misspellings of those names, known as typosquatting It alleges that the companies intentionally registered domain names with variations of its trademarks, a practice known as cybersquatting, or misspellings of those names, known as typosquatting. Often, domains registered in this way point to Web pages containing advertisements that, if clicked upon, generate revenue for the owner of the domain. Microsoft said the practice is deceptive and confusing for users. Microsoft will receive damages from some companies, it said. ... Over the last six months, Microsoft said it has reclaimed 1,100 domain names that infringe on its brand. The company owns 21,000 domain names, and new ones recovered through settlements are redirected to the microsoft.com domain, Le Toquin said. [article link]
Episcopal Minister Boycotts 'Straight' Weddings - {Christian fasting is to be used for removing and overcoming evil and immorality and not for embracing it. The Christian Baptism is a symbol that a person has changed from their past immoral life and has entered into a New Holy life in Jesus. Baptism is not an entry pass into heaven nor is it a seal of approval for one's own sins.} An Episcopal minister in Massachusetts will stop performing all wedding ceremonies to protest the denomination's prohibition of same-sex unions. "We are called to join the fast that our homosexual brothers and sisters in Christ have had to observe all their lives," said the Rev. Robert Hirschfeld, rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst. ... Two priest associates at Grace Church, the Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas and the Rev. Burton Whiteside, also said they won't perform marriages. "I am convinced that when gays and lesbians are baptized, they become full members of the body of Christ," said Bullitt-Jonas. "They are not partial members or conditional members or second-class members." [article link]
Scientists: Gore Goes Too Far in 'An Inconvenient Truth' - "But there are a lot of inaccuracies in the statements we are seeing, and we have to temper that with real data" Several experts on climate change, including both proponents and skeptics of the man-made global warming theory, question former Vice President Al Gore's assertions in his Academy Award-winning documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth." "I don't want to pick on Al Gore," said Don J. Easterbrook, a geologist at Western Washington University, told an annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, according to a report in The New York Times. "But there are a lot of inaccuracies in the statements we are seeing, and we have to temper that with real data." [article link]
Mitt Romney Buys the Right - If Romney secures the Republican nomination, he will confirm Will Rogers' words of wisdom, "A fool and his money are soon elected" {If Romney wins anything, it's not even winning, it's not even winning ugly, it's just dirty backroom political bribes and tricks.} As I reported in the Nation last November, Lopez was given a private reception by Romney last October. The visit yielded a fawning blog post and a softball interview in which NR editors acknowledged that KLo "has some pro-Romney tendencies." What the National Review failed to acknowledge was that Romney donated $10,000 to its in-house think tank, the National Review Institute, right before declaring his presidential candidacy. As David Kirpatrick of the Times reported yesterday, NR is not the only right-wing group awash in Romney's riches. The Federalist Society, a right-wing legal cabal that hosted, Romney as a speaker at its 2005 convention, has been granted $35,000 by the ex-governor over the past two years. Romney's relationship with the Massachusetts Family Institute is more telling. The Family Institute, a local affiliate of James Dobson's Focus on the Family, was one of Romney's most aggressive critics during his term as governor. But in 2006, after Romney donated $10,000 to the group, it changed its tune. ... Romney's fortunes have continued to flood the conservative grassroots since he declared his candidacy. Many observers of the recent conservative movement gathering, CPAC, were suprised that Romney defeated other, more conservative Republican presidential
contenders in the event's straw poll. Yet his victory was assured from the beginning: Romney paid droves of student "volunteers" to attend CPAC, purchasing their plane tickets and hotel fare in exchange for their votes. [article link]
Halliburton to Move Headquarters to Middle East Hub of Dubai - "At this point in time we clearly see there are greater opportunities in the eastern hemisphere than the western hemisphere" MANAMA/HOUSTON - U.S. oil services firm Halliburton Co. (HAL) is moving its headquarters and chief executive to Dubai in a move that immediately sparked criticism from some U.S. politicians. Texas-based Halliburton, which was led by Vice President Dick Cheney from 1995-2000, did not specify what, if any, tax implications the move might entail. It plans to list on a Middle East bourse once it moves to Dubai - a booming commercial center in the Gulf. The company said it was making the moves to position itself better to gain contracts in the oil-rich Middle East. "This is an insult to the U.S. soldiers and taxpayers who paid the tab for their no-bid contracts and endured their overcharges for all these years," said judiciary committee chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat. ... Halliburton has drawn scrutiny from auditors, congressional Democrats and the Justice Department for the quality and pricing of its KBR Inc. (KBR) unit's work for the U.S. army in Iraq. ... But Lesar told reporters: "At this point in time we clearly see there are greater opportunities in the eastern hemisphere than the western hemisphere." [article link]
Who Killed Jesus? - He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: - and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Flash) Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 [article link]
Jesus Walk 2007 - Because Jesus is the World's Only Hope! - (Easter) 10 Day Timeline Devotion - FREE Download (PDF) Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) Holiday dates of 2007 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected, returned from death, just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. [article link]
Examining the 'Jesus Tomb' Evidence - Their method is essentially, "Evidence that favors the theory is included. The rest is excluded Scientific method demands a careful, systematic weighing of all the evidence, for and against. The documentarians have not done this. They have systematically ignored the unfavorable evidence: (1) they ignored those who should not be in the tomb, (2) they did not properly consider those who should be in the tomb; (3) they ignored the strong likelihood that Jesus could not be buried in the tomb. Their method is essentially, "Evidence that favors the theory is included. The rest is excluded." ... What they offer here is not science, but pseudo-science -- polemic dressed in scientific language. Numbers and "tests" are trotted out, but only for the sake of appearance. The hypothesis is never actually in danger because the falsifying evidence is excised before the evaluation begins. In other words, the rules of the game are: heads they win, tails you lose. The game was rigged from the start. [article link]
Bible verse: But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes Ezekiel 20:18-19 ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; -- Bible [article link]
'With Republicans Like These, Who Needs Democrats?' - Do we really want to throw serious Conservative candidates under the bus in favor of "star power?" - That's the question upon which hangs the future of the Republican party Do we really want to throw serious Conservative candidates under the bus in favor of "star power?" Since the Republicans dumped Conservative Tom McClintock because moderate Arnold Schwarzenegger was a "sure win" in the 2003 recall election, California's Governator has moved so far Left that Grey Davis might as well have been left in charge. Sure, the man's got an "R" after his name, but letters don't make policies-people do. Now weak-willed Republicans propose to make the same mistake on a larger scale. The election of our President should not be reduced to the level of a popularity contest. We're not electing homecoming king of the local high school, but the leader of the free world. A serious party should put forth a serious candidate-one who represents the best that party has to offer. Yet I fear that the Republican party is being driven towards candidates whose only recommendation is name recognition, regardless of their qualifications or policies. ... If the Republicans put forth a moderate media darling like McCain or Giuliani instead of a sincerely Conservative candidate like Duncan Hunter, they will have proven that they no longer espouse Conservative values and ideals. Should the party that once propelled Ronald Reagan to two electoral landslides fear to promote a man who espouses Reagan's policies because he lacks a benediction from the fourth estate? That's the question upon which hangs the future of the Republican party. [article link]
Iraq's PM Al-Maliki Orders Probe Into British-Iraqi Raid at the National Iraqi Intelligence Agency - Inside, troops discovered 30 prisoners with signs of torture and abuse, including one woman and two children, the British military said in a statement BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's government opened a probe Monday into a British-Iraqi raid on a police intelligence headquarters in southern Iraq that captured an alleged death squad leader and found 30 prisoners with signs of torture. The raid took place Sunday at the National Iraqi Intelligence Agency building in Basra, Iraq's secondlargest city, 340 miles southeast of Baghdad. ... Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered an investigation into the raid and vowed to punish "those who carried out this illegal and irresponsible act," his office said in a statement late Sunday. ... Sunday's raid came a day after Iraqi commandos arrested a suspected militia leader, from whom they gleaned information that enabled them to carry out the operation, the statement said. [article link]
Giuliani, McCain, Romney Vie For GOP Moderate Soul - Perhaps the lack of true ultra-conservative candidate is due to wanting to win against the likely candidacy of Hillary Clinton (or even Barack Obama) who will bring out the "conservative" vote in the Republican party, anyway The Republican Presidential primary really is the campaign of the middle ground {in this particular Election Cycle-Year}. Among the top tier candidates there is no true Pat Robertson or Pat Buchannan- type-ofcandidate that the right-wing conservatives can call their own. Perhaps the lack of true ultra-conservative candidate is due to wanting to win against the likely candidacy of Hillary Clinton (or even Barack Obama) who will bring out the "conservative" vote in the Republican party, anyway. ... In reality, in today's political world, the Republican candidate who wins the primary season will be a non-Hillary or Obama but a moderate on many issues with a tinge of hard-rock conservatism in areas where it matters. Ultimately, the party is simply putting pragmatism over hard-core principle. That's what it will take to capture the Presidential nomination--as the
candidates battle for dollars trying to cross the finish line in this brutal Republican battle of primary attrition. [article link]
Vermonters say winter's not what it used to be - Vermont natives say winter now arrives late, leaves early DANVILLE, Vermont (AP) -- Jane Larrabee hadn't had to shovel snow off the roof of her cottage in three years, until a big storm socked Vermont on Valentine's Day. Maple sugar maker Burr Morse, Jr., can no longer predict when the sap will start running in his farm's 3,000 maple trees. In recent years, warm weather has tricked trees into believing it's springtime, prompting runs in January instead of March. ... "We're very used to the idea that winter is not only a distinct and powerful season, but it's probably THE most distinct and powerful season in our minds. People used to say Vermont was 10 months of winter and two months of bad sledding. "Now, it's two months of bad sledding and 10 months of mud season," McKibben said. "It's very strange and unsettling." [article link]
Dr. Dobson, Evangelical Leaders Challenge Global-Warming Rhetoric - Letter urges National Association of Evangelicals to restrain its D.C. spokesman {Yeah, I think Jesus said 'Preach the Gospel' and not to stress out too much over political propaganda like global-warming. BTW a main component to global-warming is weather modification/manipulation and weather experiments - these issues need to be addressed and resolved.} In a letter to the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), James C. Dobson, Ph.D., chairman of Focus on the Family Action, joined other pro-family leaders in urging the NAE to refrain from taking a position on the controversial and divisive topic of global warming and other issues. NAE official Richard Cizik, who works in the group's Washington, D.C., office, has told the media it's indisputable that human activity has contributed to global warming and has encouraged evangelicals to make it a top issue. On other occasions, he's said evangelicals "must confront population control." "We ask," Dobson and the others wrote, "how is population control going to be achieved, if not by promoting abortion, the distribution of condoms to the young and even by infanticide in China and elsewhere? Is this where Richard Cizik would lead us?" To demonstrate that not all evangelicals are on board with global warming alarmism, the letter references a statement by the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance that challenges common assumptions about global warming. ... [article link]
Gates Joins Saudi Prince in Four Seasons Buy - A group including Bill Gates' Cascade Investment has agreed to buy the Four Seasons Hotels for $3.37 billion - The group, which plans to take the company private, also includes Kingdom Hotels International and Isadore Sharp, Four Seasons' chairman and chief executive. Kingdom Hotels is owned by a trust created by Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Luxury hotel operator Four Seasons Hotels said Monday it agreed to accept a US$3.37 billion going-private offer from its chief executive and firms owned by Bill Gates and a Saudi prince. Under the terms of the agreement, parties including Gates' Cascade Investment, Kingdom Hotels International and Isadore Sharp, Four Seasons' chairman and chief executive, will buy the Toronto company for $82 per share. Kingdom Hotels is owned by a trust created by Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, a nephew of the late King Fahd and one of the richest businessmen in the Middle East. ... The transaction will be implemented by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement under Ontario law. Four Seasons currently operates 73 hotels in 31 countries, and has more than 25 other properties under development. [article link]
{Flashback} This morning out in Jackson Hole, Wyoming {Bush appointed} Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is speaking to fellow central bankers at the Jackson Hole symposium - This year's theme for the symposium is "Global Economic Integration: What's New and What's Not." - The USA Today reports that more than 80 formerly public companies have gone private this year, on pace to be the busiest year since at least 2000 ... In the face of a meltdown in same-store sales and falling customer counts, some of the biggest names in
casual dining are cutting prices, according to the USA Today. "This is unprecedented," Paul Avery, COO of OSI Restaurant Partners (OSI), which includes the Outback Steakhouse brand, told the newspaper. Beginning in November, Outback plans to cut prices across its menu. ... The Future of the Stock Market? The USA Today reports that more than 80 formerly public companies have gone private this year, on pace to be the busiest year since at least 2000. Hey old public friend, where ya going? [article link]
Gates sells more Microsoft stock, filings show - Bill Gates, chairman and co-founder of Microsoft Corp., sold 4 million shares of the software giant's stock over the last three days of February, bringing his total sales for the month to 20 million [shares] {I think the 'Wow' has started now ... as in 'Wow' Bill Gates must think Microsoft has little future and it is about to tank!} NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Bill Gates, chairman and co-founder of Microsoft Corp., sold 4 million shares of the software giant's stock over the last three days of February, bringing his total sales for the month to 20 million, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Gates still owns 917.5 million shares of Microsoft ... For the month February, Gates has sold 20 million shares of Microsoft stock to raise about $580 million, the filings say. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2007 - (Easter) 10 Day Timeline Devotion - FREE Download (PDF) Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) Holiday dates of 2007 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected, returned from death, just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. [article link]
What bird has a [bottom] beak that grows continually? - So, evolutionists have a real problem trying to explain how the lower beak came to continually grow and the upper beak did not Skimmers are birds that live along the coast, and they have a unique way of feeding. These birds fly just above the water with their lower beak skimming the surface. Whenever that beak hits anything in the water, it scoops up its prey. Over time, the friction of the water wears against the lower beak, so you would expect the beak to wear away. But the lower beak of the skimmer continually grows at the same rate that it wears! Skimmers that are kept in zoos have to have their lower beaks trimmed on a regular basis or the lower beak will grow out way past the upper beak. The upper beak of the skimmer doesn't continually grow. But it doesn't touch the water and won't wear down. So, evolutionists have a real problem trying to explain how the lower beak came to continually grow and the upper beak did not. [article link]
Belated outrage emerges over Easter Bunny's 2003 name change - "First people can't wish 'Merry Christmas' at a store, and now they've taken Easter away from the Easter Bunny" {Try to find a traditional Easter product like candy, eggs or baskets in a store that actually says 'Easter' on it. It's nearly impossible, now everything is a Spring product.} City spokesman Brad Rovanpera said he was surprised by the media buzz and TV news trucks outside City Hall Thursday, attracted by a change instituted in 2003 with no controversy. The city's Spring Bunny reigns over annual "Spring Egg Hunts" in two city parks. "This will be the fifth year we are doing it that way," Rovanpera said. "This is the first complaint that I have ever heard. In fact, no one has ever complained to the city that we know of. This is from a letter to the editor." But the author of the letter that a local paper published Wednesday, a former newspaper reporter named Michael Runzler, said banishing the word "Easter" from the bunny and the eggs strikes a nerve with many people. He is happy the story is getting attention, even if belatedly. "First people can't wish 'Merry Christmas' at a store, and now they've taken Easter away from the
Easter Bunny," Runzler said in an interview Thursday. "Everyone is welcome to celebrate what they want to celebrate, but if you're offended by an Easter Bunny or an Easter egg, then maybe you should not participate." [article link]
*** Regent students upset at Romney's choice as speaker - his Mormon faith clashes with the school's bedrock evangelical Christianity - "What we're against is the fact that Mormonism is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Christian values and what we believe" {A guest speaker is one thing and a commencement speaker is another. A commencement speaker is who you want your students to emulate as an example. The Mormon Mitt Romney like other Mormons likely believes that ALL contemporary Christians are eternally damned (diminishing the blood of Jesus) and headed to hell, or to a third heaven or forever to be servants to obedient Mormons or something similar. Pat Robertson needs to explain this decision!} VIRGINIA BEACH - Selecting presidential candidate Mitt Romney as its May commencement speaker has riled some of Regent University's students and alumni who say his Mormon faith clashes with the school's bedrock evangelical Christianity. "What we're against is the fact that Mormonism is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Christian values and what we believe," said Doug Dowdey, a Virginia Beach pastor who said he graduated from Regent's divinity school last year. The controversy over Romney's visit has bubbled for two weeks among students, spilling onto Regent's internal electronic bulletin board, "The Branch." Scores of e-mails on both sides of the debate have been posted, a student said. Pat Robertson, the Christian broadcaster who is Regent's founder and chancellor, invited Romney to be the keynote speaker, said Sherri Stocks, a Regent vice president. Romney is the former Republican governor of Massachusetts. [article link]
Free Software Foundation (FSF) Urges Computer Makers To Replace Windows Vista With Free OS - The FSF sent five proposals to Sun Microsystems, HP, and Dell in January that would aid in the spread of free operating systems The Free Software Foundation, taking advantage of what it says is the rejection of Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system, is urging major computer hardware manufacturers to offer consumers computers without any operating system or with a free GNU/Linux OS. "We see Microsoft Vista as being a failure," said Peter Brown, FSF executive director, in an interview Friday. "People aren't buying new hardware because of Vista." ... The FSF's suggestions that hardware makers can adopt to aid the spread of free software range from supporting free software drivers and a free BIOS to removing proprietary BIOS locks and rejecting digital rights management systems, which the foundation calls digital restrictions management. Brown says the most important of the five proposals is to convince PC makers to ship machines without an OS or with a free operating system. Brown believes many consumers want computers without pre-installed operating systems so they can choose a free OS. As evidence, he pointed to Dell's new IdeaStorm site that solicits consumer opinions. The idea on the Dell site that's generating the most votes by far is, "offer the top free Linux versions for free pre-installation on all Dell PCs." [article link]
McCain wins Spartanburg, South Carolina straw poll - California Rep. Duncan Hunter is 3rd WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Arizona Sen. John McCain won a Spartanburg, South Carolina straw poll Friday, an early sign of how conservative South Carolinians might view the GOP presidential field. McCain beat former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani by two votes, 164-162, according to Spartanburg County GOP chairman Rick Beltram. California Rep. Duncan Hunter came in third with 158 votes. [article link]
A rational Case against Abortion - 1. What is growing in the womb of the woman is alive - 2. The nature of the life is human - 3. To abort the life, which is human in nature, is to kill that which is human in nature - 4. Therefore, abortion is killing a life which is human by nature A rational Case against Abortion: 1. What is growing in the womb of the woman is alive. A. Even one celled
creatures are alive. B. What is growing in the woman is more than a one celled creature. 2. The nature of the life is human. It is the product of human DNA, therefore it's nature is human. A. Because it is human in nature, if left to live, it will result in a human baby. B. Humans are humans not because they have a feet, hands, walk vertically, and speak, etc. They are humans because of their nature. i. A person born without arms and legs is still human. ii. A person who cannot speak is still human. iii. A person in a coma, helpless, unaware, unmoving, is human. C. What is growing in the womb does not have the nature of an animal, a bird, or a fish. It has human nature. 3. To abort the life, which is human in nature, is to kill that which is human in nature. 4. Therefore, abortion is killing a life which is human by nature. Where, then, does the mother get the right to kill the human within her? [article link]
'Cameron on Jesus is like Hefner on abstinence' - Critics of Discovery Channel's 'Lost Tomb' project multiplying - no one from the Israeli Antiquities Authority has been willing to corroborate the claim and no Israeli archaeologists have stepped forward in support "The fact remains, Jesus Christ's tomb was empty, he physically appeared to thousands of people and ate with and spoke to them, the Romans and Jews who opposed Jesus and His followers at the time could not find his bones, and cowards like Peter, skeptics like Thomas, and vicious persecutors like Paul became extraordinarily brave men who underwent painful torture and death rather than deny that they had witnessed the resurrected Jesus Christ," Baehr said. "Having watched how Hollywood portrays Christians and Christian values for the past 30 years, it is clear that Hollywood considers Christianity its greatest enemy. Because of our silence, Christianity is the only religion they feel free to attack!" the American Family Association said. "It is time for Christians to send a message to The Discover Channel and Hollywood that enough is enough!" [article link]
Microsoft OneCare Last in Antivirus Tests - In tests involving worms, viruses, Trojan horses, and other malware, Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare came in - last Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare came in dead last out of a group of 17 antivirus programs tested against hundreds of thousands of worms, viruses, Trojan horses and other malware, an Austrian antivirus researcher reported Wednesday. The AV Comparatives Web site, which is maintained by Andreas Cleminti from Innsbruck, Austria, posts quarterly results of tests that pit the top antivirus products against a dynamic list of nearly half a million individual pieces of malware. ... Holding the bottom spot was Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare, the consumer security suite that the Redmond, Wash. developer launched last year. OneCare took care of just 82.4 percent of the malware. [article link]
Life is like a Super Bowl! - by Dr. Norman Geisler - Audio (MP4) Download File: LifeIsLikeASuperBowl.m4a [article link]
Regent students upset at Romney's choice as speaker - his Mormon faith clashes with the school's bedrock evangelical Christianity - "What we're against is the fact that Mormonism is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Christian values and what we believe" VIRGINIA BEACH - Selecting presidential candidate Mitt Romney as its May commencement speaker has riled some of Regent University's students and alumni who say his Mormon faith clashes with the school's bedrock evangelical Christianity. "What we're against is the fact that Mormonism is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Christian values and what we believe," said Doug Dowdey, a Virginia Beach pastor who said he graduated from Regent's divinity school last year. The controversy over Romney's visit has bubbled for two weeks among students, spilling onto Regent's internal electronic bulletin board, "The Branch." Scores of e-mails on both sides of the debate have been posted, a student said. Pat Robertson, the Christian broadcaster who is Regent's founder and chancellor, invited Romney to be the keynote speaker, said Sherri Stocks, a Regent vice
president. Romney is the former Republican governor of Massachusetts. [article link]
William & Mary's Wren Cross decision defines arrogance - I have not spoken to one person who has received a response from President Gene Nichol to letters or e-mails concerning the matter - I guess he figures it's acceptable to just ignore them It seems that the most amazing aspect of the debate over whether a historic cross should be returned to the College of William & Mary's Wren Chapel is the incredibly arrogant attitude displayed by the college's administration. ... This time the arrogance is displayed by Nichol's director of university relations, Michael Connelly. In a Feb. 23 CNS News article, Connolly blamed the students, and especially those students who opposed the cross's removal, for bringing an embarrassing "Sex Workers' Art Show" to campus. He's quoted as saying the show "was financed by student fees, selected by students, paid for by student organizations." The article mentioned that Connelly said "two of the students who set up the Save the Wren Cross campaign on campus were also school senators [who] had voted on the issue of where to spend the student fees." He added: "Why did the co-founders of the Save the Wren Cross site allow this certain program to go on using their student fees? If there is hypocrisy here, it might begin with the student founders of the Save the Wren Cross site. To use un-Christian means to promote Christianity seems to be a contradiction in terms." *** Seems scathing, but here is the problem with Connelly's statement: The two student senators Connelly alluded to voted against the sex show. And this guy is a seasoned PR professional? Connelly has a lot of nerve twisting the facts *** and then using these false characterizations to impugn the faith of these courageous young men. Clearly, an apology is in order. {An apology and a resignation or two would also be in order!} [article link]
$6m more OK'd for (Massachusetts Turnpike) Big Dig repairs - {No wonder Gov. Big Dig Mitt Romney only wants to talk about the 02 Winter Olympics, not sure anyone would want this taxpayer fiasco on their Presidential resume!} The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority yesterday approved an additional $6 million to pay for Big Dig repairs, increasing the price tag from last summer's fatal tunnel ceiling collapse to $31 million -- with more potentially to come. ... About a month after Del Valle's death, Big Dig officials sought and received $15 million for fixes, but warned that the amount was a preliminary estimate. In December, the turnpike authority board approved another $10 million at the request of Big Dig officials. The Turnpike Authority board's chairman, John Cogliano , who presided over the aftermath of the tunnel collapse as transportation secretary under former governor Mitt Romney , said any initial estimates made on repair costs were based on limited information. "If you go back to July, we didn't know," he said. "We didn't know what the problems were. I would be hard pressed to come up with an estimate back then." ... The money has come from the state government's bond account. Attorney General Martha Coakley is contemplating a lawsuit against Big Dig contractors to recover the money. [article link]
Cross debate costs College of William & Mary $12 million donation WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (AP) -- A longtime donor to the College of William and Mary is withholding a $12 million pledge because of the decision to remove of a cross from a campus chapel, the school said. The donor, who was not identified, changed his mind after school President Gene Nichol decided in October that the cross should be stored in a sacristy to make the chapel welcoming to students of all faiths, Nichol spokesman Mike Connolly said. The loss of the funds "represents a serious setback to the college," Nichol wrote in an e-mailed statement Tuesday. [article link]
William & Mary College - Out with the cross, in with the strippers The formerly Christian college that sparked a national furor by removing a cross from its chapel in the interest of diversity this week packed out its auditorium with an explicit porn show. The historic College of William &
Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, whose chancellor is former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor ... [article link]
October 8, 2006 - Annual Missions Conference - Don Richardson - Sermon_20061008.mp3 (MP3) Annual Missions Conference, Don Richardson FREE MP3 Download. [article link]
Google on collision course with Microsoft - These pathways will be open to many vendors, and not just Google - Gartner believes that by year-end 2007, Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL and IBM among others will introduce (software as a service) SaaS offerings that compete with Google Apps Google's new fee-based hosted suite of email and collaboration tools will disrupt Microsoft's model for the pricing and provisioning of enterprise email and other applications, experts predicted today. New research from Gartner said that Google Apps Premier Edition, a package of collaboration tools and personal productivity applications aimed at enterprise users, will be the first 'software as a service' (SaaS) offering that enterprises will seriously consider over the next three years. "Earlier competitors of Microsoft required enterprises to directly replace Microsoft Office and Outlook services and were therefore judged chiefly based on their ability to emulate Microsoft features," said the Gartner briefing. "Consistent with the 'disruptive innovation' notion taught in business schools, Google Apps creates a new category that can coexist with Microsoft products while distinguishing itself." [article link]
'Cameron's coffin' is 2007 Easter attack - "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," is just the 2007 version of an annual attack on Christianity right around the time of Easter, the time at which the Christian church remembers Jesus' Resurrection Robert Knight, director of the Media Research Center's Culture and Media Institute, told WND that the film, "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," is just the 2007 version of an annual attack on Christianity right around the time of Easter, the time at which the Christian church remembers Jesus' Resurrection. "It always seems to happen just before Easter," he said. "It's as if there's a script going around, and everyone gets a turn at it - to call into doubt the central theme of Christianity, which is that Jesus is God Incarnate and rose from the dead." ... A year ago, he said, it was the film, "Da Vinci Code," in which the claim is made that Jesus had a daughter. This year, under the pending "documentary" made by James Cameron, Jesus married Mary Magdalene, had son Judah, and they all died and were buried together in Jerusalem. [article link]
Apple's Open Source Assault - Because Apple makes its money on hardware, it can work to create good implementations, rather than working to hinder open interoperability, like Microsoft While rebuilding its business over the last decade, Apple under Steve Jobs has armed itself with an incredibly powerful force: open source. It has leveraged that power to both rapidly outpace Microsoft in desktop operating system development and to build partnerships within the industry. Apple will soon be unleashing the power of open source to target a major line of Microsoft's business in a new way. ... Adding proprietary value to openly available code and specifications allows Apple to distinguish its products while still leveraging the power of open source and open standards. Because Apple makes its money on hardware, it can work to create good implementations, rather than working to hinder open interoperability, like Microsoft. [article link]
Ten Reasons Why The Jesus Tomb Claim is Bogus - "Even the early opponents of the Christian message acknowledged that Jesus' tomb was empty - And the evidence for Jesus' bodily resurrection appearances has never been refuted" "Unfortunately, this is a story full of holes, conjectures and problems," said Dr. Ben Witherington, author of What Have They Done With Jesus? and New Testament professor at Asbury Theological Seminary. "It will make
good TV {yeah, good TV to avoid and boycott} and involves a bad critical reading of history. Basically, this is old news with a new interpretation. We have known about this tomb since it was discovered in 1980. There are all sorts of reasons to see this as much ado about nothing much." ... "In light of all the incredible number of problems with the recent claim that Jesus' grave has been found, the time-honored, multi-faceted evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus is more convincing than ever," said Dr. Gary Habermas, an expert on the resurrection of Jesus and author of The Case for the Resurrection. "Even the early opponents of the Christian message acknowledged that Jesus' tomb was empty. And the evidence for Jesus' bodily resurrection appearances has never been refuted." [article link]
Was Thomas Jefferson Jewish?: Researchers Find TJ's Possibly Jewish Genes - Dr. Hammer said he would "hazard a guess at Sephardic Jewish ancestry" for Jefferson, although any such interpretation was highly tentative - Sephardic Jews are descendants of those expelled from Spain and Portugal after 1492 Researchers have found that Jefferson's Y chromosome belongs to a lineage rare in Europe but common in Jews from the Middle East who came to Europe. This riases the possibility that our nation's third President and one of its Founding Fathers had one or more Jewish ancestors, possibly a Sephardic Jew. ... The fact that K2 is common in the Middle East, however, raises the possibility that Jefferson had a Jewish ancestor, Dr. Jobling said. Jewish Y chromosomes resemble those of Middle Eastern peoples, and the Jewish Diaspora is one way Middle Eastern chromosomes entered Europe. But because so little work has been done on the rare K2 lineage, "our research raises the possibility, but doesn't help anyone to answer it either way," Dr. Jobling said. ... Dr. Hammer said he would "hazard a guess at Sephardic Jewish ancestry" for Jefferson, although any such interpretation was highly tentative. Sephardic Jews are descendants of those expelled from Spain and Portugal after 1492. [article link]
JAMES: The Activity Of Faith by Ray C. Stedman - Excellent Info about the life the teachings and the martyred death of James (Text) The New Testament falls into various sections, each dealing with specific themes. A last section, introduced by the book of Hebrews, is concerned with the single theme of faith. The whole thrust of these letters of the New Testament is to explain to us what faith is and how it works, and each letter makes its unique contribution to that theme. James is the second book, then, in this section that deals with faith. This letter is of unique and peculiar significance to us because it comes from the one who knew more about the Lord Jesus than any other human being -- at least as far as the record that is passed on to us is concerned. James, the brother of our Lord, was raised in the same home in Nazareth, grew up with the Lord Jesus, saw him through all those silent years of which we have no record, and joined with his three other brothers -- Joseph, Simon, and Judas -- in opposition to the Lord Jesus during the early days of his ministry. James was finally converted by the resurrection of the Lord; and the Apostle Paul tells us that after the resurrection, the Lord appeared to James (1 Cor. 15:7). Many of us would give a lot to know what happened during that time when James had looked upon Jesus as nothing more than his brother. He was one who had grave doubts that Jesus was indeed the Son of God as he claimed; once he had regarded him as a madman, and came with his mother and brothers to have him locked up -- or at least go home with them, get him out of the public view. But finally, by the resurrection, he was convinced that here indeed was God manifest in the flesh -- "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" {John 1:14a RSV}, and James, too, saw "his glory as of the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth," {John 1:14b KJV}. And so he begins his letter, James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, {Jas 1:1a RSV} That is a great testimony, isn't it, to the deity of Jesus? That this one who was his halfbrother by nature should address him this way: "Our Lord Jesus Christ." And throughout this letter, there breathes a reverence and a respect for the person of the Lord that is unequaled anywhere in the New Testament. ... [article link]
JAMES: The Activity Of Faith by Ray C. Stedman - Excellent Info about the life the teachings and the martyred death of James (Mp3) The New Testament falls into various sections, each dealing with specific themes. A last section, introduced by the book of Hebrews, is concerned with the single theme of faith. The whole thrust of these letters of the New Testament is to explain to us what faith is and how it works, and each letter makes its unique contribution to that theme. James is the second book, then, in this section that deals with faith. This letter is of unique and peculiar significance to us because it comes from the one who knew more about the Lord Jesus than any other human being -- at least as far as the record that is passed on to us is concerned. James, the brother of our Lord, was raised in the same home in Nazareth, grew up with the Lord Jesus, saw him through all those silent years of which we have no record, and joined with his three other brothers -- Joseph, Simon, and Judas -- in opposition to the Lord Jesus during the early days of his ministry. James was finally converted by the resurrection of the Lord; and the Apostle Paul tells us that after the resurrection, the Lord appeared to James (1 Cor. 15:7). [article link]
Excellent blog post by Ben Witherington on the inaccuracies underpinning the arguments laid out in "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" - In addition we are now regaled with a book by Simcha and Charles Pellegrino entitled The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence That Could Change History just released today by Harper-Collins {Our not so good friends at 'Harper-Collins' parent company of 'Zondervan NIV bible publisher' and also parent company of 'The Satanic bible' are getting involved in this one too!} Remember the tale of the Titanic? How it was supposed to be impregnable, and nothing could poke holes in it? How it would never be sunk? Well all I can say is that human hubris knows no bounds, and that hasn't changed in the last century. On April 15th 1912 the supposedly leak proof Titanic rammed into an iceberg and sank-sank like a giant stone. Sank quickly, with great loss of life. ... Furthermore, Eusebius reports that the tomb marker for James' burial was close to where James was martyred near the temple mount, indeed near the famous tombs in the Kidron valley such as the so-called tomb of Absalom. Talpiot is nowhere near this locale. [article link]
MRC's Bozell to Discovery Channel: Bury the 'Lost Tomb' Documentary - I don't support the suppression of news and information, but the unsupported sensationalism of this documentary seems a bit... distasteful - If there is no basis in fact for this show, it is misnamed (at least) and it's speculation is needlessly and tastelsessly denigrating to Christians In a press statement released today, MRC President Brent Bozell urged the Discovery Channel to table the misleading James Cameron documentary "The Lost Tomb of Jesus." "If the Discovery Channel fails to cancel this slanderous 'documentary,' it will have to explain why it is intentionally misleading the public," said L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Media Research Center, referring to Sunday's upcoming airing of The Tomb of Jesus. "They should be embarrassed by this plunge into sensational speculation masquerading as 'science.' To slander Christianity at the start of the Lenten season is unconscionable." ... I don't support the suppression of news and information, but the unsupported sensationalism of this documentary seems a bit... distasteful. If there is no basis in fact for this show, it is misnamed (at least) and it's speculation is needlessly and tastelsessly denigrating to Christians. [article link]
Sweet Charity - A family charitable foundation run by Bill and Hillary Clinton has dispensed only one-fourth of the money donated since its inception in 2001 - The Washington Post reports the Clintons have contributed $5 million to the charity - and were able to write off that money on their taxes - but have given away just $1.4 million The Washington Post reports the Clintons have contributed $5 million to the charity - and were able to write off that money on their taxes - but have given away just $1.4 million. This comes in the midst of a six-year
period in which the Post reports the former president has earned $40 million in speaking fees. [article link]
{Flashback} Barbara Bush made donation - provided her son's firm got it HOUSTON - Former first lady Barbara Bush contributed money to a hurricane-relief fund on the condition that it be spent to buy educational software from her son Neil's company. Jean Becker, the chief of staff of former President George H.W. Bush, would not disclose the amount earmarked for purchases from Ignite Learning. ... But Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, a charity watchdog group, said donors who direct that their money be used to buy products from a family business set a bad precedent. "If everybody started doing that, it would ruin our whole system for tax-exempt organizations because people would be using them to benefit their business rather than for the public benefit," he said. [article link]
Al Gore's 'Inconvenient' Hypocrisy: Mansion an Energy Hog - In his documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," Gore urges Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home In his documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," Gore urges Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home, the group noted. "The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh-more than 20 times the national average," the Tennessee Center for Policy Research said in a news release. ... "As the spokesman of choice for the global warming movement, Al Gore has to be willing to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, when it comes to home energy use," said Tennessee Center for Policy Research President Drew Johnson. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2007 (Easter) 10 Day Timeline Devotion (PDF) Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) Holiday dates of 2007 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected, returned from death, just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. [article link]
James Cameron's Jesus Goes Down Like Mel Gibson On The Titanic - And, as luck has it, this is a film about his amazing discovery - It's called The Lost Tomb Of Christ and it's coming to a TV set near you around Easter time "IS THIS JESUS' COFFIN?" From just looking at the slap of limestone found in Jerusalem it's hard to tell. And we, like the Sun, are unsure how to answer. But one man knows. James Cameron, film director, the man behind Titanic, The Terminator and Piranha Part Two: The Spawning, says this is Jesus' coffin. ... Yes, you heard that right - there was more than one Jesus. And while Cameron ponders an entire series of Jesus flicks and madefor TV movies, he has another film ready to promote. And, as luck has it, this is a film about his amazing discovery. It's called The Lost Tomb Of Christ and it's coming to a TV set near you around Easter time. [article link]
Georgia imam who helped Hamas is sentenced - Shorbagi said he realized that some of his actions were wrong - The donations were through a charity called the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development At the sentencing, Shorbagi said he realized that some of his actions were wrong. He pleaded guilty in August to a charge of providing material support to Hamas and also testified in a Chicago case against a man identified by authorities as a Hamas operative. Prosecutors have said that between 1997 and 2001, Shorbagi provided financial support to Hamas, a group designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. He also was accused of conspiring to provide material support to Hamas. The donations were through a charity called the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, prosecutors said. ... He has said
under oath that in return for his testimony, prosecutors agreed to seek a reduction in his sentence, give him a special residency visa, place him in the federal witness protection program and not indict him in an unrelated fraud case. [article link]
Al Gore defends energy saving efforts - Gore's "mansion" "consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A day after actor Leonardo DiCaprio hailed Al Gore on the Oscar stage as a "inspirational leader in the fight against global warming," the former vice president was forced to respond to charges from a Tennessee organization that his home consumes significantly more energy than the national average. ... The Tennessee Center for Policy Research charged Monday that Gore's "mansion" "consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year." "The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh -- more than 20 times the national average," the group charged in a statement. [article link]
Edwards Campaign Knew Marcotte's History - First, it's clear that the Edwards campaign was looking for someone who would be as abrasive as Marcotte on issues such as abortion, birth control, and social conservatives There are a couple of things that become clear from Beyerstein's article. First, it's clear that the Edwards campaign was looking for someone who would be as abrasive as Marcotte on issues such as abortion, birth control, and social conservatives. They went for Beyerstein first, and when they couldn't have her they went for Marcotte - and "Bob" was well aware of the things that both Beyerstein and Marcotte had written in the past. It was no accident that the Edwards campaign ended up with somebody like Marcotte. That's who they were looking for all along. The second thing this reveals is the completely disingenuous nature of John Edwards' announcement that he would not fire Marcotte. He said: "The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte's and Melissa McEwan's posts personally offended me." If that's the case, then why did he hire them in the first place? Before, we might have assumed that he didn't know about their moonbat posts. We now know that wasn't the case, which makes his assertion that he found their posts offensive awfully suspicious. If he did find them offensive, he must not have minded hiring them despite the offense their posts caused. [article link]
Amazing Grace and the Personal - To make what may be an obvious connection, Amazing Grace caused me to think about abortion I saw Amazing Grace last night, which is the story of the British politician William Wilberforce's his drive to end the slave trade in the world's greatest superpower within his lifetime. The film was impressive, both artistically and in its emotional impact. Wilberforce's story brings you within the power of a quest for justice. You can literally feel the passion to save the Africans from the brutality of the slave trade and the tremendous frustration of Wilberforce and his group as they are blocked at every turn. Stress, anguish, and overwork led Wilberforce to ruin his health battling against the hold of slavery on his culture and its conception of economic interest. To make what may be an obvious connection, Amazing Grace caused me to think about abortion. When I became a Christian in college, I began to be exposed to the case for ending the practice of abortion. Over time, I grew strong in the conviction that abortion ended a human life, that it was violent and barbaric, and that all possible steps should be taken to prohibit the procedure. ... [article link]
'Amazing Grace' film about Wilberforce called inspirational - movie -- to be released Feb. 2007 and rated PG NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--William Wilberforce isn't a household name in America, but an upcoming motion picture is trying to change that. "Amazing Grace" is the story of Wilberforce, a devout Christian and a member
of the British Parliament who, beginning around 1787, sought to do what then seemed impossible -- lead the British Empire to abolish the slave trade, what supporters called the lifeblood of the economy. He failed year after year before, finally, in 1807 -- 200 years ago -- his bill became law, abolishing an evil that had resulted in the enslavement and death of millions of Africans. ... The movie -- to be released Feb. 23 and rated PG for mild language -- gets its name from Wilberforce's friendship with John Newton, the author of the hymn "Amazing Grace" and a former slave trader who -- several years after becoming a Christian -- teamed up with Wilberforce to abolish the trade. Christian leaders today say the church could learn much from the way Wilberforce's faith drove him to moral action and kept him from giving up, despite obstacles. [article link]
Iraqis agree oil deal to spread the wealth - "This is the first time since 2003 that all major Iraqi communities have come together on a defining piece of legislation" BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's government has agreed on a plan to divide the country's oil wealth and open the industry to international investment, a move seen as necessary to a political settlement of the nearly fouryear-old war, ministers announced Monday. ... But nearly all of that oil is concentrated in the Kurdish north and Shiite south, raising fears in the Sunni Arab provinces of northwestern and central Iraq -- the heart of the insurgency that has raged since 2003 -- that Sunni Iraqis would be shut out of the country's wealth. "This law affirms ... all the revenues will be shared at the federal level and redistributed equitably among all Iraqis," Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih told CNN. [article link]
Official site of Duncan Hunter, conservative candidate for the 2008 US Presidential election 1. Right to Life Amendment: I would amend the U.S. Constitution and provide blanket protection to all unborn children from the moment of conception by prohibiting any state or federal law that denies the personhood of the unborn. Likewise, I have also introduced the Right to Life Act, which would legally define "personhood" as the moment of conception and, therefore, guarantee all constitutional rights and protections, including life, to the unborn without utilizing a constitutional amendment. [article link]
Movie - 'The Body' (2001) Starring Antonio Banderas {This is an EXCELLENT movie well balanced on the complex topic of Israel, Judaism, Catholicism and Islam all thrown into the backdrop of a scientist who thinks she has discovered the bones of Jesus.} At the dawn of the new millennium, in the cradle of faith that is Jerusalem, two seemingly mismatched people from different worlds and cultures -- Vatican-appointed Jesuit priest Matt Gutierrez (ANTONIO BANDERAS) and Israeli archaeologist Sharon Golban (OLIVIA WILLIAMS) -- make a tenuous alliance to investigate a find that not only threatens the very foundations of western religion, but also blow apart the region's fragile peace. [article link]
Cameron is Latest Player in the "Jesus's Body" Hoax - The only problem to their elaborate hoax is that the original Jewish professor who worked on the site (in 1980), Amos Kloner, has already come forward to expose the claims as sheer nonsense - "There is no likelihood that Jesus and his relatives had a family tomb," Kloner said. "They were a Galilee family with no ties in Jerusalem. ..." Director James Cameron is the latest of a string of gold-diggers cashing in on the contemporary rise of revisionist Christian history. Same old story, you know it, Barbara Thiering and Dan Brown style, that Jesus was actually married, which was debunked by numerous scholars as a cheap hoax. ... The only problem to their elaborate hoax is that the original Jewish professor who worked on the site, Amos Kloner, has already come forward to expose the claims as sheer nonsense. Bar-Ilan University Prof. Amos Kloner, the Jerusalem District archeologist who officially oversaw the work at the tomb-cave in 1980 and has published detailed findings on its contents, on Saturday night dismissed the claims. "It makes a great story for a TV film," he told The Jerusalem Post. "But it's impossible. It's nonsense." "There is no likelihood that Jesus and his relatives had a
family tomb," Kloner said. "They were a Galilee family with no ties in Jerusalem. The Talpiot tomb belonged to a middle-class family from the 1st century CE." [article link]
{Flashback} - must see funny - The Terminator tries to protect Jesus - 'Don't worry Jesus will be Back!' {YouTube} (Video 4:51) The greatest action story ever told! [article link]
James Cameron To Terminate Christianity - In one of the most bizarre news stories to come across my desk this month, it looks like Titanic director James Cameron is planning to take on Christianity {The comments after the article are interesting.} In one of the most bizarre news stories to come across my desk this month, it looks like Titanic director James Cameron is planning to take on Christianity. He's still making his sci-fi movie Avatar, but in the background he's also working on a new documentary in which he will try to prove that Jesus wasn't resurrected, but dropped dead like the rest of us. This would be pretty bad news for Christians, since Jesus rising from the dead is pretty much the basis of the entire religion. The story comes from the Time-Blog on the middle east, where they say Cameron's got the bones of the Christ man and plans to use them. Apparently 27 years ago Israeli construction workers found a tomb in Jerusalem with the names Jesua, son of Joseoph, Mary, Matthew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua on them. Change the "a" in Jesua to an "s" and guess what you've go[t]? ... The archeologists who uncovered the tomb found no connection to Jesus other than name similarities but apparently Cameron and documentary director Simcha Jacobovici beg to differ. He and his partners have used DNA evidence and Biblical studies and plan to prove that the coffins belong to Jesus and his kin. ... Except the whole thing seems kind of pointless. DNA comparison only works if you have something to compare the bones to. Last I checked, no one had a Jesus hair follicle in their bathroom hair brush. Sure, someone might claim to have DNA that definitely belonged to the Christ, but there's no way to prove it. And without absolutely proof positive Jesus DNA to compare those bones to, I don't see how Cameron can prove anything. [article link]
Scholars, Clergymen Criticize New Documentary on Alleged Tomb of Jesus Christ - Pfann is even unsure that the name "Jesus" on the caskets was read correctly He thinks it's more likely the name "Hanun" - Kloner also said the filmmakers' (James Cameron) assertions are false Stephen Pfann, a biblical scholar at the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem who was interviewed in the documentary, said the film's hypothesis holds little weight. "I don't think that Christians are going to buy into this," Pfann said. "But skeptics, in general, would like to see something that pokes holes into the story that so many people hold dear." "How possible is it?" Pfann said. "On a scale of one through 10 - 10 being completely possible - it's probably a one, maybe a one and a half." Pfann is even unsure that the name "Jesus" on the caskets was read correctly. He thinks it's more likely the name "Hanun." Kloner also said the filmmakers' assertions are false. "It was an ordinary middle-class Jerusalem burial cave," Kloner said. "The names on the caskets are the most common names found among Jews at the time." Archaeologists also balk at the filmmaker's claim that the James Ossuary - the center of a famous antiquities fraud in Israel - might have originated from the same cave. In 2005, Israel charged five suspects with forgery in connection with the infamous bone box. "I don't think the James Ossuary came from the same cave," said Dan Bahat, an archaeologist at Bar-Ilan University. "If it were found there, the man who made the forgery would have taken something better. He would have taken Jesus." Although the documentary makers claim to have found the tomb of Jesus, the British Broadcasting Corporation beat them to the punch by 11 years. [article link]
*Updated - Jesus did not have a wife or a child - Da Vinci Code (Jesus is only human) Cults Exposed (PDF) Following is some material to consider regarding this very wrong and false topic. This is a startling topic yet it is
a good opportunity for us as Christians to define Christianity to others and to point out the errors of the nonBiblical approach to defining Jesus. "Any marriage prior to the Cross would mean that Jesus was marring a sinner and really teachings of an earthly marriage of Jesus are yet another false set of teachings that are attempting to do away with the need of mankind for the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross and of His Glorious Resurrection and it is an attempt to deny the special relationship that Jesus has with His Bride - The Church." [article link]
Driving Another Wedge Between Christians And Non-Christians - The director (James Cameron) of "Titanic" has supposedly unearthed the burial site as well as coffin and bones of none other than Jesus himself! {How surprising, another Easter holiday season and without fail another 'Jesus body found' article. It now happens every single year although two years ago Jesus was found in Egypt in a Muslim's tomb. That was an interesting assertion because if you doubted the authenticity of that story all you had to do was venture to Egypt then locate and dig up an ancient Muslim grave, all at your own peril of course.} James Cameron has found Jesus. But not quite the way you think. The director of "Titanic" has supposedly unearthed the burial site as well as coffin and bones of none other than Jesus himself! Who would have thought after all this time, we could have just gone over there and walked right into the greatest discovery of mankind. All of this fighting and quarling, wars raged, the crusades even, could have been avoided if only we looked in the right place. This will have repercussions throughout the world. Paul said "if Christ be not risen your faith is in vain and you are still in your sins" I wonder how exactly they expect to prove that this is Jesus' bones? They won't have to. They'll simply say that it's so, and dare you to prove them otherwise. The burden of proof quickly swings to those crazy Christians. ... This is an attack designed to undermine the faith to it's core. What good could come out of this? Does Mr. Cameron expect the world of Christians to suddenly slap themselves on the head in amazement? Should we throw down our bibles and suddenly declare in one voice, "hey, sorry about that whole faith thing, my bad"? He has sorely underestimated his opponent if that is the case. This will play out in the media. Those who already hate the faith will have more ammunition against it. Those in the faith will not be swayed. This only serves to drive a wedge further between us. [article link]
King Abdullah: 'Last opportunity' for Mideast peace - according to Jordan's King Abdullah AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) -- The current juncture in Middle East diplomacy presents a golden but final opportunity to resolve the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to Jordan's King Abdullah. He stressed that a new Palestinian unity government must abide by the demands of the so-called Mideast Quartet, which includes a recognition of the Jewish state. The Quartet members are the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations. "I think the circumstances in the Middle East have changed so much that really this is our last opportunity. We have all this momentum moving in the right direction at the moment," Abdullah said in a Saturday interview with Israel's Channel 2 TV. The king touted the importance of a two-state solution and the need for Israel to be "fully integrated into the neighborhood." If chances for peace aren't exploited now, he said, "I think we'll always live under the shadow of, for example, this summer" -- referring to Israel's war with the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held a trilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. (Full story) In addition, the Palestinian rival factions of Hamas and Fatah reached a power-sharing deal recently in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. [article link]
Christian Right Labors to Find '08 Candidate - "There is no outstanding conservative, and they are all looking for that" WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 - A group of influential Christian conservatives and their allies emerged from a private meeting at a Florida resort this month dissatisfied with the Republican presidential field and uncertain where to turn. ... Although each of the three had supporters, many conservatives expressed concerns about whether any of the candidates could unify their movement or raise enough money to overtake the front-runners, several
participants in the meetings said. "There is great anxiety," said Paul Weyrich, chairman of the Free Congress Foundation. "There is no outstanding conservative, and they are all looking for that." [article link]
Bible verse: 1st Timothy 6:11-16 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} 1st Timothy 6:11-16 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in His times He shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. -- Bible [article link]
Miami (Cult) Church Brands Members With '666' Tattoos - {The media and the news will call anything a 'church', whether it's Mormon (LDS) - Joseph Smith followers or this self proclaimed 'Antichrist' leader and his followers.} DORAL, Fla. - Surrounded by a mob of news cameras, a group of smiling, well-dressed church members crowded into a South Beach storefront parlor on a recent muggy evening and got matching tattoos of their prophet's symbol: 666. Members of Growing in Grace, a controversial religious sect headquartered in Doral, said they were following the example of their leader, Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, who has claimed to be Jesus and recently declared himself the Antichrist. Critics have called De Jesus a cult leader who manipulates followers. Church members say he has brought them happiness and spiritual fulfillment. ... It's a sign most Christians would shun, because for centuries the numbers have been associated with Satan. But for the 30 or so church members who branded themselves with 666 and SSS - the initials of De Jesus' motto, "salvo siempre salvo," or "saved always saved" - it's a mark of their absolute faith in De Jesus. {And just like the Mormons these guys have the wrong concept of Christianity and a very wrong Jesus with No Hope of Salvation from the True God/Jesus unless they turn from and escape these manipulating cults.} [article link]
A Rare Romney Post! - Posted by Dean {Romney 'Excessive Hype' artist} Barnett - {This is an interesting article with many points and I think this is likely the tone and content of the 2008 election race. BTW, Mormon (LDS) a "form of Christianity" no, not a chance!} In response to my mini-post yesterday on Romney's fund-raising success, Instapunk wrote: Mormonism is the most absurd form of Christianity by, say, a million parsecs, and I, personally, am getting tired of American conservatives who believe the American people can be sold a bill of goods on the say-so of well connected (Look at me being influential!) bloggers. I'll say what no one else will at this point: Mormons are untrustable idiots…Mitt Romney will never be president. He's a Mormon. Therefore he's a loon, regardless of how blazingly intelligent you have to be to make a half billion dollars in this country. The American people aren't going to buy this particular pig in this particular poke. ... As Instapunk's remarks pertain to me, here they are, mercifully condensed for your convenience: Barnett is an intelligent, well-meaning man. So is Hugh Hewitt. But they've both been bitten by the power bug. They think they can play a role in who gets elected President of the United States in 2008. In their infinite wisdom, they've decided that should be Mitt Romney and that we will be taken in by their assurances based on the respect they earned for honesty before they became campaign functionaries. The sad fact is, we can't trust them anymore. [article link]
Mitt Romney's Reviews Are In, and Critics Are... ...Rejecting His Smooth Talk {This FUNNY article is from the ultra-liberal earthtimes.org and goes on to show that no one either conservative or liberal wants to touch Mitt Romney with a 100 ft. pole.} Romney's Reviews Are In, and Critics Are... ...Rejecting His Smooth Talk. Richard Cohen: Romney "Thoroughly Counterfeit," "Making Himself Up As He Goes Along." "To watch Romney on the show was to see a thoroughly counterfeit man. If he were a coin, a vending machine would spit him out." [Washington Post, 2/20/07] ... Boston Globe: Romney Shops for Policies To Serve Ambitions. "Like the successful venture capitalist he is, Romney shops around for opportunities, making strategic investments in the offices, policies, and states that best serve his ambitions." [Editorial, Boston Globe, 2/14/07] {I think Boston would know all about their former Gov. Mitt Romney.} ... Rebecca Walsh, Salt Lake Tribune: Utahns Should Reject Romney's "Convenient Affection" for Utah. "But Romney's convenient affection for Utah and the state's residents only extends as far as his bank account...I suggest we cut him off now." [Salt Lake Tribune, 2/22/07] [article link]
U.S. military defends arrest of Shiite politician's son - after the U.S. ambassador to Iraq apologized for it {Just when and how are Bush and his politicians going to 'win' in Iraq? All the Bush administration does is to fund, finance, aid, support, protect and enable the enemy at the expense and to the danger of our own troops.} BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military on Saturday defended the arrest and detention of a powerful Iraqi Shiite politician's son, a day after the U.S. ambassador to Iraq apologized for it. Backed by coalition forces, Iraqi border security troops initially stopped Ammar al-Hakim on Friday because "the vehicles met specific criteria for further investigation in an area where smuggling activity had taken place," the military said in a statement Saturday. U.S. military troops then arrested al-Hakim and his companions when "at the time" they failed to "cooperate with coalition forces and displayed suspicious activities." Al-Hakim is the son of Abdul Aziz alHakim, the leader of the United Iraqi Alliance and the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. The father has close ties to both Iran and the United States and is considered by some people the most powerful Shiite politician in Iraq. [article link]
GIs Petition Congress To End Iraq War - "Just because we volunteered for the military doesn't mean we volunteered to put our lives in unnecessary harm and to carry out missions that are illogical and immoral," {Bush's Iraq War has lasted longer than WWII. Bush has no real plan except to take from the Sunnis and to give to the Shiites, making for an even more radical Islam - that's not an American agenda worth staying over there for.} (CBS) They say they are not disloyal. They say they are not shirking their duty and that they do not oppose war. But more than 1,000 active-duty and reserve members of the U.S. military are against the war in Iraq and have said so in an unusually public way - by petitioning Congress last month. ... The petition reads: "As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq . Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home." [article link]
Nearly 800 civilian contractors killed in Iraq - The U.S. has outsourced so many war and reconstruction duties that there are almost as many contractors (120,000) as U.S. troops (135,000) in the war zone In a largely invisible cost of the war in Iraq, nearly 800 civilians working under contract to the Pentagon have been killed and more than 3,300 hurt doing jobs normally handled by the U.S. military, according to figures gathered by The Associated Press. Exactly how many of these employees doing the Pentagon's work are Americans is uncertain. But the casualty figures make it clear that the Defense Department's count of more than 3,100 U.S. military dead does not tell the whole story. "It's another unseen expense of the war," said Thomas Houle, a retired Air Force reservist whose brother-in-law died while driving a truck in Iraq. "It's almost
disrespectful that it doesn't get the kind of publicity or respect that a soldier would." [article link]
Top three Republican Candidates (McCain, Giuliani, Romney) unworthy, Schlafly says in visit - Conservative author Phyllis Schlafly urged New Hampshire Republican activists to test the conservative bona fides of the 2008 presidential candidates - she made clear that she thought that McCain, Romney and Giuliani lacked credibility on issues important to her - immigration, gay marriage and abortion Conservative author Phyllis Schlafly urged New Hampshire Republican activists to test the conservative bona fides of the 2008 presidential candidates, especially those of the three Republicans leading in polls. "New Hampshire is the front line of the presidential race, and as I go about and talk to the conservative movement, they're in disarray," said Schlafly, who led opposition to the failed Equal Rights Amendment more than 25 years ago. "They don't know what to do, who to back. We're told by the media that we have a choice of one of three, (Sen. John) McCain or (former New York mayor Rudy) Giuliani or (former Massachusetts governor Mitt) Romney. Each one of them is capable of raising $100 million. I'm not happy of being told that at all. I don't think that any of the three are acceptable." ... She disagreed with McCain's choice to co-sponsor legislation with Sen. Ted Kennedy that would give illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. Instead, she supported building a fence and fortifying the border patrol on the country's southern border. Romney didn't impress her when she saw him speak in Missouri ... he didn't focus on conservative issues, she said. Instead, he focused on his turnaround of the 2002 Winter Olympics, she said. As for Giuliani, Schlafly said his standing at the top of polls won't last. "The polls also say that people don't know that he's pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage and anti-gun," she said. "I think those polls will change when people find out." [article link]
Mt. Soledad Cross Victory: ACLU Loss - "This is a major victory for religious freedom, the democratic process, and for the people of San Diego who voted overwhelmingly 76% to preserve the historic Mt. Soledad veterans memorial and cross for future generations" ANN ARBOR, MI - The California Supreme Court, yesterday, affirmed the precedent-setting decision of a California appellate court, which upheld the right of the people of San Diego to transfer the Mt. Soledad veterans memorial and cross to the federal government. At the same time, the Court denied the ACLU's attempt to prevent the publication of the lower court decision favorable to the cross and veterans memorial. The ACLU was seeking to have the decision suppressed so that it would not be used against them in future lawsuits. ... This past November, the Fourth District Court of Appeals in California upheld the constitutionality of Proposition A-the hugely successful referendary petition drive that transfers the Mount Soledad memorial property, including the cross, to the federal government for use as a national veterans memorial. In a special election held in July 2005, Proposition A passed by an overwhelming 76% of the vote. However, a state superior court judge issued an order halting Proposition A, claiming that this transfer was unconstitutional. ... The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life through education, litigation, and related activities. It does not charge for its services. The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization. You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org. [article link]
High costs and few dividends for Australia in joining Bush's global project - The US ambassador to Australia, Robert McCallum (a member of Bush's 1968 [Satanic] Skull and Bones club class), has apparently not even read the text of the ANZUS Treaty - indicating that the Bush Administration does not place much importance on it The visit to Australia of US Vice-President Richard Cheney will confirm this but do nothing to boost the Prime Minister's flagging ratings in the polls. Cheney is the most significant individual, amongst a rapidly dwindling group of confidantes, still standing by a President who put all the prestige of his office into a foreign policy and military disaster which will change America and which is likely to require several decades to get over. Cheney,
the archetypal Washington insider, has much in common with John Howard. They are the same age. They are right-wing professional politicians. They both supported the war in Vietnam but did not volunteer, and they both have little compunction about sending young men and women off to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations or international law. On the eve of Cheney's visit, Howard has committed a further 70 trainers to Iraq. It is not clear who in Iraq will benefit from this training. And how will the Prime Minister square this decision with the electorate in the face of the Blair Government's surprise and unexpected announcement that it intends to begin a staged withdrawal from Iraq of 2500 British troops, out of a total of 7500, by Christmas? With no apparent prior consultation by Blair, the decision has wrong-footed the Prime Minister and underlined a developing brittleness in the relationship as the situation in Iraq worsens and Bush's power declines. ... Political commentator Bruce Haigh is a former Australian diplomat who served in the Middle East, Africa and South-East Asia. He was also a member of the Refugee Review Tribunal. [article link]
{The comment section below the article is very interesting and a good read!} Recognizing Israel - Pakistan's President General Musharraf who is currently visiting the Middle East has called upon the Muslim countries and their masses to 'recognise' Israel for resolution of Palestine issue Musharraf's recent statement has triggered strong criticism on the part of religious and political parties. The PPP, which often avoids condemning any policy or act, which pertains to USA, has once again refused to comment on Musharraf's statement saying it would consult other opposition parties on the issue. However, the six-party religious alliance MMA, and Nawaz Sharif-led PML(N) have openly criticised the idea saying that Musharraf is taking another U-turn on the country's traditional stand on Palestine after Kashmir. They say Musharraf instead of brokering a peace deal between Israel and Palestine, must try for peace within Pakistan. ... You are debating about recognising Israel when they are already existing and doing much better than majority of the countries debating the recognition. [article link]
Police blow up foul-mouthed CDs that blared in church - The CD players, duct-taped to the bottoms of the pews, were set to turn on in the middle of noon Mass on Wednesday at the Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi SANTA FE, New Mexico (AP) -- Three CD players hidden under a cathedral's pews blared sexually explicit language in the middle of an Ash Wednesday Mass, leading a bomb squad to detonate two of the devices. Authorities determined the music players were not dangerous and kept the third one to check it for clues, said police Capt. Gary Johnson. The CD players, duct-taped to the bottoms of the pews, were set to turn on in the middle of noon Mass on Wednesday at the Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. The recordings, made on store-bought blank discs, featured people using foul language and "pornographic messages," Johnson said. He would not elaborate because of the ongoing investigation. Church staff members took the CD players to the basement and called police, who sent the bomb squad, Johnson said. ... Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, which marks a 40-day period of fasting and penitence before Easter. [article link]
More Americans killed by illegal aliens than Iraq war, study says - estimates some 2,158 murders are committed every year by illegal aliens in the U.S. {Bush might want to address this issue, or maybe not. It's just too important of a cause for America for Bush to waste his time on.} (AgapePress) -- Illegal aliens are killing more Americans than the Iraq war, says a new report from Family Security Matters that estimates some 2,158 murders are committed every year by illegal aliens in the U.S. The group says that number is more than 15 percent of all the murders reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S. and about three times the representation of illegal aliens in the general population. Mike Cutler, a former senior special agent with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (the former INS), is a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and an advisor to Family Security Matters (FSM). He says the high number of Americans being killed by illegal aliens is just part of the collateral damage that comes with
tolerating illegal immigration. "The military actually called for the BORTAC team, ... the elite unit of the Border Patrol, to be detailed to Iraq to help to secure the Iraqi border," Cutler notes. "Now, if our military can understand that Iraq's security depends in measure on the ability to protect its border against insurgents and terrorists, then why isn't our country similarly protecting our own borders?" he asks. [article link]
(Part 1) Judge reduces sentence for woman who threw a cup at a car in Stafford traffic - Hall, whose Marine Corps husband's second tour in Iraq has been extended {We have to keep our Military families in prayer and help them out. These long, multiple deployments are tough on everyone involved. It seems Bush could care less he just wants to use up the military and whine about his legacy.} Jessica Hall had already spent nearly two months behind bars for throwing a McDonald's cup of soda and ice at another motorist. ... Hall, a mother of three young children who lives at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was convicted in January of maliciously throwing a missile into an occupied vehicle. The jury's recommended sentence was the minimum for the felony charge. ... Hall and her sister, LaJeanna Porter, 27, were traveling from North Carolina to New York for a family gathering on that sweltering afternoon when they say Ballin twice cut them off and made an obscene gesture. The prosecutor says Ballin motioned but not in an obscene manner. [article link]
(Part 2) 'McMissile' mom expected to be released - Hall was indicted in June 2006 on a felony bad check charge - her car had been broken into and her purse stolen - After that incident, multiple checks bounced {For Bush the Iraq war might be far away and a good chance to make some more money but for this woman and her family it is life and death.} Capt. Keith Combs with the Desoto County Sheriff's Office told fredericksburg.com today that Hall was indicted in June 2006 on a felony bad check charge. The warrant had not been served. Hall said that her car had been broken into and her purse stolen while traveling in Memphis, Tenn., about two years ago. Memphis borders Desoto County. After that incident, multiple checks bounced, she said. A police report was filed in that case. The district attorney's office in Desoto County agreed that if the parents pay what she owes, they will not extradite her. So she'll be held at least one more night in jail. Once the money is repaid, the district attorney for Desoto County will notify local authorites and she can be released as early as tomorrrow. Hall's parents said they are currently raising money for her release. [article link]
Guard to Redeploy to Iraq Early - The Pentagon plans to deploy 14,000 National Guard troops back to Iraq in 2008, shortening the time between deployments WASHINGTON - The Pentagon plans to deploy 14,000 National Guard troops back to Iraq in 2008, shortening the time between deployments, The New York Times reported. The schedule is intended to meet the demands of President George W. Bush's troop buildup in Iraq, Defense Department officials told the newspaper. ... The Oklahoma unit -- a combat brigade with one battalion currently in Afghanistan -- had been scheduled to go back to Iraq no sooner than 2010, the Times said. Brigades from Arkansas, Indiana and Ohio were not scheduled to return until 2009. [article link]
EDITORIAL: Bush-Cheney Spin on Iraq Turning Comical - The art of political spin is to be at least partially convincing The art of political spin is to be at least partially convincing. Then some of your best friends can buy what you're saying and repeat it confidently to others. But the Bush-Cheney team have apparently thrown out the last vestige of helping even their friends keep a straight face with their most recent comments on the Iraq debacle. ... This is a major withdrawal, the beginning of the end for British disengagement from Iraq. British polls showing significant opposition to the war have created enormous pressure on Blair. But Bush-Cheney call it the withdrawal a "sign of success." Cue the laugh track. ... Bush-Cheney and Blair, too, call the withdrawal a
"success" because, in that tiny corner of Iraq where those particular British troops have served, some improvement has occurred. But does anyone think that the 1,500 British troops aren't needed elsewhere--say, Baghdad--especially since the American president has called for 20,000 more lately? [article link]
White House Lauds British Cuts - The White House heralded Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to withdraw British troops from Iraq as a sign of progress {Ok, George whatever you say!} The White House heralded Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to withdraw British troops from Iraq as a sign of progress Wednesday, but Democrats pointed to it as further proof that U.S. troops need to be brought home. "My guess is behind closed doors Bush administration officials are probably thinking the timing of this is not ideal," said Julianne Smith, director of the Europe program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. "Just as the U.S. has committed itself to increasing its troop levels, to have its core partner in the war decide to draw down, it looks like the two partners are at odds." [article link]
Sheriff: Deputy prosecuted by Mexico's demand - Texas Rangers were not going to recommend prosecution, but federal law enforcement took over the case in response to the Mexican government's intervention Investigators had no plans to bring charges against Texas Sheriff's Deputy Gilmer Hernandez until the Mexican government intervened and demanded it, the officer's supervisor told WND. Sheriff Don Letsinger of Rocksprings, Texas, said the Texas Rangers were not going to recommend prosecution, but federal law enforcement took over the case in response to the Mexican government's intervention. ... In both trials, WND has uncovered indications the prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, withheld key, possibly exculpatory, information from the defense and the juries. [article link]
*Updated Link* BOOK OF REVELATION: Overview (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE Downloads Get the basics regarding the Bible's book of Revelation (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE downloads. The book of Revelation (revealed - unveiling) was written by the beloved disciple John at the instructions of the risen resurrected Jesus in approximately the year 100 AD.. Revelation contains seven letters given from Jesus to the entire Christian Church movement. Letters of instruction and also letters of encouragement. Did you know that all of the Apostles of Jesus died a martyrs death except for the disciple John and that according to early Church tradition the Roman government had likewise tried to kill John by boiling him in oil yet God delivered him and did not allow John to be hurt therefore the Roman government banished John to a small island named "Patmos" and it was there at this prison island of Patmos that the disciple John again saw the resurrected Jesus and wrote the things Jesus instructed John to write giving us "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" the Bibles' last book. The book of Revelation describes in vivid detail the final events of the earth and of mankind prior to the glorious return of Jesus. Amazingly the book of Revelation is so accurate and so relevant to today that reading the ancient book of Revelation is like reading the newspaper of today. [article link]
Merck Calls off Its Vaccine Mandate - Merck & Co. has announced that it will no longer lobby states to make its HPV vaccine Gardasil mandatory for school attendance After weeks of speculation and pressure from groups like FRC, Merck & Co. has announced that it will no longer lobby states to make its HPV vaccine Gardasil mandatory for school attendance. A cloud of concern has followed the company since word broke that it was donating money to targeted lawmakers in hopes that they would help pass vaccine mandates for Gardasil in their states. FRC put the spotlight on the company's tactics-especially since Merck stood to make a substantial profit from its legislative campaign. This is no small victory for FRC, which took the lead to educate lawmakers and voters in states where mandatory immunization is still up for debate. In the last month, our staff has ramped up its efforts on Capitol Hill, meeting with Members of Congress to discuss a national "opt-in" policy that would reinstate parental control, as opposed to the current
"opt-out" provision for the vaccine in states like Texas, where Gov. Rick Perry issued an executive order to mandate the vaccine. ... A number of medical and public health experts have said that until we have more data on the vaccine's long-term safety and effectiveness, a mandate is premature at best. For these reasons, and to prevent an end run around parents' rights, FRC will continue to lead the charge on the Hill, through the media, and our alerts to ensure that other states take the necessary steps to ensure that the drug is available--but not required. [article link]
Google Docs Most Popular among Upper Income Web Users - Users of Google Docs and Spreadsheets skew toward higher incomes, with 28 percent of users earning upwards of $100,000 annually "Users of Google Docs and Spreadsheets are typical of technology early adopters," said Stewart. "They tend to be mature with some disposable income. As more providers of Web-based productivity tools come to market and consumers become familiar with their offerings, we will see the audience broaden to more closely resemble the overall online population. Eventually, Web-based productivity tools could become as widespread as traditional software from companies like Microsoft, but they clearly have little to fear in the immediate future, given the relatively low penetration numbers that we're seeing." [article link]
Bible verse: Romans 13:8-10 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Romans 13:8-10 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. -- Bible [article link]
Bible verse: Romans 13:11-14 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Romans 13:11-14 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. -- Bible [article link]
Israel Kills Islamic Jihad Militant - Israeli troops on Wednesday fatally shot a West Bank leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group who was involved in an attempted bombing near Tel Aviv JENIN, West Bank - Israeli troops on Wednesday fatally shot a West Bank leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group who was involved in an attempted bombing near Tel Aviv, the army said. ... Abu Obeid had fired in the air with an M-16 (American) rifle and then pointed it at troops when they shot at him, said a commander in the Jenin area, Col. Hertzi Halevy. ... Abu Obeid oversaw the preparation of bombs for the militant group, and the car he was driving was full of explosives, Halevy said. Troops tracked down Abu Obeid due in part with information given to security forces during the interrogation of the bomber caught on Tuesday, Halevy said. [article link]
Let's Prosecute Drug Smugglers, Not Border Guards - CNN judicial expert Jeffrey Toobin described it as "one of the most unusual prosecutions I've ever seen ... I am baffled why this case was brought." {George Bush is actually more than a Republican embarrassment and more than a failure he is well on his way to being our worst president ever.}
The big question is, why didn't the government prosecute the drug smuggler and give immunity to the border guards (who had good service records), instead of vice versa' The smuggler admitted his illegal-drug project to a Border Patrol agent before Sutton gave him immunity, and the prosecutor did not bother to investigate this drug smuggling by checking the cell phone left in the smuggler's van, or by ordering a fingerprint search of the van until a month after it entered the U.S., and even then didn't have it done by the FBI. A few days before the Ramos-Compean trial began on Oct. 17, 2005, the same drug smuggler was caught bringing in a second van loaded with nearly 1,000 pounds of illegal drugs, but he was not arrested so as not to interfere with his role as star witness against the border guards. To preserve the smuggler's credibility, Judge Kathleen Cardone sealed the record about the second van so it could not be mentioned at the trial, and she put the families of the defendants under a gag order not to discuss it. ... The failure to release a transcript of the trial one year after the trial took place is an outrage that prevents Ramos and Compean from starting their appeal. Nor has any hearing been scheduled on the assertion by three jurors that they were coerced by the jury foreman to vote for a guilty verdict. The longer President Bush waits to remedy this injustice perpetrated by his two appointees, prosecutor Sutton and Judge Cardone, the more he convinces the public that the answer to our bafflement about this prosecution is that the Bush Administration policy is to intimidate the Border Patrol from stopping the entry of illegal aliens and illegal drugs. [article link]
Church staffers reveal more charges against Haggard - Ted Haggard's "dark side" apparently spread farther than anybody thought - While staff members found the behavior odd, no one put the pieces of the puzzle together {Oh, they just now figured out that inappropriate behavior is inappropriate.} Ted Haggard's "dark side" apparently spread farther than anybody thought. "Numerous individuals" - some of them later described as young male staffers - have outlined what church leaders call a pattern of improper and even "sordid" behavior by the founder and former chief pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo. Haggard's former flock learned of the findings Sunday during two morning services, when the overseers of the church read a letter to filled auditoriums. ... During the inquiry, young men working for the church came forward to describe what overseer Mike Ware, pastor of Victory Church in Westminster, Colo., characterized as "loose language, coarse jesting and inappropriate jokes that Ted made." While staff members found the behavior odd, no one put the pieces of the puzzle together. "If (the conduct) had been overt," Ware said, "we would have been addressing this long before Mike Jones." [article link]
GetRight® Download Manager - Download Manager and Download Accelerator software for Windows The award winning Download Manager and Download Accelerator software for Windows. GetRight simply improves and optimizes your downloads. Never have an incomplete or lost download again. [article link]
Carl Westerlund Commentaries - 100+ Messages: Book of Romans (Mp3) Carl is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M.) and has been in pastoral ministry since 1968. Before moving to California, he served as the senior pastor of a church in Grand Junction Colorado. In the late 80's he felt the Lord directing him and his family to come to Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. He has been on the staff at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa since 1987. [article link]
Xenos Christian Fellowship - We develop community through home groups led by volunteers - Xenos is known for its equipping ministries for developing Christian workers and leaders (Mp3, PPT) Xenos Christian Fellowship is a culturally relevant, non-traditional and non-denominational church with mainstream biblical doctrines. We develop community through home groups led by volunteers. Xenos is known for its equipping ministries for developing Christian workers and leaders. Our RealMedia Bible teachings, class materials, and essays are excellent resources to browse and download at no charge. Or visit our
online store for tapes, books and CDs. [article link]
For Faith & Family Mp3 Podcast Listing (Mp3) Giant Killers - Are you facing giants in your life? Do problems, addictions or fears intimidate you and cause you to daily walk in defeat? Today's guest points us to the powerful stones that can slay our giants! Our special guest is Dennis Jernigan, popular songwriter, recording artist and worship leader. He joins us today to talk about his book, Giant Killers: Crushing Strongholds, Securing Freedom in your Life. I have sung Dennis' worship songs, 'You Are My All in All' and 'As the Deer Thirsts for the Water' as I have worshipped over the years, so it is a pleasure and an honor to meet the man behind the music. I believe that Dennis' example of victory in slaying the giants in life will be an encouragement and inspiration to many in our listening audience who have found themselves facing their own giants. He shows us the stones to defeat our giants and encourages all of us to seek a deep relationship with Jesus Christ that will enable us to experience the same victory over the giants in our lives. [article link]
Unsustainable Environmentalism - Film (Mine Your Own Business) shows environmentalists hurting third world - The film spotlights the efforts of environmentalists to block economic development projects in Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America Environmental activists use the term "sustainable development" to convey the notion that they're not merely knee-jerk anti-business zealots and that they are all in favor of eco-friendly economic development. That term is put to the test in a new documentary entitled "Mine Your Own Business" ... Gabriel Resources, a Canadian Mining Company, is trying to open a new gold mine that meets or exceeds strict European Union standards, but it runs into opposition, not from local villagers, but from first-world non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Greenpeace. The NGOs, who don't seem particularly bothered by the poorly-operated stateowned mine, take the position in the film that the poverty-stricken residents of Rosia Montana don't need any economic opportunity and, instead, are willing to settle for being "poor but happy." [article link]
Film "Mine Your Own Business" exposes the dark side of environmentalism - The documentary hacks away at the cosy image of environmentalists' as well meaning, harmless activists "Mine Your Own Business" is a journey through the dark side of environmentalism. It demolishes the cosy consensus that environmentalists are well meaning agenda free activists and shows them to be antidevelopment ideologues who think the poor are happy being poor and don't want the development that we, in the west, take for granted. "Mine Your Own Business" goes beyond the voice of the foreign environmentalists that we so often hear in the media and meets those who will be most affected by these projects and the wellrun campaigns against them. ... "Mine Your Own Business" will be hugely controversial as it makes us all think about the unintended consequences of blindly supporting environmentalist/anti-development campaigns across the globe. It is a challenge to the cosy consensus that allows westerners to deny progress to those who need it most. [article link]
Report: General Motors Corp. (GM) in Talks to Buy Chrysler from German company DaimlerChrysler NEW YORK -- General Motors Corp. is in preliminary talks to buy the Chrysler Group, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday. The news was earlier reported by Automotive News, which cited unnamed sources in Germany and the United States that high-level talks were talking place between GM and Chrysler Group parent DaimlerChrysler AG. to buy the Chrysler Group in its entirety. [article link]
calvarypress.com: GETTING A GRIP - The Heart of Anger Management for Teens by Lou Priolo (book) "Being a teenager is hard. Finally help is in print! Lou Priolo shows what teenage anger is and where it comes from. Open these pages and you will find hope, encouragement-and the Savior." ... FINALLY! A practical handbook for teens on how to cope with and handle their anger! In the midst of an angry world and an angry culture, this timely book will do a world of good for any teenager or adult desiring to improve his or her relationship with God and with other people. [article link]
WorldNetDaily.com: World Net Daily (WND) - Internet ratings service reports newssite traffic for WND up 54% According to Internet audience ratings service comScore Media Metrix, WND's traffic growth was No. 1 among all political news sources and No. 2 among all sites related to politics in any way. ... WND's traffic increased 54 percent in January, according to the report, while Capitol Advantage increased readership by 74 percent. Moveon.org, the pro-Democrat activist site founded by George Soros, was third with 23 percent growth, according to comScore Media Metrix. The report said WND attracted more visitors in the month than the websites of any of the presidential candidates including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards. ... During WND's 10 years on the Internet, it has also been honored as "the most popular website in the world" by the now-defunct European-based Global 100 ranking service, a website that allowed users to rank their favorite destinations on the Net, music groups, TV shows, movies, etc. In fact, WND remained No. 1 for more than 100 weeks in a row - an indication it has "the most loyal and passionate readers," said Farah. WND has also been consistently ranked by several major Internet ratings agencies as the "stickiest" newssite on the Internet meaning readers average more time on it than any other. By WND's own traffic counts, the site attracts about 6 million "unique visitors" (meaning different people) every month. It attracts between 50 million and 60 million pageviews per month. [article link]
Ray C. Stedman: ADVENTURING THROUGH THE BIBLE - Book by Book Summaries - Free Downloads (Mp3) Sunday evening services at Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, California, were the setting for a series of 67 messages on the entire Bible preached by Ray C. Stedman. One book of the Bible was covered per message, with an additional message inserted to cover the history of the "400 Silent Years" between the close of the Old Testament canon (Malachi) and the First Gospel (Matthew). This series commenced June 28, 1964 and was completed on August 4, 1968. These sermons constitute Discovery Papers #201-267 inclusive. The book version, "Adventuring Through the Bible," was released in late 1997 and is currently in print. [article link]
The King James Bible in mp3 (audio - only version) & Thru The Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee - Free Downloads (Mp3 - Zip) Welcome to the Thru the Bible's rendition of the King James Bible, where you can download the audio Bible in mp3 format, for free. This KJV narration is voice only and is read at a slower pace. This complete KJV Bible recording can be legally copied and given to others. Please copy and give away. Start your ministry today! "Because the Bible should be studied with the Bible in hand." While we love Dr. McGee's Bible Studies, he is still only human. Only the Bible is the final authority, and it must be kept close at hand during any Bible study. Dr. McGee originally intended the listeners of his five year Thru the Bible series to have their Bibles open in front of them while they listened to the broadcast. Many of us these days cannot have the actual text in front of us as we may be driving or otherwise engaged while we listen. For this reason, this site enables you to listen to the audio of chapter of scripture being expounded on just prior to hearing his comments on that same chapter. [article link]
Thru The Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee - The Complete Bible Studied with Commentary - Free Downloads (Mp3 - Zip) Dr. McGee originally intended the listeners of his five year Thru the Bible series to have their Bibles open in
front of them while they listened to the broadcast. Many of us these days cannot have the actual text in front of us as we may be driving or otherwise engaged while we listen. For this reason, this site enables you to listen to the audio of chapter of scripture being expounded on just prior to hearing his comments on that same chapter. [article link]
Microsoft settles Iowa antitrust case - individuals and businesses in Iowa were overcharged as much as $453 million for Microsoft products in the last 12 years because of a lack of competition {Linux is likely the only affordable, readily available, reliable alternative to the Microsoft monopoly.} DES MOINES, Iowa -- A class-action lawsuit that alleged Microsoft Corp. overcharged consumers was settled Wednesday for an undisclosed amount. Details could be released at a court hearing April 20. Plaintiffs attorney Roxanne Conlin said half of the amount will be used to "close the digital divide in Iowa." She said it will "make sure Iowa's great schools will have opportunities they otherwise would not have." [article link]
FireSociety.com: A new web Forum from GrassFire.org - Empowering thousands of grassroots activists! FireSociety.com is designed precisely for grassroots citizens. We've empowered you to post news alerts, discuss the issues, formulate strategies, submit articles and even launch your own citizen petitions. Every week at Grassfire, we receive hundreds and even thousands of emails from team members who want to comment on the issues. We try our best to respond, but at times the volume is just overwhelming. That's why we launched FireSociety.com -- so that your voice can get published in a way that thousands of citizens can interact! [article link]
A Princeton Lab on ESP Plans to Close Its Doors - If the human mind could alter the behavior of such a machine ... {The human mind alone does not alter the physical world - God and His Holy angels can and do - and the demonic realm can also alter the physical realm - it is all too often this demonic realm manipulation that they observe or experience and then wrongly promote human behavior when it is demonic deception they are actually experiencing.} The laboratory has conducted studies on extrasensory perception and telekinesis from its cramped quarters in the basement of the university's engineering building since 1979. Its equipment is aging, its finances dwindling. ... In one of PEAR's standard experiments, the study participant would sit in front of an electronic box the size of a toaster oven, which flashed a random series of numbers just above and just below 100. Staff members instructed the person to simply "think high" or "think low" and watch the display. After thousands of repetitions - the equivalent of coin flips - the researchers looked for differences between the machine's output and random chance. Analyzing data from such trials, the PEAR team concluded that people could alter the behavior of these machines very slightly, changing about 2 or 3 flips out of 10,000. If the human mind could alter the behavior of such a machine, Dr. Jahn argued, then thought could bring about changes in many other areas of life - helping to heal disease, for instance, in oneself and others. ... The study of telekinesis and related phenomena, Dr. Jahn said, will carry on. "It's time for a new era," he said, "for someone to figure out what the implications of our results are for human culture, for future study, and - if the findings are correct - what they say about our basic scientific attitude." [article link]
Salt Lake City Killer's Records Released - some of Sulejman Talovic's juvenile records have been leaked {Unfortunately much of it is violent crime against women - girls. Even more unfortunate the Mormon (LDS) based Utah system does not seem to be interested or even in the business of protecting woman of any age.} Local Salt Lake City blogger Jonathan notified us that some of Sulejman Talovic's juvenile records have been leaked. Excerpts: At age 12, Talovic was before a judge for allegedly holding a knife over the head of girl while stating, "I'll kill you," according to a source who is familiar with the case. Two years earlier, Talovic was referred to juvenile court for throwing rocks at a little girl. About the same time, he threatened his parents' landlord
with a knife. ... [article link]
Utah gunman, 18, was Muslim from Bosnia - Killed 5 in crowded shopping mall before being gunned down The 18-year-old gunman who killed five people in a crowded Utah shopping mall was a Bosnian Muslim refugee who was prepared to kill many more, say investigators. An off-duty police officer having an early Valentine's Day dinner with his wife was credited today with cornering Sulejmen Talovic, exchanging fire with him until other officers arrived to shoot and kill the gunman. The trench-coated teenager wanted to "to kill a large number of people" and probably would have killed many more if not for the off-duty officer, Police Chief Chris Burbank said. [article link]
Surprise! Terrorist in Utah Mall Shootings is a MUSLIM; - Five other victims are holding onto life--in critical or serious condition--including a pregnant woman More "Religion of Peace" peacefulness. Remember last night's shooting murder of at least six people at Salt Lake City, Utah's "Trolley Square"? Five other victims are holding onto life--in critical or serious condition-including a pregnant woman. Well--surprise! surprise!--the shooter/murderer is a Bosnian Muslim "refugee," Solejman Talovic. No word on his immigration status. And whenever the Mainstream Media calls someone a "refugee," it's generally a euphemism for illegal alien. Although the Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that authorities--predictably--have no motive for the shooting, let's face it. This guy is an Islamic terrorist. Terrorism expert and private investigator Bill Warner--whose site I read often--believes this terrorist attack was some sort of payback for Muslim executions in Bosnia ... [article link]
National Security Survey - Sponsors: Grassfire.org and Institute of World Politics - Survey to help assess public opinion of America's current national security situation Please complete this National Security Survey to help assess public opinion of America's current national security situation. The Institute of World Politics has commissioned Grassfire.org to conduct this survey. Survey results in aggregate will be reported to the national media and foreign policy leaders. 1. Agree or disagree -America is facing a national security crisis due to increasing opposition both here at home and overseas (select one). 2. Agree or disagree -- Our national security policies are using the right strategies to fight the counterinsurgency wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the larger war on Islamic extremism (select one) ... [article link]
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is very concerned that the city might suffer a major disaster-the loss of the United Nations {If the UN were to depart the USA and relocate in Iraq or Europe that would really send end times Bible Prophecy into high gear, as according to the Bible the End Time world Government is not centered in the USA but in Iraq (Babylon) [political leader] and Europe (Rome) [religious leader]. I'm not saying the UN is the final world government but it is interesting.} UNITED NATIONS - While sources say Mayor Bloomberg wants to revive a plan to erect a new building in an effort to avert what he calls the "disaster" of losing the United Nations to another world city, such a building could act as an aid for city developers to regain possession of lucrative office space currently leased cheaply by the world body, sources said. On a visit to Washington yesterday, Mr. Bloomberg expressed concern about the United Nations leaving New York. According to several sources, the mayor intends to revive an old plan to build a "swing space" to house U.N. offices while its headquarters undergoes an ambitious $2 billion renovation. U.N. officials, however, say they have no current plan to leave the city. [article link]
U.S.: Radical Shiite cleric al-Sadr in Iran - Bush administration officials were saying radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has been in Iran for the past two or three weeks {Why did the Bush administration finance al-Sadr and
give his group Iraqi government positions?} BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq plans to close its borders with Iran and Syria for 72 hours in an attempt to secure the capital, the Iraqi commander in charge of Baghdad's security plan announced Tuesday. ... The security plan covers 10 districts in Baghdad. Some observers have predicted that followers of al-Sadr and his Mehdi Army militia -- which has been blamed for a large part of the sectarian violence in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq -would be overlooked, because the al-Sadr movement has backed al-Maliki, who is also a Shiite. ... During the closures, Iraqi officials will install improved security equipment at checkpoints, including upgraded bomb detection devices, an Iraqi official told CNN. - Helicopter likely shot down - The U.S. Marine Corps now believes an American helicopter that crashed in Iraq last week was most likely shot down by insurgents, a senior officer told CNN Tuesday. The Marines had said that the CH-46 helicopter went down because of mechanical failure, but they changed their minds after reviewing a "very convincing" video posted on the Web by insurgents, the Marine officer said. [article link]
Top general casts doubt on Tehran's link to Iraq militias {Maybe the General should get a clue!} - According to the U.S. military, other Iranian officers have provided information that Iran is arming a prominent Iraqi political organization {The problem isn't with Iran totally. The problem is that President Bush installed and has supported a pro-Iran Shiite government in Iraq. What did Bush think his new Shiite government was going to do, cooperate with the USA or cooperate with Iran?} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace appeared Tuesday to question Bush administration assertions that the Iranian government is supplying weapons to Shiite militant groups in Iraq. "We know that the explosively formed penetrators are manufactured in Iran," Pace told Voice of America during a trip to Australia about what senior military officials call EFPs. "What I would not say is that the Iranian government per se knows about this. It is clear that Iranians are involved and it is clear that materials from Iran are involved, but I would not say, based on what I know, that the Iranian government clearly knows or is complicit," Pace said. Senior military officials said Sunday that EFPs, which can punch holes in armored vehicles, are made in such a way that they can be traced to Iran. They blamed EFPs for at least 170 coalition fatalities ... [article link]
Iraqi insurgents using Austrian rifles from Iran - Within 45 days of the first (.50 caliber sniper) rifles arriving in Iran, an American officer in an armoured vehicle was shot dead by an Iraqi insurgent using the weapon {The problem isn't with Iran totally. The problem is that President Bush installed and has supported a pro-Iran Shiite government in Iraq. What did Bush think his new Shiite government was going to do, cooperate with the USA or cooperate with Iran?} Austrian sniper rifles that were exported to Iran have been discovered in the hands of Iraqi terrorists, The Daily Telegraph has learned. The Steyr HS50 is a long range, high precision rifle. More than 100 of the.50 calibre weapons, capable of penetrating body armour, have been discovered by American troops during raids. The guns were part of a shipment of 800 rifles that the Austrian company, Steyr-Mannlicher, exported legally to Iran last year. The sale was condemned in Washington and London because officials were worried that the weapons would be used by insurgents against British and American troops. Within 45 days of the first HS50 Steyr Mannlicher rifles arriving in Iran, an American officer in an armoured vehicle was shot dead by an Iraqi insurgent using the weapon. [article link]
Speaker Of The House (Nancy Pelosi) Hires A George Soros Activist - a Senior Policy Analyst with the Open Society Institute (OSI) The Open Society Institute is a creation of billionaire atheist George Soros. This virulently anti-Christian man operates what some have called a "shadow government" in America - a network of groups and radical individuals who wish to control America's social and national security policies. ... The OSI funnels millions of dollars into various leftist causes, including euthanasia, open borders, abortion, homosexual activism, marijuana
legalization, the undermining of our nation's war on terrorism and other neo-Marxist visions of social justice. A list of OSI's grantees (posted on the "discoverthenetworks.org" web site) reads like a phone book of every antiAmerican, pro-abortion, pro-homosexual group in America. [article link]
Country Keepers Blog received the following email from Discipleship Journal (navpress.com) - We note that you have posted our Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan on your website, this is a violation of copyright, and it must be removed immediately - Who sells Bible reading plans? We note that you have posted our Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan on your website. This is a violation of copyright, and it must be removed immediately. You may, however, provide a link on your site to the page on our site where the Plans are sold. ... Please respond with a confirmation that you are removing the Plan from your site. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. ... navpress.com/magazines. ... Who sells Bible reading plans? I didn't know anyone did. Well, they certainly have the right to stand on their copyright. Praise God that the King James Bible itself is in the public domain. [article link]
New Age Teachings Passed of as "The Message" Bible (NavPress.com) - 'Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy' [Romans 15:13] King James Version: Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13. - The Message: Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope! - Romans 15:13 [article link]
What kind of message is The Message'(NavPress.com) - Written in 1993 in response to several requests The Message DELETES the reference to God's holy name, ADDS requests not voiced by Jesus, and changes the meaning of other verses. Follow the link and learn more about the phrase, "As above, so below." [article link]
The Message (NavPress.com) by Eugene Peterson: - Eugene Peterson's (New Age) Opinion of The Bible several correspondences with NavPress proves that Eugene Peterson has no doctorate The research article referring to Dr. Eugene Peterson addresses the assumption many have that Eugene Peterson has a doctorate in languages, which in many minds, would qualify his translating a Bible. However, several correspondences with NavPress proves that Eugene Peterson has no doctorate, with the definitive statement, "He doesn't have a PhD but he has 3 honorary doctorates from Seattle Pacific University, Messiah and Northwestern." ... The honorary doctorates Eugene Peterson has received are discussed as well as the teaching positions he has held, including, for example, the ecumenical Regent University, his return to the ecumenical New York Theological Seminary, the ecumenical St. Mary's Seminary, the first Catholic seminary in the U.S. It is owned and operated by the Sulpician Fathers, who are diocesan priests dedicated to the continued formation of priests for the Catholic church. These teaching positions are discussed in relation to his time spent at each and the theological positions of the various universities or seminaries. Research is also presented concerning Eugene Peterson's Pentecostal background and his ordination in the United Presbyterian Church, the relations that denomination has with the National Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches and the ecumenical movement in general. It should be noted that his Pentecostal bias concerning tongues and "private prayer language" is implanted into The Message. [article link]
Catholic School Bans Pro-life Speaker - As Flynn painstakingly details, Margaret Sanger-the founder of Planned Parenthood and heroine of the Left-was an avowed racist who embraced the tenets of Nazism, terrorism, and religious bigotry
The Catholic Church has a rich history of protecting the most vulnerable members of society. From challenging forced sterilizations to rebuking the practice of abortion, the Church's leaders have been outspokenly pro-life. Why, then, is a Catholic school censoring a pro-life speech meant to expose anti-Catholic bigotry, uncover an embarrassing eugenics movement in the United States, and disclose the dubious past of the abortion movement's prized icon, Margaret Sanger? Even more troubling, why would this speech be abruptly canceled when attendance is voluntary and the event is held after school? [article link]
Haggard Disappointed over Public Response to Snickers Super Bowl AD - "I really enjoyed doing the Snickers commercial," stated Haggard {Apparently, even though Ted Haggard was revealed to be a fraud and disgraced as a Pastor-leader, his NWO handlers are not yet through with using Haggard to disgrace Christians and Christianity.} Phoenix, AZ (UPSI) - Newly declared heterosexual Ted Haggard came forward today to register his displeasure with the American public over condemnation of a recent Snickers Super Bowl ad in which he appeared. Mars Inc. was caught off guard by a tidal wave of public anger over the commercial which depicts an accidental kiss between two males. The company immediately pulled the ad campaign after overwhelming complaints that it was anti-gay. Haggard took issue with the public outcry, stating that he felt his performance reflected a natural, humorous and "completely heterosexual" situational response. [article link]
THE RICK WARREN & Ted Haggard DEBATE What do you think of 'America's pastor'? - I think we can expect more from these wolves in sheeps clothing in the future {They seem to have an agenda, a New World Order agenda, one that diverts people, finances and resources from delivering the Christian Gospel and into NWO pet projects.} Birds of a Feather Posted by X on Dec 28, 2006 01:29. When I heard about Ted Haggard and Rick Warren (months before Ted Haggards drugs and *sex scandel) signing on to a statement to incourage congress to stop Global warming by increasing Federal regulations on carbon Dioxide emisions and to work closley with the UN (basicly support the Kyoto treaty). That completly ruined their credibility with me. After that the *sex scandel did not surprise me. I think we can expect more from these wolves in sheeps clothing in the future. Note * modified word. [article link]
A man who claims to be a Descendant of Muhammad converts to Christianity - But faces threat to life if forced to return to Turkey A Turk who claims to be a descendant of Islam's prophet Muhammad has converted to Christianity while living in Germany. But Sedar Dedeoglu, of Luedenscheid, now faces a threat to his life if he's forced to return to Turkey, and is seeking help from German authorities. Dedeoglu, who is involved in Christian outreach programs among Muslims, has been receiving death threats from Muslims unwilling to accept his conversion. His relatives also regard the apostasy as shameful. If Dedeoglu is returned to his native country, he very likely would be killed, his lawyer says. ... Despite this threat, the German Federal Migration Office and several courts of justice have rejected asylum applications by the Dedeoglu family. They claim Christians are free to practice their religion in Turkey. To avoid deportation, Dedeoglu, his wife Husniye and their daughter Isil now hope at least to be tolerated in Germany as a "case of hardship." According to their attorney, Oswald Seitter, it is impossible to overlook the extraordinary danger the Dedeoglu family is facing. [article link]
Zogby Poll: Empty Seats Coming to a Theater Near You? - High ticket prices (30%) and a dislike for the movie selections (30%) are the top reasons given for falling movie attendance DVDs again beat out movies by a wide margin when people were given the choice between 100 free DVDs of their own choosing (71%) or 100 free movie passes (24%). Women (26%) were slightly more likely than men
(22%) to favor 100 free movie passes, while nearly a quarter (72%) of men and (69%) of women would choose the DVDs. [article link]
Texas Gov Perry's HPV vaccination order angers pro-family groups - But Adams notes there is no crisis, noting cervical cancer deaths in American women have dropped by 74% due to routine pap smears (AgapePress) -- A Texas pro-family group says Governor Rick Perry's executive order mandating HPV shots for schoolgirls entering sixth-grade not only usurps the authority of the State Legislature, but also the rights of parents. In addition, the American College of Pediatricians has recommended against the vaccine for young girls. A conservative group in Texas is raising strong objections to Republican Governor Rick Perry's executive order mandating HPV shots for 11- and 12-year-old female students. On Friday, Governor Perry signed an order that requires all Texas schoolgirls entering sixth grade to get Gardasil, Merck & Company's new vaccine against the Human Papilloma Virus, beginning in the fall of 2008. Perry says the vaccine gives Texas "an incredible opportunity to effectively target and prevent cervical cancer." ... But Adams notes there is no crisis, noting cervical cancer deaths in American women have dropped by 74 percent due to routine pap smears. [article link]
Weapons of Spiritual Warfare - The following are among the major weapons (items) of spiritual warfare - As the scriptures say these weapons of spiritual warfare look simple but are powerful in overcoming the enemy (demons) Weapons of Spiritual Warfare: 1. Prayer - (among weapons of spiritual warfare against all forms of evil, including sin, real failure, walking outside God's will) "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers," Luke 22:31-32. - 2. The Word of God -the sword of the Spirit and the belt of truth- (among weapons of spiritual warfare for evangelism and self defense weapon against ignorance, deception, false doctrines, spiritual poverty, and against walking outside God's will). - 3. Fasting -(among weapons of spiritual warfare against heavy oppression that prayer alone may not overcome) "When (not, if or in case) you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you," Matthew 6:17-18. [article link]
Refuge Ministries - Links: Welcome to Refuge Ministries! 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.' Psalm 46:1 Refuge Ministries was born out of a need. There are countless people who have loved ones involved in the Occult or those who have been involved themselves. Many are looking for a ministry that will gently reach out to them, and take their need seriously without making them feel like outcasts. When I myself was a struggling Satanist in need, the Lord sent certain people into my life to minister to me. Through their involvement in my life, I was given the help I needed to be set free from Satanism. Scriptures tell us; 'Freely as you have received, freely give' (Matthew 10:8). Now, it is our hearts desire to help you in any way that we are able. That is why Refuge Ministries was created. If you have been involved in Satanism, the Occult, Wicca, Witchcraft, New Age practices or False Teachings in the Christian church, we are here to help you. We offer Biblical counsel, prayer, encouragement and resources. You are welcome to contact us for any reason. Many free resources are made available through our ministry. Your spiritual growth is important to us. Each month, several of these resources change, so we encourage you to visit often to receive the newest materials. [article link]
Bible verse: Colossians 1:9-11 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Colossians 1:9-11 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and Spiritual understanding; That ye might
walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; -- Bible [article link]
Bible verse: Colossians 1:12-20 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Colossians 1:12-20 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And he is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. -- Bible [article link]
Two Democratic Clerks in Connecticut Disciplined For Sifting Through GOP Desk - Capitol Police reviewed the surveillance tapes and interviewed numerous legislative employees, as well as at least one lawmaker, as part of their investigation HARTFORD, Conn. - State Capitol police determined Friday that no criminal laws were broken when two Democratic clerks were seen on a surveillance tape rifling through a Republican clerk's desk and moving papers last week. But both workers, overseen by the Senate Democrats, are being disciplined for the incident. - the Republican assistant clerk of GAE whose desk was rifled, filed a complaint with the Capitol police after discovering items on her desk had been moved after she went home for the day on Jan. 24. She told the police she felt violated and harassed and works "in a hostile work environment," according to the police report. ... Capitol Police reviewed the surveillance tapes and interviewed numerous legislative employees, as well as at least one lawmaker, as part of their investigation. [article link]
SAN FRANCISCO Mayor Apologizes for Affair with Aide's Wife - After his wife told him about the affair, he approached the mayor about it, then resigned SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - February 1, 2007 - Mayor Gavin Newsom apologized Thursday for having a sexual relationship with his former campaign manager's wife. "I'm deeply sorry," Newsom said during a brief news conference at City Hall the day after the aide resigned. Newsom appeared poised but visibly emotional. He spoke for about a minute and left without taking questions. Alex Tourk, 39, resigned Wednesday after confronting his boss about his relationship with his wife, Ruby Rippey-Tourk, 34, who once worked as the mayor's appointment secretary. Newsom acknowledged that he had the affair first reported Wednesday night on the San Francisco Chronicle's Web site and apologized for what he called "a lapse of judgment." [article link]
Last Trumpet Ministries - Newsletter - The Final Days of Satan's Last Empire! - Corrupt Leadership for a Corrupt People! The new Majority Leader for the United States Senate is now U.S. Senator Harry Reid {a loyal (LDS) Mormon} of Searchlight, Nevada. When Reid was being interviewed in his home by reporters, he took them into his bathroom and pointed to his most prized possession. It was an autographed poster of the Grateful Dead. (38) The Grateful Dead is a notorious hard rock band noted for their heavy drug cult following. They are a satanic group of the first magnitude, and their followers are referred to as deadheads. Their emblem is a skeleton
wearing a tuxedo and top hat with the skull wearing sunglasses. It is true, our Senate Majority leader is a deadhead, and this may explain the residue of the two lines of white powder on the glass top of the table, where he was seated with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, sometimes referred to as "Nasty Pelosi." I am now looking at a number of pictures of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on the day she took office. As she stood in front of all the dignitaries present, she held a black leather bull whip in front of her chest and proudly proclaimed, "I am the most powerful woman in America." Pelosi then made two clenched fists and held them in a tai kwon do karate position. In the next photograph, she is lifting a gavel high into the air with a look on her face that would scare the devil himself if he had a mind to look at her. The next picture shows Pelosi lifting her right fist above her head in the communist power salute that was so common during the riots and demonstrations of the 1960's. She then brings her fist slightly downward and turns her knuckles forward to the striking serpent salute used by Satanists. (39) The late high priest of the Church of Satan, also secretly known as the Hotel California, was often seen using the striking serpent salute. Without a doubt, hell has been raised, and hells children are now occupying the highest offices in our erstwhile great nation. ... [article link]
The Christian's Life - What is the life of a Christian all about? {Sermon - English with a small amount of German.} (Mp3) Author: Lighthouse Gospel Church - free Mp3 Download. [article link]
Imam leads Democrats in prayer of conversion - We thank you God, to send us your messages through our father Abraham and Moses and Jesus and Muhammad {Oops Muhammad was 600+ years late, and a continent away to be getting messages from God.} With heads bowed reverently, Democrats were led in prayer yesterday by a Muslim imam who essentially asked Allah to assist in converting the party members to Islam, according to a scholar and author. Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch and author of "The Truth about Muhammad," took note of the prayer given at the Democratic National Committee winter meeting by Husham Al-Husainy, imam of the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center, a shiite mosque in Dearborn, Mich. ... Spencer, in a post on his Jihad Watch website, said he found it interesting to see the Muslim leader praying, "in veiled terms to be sure, for their conversion to Islam, and, oh yes, for the destruction of Israel ("And help us to stop the war and violence, and oppression and occupation"). [article link]
Bush woos Democratic lawmakers at resort - Relying on self-deprecating jokes, unusual candor and outright flattery WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Relying on self-deprecating jokes, unusual candor and outright flattery, President Bush on Saturday wooed lawmakers he not only needs but will have to answer to in the final two years of his presidency. Bush had not seen fit to attend a Democratic congressional retreat since 2001, his first year in office. But the new political reality that has Democrats in charge of Capitol Hill for the first time in a dozen years changed his mind. When he appeared before House Democrats at a Virginia resort, he seemed to be trying to make up for lost time. Bush brushed past the veto threats his aides have issued for one-third of the agenda that Pelosi's caucus approved in the House's first 100 hours of the year. ... Instead, he focused on compliments, on the Democrats' choice of Pelosi - "this fine woman" - as the first female speaker ever and for their approval this past week of billions for fighting AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis overseas. "I look forward to working with you," he said. "I know you've probably heard that and you doubt whether it's true. It's true." [article link]
NWO Brainwashing - Some examples of NWO mind control at work (Video 9:30) Some examples of NWO mind control at work. [article link]
What Did He Know? (Bush's odd behavior the morning of 9/11) - It's almost as if he had prior knowledge of the events of that morning before they happened (Video 9:50) Bush's behavior on the morning of 9/11 was very odd. No shock. No surprise. No worry. It's almost as if he had prior knowledge of the events of that morning before they happened. Hmmmmm... [article link]
WTC Survivor Janette MacKinley on 9/11 Truth (Video 10:27) Janette MacKinley lived across the street from the WTC complex and witnessed the destruction of the south tower. She spoke at the Lifting The Fog conference at UC Berkeley about 9/11 truth and the power of grassroots activism. [article link]
Cutting Edge Weekly Newsletter: Just as Bush's policy in Iraq has sunk America into the sands of Iraq, this policy is likely to sink America into the sands of Gaza! "The Bush administration already has committed itself to provide $86 million to finance training and equipment for the personal 'Presidential Guard' of Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. However, the U.S. is also now considering funding all of the PA security forces in order to counter the Hamas militia..." As we have reported in past newsletters, this entire struggle between Hamas and Fatah of the Palestinian Authority is a fight between the Freemasonry of Fatah leadership and the non-Masonry of the Hamas leadership! You see, Palestinian Authority Chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, is a recognized Mason, as the book, Codex Magica, reveals. Hamas leadership wants nothing to do with secret societies and so is mightily resisting Abbas and his Fatah militant group. One news report last week said that Hamas leaders believed Abbas was willing to lose 500-700 of his Fatah fighters if he could win the civil war erupting with Hamas. Now, why should we be surprised to learn that Skull & Bones President George Bush, is committing the United States to a massive support of Abbas' Fatah party? After all, Bush is just helping out his fellow Mason, Mahmoud Abbas! [article link]
Mitt Romney Taps Ex-Sen. Jim Talent as Adviser - a top adviser to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney Former Missouri Sen. Jim Talent, who narrowly lost his re-election bid last November, was named a top adviser to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Talent will serve as domestic policy task force chairman for Romney's presidential exploratory committee, Romney announced Thursday. In his new post, Talent will oversee all domestic policy development for Romney's campaign. [article link]
A good man: Here are reasons to re-elect U.S. Sen. Jim Talent - "I have never voted a straight Republican ticket" {A good man maybe, but defiantly not a solid Republican for a Presidential race advisor!} I have never voted a straight Republican ticket and have had the experience of serving on the Missouri State Reorganization Conference Committee in the 1970s (three Democrats and two Republicans -- myself a freshman legislator) and a conference committee on the state budget (five House members who negotiated a compromise budget with five state senators). [article link]
Pakistan gets eight Cobra helicopters from US - The Cobra helicopters were handed over to Pakistan as part of a five-year aid programme as indicated by US President George W Bush in 2003 {Brilliant more advanced weapons to radical Islamists, and Bush wonders why his policies fail so completely.} Islamabad, Feb 02: The United States on Friday handed over eight Cobra Helicopter gunships to Pakistan to boost its capability to conduct operations against extremists. The refurbished helicopters, specially equipped for night-time operations, were handed over to Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retired) Tariq Wasim Ghazi by US Ambassador Ryan Crocker at a ceremony at an airbase in Rawalpindi. The US embassy said they were part of a
50 million- dollar deal for 20 refurbished helicopters. Speaking on the occasion, Crocker said the helicopters are "important weapons in our common fight against terrorism". [article link]
{Flashback} State Dept. Admits Arafat Ordered Murder of American Diplomats - the State Department would never admit this, preferring, instead, to protect Arafat and shield him from indictment for murder by the U.S. government Even though we've known for years who ordered this--our government had bugging devices and recordings of Arafat personally ordering their murders--the State Department would never admit this, preferring, instead, to protect Arafat and shield him from indictment for murder by the U.S. government, something that should have happened while Arafat was alive. [article link]
Florida Gov. wants touch-screen voting machines gone - "I think it's important to make sure people have confidence in our voting system," Crist said Wednesday. "If there's a need for a recount, I think it's important that we have something to recount" TALLAHASSEE - Eager to end six troublesome years of touch screen voting in Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist wants every county to switch to paper ballots by 2008. Crist will ask the Legislature to spend more than $30-million to replace touch screens with an optical scan system that allows a voter to mark an oval next to a candidate's name before slipping a ballot into an electronic reader - the same way absentee ballots are cast. ... "I think it's important to make sure people have confidence in our voting system," Crist said Wednesday. "If there's a need for a recount, I think it's important that we have something to recount" [article link]
Wait! Don't buy Windows Vista! {There is really no point in upgrading from 32-bit XP to 32-bit Vista, is that even a true upgrade? A better plan is to wait until a 64-bit operating system comes out before you begin to upgrade your computing needs.} Vista is incomplete: Microsoft is already planning its first service pack and seeking input from users on what to include. Vista probably won't be truly ready for prime time until that first service pack version, possibly later this year. ... Vista may be the best reason yet to buy a Mac: Years ago, "switching" from Windows to a Mac was nearly impossible for most people. We relied entirely on desktop applications, many of which had no equivalents on the Mac platform. Today, so much of what we do is online -- and Apple has done such a good job of making the transition easier -- that leaving Windows and moving to a Mac is perfectly doable for most people. It's a real choice now, and mostly a matter of preference. With Windows Vista as the default operating system on any new system you buy, it makes sense to consider moving to a Mac. After all, Vista will force you to learn a new operating system anyway, and -- in the short term -- one less supported than XP. In either case, you'll be using a 3-D interface, widgets and other goodies. Apple will start selling the next version of OS X, code-named Leopard, this year. The details of this operating system are secret, but it's likely that it will be spectacular. All may be revealed as soon as next month. If you're going to buy a new PC this spring, you might as well check out Leopard before making your choice. [article link]
Bible verse: John 4:23-26 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth: ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} John 4:23-26 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto Him (Jesus), I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He. -- Bible [article link]
Bible verse: John 4:34-38 Jesus saith unto them, My meat (sustenance) is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} John 4:34-38 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. -- Bible [article link]
Microsoft abandons IDE patent application - a patent application for technology in its Visual Studio software development platform that originated outside the company - that was based upon an academic project to help individuals grasp introductory concepts of software programming Citing a mistaken filing, Microsoft has abandoned a patent application for technology in its Visual Studio software development platform that originated outside the company, a Microsoft representative said on Tuesday. ... "Microsoft mistakenly filed for a patent on a technology included in components of Visual Studio 2005 that was based upon an academic project to help individuals grasp introductory concepts of software programming through pictorial representation of code," the representative said. The company had been notified by Michael Kölling, the creator of BlueJ, that the patent application covered technology substantially similar to his project. BlueJ is an IDE for teaching object-oriented programming and Java to beginners, according to Kölling's blog. "Microsoft agrees with Professor Kölling, and in keeping with the company's standards for quality patent filings, [it is] expressly abandoning the patent application with the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) through normal procedures," the company said. [article link]
'Yoga lite' stretches into public schools - Critics say even stripped-down "yoga lite" goads young people into exploring other religions and mysticism - To bring it to the west and bill it as a scientific practice for fitness is dishonest," Despite mainstream acceptance, yoga in public schools remains touchy. Critics say even stripped-down "yoga lite" goads young people into exploring other religions and mysticism. Dave Hunt, who has traveled to India to study yoga's roots and interview gurus, called the practice "a vital part of the largest missionary program in the world" for Hinduism. The Bend, Oregon, author of "Yoga and the Body of Christ: What Position Should Christians Hold?" said that, like other religions, the practice has no place in public schools. "It's pretty simple: Yoga is a religious practice in Hinduism. It's the way to reach enlightenment. To bring it to the west and bill it as a scientific practice for fitness is dishonest," said Hunt, 80. "I've talked to too many people who got hooked on the spiritual deception of yoga. They come to believe in this and become enamored with Hinduism or eastern mysticism," he said. Concerns about yoga's spiritual implications have also fueled a cottage industry of books and videos that offer the purported benefits of yoga -- flexibility, strength and weight loss -- without mentioning the y-word. Laurette Willis, 49, wrote an exercise regimen called "PowerMoves Kids Program for Public Schools." The stretching routine includes pauses for children to contemplate character-building quotes from Martin Luther King Jr., Emily Dickinson, Harriet Tubman and William Shakespeare. Willis, who lives near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, also created an exercise regimen called "PraiseMoves: The Christian Alternative to Yoga." [article link]
Belfast Telegraph: Microsoft milks the cow one last time with Vista - Can they get Xbox and Zune to make meaningful profits? These are the future of the industry and it's got to be the future of Microsoft {It looks like in the end Microsoft will just become another toy company (i.e. Xbox, Zune). The Microsoft windows operating system is so incompetent, so without a future (obsolete at it's own release date) and so dangerous (virus, identity theft) to use that making toys is about what Microsoft should do and turn over serious computing to Linux.}
For all the razzamatazz, the "human billboards" advertising the product and the showy launch in Manhattan's Times Square yesterday, Microsoft's new operating system, Windows Vista, is a pretty underwhelming piece of software. ... There are several forces eroding the power of Windows. First, an old threat resurgent, in the form of Apple's growing share of the home computer market. The success of the iPod has encouraged consumers to look again at Apple's other products. Meanwhile, Steve Jobs is actively promoting the idea that Windows Vista only brings Microsoft into line with innovations made on the Apple operating system earlier this decade. A new, more advanced Mac operating system, called Leopard, is being launched in the spring. The second threat is the growth of rival software services from internet-based companies. And third, there are real unanswered questions over the future role of the PC in the home. As the power of Windows erodes, Microsoft is having to become a very different sort of company. ... Can they get Xbox and Zune to make meaningful profits? These are the future of the industry and it's got to be the future of Microsoft." In all these areas, Microsoft is a latecomer. A latecomer with deep pockets, sure, but those pockets will shrink as the power of Windows erodes. No wonder it is milking the launch of Vista for all it can. [article link]
Bush's ethanol plan getting cold shoulder - reaching Mr. Bush's 2017 goal would require more than 12.5 billion bushels of the grain, more than the country's entire harvest last year {Simple math doesn't matter when it comes to the Bush scams and plans, besides he was desperate to talk (scam) about ethanol in 2017 instead of the reality of the USA today.} LONDON, CHICAGO -- If U.S. President George W. Bush thought he had the remedy for his country's oil woes when he proposed an increase in ethanol production, he's getting no support in the boardroom of the world's biggest energy company and no respect in the stock market, where producers of the corn-based fuel are among the biggest losers. The State of the Union address last week made ethanol the centrepiece of a plan to reduce gasoline consumption 20 per cent in 10 years by raising the federal mandate for renewable fuel use almost fivefold to 35 billion gallons a year by 2017. ... Skeptics say ethanol will never become a significant part of energy use in the United States because the country can't produce enough corn. Based on current use, reaching Mr. Bush's 2017 goal would require more than 12.5 billion bushels of the grain, more than the country's entire harvest last year. No grain would be left for hogs, cattle or chickens, or to make corn-based sweeteners for Coca-Cola Co. and other consumers. [article link]
' President Bush's Popularity Hits An All-Time Low In New Poll - 67% respondents believe President Bush's Policies are influenced more by his personal beliefs {scams}, regardless of the facts - A mere 22% say his decisions are influenced more by the facts New York, NY (AHN) - A recent opinion poll conducted by Newsweek magazine reveals that the popularity of President George Bush has reached an new all-time low. The poll conducted after President Bush's 2007 State of the Union Address found that only 30 percent of respondents supported the policies outlined in the annual speech. ... In similar way, 67 percent respondents believe President Bush's policy in Iraq, as well as decisions in other major areas, are influenced more by his personal beliefs, regardless of the facts. A mere 22 percent say his decisions are influenced more by the facts. [article link]
Poll: Most Americans 58% want Bush presidency to be over - This, said pollsters, perhaps explains why only about half (49%) of adult Americans even bothered to watch or listen to any of the State of the Union speech as it happened WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- More than half the Americans, or 58 percent, say they wish the Bush presidency to be simply over,a sentiment that is almost unanimous among Democrats (86 percent),according to a latest Newsweek poll. ... With Bush widely viewed as an ineffectual "lame duck" (by 71 percent), over half
(53 percent) of the poll's respondents now say they believe history will see him as a below-average president, up three points from last May. This, said pollsters, perhaps explains why only about half (49 percent) of adult Americans even bothered to watch or listen to any of the State of the Union speech as it happened. [article link]
Former Witch and Christian Author Featured on The Tyra Banks Show - the world of witchcraft can be a very dangerous choice - She hopes to keep this new generation from the same darkness she found herself in, especially since teens are particularly susceptible to the false claims of witchcraft "When I was in high school, I was a practicing witch. It wasn't until college that I became a Christian and came out of that dark world." Sumpolec said. "The Tyra producers thought my story of coming out of witchcraft, how it lead me to attempt suicide, and my current beliefs about it, was the right balance for their program." That put Sarah on a plane that night and in L.A. for the taping the next day. ... But Sumpolec says that the reason she said yes was not to have a fun weekend jaunt, but it was for the chance to show the Tyra Banks viewers that the world of witchcraft can be a very dangerous choice. ... She hopes to keep this new generation from the same darkness she found herself in, especially since teens are particularly susceptible to the false claims of witchcraft. [article link]
Ballistics data don't support charge against border agents - Investigator: U.S. attorney twisted evidence to fit case - the U.S. government has backed off to the benefit of the drug lords Ballistics reports, used in the trial of Ignacio "Nacho" Ramos, one of two Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting fleeing drug dealer Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, do not support the prosecution's claim the bullet was fired from Ramos' gun, according to documents provided to WND from Andy Ramirez, chairman of the Friends of the Border Patrol. Despite the conclusion of a laboratory criminalist that he could not conclusively link the bullet removed from Aldrete-Davila with Ramos' service weapon, a Department of Homeland Security agent swore, in an affidavit of complaint filed against Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, that Aldrete-Davila was hit by a round fired by Ramos. ... Nearly two years after the conclusion of the trial, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas has yet to release a transcript of the trial. ... "The message is simple," Ramirez replied. "Enforce our drug laws aggressively on the border and you risk going to jail, not the drug dealers. We have a drug war going on along the Texas border and the U.S. government has backed off to the benefit of the drug lords. [article link]
Windows Vista 'wide open' to malware - Security vendor claims new OS fails to stop attacks - We feel strongly that, in order to provide the best protection for internet users, security must be your top and only priority Microsoft's Windows Vista is "ineffective" in blocking malware and slow to update against viruses, according to a security software vendor. A test performed by Webroot Software found that Windows Defender, the security software included with Vista, failed to catch 84 per cent of spyware and malware. ... "We feel strongly that, in order to provide the best protection for internet users, security must be your top and only priority," said Eschelbeck. [article link]
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman - the basic principles Chapman explores will apply to all relationships {Books} We all know that the greatest commandment is to love. However, relatively few of us know how to express our love in the heart language of our family and friends. Fortunately, in The Five Love Languages Gary Chapman identifies the five primary love languages and teaches us how to use these languages to express our love. Although this edition of The Five Love Languages was written specifically for couples, the basic principles Chapman explores will apply to all relationships. [article link]
Personality Plus, Second Edition by Florence Littauer -valuable insight for appreciating your one-of-a-kind, God-given personality {Books} In Personality Plus, Florence Littauer gives you valuable insight for appreciating your one-of-a-kind, God-given personality. She includes a Personality Profile test that reveals how your unique blend of traits affects your emotions, work performance, and relationships. Through humorous anecdotes and straightforward counsel, Personality Plus guides you to improve upon your strengths and correct your weaknesses. [article link]
Bible verse: Isaiah 40:9-11 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Isaiah 40:9-11 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. -- Bible [article link]
Bible verse: Isaiah 41:8-13 But thou, Israel, art my servant, ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Isaiah 41:8-13 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art My servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. -- Bible [article link]
Bush Eyes Pardon for Border Patrolmen {Humm..., is this just another obvious Bush stall so he can continue to do the wrong thing? I wouldn't hold my breath for Bush to come through with a just, honest answer.} WASHINGTON - President Bush on Thursday said a pardon was possible for two Border Patrol agents serving prison sentences for shooting a Mexican drug dealer as he fled and then covering up the crime. ... Rancor over the convictions and sentencing of the agents has been simmering for months, and the two have become a cause celebre among conservatives and on talk shows. Their supporters have said they were defending themselves and have called them heroes. [article link]
{Flashback} June 30, 2005; Iran President was Captor Say (US) Hostages, Bush Wants Answers {Well George W. any answers yet to this mystery? Oh yeah, you declined to even investigate it after first talking up a good game about all you were going to do for justice for our American citizens.} WASHINGTON, JUNE 30: President George W. Bush said on Thursday, he wanted answers on whether Iranian President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a leader in the 1979 US Embassy siege as some former hostages have said. ... "I have no information," Bush told reporters during a briefing on the upcoming G-8 summit in Scotland. "But obviously his involvement raises many questions, and knowing how active people are at finding answers to questions, I'm confident they will be found." [article link]
Report: Barack Obama spent 4 years in Islamic madrassa (Muslim seminary) - and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage
Are the American people ready for an elected president who was educated in a Madrassa as a young boy and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage? ... An investigation of Mr. Obama by political opponents within the Democratic Party has discovered that Mr. Obama was raised as a Muslim by his stepfather in Indonesia. Sources close to the background check, which has not yet been released, said Mr. Obama, 45, spent at least four years in a so-called Madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia. "He was a Muslim, but he concealed it," the source said. "His opponents within the Democrats hope this will become a major issue in the campaign." When contacted by Insight, Mr. Obama's press secretary said he would consult with "his boss" and call back. He did not. [article link]
Mitt Romney unpopular as he leaves governor's post - Some ex-constituents say '08 hopeful used them as a career steppingstone Four years after taking office, though, Romney left his post with a high disapproval rating. Critical Bay Staters contend now that Romney always had his eye on the White House and used Massachusetts as a pad from which to launch his campaign. "You can have him back in Salt Lake," lifelong resident Roberta Kilduff said on a recent chilly morning in downtown Boston. ... In retrospect, some residents wish he had stayed in Utah. "He was a big disappointment for the state," says John Henry, taking a lunch break near historic Faneuil Hall. "He didn't do anything on all those hopes and promises he made. . . . You elect him and you expect him to take care of the state." Some Bostonians randomly asked about Romney simply scoffed. One dubbed him the "invisible governor" while another called him an "absentee governor." ... Garnett charges that Romney gave up being governor a while back. "It was just like trying to lay a foundation for something else," Garnett says of Romney's tenure as governor. "He used it to benefit himself." [article link]
Jimmy Carter Interceded for Nazi Murderer - Exclusive: Handwritten Note From Jimmy Carter Interceding for Nazi SS Guard - The handwriting matches - This is from the letter published at the New York Sun: (Photos) Well, here's that confirmation, as Daniel Freedman publishes the actual handwritten note from Carter: Exclusive: Handwritten Note From Jimmy Carter Interceding for Nazi SS Guard. ... UPDATE at 1/18/07 1:36:27 pm: The handwriting matches. This is from the letter published at the New York Sun: [article link]
Bible verse: Romans 4:16-25 ... the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Romans 4:16-25 ... the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before Him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he (Abraham) might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed (Jesus) be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: he (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. -- Bible [article link]
Bible verse: Romans 5:1-8 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Romans 5:1-8 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience,
experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. -- Bible [article link]
Bush has become a laughing stock in US - Bush's new plan for Iraq has cemented his reputation as a lame duck president who is rapidly becoming the most loathed in US history - "we are possibly about to witness all the mayhem the world is capable of creating" This month's Vanity Fair contains a stunning piece of reporting from David Rose, a former supporter of the invasion of Iraq. Rose interviewed dozens of neo-conservatives behind the disastrous decision. Almost as one, they point the finger of blame at others rather than accept responsibility for the disaster. Most notable is Richard Perle, former chairman of the Pentagon's defence policy. Perle had predicted that Iraq was a very good candidate for democracy in the Middle East and that Iranians would be so impressed by the success of Iraq, post-Saddam, that they would follow suit and bring in regime change. Like the K-Tel ad-man, Perle said there would be more: Syria would agree to stop backing terrorists. Now, he says he underestimated the depravity that pervades Iraq. Now, he smells failure and fears the consequences. In his words, we are possibly about to witness all the mayhem the world is capable of creating. [article link]
Bush's Plan To Bankrupt Social Security - American citizens must work ten years to be eligible for Social Security benefits, but the Totalization agreement would allow Mexicans to qualify with only 18 months of work in the United States American citizens must work ten years to be eligible for Social Security benefits, but the Totalization agreement would allow Mexicans to qualify with only 18 months of work in the United States, and pretend to make up the difference by assuming work in Mexico. It is highly doubtful that the illegal aliens ever paid into a Mexican system for eight and a half years. It could be "virtual" work or "virtual" payments (just like the "virtual" fence we may have on our southern border, or the "virtual" law that promised to build one). A 2003 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report tactfully refused to comment on "the integrity of Mexico's social security data" and warned that the cost to U.S. taxpayers is "highly uncertain." ... The Bush Totalization plan would put millions of Mexicans onto the rolls of the U.S. Social Security system just as our baby-boom generation retires. The White House won't deny that imposing higher taxes on American workers is "on the table" to deal with the expected shortfall. The Bush totalization plan would lure even more Mexicans into the United States illegally in the hope of amnesty and eligibility for Social Security benefits for themselves, as well as for their spouses and dependents who may never have lived in the United States. [article link]
Bush responds to complaints about SMU library plans - It would be a place for interesting discussion, he said. {What, interesting discussions like how Bush is a Satan/Devil worshiping traitor who is out to ruin our country.} President Bush sought Thursday to quell complaints on the SMU campus that the library he's planning would offer lopsided views of his administration and public policy. ... A significant portion of the Southern Methodist University faculty has objected to efforts to lure the Bush library, museum and policy institute to campus. [article link]
Methodists: No Bush library at SMU - "as United Methodists, we believe that the linking of his presidency with a university bearing the Methodist name is utterly inappropriate." DALLAS - A group of Methodist ministers from across the nation launched an online petition drive Thursday urging Southern Methodist University to stop trying to land George W. Bush's presidential library. The petition, on a newly created Web site, www.protectsmu.org, says that "as United Methodists, we believe that the linking
of his presidency with a university bearing the Methodist name is utterly inappropriate." "Methodists have a long history of social conscience, so questions about the conduct of this president are very concerning," said one of the petition's organizers, the Rev. Andrew J. Weaver of New York, who graduated from SMU's Perkins School of Theology. [article link]
by Phyllis Schlafly - We Need Compassion for Our Border Guards - It makes us wonder which side the selfproclaimed "compassionate" President is on President George W. Bush pardoned 16 criminals including five drug dealers at Christmastime, but so far has refused to pardon the two U.S. Border Patrol agents who were trying to defend Americans against drug smugglers. It makes us wonder which side the self-proclaimed "compassionate" President is on. ... A major argument used by the prosecution during the trial was that our government has a policy forbidding agents from chasing suspected drug smugglers without first getting permission from supervisors. That sounds like a no-arrest policy; by the time an agent gets permission, a smuggler can be out of sight and safely back over the border. ... This case is a test of George Bush's character, compassion, and concern for drugs coming across our border. He can't duck responsibility: the prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, and the judge, Kathleen Cardone, are both Bush appointees. [article link]
A Taliban Spokesman's Confession - Dr. Hanif, who had been working with the Taliban for the past 14 months, told them that the organization would never have been able to challenge Afghan military and NATO forces without the direct assistance of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency Just last week, outgoing U.S. National Intelligence Director John Negroponte warned that while Pakistan is "a frontline partner in the war on terror," it is also the country "where the Taliban and al-Qaeda maintain critical sanctuaries." Al-Qaeda, he said, is "cultivating stronger operational connections and relationships that radiate outward from their leaders' secure hideout in Pakistan to affiliates throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe." And on a visit to Afghanistan Tuesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates reiterated the point, saying, "There are more attacks coming across the border; there are al-Qaeda networks operating on the Pakistani side of the border. And these are issues that we clearly will have to pursue with the Pakistani government." [article link]
{flashback} Bush bonanza: US likely to announce substantial discount to Pak (Pakistan) in F-16 deal - which include periodic inspections of the fleet and their bases to verify guarantees by Pakistan that it would not pass the technology to China - The planes apparently would also not carry facilities to carry nuclear weapons ISLAMABAD: US President George W Bush plans to announce a "substantial discount" on the $5 billion deal to sell F-16s to Pakistan during President Pervez Musharraf's visit to Washington as a gesture of approval of his handling of the war on terror, a media report said on Tuesday. Musharraf, who left for Brussels on Monday on his way to the US, is "understood to be carrying private assurances from President Bush that he may receive a substantial discount in the price of the F-16 aircraft Pakistan is currently in the process of purchasing from Washington," The News reported. ... The planes apparently would also not carry facilities to carry nuclear weapons. [article link]
{flashback} Pakistan rape reform fails after Musharraf caves in In a setback for women's rights in Pakistan, the ruling party in Islamabad has caved in to (Islam) religious conservatives by dropping its plans to reform rape laws. Statutes known as the Hudood ordinances, based on sharia law, currently operate in Pakistan. They require a female rape victim to produce four male witnesses to corroborate her account, or she risks facing a new charge of adultery. The ruling party in Islamabad, made up of a coalition of groups allied to President Pervez Musharraf, had hoped the new Protection of Women Bill
would place the crime of rape within the country's secular penal code, which works in tandem with sharia. [article link]
{flashback} Just a "Crazy" Lady? Part 2: More Info About Diverted Heathrow/US Flight Raises Serious Questions; Pakistani Loyalties She has a long-time friend in Pakistan, traveled there often. Perhaps, she was recruited. She tried to draw out the Federal Air Marshal and failed. She did draw out the Captain (from the cockpit)--thought that was not supossed to happen. She had all the test material in her bag--all the banned items she managed to get on the plane. She spoke of building a device. ... A woman on a trans-Atlantic flight diverted to Boston for security concerns passed several notes to crew members, urinated on the cabin floor and made comments the crew believed were references to al-Qaida and the Sept. 11 attacks, according to an affidavit filed Thursday. [article link]
{flashback} Bush traps India into CTBT - Lucky to escape Mr Bush's nuclear embrace, Pakistan (without CTBT restrictions) can now seek to overtake India on nukes, as it has done on missiles The Bush administration has attached a legally binding rider to the nuclear deal with India even before the US Congress has had an opportunity to put conditions of its own. Under the administration's action plan, India would become a party to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) through a congressional piece of legislation. This is the first time in world history that one power has sought to bind another state {nation} to an international treaty rejected by its own legislature. The US Senate threw out the CTBT in 1999. ... For Washington, the nuclear deal has come handy to impose qualitative and quantitative ceilings on India's nuclear-deterrent capability in order to ensure that it never emerges as a full-fledged nuclear-weapons state. A permanent test ban is part of its effort to qualitatively cap the Indian deterrent, while the quantitative ceiling comes from America's success in making India agree to reduce to less than one-third the existing number of facilities producing weapons-usable fissile material. Lucky to escape Mr Bush's nuclear embrace, Pakistan can now seek to overtake India on nukes, as it has done on missiles. It can watch the fun as the Bush administration and the US Congress entangle India in a web of capability restraints, in return for offering New Delhi dubious benefits? the right to import uneconomical power reactors dependent on imported fuel. [article link]
Bill Gates: Wicked For U2 - Bill Whats on your Zune? - All of the U2 stuff plus a lot more musicals than you might expect - for example, Wicked {Wicked - is the new twisted musical play from 'The Wizard of Oz' where the wicked witch is no longer the villain but now is the hero.} Like most interviews, there are those questions that attempt to "get personal" and incidentally, allow for some largely impersonal intimate quotables. Below are a few whose answers validate if I ever got locked in a room with Bill Gates, I'd be subjected to endless hours of Andrew Lloyd Webber karaoke while discussing Moore's Law. Q) What's on your Zune? (This was Rubel's question) A) All of the U2 stuff plus a lot more musicals than you might expect - for example, Wicked. [article link]
Ballmer, iPhone and the reality-distortion field - Steve Jobs traveled throughout India in his youth, when transcendental meditation was hot and various screwball gurus were training the Beatles and other folks to meditate - Heck, Mitch Kapor, who founded Lotus (get it?) Development, actually got so far into it that he taught TM himself {Apple Computer with the bite out of the forbidden fruit as in the Garden of Eden deliberately disobeying God (get it?).} Jobs traveled throughout India in his youth, when transcendental meditation was hot and various screwball gurus were training the Beatles and other folks to meditate. Heck, Mitch Kapor, who founded Lotus (get it?) Development, actually got so far into it that he taught TM himself. I've always suspected that Jobs ran into some crazy guru who taught him this reality-distortion-field trick. Seriously, it's the only explanation when you start to think about it. It also explains his seriously ascetic nature and his connection with Larry Ellison, who has
some weird Japanese spiritual thing going on. I'd rather not know the details. One of the untold stories in Silicon Valley is the number of rich crazies who are caught up in various pseudoreligious pursuits that they bend to suit business needs. Epson America in the 1980s was essentially run by Scientologists, as was the Ashton-Tate empire until its founder died. IMSAI and numerous other Bay Area companies were dominated by EST trainees and apostles. But, to me, none of it has ever been as weird as the Steve Jobs reality-distortion field. Maybe it's all a coincidence, and Steve is just a naturally charismatic guy. Anything is possible. [article link]
2 Border Patrol Agents Turn Themselves for Shooting Mexican Drug Runner - U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone denied a motion for the two ex-agents to remain free on bond until their appeals on Tuesday "This ruling by Judge Cardone is the most disgraceful act that I have ever heard of in the history of our great nation and both she and the prosecutors should be ashamed of themselves for taking the word of a drug smuggler, caught in the act, while ignoring the facts," Friends of the Border Patrol Chairman Andy Ramirez wrote in a statement. "Evidence that would have severely damaged the credibility of the known drug smuggler, and exonerated Compean & Ramos was sealed and suppressed and the attorneys were prevented from mounting a proper defense." ... Ramirez said El Paso Border Patrol chiefs Robert Gilbert and Luis Barker and Robert Gilbert have hung their agents out to dry. "I must remind the public that narcotic traffickers and human smugglers laugh at law enforcement as they know that the Johnny Sutton's of DOJ will not prosecute them, and instead will prosecute officers who do their job and keep that poison off our streets and out of our schools, parks, and neighborhoods," Ramirez wrote. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush Will Not Stop Afghan Opium Trade - President Bush, who previously linked the Afghan drug trade directly to terrorism, has now decided not to destroy the Afghan opium crop The Bush administration has decided not to destroy the opium crop in Afghanistan. President Bush, who previously linked the Afghan drug trade directly to terrorism, has now decided not to destroy the Afghan opium crop. ... "If the estimated 3,000 tons of opium reaches market, it will lead to a new upsurge in international terrorism and a great loss in international credibility for the Bush administration and the United States' ability to conduct war in the 21st century. America's enemies throughout the world from China to North Korea to Iran will be emboldened by this lack of strategic vision and political will," said the source. [article link]
Listen to the Jewish liberation of Jerusalem on June 1967 (Click Here to Listen) There has been a considerable demand for the audio of the IDF liberation of Jerusalem in '67 with my running commentary. This is perhaps one of the most riveting recordings in the modern-day history of Israel. I refer to the dramatic sounds of Israeli Defense Forces entering and liberating Jerusalem's Old City and the Western Wall on June 7th, 1967. You hear the sounds of gunfire. You hear the footsteps of Israeli soldiers, as they draw closer and closer and as General Uzi Narkiss instructs them and asks to be shown where the Western Wall stands. [article link]
Exclusive: Jimmy Carter Interceded on Behalf of Nazi SS Guard - A former president who didn't do what I would expect him to do - with a full staff at his disposal - to find out the facts before he took up the side of this person (Scroll down - Click here to listen to Tovia Singer's interview with Shur on Israel National Radio) "We had an extraordinary piece of evidence against him - a book that was kept by the SS and captured by the American armed forces when they liberated Mauthausen," Sher said. "We called it the death book. It was a roster that the Germans required them to keep that identified SS guards as they expended (ammunition) weapons to murder the inmates and prisoners." An entry in the book for October 10, 1943 registered the shooting death of Max Oschorn, a French Jewish prisoner. His murderer was also recorded: SS guard Martin Bartesch. "It was a most chilling document," Sher recalled. The same evidence was used by the U.S. military in
postwar trials as the basis for execution or long prison sentences for many identified SS guards. ... On the upper corner of the letter was a note signed by Jimmy Carter saying that in cases such as this, he wanted 'special consideration for the family for humanitarian reasons.' ... it always stuck in my craw. A former president who didn't do what I would expect him to do - with a full staff at his disposal - to find out the facts before he took up the side of this person. [article link]
{Flashback} Via Debbie Schlussel - New Holocaust Discovery: Touching (1945) BBC Recording @ Death Camp Liberation (Link to Mp3) Since we recently celebrated "Yom HaShoah," or Holocaust Remembrance Day, it was moving to receive an important, recently-discovered (2002) 1945 BBC recording of reporter Patrick Gordon Walker at the liberation of Bergen Belsen concentration camp from my cousin, Dan K. Both sides of my family were mostly wiped out in the Holocaust, and my maternal grandparents, Holocaust survivors, were liberated from their last camp, Bergen Belsen. My mother was born at Belsen after the war (it became a Displaced Persons/Refugee camp, where my grandparents lived until they left for the States). Belsen was also the camp where Ann Frank was taken and perished at the hands of the Nazis. [article link]
Guttman stands by Vista DRM (Digital Rights Management) claims - DRM software embedded within Microsoft's flagship operating (Vista) system will seriously degrade performance [i.e. Microsoft Zune DRM 3 days or 3 plays] A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection, that DRM software embedded within Microsoft's flagship operating system will seriously degrade performance and is effectively the "longest suicide note in history" for the software giant. ... However, Guttman also warned IT managers to be wary about installing Vista onto mission critical machines. "I would be nervous," he confirmed. "It is possible that it will work just fine, but because this software is so deeply hidden, you just can't say." He also refutes Microsoft claims (one of the few comments the company has made) that businesses would not be affected as they were unlikely to play Blu-ray or HDTV DVDs - the main target of the Premium Content DRM. ... He predicted that there would eventually be a consumer backlash against DRM, and that manufacturers will finally be the ones to call a halt to its inclusion. [article link]
A tough crowd awaits Bush's State of the Union speech - Bush has pledged to work more closely with Democrats and has signaled a willingness to compromise on some issues of interest to both parties WASHINGTON - President Bush, already facing strong opposition to his decision to send more U.S. troops to Iraq, will confront a tough audience Tuesday when he delivers his State of the Union address to the first Democratic Congress in 12 years. Reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and supporting alternative fuels are expected to be prominent themes of his speech. Bush also will challenge Congress to fix Social Security's longterm solvency problem, find a way to compromise on immigration and preserve tax cuts. Lawmakers also will be listening for hints of what he might veto. [article link]
Border agents sent to prison - Angry Republican congressman calls President Bush 'disgrace' - "He (Bush) obviously thinks more about his agreements with Mexico than the lives of American people and backing up his defenders" Amid protests and a flurry of last-minute efforts by congressmen, two border patrol agents are scheduled today to begin long prison sentences for shooting and wounding a Mexican drug smuggler who was given immunity to testify against them. ... "This is the worst betrayal of American defenders I have ever seen," Rohrabacher said of the president. "It's shameful this was done by someone who is in the Republican Party. He obviously thinks more about his agreements with Mexico than the lives of American people and backing up his defenders." The California lawmaker, who has helped lead efforts to obtain a pardon, charged the Bush
administration has been playing a "cruel game." Initially, he said, officials insisted the agents could not be pardoned because they had not filled out the proper paperwork. But Rohrabacher told WND the White House did not explain to the public that the agents were being required - without justification, he contended - to first admit guilt. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush pardons Georgia moonshiner - Randall Leece Deal had a bit part in the movie 'Deliverance' Randall Leece Deal was a millworker and twice convicted moonshiner when he got his big break in 1972. He was cast in a bit part in "Deliverance" and delivered a single line so repellent he later told his mother it had been dubbed. On Wednesday he got maybe the second biggest break of his life: A presidential pardon. Deal, 66, was convicted in 1960 and in 1964 for moonshining in North Georgia. He was among 16 pardons announced by the White House in what is an annual tradition. He is at least the second moonshiner pardoned by Bush. Deal said when he heard about that one - a Tennessee man pardoned in 2003 - he decided to apply for his own. "I figured if that guy could get one, then why not me? We're the same age." When reached by a reporter Wednesday afternoon, Deal said somebody had called yesterday telling him he got the pardon, but he had not received official word. [article link]
U.S.-backed militia (unified Palestinian security force) to include terrorists 'We'll attack Israel,' says member of American armed, trained 'unified force' JERUSALEM - A unified Palestinian security force financed, armed and trained by the United States is set to include members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, one of the most active, anti-Israel terror organizations, WND has learned. Also a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees - a major Palestinian terror group pledged in a WND interview to infiltrate U.S. training programs for Palestinians and to obtain American weapons provided to Palestinian forces. On her visit here last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters the U.S. will ensure weapons and aid reportedly being provided to militias affiliated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party will not be used to attack Israel. [article link]
Blogs4Life.com: The second annual Blogs4Life Conference will be held in Washington DC the morning of January 22rd, shortly before the 34th Annual March for Life -- Updated -Last year we were delighted by the number of bloggers and organizations from around the world who participated in Blogs4Life. This year, the conference is growing and will be even more beneficial to individuals and organizations who want to advance their online activities and strategically use weblog technology to promote life and turn ideas into action. [article link]
Bible verse: Revelation 18:4-6 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her (worldly system), my people, ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Revelation 18:4-6 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her (worldy system), my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. -- Bible [article link]
Bible verse: Revelation 22:1-5 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Revelation 22:1-5 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the
healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. -- Bible [article link]
Where is the Outrage and Press Coverage? - Zalmay Khalilzad served as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq but on January 4, 2007, he was appointed by the President (Bush) to be the new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations [replacing John Bolton] - Afghan-born Muslim who received his education and religious training in Beirut during the 1980s Jack says, "So who would be the best candidate to represent the U.S. as Ambassador to the U.N. in such a delicate and potentially nation-shattering scenario? Or an American-born U.S. citizen whose undivided loyalty to America and its system of government is beyond doubt? Someone like John Bolton . . . or an Afghan-born Muslim who received his education and religious training in Beirut during the 1980s? "In Islam, one's faith is placed in loyalty to the teachings of the Koran as a necessary step towards pleasing Allah. The Koran demands loyalty to the worldwide Islamic community as a fundamental religious duty imposed on all the faithful." Kinsella continues, "By definition, a believer cannot put national self-interest above duty to the worldwide cause and remain faithful to the Koran. If one is a good Muslim, one cannot represent interests contrary to the interests of worldwide Islam and remain a good Muslim." ... But why can't they see that while Khalilzad has been appointed to help us in the war against radical Islam, he could very well undermine all we are doing if he is going to be faithful to his religion? ... Wasn't it enough of a wake-up call when we learned that Keith Ellison (D-MN), a devout Muslim convert, took his oath on the Koran and would NOT answer the questions about putting America before the Koran? Islam leaves no room for the possibility of redemption to those who betray the cause of Islam. [article link]
Bombs kill [injure] 60 at Baghdad university - The area is on the tip of Sadr City, a Shiite neighborhood where there is a lot of support for al-Sadr, and it is considered to be a Mehdi militia stronghold {Memo to Bush: To take care of this situation have al-Sadr arrested. Oh and you might want to stop your 100's of millions of dollars in funding of al-Sadar and his rebel, terrorist group and undo your giving to them three seats on Iraq's Parliament while your at it.} BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Scores of people were killed in Baghdad Tuesday in bombing and shooting incidents, most of them in neighborhoods where the militia of a powerful anti-American Shiite cleric (al-Sadr) holds sway. ... A bomb exploded near a police convoy along a main road in central Baghdad, the official said. When police and others responded to that blast, a second bomb exploded nearby. At least 15 people were killed and 70 wounded by the two bombs, the official said. [article link]
Another Way Forward? in Iraq - The president (Bush) did not deliver - like immediately arresting al-Sadr and going up against his militias I appreciate the president saying he is responsible for the mistakes we've made because he is. ... more U.S. soldiers are dying than Iraqi soldiers. That is flat wrong. Oh, and changing a few Generals and an Ambassador, without doing things like immediately arresting Sadr and going up against his militias, is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The generals and ambassadors are only carrying out National Policy. ... The president is asking for patience, but there is none left. My bet is that he has until April before he loses all support. It is time for political leaders to do their job. In the balance hangs the fate of Iraq and our credibility. [article link]
Barack Obama morning conference call with supporters to announce White House run {For the minimally experienced Obama this is very likely really a bid for vice president on the Democrat ticket with Hillary running
for president.} Supporters of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) are being told this morning there will be an 11 a.m. Chicago time conference call. Expected to be discussed is Obama filing papers to officially launch his 2008 White House run. Obama is expected to hit the road to travel to early primary states in the coming days. [article link]
{Flashback} Rick Warren Unwise to Give Church Podium to ProAbortion Senator (Barack Obama) Say ProLifers "a serious conflict of interest" when a pro-life church provides its pulpit to a speaker who, like Obama, "believes in abortion on demand and has defended partial-birth abortion {Pastor Rick Warren now appears to be a UN agent helping the un-Christian governments and organizations of the world to exert control, influence, and dominance over God's one true Christian Church} The National Clergy Council and the Evangelical Church Alliance, among others, have joined that pro-life coalition in calling for Obama's appearance to be cancelled. Another is Janet Folger of Faith 2 Action, who contends that an invitation equals endorsement. "Inviting the advocate of partial-birth abortion and a man who has three times voted for infanticide is a 'Barack Obam-ination,'" says Folger. "Inviting this man into this church is an endorsement. It is a way of saying we agree what this man stands for, when he could not be more diametrically opposed to what the Church believes and what the Bible says." Folger shares that she remained silent earlier when the first-term senator made statements she did not agree with. "I did not speak up when he was all but praising the Muslim nation of Syria that has persecuted Christians and Jews," she says. "I did not say anything when the allegations were made of new age connections." But the pro-life leader says this is something about which she cannot remain silent. [article link]
{Flashback} Slick Rick shows Syria video in church - Pastor says clip was pulled from 12 hours of tapes after denying shooting (video) on trip - "We did not tape anything because it was a courtesy call, like I do in every country," Warren responded Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren showed a brief video clip of his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad to his mega-congregation after telling WND no recording was done on his controversial trip to the terrorist-sponsoring nation. ... Warren emailed Joseph Farah, editor of WND, Nov. 16, denying he made comments as reported by the Syrian news agency. Farah asked Warren in a return email if he made any notes or recordings in Syria that would show the true intent and purpose of his meetings there. "We did not tape anything because if (sic) was a courtesy call, like I do in every country," Warren responded. ... He (Saddleback Church member) also was disturbed that the video was posted on YouTube, then removed, and hasn't been available since. Those videos are routinely used by church leaders when they travel the world, as a kind of travelogue to keep members informed about events and plans, he said. "To see it pulled after it gets put up, that doesn't spell straightforward truthfulness for me and that's not what I'm used to seeing at my church," he said. [article link]
Microsoft - Plans to announce point-of-sale software - Pricing starts at $799 for a single store (cash register) {It appears that Microsoft will not rest until the last $1 has been stripped from the pockets of the middleclass computer user. Microsoft products and licensing fees are venturing far from reasonable and are now in the realm of extortion and price gouging.} Pricing for Microsoft's point-of-sale software starts at $799 for a single store; Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System starts at $1,190 for a single store. [article link]
Trusting God enough to Let Go - A (Picture Devotional) Presentation A picture devotional presentation. Looking to God to meet our needs to fulfill our desires and to carry our
worries. [article link]
Mitt Romney created 'gay' marriage, - family groups say they had written to ask governor to reject 'unconstitutional' court ruling - they say he ignored them Nearly four dozen pro-family leaders and activists have made public their direct challenge to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has assembled a committee to explore a run at the presidency in 2008, ... According to the organization MassResistance.org, the leaders hand-delivered a letter to the former governor on Dec. 22, before he left office, documenting why they believe he voluntarily instituted directives that created homosexual "marriages" in that state, even though he did not have to. They asked him to act in response, and they say he didn't even acknowledge the letter. [article link]
FRC.org: Martin Luther King Jr. - MLK's Letter from Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963) - "Injustice Anywhere Is a Threat to Justice Everywhere" On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we pay tribute to a powerful visionary for equal rights -- a man who electrified the nation with his dream to work for a more just nation. As we fight to roll back the modern tides of injustice against the unborn, we too must take a righteous stand, despite the personal and political cost. In his letter from the Birmingham jail, Dr. King reminds us, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." [article link]
Bible verse: John 12:23,26 And Jesus answered them, ... If any man serve Me, let him follow Me ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} John 12:23,26 And Jesus answered them, ... If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant (Holy Spirit) be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour. -- Bible [article link]
Bible verse: Romans 1:1-6 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Romans 1:1-6 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of {King} David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name: Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: -- Bible [article link]
Another Victory For The Mt. Soledad Cross - But the battle to save the Mt. Soledad veterans memorial is not over - The ACLU, displaying it zealous anti-Christian animosity, filed a new lawsuit to remove the Mt. Soledad Cross - this time against the federal government ANN ARBOR, MI - On Friday, January 12, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the district court's order requiring the City of San Diego to remove the Mt. Soledad Cross and vacated that order because the City no longer owns the land on which the Cross stands, ruling that the case brought against the City by the deceased, self-proclaimed atheist Philip Paulson was now moot. ... Richard Thompson, the President and Chief Counsel for the Law Center, commented, "We welcome this ruling. But the battle to save the Mt. Soledad veterans memorial is not over. The ACLU, displaying it zealous anti-Christian animosity, filed a new lawsuit to remove the Mt. Soledad Cross-this time against the federal government. We must now turn our resources toward defeating them again. We are committed to that task." [article link]
Rice Pushes Olmert to Remove Checkpoints - though terror warnings continue to stream in In her meeting with Olmert today, Rice was expected to remind him to fulfill the promises he made to Abu Mazen in his recent meeting with him. Olmert had told Abu Mazen he would remove many IDF checkpoints in Judea and Samaria, and would transfer 100 million shekels in tax monies to the PA. ... Israeli defense sources say they cannot make major changes in the checkpoints because of the continued warnings of intentions to carry out terror attacks in Israel. Just three days ago, a large bomb designed to attack IDF forces was discovered in Jenin, in the northern Shomron, while yesterday, two terrorists were killed in northern Gaza while transporting explosives for use against Israelis. In addition, Israel says it will release all the money it promised only after it is made totally clear where each shekel is going - and that it is not going to fund terrorism or violence. [article link]
Mysterious online game (viral-marketing campaign for Vista) was promo for new Microsoft operating system {Aren't Bill Gates, Microsoft and Zune totally bizarre enough already without more weirdness? It's the old if you have a descent product then market the product but if you have a scam then play games.} Vanishing Point was "a large-scale online and off-line collaborative puzzle game," Microsoft said. Players registered online for a sweepstakes -- first prize was a ride to suborbital space, which Microsoft termed "the ultimate vista" -- and then worked together in forums and on collaborative Web sites called wikis to solve riddles from Loki, Microsoft's "Puzzle Master." Particularly astute bloggers noticed references to the Bellagio Hotel fountains and Loki during a speech Microsoft chairman Bill Gates gave at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. [article link]
Most of you won't figure this out... Yes, Microsoft is using an alternate reality game (ARG), again - it's leading up to the consumer launch of Microsoft Vista {This easily qualifies as an "excessive hype" marketing project, way excessive hype!} "This is a puzzle challenge embedded in the planet," Lee said. "There are clues written in water, and clues etched in the skies above cities. To me a very exciting part of this is that this is the first game ever to use the actual Earth as a resource for delivering content." Lee said one key difference between an ARG and Vanishing Point is the fact that Vista has no inherent story line to link to. [article link]
Biblical Archaeology: Jerusalem Temple Aqueduct and Ritual Bath Excavated Opposite Temple Mount - This system channeled water from Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem directly to the national focal point of Jewish worship - the Temple Mount The new archaeological find uncovers a missing link in the ancient water system, known as the "Lower Aqueduct." This system channeled water from Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem (located several miles south of Jerusalem) directly to the national focal point of Jewish worship - the Temple Mount. Solomon's pools, situated just north of the modern Jewish town of Efrat, cover an area of about 7 acres and can hold three million gallons of water. A lengthy aqueduct conveyed the water from the lowest pool through Bethlehem, across the Gihon valley, along the western slope of the Tyropoeon valley, and into the cisterns underneath the Temple Mount. Today, the water from the pools reaches only Bethlehem due to the destruction of the aqueducts. Current plans for the partition wall will leave Solomon's Pools outside the area of Jewish sovereignty. [article link]
The Woody Allen Comedy Special 1969 - Starring - Reverend Billy Graham - select 'Part three' - (Video TV) LikeTelevision™ proudly presents - The Woody Allen Special from September 21, 1969 - which was part of TV series called The Kraft Music Hall. ... Reverend Billy Graham has a terrific interview with Woody Allen as they discuss God, sex and seeing each other's show. Billy says he'll go see Play it Again Sam if Woody goes to one of Billy Graham's revivals. It's an amazing bit of television history -and fascinatin given the events that followed
the era of the sexual revoltion of the late 1960s. [article link]
Bible verse: 1st Timothy 3:14-16 These things write I (Apostle Paul) unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} 1st Timothy 3:14-16 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. -- Bible [article link]
Silent No More: Bringing Moral Clarity to America While Freedom Still Rings (Book $9.99) A CALL FOR CLARITY IN A CONFLICTED CULTURE: In "Silent No More," his no-holds-barred analysis of American society's moral and spiritual decay addresses various topics, including the gay agenda, judicial tyranny, and abortion. His "Action Points" challenges and compels believers to speak up and reclaim America's godly heritage. [article link]
Our Endangered Values - Jimmy Carter Interview: The former president traces America's "moral crisis" to the rise of fundamentalism {No joke this is straight from the old horse's mouth, well via the keyboard of one 'Mother Jones'.} Jimmy Carter is without doubt one of the most active and influential ex-presidents in American history. ... President Carter recently spoke with Mother Jones from his office at the Carter Center in Atlanta. ... JC: In the last few months at least, I would guess, there has been a reconsideration by many American citizens that that trend was not advisable for our country. This is indicated, at least to some degree, by public-opinion polls. And obviously the popularity in polls of some Republican leaders has deteriorated as well. So there's been a rethinking in many ways. I think part of it has been caused by some of the practical political decisions that were ill advised and were supported by the religious fundamentalists. ... The definition of fundamentalism you provide in the book includes the unwillingness to cooperate or negotiate with others. Where do you see that tendency as most dangerous at the moment? {Yikes, an "unwillingness to cooperate" with Jimmy Carter and his gal pal 'Mother Jones' (or in this case Jeff Fleischer) brings with it the label of dangerous.} [article link]
Ex-Presidents Carter, Clinton Join to Reshape Baptist Image - Southern Baptist representatives have not been involved in the Carter initiative so far, the Associated Baptist Press reported, but organizers say they hope the 2008 convocation can include SBC leaders Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton are part of an initiative to create a new Baptist voice and improve the negative image of Baptists in North America. Southern Baptist representatives have not been involved in the Carter initiative so far, the Associated Baptist Press reported, but organizers say they hope the 2008 convocation can include SBC leaders and other conservatives who are open to working with a diverse array of Baptists. Carter, member of Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., and Clinton, member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark., are slated to speak at the convocation. Both identify with more progressive Baptist groups. Last April, Baptist leaders signed the North American Baptist Covenant in a commitment to "work together to create an authentic and genuine prophetic Baptist voice in these complex times." {Wow, who needs the KJV Bible when instead you can have an "authentic and genuine prophetic Baptist voice" of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton for these complex times.} [article link]
Joe Schimmel - They Sold Their Soul for Rock and Roll - Video Clips - (10 Hour 4 DVD Set) Brace yourselves, as you view rare footage that MTV and VH1 would not dare show you. This unbelievable fourhour video will leave you picking your jaw off the ground, as you see hundreds of artists who are being used by Satan to destroy our youth. [article link]
Joe Schimmel - Exposes - Aleister Crowley, Timothy Leary, Kinsey and other 60's Satanists (Video 6:15) This is a great interview with Pastor Joe Schimmel, the producer of the documentary, "They Sold Their Souls for Rock & Roll." [article link]
14 Carter Center advisers resign in protest over former president's book - the latest in a backlash against Carter's book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" ATLANTA: Fourteen members of a Carter Center advisory board, who worked to build support for the human rights organization started by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, have resigned in protest over Carter's latest book. The resignations, announced Thursday, are the latest in a backlash against Carter's book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," which has drawn fire from Jewish groups, been attacked by fellow Democrats and led to the resignation last month of Kenneth Stein, a Carter Center fellow and a longtime Carter adviser. In their letter of resignation, the members of the Center's Board of Councilors wrote of Carter, "you have clearly abandoned your historic role of broker in favor of becoming an advocate for one side." [article link]
U.S. official: No al-Qaeda suspects killed in Somalia airstrike MOGADISHU, Somalia - A top U.S. official in the region said Thursday that none of the al-Qaeda suspects believed to be hiding in Somalia died in a U.S. airstrike this week, but Somalis with close ties to the terrorist group were killed. A day earlier, a Somali official said a U.S. intelligence report had referred to the death of Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, one of the three senior al-Qaeda members blamed for the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. ... Fazul, one of the FBI's most-wanted terror suspects, has evaded capture for eight years. The Somali president's chief of staff told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he had been killed in a U.S. airstrike early Monday in southern Somalia. [article link]
Cuttingedge.org: As former President Gerald Ford was laid to rest after nearly a week of ceremonies extending from Coast to Coast, we need to remind ourselves how deeply Illuminati Mr. Ford truly was Now, we know that, at the time he was appointed to the Warren Commission on November 29, 1963, Gerald Ford was a 33rd Degree Mason, and a trusted member of the inner elite of the Illuminati. Just 7 days following Kennedy's assassination, President Lyndon Johnson named the members of the whitewash Warren Commission, whose job was to make people believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the murder of our President. Sadly, Gerald Ford was a member of that commission! THAT is his true legacy to this nation -participating in one of the greatest single instance of official lying to the world in our history. While he was one of the most affable Presidents, and certainly a welcome relief from the dour President Nixon, but he was most certainly an inner member of the Global Elite. [article link]
{Flashback} Secret Service JFK -Secret service ordered back before Kennedy assasination (Video 2:56 Min) Secret service ordered back before Kennedy assasination. Very grainy but you get the point. [article link]
{Flashback} William Greer - From Wikipedia - William Greer (Ireland, 1910 - North Carolina, February 23, 1985) was an agent of the US Secret Service, and drove President John F. Kennedy's automobile in the motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas on November 22, 1963, when the President was assassinated
The major criticism levelled against Greer was that he failed to accelerate the vehicle to get the president out of danger after the first shots were fired. Indeed, he actually applied the vehicle's brakes (the limousine's brake lights come on in the various films of the assasination), slowing the car to almost a walking pace. [article link]
{Flashback} William Cooper: JFK Assassin Unmasked (Google Video 45:37 Min) William Cooper goes into detail John F. Kennedy's murder. Includes the Zapruder Film, to allow the viewer to see Scret Sevice Agent and Driver William Greer shoot Kennedy. [article link]
The Four Spiritual Laws - Where do you start? This booklet gives 4 basic steps to enter into a personal relationship with God (On-line) #1 God LOVES you and offers a wonderful PLAN for your life. #2 Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life. #3 Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life. #4 We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives. [article link]
The Holy Spirit Booklet - What happens after you've accepted Christ? Find out what it means to be filled with God's Spirit and experience freedom in Christ (On-line) The Bible tells us that there are three kinds of people. #1 Natural Man (one who has not received Christ). #2 Spiritual Man (One who is directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit). #3 Carnal Man (One who has received Christ, but who lives in defeat because he is trying to live the Christian life in his own strength). [article link]
Bible verse: Isaiah 5:16-24 But the LORD of hosts (the Holy One of Israel) shall be exalted in judgment ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Isaiah 5:16-24 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is Holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, ... Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: ... Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. -- Bible [article link]
'Effective Prayer Life' - In print world-wide for nearly 20 years, this classic book on prayer has proven the truth that prayer changes things (Free PDF Downloads) Countless lives have been changed and prayer lives revitalized through Pastor Chuck's simplistic style and practical approach to this essential subject. In this book, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses the principles of prayer, the keys to having a dynamic prayer life, and the victorious results of such a life. The heart of every reader will be stirred with a desire to "pray without ceasing" the most important act the Christian can engage in. [article link]
Anglican Head Fears Church Schism - Williams' comments, which will be leapt on by critics who accuse him of weak leadership - Williams is hoping that a compromise will emerge LONDON - The Anglican Church is on the brink of separation over homosexuality, and the head of the
worldwide denomination has admitted that he fears losing control of the situation. ... Williams is hoping that a compromise will emerge, allowing conservatives and liberals to co-exist relatively peacefully until a more formal split can be worked out over the next decade. Meanwhile, the Anglican head is facing fresh turmoil in the Church of England following the disclosure that more than 50 gay or lesbian priests have "married" in civil partnership ceremonies. [article link]
'You Are Bringing Strange Things to Our Ears' - Christian Apologetics for a Postmodern Age, Part 2 The church is faced in the postmodern age by several distinct apologetic challenges. Internally, the church must defend the faith against ignorance, against compromise, against doctrinal apathy, and against denial. The church now suffers from a breathtaking deficit of doctrinal instruction and biblical truth. In some churches, the great truths of the Christian faith are unknown, and in others, these truths are left dormant and untaught. Beyond this, the very real dangers of doctrinal corrosion and heresy threaten. ... This is another reminder of the fact that every true theologian is an evangelist, and every true evangelist is a theologian. Christianity is not [just] a truth to be affirmed, but a Gospel to be received. Nevertheless, that Gospel possesses content and presents truth claims that demand our keenest arguments and boldest proclamation. [article link]
Is the culture overpowering our churches? - In the media, there is rarely a positive portrayal of Christianity I believe the church of Jesus Christ faces more challenges today than at any time in history. The issues of homosexuality, abortion, inspiration of Scripture and spiritual "diversity" have brought divides into many churches. In the media, there is rarely a positive portrayal of Christianity. As I've recently reported, the few socalled Christian characters represented on the networks have either abandoned core biblical values or are depicted as callous ogres. Further, the media typically tout diverse forms of spirituality that embrace alternative modes of sexuality, worship and lifestyle. ... Sadly, countless pastors and church leaders have folded under cultural pressure and have attempted to socialize the Gospel of Christ. Meanwhile, those of us who remain faithful to the Scriptures are seen as unintelligent and irrational. But the Bible warns us that the Gospel will be seen as ridiculous to many: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. …" (1 Corinthians 1:15) It is nothing new to be seen as an idiot for steadfastly following Jesus Christ. ... In this new year, may we commit to reaching more people than ever with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to boldly living our lives with a renewed commitment to holy living. [article link]
Poll: U.S. troops lose confidence in Bush WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. soldiers are losing confidence in the way President George W. Bush is running the Iraq war. According to a new poll conducted by the Military Times newspapers, "For the first time, more troops disapprove of the president's handling of the war than approve of it," the Army Times reported Dec. 29. ... "Only 35 percent of the military members polled this year said they approve of the way President Bush is handling the war, while 42 percent said they disapproved," the newspaper said. This marked a dramatic decline from the 63 percent who approved of his conduct of the war in the 2004 poll. The paper noted that contrary to widely held assumptions, the president's popularity among the U.S. armed forces is now "only slightly higher than for the population as a whole." [article link]
Bush Plan to Send More Troops to Iraq Blasted WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq is running into trouble on Capitol Hill, with Republicans joining Democrats in raising eyebrows before the president even has a chance to make his case. ... "I also have not seen a clarity of mission, and I think that's the greatest weakness that we have right now," Wilson said. "We're talking about goals in lofty terms that are not vital American national interests.
American troops should only go in harm's way to protect America's vital interests." [article link]
Lawmaker: U.S. catching, releasing top terror targets - The United States is operating "a catch and release program for al Qaeda in Iraq" {Of course Bush want's the war to go on forever, he thinks he has a good thing going, Bush can lie forever and completely neglect America all the while pretending he is a competent wartime President.} WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military already knows what half of its most-wanted terrorist targets look like because they have been apprehended and photographed in the past, a Republican congresswoman said Friday. The United States is operating "a catch and release program for al Qaeda in Iraq," said Rep. Heather Wilson, a member of the House intelligence committee. In remarks at the National Press Club, the New Mexico lawmaker said a senior official told her that the U.S. military already has photographs of "fully half of the high-value al Qaeda targets in Iraq" presently being hunted. "They're wearing orange jumpsuits in the mugshots we took of them when we captured them the first time," Wilson recalled the official telling her. "We are operating a catch and release program for al Qaeda in Iraq. This is inexcusable and frustrating ... for the young men and women in the military who are in the fight," she added. [article link]
U.S. infrastructure for sale to foreigners - State, local officials gathering for seminar to learn 'how-to' - the 2006 leasing of the Indiana Toll Road for 75 years for $3.85 billion to an international investment group EuroMoney Seminars, a UK-based company, is holding a seminar to teach state and local government officials in the U.S. how to lease a wide range of public assets - ranging from highways to water departments - to international and foreign private investment groups. ... the 2006 leasing of the Indiana Toll Road for 75 years for $3.85 billion to an international investment group that also included Cintra. ... What kind of experience can U.S. citizens expect when infrastructure ranging from toll roads to water departments to prisons to public schools are leased by foreign investment concerns and placed under foreign management? [article link]
{Flashback} Portgate: The hubris, incompetence, and cronyism of the Bush presidency As many of you must know by now, "President Bush [has] endorsed the takeover of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports by a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates". And as if that isn't bad enough, "[h]e [has] pledged to veto any bill Congress might approve to block the agreement" -- see the AP story here. This is the president who claims to be tough on national security, who seeks to fight the war on terror virtually without checks and/or balances, who won re-election over an eminently more qualified candidate by running a campaign of fear, who used that stupid colour-coded threat-alert system for partisan political purposes, who still claims that his leadership has kept America safe even as he wages a war in a foreign country that had nothing to do with 9/11, even as Osama remains on the loose and more serious threats like Iran and North Korea spiral out of control. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush Sr. In China--Traitor Selling Us Down The Yangtze River The American media ignored this news but Xinhuanet covers it because it is most important: the Bush crime Godfather is visiting China today in order to make more business deals that destroy America. ... The relationship between China and the United States is "the best ever in history", said visiting former U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush Wednesday in a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao. ... A $200 billion dollar trade deficit with China, a trillion dollars in debt to China, China's FOREX bank dwarfs our own, we are rapidly falling under the bootheels of the Communists in China and the USA media ignores all the many business deals our ruling family makes with them???? This is totally disgusting. No nation should ever allow their leaders to be doing more business with their rivals than at home! [article link]
Bush Family Values Photo Album - For more than a half century, members of the Bush family have been setting policy and making decisions for all Americans - Let's look at the family that has had such an impact on the lives of human beings worldwide For more than a half century, members of the Bush family have been setting policy and making decisions for all Americans. Let's look at the family that has had such an impact on the lives of human beings worldwide. It all started with Prescott Bush, George W. Bush's grandfather. In 1918 it is said that he robbed the grave and stole the skull of the Native American warrior Geronimo as part of an initiation into Yale's Skull and Bones Society. The Skull and Bones society has long been important to the Bush Family. George Bush Sr. and George W. Bush were also members of this secret society. Prescott Bush had a bit of trouble back in the 1940s. While American soldiers were fighting the Nazis in WWII, a few of the companies Prescott managed were seized under the Trading with the Enemy Act because they were fronts for Nazi Industrialist Fritz Thyssen, a financier of Hitler's Third Reich. ... Now George Bush, Sr. works for The Carlyle Group. They invest in defense companies, medical laboratories, and the telecommunications industry. The Carlyle Group is one of the government's biggest contractors. George Bush, Sr. and The Carlyle Group stand to make billions of dollars from the War on Terror. On September 11, The Carlyle Group was having a conference at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Washington, DC with members of the Bin Laden family, one of their investors. [article link]
How to access blocked websites Top 10 - Internet censoring is now everywhere - #1 Use IP address - This is the simplest way to bypass domain name based access restrictions (i.e. domain name www.BasicChristian.org = IP address 64.177.86.85/) Internet censoring is now everywhere. In my office Orkut is blocked since there was an Orkut virus scare. Countries such as China, Saudi Arabia etc. routinely block many websites. Interestingly entire blogger.com and similar blog sites were banned in India not long ago. So it is no wonder that many of us are looking for ways to access blocked websites. Last week I did an investigation into the various methods available for bypassing website access restrictions. I have shortlisted them below as "Top 10 methods to access banned websites". #1 Use IP address - This is the simplest way to bypass domain name based access restrictions (i.e. domain name www.BasicChristian.org = IP address 64.177.86.85/). [article link]
PayPerPost to Require Disclosure - Bloggers must say they're getting paid for positive reviews - PayPerPost pays bloggers up to $40 to $45 per post to write reviews of companies and products - Advertisers using the PayPerPost system can require paid bloggers to write positive reviews Online marketer PayPerPost said Monday it will require that bloggers who take money in exchange for promoting its clients' products disclose their connection to the company. Some blog watchers, however, said the move is not enough. The move follows last week's comments from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that individuals who get compensation for pushing a product must adhere to laws requiring disclosure in advertising. ... Since launching in June 2006, PayPerPost has been criticized by bloggers who argue that paying for posts damages the integrity of all bloggers. PayPerPost pays bloggers up to $40 to $45 per post to write reviews of companies and products. Advertisers using the PayPerPost system can require paid bloggers to write positive reviews. With 10,000 member bloggers and nearly 3,000 advertising partnerships, PayPerPost had allowed its paid bloggers to voluntarily disclose that advertisers were paying them. Until Monday, however, they did not require it. [article link]
Harriet Miers Failed Supreme Court nominee is leaving the White House WASHINGTON (AP) -- Harriet Miers, President Bush's failed Supreme Court nominee and longtime adviser, on Thursday submitted her resignation as White House counsel. ... Bush nominated Miers in October 2005 to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, but she dropped out under fire from conservatives who questioned her qualifications and would not support her. ... She dropped out under fire from conservatives who
criticized her for having thin credentials on constitutional law and no proven record as a judicial conservative. That forced Bush to scramble for a new Supreme Court nominee who could calm a conservative rebellion and walk sure-footedly through a Senate confirmation hearing. He turned to Samuel Alito, a federal appeals court judge from New Jersey, who was ultimately confirmed. [article link]
#1 News-Blog item of 2006 - Brian Rohrbough appears on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric - the featured Columbine father speaks against school violence, evolution and abortion (Video - Online or Download) ROHRBOUGH: I'm saddened and shaken by the shooting at an Amish school today and last week's school murders [in Bailey, Colorado]. When my son Dan was murdered on the sidewalk at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, I hoped that would be the last school shooting. Since that day, I tried to answer the question, "Why did this happen?" This country is in a moral freefall. For over two generations, the public school system has taught in a moral vacuum, expelling God from the school and from the government, replacing him with evolution, *where the strong kill the weak without moral consequences*. And life has no inherent value. We teach there are no absolutes, no right or wrong, and I assure you the murder of innocent children is always wrong, including by abortion. Abortion has diminished the value of children. Suicide has become an acceptable action and has further emboldened these criminals. We're seeing an epidemic increase in murder/suicide attacks on our children. Sadly, our schools are not safe. In fact, we now witness that within our schools, our children have become a target of terrorists from within the United States. [article link]
Michelle Malkin is Going to Iraq - A Real Reporter does some Real Reporting - Donation Request {Please add Michelle, her companions and her family to your prayer list!!} My blogging has been lighter than usual the past few weeks due to family time, Fox News duties, holiday chaos, holiday illness--and, yes, planning for a trip to Iraq. As you know, ex-CNN newsman Eason Jordan extended an invitation to me three weeks ago to go to Iraq to investigate the Associated Press "Jamil Hussein" story. He offered to pay for a trip. As you'll recall, I asked if he would offer to cover travel and security costs for Curt from Flopping Aces--who broke open the story of AP's dubious sources on Thanksgiving weekend and continues to lead the blogospheric search for the truth. [article link]
Mormon, Mitt Romney Officially Enters the 2008 Presidential Race - {Yikes, this professional liar and "gubernatorial bait and switch" artist Mitt Romney would far exceed the fraud, lies, deceit and manipulations of the current Bush administration!} It's official; Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney announced Wednesday that he will seek the Republican nomination for President of the United States. After much preemptive speculation by bloggers and columnist nationwide, The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Gov. Romney will in fact leave his current gig as governor this Thursday to initiate his bid for the presidency. Romney's announcement comes on the heels of a 10-day family vacation in Utah. ... Romney's gubernatorial bait and switch has left the Massachusetts gay and lesbian community feeling betrayed and right-wing hardliners wondering where Romney really stands on the issues. [article link]
Microsoft Vista laptop giveaway sparks blogger debate - Critics were quick to dismiss the handouts as a bribe Microsoft has sparked a major debate in the blogosphere after the company gave away laptops and Windows Media Desktop systems running Windows Vista to several dozen bloggers. Critics were quick to dismiss the handouts as a bribe. Microsoft labelled the computers, which retail at $1,900 to $2,300, as "review PCs", but told recipients that they could keep the machines. "Sending them a 30-day trial of Vista to evaluate is one thing. Sending them a very expensive laptop preloaded with Vista is quite another," a 'Professor Unix' commented on Slashdot. "It would be like record labels sending journalists a free 80GB iPod and stereo
speakers with every new song they're promoting." [article link]
ProLifeBlogs.com: Dr. D. James Kennedy Hospitalized - I want to thank everyone who is praying for Dr. D. James Kennedy - His condition is improved, though very serious Rev. Rick Philips, provides an update on the Reformation21Blog, I want to thank everyone who is praying for Dr. D. James Kennedy. His condition is improved, though very serious. I spent a good deal of time with him today, praying and reading Scripture. He recognized me and was clearly responsive, although his condition remains very serious. Please pray for continued improvement and a full restoration to health. I was able to assure him of the prayers of many Christians and he was able smile in response. It is my sincere hope that our readers will pray for Dr. Kennedy and his family in this time of need. [article link]
Sarcophagus linked to St. Paul may be opened VATICAN CITY - The Vatican said on Monday it was studying the possibility of opening a thick marble sarcophagus believed to contain the remains of the Apostle Paul to study its contents. ... Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, holds up pictures of a sarcophagus unearthed beneath the basilica during a press conference at the Vatican on Monday. ... St. Paul's is the second-largest of Rome's basilicas, after St. Peter's in the Vatican. [article link]
THE BOOK & THE SPADE - Biblical Archaeology - Program #1071, "Dr. Donald Brown, Tut Tomb Excavator" (Mp3) A weekly news and interview program focusing on the latest discoveries and developments in Biblical Archaeology, hosted by Gordon Govier and professor Keith Schoville. [article link]
The 8th Annual Jesus Walk 10 Day Easter Timeline Devotion - Jesus Walk 2008 It will change your life! - Friday March 14th --> Easter Sunday March 23rd, 2008 (PDF) An Ancient Holy Week Timeline, Bible Study, Devotional & Personal Journal for Easter Week 2008. ... Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) holiday dates of 2008 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected, returned from death, just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. ... It will change your life! [article link]
Abandoned to God: The Oswald Chambers Story (DVD) Abandoned to God: Oswald Chambers Story DVD 199199 -->From locations in England and Scotland, David McCasland shows you some of the places and describes key events and people that influenced the young Scottish preacher. Also includes an interview with Chambers' daughter Kathleen who shares memories of her father. Come away with a better understanding of this influential man of God. [article link]
Archbishop of Canterbury Faces Calls to Quit Over Sharia Uproar - The Archbishop of Canterbury was facing a crisis of confidence in his leadership yesterday after calling for parts of Islamic law, or Sharia, to be introduced into Britain Amid growing calls for his resignation, including from members of the General Synod of the Church of England, Dr. Rowan Williams hastily backtracked, claiming he had never called for a parallel jurisdiction of Sharia for Muslims. But his moral authority, already undermined by the dispute over homosexuality, looked further in jeopardy as prelates from overseas provinces of the Anglican Communion joined in the criticism. Weblogs and
other sites have been overwhelmed by comments from the public, Anglicans and nonAnglicans, the vast majority being highly critical of Williams and his apparent appeasement of Islamism. The Prince of Wales, Britain's foremost champion of good relations with Islam, has distanced himself from the Archbishop's views. Privately, he is concerned that the speech is in danger of being taken out of context and distilled into scaremongering headlines. Although the Queen is head of the Church, her spokeswoman declined to comment. [article link]
Excellent Analysis of the Current Election Events - Topic: Romney drops out of race - conservatives rally behind Huckabee - February 7 (Mp3) Guests: Gary Glenn, Peter LaBarbera, and William Murray. Topic: Romney drops out of race - conservatives rally behind Huckabee. [article link]
Right wants Romney as standard-bearer - Some 50 stalwarts of the political right privately met with Mitt Romney minutes after he dropped out of the Republican nominating race to discuss the former Massachusetts governor becoming the face of conservatism, as Ronald Reagan became en route to his 1980 election win {The secular conservative movement has now sunken so low that they have selected a non-electable, closet liberal to be the face of their new movement.} "If someone had suggested a year ago and a half ago that we would be welcoming Mitt Romney as a potential leader of the conservative movement, no one would have believed it," Mr. Keene said to open the meeting. "But over the last year and a half, he has convinced us he is one of us and walks with us." ... Jay Sekulow, a Romney volunteer and chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, told attendees that Mr. Romney is the "turnaround specialist" the conservative movement needs. "The movement needs someone of Ronald Reagan's stature and Romney could fill that role," Mr. Sekulow told The Washington Times yesterday. Hanging over the extraordinary meeting, held immediately after Mr. Romney bowed out of the Republican nomination race, was a mood that ranged from skepticism to cold hostility toward Mr. McCain. [article link]
How Mormons Saw Romney - In wooing evangelicals, he made some fellow LDS members uneasy In his pursuit of the presidency, Mitt Romney held fast to his Mormon faith, though his religion remains controversial with evangelicals and some other Christians. But his determined (and ultimately futile) wooing of evangelicals led him to make some statements that didn't quite square with Mormon beliefs and culture. And the effort itself may have deepened the impression of him as inauthentic--even to some fellow Mormons. ... Romney's failed courtship of evangelicals was predictable, Oman says, given that for many evangelicals, "Mormons are anathema--not only on theological grounds [but because to evangelicals] there is something uniquely disreputable about being a Mormon. I really don't think there's anything you can say that is going to convince these people to forgive you for being a Latter-day Saint. I didn't see there was any way he was going to get those votes." So even while the attempts to sound mainstream failed to persuade evangelicals, they also made some of Romney's fellow Mormons uneasy. "Rather than the individual little comments that may have startled Mormons, I think what troubled [fellow LDS members] was a sense that he was pandering," says Bushman. "To try to be something you're not just doesn't work," he says. "I think it was a moral error, as well as a political error." [article link]
George Müller - Robber Of The Cruel Streets (DVD) George Müller (1805-1898) was a German playboy who found Christ and gave his life to serve Christ unreservedly. His mission was to rescue orphans from the wretched street life that enslaved so many children in England during the time of Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist. Müller did rescue, care for, feed, and educate such children by the thousands. The costs were enormous for such a great work. Yet, amazingly, he never asked
anyone for money. Instead he prayed, and his children never missed a meal. This docu-drama presents his life story and shows how God answered prayer and met their needs. It is a story that raises foundational questions regarding faith and finances. Also included are two special documentaries on Müller and some of the lives affected by his work. [article link]
Announcement: The basicChristian Newsfeed is going to return to a reduced programming schedule of Christian content and Christian events The 2008 Presidential Primary had become the main news event of late 2007 through early 2008. Basic Christian as a theological ministry would have preferred not to get so involved in political issues but with the LDS Mormon religion falsely claiming to be a Christian denomination; an LDS candidate forwarding the LDS agenda; and far too many Christian ministries supporting that LDS agenda Basic Christian felt the need to rise to the challenge and provide an alternate voice to the mainstream, diluted, religious culture of the day. The country soundly rejected a notion of LDS validity and surprisingly non-Christians seemed more discerning and more weary of the LDS claims than some Christians who should have known better. Love, truth, freedom and reality are always the greatest accomplishments of mankind, none of which can be accomplished without a true and accurate knowledge of Jesus Christ and of His divine ministry. The LDS fables have distorted and manipulated Jesus into an unrecognizable figure and it is our Christian duty to always give a reasonable and accurate depiction of the hope and eternal life that reside within the true and unique Jesus Christ of Nazareth. God bless you, David Anson Brown [article link]
***Breaking News - Romney withdraws from White House race {Mitt Romney gave it his best and we all wish him all the best! I think it's just a bad time for the Republican Party in general. The party leaders don't know what they want to do or what direction they want to go.} Romney made the announcement in front of an influential conservative political group in Washington, saying that he was withdrawing because America was at war in Iraq and he would rather support McCain as nominee rather than make it easier for the Democratic nominee to win. [article link]
Born Again Christians Favor Democratic Candidates, Says Survey {The current Bush-Romney RINO Republican Party is void of any true principals and is completely lacking in any genuine concepts so there is no reason for anyone to support them.} A surprising new survey out Monday found that more born again Christian voters said they would support a Democratic candidate than a Republican candidate, breaking the long tradition of born-again support for the GOP. The new Barna study shows that if the general election was held today, 40 percent of all born again adults who are likely to vote in November would choose the Democratic candidate, and only 29 percent would choose the Republican candidate. The remaining 28 percent are currently unsure whom they would support, preferring to vote for a specific candidate rather than strictly along party lines. [article link]
Can you guess where this is from? (Photo) The first to correctly guess what this is and where exactly it is from gets a free DVD copy of The Gospel of John. ... Okay, here's the only hint I'll give: It is found within Salt Lake City, but it represents something outside of Salt Lake City. [article link]
Magic mormon underwear - John Safran, From the Aussie TV program John Safran v God talks about Mormon Garments (YouTube 5:20) {Do you really know who you are supporting and voting for if you support Mormon Mitt Romney?}
Even though Mormon wards, stakes and temples are completely absent of crosses, it's chock full of occultic and Masonic symbols. Most disturbing though, is Mormonism's blatant use of the inverted Satanic pentagram. [article link]
Romney faces long odds in bid to overtake a surging McCain {In 2009 Mitt Romney will still be calling himself Governor and will still be running for the 08 Republican nomination. Romney is obsessed with politics and anything he thinks is power.} Mitt Romney, who prides himself on "wallowing in the data" before making tough decisions, now confronts an unforgiving mathematical landscape of delegate counts, polls, and popular vote tallies that suggest the odds are overwhelmingly against his presidential bid. John McCain's sweep on Super Tuesday of winner-take-all states in the Northeast and big states such as California gave him a commanding lead in delegates - 703 of the 1,191 needed to clinch the nomination, compared with 293 for Romney and 190 for Mike Huckabee, according to an Associated Press tally. ... McCain, meanwhile, is looking to cement his front-runner status, finish off his rivals before the March 4 contests, and start uniting the fractured GOP behind him. National polls of Republicans show McCain with a commanding lead, [article link]
Romney loses momentum as Huckabee regains ground - exit polls suggest many of Huckabee's voters in the south would have picked McCain as a second choice - casting doubt on Romney's claim of stolen votes Mitt Romney, the clearest loser from Super Tuesday, today gathered his advisers for an early-morning meeting in Boston to review the future of his campaign although his team insisted the fight for the Republican nomination will continue. With a disappointing haul of six victories, two of which were in his "home" states of Massachusetts and Utah, the businessman-turned-politician fell victim to a southern resurgence by rival conservative Mike Huckabee. ... "Last night was almost devastating, I would say, for Romney," said Johnson. ... Although Romney is the wealthiest candidate in the race, he is likely to think carefully about committing more personal funds to mass telephone canvassing and to television advertisements. The Washington Post reported that his campaign's has spent $1.16m for each delegate it has secured - a rate which means it would cost Romney some $1.3bn to win the nomination. Huckabee, in contrast, has won 20 delegates for every $1m of outlay. [article link]
Romney to meet with congressional supporters - Speculation reportedly growing that he may drop out of the race Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), coming off a disappointing Super Tuesday, will meet with his congressional supporters Thursday afternoon, sources told The Hill. Romney will meet with the members who endorsed his run at the Capitol Hill Club, shortly after addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference's (CPAC) annual convention. As results were still being tabulated Tuesday night, speculation grew that Romney might be on his way out of the nomination battle after Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) built on his front-runner status and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee showed surprising strength in a number of Southern states. Romney told assembled supporters Tuesday night that he planned to continue his run all the way to the convention, but rumors soon surfaced that the former governor was set to meet with his senior staff to discuss the future of the campaign. [article link]
Romney Prepared to Keep On Going - said his son, Tagg, a senior campaign adviser, in an interview today advisers have been discussing the existence of three different categories of delegates - and then perhaps get him to a point where he has enough momentum to wrest some of those promised but not officially bound delegates into his column at a contested convention In a measure of just how dire the situation is for the campaign, Mr. Romney's advisers have been discussing the existence of three different categories of delegates: those that have been already been awarded and bound to
a candidate; those that have been promised to someone but are not technically bound; and those that have not yet been allocated. They are mapping out a farfetched possibility premised on conservative fears continuing to fester against Mr. McCain, which they hope fuels a series of wins for Mr. Romney and then perhaps get him to a point where he has enough momentum to wrest some of those promised but not officially bound delegates into his column at a contested convention. Mr. Romney appeared to even allude to this potential route in his speech on Tuesday night, promising to take the contest "all the way to the convention." [article link]
"Mitt - Set Our (LDS) People Free" ... A 7th Generation Mormon's Plea for Truth - Blows the Lid Off Romney's "Soft Secrecy" Campaign {If Mitt Romney really has a calling or a destiny for his life it is not to be President of the USA but it would be to lead his people out of the dangerous and manipulating Mormon LDS cult and into the freedom of reality. -- Mitt, set your people Free!} This book is nothing less than Mike Moody's open letter to college fraternity brother Mitt Romney, the final chapter in a correspondence begun between the two former friends in 1999 ... There are many newsworthy observations in the book - as well as some startling (but well-sourced in 10 pages of end-notes) allegations about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), better known to the world as the Mormon Church. Below are a few of those insights, observations and well-documented allegations that collectively represent Mitt Romney's "Swift Boat" moment - this is all based on well-documented facts - many of the documents semi-secret documents from the LDS Church's own archives and libraries. [article link]
Romney's real problem with the Log Cabin letter - Romney's sold himself as a conservative to leaders of the religious right, and now conservative leaders are concerned that he misled them - This is not the last time this will happen {At best Mitt Romney is a conservative mirage, a cloud, a vapor, a smoke screen, the nearer one get's to his actual policies the quicker they all vanish into the glare of liberalism.} Romney's sold himself as a conservative to leaders of the religious right, and now conservative leaders are concerned that he misled them. That is the importance of these quotes. Clearly what is happening is that people are circling back with this letter and re-evaluating and asking him questions. This is not the last time this will happen. There will be statements on abortion, more statements on homosexuality, etc. Each time another letter or statement comes out and gets this level of scrutiny, it is going to lower the trust of the leaders of these groups. Romney will lose credibility over time both as a conservative, but also as a leader. Republicans like leaders that don't act on the direction of the wind. Romney will have trouble taking that stance. These kinds of things give cover to people anxious about "the Mormon Question". They are uncomfortable with that, but willing to tolerate it because he's a real conservative. But now that they are not completely sure that they can trust what he says about where he is on the issues, their concerns about the religious foundations for his positions can also become an issue. As one religious leader said - and Evangelicals for Mitt quoted - "It's not whether I could vote for a Mormon, it's whether I could vote for this Mormon." Indeed, the question goes from, "I have concerned about trusting this man," to "I have concerns about trusting this Mormon." [article link]
The Romney (gay agenda) Log Cabin letter (PDF) "As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever that as we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent (Sen. Edward M. Kennedy)," [article link]
Full text of Romney's 1994 (Log Cabin) gay rights letter surfaces - "If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent cannot do this. I can and will" Romney wrote
"As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever that as we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent," Romney wrote, referring to US Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. ... Among bloggers, Kathleen Lopez downplays the recent Romney disclosures. Andrew Sullivan asks "Was he lying then or is he lying now? What does he really believe?" On AmericaBlog, a poster says: "This almost as fun as Mary Cheney pregnant." And Town Hall's Dean Barnett offers a bit of explanation here. [article link]
McCain's biggest early victory was in New York, where Rudy Giuliani's allies had set up a winner-take-all rule that gave all 101 delegates to McCain after Giuliani dropped out of the race last week {The Republican Primary is crooked - Winner take all RINO States while the Conservative States share the delegates. This is going to be severely damaging and demoralizing to an already broken Republican Party. The 2006 Republican Party ignored the conservative voter and lost both the House and Senate majority and now it has gotten even worse not better. 2008 is going to be the Republicans biggest disaster right down to the State and local office level.} Riding a wave of votes across four time zones on Super Tuesday, John McCain celebrated the biggest presidential primary day in the nation's history by taking a commanding lead in the race for the Republican nomination. ... The battle for Super Tuesday among Republicans revealed ideological fault lines as the party moves toward picking a leader to succeed President Bush. McCain has tried to woo conservatives and moderates, describing the GOP as "the party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan." [article link]
FAITH OF MY FATHERS - THE JOHN McCAIN STORY This book report covers one of the greatest pieces of literature, and is a must read by every man of military background. It is a serious, utterly gripping account of faith, fathers, and the military. John McCain, one of the most admired leaders in the United States Government, tells a story that, in the words of NEWSWEEK, "makes the other presidential candidates look like pygmies". John McCain learned about life and honor from his father and grandfather, both four star admirals in the U.S. Navy. This story covers their lives, their heroism, and the ways that sons are shaped and enriched by their fathers. John McCain's grandfather was one of the Navy's greatest commanders, and led the strongest aircraft carrier force of the THIRD FLEET in key battles during WWII. John's father followed a similar path, equally distinguished by heroic service in the Navy as a submarine commander during WWII, rising to the rank of four star admiral. The McCains became the first family in American History to achieve that distinction. John McCain Jr. became commander of all U.S. forces in the Pacific during the Vietnam war. It was in the Vietnam war that John McCain III faced the most difficult challenge of his life. As a naval aviator he was shot down over Hanoi in 1967. His story tells of torture beyond belief, inhumane treatment by his Vietnamese captors during five and a half years of imprisonment. [article link]
~New Link~ Cutting Edge Weekly Newsletter - Now, carefully notice the new GOP elephant logo - The three stars are the Goatshead of Mendez Pentagram - The change occurred in the year 2000 "The Party of Satan" {The new 2000 GOP Republican Party elephant logo is also no longer red, white and blue it is now a purple, white and blue (Logo) with the three upside-down (Satanic) stars.} Did you know that the Republicans changed the stars in their official elephant logo to two stars upward in the year 2000, the very year in which Skull & Bones George Bush was "elected" President? This Republican logo is the traditional elephant logo as this book front page cover demonstrates. The book is entitled, "The Pictorial History of the Republican Party", by Beryl Frank, published in 1980. As you can see, the stars on this elephant logo are the same as the traditional stars on an American flag, i.e., with one point upward. This style of Pentagram is a "good", White Magic type of star, the same type of star as in the traditional American flag. Now, carefully notice the new GOP elephant logo. The three stars are the Goatshead of Mendez Pentagram, with two points upward. This style of Pentagram is the "evil", Black Magick type of star. The Illuminati program for their Masonic Christ (Antichrist) is most definitely the Black Magick variety. The plans these Globalists have for this
country and this world is literally the "worst case" scenario, from the planned destruction of 66% of all humanity, to the dissolution of every elected government on earth, to replacing those governments with the most repressive dictatorship in world history. This dictatorship will be supported by unprecedented level of modern technology, which will allow government authorities to monitor nearly everyone in the world at every moment of the day. This Plan fulfills prophecies exactly, especially those in the Book of Revelation and Daniel. When was this Republican elephant logo changed? The change occurred in the year 2000 ("The Party of Satan", Radio Left, Mon 17 Dec 2007, quoting the Thom Hartmann Show, of December 17). This is the year George W. Bush (Jr.) was elevated to the White House, following one of the closest elections in American history, an election not decided until December 13, when the Supreme Court decided that Bush had beaten Gore in Florida. Therefore, at the time the country was electing its second Skull & Bones President, the Republican Party quietly changed the stars on its official Republican elephant logo to the Goatshead of Mendez star. This reality means that America has been officially and deliberately set on a course of extreme evil since that momentous year. Have we ever been so beset, from without and within, than in the last 6 years? This is just a partial listing of all the evils which have beset us since 2000: ... [article link]
Mitt Romney's Mormon detour - There's never a good time for a funeral, but the one Mitt Romney went to Saturday (Gordon B. Hinckley) may have been particularly inopportune - The service blended mellow Tabernacle Choir songs with dry speeches sprinkled with soft humor - It was almost devoid of any actual religious ritual SALT LAKE CITY -- There's never a good time for a funeral, but the one Mitt Romney went to Saturday may have been particularly inopportune. In the closing stage of a campaign where he has tried his hardest to manage scrutiny of his faith, Mitt Romney, candidate for president, pulled himself off the campaign trail for the morning and became Mitt Romney, grieving Mormon. ... But the way Romney's campaign handled his visit betrayed a more complicated set of calculations. Attending the funeral was, in some ways, an even more public declaration of his faith than Romney's heavily hyped speech on religion in December; there was no on-message way for him to frame the service for a man Mormons called, in addition to president, "prophet, seer and revelator." Barely 170 years after the religion burst into existence, it still apparently makes some mainstream Christians squeamish enough that only Mormon bigwigs in national politics (Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada; Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, attending on behalf of President Bush; Utah Sens. Orrin Hatch and Robert Bennett) came to the service. Compare that to the scene three years ago, when Catholic and Protestant elected officials alike made a big show of flocking to Rome to see Pope John Paul II buried, and you can understand how the visit posed a dilemma for Romney. His campaign didn't exactly go out of its way to play up his trip this week. ... The church-owned Deseret Morning News led Saturday's paper with Romney's visit to the state -- giving it more attention than his own campaign did. [article link]
Missionary (LDS Church) - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 50,000 full-time missionaries worldwide - As a measure of missionary effectiveness, there is some concern within the LDS Church that the number of [tithing] convert baptisms per missionary per year has fallen from a high of 8.03 in 1989 to just 4.67 in 2005 {LDS missions are yet another attempt by the LDS to make even more money and it's no wonder people don't want to be sucked up by the LDS Mormon money vacuum machine. If the LDS believed in what they taught they would spend their LDS Billions on outreach instead the LDS keeps its money and uses everyone else's money in order to get even more money. How much money does the non-profit LDS corporation need?} Missionaries are expected to pay their own expenses while on the mission, often with assistance from family and friends. In the past, each missionary paid his or her actual living expenses, but this approach created a disproportionate burden on missionaries who were assigned to more expensive areas of the world. In 1990, a new program was introduced to equalize the financial responsibility for each missionary and his or her family.
Now, all young missionaries pay a flat monthly rate which is then redistributed according to regional costs of living. The cost of a mission as of January 2006 is USD$400 per month, which covers food, lodging, transportation, and personal items. As families now contribute to a general fund for missionary expenses, the sum is deductible under many nations' tax policies regarding charitable gifts. Young people in the church are encouraged to save money throughout their childhood and teenage years to pay for as much of their mission as they can, although nearly all receive assistance from parents, family, or friends.[citation needed] Missionaries who cannot save the required funds may obtain assistance from their home congregation or from a general missionary fund operated by the church and contributed to by Latter-day Saints around the world. Married couple missionaries are expected to pay their own costs. In many areas, church members often invite locallyassigned missionaries over for meals to help reduce the overall expenditures of the missionary program. [article link]
Challenges Await New Mormon President - Thomas S. Monson 16th Mormon president, 16th Mormon prophet - 80-Year-Old Leader Confronts Slowdown in (LDS) Church's Worldwide Growth {Ya funny, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pentecostal churches and LDS Mormons are denominations of the same organization. LDS is an outside cult and Mormons would no more meet - fellowship with Pentecostals than they would give up their sacred Mormon underwear.} The new leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Thomas S. Monson, is taking the reins of the church at a time of unprecedented scrutiny and significant challenges. The selection of the tall, affable 80-yearold Monson as president of the 13 million-member Mormon church was announced yesterday. He replaces Gordon B. Hinckley, 97, who died last week after serving 12 years as president. The globe-trotting Hinckley left behind a denomination that is better known than it used to be -- partly because of the presidential candidacy of Republican Mitt Romney -- but also one whose growth rate has slowed and whose dropout rate troubles its leaders. Worldwide Mormon church membership grew as fast as 8 percent a year in the late 1980s, but the growth rate has decreased since 2000 {A decline due to the internet now exposing LDS propaganda, mainly from the ex-Mormon websites, and the Christian video-DVD Ministries instructing people in the differences between LDS and Christianity.} to less than 3 percent. The Seventh-day Adventist Church and some Pentecostal churches are among the denominations now growing faster. [article link]
Unethical Campaign Tactic by Romney - Sleazy Mitt Romney is Posting message Lies on people's answering machines "Hello this is Governor Mitt Romney ... it is now a two person race" (YouTube :52) {What is Mitt Governor of? Last I knew he was out of office. Besides John McCain & Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul is still in the race. Romney is a deceiver!} Added: February 02, 2008 Romney is using unethical campaign tactics to trick supporters of Mike Huckabee into thinking it is a 2 person race. ... And in his own voice. He basically called and told people Huckabee has dropped. That is unethical! Oh ya, a dirty trick and he is trying buy the white house. I am so mad..... I just want to break something! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!! [article link]
McCain Ad Casts Romney As Anti-Reagan - Romney "Yeah, I voted in the (1992) Democratic Primary" SCRIPT: McCain: "I'm John McCain and I approve this message." Announcer: "Mitt Romney on Ronald Reagan." Romney (from video clip): "Look, I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush." Announcer: "Mitt Romney was against Ronald Reagan, before he was for him." Romney (from video clip): "Yeah, I voted in the Democratic Primary...When I was running in '94, I wasn't trying to return to Reagan-Bush." Announcer: "If we can't trust Mitt Romney on Ronald Reagan, how can we trust him to lead America?" Romney: "I'm not running as the Republican view or a continuation of Republican values." KEY IMAGES: Ad opens with a photo of McCain shaking hands with Reagan. The clips of Romney appear against a faded backdrop of Reagan. As the announcer speaks, his words also appear on the screen. A caption explains
that in 1992 Romney voted for Democrat Paul Tsongas for president. [article link]
Mitt Romney voted for Democrat Tsongas for president (1992), then lied about it to Stephanopoulos - Romney, who until he made an unsuccessful run for Senate in 1994 had spent his adult life as a registered independent "Romney confirmed he voted for former U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas in the state's 1992 Democratic presidential primary, saying he did so both because Tsongas was from Massachusetts and because he favored his ideas over those of Bill Clinton Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said today he voted for Paul Tsongas in the 1992 Democratic presidential primary as a tactical maneuver aimed at finding the weakest opponent for incumbent President George Bush. ... "In Massachusetts, if you register as an independent, you can vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary," said Romney, who until he made an unsuccessful run for Senate in 1994 had spent his adult life as a registered independent. ... But 12 years ago, the Boston Globe reported that Romney was giving a different explanation for his vote for Tsongas. ... "Romney confirmed he voted for former U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas in the state's 1992 Democratic presidential primary, saying he did so both because Tsongas was from Massachusetts and because he favored his ideas over those of Bill Clinton," the Boston Globe's Scot Lehigh and Frank Phillips wrote on February 3, 1994. [article link]
Romney in last bid to derail McCain - Republicans were telling him, "We don't want Senator McCain; we want a conservative" {The thought that the ultra-liberal, ultra-deceiving Mitt Romney is a conservative or any hopes that Mitt Romney will in any way represent conservatives is a fairy tale of the tallest order. In fact there is a better chance that the Tooth Fairy will leave the winning Lottery ticket under your pillow at night than the possibility that Mitt Romney will represent conservative values in Washington D.C.} Mitt Romney launched what could be his last bid to stop John McCain from seizing the Republican presidential nomination. Meanwhile, Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton were locked in an increasingly tight race and battled for support in delegate-rich northeastern states ahead of Super Tuesday. Romney continued to hammer away at his assertion that McCain is weak on economic issues and is too much of a maverick for the conservative party. The former Massachusetts governor told voters in a series of coast-tocoast stops that hardcore Republicans were telling him, "We don't want Senator McCain; we want a conservative." [article link]
Chuck Norris: Will Romney buy the White House? - To me, such excessive self-financing of one's own campaign is not only a competitive injustice that rivals the use of steroids by athletes but a fundamental flaw in the general race for the presidency - As the Washington Post rightly noted, "Romney's money is his mojo: If he's not spending, he probably isn't winning" Last Wednesday Romney conveyed that "his campaign was not trying to purchase television advertisement" on Super Tuesday, when 20-plus states hold simultaneous nominating contests. Then he flip-flopped (again) the very next day, telling reporters, "I have authorized a seven-figure - I won't give you the exact number - but seven-figure advertising buy for our campaign." As one news agency put it, "One of Romney's greatest campaign strengths has been his deep pockets. A wealthy former businessman who has largely financed his own campaign …" The BBC described that Mitt "may be the only Republican candidate who can afford to buy advertising in major media markets ahead of Tuesday's poll." A couple months ago, he was spending $85,000 daily on presidential commercials. Over these past few days he spent millions more. The only concession for Mitt is that he is possibly being outspent in this particular inning by his Democrat opponents. But, then again, their money is largely donated by others, not funded by themselves. ... GOP candidate and former governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee is the only presidential hopeful who is not spending recklessly or rashly ... As the Washington Post rightly noted, "Romney's money is his mojo: If he's not spending, he probably isn't winning." [article link]
Romney's Economic Claims Challenged - According to state unemployment numbers, the net number of jobs added during the four years Romney was in office was 24,400 - a fraction of the total of about 200,000 lost during the recession - most of the rest of the country rebounded much faster {Note: The math on this is that Romney lost private sector jobs during his term but Romney expanded the Government so govt. job numbers increased.} BOSTON (AP) - It's part of Mitt Romney's core narrative: Massachusetts, in the throes of a fiscal freefall, fell back on his CEO skills and turnaround wizardry to spark - in his words - "a dramatic reversal of state fortunes and a period of sustained economic expansion." It's a rosy opinion of Massachusetts' economy that few in the state share. Instead, observers say, the state's recovery from a disastrous 2001 recession has been tepid at best, and Romney gives himself more credit than deserved on job creation and balancing the state budget. Romney says that by the time he left office, the unemployment rate in Massachusetts was lower and the state had recovered nearly 80,000 jobs from the low point of the recession. A fuller look reveals a state still struggling to recoup the jobs washed away in the recession, while much of the rest of the country has already sailed past pre-recession highs. According to state unemployment numbers, the net number of jobs added during the four years Romney was in office was 24,400 - a fraction of the total of about 200,000 lost during the recession. Although the number of new jobs steadily climbed during Romney's four years in office - from a loss of 54,700 in his first year to a gain of 34,700 in his final year - most of the rest of the country rebounded much faster. [article link]
Romney Hangs His Hat on Credibility... No, Really! - Debate Romney Vs. Real Romney - ON THE ECONOMY: Debate Romney: "During my term in office, we added jobs" [CNN GOP Debate, 1/30/08] - Romney Reality: Massachusetts Lost 10,000 Jobs During Romney Administration [Boston Herald, 2/21/07] WASHINGTON, Jan 31, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Last night's debate was yet another reminder of why smooth talking Mitt Romney keeps wracking up the silver and bronze medals, but just can't seem to make it across the finish line. After losses in almost every critical state heading up to next Tuesday, Romney's campaign has apparently decided that his last hope is to try to re-brand himself yet again -- this time as an "authentic conservative." After all the damage Romney's flip-flops have done to his credibility, hanging his hat on authenticity might not be the best plan. Exit polls in every early state have shown that voters who want a candidate who believes what he says are rejecting Romney: He was the top choice of just 7 percent of those voters in South Carolina, 14 percent in Iowa, 15 percent in New Hampshire, and 19 percent in Florida. Even in Michigan, a state where his home field advantage helped him win, Romney was the top choice of fewer than one in four voters who wanted a candidate who says what he believes. [CNN Exit Polls, 1/29/08] [article link]
Quotations from Mormon Leaders on the Christian Faith - "I was answered that I must join none of them (Christian Churches), for they were all wrong...that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight" (Joseph Smith History 1:19). "...orthodox Christian views of God are Pagan rather than Christian." (Mormon Doctrine of Deity by B.H. Roberts, p.116) "...the God whom the 'Christians' worship is a being of their own creation..." (Apostle Charles W. Penrose, JD 23:243) "The Christian world, so called, are heathens as to their knowledge of the salvation of God." (Brigham Young, JD 8:171) "What! Are Christians ignorant? Yes, as ignorant of the things of God as the brute best." (John Taylor, JD 13:225 "What does the Christian world know about God? Nothing...Why so far as the things of God are concerned, they are the veriest fools; they know neither God nor the things of God." (John Taylor, JI) 13:225) "Believers in the doctrines of modern Christendom will reap damnation to their souls (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.177) ... "...brother Joseph B. Nobles once told a Methodist priest, after hearing him describe his god, that the god they worshiped was the "Mormon's" Devil-a being without a body, whereas our God has a body, parts and passions." (Brigham Young, JD 5:331). [article link]
Updated - Christianity and the Mormon (LDS) Cult are Very Different (PDF) Mormonism (LDS) practices and engages in the longtime deceitful and illegal marketing practice of "bait and switch" to offer - bait the customer with one product and then through excuses, deceit and manipulations to steer the customer into a different inferior product. In this case Mormons universally offer Jesus, the Bible and a "truer Christianity" and then in a dishonest way switching from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible to the teachings of Joseph Smith and others. The Mormon Church is deliberately trying to avoid their true identity as a Mormon cult and is instead representing themselves as something they are not, which is true Christian followers of Jesus. Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
Alan Keyes: Romney responsible for same-sex marriage fiasco - "Mitt Romney pushed through same-sex marriage all by himself, in the absence of any authority or requirement to do so, having a complete misunderstanding of his role as governor and of the significance of the court's opinion," said Keyes. The court never ordered him to act, nor did he have the right to act, since the legislature never changed the law "Most people are unaware of the way Massachusetts came to adopt same-sex marriage," the former Reagan administration diplomat said. "They think the state's Supreme Judicial Court forced it to happen. That's incorrect." "The court merely issued an opinion stating that, in its view, the existing marriage law was unconstitutional because it failed to allow persons of the same sex to marry," Keyes said. "The court then gave the legislature 180 days to 'take such action as it may deem appropriate in light of this opinion' - implicitly telling lawmakers to come up with a new marriage statute." Noting that the legislature did not act within the court-imposed 180-day window, refusing to let the judiciary infringe on its law-making powers, Keyes said the only reason same-sex marriage became the law was because of Romney's actions. "Mitt Romney pushed through same-sex marriage all by himself, in the absence of any authority or requirement to do so, having a complete misunderstanding of his role as governor and of the significance of the court's opinion," said Keyes. "The court never ordered him to act, nor did he have the right to act, since the legislature never changed the law. [article link]
{Flashback} Family leaders call Romney 'disaster' - Letter criticizes 'deceptive rhetoric' around candidate - The letter cites seven issues seen as problematic in the Romney campaign, including a "phony pro-life 'conversion'" - The letter also criticized those in the conservative community who are supporting Romney, accusing them of "gross malpractice, ruthless ambition and dishonesty" The letter also criticized those in the conservative community who are supporting Romney, accusing them of "gross malpractice, ruthless ambition and dishonesty." "Behind the empty gestures and deceptive rhetoric, Romney was not pro-life or a defender of marriage by any stretch of the imagination. He was a disaster," said O'Gorman, of the board for Massachusetts Citizens for Life. He said Romney "deceptively" claims to have been awarded a pro-life award from the group. "The award Romney arranged for himself with the local Pioneer Valley Chapter was the Mullins Award for Political Leadership, not a pro-life award and not approved by MCFL's state board of directors," he said. "We're blowing the whistle to warn voters..." "For some bizarre reason the mere fact that Romney's never been divorced and goes to a temple regularly is supposed to negate the fact that he's extremely liberal," said Harvey. "He used his Republican and Mormon identity to push through radical policies on gay marriage, abortion and pro-homosexual school programs that Ted Kennedy always dreamed about." The Romney campaign repeatedly has declined to respond to WND requests for comment on such issues, including a failure to respond to multiple requests for a one-on-one interview in which the candidate would have been allowed to give his definitive perspective of the issues being raised. [article link]
12 things satanists pray against us daily {This includes LDS Mormons and other Cults who also pray these things against the Christian Church.}
The other day I received an interesting e-mail from a ministry online. It included a copy of an e-mail from a Pastor in Berlin/Germany. He sent a list of the 12 things that Satanists are regularly praying for. I felt impressed of the Lord to send this to y'all so that we could take what they pray for and reverse the curse - so to speak. Read what they are praying for and then please take the time to cancel their prayers and speak blessings on what they have selected for their curses. Let's keep a copy of this list on hand so that we can zealously cancel their assignments through our effectual, fervent prayers. [article link]
Travel The Road - Season 3 DVD set Pre-Order ($59.99) Travel the Road, the groundbreaking reality television series that documents the adventurous lives of young missionaries Tim Scott and Will Decker over 18-months, through 25 countries, across 40,000 miles is a unique look into the world of frontline mission work. The journey is filled with danger, excitement, adventure and epic triumph as Tim and Will undertake unbelievable expeditions into the most remote areas of the world to bring the gospel. From the deserts of Ethiopia to the island villages of Papua New Guinea they travel from country to country with one backpack, a change of clothes, and a message of hope that pushes them deeper into the unknown. The journey is a landmark television debut of reality programming with a purpose. Join the expedition of a lifetime on TBN every Saturday at 8:30 PM Pacific - 11:30 PM Eastern. [article link]
What is up with the Pope's (John Paul II) inverted cross - I recognize that Roman Catholics associate the upside down cross with the apostle Peter's crucifixion (Photos) {It's bad form he should be testifying of Jesus and not of the upside-down cross Peter was martyred on. People can easily get confused with a symbol like that and that symbol the upside-down cross is not a symbol of the Church and does not belong in the Church.} I recognize that Roman Catholics associate the upside down cross with the apostle Peter's crucifixion in argument for apostolic succession which is then used to support the Roman Catholic distinctive of papal infallibility, a very late dogma. However, Protestants argue that the Church is founded upon Jesus Christ. But, for the sake of explanation let us visit Matthew 16:18-19 which reads, And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." [article link]
Crop Circles (Demon Circles) and Occultic, Masonic & Illuminati Symbols (Video 7:00) Description: Crop Circles and Occultic, Masonic & Illuminati Symbols. [article link]
-- Scroll down for LDS Info Updates Mormon LDS President-prophet Hinckley funeral updates and info. [article link]
-- Joseph Fielding, 10th Mormon president, 10th Mormon prophet, - No Hell in Mormon Theology? - LDS Apostle John Widtsoe insisted there was no hell when he said, "In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), there is no hell. - only outer darkness - {And No Forgiveness of Sins in Mormonism only LDS WORKS, LDS WORKS, LDS WORKS, LDS WORKS ... Also Satan (the Mormon 1/2 brother of their Mormon jesus) doesn't even go to hell.} LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith explained: "The Lord will judge each individual case and will assign transgressor to that degree to which each is entitled according to his works. If a man only merits a place in the telestial, that will be his reward; if it should be the terrestrial, then he shall be admitted to that kingdom. In order to enter the celestial a man must be true and faithful to the end, observing all things which the Lord has commanded, otherwise he shall be assigned to some other kingdom, or to outer darkness if his sins so merit"
(Doctrines of Salvation 3:310). ... Is there a concept of hell in Mormonism? Yes and no. LDS Apostle John Widtsoe insisted there was no hell when he said, "In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is no hell. All will find a measure of salvation; all must pay for any infringement of the law; but the payment will be as the Lord may decide" (Joseph Smith, Seeker After Truth, p. 178). However, 10th LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: "The Church does teach that there is a place called hell. Of course we do not believe that all those who do not receive the gospel will eventually be cast into hell" (Answers to Gospel Questions 2:210). [article link]
-- Traveling with the prophet (Gordon B. Hinckley) - the Nauvoo Temple dedication - a standing Angel Moroni statue rather than a recumbent one as in the original temple - "I like it better" he said {So the LDS leadersprophets don't build their temples according to God's standards, and there is only one true Godly Temple - to be built in Jerusalem, they (LDS) build them and furnish them according to their own worldly standards and lusts. It is not a surprise that God is left out of even the LDS temple building decisions.} Gordon B. Hinckley was a master of the moment. - Hinckley clearly enjoyed bantering with reporters. At the Nauvoo Temple dedication, I asked why the church would spend millions to rebuild an exact replica of the structure destroyed in the 19th century, yet have a standing Angel Moroni statue rather than a recumbent one as in the original temple. "I like it better," he said without losing a beat. [article link]
-- Mormons Hope No One Is Watching - Gordon B. Hinckley (is he a drunk? - he is slurring his speech) mistakes Joseph Smith as "Jesus Smith" - (YouTube :35) {This is hilariously funny! No wonder all the official LDS stuff is staged. CAUTION some bad Language.} Mormons could not wait to get the Olympics to call attention to themselves. The great moment came and Pres. Hinckley took center stage..... well maybe it was not such a great idea. [article link]
-- Gordon B. Hinckley "I'm sooo Almost Excited about it" - Meaningless Gestures at the [yet another] Nauvoo LDS Temple dedication (YouTube 1:21) {Gordon B. Hinckley the prophet-president of boredom "I'm sooo Almost Excited about it"!!} Someone's (Gordon B. Hinckley) bitterness and cynicism spills out at the Nauvoo Temple ground breaking [article link]
-- MORmON Math by Gordon Hinckley (YouTube 1:56) {Most people wouldn't buy a used car from this slick salesman let alone a religion.} Does anyone suspect that Hinckley wants to hedge these numbers in THE (LDS) church's favor ..... or is some leader just not too bright.... or both! [article link]
-- The Prophets Joseph Smith & Brigham Young (YouTube 1:21) Brigham and Joseph show that the Glory of God is Intelligence - unfortunately the LDS Mormon cult is lacking in glory to God. [article link]
-- (LDS) Latter-day Credo - Pre-existence and the afterlife {Seems the LDS Mormons are particularly vague about what they actually believe and teach. This is the closest thing I could find to actual LDS afterlife doctrine.} Pre-existence and the afterlife: Before their mortal birth, humans existed in pre-mortality and were born in the spirit world to heavenly parents. Mormons also believe in the resurrection and teach that most people will receive some measure of salvation and have a place in a three-level eternal kingdom. {The LDS Mormons also have some very vague concept of hell, yes they say there is a Mormon hell but no one goes there and if they do go there it is only for a short time not permanent like eternity.} [article link]
-- Arguably the (LDS) Church's most unusual teaching of all-the polytheistic doctrine that one day, righteous Mormons will become gods - the 5th prophet-president (Lorenzo Snow) of the (LDS) Church taught "As man now is, God once was. As God now is, man may become" {Mankind is in the 'image of God' (like the operating system software is the image of a computer; Linux, Windows, Mac) in order to interact and communicate with God if we did not have feelings, emotions, expression and language we could not interact with God. Also the Biblical word 'perfect' is the modern word 'complete' be complete in God. God does not call people to be perfect - sinless but to be righteous through Jesus.} He also confirmed what is arguably the Church's most unusual teaching of all-the polytheistic doctrine that one day, righteous Mormons will become gods and live with their families forever. As Boone explains, the fifth prophet of the Church taught, "As man now is, God once was. As God now is, man may become." Boone quotes chapter and verse from the Old and New Testaments to support the claim that Christianity was always intended to be polytheistic, with righteous human beings eventually becoming gods. "In the creation account in Genesis it says, 'Let us make man in our own image' ... and we believe that. I'm not sure about everybody else. When Christ was giving the Sermon on the Mount, he directed them 'to be perfect, even as their Father in heaven was perfect.' Well that's quite a charge. So most Christians would say and most Jews would say and most Muslims would say that we ought to be more God-like in our activities. So where do you draw the line. [article link]
-- 15th (LDS) prophet-president Hinckley's funeral set for Saturday - The funeral for LDS Church (prophet) President Gordon B. Hinckley is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. in Salt Lake City's LDS Conference Center While funerals for every president from Brigham Young on have taken place in the LDS Tabernacle, Hinckley's will be in the center to accommodate the expected crowds {Basic Christian is going to do a series on Mormon Death to see how the LDS practice it differently from the Bible. The Mormons treat death like a physical journey to a distant place very similar to the ancient Egyptians. In actuality now that Gordon B. Hinckley is dead he is either (a.) Having sex like a rabid teenager as an (LDS) Mormon god on his own distant planet. or (b.) Has been cast out of the presence of God and is burning in hell as an unsaved - unrepentant heretic.} The funeral for LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. in Salt Lake City's LDS Conference Center. While funerals for every president from Brigham Young on have taken place in the LDS Tabernacle, Hinckley's will be in the center to accommodate the expected crowds. The 97-year-old leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints died at his Salt Lake City home on Sunday at 7 p.m., surrounded by his children and other members of the governing First Presidency. Though many saw signs of decline in recent weeks, Hinckley continued to work until Wednesday. On Thursday, he simply couldn't get out of bed, family sources said, and by Saturday, loved ones had gathered to say goodbye. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has confirmed he will attend the funeral, as have Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Utah Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch. Other expected dignitaries, and the schedule of speakers, has yet to be determined, said Scott Trotter, LDS Church spokesman. People attending the funeral must be seated no later than 10:30 a.m., and seating will be restricted to 21,000 individuals. Overflow seating, with large screen viewing of the proceedings available, will be in the LDS Tabernacle, Assembly Hall and Conference Center Theater. [article link]
-- Hinckley's funeral set for Saturday - Hinckley's burial in Salt Lake Cemetery, beside his companion of 67 years, wife Marjorie, will immediately follow the funeral, which will last at least 90 minutes {Already the (LDS) Mormon weirdness begins! Is she his 'companion' first - into some afterlife? or is she his wife. The LDS propaganda and double speak is already occurring and also note the desire not to have the public ceremony in the LDS Temple. I guess it is considered bad public relations to go anywhere near the LDS Temple and make no mistake the funeral of Gordon B. Hinckley is going to be used as yet another public relations ploy by the LDS.} KUTV will broadcast live coverage, as will KSL TV and radio and Brigham Young University's television station. The proceedings also will broadcast via satellite, and in 69 languages, to more than 6,000 LDS Church buildings
across the globe. Between the funeral proceedings and the grave-side service, "In His Own Words," a program about the life and ministry of Hinckley, will be televised in the Conference Center, overflow venues, on BYU television and via satellite. Hinckley's burial in Salt Lake Cemetery, beside his companion of 67 years, wife Marjorie, will immediately follow the funeral, which will last at least 90 minutes. Public viewing of Hinckley's body is set for Thursday and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the LDS Church Administration Building, 47 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City. There will be a tent on the west side of the building where people can wait before walking indoors. Due to Hinckley's death, church officials announced that the dedication of the Rexburg Temple in Idaho, which had been scheduled for Sunday, will now take place on Feb. 10. [article link]
-- Thousands to attend viewing for LDS prophet (Gordon B. Hinckley) - Tickets for funeral will be handed out Saturday - Church employees were to be given the first chance to pay respects at the viewing - Visitors will have to pass through security checks, and cameras and other recording devices are not being allowed in the "Hall of the Prophets" area where President Hinckley's casket is The number of visitors expected at the viewing is drawn from the 1995 viewing for President Howard W. Hunter, who preceded President Hinckley. "For President Hunter, we had 60,000 visitors in one day," said church spokesman Mark Tuttle, ... Visitors will have to pass through security checks, and cameras and other recording devices are not being allowed in the "Hall of the Prophets" area where President Hinckley's casket is. ... Whether a significant number of visitors will travel long distances for the funeral or viewing is less certain. Some of the major hotels downtown, the two Marriott locations and the Grand America, said they have not seen any spike in the requests for rooms this weekend. Those who plan to attend either the viewing or the funeral are reminded that downtown parking is extremely limited - especially during weekday hours - with the recent demolition of both the ZCMI Center and Crossroads Plaza parking structures. [article link]
-- Joseph, Smith Mormon founder, 1st Mormon president, 1st Mormon prophet, 1st, 2nd and later 3rd LDS Mormon Temples {There can only be one Temple "throne of God" the Bible says the Temple of God is in Jerusalem, Israel. The Mormons say it is in, Kirtland, Ohio, and Independence, Missouri and Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm going with Jerusalem, Israel. ... Jeremiah 3:17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.} Under Smith's leadership & direction, the church's first temple was constructed in Kirtland. The work of building the Kirtland Temple was begun in 1833, and was completed by 1836. Around the time of its completion, many extraordinary events were reported: appearances by Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Elias, and numerous angels, speaking and singing in tongues, prophesying, and other spiritual experiences. However, the construction of the temple, in addition to other ventures of Smith's, left him and the (LDS) Church in deep debt. To raise money, Smith planned a banking institution, which was called the Kirtland Safety Society. The State of Ohio denied Smith a charter to legally operate a bank causing Smith to rename the company under the advice of non-Mormon legal counsel as 'The Kirkland AntiBanking Safety Society' and he continued to operate the bank and print notes. The bank collapsed after 21 days of operation in January. During this time, Smith and his associates were accused of illegal and unethical actions. In the wake of this bank failure, many Mormons, including prominent leaders who had backed the venture, became disaffected with Smith. Eventually, lawsuits and indictments against Smith and his banking partners became so severe that, on January 12, 1838, Smith and Rigdon left Kirtland by dark of night for the Far West settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri. At the time, there were at least $6,100 in civil suits outstanding against him in Chardon, Ohio courts, and an arrest warrant had been issued for Smith on a charge of bank fraud. Those who continued to support Smith left Kirtland for Missouri shortly thereafter. Independence, Missouri was identified as "the center place" and the spot for building a temple. Smith first visited Independence in the summer of 1831, and a site was dedicated for the construction of the temple. Soon afterward, Mormon converts-most of them from the New England area-
began immigrating in large numbers to Independence and the surrounding area. [article link]
-- Brigham Young, 2nd Mormon president, 2nd Mormon prophet, of the Mormon (LDS) church - 1801-1877; died in Salt Lake City, 29 August, 1877 - Meanwhile much of his (Brigham Young) time was spent in Kirtland, where he was occupied in working on the Temple and in studying Hebrew {The LDS Mormons think they are both the true Christians and the true Jews even though the Bible always keeps both groups separate.} The territory of Utah was established on 9 September, 1850, and on 3 February, 1851, Young took the oath of office as its governor, commander-in-chief of the militia, and superintendent of Indian affairs, to which places he had been appointed by President Fillmore. ... Meanwhile the Federal judges were forced by threats of violence to leave Utah, and the laws of the United States were defied and subverted as early as 1850. Colonel Edward Steptoe was sent in 1854 to Utah as governor, with a battalion of soldiers; but he did not deem it, prudent to assume the office, and, after wintering in Salt Lake City, he formally resigned his post and went with his command to California. Most of the civil officers that were commissioned about the same time with Colonel Steptoe arrived in Utah a few months after he had departed, and were harassed and terrified like their predecessors. In February, 1856, a mob of armed Mormons, instigated by sermons from the heads of the (LDS) church, broke into the court-room of the United States district judge and compelled him to adjourn his court. Soon afterward all the United States officers, with the exception of the Indian agent, were forced to flee from the territory. These and other outrages determined President Buchanan to supersede Brigham Young in the office of governor, and to send to Utah a military force to protect the Federal officers. (See CUMMING, ALFRED, and JOHNSTON, ALBERT SIDNEY.) The affair terminated with the acceptance of a pardon by the Mormons, who on their part promised to submit to the Federal authority. ... Besides his office of president of the church, Young was grand archer of the order of Danites, a secret organization within the church, which was one of the chief sources of his absolute power, and whose members, it is claimed, committed many murders and other outrages by his orders. By organizing and directing the trade and industry of the community, he accumulated great wealth. His funeral was celebrated with impressive ceremonies, in which more than 30,000 persons participated. [article link]
Republican Discontent: Conservatives Dislike McCain, Mistrust Romney - GOP Contenders Fight for Nomination but Party Faithful Not Satisfied - "I haven't seen a leader in the entire Republican group" For the last year, conservative Republicans have been unhappy with the Republican field. But some pundits predicted that eventually the party would coalesce around someone. Now the field has been winnowed down largely to two candidates -- Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. Nevertheless, the discontent remains. ... And while Romney claims conservative credentials -- that assertion is undercut by his own record. "I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush," Romney said during his unsuccessful 1994 Senate bid against Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy. ... With dislike of McCain and distrust of Romney, some say only one candidate could unify and energize conservative voters: Hillary Clinton. But conservative activists warn the nominee ignores their concerns at his own peril. "Every time the Republican candidate has not had the enthusiastic support from the base of the Republican party they lose, no matter who the opponent is," said Richard Viguerie, a conservative activist and author. [article link]
Abuse of U.S. Muslim Women Is Greater Than Reported, Advocacy Groups Say - "I suspect it's happening a lot more than we think" says Hussain, who works with battered Muslim women at the Tahirih Justice Center in Northern Virginia WASHINGTON - Two months into an arranged marriage, Fozia Sadiq, a young Pakistani immigrant, found herself trapped in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, with a violent husband. She says he routinely beat her and intimidated her into never going anywhere in public without him. "My neck had so many bruises, and I had
scratches all over my arms," Sadiq told FOXNews.com through an interpreter. A practicing Muslim, Sadiq finally escaped in 2006, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. [article link]
Florida's Jeb Bush not involved in (Republican) presidential primary - As race travels to Florida, famous former governor sits it out {Jeb Bush like the rest of his deranged family likes to see America get on its knees and beg. Jeb Bush will not act until he has forced Americans to beg him to run for office. It's also been that way with George Bush Jr. he will not act on behalf of America or anyone w/o first making them pay in some way.} TAMPA, Fla. - He's the most prominent Republican name in Florida, but he might as well be the invisible man in the state's presidential primary. GOP hopefuls have been snapping up allies from former Gov. Jeb Bush's vaunted political machine in advance of Tuesday's crucial contest. But a question remains. Where's Jeb? "Well under the radar," said Kevin Wagner, a political science professor at Florida Atlantic University. ... Mr. Doster said many Florida Republicans would still like to see him run for national office in the future. ... The secondoldest of the four Bush brothers, Jeb was viewed as the one being groomed to follow father George Bush to national office. [article link]
The State of The Republican Race - Romney outspent him 10:1 in the ad war, but McCain still won a five point victory in the Sunshine state - More trouble for Romney: Far from being seen as the outsider/agent of change, now he's viewed as the status quo Republican, per the exit polling - The angry-with-Bush "change" vote gravitated toward McCain The winner-take-all aspect of McCain-friendly states like New York, New Jersey, Arizona and Connecticut makes a delegate battle tough for Romney. More trouble for Romney: Far from being seen as the outsider/agent of change, now he's viewed as the status quo Republican, per the exit polling. Voters who were happy with Bush and happy with the economy pulled the lever for Romney. The angry-with-Bush "change" vote gravitated toward McCain. This suggests Romney's sunny, optimistic ads about reviving the economy may have seemed out-to-lunch for GOP voters getting jittery about a recession. [article link]
BostonHerald.com: Big win for McCain! Romney for Senate? - What is best right now for the Republican Party is for the nasty attacks between McCain and Romney to end - Governor Romney should reevaluate his candidacy before looking foolish {It's over! Romney needs to go on with a Plan B for his life.} Last night was a huge win for John McCain! For all those pundits who said McCain cannot win a Republican only primary - you were wrong! So what is next? If you look at the winner take all states, McCain has a substantial lead. He will easily win New York (101 delegates), Connecticut (30 delegates), New Jersey (52 delegates) and Arizona (53 delegates). Many of the other states are proportional in delegate selection and the race between McCain and Romney is competitive. Therefore, Romney will not be able to pick up big chunks of delegates to stop McCain. My prediction is that McCain will be the Republican nominee next Wednesday. Moreover, Rudy Giuliani will be the Attorney General. What is best right now for the Republican Party is for the nasty attacks between McCain and Romney to end. Governor Romney should reevaluate his candidacy before looking foolish. Wouldn't his millions be better spent taking on John Kerry and winning? ... I don't think he can appeal to Massachusetts after this campaign. He'd be better off moving out to Nevada where has a following and going after Harry Reid's seat in 2010. [article link]
Is Romney Fighting the Last (Political) War? - he was the only Republican candidate who seemed to be on the right side of nearly every issue for the plurality of the old GOP coalition - And yet, his candidacy sputtered {Mitt sputtered due to a serious lack of credibility among voters. Mitt Romney is Gov. Big Dig the pro-choice, taxraising, liberal-agenda pushing, fiscally irresponsible ex-Governor of Massachusetts. People do not want Gov. Big Dig to become President Big Dig. ... The conservative Republican base still exists it is true conservative
Republican candidates that don't exist.} From the start, Mitt Romney had a clear strategy for winning the White House. He would run as the candidate of the ideological establishment, the Republican old-guard, the coalition of Ronald Reagan, with that threelegged stool of social, fiscal and national security conservatism. He would become the inside man in a presidential field filled with outsiders. So Romney played in nearly every early straw poll, and pandered to each conservative demographic. He joined the NRA. He talked tough on illegal immigrants, and became a crusader against gay marriage. "Strength" was his watchword. With an impressive gallery of high-profile endorsements, he was the only Republican candidate who seemed to be on the right side of nearly every issue for the plurality of the old GOP coalition. And yet, his candidacy sputtered. His narrow loss Tuesday to John McCain in Florida was just the latest in a series of disappointments that began in Iowa and New Hampshire, two states where he had outspent his rivals and once led in the polls. His failures have many causes, which will be raked over by historians. But they also suggest a broader shift: Romney may be running to lead a Republican Party that no longer exists. [article link]
Super Tuesday: 'It's the economy, stupid' - Primary states lost 1.5 million manufacturing jobs under Bush {The Bush - Mitt Romney team outsourced America. Now they want our support, I don't think so!} The 24 states holding primaries in next week's Super Tuesday have lost 1,568,600 manufacturing jobs in the seven years since President Bush took office, according to statistics provided WND by the Alliance for American Manufacturing, or AAM. "In the Super Tuesday states, "It's the economy, stupid,' is what voting is going to be all about," Kerri Houston, senior analyst at AAM, told WND. "It's also about 'It's the defense, stupid," Houston said, "given how many U.S. defense suppliers have now been outsourced overseas." "The Department of Defense now has graveyards full of broken-down equipment, including tanks, airplanes and missile launchers that are out of action for lack of a part," she continued. ... "Republicans who have opposed unions for decades don't want to talk about outsourcing as a problem, because they are afraid the unions would come back if the jobs came back, and the Republicans are happy to see Democrats denied campaign contributions that would be coming out of union dues," Houston emphasized. "But when the military can't find steel, tires or metal parts, and military procurement demands the Department of Defense look for a U.S. manufacturer, we're out of luck," she said. "The part the military needs may today only be made in China." According to AAM data, the 24 Super Tuesday states have lost 914,400 jobs across all sectors to China alone while Bush has been in office. [article link]
Half (or more likely 90%) of gold in central banks is gone? - Watchdog: 'We want to expose and stop the manipulation' - "Most observers calculate central bank reserves are supposed to have about 30,000 tons of gold worldwide in their vaults, but we believe the amount of gold actually there may be more like 15,000 tons," Murphy said "The rest of the gold is gone" {It is in private bank holdings i.e. the Nazi Bush family has helped themselves to the nation's wealth. Now gold is just another manipulated market. The Bush rich will get richer selling gold that doesn't exist while the working middle-class will suddenly get poorer when the rug is pulled out from under the gold market.} "We want to expose and stop the manipulation of the gold market by the United States Treasury and Federal Reserve right now," Murphy said. "The purpose of this ad is to wake people up in the investment world as to what is going on behind the scenes in the U.S. gold and financial markets," Murphy told WND. He explained GATA has decided to pay the Wall Street Journal $264,000 for a one-time placement of the full page ad in the national edition because the financial press has not covered the story. "We have had two major international conferences since 2001; the mainstream financial press has blackballed our message," Murphy explained. "Anybody Seen Our Gold?" the ad is titled, charging U.S. gold reserves held at depositories such as Fort Knox or West Point may have been seriously depleted as they are shipped overseas to settle complex transactions utilized by the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury to suppress prices. GATA further charges the U.S. government strategy to manipulate the price of gold has begun to fail. "The objective of this manipulation is to
conceal the mismanagement of the U.S. dollar so that it might retain its function as the world's reserve currency," the ad copy reads. [article link]
Romney to attend Mormon (puppet master) leader's funeral - Romney recalled that he met with Hinckley three or four times to discuss planning for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and once before Romney decided to run for president - He said he was not particularly close to Hinckley WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Mitt Romney, who rarely talks on the campaign trail about his Mormon faith, said today that he plans to attend the funeral of Gordon B. Hinckley, the church president who died yesterday at age 97 in Salt Lake City. At a news conference called in part to discuss Hinckley's death, Romney recalled that he met with Hinckley three or four times to discuss planning for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and once before Romney decided to run for president. ... Romney said he did know Hinckley personally until he took over the leadership of the Winter Olympics and the two met to discuss the use of church assets, such as property next to the ski jump facility. Some of his requests were approved, others were denied, Romney said. ... Romney did not mention meeting with Hinckley to discuss his run for the presidency until a reporter asked him about it. ... He said he was not particularly close to Hinckley. [article link]
Ten Examples Of Lies Told By Gordon B. Hinckley - In the Larry King Interveiw - Example 7: When asked about the church and politics, Hinckley tells King, "The church does not become involved in politics" {10 plus Lies in only one, one hour interview that's amazing.} Example 1: When asked by King about the church's annual income being $5.9 billion, Hinckley responded, "Well, I don't know about that figure, but we get along." As the senior officer of the LDS church, with its many holdings, combined with tithing from thousands of members (or tens of thousands), it is unimaginable that Hinckley would not know whether $5.9 billion was the figure for church annual income or not. ... Example 9: When asked by King about the LDS church telling Catholics (for example) to leave their church and faith and become a Mormon, Hinckley said, "I say this to other people: you develop all the good you can. We have no animosity toward any other church. We do not oppose other churches. We never speak negatively of other churches. [article link]
Bush praises Hinckley's 'friendship and wisdom' - In 2004, Bush presented Hinckley with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civil award, in recognition of his lifelong public service {What kind of 'public service' did LDS cult leader Gordon B. Hinckley do? The bigger the fraud the bigger the Bush approval.} "He was a tireless worker and a talented communicator who was respected in his community and beloved by his congregation," Bush said. "Laura and I will miss Gordon's friendship and wisdom. ... In 2004, Bush presented Hinckley with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civil award, in recognition of his lifelong public service. GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney, who is Mormon, said in Florida he would take time off from campaigning to attend Hinckley's services. ... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat and a Mormon, called Hinckley a "phenomenal builder" for his focus on constructing new temples across the globe and new ward houses for worshipers. [article link]
Just released! "Late Great USA" DVD, a companion to the best-selling Jerome Corsi book! - The North American Union would not just be the end of America as we know it, but the beginning of an EU-like nightmare - a bureaucratic coup d'etat foisted upon millions of American citizens without their knowledge or consent (DVD) In 2005, during a meeting in Waco, Texas, the leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada announced the establishment of the innocuous-sounding "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America," an announcement that was never submitted to Congress.Why? In this video, WND author Jerome Corsi offers convincing evidence the Security and Prosperity Partnership is laying the groundwork for the unthinkable - a
merger of the U.S., Mexico and Canada into a European Union-type "North American Union," complete with a shared judiciary, open borders and a new currency designed to replace the dollar - the amero. In his New York Times bestseller "The Late Great USA: The Coming Merger with Mexico and Canada," Corsi showed how a bureaucratically entrenched army of "world citizens" is working tirelessly toward this EU-like merger. In the brave new world they envision, the U.S. will no longer be a sovereign nation, but a market designed for maximum economic exploitation by multinational corporations and foreign governments, regardless what American citizens want. [article link]
CuttingEdge.org - Video Viewing Room (Online Video) View Samples of several of our DVDs here. These videos are included here with permission of the copyright holders and cannot be posted on other web sites or used in any way without permission of the copyright holders of each publication. [article link]
Stocks as Good as Gold - The reality, though, is that regardless of the allure of gold in down times, the longterm performance of gold lags stocks by a significant margin - But investors don't need to give up the shiny lure of stability to earn better returns in stocks -- there are stocks out there that are as good as gold - In fact, many are even better than gold {The promise of $1,000 Gold could easily be a TRAP stay out of it if you can. The Bush-Yale Money Managers (MM's) are viciously out to rob from the middle class investor. If the RINO Bush people didn't ruin you with a bad housing market, high oil prices, a bad stock market or by giving your job and your taxes to foreigners, a Gold Trap is also within their ability.} Even at the mention of gold, ideas of value, stability, and growth immediately pop into my head. This is largely thanks to the decades that the precious metal has been marketed as an attractive investment and a great way to hedge inflation, recession, and almost every other economic bogeyman. The reality, though, is that regardless of the allure of gold in down times, the long-term performance of gold lags stocks by a significant margin. But investors don't need to give up the shiny lure of stability to earn better returns in stocks -- there are stocks out there that are as good as gold. In fact, many are even better than gold. [article link]
LONG ago and far away, I was a student of law and of economics at Yale - Note what is happening here: They are not figuring out which way the (stock) market will go - They are making the (stock) market go the direction they want So when you see the market gyrating wildly downward and hear some pundit saying it's because of this or that data or this paradigm or that ratio, remember trader realism. The traders move the market any way they want, any way they think they can make money, and then they whisper a reason to journalists later in the day. Then the journalists print it or say it on television, and the amateurs believe it. And the traders snicker. These traders, not economists or securities analysts, can turn the world upside down, make governments tremble, give central bankers colitis and ruin the lives of ordinary men and women saving for their children's college education or their own retirement. In America today, it is the traders, not the politicians or the generals or the corporate bosses, who have the power. This is what has become of the America of Thomas Jefferson. Lucky for the traders. Sad for the rest of us. And one thing's for sure: With the traders running things, it won't be a good time for amateurs until the traders cry "Switch!" and the market starts to rise. [article link]
Princess Diana Feared Dodi's Father Was Spying on Her - The princess believed the yacht she and Dodi Fayed were vacationing aboard had been bugged by Dodi's father, Mohammed Al Fayed LONDON - Princess Diana feared her boyfriend's father was spying on her as the couple took a luxurious Mediterranean cruise, Diana's sister said Monday. The princess believed the yacht she and Dodi Fayed were vacationing aboard had been bugged by Dodi's father, Mohammed Al Fayed, her sister Lady Sarah
McCorquodale told an inquest investigating Diana and Dodi's deaths. "She thought the boat was being bugged by Mr. Al Fayed senior," ... Earlier Monday, a British detective said a box allegedly containing letters addressed to the princess from Philip (Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband) remains missing. Acting Detective Inspector Roger Milburn said the whereabouts of the box, which he said contained correspondence between the two, remained "an unanswered question." McCorquodale also said she had no idea where the letters had gone. [article link]
Why Kennedy's Endorsement Matters - I also think it reflects Kennedy's belief that Obama will ultimately serve the liberal cause better than Clinton could - And given that Kennedy has seen both presidential contenders up close, as Brian Beutler notes, that judgment has meaning But it's not clear how Kennedy stands to gain politically by antagonizing Clinton, who remains the presumptive front-runner. Nor is there evidence of personal animus between the two. On the contrary, every account I've ever heard suggests Kennedy has a high regard for Clinton, going back to her days as First Lady. So my hunch - and, to be clear, it's just a hunch -- is that this is mostly the real thing. It may reflect Kennedy's anger over the recent campaign tactics, about which Kennedy apparently complained directly to the Clintons. It may reflect Kennedy's sense that Obama has tapped into the same idealism that JFK once did -- a feeling the former president's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, wrote about in her own Obama endorsement on the Times op-ed page yesterday. But I also think it reflects Kennedy's belief that Obama will ultimately serve the liberal cause better than Clinton could. And given that Kennedy has seen both presidential contenders up close, as Brian Beutler notes, that judgment has meaning. Naturally, Kennedy's endorsement carries some risk, too. What will all those Republicans thinking about supporting Obama -- the Obamicans, as he has started calling them -- say when they see Kennedy embracing him? Then again, I bet that's a problem Clinton wishes she had today. [article link]
The Exodus Revealed: Search for the Red Sea Crossing (DVD) This DVD follows the footsteps of the children of Israel in an unforgettable journey of discovery. A journey that reveals physical evidence for the Exodus including: the remains of 3800 year old Hebrew settlements in Egypt's Nile Delta, Egyptian records of the Israelite's bondage under Pharaoh; the precise route they may have followed to freedom; their crossing site on shore of the Red Sea; and the location of Mt. Sinai. This DVD brings to light the first significant archaeological "find" of the 21st century. Approx. 3 hours. DVD Extra Features: Who Was the Pharaoh of the Exodus? Where Are the Ten Commandments? From Egypt to Mt. Sinai - Cecil B. DeMille's Exodus. Timeline from Joseph to the Birth of Jesus Christ - Director's Cut [article link]
Michael Rood - A ROOD Awakening - The cities of Sodom & Gomorrah located - The (Tammuz) PaganChristian Connection Exposed (Book & DVD combo) Author Michael Rood is a bearded Israeli who dresses in the sandals, head covering, tunic and robe from an ancient time and distant place. But don't let the authentic attire and humble introduction disarm you, for in the next split second, Michael shifts into high gear, grabs you by the hand, leads you on a journey back through your Bible, shakes you to the foundations of your soul, and changes you forever. What can a Jewish scholar and theologian teach a Christian about Christianity? Plenty! Michael Rood proves God's power with hold-in-yourhand evidence. He explodes the long held Christian traditions of Christmas, Easter, and Lent. He uses the Bible to lead us back to irrefutable truths from the Word of God. [article link]
Bethany Bible Church - Mp3 Sermon Messages - Online - Downloads Pastor Dave's messages are relevant, informative, scriptural and God-inspired. He keeps his messages firmly rooted in the Bible, and applicable to living life day to day in the 21st Century. Give them a listen and hear for yourself. You have a choice of messages recorded in the Sanctuary service or the Chapel service. You also have
the following choices for listening to the messages: [article link]
NASA photo analyst: Bush wore a device during 2004 debate - Nelson stresses that he's not certain what lies beneath the president's jacket. He offers, though, "that it could be some type of electronic device -- it's consistent with the appearance of an electronic device worn in that manner" {If these politicians had a true stand they wouldn't need coaching during their debates. Because they are liberal RINO politicians pretending to be conservatives they need all the help they can get to pull off their public deceptions.} Oct 29, 2004 | George W. Bush tried to laugh off the bulge. "I don't know what that is," he said on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, referring to the infamous protrusion beneath his jacket during the presidential debates. "I'm embarrassed to say it's a poorly tailored shirt." Dr. Robert M. Nelson, however, was not laughing. He knew the president was not telling the truth. And Nelson is neither conspiracy theorist nor midnight blogger. He's a senior research scientist for NASA and for Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and an international authority on image analysis. Currently he's engrossed in analyzing digital photos of Saturn's moon Titan, determining its shape, whether it contains craters or canyons. For the past week, while at home, using his own computers, and off the clock at Caltech and NASA, Nelson has been analyzing images of the president's back during the debates. A professional physicist and photo analyst for more than 30 years, he speaks earnestly and thoughtfully about his subject. "I am willing to stake my scientific reputation to the statement that Bush was wearing something under his jacket during the debate," he says. "This is not about a bad suit. And there's no way the bulge can be described as a wrinkled shirt." ... Nelson stresses that he's not certain what lies beneath the president's jacket. He offers, though, "that it could be some type of electronic device -- it's consistent with the appearance of an electronic device worn in that manner." The image of lines coursing up and down the president's back, Nelson adds, is "consistent with a wire or a tube." [article link]
The Romney Whisper Mystery - the whisper-assist to Romney in last night's debate - The fact that their is a second whisper "support" heard in another question shows that he was indeed cheating We're linking to this over on the Video Feed too, but I just couldn't pass up a chance to weigh in on the whisper-assist to Romney in last night's debate. Tim Russert is asking Romney whether he'd do what Reagan did to solidify Social Security. Romney looks a little non-plussed until there's an audible whisper from somewhere "…raised taxes," after which Romney immediately starts in "I'm not going to raise taxes..." ... The fact that their is a second whisper "support" heard in another question shows that he was indeed cheating so sad that our great country is now under control of a corrupt few! [article link]
Strange Whisper Before Romney Answer Perplexes Debate Viewers - The Romney campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment from FOX News Right before Romney answered, somebody seemed to whisper: "He raised taxes." And then Romney responded, as if taking the cue, "I'm not going to raise taxes." So where did the whisper come from? ... Web site The Raw Story wrote in a brief article about the incident Friday that some are accusing Romney of "shenanigans" - like waiting for a prompt before answering the question. The Romney campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment from FOX News. Jeremy Gaines, a spokesman for debate sponsor MSNBC, said in an e-mail to FOXNews.com, "We heard the same thing you heard. There was obviously an open mike which picked up the whisper, but we have no way of knowing who did the whispering." The whispers about the whisper are reminiscent of the Internet speculation in 2004 over whether George W. Bush was wearing a wire during a debate, after photos showed what appeared to be an unusual bulge on his back. Bush denied he was getting a feed from his aides, and laughed off the rumors. [article link]
SCRIPTED MITT ROMNEY AT THE MSNBC FLORIDA DEBATE!!! - I have to conclude Romney is getting fed answers - The media needs to be all over this (YouTube 10 sec) stevizal-NBC has UPDATED since then and Brian Williams wrote in his blog, he heard the "whisper" and does not know from where it came, but it wasn't from him whispering to Russert. Open mike was the first propaganda - but people weren't believing it - so they changed to "do not know" another lie. [article link]
Romney, Like George W. Bush, Using a Wire - The sound of Romney's prompter (debate aide - audio prompt) was in the original broadcast - MSNBC even blogged about it, but has since removed the post The sound of Romney's prompter was in the original broadcast. MSNBC even blogged about it, but has since removed the post. And to get busted on "Don't Raise Taxes" which is the answer regardless of the question! Would be funny if it weren't so tragic that not even his opponents will mention it. Are they cheating too? The media wouldn't mention Bush's cheating - can we force them to mention Romney's (which will, of course, bring up Bush's cheating)? Please contact the media. If there's another explanation, MSNBC knows what it is. There is the possibility that Tim Russert cheats. Could that be part of the explanation for the media's resistance to calling out cheating candidates? [article link]
Abortion issue will decide if party belongs to Rudy (RINO) or Reagan - it marks either the beginning of the end of the Giuliani campaign - or the beginning of the end of the Party of Ronald Reagan {What truly is at issue in the 2008 Republican Party is if the party is going to be liberal (RINO) or conservative. Bush is all about the RINO party and actually seems to want to destroy forever the conservative side of the Republican Party. The Bush supported Mitt Romney is a Bush 'false flag' operation (pretending to be on one side yet actually being on the other) in that Romney is as RINO as they come - Romney bragged on several occasions that he was more liberal than Sen. Ted Kennedy.} "After months of conflicting signals on abortion, Rudolph W. Giuliani is planning to offer a forthright affirmation of his support for abortion rights in public forums, television appearances and interviews in coming days," writes The New York Times. If true, it marks either the beginning of the end of the Giuliani campaign - or the beginning of the end of the Party of Ronald Reagan. For Reagan's party was a pro-life party. Life defined the man. Life defined the movement he led. It was Reagan who insisted that his speechwriters include mention of the life issue in every State of the Union. At one lunch with senior staff, Reagan choked up as he read a letter from a woman who said she daily thanked God she had not had an abortion 45 years before, as she had considered doing, as now the son she had borne was taking care of her in her old age. Since Reagan, whatever GOP nominees have believed privately, they ran as pro-life . If Rudy were to be nominated as a pro-choice Republican, millions would stay home or vote third party. For it was the life issue that brought them into the party, or kept them there when they disagreed with the party on almost everything else. [article link]
Microsoft partners get Vista successor - Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista - The new Microsoft operating system - that has now been moved up a few months to second-half 2009 {Looks like most people and businesses can stay with XP to skip Vista and wait for windows 7 if you are not on Linux or a Mac by then.} Industry sources have confirmed the shipment to "key partners" of an early version of Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista. The new Microsoft operating system was previously code named Blackcomb Vienna and is likely to be introduced in the second half of 2009. The version will be a "Milestone 1" (M1) edition for validation purposes only; two more Milestone builds are expected before the public Beta release. Microsoft's roadmap for release had slated 2010 for the debut; that has now been moved up a few months to second-half 2009. ... It will become clearer when Windows 7 will be going into production when Microsoft announces its Windows Logo Program Changes for the software; at present there is little information available on Vista's replacement [article link]
Christian author has problem with conservatives {Both offended and offending Christians are the weaker Christians. Do not focus your faith walk on other people. Mature, strong Spiritual Christians focus on Jesus and His grace. There is only One Body of Jesus Christ the (Church) to distain a fellow Christian is to distain a fellow brother and a child of God. If the liberal left hand of the Church body pokes out the conservative right eye of the Church body it is the same body of Christ that is injured.} ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- Donald Miller still loves God and Jesus. Don't misunderstand him. Five years after he wrote "Blue Like Jazz," Donald Miller's book on Christianity becomes a hit. His problem is with Christianity, at least how it's often practiced. "It's a dangerous term so I try to avoid it," said Miller, who considered giving up his career as a Christian writer and leaving the church in 2003 because he couldn't attend services without getting angry. For him, the word conjured up conservative politics, suburban consumerism and an "insensitivity to people who aren't like us." To quell his rage, he sat in his boxer shorts and banged out a memoir of his experiences with God, stripped of the trappings of religion. ... Then five years later, spurred by a grass-roots movement of 20-something Christians longing to connect to God without ties to the religious right, the book became a sudden hit. Fans were buying caseloads and passing out copies to friends. It peaked at No. 18 on The New York Times list of best-sellers among paperback nonfiction in November. He was mobbed by fans after a recent Young Life conference in Orlando where he addressed a crowd of roughly 4,000. Christians tired of the "life is perfect" mantra of some churches, revel in his ability to talk unashamedly about smoking pot, living in a hippie commune and the notion that God isn't a Republican. Supporters say Miller's authentic, graceful approach to God has finally given a voice to their brand of Christianity. The book also debuted at a time when the emerging church movement -- which emphasizes the individual's faith experience and varied worship styles -- is flourishing, signaling a fertile audience for such religious musings among more socially liberal evangelicals. [article link]
Rock and Roll Sorcerers of the New Age Revolution - The one that started it all - the original 1992 video expose - A four-hour live seminar given at Hermosa Beach California - Because of the live format - this DVD remains a favorite (DVD) This video seminar is the most comprehensive music documentary exposing the Satanic influence behind yesterday and today's secular music. It contains irrefutable evidence that demonic beings are leading the world to destruction in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Don't miss out on the opportunity to own your own copy of this eye opening exposé which is sure to convince even the hardest of skeptics! [article link]
Deputy Coroner Stole Gift Cards From Dead Woman - A deputy coroner has been arrested on accusations she stole gift cards from the body of a woman - Investigators have recovered evidence, including tapes of (her) using the gift cards at local stores AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A deputy coroner has been arrested on accusations she stole gift cards from the body of a woman who had committed suicide. Investigators arrested Richmond County Deputy Coroner Charlena Graham on Wednesday. She has been charged with a felony count of theft by taking. Graham, 43, has also been fired from the coroner's office, where she worked for about four years, officials said. ... Shortly after, all personal items from woman were turned over to Graham, including five gift cards for Macy's, Target, Victoria's Secret and a local steak house, according to Richmond County Sheriff Ronnie Strength. Authorities later learned from family members of the deceased woman that some gift cards might have been missing, Strength said. Sheriff's Lt. Jack Francisco said the total value of the gift cards was about $400. "I'm surprised, but not shocked," he told the Augusta Chronicle. Investigators have recovered evidence, including tapes of Graham using the gift cards at local stores, Sheriff Strength said. [article link]
Microsoft ponders offline profiling of Web users - Microsoft Corp. is developing a method of using personal data such as credit-card information to target Internet users with advertising once they connect to the Web {Microsoft has engaged in this activity for a long time. Vista and XP SP3 are just Microsoft spyware platforms.
Microsoft is unable to keep other virus programs from infecting their computer operating systems because Microsoft software is itself basically one gigantic virus. There is no personal privacy on the internet, on your work computer, or even on your own home personal computer.} SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Microsoft Corp. is developing a method of using personal data such as credit-card information to target Internet users with advertising once they connect to the Web, according to a patent application filed by the company. In an application disclosed earlier this month, a Microsoft team including Chairman Bill Gates presents a method of collecting information about users' "cell phones, geolocation systems, credit-card information" and other data sources to select and display "targeted advertising." The technology described in the patent application touches on a delicate issue for Microsoft and other online companies such as Google Inc. [article link]
How RFID works (YouTube 2:31) The actual RFID tag is shaped in a Nazi Iron cross and a swastaka. ... doen anybody notice how it makes a swastaka symbol on (frame) 1:15 in the video. [article link]
RFID, The Good, Bad & Ugly (YouTube 3:40) ROBTV report on Radio Frequency Identification. [article link]
f2a.org: Radio Show Archives January 18 - Guests: co-author of Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID (FREE Mp3's) Faith2Action Radio Program Archive: Listen to some of the most brilliant minds (our guests) and most effective organizations on the side of faith and family. List of Radio Stations that air our daily radio program: For our internet listeners, in any event where there is a problem with the site or live streaming, here are two alternative sources to hear the program live on weekdays at 2 PM ET: (www.vcyamerica.org) (www.reachfm.org) Our most recent broadcasts: [article link]
STRANGE DAYS - Chronicles of the End of the Age - Tiny radio frequency identification, or RDIF, tags similar to VeriChip have been embedded in livestock and pets in the millions in recent years as a more secure form of identification than external tags For over two years we have been covering the moves of Applied Digital Solutions' VeriChip implants, and it looks that what we at first surmised is turning into reality. I remember how ADS, when news first broke out, denied forcefully that their "invention" was to be implanted into people. I personally sent them an e-mail (over two years ago) to ask them this very question and they were in total denial. Well, it turns out that they were lying through their teeth since they ARE now indeed implanting it into human beings. So much for truth and honesty. ... The Food and Drug Administration has cleared the way for a Florida company to market implantable chips that would provide easy access to individual medical records. The approval, which the company announced yesterday, is expected to bring to public attention a simmering debate over a technology that has evoked Orwellian overtones for privacy advocates and fueled fears of widespread tracking of people with implanted radio frequency tags, even though that ability does not yet exist. ... Tiny radio frequency identification, or RDIF, tags similar to VeriChip have been embedded in livestock and pets in the millions in recent years as a more secure form of identification than external tags. But no device maker has yet been able to create a market for human implantable tags like VeriChip, which are the size of a grain of rice and are inserted under the skin of the arm or hand with a syringe. [article link]
California outlaws the forced subdermal RFID tagging of humans - the bill (SB 362) called forced RFID tagging the "the ultimate invasion of privacy" Worrying that your employer will force you to stick a small chip beneath your skin ranks low on the list of employee concerns in most parts of the country, but that didn't stop the state of California from passing a bill last week to ban such forced tagging of humans. The state senator who sponsored the bill called forced RFID tagging the "the ultimate invasion of privacy," and his bill is now on its way to the governor's desk for his signature. ... "I think it's unfortunate and regrettable that the industry hasn't come out in support of SB 362," he said in a statement after the bill passed the Senate. "I understand why we're having a robust debate about the privacy concerns related to RFID, but at the very least, we should be able to agree that the forced implanting of under-the-skin technology into human beings is just plain wrong. I'm deeply concerned that this isn't a given for the industry." [article link]
{Flashback} Hold Off on That Chip, Says Thompson Ex-Bush Cabinet Officer in No Rush for Implant WASHINGTON - When former Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson joined the board of directors of a company promoting the broad implantation of microchips into Americans for identification purposes, he pledged to get chipped himself as an example. But Thompson doesn't appear to be in any hurry to get the implant. ... But when authors Liz McIntyre and Katherine Albrecht, who researched human chipping for their book "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID," contacted VeriChip Corp. earlier this month, they were told that the chipping never took place. VeriChip spokesman John Procter said Thompson has been "too busy" to undergo the chipping procedure, adding that he had no clear plans to do so in the future. "I wouldn't put any type of time line on it," Procter said. [article link]
TCS expands relationship with Microsoft to deliver (radio frequency identification) RFID [Tracking Devices] - to deliver RFID solutions to global companies - its RFID solution accelerator for re-usable asset tracking, built using Microsoft BizTalk RFID At the RFID Journal Live 2007 conference in Orlando, TCS' RFID practice experts will demonstrate its RFID solution accelerator for re-usable asset tracking, built using Microsoft BizTalk RFID. TCS is uniquely positioned to deliver RFID solutions seamlessly to any location worldwide through its Global Network Delivery Model™. TCS' RFID practice group is staffed by core RFID technology experts and industry consultants. It offers solutions and services that cover the full spectrum of RFID deployment including business consulting, architecture design, radio frequency equipment selection and installation, software development and implementation, systems integration, and maintenance. ... In 2003 TCS announced the establishment of a dedicated RFID practice to build technical competence and create assets around RFID solutions. Additionally, in June 2005 TCS launched its RFID Technology Center in Chicago , Illinois, to provide consulting services and solutions to enterprises pursuing business strategies that capitalize on RFID. [article link]
French bank Societe Generale said Thursday it has uncovered a $7.14 billion fraud - one of history's biggest by a single futures trader who fooled investors and overstepped his authority - It said a trader at the futures desk had misled investors in 2007 and 2008 through a "scheme of elaborate fictitious transactions" PARIS (AP) -- French bank Societe Generale said Thursday it has uncovered a $7.14 billion fraud - one of history's biggest - by a single futures trader who fooled investors and overstepped his authority. The fraud destabilized a major bank already exposed to the subprime crisis. France's second- largest bank by market value said it would be forced to seek $8.02 billion in new capital. Trading in Societe Generale's shares, which have lost nearly half their value over the past six months, was suspended on the Paris bourse. It was unclear when trading would resume. The bank said it detected the fraud at its French markets division the weekend of Jan. 19-20. In a statement announcing the discovery, it called the fraud "exceptional in its size and nature." It
said a trader at the futures desk had misled investors in 2007 and 2008 through a "scheme of elaborate fictitious transactions." The trader, who was not named, used his knowledge of the group's security systems to conceal his fraudulent positions, a statement from the bank said. The individual confessed to the fraud, the bank said, and was being dismissed. His supervisors were to leave the group. Chief Executive Daniel Bouton offered his resignation, but the board rejected it. [article link]
{Flashback} Romney Fund-Raiser Resigns - Mr. Fabian, who had been one of 35 co-chairs on Mr. Romney's national finance committee, allegedly ran up $32 million in fake purchases with his consulting company previously served as a major fundraiser for George W. Bush AMES, Iowa-A top fund-raiser for Mitt Romney who was indicted this week in Maryland on a $32 million fraud scheme has resigned from his position with the campaign as a national finance committee co-chair, a spokesman for Mr. Romney said. A federal grand jury in Maryland unsealed its 23-count indictment of the fund-raiser, Alan B. Fabian, 43, on Thursday for money laundering, mail fraud, bankruptcy fraud, perjury and obstruction of justice. Mr. Fabian, who had been one of 35 co-chairs on Mr. Romney's national finance committee, allegedly ran up $32 million in fake purchases with his consulting company, Maximus Inc., based in northern Virginia, and pocketed the money for himself. He became a "bundler," one of those who commit to bringing in large sums through their own networks of donors, for Mr. Romney's campaign back in January, having previously served as a major fundraiser for George W. Bush. [article link]
McCain, Romney grab reins of California's GOP voters - "It's a tug-of-war between the moderate wing and the strong conservative wing, with Romney the favorite of the conservatives and McCain the favorite of the moderates" {When an ultra-liberal, say anything politician like Mitt Romney becomes the hope of the conservatives in the Republican Party, the Republican Party is a lost cause for conservatives. Why not just vote for Jane Fonda? On paper you couldn't find a difference between Jane Fonda or Mitt Romney, besides the liberal McCain is probably actually more conservative than the squirrely Mitt Romney.} "I've never seen such an unsettled field two weeks before an election, at least in a presidential primary," Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo said. The poll shows a sharp ideological split among Republicans considered likely to vote in the primary. "It's a tug-of-war between the moderate wing and the strong conservative wing, with Romney the favorite of the conservatives and McCain the favorite of the moderates," DiCamillo said. Republicans who describe themselves as "strongly conservative" support Romney over McCain, 26% to 16%. Republicans who describe themselves as "moderately conservative," "moderate" or "liberal" favor McCain over Romney, 27% to 9%. [article link]
Exxon guns for all-time profit record - again - With oil prices having recently crossed the $100 a barrel threshold - "For every $1 increase in the price of oil, Exxon makes another $125 million for the quarter" {When the Arabs up the price of oil from the middle-east it doesn't cost Exxon any more to pump and refine their oil so it is all profit for Exxon. Instead of holding the line for America and selling their N.A. oil at their price level they sell it for the most they can. Oil in the middle-east costs about $2-$5 to explore and pump per barrel while Exxon oil might be about $20 per barrel in costs, all the rest to $100 per barrel is pure profit for the oil companies.} NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Exxon Mobil, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, is within striking distance of setting an all-time profit record - again. Analysts are expecting the company to post solid quarterly and full-year earnings next Thursday - and if the results top forecasts, Exxon (XOM, Fortune 500) could end up reporting the highest profit ever for a U.S. company. With oil prices having recently crossed the $100 a barrel threshold, it comes as no surprise that Exxon is a whisker away from setting a new milestone. "Exxon is likely to have record quarterly earnings," said Fadel Gheit, a senior energy analyst at Oppenheimer. "For every $1
[increase] in the price of oil, Exxon makes [another] $125 million for the quarter." [article link]
Baghdad, Al-Anbar Attacks Leave 2 U.S. Soldiers Dead - A total of 3,926 U.S. military personnel have died in Iraq, of whom 3,194 were killed in action. More than 28,900 have been wounded, 12,942 of them so seriously that they couldn't return to duty, according to figures on the Department of Defense Web site Jan. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Two U.S. soldiers died in attacks in Iraq's western province of al-Anbar and Baghdad's Arab Jabour, a suburb where American forces have carried out air strikes against suspected al-Qaeda positions during a nationwide operation. A roadside bomb killed the soldier in Arab Jabour. The other soldier died while fighting in al-Anbar. Both incidents took place on Jan. 19, the U.S. military said today in separate e- mailed statements. Further details weren't available. ... A total of 3,926 U.S. military personnel have died in Iraq, of whom 3,194 were killed in action. More than 28,900 have been wounded, 12,942 of them so seriously that they couldn't return to duty, according to figures on the Department of Defense Web site. [article link]
Top US (Bush) officials declared war on truth when it came to Iraq: report - in the run-up to the Iraq war, lying 935 times in a two-year period leading up to the Iraq war WASHINGTON (AFP) - Top US officials ran roughshod over the truth in the run-up to the Iraq war, lying 935 times in a two-year period leading up to the Iraq war, a study released Wednesday found. The Center for Public Integrity's founder Charles Lewis and researchers helping him write a forthcoming book, identified "935 false statements by eight top administration officials that mentioned Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction, or links to Al-Qaeda, on at least 532 separate occasions" ahead of the March 18, 2003 invasion of Iraq, they said in a statement. With the fifth anniversary of the war looming, the center underscored that its work calls into question "the repeated assertions of (George W.) Bush administration officials that they were merely the unwitting victims of bad intelligence." Among those who made the false statements: Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, and White House press secretaries Ari Fleisher and Scott McClellan, the study said. "This is a report like no other, which calls into question more than 900 false statements that were the underpinnings of the administration's case for war," argued the CIJ's Executive Director Bill Buzenberg. [article link]
Study: False statements preceded Iraq war - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks {The greedy Bush family wanted to get its dirty hands on the Iraq oil. Bush is a slob and an oil glutton who hasn't lifted a finger to reduce the price of oil and gas. Bush happily sits by collecting money on his own oil investments all the while destroying America, the economy and the people.} WASHINGTON - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks. The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses." The study was posted Tuesday on the Web site of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism. ... "In short, the Bush administration led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003." [article link]
World Net Daily (WND) acquires World Ahead Media - First Internet news site to own book-publishing division - The new wholly owned subsidiary corporation will take on the name WND Books, the name that has become
synonymous with best-selling and cutting-edge titles for more than five years WASHINGTON - WND continues its industry trend-setting ways by acquiring World Ahead Media, a Los Angeles-based book-publishing company with which it has been partnered for the last 18 months. The new wholly owned subsidiary corporation will take on the name WND Books, the name that has become synonymous with best-selling and cutting-edge titles for more than five years. WND and World Ahead Media had recently partnered on Jerome Corsi's "Late Great USA," Joseph Farah's "Stop the Presses!," Kathleen Willey's "Target," and Aaron Klein's "Schmoozing With Terrorists." ... "This is a very exciting historical moment for WND," said Farah, WND's founder, editor and chief executive officer. "Not only does the acquisition mark the first major expansion for WND, but it represents a chance to join forces with some very talented people with whom we have had a chance to work closely over the last two years - people we respect and like and who add a new dimension to our growing media company." [article link]
Walking in Truth: These are the Last Days - days of Great Deception in the earth - Consequently, we find many professing a relationship with God that they truly are not walking out before all. In other words, they are "talking the talk" but not "walking the walk" Yet, in spite of the gross deception sweeping over the earth in this hour, God's command for His children to manage and direct their lives and affairs by His Holy Word is sounding out loud and clear. Those, who are heeding the call from heaven to "work out" their "own salvation with fear and trembling," are discovering that in the very midst of great pretension, hypocrisy, phoniness, and deceit - God's grace is enabling them to have a walk that is true and a lifestyle that is upright. Heaven is rejoicing to see it happen. ... Using this verse of Scripture as a springboard, this website was designed with the sole purpose of strengthening, edifying, and building up God's precious saints with His Holy Word to the point where they would become excessively preoccupied with the Truth and, resultantly, live in perfect accordance with it. As you visit this site, I pray you that you will not leave the way you came. As you "feast" on the various messages, based solely on the Awesome and Life-Changing Word of God, I believe for your life to be totally transformed by the Spirit of the Living God. [article link]
Major allegations of vote fraud in New Hampshire - Major allegations of vote fraud in New Hampshire are circulating after Hillary Clinton reversed a mammoth pre-polling deficit to defeat Barack Obama with the aid of Diebold electronic voting machines According to a voter in Sutton, New Hampshire, three of her family members voted for Ron Paul, yet when she checked the voting map on the Politico website, the total votes for Ron Paul were zero. {Their votes probably slid over to McCain.} ... Clinton would not have beat Obama without the aid of Diebold voting machines. In precincts where electronic voting machines were used, Clinton got a 7% swing over Obama, having gained 5% in comparison to hand-counted ballots and Obama losing 2%. {In summary the unverifiable electronic votes registered a 5% Hillary win while the paper ballets actually registered a 4% Barack Obama win.} [article link]
Unprecedented Vote Fraud About To Come - Huge Diebold Disparities Uncovered In New Hampshire Recount VOTE FRAUD EVIDENCE 122: Specifically, Bilderberg attendee and fixer-extraordinaire Hillary Clinton literally stole the nation's first primary from the forward surging favorite, Barack Obama. Behind by double digits in every conceivable poll (including their own internal audits) while drawing significantly sparser crowds at her rallies, Hillary Clinton still pulled what major television pundits on MSNBC called "one of the most stunning upsets in the history of politics." Others said the results "defied explanation," while Keith Olbermann labeled it a "titanic upset victory" for Mrs. Clinton. Once again, the culprit in this messy affair was the Diebold opticalscan voting system, which was responsible for tallying (in secret) 81% of all votes cast in New Hampshire. This corrupt outfit-which has an exclusive programming contract for New Hampshire (as well as three other states in
New England)-is LHS Associates, run by a man named John Silvestro. [article link]
Hillary Clinton displayed her "very special" (SATANIC) American flag at the victory celebration in New Hampshire! - Have you not seen this flag, pictured here to the left? Virtually no one else has, either, as this is a very special flag with a most unusual type of star(s) - has [50] inverted Goatshead of Mendez (Black Magic Pentagram Star) stars on it (Photos) NEWS BRIEF: "Hillary stuns Obama in New Hampshire", XPress News, January 9, 2008. "Hillary Rodham Clinton won New Hampshire's Democratic primary Tuesday night in a startling upset, defeating Barack Obama. ... Have you not seen this flag, pictured here to the left? Virtually no one else has, either, as this is a very special flag with a most unusual type of star. Look carefully at the white stars in the upper left corner, which is the normal, traditional location for the stars. The normal type of star in the upper left corner of the American flag is the standard star with one point up -- which "White Magic" practitioners consider the "Good Pentagram". You can easily see this type of star in the traditional American flag, shown above to the right. However, the stars in this Hillary flag are the (point down) two points up variety -- which is the evil, Black Magick pentagram, a Pentagram considered to be one of the most evil symbols in the world. Only the Hexagram is considered to be a more evil symbol. Therefore, Hillary is using a Black Magic Pentagram Star for her victory celebration on the night of the New Hampshire primary celebration! How many people in her victory party even noticed that the stars were different? Since most people will look at a common symbol and see what they think they should see, I can guarantee that very few people -- if any -- noticed the difference. At first, I thought that, perhaps, someone had just hung the flag upside down. But, that cannot be, because then the star section would be in the bottom right of the flag, and completely hidden by the throngs of people in front. No, the star section was in the traditional upper left corner; the only difference was that the stars had been rotated so that two points are showing up, making this the evil "Goatshead of Mendez" pentagram. [article link]
Newsmax.com: Dick Morris' Political Insider - It Might be Hillary vs. McCain {This election there is going to be some drama and some theater but in the end it will likely be Hillary vs. McCain and Hillary will win. The Republican-Democratic election is more rigged than the stock market and only slightly less rigged than a WWF WrestleMania title match. McCain will win and he will be faithful to do his McCain Melt for Hillary just as he was faithful to Melt and allow George Bush the 2000 primary win. In the Bush Republican Party, McCain is the pick while Romney is only allowed to spend his money and play. Mitt is not allowed to win or even eat at the table with the adults.} McCain is, of course, the Republican who, apart from Rudy, would have the best chance to defeat Hillary. She can't pull the old experience gambit on this long term Senator and his record on everything from global warming to corporate reform to campaign finance to torture to tobacco regulation to immigration reform makes it very hard for Hillary to defeat him. And, because of his appeal to Hispanics left over from his battle for the McCain-Kennedy immigration plan, he is ideally suited to take minority voters, burned by Hillary's scorched earth policy against Barack Obama, away from the Democrats. It's too early to coronate McCain or Hillary but they have clearly moved to the level of front runners as a result of their victories on Saturday. © 2008 Dick Morris & Eileen McGann [article link]
{Flashback} Exclusive: Dick Morris Says Hillary Will Be America's Next President - In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to slow investigations Barring a Clinton indictment, however, Hillary's White House path is clear for 2008. ... A Big Boost From ... Bush In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to slow investigations. "In retrospect it will look like a mistake on his part," Morris told NewsMax. "He's treating
the scandals as an inconvenience, but that's because of one of the core convictions of the Bush family. They always oppose aggressive action against former presidents." He argues that, though some of the accusations leveled against his ex-boss were "garbage," the 11th-hour pardons were a different matter. "That scandal was very real. And if there is no action on the pardon scandal, Bush will ultimately regret that," Morris predicts. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton - "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton" he said, referring to how Bill Clinton had followed his father, and Hillary Clinton could follow him - Bush said he checked in with Clinton occasionally {Bush Sr., Bill Clinton, Bush Jr., next is Hillary Clinton, then comes Jeb Bush ... It's just a theory but are you getting the picture?} WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush says Bill Clinton has become so close to his father that the Democratic former president is like a member of the family. Former President George Bush has worked with Clinton to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami and the hurricane disaster along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Asked about his father and Clinton, Bush quipped, "Yes, he and my new brother." "That's a good relationship. It's a fun relationship to watch," Bush said in an interview with CBS News broadcast on Sunday. While attending Pope John Paul's funeral, Bush said, "It was fun to see the interplay between dad and Clinton. One of these days, I'll be a member of the ex-president's club. ... I'll be looking for something to do." ... Bush said he checked in with Clinton occasionally. "And you know, he says things that makes it obvious - that makes it obvious to me that we're kind of, you know, on the same wavelength about the job of the presidency. Makes sense, after all, there's this kind of commonality," he said. Bush jokingly referred to speculation that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former president's wife, will seek the Democratic nomination for the presidency. He had earlier referred to the former first lady as "formidable." "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton," he said, referring to how Bill Clinton had followed his father, and Hillary Clinton could follow him. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush Says Hillary Clinton Will Be Democratic Nominee - President Bush, breaking his rule not to talk about presidential politics, says he believes Hillary Rodham Clinton will defeat Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries {Why is Bush campaigning for Hillary? The 2008 election is probably as rigged as an old WWF Title Match. Hillary is the ringer and likely McCain, Rudy, Fred or some other Republican sacrifice is destined to lose. Looks like Bush Jr. is playing the same "end game" his dad played when he gifted his 1992 reelection to Bill Clinton.} WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush, breaking his rule not to talk about presidential politics, says he believes Hillary Rodham Clinton will defeat Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries. Bush also predicts that Clinton will be defeated in the general election by the Republican nominee. "I believe our candidate can beat her but it's going to be a tough race," the president said. It has been difficult for Bush to remain silent about the 2008 president race, despite his promises not to be the "prognosticator in chief." He has been talking about the race and handicapping candidates during off-the-record chats with visitors to the White House. He finally went public with his Clinton prediction in an interview for a book by Bill Sammon, a reporter for The Washington Examiner. ... The White House did not challenge Sammon's account. ... Bush said Giuliani's popularity was a sign of how important the terrorism issue is to Republican voters, the newspaper said. It said Bush cautioned against ruling out Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., saying he had managed to revive his campaign after an implosion earlier this year. [article link]
Apple (computer) record Q1 earnings fall on deaf ears - Apple's (stock) shares, having closed at $155.64, down 3.5% for the day, plunged more than 12% in after-hours trading - "I talked to one of our technical analysts before the call and he told me that the stock was going down to $130 no matter what results Apple posted" Munster said in a phone interview - Yahoo AAPL Forum: "again this points to manipulation. this [stock market] is like a casino run by the mob. the rules dont apply anymore. its a total joke. revenues and earnings and fundmentals mean nothing. you think sports are fixed, my god the stock market is rigged beyond belief. theres
no way to win but luck." As expected, Apple (AAPL) had a very merry Christmas, posting the best quarter in its 32-year history, with earnings up 58% over the same quarter last year. But the good news fell on deaf ears in a market roiled by the broader meltdown. And the company's conservative projections for the next three months seems to have spooked investors attuned for signs of a coming recession. Apple's shares, having closed at 155.64, down 3.5% for the day, plunged more than 12% in after-hours trading. At one point the stock hit 136.75, a four-month low. ... Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster confessed that in his five years of covering Apple he's never seen anything like the market's reaction to these earnings. "I talked to one of our technical analysts before the call and he told me that the stock was going down to 130 no matter what results Apple posted," Munster said in a phone interview. [article link]
(Computer chip maker) AMD Posts Another Loss; Results Signal Recovery[?] After Tough Year - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) reported Thursday after the markets closed its fifth straight quarterly loss - The company reported a net loss of $1.772 billion, wider than the $576 million loss reported in the year-ago period - In reaction to the earnings results, traders bid up the stock, sending (AMD) up by about 3.5% in the after hours The company reported a net loss of $1.772 billion, wider than the $576 million loss reported in the year-ago period. The net loss included charges equating to $1.675 billion. On a per share basis, the net loss for the quarter was $3.06 per share, including a charge of $2.89 per share, compared to a loss of $1.08 per share last year. If not for these charges, the company would have reported a loss of $97 million compared to a non-GAAP net loss of $25 million in the same period last year. ... AMD's full year net loss widened to $3.379 billion from a net loss of $166 million for 2006. The recent year's bottom line results included a non-cash charge of $2.007 billion. The top line growth for the fiscal year 2007 was 6% to $6.013 billion. On an adjusted basis, the company posted a mammoth loss of $1.372 billion for the full year [2007] versus a profit of $401 million last year [2006]. [article link]
Chip Entrepreneur Settles SEC Lawsuit - $1.45 million in illegal trading profits - Saiyed Atiq Raza will pay nearly $3 million to settle an insider-trading lawsuit with the Securities and Exchange Commission - Raza learned from OrthoClear's CEO that the company had settled a legal dispute with its primary competitor, Align Technology Inc., and that the settlement would benefit Align's stock {Saiyed was the former AMD COO and was serving on the AMD board of directors.} SAN FRANCISCO - The former director of a company specializing in teeth-straightening mouthpieces will pay nearly $3 million to settle an insider-trading lawsuit with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC said Tuesday. Saiyed Atiq Raza, 58, of Palo Alto, agreed to pay back $1.45 million in illegal trading profits and a $1.45 million penalty, the SEC said. He also agreed to a five-year ban on serving as an officer or director of a public company. The settlement does not include an admission of guilt. ... According to the complaint, Raza learned from OrthoClear's CEO that the company had settled a legal dispute with its primary competitor, Align Technology Inc., and that the settlement would benefit Align's stock. Raza bought 3,500 Align call options, or the right to buy Align stock in the future at a set price, and 60,000 shares of Align common stock, according to the complaint. When news of the legal settlement was made public, Align's stock price shot up 48 percent, netting Raza a $1.45 million profit. [article link]
Commentary: Regulators are in a futile fight to stop insider trading - Hedge funds a bigger problem - It turns out there are a lot of trades out there that are sketchy - "They break up the trades to seem less noticeable" Investment banks are trading on non-public information as is suggested by a new study, a regulatory probe and a Wall Street Journal story about the practice. Is this revelation really such a shock to investors? For a year, this column has documented a pattern of suspicious trading activity in the days before deal announcements. The options markets have been rife with pre-deal bets for companies and deals large and small. "The opportunities to do it are immense, not only because they have access but because there's so much noise in
the market," said Jon Najarian, co-founder of OptionMonster Inc., an options research firm. "A lot of those algorithmic traders create cover because of the sheer volume of trades they make." ... Now, three professors argue that there is ample evidence that investment banks are trading on information gleaned in-house from investment bankers working with companies in deal talks. Note that the study came from European universities. Are U.S. schools losing their competitive edge to foreign rivals? [article link]
{Flashback} ENRON-BUSH-HARVARD-WTC-OIL-CONNECTION - Harvard could face inquiry into Enron links the timely selling of (Enron) stock which netted (Harvard) an estimated $50m as the company's shares declined (articles - links) A group of Harvard students and alumni have called for an investigation into possible links between an Enron director on the university's governing corporation and the timely selling of stock which netted an estimated $50m as the company's shares declined. HarvardWatch, which campaigns for more open governance of the university, admits it has no evidence of insider trading but is urging the suspension of Herbert "Pug" Winokur from the seven-member corporation pending the outcome of a "credible investigation into alleged financial improprieties regarding the management of the university's endowment". The university said Mr Winokur, who chairs Enron's finance committee, was a "valued member" of the Harvard Corporation. A Harvard alumnus, he has, since 1995, been on the board of the Harvard Management Company which oversees the university's $18bn endowment. [article link]
Thompson drops out of GOP presidential race - Former senator finished far behind in first contests Thompson's withdrawal capped a turbulent 10 months that saw him go from hot to not in short order Expectations rose higher and his standing in polls started to fall as he failed to meet them NAPLES, Fla. - Republican Fred Thompson, the actor-politician who attracted more attention as a potential presidential candidate than as a real one, quit the race for the White House on Tuesday after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states. ... Thompson's withdrawal capped a turbulent 10 months that saw him go from hot to not in short order. He began toying with a presidential run last March, emboldened by a fluid Republican nomination fight and a restive conservative GOP base. He also was charmed by resounding calls for him to get into the race - and his meteoric springtime rise to the top of national and state polls. Fans trying to draft him as a candidate launched an online effort, seizing on his conservative Senate voting record as well as his lumbering 6-foot-5 frame and deep baritone as they argued that he was right out of central casting. They painted him as the second coming of Ronald Reagan and the would-be savior of a Republican Party demoralized after electoral losses in 2006 at all levels of government. Expectations rose higher - and his standing in polls started to fall as he failed to meet them. Thompson played coy about his intentions all the while taking steps to prepare for a formal entrance into the race with a flourish. He cut ties with NBC, visited early voting states and delivered high-profile speeches. And, he started raising money and set up a preliminary campaign organization. [article link]
Grassfire is in our nation's Capitol today, championing the rights of the unborn, and lobbying key members of Congress to take a strong stand for the sanctity of life - Click here to listen to our latest audio update (Online Audio - Photos) Over the last 33 years of legalized unlimited abortion, nearly 50 million unborn babies have been killed at the hands of abortionists. Grassfire is committed putting an end to abortion through our national "Petition For Life" initiative that includes raising awareness, concern and support for the rights of the unborn. Additionally, Grassfire remains the grassroots voice in Washington, as we seek to bring about a change in thinking among our elected lawmakers, and ultimately an end to abortion through legislation and the courts. The "Petition For Life" focuses on a number of key pro-life initiatives that we are pressing House and Senate leadership on: ... [article link]
Pro-Life Information and Resources - Pro-Life, Pro-Family, Pro-Society, Pro-Humanity - Psalms 139:14,16 I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.. (PDF) The pro-life movement is the movement acknowledging that all human life is created in the image of God and is sacred to God. The individuals' lifespan is a work of God and needs to be committed to God. We as people do not end the life of other people no matter how young or how old or in what condition they are in. Being involved in Pro Life issues or any other good cause does not make us a Christian. Accepting the life of Jesus for our own personal sins reconciles us to God. There are many people who do not take part in an abortion and yet will never remain in the presence of God, because of their own sins apart from abortion. ... We can't make right an abortion but God can and has. He died for us and for the unborn as well, so that we can live together with Him in heaven. Let's not cheapen the sacrifice that Jesus has given for us by saying that God's blood is not enough to cover our sins. The fact is, sinner's sin. God is not surprised by our actions He knows mankind. It is up to Christians to stand in this gap and to "Choose Life". One of the First functions of the early Church in Rome was to rescue the babies and children left to die (their form of abortion) on the hills outside the city. [article link]
94% of evangelicals rank abortion (problem) No. 1 - Christians put issue ahead of personal debt, content of movies, TV, homosexual agenda A new report from the Barna Group warns political campaigns that assuming the evangelical vote is "splintering" over abortion would be a mistake, with 19 of every 20 members of that group citing that issue as their top concern. The report comes just as the United States marks the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision in the U.S. Supreme Court that found in the Constitution a fundamental right to terminate a pregnancy at any time for any reason. "One of the myths about the 2008 election is that the evangelical vote is splintering over issues such as abortion and homosexuality. In fact, when defined based upon a consistent set of theological perspectives, evangelicals remain very united on abortion and homosexuality," said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group and director of the study. "Evangelicals' top concern - by a wide margin - was abortion (94 percent). This was followed by the personal debt of Americans (81 percent), the content of television and movies (79 percent), homosexual activists (75 percent), and gay and lesbian lifestyles (75 percent,)" the report on the assessment of voters' values and morals said. [article link]
As abortion rate drops, use of RU-486 is on rise - Pill has slowly, quietly transformed the way U.S. pregnancies can be ended Thirty-five years after the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision, a pill that has largely faded from the rancorous public debate over abortion has slowly and quietly begun to transform the experience of ending a pregnancy in the United States. The French abortion pill RU-486, on the market since 2000, has become an increasingly common alternative, making abortion less clinical and more private. At a time when the overall number of abortions has been steadily declining, RU-486-induced abortions have been rising by 22 percent a year and now account for 14 percent of the total -- and more than one in five early abortions performed by the ninth week of pregnancy. The pill, often called "miffy" after its chemical name mifepristone and brand name Mifeprex, also has helped slow the decline in abortion providers, as more physicians who previously did not perform the procedure discreetly start to prescribe the pill. [article link]
{Flashback} The Pro-Choice Bush Family - Care to guess who was the treasurer of Planned Parenthood when it launched its first national fundraising campaign in 1947? It was Prescott Bush, father and grandfather of the two Bush presidents The SF Chronicle is running a piece that looks back at the Bush family's support for Planned Parenthood and family planning services. The article also highlights the fact that both Barbara and Laura Bush are against overturning Roe vs. Wade. "I agree with my husband that we should try to reduce the number of abortions in
our country by doing all of those things, by taking responsibility, by talking about abstinence." Yes, pressed interviewer Katie Couric, but what about Roe vs. Wade? "No, I don't think that it should be overturned." [article link]
{Flashback} CWA's Crouse Calls Over-the-Counter Plan B Beyond-the-Pale - in response to President Bush's endorsement of Plan B 'morning after pill' Washington, D.C. - Concerned Women for America's (CWA's) Dr. Janice Crouse, Senior Fellow of the Beverly LaHaye Institute, responded to President Bush's endorsement of Plan B, the morning after pill, by calling it "beyond the pale." In a press conference on Monday, the President announced his support of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach's attempt to make this high dose of birth control available over-the-counter (OTC) for girls over 18. CWA strongly opposes making this drug available without a prescription because of its medical risks and the inability of the FDA to enforce an age restriction. ... "Of equal concern is the fact that any 18-year-old could buy Plan B OTC and give it to anyone else -- even underage girls -- without parental consent or knowledge. The ramifications of such distribution include sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. The amount of misinformation about Plan B is astounding. Those advocating OTC availability are touting the drug as a "silver bullet" for birth control. Yet, the easy availability that would come with OTC sales extends to those who are incapable of understanding the risks involved in any highpotency drug. [article link]
Oliver Stone sets his sights on Bush - Now Hollywood director Oliver Stone is preparing to take an in depth look at how President Bush came to power - It includes his belief that God personally chose him to be president of the United States {Unless Oliver Stone documents the ultra Satanic Bush Skull & Bones involvement the movie will be completely inaccurate.} (CNN) - He's tackled the assassination of John F. Kennedy and tumultuous presidency of Richard Nixon. Now Hollywood director Oliver Stone is preparing to take an in depth look at how President Bush came to power. ... I want a fair, true portrait of the man. How did Bush go from an alcoholic bum to the most powerful figure in the world? It's like Frank Capra territory on one hand, but I'll also cover the demons in his private life, his bouts with his dad and his conversion to Christianity, which explains a lot of where he is coming from. It includes his belief that God personally chose him to be president of the United States, and his coming into his own with the stunning, preemptive attack on Iraq," he added. Stone acknowledged Brolin and Bush do not bear too much resemblance, but he said the two share the same "drive and charisma." "Josh is actually better looking than Bush but has the same drive and charisma that Americans identify with Bush, who has some of that old-time movie-star swagger," he said. [article link]
{Flashback} No bones about it: President Bush favours a very secret (non-Christian) society of Skull and Bones President George Bush is alleged to have used its (Skull and Bones) connections to get his first job - before she stopped counting she knew of at least 11 Bonesmen whom Mr. Bush had appointed to government posts President George Bush is alleged to have used its (Skull and Bones) connections to get his first job. Mr Bush and Mr McCallum (Bush's Nominee as Ambassador to Australia) are members of Skull and Bones, the Yale society said to have the skull of the Indian chief Geronimo, dug up by Mr Bush's grandfather, in a glass case. In 2004 both presidential candidates, Mr Bush and John Kerry, were members. Mr Bush, in his autobiography, A Charge to Keep, wrote: "My senior year I joined Skull and Bones, a secret society. So secret, I can't say anything." The Skull and Bones headquarters is in a windowless stone building on the Yale campus known as the tomb. ... Alexandra Robbins, author of Secrets of the Tomb, says it includes a devil, a Don Quixote figure and a pope with one foot in a white monogrammed slipper, resting on a stone skull. ..."What I find disturbing about Skull and Bones is that it's basically the most powerful elite alumni network in the US," says Robbins. "It's essentially a form of nepotism that keeps the same people in power, over and over and over again." ... Robbins said that before she stopped counting she knew of at least 11 Bonesmen whom Mr. Bush had appointed to
government posts. {Actually they believe the bones are the bones of an un-resurrected Jesus Christ and that the bones came to them from the "Knights Templars" of Da Vinci code fame and celebrate what they believe to be Satan's triumph over God in the death of Jesus on the cross and of course deny and neglect the true resurrection of Jesus. That's the secret in secret society.} [article link]
Iran President Rejects Oliver Stone Documentary - because Stone is part of the "Great Satan" cultural establishment TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rejected a proposal by Oscar-winning movie director Oliver Stone to make a film about him because Stone is part of the "Great Satan" cultural establishment, a semiofficial news agency reported. "I sent a negative answer by Ahmadinejad to Oliver Stone," the Fars agency quoted Mehdi Kalhor, media adviser to the president, as saying Sunday. "It is right that this person is considered part of the opposition in the U.S., but opposition in the U.S. is a part of the Great Satan." The term the "Great Satan" dates back to Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who first called the United States that after the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the country's U.S.-supported shah. [article link]
Tributes to MLK tend to ignore his complexity - King is facing the same fate that has befallen many a historical figure - being frozen in a moment in time that ignores the full complexity of the man and his message NEW YORK - They are some of the most famous words in American history: "I have a dream ..." And the man who said them has become an icon. ... But nearly 40 years after his assassination in April 1968, after the deaths of his wife and of others who knew both the man and what he stood for, some say King is facing the same fate that has befallen many a historical figure - being frozen in a moment in time that ignores the full complexity of the man and his message. ... "We're living increasingly in a culture of top 10 lists, of celebrity biopics which simplify the past as entertainment or mythology," he said. "We lose a view on what real leadership is by compressing him down to one window." ... By freezing him at that point, by putting him on a pedestal of perfection that does not acknowledge his complex views, "it makes it impossible both for us to find new leaders and for us to aspire to leadership," Harris-Lacewell said. [article link]
Bible verse: Psalm 29 A Psalm of (King) David - Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.org} Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever. The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace. -- Bible [article link]
Feminization of the Evangelical Man: Men More Interested in Nice Than Truth - "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong - Let all that you do be done in love" - 1st Corinthians 16:13-14 There is a feminization going on in evangelicalism today that has recently spilled over to the blogosphere. ... These toy-soldiers carry what I call "a velvet covered sword." It's lightweight, easy to wield, isn't designed for battle, takes little strength to lift it, looks inviting, and won't cut too deep for fear of offending too greatly. It's like reading the ESV or NASB; and then one day you pickup up a copy of The Message thinking that it too is a Bible; when all that it is, is just a velvet covered sword. Speak the Truth in Love: To "speak the truth in love"
beloved does not mean to be non-confrontational, passive, soft, or simply 'nice'. No question, Christ-like love is the godly compassion behind speaking the truth in an uncompromised and unadulterated way. As Paul said in warning of false teachers to Timothy and the church at Ephesus, "the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." - 1st Timothy 1:5 [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Mark Siljander - Indicted for Helping Islamic Charity That Funded Al-Qaeda, Taliban Siljander is a Born-Again Evangelical Christian - Siljander was known, at the time, as the most pro-Israel Congressman on Capitol Hill - If Mark Siljander was helping Islamic terrorists against America, then no-one is immune from succumbing to these forces of evil - If true, it's extremely disappointing and demoralizing to me **** UPDATE: Siljander was representing the Al-Qaeda front charity - he apparently lied, twice, to the FBI about it, is even more so - That he lied about writing a book about "bridging the gap" between Islam and Christianity is even worse What makes the allegations in the indictment so shocking, is that Siljander is a Born-Again Evangelical Christian. We had fast days in his office. There were prayer circles. So deeply religious and so deeply against the Islamic threat, Siljander was known, at the time, as the most pro-Israel Congressman on Capitol Hill, with many Jewish and pro-Israel Evangelical contributors from all over the world. My father was one of those contributors. His Chief of Staff, Robin Luketina, even served in the Israeli Defense Forces. Mark enlisted me to help him write a tough bill espousing sanctions against the Soviet Union because of its persecution of Soviet Jews. And he enlisted my help in pro-Israel and anti-PLO legislation. That's why it's so hard for me to read that he may have played for the opposite team--for the enemy. I'm truly shocked. And I hope it's not true. But--while I have a lot of distrust in the Department of Justice--on this one, I think there must be something there. It's crushing. I don't know if he knew the ultimate destination of the money. It's not apparent, since the Islamic charity "secretly" sent the money to Al-Qaeda. But what was he even doing lobbying for an Islamic charity? And he apparently lied about it to the FBI. That's not the Mark Siljander I knew and worked for over two summers and several spring breaks. It boggles my mind. It must have been the money, as I know that, after he lost his reelection bid (he was replaced by liberal Republican and pan-Islamist Fred Upton), he was engaged in a million different business endeavors trying to make a success of one. If Mark Siljander was helping Islamic terrorists against America, then no-one is immune from succumbing to these forces of evil. If true, it's extremely disappointing and demoralizing to me. [article link]
Cutting Edge Weekly Newsletter - Now, carefully notice the new GOP elephant logo - The three stars are the Goatshead of Mendez Pentagram - The change occurred in the year 2000 "The Party of Satan" {The new 2000 GOP Republican Party elephant logo is also no longer red, white and blue it is now a purple, white and blue (Logo) with the three upside-down (Satanic) stars.} Did you know that the Republicans changed the stars in their official elephant logo to two stars upward in the year 2000, the very year in which Skull & Bones George Bush was "elected" President? This Republican logo is the traditional elephant logo as this book front page cover demonstrates. The book is entitled, "The Pictorial History of the Republican Party", by Beryl Frank, published in 1980. As you can see, the stars on this elephant logo are the same as the traditional stars on an American flag, i.e., with one point upward. This style of Pentagram is a "good", White Magic type of star, the same type of star as in the traditional American flag. Now, carefully notice the new GOP elephant logo. The three stars are the Goatshead of Mendez Pentagram, with two points upward. This style of Pentagram is the "evil", Black Magick type of star. The Illuminati program for their Masonic Christ (Antichrist) is most definitely the Black Magick variety. The plans these Globalists have for this country and this world is literally the "worst case" scenario, from the planned destruction of 66% of all humanity, to the dissolution of every elected government on earth, to replacing those governments with the most repressive dictatorship in world history. This dictatorship will be supported by unprecedented level of modern technology, which will allow government authorities to monitor nearly everyone in the world at every
moment of the day. This Plan fulfills prophecies exactly, especially those in the Book of Revelation and Daniel. When was this Republican elephant logo changed? The change occurred in the year 2000 ("The Party of Satan", Radio Left, Mon 17 Dec 2007, quoting the Thom Hartmann Show, of December 17). This is the year George W. Bush (Jr.) was elevated to the White House, following one of the closest elections in American history, an election not decided until December 13, when the Supreme Court decided that Bush had beaten Gore in Florida. Therefore, at the time the country was electing its second Skull & Bones President, the Republican Party quietly changed the stars on its official Republican elephant logo to the Goatshead of Mendez star. This reality means that America has been officially and deliberately set on a course of extreme evil since that momentous year. Have we ever been so beset, from without and within, than in the last 6 years? This is just a partial listing of all the evils which have beset us since 2000: ... [article link]
Microsoft System May Monitor Workers' Brains, Bodies - Microsoft is developing Big Brother-style software capable of remotely monitoring a worker's productivity, physical well-being and competence - "This system involves intrusion into every single aspect of the lives of the employees" The Times has seen a patent application filed by the company for a computer system that links workers to their computers via wireless sensors that measure their metabolisms. The system would allow managers to monitor employees' performance by measuring their heart rates, body temperatures, movements, facial expressions and blood pressure," Labor unions said they fear that employees could be dismissed on the basis of a computer's assessment of their physiological state. Technology allowing constant monitoring of workers was previously limited to pilots, firefighters and NASA astronauts. This is believed to be the first time a company has proposed developing such software for mainstream workplaces. ... The system could also "automatically detect frustration or stress in the user" and "offer and provide assistance accordingly." ... Physical changes to an employee would be matched to an individual psychological profile based on a worker's weight, age and health. If the system picked up an increase in heart rate or facial expressions suggestive of stress or frustration, it would tell management that he needed help. ... "This system involves intrusion into every single aspect of the lives of the employees," Hugh Tomlinson, an expert on data protection law at the London law firm Matrix Chambers, said. "It raises very serious privacy issues." [article link]
Why Microsoft must abandon Vista to save itself - "As a daily user of Mac OS X, Ubuntu and Vista, I'm keenly aware of what works and what doesn't. Mac and Linux work." {Microsoft Vista, besides the fact that it is a headache to use and that it is Way overpriced it just doesn't work very well. The Vista program basically amounts to 50 Gigabytes of malware, spyware, DRM restrictions and personal info - data mining tools so it's best to avoid Microsoft for now if you can.} While Vista was originally touted by Microsoft as the operating system savior we've all been waiting for, it has turned out to be one of the biggest blunders in technology. With a host of issues that are inexcusable and features that are taken from the Mac OS X and Linux playbook, Microsoft has once again lost sight of what we really want. ... Microsoft's "Extras" blunder is just another reason why the company must abandon Vista before it's too late. The first indication that Microsoft should abandon Vista is its poor sales figures. According to a recent report titled "Windows Vista Still Underperforming in U.S. Retail" from NPD, Vista sales are significantly behind XP sales during its early days. Even worse for Redmond, some are reverting to XP, citing issues with compatibility and overall design. And if that wasn't enough, Macs continue to surge and with the impending release of Leopard, Microsoft may be in for a rough holiday season. With each passing day, it's becoming blatantly clear that Microsoft released Vista too early and the company's continual mistakes and promises that can't be kept are further annoying the Windows faithful. [article link]
Newest junk bonds: U.S. Treasuries? - Future costs of Medicare, Social Security threaten U.S. debt rating - U.S. Treasuries should be downgraded to junk bond status, not given a "triple-A" government rating, economist
John Williams says, supporting a warning issued by Moody's last week that the credit rating of the U.S. government may be plunging U.S. Treasuries should be downgraded to junk bond status, not given a "triple-A" government rating, economist John Williams says, supporting a warning issued by Moody's last week that the credit rating of the U.S. government may be plunging in the next decade. The issue surfaced recently when Reuters published a Moody's warning that in the next 10 years, the credit rating of the United States is at risk of being dropped below triple-A. "We decided to raise the flag," Tom Lemmon at Moody's told WND, "because the underlying credit rating of the U.S. government faces the risk of downgrading in the next 10 years if solutions are not found to our growing Medicare and Social Security unfunded obligations." Williams, author of the Internet newsletter ShadowGovernmentStatistics.com, said the credit-rating problem is immediate, not long-term. "The U.S. Treasury is currently issuing 10-year notes and 30-year bonds," Williams pointed out. "Yes, the U.S. government can always print money, but the question is whether the investors buying these Treasury securities will get paid off when they get their money back." [article link]
Prince Charles - Antichrist "The Prince who is to come" Identified From 666 and Revelation 13 - To quote Prince Charles directly, he says, "I have no power of my own, but I have influence - And you will have to see what I do with it" - Prince Charles is a globalist - He is the leading proponent of the European model The basic contrast between a Christ and antichrist or a Messiah and an antimessiah is like good and evil. Evil never presents itself as black vs. white or as death vs. life. Evil always attempts to imitate good and offers itself as an alternative. The results are in sharp contrast, but deception has its initial appeal ... Many prophecy students view the image of the antimessiah as a great charismatic figure who sweeps the world off its feet with power, offering himself first as a hero, then turning to evil. These are the vain imaginations of men. The Scripture presents the antimessiah as the person with no power who usurps and influences others. Those with power give it to him. To quote Prince Charles directly, he says, I have no power of my own, but I have influence. And you will have to see what I do with it." ... Prince Charles is not an elected official as the rulers of the European Union; he is a monarch. Therefore, as the prophecy says, he is different from them. Maybe you are wondering if Prince Charles has any interest in leading Europe? He does. He tried to influence the original definition of the ECM in its formation in 1992. He argued that the monarchy was the most stable form of government, but Europe was into democracy and they turned him down. But the prophecy says they will consider his offer when they become a group of ten kings. [And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. REV 17:12] There are two competing models for the definition of world globalism. One is the UN model and the other European. The UN wants one great big community of everyone helping everyone. The European model divides the world into three parts: developed nations, developing nations, and undeveloped nations. The European model contends that there are not enough resources in the world for all nations to be developed and, therefore, part of the world needs to be sacrificed to meet the need of the other part. The European model also contends that there is not enough food to go around and the world population should be significantly reduced. There are six billion people right now; they think two billion would be a better number. The language of Zechariah suggests that the antimessiah will be the guy who leads the world while a large number of people die from starvation and lack of resources. Prince Charles is a globalist. He is the leading proponent of the European model. [article link]
Official: Diana's death 'simply an accident' - the death of Princess Diana will conclude that she died in a simple car crash - The official French inquiry revealed Henri Paul was three or four times over the drink-drive limit when he left the Ritz hotel in Paris with the couple and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, closely followed by the paparazzi {She should have had her seatbelt on, no seatbelt = no conspiracy.} The Official inquiry into the death of Princess Diana will conclude that she died in a simple car crash. Britain's
former top policeman is to state publicly for the first time that he believes Diana was killed in an accident. The Daily Mail can reveal that following a two-year investigation, Lord Stevens plans to release an interim report saying there is no evidence she was killed unlawfully. His findings undermine the many conspiracy theories surrounding the 1997 car crash in a Paris underpass. ... They have found no evidence to contradict the French findings that Diana died in a tragic road traffic accident caused by excessive speed. They say even a skilled racing driver would have had difficulty controlling the Mercedes she died in as it hurtled through the Pont d'Alma tunnel. ... The official French inquiry revealed Henri Paul was three or four times over the drink-drive limit when he left the Ritz hotel in Paris with the couple and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, closely followed by the paparazzi. [article link]
Death of princes Diana: Accident or murder - The Dutch in this article has been translated into English by Marienella Meulensteen - They found cocaine in the handbag - I asked whose handbag he was talking about 'There was only one woman in that car' - That probably also explains why Dodi's mobile phone was not found at the place of the accident: 'It is possible that conversations were registered on his mobile phone with people that were known to the police as drug dealers The documentay also showed an interview with the journalist Patrick Chauvel. He spoke with frustrated French researchers of the death of Diana and Dodi who were under a lot of pressure of the Élisée, or the French government, to not reveal too much. They showed Chauvel proof that undermines one of the French lies, namely that the flash pole (speed photo trap) at the entrance of the tunnel would not have worked. Someone who had sped into the tunnel five minutes before the crash received a fine fifteen days later after having been flashed. Chauvel saw the photograph made by the flash pole of the Mercedes of Diana, saw the date, but also the flashed speed: 105 km/ph. With this, another lie about the very high rate of speed has been refuted. The legs under the proof for that very high speed had been previously sawed at by Mercedes Benz (see part two of this DaanSpeak series), as also told in the documentay by John McNamara, head security of Harrods after 26 years of service at Scotland Yard. He was rightfully astonished in the documentay about another remarkable fact, namely that during the very night of the accident, the tunnel was completely cleaned. In the documentary you see pictures of how the cleaners are very thorough using special machines. All traces were erased and are literally covered with sand. Journalist Dickey of Newsweek was amazed that he did not come across anyone in the tunnel at seven in the morning, and that the road was already open for traffic. [The next paragraph has been added on April 18, 2004 and comes from HUMO [14/3317, '04] which cites from the book 'Diana, death of a legend', written by, also the maker of the documentary 'Diana: The Night She Died'], Cohen: [... Patrick] Chauvel fell silent for a moment. Then he said nonchalantly: 'Yes, there was something else. They found cocaine in the handbag'. I was stupefied. Bewildered, I asked whose handbag he was talking about. 'There was only one woman in that car', Chauvel said with a wry smile. [...] The cocaine find probably filtered very quickly to the police top and their political superiors: a few hours later instructions were issued that the information was not to leak out. That probably also explains why Dodi's mobile phone was not found at the place of the accident: 'It is possible that conversations were registered on his mobile phone with people that were known to the police as drug dealers.' Via [Cohens colleague] David Carr Brown, Cohen met a policeman who could confirm the story'. [article link]
Diana 'planned secret wedding to Hasnat Khan' - The Princess had discussed giving Mr. Khan his own rooms in Kensington Palace and having a second home in his native Pakistan - broke off her relationship with Mr Khan in July 1997, after he said he did not want to become a public figure - The Princess dated Dodi Fayed to make Mr. Khan jealous in the hope that he would rekindle their romance {Princess Diana used people to try to get what she wanted, that's not news - who didn't know that.} Diana, Princess of Wales explored the possibility of a secret wedding to Hasnat Khan, the heart surgeon with whom she had a two-year relationship, her former butler told the inquest into her death. Aware of the
constitutional and religious complications entailed in the Christian mother of a future king marrying a Muslim man, the Princess asked her butler, Paul Burrell, to find out "if it would be possible to arrange a private wedding". Mr Burrell, 49, discussed the matter in 1996 with his own Catholic priest Father Anthony Parsons at the Carmelite Catholic Church in Kensington, West London, without Mr Khan's knowledge. The Princess, who described Mr. Khan as her "soulmate" and "the man she loved more than any other", Mr. Burrell said, broke off her relationship with Mr. Khan in July 1997, after he said he did not want to become a public figure. [article link]
Diana's butler: She had no plans to marry Fayed - At coroner's inquest, Burrell describes romance as a '30-day relationship' - "I want another marriage like I want a bad rash," Burrell has quoted Diana as saying in a telephone conversation when she was with Fayed in France LONDON - Princess Diana gave no indication that she intended to marry Dodi Fayed and made no arrangements to announce an engagement before she died, her butler testified Monday at a coroner's inquest. Paul Burrell, Diana's butler and confidant for a decade, said that if an announcement had been planned - as Fayed's father claims - he believes Diana would have put arrangements in place. "I think she would have cleared the decks and made space, certainly in the week preceding the announcement," he told the court. Burrell has previously disputed claims by Fayed's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, that Diana was pregnant with Fayed's child and that the couple were on the brink of announcing their engagement when they died in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997. "I want another marriage like I want a bad rash," Burrell has quoted Diana as saying in a telephone conversation when she was with Fayed in France. Diana's friend Annabel Goldsmith, who testified earlier, also reported Diana comparing marriage to an unwanted rash. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Prominent Hezbollah Supporter/Funder Backs Romney - Hezbollah's key funder in Congress, Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Michigan), is a key Romney guy and has been hangin' with Romney all over Michigan for the last week - There he is, denoted by a circle, in the picture below, from a Romney rally in the Detroit area yesterday {The truth is out (LDS) Mormons & Mitt Romney are more Islam than Christian. Read the Mormon doctrines the multiple wives on earth and in heaven. Joseph Smith didn't translate 'golden plates' or any plates he simply plagiarized the Koran (Quran), other travel-story books of the time and the KJV Bible.} When I heard Mitt Romney, a week ago Saturday Night, in the ABC debate, claim that he's the only candidate who "understands radical jihad," I scratched my head. He refuses to ask his church to stop funnelling $20 million plus to a HAMAS charity, or even to say he disagrees with it. Plus, he made anit-American statements when he headed the 2002 Salt Lake Games that jihadists would love. And then, there was his statement at the ABC debate that he will take the Muslim world into "modernity and moderation." But, does he really believe "modernity" equals moderation? Um, I guess he's never seen a jihadist website or been to Dubai. They are more modern than we are. It's just their ideology that's back in the 7th Century and good luck to Mitt in bringing it up to date. Oh, and don't forget Romney's previous statement at a town hall meeting that he "admires Hezbollah." [article link]
Rival Economic Policies - former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift - Michigan voters shouldn't be fooled by Mitt Romney's latest campaign promises of economic development and job growth. They need to look closely at his record in Massachusetts, where manufacturing job growth was third-worst in the country and taxes and 'fees' increased by over $700 million per year' "Michigan voters shouldn't be fooled by Mitt Romney's latest campaign promises of economic development and job growth. They need to look closely at his record in Massachusetts, where manufacturing job growth was third-worst in the country and taxes and 'fees' increased by over $700 million per year,' said McCain backer and former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift, who withdrew from her re-election bid in 2002 under a cloud of voter anger. Her departure made way for Romney to win the nomination and state election. "Mitt Romney has a reputation of saying anything to win. A comparison of his record versus his rhetoric on the economy shows
why," Swift said. [article link]
SermonIndex.net: The Adversary In The Church by Milton Green (Mp3) Description: Milton Green shares a very strong penetrating message about the state of the church in the modern day. The devil and the powers of darkness have been having much control and infiltration into the church in the modern day. A much needed message to hear of things to come. Scripture(s): Psalm 74, Ezekiel 34, Lamentations 1. [article link]
Bible verse: Hosea 14:1-9 O Israel [those governed by God], return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.org} O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips {smile - praise God}. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein. -- Bible [article link]
"Attack Of The Killer C's" - The Attack of the Casual Christian, the Cultural Christian, the Compromising Christian, the Corruptive Christian, and the Counterfeit Christian - Sermon Archive: (5 Part Mp3) Attack of the Killer C's is a series revealing this cosmic battle we're in and exposes the seductive weapons the devil uses to keep us from becoming a mighty army for God Almighty. These attacks are as follows. The Attack of the Casual Christian, the Cultural Christian, the Compromising Christian, the Corruptive Christian, and the Counterfeit Christian. People of God, there's a war going on and its not just abroad but its right here in our own country. It's a cosmic battle for the souls of men and women all around us. The stakes are high and millions of lives are at risk. And if we're ever going to win this war then the American Church needs to once again shine for Jesus Christ. People, the alarm has been sounded. We are under attack! The Attack of the Killer C's. Don't let the enemy get you! [article link]
Evangelicals in S.C. not just voting on faith - "As Jesus said, be as innocent as a dove and as shrewd as a serpent" - some might call it a hardening -- of attitudes toward the faith professions of candidates, what they're claiming - "I think I need to vote in a way that is honoring to God" COLUMBIA, S.C. - Asked to assess the attitude of evangelical Christians as they mull over the current crop of presidential candidates, one pastor here paused, smiled and put it this way: "As Jesus said, be as innocent as a dove and as shrewd as a serpent." ... Eight years later, many evangelicals are tougher, more skeptical and far less trusting of the politicians who woo them, said de Treville "Det" Bowers, the silver-haired pastor of Columbia's Christ Church in the Carolinas, who emphasized "shrewd" in his biblical reference to the Book of Matthew. "I think in our community and in the South, which is what I know, evangelicals have been so burned by those who claim to be what maybe is not evidenced in the policies that come forth," said Bowers. "Because of that, there is a strength I would call it -- some might call it a hardening -- of attitudes toward the [faith] professions of candidates, what they're claiming." ... Trust in God: Electability isn't the only factor among
evangelicals, many of whom say they trust that God will put the right person in the White House. "I'm interested in righteousness, what God sees as right" [article link]
Belt-tightening times for GOP campaigns - Republicans' fundraising has lagged far behind the Democrats' - In the wake of her New Hampshire primary victory, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York received more than $6 million in cash and pledges in a matter of days {The Republicans haven't bothered to do a good job while in office so now the voters have not bothered to donate or vote for the corrupt Republicans. Any $'s given to a Republican 2008 candidate is a waste of money, it's a better option to gas up the car than support a lazy Republican. The Republican Party hasn't been here for America. They abandoned the American people for their selfish quest of Arab oil money, that's the truth!} WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidates, losing the fundraising advantage their party has enjoyed for decades, are starting to feel the pinch. Tight for cash, Mitt Romney has pulled television advertising in two key states. Rudolph W. Giuliani has cut his payroll and moved staff from states that he is writing off. Even Mike Huckabee, winner of the GOP Iowa caucuses, has fallen short of his fundraising goals. ... Republicans' fundraising has lagged far behind the Democrats' in a primary campaign that has no clear GOP front- runner. Many voters are dissatisfied with their choices, and many analysts are predicting a Democratic victory in the fall. One measure of Democrats' advantage: In the wake of her New Hampshire primary victory, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York received more than $6 million in cash and pledges in a matter of days. The Republicans' New Hampshire winner, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, raised less than $1 million, even though the day after the primary was his biggest fundraising day of the campaign. As of Sept. 30, the Republican candidates combined reported having $42.7 million in cash on hand, which was $8 million less than Clinton alone, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. [article link]
Mitt - After Michigan, whether win or place - Huckabee and McCain (and in part it's due to their unholy alliance) to have stolen 2 out of the first 3 states from Mitt {The Mormons want you to know that Huckabee and McCain stole their election victories in Iowa and New Hampshire while Mitt's Wyoming win was an honest one.} Finally, many people realize that it's been a confluence of fortunate circumstances for both Huckabee and McCain (and in part it's due to their unholy alliance) to have stolen 2 out of the first 3 states from Mitt, and those circumstances would also account for a "place" in Michigan. Many understand those circumstances won't apply to the rest of the country and it's too early to crown a victor after 4 states. McCain has some real problems with the conservatives and moderates that make up the majority of the Republican party. And despite his claims to the contrary, McCain LOST to Mitt in the Republican vote in NH (it was independents that gave him the extra 5% he won by). Even if McCain won Michigan, a close second by Mitt would likely erode McCain's already tenuous claim he's the front-runner, and certainly slows the perceived momentum. [article link]
Some question Romney Wyoming 'victory' - The results of Republican nonbinding straw polls in some Wyoming counties Saturday don't jibe with the statewide delegate selection results in favor of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney - questioned why statewide straw poll results had not been publicized - Joe A. "Your "Primary" will never have national relavence if it is not transparent." {They should have an honest revote in Wyoming.} CHEYENNE -- The results of Republican nonbinding straw polls in some Wyoming counties Saturday don't jibe with the statewide delegate selection results in favor of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. In Johnson County, for example, former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee came in first in the straw poll, while Romney was in fourth place. ... Johnson County Republicans who contacted the Star-Tribune Monday, including Ruth Osborn of Buffalo, questioned why statewide straw poll results had not been publicized. Osborn, a state GOP committeewoman, said in a telephone interview Monday that people were asking why the national news
media were reporting Wyoming voted for Romney when her county's straw poll gave him fourth place. ... In Park County's straw poll, Hunter outpolled Romney 26-20, according to the Cody Enterprise's online edition. But the county delegates chose Marilyn Taylor, a Romney supporter, as an alternate delegate to the national GOP convention. In Campbell County, Romney supporter Greg Schaefer won the delegate slot although Paul won the straw poll, according to published accounts. [article link]
Salt Lake Tribune - Mitt Romney is often his own worst enemy {Now the LDS kicks Romney to the curb with their Monday moring quarterbacking.} BOSTON - Several months ago, W. Mitt Romney said presciently that he had only himself to fear. Despite his millions, the picture-perfect family and an overpowering campaign organization, Romney becomes his own worst nightmare every time he dishes half-truths and exaggerations and dissembles about his religious and political views, pointlessly trying to persuade the so-called Christian Right that he is one of them. If it continues, he may not win his party's nomination. ... Romney's inability to empathize with common folk is longstanding. As an LDS stake president, he was kind, though often impatient and patronizing, with members who didn't measure up. Once, he joked that a church-sponsored social group for older single adults he championed was a club for "quitters and losers." ... One would expect that no son-of-George would ever allow one of the more guileless members of his campaign team to take the fall for its misbegotten attempt to involve LDS Church leaders in its efforts to secure support from BYU-affiliated business school groups. But Mitt did. One would think no heir-to-George would pin blame on his eldest son for the illegal immigrants working in the family garden. But Mitt did. No loyal husband would gracelessly roll his own wife under the bus ("Her contributions are for her and not for me. Her positions are not terrible [sic] relevant to my campaign.") to dodge accountability for his own previous support for Planned Parenthood. [article link]
Darwin's Plantation: Evolution's Racist Roots - "Although racism did not begin with Darwinism, Darwin did more than any person to popularize it" - from Darwin's Plantation (Book $9.99 - Use Cupon Code "ONERACE") Most people do not realize how intimately connected the idea of evolution and the worst racist ideology in history are. This fascinating book by Ken Ham and Dr. Charles Ware reveals the compelling history of the effect of evolution on the history of the United States, including slavery and the civil rights movement. It goes beyond politically-correct teaching to show the global harvest of death and tragedy, which stems from Darwin's controversial theories. You will also learn what the Christian's view of racism should be and what the Bible has to say about it. A compassionate and uniquely convincing book! Uncover: the origin of the word "race" and the tragic legacy of Darwin's theory. Discover: the disturbing connection between evolutionary thought and the most ruthless (and bloody) dictators in history. Join: an eye-opening discussion on racism and its roots in the hearts and minds of millions. Step: beyond the legal precedents to find the true solution in the Bible-one that resolves this issue in the hearts of mankind. [article link]
Joy Behar: No More Saints Due to Modern Medicine - I think that in the old days, the saints were hearing voices and they didn't have any Thorazine to calm them down," Behar said on ABC's "the view" daily chatfest. "Now that we have all of this medication available to us, you can't find a saint anymore." {The Apostles and disciples did hear God's voice and they wrote it as they heard it. They accurately foretold our future - there is no medication that can undo that.} Saints were psychotic and advances in modern medicine have essentially wiped them off the planet. That's "the view" of comedian Joy Behar, as expressed on national television Wednesday. "I have a theory that you can't find any saints anymore because of psychotropic medication. I think that [in] the old days, the saints were hearing voices and they didn't have any Thorazine to calm them down," Behar said on ABC's daily chatfest. "Now that we have all of this medication available to us, you can't find a saint anymore." ... A spokesman for "The View" said Joy was just joking. "She said very clearly it was just a theory - she has lots of really funny
theories that she kind of gives on a daily basis. She's a Catholic, and she loves to talk about the Catholic Church. It's one of her favorite subjects." [article link]
Polish Man Finds Wife Working in Brothel - A Polish man visiting a brothel was surprised to find his wife working there - The couple reportedly are getting a divorce WARSAW - A Polish man visiting a brothel was surprised to find his wife working there, Reuters reported. The woman, who had told her husband she had been working at a store in town to make extra money, Reuters reported. "I was dumfounded. I thought I was dreaming," the husband told the Polish tabloid Super Express on Wednesday. The couple reportedly are getting a divorce. [article link]
McCain's win keeps contest wide open - For Romney, who has invested more than $20 million of his own money in his campaign, the second-place finish is devastating - And more voters said they thought Romney had run the most unfair campaign MANCHESTER, N.H. - Sen. John McCain of Arizona completed a stunning political resurrection Tuesday, decisively winning New Hampshire's Republican presidential primary and embarrassing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in his own backyard. ... For Romney, who has invested more than $20 million of his own money in his campaign, the second-place finish is devastating. His methodical campaign was built on the idea that victories in Iowa and New Hampshire would propel him to the nomination. But accusations that he is a flip-flopper dragged him down as he waged a multifront campaign against McCain and Huckabee. ... McCain's victory was aided by Huckabee's defeat of Romney five days earlier in Iowa. Huckabee came in third in New Hampshire behind Romney. Giuliani, who spent millions of dollars in the Granite State but never seemed committed to the race, virtually disappeared, finishing fourth, while Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, the anti-war conservative, finished fifth. Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson placed sixth. State officials estimated Tuesday's record-breaking turnout exceeded a half-million voters. [article link]
Wyoming County GOP backs Romney? - In a straw poll among Park County GOP precinct voters, Hunter beat Romney 26-20 "But we selected Marilyn as our county alternate delegate to represent Romney at the national convention" {Is that an election irregularity? Can they do that, disregard and ignore the voters and go ahead with their own agenda? This is why Romney, the LDS and now the Republican Party have no credibility because they will tell any lie and commit any crime to get their way.} Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has Park County's support. County GOP leaders selected Marilyn Taylor as their alternate delegate Saturday during the county convention at the Holiday Inn. Taylor, who said she has volunteered for the former Massachusetts governor's campaign for the past year, will go to the Republican National Convention on Sept. 1-4 in St. Paul, Minn. ... In a straw poll among Park County GOP precinct voters, Hunter beat Romney 26-20. "That was interesting," said Terry Hinkle, vice-chairman of the county Republican Party. "But we selected Marilyn as our county alternate delegate to represent Romney at the national convention." ... Hinkle said the event did run smoothly and they had a standing-room only crowd. [article link]
Romney Supporters Remove McCain Signs {The janitor asked us to remove the McCain signs - and put up our Romney signs, that's classic. You can always trust a cult to do the cult thing!} Supporters of Mitt Romney removed McCain signs before a campaign event in New Hampshire before the primary. ... Comments: Desperate signs... literally... shame on them!!! Wow, just shows what tactics the Romney campaign will go through to win... You'd think that if Romney paid $250 per vote in Iowa, and still can't win, then he probably isn't the best candidate. Of course, he has a couple hundred million more in the bank, but hopefully NH voters aren't easily sold. ... Romney is a snake who was planted to take credit for the winter olympics in Utah. He smiled pretty and got credit by doing nothing. His clone Mike Leavitt was in big trouble
up to his ears over the crooked shenanigans involved in obtaining the event for Utah. [article link]
Quote Of The Day: Former Huckabee Staffer -- Scandal Is Going To Destroy Romney - I will be surprised, however, if he's still in the race when the South Carolina primary comes around. Even if the impending scandal that has been rumored for weeks doesn't derail his campaign (I can't say what it is but you should hear about it before Jan. 8)..." -- Blogger & Former Huckabee staffer Joe Carter - are hearing that the story is going to be that Romney was behind the "anti-Mormon" push polling that got so much attention If this turns out to be true -- and I caution you that it may not be -- I think it would be extremely damaging to Mitt because there is absolutely no way, given the tight ties that Mitt has to that PAC, that they could be doing push polling like this without Mitt knowing that they were behind it. Here's a little info on Commonwealth PAC and its relationship to Romney, Friends and supporters of Governor Mitt Romney have established a political action committee that has lavished more than $250,000 on Republican candidates and county GOP organizations across the nation since July, apparently laying the groundwork for a potential presidential run for the Massachusetts politician in 2008. ...Funded largely by Romney's former colleagues at the venture capital firm Bain Capital, Commonwealth PAC has quickly established a strong presence in states that are crucial to any presidential hopeful. Romney has made time for appearances in most of those states, too. ... ''Governor Romney is fully aware of the Commonwealth PAC and is supportive of its mission," Fehrnstrom said. ''However, he does not participate in the management decisions of the PAC." Money for the PAC's donations is mostly coming from Bain executives, as well as Massachusetts Republican Party chairman Darrell Crate and Staples Inc. founder Thomas Stemberg. [article link]
Report: Bear Stearns CEO to Step Down, Remain Chairman - Bear Stearns Chief Executive James Cayne is resigning under pressure from shareholders upset over the firm's losses - and the collapse of the (two) hedge funds NEW YORK -- Bear Stearns Chief Executive James Cayne is resigning under pressure from shareholders upset over the firm's losses amid a slew of problems sparked by the collapse of mortgage markets, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. ... Some people point to the collapse last summer of two Bear Stearns hedge funds set up to bet on risky mortgage debt as the trigger for the subprime mortgage crisis, which began as people with tainted or weak credit history started defaulting on their loans. Cayne later came under fire after the Journal reported that as the two hedge funds were going bankrupt, he was playing golf and bridge without access to e-mail or a telephone. Bear Stearns Cos.' fiscal fourth-quarter loss, the first in its 84-year history, and the collapse of the hedge funds, prompted Cayne to pass on his 2007 bonus. Members of the company's executive committee also did not receive year-end bonuses. Bear Stearns' profit plummeted 89% in fiscal 2007 as the bank wrote billions of dollars of bad debt off its books. The company's stock had lost almost 47% of its value as of late December. [article link]
{Flashback} Bear Stearns' CEO James Cayne Embroiled In Sticky Icky Icky Situation - Disappearing during August conference calls with investors - Mr. Cayne invited a fellow (card) player and a woman to smoke pot with him, according to someone who was there The Wall Street Journal this morning takes Bear Stearns CEO James Cayne to task for, among other things: Playing golf and bridge during the summer even as two Bear Stearns hedge funds were losing money. Cayne reportedly spent 10 of 21 workdays out of the office in July. Disappearing during August conference calls with investors. Eh, so what. All CEOs do play golf and bridge. BUT, do they: "After a day of bridge at a Doubletree hotel in Memphis, in 2004, Mr. Cayne invited a fellow player and a woman to smoke pot with him, according to someone who was there, and led the two to a lobby men's room where he intended to light up. The other player declined, says the person who was there, but the woman followed Mr. Cayne inside and shared a joint, to the amusement of a passerby," the Journal reported. "Asked more generally whether he smoked pot during
bridge tournaments or on other occasions, Mr. Cayne said he would respond only "to a specific allegation," not to general questions. So that's what they mean by Cayne's "blunt style." [article link]
{Flashback} Last Trumpet Ministries - Newsletter - The Final Days of Satan's Last Empire! - Corrupt Leadership for a Corrupt People! - U.S. Senator Harry Reid (LDS) Mormon of Searchlight, NV - Reid was being interviewed in his home by reporters, he took them into his bathroom and pointed to his most prized possession - It was an autographed poster of the Grateful Dead - The Grateful Dead is a notorious hard rock band noted for their heavy drug cult following The new Majority Leader for the United States Senate is now U.S. Senator Harry Reid {a loyal (LDS) Mormon} of Searchlight, Nevada. When Reid was being interviewed in his home by reporters, he took them into his bathroom and pointed to his most prized possession. It was an autographed poster of the Grateful Dead. (38) The Grateful Dead is a notorious hard rock band noted for their heavy drug cult following. They are a satanic group of the first magnitude, and their followers are referred to as deadheads. Their emblem is a skeleton wearing a tuxedo and top hat with the skull wearing sunglasses. It is true, our Senate Majority leader is a deadhead, and this may explain the residue of the two lines of white powder on the glass top of the table, where he was seated with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, sometimes referred to as "Nasty Pelosi." I am now looking at a number of pictures of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on the day she took office. As she stood in front of all the dignitaries present, she held a black leather bull whip in front of her chest and proudly proclaimed, "I am the most powerful woman in America." Pelosi then made two clenched fists and held them in a tai kwon do karate position. In the next photograph, she is lifting a gavel high into the air with a look on her face that would scare the devil himself if he had a mind to look at her. The next picture shows Pelosi lifting her right fist above her head in the communist power salute that was so common during the riots and demonstrations of the 1960's. She then brings her fist slightly downward and turns her knuckles forward to the striking serpent salute used by Satanists. (39) The late high priest of the Church of Satan, also secretly known as the Hotel California, was often seen using the striking serpent salute. Without a doubt, hell has been raised, and hells children are now occupying the highest offices in our erstwhile great nation. [article link]
Revelation Press Publishes Blockbuster Expose: Mitt -- Set Our People Free! - a controversial book by a controversial author, written for those who support Romney -- and those who fear him - Like Toto in Oz, this book tears away the curtain and reveals the truth behind the Mormon Church and its beliefs about the U.S. Presidency (to set up a world-wide LDS theocracy) -- and what that will mean to "President" Mitt Romney Jesus said that man cannot serve two masters -- but if Romney is elected President, he will have to serve two conflicting oaths. American Presidents swear an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. However, this Presidential Oath is in direct conflict with Romney's sacred oath to his Mormon Church -- a blood oath which puts Romney's life, fortune and obedience at the unrestricted service of his Church. This obedience is defined by the Church's Living Prophet, the President of the Mormon Church and-as they believe -- the literal Voice of God on earth. According to author Mike Moody, "One of the LDS Church's basic tenets is a prophecy from founder and First Prophet Joseph Smith that in the latter days, the U.S. Constitution will 'hang by a thread as fine as silk fiber' until a Mormon leader rides in on his White Horse to save the U.S. and the Constitution -- then use his control of the United States to set up a world-wide theocracy, one based on the clearly unorthodox beliefs of the Church of Latter Day Saints." Author Mike Moody, himself a 7th Generation Mormon from a family of Church-founding patriarchs - men who served Joseph Smith and Brigham Young as they created this remarkable "church" -- uses his both insider knowledge of the LDS Church and his long-time personal ties to his one-time college fraternity brother, Mitt Romney, to point out the essential conflict between Romney's sacred Oath to the Church and the oath he seeks to take as President. [article link]
Blu-Ray Triumphs at Gadget Show - Sony CEO Cheerful After Blu-Ray Scores Decisive Victory Over HD DVD Movie-Disc Format - The shift in the format struggle isn't a reason to run out and buy Blu-ray players - today's (Blu-ray) players can't take advantage of the features planned for future Blu-ray discs LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The International Consumer Electronics Show is turning out to be a celebration party for Blu-ray, the high-definition format that Sony Corp. backed, and a wake for a rival movie disc technology pushed by Toshiba Corp. ... The impasse was broken Friday by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the last major studio to put out movies in both formats. It announced it was ditching HD DVD, and from May on, would only publish on Blu-ray and traditional DVD. The decision puts a strong majority of the major studios, five versus two, in the Blu-ray camp. Asked Monday at the show if the Warner announcement decides the format war, Stringer said: "I never put up banners that say 'Mission Accomplished.'" But his cheerful delivery belied his words. By contrast, the main media event scheduled for the show by the North American HD DVD Promotional Group, which includes Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp., was canceled because of Warner's defection. "We are currently discussing the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluating next steps," the group said in a statement. The shift in the format struggle isn't a reason to run out and buy Blu-ray players, however: today's players can't take advantage of the features planned for future Bluray discs. On Monday, Panasonic parent Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. demonstrated prototypes that can handle the new interactive features coming to Blu-ray. [article link]
Another Romney flip flop??? - So the Romney lesson of the day is that comparison or negative ads are only OK when Romney does them and when any one else does a comparison or a negative ad it is mud slinging or personal - Do as I say not as I do {Mitt Romney is or has been a senior, high office holder in the LDS Mormon cult and it is his cult conduct of 'preaching' one thing and then doing the exact opposite, seemingly every time, that causes the nation to distrust Romney and cults in general and Mormons in particular.} The ad features Romney speaking directly into the camera holding up three pieces of COMPARISON direct mail. He says, "Negative mudslinging does not belong in the Republican Primary." ... Mitt Romney refused to sign the No New Taxes pledge in 2002. Now he is for it. Why didn't he sign it in 2002? Because he raised corporate taxes, the gas tax and increased fees by half a billion. What do people say about him? The Cato Institute gives him a C as Governor. Mitt Romney you never know when he is going to change his mind again. So the Romney lesson of the day is that comparison or negative ads are only OK when Romney does them and when any one else does a comparison or a negative ad it is mud slinging or personal. Do as I say not as I do. [article link]
Welcome to Christian Care Ministry - We are constantly working to add and improve services that reduce medical costs and improve the corporate health for our membership The Christian Care Ministry's primary mission is to offer Christians an organized means by which medical bills can be shared across a broad membership, saving families thousands of dollars each year compared to highcost insurance plans. There are now Christian Care Medi-Share® members in all 50 states and on every continent. In recent years, additional programs have been added to the Christian Care Ministry to further assist members with their health needs: [article link]
MEDI-SHARE - WHAT IS MEDI-SHARE? - The Medi-Share program brings Christians together to share the cost of their medical bills and save money - Medi-Share is NOT insurance The Medi-Share program brings Christians together to share the cost of their medical bills and save money. IS MEDI-SHARE NEW? No. The idea of sharing one another's needs is as old as the Bible itself (see Psalm 133, Galatians 6:2). Medi-Share has been bringing Christians together since 1993 and its members have shared more than $300,000,000 with each other over that period. WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT MEDI-SHARE? There are several key differences between Medi-Share and health insurance that are fully explained in our Guidelines, but here are the basics: Medi-Share is NOT insurance. Unlike health insurance companies where you pay a
premium to the company and they, in turn, either reimburse you or pay the doctor or hospital, Medi-Share brings Christians together to share medical bills with one another. The key here is that medical needs are SHARED among members. Medi-Share is based on the biblical principles of caring for and sharing in one another's needs as set forth in Galatians 6:2. [article link]
(WWB) Wrestling With the Basics - Radio Show (Free Mp3-Wma Downloads) Radio Show Archive (Mp3's) [article link]
The Christian Basics 132 Topics - Easy to Use & Easy to Understand (PDF) Studying Theology: Is just like piecing together a puzzle. Individual Theology pieces fit together and the picture begins to emerge. The picture Theology displays is the image of Jesus! [article link]
(Part 3) *** Janet L. Folger reads from her Book - CRIMINALIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY (MP3) January 01, 2008 - The Criminalization of Christianity audiobook version - by Janet L. Folger "The most important book of 2006" for Christians on how to get our country back before it's too late. Buy a copy for yourself and one for your pastor! (Free Mp3 download) [article link]
(Part 1) *** Janet L. Folger reads from her Book - CRIMINALIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY (MP3) December 28, 2007 - The Criminalization of Christianity audiobook version - by Janet L. Folger "The most important book of 2006" for Christians on how to get our country back before it's too late. Buy a copy for yourself and one for your pastor! (Free Mp3 download) [article link]
(Part 2) *** Janet L. Folger reads from her Book - CRIMINALIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY (MP3) December 31, 2007 - The Criminalization of Christianity audiobook version - by Janet L. Folger "The most important book of 2006" for Christians on how to get our country back before it's too late. Buy a copy for yourself and one for your pastor! (Free Mp3 download) [article link]
HD DVD backers reeling as Blu-Ray shines at electronics show - Warner Brothers studio pulled out of an alliance with Toshiba's HD DVD camp and switched sides, announcing on Friday that Hollywood's largest distributor of DVDs will do so exclusively in Sony's Blu-Ray format LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) - HD DVD backers are reeling at the world's top consumer electronics show in the wake of a major blow by rival Blu-Ray in the battle to be the reigning format for high density DVDs. Warner Brothers studio pulled out of an alliance with Toshiba's HD DVD camp and switched sides, announcing on Friday that Hollywood's largest distributor of DVDs will do so exclusively in Sony's Blu-Ray format. HD DVD Promotion Group cancelled a press conference it had planned for the eve of Monday's formal start of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. [article link]
The most ignored stories of 2007 - Here, with our readers' help, are WorldNetDaily editors' picks for the 10 most underreported stories of 2007 Quiet steps by the federal government toward merger of the U.S., Canada and Mexico top the list of the 10 most "spiked" or underreported stories of the last year, according to an annual WND survey. At the end of each year, news organizations typically present their retrospective replays of what they consider to have been the top news stories in the previous 12 months. WND's editors, however, have long considered it far more newsworthy to publicize the most important unreported or underreported news events of the year - to
highlight perhaps for one last time major news stories that were undeservedly "spiked" by the establishment press. WND Editor and CEO Joseph Farah has sponsored "Operation Spike" every year since 1988, and since founding WorldNetDaily in May 1997, he has continued the annual tradition. [article link]
SonicLight.com: Audio Bible Study Lessons - MP3 Samples & Book by Book Overviews - (Free Mp3 Downloads) Below are samples of audio-based Bible study lessons from selected Study CDs. To begin, click one of the Bible Study titles below. To learn more about the MP3 technology used to create these lessons, click here. To see the available Discount Sets, click 'How to Order' above, then scroll down. To learn about the Sonic Light audio CDs, scroll down below the sample series. To learn about downloading to an iPod scroll down to the bottom. [article link]
kfuoam.org: Inspirational Christian Radio for the World (Free Mp3's) -- Audio Archives -- Free Mp3 Downloads. [article link]
BibleStudyGuide.org: Various Topics and Studies (Free Downloads Mp3's) BibleStudyGuide.org is devoted to providing Bible study resources. It contains resources authored by a number of individuals. Some of the resources are from people of different religious backgrounds and beliefs. For example, when using the commentaries, encyclopedias, and dictionaries, you will be studying material written by individuals from different churches who have differing beliefs on a particular subject. [article link]
A Hard Loss for Romney - Instead, his handlers framed Romney's candidacy in a fallacy - We were asked to believe that he was something that he was not - Iowa didn't buy it and neither will anyone else - What people are looking for is leadership - What the Romney campaign offered was obeisance {Obeisance - to bow down; Romney bowed down so low to his Bush handlers that is own persona wasn't able to emerge.} Where would you start? A large piece of the Romney campaign's failure was its unwillingness to discuss the major issues facing the country in substantive terms. He never said one interesting thing about how to defeat radical Islam in its war against the United States in particular and the developed world in general. In the midst of the greatest financial meltdown in at least two decades, he didn't offer up even the sketchiest proposal for national or international oversight of the global financial system. In the midst of a genomic revolution in biological science, one that impacts everything from energy to health care to national security, he said nothing at all. A large part of politics is framing the context in which one's candidacy is understood. Romney was never going to be a base candidate. He's a Mormon and the base is not. Romney was never going to be the "conservative" candidate, he was the former governor of Massachusetts, perhaps the most liberal state in the country, and campaigned there for the US Senate (in 1994) and for governor (in 2002) as a moderate. [article link]
In Search of Romney's Silver Lining - What do you say after a very costly trouncing? - After spending $238 for each of their 29,405 votes -- a reported $7 million - he (Kevin Madden - Romney spokesman) was famous for saying that, no matter what, you have to have poise {One of the big themes to emerge from the Iowa caucus is that people are grateful that the people in Iowa did not sell their vote to the highest bidder (money or poise). Iowa does bode well for real elections from people evaluating real issues.} DES MOINES -- What do you say after a very costly trouncing? After spending $238 for each of their 29,405 votes -- a reported $7 million ... But like New Coke, which tested well in the labs and was a flop when it was introduced, the polls in Iowa were misleading. What they reflected was a part of the electorate which had not yet weighed in because they could not agree on a candidate: the evangelical base of the party. Then came Huckabee. And all of a sudden, the strength that Madden had been pointing to all year long evaporated. Madden is a veteran of political communications who used to work for embattled congressman Tom Delay.
During that time, he was famous for saying that, no matter what, you have to have poise. He was the model of poise Thursday night, even as the bad news arrived in a torrent. [article link]
Mike Huckabee - Projected Winner in Iowa 35% {Congratulations to former Governor Mike Huckabee he is running a great campaign and a special thanks to the Iowa voters who have led the nation's primaries to a great start.} Once CNN projects a winner in each state contest, the "Status" for that contest changes to reflect the candidate's position. If the candidate is the projected winner, the Status will read "Projected winner". If not, the Status will read "2nd place," "3rd place," etc. The placement is only a reflection of the vote or delegate totals being provided at the time, and not necessarily CNN's projection of the candidate's final placement in the contest. [article link]
Evangelical Leaders Pledge Common Cause with Islam - They apologize for the 'sins of Christians,' leave the deity of Christ open for discussion {This is an extension of all the other slippery roads of compromise that too many Church leaders are leading us down. As always stay true to Jesus, read the Bible, pray, fellowship, serve the Church and you will grow and mature with or without good Church leadership.} An attempt by leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) to win friends and influence Muslims is alienating another group - evangelical Christians. Reactions have been negative and strong. Islam expert Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo has called it a "betrayal" and a "sellout." Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary (Southern Baptist), termed it "naiveté that borders on dishonesty." Others are just beginning to hear of it. In November, NEA President Leith Anderson and NEA Vice President Richard Cizik signed onto a Christian response to an invitation to dialogue from 138 Muslim leaders around the world. Their response - initiated by Yale Divinity School and endorsed by other liberal Christian leaders - apologized for the sins of Christians during the Crusades and for "excesses" of the global war on terror, without mentioning Muslim atrocities. It appeared to leave the fundamentals of Christianity - especially the deity of Christ - open for discussion. It even seemed to acknowledge Allah as the God of the Bible. "Before we 'shake your hand' in responding to your letter," it stated, "we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world." The very name of the Muslim communiqué - A Common Word between Us and You - is from a verse in the Quran that condemns "people of the Scripture" (Christians) for alleged polytheism (the doctrine of the Trinity). Mohler said the agreement "sends the wrong signal" and contains basic theological problems, especially in "marginalizing" Jesus Christ. He also condemned the apology for the Crusades. "I just have to wonder how intellectually honest this is," he said. "Are these people suggesting that they wish the military conflict with Islam had ended differently - that Islam had conquered Europe?" [article link]
Family leaders call Romney 'disaster' - Letter criticizes 'deceptive rhetoric' around candidate - The letter cites seven issues seen as problematic in the Romney campaign, including a "phony pro-life 'conversion'" - The letter also criticized those in the conservative community who are supporting Romney, accusing them of "gross malpractice, ruthless ambition and dishonesty" The letter also criticized those in the conservative community who are supporting Romney, accusing them of "gross malpractice, ruthless ambition and dishonesty." "Behind the empty gestures and deceptive rhetoric, Romney was not pro-life or a defender of marriage by any stretch of the imagination. He was a disaster," said O'Gorman, of the board for Massachusetts Citizens for Life. He said Romney "deceptively" claims to have been awarded a pro-life award from the group. "The award Romney arranged for himself with the local Pioneer Valley Chapter was the Mullins Award for Political Leadership, not a pro-life award and not approved by MCFL's state board of directors," he said. "We're blowing the whistle to warn voters..." "For some bizarre reason the mere fact that Romney's never been divorced and goes to a temple regularly is supposed to negate the fact that he's extremely liberal," said Harvey. "He used his Republican and Mormon identity to push through radical
policies on gay marriage, abortion and pro-homosexual school programs that Ted Kennedy always dreamed about." The Romney campaign repeatedly has declined to respond to WND requests for comment on such issues, including a failure to respond to multiple requests for a one-on-one interview in which the candidate would have been allowed to give his definitive perspective of the issues being raised. [article link]
The Political Wire: Romney Denies Dirty Tricks Charges ... Again - phone calls going out to Huckabee's Iowa supporters giving them incorrect caucus locations - Romney aides denied the charge Mitt Romney's campaign again denied charges from Mike Huckabee's camp Thursday that the Republican presidential candidate had anything to do with phone calls going out to Huckabee's Iowa supporters giving them incorrect caucus locations. Romney aides denied the charge, ... Huckabee's Iowa director Eric Woolson told FOX News Thursday mailers have been distributed giving Huckabee supporters "erroneous information" about their caucus locations. Woolson was very explicit about who's to blame. It's "obvious that Romney's campaign is trying to suppress Mike Huckabee's turnout by steering our supporters away from their actual precinct locations, trying to make this harder for them," he said. [article link]
Huckabee Supporters Get Warning Letters - warning them that getting involved in politics could endanger the tax-exempt status of their churches - the letters, which have no return address {If these letters are in any way tied to the Romney campaign then Romney needs to resign from the campaign. Why don't they just burn crosses in people's yards if they are so intent on intimidating people and keeping them from participating in the nation's elections.} DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa pastors who support Republican Mike Huckabee for president have received letters warning them that getting involved in politics could endanger the tax-exempt status of their churches. Several pastors who have publicly backed Huckabee, a Southern Baptist minister who has support from many evangelicals, said they have received the letters, which have no return address. They have arrived in the weeks leading to Thursday's precinct caucuses. Two letters were sent to the Rev. Brad Sherman, of Solid Rock Christian Church in Coralville. The first arrived a couple weeks ago and warned that he could be prosecuted for his support of Huckabee. "I just laughed. No one lands in jail for this," Sherman said. "Somebody is trying to intimidate Christians from getting involved." ... "I just encourage people to get out and vote and use their biblical principles," Hollinger said. "I don't tell people who to vote for." Hollinger said he doubted the letters would intimidate anyone. The Rev. Rex Deckard has received nine letters, including three on Wednesday. ... Jim Harris, a Huckabee spokesman in Little Rock, Ark., said the campaign was aware of the letters but did not know how many pastors have received them or whether they were just being sent in Iowa. "We are gathering more information even as we speak," Harris said. "I would not rule out that we would ask for a criminal investigation, and people who would send such threatening letters to ministers for purely political purposes are cowardly and reek of desperation." [article link]
Six tips to managing workplace conflict - While disagreements and differing opinions are normal, even healthy, in work relationships, conflict can cost your company productivity, money and employee satisfaction - early intervention is the key to managing conflicts before they become crises, Stieber says Human resource managers report spending 24 to 60 percent of their time dealing with employee disputes. The number of violent incidents in the workplace has been increasing steadily, according to a study by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Nearly 60 percent of respondents said violence had occurred in their organization during the past three years, and they identified "personality conflicts" as the leading cause. Like birth, death, choice and change, conflict is a constant fact of life. It's also a fact of the workplace, especially when you deal or interact with people. While disagreements and differing opinions are normal, even healthy, in work relationships, conflict can cost your company productivity, money and employee satisfaction. ... "Understanding the nature of conflict, examining myths, and learning simple conflict-resolution skills can
reduce friction and their negative toll on job satisfaction and productivity." Reasons for animosity at work run the gamut from weak communication to personality clashes to poor leadership. Whatever the reason, early intervention is the key to managing conflicts before they become crises, Stieber says. Make use of the following tips to resolve conflict at work: Choose your battles: How important is the dispute really? Does it truly affect you, and is it a chronic problem? If it's a one-time incident or mild transgression, let it pass, says Steven Menack, a professional divorce and business mediator. Expect conflict: Decide that friction will occasionally emerge in the course of human relationships, Stieber says. Don't fear it -- rather, learn to spot the symptoms early and see opportunity in the resolution. [article link]
Pope says family key to peace - Pope Benedict ushered in the New Year on Tuesday by criticizing policies that undermine the traditional family, saying they eroded one of the most important foundations for peace in the world VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict ushered in the New Year on Tuesday by criticizing policies that undermine the traditional family, saying they eroded one of the most important foundations for peace in the world. The Pontiff, delivering a traditional New Year prayer for peace, appeared to take a swipe at efforts in several countries to grant legal recognition to gay and unwed couples -- although he did not single out any policies by name. He said the traditional family led by a husband and wife instilled values that promote peace, and added it was an "irreplaceable" institution. "Those who are hostile, even unknowingly, to the institution of the family ... make peace fragile for the entire national and international community," the Pope told crowds gathered in a sunny St. Peter's Square. [article link]
Welcome to 2008!! Perceptive Pixel multi-touch computer system - is this future computer a future witnessing tool for the Church - I think so!! (Online Video 3:32) Perceptive Pixel, Inc. was founded by Jeff Han in 2006 as a spinoff of the NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences to develop and market the most advanced multi-touch system in the world. [article link]
The Dark Ages (DVD $16.99) {In case you have ever wondered if Satan is raging a relentless war against the Christian Church and against mankind in general this History documentary will lay aside all doubts.} Between the Fall of Rome and the dawn of the Renaissance, Europe plunged into a dark night of constant war, splintered sovereignties, marauding pagans, rabid crusaders and devastating plague. That anything of value arose from this chaotic muck - much less the Renaissance - is nothing short of miraculous. Through masterful cinematography and ground-breaking research, THE DARK AGES brings to life this amazing and mysterious time. Relive in striking detail critical turning points in the Early Middle Ages including the fall of Rome to the Visigoths, the horrors of Bubonic Plague, the rise of Charlemagne and the launching of the First Crusade. [article link]
Raising Godly Children (4 DVDs - $45) This is Vision Forum's top recommendation as a video training course for building loving, Christ-centered, unified, multi-generational families. In this eminently practical seminar, Michael and Susan Bradrick have provided Christians with an ideal training tool for use in the local church or during family devotions. [article link]
Item #1 - Heaven and Hell - They had learned the joy of service on earth, and now they had eternity to enjoy it, only more so - Heaven is a place God has created for all men, and he has created a way to be sure your name is on the A list - There is no B list C. S. Lewis drew us a mental picture of Hell, everyone was seated at a banquet table filled with wonderful food. The problem arose in that the food was several feet away, and they all had three foot long forks and knives.
They could just reach the food, but the utensil's were too long to get the food into their mouths. There was anger, fighting, screaming and unpleasantness abounding. Think of the expansion of Moreso's law for eternity. Lewis also drew us a picture of Heaven, same huge banquet table filled with wonderful foods. The banqueters in Heaven were equipped with those same three foot long utensils. The difference was the joy, laughter, and excitement at the table; they were feeding each other, and enjoying a great feast. They had learned the joy of service on earth, and now they had eternity to enjoy it, only more so. [article link]
Item #2 - The Fountain - I guess this story has a moral... Teamwork i suppose - awesome artwork (YouTube Cartoon 4 min) nice, love it, ppl should make their kids watch things like this not the violent stupid stuff that's broadcasted now everywhere that steals their inocence. {The gentleman in the cartoon is a nice person however he is not a very helpful person. This is much like today where people in the cults are dying of thirst, a lack of the living water of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not enough to be just a nice person in a thirsty world. Christians who have the truth need to assist others to help them to drink from the living water of the message of Jesus Christ. -- John 7:37-38 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water.} [article link]
Are Romney's comments of who hears from God at odds with LDS faith? - Mitt Romney says in a videotaped interview that he doesn't know that God has spoken to anyone since the time of Moses - The comment appears to conflict with his Mormon faith that believes God spoke to founder Joseph Smith and other church prophets subsequently WASHINGTON - Presidential candidate Mitt Romney says in a videotaped interview that he doesn't know that God has spoken to anyone since the time of Moses. The comment appears to conflict with his Mormon faith that believes God spoke to founder Joseph Smith and other church prophets subsequently. In the interview with Boston's WCVB, a reporter asks Romney several questions about his faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including how his faith would impact him if he is elected. "Should God speak to you, and ask you to do something that might be in conflict with your duties as president, or should He speak to your prophet who would speak to you, how would you make that decision, how would you handle that?" reporter Natalie Jacobson asks. Romney laughs and then replies, "Well, I don't recall God speaking to me. I, I don't recall God speaking to anyone since, uh, Moses and the [burning] bush, or perhaps some others, but, but I don't have that frequent of communication." ... Mormons believe in modern revelation and that the church's prophet communicates with God, a belief at odds with other mainstream Christian faiths. The faith was founded by Smith, who said he had spoken to God and that an angel led him to gold plates that became the Book of Mormon. The LDS Church, through a spokesman, declined comment. [article link]
{Flashback} Six Arkansas nuns excommunicated for heresy - after refusing to give up membership in a Canadian sect whose founder claims to be possessed by the Virgin Mary - and that God speaks directly through her {It's unfortunate that it happens but the Church needs to take a clear Biblical stand and claiming to be possessed with another person is unbiblical and likewise the Christian Church should start excommunicating false teachers who believe that the (LDS) Mormon Cult possesses Christian virtues and that God spoke through Joseph Smith.} The Vatican has declared all members of the Army of Mary excommunicated. Hebert said the excommunication was the first in the diocese's 165-year history. "It is a painfully historic moment for this church," Hebert said. The six nuns are associated with the Good Shepherd Monastery of Our Lady of Charity and Refuge in Hot Springs. Sister Mary Theresa Dionne, one of the nuns excommunicated, said the nuns will still live at the convent property, which they own. "We are at peace and we know that for us we are doing the right thing," the
82-year-old nun said. "We pray that the church will open their eyes before it is too late. This is God's work through Mary, the blessed mother, and we're doing what we're asked to do." At a news conference, Hebert said the nuns "became entranced and deluded with a doctrine that is heretical." He said church officials removed the Eucharist -- which Catholics revere as the body of Christ -- from the monastery on Tuesday night. Hebert said the sect's members believe that its 86-year-old founder, Marie Paule Giguere, is the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary and that God speaks directly through her. [article link]
Leader of Christian Iowa Group Gives Romney His Vote - "I'll tell you a little secret," he (Mr. Hurd) told the audience of more than 200 people - "I haven't told anybody else this - I'll tell this secret out here - Next Thursday, when I go to the caucuses, I'm going to cast my vote for Governor Mitt Romney" {In the Bible secrecy pretty much equals deception and unfortunately the Church has too many deceptive leaders right now. When Christian pastors, leaders and teachers endorse the Satanic (LDS) Mormon cult it is a time of great deception. Be careful who you follow, deception is rampant in America in these last days. The only safe option is to follow Jesus Christ and if a person is unable to confirm the teachings of Jesus in the Bible avoid that person.} BURLINGTON, Iowa-Wait, was he supposed to do that? Mitt Romney got a surprise endorsement on Saturday from the Rev. Morris Hurd, chairman of the Iowa Christian Alliance, a prominent conservative Christian group in the state, as he introduced the former Massachusetts governor at a rally tonight. Officials with the group typically avoid making public endorsements because of their tax-exempt status, but Mr. Hurd blurted out his decision tonight in what felt like a bit of an accident. "I'll tell you a little secret," he told the audience of more than 200 people. "I haven't told anybody else this. I'll tell this secret out here. Next Thursday, when I go to the caucuses, I'm going to cast my vote for Governor Mitt Romney." Neither Mr. Hurd, nor Mr. Romney, who took the microphone afterward, identified Mr. Hurd as the chairman of the Alliance's board. "I don't think I'm supposed to endorse a candidate," said Mr. Hurd afterward, when the Caucus approached him. "I hope I don't get in trouble." Mr. Hurd downplayed the weight of his endorsement, but Tim Albrecht, Mr. Romney's Iowa campaign spokeman, called it a "huge validator." [article link]
Mitt Romney Doesn't Want To Discuss (his) "Baptizing DEAD People!" - baptising dead people? Oh my **, do they really do that? that is disgusting (YouTube 0:37) {This is what makes Mitt a Mormon shill when he pretends to be an outsider all the while directing people to the LDS, he sounds just like a commercial.} Yeah... it's hard to get elected President when you spent years BAPTIZING DEAD NAZIS!!!! I don't think I'd admit to having done it either. Then again, I wouldn't have joined his Cult to begin with. ... Oh, by the way, 19 year old Mormon missionaries, which he once was, have enough authority to speak for and behalf of the Mormon church, teaching and baptizing people daily, all around the world, but Mitt, a 60 year old man and former high up leader in Mormonism; claims he doesn't speak for his church. Just like you said...what a boldfaced liar!! [article link]
Pope: Find Time for God - Pope Benedict XVI urged the faithful to set aside time in their lives for God and the needy VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI urged the faithful to set aside time in their lives for God and the needy, as he ushered in Christmas early Tuesday by celebrating Midnight Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. Echoing a theme he has raised about an increasingly secular world, Benedict said that many people act as if there is no room for spiritual matters in their lives. "Man is so preoccupied with himself, he has such urgent need of all the space and all the time for his own things, that nothing remains for others, for his neighbor, for the poor, for God," he said. ... Benedict drew parallels between what he perceives as modern society's refusal of God and the story of how Jesus was born in a manger because there was no space for his family at a nearby inn. "In some way, mankind is awaiting God, waiting for him to draw near. But when the moment comes, there is no room for him," he said. But the message of Jesus' birth, which is marked on Christmas, is also that "God does not allow
himself to be shut out," Benedict said. "He finds a space, even if it means entering through the stable; there are people who see his light and pass it on." [article link]
Christmas "Savior Day" 2007 - Celebrating the Arrival-Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind - Giving 'Glory to God in the Highest' this is the very basis of our human relationship to the Holy, loving, kind, compassionate and tender God! Christmas Day - "Savior Day" The Day Jesus Christ the Savior of the world entered into the world! Celebrating the Arrival (Birth) of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind Christmas time is a wonderful time it is a time of reassurance of God's love and of God's commitment for all mankind throughout all time. Enjoy the Christmas holiday season knowing that there is indeed a Savior-Redeemer for mankind and that Jesus Christ is the SaviorRedeemer. ... Luke 2:8-12 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. [article link]
Christmas Traditions Around the World PLEASE NOTE.... The information placed on this site may not be the way all people celebrate traditions today many are over 100 years old. Many people change to suit their families. [article link]
Love Worth Finding - Dr. Adrian Rogers - Top 20 in 20 - CD Collection ($48.00) At the end of each year, LWF compiles an album of the most requested messages aired during the year. In celebration of 20 years in broadcasting, this incredible album includes the top 20 messages in the last 20 years. From prophecy to family, to personal and spiritual growth, Adrian Rogers shares powerful biblical principles that will bring hope to your heart, encouragement to your soul, and strength for your spirit. [article link]
Billy Graham NYC [1957] Crusade - MP4 Download Google Video (Online-Download Video 22 min 1 sec) A video clip from one of the great Billy Graham Crusades. [article link]
Billy Graham [1982] Crusade - MP4 Download Google Video (Online-Download Video 12 min 50 sec) A video clip from one of the great Billy Graham Crusades. [article link]
Billy Graham speaking at the funeral of his wife, Ruth Bell Graham (Online-Download video 3 min) I just watched the most Gospel-driven funeral I have ever seen. Here is a short video clip where Dr. Billy Graham stands to address those in attendance. The entire funeral was a powerful testimony to Christ. Visit the Billy Graham website for more information. [article link]
Billy Graham television special - Celebrating Ruth Bell Graham - Check TV Listings (TV - DVD) From the war-torn countryside of ancient China, to the impressive halls of America's White House, Ruth Bell Graham's life took her on a journey that few could imagine. Meet this unique woman who captured the heart of Billy Graham and gained the admiration of countless others. Discover why her husband called her, "…the greatest Christian I've ever known." Laugh with those who knew her best and discover fresh insights from those who loved her deeply. Find out how her "behind-the-scenes" wit and wisdom helped produce an extraordinary
legacy. Plus, be inspired by world premier music videos from Avalon and Fernando Ortega, and enjoy a special performance from the Gaither Homecoming Friends. Watch the Billy Graham Television Special this December as we celebrate the "very full life" of Ruth Bell Graham. [article link]
La. Village Drops 666 From Its Phone Number - It's taken 40 years, but this southwest Louisiana village no longer bears the mark of the beast - "This boils down to, this is a very, very religious community" Walker said REEVES, La. - It's taken 40 years, but this southwest Louisiana village no longer bears the mark of the beast. Beginning this month, residents and businesses can change the first three digits of their phone numbers from 666 -- depicted in the Bible as the mark of the beast -- to 749. Mayor Scott Walker said one of the biggest hangups he's had, both as mayor and as a lifelong resident of Reeves, is the reaction he's gotten when giving people his number. He describes it as a pause, followed by the admonition: "Y'all have to change that." ... "This boils down to, this is a very, very religious community," Walker said. [article link]
BasicChristian.org: What is the Mark of the Beast 666 There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the book of Revelation. It is an actual mark or marking and it is also an Image (Icon) a representation of the Antichrist (Satan) himself and it is represented in his personal name of, emptiness, which is referenced by the number 666. [article link]
Romney administration could have kept killer behind bars - but the Romney administration failed to file paperwork in time to take away his "good time" credits - Because of the paperwork error, Tavares was allowed to keep nearly a year's worth of "good days" to complete his sentence SHIRLEY, Mass.-A killer accused in the slaying of a newlywed couple in Washington state shortly after he was released from prison in Massachusetts should have been held behind bars for almost a year longer, but the Romney administration failed to file paperwork in time to take away his "good time" credits. more stories like thisA Department of Correction superintendent, under then-Gov. Mitt Romney, did not act on a disciplinary recommendation to strip 300 days of credit from Daniel Tavares after he was accused of threats to prison staff in 2003, state officials announced Friday in releasing results of a probe into the Tavares case. Because of the paperwork error, Tavares was allowed to keep nearly a year's worth of "good days" to complete his sentence June 14. Five months later, newlyweds Brian and Beverly Mauck were killed in Graham, Wash., allegedly by Tavares. "He would have still been incarcerated. We are very dismayed. He was violent," Correction Commissioner Harold Clarke said at a news conference Friday. "This is an individual who should not have been released any earlier than required." [article link]
Pakistan: What it all Means - It is not a good idea to have 70 nuclear weapons in the hands of a country that is falling apart - "Decisive action is needed to prevent civil war in Pakistan, and a destabilized region only serves to fuel the interests of radical Islam" Joel Rosenberg asks, "Why does Bhutto's death matter? To be blunt: Pakistan and her nuclear weapons are in danger of falling into the hands of Islamic radicals. Such radicals have attempted to assassinate Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf multiple times in the last few years, hoping to seize control of the government and impose Sharia Law. The attack is a sobering reminder that Pakistan is just one coup d'etat away from Osama bin Laden or one of his fanatical, murderous allies suddenly gaining control. It is difficult to imagine a more nightmarish scenario than al-Qaeda in possession of Pakistan's nuclear arsensal, but this is not an impossibility." Gary Bauer reminds us, "Bhutto survived a previous assassination attempt in October involving coordinated bombings that killed more than 150 people and wounded hundreds more. She did not falter from her cause; she pressed on. According to press reports, a baby was turned into a human bomb in that failed attempt. The child was strapped with explosives and passed person-to-person through the crowd in the hopes
that Bhutto would hug the baby, which is what any decent person would do. But Bhutto's enemies, our enemies, freedom's enemies, exploit our sensitivities and turn babies into bombs. "This is the evil Bhutto was confronting. Her voice has been silenced. The rest of the civilized world must take up her cause. We cannot ignore it. We cannot compromise with it. We must defeat it or it will defeat us." We are in perilous times (II Timothy 3) so stay tuned. [article link]
Romney fights dirty as polls suggest lead is slipping - by running negative television adverts against his fastrising Republican rival John McCain - He has used similar negative campaigning against another rival, Mike Huckabee One of the frontrunners in the 2008 presidential race, Mitt Romney, opted for a risky strategy today by running negative television adverts against his fast-rising Republican rival John McCain. With less than a week to the first real test, the caucus in Iowa, polls suggest that Romney's lead nationally is being eroded. Negative advertising is often effective but it can also turn off potential voters, especially in states such as Iowa. ... Romney, who has spent millions more on advertising than his Republican rivals, most of it from his personal fortune, aired an advert that focused on McCain's position on immigration and tax. ... Romney has spent $6.5m on more than 8,000 advertising spots in Iowa. McCain has repeatedly resisted personal attacks. He put out an ad of his own in New Hampshire quoting a newspaper saying: "McCain campaigns with decency." [article link]
ANALYSIS: Conspiracy theories abound over Benazir Bhutto slaying - The most astounding aspect of Thursday's events is the negligence displayed by Bhutto's security detail According to reports, the assassin managed to approach Bhutto and position himself within a short distance of her, before proceeding to shoot her and detonate the explosives with which he was strapped. Not only did the assassin want to cause maximum casualties, but he also hoped that authorities would later be unable to identify him and thus ascertain which organization he was working for. What makes the security failure all the more startling is the fact that it comes just weeks after the first assassination attempt following Bhutto's return to Pakistan from a lengthy political exile. In the attempt, suicide bombers killed 150 people, although Bhutto escaped unharmed. Under these circumstances, it was chiefly incumbent on her security guards to do all in their power to prevent direct access to her, even during the course of an election campaign in which a candidate seeks to come into contact with the public. [article link]
Linux Mint 4.0 Daryna released! - Linux Mint's purpose is to produce an elegant, up to date and comfortable GNU/Linux desktop distribution Linux Mint is one of the surprise packages of the past year. Originally launched as a variant of Ubuntu with integrated media codecs, it has now developed into one of the most user-friendly distributions on the market complete with a custom desktop and menus, several unique configuration tools, a web-based package installation interface, and a number of different editions. Perhaps most importantly, this is one project where the developers and users are in constant interaction, resulting in dramatic, user-driven improvements with every new release. DistroWatch has spoken to the founder and lead developer of Linux Mint, Clement Lefebvre, about the history of the distribution. [article link]
Jan Mickelson Exposes A Romney Lie - Romney stated hidden cameras, it's kinda difficult to hide a guy carrying a camera 3 feet in front of you (YouTube - 9:32) {Mitt first calls the radio host a TV host, obviously the cameras were not hidden if Mitt thought he was on TV. Lot's of discrepancies in Romney's version and apparently Team Mitt then had their deceitful account placed on Wikipedia.com where it was proven to be false and changed. Also the interview was on the record, not in secret and Mitt was being asked about his flip-flops on abortion and not being challenged about his Mormonism.}
About This Video Jan Mickelson of WHO 1040 exposes how Mitt Romney lied to CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric. Added: December 19, 2007. Is there anything he (Mitt) doesn't lie about? [article link]
Polygamy and Joseph Smith's Many Wives - after Joseph's declaration annulling all Gentile marriages, the greatest promiscuity was practiced; and, indeed, all sense of morality seemed to have been lost by a portion at least of the (LDS) church - Apostle Parley P. Pratt defended polygamy as a holy ordinance governed by strict boundaries Ann Eliza Young, who had been married to Brigham Young, charged that Joseph Smith was guilty of adultery: "Joseph not only paid his addresses to the young and unmarried women, but he sought 'spiritual alliance' with many married ladies…He taught them that all former marriages were null and void, and that they were at perfect liberty to make another choice of a husband. The marriage covenants were not binding, because they were ratified only by Gentile laws...consequently all the women were free... "One woman said to me not very long since, while giving me some of her experiences in polygamy: 'The greatest trial I ever endured in my life was living with my husband and deceiving him, by receiving Joseph's attentions whenever he chose to come to me.' "This woman, and others, whose experience has been very similar, are among the very best women in the church; they are as pure-minded and virtuous women as any in the world. They were seduced under the guise of religion... "Some of these women have since said they did not know who was the father of their children; this is not to be wondered at, for after Joseph's declaration annulling all Gentile marriages, the greatest promiscuity was practiced; and, indeed, all sense of morality seemed to have been lost by a portion at least of the church." (Wife No. 19, 1876, pp. 70-71) [article link]
(Part 2) Parley P. Pratt - was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857 - Pratt's great great grandson is Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor and current candidate for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination He married Thankful Halsey in Canaan, New York on 9 September 1827. ... On a preaching mission in the southern United States in 1857, Pratt was being tracked by Hector McLean, who was upset with Pratt for marrying his legal wife Eleanor McLean. Pratt had met Eleanor a few years earlier in San Francisco, California, and she later left Hector and moved to Utah where she married Pratt. Though for religious reasons she considered herself "unmarried", Eleanor was not legally divorced from Hector at the time of her Celestial marriage to Pratt. McLean pressed criminal charges, accusing Pratt of coming between him and the woman. Pratt managed to evade him and the legal charges, but was finally arrested in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). He was tried before Judge John B Ogden, but was only charged with stealing children's clothes. He had helped his wife Eleanor retrieve her children who had been taken from her by McLean. Judge Ogden acquitted Pratt of the charges against him and released him. However, shortly afterward, on 13 May 1857, he was killed by Hector McLean on a farm northeast of Van Buren, Arkansas. Pratt was buried near Alma, Arkansas. Mormons viewed Pratt's death as a martyrdom, a view first expressed in Pratt's own dying words. Brigham Young compared his death with those of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and many Mormons blamed the death on the state of Arkansas, or its people. Due to his personal popularity and his position in the Council of the Twelve, Pratt's murder in Arkansas was a significant blow to the Latter-day Saint community in the Rocky Mountains, when they began hearing about it in June 1857. The violent death may also have played a part in events leading up to the Mountain Meadows massacre five months later. This massacre resulted in the deaths of the majority of the Baker-Fancher Party travelling to Southern California along the Mormon Road (a portion of the Old Spanish Trail). After the massacre, some Mormons claimed that rumors had circulated throughout the southern Utah Territory that one or more members of the party had murdered Pratt, poisoned creek water which subsequently sickened Paiute children, and allowed their cattle to graze on private property. [article link]
(Part 1) Parley P. Pratt - was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until 1857 - Pratt's great great grandson is Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor and current candidate for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination Pratt then returned to Fayette, New York in October 1830, where he met Joseph Smith and was asked to join a missionary group assigned to preach to the Native American (Lamanite) tribes on the Missouri frontier. During the trip west, he and his companions stopped to visit Sidney Rigdon, and were instrumental in converting Rigdon and approximately 130 members of his congregation within two to three weeks. Pratt was later assigned additional missions to the Eastern United States, the Southern United States, England, the Pacific Islands, and to South America. He moved to Valparaiso, Chile to begin the missionary work there. They left after not much success and the death of his child Omner in 1852. In addition to his brother, Orson Pratt and Sidney Rigdon, he was instrumental in introducing the Mormon faith to a number of future LDS leaders, including Frederick G. Williams, John Taylor and his wife Leonora, Isaac Morley and Joseph Fielding and his sisters, Mary and Mercy Fielding. In addition to serving as an active missionary, Pratt entered the leadership of the early Latter Day Saint movement acting as an original member of The Quorum of Twelve Apostles under Joseph Smith. While on a mission to the British Isles in 1839, Pratt was editor of a newly created periodical, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star. While presiding over the church's branches and interests in New England and the mid-Atlantic states, Pratt published a periodical entitled The Prophet from his headquarters in New York City. He was also a noted religious writer and poet. He produced an autobiography, as well as some poems which have become staple LDS hymns, some of which are included in the current LDS Hymnal. After the death of Joseph Smith, Pratt and his family were among the church members who emigrated to Utah under the direction of President Brigham Young. Pratt was involved in establishing the refugee settlements and fields at both Garden Grove and Mt. Pisgah, Iowa and personally led a pioneer company along the Mormon Trail to the Salt Lake Valley. Sometime in the mid 1850's, working with George D. Watt, he helped develop the Deseret alphabet. [article link]
Romney's Strategy In Peril - Comments: Willard Romney, descendant of Parley P. Pratt, the very architect of the plural marriage tenet of the (LDS) cult - For your information What a "Jack Mormon" is - A Jack Mormon is not a Mormon who is less active or inactive in the Mormon Church - A Jack Mormon is a person who is not a Mormon but is frinedly towards the Mormons - it is the closest thing to being a Mormon without being one ... the fact of the matter is Willard Romney, descendant of Parley P. Pratt, the very architect of the plural marriage tenet of the (LDS) cult, is done for - his candidacy finished. ... For your information. What a "Jack Mormon" is. A Jack Mormon is not a Mormon who is less active or inactive in the Mormon Church. A Jack Mormon is a person who is not a Mormonn but is frinedly towards the Mormons. "Your president has already mentioned that Uncle George is not a Mormon. I hope you will forgive me-and I hope this is not a wrong expression-but Uncle George insists that he is a Jack-Mormon. He says that if you do not know what a JackMormon is, to tell you that it is the closest thing to being a Mormon without being one." Assembly Honoring George Luther Barrett, BYU Speeches, October 14, 1960, p.8 Get a load of that! you amateurs. [article link]
Mitt Romney's Not Dead Yet - But his big asset is that, aside from anti-Mormon bigots, he's still in the running {If you are not a Mormon and have any questions or concerns about the credibility of the LDS then the Mormons quickly and emphatically label you a 'bigot' and apparently if you are not a Mormon and support the LDS then you are labeled a 'Jack Mormon' so either way the Mormons will label you.} But his big asset is that, aside from anti-Mormon bigots, he's still in the running -- he still draws second-choice voters; he has plenty of money; he is a supporting player in the stories right now. In Iowa and New Hampshire; he seems to be on the rise in some of the other early states. If he wins Iowa and New Hampshire -- not sure things, but not unbelievable, either -- he's probably going to win the nomination. The Christmas break was good for Romney, if only because it allowed him to get out of his own way. The MLK march gaffe was both
silly, from an empirical perspective, because Romney probably relied on hazy childhood memory and didn't filter his thoughts -- and damaging, in that it occupied about 72 hours of campaign time. Now -- the unprecedented personal attacks from two New Hampshire newspapers are kind of stunning and will serve to focus on the attention on Romney for the next few days…. But the world is his candy corn, and more than Huck or McCain, Romney determines Romney's fate. [article link]
Patrick and James on Mormon Mitt Romney and US elections, 08 (YouTube 10:09) {Two English Christians who are ex-Catholics, they have some really good insights into American politics.} About This Video Patrick and James talk about the Mormon leader. Added: October 19, 2007. [article link]
Bhutto photographer: 'She was clearly in her element' - Bhutto enjoyed being with her supporters - She was clearly in her element," he said - "She just wanted to get close to the people, and obviously whoever was after her -- they saw that coming" (CNN) -- The photographer who took the last known images of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto before her assassination Thursday told CNN he was "surprised" to see her rise through the sunroof of her vehicle to wave to supporters after delivering her speech. ... "I ran up, got as close as I got, made a few pictures of her waving to the crowd," Getty Images senior staff photographer John Moore told CNN's online streaming news service, CNN.com Live, in a phone interview Thursday from Islamabad, Pakistan. "And then suddenly, there were a few gunshots that rang out, and she went down, she went down through the sunroof," he said. "And just at that moment I raised my camera up and the blast happened. ... And then, of course, there was chaos." ... However, the Rawalpindi rally was announced beforehand, he observed. "Whoever planned this attack -- they had time on their hands to plan everything properly, and you saw the results today," he said. ... Moore said it was obvious that Bhutto enjoyed being with her supporters. "She was clearly in her element," he said. "She just wanted to get close to the people, and obviously whoever was after her -- they saw that coming." [article link]
Mitt Romney candidate platform - Gay Marriage: Opposes same-sex marriage and civil unions - Taxes and Budget issues: Supports a zero tax [?] on capital gains for middle-income Americans {I think the truth is coming out that Romney created gay marriage in Massachusetts and he has been a lifelong supporter of abortion so this document is full of flip-flops or it is full of lies.} The war in Iraq: Romney supported the invasion of Iraq but has called the post-invasion period "mismanaged." He supported the troop surge and opposes plans to set a timetable for withdrawal of troops. To secure the nation, Romney calls for an overall increase in American troop strength by 100,000 service personnel and an increase in defense spending to at least 4 percent of GDP. Social Security: Romney calls for bipartisan leadership to reform Social Security and Medicare. Supports private savings account as an alternative to extending the retirement age. Would consider tying benefits to prices rather than wages for upper-income Americans only. ... Romney pledges to implement a plan of fiscal discipline and management in Washington by establishing spending limits, re-examining and evaluating all federal spending programs (identify waste, duplication and inefficiencies), working with Congress to reform entitlement spending and address the budget crisis. Romney also supports the presidential line item veto to strip unnecessary spending. Supports a zero tax on capital gains for middle-income Americans. [article link]
*** Mike Huckabee for President *** With only days to go in Iowa we need your help - Please share encourage each of your friends to visit our campaign website today to learn more about Mike Huckabee Mike Huckabee is out to show people the American dream is still alive. The former Arkansas governor recently formed a 2008 presidential exploratory committee because he feels the country needs a reawakening and a
leadership to address an array of issues, including how to improve the nation's infrastructure, education system, environmental policy and failing health care system. In the past year, Huckabee visited nearly 30 states to campaign for Republican candidates and conservative causes - and to share his message of vertical politics that he says reflects American values and priorities. [article link]
Clinton, Huckabee Ahead in Oklahoma Poll - holds its presidential primary on Feb. 5 - Mike Huckabee, 29% Mitt Romney, 9% Huckabee was favored in a head-to-head matchup with Clinton, 56 percent to 35 percent, in this heavily Republican state. Clinton also trailed McCain (61-31), Romney (51-30), and Giuliani (50-38). Edwards led against Romney (50-37), appeared slightly ahead of Giuliani (48-42) and was about even with Huckabee, but was 11 percentage points behind McCain. Oklahoma has not supported a Democrat in a presidential election since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. [article link]
JFK on Mormons - Kennedy's speech at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah (YouTube 1 min 15 sec) {This is like every Mormon's fantasy to be portrayed like this, unfortunately it is the comments of a pandering politician and reality, facts and the Mormon history are much different.} About This: Video Kennedy's speech at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah. Added: December 26, 2007 [article link]
Mitt Romney on the Death of Benazir Bhutto - "I don't know that we can assess the political process that has been underway in Pakistan to determine exactly where we put our greatest support" Romney said {Mitt Romney continues to underwhelm - he is truly a man without his own plan. Romney seems to need exact coaching from his handles and his LDS cult before he dares to give even his own opinion. Mitt truly is just a Mormon mole hoping to get into office on behalf of his weird LDS cult, very sad!} Romney said. "At this stage, there are conflicting reports about whether Madame Bhutto has been killed or not. But there is of course the very risk that she has been killed." The Associated Press and other news sources had already confirmed that Bhutto had been killed at the time Romney made his statement, but earlier reports had indicated that Bhutto was in surgery. ... Romney was asked whether the U.S. has placed too much trust in General Musharraf. "I don't know that we can assess the political process that has been underway in Pakistan to determine exactly where we put our greatest support," Romney said. "Obviously we have also encouraged a political process which included Madam Bhutto and Mr. Sharif, and we have had interest in seeing a progression towards more democratic leadership and governance in Pakistan. Our nation was disappointed with the declaration of martial law." [article link]
Mall Gunman Admitted He was Satanic, Attempted Suicide - A constant theme of court hearings was Hawkins' drug use - He told social workers he started using marijuana at age 13 and typically smoked twice a week OMAHA, Neb. - The teen gunman who killed eight people and himself in a mall this month once told social workers he was satanic and acknowledged that he often acted before thinking of the consequences, according to newly released court records. ... Hawkins became violent with a staff member at a residential treatment program in Omaha in August 2003 and had to be restrained, according to a letter from therapist Steven Moore. When it was suggested that Hawkins be sent to a residential facility, the teen said, "I'll burn that (expletive) place down with all of the people in it if you send me there," Moore wrote. A constant theme of court hearings was Hawkins' drug use. He told social workers he started using marijuana at age 13 and typically smoked twice a week. By age 17, he said, he smoked marijuana almost daily and had snorted cocaine four to five times. He was expelled from school in October 2005 for trying to sell drugs to classmates. Hawkins shrugged off criticism
of his drug use and acknowledged selling drugs to pay for his marijuana habit, the documents said. [article link]
{Flashback} Drug dealers' pardons left unexplained - Mercy also granted to carjackers, but not border agents defending U.S. - The White House has left unexplained the president's decisions to grant pardons to drug dealers, carjackers, thieves and a moonshiner, but deny the same mercy to two former U.S. Border Patrol agents each serving more than a decade in prison for shooting at a fleeing drug smuggler The White House has left unexplained the president's decisions to grant pardons to drug dealers, carjackers, thieves and a moonshiner, but deny the same mercy to two former U.S. Border Patrol agents each serving more than a decade in prison for shooting at a fleeing drug smuggler. The issue arose during a news briefing at the White House, held by Dana Perino, the president's spokeswoman. "Both Republicans and the Democrat Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee have now deplored the president's pardoning of drug dealers and carjackers while refusing to pardon two U.S. Border Patrol agents who shot a Mexican drug smuggler who disobeyed their order to stop..." asked WND's correspondent at the White House, Les Kinsolving. ... Ramos and Compean are serving 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively, for shooting after fleeing drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila in an incident on the Texas border with Mexico on Feb. 17, 2005. Delahunt objected strongly to the mandatory minimum 10-year sentence Ramos and Compean are serving under 18 U.S.C. Section 924(c), a law Congress passed to increase the prison terms of federal felons, including bank robbers, who carried a weapon in the commission of their crimes. "It just isn't right, period," Delahunt said. "In this case there is bipartisan agreement in the House that Ramos and Compean have already served enough time." [article link]
{Flashback} Drug Dealers Pardoned While Border Patrol Agents Remain in Prison - President Bush has opted to pardon 8 (count them - eight) drug dealers {The myth that Republicans are a Law & Order party has evaporated. No wonder American society is deteriorating at such a rapid pace our leaders are aiding and abetting the dangerous criminals while refusing to protect society.} My disappointment with our current political and governmental administration reached an all-time high, today. The reason? While US Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean are left to languish in jail for actually doing their jobs, President Bush has opted to pardon 8 (count them - eight) drug dealers. Note: Was this to ensure that the drug dealers' families and friends would have an even "jollier" time this time of year than they would have without certain 'products'? One can only surmise. And as continues to be the case, Agents Ramos and Compean were ignored; much the same as the building of a protective southern border security fence is being substantively ignored by our government "leaders"; leaders who are not only fighting against US citizens but, appear to be hoping that We-the-People will-at some point-forget about the border fence entirely. Hmmm. Drug dealers are now allowed, by our government. to infect our society and way of life with their viruses-even encouraged to do so with these latest pardons-while US citizens are punished for fighting against them. Could this be the real reason Compean and Ramos were prosecuted by US Attorney Johnny Sutton? Were they and are we being sent the unambiguous dictate that drug dealers must be allowed to ply their trade-which includes crossing our southern border to do so-without any interference from local and federal law enforcement and any of the US citizenry? Is this a warning to We-the-People to "back off" or also face jail time? Sure sounds like it. But, apparently, this mandate applies to only a certain class of drugs and their suppliers. [article link]
How Gov. Mitt Romney started same-sex "marriage" in Massachusetts - despite what he says now! - Timeline documents Mitt Romney's role in creating same-sex "marriages" {Mitt Romney took this and other unnecessary positions because he is a mole for the LDS cult. This may not necessarily have been married Mitt's personal position but it is a position the Mormon leadership has determined will best help their cause to secure polygamy for the Mormon cult and the obedient Mitt Romney did his best to help his cult even though it
means further destroying families and eroding the nations values.} More Flip Flopping from Mitt Romney - How Gov. Mitt Romney started same-sex "marriage" in Massachusetts despite what he says now! Same-sex "marriage" is still NOT legal in Massachusetts, and was NOT created by the Supreme Judicial Court's Goodridge ruling. Timeline documents Mitt Romney's role in creating same-sex "marriages." In fact, it was Governor Mitt Romney who was ultimately responsible for same-sex "marriages" taking place. The Supreme Judicial Court only issued an opinion and advised the Legislature to act (which it never did). Even the Court acknowledged that it had no power to change the law. Governor Romney created these "marriages" through an unconstitutional and illegal directive to his Department of Public Health (to print new "marriage" licenses), and through his legal counsel threatened to fire any Town Clerk or Justice of the Peace who failed to implement the (non-existent) "new law". He was not required by any constitutional mandate to do these things. On the contrary, his actions clearly violated his oath to uphold the laws of Massachusetts. Robert --, Salt Lake City, Utah (Sent Thursday, December 27, 2007 9:53 AM) Source: firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/27/534654.aspx [article link]
Bush administration condemns attack on Bhutto - A U.S. official speaking on grounds of anonymity confirmed that Bhutto was assassinated - No person or group has claimed responsibility for her death, the official said {Bush lavishly funder her killers and he is as guilty as they are.} WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration scrambled Thursday with the implications of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination after investing significant diplomatic capital in promoting reconciliation between her and President Pervez Musharraf. ... Those concerns were compounded by the rising threat from al Qaeda and Taliban extremists, particularly in Pakistan's largely ungoverned tribal areas bordering Afghanistan despite the fact that Washington had pumped nearly $10 billion in aid into the country since Musharraf became an indispensable counter-terrorism ally after September 11, 2001. Irritated by the situation, Congress last week imposed new restrictions on U.S. assistance to Pakistan, including tying $50 million in military aid to State Department assurances that the country is making "concerted efforts" to prevent terrorists from operating inside its borders. Under the law, which provides a total of $300 million in aid to Pakistan and was signed by President Bush on Wednesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also must guarantee Pakistan is implementing democratic reforms, including releasing political prisoners and restoring an independent judiciary. [article link]
Romney suggests Healey failed to succeed him because of herself, campaign - Romney's No. 2 (Kerry Healey) as lieutenant governor - was "demolished" by Democrat Deval Patrick even though he was a political neophyte and Healey had the endorsement of a sitting governor (Romney) - the speaker said Romney failed to trim a bloated bureaucracy, reduce the state budget, revive a "corrupt" court system and reign in the Democratically controlled Legislature Romney said Wednesday she failed to follow him into the governor's office last year because either of her own shortcomings or those of her campaign. The former governor made the statement during a brief return to Bay State politics prompted by two questioners at a preprimary town hall meeting across the border at Thomas More College. ... In Massachusetts, though, Healey - then Romney's No. 2 as lieutenant governor - was "demolished" by Democrat Deval Patrick even though he was a political neophyte and Healey had the endorsement of a sitting governor, the speaker said. "I think the endorsement of a candidate for the person that follows them is important, but I must admit, overwhelmingly, the most important is the candidate - him or herself - and their campaign," Romney said. Rather than elaborating, the former governor turned to his own presidential candidacy, noting that Healey was giving him her unbridled support. ... In particular, the speaker said Romney failed to trim a bloated bureaucracy, reduce the state budget, revive a "corrupt" court system and reign in the Democratically controlled Legislature. "Finneran and Travaglini handled you rather than you handling them," the questioner complained, referring to former House Speaker Thomas Finneran and former
Senate President Robert Travaglini. Romney interrupted the speaker as he made each point, insisting his record was positive on every count. [article link]
Why Bush removed me from Christmas list - Since then - both in 2006 and again this season - I got no card from the Bushes - Not a Christmas card, not a Hanukkah card, not a Kwanzaa card - Not even a "season's greetings" card George W. Bush ran for president proclaiming himself as a born-again believer in Jesus of Nazareth. And, like it or not, Christmas, though it is an artificial, extra-biblical holiday instituted centuries after Jesus' death on the cross and Resurrection, is about one thing to Christians - the birth of their Lord and Savior. President Bush's 2005 non-Christmas card (inside) It's not about Santa Claus. It's not about consumerism. It's not about pretty lights and decorated trees. It's about that baby in the manger and who He became and what He did. I just got tired of seeing the Bushes tiptoe around the reason for the season. Even in the Bushes first year in the White House, his friend and counsel Harriet Miers, later a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, rejected the text of an official Christmas card written by Ned Ryun, son of Rep. Jim Ryun, because it was "too Christian" and might offend those of other faiths. "Miers," explained the younger Ryun, "purposefully sought to dilute the Christianity of the message." And that's point. For Christians, Christmas is about one thing. It's about the Son of God coming to Earth in human form to atone for our sins so we can share eternal life with Him. It's a serious matter - the most serious matter of all. Bush, for his part, has gone out of his way to pay tribute to faiths he does not call his own. That's all well and good. But why is he so uncomfortable expressing the joy Christians feel at this time of the year as they reflect on the miracles of their Savior? This isn't just a matter of the history for a lame-duck president. I'm not just beating a dead reindeer here. In 2008 we select Bush's successor. And there are more than a few controversies stirring already over religion. What we can learn from the Bush presidency is that Christians should not just accept what candidates say about themselves in determining who they are and what they believe - especially about the ultimate issues of life and death. Christians need to probe more deeply than sound bites that tickle their ears. [article link]
ConstitutionParty.com: Christmas Greetings from Chairman Jim Clymer - In the past, the Republican leaders paid lip service to conservatives to get their support during the campaign, but then treated them with contempt after the election - It's no surprise that across the country, Republicans are losing seats and losing voters As the Christmas season is upon us, I am reminded of the countless blessings our Savior has bestowed upon this great country. I am also reminded of the immeasurable good fortune I have to count you as a friend, supporter and fellow warrior in the battle to restore as public policy those values that have made our great country the envy of the world. But I also cannot ignore the very real danger we face of losing everything that America has stood for. The major parties have created a political monopoly. Although they masquerade as two parties, they are really one, with two parts. Both are determined to promote the same agenda. Without the Constitution Party as a viable alternative, Americans will almost certainly be left choosing between two proabort, nanny state, open borders, deficit-spenders. America cannot survive much longer with that kind of "leadership." [article link]
Romney Habitually Substitutes Truthiness For Truthfulness - As Parker bluntly puts it: "Republicans can win back the hearts and minds of Americans. But they have to get real and get honest. Unlike the former governor of Massachusetts" How did candidate Romney respond to someone revealing what his church actually believes? He said, "But I think attacking someone's religion is really going too far. It's just not the American way, and I think people will reject that," Romney told NBC's "Today" show. ... Does this have anything to do with Mitt Romney and his qualifications to be president? Everyone will have to decide that in his or her own heart. I just wish the
Mormons, including Mitt Romney, would simply be more candid and tell us the straight truth about their religion. And who ran 2002 Winter Olympics when the Mormons were busy repackaging their religion for public (read MSM) consumption? Romney. The only way John Fund, Hugh Hewitt, Charles Krauthammer and other pundits can call people who are asking inconvenient questions (in other words, doing their jobs for them) "bigots" is to choose to remain ignorant by confined their "research" on Mormonism to marketing materials sanctioned by the Mormon Church. They have abrogated their responsibilities as journalists by not bothering to delve into the "doctrinal folklore" that Fund's colleague Riley briefly touches on in his column - unwritten, passed orally from Sunday school teacher to future priests and missionaries. For instance, Fund once dismissed the "White Horse Prophesy" as a fantasy. Perhaps he ought to bestir himself to look further into it. To answer Burney's question, if a man can lie about his core beliefs he will lie about everything else - and Romney's record of flip-flopping on abortion and other fundamental issues certainly bears this out. If the pundits weren't so busy ascribing character flaws to people who balk at voting for Romney, the candidate's reluctance to forthrightly discuss Mormonism - further, to lie about its doctrines (second item) - would have raised red flags a long time ago. As Parker bluntly puts it: "Republicans can win back the hearts and minds of Americans. But they have to get real and get honest. Unlike the former governor of Massachusetts." [article link]
(Part 1) Mitt Romney's Christmas Present to the 'Gay' Lobby Should End Pro-Family Leaders' Support for his Candidacy - his ninth-inning flip-flop on homosexuality is falling short due to his strong commitment to 'gay rights' LaBarbera said {Was Mitt trying to claim a civil rights mantel to then spread it over the homosexual community and be a leader for them? Note: George Romney not only didn't march with MLK, on two occasions George Romney REFUSED to march with MLK offering weak excuses both times.} "Mitt Romney's Christmas present to the homosexual lobby disqualifies him as a pro-family leader," LaBarbera said. "Laws that treat homosexuality as a civil right are being used to promote homosexual 'marriage,' same-sex adoption and pro-homosexuality indoctrination of schoolchildren. These same laws pose a direct threat to the freedom of faith-minded citizens and organizations to act on their religious belief that homosexual behavior is wrong. "Romney may have had a late conversion on abortion, but it appears his ninth-inning flip-flop on homosexuality is falling short due to his strong commitment to 'gay rights,'" LaBarbera said. (See the 'Mitt Romney Deception' report) "Now some pro-family leaders -- who have raised millions of dollars over the years opposing 'gay' activism -- will need to explain how they can go on supporting an openly pro-homosexualagenda candidate." LaBarbera said it is "inconceivable after Massachusetts' twin disasters involving homosexual 'marriage' and homosexual adoption that Romney now is recommending pro-homosexual 'orientation' laws -long derided as "special rights" among social conservatives - to the rest of the nation. "In Romney's own state of Massachusetts, the state 'sexual orientation' nondiscrimination law laid the groundwork for homosexual activists' campaign to legalize 'same-sex marriage' -- which then-Gov. Romney brought to fruition with his unnecessary and illegal directive granting marriage licenses to homosexual partners," LaBarbera said. "The same pro-gay state law also forced Boston's Catholic Charities to shut down its century-old adoption agency because it would not pledge to place children in homosexual-led households against Catholic teaching. [article link]
(Part 2) Mitt Romney's Christmas Present to the 'Gay' Lobby Should End Pro-Family Leaders' Support for his Candidacy {Mitt Romney has a wife and has a family, he probably is not interested in furthering the homosexual agenda except that the Mormon (LDS) cult is forcing him to forward that agenda, an agenda tailor made to regroup the Mormon polygamy lifestyle. The polygamous lifestyle that even now runs rampant and unabated throughout Utah and is spreading to several other western states.} "Given Romney's extensive pro-homosexual record and willingness now to depart from principle on this crucial issue, should we trust a 'President Romney' not to reverse course again on federal pro-homosexual laws such as 'Hate Crimes' and ENDA (Employment Nondiscrimination Act)?" LaBarbera said. [article link]
In Bay State, Romney not everyone's favorite candidate - Romney must overcome criticism that he left the state GOP worse off than when he became governor, as well as resentment that he used the governor's office as a launching pad for his presidential ambitions Republicans are known for closing ranks around a candidate. But former Gov. Paul Cellucci and Treasurer Joseph Malone and all but one Republican state senator aren't lined up behind Mitt Romney, the Massachusetts Republican running for president. Instead, they're supporting former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In past years, it would be unthinkable that a Massachusetts candidate for president would not coast to victory in the Bay State primary. But seven full weeks out from the Republican primary, a Romney triumph in Massachusetts on Feb. 5 is hardly assured. ... Bill Ryan, a Haverhill Republican and former mayor, said Romney can't count on a home-field advantage. "I don't think he'll be a favorite son," Ryan said. [article link]
{Flashback} Pollster: Republican 'Brand' Needs Repair - Republicans loss of governorships under Mitt Romney's tenure as chairman of the Republican Governors Association - "He put his own presidential aspirations ahead of his own party" Anderson said the three Republican governors considering a 2008 presidential campaign - Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and George Pataki of New York - had good records on controlling spending and improving health care in their states, issues important to voters. ... Democrats dispute that and noted the Republicans loss of governorships under Romney's tenure as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, including in Romney's home state of Massachusetts, where his handpicked successor lost by more than 20 points. Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda cited complaints from Republican gubernatorial candidates that Romney had not done enough to aid their cause. "He put his own presidential aspirations ahead of his own party," Miranda said in a telephone interview. [article link]
*** Mike Huckabee for President *** With only days to go in Iowa we need your help - Please share encourage each of your friends to visit our campaign website today to learn more about Mike Huckabee Mike Huckabee is out to show people the American dream is still alive. The former Arkansas governor recently formed a 2008 presidential exploratory committee because he feels the country needs a reawakening and a leadership to address an array of issues, including how to improve the nation's infrastructure, education system, environmental policy and failing health care system. In the past year, Huckabee visited nearly 30 states to campaign for Republican candidates and conservative causes - and to share his message of vertical politics that he says reflects American values and priorities. [article link]
'Big Dig' Highway Contractor Agrees to $6 Million Settlement With Tunnel Collapse Victim's Family - The Big Dig, the most expensive highway project in U.S. history {If you vote for Romney you are going to get Gov. 'Big Dig' Mitt. There are a lot of reasons Romney is not qualified to be president, his character, his lack of experience and most of all his 'Big Dig' project that he oversaw, as a businessman Romney failed the people miserably.} BOSTON - The family of a woman killed when the ceiling of a Big Dig tunnel collapsed on her car last year has agreed to a $6 million settlement with the company that supplied the epoxy blamed for the accident, an attorney said Monday. Milena Del Valle, 39, was killed July 10, 2006, as she and her husband drove through an Interstate 90 connector tunnel. Her husband, Angel Del Valle, escaped with minor injuries. Investigators determined that the ceiling collapsed because workers secured the ceiling with a fast-drying epoxy that was not safe to use for overhead loads. ... Del Valle's death led to tunnel and road closures and caused a public furor over the Big Dig project, which has been plagued by leaks, falling debris, delays and other problems linked to faulty construction. The Big Dig, the most expensive highway project in U.S. history, buried the old elevated Central Artery with a series of tunnels, ramps and bridges. [article link]
{Flashback} $6m more OK'd for (Massachusetts Turnpike) Big Dig repairs - {No wonder Gov. Big Dig Mitt Romney only wants to talk about the 02 Winter Olympics, not sure anyone would want this taxpayer fiasco on their Presidential resume!} The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority yesterday approved an additional $6 million to pay for Big Dig repairs, increasing the price tag from last summer's fatal tunnel ceiling collapse to $31 million -- with more potentially to come. ... About a month after Del Valle's death, Big Dig officials sought and received $15 million for fixes, but warned that the amount was a preliminary estimate. In December, the turnpike authority board approved another $10 million at the request of Big Dig officials. The Turnpike Authority board's chairman, John Cogliano , who presided over the aftermath of the tunnel collapse as transportation secretary under former governor Mitt Romney , said any initial estimates made on repair costs were based on limited information. "If you go back to July, we didn't know," he said. "We didn't know what the problems were. I would be hard pressed to come up with an estimate back then." ... The money has come from the state government's bond account. Attorney General Martha Coakley is contemplating a lawsuit against Big Dig contractors to recover the money. [article link]
The Romney backlash: Conservatives are coming home - He has not been able to convince the people of this state that he's the conservative he says he is - He has spoken his lines well, but the people can sense that the words are memorized, not heartfelt - In this primary, the more Mitt Romney speaks, the less believable he becomes THERE IS A reason Mitt Romney has not received a single newspaper endorsement in New Hampshire. It's the same reason his poll numbers are dropping. He has not been able to convince the people of this state that he's the conservative he says he is. ... In this primary, the more Mitt Romney speaks, the less believable he becomes. That is why Granite Staters who have listened attentively are now returning to John McCain. They might not agree with McCain on everything, as we don't, but like us, they judge him to be a man of integrity and conviction, a man who won't sell them out, who won't break his promises, and who won't lie to get elected. Voters can see that John McCain is trustworthy. Mitt Romney has spent a year trying to convince Granite Staters that he is as well. It looks like they aren't buying it. And for good reason. [article link]
Four Pinocchios for Romney on MLK - The obvious followup is to find out whether these "witnesses" have been on Romney's payroll - This story is a prime example of the tenous relationship Romney and other Mormon leaders have with truth After news reports challenged Mitt Romney's repeated accounts of his father marching with Martin Luther King, his campaign put a reporter from Politico in touch with eyewitnesses who claimed to have seen the former Michigan governor "hand in hand" with the civil rights leader. But their memories are almost certainly flawed as contemporaneous news reports show that King was addressing a meeting in New Jersey at the time the eyewitnesses supposedly saw him in Grosse Pointe, MI. ... "I was fifteen feet away from them [Romney and MLK]," said Robertson, 64, who attended Grosse Pointe high school. "You don't forget that kind of thing." When I told Robertson that news reports placed Martin Luther King in New Jersey at the time, he replied: "Well, it was somebody who certainly looked like him." The Romney campaign did not respond Sunday to requests for comment. [article link]
When A Claim Becomes Offensive - the Romney campaign -- it has been clear for some time that they know perfectly well that the two men never marched together - Believe me, they know the two men never marched together - This is an attempt to rewrite history. And even if it is a small rewriting, it is offensive {This history 'rewrite' like the many other Mormon history revisions is for the sole purpose of propping up the LDS cult.} All of this evidence is important to present to the general public, but it is unnecessary for the Romney campaign -- it has been clear for some time that they know perfectly well that the two men never marched together. Bear in mind that the Romney team has a substantial research team (and vast resources for
outsourcing more). Bear in mind that the campaign has compiled vast documentation about the candidate's father, particularly his civil-rights activities, long before the Phoenix posed the question earlier this week. Bear in mind that the campaign has direct access to George Romney's materials and documents, his family members, his friends, his former staff, etc. Believe me, they know the two men never marched together. This is an attempt to rewrite history. And even if it is a small rewriting, it is offensive. It is offensive because of people like Russell Peebles. ... Peebles, and many others like him, deserve to have the history of what they did told honestly. Changing that history by mistake -- which is quite possibly how this began -- is unfortunate. Changing that history intentionally -- which is what the campaign is doing now -- is offensive. {Taking into account the initial Mormon misinformation in the Stephen Hess and David S. Broder 1967 book "The Republican Establishment: The Present and Future of the G.O.P." this misinformation was no accident it was clearly a plant in an attempt to hijack history for the benefit of the LDS lies.} [article link]
Yup, it turns out that the two "eyewitnesses" were put up by the Romney campaign to tell lies - From the Washington Post's fact checker - This smells just like those "anti-Mormon phone calls" that had Romney's involvement all over them - A day or two later, it turned out that the people who had received the calls were paid staff for Romney's campaign - Neither of them told the press who was paying them {I don't think it was Mitt putting up these fake eyewitness and I don't think Mitt knew about the antiMormon push-poll calls. I think it is Mitt's Mormon handlers and that the LDS is interfering with his campaign in attempting to further their own Mormon agenda.} A couple days ago, I wrote in this thread that Politico is a Republican house organ that wouldn't check the facts even though they were easily checkable. I also wrote that someone else would do it. Oh, it's nice to be right! And Politico, stop being such obvious conduits and shills for Republican dirty tricks. It's unseemly, transparent, stupid, and laughable. It hurts your reputation, Politico, such as it is. p.s.: The Post gave Romney's lie "four Pinocchios," its top distinction for campaign lies. Nice going, Mitt! What's next? That you actually ARE Martin Luther King, reincarnated and rebaptized in your faith, complete with the long underwear? You are on the verge of becoming a national punchline to every joke about a lying politician. [article link]
Report: Hoover (FBI) planned for mass arrests -- mostly of Americans - According to the plan, the United States was to round up suspects, detain them at federal prisons or military facilities and eventually allow them a hearing that would not be bound by the rules of evidence WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In 1950, 12 days after the start of the Korean War, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover had a plan "to apprehend and detain persons who are potentially dangerous to the internal security of the country" - thousands of them, almost all American citizens. According to the plan, the United States was to round up suspects, detain them at federal prisons or military facilities and eventually allow them a hearing that would not be bound by the rules of evidence. While parts of Hoover's approach are reminiscent of the way the Bush administration has tried to battle terrorism following September 11, 2001, author Ronald Kessler said he sees a big difference between that plan and the detention of suspected terrorists now. Kessler has penned several books about the FBI, including "The Bureau." "The court has allowed all the measures that the Bush administration has used to find terrorists to continue," he said. "Congress has allowed all the measures to continue as well. So it's quite a contrast with the days of J. Edgar Hoover." [article link]
Timeline: Romney's MLK Confusion - 1978 - Mitt Romney, in an interview with the Boston Herald about the Mormon Church and racial discrimination, puts himself into the narrative - "My father and I marched with Martin Luther King Jr. through the streets of Detroit," he is quoted as saying {Mitt Romney did not need to make this claim in order to become president - no one thinks the Romney's are racist. It is the LDS history that Romney is trying to reinvent and cover for that has gotten him into this mess.} 1967 - Stephen Hess and David Broder author the book "The Republican Establishment: The Present and Future
of the GOP," in which they write that George Romney, "has marched with Martin Luther King through the exclusive Grosse Pointe suburb of Detroit." ... 1978 - Mitt Romney, in an interview with the Boston Herald about the Mormon Church and racial discrimination, puts himself into the narrative. "My father and I marched with Martin Luther King Jr. through the streets of Detroit," he is quoted as saying. ... December 21, 2007 - Stephen Hess, author of "The Republican Establishment," tells the Boston Herald, "The point we were making [in the book] was that the issue of Mormonism had to do with its civil rights record. Did he walk with Martin Luther King? Today, I have no idea." [article link]
Mitt Romney, Martin Luther King, and the final word - Mitt Romney's bizarre exaggeration - Romney, hoping to defend his civil rights record and his church's racist past {See Romney isn't just shilling in hopes of becoming President he really intends to promote and cover the tracks of his LDS cult.} At this point, far too much ink - digital and analog - has been spilled covering Mitt Romney's bizarre exaggeration about his father marching with Martin Luther King, but let's just add one closing note. To briefly recap, Romney, hoping to defend his civil rights and record and his church's racist past, has repeatedly claimed that he saw his father march with Dr. King. An investigation indicated that George Romney, who was strong on civil rights, never marched with MLK, prompting Romney and his campaign to start parsing the words "saw," "march," and "with." It looked like the embarrassing flap had just about ended, until the Romney campaign directed reporters to two women who corroborated a story that Romney had already conceded wasn't literally true. ... A ha, the Romney campaign said, the story that wasn't literally true may be accurate after all. Except that's still wrong. Worse, it's part of a pattern. The Boston Phoenix, which helped get this story started a few days ago, found that the witnesses must be remembering the decades-old event incorrectly. [article link]
Mormonism Research Ministry - Not Familiar with MRM? - a 15-minute interview with a Salt Lake City radio station - He also offers some suggestions when speaking with your LDS friends and acquaintances (Available Excellent!! Mp3) Mormonism Research Ministry is a missionary/apologetics organization that was organized to propagate the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to critically evaluate the differences between Mormonism and biblical Christianity. ... Not Familiar with MRM? In a 15-minute interview with a Salt Lake City radio station, Bill McKeever, Mormonism Research Ministry's founder and director, outlines the goals and purpose of MRM. He also offers some suggestions when speaking with your LDS friends and acquaintances. To listen to the broadcast click here (MP3). [article link]
Larry King - After all, he recently made a member of the (Mormon) LDS Church his sixth wife Perhaps King felt it would be best to go soft with the Mormon prophet. After all, he recently made a member of the LDS Church his sixth wife (not all at the same time). Perhaps he understood all too well that offending your wife's prophet does not make for a very good marital relationship. After experiencing Mike Wallace's puff piece with Gordon Hinckley back in April of 1996, I guess I wasn't expecting much more from Larry King. After all, these men are not experts in Mormonism. Their lack of experience dealing with the semantical game many Mormons play would make it difficult for them to ask tough rebuttal questions. Asking the Mormon prophet questions about his retirement, the amount of countries Mormonism is in, the wealth of the LDS Church, genealogy, Mark McGwyre's 62nd homerun (hit the same day), and the problems of President Clinton hardly make for a hard-hitting interview. At times King appeared very ignorant of basic LDS positions. For instance, King was apparently unaware Mormons claim to be Christians when he asked, "You don't call yourselves Christian, right." Hinckley did make some interesting statements that are worthy of comment. When King asked if people are "ever thrown out of your church," Hinckley responded affirmatively. When asked for what reasons, he said, "Doing what they shouldn't do, preaching false doctrine, speaking out publicly. They can carry all the opinion they wish within their heads, so to speak, but if they begin to try to persuade others, then they may be
called in to a disciplinary council." ... Good follow-up questions could have been: "What would happen should someone openly question your teachings?" [article link]
Romney and Dodd, a Mormon connection - Although Dodd himself is Catholic, his wife, Utah native Jackie Clegg Dodd, is Mormon - The story notes that they are raising their two daughters, ages 5 and 2, in both religions The potential impact of Mitt Romney's Mormon religion already looms as a key political question surrounding both his bid for the Republican presidential nomination and, were he to win the nod, his prospects in the general election. But the matter would take an intriguing twist should he end up next year facing Democrat Chris Dodd (that part of the equation looks doubtful, we admit). Although Dodd himself is Catholic, his wife, Utah native Jackie Clegg Dodd, is Mormon. With the senator from Connecticut addressing the Utah Democratic Party convention this weekend --- and with his wife accompanying him --- the Norwich Bulletin in his homestate took the occasion to write about their inter-faith marriage. The story notes that they are raising their two daughters, ages 5 and 2, in both religions. Across the country, the Salt Lake City-based Deseret Morning News used the same hook of the candidate's convention appearance to write a short feature on Jackie (the couple met 20 years ago when she helped him down a ski run in Utah, according to the article). [article link]
Romney's (faith) speech failed {Mitt Romney's 'Faith Speech' at the Bush library in College Station Texas is in the process of going down in history as the worst political speech ever given. The failure of the Mitt Romney speech is that he approached religion in America as something that is easily compromised that faith is important but that the actual belief is not important and therefore Mitt is asking people to be easily compromised and to believe in any faith but not to have any real faith convictions. In Romney's denying the importance of belief in faith Romney has lowered the standard of faith so low that his version of faith becomes almost meaningless and that meaninglessness was reflected in the speech.} Yes, he clarified, regarding his Mormon faith, that "no authorities of my church" would influence his presidential decisions. But this tells us who he is not. We need to know who he is. And here Romney left us with platitudes about religion in America with which few of any stripe would disagree. Despite his assurance that his commitment to religious liberty does not mean that he sees no place for religion in public life, he ducked the hard questions about what this means. The boldest he could get was to say we should continue to acknowledge the Creator on "our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history," and in public displays during holidays. But despite noting family breakdown as one of the challenges of our generation, he never mentioned the importance of the preservation of the traditional family, never mentioned abortion and never mentioned his personal concern about either. It feeds the doubts about Romney in that, in my experience, those who have had a change of heart about abortion are among the most passionate and committed. It certainly is my personal experience, and what I have seen in the work I do with crisis pregnancy centers around the country. But Romney didn't give a hint that this is something that keeps him up at night. Comparisons have been made with John Kennedy's speech during his 1960 presidential campaign in which he addressed concerns about his Roman Catholic religion. Romney could have clearly contrasted himself with Kennedy, who made a point to say that religion did not belong in public life and decried the fact that questions about religion were diverting attention from the "real issues" of the campaign. And he might have pointed out that the Kennedy presidency marked the beginning of a great cultural decline in America. Just one point of comparison: In the early 1960s, 3 percent of white babies were born to unwed mothers, compared with almost 30 percent today, and 24 percent of black babies were born to unwed mothers, compared with 70 percent today. Romney's observation that "freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom" and that "freedom and religion endure together or perish alone" was not something I would expect to hear from someone of deep faith. Religion endures any circumstance. Faith exists independent of freedom. It survives the darkest, dankest prison cell. But freedom allows it to flourish. I think Romney, with this speech, confirmed rather than dispelled the
doubts about his faith and conservatism that have troubled his campaign. If the point was to fix his credentials as a bona fide conservative leader, he failed. [article link]
ISRAELI boffins (scientists, engineers) have stuck a Bible onto a gold coated silicon chip smaller than a pinhead - the 308,428-word Hebrew Bible on a 0.5 millimetre square According to AFP, this makes it the world's tiniest Bible as the nearest rival, in the Guinness Book of World Records, is 50 times bigger." The bible was etched into the surface of the chip using focused beams of gallium ions. The big idea was to get kids interested in Nanoscience. The team's next project is to take pictures of the miniature Bible and blow it up to a seven-by-seven metre poster, which will make it possible to read the entire Bible with the naked eye. [article link]
Romney's business record opens him to criticism - Romney told reporters that he "blew the whistle" on the overbilling scheme while still on the Damon board - U.S. attorney at the time, said he had no recollection of Romney alerting investigators or taking other action - Romney's aides now argue that reporters misunderstood his claim back in 2002 From 1984 until 1999, Romney led Bain Capital, a Boston-based private equity group that earned jaw-dropping profits through leveraged buyouts, debt hedge funds, offshore tax havens and other strategies. In some cases, Romney's team closed U.S. factories, causing hundreds of layoffs, or pocketed huge fees shortly before companies collapsed. ... But in 1996, Damon pleaded guilty to massive overbilling of the Medicare system and paid $119 million in criminal and civil fines. No one at Bain was implicated in the fraud. Asked about the case during his gubernatorial campaign, Romney told reporters that he "blew the whistle" on the overbilling scheme while still on the Damon board, and had taken "corrective action." Donald K. Stern, who was U.S. attorney at the time, said he had no recollection of Romney alerting investigators or taking other action. Romney's aides now argue that reporters misunderstood his claim back in 2002. [article link]
Witnesses Say Mitt Romney's Father, Martin Luther King Marched Together - The Boston Phoenix and Detroit Free Press earlier reported that the historical evidence does not place George Romney with King at any march Witnesses have come forward to say they remember seeing Martin Luther King Jr. and presidential candidate Mitt Romney's father marching together in 1963, Politico reported, after questions were raised about whether such a march ever happened. The issue drew attention after Romney said during a major speech on faith in College Station, Texas, earlier this month that "I saw my father march with Martin Luther King." ... Lisa Says: Mitt has already backpedaled on this and admitted that he did not "see" see them. Who is to say that either of these two witnesses are any more honest or reliable in their memories than Mitt is? The one thing we do know is that Mitt says a lot of things that don't mean what most people assume that he means. Like when he said that he wouldn't raised taxes in MA, but instead raised FEEs because "Fees aren't taxes or else they would be called taxes and not fees". I think what is worth noticing is how MA doesn't support Mitt. The newspapers are not endorsing him. Hmm, and outsiders thought he did such a great job as governor, wonder why MA doesn't? ... Ken Says: I just talked to someone who saw Mitt and his Dad on the Mayflower... Amazing what you can get people to say with a six pack of beer. ... Demetrius Says: My greatest concern about Mitt is the fact of his "evolving social views" in light of his decision to run for President. For YEARS he had held the same views, prochoice, pro-gay marriage, pro-tax increase, but two years prior to running his views begin to "evolve". If he's had this much evolution in such a short period of time then what can we expect to evolve within his first 4 years in office? Honestly, Mitt Romney scares the bejesus out of me. If we thought Carter and Clinton were bad, my god what have we got to look forward to? At least if Hillary got it we'd know what to expect and be prepared. [article link]
The Year in Mitt Mashups, Part 2: Political Mitt - the Romney campaign somehow wound up advertising on gay.c0m - It was an accident, he swears - Then again, he was governor of Massachusetts - When Romney finds his foot in his mouth - he plays dumb As any Massachusetts resident well knows, former governor and Republican presidential aspirant Mitt Romney can transform himself overnight. One minute, he's the moderate governor of a liberal state. The next, he's a staunch conservative who claims that he somehow tamed the residents of that state. In the second and last installment of the Year in Mitt Mashups, we'll look at the various disguises Romney wears: ... A Gay (briefly) Despite his effort to squash gay marriage in the state of Massachusetts, the Romney campaign somehow wound up advertising on gay.com. It was an accident, he swears. Then again, he was governor of Massachusetts ... When Romney finds his foot in his mouth, ... he plays dumb. [article link]
Concord Monitor: 'Not Romney' - the newspaper's editors devoted 13 paragraphs to laying out the case against Mr. Romney - If a candidate is a phony, we assure ourselves and the rest of the world, we'll know it Mitt Romney is such a candidate {It's good to see voters taking their vote seriously enough to use discernment to sift through the rhetoric and to base their decisions on the candidate's actual record while in office. Mitt Romney will likely return to his investment business and do just fine, he is just not qualified to be President IMHO.} Under the headline, "Romney should not be the next president," the newspaper's editors devoted 13 paragraphs to laying out the case against Mr. Romney. It traced Mr. Romney's switches on positions on various issues, and ends with a tough judgment on the former governor of neighboring Massachusetts. "When New Hampshire partisans are asked to defend the state's first-in-the-nation primary, we talk about our ability to see the candidates up close, ask tough questions, and see through the baloney," the editors wrote. "If a candidate is a phony, we assure ourselves and the rest of the world, we'll know it. Mitt Romney is such a candidate. New Hampshire Republicans and independents must vote no." [article link]
Michael Rood Ministries - A Rood Awakening - "Leave your western, Gentile mentality behind, and explore the Scriptures from a Hebrew perspective" Through his multi-media seminars, ... dubbed "A Rood Awakening!", Michael has invited hundreds of thousands of people around the world to "Leave your western, Gentile mentality behind, and explore the Scriptures from a Hebrew perspective." ... Most people who hear Michael Rood's teachings experience for themselves the paradigm shift from pagan practices into Bible truth, and quickly discover the need for sound, fundamental "how to" teachings about walking the reality of Torah in their everyday lives. [article link]
The Exodus Revealed: Search for the Red Sea Crossing - This is a truly excellent & apparently valid detailing of the true path of the Exodus (DVD - 3 hours) This DVD follows the footsteps of the children of Israel in an unforgettable journey of discovery. A journey that reveals physical evidence for the Exodus including: the remains of 3800 year old Hebrew settlements in Egypt's Nile Delta, Egyptian records of the Israelite's bondage under Pharaoh; the precise route they may have followed to freedom; their crossing site on shore of the Red Sea; and the location of Mt. Sinai. This DVD brings to light the first significant archaeological "find" of the 21st century. Approx. 3 hours. [article link]
Historical Evidence for Moses and Pharaoh - Solomon began building the Temple in the fourth year of his reign, 480 years after the Exodus - So the date of the Exodus can be calculated: 967 + 480 = 1447 B.C. Although the bible never specifically identifies the pharaoh of the Exodus by name, it does tell us the exact date of the Exodus. 1Kings 6:1 states that Solomon began building the Temple in the fourth year of his reign, 480 years after the Exodus. Most bible scholars agree that the fourth year of Solomon's reign was 967 B.C. So
the date of the Exodus can be calculated: 967 + 480 = 1447 B.C. And according to history, Pharaoh Ramesses did not begin his reign until around 1290 BC., so he couldn't have been the Exodus pharaoh. Depending upon which history book you read, there are two possible candidates. The first is pharaoh Amenhotep II who may have ruled from (1450-1425 B.C.). He was the son of Thutmose III, who ruled from either (1490-1450) or (14901436 B.C.), the other possible candidate. Scholars disagree as to the exact dates that these two men ruled which makes it difficult to pin point the exact one. To get some clues, lets look at what the bible says about the events surrounding the life of Moses. The first place we will start is with the date of his birth. According to Exodus 7:7 "Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh." Adding 80 years to the date of the Exodus in 1447 B.C equals 1527 B.C., the approximate year in which Moses was born. The ruler of Egypt at this time was Pharaoh Thutmose I (1540-1504 B.C.). The fascinating thing about his name is that if you remove THUT from his name you are left with MOSE. [article link]
(Incomplete) DNA Tests Fail to Confirm Identity of Mummy Claimed to be Pharaoh Queen Hatshepsut - Now, scientists at the Egyptian Museum lab are comparing Hatshepsut's DNA sequences to the previously identified mummy of Hatshepsut's grandmother - the first such attempt in Egypt at using this scientific analysis to verify a mummy's identity In June Egypt announced that Hatshepsut's mummy had been found, and about a month later the Discovery Channel aired the documentary - showcasing scientific breakthroughs including CT scans and DNA testing. The mummy is now on display in a glass case in the Egyptian Museum's royal mummy room. Hawass, other Egyptian officials and the Discovery Channel all stand by their findings, even though the DNA testing is incomplete. "So far there is some agreement and no discrepancies. The results are quite encouraging," said Yehia Zakaria Gad, a molecular geneticist who heads the ancient-DNA lab at the Egyptian Museum. Most of evidence that led Hawass to declare the mummy to be Hatshepsut did not come from DNA but from CT scans. Those scans showed that a tooth found in a relic box displaying the pharaoh's insignia matched a gap in the mummy's jaw. CT scans also showed facial similarities between the mummy and already identified mummies of Hatshepsut's royal relatives, as well as evidence of a skin disease that the queen may have shared with some of them. "The reason why we went with such a strong claim was because the CT scan was conclusive and the fact that the missing tooth provided the missing clue. ... I don't think that the DNA testing will indicate otherwise," said Peter Lovering, Discovery's senior programming executive. [article link]
"His Majesty, Herself - Queen Hatshepsut" 1490 - 1468 B.C. - This daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose I ruled Egypt for 21 years - Some historians believe that she was the Pharoah's daughter that drew Moses out of the Nile Hatshepsut was the daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose I (a.k.a. Thutmosis) of XVIII th Dynasty during the New Kingdom, Egypt's Golden Age. Her reign was in ca. 1490 - 1468 B.C. Some historians believe that she was the Pharoah's daughter that drew Moses out of the Nile.2 She married her half-brother Thutmose II, a son of Thutmose I by a secondary wife. Thutmose II was sickly and only reigned 4 years. Before he died, he married his daughter by Hatshepsut to his daughter's half-brother. The half-brother was the son of one of the harem women by Thutmose II . At Thutmose II's death, Hatshepsut was appointed regent until her nine-year old nephew/stepson Thutmose III was old enough to rule, even as Ahmose's wife Nefertari had acted as regent for Amentotep I, the Pharoah before Thutmose I. ... But Hatshepsut's reign came to a quick and mysterious end. Some believe that she died of natural causes. Others believe that Thutmose III escaped his palace prison and murdered her. Either way, she died. Thutmose III, thirty years old now, was so angry with the woman who had kept him from the throne of Egypt for years that he tried to destroy her most famous accomplishments. He had her beautiful temple at Deir el Bahri smashed and destroyed. The tomb of Hatshepsut's favorite architect was ravished and placed in a total wreck. [article link]
Ramos, Compean pardons? 'No,' 'No,' says Bush rep - Spokesman won't allow questions to be asked - The letter represents a direct bipartisan appeal to Bush to act now on behalf of Ramos and Compean, in the hope the two men could be home with their families for Christmas "Mr. President, as of this writing, Ignacio Ramos will have served his punishment for all the crimes for which he was found guilty - except the charge imposing the mandatory minimum," members of Congress said. "Jose Compean will be halfway through his prison term - except for the charge carrying the mandatory minimum." "These men have already lost their jobs and had their lives ruined, and their families have suffered terribly," the letter said. "No useful purpose is served by their incarceration." "Mr. President, we respectfully request that you correct this injustice," the letter ended. "We ask that you immediately commute the sentences of Ramos and Compean to time served so that they can spend Christmas at home with their families." Ramos and Compean were convicted for firing after Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, an admitted drug smuggler, who brought 750 pounds of marijuana across the Mexican border, into Fabens, Texas, on Feb. 17, 2005. Aldrete-Davila is now arrested and indicted for a "second load," which he allegedly brought into the U.S. in 2006 just prior to the trial for Ramos and Compean. At that time, Aldrete-Davila was under a grant of immunity to testify at the Ramos-Compean trial and in possession of a border pass card signed by DHS special agent Christopher Sanchez. [article link]
YouTube Video: Romney Fairytale - pro-choice liberal Massachusetts candidate Mitt Romney National RTL's legal strategist exemplifies his career-long betrayal of the unborn by supporting pro-choice liberal Massachusetts candidate Mitt Romney. The president of American RTL, Brian Rohrbough, responds to James Bopp's recent anti-personhood memo: [article link]
M. L. King said George Romney didn't march - But Martin Luther King Jr. didn't fault (George) Romney for his absence, which the governor ascribed to his policy against public appearances on the Sabbath {The Sabbath is always Saturday it is a misrepresentation of the Bible to claim Sunday as the Sabbath. Sunday is not the Sabbath but the 'day of worship' as the Church remembers and commerates the [Easter] Sunday resurrection of Jesus Christ in His overcoming death and the grave and then making available His eternal Spirit life to mankind.} He didn't just use imprecise language, as his campaign is now spinning it. His language - in at least three different nationally televised instances, including this past Sunday's Meet the Press with Tim Russert - was precise enough: he had direct, personal first-hand knowledge that his father had marched with Dr. King. The precision, in fact, is the problem: the sincerity with which he offered the memory, the emotion that led his eyes to well up. This was not a man simply passing along something he had once come across in a David Broder book. ... Then, as now, (Mitt) Romney tried to buttress his statement with weak documentation at odds with the precision of the claim: in that case, Romney provided the Globe with a vaguely-worded campaign document that could be read as supporting the pre-Roe v Wade status quo, in which abortion was a felony in Michigan. "I support and recognize the need for more liberal abortion rights while reaffirming the legal and medical measures needed to protect the unborn and pregnant woman [sic]," the document read. Again, at that time, Romney did not just pass along falsehood as fact. He sold it as personal truth, speaking of the painful memories of a close relative's death, from complications of an illegal abortion. Romney was telling that tale, of course, when it was politically expedient to be pro-choice. Today, needing to be pro-life, he has a new, highly personal and emotional tale of personal conversion after a doctor showed him how stem cells are handled in research - another specific but uncorroborated story, about which even the doctor involved has expressed skepticism. [article link]
McCain surging up on Romney, polls in New Hampshire show - McCain recalled - A [kind] North Vietnamese (P.O.W. guard) ... he drew a cross in the sand - "We stood wordlessly looking at the cross remembering the true light of Christmas"
McCain pressed his appeal heading into the last weekend before Christmas with a campaign commercial that recalled his experience as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. Against the backdrop of black-and-white footage of the shot-down Navy pilot lying injured in bed in North Vietnamese custody, McCain recounted his own "Christmas story." A guard who had loosened his ropes in the past approached him on Christmas and "without saying a word, he drew a cross in the sand," McCain recalled. "We stood wordlessly looking at the cross remembering the true light of Christmas. I'll never forget that no matter where you are, no matter how difficult the circumstances, there will always be someone who will pick you up." [article link]
{Flashback} Republicans would be wise to tab McCain and Huckabee - nominate a ticket of John McCain for president and Mike Huckabee for vice president WASHINGTON - If the Republican Party really wanted to hold on to the White House in 2009, it's pretty clear what it would do. It would grit its teeth, swallow its doubts and nominate a ticket of John McCain for president and Mike Huckabee for vice president - and president-in-waiting. Those two are far from front-runners. They trail Mitt Romney in Iowa and New Hampshire and lag behind Rudy Giuliani in national surveys of Republican voters. But, in a series of debates, including last week's CNN/YouTube extravaganza. McCain and Huckabee have been notable for their clarity, character and, yes, simple humanity. From everything I have heard on the campaign trail, it's obvious that they are the pair who have earned the widest respect among the eight Republican candidates themselves. McCain is the eldest and the most honored, not only for what he endured as a Vietnam prisoner of war but as a principled battler for what he considers essential on Iraq and other national-security issues. Huckabee, who previously was known only to those of us who cover state government and governors, has been the surprise discovery of the campaign season. His combination of religious principle, good humor, tolerance and his clear passion on education and health care complements McCain's muscular foreign policy and aversion to wasteful domestic spending. The two of them seem often to be operating on a different - and higher - plane than the quarrelsome Giuliani and Romney, whose mutual contempt is as palpable as it is persuasive. [article link]
Romney praise of Bush proving a key strategy - surrounding himself with former Bush advisers - selectively aligning himself with the president on issues that appeal to loyal Republican voters {Another Romney misrepresentation all the time Romney was claiming to be a trusted Washington outsider he is really among the deepest of insiders.} More than any other Republican presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney is running as the candidate friendliest to President Bush, surrounding himself with former Bush advisers, delivering his most closely watched speech at the presidential library of the president's father, and this week launching a staunch defense of Bush's Iraq policy. ... "I think the feeling among the Romney people is that this is a prudent strategy that will activate the people who still line up with the president and that it doesn't involve much of a risk," said Ross K. Baker, a Rutgers University political scientist. [article link]
{Flashback} Many Washington ties in Romney camp - stocked with Washington insiders, even as he proudly casts himself as a political outsider on the campaign trail BOSTON - Republican Mitt Romney is heading a presidential campaign stocked with Washington insiders, even as he proudly casts himself as a political outsider on the campaign trail. ... Romney has ceded his polling, advertising and large chunks of his communications and strategy to specialists from inside the Beltway. ... "I do not believe Washington can be transformed from within by a lifelong politician," the former Massachusetts governor declared Feb. 13 in his campaign announcement speech. "There have been too many deals, too many favors, too many entanglements and too little real world experience managing, guiding, leading." ... the former Massachusetts governor is being advised by a core group similar to that which served him in the Statehouse,
even as he imports Washington talent to his campaign headquarters overlooking Boston Harbor. [article link]
CompUSA closes shop {CompUSA was one of the first companies to openly embrace homosexual advertising in the regular media.} The embattled electronics retail chain was dealt its final blow Friday when it was sold to Specialty Equity, an affiliate of private equity firm Gordon Brothers Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the immediate result is that Specialty Equity will close all 103 CompUSA stores in the United States, according to a press release issued late Friday. Gordon Brothers will "initiate an orderly wind-down" of each of the stores, the company says. That's great news for consumers looking for bargains. CompUSA will remain open through the holiday shopping season, presumably with "Everything Must Go!"-style signs. It was clear all was not well at the retailer when in March it closed half of its stores due to pressure from bigger chains like Best Buy and Circuit City. [article link]
msnbc.com: The Boston Globe has its fifth part in its Mitt Romney series: - despite Romney pledging to not take severance pay for his work at the Olympic Games, public records indicate he did otherwise - Romney ... accepted a $476,000 severance package from the Salt Lake Organizing Committee {Did Mitt Romney really donate this money to charity or did he use it to pay his Mormon LDS tithe obligation and then claim it was a donation to charity? With Mormon Mitt doublespeak we really don't know the true meaning of his words.} The Globe also notes that despite Romney pledging to not take severance pay for his work at the Olympic Games, "public records indicate he did otherwise. Romney not only accepted a $476,000 severance package from the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, according to federal tax records, but he helped to lobby the committee for similarly large pacts for his 25 senior managers, 17 of whom contributed to his 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign or the state Republican Party soon after the Winter Games." Romney's campaign says he donated the money to charity. [article link]
Romney Learns That 'Facts Are Stubborn Things' - Mr. Romney's latest concession is that he only "figuratively" saw his late father, George, march with Martin Luther King Jr. {A strong imagination is the essence of the LDS Mormon cult from the outlandish exaggerations of the LDS founder Joseph Smith up to and including Mitt Romney. The Mormons embrace their own pretend world where they are gods and facts are irrelevant.} Mr. Romney's latest concession is that he only "figuratively" saw his late father, George, march with Martin Luther King Jr., something he claimed in his highly publicized speech about his Mormon faith earlier this month. Some publications have raised doubts that the event ever happened at all. ... On Thursday, for instance, at a campaign stop in Indianola, he ran into trouble when talking about his record on illegal drugs while governor of Massachusetts. ... But both the ad and Mr. Romney's claims on his record were misleading. Mr. Romney's office proposed legislation that would have toughened penalties on those in possession of the drug and chemicals to manufacture it, but the bill stalled in the state legislature. After The New York Times pointed out Mr. Romney's misstatement in a posting on its politics blog, he made sure to correct himself before taking questions from reporters at his next campaign stop here. "If I said this morning that we 'got tough' on methamphetamines, I proposed we get tough on methamphetamine and I've corrected that right here for all of you," he said. "You don't need to make any error of reporting that somehow Governor Romney actually got it done." [article link]
OpenHeaven.com: The Priority of David's Kingdom - David searched for the presence of God - He longed to be with God and commune with Him - Something was wrong in Saul's life and ministry - He began to be more in love with the ministry and the blessings that God had given him than with God David's heart, however, was very different from that of Saul. David search for the presence of God. He longed
to be with God and commune with Him. Shortly after the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul and an evil spirit came upon him, David was brought to Saul's house to play his harp so that the evil spirit would depart. What an awesome opportunity for David. He must have been the envy of all they young men in Israel. He was living in the house of Saul - king, prophet, and anointed man of power. - David left the great life and ministry that he was enjoying with Saul. For what? To go to a bigger ministry? No. He left everything behind so that he could return to Bethlehem and take care of his father's sheep. Bethlehem speaks of the place where the glory and presence of God was revealed. It was the place where David first knew God. Thus David was leaving behind the glory of ministry and the opportunity of a lifetime to back to the place where he knew he could be in the presence of God. He gave up everything so that he might be in the presence of God and there commune with his LORD. While others were seeking the bright lights and the big ministry. David chose to seek the face of God. Looking at the heart of David in these events, one can easily imagine what the priority of his kingdom might be. - Saul represents the generation that once knew the reality of God's presence and saw great manifestations of the moving of God, but has now lost that presence and in its place now has an empty ministry that is but a shadow of the reality that once was. David, on the other hand, represents the new generation that is willing to leave everything behind in order to find and walk in the reality of God's presence. It is also interesting to note that Saul tried to kill David and that the spirit of Saul in the church today continues to do the same. [article link]
Commentary: You can't take Christ out of Christmas - But this seeming backlash against Christianity is bordering on the absurd, and we should continue to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season America might be the king of capitalism, but secularism must never become so prevalent that our religious traditions are discarded (CNN) -- This whole push to remove Christ from the Christmas season has gotten so ridiculous that it's pathetic. ... Its time that we return to traditional values, and end this ridiculous charade. It's important that we take a fuller account of WHY we celebrate Christmas, as opposed to falling for the barrage of ads that tell us what is most important. Parents, don't be so consumed with the notion that your children will have a terrible Christmas because the tree isn't overflowing with gifts. The true love that you show them is more important than anything else. America might be the king of capitalism, but secularism must never become so prevalent that our religious traditions are discarded. [article link]
Top Two Boston Newspapers Endorse McCain, Not Romney - The Boston Herald, the state's conservative tabloid, endorsed Arizona Sen. McCain for president in an editorial posted online John McCain has been endorsed by both of Mitt Romney's hometown newspapers, a blow to the former Massachusetts governor who often taunts his opponents with negative e-mails titled, "Those who know him best." The Boston Herald, the state's conservative tabloid, endorsed Arizona Sen. McCain for president in an editorial posted online Thursday. "There are times in this nation's history so perilous that they cry out for a steady, experienced leader, a person so trusted that we would put the fate of this country in his hands. This is one of those times, and Sen. John McCain is that person," the newspaper said. It did not mention Romney, who led Massachusetts from 2003 to January of this year. The newspaper also did not endorse anyone in the Democratic presidential race, breaking its tradition of choosing candidates in both parties. Both the Herald and The Boston Globe, which announced its backing of McCain earlier this week, circulate in vote-rich southern New Hampshire, which holds the nation's first presidential primary on Jan. 8. Romney maintains a sizable lead there, but McCain is hoping to repeat his primary victory in 2000. McCain also has been endorsed by the Union Leader, New Hampshire's largest newspaper. [article link]
Install OSX Tiger on Intel Machines (or USB Drives) Using Only Windows Software Many of the guides for installing OSX Tiger are complicated and use linux. You can install OSX using public-
domain free windows only tools. Leopard instructions and links included as well. If you wish to install OSX tiger to your intel machine or usb drive, you can follow these few steps. [article link]
build your own "Hackintosh" a PC that runs a patched version of Apple's OS X Leopard If the high price tag for Apple hardware has kept you from buying a Mac but you're willing to roll up your sleeves and get adventurous, you can build your own "Hackintosh"-a PC that runs a patched version of OS X Leopard. What?!, you say. Apple's move to Intel processors in 2006 meant that running OS X on non-Apple hardware is possible, and a community hacking project called OSx86 launched with that goal in mind. Since then, OSx86 has covered major ground, making it possible for civilians-like you and me!-to put together their own Hackintosh running Mac OS 10.5. Today, I'll show you how to build your own high end computer running Leopard from start to finish for under $800 (must also purchase the OS X). [article link]
Romney's Claim That Father Marched With MLK Questioned - Nor did Mitt Romney ever previously claim that this took place, until long after his father passed away in 1995 -- not even when defending accusations of the Mormon church's discriminatory past during his 1994 Senate campaign Asked about the specifics of George Romney's march with MLK, Mitt Romney's campaign told the Phoenix that it took place in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. That jibes with the description proffered by David S. Broder in a Washington Post column written days after Mitt's College Station speech. Broder, in that column, references a 1967 book he co-authored on the Republican Party, which included a chapter on George Romney. It includes a one-line statement that the senior Romney "has marched with Martin Luther King through the exclusive Grosse Pointe suburb of Detroit." But that account is incorrect. King never marched in Grosse Pointe, according to the Grosse Pointe Historical Society, and had not appeared in the town at all at the time the Broder book was published. "I'm quite certain of that," says Suzy Berschback, curator of the Grosse Pointe Historical Society. (Border was not immediately available for comment.) Berschback also believes that George Romney never appeared at a protest, march, or rally in Grosse Pointe. "We're a small town," she says. "Governors don't come here very often, except for fundraisers." [article link]
Romney fields questions on King - On Wednesday, Romney's campaign said his recollections of watching his father, an ardent civil rights supporter, march with King were meant to be figurative - Mitt Romney's campaign planned today to further research George Romney's papers for evidence of his march with King {Proof will be found along with the lost chapters of the Book of Mormon (B.O.M.). You know the B.O.M. that Joseph Smith claimed was divine, correct and perfect and couldn't be altered or lost. Somehow the thousands of changes and corrections to the B.O.M. haven't made it less divine.} The Boston Phoenix reported Wednesday it could find no evidence that Romney and King ever marched together. Mitt Romney's older brother, Detroit attorney Scott Romney, said he recalls his father telling him the elder Romney marched with King, possibly in 1963, but he could not remember exactly when the event took place. Fehrnstrom called the Romney brothers' recollection and the historical materials a "pretty convincing case that George Romney did march with Dr. Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders in Michigan." The governor's record was one of supporting civil rights. He helped create the state's first civil rights commission and marched at the head of a protest parade in Detroit days after violence against civil rights marchers in Selma, Ala., in 1965. Mitt Romney's campaign planned today to further research George Romney's papers for evidence of his march with King. [article link]
Romney camp backpedals on MLK march claim - "He was speaking figuratively, not literally" Eric Fehrnstrom, spokesman for the Romney campaign, said of the candidate - The campaign was responding to questions raised by the Free Press and other media after a Boston publication challenged the accuracy of Mitt Romney's
account {If George Romney the Governor of Michigan or any Governor had marched with MLK it would have been front page news. When Mormons tell you they are correct and the Bible - Christian Church is wrong just remember they are clueless when it comes to actual Truth!} In a major speech on faith and politics earlier this month in Texas, Mitt Romney said: "I saw my father march with Martin Luther King." He made a similar statement Sunday during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. He said, "You can see what I believed and what my family believed by looking at our lives. My dad marched with Martin Luther King. My mom was a tireless crusader for civil rights." Romney's campaign cited various historical articles, as well as a 1967 book written by Stephen Hess and Washington Post political columnist David Broder, as confirmation that George Romney marched with King in Grosse Pointe in 1963. "He has marched with Martin Luther King through the exclusive Grosse Pointe suburb," Hess and Broder wrote in "The Republican Establishment: The Present and Future of the GOP." Free Press archives, however, showed no record of King marching in Grosse Pointe in 1963 or of then-governor Romney taking part in King's historic march down Woodward Avenue in June of that year. George Romney told the Free Press at the time that he didn't take part because it was on a Sunday and he avoided public appearances on the Sabbath because of his (LDS) religion. Romney did participate in a civil rights march protesting housing bias in Grosse Pointe just six days after the King march. According to the Free Press account, however, King was not there. Broder could not be reached for comment Wednesday night. [article link]
Huckabee shines in Golden State - now in second place, 7 percentage points behind former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani among likely California GOP primary voters The Hucka-boom has finally reached California. Mike Huckabee, the affable ex-Arkansas governor who is campaigning for Christian conservative support, is now in second place, 7 percentage points behind former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani among likely California GOP primary voters, a new Field Poll released today finds. Without any formal campaign operation in the state, the one-time Baptist minister has seen his support quadruple, from 4 percent to 17 percent, since late October. His meteoric campaign, which took off in Iowa and then nationally about a month ago, has awakened Republicans here. [article link]
Father, 3 Kids, Missing in Northern California Mountains Says He Overcame Fear With Faith - "You just want your kids to be safe and you're just praying, 'God, keep my kids alive'" Frederick Dominguez and the children, who vanished while looking for a Christmas tree, were rescued Wednesday by a helicopter from a snowy ravine, just as another storm was bearing down in the foothill region about 100 miles north of Sacramento. "You just want your kids to be safe and you're just praying, `God, keep my kids alive,"' Dominguez told reporters at Feather River Hospital in Paradise. The rescue came as relatives and friends were starting to lose hope. One snowstorm had covered the family's tracks, and an even bigger storm was hours away from burying the four even deeper. [article link]
Romney's MTP Turn - The second point concerns Romney's position on abortion - Far from being "theoretical" or "philosophical" then (1994), Romney's pro-choice position on abortion was derived from a very real and personal experience - citing the story of a "dear close family relative...who passed away from an illegal abortion" ... was the Mormon church's policy toward blacks wrong prior to 1978? Romney's continued refusal to answer the question directly will be interpreted as an answer in and of itself - one that may prove to be quite damaging. The second point concerns Romney's position on abortion. On Meet the Press, Romney characterized the reasoning behind his effectively pro-choice position this way: "And the question for me was, what is the role of government? And it was quite theoretical and, and philosophical to consider what the role of government should be in this regard." Romney then explained his conversion saying that when a bill relating to life came to his desk as governor, "the theoretical became reality, if you will." The problem, such as exists for
Romney, is that in the 1994 clip Tim Russert played directly preceding these comments, Romney explained his pro-choice position by citing the story of a "dear close family relative...who passed away from an illegal abortion." Far from being "theoretical" or "philosophical," then, Romney's pro-choice position on abortion was derived from a very real and personal experience. [article link]
{Flashback} Will the Real Mitt Romney Please Stand Up? - It's hard to know quite what to do with this suggestion that Romney was pro-life before he was pro-choice before he was pro-life - You have to wonder, though, if the Romney campaign got Dushku in touch with the [Washington] Post in the hope of planting the notion that Romney has actually always been pro-life {I don't see how this account makes Mitt Romney appear anything but Pro-Choice, he seems to be a strong supporter for abortion. And what is the point here an "aunt of his who had died during a botched abortion" as though supposed legal abortions are in any way safe.} Dr. Judith Dushku, a professor of government at Suffolk University. She tells of speaking with Romney (whom she knew from (LDS) church) after he announced he would run against Sen. Kennedy in 1994, and writes, "I congratulated him on taking a pro-choice position, one of the reasons I had been open to working with him. I remember his response was something like: "Well, this is Massachusetts. I realized I had to take this position," which was the first indication to me that what I had understood to be his personal view was a stance he was actually taking pragmatically. He went on that day to talk about an aunt of his who had died during a botched abortion and how he thought legalized abortion was important. But those around him, and people who knew him closely in the ward, knew that it was a position he had taken because he thought he had to in order to win." ... It's hard to know quite what to do with this suggestion that Romney was pro-life before he was prochoice before he was pro-life. You have to wonder, though, if the Romney campaign got Dushku in touch with the Post (as they presumably did with the others who wrote) in the hope of planting the notion that Romney has actually always been pro-life. [article link]
Tuchman: Hitting the road (literally) with some faithful - If you turn to the Bible -- Isaiah Chapter 35, Verse 8 -you will see a passage that in part says, "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness" DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- If you turn to the Bible -- Isaiah Chapter 35, Verse 8 -- you will see a passage that in part says, "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness." Now, is it possible that this "highway" mentioned in Chapter 35 is actually Interstate 35 that runs through six U.S. states, from southern Texas to northern Minnesota? Some Christians have faith that is indeed the case. ... Some of the faithful believe that in order to fulfill the prophecy of I-35 being the "holy" highway, it needs some intensive prayer first. So we watched as about 25 fervent and enthusiastic Christians prayed on the the interstate's shoulder in Dallas. They chanted loudly and vibrantly, making many people in the neighborhood wonder what was going on. They prayed that adult businesses along the corridor would "see the light" and perhaps close down. They prayed for safety and freedom from crime for people who lived along the interstate. They prayed that all Americans would accept Jesus into their lives. [article link]
HonestReporting.com: Dishonest Reporter Award 2007 - goes to Christiane Amanpour, for her in-depth, but tragically flawed CNN special series, God's Warriors {Now that's Honest Reporting! Christiane Amanpour is the worst of the worst she destroys the credibility of CNN, everything she does is so slanted, one sided and biased that she should just drop the journalism routine and admit that she is only doing infomercials for Islam.} This year's Dishonest Reporter voting marks a change for HonestReporting readers. Previous awards went to large, impersonal news services, but not so this year. One journalist made herself such a lightning rod in 2007 she easily defeated BBC and Reuters - the traditional disfavorites. The results didn't surprise us, but the depth of anger and lingering resentment indicate that readers weren't just outraged by our winner's work; on some level, they were personally offended in a way far exceeding the rest of the MSM's Mideast coverage this year.
Which is why the 2007 Dishonest Reporting Award goes to Christiane Amanpour, for her in-depth, but tragically flawed CNN special series, God's Warriors. The series sought to examine Jewish, Muslim and Christian extremism. ... Addressed radical Islam with kid gloves. ... Unfortunately, the sense our readers and we have is that Amanpour didn't spend a year researching religious extremism, but rather reinforcing her own world views. [article link]
{Flashback} Queen to honor CNN's Amanpour - Amanpour is set to receive a CBE, or Commander in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, "for services to journalism" - She recently completed a year-long investigation into religious extremism titled "God's Warriors" {Her recent work "God's Warriors" about Jews, Christians and Muslims is probably the most fraudulent piece of journalism in the history of journalism. It was contrived of misrepresentations and its only intention was to promote Islam.} LONDON, England (CNN) -- She has reported from the front lines of conflicts around the world, interviewed world leaders, and investigated the important issues of our time. And on Tuesday, CNN's Christiane Amanpour receives an honor from Britain's Queen Elizabeth in recognition of her work. Christiane Amanpour's award recognizes her services to journalism. Amanpour is set to receive a CBE, or Commander in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, "for services to journalism." "I'm really, really thrilled and I'm really proud," Amanpour told CNN when the award was announced earlier this year. "But I think I'm really proud of the simple citation which says 'for services to journalism.'" As CNN's chief international correspondent based in London, Amanpour has reported on most crises from the world's many news hotspots including Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Somalia, Rwanda and the Balkans. She recently completed a year-long investigation into religious extremism titled "God's Warriors." The CBE ceremony is formally called an "investiture" and is held in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace. About 20 investitures are held each year for those receiving the award. [article link]
WNBC's (WNBC-TV, the NBC affiliate in New York) Bogus Steroids Scoop - As it turned out, it was several dozen "discrepancies" with nearly half the [75] names in WNBC's story not appearing in Mitchell's report {Much of the news is inaccurate and not all of the news is true. Remember not all of the news is true!} The WNBC exclusive, which is reprinted below, was posted seven minutes after an identical list of names was published by the sports blog Deadspin, which reported that it had been forwarded the names by "about 25 different people" during the preceding hour. The list, which was whipping around via e-mail, "could very likely be one of those Web urban legends that somehow got around," Deadspin cautioned. WNBC, though, showed no such reserve. The station reported that it had received the list from "two separate sources" (which was still 23 "sources" fewer than Deadspin). But after WNBC posted the list, baseball officials began refuting the story, with the station reporting that Major League Baseball brass said there were "several discrepancies between the list posted and Mitchell's list." As it turned out, it was several dozen "discrepancies," with nearly half the names in WNBC's story not appearing in Mitchell's report. [article link]
Romney Working The (Small) Crowd in S.C. - Mitt Romney ended his rally here Tuesday night - the crowd about three dozen people - In fact, the Republican candidates have been drawing no where near the crowds of their Democratic rivals - The crowd sizes points out the stark difference in enthusiasm in the two parties MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Campaigning at the end of a long, frenetic day, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney ended his rally here Tuesday night by telling the crowd how appreciative he was that they took the time to attend. "I want to say hi to each of you, if I can," he said. And that's the problem. He could. In the 30,000-square-foot airplane hanger at the Myrtle Beach airport were about three dozen people, who listened politely and then crowded around to shake Romney's hand after he finished the 10-minute talk. To be fair, it was 7:30 p.m. on a chilly South Carolina night in an unheated airplane hangar. So perhaps it's not surprising that there wasn't an overwhelming crowd. And Romney has been drawing somewhat bigger crowds in New
Hampshire and Iowa, sometimes facing as many as 100 or 200 people. [article link]
careerbuilder.com: 10 Things You Should Never Do at Work 2. Blaming someone else for your mistake: It's dishonest, childish and tacky. Very tacky. Sure, having to admit you made a mistake is embarrassing, but not nearly as embarrassing as it would be to have to admit you lied about it or tried to cover it up. 3. Spreading gossip: Who knows why people get a certain high from hearing juicy gossip. Many of us are guilty of passing along at least a few rumors at times, but the more you can avoid doing so, the better off you will be. Try to avoid it. In addition, if you hear it, don't repeat it. [article link]
Don't sabotage your own career - To avoid your own career self-destruction, McKee suggests avoiding these 10 habits 1. Not having a life plan. All very successful people have a clear life plan, whether memorized or actually written down. They create it, massage it and refer to it often. Nearly 85 percent of people who are satisfied with their life overall have a personal action plan, McKee says. "Without a plan, we leave our success in the hands of others who may or may not have time to look after other people's successes," he says. ... 5. Believing you are irreplaceable. There is no room for "divas" in the workplace. As soon as you convince yourself that you and only you can do the job "right," your star will surely start to fall. ... 9. Failing to self-promote. Bragging is one thing, but letting colleagues in your industry know of your success through case studies, promotion bulletins or other such tools is another. Labor losers often fail to recognize the importance of letting others know about their successes, or they go about it in the entirely wrong way. 10. Losing perspective. Intuitive business people recognize that, despite their best attempts to do everything right, sometimes they approach roadblocks and seek the advice and perspective of a respected friend, colleague or even a business coach. Those who fail to recognize their shortcomings are destined for the unemployment line. [article link]
Newspaper: Gonzales in on tape destruction talks - Alberto Gonzales and other top White House lawyers took part in discussions about destroying CIA videotapes of interrogation of two al Qaeda suspects - there had been "vigorous sentiment" among some top White House officials to destroy the tapes - Other officials asserted that no one at the White House advocated destroying the tapes {If you like being lied to then Bush's America is the place to be.} WASHINGTON (AP) -- Alberto Gonzales and other top White House lawyers took part in discussions about destroying CIA videotapes of interrogation of two al Qaeda suspects, the New York Times reported Tuesday night on its Web site. Also involved, according to the Times' sources, were David Addington, who was the counsel to Vice President Dick Cheney and is now his chief of staff; John Bellinger III, who until January 2005 was the senior lawyer at the National Security Council; and Harriet Miers, who succeeded Gonzales as White House counsel. One former senior intelligence official told the Times there had been "vigorous sentiment" among some top White House officials to destroy the tapes. Other officials asserted that no one at the White House advocated destroying the tapes, the newspaper said. Those officials added that no White House lawyer gave a direct order to preserve the tapes or advised that destroying them would be illegal. U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy on Tuesday ordered Justice Department lawyers to appear before him at 11 a.m. Friday to discuss whether destroying the tapes, which showed two al Qaeda suspects being questioned, violated a court order. [article link]
{Flashback} White House unofficial e-mail accounts draw scrutiny - The White House is being accused of improperly trying to hide e-mails about government business by using unofficial e-mail accounts - The Presidential Records Act, passed during the Nixon administration, requires the preservation of all official records of and about the president
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House is being accused of improperly trying to hide e-mails about government business by using unofficial e-mail accounts. Congressional investigators say they found communications on one account from top White House aides about official matters, like the December firings of eight U.S. attorneys. Those e-mails were discovered on a Republican National Committee e-mail domain called gwb43.com. That domain is not part of the official White House communication system. The Presidential Records Act, passed during the Nixon administration, requires the preservation of all official records of and about the president. A White House spokesman defended the use of outside e-mail accounts as an appropriate method of separating official business from political campaign work. But the use of those accounts by officials discussing the firings -- and one from now-imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- have led a liberal watchdog group to accuse administration of trying to skirt the law governing preservation of presidential records. "They wanted to make sure that no record could ever be found of what they were really up to in the White House," Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told CNN. [article link]
Abortion Practitioner Tells Michigan Medical Students He Has "License to Lie" - Hodari tells them his status as an abortion practitioner gives him license to lie to women - Hodari gave the local Medical Students for Choice group a talk entitled, "Why I Am An Abortion Provider" to motivate the pro-abrotion medical students pro-life student group, noted that Hodari is responsible for multiple women's deaths from his legal abortions. "Several women have died while getting abortions with Hodari, and yet the Michigan board of health has never investigated him," she said. "How many women have to die before the bureaucrats start telling Hodari to wash his hands and tell patients the truth." Hodari gave the local Medical Students for Choice group a talk entitled, "Why I Am An Abortion Provider" to motivate the pro-abrotion medical students. The national pro-life student group Students for Life of America obtained a copy of the speech, in which Hodari says, "I have great satisfaction of what I do, and I never feel bad or worried about doing abortions." Hodari also spoke about how little he washed between abortions because it chafed his hands, even though his doing so puts women's health at risk. Most upsetting to SFLA director Kristan Hawkins is Hodari's claim that being an abortion practitioner gives him "license to lie" to women who seek him out for abortions. "To hear Hodari speak, one wonders if Michigan is the third world," Hawkins says in a statement she provided LifeNews.com. "Planned Parenthood complains about 'back-alley' abortions, even though Hodari is running a business where he's barely washing his hands between abortions." Ashley Tyndall, the president of the [article link]
Charges urged against abortion-supporting AG (Kansas - Attorney General) - 'If allegations confirmed, Morrison should be prosecuted to fullest extent of law' - illegally sought confidential information which he was not at liberty to obtain in order to protect the target of an investigation - Morrison, a Republican-turnedDemocrat who was supported by abortion advocates in Kansas in his campaign to defeat pro-life former Attorney General Phill Kline, read a statement confirming he'll resign on Jan. 31 "Many people feel betrayed by my actions, and they have every right to feel that way," Morrison read. "Because of my actions in my personal life, many people stopped believing in me." Morrison announced his resignation less than a week after reports in the Topeka Capital-Journal revealed he had carried on an affair with a woman who worked in the Johnson County district attorney's office first while Morrison held the post, then later when Kline was appointed to fill Morrison's unfinished term. Linda Carter disrupted Morrison's political tenure by filing a sex harassment complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and alleging that among other things, Morrison, after he moved from the county office to the state position, tried to have her spy on Kline's developing criminal investigation involving the Planned Parenthood in Johnson County. [article link]
An Encyclopaedia of Religious Cults - Mormonism: Non Christian group which has been doing everything in it's power to make itself look and sound more Christian
Mormonism: Non Christian group which has been doing everything in it's power to make itself look and sound more Christian. Will use Christian terminology and deliberately deceive by agreeing or being vague with prospective converts or during media interviews. They believe God was once a sinful man who lived on another planet but who earned his salvation and became a god (as will all good male Mormons). He lives on an unnamed planet near the star Kolob with his many wives sexually procreating 'spirit babies' which will go on to have a pre-existence on that same planet and then be born on earth to human parents. Their birth circumstances will depend on how good they were on their birth planet. This god's first two sons were satan and Jesus, so they believe satan and Jesus are brothers, and we are all somehow related to them through the same spiritual parents!. [article link]
MORMON LYING - I will present here instances where Mormon leaders and the Mormon church can be easily and clearly proven to have lied intentionally in order to deceive, in the service of their religion - This article only scratches the surface of how deception and lies permeate Mormonism - After having read and heard hundreds of former Mormons tell their reasons for leaving the church, I find that by far the most frequent reason given, and often the only reason, is: "The (LDS) church lied to me!" Lying, I will show, although piously condemned by Mormon scriptures and in sermons by Mormon leaders, has been used by the church and its leaders from the very beginning to the present day. Such use of falsehood is completely incongruous with its claims of being led by God in righteousness, as the source of truth. Would God (or God's messengers) need to lie? Lying, "is not of God." ... What is true with these two subjects is, if anything, doubly true in the field of religion. ... The Lord made it very clear that some things are to be taught selectively and some things are to be given only to those who are worthy. It matters very much not only what we are told but when we are told it. Be careful that you build faith rather than destroy it. [My Comment: In other words, don't tell the "whole truth" if it would lead anyone to doubt the claims of Mormonism.] ... Paul Richards, 57, who left BYU last year, ridiculed that notion.... 'I worked in public affairs for the (LDS) church for 13 years, and I had to lie all the time....' [article link]
Romney Attended Planned Parenthood Fundraiser in 1994 - in conjunction with a $150 donation his wife made to the organization -- notwithstanding Romney's contention that he had "no recollection" of the circumstances under which his wife gave money to the abortion-rights group - Romney and his wife, Ann, are shown in a yellow-and-white tent chatting with local political activists, including Nicki Nichols Gamble, who was then president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (Of course Romney remembers! There are lies, political lies, and now Mormon Mitt lies. That reminds me, (LDS) Mormons think it is ok (not a sin) to lie to us infidels in order to further their Mormon cause, sort of like the Lucifer is not really portrayed as a brother of Jesus lie that the (LDS) just did -- more on this Mormon lies doctrine to come.) That event, Nichols Gamble said, was the occasion where Ann Romney wrote her $150 check -- drafted on a joint checking account she had with her husband -- to Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts. "They were both there, and I remember very well chatting with both of them, and talking about his support for the pro-choice agenda," she said. "We talked about the fact that he was taking a pro-choice position on the issues, and we were very pleased about that." When asked by reporters earlier this year whether the former governor had ever donated money to Planned Parenthood, the Romney campaign said no. Aides subsequently conceded that Romney's wife, Ann, wrote a $150 check to the group in 1994. Romney spokesman Kevin Madden told ABC in May 2007 that Romney had "no recollection" of the circumstances under which the check was written, and stressed the fact that the donation was made by Ann Romney. "The governor has not donated to Planned Parenthood or abortion-rights groups," Madden said in May. Madden on Tuesday maintained that neither of the Romneys recalls how and why Ann made her donation in 1994. "As Mrs. Romney has stated previously, she is unfamiliar with the circumstances of a check she wrote close to 14 years ago," Madden said. [article link]
Generational 'fight of the century' - 10-round rumble looms as taxpayers revolt - Round 1: Politicians (and lobbyists) favor rich Aging Boomers - Round 2: Next 'great generation' gaining power and wisdom - the Millennials have the upper hand because they are tech savvy, with every gadget imaginable almost becoming an extension of their bodies - They multitask, talk, walk, listen and type, and text {Bush fractured America - it's up to the Christians and the Church to restore and unite America including the generations, races and sexes.} The most outrageous examples of the Aging Boomers class are the "greed-is-good" guys whose lobbyists just killed a bill that would have plugged a huge tax loophole granting special capital gains treatment to private equity, hedge funds, leveraged buyouts and Wall Street power players, guys who hate paying ordinary income tax like the rest of working Americans. They are the extreme "poster boys" for the Aging Boomers. Gordon Gekko coined their motto: "Greed is good." They're not satisfied making a few hundred million, getting rich at the rate of ten thousand bucks an hour. Their egos need to be billionaires! ... Next 'great generation' gaining power and wisdom Here's how "60 Minutes" described them: "The workplace has become a psychological battlefield and the Millennials have the upper hand because they are tech savvy, with every gadget imaginable almost becoming an extension of their bodies. They multitask, talk, walk, listen and type, and text. And their priorities are simple: they come first." Yes, and soon they'll take control. One ad exec who's been following Millennials for years told " 60 Minutes:" "Some of them are the greatest generation. They're more hardworking. They have these tools to get things done. They are enormously clever and resourceful. Some of the others are absolutely incorrigible. It's their way or the highway. The rest of us are old, redundant, should be retired. How dare we come in, anyone over 30. Not only can't they be trusted, they can't be counted upon." Battle lines are drawn: Wake up, you old fogies! [article link]
Weirdest work stories of the year 2007 - Here are 15 headlines that exemplify the strange happenings that took place in the workplace in 2007 Natural disasters, revolutionary technology, pro-athlete scandals and national calamities marked 2007 as an unforgettable year. Yet, amid these major happenings arose stories that were overlooked, unseen or ignored altogether: tales of our nation's work force. Understandably, these pieces weren't as newsworthy as Michael Vick's dog fighting charges or Paris Hilton going to jail. But these stories held an angle unlike any other: They were just plain weird. [article link]
Romney Again Seeks Huckabee Apology - renewing a call for Mr. Huckabee to apologize for characterizing the Bush administration's foreign policy as "arrogant" - "I don't have anything to apologize for" Mr. Huckabee said Sunday on CNN's "Late Edition" {Mormon Mitt Romney demands that every knee bows to his will.} Mr. Romney once again accused Mr. Huckabee of using "the language of a Democrat" in an article he wrote for the January/February 2008 issue of Foreign Affairs in which he asserts that "the Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad." During an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Mr. Romney said that Mr. Huckabee should apologize to President Bush for his comments, but so far, he has declined. "I don't have anything to apologize for," Mr. Huckabee said Sunday on CNN's "Late Edition." "I've got to show that I do have my own mind when it comes to how this country ought to lead, not only within its own borders but across the world." For several days, Mr. Romney has been seeking to associate Mr. Huckabee's views with those of the Democratic presidential candidates, and he did so again today. (The Romney campaign has even sent out a mailer, linking Mr. Huckabee to former President Clinton.) [article link]
New Poll Of Conservatives Gives Huckabee Wide Lead Over All Challengers - Huckabee's Support Has Wide, Deep Potential - Huckabee is the least likely to spark an (Republican Party) exodus if he wins Maxwell, IA . The nation's largest statistically valid survey of grassroots conservatives has found that Mike Huckabee now enjoys a 2-to-1 margin of support over his nearest competitor -- a dramatic shift from a similar poll conducted in September. ... "Grassroots conservatives are taking a closer look at Huckabee and apparently
like what they see," said Steve Elliott, President of Grassfire.org. ... Huckabee's Support Has Wide, Deep Potential The poll also found that grassroots conservatives find Hucakbee among the most trustworthy on the issue of stopping illegal immigration -- in a statistical dead-heat with immigration stalwart Tom Tancredo with each at 20 percent. "Grassroots conservatives at this point in time trust Mike Huckabee with their most important issue -- securing our borders," says Elliott. In addition, 25% of grassroots conservatives now think Huckabee will win the nomination -- up from just 2 percent in September. And among the major Republican candidates, Huckabee is the least likely to spark an exodus if he wins. "All these factors indicate Huckabee's surge may have staying power and his upside potential is high," says Elliott. [article link]
Lawmakers to investigate Iraq contract worker's rape claim - the alleged rape occurred on her fourth night in Iraq, at the U.S.-controlled Camp Hope in Baghdad {Bush has made a nightmare for so many people. The sooner America and the world can move on from the Bush nightmare the better! It is not in God's plan for people to be used, abused or thrown away, Bush Jr. needs a reality check!} (CNN) -- A House panel on Wednesday is scheduled to examine a woman's accusations that she was drugged and raped by co-workers at a contracting firm in Iraq two years ago. ... Jones said Monday that the alleged rape occurred on her fourth night in Iraq, at the U.S.-controlled Camp Hope in Baghdad. She said she had met with some of her co-workers, one of whom gave her a drink. She believes it was laced with the date-rape drug Rohypnol. ... Jones said a security guard provided her with a cell phone, which she used to call her father. Her father then contacted Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, "to get me out of Iraq," Jones said. In a statement, KBR says it investigated Jones' allegations but was "instructed to cease by government authorities because they were assuming sole responsibility for the criminal investigations." The U.S. Justice Department has said it is investigating the case but will not comment further on it, according to The Associated Press. On Wednesday, the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security will look into the case, examining who is responsible for enforcing federal law to protect Americans working for U.S. contractors in Iraq. The AP reported last week that the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee had asked the Justice Department to give a full account of its investigation into the case. Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, asked Attorney General Michael Mukasey if Jones' claims had been investigated, the AP said. Conyers also asked whether the Justice Department has jurisdiction to prosecute under military provisions of the USA Patriot Act, AP reported. [article link]
Halliburton bails out of Iraq, KBR and now America - "With various ongoing investigations, Halliburton's sale of KBR and the move to UAE are tantamount to fleeing the scene of a crime" - The United States has no extradition treaty with the UAE WASHINGTON, March 12 (HalliburtonWatch.org) -- "With various ongoing investigations, Halliburton's sale of KBR and the move to UAE are tantamount to fleeing the scene of a crime," said Jim Donahue, co-director of Halliburton Watch, in response to the company's announcement today that it will move its headquarters to Dubai, UAE. Halliburton is moving to UAE at a time when it is being investigated in the U.S. for bribery, bid rigging, defrauding the military and illegally profiting in Iran. It is currently in the process of divesting all of its ownership interest in the scandal-plagued KBR subsidiary, notorious for overcharging the military and serving contaminated food and water to the troops in Iraq. Although Halliburton will still be incorporated inside the United States, moving its corporate headquarters to UAE will make it easier to avoid accountability from federal investigators. The company has proven adept at using offshore subsidiaries to circumvent restrictions on doing business in Iran and to elude responsibility for paying benefits to former employees. Halliburton has also used its operational structure for contracts in Iraq and post-Katrina -- especially multiple layers of subcontractors -to elude oversight and accountability to taxpayers. [article link]
Romney Won't Spill the Beans on His Mormon Faith - But Mormonism isn't as flexible - It's a hook, line and sinker deal - You buy it all -- every word of the Book of Mormon and its supplement, the Book of Abraham --
or you're not a Mormon - yes, they believe "Jesus and Lucifer were brothers, in the sense of both being spiritually begotten by the Father - The (LDS) Church issued a deceptively worded statement that most reporters incorrectly read as a denial of the brotherhood of Jesus and Satan The more Mitt Romney evades speaking about his Mormon beliefs the more you want to ask him questions about it. ... But Mormonism isn't as flexible as Catholicism. It's a hook, line and sinker deal. You buy it all -every word of the Book of Mormon and its supplement, the Book of Abraham -- or you're not a Mormon. ... But if Romney were to admit to such doubts and reservations, the (LDS) Church of Latter Day Saints would be forced to say he is no longer a Mormon. And a candidate for president without a religion ... well, that could only happen on The West Wing. ... Many evangelicals believe and have said publicly that Mormonism -contrary to Romney's assertions -- is not a Christian religion but an abomination of Christianity. Here's a sampling of why: Mormons believe that the Garden of Eden was in Missouri; that Jews were the first people in America; that Indians descended from Jews and are a lost tribe of Israel; that Jesus came to America; that after the next coming of Christ (which will be the second or third, depending on how you count his trip to America), the world will be ruled for a thousand years from Jerusalem and Missouri; and to answer Mike Huckabee's now famous question, yes, they believe "Jesus and Lucifer were brothers, in the sense of both being spiritually begotten by the Father." When Matt Lauer asked Romney the Huckabee question about Jesus and the devil being brothers, Romney refused to answer and handed the question off to the Church of Latter Day Saints. The Church issued a deceptively worded statement that most reporters incorrectly read as a denial of the brotherhood of Jesus and Satan. In fact, the Church could not and did not deny it. The Church did correctly point out that attackers (meaning critics) of Mormonism often use the brother bit. Critics also use the Church's 70 year delight in polygamy and sex with very young girls, which also happens to be true. Critics of Mormonism have plenty to work with without inventing anything. ... [article link]
Pinups of bikini-clad women hid jailbreak route, officials say - Twenty-year-old Jose Espinosa and 32-year-old Otis Blunt, who are considered armed and dangerous, were discovered missing from their (New Jersey Union County Jail) cells (CNN) -- Two inmates at New Jersey's Union County Jail made a movie-style escape Saturday and remained at large Monday, according to Union County Prosecutor Ted Romankow. ... Twenty-year-old Jose Espinosa and 32-year-old Otis Blunt, who are considered armed and dangerous, were discovered missing from their cells at about 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Romankow said. The men left behind dummies in their beds, cinder block dust and a note wishing authorities "Happy Holidays." Espinosa, who recently pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, was to be sentenced on January 25 and faced a minimum of 17 years in prison. Blunt was being held in lieu of $75,000 bond on weapon and robbery charges. Both men were being housed in the high security area of the multilevel jail, Romankow said. ... At a news conference Monday, Romankow read the note that was found in Espinosa's cell, saying it represented the "arrogance of these two men." "Thank you officer -------- for the tools needed, you're a real pal, Happy Holidays," the note read, with a smiley face drawn next to it. Authorities are investigating the note's claims about the guard, the Associated Press reported. The guard has not turned in a report and disciplinary action has not been taken, Romankow said, according to AP. [article link]
Corzine to sign NJ death penalty ban - Gov. Corzine is expected today to sign into law today a bill abolishing the death penalty in New Jersey {Murder in America is now just a later-term abortion and soon it will not even be a crime, since murder is no longer a serious crime. Our government and politicians of both parties are turning America into a criminal's paradise.} TRENTON - Gov. Corzine is expected today to sign into law today a bill abolishing the death penalty in New Jersey. With his fellow Democrats providing most of the votes, the General Assembly and State Senate last week approved the measure under which convicted people facing death would instead receive life without parole. Once Corzine signs the bill at the statehouse at 10 a.m., New Jersey would become the first state to
legislatively end capital punishment since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. Before that, the high court had halted all executions for four years and overturned all death sentences in the nation. Corzine has long been on record as opposing the capital punishment. He says he doubts it has any deterrent effect and is concerned that an innocent person might be executed by mistake. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush's Surprising Plea for Clemency - convicted of raping and murdering two adolescent girls, has his execution stayed by President Bush out of deference to the International Court of Justice in The Hague If you tried to come up with the best way to enrage the nativist right in America, you might dream up something like this: a Mexican immigrant, convicted of raping and murdering two adolescent girls, has his execution stayed by President Bush out of deference to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. Believe it or not, that's the storyline in the controversial case of Medellin v. Texas, which the Supreme Court will hear on Wednesday. The Administration is siding with Jose Ernesto Medellin and his lawyers, arguing that he along with 50 other Mexican nationals should have their convictions reviewed because, in what the International Court has ruled a violation of a treaty signed by the U.S., they were not offered access to Mexican consular officials after their arrest. The raucous right is in an uproar, stunned that their onetime hero, George W. Bush, is going against them on a case that combines three of the issues closest to their heart: immigration, the death penalty and international sovereignty. [article link]
The Medellin case: What is Bush thinking? - So we're once again in the position of seeing our president extending legal protections to foreign nationals who commit crimes against Americans that Americans don't have - he (George Bush) ought to be asked why he has intervened on behalf of a child killer If not for the fact that Medellin is a Mexican citizen, the ICJ would not have intervened in the case and Bush wouldn't have sided with them. So we're once again in the position of seeing our president extending legal protections to foreign nationals who commit crimes against Americans that Americans don't have. And he's probably wrong on the merits. ... If the president's argument wins, then as Ramesh points out, the Senate's advise and consent role in ratifying treaties becomes meaningless: The president can just do whatever he wants. That's too much power for any president to have, and in this case it's being misused to stay the execution of a brutal criminal who shouldn't even be in the US at all. The president ought to lose this case, and he ought to be asked why he has intervened on behalf of a child killer. [article link]
Muslim Helped Save Jews During Subway Hanukkah Beatdown {It is God's desire that the world honors the Jews. To go against the Jews is to go against God. I'm sure God will bless that man in some way! God gave the Jews holidays and customs to observe and follow and then they get harassed for doing what God told them to do - it's not difficult to discern the error of the harassers.} Hassan Askari from Bangladesh jumped to Walter Adler's aid while a group of thugs allegedly pummeled and taunted him on a New York subway this weekend. ... A Brooklyn man whose "Happy Hanukkah" greeting landed him in the hospital said he was saved from a gang of Jew-bashing goons aboard a packed Q train by a total stranger - a modest Muslim from Bangladesh. Walter Adler was touched that Hassan Askari jumped to his aid while a group of thugs allegedly pummeled and taunted him and his three friends. So Adler has invited his new friend over to celebrate the Festival of Lights. The two new pals - Adler, 23, with a broken nose and a fat lip, and Askari, 20, with two black eyes - broke bread together and laughed off the bruises the night after the fisticuffs. [article link]
ConstitutionParty.com: Whither the Conservative Movement? - When that vehicle (political party) becomes destructive of the movement's goals, it is time for a "Declaration of Independence" from that party - The time is now
To make matters worse, they saw a president who, while wearing his Christianity on his sleeve, appointed more open homosexuals to high office than Clinton. They watched as their president bowed to a Shinto shrine, declared Islam a religion of peace and declare that Muslims, Jews, Christians and - by a fair interpretation of his remarks - all other religions, worship the same God and their various paths all lead to salvation. It is not coincidental that many religious conservatives are now saying, "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me," and are no longer willing to follow lockstep with GOP leadership. All of this presents an unparalleled opportunity for the Constitution Party. Can we rise to the challenge? Can we be the bulwark in this political storm where the disenfranchised can find refuge? If we are successful in marshalling those who have been betrayed by their party leadership into a "Third Force" as Richard Viguerie calls it, but organized as the Constitution Party (which is not what Viguerie recommends), we can re-shape the political landscape. [article link]
Romney: My Dad (George Romney) Should've Been President - "He really should have been President of the United States, I gotta tell you" Romney said {This is the most annoying thing about Mitt Romney and his (LDS) Mormon cult. They just make everything up as they go along the TRUTH and history are 100% irrelevant to the LDSers. This is 100% Mormon trash talk - George Romney was born in Mexico and as a non-native American George was 100% ineligible to be President of the USA. Romney for the Mormons is trying to be on the sly and avoid and change the laws, whether they are marriage laws, non-profit tax laws (the LDS is a corporation that pays no taxes), or political eligibility laws the Mormons ignore them and follow their own rogue rules.} George Romney was considered by some to be the frontrunner for the 1968 GOP nomination, but his campaign was torpedoed after he made an ill-advised comment about being brainwashed during a visit to Vietnam. "He really should have been President of the United States, I gotta tell you," Romney said. [article link]
{Flashback} The prophet [Joseph Smith] and the presidency: Mormonism and politics in Joseph Smith's 1844 Presidential campaign - Smith made the formal announcement of his candidacy on January 29, 1844 - it was discovered that Bennett (VP candidate) had been born in Ireland and was therefore ineligible for office {Joseph Smith the convicted con-artist and founder of the (LDS) Mormon movement in his 1844 presidential bid tried to sneak an ineligible candidate onto his own campaign ticket until the American people found out and Joseph Smith was forced to remove Bennett from the ticket. The Mormons in running the ineligible George Romney for President in 1968 were just following the morals of their founder Joseph Smith.} Smith made the formal announcement of his candidacy on January 29, 1844. At first, James A. Bennett, a New York businessman, was selected as Smith's Vice Presidential candidate. However, after it was discovered that Bennett had been born in Ireland and was therefore ineligible for office, the number two position fell to Sidney Rigdon, Smith's close friend and advisor. ... Indeed, the Mormon founder openly admitted that the campaign was partially motivated by his desire to make the Saints' political clout felt on the state and national level. Smith stated that: "I do not care so much about the Pres[idential] election as I do the office I have got. We have as good a right to make political party to gain power to defend ourselves as for demagogues to make use of our religion to get power to destroy ourselves. We will whip the mob by getting up a President. Smith then quipped, "When I look into the eastern papers and see how popular I am, I am afraid I shall be President." [article link]
Huckabee skyrockets among GOP voters in key Southern state - The survey suggested that Huckabee's personality was among his strengths - In particular, he tops the list when likely GOP voters are asked to name the candidate who is most believable (CNN) -- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has shot to the top of a new poll in South Carolina, leading Republican presidential candidates in the key Southern state. Huckabee garnered 24 percent in the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, conducted by phone between Sunday and Wednesday. The survey was released Friday. When the same poll was conducted in July, Huckabee was in the lower tier, with 3 percent of support from registered GOP voters. The survey suggested that Huckabee's personality was among his
strengths. In particular, he tops the list when likely GOP voters are asked to name the candidate who is most believable. The South Carolina poll showed Huckabee rocketing ahead of his GOP rivals, including the former front-runner in the state, ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. [article link]
The reservations about Romney remain - his credibility has been the real problem - Despite outspending all the other candidates, the Romney candidacy hasn't ignited - What dogs Romney is a sense that he is not being honest about who he is - In an election such as this, where voters clearly are concerned about honesty and transparency, candidates who do not score well in these areas are paying a price Mitt Romney gave his long-anticipated speech about religion, which he called "Faith in America." The purported purpose of the address was for the Republican presidential candidate to dispel festering doubts about himself because of his Mormon faith. Unfortunately, I believe it was a failed performance. I think that Romney and his team overestimated the extent to which his Mormonism has been what is troubling his candidacy and underestimated the extent to which his credibility has been the real problem. Despite outspending all the other candidates, the Romney candidacy hasn't ignited. By contrast, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has maintained his lead in national polls, despite a background of three marriages, estranged children, pictures of himself in drag, support for gays, support for abortion, having endorsed a Democratic candidate for governor of New York, and support for gun control. But Giuliani has not been running as a traditional conservative candidate. Romney has. What dogs Romney is a sense that he is not being honest about who he is. In an election such as this, where voters clearly are concerned about honesty and transparency, candidates who do not score well in these areas are paying a price. In Romney's case, that price reflects his credibility challenge in convincing religious conservatives that his changed positions are for real. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush pardons Georgia moonshiner - Randall Leece Deal had a bit part in the movie 'Deliverance' Randall Leece Deal was a millworker and twice convicted moonshiner when he got his big break in 1972. He was cast in a bit part in "Deliverance" and delivered a single line so repellent he later told his mother it had been dubbed. On Wednesday he got maybe the second biggest break of his life: A presidential pardon. Deal, 66, was convicted in 1960 and in 1964 for moonshining in North Georgia. He was among 16 pardons announced by the White House in what is an annual tradition. He is at least the second moonshiner pardoned by Bush. Deal said when he heard about that one - a Tennessee man pardoned in 2003 - he decided to apply for his own. "I figured if that guy could get one, then why not me? We're the same age." When reached by a reporter Wednesday afternoon, Deal said somebody had called yesterday telling him he got the pardon, but he had not received official word. [article link]
Featuring a list of memberships in NWO organizations - NWO Government Office Holders - United States Congress: Senator George J. Mitchell (D) ME C - THIS LIST IS VERY INCOMPLETE because it represents a moving target and endless hours of research to keep up In the beginning, there were many Satanic religions set apart from the Jewish worship of Jehovah, God of Abraham. It may serve the reader to realize the God of Abraham is also the God of both the Christian and {not} Islamic faiths. All contentions between these three great faiths, I believe, are the results of manipulative efforts by the Satanic churches and, in our times, those of the NWO movement. The Masonic 'Bible,' Morals and Dogmas proclaims it clearly as a means to establishing control. [article link]
Clemens denies steroid use - "Roger Clemens adamantly, vehemently, and whatever other adjectives can be used, denies that he has ever used steroids or ... improper substances" (CNN) -- A lawyer for Roger Clemens strongly denies the seven-time Cy Young Award winner used steroids to pump up his body and his pitching statistics. Clemens, considered a shoo-in for the Baseball Hall of Fame
someday, was prominently featured in the report on performance-enhancing drugs that former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell released Thursday. "Roger Clemens adamantly, vehemently, and whatever other adjectives can be used, denies that he has ever used steroids or ... improper substances," Clemens' attorney, Rusty Hardin, said Thursday. "He is really, really concerned and upset that he has been named in this report. It's based on the allegations, apparently, of a trainer that he's had in the past. ... That's not a standard someone should be held out in public to have done something as serious as using steroids in baseball." [article link]
baseball steroid report {This is strange news and almost like it is out only to intentionally hurt baseball "America's pastime". The New World Order (NWO) people are probably trying to discredit baseball in attempting to make soccer the one and only NWO sport much like some religious debris (it won't be atheism, although it will eventually be Satanism) will end up being the NWO's only sanctioned religion.} NEW YORK (CNN) -- Illegal steroids have been in widespread use in Major League Baseball for more than a decade and used by some of the game's top stars, former Sen. George Mitchell said in releasing a report Thursday. "This has not been an isolated problem involving just a few players or a few clubs," Mitchell said. "Many players were involved. Each of the 30 clubs has had players who have been involved with such substances at some time in their career." Mitchell said while action should be taken against the most egregious abusers, it will be in baseball's best interest to put the past behind it. "The commissioner should give the players and everyone else the chance to make a fresh start," Mitchell said. "That's what baseball needs." ... "Hundreds of thousands of our children are using" performance enhancing drugs, he said. "Every American, not just baseball fans, ought to be shocked into action by that disturbing truth." Mitchell embarked on his multimillion-dollar task at the behest of Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who felt an inquiry was necessary after reading "Game of Shadows." ... Mitchell's investigation was a difficult one because he had no subpoena power, meaning he had no way to force players or witnesses to cooperate with his investigation. [article link]
Dems: Amen to Ramadan, but forget about Christmas - 9 House members praise Islamic faith, won't recognize Christian observance - nine Democrats in the U.S. House refused to vote for a Christmas resolution that condemns the worldwide persecution of Christians Only weeks after voting for a resolution that "recognizes the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world," nine Democrats in the U.S. House refused to vote for a Christmas resolution that condemns the worldwide persecution of Christians. U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., was on the list of those who endorsed the statement recognizing Islam but refused to support the Christmas resolution that noted the holiday "is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and around the world." The Christmas resolution, like the Ramadan resolution, decried the violence that targets religion around the world. A spokesman for DeGette told WND her vote was because the Ramadan resolution, which she endorsed, was about "rejecting religious extremism and promoting of religious tolerance." The spokesman, Chris Aaron, however, said DeGette is a "strong supporter of separation of church and state and her view was that Congress should not favor one religion over another. "She felt this resolution (recognizing Christmas and condemning persecution of Christians) promoted Christianity over other religions," he told WND. Other Democrats who supported the acknowledgment of Islam's Ramadan but refused a similar recognition for Christianity's Christmas included Gary Ackerman and Yvette Clarke of N.Y., Alcee Hastings, Fla., Barbara Lee, Fortney Stark and Lynn Woolsey, Calif., Jim McDermott, Wash., and Robert Scott, Va. Both resolutions, carrying similar wording, ultimately were approved. But the American Family Association of Pennsylvania also raised the issue of representatives supporting Ramadan, but refusing to offer the same support for Christmas. ... According to Liberty Counsel, the Christmas resolution was approved with nine "no" votes. Ten others voted "present" and 40 refused to vote at all. "Amazingly, all but two of the representatives who answered "present" or voted against the Christmas resolution voted in favor of a resolution recognizing Ramadan, even though much of the language was similar," the group said. [article link]
Gunman may have warned of Colorado shootings {These two horrible shooting sprees are the result of a person who had determined that he didn't like Christians. Who is this person or anyone to judge like this and appoint themselves judge, jury and executioner it is absolutely unacceptable conduct and it is a complete breakdown of an advanced functioning society.} DENVER - Between his two shooting sprees, church gunman Matthew Murray apparently posted online threats about killing Christians. But whether the warnings reached police was unclear Tuesday. ... I'm coming for EVERYONE soon and I WILL be armed to the @%$ teeth and I WILL shoot to kill," one threat posted Sunday by nghtmrchld26 said. At least one visitor to the site contacted the FBI before the second attack, the site's administrator said. The FBI would not confirm that. Nghtmrchld26 made at least 11 posts between the two shootings on a site run by the Association of Former Pentecostals, a nonprofit group that says it was created to help people who have left Pentecostal and charismatic churches. The threats appear to include passages lifted from a manifesto written by Eric Harris, one of the teens who carried out the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School. [article link]
ROMNEY'S (ALMOST) DEAN SCREAM SPEECH - "I'm going to find you, track you down, make sure you vote in the caucuses" - Toward the end of his remarks, he teetered on the line of closing the deal and -- begging {Besides being borderline 'begging' it is also borderline cult manipulation, control and weirdness. I don't think it is appropriate for a candidate to make demands of voters and insist they vote for his candidacy.} If anything is certain about the GOP presidential primary, it's that Romney really, really wants to win Iowa. Desperately. ... Funny enough, when Romney was wrapping up his remarks, he said the following: "You're going to do something which people don't expect, which is give me a victory. And then I'm going to New Hampshire, where I'm pretty solidly in the lead in New Hampshire, and then I'm going to be in Nevada, and I'm going to win Nevada, and then I'm going to be in Wyoming, and I'll win that one, and then Michigan, and we're going to end up doing real darn well. That's at least what I plan. Brian over here was afraid I was going to scream as I was saying that -- the Howard Dean moment, but I'm not doing that. No predictions like that, no screaming allowed…. I'm going to find you, track you down, make sure you vote in the caucuses." [article link]
Huckabee apologizes for Mormon remark - for saying, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?" {Indeed the (LDS) Mormons do teach a jesus and Satan are brothers doctrine - however during election year cycles it seems they don't teach such doctrine so eagerly. It's not off limits to explore the beliefs of a presidential candidate.} An ordained Southern Baptist minister, Huckabee asked the question in an article to be published Sunday in The New York Times, which released his quote Tuesday. Romney, a Mormon, retorted that "attacking someone's religion is really going too far." Huckabee apologized Wednesday, saying he had asked an innocent question during a lengthy conversation and was shocked to see it taken out of context. "I was horrified when I read that, and I apologized to Mitt Romney, because first of all, I don't think that his being a Mormon or not being a Mormon has a thing to do with his being president." Huckabee said Romney responded graciously to his apology, which he offered after a Republican presidential debate in Des Moines. [article link]
DVD - Attack of the Killer C's -- Casual Christian, Cultural Christian, Compromising Christian, Corruptive Christian, Counterfeit Christian -- 3-Hour, 5-DVD set ($29.99) The "attack of the Killer 'C's" -- This 3-hour, 5-DVD set covers the Casual Christian, Cultural Christian, Compromising Christian, Corruptive Christian, Counterfeit Christian. In today's society, when these types of "Christians" are literally opening the door to Antichrist, this video is a breath of fresh air. This disaster is of such magnitude that it makes the Titanic look like "chump change"! This video reveals the cosmic battle in which we are engaged and exposes the seductive weapons Satan uses to keep us from being the mighty army of God. Over 100 years ago, Christian Churches stopped teaching this material, opening the door for the current
terrible spiritual state of both our churches and our society. This video sounds the alarm as a good "Watchman On The Wall". We are under attack! Rise up, oh men of God, to battle for the millions of souls deceived and in risk of Hell. [article link]
Attack of the Killer C's Part 1 (Listen Online) These streaming files require RealAudio: [article link]
Lone Gunman Killed Four in Colorado Church Shooting Sprees, Cops Say - Harris said he saw the gunman They stayed in the vehicle and prayed for the gunman "It was obvious that he was in some sort of pain and going through a lot" Gibbs told "Today (NBC)" "I just prayed God would bring him peace" {Prayer is always a good call. We do need to pray for healing and for protection for all of these families including the shooters family and for the Church and the YWAM missionary staff and school.} COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The gunman believed to have killed four people in a pair of shooting sprees at a megachurch and a missionary training school had been thrown out of the missionary school about three years ago and had been sending the place hate mail, police said in court papers Monday. The gunman was identified as Matthew Murray, 24, who was home-schooled by his family and raised in what a friend said was a deeply religious Christian household. ... Senior Pastor Brady Boyd of New Life Church said the gunman had no connection to the church. "We don't know this shooter," Boyd said. "He showed up on our property yesterday with a gun with the intention of hurting people, and he did." ... Harris said he saw the gunman. "I was in the military for about three years, and the way he was holding the rifle looked just like the way we were taught to when I was in the military," he told NBC's "Today" show. They stayed in the vehicle and prayed for the gunman. "It was obvious that he was in some sort of pain and going through a lot," Gibbs told "Today." "I just prayed God would bring him peace." ... The Colorado shootings came days after a 19-year-old gunman opened fire at a busy department store in Omaha, Neb., killing eight people and himself. [article link]
Security guard who stopped shooter credits God - Assam said, "I give the credit to God - And I say that very humbly. God was with me and the whole time I was behind cover -- this has got to be God, because of the firepower that the gunman had vs. what I had -- was God. I did not run away and I didn't think for a minute to run away, I just knew that I was given the assignment to end this before it got too much worse. I just prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide me" {I hope President Bush gives her a medal and recognizes her valor! She is a real hero!} COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- "It seemed like it was me, the gunman, and God," said Jeanne Assam, describing her feelings as she confronted a man who charged into her Colorado Springs church Sunday firing a weapon. Assam, a church security guard with law enforcement experience, fired her own weapon at the invader and stopped his attack, police say. Police on Monday identified the gunman as Matthew Murray and said he was also responsible for an attack earlier Sunday at a missionary center some 70 miles away. The two incidents left four people dead, in addition to the gunman, and five wounded. Boyd said Assam was a hero in preventing further bloodshed, rushing to confront the gunman just inside the church. "She probably saved over a hundred lives," Boyd said. [article link]
Ministry of Homeland Security Visited Omaha Mall Before Massacre (Online Video 41 seconds) It was a coincidence, no doubt. Not only did Bush visit Omaha prior to the massacre, but so did the Ministry of Homeland Security. ... As Alex Jones reported in May, 2004, FEMA had arrived in New York on September 10th (2001) to set up a command post located at Pier 29 under the auspices of a "biowarfare exercise" (Tripod) scheduled for September 12, a fact revealed to Dan Rather by Tom Kenney of FEMA's National Urban Search and Rescue Team. For some odd reason, a Google News search does not return a repeat of the ABC News
admission that a Ministry employee was at the mall the same day as the massacre. However, comrade Chertoff, in remarks after the event, admitted that the Ministry had an employee at the West Roads Mall prior to the incident, although the corporate media did not find this worthy of mention. [article link]
CuttingEdge.org: Was the Omaha Mall Shooting disaster a "false-flag operation" run by Homeland Security? "It was a coincidence, no doubt - Not only did Bush visit Omaha prior to the massacre, but so did the Ministry of Homeland Security - 'We learned today that shortly before the shooting a Homeland Security employee visited the West Roads Mall to talk with officials about the mall's security', reports Charles Gibson for ABC News (see video) - 'Airports and sports arenas have tightened security considerably since 9/11, but malls have been reluctant to do so'" - Americans are being conditioned to accept - heavy police and para-military presence in all areas of civilian life Can you believe that another government operation was reported occurring very close and/or parallel to a major public disaster? "It is clear that at least five if not six training exercises were in operation in the days leading up to and on the morning of 9/11," write Paul Joseph Watson and Alex Jones. 'This meant that NORAD radar screens showed as many as 22 hijacked airliners at the same time. NORAD had been briefed that this was part of the exercise drill and therefore normal reactive procedure was forestalled and delayed'." "These exercises included Operation Northern Vigilance, the biowarfare exercise Tripod, Operation Vigilant Guardian, Operation Northern Guardian, and Operation Vigilant Warrior. Of course, such exercises, including simulated airliner hijackings and flying planes into the twin towers." Do you remember the London terrorist attack of July 7, 2005? Read all the details in our archived article, NEWS2054, "LONDON TERROR ATTACKS CARRIES STRONGEST 'OCCULT SIGNATURE' IMAGINABLE". After the attack, British government officials admitting that, at the time of the bombing, some of their elite "anti-terrorist" units were simulating exactly the type of attack which was actually being carried out. One of the key indicators that a terrorist attack might be a government operation is when you see government officials and/or elite units in the same area at the same time as the attack. Homeland Security Chief, Michael Chertoff, admitted that one of his Ministry employees was, indeed, at the mall. "We also have our protective security advisors who go and visit various facilities. We actually had one, by coincidence, at the mall in question at the time of the incident, discussing reaction to IEDs and what you can do to prevent or reduce your vulnerability to IEDs." This information begs the question, "was this Homeland Security employee" acting as a Mind Controlled handler for the shooter? This next segment alludes to the real, hidden agenda behind these attacks. "In other words, heavily militarized cops will scare the dickens out of shoppers, same as New York's Intelligence Division is 'in the business of scaring people', as Popular Mechanics recently reported ... A few more mall incidents by deranged teenagers cranked up on pharm drugs - and maybe even a well-placed terrorist event - and the American people will be begging for surprise SWAT raids at the local mall ..." Americans are being conditioned to accept two formerly "off-limits" concepts: 1) Confiscation of all guns 2) Acceptance of heavy police and para-military presence in all areas of civilian life. Once both of these dictatorial concepts are firmly planted in most citizen's minds, it will be far easier to clamp a harsh dictatorship upon the people. [article link]
A Special Message from Pastor John Hagee Regarding His Book In Defense of Israel Given my long years of preaching the gospel to so many, it simply never occurred to me that anyone would question my belief in the fundamentals of the faith. I chose to use challenging language that I hoped would confront the body of Christ to consider events from the Jewish and historical perspective and therefore develop greater empathy for our Jewish friends. Over the centuries, Christians have been quick to condemn the Jews for failing to recognize Jesus as Messiah. This approach led to replacement theology and the viewpoint of some that God has rejected and broken covenant with the Jewish people. These ideas, in turn, opened the door to a vicious Christian anti-Semitism that led to the Crusades, the Inquisition and countless pogroms. I tried to challenge this view by highlighting a distinction that has been long recognized in Christian theology between
the role Jesus played in His first coming, and the role He will play in his second coming. Jesus came the first time as the suffering Messiah, as exemplified by His persecution, rejection and crucifixion. Jesus will come back as the reigning Messiah, who will rule the world from His throne in Jerusalem as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. ... I am deeply grieved for any confusion my writing may have caused the body of Christ. It was never intended. I trust this letter and the expanded edition of In Defense of Israel will clarify what I believe. I also hope that we can return our focus to what I had anticipated to highlight all along, the fact that we Christians must shift from condemning the Jews for what they missed to thanking them for what they gave. [article link]
Mitt Romney Versus the Evangelicals --Satirical Analysis by Chris Davis {Are (LDS) Mormons stupid or are they crazy? Because this article is both stupid and insane! This article is full of more inaccuracies and falsehoods than the (LDS) "Book of Mormon".} Columbia, S.C. - With bickering and tensions rising in the Republican Party, a Mitt Romney nomination could force Evangelical Christians to call for a South Carolina secession from the Union. That simple call for secession could result in a following by other southern states, leading to a domino effect that could result in another bloody Civil War. ... "Mormons say they're Christians," fired Marvin Smith, a 44-year old accountant from Charleston. "Let Romney come down here and I'll show him what a real Christian is like! I've never trusted Mormons and I never will!" The start of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began in upstate New York 180 years ago. Missionaries have been spreading the message that Christianity lost its way and Mormonism restores the Christian church to its rightful path. The first prophet of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, told the other churches where they could stick it. He was later killed by snakes at the hands of an Evangelical mob, brewing a religious battle that has lasted for nearly two centures. Today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has more than 12 million members. Over 5 million of those members are American, less than fifty percent. Internationally, about 70 percent of Mormons are converts, cultivated through television ads, hotel rooms and missionaries. ... As the battle for a theocracy continues, many conservatives will see it as a grown-up Mormon missionary versus Southern Baptist preacher, ending in what may be the biggest bloodbath in American history. --Satirical Analysis by Chris Davis [article link]
Death Toll Rises as Police Investigate Church Shootings - Police Seach for Links Between Two Deadly Shootings at Colorado Christian Centers {The increase and frequency of this many wanton mass shootings at public malls, schools, and churches should not be taking place. This is a part of Satanist Bush's cancer on society, his devilish disease of despair, destruction and death that he and his administration are propagating throughout America and the world.} COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Authorities searched a home in the U.S. state of Colorado early Monday, seeking any link between two deadly shooting sprees at Christian religious centers that left both communities baffled and stunned. Five people, including a gunman, died in the attacks Sunday at a megachurch in Colorado Springs and at the Youth With a Mission missionary center in the Denver suburb of Arvada. Five others were wounded. "Violent crimes of any sort are tragic enough, but when innocent people are killed in a religious facility or a place of worship, we must voice a collective sense of outrage and demonstrate a renewed commitment to keeping our communities safe," said Gov. Bill Ritter. [article link]
Tempting Faith: Christian Conservatives Duped by Bush Co. Part II - behind their backs the nation's top evangelical Christians were regarded with routine mockery and contempt by White House staffers - called 'nuts' and 'ridiculous' {Absolute must see-Download Video 7 Min.} In Kuo's eyes, today's national Christian leaders were being used. They didn't have the same shrewdness Billy Graham had in the '70s, to question whether Nixon was using him for his appeal to religious voters. In fact, Christians who voted for Mr. Bush based on his religion, may have ended up hurting the very people Jesus sought to help: the poor. [video] Bush - "I urge the Senate to pass the faith-based initiative for the good of
America. But when Senator Chuck Grassley tried to rewrite Mr. Bush's 1.7 trillion dollar tax cut to include six billion in tax credits for groups helping the poor - tax credits that Mr. Bush himself had publicly proposed - Kuo says Bush's assistant told Grassley to drop the charity tax credits. The White House had no interest. **The cuts Mr. Bush did want made things worse for charities. Kuo claims that the estate tax cuts discouraged charitable giving, costing charities an estimated 5 billion dollars. The ultimate impact of Mr. Bush's tax cuts, he says, was to brutalize the very charities Mr. Bush once identified as his top priorities. After only a year, charitable donations were down dramatically, and some charities had shut down. Kuo says the White House was more concerned with the appearance of doing something. [article link]
Conspiracies: Iraq (Online Video 45:49) Whatever you believe about the envasion of Iraq, after veiwing this video you will definitely come away with a deeper understanding of the current engangement that the US and Britian are committed too. [article link]
**Must see Video - Keeping It In The Family: The Bushes and the Nazis - Prescott Bush was a tire salesman until his father-in-law's connections made him a Nazi spy - They had a plan to assassinate the president F.D.R. (Video Online - Download) Journalist John Buchanan discusses how his research led him to uncover the deep and historical ties between the Bush family and the Nazi war machine. Buchanan's endeavors led to highly respected newspapers such as the London Guardian covering the story. ... Exposing the Neo-Con movement by documenting the Republican National Convention, and chronicling the phony war on terror {How the Bush family is not fighting terrorism but is actually promoting radical Islam and furthering global and domestic terrorism.}, this movie stretches the boundaries between what should be said, and what must be heard." [article link]
Conspiracy: Iraq - the control of oil to mysterious organizations {Before the Bush Jr. presidency the USA had a boycott of all Iraq oil yet gasoline at the pump was $1-$2. Then after the Bush invasion of Iraq, Iraq oil is now available to the USA market however the increased oil supply has led to a $3-$4 price for gasoline at the pump. Who is getting worked? The American middle class taxpayer!} (Download Video 45 min 48 sec) Interest Guaranteed! Talented Simon Reeve travels the US to find the real cause for going to war with Iraq and now possibly with Iran. ... Unbiased and gripping, looks into the control of oil to mysterious organizations, from people silenced to the eye opening petrodollar cycle. A must-watch. [article link]
Hillary has what it takes to be real first lady in white house - Some Americans also dislike the notion of political dynasties arising in a country which is supposed to be genuinely "republican" and "democratic" {Don't count Hillary out, if elected President she may well stick a fork in the Bush family and have George Jr. imprisoned for his crimes. Note: this is only a recommendation of how the political landscape in America is shaping up it is not a recommendation of how to vote. - Just realize that Christians should know all of the views and keep all of our options open and that really is what the election primary season is all about.} But Hillary! She was tough, cold, calculating, was riding on her husband's coat-tails and was a rigid and doctrinaire feminist blue-stocking. Yet, on the occasion when I saw Hillary speak in the flesh, I was impressed with her. I thought her both sensible and principled. No, she didn't have that touchy-feelie way with her, but I don't always judge politicians by their touchy-feelie qualities: brains and judgement impress me more. As Hillary Clinton's campaign to be the next president of the United States has gained momentum, I have found myself hoping that the lady will win the prize. If she was a doctrinaire Leftist (as some of her critics have claimed) in her callow youth, she has mellowed and matured, at 60, into recognising the dynamics in a market economy and the necessity of both respect and compromise. Last year, she was excoriated by extremist feminists for alluding to the abortion issue in a more nuanced way than they would like. This was called
"moving to the right" -- in truth, it is more like moving to respect the fact that this is a complex ethical question. On foreign affairs, and especially the cauldron of the Islamic world, Hillary has struck me as commendably prudent. ... Some Americans also dislike the notion of political dynasties arising in a country which is supposed to be genuinely "republican" and "democratic". That president George W Bush is his father's son represents, in their eyes, an undesirable tendency to dynasty-building. Thus, no woman should get to the White House mainly because she has been a president's spouse. [article link]
Tsunami Trip Raises Jeb Bush's Profile - Florida Governor Tours Devastated Areas With Colin Powell {Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton, Bush? Does the Bush family political dynasty want a Democrat i.e. Hillary Clinton to win the 2008 election, or possibly an easily controlled and manipulated Republican like McCain, Giuliani or Romney, thinking it will then be easier to insert their Jeb Bush into the White House in 2012?} WASHINGTON (AP) ? Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has emphatically ruled out a 2008 bid to replace his brother in the White House, but his profile-raising tour of tsunami-wrecked countries has rekindled talk of a third Bush presidency. Florida political experts and Bush family friends said they take the governor at his word - "I'm not going to run for president in 2008," Bush pledged in October - but believe the 51-year-old Bush is leaving his options open for a White House bid in 2012 or beyond. "He's never ruled it out, and he's a young man," said Charlie Black, political adviser to former President George H.W. Bush, the governor's father. Jeb Bush's trip with Secretary of State Colin Powell to Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka seems tailor-made for a White House aspirant looking to pad his resume. Traveling with a press secretary and two security guards, Bush is getting equal billing at news conferences with Powell, the pair standing side-by-side at podiums or in trio with a foreign leader. Powell typically refers to Bush in the first sentence or two of any public remarks, saying "we" are doing this and "we" will do that. Bush seems to take his cues from Powell - they even dress alike, wearing khakis and open-necked shirts. [article link]
The Bush family and the S&L Scandal - Jeb Bush defaulted on a $4.56 million loan from Broward Federal Savings in Sunrise, Florida - Neil (Bush) became director of Silverado Savings and Loan at the age of 30 in 1985 - Three years later the institution was belly up at a cost of $1.6 billion to tax payers to bail out There are several ways in which the Bush family plays into the Savings and Loan scandal, which involves not only many members of the Bush family but also many other politicians that are still in office and still part of the Bush Jr. administration today. Jeb Bush, George Bush Sr., and his son Neil Bush have all been implicated in the Savings and Loan Scandal, which cost American tax payers over $1.4 TRILLION dollars (note that this is about one quarter of our national debt). ... The S&L scandal is by no means the only incident of questionable, and actually illegal, financial activity that the Bush family has been involved in. The line of questionable, illegal, and unethical businesses practices goes back at least to Prescott Bush Sr., George Bush Sr.'s father. Prescott Bush was a Senator from 1952 - 1963. Previous to his time as a Senator Prescott was a banker and businessman. Prior to the American entry into WWII Prescott Bush was director of Union Banking Corporation. Union Banking Corporation helped to finance Hitler's regime. The Concentration Camps of Nazi Germany were labor camps that the Nazis used to make products for their regime as well as for sale to raise money. Prescott profited directly from the Auschwitz labor camp. In 1942, after Hitler declared war on America the United States government seized the Union Banking Corporation under the Trading with the Enemy Act as a front operation that was supporting the Nazis. Much of the profits from the operation were already pocketed by Prescott however, and $1.5 million was put in a trust fund for George Bush Sr. For more on Prescott Bush's ties to the Nazis see: ... [article link]
{Flashback} Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton - "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton" he said, referring to how Bill Clinton had followed his father, and Hillary Clinton could follow him - Bush said he checked in with Clinton occasionally WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush says Bill Clinton has become so close to his father that the
Democratic former president is like a member of the family. Former President George Bush has worked with Clinton to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami and the hurricane disaster along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Asked about his father and Clinton, Bush quipped, "Yes, he and my new brother." "That's a good relationship. It's a fun relationship to watch," Bush said in an interview with CBS News broadcast on Sunday. While attending Pope John Paul's funeral, Bush said, "It was fun to see the interplay between dad and Clinton. One of these days, I'll be a member of the ex-president's club. ... I'll be looking for something to do." ... Bush said he checked in with Clinton occasionally. "And you know, he says things that makes it obvious - that makes it obvious to me that we're kind of, you know, on the same wavelength about the job of the presidency. Makes sense, after all, there's this kind of commonality," he said. Bush jokingly referred to speculation that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former president's wife, will seek the Democratic nomination for the presidency. He had earlier referred to the former first lady as "formidable." "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton," he said, referring to how Bill Clinton had followed his father, and Hillary Clinton could follow him. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush Says Hillary Clinton Will Be Democratic Nominee - President Bush, breaking his rule not to talk about presidential politics, says he believes Hillary Rodham Clinton will defeat Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries {Why is Bush campaigning for Hillary? The 2008 election is probably as rigged as an old WWF Title Match. Hillary is the ringer and likely McCain, Rudy, Fred or some other Republican sacrifice is destined to lose. Looks like Bush Jr. is playing the same "end game" his dad played when he gifted his 1992 reelection to Bill Clinton.} WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush, breaking his rule not to talk about presidential politics, says he believes Hillary Rodham Clinton will defeat Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries. Bush also predicts that Clinton will be defeated in the general election by the Republican nominee. "I believe our candidate can beat her but it's going to be a tough race," the president said. It has been difficult for Bush to remain silent about the 2008 president race, despite his promises not to be the "prognosticator in chief." He has been talking about the race and handicapping candidates during off-the-record chats with visitors to the White House. He finally went public with his Clinton prediction in an interview for a book by Bill Sammon, a reporter for The Washington Examiner. ... The White House did not challenge Sammon's account. ... Bush said Giuliani's popularity was a sign of how important the terrorism issue is to Republican voters, the newspaper said. It said Bush cautioned against ruling out Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., saying he had managed to revive his campaign after an implosion earlier this year. [article link]
{Flashback} Exclusive: Dick Morris Says Hillary Will Be America's Next President - In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to slow investigations Barring a Clinton indictment, however, Hillary's White House path is clear for 2008. ... A Big Boost From ... Bush In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to slow investigations. "In retrospect it will look like a mistake on his part," Morris told NewsMax. "He's treating the scandals as an inconvenience, but that's because of one of the core convictions of the Bush family. They always oppose aggressive action against former presidents." He argues that, though some of the accusations leveled against his ex-boss were "garbage," the 11th-hour pardons were a different matter. "That scandal was very real. And if there is no action on the pardon scandal, Bush will ultimately regret that," Morris predicts. [article link]
{Flashback} Harriet Miers (helped) Contribute to Hillary's NY Senate Election in 2000 On May 17, 2000, while Harriet Miers was managing the law firm of Locke Liddell from the firm's Dallas office, she contributed $415 to the law firm's political action committee. Federal Election Commission reports show that two days later, Locke Liddell's PAC contributed $1,000 to Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate Campaign
Committee. For an unexplained reason, Harriet Miers listed herself as a "self-employed attorney," according to the FEC Report on her 2000 contribution to the Locke Liddell PAC. [article link]
Romney (Speech) Gets G.H.W. Bush Intro, Library Site - The former president also offered speaking slots this fall to Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama - the extended Bush political family has become enmeshed in the 2008 race, and Romney enjoys a significant degree of support - The former Massachusetts governor's campaign is being managed by Beth Myers, a one-time aide to former White House political strategist Karl Rove - Ron Kaufman, who was the elder Bush's White House political director, is a member of Romney's inner circle - In addition, top advisers to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, son of the elder Bush, are helping Romney, particularly in the state's pivotal primary contest COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - George H.W. Bush will introduce Mitt Romney and lend the prestige of his library for his fellow Republican's speech Thursday focused on religion. The former president's aides and friends say it isn't a tacit political endorsement. "President Bush is truly neutral in this primary race," {Except George Bush did shill for Hillary Clinton saying he thinks she will win her primary. George Bush Jr. doesn't seem to want a Republican to win the White House in 2008 especially if that Republican has any ties to the religious right.} said Jean Becker, the former president's chief of staff. "He thinks highly of most of the candidates and considers most of them good friends. And he would be happy to host any of the other candidates for a major address here." The nation's 41st president (G.H.W.B.) enjoys attracting prominent figures to this remote community, giving students at neighboring Texas A&M a chance to hear from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former White House pastry chef, Roland Mesnier. Other speakers in the past year have included two of Romney's White House rivals, Sen. John McCain and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. The former president also offered speaking slots this fall to Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, but both Democratic presidential contenders said their schedules did not permit a stop in Texas. The state doesn't hold its primary until March, by which time both parties' nominations may be settled. Romney previously spoke at the library in April. On Thursday, the man trying to become the first Mormon president will try to use the bully pulpit to allay concerns of Christian conservatives who may be breaking toward rival Mike Huckabee, a onetime Southern Baptist minister. [article link]
Most Revealing Fibs: Mitt Romney - "Obviously, my position did change with regards to life - But on other issues, my positions have been very consistent with my principles and my views" -- Mitt Romney, CBS "Face the nation," September 21, 2007 - But an examination of his record shows that his positions have changed on a wide variety of other issues, from immigration to gay rights to gun control - It is also a stretch for Romney to claim that he lowered taxes while Governor of Massachusetts Most Revealing Fibs: Mitt Romney - All political candidates make mistakes, but some mistakes are more revealing than others. A candidate's fibs and exaggerations, and his or her willingness to correct them, tell us something about that person's character and approach to campaigning. To coincide with "The Front Runners" series in the newspaper this week, The Fact Checker is taking a look at the "most revealing fibs" of each of the candidates. ... It is also a stretch for Romney to claim that he lowered taxes while Governor of Massachusetts. See my post here. [article link]
{Flashback} Tempting Faith: Christian Conservatives Duped by Bush Co. Part II - Olbermann: Among them, thatbehind their backs-the nation's top evangelical Christians were regarded with routine mockery and contempt by White House staffers - called 'nuts' and 'ridiculous' {Absolute must see-Download Video 7 Min.} In Kuo's eyes, today's national Christian leaders were being used. They didn't have the same shrewdness Billy Graham had in the '70s, to question whether Nixon was using him for his appeal to religious voters. In fact, Christians who voted for Mr. Bush based on his religion, may have ended up hurting the very people Jesus sought to help: the poor. [video] Bush - "I urge the Senate to pass the faith-based initiative for the good of
America. But when Senator Chuck Grassley tried to rewrite Mr. Bush's 1.7 trillion dollar tax cut to include six billion in tax credits for groups helping the poor - tax credits that Mr. Bush himself had publicly proposed - Kuo says Bush's assistant told Grassley to drop the charity tax credits. The White House had no interest. **The cuts Mr. Bush did want made things worse for charities. Kuo claims that the estate tax cuts discouraged charitable giving, costing charities an estimated 5 billion dollars. The ultimate impact of Mr. Bush's tax cuts, he says, was to brutalize the very charities Mr. Bush once identified as his top priorities. After only a year, charitable donations were down dramatically, and some charities had shut down. Kuo says the White House was more concerned with the appearance of doing something. [article link]
Karl Rove, Atheist? - Karl Rove is not a believer - he doesn't shout it from the rooftops - For Karl Rove, power is the ultimate religion Karl Rove is not a believer, and he doesn't shout it from the rooftops, but when asked, he answers quite honestly. I think the way he puts it is, "I'm not fortunate enough to be a person of faith." ... What must Bush make of that? I think it's false to say that the president acts as if he believes he has God's instructions. Compared to Jimmy Carter, he's nowhere. He's a Methodist, having joined his wife's church in the end. He also claims that Jesus got him off the demon drink. He doesn't believe it. His wife (Laura Bush) said, "If you don't stop, I'm leaving and I'm taking the kids." You can say that you got help from Jesus if you want, but that's just a polite way of putting it in Texas. [article link]
Retracting Karl Roverer - Re Six degrees of pure evil, Karl Heinz Roverer - Rove's grandfather was Karl Heinz Roverer, the Gauleiter of Oldenburg -- Nazi State Party Chairman [This info may not be accurate and needs further collaboration.] Rove's father was actually his stepfather [he didn't know this growing up] so there wouldn't be a genetic connection anyway -- although Rove has spoken of his respect/affection for the man who took on this responsibility. Papa Rove walked out on the family on Karl's 19th b-day [also xmas day] and his mom committed suicide when he was 30. One of those happy nuckulur families we hear about. ... Rove's grandfather was Karl Heinz Roverer, the Gauleiter of Oldenburg. Roverer was Reich-Statthalter -- Nazi State Party Chairman -- for his region. He was also a partner and senior engineer in the Roverer Sud-Deutche Ingenieurburo A. G. engineering firm, which built the Birkenau death camp, at which tens of thousands of Jews, Gypsies, dissidents and other were slaughtered en masse. ... But according to sources I'm more familiar with and much more confident in, Karl Rove isn't even of German ancestry. He's Norwegian-American, and his grandfather was Norway's Vice-Consul in Milwaukee. [article link]
Bush Property Seized--Trading with the Enemy - On Oct. 20, 1942 ten months after entering World War II - the U.S. government (FBI - J. Edgar Hoover) ordered the seizure of Nazi German banking operations in New York City which were being conducted by Prescott Bush In 1952, Prescott Bush was elected to the U.S. Senate, with no press accounts about his well-concealed Nazi past. There is no record of any U.S. press coverage of the Bush-Nazi connection during any political campaigns conducted by George Herbert Walker Bush, Jeb Bush, or George W. Bush, with the exception of a brief mention in an unrelated story in the Sarasota Herald Tribune in November 2000 and a brief but inaccurate account in The Boston Globe in 2001. ... George W. Bush's grandfather (Prescott Bush) helped finance the Nazi Party. Karl Rove's grandfather allegedly helped run the Nazi Party, and helped build the Birkenau Death Camp. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Austrian father volunteered for the infamous Nazi SA and became a ranking officer. [article link]
{Flashback} Jimmy Carter Interceded for Nazi Murderer - Exclusive: Handwritten Note From Jimmy Carter Interceding for Nazi SS Guard - The handwriting matches - This is from the letter published at the New York
Sun: (Photos) Well, here's that confirmation, as Daniel Freedman publishes the actual handwritten note from Carter: Exclusive: Handwritten Note From Jimmy Carter Interceding for Nazi SS Guard. ... UPDATE at 1/18/07 1:36:27 pm: The handwriting matches. This is from the letter published at the New York Sun: [article link]
{Flashback} Exclusive: Jimmy Carter Interceded on Behalf of Nazi SS Guard - A former president who didn't do what I would expect him to do - with a full staff at his disposal - to find out the facts before he took up the side of this person (Scroll down - Click here to listen to Tovia Singer's interview with Shur on Israel National Radio) "We had an extraordinary piece of evidence against him - a book that was kept by the SS and captured by the American armed forces when they liberated Mauthausen," Sher said. "We called it the death book. It was a roster that the Germans required them to keep that identified SS guards as they expended (ammunition) weapons to murder the inmates and prisoners." An entry in the book for October 10, 1943 registered the shooting death of Max Oschorn, a French Jewish prisoner. His murderer was also recorded: SS guard Martin Bartesch. "It was a most chilling document," Sher recalled. The same evidence was used by the U.S. military in postwar trials as the basis for execution or long prison sentences for many identified SS guards. ... On the upper corner of the letter was a note signed by Jimmy Carter saying that in cases such as this, he wanted 'special consideration for the family for humanitarian reasons.' ... it always stuck in my craw. A former president who didn't do what I would expect him to do - with a full staff at his disposal - to find out the facts before he took up the side of this person. [article link]
Lump of Coal Awards, Part 1 - Securities & Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox - Category: Failing to walk the talk - Cox has talked like a champion of the consumer - He promised to get these reforms done in 2007, and none of them are coming to pass this year Cox has talked like a champion of the consumer, speaking favorably on a number of issues, most notably on the reform of the 12b-1 fee. He promised to get these reforms done in 2007, and none of them are coming to pass this year. Some, like the rule requiring an independent board chairman, now appear dead. [article link]
SEC Biography: Chairman Christopher Cox - Christopher Cox is the 28th Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission - He was appointed by President Bush on June 2, 2005 {In the past Christopher Cox has been one of the best Congressmen America has had. I think the Wall Street greed has just gotten out of hand and it is difficult to reign in especially since Bush is the one promoting the lawlessness of Wall Street for his get rich quick Harvard classmates.} Christopher Cox is the 28th Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He was appointed by President Bush on June 2, 2005, and unanimously confirmed by the Senate on July 29, 2005. He was sworn in on August 3, 2005. During his tenure at the SEC, Chairman Cox has made vigorous enforcement of the securities laws the agency's top priority, bringing ground breaking cases against a variety of market abuses including hedge fund insider trading, stock options backdating, fraud aimed at senior citizens, municipal securities fraud, and securities scams on the Internet. [article link]
The dunce - His former Harvard Business School professor recalls George W. Bush not just as a terrible student but as spoiled, loutish and a pathological liar - One of Tsurumi's standout students was Rep. Chris Cox, R-Calif., now the seventh-ranking member of the House Republican leadership [Update: now SEC chairman] "I typed him as a conservative Republican with a conscience," Tsurumi said "I don't remember all the students in detail unless I'm prompted by something," Tsurumi said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "But I always remember two types of students. One is the very excellent student, the type as a professor you feel honored to be working with. Someone with strong social values, compassion and
intellect -- the very rare person you never forget. And then you remember students like George Bush, those who are totally the opposite." ... Trading as usual on his father's connections, Bush entered Harvard in 1973 for a two-year program. He'd just come off what George H.W. Bush had once called his eldest son's "nomadic years" -- partying, drifting from job to job, working on political campaigns in Florida and Alabama and, most famously, apparently not showing up for duty in the Alabama National Guard. Trading as usual on his father's connections, Bush entered Harvard in 1973 for a two-year program. He'd just come off what George H.W. Bush had once called his eldest son's "nomadic years" -- partying, drifting from job to job, working on political campaigns in Florida and Alabama and, most famously, apparently not showing up for duty in the Alabama National Guard. ... Bush, by contrast, "was totally the opposite of Chris Cox," Tsurumi said. "He showed pathological lying habits and was in denial when challenged on his prejudices and biases. He would even deny saying something he just said 30 seconds ago. He was famous for that. Students jumped on him; I challenged him." When asked to explain a particular comment, said Tsurumi, Bush would respond, "Oh, I never said that." A White House spokeswoman did not return a phone call seeking comment. [article link]
ROMNEY FRIEND MAKING DOCUMENTARY - Documentary maker Greg Whiteley was among the crowd, and he said he was gathering footage that may some day become a documentary about the former Massachusetts governor and his campaign {A documentary about Mitt Romney speaking in French, telling old Mexico family stories, and hugging as many girls as possible, and Mitt wonders why he is sagging in the polls.} Whiteley is the director of One Potato Productions, and he obtained his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University, as Romney did. He explained that there was a Romney sighting at a showing of his recent documentary, New York Doll, which is about a former musician who converts to Mormonism and has a job at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint's Family History Center library but reunites with his band for a concert. Whiteley said that he later spoke to Romney, who told him he saw it "not once, but twice" and was complimentary of it, which spurred the moviemaker to ask the candidate if he could gather footage on him. After the former governor hesitated, Whiteley tried the same trick that apparently worked in getting Romney to head to Utah for the Olympics -- he went to Ann Romney, who, according to Whiteley, convinced her husband to let him proceed. ... Romney thanked volunteers for the work they've done for his campaign in Florida everything from the calls they've made, to the signs they've put up, to the pins they circulate and the bumper stickers they've handed out. He said he enjoyed meeting his volunteers and shaking their hands and added, "I like the hugs, too. The girls in particular. I appreciate that." [article link]
BREAKING: Gunman wounds 4 at missionary training center - Youth With A Mission (YWAM) center in Arvada, Colorado - The center is home to dozens of young people from all over the world who are being trained as Christian missionaries (CNN) -- At least four people at a training center for young Christian missionaries were wounded by a gunman who walked into their building in suburban Denver early Sunday and opened fire, a police spokeswoman said. The gunman apparently ran away after the shooting at the Youth With A Mission center in Arvada, Colorado, said Arvada police spokeswoman Susan Medina. There was no immediate word on the condition of the four people who were wounded. It was unclear how many of the wounded were staff members and students, Medina said. About 50 people were in the building at the time of the shooting, she said. The center is home to dozens of young people from all over the world who are being trained as Christian missionaries, according to the center's Web site. [article link]
About YWAM - Youth With A Mission is an international movement of Christians from many denominations dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world Youth With A Mission is an international movement of Christians from many denominations dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. Also known as YWAM (pronounced "WYE-wam"), our calling is to know
God and to make Him known. Back when we began in 1960, our main focus was to get youth into short-term mission work and to give them opportunities to reach out in Jesus' name. Today, we still focus on youth, and we also involve people of almost every age (even many people who choose to spend their "retirement" in active service). Our many ministries fit into three main categories: evangelism, training and mercy ministry. We are currently operating in more than 1000 locations in over 149 countries, with a staff of nearly 16,000. [article link]
REVOLUTIONARY PRAYER - REMEMBER "the Lord's prayer" - Teaching about the "kingdom of heaven" Consider This prayer famously starts with "Our Father" - Note not "my Father" but "our Father" - In fact, the words "my" or "mine" don't feature in the prayer at all - This is a drastically communal prayer The fact is that this prayer Jesus taught His disciples contains the heart of His mind-blowing teaching about the "kingdom of heaven" revolution He was bringing about. Consider: The prayer features in the middle of some of Jesus' teaching about the kingdom (Matthew 5-7). And in it there is a startling, radical definition of the kingdom: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" The implications of this are mindblowing. For a start, it means a life of total commitment to one another - who says "I'm off" in heaven ("I'm moving out to hell")? It means love, forgiveness, grace, fearless truth. It means a life of radical sharing - who calls anything "mine" in heaven? Consider. This prayer, famously, starts with "Our Father". Note - not "my Father", but "our Father". In fact, the words "my" or "mine" don't feature in the prayer at all. This is a drastically communal prayer. Jesus teaches us to come to God as "Our Father": that is to come together as a family, a brotherhood. Not that this means we don't have an individual relationship with God. We do. But the kingdom is about a people. Furthermore, it's a family which prays for "our daily bread": a sharing people. Even the basics - "bread" - are shared. And if we share our basic subsistence, it surely follows that we should share everything else. God provides; we share. This is what the first church did: [article link]
Mormonism and politics in Joseph Smith's 1844 Presidential campaign - Ultimately, Brodie concluded that Smith was a brilliant con artist who came to believe in the delusion that he himself had engineered, all the while presiding over a growing community of faith motivated by values far different than his own Most contemporary scholarship on Mormonism may be seen as falling roughly within one of two schools of thought. The first was best expressed in Fawn M. Brodie's 1945 biography No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet. Brodie's goal was first and foremost to understand Joseph Smith the man through the social and psychological forces that shaped his life. As Brodie herself put it: "The source of his power lay not in his doctrine but in his person, and the rare quality of his genius was due not to his reason but his imagination. He was a myth-maker of prodigious talent. And after a hundred years the myths he created are still an energizing force in the lives of a million followers. The moving power of Mormonism was a fable - one that few converts stopped to question, for its meaning seemed profound and its inspiration was contagious."3 As a historian, Brodie separated Smith's personal motives from his symbolic role within the larger Mormon movement. Ultimately, Brodie concluded that Smith was a brilliant con artist who came to believe in the delusion that he himself had engineered, all the while presiding over a growing community of faith motivated by values far different than his own. [article link]
California Diocese Breaks With Episcopal Church in Rift Over Role of Gays in the Church - the first full diocese to secede because of a conservative-liberal rift that began decades ago - The head of the U.S. denomination had warned Bishop John-David Schofield of the Fresno-based diocese against secession - "I do not intend to threaten you, only to urge you to reconsider and draw back from this trajectory," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, head of the U.S. denomination, wrote in a letter to Schofield earlier this week {It does sound like a threat and Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori should tone it down a bit. Strange how the moderate - liberal Bishops and such have such tolerance for Mormons (LDS) and Muslims but not much tolerance for their own fellow Christians who believe and follow the Bible.}
SAN FRANCISCO - An Episcopal diocese in central California voted Saturday to split with the national denomination over disagreements about the role of gays and lesbians in the church. Clergy and lay members of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin voted 173-22 at their annual convention to remove all references to the national church from the diocese's constitution, according to spokeswoman Joan Gladstone. The Fresnobased congregation is the first full diocese to secede because of a conservative-liberal rift that began decades ago and is now focused on whether the Bible condemns gay relationships. ... The decision is almost certain to spark a court fight over control of the diocese's multimillion-dollar real estate holdings and other assets. The head of the U.S. denomination had warned Bishop John-David Schofield of the Fresno-based diocese against secession. "I do not intend to threaten you, only to urge you to reconsider and draw back from this trajectory," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, head of the U.S. denomination, wrote in a letter to Schofield earlier this week. Schofield responded that the Episcopal Church "has isolated itself from the overwhelming majority of Christendom and more specifically from the Anglican Communion by denying Biblical truth and walking apart from the historic Faith and Order." [article link]
Breakaway Anglicans Move Forward with Orthodox Initiative - "These specific (unfaithful) actions revealed that those in control of The Episcopal Church were ready to separate themselves from the 'faith once and for all delivered to the saints' and embrace innovations that were essentially a new religion" The first annual meeting of a flourishing breakaway Anglican group opened Thursday, marking the "coming of age" for the orthodox Anglican initiative, said one bishop. Hundreds of clergy and lay delegates representing more than 60 congregations in the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) converged in Herndon, Va., for the first council addressing the current state and future growth of the orthodox group. "This is the first time that we have been able to gather so many CANA clergy and lay leaders together and I would be most remiss if I did not express my personal gratitude to all of you for your remarkable faith," CANA missionary bishop the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns said in his opening address Thursday. "Your willingness to step out of the boat and become part of this community of faithful Anglicans called CANA is a source of continuing encouragement." ... In 2003, The Episcopal Church widened rifts when it consecrated its first openly gay bishop - V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Some Episcopal leaders also affirmed the practice of same-sex blessings. "These specific actions revealed that those in control of The Episcopal Church were ready to separate themselves from the 'faith once and for all delivered to the saints' and embrace innovations that were essentially a new religion," Minns said. "This was a step too far for many orthodox believers." [article link]
The prophet [Joseph Smith] and the presidency: Mormonism and politics in Joseph Smith's 1844 Presidential campaign - Smith made the formal announcement of his candidacy on January 29, 1844 - Indeed, the Mormon founder openly admitted that the campaign was partially motivated by his desire to make the (LDS) Saints' political clout felt on the state and national level - We (Mormons) will whip the mob by getting up a President {Reason enough why many Americans are still uneasy and don't want a Mormon president, because the intent does seem to be an (LDS) agenda and not for the purpose of benefiting the American people.} Smith made the formal announcement of his candidacy on January 29, 1844. At first, James A. Bennett, a New York businessman, was selected as Smith's Vice Presidential candidate. However, after it was discovered that Bennett had been born in Ireland and was therefore ineligible for office, the number two position fell to Sidney Rigdon, Smith's close friend and advisor. ... Indeed, the Mormon founder openly admitted that the campaign was partially motivated by his desire to make the Saints' political clout felt on the state and national level. Smith stated that: "I do not care so much about the Pres[idential] election as I do the office I have got. We have as good a right to make political party to gain power to defend ourselves as for demagogues to make use of our religion to get power to destroy ourselves. We will whip the mob by getting up a President. Smith then quipped, "When I look into the eastern papers and see how popular I am, I am afraid I shall be President." [article link]
Germany moves to ban Scientology - "From a number of sources, some of them not available to the public, it has been determined that (the organization) seeks to limit or rescind basic and human rights, such as the right to develop one's personality and the right to be treated equally" {The only thing cults teach is superiority and not equality. Unfortunately you have to pay money and follow their rules and regulations to become superior and eventually become a god. -- Christianity teaches equality, relationships, individuality, freedom and being a servant. Christianity is completely different from the cults. -- Cults like (LDS) Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and Scientology should be moderated by the government or banned because they are dangerous, lying, manipulating organizations that are dangerous and harmful to people and to society. -- In fact legalized abortion i.e. allowing the murder of another individual is among the highest forms of superiority. To deem another individual, in the womb, unworthy of the right to life and then to kill it and walk away feeling superior is among the most cultic of concepts.} BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- Germany's top security officials said Friday they consider the goals of the Church of Scientology to be in conflict with the principles of the nation's constitution and will seek to ban the organization. ... "From a number of sources, some of them not available to the public, it has been determined that (the organization) seeks to limit or rescind basic and human rights, such as the right to develop one's personality and the right to be treated equally," the report said. ... The Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology was founded in 1954 by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. It first set up in Germany in 1970 and officials estimate it counts some 6,000 members in the country. [article link]
Huckabee tells GQ that some Christian leaders are 'out of step' - Pat Robertson (who has endorsed GOP contender Rudy Giuliani) and others who he refers to as Christian leaders "of the past:" - He says those, like Robertson, who have chosen to support candidates with different positions on abortion are "thinking in terms of political expediency and not in terms of the principles that supposedly got them involved in the movement to begin with" In a Q&A posted online today by GQ magazine, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has this to say about Pat Robertson (who has endorsed GOP contender Rudy Giuliani) and others who he refers to as Christian leaders "of the past:" It seems that the leaders of the past, those who have been looked to as the bell cows of the movement, are completely out of step with their own followers lately. But if you talk about the people in the rank and file, there's not any confusion at all. The people haven't abandoned their principles. In giving that answer, he's specifically referring to the willingness of Robertson to endorse Giuliani, even though the former New York City mayor has said he does not think a woman's right to choose to have an abortion should be outlawed. Huckabee believes otherwise. He says those, like Robertson, who have chosen to support candidates with different positions on abortion are "thinking in terms of political expediency and not in terms of the principles that supposedly got them involved in the movement to begin with." [article link]
Forbes.com - Informer: Morton L. Topfer, one of FORBES ASAP's Tech's 100 Highest Rollers when he served as Dell, vice chairman - The feds say that in 2002 and 2003 he put $105 million of cash and stock into trusts for his children and grandchildren but valued the largesse at a mere $3.5 million - Among the dealings that the IRS nixed on grounds of "no business purpose": option trades between Topfer and the various trusts The Internal Revenue Service says that Morton L. Topfer, one of FORBES ASAP's Tech's 100 Highest Rollers when he served as Dell (nasdaq: DELL) vice chairman, owes $65 million in gift taxes and penalties for undervaluing asset transfers benefiting his heirs. Topfer, 71, is fighting the bill in U.S. Tax Court. The feds say that in 2002 and 2003 he put $105 million of cash and stock into trusts for his children and grandchildren but valued the largesse at a mere $3.5 million. Among the dealings that the IRS nixed on grounds of "no business purpose": option trades between Topfer and the various trusts. Court filings for Topfer, who retired from Dell and now sits on the board of chipmaker AMD while running a family investment firm in Austin, Tex., defend the complicated dealings as "bona fide, arms-length transactions." --Janet Novack [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com - Movie Review: "The Golden Compass" I thought the movie was long and boring, and I didn't like it on its own artistic merits, religion (anti-Christian) aside - For young kids, I think it will be a little too scary {I'm already going to boycott Wal-Mart because you know they will display this movie all over the store (like Da Vinci Code) and especially in the toy department. I keep boycotting Wal-Mart then going back and then boycotting again so boycotting Wal-Mart is a work in progress that takes time. Target is the only store worse than Wal-Mart so there are plenty of other stores to shop at.} Frankly, I thought the movie was long and boring, and I didn't like it on its own artistic merits, religion aside. For young kids, I think it will be a little too scary. There is blood and fighting and it's not a cute, cuddly movie. In fact, cute cuddly things are routinely choked to death or otherwise executed. ... As for the Christian stuff, the movie doesn't come out and say it's "the Church," or "there are religious leaders" who are against us. But to adults, it's obvious. A group of men in long Black robes and collars (which look like Catholic religious leaders' garb) are evil and the villains ones in this film, and they are from the Magisterium. And although their "symbol" is not a cross, it looks like a cross buried betweem several shapes. Although it is never really explained what the Magistereum is, I know that it's a Catholic term. ... In the movie, everyone has a "demon," a soft, cute, cuddly animal that represents their alter ego. But a "demon" is supposed to be like your bad influence within your mind. We have that concept in Judaism, as well. It's an evil part of your mind--not an external, cute, cuddly animal. ... That's the essence of the anti-religious portion of this movie. It is populated by a lot of battle and fight scenes and computer-generated special effects and images, and has occasional appearances by Kidman and new James Bond, Daniel Craig. But over all, it is boring. [article link]
Web founder warns of short-termism - Internet companies are taking a dangerously short-term view and ignoring big potential risks and opportunities as the online medium becomes a more central part of everyday life - "the people who could be really rethinking a new form of web interaction, a new way of organising society, something to replace the existing forms of democracy" - the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he teaches According to Sir Tim, research on the future of the web needs to draw on experts from a mix of backgrounds, including technologists, economists, psychologists and sociologists. What is lacking are "the people who could be really rethinking a new form of web interaction, a new way of organising society, something to replace the existing forms of democracy", he said. The analysis needed to back this long-term thinking also requires "a very large amount of computing power and a very large amount of mathematics", he added. Sir Tim is himself trying to raise up to $100m to back a joint research initiative launched a year ago by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he teaches, and the University of Southampton. [article link]
LivePrayer.com: Bill Keller Concerning Romney - CNN Headline News (Online Video 4:51) ***COMING IN THE MONDAY DEVOTIONAL, a special one paragraph recap of MittRomney's "faith" speech from Thursday. I did a ton of media Thursday on this issue, USA Today, New York Times, Miami Herald, KABC radio, and a host of other print and electronic interviews including CNN Headline News. I also have an interesting personal tidbit about FOX News and how they handled this story that I will share with you. The link to that interview is: www.liveprayer.com/cnn120607.cfm [article link]
Romney addresses his Mormon faith - Page said he would advise Romney to give another speech in the future that spoke more specifically about his personal faith {Romney to shill again, Romney and his Mormon (LDS) campaign handlers won't give it a rest. They will stay at it and try to sell Mormonism to the American public until the last person has placed them on ignore.} Rev. Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said he believed the speech provided a strong statement on Romney's intent to be fair to all people. Page said he also appreciated Romney's honesty in stating that the Mormon church's beliefs about Jesus Christ differ from mainline Christianity. But, Page said he
felt Romney didn't go far enough in explaining his Mormon faith. Page said he would advise Romney to give another speech in the future that spoke more specifically about his personal faith. "Because of who he is, and because Mormonism is not a mainline religion traditionally in our country, people still have questions and he still has not dealt with some of the questions people have. So I think at some point, he will need to do that," Page said. [article link]
Wikipedia: Shill - The intention of the shill is, using crowd psychology, to encourage others unaware of the setup to purchase said goods or services or support the political group's ideological claims {Mitt Romney a paid 'shill' for the Mormon LDS cult.} A shill is an associate of a person selling goods or services or a political group, who pretends no association to the seller/group and assumes the air of an enthusiastic customer. The intention of the shill is, using crowd psychology, to encourage others unaware of the set-up to purchase said goods or services or support the political group's ideological claims. Shills are often employed by confidence artists. In the UK the term plant is used. Shilling is illegal in many circumstances and in many jurisdictions because of the frequently fraudulent and damaging character of their actions. However, if a shill does not place uninformed parties at a risk of loss, but merely generates "buzz," the shill's actions may be legal. For example, a person planted in an audience to laugh and applaud when appropriate (see "claque") or to participate in on-stage activities as a "random member of the audience", is a type of legal shill. 'Shill' can also be used pejoratively to describe a critic who appears either all-too-eager to heap glowing praise upon mediocre offerings, or who acts as an apologist for glaring flaws. In this sense, they would be an implicit 'shill' for the industry at large, as their income is tied to its prosperity. [article link]
The Mormon Temple - The Mormon Temple is the very heart of the system of Mormonism - It is here that certain "worthy" Mormons perform secret ordinances that they believe will allow them to obtain the status of "a God" in the hereafter - Secret rituals are also done in behalf of the DEAD - No worship services are held in this building and non-Mormons are restricted from entering except for a brief period previous to its dedication - No doubt, if knowledge of the temple ceremony would promote faith in the LDS Church, Mormons would be eager to talk about it - But the Fact that it is kept secret from the world and even from the bulk of its members, casts suspicion upon its godliness, especially since Jesus made His teachings open to the whole world Strange as it may seem, only about 20% of the Mormon population have been through the temple ceremony and fewer than that attend regularly. Because the Mormon Church considers the temple ceremony as "sacred," they have never published a dialog of the temple ritual or filmed the ceremony for benefit of the public or even their own people. The devout LDS will almost never talk about the secret activity that goes on behind temple doors. However, there are numerous eye-witness accounts by "Temple Mormons" who became alienated from the church and have exposed all that goes on in the ceremony. Dozens of these accounts have been published over the years. One such testimony comes from a former temple "Veil Worker" who had performed over 1,000 temple ordinances! As recent as 1990 actual recordings have been made of the temple ceremony. ... The late Mormon Apostle, Bruce R. McConkie, gave this information about the "Temple Ordinances": "Certain gospel ordinances are of such a sacred and holy nature that the Lord authorizes their performance only in holy sanctuaries prepared and dedicated for that purpose....They were given in modern times to the Prophet Joseph Smith by revelation,..." (Mormon Doctrine,1979, p. 779) Even though Mormons believe that God is the source of these so called "sacred" and "holy" ordinances, the evidence that will be presented in this tract clearly shows that the Mormon Temple Ceremony is far from holy or Biblical and certainly NOT from God. [article link]
Salt Lake City Mormon (LDS) Temple Square and Tabernacle - Unlike the other buildings on Temple Square, it is closed to the general public because it is used by the LDS Church for sacred rites exclusive to those church members deemed worthy to receive them - For this reason, it (temple), along with the other LDS temples, is
given prominence within Mormonism Temple Square is the most visited site in the state of Utah. Its popularity can be attributed to its central geographic location in the capital city, to the national popularity of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and to the general interest in the historic tabernacle and Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--the Mormons. Though it now enjoys a position of notoriety, it was never really the intent or hope of the early Mormon settlers that it would become a state, national, or even internationally known site. Temple Square began with a simple declaration by Brigham Young that it was the future site for the Salt Lake Temple. It then gradually evolved into the present sanctuary that houses within its protective walls three significant pioneer buildings, two visitor centers, and historic monuments--all within a beautifully manicured garden setting. Temple Square began with Brigham Young's location of the temple building site four days after the arrival of the main body of Saints into the Salt Lake Valley on 24 July 1847. Young originally called for the site of the temple to be forty acres but later reduced it to ten acres to make it compatible with the ten-acre blocks proposed for the city. The reduction in the lot size left the Salt Lake Temple on what is the northeast quadrant of the present site rather than what would have been the middle of the originally proposed forty-acre site. ... The focal point of Temple Square is the impressive Salt Lake LDS Temple. Unlike the other buildings on Temple Square, it is closed to the general public because it is used by the LDS Church for sacred rites exclusive to those church members deemed worthy to receive them. For this reason, it, along with the other LDS temples, is given prominence within Mormonism. The temple sits on the northeast corner of square, which is also the highest point within the square. Its overall size and vertical elevation give it a dominating position. [article link]
Mitt Romney, the Mormon (What's That?!) - for the most part, he pretended he wasn't Mormon, or that being Mormon was so strange it is in his interest to keep it secret - He said, "What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the savior of mankind" - OK, Mitt - But do you really want to get into what that means for you? But, if today becomes the unraveling point of his candidacy, it will be because Mitt Romney did not have the courage or wisdom to say what he, as a Mormon, actually believes - all of it, without pretending his creed is no different than the Christian creed. Don't get me wrong. His speech would have been excellent had it been given by any other candidate. It was deep, passionate and presidential. He even ended with, "God bless America." The problem is that the much-hyped speech did nothing to achieve his goal of convincing doubting Evangelicals and Catholics that his Mormon beliefs will not hinder him from being a good president. Instead, for the most part, he pretended he wasn't Mormon, or that being Mormon was so strange it is in his interest to keep it secret. In this speech about Mormonism, he uttered the word "Mormon" just once, while saying "Jews" and "Muslims" two times each and "Catholic" three times. Still more abrasive to Christian sensibilities was the attempt to pass off Mormon doctrine about Jesus Christ as equal to that of Christianity. He said, "What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the savior of mankind." OK, Mitt. But do you really want to get into what that means for you? [article link]
Canada.com: Romney to Americans, evangelical Republicans: "I believe in Jesus Christ" {If Mitt Romney believed in "Jesus Christ" Mitt Romney would stop his Mormon tithing and stop his Mormon works and walk into the center of the Mormon Temple or Tabernacle apart from his Mormon works. What does reconcile us to the Holy God, is it Mormon works and money or is it Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross? Of course it is only Jesus and faith in Jesus that has reconciled sinful man back into a relationship with God!} Today is a very big day for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the first [4th] Mormon to seek the White House. [The (Mormon founder) Joseph Smith 1844, (Mexico born - ineligible) George Romney 1968, Orin Hatch (Mormon Bishop) 2000, and Milton Romney (Mormon Bishop) 2008.] ... Criticized at times for shifting his views on policies like abortion, immigration and gay rights, Romney left the impression he is very firm in his own convictions about religious faith - and its place in the public square. Still, it's difficult to believe such a
speech would be required of, or offered by, a candidate for the prime minster's office in Canada. [There are approximately 16 active Mormons in the Congress and the Senate, including Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (Democrat - Nevada).] [article link]
Romney on Faith and History - Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, seeking to allay public misgivings about his Mormon faith {Mormonism is not a faith but really it is a cult because Mormons have replaced the 'faith' in the resurrection life of Jesus Christ with their own works and tithing. For instance you cannot visit the (LDS) Mormon Temple or certain rooms inside the Mormon Tabernacle based on being sinless through 'faith' in being cover by the atoning blood of Jesus from the cross. A person is only declared sinless and therefore allowed to enter the Mormon Temple or secret Tabernacle rooms if they have paid in full their money to the LDS front office as it is Mormon money and Mormon works that cover sin according to the LDS doctrine and not 'faith' the blood (atoning death) and resurrection life of Jesus Christ.} COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Dec. 6 -- Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, seeking to allay public misgivings about his Mormon faith, pledged here Thursday to serve the common good and no single religion if he is elected president, while also making an impassioned plea for the importance of faith and religion in the public arena. ... But he also explicitly declined to distance himself from his church. "I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it," he said. Should he lose because of that, "so be it," he said, while adding that he believed the American people prefer politicians who are true to their faith rather than "believers of convenience." Romney praised the practices of many faiths and underscored repeatedly the religious heritage that was at the heart of the Founding Father's vision of the new country. ... But he said the strength of the nation is in its collective moral heritage, not a single strain of religion but, as he put it, "our nation's symphony of faith." [article link]
Romney's "Faith in America" Speech: What Worked and What Didn't - WHAT WORKED Optics: Romney's campaign made sure the room was as friendly as possible for Romney; he was greeted with huge applause when he was introduced - WHAT DIDN'T Mormon?: A quick search through the text of Romney's speech -2,540 words -- just once did Romney utter the word "Mormon" - If Romney is embracing rather than diminishing his faith, it seems as though he would mention it a time or two more, no? Romney spent very little time on the specifics of the Mormon faith (more on that below), focusing instead on what he shared in common with other religious people rather than what was different about his faith. "It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions," he said at one point. Romney's goal in this sort of rhetoric is to take the emphasis off of his personal faith and put it more broadly on his status as a person of faith in hopes that will be enough to satisfy skeptical voters. [article link]
First Look at Romney's Speech - The former governor stresses that Americans are bound by moral convictions that transcend any single denomination or faith {Really, what moral convictions? The convictions of Nazi party Margaret Sanger the founding abortion provider in America or the convictions of the lying, Devil worshiping Bush family or the convictions of the (LDS) Mormon fraud Joseph Smith. All of those convictions and many others are directly opposed to the convictions of Jesus Christ. Romney's attempt to pretend that sinful people have a moral conviction apart from Jesus Christ, the Holy Bible and the 10 Commandments; is just another of the many Mormon LDS fantasies.} The former governor stresses that Americans are bound by moral convictions that transcend any single denomination or faith and says those beliefs are what should guide a president. "Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people," he says. ... Romney and his advisers have spent months debating whether and when he should deliver it. A full team of advisers accompanied Romney to Texas for the
event and his campaign treated the preparations in the way White House or state house officials treat a major presidential or gubernatorial address. [article link]
Salon.com: This is not Romney's Kennedy moment - Mitt Romney is caught between Mormonism and a hard place -- the fundamentalist Christian base of the modern GOP and it's partly his own fault - Romney is unlikely to tell the Protestants and Catholics in his audience that their creeds are an abomination, or that they are participants in a Great Apostasy that began shortly after Jesus ascended to heaven and continued, in all forms of Christianity, till Smith founded the Mormon church on a new set of scriptures in 1830 - But he cannot quite evade those beliefs either, for they are fundamental tenets of his (Mormon) faith As the most prominent Mormon presidential candidate since his father, George, 40 years ago, or since [Joseph] Smith himself ran on a platform of "Theodemocracy" in 1844, Romney must negotiate between two opposing forces. The theology and tangled history of Mormonism is at odds with the quasi-theocratic nature of the contemporary Republican Party ... [Joseph] Smith moved toward an intriguing mishmash of post-Christian theology drawn in part from Swedenborgian mysticism, [Islam], Masonic ritual and Hinduism ... In fairness, the Mormon church has tried to have it both ways on the question of whether it is or isn't Christian for a long time, and Romney is simply inheriting many generations of waffling. Since at least the late 19th century, Mormons have proclaimed that they belong to a larger Christian fellowship whenever it was socially or politically expedient to do so, all while hewing to a set of prophetic teachings most Christians find outrageous and following a visionary founder who insisted they were the only true Christians. [article link]
poll: Americans believe in God -- and hell, UFOs, witches, astrology - The survey by Harris Online showed that 82 percent of adult Americans believe in God An overwhelming majority of Americans believe in God and signicant numbers also think that UFOs, the devil and ghosts exist, a poll showed Tuesday. The survey by Harris Online showed that 82 percent of adult Americans believe in God and a slightly smaller percentage -- 79 percent -- believe in miracles. More than 70 percent of the 2,455 adults surveyed between November 7 and 13 said they believe in heaven and angels, while more than six in 10 said they believed in hell and the devil. Almost equal numbers said they believe in Darwin's theory of evolution (42 percent) -- the belief that populations evolve over time through natural selection -- and creationism (39 percent) -- the theory that God created mankind. Seventy percent of Americans said they were very (21 percent) or somewhat (49 percent) religious, while around one-third of those polled also said they believe in UFOs, witches and astrology. [article link]
God's Aura - Jesus Crucified & Resurrected - "Jesus Thank You for Saving Me!" - From the Visual Bible: Matthew (Online-Video) A variety of on-line Christian videos. [article link]
5 Stars - When Heaven Scrapes The Pavement {Watch it to the end - past the fake UFO sighting.} (Online Video) VideoPile - (4:40 min). [article link]
'Lawngate' cuts Romney down to size - the reality that even as conservatives crank up their crusade against illegal immigrants even they continue to employ them Immigration is a red-hot issue, especially between Republican runners. Mr Romney has arguably been the harshest, advocating a fence the length of the US-Mexico border, tamper-proof ID cards for legal immigrants and cutting off federal funds to "sanctuary cities" that refuse to track down illegal immigrants. The garden
affair, however, illustrates vividly if not the outright hypocrisy of such positions then at least the reality that even as conservatives crank up their crusade against illegal immigrants even they continue to employ them. ... Fred Thompson accused Mr Romney of flip-flopping on the issue as well as on whether illegals in the country should be granted an amnesty. "First Mitt Romney was for illegal immigrants working on his lawn, and then he was against it, then for it, and now I guess he's against it again. Sounds like his position on amnesty." ... At the most recent debate, Mr Romney accused him of turning New York into a "sanctuary city" for immigrants when he was mayor. Mr Giuliani said Mr Romney had been running a "sanctuary mansion". [article link]
Landscaper: Romney Never Insisted Employees Be Legal - "They never asked me. I present my bid for the price and they say to me, '(Come) back,' that's it" But Saenz told FOX25 in Boston that Romney did not demand that the company not employ illegal immigrants. "They never asked me. I present my bid for the price and they say to me, '(Come) back,' that's it," Saenz said, speculating that the presidential race drove the high-profile termination after 11 years of service. The lawn service company has provided endless fodder for Romney's rivals on the campaign trail - frontrunner Rudy Giuliani said during a debate last week that Romney ran a "sanctuary mansion" by allowing illegals to work on Romney's home. Giuliani's criticism came in response to claims that as mayor of New York, Giuliani permitted a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants. Saenz also insisted to the Globe that the workers he hired were legal, but he did not show reporters their papers. [article link]
Lawn work at Romney's home still done by illegal immigrants - Despite a Globe story in Dec. 2006 that highlighted Romney's use of illegal immigrants to tend to his lawn, Romney continued to employ the same landscaping company - until today Standing on stage at a Republican debate on the Gulf Coast of Florida last week, Mitt Romney repeatedly lashed out at rival Rudy Giuliani for providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants in New York City. Yet, the very next morning, on Thursday, at least two illegal immigrants stepped out of a hulking maroon pickup truck in the driveway of Romney's Belmont house, then proceeded to spend several hours raking leaves, clearing debris from Romney's tennis court, and loading the refuse back on to the truck. In fact, their work was part of a regular pattern. Despite a Globe story in Dec. 2006 that highlighted Romney's use of illegal immigrants to tend to his lawn, Romney continued to employ the same landscaping company - until today. The landscaping company, in turn, continued to employ illegal immigrants. ... Questioned this afternoon during two campaign stops in New Hampshire about the use of illegal immigrants on his property, Romney declined to answer. An aide said he would issue a statement, and Romney, emerging from a Concord restaurant, said, "Did you hear him? We'll give you a statement." Later, the campaign issued a statement saying Romney had just learned apparently from Globe reporters - of the company's continued practice of employing illegal immigrants, and immediately fired it. [article link]
RealClearPolitics.com: Mitt's Ham-Handed Campaign - He's only won one election (in a year that his party did very well nationwide), and it shows - Romney's campaign is, I must say, the least authentic seeming of any on the GOP side - I wonder if Republican voters -- who are quite worried about Hillary Clinton and her tactical "brilliance" -- will punish Romney for this kind of obvious strategery So, Mitt is going to give that Mormon speech. Is this a surprise? Of course not. His position in the Iowa polls explains the decision entirely. He's trailing Huckabee in Iowa. A few weeks ago he was up by 14% - and he wasn't going to give the speech. Now that he's down, the speech is back on. This is par for the course for the Romney campaign, in my estimation. His candidacy has been the most transparently strategic this cycle. McCain is up? Go after McCain. McCain is down? Leave McCain alone. Thompson enters the race and seems a threat? Take a cheap shot about Law and Order. Thompson fades? Ignore him. Rudy is up? Go after Rudy. Huckabee is up? Go after Huck. You need to win a Republican primary? Make yourself the most socially
conservative candidate in the race. And on and on and on. ... This kind of transparency is, to me, a sign of political inexperience. He's only won one election, and it shows. ... There is little subtlety to the Romney campaign. Too much of what it does is obviously strategic. The "flip-flopping" on the Mormon speech is just another example of this general tendency. I wonder if Republican voters -- who are quite worried about Hillary Clinton and her tactical "brilliance" -- will punish Romney for this kind of obvious strategery. Can a one-term governor who makes such rookie mistakes be trusted to handle the Clinton "machine?" Imagine what the Clinton campaign would do in response to such a clumsy maneuver in September, 2008! [article link]
The (Mormon) Speech - I agree that the timing of this couldn't be worse - His speech will have to go something like this: "My faith, which is very important to me and has made me who I am, should not be important to you, but it is important that we have a person of faith leading this country, and that person happens to be me" - My guess is that Romney gives the speech on Thursday and his campaign in Iowa begins to implode, as his shallow support there evaporates The impossible balancing act is stressing the political irrelevance of the theological differences Mormonism really does have with Christianity while simultaneously claiming that this very same religion, whose distinctive substance is supposed to be irrelevant, informs and shapes his "values" that he will rely on to make judgements about policy. ... I agree that the timing of this couldn't be worse, but I wonder whether the timing makes that much difference. The extensive opposition to a Mormon candidate wouldn't have disappeared had he given the speech earlier. However, by giving the speech now he may be exacerbating what is already a bad situation for himself. Had he done it three or four months ago and laid the issue to rest, at least as much as he could, he could have reduced the publicity surrounding the speech and tried to contain the damage. Now that there is just a month left until the caucuses, he is using valuable time and exposing himself to the backlash that we knew was coming at a time when he cannot afford to shed any more support. In the end, Romney has always been in an impossible position: a sizeable percentage of his own party will never vote for someone of his religion, and these are the same people he needed to win over to become the unchallenged social conservative consensus candidate, which is why Romney's campaign has always been a fool's errand as I've said from the beginning. My guess is that Romney gives the speech on Thursday and his campaign in Iowa begins to implode, as his shallow support there evaporates. [article link]
What's new: Romney to address religion issue; poll shakes up Iowa race - Romney plans to give the address Thursday morning at the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas - Kennedy's 1960 campaign speech, also delivered in Texas - Speech is a "huge gamble:" - attention to his Mormonism would only intensify in potentially unflattering ways {Doesn't the Romney campaign have a clue about how unpopular anything 'Bush' is right now?} Related story by The Politico -- Speech is a "huge gamble:" "Mitt Romney decided to deliver a major speech about his religious faith after concluding attention to his Mormonism would only intensify in potentially unflattering ways in the crucial weeks ahead. But even some of his top aides see the speech as a wildly unpredictable gamble" because it also could lead him primarily being known as "the Mormon candidate in a Republican race dominated by Christian voters." [article link]
Analysis: Romney Mormon speech leap of faith - Romney's decision to speak on Thursday - a long-awaited speech on Mormonism is a desperate attempt to regain his foothold in Iowa {Most of Romney's bid is just to be a shill for his Mormon (LDS) mega-cult.} Former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney's decision to give a long-awaited speech on Mormonism is a desperate attempt to regain his foothold in Iowa just as GOP rival and Baptist minister Mike Huckabee moves ahead, some political watchers say. Romney's decision to speak on Thursday about his faith comes after months of internal debate within his campaign over the wisdom of talking about the issue and just days after Huckabee
jumped ahead in the Iowa polls for the first time. Some political scientists believe the speech will be a make-orbreak moment for Romney's campaign. "There's real concern for the Romney campaign in Iowa," said Dante Scala, an associate political science professor at the University of New Hampshire. "Mike Huckabee is grabbing a lot of support from evangelical Christians and Romney has to find a way to make his peace with that group and that's the dilemma. If Iowa unravels for him, then there's a good chance the whole campaign unravels for him." [article link]
{Flashback} Romney Weighing Speech on Religion {Great, just what we need Romney the porn peddling, king of greed, flip-flopping, blame shifting, election rigging scoundrel touting the merits of his (LDS) Mormon beliefs.} MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Thursday he'll probably deliver a speech explaining the role his Mormon faith plays in his political life, but he argued he's made strong gains among evangelicals despite questions about his religion. "I have thought about that," Romney said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I haven't made a final decision, but it's probably more likely than not." ... In March, a Gallup poll found that 46 percent had a negative opinion of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant group, considers the LDS church a cult and many [all] other Christian denominations also do not recognize Mormon baptism. [article link]
The Real Story of the von Trapp Family - The family lost most of its wealth through the worldwide depression when their bank failed in the early 1930s Maria Augusta Kutschera was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1905. She was orphaned as a young child and was raised as an atheist and socialist by an abusive relative. While attending the State Teachers' College of Progressive Education in Vienna, she accidentally attended a Palm Sunday service, believing it to be a concert of Bach music, where a priest was speaking. Years later she recalled in her autobiography Maria, "Now I had heard from my uncle that all of these Bible stories were inventions and old legends, and that there wasn't a word of truth in them. But the way this man talked just swept me off my feet. I was completely overwhelmed." Soon after, Maria graduated from college, and as a result of her religious awakening, she entered the Benedictine Abbey of Nonnberg in Salzburg as a novice. ... When the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938, the von Trapps realized that they were on thin ice with a regime they abhorred. Georg not only refused to fly the Nazi flag on their house, but he also declined a naval command and a request to sing at Hitler's birthday party. They were also becoming aware of the Nazis' anti-religious propaganda and policies, the pervasive fear that those around them could be acting as spies for the Nazis, and the brainwashing of children against their parents. They weighed staying in Austria and taking advantage of the enticements the Nazis were offering-greater fame as a singing group, a medical doctor's position for Rupert, and a renewed naval career for Georg-against leaving behind everything they knew-their friends, family, estate, and all their possessions. They decided that they could not compromise their principles and left. [article link]
Maria von Trapp - Her story and that of her family's escape from the Nazis after the Anschluss was the inspiration for the musical The Sound of Music - Trapp lost his fortune in 1935 - Previously, it had been safely invested in a bank in London Trapp lost his fortune in 1935. Previously, it had been safely invested in a bank in London. The Captain, to help Mrs. Lammer, a friend in the banking business, withdrew the money from the English bank and deposited it in Mrs. Lammer's bank, which promptly failed. Austria had been experiencing economic pressure as a result of German pressure and other factors. To survive, the Trapps sent away most of their servants, moved into the top floor, and rented the empty rooms to students of the Catholic University. The Archbishop sent Father Wasner to stay with them as their chaplain, and the family began turning its love of music into a career. After performing at a festival in 1935, they became a popular touring act. Shortly after the Nazi annexation of Austria
in 1938, the family moved to Italy and then to the United States. The family home became the headquarters of Heinrich Himmler. [article link]
Why Real Men Can't Make Money in the Market - investors explain that they're willing to hold stocks that are being slaughtered because they think doing so "combats" some perceived market evil, shorting, nakedshorting, or whatever - In short, too much testosterone got in the way of their making the most obvious, and profitable, financial decision - But we can work hard to be certain that every stock pick we make is driven by dispassionate data rather than unbridled hormones An amazing number of male investors are -- how can I put this delicately? -- half-thinking alpha monkeys who want to grunt and club their way to riches. ... In short, too much testosterone got in the way of their making the most obvious, and profitable, financial decision. ... If you refuse to sell your shares of faltering GM (NYSE: GM) because you're insulted by the market's low bid, or because you want to defend American enterprises against the likes of foreign producers like Toyota (NYSE: TM), the market doesn't notice. When you make a decision to buy Under Armour (NYSE: UA) instead of old-school Nike (NYSE: NKE) because your favorite bone-crushing linebacker is sporting that UA logo, the trader across the table doesn't care which team you think you're on. ... Are you trading on testosterone? Short of heading to the lab for a check, none of us knows for sure. But we can work hard to be certain that every stock pick we make is driven by dispassionate data rather than unbridled hormones. [article link]
Liberty Dollar says raid was political - Came just after delivery of 60,000 Ron Paul dollars - Von NotHaus said seizing the 60,000 Paul medallions, which had been sold, was like destroying campaign posters. "Would anybody suspect that maybe that was politically motivated?" he said The founder of the Liberty Dollar, which had its Evansville, Ind., offices raided by federal authorities recently, says it appears the investigation was timed to damage the campaign of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, who is running for president. "It defies logic to think that it would be unrelated, quite honestly," Bernard von NotHaus told the Evansville Courier Press. "I think they knew about it … It does look suspect. And I think that's an infringement on his campaign. Because now we don't have the 60,000 Ron Pauls to go out there to publicize his campaign." Von NotHaus earlier said the government raid on his company was just the "first battle of a long war that I intend to win!" The company makes and distributes Liberty Dollar barter currency in various denominations and announced that it had been closed down by a raid of FBI and U.S. Secret Service officers who confiscated gold, silver, platinum, medallions, documents, "everything but the desks and chairs." "For approximately six hours they took all the gold, all the silver, all the platinum, and almost two tons of Ron Paul Dollars that were just delivered… They also took all the files and computers and froze our bank accounts," von NotHaus wrote in an urgent notification of the situation to supporters. ... Von NotHaus said seizing the 60,000 Paul medallions, which had been sold, was like destroying campaign posters. "Would anybody suspect that maybe that was politically motivated?" he said. [article link]
Wachovia Bank Tells Man He Owes $211 Trillion - the letter said Wachovia was reporting him to an agency that rates risky bank customers - the dollar figure in the letter matched the account number - Wachovia had made mistakes on his accounts before COBB COUNTY, Ga. -- It's one thing to bounce a check and it's another to be so far in the red Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Donald Trump combined couldn't come close to bailing you out. A Cobb County man got a letter from his bank with that very shocking news. "And I open up the letter and I look at it and I'm like, 'No, you've got to be kidding me,' said Joe Martins. Martins said he recently closed an account at Wachovia Bank and made good on an outstanding check. He just got a letter about the closure and his negative balance -$211,010,028,257,303.00. That's $211 trillion. The letter includes the clarification, "no cents." "I didn't know what to think. Obviously $211 trillion is a little above what I put in my bank account," said Martins. ... "I don't own
$211 trillion but because it is automated and reported to check systems, I assume it will be reported to my credit at some point," said Martins. He said Wachovia had made mistakes on his accounts before so he called Channel 2 first. Wachovia blamed the letter on a word processing error and the office of the president is sending a letter of apology. "They tell me it's going to be resolved but I'm not sure that it will," said Martins. "I closed my account today." Since it is a closed account it is now safe to say the dollar figure in the letter matched the account number. Martins said Wachovia told him late Friday afternoon they never did report him for his negative balance. [article link]
Mega Pastor Rick Warren's Inquisition - In his latest missive to fellow pastors, he writes: "You've got to protect the unity of your church. If that means getting rid of troublemakers, do it." - And, equally curious, why does Rick Warren eagerly seek to find common ground with Muslim leaders while, at the same time, so ruthlessly advocating the disfellowship of Christian believers? I may not be pastor of a mega-church, but, I've got to tell you, Rick Warren's priorities and sensibilities and his biblical literacy and standards are upside-down, inside-out and twisted beyond anything remotely connected with Scripture. And I'm not afraid of his threats of ex-communication from the new papacy he apparently seeks to create. Warren cites Paul's advice in II Timothy 2:23-26 as the basis for when and how "pastors" should draw the line on disagreements among the flock. However, Paul was addressing Timothy not as a "pastor" or "priest," but rather as an itinerant evangelist doing his utmost to spread the Gospel to non-believers. ... That happens to be excellent advice for anyone attempting to evangelize unbelievers. It is not, however, a call for church "professionals" to declare themselves as founts of unlimited wisdom and infallibility in spiritual matters. ... No, Satan's greatest weapon is hardly disunity. His greatest weapon since his fall and since the Garden of Eden has been deception. In fact, Satan loves unity - as long as those unified are knowingly or unknowingly serving him. He'd love for all of us to "go to hell in a handbasket." Are more people led to death by debate within the body of Christ or by spiritual leaders who demand absolute obedience to themselves? ... For heaven's sake, nothing could be clearer from Scripture than that no man has a monopoly on truth. That is why Paul even had to correct Peter (Galatians 2:11-14). Besides worshipping God, this would seem to be one of the principal purposes of the church. The church is warned over and over about false teachers throughout the Bible. Surely Rick Warren is familiar with those warnings. Why would he assume all pastors to be righteous and assume all lay dissenters to be unrighteous? And, equally curious, why does Rick Warren eagerly seek to find common ground with Muslim leaders while, at the same time, so ruthlessly advocating the disfellowship of Christian believers? [article link]
Huckabee OK'ed by evangelicals, nix Mormon Romney - Evangelicals who are into researching biblical theology versus cultic dogma are on to Mitt Romney's Mormonism like no other religious grouping - The religious divide over Mitt Romney's Mormon faith that his supporters had long feared would occur is emerging Evangelicals who are into researching biblical theology versus cultic dogma are on to Mitt Romney's Mormonism like no other religious grouping. Evangelicals study Scripture and also delve into those groups which do not measure up to biblical data. Mormons are regarded as in the latter slot. Mormons not only have doctrines counter to biblical detail but also add another book as divine revelation - the Book of Mormon. This is anathema to evangelicals who hold that the Bible is the only divinely inspired writ. Evangelicals conclude that the Book of Mormon is not only bogus but dangerous to the formulation of biblical theology. ... "'I'm concerned a lot of Christians are thinking about the values issues and forgetting about the creator behind the values issues,' Ms. Gherkey said. 'I guess I feel like this country and this world needs a president who would be able to pray to the God of the Bible and he would be able to hear his prayers.' "She wondered, Would Mr. Romney's prayers 'even get through'?" Evangelicals who conclude Mormonism a cult do conclude that Mormons' prayers to God do not "get through" because they are not actually petitioning the God of the Bible but a deity of a cultic base. [article link]
**Breaking News: 2 approving panelists seek judge's ouster - Judge Kathe Tuttman prosecutor in a botched case that freed a child rapist - the case of child rapist Daniel Parra, who walked free after prosecutors headed by Tuttman missed deadlines in their failed bid to have him committed as a sexually dangerous person in 2005 - Romney nominated (Democrat) Tuttman as a judge just six months later "This is ridiculous. The Romney people didn't do their investigation," Governor's Councilor Marilyn PettitoDevaney said. Romney has not responded to numerous requests for comment about the case of child rapist Daniel Parra, who walked free after prosecutors headed by Tuttman missed deadlines in their failed bid to have him committed as a sexually dangerous person in 2005. Romney nominated Tuttman as a judge just six months later. Pettito-Devaney said she was "shocked and outraged" to learn in yesterday's Herald that Tuttman was the head of a sex crimes prosecution unit in Essex County that flubbed the Parra case. ... Information about the Parra case was not mentioned in Tuttman's nomination questionnaire reviewed by the council just months later - a crucial omission the councilors say should have been included for consideration during her confirmation hearings. Former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, who oversaw the council under Romney, called the Parra case "very disturbing" and acknowledged that the connection to Tuttman was missed by the administration in the nomination process. [article link]
Basic Christian - Informed Vote 2008: MassResistance - The Mitt Romney Deception Report 28 pages As former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney runs for President of the United States, his powerful (and wellfunded) campaign machine uses revised history and misleading statements to portray him as a solid social and fiscal conservative with a track record of successes as governor. Much of this is exacerbated by fawning (and lazy) conservative media. However, the truth is different. We present the following documentation of Romney's actual record in Massachusetts. We think that the facts will speak for themselves. [Note: We still have a great deal of material we haven't yet posted, which we're still preparing! We will thus be updating this page regularly.] [article link]
Basic Christian - Informed Vote 2008: MassResistance - The citizens of Massachusetts have had enough! The citizens of Massachusetts have had enough! End judicial tyranny, homosexual "marriage", and homosexual activist recruitment of our children in the public schools! Preserve our Judeo-Christian heritage, the Culture of Life, and free speech! CAUTION: We deal openly and graphically with the Culture of Death. R-rated subject matter. [article link]
Mitt the Mormon - Why Romney needs to talk about his faith - saying that it was "un-American" to bring up his "faith" - What gives Romney an exemption? - So phooey, say I, to the false reticence of the press and to the bogus sensitivities that underlie it - The Book of Mormon (B.O.M.), when it is not "chloroform in print" as Mark Twain unkindly phrased it, is full of vicious ingenuity According to Byron York, who has been riding around with Romney for National Review, it's working, as well. Most journalists have tacitly agreed that it's off-limits to ask the former governor about the tenets of the Mormon cult. Nor do they get much luck if they do ask: When Bob Schieffer of Face the Nation inquired whether Mormons believe that the Garden of Eden is or was or will be in the great state of Missouri, he was told by Romney to go ask the Mormons! ... It ought to be borne in mind that Romney is not a mere rank-andfile Mormon. His family is, and has been for generations, part of the dynastic leadership of the mad cult invented by the convicted fraud Joseph Smith. It is not just legitimate that he be asked about the beliefs that he has not just held, but has caused to be spread and caused to be inculcated into children. It is essential. Here is the most salient reason: Until 1978, the so-called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was an officially racist organization. Mitt Romney was an adult in 1978. We need to know how he justified this to himself, and we need to hear his self-criticism, if he should chance to have one. ... So phooey, say I, to the false reticence of the press and to the bogus sensitivities that underlie it. This extends even to the less important matters. ... and
Romney can be asked whether, as a true believer should, he wears Mormon underwear. What's un-American about that? [article link]
Reality Check - Speaker: Paul Washer, Key Note Preacher - Reality Check is a Student Discipleship Conference Shocking Youth Message Stuns Hearers - So Shocking & Biblical the Preacher Was Never Invited Back (Video 64.0MB or Mp3 13.9MB) This conference is not at our church, it is listed here for the interest of those who have been blessed by Paul Washer's preaching. Reality Check is a Student Discipleship Conference in Chattanooga, TN. Paul Washer will be the key note preacher. Also there will be Jonothan Sims, Jeff Noblit, Matt... [article link]
Revival Hymn a Call to Action (Video & Mp3 Downloads) Have We No Tears for Revival? "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." (Ps. 126:5). This is the divine edict. This is more than preaching with zeal. This is more than scholarly exposition. This is more than delivering sermons of exegetical exactitude and homiletic perfection. Such a man, whether preacher or pew dweller, is appalled at the shrinking authority of the Church in the present drama of cruelty in the world. And he cringes with sorrow that men turn a deaf ear to the Gospel and willingly risk eternal hell in the process. Under this complex burden, his heart is crushed to tears. The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church, grieved at the blindness of the Church, grieved at the corruption in the Church, grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil. He is embarrassed that the Church folks no longer cry in their despair before a devil-ridden, sin-mad society, "Why could we not cast him out?" (Matt. 17:19). [article link]
Who killed John O'Neil? - A Composite History of Modern Government - Corporate Crime in America - well done, this is a superb film (Video-Download) {We live in a time full of allegations but what is the meaning of all of this and what is our response to the current events unfolding throughout the world? The meaning of events and our response to them is to protect our soul. Although our body may perish our soul-spirit will live on forever and therefore it is essential that we must seek God and His righteous kingdom the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We should no longer allow ourselves to be misled by the tactics of man or by the strategies of devils.} Exposes links to the corporatocracy that hindered an investigation by John O'Neil which may have very well prevented the 9-11 attacks ... exposed the reall roots of the problem which lie far farther from Bin Laden and closer to home than we'd like to believe. ... well done, this is a superb film, it not only points out the mountains of evidence on all sorts of issues but it explains to people who haven't looked at anything how you feel when you do. To all you people who commented that it was too long, i'm very sure it could have been double the length and still only scratched the surface with all the evidence available. heres a link related: www.jonesreport.com/articles/160907_buried_interview.html thanks for this film it is superb. [article link]
*Update: Dukakis spares Mitt his 'Willie Horton' moment - In his one and only stint as a tough-on-crime governor, Mitt Romney appointed (Democrat) Kathe M. Tuttman to the bench - All Judge Tuttman did was set free a mad dog by the name of Daniel Tavares Jr. When George H.W. "Poppy" Bush used the tactic some 20 years ago against Michael Dukakis, it immediately entered the political lexicon as an active verb: "To Willie Horton". ... To be fair, circumstances of the current fandango shadowing Mitt are not quite the same as the situation that ensnared Dukakis. They're worse. In his one and only stint as a tough-on-crime governor, Mitt Romney appointed Kathe M. Tuttman to the bench. All Judge Tuttman did was set free a mad dog by the name of Daniel Tavares Jr. Even though he completed a 16year sentence for hacking up his mother with a carving knife, prosecutors in Worcester were fearful about Tavares resuming his place in polite society. Something about the way he attacked a couple of prison guards
compelled prosecutors to seek a $50,000 cash bail on Tavares in the hopes of keeping him behind bars and away from the rest of us for a few more years. ... Ah, but while Daniel Tavares Jr. may be a maniac, he is no slouch. He knows his way around an appeal and struck gold when his case landed in the lap of Mitt's superior court appointee, Kathe M. Tuttman. Last summer, Judge Tuttman freed Tavares on personal recognizance. The rest, as they say, is history . . . gruesome history. Tavares crossed the country with his jailbird groupie/wife and proceeded to kill a pair of newlyweds in a rural town in Washington. [article link]
Uh...About Those Judges (Massachusetts Gov.) Mitt Romney Appointed - Of the 36 lawyers Romney nominated, 23 were registered Democrats or independents who donated to Democratic candidates or voted in Democratic primaries - Romney's clear affinity for liberal activist Democrats on the bench in Massachusetts Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney defended passing over GOP lawyers for judicial appointments when he was governor of Massachusetts. Of the 36 lawyers Romney nominated, 23 were registered Democrats or independents who donated to Democratic candidates or voted in Democratic primaries, according to a Boston Globe analysis that was circulated by rival Fred Thompson. Two appointees supported expanding gay rights. 'Romney's clear affinity for liberal activist Democrats on the bench in Massachusetts doesn't match well with the Federalist Society's belief in judges who 'say what the law is, not what it should be,' ... This revelation, however, did not stop Paul Weyrich, one of the pioneers of the conservative movement, from giving his endorsement to Romney yesterday. Weyrich thus joined Bob Jones III (the son of the founder of the Christian college in South Carolina that bears the family name), former House leader Rep. Dennis Hastert, Mark DeMoss (a prominent evangelical activist from Atlanta), evangelical theologian Wayne Grudem, and John Willke (founder of the National Right to Life Committee) in Romney's camp. [article link]
Former Pakistani prime minister - Nawaz Sharif arrives in Pakistan - he hopes to end seven years in exile and directly participate in upcoming elections - He was released in 2000 in exchange for agreeing to 10 years of exile in Saudi Arabia LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Former Pakistani prime minister and leading opposition figure Nawaz Sharif arrived in Lahore Sunday, where he hopes to end seven years in exile and directly participate in upcoming elections. ... Saudi authorities have been pushing Pakistan to allow Sharif back in the country, and the Saudi royal family provided the aircraft for his return to Lahore, according to one of his deputies and a government source. The Saudis also have provided him with a bulletproof car in Lahore. Sharif was overthrown by Musharraf in a bloodless military coup in 1999 and was promptly convicted of tax evasion and treason. He was released in 2000 in exchange for agreeing to 10 years of exile in Saudi Arabia. He retained his Pakistani citizenship, but has not been allowed to travel to Pakistan or directly take part in Pakistani politics. On his arrival, Sharif plans to visit the shrine of a Sufi saint, then go to his home in Lahore. He also plans to visit the burial site of his father, who died while Sharif was in exile. [article link]
Enough cliches about faith - Mitt's Mormonism matters - Republican Mitt Romney's Mormon religion will be an issue in his bid to become President of the United States - Of course it will matter - And it should Let's quit tiptoeing around the question of whether Republican Mitt Romney's Mormon religion will be an issue in his bid to become President of the United States. Of course it will matter. And it should. Voters have every right to be curious and concerned about a candidate's beliefs - especially a candidate like Romney, who keeps talking about the importance of faith in his life. Romney's not a run-of-the-mill believer. Before entering politics, he served as a Mormon bishop, presiding over several congregations in Massachusetts. There's little chance that a devout follower of Rastafarianism, the Unification Church or the Nation of Islam - not just a believer, but a leader - could expect to run for high political office and not get a couple of questions about what they believe and what public actions they took as a church leader. Romney has gotten a few. He told CBS News he is a "true-blue through-and-through" believer, but also said, "My church wouldn't endeavor to tell me
what to do on an issue, and I wouldn't listen to them on an issue that related to our nation." Those contradictory statements won't cut it. And they don't sidestep the plain fact that Mormonism, like the other faiths I mentioned, is not a Christian religion. [article link]
Scholar of Mormon studies to join faculty at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) - Claremont is attempting to incorporate religious diversity into the faculty of its School of Religion - The Mormon chair joins the chair of Islamic Studies, and eventually there will be chairs representing other religious traditions Claremont Graduate University will welcome a new professorship in Mormon studies beginning in the fall 2008 semester. Richard Lyman Bushman, a leading historian of the Mormon faith, will fill the post. Bushman has written several books on the Mormon faith, including a 2005 biography of Joseph Smith, the faith's prophet. Bushman holds a fellowship at the Huntington Library in Pasadena. ... Q: Why did Claremont Graduate University establish a dedicated professorship for Mormon studies? A: Claremont is attempting to incorporate religious diversity into the faculty of its School of Religion. The Mormon chair joins the chair of Islamic Studies, and eventually there will be chairs representing other religious traditions. Q: Was the decision to establish the professorship influenced by the region's ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? A: It made more sense to include a comparatively small religion among the traditions represented because of the Mormon presence in California and the West. Q: Mormon studies is a new and growing field of study at secular universities. Why do you feel the faith should be studied? A: As one early scholar noted, Mormonism presents the opportunity to study a religion at the moment of its founding. The steady growth of the church since its organization in 1830 has made it an evermore influential religious body. Mormons now have a place in virtually every area of American society including among the candidates for the presidency. [article link]
The Thanksgiving Holiday - Thanksgiving Day 2007 'A Blessed Time to Worship & Give Thanks to God' Thanksgiving Info and Resources 2nd Corinthians 4:13-18 We having the same Spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present (in heaven) us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the *Thanksgiving* of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man (soul) is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen (physical realm), but at the things which are not seen (spiritual realm): for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. [article link]
Bill Keller - Live Prayer (LivePrayer.com) Announcement: A Season Ends and a New Season Begins - Monday, January 7th "live" from 10 p.m. to Midnight EST on the new Liveprayer TV Network on Liveprayer.com {Let's keep our brother Bill Keller in our prayers, praying all the best for him, and give thanks to God for his tremendous and valuable Frontlines Ministry.} The secular TV world of November 2007 is a VERY different world than just 57 months ago when we started the program. Consolidation has taken place in a big way, and well over 90% of what is on secular TV today is controlled by 4 major entities. You have Viacom, which owns CBS and a host of the major cable channels like MTV and VHI, Disney, which owns ABC as well as their own group of major cable networks like ESPN, General Electric, which owns NBC and another group of the major cable channels like MSNBC, and News Corp which owns FOX and their own group of cable networks like FX and the Fox News channel. These are the four broadcast giants who now control virtually everything you see on secular television. ... We will do our last Liveprayer AM program on the ION affiliate in Tampa this coming Friday to end this great season of ministry. The program will be off the air for 6 weeks and return on Monday, January 7th "live" from 10 p.m. to Midnight EST on the new Liveprayer TV Network on Liveprayer.com. The great thing is it will be the same powerful
program people have come to love and depend on over these years, impacting the lives of those who tune in each night. Instead of just one hour, it will be 2 hours! There may be some nights that the Holy Spirit is flowing and instead of having to end the program like I had to in the past, I will be able to continue as long as we want. WE NOW OWN THE NETWORK!!! [article link]
JFK assassination plot uncovered in Chicago? - Kennedy was waved off from a much-publicized visit to Chicago on Nov. 2, 1963 - neither illness nor crisis were the reason plans were changed - JFK stayed away from Chicago because of the suspected assassination plot Former agent Abraham Bolden, 72, told Chicago ABC affiliate, WLS-TV, Kennedy was waved off from a muchpublicized visit to Chicago on Nov. 2, 1963, to attend the Army-Air Force football game at Soldier Field and ride in a parade after the Secret Service received a report from a motel manager who told of seeing several automatic weapons with telescopic sights on the bed of a room rented to several Cuban nationals. They had an outline of the route Kennedy was to follow from O'Hare airport that would take his motorcade past the motel. The route had been printed in Chicago newspapers. Bolden, a former Illinois state trooper, was the first black agent to protect a president. ... News reports at the time blamed the change in plans on illness and a diplomatic crisis. South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem [also a Catholic] was assassinated in Saigon on that same day. ... Following Kennedy's murder in Dallas three weeks later, Bolden said he tried to inform the Warren Commission of the Chicago plot and misconduct by Secret Service agents, including on-duty drunkenness, but his efforts were thwarted when he was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to prison for soliciting a bribe from a counterfeiter. Bolden, who served six years, claims he was set up to silence his criticism of agents' behavior and is hoping to clear his name after the main witness against him recanted his testimony. [article link]
Romney calls on judge to resign after releasing alleged killer - Twenty months after he put a career prosecutor on the Massachusetts Superior Court, confident in her law-and-order credentials, Mitt Romney called today on the judge to resign because she released without bail a convicted killer who went on to allegedly kill again Twenty months after he put a career prosecutor on the Massachusetts Superior Court, confident in her lawand-order credentials, Mitt Romney called today on the judge to resign because she released without bail a convicted killer who went on to allegedly kill again. Eric Fehrnstrom, a Romney spokesman, said that Judge Kathe M. Tuttman should never have freed Daniel T. Tavares Jr. on personal recognizance in July, after he was charged with assaulting two prison guards. Tavares, 41, was near the end of a 16-year sentence for stabbing his mother to death in 1991 and had threatened in a letter -- intercepted by prison officials in February 2006 - to kill Romney and other state officials, Fehrnstrom said. ... "'There was a system-wide failure in this case starting with the judge," Fehrnstrom said in a statement. "Her decision represented an inexplicable lapse in judgment and was inexcusable. Unless there are facts unknown to us, Governor Romney believes Judge Tuttman should resign." [article link]
Romney campaign tied to 'push poll' complainers - Staff referred reporters to them - without revealing association - didn't disclose those voters were also on Romney's payroll - Madden had suggested The (Salt Lake) Tribune contact Roth When news broke about alleged push poll calls in Iowa and New Hampshire critical of Mitt Romney's Mormon faith, the presidential candidate's campaign referred reporters to a few voters who had received the calls. But the campaign didn't disclose those voters were also on Romney's payroll. Marshan Roth, a Fairfield, Iowa voter, told The Salt Lake Tribune she received a pollster call that asked positive questions about Sen. John McCain but negative slanted questions about Romney. When asked if she was a Romney supporter, Roth said she was leaning toward backing him, but not sure. Roth didn't disclose, nor did the campaign, that she has received $3,000 since April from the Romney camp as a grassroots field organizer. Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said Wednesday there were several people who were supporters who received the calls and then contacted the
campaign to alert them to the poll. ... Madden had suggested The Tribune contact Roth when asked who had received the calls. The revelation that the voters were on Romney's payroll has further fueled critics' charges that the Romney campaign is actually behind the calls, hoping to cast McCain in a bad light while making Romney the victim. [article link]
Romney disagrees with (New Hampshire Senator) Gregg on Iowa - Gregg, a Romney supporter, told CNN "I've always, being from New Hampshire, viewed Iowa as being a place where they pick corn and New Hampshire being a place where we pick presidents" {That's an unnecessary and un-American comment!} WASHINGTON, Iowa - Republican Mitt Romney said he disagrees with New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg and his assessment of Iowa's presidential caucuses. Gregg, a Romney supporter, told CNN that he wasn't worried about Governor Mike Huckabee's standing in Iowa polls. He said Romney remained strong where it counts: New Hampshire. "I've always, being from New Hampshire, viewed Iowa as being a place where they pick corn and New Hampshire being a place where we pick presidents," Gregg said. When asked about the comment on Wednesday, Romney said he disagreed and said he doesn't "subscribe to (Gregg's) comment." [article link]
Romney is tough sell for many U.S. Christians - Not only do many Southern Baptists regard the Mormon church as a cult, they also regard it as a competitor that is winning -- or poaching -- converts from among the evangelical flock - "There are now more Mormons that used to be Southern Baptist than any other denomination," said Dr. Richard Land DALLAS (Reuters) - When a pair of Mormon missionaries knocked at the door of Jerry Pierce's home in a north Dallas suburb last month, he marshalled his arguments and stood his ground. "I look forward to encounters like that. I like to talk to them about the nature of Christ and who Jesus is," said Pierce, a staunch Southern Baptist, the biggest Protestant denomination in the United States. ... Not only do many Southern Baptists regard the Mormon church as a cult, they also regard it as a competitor that is winning -- or poaching -- converts from among the evangelical flock. "There are now more Mormons that used to be Southern Baptist than any other denomination," said Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, a 16-million strong group. "As a consequence, Southern Baptists and other evangelicals have taught their people what Mormons believe and why it's beyond the boundaries of the Christian faith, to inoculate them against those Mormon missionaries," he told Reuters. [article link]
Justin Webb's America - Defending one's faith - I have no particular sympathy for religion - the Latter Day Saints approached me more than a year ago through a Washington-based public relations company - He (Mitt Romney) would, after all, be taking a cue from Mormon culture, where the missionary aspect of the faith is hugely important Supporters of the Mormon Republican presidential candidate say voters in New Hampshire have been coldcalled by "pollsters", who point out that the Mormon faith is odd. At a party here in Washington recently, I conducted a scientific survey of my own. I asked all those I met what they thought of Mormonism. The respondents (including a very senior member of a mainstream Christian denomination) all thought it was weird, weird, weird. ... He (Mitt Romney) would, after all, be taking a cue from Mormon culture, where the missionary aspect of the faith is hugely important. ... To continue my (un)scientific thought: the Latter Day Saints approached me more than a year ago through a Washington-based public relations company. I have no particular sympathy for religion (as some have noted!), or indeed for public relations companies, but the experience was, well, transformative. I met many Mormons, and not one I didn't like. I do not care, and more importantly I do not think Americans will care, about their belief that the Garden of Eden might be located in Indiana. [article link]
Mystery Deepens: Several Recipients Of Anti-Mormon (Push-Poll) Calls Are Romney Staffers {Since a "nonpolitical" agency purchased the survey it seems likely that the Mormon (LDS) cult purchased the survey for at least three reasons 1. For spying on the people hired to promote Mitt Romney to see if they are faithful to Mitt. Perhaps that is why so many key Romney campaign people were called. 2. To bring up Mitt's negatives i.e. no military service and his Mormon beliefs in the hopes of getting past these topics. 3. Attempting to make Mitt and Mormonism a victim to make it difficult for people to further criticize the LDS. It is also very strange the lengths the company is going to in order to hide the identity and the actual calling script of whoever did purchase the calling service.} Yet another connection, albeit an indirect one, now ties Mitt Romney's presidential campaign to the recent spat of anti-Mormon phone calls made in New Hampshire and Iowa. Several recipients of the calls, which raised questions about Romney's Mormon faith and military deferments, are prominent supporters of the former Massachusetts governor. Marshan Roth of Fairfield, Iowa, who is paid $500 a month as a GOTV (get out the vote) consultant for the Romney campaign, received a call on this past Wednesday night. Rose Kramer of Dubuque, Iowa, who co-chairs Romney's Iowa faith & values steering committee and is a $1,000-a-month GOTV consultant, received a call either that same day or a day earlier, depending on conflicting reports. ... And yet, during subsequent press interviews, neither Roth nor Kramer disclosed the positions they held on Romney's team. In fact, as several other reporters have pointed out, both individuals drastically downplayed their campaign associations. [article link]
Ex-Bush aide Scott McClellan: Bush, Cheney involved in misleading media - Former White House spokesman Scott McClellan says 5 top administration officials -- including President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney - were involved in his "unknowingly" passing along false information about the leak of a CIA operative's identity WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former White House spokesman Scott McClellan says top administration officials -including President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney -- were involved in his "unknowingly" passing along false information about the leak of a CIA operative's identity. ... In October 2003, as controversy grew about the leak of Valerie Plame's name, McClellan stood at the White House podium and told reporters that Karl Rove, the president's top political adviser, and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Cheney's chief of staff, had not been involved. "There was one problem. It was not true," McClellan writes in his new book, "What Happened," which is to be released in April. ... "The most powerful leader in the world had called upon me to speak on his behalf and help restore credibility he lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. So I stood at the White House briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby. "There was one problem. It was not true. "I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice president, the president's chief of staff, and the president himself." [article link]
Movie: JFK (1991) Staring: Kevin Costner, Director: Oliver Stone - "The Story That Won't Go Away" (DVD) He's a District Attorney. He will risk his life, the lives of his family, everything he holds dear for the one thing he holds sacred... the truth. [article link]
Thanksgiving Day 2007 Alternate Activity - Who killed JFK? - Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas - This Thanksgiving instead of watching yet another mind numbing football game - investigate the JFK murder! (Video) Did you know that the Mayor of Dallas, Texas on 11/22/63 was Earle Cabell, and that his brother, (Dallas born) Gen. Charles Cabell (CIA deputy director connected to the anti-Castro Cubans) along with the CIA Director Allen Dulles had recently been fired from the CIA by JFK for their unauthorized 'Bay of Pigs' invasion attempt
on the nation of Cuba. The CIA & the Dallas police department then re-routed the Kennedy motorcade by sending the cars off of the originally intended straight path of Main Street and onto Elm Street, slowing the car and driving JFK past the Texas School Book Depository building and in front of the grassy knoll located on Elm Street. It would later be claimed by the CIA and Dallas police, that the President was shot by a sniper at a window on the 6th floor of the School Book Depository building although no wittiness's, photos or film have supported that accusation and people in the building at the time said no shots were fired from that location but that multiple shots were fired from behind the fence on the grassy knoll. [article link]
Mitt: Killer's Release Was Mistake - Daniel Tavares Jr. was released from prison in July after Romney's judicial nominee in Massachusetts overturned a bail decision of a lower court on charges he assaulted prison guards to set him free - Tavares now faces two counts of aggravated murder in the killing of a newlywed couple A man who used a carving knife to murder his mother also threatened to kill Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney when he was released from prison, the Boston Herald reported Thursday. Daniel Tavares Jr. was released from prison in July after Romney's judicial nominee in Massachusetts overturned a bail decision of a lower court on charges he assaulted prison guards to set him free, the Herald reported. Romney said Wednesday that the convicted killer should have never been released from prison. "This is a dangerous man who killed his own mother. He should have been held on bail, given his violent record, attacks on correction officers and a history of threats against public officials, ... Tavares now faces two counts of aggravated murder in the killing of a newlywed couple in Washington state. Tavares moved to Washington state after his release from prison to marry a pen pal. Court records show that in February 2006 Tavares threatened to kill the governor, attorney general, Bristol sheriff and other officials when he was released from prison, according to the Herald. In Washington state, the father of the newly-married bride who police say was murdered by Tavares wants Romney held accountable for Superior Court Judge Kathe M. Tuttman, his judicial nominee whose decision set Tavares free. "He was the governor - he picked this judge," said Beverly Mauck's father, Darrel Slater, 51. "He should be answering for what happened." [article link]
{Flashback} Republicans loss of governorships under Mitt Romney's tenure as chairman of the Republican Governors Association - "He put his own presidential aspirations ahead of his own party" Anderson said the three Republican governors considering a 2008 presidential campaign - Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and George Pataki of New York - had good records on controlling spending and improving health care in their states, issues important to voters. ... Democrats dispute that and noted the Republicans loss of governorships under Romney's tenure as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, including in Romney's home state of Massachusetts, where his handpicked successor lost by more than 20 points. Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda cited complaints from Republican gubernatorial candidates that Romney had not done enough to aid their cause. "He put his own presidential aspirations ahead of his own party," Miranda said in a telephone interview. [article link]
Sex Scandal Rocks Atlanta-Area Megachurch - "It was a necessary evil to bring us back to a Godconsciousness" said the younger Paulk, explaining that the church had become too personality-driven and prone to pastor worship "It was a necessary evil to bring us back to a God-consciousness," said the younger Paulk, explaining that the church had become too personality-driven and prone to pastor worship. The flashy megachurch began in 1960 with just a few dozen members in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta. Now, it is in the suburbs on a 100-acre expanse, a collection of buildings surrounding a neo-Gothic cathedral. For years the church was at the forefront of many social movements - admitting black members in the 1960s, ordaining women and opening its doors to gays. At its peak in the early 1990s, it claimed about 10,000 members and 24 pastors and was a media powerhouse. By soliciting tithes of 10 percent from each member's income, the church was able to build
a Bible college, two schools, a worldwide TV ministry and a $12 million sanctuary the size of a fortress. Today, though, membership is down to about 1,500, the church has 18 pastors, most of them volunteers, and the Bible college and TV ministry have shuttered - a downturn blamed largely on complaints about the alleged sexual transgressions of the elder Paulks. [article link]
Military: Iraqi AP photographer linked to insurgents - The U.S. military says it has "convincing and irrefutable" evidence that an award-winning Associated Press (AP) photographer is connected to Iraq's insurgency "additional evidence had come to light that the man was a media operative who had infiltrated The Associated Press" WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military says it has "convincing and irrefutable" evidence that an awardwinning Associated Press photographer is connected to the insurgency in Iraq. ... Hussein, an Iraqi who lives in the western Anbar province city of Ramadi, has been held without charge by the U.S. military since April 2006, when bomb parts and insurgent propaganda were found in his house after the U.S. military asked to use it as an observation post during an operation. Hussein was already under suspicion by the U.S. military because he arrived at terrorist attack sites so quickly that they suspected he had advance knowledge of attacks, according to Morrell. ... Morrell said the reason for the delay in charging the man was that "additional evidence had come to light that the man was a media operative who had infiltrated The Associated Press." ... One of Hussein's photographs was among a series of 20 AP photographs that won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography in 2005. [article link]
contact President Bush and urge him to free Ramos and Compean before Thanksgiving - The two agents deserve to be with their families - President Bush needs to get the message! Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, two former Border Patrol agents, are each serving more than a decade in federal prison for shooting an illegal alien as he was fleeing to the Mexican border. The illegal alien, Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, was smuggling approximately a million dollar's worth of marijuana into the U.S. However, rather than be commended for doing their jobs and trying to crack down on the endless flow of illegal immigration, Ramos and Compean were prosecuted. U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton granted immunity to the illegal alien drug smuggler in exchange for testimony. Ramos and Compean were sentenced to prison, and Aldrete Davila was released. We all know where Ramos and Compean are now, but guess what happened to Osvaldo Aldrete Davila? As reported by CNSNews.com, Aldrete Davila was arrested on Thursday on a "drug smuggling offense at a U.S. port of entry." That's right... Johnny Sutton's prime witness against Ramos and Compean is back in jail. [article link]
USAID Inadvertently Funneled American Tax Dollars to Terror Related Groups - A federal agency that disburses billions of dollars in humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and pro-democracy programs every year, has inadvertently funneled American taxpayer funds to individuals and entities with "terrorist affiliations" and lacks the safeguards to prevent such incidents from recurring, an internal audit has revealed {Is Bush and his incapable administration ever going to be held accountable for their incompetence? Our nation should impeach Bush and never elect another Republican to any office, they seem unable to lead our country.} The audit was triggered this spring, after gun battles at Islamic University in Gaza pitted Fatah forces, loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, against their rival, Hamas, which controls the university and has been designated a terrorist group by the United States. After the shooting stopped, Fatah displayed large caches of weapons recovered from inside the university, and the Washington Times reported the school had received more than $140,000 in USAID funding. Questionable Aid "In the basement of Gaza Islamic University, a U.S.funded institution," said Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and requested the audit, "Palestinian police found several Iranian agents and an Iranian general teaching the students in the U.S.-funded chemistry lab how to make suicide bombs." The audit found at least two other troubling cases. Last year USAID learned it had granted $180,000 to a Bosnian group whose
president was, since 1997, included on a "watch list" barring his entry into the United States. And before that, a man sentenced to four years in prison for lying about his dealings with a disciple of Usama bin Laden had been part of a group that received $1 million from USAID. [article link]
Diplomacy With the Devil - How else to explain the about-face President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have made on key foreign policy issues from North Korea to the Middle East peace process? - Fatah forces tried to assassinate Israel's prime minister - Nonetheless, Ms. Rice has been to the region repeatedly and recently sought advice from not just Bill Clinton but, of all people, Jimmy Carter Early in his term, President Bush jettisoned the crown jewels of the Clinton administration's foreign policy - the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the North Korea Agreed Framework. In each case, experts still disagree about whether he was right to do so. But the fact is that Bill Clinton had gone the extra mile in the Middle East and achieved nothing. And revelations that the North Koreans had been cheating on their 1994 commitment to abandon nuclear weapons made manifest the fraud underlying that "breakthrough." Seven years into the Bush presidency, however, what was old is new again. The "blackmailing" Pyongyang regime is now one with which the United States can do business. Nevermind that in 2002, American and Spanish warships discovered a North Korean vessel carrying Scud missiles to Yemen or that in 2005 the Treasury Department designated the Macaobased Banco Delta Asia as a "primary money-laundering concern" for its role in North Korea's illegal weapons, counterfeiting and drug businesses. ... Back in 2001, the newly minted Bush administration was scornful of Bill Clinton's efforts to build a Palestinian state with a terrorist government in place. Mr. Bush refused to allow Yasir Arafat to darken the White House door and said he would "not support the establishment of a Palestinian state until its leaders engage in a sustained fight against the terrorists." Now Hamas is in control of Gaza, Mahmoud Abbas is the powerless president of a Palestinian Authority and members of his Fatah forces tried to assassinate Israel's prime minister. Nonetheless, Ms. Rice has been to the region repeatedly and recently sought advice from not just Bill Clinton but, of all people, Jimmy Carter. [article link]
Photo Could Be Lincoln at Gettysburg - For years, it was thought that there was only one known image of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg For years, it was thought that there was only one known image of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg. But now that may not be the case. A rare 3-D image of what is believed to be the 16th president, astride a horse wearing his signature stovepipe hat with a white gloved hand raised in salute was presented Saturday on a large screen at the annual Lincoln Forum Conference in Gettysburg. The photograph is one of two images thought to have been taken just before Lincoln made his historic address on Nov. 19, 1863, four months after the bloody battle. Last December, historian John Richter found the photo while sifting through the Library of Congress' digital archives. The photos, made available to the public online, were among more than 5,000 Civil War images. [article link]
The Latest Clues in the Push-Poll Controversy - If Hart's source is accurate, what "not political" client would want the information collected on Romney and the Mormon issue? {Looks like the LDS or an affiliate did the Push-Poll, if a non-political entity purchased the service for the calls then it most likely was the LDS. Really the Mormon LDS from day one has used Mitt Romney's campaign in an attempt to further their own agenda in promoting Mormonism and also by attempting to deny others the ability to criticize or examine the LDS cult.} Hart also emphasized that while he (Hart) doesn't know the person behind the calls, his source said that he would be very surprised if it were connected to Romney & Co. Then he said: "our client is not political. At best we're a third party vendor in this." As Hart notes, TargetPoint would fit the definition of being a third party, but despite their corporate and consumer research work, I have a hard time believing anyone would contend that they're "not political." If Hart's source is accurate, what "not political" client would want the information collected on Romney and the Mormon issue? [article link]
Wrong Target - TargetPoint Consulting has NEVER and will NEVER conduct a push-poll - TargetPoint is in the business of promoting Governor Romney, not manufacturing fantasy plots that involve smearing him Today's unfortunate article written by Mark Hemingway concerning allegations over anti-Romney push-polling that suggests that TargetPoint Consulting was somehow involved is both inaccurate and inexcusable. To set the record straight: TargetPoint Consulting has absolutely nothing to do with the calls in question. To be even clearer: TargetPoint Consulting has NEVER and will NEVER conduct a push-poll. TargetPoint is in the business of promoting Governor Romney, not manufacturing fantasy plots that involve smearing him. ... "If there is a relationship between the two firms, then Alex Gage and TargetPoint should immediately clarify the extent and nature of the work that it has contracted out to Western Wats to end speculation and exonerate Romney." [article link]
Did Mitt Romney Push Poll Himself? - Caller: Target Point Consulting - A Western Wats-Target Point connection sets off alarm bells since the Romney campaign has paid Target Point consulting $720,000 {"Microtargeting" is advertising to an individual - for instance if a company can find out your favorite sports team they can then send you a catalog with that team on the cover and in the ads. The old way they sent out one catalogue to all spots fans winning some sales and losing some based on what teams were highlighted. In elections a 'say anything' politician like Mitt Romney would love to target each individual with their own desired message. If you are Pro-life, Romney sends a Prolife message but if you are Pro-abortion Romney can secretly target messages and make promises to individuals in that audience.} A Western Wats-Target Point connection sets off alarm bells since the Romney campaign has paid Target Point consulting $720,000 (see here and here). Target Point's president, Alex Gage, is a pioneer in the directmarketing data-mining technique known as microtargeting. The Bush campaign spent nearly $3 million on Gage and Target Point's services in the 2004 election. In the 2008 election cycle, Gage has been working closely with Romney. The Washington Post headlined an article about Gage "Romney's Data Cruncher" and has elsewhere identified Gage as part of "Mitt Romney's Inner Circle." ... However, there's a growing chorus of voices speculating Romney push polled himself. "I smell a dirty trick. I suspect a pro-Romney motive to inoculate against future use of the religious issue and to breed sympathy for Romney … a 20-minute call is the work of an amateur. The long call is designed to get ALL the negatives out, to put them off limits for future attacks," Roger Stone - a master of Republican dirty tricks - told The Politico's Jonathan Martin. Stone pointed out that Robert F. Kennedy was behind anti-Catholic campaign tricks - calls and literature - to help get the first Catholic president elected. An anonymous website attacking Fred Thompson with ties to the Romney consultants in South Carolina earlier this cycle suggests such earnestness may not be below Romney campaigners. Asked if it's reasonable to think a campaign would do such a thing - push poll itself - one political consultant familiar with phone banking and dirty tricks who asked not to be identified told NRO, "I've done it," he said. "But it's usually the kind of thing that you do in a close state-senate race, not a stunt you pull under the scrutiny a presidential campaign is subjected to." [article link]
State of play of Romney Poll Scandal - the calls appear to have hit people who are politically sophisticated enough to push the story - Seems to me that Western Wats wanted this anti-Mormon phone call "scandal" to be known - The likely objective: To paint Romney as the sympathetic victim of religious intolerance, and to henceforth rule out anything other than positive mention of his Mormonism - Clever, but we'll see just how clever Well, we seem to be in day 3 of this scandal. The calls went out Wednesday or Thursday. The AP's Phil Elliott and the Politico's Jonathan Martin reported on it on Thursday. Friday, all sorts of speculation abounded. The solid facts appear to be that: First, Western Wats, an Orem, UT based phone vendor made the phone calls. They have refused to deny these claims. The Lindorf family - Ron Lindorf is the Chairman and Founder of Western Wats - refuses to answer questions about why they are placing anti-Mormon phone calls. Note that the Lindorf family is Mormon. This suggests that, at least, Ron Lindorf, a Mormon, is complicit in anti-Mormon phone calls.
Second, Western Wats has worked for a number of people in the Romney political network. This includes Romney state leadership in Florida, Michigan and Utah. Third, calls were placed into IA, NH, and SC. In IA, the calls appear to have hit people who are politically sophisticated enough to push the story. It is unclear that politically sophisticated people were hit in other states. Fourth, the calls were probably not push-polls. Instead, as Mark Blumenthal explains, they were likely merely ethically-questionable, nasty polling: ... Lets note some other facts too. It was the Romney campaign's slimey consultants who were behind the PhonyFred.org site. Oddly, it was hosted by a company in Orem Utah, bluehost.com. The owner of that business is also a Romney donor. Ron Lindorf is also a professor at BYU's Marriot School of business. The Romney campaign was seeking support from that school's alumni, and had held meetings with the Dean and with church leaders when they were exposed by the Boston Globe last year. (Both are tax exempt which made such collusions illegal.) Its all a web that will soon be unwound. [article link]
Iowa, New Hampshire voters recoil at anti-Romney polls - "We are looking at whether the calls qualify as push polls," said Assistant Attorney General James Kennedy - New Hampshire has a nine-year-old law requiring anyone who engages in push polling to tell the person being surveyed if the call is "being made on behalf of, in support of or in opposition to" a candidate - They also must identify the candidate and give the phone number where the call originated - Failing to could be a felony - No one has ever been prosecuted under the law - The calls reportedly were placed by Western Wats, an Orem, Utah, survey firm The calls reportedly were placed by Western Wats, an Orem, Utah, survey firm. A spokesman for the company would not comment on whether it made the calls. However, its client services director, Robert Maccabee, said, "Western Wats has never, currently does not, nor will it ever engage in push polling." ["Western Wats has done push polls in the past. A quick google search uncovers a push poll for Lieberman against Lamont and two in Florida"]. ... There was no clear evidence, however, that any opponent was behind the polls. [article link]
Update: Details about Western Wats Negate [some of] the "Romney-Did-It" Theory - It still seems crazy that this would be the firm chosen to make anti-Mormon calls - I am not even sure at this point that it should be called "anti-mormon" because I have not read any negative comments about mormonism - Also, why doesn't Western Wats just release the script for the calls? Its hard to call it confidential when it has been used Yes, there are plenty of rumors and speculation swirling, and it would be helpful to have a copy of the script. I am not even sure at this point that it should be called "anti-mormon" because I have not read any negative comments about mormonism. But there are some actual facts: 1. Western Wats made the calls. 2. Western Wats has done push polls in the past. A quick google search uncovers a push poll for Lieberman against Lamont and two in Florida. 3. In this instance and one of the races in Florida, Western Wats claimed it could not release the name of its client and that it did not write the questions. 4. Romney has both personal and political connections (in the form of contributions) to Western Wats. ... Also, why doesn't Western Wats just release the script for the calls? Its hard to call it confidential when it has been used. [article link]
Romney is friends with Western Wats (push-poll) family - Something didn't square - After all, it seemed likely that the people running Western Wats were in the same social circles as the Romneys - I was right If someone is trying to slime Mitt Romney with his religion, do they really go to a Utah-based call center run by people in Romney's world? Wouldn't they know that it would get out? What does it tell us if it doesn't? Something didn't square. After all, it seemed likely that the people running Western Wats were in the same social circles as the Romneys. I was right. Check out this picture from the blog Elect Romney in 2008: The caption says: Romney's last greeting with friend Teena Lindorf before entering car (sister-in-law of Ron Lindorf, the Founder and Chairman of Western Wats). The author of the blog post is a friend of the Lindorf family. He writes: Today I attended an "Ask Mitt Anything" townhall meeting at Chapman University in Orange, CA (where Hugh Hewitt teaches law) with my daughter Bree and friends Paul & Teena Lindorf. So let's get this straight.
Mitt Romney is friends with the family of the Founder and Chairman of the company that is placing antiMormon and anti-Romney phone calls? This morning Hugh Hewitt said: If the campaign that used appeals to religious bigotry is identified, it will be over for that candidate. Let's hope someone inside Western Wats tips the MSM. I wonder if Hugh still thinks that. ... UPDATE: David Freddoso and Allah Pundit want to make it very clear that they did not suggest that the Romney campaign is behind it. I am not making that claim either. Just that people in Romney's circle appear to be responsible for it. [article link]
Romney's Western Wats connections - And here is another, courtesy of a Utah reader: Neil Hahl - He's listed by the state of Utah's Department of Commerce as a director of the company - He gave Romney the maximum, $2,300 - This could spell the end of Romney 08 - those calls came from Orem, Utah Soren Dayton, Liz Mair and David Fredosso all find Romney links to Western Wats. And here is another, courtesy of a Utah reader: Neil Hahl. He's listed by the state of Utah's Department of Commerce as a director of the company. He gave Romney the maximum, $2,300. On the FEC report and the state's business entity listing, he's down as a Mesa, Ariz., resident. A voicemail left at the only listing of that name was not returned today. When told of some of the speculation that they may be behind the calls, Romney spokesman Kevin Madden replied, "That's preposterous" before flatly denying any involvement. Another Utahan who said he did calls for the firm in both high school and college (and has evidence of doing such) e-mails to point out the obvious: There are many Mormons nearby and thus many Romney supporters on the payroll. [article link]
'Push-poll' (Western Wats) scandal erupts - The calls were typical of a "push poll," which is not a survey but is instead a political telemarketing call meant to pass along rumors and innuendo The first "push-poll" scandal of the 2008 season has surfaced, forcing two leading campaigns to deny their involvement and raising questions about the tenor of what could be a nasty final stretch in the race for the Republican nomination. ... Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire on Thursday began receiving telephone calls that at first appeared to be part of a poll but quickly moved into offering exceedingly negative views of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his Mormon religion. The calls were typical of a "push poll," which is not a survey but is instead a political telemarketing call meant to pass along rumors and innuendo. ... Romney's campaign spokesman Matt Rhoades said: "Whichever campaign is engaging in this type of awful religious bigotry as a line of political attack, it is repulsive and, to put it bluntly, un-American." [article link]
Mormon smears turn Republican race sour - These "push-polling" calls drew attention to Romney - Speculation was intensifying this weekend about who was behind the push-polling calls - The polling was carried out by Western Wats, which is based in Utah, the center of the Mormon faith - It has declined to discuss its clients - A spokesman for Romney was forced to deny "insinuation" that "we would support phone calls attacking our own campaign" to engender sympathy after members of the company (Western Wats) were revealed to be Romney donors {So far it looks like the Mormon's conjured up their own smear campaign against their own candidate Mitt Romney in a rather bizarre attempt to get sympathy for Romney. A very strange and weird occurrence and I wonder if this mystery will ever be resolved or if Romney would rather it doesn't get solved.} Speculation was intensifying this weekend about who was behind the push-polling calls. The calls praised McCain's Vietnam record while knocking Romney's. But McCain was the first candidate to condemn them. "It is disgraceful, it is outrageous and it is a violation, we believe, of New Hampshire law," he said. The New Hampshire attorney-general is investigating the affair. ... Hewitt believes that, "if the campaign that used appeals to religious bigotry is identified, it will be over for that candidate". The polling was carried out by Western Wats, which is based in Utah, the centre of the Mormon faith. It has declined to discuss its clients. A spokesman for Romney was forced to deny "insinuation" that "we would support phone calls attacking our own campaign" to engender sympathy after members of the company were revealed to be Romney donors. [article link]
{Flashback} Another Utah Based Scam - three Utah-based telemarketing firms - they scammed "American Idol" fans into paying for what they thought were free calls to vote for their favorite performers According to Washington Post television reporter Lisa de Moraes, the Federal Trade Commission has announced that three Utah-based telemarketing firms have agreed to pay $40,000 to settle charges that they scammed "American Idol" fans into paying for what they thought were free calls to vote for their favorite performers during the first two editions of the Fox-TV hit show. The telemarketing companies "took advantage of callers who inadvertently misdialed the 'American Idol' phone numbers by buying numbers that were very close to--but not the same as--the correct numbers," said the FTC in a statement on Thursday. ... his is what happened: When "American Idol" fans dialed the wrong number that was actually one of those fake numbers set up by the bad-boy telemarketers, they were connected to a recording telling them to dial a 900 number that would connect them to a "voting line." If the fans followed those instructions and did that, they were charged $1.99 per call during the first edition of "American Idol" and $2.97 per call during the second edition of "Idol" to hear yet another recording that gave out the real toll-free number. [article link]
A theory of everything has always eluded scientists - Now a fun-loving physicist tells Steve Farrar he thinks he's cracked it (The new Theory of everything actually solves nothing. It doesn't cure cancer, explain who we are or even why we exist, for that knowledge mankind still needs to rely on the Bible - the words of God!) Two weeks ago the 39-year-old surfer physicist astonished the scientific world when he announced that he might have found an answer. Lisi describes it, with disarming frankness, as an "exceptionally simple theory of everything". Of course the theory isn't at all simple. It is based around one of the most complicated symmetrical structures ever studied, a 248-dimensional shape known as E8 secrets of this geometric entity were revealed only in March, leaving mathematicians with 60 times as much information as was contained in the human genome. E8 has long intrigued academics since it was devised in the 19th century and it has been suspected that its symmetrical properties might be intimately linked to underlying patterns in creation in some way. ... The hunt for a single theory that underpins everything has been the ultimate goal of physics for centuries. As they revealed the rules that dictated how the different facets of the natural world functioned, many of the first true scientists came to believe that the cosmos worked like clockwork. They insisted that science would ultimately reveal the entire mechanism and be able to account precisely for everything within it. While that certainty foundered with the discovery of quantum mechanics and relativity, the quest has gone on. Einstein, the discoverer of relativity, dedicated much of his later life to discovering what became known as the Grand Unified Theory. But despite claiming four times to have made the crucial breakthrough, his efforts came to nothing. [article link]
Bella - One Person Can Change Your Life Forever - If you don't know by now Bella won the Toronto Film Festival People's Choice award and has a strong pro-family and pro-life message - It has already been released in other cities but will debut on Friday November 16th in five theaters in the Columbus, OH area - It is important that the Christian community stand firm and support this movie by getting to the box office to see it this weekend if possible (Movie) An international soccer star (Eduardo Verástegui) is on his way to sign a multi-million dollar contract when something happens that brings his career to an abrupt end. A waitress (Tammy Blanchard), struggling to make it in New York City, discovers something about herself that she's unprepared for. In one irreversible moment, their lives are turned upside down...until an impetuous action brings them together and turns an ordinary day into an unforgettable experience. Once a famous athlete, and now a cook at his brother's Mexican restaurant, José has retreated from the world but he recognizes something in Nina, a young waitress, and reaches out to her. In the course of a single day, he not only confronts his past but shows her how the healing power of a family can help her embrace the future. Written by M. Robertson [article link]
The Greeters Ministry material provides everything you need in order to develop an effective Greeters Ministry to guarantee that guests want to come back to your Church - The first 30 to 90 seconds in your church building (property) usually determine if a person will visit again-ever - This material shows you exactly how to make those crucial first moments the best they can be and teaches you to help guests have a positive experience the whole time they are with you ($39.95 - PDF) "I recommend these materials for church leaders who want their congregations to be more productive." ... Many of us are experts at what local churches "ought to do" in order to be effective, but few of us are capable of explaining "how to do" what needs to be done…Great Commission Resources has produced a series of materials that show dedicated Christians exactly how to do some of the jobs that they already know they ought to do. ... When it comes to getting the job of evangelism and church growth done, I have come to appreciate material that has come out of years of successful ministry. Every congregation that is serious about the Great Commission should seek out this material and other good resources produced by Great Commission Resources. [article link]
Christmas 2007 - Naughty & Nice List - Is your favorite store "Naughty" (censors Christmas) or "Nice" (recognizes Christmas)? - Check for updates before you shop! Tell us about stores that refuse to recognize Christmas -- post a comment on our blog for others to read. [article link]
A Bear of a Thanksgiving (the bear and the atheist) - In Everything give Thanks to God! (Flash) A Thanksgiving Flash - I hope it gives you a smile. [article link]
FYI - The BasicChristian Info-News RSS feed FYI - The BasicChristian Info-News RSS feed was researched in 2003 and started broadcasting in 2004 for the main purpose of broadcasting Christian resources, information and current events. The feed has shifted focus into a more secular news, political and info resource; something that has never been the intention of the Basic Christian website. The main purpose of Basic Christian is to celebrate Christianity - our Living, Loving Savior Jesus Christ. I think that it would be important and responsible for a newsfeed that is active now in Nov. 2007 to remain active throughout the presidential election of Nov. 2008. I personally would rather spend the time working on Christian - Doctrine and Theology instead of posting more news about society. Therefore it is the shift back to Christian - Doctrine and Theology and the desire not to devote time blogging throughout the 2008 elections that have brought the BasicChristian Info-News feed to a close. - God Bless you, David Anson Brown [article link]
** Announcement: The basicChristian Newsfeed is being **Suspended** - a reduced version of the Newsfeed is going to provide some Holiday and Christmas info then with the New Year this Newsfeed will come to a close The BasicChristian.us domain name will then forward to the website -->> BasicChristian.info I would like to send out my personal thanks and gratitude to a tremendous audience of basicChristian subscribers who have stayed the course and have endured through a lot of difficult news items from throughout the last few years since the beginning of the newsfeed in 2004. I pray that with this coming election our great nation can get back on track and that our troops will depart from harm's way and finally come home, that there will be some stability in our finance markets and the housing market, that the price of gas will come back down to a reasonable level and that in general our great nation will prosper and be secure all in the faith and knowledge that Jesus is God in heaven above and that He is devoted to mankind and is watching over us with His loving kindness. - God bless you, David Anson Brown [article link]
** An Important Announcement Regarding the Future of the BasicChristian News Feed is set to be issued shortly -[article link]
** The BasicChristian Website and Newsfeed have been Down due to Technical Reasons - Thanks for your Patience -[article link]
Dick Scaife no longer leading 'Clinton hater' - Point man in 'vast right-wing conspiracy' puffs former president, opposes Iraq war - It is nearly impossible to overstate the antagonism that existed between Scaife and Clinton throughout the 1990s - But that was then-This is now - In a July 15 editorial in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Scaife's editorial writers pushed for an immediate pullout from Iraq and called President Bush "delusional" {By the time "delusional" George is finished there won't be a Republican Party. The problem is that "delusional" George thinks that he is the system. Bush does not understand that the American people, the Constitution, congress and the Supreme Court are the system. A system built on "delusional" George Bush is of course a failed system.} In the midst of a messy divorce from his wife, Ritchie, Dick Scaife stunned many in his own community of Pittsburgh by joining hands with Clinton, George Soros, Rep. Jack Murtha, Sen. John Kerry and other former political foes in anti-war activism. In a July 15 editorial in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Scaife's editorial writers pushed for an immediate pullout from Iraq and called President Bush "delusional." "Perhaps Jack Murtha put it best: The Pennsylvania congressman, among the first to make the cogent argument that staying the course in Iraq was the exercise in futility that indeed the war has become, says President Bush is delusional," they wrote. "Based on the president's recent performance, we could not agree more. 'Staying the course' is not simply futile - it is a prescription for American suicide. We've urged for months to bring our troops home. Now is the time." The editorial went on to question Bush's "mental stability." NewsMax magazine Scaife's NewsMax, a popular and once enthusiastically pro-Republican news website co-owned with Christopher Ruddy, who famously investigated the mysterious death of Clinton's deputy White House counsel Vincent Foster and the strange death of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, also began attacking the war in Iraq following Scaife's personal metamorphosis. Whatever has caused the change in Scaife, it appears infectious. In an interview with Bill Clinton published in NewsMax, Ruddy has nothing but kind words for the "new Bill Clinton": [article link]
Mormon ousted as an apostate - his research into (LDS) church history gave him "thousands of reasons the church can't be what it claims to be" - Lamborn has compiled his research into a lengthy testament called, "Search for Truth 6/07" in which he states: "There comes a time in the life of many church members when the desire to know the truth about the church becomes stronger than the desire to believe the church is true" Lamborn, a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who said his research into church history gave him "thousands of reasons the church can't be what it claims to be." ... Lamborn, a member of the Thunder Mountain Ward, said his Mormon roots go back generations, with a great-grandfather in the famed Mormon Battalion that trekked from Iowa to San Diego in 1846 and 1847. Lamborn served a two-year Mormon mission in 1977-79 in Belgium, was elders quorum president four times and led a Mormon Boy Scout troop. Most recently, he said he was assigned to teach older men in his ward and held other roles. But everything changed in early 2005. Lamborn, an engineer employed at Boeing in Mesa for nearly 25 years, was asked by a work colleague about the wives of church founder Joseph Smith. She had read "Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith" by John Krakauer and asked Lamborn if what she had read was accurate. Smith, the first LDS prophet and president, had at least 33 wives by many accounts. "Well, I had no knowledge of multiple wives, so I did some research, including using the church's own genealogical Web site,
familysearch.org," Lamborn said. He found the information concurred with the book. "Nonmembers seemed to know more about the personal life of Joseph Smith than me," he said. Lamborn conducted further research, which led him to question many church teachings. He said he went to Molina with his questions, but received no definitive answers. Lamborn has been attending the three-hour ward meetings with his wife and 16-yearold son. His two daughters, 22 and 24, "are totally out of Mormonism." He said he learned that his five brothers "were doing the same research and arriving at the same conclusions" and doubts, he said. The same was true for his best friend since childhood. In a meeting earlier this summer with Molina, Lamborn acknowledged that he wanted to give up his church membership. "I was planning to leave the church quietly, but was denied that opportunity, presumably because I was speaking openly to other members about my findings and (was) writing things down," Lamborn said. Lamborn has compiled his research into a lengthy testament called, "Search for Truth 6/07," in which he states: "There comes a time in the life of many church members when the desire to know the truth about the church becomes stronger than the desire to believe the church is true." [article link]
Will secret clubs pick next prez (President)? - CFR, Bilderbergers, Trilateral Commission insiders usually run for, win White House, shows new book - It started in 1952 {when they cemented their power} - Nearly every person elected as president of the United States since then - *and nearly every opponent - has belonged to a secretive, globalism-oriented organization known as the Council on Foreign Relations - According to a variety of sources, the following presidential candidates are either members of one of the groups or have strong ties: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, John McCain, John Edwards, Fred Thompson, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson WASHINGTON - It started in 1952. Nearly every person elected as president of the United States since then and nearly every opponent - has belonged to a secretive, globalism-oriented organization known as the Council on Foreign Relations. Some presidents and their challengers have belonged to additional clubs of internationalists - the Bilderberg Group and the Trilateral Commission. Running mates, too, more often than not have had ties to the groups. That the groups exert enormous influence on public policy is indisputable. What is disputed is whether such groups are, as adherents and members argue, just discussion forums for movers and shakers, or, as critics have long alleged, secret societies shaping a new world order from behind the scenes. On that last point at least, no one could challenge the critics: All these groups operate in considerable secrecy, away from the scrutiny of the American public. Regardless of how one characterizes them, the fact that virtually all presidents belong to the same secret clubs prompts the author of a new book to wonder if the 2008 election will also be a contest between globalist insiders. Judging from the list of frontrunners of each party, Daniel Estulin, author of "The True Story of the Bilderberg Group," may be on to something. According to a variety of sources, the following presidential candidates are either members of one of the groups or have strong ties: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, John McCain, John Edwards, Fred Thompson, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson. Mike Huckabee, though not a member, spoke to the CFR in September. Since then, his political star has risen to the point that he has become a top-tier candidate. [article link]
Halloween 'Ugly Teeth' recalled over high lead levels - retailers have sold about 43,000 eight-piece packages of the party favors - Paint on the teeth contained 100 times the allowable level of lead WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government announced an 11th-hour recall Wednesday to warn consumers that fake Halloween teeth sold by the tens of thousands since last year contain excessive amounts of lead. Paint on the "Ugly Teeth" have 100 times the allowable amount of lead, according to CBS News. The $2 packages of "Ugly Teeth" are only the latest in a long line of Chinese-made toys and novelty items recalled because of lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall on Halloween, in a late-morning news release. The agency estimates that since January 2006, retailers have sold about 43,000 eight-piece packages of the party favors. There were no immediate reports of injuries or illness. Amscan Inc. of Elmsford, New York,
imported the fake teeth. A message left with the company was not immediately returned. ... CBS News reported Monday that a chemistry professor at Ohio's Ashland University tipped off the agency about the joke teeth after testing a variety of Halloween-themed items for lead content. Paint on the teeth contained 100 times the allowable level of lead, according to the broadcast report. [article link]
Some Christian pastors embrace Scientology - Scientology was founded in the 1950s by L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer Critic Rick Ross, a court-certified Scientology expert, sees something more sinister at work. He warned that mainstream acceptance makes it easier for the Scientologists to achieve their ultimate goal -- new recruits. "Their hope is that through these programs, people will become more interested in L. Ron Hubbard, what else Mr. Hubbard had to offer, and this will lead them eventually to Scientology," Ross said. The church has long been in the headlines for practices critics say are little more than cult-like mind control. It is also known for its stable of devout celebrity followers. And according to published reports, Scientology has been recently diversifying its outreach to include other religions and ethnic groups. Kennedy, McLaughlin and a handful of other Christian church leaders -- no one can say how many -- are finding answers to their communities' needs in Scientology's social programs. For Kennedy, it began two years ago when he attended a meeting at the Church of Scientology's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. He was introduced to a book called "The Way to Happiness" -- Hubbard's 64-page, self-described "common sense guide to better living." ... Though Jimirra Kennedy insists she does not ascribe to the religious side of Scientology, she still considers herself, at least in part, Scientologist. "We say this all the time and I know my father says this, but I am like a Pentecostal Scientologist, that's what we are." Critics like Ross are alarmed by such a blurring of the lines. They consider it a marketing win for Scientology. [article link]
{Flashback} At Satanist Aleister Crowley's death, L. Ron Hubbard ("Battlefield Earth" author) believed that he was the self appointed Messiah to usher in the New Age under Antichrist Hubbard's occult ties have as of late come under more frequent exposure. Biographer Bent Corydon explains that the Satanist Aleister Crowley's Book of the Law was "perhaps the most important book in the life of L. Ron Hubbard." Before starting Scientology, Hubbard was closely associated with occultist Jack Parsons, the head of Aleister Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis in California. Known as his "magick partner," Hubbard and Parsons embarked on eclectic occult missions in pursuit of the demonic New Aeon spoken of by Crowley. At Scientology's headquarters in New York, the group's historical records contain letters between Parsons and Crowley that mention Hubbard several times. According to Parsons, Hubbard was ready and willing to bring about the kingdom of the antichrist in accord with Crowley's Magick. Jack Parsons wrote to Crowley early in 1946: ... One of Crowley's teachings was that in order to effectively spread his philosophies one would need to start a new religion. Hubbard's aptitude as a Crowleyian occultist applied this insight, thereby giving birth to his Church of Scientology. Consequently, Scientology's teachings are fully base upon the whole of Crowley's satanic dictums. In his book, Magick in Theory and Practice, Crowley wrote: "The whole and sole object of all true magickal training is to become free from every kind of limitation." Adopting the same stated purpose for Scientology, Hubbard said in a taped Scientology lecture: "Our whole activity tends to make an individual completely independent of any type of limitation.... Old Aleister Crowley had some interesting things to say about this. He wrote the Book of the Law." Crowley's diabolical plan for the New Age was to be renamed and giftwrapped for the new generation under the guise of Scientology. Hubbard copied a distinctively marked cross from the back of Crowley's Tarot-cards, which he used as the main cross and symbol for the Church. Hubbard even boasted to a group of Scientologists of his friendship with Crowley. [article link]
{Flashback} Mitt Romney's Hidden Geek - What we can learn from Romney's favorite book - You simply need a deep level of weird to like Battlefield Earth - The speed with which some of his aides tried to distance the
[ex]governor from his remarks suggests they think he now looks a little too weird For those of you who didn't study it in school, Battlefield Earth takes place in the year 3000, when the human race is nearly extinct and the planet stripped of its natural resources. Mankind has been enslaved by evil aliens with very bad breath that explodes when it comes into contact with radioactive material. A young slave wielding lasers and draped in a tennis cardigan leads a rebellion and retakes Earth, only to be attacked again by a series of foes including a race of interstellar bankers trying to collect on bad debts. ... The whole tumbling horror of the Battlefield Earth experience is so profound it nearly comes out the other side and achieves a kind of perfection of awfulness. ... voters may not want to vote in another administration that believes in alternative realities-even if it's just in their nighttime reading-but these are minor concerns. [article link]
Bible verse: 1st Thessalonians 1:6-10 - And you became followers of us (Apostles & Disciples) and of the Lord, having received the word (Bible) in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. -- Bible [article link]
Romney Shouldn't Equate Mormons, Christians, Evangelicals Say - Don't try to be one of us - "I told him, you cannot equate Mormonism with Christianity; you cannot say, 'I am a Christian just like you'" - "The fact that we (Mormons) are Christians is non-negotiable," said Kim Farah, a spokeswoman for the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints {The LDS sure does like to make "non-negotiable" demands of other people. Mormonism (LDS) is a Fraud and a Cult and the Mormons-(LDS) need to honor our Christian Religion and stop trying to hijack it for their own money based agenda!} Oct. 30 (Bloomberg) -- As Mitt Romney scours the South for endorsements from evangelical leaders, he is getting some unusual advice on how to explain his Mormon faith: Don't try to be one of us. "I told him, you cannot equate Mormonism with Christianity; you cannot say, 'I am a Christian just like you,'" said Representative Bob Inglis of South Carolina, which is scheduled to hold the first primary among the Southern states. "If he (Mitt) does that [claims to be a real Christian], every Baptist preacher in the South is going to have to go to the pulpit on Sunday and explain the differences." This advice, which reflects the views of many Southern Baptists and other evangelicals, makes Romney's co-religionists bristle. "The fact that we are Christians is non-negotiable," said Kim Farah, a spokeswoman for the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. [article link]
SermonAudio.com: Halloween, The Great Cover Up! - October 31, 1517 Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on Wittenberg Castle Church door {SermonAudio may require an email address prior to Mp3 download.} Brief Sermon Overview: What does Halloween "cover up?" The answer is on October 31, 1517 Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on Wittenberg Castle Church door which exposed the errors of the Roman Catholic Church when compared with the Bible. Dr. Brown encourages believers to go back to pre-1850 times when Halloween was unknown in the United States and focus on the Reformation, which was in essence marked the rediscovery of the Gospel and the teaching of Salvation by Grace through faith. [article link]
[Halloween is all about death, Hell and the afterlife, to some Halloween is now a joyous celebration of death and hell. Start a new tradition and Play this Mp3 on Halloween just to help keep a true eternal perspective about God, man, life, death, hell, heaven, Jesus and God's eternal gift to mankind.] - SermonAudio.com: Considered America's greatest sermon ever preached! - "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" - by: Jonathan Edwards July 8, 1741 - 'Their foot shall slide in due time' Deut. 32:35 (Mp3) {SermonAudio may require an email address prior to Mp3 download.} Brief Sermon Overview: Enfield, Connecticut July 8, 1741 'Their foot shall slide in due time.' Deut. 32:35. In this verse is threatened the vengeance of God on the wicked unbelieving Israelites, who were God's visible people, and who lived under the means of grace; but who, notwithstanding all God's wonderful works towards them, remained (as ver. 28.) void of counsel, having no understanding in them. Under all the cultivations of heaven, they brought forth bitter and poisonous fruit; as in the two verses next preceding the text. The expression I have chosen for my text, Their foot shall slide in due time, seems to imply the following doings, relating to the punishment and destruction to which these wicked Israelites were exposed. ... 3. he that believeth not is condemned already ... The law of God is against mankind. 4. God is a great deal more angry with those now at ease than those who are in hell. ... This is the dismal case of every soul in this congregation that has not been Born Again. ... Would you be content to be children of the Devil when so many children in the land have joyfully been converted and become the holy and happy children of (Jesus) the King of Kings ... behold now is the acceptable day of the LORD - the day of opportunity ... haste and escape for your lives, least you be consumed [by hell]. [article link]
*Halloween Information & Resources 2007 Christians everywhere are rejecting Halloween's message of Death, Disobedience, and Despair and instead are using this opportunity to proclaim the Truth about God's Love for mankind and about His Biblical plan of Life, Hope, and Salvation for us in Jesus Christ. [article link]
ATS Tratcs Newsletter - Halloween Activities - Don't miss this great evangelism opportunity! (PDF) Halloween isn't just for kids anymore. More adults than ever are taking part in Halloween activities. What a perfect time to hand out the greatest treasure on earth--an introduction to Jesus Christ. Don't miss this great evangelism opportunity! [article link]
The Constitution Party - Your Party, Your Principles Pass This On! QUOTE: "Impress upon your children the truth that (voting) is a... duty of as solemn a nature as man can... perform; that a man may not innocently trifle with his vote; that every elector is a trustee as well for others as himself." ~ Daniel Webster, 1840 [article link]
Huckabee Rise Triggers Strong Response - Huckabee for the first time passed Romney in a national poll on Friday - The Rasmussen Reports WASHINGTON - Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee is on the rise as his campaign gains momentum, drawing stronger response not only from voters but also a fellow contender. This past week the ordained Southern Baptist preacher bumped former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney from his first-tier position and caused the best financed Republican contender to take a personal shot at the not-so-well financed Huckabee. ... Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani holds the top position with 20 percent of likely Republican primary voters nationwide, followed by former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson with 19 percent, Arizona Sen. John McCain with 14 percent, Huckabee with 12 percent, and Romney with 11 percent nationally, according to Rasmussen. [article link]
Want To Pay Cash For An iPhone? Apple Won't Let You - Apple has instituted a new policy that forbids customers from paying cash--you know, the stuff that says "legal tender for all debts public and private" In an apparent effort to curb the reselling of unlocked iPhones, Apple has instituted a new policy that forbids customers from paying cash--you know, the stuff that says "legal tender for all debts public and private"--for iPhones. And it has dropped the limit to two per person. I don't think Apple is going to get away with this one. Starting Thursday, Apple began requiring that people interested in purchasing iPhones use credit or debit cards to make their purchase, which ties an identity to the iPhones bought. They also will no longer allow people to buy up to five iPhones, and have instituted a two-per-person limit. ... Apple was blunt in saying that this is an attempt to prevent people from buying multiple iPhones, unlocking them and reselling them. iPhones that are used on networks other than AT&T (NYSE: T)'s prevents Apple from collecting on the monthly revenue it has worked out with AT&T. This sounds like a protectionist policy to me. [article link]
Now, God banished from Washington Monument - The National Park Service has banished God from a key display of America's Christian heritage in Washington, and a California pastor who regularly leads teams of visitors to see markers of the nation's religious history wants Him restored The National Park Service has banished God from a key display of America's Christian heritage in Washington, and a California pastor who regularly leads teams of visitors to see markers of the nation's religious history wants Him restored. The reference is an engraving of "LAUS DEO," which is Latin for "Praise be to God," and is on the east side of the 100-ounce aluminum cap of the Washington Monument. Since the actual inscription on the cap, which on the other three sides provides other information, is unviewable atop the 555-foot stone column, the National Park Service has created a replica, which is on display inside the white-colored obelisk of marble, granite and sandstone. The following photograph shows how the display was seen in 2000, when that inscription could be seen by visitors, even if at an angle: But the following photo, from this year, shows how the cap replica has been straightened and moved close to the wall so that visitors are unable to see the inscription at all, a point raised by Pastor Todd DuBord of Lake Almanor Community Church following his recent visit in Washington. ... It was the second time in just the past few weeks there have been reports "God" no longer is allowed in Washington. WND reported earlier on the architect of the Capitol banning religious references in certificates that accompany flags flown over the Capitol. But that ruling later was rescinded. DuBord, whose past research shows that Thomas Jefferson actually advocated a "gate" between church and state, and uncovered officials at the U.S. Supreme Court lying about the nation's Christian heritage, also uncovered a "reinterpretation" of history at Monticello. [article link]
Federal government bans flag-folding recitations following one complaint - In the latest attack on Christianity, the U.S. government has banned the flag-folding recitations at all 125 national cemeteries - Complaints about religious content have led to a ban on flag-folding recitations by Veterans Administration employees and volunteers at all national cemeteries - American Legion attorney Rees Lloyd calls it "another attempt by secularist fanatics to cleanse any reference to God" It is time for Christians to say enough is enough - In the latest attack on Christianity, the U.S. government has banned the flag-folding recitations at all 125 national cemeteries. The banning came as the result of one complaint! The situation is similar to that in which one person removed prayer from schools. This article from The Associated Press explains the situation: Complaints about religious content have led to a ban on flagfolding recitations by Veterans Administration employees and volunteers at all national cemeteries. At thousands of military burials, VA volunteers have folded the American flag 13 times and recited the significance of each fold to survivors. The 11th fold glorifies "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." The 12th glorifies "God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost." Citing a need for uniformity, the National Cemetery Administration has prohibited unpaid VA volunteers as well as employees from conducting the recital at all 125 national cemeteries. American Legion attorney Rees Lloyd calls it "another attempt by secularist fanatics to cleanse any
reference to God." Following one complaint, the Veterans Administration has made anti-Christian bigotry the law of the land. The U.S. government has bowed to pressure from one radical anti-Christian secularist. Allowed to stand, the action by the Veterans Administration, in essence, means that anti-Christian bigotry is now the accepted and approved law of the land. [article link]
{Flashback} THE GIRL WITH THE PATRIOTIC BEADS - the schoolgirl who was sent home for wearing red, white, and blue jewelry she handcrafted as a tribute to her relatives in the military Reader Maria L. C. sends an update on a case I blogged about last year--the schoolgirl who was sent home for wearing red, white, and blue jewelry she handcrafted as a tribute to her relatives in the military. The student, Raven Furbert, is suing the school district and the case has advanced: [article link]
Get 'Schmoozing with Terrorists' for $19.95 on Sale! Save $6! - New book features stunning 1-on-1 interviews between top jihadists and a Jew - "our great nation is encouraging terrorists to attack us and we don't even know it" he professes (Book) Klein obtains unprecedented access to some of the most dangerous terrorist organizations in the world, traveling into hazardous terrorist zones and talking directly to the militants themselves about some of the most pressing issues today. Why schmooze with the professed enemies of Western civilization? States Klein: "In the midst of America's war on terror, in the midst of our grand showdown with Islamofascism, with our boys and girls deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world to defend liberty, it is crucial for all of us to understand the adversary we are up against. "It is crucial for us to know how our enemy thinks and what they want to do with us. Even how your tax dollars - no, how you! - fund terrorism." Klein explains he believes America is in trouble. While the U.S. has made enormous advances in the war on terror over the past few years, "our great nation is encouraging terrorists to attack us and we don't even know it," he professes. "If the American approach to identifying, understanding, and dealing with terrorism is not reexamined in the very near future, if we don't immediately begin to understand how the terrorists think and respond to our policies, we face a devastating reality, with global jihad beating down our doorstep before we even realize what happened," states Klein. [article link]
SEC sees "rampant" insider trading on Wall Street - "I am disappointed in the number of cases we are seeing by people who make an abundant livelihood in the market that they are sort of abusing by insider trading" {The Bush-Republican legacy of Greed and Corruption rolls on!} WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior Securities and Exchange Commission official said on Thursday insider trading appeared to be "rampant" among Wall Street professionals and the agency has formed a working group to focus on it. "I believe we're going to see more insider trading cases," Linda Chatman Thomsen, the SEC's enforcement director, told reporters on the sidelines of a securities fraud conference. "I am disappointed in the number of cases we are seeing by people who make an abundant livelihood in the market that they are sort of abusing by insider trading," Thomsen said, referring to cases already brought against professionals this year. Insider trading "appears to be rampant" among Wall Street securities professionals, she added. ... Also, in March U.S. prosecutors charged 13 people, including employees at top Wall Street banks UBS, Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns Cos Inc. in what they called one of the most pervasive trading rings since the 1980s. The SEC also brought civil charges against 11 people, as well as against three hedge funds. [article link]
{Flashback} Romney's Fortunes Tied to Business Riches - giants like Bain, Blackstone and the Carlyle Group "Increasingly, this world of private equity looks like a world of robber barons, and Romney comes out of that world" But Mr. Romney's Bain career - a source of money and contacts that he has used to finance his Massachusetts
campaigns and to leap ahead of his presidential rivals in early fund-raising - also exposes him to criticism that he enriched himself excessively, sometimes by cutting jobs to increase profits. He made his money mainly through leveraged buyouts - essentially, mortgaging companies to take them over in the hope of reselling them at big profits in just a few years. It is a bare-knuckle form of investing that is in the spotlight because of the exploding profits of buyout giants like Bain, Blackstone and the Carlyle Group. In Washington, Congress is considering ending a legal quirk that lets fund managers escape much of the income tax on their earnings. ... Mr. Romney learned the perils of campaigning on his business career in his first run for office, when accusations that Bain Capital had fired union workers at an Indiana company it controlled derailed his effort to unseat Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a Democrat, in 1994. "Basically, he cut our throats," a laid-off worker said in a commercial attacking Mr. Romney. (He has said he had nothing to do with the firings.) Mr. Romney, in an interview, acknowledged that Bain Capital's acquisitions had sometimes led to layoffs but said that he could explain them to voters. [article link]
Bush is the biggest spender since LBJ - George W. Bush, despite all his recent bravado about being an apostle of small government and budget-slashing, is the biggest spending president since Lyndon B. Johnson - In fact, he's arguably an even bigger spender than LBJ "He's a big government guy," said Stephen Slivinski, the director of budget studies at Cato Institute, a libertarian research group. The numbers are clear, credible and conclusive, added David Keating, the executive director of the Club for Growth, a budget-watchdog group. "He's a big spender," Keating said. "No question about it." Take almost any yardstick and Bush generally exceeds the spending of his predecessors. .. Discretionary spending went up in Bush's first term by 48.5 percent, not adjusted for inflation, more than twice as much as Bill Clinton did (21.6 percent) in two full terms, Slivinski reports. .. But Bush's super-spending is about far more than defense and homeland security. Brian Riedl, a budget analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative research group, points to education spending. Adjusted for inflation, it's up 18 percent annually since 2001, thanks largely to Bush's No Child Left Behind act. [article link]
*Updated Part 5 - The Mormon (LDS) Conspiracy: Selling Mitt Romney - "Mitt Romney's pseudo-Christian promoters are constantly selling that Romney is pro-life, a tax cutter, a conservative and a member of a reasonable cult. Mitt Romney needs to speak for himself and Mitt Romney needs to back up his words with actions, something that is already too late for 2008" (PDF) Why would otherwise legitimate Christian Ministers and Ministries be so quick to disqualify themselves from ministerial services by supporting Mitt Romney? It's tough to tell what kind of Christian ministry is going to be provided by the Mitt Romney supporters after all they are now busy comforting and strengthening the hand of the deceiving-manipulating cultist, the abortion provider, the pornography distributor, the alternate family representative, and the alcohol, tobacco and casino investor. It makes little sense that these ministries would now attempt to be understanding and sympathetic to the problems and situations that people are facing daily in society and are struggling to overcome. Strange how those publically claiming to want to help are actually privately supporting Mitt Romney a person who has personally laid many of the traps that people now find themselves in and are desperately attempting to free themselves from. ... With the candidate Willard Mitt Romney we will never know what the truth is or what to expect because Mitt Romney makes certain that he does not present a clear, precise plan of what his actual intentions are. Romney instead chooses to promote only the vaguest suggestions while cluttering his campaign with innuendo making the Romney campaign as substantive as vapor and totally void of any realistic public agenda. The facts are that Willard Mitt Romney is a secret man, living a secret life and unfortunately Americans will never accurately know in Mitt just who is representing us. Mitt Romney consistently says one thing and does another therefore it is impossible to accept the word of Mitt Romney as a valid representation of Mitt Romney. Christians have an obligation to society and to each other to be open and honest, as a candidate the (LDS) Mormon Mitt Romney fails to meet our Christian
obligations. [article link]
Don Wilton's Turnaround: How It Plays Out - Don Wilton to retract his endorsement of Mitt Romney - Wilton's decision to endorse Romney's policy record provoked an intense backlash among his fellow Southern Baptist pastors - Comments: ... "I know Mormonism is weird but get over it" {The LDS-Mormons sure like to make demands on others. I think it's about time the LDSers made an honest examination of their candidate Mitt Romney and stopped being so quick to call us Christians "bigots" just because we don't accept all that they (LDS) are so obviously selling.} The decision by Pastor Don Wilton to retract his endorsement of Mitt Romney will probably have a chilling effect on pastors across South Carolina who have always played right up to the line. Wilton's decision to endorse Romney's policy record provoked an intense backlash among his fellow Southern Baptist pastors, and word in South Carolina is that Wilton was sending signals as early as this weekend that he had not forseen how controversial his endorsement would be. [article link]
Through the Bible with Les Feldick - Bible Questions (Text) - Introductory Audio (Online) - Scroll Down for Mp3 & RA Download Selections There are 3 columns for audio on the right side of the table below that can be used in these ways: By leftclicking in the "MP3" column, you can listen to the MP3 audio files. By right-clicking in the "MP3" column, you can download the MP3 audio file to play it later. By left-clicking in the "Listen" column, you can play live streaming RealAudio with RealPlayer. By right-clicking in the "Download" column, you can download the RealAudio file to play it later. [article link]
MarketWatch Commentary: Pulling back the curtain - We may not like the financial engineering that would be exposed - We used to huddle in hushed tones and talk about "the invisible hand" - matter-of-factly, that there is indeed a Working Group on Financial Markets in force and at play - The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist I've been trading for 17 years and have used an assimilation of four primary metrics fundamentals, technicals, structural and psychology to shape my risk profile. I continue to use this recipe, as we did in front of earnings, to help guide my decision-making process. It's a useful guide but truth be told, it's lost a bit of its predictive power. See column Something has changed with regard to the DNA of the tape. I've felt it for a few years but naturally assumed that I, not the tape, had shifted course. The notion that there was an unnatural tone to the market, an underlying tenor, if you will, felt like forced validation or post-rationalization. But still, it persisted. Internally at first and then in select circles. We used to huddle in hushed tones and talk about "the invisible hand" or the "plunge protection team." We did so for fear of being called conspiracy theorists or, worse, unpatriotic. The thought that there was a hidden force seemed bizarre. I was taught that nobody was bigger than the market. Most certainly, if there were games being played, it would eventually come out. Still, some of my most trusted and widely respected sources confided in me that they saw it as well. They did so in confidence, as Wall Street is a small place where credibility is the gateway of continuity. I, too, held my tongue for fear of retribution or consequence. Even still, to this day, there are folks that will view this column as financial sacrilege. So what now gives this topic license for discussion? Paulson, who recently said, matter-offactly, that there is indeed a Working Group on Financial Markets in force and at play. Further, he has openly held discussions with Wall Street firms and hedge fund managers in an attempt to gain leverage in the financial equation. [article link]
(Mormon) Gunslinger Porter Rockwell Takes the Spotlight - Rockwell was one of the first people to be baptized into the Mormon Church - He was baptized along with Joseph Smith's parents and Martin Harris - In addition
to being a bodyguard to the prophet Joseph Smith, Rockwell was also known for his gun-shooting skills and accuracy - Rockwell was known to carry at least four guns on his person at all times - Anderson passed around a single-shot pistol, a gun that Rockwell was accused of using in the murder of Missouri governor Lilbourn Boggs Rockwell was one of the first people to be baptized into the Mormon Church. He was baptized along with Joseph Smith's parents and Martin Harris. Throughout his life, Rockwell earned many reputations. In addition to being a bodyguard to the prophet Joseph Smith, Rockwell was also known for his gun-shooting skills and accuracy. ... On Christmas 1843, Rockwell appeared at Joseph Smith's house after escaping from jail. Anderson related that Rockwell was able to escape prison because he was so thin he was able to climb up through the chimney. He was dirty and disheveled. It took a moment for Smith to recognize his friend Rockwell, but he soon did. ... Rockwell was once in a tavern and encountered a man who didn't like him. The two got into an argument. The man held a gun to Rockwell and shot, point blank. It is said the bullet came out of the barrel, bounced off Rockwell's chest and fell to the ground. Rockwell moved west with the Saints (Mormons). He was also a bodyguard of the Prophet Brigham Young. ... Young led a large group of people and animals down the steep and treacherous cliffs of Hurricane. When he got to the bottom, he looked up and watched as Rockwell descended. Rockwell was a bit drunk and barely made it safely down the steep cliffs. ... Rockwell died of a heart attack at age 65. He was found in his bed with his boots still on his feet. [article link]
The former president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention (Pastor Don Wilton) has retracted his endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney - Wilton said the endorsement - first announced by the Romney campaign last Friday - was a "mistake" The former president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention has retracted his endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The Romney campaign has agreed to withdraw all references to Pastor Don Wilton's endorsement of Romney, the Baptist Press reported on Tuesday. Wilton said the endorsement first announced by the Romney campaign last Friday - was a "mistake." "While I did give my consent to the local campaign to use my affirmation of the governor's stance on family values in my capacity as an individual citizen, I made the mistake of not realizing the extent to which it would be used on a national basis," Wilton told the news agency. "It was my personal error to agree to support Romney's campaign. Until this incident I had never endorsed any person running for any elected office, Democrat or Republican." [article link]
Why Dr. Dobson's right - that he will not support any candidate for president who is pro-abortion - We will never get better candidates if we accept lesser candidates - It's simple market politics We will never get better candidates if we accept lesser candidates. It's simple market politics. If Rudy Giuliani wins the Republican nomination, it will represent the first time in 30 years that an avowedly pro-abortion candidate did so. Don't expect that pendulum to swing back for another 30 years. And, if Giuliani should, by some twist of fate, win the presidency, it will mean the end of Reaganism. It will represent a turning point in the history of the Republican Party and our nation. It will mean the continued deaths of tens of millions unborn babies when we are closer than ever to defeating the abortion culture that Roe v. Wade initiated in 1973. Should Giuliani succeed, it will represent the end of any hope for the Republican Party to serve as an alternative to the Democratic Party for millions of people like me and Dr. Dobson. That's bigger than two terms of Hillary Rodham Clinton. That's worse even than four or eight more years in the wilderness. I'll go even further than Dr. Dobson. Not only will I not support any candidate who is pro-abortion, I won't support any candidate who is not doing his or her absolute best to uphold, support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That shouldn't just be my prerequisite. It should be the prerequisite of every American. Yet, it is very difficult to find among the front-runners candidates who respect and revere and understand the Constitution. I also won't vote for any candidate who says he's against abortion and same-sex marriage and higher taxes and Second Amendment restrictions but whose actions as an elected public official betray his words. That means you, Mitt
Romney. As voters, we should raise our standards. Otherwise, we will get candidates whose standards reflect the lowest common denominator - not the ideals of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Dr. Dobson is right. More of us should take that principled stand. More of us should let the whole world know what that stand is. More of us should hold politicians accountable to higher standards. If they want our votes, they should have to earn them. What is so hard to understand about that? [article link]
Mitt Romney's (FRC) ballot-box stuffing - By the way, when that announcement was made following fanfare, including a drum roll, the audience (who were 5-to-1 Huckabee supporters) sat stunned There are now two major polls that put Gov. Mike Huckabee in a 5-to-1 lead among values voters: the Values Voter Presidential Debate and the Values Voter Summit. ... For those who missed the event, let me give you a glimpse into what was said. I'll summarize Rudy Giuliani's speech with these words: "You'll always know where I stand." Yeah, against us. That's why, Mayor Giuliani, you won't be getting our vote. Gov. Mitt Romney was introduced by Jay Sekulow with the words: "I know his judicial philosophy." Yeah, so do I. ... Actions are what you believe, and when Romney appointed judges as governor, he "passed over GOP lawyers for three-quarters of the 36 judicial vacancies he has faced, instead tapping registered Democrats or independents - including two gay lawyers who have supported expanded same-sex rights." Those are the kind of judges we can expect from Romney. He said he'd be a pro-life president "just like I was a pro-life governor." This guy doesn't know when to quit. Watch for yourself what kind of governor he was. Then he promoted his Massachusetts Health Care as a model for the nation - that's the one that had abortion as a "health care benefit." Then Romney, who sat on the Marriot board while they pumped the sewage of pornography into hotel rooms, said he had a "one strike and you're out" policy on pornography - placing an "ankle bracelet for life" on those responsible. I'm not sure if he applies that policy to himself; he didn't lift his pants leg. ... The clear winner was Gov. Mike Huckabee who remarked that he comes "from us rather than to us." He told the group he sings from his heart, and doesn't "just lip-sync the words." He spoke of the threat of Islamofascism, and he's right - it shouldn't be easier to cross our border illegally than for us to get on an airplane in our own hometown. He said "no" to amnesty and sanctuary cities. He said we must secure the border - and "do it now." Sounds like he's coming along. Huckabee also talked against the outsourcing of jobs to China and being free of our dependence on oil from Saudi Arabia within 10 years. He spoke against U.N. treaties like the "Rights of the Child," which would mandate abortion, and the "Law of the Sea," which surrenders our ocean's riches to U.N. control. Almost as if he'd been listening to Phyllis Schlafly speeches. He also held firm to what he called the "non-negotiables" of life and marriage and encouraged attendees not to spell G-O-D as the G-O-P. [article link]
Gay (Log Cabin) Republicans Go After Mitt Romney's Flip-Flops - "For years, he's fought conservatives and religious extremists" - "A record fighting the religious right, a pro-choice record, Massachusetts values: Mitt Romney" In 2004, in an ingenious move, Log Cabin ran a $1 million TV ad campaign against amending the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage: Footage from the 2000 vice presidential debate showed Dick Cheney, loving dad of a lesbian daughter, making their argument that the states -- not the federal government -- should govern marriage. The Romney flip-flop ad is Log Cabin's most daring high-wire act: If Romney become president, the group faces even further exile as the lavender sheep in the GOP family. But if early voters decide Romney has a closet full of flip-flops and Log Cabin's ad gets remembered as helping to doom his campaign, it'll have succeeded in turning itself into a gay version of the Republican Party's widely feared Club for Growth, which bankrolls primary challengers if officeholders don't toe its anti-tax line. Plus, it also will have helped nominate a Republican less intent on courting social conservatives by making anti-gay promises. "We are a Republican organization that cares about the future of our party," [article link]
Mitt Romney's 1994 Letter to (Gay) Log Cabin Republicans - I am writing to thank the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts for the advice and support you have given to me during my campaign for the US Senate and to seek the Club's formal endorsement of my election. …Your endorsement is important to me because it will provide further confirmation that my campaign and approach to government is consistent with the values and vision of government we share Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (Republican and Mormon) wrote this friendly letter to the prohomosexuality Log Cabin Republicans on Oct 6, 1994. Click HERE to read the letter in its entirety or peruse the excerpts below. And as you're reading this, keep in mind that his opponent was none other than ultra-liberal Senator Ted Kennedy ... "…As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever before that as we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent." I am not unaware of my opponents [sic] considerable record in the area of civil rights… For some voters it might be enough for me to simply match my opponent's record in this area. But I believe we can and must do better. If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent cannot do this. I can and will. "We have discussed a number of important issues such as the Federal Employment NonDiscrimination Act (ENDA), which I have agreed to co-sponsor, and if possible broaden to include housing and credit, and a bill to create a federal panel to find ways to reduce gay and lesbian youth suicide, which I also support. One issue I want to clarify concerns [grammar in context] President Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue" military policy. I believe that the Clinton compromise was a step in the right direction. I am also convinced that it is the first of a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation's military. That goal will only be reached when preventing discrimination against gays and lesbians is a mainstream concern, which is a goal we share..." [article link]
Hands Off Intel Corp. - The Federal Trade Commission has declined to open a formal antitrust probe of Intel good news for those who believe the market, not a bureaucracy, is the best arbiter Regulation: The Federal Trade Commission has declined to open a formal antitrust probe of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) -- good news for those who believe the market, not a bureaucracy, is the best arbiter. The details of the case are actually irrelevant. But here's the short story: Rival Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:AMD) , lawmakers and some FTC commissioners have asked the agency to begin a formal investigation of Intel. They allege that the company is engaging in anti-competitive behavior with its 80% to 90% market share -- to squeeze AMD by offering computer makers discounts if they won't use AMD products. What is relevant is the foolishness of antitrust laws. Should they not be more appropriately called Punish Success Laws? Don't the laws exist simply to penalize thriving companies? Certainly no failing company has ever been subject to an antitrust probe. If the goal of antitrust law is to discourage or eliminate monopolies, then the market is best equipped to do that. The market abhors a monopoly, and as long as there are no government barriers to entry, it will allow a monopoly to exist for only a short time, if at all. Should someone build a better product -- and someone inevitably will -- the market eventually will reward its creators, especially if the product can be sold at a lower price. This is the essence of competition. In some cases the competition might arrive later than the dominate company's rivals would like. But there's no objective standard as to how long is too long. The point 19, it will happen. The public has been conditioned to believe that antitrust laws were made for consumer protection, that free enterprise could not exist without them. But history reveals a different story. Antitrust laws actually have been used as weapons by businesses having difficulties competing. [article link]
Queen to honor CNN's Amanpour - Amanpour is set to receive a CBE, or Commander in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, "for services to journalism" - She recently completed a year-long investigation into religious extremism titled "God's Warriors" {Her recent work "God's Warriors" about Jews, Christians and Muslims is probably the most fraudulent piece of journalism in the history of journalism. It was contrived of
misrepresentations and its only intention was to promote Islam.} LONDON, England (CNN) -- She has reported from the front lines of conflicts around the world, interviewed world leaders, and investigated the important issues of our time. And on Tuesday, CNN's Christiane Amanpour receives an honor from Britain's Queen Elizabeth in recognition of her work. Christiane Amanpour's award recognizes her services to journalism. Amanpour is set to receive a CBE, or Commander in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, "for services to journalism." "I'm really, really thrilled and I'm really proud," Amanpour told CNN when the award was announced earlier this year. "But I think I'm really proud of the simple citation which says 'for services to journalism.'" As CNN's chief international correspondent based in London, Amanpour has reported on most crises from the world's many news hotspots including Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Somalia, Rwanda and the Balkans. She recently completed a year-long investigation into religious extremism titled "God's Warriors." The CBE ceremony is formally called an "investiture" and is held in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace. About 20 investitures are held each year for those receiving the award. [article link]
Medal of Honor awarded - Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy - Murphy's honor is the first to be awarded from the war in Afghanistan WASHINGTON (CNN) -- His mother describes Lt. Michael Murphy as "someone who always stuck up for the underdog." His father says he was "honest, kind, caring -- probably the antithesis of what you would call a warrior." Murphy is the first U.S. service member to receive the Medal of Honor for action in Afghanistan. Two years after he was killed in a firefight in Afghanistan, Dan and Maureen Murphy and their son John on Monday received Lt. Murphy's Medal of Honor for heroism on the battlefield from President Bush. Murphy's honor is the first to be awarded from the war in Afghanistan. Two Medals of Honor have been awarded to soldiers serving in Iraq. In June 2005, Murphy, 29, led his four-man Navy SEAL team into the 10,000-foot peaks of Afghanistan's Hindu Kush to search for a terrorist thought to be in the region. But they were soon spotted and started taking fire from more than 40 insurgents. According to a Navy report on the incident, the insurgents held the advantage of terrain and launched a well organized, three-sided attack on the team, forcing them deeper into a ravine. All four men were soon wounded, said the SEAL team's lone survivor, Petty Officer 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell. [article link]
{Flashback} Navy SEAL Falls on Grenade to Save Comrades CORONADO, Calif. - A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said. Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret. "He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it,"said a 28-year-old lieutenant who sustained shrapnel wounds to both legs that day."He undoubtedly saved mine and the other SEALs' lives, and we owe him." [article link]
Cult Watch - "Family Radio" Harold Camping, Founder and President, Family Radio (Family Stations, Inc.) {Be careful what you listen too. This "Family Radio" is crackpot radio extraordinaire. I listened to the call in show for about an hour and had a good laugh as the guy, squirmed his way around caller's good questions and into his FACTS, it was very funny. Except that his facts are that Christians are not Saved (only him and his exact followers go to heaven - go figure!) True Christians have never claimed to be "perfect" or without mistakes. To look at the mistakes of Christians is to neglect to look at the only True and Perfect one - Jesus our Savior.} A false prophet. He first predicted the end of the world to take place in 1994, and now claims the church age has come to an end. Phil Johnson notes: Harold Camping has finally gone completely off. Having proved himself a false prophet by predicting that Christ would return to earth on September 6, 1994, Camping
continues to make false prophecies. His most recent one is the absurd claim that the Church age has come to an end, and the Tribulation has begun. God is through with the church, Camping insists. He wants all Christians to leave their churches and trust Family Radio to be the vehicle through which the gospel is preached to the whole world. (You can guess where Camping thinks you should send all your money.) This once-fine ministry is a tragic example of what can happen when one man is given too much control with no accountability. Source: Family Radio entry, Phil Johnson's Bookmarks : Really Bad Theology ... Camping's aberrant and extra-biblical teachings and behavior (including his lack of accountability) place him outside the boundaries of orthodox, evangelical Christianity. [article link]
The FRC 'Values Voter Summit' -- was truth compromised? - All of these candidates have either an outright pro-abortion position or a Stephen A. Douglas-like position that puts states' rights ahead of the God-given -and therefore unalienable -- rights to life and liberty - FRC gave each of these candidates the use of its platform - It gave each of them a photo-op receiving a standing ovation from a crowd identified as strongly pro-life and supportive of the God-ordained natural family Those who followed last week's (FRC) "Values Voter Summit" of the Family Research Council, which had invited Republican presidential candidates to address an audience of moral conservatives, might consider this - Former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani once said, "Most of [Bill] Clinton's policies are similar to most of mine." On another occasion, he highly praised the founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, and offered up a citywide proclamation honoring the infamous racist eugenicist. As governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney used his executive power to unconstitutionally and unlawfully institute gay marriage; signed into law socialized medicine, complete with taxpayer-funded abortions; presided over the thorough implementation of the radical gay agenda in the public schools; and signed a permanent "assault" weapons ban. John McCain and Fred Thompson spearheaded passage of the so-called "campaign finance reform" which was originally known as "McCain-Feingold-Thompson," the worst-ever attack on free political speech in American history. ... For weeks prior to the event - in advertising, and in the radio and television pronouncements of FRC leaders - FRC claimed that all the candidates in both parties were invited. This claim was patently false, since Dr. Keyes was excluded, and yet they refused to correct it even after its untruthfulness was pointed out to them repeatedly. Keyes staffers, seeing the claims that "all" the candidates had been invited, even the Democrats, thought perhaps an invitation for Ambassador Keyes had been lost in the mail. It could happen. So, they contacted FRC organizers just to be sure there was no misunderstanding. To their surprise, no such misplaced invitation had ever been offered. And none was ever forthcoming. [article link]
Contested (FRC) Vote Count: Romney v Huckabee - Immediately after Tony Perkins announced the result of the FRC Action straw poll, in which Mitt Romney edged Mike Huckabee by 30 votes out of 5,775 cast, Huckabee boosters cried foul - and reporters peppered Perkins with questions about the legitimacy of the poll - Turns out that Huckabee won a majority of the votes cast in person at the Values Voter Summit, 51%, and Romney only took 10% - **But other (online) votes were cast anytime online between August and Saturday - Perkins wouldn't tell reporters who he had voted for Immediately after Tony Perkins announced the result of the FRC Action straw poll, in which Mitt Romney edged Mike Huckabee by 30 votes out of 5,775 cast, Huckabee boosters cried foul - and reporters peppered Perkins with questions about the legitimacy of the poll. Turns out that Huckabee won a majority of the votes cast in person at the Values Voter Summit, 51 percent, and Romney only took 10 percent. Some unknown number of votes were cast online by people who also attended. But other votes were cast anytime online between August and Saturday. That's how Ron Paul showed up in third place with 865 votes even though he was picked by only 25 in-person voters. ... Perkins wouldn't tell reporters who he had voted for. [article link]
**Talking It Over: Radio Broadcasts - THE TRUTH BEHIND THE SECRET - The Secret and the Martyrs Oct 13, 2007 - Islam Christianity and Homosexuality Oct 6, 2007 (Mp3's) {Two Radio Programs - both are absolutely Amazing, must Listen too shows. Download and pass along these two audio treasures.} Janet Parshall talked with James Walker, author of THE TRUTH BEHIND THE SECRET, about the New York Times Bestseller that is leading millions astray. In our second hour, Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs gave us an update on the Persecuted Church. Janet also talked with author Michael Behe about the flaws in Darwinism as evidenced in God's design of the world of DNA. ... On our inaugural program, Janet Parshall talked with two men who are familiar with Islam, Dr. Ergun Caner and Dr. Samuel Naaman. We looked at the theology in Iranian President Ahmadinejad's recent speeches in the U.S., and examined this religion, as well as the Church's role in responding to it. During our second hour, Janet Parshall talked with Joe Dallas, former homosexual, about whether you can be both gay and a Christian. [article link]
WE ARE TO GROW UP IN EVERY WAY INTO HIM (JESUS). Ephesians 4:15 - Many Christians remain stunted and limited in spiritual things and never seem to make progress from year to year - No surge of growth and spiritual interest is seen in them Many Christians remain stunted and limited in spiritual things and never seem to make progress from year to year. No surge of growth and spiritual interest is seen in them. They exist but do not "grow up in every way into him." Should we be content with being in the green blade when we might advance to the ear and eventually ripen into the full corn in the ear? Should we be satisfied to believe in Christ and to say, "I am safe" without wishing to know in our own experience more of the fullness that is to be found in Him? It ought not to be so; we should long as good traders in heaven's market to be enriched in the knowledge of Jesus. It is all very well to keep other men's vineyards, but we must not neglect our own spiritual growth and ripening. Why should it always be wintertime in our hearts? We must have our seedtime, it is true, but oh, for a springtime-yes, a summer season that will give promise of an early harvest. If we would ripen in grace, we must live near to Jesus-in His presence-ripened by the sunshine of His smiles. We must hold sweet communion with Him. We must leave the distant view of His face and come near, as John did, and rest our head upon His shoulder; then we will find ourselves advancing in holiness, in love, in faith, in hope-in every precious gift. As the sun rises first on mountaintops and gilds them with its light and presents one of the most charming sights to the traveler's eye, so is it one of the most delightful contemplations in the world to observe a spiritual glow on the head of some saint who has risen in stature, like Saul, above his fellows until, like a mighty snow-capped Alp, he reflects among the chosen the beams of the Sun of Righteousness and bears the glow of His radiance high for all to see, and seeing it, to glorify his Father who is in heaven. [article link]
Opponents say Romney is stacking (FRC) straw poll - Mitt Romney's campaign figured out a way for supporters to help him do well in a closely watched straw poll of Christian conservative leaders - Donate at least $1 to the Family Research Council Action (FRC), then vote online - A top Romney supporter sent an e-mail to other backers Thursday, urging them to use the online option Mitt Romney's campaign figured out a way for supporters to help him do well in a closely watched straw poll of Christian conservative leaders without showing up at the event: Donate at least $1 to the Family Research Council Action, then vote online. A top Romney supporter sent an e-mail to other backers Thursday, urging them to use the online option. "Let me tell you how simple this is!" read the e-mail from Mark DeMoss ... DeMoss defended the online campaign yesterday, but aides to rivals John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Fred Thompson said they were not asking their supporters to vote online. They also noted that, typically, straw polls measure the support of people in a place, in this case a summit of prominent conservative leaders. "Our campaign is focused on winning votes and not buying straw polls," one McCain aide said. [article link]
{Flashback} Young Republicans Defend Their Straw Poll {Romney goes "Mountain Meadows" style at Young Republican (YR) straw pole. Romney disguised not as an Indian but as a conservative suggested the YR's raise the 'white flag' and trust Romney to lead them to safety meanwhile behind their backs Romney powwowed a voting eligibility rules change and secretly brought in his band of ringers to secure an election victory. Romney's fellow Mormons are claiming that it is a brilliant leadership strategy but unfortunately it was only a blatant election massacre.} Young Republican convention organizer Brian Graham defended the straw poll against the accuastions it was rigged for Mitt Romney. Graham, a Romney supporter, sent key Young Republican officials this e-mail, which this column has obtained. Some folks have gone on to some blogs to try to make our convention look bad. They are complaining about non-YRs voting in the Straw Poll. ... After asking a female member of the YRNC Planning Committee specifically who had assisted with registration about this issue, she initially confirmed that she thought only Delegates, Alts. and registered guests for the Convention could vote. She later changed her mind to confirm that anyone could vote who paid to attend the dinner. ... Hence, the audible booing and hissing by YR Delegates as the Straw Poll results were announced at the closing YRNC2007 Sunday meeting. [article link]
FRC Action 2008 Straw Poll Results (Onsite) Mike Huckabee 488 Votes 51.26% - Mitt Romney 99 Votes 10.40% -- (Online) Mitt Romney 1595 Votes 27.62% - Mike Huckabee 1565 Votes 27.15% [Onsite - on location the people who saw the candidates and heard the speaking. Online - voting via internet w/o attending the event.] FRC Action (formerly American Renewal), the non-profit and tax-exempt legislative action arm of Family Research Council, was founded in 1992 to educate the general public and cultural leaders about traditional American values and to promote the philosophy of the Founding Fathers concerning the nature of ordered liberty. [article link]
Romney wins (FRC) straw poll at Values Voters Summit - The former Massachusetts governor won almost 28 percent of the 5,776 votes cast, edging out former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who finished 30 votes behind him - "It's hard to gauge how big a victory this is for Romney because we're not entirely sure whether these voters represent the larger Christian conservative constituency" WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney narrowly won a straw poll of mostly Christian conservative voters at the Family Research Council's Values Voters Summit held this weekend in the nation's capital. The former Massachusetts governor won almost 28 percent of the 5,776 votes cast, edging out former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who finished 30 votes behind him. ... Texas Rep. Ron Paul finished in third place, with 15 percent of the vote, and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson finished in fourth place with 10 percent. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani finished with 107 votes, just under 2 percent of all ballots cast, and Arizona Sen. John McCain was just behind Giuliani, with 81 votes. "It's hard to gauge how big a victory this is for Romney because we're not entirely sure whether these voters represent the larger Christian conservative constituency," CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider said. [article link]
Bob Jones Dances With The Devil - Bob Jones III, chancellor of the Christian fundamentalist school named for his family, is endorsing Republican Mitt Romney for president {#1 blog post (most informative) of 2007? This Excellent article could be it!} In his endorsement of Mitt Romney, Dr. Bob Jones III also said, "This all about beating Hillary." Oh, really? Since when does a preacher of the Gospel and Christian educator put electing charlatans (of any political party) ahead of standing for truth and doing right? And this leads to another problem. Our Christian "leaders" have forgotten what it means to stand on principle. They have gotten so bogged down in politics that they have forsaken the divine call to be watchmen on the wall. If Bob Jones III would be as concerned about standing for truth and principle as he is about "beating Hillary," many others might be encouraged to do the same--and we preachers might actually be able to have a positive impact upon the direction of our country. As it is, our
Christian "leaders" are not only not helping to lead our nation out of its current mess, they are actually contributing to the problem, as Dr. Jones' endorsement of Mitt Romney illustrates. Furthermore, what is Dr. Bob going to say to the students and graduates of Bob Jones University? How can he justify all the years of "separation" preaching that BJU is known for? Where is his consistency? How can he now turn around and convince his students that all those Christian "standards" regarding the fellowship of light with darkness, reproving evil, contending for the faith, etc., apply only to areas outside politics? Obviously, BJU students now know that when it comes to politics, we can cast all those principles aside. It makes one wonder what other areas of the Christian life are exempt from Biblical principles. Maybe our business life? But that's a subject for another day. [article link]
J.K. Rowling Reveals 'Harry Potter' Character Dumbledore Is Gay - She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love" - "Dumbledore is gay" the author responded to gasps and applause NEW YORK - Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday night while appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall. After reading briefly from the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," she took questions from audience members. She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love." "Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause. [article link]
{Flashback} Film Director Sparks Debate Over Origins of 'Harry Potter' - or whether she's just a good actress fronted by multinational commercial interests A Norwegian film director has sparked a debate in Norway over whether JK Rowling really is the enormously successful author who launched the Harry Potter craze, or whether she's just a good actress fronted by multinational commercial interests. A Norwegian film director has doubts as to whether JK Rowling is really behind the story of Harry Potter. [article link]
Special Article: Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling is part of a larger movement that is helping to bring in the New Age antiChrist "messiah" - HARRY POTTER TEACHES CHILDREN TO USE PROFANITY AND BLASPHEME GOD Occultists use fiction to separate the true seekers from the common "herd". This article (and particularly the second part next week) will prove that Harry Potter is truly satanic. Although I have tried to make sure there is nothing crude or profane in this article, it is written and intended for adults only. This is an in-depth review (primarily) of J.K. Row ling's first Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (1999) from a Biblical perspective. It is divided into sections. Christians reading and defending Harry Potter books (Chuck Colson, etc.) are part of the "falling away" predicted for these last days (2 Thess.2:3, 1 Tim.4:1). This article will explain why. I pray many will be convinced and turn from this deception. Part two of this study will deal with the deep occult themes and symbolism used by Rowing that is meant for the 'seekers" and "initiates". Rowling is more than familiar with Balvatsky, Pike and Crowley. Her Potter books are abundantly laced with pure occultism. Rowling is not a naive author who simply wrote a best-selling fantasy. She is part of a larger movement that is helping to bring in the New Age "messiah". [article link]
Harry Reid's slam (letter) on Rush Limbaugh fetches $2.1 million - Limbaugh pledging to match whatever it fetched and donate it all to The Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation - And in a unique twist of fate, Reid took to the Senate floor Friday complimenting Limbaugh for his use of the letter {Rush Limbaugh is incredible (LDS) Mormon Harry Reid is less than incredible, much less.} WASHINGTON (CNN) - What's the going price for a letter signed by 41 Senate Democrats officially condemning conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh's recent controversial 'phony soldiers' comments?
$2.1 million, apparently. That was the winning eBay.com bid Friday for a letter sent to Clear Channel CEO Mark Mays officially calling on him to condemn the comments in question. The letter was written by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and signed by 40 Democratic senators, including White House hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Mays refused to condemn the remarks and Limbaugh placed Reid's letter on the popular auction Web site last Friday, pledging to match whatever it fetched and donate it all to The Marine Corps - Law Enforcement Foundation. ... "The government tried to take away my living, by sending this letter to Mark Mays at Clear Channel and asking him to confer with me about my remarks," Limbaugh said on his show Friday announcing the winning bid. "Private citizens, of their own accord - without a government mandate, without an Al Gore pledge - responded with creativity, and charity, and a sense of fun." Limbaugh identified the winning bidder as Betty Casey, a philanthropist and trustee of the Eugene B. Casey Foundation "We cannot thank her enough for her support in this, and I am honored, and proud, and happy to be matching her," Limbaugh said of Casey. And in a unique twist of fate, Reid took to the Senate floor Friday complimenting Limbaugh for his use of the letter. (Watch Reid on the Senate floor) ... "I asked Senator Reid to go on the program and discuss his discussion of me as 'unpatriotic,'" Limbaugh said on his show Friday after Reid's speech. "He did not accept my offer to do that, and now has the audacity to climb aboard this, praising the effort, saying that 'he' never knew that it would get this kind of money. It got this kind of money because it represents one of the most outrageous abuses of federal power in modern American history, and that is what makes it a collector's item." [article link]
Microsoft's top 10 reasons to upgrade to Ubuntu Linux, not Vista - #10 Surf more safely - #9 Unchain your mobile PC -- #1 It makes using your PC a breeze {I wouldn't say "breeze" but Ubuntu is less difficult than Vista. Vista just does not work period. If you need a reliable OS, Apple or Ubuntu are better options. Microsoft should have gotten Vista up to speed before releasing it.} #1 It makes using your PC a breeze. The cliché literally is true: Ubuntu just works. You install it and it runs. In fact, you can test it out. Without harming your computer in any way, you can boot from the Ubuntu CD and give it a complete whirl on your machine. If you don't like it, nothing's lost. You just remove the CD and boot back in to your existing operating system. Ubuntu is the operating system your granny can use. And what a dutiful grandchild you'd be setting her up with it. Imagine not having to explain blue screens of death, or UAC, or program crashes and lockups. Thanks, Microsoft, for these top 10 reasons why we should upgrade. Let's take up that advice. Time to load Gutsy Gibbon. [article link]
Apple's new Leopard OS could stalk Windows (XP - Vista) - Apple calls Mac OS X Leopard its biggest operating system upgrade ever - due in stores Oct. 26, 2007 A Leopard is set to join the Apple family, the latest in a string of animal-named products aimed at taking a bite out of the competition. Apple calls Mac OS X Leopard its biggest operating system upgrade ever. At $129, it's due in stores Oct. 26 and promises 300 new features. Leopard, which replaces OS X Tiger, arrives as Apple is having a record year. Its stock has doubled in 2007, from about $85 a share in early January to nearly $170 now. It has sold more than 1 million iPhones, the year's most hyped and discussed tech product. And Apple's iPod business remains strong. New iPod units recently introduced include a video-capable Nano, a small media player that is the most popular in the line. While much of Apple's attention has been focused on non-computer activities, Leopard is aimed at a core goal - selling more Macintosh computers. The new operating system has loads of new stylistic bells and whistles, with two notables: • Time Machine automatically backs up files without your involvement and lets you "turn back time" to retrieve a lost file. It's different from other backup utilities in that with "a couple of setup clicks, you're done," says Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller. "Everything is automatic." • Boot Camp gives you the ability to run Windows on a Mac. All you need to do is buy a copy of Windows software, and you can run both platforms on one machine. [article link]
What Are They Teaching? Saudi-run Islamic school in Virginia stonewalls panel's request to check textbooks for religious intolerance {Religious discussion and even disagreement is appropriate but threatening to harm others is not!} WASHINGTON - A congressionally mandated panel that promotes religious freedom is recommending the Bush administration close a Virginia-based Islamic school run by the Saudi government if school officials don't comply with demands to turn over textbooks that may include lessons on jihad and intolerance toward other religions. "Significant concerns remain about whether what is being taught at the (school) promotes religious intolerance and may adversely affect the interests of the United States," said a report released Thursday by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. ... The panel's findings focuses on a number of areas of concern with Saudi Arabia, including a 2003 study showing that Saudi texts encouraged violence toward others, "misguides the pupils into believing that in order to safeguard their own religion, they must violently repress and even physically eliminate the 'other.'" A separate study last year conducted by The Center for Religious Freedom, run by Freedom House, and the Institute for Gulf Affairs, found that a ninth-grade Saudi textbook "teaches teenagers in apocalyptic terms that violence towards Jews, Christians and other unbelievers is sanctioned by God," the report reads. [article link]
Dallas minister urges vote for a Christian, not Romney - "Mormonism is not Christianity - Mormonism is a cult" Some in the large crowd began to applaud as Dr. Jeffress continued with his remarks Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, said that Mormonism is a false religion and that Mr. Romney was not a Christian. "Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise," Dr. Jeffress said in a sermon Sept. 30. "Even though he talks about Jesus as his Lord and savior, he is not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. Mormonism is a cult." Some in the large crowd began to applaud as Dr. Jeffress continued with his remarks. "What really distresses me is some of my ministerial friends and even leaders in our convention are saying, 'Oh, well, he talks about Jesus, we talk about Jesus. What's the big deal?' " he said. "It is a big deal if anybody names another way to be saved except through Jesus Christ." Mr. Romney's campaign said Wednesday that despite such attitudes by Christian conservatives, the former Massachusetts governor has won the support of many conservatives and that his religion is not a political liability. [article link]
Still Thinking Third Party? - I went on to note that regardless of who emerges in the primary, I will continue to support the Republican Party: {It is no longer important, meaningful or even relevant to have a Republican in office. The scandal plagued Republicans are just as despotic as the Democrats there is minimal difference between the two major parties.} FOX News focused on this third party dilemma in their latest poll, saying that when a third party Christian conservative is in the mix for the White House, "the candidate captures one of four Republican votes and a small minority of the overall vote." What is the result? According to FOX News, "That significantly decreases support for Republican Rudy Giuliani and increases Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's lead to double digits." ... What does this all mean? Does this mean we should all jump on the Giuliani bandwagon right now? Of course not. This is the primary election season. We should be out there working and campaigning hard for the candidate that most reflects our values. These candidates will battle it out in state primaries and caucuses. When the dust settles, one will emerge as the Republican nominee. I will support that nominee. Supporting a third party candidate in 2008 will ensure that Clinton wins. The country can not afford the damage that will be done if the Democrats hold the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives. [article link]
Hillary Clinton widens lead, Romney still in fourth - For Romney, the poll numbers aren't as encouraging Romney is also in fourth in terms of voter enthusiasm - 22% (of Republicans) said they would either vote for the Democrat or stay home Interestingly, the poll's findings also rebut the thinking that Clinton, the former first lady, is the "default"
candidate and does not draw passionate support from Democrats. If she is the nominee, 64 percent of Democrats said they would vote for her enthusiastically, 22 percent said they would support her mainly to oppose the Republican nominee, and 10 percent said they would vote for the Republican or stay home. ... For Romney, the poll numbers aren't as encouraging. While he is leading narrowly in New Hampshire and by a wider margin in Iowa polls, he remains stuck in fourth nationally with 10 percent, trailing Rudy Giuliani with 32 percent, Fred Thompson with 18 percent, and John McCain with 14 percent. Romney is also in fourth in terms of voter enthusiasm. Only one-fourth of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they would enthusiastically for Romney if he were the nominee, while 38 percent said they would support him mostly to oppose the Democratic nominee, and 22 percent said they would either vote for the Democrat or stay home. [article link]
Romney outspends Giuliani on media in past quarter - Seeking to catch national GOP presidential frontrunner Rudy Giuliani - 12 times as much as Giuliani expended on media WASHINGTON - Seeking to catch national GOP presidential frontrunner Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney spent $6 million on radio and television advertising in the past three months, 12 times as much as Giuliani expended on media, campaign finance reports filed yesterday show. Romney outspent all of his Republican rivals, sinking a total of $21 million into his campaign, compared with Giuliani's $13.3 million in expenses and newcomer Fred Thompson's $5.7 million, according to the reports to the Federal Election Commission. ... Romney ran 10,893 ads this year, including 10,199 local TV ads - nearly half of them in Iowa, the Nielsen Co. reported yesterday. [article link]
Bob Jones III Backs Romney - Bob Jones III, chancellor of the Christian fundamentalist school named for his family, is endorsing Republican Mitt Romney for president - Jones didn't immediately respond to a message left Tuesday evening by The Associated Press Romney and Jones would appear to be a political odd couple, with the Southern fundamentalist Christian throwing his support behind the Mormon who was governor of Massachusetts. But Jones said his endorsement came after he decided Romney would do the most to represent the average conservative American. "As a Christian I am completely opposed to the doctrines of Mormonism," Jones told the newspaper. "But I'm not voting for a preacher. I'm voting for a president. It boils down to who can best represent conservative American beliefs, not religious beliefs." [article link]
*Updated Columnist Ann Coulter Shocks Cable TV Show, Declaring 'Jews Need to Be Perfected (Salvation) by Becoming Christians' {Ann Coulter is a media personality, she is just doing what she does best and that is her getting attention. The Bible is clear that there will ALWAYS be Jews and the Jewish nation of Israel will remain. God has preserved for Himself a remnant of Hebrews and therefore Not all the Jews become Christians and not all Jews need to as the Jews are God's Redeemed (Isaiah 43:1) and in the resurrection they receive Salvation. A Christian is now both Redeemed and healed (Salvation). -- In studying the Bible it appears that the (Jewish) Apostle Paul never questions the Redemption of his non-Christian "Jewish brethren" (Romans 10:1) The Apostle Paul only offers Salvation to the Jews as they are already Redeemed (Acts 28:28).} columnist Ann Coulter shocked a cable TV talk-show audience Monday when she declared that Jews need to be "perfected" by becoming Christians, and that America would be better off if everyone were Christian. Coulter made the remarkable statements during an often heated appearance to promote her new book on advertising guru Donny Deutsch's CNBC show "The Big Idea." In response to a question from Deutsch asking Coulter if "it would be better if we were all Christian," the controversial columnist responded: "Yes." "We should all be Christian?" Deutsch repeated. "Yes," Coulter responded, asking Deutsch, who is Jewish, if he would like to "come to church with me." Deutsch, pressing Coulter further, asked, "We should just throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians?" She responded: "Yeah." Coulter deflected Deutsch's assertion that her comments were anti-Semitic, matter-of-factly telling the show's obviously upset host, "That is what Christians consider
themselves: perfected Jews." [article link]
Scientists discover rare marine species - U.S. and Philippine scientists collected about 100 different specimens in a search in the Celebes Sea south of the Philippines {God's creation once again reveals His genius and His creativity! Isolated - isolated from what? They live in the ocean that's not all that isolated. Just because something is unseen by humans doesn't make it "millions" of years old, why don't they claim it's "billions" of years old and just get it over with.} MANILA, Philippines - Scientists exploring a deep ocean basin in search of species isolated for millions of years found marine life believed to be previously undiscovered, including a tentacled orange worm and an unusual black jellyfish. Project leader Dr. Larry Madin said Tuesday that U.S. and Philippine scientists collected about 100 different specimens in a search in the Celebes Sea south of the Philippines. ... Madin said the Celebes Sea, being surrounded by islands and shallow reefs, is partially isolated now and may have been more isolated millions of years ago, leading scientists to believe that "there may be groups of organisms that have been contained and kept within" the basin since then. "That makes it an interesting place to go and look to see what we might find," he said. [article link]
All Christians Should Join the Catholic League's National Boycott of Miller Beer for its Sponsorship of Depraved Anti-Christian Event - national boycott of Miller Brewing Company for its despicable anti-Christian ad promoting the Folsom Street Fair, an open-air pagan sex orgy featuring homosexual depravity at its most base in San Francisco {As a Christian, a new creation, you should naturally already be boycotting Miller Beer!} ANN ARBOR, MI - The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, asked all Christians today to join the Catholic League's national boycott of Miller Brewing Company for its despicable anti-Christian ad promoting the Folsom Street Fair, an open-air pagan sex orgy featuring homosexual depravity at its most base in San Francisco. The offending ad depicts a sadomasochistic poster mocking DaVinci's "The Last Supper." The poster features the Miller logo, half-naked homosexuals in leathers and chains seated around the table adorned with various sex toys. Internet photos of the Fair show naked men publicly performing oral sex and all kinds of sadomasochistic acts on one another. For a collection of the more mild photos, you may visit the Catholic League's website to judge for yourself. Bear in mind that these are the more mild photos. Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, commented, "The depraved sexual acts performed in public and in front of children were truly obscene. ! Where were the police? Where were the public officials? Clearly, lunatic liberals are controlling city government. Moreover, I'm surprised by the adamant anti-Christian direction taken by Miller Brewing that has placed it on a collision course with Christians." [article link]
Why Evangelicals May Turn to Romney - but, 'Could I (Demoss) vote for this Mormon?' After all, Mitt told me there are Mormons he couldn't vote for I presume Harry Reid, for example; and there are Southern Baptists I couldn't vote for Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, to name a few" {Why does Mark Demoss "presume Harry Reid"? Mitt Romney NEVER actually says he will not vote for his fellow (LDS) Mormon Harry Reid, yet Demoss attempts to sell that idea to his fellow Christian conservatives. Romney's pseudo-Christian promoters are constantly selling that Romney is Pro-Life, a Tax cutter, a Conservative and a member of a reasonable cult. Mitt Romney needs to speak for himself and Mitt Romney needs to back up his words with actions, something that is already too late for 2008.} The continuing search by evangelical leaders for a Republican presidential candidate they can believe in took an intriguing turn this week when a handful of evangelical notables started to lean more publicly - and more urgently - in the direction of former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney ... The latest move came on Thursday when Mark DeMoss, a well-known publicist for a variety of religious or conservative groups and causes, sent a five-page letter to friends and colleagues explaining that he had decided to back Romney, a
Mormon. "As a Southern Baptist evangelical and political conservative, I am convinced I have more in common with most Mormons than I do with a liberal Southern Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic or a liberal from any other denomination or faith group. The question shouldn't be, 'Could I vote for a Mormon?' but, 'Could I vote for this Mormon?' After all, Mitt told me there are Mormons he couldn't vote for (I presume Harry Reid, for example); and there are Southern Baptists I couldn't vote for (Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, to name a few)." DeMoss, an unpaid adviser to the Romney campaign who worked for years for the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, and actually arranged a meeting between Romney, Falwell and other evangelical leaders last year, added, "I fully recognize some evangelicals take issue with me for supporting a Mormon for the office of President, and I respect their concerns. Indeed, I had to deal with the same concerns in my own heart before offering to help Gov. Romney. But I concluded that I am more concerned that a candidate shares my values than he shares my theology." [article link]
FRC's Perkins Suggests Romney Better Than Huckabee on Religious-Right Issues - I think he (Romney) has staked out ground on these (conservative) issues so much so that he would have a very difficult time ever backing away from them; he (Mitt) would lose all credibility {Mitt Romney has already lost ALL his credibility. Face it Mitt Romney is out for the money, some fame and to promote his (LDS) Mormon religion. Romney is not out to lead America on the path to Conservatism he has already shown us that as Governor of Massachusetts.} And while some right-wing activists are hoping that the Religious Right will coalesce around one of their second-tier favorites-such as Mike Huckabee-Perkins seemed to downplay that option, panning them as unacceptable to economic- and foreign policy-oriented Republicans. In fact, Perkins spoke glowingly of Mitt Romney, saying that "in my opinion, [he's] the strongest on these core social issues"-and not only that, but his "conversion" on wedge issues has been "genuine." In fact, Perkins said Romney is stronger than Huckabee and the others on such issues. During the campaign cycle, he has made these issues more front-and-center in his message than I think other candidates who are social conservatives have, I mean that have a track record of social conservatism. I think he has staked out ground on these issues so much so that he would have a very difficult time ever backing away from them; he would lose all credibility. He has really brought emphasis to these issues. And I do think, yes, more than Mike Huckabee and some of the others. [article link]
Letter Urges Conservative Christians to Support Romney - The writer, Mark DeMoss, a publicity agent {Don't drink the (LDS) Mormon Kool-Aid. Mitt Romney is still the Ultra liberal ex-Governer of the Ultra liberal Massachusetts. The massive amounts of Romney; money, lies and deceit cannot buy, alter or change the REAL Mitt Romney record!} A prominent evangelical supporter of Mitt Romney has written a memorandum to 150 conservative Christian leaders, warning of the prospect of Rudolph W. Giuliani or Hillary Rodham Clinton in the White House and making the case to rally around Mr. Romney. The writer, Mark DeMoss, a publicity agent whose clients include the Rev. Franklin Graham, wrote the five-page letter, urging the recipients to "galvanize support around Mitt Romney, so Mr. Giuliani isn't the unintended beneficiary of our divided support among several candidates." Or, "worse yet," Mr. DeMoss added, "so we don't abdicate the presidency (and the future of the Supreme Court) over to Hillary Clinton." [article link]
{Flashback} TVC's Lou Sheldon backing Romney for president - Members of Romney's "Faith and Values Steering Committee" include attorney Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice; David French, senior counsel with Alliance Defense Fund; Pastor Don Hutchings with Evangel Temple Assembly of God (Fort Smith, Arkansas); and DeMoss Group Public Relations president Mark DeMoss (brother of Nancy Leigh DeMoss) {Amazing - Our so called Christian Leaders can't even wait for the "End Time Deception" to begin deceiving us they are busy deceiving us right now. They sure can sell the truth of Christianity for the lies of
Mormonism and sell it cheep as most are getting onboard with Mormon Mitt for only a few thousand measly dollars. Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. -- Holy Bible. If our own Christian leaders have such little interest in Biblical truth and Christian well being than really they are unqualified to be church leaders.} Sheldon, the outspoken chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, has agreed to serve as one of the cochairs of the "Romney for President Faith and Values Steering Committee." Sheldon says he has met with Governor Romney on a number of occasions since October of last year, and has been impressed with the governor's "intelligent" positions on the issues and his relationship with his wife Ann. According to Sheldon, Romney's Mormon faith should not be a hindrance to Christian voters. "He reads the Bible regularly. He has said -- and I asked him -- that he has received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior," the pastor declares. "He believes that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God, only Son of God divine, and was crucified, buried and raised from the dead for our behalf. So, I think as he addresses those issues, that's certainly going to ignite good feeling [among Christians]." [article link]
Christians United for Israel is a national Christian grassroots movement focused on one issue: supporting Israel - as Christians we have a Biblical obligation to defend Israel and the Jewish people in their time of need The Bible commands us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), to speak out for Zion's sake (Isaiah 62:1), to be watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:6) and to bless the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3). These and so many other verses of the Bible that have one overriding message-- as Christians we have a Biblical obligation to defend Israel and the Jewish people in their time of need. Israel's time of need is now. There is a new Hitler in the Middle East --President Ahmadinejad of Iran -- who has threatened to wipe out Israel and America and is rapidly acquiring the nuclear technology to make good on his threat. If we learned anything from the Holocaust, it is that when a madman threatens genocide we must take him seriously. During the Holocaust, too many Christians were silent, and we were left to mourn the slaughter of 6 million Jews. Today, Bible-believing Christians must speak up and stand up for Israel. We must act to do whatever we can to protect Israel's 6 million Jews from the second Holocaust. We must get it right this time. Our faith demands it. The times require it. Silence is not an option. [article link]
Muslims Leaders Warn Pope 'Survival of World' at Stake {The survival of the world is not at stake. No one person or any group has even close to the authority or ability to end the world. God holds the stability of His creation in His hands! What about God's chosen people the Jews, when does Islam finally want to accept them and bring in real world peace?} The "survival of the world" is at stake if Muslims and Christians do not make peace with each other, leaders of the Muslim world will warn the Pope and other Christian leaders today. In an unprecedented open letter signed by 138 leading scholars from every sect of Islam, the Muslims plead with Christian leaders "to come together with us on the common essentials of our two religions" and spell out the similarities between passages of the Bible and the Koran. The scholars state: "As Muslims, we say to Christians that we are not against them and that Islam is not against them - so long as they do not wage war against Muslims on account of their religion, oppress them and drive them out of their homes." The phrasing has echoes of the New Testament passage: "He that is not with me is against me" - a passage used by President George Bush when addressing a joint session of Congress nine days after 9/11. The Muslims call instead for the emphasis to be on the shared characteristics of world's two largest faiths. [article link]
A Ministry of Northwestern Theological Seminary - FREE Christian PDF eBooks - Table of Contents (*Many PDF Downloads) Note to All Users: All of these free Christian pdf books are opened with Adobe Reader®. All copyright laws must be adhere to on all the individual materials. ... Additional Free Book Web Search Links. The Online Books
Page: An index of more than 25,000 English works available for free in various formats. Project Gutenberg: Online Book Catalog An index with over 10,000 electronic books (e-books) available at no cost in the web. World Wide School Library: The library contains over 2,000 online texts organized by subjects, author, title, and genre. [article link]
A Ministry of Northwestern Theological Seminary - Apologetics PDF Books - Defending the Faith (Free PDF Downloads) You are the generation that has seen the largest increase ever in 2,000 years of the Christian history. But you are also the generation that is watching the churches begin to mimic the world's thinking. God has called you to help insure that the gains of the past century are solid enough to be multiplied in the twenty-first century. We seek not just saved souls, but transformed lives and a transformed culture. Western civilization as it once stood is dead or dying, and a new synthesis of religion and society is being born. A new civilization is arising, and you today have an enormous opportunity to impact it, mold it, and press the stamp of Jesus Christ deeply into it. One hundred years from now, what will the world look like? If the numbers of conversions are accurate, we have a better opportunity than ever before to be salt and light in the world. Christ's kingdom is expanding, and the future looks bright so long as the church doesn't lose its saltiness. [article link]
hwy777.com - Christian video resources on the web Including the Flash Presentation "Footprints" Your guide to Christian video on the web. Music Videos; Christian TV; Flash Presentations; Free Downloads; Video for Kids; Special Presentations; Internet Evangelism and more. [article link]
I Shall Not Be Moved - Nothing can stop a child of God - Nothing can hold him down, shake him, overthrow him, overpower him, or ruin him - No matter which weapon is formed against him, it cannot and will not prevail - So it is with the believer who has abandoned all other confidences and depends totally on the Lord Jesus Throughout the Scriptures, we find such verses as - "The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth"(Proverbs 10:30). Proverbs 10:25 tells us - "As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation." And again, Psalm 112:6 says of the man who fears the Lord - "Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." ... The Holy Spirit used the illustration of a mountain to prove the firmness and stability of the believer who places his total trust and confidence in the Lord. We all know that a mountain cannot be easily moved. So it is with the believer who has abandoned all other confidences and depends totally on the Lord Jesus. This believer cannot "be removed." In other words, he cannot be shaken or overthrown. He cannot totter or slip out of course. The "prince of the power of the air"(Ephesians 2:2), who is his enemy, cannot - with all of his subtlety and strength move him. This man is trusting in the Lord, and he is "blessed"(Jeremiah 17:7). He heard "the word of Truth" and has placed his total trust in the Lord(Ephesians 1:13). God is his "rock," "salvation," and "defense" (Psalm 62:2). Therefore, nothing - no lie, no physical, mental, or emotional attack - can move him. He is trusting in the Lord, knowing that he resultantly shall not be desolate(Psalm 34:22). He shall never be ashamed nor shall his enemies triumph over him(Psalm 25:2). His overall attitude is - God is in my midst; therefore, I will not allow any assignment or trick of the devil to shake me(Psalm 46:5). [article link]
Bush confidant brutally critiques the GOP field - Bartlett doesn't have much good to say about the rest of the Republican field - Mitt Romney, as a Mormon, will have a hard time running in the South, he says - And Fred Thompson, the latecomer to the Republican race -- and "the biggest dud" in the pack -- doesn't have much going for him at all Dan Bartlett, former counselor to the president and longtime advisor to President Bush, acknowledges that Republicans face a tough contest for the White House next year -- so tough that Republican voters are likely to
be highly pragmatic in their choice of a candidate. And that, Bartlett says, bodes well for Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, or for John McCain, who has what it takes to "go toe to toe'' with the likely Democratic nominee, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. Bartlett doesn't have much good to say about the rest of the Republican field, however -- based on remarks he made on the speaking circuit recently. ... "People are not going to step out and say, 'I have a problem with Romney because he's Mormon.' What they're going to say is he's a flip-flopper," said Bartlett ... Bartlett did not predict a GOP nominee. But he did say Republicans are so concerned about losing the White House after losing both houses of Congress that "I think this is going to be the season of the pragmatic Republican voter." [article link]
Analysis: Thompson Stays on Script - Overall, the sixth major debate of the GOP nomination fight didn't change the wide-open nature of the race - {The late starting and unqualified Fred Thompson has no business even being in the campaign. Is Thompson a Bush planted spoiler? Intended to spoil Romney's run and help send Hillary to the Whitehouse.} DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - Fred Thompson remembered his lines in his first stage performance. The newcomer to the Republican presidential field neither stood out nor bombed Tuesday in his inaugural debate of the 2008 White House race. He largely held his own but hardly came off as the Ronald Reagan-like savior of the GOP that backers have long built him up to be. An intense squabbling between GOP rivals Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani over taxes and spending took some of the focus - and heat - off Thompson while overshadowing John McCain and the other five Republicans on stage. Thompson was literally stuck between Romney and Giuliani as they sparred. [article link]
A Giuliani Nomination Dooms The GOP And Maybe America - Let me say it plainly: a Hillary Clinton administration would be no worse than a Rudy Giuliani administration - In some ways, it might not be as bad At least, with a Democrat in the White House, conservatives might try to act like conservatives I told Dr. Corsi, "A lot of conservative Christians will never vote for Rudy Giuliani." I will even go so far as to say that no genuine Christian conservative could possibly vote for Giuliani. And, no, it does not matter that Hillary Clinton might be elected President as a result. A Giuliani or Clinton choice is tantamount to a choice between Nero or Caligula. Let me say it plainly: a Hillary Clinton administration would be no worse than a Rudy Giuliani administration. In some ways, it might not be as bad. At least, with a Democrat in the White House, conservatives might try to act like conservatives and muster the energy to actually oppose some of her liberal proposals. The record is clear: when a Republican is in the White House, conservatives not only lose their backbone, they also lose their brain cells. They walk around in a daze without the ability to even see what is going on right before their eyes. They become "mind-numbed robots" with no commitment to principle whatsoever. Why? Because one of "their own" is in office. At that point, it becomes a "see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil" situation. If two George W. Bush administrations have taught us anything, they have taught us that. [article link]
Mitt Romney Goes All Alberto Gonzales on the Constitution - Romney says that he would take his cue from contemporary (lawyers) counselors rather than the Founders of the American (Constitution) experime - "Did President Bush need a go-ahead from Congress?" - "You know," Romney replied, "we're going to let the lawyers sort out what he needed to do and what he didn't need to do" Asked whether he would obey the Constitution and consult Congress before sending U.S. troops into combat, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney says he would consult his lawyers first. Just as President Bush turned to Gonzales for legal opinions that the disgraced former White House counsel and Attorney General wrote with the purpose of absolving the commander-in-chief of any duty to uphold the Constitution, so Romney says that he would take his cue from contemporary counselors rather than the Founders of the American experime. ... Romney's responded, "You sit down with your attorneys and (they) tell you what you
have to do. But obviously the president of the United States has to do what's in the best interest of the United States to protect us against a potential threat. The president did that as he was planning on moving into Iraq and received the authorization of Congress..." Matthews interjected: "Did (President Bush) need (a go-ahead from Congress)?" "You know," Romney replied, "we're going to let the lawyers sort out what he needed to do and what he didn't need to do." [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Dr. John Withers, Rest in Peace: Courageous Black WWII Hero Risked Career to Save Holocaust Survivors From Dachau {The WWII "Greatest Generation" keeps on getting greater! Also our current generation of 9-11 American - Veterans are also America's Greatest Generation they are just as amazing as the WWII generation.} On Sunday, America lost a great hero--John Withers. The Black World War II veteran risked a dishonorable discharge and the loss of his academic career in order to hide and save two dying Jewish teens he liberated from the Dachau concentration camp. It was an especially great risk in those days of segregation. In 2003, the Wall Street Journal ran this incredible front page story by Bryan Gruley about Withers' heroic efforts risking his future for two strangers and how decades later he was reunited with one of them, now an American citizen. ... He lost touch with them after he returned to the U.S. in 1946. But in 2001, Mr. Withers was reunited with Peewee, by then a successful Connecticut businessman named Martin Weigen. The reunion inspired Mr. Weigen to unburden himself of his own stories of losing his parents and sister during the Holocaust, and time he spent at Auschwitz and other camps. Mr. Weigen died in October 2003 at the age of 75. [article link]
Ex-Mexican prez: 'Amero' on the way - Vicente Fox confirms long-term deal worked out with President Bush - It possibly was the first time a leader of Mexico, Canada or the U.S. openly confirmed a plan for a regional currency Former Mexican President Vicente Fox confirmed the existence of a plan conceived with President Bush to create a new regional currency in the Americas, in an interview last night on CNN's "Larry King Live." It possibly was the first time a leader of Mexico, Canada or the U.S. openly confirmed a plan for a regional currency. Fox explained the current regional trade agreement that encompasses the Western Hemisphere is intended to evolve into other previously hidden aspects of integration. According to a transcript published by CNN, King, near the end of the broadcast, asked Fox a question e-mailed from a listener, a Ms. Gonzalez from Elizabeth, N.J.: "Mr. Fox, I would like to know how you feel about the possibility of having a Latin America united with one currency?" Fox answered in the affirmative, indicating it was a long-term plan. He admitted he and President Bush had agreed to pursue the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas - a free-trade zone extending throughout the Western Hemisphere, suggesting part of the plan was to institute eventually a regional currency. "Long term, very long term," he said. "What we proposed together, President Bush and myself, it's ALCA, which is a trade union for all the Americas." [article link]
Bush 31%, Congress 22% Hit New Lows in AP Poll - Public approval for President Bush and Congress has fallen to the lowest levels in The Associated Press-Ipsos poll - In a gauge of the public's grim mood, just 26 percent said they think the country is heading in the right direction {Looks like the Republicans learned little if anything from the 2006 elections. 2008 is shaping up to be an even bigger disappointment for the Republicans.} The poll highlighted public discontent with Bush on issues across the board as well as a dour public mood that could signal an uphill fight for the GOP in next year's elections. A record low 34 percent said they approved of his handling of the economy, battered by a major credit crunch and a feeble housing market. His prior low in the poll in that area was 37 percent. Bush also hit a new low with 31 percent approving of his work on domestic issues such as health care, just below June's 32 percent. The latest poll was taken as the president was about to veto a measure adding $35 billion to children's health coverage. Twenty-nine percent approved of how Bush is handling Iraq, a slight dip from last month's 33 percent and virtually even with the record-low of 27 percent
last December. Bush last month approved a plan to gradually reduce the number of troops in Iraq from more than 160,000 to just above the 130,000 who were there when this year's force build up began. On foreign affairs and terrorism, 36 percent approved, just below September's 40 percent measure and about tied with the 35 percent low point he hit in December. In a gauge of the public's grim mood, just 26 percent said they think the country is heading in the right direction, about where it has been stuck since late last year. Only 43 percent of Republicans, and less than 20 percent of Democrats and independents, said they think things are going well. Ominously for Republicans, just 25 percent of moderates and 38 percent of conservatives are satisfied with the country's direction. [article link]
Bush's Surprising Plea for Clemency - The raucous right is in an uproar, stunned that their one-time hero, George W. Bush, is going against them on a case that combines three of the issues closest to their heart: immigration, the death penalty and international sovereignty If you tried to come up with the best way to enrage the nativist right in America, you might dream up something like this: a Mexican immigrant, convicted of raping and murdering two adolescent girls, has his execution stayed by President Bush out of deference to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands ... Believe it or not, that's the storyline in the controversial case of Medellin v. Texas, which the Supreme Court will hear on Wednesday. The Administration is siding with Jose Ernesto Medellin and his lawyers, arguing that he along with 50 other Mexican nationals should have their convictions reviewed because, in what the International Court has ruled a violation of a treaty signed by the U.S., they were not offered access to Mexican consular officials after their arrest. But the real lesson the right wing should take from the case is that the Presidential power they so jealously defend when it is used against foreign nationals looks a lot less attractive when it's applied at home. [article link]
Handing the Democrats the Keys to the Country - I will support the Republican nominee, regardless of whom it is, over Hillary, and I will work for her defeat {Now the Republican Party is so empty and void of ideas and leadership that already they are playing the dreaded FEAR the Democrats card. But right now the difference between a Bush Republican and a Hillary Democrat is unnoticeable so there is still NO reason to support the Republicans and many reasons to Vote 3rd Party!} Last week's column entitled Would I vote for Rudy Giuliani? generated a ton of feedback. There are passionate voices on both sides of the debate, but what was refreshing for me (and an indication that there is hope for the future) was the number of people who realize the consequences of staying home on Election Day or voting for a third-party candidate. Some people, however, still don't get it, and their actions could literally hand the radical left the keys to the country. The only way to stop the Democrats from taking over is for grassroots conservatives to unite. [article link]
A Commentary on the Book of Jude - This book has a lot in common with 2nd Peter and it appears that Jude was writing to show that what Peter foretold was being fulfilled among them - There were false believers who mingled among the true Christians I don't know what clearer way he could have said, "Once saved is not always saved." He would not desire to remind them of this if they were not themselves in danger of the same thing. In addition to "causing division" and being "worldly-minded" (cf. 1 John 2:15), Jude plainly says that these men do not have the Spirit. By this statement he is saying that "they are not one of us" (cf. Rom. 8:9). ... Jude gives three different ways we are to treat those who go astray. 1. Show some of them mercy; 2. Some must be snatched out of the fire; 3. Still others need a combination of mercy and fear. ... Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, - I quote this verse to God when I am struggling. His word says he is able to keep us from falling (KJV). [article link]
BALANCE OF OPINION - Christian conservatives' threat could split GOP vote, many warn - "Ultimately, Christian leaders (some of whom make off-the-record, supportive calls to Mr. Romney, I'm told) most likely will back the Mormon" she writes {I don't think most people, Christian or not, will ever "get over it" if Christian leaders somehow endorse a deceiving cult member like Mitt Romney for the office of President of the United States. Americans want an Open and Honest Government. Mitt Romney is neither an open nor an honest candidate!} The commentariat continues to monitor Republicans' frustrations over trying to nurture a consensus conservative candidate. The latest convulsion is a vow among a group of about 45 high-profile Christian conservatives to consider a third-party candidate if neither party nominates an abortion opponent - a virtual rejection of front-runner Rudy Giuliani, who supports abortion rights, albeit reluctantly. "To their credit, these leaders are unwilling to sacrifice conviction for political expediency, but they may be creating their own worst nightmare by dividing the party and making a Democratic victory more likely," Kathleen Parker writes. ... "The only hitch: He's a cultist," she writes. "Or so some Christians think. Even though Mr. Romney shares their belief in Jesus Christ as God, other doctrinal differences tied to his Mormon beliefs apparently cause deep conflicts for evangelicals." The columnist tells them to get over it. "Ultimately, Christian leaders (some of whom make off-the-record, supportive calls to Mr. Romney, I'm told) most likely will back the Mormon," she writes. [article link]
*The Boston Globe has its fifth part in its Mitt Romney series: - despite Romney pledging to not take severance pay for his work at the Olympic Games, public records indicate he did otherwise - Romney ... accepted a $476,000 severance package from the Salt Lake Organizing Committee {I'm beginning to wonder more of when and not if Mitt Romney's presidential bid is going to end in disgrace. How many lies and broken promises can one guy engage in and still be considered honorable enough to be president?} The Globe also notes that despite Romney pledging to not take severance pay for his work at the Olympic Games, "public records indicate he did otherwise. Romney not only accepted a $476,000 severance package from the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, according to federal tax records, but he helped to lobby the committee for similarly large pacts for his 25 senior managers, 17 of whom contributed to his 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign or the state Republican Party soon after the Winter Games." Romney's campaign says he donated the money to charity. [article link]
Holocaust denial squashed by Aspen TV - Board chief says movie 'bigoted' and 'historically inaccurate' - "This film is offensive not only to Jews in the world but to any sensible person" Masters said - It plays like "an homage to [Joseph] Goebbels" - In the film, Toben describes the "alleged" concentration camp gas chambers as a life-saving procedure in which prisoners were disinfected A public access television station in Aspen, which boasts of being the first such station in the nation, for the first time in remembrance has decided to squash a movie - at least for now - targeting an Australian production that denies the Holocaust happened and affirms the gas chambers saved lives by disinfecting prisoners. The controversy has stirred up the trendy Aspen, where the local public access television station, after 35 years of service, rarely creates turmoil and more often features the heart-pounding action of the local high school football team, or local school theatrical productions. But in this case, the words have been strong. The video is "very offensive," GrassRoots TV board president Alan Feldman told the local Aspen Daily News. "Especially with my background. I'm Jewish. My family was murdered in the Holocaust." .. It was created by Australia's Adelaide Institute, which conducts Holocaust denial campaigns, and is hosted by institute founder Fredric Toben, who was featured at a Holocaust denial conference attended by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last December. ... In the film, Toben describes the "alleged" concentration camp gas chambers as a life-saving procedure in which prisoners were disinfected. [article link]
A look at the misunderstood (Mormon) LDS church - But Latter-day Saints (LDS) say they are badly misunderstood {No misunderstanding about it, the (LDS) Mormon cult is a manipulating, controlling, diabolical,
treacherous cult and reasonable people should be offend by it and remain far from its grasp!} The presidential candidacy of Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has brought new attention to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because Romney would be the first Mormon president. ... Mormons are required to tithe 10 percent of their income to the church each year. They are also expected to fast for two meals a month and donate money saved by that, along with many volunteer hours, to the vast Mormon program to help the needy inside and outside the church. The church also owns ranches, farms and canneries and has extensive investments in businesses. ... But Mormons also believe that authentic Christianity vanished a century after Christ and was restored only through Smith. Smith revised -- and in his view corrected -- large sections of the Bible. Other sacred Mormon books contain Smith's revelations. And Mormons consider their church presidents to be prophets. [article link]
Jury retraces Diana's fatal path - Whether Diana and Fayed planned to announce their engagement the next day -- and whether she was pregnant with Fayed's child -- are questions for the jury - Mohamed al Fayed alleges the couple was murdered in a plot - to keep a Muslim out of the royal circle {By all accounts Prince Charles is a practicing Muslim who believes he is a living descendant of both Jesus and Mohammad. Islam is very welcome in the British royal circle that is why England and all of Europe are currently being stuffed with Islamic propaganda.} PARIS, France (AP) -- Jurors in a British inquest have begun tracing Princess Diana's last moments before the Paris car crash that killed her 10 years ago. Inquest jury members inspect the tunnel in Paris where the car carrying Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed crashed. Two lengthy investigations on both sides of the Channel have left many questions unanswered and raised suspicions about the deaths of Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul on August 31, 1997. ... Diana, 36, and Fayed, 42, were heading from the Ritz Hotel to Fayed's private Paris home near the Arc de Triomphe when they were killed in the crash. Dodi Fayed's father, Egyptian-born billionaire Mohamed al Fayed, has said it was their engagement night. Whether Diana and Fayed planned to announce their engagement the next day -- and whether she was pregnant with Fayed's child -- are questions for the jury. Mohamed al Fayed alleges the couple was murdered in a plot directed by Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband, to keep a Muslim out of the royal circle. A French investigation concluded that the car was traveling at an excessive speed and the driver had a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit. Tests showed the presence of two prescription drugs, including the antidepressant Prozac, in his system. [article link]
{flashback} Does President Bush Secretly Believe He is a Descendant of Mohammed? President George Bush might actually believe he is a descendant of Mohamed. It would explain allot of his comments and his actions. Comments like he believes the Quran (Koran) "to be the word of God" and actions like his complete and total worldwide proxy war on behalf of the Muslim Shiite sect. President Bush has removed all the Iraq oil revenues from the Sunni people of Iraq and has given it to the Shiite sect. Bush has also helped place three radical Iranian-Shiite Politicians in charge over Iraq meanwhile he privately finances and supports the radical Shiite groups of Hamas and Hizb'allah. England's Tony Blair and Prince Charles are also strong Shiite supporters with Prince Charles all but openly admitting that he is a convert to Islam. No wonder we live in days with so many strange events occurring because our world leaders have such strange beliefs. [article link]
{flashback} Prince Charles Criticizes Muhammad Cartoons - prince awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his work to promote the understanding of Islam in the West They were hosted by the grand sheik of Al-Azhar, Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, the top Islamic cleric in Egypt, who awarded the prince an honorary doctorate in recognition of his work to promote the understanding of Islam in the West. Some Al-Azhar clerics had criticized the decision to bestow the degree on the prince, arguing he had not done enough to deserve it. As if to answer these critics, Sheik Tantawi went out of his way
to quote the prince's views of Islam and Muslims, repeatedly citing a speech given in Oxford in 1993, and adding that the prince's ideas were the fruit of "serious study." ... The prince {wrongly} harped on the fact that Islam, Christianity and Judaism share the same origin in the Prophet Abraham. "There are differences, and we should celebrate them. But in the things that matter most, we have a common root," he said. [article link]
{flashback} Is Prince Charles a 'Secret' Convert to Islam? In a 1997 Middle East Quarterly article titled "Prince Charles of Arabia," Ronni L. Gordon and David M. Stillman looked at evidence that Britain's Prince Charles might be a secret convert to Islam. They shifted through his public statements (defending Islamic law, praising the status of Muslim women, seeing in Islam a solution for Britain's ailments) and actions (setting up a panel of twelve "wise men" to advise him on Islamic religion and culture), then concluded that, "should Charles persist in his admiration of Islam and defamation of his own culture," his accession to the throne will indeed usher in a "different kind of monarchy." [article link]
{flashback} 'Multi-faith Coronation' Charles no longer "Defender of the Faith" THE Prince of Wales could be crowned King in a multi-faith inauguration ceremony rather than the 1,000-yearold (Christian) Coronation service, under proposals to tackle "religious discrimination" being considered by the Government. [article link]
GOP Senators Should Defend Rush Limbaugh - Recently, radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh was attacked by Democrats on the floor of the United States Senate - by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid {also an (LDS) Mormon}, D-Nevada, and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, - a lie designed to lay the groundwork for reinstatement of the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" Recently, radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh was attacked by Democrats on the floor of the United States Senate. Why? Their claim was that Limbaugh had referred to military personnel who disagree with our country's policies in Iraq as "phony soldiers." The statement, put forth by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is a lie designed to lay the groundwork for reinstatement of the so-called "Fairness Doctrine." ... When anyone expresses a point of view contrary to theirs, liberals want to silence that person. In this case, it is Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Michael Reagan, Neal Boortz, Michael Medved, Dennis Prager, Mike Gallager and a host of lesser known radio talk show hosts who have flourished in the marketplace of ideas over the last twenty years since the Fairness Doctrine was repealed. Democrats have ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle (and most other big-city newspapers), the faculties of most universities and the left-wing blogosphere. Balancing all this, Republicans have Rush Limbaugh and those who have followed in his footsteps down the trail he has blazed on AM radio over the last twenty years. It can also be argued that without Limbaugh, conservative Internet bloggers and the balanced format of Fox News might never have come to prominence. Today's Dems cannot abide the popularity of conservative talk radio. They are reminiscent of similar authoritarians who have gone before them. Those who fight their tactics and express opposing points of view must be silenced. [article link]
Romney's Mexican roots - Miles Park Romney moved his family south (Mexico) to avoid being tossed in the state penitentiary (for Mormon polygamy) - Mitt's father, George Romney, was born in 1907 in Colonia Dublan, Galeana, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua - it did raise some knotty constitutional questions during his (George Romney's) run for the presidency in 1968 when critics questioned whether his Mexican (birth) roots disqualified him as a "natural-born citizen" {The Mormon life & saga of one Willard Mitt Romney just gets more bizarre as each day goes by.} In the late 1800s, when the pressure was on Mormon polygamy, several families left for a place where they
could worship, and marry, according to their conscience. Mexico's laissez faire style of governing appealed to these religious Pilgrims from el norte. Their Plymouth Plantation was nine farming communities that came to be known as The Colonies. Unlike the modern polygamist havens along the Utah-Arizona border, these towns maintained a strong connection to the mother church in Salt Lake City. Two of the nine towns still remain and look like a little bit of La Verkin plopped down in Latin America. In 1884, Miles Park Romney moved his family south to avoid being tossed in the state penitentiary in Sugar House. Gaskel Romney, born in St. George in 1871 to Miles' first wife (he would eventually have five) married Anna Amelia Pratt. Mitt's father, George Romney, was born in 1907 in Colonia Dublan, Galeana, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The family came north for good in 1912 to to escape the troubles stirred up by the Mexican Revolution. [article link]
Sen. Larry Craig chosen for Idaho Hall of Fame - But some Republicans said the honor is inappropriate now "Maybe in 10 or 15 years we can think of this hall of fame stuff - Now is not the time," he said "It's a sad day to be a Republican" BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Sen. Larry Craig has been chosen for induction into the Idaho Hall of Fame, despite his well-publicized arrest and guilty plea in an airport sex sting, officials said. ... Craig vowed Thursday to serve out the last 15 months of his term, despite a court ruling that left intact his guilty plea in the sex sting operation. ... About 100 people have been inducted into the hall since 1995, including the late Nez Perce Tribe leader Chief Joseph, Coeur d'Alene writer and historian Louise Shadduck, World War II fighter ace Gregory "Pappy" Boyington and newspaper and hospitality magnate Duane Hagadone. [article link]
Bush: All religions pray to 'same God' - 'That's what I believe - I believe Islam is a great religion that preaches peace' - "Secondly, I want American citizens to see me hosting an Iftaar dinner" "That's a strong message for the Americans" (Iftar, refers to the evening meal for breaking the daily fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan) {It's a strong message that Bush hates America.} President George Bush has repeated his belief all religions, "whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God" - an assertion that caused outrage among evangelical leaders when he said it in November 2003. Bush made the statement Friday in an interview with Al Arabiya reporter Elie Nakouzi. Al Arabiya is Al Jazeerah's top competitor in the Mideast. ... "We are having an Iftaar dinner tonight - I say, 'we' it's my wife and I," Bush told Nakouzi. "This is the seventh one in the seven years I've been the president. It gives me a chance to say 'Ramadan Mubarak.' The reason I do this is I want people to understand about my country. In other words, I hope this message gets out of America. I want people to understand that one of the great freedoms in America is the right for people to worship any way they see fit. If you're a Muslim, an agnostic, a Christian, a Jew, a Hindu, you're equally American. "And the value - the most valuable thing I think about America is that - particularly if you're a religious person - you can be free to worship, and it's your choice to make. It's not the state's choice, and you shouldn't be intimidated after you've made your choice. And that's a right that I jealously guard. "Secondly, I want American citizens to see me hosting an Iftaar dinner." "That's a strong message for the Americans," said Nakouzi. [article link]
IFTAR or IFTAREE (Breaking of Fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan) - The following Dua may be recited at the time of breaking one's fast: - O my Allah, for Thee, I fast, and with the food Thou gives me I break the fast, and I rely on Thee {Bush has failed in everything he has ever done in his lifetime from businesses to baseball team owner to President. Now he can add failed Muslim leader to his list of failures because as hard as George Bush tries he is never going to be a Muslim leader.} Iftar, refers to the evening meal for breaking the daily fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Or a meal served at the end of the fasting day during Ramadan, to break the day's fast. Literally, "breakfast." Iftar during Ramadan is often done as a community, with Muslims gathering to break their fast together. The time for Iftar is 12 to 15 minutes after Sunset. It is better to offer 'Magrib Namaz/salat' and then break one's fast, preferably
with water, milk or dates. [article link]
Death Penalty Case Puts Bush and Texas at Odds over Mexican's Fate - President Bush, who presided over 152 executions as governor of Texas, wants to halt the state's execution of a Mexican national for the brutal killing of two teenage girls {Bush is consistently waging war against America one bad policy at a time!} WASHINGTON - President Bush, who presided over 152 executions as governor of Texas, wants to halt the state's execution of a Mexican national for the brutal killing of two teenage girls. The case of Jose Ernesto Medellin has become a confusing test of presidential power that the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears the case this week, ultimately will sort out. The president wants to enforce a decision by the International Court of Justice that found the convictions of Medellin and 50 other Mexican-born prisoners violated their rights to legal help as outlined in the 1963 Vienna Convention. That is the same court Bush has since said he plans to ignore if it makes similar decisions affecting state criminal laws. "The president does not agree with the ICJ's interpretation of the Vienna Convention," the administration said in arguments filed with the court. This time, though, the U.S. agreed to abide by the international court's decision because ignoring it would harm American interests abroad, the government said. Texas argues that neither the international court nor Bush has any say in Medellin's case. [article link]
Romney increases overtures to disenchanted evangelicals - Romney met privately in Salt Lake City with approximately 200 members of a powerful group called the Council on National Policy, to which Dobson belongs {The Bible instructs us to judge people by their actions and accomplishments (Matthew 7:20 ... by their fruits ye shall know them) not by their words and promises, especially when the promises are from politicians like Mitt Romney and are empty, cheap and deceiving. I would hope the professional Christians would be wise to this but who knows.} Dobson's statement is viewed as significant in the Romney campaign because Dobson has ruled out supporting GOP candidates John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Fred Thompson, but has left open the possibility of supporting Romney. "Dr. Dobson is keeping an open mind on Mitt Romney, and I think that is because they do share in common so many values," Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said yesterday. ... Romney has sought for more than a year to convince evangelicals that they should support him despite their concerns about his Mormon faith, which many evan gelicals see as a non-Christian religion, and his past support for abortion rights and some forms of gay rights. The leaders of major evangelical groups have been respectful but noncommittal. Increasingly, however, Romney has benefited from the battering that his main opponents have taken from evangelicals. [article link]
Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN Host for the 2008 Republican National Convention From September 1-4, 2008, an anticipated 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, party officials, volunteers, members of the media, and convention guests will gather in Minneapolis-Saint Paul for the 2008 Republican National Convention. The host cities will be showcased on an international level as the Republican Party highlights its strong principles - and nominates the next President of the United States. The Republican National Committee's Committee on Arrangements (COA) is charged with the planning and management of the 2008 Republican National Convention. RNC Co-Chairman Jo Ann Davidson is Chairman of the COA and Maria Cino is the COA President and CEO. The COA and the 2008 Minneapolis-Saint Paul Host Committee are working together to plan every aspect of the four-day event. In addition, COA staff is working closely with Governor Tim Pawlenty, Senators Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar, Mayors R.T. Rybak (Minneapolis), Chris Coleman (Saint Paul), and Gene Winstead (Bloomington), and the Convention and Visitors Bureaus. [article link]
National Guard Troops Denied Benefits After Longest Deployment Of Iraq - Minnesota National Guard had been deployed longer than any other ground combat unit - (orders) were written for 729 days - Had they been written for 730 days, just one day more, the soldiers would receive those (GI bill) benefits to pay for school MINNEAPOLIS, MN (NBC) -- When they came home from Iraq, 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard had been deployed longer than any other ground combat unit. The tour lasted 22 months and had been extended as part of President Bush's surge. 1st Lt. Jon Anderson said he never expected to come home to this: A government refusing to pay education benefits he says he should have earned under the GI bill. "It's pretty much a slap in the face," Anderson said. "I think it was a scheme to save money, personally. I think it was a leadership failure by the senior Washington leadership... once again failing the soldiers." Anderson's orders, and the orders of 1,161 other Minnesota guard members, were written for 729 days. Had they been written for 730 days, just one day more, the soldiers would receive those benefits to pay for school. "Which would be allowing the soldiers an extra $500 to $800 a month," Anderson said. [article link]
{Flashback} Pride of Minnesota - No better example was that wonderful banner from our brave and ingenious soldiers in Iraq... "Halp US Jon Carry We R Stuck Hear N Irak" I hadn't intended to post this classic photo, simply because I assume pretty much everyone has already seen it. But we have received several messages from readers identifying at least some of the eight soldiers as members of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division (MN National Guard). They're smart, they're funny as hell, and they're giving it up for the USA. We salute them with hometown pride. ... As for Kerry - how quick the 24-hour metamorphosis from smugness to defiance to purported contriteness! At his earlier blame-thewing-nuts-and-Rush-Limbaugh press conference, he thought he was a strutting, strong-jawed Napoleonic general leading his troops to rout the evil Bush-Cheney Prussians, and then, alone, suddenly turned around and Mein Gott in Himmel!! - his Old Guard was heading for the hills. [article link]
{Flashback} Reports: Problems with Minnesota bridge noted twice since 2001 - the department was aware of the 2005 assessment, which gave the bridge a score of four on a scale of zero to nine - Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty described the bridge deficiencies as "minor" In another report two years ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Bridge Inventory database concluded the bridge was "structurally deficient." Jeanne Aamodt, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, told the Star Tribune, a Minneapolis newspaper, that the department was aware of the 2005 assessment, which gave the bridge a score of four on a scale of zero to nine. A bridge receives a four when there is "advanced section loss, deterioration, spalling or scour." Spalling is a term used to describe cracking, chipping, crumbling or fraying, while scour is a term used for erosion caused by flowing water. During a Wednesday news conference, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty described the bridge deficiencies as "minor" and said the state was told that the bridge's deck may need to be rehabilitated or replaced in 2020 or later. ... One expert said that it was baffling how the bridge collapsed. ... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said the collapse should trigger action. "I think we should look at this tragedy that occurred as a wake-up call for us. We have -- all over the country -- crumbling infrastructure, highways, bridges, dams, and we really need to take a hard look at this," Reid said Thursday. ... As of 2003, there were about 160,570 bridges deemed structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. The number represented 27.1 percent of the nation's bridges. {Probably Harry Reid sees a get rich quick scenario here and if he does anything it will be just to funnel some money. Most likely very little will be done to help America's infrastructure as little has been done.} [article link]
Purpose of Human appendix believed found - It produces and protects good germs for your gut - The idea "seems by far the most likely" explanation for the function of the appendix, said Brandeis University biochemistry professor Douglas Theobald "It makes evolutionary sense" {The human appendix makes complete
creation sense not "evolutionary sense" another scientist groping to save his worn and torn evolution theory.} WASHINGTON (AP) -- Some scientists think they have figured out the real job of the troublesome and seemingly useless appendix: It produces and protects good germs for your gut. That's the theory from surgeons and immunologists at Duke University Medical School, published online in a scientific journal this week. For generations the appendix has been dismissed as superfluous. Doctors figured it had no function. Surgeons removed them routinely. People live fine without them. ... The function of the appendix seems related to the massive amount of bacteria populating the human digestive system, according to the study in the Journal of Theoretical Biology. There are more bacteria than human cells in the typical body. Most are good and help digest food. But sometimes the flora of bacteria in the intestines die or are purged. Diseases such as cholera or amoebic dysentery would clear the gut of useful bacteria. The appendix's job is to reboot the digestive system in that case. The appendix "acts as a good safe house for bacteria," said Duke surgery professor Bill Parker, a study co-author. Its location _ just below the normal one-way flow of food and germs in the large intestine in a sort of gut cul-de-sac -- helps support the theory, he said. Also, the worm-shaped organ outgrowth acts like a bacteria factory, cultivating the good germs, Parker said. [article link]
Strike Two! Successive Blows To Patriot Act Slam [Republican] 'Big Brother' Government - U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken ruled that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, as amended by the Patriot Act, "now permits the executive branch of government to conduct surveillance of Americans in violation of the 4th Amendment" "For over 200 years, this nation has adhered to the rule of law - with unparalleled success. A shift to a nation based on extra-constitutional authority is prohibited," Judge Aiken wrote. "The Patriot Act should never have been enacted in the first place. It passed with both 'Big Box' parties rushing headlong to allow frightening expansions of government power. What happened to Mr.Mayfield could have happened to any other innocent American; and he is an attorney!" said Constitution Party national Committee Chairman Jim Clymer. The Constitution Party, unlike the Republican or Democratic parties has decried the Draconian Patriot Act which gave law enforcement agencies the power to search telephone and e-mail records in addition to conducting warrantless searches and seizures on American citizens. Judge Aiken's ruling on the Patriot Act's unconstitutionality comes on the heels of another blow to the Patriot Act. Just weeks ago, another federal judge barred the FBI from snooping on Americans. The federal agency had been requiring companies to turn over computer and phone records. US District Judge Victor Marrero, in New York, said that part of the act was "the legislative equivalent of breaking and entering." [article link]
Would I Vote for Rudy Giuliani? [No] - the Republican Party has seen itself swept from control of the U.S. House and Senate - Now, all that remains for the Democrats is the White House and a filibuster-proof Senate -- both of which are within reach - Conservatives must eventually come together and get a clue! There is too much at stake {Yes, there is "much at stake" but with the current Republicans failing so miserably how is it that the Republican Party can now be the answer when in fact it is actually the problem? So in the end a third Party, Constitution Party, replacing the Republican Party is the answer!} Granted, there is so much to be frustrated about over the last six years with many Republicans in leadership positions. With a focus on holding power and playing politics rather than delivering on conservative values and legislation, the Republican Party has seen itself swept from control of the U.S. House and Senate. Now, all that remains for the Democrats is the White House and a filibuster-proof Senate -- both of which are within reach. Conservatives must eventually come together and get a clue! There is too much at stake. .. The Post notes that a third-party run "would be a long shot, requiring millions of dollars and challenges to ballot access. Such a bid could prove disastrous for the GOP by splitting the vote." Disastrous? Yes! Impossible? Yes! The country is not set up for third-party candidates to succeed. That is just a fact. Arguments about the role of government fall naturally into two camps: conservative and liberal -- those who feel more power should reside with the people and those who feel more power should reside with the government. And thus, we have the Republicans and
the Democrats. [article link]
The First Ever Values Voter Presidential Debate - *Online Replay - Select the "Live Streaming" Option then Click Play Button (Online Video or DVD Purchase) The First Ever Values Voter Presidential Debate Straw Poll, held last night at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, declared Governor Mike Huckabee as the pro-family winner. "The big losers last night were the no-show candidates Fred Thompson who placed at 4 percent, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain who each received 1 percent and Mitt Romney who was the only candidate to receive zero votes at the end of the night." "While many very good candidates attended the event, Governor Mike Huckabee was the clear winner," said Janet Folger, President of Faith2Action (F2A.org) and member of the Values Voter Debate committee. Huckabee received nearly five times the votes of the other candidates. [article link]
Truths That Transform: Listener's Choice Series Vol. 1 Various Speakers -a collection of 12 of the mostrequested messages from the Truths That Transform radio broadcast (CD's $29) Truths That Transform Listener's Choice Volume 1 contains a collection of 12 of the most-requested messages from the Truths That Transform radio broadcast. The audio messages cover topics such as dating, witnessing to cult members, overcoming life's obstacles, submission, building a strong marriage, the Bible and science, and more. It features nine notable speakers including Dr. Kennedy, Bunny Wilson, former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, Josh Harris, Janet Parshall, Ken Ham, and others. [article link]
PREMEDITATED MERGER - 'Amero coming within decade' - Strategist expects currency changes as Canadian dollar matches greenback BankIntroductions.com, a Canadian company that specializes in global banking strategies and currency consulting, is advising clients that the amero may be the currency of North America within the next 10 years. "The amero would compete against other regional currency blocks," BankIntroductions.com says. "At present, with the Canadian dollar approaching par, more talk for an amero currency unit will become popular in Canada." The company says that with the successful implementation of NAFTA, "the one dragging component for the amero will be Mexico, but in time this will change." "Implementation of the amero currency may actually give Mexico an economic boost, thus helping to alleviate Mexican immigration pressures into the United States for those Mexicans seeking financial gain," BankIntroductions.com advises. [article link]
First Barry Manilow, Now Whoopi Goldberg Hassle The View's Hasselbeck over Conservative/Pro-Life Views Goldberg, who is said to have had at least 6 abortions, says, "Americans ought to 'revere' women, who have had abortions NEW YORK, October 4, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Once again the pro-life views of Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the only conservative woman on ABC's "The View," have landed her in trouble after a heated exchange with Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O'Donnell's replacement, on Wednesday's program edition. Hasselbeck noted her opinion that presidential Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's proposal to give $5,000 for a new birth could help reduce abortions in the United States. "I feel like this could maybe cause less abortions in the world. You know, people would keep having kids instead." Goldberg then took the opportunity to attack Hasselbeck's prolife views by asking her if she had ever been in a position to abort a child. Hasselbeck responded "never." Goldberg then said, "Okay, then back off a little bit. Back off a little bit. Very few people want to have abortions." Goldberg's "very few people", however, have aborted nearly 50 million children since Roe v. Wade legalized it in 1973. According to one Goldberg biographer, Goldberg has had at least 6 abortions and used to joke perversely that she had a do-it-yourself coathanger abortion at 14 years-old. Goldberg then lectured
Hasselbeck that Americans ought to "revere" women, who have had abortions. [article link]
Bush: 'This government does not torture' - Bush's remarks followed a report Thursday in The New York Times that said a secret Justice Department memo in 2005 amounted to "an expansive endorsement of the harshest interrogation techniques ever used by the Central Intelligence Agency" The 2005 legal opinion was issued after then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales took over Justice, the Times reported, and authorized using a combination of techniques such as head slaps, freezing temperatures and simulated drownings, known as waterboarding. The Times said the memo was strongly opposed by thendeparting Deputy Attorney General James Comey, who had repeatedly clashed with the Bush White House over terror-related policies. The Times said its investigation over three months had included interviews with more than two dozen current and former officials. On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino confirmed the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel wrote a previously undisclosed February 5, 2005 memo, but she insisted the classified document did not undercut or reverse a 2004 memo that rejected torture. "U.S. policy is not to torture -- and we do not," Perino told reporters. "Regardless of where we are, we do not torture anybody, but getting information from them is critically important to protecting this country." Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse issued a statement declaring the December 2004 anti-torture memo remains binding on the executive branch. "Neither Attorney General [Alberto] Gonzales nor anyone else within the department modified or withdrew that opinion," Roehrkasse said. [article link]
Bush Hosts Ramadan Dinner - This was the seventh Iftaar dinner the president and Mrs. Bush hosted at the White House for American Muslim leaders and ambassadors and representatives from Muslim nations - Notice: they're not naming the "Muslim leaders and ambassadors" who showed up at the White House President Bush welcomed Muslim leaders to the White House Thursday evening for an Iftaar dinner breaking the fast during the holy month of Ramadan. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story. The special guests at this year's Iftaar dinner were American Muslim women who have contributed to the nation's science, education, arts, and culture. Mr. Bush said Ramadan is a time of charity and service to those less fortunate and a time to celebrate Islam's learned and vibrant culture which he says he enriched civilization for centuries. "Ramadan is also a good time for Americans of all faiths to reflect on the values we hold in common including love of family, gratitude to the Almighty, devotion to community, and a commitment to religious liberty," he said. Today, the president said, the world is at war with violent extremists who seek to stop the advance of freedom in Muslim societies around the world. "They attack holy sites, destroy mosques and minarets, and kill innocent men, women and children including Muslims who do not share their radical views. They believe that by spreading chaos and violence they can frustrate the desire of Muslims to live in freedom and peace. We say to them, 'You do not represent Muslims. You do not represent Islam. And you will not succeed,'" he said. [article link]
{Flashback} President Bush - The White House and Ramadan "According to Muslim teachings, God first revealed His word in the Holy Qur'an to the prophet, Muhammad, during the month of Ramadan. That word has guided billions of believers across the centuries, and those believers built a culture of learning and literature and science. All the world continues to benefit from this faith and its achievements." Remarks by the President George W. Bush At Iftaar Dinner - The State Dining Room, Washington, D.C. November 19, 2001 [article link]
{Flashback} Welcome to (Islam) Submission - President George W. Bush's Statements about Submission (Islam in Arabic)
December 10, 2002 - President Bush: Koran is God's word. [article link]
Woman May Have Died From Botched Abortion at Massachusetts Facility - The unnamed woman apparently died after suffering hemorrhaging caused by an abortion obtained at Women Health Center in the Cape Cod town of Hyannis Hyannis, MA (LifeNews.com) -- Two weeks ago, a Massachusetts woman may have died from an abortion at an abortion business in this southeastern city. The unnamed woman apparently died after suffering hemorrhaging caused by an abortion obtained at Women Health Center in the Cape Cod town of Hyannis. It appears that abortion practitioner Rapin Osathanondh, did the abortion that may have caused her death. He made headlines in 2001 when he threatened to kill staff members because of misplaced paperwork. Massachusetts Citizens for Life first informed LifeNews.com of the possible abortion death and the pro-life group Operation Rescue has looking into it as well. LifeNews.com contacted the Women Health Center and did not receive a response to a request for comment on the story. Operation Rescue contacted the abortion business as well and a receptionist was upset when asked about the incident and responded "I can't help you." The pro-life group says it has learned the name of the victim and that she is a Christian who attended a Calvary Chapel church in a nearby town. She has a space on the social networking site MySpace and is a cosmetologist who was born in Honduras and was adopted by a family in the U.S. The organization says a complaint has been filed against Osathanondh with the Massachusetts Board of Registration In Medicine regarding the abortion death. "Our nation is facing a crisis of dangerous abortionists operating in unsafe abortion mills, killing innocent babies -sometimes illegally as we have seen in some states -- and injuring and killing unsuspecting women" [article link]
{Flashback} Critics complain about record as Romney gets anti-abortion award (Romney contributed $15,000 to the group) - a universal health care bill Romney signed into law while Massachusetts governor includes a seat for Planned Parenthood -- which includes abortion among its family planning services - and his signing into law (after claiming to be 'Pro-Life') a bill that provides taxpayer-funded abortion in Massachusetts AGAWAM, Mass. --Conservative activists criticized Mitt Romney over his abortion record Thursday as the Republican presidential contender received an award from an anti-abortion group that also used to complain about his support for abortion rights. ... A coalition including the leaders of the Pro-Life Federation, the Michigan Conservative Union and Massachusetts Resistance was especially critical of the revelation that Romney's wife, Ann, had donated $150 to Planned Parenthood during her husband's 1994 U.S. Senate campaign. The group also complained because a universal health care bill Romney signed into law while Massachusetts governor includes a seat for Planned Parenthood -- which includes abortion among its family planning services -- on a payment policy board. "His commitment to the pro-life cause has been called into question because of his frequently changing position on the issue of abortion and his signing into law a bill that provides taxpayer-funded abortion in Massachusetts," the group said in a statement. ... Romney contributed $15,000 to the group, a past critic of his record, last December. [article link]
Event: The God Delusion Debate - Richard Dawkins will debate his Oxford University colleague Dr. John Lennox - CDs and DVDs of this event will also be available for purchase in the coming weeks Remaining true to our goal of engaging secular culture on critical issues in a thoughtful, respectful manner, Fixed Point Foundation will sponsor a debate on what is arguably the most critical question of our time: the existence of God. The decision one makes regarding this question has implications that reverberate throughout eternity to be sure, but it also affects temporal existence from government policy to the individual. Historically, man's belief in the transcendent has served as a restraint on his conduct and provided hope for his future. Now, it is argued, "God is dead", and man can do very well without him. The debate will feature Professor Richard Dawkins, Fellow of the Royal Society and Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University and Dr. John Lennox (MA, MA, Ph.D., D.Phil., D.Sc.), Reader in Mathematics and Fellow in
Mathematics and Philosophy of Science, Green College, University of Oxford. Dawkins, voted by Europe's Prospect Magazine as one of the world's most important intellectuals, is regarded by many as the spokesman for the "New Atheism." BBC has labeled him "Darwin's Rottweiler." ... Lennox, a popular Christian apologist and scientist, travels widely speaking on the interface between science and religion. Like Dawkins, he has dedicated his career to science, but he has arrived at very different conclusions. "It is the very nature of science that leads me to belief in God," he says. Lennox possesses doctorates from Oxford, Cambridge, and the University of Wales. He has written a response to the notion that Science has exposed the Bible as obscurantist in a book titled God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? The book will be published this fall. [article link]
A blow to evolution theory? - Our findings show that humans originated in a single area in Sub-Saharan Africa." The Garden of Eden perhaps? IT SHOULD BE more difficult for evolutionists to hold to their already inadequate theory. A new study by British researchers at the University of Cambridge (published in Nature, July 19) proves that all humans originated from a single point in Africa. This is far removed from the primordial soup + time + chance theory that humans evolved from different parts of the world. The origins of anatomically modern humans have been the focus of much heated debate. Our genetic research shows that the further modern humans have migrated from Africa, the more genetic diversity has been lost within a population. However, some have used skull data to argue that modern humans originated in multiple spots around the world. "We have combined our genetic data with new measurements of a large sample of skulls to show definitively that modern humans originated from a single area in sub-Saharan Africa," says Andrea Manica. Fellow researcher Francois Balloux added: "To test the alternative theory for the origin of modern humans, we tried to find an additional, non-African origin. We found this just did not work. Our findings show that humans originated in a single area in Sub-Saharan Africa." The Garden of Eden perhaps? [article link]
Sen. Larry Craig [Now] Refuses to Leave Senate Despite Judge's Ruling - "I will continue to serve Idaho in the United States Senate" the Idaho Republican said {Another Republican Senate seat that now might go to the Democrats.} Idaho Sen. Larry Craig refused on Thursday to resign from office despite a judge's ruling that denied his efforts to withdraw the guilty plea he entered in August in connection to an airport bathroom stall sex sting. ... Earlier Thursday, Minnesota District Judge Charles Porter's decision was released by the court. Porter denied Craig's motion to withdraw his Aug. 1 guilty plea to a single misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. Guilty pleas often have a difficult legal barrier to overcome because of their voluntary nature. While Porter did not dismiss the case outright on its timeliness, he picked apart Craig's claims in a 27-page decision. In his ruling, Porter said the case overwhelmingly fell against Craig. "Because the Defendant's plea was accurate, voluntary, and intelligent, and because the conviction is supported by the evidence, the Defendant's conviction for disorderly conduct occurring on June, 11, 2007, in the men's public restroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Bloomington, Hennepin County, Minnesota, is valid," Porter wrote, adding that Craig's "motion to withdraw his guilty plea is DENIED," Porter wrote. [article link]
{Flashback} Idaho Sen. Larry Craig Reconsiders Decision to Resign - A telephone call Craig received last week from Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., urging him to consider fighting for his seat is affecting Craig's decision to reconsider his resignation {Tomorrow I'm switching parties, leaving the Republican Party and joining the Constitution Party. **I did join the Constitution Party it was a disappointment to have to leave the Republican Party but now I'm glad to be a part of something new, exciting and non-Republican.} BOISE, Idaho - Sen. Larry Craig is reconsidering his decision to resign after his arrest in a Minnesota airport sex sting and may still fight for his Senate seat, his spokesman said Tuesday evening. "It's not such a foregone conclusion anymore, that the only thing he could do was resign," said Sidney Smith, Craig's spokesman in
Idaho's capital. "We're still preparing as if Senator Craig will resign Sept. 30, but the outcome of the legal case in Minnesota and the ethics investigation will have an impact on whether we're able to stay in the fight - and stay in the Senate." ... A telephone call Craig received last week from Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., urging him to consider fighting for his seat is affecting Craig's decision to reconsider his resignation, Smith said. [article link]
Michigan Tax Hike Could Sting Romney In Michigan - Among the very few Republicans who voted for the largest tax increases in Michigan's history this week: two endorsers of ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney - Michigan's 11.5% income tax hike and its sales tax extention will almost certainly be the subject of a question or two Among the very few Republicans who voted for the largest tax increases in Michigan's history this week: two endorsers of ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney. They are: State Sen. Valde Garcia, a member of Romney's mid-Michigan leadership team, and State Sen. Ron Jelinek, a member of Romney's West Michigan leadership team. Presumably, these two state senators would have been called to campaign for Gov. Romney in Michigan... but if the tax hikes prove unpopular with conservatives -- and, here's a guess -- they will -- you may not see Jelinek or Garcia on the trail with Romney. Note, too, that the next Republican debate will be held in Dearborn and will focus on economic issues. Michigan's 11.5 percent income tax hike and its sales tax extention will almost certainly be the subject of a question or two. [article link]
{Flashback} DNC: In Wake of Tax Cut Flip Flops and Flubs, Romney Returns to Florida - In his latest attempt to smooth talk his way out of his real record, Mitt Romney heads to Palm Beach tonight to address the right wing anti-tax group Club for Growth - Despite the fact that as Massachusetts governor, Romney raised state and local taxes to their highest level in 25 years and imposed an astounding $500 million in new fees on Bay State taxpayers But Romney has already tried -- and failed -- to smooth talk the voters into ignoring his real record on taxes. Despite signing a "no new tax" pledge he once mocked as "government by gimmickry," and despite bragging about supporting President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy despite opposing them, Romney has failed to gain any ground among Republican primary voters. Romney remains stuck in single digits in just about every poll -including the latest USAToday/Gallup poll which has him stuck at three percent among Republican voters. Romney now trails two people who aren't even running yet. [article link]
Alan Keyes excluded from Oct. 9 Michigan Presidential Debate - Michigan conservative leaders appalled conservative leaders in the Wolverine State today criticized Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis, whose neutrality in the presidential race has been repeatedly called into question - Anuzis's 'ties' to the Sterling Corp, which is assisting Mitt Romney in Michigan {The Bush led Republican Party continues to descend into an abyss of unfair and unsavory politics.} Des Moines, IA - In the wake of the exclusion of presidential candidate Alan Keyes from next week's Dearborn, Michigan, Presidential Debate, conservative leaders in the Wolverine State today criticized Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis, whose neutrality in the presidential race has been repeatedly called into question. (See footnote.) "I think it is shameful that someone with Dr. Alan Keyes' experience in government and credentials in the conservative movement is being kept out of the debate," said Judy Zabik, Genesee County Republican Party Board member. "Voters in Michigan and across the country deserve to hear what this man has to say about where this country is and where it's going. He brings a principled, moral perspective to this race that nobody else brings." ... One McCain ally noted Anuzis's 'ties' to the Sterling Corp, which is assisting Mitt Romney in the state and whose consultants managed Mike Bouchard's Senate campaign. "There's no way Saul can be with the Sterling Corp., which is running Romney, and still be neutral in the presidential race." Anuzis's executive director, Jeff Timmer, is a former VP of the Sterling Corp, and the party has paid the group more than $1M this cycle, making it one of five vendors to receive state party contracts. - November 8, 2006, National
Journal's Hotline blog: [article link]
US defends use of Iraqi volunteers - defended their support of local anti-insurgent volunteer organisations accused participants of kidnap and murder - a centrepiece of the US military's new strategy in Iraq - the prime minister's United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) put out a statement condemning the policy of giving armed groups the authority to "do security work, outside the authority of the government" {Once again Bush selects a criminal element to do his business.} US military officials in Baghdad on Wednesday defended their support of local anti-insurgent volunteer organisations, the day after the country's largest political bloc attacked the programme as an "adventure" and accused participants of kidnap and murder. The controversy over the scheme, which is a centrepiece of the US military's new strategy in Iraq, has flared as these local alliances against al-Qaeda spread from their point of origin in the western province of al-Anbar to other Sunni and even some Shia parts of Iraq. US military spokesman Major General Kevin Bergner said the US forces worked with "concerned citizens" groups in conjunction with Iraq's government and security forces. He said Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, "has specifically given guidance to support these efforts in a number of provinces". On Tuesday, however, the prime minister's United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) put out a statement condemning the policy of giving armed groups the authority to "do security work, outside the authority of the government". It said that they contained "terrorist elements who have perpetrated the most heinous crimes against the people", and specifically accused groups operating in the southern Baghdad district of Sayediya of kidnap and murder. [article link]
Strategy For Spiritual Warfare: Know What Spiritual Tactics To Use & When To Use Them {The four basic components to overcoming Satan's spiritual warfare are 1. Prayer 2. Bible devotions - Bible study, 3. Christian Fellowship & Church attendance 4. Serving-giving and volunteering of time, money and gifts to the Church and to those in need.} We have been studying the Biblical strategy for spiritual victory. Let's review what we have covered so far. If you will be victorious in the Christian life, you must... Realize that you are in a spiritual battle; Recognize that you cannot be neutral; Become acquainted with the character and strategy of the enemy; Know and use your weapons. Our weapons are... The (Bible) Word of God; Heavenly Wisdom; Prayer; The Power of God, Not The Arm of The Flesh; Our Christian Testimony Backed Up By A Godly Life; Putting Our Life In The Hands of God. [article link]
SpiritWatch.org: What Is "Countercult Ministry"? - Countercult ministry is a militant response to the challenges of Satan Countercult ministry is a militant response to this challenge of Satan. Dr. Gordon Lewis' remarks on this are sobering and to the point as he sought to highlight the high stakes involved: " .. we are led to specialize in delivering people from counterfeit religions. .. we seek to expose (1) deceptive teachings, (2) immoral ways of life, and (3) oppressive ministerial, missiological tactics, like heavy-handed shepherding of every detail of life in religions, cults and the occult. But these are two-edged swords that have a way of cutting against aberrant Christians as well as cultists. Our battle is not only against the religious oppressors of this dark world, but also against 'the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms' (Eph. 6:12) .. Among the evils we deplore in the cults are abuses of human rights, destructive violence, institutionalized violence, and the undermining of the family and the inhuman exploitation of people in the cults. We must deplore those evils even more if they occur among missionaries to the cults or aberrant Christian groups." "Lone Ranger" heroes will not survive long in this atmosphere, and the high turnover of countercult workers and ministry is proof of this. Only within the context of the Christian community of faith can such a ministry be conducted, and only among Christians united together can countercult workers "be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." It is nothing less than warfare in the spirit, a conflict that is invisible to all but discerning believers. It is a contention for the truth of the Gospel in the face of false prophets and teachers, to both evangelize and restore the deceived and to edify
and defend the Body. We contend there are few more demanding ministries and disciplines required than for the countercult ministry. And it goes way beyond simple argumentation with cult missionaries: the countercult ministry requires an integrative approach that can easily demand of the countercult worker a dear price: the patience of the pastor, the aptitude of the teacher, the zeal of the evangelist, the discernment of the prophet, and the mission mindedness of the apostle. [article link]
Halloween Alternatives and Harvest Festivals - Combine your efforts this year for a truly memorable night of outreach - Without a doubt, the harvest festival is one of the most notoriously popular church events of the year - Orchestrated to thank God for food and farmers, these festivals bring entire congregations together for fellowship and fun - But autumn also brings another not-so-blessed event: Halloween This fall, you'll pick a weekend. You'll gather your members and set up tables. They'll sell jams, jellies, pies, homegrown produce, country crafts and an assortment of other treats made with love. Maybe you'll even host a barbecue, organize sack races and give hayrides on this festive day. Without a doubt, the harvest festival is one of the most notoriously popular church events of the year. Orchestrated to thank God for food and farmers, these festivals bring entire congregations together for fellowship and fun. But autumn also brings another not-so-blessed event: Halloween. Short for "All Hallows Eve," this day represents quite a challenge for many Christian parents. Every year, they struggle to come up with an equally fun night for their children, who might otherwise feel "punished" for their beliefs. According to retailer Hallmark, 50 million Americans participate in Halloween every year. Additionally, it is the third-largest party day annually, surpassed only by New Year's Eve and the Super Bowl, and reaps nearly $6 billion in costume, candy and decoration sales. Yes, Halloween is a definite hurdle. Still, experts like Steve Russo, internationally known evangelist and best-selling author of Halloween: What's a Christian To Do?, say it's not insurmountable. "The worst thing churches can do is present an option to kids that's just like every other Halloween event in town," Russo advises. "In your planning, don't see how closely you can copy the world. Instead, make it appealing by being different. Alternatives are limited only by your imagination." [article link]
cbn.com: Halloween Articles The views expressed on this page are the opinions of the various authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). Leading Christian thinkers have disparate views on Halloween and how Christians should respond to it. We have offered several different viewpoints so that you, the reader, can prayerfully decide what is the correct response for your family. [article link]
Russian-based group will help promote Ford boycott - An international pro-family organization, Watchmen on the Walls (WOW), has announced its participation in the boycott of Ford Motor Company The announcement comes 18 months into the boycott that began in the United States, and WOW says it will now help spread it to Russian-speaking countries near its headquarters in Latvia. The Watchmen help to "coordinate pro-family opposition to the international homosexual movement," according to spokesman Dr. Scott Lively, who says the organization will promote the boycott using its network of activists in more than ten countries. Lively says people of the former Soviet Union's Russian-speaking countries are among the strongest opponents of the homosexual agenda in the world, and he expects the automaker's sales to significantly shrink once news of the boycott reaches InVictory.org, a Christian news service in those same countries with an estimated one-million readers. American Family Association began the boycott in 2006 after Ford reneged on an agreement to withdraw its active corporate support of the homosexual agenda. More than 700,000 people have now signed a pledge not to buy the automaker's vehicles. [article link]
AFA.org: Ford Boycott continues to be effective; Sales drop 21% in September - Ford sales have dropped in 17 of the 19 months since AFA began a boycott of the company - Ford continues to consider support for the homosexual agenda and same-sex marriage more important than making a profit for the company Ford Motor Company sales dropped 21% in September compared to that month's sales a year ago. Ford sales have dropped in 17 of the 19 months since AFA began a boycott of the company. AFA began boycotting Ford in March 2006 when the company reneged on a pledge to stop supporting homosexual organizations and same-sex marriage. While not totally responsible for the decline in sales, the boycott is having an impact. When the boycott began, Ford was approximately in the same financial condition as that of General Motors and Chrysler. But because of the boycott, Ford is now in much more of a serious financial situation than GM and Chrysler. Ford continues to consider support for the homosexual agenda and same-sex marriage more important than making a profit for the company. Ford has rebuffed repeated attempts by AFA asking the company to remain neutral in the culture war. [article link]
BoycottFord.com: Take Action - Sign the Boycott Ford Pledge (Caution website has Ford adds that show explicit homosexual material) Yes, I'm supporting the boycott of Ford Motor Company automobiles until Ford stops supporting homosexual groups which are pushing homosexual marriage. ... Ford hired a D.C. marketing firm to target the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender market and developed a plan to involve Ford in the day-to-day business of selling vehicles worldwide to gay and lesbian customers. Ford was an executive sponsor of the 2004 "Out & Equal Workplace Summit Conference." The purpose of the event was to advance the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage, in major corporations. ... Ford has been an "Emerald Sponsor" of Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG), a national organization promoting the homosexual lifestyle including homosexual marriage. Ford has been an annual sponsor of the "Reaching Out MBA Conference" that promotes the education, visibility, and networking capabilities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender business leaders in the United States and around the globe. [article link]
{Flashback} 2002 Romney flier "Paid for by the Romney for Governor Committee" promotes 'gay' rights Candidate reportedly handed out leaflet at Boston 'Pride' parade - "This is quite disturbing," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, who had praised Mr. Romney as a champion of traditional values at the group's conference one year ago - "This type of information is going to create a lot of problems for Governor Romney - He is going to have a hard time overcoming this" (Flier-Photo) A website paid for and authorized by the Massachusetts Democratic Party has posted a picture of a flier reportedly passed out at a 2002 'gay pride' event by then-gubernatorial candidate Mitt Romney expressing support for homosexual rights. The flier, on red [pink] paper, claims to have been paid for by "the Romney for Governor Committee and the Kerry Murphy Healey Committee" and reads, "Mitt and Kerry wish you a great Pride Weekend. All citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of sexual preference." ... "This is quite disturbing," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, who had praised Mr. Romney as a champion of traditional values at the group's conference one year ago. "This type of information is going to create a lot of problems for Governor Romney. He is going to have a hard time overcoming this." [article link]
All About Next November? - The maps project Electoral College breakdowns for four GOP candidates against (Hillary) Clinton - In these scenarios, Romney fares poorest - Mitt Romney has run over 10,000 TV ads so far this year, mostly in Iowa and New Hampshire {Mitt Romney will go down in history as the politician who couldn't even buy an election!} Politico displays some of the projection maps for various GOP candidates in the general election which look to be wildly optimistic considering recent electoral history. The maps projects Electoral College breakdowns for four GOP candidates against Clinton. In these scenarios, Romney fares poorest, according to the Giuliani camp.
... Mitt Romney has run over 10,000 TV ads so far this year, mostly in Iowa and New Hampshire. [article link]
Mayor will allow abortion facility to open - But aldermen intend to raise issue of deceptions - a lawsuit is expected to be filed almost immediately against the clinic's opening, based on the issue of the building's permits - Planned Parenthood willfully concealed its intentions for the building from local residents and officials The mayor of Aurora, Ill., has concluded that there's no legal reason to keep a new $7.5 million Planned Parenthood mega-clinic abortion facility closed, after an investigation into deceptions by the abortion provider during the permitting and construction process. However, members of city's board of aldermen say they will raise the issue again, because the corporation was not up-front in its dealings with the city. Aurora is where city officials ordered the Planned Parenthood abortion mega-clinic to remain closed while they investigated the impacts of deceptive statements Planned Parenthood provided to city officials during its project process. Mayor Tom Weisner said although the company was not "forthright," there were no legal grounds on which to prevent the mega-clinic's ultimate opening. ... "Lawrence said they were supposed to have a discussion before a decision was made, which did not happen. This is a matter that all the elected officials were supposed to be involved in, not just one," she reported. Her report also confirmed that a lawsuit is expected to be filed almost immediately against the clinic's opening, based on the issue of the building's permits. The 22,000-square-foot facility was supposed to open in September, but city officials delayed that when it was revealed that Planned Parenthood willfully concealed its intentions for the building from local residents and officials. After admitting the project was sought under the corporate name of Gemini Office Development in order to hide its identity from pro-life protesters, Planned Parenthood officials said there was no intent to mislead or defraud. [article link]
TheNewAmerican.com: Current Issue Cover Story - Continental Merger - By William F. Jasper (PDF) Continental Merger - A coalition of groups warns that President Bush's Security and Prosperity Partnership will lead to a merger of the United States, Mexico, and Canada, but Bush claims that the pact is not threatening. Who is being truthful? [article link]
Yo, Kyoto - Bush shifts his stance on global warming - Bush exhorting other countries to follow his lead in tackling climate change - Now the White House is seeking to be portrayed as leading the pack The spectacle of US President George W. Bush exhorting other countries to follow his lead in tackling climate change came as a puzzle last week to many. Since a 2001 speech in which he questioned the science of global warming, he had barely mentioned the subject until his State of the Union address this January, when a single mention crept in. Now the White House is seeking to be portrayed as leading the pack. ... According to US officials, Mr Bush has been sorely misunderstood on the issue. They maintain that, while presented as a wrecker of international agreements on global warming, his administration has been quietly forging ahead on plans to cut emissions. ... Mr Bush last week acknowledged climate change as one of the "great challenges of our time". Tellingly, he even quoted the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a UN-convened body that has been attacked by many in Mr Bush's Republican party for perceived political bias... [article link]
{Flashback} Bush Designates Largest Marine Sanctuary on Earth in Hawaii - Commercial fishing will be phased out in the area within five years, but it is possible permits will still be granted for recreational activities such as diving and sport fishing The world's largest protected marine sanctuary off the coast of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands was created last week with the stroke of a pen. President Bush has signed a proclamation designating an area more than seven times bigger than all other U.S. national marine sanctuaries combined. ... The 10 islands and atolls whose coastal waters will be protected cover 140,000 thousand square miles. For comparison, that's the size of
Montana, the fourth-largest U.S. state, and 12 times bigger than land mass of Hawaii itself. ... Commercial fishing will be phased out in the area within five years, but it is possible permits will still be granted for recreational activities such as diving and sport fishing. - Some Opposition from Locals -Sunny Rivera, a local fisherman in Honolulu, is very happy about the new designation and hopes the government will ensure that people have a way to truly enjoy it. He also believes, however, that fishing should be allowed to coexist with the preserve in some areas, because of its importance to trade and local cuisine. [article link]
Top IT firms form group to boost next-gen USB - USB 3.0, has been put forward and promises users a 10-fold jump in performance Firms including Microsoft, NEC, Texas Instruments, HP, Intel and NXP Semiconductors, which created the original USB, have now formed the USB 3.0 Promoter Group to create a superspeed version. The group claimed USB 3.0 is needed because digital content files are now too big for fast handling by USB 2.0. USB 3.0 will target fast sync-and-go transfer applications in the PC, consumer and mobile segments and will be backward compatible. The group is aiming for greater performance to help USB overtake the less popular, but faster, Firewire interconnect. USB 3.0 will also use less power and offer improved protocol efficiency and quality of service when dealing with multiple flows of data. The completed USB 3.0 specification is expected by the first half of 2008 and the first implementation will be in the form of discrete silicon. The arrival of USB 3.0, sometime in 2009, will no doubt spark the creation of thousands of new PCs, laptops, peripherals and consumer electronics products. [article link]
{Flashback} Intelligent RAID 6: Accelerated by Intel - Computer Data protection is a growing concern for businesses of all sizes - RAID 6 Tutorial: See our new animation (click link on right side) Data protection is a growing concern for businesses of all sizes. Current solutions for data protection utilize Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) technology in a variety of implementations and form factors. RAID enables a bunch of disks to be treated as one large volume and also protects data from internal component failures by making copies of data and rebuilding lost or damaged data. The most popular RAID levels are 0, 1 and 5. ... RAID 6 is defined as additional disk drive failure tolerance provided by a second independent distributed parity scheme. RAID 6 offers another level of protection that has been in existence for some time, but has, until recently, been available almost exclusively in proprietary devices. By using additional parity calculations, RAID 6 can protect mission-critical data from two concurrent disk drive failures. With the growth of disk array sizes, increasing disk densities and the introduction of Serial ATA (SATA,) drives (said by some to have lower reliability) into the storage market, the likelihood for two concurrent failures is increasing. [article link]
Bush Says Hillary Clinton Will Be Democratic Nominee - President Bush, breaking his rule not to talk about presidential politics, says he believes Hillary Rodham Clinton will defeat Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries {Why is Bush campaigning for Hillary? The 2008 election is probably as rigged as an old WWF Title Match. Hillary is the ringer and likely McCain, Rudy, Fred or some other Republican sacrifice is destined to lose. Looks like Bush Jr. is playing the same "end game" his dad played when he gifted his 1992 reelection to Bill Clinton.} WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush, breaking his rule not to talk about presidential politics, says he believes Hillary Rodham Clinton will defeat Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries. Bush also predicts that Clinton will be defeated in the general election by the Republican nominee. "I believe our candidate can beat her but it's going to be a tough race," the president said. It has been difficult for Bush to remain silent about the 2008 president race, despite his promises not to be the "prognosticator in chief." He has been talking about the race and handicapping candidates during off-the-record chats with visitors to the White House. He finally went public with his Clinton prediction in an interview for a book by Bill Sammon, a reporter for The Washington Examiner. ... The White House did not challenge Sammon's account. ... Bush said Giuliani's
popularity was a sign of how important the terrorism issue is to Republican voters, the newspaper said. It said Bush cautioned against ruling out Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., saying he had managed to revive his campaign after an implosion earlier this year. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton - "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton" he said, referring to how Bill Clinton had followed his father, and Hillary Clinton could follow him - Bush said he checked in with Clinton occasionally WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush says Bill Clinton has become so close to his father that the Democratic former president is like a member of the family. Former President George Bush has worked with Clinton to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami and the hurricane disaster along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Asked about his father and Clinton, Bush quipped, "Yes, he and my new brother." "That's a good relationship. It's a fun relationship to watch," Bush said in an interview with CBS News broadcast on Sunday. While attending Pope John Paul's funeral, Bush said, "It was fun to see the interplay between dad and Clinton. One of these days, I'll be a member of the ex-president's club. ... I'll be looking for something to do." ... Bush said he checked in with Clinton occasionally. "And you know, he says things that makes it obvious - that makes it obvious to me that we're kind of, you know, on the same wavelength about the job of the presidency. Makes sense, after all, there's this kind of commonality," he said. Bush jokingly referred to speculation that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former president's wife, will seek the Democratic nomination for the presidency. He had earlier referred to the former first lady as "formidable." "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton," he said, referring to how Bill Clinton had followed his father, and Hillary Clinton could follow him. [article link]
Gingrich: Good chance Hillary Clinton will win in 2008 - I think the odds are 80% that Sen. Clinton is the next president {That's probably the Baghdad George plan. Ruin the conservative base and bring a Clinton back into the Whitehouse.} Gingrich said his party does face a tough road in its quest to re-capture the White House. "I think the odds are 80 per cent that Sen. Clinton is the next president; I think she is almost certainly going to win the Democratic nomination," he said of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York. "And I think unless the Republicans can find a way to represent real change for the current situation in Washington, unless they can convince the American people they represent fundamental change, I think they'll have a very hard time." On the current field of GOP candidates, Mr. Gingrich said he found them all to be "hardworking, smart people." He said he would hold off on endorsing any particular candidate until after the Republican National Convention next summer in Minneapolis. [article link]
{Flashback} Exclusive: Dick Morris Says Hillary Will Be America's Next President - In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to slow investigations Barring a Clinton indictment, however, Hillary's White House path is clear for 2008. ... A Big Boost From ... Bush In the end, however, it's President Bush who may have done more to make Hillary Clinton president than anyone else - by ignoring the scandals of the first two Clinton terms and ordering his Justice Department to slow investigations. "In retrospect it will look like a mistake on his part," Morris told NewsMax. "He's treating the scandals as an inconvenience, but that's because of one of the core convictions of the Bush family. They always oppose aggressive action against former presidents." He argues that, though some of the accusations leveled against his ex-boss were "garbage," the 11th-hour pardons were a different matter. "That scandal was very real. And if there is no action on the pardon scandal, Bush will ultimately regret that," Morris predicts. [article link]
{Flashback} Report implicating Clinton: Will it be hidden for good? - Bipartisan congressional negotiators squelch independent counsel's findings
Explains Tyrrell: "Amazingly key Republicans in these negotiations agreed [to the amendment], Sen. Kit Bond and Rep. Joe Knollenberg. As things stand now, the expurgated report will appear and the public will be none the wiser as to how the IRS and Justice Department can be used to obstruct justice and harass private citizens." [article link]
{Flashback} President Bush, Laura, Jenna, Bill Clinton and Other Well Known People Showing Off the Hand Signal Which Represents Satan (Photos) Associated Press and Reuters called the above Bush family hand signs the 'Texas Longhorn or 'Texas UT' symbol. People still seem to think the signal is solely the 'hook 'em horns' UT symbol. We know this to be true but this doesn't answer our primary questions. 1) If the symbol denotes Texas football or UT, why are people like Silvio Berlusconi and Bill Clinton doing it too? They have no links with Texas. 2) Why is the Bush family so obsessed with the signal, displaying it dozens of times during both the inauguration and the evening ball? A few times maybe we could accept, but why this many? What has Texas sports got do with a national inauguration? 3) By Bush being an occult member of Skull and Bones and Bohemian Grove, it certainly shouldn't be surprising that people would suspect him of praising Satan. Why would any Christian belong to an occult organization? Below are some photos where the hand gesture is used in a clearly Satanic context: {Besides President Bush and family all went to Yale and not Texas UT}. [article link]
{Flashback} Terror suspect contributed to school 'religion guidelines' Issued by Clinton (and continued by Bush), rules let students pray to Allah, but banish Christmas A man arrested as a terror suspect for allegedly trying to transport $340,000 from a group tied to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, and who reputedly had connections to Osama bin Laden, helped write the "Religious Expression in Public Schools" guidelines issued by President Clinton during his tenure in office. And that could explain why students at a California school were told as part of their required classes they would become Muslims and pray to Allah - and a federal judge approved that, and why an Oregon school this year is delivering similar lessons to its students, as WND has reported. ... Those are the same guidelines that the ACLU's Nadine Strossen referred to for authority when supporting organization lawsuits to restrict Christmas celebrations and the removal of the Nativity from public display, the reports said. [article link]
THE BUSH-CLINTON DYNASTY - Face it folks: the Bushes and Clintons are political soul mates - the Bushes and Clintons are as close as America has gotten to a crime family dynasty To believe that the Bushes and Clintons are political and philosophical opponents is the height of absurdity. Both have the support and do the bidding of the international elite. Both families are imbedded in secret societies and globalist agendas. And mark my words, the Bushes will be working behind the scenes for a Hillary victory in 2008. I will even be so bold as to say that the Bushes and Clintons are as close as America has gotten to a crime family dynasty. If you are brave at heart, do a little personal research into the connection between these two families and the CIA's infamous "extra curricular" C-130 flights to Central and South America originating in and out of Mena, Arkansas back in the '90's. Barak Obama needs to pray he doesn't get too close to the Democratic nomination. And the American people need to pray for a "Great Awakening," because another four or eight years of the Bush-Clinton dynasty might turn this once-great constitutional republic into just another banana republic. [article link]
{Flashback} Bush Backs (Democratic) Richardson Trip to North Korea - N.M. Governor in Group Claiming War Remains - the announcement from the Bush White House yesterday was a gift: - caused much bipartisan headscratching yesterday - "Talk about retreating to a Clinton policy" said Republican political consultant Ed Rogers - "Next they will want Hillary to sponsor heath-care legislation" For a Democratic presidential candidate whose support in voter preference polls hovers around the margin of
error, the announcement from the Bush White House yesterday was a gift: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) will co-head a private bipartisan delegation to North Korea next week to retrieve the remains of U.S. troops lost during the Korean War, receiving logistical support and technical expertise from the U.S. government. ... For that reason, the statement issued in the name of White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino caused much bipartisan head-scratching yesterday. "Talk about retreating to a Clinton policy," said Republican political consultant Ed Rogers. "Next they will want Hillary to sponsor heath-care legislation," he said, referring to the Democratic front-runner, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), and her ill-fated bid to overhaul health insurance as first lady. Rogers said he was puzzled about why President Bush would complain yesterday about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visiting Syria while praising Richardson for going to North Korea. [article link]
{Flashback} Harriet Miers (helped) Contribute to Hillary's NY Senate Election in 2000 On May 17, 2000, while Harriet Miers was managing the law firm of Locke Liddell from the firm's Dallas office, she contributed $415 to the law firm's political action committee. Federal Election Commission reports show that two days later, Locke Liddell's PAC contributed $1,000 to Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate Campaign Committee. For an unexplained reason, Harriet Miers listed herself as a "self-employed attorney," according to the FEC Report on her 2000 contribution to the Locke Liddell PAC. [article link]
Christian leaders threaten to abandon Republicans - Dobson, others meet in Salt Lake City to plan options in presidential campaign - While some of those present found candidate Mitt Romney acceptable as a nominee because of his current positions, others were skeptical of him because of his past positions on issues of life and death {I guess it's convenient for some to ignore the fact that Mitt Romney is a senior leader (High Priest) of a lying, deceiving, dangerous, satanic cult!} WASHINGTON - Some of the top leaders in Christian pro-family activism - including James Dobson of Focus on the Family - met in Salt Lake City yesterday to plot a strategy if Rudy Giuliani or another supporter of legalized abortion is nominated by the Republican Party as its presidential candidate. Not only was there a consensus among activists to withhold support for the Republican nominee, there was even discussion about supporting the entry of a new candidate to challenge the frontrunners. It's no secret that Dobson, founder of one of the largest Christian ministries in the country, has no use for Giuliani. ... Dobson reportedly drove from his headquarters Colorado Springs to the private meeting, held between sessions of the Council for National Policy in Salt Lake City this weekend, just to weigh in with other leaders of family groups, including the Family Research Council, Bott Broadcasting, Capitol Resource Institute, Salem Communications, Eagle Forum and Concerned Women for America. ... While some of those present found candidate Mitt Romney acceptable as a nominee because of his current positions, others were skeptical of him because of his past positions on issues of life and death. Some of those present, including Dobson, have expressed skepticism about Fred Thompson's bona fides as a leader on the key social issues of concern to the groups. Perhaps the most surprising development in the meeting was the floating of an idea to recruit yet another candidate to enter the fray. [article link]
Gingrich rules out run for president - Gingrich told supporters in Marietta, Georgia, on Thursday that if they pledged at least $30 million to his campaign over a three-week period starting Monday, he would compete for the Republican nomination ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Two days after hinting he wanted to try for the White House, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich decided he would not run for president, his spokesman said Saturday. ... Gingrich, 64, has hinted for months that he would join the GOP presidential race if he determined no other candidate appeared able to take on the Democrats in 2008. His hinting has become louder in recent weeks, with his suggestion that Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York is destined to be the Democratic nominee and that he would be the best Republican to debate her. Gingrich said, however, that he has no desire to personally raise campaign funds. ... He resigned suddenly from Congress four years after his party lost five House seats in the
1998 elections. In the nine years since, Gingrich has not sought public office, but he has remained vocal as an author and speaker for hire. [article link]
Newt Gingrich Had Affair During Clinton (Monica Lewinsky) Probe - a congressional aide more than 20 years younger than he is - he also happens to be a sleazeball of a man - I'm apparently not alone in this assessment, if a recent Gallup poll is any indication The AP reports that Newt Gingrich was cheating on his wife while leading the impeachment against Bill Clinton for lying under oath about adultery. I had presumed everyone knew that several years ago but, judging by the attention it's getting around the blogosphere, apparently not. ... Gingrich, who frequently campaigned on family values issues, divorced his second wife, Marianne, in 2000 after his attorneys acknowledged Gingrich's relationship with his current wife, Callista Bisek, a former congressional aide more than 20 years younger than he is. His first marriage, to his former high school geometry teacher, Jackie Battley, ended in divorce in 1981. Although Gingrich has said he doesn't remember it, Battley has said Gingrich discussed divorce terms with her while she was recuperating in the hospital from cancer surgery. Gingrich married Marianne months after the divorce. While Gingrich is perhaps the most innovative conservative thinker and its most effective orator, at least among actual officeholders, since Barry Goldwater, he also happens to be a sleazeball of a man. I'm apparently not alone in this assessment, if a recent Gallup poll is any indication: [article link]
PTC Shows Consumers How Cable Should Be - New Website Discloses Cable Networks' Monthly Sub Fees Allows Subscribers to Calculate Á La Carte Savings - Consumers are paying for what they do not want, watch or need; and it is time for this to change LOS ANGELES (September 25, 2007) - The Parents Television Council™ today announced the launch of a new website, www.HowCableShouldBe.com, that allows consumers to see for themselves just how much they are paying for cable networks they don't want or don't watch. The new website also allows visitors to calculate what their cable bills should be if they were allowed to "vote with their wallet" by selecting only the cable networks they wanted. The new website presents a typical expanded basic cable package, together with the approximate amount each network is estimated to receive from every subscriber's monthly bill. Visitors to the site can click to vote for the networks that they no longer want to purchase. After voting, the site then calculates what their cable bill should be based on the networks he or she has elected to keep. Visitors to the site can also watch an amusing new online video, "Tad's Bundling Bummer," about a high school student who tries to sell magazine subscriptions in a bundle despite the customer's insistence that she only wants one magazine. "With this fun and revealing new tool, consumers will see for themselves just how much they pay each and every month for networks they do not want. The cable industry is doing everything they can to keep this cozy little secret from its customers, and we hope this website will help raise national awareness for Cable Choice. Why should families have to subsidize MTV, FX or Spike if they find the content harmful or inappropriate? And why should those who do not like sports be forced to pay over $80 a year for half a dozen and often even more - national, regional or league-specific sports networks? Consumers are paying for what they do not want, watch or need; and it is time for this to change," said PTC President Tim Winter. [article link]
U.S. Embassy rips (US Senate) Iraq partition plan - The nonbinding Senate resolution adopted last week calls for Iraq to be divided into federal regions under control of Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis in a power-sharing agreement similar to the one that ended the 1990s war in Bosnia - Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., was a prime sponsor of the measure BAGHDAD - The U.S. Embassy on Sunday criticized a Senate resolution that could lead to a division of the country into sectarian or ethnic territories, agreeing with a swath of Iraqi leaders in saying the proposal "would produce extraordinary suffering and bloodshed." ... The unusual statement from the Bush administration came just hours after representatives of Iraq's major political parties denounced the U.S. Senate proposal calling for a
limited centralized government with the bulk of the power given to the country's Shiite, Sunni or Kurdish regions, saying it would seriously hamper Iraq's future stability. "Our goal in Iraq remains the same: a united, democratic, federal Iraq that can govern, defend, and sustain itself," the statement said. "Iraq's leaders must and will take the lead in determining how to achieve these national aspirations. ... attempts to partition or divide Iraq by intimidation, force or other means into three separate states would produce extraordinary suffering and bloodshed." The nonbinding Senate resolution adopted last week calls for Iraq to be divided into federal regions under control of Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis in a power-sharing agreement similar to the one that ended the 1990s war in Bosnia. Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., was a prime sponsor of the measure. [article link]
Report: Blackwater 'impeded' probe into contractor deaths - One company document found a "complete lack of support" for its Baghdad, Iraq, office from executives at the company's headquarters in North Carolina - In addition, Blackwater made "multiple attempts" to get the Defense Department to declare company and Coalition Provisional Authority reports on the incident classified, the report states - The Pentagon refused WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Private military contractor Blackwater USA "delayed and impeded" a congressional probe into the 2004 killings of four of its employees in Falluja, Iraq, the House Oversight Committee said Thursday in a report. ... "According to these documents, Blackwater took on the Falluja mission before its contract officially began, and after being warned by its predecessor that it was too dangerous. It sent its team on the mission without properly armored vehicles and machine guns. And it cut the standard mission team by two members, thus depriving them of rear gunners," the report states. In a written response to the report, Blackwater called it "a one-sided version of this tragic incident." ... The report notes that members of the nowdefunct Iraqi Civil Defense Corps "led the team into the ambush, facilitated blocking positions to prevent the team's escape, and then disappeared." Blackwater did not discuss details of the report's findings, noting the incident is still the subject of a lawsuit by the slain contractors' families. [article link]
Bush in new Congress battle over huge war funding demand - demanding the mammoth sum of nearly 190 billion dollars to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - The Pentagon's budget submission was 42.3 billion dollars greater than the administration's estimate when it presented its first 2008 budget request to the Democratic-led Congress in February As Defense Secretary Robert Gates laid out his case for the extra money in a Senate hearing, senior Democrat Robert Byrd said the "nefarious, infernal war in Iraq" had now cost more than 450 billion dollars on its own. "In the fifth year of this terrible, misguided conflict, this senator -- yes, this man from the hill country -- believes that it is time for a thorough evaluation of the Bush war in Iraq," the West Virginia senator told Gates. "If we're serious about supporting our troops, we owe them nothing less." ... The UN has been under strong pressure also from the United States to adopt a higher profile in Iraq, with the Bush administration under intense military strain from the costly war. The Pentagon's budget submission was 42.3 billion dollars greater than the administration's estimate when it presented its first 2008 budget request to the Democratic-led Congress in February. "This additional 42.3 billion dollars puts us at just under 190 billion dollars for the global war on terror supplemental request for 2008 -- 189.3 billion dollars," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters. [article link]
ConstitutionParty.com: Mood Swing: Poll Shows U.S. Political Mood "Dark:... Dissatisfaction Called "UGLY" "The public mood is not just dark - What's darker than dark?" Pollster John Zogby said, "The mood is getting ugly" - The numbers showed President Bush's approval at just 29%, while only 11% had confidence in congress - The poll also found 73% did not approve of U.S. foreign policy, i.e. the war in Iraq - "More Americans realize a third party candidate is going to be the ticket out of this mess" "Americans have lost faith in the two parties that have a stranglehold on this country," said Constitution Party National Committee Chairman Jim Clymer. "The massive defections from both parties
(www.rasmussenreports.com) coupled with the phenomenal growth of the Constitution Party (up 40% since 2004) should surprise no one. The winds of political change are blowing at gale force and by November, 2008 we'll be in the midst of a Category 5 hurricane," predicted Clymer. Former Republican R.I. Sen. Lincoln Chafee recently stated, "It's not my party anymore." Chafee joined the exodus from the GOP saying he left because the party had drifted off course on critical issues, including the war in Iraq, and the economy. According to polls taken by ccAdvertising, as many as 26 percent of likely Republican voters have not decided which candidate will get their vote in 2008. "That speaks volumes about conservative voters' dissatisfaction with the current crop of media-anointed front runners, like Giuliani and Thompson," Clymer noted. Influential conservative leader Dr. James Dobson has stated he will not vote for former D.C. lobbyist and Tennessee senator Fred Thompson because of his unacceptable positions on critical issues like abortion. Dobson also vowed not to vote for former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani for the same reasons, stating he'd vote for a third party candidate instead. "More Americans realize a third party candidate is going to be the ticket out of this mess." [article link]
Father of Columbine victim: 'Life taken in godless school' - Brian Rohrbough's memorial inscription sparks debate {Brian Rohrbough is right and correct! The Best and most appropriate Memorial is to learn from what went wrong and then make changes and corrections to save and protect lives.} The father of one of the victims in the 1999 Columbine school shooting in Colorado has triggered a battle of words with his choice of inscription for the newly completed memorial for the 13 students killed in that murderous rampage. Brian Rohrbough, who now serves as president of Colorado Right to Life, submitted an inscription for the memorial in a park close to the school that blames the violence in today's culture on the choice society makes to remove God from the equation. ... Rohrbough, in 2006 when a lone gunman attacked and killed students at an Amish school, said there are no limits on such tragedies because of the nation's choice to eliminate God from schools and public life. "When my son Dan was murdered on the sidewalk at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, I hoped that would be the last school shooting. Since that day, I've tried to answer the question, 'Why did this happen?'" he told CBS at the time. "This country is in a moral freefall. For over two generations, the public school system has taught in a moral vacuum, expelling God from the school and from the government, replacing him with evolution, where the strong kill the weak, without moral consequences and life has no inherent value. "We teach there are no absolutes, no right or wrong. And I assure you the murder of innocent children is always wrong, including by abortion. Abortion has diminished the value of children. "Suicide has become an acceptable action and has further emboldened these criminals. And we are seeing an epidemic increase in murder-suicide attacks on our children. "Our children have become a target of terrorists from within the United States," he said. [article link]
{Flashback} #1 News-Blog item of 2006 - Brian Rohrbough appears on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric - the featured Columbine father speaks against school violence, evolution and abortion (Video - Online or Download) ROHRBOUGH: I'm saddened and shaken by the shooting at an Amish school today and last week's school murders [in Bailey, Colorado]. When my son Dan was murdered on the sidewalk at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, I hoped that would be the last school shooting. Since that day, I tried to answer the question, "Why did this happen?" This country is in a moral freefall. For over two generations, the public school system has taught in a moral vacuum, expelling God from the school and from the government, replacing him with evolution, *where the strong kill the weak without moral consequences*. And life has no inherent value. We teach there are no absolutes, no right or wrong, and I assure you the murder of innocent children is always wrong, including by abortion. Abortion has diminished the value of children. Suicide has become an acceptable action and has further emboldened these criminals. We're seeing an epidemic increase in murder/suicide attacks on our children. Sadly, our schools are not safe. In fact, we now witness that within our schools, our children have become a target of terrorists from within the United States. [article link]
[Mormon] Polygamist 'prophet' found guilty of aiding rape - A few feet away, his accuser had tears in her eyes - "When I was young my mother taught me that evil flourishes when good men do nothing" - "The easy thing would have been to do nothing, but I followed my heart" she said The easy thing would have been to do nothing, but I followed my heart," she said, urging other girls and young women who feel trapped by polygamy to come forward. Prosecutor Brock Belnap praised Wall's courage. "It has been an honor to stand alongside a woman who spoke out to stop a practice of abuse against enormous odds and against enormous power," he said. The conviction on two counts could send Jeffs to prison for the rest of his life. Sentencing was set for November 20. The five men and three women returned the verdict shortly after 4 p.m. ET following about 16 hours of sometimes tumultuous deliberations. One juror was replaced Tuesday morning with an alternate. Jeffs, 51, is president and "prophet" of the [Mormon] Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). The sect, based in the twin border towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, claims some 10,000 members. Because of the possibility of a hostile reaction from Jeffs' followers, police sharpshooters were posted on top of nearby cliffs after it was announced the jury had reached a verdict. [article link]
Jury Finds (Mormon-FLDS) Polygamous-Sect Leader Warren Jeffs Guilty on Sex Charges - Warren Jeffs guilty of being an accomplice to rape for performing a marriage between a 14-year-old girl to her 19-year-old cousin ST. GEORGE, Utah - A jury found polygamous-sect leader Warren Jeffs guilty Tuesday of being an accomplice to rape for performing a marriage between a 14-year-old girl to her 19-year-old cousin. ... Authorities captured Jeffs in a 2006 traffic stop outside Las Vegas after he was on the run for 18 months. ... Jeffs succeeded his father in 2002 as president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Former members say he rules with an iron fist, demanding perfect obedience from followers and exercising the right to arrange marriages as well as break them up and assign new spouses. The church has a large complex near the West Texas town of Eldorado, about 40 miles south of San Angelo. [article link]
Why I am not a Republican - I tried to explain ... arguing that the Republican Party should win our support, not demand it - once Republicans like George W. Bush win office, they ignore the agenda of the conservatives and moral Christians who elected them, to the point of ridiculing our goals and objectives {How true and the Bush Republican politicians are fast becoming the biggest bunch of losers who will win Nothing and continue on to lose everything. I strongly recommend exiting the Titanic Republican Party and joining something new and positive like the Constitution Party.} I have reflected that Howard Phillips was probably right when he urged Ronald Reagan to form his own, new political party. I'm not sure the moral Christians belong in the same party with the Rockefeller Republicans. At any rate, George W. Bush in his second term seems determined to destroy the Reagan coalition once and for all. Moral conservatives, including myself, are getting tired of being told we need to vote for Republican candidates, even if the candidates have a history of supporting abortion, such as Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney. Why is it that once Republicans like George W. Bush win office, they ignore the agenda of the conservatives and moral Christians who elected them, to the point of ridiculing our goals and objectives? I wrote in Human Events that if President Bush had campaigned openly in 2004 about his plans to create the SPP, he might not have won a single red state. Now, apologists like Medved and Babbin tell us that a North American Union could never happen because we would have to vote to amend the Constitution. The argument is nonresponsive. In Europe, the elite and multi-national corporations who favored creating regional government did so incrementally, creating a fait accompli before anybody got to vote. That's the point. We now have 10 percent of Mexico's population living in the United States as Mexican nationals. As a result, we have already become a dual country, whether we like it or not, and I don't remember that anybody was ever given the chance to vote on it. So, when President Bush signed in October 2006 a law requiring that a fence be built on our border with Mexico, was the point only to achieve a public relations edge before the November voting?
Why does Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., have to write President Bush reminding him that we have so far built fewer than 20 miles of that fence and are behind the congressionally mandated schedule specified in the legislation? We voted to secure our borders, and look where that got us - nowhere. I was also shocked when President Bush neglected to attend the recent funerals of the Reverends Jerry Falwell and D. James Kennedy. Neither President Bush nor his father would most likely have been elected president had it not been for the active support of ministers of national prestige such as Falwell and Kennedy. [article link]
{Flashback} Constitution Party: HAVE CHRISTIANS BECOME DUPES - It is time that Christian people begin seeing their politicians, not as saints who can be blindly trusted, but as sinners whose works must be constantly analyzed and scrutinized in the light of the U.S. Constitution Come on folks, get real! A politician is not a pastor. The American people have a sacred duty to the principles of freedom and their posterity to hold their civil magistrates accountable for their policies and actions. Furthermore, if the civil leader is a true Christian, he would have it no other way. ... As Theodore Roosevelt said, "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else." ... Pastors would not be able to get by with the lying, deceit, and dishonesty that politicians routinely get by with. Many believers give politicians much more honor than they give to their pastors. How foolish! ... It is time that Christian people begin seeing their politicians, not as saints who can be blindly trusted, but as sinners whose works must be constantly analyzed and scrutinized in the light of the U.S. Constitution. [article link]
The Simon Wiesenthal Center - Hamas Thanks Jimmy (the Dhimmi) Carter - Fall/Winter 2007 Issue of Response Magazine (PDF) • Hamas Thanks Jimmy Carter • Bali Religious Summit: History in the Making • SWC Leads Campaign for Polish Priest's Removal • Schismatic Catholic Group Still Promotes Theological Jew-Hatred • Israel Boycott: Functionally Anti-Semitic. [article link]
The Simon Wiesenthal Center - Los Angeles Times (newspaper) OPINION A BYLINE FOR HAMAS? - But how to explain the radical makeover from terrorist pariah to sought-after guest commentators in our national newspapers of record? - Fall/Winter 2007 Response Magazine - (PDF) If you can keep it to 1,250 words, the next time you want to communicate directly to the American people, the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and New York Times want your byline. Inconceivable? Consider Hamas' summer hot streak. Not only has it driven Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas out of Gaza, threatened Israeli civilians and bombarded fellow Palestinians, but it has scored the ultimate media trifecta. First, the New York Times and the Washington Post simultaneously ran Op-Ed articles by Ahmed Yousef, a senior leader of Hamas who defended his group's bloody putsch in Gaza. Now, the Los Angeles Times has opened its Op-Ed page to Hamas political bureau deputy Mousa Abu Marzook for his insidious take on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ... But this is a dangerously flawed and naive approach. Hamas, an offshoot and affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood, is as committed to its vision of an Islamic state governed by Sharia law as Hitler was to his "1,000-year Reich." And the editors turn a blind eye to Hamas' founding charter, which invokes the infamous forgery "The Protocols of the Elders Of Zion." Also ignored is the reality that Israel is in a struggle with a group of religious fanatics who embrace a culture of death, preferring the next world to this one; whose ideology abhors compromise; and who surely view their newfound status in the U.S. media as a complete capitulation by a crucial segment of America's elite. This is the issue before us -- should the nation's Op-Ed pages be thrown open to everyone? Are there no constraints or red lines? Whatever happened to the basic
standards that civilized people are expected to live by? Like a belief in the reverence and sanctity of all human life; an abhorrence of violence toward others, especially innocents; the desire and ability to be reasonable and avoid extremes. [article link]
The Associated Press From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - The collapse of AP's traditional rival, United Press International, as a major competitor in 1993 has left AP as the only nationally oriented news service based in the United States - **Some Associated Press reporters have been accused by bloggers of using fake sources {The "same information" would soon become the same controlled and manipulated information. Remember in a controlled media it is just as important in what is Not reported i.e. the goodness, kindness and charity of Jews and Christians is seldom reported on but nearly every Jewish or Church defect is.} AP was formed in May 1846[2] by a group of newspapers who wanted to pool resources to collect news from Europe. Before this, the newspapers had competed by sending reporters out in rowboats to meet the ships as they arrived in the harbor. The owners of these newspapers realized that they were all paying for essentially the same information, and they decided it would be cheaper to have a service collect and pay for the information once from the telegraph company. Their organization was originally called the Harbor News Association; it was later renamed the Associated Press. The driving force in its formation was Moses Yale Beach, publisher of the New York Sun, when he invited the other New York publishers to join the Sun in a cooperative venture in covering the Mexican-American War. The five New York papers who joined in the agreement were the Sun, the Journal of Commerce, the Courier and Enquirer, the Herald, and the Express. In 1849 the Harbor News Association opened the first bureau outside the U.S., in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to meet ships from Europe before they docked in New York. [article link]
JOHN DVORAK'S SECOND OPINION: Too Many Newspapers Are Competing For A Now-global Audience What needs to be addressed is the simple concept of redundancy - A hot story of any sort might have 1,000 to 2,000 links from 1,000 to 2,000 news outlets - **There are no foreign correspondents anymore - There are hardly any stringers on the site of a breaking story anymore As more newspapers make the mistake of eliminating reporting jobs, they fall into the pit of redundancy with nothing special to offer. There are no foreign correspondents anymore. There are hardly any stringers on the site of a breaking story anymore. The only papers or news organizations that can expect to survive will be those with lots of original content available only at their individual sites. The operations that rely more on universally available news feeds will be at the mercy of a fickle public -- one that doesn't care where they read a particular story, especially if it is the exact same story with the exact same headline. It's telling that local news organizations seldom seem to put the effort into at least rewriting the often-dull headlines from the wire services. I can assure you that the online public notices this. Years ago, this lazy model worked. The wire services used to provide local papers with a wide range of stories that local editors could use to enliven their news mix. Over time, many newspaper owners saw the savings they could realize from loading up on wire stories while minimizing their original editorial content. Once the Internet arrived, this model was dead, as the Net revealed that many newspapers weren't actually contributing anything new or unique. The fact that people all over the country subscribe to the New York Times, rather than to a local paper, says it all. [article link]
N.Y. Times: MoveOn ad discount was 'mistake' - Newspaper says it shouldn't have given liberal group a price cut - it gave the liberal activist group MoveOn.org a $77,508 price break on a full-page advertisement - The organization paid $64,575, instead of the standard $142,083 for the ad - "We paid this rate before, so we recognized it" Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis told Hoyt that an advertising sales representative shouldn't have agreed to the discounted price. The ad seemed to disregard internal advertising standards that ban ads involving attacks of a personal nature, Hoyt wrote. ... Hoyt said he was asked to investigate the ad rate by
FreedomsWatch.org, which advocates a strong national defense and a powerful fight against terrorism, because it said it wasn't offered a similar rate. Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org, told Hoyt his group had called three days before the ad ran and asked to place it, and was told the ad would cost $65,000. "We paid this rate before, so we recognized it," Pariser told the Times. [article link]
Values Voter Debate and Voter Guide DVD - Place your order now for the Values Voter Debate and Voter Guide DVD {I think it's worth it to order several of these and pass them out to friends and other churches.} (DVD $9.99) This DVD is a "ValuesVoter" guide to the candidates and their responses to questions that the mainstream press is afraid to ask! [article link]
Report: Israeli Forces Seized Nuclear Material During Syrian Raid - Israeli special forces had been gathering intelligence for several months in Syria, according to Israeli sources - Evidence that North Korean personnel were at the site is said to have been shared with President Bush over the summer {Wow! God Bless Israel for actually finding and destroying real WMD's.} Israeli commandos seized nuclear material of North Korean origin during a daring raid on a secret military site in Syria before Israel bombed it this month, according to Sunday Times report citing informed sources in Washington and Jerusalem. ... Israeli special forces had been gathering intelligence for several months in Syria, according to Israeli sources. They located the nuclear material at a compound near Dayr az-Zwar in the north. Evidence that North Korean personnel were at the site is said to have been shared with President Bush over the summer. A senior American source said the administration sought proof of nuclear-related activities before giving the attack its blessing. Diplomats in North Korea and China believe a number of North Koreans were killed in the strike, based on reports reaching Asian governments about conversations between Chinese and North Korean officials. Syrian officials flew to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, last week, reinforcing the view that the two nations were coordinating their response. [article link]
Giuliani Is Everyone's Worst Nightmare - That Rudy Giuliani is currently trying to cast himself as a conservative is beyond laughable--it is hilarious - As for the Republican Party, if it nominates Rudy Giuliani as its Presidential candidate next year, conservatism will be forever vanquished from the Party - George W. Bush has already just about destroyed conservatism within the GOP - A Giuliani nomination would finish the job {Actually any of the Bush RINOs; Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson will further ruin the already ruined Republican Party and will continue to further damage America.} Yet, Rudy Giuliani wants people to believe that he is "liberals' worst nightmare"? Who is he kidding? Giuliani is a liberal. Actually, Rudy Giuliani is worse than a liberal. He is a liberal that likes to hurt people. I tell you the truth, Rudy Giuliani scares me far more than Hillary Clinton does. Far more. I'll say it right here: if the 2008 Presidential election comes down to Hillary vs. Giuliani, Hillary is the "lesser of two evils." That's how bad Giuliani is. Any Christian who would vote for Rudy Giuliani needs to check out his or her salvation. And before a conservative could vote for Giuliani, he would have to surrender every conviction and principle he ever held. As for the Republican Party, if it nominates Rudy Giuliani as its Presidential candidate next year, conservatism will be forever vanquished from the Party. George W. Bush has already just about destroyed conservatism within the GOP. A Giuliani nomination would finish the job. [article link]
Crickets for Romney - "I think we'd have to admit that the blame doesn't all belong to the other party," Romney said - there was "an awkward moment when one person began to clap but nobody else in the crowd joined" {Romney is right on this point and if the Republicans can't figure out that their lack of leadership, their policies and their conduct are much of the problem then there is no hope for the Republican Party in 2008 or
ever. Unfortunately Romney is the least credible candidate of them all when he says and commits to A, B, C, he then immediately turns around and actually does X, Y, Z.} "I think we'd have to admit that the blame doesn't all belong to the other party," Romney said of the unanswered challenges of recent years. "We Republicans have to put our own house in order. We can't be like Democrats -- the party of big spenders. We can't pretend that our border is secure from illegal immigration. We can't have ethical standards that are the punch line for Jay Leno. When Republicans act like Democrats, America loses." Romney was reading from a teleprompter and punctuated his statement with emphasis -clearly indicating that it was meant for applause. But there was none. A bit later Martin says there was "an awkward moment when one person began to clap but nobody else in the crowd joined." That doesn't sound like a very impressive showing, especially for a candidate who is the state's favorite son. [article link]
Iraq: Blackwater staff face charges - The Iraqi government claims that as many as 20 civilians were killed by the private contractors - The incident prompted the Iraqi government to call for Blackwater's expulsion from the country and sparked anger among ordinary Iraqis BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The Iraqi government will file criminal charges against employees of U.S. security firm Blackwater who are blamed for a gun battle in Baghdad in which civilians were killed, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said Sunday. ... It is unclear how Iraqi courts will attempt to bring the contractors to trial. A July report from the Congressional Research Service said the Iraqi government has no authority over private security firms contracted by the U.S. government. The Iraqi government claims that as many as 20 civilians were killed by the private contractors, who were guarding a U.S. diplomatic convoy. Iraqi officials, who claim the shootings were unprovoked, dispute the U.S. claim that the guards were responding to an attack and said on Saturday they had a videotape that showed the Blackwater guards opened fire without provocation. The incident prompted the Iraqi government to call for Blackwater's expulsion from the country and sparked anger among ordinary Iraqis. [article link]
Romney, Advised By Blackwater's Vice Chairman, Stays Silent On Blackwater Shootings - Cofer Black, vice chairman of Blackwater, currently serves as a Senior Adviser for counterterrorism and national security issues on the Romney campaign {Poor old wannabe Mitt Romney another day, another personnel leadership crisis.} Several presidential candidates have spoken out in support of tighter regulations governing private security contractors in Iraq after the recent shooting involving Blackwater USA. Former Republican Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has remained silent though. Not only has his campaign not issued a statement, but as the Politico reports, it has refused to even answer any questions: ... Romney has a clear interest not condemning Blackwater. Cofer Black, vice chairman of Blackwater, currently serves as a Senior Adviser for counterterrorism and national security issues on the Romney campaign. From the April press release announcing that Black would be joining the campaign: "I am pleased to welcome Cofer Black to our campaign." [article link]
Iraqi official says video shows Blackwater guards firing on civilians - He said eight people were killed at the scene and three of the 15 wounded died in hospitals - Security contractors are also not subject to U.S. military law under which U.S. troops face prosecution for killing or abusing Iraqis BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Iraqi investigators have a videotape that shows Blackwater USA guards opened fire against civilians without provocation in an incident last week in which 11 people died, a senior Iraqi official said Saturday. He said the case had been referred to the Iraqi judiciary. Iraq's president, meanwhile, demanded that the Americans release an Iranian arrested this week on suspicion of smuggling weapons to Shiite militias. ... AlMaliki is expected to raise the issue with Bush during a meeting Monday in New York. It is doubtful that foreign security contractors could be prosecuted under Iraqi law. A directive issued by U.S. occupation authorities in 2004 granted contractors, U.S. troops and many other foreign officials immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law. Security contractors are also not subject to U.S. military law under which U.S. troops face prosecution for
killing or abusing Iraqis. Iraqi officials said after the Nisoor Square shooting that they will press for amendments to the 2004 directive. A senior aide to al-Maliki said Friday that three of the Blackwater guards were Iraqis and could be subject to prosecution. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. [article link]
AnglicansForLife.org: Why Life is Important by Georgette Forney - The most common theme revealed in an indepth study of Scriptures is the sanctity of life As believers, Scripture becomes our authority. It starts with the basic facts; God is the Creator of everything; day, night, sun, moon, mountains, trees, animals, birds, insect and human life. Scripture defines His laws. It explains His covenant with His people. It communicates His love and promises. It also is explicit in describing His judgment. The Bible is our relationship manual with the Triune God. Therefore if we call ourselves Christians, and conduct our lives as His Church, we must adhere to His Word. We don't get to choose what parts of Scripture we like and want to obey. The point of being a Christian is to walk by faith in His Word. Logic no longer is our god. For Christians, every idea, concept and theory must be brought captive to Him and screened through Scripture. Believing that all Scripture is inspired by God and designed to teach Christians how to live, our worldview is formed based on the entire Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, God's teaches us everything we need to know so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16) The most common theme revealed in an in-depth study of Scriptures is the sanctity of life. (See AnglicansforLife.org website for a full list of references.) [article link]
Actors tell Hollywood 'Enough is Enough' - Petition set up to seek respect for Jesus' name - Actress Kathy Griffin's rant at the Emmy awards - and as we have learned, her verbal assault was calculated {Respect is basic to life. Jesus is the greatest life of all and the most worthy of all respect.} The question now is whether Kathy Griffin will pay a similar price for her outburst. And as we have learned, her verbal assault was calculated." The Miracle Theater organization said: "Our attempt is not to throw stones at Ms. Griffin, or anyone else. It is every American's God given right to worship freely and to speak freely. We believe, however, that as Christians, we should not accept her mockery of our Lord quietly! What is shocking to us is how people tend to respond to comments like this about Jesus Christ. It made our heart sick to see people in the audience at the Emmys laughing at Griffin's remarks." The idea for its petition effort, "Million Voices for Christ," came about after many people saw the original ad, and called to express their thanks. The group then purchased a second ad to announce its petition plans. "It seemed that many were looking for a way to speak out on the matter. If we together stand up and say, 'Enough is Enough!' we can show the media that there are MILLIONS OF US that love our Lord! With a million signatures, together, we can remind Hollywood that this country was founded on the principles of God's Holy Word," the group said. "The message of this petition is simple respect. Our primary objective is to give any person who wants to speak out in support of Christ an outlet to do so," said Russ Hollingsworth, general manager of The Miracle Theater. "There is strength in numbers. One million people speaking up just can't be ignored." He said every American has the right to worship freely and to speak freely. "We believe, however, that as Christians it's time for us to take a stand for our faith and ask for respectful treatment from the media and the entertainment industry." The petition is on the organization's web page. [article link]
Televangelist Rex Humbard dies [goes home to heaven] - Then, one night, listening to a visiting evangelist preach, I knew God was speaking to me," Humbard said in his autobiography - "I walked down the aisle and knelt at the altar and opened my heart to Jesus Christ - Light flooded my soul and I became a new person -- I really wanted to live for the Lord" ATLANTIS, Florida (AP) -- The Rev. Rex Humbard, a former itinerant preacher whose televangelism ministry once reached more parts of the globe than any other religious program, died Friday, a family spokeswoman
said. He was 88. The Rev. Rex Humbard was a pioneer in using television to spread the Gospel. Humbard died of natural causes at a South Florida hospital near his Lantana home, family spokeswoman Kathy Scott said. "He was the ultimate role model in showing love and caring about other people over and above himself," grandson Rex Humbard III said. The son of evangelists, Humbard evolved his ministry from revivals across the country to a permanent home in Akron, Ohio, and television. He realized the potential of the new medium in the early 1950s and became known to millions by the 1970s. But financial overreaching eventually eroded his organization. ... "The vast majority of people do not go to church, and the only way we can reach them is through TV," he said in his autobiographical book, "Miracles in My Life." "We must go into their homes -- into their hearts -- to bring them the gospel of Jesus Christ." [article link]
Testimony - MY SEARCH - by Lambert T. Dolphin (Mp3) In 1962 my then-roommate's parents invited me one day to church where for the first time in my life I heard what the Bible had to say about reality. All my attention immediately shifted to That Book No One Reads Anymore. I started at the end---in the Book of the Revelation. This new phase of My Search went on intensively for several months until I decided to see the pastor---so that I could ask him all my hard questions, and once and for all find the loopholes and inconsistencies I was sure made Christianity a man-made religion like all the other religions in the world. The pastor refused to give me his own opinion on things, but answered every question by pointing me to various passages in the Bible. I was especially moved by such statements as "The natural man does not understand the things of the spirit...they are foolishness to him," and "Unless a man humbles himself and comes like a child he will in no way enter into the kingdom of God." Evidently, "there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave Himself as a ransom for all." I realized I had never prayed in my whole life. What if you called out to God for help and He helped you? If He were more intelligent than I was (that thought had just dawned on me), then mere outward profession of faith wouldn't do. The pastor said that anytime I decided I would like to become a Christian, he would be glad to be a witness. It was then I realized that God must be a living Person and that He was apparently ready to meet me if I would but give Him my permission. I decided that then and there was as good a time as ever. My first prayer went something like this, "OK God, if you are there, I think I may need to be forgiven. And, you can have the rest of my life. Please help me." I waited no more than a millisecond until I felt flooded and overwhelmed with love---God's love. There in that office, and now in my heart, was the same Jesus I had read about in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Grandmother had been right and the Bible was no ordinary book. It seemed as if all the lights had been turned on in what had been a very dark house. To this very day, (43 years later) that experience of my Christian conversion stands out in my memory like night and day---"If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new." [article link]
The Names of God - JEHOVAH: LORD in our English Bibles (all capitals) - Yahweh, YHWH is the covenant name of God - Occurs 6823 times in the OT First use Gen. 2:4 (Jehovah Elohim) - From the verb "to be", havah, similar to chavah (to live) - JESUS: Derived from the Hebrew "Joshua" (Y'shua) or "Je-Hoshua" meaning JEHOVAH (God) IS SALVATION CHRIST: is equivalent to the Hebrew 'Messiah' (Meshiach), "The Anointed [Alive-Living] One." Other NT Titles for Jesus: Shepherd of the Sheep; Master; King of kings; Lord of lords; Bishop and Guardian of our Souls; Daystar, Deliverer, Advocate, Last (or Second) Adam, Ancient of Days, Branch, Chief Cornerstone, Immanuel, First Born, Head of the Body, Physician, Rock, Root of Jesse, Stone, Potentate; Chief Apostle; Great High Priest; Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (or Author and Finisher); Lamb of God; Lamb Slain before the Foundation of the World; Lord God Almighty. [article link]
Names of God: A Way to Understand His Nature and Character - "ELOHIM" (or Elohay) is the first name for God found in the Bible, and it's used throughout the Old Testament over 2,300 times {In the Bible God gives over
300 names and descriptive names for Himself, none of the names are Allah. Allah is Not a Biblical name for God!} Names of God: A Way to Understand His Nature and Character - The Names of God used in the Bible act as a roadmap for learning about the character of God. Since the Bible is God's Word to us, the names He chooses in scripture are meant to reveal His true nature to us. Names of God: His Titles Revealed in Scripture - "ELOHIM" (or Elohay) is the first name for God found in the Bible, and it's used throughout the Old Testament over 2,300 times. Elohim comes from the Hebrew root meaning "strength" or "power", and has the unusual characteristic of being plural in form. In Genesis 1:1, we read, "In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth." Right from the start, this plural form for the name of God is used to describe the One God, a mystery that is uncovered throughout the rest of the Bible. [article link]
Bishop urges Christians to call God 'Allah' - Catholic leader believes it would help ease tensions between religions - a survey published showed 92% of the more than 4,000 people polled oppose the bishop's view {It's always better to please God than man. So I'll continue to call God Jesus as God has asked us to do by instructing His angel Gabriel to tell us.} Catholic churches in the Netherlands should use the name Allah for God to ease tensions between Muslims and Christians, says a Dutch bishop. Tiny Muskens, the bishop of Breda, told the Dutch TV program "Network" Monday night he believes God doesn't mind what he is called, Radio Netherlands Worldwide reported. The Almighty is above such "discussion and bickering," he insisted. Muskens points to Indonesia, where he served 30 years ago, as an example for Dutch churches. Christians in the Middle East also use the term Allah for God. "Someone like me has prayed to Allah yang maha kuasa (Almighty God) for eight years in Indonesia and other priests for 20 or 30 years," Muskens said. "In the heart of the Eucharist, God is called Allah over there, so why can't we start doing that together?" Muskens thinks it could take another 100 years, but eventually the name Allah will be used by Dutch churches, promoting rapprochement between the two religions, he said, according to Radio Netherlands. However, a survey published today in the Netherlands' largest newspaper, De Telegraaf, showed 92 percent of the more than 4,000 people polled oppose the bishop's view, the Associated Press reported. [article link]
Bible verse: Saint Luke 1:26-35 the angel Gabriel was sent from God - and shalt call his name JESUS - which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Saint Luke 1:26-35 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. -Bible [article link]
Mattel apologizes to China for toy recalls - Toy manufacturer takes 'full responsibility' for three worldwide recalls involving more than 21 million toys, citing design flaws - Lead-tainted toys accounted for only a small percentage of all toys recalled {The government of China owes the world an apology for being an atheistic, brutal, despicable, lying, stealing, murdering, enslaving, country.}
BEIJING (AP) -- U.S.-based toy giant Mattel issued an extraordinary apology to China on Friday over the recall of Chinese-made toys, taking the blame for design flaws and saying it had recalled more lead-tainted toys than justified. The gesture by Thomas A. Debrowski, Mattel's executive vice president for worldwide operations, came in a meeting with Chinese product safety chief Li Changjiang, at which Li upbraided the company for maintaining weak safety controls. "Our reputation has been damaged lately by these recalls," Debrowski told Li in a meeting at Li's office at which reporters were allowed to be present. "And Mattel takes full responsibility for these recalls and apologizes personally to you, the Chinese people, and all of our customers who received the toys," Debrowski said. Mattel (Charts, Fortune 500) ordered three high-profile recalls this summer involving more than 21 million Chinese-made toys, including Barbie doll accessories and toy cars because of concerns about lead paint and tiny magnets that could be swallowed. The recalls have prompted complaints from China that manufacturers were being blamed for design faults introduced by Mattel. [article link]
Satan exposed by a former witch - Harry Potter materials have become much more than a hand full of children's fantasy books. Warner Brothers, Coca Cola, Minutemaid, and Mattel have used the Potter materials to launch games, puzzles, toys, backpacks, and every possible merchandizing product Harry Potter books have taken the world of children's fantasy literature by storm. Over 200 million have been sold in 40 languages. One study shows that over half of the children in the western world have read at least one of the Potter books. Many reported rereading each book several times. -- PASTOR D.J. MEYER ... Now it is the year 2000. All of the foundations for occultism and witchcraft are in place. The Illuminists have to move quickly, because time is running out. It was the Communist revolutionary Lenin who said, "Give me one generation of youth, and I will transform the entire world." Now an entire generation of youth has been given to a woman named J.K. Rowling and her four books on witchcraft, known as the Harry Potter Series. As a former witch, I can speak with authority when I say that I have examined the works of Rowling and that the Harry Potter books are training manuals for the occult. Untold millions of young people are being taught to think, speak, dress and act like witches by filling their heads with the contents of these books. Children are obsessed with the Harry Potter books that they have left television and video games to read these witchcraft manuals. [article link]
Romney: Too many Republicans 'act like Democrats' {Really! Ya think so RINO Mitt!!} Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign just posted his latest TV ad online, and it's as much an attack on his fellow Republicans as it is a shot at Democrats. Called "Change Begins With Us," Romney uses the ad to criticize his GOP rivals on their immigration positions, to make a veiled reference to Republican Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho and others in his party ("we can't have ethical standards that are a punch line for Jay Leno") and tosses in this double-barreled shot: "When Republicans act like Democrats, America loses." The Associated Press says the ad goes on the air today in New Hampshire: [article link]
** Banned U.N. Speech: Exposing U.N.'s Anti-Israel Bias Ruled "Inadmissible" - The UN Human Rights Council spent last year condemning Israel in ALL its resolutions - The Speech Rejected as "Inadmissible" by the U.N. Human Rights Council - Delivered by Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, March 23, 2007 (Video 4:23 min) As a result, the world's worst regimes escaped condemnation and continue their crimes. When UN Watch testified before the UN Human Rights Council, we asked them why they only condemn Israel, ignoring 191 other countries and the victims of the world's worst abusers. They refused to answer. Instead they declared our speech "inadmissible" and expunged it from the UN website. [article link]
AMD (NYSE: AMD) Like Mother Nature, AMD has a dark side {Don't blame nature! its a Satanic-demonic dark side} - and on September 25, 2007 it will be revealed to the world - It's thought to be a gaming type computer {AMD and its very angry CEO Hector Ruiz is a modern day hate company that has all the venom and class of an angry 14 year old. BTW AMD is the company that provided their technology to the Microsoft Xbox game counsels that broke down 'overheated' with the 'red ring of death error' and cost Microsoft a 1.5 billion dollar write-off from profits.} Dare to feel your heart pound, your pulse race, and your breath catch in your throat? To open yourself up for a jolt of sheer adrenaline that just might eat you alive? To bring home a beast that's leaping and snarling on the end of its leash? Like Mother Nature, AMD has a dark side - and on September 25, 2007 it will be revealed to the world. So what it really comes down to is, do you dare? [article link]
About - AMD (NYSE: AMD) AMD (NYSE: AMD) is the customer-centric innovation company, a processing powerhouse that offers smarter choices for its customers and makes technology more accessible to the world. AMD is focused on best meeting the needs of leading computing, wireless and consumer electronics companies to help them deliver highperformance, energy-efficient and visually realistic solutions. [article link]
FTSE Group throws fund managers a curve - Picks Israel over S. Korea for upgrade to developed-market status in indexes - In June 2008, Israel will join the U.S., Europe and Japan in the FTSE indexes that investment managers use to track stocks in established markets {That's great news for Israel they have come a long way since 1947! In reality Korea is a developed country, especially in the cities, and should be listed as well.} TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- FTSE Group, a major securities-index operator, threw the world's fund managers a sharp curve on Thursday, choosing to upgrade Israel to developed-market status instead of South Korea, the world's biggest emerging market. Many mutual-fund managers and international-stock analysts had expected the London-based FTSE Group, which runs 100,000-plus indexes covering more than 48 countries, to upgrade South Korea from emerging-market status to a developed market. But the FTSE Group instead chose to upgrade Israel and its technology-heavy economy to developed from advanced-emerging status. In June 2008, Israel will join the U.S., Europe and Japan in the FTSE indexes that investment managers use to track stocks in established markets, the FTSE Group said in a statement on Thursday. [article link]
Bible verse: Isaiah 10:12-14 For he [Antichrist] saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: - and have robbed their treasures ... {The complete Bible is available at BasicChristian.info} Isaiah 10:12-14 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed His whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria [a type, foreshadow of Antichrist], and the glory of his high looks. For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I [Antichrist] gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing [resisted], or opened the mouth, or [complained] peeped. -- Bible [article link]
BIBLE PROPHECY - UNDERSTANDING SATAN'S PLAN - To Counterfeit the Second Coming of Christ & the Restoration of All Things - Church Age: The secret societies are gaining control of the world's goods PROGRAM OF SATANIC DUPLICATION: OLD TESTAMENT PERIOD - King Solomon provided wheat, barley, oil and wine for the builders of the Temple. And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying... And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty
thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil... Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants... - II Chron. 2:3,10,15. CHURCH AGE: The occult societies planned to standardize/regulate all goods, prices and wages. [article link]
Florida campus cops on leave after Taser incident - after using an electronic stun gun to subdue a student who was questioning Sen. John Kerry at a campus forum - ... why he did not support Bush's impeachment and whether he belonged to the Yale University secret (Satanic) society Skull and Bones, as Bush did CNN) -- Two University of Florida police officers have been placed on leave with pay after using an electronic stun gun to subdue a student who was questioning Sen. John Kerry at a campus forum, the school's president said Tuesday. Student Andrew Meyer is surrounded by university police in Gainesville, Florida, on Monday. The Florida Division of Law Enforcement will investigate Monday's arrest of student Andrew Meyer, said J. Bernard Machen. Machen called the incident "regretful for us." "The thing that I regret is that civil dialogue and civil discourse did not happen," Machen said. "That's fundamental to a university campus. Why it didn't happen is what we're trying to sort out" ... Meyer had about a minute and a half at the microphone before police stepped in to haul him away. As he tried to escape their grip, Kerry protested, "That's all right, let me answer his question." But as Meyer repeatedly questioned why he was being arrested, officers dragged him to the back of the auditorium and then used a Taser on him when he continued to struggle. [article link]
WND Reporter banned from secret meeting on selling U.S. assets - "When government officials want to go behind closed doors with investment bankers and lawyers to discuss selling our public infrastructure to foreign investment leaders, investigative reporters need to be there to tell the public what is really going on" Corsi said EuroMoney PLC, the UK-based company that arranges dozens of financial conferences around the world each year, has refused to allow WND staff reporter Jerome Corsi to attend next week's "North American PPP (PublicPrivate Partnership) & Infrastructure Finance Conference" in New York, even though WND offered to pay the $1,999 conference fee required to attend. "When government officials want to go behind closed doors with investment bankers and lawyers to discuss selling our public infrastructure to foreign investment leaders, investigative reporters need to be there to tell the public what is really going on," Corsi said. "Why is it that all these PPP and SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership) meetings are behind closed doors," Corsi asked, "and government officials and their supporters think that's normal? But when investigative reporters want to attend and report on what is being said, we are the ones who get accused of being the conspiracy theorists?" [article link]
Bush the Elder's Scheme to Sell Pardons and Get a Payoff - Where is the Outrage Over a 10 Billion Dollar Taxpayer Ripoff? - In his last days as President, Bush Sr. sold U.S. government asset worth $10 billion to a friend for a mere $10 thousand dollars, pardoned his business colleagues, and then went on the company's payroll for seven years In his last days as President, Bush Sr. sold U.S. government asset worth $10 billion to a friend for a mere $10 thousand dollars, pardoned his business colleagues, and then went on the company's payroll for seven years. At the very end of his presidency Papa Bush gave a sweetheart deal to the Canadian company Barrick Goldstrike. They got the rights to US land worth $10 billion in return for a nominal payment to the treasury of $10,000. But that does not seem to be all they got, or all they paid for either. The money behind Barrick is from Saudi arms dealer and Bush family friend Adnan Khashoggi, who was identified as conduit in the Iran-Contra conspiracy. In 1986 he was arrested and charged with fraud but failed to be convicted. In one of his last acts as president Bush pardoned Khashoggi's alleged co-conspirators, who were key members of Bush's own cabinet. As a result, no case could be made against Khashoggi - or against Bush himself. To express its gratitude for these favors Barrick Goldstrike hired Papa right after he left office and donated $148,000 to the Republican Party, at least that is the amount that can be traced. As reported by Gregory Palast this is hugely more
consequential for justice than anything presidential pardon before or since, so slowly once again let's connect the dots: ... So Khashoggi gets his cover up, Barrick gets its gold mine, Bush gets a high paying no show job, the Republican Party gets a huge contribution from a foreign company and we the taxpayers and law abiding citizens get the shaft. How much of this "deal" was all pre-arranged, scripted and "in the bag" before the selling of the gold rights and the pardons? This also helps explain why the current Bush in the White House wants the stink about Clinton's pardons to go away! It is simply amazing the press has given Bush Inc. a free ride on this! He must be in terror that somebody will connect the dots and his father's culpability in Iran Contra scandal will leak out. How much longer will these ghosts in the Bush closet remain silently out of sight? [article link]
IN IRAQ, 'IT'S THE OIL' - Prior to the 2003 invasion, foreign companies had limited to no access to the Iraqi market - Following the invasion, the Bush administration implemented orders that have the effect of law allowing for the privatization of Iraq's state-owned enterprises, 100% foreign ownership of Iraqi businesses, and repatriation of 100% of profits earned in Iraq by foreign companies - These orders were enshrined in the (2005) October 15 Iraq constitution Amid all the talk of training Iraqi soldiers, heading off a civil war, and protecting a fledging democracy, one overriding agenda has been ignored in the debate over the timetable for bringing U.S. troops home. President George W. Bush will not withdraw our forces until U.S. oil companies have secure access to Iraq's resources. The process of securing this access involves three steps. The first, put into motion with the December 15, 2005, election, is the formation a legitimate Iraqi government with the authority to, among other things, sign contracts with foreign oil companies. The second step is the completion and passage of a new national oil law that is set to conclude at the start of 2006. The third, having enough security on the ground for U.S. oil companies to get to work, is uncertain, and therefore the timeline for full U.S. troop withdrawal remains unknown. Prior to the 2003 invasion, foreign companies had limited to no access to the Iraqi market. Only Iraqis or citizens of Arab nations could own a business in Iraq, the oil sector was fully nationalized, and other than a few deals through the U.N. oil-for-food program, no U.S. companies had oil contracts. Following the invasion, the Bush administration implemented orders that have the effect of law allowing for the privatization of Iraq's state-owned enterprises, 100 percent foreign ownership of Iraqi businesses, and repatriation of 100 percent of profits earned in Iraq by foreign companies. These orders were enshrined in the October 15 Iraq constitution. Before new oil contracts can be signed, the existing contracts had to be erased. In May 2003, "Energy Intelligence" reported that the U.S.-appointed senior adviser to the Iraqi Oil Ministry, Thamer alGhadban, announced that few, if any of the dozens of contracts signed with foreign oil companies under the Hussein regime would be honored. In June 2004, after being appointed Iraq's Minister of Oil, al-Ghadban told Shell Oil in-house magazine that 2005 would be the "year of dialogue" with multinational oil companies. The Bush orders laid the groundwork for U.S. oil companies in Iraq, but a new national law currently making its way through the Iraqi Parliament will seal the deal. The law has its roots in the U.S. State Department's Future of Iraq Project's Oil and Energy Working Group, which found that Iraq "should be opened to international oil companies as quickly as possible after the war" and that the best method for doing so was through Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs). Ibrahim Bahr al Uloum, a member of the Working Group, succeeded al-Ghadban as Minister of Oil in early 2005. None of the top oil producers in the Middle East use Production Sharing Agreements because they favor private companies at the expense of the exporting governments, including terms of 25 to 40 years and agreements that lock in the laws in effect at the time the contract was signed. Meaning that future Iraqi governments could change their laws, but the changes would not affect these oil contracts. [article link]
Intel to reopen Jerusalem (computer) chip plant - Intel, which has operated in Israel for more than 30 years, is one of Israel's largest exporters JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Intel Corp. (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to reopen a chip plant in Jerusalem
it had closed earlier in the year, Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported on Wednesday. ... The Jerusalem plant produced chips for the automobile industry. Intel, which has operated in Israel for more than 30 years, is one of Israel's largest exporters. [article link]
Israel: Hamas-controlled Gaza 'hostile entity' - The Israeli security Cabinet declared Hamas-controlled Gaza a "hostile entity" Wednesday in response to continued Palestinian rocket attacks JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The Israeli security Cabinet declared Hamas-controlled Gaza a "hostile entity" Wednesday in response to continued Palestinian rocket attacks. - Members of Hamas' armed wing, Izzedine al Qassam, train in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp Thursday. - The unanimous Cabinet vote represents a major escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Under a plan proposed by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Israel would disrupt electrical supplies, reduce fuel shipments to a bare minimum to run hospital generators, and choke off shipments of goods to allow only essential food and medicine to enter Gaza. In addition, it will continue military operations "against terror organizations." The ministers, however, voted not to disrupt the water supply to Gaza, the home of 1.4 million Palestinians. [article link]
St. Vincent's No Safe Harbor For Romney - Romney said "HillaryCare continues to be bad medicine" He added: "It's a European-style socialized medicine plan ... and that's the wrong direction for America" What better place to attack New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's new health care plan than standing in front of a New York hospital? shortly after his comments to reporters, the hospital issued its own statement, taking issue with the venue Romney chose "We find it unfortunate that Mr. Romney misappropriated the image and good will of St. Vincent's Hospital to further a political agenda," a hospital spokesman said in a statement. Oops. In response, Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said his candidate had done nothing wrong and never intended to link the hospital to the blunt message he was offering. "It was a public sidewalk, in front of a hospital, and we didn't use hospital property," Madden said. "It's a public place, we had an event open to the press." [article link]
{Flashback} The program, which then Gov. Mitt Romney signed into law a year ago Thursday, - includes a requirement that everyone in Massachusetts get some form of health insurance by July 1, 2007 - If they don't, they face a series of increasing tax penalties - That mandate amounts to an "unprecedented expansion of government power" - "In essence, you have Romney embracing 'Hillarycare,' and that doesn't play well on the right" {Mormon Mitt's first move is to sic the IRS and the law on every single person in Massachusetts. I doubt Romney has what it would take to be a good President!} The program, which Romney signed into law a year ago Thursday, includes a requirement that everyone in Massachusetts get some form of health insurance by July 1. If they don't, they face a series of increasing tax penalties.That mandate amounts to an "unprecedented expansion of government power," says Michael Tanner, a health policy expert at the Cato Institute, a libertarian Washington think-tank. The law also created the "Connector," a program for providing low-cost policies aimed at attracting younger and healthier residents who currently do not have insurance. Critics have questioned demands by the Connector's overseers for prescription drug coverage, as well as policies with premiums capped at $200 per month. "There is a likening of this central concept of his _ the Connector _ to managed competition, which was at the heart of the 1993 Clinton health care proposal," Tanner said. "In essence, you have Romney embracing 'Hillarycare,' and that doesn't play well on the right." [article link]
Values voters move into the driver's seat {The Sept. 17, 2007 Values Voters Debate, is a complete SUCCESS! All of the candidates were very impressive - Mike Huckabee won the final straw poll by a landslide - Alan Keyes as always is also a WINNER - John Cox also brings in confidence, ability and skill - Ron Paul zig-zagged and in the end lost votes as complete unaccountability is no way to run a Government.} (Coming Soon - Debate DVD)
Last night, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Rep. Tom Tancredo, businessman John Cox, Sen. Sam Brownback, Rep. Ron Paul, Rep. Duncan Hunter and Ambassador Alan Keyes (in the order of their random podium placement) faced 53 questions from pro-family leaders at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. ... The questions asked of the candidates are below. Their answers can be seen at www.ValuesVoterDebate.com. Prediction No. 6: This election just took a turn in the right direction. [article link]
Alan Keyes announces for President! - Will appear in Values Voter Debate Sept. 17th (Sign The Pledge! Donate - Online Video) On Friday, Sept. 14, Alan Keyes filed a Statement of Candidacy (Form 2) with the Federal Election Commission-thus officially announcing as a Republican candidate for President of the United States. Keyes told Janet Parshall, host of a nationally syndicated radio show, that he's "unmoved" by the lack of moral courage shown by the other candidates, among whom he sees no standout who articulates the "key kernel of truth that must, with courage, be presented to our people." He added, "The one thing I've always been called to do is to raise the standard . . . of our allegiance to God and His authority that has been the foundation stone of our nation's life"--and he decried the lack of "forthright, clear, and clarion declaration" from the other candidates concerning this issue. As a result, Keyes said, "We're putting together an effort that's not going to be like anything before, because it's going to be entirely based on citizen action. We're going to be challenging people to take a pledge for America's revival," and elevate them from spectators in the political arena to participants. [article link]
** Mark the Date! (Monday) September 17th at 7:30 p.m. Eastern - The Values Voter Presidential Debate held in Fort Lauderdale will be streamed live by the American Family Association What makes this debate different? The candidates will be asked questions related to abortion, immigration, marriage and other issues Values Voters consider important. If you want to see where they stand on the traditional, pro-family issues, don't miss this debate. The debate will be moderated by Joseph Farah who is the founder of the very popular website WorldNetDaily. Looking forward to the event, Farah said, "So often in presidential debates, questions are asked and answers don't address the questions. When that happens, I'm going to try to persuade the candidates to focus more precisely on what was asked." Live video or audio streaming can be found at www.afa.net. [article link]
BRIGHAM YOUNG'S INVOLVEMENT in THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE - He sent messages into the south advising the local (LDS) church leaders on a plan to prepare each ward and the militia on the future tactics involving immigrant trains. He also had meetings in Salt Lake City attended by (LDS) church leaders and Indian Chiefs involving the division of bounty from future wagon trains. When the Baker/Fancher wagon train arrived in Early August George Smith had been down in southern Utah as a messenger from Brigham Young advising the Mormon along the southern route on how to handle the next wagon train south. No supplies were to be sold to the wagon train, and the ambush of the wagon train had been set for Mountain Meadows. The Baker/Fancher train encamped outside of Salt Lake City while the Captain's Fancher and Baker rode into Salt Lake City looking for supplies. They were met with hostility and were unable to purchase necessary supplies, so they could continue their trip on the northern route crossing seventhousand-fort Donner Pass before late October. After the wagon train Captains returned to camp, Apostle Charles C. Rich a member of the Council of Fifty arrived, with an order for them to leave the subsequent day and talked them into taking the southern route coolly setting up the train for their eventual fate. The emigrant company would be the first to take the southern route that summer. ... When the cold blooded butchery had stopped the Mormons had killed everyone old enough to be a credible witness, which left seventeen children survivors under the age of five to be taken to the nearby Hamblin Ranch. [article link]
How the Mormon (MMM) Killers got paid by the US Government for caring for the orphan children after they had killed their parents - One of the most outrageous facts of the aftermath of this tragedy was the fact that the US Government paid Mormon Jacob Hamblin $600.50 for the care of Sarah, Rebecca and Louisa Dunlap from Sept. 10, 1857-April 17, 1859 One of the most outrageous facts of the aftermath of this tragedy was the fact that the US Government paid Mormon Jacob Hamblin $600.50 for the care of Sarah, Rebecca and Louisa Dunlap from Sept. 10, 1857-April 17, 1859. ... It was Captain Lynch, U.S. Army who finally collected the children and took them to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas where they were met by Senator Mitchell and returned to relatives in Arkansas. Senator Mitchell had lost three sons in the massacre. It was undoubtedly the senator who kept the heat on that led to the rescue of the children and bringing to justice at least one of the guilty, John D. Lee. ... Lee was executed for his part in the affair. Lee was definitely at the massacre and he is credited with killing Rachel and Ruth Dunlap. [article link]
Christianity and the American Commonwealth - Galloway leaves no historical fact unturned in his demonstration that America was founded as a Christian nation - Furthermore, he proves that without the Gospel and the application of all of God's Word to all of life, civilizations turn despotic and crumble (Book $24.95) Originally published in 1898, "Christianity and the American Commonwealth" is one of the best summaries of the impact of Christianity on America. Galloway leaves no historical fact unturned in his demonstration that America was founded as a Christian nation. Furthermore, he proves that without the Gospel and the application of all of God's Word to all of life, civilizations turn despotic and crumble. In a day when Christian leaders call for the abandonment of politics, Galloway's book is a breath of fresh air. In many ways this book was prophetic. He saw what would happen if America rejected her Biblical foundations or if Christians retreated from their engagement in society. Although written more than 100 years ago, Galloway's arguments are persuasively modern and must be heeded by today's church. There's no doubt that the ACLU will be terrified when this book gets back into circulation! Over one hundred images have been added in this newly republished version. Hardcover, 192 pages. [article link]
Movies "The Omega Code" & "Megiddo - The Omega Code 2" - chronicling the Great Tribulation, the battle of Armageddon, the second coming of Christ, and the ultimate triumph of God over Satan (Online Viewing - Free Downloads) The movies that brings the Gospel message and the climactic battles of the Book of Revelation to life like never before. Stunning visuals and gripping performances explode across the screen, chronicling the Great Tribulation, the battle of Armageddon, the second coming of Christ, and the ultimate triumph of God over Satan. [article link]
** Labor Day 2007 Project 'Labor with the LORD' Download and Listen to these 65 mp3 files - Then pass along to others these Excellent Short Sermon Messages set to background Music - {All the Mp3's fit on one CD} (FREE - Mp3's) I burned many Compilations from the Audio Section on CDs so we can hand them out to people. I had several opinions in which order to place the tracks; I think they turned out good. I give the red one to anyone, but the blue one to younger people because the first track is a bit intense. You can download the entire CD's with the things I printed, the link is below. More information is at the bottom. [article link]
Lifespring Podcast Archives 1991 - 1994 (Mp3's) It is the most natural thing in the world to want, even chase after, joy and happiness. (And by the way, those, to me, are two different things). As a matter of fact, the American Declaration of Independence talks about "life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness." So this isn't new. It's been important to people since the dawn of man. What's the difference between joy and happiness? To me, happiness is an emotion you feel from an outside event. Joy is something that comes from within, it's based not on present circumstances, but on, well, that's what the show is about today. I talk about the chase, the pursuit of happiness and joy, on this show. [article link]
Feds Probe Blackwater Weapons Smuggling - Federal prosecutors are investigating whether employees of the private security firm Blackwater USA illegally smuggled into Iraq weapons that may have been sold on the black market and ended up in the hands of a U.S.-designated terrorist organization WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors are investigating whether employees of the private security firm Blackwater USA illegally smuggled into Iraq weapons that may have been sold on the black market and ended up in the hands of a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, officials said Friday. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Raleigh, N.C., is handling the investigation with help from Pentagon and State Department auditors, who have concluded there is enough evidence to file charges, the officials told The Associated Press. Blackwater is based in Moyock, N.C.. A spokeswoman for Blackwater did not return calls seeking comment Friday. The U.S. attorney for the eastern district of North Carolina, George Holding, declined to comment, as did Pentagon and State Department spokesmen. [article link]
Blackwater resuming operations in Iraq - All Blackwater USA operations in Iraq will be back to normal on Saturday, a highly placed industry source told CNN on Friday {There was never any doubt that Bush's Iraq puppet government has no authority over its own affairs.} (CNN) -- The security firm Blackwater USA is starting to resume normal operations in Iraq after a hiatus sparked by concerns among Iraqi and U.S. government officials over its actions. ... The U.S. State Department announced Wednesday the creation of a joint commission to examine issues of security and safety in the aftermath of the shooting incident. The commission, co-chaired by an American and an Iraqi with equal representation from both countries, will receive the results of both the State Department investigation and the separate Iraqi investigation, Casey said. He said the commission will look at both the Sunday incident and the broader issue of "personal security details" and the use of private contractors to provide security in Iraq. The commission "is not an investigative body doing field forensics on this particular matter," Casey said. "The focus of this is to look not only at that incident but at the broader question ... and help us come up with joint recommendations." [article link]
Blackwater security firm banned from Iraq - Iraq's Interior Ministry has revoked the license of Blackwater USA, an American security firm whose contractors are blamed for a Sunday gunbattle in Baghdad that left eight civilians dead Blackwater is one of many security firms contracted by the U.S. government during the Iraq war. An estimated 25,000-plus employees of private security firms are working in Iraq, guarding diplomats, reconstruction workers and government officials. As many as 200 are believed to have been killed on the job, according to U.S. congressional reports. ... People close to the company estimate it has lost about 30 employees during the war. ... Iraqi authorities have issued previous complaints about shootings by private military contractors, but Iraqi courts do not have the authority to bring contractors to trial, according to a July report from the Congressional Research Service. [article link]
{Flashback} U.S. security contractors open fire in Baghdad - Blackwater employees were involved in 2 shooting incidents in past week - anger at Blackwater spilling over to other Americans working in the building WASHINGTON - Employees of Blackwater USA, a private security firm under contract to the State Department, opened fire on the streets of Baghdad twice in two days last week, and one of the incidents provoked a
standoff between the security contractors and Iraqi forces, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. ... Degn said he was concerned the incident "could undermine a lot of the cordial relationships that have been built up over the past four years. There's a lot of angry people up here right now." Details about that incident remained sketchy. The Blackwater guards said the victim drove too close to their convoy and drew fire, according to the three American officials. [article link]
{Flashback} British 'Blackwater' type employees firing on Iraqi Civilians (scroll down - Video on the right) - THEY ARE BUILDING CITIES IN IRAQ WITH BLOOD = HABAKKUK - Habbakuk 2:12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! {Stay the course George W. Bush and his satanic dictatorship leadership style of Lies and Deceit has brought his cancer into Iraq and only serious drastic changes of real Freedom and Democracy can help the Iraqi people. So far Bush's reply to this problem has been to ban people serving in Iraq from posting their material on the internet and pretend like it's not happening.} (Graphic Video) WESLEY CLARK EXPOSED BUSH's 7 NATION WAR PLANNED IN 2001 BEFORE SEPT 11. For example, he says he learned from military sources at the Pentagon in November 2001, just two months after the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, that serious planning for the war on Iraq had already begun and that, in addition to Iraq, the administration had drawn up a list of six other nations to be targeted over a period of five years. [article link]
Israelis 'blew apart Syrian nuclear cache' - Secret raid on North Korean shipment - was the material bound for Iran, as some authorities in America suggest? IT was just after midnight when the 69th Squadron of Israeli F15Is crossed the Syrian coast-line. On the ground, Syria's formidable air defences went dead. An audacious raid on a Syrian target 50 miles from the Iraqi border was under way. ... Soon the bunkers were in flames. ... But why would nuclear material be in Syria? Known to have chemical weapons, was it seeking to bolster its arsenal with something even more deadly? Alternatively, could it be hiding equipment for North Korea, enabling Kim Jong-il to pretend to be giving up his nuclear programme in exchange for economic aid? Or was the material bound for Iran, as some authorities in America suggest? [article link]
Romney's candidacy stirs interest in Mormons - Speaking to the Tribune last month, Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a Mormon, said Romney's candidacy will provide non-Mormons an opportunity to become more familiar with the faith {or Lack Thereof} Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is prompting a surge of interest - or at least curiosity - about the Mormon faith, according to national church executives. The surge has been so strong, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has bolstered its public outreach efforts and established a 24-hour hot line for political writers and commentators seeking the most basic information about the church. ... In response, the (Mormon-LDS) church assembled a [propaganda] media guide outlining the church's core beliefs, history, organizational structure, welfare programs and related topics. Furthermore, church executives have been meeting with news reporters in Washington, D.C., and nationwide to provide background information about the faith. "We just felt the need to get out and meet face-to-face with a number of the strong regional newspapers and press individuals and just say, 'If you get to that point where you're going to write, please just include us,'" Taylor said. [article link]
Microsoft Downplays Stealth Update Concerns - saying that silent modifications to the Windows Update (WU) software have been a longtime practice and are needed to keep users patched In fact, the practice has been going on for some time, Clinton claimed. "The Windows Update client is configured to automatically check for updates anytime a system uses the WU service, independent of the
selected settings for handling updates. This has been the case since we introduced the Automatic Update feature in Windows XP. In fact, WU has autoupdated itself many times in the past," he said. That would be news to the majority of people who filled several threads on Microsoft's own support newsgroups starting in late August. "I found this information by myself, checking the Windows directories," griped someone identified as Frank. "But the point is that I didn't allow the update (Automatic Update properties on 'notify') and there is no information about this update on Microsoft [Web pages]. Why [didn't] Microsoft publish any information about this update?" [article link]
Greenspan: Oil the Prime Motive for Iraq War - America's elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil {It isn't America that is benefiting from Bush's oil and opium wars. Bush is funding his radical Islam army in part with our Tax dollars, the Oil money of Iraq and the Opium money of Afghanistan. That is why we now pay $3.00+ at the pump for gas instead of $1-$2 and why the USA $ is now near an all time low exchange rate providing a bargain for foreign oil rich investors to buy up American assets at discount prices.} America's elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil. In his long-awaited memoir, to be published tomorrow, Greenspan, a Republican whose 18-year tenure as head of the US Federal Reserve was widely admired, will also deliver a stinging critique of President George W. Bush's economic policies. However, it is his view on the motive for the 2003 Iraq invasion that is likely to provoke the most controversy. "I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil," he says. Greenspan, 81, is understood to believe that Saddam Hussein posed a threat to the security of oil supplies in the Middle East. Britain and America have always insisted the war had nothing to do with oil. Bush said the aim was to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction and end Saddam's support for terrorism. [article link]
Value Voter 2008 Presidential Debate - If you want to see where they stand on the traditional, pro-family issues, don't miss this debate - please call and e-mail the following candidates and request they participate in the event - Rudy Giuliani - Mitt Romney - John McCain - Fred Thompson - Tell The RNC you want these candidates to show up {Looks like the greater part of the GOP is AWOL when it concerns the Values Voters.} Mark the date! September 17 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The Values Voter Presidential Debate held in Fort Lauderdale will be streamed live by the American Family Association. What makes this debate different? The candidates will be asked questions related to abortion, immigration, marriage and other issues Values Voters consider important. If you want to see where they stand on the traditional, pro-family issues, don't miss this debate. The debate will be moderated by Joseph Farah who is the founder of the very popular website WorldNetDaily. ... "Unlike other straw polls where candidates have bussed in supporters or paid for their tickets, the Values Voter Straw poll conducted at this Presidential debate promises results consistent with the largest voting block in America-the Values Voter," said Mat Staver, Chairman of Liberty Counsel and member of the host committee. "This will be the most important straw poll yet." [article link]
A Lamplighter For Christ - A Celebration and Remembrance of the Life of D. James Kennedy, Ph.D (Book And DVD - $50) This lavishly illustrated look at Dr. Kennedy's life and ministry features pages of stirring photographs and touching tributes from friends and fellow Christian leaders. The companion DVD, D. James Kennedy: His Life and Legacy, offers a one-hour documentary with never-before seen footage and interviews to give you new insight into this servant of Jesus Christ. As an added bonus, the DVD includes a moving message Dr. Kennedy preached about Heaven. The book, A Lamplighter for Christ, and the special DVD, D. James Kennedy: His Life and Legacy, are yours for your memorial gift to Coral Ridge Ministries of $50 or more. [article link]
Hoffa: Bush creating North American Union - Teamsters boss: Mexican trucks part of 'master plan' for 'supergovernment' - he is convinced "the Bush administration has a master plan to erase all borders and to have a super-government in North America" Saying he is convinced "the Bush administration has a master plan to erase all borders and to have a supergovernment in North America," James P. Hoffa, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, celebrated the Senate's 75-23 vote Tuesday night to block the Department of Transportation's Mexican truck demonstration project. In an exclusive interview with WND, Hoffa argued that the Bush administration push to allow Mexican trucks into the U.S. is symptomatic of a larger administration plan advanced by multi-national corporations to create a European Union-style regional 'super-government' in North America. "Congress has now spoken out and said Mexican trucks cannot come into the United States until they meet our standards," Hoffa told WND. He noted the Senate seconded the House's overwhelming 411-3 vote to pass the Safe Roads Act of 2007, a bill also targeted to block the Mexican truck project. "We're very excited about the Senate vote," Hoffa told WND. "We worked very hard on it. We thought we already had this Mexican truck demonstration project stopped three times before this year, and every time the administration comes right back trying to press this idea of opening the borders to unsafe Mexican trucks." [article link]
A Bush Speech That Could Backfire - Bush's trumpeting of what he called a "return on success" could end up backfiring - "You have an unpopular President (Bush) going onto prime time television, interrupting Americans' TV programs, to remind them of why they don't like him" - It didn't help that Bush said American forces would be on the ground in Iraq, as part of an "enduring relationship" well past the end of his term in office But Bush's trumpeting of what he called a "return on success" could end up backfiring. Bringing the war into America's living rooms is never a safe political bet. And if news of a slow drawdown may be popular, Bush himself still is not. Some key Hill Republicans, in fact, were upset that he returned front and center on the issue at a time when the White House had so carefully ceded the selling of the surge to Petraeus and Crocker. "Why would he threaten the momentum we have?" says one frustrated Capitol Hill Republican strategist with ties to the GOP leadership. "You have an unpopular President going onto prime time television, interrupting Americans' TV programs, to remind them of why they don't like him." Republicans in Congress who were finally breathing a sigh of relief after months of bludgeoning on Iraq felt Bush was risking the progress he had made with those closely following the war by thrusting it in the faces of those who may not be paying attention. It didn't help that Bush said American forces would be on the ground in Iraq, as part of an "enduring relationship," well past the end of his term in office. [article link]
Bush signals no change of course - President George W. Bush has now delivered his verdict - The current US strategy in Iraq will continue - He believes his strategy in Iraq is succeeding - And he clearly has no intention of changing course now {The Devil's strategy enacted by George W. Bush is succeeding in that the world is becoming an increasingly dangerous and more radically Islamic place.} After a crowded week of evidence sessions on Capitol Hill from the US commander in Iraq and Washington's ambassador there, plus news conferences and briefings, President George W Bush has now delivered his verdict. The current US strategy in Iraq will continue, though some US troops will be coming home, a measure according to Mr Bush, of the success already achieved. President Bush is not for turning. He believes his strategy in Iraq is succeeding. And he clearly has no intention of changing course now. By offering the prospect of limited troop cuts, he hopes to disarm his domestic critics, especially those voices in his own Republican Party who have argued for a fundamental shift in the US approach. [article link]
"Dead Certain" Bush not swayed by Iraq reality - Bush's war in Iraq has caused the deaths of more Americans than died in the Sept. 11 attacks and probably more Iraqis than Saddam Hussein killed - What is the point of all this slaughter? {The point is that the dedicated Satanist George Bush Jr. is trying to align, train, equip and fund
a vicious end-time Muslim army in hopes his new army of Islam will attack and destroy the peaceful, religious Christians and Jews.} Here's the question that senators ought to have asked General Petraeus (the current Colin Powell): Could you give us a rough estimate, general, of how many more American men and women will die in Iraq? Not a precise figure, just an approximation? That is an important question. Chicago political guru Don Rose has pointed out that Bush's war in Iraq has caused the deaths of more Americans than died in the Sept. 11 attacks and probably more Iraqis than Saddam Hussein killed. What is the point of all this slaughter? ... This might be a good week to read Robert Draper's book Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush. Draper is sympathetic to Bush and tries to be favorable, but he wants to understand how the president can be so "dead certain" about everything. It is a question many Americans are asking. [article link]
Key Sunni ally of U.S. assassinated - A key Sunni sheik who united with U.S. forces to fight al Qaeda militants in Iraq was assassinated Thursday in a roadside bomb attack - Bush is expected to reiterate Anbar's success in a major address to the nation Thursday night (tonight) Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha, 39, was head of the Anbar Salvation Council, a coalition of tribes that has been working with the U.S. military to counter al Qaeda militants in Sunni-dominated Anbar province. The afternoon attack near the sheik's home in Ramadi killed two bodyguards and wounded five other escorts, Ramadi police and Interior Ministry officials said. ... Bush has repeatedly cited successful efforts to bring Anbar tribesmen over to the coalition's side in the fight against al Qaeda in Iraq as evidence of overall success by the U.S. military in Iraq. Since the Sunni sheiks began cooperating with the U.S. military, violent attacks have significantly decreased in Anbar, once a hot-spot for al Qaeda attacks. Bush is expected to reiterate Anbar's success in a major address to the nation Thursday night. [article link]
Soldiers who signed anti-war op-ed piece die in Iraq - "Four years into our occupation, we have failed on every promise, while we have substituted Baath Party tyranny with a tyranny of Islamist, militia and criminal violence" Two U.S. soldiers whose signatures appeared on an op-ed piece in The New York Times critical of the war in Iraq were among seven Americans killed in a truck accident outside of Baghdad, family members said Wednesday. ... the op-ed piece that appeared in the Times on August 19. It called the prospects of U.S. success "far-fetched" and said the progress being reported was being "offset by failures elsewhere." "Four years into our occupation, we have failed on every promise, while we have substituted Baath Party tyranny with a tyranny of Islamist, militia and criminal violence," they wrote. "When the primary preoccupation of average Iraqis is when and how they are likely to be killed, we can hardly feel smug as we hand out care packages." ... American troops in Iraq are operating "in a bewildering context of determined enemies and questionable allies, one where the balance of forces on the ground remains entirely unclear." However, they concluded, "As committed soldiers, we will see this mission through." [article link]
AFA.net: Action Alert - Hardees/Carl's Jr. hit new lows with ads - Ask your local TV stations to stop or refuse the ads - Hardees and Carl's Jr. have a solid history of completely ignoring consumer complaints {Only 10% of the regular customers need to BOYCOTT a company like Hardees/Carl's Jr. for a noticeable loss in sales then the company can financially figure out that they are offending people.} CKE Restaurants, Inc. (Hardees/Carl's Jr.) is hitting new lows in their latest round of television commercials. After offending families with Paris Hilton and Hugh Hefner-driven ads over the past few years, the hamburger chain is taking its history of sleaze marketing to a new level. One of the latest ads, now on national television, depicts a sexualized female teacher in a high school classroom doing a stripper-style dance on top of her desk, while male students do a rap song about her "flat buns." ... In another ad, a scantly-clad woman gyrates to a countdown of things she wants a man to do to her. ... Take Action! These ads are airing on local television stations across the nation. These stations are licensed by the FCC to "serve the public interest." Enter your zip
code and click "GO" to urge your local station(s) to stop or refuse to air these ads in support of local decency standards. We have prepared an email letter for you. This action alert requires you to select your local television stations as recipients of your email letter. Please do not select the newspaper and radio stations options. Hardees and Carl's Jr. have a solid history of completely ignoring consumer complaints. However, if you wish to contact them, we have supplied contact information here. You may also wish to contact your local restaurant manager by finding the store's number in your local yellow pages. [article link]
Portugal FM now opposes Hamas talks - "After what happened in Gaza [the Hamas takeover in June], the commitment of the EU to support the government of [PA] President [Mahmoud] Abbas is total." - Israeli officials have expressed concern that cracks were appearing in Europe's wall against dealing with Hamas Portugal's Foreign Minister Luis Amado, one of 10 EU foreign ministers who signed a letter hinting at the need to engage Hamas, told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday that the initiative "was in the past." "The position of the EU is quite clear at this moment," Amado said at the end of a two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. "After what happened in Gaza [the Hamas takeover in June], the commitment of the EU to support the government of [PA] President [Mahmoud] Abbas is total." Portugal currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, a position that gives it increased clout inside the EU for six months. "The letter was in the past, absolutely," Amado said, adding that he did not now think it wise to engage Hamas. Since the letter was published in July, Israeli officials have expressed concern that cracks were appearing in Europe's wall against dealing with Hamas. [article link]
Here is a jaw-dropping graph - that shows an almost-perfect correlation between the amount of money given to the Palestinian Authority (now Fatah) and the number of Israelis killed in terror attacks - See the blog for the graph - This picture is truly worth 1000 words We have on the blog a jaw-dropping graph from CAMERA that shows an almost-perfect correlation between the amount of money given to the Palestinian Authority (now Fatah) and the number of Israelis killed in terror attacks the following year. Given the large amount of evidence implicating Fatah in terror, the explanation shouldn't be much of a mystery, however. [article link]
9-11-2007: President Bush has perfected The Big Lie - He redefines his goals to fit his failures - With each new definition, more innocents die - Outstanding police work in England and Germany proves that al-Qaida doesn't come from Iraq, and isn't defeated in Iraq - This is a struggle against international crime, this is not a world war President Bush has perfected The Big Lie. He redefines his goals to fit his failures. With each new definition, more innocents die. When he failed to catch Osama bin Laden "dead or alive," he redefined the enemy as Saddam Hussein. When he failed to find WMD in Iraq, he redefined our goal there as democracy. When he brought chaos instead of democracy to Iraq, he redefined the goal again: "Fight them there so we don't have to fight them here." Outstanding police work in England and Germany proves that al-Qaida doesn't come from Iraq, and isn't defeated in Iraq. This is a struggle against international crime, this is not a world war. Bush's latest lie is the "surge." Six months ago, he clearly defined its purpose: to give "breathing space" to the government in Baghdad. In those months, the dysfunctional puppet government has utterly collapsed, proving the surge a failure. But Bush now claims the surge a success because one Iraqi province is more peaceful. The London Times of Sept. 9 shows how Bush's cronies use taxpayer dollars to bribe Sunni [& Shiite] sheiks in Anbar province [and throughout Iraq, Lebanon-Palestine the entire Muslim world]. Of course, when the bribes stop, they may turn against us again. Bush pours American blood in the sand just to save face. Ending this war is not a job for him, but for the American people. Will we passively accept The Big Lie for five more years, or will we cry "No more!" in the name of truth and the Constitution? - Fred LaMotte, Steilacoom [article link]
KJV Bible in Mp3 - Audio Only (Mp3 Downloads) The complete King James Version Bible in mp3 audio format on a 2 disc set. This recording can be legally copied for non-commercial use. Voice narration only. Non-dramatized with no background music. There are individual mp3 files for each chapter of the Bible and playlist for each book are also included. [article link]
Free Downloads: (PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
Free Downloads: (PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
Sarcophagus linked to St. Paul may be opened VATICAN CITY - The Vatican said on Monday it was studying the possibility of opening a thick marble sarcophagus believed to contain the remains of the Apostle Paul to study its contents. ... Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, holds up pictures of a sarcophagus unearthed beneath the basilica during a press conference at the Vatican on Monday. ... St. Paul's is the second-largest of Rome's basilicas, after St. Peter's in the Vatican. [article link]
Merry Christmas Welcome - PREPARING FOR THE BIRTH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL - Bible Truth Ministry On The Internet by Evangelist Larry Wolfe The prophet Isaiah throughout his writings entitles the coming Messiah--our Lord Jesus Christ--the "Holy One" although he uses this significant name interchangably for God the Father. This title, Isaiah's favorite, is used a total of twenty-nine times beginning in the very first chapter of his most significant prophecy, most significant because of it's intense focus on our Lord Jesus. This attribute of the character of God is in fact more than just an attribute, for holiness is the primary word used to describe the very essence of our God. It is not surprising therefore that the preparation for the Holy One's birth would be saturated in holiness as described in Luke chapter one. From the very outset, when Zacharias was visited by the holy angel as he was ministering in the holy place at the altar of incense, God's holy angel underlined the fact that Zacharias' son would 'be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. Another of God's holy angels, Gabriel, would then visit the virgin Mary bringing the good tidings of great joy, telling her that she would 'conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS'. He explained to her that 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God'. ... [article link]
Christmas vs. Holiday: Christmas - is "about" One Thing, that sacred day 2,000 years ago when a Babe was born in Bethlehem, not to offer Capra's wonderful life on Earth, but to offer Christ's Eternal Life in Heaven - On Christmas Day, Christians must ask which life they are contemplating Many Americans, including many Christian Americans, have swallowed the modern meaning whole. Forgetting the Incarnation, they summon Dickensian ghosts to tell them what Christmas is "about": gift giving, secular
charity, "peace and good will," family and friends, sitting by the Yule log, kissing under the mistletoe. Yet these abstractions don't say much about what Christians believe or ought to believe. This isn't to say that Americans don't know, on a tacit, intellectual level, why we celebrate Christmas. But it is to say Christ no longer animates the celebration. Christmas has become a secularized holiday as opposed to a Christian Holy Day. ... For Christians, the difference is hardly inconsequential. Christ was born, serious Christians believe, to die in agony on the Cross for the sins of mankind. Of course, everyone claims to know and understand this, but our annual rites and revelries belie the claim of profound understanding. Many Americans, even American Christians, mistakenly believe Christmas is "about" that "kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time," as Dickens put it, "when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely," meaning the secular "peace and goodwill" that percolated from Dickens' literary brain pan. Christmas isn't "about" any of these things. It is "about" One Thing, that sacred day 2,000 years ago when a Babe was born in Bethlehem, not to offer Capra's wonderful life on Earth, but to offer Christ's Eternal Life in Heaven. On Christmas Day, Christians must ask which life they are contemplating. [article link]
Merry Christmas - Free Christmas Resources from LivingWaters.com and WayoftheMaster.com Some Christians don't like Christmas. They see Santa Claus as a disguise for Satan's Claws. Perhaps they are right. However, instead of getting upset by Christmas, we should use it to breach the advances of the enemy. At this time of year your unsaved friends and family will accept gifts without question. Strangers will accept a gospel message with a candy cane attached. And you can start a conversation, or a street preaching session, with a cheerful, "Merry Christmas!" What an incredible opportunity to share the real meaning behind our Lord's birth -- He was born to die on the cross for our sin. ... Whatever you do, please do something. You will never regret it. There is a constant effort to remove the true meaning of Christmas in this nation, you can spread the true meaning this year. Don't just "intend" to do something; don't wait for someone else. People are dying daily and going to hell. Do something today. [article link]
Mormonism in the Spotlight - [Mormons are attempting] what is being called a "public education" campaign that could reach a budget in the tens of millions in media buys for TV, radio and print The Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is growing increasingly concerned about the public-perception hit the presidential candidacy of Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney may have on the Mormon Church. That's one reason the church is looking at what is being called a "public education" campaign that could reach a budget in the tens of millions in media buys for TV, radio and print. "There is an expectation that some of the church's more archaic traditions and obscure points of history will become more widely publicized by Governor Romney's opponents in an effort to embarrass him and raise doubts about his faith in the minds of the public," ... But this campaign may not be simply about educating the American people about what many people consider an odd faith. ... "Remember, this isn't just about the church's image. This about Governor Romney's image, too," says the political consultant. "I think increasingly the two are becoming bound together." [article link]
Harry Reid firmly rooted in Mormon faith - No other Latter-day Saint has served in higher role in Congress than the Nevada Democrat It is widely known that Reid, 62, is the first Nevadan to ever ascend to a position in congressional leadership. What is not so well known is that no other member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has ever served in a higher leadership role in Congress. Reid was not born into a Mormon family and did not join the church until he was a student at Utah State University in Logan ... Reid stirred his own controversy recently when he suggested two Nevada Republican state candidates who are Mormons may have defaced their own campaign signs. The signs for state Senate candidate Tom Christensen and Assembly candidate Garn Mabey
were defaced with stickers that read "Mormon bigots." [article link]
{Flashback} Howard Hughes and the "Mormon Mafia" - "If sheer neglect qualifies as a weapon," said Maheu, "they killed him." During all his years as a recluse, there were only a handful of people who saw him personally each day. This was the so-called "Mormon Mafia," which took orders from Bill Gay, chief of Hughes' Los Angeles office. Its mission consisted of feeding Hughes occasionally and drugging him regularly. On Nov. 5, 1970, Hughes was carried from the (Las Vegas casino) Desert Inn and put on a jet for the Bahamas. It was, according to Maheu, a coup [a takeover]. "The reason I know, is that that they tried to get me to join on two occasions," said Maheu. In April 1976, Hughes died at age 70 aboard a plane en route to Houston, ostensibly of kidney failure. However, his dehydration, malnutrition and the shards of broken hypodermic needles buried in his thin arms suggested other factors. "If sheer neglect qualifies as a weapon," said Maheu, "they killed him." [article link]
Episcopalian Parishes in Virginia Vote to Split from Liberal Parent Church - Two of the largest Episcopal parishes in Virginia voted overwhelmingly Sunday to break from The Episcopal Church FAIRFAX, Virginia - Two of the largest Episcopal parishes in Virginia voted overwhelmingly Sunday to break from The Episcopal Church and join fellow Anglican conservatives forming a rival U.S. denomination. ... Ninety percent of Falls Church parishioners and 92 percent of Truro members who cast ballots in the last week supported cutting ties with The Episcopal Church, parish leaders said Sunday. Six other Virginia parishes are voting this month whether to leave. The Truro and Falls Church break is likely to spark a lengthy, expensive legal fight over the historic properties, which are worth millions of dollars. [article link]
{Flashback} Creationist Kent Hovind Reveals The Truth About The Garden of Eden and Creation! (Google Video Download) Kent Hovind - 1 hr 56 min 19 sec - Mar 2, 2006 - www.drdino.com [article link]
{Flashback} FREE Creation Science Seminar Mp3's from Dr. Kent Hovind 'Dr. Dino' Audio or Video (Mp3's) Dr. Hovind's Creation Seminar Series are his most popular presentations. God has used the message they present to bring thousands of people closer to Christ. This 17-hour mp3 series comes on seven downloadable files and is frequently updated to provide the most current information available. [article link]
A Christmas Gift Blessing for Yourself and Others! Free and Easy to Give - New Red Letter Edition PDF KJV Bible & Basic Christian Full Content 485 Pages (PDF) The King James Version (KJV) 1611 with the Words of Jesus Formatted in Red is a complete Bible containing both the Old and the New Testaments. Basic Christian Full Content PDF Version 2006 (485 pages). [article link]
Microsoft Bill Gates Buys Blogger Buzz - Were the bloggers wooed by Bill's big wallet? Yep. - How cheap are your personal ethics? So what did Microsoft get in return for all of this? Were the bloggers wooed by Bill's big wallet? Yep. Check out the tech-news search engine Techmeme.com. Today their homepage was practically a mural to anything related to Bill Gates, the Zune or Microsoft in general. ... But I do give some of these bloggers credit. Most of them (not Ryan) were upfront and disclosed that Gates gave them free Zunes and paid for their flights out to Microsoft headquarters. But on the other hand, should corporate blogs like Micro Persuasion and GigaOm, who have venture-capital financing and/or big name PR firms, really be accepting free stuff and sacrificing their
objectivity? How cheap are your personal ethics? [article link]
Microsoft desperately wants my love -- and yours - I walked out thinking (Vista) it's something I absolutely, totally don't want on any computer I own I walked into this series of marketing sessions with an open mind about Vista, expecting it to be neither a world-beater nor worse than previous Windows versions. I walked out thinking it's something I absolutely, totally don't want on any computer I own unless I am doing cross-OS compatibility tests that require me to deal with the Vista licensing maze. Vista's visual desktop effects are cute, but I am not a cute-desktop guy; my computers are work tools and my monitors tend to be covered with applications. The only time I see a socalled "desktop" is when I boot up, and only for a few seconds even then. I can easily see myself living happily without Vista in my life. But hey! That's just me. ... I came away with a sense that Microsoft doesn't currently have a clear sense of what Microsoft should be and where Microsoft should be going. ... This sort of corporate disorganization might be expected in a fast-moving startup with 50 employees, but in a mature company with more than 70,000 people on its payroll it is not acceptable. A company as large as Microsoft needs professional managers at the top who act like professional managers and don't have embarrassing monkey dance videos floating around the Internet. [article link]
Microsoft Releases Vista Update to Fight 'Monster' - files from various test and final versions of the software have been mixed so as to bypass the product activation Microsoft has released an update to Windows Vista that is designed to prevent a type of piracy of the operating system in which files from various test and final versions of the software have been mixed so as to bypass the product activation technology, an approach the company has dubbed the "Frankenbuild" monster. The Frankenbuild workaround essentially involves cobbling together files from a Vista Release Candidate build with the build that was released to manufacturing in November, to create a hybrid that bypasses activation. [article link]
IBM has published a Free "Redbook" aimed at assisting those interested in migrating desktop PCs to Linux {Scroll Down for PDF Link} (PDF) Linux Client Migration Cookbook: A Practical Planning and Implementation Guide for Migrating to Desktop Linux provides in-depth detail on the technical and organizational challenges and includes methods for planning and implementation, according to the book's cover. The 260-page book is available for free download as a PDF file. [article link]
Skype users to get lie detectors - Callers using internet phone system Skype who might be tempted to tell a few porkies should beware - the user on the other end may have a lie detector Skype is to offer the KishKish Lie Detector, which is made by BATM, as an add-on for customers. It analyses audio streams over a Skype call in real time and illustrates the stress levels of the other person. Skype's software lets computer users talk to each other for free and make cheap calls to mobiles and landlines. ... The lie detector is the latest products which Kishkish has designed for Skype users, with others including voice mail and call recorder. BATM says it hopes to be able to provide Skype users with further additions in the near future. As well as operating in real time the KishKish device can also record calls for analysis later. Internet auction firm eBay bought Skype - which says it has 136 million users - in September 2005 for $2.6bn. [article link]
The New World Order #00103, #00115 (Free Mp3's) Here are the messages from our 1998 catalog, available exclusively for download. [article link]
Joe Schimmel - Exposes - Aleister Crowley, Timothy Leary, Kinsey and other 60's Satanists (Video 6:15) This is a great interview with Pastor Joe Schimmel, the producer of the documentary, "They Sold Their Souls for Rock & Roll." [article link]
U.K. police quiz Blair in state honors probe - police investigating allegations that government honors, such as seats in the House of Lords, were bestowed in return for political contributions - Blair has been forced to acknowledge some supporters who offered the loans were later nominated for seats in the House of Lords LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair has been questioned by police investigating allegations that government honors, such as seats in the House of Lords, were bestowed in return for political contributions, Blair's office said Thursday. Downing Street said Blair was not interviewed as a suspect in the case, but it is still extremely rare for a serving prime minister to be questioned by police. Police have been investigating claims that all three major political parties awarded seats in the House of Lords and lesser titles such as Member of the Order of the British Empire in return for secret loans. ... Blair has been forced to acknowledge some supporters who offered the loans were later nominated for seats in the House of Lords. [article link]
Strict rules imposed on bushmen's return to Kalahari - some 3,000 people were resettled outside the reserve They were the subject of the popular movie "The Gods Must Be Crazy" GABORONE, Botswana (AP) -- A day after the High Court ruled that Botswana's last hunter-gatherers can live on their ancestral lands, the government Thursday imposed tough conditions likely to prevent most or all from returning. The High Court ruled Wednesday that the bushmen were wrongly evicted from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in 2002. The 2-1 verdict was hailed as a victory for indigenous peoples around the world. In a statement Thursday, however, Attorney General Athaliah Molokomme laid down conditions for the government's implementation of the court order. ... Between 1997 and 2002 some 3,000 people were resettled outside the reserve. Botswana's government said the bushmen agreed to move as part of efforts to protect wildlife. Authorities said they compensated the displaced bushmen for their land and provided schools, medical facilities and job training in the resettlement centers. But critics say the crowded resettlement camps encouraged alcoholism and prostitution. They say the bushmen's eviction turned a society of proud hunters into communities dependent on food aid and government handouts. [article link]
The Truth As I See It: USA vs US - American Governance: Both concurrently exist today, The corporate system has been gaining predominance in the last 70 years, Many Soverigns have contracted with the corporate system unknowingly, unintentionally, and or without full disclosure "Republican" form of government "Government of the people and by the people" "I pledge allegiance to The United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, One nation under God." ... Living souls are created by God and are answerable to their Maker who is Omnipotent. "...one nation under God..." The Bible is the Basis of all Law and moral standards. In 1820, the USA government purchased 20,000 bibles for distribution. ... [Now Government] Emphasizes "Democracy" which is the next thing to "Socialism" which is another form of "Communism". "Democracy" "Mob Rule" form of government giving the impression of representation and rule by it's citizens. ... This corporate so-called government sees itself as god. It sets morals and values of those in its jurisdiction wihout any basis. These values are ever changing at their whim and are influenced by opinion. Emphasizes religious and social tolereance but discourages Christianity. It provokes the godly to give up their stand and to go with the crowd. Homosexuality and abortions are no longer discouraged, but are now protected. [article link]
inJesus.com: inJesus makes ministry communication easy - inJesus provides a web service that makes communication easy for Christian ministries
inJesus makes ministry communication easy inJesus provides a web service that makes communication easy for Christian ministries. Ministry Groups on inJesus keep their members informed and involved using simple, powerful tools like: e-mail group management, message archives on your site, placement in our searchable directory. inJesus' communication tools help you keep your members informed about the work of your ministry. Starting a Ministry Group at InJesus is as easy as creating an e-mail list. Your members will receive your messages in their e-mail, and your group's inJesus homepage will be updated with your new content every time you post. What we do is an externalization of who we are. ... inJesus is an Internet Communications Company. This is simply because the Lord has used us to build successful technology companies in the past, and there is a need for better communications in the Kingdom. [article link]
BoycottWatch.org: UPS Boycott of Jews - Boycott Called and Verified - UPS apparently has decided to make its own Mideast policy by refusing to deliver packages to Jewish areas in the West Bank and Golan Heights, but not Arab areas, even those run by terrorists If you have a package you want to send to someone in Israel's Golan Heights area, one of the safest areas in Israel, forget about calling UPS, because they may claim it is too dangerous to deliver there, but they will deliver packages to Ramalah, the hotbed of Palestinian suicide bomb belt making and terrorist training. While tourists love to visit the Golan Heights wineries, not many people are picking Ramalah for their vacations. ... It looks, therefore, as if UPS or its contractor is dividing Israel package delivery by political zones related to political lines, and it is also possible that a contractor is specifically involved is furthering that delineation, with or without the blessing of UPS corporate headquarters. What is important to note is that package delivery appears to be specifically denied to Jews who live in Yehuda and Shomron, areas which are biblically named as such, by people who are against the right of Jews to live there. This is speculation, of course, but the preponderance of evidence indicated the political explanation. Regardless if it was either UPS or its contractor that engaged the business in politics, UPS is responsible for all business activities operating under its name just as an army general is responsible for his subordinates. UPS appears to be engaged in politics, something Boycott Watch has criticized other companies for doing, and needs to take action to end the problem it now faces. [article link]
BoycottWatch.org: Origins of the Wal-Mart Nazi t-shirt - Considering its recent alliance with groups promoting gay marriage and the way it handled their Nazi t-shirt debacle, Wal-Mart appears to want to hurt itself with bad public relations and to alienate their customers While Wal-Mart received a black-eye in this case, the company hurt itself by not responding properly. Wal-Mart did not take complete and decisive actions to remove the shirts and the corporate statement was less than endearing. Once again, Wal-Mart could have prevented the problem they now face but failed to avoid problems. More significantly for Scott Deutsch, companies purchasing logo items from Orange Clothing Company and other similar sources need to make sure the printed images being sold in their stores are in fact safe for retail, meaning not under copyright or other moral distribution restriction, such as the Nazi logo. Scott Deutsch will have to take action to make sure he does not adversely affect his customers in the future, and his customers would be wise to ask tough question about the products he and other suppliers are sending. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: QUICK QUIZ: Which '08 Presidential Hopeful Said This . . . Yup, Mitt Romney, who wants our votes for President, made that anti-American statement About the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games, for which we paid over $300 million in U.S. tax money for security?: Around the world it was like, 'Boy, those Americans, always beating their chests.' This is not our time to talk about how great America is. It's not designed to be a patriotic American display. ... Yup, Mitt Romney, who wants our votes for President, made that anti-American statement about the Olympics, a statement that sounds like it could have come from Hillary's mouth or Susan Sarandon's. Or any America hater's mouth. ... And
a Romney Presidency will be a total bust, too. He's not a conservative. Just a phony who badly wants to be Prez and will say anything to get there. Yup, Mitt Happens. But he won't happen to get my vote. American chestbeating and talking about how great America is, is never off-limits or inappropriate. Anyone who thinks so is off-limits and inappropriate as our Commander-in-Chief. [article link]
Ubuntu Christian Edition (CE) Review - A Need That Has Finally Been Met - the fact is that the inclusion of parental controls (thanks to integrating Dans Guardian features) will mean that Linux using parents everywhere will give Ubuntu CE a very serious look It's no secret that Linux needs parental controls installed with a distribution by default, and it's been a necessity for a long time now. Advanced users have always pointed to Dans Guardian, but they are delusional if they believe that most people have the time or the ability to implement this great resource. A Need That Has Finally Been Met. Regardless of your religious feelings with a Linux distribution, the fact is that the inclusion of parental controls (thanks to integrating Dans Guardian features) will mean that Linux using parents everywhere will give Ubuntu CE a very serious look. In actuality, parental controls should not simply be something that is assigned to only one off-shoot version, such as Ubuntu CE. I just can't believe that Ubuntu standard and Kubuntu have not taken this opportunity by the horns and followed suit. Instead, Edgy is released to the world and we are still in "DIY land" with parental controls, something that should be made available on all home-use operating systems. [article link]
The Changing Workplace - Smashing the Clock, No schedules, No mandatory meetings - Inside Best Buy's radical reshaping of the workplace The endeavor, called ROWE, for "results-only work environment," seeks to demolish decades-old business dogma that equates physical presence with productivity. The goal at Best Buy is to judge performance on output instead of hours. Hence workers pulling into the company's amenity-packed headquarters at 2 p.m. aren't considered late. Nor are those pulling out at 2 p.m. seen as leaving early. There are no schedules. No mandatory meetings. No impression-management hustles. Work is no longer a place where you go, but something you do. It's O.K. to take conference calls while you hunt, collaborate from your lakeside cabin, or log on after dinner so you can spend the afternoon with your kid. Best Buy did not invent the post-geographic office. Tech companies have been going bedouin for several years. At IBM, 40% of the workforce has no official office; at AT&Tamp;, a third of managers are untethered. Sun Microsystems Inc. calculates that it's saved $400 million over six years in real estate costs by allowing nearly half of all employees to work anywhere they want. And this trend seems to have legs. A recent Boston Consulting Group study found that 85% of executives expect a big rise in the number of unleashed workers over the next five years. In fact, at many companies the most innovative new product may be the structure of the workplace itself. [article link]
Ubuntu Podcast: Jereme from Ubuntu (Linux) Christian Edition (CE) joins us to talk about this interesting project (Mp3: Mirror 1) Jereme Hancock, the lead developer of Ubuntu Christian Edition (CE), was recently interviewed by the guys at UbuntuOS for an upcoming podcast. Well, that podcast has just been released. If you would like to listen to the podcast interview you can visit UbuntuOS. (Mp3: Mirror 1) [article link]
How Microsoft fights off 100,000 (hack) attacks per month - Before a connected computer can access any resources on the corporate network, a program scans the computer for security An approved operating system must be installed Before a connected computer can access any resources on the corporate network, a program scans the computer for security. An approved operating system must be installed, along with all critical security patches;
the scanning program coordinates with Microsoft's methods for deploying patches, such as the Microsoft Update site. In addition, Windows Firewall must be enabled. Finally, the remote computer must not be connected to any other VPNs or be using any other type of remote-access software. If the scan finds a deficiency, it attempts to correct it. For example, it will update antivirus signatures and force the installation of critical security patches. If the user rejects these updates, the scanner ends the connection. Once the scan has determined that the computer is clean and fully patched, the connection is allowed out of the sandbox and onto the corporate network. [article link]
2008 hopefuls woo Bush clan donors, aides - McCain, Romney seek edge that family's GOP network could provide Adding to the drama, a sibling divide appears to be emerging among aides closest to President Bush and his brother, outgoing Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Some key members of Gov. Bush's tight-knit inner circle have signed up to help Romney, while several of President Bush's senior strategists have gone to McCain. They include the media advisor and political director for the president's 2004 campaign. The fight for the Bush family mantle demonstrates that, even after the plunge in the president's popularity and the GOP's thumping in the midterm election, the family network remains the single most powerful force in Republican Party politics.> [article link]
Mitt (Romney) Giving Fits - Massachusetts is a pro-choice, gay-friendly state - Bill Weld and Paul Cellucci ran as pro-choice proponents of gay rights; so did Mitt Romney Some of the flip-flopping accusations take on a hysterical tone -- did you know Romney even appointed gay people to public office? -- but they point to a real problem for the putative presidential contender. The dominance of Rudolph Giuliani and John McCain has created an opening in the GOP field for a strong yet electable social conservative. It's a void Romney has been striving to fill. To have any chance of success, however, Romney is going to need to win over evangelicals in large numbers. Political analysts have been asking whether a Mormon like Romney can do well enough among evangelicals to wrest the Republican nomination away from the front-runners. Robert Novak has reported that the Mormon factor could be a more optimistic. But maybe being from Massachusetts will prove to be a bigger obstacle. [article link]
Ex-President Jimmy Carter's Maps: Worse Than Plagiarism - Carter not only appears to have copied maps from Ross but -- more importantly -- to have re-titled them to make them appear to be something they are not The truth is a little more complicated than mere plagiarism, and takes a while to explain. Carter not only appears to have copied maps from Ross but -- more importantly -- to have re-titled them to make them appear to be something they are not. Moreover, his maps omit the descriptive notes that Ross included on his maps, which would have contradicted the point Carter was trying to make. Finally, the point he was trying to make with the borrowed and altered maps is central to his entire book. So this will be a long post, but an important one. [article link]
Playing it safe with Windows Vista - Not Really! - a feature in the long-awaited operating system, as a way for Web sites and third-party software programs to gauge the security status of customer PCs. This could be used to deny computers that aren't fully protected access to online services, which ultimately is good for user safety, Microsoft said {Or more likely this is another step in the future Anti-Christ control over buying and selling as foretold in the Bible's book of Revelation 13:17 'And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.'} Though they say Microsoft's goal is noble, others don't expect many consumer Web sites or online services to start conducting PC security checks. According to Microsoft's own data, about 70 percent of consumers aren't running up-to-date antivirus protection. That's a large number of potential customers a business could lose,
analysts said. "I do not believe they will be willing to stop doing business with the consumers that are not upto-code," said Natalie Lambert, an analyst at Forrester Research. Also, consumers could balk at the perceived privacy intrusion if Web sites start checking their PCs. [article link]
{Flashback} What is the Mark of the Beast 666 There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the book of Revelation. It is an actual mark or marking and it is also an Image (Icon) a representation of the Antichrist (Satan) himself and it is represented in his personal name of, emptiness, which is referenced by the number 666. [article link]
Romney's record on gays questioned after 1994 letter re-emerges - in which he promised a gay Republicans group he would be a stronger advocate for gays than Sen. Edward Kennedy BOSTON --Gov. Mitt Romney's beliefs on gay issues are under scrutiny after the re-emergence of a letter he wrote during his 1994 run for U.S. Senate in which he promised a gay Republicans group he would be a stronger advocate for gays than Sen. Edward Kennedy. The 1994 letter was written to the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts, a gay Republican group, when Romney was courting gay voters during his unsuccessful campaign against Kennedy. Citing Kennedy's record of advocacy for gays and lesbians, Romney wrote, "For some voters, it might be enough to simply match my opponent's record in this area. But I believe we can and must do better. If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent cannot do this. I can and will." [article link]
Iraqi Politicians in Talks to Replace (Shiite) Al-Maliki as PM - They said al-Maliki was livid at the attempt to unseat him BAGHDAD, Iraq - Major partners in Iraq's governing coalition are in behind-the-scenes talks to oust Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki amid discontent over his failure to quell raging violence, according to lawmakers involved. The talks are aimed at forming a new parliamentary bloc that would seek to replace the current government and that would likely exclude supporters of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who is a vehement opponent of the U.S. military presence. ... Washington also has been unhappy with al-Maliki's reluctance to comply with its repeated demands to disband Shiite militias blamed for much of Iraq's sectarian bloodletting. Bush publicly expressed his confidence in al-Maliki after talks in Jordan on Nov. 30. But the president told White House reporters four days later that he was not satisfied with the pace of efforts to stop Iraq's violence. ... Al-Sadr's (Shiite) Mahdi Army militiamen fought U.S. troops for much of 2004 in Baghdad and across central and southern Iraq. It is blamed for most of the sectarian violence raging in Iraq. [article link]
Calvary Chapel Bible College Friday Lectures - ccbc050506.mp4 is Excellent! - Videos (Mp4) Friday Lectures from Calvary Chapel Bible College. May God give you His missionary heart, call, equip, and commission you to assist the church in making disciples of all nations. We, the staff at CCBC, earnestly pray for you and are pleased to serve you, while you diligently give your whole heart to knowing Christ, and making Him known. Cheers in Christ! [article link]
Calvary Chapel Bible College - Main Campus - Accepting Applications For The Spring 2007 Semester Calvary Chapel Bible College was founded in 1975 as a short, intensive study program. It was developed as a part of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa's overall vision to equip the people of God for His service. Throughout its history, CCBC has remained true to its initial vision: to provide a place where serious and committed Christians can learn the Word of God and draw closer to Jesus. [article link]
ACT NOW AGAINST PRESIDENT CARTER'S ONE-SIDED BIAS AGAINST ISRAEL - SEND YOUR MESSAGE IMMEDIATELY {Group Email Protest} Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who achieved a historic breakthrough in 1979 that brought peace between Egypt and Israel, has emerged over the years as one of Israel's harshest critics. In his new book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, President Carter abandons all objectivity and unabashedly acts as a virtual spokesman for the Palestinian cause. Here are some of President Carter's key allegations in Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid: [article link]
Jimmy Carter Fires Back at Longtime Aide Over Book - President Carter's book on the Middle East "it is replete with factual errors, copied materials not cited, superficialities, glaring omissions, and simply invented segments" Kenneth Stein, director of the Institute for the Study of Modern Israel, resigned Tuesday as Middle East Fellow of the Carter Center of Emory University, stating in his resignation letter that "President Carter's book on the Middle East, a title too inflammatory to even print, is not based on unvarnished analyses; it is replete with factual errors, copied materials not cited, superficialities, glaring omissions, and simply invented segments." "The purpose of the book should be to try to bring people together, to try and reconcile them. He published in the LA Times because his book tour is going in that direction," Stein said. "I'm a historian, I believe in the integrity of my profession, I believe that things should be written accurately, even if you disagree with them." [article link]
They Sold Their Soul for Rock and Roll - Video Clips - (10 Hour 4 DVD Set) Brace yourselves, as you view rare footage that MTV and VH1 would not dare show you. This unbelievable fourhour video will leave you picking your jaw off the ground, as you see hundreds of artists who are being used by Satan to destroy our youth. [article link]
Faith Defenders: Bob Morey Live! - A Fast-Paced Howard Stern type Radio Show - The 10/27/06 - Show, Sermon Message is Excellent! - Audio Archives (WMA) If you want the whole truth and nothing but the truth according to the Word of God, you'll find it here. [article link]
Iraqi Christians plead for help from White House - Demonstrators at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. tell of 'ethnic cleansing' Unlike the Sunnis and Shiites, the Christians have no militia and are completely defenseless, Shea said. "They need to administrate their own governmental unit to protect themselves," she said. "Otherwise, with the chaos and violence and persecution targeting Christians for religious reasons, which the U.N. has documented, they will disappear. Shea insisted it's in the interest of the U.S. to take a stand. With the loss of the highly educated and skilled Christians, she argued, Iraq is "experiencing a brain drain as well as sane drain - a force of moderation and a bridge to the West." "They have served the U.S. in Iraq nobly, and they will leave a real vacuum," said Shea. While the Christians in Iraq have been repressed for decades, Shea pointed out, they have suffered more since the war began, with kidnappings, crucifixions and dozen of churches bombed by jihadist terror. [article link]
Microsoft denies flaw in Vista - Microsoft's Vista is vulnerable to at least three pieces of widespread malware, two of which date back to 2004 Security vendor Sophos reported last Thursday that Microsoft's Vista is vulnerable to at least three pieces of widespread malware, two of which date back to 2004. At least three well-known internet worms -- labelled Stratio-Zip, Netsky-D and MyDoom-O by Sophos -- are able to execute on the operating system, according to Sophos. However, because these attacks rely on user interaction to execute the code, Microsoft has denied this is a flaw. Microsoft said that these attacks rely on social-engineering techniques to be successful. ... Social
engineering relies on tricking users into executing malicious code themselves -- a user has to open an infected attachment on an e-mail for these worms to infect the system. ... Explorer 7 (IE7) -- the web browser bundled with Vista -- would become a target for hackers, as Web-based cybercrime was easier to perpetrate than attempting to attack an operating system by sending executable files directly to an email account. ... "IE7 is definitely a major target," said Sophos principal virus researcher Vanja Svajcer. "More and more attacks direct people to a Web site, as most businesses don't allow executable file types into the organisation. It's much more difficult to prevent employees from surfing Web sites." [article link]
Al-Sadr loyalists spurn 'Iraq parliament' - Lawmakers and Cabinet ministers loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have suspended participation in parliament and the government to protest Prime minister Nouri al-Maliki's summit with President George Bush {Iraq has a Prime Minister, the USA has a President. How is it that Iraq is a USA styled democracy? It's not, Iraq is an English styled New World Order (NWO) Parliament!} BAGHDAD, Iraq - Six Cabinet ministers and 30 legislators loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr decided Wednesday to boycott Parliament and the government to protest the Iraqi prime minister's summit with President Bush. Within hours of the announcement, the White House said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's first meeting with Bush in their key two-day summit in Jordan was canceled. ... The Sadrists had threatened to quit the government and parliament if al-Maliki went ahead with the Amman summit. But by downgrading their protest to a suspension of membership, they left open a return to their jobs. [article link]
Bush accepts Bolton's U.N. resignation {Ouch! Bush is in for a rough two years, if he makes it that long. Despite all of this Bush still refuses to work with his own conservative party-base and actually it looks like he is more willing to work with the Democrats on most issues.} The White House resubmitted Bolton's nomination last month. But with Democrats capturing control of the next Congress, his chances of winning confirmation appeared slight. The incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, said he saw "no point in considering Mr. Bolton's nomination again." ... As late as last month, Bush, through his top aides, said he would not relent in his defense of Bolton, despite unwavering opposition from Democrats who view Bolton as too combative for international diplomacy. [article link]
{Middle East Update #1} Lebanon Nears Flashpoint - One killed, 21 injured after riots break out between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in Beirut BEIRUT, Lebanon - Violent clashes broke out Sunday between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in the capital, leaving one man dead from gunshot wounds at a time when tensions threaten Lebanon's fragile sectarian and political balance. The death was sure to inflame sectarian divisions as both the Shiite Hezbollah militant group and the U.S.-backed government it has vowed to topple refused to retreat. [article link]
{Iraq Update #1} Rumsfeld memo admits Iraq strategy failing {The troops have done their job, it's the politicians and planners that have failed.} WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told President Bush before he resigned that the administration's strategy in Iraq was not working and he proposed changes, including possible troop reductions, The New York Times reported Saturday. ... Among the proposals outlined in the Rumsfeld memo were positioning substantial U.S. forces near the Iranian and Syrian borders to reduce infiltration and reduce Iranian influence on the Iraqi government. [article link]
{Iraq Update #2} US unable to win in west Iraq {Unable because of the current Iraq policies - This is the Iraq dilemma where bad and unfair policies, packaged and sold as a 'democracy' have created a bad and unfair situation.} of "From the Sunni perspective, their greatest fears have been realised - Iran controls Baghdad and Anbaris have been marginalised," the report says. Moreover, most Sunnis now believe it would be unwise to count on or help US forces because they are seen as likely to leave Iraq before imposing stability. ... The report paints a stark portrait of a failed province and of the country's Sunnis - once dominant under Saddam Hussein - now desperate, fearful and impoverished. They have been increasingly abandoned by religious and political leaders who have been assassinated or who have fled the country. And unlike Iraq's Shiite majority or Kurdish groups in the north, the Sunnis are without oil and other natural resources. The report notes that illicit oil trading is providing millions of dollars to al-Qaeda while "official profits appear to feed Shiite cronyism in Baghdad". The Iraqi Government, dominated by Iranian-backed Shiites, has not paid salaries for Anbar officials and Iraqi forces stationed there. Anbar's resources and its ability to impose order are depicted as limited, at best. [article link]
{Iraq Update #3} De facto partition takes hold in Iraq as Sunni-Shiite violence rages on In the 43 months since Saddam Hussein's ouster, entire Iraqi provinces have become virtual no-go areas for one or another sect, mixed Sunni-Shiite neighborhoods are slowly disappearing and a Kurdish region in the north appears to have all but seceded. In many ways, Iraq already is breaking up, though not in a way in which a well-defined boundary could be established to ensure peace. And this is happening amid a debate on whether partitioning this ethnically and religiously diverse nation could provide a way out of the growing sectarian violence tearing it apart. [article link]
A Christmas Gift Blessing for Yourself and Others! Free and Easy to Give - New Red Letter Edition PDF KJV Bible (PDF) The King James Version (KJV) 1611 with the Words of Jesus Formatted in Red is a complete Bible containing both the Old and the New Testaments. [article link]
** RSS 2 PDF - Create a PDF file complete with links of this current Basic Christian News/Info Feed, after the PDF file is created it can then be saved to your computer {there is now a red PDF Create Button at the top right corner of the website www.basicChristian.us} Free Online RSS, Atom or OPML to PDF Generator. [article link]
Diocese nears break with Episcopal Church - "The national (American) church has forced us to this point where we have to pick -- is our ultimate authority Scripture or is our ultimate authority an institution that has run amok?" Divisions erupted in 2003 when the Episcopal Church, the U.S. wing of the 77 million-member Anglican family, consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Traditionalists contend that gay partnerships violate Scripture. San Joaquin Bishop John-David Schofield, who refuses to ordain women and gays, has publicly accused the church's first female leader, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, of promoting heresy. Under his leadership, the Fresno-based diocese has stopped sending most funds to the national church and has considered a plan to affiliate with an Anglican diocese in Argentina. ... Six other conservative dioceses also have rejected Jefferts Schori's authority but have stopped short of a full break. The 2.2 million-member Episcopal Church estimates that nearly 115,000 people left the church from 2003 to 2005, and that the choice by at least one-third of those stemmed from parish conflicts over Robinson. [article link]
"How Does He (God) Put Up With Us?" - Let it never be said that the Saviour (Jesus) is only putting up with us (Mp3) Have we fallen into the modern day evangelical trap of thinking that the Lord only has good things ever to say to His people? Where do we get the idea from that the Lord never has anything harsh or difficult to say to us? Available now in MP3, WMA, RealAudio and text formats. [article link]
By Michelle Malkin: Reporting from Christkindlmarket Chicago {As usual the Christians Shine!} (Video 3:48) Videoblogger Jake Jacobsen went to Christkindlmarket in Chicago and interviewed folks about the War on Christmas controversy there. Check out the view from the ground: [article link]
Living in a Bubble - the church, by and large, has disconnected the Bible from the reality of history, which is foundational to the moral and spiritual matters they so desperately want the world to accept The church is desperately trying to retain and rebuild the spiritual and moral aspects of Christianity, but it really is a lost cause-unless the church recognizes the fact that the Christian message no longer has a 'physical reality' to connect to. I mean, simply, that the church, by and large, has disconnected the Bible from the reality of history, which is foundational to the moral and spiritual matters they so desperately want the world to accept. Ever since the Garden of Eden, there has been a battle over the authority of the Word of God. Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians 11:3, "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." In other words, the devil is going to try to do today what he did to Eve (and Adam), getting them to doubt the clear Word of God. He asked them, in essence, 'Did God really say that?' (Genesis 3:1). Through the ages, different methods have been used by the devil to cause people to doubt God's Word. Unfortunately, most in the church have been blinded to Satan's particular methodology in the modern era; in effect, they have even helped the Evil One undermine the authority of the Word of God. [article link]
A Review of The Movie 'Nativity Story' - The Nativity Story presents the birth of Jesus as the foundation of Christmas, But the birth of Jesus actually was the first Christmas, So where was the foundation for Christmas? 4,000 Years Earlier in Genesis Like almost any typical Christmas sermon, The Nativity Story presents the birth of Jesus as the foundation of Christmas. But the birth of Jesus actually was the first Christmas. So where was the foundation for Christmas? The foundation for this history-shaping event was laid some 4,000 years earlier when, immediately after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, mankind was sentenced to die. It was in that moment that "God in His mercy gave a promise of redemption through the One who would be born of a virgin-Jesus Christ." (Read the "Foundation of Christmas" section in this article.) That promise is found in Genesis 3:15. It was because of the events of Genesis 3 that Jesus, the Creator of the World, had to be born as a human. As society understands the connectivity between the Christmas story and the Creation account they begin to get the full picture of the Gospel message. Without a literal Genesis, there is no need for a literal Savior! Without Genesis 3, Luke 2 makes no sense. [article link]
Pollster: Republican 'Brand' Needs Repair - The Republican "brand" has been tarnished by corruption and poor performance - pollsters said voters told them the election was more about competence than war But pollsters said voters told them the election was more about competence than war, scandal or any shift in ideology. They said voters now viewed Democrats as more likely to rein in government spending, cut taxes for the middle class and trim the budget deficit - things Republicans promised when they took control of Congress in 1994. "The image and brand of the GOP and conservatives has taken a hit and needs repair," pollster Neil Newhouse of Public Opinion Strategies told the Republican Governors Association. ... "They (voters) didn't fire
us because they don't believe what we believe. They fired us because we didn't do what we said we were going to do," he said. [article link]
Pollster: Republican 'Brand' Needs Repair - Republicans loss of governorships under Mitt Romney's tenure as chairman of the Republican Governors Association - "He put his own presidential aspirations ahead of his own party" Anderson said the three Republican governors considering a 2008 presidential campaign - Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and George Pataki of New York - had good records on controlling spending and improving health care in their states, issues important to voters. ... Democrats dispute that and noted the Republicans loss of governorships under Romney's tenure as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, including in Romney's home state of Massachusetts, where his handpicked successor lost by more than 20 points. Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda cited complaints from Republican gubernatorial candidates that Romney had not done enough to aid their cause. "He put his own presidential aspirations ahead of his own party," Miranda said in a telephone interview. [article link]
The Rev. Jerry Falwell: I Didn't Endorse Mitt Romney - Falwell quickly distanced himself from a published report that claims he has endorsed Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president in 2008 The Clarion-Ledger newspaper in Jackson, Miss., had attributed a quote to Romney that implied the evangelical Falwell had in fact endorsed Romney, a Mormon, and his presumptive candidacy for the White House. ... Romney's Mormon faith has been raised as a possible obstacle in his expected pursuit of the GOP nomination for president. Evangelical Christians, which typically vote Republican, must become comfortable with the thought of a Mormon as their candidate, according to several political strategists. [article link]
Bauer: In Some Cases, Candidate's Stance on Issues Outweighs Theological Differences - Bauer says he is not concerned that Romney would possibly use the White House to advance LDS (Mormon) theology - I think he would be very hesitant to even appoint other Mormons to his cabinet Last year, however, Romney ranked eighth in a list of "Top 10 RINOs" -- or Republicans In Name Only -- by HumanEvents.com. That list quotes the Massachusetts governor has saying he believes abortion "should be safe and legal in this country," and indicates that he supports civil unions, which for many traditionalists is merely a step toward legalized marriage for homosexuals. [article link]
Walmart Income drops as Christians publicize 'gay' Wal-Mart - A number of reports have documented a slight decline in Wal-Mart's income for Black Friday, the big sales day right after Thanksgiving, while other retailers were reporting increases "According to one local television station in Charlotte, N.C., all stores during the Thanksgiving holidays recorded record increases over sales in previous years - all stores that is, with the exception of Wal-Mart," he said. "It recorded a decrease in sales…" ... Then they passed out flyers highlighting Wal-Mart's decision to join the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and its $60,000 donation to Out & Equal, a homosexual lobbying organization. ... The information campaign was done because of the company's support for the "gay" agenda, and despite the fact the company said it was changing policy, a move that convinced the American Family Association to cancel its request for a boycott just days before the holiday. [article link]
Slick Rick shows Syria video in church - Pastor says clip was pulled from 12 hours of tapes after denying shooting (video) on trip - "We did not tape anything because it was a courtesy call, like I do in every country," Warren responded
Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren showed a brief video clip of his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad to his mega-congregation after telling WND no recording was done on his controversial trip to the terrorist-sponsoring nation. ... Warren emailed Joseph Farah, editor of WND, Nov. 16, denying he made comments as reported by the Syrian news agency. Farah asked Warren in a return email if he made any notes or recordings in Syria that would show the true intent and purpose of his meetings there. "We did not tape anything because if (sic) was a courtesy call, like I do in every country," Warren responded. ... He (Saddleback Church member) also was disturbed that the video was posted on YouTube, then removed, and hasn't been available since. Those videos are routinely used by church leaders when they travel the world, as a kind of travelogue to keep members informed about events and plans, he said. "To see it pulled after it gets put up, that doesn't spell straightforward truthfulness for me and that's not what I'm used to seeing at my church," he said. [article link]
Pope Benedict XVI prays at Blue Mosque in Turkey - Pope Benedict XVI prayed alongside an Islamic cleric in Turkey's most famous mosque Thursday in a gesture to Muslims {It's becoming increasingly unlikely that Christian worshipers, whether Catholic or Protestant, can trust their own leaders} ISTANBUL: Pope Benedict XVI prayed alongside an Islamic cleric in Turkey's most famous mosque Thursday in a gesture to Muslims after outrage from the pontiff's remarks linking violence and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Benedict became the second pope to enter a Muslim place of worship when he visited the 17thcentury Sultan Ahmet mosque. He bowed his head and closed his eyes for nearly a minute after Mustafa Cagrici, the head cleric of Istanbul, said, "Now I'm going to pray." Both religious leaders clasped their hands across their stomachs in a position typically assumed by Muslims during prayer. [article link]
Kissinger: New Political Adviser to Pope? - Kissinger was asked at a recent private audience with the Pope to join a papal "advisory board" on foreign and political affairs {So now suddenly Kissinger is Islam's informant to the Pope? If true, This is every bit the same mistake for a religious leader to make as is the Rick Warren & Barack Obama paring} Pope Benedict XVI has invited former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to be a political consultant to the Vatican and Kissinger has accepted, according to a published report. Quoting an "authoritative" diplomatic source at the Vatican, the Italian newspaper La Stampa disclosed that Kissinger was asked at a recent private audience with the Pope to join a papal "advisory board" on foreign and political affairs. ... In light of the controversy sparked by the Pope's September speech about Islam and the Prophet Mohammed, Kissinger "might provide advice on dealing with an increasingly fractious Islamic world," according to the National Catholic Register. [article link]
Rick Warren says he's sorry - {Then calls him Satan's agent to his back in group email} - Do you see the contradictions? Who is Rick Warren talking about "doing Satan's job"? I have to believe it's me. Yet, I got a personal apology from Rick the same day this nasty, brutish, accusatory, divisive, offensive, UNTRUE mass email went out (Scroll down to Listen to Warren's Audio about Syria) Will the real Rick Warren please stand up? And now that the recording of what you actually said in Syria has been made public, can you please stop blaming distortions by Syria's state press? [article link]
Lebanon's pro-Syrian opposition calls for protests - could amount to a coup against last year's "Cedar Revolution" -- large protests that forced Syria to pull out its forces (from Lebanon) and elections that swept the coalition to power BEIRUT (Reuters) - Pro-Syrian Hezbollah and its allies called for a peaceful protest and open-ended sit-in in downtown Beirut on Friday to demand a new government in a fresh challenge to U.S.-backed Prime Minister
Fouad Siniora. The anti-Syrian majority says the Hezbollah-led campaign could amount to a coup against last year's "Cedar Revolution" -- large protests that forced Syria to pull out its forces and elections that swept the coalition to power. ... Many Lebanese fear that large-scale protests could lead to street violence, deepening the political crisis and pushing Lebanon towards chaos amid escalating sectarian tension. [article link]
California Woman Files Lawsuit Claiming Kraft's Guacamole Dip Doesn't Contain Enough Avocado - The Kraft product contains modified food starch, coconut and soybean oils, corn syrup and food coloring, It is less than 2 percent avocado {This is like Rick Warren's 2% Christianity - Saddleback Church and Rick Warren should provide a product disclaimer!} Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft said it had not seen the lawsuit but believed it was not deceiving anyone. "We think customers understand that it isn't made from avocado," Claire Regan, Kraft Foods' vice president of corporate affairs, told the Los Angeles Times. "All of the ingredients are listed on the label for consumers to reference." However, the company will relabel the product to make it clearer that the dip is guacamole-flavored, Regan said. [article link]
Rick Warren defends Barack Obama invitation - "Of course we expect criticism," Warren wrote in an email sent to his 22,000-plus congregation Wednesday. "Jesus loved and accepted others without approving of everything they did. That's our position too, but it upsets a lot of people, so we get attacked from both sides." {Jesus loves people enough to correct and rebuke them and unlike Rick Warren, Jesus never threw open his ministry to provide a platform for scoundrels like Barack Obama.} "Of course we expect criticism," Warren wrote in an email sent to his 22,000-plus congregation Wednesday. "Jesus loved and accepted others without approving of everything they did. That's our position too, but it upsets a lot of people, so we get attacked from both sides." ... Warren, a Southern Baptist and famed author of "The Purpose-Driven Life," says he is opposed to abortion but can work with his "good friend" Obama on other issues, such as HIV and AIDS prevention. ... ""I understand that many people of faith have strong views about abortion, and I deeply respect their beliefs," Obama said in a statement. "While we will never see eye-to-eye on all issues, surely we can come together with one voice to honor the entirety of Christ's teachings by working to eradicate the scourge of AIDS, poverty and other challenges we all can agree must be met." {Oh! Now "the entirety of Christ's teachings" is to agree with Barack Obama, very strange indeed!} [article link]
*Hope - Basic Christian: Theology, Answers to Life's Questions, 132 Topics - Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began Hope is the optimistic expectation of future success. The opposite of hope is despair; the expectation of future disappointment and failure. Hope is in conjunction with faith. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hope is an expectation. We could hope for a relationship, job, car, house, but as soon as we realize our expectation we no longer hope. We might have a new hope for a bigger car, or a bigger house, but as soon as we receive it, we no longer hope for it. We hope for what we don't have. Unfulfilled hope is disappointment. Our hope in Jesus will never be disappointed because one day we will meet Jesus face to face. [article link]
4 Candles - Wait for the first 3 candles to go out then watch the 4th candle... Remember Jesus is the true 'Light of the World' (Flash) Flash: Presentation - 1 Min. [article link]
Shopping - Countdown to Christmas: HD DVD wins, Blu-ray loses Much like it is with game systems; competing formats for video are not about the best technology. They are about the most prevalent technology. It is expensive to publish movies and, at least for now, you can't put Bluray and HD DVD disks into the same box. ... Sony may have to wait until the Playstation 4 to recover. BetaMax, Mini-Disk, MemoryStick, and now Blu-ray. At least Sony is consistent. Also, if there is one company that is really looking forward to a better 2007 more than Sony I don't know of it. Boy, when you couple in root kits and battery/camera recalls, you are talking about a really nasty run of bad luck for Sony this year. [article link]
HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray: who cares? - the next-gen DVD Player - DVD would go the way of VHS Since its 1997 debut, the DVD format has gone on to become perhaps the biggest success in the history of home theater and consumer electronics. But will the current king of the video hill still be number one by the time it hits its 10th birthday? In our little home-theater department here at CNET NYC, we knew it was only a matter of time before one of our well-informed readers asked us whether DVD would go the way of VHS, considering the rising chatter on Blu-ray and HD-DVD, the new high-def, high-capacity disc formats on the horizon. Sure enough, a couple of weeks ago, the anticipated query popped over the transom: "Hey, do you think I should start selling my DVD collection now?" wrote Vince from Los Angeles. "And which format do you think will win, Blu-ray or HD-DVD?" Sony's BDZ-S77: One of the world's first Blu-ray devices. In case you're new to the whole next-gen DVD discussion, Blu-ray and HD-DVD are two competing high-capacity disc technologies backed by various consumer electronics and computer manufacturers. [article link]
Another China Bishop Ordained Without Vatican OK - China's ties with the Vatican were broken in 1951 after the communists took power {This is the new reality - Governments and the UN want to run and control the Church as a secular godless church without mention of Jesus Christ, the cross, the resurrection, man's sin or God's miracles} BEIJING (AP) - China on Thursday ordained a new bishop in its state-approved Catholic church, a move that could aggravate efforts to improve relations with the Vatican. ... Wang's ordination would be the third known one carried out this year by the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association without approval of the Vatican. ... China's government bars Catholics from having contact with the Vatican and allows worship only in government-monitored churches. Millions remain loyal to the pope and worship in secret, but priests and members of their congregations are frequently detained and harassed. [article link]
Warren Unwise to Give Church Podium to ProAbortion Senator Say ProLifers - "a serious conflict of interest" when a pro-life church provides its pulpit to a speaker who, like Obama, "believes in abortion on demand and has defended partial-birth abortion {Pastor Rick Warren now appears to be a UN agent helping the unChristian governments and organizations of the world to exert control, influence, and dominance over God's one true Christian Church} The National Clergy Council and the Evangelical Church Alliance, among others, have joined that pro-life coalition in calling for Obama's appearance to be cancelled. Another is Janet Folger of Faith 2 Action, who contends that an invitation equals endorsement. "Inviting the advocate of partial-birth abortion and a man who has three times voted for infanticide is a 'Barack Obam-ination,'" says Folger. "Inviting this man into this church is an endorsement. It is a way of saying we agree what this man stands for, when he could not be more diametrically opposed to what the Church believes and what the Bible says." Folger shares that she remained silent earlier when the first-term senator made statements she did not agree with. "I did not speak up when he was all but praising the Muslim nation of Syria that has persecuted Christians and Jews," she says. "I did not say anything when the allegations were made of new age connections." But the pro-life leader says this is something about which she cannot remain silent. [article link]
Operation Rescue to Rick Warren: Actions Speak Louder Than Words - The matter of abortion is a moral imperative, and actions speak louder than words! One simply cannot justify inviting pro-abortion Sen. Barack Obama to speak in the defense of the lives of HIV/AIDS victims when he has already expressed to the world his blatant lack of respect for human life by supporting abortion, including the radical partial-birth abortion procedure. Because of his callous disregard for innocent life, Obama lacks the moral credibility to speak on life issues. There are some things that just cannot be excused with a disclaimer, and support for abortion is one of them. [article link]
Christian leaders to Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren: Keep Obama from pulpit - Argue Democrat senator's support for abortion incompatible with Bible The Illinois Democrat, an enthusiastic supporter of abortion, is scheduled to speak at a seminar Dec. 1 called, "We Must Work Together" at Warren's 30,000-member California church. The seminar is about coordinating efforts to address the AIDS crisis worldwide. "You cannot fight one evil while justifying another," a joint statement from dozens of leaders of Christian groups said in condemning Obama's support for abortion and Warren's support for Obama. ... "It is clear Rick Warren would never have a racist or sexist speak at his church concerning any topic," said Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, a spokesman for the Christian Defense Coalition. "In light of that fact, why would he feature a speaker who supports violence against women and children?" "Having Sen. Barack Obama speak on issues of social justice is like having a segregationist speak on civil rights. Mr. Obama supports partial-birth abortion and has voted against bills prohibiting taxpayers paying for abortion. It is hypocritical at best for him to speak out against the horror of AIDS on children and then support abortion which has killed 50,000,000 children in America alone," Mahoney said. [article link]
Leaked Iraq Memo on Eve of Summit Casts Doubt on Al-Maliki Ability to End Sectarian Violence - "The reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action," {Unfortunately the same thing could probably be said about President Bush} RIGA, Latvia - President Bush's national security adviser has serious doubts that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri alMaliki can govern his country while it's being torn apart by sectarian violence, according to a memo leaked just hours before the president was to meet in Jordan with the embattled Iraqi leader. ... "The reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action," the Times quoted the memo as saying. The White House did not dispute the accuracy of the quoted material from the memo, but a senior administration official reacting on condition of anonymity said that, taken as a whole, it is an expression of support for al-Maliki. ... Jordan's King Abdullah, who is hosting the meetings, has warned that unless bold steps are taken posthaste, the new year could dawn with three civil wars in the Mideast - in Lebanon, between the Palestinians and Israelis and in Iraq. He says the fighting in Iraq amounts to a civil war between the Sunnis and Shiites, but Bush chooses to characterize it differently. [article link]
Naughty and Nice Retail List - a list of retailers who are avoiding any mention of "Christmas" this holiday season (PDF) Our friends at Liberty Counsel have identified a list of retailers who are avoiding any mention of "Christmas" this holiday season or even banning employees from using the greeting "Merry Christmas." Much of this censoring is in response to pressure from groups like the ACLU. The list includes Best Buy, Barnes and Noble and others. The full list is here: [article link]
Papal Mass at 'Virgin Mary' site - The pontiff conducted the open-air Mass next to the ruins of a house (near Ancient Ephesus) where the Virgin Mary is thought to have spent her last years Some Christians believe that St. John the Apostle brought the Virgin Mary to the house to care for her after Jesus' death. Others believe that the Virgin Mary died in Jerusalem. The ruins of the house, whose earliest foundations date to the first century, have become a popular place of pilgrimage since the 1950s. A chapel was built over the ruins, and some believe in the healing powers of both the chapel and waters flowing from a nearby spring. The site is nestled on a wooded mountain between the ancient city of Ephesus and the town of Selcuk, near the Aegean coast. [article link]
Apostle John - while John was living in Ephesus, John had with him Mary, the mother of Jesus (The Apostle) John's brother, James, was the first of the apostles to die, where John, on the other hand, was the last. All of the apostles met a violent death, however, John died peacefully in Ephesus, at an advanced age, around the year 100 AD. There is a church tradition, which says, that while John was living in Ephesus, John had with him Mary, the mother of Jesus, for a few years. ... There is a church tradition, which says, that when John was evidently an old man in Ephesus, he had to be carried to the church in the arms of his disciples. At these meetings, he was accustomed to say no more than, "Little children, love one another!" After a time, the disciples wearied at always hearing the same words, asked, "Master, why do you always say this?" "It is the Lord's command," was his reply. "And if this alone be done, it is enough!" [article link]
Meryama (House of the Virgin), Ephesus - The Roman Caholic and an Islam View (Photos) The House of the Virgin, located in a nature park between Ephesus and Seljuk, Turkey, is believed to be the last residence of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. The site is sacred to both Christians and Muslims, and is visited by many tourists and pilgrims. According to Christian tradition, Mary was brought to Ephesus by the Apostle John after the Resurrection of Christ and lived out her days there. This is generally based on the traditional belief that John came to Ephesus combined with the biblical statement that Jesus consigned her to John's care (John 19:26-27). Pilgrims queue to visit the House of the Virgin Mary. Photo © khoogheem. The modern history of the Virgin Mary's House is unusual. It was "discovered" in 1812 by a German nun, Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich, who never traveled away from her home. [article link]
Living Proof Ministries with Beth Moore - 2 Min Radio Broadcast & 30 Min Podcast - Special 'He Is' DVD Christmas Gift Selections Living Proof Ministries is dedicated to Biblical literacy and a commitment to guide believers to love and live on God's Word. Every tape, book or product offered through this ministry is developed to encourage people to know Christ through His Word. [article link]
U.S. official says Hezbollah aids Iraq Shiites - Report: Militant group in Lebanon training Mahdi Army, other militias [to fight Americans in Iraq and elsewhere] WASHINGTON - The Iranian-backed group Hezbollah has been training members of the Mahdi Army, the Iraqi Shiite militia led by Moktada al-Sadr, The New York Times reported on Monday, quoting a senior U.S. intelligence official. Between 1,000 and 2,000 fighters from the Mahdi Army and other Shiite militias had been trained by Hezbollah in Lebanon, the unidentified official told the newspaper. ... The account was consistent with a claim made in Iraq this summer by a mid-level Mahdi commander, who said his militia sent 300 fighters to Lebanon to fight alongside Hezbollah in its war with Israel, the Times said. "They are the best-trained fighters in the Mahdi Army," the newspaper quoted him as saying, speaking on condition of anonymity. [article link]
{flashback} Wednesday, August 23, 2006: Bush $230 Million for Hezbollah, $0 for Israel Today, President Bush announced $230 million for rebuilding South Lebanon, which Debbie Schussel persuasively argues will be funnelled to Hezbollah because of the lack of accountability on the funds for the Hezbollah-controlled area. Meanwhile, the administration has indicated that Israel won't receive any warrelated financial help at all, despite extensive damage as a result of the civilian-targeted attacks (by Hizb'allah) which are war crimes. [article link]
GrassFire.org: Grassfire's 2007 "Spirit Of America" Wall Calendar - Spiritual Heritage Tour of the Capitol book Steve Elliott's book "The Grassfire Effect" (Donation) Journey on a walking tour of the great landmarks or our nation's capital with Grassfire's 2007 "Spirit Of America" wall calendar. You'll visit the U.S. Capitol, the White House, Jefferson Memorial, Smithsonian and more - with fascinating insights at each stop along the way. In appreciation of your gift of any amount, Grassfire will send you our exclusive calendar which includes "Action" points on the critical issues being covered by Grassfire. And back by popular demand -- Grassfire has updated Congressional Contact Information for every member of Congress! [article link]
MEETfish.com: An Ocean of Friends - A family-friendly alternative to MySpace Welcome to MEETfish. We are excited to announce the launching of MEETfish.com. It is the safer, easier-to-use online social network. Here you can set up your own profile with our unique drag-and-drop system, post photos and comment on your friends' profiles. You can use Groups to find people with a common interest, or set up your own. We will be continuing to add features as time goes on, so stay tuned. [article link]
'9 out of 10 e-mails now spam' - 7 billion spam e-mails worldwide in November - About 200 illegal gangs are behind 80 percent of unwanted e-mails LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Criminal gangs using hijacked (virus) computers are behind a surge in unwanted e-mails peddling sex, drugs and stock tips. The number of "spam" messages has tripled since June and now accounts for as many as nine out of 10 e-mails sent worldwide, according to U.S. email security company Postini. His company has detected 7 billion spam e-mails worldwide in November compared to 2.5 billion in June. Spam in Britain has risen by 50 percent in the last two months alone, according to Internet security company SurfControl. ... Spam costs firms up to $1,000 a year per employee in lost productivity and higher computing bills, according to research published last year. Home computer users are at risk from e-mails that ask them to reveal their bank (or personal) details, a practice known as "phishing". [article link]
News Channel 2 (KJRH-TV) of Tulsa, Oklahoma now calls a Mosque a "Church" {First Allah is called "God" and now a Mosque is a "Church" what's the next hijack?} (Video) Jamal Miftah, a Muslim who lives in Tulsa, wrote a column for the newspaper Tulsa World condemning Al Qaeda and calling on fellow Muslims to reject terrorism. In return, he was kicked out of the local mosque {church} by leaders until he apologizes for his article-and threatened with violence by other members of the peaceful Islamic community of Tulsa, Oklahoma. [article link]
The Microsoft Zune branded 'a complete, humiliating failure' - Microsoft has chosen to ignore consumer needs in favour of the desires of the recording industry the player will be dead within six months, and he wishes it good riddance "Avoid, is my general message," he writes. "The Zune is a square wheel, a product that's so absurd and so obviously immune to success that it evokes something akin to a sense of pity." Other points of contention
include the lack of support for podcasts (described as "insanity"), ... He concludes that as Microsoft has chosen to ignore consumer needs in favour of the desires of the recording industry the player will be dead within six months, and he wishes it good riddance. [article link]
Bush Heads for NATO Summit as Iraq Study Group Reportedly Ready to Urge Talks with Iran, Syria WASHINGTON - President Bush embarked Monday on what could be the most critical diplomatic mission of his presidency as he seeks support from NATO allies in quelling sectarian violence in Iraq, and prepares for a critical face-to-face session in Jordan with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. ... A draft of the panel's report recommends aggressive regional diplomacy, including talks with Iran and Syria, the New York Times reported in Monday's editions. [article link]
Israel offers peace concessions to Palestinians - "I hold out my hand in peace to our Palestinian neighbors in the hope that it won't be returned empty," Olmert said JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered wide-ranging concessions if the Palestinians turn away from violence, saying Monday that they would be able to achieve an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza through real peace talks with Israel. In what was billed in advance as a major policy speech, Olmert tried to entice the Palestinians to return to long-stalled peace talks with promises of an immediate improvement in their lives: promising to reduce checkpoints, release frozen funds and free prisoners in exchange for a serious Palestinian push for peace. "I hold out my hand in peace to our Palestinian neighbors in the hope that it won't be returned empty," Olmert said. [article link]
Palestinian's Abbas may meet Bush in Amman {Apparently Bush won't rest until he has delivered the whole world to radical Islam.} JERUSALEM: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas may meet with George W. Bush when the U.S. president visits Jordan later this week, a senior adviser to the Palestinian leader said Monday. [article link]
Iraq president to fly to Iran - intended in part to discuss Iran's role in creating a more stable Iraq {Read that more Islamic Iraq} - On Sunday, Iran's president said his country was willing to take a more active role in Iraq's future {Handing Iraq over to Iran - Another Bush Backstab!} Iraq restored diplomatic relations with Iran in 1990, at the end of the 10-year war that killed an estimated 1 million people. Relations between Iraq and Iran have improved markedly since the fall of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and his Sunni-dominated Baath party. (Radical) Shiite Muslims comprise the majority of the Iranian and Iraqi populations. [article link]
Honolulu police officer injured while escorting President Bush's motorcade dies - Bush had spent the night on the base on his way back from a trip to Indonesia and Vietnam HONOLULU: President George W. Bush sent his condolences to the family of an officer who died less than a week after three police motorcycles crashed while escorting his motorcade. Steve Favela, 30, and two other officers crashed as the president's motorcade traveled across Hickam Air Force Base to meet troops for breakfast early Tuesday. Light rain had been falling, and some roads on the base were slick. ... In a separate incident, a fourth solo motorcycle officer crashed and injured his wrist when attempting a U-turn on loose gravel while escorting the president last Monday night. He was treated and released. Also during the president's 16-hour stopover, a White House staff member was hospitalized early Tuesday after being mugged by three assailants near Waikiki Beach. [article link]
Bush Visits Hawaii - The acting director of the White House Travel Office was robbed and beaten in Waikiki early Tuesday morning outside a night - strip club (Bobby G's Dance Club) The acting director of the White House Travel Office was robbed and beaten in Waikiki early Tuesday morning outside a night club. Gregg Pitts was mugged by two men at 2 a.m. outside of Bobby G's Dance Club. Pitts was accompanying Bush on a brief visit to Hawaii after an eight-day trip to Asia. Pitt was with a group that had dinner at Duke's and then crossed the street to Bobby G's. He was admitted to Queen's Medical Center and did not board the plane for the return to Washington. [article link]
White House Staffer Robbed, Beaten In Waikiki - Gregg Pitts' wallet and id were stolen, passport and international phone were also taken Pitts left the bar alone. He walked through International Marketplace, where he was confronted by three men beaten up and robbed, according to a source familiar with the case. His friends went looking for him and found him lying in a pool of blood. [article link]
President Bush's Visit to Hawaii Marred by Bizarre Incidents You would think that not much could happen when the President of the United States visited Hawaii for less than 24 hours with no scheduled public appearances and where all activities tool place on U.S. military bases. Well, such was not the case, [article link]
Christmas Shop 2006 - Books, Music, DVD's, Toys, Jewelry, Cards, Gifts Hundred's of Christmas items, Books, Music, DVD's, Toys, Jewelry, Cards, Gifts. Voices of Christmas - Christmas Cards. [article link]
In China Fake chinese electronics selling better than the originals! - copied Chinese version had been on sale for so long that LG's phone was seen as the fake item copying the 'original' Chinese version - Chinese consumers are upset that so many companies are copying their iPod (and other) designs It's a funny old world. Chinese manufacturers are copying the circuit boards and designs of products from Japan and Korea, and they're doing it so fast that by the time the originals arrive in the marketplace, they're seen as the fakes! China is a land of endless factories, with many pumping out the world's most desirable gadgets, from iPods to portable computers to digital cameras and much more. But with so much electronics smarts at hand, the pirate electronics industry is very active. ... Plenty of other goods, both electronic and otherwise, are routinely copied in China. Everything from designer clothes, handbags, Mont Blanc and other brand pens, expensive cars, golf clubs, jewellery, sports shoes (sneakers), many modern toys ... and plenty more including CDs and DVDs are freely available from 'markets' all over China, and if you know where to look, at markets in Hong Kong, too. [article link]
Secret Service JFK -Secret service ordered back before Kennedy assasination (Video 2:56 Min) Secret service ordered back before Kennedy assasination. Very grainy but you get the point. [article link]
William Greer - From Wikipedia - William Greer (Ireland, 1910 - North Carolina, February 23, 1985) was an agent of the US Secret Service, and drove President John F. Kennedy's automobile in the motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas on November 22, 1963, when the President was assassinated The major criticism levelled against Greer was that he failed to accelerate the vehicle to get the president out of danger after the first shots were fired. Indeed, he actually applied the vehicle's brakes (the limousine's brake
lights come on in the various films of the assasination), slowing the car to almost a walking pace. [article link]
William Cooper: JFK Assassin Unmasked (Google Video 45:37 Min) William Cooper goes into detail John F. Kennedy's murder. Includes the Zapruder Film, to allow the viewer to see Scret Sevice Agent and Driver William Greer shoot Kennedy. [article link]
CHRISTmas 2006 - 'Glory to God in the Highest' - Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind Luke 2:1-20 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. [article link]
Sony Finds Defect in Some Digital Cameras - images could be distorted or cameras might not take photos at all TOKYO - Sony said Friday it found a defect in some of its popular Cyber-shot compact digital cameras and offered to repair affected cameras free of charge. The liquid crystal display screens of eight camera models might not display images correctly, images could be distorted or cameras might not take photos at all, Sony Corp (SNE). said in a statement. ... It's the second time in just over a year that Tokyo-based Sony announced defects in its digital cameras. It cited similar problems with 20 other digital camera models last October and offered free repairs. The blows to Sony's mainstay Cyber-shot digital camera line follow a huge - and embarrassing - global recall of Sony-made laptop batteries that affected almost every major laptop maker in the world. [article link]
{Flashback} Sony Conglomerate Media Holdings - Boycott ALL Sony Media and products Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Tri-Star, Sony Picture Classics, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Studios (Culver City), Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television (King of Queens, Rescue Me), GSN (part owned), Electronics like Sony televisions, computers, walkmans, camcorders, discs, PlayStation, Everquest and many other video games, 989 Sports. [article link]
{Flashback} THE BAD NEWS OF THE DA VINCI CODE MOVIE: Sony Pictures - Directed by: Ron Howard, Starring: Tom Hanks, May 2006 The New York Times called recently asking what's wrong with THE DA VINCI CODE. With regard to the book by that name, there have been a large number of articles, some published in MovieGuide', explaining its egregious historical, theological, and moral problems. With regard to the movie scheduled to be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures, however, about which the Times was calling, we won't know until we see the final product. The strange thing about the movie is that the two key people involved, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard, claim to be Christians. Mr. Hanks has told reporters that he came to Christ many years ago and now attends a Greek Orthodox church with his wife. A Campus Crusade minister worked as Ron Howard's assistant for many years and said that Mr. Howard went to a Presbyterian church. Therefore, it is strange that these two men are making THE DA VINCI CODE, unless they have either sold out and see it as a way of making a lot of money, or they plan to change it. [article link]
Christmas Flags: A Child Is Born - Jesus, God's Perfect Gift - O Holy Night - Happy Birthday, Jesus! A selection of Christmas flags. [article link]
A Description of Various Website-Forum 'Flame Warriors' The Atheist Should an unsuspecting forum member make even a passing comment about faith or spirituality of any flavor, Atheist will descend like one of the Furies, mercilessly hectoring all of the ignorant and delusional believers about the sordid history of the church and the pernicious effects of religion on society. After a few of Atheist's anti-religious jeremiads most other Warriors will avoid the subject altogether, though Evil Clown may egg him on a little, and Philosopher may amuse himself by pointing out flaws in his reasoning. [article link]
Exchanged Life Church: Sermons {text to speech} (Mp3's) The primary reason the church exist is the same reason we as individuals exist - to bring glory and honor to God. That purpose is fulfilled through four basic functions: 1. Evangelism - reaching the world around us with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 2. Discipleship - teaching individual believers to become less self-centered and more like Christ - to become imitators of Christ. 3. Fellowship - building relationships within the local church body and creating unity and love for each other with the goal in mind to fulfill Jesus' great commission to make disciples of all people, teaching them to observe all things God has commanded. 4. Worship / Praise Acknowledging God for who He is and what He has done. We worship through song, testimonies, obedience and proclamation of His word. [article link]
Bible read aloud for 5 straight days - in public! - Marathon reading event comes as some governments squelching religion Despite what some feel is a growing trend of anti-God or anti-Bible sentiment in the U.S., there are citizens gathered at this very moment, reading the entire Bible - verse by verse from Genesis to Revelation - for some 90 hours straight. "It takes about 365 readers if everybody reads 15 minutes," says Donna Healton, who, along with her husband Gene, has organized a Bible marathon in this small city situated halfway between Orlando and Miami on Florida's Treasure Coast. "We never had that many readers, so some people will come and read twice or for half an hour. Of course, it's hard to get people during the night hours, so if you can advertise, we need some night-people readers." ... We've had street people come. We've had people come and get saved. We've had people come and just sit here and then decide they want to read and they get up there and they start crying because God's touching people," Healton said. "You don't have to even belong to a church children come over, kids from after school, motorcycle groups come late at night. Anyone who comes can read
the Bible. Even an atheist can come and read the Bible, because, you know, it's God Word." [article link]
Thanksgiving 2006 Holiday Resources and Info Christians look forward to the time of the year when we celebrate two important holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. These holidays have their beginnings and roots in Christian celebrations. The word holiday actually means "holy day"; hence these events should be remembered and celebrated in a holy manner. We have strayed from that purpose over the years as we have embraced many unholy practices and worldly customs and added them to our "holy days." [article link]
PDF Bible Red Letter Edition - The Words of Jesus Formatted in Red - The Bible, Old and New Testaments, King James Version 1611 (PDF - Free Download) Free Bible in PDF. A complete Bible with both the Old and the New Testaments. [article link]
Basic Christian: Full Website Content 2006 Version (PDF - Free Download) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
Today's Nun Has A Veil--And A Blog For the iPod generation, it doesn't get more radical than wearing a veil. The hijab worn by traditional Muslim women might have people talking, but it's the wimple (Nun Veil) that really turns heads. And in the U.S. today, the nuns most likely to wear that headdress are the ones young enough to have a playlist. ... And although the extreme conservatism of a nun's life may seem wholly countercultural for young American women today, that is exactly what attracts many of them, say experts and the women themselves. "Religious life itself is a radical choice," says Brother Paul Vednarczyk, executive director of the National Religious Vocation Conference in Chicago. "In an age where our primary secular values are sex, power and money, for someone to choose chastity, obedience and poverty is a radical statement." [article link]
Zune vs. iPod: the battle begins - Digital Rights Management (DRM) software - DRM won't work with songs you might have bought from MSN Music, Napster or other online download sites that employ Microsoft's earlier DRM solution, "Plays For Sure" - people who trusted Microsoft before are now going to get burned if they go with the Zune Kudos to Microsoft for adding wireless sharing to the Zune, a feature that the iPod lacks. But until it works, and works consistently, and comes up with something better than the 3/3 restriction, it's hardly a Killer App for me. [article link]
Election 2006 Results Survey: The Penalties for Arrogance - the top (dissatisfaction) reason cited by respondents (32%) was "a sense among legislators of self-importance and unaccountability" {Is this the Bush Legacy? Yes!} At least to conservatives, arrogance helped bring the Republicans down. This is a sad reminder of the stark differences in the Republicans who went to Washington in 1994 and the ones who served in 2006. What is even sadder is that many of those who were elected in 1994 became those in 2006 whom the Republicans looked at as out-of-touch, arrogant, and part of the Washington establishment. [article link]
MyBibleBase.com: Free Bible studies (PDF) Welcome to MyBibleBase.com - Create and share Bible studies on-line. Create · At MyBibleBase.com you can
create your own Bible studies, sermon notes and sermon outlines and store them on-line so you can access them from all over the world, whenever you want. You can also export your studies or outlines as a PDF file in a variety of formats including our new "Study Group" format. Share · But more than that, you can share your studies with others. Just mark the study as "shared" and email the URL provided. Simple! [article link]
Giuliani Another Republican, "Vote For Us Because The Other Guys Are Worse Election" in 2008? One of the most amazing things to me, after listening to conservatives complain over and over and over again that the nitwit Republicans in Washington aren't acting like conservatives and don't pay enough attention to the base, is that John McCain and Rudy Giuliani are still the two top GOP contenders for the presidency in 2008. ... Personally, I'd rather support the conservative mayor of a one-stoplight town for the Republican nomination than either McCain or Giuliani, because although it might be an uphill struggle to get a guy like that elected, at least you'd have something. Getting a wishy washy moderate like Giuliani or a guy I don't even want in the Senate, like McCain, into the White House as the Republican standard bearer would be a step backwards for conservatism. [article link]
Giuliani Takes Steps to Prep for Presidential Bid in 2008 {He won't be getting my Republican vote - I vote strictly Pro-Life now, no excuses!} The former mayor filed papers to create the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee, Inc., establishing a New York-based panel that would allow him to raise money to explore a White House run and travel the country. The four-page filing, obtained by The Associated Press, lists the purpose of the non-profit corporation "to conduct federal 'testing the waters' activity under the Federal Election Campaign Act for Rudy Giuliani." ... The former mayor is a moderate who supports gun control, same-sex civil unions, embryonic stem-cell research and abortion rights - stands that would put him at odds with the majority of the Republican conservative base. [article link]
Mel Martinez, RNC chair...Sigh... A RedState blogger calls Martinez "the Harriet Miers of RNC chairs" - Has the GOP learned anything? Martinez will keep his Senate seat while some staffer handles day-to-day RNC chair duties. Reader Rick reacts: The Martinez choice by the President is even worse than you note. First, to put a sitting senator in the job immediately compromises every position that the party must take which puts Republicans even more (if that is possible) on the defensive. Second, here we are with what will surely be an all out battle for the next two years between the two parties, and the Republicans decide that what is needed is a part-timer to do the job. Gheesh!!!! I hate to say it, but I think President Bush is tired and wants to go home. Could Republicans be in any worse position when it comes to a dearth of strong, resolute and decisive leaders? [article link]
FDA adds 'abnormal behavior' warning for Tamiflu label - cases of delirium, hallucinations and other unusual psychiatric behavior in children treated with the drug (cnn) WASHINGTON (AP) -- Patients who take Tamiflu should be closely monitored for signs of abnormal behavior, health officials said Monday in announcing an updated label for the flu drug. The added precaution comes after reports of more than 100 new cases of delirium, hallucinations and other unusual psychiatric behavior in children treated with the drug. Most were Japanese children. ... The new cases occurred between Aug. 29, 2005, and July 6, 2006. The tally marks a sharp increase when compared with the 126 similar cases logged over more than five years between the drug's approval in 1999 and August 2005, the FDA said. [article link]
Rumsfeld faces (German) writ over prison 'torture' - If Mr Rumsfeld were called to testify and refused, an arrest warrant applicable on German soil could be issued
Donald Rumsfeld, the outgoing American defence secretary, faces the threat of a lawsuit in the German courts accusing him of involvement in prisoner abuses at Guantanamo Bay detention camp and in Iraq. A writ brought by a US-based human rights group is due to be filed this week, taking advantage of German laws that allow for the prosecution of "war crimes" committed anywhere in the world. The Centre for Constitutional Rights says it will lodge charges against Mr Rumsfeld along with US Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales, former CIA director George Tenet and several other senior figures in President George Bush's administration. ... A leading witness lined up for the case is Janis Karpinski, a former brigadier-general once in command of military prisons in Iraq. She is expected to testify that the controversial regime at Abu Ghraib was sanctioned by the top tier at the Pentagon. Neither Mr Rumsfeld nor the German authorities have commented on the case. Campaigners behind the lawsuit believe that Mr Rumsfeld's resignation as defence secretary last week means the German courts will now be more likely to authorise a prosecution. [article link]
Rumsfeld cancels plans to join Bush at NATO summit - he has cancelled plans to meet here with German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung Rumsfeld held a series of meetings at the Pentagon in recent weeks with his counterparts from Nato countries, in preparation for the summit meeting, but now that he is leaving office he has cancelled plans to meet here with German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung, Ruff said. The Nato summit is on November 28-29 in the Latvian capital of Riga. [article link]
Despite (election) Defeat, Bush Administration Determined to Oppose Armenian Genocide Bill - (Although) Bryza, drew attention to Russian attempts at being the sole energy supplier to the region and underlined the importance of Turkish-American strategic cooperation Matt Bryza, a top-level official from the U.S. State Department, asserted that the George Bush Administration would strongly oppose any draft law on the recognition of an Armenian genocide. ... Matt Bryza was speaking at the annual convention of the Assembly of Turkish-American Associations (ATAA) and commented on the possibility of an Armenian genocide bill introduced to the House of Representatives, where the Democrats have recently gained control. [article link]
Election Analysis, Part 2: Where Do We Go From Here? - [The Republican party] needs a change of direction and a refocusing on its core values Don Rumsfeld, Dennis Hastert, and Ken Mehlman are just the first of what hopefully will be a wholesale housecleaning of the Republican Party leadership. The day after the election, President Bush dumped Sec. of Defense Don Rumsfeld overboard because the president finally realized that Americans did not like what was going on in Iraq. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, soon to be a member of the minority party, announced that he would not seek a leadership role in the new Congress. Ken Mehlman, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, said that it was time for him to move on. To be sure, the Republican Party needs new leadership at all levels, both within the Party structure and the legislative caucuses. However, this is not enough, and if the Republican Party is to regroup over the next two years, it needs a change of direction and a refocusing on its core values. ... In order for the Republican Party to move forward, it must return to its reformist roots. This can only happen under new leadership. One of the things that has endlessly frustrated me at all levels of Republican involvement is the tendency for people to cover-up and excuse poor leadership. [article link]
Elton John: 'I would ban religion completely' {Great, a person who is clueless about what real Christianity stands for wants to ban something he has no understanding about. FYI Elton John, you can drop your hate and your division, it is Jesus that has True Love for mankind and it is Jesus that has the True Answers to Life!} LONDON, England (AP) -- Organized religion fuels anti-gay discrimination and other forms of bias, pop star
Elton John said in an interview published Saturday. "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people," John said in the Observer newspaper's Music Monthly Magazine. "Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays." [article link]
Iraq allies urge Bush to turn to Iran, Syria - to turn to arch enemies Iran and Syria for help in stabilizing Iraq amid Iraqi government paralysis and fears of all-out civil war {This is the 'Worst Case Scenario' possible for a peaceful moderate Middle-East.} BAGHDAD, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush was under pressure from some of his closest allies on Monday to turn to arch enemies Iran and Syria for help in stabilizing Iraq amid Iraqi government paralysis and fears of all-out civil war. A suicide bomb that killed 11 Iraqis on a minibus and news that at least nine U.S. and British troops died in the previous two days kept the pressure on Bush as he met the bipartisan Iraq Study Group on Monday to talk about changes in Iraq policy. ... British Prime Minister Tony Blair will call on Monday for Syria and Iran to be engaged in efforts to stem violence in Iraq and to secure a broader Middle East peace settlement. [article link]
Righteous Arabs and Muslims - This page is a tribute to the righteous Muslims and Arabs who risk life and limb defending liberty, freedom, Israel, the US and Western Democracy - May God Watch Over Them (Videos Mp3's) "I Was a PLO Terrorist" Part 1 - Interview by Sharon Hughes (04-03-06) [MP3 audio, 21min 28sec, 8.6MB]. "I Was a PLO Terrorist" Part 2 - Interview by Sharon Hughes (04-04-06) [MP3 audio, 25min 20sec, 10.1MB]. [article link]
Terri Schiavo's Former Husband Michael Campaigned for Losing Candidates - Every candidate he personally campaigned for during this election cycle went down to defeat Springfield, FL (LifeNews.com) -- After he successfully won a court order to kill Terri Schiavo via euthanasia, the disabled woman's former husband Michael pledged to take on pro-life advocates and formed a political action committee to defeat them. However, the candidates Michael campaigned for during the 2006 mid-term elections didn't fare very well. In fact, every candidate Michael personally campaigned for during the election cycle went down to defeat. [article link]
Dark Secrets Inside [The Republican] Bohemian Grove by Alex Jones {Warning challenging and difficult info and material to view.} (Google Video 1 hr 32 min) Dark Secrets: Inside Bohemian Grove, Jones and his assistant infiltrated the annual secret gathering of the Bohemian Club. He was aided by a team of British filmmakers working for Channel 4. Footage was later shown in the U.K. as part three in a four-part documentary, The Secret Rulers of the World. While in the Grove, Jones used a hidden camera to record-among other things-the Cremation of Care ritual, in which some of the most powerful men in the world gather before a 40-foot stone resembling a huge owl (Moloch), and burn a humanlike dummy in effigy of "dull care." They then proceed to "read the sign" within its ashes. [article link]
Korey Rowe Interviewed by Alex Jones - Afghan - Iraq Info {Warning challenging and difficult info and material to view.} (Google Video 22 min 56 sec) Korey being interviewed by Alex Jones in Chicago. [article link]
Summerville MA, City voters reject divestment from Israel - we don't want to divest from Israel, and we don't want to back the right of refugees like the Palestinians to return "home" Question 5 - a nonbinding resolution asking the federal government to support the right of all refugees,
including Palestinian refugees, to return "home" - was defeated. 39% to 48%. Question 6, a nonbinding resolution seeking the state's divestment from Israel and all those supplying military equipment to Israel, Somerville also said no: 59% to 27%. [article link]
Thanksgiving 2006 Holiday Resources and Info Christians look forward to the time of the year when we celebrate two important holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. These holidays have their beginnings and roots in Christian celebrations. The word holiday actually means "holy day"; hence these events should be remembered and celebrated in a holy manner. We have strayed from that purpose over the years as we have embraced many unholy practices and worldly customs and added them to our "holy days." [article link]
Radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh says Republicans are to blame for their own demise at the polls by failing to run a campaign trumpeting conservative values "You and I hunger for ideological leadership and we're not getting it from the top. Conservatism, conservative ideology was nowhere to be found in this campaign from the top," Limbaugh said today in his post-election analysis. "The Democrats beat something with nothing. They didn't have to take a stand on anything other than their usual anti-war position. They had no clear agenda and believe me, they didn't dare offer one. Liberalism will still lose every time it's offered." [article link]
ELECTION 2006 - 'They just don't get it' is why Republicans lost - Dobson, Bauer, Minnery, Perkins say GOP ignored voters' values The so-called "values voters" who handed both houses of Congress and the White House to Republicans in 2000 and 2004 were at this year's election, they just didn't see anybody promising to represent them, according to several leaders influential to that group of Americans. The unfortunate thing is that Republican leaders still don't appear to get it. Sen. Arlen Spector, R-Pa., said on Wednesday that the election results represented a 'seismic earthquake' and that his party must become 'a lot more progressive and a lot less ideological,'" ... "Dick Army emerged from four years in the wilderness to blame conservative Christians for Tuesday's defeat. They were, he said, 'too involved' with the party. He can't be serious! Someone should tell him that without the support of that specific constituency, John Kerry would be president and the Republicans would have fallen into a black hole in 2004. "In fact, that is where they are headed if they continue to abandon their pro-moral, pro-family and pro-life base. The big tent will turn into a three-ring circus," Dobson said. [article link]
Ken Mehlman to step down as RNC Chair Hurray! He did a terrible job and should be out (-ed?)! $10 million to Lieberman? Nothing to a slew of good GOP incumbents? Losers backed in the GOP primaries? Never thought I'd say this, but I think that maybe former genius Rove should take early retirement, too. the Neocon on November 9, 2006 [article link]
Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman a closet 'gay,' charges Bill Maher - HBO star plans to out other top homosexual Republicans Political pundit Bill Maher last night accused the head of the Republican National Committee of being a closet "gay." Appearing on CNN's Larry King Live, Maher said it's an open secret in Washington that RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman is a homosexual and that he has "never denied" it. Maher added that he plans to out at least three other closeted Republican officials - including "chiefs of staff" - on his HBO political show tomorrow night to show their hypocrisy in supporting traditional family values. He is host of "Real Time with Bill Maher." [article link]
President Bush's empty wallet - while Bush talked a good game there are too many unresolved problems Bush seems too impotent to do anything about George Bush had a lot of political capital to spend two years ago, but now his wallet is completely empty. The Democrats only needed 15 seats to take over the House and ended up with a dozen more than that. ... This is a true disaster for both the GOP and the second-term president because it reduces George Bush to full-blown lame-duck status about a year early. The razor-thin difference in vote tallies in the Montana and Virginia races also reflect enormous erosion in the conservative base and a "no confidence" vote for the commander in chief. The big reason this referendum on George Bush turned into a meltdown for Republicans is that while Bush talked a good game about economic growth and safety at home from terrorist attacks, there are too many unresolved problems Bush seems too impotent to do anything about. ... Republicans also lost the moral high ground over the depraved Dems with scandals of depravity that must have Marilyn Manson laughing hysterically. The Mark Foley scandal is one example. Pastor Ted Haggard called into question the credibility of leadership of Evangelicals once again. Be it Jimmy Swaggart or Pat Robertson, these guys either say the wrong thing at the wrong time or end up with the wrong people in the wrong place. It simply kills the well-crafted image of Republicans as morally and ethically superior Americans than Democrats. [article link]
Election Analysis, Part 1: Americans Have Spoken - Bush & Republicans were heading for a train wreck and didn't even know it On Tuesday, Americans went to the polls and sent a clear message to Republicans. Despite the rosy rhetoric coming from administration officials on talk radio and pundits across the country, Republicans were heading for a train wreck and didn't even know it. Americans have spoken, and if there is to be any hope of regrouping, refocusing, and coming back from these defeats, Republican leaders better understand what the American people said with their votes. [article link]
Republican Leadership Follies - Mike Pence a huge advocate of amnesty for illegal aliens is going to be running for Minority Leader After the sort of crushing loss that the GOP experienced on Tuesday, it seems to be very natural to reach out to new leadership in the House and Senate. However, I'm not sure that some of the "new faces" running for leadership positions would be much of an improvement. For example, Mike Pence is going to be running for Minority Leader. While Pence has enormous credibility on spending issues, he has also been a huge advocate of amnesty for illegal aliens. Is putting someone who has been one of the biggest advocates of rewarding illegal aliens for breaking our laws into a position of leadership in the House really a step forward? I don't think so. In the Senate, Trent Lott is running for the Minority Whip position. Again, you have a guy who most conservatives thought was ineffective as Majority Leader ... If Lott and Pence turn out to be the "new leadership," I'm not sure that the Republicans in Congress learned much from the failure of the "old leadership." [article link]
Bush's Party Is Now Over; Does He Know It? - Is fiddling with the organization chart, announced at a press conference yesterday, going to fix things? Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert, whom Bush went out of his way to buck up? He's history. He dismantled the Ethics Committee to protect former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, behaved as a politician rather than a parent when it came to former Representative Mark Foley, got rich on land that soared in value thanks to a new highway passing nearby, and rubber-stamped the president's agenda. That was then. He won't be running for minority leader in the new Congress. [article link]
Vietnam, Hanoi wants key U.S. issues resolved before Bush meet - Vietnam wants to be removed from a U.S. religious rights blacklist HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam wants to be removed from a U.S. religious rights blacklist and for the U.S. Congress to pass a law normalizing trade ties before next week's visit by President George W. Bush, a government official said on Thursday. Vietnam remains on the United States' list of "countries of particular concern" (CPC) on religious freedoms, despite Washington acknowledging improvements in the Communist-run country's rights record in the past two years. ... The Hanoi government has long called on Washington to remove it from the list, which also includes countries such as China and Saudi Arabia. [article link]
Vietnamese official urges U.S. to normalize trade before Bush visit - Bush had been hoping to win approval of the trade deal before he comes HANOI, Vietnam: A top Vietnamese official on Thursday urged the United States to fully normalize trade relations with Vietnam, saying he hoped Congress would act quickly despite the disruptions of this week's U.S. elections. ... Vietnam is preparing to host the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which will draw Bush and many other world leaders to Hanoi on Nov. 18-19. Bush had been hoping to win approval of the trade deal before he comes, but it has been stalled in Congress. Lawmakers are scheduled to be in session briefly before Bush departs, but in the aftermath of this week's U.S. congressional elections, it is unlikely they will act on the trade bill. The World Trade Organization voted to admit Vietnam this week, but U.S. companies cannot take full advantage of Vietnam's WTO agreement, which offers improved investment conditions to foreign firms, until Congress passes the trade normalization bill. [article link]
Howard Dean to Jon Stewart: We Won't Impeach Bush {All of this without even an investigation i.e. 9 billion US Taxpayer dollars are unaccounted for and lost in fraud in Iraq alone. Republican - Democrat: their all the same it's a one party system!} NEW YORK Appearing on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" tonight, Democratic Party chief Howard Dean told host Jon Stewart, "I know half your audience wants us to impeach the president"-- this drew wide cheers -"but it's not going to happen." ... Stewart also said that President Bush seemed a bit humbled during his press conference today and perhaps was ready to compromise and work with the Democrats. [article link]
VisionForum.com: 2006 National Uniting Church and Family Conference (MP3-$89) Vision Forum is making available the unedited conference lectures from the 2006 National Conference for Uniting Church and Family. You can purchase all twenty-seven messages of the conference lectures and sessions on one MP3 CD. These are conference recordings, so they have not been edited and they are not packaged in a pretty box. You will essentially be getting "the raw director's cut" version. At some future date, we may present a well produced, packaged, and edited version with selected portions of the event, but that will not be for some time. [article link]
Wal-Mart Contributes 5% Of Online Sales To Homosexual Group - Sign the pledge not to shop at Wal-Mart or Sam's Club on the Friday and Saturday following Thankgiving In a show of support to help homosexuals legalize same-sex marriage, Wal-Mart has agreed to automatically donate 5% of online sales directly to the Washington DC Community Center for Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender People. The cash donation will come from ALL online purchases made at Wal-Mart through the homosexual group's Web site. This move follows Wal-Mart's joining the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and agreeing to give generous financial help to that group. Every purchase made online for books, music, videos, clothing and accessories, children's clothing and toys, and electronics at the site will automatically send 5% of the sales to the homosexual group. With this agreement, Wal-Mart made clear their
support for the homosexual movement was a total commitment to the cause. [article link]
Democrats take control of the Senate - James Webb Wins in Virginia WASHINGTON - Democrats wrested control of the Senate from Republicans Wednesday with an upset victory in Virginia, giving the party complete domination of Capitol Hill for the first time since 1994. Jim Webb's squeaker win over incumbent Sen. George Allen gave Democrats their 51st seat in the Senate, an astonishing turnabout at the hands of voters unhappy with Republican scandal and unabated violence in Iraq. Allen was the sixth Republican incumbent senator defeated in Tuesday's elections. [article link]
Bush Admits He Lied About Rumsfeld For Political Purposes (Video) Last week, President Bush unequivocally told a group of reporters that Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney would "remain with him until the end of his presidency, extending a job guarantee to two of the most-vilified members of his administration." Bush said, "Both those men are doing fantastic jobs and I strongly support them." Today, he announced Rumsfeld is resigning and being replaced by former CIA Director Robert Gates. [article link]
Bush Changes Tunes on Rumsfeld Staying - one week before the campaign and my answer was,'They're going to stay on' Hunt asked me the question one week before the campaign, and basically it was, 'Are you going to do something about Rumsfeld and the vice president?' And my answer was, 'They're going to stay on.' And the reason why is I didn't want to inject a major decision about this war in the final days of a campaign. And so the only way to answer that question and to get you on to another question was to give you that answer. (Bush went on to say that at the time he also had not had a chance to visit with Robert Gates, his nominee to take over at the Pentagon, and had not yet had a final conversation with Rumsfeld.) [article link]
{Flashback} June 1, 2006; Bush's Press Conference Lie - it couldn't be more clear that Bush was being intentionally deceptive It's not necessarily a huge deal in itself, but with credibility a paramount issue for the White House these days, it's worth noting that when asked about Treasury Secretary John Snow's future last week, President Bush could easily have ducked the question, or told the truth -- but instead, he chose to lie about it. ... Here's the transcript of last Thursday's joint press conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Bloomberg White House correspondent Richard Keil, who Bush calls "Stretch," asked the president the following question: "Has Treasury Secretary Snow given you any indication that he intends to leave his job any time soon?" ... Bush responded to his first question first: "No, he has not talked to me about resignation. I think he's doing a fine job." ... At Tuesday's press briefing, spokesman Tony Snow (no relation) confirmed that Bush had offered John Snow's job to Goldman Sachs chairman Henry Paulson several days before the press conference, and the spokesman didn't deny that Bush and his treasury secretary had talked about it. ... First of all, Bush's direct answer to the question of whether John Snow had given him any indication that he intended to leave his job was, "No." Hard to get around that. [article link]
Middle East Online: Bush surrenders Iraq to Maliki's death squads - with the understanding that the United States will abandon efforts to tackle the (Shiite) death squads in Iraq But Maliki didn't stop there. He demanded more American funding and accelerated training of the very same Iraqi security forces that moonlight as death squads. And, of course, Bush had no other option but to comply with the absurd request to provide American tax dollars to further enhance the criminal capabilities of the
militia infested police and army. ... An exasperated American trainer, John Moore, is quoted as saying "We don't know who the hell we're teaching: Are they police or are they militia." [article link]
{Flashback} Army Families Misled on Deaths - two California National Guardsmen were murdered in June 2004 by the Iraqi civil-defense soldiers they were training More than 1,800 Army Soldiers have died in Iraq since the war began in March 2003; about 240 have died in Afghanistan. Overall, more than 2,800 U.S. military members have died since the start of the Iraq war. The issue of inaccurate casualty information resurfaced last summer when Army officials revealed that two California National Guardsmen - Lt. Andre Tyson and Spc. Patrick McCaffrey - were murdered in June 2004 by the Iraqi civil-defense soldiers they were training. The Army initially told the men's families they were killed in an enemy ambush. It was two years before the guardsmen's families were told the truth. [article link]
Christmas Shop 2006 - Books, Music, DVD's, Toys, Jewelry, Card, Gifts Voices of Christmas - Christmas Cards. [article link]
A new trend called lifestyle evangelism that has been sweeping the Christian community in recent months is turning many believers into walking billboards for Jesus Rochester, MI November 8, 2006 -- The 2006 holiday shopping season is expected to be a banner year for Christian retailers tapping into a growing movement that has everyday Christians sharing their faith in nonchurch settings. Its called lifestyle evangelism - using the places and situations people find themselves in each day to share their faith. And it's often done without words at all, through the wearing of Christian clothing and Christian jewelry. The design and style of religious clothing has changed greatly over the years. This year, it's as sophisticated, stylish and trendy as regular clothing. The big difference is in the message. Christian T-Shirts, for example, deliver catch Bible verses in sharp and bold designs. [article link]
By Michelle Malkin - Conservatism did not lose - The GOP lost, Conservatism prevailed The GOP lost. Conservatism prevailed. "San Francisco values" may control the gavels in Congress, but they do not control America. Property rights initiatives limiting eminent domain won big. MCRI, the anti-racial preference measure, passed resoundingly. Congressman Tom Tancredo, the GOP's leading warrior against illegal immigration--opposed by both the open-borders Left and the open-borders White House--won a fifth term handily. Gay marriage bans won approval in 3 states. And as of this writing, the oil tax initiative, Prop. 87-backed by deep-pocketed Hollywood libs, is trailing badly in California. [article link]
Corruption named as key issue by voters in exit polls (CNN) -- By a wide margin, Americans who voted Tuesday in the midterm election say they disapprove of the war in Iraq. But when asked which issue was extremely important to their vote, more voters said corruption and ethics in government than any other issue, including the war, according to national exit polls. A large majority of voters also disapproved of how Congress and President Bush are doing their jobs. However, Bush fared slightly better on that score than members of the GOP-led Congress. [article link]
Exit Poll Results Show Disapproval of Bush - 43% of Voters Strongly Disapprove of Bush; Iraq High on List of Concerns Nov. 7, 2006 - Exit poll results indicate that 58 percent of voters today disapprove of the way President Bush is handling his job. ... Related to concerns about the war in Iraq, voters are more apt today to say the country's seriously off on the wrong track than to say it's going in the right direction. ... The president, at least to some
extent, is looking like a drag on his party this election. Exit poll results showed that voters by a 15-point margin were more apt to say they're voting to show opposition to Bush rather than to show him support. [article link]
Losing Faith in GOP Early Exit Polls: Third of White Evangelicals Voted for Democrats Nov. 7, 2006 - Are white evangelicals losing faith in the Republican Party? The huge voting bloc, which helped elect President Bush twice and had been swinging more heavily Republican, seems to have become disenchanted with the GOP after the Mark Foley scandal and the high-profile resignations of several Republican congressmen. ... In recent months, evangelical voters have become increasingly disenchanted with the behavior of Republican politicians, including Foley, who resigned in disgrace after ABC News revealed his lewd Internet messages to congressional pages. [article link]
{Flashback} Republicans Zig; Will Christian Conservatives Zag? - Two years ago, Evangelical Christians went to the polls in huge numbers and provided a big boost for George Bush and the Republican Party - Two years later, some evangelical Christians, aren't so clearly aligned with the GOP. Administrative Pastor Jerry Davis says neither party truly represents his Christian beliefs "In the Kings and the Chronicles you read about the men and it says he did that which was right or he did that which is evil," Lorentz tells the crowd. "You know there's only two ways to do it folks. It's either good or bad -right or wrong." This is the kind of clarity that has defined evangelical Christians in many ways. In 2004, the choice was clear for evangelical voters. Almost 78 percent of them voted for George W. Bush. The president's public faith and the gay marriage debate mobilized evangelicals. And here in Ohio, they helped push President Bush over the top. Two years later, some evangelical Christians, like those at Potter's House Church, aren't so clearly aligned with the GOP. Administrative Pastor Jerry Davis says neither party truly represents his Christian beliefs. [article link]
{Flashback} Oct 16, How Bad Will It Be? - REPUBLICANS and conservatives, brace yourselves! Strategists and consultants of both parties now believe the House is lost and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi will become speaker At best, Republicans will cling to control of the Senate by a single seat, two at most. For many election cycles, Republicans have been the boys of October, using paid media and superior campaign skills to make up lost ground and win in November. This year, they were the boys of September, rallying strongly until that fateful day, September 29, when the Mark Foley scandal erupted. October has been a disaster so far. A strong finishing kick for Republicans, minimizing Democratic gains, is possible. They pulled one off brilliantly in President Bush's first midterm election in 2002. But recovery will be harder this time, a lot harder. ... Which is why Republicans and conservatives need to prepare themselves for bad news on Election Night. [article link]
Did the White House doctor the video of Bush's "mission accomplished" speech? - The "Mission Accomplished" banner is nowhere near being in frame (HotAir) Watch this video, which is currently at #2 on YouTube among "News & Blog" clips. It's 80 seconds long.... here's the actual video of the speech on the White House site. [article link]
Pray and Vote 2006 As you can imagine, it's important that Christians be in prayer as we approach this upcoming election. We need to pray for God's divine guidance, the safety of our country, and for leaders that would honor and glorify him. But we must be mindful that God oftentimes uses human instrumentality to work his will. If we pray for good leadership, we must be willing to get out to the polls and support it. As Christians living in a democracy, it is
not only our civic duty to vote, but also our Christian duty, as the citizen leaders of our country. It is our responsibility to ensure that the free country the Lord has blessed us with remains so.... [article link]
**I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist! - Excellent, Funny, Informative Sermon (Mp3) Description: Hear Frank Turek preach on his award-winning book, "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist!" Can you believe in God and trust the Bible? Yes! [article link]
War simulation in 1999 pointed out Iraq invasion problems {Obviously the Iraq invasion was preplanned as part of the 'New World Order' and was not as represented the response to 9/11/2001. 'Stay the course' George Bush was not even elected until 2000. George Bush and England's Tony Blair are just following the orders of their NWO handlers.} WASHINGTON (AP) -- A series of secret U.S. war games in 1999 showed that an invasion and post-war administration of Iraq would require 400,000 troops, nearly three times the number there now. And even then, the games showed, the country still had a chance of dissolving into chaos. In the simulation, called Desert Crossing, 70 military, diplomatic and intelligence participants concluded the high troop levels would be needed to keep order, seal borders and take care of other security needs. The documents came to light Saturday through a Freedom of Information Act request by George Washington University's National Security Archive, an independent research institute and library. [article link]
Jews for Jesus: November Newsletter - Fragile Invincibility - Have you noticed how our culture is designed to protect us from the realities of death? (PDF) Most of us go through life without much thought as to how fragile our lives really are until we are brought up short by these kinds of events. And it is these times of crisis that remind us of what really is normal-human mortality. Every crisis gives us an opportunity to honestly ask ourselves, "From where will we find our strength and our hope?" We ought to find ourselves different from the majority of people, meaning those who are in denial about the brevity of life because they have no everlasting hope. Have you noticed how our culture is designed to protect us from the realities of death? [article link]
Pro-Life Movie Collection - DVD - 5 movies dealing with the issue of abortion from a Christian worldview (5 DVD's $72.99) Customer Testimonials: " A great resource. Great products and speedy delivery." [article link]
Baptism Video - Baptism Testimonials (3 min 14 sec) Baptism doesn't make you a believer - it shows that you already believe. Baptism does not "save" you, only your faith in Christ does that. Baptism is like a wedding ring - it's the outward symbol of the commitment you make in your heart. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith... it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8,9 [article link]
Cutting Edge Weekly Newsletter: One week before the November elections the Campaign to discredit Bush and Christians swings into high gear Probable Backlash Against Christians: For weeks now, we have been talking about issues that have suddenly arisen which serve to discredit President Bush. Certainly, this story that Pastor Ted Haggard is gay and has been having relations with a gay prostitute for three years, will serve to discredit the President greatly. But come to think of it, this is the second Republican gay scandal in the past several weeks! Rep. Foley (R-Florida) had to resign his office because he was accused of being sexually suggestive to a number of young House page boys.
Later, Rep. Foley admitted that he was a "gay man", but blamed the Roman Catholic priesthood for corrupting him when he was a young boy. Political polls since the Foley affair has shown that sexual scandals turn off Evangelical Christian voters like no other issue. Evangelical Christians refuse to believe that President Bush lied through his teeth to gain public support for his invasion of Iraq; Christians refuse to see the evil fruits which President Bush has committed since being in office; and Christian voters seem peculiarly afflicted with the mental malady, "my mind is made up, don't confuse me with facts". However, when confronted with a sexual scandal, Christian voters are especially sensitive. Therefore, this second gay scandal within a couple of weeks just before the election could give political pundits --- the talking heads -- all the reasons they would need to paint a reasonable story (Vs. Vote machine fraud) as to why the Republicans lost control of Congress in these upcoming elections. [article link]
The Good Test - Do you consider yourself to be a good moral person? - Does God consider you to be a good moral person? (Google Video 17 Min) Most men will proclaim each his own goodness. In fact, Proverbs 21:2 declares "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." Though most people believe they are heaven bound, what exactly is heaven's standard for good, moral, and righteous? Who is righteous enough to enter? God has not left us in the dark -[article link]
Interview with Dr. William Lane Craig: Handling Doubt (Google Video 6 Min) A short interview with Dr. William Lane Craig, a leading Christian philosopher, about how college students should respond when they wrestle with doubts about the faith. [article link]
Faking it as a priest in Japan - "In the past almost all weddings in Japan were Shinto, but in the last few years Western-style weddings have appeared and become very popular," said one Japanese priest "People like the dress, the kiss and the image. Japanese Christians make up only 1% of the country, but now about 90% of weddings are in the Christian style." "At the hotel where I work, there is a Christian chapel next to a Shinto chapel. The Christian chapel is always in use, but the Shinto chapel is being used as a storeroom," Mr Kelly said. The fake Western priests are used to create an authentic Christian feel. [article link]
**I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist! - Excellent, Funny, Informative Sermon (Mp3) Description: Hear Frank Turek preach on his award-winning book, "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist!" Can you believe in God and trust the Bible? Yes! [article link]
The Quest for TRUTH: Audio Files - Is One True Religion Possible: Dr. William Lane Craig (Mp3 - Low Quality) Right-click a file and click "Save Target As..." to save an mp3 to your computer. [article link]
Diebold demands that HBO cancel "Hacking Democracy" documentary on voting machines Film saying they can be manipulated 'inaccurate' Diebold Inc. insisted that cable network HBO cancel a documentary that questions the integrity of its voting machines, calling the program inaccurate and unfair. The program, "Hacking Democracy," is scheduled to debut Thursday, five days before the 2006 U.S. midterm elections. The film claims that Diebold voting machines aren't tamper-proof and can be manipulated to change voting results. ... The HBO documentary is based on the work of Bev Harris, the Renton woman who founded BlackBoxVoting.org, which monitors election accuracy. In 2004 the attorney general of California took up a whistle-blower claim filed by Harris against Diebold and
settled with the company for $2.6 million in December. [article link]
The Exodus Revealed - A Journey that reveals physical evidence for the Biblical Exodus (DVD) This DVD follows the footsteps of the children of Israel in an unforgettable journey of discovery. A journey that reveals physical evidence for the Exodus including: the remains of 3800 year old Hebrew settlements in Egypt's Nile Delta, Egyption records of the Israelite's bondage under Pharaoh; the precise route they may have followed to freedom; their crossing site on shore of the Red Sea; and the location of Mt. Sinai. This DVD brings to light the first significant archaeological "find" of the 21st century. [article link]
Answers In Genesis (AIG) Christmas Specials Unwrapping the Pharaohs (Hardcover): Those who wish to defend the accuracy of the Bible now have an incredible tool-this book provides compelling confirmation of the biblical account. (90-minute DVD included.) Origin of the Species (DVD): Takes a close look at the claims made in Darwin's world-changing book and shows that real science always confirms that God's Word is true! (Double-episode set.) - Our Created Moon (DVD): Dr. Donald DeYoung displays the latest discoveries of astronomy to analyze flawed views of the moon's origin. [article link]
Scariest Tech of 2006 - #8 Paperless voting machines - Go through All 12 It's Great Insight Into 2006 Technology, Very Scary Indeed! But out of the laboratory came a sinister new device, the direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machine. Without a paper trail or a reliable way to audit the results, and compounded by the refusal by manufacturers to allow independent software security experts to assess the reliability of the machines, doubts about the fairness of local and national elections will persist. But the scariest thing would be people losing faith in the electoral system, causing them not to go to the polls. [article link]
Web reaches new milestone: 100 million sites - the United States, Germany, China, South Korea and Japan show the greatest Web site growing spurts (cnn) Netcraft, an Internet monitoring company that has tracked Web growth since 1995, says a mammoth milestone was reached during the month of October. "There are now 100 million Web sites with domain names and content on them," said Netcraft's Rich Miller. "Within that, there are some that are busy and updated more often, and that represents the active sites, which are at about 47 or 48 million," he said. [article link]
Report: Japan's Abe to meet this November with Bush in Hanoi, Vietnam TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the U.S. President George W. Bush will meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Hanoi, Vietnam, a news report said Wednesday. The two leaders will meet on Nov. 18 to discuss North Korea's nuclear issue, Kyodo News agency reported, citing unnamed officials. [article link]
Halloween, The Great Cover Up! - Martin Luther and Reformation Day October 31st - (Mp3) Martin Luther and Reformation Day October 31st. - 1517 A.D. [article link]
Halloween Information & Resources 2006 - Christians everywhere are rejecting Halloween's message of Death, Disobedience, and Despair Christians everywhere are rejecting Halloween's message of Death, Disobedience, and Despair and instead are using this opportunity to proclaim the Truth about God's Love for mankind and about His Biblical plan of Life,
Hope, and Salvation for us in Jesus Christ. [article link]
Army Families Misled on Deaths - The families of seven Soldiers who died in Iraq or Afghanistan were given incorrect or misleading information about their deaths {It is possible that a Democrat November Election Surprise is going to claim higher Iraq casualties than Bush has reported.} More than 1,800 Army Soldiers have died in Iraq since the war began in March 2003; about 240 have died in Afghanistan. Overall, more than 2,800 U.S. military members have died since the start of the Iraq war. The issue of inaccurate casualty information resurfaced last summer when Army officials revealed that two California National Guardsmen - Lt. Andre Tyson and Spc. Patrick McCaffrey - were murdered in June 2004 by the Iraqi civil-defense soldiers they were training. The Army initially told the men's families they were killed in an enemy ambush. It was two years before the guardsmen's families were told the truth. [article link]
U.S. Forces Dismantle Baghdad Checkpoints on PM Al-Maliki's Orders - GIs dismantle checkpoints, mostly around Sadr City, on surprise order from Iraq's PM who hopes to appease Shiites BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. troops complied with orders from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Tuesday to abandon checkpoints around Baghdad, including ones in and around the Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City. Soon after U.S. forces began removing concrete blocks and sandbags from security checkpoints, a homicide car bomber targeted a wedding ceremony in the capital, killing 11 people, including four children, police said. [article link]
Faith Defenders: Bob Morey Live! - A Fast-Paced Howard Stern type Radio Show - The 10/27/06 - Show, Sermon Message is Excellent! - Audio Archives (WMA) If you want the whole truth and nothing but the truth according to the Word of God, you'll find it here. [article link]
Ichthux: Linux for Christians The Ichthux team is proud to announce the Release Candidate of Ichthux 6.10 "Everlasting Joy". ... Ichthux 6.10 "Everlasting Joy" RC iso image is a LiveCD, which means it can be run from the CD without installing anything to your computer's hard drive. If you want to install Ichthux 6.10 RC, just click on the "Install" icon on the desktop when it is fully loaded. [article link]
At U.S. Borders, Laptops Have No Right to Privacy - In one recent case in California, a federal court went against current trends, ruling that laptop searches were a serious invasion of privacy {Travelers might want to pack their laptops in their luggage instead of caring it on the plane with them.} "One member who responded to our survey said she has been waiting for a year to get her laptop and its contents back," said Susan Gurley, the group's executive director. "She said it was randomly seized. And since she hasn't been arrested, I assume she was just a regular business traveler, not a criminal." Appeals are under way in some cases, but the law is clear. "They don't need probable cause to perform these searches under the current law. They can do it without suspicion or without really revealing their motivations," said Tim Kane, a Washington lawyer who is researching the matter for corporate clients. [article link]
Smartmatic Corp. (voting machines) denies any ties to Chávez - voting machines that were used in a failed 2004 referendum to recall Chávez, the opposition alleged the voting was rigged - supplies voting machines to dozens of counties in 14 (USA) states Smartmatic is majority-controlled by Mugica, a 32-year-old software engineer. Two of his fellow founders -Roger Pinate and Alfredo Anzola -- and Jorge Massa, a Venezuelan businessman, also own shares. Their big break came in 2004, when Smartmatic teamed up with BIZTA, another software development company, and
Venezuelan telecommunications giant CANTV to present a winning $90 million bid to provide voting machines that were used in a failed 2004 referendum to recall Chávez. The opposition alleged the voting was rigged, but international observers reported no evidence of wrongdoing. BIZTA once did have a connection to the Venezuelan government. In 2003, it obtained a $150,000 loan from a Venezuelan government agency and had to "pledge" 28 percent of the company's shares to the government, a common practice in Venezuela, [article link]
Ubuntu (Linux) Christian Edition - The goal of Ubuntu Christian Edition is to bring the power and security of Ubuntu (Linux) to Christians Ubuntu Christian Edition is a free, open source operating system geared towards Christians. It is based on the popular Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu is a complete Linux-based operating system, freely available with both community and professional support. ... Along with the standard Ubuntu applications, Ubuntu Christian Edition includes the best available Christian software. The latest release contains GnomeSword, a top of the line Bible study program for Linux based on the Sword Project. There are several modules installed with GnomeSword including Bibles, Commentaries, and Dictionaries. Ubuntu Christian Edition also includes fully integrated web content parental controls powered by Dansguardian. A graphical tool to adjust the parental control settings has also been developed specifically for Ubuntu Christian Edition. These features are truly what sets Ubuntu Christian Edition apart. [article link]
Swedish Teens Find Viking-Age Silver Treasure - The treasure, believed to have been buried in the 10th century TOCKHOLM, Sweden - Archeologists said Monday they found more than 1,000 silver coins in a Viking-age hoard discovered by chance on the Swedish island of Gotland. ... Dozens of silver hoards have been uncovered on Gotland, the largest island in the Baltic Sea, which used to be a major trade center for the Vikings. The largest treasure found on the island contained about 143 pounds of silver and 44 pounds of bronze. ... "By coincidence, I happened to find an Arabic silver coin that's about 1,100 years old," Edvin Sandborg told TT. [article link]
History of the World Mega-Conference (DVD-CD) History of the World Mega-Conference Mega-Collection (40 Compact Discs and 10 DVDs). [article link]
The Best of the 2004 - 2006 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (15 DVDs) Includes: The Best of the 2004, 2005, and 2006 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festivals (5 DVDs per Album). [article link]
10/25/2006 A Sterile Worldview - Vanishing Russia - by Chuck Colson (4 Min. Mp3) Our mission is to develop and communicate Christian worldview messages that offer a critique of contemporary culture and encourage and equip the church to think and live Christianly. BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print. Chuck Colson's daily BreakPoint commentary airs each weekday on over one thousand outlets with an estimated listening audience of one million people. The BreakPoint website and BreakPoint WorldView Magazine feature Colson's commentaries as well as feature articles by other established and up-and-coming writers to equip readers with a biblical perspective on a variety of issues and topics. [article link]
The Gospel of John all 21 Chapters in 21 Free MP3 Sermon Messages (Mp3 Free Downloads) Click on message you wish to hear, or right mouse button and "Save Target As..." [article link]
Time for Christians to get out the vote - As Gary Bauer, chairman of the Campaign for Working Families, says, "The right to life and traditional marriage are not wedge issues, they are winning issues. Values issues are not distractions from the business of governing. They are central to the survival of our republic." Christians continue to want to elect those candidates that best reflect their biblical values and support the issues that have defined our movement since we swept Ronald Reagan into the Oval Office in 1980. Our values have not changed. As Gary Bauer, chairman of the Campaign for Working Families, says, "The right to life and traditional marriage are not wedge issues, they are winning issues. Values issues are not distractions from the business of governing. They are central to the survival of our republic." [article link]
FAITH UNDER FIRE - O'Connor new chancellor of cross-removing college - Former (Republican Appointed) Supreme Court justice oversaw ejection of Christian symbol from chapel Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is the new chancellor of the College of William & Mary, which has taken the unusual step of removing a cross from its chapel in an effort to ensure the area is seen as a "non-denominational area." ... O'Connor, who in July announced her intention to retire as an associate justice, was subsequently named chancellor of the college, succeeding Henry Kissinger, former secretary of state, who was appointed in 2000. Her tenure in the Supreme Court was marked by a growing intolerance by the court for religious symbols - particularly Christian symbols - in public places. [article link]
Broken Government: Poll: Majority believes government doing too much - Queried about their views on the role of government, 54 percent of adults polled said they thought it was trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses (cnn) WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A quarter century after the Reagan revolution and a dozen years after Republicans vaulted into control of Congress, a new CNN poll finds most Americans still agree with the bedrock conservative premise that, as the Gipper put it, "government is not the answer to our problems -- government is the problem." The poll released Friday also showed that an overwhelming majority of Americans perceive, correctly, that the size and cost of government have gone up in the past four years, when Republicans have had a grip on the House of Representatives, the Senate and the White House. Discretionary spending grew from $649 billion in fiscal year 2001 to $968 billion in fiscal year 2005, an increase of $319 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. [article link]
Cutting Edge Weekly Newsletter - Cutting Edge Position On This 2006 Mid-Term Election After President Bush was elected in 2000, I wrote that history tells us one significant fact: Americans are in more danger of losing rights, privileges and liberties under "Conservative" Republican administrations than under "Liberal" Democrat administrations. And, I said this before passage of Patriot Acts I and II which take away all our rights, privileges and liberties "on paper", awaiting only the right set of crises! If Americans really and truly understood the mammoth dictatorship which President Bush and his Republican Congress has erected under the guise of "fighting terror", the electorate would arise in such anger as to demand a change -- now! Unfortunately, the Democrats who would take power would be just as dedicated to the New World Order as the "rascally" Republicans they replaced! Such is the nature of the Dialectic Struggle and our two-party illusion. [article link]
Values Voters: Outspent, But Not Outnumbered Talk may be cheap, but it's certainly expensive on public television. This year, campaigns against life and marriage have cost the left millions of fundraising dollars. In a recent comparison, the cloning and homosexual lobby combined for over $43 million in ads against ballot initiatives in nine states. Compare that with a little over $3 million on the pro-family side, and it's obvious that values voters are outspent on the issues. [article link]
Mid-term Elections Are Just Around The Corner - Conservatives, Make Your Voice Heard! The 2006 mid-term election is just ten days away. Many liberal pundits and media commentators have all but declared victory for the Democrats. All this is an effort to suppress conservative voter turnout, but we won't be fooled into handing over control to pro-abortion, open borders, and tax-raising liberals! While Republicans may not be perfect, their voting record on issues important to Eagle Forum members and values voters is far superior to Democrats. Several key votes in both houses of Congress are listed below. The numbers represent the percentage of members of each party that voted with Eagle Forum's position. [article link]
2006 Candidates Endorsed By Eagle Forum PAC - Endorsements as of 10-09-06 *Note: Eagle Forum PAC does not endorse in every race [article link]
Acer: Vista is an excuse for Microsoft price increases - "The new (Vista) experience you hear of, if you get Basic, you won't feel it at all, "There's no (Aero) graphics, no Media Center, no remote control" Microsoft is raising the price of its software as it prepares to launch Vista, according to one of the leading PC manufacturers, Acer. Wong also said that the manufacturer's license for Vista Home Premium is 10 percent more expensive than for XP Home. ... "We have to pay more but users are not going to pay more," Wong said. This would mean an increase in the cost to PC manufacturers of 1 percent to 2 percent, according to Wong, in a business where the profit margin is around 5 percent or less. [article link]
Bug causes another delay to Vista - 25 October has been pushed back to 8 November Vista has been delayed by a week because of a bug, according to reports. The oft-delayed operating system was due for release to manufacturers yesterday, 25 October, but this has been pushed back to 8 November because of a bug serious enough to require a complete re-install of the software. Cunning Microsoft, fed up with constant complaints about delays, has not made public exactly when the release date is - and without an official release date it can't be delayed. A statement from Microsoft said: "We have not announced our final plans for launch of Windows Vista and Office 2007. However, we are on track for business availability in November and general availability in January, although the exact dates are determined based on the product quality." [article link]
Apple/Mac Vs. Microsoft/Windows - an essay {With the upcoming Microsoft Vista release so completely lacking in Security-Stability and so Expensive that if you are going to spend a lot of money the best option might be to purchase an Apple-Mac computer, if you don't have the money to spend the other option might be to switch from windows to Unix-Linux.} I believe that security is first and foremost on most consumers' minds, when they use their operating system. Without security, all tasks suffer. Windows XP is a legacy system, in terms of security. Its basic, inherent protection against security threats is abysmal in my opinion, and that of many others. ... The Window registry is incredibly prone to corruption. It is part of the fundamental build of Windows. The Windows registry is often cited as the biggest problem for system corruption and failure, and it has nothing to do with your computer's hardware. If a Mac fails, it's usually due to a hardware failure. Rarely, does the Mac OS become corrupt, although it does happen. [article link]
THE NEW WORLD DISORDER Documents reveal 'shadow government' - "The documents give clear evidence that the Bush administration has created a 'shadow government,'" - the White House is engaging in collaborative relations with Mexico and Canada outside the U.S. Constitution About 1,000 documents obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request to the Security and Prosperity
Partnership of North America show the White House is engaging in collaborative relations with Mexico and Canada outside the U.S. Constitution, says WND columnist and author Jerome Corsi. "The documents give clear evidence that the Bush administration has created a 'shadow government,'" Corsi said. The documents can be viewed here, on a special website set up by the Minuteman Project. Bureaucrats from agencies throughout the Bush administration are meeting regularly with their counterpart bureaucrats in the Canadian and Mexican governments to engage in a broad rewriting of U.S. administrative law and regulations into a new trilateral North American configuration, Corsi contends. [article link]
Renewed security risks for Windows Vista - If your computer fails to pass validation (at any time), Microsoft says it will disable certain features of the operating system - Microsoft recently released Australian pricing details for the Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate versions of Vista. Prices are $385, $455, $565 and $751 respectively The anti-piracy measures to be introduced in Microsoft's next Windows operating system could create new computer security risks for its users, says a veteran industry commentator. ... "Computer systems that do not pass validation will not have access to these features, although they will still have access to critical security updates," says Hartje. But Dvorak says that it's possible for a virus to be written that refuses to authenticate Vista, in effect locking users out of core features of the operating system. "I do not even want to think of the consequences of Vista turning itself off in enterprise situations such as airline reservations or a hospital full of patients on life support," says Dvorak. When asked to comment on Dvorak's claims, Microsoft acknowledged the threat but remains persistent about the need to incorporate copy protection such as WGA in order to protect its intellectual property. [article link]
For Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness - they shall be filled - For the world would have a Christ to excuse continuing to live in their (sin) passions and pleasures, but those committed to truth would have a Christ to change them to live pleasing to God, and to prove themselves to be true followers of Christ The false gospel of grace says Jesus came so you can sin free of guilt until death and then go to heaven; the true gospel says Jesus came to set you free from sin, by repentance and remission of sin to purity and union with God in the Kingdom of Heaven, while on earth, and then live as a son of God forever. For the world would have a Christ to excuse continuing to live in their passions and pleasures, but those committed to truth would have a Christ to change them to live pleasing to God, and to prove themselves to be true followers of Christ. REPENTANCE and REMISSION of sins should be preached in HIS NAME (Jesus) to all nations, (beginning at Jerusalem). Luke 24:47 [article link]
'The Way of Agape' (Love) and 'Be Ye Transformed' - How to Live a Life of Hunger and to Thirst for Righteousness (16 mp3's total - Free Download) Here are the messages from our 1998 catalog, available exclusively for download. [article link]
US President George W. Bush used the annual White House Ramazan (Ramadan) dinner for praising Islam as a religion 'that brings hope and comfort' for over a billion people - "We honour the many Islamic nations that America is proud to call friends. And we renew the ties of friendship that should bind all who trace their faith back to God's call on Abraham." {A note to President Bush: God's call to Abraham is the Covenant of circumcision it was a command to leave the false religion of 'ancient-Islam' to leave Babylon/Iraq to become a Jew and to start the promise land of Israel, not to embrace Islam.}{Bush is misinformed and wrongly teaching and practicing the false doctrine of 'Replacement Theology' where the Jews/Israel and their standing as the chosen people of God are replaced by some other group of people in this case Muslims. It is only in the Jewish Jesus of Nazareth that the world has Hope, Comfort, Redemption and Salvation.}
WASHINGTON, Oct 17: US President George W. Bush used the annual White House Ramazan dinner for praising Islam as a religion 'that brings hope and comfort' for over a billion people. In a speech on Monday at the iftar, attended by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as well as Arab and Muslim ambassadors, Mr Bush also honoured the Muslims living in the US and Islamic countries that are helping in the war against terror. "Islam has transcended racial and ethnic divisions," he said. "It has given birth to a rich culture of learning and literature and science. And tonight, we honour the traditions of a great faith by hosting the iftar here at the White House." [article link]
Republicans Zig; Will Christian Conservatives Zag? - Two years ago, Evangelical Christians went to the polls in huge numbers and provided a big boost for George Bush and the Republican Party - Two years later, some evangelical Christians, aren't so clearly aligned with the GOP. Administrative Pastor Jerry Davis says neither party truly represents his Christian beliefs "In the Kings and the Chronicles you read about the men and it says he did that which was right or he did that which is evil," Lorentz tells the crowd. "You know there's only two ways to do it folks. It's either good or bad -right or wrong." This is the kind of clarity that has defined evangelical Christians in many ways. In 2004, the choice was clear for evangelical voters. Almost 78 percent of them voted for George W. Bush. The president's public faith and the gay marriage debate mobilized evangelicals. And here in Ohio, they helped push President Bush over the top. Two years later, some evangelical Christians, like those at Potter's House Church, aren't so clearly aligned with the GOP. Administrative Pastor Jerry Davis says neither party truly represents his Christian beliefs. [article link]
NBC crosses out Madonna crucifixion - socially conservative organizations organized a campaign urging NBC affiliate stations to refuse to carry the special if the crucifix stunt remained in the show (cnn) LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Under pressure from Christian conservative groups accusing pop star Madonna of sacrilege, NBC said Thursday it removed footage from her upcoming prime-time concert special of the singer performing while suspended on a giant cross. ... After weeks of uncertainty, the network said it decided it would not show the opening portion of the "Live to Tell" performance in which she sings suspended from a giant mirrored cross while wearing a crown of thorns. [article link]
AFA helps force NBC to cancel scene mocking crucifixion of Christ - More than 750,000 AFA supporters emailed NBC asking for the scene to be deleted - NBC saw a potential loss of $25,000,000 and decided to edit out the scene More than 750,000 AFA supporters emailed NBC asking for the scene to be deleted from the special which is scheduled to air in November. NBC saw a potential loss of $25,000,000 and decided to edit out the scene. We were effective because we stuck together and combined our voices. Our supporters not only emailed NBC, but they also called their local NBC stations. Those stations contacted NBC and the network listened. [article link]
Media Audience Continues to Plummet - NBC Universal Makes $750M in Cuts by Reducing Staff, Scripted Shows, News Budget - NY Times Profits Plunge 39% NEW YORK (AP) - NBC Universal plans to cut US$750 million in operating expenses by the end of 2007 by eliminating employees, cutting back on scripted shows, and slashing its news budget, according to a report Thursday in the Wall Street Journal. ... The expected savings follow three lacklustre years at NBC Universal, where operating profit fell 10 per cent in each of the past three quarters. The slumping results cut into GE earnings. [article link]
Study dashes hopes for a Moon colony - Hopes that the Moon's South Pole has a vast hoard of ice that could be used to establish a lunar colony are sadly unfounded, a new study says {There is however ALWAYS Hope and Reality to Live in the Resurrection - Eternal Life of Jesus!} PARIS (AFP)-Hopes that the Moon's South Pole has a vast hoard of ice that could be used to establish a lunar colony are sadly unfounded, a new study says. In 1994, radar echoes sent back in an experiment involving a U.S. orbiter called Clementine appeared to show that a treasure trove of frozen water lay below the dust in craters near the lunar South Pole that were permanently shaded from the Sun. If so, such a find would be an invaluable boost to colonisation, as the ice could be used to provide water as well as hydrogen as fuel. NASA is looking closely at the South Pole as a potential site for the United States' return mission to the Moon, scheduled to take place by 2020. But a paper published in the British science journal Nature on Thursday by a U.S. team says the Clementine data most probably was misinterpreted. [article link]
Microsoft postpones Windows XP SP3 to 2008 Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), the next significant update to the operating system, now won't appear until the first half of 2008, Microsoft quietly revealed this week. In January, Microsoft had promised SP3 in the last half of 2007. ... The new schedule means that Microsoft could drop support for Windows XP within months of SP3's release. According to its published support commitments, Microsoft has promised to maintain Windows XP for two years after the release of Windows Vista. If Vista debuts on time in January 2007 and Windows XP SP3 doesn't appear until June 2008, the latter would age out in January 2009, seven months after it was unveiled. [article link]
What do they really believe? - What does the Bush administration really want? - These are questions on the minds of Americans this week as we draw near to a mid-term congressional election What does the Republican Party really believe? What does the Bush administration really want? What does the congressional leadership really think? These are questions on the minds of Americans this week as we draw near to a mid-term congressional election that threatens to change the balance of power in Washington. If the Republicans do lose one or both houses of Congress, it will be because Americans have lost trust in them, because Republican constituents feel like it doesn't make that much difference who is in power, because the people feel betrayed. Why would they feel that way? Because it's true - they have been betrayed by an incompetent and arrogant Republican Party leadership in the White House and Congress. I didn't need a former Bush administration official to tell me that most White House political operatives don't really like the evangelical base that brought them to power. I've seen the evidence for myself, up close and personal. [article link]
"Buck Wild" by Stephen A. Slivinski - How the Republican Party betrayed its principles and embraced Big Government - Republicans have proven to be even more irresponsible with taxpayer money than the Democrats (Book-$20.95) True conservatives have watched with dismay in recent years as the Republican Party, once the paragon of fiscal conservatism, has thrown its most cherished principles overboard. Today's Republican Party has taken up the cause of Big Government with all the gusto of the most profligate Democrat - and Republicans have proven to be even more irresponsible with taxpayer money than the Democrats. In Buck Wild: How Republicans Blew the Bank and Became the Party of Big Government, Stephen A. Slivinski explains how this happened - and how the Republican Party can and must be recaptured for economic responsibility. [article link]
Terror suspect contributed to school 'religion guidelines' Issued by Clinton (and continued by Bush), rules let students pray to Allah, but banish Christmas A man arrested as a terror suspect for allegedly trying to transport $340,000 from a group tied to Libyan leader
Moammar Gadhafi, and who reputedly had connections to Osama bin Laden, helped write the "Religious Expression in Public Schools" guidelines issued by President Clinton during his tenure in office. And that could explain why students at a California school were told as part of their required classes they would become Muslims and pray to Allah - and a federal judge approved that, and why an Oregon school this year is delivering similar lessons to its students, as WND has reported. ... Those are the same guidelines that the ACLU's Nadine Strossen referred to for authority when supporting organization lawsuits to restrict Christmas celebrations and the removal of the Nativity from public display, the reports said. [article link]
Anti-American Cleric (Al-Sadr) Shiite Militia Seizes Control of Southern Iraq City - The Mahdi Army fighters stormed three main police stations Friday morning, planting explosives that flattened the buildings, residents said BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Shiite militia run by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr seized total control of the southern Iraqi city of Amarah on Friday in one of the boldest acts of defiance yet by one of the country's powerful, unofficial armies, witnesses and police said. ... About 800 black-clad militiamen with Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers were patrolling city streets in commandeered police vehicles, eyewitnesses said. Other fighters had set up roadblocks on routes into the city and sound trucks circulated telling residents to stay indoors. [article link]
{Flashback} April 24, 2003 Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) one of just two Shiite groups--that the Bush Administration made eligible for $92 million in US military assistance last year - As Time reported on April 10, SCIRI also vowed "to take up arms against American forces if they remain in Iraq after deposing Saddam" As Time reported on April 10, SCIRI also vowed "to take up arms against American forces if they remain in Iraq after deposing Saddam." It's worth noting, in the wake of these recent protests, that SCIRI was one of only six opposition groups--and one of just two Shiite groups--that the Bush Administration made eligible for $92 million in US military assistance last year. The other primarily Shiite group was the ethically challenged Ahmad Chalabi's umbrella organization, the Iraqi National Congress. [article link]
{Flashback} May 19, 2003 Najaf, Iraq: Why was America's favorite (Radical Islam) Iraqi Cleric Killed? Some now say that al-Sadr considers himself God's agent of vengeance. In recent days the young cleric has emerged as the central figure in a dark tale of jealousy and murder that has caused other religious leaders in Najaf to barricade themselves behind locked doors. It is a story involving CIA operatives, a large stash of dollars hidden in clerical robes and a slaughter at one of the most sacred shrines of Shiite Islam. The principal victim, Abdel Majid al-Khoei, 41, was a Shiite leader and London-based Iraqi exile who had returned to Najaf under U.S. military protection. Al-Khoei was a key figure in U.S. efforts to nurture moderate leaders in post-Saddam Iraq-and a counterweight to radical clerics backed by Iran. At first, al-Khoei's murder seemed the spontaneous act of a mob incensed about his U.S. ties and his association with a Baathist cleric-who was killed alongside him. But evidence suggests the murder, which occurred at the doorway of al-Sadr's headquarters, was part of a vicious power struggle that is likely to continue. [article link]
What Do You Need Most To Run Microsoft Vista? Microsoft's Permission For years the joke has been, "It's Bill Gates' world, we just live in it." Microsoft has published the End User Licensing Agreement for Windows Vista, and it's not a joke anymore. It's just how things are going to be. Get over it. Microsoft posted the Vista EULA last Thursday, and it became immediately obvious that running Vista is going to be vastly more complicated than previous versions of Windows, not just from a technical viewpoint, but from a legal one--so complicated, in fact, that almost a week later Microsoft is still trying to explain what it
meant by some of the terms in the agreement. [article link]
Impoverished Haiti has sugar (cane charcoal) to burn - Engineers: Cane charcoal could help solve cooking fuel problems (cnn) Given that challenge, the D-Lab's engineers began sifting through -- and burning -- garbage. They ultimately settled on sugar cane, a common crop in Haiti. "Sugar cane [waste] works well because it's not used for anything else [and] there's no real nutritional value for it," said Smith. "And the charcoal that it produces is pretty good." ... The engineers were able to create a charcoal that could be produced easily and at low cost. ... The advantages of sugar cane charcoal include improved taste, availability and economics, Smith said. [article link]
GOP Doesn't Need Saving From Its Base - former Missouri GOP Sen. John Danforth is hoping to take the Republican Party back from the religious right {Great, yet another leader who thinks VALUES are a waste of time and energy. Yet most of these leaders are afraid to walk the streets of society, without creating a police state, and are terrified by the lack of Values and respect society now has.} In a news story running this morning, former Missouri GOP Sen. John Danforth is hoping to take the Republican Party back from the religious right. The report, which is headlined "Ex-senator wants to save GOP from itself," misses the point. The GOP does not need to be saved from its conservative base. What it needs to be saved from is its leadership which has driven the base to apathy. The news story goes on to note that Danforth feels energy is "wasted" debating issues like gay marriage and also "diverts attention from important matters like the budget that are the proper province of government." [article link]
U.S. Authorities Free Ex-Nazi Concentration Camp Guard - Federal authorities have freed a former Nazi concentration camp guard after failing to find a country to take the 81-year-old retired toolmaker who had been stripped of his U.S. citizenship On Sept. 18, Leprich's lawyer asked U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to order Leprich released, citing a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring the freeing of those who have not been deported within six months of a removal order. The Justice Department said it released Leprich on Monday because Romania, Hungary and Germany refused to accept him, despite high-level meetings with officials from those countries, according to the Detroit Free Press. ... Leprich is an ethnic German born in Birk, Romania, in 1925. In 1943, he joined the Nazi military organization Waffen SS and served as an armed guard at Mauthausen concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Austria, court records say. About 119,000 people were killed at Mauthausen. They included political prisoners, Spanish civil war veterans, Soviet, Dutch and Czech prisoners of war and Jews. [article link]
Ex-FDA chief pleads guilty in stock case - Crawford currently works for Policy Directions Inc., a Washington lobbying firm WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former FDA commissioner Lester Crawford pleaded guilty Tuesday to conflict of interest and falsely reporting information about stocks he owned in food, beverage and medical device companies he was in charge of regulating. Crawford appeared before U.S. Magistrate Deborah Robinson and admitted falsely reporting that he had sold the stock when he continued holding shares in the firms governed by FDA rules. [article link]
{Flashback} Supreme Court Nominee Harriet Miers Provided Misleading Information to Judiciary Committee Miers gives wrong dates in questionnaire; Firm was sued during period omitted. President Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court, Harriet Miers, provided erroneous and incomplete information to the Senate Judiciary Committee about her membership on a Board of Directors for a real estate investment company, RAW STORY has learned. [article link]
Soros, Wesley Clark and Israel - George Soros, who has become the single largest source of financing for the Democratic Party and allied 527 Groups, has recently made his single largest financial political committment of the year to Wesley Clark Last week, Clark delivered a broadside against US support for Israel in its battle with Hezbollah. Soros is also purportedly involved in financing a group that will lobby to change US Policy on Israel. After these efforts were brought to light, members of this group waved off allegations that the group is geared towards pressuring Israel. The truth? Time will tell. [article link]
Gen. Wesley Clark Joins UCLA's Burkle Center - Clark will host a major conference on campus this winter on the future of the Middle East HE SERVED as supreme allied commander of NATO during the 1999 Kosovo conflict and ran for U.S. president in 2004. Now Gen. Wesley K. Clark is joining UCLA as a senior fellow at the Burkle Center for International Relations in UCLA's International Institute, where he will teach and host an annual conference of government, corporate and opinion leaders from around the world. ... Clark said it was an honor to join the Burkle Center, which, he said, "is offering a vital voice to the international conversation on security and peace." ... Said Clark: "I am hopeful and enthusiastic about the progress to be gained through frank and friendly discussion about the challenges we face to secure peace throughout the world." [article link]
Former (gay) Congressman Gerry Studds is dead from blood clot in lungs - He collapsed while walking his dog according to 'his husband' Dean Hara Former U.S. Rep. Gerry Studds, the first openly gay person elected to the United States House of Representatives, died early Saturday morning at Boston Medical Center, several days after he was admitted. He collapsed while walking his dog according to his husband Dean Hara. Studds and Hara were legally married on May 24, 2005, one week after same-sex marriages were legalized in Massachusetts. Gerry Studds represented Cape Cod and the Islands, New Bedford, and the South Shore for 12 Congressional two-year terms. and was a central figure in the 1983 Congressional page sex scandal. He and Representative Dan Crane were censured by the House of Representatives for separate sexual relationships with minors, in Studds' case, a 1973 relationship with a 17-year-old male congressional page who was of the age of legal consent, according to state law at the time. The relationship was consensual, but presented ethical concerns relating to working relationships with subordinates. ... After retiring from congress in 1997 Studds worked as a lobbyist for the fishing industry and for two years the the executive director of the New Bedford Oceanarium. In 1996, a year before retirng, Congress named the 842-square mile Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary after him in recognition of his work protecting the marine environment. [article link]
{Flashback} (Bush) Pension Overhaul Boon to Domestic Partners - In a change lauded by gay activists, the new law will allow heirs other than spouses who inherit retirement savings to escape a costly tax Partners in same-sex relationships would be among those who save money - often tens of thousands of dollars -under a little-noticed tax provision in the new pension law signed by President Bush today. ... The legal change is one obscure element in a new 907-page law addressing an array of technical pension issues. Proponents of the overall legislation hailed it today as a long-sought effort to stabilize a system of retirement benefits that has grown more porous in recent years, with many plans teetering on a base of shaky funding and many companies cutting back on commitments. [article link]
How Bad Will It Be? - REPUBLICANS and conservatives, brace yourselves! Strategists and consultants of both parties now believe the House is lost and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi will become speaker At best, Republicans will cling to control of the Senate by a single seat, two at most. For many election cycles,
Republicans have been the boys of October, using paid media and superior campaign skills to make up lost ground and win in November. This year, they were the boys of September, rallying strongly until that fateful day, September 29, when the Mark Foley scandal erupted. October has been a disaster so far. A strong finishing kick for Republicans, minimizing Democratic gains, is possible. They pulled one off brilliantly in President Bush's first midterm election in 2002. But recovery will be harder this time, a lot harder. ... Which is why Republicans and conservatives need to prepare themselves for bad news on Election Night. [article link]
Bush aides 'mocked evangelicals' - David Kuo says the aides recognised the religious leaders' political use in securing election victories (BBC) With just weeks to go before what promised to be highly competitive congressional elections, Republicans can ill afford to lose the support of their evangelical Christian base. So the allegations made in David Kuo's book have set alarm bells ringing in the White House. The former official alleges senior aides to the president described the evangelical leaders in private as "nuts" and "goofy", while acknowledging their political use in securing election wins. [article link]
{Flashback} The President and Bible Prophecy - President Bush answered, "Here's how I think of it. The first I've heard of that, by the way I guess I'm more of a practical fellow" - March 21, 2006 During the president's most recent press conference, a reporter asked him if he had considered the apocalyptic ramifications in Iraq and other issues. I doubt the reporter had a clue as to Bible prophecy because most Americans and pastors know nothing and really don't care to know anything. The reporter asked, "Have you or members of your administration reached out to "prophetic Christians" (who know eschatology) and see a coming apocalypse? If not, why not?" President Bush answered, "Here's how I think of it. The first I've heard of that, by the way. I guess I'm more of a practical fellow." If this is the first time he has heard of "the apocalypse" and how today's events could play into it, is a very sad statement. ... President Reagan was asked a similar question in 1984--whether he believed in Armageddon. His answer: "Yes, Armageddon could come the day after tomorrow." [article link]
{Flashback} President Bush favours a very secret society - "Skull and Bones" with it's own Devil & "Black Pope" The Skull and Bones headquarters is in a windowless stone building on the Yale campus known as the tomb. Each year 15 Bonesmen - and since 1991, Boneswomen - are "tapped", or invited, to join, and put through a bizarre initiation ceremony. Alexandra Robbins, author of Secrets of the Tomb, says it includes a devil, a Don Quixote figure and a (Black magic - Satanic/evil) pope with one foot in a white monogrammed slipper, resting on a stone skull (proclaiming victory over the cross-death of Jesus). [article link]
Christian Movie Network: Various Christian Webcasts Links to Christian webcasts. [article link]
The King is Coming: Sermons - Telecast-Webcast (Online-only) The Future & You! Everyone wants to know about the future! But did you know that in a very real way, there are two divergent futures? One is the fate that lies ahead of a world that continues to reject Jesus Christ as Savior. The other is a marvelous destiny that belongs to all who have come to Christ in faith believing. You and you alone will determine which future will be yours! [article link]
Harvest Crusades: San Jose - Greater Silicon Valley - Event Webcasts now Available Join Greg Laurie and thousands of other Christians as we reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ to the
greater San Jose region. Attend the event in person or watch the live webcast! [article link]
Olive Tree Ministries: Fall 2006 Conference "Understanding the Times, 2006" (Six tapes or CDs - $30.00) Featured this year were Joseph Farah, editor of "World Net Daily," prophecy scholar Dr. David Reagan, discernment leader Roger Oakland on experiential Christianity and Emergent Church, and the film: "Obsession-Radical Islam's War Against the West." This is receiving world acclaim as the most brilliant depiction of the global jihadists. However, the film is not included in CDs or tapes. Also, many Q & A sessions are included. [article link]
Jeb Bush: I Wasn't Hiding in the Closet - Bush said he had to seek safety in the (subway station) boiler room when he came across the protesters Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has disputed media accounts that said he hid in a closet to avoid anti-Republican protesters during a visit to Pittsburgh last week. Bush encountered protesters Oct. 6 while on his way to a fundraising event for Republican Sen. Rick Santorum at Pittsburgh's exclusive Duquesne Club. Curiously, those media accounts seemed to focus more on the "closet" aspect of the story than on the behavior of the unruly, obscenity-shouting mob. The stories mentioned prominently that Bush sought "refuge in a subway station supply closet." Bush said it was actually a boiler room. [article link]
Prayer of Three - Jesus said: "Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" Matthew 18:20 (Audio - click the Green Play Button) Prayer of three involves three Christians getting together who have each decided to pray for three people who are lost. They pray against the strongholds of the enemy [Satan] in these peoples lives (such as sickness, drunkenness or anxiety). Satan often uses these thing to distract people from ever seeking God. The Bible says: The god (Satan) of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4 Prayer of three seeks to remove this blindfold. If people can see God as he is then they will be drawn to him. Have a listen an interview with two people who are very grateful to have been prayed for. [article link]
Ramadan a time of military favor? 1,300 years after the (Oct. 10, 732 A.D.) decisive Battle [East-Islam vs. WestChristianity] in Tours (France), Muslims still wonder why they lost TOURS, France - Frederic Guesdon won the 100th edition of the Paris-Tours classic on Sunday. The picturesque valley where cyclists whooshed uphill toward their prize no longer bears the scars of the ferocious Battle of Tours. But in this valley, Oct. 10, 732 A.D., Frankish chieftains and Gallic forces led by Charles Martel defended their homeland from Abd-er-Rahman and his Moslem raiders. ... Historians calculate that the Umayyad Caliphate - that met its match at the Battle of Tours - was the mightiest military power on earth in the year 732. That the defeat occurred during Ramadan, the Islamic holy days, still rankles many Muslims. ... [article link]
U.N. Security Council Nominates S. Korea's Ban to Succeed Annan - Ban, 62, was nominated by the U.N. Security Council to succeed Kofi Annan, whose term expires at the end of the year UNITED NATIONS - South Korea's foreign minister was officially nominated Monday as the next U.N. secretarygeneral, and he pledged to work to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis hours after the communist regime announced it had tested a nuclear weapon. ... Japan's U.N. Ambassador Kenzo Oshima asked the 192-nation world body to act promptly to give final approval to Ban so he can have a sufficient transition before taking over as U.N. chief on Jan. 1, after Annan's second five-year term ends. [article link]
CuttingEdge.org: Discrediting of President Bush Hitting Climax Just Before Elections! - A Republican (Foley) sex scandal erupted last week, again threatening President Bush and the credibility of the Republican Party Throughout occult literature, New World Order writers acknowledge only two major enemies. 1) National Sovereignty; 2) Fundamental Christianity - President Bush is tightly tied into both these major "enemies" to the planned global system. Let us quickly explain. ... Fundamental Christianity -- From the beginning of his campaign, President Bush claimed to be a Christian (NEWS1398). Based upon his personal testimony alone, many Evangelical Christians believe he is Christian, his fruits to the contrary notwithstanding. Now, let us examine some of the many ways in which the campaign to discredit President Bush seems to be hitting a climax just before the mid-term elections. ... "'It's a disaster' for the Republicans, says Larry Sabato, a political analyst at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. 'This could be the tipping point', he adds, referring to the 15-seat net gain that Democrats need to win control of the House." [article link]
ATSmembers.com: eTracts - eBooks - Halloween Tracts - Downloadable PDF Files (Members Only - $10) Tracts from ATS's 181 year history. [article link]
The Word For Today - October Specials: Defending the Faith - Halloween : Trick or Treat (DVD's & Mp3's) Defending the Faith - MP3: Join Pastor Chuck Smith and guest speakers as they teach a series of apologetic studies, including End Times Deception, Cults and Missions, Grand Efficiency of all Evolutionary Theory and more. Halloween : Trick or Treat DVD - Hosted by Pastor Chuck Smith. [article link]
Everyone to heaven? - Many ask, why doesn't God just take everyone to heaven? - You see, God does not just wave His hand and make everyone perfect: No, we have to develop perfect (complete) characters right now on earth so we will be ready to live in heaven Because God is totally just, He cannot take everyone to heaven, rather He gives all their just reward. When a person has committed evil, would it be just and fair to allow him the reward of heaven? no, of course not. Put another way, when a person is deserving to be lost, God cannot deny him his reward because God is totally just. That would be denying him his reward right? so it's not being just to the wicked. But there is a much more compelling reason, the wicked would not be happy in heaven. They won't like any part of it to live in perfect righteousness with God when their earthly lives were filled with evil. You see, God does not just wave His hand and make everyone perfect. No, we have to develop perfect characters right now on this earth so we will be ready to live in heaven. [article link]
American Family Association (AFA.net) - Be Informed... Current Issues Have a question about an issue? See our Frequently Asked Questions section. - NBC, Madonna Set To Mock The Crucifixion of Christ - NBC: Bible Verses In Veggie Tales Offensive, But Not Madonna's Mockery Of The Crucifixion Of Christ - Wal-Mart asks for, and receives, permission to join homosexual marriage group - WalMart Sponsors Diversity Week, Includes How To Defeat A Constitutional Ban On Homosexual Marriage. [article link]
The Bible Experience (New Testament) - performed by an unprecedented ensemble of distinguished AfricanAmerican actors, musicians, and personalities (MP3 - $35) Hear the words of the Bible brought to life like never before. "The Bible Experience" is a fully-dramatized recording of the complete New Testament performed by an unprecedented ensemble of distinguished AfricanAmerican actors, musicians, and personalities. The cast includes such recognizable voices as: Denzel Washington, Blair Underwood, Angela Bassett, Juanita Bynum, Shirley Ceasar, Kirk Franklin and more. The dramatization is further enriched by an original musical score composed by Grammy award-winning producers.
"The Bible Experience" provides a rich listening experience, helping you hear the words of Scripture as if for the first time. [article link]
SermonAudio.com: Five Steps to Genuine Revival {3/31/1976 - Old School - Fire & Brimstone} (MP3) Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. [article link]
Republicans 2006: The Hastert, Foley, Bush Art of Bungling - The party that put family values at the highest rung is being viewed as being so low on competence that they can't win a foreign war or conquer the battle of the family values, at home Why is the Foley-Hastert scandal becoming so colorful as the GOP canvasses for votes to win government 2006? The answer in one word: incompetence. ... Republican leadership is being perceived as wanting to win at all costs-from Iraq to DeLay to Hastert to John Boehner to Katrina. The end result is a perception of a government of bunglers. ... Still, time will tell whether House Speaker Dennis Hastert was either so negligent that he could not tell a red flag waving with Mark Foley. Time will tell if Iraq will be Bush's Vietnam. Time will tell if Republican infighting will mean anything hurtful to the party. Time will tell if conservative thinkers and writers abandon Republican leadership. And time will tell if the GOP can show they can't be trusted with horrific national natural and man-made calamities such as Katrina. [article link]
Sunday on the Changing Your World Broadcast - How to Never Be Hurt Again - View today's broadcast (Online Streaming Video) Rejection, depression and disappointment are some of the most difficult emotions to overcome. But allowing them to fester can pollute your entire life. In the single message How to Never Be Hurt Again, Dr. Dollar takes you on a journey of self-discovery by encouraging you to get rid of any negative emotions that could be hindering your progress. It's time to heal the pain! Allow God's Word to show you how. [article link]
*Updated - Truth & Knowledge vs. Lies & Deception - War in Iraq Keeping a Perspective (PDF) Truth is that which exists and cannot change. The truth is the unchangeable fact. There are basic truths in existence. We exist in physical human form on a planet called the earth. It is an undeniable unchangeable truth that we exist. It is also an undeniable unchangeable truth that physical life exists temporally here on earth. The truth is that all who have lived in the past have suffered physical death; they are no longer physically alive with us on earth. Since there are truths in existence there is a truth that explains life and death here on earth. There can be many theories about how life originated on earth, why and how we exist and why we die, but there is only one unchangeable truth. [article link]
The Revived Roman Empire (New World Order) - Prophecy (Mp3 Download) Audio Archive of Pastor Brian Broderson. [article link]
President's Ramadan Message - Laura and I send our best wishes for a blessed Ramadan - Ramadan Mubarak GEORGE W. BUSH - September 22, 2006 (Bush his 'best wishes' and all that America can afford to pay!) I send greetings to the many Muslims observing Ramadan in America and around the world. - Ramadan and the upcoming holiday seasons are a good time to remember the common values that bind us together. Our society is enriched by our Muslim citizens whose commitment to faith reminds us of the gift of religious
freedom in our country. GEORGE W. BUSH - September 22, 2006 [article link]
{flashback} Does President Bush Secretly Believe He is a Descendant of Mohammed? President George Bush might actually believe he is a descendant of Mohamed. It would explain allot of his comments and his actions. Comments like he believes the Quran (Koran) "to be the word of God" and actions like his complete and total worldwide proxy war on behalf of the Muslim Shiite sect. President Bush has removed all the Iraq oil revenues from the Sunni people of Iraq and has given it to the Shiite sect. Bush has also helped place three radical Iranian-Shiite Politicians in charge over Iraq meanwhile he privately finances and supports the radical Shiite groups of Hamas and Hizb'allah. England's Tony Blair and Prince Charles are also strong Shiite supporters with Prince Charles all but openly admitting that he is a convert to Islam. No wonder we live in days with so many strange events occurring because our world leaders have such strange beliefs. [article link]
GatewayPundit.blogspot.com: Sectarian Unrest Flares Up... In Bahrain - The protest was organized by Shia Muslim dignitaries against the minority Sunni government leadership {This is probably another moderate Sunni Government that Bush, Blair & Co. are in the process of overthrowing for their Proxy war on behalf of radical Shiite (Shia) Iran - for their new radical Islam Shiite - New World Order (NWO)} The Shia majority is concerned that the government is selectively granting naturalization rights to Sunni foreigners over other minority groups in order to influence the November elections. [article link]
{flashback} Eye of the Storm: Victory in the eye of the beholder - Shi'ites who regard the US as an unexpected ally {Is this a stated US foreign policy? Why is President George W. Bush suddenly radical Islam's best buddy?} These critics point out that the US has helped Iraqi Shi'ites to shake off Sunni oppression and dominate their nation's government for the first time. The US has also helped Afghan Hazara Shi'ites to have a share in their nation's government - again for the very first time. Shi'ites also look to the US to help their coreligionists secure their rights in other countries such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. More importantly, perhaps, the US played a crucial role in ending Syria's military presence in Lebanon, opening the way for the development of a pluralist system in which Shi'ites, thanks to their demographic strength, would be in the lead. [article link]
{flashback} Has the Bush administration lost the plot? - It's almost as if Kerry, not Bush, won the 2004 election According to this piece in the Jerusalem Post senior members of the Israeli Defense Force are "fuming" over being denied the opportunity to achieve a military victory over Hezbollah. I find it particularly disturbing that the Bush administration appears to have played a key role in denying the IDF that opportunity. Indeed, Tony Snow reportedly stated at a press conference today that an Israeli move deeper into Lebanon did not correspond with American policy. Does this mean that American policy is now to protect Hezbollah from the Israelis? [article link]
{flashback} Wednesday, August 23, 2006: Bush $230 Million for Hezbollah, $0 for Israel Today, President Bush announced $230 million for rebuilding South Lebanon, which Debbie Schussel persuasively argues will be funnelled to Hezbollah because of the lack of accountability on the funds for the Hezbollah-controlled area. Meanwhile, the administration has indicated that Israel won't receive any warrelated financial help at all, despite extensive damage as a result of the civilian-targeted attacks (by Hizb'allah) which are war crimes. [article link]
{flashback} New Al Qaeda Video More CIA Black Op Propaganda - Pathetic pretence kept up that "Al Qaeda" is still or ever was a real organized terror outfit and not the creation of deep (CIA) intelligence
The latest cobbled together trash home video to be released and accredited to "Al Qaeda" is yet another piece of scripted propaganda that portrays a desperate attempt to give the impression that the group operates as a cohesive unit. ... As Kurt Nimmo so eloquently puts it, this time the tape features "Azzam the American," aka Adam Yahiye Gadahn, born Adam Pearlman, and also going by the names Abu Suhayb al-Amriki, Abu Suhayb, and Yihya Majadin Adams (a score card is required to keep track). "Californian Adam Gadahn, wearing a white robe and turban, introduces the message by calling on Westerners to convert," reports CNN. ... Another key indicator that Gadahn / Azzam/ Pearlman is in the employ of Western Intelligence comes from a report out of the Orange County Weekly which details how a man named Khalil Deek, a computer expert who attended the same Mosque as Gadahn and later became a "top Al Qaeda deputy", was continually protected by US authorities and allowed to go free on several occasions. Khalil Deek and Adam Gadahn were accused of organizing a terrorist cell in Anaheim in the mid to late nineties. [article link]
{flashback} 'Terrorist' arrests don't tell the story - Most people arrested on charges related to suspected terrorist activities aren't being prosecuted - Of these, though, half received sentences of 28 days or less Something very odd is going on in the FBI, other federal law enforcement agencies, the Justice Department and perhaps the federal courts too. Most people arrested on charges related to suspected terrorist activities aren't being prosecuted. ... Still, 1,329 convictions is a fairly large number. Of these, though, half received sentences of 28 days or less. Only 5 percent received sentences of five years or more. ... The length of sentences is puzzling, especially in light of the median length in cases brought during the two years before Sept. 11: 41 months. Another oddity: The number of cases begun has fallen off sharply in the last two years, almost matching the number of cases brought in the two years before the Sept. 11 attacks. [article link]
{flashback} ANALYSIS Bush's vision, and the Middle East region, appear to be near collapse - The overthrow of Iran's Sunni enemies in Iraq has "created an Iranian moment" Washington -- The Bush administration's notion that toppling Saddam Hussein would stabilize a turbulent region is among the casualties of this week's Middle East carnage. ... "It's an inescapable fact, as uncomfortable as it is, that the ... Iranian position is stronger than it otherwise would be,'' Blacker said. "It's not an accident that on the more traditional Middle East front, things are heating up again. The Iranians are trying to send a concrete signal.'' The overthrow of Iran's Sunni enemies in Iraq has "created an Iranian moment,'' Cook said. [article link]
Republican - Florida Congressman Mark Foley Resigns Over E-Mails to a 16 yeard old Male Page WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., resigned from Congress on Friday, effective immediately, in the wake of questions about e-mails he wrote to a former male page who was 16 years old at the time. Foley, 52, and co-chairman of the House Missing and Exploited Children Caucus, apologized in a statement announcing his resignation, which still must go to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. [article link]
{flashback} Adelstein sticks with the Republican party - Long-time Republican Stan Adelstein says he will not switch political parties for the Nov. state Senate race {Republican - Democrat: their all the same it's a one party system!} Long-time (Pro-Choice) Republican Stan Adelstein says he will not switch political parties for the Nov. state Senate race. Adelstein, who lost to (Pro-Life) Elli Schwiesow by a close margin in the June primaries, was considering switching parties in order to have another chance in the election as a Democrat. But after much thought and guidance from friends and colleagues in both parties, Adelstein says he will remain a Republican. ... Democratic candidate Tom Katus offered to step aside to make room for Adelstein in the race, and Adelstein says he'll return the favor. Adelstein says he's backing Katus as a candidate and will be by his side throughout
the campaign. [article link]
DebbieSchlussel.com: Weekend Box Office: - Vicious Anti-Christian 'Documentary,' "jesus camp" [notice the (j) in the title] (LOKI Films and A&E IndieFilms) Yet, even though this "documentary" tried its (hardest) to defame Christian evangelicals, it couldn't do as much damage as hoped. The kids in the movie are smart and strong-willed. They don't succumb to peer pressure of those who mock them. They're cute and sage well beyond their years. If all kids in America's public schools shared their values and maturity, kids might actually learn something and get along. [article link]
Video Tribute to the American Composer George Gershwin (born in 1898 as Jacob Gershowitz in Brooklyn, New York to Russian Jewish immigrant parents) - by the Tommy Dorsey Band (Video B&W) Gershwin composed his first hit -- "Swanee" -- at age 21 and proceeded to a career founded on Broadway. Mostly with his brother Ira as the (perfect) lyricist, he wrote the show tunes that have elicited such great performances from a variety of artists -- Gershwin's accomplishments within his allotted 38 years are almost unbelievable. [article link]
Christmas "Reason for the Season Auto Magnet" Auto - Refrigerator Magnet Here's another way to express yourself this Christmas season -- and the next and the next! It's the durable "Reason for the Season Auto Magnet" -- a 7-inch Christmas tree image with a Nativity scene within. Part of every purchase goes to Christian charities. It's the perfect way to make your statement this Christmas -- that Jesus is the reason for the season. Put them on your car, refrigerator, file cabinet, computer case, or anything metal. PURCHASE THE 25 PACK or 50 PACK OF "REASON FOR THE SEASON" MAGNETS AND RECEIVE FREE SHIPPING! [article link]
The Living Waters Store: Halloween Tract Special 100 of these two tracts: Giant Money, and Hey Kids. Hey Kids for the young trick-or-treaters coming to your door, and Giant Money for the adults with them. 10% off the normal price. [article link]
The Word for Today September Specials: 22 Items (DVD's & Mp3's) Maranatha! Prophecy Series on DVD WITH BONUS MP3: As Christians, we have the blessed hope of being "caught up" into the heavenlies to be with our Lord forever. The early church used the greeting: Maranatha!, saying even so, come quickly Lord Jesus. ... CHRIST AND THE PHILOSOPHERS MP3: Because of the desire to be "seeker-friendly," many churches are using psychology disguised as philosophy to draw people in. ... God's Wake Up Call: Why would God allow bad things to happen to us? In reality, as a nation, America has turned its back on God. Pastor Chuck exhorts Christians to pray for a national repentance. Includes 6 Messages on Compact Disc. [article link]
Southwest Radio Church Featured Broadcasts: September topics include a detailed study of eschatology (End Times), evidence for special creation, and the study of the book of Hebrews, plus more! (WMA) We begin a short series based on Randall Prices' DVD "End Times: How Close Are We?" These programs are taken from the soundtrack. Bible in the News: Q&A: Is the Rapture Referenced In the Olivet Discourse? [article link]
AND GOD SAID MP3: Is the Bible a compilation of myths and legends? Is it God's revelation to man? ($9.34) AND GOD SAID MP3: Is the Bible a compilation of myths and legends? Is it God's revelation to man? Is it as
relevant today as when it was written? Is the Bible man's interpretation of God, or did holy men of God speak and write as they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit? In this series, Pastor Brian Brodersen demonstrates that all the evidence points to the Bible being the inspired, inerrant Word of God, the sole authority on what to believe about God and how to live for His glory. [article link]
Daily Encouragement Net Christian Podcast (Mp3) - "The Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken" (Hebrews 12:27,28) "The words 'once more' indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:27,28). [article link]
Sermons - Billericay Baptist Church - Billericay England (Mp3's - Downloads) It is with a spirit of humility that we place these talks on the site and whilst we do not seek feedback, we welcome you to listen to them. We pray that God will bless you and encourage you as you listen and seek His face. [article link]
Poll: More Americans blame Bush for 9/11 - Percentage rises from almost 1/3 to almost 1/2 over past 4 years (cnn) WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The percentage of Americans who blame the Bush administration for the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington has risen from almost a third to almost half over the past four years, a CNN poll released Monday found. Asked whether they blame the Bush administration for the attacks, 45 percent said either a "great deal" or a "moderate amount," up from 32 percent in a June 2002 CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll. [article link]
Iraqi Prime Minister Makes First Official Visit to Iran - Iraq's new Shiite leaders have close ties to Iran, and alMaliki spent years in Iran and Syria in exile TEHRAN, Iran - Iraq's prime minister received a red-carpet welcome at the Iran's presidential palace on Tuesday at the start of his first official visit to the Shiite Muslim country since taking office in May, state-run television reported. Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were expected to cover regional issues and joint projects in energy and trade. ... Iraq's new Shiite leaders have close ties to Iran, and al-Maliki spent years in Iran and Syria in exile. [article link]
Trade Deficit Surges to Record $68 Billion in July on Rising Oil Prices - putting the country on course to rack up a record annual deficit for the fifth straight year WASHINGTON - The U.S. trade deficit hit a record $68 billion in July as surging global oil prices pushed America's foreign oil bill to the highest level in history. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that the July deficit jumped 5 percent from the June imbalance. Analysts had expected the deficit to worsen slightly, but the overall imbalance was worse than expected and surpassed the old monthly record of $66.6 billion set last October. ... So far this year, the deficit is running at an annual rate of $776 billion, putting the country on course to rack up a record annual deficit for the fifth straight year. Democrats, campaigning for control of Congress in the November elections, hope voters will view the soaring trade deficits as evidence that President Bush's trade policies are not working. [article link]
Hewlett-Packard Chairwoman Will Step Down in January - Dunn will remain as a director after she relinquishes the chair SAN JOSE, Calif. - Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) said Tuesday that Patricia Dunn will step down as chairwoman of
the computer and printer maker in January amid a widening scandal involving a possibly illegal probe into media leaks. She will be succeeded by CEO Mark Hurd. [article link]
U.S. Attorney Contacts Hewlett-Packard As Board Plans to Meet on Chairwoman Dunn's Fate HP hired private investigators who used Social Security numbers and other personal information to impersonate HP directors, journalists and at least one other person. The impostors then tricked phone companies into turning over detailed logs of their home and cellular phone calls. Although a common tactic among private investigators, the subterfuge - known as "pretexting" - tests the bounds of California law. ... The Federal Communications Commission has also taken interest in the HP investigation, asking AT&T Inc. last week how the company's private investigators managed to obtain the private phone records of board members and journalists. Following the investigation, board member George Keyworth II was identified as the source of the leak, and HP responded by barring him from seeking re-election. [article link]
Pakistan rape reform fails after Musharraf caves in In a setback for women's rights in Pakistan, the ruling party in Islamabad has caved in to (Islam) religious conservatives by dropping its plans to reform rape laws. Statutes known as the Hudood ordinances, based on sharia law, currently operate in Pakistan. They require a female rape victim to produce four male witnesses to corroborate her account, or she risks facing a new charge of adultery. The ruling party in Islamabad, made up of a coalition of groups allied to President Pervez Musharraf, had hoped the new Protection of Women Bill would place the crime of rape within the country's secular penal code, which works in tandem with sharia. [article link]
Bush bonanza: US likely to announce substantial discount to Pak (Pakistan) in F-16 deal - which include periodic inspections of the fleet and their bases to verify guarantees by Pakistan that it would not pass the technology to China - The planes apparently would also not carry facilities to carry nuclear weapons ISLAMABAD: US President George W Bush plans to announce a "substantial discount" on the $5 billion deal to sell F-16s to Pakistan during President Pervez Musharraf's visit to Washington as a gesture of approval of his handling of the war on terror, a media report said on Tuesday. Musharraf, who left for Brussels on Monday on his way to the US, is "understood to be carrying private assurances from President Bush that he may receive a substantial discount in the price of the F-16 aircraft Pakistan is currently in the process of purchasing from Washington," The News reported. ... The planes apparently would also not carry facilities to carry nuclear weapons. [article link]
{flashback} Just a "Crazy" Lady? Part 2: More Info About Diverted Heathrow/US Flight Raises Serious Questions; Pakistani Loyalties She has a long-time friend in Pakistan, traveled there often. Perhaps, she was recruited. She tried to draw out the Federal Air Marshal and failed. She did draw out the Captain (from the cockpit)--thought that was not supossed to happen. She had all the test material in her bag--all the banned items she managed to get on the plane. She spoke of building a device. ... A woman on a trans-Atlantic flight diverted to Boston for security concerns passed several notes to crew members, urinated on the cabin floor and made comments the crew believed were references to al-Qaida and the Sept. 11 attacks, according to an affidavit filed Thursday. [article link]
{flashback} Bush traps India into CTBT - Lucky to escape Mr Bush's nuclear embrace, Pakistan (without CTBT restrictions) can now seek to overtake India on nukes, as it has done on missiles The Bush administration has attached a legally binding rider to the nuclear deal with India even before the US Congress has had an opportunity to put conditions of its own. Under the administration's action plan, India
would become a party to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) through a congressional piece of legislation. This is the first time in world history that one power has sought to bind another state {nation} to an international treaty rejected by its own legislature. The US Senate threw out the CTBT in 1999. ... For Washington, the nuclear deal has come handy to impose qualitative and quantitative ceilings on India's nuclear-deterrent capability in order to ensure that it never emerges as a full-fledged nuclear-weapons state. A permanent test ban is part of its effort to qualitatively cap the Indian deterrent, while the quantitative ceiling comes from America's success in making India agree to reduce to less than one-third the existing number of facilities producing weapons-usable fissile material. Lucky to escape Mr Bush's nuclear embrace, Pakistan can now seek to overtake India on nukes, as it has done on missiles. It can watch the fun as the Bush administration and the US Congress entangle India in a web of capability restraints, in return for offering New Delhi dubious benefits? the right to import uneconomical power reactors dependent on imported fuel. [article link]
New Species of Bird Found in Remote Northeastern India NEW DELHI - A new bird species has been found in India, the first time such a discovery has been made here in more than 50 years, an astronomer and keen bird watcher said Tuesday. The multicolored bird, Bugun liocichla, was spotted in May in the remote Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh near the border with China, said Ramana Athreya, a member of Mumbai's Natural History Society. [article link]
{flashback} 'Extinct' Rat-Squirrel Found Alive and Well {Obviously not extinct, or millions of years old, or even evolved. Why is evolution science so consistently wrong in so many areas? When will science get it? Biblical creation is where the Truth is at!} WASHINGTON - It has the face of a rat and the tail of a skinny squirrel - and scientists say this creature discovered living in central Laos is pretty special: It's a species believed to have been extinct for 11 million years. ... The resemblance is "absolutely striking," Dawson said. As soon as her team spotted reports about the rodent's discovery, "we thought, 'My goodness, this is not a new family. We've known it from the fossil record.'" [article link]
Sony Pictures 'Covenant' leads weakest box office in three years LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The new supernatural thriller "The Covenant" conjured up the lead at a sluggish weekend box office in North America with the lowest sales for a No. 1 movie in three years. The Sony Corp. release sold $9 million worth of tickets in the three days beginning September 8, followed by another new film, "Hollywoodland," with $6 million and previous champ "Invincible" with $5.8 million. The last movie to open at No. 1 with less than $10 million was the David Spade comedy "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" with $6.7 million exactly three years ago. [article link]
{flashback} THE BAD NEWS OF THE DA VINCI CODE MOVIE: Sony Pictures - Directed by: Ron Howard, Starring: Tom Hanks, May 2006 The New York Times called recently asking what's wrong with THE DA VINCI CODE. With regard to the book by that name, there have been a large number of articles, some published in MovieGuide', explaining its egregious historical, theological, and moral problems. With regard to the movie scheduled to be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures, however, about which the Times was calling, we won't know until we see the final product. The strange thing about the movie is that the two key people involved, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard, claim to be Christians. Mr. Hanks has told reporters that he came to Christ many years ago and now attends a Greek Orthodox church with his wife. A Campus Crusade minister worked as Ron Howard's assistant for many years and said that Mr. Howard went to a Presbyterian church. Therefore, it is strange that these two men are making THE DA VINCI CODE, unless they have either sold out and see it as a way of making a lot of money, or they
plan to change it. [article link]
U.S. excluded car, suicide bombs from Iraq murder toll BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- The U.S. military did not count people killed by bombs, mortars, rockets or other mass attacks when it reported a dramatic drop in the number of murders in the Baghdad area last month, the U.S. command said Monday. The decision to include only victims of drive-by shootings and those killed by torture and execution, usually at the hands of death squads, allowed U.S. officials to argue that a security crackdown that began in the capital August 7 had more than halved the city's murder rate. But the types of slayings, including suicide bombings, that the U.S. excluded from the category of "murder" were not made explicit at the time. That led to confusion after Iraqi Health Ministry figures showed that 1,536 people died violently in and around Baghdad in August, nearly the same number as in July. [article link]
In God We Trust Patriotic (flash) "Without God, there is no virtue, because there's no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we're mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan [article link]
Promise Keepers - Marathon Video Journal for Men® This first DVD in a series Promise Keepers has developed the MARATHON DVD series to stimulate prayer, discussion, reflection and action! Use this invaluable resource as a weekly devotion tool with your small group or on your own to help you develop a more meaningful relationship with God, your family and each other. ... Order Today and you will be entitled to receive the newest volumes every 2-3 months at the regular price plus shipping & handling. With your next DVD, you'll also receive your next FREE Seven Promises coin AND presentation album. [article link]
Betrayed in the Line of Duty - While the Bush administration seeks amnesty for illegal aliens and grants immunity to a Mexican drug smuggler, it has thrown the book at two courageous Border Patrol agents The two Border Patrol officers were arrested in SWAT-style raids on their homes and taken away in handcuffs in front of their families. By way of contrast, Aldrete-Davila, in exchange for agreeing to testify against the agents, was given free medical treatment in the United States, then escorted back to Mexico and released. He was also coached in his testimony by U.S. government officials, then brought back to the United States and trotted out as the star witness against Ramos and Compean. In the meantime, during his release, Aldrete-Davila was arrested again with another drug load in the same El Paso sector where Ramos and Compean had previously intercepted him. Nevertheless, he was allowed to testify against the two agents and then was released again! He may have made many more successful drug runs into the United States since then. But he may be able to retire soon in the style of his drug-lord bosses. With encouragement and help from U.S. officials, he is suing the Border Patrol for $5 million. Many are outraged by what from all appearances is a colossal miscarriage of justice. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are calling for an investigation, and a national grassroots campaign has stirred tens of thousands of Americans to call on President Bush to intervene and grant full pardon to agents Ramos and Compean. [article link]
by Phyllis Schlafly - Is America For Sale? - the first President Bush signed Executive Order 12803 called "Infrastructure Privatization" It directed federal departments and agencies to encourage state and local governments to "privatize infrastructure assets" - Bush's order didn't put any restrictions on who the purchasers could or should be, American or not, or friend or foe
Indiana legislators are concerned that the Spanish firm could rake in $133 billion over the 75-year life of the Indiana toll road lease for which Indiana received only $3.8 billion. ... Orange County, California, was burned by its contract with a French company that bought part of state Route 91 for $130 million. When Orange County found that the fine print in the contract prohibited it from building more roads, it had to buy back the lease for $207.5 million. ... The U.S. government blessed this rush to sell off American infrastructure on April 30, 1992, when the first President Bush signed Executive Order 12803 called "Infrastructure Privatization." It directed federal departments and agencies to encourage state and local governments to "privatize infrastructure assets." Infrastructure assets were defined to include "roads, tunnels, bridges, electricity supply facilities, mass transit, rail transportation, airports, ports, waterways, water supply facilities, recycling and wastewater treatment facilities, solid waste disposal facilities, housing, schools, prisons, and hospitals." Bush's order didn't put any restrictions on who the purchasers could or should be, American or not, or friend or foe. The second President Bush is now acquiescing in European Union demands to open up U.S. airlines to foreign ownership. Is America for sale? [article link]
25 Min. Video of Israel in Lebanon - ground forces Israeli video journalist Itai Anghel went into Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon with the Nahal Brigade and shot 25 minutes of riveting house-to-house combat footage with a night vision lens.The Hezbollah fighters wore Israeli uniforms. [article link]
CBS News: Same Sinking Ship, Different Anchor - Ann Althouse liveblogged the main event tonight as Katie took the reins at CBS Nightly News The Complete Katie Couric Story is posted at Media Research Center. This is a must read! ... And, NewsBusters has Katie's slam on blogs for "integrity" issues, forgetting that the man (Dan Rather) she replaced had a few integrity issues, himself! [article link]
Scotland's Revival FM Goes 24/7 - Scotland now has its first full-time Christian radio station (AgapePress) - Scotland now has its first full-time Christian radio station. Due to limitations of broadcasting legislation in Scotland and the United Kingdom, Christian organizations were not able to obtain broadcasting licenses until recently. Revival FM has been broadcasting on a part-time license for ten years in Scotland, but that temporary license was good for up to only two months every year. But as of Sunday (September 3), the station is broadcasting full time on a five-year community license in the central Scotland areas of North Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire. Listeners can also tap into the broadcasts online at Revival.FM using MP3, Windows Media, or Real Media. Station chairman Ian Dunlop says Revival FM caters to all age groups. "The programming will be family programming -- it will be music, it will be interesting topics, it will community issues," says Dunlop. "We basically just want to live the Christian life on radio the way that it's lived in Central Scotland today, and by doing that and by sharing the gospel, to find that people's lives are affected and lives are changed." [article link]
Over 100 Organizations to Boycott Miller Brewing Company & SABMiller plc for their support of illegal immigration! A coalition of over 100 groups that support the enforcement of America's existing immigration laws, including charges against employers that hire, aid, and abet illegal aliens, has launched a national boycott of Miller Brewing Company and their parent company SABMiller plc. The boycott message is simple. Miller Brewing Company supports illegal immigration by giving money to groups that support amnesty, marches, and benefits for illegal aliens. Citizens are encouraged to "Dump the beer! Dump the stock!" A website containing boycott
instructions, a petition, and documentation has been launched at www.MillerBoycott.com [article link]
{flashback} Ford Continues Support For Homosexual Groups - Conservative and Pro-Family groups continue to boycott Ford products Ford Motor Company continues to support the homosexual agenda despite a steady drop in sales and the price of their stock. The latest Ford support for the homosexual lifestyle came in the July 4 issue of The Advocate, a homosexual magazine. Ford placed two full page ads in the publication featuring all their brands of automobiles, just as they did the previous month. This issue promoted Lambda Legal, a homosexual organization pushing the homosexual agenda in the courts. ... The boycott is having an impact. Ford sales dropped 5% in March, 7% in April, 2% in May and 6.8% in June. Their stock has dropped 13% since we began the boycott. AFA has learned that Ford has scheduled a meeting for Ford regional managers July 16 & 17 to discuss how to deal with the boycott. [article link]
7 junior members of Blair's government quit to protest his refusal to set resignation date - Prime Minister Tony Blair faced a growing revolt in his Labour Party - "I no longer believe that your remaining in office is in the interest of either the party or the country," LONDON Prime Minister Tony Blair faced a growing revolt in his Labour Party Wednesday as seven junior members of his government quit to protest his refusal to say when he'll let go of power. The rebellion flared despite strong hints by senior ministers that Blair planned to step down within a year, and a news report claiming the departure date would be July 26. ... "I no longer believe that your remaining in office is in the interest of either the party or the country," Tom Watson, who was minister for veterans in the Ministry of Defense, said in a letter to the prime minister. He and the other rebels had previously signed a letter to Blair demanding that he announce a departure date. [article link]
White House: U.S. Safer But Not Yet Safe - The Bush administration proclaimed significant progress in the war on terror Tuesday but said the enemy has adjusted to U.S. defenses and that "America is safer but we are not yet safe." WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration proclaimed significant progress in the war on terror Tuesday but said the enemy has adjusted to U.S. defenses and that "America is safer but we are not yet safe." ... The administration's Iraq war policy and terrorism strategy have come under increasing criticism in recent months, and Republicans and Democrats returning to Capitol Hill Tuesday for the fall season were set to debate the strategy as the midterm elections draw near. Five years after the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon, about a third of the American people think the terrorists are winning, according to a recent AP-Ipsos poll. [article link]
Five Years Later - The anniversary of 9/11 is around the corner and in many ways, America still isn't acting like it's at war Let's not forget the Defense Department's Able Danger data mining project that by some accounts connected more 9/11-related dots before the attack than all the aforementioned efforts combined. The intrepid Sirrs was forced out of service. Able Danger was shut down and its data was destroyed. If there was a failure in the system, it was the longstanding practice of giving the bum's rush to those with the resolve and temerity to make the correct, if unpopular, assessments. ... [article link]
bible-history.com: Learn about the Ancient world - Bible Knowledge Accelerator - Free Bible History Software About The Ancient Biblical World (Windows Help Files)
The Bible Knowledge Accelerator programs are designed to be informational tools and are free to the public. I design them in my spare time. Many are being upgraded with new images. [article link]
Daily Encouragement Net Christian Podcast (Mp3) - "Follow Me" (John 21:18, 19) "'I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, 'Follow me'" (John 21:18, 19). [article link]
***Updated - Basic Christian: Full Website Content 2006 Version (PDF) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
THE SYMBOLISM ARCHIVE 666 - Hidden 666 Examples There are some that will tell you that the number 666 is false, that it is not actually the number of the beast and that any reference to the number of six-hundred and sixty-six is insignificant. Well would these same people making such a statement allow a person who has the number tattooed on their hand to babysit their children or walk their dog. Ponder that whilst reading on... The elites obsession with the number 666 is something that we shall be covering very shortly in our 'Occult' section so we won't go into the details of the origin of the number just yet, however the number itself is also relevant to the symbolism of the Illuminati, therefore here are a few examples of its placement in plain view... [article link]
A FEW EXAMPLES - SUBLIMINAL 6, 66 and 666 CONDITIONING Gradual conditioning and manipulation until habituation sets in are the tools of satan and his (earthly) followers. This also applies to the number of the Beast, 666. People in the New Age Movement are encouraged to promote, disguised or not, this number 666 as much as they possibly can. You should know they consider it a "holy" number. At places where there is (still) opposition to this number the strategy is, at least for the time being, to conceal the number until people are conditioned to such an extent that the camouflage can eventually be removed. [article link]
Many Infallible Proofs - Packed with facts and proofs about Christianity, Christ, God, creation, science and more - Includes 666 discussion (Book $9.99) Henry Morris - the grandfather of Scientific Creationism - shows what impact God's Word can have on the world. At once shining light on little known truths of the faith, strengthening believers through the Scripture, and providing information for skeptics or unbelievers, Many Infallible Proofs can also be a valuable tool in evangelism by showing where we can engage the individual we may be witnessing to. Henry Morris was on the forefront of the Christian anti-evolution movement until his death in 2006, producing many books and contributing greatly to the Young Earth model for creationism. This book, updated from his 1974 classic, is indicative of his committment to the glory of God through biblical truths. [article link]
666 Watch - Questions and Answers - Can someone "innocently" or "accidently" receive 666: the Mark of the Beast? Opinions on 666: The Mark of the Beast We've listed the opinions of some of the most popular Bible teachers concerning 666: The Mark of the Beast. What happens if someone takes the Mark of the Beast - 666 What does the Bible say will happen when someone receives 666: the mark of the Beast? What is 666 The Mark of the
Beast? Does the Bible say what is the Mark of the beast? Is it the number 666? It is a biochip implant? Can a Christian take the Mark of the Beast - 666? Can a truly saved person receive the Mark of the Beast? What happens if they do? [article link]
Vermont Judge Blasted for Short Sex-Offender Sentence to Retire - By retiring, Cashman can avoid the six-year legislative review Vermont judges are subject to MONTPELIER, Vt. - A judge who sparked outrage when he sentenced a sex offender to two months in jail said Friday he will retire. Vermont District Court Judge Edward Cashman didn't mention the case that had made him a target of heated criticism from lawmakers, editorial writers and national cable news commentators. In January, he imposed the short sentence on Mark Hulett, 34, who had been convicted for repeated sexual assaults on a young girl. [article link]
Updated - Muslim (Islam) and Mormon (LDS) are very similar (PDF) A comparison of the Muslim (Islam) and Mormon (LDS) Religions. How they are similar to each other and very different from Christianity. [article link]
Wal-Mart Partners With Gay and Lesbian Group - A Wal-Mart spokeswoman declined to comment on the trio of moves and would only confirm the company's partnership with the NGLCC - "This partnership shows WalMart is changing" COLUMBUS, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- In an unprecedented push, Wal-Mart Stores has hired a gay-marketing shop, joined the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and begun discussions with activist groups about extending domestic-partnership benefits to its employees. ... "This partnership shows Wal-Mart is changing," Mr. Wexler said. "It's worth noting they declined to publicize this partnership and left it up to the chamber. Wal-Mart is very eager to publicize partnerships. It's possible they fear a backlash from their conservative consumer base." [article link]
{flashback} Wal-Mart Faces Boycott for "Banning" Christmas - Top retailer accused of discrimination while promoting Kwanzaa, Hanukkah He points out, and WND confirmed, that when using the company's online search engine, if the world "Hanukkah" is entered, 200 items for sale are returned. The term "Kwanzaa" yields 77. But when "Christmas" is entered, the message returned says: "We've brought you to our 'Holiday' page based on your search." [article link]
Why Are Mormons (& John Conyers) Funding Islamic Terrorism? - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), the Mormon Church, is the single largest donor to the U.S. branch of Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) - The Israeli government says it is a HAMAS front group it is also under investigation by the American government The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormon Church, is the single largest donor to the U.S. branch of Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), also known as Islamic Relief. In the past year, it donated $1.6 million to the charity. But Islamic Relief is not just any charity. The Israeli government says it is a HAMAS front group. It is also under investigation by the American government. IRW was founded in 1984 by Dr. Hany El Banna. He is a relative of Hassan El Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group--from which HAMAS, Yasser Arafat, and Al-Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman Al-Zawahiri emanated. [article link]
Turning "Wheel of Fortune" Into Shoe Box Blessings - Operation Christmas Child participant uses appearance on game show to promote Samaritan's Purse - Her family also went a step further, donating their winnings to
Samaritan's Purse But "Wheel of Fortune" is not Rowley's greatest passion. And this housewife and mother of two from Urbandale, Iowa, wanted to make sure all of America knew what is. Last August, Rowley experienced the thrill of a lifetime when she traveled with her family to California to be a contestant on the show. Countless times Rowley rehearsed exactly what she wanted to say during her introduction. Finally the exciting moment came. First, she acknowledged her husband, Russ, and their children, Josh, 10, and Lauren, 8. Then she made reference to her favorite charity. "If I was going to be seen by 14 million people, I wanted to say something important," Rowley recalled. "I knew I couldn't evangelize on TV, but I wanted to promote a Christian ministry. My husband and I prayed about it, and we decided that if I was chosen as a contestant, I would pay tribute to Operation Christmas Child and Samaritan's Purse." Rowley kept her promise. Her family also went a step further, donating their winnings to Samaritan's Purse. [article link]
CBS PHOTO TRICKERY TAKES A LOAD OFF 'SLIMMER' KATIE COURIC - Most media experts say that whenever a photo is altered in any way, the public should be alerted August 30, 2006 -- Talk about a miracle diet - Katie Couric has become the Incredible Shrinking Anchorwoman. Thanks to a computer "slight" of hand, the Tiffany network has made the new face of "CBS Evening News" instantly drop about 20 pounds. In a picture widely distributed to the media last month, a normal-looking Couric wore a frumpy light gray suit and her trademark smile. But thanks to Photoshop, the popular editing software, the same photo, printed in a CBS magazine, shows her looking much, much thinner - and her suit has become a few shades darker. ... As far as the magazine goes, an insider insisted the publication was just following normal industry practice when it shrunk Couric. He claimed that just about all magazines tinker with photos - even though some top photographers and photo editors at news organizations have lost their jobs in recent times for doing just that. Most media experts say that whenever a photo is altered in any way, the public should be alerted, although it's more of a problem if it occurs at newsmagazines rather than a magazine a company publishes about itself. [article link]
An industry in denial - the corruption of the media - Truth and freedom are indivisible the deconstruction of the former inevitably presages the destruction of the latter - This is the way a civilization dies ... "Pictures have been faked as long as there have been pictures." He cited "commercial imperative" as a factor in the doctored images. Thus do we read Melanie Phillips today in her article headed, "The media war against Israel". Her long and well-argued piece is worth reading in full but especially chilling are her conclusions. "To date," she writes: ... as far as I can determine, not one mainstream editor or proprietor has acknowledged this corruption of the western media. The scale of this corruption now threatens to have a lethal impact on the course of human history. Hatred now drives not just the jihadists but their western dupes, too. Truth and freedom are indivisible. The deconstruction of the former inevitably presages the destruction of the latter. This is the way a civilisation dies. [article link]
What did you do in the war, UNIFIL? - They openly published daily real-time intelligence, of obvious usefulness to Hezbollah, on the location, equipment, and force structure of Israeli troops in Lebanon DURING THE RECENT month-long war between Hezbollah and Israel, U.N. "peacekeeping" forces made a startling contribution: They openly published daily real-time intelligence, of obvious usefulness to Hezbollah, on the location, equipment, and force structure of Israeli troops in Lebanon. ... Meanwhile, UNIFIL posted not a single item of specific intelligence regarding Hezbollah forces. Statements on the order of Hezbollah "fired rockets in large numbers from various locations" and Hezbollah's rockets "were fired in significantly larger numbers from various locations" are as precise as its coverage of the other side ever got. [article link]
Bush takes responsibility on Katrina - President George W. Bush, still at pains to demonstrate his concern over the devastation of Hurricane Katrina a full year after the storm NEW ORLEANS President George W. Bush, still at pains to demonstrate his concern over the devastation of Hurricane Katrina a full year after the storm, said he took "full responsibility" for the slow federal response to the disaster as he made a carefully choreographed pilgrimage to the city that suffered most. ... But he did not stray far from his script, nor venture spontaneously out of his motorcade as it sped past some of the worst destruction in the city's Lower Ninth Ward, where rows of gutted homes stood empty along deserted streets. [article link]
More Stories Rolling In About Levees Being Blown In New Orleans - Since the levees gave-way well after Hurricane Katrina passed over New Orleans Army Corps of Engineers reportedly told resident to evacuate as levees were "going to be blown." Popular New Orleans radio talk show host dismisses callers who heard explosions as quacks or disinformation artists. ... "One more thing. I passed by the 17th Street levee everyday before the storm. As far back as 9 months before Katrina hit, I saw Homeland Security vehicles riding up and down the street alongside the levee," he said. "I knew that they were Homeland Security vehicles because they were all white with tinted windows and had 'Government DHS' on their license plates. I couldn't figure out what they were doing there but now I think I know. Again, difficult to prove, but they were probably wiring the levee." [article link]
Patrick Fitzgerald Caught Between a Rock, a Hard Place & a Lie - Patrick Fitzgerald's three-year manhunt to track down who blew Valerie Plame's CIA "cover" has been exposed as a costly sham - He apparently knew all along that his man was not Scooter Libby With the information this week that Richard Armitage is the leaker in the Plame Affair and that he leaked the information days before Lewis Libby, Patrick Fitzgerald's integrity suddenly comes into question. ... Fitzgerald knew in the early days of his politicized witch hunt that no crime was committed. No one intentionally revealed the identity of a truly covert agent. Yet he made a reporter, Miller, spend nearly 90 days in jail for refusing to reveal her source. Meanwhile, Fitzgerald refused to reveal to the public the true source. From top to bottom, this has been one of the most disgraceful abuses of prosecutorial power in this country's history. That it's taking place at a time of war only magnifies its sordidness. [article link]
SF Driver Called Himself a "Terrorist" (Video) Watch as reporter Rob Roth says a witness heard the suspect refer to himself as a "terrorist," then without taking a breath tells us this was not an act of terrorism. [article link]
Extremist Muslim Group Picks Woman "Leader" - The New Feminism of Islam - A partial list of things denied to women in Islam Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) refuses to condemn these Islamic behaviors that take place against women in the Muslim world, every single day: ... [article link]
Mormon (FLDS) Fugitive polygamist sect leader goes to court Thursday LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- Warren Jeffs may be the voice of God on Earth to his tight-knit band of devoted followers, but Thursday, he will have to stand in a Las Vegas courtroom and answer to secular authority. ... A Nevada state trooper became suspicious when questioning Jeffs and his brother, Isaac, after stopping their luxury SUV on a freeway just north of Las Vegas. ... Jeffs, who was evasive and refused to make eye contact with the trooper, began eating a salad in the back seat, "but his carotid artery was pumping," said Dutchover, who called for backup and later summoned the FBI when he and his fellow troopers realized who they had captured.
... Inside the Escalade -- a brand that carries a price tag of nearly $55,000 for a base model -- were the trappings of Jeffs' life on the run, including 15 cell phones, walkie-talkies, a police scanner, laptop computers, wigs, sunglasses, credit cards and at least $54,000 in cash, along with a duffel bag stuffed with unopened envelopes that may contain even more money, according to the FBI. [article link]
Islamic Terrorism By Auto: 3rd Incident in a Year in America In March, Mohammed Reza Taheri-Azar, an Iranian Muslim--inspired by Allah and hatred for America-purposely drove his Jeep into students at the University of North Carolina. And in December, a Palestinian Muslim, Ali R. Warrayat, drove his car into a Home Depot in Arizona, for the purpose of mass destruction of the store and those in it. He wanted to set the place ablaze. He, too, inspired by his anger toward America and his Koran in his trunk. ... [article link]
One Dead, 15 Hurt in San Francisco SUV Rampage - Near The San Francisco Jewish Center - Witnesses said the driver, Omeed A. Popal, did not slow down during his rampage: The spree began around noon when an unidentified man walking along the side of the road was hit by a black Honda SUV. He was thrown into a field and pronounced dead at the scene, Sgt. Chris Mazzone said. Witnesses said the driver did not slow down. He then crossed the bay into San Francisco, where he injured at least 13 people during a 20-minute hit-and-run spree, police said. [article link]
Christian faith, duty took soldier back to Iraq - Commanders, chaplains, soldiers and family members told of a man who lived by his principles, and above all was dedicated to his religious faith It was harder for Army Sgt. Gabriel G. DeRoo to go to Iraq this time. He had a wife now, and a new son. But he went. He had a profound sense of duty, and an abiding Christian faith that no matter what happened, God would take care of him, his wife and parents said. Loved ones he left behind are taking comfort in their young soldier's convictions and drawing on their own faith to get them through. ... "He would also say that if God used his death to bring one person closer to Christ then it was all worth it." [article link]
Ambulances for terror - View the Vent Video Today's in-depth Vent provides the proper context for this important story and the MSM's non-response to it. Islamic terrorists in the Middle East have a long, unchecked history of using ambulances as aids and props for jihad. Watch it here: [article link]
*Rewired - "Think before you act." - Chuck Colson and Teen Mania partnered to create the Rewired teen worldview curriculum to teach teens HOW to think Christianly (2 DVDs - $79.95) Rewired: A product developed by Chuck Colson in conjunction with Teen Mania. During your time with Rewired, your students will find out what a Worldview is, and they'll find out exactly what a Christian Worldview is. The product includes: 2 DVDs, 1 Leaders guides, 8 student journals, and 1 resource CD with teaching guides. $79.95 [article link]
listenuptoday.org: Welcome to the Listen Up website - I'm glad you stopped by - Words of Counsel and Guidance The purpose of Listen Up is to get people thinking--and it must have hooked you at least a bit because you're here! I hope you'll help us get God's good news out by forwarding one of the Listen Ups to a friend or sending someone else to this site. If you want to know more about Listen Up, go to the Walk in the Word website which is the organization that sponsors the program. You'll find spiritual growth resources and find out where you
can listen to more teaching that I hope will ignite your spiritual passion for the Lord. [article link]
GOP (Republican Party) dips in religion support poll - below 50% in the last year WASHINGTON - The number of people who consider the Republican Party friendly to religion has dipped below half in the last year, with declines among white evangelicals and white Catholics. But the GOP remains far more closely tied to religion than the Democratic Party. ... The conservative Christians are a far more unified group politically than the progressives, however. [article link]
Walking in Truth - 100's of Excellent Daily Devotions based solely on the Awesome and Life-Changing Word of God - 2003 - 2006 Articles Using this verse of Scripture as a springboard, this website was designed with the sole purpose of strengthening, edifying, and building up God's precious saints {that's you} with His Holy Word to the point where they would become excessively preoccupied with the Truth and, resultantly, live in perfect accordance with it. As you visit this site, I pray you that you will not leave the way you came. As you "feast" on the various messages, based solely on the Awesome and Life-Changing Word of God, I believe for your life to be totally transformed by the Spirit of the Living God. May you receive the necessary tools, needed in becoming a fruitful and flourishing saint for God, and may you find the keys that will enable you to bring Great Glory and Joy to Father God because you will be one of His children who are "walking in truth." [article link]
*Updated - Basic Christian: Full Website Content 2006 Version (PDF) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
New Red Letter Edition PDF Bible - The Words of Jesus Formatted in Red - The Bible, Old and New Testaments, King James Version 1611 - (PDF) The KJV 1611 is a complete Bible with both the Old and the New Testaments. [article link]
Updated - Muslim (Islam) and Mormon (LDS) are very similar (PDF) A comparison of the Muslim (Islam) and Mormon (LDS) Religions. How they are similar to each other and very different from Christianity. [article link]
Brotherhood of the Bell: Black (secret) Arts & Black (secret) Sciences - They have mixed their ideas for an One World Order They honor these Ascended Masters {demons} or Gods with blood and sacrifice - as they always have through the history of the Dark Nobility and Black Arts Occultism! They know the Lord of this earth is Lucifer and that he must be appeased. ... The Black Sciences are the most secret of all secrets and are seriously guarded by specially screened soldiers of Black Operations. It is their hope to merge the seen world with the unseen world. It is their goal to make sure we have a "oneness-of mind" and are spiritually harmonized to a frequency that will bring this about. The Ascended Masters have commanded them to eliminate the "Old World", with all of its old ideas and all of its old people. A new generation with a "New World View" is the agenda of the day. [article link]
A gathering anti-incumbent storm? - This was a classic response to what was seen as arrogance (cnn) In Rhode Island, Chafee is being pushed for not being Republican enough. He's the most independent, or least loyal, Republican in the Senate. ... In fact, the most eye-opening incumbent defeats happened in Pennsylvania
last May -- largely beneath the national media radar -- when 17 state legislators were thrown out, including the top two Senate GOP leaders. This was a classic response to what was seen as arrogance -- last-minute pay raises and increases in benefits. [article link]
This morning out in Jackson Hole, Wyoming {Bush appointed} Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is speaking to fellow central bankers at the Jackson Hole symposium - This year's theme for the symposium is "Global Economic Integration: What's New and What's Not." ... In the face of a meltdown in same-store sales and falling customer counts, some of the biggest names in casual dining are cutting prices, according to the USA Today. "This is unprecedented," Paul Avery, COO of OSI Restaurant Partners (OSI), which includes the Outback Steakhouse brand, told the newspaper. Beginning in November, Outback plans to cut prices across its menu. ... The Future of the Stock Market? The USA Today reports that more than 80 formerly public companies have gone private this year, on pace to be the busiest year since at least 2000. Hey old public friend, where ya going? [article link]
Revive our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss - The Way of Wisdom (CD $20) Wisdom--the Bible says it is more valuable than the most rare gems! But how do you attain it? Nancy takes us through the book of Proverbs to discover the practical benefits of wisdom and how we can find it. Take steps to become a wise woman, and learn how to cultivate a heart for wisdom in your children. (4 CDs) [article link]
New Timeline Edition PDF Bible - The Bible arranged in the order that the events and books were written in (PDF) The Timeline KJV 1611 is a complete Bible with both the Old and the New Testaments. [article link]
inJesus.com: The inJesus Web based Christian community is now enhanced with Podcast capabilities inJesus makes ministry communication easy! InJesus provides a web service that makes communication easy for Christian ministries. Ministry Groups on inJesus keep their members informed and involved using simple, powerful tools like: e-mail group management, message archives on your site placement in our searchable directory. [article link]
Sermons - Billericay Baptist Church - Billericay England (Mp3's - Downloads) It is with a spirit of humility that we place these talks on the site and whilst we do not seek feedback, we welcome you to listen to them. We pray that God will bless you and encourage you as you listen and seek His face. [article link]
VisionForum.com: Entrepreneurial Bootcamp Conference-Edition Library [MP3 $99] Biblical entrepreneurship involves the moral obligation to be economically creative and productive. The principle of entrepreneurship is rooted in the dominion mandate and the biblical doctrines of work, stewardship, and fruitfulness. Biblical entrepreneurship incorporates principles of biblical patriarchy with its emphasis on multi-generational faithfulness, freedom in Christ, inheritance, jurisdiction, and the household as a vibrant, economically productive, God-ordained unit for cultural transformation. [article link]
Poll: President Bush Approval Rating Falls To 34 percent - Only 34 percent of those surveyed said the United States is going in the right direction, while 59 percent said the country is on the wrong track, reports UPI Even with the news of a foiled jet-liner terror plot and a cease-fire in Lebanon, President George W. Bush's
approval rating fell to 34 percent in a new Zogby poll. The U.S. president's approval fell an additional two points over the past three weeks, Zogby International reported. [article link]
Just a "Crazy" Lady? Part 2: More Info About Diverted Heathrow/US Flight Raises Serious Questions; Pakistani Loyalties She has a long-time friend in Pakistan, traveled there often. Perhaps, she was recruited. She tried to draw out the Federal Air Marshal and failed. She did draw out the Captain (from the cockpit)--thought that was not supossed to happen. She had all the test material in her bag--all the banned items she managed to get on the plane. She spoke of building a device. ... A woman on a trans-Atlantic flight diverted to Boston for security concerns passed several notes to crew members, urinated on the cabin floor and made comments the crew believed were references to al-Qaida and the Sept. 11 attacks, according to an affidavit filed Thursday. [article link]
Iran Suspected of Attempts to Rearm Hezbollah Since Cease-Fire A U.S. arms control official said it appears that Iran is using Syrian channels in its effort to give Hezbollah weapons it has used in the past, including Chinese-built C-802 radar-guided anti-ship missiles. Military observers said a C-802 was used successfully on an Israeli naval vessel off the coast of Tyre on July 14. The arms control officer and a senior American counterterrorism officer both said the U.S. government is "very concerned" about the "ongoing" effort. [article link]
'China-level' Christian persecution coming (to America) - Pastors say court's ruling in Houston Bible case 'breath-taking' A few more court decisions like this week's over a display of a Bible in Houston and the United States will be approaching the "China-level" for Christian persecution, according to a leader in the midst of that battle. ... "We're not persecuted yet, we know that. But we're on our way there. Add that to the surprising acceptance of militant Islam, the fear of speaking against that from a Christian standpoint and then we're dangerously approaching the point where we have literally given away and yielded our freedoms that were earned," Welch said. [article link]
Praise the Lord Show Archives - Monday Jul 24, 2006 - Movie: 'The Apocalypse' - These visions form the contents of the Book of Revelation (Online Movie) Available to view at the TBN - Praise the Lord Archives. [article link]
Take The HonestReporting.com Quiz - Smoke & Mirrors: A Picture Says a Thousand Words - take a few minutes to complete this quiz and see whether you can tell fiction from fact Graphic images and photos from Lebanon have recently filled newspapers and TV screens around the world. Yet, it is becoming clear that some of these pictures don't tell the whole story or may even tell a completely different one to the reality. HonestReporting.com looks back at some recent and not so recent examples of distorted imagery - take a few minutes to complete this quiz and see whether you can tell fiction from fact. [article link]
FCC Queries 77 TV News Stations About 'Fake News' Reporting - FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said "You can't tell any more the difference between what's propaganda and what's news" WASHINGTON - The Federal Communications Commission has mailed letters to the owners of 77 television stations inquiring about their use of video news releases, a type of programming critics refer to as "fake news." Video news releases are packaged news stories that usually employ actors to portray reporters who are paid by
commercial or government groups. [article link]
The 30 Day Full Tilt Media Challenge (FTMC) - Take a stand against negative entertainment for 30 days Turn off secular TV/Media and watch Christian Programs - It can change your walk with the Lord Menconi said people just don't understand what a positive impact Christian music, Christian literature, Christian anything can have on our lives. As one Scriptural foundation for his ministry, he cites Colossians 3:2; "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." [article link]
Samaritan's Purse: Bringing God's Comfort to the People of Israel & Lebanon Samaritan's Purse is helping supply food and other emergency aid to residents in three of (Israel's) hardest-hit cities: Kiryat Shmona in the northeast, Nahariya on the Mediterranean coast, and Carmiel in central Galilee. All three areas have been battered by hundreds of Hezbollah rockets. -- With a tenuous cease-fire in place, Samaritan's Purse is helping Israeli and Lebanese families devastated by the war. [article link]
Don't Fund Red Cross: Comittee Aided Hezbollah; Would Aid Al-Qaeda, Too - Donating to American Red Cross Means Donating To Hezbollah Our friend and top Israeli investigative reporter, Michael Freund, has an incredible article in today's Jerusalem Post that tells you why you should NOT give to the Red Cross. The organization not only healed Hezbollah fighters, but it helped them cross the Litani Bridge. Here are more details: [article link]
Freedom beat Hezbollah, says Bush {If this the Bush idea of a victory in his war on terror we desporatly need a new Commander-in-cheif.} Mr Bush said the UN ceasefire resolution adopted on Friday was "an important step forward that will help bring an end to the violence". [article link]
Indonesian Jihadis Leaving for Lebanon - about 1,000 jihadis on their way to Lebanon If you need more evidence that the "ceasefire" in Lebanon is a sham, intended to allow Hizballah a chance to rearm, here's a report from Indonesia about 1,000 jihadis (financed by "Muslim businessmen") on their way to Lebanon. [article link]
Criticism Of Evolution Can't Be Silenced - Intelligent judges are beginning to reject the intolerant demands of the evolutionists The press is claiming that the pro-evolution victory in Kansas (where, incidentally, voter turnout was only 18 percent) was the third strike for evolution critics. Last December a federal judge in Dover, Pennsylvania, prohibited the school from even mentioning Intelligent Design, and in February, the Ohio board of education nixed a plan to allow a modicum of critical analysis of evolution. But one strikeout does not a ball game win. Gallup Polls have repeatedly shown that only about 10 percent of Americans believe the version of evolution commonly taught in public schools and, despite massive public school indoctrination in Darwinism, that number has not changed much in decades. ... Coulter's book charges that evolution is a cult religion, and described how its priests and practitioners regularly treat critics as religious heretics. The Darwinists' answer to every challenge is to accuse their opponents of, horrors, a fundamentalist belief in God. [article link]
Did dinosaurs really become extinct millions of years before the existence of humans? eye-opening, fascinating (20-minute Video)
This ground-breaking educational film reveals historical and archaeological evidence that dinosaur and man once co-existed. This popular motion picture is enjoyed by both young and old. Be sure to see the companion book, The Great Dinosaur Mystery and the Bible, as well as our very large and unique dinosaur Web site. [article link]
AnGel Ministries - Anne Grahm Lotz - Daily Light for Daily Living (Mp3's) Click on the titles below to download or listen to Anne's Daily Light for Daily Living 60-second radio spots! [article link]
Plan B Maneuvering - the so-called Plan B "emergency contraceptive" - why is acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, a Bush appointee, going along with Barr's plan? Barr has modified its push for over-the-counter (OTC) sales to females age 16 and over and now will limit sales to females 18 and over. Barr is in the drug business so its position is understandable. What's not understandable is why acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, a Bush appointee, would go along with Barr's plan. There are problems with this "compromise": the health affects of these mega doses of birth control are unknown, and a dual track for distribution is unprecedented and unenforceable. Does anyone think that Planned Parenthood, which distributes Plan B, would conscientiously require prescriptions before giving it to minors? This clearly is inconsistent with the Bush administration's effort to advance a Culture of Life. We continue to oppose OTC distribution of Plan B--and we oppose the confirmation of Dr. von Eschenbach as FDA Commissioner. [article link]
Fatah, Hamas discuss unity gov't {While President Bush wages his war against lipstick and the American public the real terrorists are getting stronger.} "The two sides believe that in the wake of the Israel-Hizbullah war, the best thing for the Palestinians at this stage is to be united," one official told The Jerusalem Post. "That's why we are working hard to persuade Hamas to accept the idea of a national unity government that would see both parties in power. We believe the next phase carries serious challenges for the Palestinians." ... Meanwhile, Hamas said on Monday that it was studying the implications of the Hizbullah "victory" in Lebanon and warned that the presence of IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon would lead to more violence. ... The "defeat" of the IDF in Lebanon, he added, marks the beginning of the regression of the Zionist project in the Middle East. "Israel will fail in Palestine the same way it failed in Lebanon," he said. [article link]
Updated - The Basic Christian: Quick Start Guide to Christianity (PDF) Perfect for new Christian introduction to the basics of Christianity. [article link]
**Harvest Crusade 2006 with Pastor Greg Laurie August 11-13 in Anaheim, CA - The Sunday Talk is about current events and 'The End of the World' Archives now Available At Harvest '06, you'll find the answers to the big questions of life, like "Why am I here?", and "Where will I go when I die?" Mark your calendar for August 11-13 and come to Angel Stadium or watch the live webcast online. Admission is free, so be sure to invite your friends! [article link]
Joni and Friends - Daily Radio Messages - 08/14/2006 Christian Exiles "This is no time for self righteousness" about 4 minutes each (Mp3) Joni's message of hope in Christ is powerfully delivered and powerfully received, as evidenced by the honor she was given by the National Religious Broadcasters in 2002 when Joni and Friends was named Radio Program of the Year. [article link]
A Prayer For Israel Psalm 83 [Flash & Screensaver Downloads] A Christian flash show based on Psalm 83, as intercession for Israel. [article link]
Analysis: U.N. Resolution 1701 - The resolution represents a near-total victory for Hezbollah and its sponsors, Syria and Iran, and a defeat for both Israel and America - At this point, the return of captured Israeli soldiers is undetermined It makes it impossible for Israel to defend itself against aggression without being exposed to international condemnation on a scale never seen before. The responsibility for determining compliance is placed in the hands of Kofi Annan who has distinguished himself as a man capable only of condemning Israel for its acts of self-defense. By empowering Annan to evaluate compliance, the resolution all but ensures that Hezbollah will not be forced to disarm and that Israel will be forced to give up the right to defend itself. A catastrophic precedent has been set for the future. Because Lebanon is receiving international support for legally unsupportable territorial demands on Israel (Shaba Farms on the Golan Heights), in the future, the Palestinians, Syrians, Egyptians, and even Jordanians will feel empowered to employ aggression to gain territorial concessions. It places the power to oversee an arms embargo against Hezbollah in the hands of the Lebanese government, of which Hezbollah is a member. ... [article link]
{flashback} U.S. asks Israel to consider talks on land - U.S. officials have advised Israel to consider a deal that would give the Shaba Farms area, occupied by Israel since 1967, to Lebanon {This was the big fair summit that's cruel.} The issue was broached by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a meeting Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday. The Post said the Israeli government pushed the idea aside after bitter fighting and Israeli loses Wednesday at Bint Jbail, the Hezbollah capital in Lebanon. When asked about the possibility of Israel relinquishing the area, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mark Regev told the Post, "As far as I know, no one in the international community believes that Shaba Farms is part of Lebanon." [article link]
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image - Christian Creation vs. Secular Evolution: Resources and Information (Updated) Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image ... What is the significance and meaning of God's creation plan? Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven (sky) and the earth. It is only through creation and not by means of (random) evolution that people can be "created in the image of God" therefore creation is the very heart of the plan of God. [article link]
At least 120 rockets already fired by Hizb'allah at Israel on Sunday As the expected declaration of a cease-fire nears, Hizbullah appears to have stepped up their rocket attacks on the north, firing at least 120 Katyushas at northern towns and villages by 1:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon. [article link]
10 Ways Darwinists Help Intelligent Design (Part I) Eighty years after the Scopes "Monkey" Trial, the public still refuses to accept the idea that Darwin's theory of natural selection is a sufficient explanation for complex biological phenomena. In fact, opinion polls show that fewer people are willing to accept the idea that human beings developed from earlier species than they were just ten years ago. [article link]
10 Ways Darwinists Help Intelligent Design (Part II) #6 By invoking design in (their) non-design explanations. ... 'Biologists have long speculated that the (DNA) redundancy may have been designed' ... [article link]
HavenToday.org - Haven Ministries: Program Archives (Online Listening) We invite you to help us bring the glory, love and joy of Jesus to others! For the last 70 years HAVEN has touched the lives of thousands through its message and music. Your tax-deductible donation makes it possible to continue. We offer premiums (books, music, tapes) as a thank you for standing with us financially. [article link]
HeartLight 9+ Daily Email Devotionals to choose from including - My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers Heartlight devotionals can become a special part of your day. Turn to them daily for encouragement and inspiration. Many of our devotionals are available by email each day! [article link]
Analysis: Hezbollah Still Has Thousands of Rockets Hezbollah adopted a murderous tactic Thursday. On Wednesday, when a barrage of 230 rockets hit Israel, most people remained in shelters. So on Thursday, Hezbollah sent a drizzle of rockets throughout the day. Then, at 4 P.M., as people emerged from the shelters for air, a heavy volley arrived, killing eight. [article link]
Mormon (FLDS) Polygamist gets 45 days for sex with teen bride (Court TV) -- An Arizona judge has sentenced a polygamist to 45 days in county jail for having sex with a teenager he took as his third wife. The sentence disappointed authorities in Kingman, Arizona, who had hoped a harsher punishment for defendant Kelly Fischer would discourage others in the church from taking teenage wives. Fischer was the first of seven members of the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints (FLDS) to be tried for plural marriages to minors. [article link]
Morning-After Pill Debate Leaves 'View' Host Elisabeth Hasselbeck in Tears {Let's all lift her up in Prayer!} Hasselbeck found herself outnumbered after she voiced her opposition to the controversial contraceptive, which is said to be capable of preventing pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. ... Hasselbeck explained that she feels the pill disrupts pregnancies after conception, the point where she believes life begins. "It's the same thing as birthing a baby and leaving it out in the street!" she declared. ... As the segment ended, Hasselbeck was seen tearing a sheet of paper in half in frustration. And when the show returned from commercials, it was obvious Hasselbeck had been crying. [article link]
Stealing Young Minds by Hal Lindsey - The corruption of the educational system (Mp3) Furnished by heargoodnews.com [article link]
Study disputes public school advantage - U.S. private school students do better in reading and math tests than their public school peers The researchers claim a recent U.S. Department of Education study of the same test results was flawed. The government study, which fanned the flames of the school voucher debate when it was released last month, said public school students did roughly the same as, and in some cases better than, private school students in fourth and eighth grades. [article link]
*first Look at this picture of a parked Lebanese ambulance (bottom right of picture) then look at the next article The ambulance that Hizb'allah claims was purposely attacked by an Israeli rocket was likely involved in a long ago {internal - Beirut based} bomb-shrapnel incident. The ambulance was then junked and stripped and now has been dredged up complete with dents, old rusted shrapnel holes, and plenty of emotional drama to play a part in the never ceasing Hizb'allah propaganda war against the truth and against Israel. [article link]
**next - More MSM Propaganda Exposed - There's a {fake} story just starting to make the rounds of the MSM outlets - that Israel is targeting ambulances The story goes that the Israeli's struck two ambulances, injuring nine people, severing one man's leg. There's only one problem; it looks as though it isn't true. ... It seems when he first told the story, there was only one ambulance and the alleged missile strike took place on the 23. And that's also what he told the Red Cross, though the second ambulance was added. ... So, why add this second mysterious ambulance? Because there's photographic evidence such a strike never took place. The image at right above is one circulating showing the alleged missile strike at 300x magnification. Does that look like a missile strike to you? Or did someone simply remove the blue flashing light casing that should be there? But there's more. ... Also, inside the van - no smoke damage at all. There is no discoloration, but we're supposed to believe that the ordinance exploded in there while the van was closed? No singe marks on anything, nothing. ... This incident is alleged to have just happened, but there are several gouges which don't appear related to any missile and they are all extremely old, as they are completely surrounded with rust. [article link]
New Video: Inside Baalbek Mission of Last Evening with Israeli Commandos (Online Video) This video is something special. It was shot in the early morning hours of August 2 during an operation by IDF commandos in Baalbek, inside the Bekaa Valley. The commandos captured five Hezbollah terrorists and killed at least 10 others before completing the operation and safely returning to Israel, IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said. More operational details of the raid here. [article link]
Shiite Iraqis to Rally in Support of Hezbollah BAGHDAD, Iraq - Hundreds of followers of a radical Shiite cleric left a southern Iraqi city on Thursday to join a rally in the capital condemning Israeli attacks on Lebanon, while at least 13 people were killed or found dead in the latest sectarian violence. Muqtada al-Sadr, a firebrand anti-U.S. cleric who commands a large militia, has called on his followers from around the country to congregate in Baghdad on Friday after the weekly prayers. The rally, scheduled to be held in the Shiite slum of Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, will show support for the Shiite Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah in its fight against Israel. [article link]
{flashback} Breaking with U.S., Iraq jabs at Israel - The comments by Iraqi PM al-Maliki, a Shiite Arab whose party has close ties to Iran BAGHDAD -- Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday denounced the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, marking a sharp break with President Bush's position and highlighting the growing power of a Shiite Muslim identity across the Middle East. The comments by al-Maliki, a Shiite Arab whose party has close ties to Iran, were noticeably stronger than those by Sunni Arab governments, which have refused to take an unequivocal stand on Lebanon, reflecting their concern about the growing influence of Iran, which has a Shiite majority. [article link]
US Military Academies Now Open to Iraqis BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Iraqi Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that it will be accepting applications from Iraqis who want to attend U.S. military academies. Iraqis between the ages of 18 and 22, who are fluent in
English and physically can apply for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Navas well as the Air Force Academy in Colorado and the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland, Brig. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari said. [article link]
{flashback} ANALYSIS Bush's vision, and the Middle East region, appear to be near collapse - The overthrow of Iran's Sunni enemies in Iraq has "created an Iranian moment" Washington -- The Bush administration's notion that toppling Saddam Hussein would stabilize a turbulent region is among the casualties of this week's Middle East carnage. ... "It's an inescapable fact, as uncomfortable as it is, that the ... Iranian position is stronger than it otherwise would be,'' Blacker said. "It's not an accident that on the more traditional Middle East front, things are heating up again. The Iranians are trying to send a concrete signal.'' The overthrow of Iran's Sunni enemies in Iraq has "created an Iranian moment,'' Cook said. [article link]
Eye of the Storm: Victory in the eye of the beholder - Shi'ites who regard the US as an unexpected ally {Is this a stated US foreign policy? Why is President George W. Bush suddenly radical Islam's best buddy?} These critics point out that the US has helped Iraqi Shi'ites to shake off Sunni oppression and dominate their nation's government for the first time. The US has also helped Afghan Hazara Shi'ites to have a share in their nation's government - again for the very first time. Shi'ites also look to the US to help their coreligionists secure their rights in other countries such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. More importantly, perhaps, the US played a crucial role in ending Syria's military presence in Lebanon, opening the way for the development of a pluralist system in which Shi'ites, thanks to their demographic strength, would be in the lead. [article link]
August 2, 2006: 9/11 panel distrusted Pentagon testimony - Commissioners considered criminal probe of false statements (cnn) "We were extremely frustrated with the false statements we were getting," Roemer told CNN. "We were not sure of the intent, whether it was to deceive the commission or merely part of the fumbling bureaucracy." The issues concerned Pentagon officials' testimony about the timeline of events on September 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked four U.S. airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. ... "For more than two years after the attacks, officials with NORAD [the North American Aerospace Defense Command] and the FAA provided inaccurate information about the response to the hijackings in testimony and media appearances," The Washington Post reported Wednesday. [article link]
Bush Adminstration Pursuing Globalist Agenda - Maybe the Bush administration doesn't want to stop the invasion of illegal immigrants The hottest issue at the grass roots is illegal immigration and what our government is not doing to stop it. The question most frequently heard is, "Why doesn't the Bush administration get it?" Maybe the Bush administration doesn't want to stop the invasion of illegal immigrants and plans to solve the problem by just declaring them all legal through amnesty and guest-worker proposals. Maybe the Bush administration is pursuing a globalist agenda. Consider this chronology. ... [article link]
Does President Bush Secretly Believe He is a Descendant of Mohammed? President George Bush might actually believe he is a descendant of Mohamed. It would explain allot of his comments and his actions. Comments like he believes the Quran (Koran) "to be the word of God" and actions like his complete and total worldwide proxy war on behalf of the Muslim Shiite sect. President Bush has removed all the Iraq oil revenues from the Sunni people of Iraq and has given it to the Shiite sect. Bush has also helped place three radical Iranian-Shiite Politicians in charge over Iraq meanwhile he privately finances and
supports the radical Shiite groups of Hamas and Hizb'allah. England's Tony Blair and Prince Charles are also strong Shiite supporters with Prince Charles all but openly admitting that he is a convert to Islam. No wonder we live in days with so many strange events occurring because our world leaders have such strange beliefs. [article link]
{flashback} November 19, 2001: President Bush - The White House and Ramadan "According to Muslim teachings, God first revealed His word in the Holy Qur'an to the prophet, Muhammad, during the month of Ramadan. That word has guided billions of believers across the centuries, and those believers built a culture of learning and literature and science. All the world continues to benefit from this faith and its achievements." Remarks by the President George W. Bush At Iftaar Dinner - The State Dining Room, Washington, D.C. November 19, 2001 [article link]
usatoday.com: Israeli commandos clash with Hezbollah in northeastern Lebanon, seize prisoners - The hospital, which residents said is financed by an Iranian charity that is close to Hezbollah, was empty of patients at the time of the raid, the guerrilla group said (warning - graphic photos) Hezbollah retaliated with its deepest strikes yet into Israel, firing a record number of more than 160 rockets. ... The hospital, which residents said is financed by an Iranian charity that is close to Hezbollah, was empty of patients at the time of the raid, the guerrilla group said. Olmert said that, although the scene of the fighting is called a hospital, "there are no patients there and there is no hospital, this is a base of the Hezbollah in disguise." Hezbollah fought the commandos with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, while Israeli jets fired missiles at the surrounding guerrilla force, Rahal said. [article link]
IDF commandos capture 5 Hezbollah guerrillas at Baalbek Raid Israeli troops captured five Hezbollah guerrillas and killed at least 10 in a commando raid in Lebanon, Israel's army chief said. ... Olmert said the target of the raid was not functioning as a hospital. "Israel does not raid hospitals," he said. "There are no patients there and there is no hospital. This is a base of the Hezbollah, of the Hezbollah in disguise." Baalbek, an ancient city with spectacular Roman ruins, was a former Syrian army headquarters and included the barracks of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards when they trained Hezbollah guerrillas there in the 1980s. [article link]
Battle at Baalbek hospital as IDF commandos try to snatch Hezbollah head - Late reports from the Lebanese indicate that IDF soldiers are trapped in the hospital and trying to fight their way out Lebanese security sources are claiming that special IDF forces have failed in their attempt to seize Hezbollah High Council member Sheikh Muhammad Yazbek, one of the most senior members of the organization, from a hospital near Baalbek in the western Bekaa valley. Reports indicated that the operation began with at least six rapid air strikes, after which IAF helicopters landed ground forces in the city's western sector. ... Lebanese officials claim that the IDF forces planned to kidnap the sheikh from the Dar el-Hichma hospital, located north of Baalbek. [article link]
InTouch Ministries: Previous Broadcasts God Is at Work - Life isn't easy. Difficulties are everywhere, no matter what your class or station in life. So, it's comforting to know that nothing we face intimidates God. He is powerful enough, and concerned enough, to act on our behalf when we're powerless. [article link]
End Times and other Biblical Topics - Basic Christian Theology: Answers to Bible Questions (132 Topics) A Complete handy Reference - Study Guide/Tutorial. It covers 132 Christian Subjects and Topics from Adoption
- Yahweh in an easy to read and understand format. An extensive resource, unparalleled in convenience and ease of use yet advanced in topic research. [article link]
Bible Prophecies - First, a short Bible prophecy 'equation' to help prepare us for how close we now are - And now, for the first time in history this 'prophetic equation' is nearly complete . . .and all in this generation! .. Have a hard time believing? Just study the prophecies and then watch the news Please remember, the Kingdom of Heaven is available to every man, woman, boy, and girl in this world, no matter who they are, where they live, or what they have done. It is freely offered to any and all who will receive it. According to the Bible, the only unpardonable sin is to reject God's love and His offer of life in the Kingdom of Heaven by rejecting the Messiah, who was sent forth to save us sinners from the torment of Hell and from the coming Apocalypse. "The Lamb of God" ... He lovingly became the sacrifice for all of our sins as He willingly shed His blood on the Cross so we can be washed clean of all our sins. The Bible warns there will be no peace in our hearts until we make peace with God through His Messiah. The Bible also warns there will be no peace in Israel (or on Earth) until the Messiah (Jesus Christ in English, Yeshua Ha'Mashiach in Hebrew, and Isa Al-Masih in the Quran) returns . . . [article link]
The Apocalypse: The Bible Collection - On Sale Save %75 - $4.99 (DVD) From the Emmy Award-winning Bible series featuring the critically acclaimed movies Abraham, Joseph and Moses comes an all-new production starring Richard Harris as John the Apostle in The Apocalypse. The year is 90 A.D. and the Roman Emperor has unleashed a virulent campaign against the Christians. Held captive by the Romans, the aged apostle John (Richard Harris) struggles to save Christianity from extinction by sending letters to the Christian communities. Driven by the wish to meet the last living witness of the Lord's passion, the young Christian Irene (Victoria Belvedere) succeeds in gaining access to John's prison. Entrusting the written record of his visions to her, he begs Irene to spread its message among the Christians. These visions form the contents of the Book of Revelation. To some, they evoke the end of the world; to others, they allude to the spiritual struggles facing Christians of all eras. [article link]
Praise the Lord Show Archives - Monday Jul 24, 2006 - Movie: 'The Apocalypse' - These visions form the contents of the Book of Revelation (Online Movie) Available to view at the TBN - Praise the Lord Archives. [article link]
The Voice of the Martyrs: Bookstore Current Feature - Iran: Desperate for God - An oppressive Islamic state drives its people into the arms of God! Iran: Desperate for God An oppressive Islamic state drives its people into the arms of God! Despite the tremendous oppression in Iran, an intense spiritual hunger is breaking out across the country. The salvation of Jesus Christ is sweeping through one of the most oppressive terrorist nations on earth. How can it be? Read seven testimonies of Muslims who found true freedom. $8.00 [article link]
michellemalkin.com: DANCING IN THE STREETS - Cuba's Castro signs an order transferring power to his brother Thousands of anti-Castro Cuban-Americans are celebrating in the streets of the Little Havana of Miami tonight. Streaming video of the celebrations here. One step closer to Cuba Libre, baby. Via Yahoo! News: [article link]
{flashback} In the cockpit - Major 'Y', an F-16 pilot in the Israeli Air Force, writes about his unusual experiences of the past several days
Returning back to my base from a routine practice mission. Taxiing back to the parking area, I hear "Zanek" (Jump) on the radio. What? I asked myself. Everything was calm when I took off, just one hour ago. ... It's strange how the focus in these missions is not to succeed, hit the target precisely, but rather - not to make any mistakes. The message is clear all the way from the Squadron commander to the last pilot. One mistake can jeopardize the whole war... [article link]
2006 Values Voter Summit - Washington D.C. Sept. 22-24 - Register Today REGISTER TODAY FOR THE VALUES VOTER EVENT OF 2006! SEPTEMBER 22-24, 2006 at the OMNI SHOREHAM HOTEL WASHINGTON, D.C. *SPONSOR A STUDENT* SPONSORED BY: FRC ACTION. The Legislative Action Arm of Family Research Council. [article link]
Photos that damn Hezbollah - showing that Hezbollah is waging war amid suburbia dressed in civilian clothing The images, obtained exclusively by the Sunday Herald Sun, show Hezbollah using high-density residential areas as launch pads for rockets and heavy-calibre weapons. Dressed in civilian clothing so they can quickly disappear, the militants carrying automatic assault rifles and ride in on trucks mounted with cannon. The photographs, from the Christian area of Wadi Chahrour in the east of Beirut, were taken by a visiting journalist and smuggled out by a friend. [article link]
Hezbollywood' Evidence mounts that Qana collapse and deaths were staged Thus there was an unexplained 7 to 8 hour gap between the time of the helicopter strike and the building collapse. ... There are other mysteries. The roof of the building was intact. Journalist Ben Wedeman of CNN noted that there was a larger crater next to the building, but observed that the building appeared not to have collapsed as a result of the Israeli strike. [article link]
Olmert: There is no ceasefire now, nor in coming days - "We are determined to win this struggle," he insisted. "We are not willing to forfeit our right to live a normal life, one that is free of terrorism and incessant instability and threat and zealousy and hatred." Speaking before an audience of northern regional council heads in Carmiel, he said that the IDF was fighting at those very moments by land and by sea against Hizbullah's terrorist infrastructure in Lebanon. Olmert insisted that the campaign would continue until the threat against Israel was removed, the kidnapped soldiers - Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit - returned home, and the residents of the north could reside quietly in their homes. [article link]
debbieschlussel.com: Mel Gibson, The Jews & 72 Virgins - Mel Gibson was arrested for drunk driving and launched into an anti-Semitic tirade While Gibson specifically apologizes to the cops who arrested him ... he does not apologize to the Jewish people he defamed and attacked at a time when anti-Semitism is at its highest post-World War II levels. It's not an accidental omission. It's a glaring and deliberate one. Mel Gibson owes me (Debbie Schlussel) and every other Jew in the world a specific apology. Don't hold your breath to hear one, though. [article link]
GEEKS & GOD - Lots of Internet, Blog, Podcast, Video, Mp3 & Computer Info - Emerging Church type of stuff (Caution some profanity is used) Podcasting is hot. Bottom line. These days, podcasting is the newest language of the emerging generation. If your ministry isn't doing it, you're missing out on the language of the day. Podcasting is just one more step to
"being all things to all people, that they might be saved". [article link]
New Material and Updates now Posted - APPEAL FROM EDITOR WOLLINS: DONATE ONLINE to "Global Friends of IsraelReporter.Com", SUPPORT OUR MEDIA - We are working beyond the point of exhaustion This is Shlomo Wollins addressing our global audience from Jerusalem on 24jul06 We are experiencing an enormous increase in traffic and we require financial assistance from our audience of over 100,000 this month to expand our war coverage to the multiple locations in Northern Israel. We have been entirely unsuccessful in our recent appeals which has prevented the purchase of necessary equipment, a boost in our server capacity and speed, and other critical expenses of covering this multi-front, multi-city war on the state of Israel. We are not given to gimmicks, raffles or other sophmoric techniques to raise money. Do not hesitate and do not calculate - please contribute below and meet us halfway. We are working beyond the point of exhaustion despite of (and as a result of) our severe underfunding. Although sending a pizza to a soldier on the front may be more emotionally appealling (and less expensive), it is the pro-arab/anti-Israel media machines (i.e. CNN and The New York Times) that have truly contributed to the loss of life in Israel. A pizza will not save a soldier's life - but the global awareness of the culpability of Israeli (and U.S.) policies that have created this nightmare will. [article link]
ANALYSIS: Israel failing to give U.S. the military cards it needs - Israel Has Already Won This War Comment #8 It is Lebanon's options that are limited Israel has obtained substantial international agreement that if somebody, anybody, in Lebanon attacks Israel, Israel has the right to generally attack Lebanon's infrastructure. Lebanon can no longer have a thriving tourist trade, $500 million dollar air terminal, major highways, international commerce, expensive hotels, and other trappings of modern civilization if they allow anybody to attack Israel from Lebanon. It is Lebanon's options that are limited. Israel has already won this war. [article link]
OliveTreeViews.org: Olive Tree Views Ministry - A Clarion Call to Prayer for Israel - July 30 We are fast-approaching the date of Tisha b'Av on the Jewish calendar, which falls this year on August 3. It always falls in late July or early August. It is a date of ironic Jewish tragedies over thousands of years. Are the dates coincidental? Here are just some examples of what happened on Tisha b'Av throughout history: * The first Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. and the second Temple was demolished on the same date by the Romans in 70 A.D. * The Jews were expelled from Spain on that date in 1491. * The Russian pogroms, World War I and World War II all occurred on that day. (Remember, the date varies from year to year.) * The Jews were exiled from England on that date in 1290. * Moses broke the tablets at Mount Sinai following the sin of the golden calf on that date. It would seem to stretch credulity to suggest that these incidents (and others not listed) fell on Tisha b'Av by coincidence. [article link]
PrayingForIsrael.net: Praying For Israel - Brothers, my heart's desire and my prayer to God is for Israel (Jacob), that they may be saved. Rom. 10:1 Founded in 2004 PrayingForIsrael.net provides prayer and teaching material to help and encourage those that have a love for Israel and the Jewish people. The website has regularly updated general news items whilst the Intercessors prayer letter, which is sent out once a month, provides timely digests of the prayer needs of Israel, the Body of Messiah in Israel and the Jewish people (if there is an urgent prayer need, then an additional prayer letter will be sent out). The website also has teaching material to help you gain a better understanding and insight into the Scriptures dealing with God's purposes for Israel and the Jewish people. [article link]
PowerLineBlog.com: Just Wondering - a giant poster of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that was used in a rally in Beirut What seems odd about this is that the banner was unfurled within hours after the Qana attack took place. The building where the civilians died was bombed on Sunday morning, and the demonstration took place during daylight hours, later the same day. I have no idea what kind of facility it takes to produce a 30-foot-high banner like this one. It is obviously professionally done. It would be interesting to know where this banner was produced; who designed and paid for it; and how its production was expedited so that it was ready for use, on the street, within hours after the event being protested. For example, was the image of Rice produced in advance, awaiting a pretext for its use, with only the script added at the last minute? I've often been curious about the logistics of pro-terrorist demonstrations, and this seems like an especially curious example. ... AFP Sun Jul 30, 2:36 PM ET Hezbollah supporters place a banner showing US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and reading in Arabic: "The massacre of children in Qana 2, is the gift of Rice. The clever bombs..Stupid," in downtown Beirut. Fifty-two. [article link]
Vital Perspective: Clarity on Middle East Issues - Exclusive: Israeli Leaflets Urged Residents in Area to Evacuate for Safety This just in... It's widely reported that the residents in the area, as well as in Qana specifically, were told repeatedly to leave. The question one has to ask, is why did this happen under the circumstances? Who benefits by the large loss of civilian life? The answer is clearly Hezbollah, which uses human shields, and their sponsors in Syria and Iran. Israel dropped leaflets warning residents that airstrikes were on the way. We have obtained the text of that leaflet which was dropped by the Israelis as well as a scanned image of what one of these leaflets looks like: [article link]
Video: TerrorStorm By Alex Jones - Governmental False-Flag Operations Explained (Google Video) TerrorStorm delivers a ... all » powerful sucker punch to the architects of global terrorism and how they stage false-flag events to achieve political and sociological ends. Alex journeys from the depths of history from the Gulf of Tonkin, the USS Liberty and Gladio through to the Madrid and 7/7 London bombings and robustly catalogues the real story behind the government induced fable. [article link]
{flashback} February 23, 2006: A combat engineer looks at the bomb attack on the Shia mosque in Samarra Iraq {It took hours to complete the demolition charges, the mosque had been heavily guarded and fortunately it looks like the mosque was empty at the time of the explosion. This is looking like an inside job that the Shiites blew up their own mosque in order to stir up strife and probably have America pull out of Iraq whatever the reason Bush bit (without an investigation) and blamed Al Queda and vows for America to help rebuild the mosque.} The following is his analysis of the terror bomb attack on the Askariya Shrine in Samarra. Understand that his analysis is informed speculation, but speculation by a man who knows how to build buildings as well as destroy them. I have been asked if I think this attack in Iraq was an "a quick in and out raid," (a target of opportunity attack) or did the operation (placing the explosives) take some time to carry out? ... My guess is that it probably took some time to plant the charges. The charges would have to be taken into the building placed at a point some distance up in the structure of the dome itself. With only people power to move the stuff up there, place the charges and rig the ignition circuits I would tend to believe this was an operation covering three to five hours, not just a quick in and out raid. [article link]
IDF: Qana building fell hours after strike - {This is starting to look like one of those insider (false-flag) jobs where the Lebanese or Palestinians blew up their own building in order to blame Israel}
IDF: Qana building fell hours after strike. IDF continuing to check difficult incident at Qana village, and attempting to account for strange gap between time of the strike on the building - midnight - and eight in the morning, when the building collapsed. [article link]
JPost.com Petition - Help Bring Our (captured) Soldiers Home Alive and Protect Israel! Corporal Gilad Shalit and reserve soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were abducted by our enemies and are being held hostage in hostile territory. [article link]
Israel Presses On Despite Airstrike Outrage - {Where is the international outrage over the thousands of deliberate Hizb'allah rocket attacks on Israeli civilians?} QANA, Lebanon - At least 56 people,- were killed Sunday in an Israeli airstrike that crushed a building, the deadliest attack of the Israeli campaign, raising Lebanon's overall death toll over 500. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice decided to return early to Washington with her diplomatic mission derailed after Lebanese leaders told her not to come. [article link]
Jon Courson: Message & Israel Info - Prophecy Update: Lebanon Crisis (Online Listening) I shared about the recent events and how they may relate to Bible Prophecy, and about what we should do as 'the watchmen' we are called to be as it relates to Israel particularly. I hope you can not only listen in via the link provided below, but that also you will join in the privileged work we are called to do. Shalom and God's Best to each of you! [article link]
Christians United For Israel (CUFI): The Washington/Israel Summit 2006 (Archive - Mp3's) I ask for your prayers as people come from the four corners of our great nation to stand in unity on behalf of Israel. One of our leaders shared Psalm 83, which describes what is happening in Israel quite clearly, O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. "Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more." With one mind they plot together they form an alliance against you - Psalm 83: 1-5 [article link]
Billy Graham - The Billy Graham Crusade (Classic) - 7:00pm Pacific Time - Saturdays These are the amazing Billy Graham Crusades from the past 25 years that bring the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to the world. World renowned actors, singers, athletes and ministers share the platform with Dr. Graham, George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows for an hour of blessing and inspiration to all who watch. [article link]
Woody Allen Comedy Special 1969 - Starring - Reverend Billy Graham - select 'Part three' (Video TV) LikeTelevision™ proudly presents - The Woody Allen Special from September 21, 1969 - which was part of TV series called The Kraft Music Hall. ... Reverend Billy Graham has a terrific interview with Woody Allen as they discuss God, sex and seeing each other's show. Billy says he'll go see Play it Again Sam if Woody goes to one of Billy Graham's revivals. It's an amazing bit of television history -and fascinatin given the events that followed the era of the sexual revoltion of the late 1960s. [article link]
Answers in Genesis: A new weekly feature examining the news from a biblical viewpoint What a week to kick off AiG's new weekly breaking-news feature, News to Note! I'm Andrew McKenzie, and I'll
be taking you on a brief tour of top news each week, looking at how major stories should be understood within the biblical worldview and how Christians should respond to the turmoil around us ... [article link]
IDF leaves Bin Jbeil area - a special IDF force carried out two separate operations during which soldiers infiltrated a Hizbullah command post and returned with maps, two-way radios and additional equipment IDF forces completed Saturday one of their most important missions in the framework of the operation in Lebanon, and during the morning hours most of the units who took part in Bint Jbeil began to withdraw from the area. ... IDF officials said more than 200 Hizbullah members have been killed so far, among them about 40 top-level commanders and officials. The army is planning to draft reserve units as planned ahead of possibly larger operations in the near future. [article link]
Man Finds 188-Year-Old Bible in Dump Bin - The sheepskin-covered book was printed in Pittsburgh in 1818 and, according to Hoskins' research, is one of less than half dozen copies in existence DANVILLE, Va. - Electrician Michael Hoskins is not averse to browsing when he drops off trash at the Route 41 dump bin, and a recent visit rewarded his curiosity. Hoskins said he discovered a 188-year-old King James Bible. Now he's fending off offers approaching $1,000 for the find. [article link]
Bush 'apology' over bomb flights US President George Bush has apologised to Tony Blair over the use of Prestwick Airport (Scotland) to refuel planes carrying bombs to Israel, Mr Blair's spokesman says. ... One air traffic controller, who did not want to be identified, said: "We usually don't know the cargo that is on board but for some reason this one's flight plan was brazenly advertising it was carrying bombs. [article link]
Editors Pick JPost.com: The 51st Battalion - The Golani unit lost eight soldiers in Wednesday's battle; here are their stories Eight troops from Golani's 51st Battalion lost their lives on Wednesday during heavy fighting with Hizbullah operatives in the southern Lebanese village of Bint Jbail. Another officer was killed in a clash at Maron a-Ras. [article link]
Every Eye Shall See the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Flash) And every eye shall see Him (Jesus) ... [article link]
Food for Lambs: Bible in a Year Podcast (iPod) Listen to the entire Bible, The Old Testament once, the New Testament twice, each year, updated weekdays. The GOD'S WORD Bible is a wonderful modern English translation, not a paraphrase, that is accurate yet easy to understand, and very enjoyable to listen to. [article link]
The Value of the Soul - by Billy Graham (Mp3) The Greatest Sermons by Billy Graham. mp3 [article link]
Creationist Kent Hovind Reveals The Truth About The Garden of Eden and Creation! (Google Video Download) Kent Hovind - 1 hr 56 min 19 sec - Mar 2, 2006 - www.drdino.com [article link]
Station changes format from God to sex - Fresno radio station refers to itself as 'P-rn Radio' KINGSBURG, California (AP) -- KFYE-FM hasn't budged from the Fresno-area dial, but it's about as far as you can get from the Christian music, sermons and Bible stories it was broadcasting until about a week ago. Now it calls itself "P-rn Radio" -- "all sex radio, all the time," with a suggestion that people under 21 not listen. ... The change, made after the station was sold this month, was met with several non-sexual groans from some residents. "It would appear this is another of those promotions that are simply designed to create controversy," longtime Fresno radio personality Ed Beckman told The Fresno Bee. "This format belongs on Sirius or XM, not on over-the-air." [article link]
Dump Condi: Foreign policy conservatives charge State Dept. has hijacked Bush agenda Conservative national security allies of President Bush are in revolt against Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, saying that she is incompetent and has reversed the administration's national security and foreign policy agenda. ... "The president has yet to understand that people make policy and not the other way around," a senior national security policy analyst said. "Unlike [former Secretary of State Colin] Powell, Condi is loyal to the president. She is just incompetent on most foreign policy issues." [article link]
U.S. asks Israel to consider talks on land - U.S. officials have advised Israel to consider a deal that would give the Shaba Farms area, occupied by Israel since 1967, to Lebanon {This was the big fair summit - that's cruel.} The issue was broached by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a meeting Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday. The Post said the Israeli government pushed the idea aside after bitter fighting and Israeli loses Wednesday at Bint Jbail, the Hezbollah capital in Lebanon. When asked about the possibility of Israel relinquishing the area, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mark Regev told the Post, "As far as I know, no one in the international community believes that Shaba Farms is part of Lebanon." [article link]
The Free West's Weblog: Kofi Annan's misdirected ire - UNIFIL has provided more security to Hizballah than it has to Israel, thereby increasing the likelihood of conflict and helping to make the current war inevitable Sometimes it seems as if United Nations Secretary General Kofi Anan isn't really of this world. For a head of the United nations he seems to exhibit a surprising otherworldliness. Today, a direct strike against a UNIFIL post in southern Lebanon by an Israeli shell killing four UN military observers has been lambasted by Anan as a deliberate attack. This accusation is without any foundation and Israel has rightly demanded an apology. UNIFIL began as an opportunity for peace, but the UN Interim Force in Lebanon has never made good on its promise. It looked on as Hizballah fortified southern Lebanon, it failed to prevent Hizballah carrying out attacks on Israel. Throughout, Hizballah has used UNIFIL to give cover in battle and to limit Israel's options when counterattacking, while UNIFIL's tacit approval of Hizballah's presence has lent it apparent legitimacy. [article link]
By Michelle Malkin: Contradicting Kofi - The NY Sun reports this morning that Kofi Annan's smear against Israel is threatening to "unravel:" A Canadian U.N. observer, one of four killed at a UNIFIL position near the southern Lebanese town of Khiyam on Tuesday, sent an e-mail to his former commander, a Canadian retired major-general, Lewis MacKenzie, in which he wrote that Hezbollah fighters were "all over" the U.N. position, Mr. MacKenzie said. Hezbollah troops, not the United Nations, were Israel's target, the deceased observer wrote. [article link]
Forgotten Jamestown well holds centuries-old artifacts Year-long commemorations are under way to mark the 400th anniversary of the English landing in 1607 and
founding of Jamestown, Virginia -- the first permanent British settlement in America. [article link]
8 Golani Soldiers Killed in Fierce Battle in Bint Jbail - A well-planned Hezbollah ambush on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Bint Jbail on Wednesday devastated Battalion 51 of the Golani Brigade Asor and his men moved quickly through a batch of some 15 one-story homes in the village, home to 20,000 Shi'ite Lebanese who mostly fled north in anticipation of the IDF raid. But as the troops moved cautiously through the narrow alleyways, a Hezbollah force opened a wave of gunfire and missiles at the Israeli force, wounding and killing several soldiers in the first moments of the battle. As Asor and his men fought to tighten their battle lines and regain control of the situation, other Hezbollah cells flanked them from the side and opened fire on the battalion as well as other IDF positions in the town. The battle lasted for several hours during which Asor and his men sustained heavy casualties while succeeding in killing at least 40 Hezbollah guerillas, some in gun battles at point-blank range. Then began the evacuation of the wounded, which due to the incessant enemy fire lasted six hours and during which four IAF helicopter pilots risked their lives by landing in enemy territory. [article link]
Battalion 51's (hard fighting) bad luck in Lebanon - Twelve years after losing nine fighters in Lebanon, Battalion 51 returns to field and loses eight more fighters Wednesday "Golani's Battalion 51 is a strong battalion, which has been through a difficult incident, but it has terrific soldiers and excellent commanders, and the way they operated today after the incident is the way they will operate in the future," the officer said. "They will always remember the fallen soldiers, but will know how to recover and return to the battlefield and bring the excellent accomplishments they have always brought," he added. [article link]
Jerusalem Online video coverage of the day's events Online Israeli news via channel 2 and the Jerusalem Post. [article link]
The Value of the Soul - by Billy Graham (Mp3) The Greatest Sermons by Billy Graham. mp3 [article link]
Creationist Kent Hovind Reveals The Truth About The Garden of Eden and Creation! (Google Video Download) Kent Hovind - 1 hr 56 min 19 sec - Mar 2, 2006 - www.drdino.com [article link]
'IDF has a lot left to achieve' - the Lebanese should recognize the damage Hizbullah had done to their country Israel had "respected" Lebanon's sovereignty for the six years since it pulled back to the border, he said. In that time, Hizbullah built itself a terror base, under Iranian and Syrian protection, and Lebanon "did nothing" to prevent this. "Now the price is being paid." The battle across the border was so complex, he said, because Hizbullah had built "shelters, tunnels, hidden places" and acquired a "ridiculous" array of weaponry. "But we are finding them and destroying them. We suffer casualties, but we are moving forward and we will reach our goals." [article link]
Dean Calls Iraqi Prime Minister (Maliki) Anti-Semite, Criticizes Bush For U.S. Visit - The Iraqi prime minister is an anti-Semite. We don't need to spend $200 and $300 and $500 billion dollars bringing democracy to Iraq to turn it over to people who believe Israel doesn't have the right to defend itself and to refuse to condemn Hezbollah
WASHINGTON - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean on Wednesday called Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki an "anti-Semite" and criticized President Bush for inviting the newly-elected leader of Iraq to the United States. "The president made a big deal about bringing the Iraqi prime minister to address Congress and met with him yesterday. The Iraqi prime minister is an anti-Semite. We don't need to spend $200 and $300 and $500 billion dollars bringing democracy to Iraq to turn it over to people who believe Israel doesn't have the right to defend itself and to refuse to condemn Hezbollah," Dean told the Democratic Professionals Forum in West Palm Beach, Fla. [article link]
History of the World Conference Edition Library - Fifty hours of lectures spanning dynasties and civilizations throughout time (MP3-$175.00) Now, in more than fifty hours of lectures spanning dynasties and civilizations throughout time, The Vision Forum is extending a unique opportunity to participate in this historic event by purchasing an unedited release of nearly every History of the World lecture contained in 2 MP3 discs. This special release is a limited offering and will not be presented in its entirety again. Appreciation for history as presented in this series is both educational and inspiring as it exalts the Lord Jesus Christ and recounts His Kingdom work. Titles include: ... [article link]
Sky Angel: 1-800-SKY-ANGEL: Delivering the Best in Christian & Family Entertainment - Sky Angel isn't just a must-have for homes. Sky Angel is a perfect fit with churches, youth centers, hospitals, prisons and more! Click here for details. Looking for a Christ-centered & family-friendly choice for your family's TV viewing? You've come to the right place! The Sky Angel satellite system is a unique direct-to-home satellite television service that can be received virtually anywhere in the Continental United States with a small, affordable satellite dish. For a small monthly or annual fee, Sky Angel will deliver to your television 33 TV & radio channels with programs that will edify, entertain and encourage your entire family. At the same time, you will be playing a necessary role in helping to build up the world's only Christian-owned and-operated direct-to-home multi-channel television service to ensure that there will always be a secure electronic outlet for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and programs promoting biblical values. [article link]
INFOLIVE.TV - Live television from Jerusalem 24/7 - Automatic Streaming Video Special Report: War in the North. [article link]
Galil Report Preview: Lebanese villagers helping Israeli army - Providing crucial information for key battle at Hezbollah stronghold Today's issue of the Galil Report reveals how Lebanese villagers have been aiding the Israeli troops in the battle at Bint Jbail and details an important find inside the city related to Iran. - To read the full report and get access to the Galil Report and the rest of Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, subscribe now. [article link]
'Summer Shorts 2006' Crown Video is pleased to announce the launch of an exciting new initiative - These five award-winning films are high-quality -- they'll get people thinking and talking for weeks {scroll down for movie trailers} This project is a collection of 5 excellent short films that explore the mysteries of faith, hope and grace. These films have been featured at many film festivals and won dozens of awards collectively; one of the films, MOST, was even nominated for an Academy Award (Best Live-Action Short, 2004)! For churches looking to provide visitor-friendly events during the summer months, this exclusive offer from Crown Video provides a turn-key solution. We include the public performance rights to these five outstanding films, plus the promotional
material needed to help make your event a success. [article link]
The pros and cons of an int'l force in Lebanon - Such a force should be deployed close to Beirut, at LebaneseSyrian border crossing, and deep in the Bekaa Valley Discussions about security arrangements in Lebanon at the end of the war have included the proposal to station an international force in that country. Yet the UN has a very bad name in terms of confronting strong forces in areas where it is stationed. ... An international force has no role in southern Lebanon along the IsraeliLebanese border. Israel is deployed along its northern border to defend itself and prevent the strengthening of Hizbullah, should it try to move southward. [article link]
Information Regarding Israel's Security: IRIS Blog - Because Israel is on the front lines of the Global Jihad Information Regarding Israel's Security (IRIS) is an independent organization dedicated to informing the public about the security needs of the State of Israel, especially vis-a-vis the current peace process. One of IRIS's services is a popular electronic mailing list. The list, free of charge, distributes regular news updates about Israel with a right-of-center slant (on the Israeli political spectrum). We try to focus on items not likely to be carried by your local newspaper. [article link]
A Prayer For Israel Psalm 83 [Flash & Screensaver Downloads] A Christian flash show based on Psalm 83, as intercession for Israel. [article link]
Promise Keepers: Featured Podcast - Dr. Gary Rosberg (Mp3) Gary Rosberg blazed onto the PK scene in the mid-90s by washing his wife's feet on stage in front of 50,000 plus men at Soldier Field in Chicago. We've listened to him ever since. [article link]
WAKE UP CALL - Christianity in America will not survive another decade - BATTLECRY LEADERSHIP SUMMIT: FALL 2006 SCHEDULE Christianity in America will not survive another decade. How is that possible? At the current rate of evangelism, it is estimated that only 4% of this generation of teenagers will be Bible-believing Christians by the time they reach adulthood. 34% of adults today are Evangelical believers. Imagine an America at 4%. This is an unthinkable crisis. We cannot let this trend run its course. It is time for the Church to respond. We must take action! Senior pastors and youth leaders across the country have already determined that they will make a difference. Join them at one of the powerful BattleCry Leadership Summit events coming to your area in just a few weeks. [article link]
Preparing for the end - Some Christians look to the Mideast and believe the end of the world is coming (cnn video) Some Christians look to the Mideast and believe the end of the world is coming. CNN's Delia Gallagher reports (July 25) [article link]
Bush Frees Up Flag Displays - a bill that would bar condominium and homeowner associations from restricting how the American flag can be displayed WASHINGTON Jul 25, 2006 (AP)- President Bush on Monday signed a bill that would bar condominium and homeowner associations from restricting how the American flag can be displayed. Sponsored by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., the resolution would prohibit those groups from preventing residents from displaying an
American flag on their own property. It was passed unanimously by both the House and the Senate. [article link]
Books on Israel and Biblical prophecy {End Times} hot buys - WND readers look for insights amid war in Lebanon With Israel dominating international news, two books that examine the role of the Middle East in biblical prophecy are near the top of ShopNetDaily's best-seller list, Dave Hunt's "Judgment Day! Islam, Israel and the Nations" and Greg Laurie "Are We Living in the Last Days'". Hunt's book argues today's terrorism is the Islam of its founder, Muhammad, and as such, it is as much a threat to Judaism and Christianity today as it was when it was first spread by the sword in the 7th century. His comprehensive examination of ancient biblical prophecy and modern-day Middle East politics regarding Islam, Israel and the nations includes the United States. Laurie, in his book, helps unravel some of the mystery surrounding end-times events as he examines what the Bible has to say about life in the last days and explores topics such as important signs and Israel's significance. [article link]
*URGENT APPEAL FROM EDITOR WOLLINS: DONATE ONLINE to "Global Friends of IsraelReporter.Com", SUPPORT OUR MEDIA - We are working beyond the point of exhaustion despite of (and as a result of) our severe underfunding This is Shlomo Wollins addressing our global audience from Jerusalem on 24jul06 We are experiencing an enormous increase in traffic and we require financial assistance from our audience of over 100,000 this month to expand our war coverage to the multiple locations in Northern Israel. We have been entirely unsuccessful in our recent appeals which has prevented the purchase of necessary equipment, a boost in our server capacity and speed, and other critical expenses of covering this multi-front, multi-city war on the state of Israel. We are not given to gimmicks, raffles or other sophmoric techniques to raise money. Do not hesitate and do not calculate - please contribute below and meet us halfway. We are working beyond the point of exhaustion despite of (and as a result of) our severe underfunding. Although sending a pizza to a soldier on the front may be more emotionally appealling (and less expensive), it is the pro-arab/anti-Israel media machines (i.e. CNN and The New York Times) that have truly contributed to the loss of life in Israel. A pizza will not save a soldier's life - but the global awareness of the culpability of Israeli (and U.S.) policies that have created this nightmare will. [article link]
Those who curse the Jews and those who bless the Jews - the evidence historically and this very moment suggests that there is indeed a real connection between the state of a society and its treatment of the Jews Citing Genesis (12:3), he explained that God "will bless those who bless the Jews and curse whoever curses the Jews." ... I am increasingly convinced that it is verifiably true. I think of Spain, for example. One of the world's mightiest powers and most developed cultures in the 15th century, in 1492 it reached its zenith when it sent Christopher Columbus on a voyage that changed history. But the same year, it also expelled all its Jews and intensified the Spanish Inquisition against the many forced Jewish converts to Catholicism (converses). Spain then descended into a 500-year status as "the sick man of Europe." I think of Germany (and Austria) as the cultural and intellectual center of Europe, if not the world, before World War II. Then Germany (with Austrians' help) murdered nearly every Jew in Europe. Germany lost over seven million people, was divided for a generation, and while it now thrives materially, culturally Germany has become irrelevant. Ask anyone, even an intellectual, to name one living {famous} German. ... It is the United States that has, since its inception, most blessed the Jews and that does so almost alone today - in its support of the Jewish state against those who wish to exterminate it. By almost any reckoning, America has been, and remains, the most blessed of countries. [article link]
Let's keep a clear head - Condoleezza Rice is making her way from Beirut to Jerusalem - They know what they are asking Israel to do {to give up it's Safety, Freedom and Land}, and God will not hold them guiltless for their
actions What is happening here? First and foremost: There is the ongoing, more than century-old spirituallyorchestrated effort aimed at preventing or reversing the restoration of Israel {as a nation}; ultimately destroying the Jewish state. The purpose is simple: To prevent the biblically-foretold coming of Messiah to Jerusalem, capital of the Land of Israel. In the outworking of that aim, a concerted and ongoing international effort persists to try and divide the Land of Israel between the Jewish people and the Palestinian Arabs. [article link]
Bush Will Not Stop Afghan Opium Trade - President Bush, who previously linked the Afghan drug trade directly to terrorism, has now decided not to destroy the Afghan opium crop The Bush administration has decided not to destroy the opium crop in Afghanistan. President Bush, who previously linked the Afghan drug trade directly to terrorism, has now decided not to destroy the Afghan opium crop. ... "If the estimated 3,000 tons of opium reaches market, it will lead to a new upsurge in international terrorism and a great loss in international credibility for the Bush administration and the United States' ability to conduct war in the 21st century. America's enemies throughout the world from China to North Korea to Iran will be emboldened by this lack of strategic vision and political will," said the source. [article link]
Bush Orders Choppers, Ships of Aid to Lebanon - {The Bush agenda - once again providing aide, comfort and financing to radical Islam, directly furthering and promoting Terrorism while declining to provide meaningful support to Israel and acquiring real lasting Middle-East peace and tranquility.} WASHINGTON - President Bush has ordered helicopters and ships to Lebanon to provide humanitarian aid, but he still opposes an immediate cease-fire that could give relief from a 13-day-old Israeli bombing campaign. Announcing the assistance program, White House press secretary Tony Snow said Monday there was no reason to believe an immediate cease-fire would stop violence in the Mideast and said instead the world should confront the destabilizing force of Hezbollah and its practice of using the Lebanese people as "human shields." {Well then do it! Hold Hezbollah, Hamas, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, the UN and all the other accomplices accountable and start to finally resolve this never ending terrorism!} [article link]
Does President Bush Secretly Believe He is a Descendant of Mohammed? President George Bush might actually believe he is a descendant of Mohamed. It would explain allot of his comments and his actions. Comments like he believes the Quran (Koran) "to be the word of God" and actions like his complete and total worldwide proxy war on behalf of the Muslim Shiite sect. President Bush has removed all the Iraq oil revenues from the Sunni people of Iraq and has given it to the Shiite sect. Bush has also helped place three radical Iranian-Shiite Politicians in charge over Iraq meanwhile he privately finances and supports the radical Shiite groups of Hamas and Hizb'allah. England's Tony Blair and Prince Charles are also strong Shiite supporters with Prince Charles all but openly admitting that he is a convert to Islam. No wonder we live in days with so many strange events occurring because our world leaders have such strange beliefs. [article link]
ABA: Bush violating Constitution - Bar association president says signing statements erode democracy (cnn) WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush's penchant for writing exceptions to laws he has just signed violates the Constitution, an American Bar Association task force says in a report highly critical of the practice. The ABA group, which includes a one-time FBI director and former federal appeals court judge, said the president has overstepped his authority in attaching challenges to hundreds of new laws. The attachments, known as billsigning statements, say Bush reserves a right to revise, interpret or disregard measures on national security and constitutional grounds. [article link]
{flashback} Bush is using a little-noticed strategy (by issuing a bill-signing statement) to alter the balance of power WASHINGTON - President Bush agreed with great fanfare last month to accept a ban on torture, but he later quietly reserved the right to ignore it, even as he signed it into law. Acting from the seclusion of his Texas ranch at the start of New Year's weekend, Bush said he would interpret the new law in keeping with his expansive view of presidential power. He did it by issuing a bill-signing statement - a little-noticed device that has become a favorite tool of presidential power in the Bush White House. In fact, Bush has used signing statements to reject, revise or put his spin on more than 500 legislative provisions. Experts say he has been far more aggressive than any previous president in using the statements to claim sweeping executive power - and not just on national security issues. [article link]
Iran soldiers killed in Lebanon - transferred to Tehran via Syria - Follows info (Iran) Revolutionary Guard units assisting Hezbollah against Jewish state JERUSALEM - The bodies of Iranian Revolutionary Guard soldiers who were killed by the Israeli army in Lebanon have been transported to Syria and flown to Tehran, senior Lebanese political sources told WorldNetDaily. The information was confirmed by Israeli and Egyptian security officials. It follows scores of reports the past few days Iranian soldiers have been aiding Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon in their attacks against Israel, including help with the firing of rockets into Israeli population centers. [article link]
Jerusalem Online video coverage of the day's events Online Israeli news via channel 2 and the Jerusalem Post. [article link]
INFOLIVE.TV - Live television from Jerusalem 24/7 - Automatic Streaming Video Special Report: War in the North. [article link]
Brotherhood of Darkness by Dr. Stan (Google Video - Download) The 'Brotherhood of Darkness' exposes the secret societies planning your future. [article link]
Coral Ridge Ministries: One Nation Under God - special DVD tour of America's rich Christian history ($25 Donation) This special video tour of America's rich Christian history features Dr. Kennedy on location in the historic Virginia cities of Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown. Though historical revisionists wish to portray her as an entirely secular nation, learn the truth from such noted experts as author Peter Marshall; Mary Thompson, the official research expert at Mt. Vernon; and historian David Barton, among many others. A DVD can be yours when you send a gift of support to this ministry of $25 or more. [article link]
Video (6:51): Inside Hezbollah, Part 1 - Excellent background on Hizb'allah (cnn) Part one of a series exploring the background of Hezbollah. CNN's Anderson Cooper reports (July 22) [article link]
9/11 In Plane Site - The Director's Cut (Google Video - Download) This groundbreaking documentary by Dave vonKleist of the Power Hour radio show addresses the evidence that lead to the conclusion that 9/11 ... all » was an inside job. Using photographic and video evidence, vonKleist brings you through all of the unseen evidence. [article link]
911, NWO, Skull & Bones: The Greatest Lie Ever Sold - By Anthony Hilder (Google Video - Download) What's it all about? Bush & zee Boys from der "Brotherhood of Death," "Skull & Bones" are preparing us for a POLICE STATE. Bush will try to surrender the Constitution & Bill of Rights. His goal? - establish a "New World Order" WARNING: This video contains no lies, or "White House" spin! [article link]
Israel Seizes Control of Southern Lebanon Town, Find Weapons Cache - a mosque in Maroun al-Ras that contained stockpiles of weapons, including rockets ON THE ISRAEL-LEBANON BORDER - The commander of Israeli ground forces said Saturday that the Israeli army has won control of a village in southern Lebanon that allows troops to overlook Hezbollah command posts in the area. Maj. Gen. Benny Gantz also said the soldiers had found a mosque in Maroun al-Ras that contained stockpiles of weapons, including rockets. "The forces have completed, more or less, their control of the area of the village Maroun al-Ras, and there have been lots of strikes against terrorists," Gantz told a new conference in Tel Aviv on Saturday night. "It was a difficult fight that continued for not a short time." [article link]
{flashback} Weapons are Being Stockpiled in Mosques Where are the worldwide denunciations from Muslims, outraged that mosques are being used this way? From the Gulf Daily News, with thanks to Twostellas: - The US-led coalition's civil administrator for Iraq yesterday charged that weapons were being stockpiled in mosques, shrines and schools in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, where wanted radical leader Moqtada Al Sadr is holed up. ... "A dangerous situation is developing in Najaf where weapons are being stockpiled in mosques and shrines and schools," said Bremer. "This explosive situation threatens the general population there," he said. ... I doubt Iraq is the only place where weapons are being stored in mosques. Want to bet the same thing isn't being done in France, Belgium etc... Britain, the US, Australia... [article link]
Video: TerrorStorm By Alex Jones - The long-awaited arrival of Alex Jones' latest trend-setting documentary has arrived! (Google Video) TerrorStorm delivers a ... all » powerful sucker punch to the architects of global terrorism and how they stage false-flag events to achieve political and sociological ends. Alex journeys from the depths of history from the Gulf of Tonkin, the USS Liberty and Gladio through to the Madrid and 7/7 London bombings and robustly catalogues the real story behind the government induced fable. [article link]
What evidence for evolution do the world's leading science museums display? - Even a senior fossil expert at the British Museum of Natural History in London once admitted that they didn't have any undisputed transitional forms showing one kind of animal changing into another We would expect to see abundant evidence in the science museums of Washington D.C., London and so on. However, as we have visited these museums and looked in the glass cases at what scientists have actually found, we've never seen any evidence for evolution. The interesting thing is that the so-called evidence is pasted on the glass case-it's the printed text on the display! But this isn't evidence; it's a scientist's story about the past. For example, distinct kinds of animals and plants are displayed inside these glass cases-not transitional forms. There's no real evidence for evolution at all. [article link]
Israeli sends tanks to gain Lebanon foothold - a widening of its limited operations, not the beginning of a fullscale invasion (cnn) AVIVIM, Israel (CNN) - Israel sent tanks and troops across the Lebanese border Saturday in the 11th day of its military offensive against Hezbollah militants. The reinforcements headed to a village where troops are already
positioned and appears to be a widening of its limited operations, not the beginning of a full-scale invasion. Hezbollah guerrillas fired rockets from southern Lebanon into Israel Saturday, continuing the conflict that began with militants capturing two Israeli soldiers. [article link]
Lighthouse Teaching Podcasts: 'The Case for Easter (Resurrection)' & 'The Case for a Creator' by Lee Strobel (Mp3's) Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ over the airways to reach those who are in need. [article link]
Video "Loose Change 2nd Edition" is the follow-up to the most provocative 9-11 documentary on the market today - Click here to watch Loose Change - 2nd Edition - (Google Video - Download) This film shows direct connection between the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the United States government. Evidence is derived from news footage, scientific fact, and most important, Americans who suffered through that tragic day. IT IS EVERYONE'S DUTY TO VIEW THIS FILM! [article link]
Video littlegreenfootballs.com Blog: JihadTV - Among the Terrorists - (Click picture to play video Requires Windows Media Player) JihadTV shows us the terrorists building tunnels, making grenades, launching Qassam rockets, mixing explosives, and manufacturing RPGs, and there are interviews with various soldiers and commanders .. [article link]
US labor - expects Bush to reject China probe - a petition signed by union groups and members of Congress aimed at putting pressure on China to improve labor practices WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration is expected, as early as Friday, to reject a petition signed by union groups and members of Congress aimed at putting pressure on China to improve labor practices, a union official said. Thea Lee, policy director in the AFL-CIO's legislative office, said she had been told the U.S. Trade Representative's office could announce the decision on Friday and that "it wouldn't be a surprise." ... The Bush administration rejected a similar "Section 301" petition filed by the labor group two years ago. [article link]
Hizbullah loses 100 fighters Speaking to reporters about the fighting in the North and in the Gaza Strip, Halutz said that the two facts that "the Hizbullah does not publish its dead or damage and has lied to the media are indicative [of its condition]." [article link]
Urgent from David Horowitz: Israel Needs Your Help! - Part of the reason this kind of anti-Israel, anti-American propaganda has traction is that people are woefully in the dark when it comes to the nature of the enemy we face I'm writing to you today because just as the Fifth Column left in this country has attempted to sabotage America's war in Iraq, so America's support for Israel is being undermined in alarming ways, and I badly need your support to help me fight back. ... Part of the reason this kind of anti-Israel, anti-American propaganda has traction is that people are woefully in the dark when it comes to the nature of the enemy we face. Muslim and radical fanatics and haters of America and Israel operating in the universities and the press, along with their liberal fellow travelers, have been preaching the gospel that the Palestinians and the terrorists are actually victims of the imperialism of the West, and that their heinous acts against humanity are legitimate expressions of hopelessness and despair. [article link]
**Eternity in Their Hearts - by Don Richardson - Limited Download Availability (Mp3) Missions' expert Don Richardson has been studying the Muslim world for more than 30 years. The author of PEACE CHILD, Richardson has found within hundreds of them startling evidence of belief in the one, true God. Friday on OPEN LINE, Wayne Shepherd talked with Don Richardson about his findings and what we can learn from them. [article link]
Lebanon: Two British journalists kidnapped by Hizbullah in Beirut released Two British journalists earlier kidnapped by Hizbullah in Beirut have been released by Lebanese police, a local police officer said. (07.20.06) [article link]
Jerusalem Watchman: Love in a ceaseless sea of hate - "We (Jews) did not have a state and the British did not want to let us in (Israel)" - A banner hanging off the (ship) Theodor Herzl appealed to the British: "The Germans destroyed our families … Don't you destroy our hopes." To no avail. The (British) navy attacked the ship, killing three immigrants and wounding 15 more. The rest were deported to Cyprus. Eventually, though, Rinia arrived at Hulata and she and Avraham were married. "We had both lost all our families and we wanted to start one of our own," said Avraham, smiling at Rinia. "Today we have two daughters and three grandchildren." Returning to his past, he reflected: "I fought in the War of Independence, in the Six Day War, in the Yom Kippur War. All the time, Hulata has been my home." "Yes," I said, directing a question at the two of them. "All you have both known all your lives is war. How does it feel in your hearts, knowing that so many people in the world has hated you and still hates you'" Avraham replied: "You are right. And now there is another war. But," shrugging his soldiers, "Kacha ha chaim - this is the life." They looked at each other and nodded. Smiled. I asked them why they stayed in the north with rockets falling so close. The one that knocked him off his chair was the second to strike Hulata in the current round of fighting. "Our daughter near Jerusalem called and invited us down," Rinia said. "Avraham concurred. "But we told her we were not going anywhere. I am 80 years old and never fled from here. I am not going to flee now." [article link]
Ford reports $123 million loss, hints at more restructuring The automaker reported a loss of 7 cents per share, compared with net income $946 million, or 47 cents per share, in the second quarter of 2005. Sales fell 6 percent to $41.97 billion from $44.55 billion. [article link]
Ford Continues Support For Homosexual Groups - Conservative and Pro-Family groups continue to boycott Ford products Ford Motor Company continues to support the homosexual agenda despite a steady drop in sales and the price of their stock. The latest Ford support for the homosexual lifestyle came in the July 4 issue of The Advocate, a homosexual magazine. Ford placed two full page ads in the publication featuring all their brands of automobiles, just as they did the previous month. This issue promoted Lambda Legal, a homosexual organization pushing the homosexual agenda in the courts. ... The boycott is having an impact. Ford sales dropped 5% in March, 7% in April, 2% in May and 6.8% in June. Their stock has dropped 13% since we began the boycott. AFA has learned that Ford has scheduled a meeting for Ford regional managers July 16 & 17 to discuss how to deal with the boycott. [article link]
Israeli Reservist recalls escape from (Hizb'allah) ambush - Two other members of the hummer corps, Elad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, weren't so fortunate. They have been held by Hizbullah since they were captured in the raid last Wednesday As Tomer Weinberg lay bloodied and barely conscious among the ruins of his IDF Hummer, he knew that his
Hizbullah attackers were close by. ... But it didn't come to that. Weinberg managed to crawl 25 meters away from the scene of the attack and take cover behind some bushes. There he waited 40 minutes for a rescue squad to come to his aid, though it took another 20 minutes under enemy fire for him to be extricated from the scene. [article link]
Same Marine unit hit in '83 headed to Beirut - Hezbollah suicide bomber killed 241 in 1983 barracks attack The ground combat element for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) headed to Beirut to assist in the evacuation of Americans is BLT 1/8 - the same battalion massacred Oct. 23, 1983, by a Hezbollah suicide bomber, killing 241. [article link]
Does President Bush Secretly Believe He is a Descendant of Mohammed? President George Bush might actually believe he is a descendant of Mohamed. It would explain allot of his comments and his actions. Comments like he believes the Quran (Koran) "to be the word of God" and actions like his complete and total worldwide proxy war on behalf of the Muslim Shiite sect. President Bush has removed all the Iraq oil revenues from the Sunni people of Iraq and has given it to the Shiite sect. Bush has also helped place three radical Iranian-Shiite Politicians in charge over Iraq meanwhile he privately finances and supports the radical Shiite groups of Hamas and Hizb'allah. England's Tony Blair and Prince Charles are also strong Shiite supporters with Prince Charles all but openly admitting that he is a convert to Islam. No wonder we live in days with so many strange events occurring because our world leaders have such strange beliefs. [article link]
Breaking with U.S., Iraq jabs at Israel - The comments by PM al-Maliki, a Shiite Arab whose party has close ties to Iran BAGHDAD -- Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday denounced the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, marking a sharp break with President Bush's position and highlighting the growing power of a Shiite Muslim identity across the Middle East. The comments by al-Maliki, a Shiite Arab whose party has close ties to Iran, were noticeably stronger than those by Sunni Arab governments, which have refused to take an unequivocal stand on Lebanon, reflecting their concern about the growing influence of Iran, which has a Shiite majority. [article link]
INFOLIVE.TV - Live television from Jerusalem 24/7 : July, 19 Wednesday 2006 - Automatic Streaming Video waves of rockets fired at Israel Special Report: War in the North. [article link]
British Man Charged With Helping Run Terrorism Fundraising Web Sites Prosecutors allege that from 1998 until at least 2002, Ahsan and Ahmad operated Web sites encouraging people to donate money or equipment. The sites allegedly operated in Connecticut, Nevada, Britain, Ireland and Malaysia. U.S. prosecutors said Ahsan helped terrorists find temporary residence in London and shuttled them into Afghanistan and Chechnya to participate in "jihad." A few months before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Ahsan allegedly possessed classified documents discussing a U.S. Navy battle group's movements and vulnerability to attack. [article link]
Rabbi Amar: Faith and repentance can help war effort - "When our enemies respond with fire and smoke, we invoke the name of the Lord, and stand steadfast." In a letter to IDF soldiers and to residents in the North, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar called to strengthen faith in God, repent from sin and do good deeds. Amar opened his letter with verses from Deuteronomy: "Listen Israel, you draw near today to do battle against your enemies; let not your hearts faint;
fear not and do not tremble nor be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is he that goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you." [article link]
Most Americans in Lebanon Are Hezbollah Supporters; U.S. Taxes Shouldn't Fund Their Return One thing is lost in all the press coverage of the whining Americans who went to Lebanon of their own accord and now want us to pick up the tab to get them out. Most of them are Shi'ite Muslims, many of whom hold dual U.S. and Lebanese citizenship. Many are anchor babies born here to Muslims in the U.S. illegally. Some are illegal aliens who became citizens through rubber-stamping Citizenship and Immigration Services (and its INS predecessor) coupled with political pressure by spineless politicians. Of the 25,000 American citizens and green-card holders in Lebanon, at least 7,000 are from Dearborn, Michigan, the heart of Islamic America, and especially Shia Islam America. These 7,000 are mostly Shi'ite Muslims who openly and strongly support Hezbollah. Ditto for many of the rest of the 25,000 that are there. [article link]
Sheeple thought of the day: "Hezbollah is not my problem." - Iranian Hezbollah's spokesman Mojtaba Bigdeli's threat yesterday to dispatch 2,000 operatives "to every corner of the world to jeopardize Israel and America's interests" is more than just idle Islamic heavy breathing The Jew-hating terrorists of Hezbollah (Hizb'allah) who call themselves the "party of God" are already here. In America. Plotting attacks. Raising money. Slipping through the cracks. In May, the New York Post reported on Hezbollah's plans to activate sleeper cells in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Detroit as the nuclear showdown with Iran heats up. One focal point: "the Iranian Mission to the United Nations, where there have already been three episodes in the last four years in which diplomats and security guards have been expelled for casing and photographing New York City subways and other potential targets." Heightened alert comes in the wake of reports that Iranian crackpot president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with Hezbollah leaders in Syria earlier this year. [article link]
ANALYSIS Bush's vision, and the Middle East region, appear to be near collapse - The overthrow of Iran's Sunni enemies in Iraq has "created an Iranian moment" Washington -- The Bush administration's notion that toppling Saddam Hussein would stabilize a turbulent region is among the casualties of this week's Middle East carnage. ... "It's an inescapable fact, as uncomfortable as it is, that the ... Iranian position is stronger than it otherwise would be,'' Blacker said. "It's not an accident that on the more traditional Middle East front, things are heating up again. The Iranians are trying to send a concrete signal.'' The overthrow of Iran's Sunni enemies in Iraq has "created an Iranian moment,'' Cook said. [article link]
The Christian Right (Values Voters) Focus on '08 - Will Christian right embrace and support one of its own Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback "It doesn't get much better than this," he tells several dozen people perched on folding chairs and listening politely. "You've got a Friday evening, the sun's going down - sitting in a church basement, talking about big issues." Big issues like ending abortion, banning same-sex marriage, battling indecency on TV and refusing to fund embryonic stem cell research fuel Brownback's long-shot hopes for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Most Americans have never heard of him, but the conservative Christian leaders who play a critical role in the GOP take him seriously. [article link]
IDF, Hizbullah (Hizb'allah) clash Helicopter gunships, tanks and ambulances have been called to the area, the army said. A terrorist was killed and another fled the scene after fierce clashes. [article link]
Breaking News>> The Associated Press reports fierce firefights have erupted between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants along the border and scores of rockets are being fired into northern Israel, officials say CNN. [article link]
July, 19 Wednesday 2006 Israel Crisis Update Audio (IsraelReporter.com) To Download the Mp3 "Click" the small Play button at lower right of player. The message should start in Windows Media Player - you can then select the Player "File" "Save As..." option. UPDATED Jul.16 ' 12:30IHT: 8 KILLED BY DIRECT KATYUSHA ROCKET HIT TO HAIFA PORT, ISRAELI LEADERS TALK WAR. [article link]
Samaritan's Purse International Relief: Crisis in the Holy Land The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) gives a clear picture of God's desire for us to help those in desperate need wherever we find them. After describing how the Samaritan rescued a hurting man whom others had passed by, Jesus told His hearers, "Go and do likewise." For over 35 years, Samaritan's Purse has done our utmost to follow Christ's command by going to the aid of the world's poor, sick, and suffering. We are an effective means of reaching hurting people in countries around the world with food, medicine, and other assistance in the Name of Jesus Christ. This, in turn, earns us a hearing for the Gospel, the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ. [article link]
Jerusalem Watchman Blog: War in Israel - The Trip North Continued ... Rockets are continuing to fall as I write this report from the Kibbutz Hagoshrim guesthouse near Kiryat Shemona, not far from the Lebanon border. ... Leaving Haifa we drove north to Akko (Acre) then crossed over to Tzfat (Safed) where we stopped by a shelled house to dig ball bearing Syrian shrapnel from the pitted wall. [article link]
IAF foils rocket transports from Syria - Thus far, the IAF managed to intercept a number of trucks transporting rockets from Syria to Hizbullah While army continues to strike Hizbullah, limit its weapons resources, outside groups trying to rearm group. IAF manages to bomb trucks transporting missiles from Syria. IDF Maj.-Gen. Eisenkot: These rockets belong to Syrian army. Although Hizbullah has suffered a harsh blow from Israeli air force strikes which took out a good percentage of their available weapons, Syria was continuing to smuggle arms into Lebanon to rearm the group, IDF Operations Branch Head Major General Gadi Eisenkot said during a press briefing Tuesday. Thus far, the IAF managed to intercept a number of trucks transporting rockets from Syria to Hizbullah, including trucks laden with the 20mm-diameter rockets with warheads like the one that hit the Haifa train depot Monday, claiming eight lives. Maj.-Gen. Eisenkot said he would be very surprised if official elements in Syria were unaware of these transports. [article link]
Tune in to the Washington/Israel Summit LIVE - Christians United For Israel (CUFI): Tuesday July 18th - 7:30pm EST If you wish to watch the banquet on Tuesday night, you may do so on Daystar at 7:30 PM EST or on the internet by logging on to www.cufi.org. I ask for your prayers as people come from the four corners of our great nation to stand in unity on behalf of Israel. One of our leaders shared Psalm 83, which describes what is happening in Israel quite clearly, O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. "Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more." With one mind they plot together they form an alliance against you - Psalm 83: 1-5 [article link]
House Rejects Amendment to Ban Gay Marriage - a top priority of social conservatives WASHINGTON - The House on Tuesday rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, ending for another year a congressional debate that supporters of the ban hope will still reverberate in this fall's election. The 236-187 vote for the proposal to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman was 47 short of the two-thirds majority needed to advance a constitutional amendment. It followed six weeks after the Senate also decisively defeated the amendment, a top priority of social conservatives. ... "The overwhelming majority of the American people support traditional marriage," said Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., sponsor of the amendment. "And the people have a right to know whether their elected representatives agree with them." [article link]
In the cockpit - Major 'Y', an F-16 pilot in the Israeli Air Force, writes about his unusual experiences of the past several days Returning back to my base from a routine practice mission. Taxiing back to the parking area, I hear "Zanek" (Jump) on the radio. What? I asked myself. Everything was calm when I took off, just one hour ago. ... It's strange how the focus in these missions is not to succeed, hit the target precisely, but rather - not to make any mistakes. The message is clear all the way from the Squadron commander to the last pilot. One mistake can jeopardize the whole war... [article link]
Doctor, 2 Nurses Arrested in New Orleans Hospital Patients Deaths After Katrina - At least 34 patients died at Memorial during that time NEW ORLEANS - A doctor and two nurses have been arrested in connection with the deaths of patients at a New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina hit the city, the Louisiana attorney general's office said Tuesday. The three were arrested late Monday and booked on suspicion of second-degree murder, said Kris Wartelle, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Charles C. Foti. ... At least 34 patients died at Memorial during that time, 10 of them patients of the hospital's owner Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare Corp. and 24 patients in a facility run by LifeCare Holdings Inc., a separate company. [article link]
Terri Schiavo nurse may lose license - A nurse who cared for Terri Schiavo and then discussed Schiavo's condition on national television reportedly may lose her license - Sauer-Iyer had said on TV that Schiavo laughed, talked and ate The Florida Health Department says Carla Sauer-Iyer, 42, a registered nurse who works in Lakeland, Fla., improperly disclosed confidential patient information. A hearing will be held later on the charge, the St. Petersburg Times said. ... Sauer-Iyer had said on TV that Schiavo laughed, talked and ate. [article link]
Deadly car bomb, major bank heist in Iraq In the (Baghdad) capital, armed men wearing Iraqi military uniforms stormed into the Rafidain Bank early (last week) Tuesday afternoon and made off with about $675,000, police told CNN. Few other details were released. [article link]
Congress Considers Resolutions Supporting Israel WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are preparing to vote this week on resolutions backing Israel and condemning Hezbollah, which last week kidnapped two Israeli soldiers, sparking violence across the Israel-Lebanon border. The Republican-run House is eyeing a vote on Wednesday on a resolution supporting Israel's right to defend itself, condemning Hezbollah's rocket and missile attacks on northern Israel and backing early White House moves to cope with the crisis. [article link]
SAVED BY THE MUSIC: tent revival provides an unexpected experience - But I dare say that my little neighborhood is a better place for having it, whether it's for religious reasons, or just because the music moved us somehow A few weeks ago, a curious thing took place in the open lot just around the corner from where I live downtown. First, stacks of bright orange chairs appeared, then a little trailer, and finally a giant tent was stretched across the length of the empty lot there. My curiosity finally got the best of me when I got off work a few nights later, so I made my way over to the tent. As I got closer I could make out a man's voice soaring over the music: "Hallelujah, hallelujah. Lord, somebody needs a blessing tonight." ... "There are people that would never just walk into the doors of the church - prostitutes or drug dealers, people that need the Lord - but they could be out walking and wouldn't be afraid to come under the tent," he said. "We reach a lot of people that way." By the time you read this, the tent will be gone on to another town to do its work there, and only an empty field will be left where the revival took place. But I dare say that my little neighborhood is a better place for having it, whether it's for religious reasons, or just because the music moved us somehow. [article link]
Jerusalem Watchman Blog by Stan Goodenough: Ducking rockets - The sound of rolling thunder Leaving Hagoshrim, we drove back into Kiryat Shemona to meet Michal. A special person in my life, she "adopted" me into her family when I spent my first year on Kibbutz Hulata as a 25-year-old volunteer in the mid-1980s. She was just completing preparations for a visit to the area of Defense Minister Amir Peretz. We agreed to meet her at her home within the hour, and drove up to Metulla, Israel's northernmost town. Built on a pimple of a hill, Metulla looks Lebanon square in the face. Here, from 1982 to 2000, the frontier was known as the "Good Fence." With Israeli forces inside the security zone in southern Lebanon, Lebanese civilians were allowed to cross the border and work in Israel every day. A plaque used to stand here, proclaiming Isaiah's ringing words: They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:4). That plaque was nowhere visible today; nowhere the spirit of those words. Along with the falafel booths and coffee stands that once served fascinated tourists, it was overgrown and choked with weeds. No visitors, indeed barely any human beings, were to be seen. The town seemed turned to stone. [article link]
INFOLIVE.TV - Live television from Jerusalem 24/7 : July, 17 Monday 2006 - Automatic Streaming Video Object falls from the sky in Lebanon (Hizb'allah) claims it is a downed Israeli jet Special Report: War in the North. [article link]
Israel PM Says Fighting Will Stop When Soldiers Free and Attacks End - Rockets Fired From Lebanon Rain Down on Israel JERUSALEM - Rockets fired from Lebanon rained down on the northern Israeli city of Haifa Monday causing significant damage, including the collapse of a three-story building, as Israeli ground troops reportedly entered southern Lebanon to attack Hezbollah bases on the border. [article link]
The Revelation Files - Revelation (End Times) Files Audio-Video and Resources Hear news, music, teachings, radio broadcasts, and other recorded data online or through your I-Pod. View movies, news clips, TV programs, sermons, and more directly from your computer. [article link]
Palestinian caught with bomb in Jerusalem - A suicide bombing in downtown Jerusalem was thwarted Monday A suicide bombing in downtown Jerusalem was thwarted Monday, after a 25-year-old Palestinian was caught carrying a bomb in a bag on a main city thoroughfare, police said. ... Jerusalem has been peaceful until now
despite the escalating violence flaring throughout northern Israel, but Israeli security officials have warned that Palestinians would like to carry out suicide bombings in major Israeli cities. [article link]
Israel Under Fire - A look at some of the myths and facts following Hezbollah's attack on Israel - Over 700 Katyusha missiles and mortars have rained down on Israel's northern cities Israeli military operations in Lebanon are taking place in response to an unprovoked border attack which left 8 Israeli soldiers dead and two kidnapped by the Hezbollah. Since then many more Israelis have been wounded and killed by over 700 Katyusha missiles and mortars that have rained down on Israel's northern cities, including as far south as Haifa and Tiberias. Israel is exercising her legitimate right to self-defense. Please stand up for Israel at this extremely difficult time and support our efforts to promote balance in the media, particularly as the volume of media coverage expands so dramatically. [article link]
Eternity in Their Hearts - by Don Richardson - Limited Download Availability (Mp3) Missions' expert Don Richardson has been studying the Muslim world for more than 30 years. The author of PEACE CHILD, Richardson has found within hundreds of them startling evidence of belief in the one, true God. Friday on OPEN LINE, Wayne Shepherd talked with Don Richardson about his findings and what we can learn from them. [article link]
Theopedia: A Christian Encyclopedia - Mormonism Reviewed (Quotes, Movies & Mp3's) Quotes: "Most LDS converts come from nominal Protestant and Catholic backgrounds, which makes sense given the way in which Mormon missionaries present their message. They offer a Restored Gospel, a term that is easy to understand if one already has an idea of what "gospel" means. LDS missionaries offer instruction to their prospective apostles, churches, beliefs, angels, God, Jesus, and Scripture-none of which make any sense unless the listeners and their ecclesiastical predecessors are the result of traditional Christian evangelism, catechism, and Bible study. The Bible used by LDS missionaries in their quest for converts, the King James Version, is a translation produced by non-LDS Christian scholars. Consequently, LDS success, according to Mosser, is parasitical on Catholic and Protestant missionary work, education, and scholarship." - Francis Beckwith, "Sects In The City: Mormonism and the Philosophical Perils of Being a Missionary faith" [1] [article link]
Direct (Hizb'allah) Rocket Hit on Haifa Port! Israel Crisis Update Audio (IsraelReporter.com) To Download the Mp3 "Click" the small Play button at lower right of player. The message should start in Windows Media Player you can then select the Player "File" "Save As..." option. UPDATED Jul.16 ' 12:30IHT: 8 KILLED BY DIRECT KATYUSHA ROCKET HIT TO HAIFA PORT, ISRAELI LEADERS TALK WAR. [article link]
Report: Syria mobilizing reserve divisions - IDF infantry division mobilized to north (Lebanon) The IDF on Sunday mobilized a reserve infantry division in preparation for a possible ground incursion into south Lebanon, The Jerusalem Post. The move was intended as the beginning of a new effort to push Katyusha (rocket) launching cells away from the Israel-Lebanon border. ... Simultaneously, Al-Arabiya television reported that the Syrian military was mobilizing its own reserve divisions. [article link]
Israel Intelligence: Iranian Troops Helped Hezbollah Attack Warship JERUSALEM - Elite Iranian troops helped Hezbollah fire a sophisticated radar-guided missile at an Israeli warship, Israeli officials said Saturday, describing an apparent surprise blow by militants who had been using only low-tech weapons. Iran denied that it had any troops in Lebanon. Israel initially believed that an aerial
drone armed with explosives hit the warship, but it became clear that Hezbollah had used an Iranian-made C802 missile to strike the vessel late Friday, an Israeli intelligence official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information. [article link]
Jerusalem Newswire: Blog - Jerusalem Watchman - Heading North: Together with a couple of friends I am leaving Jerusalem and heading north towards the border with Lebanon. The purpose of our journey is to visit with some of the thousands of Israelis who have been confined to their bomb shelters as Katyusha rockets fired by the Hizb'allah terrorists in Lebanon rain down on their towns and kibbutzim. One of my companions, Pastor Don Cobble from Woburn, Mass. in the United States, will be filming some video which we hope to get up on the Internet at the weekend. I will take photographs of anything interesting we encounter, and of course will post entires in my Blog as and when I am able to get online. We will only be there for a short while but want to get a feel for the situation first hand and also, of course, pray while there for the Lord's name to be glorified in the midst of the warfare, for the protection of His people, and for the effective deployment and use of the IDF. Also, of course, for the best outcome of this situation. We will covet your prayers as we go. [article link]
PM aides - To Lebanon: Release soldiers before ceasefire talks Israel believes it has a 48-72-hour "window of opportunity" to pound Hizbullah and damage its operational capabilities before the world steps in and stops the fighting, senior diplomatic officials in Jerusalem said Saturday night. ... Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora had said Saturday at a press conference that his government would reassert government authority over all Lebanese territory ... "It's an excellent declaration but he doesn't need our permission...We have to see what they do and not what they say," Vice Premier Shimon Peres told Israel's Channel 2 TV. He said Lebanon has to prove it is serious by deploying on the southern border. "A foreign body (Hizb'allah) has entered the area and it's your job to get them out of there," he said. [article link]
Adelstein sticks with the Republican party - Long-time Republican Stan Adelstein says he will not switch political parties for the Nov. state Senate race {Republican - Democrat: their all the same it's a one party system!} Long-time Republican Stan Adelstein says he will not switch political parties for the Nov. state Senate race. Adelstein, who lost to Elli Schwiesow by a close margin in the June primaries, was considering switching parties in order to have another chance in the election as a Democrat. But after much thought and guidance from friends and colleagues in both parties, Adelstein says he will remain a Republican. ... Democratic candidate Tom Katus offered to step aside to make room for Adelstein in the race, and Adelstein says he'll return the favor. Adelstein says he's backing Katus as a candidate and will be by his side throughout the campaign. [article link]
Body of Israeli sailor missing after strike on warship recovered - Another Hizbullah missile also hit and sank a nearby civilian merchant ship - apparently was Egyptian {Neither CNN or BBC have reported on the Hizbullah sinking of a civilian Egyptian vessel - that would be actual reporting and not the slanted view they present.} Bodies of two of the four missing Israeli soldiers on a warship that was attacked by Hizbullah off the coast of Lebanon were found Saturday aboard the damaged vessel, military officials said. ... An IDF investigation into the attack showed that Hizbullah had fired an Iranian-made missile at the vessel from the shores of Lebanon, said Brig. Gen. Ido Nehushtan. A senior IDF intelligence official says that Iran has approximately 100 soldiers in Lebanon and that they helped Hizbullah hit an Israel Navy ship with an anti-ship missile. It was first thought that an explosives-laden UAV caused the blast. "We can confirm that it was hit by an Iranian-made missile launched by Hizbullah. We see this as very profound fingerprint of Iranian involvement in Hizbullah," Nehushtan said in an interview with The Associated Press. Another Hizbullah missile also hit and sank a nearby
civilian merchant ship at around the same time, Nehushtan said. He said that ship apparently was Egyptian, but he had no other information about it. [article link]
Jewish World View: ISRAEL'S NEXT WAR HAS BEGUN - The goals of the war should be the destruction of the Hamas regime and the dismantling of the Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon - Israel cannot coexist with Iranian proxies pressing in on its borders JERUSALEM - The next Middle East war - Israel against genocidal Islamism - has begun. The first stage of the war started two weeks ago, with the Israeli incursion into Gaza in response to the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier and the ongoing shelling of Israeli towns and kibbutzim; now, with Hezbollah's latest attack, the war has spread to southern Lebanon. Ultimately, though, Israel's antagonists won't be Hamas and Hezbollah but their patrons, Iran and Syria. The war will go on for months, perhaps several years. There may be lulls in the fighting, perhaps even temporary agreements and prisoner exchanges. But those periods of calm will be mere respites. The goals of the war should be the destruction of the Hamas regime and the dismantling of the Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Israel cannot coexist with Iranian proxies pressing in on its borders. In particular, allowing Hamas to remain in power - and to run the Palestinian educational system - will mean the end of hopes for Arab-Israeli reconciliation not only in this generation but in the next one too. [article link]
Christians United For Israel (CUFI): Rapid Response Membership Rapid Response Membership: Christians United for Israel members will receive a weekly e-mail or fax informing them of coming events involving the association as well as current issues affecting Israel. Members are: Asked to commit to pray for Israel. (Psalm 122:6) [article link]
Breaking News: Hezbollah Chief Declares 'Open War' With Israel Fox News. [article link]
For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility - National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) (PDF) Evangelical Christians in America face a historic opportunity. We make up fully one quarter of all voters in the most powerful nation in history. Never before has God given American evangelicals such an awesome opportunity to shape public policy in ways that could contribute to the well-being of the entire world. Disengagement is not an option. We must seek God's face for biblical faithfulness and abundant wisdom to rise to this unique challenge. The special circumstances of this historic moment underline both the opportunity and the challenge. [article link]
Michael Jackson the Muslim? - Jackson is said to have become a Muslim Since being acquitted of child molestation charges last summer, Michael Jackson has been hanging out in Bahrain, enjoying the hospitality of the ruler's poptastic son Sheikh Abdullah. Jackson is said to have become a Muslim (which is sure to please his critics on Good Morning America), but evidence would suggest he has yet to get the hang of Islamic custom. Not long after arriving in the famously tolerant state, he caused uproar when he entered the ladies' loos at the Ibn Battutah Mall dressed in female headgear and positioned himself at the mirror to put on his make-up. [article link]
{flashback} Is Prince Charles a 'Secret' Convert to Islam? In a 1997 Middle East Quarterly article titled "Prince Charles of Arabia," Ronni L. Gordon and David M. Stillman looked at evidence that Britain's Prince Charles might be a secret convert to Islam. They shifted through his
public statements (defending Islamic law, praising the status of Muslim women, seeing in Islam a solution for Britain's ailments) and actions (setting up a panel of twelve "wise men" to advise him on Islamic religion and culture), then concluded that, "should Charles persist in his admiration of Islam and defamation of his own culture," his accession to the throne will indeed usher in a "different kind of monarchy." [article link]
{flashback} 'Multi-faith Coronation' Charles no longer "Defender of the Faith" THE Prince of Wales could be crowned King in a multi-faith inauguration ceremony rather than the 1,000-yearold (Christian) Coronation service, under proposals to tackle "religious discrimination" being considered by the Government. [article link]
Russian President Vladimir Putin - G8 leaders to do all they can to achieve return to peace in Mideast {Return to peace? - What peace? During all the suicide bombers and rampant terrorist attacks in Israel?} PUSHKIN. LENINGRAD REGION. July 14 (Interfax) - The G8 states will do their best to ensure a return to peace in Palestine, Israel and Lebanon, said Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We know that tension is building in the Arab world, due to the events on the Israeli-Lebanese border," Putin said during a TV-link up between the J8 in St. Petersburg and young people in Cairo. [article link]
Bush Arrives at G8 Summit - in Russia President Bush has called leaders in the Middle East to try to stop the latest round of violence there. President Bush is in Russia for the Summit of the Group of Eight meeting of industrialized nations. [article link]
Loose Change Second Edition: 9/11 Info (WMV) 3 parts [*Note Google Video has pulled this video and it is no longer available via Google. It is still available here.] Click the links to be taken to the download page Loose Change Second Edition is not so much a sequel as a remake of the original with added footage. Also below is Loose Change coverage by Fox News' New York affiliate that was so popular it shut down their video server on the web. [article link]
9/11 In Plane Site - The Director's Cut - and other 9/11 Videos (Google Videos) This groundbreaking documentary by Dave vonKleist of the Power Hour radio show addresses the evidence that lead to the conclusion that 9/11 ... all » was an inside job. Using photographic and video evidence, vonKleist brings you through all of the unseen evidence. [article link]
Evidence of Explosives In The 9/11 Twin Tower Collapses The evidence that the World Trade Center towers were demolished is compelling. Photographs of explosives detonating during the collapse of both the north and south towers are presented below. They are taken from two (publicly available) videos of the collapses. Each frame has been numbered by its position in the video. Both videos were filmed at 30 frames per second, so an eight frame interval covers about one quarter of a second. The most remarkable aspect of the World Trade Center towers demolition, is that such obvious evidence of the use of explosives, has been completely ignored by the media. This refusal to report the obvious, clearly illustrates that the "free press" is free, only in name, and anything but free in reality. That such obvious evidence of explosives has remained "hidden in full view" approaches the unbelievable. [article link]
NY 9/11 Truth - 2006 5th Anniversary - Calling all truth activists! Come to NYC for a weekend of events commemorating the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks
We are now planning outreach actions, film events, and lectures from Saturday 9/9 through Monday 9/11 of this year. Let's converge all movements for transformational progress as we consider the evidence showing how 9/11 was the catalyst for the "global domination project" we have been subjected to. If we want to put an end to war, use our treasury for productive purposes domestically, restore our Constitution, create cooperative rather than antagonistic relationships with the rest of the world, heal our environment, and be the creators of our own destiny, understanding 9/11 is required. [article link]
Hizbollah attack widens cracks in divided Lebanon - Many ordinary Lebanese, particularly Christians who are traditionally opposed to Hizbollah, are incensed by the attack they knew from past experience would invite Israeli reprisals "Why did Hizbollah decide to do it at this time? The only conclusion I can reach is that they have decided to divorce themselves from Lebanese politics ... All that Hizbollah had gained domestically over the years they have thrown away." ... Yet the wide gulf between Shi'ites, Lebanon's largest religious community who on Wednesday handed out sweets and set off fireworks to celebrate the capture of the Israeli soldiers, and those opposed to attack, is glaring. "Whatever the agenda of Hizbollah is, it is not necessarily the agenda of the Lebanese people," said Michael Karam, a business editor. "They must have known that their actions would result in this but they did it anyway. This is selfish. They are not mandated by the Lebanese people to decide foreign policy." [article link]
Church leaders quit Bush-Clinton Katrina aid panel - Interfaith advisory committee members say advice was ignored NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Nearly all the religious leaders serving on a committee created by the BushClinton Katrina Fund to disburse money to churches destroyed by Hurricane Katrina have quit their posts, claiming their advice was ignored. ... "I've learned in life that if people say they want your advice and then they change it, ignore it, or undermine it, then they really don't want it," said Gray, also a former congressman. ... Numerous disagreements ensued, but Jakes and Gray said the last straw was the fund's decision to cut checks to 38 houses of worship, each for $35,000, without first conducting an audit to ensure the church exists. Imam Abdelhafiz Bensrieti, another committee member who resigned, said the Washington staff wanted the religious leaders to "rubber stamp" their decisions. "They had their agenda and that's unacceptable," he said. [article link]
LEBANON WAR 2006 Day 2 Info and Updates - Pictures and Audio Reports In an attempt to provide updated photographs and audio reports from the war in Israel, we have produced a flash newsbox embedded with 39 breaking photographs and a five-minute audio report. [article link]
Hizbullah attack in northern Israel and Israel's response This morning's events were not a terrorist attack, but the action of a sovereign state that attacked Israel for no reason and without provocation. The Lebanese government, of which Hizbullah is a member, is trying to undermine regional stability. Lebanon is responsible and Lebanon will bear the consequences of its actions." ... Foreign Minister Livni (July 12): "Hizbullah is a terrorist organization, which is part of the Lebanese government. The international community, including the Security Council, has demanded, repeatedly, that the government of Lebanon dismantle Hizbullah. Lebanon has failed to act and today's aggression is the result." [article link]
The Same War - there is a common prime mover, and that is the Iranian mullahcracy, the revolutionary Islamic fascist state that declared war on us (USA) 27 years ago and has yet to be held accountable No one should have any lingering doubts about what's going on in the Middle East. It's war, and it now runs
from Gaza into Israel, through Lebanon and thence to Iraq via Syria. There are different instruments, ranging from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon and on to the multifaceted "insurgency" in Iraq. But there is a common prime mover, and that is the Iranian mullahcracy, the revolutionary Islamic fascist state that declared war on us 27 years ago and has yet to be held accountable. It is very good news that the White House immediately denounced Iran and Syria, just as Ambassador Khalilzad had yesterday tagged the terrorist Siamese twins as sponsors of terrorism in Iraq. ... The important thing to keep in mind is that both the Gaza and northern Israel attacks were planned for quite a while, which means that Iran wanted this war, this way. It isn't just a target of opportunity or a sudden impulse; it's part of a strategic decision to expand the war. [article link]
Terri Schiavo nurse may lose license - A nurse who cared for Terri Schiavo and then discussed Schiavo's condition on national television reportedly may lose her license - Sauer-Iyer had said on TV that Schiavo laughed, talked and ate The Florida Health Department says Carla Sauer-Iyer, 42, a registered nurse who works in Lakeland, Fla., improperly disclosed confidential patient information. A hearing will be held later on the charge, the St. Petersburg Times said. ... Sauer-Iyer had said on TV that Schiavo laughed, talked and ate. [article link]
U.S. vetoes U.N. condemnation of Israel UNITED NATIONS - The United States cast the first U.N. Security Council veto in nearly two years Thursday, blocking an Arab-backed resolution that would have demanded Israel halt its military offensive in the Gaza Strip. The draft, sponsored by Qatar, accused Israel of a "disproportionate use of force" that endangered Palestinian civilians, and it demanded Israel withdraw its troops from Gaza. [article link]
Vote: Do you think the Israeli military response inside Lebanon is justified? Yes-No (cnn) JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli forces struck Beirut's international airport for the second time Thursday, hitting fuel tanks that exploded into fireballs. [article link]
Stella Maris Haifa - Gems in Israel - Spotlighting Israel's lesser known tourist attractions and travel sites - For people interested in more than just the major tourist attractions; seasoned and first-time visitors to Israel and anyone who dreams of one day visiting the Holy Land The roots of the Order are traced to the 12th century (after the third crusade) when a group of hermits began practicing their Christianity on Mt. Carmel by following the ways of the Prophet Elijah. They lived in caves on Mt, Carmel for about a century, when they were forced to leave, in 1235, due to persecution by the Saracens. At the time they did not view anyone in particular as their founder but saw Elijah as one of the founders of monastic life. [article link]
Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery, Haifa - The Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery in Haifa, Israel, is a 19th-century monastery located on the slopes of Mount Carmel the site can be reached by cable car or on foot In the 12th century, during the Crusader occupation of the region, groups of religious hermits began to inhabit the caves of this area in imitation of Elijah the Prophet. Within a century, these monastic hermits were organized into the Carmelite order and the Carmelite order spread throughout Europe. While the Carmelite order's flourished in Europe throughout the Middle Ages, its founders on Mount Carmel were exiled at the time of the Mamluk conquest in 1291 and did not return until the 18th century. Construction of the present monastery and basilica was begun in 1836. ... Situated across the street from the Old Lighthouse, with a magnificent view of the sea, the entire ensemble of buildings, including the Lighthouse, is known as "Stella Maris." The Stella Maris church is a beautiful structure, with Italian marble so brightly and vividly patterned that
visitors sometimes think the walls have been painted. Colorful paintings on the dome, done by Brother Luigi Poggi (1924-28), depict episodes from the Old Testament, the most dramatic being the scene of Elijah swept up in a chariot of fire. The statue of the Virgin Mary, carved from cedar of Lebanon, is also notable. The cave situated below the altar, which you can walk down into, is "Elijah's Cave," where the Old Testament prophet is believed to have lived. Many little votive candles burn on the altar above the cave, each representing a Carmelite community in another country (the United States has its candle up on the left). [article link]
Religion of Peace . . . and Black Eyes for 6-Year-Old Girls - "click" Read the WHOLE SCOOP Why does this 6-year-old have black eyes? She was beaten up by the Imam at her family's mosque in Morocco. Why? She accidentally walked on his prayer rug. [The barbarity happened April 19th, at the Sidi Ahmed El Bekkal School. In the afternoon, the school phoned to Fatima, the mother of the little girl, explaining her that her daughter had "fallen". But when she discovered the state of her daughter, Fatima questioned the persons in charge, who delivered another version of the story.] [article link]
Rockets hit Israeli city of Haifa - Hezbollah denied firing any rockets Hezbollah had said it would attack Haifa if Israeli planes bombed Beirut. It has fired dozens of rockets into Israel in the past two days, but none have so far gone further than 20km (12 miles) inside the country. At least one [two] Israeli has died in the attacks and dozens have been injured. In the latest reported attack, Israeli police said two rockets had fallen on a Christian area of Haifa called Stella Maris. The Israeli ambassador in Washington, Danny Ayalon, described the Haifa incident as a "major escalation" of the crisis. [article link]
Israel hits Palestinian ministry - occurred at 0130 local time when the building was likely to have been empty (Also) an Israeli air strike which targeted the Gaza City home of Hamas military commander Muhammad Deif Hamas denied he was in the house at the time, but the BBC has learnt that he was in fact injured in the attack Israel confirmed the air strike on the Palestinian foreign ministry, and accused Mr Zahhar and Hamas of direct involvement in "terrorism and violence". "He had knowledge of the recent hostage taking, and he is part of a leadership that has orchestrated rocket attacks, countless rocket attacks, countless missile attacks against Israeli urban areas," said government spokesman Mark Regev. ... The family of nine killed on Wednesday were hit in an Israeli air strike which targeted the Gaza City home of Hamas military commander Muhammad Deif. Hamas denied he was in the house at the time, but the BBC has learnt that he was in fact injured in the attack. [article link]
U.S. House passes Internet gambling ban {This is the Bush payoff of the Jack Abramoff scandal - Jack lobbied politicians to favor and promote Casinos - this is not about curtailing gambling and the illegal activity associated with it - this is to continue to enrich the casino industry and curtail their internet competitors.} WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The U.S. House has overwhelmingly backed a bill to ban most forms of Internet gambling and require banks to block payments to offshore Web sites. Co-sponsored by Reps. Bob Goodlatte, a R-Va., and Jim Leach, R-Iowa, the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act would increase criminal penalties for gambling businesses that settle Internet wagers with credit cards, checks, or fund transfers and would require financial institutions to create systems for blocking payments to gambling sites, IDG News Service reported. It passed easily by a 317-93 vote Tuesday night and will now go the Senate for debate. Goodlatte said on the House floor U.S. gamblers were spending over $6 billion a year on the untaxed sites. The Poker Players Alliance lobbying group criticized the bill and questioned why it doesn't address gambling industries such as horse racing and state lotteries. [article link]
{flashback} Rep. Ney under pressure to resign chairmanship (cnn) - for his support of Abramoff's American Indian tribe clients in Texas and the lobbyist's purchase of a fleet of Florida casino boats WASHINGTON (AP) -- Embattled Ohio Republican Bob Ney is in talks with House Speaker Dennis Hastert about resigning his chairmanship of the House Administration Committee, a senior House GOP aide told The Associated Press on Friday. Ney has been linked to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and has denied wrongdoing in the burgeoning scandal. But he is facing the loss of his chairmanship as House Republicans seek to implement an ambitious lobbying reform agenda, much of which would pass through his committee. ... Among other accusations, Abramoff said Ney took favors including a 2002 golf trip to Scotland, free dinners and events and campaign donations in exchange for his support of Abramoff's American Indian tribe clients in Texas and the lobbyist's purchase of a fleet of Florida casino boats. [article link]
{flashback} Bush, others dump (Jack) Abramoff donations {Bush administration then hires Daniel Fahner, until recently, he was exclusively a litigation attorney at disgraced felon/lobbyist Jack Abramoff's firm, Greenberg Traurig} President Bush and numerous lawmakers hastily jettisoned campaign donations linked to lobbyist Jack Abramoff on Wednesday as Republican Party officials pondered the impact of a spreading scandal on their 2006 election prospects. "I wish it hadn't happened because it's not going to help us keep our majority," conceded Rep. Ralph Regula, R-Ohio. As Abramoff pleaded guilty to a second set of felony charges in as many days, this time in Florida, officials said Bush's 2004 re-election campaign intended to give up $6,000 in donations from the lobbyist, his wife and a client. ... In a section of court papers headed "corruption of public officials," Abramoff acknowledged he had worked to provide "things of value to public officials in exchange for a series of official acts and influence." {Jack's two primary lobbying clients are Indian casinos and radical Muslim extremists.} [article link]
{flashback} The White House maintains that Bush does not "recall" meeting (Jack) Abramoff and, if they ever did meet, it was only in passing at a large gathering: - Abramoff Met With Bush In May 2001 {oops} MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, I said it's possible that they would have met at a holiday reception or some other widely attended gathering. The President does not know him, nor does the President recall ever meeting him. ... It's not just possible, it happened. The Texas Observer reports that Abramoff met with Bush on May 9, 2001, with his clients, the Coushatta tribe. (The chairman of the Coushatta tribe initially denied the meeting occured, but subsequently admitted that it did.) Abramoff charged his client $25,000 to arrange the meeting. [article link]
{flashback} Jack Abramoff and Grover Norquist Billing Clients for Face Time with G.W. Bush (Photos of Check & Documents) Four months after he took the oath of office in 2001, President George W. Bush was the attraction, and the White House the venue, for a fundraiser organized by the alleged perpetrator of the largest billing fraud in the history of corporate lobbying. In May 2001, Jack Abramoff's lobbying client book was worth $4.1 million in annual billing for the Greenberg Traurig law firm. He was a friend of Bush advisor Karl Rove. He was a Bush "Pioneer," delivering at least $100,000 in bundled contributions to the 2000 campaign. [article link]
{flashback} A (Indian) Tribe Takes Grim Satisfaction in Abramoff's Fall ELTON, La. -- The dizzying downfall of lobbyist Jack Abramoff means more than just another Washington political scandal in this rural outpost of tin-roofed homes and fraying trailers. It is a measure of vengeance. Led on by what they say were his false promises of political access, leaders of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, which is based here, paid Abramoff and his partners about $32 million for lobbying and other services -- more
than $38,000 for each of their 837 tribal members. By their accounting, they got very little in return. [article link]
Israel Crisis Update Audio (IsraelReporter.com) To Download the Mp3 "Click" the small Play button at lower right of player. The message should start in Windows Media Player - you can then select the Player "File" "Save As..." option. ISRAEL & WORLD NEWS AUDIO UPDATE: UPDATED Jul.12 @ 20:30IHT: HEZBULLAH KILLS EIGHT SOLDIERS, WOUNDS TEN & KIDNAPS TWO. [article link]
Lebanon seeks Israeli ceasefire - Israel is imposing an air and sea blockade on Lebanon following the two soldiers' capture by Hezbollah {The blockade - airport bombing is an attempt to prevent the soldiers from being taken to Iran.} Meanwhile Israeli jets bombed the main Lebanese army air base in Bekaa Valley. Israel is imposing an air and sea blockade on Lebanon following the two soldiers' capture by Hezbollah. Israeli warships have blocked Lebanese ports, and its international airport was closed after Israeli bombing. ... [article link]
Reporter's Notebook: Kidnapping the Hope for Peace - Palestinian factions have been using this tactic even back during the 1970s The reason the kidnapping occurred is not everyone on the Palestinian side wanted to see that (peace) deal go through. There are many rejectionist groups, especially outside the country, who do not want to see the Israelis and the Palestinians make peace or achieve a way of living side-by-side. Those Arab groups and the Iranians, instead, want to see the Palestinians keep fighting Israel believing they can eventually destroy and replace Israel in what they call historic Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. The Syrians host these groups and the Iranians, according to the Israelis, finance them. Even Hamas has a more hardline wing sitting in Damascus, which did not want to see the Hamas and Fatah compromise go through. So the kidnapping had two goals: to achieve the release of Palestinian prisoners, and the provocation of Israel, so that the groups that had come up with the compromise - in essence recognizing Israel within certain borders - would be forgotten and overtaken. It may also have been a way to unite ALL Palestinians and the different armed factions which were on the verge of civil war two weeks ago. Those who carried out the kidnapping knew Israel's response would be harsh and now all the armed groups, Hamas and Fatah, are fighting side by side against an external enemy and not between themselves. [article link]
Our World: After Londonistan - the latest Pew Global Attitudes poll showed that British Muslims have the most radical views of all European Muslims British Prime Minister Tony Blair started to admit that the source of the terror was not poverty, Iraq, Afghanistan or Israel but the jihadist ideology propagated within Britain's Muslim community. Rather than make excuses for the murderers and their army of teachers and enablers, Blair began formulating a program to go after Britain's jihadist hotbeds that indoctrinate British born and bred Muslims to wage war against their country. ... Blair's efforts to curb the influence of radical jihadists and undermine their operations were quickly stymied. The multiculturalists who have taken hold of Britain's cultural, intellectual, judicial, ecclesiastical and political life attacked, blocked or watered down every single one of his anti-terror initiatives. In the end, far from winning over his seemingly endless critics, Blair backed down. [article link]
{flashback} Jan. 11, 2000 Petition to Put Britain (England) on the List of States Sponsoring (Islam) Terrorism: Sheik Abdel Majid al-Khoei Radical Shiite Islam Leader Given Asylum in England - The Islamic Group, and its subsidiary arm, Islamic Jihad, are headquartered in London
The following memorandum, dated Jan. 11, 2000, was prepared for delivery to U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. It is a request to launch an investigation, pursuant to placing Great Britain on the list of states sponsoring (Islam) terrorism. ... The Islamic Group, and its subsidiary arm, Islamic Jihad, are headquartered in London. In February 1997, the British government formally granted permission to Abel Abdel Majid and Adel Tawfiq al Sirri to establish Islamic Group fundraising and media offices in London, under the names International Bureau for the Defense of the Egyptian People and the Islamic Observatory. Abdel Majid was implicated in the October 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and he subsequently masterminded the escape of two prisoners jailed for the assassination. In 1991, he fled to Britain and immediately was granted political asylum. He has coordinated the Islamic Group's overseas operations ever since. In fact, he was sentenced to death in absentia for the bombing of the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan in November 1995, in which 15 diplomats were killed. [article link]
Why Evangelical Support for Israel is a Good Thing It has been said time and again that Israel is today facing the greatest crisis in years. It has also been noted that a key factor that makes Israel's situation less desperate than it might be is the fact that the United States, the world's superpower, stands up -- many times alone -- on behalf of an embattled Israel. These realities should make American Jews highly appreciative of the incredible support that the State of Israel gets from a significant group of Americans -- the Evangelical Christian Right. In many ways, the Christian Right stands out as the most consistently supportive group of Israel in America. [article link]
Why I Believe The Coming Of Lord Is Near by J. Vernon McGee (Mp3) Source: www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=405&min=420&orderby=titleA&show=20 [article link]
UN AGENDA 21 - Sustainable development has continued to evolve as that of protecting the world's resources while its true agenda is to control the world's resources Sustainable development has continued to evolve as that of protecting the world's resources while its true agenda is to control the world's resources. Communism also has control at its core and it also is evolving. I remember asking former UN Secretary-General Boutros-Boutros Ghali what he meant by "change" and he told me that he was introducing "constant change" as a way to continue the evolutionary processes begun in Rio. ... It should be noted that Agenda 21 sets up the global infrastructure needed to manage, count, and control all of the world's assets. Included are the forests, fresh water, agricultural lands, deserts, pastures, rangelands, farmers' fields, oceans and inland waterways, marine environment, marine life, cities, housing, sewer and solid wastes, methods of production, air, pollution, biotechnology-every aspect of living-farming, production and manufacturing, research and medicine, etc., along with you and I. [article link]
TUESDAY 11 JULY: UN united in Bonn Germany: (BBC) UN united: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel attend the opening of a new UN "campus" in Bonn, bringing together several UN organisations on the same site. [article link]
Bonn Germany, a UN City - The United Nations organizations in Bonn have identified sustainable development as the common theme linking them together The United Nations flag has flown in Bonn for more than 50 years. From 1996, however, the number of United Nations organizations and their staff rapidly increased, making Bonn a 'UN city on the Rhine'. About 500 people work for the 12 United Nations organizations, programmes or offices located in the city. The United
Nations organizations in Bonn have identified sustainable development as the common theme linking them together. ... The United Nations has recognized that development can only be sustainable if all of the planet's natural resources - water, land, biodiversity, energy sources, atmosphere and climate system - are used in such a way that future generations in all parts of the world are not denied the opportunity to live and prosper. [article link]
United Nations Conferences: What have they Accomplished? - Global conferences have made a long-term impact by: Some 30,000 people journeyed to Istanbul to seek solutions to urban problems at the Habitat II Conference. Nearly 50,000 went to Beijing to set new standards for the advancement of women. And some 47,000 converged on Rio de Janeiro to find a better balance between environmental protection and economic development at the Earth Summit. To some, the series of large-scale United Nations conferences held in the 1990s seemed like an extravagant talk-fest. But most of the world's leaders and policy-makers have viewed these events as a worthwhile investment -- and even a watershed -- in shaping our global future. ... International Conference on Population and Development (September 1994, Cairo): Built consensus for integrating family planning {abortion} programmes into a new comprehensive approach to reproductive health services, and won international recognition that educating and empowering women is the most effective way to reduce population growth rates and promote sustainable development. [article link]
Video Highlights from Impromptu Baptisms (HarvestBible.org) Ministries of Harvest Bible Chapel: Praise God for the responsiveness of His people as nearly 200 men, women, and students followed the Lord in baptism on Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21, 2006, at our three campuses. [article link]
"Evangelism and the Intellectual" - Part I by Billy Graham (Mp3) [Right Click this Link to Save Mp3] [article link]
"Evangelism and the Intellectual" - Part II by Billy Graham (Mp3) Description: Preached on April 1, 1962 at the Harvard law school with an open panel discussion afterwards. Source: www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=118 [article link]
Just As I Am Autobiography - Part 1 of 8 by Billy Graham (Mp3) [Right Click this Link to Save Mp3] [article link]
Just As I Am Autobiography - Part 2 of 8 by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
Just As I Am Autobiography - Part 3 of 8 by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
Just As I Am Autobiography - Part 4 of 8 by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
Just As I Am Autobiography - Part 5 of 8 by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
Just As I Am Autobiography - Part 6 of 8 by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
Just As I Am Autobiography - Part 7 of 8 by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
Just As I Am Autobiography - Part 8 of 8 by Billy Graham (Mp3) Source: www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=118 [article link]
All-Scotland Crusade in 1955 by Billy Graham (Mp3) [Right Click this Link to Save Mp3] [article link]
Death by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
Marriage by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
Talks To Teens Record by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
The Soul - Part 1 by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
The Soul - Part 2 by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
THE VALUE OF THE SOUL SERMONS -1957-1997 by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
Things God Cannot Do by Billy Graham (Mp3) [article link]
Total Commitment by Billy Graham (Mp3) Source: www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=118 [article link]
user comments for "Broken Trail" (2006 mini TV Western from the AMC channel) How does an honest man make his way in a corrupt world? Walter Hill has been investigating this question since his days as a screenwriter, ... in this leisurely western, he has found a perfect vehicle for this problem, and the right actor for the role in the ever-watchable Robert Duvall. And the answer is that you wind up accumulating a pack of people as wounded as yourself, ducking your head against the storm and slogging on through: [article link]
Movie Prequel to Broken Trail - Daughters of Joy Geoffrion recently signed a contract for a prequel to Broken Trail. Called Daughters of Joy, it tells the true story of a San Francisco woman whose mission in life was rescuing young Chinese women trapped in the "yellow slave trade." [article link]
The History of the World Mega-Conference will be held July 11-15, 2006 at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, Virginia Our most ambitious conference to date, the History of the World Mega-Conference stands for the proposition that God is Sovereign over all of the affairs of nations and men, and that we must judge all of time in light of God's plan for the remnant. The goal of this event is to give Christian students from diverse backgrounds a panoramic perspective on the Providence of God throughout history. Whether you are a history buff, homeschool parent, college student, young or old, we encourage you to consider attending this five-day crash course on world history. Join a faculty of more than a dozen distinguished scholars and thinkers delivering more than fifty stirring lectures as they trace the rise and fall of civilizations through more than six thousand years of world history - from the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian empires to the epic history of China, the rise and fall of Greece and Rome, the development of Christendom, to the Reformation, and the American experiment in liberty and the modern world - all from a distinctively Christian worldview. [article link]
Weekly News Q: Why don't many pastors speak with authority? (AnswersInGenesis.org) Mark 1:22 comes to mind, where we're told that the people were amazed at Jesus' teaching because He spoke as One having authority, and not as the scribes. Jesus is the Word, and He spoke with the authority of the Word. Remember when He was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11)? Each time, he replied "It is written." When he was asked about marriage in Matthew 19, he replied "Have you not read?" Because we also have the Word of God, we can speak with the same authority. But most Christian leaders have compromised on the book of Genesis, and therefore don't really have a firm foundation for their doctrine. They can't preach with this same authority. [article link]
Expert Roundtable Radio Interview: Scorecard on 5-year "War on Terror" [Right Click this Link to Save Mp3] It has been nearly five years since the arab terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Listen to this expert roundtable discussion about the effectiveness and direction of the so-called "War on Terror". Has terrorism been reduced as a global threat? What have been the consequences on the U.S. invasion of Iraq on the global terrorism situation? We present this 50+ minute show produced by radioopensource.org in the player below simply select the play button, or, click on the show title to stream the interview. In addition, the webcast can be downloaded in mp3 format by clicking on the arrow in the white circle to the direct and far right of the show title (file size 25+mb). [article link]
Brothers For Christ Ministries - Real Men: Real Issues: Real Faith One thing that we know helps a man in his walk with Christ is a form of habitual, spiritual disciplines in his life.
So what we at BFC wanted to do was to help us in this area. We know that in this busy life it is hard just to take time out and spend with God. We are posting daily devotions for men here that you can view in Adobe PDF format. Take some time out of your day to read God's word and then maybe a devotions for men. [article link]
"TERROR TUNNELS": VIEW 5 MOVIE CLIPS OF IDF OPERATIONS AGAINST UNDERGROUND TERRORISM The recent entry of the IDF into the Gaza Strip resulted from an IDF defensive counter-operation against a "terror tunnel" infiltration into Israel from Gaza. These tunnels excavated over the course of weeks and months can extend in length as much as 1,000 meters (note that the Kerem Shalom terror tunnel was about 650 meters long). These tunnels have been used extensively on the Egypt/Gaza border to smuggle in weapons for terrorist operations and the raw materials for Kassam Missile production. However, on the border with Israel, these tunnels are used for either community infiltrations (dug under defensive fences) or for sneak combat attacks on IDF guardposts and installations. In more than one case, the tunnels were built to extend directly underneath IDF facilities for the purpose of created massive explosions underneath the facilities creating severe casualty tolls. The IDF has been waging a war on "terror tunnels" for years and we present below a video playstation loaded with 5 movie clips of IDF footage of certain of these tunnels as they are discovered. The operational theatre of "terror tunnel" clearance and counter-measures is intensely hazardous work and we felt our audience would better appreciate the current hostage crisis in Gaza after viewing these clips (aggregate time approximately 10 minutes). Note: video quality below broadcast quality due to IDF operational conditions and lighting environments. [article link]
State Department website ignores Palestinian terror - Program fails to identify perpetrators of suicide bombings, attacks in Israel {is Bush even waging a real war against terrorism - I doubt it!} Rewards for Justice, a program administered by the U.S. State Department for the purpose of "bring[ing] international terrorists to justice," includes names, photographs and other background information about those wanted for attacks against American citizens in places such as the Philippines, Yemen and Italy on its website, but when it comes to Israel, the site fails to identify a single perpetrator of a suicide bombing or other attack as a Palestinian. ... According to the Jerusalem Post, dozens of Americans have been killed in attacks by Palestinian terrorists since 1993 when the Oslo accords were signed. In some cases, Palestinian organizations have claimed responsibility for attacks. In 2003, Palestinian officials renamed the central square in Jenin after Ali Jafar alNa'amani, an Iraqi suicide bomber who killed four U.S. Marines at a checkpoint in Najaf. [article link]
Russia and Her Allies Will Attack Israel (Bible-knowledge.com) This next event will be a major one! The Bible says that in the latter days that Russia, and what appears to be Iran, Libya, Turkey and possibly Sudan will descend upon Israel and try to destroy her. ... Remember, in the first half of the Tribulation the Antichrist will be establishing some kind of peace treaty with Israel - which may help explain how Israel could be in any kind of peace as described in the Scripture verse below. [article link]
Israeli Foreign Minister Seeks Russian Intervention in Palestinian Standoff MOSCOW - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was in Moscow on Monday for talks with her Russian counterpart, as tensions between Israel and the Palestinians soared over an Israeli soldier captured more than a week ago. Livni told Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily that Israel was counting on the world community to put pressure on the Palestinian leadership in Gaza and on Khaled Mashaal, leader of the militant Hamas group. [article link]
A 4th of July Links Page Below are some reviewed Independance Day links, hand selected, for your patriotic enjoyment. [article link]
Eternal Perspective Ministries 2nd Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. [article link]
The Mighty Hand of God Mp3's How mighty is the hand of God? Does He still perform miracles in our day and age? Or is God "sleeping"? [article link]
GOD SEES THE HEART by Dan Shutt 33 minutes (Audio WMA) You may also right-click on the links above and choose SAVE TARGET AS, if you want to save the file to your computer for later listening. Be sure you pay attention to WHERE you save the file so you can find it once it downloads. I suggest you save it to your DESKTOP. [article link]
The Myth of Mecca (as the early center of Islam) - Let's face it . . . Islam began in the year 666 AD. In her book, Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam, Dr. Crone demonstrates that Islam did not originate in Mecca. Mecca is located in the Hejaz region of what is today Saudi Arabia. It is portrayed by traditional belief as a wealthy trading center, full of merchants trading goods by caravan from Yemen in the south and Syria and the Byzantium empire in the north. Crone shows that Mecca was in fact way off the incense route from Yemen to Syria, which bypassed where Mecca is today by over 100 miles. Further, there is no mention whatever of Mecca in contemporary non-Moslem sources: ... While there may well have been a historical individual named Ubu'l Kassim who was later entitled Mohammed ("The Praised One"), who raised followers and participated in the initiation of the Arab Conquest, he likely came from northeast Arabia in what is now southern Jordan. The deity that Ubu'l Kassim chose to follow was Allah, a contraction of al-Lah, the ancient Arab God of the Moon [note: which is why the symbol of Islam to this day is the crescent moon]. Ubu'l Kassim died, however, some years before the Arab Conquest was fully underway (the traditional date is 632). Al-Rawandi summarizes what then happened: [article link]
Excellent Show!! Pat Boone hosts ... Praise The Lord - Show Archives: Thursday Jun 22, 2006 Pat Boone hosts Stephen Baldwin, A.C. Green, Dean & Lory Jones, Brad Bright, Peter Whitebird and Daniel Rodriguez in Hollywood, CA. [article link]
A Christian Manifesto by Dr. Francis Schaeffer DVD ($20 Donation) Where have the Bible-believing Christians been in the last 40 years?" asks Schaeffer. "Where have we been as we (American society) have changed to this other consensus and all the horrors and stupidity of the present moment have come down on our culture?" [article link]
{flashback} Baby Got Book {Bible} - Funny Parody Video (4 min 22 sec) Baby Got Book video. To view the video, click on the video and the player will automatically detect your connection speed and media type. [article link]
Gospel Challenge Halifax Call Back Choir Final Rehearsal Video (4 min 10 sec) Gospel Challenge Halifax Video. [article link]
On My Cross - Christian Music Video (5 min 3 sec) This beautiful video shows Jesus' love for us all. He died for the sins of each and everyone of us. [article link]
Jesus Christ - Our Hope for this World (2 min 59 sec) Christian Music Video. [article link]
The Gospel For Kids - Christian Video (2 min 33 sec) This video tells of God's plan for our lives in a "non-christian" way. [article link]
The Wollins Report:"Sderot Missile Rain" How things have changed in less than a year! Not a single Jewish soul (living or buried) remains in the Gaza Strip; Ariel Sharon lies suspended between life and death; and the Gaza has turned into a hellish potpourri of the Who's Who of genocidal, terrorist organizations: al-Qaida, the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic Jihad, and the democratically-elected Hamas gang. [article link]
Lighthouse Teaching Podcasts 'The Case for a Creator' Lee Strobel (Mp3) Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ over the airways to reach those who are in need. [article link]
Episcopal Church Split All But Certain As the smoke clears from the recent general convention, traditional Episcopalians reel at the events of recent days. ... "The wider Communion will therefore need to reflect carefully on the significance of what has been decided before we respond more fully." What is now clear, however, is that the denomination is heading away from orthodox Christian belief at light speed, according to The Rev. Todd Wetzel, who heads Anglicans United, an evangelical group within the denomination. Theological liberals, he said, have been working their way into top positions in the church for decades. "This convention is the clear signal that their takeover is now complete," Wetzel told CitizenLink. [article link]
Gen. Casey: U.S. forces in Iraq to shrink - Rumsfeld said. "It could very likely be a drawdown with an increase." He also said the insurgency has grown more complex in recent months, and he complained that it has been assisted by Iranian special operations forces who provide bomb materials, weapons and training to Shiite extremists in southern Iraq. "They are using surrogates to conduct terrorist operations in Iraq both against us and against the Iraqi people," Casey said. "It's decidedly unhelpful." He added there has been a "noticeable increase" in the problem since January, but he could not quantify it. [article link]
Bush Designates Largest Marine Sanctuary on Earth in Hawaii - Commercial fishing will be phased out in the area within five years, but it is possible permits will still be granted for recreational activities such as diving and sport fishing The world's largest protected marine sanctuary off the coast of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands was created last week with the stroke of a pen. President Bush has signed a proclamation designating an area more than seven times bigger than all other U.S. national marine sanctuaries combined. ... The 10 islands and atolls whose coastal waters will be protected cover 140,000 thousand square miles. For comparison, that's the size of Montana, the fourth-largest U.S. state, and 12 times bigger than land mass of Hawaii itself. ... Commercial fishing will be phased out in the area within five years, but it is possible permits will still be granted for recreational activities such as diving and sport fishing. - Some Opposition from Locals -Sunny Rivera, a local
fisherman in Honolulu, is very happy about the new designation and hopes the government will ensure that people have a way to truly enjoy it. He also believes, however, that fishing should be allowed to coexist with the preserve in some areas, because of its importance to trade and local cuisine. [article link]
Commentary: Bush in wonderland - Iraq is still a disaster, and three years on, purely for domestic consumption, the US administration is still lying about it, writes Ramzy Baroud To their credit, top Pentagon officials cautioned journalists and the public from the early days of the Iraq war that the dissemination of misinformation would be a vital weapon in their arsenal. Needless to say, they have held true to their word. ... So it's clear that US state propaganda -- aided and abetted by a cooperative, supine mainstream "liberal" media -- has but one primary target: the American public. For without their full indoctrination and consequent blind support, military adventurism can be a huge political burden; coupled with a dwindling economy and mounting debt, it could sway the political pendulum to unfavourable directions. ... Thus, what has really changed in Iraq is that the administration and the media have suddenly decided to reinterpret the ongoing conflict for political ends. It has little to do with Baghdad and its Green Zone and much to do with Capitol Hill and its discontented politicians. Simply put: it's politics as usual. [article link]
Bush's domestic spying: How America is rapidly becoming a police state - What could be more sinister than using our own intelligence services to spy on the American people? For years I've been warning my readers about the coming police state and the abusive use of power by the Bush administration. This year, we have learned that President Bush -- or should I say King George Bush -personally authorized domestic spying on American citizens by the National Security Agency (NSA). In articles that have appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post and other national news papers, George Bush admitted that he personally signed off on 30 illegal surveillance wiretaps, and furthermore, he defended the practice, explaining that wiretapping American citizens was saving American lives because of the war on terror. Furthermore, he explained he was doing everything in his power under the laws of the Constitution to protect U.S. citizens and their civil liberties. The degree of doublespeak being used by George Bush in that statement is extraordinary. His lack of historical context is utterly jaw-dropping. The man is becoming the Stalin of the United States. He is destroying our civil liberties and the Constitution, while simultaneously claiming that he is protecting the Constitution and the civil liberties of the American people. What could be more sinister than using our own intelligence services to spy on the American people? This is more than a little reminiscent of the secret police of Nazi Germany. {or Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, Iraq ...} [article link]
Acceptance after 57 Years: Apolitical MDA (Magen David Adom) [Israeli Red Cross] Fights Political Agenda Internationally, MDA has served in crisis spots around the world for 50 years alongside Red Cross, bringing emergency relief to victims of hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. In April of this year, our specialists flew to Romania to assist the local population with the disastrous flooding of the River Danube. During the Katrina nightmare, MDA started "United Brotherhood" to collect donations, clothing and equipment in Israel to help meet the needs of the 400,000 homeless along the American gulf coast. The relief effort after Southeast Asian tsunami found MDA running two emergency clinics in Sri Lanka and providing thousands of blood units. At every turn, the MDA has offered, and in some cases even pleaded with nations in need to accept their help. [article link]
Israeli (Magen David Adom), Palestinian relief groups join Red Cross - ending nearly 60 years of struggle over the Israeli agency's accession GENEVA (Reuters) - The Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian movement accorded membership on Thursday to the Israeli and Palestinian relief organizations, ending nearly 60 years of struggle over the Israeli agency's accession. ... "We have at last won a battle that had been fought for a very long time," he said. Noam
Yifrach, chairman of Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA), said the backing of the world's largest relief network would make it easier for emergency workers to cooperate across checkpoints, and ensure assistance reaches those who need it. [article link]
Philip Slater: Why do Democrats Let Bush Define the Terror Issue? {Interesting reading - sort of - a 'New Worldview'} Why do Democrats continue to accept Bush's ludicrous assertion that the Iraq war has anything to do with fighting terrorism? They should be pointing out that far from aiding that fight, it's a distraction from it, wasting resources that could be better spent finding and deterring terrorists all over the world. ... His approach to terrorism is based on the obsolete nation-state paradigm. Terrorist networks are international. Corporations are international. Laws are increasingly international. National boundaries are becoming meaningless on our shrunken, interdependent planet. Yet the Bush administration is busy putting up fences and pretending that terrorism is a war between nations. [article link]
House Intel Chairman Hoekstra: CIA Leaks 'Politically Driven' WASHINGTON -- The chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich, told NewsMax that he believes the recent leaks over the CIA's secret prisons and the NSA's terrorist surveillance program were "politically driven," and that the leakers "ought to be prosecuted." ... "Porter clearly started off at CIA knowing that the intelligence community needed to be shaken up. He was breaking the china and he was getting results" when he was summarily fired by the president. Media reports have suggested that Goss was fired at the urging of the newly appointed director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte. ... Hoekstra stated that he has "real concerns" with the direction things are taking under John Negroponte. ... Hoekstra warned that under Negroponte's direction, the ODNI staff has swelled to more than twice the size initially foreseen in the authorizing legislation, and risked becoming a new layer of bureaucracy superimposed over existing agencies, rather than a catalyst for change. "The real question is this: Are we getting the intelligence community that we need, or not' I have real concerns about that," Hoekstra said. [article link]
7 Marines, 1 Sailor to Face Charges of Murder in Iraqi Civilian Deaths {death-should be singular} at Hamdaniya {Keep these Men in our prayers - This seems like a total and excessive overcharge} WASHINGTON - The Marine Corps on Wednesday planned to charge seven Marines and one sailor with murder in connection with the April death of an Iraqi civilian, a defense official said. At Camp Pendleton, Calif., where the eight accused service members have been held in a military brig since late May, officials announced that a news conference would be held later Wednesday concerning the alleged killing of the Iraqi in the village of Hamdaniya. The announcement did not mention murder or other charges. [article link]
Bush's Baghdad Palace - Among the many secrets the American government cannot keep, one of its biggest (104 acres) and most expensive ($592 million) is the American Embassy being built in Baghdad Among the many secrets the American government cannot keep, one of its biggest (104 acres) and most expensive ($592 million) is the American Embassy being built in Baghdad. Surrounded by fifteen-foot-thick walls, almost as large as the Vatican on a scale comparable to the Mall of America, to which it seems to have a certain spiritual affinity, this is no simple object to hide. So you think the Bush Administration is planning on leaving Iraq? Read on. ... USA Today has learned that the "massive new embassy, being built on the banks of the Tigris River, is designed to be entirely self-sufficient and won't be dependent on Iraq's unreliable public utilities." ... Doubtless the cooks, janitors and serving staff attending to the Americans' needs and comforts in this establishment, which is said to exceed in luxury and appointments anything Saddam Hussein built for
himself, will not be Iraqis either. ... So it turns out that the plan, -- is to stay in Baghdad and run the country. [article link]
New Iraq PM - Al Maliki on a mission to keep nation together - Deeply religious, he is a follower of the spiritual adviser to the radical Lebanese group Hezbollah, Mohammad Hussain Fadlallah. {That can't be good - what is Bush thinking?} Baghdad: Standing beside Tony Blair this week Iraq's new prime minister, Nouri Al Maliki, looked every bit the westernised politician wearing a suit and tie and with no sign of a beard. Despite his outward appearance, Al Maliki has never denied that his beliefs are those of a strict Islamist who has strong suspicions about the West and its motives. Deeply religious, he is a follower of the spiritual adviser to the radical Lebanese group Hezbollah, Mohammad Hussain Fadlallah. [article link]
Eye on Iraq: Deteriorating realities - U.S. President George W. Bush paid a brief visit to Iraq where he conferred with Maliki and pledged continued U.S. support to him The latest celebration of light at the end of the tunnel started with an undoubted success: The location and killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida`s director of operations in Iraq and the driving force behind the merciless massacres of Shiite civilians. That event seemed to give additional significance to the formation of a new, more pro-American government under Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Then last week U.S. President George W. Bush paid a brief visit to Iraq where he conferred with Maliki and pledged continued U.S. support to him. [article link]
The Two Iraqs: Leaked Memo Paints Darker Image Than Bush, Officials Portrayed - Before President Bush's Surprise Baghdad Visit, U.S. Embassy Gave Dark Assessment June 20, 2006 - An internal memo sent last week from the Public Affairs Office staff at the American embassy in Baghdad to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice paints a dark picture of the security situation in and around Baghdad. ... The June 6 memo warns of increasing sectarian violence in the city, threats against embassy workers, deteriorating women's rights, and many specific cases of dangers faced by embassy personnel and ordinary Iraqis every day. ... According to the letter, women have recently come under mounting pressure to wear a head scarf in public, and even to cover their faces - a practice that smacks of the harsh conservative rule under Afghanistan's Taliban {and Iran}. ... ABC News has also learned that President Bush read the letter on his way to Baghdad during his surprise visit to the new Iraqi government last week. [article link]
Study: House Church Participation Rises in America House church participation has increased rapidly in the past decade, according to a new Barna study. The recent survey revealed millions of American adults trying out new forms of spiritual community and worship with many alternating between house churches and conventional churches. The Barna Group surveyed 5,000 adults from across the nation and found that nine percent of adults attend a house church during a typical week, which is a significant growth from one percent 10 years ago. "The house church now appears to have reached 'critical mass' in the United States," said research director George Barna in a released statement. "Analysts typically find that once a new tool or institution reaches 15 percent market penetration and has evidenced a consistent or growing level of affirmation for at least six years, that entity shifts from fad to trend status. At that point, it becomes a permanent fixture in our society." [article link]
National Education Association Set to Endorse Homosexual Marriage - Teacher's union begins plans to promote homosexual marriage in public schools The National Education Association is set to endorse homosexual marriage at their convention coming up in
Orlando June 29 through July 6. The new NEA proposal essentially says schools should support and actively promote homosexual marriage and other forms of marriage (two men and one woman, three women, two women and three men, etc.) in their local schools. The new proposal, expected to pass overwhelmingly, is found under the B-8 Diversity paragraph: ... [article link]
Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson - Available Podcasts Focus on the Family began in 1977 in response to Dr. James Dobson's increasing concern for the American family. A Ph.D. in child development (University of Southern California), he had served 14 years as associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the USC School of Medicine and a concurrent 17 years on the attending staff of Los Angeles Children's Hospital in the divisions of Child Development and Medical Genetics. What he had seen included massive internal and external pressures on American households, causing unprecedented disintegration. Yet there seemed to be no comprehensive, rational and biblically based conception of the family for those in greatest need. [article link]
*[Limited Audio-Download Availability] Open Line MP3's: Russian Ministries - Jun 16, 2006 - and other MP3's One of the things that impressed Wayne Shepherd as he traveled to Russia last month were the children who were so excited to have someone interested in them. Friday on OPEN LINE, Wayne Shepherd introduced us to a ministry that is making it possible for thousands of Russian children to attend camp this summer and hear the gospel. They talked about "Schools Without Walls," church planting, and these summer camps, as well as how we can help. [article link]
Bill Clinton Praises Evangelical Christians {Well not really} "For people in America who are a part of my political tradition, our great sin has often been ignoring religion or denying its power or refusing to engage it because it seemed hostile to us," he said. "For ... the so-called Christian right and its allies, their great sin has been believing they were in full possession of the truth." Clinton, a Southern Baptist, noted that there was once a resolution at his denomination's convention to expel his church because of his positions in favor of abortion rights and gay rights. It failed. [article link]
ALEX JONES DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE: TERROR STORM - June 24-25, Los Angeles We are proud to announce that among the many incredible politically-charged documentaries being screened at the American Scholars Symposium, we will be featuring the PREMIERE of the newest and most powerful film by documentary filmmaker and radio broadcaster Alex Jones: TERROR STORM [article link]
Excellent Teaching! - 'Plural, Powerful, Perfect and Praiseworthy' (Mp3) We are excited to be offering this service to our listeners. May God bless you through the teaching of His word. (TruthForLife.org) [article link]
Christian Words, Un-Christian Actions: George W. Bush And The Desecration Of Christianity In Modern America (New Book) With the tendency for attention to detail which characterize attorneys, Mr. Klar has listed all the reasons true Christians should doubt President Bush's claim to be a Christian. But, then Mr. Klar proceeds one step further -he shows how Mr. Bush's false claims to be a Christian are really and truly desecrating Christianity all throughout the land. While Christians correctly felt that President Clinton had dramatically lowered America's national morals, President Bush's actions have betrayed the very Christians who welcomed him with open,
trusting arms and have desecrated the foundations of true Biblical Christianity. [article link]
{flashback} 4 Incredible Alex Jones (Infowars.com) Documentaries One Low Price (DVDs) The DVD BLOWOUT Special includes a DVD of each of his four most powerful films: Alex Jones' Newest Film: "The Order of Death" with "Dark Secrets: Inside Bohemian Grove": Martial Law 9-11: Rise of the Police State: American Dictators: 911 The Road to Tyranny: Normally retailing for almost $100.00, these DVD's are avaible for a limited time at the special price of $60.95! Thats an amazing savings of over $35.00! [article link]
Bible games, comic books, board games, computer games Biblical Strategy is an authorized ecommerce store selling high quality entertainment products including collectible card games (including Redemption, the #1-selling Christian game in the world!), board games, computer games, comic books and animated video. [article link]
United Nations 'Army' Proposed Crisis management experts are calling for the creation of a "United Nations army" - an international rapid reaction force that could be deployed within 48 hours to intervene in emergency situations around the globe. Composed of up to 15,000 military, police and civilian staff, including medics, the proposed force would be recruited from professionals hired by the U.N. from many countries, and based at designated U.N. sites. Its actions would be authorized by the U.N. Security Council, according to the Toronto Star. [article link]
Numerous taxation schemes to finance the UN are being considered A powerful network of Americans in government, and business, academia and media have conspired to empower the UN. One noteworthy "insider" is David Rockefeller -- head of the superrich family that donated the ground for UN headquarters. He told an elite group in Germany in 1991: "We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time magazine... whose directors have attended our meetings and have respected promises of discretion for almost 40 years. It would have been possible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to... publicity during those years. But the world is now more sophisticated and prepare to march towards a world government." Here is a sampling of what other globalists have said: -- "We must strengthen the United Nations as a first step toward world government." - Walter Cronkite, famous CBS news anchor -- "Nationhood as we know it will be opsolete, all states will recognize a single, global authority." - Strobe Talbot, Former Deputy Secretary of State ... And there would be no Congress to limit the UN's appetite for your tax dollars. [article link]
U.S. Senate Active Legislation - Pending Legislation (Senate.gov) This list arranges active bills by subject-so they're easy to find-and provides bill numbers to facilitate your research in THOMAS. This list is updated at least weekly when the Senate is in session. Click on the section you would like to see: [article link]
{flashback} U.S. won't cede control of (Internet) Net computers Associated Press, by Anick Jesdanun 6/30/2005 NEW YORK - The U.S. government said Thursday it would indefinitely retain oversight of the Internet's main traffic-controlling computers, ignoring calls by some countries to turn the function over to an international body. The announcement marked a departure from previously stated U.S. policy... Though the computers themselves - 13 in all, known as "root" servers - are in private hands, they contain government-approved lists of the 260 or so Internet suffixes, such as ".com." [article link]
Federal Judge Dismisses Case by Michael Newdow Challenging National Motto 'In God We Trust' ANN ARBOR, MI - A California federal trial judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by Michael Newdow challenging the constitutionality of our national motto, "In God We Trust." Newdow is the atheist who achieved national attention in his previous unsuccessful attempt to remove the Pledge of Allegiance from public schools because it includes the words "one nation under God." [article link]
Olive Tree Ministries: Radio Show Mp3's Guests over five years have included Dave Hunt, Joseph Farah, Ken Timmerman, Hal Lindsey, Jack Kinsella, Dr. Ron Rhodes, Mike Gendron, Gary Kah, Dr. Randall Price, Brigitte Gabriel, Bill Koenig, Joel Rosenberg, Caryl Matrisciana, Gary Bauer, Greg Laurie, Paul Sperry, Walid Shoebat, Chuck Missler, Jed Babbin, Dr. Thomas Ice, Pastor Bob DeWaay, and many more. [article link]
Following Palestinian claims and the media reports of Israeli culpability in deaths on a Gaza beach, the real story emerges... Suspicions were initially raised by the Palestinian refusal to cooperate with Israeli investigators and the remarkably swift cleansing of evidence from the blast scene by Hamas gunmen who arrived shortly after the incident. Palestinian spokespeople usually display parts of Israeli shells to the international media - but not this time. 3) Israeli intelligence suggests that Hamas had mined the beach area in order to prevent Israeli naval commandos from landing there as part of anti-terror operations... [article link]
** Truth & Knowledge vs. Lies & Deception (Updated PDF) Truth is that which exists and cannot change. The truth is the unchangeable fact. There are basic truths in existence. We exist in physical human form on a planet called the earth. It is an undeniable unchangeable truth that we exist. It is also an undeniable unchangeable truth that physical life exists temporally here on earth. The truth is that all who have lived in the past have suffered physical death; they are no longer physically alive with us on earth. Since there are truths in existence there is a truth that explains life and death here on earth. There can be many theories about how life originated on earth, why and how we exist and why we die, but there is only one unchangeable truth. [article link]
Behind the Big News (DVD) Most Americans know the mainstream media manipulates stories, manufactures illusions, and exploits fears. But the reason is more than just liberal bias or sloppy reporting. Behind the Big News exposes a revolutionary agenda - originating outside the media - that defines today's headlines. This powerful and fast-paced video examines some of the biggest news stories in recent decades to discover how this subversive agenda is promoted. Behind the Big News also reveals an effective strategy to overcome this ongoing assault on American freedom. [article link]
Desperate Bush administration ends already blown Zarqawi deception - In a bizarre recent twist perhaps paving the way for last week's finale, Zarqawi, the "great terrorist mastermind," was depicted [in a video] as an incompetent; an object of ridicule lacking the knowledge to properly handle an automatic weapon The purported execution of "Al-Qaeda mystery man" Musab al-Zarqawi ends what was exposed two months ago as a Pentagon psychological operation in leaked military documents. The pursuit of Zarqawi is being sold as the "turning point" of the Iraq war. It is nothing of the sort. This is another lie, heaped upon the multitude of lies that comprise the "war on terrorism" itself. ... What is a well-established (and deliberately unaddressed) fact is that the United States government and US-connected intelligence agencies created Islamic "terrorism." The
US and its allies have continued to use and guide terrorist cells, as well as fill worldwide media with "terrorism" propaganda. ... Zarqawi, "Bush's man in Iraq" is not just a manipulated Anglo-American intelligence asset, but a clumsy Pentagon psychological operation. The legend of the "shadowy terror mastermind" responsible for virtually every act of violence in Iraq and beyond has morphed and changed over the years. In a bizarre recent twist (perhaps paving the way for last week's finale), Zarqawi, the "great terrorist mastermind," was depicted as an incompetent; an object of ridicule lacking the knowledge to properly handle an automatic weapon (leading to questions about the competence of US propaganda apparatus). Zarqawi has been reported dead more than once, and now he is dead again, deader than ever. [article link]
{flashback} Report: al-Zarqawi may have been killed in Mosul The Elaph Arab media website reported on Sunday that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the head of the al-Qaida in Iraq terror group, may have been killed in Iraq on Sunday afternoon when eight terrorists blew themselves up in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. The unconfirmed report claimed that the explosions occurred while coalition forces surrounded the house in which al-Zarqawi was hiding. American and Iraqi forces are looking into the report. [article link]
{flashback} The (American) School that Terrorism Built In March of 2003, a domestic non-profit was incorporated within the state of Florida, using the name American Youth Academy. The organization was set up as an Islamic elementary/secondary private school (just like IAF), and its corporate address put it directly adjacent to IAF. Or is it inside IAF? Taking a drive down the back street that is E 130th Ave, one is easily confused as to where one property ends and the other begins. If you listen to American Youth Academy (AYA) officials, you'll be hard pressed to believe that AYA is a brand new school. But in reality, only the name has changed. As reported in the Tampa Tribune, the school "uses the same buildings, desks, books and equipment as the Islamic Academy. Nearly half the teachers and many students are the same." The phone number to the school is also the same. Even one of the AYA Directors, Ayman Barakat, was a long-time Director of IAF. So why is the state of Florida treating this "new" school differently than it treated IAF? As stated previously, IAF lost its funding due to its ties to terrorist activity. However, the same school that goes by the new name is currently receiving more taxpayer funded vouchers than any other school in the Tampa Bay area. For this year alone, Florida's citizens have shelled out $332,500 to AYA for its elementary/secondary program and $2500 per child for AYA's Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program, which it is actively soliciting for children on its website. Given this school's history, how is this possible? [article link]
The 'Da Vinci Code' - A Final Thought (PDF Available) First Box-Office Reports of Da Vinci Code Movie: It does appear that the global public is ready to hear and accept the one lie without which Antichrist cannot arise -- that Jesus revived in the tomb, his disciples paid the elite Roman Guard to let him go, and that he went into the village where he married Mary Magdalene and had a family. After persecution against Christians martyred Jesus, a pregnant Mary Magdalene escaped to what is now Normandy, France. She gave birth to a girl and later that girl married a Merovingian prince. Since all European and British nobility can legitimately prove their lineage back through the Merovingians, they can "prove" to a public who has bought this lie that their lineage goes back through Mary Magdalene to Jesus and they have "plugged into" Jesus, they are literally "home free" to King David! The Jewish Talmud teaches this same lie. Thus, Antichrist can "prove" his lineage back to King David, an absolute requirement if he is to convince the Jewish people he is their Messiah for whom they have been awaiting! [article link]
BREAKING SCHLUSSEL EXCLUSIVE: Bush to Nominate PORN ADDICT, TERROR SYMPATHIZER, RACIST to Court of Appeals If you liked the Harriet Miers nomination, you'll love the Stephen Murphy nomination. I have known for three
weeks--on the tip of a current Assistant U.S. Attorney--that FBI agents are conducting a background check on U.S. Attorney Stephen Murphy III, in preparation for President Bush's impending nomination of Murphy to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. But the Bush nomination of Stephen Murphy should shock all freedom-loving Americans, let alone conservatives, because Murphy: ... [article link]
{flashback} Judge's Unintelligent Rant Against Design {Judge is a Bush appointee - a thanks again W! way to come through for your voters} Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000. Yet this federal judge, who owes his position entirely to those voters and the Bush who appointed him, stuck the knife in the backs of those who brought him to the dance in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. Judge Jones issued a 139-page rant against anyone who objects to force-feeding public schoolchildren with the theory of evolution. He accused parents and school board members of "breathtaking inanity" for wanting their children to learn that "intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view." [article link]
{flashback} Utah (Mormon/LDS) Polygamist Judge Fights to Keep Job A judge with three wives is fighting to keep his job. The Utah Supreme Court is faced with a decision: can a practicing polygamist sit on the bench in judgment of others? Judge Walter Steed has been on the bench for a quarter of a century and for all that time he's also been a polygamist. The basic question is whether Judge Steed brings disrepute to the judiciary by flouting the laws against polygamy. The Judicial Conduct Commission ruled that he does, and wants the Supreme Court to boot Steed from his bench in Hildale. [article link]
Many Christian Downloads - over 1,100 Teachings - Seminar Locations (Mp3) Search Results for Christian Download Topics with both Regular and FTP Download Options. [article link]
Wycliffe Missionary Conference 5 Mp3's This is a series of five talks from what a Wycliffe Missionary Conference in Cameroon. Author: John Piper [article link]
Wycliffe Missionary Conference (FTP Site) This is a series of five talks from what a Wycliffe Missionary Conference in Cameroon. Author: John Piper [article link]
Audio Archive of Pastor Bill Welsh (3 Mp3's) Pastor Bill Welsh of Calvary Chapel Huntington Beach [article link]
Creation Science Overview MP3, from July 2004, 60 minutes; (14 MB) Given in a Silicon Valley corporate environment, to engineers and programmers by the editor of: www.creationism.org, Paul Abramson. [article link]
***New - The Bible, Old and New Testaments, King James Version Reader Edition 1.0 - Free PDF Download The reader edition of the KJV is a complete Bible with both the Old and the New Testaments. In order to provide a consistent and enjoyable read the reader edition is formatted without the verse or chapter references providing a continuous easy to read Bible. [article link]
IMPORTANT VIDEO LECTURE BY PROF. EUGENE NARRETT IN JERUSALEM (Includes Q & A) On April 6th, 2006, Dr. Eugene Narrett, Professor & Coordinator of Multi-Disciplinary Studies at Cambridge College in Massachusetts, spoke at the O-U Center in Jerusalem with regard to American foreign policy and the decline of Western culture, the myth of Palestinian nationalism and the geo-political forces aligned against Israel under the guise of pro-arab policies, and a variety of other topics and issues. We provide below a flash video box loaded with one hour of the remarkable talk and responses to questions in four separate clips. We had first been exposed to Dr. Narrett on The Tovia Singer Show webcast over the Internet. During his recent trip to Israel, we had a chance to sit down over dinner with this unique renaissance man whose thorough and historic grasp of the global situation as it pertains to Israel is only exceeded by his passionate defense of the Jewish People and their right to live in peace in the Land of Israel. [article link]
Ray Stedman MP3 Audio Files 100's of Mp3's for free Download Sunday evening services at Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, California, were the setting for a series of 67 messages on the entire Bible preached by Ray C. Stedman. One book of the Bible was covered per message, with an additional message inserted to cover the history of the "400 Silent Years" between the close of the Old Testament canon (Malachi) and the First Gospel (Matthew). This series commenced June 28, 1964 and was completed on August 4, 1968. [article link]
Peninsula Bible Church of Palo Alto, California - Sermons (Audio Mp3) Audio and Video Messages Note: Many of our messages are now in MP3 format, gradually replacing the earlier RealAudio files. [article link]
***A Venture in Faith: The Calvary Chapel Story (Movie - Improved Resolution) {*To Download Right Click - This Link -} This is an outstanding documentary on the history and philosophy of Calvary Chapel. It demonstrates how through one mans (Chuck Smith) faith and obedience God began a revival in a period know as the Jesus Movement. This video chronicles the trials that Chuck Smith faced by stepping out into a ministry and trusting that Where God Guides, God Provides. This video tape is an encouraging message for anyone who desires to know and follow Gods will and to gain the proper perspective of ministry. [article link]
BibleGateway.com - Over 50 online Bibles in 35 languages, in Text, PDF and Audio Format The Bible Gateway is a tool for reading and researching scripture online -- all in the language or translation of your choice! It provides advanced searching capabilities, which allow readers to find and compare particular passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference. [article link]
Heaven for sure - Christian Audio Messages (WMA) There are multitudes of people on this earth and if you were to ask them, "Will you be in heaven after you die?," their answer would invariably be, "I hope so." In other words, they want to be in heaven, but have no real assurance that they will actually be there. Put a Holy Bible into their hand and beg them to show you how to get to heaven, and they would be at a loss to tell you. Despite what others may say, you CAN BE SURE of heaven. Salvation is a real experience and if you get saved you will KNOW you are saved and you will KNOW for SURE you will be in heaven after this life. The audio messages below are for the benefit of those who say, "I hope so." Make no mistake, God does not want us to be ignorant of our eternal destination. After all, why did He write the Bible and put it into our hands? Well, the Bible itself gives us the answer to that question, saying, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye
have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:13). Notice those assuring words, "that ye may know." [article link]
CAN CHRISTIANITY AND SPORTS CONTINUE TO COEXIST? So it was that I read with interest this week a USA TODAY article on the Christian players with the Colorado Rockies. The story suggested that there existed "a Christian-based code of conduct" within the Rockies clubhouse which is not peppered with girly magazines nor inundated with risqué music commonplace in most MLB clubhouses these days. And, most interestingly, the Rockies are suddenly winning, with some of the Christian players saying they see the hand of God in their successes this year. Of course, this could change at any time since God's Word never promises that being a Christian means we will never struggle or face challenges. In fact, I imagine there are also Christian players on the Kansas City Royals, the team with the worst record in baseball. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to read about this team that is built on character and comprised of many Christian players and coaches, that has become the talk of baseball. [article link]
Two Rivers Church - Weekly Sermons (Audio Mp3) Our weekly sermons are put on our website every Monday. Our sermons are now available in mp3 format. If you right click on the sermon link, you can save the file to your computer. [article link]
Trapped in Hitler's Hell - A Survivors Story of the Holocaust (Audio Mp3) Easily download one or several of the Basic Christian files by using the familiar File Folders and the Drag and Drop method. All of the files can be downloaded at once by highlighting all the files and then moving them into the desired location folder on your computer. You can also select the View option and arrange the files by type. *Note select the Folders button next to the Search button on your browser to display the folders to drag and drop the files into. [article link]
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) places Christianity in same category as sex, violence, profanity (via AFA.Net) A new family film featuring miracles and a pro-God theme has earned the PG rating because it would offend non-believers. The MPAA refuses to give movies which promote the homosexual lifestyle a similar warning. In other words, MPAA warns parents if a movie has Christianity presented in a positive manner but refuses to warn them if homosexuality is presented in a positive manner. Facing the Giants is the story of a Christian high school football coach who uses his undying faith to battle the giants of fear and failure. Due to the Christian content, the MPAA rated it PG, placing it in the same offensive category as sex, violence and profanity. [article link]
Bush Dismays Party Base on Gay Marriage Ban: Margaret Carlson {Liberal Article} There is always the underlying suspicion that Bush may revert to his family's default position on social issues, which is not to really care. Barbara Bush didn't hide her respect for Planned Parenthood. Laura Bush said on the ``Today'' show in 2001 that she didn't think Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Just last month, the first lady said gay marriage was a sensitive issue that shouldn't be used for political purposes. Before running for president, Bush surely didn't seem to worry about gay couples. A good friend of mine who worked closely with Bush in Texas was invited by the then-governor to spend the night at the mansion -- with his gay partner. Back then, Bush discussed the issue of gay marriage as a solution to the problem of promiscuity. - Hollow Gesture On Monday, the Traditional Values Coalition, which claims to represent 43,000 churches, declined an invitation to the White House, calling the amendment a hollow gesture that might actually encourage civil unions. To other conservatives, the issue just doesn't resonate as much as runaway spending, huge deficits and growing
government. [article link]
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ON CAPITOL HILL After a five-year struggle, the Ten Commandments sculpture is dedicated in front of Faith and Action's ministry house across the street from the US Supreme Court and one block from the US Capitol. Participating in the one-hour prayer service on June 3, are from left to right: Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Christian Defense Coalition, Dr. Paul Schenck, representing Faith and Action and Priests For Life; Rev. Rob Schenck, Faith and Action; David Moshier, National Clergy Council; Minister Grace Nwachukwu, Female Clergy Association; David W. New, Esq. and in the back row, Dr. Michael Hall, of the People's Church in Washington, DC. The liberal government of the District of Columbia has warned Rev. Rob Schenck that he must apply for a permit within 30 days or face penalties of up to $300 per day. The Faith and Action legal team maintains that no such permit is required under law and that the sculpture is covered under First Amendment rights of free speech and free exercise of religion. Watch for more information on Monday! [article link]
Billy Graham Television Special featuring Franklin and Billy Graham as they bring messages of hope and new life in Jesus Christ from the New Orleans Arena [June 3-11 ] Watch Celebration of Hope from Storm-Ravaged New Orleans Tune in June 3-11 for the next Billy Graham Television Special featuring Franklin and Billy Graham as they bring messages of hope and new life in Jesus Christ from the New Orleans Arena. You'll hear special music by Point of Grace and "American Idol" finalist George Huff, as well as Hurricane Katrina-related testimonies from Sergeant Greg Hauck of the St. Bernard Parish police department and Pastor James Nelson Brown who provided his own food to those who had nothing. For local listings, please see below. [article link]
The Billy & Franklin Graham Evangelistic Association Past Radio Broadcasts (Audio) The goal of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Ltd. is to reach men and women with the Gospel and to bring them into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. [article link]
Via HotAir.com: Vent Section - Staged News Events, to play select play button, to download Right Click "Download Vent for iTunes" (Video) Clips of staged news events including an Australian Katie Couric wannabe got busted by a Brigadier General who didn't go along with her MSM stage managers. [article link]
Staged News - Photo Fraud - UK TIMES SMEARS OUR MARINES Look very carefully at the photo featured in the UK Times's report from June 1, 2006 titled "Massacre Marines blinded by hate:" ... It is clearly the same location. The same set of dead bodies. The second is a wider shot with three additional bodies in the foreground. But guess what? The photo, according to this Newsweek caption of the scene, is not of the Nov. 19 incident in Haditha involving our Marines, as the UK Times would have you believe. Read the caption: "Insurgents in Haditha executed 19 Shiite fishermen and National Guardsmen in a sports stadium." Our Marines did not kill these people. [article link]
Now Try God - Click the "Now Try God" button to start (Interactive Flash) For the rest of us, the story goes a little different. Life doesn't live up to the advertisement. We thought we did the right things. But somehow it just didn't happen. [article link]
FreshFire Mario Murillo Ministries - The Greatest Miracle in the History of this Ministry - Marriage Reunion after 14 years apart Sit with me as I tell you how it happened. However, you must realize that this newsletter will only give you the highlights of this miraculous testimony. [article link]
David J. Meyer - Last Trumpet Newsletter: The Final Page of the Illuminati Blueprint! Sir Winston Churchill, who was an Illuminist, Druid, Freemason, and a member of the League of Just Men, once said the following words: "Most people, sometime in their lives, stumble across the truth. Most jump up, brush themselves off and hurry about their business as if nothing had happened." While Churchill was referring to the number one problem in the world today - apathy toward truth, he also alluded to the fact that truth is surrounded by so much darkness that people stumble over it and even hate it because it got in their way. How true it is that people who walk in darkness will stumble over truth, but people who walk in the light will not stumble over anything. The Illuminists depend upon apathy toward truth by the masses of people, because it allows them to continue with great measures of success as they go about to enslave the people of the world in a global dictatorship of an antichrist and totalitarian one-world government. [article link]
GLAD TO BE CHRISTIAN - Streaming Video - An introduction to the Jesus Army UK Glad to be Christian! An introduction to the Jesus Army UK. (Video) [article link]
CHURCH - STEEPLE OR PEOPLE? A look at Christian community - Streaming Video - Jesus Army UK Does the Christian church have a future? With yet another church closing its doors every week in the UK, its hard to think so. Life is changing. Fast. Half of us don't even know the person living next door. A third of all UK households consist of just one person living alone. This video takes a look at the other extreme: what happens when a group of Christians choose to live together and asks the question: Is 'Church' a building or people? [article link]
View clips of ByFaith (Mission Journeys) TV - DVD (Europe Only) {Scroll down screen - select Trailer buttons} This series is a thoroughly entertaining experience, with a challenging message of complete surrender to the call of Christian discipleship. This fast paced and engaging programme has a bold Christian worldview, and a clear biblical message. Discover how the mission journeys are the setting where Paul and Mathew explore fifteen biblical subjects through the life-lessons that God prepares for them in each nation. [article link]
Travel The Road - Missionary Journeys (12 episodes DVD) Current Episode: The guys feel the heat as they continue across Ethiopia. Heavy persecution, close encounters with dangerous wildlife, and a major change will test their moxie. But let's face it, they didn't choose life on the road for the souvenir mugs. [article link]
Bush's Press Conference Lie - it couldn't be more clear that Bush was being intentionally deceptive It's not necessarily a huge deal in itself, but with credibility a paramount issue for the White House these days, it's worth noting that when asked about Treasury Secretary John Snow's future last week, President Bush could easily have ducked the question, or told the truth -- but instead, he chose to lie about it. ... Here's the transcript of last Thursday's joint press conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Bloomberg White House correspondent Richard Keil, who Bush calls "Stretch," asked the president the following question: "Has Treasury Secretary Snow given you any indication that he intends to leave his job any time soon?" ... Bush responded to his first question first: "No, he has not talked to me about resignation. I think he's doing a fine job." ... At Tuesday's press briefing, spokesman Tony Snow (no relation) confirmed that Bush had offered John Snow's job
to Goldman Sachs chairman Henry Paulson several days before the press conference, and the spokesman didn't deny that Bush and his treasury secretary had talked about it. ... First of all, Bush's direct answer to the question of whether John Snow had given him any indication that he intended to leave his job was, "No." Hard to get around that. [article link]
Thundering on the Great Plains - Pro-Life - America's Indian tribes have long been pro-life When the South Dakota legislature recently passed a law against abortion, Cecilia Fire Thunder vowed to open an abortion facility on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Fire Thunder is president of the Oglala Sioux tribal council. That led Will Peters to introduce an amendment in the tribal council to suspend Fire Thunder for 20 days until she can be impeached. Councilman Peters says what Fire Thunder did was an unauthorized political activity. America's Indian tribes have long been pro-life. [article link]
(Mormon-Islam) Polygamy Versus Democracy Metwalli's polygamy serves as a kind of Rorschach test of Muslim modernization. Studying viewer responses to this serial, Norwegian historian of religion Anne Sofie Roald found that assimilated Muslim immigrant women in the West see Metwalli as a dictator: running around on his wives, forcing them to give up their jobs, forbidding them to leave the house without permission, selfishly forcing his son out of a love marriage, and generally insisting that his word is law. Yet some unassimilated Muslim immigrant women in Europe, and many Muslim men, admire Metwalli for successfully embodying polygamy as authorized by Islam. [article link]
Promise Keepers 2006 "Unleashed" podcasts - PK PODCAST HOME (Mp3) [Subscribe or Right Click "Episode Title" to Save] Promise Keepers is pleased to now offer content that is now available on your iPod or any MP3 compatible media device - including your video iPod! PK podcasts allow you the flexibility of automatically receiving PK audio and video content on your iPod or any MP3 compatible media device via the Internet-without having to browse the Web every day. Join the hundreds who are already subscribed to one or both of our podcasts. On recent episodes of the 2006 "Unleashed" podcast, Steve Chavis, director of communications for Promise Keepers, has brought key ministry team members into the studio to share some of the behind-the-scenes information about the work that is being done to prepare for the 2006 Unleashed conference season. [article link]
The Azusa Street Centennial Celebration 1906-2006 On-line Video (Free Registration Required for Video Feed) The Azusa Street Centennial is a Worldwide Gathering of Pentecostal/Charismatic Believers Commemorating and Celebrating the Centennial Anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival. [article link]
Promise Keepers Men's Ministries Kicks Off a 16th Season Starting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Complete 2006 Conference Information) The name "Promise Keepers" also derives from the covenant that God fulfilled through Jesus Christ. In Christ, God kept all the promises that he made to mankind and we rely upon God as the original Promise Keeper to keep our promises. [article link]
USA Today Poll June 1, 2006: G.W. Bush 'worst' president since WWII; Reagan 'best' Of the 11 presidents since World War II, President Bush is the "worst," said 34% of those surveyed in a Quinnipiac University poll released today. That was double the percentage of the next "worst" president, Richard Nixon (17%) (Bill Clinton was named "worst" president by 16%.). The "best" president, chosen by 28%
of those surveyed, was Ronald Reagan. President Clinton came in second in that category, at 25%. [article link]
iPod Fovorites - The Ten Best Musical works - chosen by Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State A little bit of everything [except for Christian music]. "Believe it or not, I loved acid rock in college - and I still do." ... Condoleezza Rice. [article link]
Muslim - British financing of "Da Vinci Code" Movie questioned Mohammed Yusef, the founder of Invicta Capital in Great Britain, is using a government tax-incentive program to fund the movie version of the anti-Christian "Da Vinci Code" novel for Sony Pictures. According to the Times of London, the London-based Invicta is taking advantage of British tax rules to provide Sony with 100 million pounds of the 114 million pounds that the movie reportedly cost. The capital allows Sony to dramatically reduce its cost of borrowing money to produce and market the movie. [article link]
Trusting God enough to Let Go (Picture Devotional) A picture devotional presentation. Looking to God to meet our needs to fulfill our desires and to carry our worries. [article link]
Memorial Day: FREEDOM IS NOT FREE - Resources Memorial Day postings from the Michelle Malkin blog. [article link]
Memorial Day: Ecards Salute the brave hearts of America who have served the nation with courage and dedication to uphold freedom, peace and togetherness. Pay tributes and express your gratitude to those who are still serving our country. Cherish the Spirit of America on Memorial Day as you reach out to your friends - family members near and dear ones. Send Free Online Greeting Cards to your friends & loved ones. ALL cards are absolutely FREE!!! [article link]
Calvary Chapel Mp3 Store - Through the Bible Commentary - (4 pages of products) "The Word for Today" IResource Center currently 34 Mp3 products. [article link]
CIA Director Porter Goss resigns unexpectedly - The former congressman from Florida, head of the House Intelligence Committee and CIA agent had been at the helm of the agency only since September 2004 WASHINGTON (AP) - CIA Director Porter Goss resigned unexpectedly Friday, leaving behind a spy agency still battling to recover from the scars of intelligence failures before America's worst terrorist attack and faulty information that formed the U.S. rationale for invading Iraq. ... "The CIA is in a free fall," noting that employees with a combined 300 years of experience have left or been pushed out. ... The al-Qaida leaders haven't been found "primarily because they don't want us to find them and they're going to great lengths to make sure we don't find them," Goss said in a November interview on ABC's "Good Morning America." [article link]
Conservatives Drive Bush's Approval Down - Angry conservatives are driving the approval ratings of President Bush and the GOP-led Congress to dismal new lows Conservative voters blame the White House and Congress for runaway government spending, illegal immigration and lack of action on social issues such as a constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage.
Those concerns come on top of public worries about Iraq, the economy and gasoline prices. "I think he's the dumbest president we've ever had," said Mark Rauzi, a conservative voter from Gillespie, Ill. "I disapprove of a lot of the stuff he's doing. ... Hardline conservatives are not likely to vote Democratic in the fall, but it would be just as devastating to the Republicans if conservatives lose their enthusiasm and stay home on Election Day. {Or if we select an alternative 3rd party like the "Constitution Party" and escape from this inept, hopeless and totally unworthy Republican party.} [article link]
The Constitution Party - A viable alternative to the current disappointment of the Republican party The Democrats and Republicans have squandered the Founders' legacy of liberty and justice under the Constitution. Countless government officials in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government ignore their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. Join the Constitution Party in its work to restore our government to its Constitutional limits and our law to its Biblical foundations. [article link]
'The Da Vinci Code' Unraveled - Documentary exposé on novel, movie to air nationwide (Saturday May 6 & 13th - i Network - formerly PAX TV) It's called "Breaking the Da Vinci Code," and it was created for a television airing May 6 at 8 p.m. on the i network, formerly PAX TV. It will be shown again May 13 at 8 p.m. and again May 26. It, too, is based on another popular book of the same name. The documentary, say producers, answers all the lingering questions and explodes myths perpetuated by the novel and the upcoming movie - expected to be a blockbuster hit. On the two-hour DVD you will see interviews with authors and the world's leading experts in archeology, theology, art history, philosophy and science. [article link]
Stand to Reason Podcast (Registration Required) Stand to Reason equips Christian ambassadors with knowledge, wisdom, and character. An effective ambassador has three essential skills: Knowledge - an accurate grasp of the foundational precepts of the Kingdom. Wisdom - skillful, tactical, fair, and diplomatic use of knowledge. Character - a mature expression of virtue, warmth, and personal depth. [article link]
Election of Gay Calif. Bishop Threatens Episcopal Church SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - What's left of unity in the Episcopal Church is at stake heading into a weekend election for bishop of California that sets up a major clash over gays' role in the church. Three of the seven candidates are openly gay, and choosing one of them to head the Diocese of California would further alienate Episcopal conservatives already feeling betrayed that the church approved a gay bishop three years ago. It could also fracture the strained relationship between America's 2.3 million Episcopalians and their parent body, the worldwide Anglican Communion. [article link]
Vatican excommunicates 4 Chinese bishops Ordained by (China's) state-controlled church without pope's consent VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican on Thursday excommunicated two bishops ordained by China's statecontrolled church without the pope's consent, escalating tensions as the two sides explore preliminary moves toward improving ties. The Vatican also excommunicated the two bishops who ordained them. Church law requires excommunication for any such ordination without Vatican consent. [article link]
Samuel Smadja - Peace In Israel (MP3 - Free Download) Description: A great reminder of why as Christians we support Israel. A quick historical perspective of Israel and
now as war approaches by we must pray for the peace of Israel. [article link]
Reform immigration law - Protesters' plight is understandable, but U.S. must get tougher {The real failure may be in that we now have a government that no longer respects its own citizens or its own laws.} The protesters' desire to work and remain in this country is certainly understandable, but their goals conflict with those of America as a whole and California in particular. This state's embarrassing schools, overburdened public hospitals, choked welfare systems and crowded jails are in many ways an indirect result of illegal immigration, not to mention our look-the-other-way federal policy. The hypocrisy needs to end. Of the pending legislation, we say the United States indeed needs a fence to protect its borders and more guards to police it. Illegal immigrants do not deserve amnesty. Those caught sneaking in should face criminal charges, as should those who assist them. ... Critics call these ideas harsh. But harsher yet are schools that cannot educate their students, hospitals that let the untreated die, jails so crowded that inmates are freed before their release dates and a welfare system spread so thin it cannot adequately help those who deserve its benefits: American citizens who are out of work. In the end, cheap labor is not a fair exchange for the burdens illegal immigrants place on our economy. [article link]
Italy to Remove 'Da Vinci Code' Ad ROME -- The Interior Ministry said Tuesday it would remove a poster promoting "The Da Vinci Code" movie from the scaffolding of a Rome church undergoing renovation after its clergymen complained, officials said Tuesday. ... Church officials have spoken out repeatedly against the best-selling novel by Dan Brown and the upcoming film, which stars Tom Hanks and is scheduled for release May 19. ... "It advertises something that is against Christ and against the church," St. Pantaleo's rector, the Rev. Adolfo Garcia Duran, told The Associated Press. [article link]
Calvary Chapel Mp3 Store - Through the Bible Commentary - (4 pages of products) "The Word for Today" IResource Center currently 34 Mp3 products. [article link]
Life & Times of Jesus Audio Series Parts 1-16 (Free Mp3 Download) Pastor Jack Hibbs is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. FREE Audio Mp3 Downloads. [article link]
Baptists: Plan exit from government schools - New resolution tells churches to develop strategy for pulling kids out Added Shortt: "The government's schools haven't merely failed; they are destroying our children spiritually and morally. Academically, the public school system is as dead as Elvis. Unfortunately, many Christian pastors and leaders still try to evade the cold, hard facts by talking about 'school reform' and 'salt and light.' Well, we've tried that strategy for 40 years and more, and, after trillions of dollars of reform, anyone who takes a serious look at the consequences of our government school habit can see that the Church has been hemorrhaging children for more than a generation and that the public schools are stuck on stupid morally and academically. [article link]
What Equals 100%? - How about Achieving 101%? What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 101%? What equals 100% in life? Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions: [article link]
THE PROSECUTION OF WENYI WANG A follow-up on the Falun Gong protester who shouted down Chinese president Hu Jintao last week (via Breitbart/AP): [article link]
'The Da Vinci Code' Unraveled - Documentary exposé on novel, movie to air nationwide (May 6 & 13 - i Network - formerly PAX TV) It's called "Breaking the Da Vinci Code," and it was created for a television airing May 6 at 8 p.m. on the i network, formerly PAX TV. It will be shown again May 13 at 8 p.m. and again May 26. It, too, is based on another popular book of the same name. The documentary, say producers, answers all the lingering questions and explodes myths perpetuated by the novel and the upcoming movie - expected to be a blockbuster hit. On the two-hour DVD you will see interviews with authors and the world's leading experts in archeology, theology, art history, philosophy and science. [article link]
THE BAD NEWS OF THE DA VINCI CODE MOVIE: Sony Pictures - Directed by: Ron Howard, Starring: Tom Hanks, May 2006 The New York Times called recently asking what's wrong with THE DA VINCI CODE. With regard to the book by that name, there have been a large number of articles, some published in MovieGuide', explaining its egregious historical, theological, and moral problems. With regard to the movie scheduled to be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures, however, about which the Times was calling, we won't know until we see the final product. The strange thing about the movie is that the two key people involved, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard, claim to be Christians. Mr. Hanks has told reporters that he came to Christ many years ago and now attends a Greek Orthodox church with his wife. A Campus Crusade minister worked as Ron Howard's assistant for many years and said that Mr. Howard went to a Presbyterian church. Therefore, it is strange that these two men are making THE DA VINCI CODE, unless they have either sold out and see it as a way of making a lot of money, or they plan to change it. [article link]
The DaVinci Code Movie "Seek The Truth" Sony Pictures Movie Trailer {Oops No Truth in This Movie} Full length movie trailer. [article link]
Sony Conglomerate Media Holdings - Boycott ALL Sony Media and products Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Tri-Star, Sony Picture Classics, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Studios (Culver City), Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television (King of Queens, Rescue Me), GSN (part owned), Electronics like Sony televisions, computers, walkmans, camcorders, discs, PlayStation, Everquest and many other video games, 989 Sports. [article link]
Daily Encouragement Net Christian Podcast (Mp3) - "Follow Me" (John 21:18, 19) "'I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, 'Follow me'" (John 21:18, 19). [article link]
Georgia Gov. Perdue OKs Bible Classes, Commandments at Courthouses ATLANTA - Georgia became what is believed to be the first state to offer government-sanctioned elective classes on the Bible, with Gov. Sonny Perdue signing a bill into law Thursday. The governor also signed a bill permitting the display of the Ten Commandments at courthouses, ... The Bible is already incorporated into
classes in Georgia and other states, and some local school districts have passed measures permitting classes devoted solely to the Bible. But education analysts say the law in Georgia is the first time a state government has endorsed such courses. The new law allows elective classes on the Bible to be taught to high school students. Local school systems will decide whether to teach the courses. [article link]
Homeowners ban Bible study - Association leaders claim right to cut off religious {freedom} gathering Two residents of a Southern California senior mobile home park are suing the homeowner's association for barring prayer and Bible study meetings in common areas. For 17 years, residents met weekly in the Warner Springs Estates clubhouse for a prayer and Bible study meeting, ... Just prior to that, when the Bible study group gathered for its regular meeting, tenants and mobile home park staff were allowed to harass, threaten and interfere with the meetings, Wilson said. During other events scheduled during the week, such as Bingo on Tuesdays, it's understood that others in the room should be respectful and not in interruptive, but during the Bible study, the hostile residents acted in a "threatening manner," with antics such as blasting the volume on the TV and talking loudly, according to Wilson. ... After the threatening letter, the attorney noted, the Bible study group gave up and began meeting in each other's homes. But Wilson said it limited them, because they couldn't accommodate the up-to-40 people who met in the clubhouse, where there also was adequate parking and handicapped access. [article link]
China 'selling prisoners' organs' - Top British transplant surgeons have accused China of harvesting the organs of thousands of executed prisoners every year to sell for transplants In a statement, the British Transplantation Society condemned the practice as unacceptable and a breach of human rights. The move comes less than a week after Chinese officials publicly denied the practice took place. ... Professor Stephen Wigmore, who chairs the society's ethics committee, told the BBC that the speed of matching donors and patients, sometimes as little as a week, implied prisoners were being selected before execution. ... Professor Wigmore said: "The weight of evidence has accumulated to a point over the last few months where it's really incontrovertible in our opinion. "We feel that it's the right time to take a stance against this practice." [article link]
(Wang Wenyi) China heckler at White House charged in US court WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A heckler from the Falun Gong spiritual movement who disrupted a White House appearance by Chinese President Hu Jintao was charged on Friday with harassing, intimidating and threatening a foreign official. [article link]
Christian Defense Coalition Disappointed by President Bush's Apology to Chinese President after Demonstration at the White House President Bush apologized to Chinese President Hu Jintao after an activist for the group Falun Gong shouted for Mr. Bush to help end Chinese religious persecution against their group at a White House news conference. The Coalition believes the response of President Bush to the episode should have been focusing on the human rights violations and the religious persecution by the Chinese government. Group also rips the double standard of the media for repeatedly describing Wenyi Wang as a "heckler" while constantly referring to Cindy Sheehan as a "peace activist" and "anti-war activist." At the very least, Wenyi Wang should have been addressed as a "religious rights activist" or "free speech protester" rather than as a "heckler." Christian Defense Coalition also calls for the United States government to drop criminal charges against Wenyi Wang. [article link]
Lone Chinese protester humiliates Bush A FEMALE protester dramatically interrupted a speech by China's president on the White House lawn yesterday, humiliating President George W. Bush. She yelled in Chinese at Hu Jintao, "You are a killer and a murderer," as Mr Bush greeted his counterpart in public. ... He added that she "probably wanted to call attention" to the sect's claim that the Chinese have engaged in human organ harvesting, an allegation the Government has denied. During her outburst, Dr Wang shouted: "President Bush, stop him from killing." And addressing Hu she called out: "Your time is over. Evil people will die early." [article link]
California protesters greet Bush with calls for resignation "I just oppose the direction the president is taking the country, especially when America is supposed to be an economic leader," Moore said. "He seems to be more focused on issues that drive fear into people when there are more important issues like the economy." [article link]
Problematic appointment: Top fugitive appointed as PA Interior Ministry director-general will oversee Palestinian security forces The number two man on Israel's most wanted list and commander of the Popular Resistance Committees, Jamal Abu Samhadana, has been appointed Thursday as director-general of the Palestinian Interior and National Security Ministry. Samhadana, whose group is behind countless rocket attacks on Israeli targets, survived an IDF assassination attempt in the past and will now become the number two figure in the Palestinian Authority's most important ministry, which oversees PA security forces. [article link]
Bush Approval Rating Hits New Low of 33% - 04/20/06 FOX Poll NEW YORK - More Americans disapprove than approve of how George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and Congress are doing their jobs, while a majority approves of Condoleezza Rice. President Bush's approval hits a record low of 33 percent this week, clearly damaged by sinking support among Republicans. [article link]
Hal Lindsey: 'Annals' calculation puts us in prophesied era It is clear that God is extending His "grace period" (the Church Age of Grace) to give all men one last chance to accept the gift of pardon that He extends to them, but it is equally clear that His patience is being rapidly exhausted. How much longer will He wait before returning for His Church and effecting Israel's national redemption at the conclusion of the Tribulation Period? Given the 12-year gap, we are somewhere between four years before and eight years into Hosea's Third Day. I don't believe we can calculate the Jesus' sudden coming for His Church, because Jesus said no man could know the day or the hour. But He did say, "So, you too, when you see all these things [the predicted signs], recognize that He is near, right at the door" (Matthew 24:33). He is very near, indeed! [article link]
Welcome to SBC Bible Pathway Devotional and Bible Reading Program! (Free sign up) Read the Bible through in 2006 in 15 minutes a day! Nothing can bring you closer to God than living daily in the Word. If you have always wanted to read through the Bible, cover to cover, SBC Bible Pathway will help you keep organized and on track. We'll help you keep track of your progress, and you'll also have the ability to enter online notes during the course of your study. Don't worry about missing days, weeks, or even months. Our program "bookmarks" your progress and lets you start up right where you left off. Sign up now! It's FREE. And you don't have to wait for January 1st. You can start today! [article link]
Real bad news in Afghanistan - Taliban regains control of much of Afghanistan and Pakistan While the Bush administration is on the defensive for its conduct of the war in Iraq, the real setback in the U.S. war effort is coming in Afghanistan where the Taliban is alive, well and thriving throughout the countryside and even in much of neighboring Pakistan, according to an exclusive report in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin. [article link]
Palestinian Security Branch to Be Comprised of Militants GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The new Palestinian interior minister named a well-known militant as his top aide on Thursday and announced the formation of a new security branch to be composed of militants. The moves were part of an ongoing power struggle between the new {psycho} Hamas-led Cabinet and {the not moderate} moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. [article link]
Iraq - (Shiite) Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari Clears Way for His Replacement BAGHDAD, Iraq - Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, under intense pressure to give up plans for a second term, agreed Thursday to let Shiite lawmakers reconsider his nomination, a step that could mark a breakthrough in the months-long effort to form a new government. Shiite legislators planned to meet Saturday to decide whether to replace al-Jaafari, who faced fierce opposition from Iraq's Kurdish and Sunni Arab parties. [article link]
Qaddafi Invites Bush to Hajj, Since US Will Be Islamic Country Soon Gadhafi gave his assurance that Muslims don't need "the sword or the bomb to spread Islam," and expected Europe to become Muslim with a few dozen years. He proved this by pointing to the presence of 50 million Muslims, 14,000 thousand mosques and Islamic centers, and 1,500 Islamic organizations and associations in Europe, in addition to Turkey, Bosnia and Albania joining the European Union. He considered that "Europe and America face difficult times .. as time passes they can either accept that they will become Muslim, or they must proclaim war on Muslims." It's interesting how he shoots off those numbers for European mosques so easily [article link]
*** Thank you for taking part in Jesus Walk 2006 (Easter) Timeline Devotion (2007 dates now available) *** Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) Holiday dates of 2006 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected, returned from death, just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. [article link]
Dig aims to unearth miracle of Jesus KAFR CANA, Israel -- Cana, the village in Galilee where the Bible says Jesus changed water into wine, has been excavated by archaeologists in a crash effort to uncover its ruins before they are pulverized by local building contractors. The site is situated at Karm-a-Ras, a picturesque slope dotted by olive trees planted in the 14th and 15th centuries. It overlooks a lush agricultural expanse, part of which may eventually become an archaeological park. Many of Cana's houses contained ritual baths and stone vessels indicating its inhabitants were Galilean Jews at the time of the miracle described in the Gospel of John. No imported or glass vessels were found, a factor that attests to its Jewish identity and economically modest circumstances. That may explain why the wine ran short there after the first three days of a weeklong Jewish wedding mentioned in the biblical narrative. Jesus' first miracle is described in John 2:1-10. [article link]
The 7 Miracles of Jesus from the Gospel of John (PDF) These are Seven Miracles preformed by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of John by John a disciple and one of
the original 12 Apostles of Jesus. John was an eyewitness present at each of these seven miracles. These miracles are illustrations representing the miracles that Jesus is currently doing in the life of each and every Christian. [article link]
Studying the Four Gospels of the Bible - Updated with comment about the alleged 'Gospel of Judas' (PDF) Studying the Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. How they relate to and correspond with each other. Of first Importance when reading and studying the Four Gospels is to recognize that each Gospel is written to a Specific defined audience and group of people. [article link]
Opus Dei Asks for 'Da Vinci Code' (movie) Disclaimer ROME - The conservative religious group Opus Dei has asked for a disclaimer on the upcoming film based on the best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code." Opus Dei, portrayed as a murderous, power-hungry sect in the novel by Dan Brown, wrote in an April 6 letter to Sony Corp. ... A spokesman for Sony Pictures Entertainment declined to say whether the film would bear a disclaimer. "We have no plans to reveal any details regarding what is or isn't in the film until the release," the spokesman, Jim Kennedy, said in a statement. Kennedy's statement said the film was "a work of fiction, and at its heart, it's a thriller, not a religious tract." [article link]
MichelleMalkin.com EASTER & PASSOVER MESSAGES Happy Easter and Passover to all my readers of the Christian and Jewish faiths. [article link]
Easter Eggs and Easter Stories Why this obsession with eggs at Easter? The reason is because eggs hold the germ of new life. Easter represents new life through Jesus' resurrection. So naturally eggs became the perfect symbol of new life and resurrection for the Christian world. The bright colours painted on the eggs became symbolic of the joy and happiness over Jesus' return from the grave. [article link]
EASTER HAS MANY PLANTS One of the best known stories involves the flowering dogwood tree. According to the legend, dogwoods once grew to be the size of oaks and were used to make the cross on which Jesus was crucified. One version is that Jesus saw the dogwood as suffering because of its having been used for such a purpose and avowed that the tree would never again grow to a size that could be used to make a cross, hence the small, crooked branches. Other symbolic features of the dogwood tree are white "flowers" that take the shape of a cross, with a brownish red spot in the center of each, signifying Jesus' blood. The cluster of tiny flowers in the center resembles a crown of thorns. [article link]
Pine Trees Know When It's Easter - Ever noticed the Pine tree crosses on Easter Sunday? Pine trees start their new growth in the weeks before Easter - if you look at the tops of the Pine trees two weeks before, you'll see the yellow shoots. As the days get close to Easter Sunday, the tallest shoot will branch off and form a cross. By the time Easter Sunday comes around, you will see that most of the Pine trees will have small yellow crosses on all of the tallest shoots. [article link]
All About Easter Lilies - Easter Lilies - An Easter Symbol Lilies are buried in the earth, and emerge with new life and beautiful blossoms. Lilies and spring flowers that grow from bulbs- like daffodils and tulips - are symbols of joy, new life, new hope - and the resurrection of
Jesus. The bulb symbolizes the tomb of Jesus, and the flower blossoms symbolize his life after death. ... The beautiful, white, trumpet-shaped, fragrant, majestic flowers are a perfect symbol for a beautiful, flawless Savior. .. Symbolizing the very essence of Easter, Easter lilies given as gifts or enjoyed in your own home are a beautiful reminder that Easter is a time for rejoicing and celebrating! [article link]
(Christian) Message in a bottle found after 36 years from [July 4, 1970] MERNA - It was the catch of the day for David Haskell and Jeff Bartak, who while fishing for catfish Monday afternoon at Milburn Dam spotted a whiskey bottle bobbing on the waters. ... "I [had] found 12 old whiskey bottles and decided they should be used for a better purpose," said Connell, a rancher and also groundskeeper at the McPherson County High School. "So, I typed out these letters with scripture verses and a plan for salvation and I put them in bottles, along with my name and address. I prayed over the bottles and then threw them in the Dismal River." ... Also, with the message were several interdenominational miniature pamphlets carefully rolled up. Brief writings from the Roman Catholic Bible, Grace Bible School and a Billy Graham crusade were held together with rusted staples. ... Included in the message in the bottle was scripture from John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." It appears significant that this Bible verse, floating in a bottle for 36 years, found its way to shore during the Easter season. [article link]
BusyMomsRecipes.com April 2006 Newsletter - Every Day is Easter The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances (Robert Flatt). ... "Easter comes but once a year," So many people say, But, to a person saved from sin, It's Easter every day! A man, when saved or "born again" His life, to Christ, will give, And, as a newborn babe in Christ, He's just begun to live. ... [article link]
He Lives! Happy Easter - Do you share His Easter joy? - You are His Easter joy! Yes, Jesus is alive today! He's here for you and me right now, right where we are. In sin, in pain, in our unworthy condition. He loves us as we are. In fact He loves us so much He would rather die than live without us! Which, of course, is exactly what He did. He died that we might have life, and more than life… JOY. Do you share His Easter joy? Or are you still holding back? Putting off this life-or-death decision? Why miss out on His love, His joy and the priceless gifts He freely offers? [article link]
Iran Leader: Israel Will Be Annihilated {Except that God will prevail and protect His chosen nation of Israel} "Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation," Ahmadinejad said at the opening of a conference in support of the Palestinians. "The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm." Ahmadinejad provoked a world outcry in October when he said Israel should be "wiped off the map." [article link]
Some Jews see trespass in Christian Seders - Jesus spin on Passover holiday 'sets off great anxieties' It was just like a traditional Jewish Passover Seder. Except: The Seder meal was served before the Seder service started, instead of two-thirds of the way through. There was dancing. And Jesus was everywhere. The stripes and the holes in the matzoh represented his whipped and pierced body. The wine (actually grape juice) represented his blood. The matzoh was wrapped in white cloth, symbolizing the way Jesus's body was wrapped for burial. You don't traditionally find Jesus at a modern Seder celebrating Passover, which began last night [Wednesday]. But this was no ordinary Seder. The 250 people at Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring on Tuesday night were holding a Christian Seder, a phenomenon that's gaining popularity across the country -- to the
consternation of many in the Jewish community as well as some interfaith leaders. [article link]
Christian Seder - Passover Dinner - Last Supper A short description of the Seder Dinner - Last Supper and a Guide for having A Seder Dinner hosted by a Christian congregation. [article link]
Utah school books the wrong Jon Stewart {Typical, Mormons also booked the wrong Jesus} OGDEN, Utah -- An embarrassed charter school has discovered it booked the wrong Jon Stewart for its annual gala. The DaVinci Academy thought it had made a deal with comedian Jon Stewart, star of "The Daily Show" and host of this year's Academy Awards, to appear next week. ... But last week, it learned that it had booked Jon A. Stewart, a former motivational speaker, businessman and part-time professional wrestler from Chicago. ... the school canceled Jon A. Stewart this week, [article link]
In Observance of Passover: To My Friends & Readers (DebbieSchlussel.com) To my Jewish friends and readers, Happy Passover. To my Christian friends and readers, Happy Easter. ... The holiday of Passover begins at sundown tonight [Wednesday] and lasts eight days (on the first two and last two of which it's forbidden to blog or work). We celebrate Passover, one of the major Jewish holidays, to commemorate Jewish slavery in Egypt and our exodus and freedom from it. This is especially meaningful at this time, as Islamists from Egypt and around greater Arabia want to do us harm and re-enslave not just Jews but Christians, non-believers, and anyone who is not as extreme as they are. We must celebrate our freedom while we still have it. ... During the entire eight days, we do not eat bread or anything leavened. [article link]
The History of the World Mega-Conference will be held July 11-15, 2006 at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, Virginia Our most ambitious conference to date, the History of the World Mega-Conference stands for the proposition that God is Sovereign over all of the affairs of nations and men, and that we must judge all of time in light of God's plan for the remnant. The goal of this event is to give Christian students from diverse backgrounds a panoramic perspective on the Providence of God throughout history. Whether you are a history buff, homeschool parent, college student, young or old, we encourage you to consider attending this five-day crash course on world history. Join a faculty of more than a dozen distinguished scholars and thinkers delivering more than fifty stirring lectures as they trace the rise and fall of civilizations through more than six thousand years of world history - from the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian empires to the epic history of China, the rise and fall of Greece and Rome, the development of Christendom, to the Reformation, and the American experiment in liberty and the modern world - all from a distinctively Christian worldview. [article link]
British Judge Decides Copyright Case in Favor of Da Vinci Code Publisher {This judgment is actually good news. Certain companies like Zondervan have for years and decades been purchasing Christian material in an all out attempt to copyright and control all religious material. This does give religious - historical writers more freedom. Although in Dan Brown's case his material has still been revealed as a complete fraud.} A British judge has rejected a copyright infringement suit against the U.S. publisher of the international best selling murder mystery, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Two authors filed the suit against Random House, claiming The Da Vinci Code stole the central theme of their 1982 book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. [article link]
Zondervan Company Statistics - Parent company HarperCollins Publishers Zondervan has a team of more than 360 employees, with offices in Grand Rapids, Miami, London, and Sao
Paulo. Parent company HarperCollins Publishers has offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, London, Glasgow, Paris, Johannesburg, Sydney, Auckland, Tokyo, and Singapore. Zondervan authors number more than 1,500 and range from homemakers, business people, politicians and celebrities, to theologians, scholars, philosophers, and ministry professionals. [article link]
Satanic Bible by Anton La Vey (Called "The Black Pope") from HarperCollins Publishers Called "The Black Pope" by many of his followers, Anton La Vey began the road to High Priesthood of the (lurch of Satan when he was only 16 years old and an organ player in a carnival: ... From that time early in his life his path was clear. Finally, on the last night of April, 1966 -- Walpurgisnacht, the most important festival of the believers in witchcraft -- LaVey shaved his head in the tradition of Ancient executioners and announced the formation of The Church Of Satan. He had seen the need for a church that would recapture man's body and his carnal desires as objects of celebration. [article link]
President Bush favours a very secret society - "Skull and Bones" with it's own "Black Pope" The Skull and Bones headquarters is in a windowless stone building on the Yale campus known as the tomb. Each year 15 Bonesmen - and since 1991, Boneswomen - are "tapped", or invited, to join, and put through a bizarre initiation ceremony. Alexandra Robbins, author of Secrets of the Tomb, says it includes a devil, a Don Quixote figure and a (Black magic - Satanic/evil) pope with one foot in a white monogrammed slipper, resting on a stone skull. [article link]
St Paul's Cathedral - London, England A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has overlooked the City of London since 604 AD, a constant reminder to this great commercial centre of the importance of the spiritual side of life. The current Cathedral - the fourth to occupy this site - was designed by the court architect Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Its architectural and artistic importance reflect the determination of the five monarchs who oversaw its building that London's leading church should be as beautiful and imposing as their private palaces. As the Cathedral of the capital city, St Paul's is the spiritual focus for the Nation. This is where people and events of overwhelming importance to the country have been celebrated, mourned and commemorated since the first Service took place in 1697. [article link]
Explore St Paul's Cathedral - Virtual Tours - "Virtual Tours like yours are inspirational" (click the Explore Here link) Our online virtual tour enables visitors to interactively explore St Paul's Cathedral, London. Visitors may view 23 different areas of the cathedral through 360° panoramas, maps, narrated mini-movies, music and text. A small 360° panorama above a clickable map allows a quick view of any area. Having spotted something of interest, visitors can then click to open a window with a much larger and higher quality 360° panorama, and then zoom in and pan around for a detailed inspection. For example: To view Sir Christopher Wren's original design for St Paul's - The Great Model. At any point, visitors can view narrated mini-movies about the people, architecture, politics and history of the site (also includes full Text for the hearing-impaired). [article link]
THE DOWNING (July 17, 1996 - Terrorist Missile Attack) OF TWA FLIGHT 800 - Google map used to bolster missile claim A researcher of the TWA Flight 800 downing says his use of the map program Google Earth to verify the claims of witnesses bolsters his belief that the 747 jetliner was shot down by a missile, contrary to the official explanation. ... Nearly 10 years ago, after an extensive investigation, the FBI and National Transportation Safety
Board declared "mechanical failure" the cause of the July 17, 1996, disaster but failed to adequately explain how it happened. ... Using Google Earth, Donaldson then plotted Wire's position on the bridge, the exact location of Flight 800 according to the Islip radar and then overlaid his drawing on the perspective in Google Earth. "This has resulted in an extraordinary match up between his recollection and where the events took place according to the Islip radar," Donaldson said. The pictures show the CIA's explanation is "complete bunk," he said. [article link]
Star of 'Stopped Snitching' Video Arrested BALTIMORE - A man featured prominently in a homemade DVD dubbed "Stopped Snitching" that warned Baltimore residents not to cooperate with police has been arrested, authorities said. An informant tipped off authorities ... Authorities said they also found evidence that Thomas was working on a sequel to the "Stop Snitching" DVD, which had been distributed on the city's streets. The video featured drug dealers warning residents they could "get a hole in their head" for cooperating with police. It created an uproar after Carmelo Anthony, the Denver Nuggets basketball star and Baltimore native, appeared briefly in the background. Anthony has said he was not aware of the DVD's message. [article link]
NBC: STAGING THE NEWS AGAIN? - They are looking for some Muslim male candidates for their show who would be willing to go to non-Muslim gatherings and see if they attract any discriminatory comments or actions while being filmed They want to do the same thing 2 or 3 other times (in various parts of the USA) with one or two Muslim men in each setting. They are looking for men who actually "look Muslim". They want a guy with no foreign accent whatsoever, a good thick beard, an outgoing personality, and someone willing to wear a kufi/skullcap during the filming. They also want someone who is fairly well accomplished and has contributed to American society at large in some meaningful way. That said, I'm urgently looking for someone who can be filmed this April 1st weekend at a Nascar event (and other smaller events) in Virginia. NBC is willing to fly in someone and cover their weekend expenses. The filming would take place all day on Saturday and Sunday. We already have a hijabi sister who will be filmed there but a Muslim is also needed to join her. I also need candidates for the other filming segments which will take place in the following weeks. A few weeks later, NBC will fly all the filmed participants to New York City to interview them as a group about their experience and thoughts on discrimination they've faced in America, especially in light of the times we live in (war on terror, 9-11, etc.). The show, if approved by NBC (highly likely), is expected to air sometime this summer. [article link]
{flashback} Teen Mania Founder Calls NBC's 'Book of Daniel' Series 'Virtue Terrorism' A national voice on teenaged youth slammed NBC's new series about an Episcopal priest and his dysfunctional family, calling on parents to watch over their children's intake of television and not let media raise them. Ron Luce, the founder and president of Teen Mania Ministries, called the glamorization of sin in shows such as NBC's "The Book of Daniel" and their effect on the nation's children "virtue terrorism." [article link]
{flashback} Up the Creek: (NBC) "The Today Show" Gets Caught in Stunt of Its Own (Video) In an apparent effort to draw attention to herself, in yesterday's segment she turned up in hip waders, standing thigh-deep in the flood waters. Taking her act one step further, this morning she appeared on a suburban street . . . paddling a canoe. There was one small problem. Just as the segment came on the air, two men waded in front of Kosinki . . . and the water barely covered their shoe tops! That's right, Kosinski's canoe was in no more than four to six inches of water! An embarrassed Kosinski claimed the water was deeper down the street but that her producers didn't want to let her go there for fear she'd drift away. But Katie and Matt, perhaps peeved by her attempted scene-stealing, couldn't resist ribbing her. Matt: "Are these holy men,
perhaps walking on top of the water?" "Gee, is your oar hitting ground, Michelle?" inquired Katie, as she and Matt dissolved into laughter. [article link]
New Survey Reveals U.K. Christians' Lack of Basic Bible Knowledge LONDON - Less than a quarter of Christians in the United Kingdom possess enough knowledge of the Bible to be able to place key events in the order they appear, according to the results of a new survey by the Bible Society released last week. The Christian evangelical organization carried out a survey of regular churchgoers, which revealed that 76 percent of people were unable to put a series of ten popular Bible stories in the order that they appear in the Bible. Events used in the survey included Noah's Ark, Solomon's building of the Temple, and Jesus feeding the five thousand, among other similar incidents. [article link]
Excellent Full Bible Commentary (Mp3) A great and easy way to get introduced to and to become familiar with Bible Teachings in the King James Version. This is probably the best Audio Bible Study on the internet, giving complete, accurate, friendly and easy to understand Bible messages. [article link]
Basic Christian Theology: Answers to Bible Questions (132 Topics) A Complete handy Reference - Study Guide/Tutorial. It covers 132 Christian Subjects and Topics from Adoption - Yahweh in an easy to read and understand format. An extensive resource, unparalleled in convenience and ease of use yet advanced in topic research. [article link]
Ford Praised For Supporting Homosexual Marriage Pride at Work, AFL-CIO's homosexual organization, has praised Ford Motor Company for the company's support of homosexual marriage. In a March 13 press release, Pride at Work praised Ford for supporting "marriage equality," a term for homosexual marriage used by homosexuals. ... Josh Cazares, Pride At Work CoPresident, said, "Ford has been leading corporate America in the path toward equality (supporting the homosexual agenda)...they should be applauded for that...Once a company like Ford is forced to lower the bar, other companies are likely to follow that example." What Mr. Cazares is saying is if the boycott of Ford is successful other major corporations will back off supporting homosexual marriage. [article link]
Evolution theory on last legs, says seminary teacher LOUISVILLE - To William Dembski, all the debate in this country over evolution won't matter in a decade. By then, he says, the theory of evolution put forth by Charles Darwin 150 years ago will be dead. ... Dembski, who holds a Ph.D. in mathematics and philosophy, teaches a course on intelligent design at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. He calls Darwinian evolution "viscerally unacceptable" to most Americans. "It is a reasonable question to ask if there are patterns in biological systems that point us to intelligence," he said in an interview. "It is a reasonable question to ask what are the limits to evolutionary mechanisms." Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher called design by an intelligent source a "self-evident truth" in his annual State of the Commonwealth address in January. Fletcher has said he would encourage schools to teach the concept. [article link]
The Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) Today Magazine (PDF - Articles) We have now posted the current issue of EFCA Today as PDF files. So, what you see on the site is exactly as it appears in the printed magazine. We hope you enjoy viewing, downloading and printing your favorite EFCA Today articles from this website, just as they appear in print! All of these documents are posted as PDF files. [article link]
***Starting this Friday - Jesus Walk 2006 (Easter) 10 Day Timeline Devotion - April 7-16 (PDF) Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) Holiday dates of 2006 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected, returned from death, just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. [article link]
Bush Signs Bill That Didn't Pass Congress - Wilfully violates Constitution and places himself above the law again In an amazing development that has received almost no media attention, mainstream or alternative, President Bush again placed himself above the law and wilfully violated the Constitution by signing into law a bill that didn't pass both Houses of Congress. According to representative Henry Waxman, Bush signed into law a version of the Budget Reconciliation Act that didn't pass Congress. The discrepancy between the version Bush signed and the actual bill that passed equates to a value of $2 billion. Bush knew he was directly violating the Constitution and effectively acting as a despot because he received a call from the Speaker of the House before signing the bill, warning him that it had not been passed. The Presentment Clause of the U.S. Constitution states that before a bill can become law, it must be passed by both Houses of Congress. [article link]
Christianity and Islam, (DVD) Christianity and Islam, "Jihad," "fatwa," "Ramadan" . . . these terms are all a part of the language of Islam, but what do they mean? What do Muslims believe about Jesus? Are "Allah" and "Yahweh" one and the same? In this balanced, informative, and non-compromising presentation, Dr. Timothy George answers Christians' common questions about Islamic faith and practice. The series avoids the angry condemnation of all Muslims on the one hand, or a compromising of Christian truth-claims on the other. Four 25-minute programs: The Tenets of Islam, The Trinity, The Bible and the Incarnation, and The Cross and Salvation. Includes a 32-page study guide. 100 minutes. [article link]
31 March 2006 Israel Election - 2-HOUR POST-ELECTION ANALYSIS AUDIO DOWNLOADS (2 Mp3's) Editor Shlomo Wollins of israelreporter.com was interviewed on The Tovia Singer Show broadcast through the Internet on israelnationalradio.com in a two-hour, comprehensive review of the results of the March 28th national elections in Israel. The interview was conducted live from our Jerusalem studios from from 05:00 to 07:00 in the morning of March 30th. Wollins provides an detailed, party-by-party analysis and commentary of the big winners and losers from the elections. And, Tovia and Shlomo explore the following questions and issues, among others: Who won and who lost? For what reason? What happened to the right-wing parties? Does Likud have a future in Israel? What are the implications for the Israeli settlement communities? Will Kadima be able to form a stable coalition? Will the "religious" parties join a government sworn to the destruction of decades of Jewish growth and roots, or will they defend the Land and the Jewish communities on it? How did the unknown Retirees Party get a shocking 7 seats? And, what is their agenda? The 2-hour marathon interview is presented below either for streaming or download, in 2 one-hour audio files (mp3 format). Either click the banners below to stream the interview sections, or follow the download links to save the files to your computer (each one-hour audio file is approx. 12mb). [article link]
AFA.Net ONLINE POLL - Should Sealing Our Borders Be The First Step In Stopping Illegal Immigration? {After our borders, ports, airports, visas, documents etc. are sealed and working properly only then is our next step in determining citizenship.} Reports say that there are now between 11-12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. It is estimated that at the present rate that number will increase by 20 million within the next 8 to 10 years. Thus far our government has
done very little to address this problem. Many believe that the most important first step in dealing with this problem is to seal our borders to stop any additional illegal immigrants from coming into the country. Give us your feedback on that proposal. Vote in our poll. Results will be sent to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and President George Bush. Give members of your family and friends the opportunity to participate by forwarding this poll to them. [article link]
"'Twas the Night before Easter!" - Welcome to "'Twas the Night before Easter" at Peggie's Place Welcome to "'Twas the Night before Easter" at Peggie's Place, a Christian parody based on "'Twas the Night before Christmas." This popular poem has been on the Web for several years and is a favorite of many people around the world. Would you please take a moment to pray for America, and then read the poem below. We celebrate the Hope of the Church, the Resurrection of Our Lord! [article link]
Peeps make a quiet stand - The Easter Bunny's expulsion prompts a marshmallow defense {I'll take my Easter stand with Jesus!} Marshmallow Peeps, the popular Easter candy made of sugar, corn syrup and gelatin, have become a new symbol of protest in St. Paul these days. The "Vision of Peace," a 36-foot, 60-ton onyx City Hall statue of American Indians, has become the stage for a peculiar form of civil discourse. Since last week's decision to kick the Easter Bunny out of a City Council office, a handful of employees have ringed the statue with the spongy chick- and rabbit-shaped candies. [article link]
Rejoice! Easter is coming! (April 16th) No Greater Love, Banner - Flag, Garden-size Make every day a banner day and show the world that you and your house serve the Lord! banner - flag is made of durable 100% nylon to withstand the elements. No Greater Love Measures approx. 12" x 16". [article link]
Chinese police detain documentary maker - a documentary about an underground Christian congregation BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have detained a Chinese-born film maker who is a permanent U.S. resident, a family member said on Monday, weeks before President Hu Jintao visits the United States. Hao Wu, who returned to China in 2004 after living in the United States for 12 years, had been missing since February 22 after interviewing human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, while making a documentary about an underground Christian congregation, his sister, Wu Na, said. An officer at the Beijing Public Security Bureau confirmed Wu's detention last week, but declined to give a reason or say where he was being held, she said. The petitions office of the police station reached by telephone declined to comment. [article link]
** Israel Voting Hourly Update *** (Audio) {Plays Automatically - Upper right corner of webpage} Via IsraelReporter.com news feed. [article link]
ISRAELREPORTER.COM PRESENTS EVE-OF-ELECTIONS VIRTUAL VIDEO-DEBATE BETWEEN THE THREE MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES IN JERUSALEM (Video downloads) The future course of the 58-year-old State of Israel (and perhaps its very survival) will be determined by the results of the March 28th national elections. The entire country is under a state of high alert for potential terrorist attacks as polling stations open throughout Israel in just several hours. On March 26th, a presentation/debate by the three leading parties according to all major polls was conducted in central Jerusalem at the David's Citadel Hotel. The media-only, in-English presentation was packed with hundreds of representatives of media outlets from all corners of the globe. [article link]
Israelis Vote for PM Amid Palestinian Militant (Terrorist) Attacks JERUSALEM - Israelis voted Tuesday in an election billed as a referendum on the future of the West Bank, with the leading candidate, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, promising to pull back from most of the territory and draw Israel's final borders by 2010. ... Israel began the "disengagement" process last summer with its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, but Tuesday's vote marked the first time the leading candidate has laid out a concrete vision for the future of the West Bank. "This is perhaps the most important election in all of Israel's life," said Mordechai Aviv, 76, of Jerusalem. We are going to separate between us and the Arabs. [article link]
Rejoice! Easter is coming! (April 16th) St. John in Exile, a play starring Dean Jones (DVD) Description: Dean Jones is Saint John in this intimate, inspiring one-man presentation of John in exile on Patmos. Full of humor, strong in spirit, and resolutely committed to Christ, John shares his account of the events that changed the course of human history---and challenges us with his last words before his death: "Little children, love one another." Directed by Emmy award winner Dan Curtis (War and Remembrance). Approx. 90 minutes. [article link]
Rejoice! Easter is coming! (April 16th) Ben-Hur a classic movie, 4-disc Collector's Edition (DVD) Featuring a sparkling wide-screen digital transfer and commentary by Charlton Heston, this is the definitive edition of one of the biggest cinema blockbusters in history! With fascinating documentaries, original trailers, and highlights from the 1960 Academy Awards ceremony, this comprehensive set also includes the 1925 silent version with restored orchestral score and much more. Four DVDs. Close-captioned. [article link]
Rejoice! Easter is coming! (April 16th) The Ten Commandments - 50th Anniversary Edition (DVD) {different Website} The classic biblical epic starring Charlton Heston plus DeMille's original 1923 silent film This spectacular biblical epic from legendary showman Cecil B. DeMille tells the story of Moses from his infancy to the triumphant moment when he led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. The film begins as the pharaoh's daughter (Yvonne De Carlo) discovers the abandoned infant Moses and takes him to the shelter of her family. Charlton Heston stars as the young man raised by the pharaoh as an Egyptian prince. [article link]
Rejoice! Easter is coming! (April 16th) The Exodus Revealed: Search for the Red Sea Crossing (DVD) This DVD follows the footsteps of the children of Israel in an unforgettable journey of discovery. A journey that reveals physical evidence for the Exodus including: the remains of 3800 year old Hebrew settlements in Egypt's Nile Delta, Egyptian records of the Israelite's bondage under Pharaoh; the precise route they may have followed to freedom; their crossing site on shore of the Red Sea; and the location of Mt. Sinai. This DVD brings to light the first significant archaeological "find" of the 21st century. Approx. 3 hours. [article link]
Bush's quest to be a great war president Crowe clearly believed military intervention was likely in the interests of presidential prestige. "It takes two things to be a great president,'' he told Powell. "First you have to have a war. All the great presidents have had their wars. Two, you have to find a war where you are attacked.'' Six years into his presidency it is difficult to think of a single, substantial foreign policy initiative that US President George W Bush has pursued that did not involve war, or the threat of it. ... Bush fulfilled only half of Crowe's criteria for a great presidency. Despite efforts to convince the world otherwise, the war for which he will be remembered -- Iraq -- had nothing to do with why the US was attacked on September 11. On its own, that would be a moral issue of lying to the public. [article link]
Bush traps India into CTBT - Lucky to escape Mr Bush's nuclear embrace, Pakistan (without CTBT restrictions) can now seek to overtake India on nukes, as it has done on missiles The Bush administration has attached a legally binding rider to the nuclear deal with India even before the US Congress has had an opportunity to put conditions of its own. Under the administration's action plan, India would become a party to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) through a congressional piece of legislation. This is the first time in world history that one power has sought to bind another state {nation} to an international treaty rejected by its own legislature. The US Senate threw out the CTBT in 1999. ... For Washington, the nuclear deal has come handy to impose qualitative and quantitative ceilings on India's nuclear-deterrent capability in order to ensure that it never emerges as a full-fledged nuclear-weapons state. A permanent test ban is part of its effort to qualitatively cap the Indian deterrent, while the quantitative ceiling comes from America's success in making India agree to reduce to less than one-third the existing number of facilities producing weapons-usable fissile material. Lucky to escape Mr Bush's nuclear embrace, Pakistan can now seek to overtake India on nukes, as it has done on missiles. It can watch the fun as the Bush administration and the US Congress entangle India in a web of capability restraints, in return for offering New Delhi dubious benefits? the right to import uneconomical power reactors dependent on imported fuel. [article link]
Rejoice! Easter is coming! (April 16th) The Gospel of John a 3 DVD Set (Movie) The Gospel of John the best loved of the four Gospels, vividly comes to life in a faithful and powerful dramatization of the Biblical text. The Gospel of John meticulously recreates the era of Jesus during a tumultuous period that changed the course of history. ... The Gospel of John has been adapted for the screen, word for word, based on the American Bible Society's Good News Bible by Emmy nominated John Goldsmith and is directed by acclaimed British director, Philip Saville. [article link]
Rejoice! Easter is coming! (April 16th) Easter 2006 Specialty Shop Page Rejoice! Easter is coming! Christianbook.com has lots of resources to assist you in your celebration both at home and church. There's something for everyone - lent devotionals, church supplies, gifts, easter basket goodies, books for kids and grownups, flags, and more. [article link]
Turnout at record low as Israelis vote: {God's speed and God's blessing Israel} Israelis vote Tuesday in a parliamentary election expected to affect the future of Judea and Samaria. Turnout at noon was reported at 31%, the lowest in the nation's history at that time. Olmert's Kadima party and its leftwing allies were reported concerned about voter apathy. Pollswere to close at 10 p.m. (3pm ET), to be followed immediately by an exit poll. [article link]
A House on Sand? - If Afghanistan or Iraq doesn't get it (religious freedom) right now, American diplomats will build their democratic house on sand The Bush administration may be breathing a sigh of relief because the Afghan courts are said to be dismissing charges against Christian convert Abdul Rahman for lack of evidence. ... I have praised the strong statements of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the past, but I cannot agree when she seems to minimize the importance of this case by saying that Afghanistan is a "young democracy." Religious liberty is indispensable. It will be no democracy in Afghanistan or Iraq if we simply exchange one set of murderous mullahs for another. [article link]
Experts Claim Official 9/11 Story is a Hoax "one of the great hoaxes of history would stand naked before the eyes of the world and its perpetrators would be clearly exposed, which may be the only hope for saving this nation from ever greater abuse" ... Stunning as
it may be to acknowledge, they observe, the government has brought but one indictment against anyone and, to the best of their knowledge, has not even reprimanded anyone for incompetence or dereliction of duty. The official conspiracy theory --that nineteen Arab hijackers under control of one man in the wilds of Afghanistan brought this about-- is unsupportable by the evidential data, which they have studied. They even believe there are good reasons for suspecting that video tapes officially attributed to Osama bin Laden are not genuine. They have found the government's own investigiation to be severely flawed. ... * The BBC has reported that at least five of the nineteen alleged "hijackers" have turned up alive and well living in Saudi Arabia, yet according to the FBI, they were among those killed in the attacks. How is this possible? ... * Foreign "terrorists" who were clever enough to coordinate hijacking four commercial airliners seemingly did not know that the least damage to the Pentagon would be done by hitting its west wing. How is this possible? ... * A tape recording of interviews with air traffic controllers on duty on 9/11 was deliberately crushed, cut into very small pieces, and distributed in assorted places to insure its total destruction. How is this possible? [article link]
Bush's second mistake - inviting Iran to negotiate in Iraq's future What is clear, however, is that President Bush is about to make another policy decision that need not wait for historians to judge as a major mistake in Iraq, and that is inviting Iran to negotiate in Iraq's future. This decision recognizes Iran as a de facto regional political power broker in the Middle East and legitimizes the theocratic regime of the mullahs. It also goes counter to the current policy of wanting to encourage a change in that direction and saps away efforts by Iranian opposition forces. [article link]
Query renews debate on Bush, fundamentalism {Although there is little proof that Bush is even a Christian} The exchange has touched off new arguments over an old subject: conservative Christian influence over Bush and the Republican Party. ... "Half the people who voted for him in past elections are religious Christians who believe in Armageddon and end times, and half the coalition would not be impressed if he said he agreed with it." ... Phillips said the Bush administration has let the religious right hold sway on everything from abortion to stem-cell research to economics {Not really on every item Bush has backtracked}. He said a Newsweek poll indicated that 70 percent of fundamentalists and evangelical Christians believe the end of the world is approaching, and world events such as Jewish resettlement of the Holy Land, tsunamis and plagues have bolstered their beliefs. [article link]
Bush was set on path to war, memo by British adviser says But behind closed doors, the president was certain that war was inevitable. During a private two-hour meeting in the Oval Office on Jan. 31, 2003, he made clear to Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain that he was determined to invade Iraq without the second resolution, or even if international arms inspectors failed to find unconventional weapons, said a confidential memo about the meeting written by Blair's top foreign policy adviser and reviewed by The New York Times. ... The memo also shows that the president and the prime minister acknowledged that no unconventional weapons had been found inside Iraq. Faced with the possibility of not finding any before the planned invasion, Bush talked about several ways to provoke a confrontation, including a proposal to paint a United States surveillance plane in the colors of the United Nations in hopes of drawing fire, or assassinating Hussein. [article link]
No children left in science? - Math, English tests restrict classes {This is the Ted Kennedy (sponsored) - G. W. Bush "No Child left behind" bill.} SACRAMENTO - Thousands of schools across the nation are responding to the reading and math testing requirements laid out in No Child Left Behind, President George W. Bush's signature education law, by reducing class time spent on other subjects and, for some low proficiency students, eliminating it. Schools from Vermont
to California are increasing - in some cases tripling - the class time that low-proficiency students spend on reading and math, mainly because the federal law, signed in 2002, requires annual exams only in those subjects and punishes schools that fall short of rising benchmarks. ... The intense focus on the two basic skills is a sea change in American instructional practice, with many schools that once offered rich curriculums now systematically trimming such courses as social studies, science and art. A nationwide survey by a nonpartisan group that is to be made public March 28 indicates that the practice, known as narrowing the curriculum, has become standard procedure in many communities. [article link]
Barbara Bush made donation - provided her son's firm got it HOUSTON - Former first lady Barbara Bush contributed money to a hurricane-relief fund on the condition that it be spent to buy educational software from her son Neil's company. Jean Becker, the chief of staff of former President George H.W. Bush, would not disclose the amount earmarked for purchases from Ignite Learning. ... But Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, a charity watchdog group, said donors who direct that their money be used to buy products from a family business set a bad precedent. "If everybody started doing that, it would ruin our whole system for tax-exempt organizations because people would be using them to benefit their business rather than for the public benefit," he said. [article link]
ABDUL RAHMAN TO BE RELEASED ... But this story is far from over An Afghan court on Sunday dismissed a case against a man who converted from Islam to Christianity because of a lack of evidence, and he will be released soon, an official said. ... He said the case has been returned to the prosecutors for more investigation, but that in the meantime Rahman would be released. "The decision about his release will be taken possibly tomorrow," he said. [article link]
The Billy & Franklin Graham Evangelistic Association Past Radio Broadcasts (Audio) The goal of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Ltd. is to reach men and women with the Gospel and to bring them into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. [article link]
Two Rivers Church: Living Beyond Religion (12 Message Audio) If you are ready for revival in your life... if you want more than religious activity... if you want a relationship with Jesus and to see Him work in power... then you are in the right place. [article link]
Trinity Broadcasting Network Films Library - More Than a Carpenter - Explore the truth in this man they call Jesus (Video 57 min). {FREE Downloads} Just click on the title or picture below to watch. [for advanced users, you can download videos for later viewing by right clicking and choosing "Save As" on the "download file" link (caution: large, long downloads)] [article link]
Is Easter latest holiday hijack? - Bunny gets booted from city council as some fear offending non-Christians In the wake of the national uproar over the celebration of Christmas in America, some are now focusing their attention on Easter, wondering if political correctness will have an impact on what many Christians consider to be the holiest time of the year. This week in Minnesota's capital, a toy rabbit, pastel-colored eggs and a sign with the words "Happy Easter" adorning the entrance to the St. Paul City Council offices were ordered to hit the bunny trail by the city's human-rights director who claimed the items might offend non-Christians. "I sent an email that Easter is viewed as a Christian holiday and advised that it be taken down," Tyrone Terrill told the Pioneer Press. "It wasn't a big deal." [article link]
Iran orders attack on Israelis before elections (next week) - Fear of large-scale bombing tightens security in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv JERUSALEM - Iran has ordered Palestinian terror groups to carry out a large-scale bombing inside Israel before elections here next week, security officials told WorldNetDaily. The information has prompted nationwide alerts and tightened security measures in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. "The Tehran regime is looking to disrupt the election process and deteriorate the security situation to distract international attention from the pressure over its nuclear program," a senior security official said. [article link]
Why I'm outraged by what Bush does If you're not outraged by the ongoing actions and inactions of George W. Bush, his administration and this Republican-dominated Congress, then you are not paying attention. ... Then "stay-the-course" Bush switched yet again his rationale for the Iraq war to installing democracy there. Any society dominated by intolerant sectarian rulers cannot practice democracy adequately, if at all. Bush's war has accomplished nothing he claimed, but it has fattened the wallets of defense contractors (without adequately protecting our soldiers) at the expense of the U.S. public. Bush and company have created a state of perpetual war in order to govern with abandon. ... Bush has failed to protect us, he has actually increased terrorism, and he has failed to stand by our own citizens in dire need. Bush and the Republican leadership are consistent only in their failures, lust for power and secrecy. I'm pretty mild-mannered and speaking out like this is difficult for me, but as an ordinary citizen I am very worried by the actions and inactions of officials currently in power. [article link]
Bush Punts - So now that we know any final U.S. withdrawal from Iraq will be decided by the next president in 2009 So now that we know any final U.S. withdrawal from Iraq will be decided by the next president, it's reasonable to wonder who that person will be. Leaving aside whether President Bush intended this or not, all the headlines about "American troops to stay until 2009" seem almost to diminish his role in the war that he started. If Bush didn't intend to send that signal at his news conference, by the way, it was a colossal misstep. But the more the media focus on the race to succeed Bush, the more the incumbent seems like he's marking time--especially right now, when he's essentially giving the same speech day after day. ... "Bush's presidency has been swallowed by the war. He barely pretends to have a domestic agenda anymore. [article link]
{flashback} War profiteering among Bush Administration is the rule not the exception Never in our country's history have so many power brokers close to the President been allowed to privately profit so handsomely by foreign policy decisions directly coming from the White House. ... What's even more troubling and highly suspicious is that profit earnings from the above-listed corporations, all who acquired no bid government contracts, have skyrocketed from as much as 40 to 80% since the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. [article link]
Who's Insane? - It isn't the Christian The latest development in the case of Christian convert Abdul Rahman is the Afghan government's trial balloon that he may be spared the death penalty if he is ruled insane. A top religious advisor to President Hamid Kharzai has said Rahman will undergo a psychological examination. "If he is mentally unfit," said Moayuddin Baluch, "he must be forgiven. The case must be dropped." Recall that Afghanistan was occupied by the Soviets for a decade (1979-1989). This is exactly what the Soviets did to dissidents, declaring them insane and placing them in "asylums". Many of the dissidents were Christians and Jews. If we do not resolve this case satisfactorily for freedom, the core purpose of the Global War on Terror will be at risk. What is terror but the willingness to murder innocent people {like abortion} who happen to disagree with you so that others like them will cower in
fear? [article link]
DOG DAYS OF LIFE IN AMERICA UNDER BUSH (*Liberal Blog - also scroll down to the comment by sevenpointman, seven points to an exit strategy from Iraq - Very Complicated - no wonder Bush wants to be a war Pres. and wants no part of withdrawal.) {Item Posted as info from a liberal view and for an idea of how Iraq exit is going to be loaded with personal agendas, sticky & complicated.} Must we suffer through 3 more years of Bush imposed hell? One election was obviously stolen, one was systematically manipulated and we the American people in the lower 98 percentile are paying dearly for the Bush neocon coup d'etat. ... Fortunately the mainstream media is slowly waking up to the fact that something is terribly and horribly wrong in Washington. Lou Dobbs on CNN has been relentless in his exposes of corporate corruption and greed, empowered naturally by none other than the Bush Administration. Keith Olbermann has also had enough of Bush spin, fabrication and outright lies and says as much on his Countdown program on MSNBC. [article link]
Sign the Boycott Ford Pledge - AFA, 20 Other Pro-Family Organizations Call For One-Year Boycott of Ford Motor Company American Family Association, along with 18 other pro-family organizations, has called for a one-year boycott of Ford Motor Company. The boycott was called after Ford reneged on an agreement with American Family Association to stop funding homosexual groups which promote homosexual marriage. Ford could have easily avoided this boycott had they desired to do so by simply remaining neutral in the cultural battles. Leaders of 44 pro-family groups urged Ford not to take sides, but to remain neutral. However, Ford rejected the plea of the leaders and publicly announced their continued support of the homosexual groups. The hundreds of thousands of dollars Ford gives to homosexual groups allows the groups to pay their fixed expenses with funds given by Ford while using other funds in promoting the legalization of homosexual marriage. [article link]
A cache of rare Biblical treasures - Dead Sea Scroll to go on display at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale With its King Tut crowds still going strong, the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale announced Tuesday its next major exhibit: A cache of rare biblical treasures, including one of the Dead Sea Scrolls. "Cradle of Christianity," an exhibit created by the Israel Museum, will boast objects that have never before left the Holy Land, museum officials said Tuesday. They will include: ... An inscription stone with the name of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who condemned Jesus to death, according to the New Testament. The burial box of Caiaphas, the high priest who the Bible records as handing Jesus over to Pilate. [article link]
Question 9/11 - and other Topics - FREE Video Downloads Movies to make you think. All of these downloadable movies are free. Click the links to be taken to the download page. These are highly compressed videos, so if you want to spread the word PLEASE purchase the original DVD versions and support these great filmmakers. These video downloads are shared in the spirit of learning. [article link]
The Da Vinci Delusion documentary 48 minute documentary - FREE Video Download (Google Video format) The Da Vinci Delusion documentary is designed to answer questions introduced by the "Da Vinci Code" book. This 48 minute documentary focuses on the fundamental flaws found in Dan Brown's book with respect to the following: Jesus as a historical figure - Are the canonical gospels accurate historical documents - What about the "Gnostic Gospels" - What about historical claims made by The Da Vinci Code. [article link]
Northwest Creation Network - Many Free Online Videos - Origins of Life - Creation Science Educational documentaries may be the best witnessing tool available to combat evolution indoctrination. People have become more accustomed to multimedia education than any other type, and new and exciting creation science programs are becoming available each year. Consider getting involved with public access TV scheduling in your area, or donate videos to your public library. [article link]
Twenty Questions for Evolutionists (On-line Book) 7. Which came first, DNA or the proteins needed by DNA, which can only be produced by DNA? 16. Did you know that most scientific dating techniques indicate that the earth, solar system, and universe are young? (See pages 31-37.) 17. Why do so many ancient cultures have flood legends? (See page 45.) 18. Have you heard about the mitochondrial Eve and the genetic Adam? Scientists know that the mitochondrial Eve was the common female ancestor of every living person, and she appears to have lived only about 6,000-7,000 years ago. (See pages 261-263.) [article link]
You Are A Masterpiece (VHS) - Preview of a Birth (DVD) You Are A Masterpiece - VHS. A captivating tour of pre-born life with 3-D animation and state-of-the-art images designed especially for elementary age children. Preview of a Birth: This fascinating video chronicles the journey from conception to birth with an astounding full-color view of life within the womb. [article link]
(MOH) COL. JACK JACOBS ON BUSH NEWS CONFERENCE March 21, 2006 For now, here are the thoughts of retired Army Col. Jack Jacobs, who analyzes military issues for MSNBC. He called "The Daily Nightly" to offer his reaction to the remarks. And when one of just 116 living Congressional Medal of Honor recipients offers his insights, we listen. ... COMMENTS ... Retired Navy diver here, Gulf War '1' vet. What struck me was the almost fast-forwarded style of delivering his opening remarks, as if he needed to fly thru them and hit all his talking points. It was almost incoherent in itself, as he plowed thru. Another thing was not in what he said in answering the questions, it's in how he addresses issues. He just sounds like a guy who doesn't know what he is talking about. and if the people that support him can't get him to see their side, he's in trouble because it's obvious a small number are seeing his side of it. He just seems, like Col Jacobs says, inflexible, confused, taciturn and incompetent and the fratboy smirks are so inappropriate for the Q & A he was involved in. He's a piece of work. [article link]
Widespread Outrage at Afghan Facing Death for Abandoning Islam Human rights advocates and Christian organizations expressed outrage yesterday over the plight of a man in Afghanistan facing possible execution for converting to Christianity from Islam. ... "It's a disgrace," the Asia director for Human Rights Watch, Brad Adams, said. "Freedom of conscience is a universal right and no religion has any right to stop someone from changing to another one." ... Afghanistan's foreign minister, Abdullah Abdullah, was asked about the case during a visit to Washington yesterday. At an event at the Heritage Foundation, he said he was not "updated" on Mr. Rahman's situation, but added, "The issue will be dealt with, what I can say is, according to the constitution of Afghanistan." Mr. Abdullah also met yesterday with Secretary of State Rice. It is not clear whether she raised Mr. Rahman's case in those discussions, but a State Department spokesman told reporters that American officials are tracking developments "very closely." [article link]
Prince Charles Criticizes Muhammad Cartoons - prince awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his work to promote the understanding of Islam in the West They were hosted by the grand sheik of Al-Azhar, Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, the top Islamic cleric in Egypt,
who awarded the prince an honorary doctorate in recognition of his work to promote the understanding of Islam in the West. Some Al-Azhar clerics had criticized the decision to bestow the degree on the prince, arguing he had not done enough to deserve it. As if to answer these critics, Sheik Tantawi went out of his way to quote the prince's views of Islam and Muslims, repeatedly citing a speech given in Oxford in 1993, and adding that the prince's ideas were the fruit of "serious study." ... The prince {wrongly} harped on the fact that Islam, Christianity and Judaism share the same origin in the Prophet Abraham. "There are differences, and we should celebrate them. But in the things that matter most, we have a common root," he said. [article link]
The President and Bible Prophecy - March 21, 2006 During the president's most recent press conference, a reporter asked him if he had considered the apocalyptic ramifications in Iraq and other issues. I doubt the reporter had a clue as to Bible prophecy because most Americans and pastors know nothing and really don't care to know anything. The reporter asked, "Have you or members of your administration reached out to "prophetic Christians" (who know eschatology) and see a coming apocalypse? If not, why not?" President Bush answered, "Here's how I think of it. The first I've heard of that, by the way. I guess I'm more of a practical fellow." If this is the first time he has heard of "the apocalypse" and how today's events could play into it, is a very sad statement. ... President Reagan was asked a similar question in 1984--whether he believed in Armageddon. His answer: "Yes, Armageddon could come the day after tomorrow." [article link]
"WE WILL CUT HIM INTO LITTLE PIECES" - Abdul Rahman, the Afghan man facing the death penalty for being a Christian Rahman said he had surrendered himself to God. "I believe in the holy spirit," he said. "I believe in Christ. And I am a Christian." ... "If he doesn't regret his conversion, the punishment will be enforced on him," the judge said. "And the punishment is death." ... Prison officials refused requests to interview Mr. Rahman, but one of his cellmates said he was resolute. "He is standing by his words," said Sayad Miakel, 30. "He will not become a Muslim again." Another cellmate said Mr. Rahman seemed depressed. "He keeps looking up to the sky, to God," said Khalylullah Safi, 31. [article link]
Practical How To Ministry Advice Practical ministry advice from inside the trenches. [article link]
List of Over 230 Online Christian Resources Over 230 different online Christian ministries comprise the Gospelcom.net alliance, ranging greatly in size, vision, and purpose. Browse through the list below, or if you're looking for a specific type of resource, try the categorical list of ministries. [article link]
Afghanistan: Liberated for This? - Afghan Christian Could Get Death Sentence for converting from Islam to Christianity The Bush administration assured us late last year that the new Iraqi constitution would not threaten religious liberty. This, despite the provisions saying no law could be passed that was "inconsistent with Islam." Our concern that such promises of religious freedom will be meaningless in light of Islamic law is once again justified by religious persecution in Afghanistan. The Afghan constitution, adopted after America liberated that country from the Taliban, has a provision similar to that of the new Iraqi constitution. Now, we receive a horrifying report of Abdul Rahman, 41, who is on trial for his life in Kabul, Afghanistan. Rahman's crime? He has admitted converting to Christianity. That there should even be such a trial is an outrage. How can we
congratulate ourselves for liberating Afghanistan from the rule of jihadists only to be ruled by Islamists who kill Christians? ... President Bush should immediately send Vice President Cheney or Secretary Rice to Kabul to read Hamid Kharzai's government the riot act. Americans will not give their blood and treasure to prop up new Islamic fundamentalist regimes. Democracy is more than purple thumbs. [article link]
Hopes fade for Bush to turn around political fortunes, analysts say Is the troubled Bush presidency prematurely cooked? Many prominent Republicans have reluctantly begun to embrace that conclusion. "The country has given up on him," said GOP consultant Ed Rollins, echoing several other Republican sources, including longtime Bush confidants and party officials. "It's too late to turn it around." A Fox News/Opinion Dynamics Poll reported last week that with 34 months left in Bush's tenure, 53 percent of the country believes he is already a lame duck. ... Some of Bush's closest aides and associates, however, privately fear his ability to regain political traction is complicated by the fact that many Americans have begun tuning him out. "He is past the point of recovery," a former senior campaign aide told the New York Daily News. "The voters are way ahead of the political class, and they have lost faith in the president." [article link]
Increasingly, Rumsfeld a lightning rod for Iraq criticism On a day that saw sharply divided opinions over the war in Iraq, and its aftermath three years later, one of the Bush administration officials who faced the strongest criticisms was US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Retired US Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, who was responsible for training Iraqi troops until 2004, said Mr. Rumsfeld should resign. ... General Eaton wrote in a commentary in The New York Times that "Rumsfeld is not competent to lead America's armed forces," and that President Bush should accept the resignation that Rumsfeld has offered in the past. Mr. Eaton was in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004. [article link]
New Wal-Mart Spokesman Has Anti-Israel, Pro-terrorist Record {Wal-Mart was also the only retailer to continually refuse to say "Merry Christmas" to it's customers this past year. I think Wal-Mart has been hijacked and can no longer be considered a family friendly conservative corporation.} Wal-Mart made a big mistake hiring Andrew Young as its new high-paid spokesman. Already, we won't shop there because top Wal-Mart executives pressured contractors to hire illegal aliens. (And ICE--Immigration and Customs Enforcement--let the retail giant get away with it.) Now, there's Young--another reason why Wal-Mart is a poor choice as cause-celebre for conservatives. Andrew Young was forced to resign as Jimmy Carter's U.N. Ambassador in 1979 because he met with the P.L.O. and, through his actions, legitimized the group. The P.L.O. was a designated terrorist entity at the time and U.S. officials were forbidden with meeting with the group. [article link]
'Da Vinci' lawyer casts 'suspicion' on author Writers' attorney questions why Dan Brown's wife didn't testify {Dan Brown in court labeled a liar what a surprise} LONDON - A lawyer whose client accuses author Dan Brown of stealing ideas for his mega-selling conspiracy thriller "The Da Vinci Code" said Monday the novelist's testimony should be treated with "deep suspicion." Making his closing submission at the end of a three-week trial, attorney Jonathan Rayner James also asked why Brown's wife, Blythe - who did a large chunk of the research for the novel - was not called as a witness in the copyright-infringement case. [article link]
A soldier's mom encounters a protective wall of silence (keep our troops and families in prayer) The next morning my husband shared with me their conversation, and coupled with Roman's silence in recent months, the gist of it all seems to me to be, "Mom, Dad. For your sake and for mine right now, don't love me so much." Truth is, I don't really understand what this reticence means, but I want to try. And the Web is as good a
place as any to begin. On one site I read about the psychological aspects of combat. It describes "psychic numbing as a defense mechanism and an aid to survival for the soldier." Another notes, "If troops think too much about emotional issues in combat situations, it could undermine their effectiveness in battle." [article link]
Christianity on upswing in Japan - Gallup poll: Traditional (Japanese) religions show decline among teens LOS ANGELES, Calif. - A poll conducted by the Gallup Organization has yielded some surprising statistics on Japanese attitudes toward religion, morality and spirituality. According to a media advisory obtained by ANS, among the findings from one of the most extensive surveys of the country ever taken was a Christian population of 6 percent, a number much higher than reported in previous surveys. Researchers were also surprised by high numbers of teens who claimed the Christian faith, while the traditionally dominant religions, Buddhism and Shintoism, though still claimed by many adults, suffered declines among teenagers. Some respondents answered that they belonged to more than one religion. ... Researchers were especially surprised at the large number of Japanese youth who claimed the Christian faith. Of the 20 percent who professed to have a religion, 60 percent called themselves Buddhists, 36 percent Christians and followers of the traditionally dominant Japanese religion, Shinto. ... Researchers were also surprised by teen attitudes which reflected an especially pessimistic outlook on life. While 22 percent of U.S. teens in previous Gallup surveys often wondered why they existed, the number for Japanese teens was 85 percent. Similarly, while 76 percent of U.S. teens always see a reason for their being on Earth, only 13 percent of Japanese teens agreed with the statement. A surprisingly high 11 percent of Japanese teens wished they had never been born, a figure that comes in at 3 percent for U.S. teens. [article link]
Bush battered by U.S. pessimism, leadership doubts Bush's approval rating dipped as low as 33 percent in one recent poll after a string of bad news for the White House, including uproars over a now-dead Arab port deal, a secret eavesdropping program, a series of ethics scandals involving high-profile Republicans and a bungled response to Hurricane Katrina. ... A majority of Americans, 56 percent, believe Bush is "out of touch," the poll found. When asked for a one-word description of Bush, the most frequent response was "incompetent," followed by "good," "idiot" and "liar." In February 2005, the most frequent reply was "honest." "The transformation from being seen as honest to being seen as incompetent is an extraordinary indicator of how far he has fallen," Kohut said. [article link]
The Bible, Old and New Testaments, King James Version (HTML - Download) Complete KJV Bible Text HTML version free download. [article link]
The Values Voters Summit - September 22-24, 2006 - Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C. FRC released a new public opinion poll today that reveals that Values Voters remain very interested in national politics but their expectations remain largely unmet since the 2004 election cycle. The National Omnibus Riehle-Tarrance Poll surveyed over 1,000 adults March 9-12. A sizeable percentage - 41%- were self-described evangelical Christians, the core of the Values Voters. The poll revealed strong support for key values issues like marriage, increased fines for broadcast indecency, pro-family tax reform and further efforts to create a culture of life. A red flag that was raised by the poll results was that 63% of core Values Voters feel Congress has not kept its promises to act on a pro-family agenda. [article link]
'The Da Vinci Code' - Did Jesus have a wife and child, of course not! Updated (PDF) Network TV is set to air a program that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth. Following is some material to consider regarding this very
wrong and false topic. [article link]
The Real Leonardo Da Vinci The Da Vinci Code denies Leonardo da Vinci's identity as a Christian artist, working for Christian patrons and painting Christian subjects. Ignoring the sacred nature of Leonardo's work, Brown twists the images, inserting them into a tawdry tale of his own making. ... The simple fact is that Leonardo lived a Christian life, framed by his baptism in infancy and the last rites at his death in France. He lived at courts where Christian rite and worship was deeply rooted in daily life. At the end of his life Leonardo put aside his experiments and dedicated himself to a better understanding of the doctrines of the Catholic faith. ... Jesus sits isolated at the table set apart by the rectangular window. His head and arms form a triangle, a reminder that the man you see betrayed is also the second Person of the Trinity. Leonardo separated the figure of Christ from the others so viewers could begin to understand the profound loneliness of Christ as He prepares for His passion. {The three windows in the painting "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci depict the Trinity (Triune) presence of God (Father, Son-Jesus, Holy Spirit) at the Last Supper. Jesus and Jesus alone is fully occupying the middle Jesus window while the disciples on the left lean far out of the Father window, so as not to claim any part of divinity for themselves being disciples. The two disciples in the right window fill the Holy Spirit widow foretelling of the disciples soon to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Also the disciple in the painting that Dan Brown claims is Mary Magdalene the painter Leonardo Da Vinci has in his own handwritten notes and pre-drawings noted that it is the disciple John.} [article link]
Bush's Iraq Fantasy Clashing with Reality What is he thinking? On a day when Shiite vigilantes conducted hangings in Sadr City in reprisal for the killing of scores of their co-religionists in a market bombing, President Bush continued to insist that progress in Iraq justified staying the course. ... Has the president never read our Constitution, which mandates civilian control over the military? Does he not grasp that he is himself a Washington politician? How can you effectively sell democracy to the world when you mock it so contemptuously at home? You can't. Not until the public and its representatives force this administration to change its disastrous course can we begin to restore international respect for the American political system that Bush has so masterfully subverted. [article link]
The 4 Gospels of the Holy Bible - Studying and Understanding the Four Gospels **Updated (PDF) Studying the Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. How they relate to and correspond with each other. Of first importance when reading and studying the Four Gospels is to recognize that each Gospel is written to a specific defined audience and group of people. [article link]
Dan Brown and mystery of the well-thumbed paperback (that he claims not to have used) Dan Brown's paperback copy of the 1982 book The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail, which he is alleged to have plundered for the plot of The Da Vinci Code, was so well-thumbed that a judge was left wondering yesterday if the author was certain that he only read it late in the writing of the blockbuster novel. The millionaire author sat in the witness box of the High Court with the book, which has page after page of annotations in the margins. At issue in the £2 million lawsuit is the fact that Holy Blood appears to be the most heavily marked of all of Mr Brown's books used in his research. Mr Justice Peter Smith watched patiently for some hours as the writer parried question after question about his knowledge of Holy Blood, condemned by the Anglican Church for its suggestion that Christ married Mary Magdalene and that their descendants became kings of ancient France. [article link]
** RSS 2 PDF - Create a PDF file complete with links of this current Basic Christian News/Info Feed after the PDF file is created it can then be saved to your computer {there is now a red PDF Create Button at the top right corner of the website www.basicChristian.us} Free Online RSS, Atom or OPML to PDF Generator. [article link]
Mitt Romney Forces Buoyed GOP Straw Poll Going into last weekend's Southern Republican Leadership Conference, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his staff said they were expending no energy on and had only fleeting interest in a straw poll assessing the potential 2008 presidential candidates. ...Roughly 200 Romney backers camped out at the Marriott hotel in Memphis, and some had all their expenses paid for. ... The pro-Romney organizing surfaced after blanket assurances there would be none by numerous members of the Romney political camp, both in and out of the Statehouse. Nancy French, who runs the pro-Romney Web site www.TNforMitt.com, initially told an Associated Press reporter all the Romney supporters paid their own way. Later, after a student attending the conference told the same reporter that French and her husband had paid travel expenses for him and four friends, French confirmed her involvement. [article link]
Happy Purim!: Jewish Holiday Has Lessons for Today (Esp. Iran) The story of Purim is symbolic, for today, the setting of the evil Purim genocide plot is now the site of a similar modern day plot. Instead of a clueless king and an evil advisor who can be eliminated, the ruler of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is himself, the modern day Haman, the modern day Hitler. Will we continue in silly, fruitless negotiations to try to stop his nuclear ambitions? Or will we take him out the way Haman was taken out? Only time will tell. But we don't have a lot of time left. There don't seem to be any Esthers or Mordechais among us, unfortunately, to save the day. [article link]
Groups Crank Up One-Year Boycott of Ford Motor Co. Nineteen pro-family groups are calling for a one-year boycott of the Ford Motor Company because of the automaker's continuing support of pro-homosexual groups pushing for same-sex "marriage." According to the American Family Association, the boycott was announced after the automaker reneged on an agreement to stop funding homosexual groups that promote same-sex marriage. Among the groups joining AFA in endorsing the boycott are the Center for Reclaiming America, Liberty Counsel, CatholicVote.org, Faith2Action, and Citizens for Community Values. (A complete list is available on the Internet) AFA says other organizations are expected to endorse the boycott during the next few weeks. [article link]
ConsumerAffairs.com Proclaims: Hate Groups Boycott Ford Again - Gay Bashers Demand Control of Ford Policies A coalition of 19 hate groups led by the anti-gay American Family Association are launching a yearlong attempt to boycott Ford Motor Co. because of the automaker's alleged support of homosexual causes and its ads in gay-oriented publications. The AFA first threatened the boycott last year but held off after talks with two Ford executives who traveled to Tupelo, Mississippi, to meet with the group. In December following that meeting, Ford announced it would pull advertising for its Jaguar and Land Rover luxury brands from gay publications, but then reversed course after coming under heavy fire from gay-rights activists charging that the automaker caved in to pressure from the conservative AFA. [article link]
Hollywood (HBO) "Big Love" version of polygamy not so entertaining HBO will launch its new series about polygamy called "Big Love" this Sunday. But before the airing of the
show's first episode critics have already weighed in. "To make polygamy…the subject of television entertainment is not only a bad idea, but it's going to add to the pain of those victims," a Mormon Church spokesperson told Associated Press. ... Most recently the pain of polygamy has quite literally come running and screaming from behind closed doors into the media spotlight. Those that have escaped its sinister embrace have told of rapes, beatings and the plight of underage girls married off to middle aged men. Incest and birth defects due to the inbred nature of polygamist communities have also recently been detailed. All of this has finally been scrutinized after years of official neglect by the legal authorities in Utah and Arizona, the two states with the largest population of polygamists. ... However, "Big Love" seems to have more in common with the hit show "Desperate Housewives" than the real living conditions often endured by polygamist families. [article link]
TAGGING THE TAR HEEL TERRORIST Well, the chancellor of UNC won't call Mohammed Taheri-azar what he is. But terrorism experts will. The NewsObserver reports today: Only luck and lack of training kept Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar from committing a deadly act in the name of Allah, three terrorism experts said Monday. ... Cohen said terrorist cells are already operating in America and could aid would-be suicide bombers with money and explosives. He points to the wave of suicide bombings that struck Israel in 2001 and 2002 at a rate of one a week. Those bombings crippled the Israeli economy and caused people to fear leaving their homes. {Where is Bush in all of this? does he really believe 9/11 is solved and there is no further danger to America.} [article link]
WorldNetDaily.com: Poll of the Day What do you think of Pat Robertson's statement that radical Muslims are 'satanic'? [article link]
Da Vinci movie will open Cannes The Da Vinci Code movie will open this year's Cannes film festival, two days before it is released worldwide. Based on Dan Brown's thriller, it stars Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Sir Ian McKellen and Alfred Molina. About a fictional sinister plot to conceal the true meaning of the Holy Grail, it will open the prestigious French festival on 17 May. The movie is directed by Ron Howard, who won best picture and director Oscars in 2002 for A Beautiful Mind. ... Despite its reference to historical events and the Roman Catholic Church, the story has been denounced as pure fiction by the church. [article link]
Polycarp - A Father of the Christian Church (70 A.D. - 155 A.D.) Polycarp - A Father of the Christian Church: Polycarp is a celebrated figure in the history of Christianity. A direct pupil of the apostle John, Polycarp lived between 70 and 155 A.D., connecting him to both the biblical apostles and the age of the early church fathers. Several ancient sources document the contributions of Polycarp to Christianity, including his letters written to the church at Philippi, in which he encourages the members to remain strong in their faith and to flee from materialism. He also instructs the members in the proper handling of financial dishonesty that was creeping into the church. ... Polycarp - A Martyr for Truth: Polycarp's greatest contribution to Christianity may be his martyred death. His martyrdom stands as one of the most well documented events of antiquity. The emperors of Rome had unleashed bitter attacks against the Christians during this period, and members of the early church recorded many of the persecutions and deaths. [article link]
Irenaeus of Lyons - Early Church Father, Theologian & Historian (115 A.D. - 202 A.D) Relatively little is known of the life of Irenaeus. As a boy he had, as he delighted to point out, listened to the sermons of the great bishop and martyr, Polycarp (70 A.D. - 155 A.D.) of Smyrna, who was regarded as a disciple of the apostles themselves. ... Regarding the New Testament canon (standard), one finds in "Adversus
Haereses" (by Irenaeus written in 180 A.D.) quotations from all the books of the New Testament with the exception of: Philemon, II Peter, III John, and Jude. ... According to the lists in [Hoh], Irenaeus, in Adversus Haereses, quotes 626 times from all 4 Gospels. Irenaeus was especially insistent that there are exactly 4 Gospels. [article link]
'Da Vinci' author 'astounded' at allegations (cnn) LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Author Dan Brown said on Monday he was "astounded" at allegations by two historians that he copied their work wholesale when he wrote the best-selling religious thriller "The Da Vinci Code." In a statement released to reporters after he took the witness stand for the first time, the 41-year-old also pointed out that he credited the work of Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh in the body of his novel. [article link]
Expert doubts 'Gospel of Judas' revelation NEW YORK - An expert on ancient Egyptian texts is predicting that the Gospel of Judas- a manuscript from early Christian times that's nearing release amid widespread interest from scholars - will be a dud in terms of learning anything new about Judas. ... James M. Robinson, America's leading expert on such ancient religious texts from Egypt, predicts in a new book that the text won't offer any insights into the disciple who betrayed Jesus. His reason: While it's old, it's not old enough. "Does it go back to Judas? No," Robinson told The Associated Press on Thursday. [article link]
Adult Film Starlet and Former California Gubernatorial Candidate Mary Carey to attend Presidential Dinner to Receive Award for Businesswoman of the Year Adult film starlet and former California gubernatorial candidate Mary Carey is scheduled to attend the prestigious United to Victory dinner with President George W. Bush in Washington D.C on March 15th - 16th. Due to Carey's efforts in starting Mary Carey Productions, Inc. in 2005, Carey will also be receiving the 2005 California Businesswoman of the Year. ... At the invitation of the Nation Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), Mary Carey will meet and interact with key Congressional leaders and Administration officials to discuss advancing powerful pro-business, pro-family agendas and meeting positive legislative goals. She will join Karl Rove, senior advisor to the President, for lunch on Wednesday the 15th, and President Bush for dinner on Thursday the 16th. ... Carey made national headlines in June of 2005, when she attended a similar dinner with President George W. Bush, also at the invitation of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). [article link]
Church arsonists tied to Satanism - College boys had dark side, dabbled in occult, say friends While the "all-American college boys" arrested for a series of church arsons claimed they had committed their crimes for the fun of it - with no religious or political motivation - new reports from friends say the students dabbled in the occult and Satanism. ... Cloyd wrote to Moseley last summer, as the two planned a road trip: "Let us defy the very morals of society instilled upon us by our parents, our relatives and of course Jesus." About the same time, DeBusk and Moseley started dabbling in the occult, according to a report by Religion News Service. They told friends they were Satanists on a hunt for knowledge. [article link]
Polls: Public Worried About Gov't Secrecy Two new polls gauging Americans' views on government openness found a majority believe the federal government leans more toward secrecy than openness, while eight in 10 are convinced that an open government is necessary for an effective democracy. ... Nearly seven in 10, or 69 percent, told researchers that open public records and meetings keep government honest. [article link]
Indie (Independent) recording labels multiply in gospel realm NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Though mainstream corporations have become a major presence in Christian music as EMI, Warner Bros. and Sony BMG have staked claims on the Christian/gospel landscape during the past decade, independents manage still to enjoy a share of the pie. And even though the climate is difficult, new companies keep springing up. [article link]
THE GIRL WITH THE PATRIOTIC BEADS - the schoolgirl who was sent home for wearing red, white, and blue jewelry she handcrafted as a tribute to her relatives in the military Reader Maria L. C. sends an update on a case I blogged about last year--the schoolgirl who was sent home for wearing red, white, and blue jewelry she handcrafted as a tribute to her relatives in the military. The student, Raven Furbert, is suing the school district and the case has advanced: [article link]
March 4, 2006 cuttingedge.org Newsletter - President Bush's planned political ruin seems on track, but needs more time to develop In our NEWS1929, posted almost two years ago, Cutting Edge reported that we could see the outlines of a deliberate Illuminist plan to discredit President Bush so completely as to cause his utter ruin. Later in this newsletter, we shall report that the "Impeach" word is getting clearer and louder all the time. You see, if President Bush slides to impeachment, he will take down with him the only two enemies the Illuminati has ever admitted to having: 1) National Sovereignty (Patriotism); 2) Fundamental Christianity. [article link]
Bid to give Bush the boot - Residents of a tiny Vermont town have joined forces in a growing fight to impeach the U.S. president "Therefore, the voters of the town of Newfane ask that our representative to the U.S. House of Representatives file articles of impeachment to remove him from office." All in favour?: 129. All opposed?: 21. Meeting adjourned. For a president on the run, cratering at record-low approval ratings, losing battles with Republicans who are beginning to consider him toxic, seemingly having lost his political stride like an aging slugger who can't catch up to the fastball, impeachment is likely the least of his worries. More worrisome for Bush is the perception he is so insulated during this second term that he has lost touch with the concerns of the nation, that he is still surrounded by the same top aides in notorious "burnout'' positions who came to power with him five years ago, that the "trust me" president has squandered that trust. But as a barometer of discontent with the second-term Bush presidency in a mid-term election year, the fact that impeachment has moved from angry bumper stickers to dinner party discussion is telling. [article link]
Two U.S. Border Agents Accused of Taking Bribes Two U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to prosecute more immigrant smugglers were arrested for allegedly releasing border-crossers in exchange for cash bribes. Mario Alvarez, 44, and Samuel McClaren, 43, released the illegal immigrants to a smuggling ring that operates in El Centro, about 120 miles east of San Diego, according to a federal complaint filed in January and unsealed Thursday. The smugglers then allegedly took the migrants to Los Angeles. The complaint said McClaren deposited $85,900 in personal bank accounts, while Alvarez deposited $82,000. [article link]
Ex-Bush Aide Arrested on Theft Charges COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A former domestic policy adviser to President Bush has been charged with theft for allegedly receiving phony refunds at department stores. Claude Alexander Allen, 45, was arrested Thursday by Montgomery County police for allegedly claiming refunds for more than $5,000 worth of merchandise he did
not buy, according to county and federal authorities. ... Police believe Allen would buy items, take them to his car, then return to the store with his receipt. He would select the same items, then take them to the store return desk and show the receipt from the first purchase. Using that method, he would receive credit for the second items on his credit cards, Burnett said. [article link]
Grassfire (public involvement in government policy decision making) Strategy Briefing and "Welcome" Conference Call (Audio 15 Min.) From the Desk of: Steve Elliott, President. Here is a recording of Grassfire.org's Strategy Briefing and "Welcome" conference call for our Grassfire team members. We limit these conference calls to about 15 minutes in length and record them for those who were unable to take part in the call. You can also listen to a recording we call "Grassfire 101" -- and overview of Grassfire. See the link below. [article link]
In election year, GOP wary of following Bush - 'He has no political capital,' GOP pollster says of Bush amid ports fallout "He (Bush) has no political capital," said Tony Fabrizio, a Republican pollster. "Slowly but surely it's been unraveling. There's been a direct correlation between the trajectory of his approval numbers and the -- I don't want to call it disloyalty -- the independence on the part of the Republicans in Congress." ... But many Republicans are less willing to give Bush the benefit of the doubt as they once did. That became evident last year on domestic issues, when they abandoned his Social Security plan, criticized his handling of Hurricane Katrina and forced the withdrawal of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers. Just yesterday, the Senate Budget Committee passed a budget resolution that dropped Bush's proposals for tax relief, Medicare cuts and expanded health savings accounts. A frustrated Bush pushed back earlier in the week, accusing Congress of shortchanging Katrina relief efforts. [article link]
New Website: dittytalk.com - a free online Christian community Ditty Talk is a free online Christian community, a resource and a place of fellowship that is safe, clean, and up to date with current internet trends such as blogging, sharing music and photos, playing computer games, and conversing with people around the world through forums, email, and journaling. Why the name Ditty? : : The Bible says in Ephesians 2:10, "We are His Workmanship". The word for workmanship is "poiema," where we get our poem / song, or a ditty. Get it? [article link]
Dr. Dobson's Broadcast Responds to False Allegations (Listen Online) Dr. Dobson's Broadcast Responds to False Allegations. Dr. James Dobson, the founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, devotes his national broadcast today to defusing the outrageous claims of the liberal specialinterest group Campaign to Defend the Constitution, known as DefCon. DefCon has attempted to discredit Dr. Dobson by running newspaper and TV ads that try to link him with gambling lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- a connection that does not exist. On the broadcast Dr. Dobson explains what the smear campaign targeted at him is really all about. [article link]
New photo resparks 'Noah's Ark mania' - Digital image of 'Ararat Anomaly' has researchers taking closer look (Photo) A new, high-resolution digital image of what has become known as the "Ararat Anomaly" is reigniting interest in the hunt for Noah's Ark. The location of the anomaly on the northwest corner of Mt. Ararat in eastern Turkey has been under investigation from afar by ark hunters for years, but it has remained unexplored, with the government of Turkey not granting any scientific expedition permission to explore on site. But the detail
revealed by the new photo from DigitalGlobe's QuickBird satellite has a man at the helm of the probe excited once again [article link]
Noah's Ark Found The Boat Shaped Object on Doomsday Mountain. On June 20, 1987, the Turkish government officially dedicated an area in eastern Turkey as the site of Noah's Ark. Near the Iranian and Russian borders, the dedication of this site and the surrounding area as a national park was a strong affirmation in the archaeological world. Ron Wyatt, of Nashville, Tennessee, was the guest of honor at that ceremony. The Turkish authorities credited Ron, an amateur archaeologist, as being directly responsible for substantially proving that the boat shaped object on these Ararat mountains is indeed the remains of the ancient ark. [article link]
Jesus said, "As in the Days of Noah" Violence Filled the Earth Jesus spoke far ahead of His time relating to us what life would be like just prior to His (2nd) coming. He says in Matt. 24:37-38: "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." [article link]
AS IT WAS IN NOAH'S DAY The Lord Jesus Christ informs us that before He returns certain conditions will exist in society in general. These conditions are a sign to believers that His Second Coming is near. There has always been corruption in society, but the idea here is of such decadence and depravity reaching the point of no return. The Lord makes use of two Old Testament characters to illustrate the characteristics and conditions that will exist at all levels of humanity prior to His Second Coming. As it was in the days of Noah and as it was in the days of Lot. [article link]
The twisted (non-Christian) religion of Blair and Bush the origins of Bush's and Blair's religious convictions lie not within Christianity but rather within the history of Western modernization and, most important, within contemporary liberalism itself. (perverted) Religious fundamentalism has often been used to justify extreme political ideologies. Currently both sides of the war on terror legitimate their actions by perverted theological reasoning. [article link]
Witchcraft and nail clippings: the weird world of Cherie Blair? Even by the standards of the alternative therapies said to be used by Cherie Blair, submitting her husband's toenail clippings to a health guru's pendulum is taking her alleged New Age obsession to a higher level. Mrs Blair, a human rights lawyer, has long been the subject of claims about her fondness for weird and wonderful treatments, ranging from a Mayan rebirthing ceremony to eating strawberry leaves to cure swollen ankles. But a book published yesterday about the Blairs has taken tales of odd practices inside the prime ministerial household to new extremes. Such was the eyebrow-raising nature of the claims made in Tony And Cherie, A Special Relationship that Downing Street issued a forthright denial. [article link]
Secret Societies and the (Bush family) Skull and Bones. This Yale organization's goal is to help propagate a one-world society with the hope of one of its members becoming the head of that system. Former President Bush, his father, Preston, and Bush Sr.'s son, President George W. Bush are all noted members of this organization, among many other renowned constituents, as well as John Kerry who is distantly related to Bush, both of whom are distantly related to the Queen. The society engages in secrecy and the dark arts, and performs ritualistic acts. An article in Conspiracy Nation states " . . . new evidence that the Skull and Bones Society and the CIA conspired together in 1963 to
assassinate President John F. Kennedy.[9] [article link]
Treasury union members rally against outsourcing (IRS) tax collection Treasury union members gathered outside the Internal Revenue Service building on Wednesday to protest a controversial measure to privatize some tax debt collection. ... NTEU has strongly opposed an IRS initiative to outsource some of the agency's debt collections, arguing that putting taxpayer data in the hands of private collectors presents a privacy and security risk, and that private contractors will be paid much more than it would cost federal employees to do the collections work. The IRS expected to award contracts to about three private collection agencies on Wednesday, but those awards were delayed to later in the month, said John Lipold, an IRS spokesman. [article link]
AP Poll: Bush Approval Rating Hits New Low WASHINGTON - More and more people, particularly Republicans, disapprove of President Bush's performance, question his character and no longer consider him a strong leader against terrorism, according to an AP-Ipsos poll documenting one of the bleakest points of his presidency. ... Personally, far fewer Americans consider Bush likable, honest, strong and dependable than they did just after his re-election campaign. [article link]
Answers ... with Ken Ham a 12-part series (Set of 12 DVDs) A dynamic and challenging 12-part video series upholding the authority of the Bible from its very first verse. Powerful, foundational teaching that equips Christians to defend their faith against the onslaughts of evolutionary humanism! Featuring Ken Ham, internationally known speaker and author on the accuracy and authority of the Scriptures, this fast-paced series provides you with solid answers to some of the most-asked questions about the Bible, particularly the book of Genesis. You'll think more biblically in all areas of life after viewing this Bible-honoring series. These well-illustrated presentations will teach you how to reconnect the Bible to the real world. Specially filmed and formatted to run in 30-minute segments, the entire series is ideal for Sunday schools, classrooms or Bible studies. Study guides for this series are available online. Set of 12 DVDs. [article link]
Answers in Genesis March Super Sale (2 pages of products) New Items & DVDs God's Design for Heaven and Earth set (Softcover). Help your children see God's plan for our planet, our solar system and our universe with this complete earth and space science curriculum. Explore how God designed the earth to support life from our atmosphere to our oceans. Grades 1-6. .. and many more items. [article link]
Flash Presentation: Leading That God - Jesus - Holy Spirit is always with us, Leading us on. [article link]
The Counterterrorism Blog The first multi-expert blog dedicated solely to counterterrorism issues, serving as a gateway to the community for policymakers and serious researchers. Designed to provide realtime information about terrorism cases and policy developments. [article link]
Welcome to the Investigative Project (IP) "Counterterrorism Organization" News Service The IP News Service is a news service soon to be offered by the Investigative Project, widely acknowledged as one of the leading counterterrorist research and investigative centers in the world. Under the leadership of
Executive Director Steven Emerson, the Investigative Project has for years investigated the operations, funding, activities and front groups of Islamic terrorist and extremist groups in the United States and around the world. The Investigative Project has amassed one of the largest archival intelligence centers in the world on militant Islam. The IP News Service will be posting tens of thousands of court-exhibits from terrorist trials, indictments and government investigations; newly declassified documents on Hamas, Osama Bin Laden, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups; clandestinely recorded transcripts of radical Islamic meetings in the US and the West; dossiers of militant Islamic front groups in the West; clandestine recorded videos and audio tapes of terrorist gatherings; secret terrorist finances and funding; interviews with US and foreign counter-terrorist officials; investigations into terrorist operations; and investigative reports on the 9/11 attacks. [article link]
TOP JAIL IMAM (Islamic chaplain) IN HATE TIRADE March 9, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - The head of Islamic chaplains in the New York City Department of Correction said in a recent speech that the "greatest terrorists in the world occupy the White House," Jews control the media, and Muslims are being tortured in Manhattan jails. The outlandish remarks were made by one of the city's most prominent Islamic leaders, Imam Umar Abdul-Jalil, the executive director of ministerial services for the city Department of Correction. He spoke at a conference of Islamic leaders in Tucson, Ariz., and was secretly recorded by the counterterrorism organization The Investigative Project. ... Abdul-Jalil, 56, who is also imam of the Masjid Sabur mosque in Harlem, initially denied making the comments - but later admitted to The Post that the tape was most likely accurate and said his words are being "taken out of context." ... Abdul-Jalil is the latest Muslim chaplain working for city and state agencies to come under fire. Last year, the city Fire Department forced Imam Intikab Habib to resign as chaplain for publicly doubting that al Qaeda hijackers brought down the World Trade Center towers and suggesting there was a broader "conspiracy." Three years ago, Pataki fired Imam Warith Deen Umar, the former chief Muslim chaplain for the state prison system, after it was reported he was expressing support for the 9/11 terrorists. [article link]
Dubai Company to Give Up Stake in U.S. Ports Deal WASHINGTON - After Republican leaders warned President Bush that the House and Senate appeared ready to block Dubai Ports World from taking over some U.S. port terminal operations, the company said it would give up its management stake in the deal. [article link]
Writer: 'Da Vinci' stole from my work - Trial resumes (cnn) LONDON, England (AP) -- An author who claims "The Da Vinci Code" copied ideas from his work insisted in a British court Wednesday that there are major similarities between his nonfiction book and Dan Brown's cryptoreligious thriller -- but conceded there are also substantial differences. "We were writing historical conjecture, and Mr. Brown was writing a novel," said Michael Baigent, co-author of "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" (titled "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" in the U.S.). ... Nonetheless, he said, the similarities were "fairly specific." ... Leigh is scheduled to take the stand (again) Thursday, with (Dan) Brown to follow, likely on Friday. [article link]
New Website - ProlifePages.com - Where prolife consumers and businesses connect! Welcome to ProlifePages - Where prolife consumers and businesses connect! ProlifePages is a venture in online networking, connecting prolife consumers and businesses across the United States. It began as a collaborative effort between three men, who have been long time campaigners for the cause of the unborn. Steve Sanborn, a nonprofit professional fundraiser and Founder and Former President of Crossroads, teamed up with friends James Wright, an attorney in the nonprofit sector, and Jason Greene, an IT Specialist. Together, they pooled their talents, efforts and resources to form Prolife Pages, LLC. [article link]
New Flash Presentation: The Last Valley A tribute to family members suffering with Alzheimer's. [article link]
Palestinians bilked U.S. taxpayers out of millions? - Congress hears study contending PA population numbers massively inflated Congress today will be presented with a new study that documents the Palestinians have inflated their population numbers by over 50 percent and that almost $3 billion in United States taxpayer funds may have been provided as aid to the Palestinians in part based on fraudulent data. "American tax dollars and other international humanitarian aid have been based on inflated population numbers which have been accepted without question by governments and aid agencies. Our researchers pointed out that money has been spent to help Palestinians who were double-counted, never born or not present in the West Bank and Gaza," Bennet Zimmerman, head of the new study, titled "Arab Population in the West Bank and Gaza," told WND. [article link]
U.N. Report Card: Who Supports the U.S.? NewsMax examined 12 key General Assembly votes taken on issues of critical importance to the U.S., and found that only four countries -- Israel and the Pacific Ocean nations of Palau, Micronesia and Marshall Islands sided with the U.S. on most of the issues. The rest of the U.N. members voted against the U.S. position the vast majority of the time, and dozens of countries voted along with America ZERO PERCENT of the time. These nations include some of the biggest recipients of U.S. foreign aid, which in some cases amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars a year. [article link]
House Impeachment Support Growing A growing number of House Democrats now favor holding an impeaching inquiry into alleged official misconduct by President Bush - and more than a dozen congressional candidates are running this fall on a pledge to vote for an impeachment investigation if they get elected. According to the Wall Street Journal: "A House resolution offered by Rep. John Conyers of Michigan seeking an initial impeachment inquiry has attracted support from 26 of 201 House Democrats . . . ImpeachPAC, a group of Democratic activists seeking to remove Mr. Bush from office, lists 14 candidates offering similar commitments." While the numbers still represent a small minority, that could change quickly after this November's election. [article link]
Buzz band takes legal action over religious tag {this is good thing too many bands pretend to be Christian just to sell records & merchandise} LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Rock act Mute Math is so frustrated at being branded a Christian band by Warner Music Group's Christian outlet Word Records, it has taken matters into its own hands, self-releasing its debut album February 1. And last September, Billboard has learned, Teleprompt Records -- a label co-founded by Mute Math keyboardist Paul Meany -- filed suit against Warner Bros. Records and Word. The suit is for breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation, and seeks punitive damages. ... Kookogey says, "There's a credibility gap. Mute Math is not a worship artist. They don't preach from (the) stage. They don't preach in their interviews. Those things are required of you when you work in the Christian market." {because that is what the fans-audience expect and want} [article link]
Many Workers'' Finances Not Improving Under Bush Why does the Bush administration get such little credit for what appear to be good economic times with solid growth and falling unemployment? Read the Federal Reserve''s latest Survey of Consumer Finances and find out. It paints a picture of families whose inflation-adjusted incomes and net worth barely rose over the 2001 to
2004 period, a sharp contrast with large gains in both over the three prior years. That difference has underscored the feeling in many families of not getting ahead. [article link]
Republican Congressman Predicts Bush Impeachment - Says US close to dictatorship Republican Congressman Ron Paul has gone on record with his prediction that the impeachment of George W. Bush is right around the corner but warned that in the meantime the US was slipping perilously close to a dictatorship. ... Paul was inclined to believe that the port sales would go ahead anyway but took a positive perspective in pointing out that it again highlighted George W. Bush's complete abandonment of conservative principles. "At least this has awakened a lot of people and I think this is going to serve as a benefit," said Paul. "They're likely to pull this deal off but the American people are awakening now and I think there's going to be a payback period in the election." [article link]
Christian Flash Shows! These flash shows are the work of many talented people. Shows that I (ACW) have personally created are noted. (links will open a new window - close window when you have finished viewing flash. [article link]
FREE Worship Music Various Artists (Mp3s) Free Mp3 worship music downloads. [article link]
BOOK OF REVELATION: Overview (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE Downloads Get the basics regarding the Bible's book of Revelation (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE downloads. The book of Revelation (revealed - unveiling) was written by the beloved disciple John at the instructions of the risen resurrected Jesus in approximately the year 100 AD.. Revelation contains seven letters given from Jesus to the entire Christian Church movement. Letters of instruction and also letters of encouragement. Did you know that all of the Apostles of Jesus died a martyrs death except for the disciple John and that according to early Church tradition the Roman government had likewise tried to kill John by boiling him in oil yet God delivered him and did not allow John to be hurt therefore the Roman government banished John to a small island named "Patmos" and it was there at this prison island of Patmos that the disciple John again saw the resurrected Jesus and wrote the things Jesus instructed John to write giving us "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" the Bibles' last book. The book of Revelation describes in vivid detail the final events of the earth and of mankind prior to the glorious return of Jesus. Amazingly the book of Revelation is so accurate and so relevant to today that reading the ancient book of Revelation is like reading the newspaper of today. [article link]
Free Downloads: (PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
Basic Christian: Full Website Content 2005 Version (PDF) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
Free Downloads:(PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
BOOK OF REVELATION: Overview (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE Downloads Get the basics regarding the Bible's book of Revelation (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE downloads. The book of Revelation (revealed - unveiling) was written by the beloved disciple John at the instructions of the risen resurrected Jesus in approximately the year 100 AD.. Revelation contains seven letters given from Jesus to the entire Christian Church movement. Letters of instruction and also letters of encouragement. Did you know that all of the Apostles of Jesus died a martyrs death except for the disciple John and that according to early Church tradition the Roman government had likewise tried to kill John by boiling him in oil yet God delivered him and did not allow John to be hurt therefore the Roman government banished John to a small island named "Patmos" and it was there at this prison island of Patmos that the disciple John again saw the resurrected Jesus and wrote the things Jesus instructed John to write giving us "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" the Bibles' last book. The book of Revelation describes in vivid detail the final events of the earth and of mankind prior to the glorious return of Jesus. Amazingly the book of Revelation is so accurate and so relevant to today that reading the ancient book of Revelation is like reading the newspaper of today. [article link]
Jesus Walk Devotion Jesus Walk proving the Leadership of Jesus Christ in that during the many Passion - Holy Week events the events didn't just happen to Jesus but in actuality Jesus happened to the events. [article link]
Daily Encouragement Net Christian Podcast (Mp3-Pod-Download) {Right-Click on POD Icon} Encouraging followers of Jesus Christ each weekday with hope and encouragement from the Bible since 1996. 5-10 min each. Subscribe to Podcast. [article link]
Individual Life stories, how and why people became Christians(Testimony) Real life stories and Testimonials from people describing how and why they became a Christian. [article link]
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Past Radio Broadcasts (Audio) The goal of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Ltd. is to reach men and women with the Gospel and to bring them into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. [article link]
President BUSH AT 2005 YEAR-END As I thought about our president, I wondered: Do I hate him? Do I think he is a liar? Do I think he is a provincial and poorly informed scion of a privileged family? Do I think he embarrasses our country by mangling the English language? Do I think he has placed unnecessary and unproductive restrictions on our liberties? Do I think his promise of a more "compassionate conservatism" was merely an election-year slogan? Do I think he is an incompetent manager of our affairs of State? The answer to all of the above is either "No" or "We don't know yet". But the more I pondered the question, the stronger grew one overwhelming feeling: Profound disappointment. ... It is much too early to write the history of the Bush years. But, regardless of how our Iraq adventure ends, my guess is that the Bush presidency will be remembered as one that left us divided, diverted, and uncertain of our country's future and its role in the world. It will take a {Christian} generation of yet-
unknown leadership to bring us together. That's why I'm disappointed. That's why I feel such a deep sense of sadness and loss for our president. [article link]
Should George Bush be impeached and removed from office? (Poll) A recent MSNBC poll showed that a very high percentage of Americans think that President George W. Bush should be impeached. Discussion regarding impeachment of the president is growing wider in the mainstream media and on the Internet. Please take a moment and click on our link to give us your input. [article link]
BasicChristian.org
Basic Christian: Info, News and Resources 2006 Articles The www.BasicChristian.us Media News Feed - Top 110 Items of 2006 The Basic Christian News/Info Feed is listing the 110 best news feed items and download locations of 2006. [article link]
#1 News-Blog item of 2006 - Brian Rohrbough appears on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric - the featured Columbine father speaks against school violence, evolution and abortion (Video - Online or Download) ROHRBOUGH: I'm saddened and shaken by the shooting at an Amish school today and last week's school murders [in Bailey, Colorado]. When my son Dan was murdered on the sidewalk at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, I hoped that would be the last school shooting. Since that day, I tried to answer the question, "Why did this happen?" This country is in a moral freefall. For over two generations, the public school system has taught in a moral vacuum, expelling God from the school and from the government, replacing him with evolution, *where the strong kill the weak without moral consequences*. And life has no inherent value. We teach there are no absolutes, no right or wrong, and I assure you the murder of innocent children is always wrong, including by abortion. Abortion has diminished the value of children. Suicide has become an acceptable action and has further emboldened these criminals. We're seeing an epidemic increase in murder/suicide attacks on our children. Sadly, our schools are not safe. In fact, we now witness that within our schools, our children have become a target of terrorists from within the United States. [article link]
#2 Pope's Regensburg Address Wins 'Speech of the Year' - the Pope quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor as saying Islam had only brought evil to the world and that it was spread by the sword, a method that was unreasonable and contrary to God's nature Pope Benedict's controversial Regensburg speech, which angered the Muslim world for appearing to link Islam and violence, won a "Speech of the Year" award from a university in his native Germany on Monday. ... In his speech, the Pope quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor as saying Islam had only brought evil to the world and that it was spread by the sword, a method that was unreasonable and contrary to God's nature. ... The Tuebingen jury said the fact that the obscure Byzantine quote the Pope chose to illustrate his argument about faith and reason could attract such international attention "proves it is still relevant over 500 years later." [article link]
#3 **New Red Letter Edition PDF Bible - The Words of Jesus Formatted in Red - The Bible, Old and New Testaments, King James Version (Reader Edition) 2.0 - Free PDF Download The reader edition of the KJV is a complete Bible with both the Old and the New Testaments. In order to provide a consistent and enjoyable read the reader edition is formatted without the verse or chapter references providing a continuous easy to read Bible. [article link]
#4 KJV Bible in Mp3 - Audio Dramatized (Mp3 Downloads) This is your place to download the audio version of the King James Bible. Enjoy listening to God's word each day on your mp3 player. [article link]
#5 KJV Bible in Mp3 - Audio Only (Mp3 Downloads) The complete King James Version Bible in mp3 audio format on a 2 disc set. This recording can be legally copied for non-commercial use. Voice narration only. Non-dramatized with no background music. There are
individual mp3 files for each chapter of the Bible and playlist for each book are also included. [article link]
#6 'Effective Prayer Life' - In print world-wide for nearly 20 years, this classic book on prayer has proven the truth that prayer changes things (Free PDF Downloads) Countless lives have been changed and prayer lives revitalized through Pastor Chuck's simplistic style and practical approach to this essential subject. In this book, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses the principles of prayer, the keys to having a dynamic prayer life, and the victorious results of such a life. The heart of every reader will be stirred with a desire to "pray without ceasing" the most important act the Christian can engage in. [article link]
#7 Psychology as Religion (Mp3) Here are our messages from 1975 through 1997 listed by speaker and title. These are various messages we have collected over the years dealing with a wide range of subjects. [article link]
#8 Church History - This study is crucial for understanding what God is doing in our day - A Church Lecture Series - 13 Lectures {This is an excellent intro into Church history. It is very informative, there are a few misquotes though so some fact checking, as always, is in order.} (Free Mp3's) "Someone once noted that history was 'simply one thing after another.' However, for the Christian history represents an amazing story of the redemption of mankind in which our sovereign Lord is seen to be advancing His purposes towards His pre-ordained and pre-determined end. For the modern day believer, this study is crucial for understanding what God is doing in our day." [article link]
#9 Israel 1 Min. Movie - In Every Generation - Support for Israel A 1 minute video and prayer for protection for the nation of Israel. [article link]
#10 Editorial by Dr. Eugene Narrett: WWIII - War of Lies Targets Israel [Part One of a series] Our present and last War, WW III was visible after the WW I armistice when the British began to betray their Mandate to re-establish the Jewish National Home both west and east of the Jordan River. The British also rejuvenated jihad. The modern powers would not honor and renew the past but, if they could, blot it out. This was a major phase, but not the origin of the war. ... Since the Jews in Israel won their independence, but not full sovereignty in 1948, WW III, the war against Judaism and the Jews has intensified. This war is the first and last stage of Western civilization. In our day it brings a new and terrible hi-tech Tower of Babel with the State as god… It is the age of Aquarius, of a new idolatry of self-absorption and rapture (pleasure not the Church rapture), of mass delusion and brutal god-states. [article link]
#11 Jewsih Christian Preacher Zola Levitt dies - Known for 'Pray for the peace of Jerusalem' Jewish Christian preacher Zola Levitt died today after battling cancer, according to his ministry website. Levitt, known for the tagline, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem," had a television program seen on several Christian networks, "Zola Levitt Presents." He died at home in Dallas, where he led the non-profit Zola Levitt Ministries, Inc. ... Responding to today's news, a follower of Levitt's ministry wrote: "I praise the Lord for the life He granted to Zola; for Zola's willingness to be used by God in great ways; for the thousands of lives he touched through his ministry and music; and for the grace and peace of knowing that Zola's reward can be ours, too, someday." [article link]
#12 Navy SEAL Falls on Grenade to Save Comrades CORONADO, Calif. - A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said. Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret. "He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it,"said a 28-year-old lieutenant who sustained shrapnel wounds to both legs that day."He undoubtedly saved mine and the other SEALs' lives, and we owe him." [article link]
#13 Photographer Joe Rosenthal died yesterday of natural causes at age 94 - Rosenthal is the man who took the immortal photograph of the Marines planting the flag on Mount Suribarchi, Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945 A death like this requires some contemplation. Joe Rosenthal took the most famous picture of World War II the flagraising on Iwo Jima. If ever a death symbolized the fading of an era, it's this one. It's poignant that Rosenthal's passing comes at a time when the integrity of photojournalism is being questioned as never before. Rosenthal himself, as the story reports, lived with whispers that he'd posed the flagraising. Of course, he hadn't. As he commented, if he'd posed the picture, he would've ruined it. **And a film of the moment proves the photo's authenticity**. Joe Rosenthal, as his daughter says in the story, was "a good and honest man." His word was enough to quiet all but the most incorrigible doubters. We must ask, given some recent events, whether there are many people in mainstream media whose word we would accept without question. I think there are, but their voices need to be heard. [article link]
#14 NY firemen come to reinforce Israeli locals - Eleven New York firefighters put their lives on hold this week and paid their way to Jerusalem Eleven New York firefighters put their lives on hold this week and paid their way to Jerusalem, where they have been volunteering in a number of understaffed stations. Because of rocket-caused fires in the North, fire stations elsewhere started sending units to help, leaving places like Jerusalem in need of more personnel. "It's a good feeling to know somebody's thinking about you," said Arik Nisimov, a firefighter at the Giva station. "That here are guys that will come and help, no matter how far we are between countries." [article link]
#15 The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation: To Our Dear Friends and Faithful Supporters Throughout the past year, our family has been regularly contacted by disabled individuals or their advocates, throughout the world, asking for assistance in many different forms. To the extent our resources have permitted, we have provided assistance, but it is clear that the need is much greater! We are grateful for your past support, but we cannot do this alone. We need your help! The culture of death movement in this nation is funded by multi-billion dollar industries seeking to gain further profit from the de-valuation and destruction of the weak, the elderly and persons with disabilities. In order to make tangible gains against the pro-death mentality and to advance the Culture of Life through loving action, education, and advocacy, financial resources are crucial. Your financial support, your prayers and sacrifices on behalf of the potential innocent victims will make these goals achievable, and may someday save the life of someone you love. We now ask you for a financial contribution to the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation to assist us in this all-important effort to defend and to protect human life. [article link]
#16 SAVED BY THE MUSIC: tent revival provides an unexpected experience - But I dare say that my little neighborhood is a better place for having it, whether it's for religious reasons, or just because the music moved us somehow A few weeks ago, a curious thing took place in the open lot just around the corner from where I live downtown.
First, stacks of bright orange chairs appeared, then a little trailer, and finally a giant tent was stretched across the length of the empty lot there. My curiosity finally got the best of me when I got off work a few nights later, so I made my way over to the tent. As I got closer I could make out a man's voice soaring over the music: "Hallelujah, hallelujah. Lord, somebody needs a blessing tonight." ... "There are people that would never just walk into the doors of the church - prostitutes or drug dealers, people that need the Lord - but they could be out walking and wouldn't be afraid to come under the tent," he said. "We reach a lot of people that way." By the time you read this, the tent will be gone on to another town to do its work there, and only an empty field will be left where the revival took place. But I dare say that my little neighborhood is a better place for having it, whether it's for religious reasons, or just because the music moved us somehow. [article link]
#17 The Pro-Choice Bush Family - Care to guess who was the treasurer of Planned Parenthood when it launched its first national fundraising campaign in 1947? It was Prescott Bush, father and grandfather of the two Bush presidents The SF Chronicle is running a piece that looks back at the Bush family's support for Planned Parenthood and family planning services. The article also highlights the fact that both Barbara and Laura Bush are against overturning Roe vs. Wade. "I agree with my husband that we should try to reduce the number of abortions in our country by doing all of those things, by taking responsibility, by talking about abstinence." Yes, pressed interviewer Katie Couric, but what about Roe vs. Wade? "No, I don't think that it should be overturned." [article link]
#18 CWA's Crouse Calls Over-the-Counter Plan B Beyond-the-Pale - in response to President Bush's endorsement of Plan B 'morning after pill' Washington, D.C. - Concerned Women for America's (CWA's) Dr. Janice Crouse, Senior Fellow of the Beverly LaHaye Institute, responded to President Bush's endorsement of Plan B, the morning after pill, by calling it "beyond the pale." In a press conference on Monday, the President announced his support of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach's attempt to make this high dose of birth control available over-the-counter (OTC) for girls over 18. CWA strongly opposes making this drug available without a prescription because of its medical risks and the inability of the FDA to enforce an age restriction. ... "Of equal concern is the fact that any 18-year-old could buy Plan B OTC and give it to anyone else -- even underage girls -- without parental consent or knowledge. The ramifications of such distribution include sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. The amount of misinformation about Plan B is astounding. Those advocating OTC availability are touting the drug as a "silver bullet" for birth control. Yet, the easy availability that would come with OTC sales extends to those who are incapable of understanding the risks involved in any highpotency drug. [article link]
#19 Plan B: A Grave Threat to Women's Health - Today President Bush threw his support behind Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach's plan to approve Plan B for over-the-counter (OTC) sale to women 18 and older, while keeping it prescription (Rx) for teen girls. The deregulation of Plan B is without doubt, a women's health disaster waiting to happen. In addition, the deregulation of Plan B raises a number of Legal Concerns: OTC Plan B is legally unprecedented. There is no precedent for the granting of dual status approval for the same drug to different age groups. The FDA does not have the legal authority to grant simultaneous OTC and Rx for a drug. Also, FDA does not have the enforcement authority to ensure that store clerks are checking age ID for dual status drugs. [article link]
#20 Pension Overhaul Boon to Domestic Partners - In a change lauded by gay activists, the new law will allow heirs other than spouses who inherit retirement savings to escape a costly tax Partners in same-sex relationships would be among those who save money - often tens of thousands of dollars
-under a little-noticed tax provision in the new pension law signed by President Bush today. ... The legal change is one obscure element in a new 907-page law addressing an array of technical pension issues. Proponents of the overall legislation hailed it today as a long-sought effort to stabilize a system of retirement benefits that has grown more porous in recent years, with many plans teetering on a base of shaky funding and many companies cutting back on commitments. [article link]
#21 Photo shows Iran leader Ahmadinejad as 1979 U.S. hostage taker - Ahmadinejad has denied role in seizure of embassy seizure, abuse of Americans - U.S. "investigators" never bothered to interview any of the former hostages who made the charges against the Iranian leader (Photos) The Russian publication Kommersant has published a newly located photograph of a U.S. hostage-taker in Iran circa 1979 bearing a striking resemblance to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. ... some of those hostages and former Iranian President Abholhassan Bani-Sadr, who says he was a ringleader and the liaison with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. ... Charges by the ex-hostages were made shortly after Ahmadinejad came to power June 24, 2005. But from the beginning, the White House and State Department made it clear they would rather not know the truth about Ahmadinejad because it would place the U.S. in a position of refusing to permit a head of government into the country to attend U.N. meetings. [article link]
#22 June 30, 2005; Iran President was Captor Say (US) Hostages, Bush Wants Answers WASHINGTON, JUNE 30: President George W. Bush said on Thursday, he wanted answers on whether Iranian President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a leader in the 1979 US Embassy siege as some former hostages have said. ... "I have no information," Bush told reporters during a briefing on the upcoming G-8 summit in Scotland. "But obviously his involvement raises many questions, and knowing how active people are at finding answers to questions, I'm confident they will be found." [article link]
#23 Via Debbie Schlussel - New Holocaust Discovery: Touching (1945) BBC Recording @ Death Camp Liberation (Link to Mp3) Since we recently celebrated "Yom HaShoah," or Holocaust Remembrance Day, it was moving to receive an important, recently-discovered (2002) 1945 BBC recording of reporter Patrick Gordon Walker at the liberation of Bergen Belsen concentration camp from my cousin, Dan K. Both sides of my family were mostly wiped out in the Holocaust, and my maternal grandparents, Holocaust survivors, were liberated from their last camp, Bergen Belsen. My mother was born at Belsen after the war (it became a Displaced Persons/Refugee camp, where my grandparents lived until they left for the States). Belsen was also the camp where Ann Frank was taken and perished at the hands of the Nazis. [article link]
#24 Former Nazi: "Today's Leftist Youth Like Hitler's Storm Troopers" - Hitler had storm troopers who would shut up the opposition and, that is what these people were trying to do, the same thing Hilmar Von Campe, a former Nazi youth, was interviewed on Hannity and Colmes on Thursday night and warned that today's leftist youth protesters behave like Hitler's Storm Troopers... No kidding! Hilmar ought to know! [article link]
#25 Commencement party for Christian grads - "Commencement for Life" A group of Christians in a Texas college town are hosting a "Commencement for Life" party for likeminded graduating seniors as an alternative to the usual beer bashes and as a way to encourage them to live out their faith on the job. "Instead of promoting the usual beer parties, the committee got together to try to do something special for the graduates who have faith in Jesus," professor Mark R. Davids, a Criminal Justice
teacher at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, told WND. Davids and the other organizers will host the party for Christian grads Friday at a church adjacent to the school's campus. [article link]
#26 Christians at 700 high schools in 'Day of Truth' - Nationwide event today counters homosexual-activist 'Silence' ADF President, CEO, and General Counsel Alan Sears sees the "Day of Truth" as an opportunity to express a different perspective than the "Day of Silence," promoted by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Educational Network. "Allowing the communication of one viewpoint and claiming it's the only viewpoint is advocating, not educating," Sears said. The event takes place one day after the "Day of Silence," which urges students to remain silent for an entire day to express support for the homosexual agenda. Students participating in the "Day of Truth" will wear T-shirts and hand out cards during school hours - between classes - with the following message: I am speaking the Truth to break the silence. Silence isn't freedom. It's a constraint. Truth tolerates open discussion, because the Truth emerges when healthy discourse is allowed. By proclaiming the Truth in love, hurts will be halted, hearts will be healed, and lives will be saved. "The 'Day of Silence' seems more concerned about silencing other viewpoints than providing complete information to students," said Sears. "Silence doesn't teach anything. However, an open, honest, and respectful discussion allows Truth to rise to the surface." [article link]
#27 America, Honor God - National Day of Prayer - Thursday 4 May 2006 National days of prayer have been called as early as 1775 with the First Continental Congress. Abraham Lincoln called for such a day in 1863. In 1952 Congress established a National Day of Prayer by joint resolution, which was signed into law by President Truman and later amended by President Regan. [article link]
#28 16th Annual US Capitol Bible Reading Marathon on the West Steps of the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., Sunday evening, April 30 - 1:00 PM on Thursday, May 4, (as National Day of Prayer events get underway) National Bible Reading Marathon is proud to annouce the launch of FAA LIVE! FAA Live! is our brand new internet radio station which is currently broadcasting the National Bible Reading Marathon LIVE. To listen in, visit: www.live365.com/stations/faalive to hear coverage of the entire Marathon, 24 hours a day until its conclusion. [article link]
#29 The Church's and America's Greatest Threat - it is apathy in the nation and the church - "With this in mind, we must continue to be prepared for the opportunity to lead people to their only hope, Jesus Christ" So there aren't a lot of people who want to understand the times today. I repeatedly hear from people who pass along information about Olive Tree Ministries, and particularly the radio show, "Understanding the Times." When the issues we talk about are discussed, many shrink back and indicate those issues would make them "uncomfortable." Don't you suppose the saints throughout history who were burned at the stake or who are enslaved today in Sudan, North Korea, and elsewhere, were and are uncomfortable? As Koenig summarizes, "Until the times worsen considerably and people begin to look outside of their churches for explanations of the times, people will remain disinterested. As the times get more serious--or in the event of a major terror threat in our homeland--more will seek an understanding of our times. With this in mind, we must continue to be prepared for the opportunity to lead people to their only hope, Jesus Christ." [article link]
#30 China Soul - Documentary Film "The Cross - Jesus in China" FREE Movie Download or DVD Purchase (4 Parts - 4 Hr.) In China, the story of the "Cross" once seemed as strange and far away as the other side of the universe. But
today its message is here, right in our midst. 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, 188 western missionaries, and 20,000 Chinese Christians were killed. In the following fifty years, more western missionaries came to China. They established 13 universities, over 6,000 elementary schools and high schools, and more than 900 hospitals. The number of Chinese Christians grew to 700,000. The Chinese Communist Party believed this success was the result of imperialist cultural invasion. They expelled all western missionaries, forced Chinese missionaries to renounce their religion, and mandated a secular education for all Chinese. Fifty more years have passed and today there are approximately 70 million Christians in China, an increase of 100 fold! [article link]
#31 THE BOOK & THE SPADE - Biblical Archaeology - Program #1071, "Dr. Donald Brown, Tut Tomb Excavator" (Mp3) A weekly news and interview program focusing on the latest discoveries and developments in Biblical Archaeology, hosted by Gordon Govier and professor Keith Schoville. [article link]
#32 August 2006 Phyllis Schlafly Report - Anti-Parent Policies in Public Schools - The NEA Moves Farther Left Parents who wonder why the public schools teach so many things parents don't approve of need look no further than the official policies of the nation's largest teachers union, the National Education Association (NEA). Meeting in Orlando this year in annual convention over the Fourth of July weekend, the NEA adopted a long series of left-liberal resolutions. ... The NEA beefed up its anti-homeschool resolutions this year by demanding that homeschooled students "meet all state curricular requirements," and that they not be permitted to participate in any public school extra-curricular activities. The NEA even opposes renting or selling empty public school buildings to any non-public school. [article link]
#33 The Police State Road Map - Part 2 THE ART OF KILLING QUIETLY - When the ruling class (GovernmentNWO) can control all the material essentials of life, they can grant and withdraw them as if they were privileges, as George Orwell explained: (PDF 152 Pages) The economic destruction of the world's middle class is well advanced. Personal debt, bankruptcies, and unemployment are soaring while investments are destroyed in the stock market [i.e. Enron] and incomes decline. Like Manchurian Candidates, the Western middle class have played their essential part in creating the very same technologies which will be used to enslave them and less fortunate souls alike. Those are dealt with in chapter 12. This chapter describes seven significant methods being used to reduce living standards around the world. These are: 1) money supply and taxation; 2) free trade; 3) breaking down national borders; 4) environmentalism; 5) wars; 6) the criminal justice system; and 7) disease. [article link]
#34 Hat Tip - mormoninfo.org: (Slick) Mitt Romney and Mormonism - Mitt would Love to answer your questions about Mormonism, well not really! (Video - 32:27) Mitt can't think of any strange Mormon doctrines except for the flood story. Well, how about "Mormon baptism for the dead" Yikes! "Polygamy" Yikes!! The Mormon belief that "Jesus and Satan the Devil are blood brothers" Yikes!!! www.JesusNotJoseph.com [article link]
#35 The Book of Mormon (B.O.M.) in the Light of Science (PDF 68 Pages) My major purpose of this book is to reach out to my Mormon friends to present factual information to anyone that may be considering the Mormon faith. [article link]
#36 John Conner visits Barnes and Noble, finds the Satanic Bible for Sale (Video 3:43) John Conner author of The Resistance Manifesto goes to Barnes and Noble and finds the Satanic Bible for sale. [article link]
#37 1) Publisher in O.J. book scandal fired - "Judith Regan's employment with HarperCollins has been terminated effective immediately," - HarperCollins also ownes the Zondervan Bible Company and sells the NIV Bible as well as the Satanic bible NEW YORK (AP) -- O.J. Simpson's would-be publisher, Judith Regan, was fired Friday, her sensational, scandalous tenure at Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. ending with the tersest of announcements. "Judith Regan's employment with HarperCollins has been terminated effective immediately," HarperCollins CEO Jane Friedman said in a statement. "The Regan publishing program and staff will continue as part of the HarperCollins General Books Group." ... Since 1994, she has headed the ReganBooks imprint at News Corp.'s HarperCollins, an ideal fit for Murdoch's tabloid tastes. Regan has published a long list of racy best-sellers, [article link]
#38 2) Zondervan Company Statistics - Parent company HarperCollins Publishers Zondervan has a team of more than 360 employees, with offices in Grand Rapids, Miami, London, and Sao Paulo. Parent company HarperCollins Publishers has offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, London, Glasgow, Paris, Johannesburg, Sydney, Auckland, Tokyo, and Singapore. Zondervan authors number more than 1,500 and range from homemakers, business people, politicians and celebrities, to theologians, scholars, philosophers, and ministry professionals. [article link]
#39 3) Satanic Bible by Anton La Vey (Called "The Black Pope") from HarperCollins Publishers Called "The Black Pope" by many of his followers, Anton La Vey began the road to High Priesthood of the (lurch of Satan when he was only 16 years old and an organ player in a carnival: ... From that time early in his life his path was clear. Finally, on the last night of April, 1966 -- Walpurgisnacht, the most important festival of the believers in witchcraft -- LaVey shaved his head in the tradition of Ancient executioners and announced the formation of The Church Of Satan. He had seen the need for a church that would recapture man's body and his carnal desires as objects of celebration. [article link]
#40 theResistanceManifesto.com: The Bible is True, the antichrist will soon rise, and you better chose which team you're on and get right with God The Bible is True, the antichrist will soon rise, and you better chose which team you're on and get right with God. A large number of our political world leaders and corporate global elite are part of an intricate system of Satanic secret societies. They believe Lucifer (Satan) set Man free in the Garden of Eden, and that the God of the Bible is the evil one. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world" (Ephesians 6:12). The September 11th attacks were orchestrated by the CIA and was an inside job to create a pretext for war. Elements within the U.S. government not only knew they were coming, they helped plan the attacks, aid the terrorists, and made sure the attacks were carried out. "Don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but they cannot harm your soul" Jesus said. (Matthew 10:28) [article link]
#41 {must see - funny} The Terminator Protects Jesus - 'Don't worry Jesus will be Back!' {YouTube} (Video 4:51) The greatest action story ever told! [article link]
#42 Rice's approving 'gay' remarks rankle GOP base - Secretary welcomed new AIDS ambassador's 'mother-inlaw' - The use of a term normally reserved for legally married heterosexual families
Rice and first lady Laura Bush spoke for the administration at the Oct. 10 swearing-in at the State Department where Dybul was accompanied by his male partner, Jason Claire. Rice, during her comments, referred to the presence of Claire's mother and called her Dybul's "mother-in-law." ... The use of a term normally reserved for legally married heterosexual families rankled Peter Sprigg, vice president for policy at the Family Research Council, who called Rice's comments "profoundly offensive," according to Agape Press. The secretary's remarks, he said, fly in the face of the Bush administration's endorsement of a federal marriage protection amendment. ... The Family Research Council's (FRC.org) Tony Perkins framed the question this way: "Has the social agenda of the GOP been stalled by homosexual members or staffers'" [article link]
#43 President Bush talks 'kerfuffle' - but has no idea what Bible - Revelation prophecy is The apocalypse is another word that doesn't come up often in presidential discussions - at least not in front of the cameras. But it was at the heart of the first question posed to Bush during his Cleveland appearance. A woman said some Christians see the war in Iraq and the rise of terrorism as signs of the apocalypse - the destruction of the world as described in the biblical book of Revelation. "Do you believe this, that the war in Iraq and the rise of terrorism are signs of the apocalypse? And if not, why not?" Bush was taken aback. "Hmm," he started. "The answer is - I haven't really thought of it that way," he continued, to laughter from the audience. "Here's how I think of it. The first I've heard of that, by the way. I guess I'm more of a practical fellow." [article link]
#44 Tempting Faith: Christian Conservatives Duped by BushCo. Part II - Olbermann: Among them, that-behind their backs-the nation's top evangelical Christians were regarded with routine mockery and contempt by White House staffers - called 'nuts' and 'ridiculous' {Absolute must see-Download Video 7 Min.} In Kuo's eyes, today's national Christian leaders were being used. They didn't have the same shrewdness Billy Graham had in the '70s, to question whether Nixon was using him for his appeal to religious voters. In fact, Christians who voted for Mr. Bush based on his religion, may have ended up hurting the very people Jesus sought to help: the poor. [video] Bush - "I urge the Senate to pass the faith-based initiative for the good of America. But when Senator Chuck Grassley tried to rewrite Mr. Bush's 1.7 trillion dollar tax cut to include six billion in tax credits for groups helping the poor - tax credits that Mr. Bush himself had publicly proposed - Kuo says Bush's assistant told Grassley to drop the charity tax credits. The White House had no interest. **The cuts Mr. Bush did want made things worse for charities. Kuo claims that the estate tax cuts discouraged charitable giving, costing charities an estimated 5 billion dollars. The ultimate impact of Mr. Bush's tax cuts, he says, was to brutalize the very charities Mr. Bush once identified as his top priorities. After only a year, charitable donations were down dramatically, and some charities had shut down. Kuo says the White House was more concerned with the appearance of doing something. [article link]
#45 Judge's Unintelligent Rant Against Design {Judge is a Bush appointee - a thanks again W! way to come through for your voters} Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000. Yet this federal judge, who owes his position entirely to those voters and the Bush who appointed him, stuck the knife in the backs of those who brought him to the dance in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. Judge Jones issued a 139-page rant against anyone who objects to force-feeding public schoolchildren with the theory of evolution. He accused parents and school board members of "breathtaking inanity" for wanting their children to learn that "intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view." [article link]
#46 Bush pardons Georgia moonshiner - Randall Leece Deal had a bit part in the movie 'Deliverance' Randall Leece Deal was a millworker and twice convicted moonshiner when he got his big break in 1972. He
was cast in a bit part in "Deliverance" and delivered a single line so repellent he later told his mother it had been dubbed. On Wednesday he got maybe the second biggest break of his life: A presidential pardon. Deal, 66, was convicted in 1960 and in 1964 for moonshining in North Georgia. He was among 16 pardons announced by the White House in what is an annual tradition. He is at least the second moonshiner pardoned by Bush. Deal said when he heard about that one - a Tennessee man pardoned in 2003 - he decided to apply for his own. "I figured if that guy could get one, then why not me? We're the same age." When reached by a reporter Wednesday afternoon, Deal said somebody had called yesterday telling him he got the pardon, but he had not received official word. [article link]
#47 U.S. Makes Low-Key Appeal in Afghan Case {From Taliban lynch mob to organized Afghan lynch mob, that's a big difference.} The Bush administration issued a subdued appeal Tuesday to Afghanistan to permit a Christian convert on trial for his life to practice his faith in the predominantly Muslim country. The State Department, however, did not urge the U.S. ally in the war against terrorism to terminate the trial. Officials said the Bush administration did not want to interfere with Afghanistan's sovereignty. ... State Department spokesman McCormack contrasted the government in Kabul with its fundamentalist predecessor. "Under the Taliban, anybody considered an apostate was subject to torture and death," he said. "Right now, you have a legal proceeding that is under way in Afghanistan." [article link]
#48 Wednesday, August 23, 2006: Bush $230 Million for Hezbollah, $0 for Israel Today, President Bush announced $230 million for rebuilding South Lebanon, which Debbie Schussel persuasively argues will be funnelled to Hezbollah because of the lack of accountability on the funds for the Hezbollah-controlled area. Meanwhile, the administration has indicated that Israel won't receive any warrelated financial help at all, despite extensive damage as a result of the civilian-targeted attacks which are war crimes. [article link]
#49 U.S.-trained militant prays for American deaths - Bush administration providing more rifles to group pledging to shoot Jews The militant, Abu Yousuf, speaking in an exclusive interview with WND, hinted new weapons reportedly being provided by the U.S. to his group could be shared with the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror organization, the declared "military wing" of Abbas' Fatah party. ... After a meeting with Abbas in Ramallah last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters the U.S. would "do what it can" to bolster Abbas. Last week, the New York Times reported the U.S. proposed expanding Abbas' Force 17 from 3,500 men to 6,000 as part of a $26million plan to strengthen the Palestinian leader. The Associated Press and Israel's leading Yediot Aharonot daily reported Friday new training facilities for Force 17 are slated to be set up in the West Bank town of Jericho and in Gaza, at a cost of $2 million each, according to the U.S. proposal. Senior Palestinian officials told WND the U.S. is planning to transfer ammunition and new assault rifles to Force 17 within days and has pledged to procure about $28 million in aid to Abbas. They said the U.S. would help train Force 17 members in the operation of the new weapons and in advanced combat techniques in facilities already in use in Jericho. The State Department did not return repeated calls for comment. [article link]
#50 The Reuters Photo Scandal - A comprehensive overview of the four types of photo fraud committed by Reuters, August, 2006 *Warning some Graphic Photos* The recent discovery that the Reuters news agency released a digitally manipulated photograph as an authentic image of the bombing in Beirut has drawn attention to the important topic of bias in the media. But lost in the frenzy over one particular image is an even more devastating fact: that over the last week Reuters has been
caught red-handed in an astonishing variety of journalistic frauds in the photo coverage of the war in Lebanon. [article link]
#51 Hizbullah disarmament will wait - Latest ceasefire proposal does not call for disarming terror group as precondition to ceasefire Latest ceasefire proposal does not call for disarming terror group as precondition to ceasefire; according to deal being formulated, IDF will gradually pull out of Lebanon and will be replaced by an international force including 10,000 French troops. [article link]
#52 Has the Bush administration lost the plot? - It's almost as if Kerry, not Bush, won the 2004 election According to this piece in the Jerusalem Post senior members of the Israeli Defense Force are "fuming" over being denied the opportunity to achieve a military victory over Hezbollah. I find it particularly disturbing that the Bush administration appears to have played a key role in denying the IDF that opportunity. Indeed, Tony Snow reportedly stated at a press conference today that an Israeli move deeper into Lebanon did not correspond with American policy. Does this mean that American policy is now to protect Hezbollah from the Israelis? [article link]
#53 Bush unveils plan to tackle global corruption WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush launched a new global campaign on Thursday to combat kleptocracy, or rampant government corruption, which he said undermines democracy and development in poor countries. "Kleptocracy is an obstacle to democratic progress, undermines faith in government institutions, and steals prosperity from the people," Bush said in a statement. [article link]
#54 US pressure prompts delay of offensive - The troops were already rolling late Wednesday when they were ordered to halt The troops were already rolling late Wednesday when they were ordered to halt. It appears heavy US pressure delayed the offensive to allow diplomacy to run its course. A senior minister said Wednesday that Israel might delay the expansion for 2-3 days for that purpose. [article link]
#55 EUreferendum.blogspot: DAY 1 - THIS IS OUR 'TOP' POST UNTIL WE GET A RESPONSE FROM AP - They hunt in packs, they film in packs and they lie in packs They hunt in packs, they film in packs and they lie in packs. And their bosses, sitting in their air-conditioned offices, thousands of miles from the action, back up their lies. And the liar-in-chief is Kathleen Carroll, senior vice president and executive editor for Associated Press. ... Nick Blanford, working in Lebanon for twelve years for The Times and Time, and one of the first on the spot, also denies any staging. He too must either be blind or a liar. [article link]
#56 Opium Harvest at Record Level in Afghanistan - "Afghanistan's opium harvest this year has reached the highest levels ever recorded "Afghanistan's opium harvest this year has reached the highest levels ever recorded, showing an increase of almost 50 percent from last year, the executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa, said Saturday in Kabul." "He described the figures as "alarming" and "very bad news" for the Afghan government and international donors who have poured millions of dollars into programs to reduce the poppy crop since 2001." "He said the increase in cultivation was significantly fueled by the resurgence of Taliban rebels in the south, the country's prime opium growing region. As the insurgents have stepped up attacks, they have also encouraged and profited from the drug trade, promising protection to growers if they
expanded their opium operations." [article link]
#57 'Terrorist' arrests don't tell the story - Most people arrested on charges related to suspected terrorist activities aren't being prosecuted - Of these, though, half received sentences of 28 days or less Something very odd is going on in the FBI, other federal law enforcement agencies, the Justice Department and perhaps the federal courts too. Most people arrested on charges related to suspected terrorist activities aren't being prosecuted. ... Still, 1,329 convictions is a fairly large number. Of these, though, half received sentences of 28 days or less. Only 5 percent received sentences of five years or more. ... The length of sentences is puzzling, especially in light of the median length in cases brought during the two years before Sept. 11: 41 months. Another oddity: The number of cases begun has fallen off sharply in the last two years, almost matching the number of cases brought in the two years before the Sept. 11 attacks. [article link]
#58 WASHINGTON: Prosecution dips in terrorism cases - The federal government is now prosecuting suspected international terrorists at about the same rate it did before 9/11 The federal government is now prosecuting suspected international terrorists at about the same rate it did before 9/11, according to a study based on Justice Department data. The decline followed a sharp increase in such criminal prosecutions in the year after the 2001 attacks, according to a study released Sunday by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University in New York. The analysis of data from Justice's Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys found that in the eight months ending in May, Justice attorneys decided not to prosecute more than nine out of 10 terrorism cases sent to them by the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies. [article link]
#59 New Al Qaeda Video More CIA Black Op Propaganda - Pathetic pretence kept up that "Al Qaeda" is still or ever was a real organized terror outfit and not the creation of deep (CIA) intelligence The latest cobbled together trash home video to be released and accredited to "Al Qaeda" is yet another piece of scripted propaganda that portrays a desperate attempt to give the impression that the group operates as a cohesive unit. ... As Kurt Nimmo so eloquently puts it, this time the tape features "Azzam the American," aka Adam Yahiye Gadahn, born Adam Pearlman, and also going by the names Abu Suhayb al-Amriki, Abu Suhayb, and Yihya Majadin Adams (a score card is required to keep track). "Californian Adam Gadahn, wearing a white robe and turban, introduces the message by calling on Westerners to convert," reports CNN. ... Another key indicator that Gadahn / Azzam/ Pearlman is in the employ of Western Intelligence comes from a report out of the Orange County Weekly which details how a man named Khalil Deek, a computer expert who attended the same Mosque as Gadahn and later became a "top Al Qaeda deputy", was continually protected by US authorities and allowed to go free on several occasions. Khalil Deek and Adam Gadahn were accused of organizing a terrorist cell in Anaheim in the mid to late nineties. [article link]
#60 September 6, 2006: Al-Qaida in Iraq No. 2 (was actually) arrested in June 19, 2006 - National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie announced al-Saeedi's arrest Sunday, saying it had occurred a few days earlier BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The arrest of al-Qaida in Iraq's second in command took place in June, and not a few days ago as the Iraqi government had initially announced, a U.S. military spokesman said Wednesday. Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell said Hamed Jumaa Farid al-Saeedi, also known as Abu Humam or Abu Rana, was captured on June 19. Other suspects were in custody, he said, but their names have not yet been made public. National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie announced al-Saeedi's arrest Sunday, saying it had occurred a few days earlier. [article link]
#61 9/11 In Plane Site - The Director's Cut (Google Video - Download) This groundbreaking documentary by Dave vonKleist of the Power Hour radio show addresses the evidence that lead to the conclusion that 9/11 ... all » was an inside job. Using photographic and video evidence, vonKleist brings you through all of the unseen evidence. [article link]
#62 Agency wants FAA execs disciplined over 9/11: NYT - two executives who failed to correct false information provided to the commission that investigated the September 11 attacks NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department's inspector general has urged the FAA to consider disciplining two executives who failed to correct false information provided to the commission that investigated the September 11 attacks, the New York Times reported on Saturday. ... That information suggested that the FAA had made contact with its Air Force liaison immediately after the first of the four hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center in New York, the Times said. But the commission's investigators found that the liaison did not join a conference call with the FAA until after the third plane crashed nearly an hour later. [article link]
#63 August 2, 2006: 9/11 panel distrusted Pentagon testimony - Commissioners considered criminal probe of false statements (cnn) "We were extremely frustrated with the false statements we were getting," Roemer told CNN. "We were not sure of the intent, whether it was to deceive the commission or merely part of the fumbling bureaucracy." The issues concerned Pentagon officials' testimony about the timeline of events on September 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked four U.S. airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. ... "For more than two years after the attacks, officials with NORAD [the North American Aerospace Defense Command] and the FAA provided inaccurate information about the response to the hijackings in testimony and media appearances," The Washington Post reported Wednesday. [article link]
#64 What is the Mark of the Beast 666 There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the book of Revelation. It is an actual mark or marking and it is also an Image (Icon) a representation of the Antichrist (Satan) himself and it is represented in his personal name of, emptiness, which is referenced by the number 666. [article link]
#65 Report recommends voting paper trails - recommends that all electronic voting machines provide a paper record to guard against fraud WASHINGTON (UPI) -- A draft report from a U.S. government agency recommends that all electronic voting machines provide a paper record to guard against fraud. The National Institute of Standards and Technology report follows the disputed results in Florida's 13th congressional district, the Miami Herald reported. While Republican Vern Buchanan has been declared the winner, 18,000 voters in the district mysteriously did not select a congressional candidate. "As we've seen in Sarasota, where officials have been unable to account for about 18,000 undervotes in the congressional election, it is crucial that there be an independent record that can be reviewed by election officials," ... The report said 27 states mandate paper records with touch-screen machines, while another eight use them even though they are not legally required. [article link]
#66 Bush's Uncle Earned Millions in War Firm Sale - An SEC filing shows William H.T. Bush collected about $1.9 million in cash, plus stock valued at $800,000, from the deal WASHINGTON - As President Bush embarks on a new effort to shore up public support for the war in Iraq, an uncle of the commander in chief is collecting $2.7 million in cash and stock from the recent sale of a company
(ESSI) that profited from the war. ... SEC filings show that two federal investigations of ESSI are underway. One inquiry involves a stop order from the government on the field generators. The order was issued because the units didn't operate properly. The generator contract was a major source of revenue. SEC files show that ESSI did not tell stockholders about the stop order until last June, about seven months after it was issued. During the interim, several ESSI executives, including Bush's uncle, cashed in stock and stock options worth millions of dollars, the filings show. [article link]
#67 Cutting Edge Weekly Newsletter - A Cutting Edge Analysis and Recap Of Current Events (Online) The campaign to discredit President Bush is moving into a climactic phase just weeks before the election. The script seems to be calling for a whole lot of embarrassing events to hit the President -- one after the other -- so as to provide the scenario for political pundits to be able to convince the people as to why the Republicans lost Congress (if that turns out to be the plan). Cutting Edge first raised the issue of a deliberate plan to discredit Bush, back on February, 2004. While we have written much on this subject, our key article is NEWS1929, "CAMPAIGN TO DISCREDIT PRESIDENT BUSH SEEMS MOVING INTO HIGHER GEAR". Now, let us examine some very interesting stories which serve to thoroughly discredit the President at this critical time. [article link]
#68 Bush celebrates National Character Counts Week - During National Character Counts Week, Bush Stumps for Philanderer - President Bush flew here to champion the reelection of a congressman who last year settled a $5.5 million lawsuit alleging that he beat his mistress during a five-year affair "I'm pleased to be here with Don Sherwood," a smiling president told the congressman's loyal but dispirited supporters at a luncheon fundraiser Thursday. "He has got a record of accomplishment." Quite a record. While representing the good people of the 10th District, the married congressman shacked up in Washington with a Peruvian immigrant more than three decades his junior. During one assignation in 2004, the woman, who says Sherwood was striking her and trying to strangle her, locked herself in a bathroom and called 911; Sherwood told police he was giving her a back rub. At a time when Republicans are struggling to motivate religious conservatives to go to the polls next month, it is not clear what benefit the White House found in sending Bush to stump for Sherwood - smack dab in the middle of what Bush, in an official proclamation, dubbed "National Character Counts Week." [article link]
#69 Did Jesus have a wife and child, of course not! - Da Vinci Code Cults Exposed A new movie is set to air a program that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth. Following is some material to consider regarding this very wrong and false topic. [article link]
#70 CHRISTmas 2006 - 'Glory to God in the Highest' - Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind Luke 2:1-20 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be
to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. [article link]
#71 Episcopal Church sees first defection - members voted 402-6 on Sunday to leave the Episcopal Church over disagreements on biblical authority and the 2003 consecration of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, a practicing homosexual All Saints Episcopal Church in Dale City, whose members voted 402-6 on Sunday to leave the Episcopal Church, has become the first Northern Virginia church to flee the denomination out of several expected defections. ... "We are heartened by the congregation's vote to move forward with our mission to be a church overflowing with God's love and healing power," said the Rev. John Guernsey, rector of All Saints. "We are grateful to the diocese that we were able to reach an amicable settlement and we pray that this may be a model for others in the [Episcopal] Church." ... The first vote would separate the church from the denomination and the diocese; the second would empower the parish to fight to keep its multimillion-dollar historic property. Posted in the voting area was a sign informing parishioners that the parish's rector and vestry, or governing board, "recommend a yes vote on both resolutions." [article link]
#72 Congress slams Smithsonian's anti-religious attacks - Report documents 'invidious discrimination' in campaign against Darwin dissenters {The Smithsonian is in a total Panic over how to continue to support Darwin's lost cause and to combat the Christian 'Intelligent Design' - Biblical creation.} A new report from the U.S. House of Representatives has condemned officials at the Smithsonian Institution for imposing a religious test on scientists who work there. And it suggests their attacks on a scientist who just edited an article on intelligent design are just the tip of the iceberg of an industry-wide fear of anything that suggests man might not have come from a puddle of sludge. Dr. Richard Sternberg The report, which cited a "strong religious and political component" in the dispute, was prompted by a complaint from Dr. Richard Sternberg, who holds biology doctorates from Binghamton and Florida International universities and has served as a research associate at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. ... The organization also grilled Sternberg on whether he "was religious," "was a Republican," "was a fundamentalist," and "was a conservative." The report also reveals the federal officials conspired with officials at the National Center for Science Education to "spy" on Sternberg. [article link]
#73 'Extinct' Rat-Squirrel Found Alive and Well {Obviously not extinct, or millions of years old, or even evolved. Why is evolution science so consistently wrong in so many areas? When will science get it? Biblical creation is where the Truth is at!} WASHINGTON - It has the face of a rat and the tail of a skinny squirrel - and scientists say this creature discovered living in central Laos is pretty special: It's a species believed to have been extinct for 11 million years. ... The resemblance is "absolutely striking," Dawson said. As soon as her team spotted reports about the rodent's discovery, "we thought, 'My goodness, this is not a new family. We've known it from the fossil record.'" [article link]
#74 Monkey madness - researchers from Plymouth University (UK) have put six of their monkeys to the test find out what happened When arguing that life could have arisen by chance, evolutionists will often state that-given enough timeanything could happen, regardless of how improbable it might seem. For example, prominent evolutionist Julian Huxley (1887-1975) said that, given enough time, monkeys typing randomly could eventually type out the complete works of Shakespeare. Since then, others too, such as Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins, have made similar pronouncements about monkeys' random typing being able to produce one of Shakespeare's sonnets, or at least a sentence from one of his plays. But when Plymouth University (UK) researchers installed a keyboard and computer screen in the monkey enclosure at Paignton Zoo, home to six Sulawesi crested macaques, it didn't result in a nicely typed set of the complete works of Shakespeare. Neither did they get a sonnet. Nor even a single word of Shakespeare. [article link]
#75 What evidence for evolution do the world's leading science museums display? - Even a senior fossil expert at the British Museum of Natural History in London once admitted that they didn't have any undisputed transitional forms showing one kind of animal changing into another We would expect to see abundant evidence in the science museums of Washington D.C., London and so on. However, as we have visited these museums and looked in the glass cases at what scientists have actually found, we've never seen any evidence for evolution. The interesting thing is that the so-called evidence is pasted on the glass case-it's the printed text on the display! But this isn't evidence; it's a scientist's story about the past. For example, distinct kinds of animals and plants are displayed inside these glass cases-not transitional forms. There's no real evidence for evolution at all. [article link]
#76 'Da Vinci Code' revives dispute over who Mary Magdalene was {a faithful disciple of Jesus} But those looking for a salacious side to the biblical figure will be disappointed: Serious religious scholars agree that characterizations that stray from faithful disciple and witness to the Resurrection are bogus. ... Mr. Jenkins' "Hidden Gospels" argues that the faddish effort to revive Gnosticism and downgrade the New Testament provides no new or reliable information about Jesus or Mary, and merely reflects hostility toward the church, especially Roman Catholicism. [article link]
#77 No bones about it: President Bush favours a very secret (non-Christian) society of Skull and Bones President George Bush is alleged to have used its (Skull and Bones) connections to get his first job. Mr Bush and Mr McCallum (Bush's Nominee as Ambassador to Australia) are members of Skull and Bones, the Yale society said to have the skull of the Indian chief Geronimo, dug up by Mr Bush's grandfather, in a glass case. In 2004 both presidential candidates, Mr Bush and John Kerry, were members. Mr Bush, in his autobiography, A Charge to Keep, wrote: "My senior year I joined Skull and Bones, a secret society. So secret, I can't say anything." The Skull and Bones headquarters is in a windowless stone building on the Yale campus known as the tomb. ... Alexandra Robbins, author of Secrets of the Tomb, says it includes a devil, a Don Quixote figure and a pope with one foot in a white monogrammed slipper, resting on a stone skull. ..."What I find disturbing about Skull and Bones is that it's basically the most powerful elite alumni network in the US," says Robbins. "It's essentially a form of nepotism that keeps the same people in power, over and over and over again." ... Robbins said that before she stopped counting she knew of at least 11 Bonesmen whom Mr Bush had appointed to government posts. {Actually they believe the bones are the bones of an un-resurrected Jesus Christ and that the bones came to them from the "Knights Templars" of Da Vinci code fame and celebrate what they believe to be Satan's triumph over God in the death of Jesus on the cross and of course deny and neglect the true resurrection of Jesus. That's the secret in secret society.} [article link]
#78 Secret Societies, Satanic Sects, The Prieure du Sion, The Knights Templars and Freemasons - What's Their Purpose and Are They At Core of New World Order? However, throughout my research which continues as time permits even today, one mysterious piece of symbolism that has somehow survived for centuries is the notorious skull and crossbones. Mizrack also concurs about the mysterious survival of the skull and crossbones symbolism, saying this about its origins and usage today: "The skull and crossbones seems to have been used as an emblem first and foremost by esoteric and heretical groups as a symbol of rebirth. It later became the battle flag of the Knights Templar (and a nasty rumor about the Templars claimed they chose it because of a horrific necromantic ritual) and, in the 17th century, the "Jolly Roger" flag of British and French pirates. {Again from the beginning the skull and "crossbones" have been used and continue wrongly as a faked Satanic victory of the devil over God at the "cross" of Jesus and as always this is the supposed secret in secret societies that Jesus did not resurrect. They pretend they have the bones (the "crossbones" the bones from the cross of Jesus) to prove it and to discredit Christianity although they forget the true witness of God, the Holy Spirit, the Church, all nature and the prophecies of scripture in the Holy Bible all confirm the resurrection of Jesus to life and therefore their act mostly goes unnoticed although the day of their deception is likely about to be unconcealed and their secret version of events presented to the world as fact.} [article link]
#79 But the Truth is the Truth - the complications associated with RU-486 far exceed the complications of surgical abortion {and surgical abortion is very dangerous} Those are the words of Damon Stutes, an abortionist in Reno, NV, who told The New York Times that "the complications associated with RU-486 far exceed the complications of surgical abortion." Stutes is one of several abortionists quoted in The Times who have dissented from the pro-abortion lobby. They now concede, says The Times, that pills are "a lousy way to perform an abortion." The Times notes that six U.S. women have died from infection after using RU-486, and one in Canada. "None of these women should be dying; it's shocking," said Peter Bours, a Portland, OR, abortionist. Apart from the deaths of women, The Times also noted that women who took RU-486 had higher levels of complications--a euphemism for severe adverse reactions-that included pain, nausea, vomiting and hemorrhage. "Some abortion rights advocates now concede that their counterparts are somewhat right," The Times reported. [article link]
#80 America's war on the web - This is the age of information warfare - Firstly, the Pentagon says it will wage war against the internet in order to dominate the realm of communications, prevent digital attacks on the US and its allies, and to have the upper hand when launching cyber-attacks against enemies IMAGINE a world where wars are fought over the internet; where TV broadcasts and newspaper reports are designed by the military to confuse the population; and where a foreign armed power can shut down your computer, phone, radio or TV at will. In 2006, we are just about to enter such a world. This is the age of information warfare, and details of how this new military doctrine will affect everyone on the planet are contained in a report, entitled The Information Operations Roadmap, commissioned and approved by US secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld and seen by the Sunday Herald. [article link]
#81 "Jesus Every Day" - Satan's Opposition or God's Punishment Sometimes when we are in trouble we are not sure whether the trouble is the opposition of our enemy Satan or a punishment from God. It may be both, and in any case the thing to do is pray--first, confession of sin which is known; second, asking to be shown sin which has not been acknowledged; third, prayer for deliverance in God's way and in God's time. ... It is not required that we sort out all the possibilities--"Is this God?" or "Is this Satan?"--it is required that we confess our sins and put our whole trust in the God who is in charge. [article link]
#82 Something's Rotten in the State Department - State Department's flirting with the Muslim Brotherhood Over the last weeks there have been numerous signs of a new attitude at Foggy Bottom in relation to the international movement of the Muslim Brotherhood. While scores of moderate Muslims and Islamic scholars, the 9/11 Commission, and European security officials point to the Muslim Brothers as the forefathers of modern Islamist terrorism, the State Department is, in fact, flirting with them. [article link]
#83 RaptureReady.com Rapture Ready - New Articles Ever since the early '80s, I've maintained a deep fascination with the pre-trib rapture. I don't recall when I first heard of the rapture, but I do know I instantly realized that this event would someday demand the world's attention. ... If it looked like the pre-tribulation rapture was going to transpire 100 years from now, there probably wouldn't be a pressing need for me to quickly assemble a website devoted to the subject. However, I believe we are getting very near to the end of what is called the Church Age, so I have been rushing to put together a comprehensive site on Bible prophecy. Because the rapture is an event that will take priority over all other aspects of our life, it is very important for us to be mindful of its nearness. Death is the only other comparison one could use to describe the type of impact the rapture implies. [article link]
#84 Your Adversary The Devil (Mp3) I Peter 5:8-14 - Your Adversary The Devil 50-23017.mp3 (free download) [article link]
#85 Christian (Spiritual) Warfare : Christ-centered, Team-oriented, & Battle-focused In Christian teaching, spiritual warfare should not be separated from the Christ-given mission to make disciples of all nations. We are in a spiritual battle for the eternal souls of all humanity. Not simply securing a place in heaven after death, but redeeming this lifetime by yielding our lives to the work of our Lord Jesus Christ continued in us and through us. Our enemy, the devil, fights against us every moment. [article link]
#86 spiritual warfare : soul struggles against evil - WHAT IS SPIRITUAL WARFARE? 'Spiritual warfare' is the struggle to have life in this material world reflect as much as possible God's loving governance. It is a 'war' because there are forces working vigorously to thwart God's work. God is in charge, but there is an enemy that is in full-scale revolt, and it has powerful influence all around. As with the unseen God, the forces behind the revolt are unseen, non-physical, and supernatural. They lust after power in the world of visible, material beings. Just because the battle is unseen doesn't mean it isn't going on. It is. In every nook and cranny of our earthly existence. In deciding to follow Christ, the believer accepts the rulership of Christ in his/her life (that's what's meant when Jesus is called 'Lord' -- His authority and rule). This New You yields the throne of the self to Jesus, but the Old You doesn't like it one bit. The struggle against the Devil and all his empty promises is at its heart a 'second Person' matter, a work of Christ Himself. The Holy Spirit leads us in our part of the struggle. [article link]
#87 When Cameramen Attack - A Reuters cameraman takes part in rock-throwing attacks against Israeli security forces - encouraging and directing rioters to throw large chunks of rock at Israeli vehicles in such a way as to cause maximum damage The cameraman, Imad Muhammad Intisar Boghnat, was arrested and charged as a result of violent riots in the Arab village of Bil'in, in the Modi'in region, on October 6, 2006. A videotape that the prosecution presented to the judge shows Boghnat encouraging and directing rioters in Bil'in to throw large chunks of rock at Israeli vehicles in such a way as to cause maximum damage. The accused is heard shouting, "Throw, throw!" and later, "Throw towards the little window!" This is not the first time that members of the media have taken an active
role in the story. Reuters itself was accused in September 2006 of misusing press vehicles to transport Hamaslinked Palestinians, while the entire issue is best summed up by Fayad Abu Shamala, a BBC correspondent in Gaza, who declared at a Hamas rally on May 6, 2001: "Journalists and media organizations [are] waging the campaign shoulder-to-shoulder together with the Palestinian people." [article link]
#88 IsraelReporter.com: Two-Minutes of Raw Video Footage of IDF Discovering Major Hizbullah Bunker Near Border and in immediate proximity to a U.N. operating post The IDF discovered and dismantled a concealed Hizbullah bunker located a mere 40 meters from the Israeli border and in immediate proximity to a U.N. operating post. Click media link to view the raw IDF video footage. [article link]
#89 2006 Dishonest Reporter of the Year Award - Listen to HonestReporting's Premier Podcast (Mp3) Listen to HonestReporting's staff talking about some of the best and worst media from 2006 on our premier podcast. ... History won't look back on 2006 as a pleasant year for Israel. We saw Hamas voted into power, Ariel Sharon crippled by a stroke, Qassams rain on Sderot, and the kidnappings of Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Our hearts and solidarity went out to one million northern Israelis forced to hunker down in bomb shelters for weeks. We saw too many senseless deaths, none more poignant than Daniel Wultz, Eliyahu Asheri, and the Taluzi brothers. Most of all, we'll remember 2006 for Israel's two-front war in Lebanon and Gaza. Our Dishonest Reporting awards primarily focus on "fauxtography," the manipulated images, staged photos, and inaccurate captions that repeatedly tainted Mideast coverage. Space didn't allow us to elaborate on many other noteworthy incidents of skewed reporting. Visual veracity was the issue of 2006. [article link]
#90 America pressuring Israel to free senior terrorist - State department, NSA demanding release of militant responsible for scores of deaths TEL AVIV - The United States is currently pressuring the Jewish state to release a senior terrorist nabbed today by Israeli forces in the West Bank, WorldNetDaily has learned. Mahmoud Damra, commander of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Force 17 personal security detail, was detained earlier at a checkpoint near Ramallah. Abbas appointed Damra as Force 17 commander in June even though Damra is on Israel's most wanted list of terrorists. ... Israeli security officials say that since September 2000, Damra has led a cell of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group based in Ramallah that has carried out scores of deadly attacks, including shootings at Israeli vehicles, attacks against Jewish communities in the West Bank and the planting of roadside bombs. [article link]
#91 more red (cross) double-cross - The continuing saga of the Lebanese Red Cross fraud, which is now being defended by Aussie journalists On 31 August Chulov who personally investigated the incident tells us : We inspected both ambulances, whose mangled roofs were not rusting at the time. By the time the photos used on the blog site were taken, rust had appeared. But this is entirely normal in Lebanon's sultry summer climate, where humidity on the coast does not drop below 70 percent. [article link]
#92 The ambulance wars get hotter - scroll down and view the YouTube Video 'Are we being taken for another ride?' Tenacious bloggers are not letting the MSM (Mainstream Media) off the hook for the dubious Qana ambulance incident this summer. [article link]
#93 Lebanon Ambulance News Fraud Update: Riehl World View points out another ludicrous contradiction in the August 31 article, in which Chulov reports: Ahmed Mohammed Fawaz, whose 'lower left leg' had been amputated - ooops staged photo has man with right leg covered Were there two men in the ambulance, one of whom lost his left leg while the other lost his right? Are the Lebanese Red Cross workers having a bit of fun with the gullible Western reporters, switching them back and forth at random? Or did the tale-tellers simply not bother to keep track which leg was supposed to be missing, and led Chulov to the nearest one-legged man for an interview? Or can Chulov simply not discern left from right? [article link]
#94 The master plan to rule the world (NWO) exposed - 'Hope of the Wicked' reveals greatest deception in modern history (Book) In "Hope of the Wicked: Master Plan to the Rule the World," Ted Flynn reveals the greatest deception in modern history - the way corporations, foundations and governments are converging to bring about a New World Order. This is not mere conjecture and speculation. It is 550 pages with 82 photographs and 1,200 footnotes and a strong historical basis to make the case that a global elite is indeed working to end the sovereignty of nations - including the U.S. [article link]
#95 The Revived Roman Empire (New World Order) - Prophecy (Mp3 Download) Audio Archive of Pastor Brian Broderson. [article link]
#96 911, NWO, Skull & Bones: The Greatest Lie Ever Sold - By Anthony Hilder (Google Video - Download) What's it all about? Bush & zee Boys from der "Brotherhood of Death," "Skull & Bones" are preparing us for a POLICE STATE. Bush will try to surrender the Constitution & Bill of Rights. His goal? - establish a "New World Order" WARNING: This video contains no lies, or "White House" spin! [article link]
#97 Brotherhood of the Bell: Black (secret) Arts & Black (secret) Sciences - They have mixed their ideas for an One World Order They honor these Ascended Masters {demons} or Gods with blood and sacrifice - as they always have through the history of the Dark Nobility and Black Arts Occultism! They know the Lord of this earth is Lucifer and that he must be appeased. ... The Black Sciences are the most secret of all secrets and are seriously guarded by specially screened soldiers of Black Operations. It is their hope to merge the seen world with the unseen world. It is their goal to make sure we have a "oneness-of mind" and are spiritually harmonized to a frequency that will bring this about. The Ascended Masters have commanded them to eliminate the "Old World", with all of its old ideas and all of its old people. A new generation with a "New World View" is the agenda of the day. [article link]
#98 "No Darwin, no Hitler" - Coral Ridge production stirs controversy before broadcast - Rabbi defends show linking Darwin, Hitler - The program is to air nationwide on Aug. 26-27 on "The Coral Ridge Hour" (TV) "This dazzling production shows how ideas always have consequences, often unintended, and how Darwinism has impacted American culture," Lapin wrote. "It discusses how the philosophy of evolution can dehumanize people and how Adolf Hitler, on his own admission, was influenced by Darwinian thought." Kennedy, the Coral Ridge founder, acts as host for the program, and suggests, "No Darwin, no Hitler." The program goes even further, linking the two men with the concept of eugenics, formulated after Darwin wrote his theories and before Hitler came to power, with the contemporary abortion industry which does not recognize the value of all unborn human life. [article link]
#99 England's P.M. Tony Blair revelations reiterate elite occult obsession - Remember the Aztec Re-birthing rituals, Witchcraft and nail clippings: the weird world of Cherie Blair and "channeling the light"? {This is how Satanists bow to Satan, the god of this world, they bow to each corner of the world. Rock stars often do this during their concerts as they bow in all four directions, fans think it is a bow to them but bowing to an empty backstage reveals it is a bow to the Devil.} This week's revelations in the London Independent about the obsessive "new age" activities of the Blairs reveal nothing new but serve to reiterate how our leaders are fascinated by "bizarre practices", odd ceremonies and rituals that any right minded person would find eerily occultist, certainly beyond the level an elected so called "Christian" leader should be engaging in. ... The Blairs stood outside a brick pyramid on the hotel's grounds and bowed toward each point of the compass while chanting to each of the four winds. The Pyramid and the compass are of course both ancient elite symbols that have been adopted by secret societies such as the Freemasons in more recent times. {This is how Satanists bow to Satan, the god of this world, they bow to each corner of the world. Rock stars often do this during their concerts as they bow in all four directions, fans think it is a bow to them but bowing to an empty backstage reveals it is a bow to the Devil.} [article link]
#100 England's P.M. Tony Blair, Bush to discuss Middle East - Blair is scheduled to travel to Washington Wednesday night - part of his agenda will be to stress the role the European Union could play in bolstering the Palestinian Authority's political and economic infrastructure {This is a fake news item in a sense in that England and P.M. Tony Blair (a professed Occultist) are actually running the Iraq show. Iraq is a New World Order plan from England not the USA. The new government of Iraq is modeled after the British Parliament with the current Iraqi leader a Prime Minister (P.M.) Nouri al-Maliki, this is not an American government but a British Parliament government. As usual George W. Bush is clueless and is just along for the ride, Bush will do whatever P.M. Blair tells him to do and currently that is to support the Palestinian Authority and to oppose Israel.} LONDON, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair is reportedly frustrated with U.S. President George Bush's Middle East policies and will fly to Washington this week. ... The timing of the visit also comes days after U.S. State Department official Kendall Myers claimed the relationship between Britain and the United States was "totally one-sided" and that Blair's advice on Iraq and the Middle East was routinely ignored by Bush, the newspaper said.Blair is to meet with Bush and U.S. congressional leaders Thursday and the newspaper said government sources said part of his agenda will be to stress the role the European Union could play in bolstering the Palestinian Authority's political and economic infrastructure, which is in tatters as a result of sanctions imposed this year. [article link]
#101 Tony Blair's Tapestry - Sheikh Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, the smiling old gentleman next to (smiling) Tony Blair, has stated that Islam commands Muslims to commit suicide bombings against Jews and against coalition troops in Iraq (Photo) Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair (L) is presented with a tapestry from the Grand Imam of Al-Azar Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi (C) at his headquarters in Cairo. [article link]
#102 George Soros Takes Aim at Israel - "Many of the individuals and organizations associated with the initiative have actively worked to undermine Israel" Billionaire investor George Soros is leading a move to stitch together an American Jewish political lobby that is "anti-Israel," according to a column in the Jerusalem Post. Soros, who spent millions attempting to defeat President Bush in 2004, is one of a "tiny minority of American Jews" who have played a role in undermining support for Israel in the Democratic Party, and they now seek "to undermine Israel's position in the U.S. in general," Caroline Glick writes in the Post. [article link]
#103 Bush signs torture bill; Americans lose essential freedom - George W. Bush got what he wanted, ostensibly as a tool in his unfocused "war on terror" The provisions of Bush's new torture law mean that Americans have lost the key, constitutional right on which Anglo-American criminal law (and criminal-law procedures in true democracies in general) is founded; that's the basic right of an individual to know why he or she is being apprehended and detained. Now, technically, as in Stalin's Soviet Union, Hitler's Germany, Mao's China or Pol Pot's Cambodia, anyone labeled an "enemy combatant" - again, by whom; by Bush? - can be whisked away and never heard from again. That kind of authority, in the hands of corrupt or untruthful politicians, may or may not be an effective tool in some kind of "war on terror," but it certainly can be a useful tool when it comes to silencing their opponents. [article link]
#104 The New American - That Freedom Shall Not Perish: Are YOU the Enemy? - Under the Military Commissions Act of 2006, you could be - October Articles - Now Online The Military Commissions Act of 2006 allows the executive branch to circumvent the Constitution, endangering the due process of law for all Americans, not just terrorists. Prognosis: Long-term Suffering! The Military Commissions Act of 2006 is an eradication of the most basic protections of liberty enshrined for over 200 years in our sacred Constitution. The all-encompassing powers granted to the president by this law potentially forbid any man, woman, or child deemed an enemy of the administration or its policies from seeking judicial relief from unlawful imprisonment. Most terrifying of all, this law enthrones President Bush - and his successors, whether Democrat or Republican - as the ultimate arbiters of justice to those suspected of being America's enemies. You can only hope that that person is not you. Those who fail to see the dire gravity of this legislation and who prefer to take refuge in the naive partisan belief that President Bush and the Republican Congress would never abuse this tremendous power, should contemplate well the fact that both the White House and Congress may very possibly change to Democrat control in the near future. Then will the supporters of the Bush administration's grasp for power have a leg to stand on to even protest, let alone stop, dictatorial exercise of the same power under a Democrat regime run by Clinton, Feinstein, Boxer, Pelosi, Schumer, and the like? [article link]
#105 Vista's (Microsoft Windows 2007) not so revolutionary after all - With its high hardware requirement and simply nice features, XP's successor's not worth rushing into I just finished previewing Vista Release Candidate 1 for the Test Center, and I suddenly realized I'm more underwhelmed than I anticipated. A few months ago, in this very column, I used the adjective revolutionary instead of evolutionary. I'm changing my mind. ... (Microsoft) Sidebar also urges users to download extras from Microsoft -- something that seems to be a theme throughout RC1. [article link]
#106 Microsoft figurehead preferred the Mac - Gates told that Microsoft "lost sight" of customers - "I would buy a Mac today if I was not working at Microsoft" Long-time Windows development chief James Allchin wrote in a January 2004 email to Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer and company co-founder Bill Gates that the software vendor had "lost sight" of customers' needs and said he would buy a Mac if he wasn't working for Microsoft. ... "I think our teams lost sight of what bug-free means, what resilience means, what full scenarios mean, what security means, what performance means, how important current applications are, and really understanding what the most important problems our customers face are. I see lots of random features and some great vision, but that does not translate into great products." [article link]
#107 The Skinny on Windows (Vista) SPP and Reduced Functionality Mode (RFM) in Vista - What's the truth about Microsoft's controversial new antipiracy measure? - Microsoft: In RFM, users are (automatically) logged off of the Internet after one hour of usage {It really looks like the best computing solutions are to avoid
Microsoft products altogether and to buy Mac/Apple products or to go a Linux route.} November 10, 2006 (Computerworld) -- One aspect of Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system that has raised users' hackles is its new antipiracy system, called Software Protection Platform (SPP). To understand SPP, it's necessary to take a few steps back. Microsoft began its aggressive campaign against software piracy in Office XP and Windows XP with functionality called Office product activation (OPA) and Windows product activation (WPA). ... Even more important, there was a wave of reported false positives. ... SPP carries a big stick. After numerous warnings and a grace period, SPP will automatically and without option force Windows Vista into what Microsoft terms "reduced functionality mode" (RFM). [article link]
#108 Rev. Don Parris tells more about Linux in churches in Penguin in the Pew - Bringing Gnu/Linux into the Church (PDF) There has been a tremendous amount of hype and confusion surrounding Linux and the open source software movement. There has been, and still is, a fair amount of unnecessary fear regarding Linux. Often when I speak to people about Linux, their responses indicate that Linux is still the tech guy's game, the developer's dream, the system administrator's love affair. The truth is that Linux is also the operating system of choice for endusers. ... We cannot do something simply because that's the way it has always been done. We cannot do it simply because everyone else is doing it, or even because it is the easiest way. Nor can we change simply for the sake of change. As good stewards of God's resources, we have a responsibility to help our ministries discover whether it makes better sense to continue using proprietary software, or to move to an open platform where the software is frequently free of charge. ... Depending on how the church is organized, he and the deacon - potentially the whole church - could have been held liable for the copyright violations. One company had to settle for $100,000 because they "thought" they were "o.k." with their proprietary software. Incidentally, they now use open source software exclusively. All of this has implications for you and your church. Do you understand the issues involved? [article link]
#109 Ubuntu Christian Edition (Linux) The Ubuntu CE Installer has had one major update as well. We have added the Icthux Desktop to the available items to install. This allows an Ubuntu CE user to easily add Ichthux to their existing Ubuntu CE installation. This way you can log into Ichthux (KDE) or Ubuntu CE (Gnome) at login. [article link]
#110 BOOK OF REVELATION: Overview (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE Downloads Get the basics regarding the Bible's book of Revelation (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE downloads. The book of Revelation (revealed - unveiling) was written by the beloved disciple John at the instructions of the risen resurrected Jesus in approximately the year 100 AD.. Revelation contains seven letters given from Jesus to the entire Christian Church movement. Letters of instruction and also letters of encouragement. Did you know that all of the Apostles of Jesus died a martyrs death except for the disciple John and that according to early Church tradition the Roman government had likewise tried to kill John by boiling him in oil yet God delivered him and did not allow John to be hurt therefore the Roman government banished John to a small island named "Patmos" and it was there at this prison island of Patmos that the disciple John again saw the resurrected Jesus and wrote the things Jesus instructed John to write giving us "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" the Bibles' last book. The book of Revelation describes in vivid detail the final events of the earth and of mankind prior to the glorious return of Jesus. Amazingly the book of Revelation is so accurate and so relevant to today that reading the ancient book of Revelation is like reading the newspaper of today. [article link]
Holy Land Theme Park Planned for Galilee (Israel) Where Jesus Walked JERUSALEM - Officials in Israel say that out of about 2 million people who will realize their dream of visiting the
Holy Land this year, more than half will be Christian. And among those, more than half will be Evangelical. With that in mind, the Israeli ministry of tourism has gone public with a plan to build - in partnership primarily with American Evangelical churches - a sprawling Holy Land Christian Center on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee, home to some of the most notable chapters in Jesus' ministry. [article link]
Intelligent Design Swept Out of Office Tuesday - Evolution Slate Outpolls Rivals (Pennsylvania School Board) All eight members up for re-election to the Pennsylvania school board that had been sued for introducing the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in biology class were swept out of office yesterday by a slate of challengers who campaigned against the intelligent design policy. [article link]
GOP Cave-in on ANWR (Oil Drilling in Alaska) Reader reaction to the GOP cave-in on ANWR has been overwhelming. I'm reprinting just a small sample of letters that came in this morning from conservatives fed-up with Republican "leadership." [article link]
Christmas - Christian Bumper Stickers Bumper Stickers [article link]
Wharehouse Sale: Christian Book Distributors - Christianbook.com - Peabody, Massachusetts; Saturday, November 12, 2005 At Christian Book Distributors and Christianbook.com, we constantly need to clear out space in our warehouse to make room for our huge selection of brand-new Christian products. Since we have no retail stores, we usually only do business online at Christianbook.com and through our CBD catalog sales. However, on four occasions each year we open our warehouse doors to our customers and welcome them to shop through all the products we carry---at or below our already discounted catalog prices! You have to see it to believe it! Come along to the upcoming sale and stroll through our enormous warehouse. Choose from our wide selection of books, Bibles, computer software, pastoral resources, music, games, videos, inspirational gifts, and more. We assure you that you'll find the very best in Christian products at prices you simply won't believe! [article link]
Wal-Mart Faces Boycott for "Banning" Christmas - Top retailer accused of discrimination while promoting Kwanzaa, Hanukkah He points out, and WND confirmed, that when using the company's online search engine, if the world "Hanukkah" is entered, 200 items for sale are returned. The term "Kwanzaa" yields 77. But when "Christmas" is entered, the message returned says: "We've brought you to our 'Holiday' page based on your search." [article link]
A Deeper Look at Christian Persecution, Pt. 2 (Audio) Do you ever wonder why you don't hear about Christian persecution from the mainstream? It isn't because it doesn't exist. Find out the extent of a worldwide problem. Senator Sam Brownback, Michael Horowitz, and Wes Bentley join Dr. James Dobson with the stories and the truth. [article link]
05 Revive Seminar November 4-12 Fort Worth, TX (Materials) About the Program: Join us for a spiritual renewal of hearts and minds! Author and evangelist Doug Batchelor of Amazing Facts will break the bread of life in 10 powerful messages designed to impact the lives of not only church members, but those who no longer worship with us. In order to reach out to homes and churches
across the world, this dynamic series will be broadcast live via 3ABN, ACN, and Hope TV. [article link]
Muslim(Islam) and Mormon(LDS) are very similar (Updated) A comparison of the Muslim(Islam) and Mormon(LDS) Religions. How they are similar to each other and very different from Christianity. [article link]
France Negotiates Relations with Islam (Picture of the Week) Behold the Peace of Islam: Picture of the Week. There is no other religion on earth that has lower moral expectations of itself, yet higher expectations of others than Islam. [article link]
France, Liberalism and Jihad What is happening in France has been brewing in Old Europe for years. The BBC speaks of "youths" venting their "anger." The BBC is wrong. It is not anger that is driving the insurgents to take it out on the secularised welfare states of Old Europe. It is hatred. Hatred caused not by injustice suffered, but stemming from a sense of superiority. The "youths" do not blame the French, they despise them. [article link]
Kansas State School Board Approves Teaching Standards Skeptical of Evolution TOPEKA, Kan. - New science standards for Kansas' public schools, criticized for promoting creationism while treating evolution as a flawed theory, won approval Tuesday from the State Board of Education. The board's 64 vote, expected for months, was a victory for intelligent design advocates who helped draft the standards and argued the changes would make teaching about evolution more balanced and expose students to legitimate scientific questions about the theory. [article link]
Thanksgiving - Plymouth Set (3 books $24.00) As a special offer, we are pleased to make available our Thanksgiving Collection, which includes three books designed to inspire the Christian family and motivate the little pilgrims around your Thanksgiving dinner table. [article link]
Majority of Teens Say Natural Disasters Increase Faith in God Almost 76 percent of teenagers say that catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina do not shake their faith in God, according to a study released by the American Bible Society. Instead just the opposite occurred. More than 83 percent of teenagers said, the disasters have "made their faith in God stronger." Less than 10 percent said "they've made me question my faith," 7 percent said "they've made me doubt my faith," and less than 1 percent said "they've made me lose my faith in God." [article link]
Radicals Invade Family Research Council (FRC)! The same radical group that last week disrupted a Baltimore speech by Claude Allen, today struck at Family Research Council's Washington headquarters. Allen, who is President Bush's Domestic Policy Advisor, was speaking at a national abstinence education conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This morning, between fifteen and twenty radicals entered FRC's building carrying placards, chanting anti-abstinence slogans, and demanding condom distribution. The protesters, including some from the violent homosexual group ACT-UP, chained themselves to a statue of an American eagle in the FRC lobby. The group that invaded FRC's private property disrupted work, defied orders to disperse, and seemed to invite arrest by the D.C. police. [article link]
Life & Times of Jesus Audio Series Parts 1-16 (Mp3) Pastor Jack Hibbs is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. FREE Audio Mp3 Downloads. [article link]
TBN - Pledge Partners & Donations All donations are tax deductible in the United States as allowed by law; other countries will vary. If you have any questions about the deductibility of your donation, please check with a qualified tax advisor. [article link]
Archeological Dig in Megido (Israel) Uncovers What Appears to be a Church Dating Back to 3rd, 4th century AD Two weeks ago diggers discovered what seems to be an architectural structure which was later identified as the remains of a church. Archeologists identified a spectacular mosaic floor and the foundations of a building dating back to the third or fourth century AD. ... One of the inscriptions read that the building was dedicated to "the memory of the Lord Jesus Cristos." [article link]
Billy Graham Celebrates 87th Birthday Nov. 7 - Evangelist "At Peace" with No More Crusades While the crusade phase of his evangelistic ministry may be over, Mr. Graham still finds plenty to do to fill his time. In addition to participating in recent groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) headquarters, he has been working on a book and determining the best use of his remaining years. [article link]
World Wide Pictures - Billy Graham - (Online Movies) See the entire collection of World Wide Pictures films by browsing through the list. Many films are available in our online store on DVD and VHS. You can also watch the trailer for many of the films online, and a few select movies you can watch in their entirety online. [article link]
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Past Radio Broadcasts (Audio) The goal of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Ltd. is to reach men and women with the Gospel and to bring them into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. [article link]
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR's) Report Unreliable Of twenty "anti-Muslim hate crimes" in 2004 that CAIR describes, at least six are invalid - and further research could likely find problems with the other fourteen instances. [article link]
Paris Riots: Coming to an American Street Near You As I see it, the religion of Islam is inherently incompatible with the concept of individual liberty, a crucial component of western countries. It's no accident that a culture like the West and a nation like the United States were envisioned and created by people who were either Christians and/or biblically literate and/or respected the Christian tradition. In countries under Islamic law, there's no such idea as "individual liberty." You're either a Muslim or in danger of having your throat sliced open. [article link]
Islam: The Religion of Peace and White Knuckle Terror (Picture of the Week) Behold the Peace of Islam: Picture of the Week. There is no other religion on earth that has lower moral expectations of itself, yet higher expectations of others than Islam. [article link]
Islam: Truth or Myth? Start here for a quick introduction to Islam! [article link]
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry: Info about ISLAM Islam is one of the three largest religions in the world. What does it teach? Is it true? Is it an offshoot of Christianity or Judaism or is it something new and different? Islam is growing, a bit complex, and the Christian needs to know about it and what Islam teaches. [article link]
Thanksgiving Holiday Resources and Info Christians look forward to the time of the year when we celebrate two important holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. These holidays have their beginnings and roots in Christian celebrations. The word holiday actually means "holy day"; hence these events should be remembered and celebrated in a holy manner. We have strayed from that purpose over the years as we have embraced many unholy practices and worldly customs and added them to our "holy days." [article link]
Free Christian Audio Books (Mp3-ITunes) We have licensed the latest generation text to speech voices to bring you classic Christian audio books and other narrated content at a reasonable price. FREE! Our audio books have been edited for conversion from text to speech and we are sure you will be amazed at the quality of the narrations. [article link]
President Bush - The White House and Ramadan "According to Muslim teachings, God first revealed His word in the Holy Qur'an to the prophet, Muhammad, during the month of Ramadan. That word has guided billions of believers across the centuries, and those believers built a culture of learning and literature and science. All the world continues to benefit from this faith and its achievements." Remarks by the President George W. Bush At Iftaar Dinner - The State Dining Room, Washington, D.C. November 19, 2001 [article link]
Welcome to (Islam) Submission - President George W. Bush's Statements about Submission (Islam in Arabic) December 10, 2002 - President Bush: Koran is God's word. [article link]
Early Man-was He Really Less Intelligent? 1 Min. (Podcast-Mp3) Listen - download this Podcast (Mp3). [article link]
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science (Book $19.95) What evolutionists, environmentalists, and global warming Chicken Littles hope you never learn about science. [article link]
Utah (Mormon/LDS) Polygamist Judge Fights to Keep Job A judge with three wives is fighting to keep his job. The Utah Supreme Court is faced with a decision: can a practicing polygamist sit on the bench in judgment of others? Judge Walter Steed has been on the bench for a quarter of a century and for all that time he's also been a polygamist. The basic question is whether Judge Steed brings disrepute to the judiciary by flouting the laws against polygamy. The Judicial Conduct Commission ruled that he does, and wants the Supreme Court to boot Steed from his bench in Hildale. [article link]
Muslim State (Qatar) to Build First Christian Church for 1,400 Years THE first Christian church in Qatar since the arrival of Islam in the 7th century is to be built in the conservative Muslim state, which is led by a reform-minded ruler. The £4 million development of the Church of the Epiphany, which will not have a spire or free-standing cross, will begin early next year on land donated by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. ... Christianity disappeared from most Gulf Arab states within a few centuries of the arrival of Islam in the 7th century. But Christian expatriates have migrated to the region over the past 100 years, particularly since the discovery of oil. Some Gulf states have allowed churches to be built, including Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, where Western-friendly governments have sought to provide amenities to attract skilled expatriates. But in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, nonMuslim religious practice is banned. [article link]
Muslims call for Bush Ramadan boycott American Muslim groups are calling for a boycott of President Bush's Ramadan dinner at The White House. ... The White House has held a Ramadan dinner for leading Muslim groups and activists for the last two years. The meal has always been well attended and a boycott would be unprecedented. [article link]
Bush Extends Ramadan Greetings to Muslims Around the World President Bush sent greetings to Muslims in the United States and throughout the world October 4 as they begin the observance of the holy month of Ramadan. He praised Muslims' commitment to spiritual growth and charity during this season and welcomed the contributions that Muslims have made to American society. [article link]
When Evil (Islam) is Called Good So Prince Charles will come to America to tell us that we don't understand Islam and we don't even try. You talk about a man who has been out of touch with reality for decades in his own personal life and now is going to lecture the White House on the "religion of peace." He says only a few bad apples are causing the problem, but then why don't the many "good apples" demonstrate like crazy about their violent brothers? Instead, their silence is deafening. Let's consider just a few items America has done to benefit Islam in this great country. We have had three, yes three Ramadan celebrations in 2005 sponsored by the White House or State Department. We now have a Koran sitting in the White House library. We are so mired in political correctness that the airlines can profile only two Middle East males per flight. If the third one has a bomb or weapon, well, that's too bad for all on board. The Middle Easterners are given the first consideration. At the recent Ramadan gatherings in Washington, those sponsoring the events, including the president, suggested that Allah and Jehovah is the same God. It was said that Allah received a direct revelation from God in founding Islam. Which God or god? Whether this is political correctness or delusion is hard to say without quizzing those making such statements. [article link]
Is Prince Charles a 'Secret' Convert to Islam? In a 1997 Middle East Quarterly article titled "Prince Charles of Arabia," Ronni L. Gordon and David M. Stillman looked at evidence that Britain's Prince Charles might be a secret convert to Islam. They shifted through his public statements (defending Islamic law, praising the status of Muslim women, seeing in Islam a solution for Britain's ailments) and actions (setting up a panel of twelve "wise men" to advise him on Islamic religion and culture), then concluded that, "should Charles persist in his admiration of Islam and defamation of his own culture," his accession to the throne will indeed usher in a "different kind of monarchy." [article link]
'Multi-faith Coronation' Charles no longer "Defender of the Faith" THE Prince of Wales could be crowned King in a multi-faith inauguration ceremony rather than the 1,000-year-
old (Christian) Coronation service, under proposals to tackle "religious discrimination" being considered by the Government. [article link]
Free Downloads:(PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY Daily Broadcast - Dr. James Dobson (Audio) On each information-packed broadcast, Dr. James Dobson, and his guests give you practical advice on marriage, parenting, emotional and spiritual growth, health, social issues and public policy concerns. [article link]
The Best of the 2005 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (5 DVDs) Even if you could not attend this year's festival, you can own The Best of the 2005 SAICFF on DVD. Included is the 2005 Jubilee winner and some of our favorite movies from the documentary, narrative, young filmmaker categories, and more. Your family will be blessed as you enjoy hours of heart-warming and Christ-honoring short films. Individual film shorts run from 5 to 55 minutes. Some are amateur, others professional, but all reflect the excitement of independent filmmaking. More than seven hours of viewing on each set of DVDs. [article link]
Muslim-themed (Burger King) 'Beurger King' opens in France PARIS (AP) - Muslims in France are having it their way with "Beurger King" - a new fast-food restaurant that caters to the country's large Islamic population. But the beef and chicken burgers are halal - meaning made with meat slaughtered according to Islamic dietary laws. Waitresses wear Islamic head scarves, as do many of their customers. ... After the success of Mecca Cola, a soft drink marketed to French Muslims, it was perhaps only a matter of time before a Muslim-themed, fast-food restaurant opened in the country with Europe's largest Islamic population. [article link]
The Didache - The Teachings for New Christians Aprox. 75 A. D. The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations. Chapter 1. The Two Ways and the First Commandment. There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, love your neighbor as yourself, [article link]
Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West (Movie Trailer) HonestReporting's newest documentary film, Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, was just named best feature at this week's Liberty Film Festival in Hollywood! You can now view the trailer, and order a video (Donate) - which supports our distribution efforts. To arrange a screening in your area or get more involved, write to
[email protected]. [article link]
A New Media Analysis Project, The Second Draft "Pallywood" Analysis & Raw News Footage (Video Downloads) Boston University history professor Richard Landes has now launched a new media analysis project, The Second Draft, which takes as its first case study the Mohammed al-Dura affair and the phenomenon that Landes' research team calls 'Pallywood', or 'a practice among Palestinian journalists to turn staged drama into news.
This fictional news industry then feeds Western news reporting, who don't seem to suspect they're being duped.' The Second Draft website now includes these important videos: [article link]
The Book of Common Prayer 1662 Version (PDF - Download) "I believe there is no Liturgy in the world, either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of a solid, scriptural, rational piety than the Common Prayer of the Church of England." John Wesley. Hymn "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end. Amen." [article link]
Joan of Arc by Ronald Sutherland Gower (Text - Download) There is nothing in history more strange and yet more true than the story which has been told so often, but which never palls in its interest-that life of the maiden through whose instrumentality France regained her place among the nations. No poet's fancy has spun from out his imagination a more glorious tale, or pictured in glowing words an epic of heroic love and transcendent valour, to compete with the actual reality of the career of this simple village maiden of old France: she who, almost unassisted and alone, through her intense love of her native land and deep pity for the woes of her people, was enabled, when the day of action at length arrived, to triumph over unnumbered obstacles, and, in spite of all opposition, ridicule, and contumely, to fulfil her glorious mission. [article link]
The Bible Period by Period by Josiah Blake Tidwell (Text - Download) A MANUAL For the Study of the Bible by Periods, by J. B. TIDWELL [article link]
Studies in the Life of the Christian by Henry T. Sell (Text - Download) These studies consider the questions: What did Christ teach? What is the standpoint of Christianity? What is a Christian? What ought he to believe and why? How shall he regard the Bible and the church? What should be his relations to God, to his fellow men, to his home, to society, to business, and to the state? [article link]
Trials and Triumphs of Faith by Mary Cole, born 1853 (Text - Download) Sister Mary Cole, of whose life this book is a brief, authentic sketch, had a natural inheritance that seemed calculated to shut her forever out of a place in the history of the world or of the church. Born with a body that from her earliest childhood was racked with pain, deprived by ill health of education, she seemed naturally unfitted to fill any place in the world and doomed to be only a burden to herself and her friends. How God took her, healed her, and fitted her for his service, and how he used her as an instrument for his glory, is the story of her life. [article link]
The Bible, Old and New Testaments, King James Version (Text - Download) Complete KJV Bible Text version free download. [article link]
Martin Luther 1483-1546 Large Catechism (Text - Download) Preface: A Christian, Profitable, and Necessary Preface and Faithful, Earnest Exhortation of Dr. Martin Luther to All Christians, but Especially to All Pastors and Preachers, that They Should Daily Exercise Themselves in the Catechism, which is a Short Summary and Epitome of the Entire Holy Scriptures, and that they May Always Teach the Same. [article link]
RADIO LIBERTY IS HAVING ANOTHER ALL-DAY SEMINAR Saturday, November 19th WHEN: Saturday, November 19, 2005. 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. WHERE: Aptos Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos, CA, 95003. COST: $49.95/person - Includes lunch. SPEAKERS: Dr. Stanley Monteith, Devvy Kidd, Dr. David Ayoub, Brad Dacus, Michael Shaw. [article link]
Truth & Knowledge vs. Lies & Deception (BasicChristian.org) Truth is that which exists and cannot change. The truth is the unchangeable fact. There are basic truths in existence. We exist in physical human form on a planet called the earth. It is an undeniable unchangeable truth that we exist. It is also an undeniable unchangeable truth that physical life exists temporally here on earth. The truth is that all who have lived in the past have suffered physical death; they are no longer physically alive with us on earth. Since there are truths in existence there is a truth that explains life and death here on earth. There can be many theories about how life originated on earth, why and how we exist and why we die, but there is only one unchangeable truth. [article link]
HonestReporting.com Learership Mission to Israel Nov. 28 - 4 Dec. Join a high-level group committed to defending Israel worldwide. Attend exclusive briefings with Israeli newsmakers and military experts. Study today's issues and receive training to act as Israel's ambassadors. Strategize, network, and exchange ideas with Hasbara Fellowships campus leaders. Accommodations at the luxurious David Citadel Hotel in the heart of Jerusalem. Become inspired -- and inspire others! [article link]
Was There Ever a State of Palestine? "In fact, there never has been a state called Palestine, nor have the Palestinian Arabs ever been an independent people, and Jerusalem never has been an Arab or Muslim capital. Jerusalem has had an absolute Jewish majority for more than a century (and a plurality before that), and for the last three thousand years, only the Jewish people have called it their capital...To inveigh against 'Judaizing' Jerusalem is like protesting the Arabization of Cairo." [article link]
Israel and the US - A God-ordained alliance? Part I: When God brought about the independence of the United States in 1776, He was supervising the founding of a nation He purposed to have in place about two centuries later as the world's mightiest superpower. And His reason for elevating America to this position was so that she would ally herself with the surviving remnant of the Jewish people, help them take root again in their national homeland, and support them in their struggle against a hostile world. [article link]
Your Faith Use It or Lose It You've heard the expression. "Use it or lose it." It applies to a very important aspect of American life - your right to exercise your faith. Americans are losing that right - and when they do they won't be able to blame the American Civil Liberties Union alone. They will have themselves to blame. [article link]
Worship Music Various Artists (Mp3s) Free Mp3 worship music downloads. [article link]
Thomas More Law Center To Argue For Reversal of Decision Permitting Public Schools to Teach Students to "Become Muslims"
For three weeks, impressionable twelve-year-old students were, among other things, placed into Islamic city groups, took Islamic names, wore identification tags that displayed their new Islamic name and the Star and Crescent Moon, which is the symbol of Muslims, were handed materials that instructed them to "Remember Allah always so that you may prosper," completed the Islamic Five Pillars of Faith, including fasting, and memorized and recited the "Bismillah" or "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate," which students also wrote on banners that were hung on the classroom walls. A federal district court judge in San Francisco had previously determined that the school district had not violated the constitution. [article link]
The Way of Agape (Love) and Be Ye Transformed (Mp3s) Here are the messages from our 1998 catalog, available exclusively for download. [article link]
National Pro-Life Action Center: Resources (Doc) Ten years ago, Rev. Rob Schenck and his twin brother, Dr. Paul Schenck, relocated their ministry to Washington, DC. Paul Schenck worked in a public interest legal group that defended unborn children and those who stood up for them. [article link]
More TV, Radio Channels Turn to All-Jesus Format The growth in the number of religious stations has been marked: Of 13,838 radio stations in the United States, 2,014 are religious stations, according to Arbitron Inc., the media research company. That's up from 1,089 stations among 12,840 in 1998, according to Arbitron. Salem Communications Corp., of Camarillo, Calif., the biggest owner of Christian stations, owns 104 radio stations in the country and syndicates programming to 1,900 affiliates. [article link]
Awana: Family Connection October Newsletter Awana Family Connection is delivered free via e-mail to subscribers monthly. We encourage you to distribute this newsletter freely and ask only that you not change its contents. [article link]
Olive Tree Views - Fall 2005 Conference "Evidences for the End Times" (Cd's - DvD's) Containing seven hours of teaching and Q & A. Hal Lindsey, main speaker, spoke for two hours and spent two hours in Q & A. Roger Oakland, Brian Flynn, and I spent Saturday afternoon outlining some of the new movements in the church that are less than healthy. Get more details about the speakers and topics at the category of "CONFERENCES." [article link]
Soldiers Spooked By New Orleans Spirits (News-Video) New Orleans dark past is coming out to reveal itself in a scary spiritual way. [article link]
The Basis For Our Bible (MP3) From the Foundation of the Word Series by Pastor Chuck Smith. [article link]
Even with Hurricane Katrina Target Won't Rescind Ban on Salvation Army Kettles Meanwhile, Wal-Mart, which has contributed $17 million in direct aid to storm victims, has given an additional $4 million in cash to the Salvation Army for Katrina relief efforts through the Walton Family Foundation. WalMart is planning also to allow the Salvation Army to set up kettles with bell-ringers at Wal-Mart stores during
the Christmas season. "Wal-Mart as a corporation has really lined up behind the Salvation Army, and they are giving us anything we need to be able to deliver services down there," Major George Hood said. [article link]
'The Sweet Life' Former Avalon Singer Offers Her Testimony "I had a 10-year relationship that had gone really sour," says Christian singer Cherie Adams, formerly of the group Avalon. "We were like high school sweethearts, and I went from seeing him every day to never seeing each other again." "I was physically sick. I thought about killing myself. Then one day my mother was bugging me to go to church and I said, 'I don't know why I'm going to bother because God doesn't love me anymore. He doesn't know me." But Adams went and says her life was forever altered by this single service. Today, Adams travels the country, singing songs, talking about her experiences as a platinum-selling artist in the music business and her life as a Christian, and giving support to other women who have been through similar hardships. [article link]
Rep. Ney under pressure to resign chairmanship (cnn) WASHINGTON (AP) -- Embattled Ohio Republican Bob Ney is in talks with House Speaker Dennis Hastert about resigning his chairmanship of the House Administration Committee, a senior House GOP aide told The Associated Press on Friday. Ney has been linked to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and has denied wrongdoing in the burgeoning scandal. But he is facing the loss of his chairmanship as House Republicans seek to implement an ambitious lobbying reform agenda, much of which would pass through his committee. ... Among other accusations, Abramoff said Ney took favors including a 2002 golf trip to Scotland, free dinners and events and campaign donations in exchange for his support of Abramoff's American Indian tribe clients in Texas and the lobbyist's purchase of a fleet of Florida casino boats. [article link]
Friday the 13th: Marks 2 Outrages in Bush's {faked} "War" on Terror Since 9/11, President Bush has consistently marketed himself as the counter-terrorism President. But many events have proven otherwise--that his "War" is really a lot of PR and very little in hard results. Two events tomorrow put the lie to Bush's claim that he is really tough on terror: * Bush's welcoming White House meeting with German Chancellor Angie Merkel; and * the sentencing of former INS/Customs and Border Patrol official Daphiney Caganap. ... Then there is Daphiney Caganap. We wrote about Ms. Caganap's disgraceful career as both an INS intelligence official at a U.S. port of entry and later promotion to port director (in locales in California and Michigan)--all while she was accepting thousands in bribes in exchange for covering up the smuggling of humans and drugs into our country. And all while our government knew about it as early as 2001, but let her stay on the job until this year. Tomorrow, is Ms. Caganap's sentencing, originally scheduled for Halloween and now auspiciously scheduled for Friday the 13th. The problem is the bad luck is on us, the U.S. citizens--not Caganap. She stood to do at least 36 years jailtime, but prosecutors will recommend not a SINGLE day in jail! She will likely get just probation. If that is not a sign that Bush's Justice Department is not serious on fighting the War on Terror and protecting us, what is? [article link]
The El Diablo Virus "The El Diablo virus is continuing to spread, wrecking havoc all through Creation," said Gabriel, a spokesman for the Master Programmer. The MP, or God, as he is commonly known, is said to have his finger on the Delete.exe button." Sources say that El Diablo was written by a wannabe programmer, a hacker known by numerous alias such as Lou Surfer, Wicked 1, A Bad Don, Sir Pent, and sometimes just plain ole Satan. ... [article link]
The Bible, Old and New Testaments, King James Version (Text - Download) Complete KJV Bible Text version free download. [article link]
Daily Encouragement Net Christian Podcast: "Yes, I Believe!" (1 Corinthians 2:14) {Mp3-Pod-Download} "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned {separated}" (1 Corinthians 2:14). [article link]
The Official Web Site of Arthur Blessitt - The Man Who Carried The Cross (Cross Walk) Around The World in Every Nation {Basic Christian's "Jesus Walk" Easter Devotion is named in part based on the same Spirit of devotion of Arthur's "Cross Walk"} The World's Longest Walk as listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Now 305 NATIONS, 37,017 MILES (59,571 KM) 37 YEARS and still WALKING! Started Christmas 1969! Let Arthur Blessitt PRAY WITH YOU (Audio Prayers), Arthur Blessitt Weekly Column. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2006(Easter) 10 Day Timeline Devotion April 7-16 (PDF) Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection(Easter) Holiday dates of 2006 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected, returned from death, just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. [article link]
NBC's "The Book of Daniel": A Form of Godliness, But Denying the Power {This NBC program looks like a training guide-course in how to ruin a Church} (AgapePress) - From his sermon advocating that temptation can be good -- his use of the Lord's name in vain - his addiction to pain killers -- his embracing of his son's homosexuality -- his drug-dealing daughter -- his brother-in-law who stole $3.5 million dollars of the church's funds -- his sister-in-law who had a ménage a trios to spice up her marriage -- to his complicit attitude and support for premarital sex -- Daniel, the Episcopal priest of NBC's new television show, The Book of Daniel, depicts clergy, the Church, and Christianity in an incredibly disappointing fashion. [article link]
NBC Winter Olympics Coverage {NBC = Turn OFF TV} Next month, NBC Universal {NBC co-owns Universal studios} will offer unprecedented Winter Olympic coverage with 416 total hours of programming from the Torino Games across six networks. [article link]
TV - Conglomerate Media Holdings Breakdown NBC Universal: NBC broadcast television network, NBC and Universal television production, Telemundo, NBC and Telemundo television stations, NBC News, NBC Sports, PAX (major stockholder, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, moon dos, Sci Fi Channel, Trio, USA Network and many international channels, Universal Pictures, Focus Features Polygram, MCA, Interscope, Geffen, Motown music, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studio Florida, Islands of Adventure, City Walk, Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Mediterraneo Barcelona, Wet N' Wild Orlando, Rolling Stone, Brillstein-Gray Entertainment (50% production), Cineplex Odeon (42%), United Cinemas International (49%), Spencer Gifts, Universal Distribution and Home entertainment, Vivendi Universal games, Sierra, Blizzard Entertainment. [article link]
Christian College Mentor New users get started now exploring campuses, financial aid options, careers, and much more by clicking a button below: [article link]
Walking in Truth - 100's of Excellent Daily Devotions 2005 Archives Using this verse of Scripture as a springboard, this website was designed with the sole purpose of strengthening, edifying, and building up God's precious saints {that's you} with His Holy Word to the point where they would become excessively preoccupied with the Truth and, resultantly, live in perfect accordance with it. As you visit this site, I pray you that you will not leave the way you came. As you "feast" on the various messages, based solely on the Awesome and Life-Changing Word of God, I believe for your life to be totally transformed by the Spirit of the Living God. May you receive the necessary tools, needed in becoming a fruitful and flourishing saint for God, and may you find the keys that will enable you to bring Great Glory and Joy to Father God because you will be one of His children who are "walking in truth." [article link]
The Strange Case of Butch Jones: How a Drug Kingpin Helped the Justice Dept. Free Terrorists The strange case of Milton "Butch" Jones is illuminating. The drug kingpin's lax sentence is evidence that our Justice Department is not serious about fighting terrorism, the war on drugs, and even mass murder. Jones was the founder and chief of Young Boys, Inc.(YBI), the far-reaching drug gang that terrorized the Detroit area. He is linked to at least 68 murders, and believed to have ordered far more. Jones' 1996 book, "Y.B.I.: The Autobiography of Butch Jones", brags about his tenure at YBI--including killing, robbing, firebombing, and--of course--making millions by using teen gang members to sell drugs and kill. Some of his drug dealers were as young as nine years old. Jones wrote the book on being a pimp daddy. ... The strange story of Butch Jones is a textbook case in how a drug dealer can make out well in a phony Justice Department war on terror. If he knows the right people in high places. And how innocent people get burned, while drug dealers and Islamic terrorists get off. [article link]
America's pro-homosexual giants - List of companies scoring perfect 100 percent from 'gay'-rights group Below is the list of companies scoring a perfect 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's 2005 Corporate Equality Index, with policies beneficial toward homosexuals: [article link]
Study Shows Small Christian Colleges Becoming a More Popular Choice (AgapePress) - Statistics show a growing number of students are opting to attend small Christian colleges and universities instead of large public institutions. Enrollment at the more than 100 evangelical schools belonging to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) has increased 71 percent since 1990, rising from 135,000 to 230,000. During that same time frame, public college enrollment increased by only 13 percent. Council spokesman Nate Mouttet says students are looking for what he calls "a spiritual and academic greenhouse" that embraces their faith and offers it a place to grow. Referring to a study conducted by the University of California in Los Angeles, he notes that interest in spirituality in higher education is stronger than it has ever been. [article link]
Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) "That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life, but in a new way." At CCCU schools, faculty and students are continually seeking to understand truth: truth in the natural world, truth in human society, truth in the spiritual realm. In class and outside of class, they bridge the gap between knowledge and understanding. Instructors are concerned with more than isolated study; with
students, they translate facts into application. [article link]
Israel Cancels Pat Robertson's Christian Tourism Center-Theme Park Israel will not do business with Pat Robertson after the evangelical leader suggested Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's massive stroke was divine punishment for the Gaza withdrawal, a tourism official said Wednesday. Robertson is leading a group of evangelicals who have pledged to raise $50 million to build a large Christian tourism center in Israel's northern Galilee region, where tradition says Jesus lived and taught. "We will not do business with him, only with other evangelicals who don't back these comments," Hartuv said. "We will do business with other evangelical leaders, friends of Israel, but not with him." {Duh ... Most Evangelicals believe what Pat Robertson said is true.} [article link]
Advertisers drop NBC's 'Book of Daniel' - Protests continue against NBC show about 'Christian' family Three of the five national advertisers that had commercials run during the debut airing of NBC's controversial "Book of Daniel" will no longer advertise on the program, states the organization leading the protest against the show. According to American Family Association, just five advertisers ran spots during the program's twohour premier on Friday night - and at least one of those got bargain-basement rates for the commercials the day before. "Three of the five companies whose ads placed on the show said they would refrain from future episodes," said a statement from AFA. "Chattem (Gold Bond, Icy Hot), Combe Inc. (Just For Men) and H&R Block said they would no longer advertise on the program." AFA says the five companies, which also include Mazda and Burlington Coat Factory, came under fire from consumers who believe the content of "Book of Daniel" is "disrespectful to people of the Christian faith." [article link]
Flaming Mouse Story Found To Be False - Rumor Squashed: Flaming Mouse Didn't Start House Fire FORT SUMNER, N.M. -- A small -town rumor that sparked world -wide interest about a mouse burning down a house has been found to be untrue. After 81-year-old Chano Mares's house burned down Saturday in Fort Sumner, news services picked up the quirky story. "Flaming Mouse Burns Down House" read the headline over an Associated Press story that appeared on nbc13.com, for example. According to the initial report, Mares threw the critter in a pile of burning leaves near his home, but it ran back to the house on fire. A local firefighter said the mouse ran to just beneath a window and the flames spread up the window and throughout the house. All contents of the home were destroyed, but no one was injured. ... Mares said he trapped and killed the critter and tossed it on the fire. The flames, he said, probably reached his house because they were driven by high winds. Capt. Jim Lyssy of the Fort Sumner Fire Department said the rumor probably got started because there was "a little too much excitement" at the time of the fire. Mares lost everything -- and has no insurance -- but the mouse story still makes him smile. "I started laughing, and I'll be laughing from now on," he said. "It's silly." [article link]
University Apologizes for Fake Stem Cell Research Claims (fox) SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's top university on Wednesday apologized for the scandal over Hwang Woo-suk's faked stem cell research, calling it a blemish on the country that embraced the scientist as a national hero. The government said it would withdraw Hwang's "top scientist" title - an honor created especially for him in the wake of purported breakthroughs that raised hopes for using stem cells to develop new treatments of diseases from Alzheimer's to diabetes. [article link]
Angry neighbors paint over Sony's graffiti-style ads Graffiti-style advertisements by Sony Corp. to promote its PlayStation Portable gaming system at three sites in
North and South Philadelphia have been painted over by irate neighbors, city officials said yesterday. ... Two of the ads were painted over Thursday night or early yesterday, and one was painted over earlier this week, officials said. Pedro Ramos, city managing director, said: "The ads were illegal because they lacked proper zoning and licenses. They were phony, in that they were commercial advertising masquerading as something else. And they are disrespectful of the neighborhoods where Sony thought it could get away with this conduct." [article link]
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Business (Caribou Coffee) - Is an Islamic bank the majority owner of Caribou Coffee? Yes! As you will see from the links below, Caribou Coffee is owned 87.8% by the First Islamic Investment Bank which, among other things has the following philosophy: "Above all, ensuring that all activities conform to Islamic Shari'ah (law)" The chairman of their Shari'ah (law) supervisory board is: ... So, in December 2000, Caribou Coffee Company, Inc. announced that it was selling a 70% stake (later to become an 87.8%) to Atlanta-based Crescent Capital, a deep-pockets investor backed by First Islamic Investment Bank of Bahrain for $80 million; founders John and Kim Puckett left the board, but CEO Don Dempsey stayed on to run the company for the new owners. [article link]
Starbucks Bomb: Are Muslims Behind it? Today, many media outlets are reporting on an explosive device found (and disabled by police) in the bathroom of a San Francisco Starbucks, on Monday. But what you didn't read in any of these stories was the fact that, beginning in 2002, an extremist Muslim group tied to Al-Qaeda and HAMAS--and based RIGHT NEAR San Francisco--started an international Muslim boycott of Starbucks. ... And there is another dynamic at play. Caribou Coffee, Starbuck's top competitor, is largely Muslim-owned and has ties to Al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist groups. It's believed the AMGP&J boycott, which is ongoing, has something to do with Caribou's desire to drive down Starbuck's stock prices, increase its own stores and store sales, and prepare for last year's Caribou IPO--another stock offering of which is expected this year. [article link]
Calvary Chapel Pastor Chuck Smith: "Living Water" and Many More ebook Selections (PDF & DOC) It's critical that we understand this. The Holy Spirit is the primary agent of the Godhead working in the world today. He is the person of the Godhead to whom we relate most closely. He is the One who is gathering a body of believers - the bride of Christ - to present unto the Lord. And the church through the Holy Spirit is doing the work of God in the world. [article link]
Calvary Chapel Prophecy Update (2006) Video-Download {Mp4 - 79.7 MB} Popular video downloads from Calvary Chapel. [article link]
The Bible, Old and New Testaments, King James Version (HTML - Download) Complete KJV Bible Text version free download. [article link]
Read the Bible Through in One Year Bible Reading Tips and Resources: The Teaching Home's Unique Bible Reading Schedule, Month-by-Month Schedule (Sidebar), Other Online Reading Schedules. Bible Reading Tips and Resources: "Worldly worldview in; worldly worldview out." We can counteract the influences around us in no better way than by immersing our family in God's truth. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). [article link]
Bible Reading Plans "More important than the Bible you choose is the one you use." --Woodrow Kroll. The Bible Read Me Plan features multiple schedules to help you to read the Bible in a year. God's Word is a big book and without a workable schedule it can be easy to give up before you even get through Genesis. Following are 5 unique guides you can follow as you read through the Bible: (1) Chronological - Read the events of the Bible as they occurred chronologically. For example, the Book of Job is integrated with Genesis because Job lived before Abraham. [article link]
10 Reasons to Invest in Your Career(You) Not investing in yourself is like floating down a fast river without a paddle, map or knowledge of what's around the next bend. Things may go fine for a while, but at some point, you're going to realize you made a giant mistake. [article link]
House Leadership Race Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) has stepped down as Majority Leader of the House. His move has set off a scramble to fill the No. 2 position behind Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL). FRC has worked with most of the contestants-including Acting Majority Leader Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Education Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH). Over the weekend, columnist David Brooks said the House Republicans need to consider a new generation of leaders. Brooks mentioned Mike Pence (R-IN), John Shadegg (R-AZ) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ). Whatever the GOP does, we urge the members not to forget the Values Voters. Much was made of the Values Voters in 2004, but little has come of their support since. We don't want election-year appeals only. We need solid results. We appreciate the support family issues have received from all the individual contenders on key votes. But in a leader, families look for more than a vote--we look for leadership. [article link]
Iranian Pilgrims in Mecca Shout "Death to America" - Iranian pilgrims in Mecca for the Hajj demonstrate the peaceful, tolerant nature of Islam (video) (Click picture to play video. Requires Windows Media Player.) Crowd: Israel is the enemy of Allah. Man: May the hands of the infidels be chopped off. Crowd: May the hands of the infidels be chopped off. ... Man: The Audience will now split into two groups: One group will settle the score with America, and the other will settle the score with Israel. This group now: Death to America! Crowd: Death to America! Man: Death to Israel! Crowd: Death to Israel! Death to America! [article link]
USA Today Dimwit: God Dead in Europe; But Allah Alive & Well The piece, "Is God Dead in Europe? (And What Might That Mean for America?)," talks a lot about the death of Christianity in Europe but doesn't mention Islam a single time. Hello? That's like talking about lack of exercise for the reason someone gets fat, but totally glossing over the person's daily trip to Dunkin Donuts to consume half a dozen glazed, trans-fat loaded donuts. Gannon writes of a "post-Christian society" in Europe, "Christophobic" and anti-religious class and cultural leaders, but he fails to mention the fastest growing religion in Europe: Islam. And that's what America needs to notice, as much as the decline in the significantly more moderate religions of Christianity and Judaism. [article link]
Teen Mania Founder Calls 'Book of Daniel' Series 'Virtue Terrorism' A national voice on teenaged youth slammed NBC's new series about an Episcopal priest and his dysfunctional family, calling on parents to watch over their children's intake of television and not let media raise them. Ron Luce, the founder and president of Teen Mania Ministries, called the glamorization of sin in shows such as
NBC's "The Book of Daniel" and their effect on the nation's children "virtue terrorism." [article link]
NBC "Book of Daniel" Advertisers to Boycott: Burlington Coat Factory, Combe, Inc., H&R Block, Inc., Mazda of North America Contact these advertisers of the January 6 premiere episode of The Book of Daniel or Click Here to email all four at one time. [article link]
No solace for NBC as 'Daniel' disappoints LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - NBC's limited-run series "The Book of Daniel" earned its share of advance scrutiny for its portrayals of contemporary men and women of the cloth, but that didn't translate to a large turnout for the drama's premiere Friday. ... Despite the buzz and a handful of affiliate defections, however, the back-to-back episodes of "Daniel" still came in behind CBS' dramas "Close to Home" (11.5 million, 2.9/8) and "Numbers" (13.6 million, 3.6.10) and ABC's new "In Justice" (9.2 million, 2.8/8) and "20/20" (9.2 million, 3.0/9). The drama will settle into its regular 10 p.m. slot as of next week for the rest of its eight-episode run. [article link]
"Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" Sunday, January 8 2006 (Webcast) Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia will host Family Research Council's simulcast television program, "Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" on Sunday, January 8 2006. Justice Sunday III, the follow-up to "Justice Sunday II - God Save the United States and this Honorable Court" will broadcast live in churches across the nation -- via Sky Angel satellite -- in addition to being carried on hundreds of radio and Christian TV stations, and via live webcast on this site. [article link]
America Seems Prosperous Only Because We Are Running Up The National Debt - Bush has increased our National Debt by 2.508 trillion dollars, or 44%, since he came into office in January of 2001 What he (Cheney) did not say, however, was that the entire appearance of economic soundness is based on increasing the National Debt, just like a family running up the credit card in order to pay for their everyday living expenses. The economy today is artificially and deliberately "goosed up" to look good, by irresponsible Government borrowing to pay the bills, and by artificially raising the apparent value of houses, so that the "homeowner"/debtors feel more prosperous than they really are. ( But if they sell their houses, where will they live, with all the houses priced too high? So it's a phony sense of wealth. ) [article link]
Clear your debt with Christian Credit Counselors Christian Credit Counselors Inc. specializes in helping you make a rapid transition from "reactive" to "proactive" using qualified, Biblical principles and guidelines, along with up-to-date technology. And just because you're heavily in debt, even behind with some of your bills, don't think it's too late for you. [article link]
Free Downloads:(PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
Hunger strike comes to end with OK to pray in uniform in name of Jesus {George Washington prayed to Jesus} The Navy chaplain who has gone without food for 18 days in protest of the Navy's policy encouraging
"inclusive" prayers at public events says he has received permission to wear his uniform and pray in Jesus' name outside the White House tomorrow and will end his hunger strike by taking communion there. Lt. Gordon James Klingenschmitt had said he would not eat until President Bush signed an executive order allowing chaplains to pray in public according to their individual faith traditions. Later, he said if the Navy would allow him to wear his uniform in public and pray in Jesus' name he would end his fast. Klingenschmitt told WND this evening he has received a letter from his commanding officer giving him permission to do so. [article link]
Bush is using a little-noticed strategy (by issuing a bill-signing statement) to alter the balance of power WASHINGTON - President Bush agreed with great fanfare last month to accept a ban on torture, but he later quietly reserved the right to ignore it, even as he signed it into law. Acting from the seclusion of his Texas ranch at the start of New Year's weekend, Bush said he would interpret the new law in keeping with his expansive view of presidential power. He did it by issuing a bill-signing statement - a little-noticed device that has become a favorite tool of presidential power in the Bush White House. In fact, Bush has used signing statements to reject, revise or put his spin on more than 500 legislative provisions. Experts say he has been far more aggressive than any previous president in using the statements to claim sweeping executive power - and not just on national security issues. [article link]
Legal Support for Bush's Spy Actions Is Thin Report Says - A court probably wouldn't back up his power claims, two authors tell Congress WASHINGTON - A report to Congress released Friday concluded that the Bush administration's defense of the National Security Agency's domestic spying program was not as "well-grounded" in the law as the White House claimed. The report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service is the most comprehensive analysis yet of legal arguments for President Bush's authorization of warrantless eavesdropping in the U.S. The findings probably will fuel the heated debate over the NSA program as Congress prepares for hearings on it as early as next month, liberal and conservative legal analysts said. ... In their 44-page report, authors Elizabeth B. Bazan and Jennifer K. Elsea said the Bush administration's argument, taken to its logical conclusion, would put no limit on what the government could do. In addition, they said: "It is not clear that the collection of intelligence constitutes a use of force." [article link]
The White House maintains that Bush does not "recall" meeting (Jack) Abramoff and, if they ever did meet, it was only in passing at a large gathering: - Abramoff Met With Bush In May 2001 {oops} MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, I said it's possible that they would have met at a holiday reception or some other widely attended gathering. The President does not know him, nor does the President recall ever meeting him. ... It's not just possible, it happened. The Texas Observer reports that Abramoff met with Bush on May 9, 2001, with his clients, the Coushatta tribe. (The chairman of the Coushatta tribe initially denied the meeting occured, but subsequently admitted that it did.) Abramoff charged his client $25,000 to arrange the meeting. [article link]
Jack Abramoff and Grover Norquist Billing Clients for Face Time with G.W. Bush (Photos of Check & Documents) Four months after he took the oath of office in 2001, President George W. Bush was the attraction, and the White House the venue, for a fundraiser organized by the alleged perpetrator of the largest billing fraud in the history of corporate lobbying. In May 2001, Jack Abramoff's lobbying client book was worth $4.1 million in annual billing for the Greenberg Traurig law firm. He was a friend of Bush advisor Karl Rove. He was a Bush "Pioneer," delivering at least $100,000 in bundled contributions to the 2000 campaign. [article link]
A (Indian) Tribe Takes Grim Satisfaction in Abramoff's Fall ELTON, La. -- The dizzying downfall of lobbyist Jack Abramoff means more than just another Washington political scandal in this rural outpost of tin-roofed homes and fraying trailers. It is a measure of vengeance. Led on by what they say were his false promises of political access, leaders of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, which is based here, paid Abramoff and his partners about $32 million for lobbying and other services -- more than $38,000 for each of their 837 tribal members. By their accounting, they got very little in return. [article link]
Bush Plans To Donate ($6,000) of Abramoff's ($100,000+) Contributions Miami, FL (AHN) - President Bush plans to donate $6,000 in campaign contributions from former lobbyist Jack Abramoff to the American Heart Association. Abramoff pleaded guilty Tuesday in Washington to bribery, fraud and tax evasion and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors. Abramoff was once a Bush-Cheyney champion who raised more than a 100,000 for the Republicans bid to get Bush in office. However, the $6,000 to be donated was money directly given to Bush by Abramoff, his wife and one of the Indian tribes the one time lobbyist worked for. [article link]
Bush, others dump (Jack) Abramoff donations {Bush administration then hires Daniel Fahner, until recently, he was exclusively a litigation attorney at disgraced felon/lobbyist Jack Abramoff's firm, Greenberg Traurig} President Bush and numerous lawmakers hastily jettisoned campaign donations linked to lobbyist Jack Abramoff on Wednesday as Republican Party officials pondered the impact of a spreading scandal on their 2006 election prospects. "I wish it hadn't happened because it's not going to help us keep our majority," conceded Rep. Ralph Regula, R-Ohio. As Abramoff pleaded guilty to a second set of felony charges in as many days, this time in Florida, officials said Bush's 2004 re-election campaign intended to give up $6,000 in donations from the lobbyist, his wife and a client. ... In a section of court papers headed "corruption of public officials," Abramoff acknowledged he had worked to provide "things of value to public officials in exchange for a series of official acts and influence." {Jack's two primary lobbying clients are Indian casinos and radical Muslim extremists.} [article link]
More Clueless: New (Bush) Immigration Chief's Chosen Staff (Daniel Fahner) Raises Incompetence Quotient Julie Myers claimed that, to overcome her absolute lack of law enforcement experience, she'd surround herself with seasoned ICE people. Not quite. Daniel Fahner is only 30, and, until recently, was exclusively a litigation attorney at disgraced felon/lobbyist Jack Abramoff's firm, Greenberg Traurig. Here's his bio (the firm removed it, but thank Heaven for google's cached files). ... It's official: Both Julie Myers and her new flunky are lawyers with Ph.Ds in cronyism. How that translates into stopping illegal aliens and money laundering, we'd love to know. Who is coming to the Myers' ICE team that has even a modicum of law enforcement experience and some minimum qualifications? We can see President Bush's use of a recess appointment for this lightweight went to such good use. NOT. [article link]
The (Bush) recess appointment of Julie Myers to head DHS's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - It's a bad move Scary, I know. But we all agree: The recess appointment of Julie Myers to head DHS's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement ---. It's a bad move--especially now, when the White House is touting its commitment to fighting the War on Terror and securing the homeland. To quote VP Dick Cheney: "Either we are serious about fighting this war or we are not." Myers' recess appointment, sorry to say, is a joke. [article link]
Bush Administration Calls for Palestinian Elections to Proceed as Scheduled White House press secretary Scott McClellan urged Palestinian leaders to hold parliamentary elections as scheduled January 25, despite regional events including the incapacitation of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon due to a severe stroke. Speaking to reporters January 5, McClellan said, "We believe that the elections should go forward on schedule, and we've expressed our desire to [Palestinian] President [Mahmoud] Abbas. This is a schedule that was set by the Palestinians, and we believe it's important to move ahead on schedule." [article link]
Bush urges Israel to allow East Jerusalem to vote ... Meanwhile, Palestinian candidates held a parade led by an actor in a Mickey Mouse costume, sang songs about the return of Islam and plastered the streets of the West Bank and Gaza with political posters as they kicked off their parliamentary election campaign Tuesday. Leaders of Hamas insisted the vote must take place Jan. 25 as scheduled, despite an Israeli ban on voting in Jerusalem, shooting down Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' suggestion that it be delayed. ... "Islam is the solution" and "One hand resists and one hand builds" read some of the Hamas signs. [article link]
White House blasts Robertson's Sharon remark - Christian broadcaster said stroke is God's wrath for 'dividing God's land' {prophet Bush knows best} WASHINGTON - The White House sharply criticized Christian broadcaster and former Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson on Friday for suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine punishment for "dividing God's land." ... Robertson also said, that in the Bible, the prophet Joel "makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who 'divide my land." [article link]
Israel's leader Ariel Sharon's Life in the Balance With Israel's leader Ariel Sharon caving to U.S. and world pressure to divide God's land (Jerusalem), it has come as no surprise that the hawkish war hero may be taken out. It gives me no joy to say that he is fighting for his life as this is being written. He is a pioneer in the land, but as an irreligious Jew, he is very willing to carve it up. His days as a leader seem to be over. He suffered a massive brain hemorrhage Wednesday evening in Israel. ... Ariel Sharon may not survive the night. Israel is at a crossroads again. How it all plays out remains to be seen, however, Israel's leaders who are in the forefront of dividing the land seem to meet a sorry fate. [article link]
TV Psychic (Sylvia Browne) Misses Mark on Miners ... Maybe you've seen the gravel-voiced Browne on "The Montel Williams Show." She appears there almost weekly, dispensing advice and connecting viewers with their loved ones on the "other side." She commands a multimillion-dollar empire from her home base in California, deriving her fortune from in-person readings said to cost $700 and $200 for work over the phone. Her many businesses are advertised on a Web site that touts her fabulous abilities. Unfortunately, they failed her on Tuesday night. She was in the middle of making predictions when Noory brought up the mining disaster. Browne, who had just announced that John McCain would run against John Kerry in the next presidential campaign, was relieved to hear from Noory that all but one of the miners was alive. ... Browne: "No. I knew they were going to be found. I hate people that say something after the fact. It's just like I knew when the pope was dead. Thank God I was on Montel's show. I said, according to the time, it was 9-something and whatever Rome time was. And I said he was gone, and he was." But the situation was fluid, something Browne - ahem! - obviously didn't sense despite her claims of being able to speak to the dead, among other things. She couldn't have imagined that within a short time, the entire story of the miners would change completely - and make her look very foolish indeed. [article link]
New Christian Faith Decor for Windows and Glass Doors from "Wallpaper for Windows!" In minutes, ordinary windows and glass doors can be transformed into a stained glass expression of Christian faith with these new designs by Wallpaper For Windows. This adhesive-free film is an affordable alternative to expensive stained glass for churches, homes and offices. Thick 8 mil adhesive-free vinyl film filters 95% of UV rays to reduce heat, save energy and protect your valuable furnishings from premature fading. [article link]
New NBC Drama Show Mocks Christianity - Email NBC Chairman Bob Wright over NBC's latest show, "The Book of Daniel" NBC is touting the network's mid-season replacement series "The Book of Daniel" with language that implies it is a serious drama about Christian people and Christian faith. The main character is Daniel Webster, a drugaddicted Episcopal priest whose wife depends heavily on her mid-day martinis. ... Please use the link below to send a letter to NBC Chairman Bob Wright. Next, please forward this to your family and friends today! Those at NBC responsible for this program consider it a good, religiously oriented show typical of Christian families. Send Your Letter Now! [article link]
Judge's Unintelligent Rant Against Design {Judge is a Bush appointee - a thanks again W! way to come through for your voters} Judge John E. Jones III could still be Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board if millions of evangelical Christians had not pulled the lever for George W. Bush in 2000. Yet this federal judge, who owes his position entirely to those voters and the Bush who appointed him, stuck the knife in the backs of those who brought him to the dance in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. Judge Jones issued a 139-page rant against anyone who objects to force-feeding public schoolchildren with the theory of evolution. He accused parents and school board members of "breathtaking inanity" for wanting their children to learn that "intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view." [article link]
The gap between Bush's optimism and reality (China - People's Daily online) US President George W. Bush said 2005 was a year in which America grew more prosperous, advanced the cause of freedom abroad and enhanced its security at home. But the reality seems to be far from it. ... Compared Bush's address with reality, the conclusion seems to be not that optimistic in America's prosperity and security and freedom and peace abroad. [article link]
Should George Bush be impeached and removed from office? (Poll) A recent MSNBC poll showed that a very high percentage of Americans think that President George W. Bush should be impeached. Discussion regarding impeachment of the president is growing wider in the mainstream media and on the Internet. Please take a moment and click on our link to give us your input. [article link]
President BUSH AT 2005 YEAR-END As I thought about our president, I wondered: Do I hate him? Do I think he is a liar? Do I think he is a provincial and poorly informed scion of a privileged family? Do I think he embarrasses our country by mangling the English language? Do I think he has placed unnecessary and unproductive restrictions on our liberties? Do I think his promise of a more "compassionate conservatism" was merely an election-year slogan? Do I think he is an incompetent manager of our affairs of State? The answer to all of the above is either "No" or "We don't know yet". But the more I pondered the question, the stronger grew one overwhelming feeling: Profound disappointment. ... It is much too early to write the history of the Bush years. But, regardless of how our Iraq adventure ends, my guess is that the Bush presidency will be remembered as one that left us divided, diverted,
and uncertain of our country's future and its role in the world. It will take a {Christian} generation of yetunknown leadership to bring us together. That's why I'm disappointed. That's why I feel such a deep sense of sadness and loss for our president. [article link]
HAPPY NEW YEAR from the SANDERS in ALABAMA! Countdown to 2006! New Years 2006 coming in 0 days, 14 hours, 6 Minutes and 49 Seconds [article link]
10 Reasons to Invest in Your Career(You) Not investing in yourself is like floating down a fast river without a paddle, map or knowledge of what's around the next bend. Things may go fine for a while, but at some point, you're going to realize you made a giant mistake. [article link]
Read the Bible Through in One Year Bible Reading Tips and Resources: The Teaching Home's Unique Bible Reading Schedule, Month-by-Month Schedule (Sidebar), Other Online Reading Schedules. Bible Reading Tips and Resources: "Worldly worldview in; worldly worldview out." We can counteract the influences around us in no better way than by immersing our family in God's truth. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). [article link]
Bible Reading Plans "More important than the Bible you choose is the one you use." --Woodrow Kroll. The Bible Read Me Plan features multiple schedules to help you to read the Bible in a year. God's Word is a big book and without a workable schedule it can be easy to give up before you even get through Genesis. Following are 5 unique guides you can follow as you read through the Bible: (1) Chronological - Read the events of the Bible as they occurred chronologically. For example, the Book of Job is integrated with Genesis because Job lived before Abraham. [article link]
The Bible, Old and New Testaments, King James Version (Text - Download) Complete KJV Bible Text version free download. [article link]
Download the Entire KJV Bible MP3 (1.1 GB) Chapter MP3 Also Available www.FireFighters.org Bible project audio and Text. [article link]
A Visit to the Muslim Country of Libya {Missionary Preparation} When you visit another country, it's hard to get a feel for what it's actually like until you leave your hotel room, go for a walk, take a look around, and hang out while soaking it in. Not so in Libya. All you have to do there is show up. It will impose itself on you at once. [article link]
Chaplain on hunger strike to protest 'religious harassment' A Navy chaplain has stopped eating to protest what he calls "religious harassment" in the military. Chaplain (Lt.) Gordon Klingenschmitt, an evangelical Episcopal priest, said Navy officials are trying to force him out of the service because he wants to pray in the name of Jesus. ... "It's a very sacred command of scripture that cannot be violated," said Klingenschmitt, who is drinking only water during his hunger strike. His convictions may cost
the 37-year-old Air Force Academy graduate his job. As of Dec. 22, the Navy has not renewed his contract, which expires Dec. 31, he said. [article link]
House Lawmakers Concerned About Limits on Military Chaplains WASHINGTON - House lawmakers concerned that proposed military guidelines are restricting some Christian chaplains' abilities to pray said Wednesday they will deliver a 6-inch-thick petition to President Bush this week asking him to intervene. ... They said some Christian chaplains throughout the military have complained their right to pray by specifically mentioning Jesus Christ is at risk. The lawmakers want Bush to issue an executive order protecting chaplains' right to pray according to their faith. [article link]
Religious following for cyber sermons (Mp3s) - "Godcasting," "iGod," and "pod preachers" (cnn) SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Even the faithful miss church occasionally, but these days they do not have to miss the sermon -- they can download it to their play lists. Cyber sermons are catching on with a religious audience who are on the run, torn between worship and work. ... Religion appears to be the fastest growing segment of the podcast community, and Patchett believes this is based on word of mouth. "As Christians, we are called to take what we have -- the information we have about our religion -- and share it with others, so there's a call out there to spread that information. Podcasting is one of the easiest ways to do it," he said. ... Now, terms like "Godcasting," "iGod," and "pod preachers" are circulating on the Internet, in a case of religion embracing technology -- that fits in a pocket. [article link]
Get Ready for Impeachment ... And yet there are signs that American politics are not only arguably uglier than they have ever been before, but that things are about to get even worse. ... So American voters, casting their ballots next November, will have to decide, among other things, just how much uglier they want American politics to get. [article link]
Judges asked to rethink 'Islamic-indoctrination' - Parents challenging public school that taught kids to 'become Muslims' Parents and children challenging a California school district for its practice of teaching 12-year-old students to "become Muslims" are asking a federal appeals court to reconsider its ruling in front of the entire panel of judges. ... White says one of the parents found out by accident, looking through her son's schoolbag after the program had finished. The Law Center says that for three weeks, "impressionable 12-year-old students" were, among other things, placed into Islamic city groups; took Islamic names; wore identification tags that displayed their new Islamic name and the star and crescent moon; handed materials that instructed them to 'Remember Allah always so that you may prosper'; completed the Islamic Five Pillars of Faith, including fasting; and memorized and recited the 'Bismillah' or 'In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate,' which students also wrote on banners hung on the classroom walls. Students also played "jihad games" during the course, which was part of the school's world history and geography program. In December 2003, the San Francisco court determined the school district had not violated the Constitution. [article link]
Two Palestinian Bombers (one a woman) Kill an Israeli in West Bank JERUSALEM - Two Palestinian homicide bombers blew themselves up near a military checkpoint in the northern West Bank on Thursday, killing one Israeli and wounding two, security officials and media reports said. The Israeli army said the roadblock had been erected earlier Thursday after it received warnings that a homicide bombing was being planned. Military officials said the bombers realized they would not be able to reach Israel, and decided to blow themselves up at the roadblock. [article link]
New NBC Drama Show Mocks Christianity - Email NBC Chairman Bob Wright over NBC's latest show, "The Book of Daniel" NBC is touting the network's mid-season replacement series "The Book of Daniel" with language that implies it is a serious drama about Christian people and Christian faith. The main character is Daniel Webster, a drugaddicted Episcopal priest whose wife depends heavily on her mid-day martinis. ... Please use the link below to send a letter to NBC Chairman Bob Wright. Next, please forward this to your family and friends today! Those at NBC responsible for this program consider it a good, religiously oriented show typical of Christian families. Send Your Letter Now! [article link]
New NBC Show "The Book of Daniel" Called Anti-Christian Bigotry NBC's the Webster family is rounded out by a 23-year-old homosexual Republican son, a 16-year-old drugdealing daughter and a 16-year-old adopted son who is having sex with the bishop's daughter. Webster's lesbian secretary is sleeping with his sister-in-law. According to an article by Religion News Service, the series is written by Jack Kenny, a practicing homosexual, who describes himself as being "in Catholic recovery," interested in Buddhist teachings about reincarnation, and unsure exactly how he defines God and/or Jesus. [article link]
{Another fine NBC broadcast} Up the Creek: (NBC) "The Today Show" Gets Caught in Stunt of Its Own (Video) In an apparent effort to draw attention to herself, in yesterday's segment she turned up in hip waders, standing thigh-deep in the flood waters. Taking her act one step further, this morning she appeared on a suburban street . . . paddling a canoe. There was one small problem. Just as the segment came on the air, two men waded in front of Kosinki . . . and the water barely covered their shoe tops! That's right, Kosinski's canoe was in no more than four to six inches of water! An embarrassed Kosinski claimed the water was deeper down the street but that her producers didn't want to let her go there for fear she'd drift away. But Katie and Matt, perhaps peeved by her attempted scene-stealing, couldn't resist ribbing her. Matt: "Are these holy men, perhaps walking on top of the water?" "Gee, is your oar hitting ground, Michelle?" inquired Katie, as she and Matt dissolved into laughter. [article link]
Free Christian Audio Books (Mp3-ITunes) We have licensed the latest generation text to speech voices to bring you classic Christian audio books and other narrated content at a reasonable price. FREE! Our audio books have been edited for conversion from text to speech and we are sure you will be amazed at the quality of the narrations. [article link]
THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION (very Liberal article) {It should be very clear that in his demise Mr. Bush does not represent the Republican party, the USA Government or even the Christian Faith. What Mr. Bush has represented is his own secret agenda aimed at enriching a select few.} DUMMERSTON, Vt. - Last year at this time, the Republicans felt triumphant. They were now firmly in control of everything. They thought they had a mandate {We did but Bush wasted it}. ... Bush and the GOP overreached in the Terri Schiavo case, piously inserting themselves in a family tragedy for political gain. Except there was no political gain, only millions who were disgusted by the GOPs phony concern. ... Finally, the revelations of recent weeks of widespread covert domestic surveillance by the Pentagon, the FBI and the National Security Agency confirmed the suspicions of many that the Bush administration was more interested in intimidation of its political enemies {It now seems that to Bush, Conservatives are his enemy as he supports the Clintons and others and he is at war with his own political base} than in fighting terrorism. Sure, odious legislation did get passed. The bankruptcy bill that condemns millions of Americans to debt slavery. Cuts in Medicaid and student loans to pay for tax cuts for the rich. An energy bill that gives subsidies to the oil companies and does little for
energy conservation. A highway bill loaded with pork barrel spending. [article link]
Daily Encouragement Net Christian Podcast (Mp3-Pod-Download) {Right-Click on POD Icon} Encouraging followers of Jesus Christ each weekday with hope and encouragement from the Bible since 1996. 5-10 min each. Subscribe to Podcast. [article link]
Basic Christian Theology: Answers to Bible Questions (132 Topics) A Complete handy Reference - Study Guide/Tutorial. It covers 132 Christian Subjects and Topics from Adoption - Yahweh in an easy to read and understand format. An extensive resource, unparalleled in convenience and ease of use yet advanced in topic research. [article link]
Crumbling Theological Foundations? The Need for Theological Revival What happened to our foundation? When did we lose it? Why has it become expendable? How do we get it back? Spoken in the context of a house, these questions seem rather odd. You don't just lose a foundation to a house. It is never expendable. Sure, sometimes it is in need of repair, but the cracks in the walls will make it evident to all that the house may need a lift, and repair is imminent. But what happens when these questions are applied to evangelical theology? Then the answers become more interesting. I recently heard a pastor say something astonishing from the pulpit. He said proudly, "I don't know theology. I am not a theologian. I have never been to theological school and don't know any of those big words. All I know is Jesus." As sincere and profound as that may seem, his comments evidence a way of thinking that has become all too common in evangelicalism today. Could it be that the culture is having a greater impact on the Church than the Church is having on the culture? There are cracks in the wall. ... [article link]
NET BIBLE - First Edition: Free Download (registration required) Our users as a part of the bible.org family have been following, encouraging and contributing to the NET Bible translation project over the past 10 years. To celebrate this historic Internet partnership, we are dedicating the homepage of bible.org this week to the exciting release of the NET BIBLE ®-First Edition in digital format. Please read on and see how you can use the NET Bible and bible.org resources to break new ground in your ministry, your small group and your personal life. We are extending copyright freedoms to you beyond any other modern day Bible translation. We call this "Ministry First". Read on... [article link]
Europe's space race with US begins - GPS monopoly challenged by new satellite network At 3am tomorrow morning a Russian Soyuz rocket is set to streak into the skies over Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying a satellite that is purpose built to break one of the most ubiquitous monopolies on Earth. If all goes according to plan, the rocket will soar to a height of 14,000 miles before releasing Giove-A, a wardrobe-sized box of electronics, into orbit. Once in position it will gently unfold its twin solar panels and begin to loop around the planet twice each day. In doing so, Europe's most expensive space project, a rival to the US military-run global positioning system GPS, will have taken its first step. ... Galileo has been hailed in Europe as a means to make money. The highly accurate tracking system means road charging could be automated, air traffic monitored with unprecedented precision and goods tracked to people's doors. With mobile phones due to include satellite-positioning receivers, emergency calls will be traced to within a metre. If industry embraces Galileo, it could drive a multibillion euro market, say experts. [article link]
HonestReporting.com's 5th Annual Dishonest Reporter 'Award' 2005 Our fifth annual recognition of the most skewed and biased coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Big
media was clearly on the defensive in 2005. Dan Rather left the CBS News anchor desk under a heavy cloud while other executives were fired in the wake of Memogate. The use of anonymous sources put journalists like Judith Miller and the NY Times in an uncomfortable spotlight. Newsweek's erroneous report that US Marines desecrated a Koran touched off a firestorm of deadly protests around the world. CNN news chief Eason Jordan was forced to resign over comments at an international forum. And an Al-Jazeera reporter was even convicted for his links to Al-Qaida. In each controversy, bloggers successfully pressured the news services for accuracy and accountability. And the winner (loser) is ... [article link]
PLO Chairman Abbas says Kassams (rockets) are Israel's problem Palestinian Authority "president" Mahmoud Abbas has called ongoing rocket fire from the Gaza Strip against nearby Jewish communities "Israel's problem," and said he has no intention of interfering, according to a report in Ha'aretz. "Let the Israelis deal with it," Yasser Arafat's long-time right-hand man was quoted as saying. However, the PA is quick to cry foul and seek international condemnation of the Jewish state whenever Israel does attempt to deal with it. At the same time, the PA's failure to meet its own peace obligations in terms of combating terror, and Abbas' repeated acknowledgment that that violation is intentional, is eliciting little more than words from the nations involved in the process to bring "peace" to the Middle East. [article link]
Report implicating Clinton: Will it be hidden for good? - Bipartisan congressional negotiators squelch independent counsel's findings Explains Tyrrell: "Amazingly key Republicans in these negotiations agreed [to the amendment], Sen. Kit Bond and Rep. Joe Knollenberg. As things stand now, the expurgated report will appear and the public will be none the wiser as to how the IRS and Justice Department can be used to obstruct justice and harass private citizens." [article link]
Report says NSA spying broader than Bush acknowledged {another Bush 1/2 truth emerges} NEW YORK - The National Security Agency has conducted much broader surveillance of e-mails and phone calls - without court orders - than the Bush administration has acknowledged, The New York Times reported on its Web site. The NSA, with help from American telecommunications companies, obtained access to streams of domestic and international communications, said the Times in the report late Friday, citing unidentified current and former government officials. ... Since the Times disclosed the domestic spying program last week, President Bush has stressed that his executive order allowing the eavesdropping was limited to people with known links to al-Qaeda. [article link]
Chanukah 2005, Day One (Monday): The Maccabees' Israel {Map of Ancient Israel} In honor of Day One of Chanukah 2005, here's a little history lesson. You know those "stateless, homeless, displaced" Palestinian Arabs--the ones Steven Spielberg gives a whining soliloquy to in "Munich"? Well, here's a look at who was in Jewish "Palestine" ("Palestine" was the Roman name for Jewish Israel--the Palestinians had Jewish/Hebrew names like Shlomoh and Aryeh) at the time of the Maccabees. Check out the map, below. [article link]
Presidential Message: Christmas 2005 {ok this is 1/2 an effort at a respectful Christmas message, although it seems they would rather do anything then mention Jesus} More than 2,000 years ago, a virgin gave birth to a Son, and the God of heaven came to Earth. Mankind had received its Savior, and to those who had dwelled in darkness, the light of hope had come. Each Christmas, we celebrate that first coming anew, and we rejoice in the knowledge that the God who came to Earth that night in Bethlehem is with us still and will remain with us forever. [article link]
Excellent Full Bible Commentary (Mp3) A great and easy way to get introduced to and to become familiar with Bible Teachings in the King James Version. This is probably the best Audio Bible Study on the internet, giving complete, accurate, friendly and easy to understand Bible messages. [article link]
Christmas Becomes Big Holiday in China BEIJING, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Christmas has become one of China's major holidays, ranking second only to the big Spring Festival for many Chinese. Xinhua, the official government news agency, said that a poll of 2,000 people found that 90 percent have special plans for the night. For many, the holiday is a night of revelry or romance, not a religious one. Its icons are Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and it is celebrated in karaoke bars and restaurants. ... For China's Christian minority, the holiday is a religious one. Xinhua said large crowds are expected for Christmas Eve services. [article link]
President Bush: I am the law! But the United States cannot win (and preserve the individual freedoms that made this a great nation) by relying on one man or a few dozen. ... The times call for a robust debate by elected officials everywhere, particularly in the Senate and House, on the checks and balances necessary to fight this war without giving up the freedoms we are trying to protect. Otherwise, the United States will continue its drift toward becoming a lawless police state with regular elections. [article link]
Bush White House aids Playboy playmate (Anna Nicole Smith) in court {is Bush actually trying to become the worst president ever} WASHINGTON -- Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith has an unusual bedfellow in the Supreme Court fight over her late husband's fortune: the Bush administration. ... Smith, a television reality star and native Texan, plans to attend the court argument. She is trying to collect millions of dollars from the estate of J. Howard Marshall II, the oil tycoon she married in 1994 when he was 89 and she was a 26-year-old topless dancer in Houston. Marshall died in 1995. Like Marshall, President Bush was a Texas oil man. Both attended Yale. Both held government positions in Washington. [article link]
Vision Forum Inventory Reduction Sale - Save Up to 50% {Books, DVDs, Cds} On behalf of Vision Forum, I want to thank each of you for your prayers and support to our ministry in the year 2005. We remain committed to the absolute necessity that we, as a people, return to certain fundamental truths of Scripture: love of Christ; love of family; vision for our children; domesticity and the beauty of the Christian home; masculinity and femininity as God-ordained virtues; multi-generational faithfulness; gratitude for God's providential care over our nation; the Holy Scripture as the foundation for social order; and the everpresent antithesis between Christianity and false religions. As most of you know, Vision Forum is designed to further these fundamental truths and to engage the enemy at each point in the cultural battle for the heart and soul of the Christian family. [article link]
Muslim grinches Steal Bethlehem Christmas - World leaders, media (wrongly) blame Israel for fleeing Christians BETHLEHEM - With Christmas services here drawing far fewer tourists than in the 1990s and the town's Christian population now at an all-time low, many world leaders and hundreds of major media outlets this week blamed Israel for Bethlehem's decline - often citing false information - while a simple talk with the town's residents reveals a drastically different picture. They say Muslim persecution has been keeping Christians away. "All this talk about Israel driving Christians out and causing pain is nonsense," a Bethlehem Christian
community leader told WND. "You want to know what is at play here, just come throughout the year and see the intimidation from the Muslims. They have burned down our stores, built mosques in front of our churches, stole our real estate and took away our rights. Women have been raped and abducted. So don't tell me about Israel. It's the Muslims." [article link]
Christmas In Bethlehem - Media exaggerate Bethlehem's demise and under-report anti-Christian violence by Palestinians The Vatican, in a rare diplomatic move, called publicly on the Israelis to intervene in Bethlehem on behalf of its severely receding Christian population. Now totaling less than 12% of Bethlehem's population, Christians, who have been the targets of continual PA violence, might leave entirely. The result will be that in the place where Jesus was born there will no longer be a Christian community. [article link]
What Happened at the (Bethlehem) Church of the Nativity in April 2002? On April 2, 2002 armed Palestinian Arab terrorists forced their way into the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, one of Christianity's most sacred sites, the birthplace of Christ. In the midst of over 200 nuns and priests, they sought refuge from Operation Defensive Shield, the Israel Defense Forces action against suicide bombing activity originating from West Bank locations. For 38 days, until May 10, 2002, the world watched as the gunmen refused to surrender their positions inside the Church. Only Israeli restraint and respect for the Christian shrine prevented the Palestinian desecration from turning into its destruction. ... Using priests and nuns as human shields in the most sacred location for Christianity is not just barbaric. It is a violation of the 1977 First Protocol to the Geneva Convention and is a war crime. Similar cases from the Balkan wars are heard today before the International Criminal Court in the Hague. Only brutal terrorists would desecrate religious shrines and hurt clergy. [article link]
CNN Slants The Story Of The Church Of The Nativity Siege {May 2002} "A window into the truth of the situation in the Church of the Nativity was opened by three elderly Armenian monks who managed to flee the church, with the assistance of Israel Defense Forces soldiers. One of the monks, Narkiss Korasian, told reporters, "They stole everything, they opened the doors one by one and stole everything... they stole our prayer books and four crosses... they didn't leave anything." The monks also told of beatings administered to several Christian clergymen held in the church by PLO gunmen. To the Israelis, he said, "Thank you for your help, we will never forget it." [article link]
NATIVITY CHURCH KILLERS, Where are they now MAY, 2002 The Vatican and the USA pressured Israel to set FREE the terrorists who violated the church. 13 Terrorists from Nativity Church exiled to Cyprus 26 terrorists busses to Gaza, supposedly to jail, but instead Arafat rewarded them, they are heroes for their slaughters! [article link]
Jesus & THE FEAST OF (Hanukkah) CHANNUKAH Chanukah (Hanukkah) is a Hebrew word meaning "dedication" because this observance marks the rededication of the Jewish Temple after it had been desecrated by the Syrians in their invasion prior to Christ. ... Chanukah falls in the winter month of December. Observing this feast season in winter Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem at that time. ... Chanukah is known for the Feast of lights since the oil for the menorah lasted 8 days. It is observed in remembrance of a miracle: that of the oil. The oil that was enough for only one day miraculously lasted eight days. And the kindling of light emphasizes the miracle believed by the rabbis to have occurred on this occasion. The Ner Talmid (eternal light) was never to go out in the Temple of which type Jesus
attributed to Himself as the light of the world. Jn.1:4, 8:12, 9 12:44-46 [article link]
Biblical Holidays Jesus & Hanukkah [scroll down the website] Hanukkah's theme is of a miracle. During Hanukkah Jesus spoke of His miracles: If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in Him (John 10:37-38). Jesus wanted the people of his day to see His miracles and believe in Him as a result. His miracles point to his divine and messianic identity. In this way Yeshua (Jesus) personifies the message of Hanukkah: God actively involved in the affairs of His people. Hanukkah reminds us that God is a God of miracles, not just of concept and religious ideals. He has broken through into human history and continues to do so today. [article link]
Jewish Chanukah 2005 The First of Eight Candles is Lit at Night This Year on Sunday Dec. 25th {1 of 10 Lessons} A simple, animated guide on how to light Chanukah candles. [article link]
Aish.com's new one-minute Jewish Chanukah movie (Based on a true story) {flash} Download Instructions: Right click on the 'download this movie for free' image above and select "Save target as". This will download and save the Flash movie onto your computer. [article link]
Hanukkah Movie "Maccabee Secret Revealed" 60 second (flash) Make My Holiday - a sixty second flash movie. ... So was it a miracle or did the Maccabees just cheat ... [article link]
CHRISTmas Info & Resources 2005 Christmas - Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. [article link]
The Twelve Voices of Christmas (Audio-Drama) Welcome to Back to the Bible's Internet presentation of The Twelve Voices of Christmas. This RealAudio and visual drama written by Dr. Woodrow Kroll will enrich your understanding of Christmas. [article link]
Christmas Greetings Resources and Info from Coral Ridge Church and Dr. D. James Kennedy (Audio Messages) I would like to personally extend to you and your family the warmest of Christmas greetings. I pray that these resources will encourage you in your walk with God. Merry Christmas, Dr. D. James Kennedy [article link]
A Merry Christmas Card from The American Tract Society {flash}(atstracts.org) And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ... [article link]
Christmas Tidings of Comfort and Joy from The Family Research Council (frc.org) ... So, let nothing dismay us. We remember that Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day. He came to save us all from Satan's power, when we had gone astray. And the angel brings tidings of comfort and joy. This is the Good News. This is the truth. It is a truth above all truths. It is for that reason we say Merry Christmas! [article link]
Don't stifle Christianity by political correctness, says England's Carey THE public expression of the Christian faith and other religions is being undermined by political correctness, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey of Clifton, says. "I think there is a view around that practising Christianity and all the symbols that go with it embarrasses people of other faiths and of course that's nonsense," he told GMTV's Sunday Programme. ... Lord Carey, who retired as head of the Anglican Church in 2002, said that Christians should be more explicit about their faith and proud of the Cross. "We must avoid the kind of political correctness that is creeping in and undermining the public expression of the Christian faith. [article link]
INTERESTING STATISTICS ABOUT ISRAEL The Middle East The Middle East has been growing date palms for centuries. The average tree is about 18-20 feet tall and yields about 38 pounds of dates a year. Israeli trees are now yielding 400 pounds/year and are short enough to be harvested from the ground or a short ladder. Israel, the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population, can lay claim to the following: The cell phone was developed in Israel by Israelis working in the Israeli branch of Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel. Most of the Windows NT and XP operating systems were developed by Microsoft-Israel. The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel. Both the Pentium-4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel. The Pentium microprocessor in your computer was most likely made in Israel. Voice mail technology was developed in Israel. Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel.The technology for the AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in 1996 by four young Israelis. ... [article link]
Visit Israel - Banded & Bonded to Bless Israel III with Pastor Jack Hayford March 26 - April 4, 2006 I invite you to join our 2006 study tour-visiting sites and opening God's Word to see deep truth in the midst of dramatic scenes. We expect great grace this year with something to add a new "unforgettable" for each one making the journey. We'll both see and pray through the Land; daily interceding to secure Israel's boundaries against evil men and works (Proverbs 22:28; 23:10, 11); We'll invoke God's Blessing by our prayers and presence in His Land. [article link]
Individual Life stories, how and why people became Christians(Testimony) Real life stories and Testimonials from people describing how and why they became a Christian. [article link]
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Past Radio Broadcasts (Audio) The goal of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Ltd. is to reach men and women with the Gospel and to bring them into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. [article link]
Coming Soon ... The www.BasicChristian.us Media News Feed Top 100 Items of 2005 The Basic Christian News/Info Feed is going to list the 100 best news feed items and download locations of 2005. [article link]
Preview "Revelation" Movie Church Showings Jan. 19 - Feb. 19, 2006 To me the most powerful scene in this movie involves our hero questioning a believer about God and challenging God to a face-to-face encounter. The scene was designed to meet most unbelievers right where they are at in their spiritual journey. [article link]
The Bush White House Christmas has Become a Yearly Insult For Christians, Christmas is about one thing: It's not about "all things bright and beautiful." It's about God's Son coming to Earth in human form to atone for our sins so that we can share eternal life with Him. It's not about Santa Claus, and I'm surprised this needs to be pointed out to a president who claims to be a born-again Christian. [article link]
Bush White House 2005 'Holiday Theme' "All things bright and beautiful" This year's theme has been chosen to highlight the beauty to be found in nature. Our emphasis for this holiday season is on some of the many ways that plants, trees, fruit and flowers can be the stars of holiday decorating. The members of the White House Executive Residence staff and floral designers from across the country have worked tirelessly and creatively to make the White House reflect the wonders of nature's bounty. Our thanks go to all whose deft hands and willing hearts have helped to transform many lovely ideas into reality. We hope your own holiday season is made brighter by your coming to be part of ours! George Bush - Laura Bush [article link]
'Holiday' Cards Ring Hollow for Some on Bushes' List - Conservative Throws Away Bush Christmas Card What's missing from the White House Christmas card? Christmas. This month, as in every December since he took office, President Bush sent out cards with a generic end-of-the-year message, wishing 1.4 million of his close friends and supporters a happy "holiday season." Many people are thrilled to get a White House Christmas card, no matter what the greeting inside. But some conservative Christians are reacting as if Bush stuck coal in their stockings. "This clearly demonstrates that the Bush administration has suffered a loss of will and that they have capitulated to the worst elements in our culture," said William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. Bush "claims to be a born-again, evangelical Christian. But he sure doesn't act like one," said Joseph Farah, editor of the conservative Web site WorldNetDaily.com. "I threw out my White House card as soon as I got it." [article link]
"Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" Sunday, January 8 2006 (Webcast) Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia will host Family Research Council's simulcast television program, "Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" on Sunday, January 8 2006. Justice Sunday III, the follow-up to "Justice Sunday II - God Save the United States and this Honorable Court" will broadcast live in churches across the nation -- via Sky Angel satellite -- in addition to being carried on hundreds of radio and Christian TV stations, and via live webcast on this site. [article link]
The Franklin Graham "Celebration of Hope" will be held at the New Orleans Arena, March 11-12, 2006 (Prayer Points for this Event) The Celebration of Hope - March 11-12, 2006 at the New Orleans Arena - Will feature worship, a time of prayer, testimonies, and a message of hope from Franklin Graham. For the last 10 years there has been an invitation to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to come and guide in preparing for a united evangelistic outreach to Greater New Orleans. The spiritual leaders of Greater New Orleans believe that-with the devastation and desperation created by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita-the time is right. The soil of human hearts has been softened, and people are ready and need to receive a message of HOPE. [article link]
Basic Christian: Full Website Content - Final 2005 Version (PDF) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
Presidential Christmas Message, 2004 (No mention of Jesus) For 2,000 years, Christmas has proclaimed a message of hope: the patient hope of men and women across centuries who listened to the words of prophets and lived in joyful expectation; the hope of Mary, who welcomed God's plan with great faith; and the hope of wise men, who set out on a long journey guided only by a slender promise traced in the stars. Christmas reminds us that the grandest purposes of God can be found in the humblest places. And it gives us hope that all the love and gifts that come to us in this life are the signs and symbols of an even greater love and gift that came on a holy night. [article link]
President's Christmas Message, 2002 (A very Honoring Message) I send greetings to those celebrating Christmas. During Christmas, we gather with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As God's only Son, Jesus came to Earth and gave His life so that we may live. His actions and His words remind us that service to others is central to our lives and that sacrifice and unconditional love must guide us and inspire us to lead lives of compassion, mercy, and justice. [article link]
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY Daily Broadcast - Dr. James Dobson (Audio) On each information-packed broadcast, Dr. James Dobson, and his guests give you practical advice on marriage, parenting, emotional and spiritual growth, health, social issues and public policy concerns. [article link]
Israel and the US - A God-ordained alliance? Part I: When God brought about the independence of the United States in 1776, He was supervising the founding of a nation He purposed to have in place about two centuries later as the world's mightiest superpower. And His reason for elevating America to this position was so that she would ally herself with the surviving remnant of the Jewish people, help them take root again in their national homeland, and support them in their struggle against a hostile world. [article link]
Your Faith Use It or Lose It You've heard the expression. "Use it or lose it." It applies to a very important aspect of American life - your right to exercise your faith. Americans are losing that right - and when they do they won't be able to blame the American Civil Liberties Union alone. They will have themselves to blame. [article link]
'The Sweet Life' Former Avalon Singer Offers Her Testimony "I had a 10-year relationship that had gone really sour," says Christian singer Cherie Adams, formerly of the group Avalon. "We were like high school sweethearts, and I went from seeing him every day to never seeing each other again." "I was physically sick. I thought about killing myself. Then one day my mother was bugging me to go to church and I said, 'I don't know why I'm going to bother because God doesn't love me anymore. He doesn't know me." But Adams went and says her life was forever altered by this single service. Today, Adams travels the country, singing songs, talking about her experiences as a platinum-selling artist in the music business and her life as a Christian, and giving support to other women who have been through similar hardships. [article link]
BasicChristian.info for Convenient FREE Christian PDF & MP3 Downloads A Christian Information Center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. [article link]
The Twelve Voices of Christmas (Audio) Welcome to Back to the Bible's Internet presentation of The Twelve Voices of Christmas. This RealAudio and visual drama written by Dr. Woodrow Kroll will enrich your understanding of Christmas. [article link]
Dick Cheney's iPod Irks Reporters (no Christian tunes for this VP) And what's on the Veep's iPod? music on it "ranges from country to classical, according to an administration official," reports ABC news, and "he has a good amount of music from the 1940s and 1950s and apparently is fond of Johnny Cash." [article link]
TOP CHRISTIAN CHRISTMAS SITES from Christmas in Cyberspace Enjoy these links. We hope they illuminate the true meaning of Christmas! [article link]
Jewish Chanukah 2005 The First of Eight Candles is Lit at Night on Sunday Dec. 25th {1 of 10 Lessons} A simple, animated guide on how to light Chanukah candles. [article link]
Hanukkah Movie "Maccabee Secret Revealed" 60 second (flash) Make My Holiday - a sixty second flash movie. ... So was it a miracle or did the Maccabees just cheat ... [article link]
Extraordinary Christmas Light Displays (Video) As of today, December 10, 2005, the low res version of the video can be found at www.sunbeltsoftware.com/stu/video/xmaslights.wmv. If you like what Carson has done with the music, See what Darryl Brown has done with the same tune at www.amazingchristmas.com/ and scroll to the bottom of the page. [article link]
Aish.com's new one-minute Jewish Chanukah movie (Based on a true story) {flash} Download Instructions: Right click on the 'download this movie for free' image above and select "Save target as". This will download and save the Flash movie onto your computer. [article link]
Feels Like Christmas Free Mp3's, Coloring, Wacky Items Feels Like Christmas exists primarily to offer you high-quality Christmas music in the form of legal MP3 downloads... for free*! ... Also new this year: Some extremely cool Christmas coloring pages! ... Oh...and if you're still reading this long page...check out this cool Christmas display from last year! [article link]
Christmas Greetings Resources and Info from Coral Ridge Church and Dr. D. James Kennedy (Audio Messages) I would like to personally extend to you and your family the warmest of Christmas greetings. I pray that these resources will encourage you in your walk with God. Merry Christmas, Dr. D. James Kennedy [article link]
CHRISTmas Info & Resources 2005 Christmas - Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. [article link]
A Merry Christmas Card from The American Tract Society {flash}(atstracts.org) And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
people. ... [article link]
Christmas Tidings of Comfort and Joy from The Family Research Council (frc.org) ... So, let nothing dismay us. We remember that Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day. He came to save us all from Satan's power, when we had gone astray. And the angel brings tidings of comfort and joy. This is the Good News. This is the truth. It is a truth above all truths. It is for that reason we say Merry Christmas! [article link]
Candidate to supporters: 'Islam won!' Party nominee says Muslim 'power extending into Canadian politics' A Muslim who won the Liberal Party nomination for a parliamentary seat in Ontario, Canada, declared his success a victory for Islam in a speech to supporters, according to a Coptic Christian who attended the event. "This is a victory for Islam! Islam won! Islam won! ... Islamic power is extending into Canadian politics," Omar Alghabra, the Liberal candidate for Mississauga-Erindale, reportedly declared to his audience of several hundred. [article link]
Ontario Canada Rejects Use of Islamic Law (Fox) [old item] TORONTO - The premier of Ontario said Sunday that he won't let his province become the first Western government to allow the use of Islamic law to settle family disputes and that he would move to ban all religious arbitration. Ontario's provincial government has been reviewing a report recommending that Shariah, or Islamic law, be allowed to settle family disputes like divorce and had said it would soon make a decision. "There will be no Shariah law in Ontario. There will be no religious arbitration in Ontario. There will be one law for all Ontarians," Premier Dalton McGuinty told The Canadian Press. [article link]
An Explanation of Islamic Law, known as "Shariah" The historical pattern of Islam shows us that when a nation gains a sufficiently large Muslim population, they will begin to agitate for Shariah to be implemented. Shariah is the primary source of persecution for Christians in Muslim dominated states. Shariah is the system of civil law that is based upon the Qur'an and the Ahadith and the work of Muslim scholars in the first two centuries of Islam. Shariah extends beyond just civil law. Applied fully, the Shariah is a code for living that all Muslims should adhere to, including prayers, fasting and donations to the poor. Shariah is the totality of religious, political, social, domestic and private life. Shariah is primarily meant for all Muslims, but applies to a certain extent also for people living inside a Muslim society. Muslims feel that Shariah has been misunderstood by Christians, who have tended to concentrate on the demands for harsh punishments such as amputation of a hand or foot for theft and public flogging for people caught drinking alcohol. Under the Shariah laws in Afghanistan, the Taliban's religious police, formally known as the Department for Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue, enforce the Shariah laws. ... For example, a man's beard must be long enough to protrude from a fist clenched at the base of the chin. If it is not, he is subject to punishment. Under Shariah in Afghanistan, women are not allowed to work in any field except the medical sector. The Islamic law of Afghanistan does not allow the employment of women in government departments or international agencies. Women should not go outside their residences with the exception of those working in the medical sector. Shariah also places restrictions on what women can wear and whom they can see. It forbids women from wearing jewelry and make-up and from making noise with their shoes when they walk. If a woman does work outside the home, she is forbidden to sit beside the driver when traveling to and from work. Stylish dress and decoration of women is forbidden. [article link]
Christmas in Norway Christmas is definitely the number one family holiday in Norway. Half the 24th, the 25th, 26th and half of the
31st are national holidays in Norway. The schools have a lot longer vacation, usually lasting two weeks. [article link]
Christmas in Greece Even though the Greek Christmas is regarded by many as less colourful than the Greek Easter, the Greeks really have some of the richest Christmas traditions in the world. [article link]
Christmas Triditions of Italy Nine evenings of special church services, the Christmas Novena, herald the Christmas season in Italy. Worshipers sing Christmas hymns and hear anew the biblical story of Joseph and Mary. Virtually every chruch and household, and many shops and offices too, bring forth a "presepio", or manger, with its surrounding Nativity scene, placing it where all can see. Often the figures are moved slightly closer to the manger with each day's passing, and the Christ Child appeaers in the scene only when all have reached the stable on Christmas Eve. [article link]
The Twelve (Legal) Rules of Christmas This was not the mother's first trip to her child's classroom, where parents regularly volunteered to lead story time. Because it coincided with the holiday season, she thought the ideal story to tell would be the original Christmas story that began nearly 2,000 years ago. But she remembered the memo. [article link]
1st Amendment 'doesn't create church-state wall of separation' Court whacks civil-liberties group, OKs Ten Commandments display A U.S. appeals court today upheld the decision of a lower court in allowing the inclusion of the Ten Commandments in a courthouse display, hammering the American Civil Liberties Union and declaring, "The First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state." Attorneys from the American Center for Law and Justice successfully argued the case on behalf of Mercer County, Ky., and a display of historical documents placed in the county courthouse. The panel voted 3-0 to reject the ACLU's contention the display violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. [article link]
BREAKING SCHLUSSEL EXCLUSIVE: Germany Secretly Frees Hezbollah Terrorist Murderer of Navy Diver Robert Stethem (Trades Terrorist for Hostage in Iraq) {Looks like time to boycott Chrysler and all other German products} Stethem was a true American hero. Only 23 years old, he was tortured, beaten, and trampled to death by the Hezbollah terrorists for the crimes of being an American, a U.S. serviceman, and refusing--to his last breath--to denounce America. We're sad to report that yet another prediction of ours has now come true. We predicted in June that Mohammad Ali Hamadi, one of the Hezbollah terrorists who murdered Stethem, would be released by the German government. On Friday, the Stethem Family informed us that our worst fears have been realized and that Hamadi will not face justice for his brutal act of terrorism. Germany secretly released Hamadi to freedom in Lebanon. ... Germany kept none of its promises and showed the world that it really has no resolve in fighting terrorism. The Stethem family learned Friday that Hamadi was released to freedom. Despite life without parole, Hamadi was up for parole twice and served only 16 years in prison. And unlike all other extraditions sought by the U.S. under an extradition treaty with Germany, Germany violated the extradition treaty and Hamadi's extradition was not granted. Reportedly, Germany did this for two reasons 1) to gain the release of a female German hostage, Susanne Osthoff (a German convert to Islam), from terrorists in Iraq (apparently, the Germans do negotiate with terrorists); and Hezbollah has a strong connection with the ones in Iraq); and 2) in retribution for reported CIA terrorist camps in Europe. This is an outrage. [article link]
Germany Paroled (or traded) Hezbollah Terrorist TWA Hijacker Returns to Lebanon BEIRUT, Lebanon - A Lebanese man serving a life sentence in Germany for the 1985 hijacking of a TWA jetliner and killing of a U.S. Navy diver has returned to Lebanon after being paroled in Germany, security and guerrilla officials said Tuesday. Mohammed Ali Hamadi arrived in Beirut four days ago on a commercial flight from Germany, a Lebanese security official and a Hezbollah guerrilla group said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. ... TWA flight 847 from Athens, Greece, to Rome was hijacked in June 1985 to Beirut, where the hijackers beat and shot U.S. Navy diver Robert Dean Stethem, 23, of Waldorf, Md., and dumped his body on the tarmac. Stethem was the only casualty during the hijacking ordeal, in which 39 Americans were held hostage for 17 days. He received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart decorations, and a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer is named in his honor. [article link]
Courts Hit Parents With Triple Whammy (EagleForum.org) Federal judges have just hit parents with a triple-whammy. Two appellate courts held that parents have no right to stop offensive, privacy-invading interrogation of their own children in public schools, and in a third case the Supreme Court indicated that it is not going to do anything to protect parents' rights concerning schools. It has become painfully clear that many courts have adopted the notion that the "village" (i.e., in these cases, the schools) should raise children. Judges prefer to side with schools and against parents. [article link]
A Terrorist Who Turned To Love - a former PLO terrorist who has become an ardent Zionist and evangelical Christian. FrontPageMagazine's Interview guest today is Walid Shoebat, a former PLO terrorist who has become an ardent Zionist and evangelical Christian. [article link]
Princeton Censors Ex-PLO Speakers; But Likely to Hire PLO Spokesman as History Professor Princeton U. Says Campus Event Against Terrorism is "Too Inflammatory" Princeton University has cancelled a speaking event by three former Middle East terrorists because it says that the use of the word "terrorist" in the promotion for the event is "too inflammatory." Two of the three self-described former terrorists were members of the PLO. Each of them apparently converted to Christianity. Here is the must-read story of one of the group, Walid Shoebat, who is now an ardent Zionist. Meanwhile, another former PLO member is likely to be named a full professor: Khalidi is Sole Candidate for History Position. Controversial professor appears to have wide support. As detailed in Campus Watch Rashid Khalidi is trying to weasel out of having worked for the PLO: Mr. Khalidi dismisses the allegation that he served as a PLO spokesman, saying, "I often spoke to journalists in Beirut, who usually cited me without attribution as a well-informed Palestinian source. If some misidentified me at the time, I am not aware of it." Here is another corroborating quote about being a PLO employee from the New York Times (February 19, 1978) that is not widely known because of an alternate spelling of the last name: ... [article link]
Don't stifle Christianity by political correctness, says England's Carey THE public expression of the Christian faith and other religions is being undermined by political correctness, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey of Clifton, says. "I think there is a view around that practising Christianity and all the symbols that go with it embarrasses people of other faiths and of course that's nonsense," he told GMTV's Sunday Programme. ... Lord Carey, who retired as head of the Anglican Church in 2002, said that Christians should be more explicit about their faith and proud of the Cross. "We must avoid the kind of political correctness that is creeping in and undermining the public expression of the Christian faith. [article link]
INTERESTING STATISTICS ABOUT ISRAEL The Middle East The Middle East has been growing date palms for centuries. The average tree is about 18-20 feet tall and yields about 38 pounds of dates a year. Israeli trees are now yielding 400 pounds/year and are short enough to be harvested from the ground or a short ladder. Israel, the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population, can lay claim to the following: The cell phone was developed in Israel by Israelis working in the Israeli branch of Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel. Most of the Windows NT and XP operating systems were developed by Microsoft-Israel. The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel. Both the Pentium-4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel. The Pentium microprocessor in your computer was most likely made in Israel. Voice mail technology was developed in Israel. Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel.The technology for the AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in 1996 by four young Israelis. ... [article link]
Chirac Touts Actress for Sony Pictures 'DaVinci Code' Filmmaker Ron Howard says that the upcoming movie based on Dan Brown's mega-hit novel "The Da Vinci Code" will not soften the story's more controversial elements. There will be "no placating," he tells Newsweek in its annual "Who's Next" double issue, which names the up-and-comers in politics, business, science, sports and the arts that will make headlines in 2006. "It would be ludicrous to take on this subject and then try to take the edges off. We're doing this movie because we like the book," he says. Since "The Da Vinci Code" was published in 2003, the book has become a global industry, spawning everything from critical documentaries to reverential bus tours. It has also been condemned by the Vatican for disseminating falsehoods about the Roman Catholic Church. The cult of "The Da Vinci Code" will reach new heights with the release of SonyColumbia Pictures's $125 million film version, starring Tom Hanks and an international cast led by Jean Reno and Audrey Tautou. [article link]
Christian 'megapastor' blasts believers on Dec. 25 dispute (Sunday-Christmas Closed Churches) Some churches defend no services, others pull U-turn, will be open With many large churches across the U.S. announcing they won't be open on Christmas Day, some pastors are defending their decision, even going so far as to blast those who question their motives. Among them is Jon Weece, pastor of Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Ky., who got complaint e-mails from all 50 states. He delivered a strong response to those critical of the Christmas closure. [article link]
Problems with the Book of Mormon Joseph Smith claimed that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth (History of the Church, 4:461). If that's true, why has it been subjected to thousands of corrections and alterations since it was first published' ... If you are led to witness to a Mormon, remember always to share the truth in love. The facts and truth will shake the foundations of religious beliefs that are often strongly held in the life of a Mormon. Letting God's love and compassion shine through you as you witness is extremely important. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is the way, and He is the only way. Many have been deceived by Joseph Smith Jr., and need to come face to face with the fact that their founding prophet was a false prophet who introduced a false gospel. Facing the truth can sometimes have some difficult consequences on earth, but life on earth is temporary. Denying the truth can have eternal consequences. [article link]
US Probes Into Dodgy (Mormon "questionable" Medical) Donations to China The LDS (Latter-day Saints) Foundation of the United States has agreed to investigate the "questionable"
medical donations made to China following a request to do so by the All-China Federation of Charity, according to sources from the national charity organization. "Most importantly, we want to know why there are problems with the donations," the official from the federation was quoted as saying by the Beijing News. Three containers of medical equipment reportedly donated to China by the Mormon Church or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City in November were found to have contained stained bedding, used surgical clothes and expired medical equipment. [article link]
China Watch: Tarnished Philanthropy China Questions Recent (Mormon) Medical Supply Shipments from U.S. Two U.S.-based philanthropic organizations faced considerable embarrassment this year when their donations to China were found to contain large quantities of expired medical supplies and second-hand medical equipment. While the details surrounding the cases have yet to be unraveled, the frequency of such events should raise alarm bells. The latest problematic donation was made by Salt Lake City, Utah-based LDS Philanthropies, a charitable arm of the Mormon Church. The group's contribution of US $4 million worth of supplies was sent to mainland China's largest non-governmental charity group, China Charity Federation, and arrived on November 7. Two of the four containers were delivered to Wuhan City in Hubei Province, one to Hefei City in Anhui Province, and one to Beijing. [article link]
Mp3 Bible studies - aprox. 45 minutes in length This web ministry is dedicated to seeing the Word of God studied, taught and distributed worldwide. Pastor Steve Wright offers these free Bible studies on-line so that the world may learn and understand the Word of God. [article link]
Bethlehem a Christmas without Christians Since the Palestinian Authority's takeover of Bethlehem in 1995, under the Oslo Accords with Israel, Bethlehem has been transformed from a Christian city into a Muslim city. Bethlehem's remaining Christians now live in a condition of dhimmitude (a reference to the second-class citizenship Islam imposes on Christians) in the city of Jesus' birth. [article link]
Common Sense America: We Fight Because The Alternative Is Unacceptable Why do we suddenly see Christians standing up and fighting for things they had passively grown to accept over the past few decades? Why, in the last few years, have Christians become more vocal against those that would secularize this nation and who have been on a campaign to literally erase not only God and Christianity but even the mere mention of all religion from our nation? ... Rather, it's an eerie feeling in the pit of most Christian's stomachs that, if left alone, we are yet one step closer to a fate far worse than political correctness. We are one step closer to communism. ... For Communism to thrive, their members know and teach that they must first smash all religious groups: Just as in Russia we [they] had to destroy, after many, many years of most arduous work, the Church, so we must destroy all faiths in nations marked for conquest. We have battled in America since the century's turn to bring to nothing any and all Christian influences and we are succeeding. You must work until "religion" is synonymous with "insanity." You must work until the officials of city, county and state governments will not think twice before they pounce upon religious groups as public enemies. [article link]
Christmas Traditions in Sweden In Sweden, unlike most other countries, the main part of Christmas is not celebrated on December 25th, but on December 24th, Christmas Eve (in Swedish "Julafton"). [article link]
Christmas Eve Recipies (Polish) Home of Polish Goods and Herbal Remedies. [article link]
Nellie's Christmas Eve published in 1908 (.Jpg) Children's Books Online. [article link]
No '06 Re-Election Bid for Massachusetts Gov. Romney BOSTON - Republican Gov. Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he will not run for a second term next year, fueling speculation he will seek the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Reporters questioned him afterward about whether this meant he would run for president, but he said that decision was "down the road" and "a lifetime away." "[Sen.] John McCain said he thinks about being president every day in the shower," he said. "I guess I will turn to the words of Star Wars: It's in a galaxy far, far away." [article link]
His Excellency Willard Mitt Romney is a Republican politician who has been the Governor of Massachusetts since 2003 Romney was elected Governor of Massachusetts in November 2002 as a Republican, and is among those speculated as being very interested in seeking the Republican nomination for President in 2008. Romney is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a Mormon). He and his wife Ann have been married 36 years, and have five sons (Tagg, Matt, Josh, Ben and Craig) and eight grandchildren. Romney speaks French fluently, and is passably acquainted with Swahili and several other Bantu languages. [article link]
In 2008, Will It Be Mormon in America? (Gov. Willard Mitt Romney) YOU REMEMBER, OR PERHAPS you don't, Sen. Orrin Hatch's 2000 presidential campaign. The senator talks about it in soft inflections, recalling this event and that debate. But especially he talks about what motivated him to run. Hatch, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, cites polling data from 1999 suggesting that 17 percent of Americans wouldn't vote for a Mormon for president under any circumstances. "One reason I ran was to knock down the prejudicial wall that exists" against Mormons, he says. "I wanted to make it easier for the next candidate of my faith." That next candidate just might be Mitt Romney, the Republican governor of Massachusetts. It may seem too early to be talking about 2008. But George W. Bush can't run again, and, in a break from the usual pattern, the vice president, Richard Cheney, probably won't be a candidate. So the field looks wide open. And Romney is among those being mentioned in the press and GOP circles for 2008. He'd be a legitimate candidate, regardless of who else might run. [article link]
House Lawmakers Concerned About Limits on Military Chaplains WASHINGTON - House lawmakers concerned that proposed military guidelines are restricting some Christian chaplains' abilities to pray said Wednesday they will deliver a 6-inch-thick petition to President Bush this week asking him to intervene. ... They said some Christian chaplains throughout the military have complained their right to pray by specifically mentioning Jesus Christ is at risk. The lawmakers want Bush to issue an executive order protecting chaplains' right to pray according to their faith. [article link]
Visit Israel - Banded & Bonded to Bless Israel III with Pastor Jack Hayford March 26 - April 4, 2006 I invite you to join our 2006 study tour-visiting sites and opening God's Word to see deep truth in the midst of dramatic scenes. We expect great grace this year with something to add a new "unforgettable" for each one making the journey. We'll both see and pray through the Land; daily interceding to secure Israel's boundaries against evil men and works (Proverbs 22:28; 23:10, 11); We'll invoke God's Blessing by our prayers and presence
in His Land. [article link]
Christmas in Panama The Holidays start for the Panamanian people on December 8th with the celebration of the Immaculate Conception. This is also Mother's Day in Panama. Some of the little girls are dressed as Angels with wings attached to their dresses and there is a parade with the Statue of the Blessed Virgin being carried down the main street. The children also make their first communion on this day. [article link]
Christmas Traditions in England Every year in December we celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. That is why we call this time Christmas - we celebrate the Mass, or church service, for Christ. The word Christmas (or Christ's Mass) comes from the Old English name Cristes Maesse, meaning the feast or festival of Christmas. The feast lasts for twelve days and is known as the Twelve Days of Christmas. Christmas is a truly magical season, bringing families and friends together to share the much loved customs and traditions which have been around for centuries. Most people are on holiday in England and stay at home with their family on Christmas day. [article link]
Christmas Traditions in Germany Many "American" Christmas elements have come from German Europe. "Silent Night" was composed in Austria in 1818. [article link]
Sexually Transmitted Depression - The New STD? Research reverses the thought that teen depression leads to risky behaviors. Nearly every discussion about sexual education focuses on preventing sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. However, research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that, especially for girls, the discussion needs to include a third negative possibility: depression. [article link]
Hold Off on That Chip, Says Thompson Ex-Bush Cabinet Officer in No Rush for Implant WASHINGTON - When former Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson joined the board of directors of a company promoting the broad implantation of microchips into Americans for identification purposes, he pledged to get chipped himself as an example. But Thompson doesn't appear to be in any hurry to get the implant. ... But when authors Liz McIntyre and Katherine Albrecht, who researched human chipping for their book "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID," contacted VeriChip Corp. earlier this month, they were told that the chipping never took place. VeriChip spokesman John Procter said Thompson has been "too busy" to undergo the chipping procedure, adding that he had no clear plans to do so in the future. "I wouldn't put any type of time line on it," Procter said. [article link]
Coming Soon ... The www.BasicChristian.us Media News Feed Top 100 Items of 2005 The Basic Christian News/Info Feed is going to list the 100 best news feed items and download locations of 2005. [article link]
2005 UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People: UN Prominently Displays Map Without a Trace of Israel This map was prominently displayed by the UN on November 29, 2005 at a public gathering at UN Headquarters, in the presence of all top three UN officials, the Secretary General, and the Presidents of the UN
Security Council and the General Assembly. It purports to be a "map of Palestine." Israel, a UN member state for 56 years, is not on the map. Even the UN General Assembly partition lines of November 29, 1947 marking a Jewish and Arab state, which pre-date this 1948 map, do not appear. In a moment which has been crafted to include the commemoration of suicide-bombers (from left to right) Nasser Al-Kidwa, Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority, President of the UN Security Council Andrey Denisov, President of the UN General Assembly Jan Eliasson, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Paul Badji, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, (and two others) rise at the outset of the November 29th UN meeting with these words from the Chair. "I invite everyone present to rise and observe a minute of silence in memory of all those who have given their lives for the cause of the Palestinian people and the return of peace (Victory over Israel) between Israel and Palestine." [article link]
Blog Misinformation, Mirecki and the Daily Kos (blog) The Daily Kos, one of the most popular blogs on the internet, has been trumpeting Thugs beat up evolution supporter - We're fighting back. Unfortunately, the Kos is a fountain of misinformation. ... Summary: The Daily Kos (blog) is spewing misinformation and hasty conclusions to generate money for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State so they can fight the "creationist fascists." Which raises a question. If, by some chance, Mirecki's story is discredited, will the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State return this money? [article link]
White House defends Christmas-less card: 'It's a time when we welcome all different faiths' {Actually It's Christmas Time!} "It's a time when we welcome all different faiths," said Susan Whitson, press secretary to Mrs. Bush. "The president has an obligation to acknowledge that." Elsewhere across the area, some staffers for D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams and Virginia Gov. Mark Warner were mum about whether their bosses' holiday cards mentioned the C-word. [article link]
Preview "Revelation" Movie Church Showings Jan. 19 - Feb. 19, 2006 To me the most powerful scene in this movie involves our hero questioning a believer about God and challenging God to a face-to-face encounter. The scene was designed to meet most unbelievers right where they are at in their spiritual journey. [article link]
The Bush White House Christmas has Become a Yearly Insult For Christians, Christmas is about one thing: It's not about "all things bright and beautiful." It's about God's Son coming to Earth in human form to atone for our sins so that we can share eternal life with Him. It's not about Santa Claus, and I'm surprised this needs to be pointed out to a president who claims to be a born-again Christian. [article link]
Bush White House 2005 'Holiday Theme' "All things bright and beautiful" This year's theme has been chosen to highlight the beauty to be found in nature. Our emphasis for this holiday season is on some of the many ways that plants, trees, fruit and flowers can be the stars of holiday decorating. The members of the White House Executive Residence staff and floral designers from across the country have worked tirelessly and creatively to make the White House reflect the wonders of nature's bounty. Our thanks go to all whose deft hands and willing hearts have helped to transform many lovely ideas into reality. We hope your own holiday season is made brighter by your coming to be part of ours! George Bush - Laura Bush [article link]
'Holiday' Cards Ring Hollow for Some on Bushes' List - Conservative Throws Away Bush Christmas Card What's missing from the White House Christmas card? Christmas. This month, as in every December since he took office, President Bush sent out cards with a generic end-of-the-year message, wishing 1.4 million of his close friends and supporters a happy "holiday season." Many people are thrilled to get a White House Christmas card, no matter what the greeting inside. But some conservative Christians are reacting as if Bush stuck coal in their stockings. "This clearly demonstrates that the Bush administration has suffered a loss of will and that they have capitulated to the worst elements in our culture," said William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. Bush "claims to be a born-again, evangelical Christian. But he sure doesn't act like one," said Joseph Farah, editor of the conservative Web site WorldNetDaily.com. "I threw out my White House card as soon as I got it." [article link]
Christmas Gifts from AdventureBoundOutdoors.com Taking you on adventures in God's counry. [article link]
List of Companies That Have Banned "Christmas" From Their Retail Ads, In-Store Promotions or Television Commercials Please take time to let them know you are offended by their anti-Christian and anti-Christmas bias. Their contact information is below. In addition, companies marked with an asterisk* have gone so far as to substitute the phrase "Holiday or Dream trees" instead of "Christmas trees" in their promotions. [article link]
"Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" Sunday, January 8 2006 (Webcast) Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia will host Family Research Council's simulcast television program, "Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" on Sunday, January 8 2006. Justice Sunday III, the follow-up to "Justice Sunday II - God Save the United States and this Honorable Court" will broadcast live in churches across the nation -- via Sky Angel satellite -- in addition to being carried on hundreds of radio and Christian TV stations, and via live webcast on this site. [article link]
The Franklin Graham "Celebration of Hope" will be held at the New Orleans Arena, March 11-12, 2006 (Prayer Points for this Event) The Celebration of Hope - March 11-12, 2006 at the New Orleans Arena - Will feature worship, a time of prayer, testimonies, and a message of hope from Franklin Graham. For the last 10 years there has been an invitation to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to come and guide in preparing for a united evangelistic outreach to Greater New Orleans. The spiritual leaders of Greater New Orleans believe that-with the devastation and desperation created by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita-the time is right. The soil of human hearts has been softened, and people are ready and need to receive a message of HOPE. [article link]
MY CHRISTMAS DISCOVERY Love is not blind; it has an extra spiritual eye which sees the good and possibilities that others cannot see! [article link]
Basic Christian: Full Website Content - Final 2005 Version (PDF) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
Film Director Sparks Debate Over Origins of 'Harry Potter' A Norwegian film director has sparked a debate in Norway over whether JK Rowling really is the enormously successful author who launched the Harry Potter craze, or whether she's just a good actress fronted by multinational commercial interests. A Norwegian film director has doubts as to whether JK Rowling is really behind the story of Harry Potter. [article link]
Presidential Christmas Message, 2004 (No mention of Jesus) For 2,000 years, Christmas has proclaimed a message of hope: the patient hope of men and women across centuries who listened to the words of prophets and lived in joyful expectation; the hope of Mary, who welcomed God's plan with great faith; and the hope of wise men, who set out on a long journey guided only by a slender promise traced in the stars. Christmas reminds us that the grandest purposes of God can be found in the humblest places. And it gives us hope that all the love and gifts that come to us in this life are the signs and symbols of an even greater love and gift that came on a holy night. [article link]
President's Christmas Message, 2002 (A very Honoring Message) I send greetings to those celebrating Christmas. During Christmas, we gather with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As God's only Son, Jesus came to Earth and gave His life so that we may live. His actions and His words remind us that service to others is central to our lives and that sacrifice and unconditional love must guide us and inspire us to lead lives of compassion, mercy, and justice. [article link]
The Assault on Christmas At times, it seems we went to sleep in George Bailey's friendly hometown (Bedford Falls) in It's a Wonderful Life--and woke up in nasty Potterville! [article link]
Bush White House's Christ-less Christmas Official Commemorations Emphasize Santa, Rudolph over Jesus in 2004 WASHINGTON - What's virtually missing from the White House commemoration of Christmas this year? Jesus. The little baby in the manger. The reason for the season. While President Bush was re-elected last month in an election victory many attributed to an outpouring of support by evangelical Christians impressed with his candid outspokenness about his faith, some Americans notice the White House website lacks even a single mention of Jesus, whose birth is celebrated by hundreds of millions worldwide Dec. 25. [article link]
Awana: Family Connection November Newsletter Awana Family Connection is delivered free via e-mail to subscribers monthly. We encourage you to distribute this newsletter freely and ask only that you not change its contents. [article link]
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY Daily Broadcast - Dr. James Dobson (Audio) On each information-packed broadcast, Dr. James Dobson, and his guests give you practical advice on marriage, parenting, emotional and spiritual growth, health, social issues and public policy concerns. [article link]
The Didache - The Teachings for New Christians Aprox. 75 A. D. The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations. Chapter 1. The Two Ways and the First Commandment. There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but a great difference between the two ways.
The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, love your neighbor as yourself, [article link]
Israel and the US - A God-ordained alliance? Part I: When God brought about the independence of the United States in 1776, He was supervising the founding of a nation He purposed to have in place about two centuries later as the world's mightiest superpower. And His reason for elevating America to this position was so that she would ally herself with the surviving remnant of the Jewish people, help them take root again in their national homeland, and support them in their struggle against a hostile world. [article link]
Your Faith Use It or Lose It You've heard the expression. "Use it or lose it." It applies to a very important aspect of American life - your right to exercise your faith. Americans are losing that right - and when they do they won't be able to blame the American Civil Liberties Union alone. They will have themselves to blame. [article link]
Soldiers Spooked By New Orleans Spirits (News-Video) New Orleans dark past is coming out to reveal itself in a scary spiritual way. [article link]
'The Sweet Life' Former Avalon Singer Offers Her Testimony "I had a 10-year relationship that had gone really sour," says Christian singer Cherie Adams, formerly of the group Avalon. "We were like high school sweethearts, and I went from seeing him every day to never seeing each other again." "I was physically sick. I thought about killing myself. Then one day my mother was bugging me to go to church and I said, 'I don't know why I'm going to bother because God doesn't love me anymore. He doesn't know me." But Adams went and says her life was forever altered by this single service. Today, Adams travels the country, singing songs, talking about her experiences as a platinum-selling artist in the music business and her life as a Christian, and giving support to other women who have been through similar hardships. [article link]
BasicChristian.info for Convenient FREE Christian PDF & MP3 Downloads A Christian Information Center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. [article link]
Frightening: Opening for Terror-Sympathizer Brian Moskowitz to Head *ICE (*New INS) National Security The prospect of Moskowitz in this position, for the many reasons enumerated in great detail on this site, is frightening. Moskowitz, the ambitious but spineless, incompetent, and unethical Special Agent in Charge of ICE for Michigan and Ohio (the heart of Islamic America), has shirked his responsibility in national security matters in his current position. As we've detailed, Moskowitz has maintained a close relationship with "former" Islamic terrorist Imad Hamad (who is also an FBI award revokee), enlisted Hamad in new agent recruitment, pressured ICE recruiters to hire Hamad's nephew/associate, shut down investigations into Islamic charities laundering money to HAMAS and Iraqi insurgents, prohibited agents from conducting assorted investigations into Islamic illegal immigration, smuggling, and money-laundering, etc., etc., ad absurdum. [article link]
The Militant Terrorist Group Hamas Wins Key Elections in West Bank {Is President Bush Asleep at the Wheel Someone, Anyone Wakeup the President!} NABLUS, West Bank - The Hamas militant group won local elections in the West Bank's largest cities, according to preliminary results released Friday, dealing a harsh blow to the ruling Fatah party just six weeks ahead of a
parliamentary poll. Hamas swept more than 70 percent of the vote in the West Bank city of Nablus, highlighting the fierce challenge posed by the group to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, which suffered a split Thursday when a group of young leaders broke away. Meanwhile, Palestinian militants fired on an Israeli vehicle near the West Bank city of Hebron, seriously wounding a passenger, the army and rescue services said. The army sealed off the area after the drive-by shooting. [article link]
Overview of the ABA Seminar "Tort Law as an Ideological Weapon": The Coming Nuclear Attack on Christianity in America It is of crucial importance for all Bible-believing Christian churches, schools, organizations and ministries. We urge our readers to bring it to the attention of pastors, elders, Christian counselors and others in Christian leadership positions. Christian attorneys need to prepare for this escalating attack by litigation, which will soon require their informed and courageous services. Christianity in America is increasingly coming under attack by civil government regulation and litigation. Recently, private litigants have begun to bring suit against the church and Christian ministries. All signs paint toward a rapid escalation of these attacks on both fronts in the very near future. The primary focus at this paper will center on tort litigation which was the subject of a seminar conducted May 4 and 5, 1989 in San Francisco, sponsored by the Section of Tort and Insurance Practice, Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities and the Division for Professional Education of the American Bar Association. [article link]
It's 'Choice on Earth' time again - Planned Parenthood criticized for 'profane' Christmas cards Planned Parenthood's "Choice on Earth" Christmas cards are back for a fourth year, once again drawing criticism from pro-life groups, which call the alteration of familiar Biblical text sacrilegious. ... "By replacing 'peace' with 'choice,' or more accurately, 'killing the innocent on earth,' Planned Parenthood is essentially saying 'abortion on earth,'" Sedlak said. "This blatant mockery of Christian values - and of Christ Himself - truly demonstrates the bigoted, anti-religion, anti-God nature of Planned Parenthood." [article link]
Double Standard U.S. Policy on Hamas The U.S. is funding a Hamas-controlled town in Gaza despite a ban against financing terrorist organizations. Congressmen warned that funds to the PA might be cut if Hamas wins elections. The U.S. government's Agency for International Development has given the Hamas-controlled village of Bani Suheila $392,000 for road projects, according to Middle East Newsline. It quoted the mayor of the town, where Hamas won 12 out of 13 seats in recent local elections, as saying he expects more projects for funding. [article link]
Chirac Touts Actress for 'DaVinci Code' Filmmaker Ron Howard says that the upcoming movie based on Dan Brown's mega-hit novel "The Da Vinci Code" will not soften the story's more controversial elements. There will be "no placating," he tells Newsweek in its annual "Who's Next" double issue, which names the up-and-comers in politics, business, science, sports and the arts that will make headlines in 2006. "It would be ludicrous to take on this subject and then try to take the edges off. We're doing this movie because we like the book," he says. Since "The Da Vinci Code" was published in 2003, the book has become a global industry, spawning everything from critical documentaries to reverential bus tours. It has also been condemned by the Vatican for disseminating falsehoods about the Roman Catholic Church. The cult of "The Da Vinci Code" will reach new heights with the release of SonyColumbia Pictures's $125 million film version, starring Tom Hanks and an international cast led by Jean Reno and Audrey Tautou. [article link]
Christian 'megapastor' blasts believers on Dec. 25 dispute (Sunday-Christmas Closed Churches) Some churches defend no services, others pull U-turn, will be open With many large churches across the U.S. announcing they won't be open on Christmas Day, some pastors are defending their decision, even going so far as to blast those who question their motives. Among them is Jon Weece, pastor of Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Ky., who got complaint e-mails from all 50 states. He delivered a strong response to those critical of the Christmas closure. [article link]
Democrats call for investigation of NSA {Bush} wiretaps (cnn) WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic House leaders called Sunday for an independent panel to investigate the legality of a program President Bush authorized that allows warrantless wiretaps on U.S. citizens, according to a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert. "We believe that the President must have the best possible intelligence to protect the American people, but that intelligence must be produced in a manner consistent with our Constitution and our laws, and in a manner that reflects our values as a nation," the letter says. [article link]
Congress Pushes Back, Hard, Against Bush - Blindsided by news of domestic spying, it is holding up a key bill (Christian Science Monitor) WASHINGTON - From a standoff over the Patriot Act to pushback from Capitol Hill on the treatment of detainees, secret prisons abroad, and government eavesdropping at home, tensions between the Bush White House and the Republican-controlled Congress have never been more exposed. ... Even Republicans who favor renewing the Patriot Act were blindsided by news Friday, later confirmed, that President Bush had authorized secret eavesdropping on international communications from people in the US with ties to terrorists. "It's inexcusable ... clearly and categorically wrong," says Sen. Arlen Specter (R) of Pennsylvania, who was not among the congressional leaders Mr. Bush says had been briefed on the program. Senator Specter promises that the Judiciary Committee he chairs will hold hearings on domestic spying by the National Security Agency in the new year. [article link]
Judge's ruling in Dover (intelligent-design in biology class) case nears The two sides in Dover Area School District's First Amendment court battle are gearing up for this nation's first ruling on the subject of intelligent design. ... Depending on how he rules, Jones' decision could have a lasting effect on the way biology is taught in schools across the country. ... Essentially, Jones could issue three rulings, legal experts have said. He could rule in support of the school district's decision that intelligent design in high school biology class does not violate the First Amendment, thereby paving the way for the concept to be introduced in public schools across the country. Or he could decide that intelligent design is unconstitutional because it's religion disguised as science. Such a decision could deliver a severe blow to intelligent design. [article link]
Mp3 Bible studies - aprox. 45 minutes in length This web ministry is dedicated to seeing the Word of God studied, taught and distributed worldwide. Pastor Steve Wright offers these free Bible studies on-line so that the world may learn and understand the Word of God. [article link]
Bethlehem a Christmas without Christians Since the Palestinian Authority's takeover of Bethlehem in 1995, under the Oslo Accords with Israel, Bethlehem has been transformed from a Christian city into a Muslim city. Bethlehem's remaining Christians now live in a condition of dhimmitude (a reference to the second-class citizenship Islam imposes on Christians) in the city of Jesus' birth. [article link]
Frightening: Opening for Terror-Sympathizer Brian Moskowitz to Head *ICE (*New INS) National Security The prospect of Moskowitz in this position, for the many reasons enumerated in great detail on this site, is frightening. Moskowitz, the ambitious but spineless, incompetent, and unethical Special Agent in Charge of ICE for Michigan and Ohio (the heart of Islamic America), has shirked his responsibility in national security matters in his current position. As we've detailed, Moskowitz has maintained a close relationship with "former" Islamic terrorist Imad Hamad (who is also an FBI award revokee), enlisted Hamad in new agent recruitment, pressured ICE recruiters to hire Hamad's nephew/associate, shut down investigations into Islamic charities laundering money to HAMAS and Iraqi insurgents, prohibited agents from conducting assorted investigations into Islamic illegal immigration, smuggling, and money-laundering, etc., etc., ad absurdum. [article link]
The Militant Terrorist Group Hamas Wins Key Elections in West Bank {Is President Bush Asleep at the Wheel Someone, Anyone Wakeup the President!} NABLUS, West Bank - The Hamas militant group won local elections in the West Bank's largest cities, according to preliminary results released Friday, dealing a harsh blow to the ruling Fatah party just six weeks ahead of a parliamentary poll. Hamas swept more than 70 percent of the vote in the West Bank city of Nablus, highlighting the fierce challenge posed by the group to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, which suffered a split Thursday when a group of young leaders broke away. Meanwhile, Palestinian militants fired on an Israeli vehicle near the West Bank city of Hebron, seriously wounding a passenger, the army and rescue services said. The army sealed off the area after the drive-by shooting. [article link]
Common Sense America: We Fight Because The Alternative Is Unacceptable Why do we suddenly see Christians standing up and fighting for things they had passively grown to accept over the past few decades? Why, in the last few years, have Christians become more vocal against those that would secularize this nation and who have been on a campaign to literally erase not only God and Christianity but even the mere mention of all religion from our nation? ... Rather, it's an eerie feeling in the pit of most Christian's stomachs that, if left alone, we are yet one step closer to a fate far worse than political correctness. We are one step closer to communism. ... For Communism to thrive, their members know and teach that they must first smash all religious groups: Just as in Russia we [they] had to destroy, after many, many years of most arduous work, the Church, so we must destroy all faiths in nations marked for conquest. We have battled in America since the century's turn to bring to nothing any and all Christian influences and we are succeeding. You must work until "religion" is synonymous with "insanity." You must work until the officials of city, county and state governments will not think twice before they pounce upon religious groups as public enemies. [article link]
Overview of the ABA Seminar "Tort Law as an Ideological Weapon": The Coming Nuclear Attack on Christianity in America It is of crucial importance for all Bible-believing Christian churches, schools, organizations and ministries. We urge our readers to bring it to the attention of pastors, elders, Christian counselors and others in Christian leadership positions. Christian attorneys need to prepare for this escalating attack by litigation, which will soon require their informed and courageous services. Christianity in America is increasingly coming under attack by civil government regulation and litigation. Recently, private litigants have begun to bring suit against the church and Christian ministries. All signs paint toward a rapid escalation of these attacks on both fronts in the very near future. The primary focus at this paper will center on tort litigation which was the subject of a seminar conducted May 4 and 5, 1989 in San Francisco, sponsored by the Section of Tort and Insurance Practice, Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities and the Division for Professional Education of the American Bar Association. [article link]
Kansas Lawmakers Still Consider Hearings Over KU's Bias Against Religion The offending professor (KU's Harvard-educated Paul Mirecki) has resigned {his dept. chair but remains on the UK teaching staff} over his comments, but holding legislative hearings about anti-religious bias at Kansas universities remains a valid idea, Rep. Kay O'Connor, R-Olathe, said Monday O'Connor questioned whether what occurred represented an isolated case of intolerance or typifies behavior at Regents universities. "After all, a great deal of taxpayer money is given to these universities," O'Connor said. "They have a responsibility and an obligation to make sure these things never happen. I'm shocked that it did happen. "There are some infractions that are so obviously wrong that it's a shock that a professor with this kind of hatefulness was not corrected long ago. "There would be one school of thought that there still should be a hearing, because if he is continuing to teach, does he have this same hate campaign going on in other classes?" Such questions might signal the need for a hearing, O'Connor said. "He is credited with bragging that no one in his religion department believes in God. If that is a true statement, what is happening to the religious department?" she asked. [article link]
KU Prof's Alleged Roadside Beating Raises Questions, Says Columnist (AgapePress) - A conservative columnist is questioning the veracity of an atheist University of Kansas professor's claim that he was brutally attacked on a rural road outside of Lawrence as a result of disparaging remarks he wrote about Christians. ... Adams recounts Mirecki's story, which the UNC educator admits he finds difficult to believe. "He's claiming, of course, that he's heading out for an early breakfast at about 6 a.m.," Adams says, "[but] he's heading in the opposite direction from all the breakfast places in Lawrence, Kansas; he's heading out in the country. ... [article link]
KU Postcard repudiates Professor Mirecki's remarks - Religious studies board aims to inform department donors about recent controversy The fundraising and support arm of Kansas University's religious studies department has mailed a postcard to the thousands of people on its mailing list renouncing the disparaging comments made by professor Paul Mirecki, whose words about Catholicism and religious fundamentalists {and Jews} raised a firestorm recently. "We repudiate the inappropriate comments in publicized (e-mails) of one of our faculty members, even though we continue to appreciate his scholarly work and teaching," reads the postcard from Friends of the Department of Religious Studies. {They appreciate his scholarly work (Hoaxes) what a shame.} [article link]
Christmas Traditions in Sweden In Sweden, unlike most other countries, the main part of Christmas is not celebrated on December 25th, but on December 24th, Christmas Eve (in Swedish "Julafton"). [article link]
Christmas Eve Recipies (Polish) Home of Polish Goods and Herbal Remedies. [article link]
Nellie's Christmas Eve published in 1908 (.Jpg) Children's Books Online. [article link]
Thomas More Law Center Challenges New Jersey District's Total Ban on Christmas Music ANN ARBOR, MI - The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has filed its opening brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, challenging the constitutionality of a New Jersey school district's policy that banned all religious
music in the district's public schools. The School District's ban was specifically focused on preventing the playing of Christmas music, including simple instrumentals, during the 2004(5) year-end celebrations in its public schools. [article link]
Housing officials 'cancel' Christmas - Federally funded facilities tell residents not to sing carols, or decorate Managers in charge of two federally subsidized housing facilities have told residents in one case they cannot sing Christmas carols, and in another they can't decorate their own entry doors with religious symbols, according to a religious-liberty law firm. ... "Some of these elderly citizens and persons with disabilities will celebrate their final Christmas in these housing facilities," Staver noted. "It is unthinkable that these housing authorities would rob the elderly and the dependent residents of their joy in celebrating Christmas. It is hard to imagine what these officials are thinking when they tell senior citizens that they may not celebrate Christmas, and then in the same breath, seek to justify their discrimination on the basis of inclusion. Forbidding these senior and dependent residents from celebrating Christmas is the most exclusionary act imaginable." [article link]
THE DA VINCI CODE: Did Jesus have a wife and child, of course not! (PDF) {Updated} First network TV and now a movie will air a program that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth. Following is some material to consider regarding this very wrong and false topic. [article link]
"The Da Vinci Code" - The Hoax Behind the Code This article is a response to questions that people have asked us in regards to the novel, The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown. The novel was published in 2003 and has sold millions of copies. The novel, which is fiction, claims that the New Testament of the Bible is false and that Christianity, as we know it today, is radically different from the "original" Christianity. This article seeks to explain that the theory behind The Da Vinci Code, is false. [article link]
The Da Vinci HOAX! 1. Fiction: Mary Magdalene was married to Jesus. 2. Fiction: The Gnostic gospels and the Dead Sea Scrolls are "the earliest Christian records." 3. Fiction: Christianity stole its ideas and concepts from paganism. ... [article link]
House Lawmakers Concerned About Limits on Military Chaplains WASHINGTON - House lawmakers concerned that proposed military guidelines are restricting some Christian chaplains' abilities to pray said Wednesday they will deliver a 6-inch-thick petition to President Bush this week asking him to intervene. ... They said some Christian chaplains throughout the military have complained their right to pray by specifically mentioning Jesus Christ is at risk. The lawmakers want Bush to issue an executive order protecting chaplains' right to pray according to their faith. [article link]
It's 'Choice on Earth' time again - Planned Parenthood criticized for 'profane' Christmas cards Planned Parenthood's "Choice on Earth" Christmas cards are back for a fourth year, once again drawing criticism from pro-life groups, which call the alteration of familiar Biblical text sacrilegious. ... "By replacing 'peace' with 'choice,' or more accurately, 'killing the innocent on earth,' Planned Parenthood is essentially saying 'abortion on earth,'" Sedlak said. "This blatant mockery of Christian values - and of Christ Himself - truly demonstrates the bigoted, anti-religion, anti-God nature of Planned Parenthood." [article link]
Prophecy in the News - Internet Video - Podcast Ready Internet Television - Just click and watch. [article link]
Visit Israel - Banded & Bonded to Bless Israel III with Pastor Jack Hayford March 26 - April 4, 2006 I invite you to join our 2006 study tour-visiting sites and opening God's Word to see deep truth in the midst of dramatic scenes. We expect great grace this year with something to add a new "unforgettable" for each one making the journey. We'll both see and pray through the Land; daily interceding to secure Israel's boundaries against evil men and works (Proverbs 22:28; 23:10, 11); We'll invoke God's Blessing by our prayers and presence in His Land. [article link]
The DaVinci Code Movie "Seek The Truth" Sony Pictures Movie Trailer {Oops No Truth in This Movie} Full length movie trailer. [article link]
Dismantling The Da Vinci Code The Da Vinci Code opens with the grisly murder of the Louvre's curator inside the museum. The crime enmeshes hero Robert Langdon, a tweedy professor of symbolism from Harvard, and the victim's granddaughter, burgundy-haired cryptologist Sophie Nevue. Together with crippled millionaire historian Leigh Teabing, they flee Paris for London one step ahead of the police and a mad albino Opus Dei "monk" named Silas who will stop at nothing to prevent them from finding the "Grail." But despite the frenetic pacing, at no point is action allowed to interfere with a good lecture. Before the story comes full circle back to the Louvre, readers face a barrage of codes, puzzles, mysteries, and conspiracies. ... But his book is more than just the story of a quest for the Grail-he wholly reinterprets the Grail legend. In doing so, Brown inverts the insight that a woman's body is symbolically a container and makes a container symbolically a woman's body. And that container has a name every Christian will recognize, for Brown claims that the Holy Grail was actually Mary Magdalene. She was the vessel that held the blood of Jesus Christ in her womb while bearing his children. Over the centuries, the Grail-keepers have been guarding the true (and continuing) bloodline of Christ and the relics of the Magdalen, not a material vessel. Therefore Brown claims that "the quest for the Holy Grail is the quest to kneel before the bones of Mary Magdalene," a conclusion that would surely have surprised Sir Galahad and the other Grail knights who thought they were searching for the Chalice of the Last Supper. [article link]
The Da Vinci Code Debunked and Defunked - Get Ready To Learn The Facts! This book is just another garden variety assault on the integrity of the Bible. And its old school at that. It's simply a combination of old paganism and old Gnosticism (secret knowledge), brought to life by a master storyteller. It's all quite amusing, if it's accepted for what it really is: not historical fiction, but pure fiction. And as engaging as the book is, it can't compare to the thrill of discovering the historical truth about the events that have shaped the very foundations of modern civilization. ... On the contrary, there are verses that logically indicate that Jesus was not married. In his first letter to the Corinthian church the apostle Paul wrote: "Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?" 1 Corinthians 9:5-6. ... Paul is saying that he had the right to be married just like the Lord's brothers and the other apostles. But logically if Jesus were married, why wouldn't Paul cite the Lord's marriage as the ultimate authority for his own right to have a wife? Why didn't he say "Jesus was married, so I have the right to marry"? Such a statement would have much greater weight. [article link]
Christmas in Panama The Holidays start for the Panamanian people on December 8th with the celebration of the Immaculate
Conception. This is also Mother's Day in Panama. Some of the little girls are dressed as Angels with wings attached to their dresses and there is a parade with the Statue of the Blessed Virgin being carried down the main street. The children also make their first communion on this day. [article link]
Christmas Traditions in England Every year in December we celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. That is why we call this time Christmas - we celebrate the Mass, or church service, for Christ. The word Christmas (or Christ's Mass) comes from the Old English name Cristes Maesse, meaning the feast or festival of Christmas. The feast lasts for twelve days and is known as the Twelve Days of Christmas. Christmas is a truly magical season, bringing families and friends together to share the much loved customs and traditions which have been around for centuries. Most people are on holiday in England and stay at home with their family on Christmas day. [article link]
Christmas Traditions in Germany Many "American" Christmas elements have come from German Europe. "Silent Night" was composed in Austria in 1818. [article link]
Sexually Transmitted Depression - The New STD? Research reverses the thought that teen depression leads to risky behaviors. Nearly every discussion about sexual education focuses on preventing sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. However, research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that, especially for girls, the discussion needs to include a third negative possibility: depression. [article link]
More on Target's "Holiday" Shopping: Does Target Have A Preferred Religion? We've been detailing Target's attempts to de-Christmas-ize the holiday season (here and here)--a season, which wouldn't exist if there was not Christmas. Now we see why. Target apparently has a preferred religion, which--you guessed it--is NOT Christianity. In Sunday newspapers across the country, Target featured a fourpage color spread touting the $2 million per week the chain is "giving back" (we call it what it is: a pay-off) to "the community." The picture below illustrates what Target sees as "the community" and how to "give back" to it. We noted not a single Christian or Jewish group in the four full-page ad spread. Why? We don't object to Target treating all religions equally, but this ad--and Target's outrageous "holiday" season behavior--suggests otherwise, that Target prefers one religion (Islam) over the others. [article link]
Hold Off on That Chip, Says Thompson Ex-Bush Cabinet Officer in No Rush for Implant WASHINGTON - When former Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson joined the board of directors of a company promoting the broad implantation of microchips into Americans for identification purposes, he pledged to get chipped himself as an example. But Thompson doesn't appear to be in any hurry to get the implant. ... But when authors Liz McIntyre and Katherine Albrecht, who researched human chipping for their book "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID," contacted VeriChip Corp. earlier this month, they were told that the chipping never took place. VeriChip spokesman John Procter said Thompson has been "too busy" to undergo the chipping procedure, adding that he had no clear plans to do so in the future. "I wouldn't put any type of time line on it," Procter said. [article link]
Daily Encouragement Net Christian Podcast (Mp3-Pod-Download) {Right-Click on POD Icon} Encouraging followers of Jesus Christ each weekday with hope and encouragement from the Bible since 1996.
5-10 min each. Subscribe to Podcast. [article link]
"The Da Vinci Code" - The Hoax Behind the Code This article is a response to questions that people have asked us in regards to the novel, The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown. The novel was published in 2003 and has sold millions of copies. The novel, which is fiction, claims that the New Testament of the Bible is false and that Christianity, as we know it today, is radically different from the "original" Christianity. This article seeks to explain that the theory behind The Da Vinci Code, is false. [article link]
The Da Vinci HOAX! 1. Fiction: Mary Magdalene was married to Jesus. 2. Fiction: The Gnostic gospels and the Dead Sea Scrolls are "the earliest Christian records." 3. Fiction: Christianity stole its ideas and concepts from paganism. ... [article link]
House Lawmakers Concerned About Limits on Military Chaplains WASHINGTON - House lawmakers concerned that proposed military guidelines are restricting some Christian chaplains' abilities to pray said Wednesday they will deliver a 6-inch-thick petition to President Bush this week asking him to intervene. ... They said some Christian chaplains throughout the military have complained their right to pray by specifically mentioning Jesus Christ is at risk. The lawmakers want Bush to issue an executive order protecting chaplains' right to pray according to their faith. [article link]
It's 'Choice on Earth' time again - Planned Parenthood criticized for 'profane' Christmas cards Planned Parenthood's "Choice on Earth" Christmas cards are back for a fourth year, once again drawing criticism from pro-life groups, which call the alteration of familiar Biblical text sacrilegious. ... "By replacing 'peace' with 'choice,' or more accurately, 'killing the innocent on earth,' Planned Parenthood is essentially saying 'abortion on earth,'" Sedlak said. "This blatant mockery of Christian values - and of Christ Himself - truly demonstrates the bigoted, anti-religion, anti-God nature of Planned Parenthood." [article link]
Prophecy in the News - Internet Video - Podcast Ready Internet Television - Just click and watch. [article link]
Visit Israel - Banded & Bonded to Bless Israel III with Pastor Jack Hayford March 26 - April 4, 2006 I invite you to join our 2006 study tour-visiting sites and opening God's Word to see deep truth in the midst of dramatic scenes. We expect great grace this year with something to add a new "unforgettable" for each one making the journey. We'll both see and pray through the Land; daily interceding to secure Israel's boundaries against evil men and works (Proverbs 22:28; 23:10, 11); We'll invoke God's Blessing by our prayers and presence in His Land. [article link]
The DaVinci Code Movie "Seek The Truth" Sony Pictures Movie Trailer {Oops No Truth in This Movie} Full length movie trailer. [article link]
Dismantling The Da Vinci Code The Da Vinci Code opens with the grisly murder of the Louvre's curator inside the museum. The crime enmeshes hero Robert Langdon, a tweedy professor of symbolism from Harvard, and the victim's granddaughter, burgundy-haired cryptologist Sophie Nevue. Together with crippled millionaire historian Leigh
Teabing, they flee Paris for London one step ahead of the police and a mad albino Opus Dei "monk" named Silas who will stop at nothing to prevent them from finding the "Grail." But despite the frenetic pacing, at no point is action allowed to interfere with a good lecture. Before the story comes full circle back to the Louvre, readers face a barrage of codes, puzzles, mysteries, and conspiracies. ... But his book is more than just the story of a quest for the Grail-he wholly reinterprets the Grail legend. In doing so, Brown inverts the insight that a woman's body is symbolically a container and makes a container symbolically a woman's body. And that container has a name every Christian will recognize, for Brown claims that the Holy Grail was actually Mary Magdalene. She was the vessel that held the blood of Jesus Christ in her womb while bearing his children. Over the centuries, the Grail-keepers have been guarding the true (and continuing) bloodline of Christ and the relics of the Magdalen, not a material vessel. Therefore Brown claims that "the quest for the Holy Grail is the quest to kneel before the bones of Mary Magdalene," a conclusion that would surely have surprised Sir Galahad and the other Grail knights who thought they were searching for the Chalice of the Last Supper. [article link]
The Da Vinci Code Debunked and Defunked - Get Ready To Learn The Facts! This book is just another garden variety assault on the integrity of the Bible. And its old school at that. It's simply a combination of old paganism and old Gnosticism (secret knowledge), brought to life by a master storyteller. It's all quite amusing, if it's accepted for what it really is: not historical fiction, but pure fiction. And as engaging as the book is, it can't compare to the thrill of discovering the historical truth about the events that have shaped the very foundations of modern civilization. ... On the contrary, there are verses that logically indicate that Jesus was not married. In his first letter to the Corinthian church the apostle Paul wrote: "Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?" 1 Corinthians 9:5-6. ... Paul is saying that he had the right to be married just like the Lord's brothers and the other apostles. But logically if Jesus were married, why wouldn't Paul cite the Lord's marriage as the ultimate authority for his own right to have a wife? Why didn't he say "Jesus was married, so I have the right to marry"? Such a statement would have much greater weight. [article link]
The Strange Tales Of (Professor) Paul Mirecki Paul Mirecki -- the Kansas University religious studies professor who derided Christian fundamentalists as "fundies" -- is a strange man with strange tales of alleged persecution. Contrary to his knee-jerk defenders on the Left, it is not bigoted, hateful, or intolerant for me to scrutinize his story. It's rational. ... The truth is there are too many cases of hate crime hoaxers on campuses -- a phenomenon most left-leaning journalists are loathe to cover -- to dismiss the possibility in this case. Last year, Claremont McKenna College professor Kerri Dunn was sentenced to prison after she staged an anti-Semitic hate crime against herself. Earlier this year, a lesbian student at Mt. Tamalpais High School in Marin County, Calif., faked several anti-gay incidents to garner attention and sympathy. Leah Miller, a black student at San Francisco State University, admitted to scratching "NIGG" on a dorm room door and writing herself a note with the same epithet. Jaime Alexander Saide, a Northwestern University student, admitted making up anti-Hispanic threats against himself after the school rallied around him with "Stop the Hate" marches. [article link]
Christmas in Panama The Holidays start for the Panamanian people on December 8th with the celebration of the Immaculate Conception. This is also Mother's Day in Panama. Some of the little girls are dressed as Angels with wings attached to their dresses and there is a parade with the Statue of the Blessed Virgin being carried down the main street. The children also make their first communion on this day. [article link]
Christmas Traditions in England Every year in December we celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. That is why we call this time Christmas - we celebrate the Mass, or church service, for Christ. The word Christmas (or Christ's Mass) comes from the Old English name Cristes Maesse, meaning the feast or festival of Christmas. The feast lasts for twelve days and is known as the Twelve Days of Christmas. Christmas is a truly magical season, bringing families and friends together to share the much loved customs and traditions which have been around for centuries. Most people are on holiday in England and stay at home with their family on Christmas day. [article link]
Christmas Traditions in Germany Many "American" Christmas elements have come from German Europe. "Silent Night" was composed in Austria in 1818. [article link]
Wikipedia author: False entry was joke (cnn) NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- A man who posted false information on an online encyclopedia linking a prominent journalist to the Kennedy assassinations says he was playing a trick on a co-worker. ... Chase said he didn't know the free Internet encyclopedia called Wikipedia was used as a serious reference tool. [article link]
Progressive Insurance Chairman Gives $8.5 Million To ACLU Behind nearly every such (anti-Christian) incident you will find the ACLU. According to the New York Times, Peter Lewis, chairman of Progressive Insurance, believes in the mission and work of the ACLU so much that he gave them $8.5 million. ... Recommended action: If you have a Progressive Insurance policy, cancel it. If you don't have a Progressive policy, let Chairman Lewis know you will not be buying one. (We recommend you do not purchase Allstate Insurance. We will explain our recommendation in a future letter.) [article link]
Sexually Transmitted Depression - The New STD? Research reverses the thought that teen depression leads to risky behaviors. Nearly every discussion about sexual education focuses on preventing sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. However, research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that, especially for girls, the discussion needs to include a third negative possibility: depression. [article link]
More on Target's "Holiday" Shopping: Does Target Have A Preferred Religion? We've been detailing Target's attempts to de-Christmas-ize the holiday season (here and here)--a season, which wouldn't exist if there was not Christmas. Now we see why. Target apparently has a preferred religion, which--you guessed it--is NOT Christianity. In Sunday newspapers across the country, Target featured a fourpage color spread touting the $2 million per week the chain is "giving back" (we call it what it is: a pay-off) to "the community." The picture below illustrates what Target sees as "the community" and how to "give back" to it. We noted not a single Christian or Jewish group in the four full-page ad spread. Why? We don't object to Target treating all religions equally, but this ad--and Target's outrageous "holiday" season behavior--suggests otherwise, that Target prefers one religion (Islam) over the others. [article link]
Hold Off on That Chip, Says Thompson Ex-Bush Cabinet Officer in No Rush for Implant WASHINGTON - When former Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson joined the board of directors of a company promoting the broad implantation of microchips into Americans for identification purposes, he pledged to get chipped himself as an example. But Thompson doesn't appear to be in any hurry to get the implant. ... But when authors Liz McIntyre and Katherine Albrecht, who researched
human chipping for their book "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID," contacted VeriChip Corp. earlier this month, they were told that the chipping never took place. VeriChip spokesman John Procter said Thompson has been "too busy" to undergo the chipping procedure, adding that he had no clear plans to do so in the future. "I wouldn't put any type of time line on it," Procter said. [article link]
Daily Encouragement Net Christian Podcast (Mp3-Pod-Download) {Right-Click on POD Icon} Encouraging followers of Jesus Christ each weekday with hope and encouragement from the Bible since 1996. 5-10 min each. Subscribe to Podcast. [article link]
Individual Life stories, how and why people became Christians(Testimony) Real life stories and Testimonials from people describing how and why they became a Christian. [article link]
The "Evil Dr. P." (KU's Harvard-educated Paul Mirecki) Slurs Christians & Jews in Campus Emails As soon became clear, however, Mirecki's motives were less than intellectually honest. Mirecki had sent out an explanatory e-mail to one of his acolytes, who then distributed it approvingly to his colleagues in SOMA - KU's "Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics." The e-mail read as follows: The fundies want [intelligent design] all taught in a science class, but this will be a nice slap in their big fat face by teaching it as a religious studies class under the category "mythology." It was signed the "Evil Dr. P." - Mirecki's nom de guerre in the KU SOMA underground. [article link]
Seoul Train: Life-Risking Escapes, Faith-Motivated Efforts (PBS Dec. 13 at 10 p.m.) Raved as a "gripping" documentary with "raw emotional power" by news agencies and other media, the 60minute documentary film "Seoul Train" has taken the world by storm with a painted reality of the plight of North Korean refugees. ... Produced in 2004, the documentary takes the camera lens to the bare feet of starving children in North Korea, to refugee families moving through Asia's Underground Railroad and living in China, and to escape attempts that are sometimes successful and sometimes not. The first-hand accounts allow viewers to feel the fears and hopes through each minute. ... Screenings of "Seoul Train" have been held throughout the world with the most recent U.S. one having taken place in Washington, D.C. The film will have its television premiere in the United States on PBS' "Independent Lens" on Dec. 13 at 10 p.m. [article link]
Santa Teaches The Children About Christmas This is how it happened ... I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree. [article link]
Word for Life World Ministries Mp3's (Zipped) Word for Life World Ministries is a cooperative effort between a group of Christian friends to provide valuable Christian resources to everyone, with special emphasis on Christian ministries, Christian schools, and familyfriendly sites. We are also interesting in supporting Christian writers, music artists and ministries - not in a financial way, as that is not possible for us, but by bringing them to the public's attention and asking everyone who can to share in their ministries. [article link]
Democrats sell Christian 'hypocrite' sticker Fish symbol with hellish flames - it's removed from website after exposure The official website of Washington State Democrats sold magnetic car stickers of the Christian fish symbol and cross emblazoned with the word "hypocrite" on a background of hellish flames. [article link]
Maurice Sklar Ministries: Bible Teachings True worship will transform you, True worshippers will transform the world! [article link]
Disney's 'Narnia': (Jesus) Christ Need Not Apply The $150 million film, made by Walden Media and distributed by Disney, is the story of a struggle between good and evil in the snowy kingdom of Narnia. Four English siblings enter the enchanted land and discover talking animals who await the return of the lion king, Aslan. The inhabitants believe he will free them from the tyranny of Jadis, the White Witch. Aslan sacrifices himself to save the life of a human boy, or "Son of Adam." He later rises from the dead to lead his troops in a battle against the witch's forces. But the film's director, Andrew Adamson, also has pooh-poohed the idea that the allegory reveals Christ's resurrection, saying that concept is a common theme in the fantasy genre. "The religious aspect is something the press is more interested in than the world at large," he told the BBC. Said "Narnia's" producer, Mark Johnson: "When I read the book as a child, I accepted it as a pure adventure story. It never occurred to me Aslan was anything more than a great lion" rather than a Christ figure. [article link]
Confirmed: Lion of 'Narnia' is (Jesus) 'Lion of Judah' Author C.S. Lewis wrote 1961 letter attesting to Jesus connection Narnia's lion really is Jesus: An unpublished letter from the novelist C S Lewis has provided conclusive proof of the Christian message in his Narnia children's books. In the letter, sent to a child fan in 1961, Lewis writes: "The whole Narnian story is about Christ." It has been found by Walter Hooper, literary adviser to the Lewis estate. [article link]
Seoul Train: Life-Risking Escapes, Faith-Motivated Efforts Raved as a "gripping" documentary with "raw emotional power" by news agencies and other media, the 60minute documentary film "Seoul Train" has taken the world by storm with a painted reality of the plight of North Korean refugees. ... Produced in 2004, the documentary takes the camera lens to the bare feet of starving children in North Korea, to refugee families moving through Asia's Underground Railroad and living in China, and to escape attempts that are sometimes successful and sometimes not. The first-hand accounts allow viewers to feel the fears and hopes through each minute. ... Screenings of "Seoul Train" have been held throughout the world with the most recent U.S. one having taken place in Washington, D.C. The film will have its television premiere in the United States on PBS' "Independent Lens" on Dec. 13 at 10 p.m. [article link]
Coming Soon ... The www.BasicChristian.us Media News Feed Top 100 Items of 2005 The Basic Christian News/Info Feed is going to list the 100 best news feed items and download locations of 2005. [article link]
Kansas bigot (Professor Paul Mirecki) {Likely} Invents Crazy Attack Story [Maps of Story Area Included] Well, Mirecki forgot the gun-rack and the Confederate flag so it can't really be a fundie, red-neck bigot truck, right, Jesse? This sounds for all the world like some lefty fantasy about runamok red-neck fundies because (correct me if I'm wrong, Jesse) they are all violent, gun-toting, pickup driving, scary yahoos just waiting for the chance to beat the hell out of anyone who thinks differently and this incident just proves it. Self-righteous
know-it-alls like Mirecki who value their own intelligence above all others live to "be right" and what better (and desperate) way to prove the moral superiority of his position than to showcase his "opponents" as ignorant, violent bigots (in a way that reveals more about the shallow stereotypes he carries around in his head than anything else). [article link]
2005 UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People: UN Prominently Displays Map Without a Trace of Israel This map was prominently displayed by the UN on November 29, 2005 at a public gathering at UN Headquarters, in the presence of all top three UN officials, the Secretary General, and the Presidents of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly. It purports to be a "map of Palestine." Israel, a UN member state for 56 years, is not on the map. Even the UN General Assembly partition lines of November 29, 1947 marking a Jewish and Arab state, which pre-date this 1948 map, do not appear. In a moment which has been crafted to include the commemoration of suicide-bombers (from left to right) Nasser Al-Kidwa, Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority, President of the UN Security Council Andrey Denisov, President of the UN General Assembly Jan Eliasson, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Paul Badji, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, (and two others) rise at the outset of the November 29th UN meeting with these words from the Chair. "I invite everyone present to rise and observe a minute of silence in memory of all those who have given their lives for the cause of the Palestinian people and the return of peace (Victory over Israel) between Israel and Palestine." [article link]
Blog Misinformation, Mirecki and the Daily Kos (blog) The Daily Kos, one of the most popular blogs on the internet, has been trumpeting Thugs beat up evolution supporter - We're fighting back. Unfortunately, the Kos is a fountain of misinformation. ... Summary: The Daily Kos (blog) is spewing misinformation and hasty conclusions to generate money for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State so they can fight the "creationist fascists." Which raises a question. If, by some chance, Mirecki's story is discredited, will the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State return this money? [article link]
Captain Jack's Christmas Tree website! Christmas Stories Welcome to Captain Jack's Christmas Tree website! We have put together a collection of Christmas information, traditions, links and fun stuff which we hope will help make your holiday season more enjoyable and complete. [article link]
Microsoft Windows 2006 Vista: (Longhorn Is Now Windows Vista) Release Date Might Be 2007 According to the company's Website, Vista is expected to arrive in 2006, a time frame analysts and companywatchers have long questioned since key features in Longhorn have been delayed or nixed since it was first unveiled in 2003. "December of 2006 sounds like a convenient way to not say 2007," Gordon Haff, Illuminata analyst, recently told internetnews.com. "If Microsoft already is pushing the date to the very end of next year, Haff said, "That says to me 2007 is a lot more realistic." The Vista name suggests that graphics and presentation are slated as major improvements to the operating system that runs more than 90 percent of the world's computers. With a tagline that reads, "Bringing clarity to your world," Microsoft's Vista is designed to introduce "clear ways to organize and use information the way you want to use it." [article link]
Professor Paul Mirecki's Website (Actual photo of Paul Mirecki) "Actual Photo" is a Cartoon - Maybe Merecki is on Tilt Paul Mirecki is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas. He is the author of a variety
of studies in ancient Mediterranean religions and is co-editor of Ancient Magic and Ritual Power. [article link]
Hostile Kansas University Professor May Have Perpetuated a 'Hate Crime' Hoax If Mirecki was indeed the victim of this alleged crime, it is a travesty and a shame, and the alleged assailants should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. There is, however, another possibility: It could be a hoax. Mirecki's reticence, lack of specifics, and odd behavior are raising some doubts. Says one skeptic: ... I obtained the front sheet of the police report filed Monday from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (redacted to protect Mirecki's personal information): As you can see (click for larger view), there's not much there. In a phone interview, sheriff's spokeswoman Lt. Kari Wempe could not provide much more detail. She did tell me that Mirecki could not recall where the incident took place. And she said that 20 minutes ensued between the time the incident allegedly occured and when Mirecki reportedly contacted authorities. "It seems like a long time to me," Wempe noted, but declined to elaborate. More weirdness via the University Daily Kansas.com: Officers clarify Mirecki attack details. ... [article link]
U. of Kansas Cancels Hostile Professor's Course Against Creationism TOPEKA, Kan. - A University of Kansas course devoted to debunking creationism and intelligent design has been canceled after the professor caused a furor by sending an e-mail mocking Christian fundamentalists. [Professor] Mirecki recently posted an e-mail on a student organization forum in which he referred to religious conservatives as "fundies" and said a course depicting intelligent design as mythology would be a "nice slap in their big fat face." He later apologized, and did so again Thursday in a statement issued by the university. [article link]
White House defends Christmas-less card: 'It's a time when we welcome all different faiths' {Actually It's Christmas Time!} "It's a time when we welcome all different faiths," said Susan Whitson, press secretary to Mrs. Bush. "The president has an obligation to acknowledge that." Elsewhere across the area, some staffers for D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams and Virginia Gov. Mark Warner were mum about whether their bosses' holiday cards mentioned the C-word. [article link]
'Silent Night' secularized School changes beloved Christmas carol to 'Cold in the Night' with all new lyrics "For those who deny that there is a war on Christmas, the Wisconsin school district is exhibit A," Mathew Staver, Liberty Counsel president and general counsel, said in a statement. "The law is clear - Christmas is constitutional. When a public school intentionally mocks Christian Christmas songs by secularizing their content, they cross the line from a neutral position, which the Constitution requires, to a hostile position, which the Constitution forbids. Changing 'Silent Night' to 'Cold in the Night' - come on, let's stop this madness! Does the school not realize that Christmas is a national holiday?" [article link]
Survey reflects troubled times for the President at home and abroad Pollster John Zogby: "The 39% job performance is the lowest we have registered so far for Mr. Bush. Behind those numbers are some troubling trends for his party. He is rated positively by only 43% of men, 48% of gun owners, 44% of NASCAR fans, 46% among those who attend a place of worship weekly, 39% of Catholics, 48% of Protestants -- including just 59% among self-described 'Born Again' Protestants, 41% of armed services households, 47% of married voters, and just 72% of conservatives (his lowest yet). These are all groups that have provided strong support for him in the past. He gets only 76% of Republicans (again his lowest in our polls), with just 11% of Democrats and 28% of Independents. His support among Hispanic voters is down to 21% and only 6% among African Americans. The President has been resilient thus far, but he and his party have
some significant catching up to do." The Zogby America poll is conducted monthly for business, political, and public interest clients. [article link]
Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, signed a new law to (Financially) support the families of suicide bombers The Palestinian daily, al Hayat al Jadida has reported that Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, signed a new law to support the families of suicide bombers. Enacting a special law to financially support terrorists will ensure that this kind of activity continues. Each shahid's (Martyr for Allah) family will receive a monthly stipend of at least $250. The family of a married shahid (Martyr for Allah) will receive an additional $50. Parents will receive an additional $25, and each additional child and/or brother or sister will get another $15. The PA's message to its people is clear, suicide bombings are legitimate and worthy of state compensation. In a major piece on the motivation of female suicide bombers, it would have made sense for Newsweek to recognize the support their families receive from the PA. [article link]
Preview "Revelation" Movie Church Showings Jan. 19 - Feb. 19, 2006 To me the most powerful scene in this movie involves our hero questioning a believer about God and challenging God to a face-to-face encounter. The scene was designed to meet most unbelievers right where they are at in their spiritual journey. [article link]
The Bush White House Christmas has Become a Yearly Insult For Christians, Christmas is about one thing: It's not about "all things bright and beautiful." It's about God's Son coming to Earth in human form to atone for our sins so that we can share eternal life with Him. It's not about Santa Claus, and I'm surprised this needs to be pointed out to a president who claims to be a born-again Christian. [article link]
Bush White House 2005 'Holiday Theme' "All things bright and beautiful" This year's theme has been chosen to highlight the beauty to be found in nature. Our emphasis for this holiday season is on some of the many ways that plants, trees, fruit and flowers can be the stars of holiday decorating. The members of the White House Executive Residence staff and floral designers from across the country have worked tirelessly and creatively to make the White House reflect the wonders of nature's bounty. Our thanks go to all whose deft hands and willing hearts have helped to transform many lovely ideas into reality. We hope your own holiday season is made brighter by your coming to be part of ours! George Bush - Laura Bush [article link]
CHRISTmas Info & Resources 2005 Christmas - Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. [article link]
Some Megachurches to Close on Christmas Sunday WASHINGTON - This Christmas, no prayers will be said in several megachurches around the country. Even though the holiday falls this year on a Sunday, when churches normally host thousands for worship, pastors are canceling services, anticipating low attendance on what they call a family day. Critics within the evangelical community, more accustomed to doing battle with department stores and public schools over keeping religion in Christmas, are stunned by the shutdown. It is almost unheard of for a Christian church to cancel services on a Sunday, and opponents of the closures are accusing these congregations of bowing to secular culture. "This is a consumer mentality at work: 'Let's not impose the church on people. Let's not make church in any way inconvenient,'" said David Wells, professor of history and systematic theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological
Seminary, a leading evangelical school in Hamilton, Mass. "I think what this does is feed into the individualism that is found throughout American culture, where everyone does their own thing." [article link]
White House Spokesman stands by Jesus-Santa reference Says Bush 'meant exactly what he said' at tree lighting ceremony {I wonder if President Bush is even capable of mentioning our glorious Jesus by name - very sad} Presidential press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters today President Bush "meant exactly what he said" when he alluded to Jesus during his remarks at the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony only to end that part of his speech with a reference to Santa Claus. As WorldNetDaily reported, flanked by the first lady, as well as members of Congress and the Cabinet, Bush told the public at the event: "The lighting of the National Christmas tree is one of the great traditions in our nation's capital. Each year, we gather here to celebrate the season of hope and joy - and to remember the story of one humble life that lifted the sights of humanity. Santa, thanks for coming. Glad you made it." {I wonder if President Bush is even capable of mentioning our glorious Jesus by name - very sad.} [article link]
Pearl Harbor: Remembered December 7, 1941 Least We Forget. Created to honor the survivors of Pearl Harbor their families and friends and to those who died during the attack on that Sunday morning in December 7, 1941. [article link]
'Holiday' Cards Ring Hollow for Some on Bushes' List - Conservative Throws Away Bush Christmas Card What's missing from the White House Christmas card? Christmas. This month, as in every December since he took office, President Bush sent out cards with a generic end-of-the-year message, wishing 1.4 million of his close friends and supporters a happy "holiday season." Many people are thrilled to get a White House Christmas card, no matter what the greeting inside. But some conservative Christians are reacting as if Bush stuck coal in their stockings. "This clearly demonstrates that the Bush administration has suffered a loss of will and that they have capitulated to the worst elements in our culture," said William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. Bush "claims to be a born-again, evangelical Christian. But he sure doesn't act like one," said Joseph Farah, editor of the conservative Web site WorldNetDaily.com. "I threw out my White House card as soon as I got it." [article link]
Christmas Gifts from AdventureBoundOutdoors.com Taking you on adventures in God's counry. [article link]
Christianfriendz.com. a Christian Community Website The Christian Friends Network Is all about forming a true Christian Community. It is through the signup process, Which Is FREE, That brings people closer together. [article link]
Al-Arian Walk Watch: Islamic Jihad Chief Goes Free Thanks to Incompetent Justice Dept. {Photo - Laura and George Bush and "Acquitted" Terrorist Al-Arian Clan} We've been predicting for some time (here and here) that Islamic Jihad founder and chief Sami Al-Arian would walk, and we're sad to say that we were right. Unfortunately, today, he was acquitted on 8 key terror-related counts, and the jury deadlocked on others (we doubt he'll be retried on those). His co-defendants had similar results. All will go free. While we can't say whether this was an O.J.-style jury, we can say that the "prosecution" team was a Marcia Clark/Christopher Darden-style set of incompetent Assistant U.S. Attorneys and the judge was definitely Dancing Itoh material. This case should set back prosecutor Cherie Krigsman's reputation as
tough on terrorists--not to mention her career--which should be over. Ditto for those at Justice Dept. Headquarters in Washington, who seem to screw every terror case up on purpose. Unfortunately, all will keep their jobs, but it sets America back tremendously. {Photo - Laura and George Bush and "Acquitted" Terrorist AlArian Clan} [article link]
Jury Acquits USF Professor on Some Counts in Terror Aid Case TAMPA -- A former Florida professor was acquitted on a key charge Tuesday that he helped lead a Palestinian terrorist group that has carried out suicide bombings against Israel. In one of the biggest courtroom tests yet of the Patriot Act's expanded search and surveillance powers, the jury acquitted Sami Al-Arian of eight of the 17 counts against him, including a charge of conspiring to maim and murder people overseas. ... Castor noted that .. President Bush, met with Al-Arian during a 2000 campaign stop in Florida. [article link]
The League of Grateful Sons - Buy Two Get One Free (DVD) What is the godly legacy of the fathers of World War II? Their story has not been told - until now! More than 406,000 American soldiers died during the Second World War, leaving an estimated 183,000 children fatherless. Hundreds of thousands of other U.S. troops did return, but many never connected with their children. However, within the ranks of these survivors was a remakable collection of men who made it their life mission to speak the providences of God and the meaning of manhood to the boys who would one day fill their shoes. Through wartime letters and present-day pilgrimages to the bloody battlefields of their youth, the ancient warriors have spoken. Their thankful children rise to honor and surpass their legacy. They are "The League of Grateful Sons." [article link]
STAND UP AGAINST MEDIA BIAS With HonestReporting.com (90-Second Flash: Donation Redquest) As is our custom at the year's end, we write to solicit your financial support for our work in fighting media bias. Our work is made possible by your continued and generous contributions. ... Please take a few moments to view our 90-second video Stand Up. Then please consider donating generously to help support HonestReporting's ongoing work in Exposing Bias, Promoting Balance and Effecting Change. Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the battle against media bias. [article link]
List of Companies That Have Banned "Christmas" From Their Retail Ads, In-Store Promotions or Television Commercials Please take time to let them know you are offended by their anti-Christian and anti-Christmas bias. Their contact information is below. In addition, companies marked with an asterisk* have gone so far as to substitute the phrase "Holiday or Dream trees" instead of "Christmas trees" in their promotions. [article link]
"Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" Sunday, January 8 2006 (Webcast) Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia will host Family Research Council's simulcast television program, "Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" on Sunday, January 8 2006. Justice Sunday III, the follow-up to "Justice Sunday II - God Save the United States and this Honorable Court" will broadcast live in churches across the nation -- via Sky Angel satellite -- in addition to being carried on hundreds of radio and Christian TV stations, and via live webcast on this site. [article link]
First Full-Time Awana Missionary Goes Home Former NFL lineman Don Bunge started and serviced clubs throughout western U.S. Missionary emeritus Don Bunge, the first full-time Awana missionary, passed away on November 17 in his sleep at his home in Nebraska. Don was 81. Don joined Awana as a missionary in 1966. At the time, his territory consisted of everything west
of the Mississippi River. Don retired in 1991. Below is an article written in 2000 about Don and his amazing 25 years of ministry as an Awana missionary. ... By the time Don Bunge retired in 1991, he had left an indelible mark on the western half of the United States for Awana. Thousands of clubs exist as a result of the estimated one million miles of driving Bunge logged over 25 years. Today, kids from St. Louis to Seattle and all in between are reached and trained for Christ. They can thank the man clubbers affectionately dubbed "Uncle Don" for that opportunity. But Don thanked Someone else. "It's all the Lord," he said. "It's nothing I've done. I'm just the one He chose to use, that's all." [article link]
THE DA VINCI CODE: Did Jesus have a wife and child, of course not! (PDF) First network TV and now a movie will air a program that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth. Following is some material to consider regarding this very wrong and false topic. [article link]
THE BAD NEWS OF THE DA VINCI CODE MOVIE: Sony Pictures - Directed by: Ron Howard, Starring: Tom Hanks, May 2006 The New York Times called recently asking what's wrong with THE DA VINCI CODE. With regard to the book by that name, there have been a large number of articles, some published in MovieGuide?, explaining its egregious historical, theological, and moral problems. With regard to the movie scheduled to be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures, however, about which the Times was calling, we won't know until we see the final product. The strange thing about the movie is that the two key people involved, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard, claim to be Christians. Mr. Hanks has told reporters that he came to Christ many years ago and now attends a Greek Orthodox church with his wife. A Campus Crusade minister worked as Ron Howard's assistant for many years and said that Mr. Howard went to a Presbyterian church. Therefore, it is strange that these two men are making THE DA VINCI CODE, unless they have either sold out and see it as a way of making a lot of money, or they plan to change it. [article link]
BasicChristian.org
Basic Christian: Info, News and Resources 2005 Articles The www.BasicChristian.us Media News Feed - Top 100 Items of 2005 The Basic Christian News/Info Feed is listing the 100 best news feed items and download locations of 2005. [article link]
#1 The Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation Welcome to the on-line home of the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation. [article link]
#2 The Court-Ordered Death of Terri Schiavo Even before the rise of Adolph Hitler's Third Reich, the way for the gruesome Nazi holocaust of human extermination and cruel butchery was being prepared in the 1930 German Weimar Republic through the medical establishment and philosophical elite's adoption of the "quality of life" concept in place of the "sanctity of life." The Nuremberg trials, exposing the horrible Nazi war crimes, revealed that Germany's trend toward atrocity began with their progressive embrace of the Hegelian doctrine of "rational utility," where an individual's worth is in relation to their contribution to the state, rather than determined in light of traditional moral, ethical and religious values. ... [article link]
#3 DC Sniper John Allen Mohammed is force fed after going on hunger strike because he was "upset with the food" in prison A US judge has allowed officials to forcibly feed convicted Washington-area sniper John Allen Muhammad, who went on a hunger strike four days ago. Judge James Ryan issued an order after doctors had said Muhammad was at risk of serious injury or death if he continued to refuse taking food. [article link]
#4 Convicted sniper 'must be (force) fed' Judge Ryan's order said corrections officials "may administer necessary nourishment, hydration and medical care" by using - if necessary - "medically reasonable force". Muhammad was convicted of the killing of Dean Meyers on 9 October 2002 in Manassas and of murdering "at least one other person". [article link]
#5 Doctor: Terror suspects being force fed - A quarter of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay are on hunger strikes GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (CNN) -- Twenty-three detainees on hunger strikes at the prison camp here are being force fed to prevent their deaths, a doctor who works with the prisoners told CNN. [article link]
#6 Guantanamo hunger strikers force-fed "Yes, prisoners have been force-fed," said Capt John S. Edmondson, the Commander of the Naval Hospital at Guantanamo. "We are feeding a diet of protein, glucose and fat to 24 prisoners," with tubes pushed into their stomachs through their noses, to keep them alive, he said. [article link]
#7 Billy Graham Celebrates 87th Birthday Nov. 7 - Evangelist "At Peace" with No More Crusades While the crusade phase of his evangelistic ministry may be over, Mr. Graham still finds plenty to do to fill his time. In addition to participating in recent groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) headquarters, he has been working on a book and determining the best use of
his remaining years. [article link]
#8 The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Past Radio Broadcasts (Audio) The goal of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Ltd. is to reach men and women with the Gospel and to bring them into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. [article link]
#9 "Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" Sunday, January 8 2006 (Webcast) Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia will host Family Research Council's simulcast television program, "Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" on Sunday, January 8 2006. Justice Sunday III, the follow-up to "Justice Sunday II - God Save the United States and this Honorable Court" will broadcast live in churches across the nation -- via Sky Angel satellite -- in addition to being carried on hundreds of radio and Christian TV stations, and via live webcast on this site. [article link]
#10 A Prayer For Israel Psalm 83 [Screensaver & Downloads] A Christian flash show based on Psalm 83, as intercession for Israel. [article link]
#11 Mega Site for Mp3 Audio Sermon Downloads - Many Topics Here are the messages from our 1998 catalog, available exclusively for download. [article link]
#12 Basic Christian: Full Website Content - Final 2005 Version (PDF) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
#13 Don't stifle Christianity by political correctness, says England's Carey THE public expression of the Christian faith and other religions is being undermined by political correctness, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey of Clifton, says. "I think there is a view around that practising Christianity and all the symbols that go with it embarrasses people of other faiths and of course that's nonsense," he told GMTV's Sunday Programme. ... Lord Carey, who retired as head of the Anglican Church in 2002, said that Christians should be more explicit about their faith and proud of the Cross. "We must avoid the kind of political correctness that is creeping in and undermining the public expression of the Christian faith. [article link]
#14 'The Sweet Life' Former Avalon Singer Offers Her Testimony "I had a 10-year relationship that had gone really sour," says Christian singer Cherie Adams, formerly of the group Avalon. "We were like high school sweethearts, and I went from seeing him every day to never seeing each other again." "I was physically sick. I thought about killing myself. Then one day my mother was bugging me to go to church and I said, 'I don't know why I'm going to bother because God doesn't love me anymore. He doesn't know me." But Adams went and says her life was forever altered by this single service. Today, Adams travels the country, singing songs, talking about her experiences as a platinum-selling artist in the music business and her life as a Christian, and giving support to other women who have been through similar hardships. [article link]
#15 Life & Times of Jesus Audio Series Parts 1-16 (Mp3) Pastor Jack Hibbs is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. FREE Audio Mp3 Downloads. [article link]
#16 Excellent Full Bible Commentary (Mp3) A great and easy way to get introduced to and to become familiar with Bible Teachings in the King James Version. This is probably the best Audio Bible Study on the internet, giving complete, accurate, friendly and easy to understand Bible messages. [article link]
#17 Your Faith Use It or Lose It You've heard the expression. "Use it or lose it." It applies to a very important aspect of American life - your right to exercise your faith. Americans are losing that right - and when they do they won't be able to blame the American Civil Liberties Union alone. They will have themselves to blame. [article link]
#18 Introduction To 100 Key Christian History Events Imagine for a moment that you are approached by someone largely unfamiliar with the Christian church who asks you what are the most important things that have happened in our history. Excluding any event recorded in the Bible, what would you say? What would you list in your top ten? [article link]
#19 The Armor of God Conference (11 Mp3 Messages) "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age..." - Eph. 6:12 [article link]
#20 The Way of Agape (Love) and Be Ye Transformed (Free Mp3s) Here are the messages from our 1998 catalog, available exclusively for download. [article link]
#21 Religious following for cyber sermons (Mp3s) - "Godcasting," "iGod," and "pod preachers" (cnn) SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Even the faithful miss church occasionally, but these days they do not have to miss the sermon -- they can download it to their play lists. Cyber sermons are catching on with a religious audience who are on the run, torn between worship and work. ... Religion appears to be the fastest growing segment of the podcast community, and Patchett believes this is based on word of mouth. "As Christians, we are called to take what we have -- the information we have about our religion -- and share it with others, so there's a call out there to spread that information. Podcasting is one of the easiest ways to do it," he said. ... Now, terms like "Godcasting," "iGod," and "pod preachers" are circulating on the Internet, in a case of religion embracing technology -- that fits in a pocket. [article link]
#22 Worship Music Various Artists (Mp3s) Free Mp3 worship music downloads. [article link]
#23 Daily Encouragement Net Christian Podcast (Mp3-Pod-Download) {Right-Click on POD Icon} Encouraging followers of Jesus Christ each weekday with hope and encouragement from the Bible since 1996. 5-10 min each. Subscribe to Podcast. [article link]
#24 The Basis For Our Bible (MP3) From the Foundation of the Word Series by Pastor Chuck Smith. [article link]
#25 Dr. James Dobson Pays Tribute to Dr. Adrian Rogers There is no one in America whom I respected more than Dr. Rogers. He has been a faithful friend to me and to the ministry of Focus on the Family for many years, serving as a voice of wisdom, encouragement and admonition on our Board of Directors. He was also a staunch ally in the battle to defend biblical values in our culture. "Most importantly, Dr. Rogers was responsible for impacting countless people through the faithful preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That was the defining passion of his life, from the day I first met him until the very end. [article link]
#26 The Book of Common Prayer 1662 Version (PDF - Download) "I believe there is no Liturgy in the world, either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of a solid, scriptural, rational piety than the Common Prayer of the Church of England." John Wesley. Hymn "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end. Amen." [article link]
#27 The Didache - The Teachings for New Christians Aprox. 75 A. D. The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations. Chapter 1. The Two Ways and the First Commandment. There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, love your neighbor as yourself, [article link]
#28 Joan of Arc by Ronald Sutherland Gower (Text - Download) There is nothing in history more strange and yet more true than the story which has been told so often, but which never palls in its interest-that life of the maiden through whose instrumentality France regained her place among the nations. No poet's fancy has spun from out his imagination a more glorious tale, or pictured in glowing words an epic of heroic love and transcendent valour, to compete with the actual reality of the career of this simple village maiden of old France: she who, almost unassisted and alone, through her intense love of her native land and deep pity for the woes of her people, was enabled, when the day of action at length arrived, to triumph over unnumbered obstacles, and, in spite of all opposition, ridicule, and contumely, to fulfil her glorious mission. [article link]
#29 The Bible Period by Period by Josiah Blake Tidwell (Text - Download) A MANUAL For the Study of the Bible by Periods, by J. B. TIDWELL [article link]
#30 Studies in the Life of the Christian by Henry T. Sell (Text - Download) These studies consider the questions: What did Christ teach? What is the standpoint of Christianity? What is a Christian? What ought he to believe and why? How shall he regard the Bible and the church? What should be his relations to God, to his fellow men, to his home, to society, to business, and to the state? [article link]
#31 Trials and Triumphs of Faith by Mary Cole, born 1853 (Text - Download) Sister Mary Cole, of whose life this book is a brief, authentic sketch, had a natural inheritance that seemed calculated to shut her forever out of a place in the history of the world or of the church. Born with a body that from her earliest childhood was racked with pain, deprived by ill health of education, she seemed naturally unfitted to fill any place in the world and doomed to be only a burden to herself and her friends. How God took her, healed her, and fitted her for his service, and how he used her as an instrument for his glory, is the story of her life. [article link]
#32 The Bible, Old and New Testaments, King James Version (Text - Download) Complete KJV Bible Text version free download. [article link]
#33 Martin Luther 1483-1546 Large Catechism (Text - Download) Preface: A Christian, Profitable, and Necessary Preface and Faithful, Earnest Exhortation of Dr. Martin Luther to All Christians, but Especially to All Pastors and Preachers, that They Should Daily Exercise Themselves in the Catechism, which is a Short Summary and Epitome of the Entire Holy Scriptures, and that they May Always Teach the Same. [article link]
#34 Crossing(Life's) Rivers Have you ever crossed a river? No, not using a bridge, but rather venturing into the rushing current using only your legs? [article link]
#35 Common Sense America: We Fight Because The Alternative Is Unacceptable Why do we suddenly see Christians standing up and fighting for things they had passively grown to accept over the past few decades? Why, in the last few years, have Christians become more vocal against those that would secularize this nation and who have been on a campaign to literally erase not only God and Christianity but even the mere mention of all religion from our nation? ... Rather, it's an eerie feeling in the pit of most Christian's stomachs that, if left alone, we are yet one step closer to a fate far worse than political correctness. We are one step closer to communism. ... For Communism to thrive, their members know and teach that they must first smash all religious groups: Just as in Russia we [they] had to destroy, after many, many years of most arduous work, the Church, so we must destroy all faiths in nations marked for conquest. We have battled in America since the century's turn to bring to nothing any and all Christian influences and we are succeeding. You must work until "religion" is synonymous with "insanity." You must work until the officials of city, county and state governments will not think twice before they pounce upon religious groups as public enemies. [article link]
#36 Debbie Schlussel - Bio DEBBIE SCHLUSSEL: Conservative political commentator, radio talk show host, columnist, and attorney. .. As both an attorney and a frequent New York Post and Jerusalem Post columnist, Schlussel's writings/commentary on radical Islam and her legal actions against radical Islamic parties have gotten a great deal of attention -- and results. Columns she's written in the New York Post and appearances she's made on "O'Reilly Factor" ... [article link]
#37 $1 Million Judgment Awarded To "Pledge" Challenger Michael Newdow Set Aside By Court This past June, Newdow convinced a judge in a California state court to enter a default judgment against Miles in the amount of $1 million, because Miles had failed to respond to the lawsuit, even though Miles had never been served with a copy of the complaint and was not aware of the lawsuit. [article link]
#38 Sexually Transmitted Depression - The New STD? Research reverses the thought that teen depression leads to risky behaviors. Nearly every discussion about sexual education focuses on preventing sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. However, research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that, especially for girls, the discussion needs to include a third negative possibility: depression. [article link]
#39 {Another fine NBC broadcast} Up the Creek: (NBC) "The Today Show" Gets Caught in Stunt of Its Own (Video) In an apparent effort to draw attention to herself, in yesterday's segment she turned up in hip waders, standing thigh-deep in the flood waters. Taking her act one step further, this morning she appeared on a suburban street . . . paddling a canoe. There was one small problem. Just as the segment came on the air, two men waded in front of Kosinki . . . and the water barely covered their shoe tops! That's right, Kosinski's canoe was in no more than four to six inches of water! An embarrassed Kosinski claimed the water was deeper down the street but that her producers didn't want to let her go there for fear she'd drift away. But Katie and Matt, perhaps peeved by her attempted scene-stealing, couldn't resist ribbing her. Matt: "Are these holy men, perhaps walking on top of the water?" "Gee, is your oar hitting ground, Michelle?" inquired Katie, as she and Matt dissolved into laughter. [article link]
#40 Israel and the US - A God-ordained alliance? Part I: When God brought about the independence of the United States in 1776, He was supervising the founding of a nation He purposed to have in place about two centuries later as the world's mightiest superpower. And His reason for elevating America to this position was so that she would ally herself with the surviving remnant of the Jewish people, help them take root again in their national homeland, and support them in their struggle against a hostile world. [article link]
#41 INTERESTING STATISTICS ABOUT ISRAEL The Middle East The Middle East has been growing date palms for centuries. The average tree is about 18-20 feet tall and yields about 38 pounds of dates a year. Israeli trees are now yielding 400 pounds/year and are short enough to be harvested from the ground or a short ladder. Israel, the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population, can lay claim to the following: The cell phone was developed in Israel by Israelis working in the Israeli branch of Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel. Most of the Windows NT and XP operating systems were developed by Microsoft-Israel. The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel. Both the Pentium-4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel. The Pentium microprocessor in your computer was most likely made in Israel. Voice mail technology was developed in Israel. Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel.The technology for the AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in 1996 by four young Israelis. ... [article link]
#42 Preview "Revelation" Movie Church Showings Jan. 19 - Feb. 19, 2006 To me the most powerful scene in this movie involves our hero questioning a believer about God and challenging God to a face-to-face encounter. The scene was designed to meet most unbelievers right where they are at in their spiritual journey. [article link]
#43 BOOK OF REVELATION: Overview (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE Downloads Get the basics regarding the Bible's book of Revelation (6 Mp3 Messages) FREE downloads. The book of Revelation (revealed - unveiling) was written by the beloved disciple John at the instructions of the risen resurrected Jesus in approximately the year 100 AD.. Revelation contains seven letters given from Jesus to the entire Christian Church movement. Letters of instruction and also letters of encouragement. Did you know that all of the Apostles of Jesus died a martyrs death except for the disciple John and that according to early Church tradition the Roman government had likewise tried to kill John by boiling him in oil yet God delivered him and did not allow John to be hurt therefore the Roman government banished John to a small island named "Patmos" and it was there at this prison island of Patmos that the disciple John again saw the resurrected Jesus
and wrote the things Jesus instructed John to write giving us "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" the Bibles' last book. The book of Revelation describes in vivid detail the final events of the earth and of mankind prior to the glorious return of Jesus. Amazingly the book of Revelation is so accurate and so relevant to today that reading the ancient book of Revelation is like reading the newspaper of today. [article link]
#44 Basic Christian Theology: Answers to Bible Questions (132 Topics) A Complete handy Reference - Study Guide/Tutorial. It covers 132 Christian Subjects and Topics from Adoption - Yahweh in an easy to read and understand format. An extensive resource, unparalleled in convenience and ease of use yet advanced in topic research. [article link]
#45 Crumbling Theological Foundations? The Need for Theological Revival What happened to our foundation? When did we lose it? Why has it become expendable? How do we get it back? Spoken in the context of a house, these questions seem rather odd. You don't just lose a foundation to a house. It is never expendable. Sure, sometimes it is in need of repair, but the cracks in the walls will make it evident to all that the house may need a lift, and repair is imminent. But what happens when these questions are applied to evangelical theology? Then the answers become more interesting. I recently heard a pastor say something astonishing from the pulpit. He said proudly, "I don't know theology. I am not a theologian. I have never been to theological school and don't know any of those big words. All I know is Jesus." As sincere and profound as that may seem, his comments evidence a way of thinking that has become all too common in evangelicalism today. Could it be that the culture is having a greater impact on the Church than the Church is having on the culture? There are cracks in the wall. ... [article link]
#46 2005 Creation Mega Conference MegaBlog Wrap Up - Memories, Quotes and Mp3's! Get updates and commentary as two of our staff members "blog" the conference. They'll be posting audio and video of sessions, along with interviews and commentary. Take a look at the MegaBlog. [article link]
#47 FREE Creation Science Seminar Mp3's from Dr. Kent Hovind (Dr. Dino) Dr. Hovind's Creation Seminar Series are his most popular presentations. God has used the message they present to bring thousands of people closer to Christ. This 17-hour mp3 series comes on seven downloadable files and is frequently updated to provide the most current information available. [article link]
#48 Growing Opals (Gemstones) Australian style Len Cram is a committed Christian with a dogged determination in his work. His experiments have turned traditional theories about opal upside-down, even challenging accepted ideas of evolutionary geology and its alleged millions of years for the formation and age of opals. But Len is not a sophisticated scientist-just '10 per cent inspiration and 90 per cent perspiration'! [article link]
#49 Thousands not Billions - Errors in the Current Scientific Dating Methods (DVD) One of the leading frauds foisted upon the general public is the notion that modern scientific dating techniques confirm a billion-year-old earth. Despite the fact that even pro-evolutionist scientists in fields of dating technology admit the tremendous inadequacies of their procedures, such concerns must be suppressed by academic elites to prevent the evolutionist's house of cards from collapsing. Now, top scientists and Ph.D.s from diverse disciplines come together as part of "The Rate Project" to expose the fraud and present new and groundbreaking evidence for a relatively young earth. Visually powerful. 60 mins. [article link]
#50 Utah News: Evolution debate hits the beer aisle Controversy over teaching evolution in public schools has been bottled up in a most unlikely place - the beer aisle. Wasatch Beers is changing the label on its 2002 Unofficial Amber Ale - a title that once raised a ruckus with Olympic officials - to "Evolution Amber Ale." ... Schirf's new label features several images of monkeys walking more and more upright behind a man, carrying a six-pack and swigging from a bottle. A stamp mark says "Darwin Approved" and "Created in 27 days, not 7." [Duh! God created the universe in six day and rested the seventh. Who says making and drinking beer makes you smart. That company and label design defiantly need some "intelligent design".] [article link]
#51 Watch the Past Harvest Crusades from Anaheim Ca. Online! If you can't make it to the Crusade in-person, be sure to check out our live and archived interactive webcasts right here at Harvest.org! [article link]
#52 Supreme Court Nominee Harriet Miers Provided Misleading Information to Judiciary Committee Miers gives wrong dates in questionnaire; Firm was sued during period omitted. President Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court, Harriet Miers, provided erroneous and incomplete information to the Senate Judiciary Committee about her membership on a Board of Directors for a real estate investment company, RAW STORY has learned. [article link]
#53 Diocese: Harriet Miers Never Catholic DALLAS -- The Roman Catholic diocese of Dallas is setting the record straight: Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers has never been a Catholic. A review of records for such sacraments as baptism, first Eucharist and confirmation found no evidence that Miers or anyone in her immediate family was Catholic, Bronson Havard, a spokesman for the diocese, said Friday. [article link]
#54 Harriet Miers Objected to an Initial Draft of President Bush's 2001 Christmas Message as Being "too Christian" Objected to an initial draft of President Bush's 2001 Christmas message as being "too Christian" and one that "might offend people of other faiths." The author, aide Ned Ryun, refused to change the message; and the assignment of writing the Christmas message was transferred to another staffer. [article link]
#55 President Bush: I am the law! But the United States cannot win (and preserve the individual freedoms that made this a great nation) by relying on one man or a few dozen. ... The times call for a robust debate by elected officials everywhere, particularly in the Senate and House, on the checks and balances necessary to fight this war without giving up the freedoms we are trying to protect. Otherwise, the United States will continue its drift toward becoming a lawless police state with regular elections. [article link]
#56 The Bush White House Christmas has Become a Yearly Insult For Christians, Christmas is about one thing: It's not about "all things bright and beautiful." It's about God's Son coming to Earth in human form to atone for our sins so that we can share eternal life with Him. It's not about Santa Claus, and I'm surprised this needs to be pointed out to a president who claims to be a born-again Christian. [article link]
#57 Bush White House 2005 'Holiday Theme' "All things bright and beautiful" This year's theme has been chosen to highlight the beauty to be found in nature. Our emphasis for this holiday season is on some of the many ways that plants, trees, fruit and flowers can be the stars of holiday decorating. The members of the White House Executive Residence staff and floral designers from across the country have worked tirelessly and creatively to make the White House reflect the wonders of nature's bounty. Our thanks go to all whose deft hands and willing hearts have helped to transform many lovely ideas into reality. We hope your own holiday season is made brighter by your coming to be part of ours! George Bush - Laura Bush [article link]
#58 'Holiday' Cards Ring Hollow for Some on Bushes' List - Conservative Throws Away Bush Christmas Card What's missing from the White House Christmas card? Christmas. This month, as in every December since he took office, President Bush sent out cards with a generic end-of-the-year message, wishing 1.4 million of his close friends and supporters a happy "holiday season." Many people are thrilled to get a White House Christmas card, no matter what the greeting inside. But some conservative Christians are reacting as if Bush stuck coal in their stockings. "This clearly demonstrates that the Bush administration has suffered a loss of will and that they have capitulated to the worst elements in our culture," said William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. Bush "claims to be a born-again, evangelical Christian. But he sure doesn't act like one," said Joseph Farah, editor of the conservative Web site WorldNetDaily.com. "I threw out my White House card as soon as I got it." [article link]
#59 Newly Elected Texas Gov. Bush Flips the Bird (Video - Click the Play Button) Gov. Bush Gives The Public The One Finger Victory Salute. [article link]
#60 President Bush, Laura, Jenna and Other Well Known People Showing Off the Hand Signal Which Represents Satan (Photos) Associated Press and Reuters called the above Bush family hand signs the 'Texas Longhorn or 'Texas UT' symbol. People still seem to think the signal is solely the 'hook 'em horns' UT symbol. We know this to be true but this doesn't answer our primary questions. 1) If the symbol denotes Texas football or UT, why are people like Silvio Berlusconi and Bill Clinton doing it too? They have no links with Texas. 2) Why is the Bush family so obsessed with the signal, displaying it dozens of times during both the inauguration and the evening ball? A few times maybe we could accept, but why this many? What has Texas sports got do with a national inauguration? 3) By Bush being an occult member of Skull and Bones and Bohemian Grove, it certainly shouldn't be surprising that people would suspect him of praising Satan. Why would any Christian belong to an occult organization? Below are some photos where the hand gesture is used in a clearly Satanic context: {Besides President Bush and family all went to Yale and not Texas UT}. [article link]
#61 Reasons Why it is Very Doubtful that President Bush is a Christian (CuttingEdge.org) In this hot debate amongst Christian brethren over whether the fruits (actions) of President Bush were of such Biblically "good fruit" nature to allow Fundamental, Bible-believing Christians to consider him "Born Again", I have created a list showing the fruits I have seen since he became a candidate for President in 2000. On the left, I have listed the "bad fruits" I have seen, and on the right, I have listed the "good fruits" he has produced. "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matt 7:16 ). [article link]
#62 Bush's indispensable toy: First iPod President's player features eclectic list of downloaded tunes {No Christian Selections Though} With him, as usual, was his indispensable exercise toy: an iPod music player loaded with country and popular
rock tunes aimed at getting the presidential heart rate up to a chest-pounding 170 beats per minute. He has selections by Van Morrison, whose "Brown Eyed Girl" is a Bush favorite. ... "My Sharona," the 1979 song by the Knack that Joe Levy, a deputy managing editor at Rolling Stone in charge of music coverage, cheerfully branded "suggestive if not outright filthy" in an interview last week. [article link]
#63 Dick Cheney's iPod Irks Reporters (no Christian tunes for this VP) And what's on the Veep's iPod? music on it "ranges from country to classical, according to an administration official," reports ABC news, and "he has a good amount of music from the 1940s and 1950s and apparently is fond of Johnny Cash." [article link]
#64 Hold Off on That Chip, Says Thompson Ex-Bush Cabinet Officer in No Rush for Implant WASHINGTON - When former Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson joined the board of directors of a company promoting the broad implantation of microchips into Americans for identification purposes, he pledged to get chipped himself as an example. But Thompson doesn't appear to be in any hurry to get the implant. ... But when authors Liz McIntyre and Katherine Albrecht, who researched human chipping for their book "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID," contacted VeriChip Corp. earlier this month, they were told that the chipping never took place. VeriChip spokesman John Procter said Thompson has been "too busy" to undergo the chipping procedure, adding that he had no clear plans to do so in the future. "I wouldn't put any type of time line on it," Procter said. [article link]
#65 Find Some Pieces of the Puzzle WeatherWars.info As a television weatherman I first met this information with skepticism, who wouldn't? Almost completely rejecting the concept that weather modification outside of cloud seeding possible. Additional clues kept creeping in until I came across examples of scalar weather engineering on Tom Bearden's web site. Soon I began looking for my own examples in my own skies. Whoa! There they were! And not just occasionally, but all the time! Examples in highs clouds were the easiest to spot, much less convective turbulence to round out the edges. Mid level clouds. the alto cumulus are now frequently gridded and square. Odd, very odd I thought. Lower clouds, cumulus and stratus, especially in a marine layer environment seem to be the most difficult in which to see the active grid. But it is there. [article link]
#66 The Government Can Control the Weather (HAARP) Lots of people know that Nicola Tesla patented weather influencing machinery before 1910, and explained how it could be used to control weather thousands of miles away. Not only can the technology be used to guide moisture laden air to drought stricken locations, but it can keep moisture away from droughts as well. What can be achieved is a barrier to wind flow called a stationary pressure front, which forces weather away from its natural destination. The modern name for a device of this type is an atmospheric heater, which works by beaming concentrated radiowaves tuned to heat some component of the atmosphere. Many people now know that a stationary pressure front has been sitting off the California coast since 19xx because it is blamed for droughts in recent decades, but few of them also know that stationary pressure regions were unheard of before 19xx, xx years after the USSR finished constructing an atmospheric heater. [article link]
#67 Soldiers Spooked By New Orleans Spirits (News-Video) New Orleans dark past is coming out to reveal itself in a scary spiritual way. [article link]
#68 Even with Hurricane Katrina Target Won't Rescind Ban on Salvation Army Kettles Meanwhile, Wal-Mart, which has contributed $17 million in direct aid to storm victims, has given an additional $4 million in cash to the Salvation Army for Katrina relief efforts through the Walton Family Foundation. WalMart is planning also to allow the Salvation Army to set up kettles with bell-ringers at Wal-Mart stores during the Christmas season. "Wal-Mart as a corporation has really lined up behind the Salvation Army, and they are giving us anything we need to be able to deliver services down there," Major George Hood said. [article link]
#69 Confirmed: Lion of 'Narnia' is (Jesus) 'Lion of Judah' Author C.S. Lewis wrote 1961 letter attesting to Jesus connection Narnia's lion really is Jesus: An unpublished letter from the novelist C S Lewis has provided conclusive proof of the Christian message in his Narnia children's books. In the letter, sent to a child fan in 1961, Lewis writes: "The whole Narnian story is about Christ." It has been found by Walter Hooper, literary adviser to the Lewis estate. [article link]
#70 Film Director Sparks Debate Over Origins of 'Harry Potter' A Norwegian film director has sparked a debate in Norway over whether JK Rowling really is the enormously successful author who launched the Harry Potter craze, or whether she's just a good actress fronted by multinational commercial interests. A Norwegian film director has doubts as to whether JK Rowling is really behind the story of Harry Potter. [article link]
#71 Does a Quid Pro Quo Deal Exist in the Schiavo Case? In the case of (Judge) Greer, not only did all of Michael Schiavo's lawyers contribute to his campaign, but allegations have surfaced that Greer may have solicited such contributions which gives even further cause for Gov. Bush to order an investigation of Greer and his 1998 and 2004 election campaigns. Rotunda said that judicial campaign contributions constitute or appear to constitute a tacit quid pro quo where the judge favors or tilts towards the contributor-litigant. [article link]
#72 Grim Reaper In A Black Robe Terri Schiavo has been sentenced to death -- a painful gruesome death. It is a death no human should have to endure, a death by starvation. Schiavo's not in North Korea, Syria or Iran; she's in Florida. Her crime -- she wound up in a persistent vegetative state and under the jurisdiction of Judge George Greer's court. [article link]
#73 Doctor Reinforces Suspicions of Euthanasia at New Orleans Hospital NEW ORLEANS, October 13, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A September 12 LifeSiteNews.com story related the first hand account of an anonymous doctor who, anxious that help would not arrive in time for several critically ill patients at New Orleans Memorial Medical Center, decided to euthanize them instead. Another doctor has come forward to corroborate the admission. Dr. Bryant King was also at Memorial during and after the hurricane. He told CNN news that, despite not actually witnessing the acts of euthanasia, "most people know something happened that shouldn't have happened." Prior to the hurricane, 11 people had died and been brought to the hospital's morgue. After the flood, 45 bodies were recovered; Louisiana's attorney general is investigating allegations that many of those people were victims of euthanasia and has ordered autopsies. Frank Minyard, Orleans Parish coroner, said investigators suspect euthanasia was committed. King is convinced euthanasia did indeed occur. "There was only one patient that died overnight," he said. "The previous day, there were only two. From Thursday to Friday, for there to be 10 times that many, just doesn't make sense to me." [article link]
#74 When God Doesn't Heal Why doesn't God cure everyone who prays fervently for healing? [article link]
#75 When Life Becomes an Inconvenience In October, 1939, Hitler ordered "mercy killing" of the sick and disabled, mainly children. The sentiment was to eliminate "life unworthy of life"--kids who would become an inconvenience if they lived. The deaths would soon include adults who were also inferior, feeble, or just too much trouble. The Nazis made decisions without diagnoses or medical records. They were a part of a barbaric system, and yet when the death camps were finally liberated, many felt that such atrocities were finally thrown on the ash heap of history. They don't understand human nature or the Bible: Only when Satan is cast into the pit will evil end. In the meantime people who stand for righteousness are doing all we can to check it. No, America isn't Nazi Germany! Yet what is happening here makes me very uncomfortable. [article link]
#76 A New Media Analysis Project, The Second Draft "Pallywood" Analysis & Raw News Footage (Video Downloads) Boston University history professor Richard Landes has now launched a new media analysis project, The Second Draft, which takes as its first case study the Mohammed al-Dura affair and the phenomenon that Landes' research team calls 'Pallywood', or 'a practice among Palestinian journalists to turn staged drama into news. This fictional news industry then feeds Western news reporting, who don't seem to suspect they're being duped.' The Second Draft website now includes these important videos: [article link]
#77 A Terrorist Who Turned To Love - a former PLO terrorist who has become an ardent Zionist and evangelical Christian. FrontPageMagazine's Interview guest today is Walid Shoebat, a former PLO terrorist who has become an ardent Zionist and evangelical Christian. [article link]
#78 Is Iraq now Becoming a Breading Ground for Anti-American, Anti-Israel Radical Shiite Muslims? And is this being Engineered on Purpose by England (Britain) and the USA-Bush Governments? *** A series of related article postings: Currently there is a tremendous amount of effort and energy being put into Iraq by the nations of the world specifically Britain (England) and the USA. Something is being accomplished in Iraq at the great and tremendous effort and sacrifice of the United States. Is what is being accomplished in Iraq really what we are expecting to be accomplished? Is there freedom and democracy in Iraq or is there a hidden agenda beginning to emerge that President Bush is unwilling to acknowledge or even discuss? [article link]
#79 Is Prince Charles a Convert to Islam? In a 1997 Middle East Quarterly article titled "Prince Charles of Arabia," Ronni L. Gordon and David M. Stillman looked at evidence that Britain's Prince Charles might be a secret convert to Islam. They shifted through his public statements (defending Islamic law, praising the status of Muslim women, seeing in Islam a solution for Britain's ailments) and actions (setting up a panel of twelve "wise men" to advise him on Islamic religion and culture), then concluded that, "should Charles persist in his admiration of Islam and defamation of his own culture," his accession to the throne will indeed usher in a "different kind of monarchy." [article link]
#80 'Multi-faith Coronation' Charles no longer "Defender of the Faith" THE Prince of Wales could be crowned King in a multi-faith inauguration ceremony rather than the 1,000-yearold (Christian) Coronation service, under proposals to tackle "religious discrimination" being considered by the
Government. [article link]
#81 2005 UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People: UN Prominently Displays Map Without a Trace of Israel This map was prominently displayed by the UN on November 29, 2005 at a public gathering at UN Headquarters, in the presence of all top three UN officials, the Secretary General, and the Presidents of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly. It purports to be a "map of Palestine." Israel, a UN member state for 56 years, is not on the map. Even the UN General Assembly partition lines of November 29, 1947 marking a Jewish and Arab state, which pre-date this 1948 map, do not appear. In a moment which has been crafted to include the commemoration of suicide-bombers (from left to right) Nasser Al-Kidwa, Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority, President of the UN Security Council Andrey Denisov, President of the UN General Assembly Jan Eliasson, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Paul Badji, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, (and two others) rise at the outset of the November 29th UN meeting with these words from the Chair. "I invite everyone present to rise and observe a minute of silence in memory of all those who have given their lives for the cause of the Palestinian people and the return of peace (Victory over Israel) between Israel and Palestine." [article link]
#82 Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, signed a new law to (Financially) support the families of suicide bombers The Palestinian daily, al Hayat al Jadida has reported that Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, signed a new law to support the families of suicide bombers. Enacting a special law to financially support terrorists will ensure that this kind of activity continues. Each shahid's (Martyr for Allah) family will receive a monthly stipend of at least $250. The family of a married shahid (Martyr for Allah) will receive an additional $50. Parents will receive an additional $25, and each additional child and/or brother or sister will get another $15. The PA's message to its people is clear, suicide bombings are legitimate and worthy of state compensation. In a major piece on the motivation of female suicide bombers, it would have made sense for Newsweek to recognize the support their families receive from the PA. [article link]
#83 "Europe Died in Auschwitz" Europe Exterminates Six million Peaceful Jews and Replaced Them With 20 Million Fanatic Muslims (Article) I walked down the street in Barcelona, and suddenly discovered a terrible truth - Europe died in Auschwitz. We killed six million Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims. In Auschwitz we burned a culture, thought, creativity, and talent. We destroyed the chosen people, truly chosen, because they produced great and wonderful people who changed the world. ... And under the pretense of tolerance, and because we wanted to prove to ourselves that we were cured of the disease of racism, we opened our gates to 20 million Muslims, who brought us stupidity and ignorance, religious extremism and lack of tolerance, crime and poverty due to an unwillingness to work and support their families with pride. They have turned our beautiful European cities into the third world, drowning in filth and crime. Shut up in the apartments they receive free from the government, they plan the murder and destruction of their naive hosts. [article link]
#84 France's Polygamy (Multiple Wives) Problem Between 150,000 and 400,000 people live in polygamous households in France, in which a man is married to more than one woman. The French state is trying to change the situation -- with mixed results. The government argues that living in polygamy prevents immigrants from becoming integrated into French society and that it goes against the principles of gender equality enshrined in the constitution. Polygamy was made illegal in France in 1993. Those who still live in polygamy have either been doing so since before the law was
passed or they married abroad. [article link]
#85 The Militant Terrorist Group Hamas Wins Key Elections in West Bank {Is President Bush Asleep at the Wheel - Someone, Anyone Wakeup the President!} NABLUS, West Bank - The Hamas militant group won local elections in the West Bank's largest cities, according to preliminary results released Friday, dealing a harsh blow to the ruling Fatah party just six weeks ahead of a parliamentary poll. Hamas swept more than 70 percent of the vote in the West Bank city of Nablus, highlighting the fierce challenge posed by the group to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, which suffered a split Thursday when a group of young leaders broke away. Meanwhile, Palestinian militants fired on an Israeli vehicle near the West Bank city of Hebron, seriously wounding a passenger, the army and rescue services said. The army sealed off the area after the drive-by shooting. [article link]
#86 Is the FBI/CIA Infiltrated by Islamists? It's time to worry when the Federal Bureau of Investigation, America's national police agency, consistently cannot figure out who's friend and who's foe in the war on terror. The bureau's record of honoring the wrong American Muslims captures this problem. In February 2001, it promoted Gamal Abdel-Hafiz, a special agent who rejected a counterterror assignment on the grounds that "a Muslim does not record another Muslim." In September 2003, the FBI nearly bestowed its Exceptional Public Service Award on Imad Hamad of Detroit, saved from this embarrassment by columnist Debbie Schlussel, who exposed Hamad in the New York Post as someone who "supports terrorism and [who] was himself a suspected terrorist." ... [article link]
#87 Weapons are Being Stockpiled in Mosques I doubt Iraq is the only place where weapons are being stored in mosques. Want to bet the same thing isn't being done in France, Belgium etc... Britain, the US, Australia... [article link]
#88 Double Standard U.S. Policy on Hamas The U.S. is funding a Hamas-controlled town in Gaza despite a ban against financing terrorist organizations. Congressmen warned that funds to the PA might be cut if Hamas wins elections. The U.S. government's Agency for International Development has given the Hamas-controlled village of Bani Suheila $392,000 for road projects, according to Middle East Newsline. It quoted the mayor of the town, where Hamas won 12 out of 13 seats in recent local elections, as saying he expects more projects for funding. [article link]
#89 Princeton Censors Ex-PLO Speakers; But Likely to Hire PLO Spokesman as History Professor Princeton U. Says Campus Event Against Terrorism is "Too Inflammatory" Princeton University has cancelled a speaking event by three former Middle East terrorists because it says that the use of the word "terrorist" in the promotion for the event is "too inflammatory." Two of the three self-described former terrorists were members of the PLO. Each of them apparently converted to Christianity. Here is the must-read story of one of the group, Walid Shoebat, who is now an ardent Zionist. Meanwhile, another former PLO member is likely to be named a full professor: Khalidi is Sole Candidate for History Position. Controversial professor appears to have wide support. As detailed in Campus Watch Rashid Khalidi is trying to weasel out of having worked for the PLO: Mr. Khalidi dismisses the allegation that he served as a PLO spokesman, saying, "I often spoke to journalists in Beirut, who usually cited me without attribution as a well-informed Palestinian source. If some misidentified me at the time, I am not aware of it." Here is another corroborating quote about being a PLO employee from the New York Times (February 19, 1978) that is not widely known because of an alternate spelling of the last name: ... [article link]
#90 Germany Paroled (or traded) Hezbollah Terrorist TWA Hijacker Returns to Lebanon BEIRUT, Lebanon - A Lebanese man serving a life sentence in Germany for the 1985 hijacking of a TWA jetliner and killing of a U.S. Navy diver has returned to Lebanon after being paroled in Germany, security and guerrilla officials said Tuesday. Mohammed Ali Hamadi arrived in Beirut four days ago on a commercial flight from Germany, a Lebanese security official and a Hezbollah guerrilla group said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. ... TWA flight 847 from Athens, Greece, to Rome was hijacked in June 1985 to Beirut, where the hijackers beat and shot U.S. Navy diver Robert Dean Stethem, 23, of Waldorf, Md., and dumped his body on the tarmac. Stethem was the only casualty during the hijacking ordeal, in which 39 Americans were held hostage for 17 days. He received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart decorations, and a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer is named in his honor. [article link]
#91 Problems with the Book of Mormon Joseph Smith claimed that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth (History of the Church, 4:461). If that's true, why has it been subjected to thousands of corrections and alterations since it was first published' ... If you are led to witness to a Mormon, remember always to share the truth in love. The facts and truth will shake the foundations of religious beliefs that are often strongly held in the life of a Mormon. Letting God's love and compassion shine through you as you witness is extremely important. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is the way, and He is the only way. Many have been deceived by Joseph Smith Jr., and need to come face to face with the fact that their founding prophet was a false prophet who introduced a false gospel. Facing the truth can sometimes have some difficult consequences on earth, but life on earth is temporary. Denying the truth can have eternal consequences. [article link]
#92 US Probes Into Dodgy (Mormon "questionable" Medical) Donations to China The LDS (Latter-day Saints) Foundation of the United States has agreed to investigate the "questionable" medical donations made to China following a request to do so by the All-China Federation of Charity, according to sources from the national charity organization. "Most importantly, we want to know why there are problems with the donations," the official from the federation was quoted as saying by the Beijing News. Three containers of medical equipment reportedly donated to China by the Mormon Church or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City in November were found to have contained stained bedding, used surgical clothes and expired medical equipment. [article link]
#93 In 2008, Will It Be Mormon in America? (Gov. Willard Mitt Romney) YOU REMEMBER, OR PERHAPS you don't, Sen. Orrin Hatch's 2000 presidential campaign. The senator talks about it in soft inflections, recalling this event and that debate. But especially he talks about what motivated him to run. Hatch, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, cites polling data from 1999 suggesting that 17 percent of Americans wouldn't vote for a Mormon for president under any circumstances. "One reason I ran was to knock down the prejudicial wall that exists" against Mormons, he says. "I wanted to make it easier for the next candidate of my faith." That next candidate just might be Mitt Romney, the Republican governor of Massachusetts. It may seem too early to be talking about 2008. But George W. Bush can't run again, and, in a break from the usual pattern, the vice president, Richard Cheney, probably won't be a candidate. So the field looks wide open. And Romney is among those being mentioned in the press and GOP circles for 2008. He'd be a legitimate candidate, regardless of who else might run. [article link]
#94 Candidate to supporters: 'Islam won!' Party nominee says Muslim 'power extending into Canadian politics' A Muslim who won the Liberal Party nomination for a parliamentary seat in Ontario, Canada, declared his
success a victory for Islam in a speech to supporters, according to a Coptic Christian who attended the event. "This is a victory for Islam! Islam won! Islam won! ... Islamic power is extending into Canadian politics," Omar Alghabra, the Liberal candidate for Mississauga-Erindale, reportedly declared to his audience of several hundred. [article link]
#95 Ontario Canada Rejects Use of Islamic Law (Fox) [old item] TORONTO - The premier of Ontario said Sunday that he won't let his province become the first Western government to allow the use of Islamic law to settle family disputes and that he would move to ban all religious arbitration. Ontario's provincial government has been reviewing a report recommending that Shariah, or Islamic law, be allowed to settle family disputes like divorce and had said it would soon make a decision. "There will be no Shariah law in Ontario. There will be no religious arbitration in Ontario. There will be one law for all Ontarians," Premier Dalton McGuinty told The Canadian Press. [article link]
#96 An Explanation of Islamic Law, known as "Shariah" The historical pattern of Islam shows us that when a nation gains a sufficiently large Muslim population, they will begin to agitate for Shariah to be implemented. Shariah is the primary source of persecution for Christians in Muslim dominated states. Shariah is the system of civil law that is based upon the Qur'an and the Ahadith and the work of Muslim scholars in the first two centuries of Islam. Shariah extends beyond just civil law. Applied fully, the Shariah is a code for living that all Muslims should adhere to, including prayers, fasting and donations to the poor. Shariah is the totality of religious, political, social, domestic and private life. Shariah is primarily meant for all Muslims, but applies to a certain extent also for people living inside a Muslim society. Muslims feel that Shariah has been misunderstood by Christians, who have tended to concentrate on the demands for harsh punishments such as amputation of a hand or foot for theft and public flogging for people caught drinking alcohol. Under the Shariah laws in Afghanistan, the Taliban's religious police, formally known as the Department for Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue, enforce the Shariah laws. ... For example, a man's beard must be long enough to protrude from a fist clenched at the base of the chin. If it is not, he is subject to punishment. Under Shariah in Afghanistan, women are not allowed to work in any field except the medical sector. The Islamic law of Afghanistan does not allow the employment of women in government departments or international agencies. Women should not go outside their residences with the exception of those working in the medical sector. Shariah also places restrictions on what women can wear and whom they can see. It forbids women from wearing jewelry and make-up and from making noise with their shoes when they walk. If a woman does work outside the home, she is forbidden to sit beside the driver when traveling to and from work. Stylish dress and decoration of women is forbidden. [article link]
#97 Swedish Pastor Acquitted of Hate Speech Charge {Must not be any Crime, Drugs, pornography, Books, Movies, TV or Rock/Rap Music in Sweden if all they can find to prosecute is a Pastor.} Green, 64, became the first clergyman convicted under Sweden's hate crimes legislation, when a lower court found him guilty of inciting hatred against homosexuals. An appeals court overturned the ruling earlier this year, but Sweden's chief prosecutor appealed the acquittal to the Supreme Court. Green said the Supreme Court ruling was a relief both for him and other preachers. "This means we can continue to speak the way we have, and therefore it feels very good that they have ruled in way that there should not be any infringement in our way of preaching," he told Swedish public radio. [article link]
#98 Kansas Lawmakers Still Consider Hearings Over KU's Bias Against Religion The offending professor (KU's Harvard-educated Paul Mirecki) has resigned {his dept. chair but remains on the UK teaching staff} over his comments, but holding legislative hearings about anti-religious bias at Kansas
universities remains a valid idea, Rep. Kay O'Connor, R-Olathe, said Monday O'Connor questioned whether what occurred represented an isolated case of intolerance or typifies behavior at Regents universities. "After all, a great deal of taxpayer money is given to these universities," O'Connor said. "They have a responsibility and an obligation to make sure these things never happen. I'm shocked that it did happen. "There are some infractions that are so obviously wrong that it's a shock that a professor with this kind of hatefulness was not corrected long ago. "There would be one school of thought that there still should be a hearing, because if he is continuing to teach, does he have this same hate campaign going on in other classes?" Such questions might signal the need for a hearing, O'Connor said. "He is credited with bragging that no one in his religion department believes in God. If that is a true statement, what is happening to the religious department?" she asked. [article link]
#99 Blog Misinformation, Mirecki and the Daily Kos (blog) The Daily Kos, one of the most popular blogs on the internet, has been trumpeting Thugs beat up evolution supporter - We're fighting back. Unfortunately, the Kos is a fountain of misinformation. ... Summary: The Daily Kos (blog) is spewing misinformation and hasty conclusions to generate money for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State so they can fight the "creationist fascists." Which raises a question. If, by some chance, Mirecki's story is discredited, will the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State return this money? [article link]
#100 Kansas Evolution-Atheist bigot (Professor Paul Mirecki) {Likely} Invents Crazy Attack Story [Maps of Story Area Included] Well, Mirecki forgot the gun-rack and the Confederate flag so it can't really be a fundie, red-neck bigot truck, right, Jesse? This sounds for all the world like some lefty fantasy about runamok red-neck fundies because (correct me if I'm wrong, Jesse) they are all violent, gun-toting, pickup driving, scary yahoos just waiting for the chance to beat the hell out of anyone who thinks differently and this incident just proves it. Self-righteous know-it-alls like Mirecki who value their own intelligence above all others live to "be right" and what better (and desperate) way to prove the moral superiority of his position than to showcase his "opponents" as ignorant, violent bigots (in a way that reveals more about the shallow stereotypes he carries around in his head than anything else). [article link]
Drive Thru History: Rome or Greece (Dvd's) This isn't your typical tour of ruins and mothballed artifacts. It's history as engaging as the time it took place. Dave Stotts speeds through the ancient world with custom graphics, on-site visits and narration that's definitely outside the classroom. See how events that occurred in Rome 2,000 years ago still affect our lives today. Hosted by Dave Stotts. Closed Captioned. Running time approximately 95 minutes. [article link]
First Full-Time Awana Missionary Goes Home Former NFL lineman Don Bunge started and serviced clubs throughout western U.S. Missionary emeritus Don Bunge, the first full-time Awana missionary, passed away on November 17 in his sleep at his home in Nebraska. Don was 81. Don joined Awana as a missionary in 1966. At the time, his territory consisted of everything west of the Mississippi River. Don retired in 1991. Below is an article written in 2000 about Don and his amazing 25 years of ministry as an Awana missionary. ... By the time Don Bunge retired in 1991, he had left an indelible mark on the western half of the United States for Awana. Thousands of clubs exist as a result of the estimated one million miles of driving Bunge logged over 25 years. Today, kids from St. Louis to Seattle and all in between are reached and trained for Christ. They can thank the man clubbers affectionately dubbed "Uncle Don" for that opportunity. But Don thanked Someone else. "It's all the Lord," he said. "It's nothing I've done.
I'm just the one He chose to use, that's all." [article link]
Al-Arian Walk Watch: Islamic Jihad Chief Goes Free Thanks to Incompetent Justice Dept. {Photo - Laura and George Bush and "Acquitted" Terrorist Al-Arian Clan} We've been predicting for some time (here and here) that Islamic Jihad founder and chief Sami Al-Arian would walk, and we're sad to say that we were right. Unfortunately, today, he was acquitted on 8 key terror-related counts, and the jury deadlocked on others (we doubt he'll be retried on those). His co-defendants had similar results. All will go free. While we can't say whether this was an O.J.-style jury, we can say that the "prosecution" team was a Marcia Clark/Christopher Darden-style set of incompetent Assistant U.S. Attorneys and the judge was definitely Dancing Itoh material. This case should set back prosecutor Cherie Krigsman's reputation as tough on terrorists--not to mention her career--which should be over. Ditto for those at Justice Dept. Headquarters in Washington, who seem to screw every terror case up on purpose. Unfortunately, all will keep their jobs, but it sets America back tremendously. {Photo - Laura and George Bush and "Acquitted" Terrorist AlArian Clan} [article link]
Jury Acquits USF Professor on Some Counts in Terror Aid Case TAMPA -- A former Florida professor was acquitted on a key charge Tuesday that he helped lead a Palestinian terrorist group that has carried out suicide bombings against Israel. In one of the biggest courtroom tests yet of the Patriot Act's expanded search and surveillance powers, the jury acquitted Sami Al-Arian of eight of the 17 counts against him, including a charge of conspiring to maim and murder people overseas. ... Castor noted that .. President Bush, met with Al-Arian during a 2000 campaign stop in Florida. [article link]
Disney's 'Narnia': (Jesus) Christ Need Not Apply The $150 million film, made by Walden Media and distributed by Disney, is the story of a struggle between good and evil in the snowy kingdom of Narnia. Four English siblings enter the enchanted land and discover talking animals who await the return of the lion king, Aslan. The inhabitants believe he will free them from the tyranny of Jadis, the White Witch. Aslan sacrifices himself to save the life of a human boy, or "Son of Adam." He later rises from the dead to lead his troops in a battle against the witch's forces. But the film's director, Andrew Adamson, also has pooh-poohed the idea that the allegory reveals Christ's resurrection, saying that concept is a common theme in the fantasy genre. "The religious aspect is something the press is more interested in than the world at large," he told the BBC. Said "Narnia's" producer, Mark Johnson: "When I read the book as a child, I accepted it as a pure adventure story. It never occurred to me Aslan was anything more than a great lion" rather than a Christ figure. [article link]
Confirmed: Lion of 'Narnia' is (Jesus) 'Lion of Judah' Author C.S. Lewis wrote 1961 letter attesting to Jesus connection Narnia's lion really is Jesus: An unpublished letter from the novelist C S Lewis has provided conclusive proof of the Christian message in his Narnia children's books. In the letter, sent to a child fan in 1961, Lewis writes: "The whole Narnian story is about Christ." It has been found by Walter Hooper, literary adviser to the Lewis estate. [article link]
The (American) School that Terrorism Built In March of 2003, a domestic non-profit was incorporated within the state of Florida, using the name American Youth Academy. The organization was set up as an Islamic elementary/secondary private school (just like IAF), and its corporate address put it directly adjacent to IAF. Or is it inside IAF? Taking a drive down the back street that is E 130th Ave, one is easily confused as to where one property ends and the other begins. If you listen to
American Youth Academy (AYA) officials, you'll be hard pressed to believe that AYA is a brand new school. But in reality, only the name has changed. As reported in the Tampa Tribune, the school "uses the same buildings, desks, books and equipment as the Islamic Academy. Nearly half the teachers and many students are the same." The phone number to the school is also the same. Even one of the AYA Directors, Ayman Barakat, was a long-time Director of IAF. So why is the state of Florida treating this "new" school differently than it treated IAF? As stated previously, IAF lost its funding due to its ties to terrorist activity. However, the same school that goes by the new name is currently receiving more taxpayer funded vouchers than any other school in the Tampa Bay area. For this year alone, Florida's citizens have shelled out $332,500 to AYA for its elementary/secondary program and $2500 per child for AYA's Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program, which it is actively soliciting for children on its website. Given this school's history, how is this possible? [article link]
Security Official: Iran, Syria Seek Conflict with Jewish State Israel JERUSALEM - The suicide bombing attack on a crowded Israeli mall earlier today is being viewed by some Jewish security personnel as a tactic aimed at reducing mounting international pressure on Iran and Syria. A senior Israeli security official told WND that Iran, under increased international pressure to curb what the West believes is a growing nuclear weapons program, and Syria, under heavy U.S. scrutiny for its alleged role in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February, are seeking conflict with Israel as a distraction from those issues. [article link]
The Franklin Graham "Celebration of Hope" will be held at the New Orleans Arena, March 11-12, 2006 (Prayer Points for this Event) The Celebration of Hope - March 11-12, 2006 at the New Orleans Arena - Will feature worship, a time of prayer, testimonies, and a message of hope from Franklin Graham. For the last 10 years there has been an invitation to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to come and guide in preparing for a united evangelistic outreach to Greater New Orleans. The spiritual leaders of Greater New Orleans believe that-with the devastation and desperation created by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita-the time is right. The soil of human hearts has been softened, and people are ready and need to receive a message of HOPE. [article link]
A Thief in the Night DVD Series: Christmas Special Buy One Get One Free {keep one and donate one to your Church} Buy any movie DVD, VHS, or other pack or kit at the regular retail price and get one of equal or lesser value free. Offer ends 1/15/2006. For this Christmas offer call 1-800-247-3456. [article link]
The Bush White House Christmas has Become a Yearly Insult For Christians, Christmas is about one thing: It's not about "all things bright and beautiful." It's about God's Son coming to Earth in human form to atone for our sins so that we can share eternal life with Him. It's not about Santa Claus, and I'm surprised this needs to be pointed out to a president who claims to be a born-again Christian. [article link]
Bush White House 2005 'Holiday Theme' "All things bright and beautiful" This year's theme has been chosen to highlight the beauty to be found in nature. Our emphasis for this holiday season is on some of the many ways that plants, trees, fruit and flowers can be the stars of holiday decorating. The members of the White House Executive Residence staff and floral designers from across the country have worked tirelessly and creatively to make the White House reflect the wonders of nature's bounty. Our thanks go to all whose deft hands and willing hearts have helped to transform many lovely ideas into reality. We hope
your own holiday season is made brighter by your coming to be part of ours! George Bush - Laura Bush [article link]
CHRISTmas Info & Resources 2005 Christmas - Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. [article link]
Some Megachurches to Close on Christmas Sunday WASHINGTON - This Christmas, no prayers will be said in several megachurches around the country. Even though the holiday falls this year on a Sunday, when churches normally host thousands for worship, pastors are canceling services, anticipating low attendance on what they call a family day. Critics within the evangelical community, more accustomed to doing battle with department stores and public schools over keeping religion in Christmas, are stunned by the shutdown. It is almost unheard of for a Christian church to cancel services on a Sunday, and opponents of the closures are accusing these congregations of bowing to secular culture. "This is a consumer mentality at work: 'Let's not impose the church on people. Let's not make church in any way inconvenient,'" said David Wells, professor of history and systematic theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a leading evangelical school in Hamilton, Mass. "I think what this does is feed into the individualism that is found throughout American culture, where everyone does their own thing." [article link]
White House Spokesman stands by Jesus-Santa reference Says Bush 'meant exactly what he said' at tree lighting ceremony {I wonder if President Bush is even capable of mentioning our glorious Jesus by name - very sad} Presidential press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters today President Bush "meant exactly what he said" when he alluded to Jesus during his remarks at the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony only to end that part of his speech with a reference to Santa Claus. As WorldNetDaily reported, flanked by the first lady, as well as members of Congress and the Cabinet, Bush told the public at the event: "The lighting of the National Christmas tree is one of the great traditions in our nation's capital. Each year, we gather here to celebrate the season of hope and joy - and to remember the story of one humble life that lifted the sights of humanity. Santa, thanks for coming. Glad you made it." {I wonder if President Bush is even capable of mentioning our glorious Jesus by name - very sad.} [article link]
Pearl Harbor: Remembered December 7, 1941 Least We Forget. Created to honor the survivors of Pearl Harbor their families and friends and to those who died during the attack on that Sunday morning in December 7, 1941. [article link]
'Holiday' Cards Ring Hollow for Some on Bushes' List - Conservative Throws Away Bush Christmas Card What's missing from the White House Christmas card? Christmas. This month, as in every December since he took office, President Bush sent out cards with a generic end-of-the-year message, wishing 1.4 million of his close friends and supporters a happy "holiday season." Many people are thrilled to get a White House Christmas card, no matter what the greeting inside. But some conservative Christians are reacting as if Bush stuck coal in their stockings. "This clearly demonstrates that the Bush administration has suffered a loss of will and that they have capitulated to the worst elements in our culture," said William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. Bush "claims to be a born-again, evangelical Christian. But he sure doesn't act like one," said Joseph Farah, editor of the conservative Web site WorldNetDaily.com. "I threw out my White House card as soon as I got it." [article link]
Christmas Gifts from AdventureBoundOutdoors.com Taking you on adventures in God's counry. [article link]
Christianfriendz.com. a Christian Community Website The Christian Friends Network Is all about forming a true Christian Community. It is through the signup process, Which Is FREE, That brings people closer together. [article link]
Al-Arian Walk Watch: Islamic Jihad Chief Goes Free Thanks to Incompetent Justice Dept. {Photo - Laura and George Bush and "Acquitted" Terrorist Al-Arian Clan} We've been predicting for some time (here and here) that Islamic Jihad founder and chief Sami Al-Arian would walk, and we're sad to say that we were right. Unfortunately, today, he was acquitted on 8 key terror-related counts, and the jury deadlocked on others (we doubt he'll be retried on those). His co-defendants had similar results. All will go free. While we can't say whether this was an O.J.-style jury, we can say that the "prosecution" team was a Marcia Clark/Christopher Darden-style set of incompetent Assistant U.S. Attorneys and the judge was definitely Dancing Itoh material. This case should set back prosecutor Cherie Krigsman's reputation as tough on terrorists--not to mention her career--which should be over. Ditto for those at Justice Dept. Headquarters in Washington, who seem to screw every terror case up on purpose. Unfortunately, all will keep their jobs, but it sets America back tremendously. {Photo - Laura and George Bush and "Acquitted" Terrorist AlArian Clan} [article link]
Jury Acquits USF Professor on Some Counts in Terror Aid Case TAMPA -- A former Florida professor was acquitted on a key charge Tuesday that he helped lead a Palestinian terrorist group that has carried out suicide bombings against Israel. In one of the biggest courtroom tests yet of the Patriot Act's expanded search and surveillance powers, the jury acquitted Sami Al-Arian of eight of the 17 counts against him, including a charge of conspiring to maim and murder people overseas. ... Castor noted that .. President Bush, met with Al-Arian during a 2000 campaign stop in Florida. [article link]
The League of Grateful Sons - Buy Two Get One Free (DVD) What is the godly legacy of the fathers of World War II? Their story has not been told - until now! More than 406,000 American soldiers died during the Second World War, leaving an estimated 183,000 children fatherless. Hundreds of thousands of other U.S. troops did return, but many never connected with their children. However, within the ranks of these survivors was a remakable collection of men who made it their life mission to speak the providences of God and the meaning of manhood to the boys who would one day fill their shoes. Through wartime letters and present-day pilgrimages to the bloody battlefields of their youth, the ancient warriors have spoken. Their thankful children rise to honor and surpass their legacy. They are "The League of Grateful Sons." [article link]
STAND UP AGAINST MEDIA BIAS With HonestReporting.com (90-Second Flash: Donation Redquest) As is our custom at the year's end, we write to solicit your financial support for our work in fighting media bias. Our work is made possible by your continued and generous contributions. ... Please take a few moments to view our 90-second video Stand Up. Then please consider donating generously to help support HonestReporting's ongoing work in Exposing Bias, Promoting Balance and Effecting Change. Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the battle against media bias. [article link]
List of Companies That Have Banned "Christmas" From Their Retail Ads, In-Store Promotions or Television Commercials
Please take time to let them know you are offended by their anti-Christian and anti-Christmas bias. Their contact information is below. In addition, companies marked with an asterisk* have gone so far as to substitute the phrase "Holiday or Dream trees" instead of "Christmas trees" in their promotions. [article link]
Christianity and Mormonism (LDS) are Very Different - Updated (PDF) Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
"Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" Sunday, January 8 2006 (Webcast) Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia will host Family Research Council's simulcast television program, "Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" on Sunday, January 8 2006. Justice Sunday III, the follow-up to "Justice Sunday II - God Save the United States and this Honorable Court" will broadcast live in churches across the nation -- via Sky Angel satellite -- in addition to being carried on hundreds of radio and Christian TV stations, and via live webcast on this site. [article link]
First Full-Time Awana Missionary Goes Home Former NFL lineman Don Bunge started and serviced clubs throughout western U.S. Missionary emeritus Don Bunge, the first full-time Awana missionary, passed away on November 17 in his sleep at his home in Nebraska. Don was 81. Don joined Awana as a missionary in 1966. At the time, his territory consisted of everything west of the Mississippi River. Don retired in 1991. Below is an article written in 2000 about Don and his amazing 25 years of ministry as an Awana missionary. ... By the time Don Bunge retired in 1991, he had left an indelible mark on the western half of the United States for Awana. Thousands of clubs exist as a result of the estimated one million miles of driving Bunge logged over 25 years. Today, kids from St. Louis to Seattle and all in between are reached and trained for Christ. They can thank the man clubbers affectionately dubbed "Uncle Don" for that opportunity. But Don thanked Someone else. "It's all the Lord," he said. "It's nothing I've done. I'm just the one He chose to use, that's all." [article link]
Confirmed: Lion of 'Narnia' is (Jesus) 'Lion of Judah' Author C.S. Lewis wrote 1961 letter attesting to Jesus connection Narnia's lion really is Jesus: An unpublished letter from the novelist C S Lewis has provided conclusive proof of the Christian message in his Narnia children's books. In the letter, sent to a child fan in 1961, Lewis writes: "The whole Narnian story is about Christ." It has been found by Walter Hooper, literary adviser to the Lewis estate. [article link]
THE DA VINCI CODE: Did Jesus have a wife and child, of course not! (PDF) First network TV and now a movie will air a program that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth. Following is some material to consider regarding this very wrong and false topic. [article link]
THE BAD NEWS OF THE DA VINCI CODE MOVIE: Sony Pictures - Directed by: Ron Howard, Starring: Tom Hanks, May 2006 The New York Times called recently asking what's wrong with THE DA VINCI CODE. With regard to the book by that name, there have been a large number of articles, some published in MovieGuide?, explaining its egregious historical, theological, and moral problems. With regard to the movie scheduled to be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures, however, about which the Times was calling, we won't know until we see the final product. The strange thing about the movie is that the two key people involved, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard, claim to be Christians. Mr. Hanks has told reporters that he came to Christ many years ago and now attends a
Greek Orthodox church with his wife. A Campus Crusade minister worked as Ron Howard's assistant for many years and said that Mr. Howard went to a Presbyterian church. Therefore, it is strange that these two men are making THE DA VINCI CODE, unless they have either sold out and see it as a way of making a lot of money, or they plan to change it. [article link]
Drive Thru History: Rome or Greece (Dvd's) This isn't your typical tour of ruins and mothballed artifacts. It's history as engaging as the time it took place. Dave Stotts speeds through the ancient world with custom graphics, on-site visits and narration that's definitely outside the classroom. See how events that occurred in Rome 2,000 years ago still affect our lives today. Hosted by Dave Stotts. Closed Captioned. Running time approximately 95 minutes. [article link]
The (American) School that Terrorism Built In March of 2003, a domestic non-profit was incorporated within the state of Florida, using the name American Youth Academy. The organization was set up as an Islamic elementary/secondary private school (just like IAF), and its corporate address put it directly adjacent to IAF. Or is it inside IAF? Taking a drive down the back street that is E 130th Ave, one is easily confused as to where one property ends and the other begins. If you listen to American Youth Academy (AYA) officials, you'll be hard pressed to believe that AYA is a brand new school. But in reality, only the name has changed. As reported in the Tampa Tribune, the school "uses the same buildings, desks, books and equipment as the Islamic Academy. Nearly half the teachers and many students are the same." The phone number to the school is also the same. Even one of the AYA Directors, Ayman Barakat, was a long-time Director of IAF. So why is the state of Florida treating this "new" school differently than it treated IAF? As stated previously, IAF lost its funding due to its ties to terrorist activity. However, the same school that goes by the new name is currently receiving more taxpayer funded vouchers than any other school in the Tampa Bay area. For this year alone, Florida's citizens have shelled out $332,500 to AYA for its elementary/secondary program and $2500 per child for AYA's Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program, which it is actively soliciting for children on its website. Given this school's history, how is this possible? [article link]
Security Official: Iran, Syria Seek Conflict with Jewish State Israel JERUSALEM - The suicide bombing attack on a crowded Israeli mall earlier today is being viewed by some Jewish security personnel as a tactic aimed at reducing mounting international pressure on Iran and Syria. A senior Israeli security official told WND that Iran, under increased international pressure to curb what the West believes is a growing nuclear weapons program, and Syria, under heavy U.S. scrutiny for its alleged role in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February, are seeking conflict with Israel as a distraction from those issues. [article link]
Suicide Bombing Outside Netanya-Israel Mall Kills Five, 66 Wounded Islamic Jihad claims responsibility, tells 'Post': "Operations against Israel will continue as long as there is occupation." [article link]
5 killed in Israel-Netanya bombing Suicide bomber blows himself up at 11:30 a.m. outside Sharon Mall in Netanya; about 58 people injured, including several in serious condition; according to eyewitness account, woman identified bomber seconds before he detonated explosives; Islamic Jihad claims responsibility [article link]
The Franklin Graham "Celebration of Hope" will be held at the New Orleans Arena, March 11-12, 2006 (Prayer Points for this Event) The Celebration of Hope - March 11-12, 2006 at the New Orleans Arena - Will feature worship, a time of prayer, testimonies, and a message of hope from Franklin Graham. For the last 10 years there has been an invitation to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to come and guide in preparing for a united evangelistic outreach to Greater New Orleans. The spiritual leaders of Greater New Orleans believe that-with the devastation and desperation created by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita-the time is right. The soil of human hearts has been softened, and people are ready and need to receive a message of HOPE. [article link]
A Thief in the Night DVD Series: Christmas Special Buy One Get One Free {keep one and donate one to your Church} Buy any movie DVD, VHS, or other pack or kit at the regular retail price and get one of equal or lesser value free. Offer ends 1/15/2006. For this Christmas offer call 1-800-247-3456. [article link]
Basic Christian: Newsletter - Monthly Memo Updates Basic Christian: Newsletter, Updates. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come. [article link]
MY CHRISTMAS DISCOVERY Love is not blind; it has an extra spiritual eye which sees the good and possibilities that others cannot see! [article link]
Evangelical Christian Credit Union (ECCU) Evangelical Christian Credit Union (ECCU) is a member-owned financial cooperative serving evangelical organizations and individuals worldwide. If you need help with church financing, investments, or cash management, ECCU has solutions available to make your work easier. [article link]
Focus on the Family Severs Ties with Wells Fargo Bank Following comments made on today's "Focus on the Family" radio broadcast regarding the organization's decision to end its banking relationship with Wells Fargo, Focus President and CEO Jim Daly issued the following statement: Focus on the Family has elected to end its banking relationship with Wells Fargo, motivated primarily by the bank's ongoing efforts to advance the radical homosexual agenda. These efforts are in direct opposition to the underlying principles and purpose of Focus, and thus a decision of conscience had to be made, and a stand taken. [article link]
The (American) School that Terrorism Built In March of 2003, a domestic non-profit was incorporated within the state of Florida, using the name American Youth Academy. The organization was set up as an Islamic elementary/secondary private school (just like IAF), and its corporate address put it directly adjacent to IAF. Or is it inside IAF? Taking a drive down the back street that is E 130th Ave, one is easily confused as to where one property ends and the other begins. If you listen to American Youth Academy (AYA) officials, you'll be hard pressed to believe that AYA is a brand new school. But in reality, only the name has changed. As reported in the Tampa Tribune, the school "uses the same buildings, desks, books and equipment as the Islamic Academy. Nearly half the teachers and many students are the same." The phone number to the school is also the same. Even one of the AYA Directors, Ayman Barakat, was a long-time Director of IAF. So why is the state of Florida treating this "new" school differently than it treated IAF? As stated previously, IAF lost its funding due to its ties to terrorist activity. However, the same school that
goes by the new name is currently receiving more taxpayer funded vouchers than any other school in the Tampa Bay area. For this year alone, Florida's citizens have shelled out $332,500 to AYA for its elementary/secondary program and $2500 per child for AYA's Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program, which it is actively soliciting children for on its website. Given this school's history, how is this possible? [article link]
Security Official: Iran, Syria Seek Conflict with Jewish State Israel JERUSALEM - The suicide bombing attack on a crowded Israeli mall earlier today is being viewed by some Jewish security personnel as a tactic aimed at reducing mounting international pressure on Iran and Syria. A senior Israeli security official told WND that Iran, under increased international pressure to curb what the West believes is a growing nuclear weapons program, and Syria, under heavy U.S. scrutiny for its alleged role in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February, are seeking conflict with Israel as a distraction from those issues. [article link]
Suicide Bombing Outside Netanya-Israel Mall Kills Five, 66 Wounded Islamic Jihad claims responsibility, tells 'Post': "Operations against Israel will continue as long as there is occupation." [article link]
5 killed in Israel-Netanya bombing Suicide bomber blows himself up at 11:30 a.m. outside Sharon Mall in Netanya; about 58 people injured, including several in serious condition; according to eyewitness account, woman identified bomber seconds before he detonated explosives; Islamic Jihad claims responsibility [article link]
The Franklin Graham "Celebration of Hope" will be held at the New Orleans Arena, March 11-12, 2006 (Prayer Points for this Event) The Celebration of Hope - March 11-12, 2006 at the New Orleans Arena - Will feature worship, a time of prayer, testimonies, and a message of hope from Franklin Graham. For the last 10 years there has been an invitation to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to come and guide in preparing for a united evangelistic outreach to Greater New Orleans. The spiritual leaders of Greater New Orleans believe that-with the devastation and desperation created by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita-the time is right. The soil of human hearts has been softened, and people are ready and need to receive a message of HOPE. [article link]
A Thief in the Night DVD Series: Christmas Special Buy One Get One Free {keep one and donate one to your Church} Buy any movie DVD, VHS, or other pack or kit at the regular retail price and get one of equal or lesser value free. Offer ends 1/15/2006. For this Christmas offer call 1-800-247-3456. [article link]
Basic Christian: Newsletter - Monthly Memo Updates Basic Christian: Newsletter, Updates. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come. [article link]
Earth Science Associates, Fingerprints of Creation, Polonium Halos: Unrefuted Evidence for Earth's Instant Creation! Did you know that scientific evidence abounds to support the biblical accounts of creation and the flood? Were you aware that reports outlining this evidence passed peer review, and were published in the open scientific
literature? Have you heard that, decades later, this evidence still stands unrefuted by the scientific community? An Overview: Etched within Earth's foundation rocks - the granites - are beautiful microspheres of coloration, halos, produced by the radioactive decay of primordial polonium, which is known to have only a fleeting existence. The following simple analogy will show how these polonium microspheres - or halos - contradict the evolutionary belief that granites formed as hot magma slowly cooled over millions of years. To the contrary, this analogy demonstrates how these halos provide unambiguous evidence of both an almost instantaneous creation of granites and the young age of the earth. [article link]
MY CHRISTMAS DISCOVERY Love is not blind; it has an extra spiritual eye which sees the good and possibilities that others cannot see! [article link]
Evangelical Christian Credit Union (ECCU) Evangelical Christian Credit Union (ECCU) is a member-owned financial cooperative serving evangelical organizations and individuals worldwide. If you need help with church financing, investments, or cash management, ECCU has solutions available to make your work easier. [article link]
Focus on the Family Severs Ties with Wells Fargo Bank Following comments made on today's "Focus on the Family" radio broadcast regarding the organization's decision to end its banking relationship with Wells Fargo, Focus President and CEO Jim Daly issued the following statement: Focus on the Family has elected to end its banking relationship with Wells Fargo, motivated primarily by the bank's ongoing efforts to advance the radical homosexual agenda. These efforts are in direct opposition to the underlying principles and purpose of Focus, and thus a decision of conscience had to be made, and a stand taken. [article link]
CHRISTmas Info & Resources 2005 Version Christmas - Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. [article link]
Basic Christian: Full Website Content - Final 2005 Version (PDF) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
*** A Petition Asking Target Stores To Stop Banning The Use Of Christmas In Their In-Store Promotions And Retail Advertising *** I am offended that Target has banned "Christmas" in their in-store promotions and retail advertising. I am offended that they want to make money from those celebrating the birthday of Christ but are not concerned if Christians are offended. I will boycott Target until they stop banning Christmas. [article link]
Group Calls for Boycott of Target Dept. Stores "Knowing that is was too late to make changes this season," he explains, "we told Target that if they would make that change in 2006 we would encourage our supporters to shop at Target. But we also said if Target refused, or did not respond, AFA would call for a boycott." The retailer did not respond to the offer, says AFA -and therefore the group has called upon its 2.8-million online supporters and listeners of its nearly 200 radio stations nationwide to avoid shopping at Target stores for the remainder of the Christmas shopping season. "Target doesn't want to offend a small minority who oppose Christmas," Wildmon adds. "But they don't mind
offending Christians who celebrate the birth of Christ, the Reason for the season." AFA says via an online petition it has gathered nearly 600,000 signatures from individuals who have pledged to boycott Target. The goal, says AFA, is to get upwards of a million signatures. [article link]
Film Director Sparks Debate Over Origins of 'Harry Potter' A Norwegian film director has sparked a debate in Norway over whether JK Rowling really is the enormously successful author who launched the Harry Potter craze, or whether she's just a good actress fronted by multinational commercial interests. A Norwegian film director has doubts as to whether JK Rowling is really behind the story of Harry Potter. [article link]
U. of Kansas Cancels Hostile Professor's Course against Creationism TOPEKA, Kan. - A University of Kansas course devoted to debunking creationism and intelligent design has been canceled after the professor caused a furor by sending an e-mail mocking Christian fundamentalists. [Professor] Mirecki recently posted an e-mail on a student organization forum in which he referred to religious conservatives as "fundies" and said a course depicting intelligent design as mythology would be a "nice slap in their big fat face." He later apologized, and did so again Thursday in a statement issued by the university. [article link]
WHISTLEBLOWER MAGAZINE: CRIMINALIZING CHRISTIANITY - How America's founding religion is becoming illegal Attacks on Christmas dominate today's headlines - judges banning nativity scenes, retailers renaming Christmas trees "Holiday trees," schools forbidding children from singing Christmas carols and even banning the colors red and green! It almost sounds funny, but only if you're not aware of the powerful, malevolent currents beneath the "grinch-who-stole-Christmas" stories. As WND's acclaimed monthly Whistleblower reveals in its spine-straightening December issue, a lot more than Christmas is at stake - Christianity itself is being undermined and attacked with increasing frequency and venom. [article link]
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Suspends Bible Study Ban The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) has "suspended" its ban on resident assistants (RAs) leading unofficial Bible studies in their own dormitories after a Christian RA filed a federal lawsuit challenging the policy late Wednesday. The lawsuit and policy suspension follow weeks of intense public pressure on UWEC since the Founda'ion for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) publicly exposed the university's unjust and unconstitutional policy. [article link]
Sweden's Chilling Effect on Freedom to Preach the Gospel Ake Green said. This is precisely what is meant by the phrase "a chilling effect." Johan Munck is Chairman of the Swedish Supreme Court. He warned others: "I don't believe this gives the green light for similar sermons." Left unclear by this ruling is whether any Swede who quotes, for example, the Vatican's latest directive against ordaining priests who are involved in the homosexual lifestyle would be prosecuted successfully under that country's hate crimes laws. We thank God that Pastor Green has been spared. But the light from Sweden to preachers around the world is flashing yellow. [article link]
French Minister Says Polygamy (Multiple Wives) To Blame For Riots France's employment minister on Tuesday fingered polygamy as one reason for the rioting in the country. Gérard Larcher said multiple marriages among immigrants was one reason for the racial discrimination which ethnic minorities faced in the job market. Overly large polygamous families sometimes led to anti-social
behaviour among youths who lacked a father figure, making employers wary of hiring ethnic minorities, he explained. [article link]
France's Polygamy (Multiple Wives) Problem Between 150,000 and 400,000 people live in polygamous households in France, in which a man is married to more than one woman. The French state is trying to change the situation -- with mixed results. The government argues that living in polygamy prevents immigrants from becoming integrated into French society and that it goes against the principles of gender equality enshrined in the constitution. Polygamy was made illegal in France in 1993. Those who still live in polygamy have either been doing so since before the law was passed or they married abroad. [article link]
"Europe Died in Auschwitz" Europe Exterminates Six million Peaceful Jews and Replaced Them With 20 Million Fanatic Muslims (Article) I walked down the street in Barcelona, and suddenly discovered a terrible truth - Europe died in Auschwitz. We killed six million Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims. In Auschwitz we burned a culture, thought, creativity, and talent. We destroyed the chosen people, truly chosen, because they produced great and wonderful people who changed the world. ... And under the pretense of tolerance, and because we wanted to prove to ourselves that we were cured of the disease of racism, we opened our gates to 20 million Muslims, who brought us stupidity and ignorance, religious extremism and lack of tolerance, crime and poverty due to an unwillingness to work and support their families with pride. They have turned our beautiful European cities into the third world, drowning in filth and crime. Shut up in the apartments they receive free from the government, they plan the murder and destruction of their naive hosts. [article link]
Pennsylvania Sept. 11 Memorial Redesign a bowl-shaped area would replace a "Crescent of Embrace" PITTSBURGH Nov 30, 2005 - Designers of a Flight 93 memorial have made a bowl-shaped piece of land its centerpiece, replacing a crescent-shape design that some critics had said was a symbol honoring terrorists, officials announced Wednesday. [article link]
Showdown Over Nativity Display: Homeowner Refuses to Take Down Display Despite Threat of Fines ANN ARBOR, MI. - Since moving into their new home three years ago, the Samona family of Novi, Michigan, has displayed a Nativity scene on their front lawn during each Christmas season. This year however, the management company of their subdivision sent them a letter demanding that they remove the Nativity scene. If they did not remove the display, the Samonas could be fined up to $100 a week until the display was removed. Batoul Samona, the homeowner stated, "I have been displaying my nativity outside this house and my previous house for about 25 years without any problem until this year. My family will not remove the nativity from our front lawn under any circumstances." [article link]
Swedish Pastor Acquitted of Hate Speech Charge {Must not be any Crime, Drugs, pornography, Books, Movies, TV or Rock/Rap Music in Sweden if all they can find to prosecute is a Pastor.} Green, 64, became the first clergyman convicted under Sweden's hate crimes legislation, when a lower court found him guilty of inciting hatred against homosexuals. An appeals court overturned the ruling earlier this year, but Sweden's chief prosecutor appealed the acquittal to the Supreme Court. Green said the Supreme Court ruling was a relief both for him and other preachers. "This means we can continue to speak the way we have, and therefore it feels very good that they have ruled in way that there should not be any infringement in our way of preaching," he told Swedish public radio. [article link]
China's Mao Tse-tung was more lethal than Hitler or USSR's Stalin Expert says Chinese leader's policies led to death of 77 million countrymen The Chinese communist leader's toll is higher than the 34.1 million combat deaths in "all wars between 1900 and 1987," including World Wars I and II, Vietnam, Korea, and the Mexican and Russian Revolutions. "Mao alone murdered over twice as many as were killed in combat in all these wars," he said. {Only Abortion Kills more People.} [article link]
Capitol Holiday Tree Is a Christmas Tree Again The re-named tree was called a Christmas Tree until the late 1990s, when it was changed to the name "Holiday Tree." The source of the name change in the 1990s is unclear, but this year's Web site could not be changed and still refers to it as a holiday tree. Calling a Christmas tree a Christmas tree has become a politically charged prospect in jurisdictions across the country, from Boston to Sacramento and in dozens of communities in between. The city of Boston changed the name of its Holiday Tree back to Christmas Tree after being threatened with several lawsuits. [article link]
Lowe's listens: 'Christmas trees' Chain dumps 'holiday' reference after WND report, complaints One day after a WorldNetDaily story brought national exposure, the home-improvement retailer Lowe's dropped references to "Holiday Trees" in favor of "Christmas Trees" only. [article link]
Retailers Urged to Remember the 'Reason for the Season' A conservative group is circulating a petition condemning major retailers that have "banned Christmas" by replacing the word "Christmas" with "happy holidays" or "season's greetings." ... The companies that failed to mention Christmas a single time in their 260 pages of insert promotions were Target, Kroger, Office Max, Walgreens, Sears, Staples, Lowe's, J.C. Penney, Dell and Best Buy, AFA said. [article link]
Alien Encounters Conference (6 Sessions) - A Christian Perspective (Online Video-Audio) confronts the issues surrounding the sightings of UFOs and alien abductions and offers answers to many of the most pertinent questions. 6 Sessions - Each session is approximagely 60 minutes. [article link]
LIVING HOPE VIDEOS - DNA vs. The Book of Mormon (Online Viewing) ALL LIVING HOPE VIDEOS are now available for viewing online! Note: For optimum performance a broadband internet connection is preferred. Dialup may be used for the lower-resolution versions of the video, but there may be a significant "buffering" delay, depending on the speed of your connection. [article link]
Mrs. Bush's Remarks Upon Receiving the White House Christmas Tree 2005 MRS. BUSH: This is a very fun tradition, the delivery of the Christmas tree to the White House. This is the 40th year the National Christmas Tree Growers Association has given the White House the magnificent tree -- the biggest tree there. [article link]
Presidential Christmas Message, 2004 (No mention of Jesus) For 2,000 years, Christmas has proclaimed a message of hope: the patient hope of men and women across centuries who listened to the words of prophets and lived in joyful expectation; the hope of Mary, who welcomed God's plan with great faith; and the hope of wise men, who set out on a long journey guided only by a slender promise traced in the stars. Christmas reminds us that the grandest purposes of God can be found in
the humblest places. And it gives us hope that all the love and gifts that come to us in this life are the signs and symbols of an even greater love and gift that came on a holy night. [article link]
President's Christmas Message, 2002 (A very Honoring Message) I send greetings to those celebrating Christmas. During Christmas, we gather with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As God's only Son, Jesus came to Earth and gave His life so that we may live. His actions and His words remind us that service to others is central to our lives and that sacrifice and unconditional love must guide us and inspire us to lead lives of compassion, mercy, and justice. [article link]
The Assault on Christmas At times, it seems we went to sleep in George Bailey's friendly hometown (Bedford Falls) in It's a Wonderful Life--and woke up in nasty Potterville! [article link]
The China Story Mp3 #04381 The amazing story of the Christian Church surviving and thriving in communist - atheist China. [article link]
Missions, People's & Church Planting (Resources & Info) And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." - Revelation 5:9-10 [article link]
China Soul - Documentary Film "The Cross - Jesus in China" FREE Movie Download or DVD Purchase (4 Parts - 4 Hr.) In China, the story of the "Cross" once seemed as strange and far away as the other side of the universe. But today its message is here, right in our midst. 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, 188 western missionaries, and 20,000 Chinese Christians were killed. In the following fifty years, more western missionaries came to China. They established 13 universities, over 6,000 elementary schools and high schools, and more than 900 hospitals. The number of Chinese Christians grew to 700,000. The Chinese Communist Party believed this success was the result of imperialist cultural invasion. They expelled all western missionaries, forced Chinese missionaries to renounce their religion, and mandated a secular education for all Chinese. Fifty more years have passed and today there are approximately 70 million Christians in China, an increase of 100 fold! [article link]
Banner at Lowe's Store in Austin, Texas Advertises "Holiday" Trees in English, but "Christmas" Trees in Spanish (Photo) In English, the sign reads: "Now Here! Fresh Cut Holiday Trees." But in Spanish, the sign reads: "Now Here! Fresh Cut Christmas Trees." "It's OK to offend all the English-speaking Christians, but no, not the Spanish speakers. ... "By the way," he added, "they only had 'Christmas' tree stands for their fresh cut 'Holiday' trees. P.S. Merry Christmas." [article link]
Deception Audio Seminar (Mp3) Truth is that which exists and cannot change. The truth is the unchangeable fact. There are basic truths in existence. We exist in physical human form on a planet called the earth. It is an undeniable unchangeable truth that we exist. It is also an undeniable unchangeable truth that physical life exists temporally here on earth. The truth is that all who have lived in the past have suffered physical death; they are no longer physically alive with
us on earth. Since there are truths in existence there is a truth that explains life and death here on earth. There can be many theories about how life originated on earth, why and how we exist and why we die, but there is only one unchangeable truth. [article link]
*** Is Iraq now Becoming a Breading Ground for Anti-American, Anti-Israel Radical Shiite Muslims? And is this being Engineered on Purpose by England and the USA-Bush Governments? *** A series of related article postings: Currently there is a tremendous amount of effort and energy being put into Iraq by the nations of the world specifically Britain (England) and the USA. Something is being accomplished in Iraq at the great and tremendous effort and sacrifice of the United States. Is what is being accomplished in Iraq really what we are expecting to be accomplished? Is there freedom and democracy in Iraq or is there a hidden agenda beginning to emerge that President Bush is unwilling to acknowledge or even discuss? [article link]
#1 Pick: Feb. 1997, Shiite Sheik Abdel Majid Anti-Israel Shiite Favored by England and USA as Initial Iraqi Ruler to Replace Saddam Hussien The Islamic Group, and its subsidiary arm, Islamic Jihad, are headquartered in London. In February 1997, the British Government formally granted permission to Abel Abdel Majid and Adel Tawfiq al Sirri to establish Islamic Group fundraising and media offices in London, under the names International Bureau for the Defense of the Egyptian People and the Islamic Observatory. Abdel Majid was implicated in the October 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat {for his peace overtures to Israel}, and he subsequently masterminded the escape of two prisoners jailed for the assassination. In 1991, he fled to Britain and immediately was granted political asylum. He has coordinated the Islamic Group's overseas operations ever since. In fact, he was sentenced to death in absentia for the bombing of the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan in November 1995, in which 15 diplomats were killed. [article link]
Thanksgiving Holiday Resources and Info 2005 Version Christians look forward to the time of the year when we celebrate two important holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. These holidays have their beginnings and roots in Christian celebrations. The word holiday actually means "holy day"; hence these events should be remembered and celebrated in a holy manner. We have strayed from that purpose over the years as we have embraced many unholy practices and worldly customs and added them to our "holy days." [article link]
CHRISTmas Info & Resources 2005 Version Christmas - Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. [article link]
Report: al-Zarqawi may have been killed in Mosul The Elaph Arab media website reported on Sunday that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the head of the al-Qaida in Iraq terror group, may have been killed in Iraq on Sunday afternoon when eight terrorists blew themselves up in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. The unconfirmed report claimed that the explosions occurred while coalition forces surrounded the house in which al-Zarqawi was hiding. American and Iraqi forces are looking into the report. [article link]
The LORD is my shepherd; Psalm 23 (Flash Movie) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want (worry). ... He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. ... Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. [article link]
Basic Christian: Full Website Content 2005 Version Updated-Again (PDF) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
KLove.com Listen Online Christian Radio K-LOVE Radio is streaming live broadcasts 24/7 of Positive & Encouraging music - more music every hour than any other radio station! [article link]
Deception Audio Seminar (Mp3) Truth is that which exists and cannot change. The truth is the unchangeable fact. There are basic truths in existence. We exist in physical human form on a planet called the earth. It is an undeniable unchangeable truth that we exist. It is also an undeniable unchangeable truth that physical life exists temporally here on earth. The truth is that all who have lived in the past have suffered physical death; they are no longer physically alive with us on earth. Since there are truths in existence there is a truth that explains life and death here on earth. There can be many theories about how life originated on earth, why and how we exist and why we die, but there is only one unchangeable truth. [article link]
War in Iraq Keeping a Perspective (Updated) Keeping a broader Perspective on the current world events and considering how they have Biblical End Times Significance. [article link]
*** Is Iraq now Becoming a Breading Ground for Anti-American, Anti-Israel Radical Shiite Muslims? And is this being Engineered on Purpose by England (Britain) and the USA-Bush Governments? *** A series of related article postings: Currently there is a tremendous amount of effort and energy being put into Iraq by the nations of the world specifically Britain (England) and the USA. Something is being accomplished in Iraq at the great and tremendous effort and sacrifice of the United States. Is what is being accomplished in Iraq really what we are expecting to be accomplished? Is there freedom and democracy in Iraq or is there a hidden agenda beginning to emerge that President Bush is unwilling to acknowledge or even discuss? [article link]
Utah News: Evolution debate hits the beer aisle Controversy over teaching evolution in public schools has been bottled up in a most unlikely place - the beer aisle. Wasatch Beers is changing the label on its 2002 Unofficial Amber Ale - a title that once raised a ruckus with Olympic officials - to "Evolution Amber Ale." ... Schirf's new label features several images of monkeys walking more and more upright behind a man, carrying a six-pack and swigging from a bottle. A stamp mark says "Darwin Approved" and "Created in 27 days, not 7." [Duh! God created the universe in six day and rested the seventh. Who says making and drinking beer makes you smart. That company and label design defiantly need some "intelligent design".] [article link]
FDA Probing 12 Deaths of Kids Taking Tamiflu WASHINGTON - Federal health advisers are looking into the deaths of 12 Japanese children who took Tamiflu, part of their annual safety review of the anti-flu medication and seven other drugs. ... An update by FDA staff also includes reports of 32 "neuropsychiatric events" associated with Tamiflu, all but one experienced by Japanese patients. Those cases included delirium, hallucinations, convulsions and encephalitis. [article link]
Cloud Ten Pictures Church Viewing Outreach Movie: "Revelation" Starting January 20, 2006 The Cloud Ten Cinemas Chain is committed to: 1. Making the very best evangelical films available to their member churches regardless of the producer or distributor. 2. Leveraging the power of the chain by forcing producers and studios who want to utilize it to create evangelical movies that pastors will play in their church. [article link]
Christmas Tracts and Various Resources from ATSTracts.org Welcome to the ATS Christmas site. ATS has prepared a variety of materials to help you celebrate the birth of Christ. Visit all the pages and print out any of the materials that would be helpful to you. The Christmas season is full of opportunities to reach outside your usual circle of friends. Don't just lament the commercialization of Christmas, actively plan to share your faith this Christmas. [article link]
Hurricane zone begins Bible Reading Marathon Small Florida city reading Genesis to Revelation in over 90 hours Residents of Stuart, Fla., have been blasted by direct hits from three hurricanes in the past two years, but that's not stopping their annual Bible Reading Marathon from taking place. Beginning tonight and through Sunday, hundreds of locals on South Florida's Treasure Coast are expected to show up as every verse is read aloud from Genesis to Revelation. [article link]
Jan. 11, 2000 Petition to Put Britain (England) on the List of States Sponsoring (Islam) Terrorism: Sheik Abdel Majid al-Khoei Radical Shiite Islam Leader Given Asylum in England The following memorandum, dated Jan. 11, 2000, was prepared for delivery to U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. It is a request to launch an investigation, pursuant to placing Great Britain on the list of states sponsoring (Islam) terrorism. ... The Islamic Group, and its subsidiary arm, Islamic Jihad, are headquartered in London. In February 1997, the British government formally granted permission to Abel Abdel Majid and Adel Tawfiq al Sirri to establish Islamic Group fundraising and media offices in London, under the names International Bureau for the Defense of the Egyptian People and the Islamic Observatory. Abdel Majid was implicated in the October 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and he subsequently masterminded the escape of two prisoners jailed for the assassination. In 1991, he fled to Britain and immediately was granted political asylum. He has coordinated the Islamic Group's overseas operations ever since. In fact, he was sentenced to death in absentia for the bombing of the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan in November 1995, in which 15 diplomats were killed. [article link]
Najaf April 10, 2003 US - England Hand Picked Shiite Sheik Abdel Majid al-Khoei Radical Leader Returns to Iraq and is Stabbed to Death NAJAF, Iraq A furious crowd hacked to death two clerics during a melee Thursday at one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines, witnesses said, at a meeting meant to serve as a model for reconciliation in post-Saddam Iraq. A prominent Islamic cleric, newly returned from exile and cooperating with the American forces that are nominally in control of this city, was killed by an angry mob here today at one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines. Sheik Abdel Majid al-Khoei , [50], head of the London-based philanthropic Khoei Foundation and son of the late Grand Ayatollah Abolqassem al-Khoei, was killed by members of a rival Shiite group in an altercation at Imam Ali Mosque. Majid al-Khoei , a Shiite Muslim cleric whose father was the Shiite world's supreme ayatollah, returned home to Iraq last week from years of exile in London preaching reconciliation as the country tries to rebuild. Men burst into Iraq's holiest Shi'ite shrine on Thursday and stabbed and shot dead senior cleric ABDUL Majid al-Khoei and an aide, apparently as part of power struggle in the city of Najaf, now under U.S. control. [article link]
April 24, 2003 Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) one of just two Shiite groups--that the Bush Administration made eligible for $92 million in US military assistance last year As Time reported on April 10, SCIRI also vowed "to take up arms against American forces if they remain in Iraq after deposing Saddam." It's worth noting, in the wake of these recent protests, that SCIRI was one of only six opposition groups--and one of just two Shiite groups--that the Bush Administration made eligible for $92 million in US military assistance last year. The other primarily Shiite group was the ethically challenged Ahmad Chalabi's umbrella organization, the Iraqi National Congress. [article link]
May 19, 2003 Najaf, Iraq: Why was America's favorite (Radical Islam) Iraqi Cleric Killed? Some now say that al-Sadr considers himself God's agent of vengeance. In recent days the young cleric has emerged as the central figure in a dark tale of jealousy and murder that has caused other religious leaders in Najaf to barricade themselves behind locked doors. It is a story involving CIA operatives, a large stash of dollars hidden in clerical robes and a slaughter at one of the most sacred shrines of Shiite Islam. The principal victim, Abdel Majid al-Khoei, 41, was a Shiite leader and London-based Iraqi exile who had returned to Najaf under U.S. military protection. Al-Khoei was a key figure in U.S. efforts to nurture moderate leaders in post-Saddam Iraq-and a counterweight to radical clerics backed by Iran. At first, al-Khoei's murder seemed the spontaneous act of a mob incensed about his U.S. ties and his association with a Baathist cleric-who was killed alongside him. But evidence suggests the murder, which occurred at the doorway of al-Sadr's headquarters, was part of a vicious power struggle that is likely to continue. [article link]
#2 Pick: August 29, 2003 Najaf, Iraq: US-England Backed Radical Shiite Muslim leader Mohammed Bakr alHakim Killed So in 1980, Hakim fled to Iran next door. He formed a Shiite political party called the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, a group that also has a military wing. Hakim was often critical of the U.S., which in turn was suspicious of his ties to conservative Iranian clerics. ... Hakim's party is now based in Najaf, the birthplace of Shiite Islam and one of its holiest cities. His brother is a member of the U.S.-chosen Iraqi Governing Council. [article link]
Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim: Radical Shiite Islam Leader Favored by US - England Al-Hakim had the rare mix of religious authority and political acumen needed to put the long-oppressed Shiites in control of Iraq. ... Al-Hakim was head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution, an opposition group he founded in exile in 1982. His decision to allow the group to join the U.S.-picked Governing Council gave the 25-member body a measure of legitimacy and credibility in the eyes of many skeptical Iraqis. [article link]
May 2005: Unraveling Iraq's Secret Militas (Liberal Website) Greg Jaffe, the Journal reporter, identified at least six such militias, one with "several thousand soldiers" lavishly armed with "rocket-propelled-grenade launchers, mortar tubes and lots of ammunition." Yet these militias owe their allegiance not to the Iraqi people or government, but to their self-appointed leaders and associated politicians, such as interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. Even the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, Gen. John P. Abizaid, admitted in testimony before Congress on March 1 that such militias are "destabilizing." ... Jaffe notes many of the pop-up militias come "from Shiite-dominated southern Iraq." [article link]
FDA Probing 12 Deaths of Kids Taking Tamiflu WASHINGTON - Federal health advisers are looking into the deaths of 12 Japanese children who took Tamiflu, part of their annual safety review of the anti-flu medication and seven other drugs. ... An update by FDA staff
also includes reports of 32 "neuropsychiatric events" associated with Tamiflu, all but one experienced by Japanese patients. Those cases included delirium, hallucinations, convulsions and encephalitis. [article link]
Cloud Ten Pictures Church Viewing Outreach Movie: "Revelation" Starting January 20, 2006 The Cloud Ten Cinemas Chain is committed to: 1. Making the very best evangelical films available to their member churches regardless of the producer or distributor. 2. Leveraging the power of the chain by forcing producers and studios who want to utilize it to create evangelical movies that pastors will play in their church. [article link]
Sunni leaders have accused Shiite-dominated security forces of detaining, torturing and killing hundreds of Sunnis simply because of their religious affiliation In Baghdad, Omar Heikal of the Iraqi Islamic Party said it was now clear that majority Shiites in the U.S.-backed government were trying to suppress minority Sunnis ahead of the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections. "Our information indicates that this is not the only place where torture is taking place," he said, reading an official party statement. The party "calls on the United Nations, the Arab League and humanitarian bodies to denounce these clear human rights violations, and we demand a fair, international probe so that all those who are involved in such practices will get their just punishment." In a related development, at least four Iraqi policemen were treated at Yarmouk Hospital for injuries they said were suffered in beatings by men who identified themselves as Interior Ministry commandos after they were stopped Monday on patrol in the Dora neighborhood of southwest Baghdad. [article link]
Trials and Triumphs of Faith by Mary Cole, born 1853 {Old Flu-Typhoid Outbreaks} (Text - Download) Sister Mary Cole, of whose life this book is a brief, authentic sketch, had a natural inheritance that seemed calculated to shut her forever out of a place in the history of the world or of the church. Born with a body that from her earliest childhood was racked with pain, deprived by ill health of education, she seemed naturally unfitted to fill any place in the world and doomed to be only a burden to herself and her friends. How God took her, healed her, and fitted her for his service, and how he used her as an instrument for his glory, is the story of her life. [article link]
Avian Bird Flu is it a Return of the 1918 Spanish Flu? and if so "Vaccine -- Not Virus -- Responsible for 1918 Spanish flu" "The army doctors knew all these cases of disease and death were due to vaccination and were honest enough to admit it in their medical reports. When army doctors tried to suppress the symptoms of typhoid with a stronger vaccine, it caused a worse form of typhoid, paratyphoid. But when they concocted an even stronger vaccine to suppress that one, they created an even worse disease - Spanish flu. After the war, this was one of the vaccines used to protect a panic-stricken world from the soldiers returning from WWI battlefronts infected with dangerous diseases." "The rest is history." Yes, history records that over 50 million people died worldwide - from a disease they caught from a "protective" vaccination! Now you know that the Spanish Flu of 1918 was deliberately created and then spread through vaccinations! But, the "panic-stricken" public demanded a vaccination, not realizing that was the way in which the diesase was spreading. Of course, many were also killed when the virus spread from person-to-person as viruses normally do. Will we soon hear that Avian Bird Flu has started in this country in Georgia, within convenient distance of Atlanta, where the CDC has genetically reconstructed the deadly 1918 Spanish Flu virus? People will line up to get this worthless Avian Bird Flu, not realizing the vaccine is full of the 1918 Spanish Flu -- reconstructed. [article link]
Avian Flu - Precautions, Preparation, Treatment & Lifestyle NB This purpose of this web page is not to scare but to inform you, it is the gov'ts that are trying to cause hysteria in order to push through their dialectic. This can be seen currently in America where Walker-Bush is using the threat of Bird Flu to bring about Martial Law, despite their not being one single episode of this flu occurring in America. On a world wide scene, the number of deaths remain below a hundred. There are nonetheless precautions that can be taken which, considering the current climate - are well worth taking. The advice here is not just applicable to the flu but widely applicable to a range of outbreaks, be they Biological or indeed even Chemical threats. It is therefore suggested that people acquaint themselves with the advice presented here and ensure they are protected, once you have taken the necessary and sensible precautions you have no need to panic or buy into the mass media (hegelian) propaganda. - Be informed and be prepared but don't ride upon the wave of hysteria. [article link]
Bush's indispensable toy: First iPod President's player features eclectic list of downloaded tunes {No Christian Selections Though} With him, as usual, was his indispensable exercise toy: an iPod music player loaded with country and popular rock tunes aimed at getting the presidential heart rate up to a chest-pounding 170 beats per minute. He has selections by Van Morrison, whose "Brown Eyed Girl" is a Bush favorite. ... "My Sharona," the 1979 song by the Knack that Joe Levy, a deputy managing editor at Rolling Stone in charge of music coverage, cheerfully branded "suggestive if not outright filthy" in an interview last week. [article link]
Newly Elected Texas Gov. Bush Flips the Bird (Video - Click the Play Button) Gov. Bush Gives The Public The One Finger Victory Salute. [article link]
President Bush, Laura, Jenna and Other Well Known People Showing Off the Hand Signal Which Represents Satan (Photos) Associated Press and Reuters called the above Bush family hand signs the 'Texas Longhorn or 'Texas UT' symbol. People still seem to think the signal is solely the 'hook 'em horns' UT symbol. We know this to be true but this doesn't answer our primary questions. 1) If the symbol denotes Texas football or UT, why are people like Silvio Berlusconi and Bill Clinton doing it too? They have no links with Texas. 2) Why is the Bush family so obsessed with the signal, displaying it dozens of times during both the inauguration and the evening ball? A few times maybe we could accept, but why this many? What has Texas sports got do with a national inauguration? 3) By Bush being an occult member of Skull and Bones and Bohemian Grove, it certainly shouldn't be surprising that people would suspect him of praising Satan. Why would any Christian belong to an occult organization? Below are some photos where the hand gesture is used in a clearly Satanic context: {Besides President Bush and family all went to Yale and not Texas UT}. [article link]
Bush White House's Christ-less Christmas Official Commemorations Emphasize Santa, Rudolph over Jesus in 2004 WASHINGTON - What's virtually missing from the White House commemoration of Christmas this year? Jesus. The little baby in the manger. The reason for the season. While President Bush was re-elected last month in an election victory many attributed to an outpouring of support by evangelical Christians impressed with his candid outspokenness about his faith, some Americans notice the White House website lacks even a single mention of Jesus, whose birth is celebrated by hundreds of millions worldwide Dec. 25. [article link]
Reasons Why it is Very Doubtful that President Bush is a Christian (CuttingEdge.org) In this hot debate amongst Christian brethren over whether the fruits (actions) of President Bush were of such Biblically "good fruit" nature to allow Fundamental, Bible-believing Christians to consider him "Born Again", I have created a list showing the fruits I have seen since he became a candidate for President in 2000. On the left, I have listed the "bad fruits" I have seen, and on the right, I have listed the "good fruits" he has produced. "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matt 7:16 ). [article link]
Thanksgiving Holiday Resources and Info 2005 Version Christians look forward to the time of the year when we celebrate two important holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. These holidays have their beginnings and roots in Christian celebrations. The word holiday actually means "holy day"; hence these events should be remembered and celebrated in a holy manner. We have strayed from that purpose over the years as we have embraced many unholy practices and worldly customs and added them to our "holy days." [article link]
CHRISTmas Info & Resources 2005 Version Christmas - Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. [article link]
Awana: Family Connection November Newsletter Awana Family Connection is delivered free via e-mail to subscribers monthly. We encourage you to distribute this newsletter freely and ask only that you not change its contents. [article link]
The New American: Current Issue Articles (Online Articles) The New American That Freedom Shall Not Perish. [article link]
Dr. James Dobson Pays Tribute to Dr. Adrian Rogers There is no one in America whom I respected more than Dr. Rogers. He has been a faithful friend to me and to the ministry of Focus on the Family for many years, serving as a voice of wisdom, encouragement and admonition on our Board of Directors. He was also a staunch ally in the battle to defend biblical values in our culture. "Most importantly, Dr. Rogers was responsible for impacting countless people through the faithful preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That was the defining passion of his life, from the day I first met him until the very end. [article link]
FRC Tribute: Dr. Adrian Rogers - A Gentle Giant In the little over two years that I have been at the helm of FRC I have had the privilege to go many places, meet many people and do many things, but one of the moments that remain special to me was the second simulcast that FRC produced from Belleview Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, where Dr. Adrian Rogers pastored for 33 years. I distinctly remember the feeling of standing with a giant in the faith, whose voice I had listened to for years, as I stood with Dr. Rodgers and two other champions of the faith, Dr. James Dobson and Chuck Colson. In the months following that event I had the opportunity to spend some time with Dr. Rodgers, and the only way I can describe him is as a gentle giant. His thundering voice captivated millions as he stood uncompromisingly for the truth and led untold numbers to the cross of Jesus Christ. Yet I've watched him as he took the time to express genuine interest in those he did not know as they shared with him matter of importance to them. He was one that made you feel good to be in his presence. I always found him positive, affirming and full of joy. There is no doubt that the joy of the Lord was his strength, and as a result of his life
we are all stronger in our faith. [article link]
Baptist Press: Adrian Rogers Article Rogers may be best remembered for his leadership in what is commonly called the Conservative Resurgence, the movement in which Southern Baptists elected a series of conservative leaders in response to evidence of theological liberalism within the denomination's seminaries and entities. Rogers' election as president at the SBC annual meeting in 1979 marked the official beginning of the resurgence and was the first of many hotly contested elections between conservatives and moderates. Rogers, and the other conservative presidents who followed, promised to use their nominating powers to name only those who believed in the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible. Over the course of the next two decades, Southern Baptist seminaries and entities saw dramatic change, as conservative leaders and professors took the place of moderates who had held those positions for years. [article link]
Adrian Rogers Dies at Age 74 Dr. Adrian Rogers, one of the fathers of the conservative grassroots movement in the nation's largest Protestant denomination, died early Tuesday morning after a battle with cancer and pneumonia. He was 74. Rogers came to help build Bellevue Baptist Church in 1972 to the 29,000-member congregation that it is today, and was named Pastor Emeritus after he retired this year. His face and voice were known to millions of believers worldwide thanks to his Love Worth Finding television and radio ministry, which is carried in more than 150 countries. [article link]
Love Worth Finding - Adrian Rogers Website (LWF.org) Discover the Love of Jesus. [article link]
Love Worth Finding with Adrian Rogers Audio Messages Listen to today's message, order an MP3 download, or purchase an audio CD by clicking on the link above [article link]
Conservatives Mobilize Against Activist Atheist (CNSNews.com) -- Conservative groups are rising to the defense of America's Christian heritage by fighting an atheist who wants to remove the motto "In God We Trust" from the nation's currency. Michael Newdow told the ACLU of Oklahoma that he would file a lawsuit against the national motto this week on the grounds that it is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion and "excludes people who don't believe in God." [article link]
Basic Christian: Full Website Content 2005 Version Updated (PDF) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
Honoring America's Veterans Then... In 1801, President Jefferson refused to pay tribute to North African rulers who preyed on ships from Western Christian countries. He sent the U.S. Navy and the Marines "to the shores of Tripoli." To this day, Marine officers carry the curved Mameluke sword, a reminder of that war. Jefferson was really fighting America's first war on terror. We called them Barbary Pirates then, but they were Muslim hostage-takers and slave traders. It sounds like Sudan today. Even then, Hitchens said, America was a nation to be reckoned with. The arrival of U.S. forces in North Africa showed Europe that we would fight rather than pay tribute to Arab kidnapers. In those days, the
rulers of Europe preferred to pay off the pirates. Many of them still do. Today, we thank God for all those whose sacrifice and valor have kept us free. [article link]
Wal-Mart Boycott Ends With Apology - Catholic League Says Retail Giant has Satisfied Christmas Demands After a series of reports by WorldNetDaily, Wal-Mart officials have satisfied demands by the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, which had called for a national boycott after accusing the retail giant of discriminating against Christmas while promoting other seasonal holidays by name, such as Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. Catholic League president Bill Donohue said Wal-Mart has apologized, withdrawn "its insane statement" on the origins of Christmas and revised its website. "This is a sweet victory for the Catholic League, Christians in general, and people of all faiths," Donohue said. "And it means that Wal-Mart can now enter the Christmas season without this cloud hanging over it." [article link]
Muslim(Islam) and Mormon(LDS) are very similar (Updated) A comparison of the Muslim(Islam) and Mormon(LDS) Religions. How they are similar to each other and very different from Christianity. [article link]
Majority of Teens Say Natural Disasters Increase Faith in God Almost 76 percent of teenagers say that catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina do not shake their faith in God, according to a study released by the American Bible Society. Instead just the opposite occurred. More than 83 percent of teenagers said, the disasters have "made their faith in God stronger." Less than 10 percent said "they've made me question my faith," 7 percent said "they've made me doubt my faith," and less than 1 percent said "they've made me lose my faith in God." [article link]
Is Prince Charles a Convert to Islam? In a 1997 Middle East Quarterly article titled "Prince Charles of Arabia," Ronni L. Gordon and David M. Stillman looked at evidence that Britain's Prince Charles might be a secret convert to Islam. They shifted through his public statements (defending Islamic law, praising the status of Muslim women, seeing in Islam a solution for Britain's ailments) and actions (setting up a panel of twelve "wise men" to advise him on Islamic religion and culture), then concluded that, "should Charles persist in his admiration of Islam and defamation of his own culture," his accession to the throne will indeed usher in a "different kind of monarchy." [article link]
'Multi-faith Coronation' Charles no longer "Defender of the Faith" THE Prince of Wales could be crowned King in a multi-faith inauguration ceremony rather than the 1,000-yearold (Christian) Coronation service, under proposals to tackle "religious discrimination" being considered by the Government. [article link]
Wal-Mart Faces Boycott for "Banning" Christmas - Top retailer accused of discrimination while promoting Kwanzaa, Hanukkah He points out, and WND confirmed, that when using the company's online search engine, if the world "Hanukkah" is entered, 200 items for sale are returned. The term "Kwanzaa" yields 77. But when "Christmas" is entered, the message returned says: "We've brought you to our 'Holiday' page based on your search." [article link]
A Deeper Look at Christian Persecution, Pt. 2 (Audio) Do you ever wonder why you don't hear about Christian persecution from the mainstream? It isn't because it
doesn't exist. Find out the extent of a worldwide problem. Senator Sam Brownback, Michael Horowitz, and Wes Bentley join Dr. James Dobson with the stories and the truth. [article link]
Radicals Invade Family Research Council (FRC)! The same radical group that last week disrupted a Baltimore speech by Claude Allen, today struck at Family Research Council's Washington headquarters. Allen, who is President Bush's Domestic Policy Advisor, was speaking at a national abstinence education conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This morning, between fifteen and twenty radicals entered FRC's building carrying placards, chanting anti-abstinence slogans, and demanding condom distribution. The protesters, including some from the violent homosexual group ACT-UP, chained themselves to a statue of an American eagle in the FRC lobby. The group that invaded FRC's private property disrupted work, defied orders to disperse, and seemed to invite arrest by the D.C. police. [article link]
Paris Riots: Coming to an American Street Near You As I see it, the religion of Islam is inherently incompatible with the concept of individual liberty, a crucial component of western countries. It's no accident that a culture like the West and a nation like the United States were envisioned and created by people who were either Christians and/or biblically literate and/or respected the Christian tradition. In countries under Islamic law, there's no such idea as "individual liberty." You're either a Muslim or in danger of having your throat sliced open. [article link]
Basic Christian: Full Website Content 2005 Version (PDF) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
Awana: Family Connection November Newsletter Awana Family Connection is delivered free via e-mail to subscribers monthly. We encourage you to distribute this newsletter freely and ask only that you not change its contents. [article link]
Honoring America's Veterans Then... In 1801, President Jefferson refused to pay tribute to North African rulers who preyed on ships from Western Christian countries. He sent the U.S. Navy and the Marines "to the shores of Tripoli." To this day, Marine officers carry the curved Mameluke sword, a reminder of that war. Jefferson was really fighting America's first war on terror. We called them Barbary Pirates then, but they were Muslim hostage-takers and slave traders. It sounds like Sudan today. Even then, Hitchens said, America was a nation to be reckoned with. The arrival of U.S. forces in North Africa showed Europe that we would fight rather than pay tribute to Arab kidnapers. In those days, the rulers of Europe preferred to pay off the pirates. Many of them still do. Today, we thank God for all those whose sacrifice and valor have kept us free. [article link]
Wal-Mart Boycott Ends With Apology - Catholic League Says Retail Giant has Satisfied Christmas Demands After a series of reports by WorldNetDaily, Wal-Mart officials have satisfied demands by the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, which had called for a national boycott after accusing the retail giant of discriminating against Christmas while promoting other seasonal holidays by name, such as Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. Catholic League president Bill Donohue said Wal-Mart has apologized, withdrawn "its insane statement" on the origins of Christmas and revised its website. "This is a sweet victory for the Catholic League, Christians in general, and people of all faiths," Donohue said. "And it means that Wal-Mart can now enter the
Christmas season without this cloud hanging over it." [article link]
05 Revive Seminar November 4-12 Fort Worth, TX (Materials) About the Program: Join us for a spiritual renewal of hearts and minds! Author and evangelist Doug Batchelor of Amazing Facts will break the bread of life in 10 powerful messages designed to impact the lives of not only church members, but those who no longer worship with us. In order to reach out to homes and churches across the world, this dynamic series will be broadcast live via 3ABN, ACN, and Hope TV. [article link]
Muslim(Islam) and Mormon(LDS) are very similar (Updated) A comparison of the Muslim(Islam) and Mormon(LDS) Religions. How they are similar to each other and very different from Christianity. [article link]
France Negotiates Relations with Islam (Picture of the Week) Behold the Peace of Islam: Picture of the Week. There is no other religion on earth that has lower moral expectations of itself, yet higher expectations of others than Islam. [article link]
France, Liberalism and Jihad What is happening in France has been brewing in Old Europe for years. The BBC speaks of "youths" venting their "anger." The BBC is wrong. It is not anger that is driving the insurgents to take it out on the secularised welfare states of Old Europe. It is hatred. Hatred caused not by injustice suffered, but stemming from a sense of superiority. The "youths" do not blame the French, they despise them. [article link]
Kansas State School Board Approves Teaching Standards Skeptical of Evolution TOPEKA, Kan. - New science standards for Kansas' public schools, criticized for promoting creationism while treating evolution as a flawed theory, won approval Tuesday from the State Board of Education. The board's 64 vote, expected for months, was a victory for intelligent design advocates who helped draft the standards and argued the changes would make teaching about evolution more balanced and expose students to legitimate scientific questions about the theory. [article link]
Thanksgiving - Plymouth Set (3 books $24.00) As a special offer, we are pleased to make available our Thanksgiving Collection, which includes three books designed to inspire the Christian family and motivate the little pilgrims around your Thanksgiving dinner table. [article link]
SamaritansPurse.org - Operation Christmas Child (Donate a Shoe Box of Toys to Kids) Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God's love. This program of Samaritan's Purse provides an opportunity for people of all ages to be involved in a simple, hands-on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas-Jesus Christ, God's greatest gift. Along with shoe box gifts, millions of children are given Gospel booklets in their own language. In 2004, we collected over 7 million shoe box gifts worldwide and distributed them to children in 95 countries. [article link]
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Past Radio Broadcasts (Audio) The goal of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Ltd. is to reach men and women with the Gospel and to
bring them into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. [article link]
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR's) Report Unreliable Of twenty "anti-Muslim hate crimes" in 2004 that CAIR describes, at least six are invalid - and further research could likely find problems with the other fourteen instances. [article link]
Islam: The Religion of Peace and White Knuckle Terror (Picture of the Week) Behold the Peace of Islam: Picture of the Week. There is no other religion on earth that has lower moral expectations of itself, yet higher expectations of others than Islam. [article link]
Islam: Truth or Myth? Start here for a quick introduction to Islam! [article link]
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry: Info about ISLAM Islam is one of the three largest religions in the world. What does it teach? Is it true? Is it an offshoot of Christianity or Judaism or is it something new and different? Islam is growing, a bit complex, and the Christian needs to know about it and what Islam teaches. [article link]
Thanksgiving Holiday Resources and Info Christians look forward to the time of the year when we celebrate two important holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. These holidays have their beginnings and roots in Christian celebrations. The word holiday actually means "holy day"; hence these events should be remembered and celebrated in a holy manner. We have strayed from that purpose over the years as we have embraced many unholy practices and worldly customs and added them to our "holy days." [article link]
Free Christian Audio Books (Mp3-ITunes) We have licensed the latest generation text to speech voices to bring you classic Christian audio books and other narrated content at a reasonable price. FREE! Our audio books have been edited for conversion from text to speech and we are sure you will be amazed at the quality of the narrations. [article link]
President Bush - The White House and Ramadan "According to Muslim teachings, God first revealed His word in the Holy Qur'an to the prophet, Muhammad, during the month of Ramadan. That word has guided billions of believers across the centuries, and those believers built a culture of learning and literature and science. All the world continues to benefit from this faith and its achievements." Remarks by the President George W. Bush At Iftaar Dinner - The State Dining Room, Washington, D.C. November 19, 2001 [article link]
Welcome to (Islam) Submission - President George W. Bush's Statements about Submission (Islam in Arabic) December 10, 2002 - President Bush: Koran is God's word. [article link]
Early Man-was He Really Less Intelligent? 1 Min. (Podcast-Mp3) Listen - download this Podcast (Mp3). [article link]
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science (Book $19.95) What evolutionists, environmentalists, and global warming Chicken Littles hope you never learn about science. [article link]
Utah (Mormon/LDS) Polygamist Judge Fights to Keep Job A judge with three wives is fighting to keep his job. The Utah Supreme Court is faced with a decision: can a practicing polygamist sit on the bench in judgment of others? Judge Walter Steed has been on the bench for a quarter of a century and for all that time he's also been a polygamist. The basic question is whether Judge Steed brings disrepute to the judiciary by flouting the laws against polygamy. The Judicial Conduct Commission ruled that he does, and wants the Supreme Court to boot Steed from his bench in Hildale. [article link]
Muslim State (Qatar) to Build First Christian Church for 1,400 Years THE first Christian church in Qatar since the arrival of Islam in the 7th century is to be built in the conservative Muslim state, which is led by a reform-minded ruler. The £4 million development of the Church of the Epiphany, which will not have a spire or free-standing cross, will begin early next year on land donated by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. ... Christianity disappeared from most Gulf Arab states within a few centuries of the arrival of Islam in the 7th century. But Christian expatriates have migrated to the region over the past 100 years, particularly since the discovery of oil. Some Gulf states have allowed churches to be built, including Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, where Western-friendly governments have sought to provide amenities to attract skilled expatriates. But in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, nonMuslim religious practice is banned. [article link]
Muslims call for Bush Ramadan boycott American Muslim groups are calling for a boycott of President Bush's Ramadan dinner at The White House. ... The White House has held a Ramadan dinner for leading Muslim groups and activists for the last two years. The meal has always been well attended and a boycott would be unprecedented. [article link]
Bush Extends Ramadan Greetings to Muslims Around the World President Bush sent greetings to Muslims in the United States and throughout the world October 4 as they begin the observance of the holy month of Ramadan. He praised Muslims' commitment to spiritual growth and charity during this season and welcomed the contributions that Muslims have made to American society. [article link]
When Evil (Islam) is Called Good So Prince Charles will come to America to tell us that we don't understand Islam and we don't even try. You talk about a man who has been out of touch with reality for decades in his own personal life and now is going to lecture the White House on the "religion of peace." He says only a few bad apples are causing the problem, but then why don't the many "good apples" demonstrate like crazy about their violent brothers? Instead, their silence is deafening. Let's consider just a few items America has done to benefit Islam in this great country. We have had three, yes three Ramadan celebrations in 2005 sponsored by the White House or State Department. We now have a Koran sitting in the White House library. We are so mired in political correctness that the airlines can profile only two Middle East males per flight. If the third one has a bomb or weapon, well, that's too bad for all on board. The Middle Easterners are given the first consideration. At the recent Ramadan gatherings in Washington, those sponsoring the events, including the president, suggested that Allah and Jehovah is the same God. It was said that Allah received a direct revelation from God in founding Islam. Which God or god? Whether this is political correctness or delusion is hard to say without quizzing those making such statements. [article link]
Is Prince Charles a 'Secret' Convert to Islam? In a 1997 Middle East Quarterly article titled "Prince Charles of Arabia," Ronni L. Gordon and David M. Stillman looked at evidence that Britain's Prince Charles might be a secret convert to Islam. They shifted through his public statements (defending Islamic law, praising the status of Muslim women, seeing in Islam a solution for Britain's ailments) and actions (setting up a panel of twelve "wise men" to advise him on Islamic religion and culture), then concluded that, "should Charles persist in his admiration of Islam and defamation of his own culture," his accession to the throne will indeed usher in a "different kind of monarchy." [article link]
'Multi-faith Coronation' Charles no longer "Defender of the Faith" THE Prince of Wales could be crowned King in a multi-faith inauguration ceremony rather than the 1,000-yearold (Christian) Coronation service, under proposals to tackle "religious discrimination" being considered by the Government. [article link]
Free Downloads:(PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY Daily Broadcast - Dr. James Dobson (Audio) On each information-packed broadcast, Dr. James Dobson, and his guests give you practical advice on marriage, parenting, emotional and spiritual growth, health, social issues and public policy concerns. [article link]
The Best of the 2005 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (5 DVDs) Even if you could not attend this year's festival, you can own The Best of the 2005 SAICFF on DVD. Included is the 2005 Jubilee winner and some of our favorite movies from the documentary, narrative, young filmmaker categories, and more. Your family will be blessed as you enjoy hours of heart-warming and Christ-honoring short films. Individual film shorts run from 5 to 55 minutes. Some are amateur, others professional, but all reflect the excitement of independent filmmaking. More than seven hours of viewing on each set of DVDs. [article link]
Muslim-themed (Burger King) 'Beurger King' opens in France PARIS (AP) - Muslims in France are having it their way with "Beurger King" - a new fast-food restaurant that caters to the country's large Islamic population. But the beef and chicken burgers are halal - meaning made with meat slaughtered according to Islamic dietary laws. Waitresses wear Islamic head scarves, as do many of their customers. ... After the success of Mecca Cola, a soft drink marketed to French Muslims, it was perhaps only a matter of time before a Muslim-themed, fast-food restaurant opened in the country with Europe's largest Islamic population. [article link]
The Didache - The Teachings for New Christians Aprox. 75 A. D. The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations. Chapter 1. The Two Ways and the First Commandment. There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, love your neighbor as yourself, [article link]
Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West (Movie Trailer) HonestReporting's newest documentary film, Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, was just named best feature at this week's Liberty Film Festival in Hollywood! You can now view the trailer, and order a video (Donate) - which supports our distribution efforts. To arrange a screening in your area or get more involved, write to
[email protected]. [article link]
Truth & Knowledge vs. Lies & Deception (BasicChristian.org) Truth is that which exists and cannot change. The truth is the unchangeable fact. There are basic truths in existence. We exist in physical human form on a planet called the earth. It is an undeniable unchangeable truth that we exist. It is also an undeniable unchangeable truth that physical life exists temporally here on earth. The truth is that all who have lived in the past have suffered physical death; they are no longer physically alive with us on earth. Since there are truths in existence there is a truth that explains life and death here on earth. There can be many theories about how life originated on earth, why and how we exist and why we die, but there is only one unchangeable truth. [article link]
HonestReporting.com Learership Mission to Israel Nov. 28 - 4 Dec. Join a high-level group committed to defending Israel worldwide. Attend exclusive briefings with Israeli newsmakers and military experts. Study today's issues and receive training to act as Israel's ambassadors. Strategize, network, and exchange ideas with Hasbara Fellowships campus leaders. Accommodations at the luxurious David Citadel Hotel in the heart of Jerusalem. Become inspired -- and inspire others! [article link]
Was There Ever a State of Palestine? "In fact, there never has been a state called Palestine, nor have the Palestinian Arabs ever been an independent people, and Jerusalem never has been an Arab or Muslim capital. Jerusalem has had an absolute Jewish majority for more than a century (and a plurality before that), and for the last three thousand years, only the Jewish people have called it their capital...To inveigh against 'Judaizing' Jerusalem is like protesting the Arabization of Cairo." [article link]
Israel and the US - A God-ordained alliance? Part I: When God brought about the independence of the United States in 1776, He was supervising the founding of a nation He purposed to have in place about two centuries later as the world's mightiest superpower. And His reason for elevating America to this position was so that she would ally herself with the surviving remnant of the Jewish people, help them take root again in their national homeland, and support them in their struggle against a hostile world. [article link]
Your Faith Use It or Lose It You've heard the expression. "Use it or lose it." It applies to a very important aspect of American life - your right to exercise your faith. Americans are losing that right - and when they do they won't be able to blame the American Civil Liberties Union alone. They will have themselves to blame. [article link]
Halloween Information & Resources 2005 Christians everywhere are rejecting Halloween's message of Death, Disobedience, and Despair and instead are using this opportunity to proclaim the Truth about God's Love for mankind and about His Biblical plan of Life, Hope, and Salvation for us in Jesus Christ. [article link]
HorsepenBaptist.org Halloween Info & Links Allen notes: We don't suggest you simply remake the world's version of Halloween. We hope to inspire you to take back the celebration that rightly belongs to the people of God and restore the purpose for which it was established. You can actually celebrate without selling out. Halloween, after all is a holy word-for those willing to let Jesus redeem it. [article link]
Halloween, The Great Cover Up! (Mp3) Martin Luther and Reformation Day October 31st. - 1517 A.D. [article link]
Free Downloads:(PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org (Updated) It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY Daily Broadcast - Dr. James Dobson (Audio) On each information-packed broadcast, Dr. James Dobson, and his guests give you practical advice on marriage, parenting, emotional and spiritual growth, health, social issues and public policy concerns. [article link]
Growing Opals (Gemstones) Australian style Len Cram is a committed Christian with a dogged determination in his work. His experiments have turned traditional theories about opal upside-down, even challenging accepted ideas of evolutionary geology and its alleged millions of years for the formation and age of opals. But Len is not a sophisticated scientist-just '10 per cent inspiration and 90 per cent perspiration'! [article link]
Hurricane Katrina, Rita, Wilma Relief - Powerpoint (SamaritansPurse.org) View images of our work as volunteer crews clean debris and patch roofs for victims of the storm. You can also download a PowerPoint presentation you can show to your church or group. [article link]
Thousands not Billions - Errors in the Current Scientific Dating Methods (DVD) One of the leading frauds foisted upon the general public is the notion that modern scientific dating techniques confirm a billion-year-old earth. Despite the fact that even pro-evolutionist scientists in fields of dating technology admit the tremendous inadequacies of their procedures, such concerns must be suppressed by academic elites to prevent the evolutionist's house of cards from collapsing. Now, top scientists and Ph.D.s from diverse disciplines come together as part of "The Rate Project" to expose the fraud and present new and groundbreaking evidence for a relatively young earth. Visually powerful. 60 mins. [article link]
(RATE) Strikes at the Heart of Evolution Billions of years of time, one of the bedrocks of evolutionary thinking, is once again being called into question. This time it will be challenged by a team of scientists from (or associated with) the Institute for Creation Research (ICR), which has spent the last eight years conducting original research on dating methods and the age of the earth. Known as the RATE team (Radioisotope and the Age of The Earth), these scientists have discovered significant scientific evidence which contradicts the "old earth" model and supports a young earth-
as one would expect from a plain reading of the Bible. [article link]
Thousands...Not Billions 2005 ICR (RATE) Conference November 5, El Cajon, CA. (PDF Brochure Available) "Thousands … Not Billions" is both the title and the theme of the upcoming national conference to be hosted by ICR at Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon (near San Diego), California, November 5, 2005. Speakers for the event include Dr. John Morris (president of ICR), Dr. Larry Vardiman, Dr. Russell Humphreys, Dr. Andrew Snelling (formerly of AiG-Australia), and Dr. John Baumgardner.1 (By the way, AiG-USA's astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle will be in attendance.) [article link]
Thousands not Billions - Errors in the Current Scientific Dating Methods (DVD) One of the leading frauds foisted upon the general public is the notion that modern scientific dating techniques confirm a billion-year-old earth. Despite the fact that even pro-evolutionist scientists in fields of dating technology admit the tremendous inadequacies of their procedures, such concerns must be suppressed by academic elites to prevent the evolutionist's house of cards from collapsing. Now, top scientists and Ph.D.s from diverse disciplines come together as part of "The Rate Project" to expose the fraud and present new and groundbreaking evidence for a relatively young earth. Visually powerful. 60 mins. [article link]
(RATE) Strikes at the Heart of Evolution Billions of years of time, one of the bedrocks of evolutionary thinking, is once again being called into question. This time it will be challenged by a team of scientists from (or associated with) the Institute for Creation Research (ICR), which has spent the last eight years conducting original research on dating methods and the age of the earth. Known as the RATE team (Radioisotope and the Age of The Earth), these scientists have discovered significant scientific evidence which contradicts the "old earth" model and supports a young earthas one would expect from a plain reading of the Bible. [article link]
Thousands...Not Billions 2005 ICR (RATE) Conference November 5, El Cajon, CA. (PDF Brochure Available) "Thousands … Not Billions" is both the title and the theme of the upcoming national conference to be hosted by ICR at Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon (near San Diego), California, November 5, 2005. Speakers for the event include Dr. John Morris (president of ICR), Dr. Larry Vardiman, Dr. Russell Humphreys, Dr. Andrew Snelling (formerly of AiG-Australia), and Dr. John Baumgardner.1 (By the way, AiG-USA's astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle will be in attendance.) [article link]
The Best of the 2005 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (5 DVDs) Even if you could not attend this year's festival, you can own The Best of the 2005 SAICFF on DVD. Included is the 2005 Jubilee winner and some of our favorite movies from the documentary, narrative, young filmmaker categories, and more. Your family will be blessed as you enjoy hours of heart-warming and Christ-honoring short films. Individual film shorts run from 5 to 55 minutes. Some are amateur, others professional, but all reflect the excitement of independent filmmaking. More than seven hours of viewing on each set of DVDs. [article link]
Muslim-themed (Burger King) 'Beurger King' opens in France PARIS (AP) - Muslims in France are having it their way with "Beurger King" - a new fast-food restaurant that caters to the country's large Islamic population. But the beef and chicken burgers are halal - meaning made with meat slaughtered according to Islamic dietary laws. Waitresses wear Islamic head scarves, as do many of their customers. ... After the success of Mecca Cola, a soft drink marketed to French Muslims, it was perhaps only a matter of time before a Muslim-themed, fast-food restaurant opened in the country with Europe's
largest Islamic population. [article link]
The Didache - The Teachings for New Christians Aprox. 75 A. D. The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations. Chapter 1. The Two Ways and the First Commandment. There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, love your neighbor as yourself, [article link]
The Movie "LEFT BEHIND Part 3: WORLD AT WAR" is on sale at Walmart or via Internet Description: It's been 18 event-filled months since Nicolae Carpathia rose to power---a treaty with Israel has been signed and the Tribulation Force is growing! U.S. President Gerald Fitzhugh---Carpathia's former ally--now speaks out against him. Soon Fitzhugh and the Force will be connected in unimaginable ways! Based on the New York Times best-selling book series, World at War is the third installment of the Left Behind franchise. Stars Kirk Cameron and Louis Gossett, Jr. Approx. 95 minutes. Rated PG-13 for violence. [article link]
Survey: Brown Favorite Among Conservatives; Miers Did the Right Thing A survey motivated by the withdrawal of Harriet Miers's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, shows that an overwhelming majority of respondents feel that Miss Miers "did the right thing" by removing her name from consideration. In addition, survey respondents greatly favored Judge Janice Rogers Brown when asked who the next nominee should be. [article link]
Ann Coulter: "Scratch-Off" Miers The Bush White House has turned into the Nixon White House - complete with Harriet Miers as its Rosemary Woods, with an 18-year gap in her credentials. As president, Nixon imposed wage and price controls, created the Environmental Protection Agency, initiated race-based hiring schemes, signed SALT I with the Soviets and instituted rapprochement with the Red Chinese. All of this resulted in liberals ... despising him even more! [article link]
Thank God! *** Harriet Miers Withdraws as Nominee *** [article link]
Key 5-4 Rulings in Which Sandra Day O'Connor Was Decisive [Liberal Website] Sandra Day O'Connor has been the deciding vote in many important Supreme Court decisions affecting civil rights, environmental protection, personal privacy, voting rights, protection against discrimination, and more. If she is replaced by someone who doesn't share her fair and impartial perspective, these are among the key 5-4 decisions in danger of being overturned: {Let's hope they do get overturned!} [article link]
(NIV & TNIV) Owner HarperCollins also owns and sells the Satanic Bible Does it seem odd to anyone with a brain and a love for Christ that world's largest Bible publisher is owned by the same company, HarperCollins, that publishes The Satanic Bible? Is it an understatement to say that this is a massive conflict of interests? Of course not for HarperCollins. It's great for the bottom-line. Play both sides. [article link]
Coming Crackup Of Conservatives? No Way by Phyllis Schlafly Oct. 26, 2005. Howard Fineman of Newsweek looked into his crystal ball and proclaimed the coming crackup of the conservative movement. But, to quote Mark Twain, the report of its death is greatly
exaggerated. [article link]
The rebelution: Blogging The San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival rebelution: (reb'el lu shen) n. a dramatic and far-reaching change resulting from a revolt against the tyranny of lies by rebels armed with knowledge, wisdom, and truth. [article link]
RADIO LIBERTY IS HAVING ANOTHER ALL-DAY SEMINAR Saturday, November 19th WHEN: Saturday, November 19, 2005. 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. WHERE: Aptos Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos, CA, 95003. COST: $49.95/person - Includes lunch. SPEAKERS: Dr. Stanley Monteith, Devvy Kidd, Dr. David Ayoub, Brad Dacus, Michael Shaw. [article link]
Truth & Knowledge vs. Lies & Deception (BasicChristian.org) Truth is that which exists and cannot change. The truth is the unchangeable fact. There are basic truths in existence. We exist in physical human form on a planet called the earth. It is an undeniable unchangeable truth that we exist. It is also an undeniable unchangeable truth that physical life exists temporally here on earth. The truth is that all who have lived in the past have suffered physical death; they are no longer physically alive with us on earth. Since there are truths in existence there is a truth that explains life and death here on earth. There can be many theories about how life originated on earth, why and how we exist and why we die, but there is only one unchangeable truth. [article link]
Hurricane Katrina, Rita, Wilma Relief - Powerpoint (SamaritansPurse.org) View images of our work as volunteer crews clean debris and patch roofs for victims of the storm. You can also download a PowerPoint presentation you can show to your church or group. [article link]
Jesus Pumpkin Template Below is a picture of Jesus that you can use for pumpkin carving. Once the picture displays on your screen (it's a large 287K file) click on the print option and print, or right click on the picture and save the graphic to your hard disk as a JPG file. We have an excellent page on how to carve, if you need help. [article link]
Halloween: Trick or Treat? (DVD) This highly informative DVD traces the pagan origins and history of Halloween. The Pagan/Occult calendar of Druids, Witches, Pagans and Satanists marks Halloween as one of their highest "holy days". This DVD uncovers the mystic Druidic rites and ceremonies with which "Samhain" (Halloween) was originally observed 4000 years ago. [article link]
HonestReporting.com Learership Mission to Israel Nov. 28 - 4 Dec. Join a high-level group committed to defending Israel worldwide. Attend exclusive briefings with Israeli newsmakers and military experts. Study today's issues and receive training to act as Israel's ambassadors. Strategize, network, and exchange ideas with Hasbara Fellowships campus leaders. Accommodations at the luxurious David Citadel Hotel in the heart of Jerusalem. Become inspired -- and inspire others! [article link]
Growing Opals (Gemstones) Australian style Len Cram is a committed Christian with a dogged determination in his work. His experiments have turned
traditional theories about opal upside-down, even challenging accepted ideas of evolutionary geology and its alleged millions of years for the formation and age of opals. But Len is not a sophisticated scientist-just '10 per cent inspiration and 90 per cent perspiration'! [article link]
Was There Ever a State of Palestine? "In fact, there never has been a state called Palestine, nor have the Palestinian Arabs ever been an independent people, and Jerusalem never has been an Arab or Muslim capital. Jerusalem has had an absolute Jewish majority for more than a century (and a plurality before that), and for the last three thousand years, only the Jewish people have called it their capital...To inveigh against 'Judaizing' Jerusalem is like protesting the Arabization of Cairo." [article link]
Israel and the US - A God-ordained alliance? Part I: When God brought about the independence of the United States in 1776, He was supervising the founding of a nation He purposed to have in place about two centuries later as the world's mightiest superpower. And His reason for elevating America to this position was so that she would ally herself with the surviving remnant of the Jewish people, help them take root again in their national homeland, and support them in their struggle against a hostile world. [article link]
Your Faith Use It or Lose It You've heard the expression. "Use it or lose it." It applies to a very important aspect of American life - your right to exercise your faith. Americans are losing that right - and when they do they won't be able to blame the American Civil Liberties Union alone. They will have themselves to blame. [article link]
The Movie "LEFT BEHIND: WORLD AT WAR" is Opening in Churches (No Theaters) on Friday October 21, 2005 This has never been done before. So far, over 2,000 churches have signed up to debut the film. That is more locations (not screens because of multiplexes) than the top 6 theater chains combined! If you look at www.leftbehind-worldatwar.com/locations.php you will see a North American map that shows locations. Click on your state and check out your area. [article link]
National Pro-Life Action Center: Resources (Doc) Ten years ago, Rev. Rob Schenck and his twin brother, Dr. Paul Schenck, relocated their ministry to Washington, DC. Paul Schenck worked in a public interest legal group that defended unborn children and those who stood up for them. [article link]
Harvest Festival in an English School Every year we have a Harvest Festival assembly during the month of September or October. We celebrate harvest by singing, praying and decorating our school hall with baskets of fruit and food. Students bring in food from home. The food is later distributed among the poor or senior citizens of the local community. Harvest Festival - Find out more about this Christian festival. The photos below are taken during our Harvest Festival assembly. [article link]
Awana: Family Connection October Newsletter Awana Family Connection is delivered free via e-mail to subscribers monthly. We encourage you to distribute
this newsletter freely and ask only that you not change its contents. [article link]
Olive Tree Views - Fall 2005 Conference "Evidences for the End Times" (Cd's - DvD's) Containing seven hours of teaching and Q & A. Hal Lindsey, main speaker, spoke for two hours and spent two hours in Q & A. Roger Oakland, Brian Flynn, and I spent Saturday afternoon outlining some of the new movements in the church that are less than healthy. Get more details about the speakers and topics at the category of "CONFERENCES." [article link]
Halloween, Harry Potter, Prompt Concern From Occult Experts HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Two experts on the occult are warning parents to be more attentive to their teens as interest in Wicca and other witchcraft has skyrocketed in recent years. [article link]
Soldiers Spooked By New Orleans Spirits (News-Video) New Orleans dark past is coming out to reveal itself in a scary spiritual way. [article link]
'The Sweet Life' Former Avalon Singer Offers Her Testimony "I had a 10-year relationship that had gone really sour," says Christian singer Cherie Adams, formerly of the group Avalon. "We were like high school sweethearts, and I went from seeing him every day to never seeing each other again." "I was physically sick. I thought about killing myself. Then one day my mother was bugging me to go to church and I said, 'I don't know why I'm going to bother because God doesn't love me anymore. He doesn't know me." But Adams went and says her life was forever altered by this single service. Today, Adams travels the country, singing songs, talking about her experiences as a platinum-selling artist in the music business and her life as a Christian, and giving support to other women who have been through similar hardships. [article link]
BasicChristian.info for Convenient FREE Christian PDF & MP3 Downloads A Christian Information Center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. [article link]
Calvary Chapel Pastor Chuck Smith: Living Water (PDF & DOC) and Many More ebook Selections It's critical that we understand this. The Holy Spirit is the primary agent of the Godhead working in the world today. He is the person of the Godhead to whom we relate most closely. He is the One who is gathering a body of believers - the bride of Christ - to present unto the Lord. And the church through the Holy Spirit is doing the work of God in the world. [article link]
Soldiers Spooked By New Orleans Spirits (News-Video) New Orleans dark past is coming out to reveal itself in a scary spiritual way. [article link]
The Way of the Master - Two Mp3 Messages {Soundly Saved} --Kirk Cameron-- Who do you know who isn't saved? A friend? Your mother? Your child? Think of their terrible fate if they die without Christ. You want to share your faith, but maybe your're not sure what to say. Or maybe you're afraid. Listen as Kirk teaches you how to overcome your fear and share your faith simply, effectively...the way Jesus did. {True and False Conversion} --Ray Comfort-- This message explains why there are so many divorces, alcohol, drug, and abortion problems within the Church today. Are our churches really filled
with true believers? [article link]
Operation Rescue Says, (Miers' Nomination) "This Is The Last Straw!" "We have a message for the President," said Newman. "Read my lips: Your nomination of Harriet Miers has little to no support among the conservative base that re-elected you. In the best interest of this nation, please withdraw Miers' name from consideration to the nation's highest court, and appoint someone with proven conservative credentials, or face a battle of epic proportins that will spill into the mid-term elections with devastating consequences for you and the Republican Party." [article link]
Concerned Women for America (CWA) Calls for Miers' Withdrawal "The record we know is a record that convinces us that Miers is not even close to being in the mold of Scalia or Thomas, as the President promised the American people," LaRue noted. "We really wanted to back the President, and sought evidence to support this nomination, but we find this Supreme Court nominee unqualified and her record troubling. However, we look forward to a nomination that we can whole-heartedly endorse," said Beverly LaHaye, founder and chairman of Concerned Women for America. [article link]
Halloween Information & Resources 2005 Christians everywhere are rejecting Halloween's message of Death, Disobedience, and Despair and instead are using this opportunity to proclaim the Truth about God's Love for mankind and about His Biblical plan of Life, Hope, and Salvation for us in Jesus Christ. [article link]
The Problem with the TNIV, Pt 2 {the new even worse version of the NIV} (Audio) Prof. Wayne Grudem discusses the controversy surrounding the TNIV translation of the Bible. [article link]
(NIV & TNIV) Owner HarperCollins also owns and sells the Satanic Bible Does it seem odd to anyone with a brain and a love for Christ that world's largest Bible publisher is owned by the same company, HarperCollins, that publishes The Satanic Bible? Is it an understatement to say that this is a massive conflict of interests? Of course not for HarperCollins. It's great for the bottom-line. Play both sides. [article link]
Coming Crackup Of Conservatives? No Way by Phyllis Schlafly Oct. 26, 2005. Howard Fineman of Newsweek looked into his crystal ball and proclaimed the coming crackup of the conservative movement. But, to quote Mark Twain, the report of its death is greatly exaggerated. [article link]
The Book of Common Prayer 1662 Version (PDF - Download) "I believe there is no Liturgy in the world, either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of a solid, scriptural, rational piety than the Common Prayer of the Church of England." John Wesley. Hymn "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end. Amen." [article link]
Ex-homosexual to host 'Straight Talk Radio' (Starting Oct. 31) A new, national daily radio show focused entirely on the most radioactive issue confronting Americans homosexuality - will launch Monday, and it will be hosted by a prominent former homosexual - and his wife.
Stephen and Irene Bennett, founders of Stephen Bennett Ministries, will co-host the 30-minute program, 'Straight Talk Radio," scheduled to debut in eight states Oct. 31. [article link]
Terror returns to Israel's cities 5 killed 20+ Injured in Hadera blast Terror returns to Israel's cities: Suicide bomber strikes in market in Hadera, north of Tel Aviv and scene of several previous attacks. Dozens of police cruisers, ambulances dispatched to scene. Five bodies recovered, one of them may be that of suicide bomber. Dozens hurt, Islamic Jihad likely behind attack. [article link]
Joan of Arc by Ronald Sutherland Gower (Text - Download) There is nothing in history more strange and yet more true than the story which has been told so often, but which never palls in its interest-that life of the maiden through whose instrumentality France regained her place among the nations. No poet's fancy has spun from out his imagination a more glorious tale, or pictured in glowing words an epic of heroic love and transcendent valour, to compete with the actual reality of the career of this simple village maiden of old France: she who, almost unassisted and alone, through her intense love of her native land and deep pity for the woes of her people, was enabled, when the day of action at length arrived, to triumph over unnumbered obstacles, and, in spite of all opposition, ridicule, and contumely, to fulfil her glorious mission. [article link]
The rebelution: Blogging The San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival rebelution: (reb'el lu shen) n. a dramatic and far-reaching change resulting from a revolt against the tyranny of lies by rebels armed with knowledge, wisdom, and truth. [article link]
Harriet Miers to Withdraw? The Vetting Process Resumes, Sort Of RedState is able to report this morning that, very quietly, certain third parties have begun going back through the list of potential judicial nominees at the behest of the White House. Sources tell RedState that while the White House intends to make a public display of moving the Miers nomination forward, the reality of the situation has been conveyed to the President -- namely that it is increasingly likely that Harriet Miers will meet a bipartisan effort to block her nomination. As a result of growing chatter about the nomination, the White House is, as the Washington Times reported, trying to develop an exit strategy. At the same time, the White House does not want to withdraw the nomination without having a replacement close by. Notwithstanding that, the White House is relying on trusted third parties to initially help reformulate a list of candidates that would unite and rally the base. [article link]
The Problem with the TNIV, Pt 1 {the new even worse version of NIV} (Audio) Prof. Wayne Grudem discusses the controversy surrounding the TNIV translation of the Bible. [article link]
Hurricane Katrina, Rita, Wilma Relief - Powerpoint (SamaritansPurse.org) View images of our work as volunteer crews clean debris and patch roofs for victims of the storm. You can also download a PowerPoint presentation you can show to your church or group. [article link]
Supreme Court Nominee Harriet Miers Provided Misleading Information to Judiciary Committee Miers gives wrong dates in questionnaire; Firm was sued during period omitted. President Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court, Harriet Miers, provided erroneous and incomplete information to the Senate Judiciary Committee about her membership on a Board of Directors for a real estate investment company, RAW STORY
has learned. [article link]
Jesus Pumpkin Template Below is a picture of Jesus that you can use for pumpkin carving. Once the picture displays on your screen (it's a large 287K file) click on the print option and print, or right click on the picture and save the graphic to your hard disk as a JPG file. We have an excellent page on how to carve, if you need help. [article link]
HonestReporting.com Learership Mission to Israel Nov. 28 - 4 Dec. Join a high-level group committed to defending Israel worldwide. Attend exclusive briefings with Israeli newsmakers and military experts. Study today's issues and receive training to act as Israel's ambassadors. Strategize, network, and exchange ideas with Hasbara Fellowships campus leaders. Accommodations at the luxurious David Citadel Hotel in the heart of Jerusalem. Become inspired -- and inspire others! [article link]
Growing Opals (Gemstones) Australian style Len Cram is a committed Christian with a dogged determination in his work. His experiments have turned traditional theories about opal upside-down, even challenging accepted ideas of evolutionary geology and its alleged millions of years for the formation and age of opals. But Len is not a sophisticated scientist-just '10 per cent inspiration and 90 per cent perspiration'! [article link]
Was There Ever a State of Palestine? "In fact, there never has been a state called Palestine, nor have the Palestinian Arabs ever been an independent people, and Jerusalem never has been an Arab or Muslim capital. Jerusalem has had an absolute Jewish majority for more than a century (and a plurality before that), and for the last three thousand years, only the Jewish people have called it their capital...To inveigh against 'Judaizing' Jerusalem is like protesting the Arabization of Cairo." [article link]
Case For WTC Tower Demolition Sealed By Griffin - Christian Theologian Says Controlled Demolition is Now a Fact, Not a Theory The towers were built to withstand the impact of a Boeing 707 and 160 mile per hour winds, and nothing about the plane crashes or ensuing fires gave any indication of causing the kind of damage that would be necessary to trigger even a partial or progressive collapse, much less the shredding of the buildings into dust and fragments that could drop at free-fall speed. [article link]
Inspired by Divine Dream, a 6-year-old Boy Sends Bibles to Katrina Victims JUNCTION CITY - Evacuees from last month's devastating visit to the Gulf Coast by hurricane Katrina have received tons of food and gallons of water from government and charitable organizations. But several hundred of them also have received some spiritual nourishment as well. And that spiritual nourishment has come from unique source - a 6-year-old Junction City boy acting on a divinely-inspired dream. "God told me in a dream to help (the evacuees)," said Tyler Mattingly. [article link]
Diocese: Harriet Miers Never Catholic DALLAS -- The Roman Catholic diocese of Dallas is setting the record straight: Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers has never been a Catholic. A review of records for such sacraments as baptism, first Eucharist and confirmation found no evidence that Miers or anyone in her immediate family was Catholic, Bronson Havard, a
spokesman for the diocese, said Friday. [article link]
Return to reason: Ilana Mercer Call it hope against hope, but I've been hoping that president's new Supreme Court nomination would prove to be the cathartic event to push his loyalists over the edge. Finally, they'd see him for the radical he is. The revolutionary foreign policy, the dangerous LBJ-like profligacy, the laissez faire about immigration (but not free trade), the contempt for civil liberties, and the love affair with Islam and big government - these would all coalesce in the minds of conservatives into a composite of a fanatic, faithless to tradition, Judeo-Christian or constitutional. [article link]
Why The Harriet Miers Nomination Survives There is one reason and one reason only Harriet Miers' nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court survives. And that is because questions that should be raised in Senate confirmation hearings about her tenure at the Texas lottery commission may never be asked because they would embarrass - and possibly result in indictments - of both Democratic and Republican party politicians. [article link]
Israel and the US - A God-ordained alliance? Part I: When God brought about the independence of the United States in 1776, He was supervising the founding of a nation He purposed to have in place about two centuries later as the world's mightiest superpower. And His reason for elevating America to this position was so that she would ally herself with the surviving remnant of the Jewish people, help them take root again in their national homeland, and support them in their struggle against a hostile world. [article link]
Biblical Womanhood Blog Encouraging and Equipping Women in their God-given Roles and Confronting the Lies of Modern Feminism. [article link]
Your Faith Use It or Lose It You've heard the expression. "Use it or lose it." It applies to a very important aspect of American life - your right to exercise your faith. Americans are losing that right - and when they do they won't be able to blame the American Civil Liberties Union alone. They will have themselves to blame. [article link]
The Movie "LEFT BEHIND: WORLD AT WAR" is Opening in Churches (No Theaters) on Friday October 21, 2005 This has never been done before. So far, over 2,000 churches have signed up to debut the film. That is more locations (not screens because of multiplexes) than the top 6 theater chains combined! If you look at www.leftbehind-worldatwar.com/locations.php you will see a North American map that shows locations. Click on your state and check out your area. [article link]
National Pro-Life Action Center: Resources (Doc) Ten years ago, Rev. Rob Schenck and his twin brother, Dr. Paul Schenck, relocated their ministry to Washington, DC. Paul Schenck worked in a public interest legal group that defended unborn children and those who stood up for them. [article link]
Plurality Now Sees Bush Presidency as Unsuccessful - Discontent with Bush and State of The Nation Even Higher (Pew Poll Oct. 13) President George W. Bush's poll numbers are going from bad to worse. His job approval rating has fallen to another new low, as has public satisfaction with national conditions, which now stands at just 29%. And for the first time since taking office in 2001, a plurality of Americans believe that George W. Bush will be viewed as an unsuccessful president. [article link]
Reasons Why it is Very Doubtful that President Bush is a Christian (CuttingEdge.org) In this hot debate amongst Christian brethren over whether the fruits (actions) of President Bush were of such Biblically "good fruit" nature to allow Fundamental, Bible-believing Christians to consider him "Born Again", I have created a list showing the fruits I have seen since he became a candidate for President in 2000. On the left, I have listed the "bad fruits" I have seen, and on the right, I have listed the "good fruits" he has produced. "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matt 7:16 ). [article link]
"Poll: Americans Want Bush Impeached" This swell supporting impeachment has been a fairly recent phenomenon. "The Ipsos poll shows a dramatic transformation in support for Bush's impeachment since late June ... The Zogby poll conducted June 27-29 of 905 likely voters found that 42% agreed and 50% disagreed with a statement virtually identical to the one used by Ipsos Public Affairs. After the June poll, pollster John Zogby told the Washington Post that support for impeachment "was much higher than I expected." At the time, impeachment supporters trailed opponents by 8%. Now supporters outnumber opponents by 6%, a remarkable shift of 14%." (Ibid.) [article link]
NEWS UPDATES FROM Cutting Edge Ministries, cuttingedge.org Sinister Forces In America: A Shocking Alternative To The Conventional View of American History [article link]
Behind the Big News (VHS) Most Americans know the mainstream media manipulates stories, manufactures illusions, and exploits fears. But the reason is more than just liberal bias or sloppy reporting. Behind the Big News exposes a revolutionary agenda - originating outside the media - that defines today's headlines. This powerful and fast-paced video examines some of the biggest news stories in recent decades to discover how this subversive agenda is promoted. Behind the Big News also reveals an effective strategy to overcome this ongoing assault on American freedom. [article link]
Harriet Miers Objected to an Initial Draft of President Bush's 2001 Christmas Message as Being "too Christian" Objected to an initial draft of President Bush's 2001 Christmas message as being "too Christian" and one that "might offend people of other faiths." The author, aide Ned Ryun, refused to change the message; and the assignment of writing the Christmas message was transferred to another staffer. [article link]
Utah News: Evolution debate hits the beer aisle Controversy over teaching evolution in public schools has been bottled up in a most unlikely place - the beer aisle. Wasatch Beers is changing the label on its 2002 Unofficial Amber Ale - a title that once raised a ruckus with Olympic officials - to "Evolution Amber Ale." ... Schirf's new label features several images of monkeys walking more and more upright behind a man, carrying a six-pack and swigging from a bottle. A stamp mark says "Darwin Approved" and "Created in 27 days, not 7." [Duh! God created the universe in six day and rested the seventh. Who says making and drinking beer makes you smart. That company and label design defiantly
need some "intelligent design".] [article link]
KLove.com Listen Online Christian Radio K-LOVE Radio is streaming live broadcasts 24/7 of Positive & Encouraging music - more music every hour than any other radio station! [article link]
Thanksgiving Holiday Resources and Info 2005 Version Christians look forward to the time of the year when we celebrate two important holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. These holidays have their beginnings and roots in Christian celebrations. The word holiday actually means "holy day"; hence these events should be remembered and celebrated in a holy manner. We have strayed from that purpose over the years as we have embraced many unholy practices and worldly customs and added them to our "holy days." [article link]
China Soul - Documentary Film "The Cross - Jesus in China" Movie Download or Purchase (4 Parts - 4 Hr.) In China, the story of the "Cross" once seemed as strange and far away as the other side of the universe. But today its message is here, right in our midst. 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, 188 western missionaries, and 20,000 Chinese Christians were killed. In the following fifty years, more western missionaries came to China. They established 13 universities, over 6,000 elementary schools and high schools, and more than 900 hospitals. The number of Chinese Christians grew to 700,000. The Chinese Communist Party believed this success was the result of imperialist cultural invasion. They expelled all western missionaries, forced Chinese missionaries to renounce their religion, and mandated a secular education for all Chinese. Fifty more years have passed and today there are approximately 70 million Christians in China, an increase of 100 fold! [article link]
Harvest Crusade with Pastor Greg Laurie Mp3-Podcast Harvest podcasts allow you the flexibility of automatically receiving audio programs featuring Pastor Greg Laurie on your iPod/MP3 player via the Internet-without having to browse the Web every day. [article link]
Walter Martin's Powerful Teaching Series (Listen Online) Listen to Walter Martin and other teachers while surfing the web! Featuring the "Essential Christianity Radio Program". [article link]
CHRISTmas Info & Resources 2005 Version Christmas - Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Savior of Mankind. [article link]
The LORD is my shepherd; Psalm 23 (Flash Movie) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want (worry). ... He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. ... Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. [article link]
New Download FREE Basic Christian Files Easily with Windows Folders by Using the Familiar Dragging and Dropping Method (Internet Explorer Only) Easily download one or several of the Basic Christian files by using the familiar Drag and Drop method. All of the files can be downloaded at once by highlighting all the files and then moving them into the desired
location folder on your computer. [article link]
Basic Christian: Full Website Content 2005 Version Updated-Again (PDF) A Christian center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come! [article link]
Designing a Church Web Page 103 Pages (FREE PDF Download) Designing a Church Web Page by Jerry Lovett, will teach a computer novice to design a basic Church web page completely from scratch. The example site you will build includes a Home Page and additional web pages for Staff, Weekly Schedule, Upcoming Events, Directions to Our Church, and Favorite Christian Links. Learn to create a basic Church web site, transfer it to your Internet Service Provider (ISP), list your site to the major Internet Search Engines, and maintain the page yourself instead of paying for monthly updates. [article link]
Evangelism Archives: Billy Graham and Others give Evangelistic Messages (iPods can now display and witness with some of these .jpg Tracts-Posters) This is a sampling from the BGC Archives of evangelistic messages from our collections. These presentations of the way of salvation come in different forms and styles and are addressed to a variety of audiences.. New messages will be added from time to time, with the newest additions at the top of the list. [article link]
*New for Advanced Users Download FREE Basic Christian Files Easily Via Anonymous FTP Download one, several or all of the Basic Christian files via the new Basic Christian anonymous FTP download site. [article link]
Deception Audio Seminar (Mp3) Truth is that which exists and cannot change. The truth is the unchangeable fact. There are basic truths in existence. We exist in physical human form on a planet called the earth. It is an undeniable unchangeable truth that we exist. It is also an undeniable unchangeable truth that physical life exists temporally here on earth. The truth is that all who have lived in the past have suffered physical death; they are no longer physically alive with us on earth. Since there are truths in existence there is a truth that explains life and death here on earth. There can be many theories about how life originated on earth, why and how we exist and why we die, but there is only one unchangeable truth. [article link]
Report: al-Zarqawi may have been killed in Mosul The Elaph Arab media website reported on Sunday that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the head of the al-Qaida in Iraq terror group, may have been killed in Iraq on Sunday afternoon when eight terrorists blew themselves up in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. The unconfirmed report claimed that the explosions occurred while coalition forces surrounded the house in which al-Zarqawi was hiding. American and Iraqi forces are looking into the report. [article link]
War in Iraq Keeping a Perspective (Updated) Keeping a broader Perspective on the current world events and considering how they have Biblical End Times Significance. [article link]
*** Is Iraq now Becoming a Breading Ground for Anti-American, Anti-Israel Radical Shiite Muslims? And is this being Engineered and financed on Purpose by England (Britain) and the USA-Bush Governments? *** A series of related article postings: Currently there is a tremendous amount of effort and energy being put into Iraq by the nations of the world specifically Britain (England) and the USA. Something is being accomplished in Iraq at the great and tremendous effort and sacrifice of the United States. Is what is being accomplished in Iraq really what we are expecting to be accomplished? Is there freedom and democracy in Iraq or is there a hidden agenda beginning to emerge that President Bush is unwilling to acknowledge or even discuss? [article link]
Trials and Triumphs of Faith by Mary Cole, born 1853 {Old Flu-Typhoid Outbreaks} (Text - Download) Sister Mary Cole, of whose life this book is a brief, authentic sketch, had a natural inheritance that seemed calculated to shut her forever out of a place in the history of the world or of the church. Born with a body that from her earliest childhood was racked with pain, deprived by ill health of education, she seemed naturally unfitted to fill any place in the world and doomed to be only a burden to herself and her friends. How God took her, healed her, and fitted her for his service, and how he used her as an instrument for his glory, is the story of her life. [article link]
FDA Probing 12 Deaths of Kids Taking Tamiflu WASHINGTON - Federal health advisers are looking into the deaths of 12 Japanese children who took Tamiflu, part of their annual safety review of the anti-flu medication and seven other drugs. ... An update by FDA staff also includes reports of 32 "neuropsychiatric events" associated with Tamiflu, all but one experienced by Japanese patients. Those cases included delirium, hallucinations, convulsions and encephalitis. [article link]
Avian Bird Flu is it a Return of the 1918 Spanish Flu? and if so "Vaccine -- Not Virus -- Responsible for 1918 Spanish flu" "The army doctors knew all these cases of disease and death were due to vaccination and were honest enough to admit it in their medical reports. When army doctors tried to suppress the symptoms of typhoid with a stronger vaccine, it caused a worse form of typhoid, paratyphoid. But when they concocted an even stronger vaccine to suppress that one, they created an even worse disease - Spanish flu. After the war, this was one of the vaccines used to protect a panic-stricken world from the soldiers returning from WWI battlefronts infected with dangerous diseases." "The rest is history." Yes, history records that over 50 million people died worldwide - from a disease they caught from a "protective" vaccination! Now you know that the Spanish Flu of 1918 was deliberately created and then spread through vaccinations! But, the "panic-stricken" public demanded a vaccination, not realizing that was the way in which the diesase was spreading. Of course, many were also killed when the virus spread from person-to-person as viruses normally do. Will we soon hear that Avian Bird Flu has started in this country in Georgia, within convenient distance of Atlanta, where the CDC has genetically reconstructed the deadly 1918 Spanish Flu virus? People will line up to get this worthless Avian Bird Flu, not realizing the vaccine is full of the 1918 Spanish Flu -- reconstructed. [article link]
(Greed-Scandal) Ronnie Earle Linked to Miers-run (Texas) Lottery In January 1998, the Texas Lottery Commission, including Harriet Miers, voted to keep the GTECH contract, even though lower competitive bids were on the table at that time. Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has again surfaced nationally as the prosecutor who brought charges against former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. [article link]
*** Sign The National Review Petition For The Withdrawal Of The Nomination Of Harriet Miers To The U.S. Supreme Court *** WE ARE REPUBLICANS AND CONSERVATIVES who supported the election of George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. Today, we respectfully urge that the nomination of Harriet Miers to the United States Supreme Court be withdrawn. [article link]
White House: Miers Won't Withdraw (fox) WASHINGTON - The White House is seeking the help of Republican activists in Iowa and New Hampshire to pressure GOP senators with presidential hopes to support Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers. [article link]
The Case Against The Miers Nomination In Quotes "Inside the White House, Miers was best known, not as a conservative, not as a legal thinker, but as a petty bureaucrat." -- David Frum. "I think (the Miers nomination is) a disaster on every level." -- Robert Bork. ... [article link]
Harvest Festival in an English School Every year we have a Harvest Festival assembly during the month of September or October. We celebrate harvest by singing, praying and decorating our school hall with baskets of fruit and food. Students bring in food from home. The food is later distributed among the poor or senior citizens of the local community. Harvest Festival - Find out more about this Christian festival. The photos below are taken during our Harvest Festival assembly. [article link]
Awana: Family Connection October Newsletter Awana Family Connection is delivered free via e-mail to subscribers monthly. We encourage you to distribute this newsletter freely and ask only that you not change its contents. [article link]
CorrectBible.com for the SERIOUS Bible Student The knowledge of Jesus (the Word in the flesh) and the knowledge of the written Word cannot be separated. Academics (knowledge) must lead to Application (wisdom) which must lead to Compliance (obedience). Fundamentally, we must move from carnality to spirituality. The new creature does not destroy the old. They coexist and struggle for control. "Head" knowledge does not change us. "Heart" knowledge is the objective of the teaching gift. ... Teaching draws others into the Word. It allows us to see how we, our families and our churches measure up. It makes others desire to have the peace and joy we have as children of the King. It encourages us to press toward the mark when we've stumbled. It convicts us when we are wrong. We must keep growing and maturing in the Lord because we should all be teachers (Mk 28:20; Heb 5:12) for the purpose of changing the lives of others through the changes in our own lives. [article link]
Guaranteed: Miers to Withdraw But the silver bullet that will do in the nominee is her cozy relationship with Bush - one that likely placed her in a position of covering up scandals in the Texas Lottery to keep secret the preferential treatment the president received as a young man to enter the Texas Air National Guard. All it will take is a subpoena or two to get the whole sordid story on the public record - in front of a national television audience. I don't think George W. Bush, already experiencing unfavorable public opinion ratings, will allow that to happen. [article link]
Harriet Miers How She Slipped Through The vetting of Harriet Miers leaves questions that demand answers, not more spin or allegations that critics are "sexist" or "elitist." It was so botched and riddled with conflicts of interest that it demands at a minimum an internal White House investigation to ensure it won't happen again. Not only did the vetting fail to anticipate skepticism about her lack of experience in constitutional law or the firestorm of criticism from conservatives, but it left the White House scrambling to provide reporters with even the most basic information about the closed-mouthed nominee. Almost every news story seemed to catch the White House off guard and unprepared. [article link]
Darwin Defender Sued for Website Warning of 'Conservative Christians' In a turning of tables, two defenders of evolution in academia are being sued for spending more than $500,000 of federal money on a website that encourages teachers to use religion to promote Darwin's theory. California parent Jeanne Caldwell filed the suit yesterday against the National Science Foundation and the University of California at Berkeley. [article link]
Olive Tree Views - Fall 2005 Conference "Evidences for the End Times" (Cd's - DvD's) Containing seven hours of teaching and Q & A. Hal Lindsey, main speaker, spoke for two hours and spent two hours in Q & A. Roger Oakland, Brian Flynn, and I spent Saturday afternoon outlining some of the new movements in the church that are less than healthy. Get more details about the speakers and topics at the category of "CONFERENCES." [article link]
AMSHINOV (Jewish) Blog: Picture Perfect Yom Kippur Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. It is a day of abstention, of prayer and meditation, of introspection, soul-searching and repentance. It is called the Sabbath of Sabbaths - the ultimate day of spirit and serenity. Jews dress in white (men usually wear a white robe called a "kitel" together with a white head covering during the synagogue service; women wear white blouses and/or skirts and no jewelry) as a sign of purity and as a sign of our mortality, for ultimately we are buried in white shrouds. The white garments are also a reminder of the costume of the High Priest worn on Yom Kippur during most of the Yom Kippur service in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. [article link]
The Michelle Malkin Blog Michelle Malkin's column, now syndicated by Creators Syndicate, appears in nearly 200 papers nationwide. Her first book, Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores (Regnery 2002), was a New York Times bestseller. [article link]
CWA Responds to Harriet Miers' Qualifications for the Supreme Court At this time, CWA cannot endorse the nomination but we remain open to persuasion. We do not believe that we have learned anything more about Miss Miers that justifies endorsement. We have not and will not express any criticism of Miss Miers personally or of the President. A principled position stands or falls on its own merits. Personal attacks serve only to undermine and discredit. [article link]
Pastor Dr. David L. Brown of LogosResourcePages.org (Mp3s) Audio Sermons by Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D. Recorded Audio Sermons to Listen to or download from SermonAudio.com [article link]
Misunderestimating The Furor Over Hurricane Harriet The White House's spinmeisters are either ignorantly misreading or intentionally mischaracterizing the general conservative opposition to Harriet Miers' nomination to the Supreme Court. They continue "misunderestimating" the furor at their own peril. ... This is about Republicans never blowing an opportunity to blow an opportunity. ... We could have thrown a touchdown. Instead we ran it up the middle for a two-yard gain. [article link]
Harriet Miers (helped) Contribute to Hillary's NY Senate Election in 2000 On May 17, 2000, while Harriet Miers was managing the law firm of Locke Liddell from the firm's Dallas office, she contributed $415 to the law firm's political action committee. Federal Election Commission reports show that two days later, Locke Liddell's PAC contributed $1,000 to Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate Campaign Committee. For an unexplained reason, Harriet Miers listed herself as a "self-employed attorney," according to the FEC Report on her 2000 contribution to the Locke Liddell PAC. [article link]
Sirius Satellite Radio has Removed "The Word Network" From Their Package - They Now Want Millions of Dollars in order to Return it. In early September, Sirius Satellite Radio kicked The Word Network off the air - for good. In the meantime, Sirius is adding programming that insults the values of The Word Network and our millions of listeners. Their reason was our "poor ratings" - but apparently our ratings weren't that poor. The Word Network was told by Sirius soon after that our place on the satellite might be regained, but only for millions of dollars. [article link]
Shofar Idol (Flash) [article link]
Mystery-Woman Miers: New Clues to Resume WASHINGTON - Harriet Miers, President Bush's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace Sandra Day O'Connor, is on record as supporting the establishment of the International Criminal Court, homosexual adoptions, a major local tax increase and women in combat ... [article link]
President Bush Plays Bad Politics with Miers Nomination Rather than easing over the last several days since Harriet Miers was announced as the nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, conservative anger is growing and rightly so. Miers may be "qualified," but she is not the nominee conservatives expected and deserved. [article link]
Krauthammer: Withdraw Miers Nomination In a blistering Post column Friday Krauthammer, normally a strong Bush supporter, wrote that if Miers weren't a Bush crony, "her nomination to the Supreme Court would be a joke, as it would have occurred to no one else to nominate her." [article link]
A Question of Origins (Online Movie) Watch the entire film (above) or view in segments with Q&A notes (below). [article link]
Trinity Broadcasting Network Films Library (FREE Downloads) Just click on the title or picture below to watch. [for advanced users, you can download videos for later viewing by right clicking and choosing "Save As" on the "download file" link (caution: large, long downloads)] [article link]
A Venture in Faith: The Calvary Chapel Story (Online Movie) {It takes a Minute to Connect} This is an outstanding documentary on the history and philosophy of Calvary Chapel. It demonstrates how through one mans (Chuck Smith) faith and obedience God began a revival in a period know as the Jesus Movement. This video chronicles the trials that Chuck Smith faced by stepping out into a ministry and trusting that Where God Guides, God Provides. This video tape is an encouraging message for anyone who desires to know and follow Gods will and to gain the proper perspective of ministry. [article link]
Operation Rescue to Miers: Give Us Reason to Trust You or Withdraw Washington, DC - Operation Rescue is asking Harriet Miers to show reason why pro-life Americans should trust her to protect pre-born babies from abortion, or else withdraw her name from consideration to the Supreme Court of the United States. [article link]
British Broadcaster David Frost Leaves BBC-TV Joins Al-Jazeera TV British broadcaster David Frost, who famously interviewed President Richard M. Nixon during the Watergate controversy, will leave BBC-TV to join an English-language news channel on the al-Jazeera broadcasting network. The Qatar-based channel, part of a network that regularly airs "exclusive" al-Qaida messages and video interviews with Osama bin Laden, views Frost as "key on-air talent" that should attract viewers in the United Kingdom and the United States. [article link]
Analysis of President Bush's Speech: Bush Wants Total Victory Over Terror - But What about Palestinian Terrorists? However, the Bush Administration fails to adhere to its firm position on the dangers of and solution to Islamic terror when the perpetrators are Palestinian Arabs and the victims Israeli Jews. [article link]
Halloween, Harry Potter, Prompt Concern From Occult Experts HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Two experts on the occult are warning parents to be more attentive to their teens as interest in Wicca and other witchcraft has skyrocketed in recent years. [article link]
Tammy Bruce: Bush Turning Into Jimmy Carter Tammy Bruce, a Democrat and a pro-choice feminist who once headed NOW's Los Angeles chapter, said the nomination to the Supreme Court of Harriet Miers proves "President Bush is turning into Jimmy Carter." Bruce, author of the upcoming book "The New American Revolution: Using The Power of the Individual To Save Our Nation from Extremists," said the president had a great opportunity to nominate a true conservative like Janice Rogers Brown, but he blew it. [article link]
9/30/05 Ministry Update Regarding Hurricane Katrina Disaster: Jesse Duplantis Ministries Here at Jesse Duplantis Ministries, we believe that we are strategically positioned in this part of the world "for such a time as this." God can use us to be a spiritual beacon of light and a financial help to this community and from this community to the entire world. What do we need right now? Prayer and financial support. Our ministry is just six miles from where the storm and the surge destroyed so much. Whatever you can do to help
support our ministry during this time, and to help with the relief effort, is greatly appreciated. We know that God will turn this tragedy around for good - He will bring more people to Him, while causing His children to experience an overflow of His grace, mercy, love, faith, power and blessing in the process. [article link]
Jesus Film - Jesus Film for Kids - Jesus Film Audio Drama (Online Movie) Full versions online with 60 language options available on the home page. [article link]
Golden Girls: The Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer: Our Father, who (art) are in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever. Amen. [article link]
Is God Judging America? By Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D. (LogosResourcePages.org) On August 22, 1787, George Mason (1725-1792), Father of the Bill of Rights, made this statement during the debates of the Constitutional Convention - "As Nations cannot be rewarded or punished in the next world, they must be in this. By an inevitable chain of causes and effects, Providence punishes national sins, by national calamities." [article link]
Americans Weary of Darwinism New survey finds interest in other theories about the origin of life. Most Americans aren't buying the theory of Darwinian evolution and would like to hear some alternatives, according to a recent study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. [article link]
Eagle Forum's Court Watch [article link]
Thomas More Law Center: Supreme Court Info The Battle to Restore America's Religious and Moral Foundations Begins. [article link]
Family Research Counsel: Supreme Court Info Family Research Council thanks Justice O'Connor, the first woman on the United States Supreme Court, for her nearly twenty-four years of public service. FRC President Tony Perkins has released the following statement: [article link]
Grassfire: Supreme Court Info The resignation of Sandra Day O'Connor marks the beginning of a crucial time period for Grassfire and all of our members. O'Connor has been the key swing voter on the bench for the past quarter of a century. With O'Connor's resignation we are expecting the opposition to mobilize and demand a moderate nominee, Grassfire is calling on all citizens to raise their voice on this critical issue. Grassfire's President, Steve Elliott will be delivering 250,000 petitions to the White House next week demanding a Pro-Life, Pro-Family nominee who strictly rules by the original intent of the Constitution of the United States. Alert you friends to be part of our historic petition delivery! Sign the Petition! [article link]
Concerned Women for America (CWA): Supreme Court Info Be sure to watch Concerned Women for America's policy experts as they respond to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement from the Supreme Court today and the significance of a Supreme Court vacancy for our nation: [article link]
Old Fashioned Revival Hour Dr. Charles E. Fuller with Quartet & Choir (Mp3s) Welcome - We wish to welcome you to the Old Fashioned Revival Hour with Evangelist Charles E. Fuller and the beautiful Gospel music of pianist Rudy Atwood and Choir & Quartet. Now you can freely listen online to the original broadcasts in MP3. Updated 3 Sep 05 with 4 new broadcasts. [article link]
Special Tsunami - Hurricane MP3: Radio Host Steve Brown Discusses the Tsunami and other Tragedies Where is God when terrible things happen? On a recent Steve Brown Etc., Steve, Reggie and the crew try to answer that question in light of the recent tragedy in the Indian Ocean. You can listen (download) an mp3 file here. [article link]
Pastor Willie Mullan's Testimony 1911-1980 (Audio - Download) For 27 years 'Willie' Mullan taught the largest Bible class in the United Kingdom, which was a source of great encouragement to many believers. Thousands attended these classes in Lurgan Baptist Church. The voice of Willie Mullan has been heard in almost every country, he preached extensively in Great Britain and also Faeroes, Germany, Greece, Palestine, Syria and Canada. At that last day, many thousands shall testify that it was through the preaching of Willie Mullan that they found the Saviour. [article link]
Awana.org "The 4-14 Window" The Importance of Reaching Children with the Gospel Not really pushing faith on your kids because they'll get it sooner or later? It had better be sooner than later! [article link]
How an Invitation for Their Son to Attend Awana Led one Family on a Journey of Faith and Sparked a Passion for Children's Ministry When 4-year-old Steve Ward asked his mother, Jodi, if he could accept an invitation from a friend to attend Awana, little did she know that by saying yes, her family would never be the same. [article link]
The ACLU vs. America: Exposing the Agenda to Redefine Moral Values (Book for Sale $15.00) America is at war with terrorists all over the world who are attempting to destroy Americans and eliminate the American way of life. But there is another war being waged in courtrooms all over the country. This domestic war is one to save American morality and American values from an ever-present domestic influence - the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) - that is weakening our democracy. In the new book ACLU vs. America: Exposing the Agenda to Redefine Moral Values [Broadman & Holman, September 1, 2005], Alan Sears and Craig Osten document in vivid detail the ACLU's extremist positions. They trace the history of the ACLU back to the 1920s and its socialist and communist roots to its current legal battles and campaigns. [article link]
Holy Ghost Revival Sermons Online: 1 Hour Version (Mp3) You are hearing a 12 minute preview of the sermon "Conviction and the Altar" The full 1 hour sermon link is listed below! [article link]
Bible Numbers Their Meaning and Usage Explained There are a handful of numbers that commonly reoccur throughout the entire Bible while other numbers generally do not even occur at all. Their usage and grouping is far to ordered and to consistent throughout the entire Bible to be considered irrelevant or incidental. Following is what is considered to be their common meaning. [article link]
Soldiers Spooked By New Orleans Spirits (News-Video) New Orleans dark past is coming out to reveal itself in a scary spiritual way. [article link]
The Way of the Master - Two Mp3 Messages {Soundly Saved} --Kirk Cameron-- Who do you know who isn't saved? A friend? Your mother? Your child? Think of their terrible fate if they die without Christ. You want to share your faith, but maybe your're not sure what to say. Or maybe you're afraid. Listen as Kirk teaches you how to overcome your fear and share your faith simply, effectively...the way Jesus did. {True and False Conversion} --Ray Comfort-- This message explains why there are so many divorces, alcohol, drug, and abortion problems within the Church today. Are our churches really filled with true believers? [article link]
Chuck Colson - Lies That Go Unchallenged - Free PowerPoint Lies That Go Unchallenged, adapted from a selection of Charles Colson's (BreakPoint.org) radio commentaries, helps us examine cultural currents in the light of God's truth. This tool will help you and your group gain a full understanding of underlying motives, events, and repercussions of the lies our culture is feeding us. Example: Rights of the Individual Lie #1: We have the freedom of choice to be who we want and to do what we want. [article link]
GOPUSA.com Campaign Wharehouse: Your Grassroots Training Resources (CD-MP3-Cassette) (1) How to Develop a Winning Campaign Message, (2) How to Develop a Winning Campaign Strategy, (3) How to Deliver Winning Campaign Speeches. It's been said that 50% of everything a grassroots campaign does is wasted. The key to winning is to make sure you don't waste the 50% you need to win. That's why this seminar reveals the secrets to developing a strategy that focuses your time, money, and people effectively. [article link]
(RATE) Strikes at the Heart of Evolution Billions of years of time, one of the bedrocks of evolutionary thinking, is once again being called into question. This time it will be challenged by a team of scientists from (or associated with) the Institute for Creation Research (ICR), which has spent the last eight years conducting original research on dating methods and the age of the earth. Known as the RATE team (Radioisotope and the Age of The Earth), these scientists have discovered significant scientific evidence which contradicts the "old earth" model and supports a young earthas one would expect from a plain reading of the Bible. [article link]
Thousands...Not Billions 2005 ICR (RATE) Conference November 5, El Cajon, CA. (PDF Brochure Available) "Thousands … Not Billions" is both the title and the theme of the upcoming national conference to be hosted by ICR at Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon (near San Diego), California, November 5, 2005. Speakers for the event include Dr. John Morris (president of ICR), Dr. Larry Vardiman, Dr. Russell Humphreys, Dr. Andrew Snelling (formerly of AiG-Australia), and Dr. John Baumgardner.1 (By the way, AiG-USA's astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle will be in attendance.) [article link]
The Parables of Jesus Christ Entry into God's Kingdom Prerequisite Attitudes to Enter God's Kingdom ...Placing Value on Eternal Things. [article link]
The Great News Network Evangelism Boot Camp What is GNN Evangelism Boot Camp? Let me start by telling you what it's not. This isn't some boring book taught seminar. GNN EBC is a hands-on, role up your sleeves; get in the trenches, big time battle against the most evil enemy ever. EBC is the place where you learn to face your fears and boldly proclaim the Great News that Jesus is Lord. GNN EBC is put on in association with The Way of the Master ministries (Ray Comfort & Kirk Cameron) and is the place where GNN gets to serve God where people learn to put into practice the biblical principals they've learned on the Way of the Master TV show, or the School of Biblical Evangelism. It's where people from all around the world can come together to sharpen their swords and learn how to be a more effective witness for Jesus. It's where GNN trains up highly motivated men and women to join God's great army of evangelist! [article link]
www.FireFighters.org Bible Project Audio and Text (Bilingual and Various Versions MP3) FEATURED CD PROJECTS: You may click on the CD image below to view these projects. These CDs are available to request for FREE via the phone or address below. MP3 Downloads are available online. [article link]
Faith Comes By Hearing Bible Sunday 2005 November, 20 When you can't read, every Sunday is No Bible Sunday. Our free Bible Sunday how-to kit tells how you can provide audio Scriptures to thousands who might otherwise never know of God's great love for them. [article link]
Activist Cash - Tracking the Financial Support of Radical Groups (ActivistCash.com) Despite their innocent-sounding names, many of these organizations are financial Goliaths that use junk science, intimidation tactics, and even threats of violence to push their radical agendas. We've analyzed over 500,000 pages of IRS records to bring you a comprehensive snapshot of where their money comes from, tracking more than $800 million to date. [article link]
National Pro-Life Action Center: Resources (Doc) Ten years ago, Rev. Rob Schenck and his twin brother, Dr. Paul Schenck, relocated their ministry to Washington, DC. Paul Schenck worked in a public interest legal group that defended unborn children and those who stood up for them. [article link]
The National Pro-Life Action Center Calls For The President To Withdraw The Nomination Of Harriet Miers (Doc) "The time has come for President Bush to realize and accept that his nomination of Harriet Miers to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court was ill-advised and he should withdraw her nomination. With 45 million children's lives lost to abortion, the stakes are simply too high to gamble on another 'stealth' candidate. If the president remains reluctant to take this step, then NPLAC believes that Ms. Miers should then remove herself from this process. [article link]
Plurality Now Sees Bush Presidency as Unsuccessful - Discontent with Bush and State of The Nation Even Higher (Pew Poll Oct. 13) President George W. Bush's poll numbers are going from bad to worse. His job approval rating has fallen to
another new low, as has public satisfaction with national conditions, which now stands at just 29%. And for the first time since taking office in 2001, a plurality of Americans believe that George W. Bush will be viewed as an unsuccessful president. [article link]
The Movie "LEFT BEHIND: WORLD AT WAR" is Opening in Churches (No Theaters) on Friday October 21, 2005 This has never been done before. So far, over 2,000 churches have signed up to debut the film. That is more locations (not screens because of multiplexes) than the top 6 theater chains combined! If you look at www.leftbehind-worldatwar.com/locations.php you will see a North American map that shows locations. Click on your state and check out your area. [article link]
LEFT BEHIND (Part 3) WORLD AT WAR: Participation, Oct. 21-23 Already, more than 2,500 Churches have signed up, and are ready to share the history - making world premiere of LEFT BEHIND-WORLD AT WAR with their congregations on the weekend of October 22. If you'd like to open your Church to the community - many of whom have never set foot in a Church - then why not visit www.leftbehind-worldatwar.com and check out the two minute video preview of the movie - and see for yourself what all the fuss is about. [article link]
Reasons Why it is Very Doubtful that President Bush is a Christian (CuttingEdge.org) In this hot debate amongst Christian brethren over whether the fruits (actions) of President Bush were of such Biblically "good fruit" nature to allow Fundamental, Bible-believing Christians to consider him "Born Again", I have created a list showing the fruits I have seen since he became a candidate for President in 2000. On the left, I have listed the "bad fruits" I have seen, and on the right, I have listed the "good fruits" he has produced. "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matt 7:16 ). [article link]
"Poll: Americans Want Bush Impeached" This swell supporting impeachment has been a fairly recent phenomenon. "The Ipsos poll shows a dramatic transformation in support for Bush's impeachment since late June ... The Zogby poll conducted June 27-29 of 905 likely voters found that 42% agreed and 50% disagreed with a statement virtually identical to the one used by Ipsos Public Affairs. After the June poll, pollster John Zogby told the Washington Post that support for impeachment "was much higher than I expected." At the time, impeachment supporters trailed opponents by 8%. Now supporters outnumber opponents by 6%, a remarkable shift of 14%." (Ibid.) [article link]
Up the Creek: Out to Embarrass Bush Over Alleged Video Stunt, (NBC) "The Today Show" Gets Caught in Stunt of Its Own (Video) In an apparent effort to draw attention to herself, in yesterday's segment she turned up in hip waders, standing thigh-deep in the flood waters. Taking her act one step further, this morning she appeared on a suburban street . . . paddling a canoe. There was one small problem. Just as the segment came on the air, two men waded in front of Kosinki . . . and the water barely covered their shoe tops! That's right, Kosinski's canoe was in no more than four to six inches of water! An embarrassed Kosinski claimed the water was deeper down the street but that her producers didn't want to let her go there for fear she'd drift away. But Katie and Matt, perhaps peeved by her attempted scene-stealing, couldn't resist ribbing her. Matt: "Are these holy men, perhaps walking on top of the water?" "Gee, is your oar hitting ground, Michelle?" inquired Katie, as she and Matt dissolved into laughter. [article link]
Video of the Week - The Value of Body Armor (Video) During a routine patrol in Baghdad June 2, Army Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer, a medic, was shot in the chest by an enemy sniper, hiding in a van just 75 yards away. The incident was filmed by the insurgents. [article link]
Soldier Survives Attack; Captures, Medically Treats Sniper During a routine patrol in Baghdad June 2, Army Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer, a medic, was shot in the chest by an enemy sniper, hiding in a van just 75 yards away. The incident was filmed by the insurgents. [article link]
NEWS UPDATES FROM Cutting Edge Ministries, cuttingedge.org Sinister Forces In America: A Shocking Alternative To The Conventional View of American History [article link]
Behind the Big News (VHS) Most Americans know the mainstream media manipulates stories, manufactures illusions, and exploits fears. But the reason is more than just liberal bias or sloppy reporting. Behind the Big News exposes a revolutionary agenda - originating outside the media - that defines today's headlines. This powerful and fast-paced video examines some of the biggest news stories in recent decades to discover how this subversive agenda is promoted. Behind the Big News also reveals an effective strategy to overcome this ongoing assault on American freedom. [article link]
The Religion of Peace: Islam Terrorists Committed Over 3081 Deadly terror Attacks Since 9/11 So a pattern has developed. The followers of Muhammad export death and terror, while the rest of us stoop to help them in their hour of need. Before lobotomizing ourselves completely in the name of multiculturalism, let's recognize that there is a clear difference between Islam and Western religion. Anyone who thinks otherwise is simply not thinking. [article link]
Avian Bird Flu is it a Return of the 1918 Spanish Flu? and if so "Vaccine -- Not Virus -- Responsible for 1918 Spanish flu" "The army doctors knew all these cases of disease and death were due to vaccination and were honest enough to admit it in their medical reports. When army doctors tried to suppress the symptoms of typhoid with a stronger vaccine, it caused a worse form of typhoid, paratyphoid. But when they concocted an even stronger vaccine to suppress that one, they created an even worse disease - Spanish flu. After the war, this was one of the vaccines used to protect a panic-stricken world from the soldiers returning from WWI battlefronts infected with dangerous diseases." "The rest is history." Yes, history records that over 50 million people died worldwide - from a disease they caught from a "protective" vaccination! Now you know that the Spanish Flu of 1918 was deliberately created and then spread through vaccinations! But, the "panic-stricken" public demanded a vaccination, not realizing that was the way in which the diesase was spreading. Of course, many were also killed when the virus spread from person-to-person as viruses normally do. Will we soon hear that Avian Bird Flu has started in this country in Georgia, within convenient distance of Atlanta, where the CDC has genetically reconstructed the deadly 1918 Spanish Flu virus? People will line up to get this worthless Avian Bird Flu, not realizing the vaccine is full of the 1918 Spanish Flu -- reconstructed. [article link]
Gateway Pundit (blog) Gateway Pundit - Observations of the World from the Heart of Jesusland! [article link]
Harvest Festival in an English School Every year we have a Harvest Festival assembly during the month of September or October. We celebrate harvest by singing, praying and decorating our school hall with baskets of fruit and food. Students bring in food from home. The food is later distributed among the poor or senior citizens of the local community. Harvest Festival - Find out more about this Christian festival. The photos below are taken during our Harvest Festival assembly. [article link]
CorrectBible.com for the SERIOUS Bible Student The knowledge of Jesus (the Word in the flesh) and the knowledge of the written Word cannot be separated. Academics (knowledge) must lead to Application (wisdom) which must lead to Compliance (obedience). Fundamentally, we must move from carnality to spirituality. The new creature does not destroy the old. They coexist and struggle for control. "Head" knowledge does not change us. "Heart" knowledge is the objective of the teaching gift. ... Teaching draws others into the Word. It allows us to see how we, our families and our churches measure up. It makes others desire to have the peace and joy we have as children of the King. It encourages us to press toward the mark when we've stumbled. It convicts us when we are wrong. We must keep growing and maturing in the Lord because we should all be teachers (Mk 28:20; Heb 5:12) for the purpose of changing the lives of others through the changes in our own lives. [article link]
Darwin Defender Sued for Website Warning of 'Conservative Christians' In a turning of tables, two defenders of evolution in academia are being sued for spending more than $500,000 of federal money on a website that encourages teachers to use religion to promote Darwin's theory. California parent Jeanne Caldwell filed the suit yesterday against the National Science Foundation and the University of California at Berkeley. [article link]
Olive Tree Views - Fall 2005 Conference "Evidences for the End Times" (Cd's - DvD's) Containing seven hours of teaching and Q & A. Hal Lindsey, main speaker, spoke for two hours and spent two hours in Q & A. Roger Oakland, Brian Flynn, and I spent Saturday afternoon outlining some of the new movements in the church that are less than healthy. Get more details about the speakers and topics at the category of "CONFERENCES." [article link]
AMSHINOV (Jewish) Blog: Picture Perfect Yom Kippur Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. It is a day of abstention, of prayer and meditation, of introspection, soul-searching and repentance. It is called the Sabbath of Sabbaths - the ultimate day of spirit and serenity. Jews dress in white (men usually wear a white robe called a "kitel" together with a white head covering during the synagogue service; women wear white blouses and/or skirts and no jewelry) as a sign of purity and as a sign of our mortality, for ultimately we are buried in white shrouds. The white garments are also a reminder of the costume of the High Priest worn on Yom Kippur during most of the Yom Kippur service in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. [article link]
The Michelle Malkin Blog Michelle Malkin's column, now syndicated by Creators Syndicate, appears in nearly 200 papers nationwide. Her first book, Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores (Regnery 2002), was a New York Times bestseller. [article link]
Rumors: Bin Laden killed in Quake Could it be that Osama Bin Laden was killed in the earthquake that struck Pakistan this week and killed about 50,000 people? Rumors being circulated in the Indian peninsular have it that al-Qaeda's number one man was in the stricken area when the quake occured and was killed. [article link]
Pastor Dr. David L. Brown of LogosResourcePages.org (Mp3s) Audio Sermons by Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D. Recorded Audio Sermons to Listen to or download from SermonAudio.com [article link]
Sirius Satellite Radio has Removed "The Word Network" From Their Package - They Now Want Millions of Dollars in order to Return it. In early September, Sirius Satellite Radio kicked The Word Network off the air - for good. In the meantime, Sirius is adding programming that insults the values of The Word Network and our millions of listeners. Their reason was our "poor ratings" - but apparently our ratings weren't that poor. The Word Network was told by Sirius soon after that our place on the satellite might be regained, but only for millions of dollars. [article link]
Shofar Idol (Flash) [article link]
A Question of Origins (Online Movie) Watch the entire film (above) or view in segments with Q&A notes (below). [article link]
Trinity Broadcasting Network Films Library (FREE Downloads) Just click on the title or picture below to watch. [for advanced users, you can download videos for later viewing by right clicking and choosing "Save As" on the "download file" link (caution: large, long downloads)] [article link]
A Venture in Faith: The Calvary Chapel Story (Online Movie) {It takes a Minute to Connect} This is an outstanding documentary on the history and philosophy of Calvary Chapel. It demonstrates how through one mans (Chuck Smith) faith and obedience God began a revival in a period know as the Jesus Movement. This video chronicles the trials that Chuck Smith faced by stepping out into a ministry and trusting that Where God Guides, God Provides. This video tape is an encouraging message for anyone who desires to know and follow Gods will and to gain the proper perspective of ministry. [article link]
Doug's Blog (VisionForum.com) An excellent Christian - family oriented blog. [article link]
Power Line (Blog) Current events with conservative comments. [article link]
NEWS UPDATES FROM Cutting Edge Ministries, cuttingedge.org Sinister Forces In Early America: A Shocking Alternative To The Conventional View of American History [article link]
Harriet Miers - A Question of Judgment The Chronicle of Higher Education yesterday published a story on Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers. It spoke of her "playing a key role" in the late 1990s in establishing the Louise B. Raggio lectureship at Southern Methodist University, Miss Miers' alma mater. The article says Miss Miers "pushed for the creation" of the Raggio speakers' series. The Raggio lectureship brought an apparently unbroken string of pro-abortion speakers to the university's Dallas campus. Among those tapped to enlighten young law students were Gloria Steinem, founder of Ms. Magazine and a veteran campaigner for liberal abortion laws. Also holding forth were Congresswoman Patricia Schoeder, Susan Faludi, author of Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women, and even former Texas Governor Ann W. Richards, the pro-abortion Democrat whom George W. Bush defeated in 1994. This story needs to be handled with care. The Chronicle is certainly no friend of the pro-life cause and may have exaggerated Miss Miers' role in setting up the lectureship. But the issue does need to be carefully explored. It raises a host of questions about judgment. [article link]
British Broadcaster David Frost Leaves BBC-TV Joins Al-Jazeera TV British broadcaster David Frost, who famously interviewed President Richard M. Nixon during the Watergate controversy, will leave BBC-TV to join an English-language news channel on the al-Jazeera broadcasting network. The Qatar-based channel, part of a network that regularly airs "exclusive" al-Qaida messages and video interviews with Osama bin Laden, views Frost as "key on-air talent" that should attract viewers in the United Kingdom and the United States. [article link]
Free Downloads:(PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org (Updated) It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
Analysis of President Bush's Speech: Bush Wants Total Victory Over Terror - But What about Palestinian Terrorists? However, the Bush Administration fails to adhere to its firm position on the dangers of and solution to Islamic terror when the perpetrators are Palestinian Arabs and the victims Israeli Jews. [article link]
Ousted Alabama Justice Roy Moore to Run for Governor GADSDEN, Ala. - Roy Moore, who became a hero to the religious right after being ousted as Alabama's chief justice for refusing to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the courthouse, announced Monday that he is running for governor in 2006. [article link]
9/30/05 Ministry Update Regarding Hurricane Katrina Disaster: Jesse Duplantis Ministries Here at Jesse Duplantis Ministries, we believe that we are strategically positioned in this part of the world "for such a time as this." God can use us to be a spiritual beacon of light and a financial help to this community and from this community to the entire world. What do we need right now? Prayer and financial support. Our ministry is just six miles from where the storm and the surge destroyed so much. Whatever you can do to help support our ministry during this time, and to help with the relief effort, is greatly appreciated. We know that God will turn this tragedy around for good - He will bring more people to Him, while causing His children to experience an overflow of His grace, mercy, love, faith, power and blessing in the process. [article link]
Conservatives 'Demoralized' over Miers - President Bush's Pick for the Supreme Court Conservatives are "pretty demoralized" over President Bush's surprise nomination of Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court, says Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol. Kristol noted, in an interview with Fox News, that with liberal Republican Sandra Day O'Connor leaving the court, Bush had a unique opportunity to put his conservative stamp on the Supreme Court. [article link]
Jesus Film - Jesus Film for Kids - Jesus Film Audio Drama (Online Movie) Full versions online with 60 language options available on the home page. [article link]
Golden Girls: The Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer: Our Father, who (art) are in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever. Amen. [article link]
Is God Judging America? By Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D. (LogosResourcePages.org) On August 22, 1787, George Mason (1725-1792), Father of the Bill of Rights, made this statement during the debates of the Constitutional Convention - "As Nations cannot be rewarded or punished in the next world, they must be in this. By an inevitable chain of causes and effects, Providence punishes national sins, by national calamities." [article link]
Are You Concerned About the Attempts to Remove the Ten Commandments from our Society? Join the Ten Commandments Day on Sunday February 5, 2006 There are three ways you can get involved and make a difference on this urgent matter: 1. Join the Ten Commandments Commission. By doing so this will tell the world that you support Judeo-Christian traditional values and believe in the importance of restoring the Word of God to our nation and world. ... [article link]
Mega Site for Mp3 Audio Sermon Downloads - Many Topics Here are the messages from our 1998 catalog, available exclusively for download. [article link]
A Prayer For Israel Psalm 83 [Screensaver & Downloads] A Christian flash show based on Psalm 83, as intercession for Israel. [article link]
Hamastan (PLO Terrorist Organization) Rises on Jewish Gaza's Ruins The worst fear of politicians, military officials and Israeli civilians regarding Israel's withdrawal from Gaza has become a reality - the volatile coastal strip is now the private domain of Islamic terrorism, led by the infamous Hamas organization. ... Evidence of Hamas' rising power lies in the fact it and groups associated with it have in the past month assassinated a senior PA security adviser and attacked the Gaza City home of the PA Interior Ministry spokesman with virtual impunity. [article link]
Americans Weary of Darwinism New survey finds interest in other theories about the origin of life. Most Americans aren't buying the theory of Darwinian evolution and would like to hear some alternatives, according to a recent study by the Pew Forum
on Religion & Public Life. [article link]
*** Senate Votes to Confirm on John Roberts **** A tremendous victory today in the Senate as an overwhelming bi-partisan vote confirms John Roberts as Chief Justice. Roberts is expected to take the oath of office later today. All of this as President Bush is poised to name a replacement for retiring Justice O'Connor. A busy day in Washington and at the Supreme Court. [article link]
EagleForum.org Urgent Memorandum: Nominee to Fill O'Connor Seat on Supreme Court Friends and Colleagues, We anticipate that within the coming week President Bush will nominate a successor to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. I urge in the strongest possible way that we send this message to President Bush: 1. You led us to believe that you would appoint justices like Scalia and Thomas. Anything less would be a betrayal of those who voted for you. 2. A Supreme Court candidate whom we will support must have a paper trail that demonstrates a strong commitment to the constitutionalist approach to the constitution. A candidate who skillfully answers questions without telling us anything meaningful, will not be acceptable. [article link]
Eagle Forum's Court Watch [article link]
Thomas More Law Center: Supreme Court Info The Battle to Restore America's Religious and Moral Foundations Begins. [article link]
Family Research Counsel: Supreme Court Info Family Research Council thanks Justice O'Connor, the first woman on the United States Supreme Court, for her nearly twenty-four years of public service. FRC President Tony Perkins has released the following statement: [article link]
Grassfire: Supreme Court Info The resignation of Sandra Day O'Connor marks the beginning of a crucial time period for Grassfire and all of our members. O'Connor has been the key swing voter on the bench for the past quarter of a century. With O'Connor's resignation we are expecting the opposition to mobilize and demand a moderate nominee, Grassfire is calling on all citizens to raise their voice on this critical issue. Grassfire's President, Steve Elliott will be delivering 250,000 petitions to the White House next week demanding a Pro-Life, Pro-Family nominee who strictly rules by the original intent of the Constitution of the United States. Alert you friends to be part of our historic petition delivery! Sign the Petition! [article link]
Concerned Women for America (CWA): Supreme Court Info Be sure to watch Concerned Women for America's policy experts as they respond to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement from the Supreme Court today and the significance of a Supreme Court vacancy for our nation: [article link]
Opposing Sides Square Off On First Day of Intelligent Design Case The controversy over the idea behind intelligent design theory is that it asserts that some observable aspects of nature are so complex that they could not have happened by chance, thereby demonstrating that an intelligent agent must have designed it. The theory stops short of identifying the intelligent agent. [article link]
Old Fashioned Revival Hour Dr. Charles E. Fuller with Quartet & Choir (Mp3s) Welcome - We wish to welcome you to the Old Fashioned Revival Hour with Evangelist Charles E. Fuller and the beautiful Gospel music of pianist Rudy Atwood and Choir & Quartet. Now you can freely listen online to the original broadcasts in MP3. Updated 3 Sep 05 with 4 new broadcasts. [article link]
Special Tsunami - Hurricane MP3: Radio Host Steve Brown Discusses the Tsunami and other Tragedies Where is God when terrible things happen? On a recent Steve Brown Etc., Steve, Reggie and the crew try to answer that question in light of the recent tragedy in the Indian Ocean. You can listen (download) an mp3 file here. [article link]
Pastor Willie Mullan's Testimony 1911-1980 (Audio - Download) For 27 years 'Willie' Mullan taught the largest Bible class in the United Kingdom, which was a source of great encouragement to many believers. Thousands attended these classes in Lurgan Baptist Church. The voice of Willie Mullan has been heard in almost every country, he preached extensively in Great Britain and also Faeroes, Germany, Greece, Palestine, Syria and Canada. At that last day, many thousands shall testify that it was through the preaching of Willie Mullan that they found the Saviour. [article link]
Awana.org "The 4-14 Window" The Importance of Reaching Children with the Gospel Not really pushing faith on your kids because they'll get it sooner or later? It had better be sooner than later! [article link]
How an Invitation for Their Son to Attend Awana Led one Family on a Journey of Faith and Sparked a Passion for Children's Ministry When 4-year-old Steve Ward asked his mother, Jodi, if he could accept an invitation from a friend to attend Awana, little did she know that by saying yes, her family would never be the same. [article link]
The Bible in Living Sound - Get Your Kids Excited About the Bible THE BIBLE IN LIVING SOUND, the original dramatized Bible Stories . . . really gets kids excited about the Bible! These spiritually enthralling stories, re-enacted with music and ''live'' sound effects, leave impressions of lasting beauty and wonder, putting the listener in the Red Sea at the crossing, beside David as he confronts Goliath, with Mary and Joseph in the stable, and there at the foot of the Cross. These stunning nondenominational dramatizations captivate listeners of all ages as they are enriched by visualizing the values taught in God's Word. Listeners want to hear these bible stories again and again. [article link]
Is Gaza Burning? A New Media Lexicon - For Media Who Refuse to Report the Truth The dictionary defines "looting" as "to rob, steal, pillage." But, in its first reports on Gaza, where Palestinian Arab mobs were, well, looting, the New York Times came up with a nifty twist to avoid the L-word. There was no looting going on, only "looking for usable materials." ... [article link]
Pro-Life Senator Sam Brownback - Republican, Kansas: Next Supreme Court Pick Must Oppose Abortion Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Yesterday, leading pro-life senator and possible 2008 presidential candidate Sam Brownback voted for John Roberts' nomination for the Supreme Court. However, he said he hopes President Bush's next nominee for the high court takes a more public stand in opposition to abortion. "The next nominee should let the political branches make political choices and should have a record of devotion to life and liberty that our Constitution protects," the Kansas Republican said at the hearing held just before the
Senate Judiciary Committee approved Roberts on a 13-5 vote. [article link]
The ACLU vs. America: Exposing the Agenda to Redefine Moral Values (Book for Sale $15.00) America is at war with terrorists all over the world who are attempting to destroy Americans and eliminate the American way of life. But there is another war being waged in courtrooms all over the country. This domestic war is one to save American morality and American values from an ever-present domestic influence - the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) - that is weakening our democracy. In the new book ACLU vs. America: Exposing the Agenda to Redefine Moral Values [Broadman & Holman, September 1, 2005], Alan Sears and Craig Osten document in vivid detail the ACLU's extremist positions. They trace the history of the ACLU back to the 1920s and its socialist and communist roots to its current legal battles and campaigns. [article link]
Holy Ghost Revival Sermons Online: 1 Hour Version (Mp3) You are hearing a 12 minute preview of the sermon "Conviction and the Altar" The full 1 hour sermon link is listed below! [article link]
Calvary Chapel Pastor Chuck Smith: Living Water (PDF & DOC) and Many More ebook Selections It's critical that we understand this. The Holy Spirit is the primary agent of the Godhead working in the world today. He is the person of the Godhead to whom we relate most closely. He is the One who is gathering a body of believers - the bride of Christ - to present unto the Lord. And the church through the Holy Spirit is doing the work of God in the world. [article link]
Soldiers Spooked By New Orleans Spirits (News-Video) New Orleans dark past is coming out to reveal itself in a scary spiritual way. [article link]
The Way of the Master - Two Mp3 Messages {Soundly Saved} --Kirk Cameron-- Who do you know who isn't saved? A friend? Your mother? Your child? Think of their terrible fate if they die without Christ. You want to share your faith, but maybe your're not sure what to say. Or maybe you're afraid. Listen as Kirk teaches you how to overcome your fear and share your faith simply, effectively...the way Jesus did. {True and False Conversion} --Ray Comfort-- This message explains why there are so many divorces, alcohol, drug, and abortion problems within the Church today. Are our churches really filled with true believers? [article link]
AWANA The Great ShakeUP Movement: PowerPoint Download Available AWANA.com Leaders - Get Ready! The Great ShakeUP is not just a day or even a week. It's a movement! Keep your new Awana kids coming week after week! The Great ShakeUP will bring thousands of new kids into clubs nationwide this November. Don't be left out of the excitement! Bring new kids into club and see them meet Jesus for the first time. Check out the Great ShakeUP PowerPoint presentation. Catch the vision! [article link]
Chuck Colson - Lies That Go Unchallenged - Free PowerPoint Lies That Go Unchallenged, adapted from a selection of Charles Colson's (BreakPoint.org) radio commentaries, helps us examine cultural currents in the light of God's truth. This tool will help you and your group gain a full understanding of underlying motives, events, and repercussions of the lies our culture is feeding us. Example: Rights of the Individual Lie #1: We have the freedom of choice to be who we want and to do what we want. [article link]
Dr. Gary Smalley - The DNA of Relationships - Free PowerPoint In The DNA of Relationships, Dr. Gary Smalley tells us the whys and hows of relationships. His insights are based on five years of relational research that show amazing results: a more than 90 percent success rate in resolving conflict and a 72 percent increase in relational satisfaction. This tool will help your church leaders set the example for healthy relationships in your congregation. Examples: The Dance that Destroys Relationships How fear affects our relationships 1 John 4:18. A No-Losers Policy - Seven steps to win-win conflict solutions Philippians 2:1-7. [article link]
BasicChristian.org
Basic Christian: Info, News and Resources 2004 Articles The Christian Examiner Newspaper Website Edition CristianExaminer.com The Christian Examiner (formerly the Christian Times) is a monthly newspaper, established in 1983, published by Keener Communications Group. [article link]
The 2004 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival: Consider Donating this 5 DVD Set to your Church Video Rental Section Included on the 5 DVD set are some of our favorite dramatic presentations, documentaries, creationist, and political submissions to the festival, including our 2004 Jubilee Award winners. [article link]
GOPUSA.com Campaign Wharehouse: Your Grassroots Training Resources (CD-MP3-Cassette) (1) How to Develop a Winning Campaign Message, (2) How to Develop a Winning Campaign Strategy, (3) How to Deliver Winning Campaign Speeches. It's been said that 50% of everything a grassroots campaign does is wasted. The key to winning is to make sure you don't waste the 50% you need to win. That's why this seminar reveals the secrets to developing a strategy that focuses your time, money, and people effectively. [article link]
Free Internet Movie Download - Your Destiny Your Choice [Produced by Prayer Australia] To some there are many faces of death. In the movie 'Your Destiny Your Choice', Ryan gave little thought to life after death until he faced death... he was afraid! Then When his sister Nicky comes to visit him in the hospital, she shows him a computer program that could make him sure of his destiny. Will Ryan choose a new spiritual destiny? [article link]
Excellent Mp3 Audio Sermons A variety of teachings and topics for new believers to advanced. [article link]
Mp3 Worship Music Various Artists Mp3 and Real Audio free worship music downloads. [article link]
The Long Way Home: Jewish Life Before, During and After the Holocaust by Moriah Films DVD Collection (6 DVDs) "Informative, enlightening, it touches all of us…" - Alan King. Winner of the 1997 Academy Award® for best feature documentary. [article link]
Walking In Truth Ministries Article Archives 2002-2005 We started our on-line Ministry in December of 2002, and have been blessed with many loyal subscribers! On this page you will find links to All of our previous Messages! [article link]
WEEKLY UPDATES ARCHIVE: Cutting Edge Ministries 2003-2005 Our Goal - mission is three-fold: To explain the goals and aspirations of the New World Order. To explain how its implementation will affect the average American citizen and family. To show how families are being
influenced now, before we actually move into this system. Armed with this information, you will learn how you can: Protect yourself, your children, your family, your loved ones and friends. Live triumphant Christian lives in a most difficult world. [article link]
Biblical Archeology: Ron Wyatt's "Discovered Series" (5 DVD Set) CSE is proud to offer the entire DVD series of the late Ron Wyatt's discoveries. This amazing series will show shuch discoveries as: The Red Sea Crossing site, Mt. Sinai, Noah's Ark, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Ark of the Covenant and dozens of other faith bulding discoveries! [article link]
(RATE) Strikes at the Heart of Evolution Billions of years of time, one of the bedrocks of evolutionary thinking, is once again being called into question. This time it will be challenged by a team of scientists from (or associated with) the Institute for Creation Research (ICR), which has spent the last eight years conducting original research on dating methods and the age of the earth. Known as the RATE team (Radioisotope and the Age of The Earth), these scientists have discovered significant scientific evidence which contradicts the "old earth" model and supports a young earthas one would expect from a plain reading of the Bible. [article link]
Thousands...Not Billions 2005 ICR (RATE) Conference November 5, El Cajon, CA. (PDF Brochure Available) "Thousands … Not Billions" is both the title and the theme of the upcoming national conference to be hosted by ICR at Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon (near San Diego), California, November 5, 2005. Speakers for the event include Dr. John Morris (president of ICR), Dr. Larry Vardiman, Dr. Russell Humphreys, Dr. Andrew Snelling (formerly of AiG-Australia), and Dr. John Baumgardner.1 (By the way, AiG-USA's astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle will be in attendance.) [article link]
The (Swiss based) Red Cross (finally) to Reconsider Admitting Israel Full Membership in the Organization After a Five Year Denial On Monday, 123 delegates of the Red Cross from member countries started a delegation that will last over two days to draw a consensus of whether Israel will be permitted membership into the Red Cross, in an effort to revive talks which where halted five years ago, when the Palestinian conflict against Israel began in 2000. The disagreement of admittance centers on whether a red Star of David is permissible to join the Red Cross and Red (Muslim) Crescent as a symbol of the organization. [article link]
Truth and Knowledge vs. Lies and Deception: BasicChristian.org Truth is that which exists and cannot change. The truth is the unchangeable fact. There are basic truths in existence. We exist in physical human form on a planet called the earth. It is an undeniable unchangeable truth that we exist. It is also an undeniable unchangeable truth that physical life exists temporally here on earth. The truth is that all who have lived in the past have suffered physical death; they are no longer physically alive with us on earth. Since there are truths in existence there is a truth that explains life and death here on earth. There can be many theories about how life originated on earth, why and how we exist and why we die, but there is only one unchangeable truth. [article link]
Prayer Point: RUSSIA Reaching the "Reindeer People" Please Pray - For help in dealing with rampant problems of alcoholism, depression, and suicide in the Chukotka region. For more missionaries to share the Gospel in native villages. For transportation equipment such as
snowmobiles to reach these extremely remote areas. [article link]
The Kristo: Excellent! (Flash) English and Spanish versions of this excellent flash animation presentation. [article link]
America 9-11-2001 Tract (PDF) with Photos Answers the Question 'Who Can Protect Us?' At 8:45 Tuesday morning, September 11, the first of two commercial airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. [article link]
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Past Radio Broadcasts (Audio) The goal of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Ltd. is to reach men and women with the Gospel and to bring them into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. [article link]
74 Audio Messages Supporting KJV and Many Other Great Topics from Biblebelievers.com The Authorized Version Defended Audio Archive Page THE TEACHERS and their 74 MESSAGES {Scroll way down the Page}. [article link]
Holidays - Halloween: "America's Occult Holidays" (VHS) Doc Marquis reveals startling information about the popular holidays: "Christmas," "Easter," and "Halloween" and the occult background popularizing each today. VHS 2.5hrs. [article link]
Parents Television Council: Advertisers - TV Sponsors Campaign We are continuing to hold corporate sponsors accountable for the content of the programs they support with their advertising dollars. PTC representatives attended national corporate shareholder meetings for Target [Denied PTC any Oppertunity to Speak], Capital One, Circuit City, Yum! Brands, and Viacom (5 of the top 10 worst advertisers) to ask them to discontinue their sponsorship of some of the most offensive content on television. We also attended the Wal-mart, J.C. Penney and J.M. Smuckers Company shareholder meetings to applaud them for making responsible sponsorship decisions. [article link]
The Watchman International Prayer for Israel, Iraq & Iran Pray for protection against terror attacks in Israel! Pray for the gospel to spread in Iraq! Pray for a powerful revival in Iran that will change the government [article link]
The Parables of Jesus Christ Entry into God's Kingdom Prerequisite Attitudes to Enter God's Kingdom ...Placing Value on Eternal Things. [article link]
Excellent Full Bible Commentary (Mp3) A great and easy way to get introduced to and to become familiar with Bible Teachings in the King James Version. This is probably the best Audio Bible Study on the internet, giving complete, accurate, friendly and easy to understand Bible messages. [article link]
'The Sweet Life' Former Avalon Singer Offers Her Testimony "I had a 10-year relationship that had gone really sour," says Christian singer Cherie Adams, formerly of the group Avalon. "We were like high school sweethearts, and I went from seeing him every day to never seeing each other again." "I was physically sick. I thought about killing myself. Then one day my mother was bugging me to go to church and I said, 'I don't know why I'm going to bother because God doesn't love me anymore. He doesn't know me." But Adams went and says her life was forever altered by this single service. Today, Adams travels the country, singing songs, talking about her experiences as a platinum-selling artist in the music business and her life as a Christian, and giving support to other women who have been through similar hardships. [article link]
Samaritan's Purse Volunteer Crews are Cleaning Debris and Patching Roofs for Victims of Hurricane Katrina "Our sermon on Sunday was about the Good Samaritan," she said. "You truly are Good Samaritans. I have received Christian love. It's hard to explain. It touches your heart. Now I feel like I can start my life again. What you are doing is tremendous." [article link]
Israel Air Force (IAF) Hits Gaza City after Qassam Rockets Jolt Sderot, Israel The air strike came in response to a barrage of Palestinian Qassam rockets fired from Gaza into Israel, the first such attacks since Israel pulled out of Gaza two weeks ago. [article link]
Hollywood Marketing Films Through Churches LOS ANGELES - At some of the largest and most influential Christian churches in the country, the lights dim and congregants watch a sneak preview of a new movie - about golf. The Walt Disney Co. is marketing "The Greatest Game Ever Played" to faith-based groups even though the film, about Francis Ouimet's improbable win in the 1913 U.S. Open, isn't overtly religious. [article link]
Kevin Sites (Reporter of Fallujah Mosque Shooting) in the Hot Zone for Yahoo {Yahoo's First Hired Official Original Content Correspondent} Longtime blogger and war correspondent Kevin Sites has signed a deal with Yahoo News to be the news aggregator's first official original content correspondent. Sites has worked for NBC News and CNN in the past, and has stoked controversy for his solo work at KevinSites.net. Now Sites has found a way to keep his independence as a journalist -- but with big distribution via Yahoo. [article link]
The Jawa Report: Kevin Sites (Reporter of Fallujah Mosque Shooting), You're Still a Traitor The thing about traitors is that they rarely realize that they have committed treason. Traitors tend to believe either one of two things (or both). First, traitors believe that they are acting in the best interests of their country. They believe that the nation's leaders are taking the country down a terrible path. Therefore, they justify there acts of treason as a higher love of country. [article link]
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton Will Vote 'No' on Supreme Court Judge Roberts Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton says she will vote against the nomination of Judge John Roberts to serve as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. [article link]
Stopping Hurricanes is it Junk Science? "US pioneers 'weather control powder'" - "A company in the United States says it has invented a powder which
can be used to remove clouds from the sky and even stop the development of hurricanes. They say the new product could help many areas of the world which are subject to extreme weather conditions." (BBC Online) [article link]
Oil {Soybean Oil} on Troubled Waters may Stop Hurricanes {Apparently using soybean oil and spraying hurricanes from the top has already been successful.} Sailors who traditionally dumped barrels of oil into the sea to calm stormy waters may have been on to something, a new study suggests. The old practice reduces wind speeds in tropical hurricanes by damping ocean spray, according to a new mathematical "sandwich model". As hurricane winds kick up ocean waves, large water droplets become suspended in the air. This cloud of spray can be treated mathematically as a third fluid sandwiched between the air and sea. "Our calculations show that drops in the spray decrease turbulence and reduce friction, allowing for far greater wind speeds - sometimes eight times as much," explains RESEARCHER ALEXANDRE CHORIN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY, US. He believes the findings shed light on an age-old sea ritual. "Ancient mariners poured oil on troubled waters - hence the expression - but it was never very clear what this accomplished," says Chorin. Since oil inhibits the formation of drops, Chorin thinks the strategy would have increased the drag in the air and successfully decreased the intensity of the squalls.... The researchers suggest that, during a tropical storm, aeroplanes could deliver harmless surfactants to the ocean surface - reducing surface tension in water and stopping droplets from forming - perhaps preventing a hurricane developing. [article link]
A New Approach to Hurricane Reduction Current research into hurricanes seems to focus on the central areas, where the winds are highest, near the "eye". However, even superficial calculation shows that the majority of the kinetic energy contained in a hurricane resides in the huge outer areas. Even though the winds are slower there, the vast quantity of moving air carries most of the energy of movement. This fact has encouraged a new approach at degrading a hurricane, by attempting to cause disruptions in the perimeter of the storm, to cause energy to be dispersed there. This involves NO attempt to "over-power" the hurricane! Rather, it uses the energy that is already in the hurricane by encouraging some of that energy to get "out-of-phase" with the main circulation of the hurricane. This out-of-phase energy becomes disruptive, with the intended result to create many (small) tornadoes which remove kinetic energy from the main circulation of the hurricane. It has long been noticed that, in the late stages of a hurricane's existence, many (brief) tornadoes often appear along their borders. [article link]
Stopping a Hurricane with Acoustic Transducers "If you could develop a detergent to reduce the size of the droplets, you might be able to stop a hurricane," he said. "That's not as far fetched as it sounds. In ancient times, sailors carried oil to pour out on the water to calm storms. Pouring oil on choppy waters was not a superstition." Since we are interested in reducing the size of the droplets, I propose we use acoustic transducers under high power on barges plugged into the power of a nuclear submarine or nuclear aircraft carrier and point them right at or above the cresting waves to cause the water droplets to break apart into smaller droplets, by scrambling their molecular structure once airborne. This does two things, it robs the Hurricane of its barrier between the wind it creates and the relative wind from the local region and it reduces the droplets size and assists in taking the rain away. I propose we fund research in the killing of Hurricanes, rather than paying out 155 Billion Dollars in the aftermath to rebuild after Hurricanes like Katrina. Think on that. [article link]
Welcome to Restore International Restore International rescues and rehabilitates children forced into prostitution and seeks prosecution of the
perpetrators. [article link]
Roberts Nomination Sent to Full Senate WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved John Roberts' nomination as the next Supreme Court chief justice, virtually assuring his confirmation by the Senate next week. The official tally of 135 was anticlimatic, with the committee's 10 majority Republicans lined up solidly behind the conservative judge's nomination to the full Senate weeks in advance. [article link]
BasicChristian.info for Convenient FREE Christian PDF & MP3 Downloads A Christian Information Center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. [article link]
CHURCHES, THE WEB, AND TECHNOLOGY "Churches have jumped on the technology bandwagon in a pretty big way during the first five years of the third millennium," says the latest Barna report. They explore how many Protestant churches are using ministry tools such as a church website, a large-screen projection system, email communication to members, a satellite dish for receiving broadcasts, or electronic funds transfer for donations. They also examine how many churches provide pew Bibles and use live drama presentations and video presentations in their services: [article link]
Dealing with Katrina - and Other Catastrophes in Life Our guide for dealing with the Katrina disaster should be Dr. Booker T. Washington's speech at the Atlanta Exposition in 1895. Known as one of the most memorable and influential speeches in American history, it is just as timely today as when it was given. Dr. Washington started by telling the story of a ship lost at sea for many days. When it sighted a friendly vessel, it sent a desperate signal from its mast: "Water, water; we die of thirst!" The friendly vessel signaled back, "Cast down your bucket where you are." The lost ship signaled again, "Water, water; send us water!" Again the friendly ship sent the message, "Cast down your bucket where you are." after a third and fourth such exchange, the captain of the distressed vessel finally heeded the injunction and cast down his bucket. It came up full of fresh, sparking water from the mouth of the Amazon River. Dr. Washington then admonished members of his own race to cast down their buckets "in agriculture, mechanics, in commerce, domestic service, and in the professions." He cautioned that "in the great leap from slavery to freedom we may overlook the fact that the masses of us are to live by the productions of our hands." "We shall prosper in proportion as we learn to dignify and glorify common labor and put brains and skill into the common occupations of life," he said. "No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem." "It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top. Nor should we permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities." [article link]
A Holocaust Controversy - The Treblinka Affair "Did Jews go like lambs to the Nazi slaughter? Not those who revolted in the Treblinka death camp in August 1943. In this absorbing and elegant work Samuel Moyn shows how an incendiary book about Treblinka in 1966 transformed Holocaust awareness." - Robert O. Paxton, Professor of History Emeritus, Columbia University [article link]
Roberts Hearings Highlight Democrats' Dilemma As FRC and others have noted, the Democrat Party is now hostage to extremist groups that have hijacked its agenda and dictate its agenda. That was never more in evidence than at the third day of the hearings on the nomination of John Roberts to serve as Chief Justice. Several such groups testified, and showed just how radical, unreasonable and one-sided they are. For instance, Marcia Greenberger, President of the Women's
National Law Center, was forced to admit, under questioning from Senator Orrin Hatch, that her organization had never endorsed a Republican nominee to the Supreme Court. Likewise, Karen Pearl, interim president of Planned Parenthood, weakly defended the fact that they, too, had never endorsed a Republican nominee to the Court by asserting they had not opposed the nomination of Sandra Day-O'Connor. In fact, Senator Jeff Sessions (R, AL) introduced a New York Times article from 2001 that asserted that Greenberger urged the Democrats to change the rules of the game regarding Republican nominees to the Supreme Court - to oppose nominees who were "merely" well-qualified. Sessions suggested Greenberger may be the unacknowledged "mother" of the Democrats' discreditable filibuster tactics against well-qualified women and men nominated by President Bush to the federal judiciary. Pearl and Greenberger asserted that Roe v. Wade was beyond question and that Roberts should have endorsed it despite the facts (a) that more than half of Americans disagree with that view, (b) as does one major political party, and (c) while cases challenging various aspects of Roe's proabortion legacy are pending before the very court on which Roberts is supposed to sit as an impartial jurist. Pearl's and Greenberger's extreme pro-abortion positions seemed even to frustrate abortion advocates Arlen Specter and Diane Feinstein. With the hearings concluded, you can be sure such extremist groups will be pressuring Democratic senators to oppose Roberts and all future nominees from President Bush. Will the Democratic Party continue to listen to them? The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on the Roberts' nomination on September 22, with the full Senate to take a final vote the following week. [article link]
Senator Says HHS Secretary Lied About Morning After Pill LifeNews.com The FDA had been considering whether or not to approve a request by Barr Laboratories to sell the sometimes abortion-causing drug without a doctor's visit. Barr originally applied to sell it to all women, which the FDA rejected, and revised its proposal to sell the drug only to women above the age of 16. However, the FDA said that would be difficult to implement and, Crawford, who is acting Commissioner, said the agency needed to examine the request further because it would set so many regulatory precedents. [article link]
The Face of Islamic Religious Intolerance - Will Christians Finally Support Israel? Jews made their stand yesterday by not destroying their synagogues. Palestinians made their stand today by burning and desecrating them. The remaining question now is what the Christian world will do. Will you express outrage at Islamic intolerance or continue in silence? [article link]
Billy Graham Television Special: How Is Our World Changing? September 10, 2005 How Is Our World Changing? Tune in beginning September 10 for the next Billy Graham Television Special featuring Billy Graham from the Greater Los Angeles Crusade in Pasadena, Calif. You'll hear special music by Ricky Skaggs, Nicole C. Mullen, and The Tommy Coomes Band, as well as testimonies from Columbine survivor Crystal Woodman-Miller, Auburn University football chaplain Chette Williams, and Matt McPherson (founder of Matthews Bows and McPherson Guitars). For local listings, please see below. To Watch a preview click here. [article link]
WEEKLY UPDATES FROM Cutting Edge Ministries, Katrina Updates: Is this Severe Weather being Manipulated on Purpose? NBC Weather Anchor, Scott Stevens, has confirmed that Hurricane Katrina, like the other hurricanes before her, was both created and guided by scalar electromagnetic wave technology! Cutting Edge has been teaching this fact since mid-1999 and has written numerous articles on the subject, which can be located at our section, Weather Control. [article link]
SAVE THE PAREVE (Kosher) STATUS OF DUNKIN HINES CAKE MIXES Duncan Hines has announced that they will be making all their cake mixes dairy (until now they were all parve). This would remove from the market the last major brand of cake mixes that Jews who keep kosher can use with a meat meal. Oy! But you can help!!!!!! (Seriously!). When Nabisco made a similar announced Stella Doro Cookies (a favorite Shabbat dinner dessert in many homes) they were flooded with requests not to change and it WORKED - they switched the cookies back to Parve. So, please, even if you do not keep kosher, please read the article below and then visit Pinnacle Foods to let them know you appreciate Duncan Hines being dairy free and oppose any change to make its OU (Orthodox Union (OU)) certified baked goods dairy. You can file a concern at www.duncanhines.com in the "about us" section under the "contact us" option. Just fill out the form and click submit. And pass it on!!! [article link]
Special (Video) Message from Jesse and Cathy Duplantis (of St. Charles Parish) Regarding The Hurricane Katrina Disaster We appreciate your patience as we recover from this storm. Please continue to keep JDM, our families, congregation and those affected by Katrina in your prayers. It is our prayer that God will restore ALL that the devil has stolen, and that we will become shining lights of hope to our community, and our nation. Together, we are reaching people and changing lives. Thank you for your continued support. -- Jesse and Cathy Duplantis. [article link]
Samaritan's Purse Helping Victims of Hurricane Katrina Samaritan's Purse Disaster Relief teams have begun operations in the vicinity of Mobile, Alabama, an area battered by high winds, torrential rains, and an estimated 12-foot storm surge that shoved the Mobile River over its banks. Our teams will work westward into devastated areas of Mississippi and Louisiana as conditions permit. [article link]
FRC Renews Challenge to Feinstein's Claim to Represent 145 Million American Women "Once again, I call on Senator Feinstein to refrain from claiming the 'role' of speaking for all American women when it is clear that no one person can claim to speak for all women in our diverse society." ~ Connie Mackey, Family Research Council Vice President for Government Affairs. -- Washington D.C. - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today in John Roberts' Senate confirmation hearings repeated her claim that she has a special role on the committee in representing American women. Connie Mackey, Family Research Council's Vice President for Government Affairs, released the following statement: ... [article link]
Transcript: Judge John Roberts Before the Sen. Judiciary Committee Special Publication Judge John Roberts' Opening Statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 12, 2005. SPECTER: Judge Roberts, if you'd now resume your position at center stage. Judge Roberts, if you would now stand, please. The protocol calls for your swearing in at this point. We have 23 photographers -well, five more waiting. We may revise our procedures to swear you in at the start of the proceeding, if you should come back. [article link]
An Explanation of Islamic Law, known as "Shariah" The historical pattern of Islam shows us that when a nation gains a sufficiently large Muslim population, they will begin to agitate for Shariah to be implemented. Shariah is the primary source of persecution for Christians in Muslim dominated states. Shariah is the system of civil law that is based upon the Qur'an and the Ahadith and the work of Muslim scholars in the first two centuries of Islam. Shariah extends beyond just civil law.
Applied fully, the Shariah is a code for living that all Muslims should adhere to, including prayers, fasting and donations to the poor. Shariah is the totality of religious, political, social, domestic and private life. Shariah is primarily meant for all Muslims, but applies to a certain extent also for people living inside a Muslim society. Muslims feel that Shariah has been misunderstood by Christians, who have tended to concentrate on the demands for harsh punishments such as amputation of a hand or foot for theft and public flogging for people caught drinking alcohol. Under the Shariah laws in Afghanistan, the Taliban's religious police, formally known as the Department for Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue, enforce the Shariah laws. ... For example, a man's beard must be long enough to protrude from a fist clenched at the base of the chin. If it is not, he is subject to punishment. Under Shariah in Afghanistan, women are not allowed to work in any field except the medical sector. The Islamic law of Afghanistan does not allow the employment of women in government departments or international agencies. Women should not go outside their residences with the exception of those working in the medical sector. Shariah also places restrictions on what women can wear and whom they can see. It forbids women from wearing jewelry and make-up and from making noise with their shoes when they walk. If a woman does work outside the home, she is forbidden to sit beside the driver when traveling to and from work. Stylish dress and decoration of women is forbidden. [article link]
Ontario Canada Rejects Use of Islamic Law (Fox) TORONTO - The premier of Ontario said Sunday that he won't let his province become the first Western government to allow the use of Islamic law to settle family disputes and that he would move to ban all religious arbitration. Ontario's provincial government has been reviewing a report recommending that Shariah, or Islamic law, be allowed to settle family disputes like divorce and had said it would soon make a decision. "There will be no Shariah law in Ontario. There will be no religious arbitration in Ontario. There will be one law for all Ontarians," Premier Dalton McGuinty told The Canadian Press. [article link]
Two RSS Camps are Emerging A distinct division is being created between RSS readers that parse simple RSS and the Dashboards/Sidebars of the world that can make sense of rich content. NewsGator, FeedDemon and Pluck on one side, Google Sidebar, Konfabulator and KlipFolio on the other. While the RSS apps are still very "orange RSS button" centric, this new generation of dashboards tends to downplay the RSS connection (sidebar with "plugins", KlipFolio with "Klips" and Sideshow with "tiles"), focusing their value more on the actual content or service. We're betting on the latter group - the dashboards - to cross into the mainstream. For the most part pure RSS readers will find their places embedded in browsers such as IE and Firefox, and integrated into most email applications where their value as awareness and notification tools will be ambiguous at best. [article link]
Palestinians Torch Four Gaza Synagogues Palestinians wasted precious little time after the IDF officially withdrew from Gaza, before thousands of Hamas and Islamic Jihad supporters set about setting fire to and destroying four synagogues in the former Gush Katif settlements of Morag, Netzarim, Neve Dekalim, and Kfar Darom. Palestinian security forces stood idly by as women ululated, teens set off fireworks and crowds chanted "God is great". [article link]
Coloring Through the Bible On-Line Coloring, Printable Pages and PDF Downloads The Bible is full of great, true stories! Explore some of the major themes of the Bible -- from Genesis to Revelation (beginning to end). The Bible is God's amazing communication, telling us about Himself, His creation, His love, His justice, and His ultimate return. [article link]
TBN, Church Channel, JCTV and Enlace are Now all Available FREE of Charge to all Viewers on Direct-To-Home Satellite - Intelsat Americas 5 Intelsat Americas 5 covers all of North America including Canada with a strong signal that can be received on a small 30-inch dish and inexpensive digital receiver. The cost for these items run approximately $300 but is only a one-time cost. Now getting Glorystar set up is quite as simple as calling 1-800-746-1735 or going to www.glorystar.tv. [article link]
Israeli Cabinet Votes to leave Gaza, and also Not to Destroy Gush Katif Synagogues The Israeli Cabinet voted unanimously to leave Gaza completely by Tuesday, ending 38 years of IDF presence. Rather than celebrate the withdrawal, Palestinians opted to boycott the official handover ceremony due to dissatisfaction over the Cabinet's decisions to close the Rafah border crossing, and to keep the two dozen synagogues of Gush Katif intact. ... However, Palestinian fear international criticism if they demolish the buildings or if the structures are defaced by Palestinian crowds targeting symbols of occupation. [article link]
Find Some Pieces of the Puzzle WeatherWars.info As a television weatherman I first met this information with skepticism, who wouldn't? Almost completely rejecting the concept that weather modification outside of cloud seeding possible. Additional clues kept creeping in until I came across examples of scalar weather engineering on Tom Bearden's web site. Soon I began looking for my own examples in my own skies. Whoa! There they were! And not just occasionally, but all the time! Examples in highs clouds were the easiest to spot, much less convective turbulence to round out the edges. Mid level clouds. the alto cumulus are now frequently gridded and square. Odd, very odd I thought. Lower clouds, cumulus and stratus, especially in a marine layer environment seem to be the most difficult in which to see the active grid. But it is there. [article link]
The Government Can Control the Weather (HAARP) Lots of people know that Nicola Tesla patented weather influencing machinery before 1910, and explained how it could be used to control weather thousands of miles away. Not only can the technology be used to guide moisture laden air to drought stricken locations, but it can keep moisture away from droughts as well. What can be achieved is a barrier to wind flow called a stationary pressure front, which forces weather away from its natural destination. The modern name for a device of this type is an atmospheric heater, which works by beaming concentrated radiowaves tuned to heat some component of the atmosphere. Many people now know that a stationary pressure front has been sitting off the California coast since 19xx because it is blamed for droughts in recent decades, but few of them also know that stationary pressure regions were unheard of before 19xx, xx years after the USSR finished constructing an atmospheric heater. [article link]
Samaritan's Purse: Hurricane Katrina Relief View images of our work as volunteer crews clean debris and patch roofs for victims of the storm. [article link]
Louisiana State Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Supplement 1a - Southeast Louisiana Hurricane Evacuation & Sheltering Plan (PDF) SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA HURRICANE EVACUATION AND SHELTERING PLAN REVISED JANUARY 2000. [article link]
Egyptian-Cairo Born Yasser Arafat's French Death Certificate Forged with Jerusalem Birthplace Zvili said the affair was "very badly perceived in Israel", adding that those responsible for issuing the "false document" could be subject to a legal process. "I don't understand how when Arafat arrived in France he had
been born in Cairo and when he left France he had been born in Jerusalem," he said. [article link]
Navy: Iraqis Know (1991) Missing Pilot's Whereabouts (CNN) WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Navy pilot shot down over Iraq in January 1991 may have been captured by Iraqi forces, and members of the former Iraqi government "know the whereabouts" of the officer, the Navy has concluded. A Navy board of inquiry concluded that there is no credible evidence that Capt. Michael "Scott" Speicher is dead, and it reaffirmed his official status as "missing/captured," according to the board's final report. The board also recommended that the Pentagon work with the State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the Iraqi government to "increase the level of attention and effort inside Iraq" to resolve the question of Speicher's fate. [article link]
Americans see Gaza-Katrina link 'If we keep pushing (Israel Withdrawal) Road Map, Much Worse is in Store' "We have watched this for years and every time America makes decisions against Israel we suffer the consequences through disasters," Stines said. Referring to last month's expulsion of thousands of Jews from their homes in Gaza and northern Samaria, Stines said there was "no doubt in my mind that Hurricane Katrina is a result of the decisions we made to remove God's people from their land." [article link]
Did God send Katrina as Revenge over Gaza? Nine Eerie Parallels Between the Forced Evacuations Spark Speculation 4. Katrina, written in Hebrew, has a numerical equivalent of 374, according to a biblical numbering system upheld by all traditional Jewish authorities. Two relevant passages in the Torah share the exact numerical equivalent: "They have done you evil" (Gen. 50:17) and "The sea upon land" (Exodus 14:15) [article link]
Fall 2005 Conference "Evidences for the End Times II" with Hal Lindsey CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH IN AN AGE OF SPIRITUAL DECEPTION: No denomination and no individual church is exempt from the deception of false teachers, teachings, and movements today. There is "equal opportunity deception". Jesus says on the Mt. of Olives that deception would be the primary sign of the end of the age. That is why we have chosen this theme to complement the messages of Hal Lindsey, (Bible) prophecy scholar. [article link]
Olive Tree Ministries: Radio Show Schedule September 10: Avi Lipkin/Victor Mordecai on the terror threat, and Dave Shiflett on the flight of people from liberal churches to evangelical churches. His book is "Exodus." September 17: Roger Oakland from "Understand the Times" ministry and one of our Fall conference speakers, and main speaker Hal Lindsey. [article link]
Samaritans Purse: Needs Are Great in Biloxi Katrina destroyed virtually everything in the city of Biloxi from the beach to about 200 yards inland. Brick homes-which were supposed to be safe in high winds-were flattened. Neighborhoods a little further inland look like war zones. Trees were knocked over, many of them onto-and through-roofs. Art Steinaway is the director of the Seashore United Methodist Camp, about 150 yards from the shoreline. The camp was a popular retreat center for youth and adult church groups, but it will be many years before it's used again. The church and most of the buildings were demolished by Katrina's fury. [article link]
Without Open churches, New Orleans Still Prays for Help NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) - It would have been a miracle for a New Orleans church to open Sunday but trapped residents still managed to pray in their shattered homes, emergency shelters and even in a bar. "We don't need a church to pray, the good Lord can hear us wherever we are," said Annie Williams, 62, leaning on the pool table at "Kajun's" pub in downtown New Orleans. "We are praying now," she said. [article link]
American Bible Society Since 1816 From the American Bible Society's founding in 1816, we have been focused on translation, publication and the distribution of Bibles to as many people as possible. Our mission today is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so all people may experience its lifechanging message. [article link]
The American Bible Society: Bible Resource Center From a Bible Dictionary to overviews (and timelines) on the books of the Bible, find the Bible study tools and resources that you need. The Bible Resources section has many features that will help you discover exciting new ways to increase your Bible knowledge. [article link]
Why Abortion is Genocide (PDF Available) Likewise with abortion, Butler & Walbert note in Abortion, Medicine and the Law, Facts on File, 1992, that the Court in Roe vs. Wade, supra at 153, "... build its doctrinal framework on the constitutional right to privacy, which it thought 'broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.' "Whether the issue is racism or abortion, privacy is vital to those who are ashamed of their conduct." [article link]
Discipleship Living for Christ in the Daily Grind: (PDF) "select" download free e-book Perhaps the hardest thing about following Christ is translating our good intentions into deeds. Christ calls us, and we yearn to answer him, but time and again we lose resolve. Is discipleship possible amid the stresses of modern life? Can Christ bring about lasting change in our lives? How can we be centered on him, when everything seems to pull us apart? [article link]
Iron Hall Assembly in Belfast Northern Ireland: The Harvest Is Past (WMA) [Use the blue buttons at the top of the web page] Jeremiah Verse 20 of chapter 8: "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved"... [article link]
Photos of New Orleans before the Flood Images 0f the French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, animals and wildlife, plants and flowers, Mardi Gras and miscellaneous photos. [article link]
New Orleans' levee system has been key to survival For more than a century, the low-lying city of New Orleans has depended on a sprawling network of earthen levees to protect it from flooding, not only from heavy rains but also from massive Lake Pontchartrain and the mighty Mississippi River. [article link]
30-Days of (Christian) Prayer for the Muslim World Praying for Muslims SOME IDEAS AND GENERAL THOUGHTS :: Every Muslim is unique and wonderful in God's eyes and we should be careful not to generalise or presume that all Muslims are the same. Still, there are some issues regarding praying for Muslims to help us pray more effectively. [article link]
Naval Academy to Keep Saying Prayers [Go Navy!] ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Naval Academy has no plans to drop the regular saying of grace before its midshipmen's lunch, despite a policy issued this week by the Air Force to discourage most public prayer, a spokesman said. [article link]
'Elite' Colleges Not Always Best for Young Christians, Says Home School Advocate (GOPUSA) (AgapePress) -- A leader in the home-schooling movement is calling on Christian parents to help their children find colleges that are academically excellent -- and faithfully Christian. In his new book -- The Joshua Generation -- Farris examines the philosophical shift made by "elite" universities during the past century. He says Christian parents must thoroughly examine any university or college before their child attends. Parents, he says, need to know what they are dealing with. "We cannot assume that our kids are going to go off to college and that it will be either a positive experience spiritually or a neutral experience," he shares. ... Farris contends that professors at many secular elite colleges twist the truth, the Constitution, and history to support their own agendas and beliefs. [article link]
Military and Veterans Info Military service is perhaps the ultimate service. It has been well said about Military service that All gave some and Some gave All. This saying is also well applied to the family, friends and supporters of those who are in uniform. [article link]
Welcome to the Survivor (Military Family) Benefits Home Page {Lots of info and forms available for all people related to anyone who served in the military} This web site is dedicated to the surviving spouses and dependents of military personnel who died while in active military service and to the survivors of veterans who died after active service. We are grateful for the opportunity to provide quality information and assistance to family members suffering the loss of their husbands and wives, sons and daughters, and mothers and fathers. While most benefits are the same regardless of whether the service member or veteran died on active duty or during civilian life, the "Death in Service" button shown below will take you to additional information specific to death in service issues. You also will find information from other federal agencies and organizations that offer related benefits and services to survivors and dependents. It is our sincere hope that you will find the information here helpful in your time of need. [article link]
World Church Directory Database with Photos, Videos, Program-Service Info, Maps and Directions! {Submit Your Church} Provided by ChurchQuest.com Christian Web Hosting. [article link]
Bush Hails Iraqi Draft Constitution CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush strongly endorsed a proposed Iraqi constitution despite failure of U.S. efforts to win backing of the charter by minority Sunni Muslims. "Their example is an inspiration to all who share the universal values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law," Bush told reporters Sunday at a
helicopter hangar on his Texas ranch. "This is a document of which the Iraqis and the rest of the world can be proud." {Proud of what, radical Islam taking control.} [article link]
Shiites Make 'Final Offer' on Iraqi Constitution (Does not include Religious Freedom) [fox] The Shiites were awaiting a response from the Sunnis, al-Bayati said. He said the concessions were on the pivotal issues of federalism and efforts to remove former members of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated Baath Party (search) from public life, adding: "We cannot offer more than that." [article link]
No Vote Yet on Iraq Constitution (Fox) Negotiators finished the draft on Monday and took it to parliament as the lawmakers convened minutes before midnight. But they decided to put off a vote and spend three more days smoothing out some unresolved points because of fierce resistance from Sunnis over issues including federalism - which Sunnis fear could cut them out of most of the country's vast oil wealth. [article link]
Freedom of Religion? In Iraq (FRC) The deadline for an Iraqi constitution came and went on Monday. ... The country has been governed by the Iraqi Transitional Administration Law (TAL) since March 4, 2004. ... The TAL currently protects religious freedom for every Iraqi citizen. However, early drafts of the Iraqi Constitution seriously undermined religious freedom by containing a provision making Islam the "sole source" of Iraqi law, as opposed to "a source" of law under the TAL, there is also a provision that declares unconstitutional any law "repugnant" to Islam. I have sent a letter to President Bush encouraging the Administration to redouble its efforts to ensure that the Iraq Constitution provides genuine religious freedom for all Iraqi citizens. An Iraqi Constitution that does not protect religious liberty will seriously undermine U.S. efforts in Iraq and the larger Middle East. The sons and daughters of Americans are not risking their lives to establish a theocratic government that denies its citizens the fundamental right of religious freedom. [article link]
Evangelicals Gain in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq -- With arms outstretched, the congregation at National Evangelical Baptist Church belted out a praise hymn backed by drums, electric guitar and keyboard. In the corner, slide images of Jesus filled a large screen. A simple white cross of wood adorned the stage, and worshippers sprinkled the pastor's Bible-based sermon with approving shouts of "Ameen!" [article link]
Judge Orders Convicted Sniper (John Allen Muhammad) to be Forcibly Fed {Full Article} A judge allowed corrections officials to forcibly feed convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad while he awaits trial in the county for six October 2002 killings. ... Doctors had concluded that Muhammad, 44, was at risk of serious injury or death if he continued his hunger strike, corrections officials said. Judge James L. Ryan issued an order allowing officials at the county jail to forcibly feed and hydrate him. ... Muhammad has already been sentenced to die following a 2003 conviction for a sniper shooting in Manassas, Va. Malvo was sentenced to life in prison for a shooting in Falls Church, Va. [article link]
Judge Orders Convicted Sniper (John Allen Muhammad) to be Forcibly Fed Rockville, Md. -- A judge allowed corrections officials to forcibly feed convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad while he awaits trial in the county for six October 2002 killings. Muhammad had not eaten anything since being transferred to the Montgomery County, Md., jail on Monday, corrections officials said in court documents filed Thursday. He was apparently upset with the food he was being served and the handling of his legal material.
Doctors had concluded that Muhammad, 44, was at risk of serious injury or death if he continued his hunger strike, corrections officials said. Judge James L. Ryan issued an order allowing officials at the county jail to forcibly feed and hydrate him. [article link]
The Parables of Jesus Christ Entry into God's Kingdom Prerequisite Attitudes to Enter God's Kingdom ... Placing Value on Eternal Things. [article link]
Excellent Full Bible Commentary (Mp3) A great and easy way to get introduced to and to become familiar with Bible Teachings in the King James Version. This is probably the best Audio Bible Study on the internet, giving complete, accurate, friendly and easy to understand Bible messages. [article link]
WEEKLY UPDATES FROM Cutting Edge Ministries, cuttingedge.org Sinister Forces In Early America: A Shocking Alternative To The Conventional View of American History [article link]
America 9-11-2001 Tract At 8:45 Tuesday morning, September 11, the first of two commercial airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. [article link]
Judge Orders Convicted Sniper (John Allen Muhammad) to be Forcibly Fed {Full Article} A judge allowed corrections officials to forcibly feed convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad while he awaits trial in the county for six October 2002 killings. ... Doctors had concluded that Muhammad, 44, was at risk of serious injury or death if he continued his hunger strike, corrections officials said. Judge James L. Ryan issued an order allowing officials at the county jail to forcibly feed and hydrate him. ... Muhammad has already been sentenced to die following a 2003 conviction for a sniper shooting in Manassas, Va. Malvo was sentenced to life in prison for a shooting in Falls Church, Va. [article link]
Judge Orders Convicted Sniper (John Allen Muhammad) to be Forcibly Fed Rockville, Md. -- A judge allowed corrections officials to forcibly feed convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad while he awaits trial in the county for six October 2002 killings. Muhammad had not eaten anything since being transferred to the Montgomery County, Md., jail on Monday, corrections officials said in court documents filed Thursday. He was apparently upset with the food he was being served and the handling of his legal material. Doctors had concluded that Muhammad, 44, was at risk of serious injury or death if he continued his hunger strike, corrections officials said. Judge James L. Ryan issued an order allowing officials at the county jail to forcibly feed and hydrate him. [article link]
Shiites Make 'Final Offer' on Iraqi Constitution (Does not include Religious Freedom) [fox] The Shiites were awaiting a response from the Sunnis, al-Bayati said. He said the concessions were on the pivotal issues of federalism and efforts to remove former members of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated Baath Party (search) from public life, adding: "We cannot offer more than that." [article link]
'The Sweet Life' Former Avalon Singer Offers Her Testimony "I had a 10-year relationship that had gone really sour," says Christian singer Cherie Adams, formerly of the
group Avalon. "We were like high school sweethearts, and I went from seeing him every day to never seeing each other again." "I was physically sick. I thought about killing myself. Then one day my mother was bugging me to go to church and I said, 'I don't know why I'm going to bother because God doesn't love me anymore. He doesn't know me." But Adams went and says her life was forever altered by this single service. Today, Adams travels the country, singing songs, talking about her experiences as a platinum-selling artist in the music business and her life as a Christian, and giving support to other women who have been through similar hardships. [article link]
The BasicChristian.us Media Center is Currently Listing a Super-Mega NewsFeed Containing 100's of the Basic Christian NewsFeed Items The Last week of this month the Basic Christian News/Info Feed is going to list a Super-Mega list of 100's of items. Prepare to locate and Bookmark those old favorite RSS items that got away. Items including PDF & MP3 downloads, Movies, Devotions, Study Guides, Flash Presentations and much more. (The next Super-Mega list is scheduled for January 2006.) [article link]
Calvary Chapel Church Planting Mission Our mission is to evangelise the lost and disciple the saved. We do this by planting churches, and nuturing the churches we have begun. We plant churches by going into cities, holding outreaches, and starting Bible studies. We nuture the churches by returning to those cities for future outreaches and build up the believers through discipleship, conferences, and retreats. Outreaches consist of one-on-one evangelism and large group events such as concerts. Each outreach is different but the goal is always the same: to reach a lost and dying world with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. [article link]
Mission Global Outreach Mission Global Outreach (MGO) is dedicated to reaching peoples of all ages with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through friendship evangelism, discipleship, and training that enables them to authentically live and share the Gospel with their own family, friends, and community. [article link]
An Open Letter (from Russia) to Christians of the World Realize that Russia is in agony trying to find its own way. Western patterns cannot be directly implemented in Russia without proper adaptation. The existing traditional church, the Protestant one in particular, is not meeting the needs of today. We really need the rich spiritual experience of Western churches, but we need the best part of it adapted to the specific conditions of Russia-everything that applies to us. [article link]
The Prospects for Religious Liberty in Russia--And How Western Missions Can Enhance Them Study the history of Russia, which will of necessity include the history of the Orthodox Church. Study Russian literature and art. On the one hand, Dostoevsky and icons, for example, open great windows for understanding the Russian people and their culture. On the other hand, not being conversant on such subjects as Dostoevsky and icons will be taken as an insult, or at best, as a legitimate sign of Western ignorance. [article link]
Russian History A Russian History [article link]
Key Challenges Before the Post-Soviet Church: A Synopsis The overcoming of an inferiority complex among Evangelicals. Their severe repression and denial of education and professional openings under Communism have left them marginalized and often ineffective in society. Many leaders are reluctant to adapt in the face of cultural and generational change. As a result, many congregations appear irrelevant and unable to address twenty-first-century needs. Evangelicals could have a vital role in restoring moral, ethical, and spiritual standards in a society that has lost its way. [article link]
Internet Evangelism Day 24 April 2005 A focus day for churches, Bible Colleges and other groups. [article link]
The Order of St. Benedict Has Said This Pope (last Pope) Will Come From Their Order 9. The Glory of the Olive. The Order of St. Benedict has said this Pope will come from their order. It is interesting that Jesus gave his apocalyptic prophecy about the end of time from the Mount of Olives. This Pope will reign during the beginning of the tribulation Jesus spoke of. The 111th prophesy is "Gloria Olivae" (The Glory of the Olive). The Order of Saint Benedict has claimed that this pope will come from their ranks. Saint Benedict himself prophesied that before the end of the world his Order, known also as the Olivetans, will triumphantly lead the Catholic Church in its fight against evil. [article link]
Surveys: Young Adults Search Spiritually One of the surveys, of more than 100,000 freshmen who started college last fall, found four in five reporting an interest in spirituality, with three in four searching for meaning or purpose in life, and the same proportion discussing the meaning of life with friends. [article link]
More Last Pope Prophecies by BibleProbe.com Pope Pius IX (1878) "Since the whole world is against God and His Church, it is evident that He has reserved the victory over His enemies to Himself. This will be more obvious when it is considered that the root of all our present evils is to be found in the fact that those with talents and vigor crave earthly pleasures, and not only desert God but repudiate Him altogether. Thus it appears they cannot be brought back in any other way except through an act that cannot be ascribed to any secondary agency, and thus all will be forced to look to the supernatural... There will come a great wonder, which will fill the world with astonishment. This wonder will be preceded by the triumph of revolution. The church will suffer exceedingly. Her servants and her chieftain will be mocked, scourged, and martyred." [article link]
Background History and Discussion of (St. Malachy 1094-1148) his Catholic Prophecies Regarding the Popes The prophecies are consistently accurate, as shown from the following examples published in "The Prophecies of St. Malachy." [article link]
(Catholic) Prophecy on Pope Fulfilled by Eclipses? Pope John Paul II will be buried this Friday during another solar eclipse. Almost ten centuries ago (St. Malachy 1094-1148), Malachy predicted this pope would be noted by an eclipse of the sun. In an eerie coincidence, John Paul II was the only known pope to be born on the day of a solar eclipse. [article link]
Pope John Paul II Versus Russia and the West for Control of the New World Order Malachi Martin, a former Jesuit and professor at the Vatican's Pontifical Biblical Institute, writes about the
Catholic Church and the present pope. Malachi Martin is a consummate insider in the Vatican and one of its intelligence experts. [article link]
Malachy's Prophecies - The Last 10 Popes (St. Malachy 1094-1148) 9. [Next Pope] The Glory of the Olive. The Order of St. Benedict has said this Pope will come from their order. It is interesting that Jesus gave his apocalyptic prophecy about the end of time from the Mount of Olives. This Pope will reign during the beginning of the tribulation Jesus spoke of. The 111th prophesy is "Gloria Olivae" (The Glory of the Olive). The Order of Saint Benedict has claimed that this pope will come from their ranks. Saint Benedict himself prophesied that before the end of the world his Order, known also as the Olivetans, will triumphantly lead the Catholic Church in its fight against evil. [article link]
Spiritual Wickedness in High Places Malachi Martin on The End of Religion (As We Know It) Ever since Nimrod and the Tower of Babel, the Power Elite have never given up on their feverish dream of a One World Government. The new ecumenicalism is clothed in Globalist garb. The agenda includes promoting issues like population control, environmentalism and secular humanism, which the plotters hope will eventually lead to the complete secularization of religion. [article link]
Fr. Malachi Martin A Dark Vision A Dark Vision: Just how bad did Martin judge things to be? Extremely so: [article link]
Pope John Paul II - Rest in Peace Pope John Paul II transcended national and religious boundaries by calling all people to a life of faith and hope. He will forever be remembered by the first words of his pontificate "Be Not Afraid!" [article link]
Nearing Midnight - The End of the World Whenever a major disaster occurs somewhere in the world, the question is often raised: "Is this part of the endtime birth pangs?" Jesus said the indication of His return would be calamities occurring like the contractions a woman experiences during childbirth. In both cases, the greater the number, the closer we are to the point of the delivery. [article link]
Pressing On Part 1: A Musical Look at the Life and Mission of the Apostle Paul May 1, 2005 [PAX TV 7:30 am Sundays] Join host Larnelle Harris for a musical look at the life and mission of the apostle Paul. Next to Jesus, Paul is arguably the most influential and controversial figure in the Bible. He authored nearly one half of what we know as the New Testament, and it was through him that the Christian faith spread beyond the walls of Jerusalem. Larnelle is joined by musical artists Travis Cottrell, Corey Emerson, Michael O'Brien, and the group First Call. Join us this week on Day of Discovery for part one of "Pressing On." [article link]
Jean-Marie Lustiger: Second Jewish Pope? This is one in a series of articles on the men most likely to follow John Paul II as pope. [article link]
1996 Reuter News Regarding the Possible Next Pope - Hebrew Pope in Waiting Sept. 18, '96 Reuter news regarding the possible next Pope. We quote, "France's top Roman Catholic was born
a Jew. His mother was arrested by the Nazis and died in the Auschwitz extermination camp...Pope John Paul's visit to France will cast a spotlight on Jean-Marie Lustiger, 70 the cardinal-archbishop of Paris, named by some Vatican watchers as an outside contender to succeed the ailing pontiff. A personal friend of the Polish pope, the son of Polish refugees converted to Christianity while he was hidden in Catholic boarding schools during the 1940-44 German occupation." Perhaps this will turn out to only be idle speculation, or then again time may reveal a Hebrew pope .. " [article link]
Weather Wars Info Others are engaging even in an eco-type of terrorism whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes, volcanoes remotely through the use of electromagnetic waves. So there are plenty of ingenious minds out there that are at work finding ways in which they can wreak terror upon other nations.It's real, and that's the reason why we have to intensify our efforts, and that's why this is so important. [article link]
The Government can Control the Weather Lots of people know that Nicola Tesla patented weather influencing machinery before 1910, and explained how it could be used to control weather thousands of miles away. Not only can the technology be used to guide moisture laden air to drought stricken locations, but it can keep moisture away from droughts as well. [article link]
Every Eye Shall See the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Flash) [article link]
Stage Set for Showdown at Temple Mount (Jerusalem) Thousands of Jews expected for Temple Mount prayer rally, despite police ban on (non-Muslims) entering the compound; radical Islamic group mobilizes Arab masses to confront them. [article link]
Experience the Bible in DVD Experience the words and images of the world's greatest book in a whole new way! Synchronized graphics and text show every verse of the KJV. Play a single chapter or a single book. Wide screen and full frame technology display beautiful photographs of the Holy Land. Inspirational background music enhances your personal tour through the wonders of the Bible. [article link]
Worship Music Radio Presents the Online Album "Not Ashamed" by the Band Peculiar People We are excited to bring this online experience to you, allowing you to hear this complete album. But don't wait, this entire album will only be online at Worship Music Radio for a very limited time. [article link]
Atheist Activists Look to Future During Easter Convention More than 100 atheists from California to Connecticut gathered in Philadelphia over Easter weekend to discuss issues of interest to those who call themselves "Godless Americans" and plan activities to advance their cause. [article link]
The Crucifixion of Jesus [Part 1] (flash) Take Time to Consider . . . [article link]
Easter Resurrection [Part 2] (flash) [article link]
The Kristo: Excellent! (Flash) English and Spanish versions of this excellent flash animation presentation. [article link]
Who is Jesus Christ and Why is He so Special? (Flash) [article link]
St. John In Exile (DVD) Dean Jones is Saint John in this intimate, inspiring one-man presentation of John in exile on Patmos. Full of humor, strong in spirit, and resolutely committed to Christ, John shares his account of the events that changed the course of human history---and challenges us with his last words before his death: "Little children, love one another." 90 minutes. [article link]
Is Intelligent Design (Science) Getting an Intelligent Hearing? In a New York Times editorial Design for Living, published Feb. 7, Dr. Michael Behe, recognized as one of the most authoritative spokesmen for the Intelligent Design (ID) movement wrote, "The strong appearance of design [in nature] allows a disarmingly simple argument: if it looks, walks and quacks like a duck, then, absent compelling evidence to the contrary, we have warrant to conclude it's a duck. Design should not be overlooked simply because it's so obvious." [article link]
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation Welcome to the on-line home of the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation. [article link]
Does a Quid Pro Quo Deal Exist in the Schiavo Case? In the case of (Judge) Greer, not only did all of Michael Schiavo's lawyers contribute to his campaign, but allegations have surfaced that Greer may have solicited such contributions which gives even further cause for Gov. Bush to order an investigation of Greer and his 1998 and 2004 election campaigns. Rotunda said that judicial campaign contributions constitute or appear to constitute a tacit quid pro quo where the judge favors or tilts towards the contributor-litigant. [article link]
When God Doesn't Heal Why doesn't God cure everyone who prays fervently for healing? [article link]
Grim Reaper In A Black Robe Terri Schiavo has been sentenced to death -- a painful gruesome death. It is a death no human should have to endure, a death by starvation. Schiavo's not in North Korea, Syria or Iran; she's in Florida. Her crime -- she wound up in a persistent vegetative state and under the jurisdiction of Judge George Greer's court. [article link]
When Life Becomes an Inconvenience In October, 1939, Hitler ordered "mercy killing" of the sick and disabled, mainly children. The sentiment was to eliminate "life unworthy of life"--kids who would become an inconvenience if they lived. The deaths would
soon include adults who were also inferior, feeble, or just too much trouble. The Nazis made decisions without diagnoses or medical records. They were a part of a barbaric system, and yet when the death camps were finally liberated, many felt that such atrocities were finally thrown on the ash heap of history. They don't understand human nature or the Bible: Only when Satan is cast into the pit will evil end. In the meantime people who stand for righteousness are doing all we can to check it. No, America isn't Nazi Germany! Yet what is happening here makes me very uncomfortable. [article link]
$1 Million Judgment Awarded To "Pledge" Challenger Michael Newdow Set Aside By Court This past June, Newdow convinced a judge in a California state court to enter a default judgment against Miles in the amount of $1 million, because Miles had failed to respond to the lawsuit, even though Miles had never been served with a copy of the complaint and was not aware of the lawsuit. [article link]
Annual Report on American Journalism We are witnessing the rise of a new and more active kind of American citizenship - with new responsibilities that are only beginning to be considered. In this new world, we continue to believe journalism is not becoming irrelevant. The need to know what is true is all the greater, but discerning and communicating it is more difficult. [article link]
(Atlanta) Hostage, Gunman Talked About Families, God After hours of talking about the killings, their families and God {the book "A Purpose Driven Life"}, Ashley Smith said Brian Nichols "just wanted some normalness to his life." [article link]
Why the Christian Church gathers for worship on Sunday Perhaps the First and Oldest custom of the Christian Church is to gather together on Sundays. What has distinguished and brought about Sunday Worship for all of these many years of Christianity? [article link]
Tragic Church Shooting in Wisconsin takes Place at a Saturday Cult and not a Sunday Evangelical Church and is wrongly reported by the Media. The Living Church of God is a new organization with an old history. Its leader, Dr. Roderick C. Meredith, was one of the original evangelists ordained by the late Herbert W. Armstrong in December 1952. [article link]
Herbert W. Armstrong - The Worldwide Church of God (Cult) The Worldwide Church of God (Cult) and The Deceitfulness of Herbert W Armstrong. [article link]
Is the FBI/CIA Infiltrated by Islamists? It's time to worry when the Federal Bureau of Investigation, America's national police agency, consistently cannot figure out who's friend and who's foe in the war on terror. The bureau's record of honoring the wrong American Muslims captures this problem. In February 2001, it promoted Gamal Abdel-Hafiz, a special agent who rejected a counterterror assignment on the grounds that "a Muslim does not record another Muslim." In September 2003, the FBI nearly bestowed its Exceptional Public Service Award on Imad Hamad of Detroit, saved from this embarrassment by columnist Debbie Schlussel, who exposed Hamad in the New York Post as someone who "supports terrorism and [who] was himself a suspected terrorist." ... [article link]
Weapons are Being Stockpiled in Mosques I doubt Iraq is the only place where weapons are being stored in mosques. Want to bet the same thing isn't being done in France, Belgium etc... Britain, the US, Australia... [article link]
is "Saddam's Capture a Fraud" Photo Comparisons Left-handed people are also left-eyed. Most left-handed people have the left eye dominant and most righthanded people have the right eye dominant. When left-handers concentrate on something, they tend to partially close the right eye. And in a natural position, their right eye seems slightly smaller than the left eye. The opposite is true for right-handers. Look at the picture of the bearded guy above and see in which hand he is holding his beard. Look at his eyes. If this guy is Saddam, what force on the earth has turned him left-hander all of a sudden! Saddam is right handed. [article link]
What is Fact and What is Fiction in Our Tale of Saddam Hussein? You can safely say that nowadays EVERYTHING is done with the programming of the public in mind that truth and objectivity has never been further removed than at present. [article link]
White House Blogger is Liberal Political Net Consultant Web log author Garrett M. Graff made Internet history when he became the first blogger to post from the White House briefing room this week. But, in a letter to the White House seeking temporary press credentials, the "non-partisan and independent" blogger did not divulge his current position with a politically "progressive" Internet consulting firm that has liberal politicians and activist groups as clients. Of the 16 team members listed on EchoDitto.com's site, Graff is one of 14 who previously worked on staff or volunteered with the Howard "Dean for America" 2004 presidential campaign. .. the overwhelming majority of the firm's clients are liberal organizations like Air America Radio, liberal political candidates and office holders such as Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), and liberal activist groups such as the Campaign for America's Future. [article link]
Dan Rather Agent of Disinformation Starting with the JFK Assination Dan Rather, at the time an unknown newscaster from a small market Texas TV station, viewed the Zapruder film, then described it to America on the CBS network. As this recording of that broadcast shows, Rather lied to all of America in claiming that the head shot pushed John F. Kennedy's head forward. Rather's meteoric rise to network status and stardom soon followed. [article link]
Another Look at the Intifada Fraud Story An IDF investigation and re-enactment appears to show conclusively that the 12-year-old boy from Gaza, Muhammad al-Dura, was not shot by Israeli soldiers - but was rather the victim of a cruel plot staged by Palestinian sharp-shooters and a Palestinian television cameraman. [article link]
The Most Damaging Story of the Intifada was a Fraud And yet, it was nothing but a hoax. For those readers who recognize the famous image reproduced here, it might be difficult to believe that the scene was actually staged. (see accompanying illustration -- WSJE Nov. 26, 2004) I will elaborate later how it has been proven that Israeli soldiers could not have killed the boy. Some might ask why it still matters. Haven't too many innocent people on both sides died since then, and is it not time to look ahead now? Well, it matters for exactly those same reasons. [article link]
Christianity and Mormonism (LDS) are Very Different Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
JUSTICE FOR TERRI SCHIAVO Temporary Stay in Schiavo Case Not Enough, Groups Say. [article link]
Bus #19, Terror a One Way Ticket Bus #19 was the 140th target of a homicide bombing in Jerusalem, bringing the total to 577 lives lost and 3,543 people injured through terrorism. Almost a year after a suicide bomber boarded a crowded bus in Jerusalem and detonated a bomb killing 11 people and injuring 50, including children and the bus driver, the wreckage has been visited by people all over the nation. Called a "moving tomb," Bus 19 has toured the nation for the past year reminding Americans of the threat Jews live with each day in their country. [article link]
Ynetnews: The real Israel in Real Time Ynetnews is the English-language website from Yedioth Group, and a sister site to Ynet, Israel's leading news web site. [article link]
Living Water (ebook - pdf) It's critical that we understand this. The Holy Spirit is the primary agent of the Godhead working in the world today. He is the person of the Godhead to whom we relate most closely. He is the One who is gathering a body of believers - the bride of Christ - to present unto the Lord. And the church through the Holy Spirit is doing the work of God in the world. [article link]
Olive Tree Ministries: News Breaking news and current event headlines. [article link]
Olive Tree Ministries: Articles Jan has been a free-lance writer since 1975 and has written more than 300 articles for publication in many periodicals across the country. Here is just a small sample. [article link]
Seven Lamps Of Fire (Online Book) And there were Seven Lamps of Fire burning before the throne, which are the Seven Spirits of God. Rev 4:5 [article link]
A Friendly Talk with Seekers Concerning Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by C. H. SPURGEON "Enter ye in at the strait gate."-Matthew 7:13. MILLIONS OF MEN are in the outlying regions, far off from God and peace; for these we pray, and to these we give warning. But just now we have to do with a smaller company, who are not far from the kingdom, but have come right up to the wicket gate which stands at the head of the way of life. One would think that they would hasten to enter, for a free and open invitation is placed over the entrance, the porter waits to welcome them, and there is but this one way to eternal life. [article link]
Studying and Understanding the Four Gospels Studying the Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. How they relate to and correspond with each other. Of first Importance when reading and studying the Four Gospels is to recognize that each Gospel is written to a
Specific defined audience and group of people. [article link]
One Night with the King (Movie) An epic motion picture set in an imaginative world of adventure, intrigue and romance, One Night With the King follows a young girl who rises from peasant to princess by going against the culture and seeking the King's heart rather than the riches of the kingdom. So begins the story of Esther, One Night With the King, a story that reveals that all of life is under God's command. [article link]
Mp3 Bible studies - aprox. 45 minutes in length This web ministry is dedicated to seeing the Word of God studied, taught and distributed worldwide. Pastor Steve Wright offers these free Bible studies on-line so that the world may learn and understand the Word of God. [article link]
FathersLove.net Downloadable (MS Word) Books Welcome to Fatherslove.net. Father's Love is a South African based internet ministry, dedicated to serving the body of Christ with the word of the Father's love. [article link]
400 Christians Spared from the Tsunami (MS Word) A testimony that 400 Christians were spared the tsunami disaster because Muslim officials forced them to celebrate Christmas outside of Mueleboh, Province of Aceh, Indonesia. They went to a high place outside of the city and stayed overnight. It was one of the worst-hit areas of the December 26 tsunami. [article link]
The Kristo: Excellent! (Flash) English and Spanish versions of this excellent flash animation presentation. [article link]
Ayers Seniors & Family Outraech Ministry Our mission is: To provide the best services that we can offer without charge. To operate a non-profit outreach ministry which will proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties and to the very end of the earth! To encourage Christians in living their faith in accordance with God's word by example, teaching, and exhortation. To provide support and help for all at risk persons regardless of race, creed, culture or color. [article link]
Resurrection: By - Max Lucado (DVD) It should have been routine - standing guard at the tomb of a crucified man. But what Roman soldier Claudius sees pierces his soul. Was it his imagination, or did the Galilean really rise from the dead? His relentless quest for answers threatens his reputation - and his life. A powerful dramatization of Lucado's inspiring short story! 50 minutes. [article link]
Tapestry Against Polygamy, National Organization For Women, Utah Chapter Bigamy (big·a·my) n. 1. The criminal offense of marrying one person while still legally married to another. [article link]
St. John In Exile (DVD) Dean Jones is Saint John in this intimate, inspiring one-man presentation of John in exile on Patmos. Full of
humor, strong in spirit, and resolutely committed to Christ, John shares his account of the events that changed the course of human history---and challenges us with his last words before his death: "Little children, love one another." 90 minutes. [article link]
The Exodus Revealed (DVD) This DVD follows the footsteps of the children of Israel in an unforgettable journey of discovery. A journey that reveals physical evidence for the Exodus including: the remains of 3800 year old Hebrew settlements in Egypt's Nile Delta, Egyption records of the Israelite's bondage under Pharaoh; the precise route they may have followed to freedom; their crossing site on shore of the Red Sea; and the location of Mt. Sinai. This DVD brings to light the first significant archaeological "find" of the 21st century. [article link]
Defend the Defenders (Military) DefendtheDefenders.org raises money and awareness for the defense of Soldiers and Marines whose actions in the heat of combat are being second-guessed. [article link]
Opportunity Knocking: Defeat Law Of The Sea Treaty When Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) asked Condoleezza Rice during her confirmation hearings about the Law of the Sea Treaty, she replied that President Bush "certainly would like to see it passed as soon as possible." Assuming she was authorized to deliver that shocking news, George W. Bush can no longer claim the mantle of the Ronald Reagan legacy. [article link]
(Polygamy) Another alternate lifestyle? By now you've all heard or read about the man in Utah convicted of bigamy. Tom Green has five wives and 29 children. He faces 25 years in prison with sentencing scheduled next month. [article link]
Live Prayer Network - Prayer RSS Feed Real time prayers delivered right into your desktop via RSS. The live prayer network is the largest live prayer system on the net and we have multiple free items you can add to your website. Come see all that we have to offer, it is worth the visit to www.tlpn.org [article link]
SONday Weekly Ezine This is a weekly Christian ezine that contains Christian cartoons, jokes, links, Bible verses, inspirational stories, animated gifs, banners, photographs, news stories, and more. It is normally posted on Saturday evening or night. [article link]
Evangelical Free Church of Santa Maria CA -(Audio Downloads) We're glad you stopped by our web site, and hope that the pages within will be a valuable resource to you and your family as you grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. [article link]
Damah: Some of our Best Films for your Online Viewing Pleasure Damah encourages an emerging generation of filmmakers from diverse perspectives to voice the spiritual aspect of the human experience through film and provides a forum for these artists to develop, discuss and display their vision. [article link]
The 4th Annual Damah Spiritual Film Festival March 11-12, Los Angeles The 4th Annual Damah Film Festival will be held on March 11-12, 2005 in Los Angeles, CA. Click here to see the list of nominated films and filmmakers. Click here to order tickets online. [article link]
Weighing the Evidence: An Atheist Abandons Atheism But he's now been forced to face the evidence. It comes from the Intelligent Design movement, led by Dr. Phillip Johnson and particularly the work of Michael Behe, the Lehigh biochemist who has proven the "irreducible complexity" of the human cell structure. Though eighty-one years old, Flew has not let his thinking fossilize, but has faithfully followed his own dictum to "go where the evidence leads." [article link]
Download (PDF) Essays: Share these Materials with other Christians to Educate the Church About Freemasonry. Freemasonry has a false plan of salvation and another savior. The god of Freemasonry is not the God of the Bible. How do we know these things to be true? We have numerous Masonic documents which prove it and the testimony of men who have left the Lodge to follow Jesus. [article link]
Coalition of Campus Crusade for Christ Ministries which Focus on Evangelism There are over 25 web sites currently sponsored by members of Global Media Outreach. Our sites use a variety of different approaches to reach different groups of people. [article link]
THE FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS 1. God LOVES you and offers a wonderful PLAN for your life. [article link]
Global Media Outreach To give every man, woman, and child on earth multiple chances to hear the Gospel by leveraging leading edge communication technologies to win them to Jesus Christ, build them in faith and connect them to the local church. [article link]
President Bush delivers 2003 State of the Union speech President Bush uses the State of Union speech to promise action against AIDS, abortion, cloning and family breakdown. [article link]
Rolling Stone WILL Print Zondervan Bible Ad Rolling Stone magazine has reversed its decision to reject an ad for Zondervan's new Bible translation. The advertisement will run unchanged this month. [article link]
Rolling Stone Refuses to Print Bible Advertisement USA Today is reporting that Rolling Stone Magazine has refused to accept an ad for a hip new translation of the Bible aimed at young people. [article link]
Free Christian Content.org The website for Christian webmasters. 100's of pages of free Christian content and web tools for use on your site. [article link]
Thoughts on the World: Reflection on 9/11/2001 Audio [5:49] British writer and television host Adrian Plass offers some thoughts on our world after September 11, 2001. [article link]
God's - Father's Love Letter Bible Verses [Audio Dramatization] The words you are about to experience are true. They will change your life if you let them. For they come from the very heart of God He loves you, and He is the Father you have been looking for all your life ... This is His love letter to you. [article link]
Searchlight with Pastor Jon Courson: Complete Bible is Studied (MP3) A great source of New Believer, Introductory and Advanced Christian teachings. Listen online to any of the more than 1,500 teachings from Pastor Jon's complete Thru-The-Bible series from Genesis to Revelation [article link]
Individual Life stories, how and why people became Christians(Testimony) Real life stories and Testimonials from people describing how and why they became a Christian. [article link]
Ministries News Wired (Articles) Article archives. [article link]
To The Source (Articles) Article archives. [article link]
Calvary Chapel - West Oahu Hawaii: Audio Archives Calvary Chapel West Oahu has been formed as a fellowship of believers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is to know Christ and to be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not a denominational church, nor are we opposed to denominations as such, only to their over-emphasis of the doctrinal differences that have led to the division of the Body of Christ. [article link]
The National Silent No More Awareness Campaign The Silent No More campaign gives a voice to women who have too long been ignored. Pro-life and prochoice can agree: abortion is a tragedy, and women deserve better choices. [article link]
Pro-Life Information and Resources The pro-life movement is the movement acknowledging that all human life is created in the image of God and is sacred to God. [article link]
McCorvey to High Court: Overturn Roe vs Wade The woman whose case became the basis for the controversial 1973 Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion is petitioning the court to have the ruling overturned. Norma McCorvvey, known as Jane Roe in court filings, told the Fox News Channel's "Hannity and Colmes" on Monday, "We're going to be fling a Motion 60 brief tomorrow with the Supreme Court and ask and plead and beg them to please overturn Roe vs. Wade." [article link]
Virtual Christian Magazine Hope and encouragement for the real world. [article link]
Consider Donating these DVDs to your Church Video Rental Section Included on the 5 DVD set are some of our favorite dramatic presentations, documentaries, creationist, and political submissions to the festival, including our 2004 Jubilee Award winners. [article link]
Weighing Christian Diets The theology behind weight loss programs is worth examining because ultimately the real purpose of many Christian weight-loss programs is not losing pounds but gaining intimacy with God. It is that possibility that draws many Christians in the first place. It is not that they spurn the secular plans. Nancy Dilts, for example, spent a decade on Weight Watchers but gained the pounds back because she felt she wasn't motivated. For many of the faithful, faith-centred weight loss offers more than weekly weigh-ins, prepared meals and pep talks. Some say it has made them better Christians by focusing on their God-given bodies and the food He has created. [article link]
Networking & Your Job Search Networking is also consistently cited as the Number 1 way to get a new job. You know how everyone says that "80% of the jobs available never get advertised? Well, folks, this is how you find them and get them! [article link]
U.S. knew Mosul attack [was] suicide Contradicts initial claims of rocket attack on mess hall The U.S. Army was immediately aware the explosion that killed 22 people in a military mess hall in northern Iraq last week likely was caused by a suicide bomber and not a rocket attack, and mortar attacks may have been planned to coincide with the arrival of casualties, the chief emergency room surgeon who treated the injuries told WorldNetDaily. [article link]
Pentagon: Rumsfeld misspoke on Flight 93 crash Rumsfeld referred to the "the people who attacked the United States in New York, shot down the plane over Pennsylvania." [article link]
The Incredible 9-11 Evidence We've All been Overlooking We have entered the Age of the Conjurer and it is going to be a tricky time. The 9-11 stunt was a huge magic trick and we all bought it at first. Magicians can be very convincing. You have to look very hard to see the trick and not be fooled. On this occasion slow motion exposes the sleight of hand, but remember how the magician works: he can make almost anything seem real if he can make his audience look in the wrong place at crucial moments. [article link]
Bible Verse of the Day But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 1 Corinthians 12:1820/NIV [article link]
Harvest Mission Community Church MP3s Who is Jesus of the Bible? Was he a radical revolutionary? Was he a tender-hearted pacifist? Is what we see in movies and t-shirts really Jesus? Or is he something more than that? This advent season, we want to discover the many portraits of Jesus. Come with us and experience a deeper intimacy with our Lord and Savior. [article link]
Decatur Presbyterian Church Mp3 Sermons Welcome to Decatur Presbyterian Church -- a congregation deeply committed to spiritual growth and service to one another and the community. Vibrant traditional worship and thought-provoking education programs nurture and support the Christian faith and empower our members to joyously serve others and glorify God. [article link]
Reflections on Today's Christian Music Welcome to Solid Sounds, featuring insights from God's Word on the lyrics of today's Christian music. [article link]
Free Christian Mp3s: MP3 Bible, Sermons, Praise - Worship Music A very good source of Free Christian Mp3s and Materials. Covering Various topics from Creation Science to the End Times. [article link]
Understand The Times: 5 Min. Audio Commentaries on Various Topics You can read the transcripts and listen to audio of the current radio broadcasts of Understand The Times International. [article link]
Free Christian Audio Books Our audio books have been edited for conversion from text to speech and we are sure you will be amazed at the quality of the narrations. These files are copyrighted and are for your private non-commercial enjoyment. We will be adding books weekly so come visit and download often. The downloads are available in windows media format and in m4b audiobook format for ITunes and the IPOD. The advantage of using the IPOD format is that it remembers where you stop in a file. The ITunes player software is available for free download here. [article link]
The Bible in the Popular Mp3 Audio Format (Audio) Welcome to the AudioTreasure site where you can download the Bible in the popular mp3 audio format for free and find links to Bible audio resources in many languages. [article link]
Christian Praise and Worship Songs in Mp3 (Audio) Christian Worship Songs in mp3. Free Download or lisen Online. [article link]
A very Interesting and Accurate Prophecy This prophecy was given in 1986 in a Prophetic Conference in Jerusalem, Israel. 153 prophets from 30 to 40 nations had gathered to wait upon and to hear from the Lord. The highlights of this prophecy to the entire body of Christ are as follows: [article link]
Practical How To Ministry Advice Practical ministry advice from inside the trenches. [article link]
(NIV) first published today in 1978 On this day, October 27, 1978 the complete New International Version (NIV) of the Bible was published by Zondervan of Grand Rapids Michigan. [article link]
(NIV) Owner HarperCollins also sells the Satanic Bible Does it seem odd to anyone with a brain and a love for Christ that world's largest Bible publisher is owned by the same company, HarperCollins, that publishes The Satanic Bible? Is it an understatement to say that this is a massive conflict of interests? Of course not for HarperCollins. It's great for the bottom-line. Play both sides. [article link]
74 Audio Messages Supporting KJV The Authorized Version Defended Audio Archive Page THE TEACHERS and their 74 MESSAGES {Scroll way down the Page}. [article link]
New International perVersion ye have PERVERTED the words of the living God. . ." Jeremiah 23:36 [article link]
First Family Church (Audio Files) We are a dynamic, growing community of faith, hope, and love, and exist to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank you for visiting our website and invite you to attend one of our services. [article link]
End Time Signs in Nature The Bible says that in the last days there would be signs in the sun, moon, stars, etc. as well as an increase in natural disasters. These signs would be like "birth pangs" to warn of the lateness of the hour, although they would manifest more profoundly during the Tribulation. We see their increase, however, in our day. They serve as a warning and in some cases as judgments from God before the Tribulation. [article link]
Know Him Christian Inspiration Sometimes the daily "grind" can squelch our spirit. This page is designed to be a weekly stopping point for you to receive some inspiration, May God speak to you through these words [article link]
Introduction To 100 Key Christian History Events Imagine for a moment that you are approached by someone largely unfamiliar with the Christian church who asks you what are the most important things that have happened in our history. Excluding any event recorded in the Bible, what would you say? What would you list in your top ten? [article link]
Vintage Sermons Mp3 Downloads Welcome to the ChristiansUnite Online Sermons. We are pleased to offer you these sermons in association with SermonIndex.net. Here you will find hundreds of vintage sermons from some of the greatest preachers and teachers as well as many contemporary greats. Most are in mp3 format, and are from 2-5 meg in size, although some may be much larger. All sermon downloads are free for personal and ministry use! [article link]
Christian Jobs More Than Just A Job Bank. We Provide You With Links To Tons Of Career Resources and Job Banks That Serve
The USA... For FREE. [article link]
THE ANSWER: WHAT IS THE GOSPEL? There is a wonderful book which contains everything we need to know to live our lives the way our Creator intended (II Timothy 3:16,17). There are countless truths to live by found in this book, God's message to mankind, but if we were to boil everything down to its most basic message, this book, the Bible, makes three things clear... [article link]
From Ordinary to Great [Small Group Ministry] So often, we think that in order to build community or reconnect with God we need to do things that require a great deal of equipment, preparation, and resources. We often feel like spiritual amateurs, and the idea of leading a small group or ministry, of taking others on a spiritual adventure, can seem daunting. But in today's featured article, "From Ordinary to Great," Lifetogether's Brett Eastman reminds us that God's in control of our communities, and the only piece of equipment we really need is an open heart. [article link]
G3 Stories Devotions Links Welcome to G3online.org! If you are wondering, G3 stands for Give God the Glory. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." -- 1 Corinthians 10:11. This is a place where you can be encouraged and be an encouragement to others as you share what God is doing in your life. By doing so, God will be glorified. Psalm 96:3 says, "Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples." (NIV) This is our mission. We are a Bible centered, non-denominational organization. [article link]
Christian Fellowship Devotionals - Free Daily Email Devotionals Would you come and share your morning break with us? If you don't get a break until late, that would be fine too. If you're curious, confused, hurting or looking for a moment of peace in your daily ritual, we have a solution for you. The free daily devotions from the Christian Fellowship Devotionals authors. They are available either by email or here at this site. The price is right, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Come on and give it a try. We'd be happy to share a few minutes with you each day. [article link]
The Hope: God's Promise for all People [Flash] God's redemptive story from beginning to end for every tongue, tribe and nation. 12 chapters plus a conclusion also available on DVD and VHS. [article link]
Hope: A Better Day is Coming (Modern View - New Zealand) Hope means that our future as believers does not have to develop from what is presently possible, but from what is possible for God. Christian hope is essentially creative; it believes and expects new things. We believe in a God who says "Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5), a God "with whom all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26), a God who "gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist" (Romans 4:17). Hope is optimistic in the best sense. It opens us to genuinely new realities and experiences, revealing new possibilities for us who believe, delivering us from despair, and freeing us for loving service and hope-filled mission in society. [article link]
Calvary Christian Church Mp3's This week's Featured Church: Welcome to the Calvary Christian Church. We are a non denominational Bible
Church located in Bellevue, Nebraska [article link]
Foundation for American Christian Education Transforming the Mind and Heart of a Nation Your Premier Source for Christian Educational and Homeschool Resources. The Foundation for American Christian Education publishes classical education curriculum and resources based on the Principle Approach for Christian schools, home school parents, and Christians in general. [article link]
Greater Europe Mission Impacting Europe by serving, prayer and supporting. Recently, the director of a Finnish Bible institute and the pastor of a key city church in Stockholm pleaded with me for more GEM missionaries. They requested as many as we could send, and they want them now. Leaders in Europe are asking for our help and God is opening the doors for us in exciting new ways. Jesus said, "The harvest is so great but the workers are so few -ask Him (the Lord) to send more workers". [article link]
Faking Church Do we really want to serve God - or is it more rewarding to just look the part? Ned sits down next to his wife, Tanya, in the church his family has called home for many years. He smiles, waves, jokes, and engages in friendly banter with everyone around him. He is a fixture in the church, having been involved in leadership for many years. Ned is well known, well liked, and deeply admired for his spiritual life. Frank, one of the men he has discipled, waves to him from across the church. Ned smiles and waves back. He remembers sharing with Frank how to live the Christian life. Suddenly he feels a pang of guilt. [article link]
Hollywood Presbyterian Church: Sermons Mp3 We're delighted that you have found your way to our website and we hope you will find that Hollywood Presbyterian Church is a place where you can discover, grow, nurture, live and share faith. This site is intended to help you navigate the ministries of our church and give you a glimpse of what God is doing in our midst. Whether you are already a believer in Jesus Christ or are just beginning to explore the difficult questions of faith, we want to partner with you on your journey. [article link]
The World's #1 Christian Broadcaster --TBN---Shifts to Digital and "Multicasts" its Channels Simultaneously to Viewers December 15 (Los Angeles)-----In 1996, the Federal Communications Commission declared a new era in television-the mandatory shift from analog to digital television. In line with the FCC's declaration, the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the world's most watched faith network, is taking steps to ensure that all TBN viewers partake in the full benefits of this television revolution. "Multicasting means that viewers will have access to all four of our channels, not just one," says Crouch. "They will see TBN, JC-TV, Church Channel and TBN Enlace and soon other channels such as "Smile of a Child" for younger viewers and a Christian channel in Arabic, which is currently in devolvement." [article link]
Preliminary Report: The Incidence Rate of Odometer Fraud April 2002 (Higher Fraud Now Especially at Car Lots) That is a 3.47 percent chance that a vehicle would have its odometer rolled back at any point during the first 11 years of its life. There are approximately 452,000 cases of odometer fraud per year in the United States. This study also estimates the difference between the inflated prices that consumers actually paid for the rolled-back vehicles and the prices they would have been willing to pay if they had known the true mileage. Those costs average $2,336 per case of odometer fraud. Given 452,000 cases per year in the United States, that amounts to
$1,056 million per year. [article link]
Savings Strategies: Buy a used Car and {pay cash} On average, American families spend more than $7,000 a year on motor vehicle costs. A significant number of families spend well into five digits each year. To help families cut those costs, America Saves has developed a new brochure, "America Saves on Car Purchases." The brochure addresses the four key issues related to car purchases "whether to buy, what to buy, how to buy, and how to finance." [article link]
Family Survival Overcoming Consumerism Two Families Compared (Liberal Agenda but Interesting) Two families, compared-each having the same income and basic housing situation in the same community can be used to illustrate the negative effects of consumerism and the healthy effects of actively avoiding it. This is not a study of good and evil, merely of behavior and its consequences. One family (The Ables) makes careful decisions about their economic and social activities and thus are working for their own self preservation. Even while spending little and saving much they can live well and enjoy their surroundings while they strengthen their community and thus the nation. The other family (The Binges) blindly goes on its way leaving a trail of social and spriritual destruction in its wake. They consume and spend and go deeper into debt. Things just happen to them, life seems out of control, because, for them, it is. [article link]
Family Tree Maker Version 9.0 Genealogy Software Is Spyware-Fiction! (FACT) Summary of eRumor: A warning that the best-selling genealogy software Family Tree Maker, Version 9, has tracking software included that spies on your Internet activity, then sends that information to FTM's parent company, Mattel. The Truth: It's a little complicated, but according to the folks at Family Tree Maker, there is no spying going on. "Aqueduct" (worm) was to have been removed in the released version, but was accidentally included. [article link]
GenoPro Genealogy Tree Software (Try it Free) GenoPro is a software to draw family trees. Among all the family tree software, GenoPro is the simplest to learn and easiest to use. If you are a beginner to genealogy, you can learn to use GenoPro in a few minutes without the need to take a look at the online help. [article link]
Hear The Word: Links to Thousands of Baptist Sermons and Bible Studies (Mp3 & Wma) Code "MP3", Code "WM", Code "D" - messages that can be downloaded. [article link]
First Baptist Sweetwater FL. Current Sermon Series (Click an Audio Icon to Listen) Welcome to the First Baptist Sweetwater Web Site! We are so glad you stopped by! It is our joy to tell you about our church and we invite you to take a look around and see the amazing things that are going on! We have something for everyone and are excited about the events that are coming up this summer. Take a look below to get just a taste of what's available for you and your family to get involved in! [article link]
The Jerusalem Post Digital Edition JPost.com FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER: Get The Jerusalem Post digitally on your computer or laptop before the paper even hits the streets in Israel, six days a week, at home, the office, anywhere. The Jerusalem Post ePaper looks just like The Post because it is The Post - with interactive and searchable articles from all your favorite sections, plus
photos, columnists, comics and ads. CLICK HERE for a free trial. [article link]
REPORT SAYING BABIES DON'T FEEL ABORTION PAIN EARLY - COMES UNDER FIRE Berkeley, CA (LifeNews.com) -- A new report from researchers at the University of California says unborn children do not likely feel the pain of abortions during the earlier parts of a woman's pregnancy. The findings are coming under fire from doctors who specialize in fetal development and they say it's off the mark. ... Dr. Anand said other medical studies conclude that unborn babies are "very likely" to be "extremely sensitive to pain during the gestation of 20 to 30 weeks." "This is based on multiple lines of evidence," Dr. Anand said. "Not just the lack of descending inhibitory fibers, but also the number of receptors in the skin, the level of expression of various chemicals, neurotransmitters, receptors, and things like that." Anand explained that laterterm abortion procedures, such as a partial-birth abortion "would be likely to cause severe pain." [article link]
Oasis Ministries: Touching Hearts and Changing Lives (Mp3 & Wmv Audio files) Oasis Ministries Mission is to reach out to the unsaved by spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our community through the local body in Athens, Tennessee and globally through our Oasis Ministries Broadcast that is reaching the world through the media of Television and through this website. We pray that this site will be a blessing to you as you grow in Christ and in the power of his might. [article link]
No Vote Yet on Iraq Constitution (Fox) Negotiators finished the draft on Monday and took it to parliament as the lawmakers convened minutes before midnight. But they decided to put off a vote and spend three more days smoothing out some unresolved points because of fierce resistance from Sunnis over issues including federalism - which Sunnis fear could cut them out of most of the country's vast oil wealth. [article link]
Freedom of Religion? In Iraq (FRC) The deadline for an Iraqi constitution came and went on Monday. ... The country has been governed by the Iraqi Transitional Administration Law (TAL) since March 4, 2004. ... The TAL currently protects religious freedom for every Iraqi citizen. However, early drafts of the Iraqi Constitution seriously undermined religious freedom by containing a provision making Islam the "sole source" of Iraqi law, as opposed to "a source" of law under the TAL, there is also a provision that declares unconstitutional any law "repugnant" to Islam. I have sent a letter to President Bush encouraging the Administration to redouble its efforts to ensure that the Iraq Constitution provides genuine religious freedom for all Iraqi citizens. An Iraqi Constitution that does not protect religious liberty will seriously undermine U.S. efforts in Iraq and the larger Middle East. The sons and daughters of Americans are not risking their lives to establish a theocratic government that denies its citizens the fundamental right of religious freedom. [article link]
Evangelicals Gain in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq -- With arms outstretched, the congregation at National Evangelical Baptist Church belted out a praise hymn backed by drums, electric guitar and keyboard. In the corner, slide images of Jesus filled a large screen. A simple white cross of wood adorned the stage, and worshippers sprinkled the pastor's Bible-based sermon with approving shouts of "Ameen!" [article link]
85% of U.S. Say They're Christians - However But not all of those polled define spirituality in terms of a traditional religion. While the majority (55%) report that they are religious and spiritual, a significant number (24%) consider themselves spiritual, but not religious.
... "Rather than being about a god who commands you, it's about finding a religion that empowers you." [article link]
Holy Ghost Revival Sermons Online: 12 minute preview (click the Play button to begin) You are hearing a 12 minute preview of the sermon "Conviction and the Altar" The full 1 hour sermon link is listed below! [article link]
Jesus said, "As in the Days of Noah" Violence Filled the Earth Jesus spoke far ahead of his time relating to us what life would be like just prior to his coming. He says in Matt. 24:37-38: "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." [article link]
AS IT WAS IN NOAH'S DAY The Lord Jesus Christ informs us that before He returns certain conditions will exist in society in general. These conditions are a sign to believers that His Second Coming is near. There has always been corruption in society, but the idea here is of such decadence and depravity reaching the point of no return. The Lord makes use of two Old Testament characters to illustrate the characteristics and conditions that will exist at all levels of humanity prior to His Second Coming. As it was in the days of Noah and as it was in the days of Lot. [article link]
First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton: Sermon Mp3 Archives Summer Series: BEYOND BELIEF: Life Lessons from the Miraculous. [article link]
Home Page of Dr. Richard Sternberg ex-Research Associate of the Smithsonian Institution The controversy surrounding the publication of the paper "The Origin of Biological Information and the Higher Taxonomic Categories" by Dr. Stephen C. Meyer in the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington continues. I was the managing editor of the Proceedings at the time of publication of the paper and I handled the review and editing process. The material on this website will clarify and resolve many of the disputes about the paper and ensuing controversy, including my post-publication treatment at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. [article link]
Federal Investigation Confirms Retaliation against (Dr. Richard Sternberg) for Intelligent Design Article he Allowed to be Printed in the "Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington" An investigation by the federal Office of Special Counsel has confirmed that Mr. Sternberg was subjected to "retaliation . . . in many forms," including the spread of lies about him both within and outside the Smithsonian. In fact, Sternberg says that he was virtually driven out of the building, because "they could not guarantee me that they could keep order." To allow free debate over this controversy would appear to be both more tolerant and more scientific. [article link]
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington: Stephen C. Meyer Article - Only Article without an [Abstract] to View The origin of biological information and the higher taxonomic categories (by) Stephen C. Meyera ... ABSTRACT - No abstract available. [article link]
Grand Canyon, a Different View (Creation Book - National Park Controversy) Grand Canyon, a different view is a creationist's view of the Grand Canyon with breathtaking river-level pictures
and essays from 23 of the world's leading creationists. [article link]
LifeLight Fest: The Nation's Largest Free Outdoor Music Festival Sept. 1-4 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota LifeLight 2005 The 8th annual LifeLight Festival is set for September 1-4, 2005 in Sioux Falls South Dakota. We're gearing up for an incredible event with over a hundred artists and awe-inspiring speakers. [article link]
A Prayer For Israel Psalm 83 [Flash] A Christian flash show based on Psalm 83, as intercession for Israel. [article link]
Withdrawal Pains in Israel: Where is the Outrage? Delusion has never run so rampant. In spite of months of prayer and protest by Jews and Christians, more than 1,700 Israeli families are going to be forced off of 300 square miles of their God-given land (Gen. 17:8). So "judenrein" (free of Jews) does it have to be that even buried Jewish bodies will be exhumed from this area and buried elsewhere in Israel. This is grievous for biblical reasons, but it also flies against the Bush policy on terror, and actually is but a giant reward for the terrorists. As the final hours tick away, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and other terror factions even with the PA/PLO have promised to continue to terrorize Israelis even after the pull-out. And all of this thanks to the U.S., Great Britain, the U.N., the E.U., and Russia. [article link]
Are You a Good Person? a Look into the Moral Mirror of God's Law (flash) Almost everyone thinks they are a good person... But the question you should be asking is, "Am I good enough to go to heaven?" How would you know? The way to find out is to ask yourself if you have obeyed the Ten Commandments. [article link]
'Embryonic-Like' Cell Discovery Could Affect Ethics Debate (CNSNews.com) -- A reported breakthrough in stem cell research may lend new weight to the campaign against the use of human embryos in research, one of the most pressing ethical controversies facing governments in the U.S. and elsewhere. American and British researchers say that they have found, in umbilical cord blood, a new type of cell -- neither embryonic nor "adult" -- which is more versatile than the latter while avoiding the ethical dilemmas surrounding the former. {This is not a new discovery and Pro-Life groups have all along said to use these better cells from the umbilical cord blood or else use adult cells in both cases they are better cells for patients and in both cases there is no harm to any baby. It is disturbing to see that with all this evidence scientist still insist on harvesting stem cells from babies.} [article link]
Do No Harm: Stem Cell Basics Juvenile Diabetes Patients Need Real Hope, Not Hype and False Promises. Embryonic stem cells are not the Path to cures. Rather, it is adult stem Cells that give real hope [article link]
For Convenient FREE Christian PDF & MP3 Downloads BasicChristian.info (Updated & Improved) A Christian Information Center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. [article link]
Israel Gaza Pullout - Awash in Prayers and Tears The miracle never came. Israelis across the nation gazed and gaped at heartrending scenes from Gaza that played out on their television screens from early Wednesday, the first day of the "forced evacuation" of Jews
from the homes many had lived in for more than half a lifetime. There were many images, and there will be many more of them before this is over. While isolated incidents of individual resistance were reported, the vast majority of Gaza's Jews left in pain, but with great dignity. [article link]
The Fish 95.9 FM Streaming Christian Radio (Listen Live) Welcome to 95.9 The Fish! Why are we here? To get right to the point, it's all because of you. You felt the void since the last full-time Christian music station left the airwaves. You went through the five steps of grief: And we're here for you. The new Fish 95.9 is dedicated to giving you what you want. The artists you want to hear. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. Seriously. This is not a dream. You are very much awake, alert, and tuned to the newest radio station on the planet. The new 95.9 The Fish! [article link]
KSLT 107.3 FM Streaming Christian Radio (Listen Live) The Vision of Bethesda Christian Broadcasting - We sincerely expect Jesus to take an active part in the leadership of Bethesda Christian Broadcasting. Not lip service, but honestly believing that everything that is done, is done under His Lordship, with His direction and His covering. [article link]
The Way of the Master Presents: STEPS for Confirming and Sharing Your Faith Our primary aim is to teach you how to share your faith effectively. Just follow the steps below, in the order that they're presented, and you're off to the right start. [article link]
Church Web Evangelism - An Opportunity Lost? by Gary A. Snow: I have visited many church websites, however, most of them fail to use it effectively. Being married to a web designer I've picked up on some of the nuances of good website design and effective web ministry. As I scan the various church web sites, they are all the same. No, they may not look exactly alike and the pictures sure are different, but the message is the same - "This is our billboard, in case you want to come here. ... " What I'm getting at is, "What a waste of an opportunity to spread the good news of God's great love and forgiveness." The Apostle Paul would have used every method available to him - as he in fact did - to spread the Word of God and the good news of redemption through Jesus Christ His son. I think Paul would have screamed out God's message from his web page. Paul's web page would not be filled with social news, but news of the redeeming power through the blood of Jesus, our Savior. I am sure there would be instructional, and perhaps mundane announcements of his meetings or church news, but the thrust of the page would be to gather new converts and members to the Lord's supper. It would be a message to compel people to come and hear more, not to simply invite them. [article link]
Justice Sunday II - (DVD) Jointly sponsored by Focus on the Family and Family Research Council. Featuring musical performances by Rebecca St. James and Jett Williams, this DVD recording includes speeches by the following speakers: Senator Zell Miller(D-GA), Representative Tom DeLay (R-TX), Tony Perkins - Family Research Council, Dr. James Dobson - Focus on the Family, Chuck Colson - Prison Fellowship Ministries, Bill Donohue - Catholic League, Phyllis Schlafly - Eagle Forum, Cathy Cleaver Ruse - Family Research Council, Dr. Jerry Sutton - Two Rivers Baptist Church, Ted Haggard - National Association of Evangelicals. [article link]
Results of the 16th Annual Spiritual State of the Nation Survey Based on a total of nearly 37,000 surveys. [article link]
National Outreach Convention: San Diego Nov. 2-5 The National Outreach Convention is designed to equip churches with the strategies, ideas and resources needed to implement effective outreach. The convention provides the opportunity for exhibitors to introduce their products and services to a group of highly motivated church leaders eager to find the right resources. Over 70 Workshops in These 12 Tracks: Youth Outreach, Children's Outreach, Postmodern Outreach, Ministry Outreach, Outreach Events, Outreach Technology, Outreach Marketing, Outreach Assimilation, Creative Outreach, Outreach Strategies, Community Outreach, Global Outreach. [article link]
Severing Gaza - 'Disengagement' for Israel's Jews Begins We go to press Monday morning as hundreds of Israeli men, women and children are confronting Jewish soldiers and police outside a number of towns in the Gaza Strip in an effort to stop the uniformed men from driving them out of their homes. [article link]
Thirty One Days of Scriptural Prayer for Israel When the Lord Jesus walked on the earth, He linked His departure as well as His coming again with the City of Jerusalem! ... The Scriptures are clear that Israel as a Nation and as a People have been blinded by God for the sake of the salvation of the Gentiles. Therefore, the Church owes them (Jews) a debt for this, as well as for the (Bible) Scriptures themselves. [article link]
WallBuilders - Rebuilding the Constitutional, Moral and Religious Heritage of America (Schedule of Events) We hope you're able to make it to one or more WallBuilders presentations. If you live in another area of the country, please check back with us - we continually update this page! These speakers travel throughout all fifty states and should be in your area soon! [article link]
Central Coast Evangelical Church (MP3 File List) "Building Christ's Church by the proclamation of God's Word" [article link]
Eternity in Their Hearts (Missionary-Witness) Don Richardson defined the concept of redemptive analogy in his books "Peace Child" and "Eternity in Their Hearts." He explained how, embedded in any culture, there is usually some practice or understanding which can be used to demonstrate the Gospel. Findings these sometimes unexpected keys has been called a [gorilla moment]. [article link]
Gorilla Moments - Recognize Hidden Opportunities for Creative Evangelism A 30-second film shows six people playing basketball, three in white shirts and three in black. Volunteers are asked to count the number of times the white shirt team pass the ball. At the end of the film, they are asked if they saw anything unusual. Most do not. The unusual thing is: halfway through the film, a man wearing a gorilla suit walks through the players, beats his chest to the camera, then walks off. When shown the film again, people are utterly amazed to see this, to the extent that they often believe a different film has been substituted for the original one. Their focus on one task has blinded them to a truth. The film illustrates a simple fact - that if we are only looking for one thing, we do not usually see anything different. This forms the basis of Professor Richard Wiseman's new book: Did You Spot The Gorilla: How to Recognise Hidden Opportunities. {The point at which people finally see the unexpected is what he calls a 'gorilla moment'.} [article link]
Redemptive Analogies - Communicating Christian Meaning (Lot's of Links) Of course, the idea was not really new. Jesus used the technique all the time in His story-telling: "The kingdom of God is like ..." Many of the prophets used it too, and preachers down the years. The gospel stories are so familiar to us, that we completely overlook the fact that Jesus' method of communication was totally revolutonary, used redemptive analogy within story-telling, and was something very close to street theater. The concept of redemptive analogy is a part of contextualizaton - that is, presenting the Gospel in terms which relate to the particular culture. For two valuable pages on understanding contextualization, see: (Strategic Network) and (Mission Review). [article link]
The Blessed Hope! Asian Redemptive Analogies (Blog) The Blessed Hope! ...is dedicated to proclaim our relationship with GOD and ISRAEL. Spread the WORD and visit often for updates. Links to help your Christian walk and knowing that JESUS loves you, come closer to HIM and get to know HIM. HE is very much ALIVE and still in the business of Blessing you, Healing you, Protecting you, Providing for you and your loved ones...and...much much more. [article link]
LEFT BEHIND SERIES to Revive the Church Film Night When LEFT BEHIND: World at War is released this October, it will open on at least as many screens as the biggest Hollywood films. There will just be one difference: It will open on screens in churches, universities, High Schools - everywhere there are projection systems and Christians with a passion for outreach. [article link]
AFTER EDEN 20 Most Popular Cartoons [article link]
The Military Chaplains' Association Challenge Coin! Debuted at the 2005 National Institute, the Military Chaplains Association's Challenge Coin is available to MCA members by mail. The brass coin is 1¾ inches in diameter and is colored in blue and red on the face side. You may order either online at our web site, or simply fill out the order form below and mail it with your check to the MCA office. The cost of the coin is $6.95 and includes shipping charges. [article link]
Evolution History it ain't The program, which displayed more candor than others which promote the evolutionary worldview, admitted that the fossil record is built on the "tiniest fragments of the past." At the same time, however, it confidently declared that the puzzle of human origins has been "finally pieced together." Words like "suggest," "if," "it is also believed" punctuate the TV program, as the apemen are built one speculative bone at a time. In the end, though, and employing just a little critical thinking, the thoughtful viewer is able to see that these apemen are instead really just {straw men}, created out of the minds of evolutionist scientists. [article link]
Dear Angry Survival Guide: DearAngry.com Dear Angry Survival Guide - and link to a free 3 minute viewing of a Christian film about forgiveness. [article link]
Military and Veterans Info Military service is perhaps the ultimate service. It has been well said about Military service that All gave some and Some gave All. This saying is also well applied to the family, friends and supporters of those who are in
uniform. [article link]
Fisher House - Helping Military Families Supporting America's military in their time of need, we provide "a home away from home" that enables family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time -- during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury. [article link]
Families of Wounded Soldiers Helped by Frequent Fliers Donating Their Travel Miles Families of U.S. soldiers wounded in the war against terrorism are receiving free airfare so they can be with their loved one through medical rehabilitation and the gifts come from their fellow Americans. The Fisher House Foundation inaugurated this program in January 2004, which allows average Americans who have acumulated travel miles with a participating airline to donate them to wounded soldiers and their families. Since the beginning of last year, more than 525 million miles have been donated, resulting in four thousand tickets for the family members of wounded soldiers. [article link]
The Armor of God Conference (11 Mp3 Messages) "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age..." - Eph. 6:12 [article link]
Air Force Reserve Colonel Accused of Vandalizing Parked Cars by Spraypainting Anti-Bush Statements (Fox) DENVER - An Air Force Reserve colonel could face criminal charges for allegedly vandalizing cars at Denver International Airport bearing pro-Bush bumper stickers. [article link]
IDF Soldier to Gaza Jews: Stay strong! The young soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces are the last people that want to see the internationally-backed "disengagement" plan executed against the Jews of the Gaza Strip. That was the message conveyed Wednesday by one soldier to an American Jewish solidarity tour leader. [article link]
Shekinah Glory Ministries Pakistan Church: Razia's Testimony I come from a very poor family and despite that, in my local church I served as a Bible teacher. Since childhood I dedicated my life to God to serve Him entirely. My family members always discouraged me on serving God and to give more attention to formal education. Nobody believed in me or recognized the call upon my life. [article link]
Kansas moves to stem role of evolution in teaching (CNN) OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (Reuters) -- After months of debate over science and religion, the Kansas Board of Education has tentatively approved new state science standards that weaken the role evolution plays in teaching about the origin of life. The 10-member board must still take a final vote, expected in either September or October, but a 6-4 vote on Tuesday that approved a draft of the standards essentially cemented a victory for conservative Christian board members who say evolution is largely unproven and can undermine religious teachings about the origins of life on earth. "We think this is a great development ... for the academic freedom of students," said John West, senior fellow of the Discovery Institute, which supports intelligent design theory. [article link]
PLANNED PARENTHOOD REMOVES CARTOON ADVOCATING VIOLENCE AGAINST PRO-LIFERS San Francisco, CA (LifeNews.com) -- A Planned Parenthood abortion business in California has quietly removed a cartoon video promoting violence against pro-life advocates that has drawn national outrage. [article link]
Lutheran Architecture: How a (Church) Building Reflects Theology One of the verses of Nicolai Grundtvig's hymn, "Built on the Rock (Jesus) the Church Doth Stand," says: Here stands the font (Baptismal) before our eyes Telling how God did receive us; The altar recalls Christ's sacrifice (cross) And what His table (communion bread/wine) doth give us; Here sounds the Word (Holy Bible Scriptures) that doth proclaim Christ yesterday, today, the same, Yea, and for aye our Redeemer. ... In this verse Grundtvig expresses something many Lutherans take for granted: the layout of their church. [article link]
Awana: Family Connection August Newsletter Awana Family Connection is delivered free via e-mail to subscribers monthly. We encourage you to distribute this newsletter freely and ask only that you not change its contents. [article link]
eagleforum.org Eagle Council XXXIV REGISTRATION St. Louis, Missouri September 23-24-25, 2005 Registration on the Web is offered as a convenience to Eagle Forum members. Please be sure your membership is current when registering for Eagle Council. [article link]
Pathway: Personal Christian Growth Series Welcome to Pathway, a daily devotional designed to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ. You'll read about others, like yourself, and find out about their not-so-unique problems. You'll discover the solutions that God has given in His Word. You'll find practical insights for putting the truths of God's Word to work in your life as you face the daily struggles of home, school, work, friends and your own private thoughts. [article link]
Soul Journey: Daily Bible Devotions Our mission is to provide you with a path that leads to an authentic relationship with God and relevant biblical truth for postmodern living. Each day we have a new devotional article that addresses real life from a biblical perspective. You can read these articles in our print version, online version, or via e-mail. [article link]
Our Daily Bread: Daily Bible Devotions Our Daily Bread is a daily devotional provided by RBC Ministries for spiritual growth and Bible study. [article link]
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Past Radio Broadcasts (Audio) The goal of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Ltd. is to reach men and women with the Gospel and to bring them into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. [article link]
What is the Mark of the Beast 666 There are at least three aspects to the Mark of the Beast as explained in the book of Revelation. It is an actual mark or marking and it is also an Image(Icon) a representation of the Antichrist(Satan) himself and it is represented in his personal name of, emptiness, which is referenced by the number 666. [article link]
Free Downloads(PDF) &(Mp3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
Iron Hall Assembly in Belfast Northern Ireland Study Series: (Audio Downloads) The following sermons were delivered at The Iron Hall Assembly in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Pastor David Legge. [article link]
OliveTreeViews.org Radio Archives Mp3 Check out our "best of" programming for the last two years on "radio archives" at the Olive Tree Ministries' Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org. Programming is posted on our Web site about 4 days after a broadcast. [article link]
Help Raise Up a Generation That "LivesTen" With God having been removed from school, and our very core principles attacked at every turn, it is no wonder that the kids of today can't even recite the Ten Commandments! It is an idea whose time has come … distribute tens of thousands of navy bracelets to kids and teens across the nation with the simple message "LiveTen." [article link]
Basic Christian Theology: Answers to Bible Questions (132 Topics) {updated} A Complete handy Reference - Study Guide/Tutorial. It covers 132 Christian Subjects and Topics from Adoption - Yahweh in an easy to read and understand format. An extensive resource, unparalleled in convenience and ease of use yet advanced in topic research. [article link]
'Today Gaza, tomorrow Jerusalem' - Qureia PA prime minister insists Palestinians Arabs won't cease hostilities against Israel until the Jews' ancient capital is again under Muslim control. [article link]
Voters Have Spoken - The Cross still Reigns over San Diego (The 43 foot concrete Mt. Soledad Cross) Despite fifteen years of adverse court rulings, city council decisions to remove the cross, a local war memorial associations agreement to settle the case by removing the cross, and last week's surprise decision by a state judge requiring a two-thirds vote of the people before the city would be forced to donate the cross and memorial to the federal government as a national war memorial, the citizens of San Diego spoke loud and clear- - keep the cross where it is as it is. With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, unofficial results show that over 75 percent of the voters voted to keep the cross and war memorial in yesterdays voting. [article link]
Christianity and Mormonism (LDS) are Very Different [Updated] Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper and Wayne Grudem (PDF-eBook) Yet to be surpassed, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood offers the most complete and extensive refutation of the egalitarian position. All of the authors in this book are well-established scholars, and each
chapter provides a book's worth of insight. We have now made this work available to you in several forms: [article link]
2005 Creation Mega Conference MegaBlog Wrap Up - Memories, Quotes and Mp3's! Get updates and commentary as two of our staff members "blog" the conference. They'll be posting audio and video of sessions, along with interviews and commentary. Take a look at the MegaBlog. [article link]
Watch the Past Harvest Crusades from Anaheim Ca. Online! If you can't make it to the Crusade in-person, be sure to check out our live and archived interactive webcasts right here at Harvest.org! [article link]
Billy Graham Audio Message: "The Value of a Soul" (Parts 1 & 2) Listen to Billy Graham in part one of his message explain why the soul is so valuable and the loss of a soul so tragic. The crusade choir sings and businessman Charlie Johnson testifies to God's blessing in his life. [article link]
Crossing(Life's) Rivers Have you ever crossed a river? No, not using a bridge, but rather venturing into the rushing current using only your legs? [article link]
Don't crowd out God with your other "important" things. You only have so much time and energy in your life and it is easy to waste it on things that do not really matter. Attend to the important things first or you won't have time for them later. [article link]
PHOTO & VERSE MEDITATIONS (Click on [G] for next Photo) PHOTO MEDITATIONS "Come Walk With The Lord!" How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" --ISAIAH 52:7 (NIV). NOTE: Best viewed FULL SCREEN! [article link]
Trusting God enough to Let Go(Picture Devotional) A picture devotional presentation. Looking to God to meet our needs to fulfill our desires and to carry our worries. [article link]
Pro-Life Information and Resources (Updated) The pro-life movement is the movement acknowledging that all human life is created in the image of God and is sacred to God. [article link]
THE ISRAEL LAW CENTER PRESENTS: THE ULTIMATE MISSION August 1-8, 2005 Experience a dynamic and intensive eight day exploration of Israel's struggle for survival and security in the Middle East today: "a military, humanitarian, historical, judicial, religious, and political reality check." [article link]
Why Abortion is Genocide Likewise with abortion, Butler & Walbert note in Abortion, Medicine and the Law, Facts on File, 1992, that the Court in Roe vs. Wade, supra at 153, "... build its doctrinal framework on the constitutional right to privacy,
which it thought ' broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.' "Whether the issue is racism or abortion, privacy is vital to those who are ashamed of their conduct." [article link]
Dr. David Menton (Parts 1-4): A Hollywood History of the Scopes (Monkey) Trial {80th Anniversary} (Audio) Dr. Menton's presentation on the Scopes Trial couldn't have been more timely since last week was the 80th anniversary of this famous trial, known as the "Monkey Trial." Most of what we know about the Scopes Trial has been confused with Hollywood's version which was made into a play and movie, Inherit the Wind, said Menton. Throughout this enlightening presentation, Dr. Menton used various clips from the movie to show how the truth was grossly distorted to shed a negative light on Christians. By turning the trial into a docudrama, and by changing the names of the characters (but cleverly using the same number of syllables in each name), Hollywood took artistic license to turn the truth on its head. Sadly, the movie is still being used to deceive a whole generation with its countless distortions and inaccuracies. [article link]
The Importance of Understanding the "End Times" By Jan Markell To be perfectly honest, I am growing weary of the many voices I hear saying that the world makes no sense today. It makes perfect sense if one understands the proper eschatology or doctrine of the "last days." The problem is that there is either little or no interest in the topic or it is being taught improperly. Why is it that even the History Channel, A & E, Discovery Network, etc. are paying more attention to it than the churches? In most churches it was shelved 20 years ago as "controversial," "divisive", and "gloom and doom." What is gloom and doom about the fact that the King is coming? Hanging on to this "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13) should be able to get the believer through most any trial. [article link]
Creation vs. Evolution: Resources and Information What is the significance and meaning of God's creation plan? Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven(sky) and the earth. It is only through creation and not by means of(random) evolution that people can be "created in the image of God" therefore creation is the very heart of the plan of God. Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image ... [article link]
Quotes from Famous Scientists Johannes Kepler [1571-1630] Astronomy/Laws of Planetary Motion: "I had the intention of becoming a theologian...but now I see how God is, by my endeavors, also glorified in astronomy, for 'the heavens declare the glory of God.'" "I am a Christian...I believe... only and alone in the service of Jesus Christ...In Him is all refuge, all solace." "Let my name perish if only the name of God the Father is thereby elevated." "[God] is the kind Creator who brought forth nature out of nothing." [article link]
United States Center for World Missions: Explore Workshop October 5-8, 2005 Looking for a way to be more directly involved in the advance of God's Kingdom around the world? the vision, community, and resources of the U.S. Center for World Mission, a community devoted to seeing God's Kingdom come and His will done on earth among all the world's peoples! Over a 4-day period, experience Who we are What we do How we do it and … How YOU can be a part of this innovative community focused on the least reached peoples of the world. [article link]
Here Is The Church ... But Where Are The People? It's quiet and still inside the Bald Eagle Presbyterian Church vestibule on a summer afternoon... Small, rural
churches elsewhere, faced with similar financial crunches and attrition, are losing battles to stay alive. [article link]
Series Title: The Minor Prophets by Bible.org What do you think about when you think of a prophet? Do you think of someone who tells what is going to happen in the future? Prophets do some foretelling. They warn the wicked and encourage the righteous. [article link]
Doug's Blog: The Supreme Court's War on the Soverignty of God The defining political and legal issue of our generation is not the right to life or even the definition of the family, but whether the United States of America through its laws, its charters, its magistrates, and its public institutions can and will meaningfully acknowledge the God of the Bible. The acknowledgment of God is the first principle of liberty, a fact which was recognized by the Founding Fathers who declared that we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. [article link]
The 7 Miracles of Jesus from the Gospel of John These are Seven Miracles preformed by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of John by John a disciple and one of the original 12 Apostles of Jesus. John was an eyewitness present at each of these seven miracles. These miracles are illustrations representing the miracles that Jesus is currently doing in the life of each and every Christian. [article link]
BasicChristian.info for Convenient FREE Christian PDF & MP3 Downloads A Christian Information Center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. [article link]
U.S. won't cede control of (Internet) Net computers Associated Press, by Anick Jesdanun 6/30/2005 NEW YORK - The U.S. government said Thursday it would indefinitely retain oversight of the Internet's main traffic-controlling computers, ignoring calls by some countries to turn the function over to an international body. The announcement marked a departure from previously stated U.S. policy... Though the computers themselves - 13 in all, known as "root" servers - are in private hands, they contain government-approved lists of the 260 or so Internet suffixes, such as ".com." [article link]
Jews For Jesus Newsletter Archives (PDF) This archive is not yet complete, but provides a sequential listing of all articles from the Jews for Jesus Newsletter that are currently online. [article link]
Bible Truths Revealed 15 Lessons (PDF available) Foundational Studies - 15 Lessons On The Foundational Truths Of The Christian Faith. [article link]
The Origin of Comets Comets may be the most dynamic, spectacular, variable, and mysterious bodies in the solar system. They contain even organic matter which many early scientists concluded was "decomposed organic bodies." Today, a popular belief is that comets brought life to Earth. Instead, comets may have traces of life from Earth. [article link]
The Origin of Asteroids and Meteoroids The "fountains of the great deep" launched rocks as well as muddy water. As rocks moved farther from Earth,
Earth's gravity became less significant to them, and the gravity of nearby rocks became increasingly significant. Consequently, many rocks, assisted by their mutual gravity and surrounding clouds of water vapor, merged to become asteroids. [article link]
Sign Up to Join The Family Research Council's Prayer Team On a bi-weekly basis, we ask for your prayers relating to various public policy issues. If you would like to receive an email with our specific prayer needs, please sign up below. We appreciate your commitment to praying with us. May God bless you. [article link]
U.S. Has as Many as 50 percent More Megachurches than Previously Estimated The number of megachurches in America may have been underreported by as much as 50 percent, according to two of the leading research groups on the subject. [article link]
The Basic Christian: Quick Start Guide to Christianity (PDF) Perfect for new Christian introduction to the very basics of Christianity. [article link]
Individual Life stories, How and Why People Became Christians Real life stories and Testimonials from people describing how and why they became a Christian. [article link]
A Mayflower Bible [article link]
FREE Creation Science Seminar Mp3's from Dr. Kent Hovind (Dr. Dino) Dr. Hovind's Creation Seminar Series are his most popular presentations. God has used the message they present to bring thousands of people closer to Christ. This 17-hour mp3 series comes on seven downloadable files and is frequently updated to provide the most current information available. [article link]
The 2005 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival Reserve your place at the next San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival - slated for October 27-29, 2005. Your Festival Pass gives you complete access to workshops, entertainment by special guests, and of course, film screenings and award ceremonies. [article link]
TBN.org Trinity Broadcasting Network Films Library (Downloads) Just click on the title or picture below to watch. [for advanced users, you can download videos for later viewing by right clicking and choosing " Save As" on the "download file" link (caution: large, long downloads)] [article link]
Bible Marathons a Race Like No Other Bible marathons are a growing trend in Portland. Less than 800 students attend Multnomah Bible College and Seminary, but in the past two years more than 250 of them have participated in marathons, logging in some 200 hours of Bible reading. Bible marathons have become so popular that Multnomah professor Dr. Garry Friesen, who organizes the events, can barely keep up with the demand. Marathons fill within days of the initial announcement. [article link]
FROM SKEPTICISM TO WORSHIP: A PERSONAL TESTIMONY I was a devout atheist for over twenty years. In July of 1998, I finally managed to see the biblical truths that had managed to elude me. The following is an account of how I went from hardcore skepticism to hardcore worship of the Savior, Jesus Christ. [article link]
Two Rivers Church: Living Beyond Religion (12 Message Audio) If you are ready for revival in your life... if you want more than religious activity... if you want a relationship with Jesus and to see Him work in power... then you are in the right place. [article link]
Iron Hall Assembly in Belfast Northern Ireland: The Harvest Is Past (WMA) [Use the blue buttons at the top of the web page] Jeremiah Verse 20 of chapter 8: "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved"... [article link]
How the Tanners became Christians {Ex-Mormon} Jerald and Sandra Tanner were raised in the LDS faith, both with a strong Mormon family history. Jerald is the great-great-grandson of John Tanner, well known for his sizeable financial contributions to Joseph Smith and the LDS church in 1835 when the church was deeply in debt. Sandra Tanner is a great-great-granddaughter of Brigham Young, the second president of the Mormon Church. [article link]
BibleOutlines.com Commentary Library Psalms and Proverbs From this Commentary Page you can select any of the Adobe PDF commentaries that are available. [article link]
Free Internet Movie Download - Your Destiny Your Choice [Produced by Prayer Australia] To some there are many faces of death. In the movie 'Your Destiny Your Choice', Ryan gave little thought to life after death until he faced death... he was afraid! Then When his sister Nicky comes to visit him in the hospital, she shows him a computer program that could make him sure of his destiny. Will Ryan choose a new spiritual destiny? [article link]
Battle of the Kingdoms A Cartoon Flash Presentation Download This Free - Simple and Clean Plan to Help You Be All You Can Be. [article link]
Ten Ways to Ruin Short Term Mission Trips Believe it or not, it's possible to have a bad short-term missions experience. Most times, this is not the fault of the situation or organization. Often, the root cause is the short-termer's own attitudes and expectations. To help you maximize your short-term experience, here's a Top Ten checklist of what "not" to do. [article link]
Did Jesus have a Wife and Child? Of Course Not! The Prophecies of the Bible reveal an unmarried Savior (Messiah). [article link]
Email Daily Devotion - My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers Enter your email address above to subscribe to the email edition of My Utmost for His Highest. Receive inspiration from Oswald Chambers FREE each morning. [article link]
The Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled By Jesus Christ - Ordered by Category Jesus is the Messiah! [article link]
Sixty-Three Percent of Americans Believe the Bible is Literally True and the Word of God. A related survey found that 47 percent of Americans pray every day or nearly every day. [article link]
Spinach-Orange Salad (Recipe) Salad recipe. [article link]
School Children Forced to Participate in Other Religions Islam, Yoga and Paganism teachings flourish in local schools. [article link]
Interaction Devotion God's Plan for your Life (aprox. 5 min) [article link]
List of 14 Christian Flash Devotions [article link]
2005 Grassfire 109th Congressional Directory The very same directory used by Grassfire staff every day, this powerful resource puts the entire 109th Congress and the every member of the Administration right at your fingertips! Plus, it is packed with critical contact information for committees and subcommittees, it gives you state legislator information, a legislative glossary, maps of Washington, D.C. and tips on writing members of Congress - all in one handy resource! In short, Grassfire's Congressional Directory is the one key resource you simply cannot afford to be without in 2005! [article link]
Dying Testimonies Of Saved And Unsaved People 170 -- "OH! THE DEVIL IS COMING TO DRAG MY SOUL DOWN TO HELL!" N. M. Nelms, of Kopperl, Texas, sends us this very sad experience. He says: Miss A____, who lived at C____, in Georgia, was taken very sick, and was informed that she could not live. Realizing the way she had lived, surrounded by her ungodly associates, with whom she had indulged in the pleasures of sin, and how her parents had educated her to follow the fashions of the world, and decorated her in gay clothing, and turned her away from the truth of God, she called her ungodly father to her bedside and said, "Your heart is as black as hell. If you had taught me to live for God, rather than to have spent your time quarreling with mother, I might have been saved." Then, turning to others who stood by her dying bed, she plead with them, saying, "Do not follow my ungodly example; do not do as I have done; do not enjoy or indulge in the hellish pleasures of the world. Oh, if I had heeded the warnings of my friend who lived a holy and devoted life." Then she said, "Oh, the devil is coming to drag my soul down to hell! Don't live in pleasure and be found wanting, but live in Christ complete and wanting nothing. I am lost, lost forever! Oh, lost, lost, lost!" -- then died. [article link]
Justice Sunday II "Justice Sunday II." Its theme--"God Save the United States and this Honorable Court"--is the call to order (actually a prayer) that begins every session of the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet ironically, the decisions of that
Court in recent decades have served to largely bar the public invocation of divine help-- which the founders of our country knew was essential to its success. The recent decision banning display of the Ten Commandments in a Kentucky courthouse was only the latest example. [article link]
Steps to Peace with God (Billy Graham) [click - to play the presentation] Step 1: God's Purpose: Peace and Life. God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life abundant and eternal. The Bible says ... "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1 (NIV) [article link]
Out of Africa: Special Article - Harry Potter Rowling is not a naive author who simply wrote a best-selling fantasy. She is part of a larger movement that is helping to bring in the New Age. [article link]
Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion "The critical point of behavior (mind) control, in effect, is sneaking up on mankind without his self-conscious realization that a crisis is at hand. Man will... never self-consciously know that it has happened." [article link]
The True Danger of Your Child Reading The Harry Potter Books! Christian That Knows about Witchcraft Looks At Harry Potter [article link]
Harry Potter's World Well, it's not quite that simple. You see, Harry and all the friends in his imaginary world are witches and wizards. They try to do good things and defeat evil, but in reality, there is no such thing as a good witch or wizard. People who use witchcraft in the real world are not getting their power from God. The Bible tells us that any power that doesn't come from God is evil. So, for our own protection, God tells us not to do these things: [article link]
Harry Potter Witchcraft Repackaged Discover similarities with Harry Potter and Witchcraft, Meditation, Black Magic, Curses & Spells, Divination & Sorcery, Occult symbology, Reincarnation, Demon possession, Communing with the dead and spirit world ... [article link]
HARRY POTTER BOOKS: STAGE-SETTING FOR TRIBULATION SORCERY Children in this country have the good fortune to be occupied with less serious matters -- and millions of them tonight are preoccupied with a phenomenon. The subject matter may be familiar to you -- the world of Lord Voldemort, Quidditch and the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. For those who do not know what we are talking about, this is the Harry Potter phenomenon. [article link]
Pope Concerned Over Harry Potter Books In a letter sent two years before becoming pope, Benedict XVI expressed concern that the Harry Potter books "erode Christianity in the soul" of young people, a German writer says. [article link]
Should Your Children Read Harry Potter Books? We have several articles and resources about the Harry Potter series of books and soon-to-be-released feature film. We encourage you to check all of them out and consider the material presented prayerfully before
choosing this popular entertainment option. [article link]
Kingdom Baptist Church: Special Article - Harry Potter [Part 1] HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE: WHY IT IS TRULY SATANIC. [article link]
Kingdom Baptist Church: Special Article - Harry Potter [Part 2] HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE: WHY IT IS TRULY SATANIC. [article link]
Harvest.org Awarded the 2005 Best Ministry Website! Harvest Christian Fellowship is pleased to announce that the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) has awarded Harvest Online with the 2005 NRB Media Award for Internet: Best Ministry Website. The award honors the Internet Web site for excellence in design and content, creativity in presentation, and effectiveness in helping fulfill the ministry's mission. For years Harvest Online has empowered its users with biblical resources from Pastor Greg Laurie and Harvest Outreach Ministries. [article link]
2,000 Year-Old Biblical Scroll Found in Israel JERUSALEM - A secretive encounter with a Bedouin in a desert valley led to the discovery of two fragments from a nearly 2,000-year-old parchment scroll - the first such finding in decades, an Israeli archaeologist said Friday. [article link]
American Opinion Book Services: Product of the Month Man, Freedom and Government: Recreation of 1968 filmstrip by Ezra Taft Benson. This video or DVD explains man's basic rights and government's role in protecting these rights. It also warns us to be on guard that government does not overstep its bounds. [article link]
Family Research Council - Washington Update: Fabian Tactics In 209 B.C., the Roman General Maximus Verrucosus Fabius ultimately defeated the superior forces of the conqueror Hannibal, the famous Carthaginian military leader, through delay tactics thereby avoiding direct conflict and giving Rome sufficient time to muster a large army. Thus was born the phrase "to win like Fabius," meaning to wear out an opponent by delay and evasion rather than confrontation. I recite this ancient history lesson to highlight the Fabian tactics being used by the Democrats in a vain attempt to find any obscure memorandum that President Bush's Supreme Court nominee, John Roberts, once wrote and to use that memo to attack the nominee. [article link]
Jews for Jesus: The War on Jewish Evangelism (PDF Available) The radical shifts in how these things {world views} are perceived color all levels of our society. Some Christians wonder why more and more churches are accepting behavior that the Bible rejects. If the church is not salt and light, if the church is not invading the world system with the gospel, then the opposite will occur. The world system will invade the church. [article link]
Topical Book {Bible} Study Guide Lessons (PDF) These guides will help you understand Bible passages in a deeper, more meaningful way. They help challange you to look at passages from different perspectives, both personally and externally. Click on any of the image
links below to download the guide you prefer. [article link]
lifenews.com - News Source for the Pro-Life Community LifeNews.com is an independent news agency specifically devoted to reporting news that affects the pro-life community. With a team of experienced journalists and reporters, LifeNews.com reaches more than 150,000 pro-life advocates each week via its web site, email news reports, and weekday radio program. [article link]
NOEL News Pro-Life Newsletter (PDF) NOEL, a life-affirming ministry in the Worldwide Anglican Communion. NOEL's mission will be to advocate the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death in the Church and society. To do this NOEL will stand for the value of every human life as revealed in Scripture and equip people to develop a biblical response to issues that threaten human life. As the Chairman of the Board, the Rev. Lorne Coyle states, "We're here for life!" [article link]
Feminists For Life of America: College Outreach Program Planned Parenthood's INsider magazine to clinic staffers called FFL's College Outreach Program "the newest and most challenging concept in anti-choice student organizing…. a campaign that could have profound impact" on the pro-life student movement, "as well as Planned Parenthood's public education and advocacy efforts." "They were right," said FFL President Serrin Foster. [article link]
Defending Creation Theory (8 Part Mp3 Set) An 8 part Mp3 set for Defending Creation Theory. These may be downloaded and re-copied for any educational purpose. Please share them with friends, co-workers, classmates & skeptics. [article link]
"FRANKLY SPEAKING" Frank Shelton Ministries/Motivational Presentations At 33, Frank Shelton, Jr. shares a passion for people, preaching and public service. He addresses audiences across America at various conferences, crusades and churches and loves leading the lost to the Lord. Frank uses humor, celebrity impersonations and incredible illustrations that Exalt Christ and Encourage Christians while pointing as many people to the Prince of Peace (Jesus Christ). His sole mission is souls. In the last 48 months, over 1,000 people have made personal commitments to Christ. While working full-time on Capitol Hill, Frank spoke in 72 churches and schools in 2001-2002 alone, at various revivals, retreats and youth rallies. [article link]
Christian Camping International Christian Camping International CCI/USA is a non-profit association that provides extensive programs, products, and services for the leaders of autonomous Christian camps and conferences nationwide. CCI/USA also maintains, through its membership records, the Internet's most extensive database of summer and yearround Christian faith-based camps, conference centers, and retreat centers. [article link]
What is a Christian? A Christian is a follower a disciple of Jesus Christ, a person who believes that Jesus is God! Christianity is Not a Religion and it is Not a Philosophy. Christianity is Relationship with God. [article link]
DCI World Christians - Full List of Studies Here are eighty-five easy to understand studies and assignments in Evangelism and Mission, Discipleship, the
Call of God, Finances, Leadership, Building the Church and Understanding the Kingdom. [article link]
Creation vs. Evolution - Christianity vs. Ungodliness What we have is not just creation versus evolution, not just an academic debate about science. It is Christianity with its absolutes and its basis in creation, versus humanism and its basis in evolution and its claim that all morality is relative. In other words, the fight is between two religions and you are seeing that clash right now in our society. [article link]
200+ Ideas For Summertime OR Anytime Fun! Since we don't use the phrase "I'm bored!" in our home, we never hear our kids complaining about being bored during those long days at home during the summer months. But ... I have to admit that we're still an incredibly normal family. [article link]
Violent (Video) Game Furor The latest in shoot-'em-up video game technology, "******" allows players to attack police with an arsenal of Molotov cocktails, broken bottles and baseball bats. When weapons fail, players make strategic moves using civilians as human shields. Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolman's Benevolent Association, slammed "******" for its cavalier treatment of murder. "It's outrageous that a company like this would try to desensitize our children," Lynch said. Representatives from Sony and Microsoft could not be reached for comment yesterday. [article link]
SBC Ready to Move Forward and Baptize 1 Million People "If the convention at any level will go to the people about the most important thing to those people -- the eternal spiritual well-being of their loved ones, family and friends -- then we can go forward ...," Welch said. [article link]
Faked Agian The Downing Street Memos Fake? The reporter himself says that he retyped the memos on an old-style manual typewriter and destroyed either the originals (AP) or working copies from which he worked (Rawstory). In effect, he created mock-ups -- and that means the memos provided by the Times in PDF format are fakes. [article link]
Test to Determine a True or False Prophet Everyone has an opinion but who's advice do we follow? Testing to determine if someone is a true prophet of God or a false prophet of man. [article link]
Great Moments with President Lincoln (short movie or audio downloads) A tribute to a man who lives in the heart of all freedom loving people. [article link]
HeartLight Daily Devotionals Heartlight devotionals can become a special part of your day. Turn to them daily for encouragement and inspiration. Many of our devotionals are available by email each day! [article link]
Daniel's 70 Weeks: The Precision of Prophecy To fully appreciate the remarkable significance of the following article, it is essential to realize that the Book of Daniel, as part of the Old Testament, was translated into Greek prior to 270 B.C., almost three centuries before
Christ was born. This is a well-established fact of secular history. [article link]
Prophecy Watch: The Prophecy of the 70 Weeks God revealed to Daniel a calendar which foretold the time frame of Jewish prophetic history to the end of this age (Dan. 9:24-27). This most remarkable prophecy has been called "nothing less than a mathematical demonstration" of the divine inspiration of the Bible. [article link]
Seventy Prophetic Weeks of Daniel Chapter 9 of the book of Daniel stands as the paragon of Bible prophecy. This single chapter of 27 verses proves beyond doubt that God revealed the future course of world events to faithful men of God, and they wrote about events to come as they were led by the Holy Spirit. This was declared by the apostle in 2 Peter 1: 19-21. [article link]
The Prophet Daniel's 70 Weeks: Is Prophecy Sealed? The "70 Weeks" prophecy of Daniel {chapter 9} is rightly called the "backbone" of Bible prophecy, as it clearly foretells the coming of the Messiah, the focal point of history for believers. This prophecy links together the past history and future of God's people, and it "seals up" other prophecies. [article link]
BasicChristian.info for Convenient FREE Christian (PDF) & (MP3) Downloads A Christian Information Center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. [article link]
Pastor Jack Hayford: Praise in the Presence of God The Bible is pointed about the value of each individual day and is equally direct in speaking of our responsibility to use these pieces of time wisely and profitably: We are to consider each day a valuable gift, and look to God for wisdom in using that gift. ... [article link]
The Church on the Way: Resources (PDF) The Church On The Way exists as a local congregation to witness to the world of God's love as revealed in His Son Jesus Christ, our crucified, risen, exalted and soon-returning King; and we live to serve our community in His same love and power, knowing He is "the same yesterday, today and forever" (Heb. 13:8). [article link]
Famous Quotes From Famous People This site lists famous quotes, including: Founding Fathers, Presidents, Scientists, Celebrities, Musicians, Rock Stars, athletes, and the wealthy. Read quotes from John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, Louis Pasteur, Dennis Rodman, George W. Bush, George Washington, Elvis Presley, Madonna, David Robinson, Payne Stewart, Julius Erving, Kurt Warner, Johannes Kepler, Samuel Morse, and many more! [article link]
Will the Real Justice O'Connor Please Stand Up? America is engulfed in the flames of a Culture War. This war is reaching new levels of white-hot intensity with the onset of vacancies on the U. S. Supreme Court. We must understand that the battle over judges is not really over people, but over principles. The fight is not over just a Court, but over a country. [article link]
On this Day in History 7/22/1938: The German Natzi Third Reich Began to Issue Special Identity Cards for Jewish Germans Jewish identity cards 7/22/1938. Germany begins issuing identity cards to Jewish citizens. They are required to carry the cards with them at all times. [article link]
Nazis issued Jewish ID Card aprox. 1939 After Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1933, the Nazis issued every person a permanent identity card. A "J" on the cover indicated that the person was Jewish. Each Jewish man's name was prefaced with "Israel" and each woman's name with "Sarah." Permanent yellow armbands were issued at a later time. [article link]
National ID Cards in the USA "The Real ID Act is the first step in the establishment of a police state which is the antithesis of our liberty and freedoms defined in our Constitution ... I don't know if it is the first step but it is a profound step. Good article." [article link]
Encyclopedia: Identity Document An identity document is a piece of documentation designed to prove the identity of the person carrying it. Unlike other forms of documentation, which only have a single purpose such as authorizing bank transfers or proving membership of a library, an identity document simply asserts the bearer's identity. If an identity document is in the form of a small standard-sized card, such as an ISO 7810 card, it is called an identity card. In general terms, documentation is any communicable material (such as text, video, audio, etc. ... In philosophy, it is important to distinguish between two senses of identity, qualitative identity and numerical identity. Identity cards can be controversial, as depending on the way they are used by government (under which circumstances they must be produced; whether/how information about use is stored on databases) can make government surveillance of citizens much easier. [article link]
A Mayflower Bible [article link]
Mayflower Compact The Mayflower Compact IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia, Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience. IN WITNESS whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape-Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini, 1620. [article link]
Mayflower Barn: Famous Ship now a Barn The timbers you are looking at came from the Mayflower. That's the ship that brought our pilgrim fathers to America. Everybody is familiar with the Mayflower but I wonder if you are as familiar with the Mayflower Barn.
When the Mayflower ship 4 years after it brought the pilgrim fathers to America became stranded, it was purchased by a farmer. He towed it up the Thames, dismantled it, brought the timber in here and he built this barn from the wood of it. [article link]
The Liberal Manifesto: 1963 Communist Goals For the conservatives that have not read the Liberal Manifesto, be prepared to be shocked. You will be surprised to discover how many of these Liberal goals have been achieved. We can only hope that Liberals do not succeed in achieving their goals. [article link]
Socialist, Communist List of Articles Exposing Marxist, Socialist, & Communist Hate for America and Their Support for Totalitarian Governments and Islamic Terrorists. [article link]
Republican Appointees Disappoint Again The Supreme Court wrapped up one of its most disappointing terms in years. Plagued by Chief Justice Rehnquist's absence due to illness, the other justices behaved like the gang that cannot shoot straight. The Court banished the Ten Commandments from courthouses in McCreary County v. ACLU, and ruled against private property in Kelo v. City of New London. The term would have been a complete disaster if Justice Breyer, a Clinton-appointee, had not surprisingly voted to save the Ten Commandments displayed on the Texas State Capitol grounds in Van Orden v. Perry. [article link]
Bush Aide Involved in Chinese Bid for Unocal President Bush's top independent intelligence adviser, James C. Langdon Jr., met last winter with investment bankers in China to help secure his law firm's role in lobbying for a state-run Chinese energy firm and its bid for the U.S. oil company Unocal Corp., according to a report in the Washington Post. [article link]
Dover School District Seeks Judgment Against ACLU In Evolution Case The ACLU is challenging a recent change to the school district's ninth-grade biology curriculum, which, in a one-minute statement, informs students that there are gaps and problems in the theory of evolution and makes students aware of intelligent design as an alternative explanation for the origins and diversification of life. [article link]
Watch the Harvest Crusade Live Online! July 15-17 at 7:00 pm PST If you live in the Southern California area, come to the Harvest Crusade and bring someone who needs to hear about the love of God. If you can't make it, plan on joining the live coverage of the Crusade via the live and archived webcasts right here on the Web! more... [article link]
Life News: REHNQUIST MAY NOT RETIRE WITH O'CONNOR LEAVING SUPREME COURT Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- For months, political observers in Washington and around the nation were convinced Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist was planning to step down from the nation's high court. With Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announcing her own retirement, the plans of the ailing conservative court leader are in doubt. [article link]
Focus on the Family: Justice O'Connor Retires; Battle over Swing-Vote Lies Ahead Dr. James Dobson called the announcement "a watershed moment in American history: the resignation of a swing-vote justice on the Supreme Court and the opportunity to change the Court's direction." [article link]
Thomas More Law Center: Supreme Court Justice O'Connor Resigns The Battle to Restore America's Religious and Moral Foundations Begins. [article link]
American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ): Justice O'Connor Retires The resignation of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor creates the MOST CRITICAL VACANCY POSSIBLE on the Supreme Court of the United States. The resignation of Justice O'Connor creates a pivotal shift on the Supreme Court. Justice O'Connor has represented the swing vote in determining the outcome of many of the most important decisions over the past decade. There could not be a more significant opportunity for President Bush to impact the direction of the high court than with the replacement for Justice O'Connor. [article link]
Family Research Counsel: Justice O'Connor Retires From Supreme Court Family Research Council thanks Justice O'Connor, the first woman on the United States Supreme Court, for her nearly twenty-four years of public service. FRC President Tony Perkins has released the following statement: [article link]
Eagle Forum: Supreme Court Vacancy Petition to President Bush Today, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the court. This marks the beginning of certainly grueling fight over her replacement. O'Connor, though appointed by President Reagan as the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, was not a strict constructionist. Her rulings in favor of abortion and restrictions on campaign speech suggest she was a disappointment to President Reagan. [article link]
Grassfire: Sandra Day O'Connor Resigns - Grassfire Delivering 250,000 Petitions to the White House Next Week! [click-Take Action] The resignation of Sandra Day O'Connor marks the beginning of a crucial time period for Grassfire and all of our members. O'Connor has been the key swing voter on the bench for the past quarter of a century. With O'Connor's resignation we are expecting the opposition to mobilize and demand a moderate nominee, Grassfire is calling on all citizens to raise their voice on this critical issue. Grassfire's President, Steve Elliott will be delivering 250,000 petitions to the White House next week demanding a Pro-Life, Pro-Family nominee who strictly rules by the original intent of the Constitution of the United States. Alert you friends to be part of our historic petition delivery! Sign the Petition! [article link]
Concerned Women for America (CWA): Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Announces Retirement! Be sure to watch Concerned Women for America's policy experts as they respond to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement from the Supreme Court today and the significance of a Supreme Court vacancy for our nation: [article link]
Eagle Forum's Court Watch [article link]
Iran President was Captor Say (US) Hostages, Bush Wants Answers WASHINGTON, JUNE 30: President George W. Bush said on Thursday, he wanted answers on whether Iranian President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a leader in the 1979 US Embassy siege as some former hostages have said. [article link]
Iranian President-Elect May Be '89 Killer VIENNA, Austria - An exiled Iranian dissident on Saturday said Iran's newly elected president - already accused of taking American diplomats hostage 36 years ago - played a key role in the 1989 execution-style slayings of a Kurdish opposition leader and two associates in Vienna. [article link]
Fact Monster: Iran hostage crisis (1979-1981) Iran hostage crisis, in U.S. history, events following the seizure of the American embassy in Tehran by Iranian students on Nov. 4, 1979. [article link]
Religious Beliefs of the Pilgrims What religious beliefs did the Pilgrims have, that made them so intolerable to the English authorities? The following is a list of some of the religious issues of the day, and the Pilgrims' beliefs regarding them. The most commonly-owned book in early Plymouth Colony (outside of the Bible and psalm book) was John Dod's "Exposition on the Ten Commandments", followed by pastor John Robinson's "Observations Divine and Moral". [article link]
Hollywood Transformation Invites Partners to Come on Board *FACT*: The media has a more dramatic effect on society as a whole than any other single venue. Hollywood Transformation Coalition gets the word out about how churches, ministries and prayer groups can cooperate and work together to bring transformation to Hollywood. [article link]
Quick News Alert "FireBug" from GrassFire.org FireBug delivers messages directly to your desktop as news breaks. This is cutting-edge technology and the fastest way to keep our team members informed. It takes about 3 minutes to complete the process. Provide your name and email then download and install the program. [article link]
Schiavo's Remains Buried Amid Acrimony TAMPA, Fla. -- The burial of Terri Schiavo's cremated remains didn't bring an end to the acrimony between her husband and her family. Michael Schiavo angered his late wife's family Monday by not notifying them about the burial beforehand and by inscribing on her bronze grave marker the words "I kept my promise." Michael Schiavo _ who said he promised his wife he would not keep her alive artificially _ also listed Feb. 25, 1990, as the date his wife "Departed this Earth." [article link]
Polygamy Sect Leader (Mormon/LDS) Indicted PHOENIX - The leader of a polygamous sect has been charged with sex crimes for allegedly arranging a marriage between a teenage girl and a 28-year-old man who was already married, prosecutors said. Warren Jeffs, president of the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was charged with counts that include conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor, prosecutors said Friday. If convicted, he could face up to two years in jail. Authorities do not know where Jeffs is and were hoping the release of his name would help result in his arrest. Jeffs has not been seen publicly in more than a year and is thought by some to be in
Texas on a new church ranch. [article link]
Christianity and Mormonism (LDS) are Very Different Following are a few considerations as to why Mormonism is a cult and in no way resembles Christianity. [article link]
Baby Got Book {Bible} (Streaming Video) Baby Got Book video. To view the video, click on the video and the player will automatically detect your connection speed and media type. [article link]
Lewd Training Video Embarrasses San Francisco 49ers Football Team The San Francisco 49ers apologize for the inappropriate and tasteless video produced as part of a player training program this past season. [article link]
Paris Hilton Ad for Carl's Jr./Hardee's Ultimate Example of Corporate Irresponsibility (CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION NOW) This blatant sexually charged ad has no place on the public airwaves, and especially when children are in the audience. Carl's Jr./Hardee's need to be held responsible for marketing their raunchy, sexually graphic ad to millions of children via broadcast television and at the Carl's Jr./Hardees' web sites without any restrictions, said L. Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council (PTC). *Note I don't think Carl's Jr./Hardee's is interested in what customers have to say. I filled out the form and the Email was blocked by Carl's Jr./Hardee's. [Originating IP address has been blocked by domain administrator. Delivery failed for the following recipient(s):
[email protected] [email protected]] [article link]
A Letter from the Devil (Animated) A LETTER TO YOU FROM SATAN. I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores. You awoke without kneeling to pray. As a matter of fact, you didn't even bless your meals, or pray before going to bed last night. You are so unthankful, I like that about you. I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have not changed your way of living. [article link]
UNMASKING THE TRUTH ABOUT WITCHES Witches Seek Mainstream Status. To be sure witches are out of the broom closet and walking down main street. In fact, they are going to great lengths to sanitize their reputation and remake their image. That is easy to see when you see media articles with titles like - Witches spell it out: Don't Stereotype Us, and I Am Not A Wicked Witch. In the process of trying to remake themselves to be acceptable to mainstream Americans they use deceptive schemes, old tricks and dirty lies to accomplish their goal. The following are but a few examples. [article link]
Harvest Warriors Newsletter Archive Harvest Warriors is a spirit filled Christian ministry led by Rev. Daniel Yoder and his wife Rebecca (Brown) Yoder, M.D. This dynamic couple minister together as a team to boldly teach biblical truths with an authority based on their own extensive and unique experiences. The goal of Harvest Warriors is to raise up an army for God in these last days, empowered and trained to do the spiritual warfare necessary to reap a bountiful harvest of souls for Christ. [article link]
They Sold Their Soul for Rock and Roll - Video Clips - (10 Hour 4 DVD Set) Brace yourselves, as you view rare footage that MTV and VH1 would not dare show you. This unbelievable fourhour video will leave you picking your jaw off the ground, as you see hundreds of artists who are being used by Satan to destroy our youth. [article link]
Great Moments with President Lincoln (short movie or audio downloads) A tribute to a man who lives in the heart of all freedom loving people. [article link]
SOUL SURVIVOR: MOMENTUM JUNE 22-24, 2005 A three day conference and festival for emerging leaders and worshipers. [article link]
Email Daily Devotion - My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers Enter your email address above to subscribe to the email edition of My Utmost for His Highest. Receive inspiration from Oswald Chambers FREE each morning. [article link]
Time to Boycott Carl's Jr.(Hardee's)? I saw the new Carl's Jr. commercial, featuring Paris Hilton, last night while watching 24. All I can say is, it was soft-core porn at its best. I was embarrased watching it with my wife. Is it time to get the message to Carl's Jr. that this is an inappropriate way to sell burgers? Is a boycott in order? Wadda ya think? --- More to come on this one. [article link]
What Carl's Jr. Offers for Sale is Beef Burgers, But What it Serves on TV is Smut ... I don't see how Carl's Jr. and Hardee's can prosper without the patronage of millions of adults who are concerned about the erosion of decency in the mainstream media and the effects that pornography and 'popular culture' (like the prurient Carl's Jr. ad) are havig on youth. "Barring an emergency, I won't be stopping at Carl's Jr. or Hardee's in the future, and I would encourage other adults who are concerned about the decline of moral values to also pass them by." [article link]
Movie Sneak Peek: The Chronicles of Narnia (Trailer - [Quick Time] Version Only) Watch the trailer for 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,' part of C.S. Lewis beloved 'Chronicles of Narnia.' [article link]
Narnia Movie a Minefield for Disney The story is a parallel of the death and resurrection of [Jesus] Christ: C.S. Lewis was one of the greatest Christian thinkers of the last century. His books are read, reread, quoted, excerpted, and passed along almost like religious tracts by many Christians, and Christians -- who already have a love/hate relationship with Hollywood -- will want to make doubly sure that a film version of one of the best-loved novels in Christendom remains faithful to its message of sacrifice and redemption. If the film downplays or dilutes the Christian message in any way, count on an outcry. [article link]
Creekside Church: Sunday Sermons MP3 To enable and motivate people to discover and carry out what God wants. [article link]
Ebenezer Evangelical Church [Bristol England]: Sunday Sermons MP3 Ebenezer (Ebe) is a local community church in Horfield in Bristol, England. We are a lively, family church and welcome everyone to be part of this family. There are many opportunities of meeting people and also discovering the 'reality' of a life-transforming relationship with Jesus. Ebe is also part of the 'Celebration Churches' Network in Bristol and so meets regularly with other churches. [article link]
BiblePlus.org Review of Witchcraft, Astrology & Magic Pharoah's magicians and wise men could not interpret his dream, but God through Joseph could. [article link]
Vision Forum Internship Programs: Creative Media Internship or General Track (Business) Internship The application deadline for our 2005 internships is fast approaching! The internships - which emphasize biblical manhood, practical business skills, and preparation for Christian leadership - are available to young men who are Christian home educators and who possess a servant's spirit, a teachable heart, and a desire to work hard serving a ministry devoted to the restoration of the Christian family. [article link]
The Teen Mania Honor Academy - The Honor Academy is Home to More than 700 Undergraduate and Graduate Interns The Honor Academy is a 12-month internship that incorporates hands-on ministry experience, classroom instruction, Life-Transforming Events and small group accountablility friendships to create an environment conducive to intense spiritual growth, leadership development and ministry preparation. Interns develop character, vision, discipline and wisdom as they are inspired to know and seek God in all areas of their lives. [article link]
Grace Bible Church: Sunday Sermons MP3 Our ministry has but one Head, Jesus Christ. Eph.1:22-23 states that God put "all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." The church is Christ's church and is subject to Him (Eph. 5:23-24). He is the Chief Shepherd. All those in leadership at Grace Bible are merely under-shepherds. [article link]
MARTIAL LAW 911: RISE OF THE POLICE STATE: Video Clips Evil has spread across the land. Martial Law: 9/11 Rise of the Police State exposes the high-tech control grid that is being set up across America. Out of the ashes of the September 11th tragedy, a dark empire of war and tyranny has risen. The Constitution has been shredded and America is now a Police State. This film exposes not just who was behind the 9-11 attacks, but the roots and history of its orchestraters [article link]
How to Resign From the Mormon (LDS) Church Each year thousands of people decide to formally resign from the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, which is popularly known as the Mormon or 'LDS' church. The church releases detailed annual statistics about membership numbers, but they never include the numbers about resignations. This site was created to provide members of the church with information on how to resign from the church. [article link]
The American Tract Society Celebrates 180 Years of Service Today, May 11th, marks the 180th anniversary of the American Tract Society. Founded in 1825, ATS has been "turning lives around" with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ for nearly two centuries. [article link]
The Case for Creationism Is there any scientific evidence of evolution? We wrongfully teach it in schools evolution as if it were a truth and not what it is - a far out whacko theory. [article link]
THE MOON CREATION AND COMPOSITION: THE APOLLO MISSIONS Does all of this prove that creation scientists have been shown to be correct, and all attempts to contrive an evolutionary explanation for the origin of the moon will be abandoned? Of course not. But the results so far are precisely what creation scientists expected. That is, no theory postulating a naturalistic, mechanistic, evolutionary origin of the moon will be consistent with the actual data derivable from the moon because it did not arise as the result of such a process. On the other hand, if the data could be made to conform to an evolutionary theory on the moon's origin, reasonable or not, evolutionists would be proclaiming victory. Headlines on the front pages of practically every major newspaper in the world would have proclaimed, "Moon data solve mystery of its origin." Of course' no such headlines appeared. To evolutionists, in spite of the wealth of data gathered from our visits to the moon, or perhaps we should say, because of the data obtained from our visits to the moon, its origin remains as mysterious as ever. [article link]
Virtual Pilgrimage to Israel (Holy Land) aprox. 1200-1400 A.D Taking the Pilgrim Vow: The key element that defined a pilgrimage was the pilgrim's vow. This was taken in public, before the bishop or a priest, and it marked the formal beginning of the pilgrimage. Upon return, it would be the same bishop or priest who declared the vow fulfilled, marking the person's return to normal life. [article link]
Photos of Jerusalem - Dome of the Rock - Muslim Shrine Built atop the earlier location of the (Jewish) Temple, the Dome of the Rock was built by the Muslim ruler Abd el-Malik in 688-691. Because of its situation on bedrock, the numerous earthquakes over the centuries have not caused significant damage to the structure (unlike its neighbor Al Aqsa mosque). This shrine was covered by a lead dome from 691 until it was replaced with a gold-colored covering in 1965. Because of rust, the anodized aluminum cover was again replaced in 1993 with a gold covering. [article link]
The Greatest Revival Ever on Earth is Taking Place in the 10/40 Window The greatest revival ever on earth is taking place in the 10/40 Window countries of Asia. Every day in communist China over 25,000 people accept Christ. In India, an estimated 15,000 people are turning to Jesus daily. In the early eighties there were only 15,000 known Christians in the Himalayan country of Nepal compared to over 200,000 followers of Christ today. [article link]
1040 Window of Opportunity You are invited to embark on a journey toward the peoples of our planet. Allow, if you will, exotic cultures and customs to color your soul and cause you to consider God's call to love His creation as He does. [article link]
The 10/40 Window Getting to the Core of the Core The core of the unreached people of our world live in a rectangular-shaped window! Often called "The Resistant Belt", the window extends from West Africa to East Asia, from ten degrees north to forty degrees north of the equator. This specific region, which has increasingly become known as The 10/40 Window, encompasses the majority of the world's Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists -- billions of spiritually impoverished souls. [article link]
Noah's Ark? Book now Available The Boat Shaped Object on Doomsday Mountain. On June 20, 1987, the Turkish government officially dedicated an area in eastern Turkey as the site of Noah's Ark. Near the Iranian and Russian borders, the dedication of this site and the surrounding area as a national park was a strong affirmation in the archaeological world. Ron Wyatt, of Nashville, Tennessee, was the guest of honor at that ceremony. The Turkish authorities credited Ron, an amateur archaeologist, as being directly responsible for substantially proving that the boat shaped object on these Ararat mountains is indeed the remains of the ancient ark. [article link]
The Basic Christian RSS Info/News Feed Full View (basicChristian.us) View the entire up to date Basic Christian info/news feed. [article link]
National Day of Prayer 5 May 2005 National days of prayer have been called as early as 1775 with the First Continental Congress. Abraham Lincoln called for such a day in 1863. In 1952 Congress established a National Day of Prayer by joint resolution, which was signed into law by President Truman and later amended by President Regan. [article link]
Peppered Moth Evolution Kit In 1953 Bernard Kettlewell performed a set of experiments that proved that predation by birds was responsible for the peppered moth population changing from mostly white to mostly black. The reasoning was that industrial pollution had caused the barks of trees to turn dark... There's just one problem. Some are beginning to say that the case of the peppered moth may be one of the biggest cases of scientific fraud of the twentieth century, up there with the (Piltdown Man). You see, moths tend not to rest on tree trunks during the day; their main predators are bats, not birds; and anyway, birds see more in the UV range than people do, so what looks camouflaged to us may not look so to a bird. Given this, how did Kettlewell achieve his suspiciously perfect results? Rumors of fraud are in the air. [article link]
Is the Sky Falling?: The Kansas Evolution Vote Listening to all the Chicken Littles in the press, you'd think the sky had fallen in Kansas. When the Kansas Board of Education voted not to include macro-evolution in their state standards, dozens of hand wringing editorials decried the vote as" religious prejudice," "banning knowledge," and" destructive to education." As we speak, lawsuits are being threatened. [article link]
Last Flight Out (Movie - DVD) World Wide Pictures presents an intense story of international rescue and unresolved romance. Richard Tyson ("Black Hawk Down") stars as Dan Hogan, a washed-up pilot stuck repossessing private jets. That is, until Dan's former boss hires him to rescue his daughter (and Dan's ex-girlfriend) from the drug runner terrorizing her remote village. [article link]
Christian Penpals for Those in Prison We are a group of Christians reaching out to the lonely men and women in prison. Most of the inmates contacting us have already accepted Jesus or they are seeking God. All of them are lonely, discouraged, and rejected; in need of a caring friend. Jesus has a special place in His heart for hurting people and He calls us to minister to their need. In Matthew 25:35-36, Jesus says "I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me." Then He explains "In as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to Me." In Luke 5:32-32, Jesus says "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I
have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Please read also Psalms 107:9-16, Isaiah 42:7, and 2Cor.5:17. [article link]
Adam's Web Page A home page glorifying our Lord Jesus Christ providing quality Christian links, Info, Christian and other freeware, Veterans links - Info, USAF Travels, a Tribute to my Sister, Christian humor and Golf links. [article link]
Faith and Action Winter Conference 2005, January 22 - 24 Reverend Rob and Paul Schenck invite you to join them, their families and ministry team for three important days of prayer, ministry and fellowship at the Faith and Action Winter Conference 2005, January 22 - 24 [article link]
Individual Life stories, Christian(Testimony) I knew that he(God) was trying to tell me something, that I had no life without him... and I didn't. [article link]
Memo From the Big Guy (God) I am God. Today I will be handling all of your probems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. It will be addressed in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it. If you find yourself stuck in traffic; don't despair, there are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege. ... [article link]
Welcome to WeVoteProLife.com Thank you for visiting the 2004 pro-life voter's guide at WeVoteProLife.com. Choose your state to find information for candidates for Congress and statewide office. [article link]
Election Questions on Jay Sekulow Live (Audio) With Election Day just days away, Jay examines the latest litigation and our efforts to ensure that the election process complies with the U.S. Constitution with the formation of the ACLJ Election Law Compliance Team. [article link]
Stolen Honor - Full Internet Version Watch the entire John Kerry Stolen Honor documentary on-line. Options to view short select topic clips are also available. [article link]
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Holiday background information, Presidential declarations, articles and audio messages. [article link]
Faith Vote Faith Action and our partner organizations are rallying people of faith across the country by the hundreds and thousands to take a simple pledge and say "I'm A Faith Voter" What does this mean? Simply this: we are calling on people of faith to put their faith before their vote - to give the issues of their faith prime importance when they go to the polls this November! [article link]
Faith and Action at Capital Hill Welcome to Faith and Action! I'm Rob Schenck, your missionary to Capitol Hill. We're grateful for your interest in our work. Your prayers and your support help us carry out this vital mission to our elected and appointed officials. Enjoy your visit! [article link]
Pre Crusade Prayer for Billy Graham PURPOSE: To unite the Greater Los Angeles area churches for prayer and consecration; and to present ourselves before the Lord asking His anointing and power to be upon us as we proclaim Christ as Savior and Lord at the Rose Bowl. By early November, the preparation will be virtually complete; we will call upon God as one body for Him to fill us and use us to lead people to Christ. [article link]
Stolen Honor a John Kerry Documentary You can join the mission to reveal the truth about John Kerry -- the story the mass media won't tell. All sponsors of $30 or more will receive a DVD or VHS tape of this important documentary. [article link]
Being a Christian is a lot like being a Pumpkin God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off you ... [article link]
Sign Petition to keep Sen. Specter from chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee Sen. Specter indicates he would apply a pro-choice litmus test to the president's nominees and would likely not pass them out of committee if they did not meet that litmus test. [article link]
Sen. Specter Warns Bush On Judicial Nominees Describing Specter as showing "ingratitude" and "the height of arrogance," Perkins said the moderate Republican senator "has spent much of his public life fighting against the confirmation of pro-life judges -including leading the fight against Ronald Reagan's nominee to the Supreme Court, Robert Bork." [article link]
Kingdom Ventures Media Communications a Faith-Based Products Group Our mission is to become the foremost Christian Media and Products Company. Our Goal is to combine our Family of Companies, providing services and products, serving to distinguish and mobilize the largest affinity group in the world: the Christian Community. The bottom line: to impact the market driven world culture with a united Christian Voice and Perspective. The Mission Statement of Kingdom Ventures is "Resourcing Christian People and Equipping the Church to Penetrate the Culture." [article link]
Arafat The Monster YASSER ARAFAT died at age 75, lying in bed surrounded by familiar faces. He left this world peacefully, unlike the thousands of victims he sent to early graves. [article link]
Arafat's Dark Legacy Yet beyond the terrorism, extortion, embezzlement and intimidation lies Arafat's most unfortunate ongoing impact: The inculcation of murderous values in an entire generation of Palestinians, who have been educated under Arafat's direction to continue the fight of jihad against Israel, rather than compromise to end the decades-long conflict. How many generations will it take to undo Arafat's dark legacy? [article link]
Specter In Hot Water Again Over Anti-Christian Fundraising Letter Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), whose comments last week have been interpreted as a warning to President George W. Bush not to nominate any conservative judges to be considered by the U.S. Senate, is in hot water again with pro-life, pro-family Christian Republicans over a presidential exploratory fundraising letter he sent in 1995 calling religious leaders like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Ralph Reed, and Pat Buchanan "radical extremists." [article link]
Welcome to WeVoteProLife.com Thank you for visiting the 2004 pro-life voter's guide at WeVoteProLife.com. Choose your state to find information for candidates for Congress and statewide office. [article link]
Independent Christian film festival semi-finalists announced With gratitude to the Lord for His providential hand of blessing, Vision Forum Ministries is pleased to announce the semi-finalists for its 2004 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. Imagine our delight when, on the week of the deadline, more than 120 film submissions flooded our offices. We hope you will join us on November 11-13 as we screen these films and then select the Jubilee Award winners, including our $10,000 prize best-of-festival winner. [article link]
First Family Church (Audio Files) We are a dynamic, growing community of faith, hope, and love, and exist to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank you for visiting our website and invite you to attend one of our services. [article link]
Form to Submit Items to the Basic Christian RSS Newsfeed Submit your event, website or information to the Basic Christian RSS Newsfeed. [article link]
Priests for Life Election Action Center Action items, Reference links, Candidate positions - How do I know where the candidates stand? For up-todate information on the candidates' positions, click here. [article link]
Signs in Nature The Bible says that in the last days there would be signs in the sun, moon, stars, etc. as well as an increase in natural disasters. These signs would be like "birth pangs" to warn of the lateness of the hour, although they would manifest more profoundly during the Tribulation. We see their increase, however, in our day. They serve as a warning and in some cases as judgments from God before the Tribulation. [article link]
Know Him Christian Inspiration Sometimes the daily "grind" can squelch our spirit. This page is designed to be a weekly stopping point for you to receive some inspiration, May God speak to you through these words [article link]
Introduction To 100 Key Christian History Events Imagine for a moment that you are approached by someone largely unfamiliar with the Christian church who asks you what are the most important things that have happened in our history. Excluding any event recorded in the Bible, what would you say? What would you list in your top ten? [article link]
Vintage Sermons Mp3 Downloads Welcome to the ChristiansUnite Online Sermons. We are pleased to offer you these sermons in association with SermonIndex.net. Here you will find hundreds of vintage sermons from some of the greatest preachers and teachers as well as many contemporary greats. Most are in mp3 format, and are from 2-5 meg in size, although some may be much larger. All sermon downloads are free for personal and ministry use! [article link]
The Jesus Nebula - The Face of Jesus Christ Scientists at NASA see cones, pillars, and majestic flowing shapes abounding in stellar nurseries where natal clouds of gas and dust are buffeted by energetic winds from newborn stars. Others are inspired by the wonders of the God's creations and see something different. Look at this image from a distance, can you see the image of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, crowned by a sparkling ring of thorns as stars? [article link]
Individual Life stories, how and why people became Christians(Testimony) Real life stories and Testimonials from people describing how and why they became a Christian. [article link]
I am a Christian now what do I do Having now given your life to the Lord Jesus Christ you might have the feeling of what do I do now? Here are some simple guidelines of what to do next to help you grow in your loving relationship with God the Lord Christ Jesus. [article link]
Christian Jobs More Than Just A Job Bank. We Provide You With Links To Tons Of Career Resources and Job Banks That Serve The USA... For FREE. [article link]
THE ANSWER: WHAT IS THE GOSPEL? There is a wonderful book which contains everything we need to know to live our lives the way our Creator intended (II Timothy 3:16,17). There are countless truths to live by found in this book, God's message to mankind, but if we were to boil everything down to its most basic message, this book, the Bible, makes three things clear... [article link]
From Ordinary to Great [Small Group Ministry] So often, we think that in order to build community or reconnect with God we need to do things that require a great deal of equipment, preparation, and resources. We often feel like spiritual amateurs, and the idea of leading a small group or ministry, of taking others on a spiritual adventure, can seem daunting. But in today's featured article, "From Ordinary to Great," Lifetogether's Brett Eastman reminds us that God's in control of our communities, and the only piece of equipment we really need is an open heart. [article link]
Church Directory of the United States Welcome to the most complete church directory on the web. Churches are listed in all of the 50 states and certain other parts of the world. Church Angel is updated daily, seven days a week, with the most current listings. Area codes are updated as quickly as possible. Every effort is made to keep the church listings up to date. The final responsibility of updated listings is that of the churches. [article link]
Recommended Free Anti Spyware and Adware Removal Programs The easiest and safest way to remove these types of programs is with specific spyware removal software programs which are designed to do so safely. These programs are very similar to Anti-Virus software which, unfortunatly, currently do not protect consumers from adware or spyware. [article link]
G3 Stories Devotions Links Welcome to G3online.org! If you are wondering, G3 stands for Give God the Glory. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." -- 1 Corinthians 10:11. This is a place where you can be encouraged and be an encouragement to others as you share what God is doing in your life. By doing so, God will be glorified. Psalm 96:3 says, "Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples." (NIV) This is our mission. We are a Bible centered, non-denominational organization. [article link]
Free Christian Content.org This website is designed to assist Christian webmasters in locating suitable free content for their web sites. Some of the content on this site has been designed by Free Christian Content.org and there are plans to develop much more. Everything on this web site should be appropriate for use on a Christian web site. This web site also displays all of the content that it lists. That will provide you with an opportunity to see the content as it might appear on your site. It also means that even if you aren't looking for free content you will still find this site entertaining and informational. Take a look around. [article link]
See You at the School Flag Pole [Event 9-15-2004] How deeply do you desire to connect with God? Are you desperate to see a mighty movement of God on your campus and throughout your generation? In the first decade of recent centuries, God has moved in astonishing ways to bring spiritual awakenings through students. We are living in that time right now. Could a spiritual awakening move throughout your campus and your generation? [article link]
Christian Fellowship Devotionals - Free Daily Email Devotionals Would you come and share your morning break with us? If you don't get a break until late, that would be fine too. If you're curious, confused, hurting or looking for a moment of peace in your daily ritual, we have a solution for you. The free daily devotions from the Christian Fellowship Devotionals authors. They are available either by email or here at this site. The price is right, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Come on and give it a try. We'd be happy to share a few minutes with you each day. [article link]
Christian Testimony [Egypt - Muslim] I am Ibrahim who, for the sake of my family's security, go also by the nickname Timothy Abraham. I am a simple Egyptian from the Delta region. Farms surrounded me from every side with streams of the luxurious Nile River endowing life with fertility. I had a strong Islamic upbringing in my childhood, studying in the village shop for teaching the Quran (al-Kutaab). They taught me to fear God (Allah in Arabic) who created the Heaven and the earth in six days. There was not a single reason to doubt a religion which emphasized fearing God, doing good work and living a moral life. The recitation of the Quran was meant to produce a sense of tranquillity. I enjoyed the Sufi circle of worship, as they adored the person of Muhammad. This was Abu-al-Azayem's group. I was searching for more closeness with Allah Almighty. [article link]
A Christian's Testimony of God's Holy Bible (PDF) The following has been written as a Christian's testimony of God's Holy and Living Word, not lost; but readily
available to any who want it. It may be used as is, you may draw a testimony of your own from it, or you may use the various scriptural references to present the truth in love concerning God's Holy Book. [article link]
The Hope: God's Promise for all People [Flash] God's redemptive story from beginning to end for every tongue, tribe and nation. 12 chapters plus a conclusion also available on DVD and VHS. [article link]
Hope: A Better Day is Coming (Modern View - New Zealand) Hope means that our future as believers does not have to develop from what is presently possible, but from what is possible for God. Christian hope is essentially creative; it believes and expects new things. We believe in a God who says "Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5), a God "with whom all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26), a God who "gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist" (Romans 4:17). Hope is optimistic in the best sense. It opens us to genuinely new realities and experiences, revealing new possibilities for us who believe, delivering us from despair, and freeing us for loving service and hope-filled mission in society. [article link]
OnePlace.com Contemporary Audio Messages OnePlace.com is the leading provider of Christian audio content on the Internet. Here's what that means for you: Listen to your favorite Christian broadcasters, such as James Dobson, Chuck Swindoll, Kay Arthur, Joni Eareckson Tada, and Chuck Colson any time, at your convenience! [article link]
Calvary Christian Church Mp3's This week's Featured Church: Welcome to the Calvary Christian Church. We are a non denominational Bible Church located in Bellevue, Nebraska [article link]
Why I'm Thankful to be an American The conventional wisdom is that immigrants come to America for one reason: to make money. It is endlessly conveyed in the "rags to riches" literature on immigrants, and it is reinforced by America's critics, who think America buys the affection of immigrants by promising to make them filthy rich. But this Horatio Alger narrative is woefully incomplete; indeed, it misses the real attraction of America to immigrants, and to people around the world. It misses why the pilgrims came here nearly four hundred years ago, and why we celebrate Thanksgiving each year. [article link]
Pro-Life Advocates: Vote for President Bush John Kerry Would Devalue Life. For pro-life advocates, the choice in this November's presidential elections is clear: President George W. Bush deserves your vote. [Part 1] [article link]
President Bush-Kerry Contest Could Decide Abortion for 30 Years Every election year, there's always talk about the importance of the upcoming election in terms of its impact on abortion policy. There's no doubt, each election is considerably important. However, this time around, the stakes are higher than ever before. [Part 2] [article link]
Redeem the Vote Register to Vote Redeem the Vote has a simple message: As a non-profit, non-partisan organization, Redeem the Vote aims to reach America's young people of faith and engage them into the 2004 election where voters will determine the direction of cultural issues that impact their lives. Redeem the Vote has a simple goal: Increase voter registration and voter turnout by young people of faith all across the nation. [article link]
DNA vs. The Book of Mormon (LDS) DNA vs. The Book of Mormon presents the evidence from DNA researchers, including Mormon scientists who are wrestling with the DNA dilemma that now faces Mormonism. In the end, God is faithful to once again make the truth plain to those who are willing to take an honest look. [article link]
Foundation for American Christian Education Transforming the Mind and Heart of a Nation Your Premier Source for Christian Educational and Homeschool Resources. The Foundation for American Christian Education publishes classical education curriculum and resources based on the Principle Approach for Christian schools, home school parents, and Christians in general. [article link]
Back to School Tips for Christian Students [Skepticism] It's that time of the year again! Christian young people who don't have enough money to attend Landover Baptist Academy for the Truly Saved will be storming secular schools across the Nation! Here are some great tips for fighting Satan on his own turf and claiming your school in the name of Jesus! Wear the Full Armor of Christ! No Christian student is complete or whole without being modestly dressed and groomed... [article link]
Higher Education: Finding College Roomates - Rooms for Rent Our mission is to provide a global marketplace where tenants and landlords can match ALL their housing needs. Sublet.com is not just for Sublets. At Sublet.com people from all over the world sign leases from one day to one decade; furnished and unfurnished, with roommates and without, with pets and without, with good credit and with bad credit, and at all price ranges. Sublet.com prides itself on maintaining a complete and updated database of every kind of rental. Whether your rental situation is unique or ordinary we can help you realize your rental needs. [article link]
Greater Europe Mission Impacting Europe by serving, prayer and supporting. Recently, the director of a Finnish Bible institute and the pastor of a key city church in Stockholm pleaded with me for more GEM missionaries. They requested as many as we could send, and they want them now. Leaders in Europe are asking for our help and God is opening the doors for us in exciting new ways. Jesus said, "The harvest is so great but the workers are so few -ask Him (the Lord) to send more workers". [article link]
Christian Testimony [Linda's Cozy Corner] Some adversity would befall me and I'd beg and plead the Lord to death if he would get me out of this scrape, I promised to come back to Him. Sound familiar? Of course as soon as the smoke cleared, I'd be back to my old ways. [article link]
Crossing(Life's) Rivers Have you ever crossed a river? No, not using a bridge, but rather venturing into the rushing current using only your legs? [article link]
Upcoming Christian Music Events FEATURED EVENTS Night of Joy - Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Kirk Franklin One Nation TourMichael W. Smith, MercyMe, David Crowder Band Carried Me: Summer Tour- Jeremy Camp, Sanctus Real, Seven Places Restored Tour- Jeremy Camp, Building 429, Adam Watts [article link]
Mp3 Bible studies - aprox. 45 minutes in length This web ministry is dedicated to seeing the Word of God studied, taught and distributed worldwide. Pastor Steve Wright offers these free Bible studies on-line so that the world may learn and understand the Word of God. [article link]
How the Tanners became Christians {Ex-Mormon} Jerald and Sandra Tanner were raised in the LDS faith, both with a strong Mormon family history. Jerald is the great-great-grandson of John Tanner, well known for his sizeable financial contributions to Joseph Smith and the LDS church in 1835 when the church was deeply in debt. Sandra Tanner is a great-great-granddaughter of Brigham Young, the second president of the Mormon Church. [article link]
Archeologists claim they've found John the Baptist's cave August 17, 2004 BY KARIN LAUB KIBBUTZ TZUBA, Israel -- Archeologists think they've found a cave where John the Baptist baptized many of his followers -- basing their theory on thousands of shards from ritual jugs, a stone used for foot cleansing and wall carvings telling the story of the biblical preacher. Only a few artifacts linked to New Testament figures have ever been found in the Holy Land, and the cave is potentially a major discovery in biblical archeology. [article link]
Ancient Mysteries: John The Baptist Cave And Skull Discovery Amman: A cave unearthed last year under the remains of a fourth century Byzantine Church on the east bank of the Jordan River was the winter home of the Christian New Testament prophet John the Baptist, project director Mohammad Waheeb said yesterday. But experts are still investigating the identity of a human skull found near the cave to determine if it could also belong to John, who the Bible says was the cousin of Jesus Christ, Waheeb said. [article link]
How We Got the Bible in English The Bible was a long time appearing in English, meeting much opposition and some abortive attempts along the way. This table shows some of the milestones in the effort. Christian Heritage Library has provided us with prefaces or prologues from three of the early versions. Click the provided links to view these samples. [article link]
List of Over 230 Online Christian Resources Over 230 different online Christian ministries comprise the Gospelcom.net alliance, ranging greatly in size, vision, and purpose. Browse through the list below, or if you're looking for a specific type of resource, try the categorical list of ministries. [article link]
Travel The Road - Missionary Journeys (12 episodes DVD) Current Episode: The guys feel the heat as they continue across Ethiopia. Heavy persecution, close encounters with dangerous wildlife, and a major change will test their moxie. But let's face it, they didn't choose life on the road for the souvenir mugs. [article link]
Memo From the Big Guy (God) I am God. Today I will be handling all of your probems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. It will be addressed in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it. If you find yourself stuck in traffic; don't despair, there are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege. ... [article link]
Christian Testimony [Iraq] I was born into an Iraqi Sunni Muslim family.At an early age I become a committed Muslim (e.g. praying daily, and fasting Ramadan). The older I got the more faithful I became to Allah, not just by becoming a good Muslim but also by bringing others to Islam. [article link]
THE CHRISTIAN CONVERTS OF EGYPT For many years, we have been struggling for the simplest of our human rights, the freedom of belief and the freedom of worship. We have been imprisoned, tortured, followed by the security police and subjected to all forms of abuse for our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. [article link]
Christian Portal Site Crossmap.com Mega Audio Sermon site 3,209 Sermons available. This is a temporary Streaming-Listening site until their Download site comes back online. [article link]
Creation Science Evangelism - Free Seminar Downloads Dr. Hovind is known for his 17-hour award-winning seminar series. Including topics such as the Age of the Earth, and the so-called "Cavemen"! Many things are covered in great detail in this series, such as Carbon Dating, DNA, Whale evolution, horse evolution, and the human body! You're definitely going to be blown away by the information in these materials. [article link]
Fiber Optics(found) on Noah's Ark? A Picture is worth a thousand Words. Wyatt Archaeological Research photos tell the story. In 1985 a six-inch hole was drilled into the area marked by an arrow, as seen on the photo above. By way of that hole, matrix material samples were taken from within a cavity. Careful examination of the samples with the naked eye revealed fibers that appeared to be hair. In 1993 these fibers were evaluated by a fiber expert in one of the nations leading crime labs. Scroll down for the photos. [article link]
Faking Church Do we really want to serve God - or is it more rewarding to just look the part? Ned sits down next to his wife, Tanya, in the church his family has called home for many years. He smiles, waves, jokes, and engages in friendly banter with everyone around him. He is a fixture in the church, having been involved in leadership for many years. Ned is well known, well liked, and deeply admired for his spiritual life. Frank, one of the men he has discipled, waves to him from across the church. Ned smiles and waves back.
He remembers sharing with Frank how to live the Christian life. Suddenly he feels a pang of guilt. [article link]
When Job-Hunting: Dress for Success Should you be judged by what you wear? Perhaps not, but the reality is, of course, that you are judged. Throughout the entire job-seeking process employers use short-cuts -- heuristics or rules of thumb -- to save time. With cover letters, it's the opening paragraph and a quick scan of your qualifications. With resumes, it is a quick scan of your accomplishments. With the job interview, it's how you're dressed that sets the tone of the interview. [article link]
July 28, 1824 Feuerbach: the Theologian Who Wasn't The story of Christianity is also the story of attacks on Christianity. On this day July 28, 1804 Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach was born. His father was a well-known jurist who exerted tremendous influence in the field of German law. He was also a petty, moralizing tyrant at home who betrayed Feuerbach's mother for another man's wife. It has sometimes been remarked that the ranks of atheists are most often joined by men who hate their fathers. Feuerbach, who had much reason to dislike his father, attacked Christianity mercilessly. Like his follower Marx, he adopted materialist presuppositions and therefore considered his critique of the faith scientific. [article link]
Seafood Recipies: Shrimp Real recipies for real people. [article link]
10 Reasons to Invest in Your Career(You) Not investing in yourself is like floating down a fast river without a paddle, map or knowledge of what's around the next bend. Things may go fine for a while, but at some point, you're going to realize you made a giant mistake. [article link]
Christian Testimony [Scotland] Although I didn't know it at the time, God was still at work in my life; he wasn't ignoring me, even though I was ignoring him. It was at this point that God gave me some skills to bring me closer to serving and worshipping him. [article link]
Billy Graham Message(Audio) A Line in the Sand: Billy Graham describes the scene at the Alamo when the men were challenged to step across a line in the sand if they were willing to lay down their lives. He then challenges us to cross a spiritual line in our lives to follow Christ. [article link]
MOREY, Samuel [1762-1843] -- American inventor Son of Gen. Israel Morey, an officer in the Revolutionary war, who served on the frontier. He removed to Orford, N. H., with his parents in 1766, and as he grew to manhood turned his attention to mechanics and chemistry. From 1780 to 1830 he devoted himself to practical experiments upon steam, heat and light, and to propelling boats by steam. Between 1790-93 he took out several patents for steam machinery, some of the models of which are in the possession of the New Hampshire Antiquarian society, and his prophecy of a boat propelled by steam was ridiculed by his neighbors [article link]
Samuel Morey: Inventor Extraordinary THE ADVENT of the horseless carriage occurred within the memory of many persons living today. If the world had listened to a man by the name of Samuel Morey, an inventor who patented an internal combustion machine as early as 1826, the automobile would have been tooling along the roads of America some half a century and more before the construction of Charles E. Duryea's first gasoline motor car In 1891-92. [article link]
A 4th of July Links Page Below are some reviewed Independance Day links, hand selected, for your patriotic enjoyment. [article link]
"Livin' It" skateboarding and BMX riding DVD "Livin' It," a contemporary, relevant evangelistic tool that pastors, organizations and young Christians can boldly use to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. [article link]
The Incredible 9-11 Evidence We've All been Overlooking We have entered the Age of the Conjurer and it is going to be a tricky time. The 9-11 stunt was a huge magic trick and we all bought it at first. Magicians can be very convincing. You have to look very hard to see the trick and not be fooled. On this occasion slow motion exposes the sleight of hand, but remember how the magician works: he can make almost anything seem real if he can make his audience look in the wrong place at crucial moments. [article link]
ICED COFFEE Drinks Brewing iced coffee can be done using a conventional hot method or a cold water method. Cold water brewing extracts the smooth taste from coffee without extracting all the acids found in hot water brewing. [article link]
Networking & Your Job Search Networking is the art of building alliances. It's not contacting everyone you know when you are looking for a new job and asking if they know of any job openings. Networking starts long before a job search, and you probably don't even realize you are doing it. [article link]
Home Faith: Family Spirituality Ways to nurture your family's spiritual life. [article link]
Family Research Council The Family Research Council(FRC) champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization, the seedbed of virtue, and the wellspring of society. FRC shapes public debate and formulate public policy that values human life and upholds the institutions of marriage and the family. Believing that God is the author of life, liberty, and the family, FRC promotes the Judeo-Christian worldview as the basis for a just, free, and stable society. [article link]
Bullfrogs & Butterflies: Childrens (Audio) This awarding-winning song and story series will fill your home with fun-filled praise of the Lord. Each audio provides wholesome messages that are sure to last a lifetime. Printed Lyrics for all songs included. [article link]
Tomato Yogurt Salad Tomato yogurt salad - a fresh easy to make springtime salad. [article link]
The Challenge of Maintaining a Christian Testimony in this Culture Postmodernism is like a rising tide, blurring the character lines that were once clearly imprinted in our culture. Objective knowledge is unaccepted, the absolute is rejected, and the authority of God's Word is laughed off as foolishness. As a result, this generation is left adrift without an anchor. [article link]
Christian Testimony of KimYong Hwa [North Korea] From that day, I made a cross with twigs and matches and started praying as I walked along the rail. Sometimes, I would draw a cross on the ground and pray. I'd say "God, please let me live. Show me a path for the person who is searching a free country from the North Korean dictator's regime. Lead me no matter how rough the path may be. Please watch over me not to give up hope. Amen." I prayed many times a day as I cross two thumbs to make a cross. [article link]
From Christian Science to Christ No longer did I need to try to please a God who I thought demanded perfection from me! He had made His light to shine in my heart through Christ! A precious unmerited gift! [article link]
Mother's Day(Devotion) Being a Good Mother Elisabeth Elliot: But too many women don't see motherhood as a vocation. The word vocation comes from the Latin word for voice. It means "a call," and I do believe with all my heart that there is no higher and no holier calling than Motherhood. [article link]
Evangelical Free Church of Santa Maria CA -(Audio Downloads) We're glad you stopped by our web site, and hope that the pages within will be a valuable resource to you and your family as you grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. [article link]
Nikola Tesla: He powered the world(HAARP) Predecessor In Colorado Springs, where he stayed from May 1899 until 1900, Tesla made what he regarded as his most important discovery-- terrestrial stationary waves. By this discovery he proved that the Earth could be used as a conductor and would be as responsive as a tuning fork to electrical vibrations of a certain frequency. He also lighted 200 lamps without wires from a distance of 25 miles(40 kilometers) and created man-made lightning. [article link]
Nikola Tesla: Mysterious Death In 1943 Nikola Tesla claimed that he had perfected his "death beam". He died shortly after in the Hotel New Yorker, where he had been living. The next morning after Tesla died, when his nephew came to his uncle's room at the hotel, the body was gone and many of his papers were missing. [article link]
Project HAARP: Holes in Heaven(Video) Are we making Holes in Heaven? H.A.A.R.P.(High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) is a controversial high frequency radio transmitter, or "ionospheric heater," [X-ray] .. Using HAARP our military plans to .. "see" into the Earth, detecting anything from oil reserves to underground missile silos. [article link]
HAARP: Weapons of Total Destruction Editor's Note: Many articles have been written about HAARP. What this author wishes to make clear is that he believes HAARP is not the actual facility designed to be used as a military system but a "front" or "red herring" facility which allows the authorities to deny important questions about its purpose and operation. The real facility is located in Poker Flats, North of Fairbanks, Alaska. Please read the Congressional Executive Summary which is provided here in full for the truth. [article link]
HAARP: Did it cause the 2003 Blackout? Did a Secret Military Experiment Cause the 2003 Blackout, [Editor's Note: It's hard to know for sure what happened on August 14,(East Coast Blackout) but I never felt that it was a natural occurence...] [article link]
HAARP: Mind-Control Conspiracy Series(Book) Haarp: The Ultimate Weapon of the Conspiracy(The Mind-Control Conspiracy Series). [article link]
Project HAARP: Angels don't play this HAARP Project HAARP: The Pentagon's provocative plan to superheat the earth's ionosphere. [article link]
Christian Camping International Christian Camping International CCI/USA is a non-profit association that provides extensive programs, products, and services for the leaders of autonomous Christian camps and conferences nationwide. CCI/USA also maintains, through its membership records, the Internet's most extensive database of summer and yearround Christian faith-based camps, conference centers, and retreat centers. [article link]
Time Changer - Christian Movie DVD Recommendation What if you could see the impact your beliefs will have on future generations? One man will in "Time Changer." Treat yourself, family and friends to this Exceptional Christian movie now available on DVD. It is a magnificent thought provoking movie based on the idea of what would a nation be like if God were left out from it's regular teachings, structure, and morality. The movie starts out in 1890 and Time Travels to the present day. But guess what? We have time traveled that distance as a Nation and as a people so it is not science fiction but known facts that the movie material is traveling through. The DVD should be available for rent at the local video stores and following is a link to the movie's website. [article link]
National Day of Prayer Thursday(Today) May 6, 2004(Event) Mark your calendar for Thursday, May 6, for the National Day of Prayer! [article link]
Family Night Tool Chest Book 2 Family fun without videos or, dare we say it, TV. Definitely rated G for Grrrreat. Id recommend this easy to read book to anyone who is interested in making certain their kids have the basic knowledge/ experience necessary to build a life centered on the God of the Bible. My compliments to the authors... Thank you for making a difference. [article link]
Christian Family Movement World Assembly 2004 9th World Assembly The 2004 International Confederation of Christian Family Movement's World Assembly
with the theme, "Family: Artisans of an Evolving Society," will be held at Santa Clara University, CA on July 28August 1, 2004. [article link]
Promise Keepers Men's Weblog Promise Keepers Launches "Men's Web Log" PK wants to keep you up to date with the news beneath the news, what's really going on out there from the viewpoint of the 7 promises. With all the information and inspiration out in cyberspace, we'll do the web-surfing, so you can simply visit us for a few stories that will build you up or challenge you. Your contributions and comments are encouraged as well. [article link]
Don't crowd out God with your other "important" things. You only have so much time and energy in your life and it is easy to waste it on things that do not really matter. Attend to the important things first or you won't have time for them later. [article link]
Today in History May 4 May 4th 1493 Spanish Pope Alexander VI divides America between Spain & Portugal. Source www.TodayinHistory.com. Following is a Timeline of eary America History 1492-1810. [article link]
Avocado and Beet Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette It's not just the food, it's what we do with it. If we are going to eat ethically {healthfully}, we had better start eating together with each other and our children. When you eat together, and eat a meal that you cooked by yourself, you are involved with the process in a different way. [article link]
Individual Life stories, how and why people became Christians(Testimony) I knew that he(God) was trying to tell me something, that I had no life without him... and I didn't. [article link]
Crossing(Life's) Rivers Have you ever crossed a river? No, not using a bridge, but rather venturing into the rushing current using only your legs? [article link]
The Essence Of Grace(Audio) An audio Message From Berean Bible Church. [article link]
Community Fellowship Church Listen-Audio Page Topics include the Passion Movie, Family, Individual Motivation. [article link]
Hitler Vs. The Church The upshot: a ton of evidence that Hitler sought to wipe out Christianity just as surely as he sought to wipe out the Jews. [article link]
Flirting with Hitler - Gardian U.K. News Gothic is a way of dressing, a taste in music, a style. But in Germany - at the extreme fringes - it has also
become the point at which neo-Nazism and Satanism meet. [article link]
Hitler - Fascism from a(Muslim view) Qur'an is quoted Looking at these three periods, we see that fascist culture belongs to the first and third. In other words, fascism was born out of pagan culture, and was later resurrected as a part of materialist culture. There was no fascist ideology or practice throughout the thousand or so years when Christian culture dominated Europe. [article link]
Warning: Hitler was a New-Ager(New Age Website) Hitler decided that Judaeo-Christianity had to be eradicated from the planet ... Yes, Hitler was a new-ager. If the New Age Movement ever succeeds in its dream of a world-government with a one-world religion(as per the U.N. Earth Charter) the end result will not be a blissful utopia but a fascist nightmare that will make the Holocaust look like a picnic ... The new age movement is in direct opposition to the True God. It is indeed on the side of the Devil, satan himself. People who are starting to get involved in new age thinking need to seriously ask themselves if they really want, ultimately, to go down that road - whilst they still have time to decide ... [article link]
Current events for Southern California Current events listed by the Southern California Christian Radio Station Kwave 107.9 fm. [article link]
John Kerry's Abortion rally event turns Ugly John Kerry's political event is marred by pushing, shoving and general intolerance from his gathered crowd of pro-abortion supporters. [article link]
A Photo history guide of early Tunisia(History) Tunisia an area historically important to Christianity. The columns are the remains of an early Christian church. Here is where Augustine met with church leaders. ~Tertullian an early Church defender of the Christian faith was born near here in 160 AD.~ [article link]
Navigators organization 61 years of dedication and service April 29, 1943 - The Navigators trace their origin to this date, when founder Dawson Trotman began the work in San Pedro, CA. In 1943, this evangelical mission was formally incorporated, and is headquartered today in Colorado Springs, CO. Source: www.studylight.org/his/tich/ [article link]
Parents' Guide to the Spiritual Growth of Children(Family) New Releases: Passing on a heritage of faith to children is an incredible privilege God gives to parents. And now there's a tool to help make it easy! In this new paperback edition, you'll find dozens of simple, practical ways to not only tell your children what you believe but to show them how to make faith in God part of everyday life. [article link]
Pro-Life Event of the Year National Right to Life Convention, July 1-3, Arlington, Virginia! Featuring Judge Andrew Napolitano of FoxNews, Jennifer O'Neill, actress and CoverGirl spokeswoman, and others! Three days filled with over 70 workshops. There's something for everyone -- teens, college students, and adults! Bring the family and enjoy
4th of July in our nation's capitol. Childcare available. [article link]
Pageant of our Lord a Living artwork exhibit The Pageant of Our Lord is presented annually by Rolling Hills Covenant Church. Originally based on the popular Pageant of The Masters in Laguna Beach, CA. the Pageant of Our Lord depicts the Biblical history of the Old and New Testaments as told through great works of art. These master works of art are replicated live on stage with living models. The Pageant of Our Lord is popular in our local community, around the country, and around the world. The Pageant of Our Lord draws over 15,000 people each year to witness this wonderful event. [article link]
Free Sticker: Pat Tillman - American Hero A limited free offer from BumperTalk.com scroll to the bottom of the Patriotic - Military list. [article link]
Basic Christian: Newsletter, Updates, Blog Basic Christian: Newsletter, Updates, Blog. Testifying of God, Heaven and of good things through Jesus Christ both now and yet to come. [article link]
Statement of Faith and Beliefs We believe that Jesus physically rose from the dead, was seen by many eyewitnesses and has now ascended back into Heaven where He originally came from. He is seated in Majesty, Power and Authority alongside the Father and is currently accessible in both Prayer and Fellowship. [article link]
Jesus Walk 2004 (Easter) Timeline Devotion Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection(Easter) Holiday dates of 2004 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected, returned from death, just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. [article link]
Basic Christian: Answers to Life's Questions(132 Topics) An extensive resource, unparalleled in convenience and ease of use yet advanced in topic research. A Complete handy Reference - Study Guide/Tutorial. It covers 132 Christian Subjects and Topics from Adoption - Yahweh in an easy to read and understand format(169 pages). [article link]
Did Jesus have a wife and child, of course not! Network TV is set to air a program that will insinuate that Jesus had a secret wife, Mary Magdalene and that the two had a child while He was here on the earth. Following is some material to consider regarding this very wrong and false topic. [article link]
Studying and understanding the four Gospels Studying the Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. How they relate to and correspond with each other. Of first Importance when reading and studying the Four Gospels is to recognize that each Gospel is written to a Specific defined audience and group of people. [article link]
Biblical Proof that Jesus is God In many, many places the Bible references, referrers to and calls Jesus, God. Here are just a few! 1 Timothy 3:16 "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." [article link]
Bible number meanings and usage There are a handful of numbers that commonly reoccur throughout the entire Bible while other numbers generally do not even occur at all. Their usage and grouping is far to ordered and to consistent throughout the entire Bible to be considered irrelevant or incidental. Following is what is considered to be their common meaning. [article link]
7 Miracles of Jesus from the Gospel of John These are Seven Miracles preformed by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of John by John a disciple and one of the original 12 Apostles of Jesus. John was an eyewitness present at each of these seven miracles. These miracles are illustrations representing the miracles that Jesus is currently doing in the life of each and every Christian. [article link]
Why the Christian Church gathers for worship on Sunday Perhaps the First and Oldest custom of the Christian Church is to gather together on Sundays. What has distinguished and brought about Sunday Worship for all of these many years of Christianity? [article link]
The Royal Priesthood the High Calling of each Christian The Royal Priesthood of The Christian Walk Illustrated with examples. As mentioned in the Epistle of 1st Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a Royal Priesthood for God's own possession." [article link]
The resurrection of Jesus and why it is important to humanity The resurrection of Jesus shows to us and proves to us that Jesus is God just as He said that He is. No one else has ever bodily returned from death. We can now be certain that there is a God(Jesus), that our sins are forgiven by God and that we who believe in the forgiveness of our sins, because Jesus died in our place, we too can look forward to our own resurrected life in the presence of God(heaven). [article link]
Test to determine a true or false prophet Everyone has an opinion but who's advice do we follow? Testing to determine if someone is a true prophet of God or a false prophet of man. [article link]
Muslim(Islam) and Mormon(LDS) are very similar A comparison of the Muslim(Islam) and Mormon(LDS) Religions. How they are similar to each other and very different from Christianity. [article link]
Military and Veterans info Military service is perhaps the ultimate service. It has been well said about Military service that All gave some and Some gave All. This saying is also well applied to the family, friends and supporters of those who are in uniform. [article link]
War in Iraq keeping a perspective Keeping a broader Perspective on the current world events and considering how they have Biblical End Times Significance. [article link]
What is a Christian A Christian is a follower a disciple of Jesus Christ, a person who believes that Jesus is God! Christianity is Not a Religion and it is Not a Philosophy. Christianity is Relationship with God. [article link]
How to become a Christian (Salvation) message and prayer To desire to be a Christian is to desire to be a child of God, to be a person in a personal relationship with God. To become a Christian is to partake in the actual event of receiving God the Holy Spirit inside of our own human spirit and therefore creating a new Spiritual life inside of us. It is this New Spiritual life that unites us and makes us children of God our Father. [article link]
I am a Christian now what do I do Having now given your life to the Lord Jesus Christ you might have the feeling of what do I do now? Here are some simple guidelines of what to do next to help you grow in your loving relationship with God the Lord Christ Jesus. [article link]
Three stories with a heavenly focus Big Christian service in the Little things that we do. Story The Limo Ride, Story The Cab Ride, Story Houses in Heaven. [article link]
Links to other Christian websites Links to other websites we have found to be particularly helpful in assembling much of the information that is available here on this web site. Look for this list to grow as we are determined to make this a useful Resource Center. [article link]
Free Downloads(pdf) from Basic Christian It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
Welcome to the ATS Christmas Site ATS has prepared a variety of materials to help you celebrate the birth of Christ. Visit all the pages and print out any of the materials that would be helpful to you. The Christmas season is full of opportunities to reach outside your usual circle of friends. Don't just lament the commercialization of Christmas, actively plan to share your faith this Christmas. [article link]
Comple Christmas Studys (Audio, Text) In honor of the birth of Christ we have created this special page that deals with that event as well as those surrounding it. This page serves as a starting point for those seeking to study this great moment in history. [article link]
Advent Devotion: Unexpected Grace at the Sight of a Baby I've heard the Christmas story hundreds of times, but never understood the significance of the baby Jesus until a few years ago after I discovered a traditional Christmas re-enactment celebrated primarily in Hispanic churches. [article link]
Biblical Christmas Stories and Articles Joyful Heart Renewal Ministries Pastor Ralph F. Wilson, Director. [article link]
Pearl Harbor: Remembered Least We Forget. Created to honor the survivors of Pearl Harbor their families and friends and to those who died during the attack on that Sunday morning in December 7, 1941. [article link]
Christmastime event is no-Christian zone In the latest skirmish over Christmas in America, a Christian group is not allowed to participate in Denver's annual Parade of Lights, because church members sought to sing yuletide hymns and proclaim a "Merry Christmas" message on their float. [article link]
Christmas Traditions Christmas Holiday background information, articles and audio messages. Including a look at the traditional song "The 12 Days of Christmas". [article link]
Target Dept. Stores Reject Salvation Army (Atheist Discussion) Target has decided not to allow the Sally (Salvation) Army to collect outside its doors this winter. I have no particular affection for the Salvation Army, but I shop with my kids a lot, and I like them to see people colecting for charity in the midst of the commercial horrors of Christmas. [article link]
Autumn Treasures: Autumn Cider Serve this Apple Cider and Lemonade drink from a hollowed out pumpkin. [article link]
God's Golden Glory A golden autum picture, poem and music. [article link]
New Year's Day - History, Traditions, and Customs "Happy New Year!" That greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as a new year gets under way. But the day celebrated as New Year's Day in modern America was not always January 1. [article link]
BC-AD VS BCE-CE I have seen some religion books from my childs Catholic School that now have B.C.E and C.E. instead of B.C and A.D. I questioned one of the sisters about it and she said that the Church is now using Before Common Era and Common Era so as not to offend people that are not Christian. Another teacher said that it actually means Before Christian Era. I have read some sites that the use of BCE and CE started with some masons. I personally dont see, if the Church is getting rid of BC and AD, why She has to apologize for being Christian. Is the Church really changing or is this another ploy of liberals in the Church to compromise? Not only that but the religion
book uses inclusive language for example one sentence says that "..God wants us to love God" instead of saying "God wants us to love Him." The whole book was missing the references of God as a male figure. [article link]
The Amazing Bible World History Timeline AD stands for Anno Domini or Year of our Lord referring to the year of Christ's birth. BC stands for Before Christ. CE is a recent term devised to fit with to solve the year 0 problem. It refers to Common Era and is used in place of A.D. BCE refers to Before Common Era. [article link]
The Calendar in Anno Domini (AD) We know what year we have now, and some may even have seen the letters AD. But, do you know what they mean? Those who do know what the letters mean will realise that the letters properly go before a date, not after it. Furthermore, it is important to know that this system is not really a calendar but rather a benchmark by which to set years in chronological order. [article link]
BasicChristian.info for Convenient FREE Christian PDF & MP3 Downloads A Christian Information Center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. [article link]
Awana: Family Connection November Newsletter Awana Family Connection is delivered free via e-mail to subscribers monthly. We encourage you to distribute this newsletter freely and ask only that you not change its contents. [article link]
Honoring America's Veterans Then... In 1801, President Jefferson refused to pay tribute to North African rulers who preyed on ships from Western Christian countries. He sent the U.S. Navy and the Marines "to the shores of Tripoli." To this day, Marine officers carry the curved Mameluke sword, a reminder of that war. Jefferson was really fighting America's first war on terror. We called them Barbary Pirates then, but they were Muslim hostage-takers and slave traders. It sounds like Sudan today. Even then, Hitchens said, America was a nation to be reckoned with. The arrival of U.S. forces in North Africa showed Europe that we would fight rather than pay tribute to Arab kidnapers. In those days, the rulers of Europe preferred to pay off the pirates. Many of them still do. Today, we thank God for all those whose sacrifice and valor have kept us free. [article link]
Muslim(Islam) and Mormon(LDS) are very similar (Updated) A comparison of the Muslim(Islam) and Mormon(LDS) Religions. How they are similar to each other and very different from Christianity. [article link]
France, Liberalism and Jihad What is happening in France has been brewing in Old Europe for years. The BBC speaks of "youths" venting their "anger." The BBC is wrong. It is not anger that is driving the insurgents to take it out on the secularised welfare states of Old Europe. It is hatred. Hatred caused not by injustice suffered, but stemming from a sense of superiority. The "youths" do not blame the French, they despise them. [article link]
Kansas State School Board Approves Teaching Standards Skeptical of Evolution TOPEKA, Kan. - New science standards for Kansas' public schools, criticized for promoting creationism while
treating evolution as a flawed theory, won approval Tuesday from the State Board of Education. The board's 64 vote, expected for months, was a victory for intelligent design advocates who helped draft the standards and argued the changes would make teaching about evolution more balanced and expose students to legitimate scientific questions about the theory. [article link]
Thanksgiving - Plymouth Set (3 books $24.00) As a special offer, we are pleased to make available our Thanksgiving Collection, which includes three books designed to inspire the Christian family and motivate the little pilgrims around your Thanksgiving dinner table. [article link]
Archeological Dig in Megido (Israel) Uncovers What Appears to be a Church Dating Back to 3rd, 4th century AD Two weeks ago diggers discovered what seems to be an architectural structure which was later identified as the remains of a church. Archeologists identified a spectacular mosaic floor and the foundations of a building dating back to the third or fourth century AD. ... One of the inscriptions read that the building was dedicated to "the memory of the Lord Jesus Cristos." [article link]
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Past Radio Broadcasts (Audio) The goal of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Ltd. is to reach men and women with the Gospel and to bring them into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. [article link]
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR's) Report Unreliable Of twenty "anti-Muslim hate crimes" in 2004 that CAIR describes, at least six are invalid - and further research could likely find problems with the other fourteen instances. [article link]
Islam: The Religion of Peace and White Knuckle Terror (Picture of the Week) Behold the Peace of Islam: Picture of the Week. There is no other religion on earth that has lower moral expectations of itself, yet higher expectations of others than Islam. [article link]
Thanksgiving Holiday Resources and Info Christians look forward to the time of the year when we celebrate two important holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. These holidays have their beginnings and roots in Christian celebrations. The word holiday actually means "holy day"; hence these events should be remembered and celebrated in a holy manner. We have strayed from that purpose over the years as we have embraced many unholy practices and worldly customs and added them to our "holy days." [article link]
Free Christian Audio Books (Mp3-ITunes) We have licensed the latest generation text to speech voices to bring you classic Christian audio books and other narrated content at a reasonable price. FREE! Our audio books have been edited for conversion from text to speech and we are sure you will be amazed at the quality of the narrations. [article link]
Early Man-was He Really Less Intelligent? 1 Min. (Podcast-Mp3) Listen - download this Podcast (Mp3). [article link]
Free Downloads:(PDF - MP3) from BasicChristian.org It is our Commitment to provide a Varity of FREE and useful Downloads. It is also our Commitment to provide them in a convenient way without pop-up advertisements, redirects and other annoying interferences between you and the information you are seeking. We also encourage everyone to have a safety offline backup version of the Basic Christian material. [article link]
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY Daily Broadcast - Dr. James Dobson (Audio) On each information-packed broadcast, Dr. James Dobson, and his guests give you practical advice on marriage, parenting, emotional and spiritual growth, health, social issues and public policy concerns. [article link]
The Didache - The Teachings for New Christians Aprox. 75 A. D. The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations. Chapter 1. The Two Ways and the First Commandment. There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, love your neighbor as yourself, [article link]
Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West (Movie Trailer) HonestReporting's newest documentary film, Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, was just named best feature at this week's Liberty Film Festival in Hollywood! You can now view the trailer, and order a video (Donate) - which supports our distribution efforts. To arrange a screening in your area or get more involved, write to
[email protected]. [article link]
A New Media Analysis Project, The Second Draft "Pallywood" Analysis & Raw News Footage (Video Downloads) Boston University history professor Richard Landes has now launched a new media analysis project, The Second Draft, which takes as its first case study the Mohammed al-Dura affair and the phenomenon that Landes' research team calls 'Pallywood', or 'a practice among Palestinian journalists to turn staged drama into news. This fictional news industry then feeds Western news reporting, who don't seem to suspect they're being duped.' The Second Draft website now includes these important videos: [article link]
HonestReporting.com Learership Mission to Israel Nov. 28 - 4 Dec. Join a high-level group committed to defending Israel worldwide. Attend exclusive briefings with Israeli newsmakers and military experts. Study today's issues and receive training to act as Israel's ambassadors. Strategize, network, and exchange ideas with Hasbara Fellowships campus leaders. Accommodations at the luxurious David Citadel Hotel in the heart of Jerusalem. Become inspired -- and inspire others! [article link]
Was There Ever a State of Palestine? "In fact, there never has been a state called Palestine, nor have the Palestinian Arabs ever been an independent people, and Jerusalem never has been an Arab or Muslim capital. Jerusalem has had an absolute Jewish majority for more than a century (and a plurality before that), and for the last three thousand years, only the Jewish people have called it their capital...To inveigh against 'Judaizing' Jerusalem is like protesting the Arabization of Cairo." [article link]
Israel and the US - A God-ordained alliance? Part I: When God brought about the independence of the United States in 1776, He was supervising the founding of a nation He purposed to have in place about two centuries later as the world's mightiest superpower. And His reason for elevating America to this position was so that she would ally herself with the surviving remnant of the Jewish people, help them take root again in their national homeland, and support them in their struggle against a hostile world. [article link]
Your Faith Use It or Lose It You've heard the expression. "Use it or lose it." It applies to a very important aspect of American life - your right to exercise your faith. Americans are losing that right - and when they do they won't be able to blame the American Civil Liberties Union alone. They will have themselves to blame [article link]
BasicChristian.info for Convenient FREE Christian PDF & MP3 Downloads A Christian Information Center with FREE Resources, Information and Links. [article link]
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